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Monday, September 30, 2019

Brave New World and Ethics Essay

Barely peeking over the horizon the barren landscape sparkled as rays of light pierced the darkness driving away the aches and pain from their tired bodies. Straining his eyes he saw the river glowing far in the distance looking so harmless in daylight. Shuddering softly the dark churning waters of the previous night haunted him as he look at the serene form of his wife as she lay in fitful slumber. Turning around he allowed himself one last chance to partake in sweet memories of friends, family, his country, all left behind. As his wife stirred he turned around. He never looked back. Forward they walked towards opportunities untold. Forward they walk towards a new beginning. Forward they walked in America, home of the free. For centuries humans have forsaken the comforts of their current situations in search of a better existence for themselves and their families. From migrating thousands of miles to overthrowing governments humans have a knack for defying the odds successfully in pursuit of their morals and values. Descendant from a primitive apelike people, humans developed over thousands of years morphing into a super species where science is exalted in the quest to dominate nature. In the modern era, scientific and technological advancement are idolized as successes in these fields test the limits of our imaginations. With recent discoveries in genetics and the decoding of the human genome, scientists and politicians today work tirelessly towards complete control of the human body, plants, animals with dazzling results and further successes projected even up to the creation of synthetic life. However, many lines of research have sparked considerable controversy as society moves into an age of untold possibilities. The book Brave New World by Aldous Huxely portrays a futuristic society where humans have been molded into a cast system through chemical mutations, mind altering drugs, and psychological conditioning. With all classic philosophy, literature, and history destroyed as relics of the past, society stands static without any knowledge of a societal reality more primitive or advanced than the status quo. Despite current societal movement towards genetic modification and enhancement, the censorship and elimination of creative perspective present in Huxely’s utopia contradict the individualism and sense of self gave driving society forward. Modern society will never mirror Huxely’s utopia do to the innate spirituality and drive for growth that characterizes human nature. Brave New World depicts a society where humans control their bodies and environment through chemical treatments. Although scientifically impossible, this basic premise of environmental control becomes a reality when utilizing the principles of modern genomics. Over the last two decades scientists have gradually decoded every gene and strand of DNA that allows the human body to function. The gravity of this feat is insurmountable opening the door to limitless possibilities. But despite identifying several the causes of several common polygenic disorders (disorders in which several gene are implicated) and identifying the genes responsible for several Mendelian disorders, the promise of Gene therapy has â€Å"proved nothing but a pipe dream†(Kass). Beyond the elimination of disease, genetically enhanced and altered crops have increased in popularity. Several strains of crops such as cotton, corn, and soybeans have been enhanced with artificial genes that produce insecticides or resistance to herbicides. Furthermore, scientists are attempting to genetically modify plants, insects, and bacteria. Geneticists hope that in the near future genetically engineered plants will have the ability to feed on toxic pollutants. And certain bacteria have already been altered to produce chemicals valuable in manufacturing such as adipic acid, one of the ingredients in nylon, and teraphthalic acid, a component of a specialist polyester (Kass). With the possibilities of producing indestructible crops, plants that eliminate pollutants, and genetically modified fauna to produce chemicals, the economic stability and general prosperity depicted in Brave New World may become a reality in years to come. Furthermore, Huxley’s utopia presented a society where being a mother or father was considered vile and disgusting. Children were manufactured in â€Å"Hatchery And Conditioning Centers† where embryos were designed and enhanced with a complex cocktail of chemical additives in a manufacturing process. Currently modern technology has not developed a method of substituting natural birth conditions and genetically altering an embryo is close to impossible (Kass). But the prospect of genetically modified embryos dubbed â€Å"Designer Babies† lurks in the future. When these techniques develop society will possess the capabilities of genetically determining the capabilities of newborns despite whether artificial birth exists. From an ideological view, the extreme dehumanization in Brave New World may seem difficult to comprehend, but as generation builds on generation, the evolution of cultural practices and values inches society closer a similar state. As science allows society to conquer infertility or improve the genetic makeup of a child, birth moves one step closer to a manufacturing process (Carr). Even when moving beyond the technological transformations, the dominant explanation of organic life is the theory of evolution which directly undermines the value of human life (Carr). Rather than beings with spirits and a divine purpose, society diminishes mankind to nothing more than a meaningless collection of cells whose purpose is reproduction. Regardless of the technological and ideological influences that create a level of symmetry with Huxely’s utopia, our society can never reach the extremes presented in Brave New World because the core cultural values depicted directly contradict those our society ascribe to. Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning†. Brave New World depicted such a society where those not in a drug induced coma or suffering from purposeful cognitive damage were confined to a bland meaningless existence. Our society today is designed to award the innovative and talented as all struggle to achieve individual success. Emphasizing individual growth and achievement, our society will never sit static and unchanged as the world depicted in Huxely’s work.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Brave new world Essay

Lenina, Foster and the Director all have been pre-conditioned to think of themselves better and more intelligent than Betas, Delta, Gammas, and Epsilons, as do all Alpha’s. And with good reason as Alpha’s are pre-conditioned to be more intellectual and socially better. This portrays a capitalist society with the different classes. Huxley deriving from an upper-middle class family this is understandable. In contrast to 1984, everybody is relatively the same. Proles and Party members are all treated the same and are regulated with telescreens and thought police moving amongst them. The views of Orwell have been diffused into the subject matter of 1984 as well as Huxley’s into BNW, the difference and contrast being their views. Huxley’s views of a class system and Orwell views that a socialist Britain was going to develop in light of Soviet Russia. When further comparing the author’s style and subject matter of thinking for their characters, it is clear that they share relatively the same principles. Orwell’s language and style shows that the Party members and proles are sub-consciously trained to believe the ideals of the Party by propaganda. Posters, the two-minute hate, books, songs and newspapers all enforce the Party ideals and the people believe them for they have no other principles or ideals with which to compare. They assume that the Party is right in what it says. This refers back to the proles not having an individual consciousness away from party principles, as stated by Winston in the extract. Their thinking is basic and un-intellectual. Similarly, the thinking process in BNW is a result from training and conditioning. This time people are taught in their sleep (again sub-consciously like in 1984) what to think and what ideals/principles to hold. Their thinking is mechanic and standardised which holds parallels with the mechanic factories they were produced in. Again it is the case of two different methods producing the same result. The subject matter of the BNW extract shows humour which 1984 does not. The fact and process that leads to the Rocket Engineers only ever being truly happy when standing on their heads and that ‘Decanting trauma’ can occur in comparison with real life birth trauma. Both of these examples from the extract are illustrations of the humour that Huxley injects into the novel at several intervals. With 1984 there are no humorous comments at all and so the subject matter keeps, at all times, an air of seriousness, whereas with BNW this air of seriousness, as a revolutionary novel, is broken from time to time by the humour. A main contrast that the two extracts highlight is the ideal of what both worlds are striving towards and are. In 1984 Winston describes the Party’s ultimate aim as; â€Å"The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible and glittering – a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines†¦ – a nation†¦ All thinking the same thoughts, shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing and persecuting – three hundred million people all with the same face. † This holds extreme parallels to the world that Huxley creates in Brave New World. A world where everyone has the same face paralleling with the mass producing of people that all look alike; shouting the same slogans, paralleling with the sleep taught sayings that everyone has a version of, whether you’re an Alpha or Epsilon, a world of steel and concrete paralleling with the vast huge cities of BNW. It seems that 1984 is a world where a government is attempting to change the past and achieve a different world, whereas BNW is a world proud of its past and of sustaining its world. The two are exact opposites; BNW being what the Party is trying to create. The importance of the two extracts in the novels is high in that they are meant to shock the reader. Huxley’s description of the manufacturing of people and Orwell’s description of a world that controls everything (even the past) and makes its people think whatever they like. Both extracts create a world in which the story is allowed to develop, they are the soil from which the seed is meant to grow. The 1984 extract has an added level to its importance as it shows that already Winston is part of the undead. It shows that Winston is doing exactly what he’s not supposed to be and that if/when he is caught, the Party have got grounds on which to vaporise him. It shows the re-occurring principle in the novel that death is certain, and life is not. It shows that any chance of Orwell’s world changing, the Party being overthrown, is non-existent as any chance must lie in the proles but: â€Å"Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious. † This parallels with BNW as no-one there either wishes to change things, as they are content with their current life. Both extracts create these two worlds of unimaginable oppression whether its inhabitants realise it or not and the theme that runs throughout the comparison of the two novels and extracts is the same; that Orwell and Huxley both achieve relatively the same thing through different methods. They both achieve worlds of oppression and shock simply through different actual environments; as they did with making it that everyone thinks what the authorities wants them to think and that they have no interest in challenging this or any other aspect of their world. This being the case and both authors creating these future worlds of shock and astonishment are vital to the novels as this is what makes the novels so revolutionary for their time.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A strategic analysis of jetblue airways

