Divorce Problem Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Divorce Problem Question - Essay Example 105). Also, individualism, increased work pressures, and career aspirations have been cited as contributing factors to increasing rates of divorce. Numerous studies have shown that divorce can be very stressful and difficult as it not only affects the status of marriage but also have far-reaching implications on children and finances. Constitutions and legislations have made provisions for dissolution of marriage if there are sufficient grounds for that. In the United Kingdom (UK), the law on family, marriage, and divorce is covered under the Family Law Act 1996 (The National Archives). Based on this legislation and cases relevant to divorce, this essay will address a divorce problem facing Alsa in a bid to advise her on whether she would be successful in obtaining a divorce. Facts Bob and Alsa have been married for 10 years but have both been unhappy for the past four years. Bob works full time as an engineer and Alsa is a full time housewife. Alsa is becoming tired with Bob’ s lack of assistance in the house; he constantly begins projects and does not finish them. His last project was to fit a new bathroom suite but after removing the old suite, he did not find time to fit the new one. Alsa feels that she cannot cope with his unfinished projects any longer and has moved into the spare room. Although Bob and Alsa continue to eat meals together, they rarely communicate but Alsa has continued to do all of Bob’s washing. More recently Alsa has started to engage in an extra-marital relationship with Ted. Issue Whether Alsa would be successful in obtaining a divorce? Rules Under Family Law Act 1996, divorce and separation is provided for. There is one ground to initiate divorce proceedings: irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The law has provided for five grounds for divorce which the court can rely upon as evidence that the marriage has irretrievably broken down and thus should grant divorce. The five grounds are: desertion; five years’ separa tion without consent; unreasonable behaviour; adultery; and two years’ separation with consent. In addition, the law has set threshold that has to be met before a husband or wife file for divorce: meet specific rules regarding how long one has lived in the country; prove that the marriage has irretrievably broken down; have a marriage that is recognised, legally, in the UK; and have been married for a minimum of one year. Analysis Considering the increasing rates of divorce and how they occur after a very short duration after marriage, Bob and Alsa can be considered to be have sustained their marriage for a relatively longer period (10years). However, both of them have been unhappy in the marriage for the past four years; an indication that the marriage has been experiencing some problems within that period. From the facts gathered, it seems Bob and Alsa marriage does not experience â€Å"serious† problems compared to other marriages whose partners are seeking divorce. Alsa’s main concern is that Bob does not provide assistance in the house as he constantly begins projects and does not finish them. Comparatively, this issue can be considered â€Å"lesser† in marriage and that which can be solved using other avenues rather than the legal avenue. Since this issue does not touch entirely on the fundamentals of marriage, services of a counsellor, church priest, or a family friend can be sought to resolve it (Probert, 2007, p. 65). Besides,

Community Review of Healthcare Services

Community Review of Healthcare Services Community Review Dwayne Potenteau The community experience this term has increased my awareness of the social determinants that affect the population of the Comox valley and Campbell River. While patient’s needs in the hospital are addressed and managed, the ongoing care for the client often extends past the hospital borders into the community and home setting. The change in the client’s environment is based on the need to manage costs. The need to be fiscally responsible is of utmost importance if the health care system is to function for the immediate and long term future. One key piece to maintain fiscal responsibility is to move the client from the hospital to their home. The change in environment has exposed gaps in client care with vulnerable populations. Most of the clients facing health challenges suffered from numerous social determinants, but finances that were imposed on their care were a common between the varying community experiences. This is one of the main reasons for discharge from hosp ital to community. It is not a one sided view, as both the hospital and client do benefit in the discharge, as clients tend to heal or be more relaxed in their own environment. The aspect of my perception and how I am being perceived in order to develop my ability to communicate with others is absolutely crucial help others in the community. I found in my experiences that obtaining information was not as easy as asking a question. I was always cognizant of how I am being perceived so that I could create trust even at the superficial level. The reason for the huge relational component is that without the gained trust providing the proper avenues for care would be difficult. Many clients are referred to the community programs and thus without the nurse relating to the client the care may not be received or the client may defer from treatment. In knowing the client, nurses can setup appropriate discharge support that meets the clients’ needs. Another aspect of the discharge is the ability to work with other interdisciplines. The transition from institutional to community care may present more complex patients that in the past, and thus nurses must be able to use other sources of knowledge. This was evident in home care nursing. Many of the resources in Campbell River can be utilized when preparing a client for discharge. Often nurses act as a medium between physicians, physiotherapists, social workers and dieticians while providing care for clients. Working with other disciplines allows nurses to understand potential problems and anticipate challenges prior to discharge. The ability to anticipate a client’s needs is crucial to their care received in community. Without the adequate dialogue many of the services that a client could benefit from would not be available. It is up to nurses to work with the client to understand what is salient in their world, and if possible align services that can assist in caring for the client. In understanding what is important a nurse should discuss some of the following: (this is not an inclusive list but rather just an overview) The actual community: Where is their community located, and what are the physical boundaries (What are the sanitation/water issues?, Is there access to health care services/911? What are the safety hazards?) The Environment: What are the most common or potential illnesses after discharge? Are there concerns regarding client immunization or proper access to nutrition? Is there an available transit system? Social System: Are there resources available for the client to meet social needs? Client: what strengths does the client have? What strengths do I as a nurse discharging the client perceive? One of the huge benefits most of if not all of the services I visited, would be to visit the client in their home. Most of the clients, outside of home care nursing forced the client to come into the hospital or department. This often posed a problem for clients as they could not make the trip due to the illness, or had no way to make the trip. If some of these services could provide home visits this would reduce the burden to the patients, but may increase costs on an already stressed out system. One element that would benefit is education. The role of preventative health care is in my opinion is key to sustain our health care system. If we could inform to prevent even a single client from developing an illness such as diabetes, that would save the system money. The unfortunate reality is that trying to give qualitative stats where the persons who determine where the funding will go, often want to see empirical quantitative data. Prevention is difficult to show on a graph or pie cha rt. In this community experience I have found a few gaps in service even between districts. For example the quality and accuracy in stroke monitoring between Campbell River and Comox valley. Another facet is the hegemony that nurses experience between physicians and specialist. For example the nurses at the dialysis clinic can call physicians and help make decisions and work with the physician/specialist in Victoria, while the specialists at Nanaimo are not interested in working with the nurses and retain control over the aspects of care resulting in less nurse autonomy. The biggest gap in care comes directly from the health authority. In order to create qualitative data, the health authority had assigned a point system for administering care. One point equates to 15 minutes. The point system is used as a cost measure for staffing. The problem lies in assessing how many points does a client need if they are multi symptomatic. The assessment often takes time and thus puts a great strain o n nurses to provide meaningful, salient and proper care while trying to stay within their allotted point system. To address these issues in Campbell River and Comox, there is discussion on what barriers are impeding Comox Valley from administering additional tests for stroke patients. The barriers could then be addressed and a potential solution discovered. On the issue of varying physician politics, I am not sure how to tackle this issue other than address the concerns to the board of regulations (CRNBC to determine if there is any recourse or perhaps the nurses union for additional guidance or insight). On the topic of managing nursing hours using a point system there needs to be leniency in cases that do not fit the point system. Some patients are complex and thus may need additional time or resources. Neglecting the needs may result in relapse and having the client be reintroduced into the system which ultimately incurs additional costs and is counterproductive. Another point I discovered while at the Comox Valley Nursing Centre, was the gap in communication between clients and the programs and services they were assigned to. Often marginalized clients (people who were forced to live on the street due to health or other social determinants) were very difficult to contact. These clients missed many appointments, even with specialists for whatever reason, and since they often did not have a phone, and could not be contacted. This left the nurse in a difficult situation of advocating for the client when a specialist wanted to drop the client for not showing up to appointments. To remedy this problem perhaps additional communication and education for the client or use of the phone while at the nursing centre may alleviate the current dilemma. Ultimately one of the most profound learning components was for addiction at the Comox Valley Nursing Center. A nurse had stated this mantra â€Å"Addiction is a way to hide from the real problem, discover and treat the problem, you will treat the addiction†.