A strategic analysis of jetblue airways The US airline industry trends have caused airline companies, including Jet Blue to struggle for survival. Retirement has caused a shortage of pilots and instructors. Flying schools experience less instructors and hours needed to train new pilots. In 2008, crude oil prices increased to a record $140 per barrel (Thompson, Strickland, federal employees were tasked to handle all airport security. Increased screening for baggage and passengers, size limits on fluids and x-ray inspections. With the additional security measures, came financial burdens to the airline industry. Jet Blue’s strategic intent When Jet Blue’s was founded, David Nelleman wanted air travel to compassionate and fun. The strategic intent was to offer customers a low discount airline carrier with the comforts of home. As the first airline to offer electronic ticketing, Jet Blue wanted to delay its flights instead of canceling them. Agents were allowed to work from home and customers enjoyed gourmet sna cks, coffees, in-seat televisions with satellite radio and movie channels. Jet Blue began to look into increasing the shareholder and customer values with the expansion of New York’s JFK Airport with 8 am and 9 am flights. This was hopeful to Jet Blue executives; they wanted to appeal to younger customers, affluent New Yorkers, and those traveling to New York City. Opening up this new terminal has saved $50 million in labor, fuel, and vouchers. Now, the company serves more than 53 destinations (Thompson et al., 2010). JetBlue’s financial objectives & success in achieving Although Jet Blue’s stock dropped by 50% in the five years, revenues grew 185% between 2003 and 2007, their operating expenses grew 222% during the same period. The loss in revenue was blamed on the cost of fuel (532% increase) and interest expense (658% increase). Jet Blue decided to take a conservative financial strategy in which they maintained high liquid ratios relative to the other major a irlines (Thompson et al., 2010). Jet Blue was millions behind the competitor but developed new equity capital and credit, which was needed to keep the company, and allow them to maintain strong liquidity. Assessment of competitive advantage Cost. JetBlue operates at a lower cost than its competitors. According to Thompson, Strickland & Gamble (2010), JetBlue’s total operating expenses were 12.17 per revenue passenger mile in 2008 versus $18.18 for American Airline, $18.18 for Continental, $20.95 for Delta, $13.85 for Southwest, $19.13 for United, and $21.45 for US Airways. Its planes, such as, the Airbus A320, tended to be newer than those of its competitors resulting in lower maintenance costs and no maintenance-related fines. The company increased flying time by minimizing turnaround time. Reservation agents worked at home resulting in cost savings as compared to a traditional call center. These measures paid off creating a major competitive advantages in the form of low op erating costs that other airlines did not achieve. Organizational culture. JetBlue’s organizational structure was created based on five steps. First, the company’s values were determined. Then, hiring managers selected employees who mirrored the company’s values. Next, the company ensured that the company exceeded employee expectations and to listen to customers. And, finally, the company created a plan to drive excellence. The values established by JetBlue were safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion. As an example, George Forman grills were set up at the JFK terminal to allow employees to have fun. By only hiring employees that mirrored those values, the company could encourage hiring managers to be creative during the hiring process and to weed out those that would not be a fit. By making these steps an active part of getting work done, JetBlue developed a strong organizational culture.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Offshoring Service Sector Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Offshoring Service Sector Jobs - Essay Example 1-10, 2011). In addition, this has also created a single platform for the businesses that can develop, broaden, and extend their business operations and activities from local to international arena. Indeed, these elevations and progressions has augmented the element of competition in the business community, hence it has now become one of the most imperative aspects for all corporations and businesses. As an outcome, the key emphasis of the organizations is now on the amplified productivity of goods and services (Feenstra & Taylor, pp. 1-10, 2011). The trends of the current market in the recent years have also depicted the fact that the businesses are constantly struggling with the challenges in order to survive and persist in the marketplace for which they are striving to work in the most effective and efficient manner. The notion and idea of globalization and globalized production has also broadened its capacity to the service industry as well. However, the human resource has always comes under the consideration to be the most valuable asset, because they can either make the organization witness the heights of success or can be the prime reason for its failure (Feenstra & Taylor, pp. 1-10, 2011). The records divulge the fact that the global economy is experiencing a structural change. With the increase in the global competition, pressures on profit margins have also come under its influence, which has given rise to the concept of offshoring. Through offshoring, likelihood of productivity increases as the enterprises have the option to work round the clock to send the data back and forth from the host country to the home country (Farrell &Â  McKinsey Global Institute, pp. 3-10, 2007). Therefore, offshoring has become a prominent part of the recent trend, predominantly in the service sector that is the relocation or repositioning of an operational unit or process of the organization that include information technology, accounting and several others from one pla ce to another either on a local or international basis. In addition, offshore also comes under association to outsourcing of people that has gained significant importance from the latter half of the twentieth century (Farrell &Â  McKinsey Global Institute, pp. 3-10, 2007). The below graph is a representation that undoubtedly and noticeably demonstrates the idea that offshoring in the service sector is intensifying with the passage of time. (Schaaf, pp. 11, 2004) This is due to the reason that offshoring saved a huge amount of expense of the wages as the under-developed nations produce more skilled workers on relatively less wages when compared to the workers of the developed countries. Lower production cost coupled to the lower cost of labor is one of the leading and principal reasons that lead to offshoring in the service sector. The studies expose the piece of information that there is a huge difference between the labor costs of the underdeveloped nations when compared to the de veloped countries. Besides, the other costs such as health insurance and pension costs are also much lower in the underdeveloped countries relatively. Nevertheless, the saved amount can come under utilization for the telecommunications, data security, or the service quality of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Are International institutions effective in solving collective Research Paper

Are International institutions effective in solving collective Problems Case study of Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and North Korea's Nuclear crisis - Research Paper Example A plan offered by the United States in 1946 also proposed that all nuclear arms and technology come under international control and ownership. However, the post World War efforts did not seem to work out too well and it was later on that countries started to pledge allegiance to the NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty) which kicked off in 1968 and became effective in 1970. A list of around 190 countries are signatory to the treaty. The NPT rests on the premise that the non-nuclear nations would agree to never pursue any sort of acquisition of nuclear arsenal whereas the nuclear weapon state would share the benefits of it with the non-nuclear states. The treaty is reviewed for changes every 5 years and as of now, stands as being extended till an indefinite period. North Korea had the USSR as its strongest communist ally at the time of the cold war. When the cold war came to a close, Soviet Russia had weakened substantially. North Korea, that looked upon it as a security guarantee began to think that now it should itself do something to curb the situation. Therefore, in 1989 the United States, through its intelligence network, found that North Korea which had signed the NPT is in the early stages of building an atomic bomb. In 1992 North Korea allowed a team from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Commission) to undertake visitors to its nuclear facilities. The inspections seemed to not go as expected and North Korea had blocked the commission from visiting some of its facilities. In 1994 an â€Å"Agreed Framework† was reached between America and North Korea that stated that N. Korea would abandon its nuclear program and the U.S. would provide oil for electricity and better economic ties would be maintained .Also, the atomic plants w ould be replaced with light water nuclear power plants .However, the routine inspections would continue by the IAEA, However in late 2002, George Bush

Foundations of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foundations of Marketing - Essay Example When a company bases its operations on a production orientation, the thinking adopted is that â€Å"consumers favour products that are available and highly affordable†. The focus is on improving production and distribution side of the business. The product concept holds that consumers choose products, which are of superior quality and carry innovative features. Continuous product improvement gets the priority. Product orientation carries the danger of being susceptible to marketing myopia where the company fails to see the broader market needs which it is fulfilling but concentrates too closely on the product itself. Many organisations still favour the selling concept where the focus is on large-scale promotional and selling efforts. However with the customers getting more and more sophisticated and possessing high level of product and market information, hard selling tactics are no longer the preferred mode. The forth alternative is the marketing approach where the underlying belief is that â€Å" achieving organisational goals depend upon determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competition†. The main focus lies in identifying and meeting the customer needs effectively and profitably. Final and newest marketing concept is societal marketing where the focus is to balance the needs of the company with consumer’s short-term needs as well as overall long-term needs of society.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

PARLIAMENT, POLITICS AND POLICY MAKING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