Pride and Prejudice Essay: The Function Of Dance -- Pride Prejudice Es

The Function Of Dance in Pride And Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, set in the Regency Period, dance performs several important functions.   Dance patterns emulate courtship rituals, marking dance as a microcosm for courtship and marriage - two main themes of the novel.   The Regency period propagated the belief that no ingredient was more essential to a courtship than dancing:   "To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love..." (Austen 7).   Therefore, knowledge of dance - dance steps as well as dance etiquette - was a crucial necessity and was often acquired through study and awareness of conduct codes.   These crucial codes were disseminated through popular courtesy/conduct books, which informed readers of correct dance steps, movements, and patterns, as well as socially acceptable etiquette.      Regency conduct codes also influenced interpretations of individual character, as social behavior was often considered the physical embodiment of character; thus, Austen's characters typically reveal their inner selves through their manners.   And, in the manner of courtesy writers who were "concerned with behavior, not only to others but as it concerns oneself" (Fritzer 4), Austen was concerned with the behavior patterns exhibited by her characters, especially upon the dance floor.   In this era particularly, a person's individual worth was manifested itself through performance on the dance floor:  Ã‚  Ã‚      As the courtesy books hint, dancing is a clue to character, negative as well as positive.   Austen shows that a lack of moderation combined with too great a love of pleasure reflects questionable character.   Other negative indications include poor dancing, des... ...Honan, Park.   Jane Austen - Her Life.   New York: St. Martin's Press, 1987. Kaplan, Deborah.   Structures of Status: Eighteenth-Century Social Experience as Form in Courtesy Books and Jane Austen's Novels. Diss. University of Michigan, 1979. Poplawski, Paul.   A Jane Austen Encyclopedia.   Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1998. Rubinstein, E., ed.   Twentieth Century Interpretations of Pride and Prejudice.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1969. Tanner, Tony.   Jane Austen.   Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1986. Wells, Richard.   "Manners Culture and Dress of the Best-American Society."   Accessed Online. 25 September 1998.   Available http://www.burrows.com/other/manners.html. Woods, Karen Sue Radford.   Dance in England Through a Study of Selected Eighteenth-Century Texts.   Diss.   Cornell University, 1980.  

Heart of Darkness †Metaphorical or Physical Journey? Essay

The worth of any physical journey can be measured by the value it has to the traveller; by the psychological, moral and philosophical insight gained during the course of travel. This is especially valid for a trip of such immense significance as the one undertaken by the narrator in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow, as he travels along the Congo River in Africa. The symbolic importance of the Congo River is paramount throughout the novella; however, it is equally important to consider the role of the river on which the tale is told – the Thames, the centre of the nation that dominated colonial expansion. Both rivers offer a platform of observation of their respective societies – allowing Marlow to remain independent from these cultures and thus maintain his own moral compass. On a surface level, the Thames appears to be the epitome of tranquillity and civilization, as Marlowe describes it as being ‘calm’, waiting for the ‘turn of the tide’ and being the centre of ‘the biggest, and the greatest, town on Earth.’ However, Conrad’s multi-layered writing undercuts this view, as many descriptions of the Thames have mortuary connotations, implying a feeling of death on the river. For example, Conrad describes a ‘mournful gloom, brooding motionless’, the feeling of stillness coupled with the ‘gloomy tone creates a corpse-like atmosphere. Even the images of light that Conrad employs are more or less negative in their more subtle meanings. He describes the torches of light (a metaphor for Western Civilization) as being merely a ‘flicker’, which implies that the faà §ade of culture and humanity is ephemeral in nature. The first words Marlow uses describe his surroundings as ‘and this also†¦ was one of the dark places of the earth’, reminding listeners of the dark past, which is only partially and insubstantially covered. He then goes on to describe the ‘robbery with violence’ and the ‘aggravated murder on a great scale’ which the Romans had committed in ancient Britain. Whilst the present reality demonstrates an apparent conquering of the darkness, Conrad implies a different message, as he mentions the ‘toying’ of the ‘bones’ (another name for dominoes made of ivory), which refers to the abominations committed by King Leopold II in the Congo Free State, as he exploited the lives of African to further his own commercial enterprise. This associates the Thames, which has supposedly defeated its darkness, with an inherent evil, as it is at the centre of a culture obsessed with the ‘conquest of the earth’ under the guise of ‘weaning the ignorant millions from their ways’. At the end of the novella, the primary narrator, who is listening to Marlow’s tale, begins to perceive the Thames leading into ‘the heart of an immense darkness’, showing how the story has shaped his own moral, psychological and philosophical views. The mortuary images used to describe the Thames are repeated later on as Marlow recounts his visit to the company offices in Brussels, which he describes as a ‘whited sepulchre’. The word ‘whited’ implies a degree of artificiality in Brussels’ apparent pristine condition, whilst the word ‘sepulchre’ has further associations with death. It is also a biblical allusion to the Book of Matthew 23:27, in which Jesus exclaims: ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whited sepulchres, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth.’ This allusion shows how the very European Marlo w, has recognized a deep hypocrisy in his fellow countrymen, as the symbol of white (one of purity in Western civilization) is simply a faà §ade to hide Europe’s inherent evil. This motif of white is repeated throughout the novel, especially in Brussels where Marlow mentions the ‘starched white affairs’ of the Company uniforms, and near the end of the text describes the corpse like ‘Intended’ as having a ‘pale head’, ‘ashy halo’ and a fireplace of ‘monumental whiteness’. Marlow who is described as being ‘in the pose of a meditating Buhhda’ sees a different connotation to the white (just as white is associated with death and mourning in Eastern philosophy). Whilst Marlow sees and experience this hypocrisy first hand in Europe, on the Congo River, he observes an almost cinematic stream of images of temptation and sordidness, with the River acting as a ‘moral buffer’ for him, as his perceptions of humanity and morality change. This change in Marlow’s nature happens through the characterization of Africa as a living hell which Conrad (through Marlow) achieves by continual allusions to the ‘Inferno’ in Dante’s Divine Comedy, which details the persona’s own journey into the centre of the earth and through the nine circles of hell. This is most effectively achieved when Marlow admits to his listeners: ‘I felt as though, instead of going to the centre of a continent, I were about to set off for the centre of the earth.’ This is paralleled when Marlow visits the company Offices and describes his assignment as going ‘dead in the centre’ (again invoking deathly overtones), which also explicitly references Dante. Like Marlow’s morals and philosophy, the allusion is developed throughout the journey, as Marlow observes the chaotic ‘wanton smash-up’ caused by the Europeans, and describes it as being in ‘the gloomy circle of some Infe rno’, and showing how the river, acting almost as a slideshow for European corruption, helps change Marlow’s view of the morality of the Colonialists, who have turned Africa into a living hell. The allusion to Dante, whilst certainly the most obvious, offers only an observation and a result, not a cause for the corruption. The allusion to the Book of Genesis on the other hand, provides insight into why there is corruption present on the Congo. When Marlowe first describes the river, he likens it to an ‘immense snake uncoiled’, which references the Devil in the form of a snake, tempting Eve to take a quince from the Garden of Eden. This allusion is more causal in its purpose, as it demonstrates the reason why the Europeans who have integrated into Africa (especially Kurtz and the station Manager) have been corrupted by the primitive allurement of the ‘unspeakable rites’ and ‘satanic litany’ afforded to them by the jungle. Whilst Marlow is offered these things during his journey, morally he is able to maintain his distance, continuing as righteous through a continual commitment to pragmatism and action. This is evidenced by his almost obsessive need for ‘rivets’ to repair his boat so that he may continue his journey on the moral insulation of the Congo River, shielding him from any immoral temptations offered whilst ashore. On the other hand, people like Kurtz who have the river, find that the moral veneer provided by the faà §ade that is European civilization is quickly stripped away when they go ashore for a ‘howl’ and a ‘dance’. Marlow explains this phenomenon of primitive reversion among the colonialists via the effect that he perceives the river to have, saying that travelling down the river was like ‘travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world’ with the ‘fascination of the abomination; corrupting the Europeans, especially Kurtz, who is debased to ‘an animated image of death carved out of old ivory’. Significantly, the current symbolically make the journey into the ‘heart of darkness’ difficult, while the journey back is easy and rapid. In conclusion, the journey undertaken by Marlow on the Congo River, as well as his story telling on the Thames, much deeper significance than simply physical and geographical journeys, changing his perceptions of the morality and psychology of men. Conrad uses Marlow’s insights to influence the reader to share in the enlightenment gained by the narrator.