PARLIAMENT, POLITICS AND POLICY MAKING - Essay Example The government Bills are customarily introduced in the House of Commons, with approved drafts going to the House of Lords and then to Monarch for the subsequent assent. While such a procedure creates necessary checks and balances system in order to prevent the possible implementation of hastily approved Bills, it still limits the powers of popularly elected MPs in favour of non-elected governmental bodies, The time limits on the readings of the Bills in one session represent a significant deficiency of the present system of lawmaking as well. As the sessions of Parliament are closed by the act of prorogation, each Bill that fails to be carried through all necessary legislative steps is considered lapsed, and its authors have to go through this very process of legislative enquiry anew (Keenan and Smith 53). This has a significant adverse effect on the tempo of lawmaking and obstructs the efforts of lawmakers. Nevertheless, the legislative procedure of British House of Commons has its own positive features as well. ... The modernisation agenda of Blaire’s government affected both Houses of the Parliament, leading to many changes in its procedural rules and other structural elements. One of most significant of these policy moves was a thorough reform of the House of Lords, which lost its traditional character of the representative body of hereditary aristocracy after the House of Lords Act of 1999 provided for abolition of all but 92 hereditary peerages (Strickland and Cracknell 3). The modernisation of the House of the Commons proceeded rather unevenly, being somewhat stalled and timid in 1997-2001 and increasing in pace after 2001 (Cowley 20). Under Richard Cook, the Labour Party’s Leader of the House of Commons in 2001-2003, such important reforms were undertaken as the provision for more even resources allocation to select committees, the introduction of more topical Parliamentary Questions, and establishment of payment system for heads of select committees, so that the latter migh t wield an influence comparable to that of the Ministers (Cowley and Stuart 29). The tenure of Jack Straw as the Leader of the House (after 2006) was marked by important changes in standing committees process, with the result that the powers of standing committees were broadened so that they might receive both oral and written evidence before scrutinising the Bills under consideration (Cowley 21). Nevertheless, the other reforms to Parliament introduced by New Labour had mostly detrimental effect on its standing. For instance, the introduction of automatic timetabling of legislation served to make each Bill going through pre-arranged sequence of the debates, which narrowed the chances of Opposition to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Services Sector Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Services Sector Marketing - Essay Example But a tangible product's quality can be evaluated at the time of purchase and it can be rejected, if the customer feels dissatisfaction about the product. It also creates problems when customers evaluate a product in terms of it price (Reif 1997). However, consumers can use other attributes of the service provider or the place of his business to evaluate the quality of service. Services are perishable in the sense that they have to be consumed the moment they are delivered by the service provider. If they are not consumed on site or immediately, they will be lost and that cannot be recoverable. They cannot also be stored and as such they cannot add time and place utility to consumers. The service offered at different time point need not have same quality. Consistency and uniformity in service cannot be expected even from the same service points. Naturally, service does not match with what was planned and promised. This causes concern for consumers and they often raise grievances in this respect. Utmost care and attention through personnel training and service maintenance alone can mitigate this issue. The major concern of marketing management is the development of tools for marketing goods and services. The marketing management means and includes all efforts that a marketer/manufacturer takes to make sure that goods and services are smoothly moving from production point to consumption point. In these efforts, marketing team put emphasis on certain elements, which they consider as indispensible for marketing success and they are collectively termed as marketing mix. Traditionally, the marketing mix consists of four components, namely: Product, Price, Place of Distribution and Promotional Activities, commonly referred to as 4 P's of marketing. These components of the marketing mix constitute the core of a company's marketing system. The 4Ps are strongly interconnected. However, with the advancement of modern marketing management theories, some more elements have been added to marketing mix. A brief description of all these elements comes in the coming paragraphs: Product: - is concerned with developing the right products and/or services, which should satisfy some customers' needs. Place: - is concerned with getting the right service to the target market. A service is not of much good to a customer if it is not available when and where it is required. Promotion: - is concerned with the creation of awareness to the target market about the right service. Price: - is very vital since it represents the only element of the marketing mix that creates revenue. Thus, through careful coordination of the 4Ps, management can draw the most benefit from any marketing environment. People: - Everybody involved in the marketing efforts irrespective of designation or status in the organisation. Physical evidence: - all the physical appearances and tangible thing that support the marketing process. Processes: - all the series of

Monday, September 23, 2019

Fixed Costs Impact of The Optimal Level of Publisher Output Essay

Fixed Costs Impact of The Optimal Level of Publisher Output - Essay Example The essay "Fixed Costs Impact of The Optimal Level of Publisher Output" talks about the fixed costs and their effect on the optimal level of output in the context of the publisher. This is because as per the argument presented earlier, the optimizing level of the publisher output is at the point where Marginal Cost (MC) = Marginal Revenue (MR). Fixed costs have no impact at all on the profit maximizing output of the author. The earlier the author takes a simple percentage of retail prices. Fixed costs do not vary at all regardless of the variance in output. A variance in a firm’s fixed cost outlays has no impact upon the price levels for profit maximization. An example is a scenario where fixed costs are escalated and the impact observed on the price of profit-maximization is none as well as output. This is as long as that company remains in business. To offset rises in fixed costs, the firm’s management can do nothing at all. The reason is that fixed costs do not vary at all with a variance in output levels by definition. Thus, whether the business is booming or in a trough, fixed costs remain the same. The optimal condition MPl/Pl = MPk/Pk is mathematically derived in a case of optimization in a scenario of two outputs. These outputs are capital and labor. For the manufacturer to optimize production, they assume that the function of production Q is a function of both labor and capital as well as the fact that the costs to the firm are prices of the resources and fixed costs times the units of every factor employed.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Career Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Career Portfolio Essay Statement of Authenticity This is to confirm that this is the portfolio of Phalisha Stevens. It contains information detailing his education background, work experience and skills. This document should not be copied either in full or part without prior authority from Genevieve Allen. Personal Mission Statement To look for a demanding position where I can productively apply my strong knowledge of development in medical practice management including physician contracting, utilization review, and quality assurance systems. I would also like to lead with my experience in Revenue Cycle, Business Management, Customer Service, Administrative and/or Program Management, Public Health, Program concepts, Policy and procedure implementation, compliance training, and financial assessments for the good of the organization. Elevator Speech I am hardworking and self-motivated individual with hands on experience and cross functional expertise in development in medical practice management including physician contracting, utilization review, and quality assurance systems ability to provide efficient, timely and accurate results. Have studied and hold in-depth understanding of Business Administration, utilization review, and quality assurance systems, I have been commended for excellent in performance, and outstanding experience in Revenue Cycle, Business Management, Customer Service, Administrative and/or Program Management, Public Health, Program concepts, Policy and procedure implementation, compliance training, and financial assessments. My goal is to become a valuable corporate asset by providing within a challenging and rewarding environment and to contribute effectively to organizational success. Education Background Devry University, BSBA Bachelor of Science in Business Administration– In Process –May 2015 3.18 GPA Resume Genevieve Allen 4549 Dix St NE Washington, D.C. 20019 (425)[emailprotected] To look for a demanding position in a challenging work environment where I can productively apply my strong knowledge of development in medical practice management including physician contracting, utilization review, and quality assurance systems for the good of the organization. Devry University, BSBA Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Supervisor/Bartender/Server- Rookies Sports Bar and Grill 6/2013-Current Seattle, WA, General Manager: Joni Moriarty (Reference)(206) 722-0301 †¢Overlooking communications and duties of the staff †¢Allocating proper tip out amounts to staff †¢Batching sales and depositing correct cash sale amounts daily, also responsible for handling cash banks †¢Inventory of spirits and ingredients for the bar’s nightly production †¢Creating and severing cocktails to all customers in the restaurant †¢Working well with owner, and taking directions and instructions when needed. †¢Updating P.O.S. system when necessary Server- Sunset Alehouse7/2010-10/2011_9/2012-6/2013 Issaquah, WA, Supervisor: Stephanie Salesman (Reference)(425) 391-8395 †¢Always maintain excellent customer service skills. †¢Working well with co-workers, managers, and owners. †¢Communicating properly, as well as resolving any conflicts with guests, co-workers, kitchen, and or managers. †¢ Tipping out bussers and bartenders as well as correctly reporting tips upon each shift completion. Sales Associate-Once Upon a Time On Queen Anne11/2011-9/2012 Bellevue and Seattle, WA, Owner: Janelle McCrackin (Reference)(206) 284-7260 †¢Always maintaining excellent customer service skills. †¢Staying updated and knowledgeable with the hundreds of products. †¢Taking care of invoices, inventory, new products, and pricing. †¢Training new employees, as well as creating daily schedules. †¢Keeping stores organized at all times. †¢Dealing with special orders for customers. †¢Working well with owner, co-workers, and customers. Professional Development and Training Awards and Accomplishments Volunteer History Volunteer Youth Services Manager American Red Cross Carrer development program-City Help, Inc. Professional Affiliation Affiliate member of AHIMA Affiliate member of AAPC Career Path My first year goal is to graduate from Devry University with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. My two year go is to apply and be a manager of a resort. My five year goal it to find and be in a Property management position where I can use my skills, knowledge and expertise to enable value creation and develop my skills further. Work Samples Referees References Piotrowski, K. (2008). The career cowards guide to resumes: Sensible strategies for overcoming job search fears. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Works.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Middle Class in India Sociology