Puberty Mini Essay

Puberty Mini Essay There are many factors that affect the timing of puberty. A large factor is genetics, because it later causes the onset of other factors as well. It’s said that maturation and puberty are determined by genetic forces and can be different depending on ethnicity as well. Children in the US seem to mature and hit puberty faster than Asian Americans, while African Americans are ahead of the US. Massimo Mangino, author from the Twin Research Department at King's, says: â€Å"It is fascinating how common genetic variants influence both early puberty and weight gain. With that said obesity is another factor and is becoming an epidemic in this country. Obesity can almost guarantee the girl will have an early start into puberty and can later lead to a higher risk of psychological problems, risk-taking behavior, and even future breast cancer. But the opposite effect of obesity on pubertal timing may occur in boys. Studies have shown that early maturing boys seem to h ave a lower rate of obesity when compared with boys with normally or later timed puberty. Another factor is anxiety/stress.When there is a higher level of stress on the child it tends to prompt the body to send the hypothalamic signal and cause the child to reach puberty at a younger age than normal. Since this sends the child into early puberty, it can affect them with aggression and antisocial behavior as well later on. But on the other side of this, it can also delay puberty as well; it typically relies on the type of stress and the environment of the stress. If the living conditions are poor and there is little food, the stress can lead to a delay of maturation.Early puberty onset for females can be much more damaging than later onset. Females who start puberty early are at higher risk for problems and cancer later in life and usually have a negative body image as well. Earlier puberty onset for males is not as damaging as it is on females though. Sometimes it is seen as a head start in some cultures. If the male is strong and larger than his peers he is looked up to. If the male has a later onset of puberty he may have a different appearance than his peers and may be picked one which can cause a negative body image as well.Works Cited Belsky, Janet (2010). Experiencing the Lifespan (2th Ed). New York: Worth Publishers Yuen, F. The Onset of Puberty. http://www. soc. hawaii. edu/leonj/409as98/yuen/famr499. html Walvoord, E. (2010). The Timing of Puberty: Is it changing? Does It Matter? Journal of Adolescent Health, 1–7. (Kings College London, 2010) Researchers discover common genetic variants influence early puberty, body fat. http://www. news-medical. net/news/20101122/Researchers-discover-common-genetic-variants-influence-early-puberty-body-fat. aspx

deputy Essay Example

deputy Essay Example deputy Essay deputy Essay The Career of a Deputy Sherriff Community College of Baltimore County For some people becoming a deputy sheriff is a lifelong dream. When you see a deputy you think of honor, integrity, selfless service, courage, pride, and leadership. Becoming a deputy sheriff is more than Just wanting to carry a gun and a badge you have to be passionate about it, you have to be couscous at all times because your life may hang in the balance along with those citizens who you protect. No matter what part of law enforcement you are in whether its the natural resources police, state rooper, MTA police, Baltimore county or Baltimore city they all have one mission into making the streets safer and protecting the lifes of the innocent . My paper is on the career of the deputy sheriff and in this paper I will inform you about what it takes to do this Job how this Job will affect your life and with this Job how you will change the lives of others. To become a deputy sheriff you have to go through a certain process to be considered for the position. Although it may be a lengthy time period in the iring process you do not need to have a college degree to be selected, but having some education is what departments like to see, For example having 60 or more hours of college credits. Some of the minimum qualifications before being able to apply for the Job is you must have an high school diploma, be a citizen of the united states, be 20 years old and 1/12 and have a drivers license that is active. After you have met the minimum requirements the next steps in the process would be the physical test, the written examination, background check interview, polygraph, sychological and drug screening. In the physical requirement test you will be expected to complete as many pushups and sit-ups as you can in a one minute time period and also complete a 1. 5 mile run. Before you can take this you will need to get a signed waiver from your doctor saying that you are in enough physical condition to be able to complete the test. In the written examination you will take a test tnat consist 0T multlple cnolce answers tnat wlll see now mucn Knowledge you have on how you comprehend things, handle different situations, your observation nd memory. During the background check investigators will check your previous employment, criminal records, medical history and you credit history. In the polygraph, medical and drug screening you will have a series of test like how truth you were when filling out your background packet and get tested for illegal drug use. Once all the steps are completed in that part of the process the candidate is closer to becoming a deputy but is not done yet. Now the candidate must complete the training needed to perform your Job. They will have to go to an academy for seven onths while completing the required academic test and take part in physical training and upon graduation you will earn two certificates, one from the Maryland police and one from the correctional training commission. The duties and responsibilities of the deputy sheriff are to enforce state and federal laws. They patrol the community to prevent crimes from occurring against people or property. Green, M. 1999). They also do a lot of investigating in traffic accidents where they will take photos of the crime scene, collect evidence, and with integrity write their eports about situations that happen in their daily routines. The Deputy Sheriff also plays a huge part in the court house and Jail division. In the court house deputys serve as security and when ever their needed to be in court their there no matter if its maintain peace in the court room or testifying as a witness. A career is something that people work very hard to get and work very hard to keep but having the title of deputy sheriff is not an easy title to keep. Everyone is not cut out to take on the things they see, hear, feel, and go through. It is a very stressful Job and a dangerous one. Besides the patrols and giving out traffic tickets a deputy will face violent criminals and accouter serious criminal activity. Your life can also be in danger and those that you love as well. You have to be mindful about the things you say and the things you do because you do not Just represent yourself you represent the sheriffs department and anything you do will affect the department in either a negative or positive way. The citizens trust in them to do the right thing and to do heir Job right so they can feel protected and safe in their own environment. With all jobs they will have a negative side to it but becoming a deputy has its positive side to it as well. They provide a since of hope, peace, and can make a huge difference in the world. The pay and benefits are good and their family is taken can of. Taking the position of a deputy sheriff is a once in a life time experience that most people will never know about but the ones that do accept the challenge to becoming one will never regret it.

Iron Man 3 Movie

Iron Man 3 Movie Introduction Conventionally, a film bears a central message in its plot. Despite being medium of entertainment, embedded deep within a film’s plot is often a central idea or theme that the writer and the producer seek to convey. In this respect, moviemakers strive to depict virtually all aspects of life. In the year 2013, Hollywood produced a superhero film by the name Iron Man 3. This essay seeks to examine this film with a focus on the analysis of violence as a central theme within the movie.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Iron Man 3 Movie specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A synopsis of Iron Man 3 The movie Iron Man 3 is a creation of Shane Black who doubles as a writer and director. It features Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark as the main actor around whom all the action revolves. The film commences in the wake of the events of The Avengers in which Tony participated to save the New York City from the attac k of aliens (the Loki). Riddled with severe insomnia and posttraumatic stress, Tony spends his time building iron man suits (Iron Man 3). This new lifestyle begins to weigh him down, but before long, a dangerous terrorist, only identified as the Mandarin, wreaks havoc. The Mandarin strips Tony off everything; it kills his bodyguard, destroys his home, car, and kills his girlfriend (Pepper Potts). Consequently, Tony is left with only a badly damaged iron man suit with which to face the vicious enemy (Iron Man 3). With the help of Col. James Rhodes and Harley, a young boy, Tony solves the puzzle of the Mandarin just before he actualizes his worst threat. Analysis of Iron Man 3 The movie exudes violence right from the very beginning to its conclusion. The scenes are designed to embody a nature of violence that is often associated with terrorism in real life. The film commences in the wake of an alien invasion of the New York City. It takes the intervention Tony and his compatriots (The Avengers) to save the city. The idea of alien invasion already creates an image of violence even before the movie starts. The harrowing experiences that Tony goes through due to his New York experience are not gentle by any standard. They are violent experiences that render him sleepless. Clearly, the beginning of the movie sets the stage for the violent action witnessed all the way to the end of the movie. Violence in Iron Man 3 is perpetrated by everyone ranging from women, children, and men including Tony himself in the process of trying to rid the world of the villains. Pepper, Tony’s girlfriend, is shown violently killing a villain after which she exclaims, â€Å"that was really violent† (Iron Man 3). In fact, the writer of the movie seems to be fully aware of the violence that is embedded in the movie, and thus by incorporating such a line, he appears to be drawing the audience’s attention to the violent nature of the movie. Pitching Harley, a ten-year-ol d boy, as one of the main accomplices of Tony in the final conquest, is a clear indicator that violence as depicted in the movie is not limited to gender or age. He participates in the violent termination of the villains until they are ultimately defeated.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The portrayal of a young boy participating in violent acts as shown in this movie may elicit criticism from a large fraction of society because according to Yildiz, children are associated with innocence, purity, and gentleness (40). However, even in the real life, children have been reported to perpetrate morbid criminal acts. For instance, Yildiz notes that a case was reported in Britain in which two young boys, six years old and eight years old, took the hand of a five-year old before leading him to a secluded location where they murdered him in cold blood (40). All the theories and possible models that attempted to explain the incident fell short of giving a concrete reason to explain the occurrence of the bizarre incident. Shane’s depiction of violence is thus not extreme or out of the ordinary as many may think. It truly reflects where society is today because just like children, women who were traditionally perceived as the weak gender, have become vicious killers in real life. The movie, being a 2013 production, rightly captures what is actually going on in society. Shane adds an extra dimension to his depiction of violence. He attempts to make the violence extreme by picturing the mechanisms used in the killings as extremely dangerous. They do not only kill, but also vaporize the bodies of the victims to leave only eerie shadows (Iron Man 3). Besides the bombings such as that of the Chinese theater in which innocent tourists and other people are killed, â€Å"suicide† bombers in the movie actually explode after heating up from inside. The mo vie creates a morbid impression filled with violence and bloodshed. Tony himself goes through most of the movie with a blood stained face. The writer cum producer of the movie succeeds in capturing the ravages of violence with the accompanying emotional effect he intended. In terms of the emotional appeal, the movie succeeds in reaching out to the audience quite easily. Violence is an emotive issue and based on the levels of violence exhibited in the movie, it becomes apparent that the producer of the movie is quite aware of how to evoke emotion. He does it by glorifying violence in a manner that would cause someone watching the movie think that the life of the people in the movie depended on it. Starting with Tony, the trauma and sleeplessness and the destruction of his home and the bodyguard as well the near strangling of his girlfriend elicits sympathy for him. A person watching the movie cannot help but feel sympathetic for Tony especially when he has to face the vicious enemy i n an old iron-man prototype suit that is also partly damaged. Another instance when the movie significantly appeals to the audience emotionally occurs when the Mandarin captures the president from Air Force One successfully. Tony is in a position to save other people at the time, but not the president. Given the vicious nature of the Mandarin and his painful killing styles, one cannot help but feel sympathy for the president due to what he is likely going through. Such is the pathos of this film. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Iron Man 3 Movie specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Anyone watching the movie is in a position to link it successfully with the real life situations such as the Boston Marathon bombings and other terror attacks that have been witnessed in the US. The fact that the Mandarin is given Muslim or Arab like appearance, which is again not very clear, is a method that the producer uses to pass his mes sage. In real life, terrorism has been associated with Muslims, although sometimes such stereotypes are based on mere speculations. The producer of the movie is successful at causing the audience to make sense out of the events of the movie and link them with real life occurrences, which is logical. In the ethical sense, the author of the movie is in a position to depict the modern society correctly as one that is fast being derailed of ethical values. Like many other movies, good triumphs over evil in the end, thus giving the very important lesson that good will eventually triumphs over evil in every situation. However, the issue of concern is the channels that Shane chooses to use in dispensing the â€Å"good† in the movie. He uses a young boy as well as some women on both sides of the battle. In a sense, this aspect gives the impression of a society in which ethical values have gone to very low levels so that anyone can engage in violent acts as long as the result is justi fied. Conventionally, as espoused by almost all movies, the end justifies the means. The movie is also littered with scenes of sexual undertones that successfully depict what goes on in the modern society. In this manner, the producer of the movie clearly presents the movie’s ethos of to the audience. Conclusion The movie Iron Man 3 arguably glorifies violence all through. The villains perpetrate violence and the good people use violence to squash the villains. The movie seems to be advancing the argument that only violence can abate violence. In spite of its violent nature, the movie is widely acclaimed as being one of the best movies of its time. These acclamations are in order as Iron Man 3 carries with it invaluable lessons for a keen individual. The deeply embedded message, especially for this generation, is that technology is only good as long as the people using it are good, and the message is quite timely. Iron Man 3. Dir. Shane Black. New York: Marvel Studios. 2013. Film.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Yildiz, Murat. Terrorism and violence: Turkish case.  Turkish Journal of Police Studies 3.1 (n.d): 38-55. Print.

Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill

Jethro Tull and the Invention of the Seed Drill A farmer, writer, and inventor, Jethro Tull was an instrumental figure in English agriculture, pushing to improve age-old agrarian practices by applying science and technology.   Early Life Born in 1674 to well-to-do parents, Tull grew up on the family’s Oxfordshire estate. After withdrawing from St. John’s College in Oxford, he moved to London, where he studied the pipe organ before becoming a law student. In 1699, Tull qualified as a barrister, toured Europe, and got married.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Relocating with his bride to the family farm, Tull eschewed law to work the land. Inspired by agrarian practices he saw in Europe - including pulverized soil around evenly spaced plants - Tull was determined to experiment at home.   The Seed Drill Jethro Tull invented the seed drill in 1701 as a way to plant more efficiently. Prior to his invention, sowing seeds was done by hand, by scattering them on the ground or placing them in the ground individually, such as with bean and pea seeds. Tull considered scattering wasteful because many seeds did not take root. His finished seed drill included a hopper to store the seed, a cylinder to move it, and a funnel to direct it. A plow at the front created the row, and a harrow at the back covered the seed with soil. It was the first agricultural machine with moving parts. It started as a one-man, one-row device, but later designs sowed seeds in three uniform rows, had wheels and were drawn by horses. Using wider spacing than previous practices allowed horses to draw the equipment and not step on the plants. Other Inventions Tull went on to make more â€Å"groundbreaking† inventions, literally. His horse-drawn hoe or hoe-plow dug up the soil, loosening it for planting while also pulling up unwanted weed roots. He mistakenly thought that the soil itself was the food for plants and that breaking it up allowed the plants to take it in better. The real reason that you loosen soil for planting is that the act allows more moisture and air to reach plant roots. Coinciding with his theory on the way plants fed, he also believed that you should till the soil while the plant is growing, not just during planting. His idea that plants grow better with tilled soil around them, though, is correct if not his theory on why. Tilling around plants reduces weeds competing with the crops, allowing the desired plants to grow better. Tull also improved designs of the plow.   These inventions were put to the test, and Tull’s farm thrived. Even spacing; less seed waste; better aeration per plant; and less weed growth all increased his yields. In 1731, the inventor and farmer published The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: Or, an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation. His book was met with opposition in some quarters - especially his mistaken idea that manure didnt help plants - but eventually, his mechanical ideas and practices couldnt be denied to be useful and work well. Farming, thanks to Tull, had become a bit more rooted in science.

Nurse Graduate Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nurse Graduate Challenges - Essay Example The transition of newly graduated nurses (NGOs) into professional service is on its surface, no different from the transition of a newly graduated teacher into becoming full-fledged professors. But an essential difference lies in the need for NGOs to alter their personal perceptions and shape them in accordance with their upcoming professional responsibilities (Heslop, McIntyre and Ives, 2001). Duchscher (2010) defines it as "consist[ing] of a nonlinear experience that moves the new practitioner through personal and professional, intellectual and emotive, skill and role relationship changes and contains within it experiences, meanings and expectations." This transition is also characterized as the evolution of the nursing student into hospital staff following four stages: (1) honeymoon, where the graduates are expectedly anxious to get a moving on their careers; (2) shock, where the professional value and intellectual credence of the graduates are forced to face the realities of the industry; (3) recovery, when the graduates begin to have a full rein on their careers and start to have the hang of things; and finally, (4) resolution, when the graduates are able to establish habits and form long-term goals (Kramer & Schmalenberg, 1978).This NG transition has been classified as the initial twelve months into practice where character transformations, perception changes, intellectual enhancement, emotional adjustment, physical development and even social maturity are attained (Duchscher, 2010).... Duchscher (2010) defines it as â€Å"consist[ing] of a nonlinear experience that moves the new practitioner through personal and professional, intellectual and emotive, skill and role relationship changes and contains within it experiences, meanings and expectations.† This transition is also characterized as the evolution of the nursing student into hospital staff following four stages: (1) honeymoon, where the graduates are expectedly anxious to get a moving on their careers; (2) shock, where the professional value and intellectual credence of the graduates are forced to face the realities of the industry; (3) recovery, when the graduates begin to have a full rein on their careers and start to have the hang of things; and finally, (4) resolution, when the graduates are able to establish habits and form long-term goals (Kramer & Schmalenberg, 1978). This NG transition has been classified as the initial twelve months into practice where character transformations, perception cha nges, intellectual enhancement, emotional adjustment, physical development and even social maturity are attained (Duchscher, 2010). Challenges Associated with Transition The main crisis in the transition of graduating nursing students into practicing or professional nurses lies in the difficulty to translate their numbers into the field (Duchscher, 2010). That is, the number of students that are apparently graduating is not equivalent, actually less than the number of nurses entering service in health institutions and hospitals. Somehow, a large fraction of the graduates opt out of the industry and take on employment in private facilities or even to some

South africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

South africa - Essay Example The companies’ efforts were however met with government’s counter strategies to maintain the practice of apartheid. Caltex, owned jointly by Texaco and SoCal is one example of foreign company operating in South Africa whose shareholders on many occasions tried hard to pass resolutions that were anti apartheid. This paper seeks to highlight Caltex, its conception in the South African market, its operations and how it affected the growth or downfall of the practice of apartheid. First we consider whether the entry of Caltex in South Africa empowered apartheid. Whether or not the utilitarian benefits of Caltex’s operations stood above the moral rights and justice violations that its presence seemed to propagate. In 1975 Caltex sought to expand its investment in South Africa. The expansion could cost $135 million, increase south Africa’s refining capacity by 11% and it promised a return on interest of about 20% i.e. approximately $27 million annually. In essence, a Return on Interest of $27 million annually, had a strong utilitarian benefit. After all Caltex is a profit making company and profit making is the major focus. However, this expansion would consequently strengthen the economy of the very government that was steadfast at maintaining apartheid as its legal policy. A strong economy meant a strong government and thus widespread apartheid. The commitment that Caltex later showed to the plight of their black employees is another utilitarian benefit that requires consideration. They moved 40% of their black workers to refinery jobs initially held by whites and they moved a total of 29 to the topmost four of the white collar and skilled job categories. Even though most blacks remained in the lower job categories, Caltex had at least shown their commitment to eradicating apartheid. The utilitarian benefits of Caltex presenting better working conditions