Middle Class in India Sociology Is there something called the Indian Middle Class? How does this manifest in everyday India ? Illustrate this from Mother Pious Lady Reference? Indian middle class; is it a group or a phenomenon? Who are the people who form the Indian middle class, what are their culture? The Indian middle class has grown from a minority in pre-independence era to a vast majority taking the grip of the whole nation and playing a major role in driving it towards development. The book Mother Pious Lady by Mr Santosh Desai portrays the Indian middle class in vivid detail. The following writing takes the headings of the book and tries to explain Indian middle class with illustration from the book. I have tried covering the topics which I was able to connect to. Economic reform has provided the Indian middle class the most needed the liberation in terms of living life to the most. There has been a constant shift in the cultural sign and symbols adapted through ages. Disappearance of girls pig tail, freedom of mobility through scooterette, providing the elders their own space of living, telecommunication evolution, explosion in the passenger car segment , changing clothing pattern are few of the visible patterns in society. Girls pony tail were a symbol of desired feminine reserved nature which has seen a change both in length and its handling. The shortening of hair gives a girl a sense of personal control displayed metaphorically. The scooty revolution has helped the female to expand her boundaries without being dependent on any family member providing her a sense of independence. Even the car owned has seen a shift towards adapting more compact cars. The recent shift from petrol to electric and LPG based cars not only signifies the change in attitude towards efficiency but also the urge to keep up technologically. Dhoni has been one the true middle class iconic figures which has altered the way Indian see a small town boy. The can do attitude along with the lack of fear of failure and unmindfulness of hierarchy has been the reason behind success of Dhoni. Any Indian middle class can draw inspiration from him in the way towards dealing with pressure and performing without fear of failure. The increase in disposable income has led to the change in attitude towards life, attitude towards savings. The Indian middle class is not afraid to take risks in life to get a bigger return. He is in constant search of avenues of making money. An age where money has its own language, and the person in possession of money is in possession of power. It has become the source of energy which drives the entire economy, of which Indian middle class has played the most important role. Arranged marriage in a typical middle class families is still not openly accepted, reasons may be preference for same caste bride which may not be guaranteed in love marriage. It may also be due to unfamiliarity or not being comfortable to other caste customs being brought and practiced in one family. Arrange marriage is not seen as marriage of two individuals but two families as well. The idea of prospective bride and groom to know each other before marriage is not given preference as the custom of these individuals having the luxury of spending time together is quite rare in any joint family. Also, the societal pressure is also a big factor which forces one to look into same caste bride or groom. The priority of selection bride or groom also is quite typical in middle class family and exchange of dowry which comes as unsaid package plays a major role in this decision. The education qualification in higher of engineer or doctor may fetch enough dowry to groom family to cover almost all the family members lifetime expenditure. Its agreed that many a times this money only changes hand in case the same family has a girl to be married away. All these factors doesnt provide the luxury to place the freedom to choose the bride in the hand of the prospective groom himself. The power to choose the family needs to be closely guarded and the sense of freedom even need to be made to felt to the groom. Also, the custom of preparing and matching kundli of prospective bride and groom to formally accept marriage proposal also affects the decision. The decision to go against the familys belief of marrying someone who technically doesnt match on paper may lead to social seclusion. The present has become poor indicator of the future indicates that current reputation, societal status, family acceptance takes preference over the prospective future of those two individuals living together happily. The middle path of arranged love marriage seems to provide the best possible solution in the current middle class society. It comes with best of both the worlds. Even though, this may not be happening at an encouraging level provides enough encouragement to other families to try to adapt for the benefit of those two individuals in question. Other reason for further acceptance of this phenomenon is the trend of growing number of nuclear families. The tradition of newly wed bride to stay with the family is becoming less frequent, leading to providing both the individuals to start their life with their own rules. The importance given to the caste is also decreasing due to importance given to education qualification and economic status in the society. The essence of middle class can be truly experienced while travelling across country via any means be it train, bus, jugaad or be it airplane. Out of all these means Train definitely displays the middle class in true sense. Indian Railways carries millions of Indians mostly middle class people through length and breadth of this huge nation on a daily basis. A typical middle class passenger takes a train journey not just as travel but as ritual. He is worried about the co-passengers destination more than his own. The train coupe forms a perfect blend of many cultures and their practices. It is clearly visible during the meal time. Any Gujarati family travels in a group of min 4-5 members with a plethora of food varieties in their stock. The ritual of cutting and preparing salad, preparing for the meal by arranging the plates and laying out the pre made food contents. The daily routine of having daily meal is still maintained irrespective of the place they may be. After Gold, probably Stainless steel is the metal which places itself highly in the life of typical Indian middle class family. The metal is a reliable carrier of memories. It stands for pride, trust and assurance. Stainless steel makes its presence very eminent in daily life of middle class family through vessels, utensils. It is the true representation of aspirations of middle class family, to be able to shine even after being put to test on a daily basis. It serves to utility to max. But due to recent advent of polymer technology and post liberalization era, Stainless steel is being slowly being replaced by more cheaper and easily replaceable elements like plastics, aluminium. This trend not only displays the changing attitude of the middle class towards daily life approach. There has been a constant shift from need for longevity, durability to alternatives which would serve the utility at best price. This change is evident of the fact of the fast changing life, non belief in long standing commitment. Ease of manufacturing, handling, disposal, multi utility and economy of use Need for Communication places itself on a very high scale for any Indian, specially a middle class family. The urge to stay connected through any possible means forms a strong bond among geographically spread and settled of the community. Even Post card saw its evolution in the form of launch of competition postcards, travel postcards etc, which formed an important part of a typical middle class family. Post card, in pre telecommunication era, was the perfect carrier of messages which contained message not for individuals but for the whole family from another family as such. Post card was like the facebook wall for the whole family. After the advent to telecommunication era, the ease of message transmission was shifted to audio content from textual content. But the current shift to electronic mail or e-mail has detached the flavour of writing letter to near and dear ones. Its well acknowledged that it has made life simpler, but the shift from paper letter to e-mail has shifted the le tter only as intention. Middle class is best known for its ability to excel at the time of scarcity. The backbone of this feat comes from the culture of staying in joint families. Joint family is a true representation of Marxist institute where the fruits of toil of the family is equally shared among the members. The belief in sharing everyone materialistic property among the members gives it a strong sense of binding. Every member works for the family not for his self individual. But, there has been a constant erosion in the concept of living through sharing. This is clearly evident in the rising conflict in land claiming issues in joint families. The constant shift from joint to nuclear families, constant movement of families from rural areas to urban areas, rising living costs and at the base of all the changing attitude of middle class towards living through sharing has led to this crude change. Summer break was usually associated with long break from school, summer holidays and trip to either native place or to a holiday destination with the family. It was a time to spend quality time with our near and dear ones. It was a time to take up some hobby at leisure be it reading comics, take up painting or music classes. But the true essence of the break was that it provided an opportunity to connect to our real self, to our places and culture of origin. It was a time to experience the new, refuel with fresh change of much needed air. There has been a constant shift in the attitude of middle class towards the summer break as well. The shift from leisure spending to time to more serious way on engagement has been created due to constant peer pressure and to prove oneself distinct from the lot. The mushrooming of summer camps for children for sports, music and arts classes is not due to self interest of children as such but also to satisfy the aspiration of typical middle class par ents to see their children develop a multi faceted personality. Mothers role is universally given the top priority in any human being relationship pyramid. Indian Mother plays an even more important role in any middle class family. Gender Role of mother is very prominent in a middle class family. She is the person responsible for binding the family, its health and even for counselling. She plays multiple roles in a family with varied responsibilities. She is the one who is more bothered about her sons exams. She portrays the true values of middle class through her aspirations for the family at the cost of sacrificing her own life. The affinity of a typical middle class family with white cloth reflects its aspiration levels of getting noticed in the society. This portrays the notion of purity in the era of corruption. The analogue of usage of ultramarine on white cloth is clearly with thin film of elite culture which every middle class aspires to be a part of. Ultramarine actually doesnt help in whitening the cloth but only provides a blue coat to cover up the real patches of yellow dirt resting on the cloth. It signifies the constant urge of Indian middle class to stand apart, its constant urge to excel through continuous trial. The recent adaption of dye based cloth dye from ultramarine depicts a change in time. The spike in demand of English medium school for middle class and associating children education with English displays the attitude towards thin film culture to hide their true image. The obsession with order and discipline is a typical characteristic of Indian middle class. The sense of belonging is one of the implicit needs of the Indian middle class. Well creased and iron clothes are one of the symbols used to strengthen the need for order. It gives them the strength to fight against the chaos of nature. Straight Line represents their triumph of humanness. In the pre-liberalization era when people were not suffering from ADD(attention deficit disorder), people had vivid means of entertainment ranging from coffee house debating, fishing, travelling or be it sitting idle with friends with corner tea shops and having friendly chat. Even the perception of viewing something in motion could be termed as entertainment. Here the house window played an important role in opening. It was the theatre of our imagination which would let your creativity do the talking. The recent expansion in the media domain has increased the options of entertainment but also reduced the interest in the outside real world. The role of window has changed from taking interest in real world to secluding oneself from the society. The ritual of visiting our relatives and near and dear ones without pre-announcement and even without a purpose was a common habit among middle class families having geographically scattered members. Even the purpose of the visit was not important. But recently due changing relationship among people and with growing linearity among it, the visit is associated with a purpose. Even the acceptance of un announced visit are not welcomed. The reasons of the trend can be varying ranging from improving communication technology to shrinking of family size to engulfing oneself in their own word. One place where the true middle class can be found congregating is the 4 pages of weekly matrimonial ads in daily newspapers. The ads are structured as per the caste requirement. The place becomes the marketing platform where packaging the individual in the form of few highlighted well seeked off words becomes the success criteria