Family Health Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family Health Assessment - Research Paper Example Moreover, the family stated that they have not been experiencing any history of diseases like cancer or diabetes. Another issue that the family addressed concerning this function is that none of them engages in drug and substance abuse. The family believed that this is the main reason that they have not been suffering from any chronic diseases. The second function was about nutrition and the data gathered indicated that the family could normally afford to take a balance diet meal on a daily basis. Looking on their faces, they were health and this indicated that it was true on what they were saying. The family also stated that every member addresses the recommendations made by health experts by taking the necessary cups of water on a daily basis. On this issue, they approximated that each member takes between five to seven cups of clean water on a daily basis. Apart from water, the family also recorded taking other forms of fluids like tea and fruit juices. The fluids and water are of significance importance in assisting on normal body functioning and digestion. In respect to sleep/rest, the family indicated that it had problems in achieving the recommendable sleep/rest pattern. The parents stated they sleep for about four to five hours. This is because they spend most of their times trying to meet daily needs. The children also stated they sleep between six to seven hours as they spend most of their time working on school assignments. It was evident that the family lacks enough time rest. This has resulted to some members to find difficulties in sleeping at night. On the function of elimination, data gathered indicated that the family members differed on the number of times that they eliminated waste substances from their body. In the family of six members, two of them stated that they eliminated the waste substances two times on a daily basis. The other four indicated that they

Assignment on Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Assignment on Corporate Finance - Essay Example A merger can resemble a takeover but result in a new company name or combining the names of the original companies. (http://en.wikipedia.org) Shleifer and vishny (2003) proposed a market timing model of acquisition. They assumed that acquirers are overvalued, and the motive for acquisition is not to gain synergies, but to reserve some of their temporary overvaluation for long-run shareholder. Specifically, by acquiring less-overvalued target with overpriced stock (or less interestingly, undervalued target with cash) overvalued acquirers can cushion the fall for their shareholders by leaving them with more hard assets per share or, if the deals value proposition. This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce duplicate departments or operations, lowering the cost of the company relative to theoretically the same revenue stream thus, increasing profit. For example, a bank buying a stock broker could then sell its banking products to the stock's customers while the broker can sign up the banks customers for brokerage account. Or a manufacturer can acquire and sell complimentary products. This is the sign to smoothen the earning result of a company, which over the long-term smoothes a stock price of a company, giving conservative investors more confidence in investing in the company. However, this does not always deliver value to shareholders (http://en.wikipedia.org) From datamonitor analyses, UCB has an inorganic expansion into lucrative AIID and oncology market. The acquisition of the Biotechnology Company, Celltech offered UCB technology platforms and experience for the development of biological drugs. And the new regulations allows our company to create motive for us to merge and acquire, which is an opportunity for us to have a strong R & D pipeline and new expertise in the pharmaceutical sectors. So all of this would be achieved rapidly if acquisition decision is taken. Asset acquisition UCB is a multinational company, operating in more than one hundred and forty countries, also it is one of the largest pharmaceutical and chemical

ENG 105 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENG 105 - Essay Example "Poor governance is a major issue in many African countries, and one that has serious repercussions for long-term food security," says a statement by the International Food Policy Research Institute.† (Africa’s Hunger) It is very disheartening to see the authorities playing this blame game, we have been blaming each other for something devastating but it is time to stop this and work in unison to help these underprivileged people. There is increased awareness these days thanks to sources like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and so on. There are several videos on Youtube showing the fate of young children and adults, who succumb to hunger, this is an ongoing fight to restore parity. â€Å"Every year 15 million children die of hunger.† (The World Hunger Problem) The opulent have enough food to feed their pets and shower their unconditional love on these pets but they often refrain from helping people who need their help the most. Children in Africa can only be saved when the world realizes their problem and unites to solve this long standing problem. Numerous lives have already been lost and many more will succumb to the same in the near future should nothing be done about it. â€Å"Throughout the 1990s more than 100 million children will die from illness and starvation. Those 100 million deaths could be prevented for the price of ten Stealth bombers, or what the world spends on its military in two days!† (The World Hunger Problem) New weapons to destroy each other are being designed by shelling out a fortune almost each day but the people become insensitive when they hear about the suffering of other people. Even young children fail to get the attention when they need it the most. This is very disturbing both emotionally and physically. â€Å"Children are the most visible victims of under nutrition.   Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. Poor nutrition plays a role in at least

The Women's Kingdom - Mosuo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The Women's Kingdom - Mosuo - Essay Example tradition are highly controversial, including the ‘walking marriage’ or Axia marriage, the matriarchal family structure, the religion, and the interaction of the minority group with the outside world (PR China). This article seeks to address the controversial issues concerning the minority group, with verification of the facts from five interviewees from the community (appendix 1). A typical Mosuo family consists of ten family members, though the size varies and some may consist of between 20 and 30 members. Nonetheless, a female leads each family. In essence, the family head is the most proficient female in the house and all other members of the family respect her. She has important responsibilities and honorary status because all other members of the family depend on her decisions on family matters. Lugu Lake is the home for the Mosou community, which has about 35,000 to 50,000 members. The community enjoys plenty of space and building material for building, thus each family poses its own courtyard, with the number of rooms in each courtyard dependent on the size of the family. However, one room stands out: the grandmother’s quarters. The Mosuo family uses this room to offer sacrifices to ancestors, receptions, dining, and discuss family matters. However, the room has a dark atmosphere and low ceiling, creating a sense of intimacy with the only source of light coming from the flames in the coal-stove chambers. Here rests a stone representing the entire ancestry of the family (Vogt). Mosuo tradition holds that the stone carries the souls of the past generations, and thus the fire must remain lit throughout the year to keep the ancestor warm. In some families, the grandmother’s room may contain a big chink of meat that symbolizes the wealth of the family. The Mosou preserve the meat of slaughtered animals using salt and ash, then stitch up the skin and keep it dry in a shady and clean place. Such preserved meat usually lasts for over three years before

ENG 105 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENG 105 - Essay Example "Poor governance is a major issue in many African countries, and one that has serious repercussions for long-term food security," says a statement by the International Food Policy Research Institute.† (Africa’s Hunger) It is very disheartening to see the authorities playing this blame game, we have been blaming each other for something devastating but it is time to stop this and work in unison to help these underprivileged people. There is increased awareness these days thanks to sources like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and so on. There are several videos on Youtube showing the fate of young children and adults, who succumb to hunger, this is an ongoing fight to restore parity. â€Å"Every year 15 million children die of hunger.† (The World Hunger Problem) The opulent have enough food to feed their pets and shower their unconditional love on these pets but they often refrain from helping people who need their help the most. Children in Africa can only be saved when the world realizes their problem and unites to solve this long standing problem. Numerous lives have already been lost and many more will succumb to the same in the near future should nothing be done about it. â€Å"Throughout the 1990s more than 100 million children will die from illness and starvation. Those 100 million deaths could be prevented for the price of ten Stealth bombers, or what the world spends on its military in two days!† (The World Hunger Problem) New weapons to destroy each other are being designed by shelling out a fortune almost each day but the people become insensitive when they hear about the suffering of other people. Even young children fail to get the attention when they need it the most. This is very disturbing both emotionally and physically. â€Å"Children are the most visible victims of under nutrition.   Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. Poor nutrition plays a role in at least

Role of Front OfficeHSBC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Role of Front OfficeHSBC - Case Study Example A cross-currency swap is similar to a vanilla swap while giving each counterparty access to a different foreign currency. That is, one counterparty makes payments in one currency; the other makes payments in a different currency. Because there are two currencies involved (and therefore two nationals) the payments made not only include interest rate payments (on the set payment periods in the relevant currency on the respective principal) but also an exchange of principals at maturity and (optionally) at the start of the swap. In a typical inflation swap, two counterparties agree on a long-term contract based on an agreed inflation rate. If at the end of the contract, prices are higher than originally expected, the seller of inflation makes a payment to the buyer. If prices turn out lower than expected, the buyer pays the seller. An Interest Rate Collar is an instrument that gives you protection against rising rates by guaranteeing that you will never pay above a pre-agreed rate but at the same time sets a downside (floor) rate below which you cannot benefit if rates do fall further. It effectively creates an interest rate range with an upper and lower limit and depending upon where the floor level is set, will reduce or eliminate the requirement for a premium.

Leadership style of a successful international businessman

Leadership style of a successful international businessman INTRODUCTION This essay explores the leadership style of a successful international businessman, Howard Schultz, the Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks coffee-house company, arguably the worlds most successful coffee company. Fellner (2008) credited Schultz with having a highly successful year in 2003 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with a net sales of $4.1 billion (almost twice what it had earned in 2000 when it yielded $265 million (p.16). Schultz was ranked as the 354th richest person within the USA in 2006 with a net worth of over one billion dollars (Forbes.com, 2006). Schultz joined the Starbucks Company initially as an executive in the early 1980s before becoming chief executive officer in 1987 and was credited for developing the company into an internationally recognized brand and multi-national corporation (James, 2009). He took a step down from CEO to Chairman in 2000 and witnessed the company struggle through the economic down-turn before returning to the helm as CEO in 2008 and navigating the compa ny through an international expansionist strategy whilst reducing the number of physical companies in the domestic US market. The premise of relevant leadership theories and models will be used to analyze the topic of Schultzs leadership style. In particular, one will assess the type of skills that he has demonstrated in order to ascertain his style of leadership in terms of competencies and meta-competencies. This assignment will enable the reader to understand what makes a successful entrepreneur and global leader by providing a lens into their world-view. In conjunction with references to academic discourse, the components of this effective leader are illuminated through a personal bibliography within the following section. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP THEORIES AND SCHULTZS LEADERSHIP STYLE Burns (1978) introduced a theory on leadership that has had global implications for organizations. At the heart of Burns argument was a differentiation between two different types of leader: transformational and transactional. The latter often bases his approach on interactions and exchanges with those at lower organizational tiers in order to meet his desired strategic goals. In turn, his employees get what they require such as a salary, praise or promotion in exchange for what the leader values (such as effective performance levels). Conversely, a transformational leader seeks to redress employee/follower concerns and meet their desires whilst leading effectively and dealing with organizational issues at a higher contextual level. In this latter respect, followers are accorded respect and encouraged to develop as persons in their own right. They are also encouraged to participate at a collective level in order to ensure organizational objectives are met. Transformational Leaders te nd to adapt a selling style of leadership. The influence of this approach is captured in the following quote: [It] engenders high levels of motivation and commitment among followers/members. The emphasis is on generating a vision for the organisation and leaders abilities to appeal to the higher ideals and values of followers/members in order to achieve high performance, high commitment and high inclusion to an organisation or system (Rodgers et al; 2003: p.16). The emphasis shift from Transactional to Transformational leadership occurred in order to redress the hierarchical imbalance associated with Transactional theories by encouraging active participation and inclusion amongst followers. Discourse widely proffers that effective leadership development is an ambiguous and contested concept due in part to the variability of peoples leadership styles. Bryman (2007) argues that heroic and hierarchical forms of leadership that focus on a leaders competencies and behaviours have traditionally prevailed within business circles yet are increasingly unsuitable in the current and somewhat chaotic, global business environment (Collinson, Collinson, 2009: p.367). It is widely argued that modern leaders must eschew novel skill-sets, meta-competencies such as inter-personal skills and positive behaviours in order to increase organizational efficiencies and effectiveness (Kiel and Watson, 2009). Kutz discusses some of the tensions emanating from globali zation and free-market structures where a: Constant pressure to innovate, gives rise to continually changing contexts. In turn, these phenomena require executives and leaders to respond and adapt to quickly changing contexts (2008: p.18). Schultz recent advocated the use of mobile technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the company by accepting purchase payments through a mobile device. A Starbucks Card-Mobile iPhone application also enables use in a gift card capacity by presenting a technically secure QR bar code for baristas to scan in front of a high-tech 2D scanner during the payment process (Butcher, 2010). Participating customers now have the ability to reload their card balance via their mobile device using a major credit card. They also have the ability to check the status of their My Starbucks Reward status and to search for Starbuck stores in situ (ibid). From an historical perspective and before mobile technologies were piloted and implemented across New York Stores, Schultz had a vision to create 2000 physical stores by the year 2000. Some observers credit this vision with the driver behind Starbucks success. Schultz used his ability to translate this vision across the organizations management teams and supervisors who possessed micro level visions that directly sustained and supported his aims: His powerful communication skills define a leader who knows not only what he stands for, but also the values he promotes, and who knows how to make an emotional connection with his listeners (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2006: n.p). At a lower contextual level, management and supervisors directly supported their staff by providing them with the opportunity and resources to grow through various activities such as coaching, training, mentoring and educational opportunities. A shift towards a situated, networked and fluid leadership style based on n ovel forms of participation has been the consequence of Schultzs actions. Schultz stresses the importance of sharing both the success and the credit of entrepreneurship (Neff Citrin, 1999). Collinson Collinson cited research by Bolden et al. (2008, 2009) within the higher education establishments which identified strong evidence of distributed leadership. Conversely, and paradoxically, respondents (employees) also recognized the importance of powerful and inspiring leaders (2009: p.376). Schultz advocated the purchase of companies including Seattle Coffee Company in the UK and subsequently expanded their operations beyond the United States into Europe and South East Asia. By 2003 the number of stores rose to 6,000 and by 2010 approximately 16 thousand stores existed in over 50 countries (New York Times, 2010). The success of Starbucks has been attributed to Schultz collaborative style that contained powerful social essence, encouraged follower empowerment and which was seen as non-hierarchical and less-centralized compared to many other business models. Starbucks business strategy was driven by a man who exhibited effective leadership skills by empowering lower-tiered management and staff to participate in decision-making activities (associated with the 2000 vision) and by, for instance, providing universal healthcare for all employees. Starbucks uses 2 mission statements which are noted in the companys website: To inspire and nurture human spirit one person, one cu p, and one neighbourhood at a time and Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business (www.starbucks.com). James (2009) recently noted how the company still prides itself on its treatment of workers (baristas) who receive the same health benefits as all other tiers of the company: He gave baristas health care plus a share of the profit. When the AIDS epidemic was at its height, Starbucks paid for terminal illness care for employees for 29 months until the government took over (n.p). James also noted some of the current tensions facing Starbucks Corp and its CEO in particular. Schultz may have provided all employees with a 401(k) plan and stock options (including health benefits); however Starbucks Workers Union has restricted rights which limit its ability to defend staff against low-paid work and unsociable hours. James noted how Schultz stated: I was convinced that under my leadership, employees would come to realize that I would listen to their concernsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦If they had faith in me and my motives, they wouldnt need a union. On his return to the CEO fold in 2008, Schultz planned to dramatically reverse a decline in sales and achieve a turnaround in the companies financial performance at a time when the business world presumed that Starbucks had effectively lost its innovative edge. He advocated the closure of 300 US stores and cut hundreds of jobs yet aggressively opened hundreds of new stores beyond the US market (New York Times, 2010). Schultz took the decision to downsize in the US market and expand further globally with the support of his senior management team. This reflects Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy (1999, p. 365), who found that: [members] solidify into an interdependent team of mutually supporting friends and colleagues (cited in Bentley et al; 2004). Tobak, (2009) questions whether Schultz had the vision at that time to acknowledge that Starbucks undertook such changes without foreseeing the problems that may ensue. He conveniently blamed the economic downturn  [1]  for much or Starbucks p roblems when in fact significant problems occurred approximately 18 months before the economy: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦took a nose dive. From January 2007 to August 2008, its share price was off 60 percent while the Nasdaq index was essentially flat. This is not about the economy, and Schultz knows it (n.p). Schultz stated in a recent July/August 2010 Harvard Business Review article: The past two years have been transformational for the company and, candidly, for me personally. When I returned, in January 2008, things were actually worse than Id thought. The decisions we had to make were very difficult, but first there had to be a time when we stood up in front of the entire company as leaders and made almost a confession-that the leadership had failed the 180,000 Starbucks people and their families. And even though I wasnt the CEO, I had been around as chairman; I should have known more. I am responsible. We had to admit to ourselves and to the people of this company that we owned the mistakes that were made. Once we did, it was a powerful turning point. Its like when you have a secret and get it out: The burden is off your shoulders. Cited in Petty (2010: n.p) In early 2009, the company bounced back and has seen more store traffic and renewed earnings growth with Starbucks shares raising to $24 a share. By spring 2010, the company: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦announced its first dividend to be paid in cash to investors. In April, the company said its profit rose more than eightfold in the second quarter, as more customers visited its stores and spent more (ibid: n.p). Kiel Watson (2009) suggest that most organizational issues encompass human rather than technical challenges and suggest: While no academic study has been conducted on this topic [affective leadership and emotional intelligence], we believe that [those] who are successful in developing the support of their communitiesare ones who expend considerable emotional labo[u]r (p.22). Schultz leadership style has been described in the following terms: They dont teach caring in business schools, and benevolence isnt usually discussed in corporate management seminars. But these values anchor Schultzs leadership philosophy as he seeks to build connections between people through demonstrations of heart and conscience. Starbucks baristas, for example, receive a Green Apron Book that exhorts them to be genuine and be considerate. And the company works hard to treat its coffee growers in Third World countries with dignity while purchasing their products at above-market prices (Meyers, 2005, p. 1) Lara Wyss, Starbucks director of global consumer public relations also noted how: The company is testing concept stores with various platforms that fit in with its Shared Planet pledge hat each new store built in 2010 will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified (Zegler, 2010: p.62). Starbucks has recently introduced three concept stores in Seattle, Disneyland Paris and London. The former was recently redesigned in the light of its heritage concept theme and uses various recycled and revamped materials as part of its dà ©cor. Schultz illustrated examples of effective leadership by embracing a culture of open communication and by constructing active partnerships with his work-force. Schultz style of leadership would be at odds with a somewhat aggressive and negative management style that reflected an authoritarian and hierarchical leadership approach, such as that adopted by Michael OLeary from Ryanair. A Wall Street Journal (2009) article highlighted OLeary s abhorrence and total disregard of trade union power within the airline industry and how his drive for cost savings included the prospect of refusing free food for airline staff if the opportunity arose. Further criticism was directed at him for a perceived lack of moral leadership by refusing to provide wheel chair assistance for disabled passengers (Box Byus, 2005: p.68). Conversely: Starbucks was among the first companies to provide medical benefits to part-time employees. Today, however, Starbucks is spending more on healthcare than on coffee, and the workforce is nervous about shrinking benefits. Were not ever going to turn our backs on our partners [employees], says Schultz reassuringly. Then he faces reality. But we need relief. Where is the money going to come from? (US.news.com, 2005) In this respect, Schultz and OLeary are clearly different types of leaders with opposing leadership styles, yet both have similar beliefs in regards to trade union power. Fellners (2008) book viewed Schultz as the leader of a coffee chain with a proffered liberal consciousness and whose reputation was paradoxically categorized as a symbol of globalization and all that is immoral with free-market capitalism. She found paradoxes in the basis of employee friendly structures that espouse universal healthcare provision with anti trade-unionist practices; and between what she perceived as community individuality and forms of cultural hegemony. Carroll, Levy Richmond (2008) discussed Alvesson and Sveningssons (2003abc) research findings which stipulated that numerous managers involved in leadership development may effectively articulate abstract ideals such as vision and inspiration. However, an inability to define or explain concrete actions undertaken in pursuit of such ideals was also d eemed prevalent (ibid). CONCLUDING NOTES This section will provide a conclusion to the assignment and discuss some of its limitations. It was noted within the main body of text how different leadership styles can influence employee motivation and job satisfaction. A clear comparison can be made between Schultz leadership style and that of a successful entrepreneur in another industry (Michael OLearys Ryanair airline company). It was also discussed above how various leadership styles impact upon employee motivation and job satisfaction. Nelson and Quick (2006) attributed Schultzs leadership to a transformational style because his caring and generous nature reflects transformational leadership qualities. In some respects, it is clear that Schultz shows concern for the whole Starbucks organization and exhibits openness and debate amongst its employees and management rather than pursuing activities out of his own selfish interests. Spillane proposes that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ from a distributed perspective, leadership practice takes shape in the interactions of people and their situation, rather than from the actions of an individual leader (2004: p.3). In realist terms, Fellner (2008) illuminated the chaotic social and business blend that Schultz embraces which seeks to maximize corporate profit by targeting new markets (foreign markets, mobile technology markets) whilst exhibiting sufficient social justice tendencies. It is this paradox that has led Schultz and his team to constantly align itself with one set of principles whilst seeking solace in another set of principles that are arguably at opposing sides of the spectrum. Collinson Collinson (2009) noted how Cameron et al. (2006) viewed effective leaders as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦simultaneously paradoxical, integrating factors usually seen as competing, contradictory and even incompatible (ibid: 377). Schultz seems to have used high degrees of emotional intelligence by seeking alliances and partnerships within the Starbucks organization, rather than thrive on adversity and seek economic benefit from unethical channels. As noted above, OLearys approach to staff meals and customer wheel chairs highlight his domineering and hierarchical leadership approach whilst Schultz willingness to support employees suffering from HIV shows aspects of social justice in his personality traits. Schultz embraced change and development in a chaotic, competitive and complicated external environment. He seemed to display a significant amount of vision and emotional intelligence in order to transform the status quo into a global brand in over 50 countries. Overall, the literature suggests that modern leaders must provide effective leadership skills that compliment and encompass traditional management skills. These are increasingly linked to emotional intelligence, empowerment, empowerment, reflection, the ability to take risk without apprehension and the need to reflect upon the ethical and moral consideration of others. Schultz openness for social and ethical practices in pursuit of Starbucks business objectives has been applauded by many observers. Much of Schultz skills included trust building, negotiating with opponents and encouraging mutual co-operation. Therefore, one must possess a combination of hard, technical and softer, intuitive leadership skills in order to solidify their role as an effective leader in all situations. They must also be charismatic and inspirational yet calculated risk takers in order to navigate their respective organizations through the chaos and complexity (for instance, see Wheeler et al., 2007 in Coll inson Collinson, 2009)