of finding any mate through those ads. A typical middle class arranged marriage doesnt takes place between individuals but between the families and in turn their relatives. It doesnt remains an event affecting 2 individuals but goes far beyond. The typical middle class phenomenon of intra caste marriage even at the cost of not finding suitable bride/groom can have unwelcomed effect. It not only affects those individuals but also the society. This menace can only be dealt with if the priority of suitability for partner selection is shifted from caste to their personal attitude matching. Any vehicle which is typically associated with a middle class family has to be a scooter. A scooter is analogues to a mule; comparable in strength and obedience for load carriage. A vehicle providing mobility with multi utility and an aura of safety around it was the perfect companion of any Indian middle class family. Scooter portrays the middle class persona to perfection. The ability of carry person well above rated number and weight, the ability to transform from people carriage vehicle to goods carrier in both front compartment and side deck, never asking for maintenance and providing the security of spare wheel made it the most suitable vehicle on Indian roads for any middle class family. Auto rickshaw has been an integral part of our lives which provides personalised travelling mode at near affordable price. Auto rickshaw was a vehicle which provided freedom from wait for public transport and provided door to door connectivity. The vehicle was a true image of the growing aspirations of the Indian middle class providing them the much needed differentiation in terms of image perception. The vehicle itself was positioned between the affordable but not comfortable mode of transportation , ie 2 wheelers and un-affordable 4 wheelers for a typical middle class. Of late due to improving public transportation in cities and increasing fares of auto transport, there has been a shift towards other modes but auto rickshaw is here to stay to its USP. In the pre-liberalization era, buying of any household appliance was an occasion in itself. The long term association with the appliances bought made it even further a special occasion. The appliances ranged from TV, fridge, Tape recorder, scooter, cooker, sewing machine etc. The appliance almost became a part of the family itself with special handling care taken care by the head of the family. The TV remote was the power centre which needs to be wrapped in polythene and handled only under guided supervision. Of late with the advent of consumerism and even increasing appliances buying and replacement rate, the importance of any appliance has reduced drastically. The role of appliance has shifted from being centrally used by the family to personalized usage. The concept of personalized appliance for every member of the family be it mobile phones, music systems or even vehicles has reduced the emotional elements attached with the appliance. The behaviour has changed from repair mentali ty to exchange mentality. This has further reduced the need for caring for the appliance as the life cycle of the technology considered upto date has also reduced drastically with new models being churned out every few models with better and improved features. The medical service was and is still considered luxury for many strata of our society. The affordability and notions attached with medical service and doctor are still alien in many parts of the society where the sole responsibility of the family health either lies in the hands of god or local medicine practitioners. But in other well off places doctors are almost next to god. The typical Indian middle class finds itself stuck between the affordability factor and belief factor. Of late a typical Indian middle class tries to over smart the well trained doctor through primary research on internet. To him the advice given by an unknown on internet appeals to him with greater truth factor than the advice given to him by doctor. Radio was a very strong binding medium in pre TV era connecting people from across the geography, occupation etc. There has been a constant shift in the methodology of popularity calculation of songs. Not only radio but also TV has been affected by the consumerism. The method of popularity is not only based on artists performance but also on the no. of sms send during the event. The Indian middle class is an upfront participant in the era of consumerism. The power of voting for their favourite performer has engaged the middle class into ever longer participation and increased its loyalty for the event. A typical Indian middle class finds pleasure in seeing someone alike performing well and progressing in the event. Cinema is trying to woo the middle class by providing much demand exclusive comfort through various class in shows. Typical Indian street food is a moving map of Indian culture whether you eat paani poori or idli dosa or Chinese. Its a place where hygiene is typically overlooked and is subsided by taste. Its a place for any typical calorie conscious individual to indulge and forget about extra calories. Its also a place where people across religion, caste and race are binded without issues. Indians love their cinemas and Songs and heroes are an integral part of it. Of late, there has been a constant shift from emotion based poetic songs to meaningless songs which are getting more encouragement from the society. Society doesnt have the quest for meaning through songs anymore, reasons may be varied. May be the middle class doesnt come to cinema anymore as a issue solver but as a mere entertainer. Cinema provides them escape from daily life issues for a couple of hours. And thats the reason, people look up to todays heroes as mere epitome of excess.The need of the hour is to encourage the real heroes to bring change in the society. Middle class need to rise to true heroism, be it being entrepreneur; helping generate jobs, generate income for people, be it working for societal development. Indian middle class is obsessed with power which really comes hard and short lived at times. The phenomenon is clearly evident in political hierarchy, power associated with official cars, its red sirens, the issue associated with security frisking. The reasons may be in the cultures acceptance of power distance, the need to show power at hand to society to gain importance. PSUs were set with mind set of socialism, but apparently they are the power house of the Indian industries. This scenario has been constantly shifting due to increasing entry of MNCs in India who preach exactly the opposite with its flat office structure, its open door policy, its transparency, its priority to performance over age based seniority etc. Film, politics and corporate are biggest institutions providing transfer of legacy through free passage of the baton to their next generation. License raj period was a black era where ones ability to survive directly depended on the bureaucratic contacts he/she had. T he Indian middle class was a complete misfit in this zone. The scene is also changing fast due to increased concern over the companys performance even at the cost of baton going to an outsider fit for the role. We need to watch for similar happenings in politics as well. Indian middle class are the true carriers of ancient Indian culture in todays Indian culture. This is represented clearly in the food and our existence around it. The food acts as the centre of our existence and stomach the seat of our soul. Food may be the barometer of our lives. The reasons could be due to immigration of varied cultures in India through ages, providing an enriching mix of food culture. One of unique form of food serving can be found in Thali. It forms a unique contrast with the western food culture of serving food in linear courses. The food itself is arranged all a time providing the connoisseur the option of selecting his course order accordingly. The reason why we enjoy Thali may be due to our finding pleasure in chaos. Another, interesting food form ie Pickle forms a central part of a typical middle class diet. Pickle tries to preserve its ingredient in interesting form. It acts like the culture distillate. The availability of thali food in restaurant and pickl e available in jars in retail stores reflect the changes in society. The hectic and fast moving lifestyle in urban areas doesnt provide an opportunity to families in either engaging in pickle preparation at home, neither do they find time to have meals at a time with the whole family at once. Even the food habits have seen constant change from Indian food to western food. The need to have the food on the move has seen shift in food and catering culture. Indians have always felt fuzzy in declaring their love towards their loved ones and the concept of expressing oneself through words, day celebration etc was of alien in nature. With liberalization and adoption of western culture, there has a constant shift towards need for verbal and visual expression of love and care. The growth of cards culture in form of Archies, Hallmark etc., celebration of fathers day, mothers day, and even valentines day has come under accepted and much needed norms. The major reasons may be increasing spatial, cultural and generation gap among the family members. The middle class in the run to keep up with the society has replaced bhai dooj with brothers day, the daily expressed silent care with valentines day, the parental respect with fathers day. The reason could be the need to make every occasion big and reason to celebrate with public display. The love in some cases may also be weighed in terms of the value of the gift exchanged. The Indian middle class obsession with English is not a new phenomenon, whether in the form of English pet names, obsession with English medium schools, the urge to communicate in English. This market is very well served by the growing tutorial classes promising to teach English in 30 days. Even though the excessive obsession has led to corrosion of native Indian culture but it also has a silver lining along with it. The booming IT outsourcing industry has been successful majorly due to the proficiency achieved by Indian middle class to international acceptable standards which has led to opening of job horizons for many. The Indian middle class believes in sharing and living, but sometimes at the cost of others inconvenience. This is clearly evident in the missing mobile etiquettes, throwing garbage in public places, listening TV at home at full volume. The lack of need to respect others space may be the outcome of the feeling of one with the society. This seem an issue of little relevance but with times there arises the need to educate people about respecting for others feeling and space essential for peaceful coexistence. Few rituals find peculiar adaptation in typical Indian middle class society. The traffic system portrays a system of chaos working perfectly in harmony. Every driver has his own meaning of traffic rule, he drives focused only on his objective. The myopic objective getting ahead of others even at the cost of creating traffic jam later. Honking is used for power display with safety put to backseat. Indian traffic is a perfect smaller version of Indian middle class culture. Many cities operate with no traffic signal nor with traffic policemen, which display almost magically the understanding amongst motorist. Indians always find hard to follow rules carved by someone else but are always apt to form their own. The rules are there to be bent which is evident in the way drivers do when they jus hang the seat belt to escape fine only to release it at the first possible opportunity, two wheelers carry helmets in hand only to be worn when faced with a traffic policeman. The chalta hai proves to be major deterrent to arrive at a lasting solution. The lack of desire for quality may be due to lack of desire for lasting solution. The major beneficiary is Indian politics where criminals are forgotten and re-elected, where scams are forgone with time. India has come a long way from 64 crore bofors scam to 1.76 lakh crore 2G telecom scam of which Indian middle class was a mere spectator. Indian middle seem to be good at forgiving and even better at forgetting. Even sports remains untouched when come to the scandals like cricket and recent common wealth games. The reason may be the attitude of disinterest of people towards apt punishment. The need of the hour is to educate the mass about the importance and benefit of following traffic rules. The need of the hour is to make the Indian middle class realize the power they have in their hands to elect capable and apt people. Liquor was always looked up as a menace in the Indian middle class and its association with ability to take the human out of oneself. The elite and extreme lower class always some occasion or reason associated with liquor consumption. But the middle class always took it as an unwinding tool, as a medium to hang out with. Our trip to Hill stations have always been associated with family, as a place to escape the heat and noise of the city. Indians always have been worshiping Sun, but also has always been looked with harshness of its nature which is quite opposite to western culture where they tend to welcome sun. Amitabh Bacchan is one those iconic figures who has lived through Indians for almost four decades now. He has lived almost all his characters too real life like. He has given every Indian the sense of his own existence through his reel characters. He has been the icon of credibility for most if the Indian middle class. He is the one who can be trusted by any brand either for publicity or damage control, ranging from Gujarat tourism to Cadbury worm controversy.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

SWOT Analysis of the COCOM Structure Essay example -- Business Analysi

The Idea of the Combatant Command structure was first emerged during World War II with the establishment of the different geographical theaters of operation that was composed of militant forces from different services. A single General or Admiral was appointed the single commander nominated by the President of the United States and was supported by a joint staff. With the implementation of the Goldwater Nichols Act of 1986, COCOM Commanders attained a nontransferable command authority over different service forces directly to the Secretary of Defense. Today there are 6 Geographic commanders consisting of the newest member the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), and U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). There has been a significant amount of criticism and arguments over the structuring and organization of the Combatant Commanders. Arguments have been made over personnel and budget restraints to peacetime efforts and the need for continued assistance. This Essay will analyze the COCOM structure using a SWOT analysis to look at both the internal and external points of the different commands and the overall effects the COCOM has on the world. This essay will finally offer and modification of the structure that would benefit the organization. The SWOT analysis is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. The idea of this assessment was developed by a man name Albert Humphrey in 1960’s. His team of researchers at the Stanford Research Institute originally developed a long range corporate planning model called SOFT meaning Satisfactory, Opportunity, Fault,... ...N Douglas M. â€Å"SOUTHCOM Posture Statement.† Washington, DC, 6 March 2012. Andrew Feickert, â€Å"The Unified Command Plan and Combatant Commands: Background and Issues for Congress,† Congressional Research Service, Novemnber 7, 2011, 60. Kniskern and Ducey, â€Å"SWOT and Structured Assessment Methodology,† 7. GEN James N. Mattis, â€Å"Statement: Commander U.S. Central Command Before the Senate Armed Services Committee,† Washington, DC, 6 March 2012, 6. Stavridis, â€Å"EUCOM Posture Statement† 60. Ibid., 60 GEN Douglas M. â€Å"SOUTHCOM Posture Statement.† 24. Feickert, â€Å"The Unified Command Plan and Combatant Commands,† 64. U.S. Government Accountability Office. â€Å"Defense Management: U.S. Southern Command Demonstrates Interagency Collaboration, but Its Haiti Disaster Response Revealed Challenges Conducting a Large Military Operation,† GAO-10-801, July 2010, 25.

Developement Of Europe Essay -- essays research papers

Development of Europe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The notions of â€Å"modernity,† â€Å"modernization,† and â€Å"modernism† play an important role in better understanding the development of Europe. These three concepts can be applied to a range of transformations in the areas of politics, socio-economics, and culture respectively. The three concepts are connected, yet each has its own unique qualities that are useful in understanding the changes across Europe in this period. These ideas are crucial to the better comprehension of the creation of the Europe of today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To understand the significance of the terms, it is important to first understand the terms themselves. â€Å"Modernity† was a term used around the French Revolution as a term of abuse. However, in the later part of the nineteenth century and in the twentieth century it became associated more with improvement and advancement. â€Å"Modernization† refers to the processes political, economic, and social that made a society modern. An example of this would be industrialization. Finally, â€Å"modernism† is a reference to a high cultural movement and was used to relate to changing attitudes. It is basically a celebration of the notion of progress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Modernity† during the French Revolution was used as a term of abuse. At this time, during the Reign of Terror in particular, France was moving toward a more republican form of government. During their attempt at the Republic of Virtue Catholicism was a focal point of attack. These attacks ended up fueling divisions that in the end proved to be fatal for the republican government. What some people saw as the future, others disliked and associated it with â€Å"modernity.† Hence, the concept of â€Å"modernity’s† use as an abusive phrase. However, at the close of the French Revolution, â€Å"modernity† took on a new use. In the nineteenth century and beyond, â€Å"modernity† became a term associated with good things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike â€Å"modernity,† â€Å"modernization† has always been a fairly neutral term. It has always described the processes that actually made the society modern. As mentioned before, a perfect example of this would be industrialization. The best place to see â€Å"modernization† is England during the Industrial Revolution. In England during the nineteenth century, industrialization began with the movement from agrar... ...form. The NEP substituted a fixed tax on production for requisitions of grain. This policy encouraged people to produce, sell, and make money. People did get rich, but many more stayed impoverished. This belied the Bolshevik credo of a classless utopia. Furthermore, it was basically only a compromise with capitalist methods. It also lead to opposition from within the party. The Worker Opposition protested Bolshevik usurpation of economic control. They pointed out that the NEP was an agrarian program and not a proletarian one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zero Hour is a term that came into being at the end of World War II. It originated in Germany and was used as a way of saying that the slate was wiped clean. The Germans that survived the war did not want to be associated with the Holocaust and a war the took millions of lives. Zero hour was their way of saying they wanted to start over. Eventually, however, zero hour became a term for all of Europe. After the destruction of World War II many Europeans and the nations wanted a new start. Not only were most of the major cities flattened, but the people themselves did not want to be associated with the death and fascism of the war.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Drug Smuggling in Malaysia Essay -- Legal Issues, Drugs, Drug Mule

Drug smuggling cases have created a grave concerns in Malaysia. As I go through the â€Å"Special Report : Decline in Drug Mules† 2010 by BERNAMA, I feel impel to discuss further about this issue. In this article, the definition of drug mule is not given. But, I have come across a definition from Smith (2010) which stated that drug mules are people whose bodies are used to transport drugs to another country. Moreover, Kusyi (2010) defined drug mule as a phrase that refers to someone who is willing or duped to be a courier, carrying drugs or smuggling drugs to other countries. So we can conclude that drug mule is an illegal action that opposes the law throughout the countries. According to BERNAMA (2010), it is estimated that about 1490 Malaysians are now languishing in foreign prisons for drug related offences including drug mules. For me, it is quite a number to be worried of. Our country will experience a great loss of local energies if the number continues to grow. However, the statistics from Bukit Aman show a steep decline in number of Malaysians being detained in foreign lands for carrying drugs in 2010 compared to the previous year (BERNAMA, 2010). As a generation of future leaders, I realize despite the fact that the cases reported is decreasing, the problem is indeed critical and if we stay still from the beginning, I strongly believe it could jeopardize our nation’s future. Thus, we should give serious attention to this problem as this article also reported that the members of international drug syndicates are still actively recruiting new innocent victims of drug mules although in smaller numbers. To begin with, this article has emphasized the victims of the syndicates which are identified to be in between 20s and 30s ... ...hich depicts that they are not afraid of the punishment. To sum up, I agree with all factors and suggestions highlighted in this article. I think this report has succeeded in helping me to realize the significance of this problem and has encouraged me to share my opinions to help the government to eradicate this menace. However, deeper explanations should be included and added so that readers will gain more information about this crime from all aspects. I really hope that we can give our helping hands to fight this menace. Prevention is better than cure. Lastly, I agree with Kusyi (2010) when she said that if ago, parents worries when their children went abroad were about halal food, marry a foreigner, forget their origins and their religion or do not want to return home, now parents have to ensure one more thing which is do not let your child be a drug mule!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Case Study Gamestop Digital Firm Essay