Narrative on Attending a Speech by Ira Berlin -- Slavery

Narrative It was 2:23 on a Friday afternoon. Normally, at this time, I would have been missing my Computer Science lecture. But by a strange and, dare I call it convenient, twist of fate, the professor?s father died a couple days ago and the class was canceled. Not that it would have made a difference; I was prepared to skip the lecture and attend another given by Ira Berlin, a distinguished Mellon Senior Scholar, entitled Rethinking Slavery: 1800-1861. I walked through the entrance to 213 Gregory Hall, the room in which the lecture was to be given, and entered a completely empty room. To the best of my knowledge, the lecture was supposed to start at 2:30, which puzzled me. I figured that maybe it was rescheduled to a later time, and I?d stick around for a while until I got bored enough to leave. I seized the opportunity to choose my seat wisely. The room was divided into two major groups of seats, oriented in columns. Each column was seven seats wide and 10 seats deep. And there were a few seats lined up along the windows in the back as well, providing an approximate capacity of 150 persons, I estimated. My thought process was that I was here to observe the people more than the lecture. I also analyzed the fact that I don?t like history and concluded that if I sat in front, to see and hear the professor with greater ease, I would either bore myself or I wouldn?t understand. And since both of those were scenarios that ev entually resulted in my narrative being terrible, I decided to try my luck in the back. Two minutes passed before two more entered the room. They were two men, young enough to be students. The first had white skin, and wore a T-Shirt, a cap, and a metallic watch similar... ... made my way out. I had sat is that seat for over 2 hours and 10 minutes. My legs needed stretched, and I had a taste for a Big-Mac. What was the point of that lecture? For me, it was for a grade in Rhetoric 105, but I was probably a minority. It puzzled me that the lecture was open to the public, yet the average Joe, unless I have seriously overestimated my intelligence, would have no idea what Berlin was talking about. I go to lectures and classes in order to learn something, but I learned nothing here. Berlin spent a good 45 minutes bombarding me with new information, but he obviously assumed that the audience already knew things that I didn?t, because I comprehended none of the material. The only conclusion I could make was that, in order to understand what Berlin was saying, you had to already be familiar with the material that Berlin was covering.

Dehumanization and Freedom in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Dougla

Dehumanization and Freedom in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass    The issue of slavery in antebellum America was not black and white. Generally people in the North opposed slavery, while inhabitants of the South promoted it. However, many people were indifferent. Citizens in the North may have seen slavery as neither good nor bad, but just a fact of Southern life. Frederick Douglass, knowing the North was home to many abolitionists, wrote his narrative in order to persuade these indifferent Northern residents to see slavery as a degrading practice. Douglass focuses on dehumanization and freedom in order to get his point across. Frederick Douglass emphasizes the dehumanization aspect of slavery throughout his narrative. As is the general custom in slavery, Douglass is separated from his mother early in infancy and put under the care of his grandmother. He recalls having met his mother several times, but only during the night. She would make the trip from her farm twelve miles away just to spend a little time with her child. She dies when Douglass is about seven years old. He is withheld from seeing her in her illness, death, and burial. Having limited contact with her, the news of her death, at the time, is like a death of a stranger. Douglass also never really knew the identity of his father and conveys a feeling of emptiness and disgust when he writes, "the whisper that my master was my father, may or may not be true; and, true or false, it is of but little consequence to my purpose" (Douglass, 40). Douglass points out that many slave children have their masters as their father. In these times, frequently the master would take advantage of female slaves and the children born to the slave w... ... the abolitionist movement is fueled by reading The Liberator, a newspaper that stirs his soul in fighting for the anti-slavery cause. While attending an anti-slavery convention at Nantucket on August 11, 1841, Douglass, with encouragement from Mr. William C. Coffin, speaks for the first time to a white audience about slavery. In conclusion, Frederick Douglass starts his life as a slave determined to get his freedom. At the end of his life, he is one of the foremost figures of the abolitionist movement. Douglass' narrative takes advantage of the literal advantage in order to abolish slavery. Through depictions of dehumanization and freedom, Frederick Douglass' narrative is instrumental in swaying the views of the indifferent Northern residents. Work Cited: Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas. New York: Signet, 1968.