1.  «GameStop » Digital Firm – Overview In my research I would like to point out gaming industry as a very profitable e-commerce sphere and as an example present a company named  «GameStop ».  «GameStop » was originally founded in 1984 in United States of America, as a small software retailer in Texas region. In 2009,  «GameStop » took a major step by initiating a digital growth strategy that incorporated a Nov. acquisition of Jolt Online Gaming, an Ireland-based publisher of free-to-play titles. In 2011, the company again carried out on its digital expansion strategy, obtaining streaming technology company â€Å"Spawn Labs† and digital sharing service â€Å"Impulse†. At the moment the company operates around 6,700 retail shops around the world and is commited to distribute great video games to customers, despite of how and where they play.  «GameStop » is ranked as one of the world’s largest multichannel game retailer. This organization offers consumers the most up to date hardware, game accessories for next generation video game systems and the PC. In addition, their buy, sell, trade politics creates value for customers while recycling products no longer being played. The motivation on why and to which extent the chosen firm is considered to be digitally operated is due to the fact, that  «GameStop » reported $290 million in sales from its â€Å"digital offerings,† which it said was up 61% year-over-year. That total, which includes sales of subscription cards for online video game services like Xbox Live, as well as PC downloads, still pales in contrast to the company’s general sales, which were around $9.47 billion. 2. Data stored in  «GameStop » database. CRUD model. Data that is stored in  «GameStop »Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s database contains following information: * Partners and contracts –gaming industry companies that sell their products throught the website * Projects – game concepts, ideas and future development. * Financial records – transactions between customers, partners etc. * Employee records – human resource information. * User/Buyer records – recordings of customers information, their transactions and searchings throughout the website. * Branch records – data about shops and servers that are located in other countries. The part that could be used to power a database enabled website of â€Å"GameStop† may contain following data: financial records, projects, partners and contracts, because through these data company is gaining most of its profit and opportunities for future development. Financial records, contracts and employee records are better to stay internal as they refer more to confidentiallity and most probably it is not needed to be shown on the website. On the Table 1, main users that have certain rights in â€Å"GameStop† are shown. It is necessary to point out the top management, it has all rights that could be engaged in the company’s database, in comparison with guest users, who has the right to read only. Employees have the right to create, read, update. IT technologists are provided with the same rights and gamers who a registered in the website are able to read and update information on the website of â€Å"GameStop†. 3. Two possible computer crimes affecting  «GameStop » digital company. Protection strategies. Two computer crimes could be identified affecting  «GameStop » company. The first and the most dangerous crime that could be pointed out is theft of identity. The second computer crime is Theft of Data. I would like to put emphasis on the fist computer crime – theft of identity. This crime could cause following security threats for the company, which is intrusion by hackers, phishing, spyware and social engineering. Hackers could intrude into the computer network of  «GameStop » and harm the content provided by the web site. Phishing is another threat that can occur; users might receive fake emails that seam to come from the company and try to capture private information about a specific account. Information about users might be secretly gathered while they are surfing the website, that would be a type of malware – spyware. Although the spyware does not specially suppose to to be dangerous for user, because cookies are used to remember infromation automatically by a brwoser and make it easier for customer to login into the website. Social engineering is a possible threat that is represented as shoulder surfing in this case. Someone can stand behind a user and secretly look at the password that he/she is typing. In order to protect its database,  «GameStop » various kinds of strategies and software: * Passwords – a strong 8 characters password that contains not only symbols, but also numbers and head letters. It is also necessary to change it once a month. * Firewall – a standard protection that combines hardware and software, that acts as a filter between private network and external computers. * Antivirus/Antispyware – a software that checks computers for presence of malware and viruses and often elimates it. * VPN – virtual private networks provide a secure channel through the Internet for transmitting messages and data using a private network. * Data Encryption – secure socket layer (SSL) manages secure transmission of transactins through the Internet. * Awareness – employees and users have to be aware of all possible dangers that can occur when using the database. Trainings for employees and warnings for users have to be in place. 4. Sources – http://paidcontent.org/2011/02/01/the-most-successful-digital-companies/13/ – http://www.gamestop.com/

Monday, September 16, 2019

Bridge damage

Every year, many types of failures affect structures as a result of hydraulic action. In fact, hydraulic damage is unpredictable, so protecting bridges from this type of damage is essential. Every year, a huge sum of money and a lot of time are spent in repairing bridges because of hydraulic damages. In the past two decades, the quick deterioration of bridge structures has become a serious technical and economical problem in a lot of countries especially in highly developed ones. A better way to prevent these additional expenditures is by protecting bridges from this type of damage through correct design and construction.The purpose of this study is to summarise information about hydraulic damage and identify various methods of bridge pier design and construction that might help prevent hydraulic damage. The study also examined various causes of bridge failure due to hydraulic damage and tried to determine factors such as what would be the best shape for the bridge to avoid hydraulic damage, the most useful types of materials for constructing bridges, and the methods of construction most conducive to protecting bridge piers from this type of damage.The study aims to explain the factors that affect hydraulic damage resulting in bridge failure and come up with clear type methods to protect bridge piers from hydraulic damage. Generally, the loss of pier stability results more from the subsoil factors rather than force factor. This section reassesses the types of failures that may happen to bridges as a result of Hydraulic action and it can be divided into five major categories, namely, Scouring, Bank Erosion, Hydraulic forces on piers, Failure due to ice forces, and Failure due to debris.Scouring is one of the most common causes of hydraulic damage and it is estimated that nearly 60% of all failed bridges failed because of this. When the speed of flowing water is more than it should be, it may reduce the bed level by excavating and removing the bed materials and m aking large holes around the piers that gradually cause bridge failure. Local scour removes bed material from around the piers and abutments, also at bridge piers. The effect is usually greatest near the upstream nose of the piers, which may lead to the pier being damaged first at the upstream end and thus sloping.Geometric parameters are important in the estimation of localised scour, including degree of flow contraction caused by the bridge restricting the flow area, and foundation geometry. The geometry of piers can be illustrated by the shape, length, width and alignment with the flow of individual piers. Bank erosion and channel migration are other factors; several rivers tend to change their route with time. A bridge that is located to suit one location of the main channel may become progressively at risk to scour failure as the river changes.Abutments or piers placed on the original floodplain, if not designed to accommodate channel migration, may be undermined or otherwise w eakened if this occurs. Protection repairs involving the placing of rock guard around bridge piers can reduce the flow area of the main span and direct to flow being diverted on the way to other channels. For example, a river with a sharp longitudinal gradient and high flowing velocity will be more prone to bank erosion than a flat slope river with low velocity.Flowing water (Hydraulic Force) applies force on bridge piers. One such force works alongside the route of flow, and is referred to as drag force. The other force is typically applied to the direction of flow, and is referred to as lift force. If the flow aligns with a pier and has a lift force equal to zero, the capacity of the pier to withstand lift and drag forces might be reduced during a flood if scouring also occurred around the base of the pier. Debris has an effect on hydraulic acts of bridge performance.Debris can limit flow leading to significant scour levels around piers. Assembled debris can negatively impact the passageway under a bridge by increasing the hydraulic load on the bridge and this can also affect the hydrostatic forces which may cause structural failure. Ice can also inflict forces against structures due to its extension during freezing, but this appears improbable in the fluvial location. The impact of sheets of ice on the piers probably is the greater risk.Crushing is a common type of ice failure as it results in high forces or loads on a bridge pier. The main cause of bridges failure due to hydraulic damages is scour. Several methods are available to protect bridge piers from hydraulic damages, however the first step of pier design is estimating the depth of scour, but it is recommended that the overall design should involve the calculation of afflux, depth of scour and various type of hydraulic loads. Scour protection measures should also be considered during the designing process.Generally, the methods relevant to both the piers and the abutments can be classified into two most important groups, namely: methods consisting of strengthening the subsoil and methods consisting of strengthening the foundations. Foundation of bridge piers on floodplains should be placed at the same depth as the piers foundation in the stream channel. Also, streamline pier shapes helps to reduce scour and minimise the potential of debris build up. Many types of bed materials scour at different rates but loose granular soils have lower resistance to scour.Scour in sand bed stream will be as deep as scour in cohesive or cemented soils. Scour will achieve its highest depth in sand and gravel bed materials in hours, cohesive material in days, limestone in years and dense granites in centuries. Massive rock configuration is highly anti-scour during the lifetime of a typical bridge. In different types of foundations, especially piled foundations, using less significant number of long piles to extend bearing resistance will provide greater resistance to pile failure due to scour co mpared to shorter piles.The top of the pile cap should be placed at a depth below the existing river bed level and at the same level as estimated general scour depth. Stone aprons (Riprap) are situated around piers and abutments as a flexible way to avoid local scour development; the specific parameter that should be considered here is using a large enough stone because it should remain stable under maximum velocities. Also, the stone should be located in a pre-excavated position beneath the bed of the river so the velocities are not increased by its existence.Constructing bridge piers deep enough to avoid this requires a riprap. This means that while increasing the depth of the pier’s and abutments’ foundation from the bed surface, it becomes more efficient in withstanding a high velocity of flood flow. Another thing to be considered is supplying a roadway that comes close to the profile so it will be overtopped before the submergence of the bridge superstructure. Thi s is useful in reducing scour at the bridge piers. Another method of preventing hydraulic damage is through a process called Enlargements.Enlarging the base of piers may limit the depth of local scour. Additional protection method is positioned at the bridge pier foundation on floodplains and it should be at the same depth as the pier foundation in the stream channel because there is uncertainty in predicting the level of scour. Using extreme limitations in foundation design if there is any likelihood that the channel will shift its location onto the floodplain over the life of the bridge is a good policy.There are many more types of bed and bank protection including gabions and gabion mattresses and proprietary systems of interlocking blocks, alteration of a pier’s nosing shape and provision of piles of a smaller diameter than the width of the pier. The benefit of a stone protective covering layer, roughly the nose of a pier, is easy to situate and it does not need any exten sive dewatering or diversion work. However, it is not always cost effective The Oreti River Road Bridge is a two lane-bridge built in 1995. It holds Highway 99 crossways. It involves 20 spans of 12 m.with eight spans which are placed over the main channel and each pier was designed with two rows of six 7. 6 m. driven RC piles; largest size of bed materials has been reduced by 100mm to 50mm at present. In 1975, scour occurred and four central piles in each group of 12 gone from 5 of the piers and survey shows that scour bed level was 1 to 5 m. below the scour depth that was predicted. To repair damage, they put protective rocks below the bridge with a top elevation of 1. 7 m. beneath the underside of pile caps and they built a rock weir about 60 m. downstream of the bridge.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Oppressed Rights by the Oppressive Regime in Margaret Atwood’s the Handmaid’s Tale Essay

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale delves well into the horrid nature of extreme control and immoral limitations in defining the corrupt theocratic government at large, and more specifically the effect this control has on the society’s women. In an age in which a newly emerged and merciless governmental system called the Republic of Gilead has â€Å"put life back to the middle ages,† sparked by a widespread panic of infertility, personal freedom and individuality have become unimaginably reduced (Genny 1). Handmaids selected to live in the houses of wealthy, well-respected couples go through a life entirely designed by the government for the sole purpose of bearing children. Caught between following the strict rules made for women by the Republic and breaking them in secret for the sake of her sanity, the protagonist Offred essentially but not purposefully offers close to nothing for her society’s benefit. Not allowed to read, write, speak her thoughts or even look another in the eye, the most she can offer proves to be occasional, well-monitored grocery errands and the slight possibility of providing the gift of life for an elite Commander and his Wife. Parallel to a dystopia in which Offred has been stripped of the most simplistic allowances, women in today’s various Middle Eastern societies find relatively equal difficulty in utilizing their strengths due to the severe suppression and forced structure of their daily lives. Regardless of the varying context of these two scenarios, they both present themselves problematically in light of women’s personal struggle to contribute in society—in both Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and the modern Middle East, seemingly unethical yet extreme theocratic government exercises examples of such radically unformed control over its people that the exploitation and demeaning of the natural rights of women become prevalent. But on what grounds should the male citizens of the Republic of Gilead and those in today’s foreign communities be granted more liberation and opportunity while the women are held more captive of their own independence? As Offred finds herself trapped in such an unreasonably restrained living situation, she instinctively recognizes the current lack of available free will because she once knew what freedom looked and felt like. For example, in opposition of her training as a handmaid with the Aunts, she cannot help but wander her ind back to the pre-Republic days â€Å"thousands of years before,† when she and fellow females could actually go to school and watch â€Å"movies of the rest of the world† that even included â€Å"dancing[,] singing, ceremonial masks, [and music],† clearly taking place in a land where â€Å"people†¦were happy† (Atwood 118). Offred as well as other handmaids in her place inevitably suffer within their reality by trying to maintain a grasp on the memories of such privileges they once took for granted, such as real television to promote quality education. Instead of living the naturally liberal life of opportunity that was once available to Offred and existed in her home and school life, such a vision has been taken away by the government and exists now only in her memory, as the Aunts present to her and the other potential handmaids a government-approved film with â€Å"the title and [few] names blacked out†¦with a crayon so [they] couldn’t read them†Ã¢â‚¬â€another example of a ludicrous constraint, reading, that could have instilled fruitful possibilities in the mind of a woman (Atwood 119). In addition, as if the recollection of accredited education and other past events were not enough a cause of longing, Offred also recalls the fearless, empowering spirits of her late loved ones—particularly her mother whom she spots in the film, â€Å"wearing the kind of outfit Aunt Lydia told [the handmaids] was typical of Unwomen in those days† while â€Å"smiling, laughing†¦and raising [her] fists in the air† (Atwood 119). To witness such a wild and free spirit in action, that once was allowed for women but has been officially banned by the radical Christian followings of the Republic of Gilead, undoubtedly sparks a deep temptation within handmaids to rebel against this authority inflicting such â€Å"unacceptable losses of intellectual liberty†; however, such a temptation proves to be a challenge to pursue for some women today (Tolan 1). While the initial teachings of Islam attempted to improve living conditions for Muslim women by granting them some of the same rights as men in the seventh century, women become incapable of endorsing these rights when their society attempts to enforce the â€Å"laws† of the Islamic religion, described by the Columbia University professors who wrote At the Crossroads of the World: Women in the Middle East: Today, many Muslim women do not have the opportunity to enjoy rights once considered theirs by their religion. Women may be unaware of their rights or live in societies where these rights have been misinterpreted or misrepresented by individuals in power (be it the state, culture, or family). In Muslim countries around the world, there is a fundamental difference between what is prescribed by religious texts and what is actually practiced, a gulf between the ideal and the real (Esposito 1998, xiii). Often, the purportedly ‘religiously grounded’ restrictions placed on women within certain societies have little or nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. More often they are a function of socioeconomic and political factors. Recent examples of such restrictions included Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, which prohibited women from receiving medical attention from males and placed other restrictions on their movement in public (Revolutionary Association of the Women in Afghanistan)(Crocco, Pervez, and Katz 110). At most, these women are granted with the illusion that they possess legitimate freedoms, when in actuality their government prohibits this execution with the false justification that it simply conforms to the Islamic religion. The handmaids and all women alike governed by the Republic of Gilead correspondingly must follow the rules of the regime that claims to be operating in the name of the Christian faith in an attempt to validate its restrictive essence. Thus, no question exists as to how Offred becomes â€Å"increasingly reckless with her actions and behaviors,† or to why in the end â€Å"there is the strong possibility that her recklessness has cost her her life† (Genny 1). Most emphatically does Offred’s situation come off as unjust when she finally experiences a small taste of the natural freedom she once had but still deserves. Because it is obviously an â€Å"oasis of the forbidden,† she has to force herself to â€Å"hold†¦absolutely rigid† when the Commander invites her into his off-limits personal turf to play a game of Scrabble, something harmless, yet banned. Despite â€Å"[t]he fact that [she’s] terrified,† Offred still recognizes that â€Å"this is freedom[;] an eyeblink of it,† as if â€Å"he were offering her drugs† (Atwood 138-139). While Atwood implies in her novel that â€Å"feminist utopianism cannot avoid the taint of totalitarianism,† she employs the concept of defiance in that Offred can nourish her natural tendencies to actually enjoy herself through breaking the rules (Tolan 30). Similarly for the women in Iraq, the Ba’ath Party that emerged in 1963 sought provisions for women’s equality, including the liberties of education and employment; however, outside the major urban center of Baghdad, â€Å"the society still relegated Iraqi women to a very inferior position vis-a-vis men† (Brown and Romano 1). To maintain two adjacent communities with such contrasting ways of governing women is arguably contradicting and therefore, a cause for concern. Ultimately, women have simplistically natural rights that ought not to be rendered in the least, especially by illegitimate theocratic governments. Under no circumstances are the rights to thought, decision, reading, and writing, among many others, capable of being outlawed justifiably, regardless of gender. With such liberties, women carry great potential in contributing to society, despite the possibility of infertility or radically religious devotion—and in a lot of cases, that contribution can be imperative. Today in Iraq, a woman cannot own private property or hold any status, while forced to give up her education and marry a stranger. However, women still make up 65% percent of the population, and make up 70% of the agricultural workforce (Al-Jawaheri and Harris). Though they continue to fight for the equal rights and treatment they deserve while accepting their low circumstances, the crucial importance of granting women this moral blessing remains strong.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The problem between students and the text exams.

The problem between students and the text exams is that, somehow exam sometimes makes the students which, they are taking the exam, make them nerves and they feel that, they are lost in the exam and they should looking for the successful and the easiest way to find their self and how to be the top one in the exam. This paper is about, the situation of taking exams and the advantages and disadvantages of text exams and quiz exams.However, It seems to be that, the only ay to differentiate between the clever students and the lazy one, and If you have a lot of students in one class, for example forty to fifty students in same class, is that, the students have to take the text exams or quiz exams, maybe this is how the teachers or principles think of it, or however, this is the only way to be clear for them which one is the best among them.As it show that If you were In a large class of say fifty students then I'm quite sure that you would use testing a lot, not only for speed but also be cause it's a way of controlling students, ND let's be honest, class control is a problem if you have fifty students in the class. So there are good reasons why teachers use tests, but we have to see that they cause more and more learning problems as the students get older (Interviews , 2003, paragraph 8, line 4). As the Interview go on to point out. His Is the only way to separate Clever and Lazy students, and that is all they have to do it. Whatever goes, it is not true to be said that all students are equal or they have the same ability, maybe some are so clever and some others are lazy. But in fact, why students are going to be lazy, I mean what is the reason behind this, maybe those students are not lazy as it seem to be, or they are not lazy In nature. But It must be something that makes some students good and some others bad.Here as It Is clear In the (Interview 1, 2003, paragraph 8, line 1)† But what has made the students lazy? They've learned to become compliant, depen dent and helpless† as we see it is so clear where are the problems of students being lazy. If you want to help the lazy students, the only way for that is that, starting from the age when they are about to learn things. What has to be said is that, they must be thinks by their own mind, not what they have been told to do, or how they learnt to thinking.However, they have to forget the teacher's Idea and began with themselves Idea. Paragraph 7, line 5. Moreover, mark is the only things that students tries to take, nothing more. If there are no marks for taking exams, then, there is nothing worth to take exams at all. All students are seeking how they can get more grades, not for learning things, not for developing, Just grades and how to be the top students. The Interview states that o get on with some real learning†¦. But my problem is that I think that what they are also learning are bad learning habits.Let's be honest here, they're only learning for the sake of the mark s, for the sake of the test. If you take the test away then I can guarantee that they'll not be bothered to learn as much. Here, as it is mentioned marks are all what students working for it, and that is worth to study for it. Together, this evidence suggests that, there are problems for the text exams for the teachers and students at all. The teachers are doing what the reminisces ordered to them, and the students follows what the teachers touts them.And in another hand which is the big problem is that, a huge number of students in one room or class. That is to say, the resolution or how to fix the problem is that, from the beginning of student's age should be starting how to be independent and thinking, and a huge numbers of students must be fixed with opening new class for them, and no more than twenty students. For the rules it should be there is a way how to fix it, the way that remove the pressure upon both teachers and students.