Project Management Essay

Table of Contents Activity on the node network diagram3 Determination of the timing of activities and the total float4 The project duration and the critical path†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 The earliest date the project can be completed given the starting date – Monday 7th May 2012†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 The effect on the duration of the whole project if:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 Activity F is delayed by one day5 Activity N is delayed by one day6 Activity O is completed one day early †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 The limitations of Network diagrams†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 7| 5| 12| | D| | 7| 0| 12| 1. Activity on the node network diagram 5| 2| 7| | C| | 5| 0| 7| 0| 4| 4| | A| | 0| 0| 4| 4| 1| 5| | B| | 4| 0| 5| 12| 1| 13| | E| | 21| 9| 22| 12| 6| 18| | F| | 16| 4| 22| 12| 8| 20| | G| | 14| 2| 22| 12| 10| 22| | H| | 12| 0| 22| 22| 10| 32| | I| | 22| 0| 32| 32| 4| 36| | J| | 32| 0| 36| 36| 1| 37| | K| | 45| 9| 46| 36| 6| 42| | L| | 40| 4| 46| 36| 10| 46| | M| | 36| 0| 46| 36| 2| 38| | N| | 44| 8| 46| 46| 4| 50| | O| | 46| 0| 50| 50| 1| 51| | P| | 50| 0| 51| 51| 1| 52| | Q| | 51| 0| 52| Legend: Earliest start time (EST)| Duration| Earliest finish time (EFT)| | Task | | Latest start time (LST)| Total Float| Latest finish time (LFT)| Critical Path The project duration: 52 days A, B, C, D, H, I,J,M,O,P,Q 2. Determination of the timing of activities and the total float The earliest start time (EST), the earliest time at which the node could be reached, and the earliest finish time (EFT), the latest time by which the node must be reached if the project is to finsh by its required completion date, are produced by a forward pass through the network. The first step of the forward pass is calculating the earliest start time, commencing from the unique project start node and finishing at the unique project completion node. The first task of the project is A, hence the earliest start time of task A may be set to zero since no information has been given as to the starting day of the task. The next step is determining the EFT, which is calculated by adding the EST to the duration of the task. Given the duration of every task, the proces of calculating the EFT of every task is quite straight forward assuming that the EST of every task is the EFT of the previous task. However, when it comes to a merge activity the largest value must be taken. The latest event times, refering to the latest start time (LST) and the latest finish time (LFT), are the times when a particular task may commence without delaying the project duration and when the particular task may be completed without delaying the project duration. Usually such times are required when the project has an established target finish date. The latest event times are calculated using the backward pass technique. Such technique begins by determining the latest finish time of the last task of the project completion and works backwards to the start node. Since no inforamtion has been given regarding the target finish date of the project, the LFT of the project is equal to the EFT in which the project can be done. Hence, the LST can be calculated by subtracting theduration from the LFT. Working backwards, the LST of the previous task is to be the EFT of the task with the determined EST. It is important that when it comes to a merge activity the smallest value must be take n. Once the LFT of every task is completed the total float can be calculated by the following formula: Total float = latest time of finish event – earliest time of start event – duration 3. The project duration and the critical path The project duration was determined by adding the EST of every task to the durtation of every task carried forward from one task to another. Hence, the longest path determines the duration of the project and therefore establishes the critical path since the longest necessary path through a network of activities when respecting their interdependencies is considered to be critical. Furthermore, the critical path may also be determined as the path with the least float. In fact, the critical path determined above has the least float (0) and the longest duration of the project (52 days). 4. The earliest date the project can be completed given the starting date – Monday 7th May 2012 The earliest finishing time of the project as established in the diagram is that of fifty two days. Given that the project can be completed using a five day working week, therefore it will take ten weeks and two days to complete  the project. Calculating the weeks and days from the 7th of May 2012, the earliest date in which the project can be completed is on Tuesday 17th July 2012. 5. The effect on the duration of the whole project if: a. Activity F is delyaed by one day. The delay in activity F will not affect the duration of the whole project as such because the increase in duration will not exceed the total float of activity F, therefore does not exceed the duration of activity H which forms part of the critical path. Activity F can only affect the duration of the project if it delays by five days as it will surpass the amount of days that the activity is allowed to float. b. Activity N is delayed by one day The total float of activity N is that of eight days. Therefore, the amount of days that activity N will be delayed does not affect the duration of the project. In this case, in order for the duration of the projet to be effected the delay time of activity N has to be of nine days as it will surpass the duration of activity M which is part of the critical path. c. Activity O is completed one day early Given that the activity forms part of the critcal path, therefore the duration of the project will be affected not only by being completed early but also if the activity had to delay since the total float is that of zero. In this case, since the activity will be carried out one day sooner than expected, the project will be completed one day early and the duration of the project will be that of fifty one days instead of fifty two days. 6. The limitations of Network diagrams In project managent network diagrams have several advantages when it comes to scheduling projects. One major advantage is that it helps project managers identify the most important activities which may affact the project schedule. However, such diagrams have also limitations to their use in scheduling a project. For large projects a network diagram may not be the ideal scheduling technique because of several activities and dependency  relationships that can make the diagram complex to carry out and difficult for other employees to understand. Furthermore, if the plan of the project changes during the completion of the project, the precendence network will have to be done all over again. In addition, such diagram therefore, may be considered as a time consuming technique. The techniuqe may also take too much to identify all activities and inter-relate them to multiple project paths. Network diagrams may also not be suitable for first time projects because if project cannot be broken down into distinctive activities with known duratrion for every activity then the precendence diagram cannot be drawn. The most critical factor is the duration because on a new project the duration for certain activities may be difficult to estimate, hence the network diagram may be far from actual. Another limitation of network diagrams is when a shift of resource occurs. When the network diagram encounters re-allocation of resources such as employees being transfered from one acvtiviy to another, the activity completion time may be changed because of stoppage or other relevant reasons and the plan of the project may be disrupted. A network diagram may consist of parallel paths with the same durations. This is considered to be a problem within such diagram because project teams may find it diffuclt to chooose the most critical activities, hence create uncertainty on which path will be the critical path within the project. This may also cause the project teams to disagree as one team may choose one path to be critical and the another team may choose the other path to be the critical path.

Fcuk Swot

SWOT Analysis Prepared for: Prepared by: 2 September 2008 Introduction I have created this SWOT analysis on French Connection’s Regent St. branch. I have identified and discussed the strengths/weaknesses of the store, and examined the opportunities and threats it may face. Strengths French Connection targets a fashion-oriented customer typically aged 18 – 35 and produces fashion-forward, well made, on trend, accessible clothing. Positioning is in the upper end of the mass market so that pricing reflects the good quality and fashion element of the offer. It is a well-known brand that all young adults can identify. The brand holds a large share of the competitively priced clothing industry, with a large capital they are able to advertise and market the products on television, Internet and large billboards across the globe. During my visit in the Regent St. branch, I found a nice, clean and well presented store. The strong shop window invites for a quick browse. The good layout gives grate opportunities for positioning best sellers, new collection and add-ons. Most of current trends are presented in the new collection. Very good designs in women’s wear satisfying different tastes and needs. Effective merchandising in women’s area, good stock presentation is giving great ideas for matching items and for whole outfits. Good range from classy to casual. Staff has good a product knowledge. Management seems committed and confident. Comfortable shopping ambiance. Down stairs till area good selling point. The location offers a wide range of customers. (high footfall) Weaknesses Poor selection of men’s wear. Men’s Visual merchandising is not as strong as the women’s, although in the shop window they were presented better then the lady’s. Unfortunately I found the men’s area half as effective as the women’s. I know most of the company’s profit is coming from women’s wear but I think there are a lot of potential male customers out there and a little bit more focus on men’s wear would bring them in more often. Customer service: During my visit I was approached once after 15 minutes browsing in the store. The staff seemed demotivated and there was no interaction with customers on the shop floor nor by the till. After trying on an item wasn’t offered a different color in the same style, a different style in the same color or an add-on. Lack of selling techniques) Also I wasn’t informed about witch items are on sale or where can I find them and they are quite â€Å"hidden† so found it a bit difficult to identify them. (Lack of promoting sales in store) Staff left their sections unattended leaving no possibility for me asking for help. (Lack of attention to the shop fl oor) Store’s interior needs a refit with a trendier design. Changing room on the ground floor is tight and during peak hours just disappointment for customers. Kid’s section upstairs easy to miss out for customers who don’t even know there’s a selection for kids. Ground floor till area poor of add-ons, found just a small box of bangles. Opportunities More staff meetings and training on selling techniques, customer service, customer relations (keeping regular customers is one of the first priorities). Doing role plays during quiet times to build confidence. Customer service checklist twice a week monitoring staff performance with regular feedbacks. (constructive criticism. ) More team spirit. On the maping plan assign staff to sections so they’re responsible for it for the day. Great visual merchandising opportunities due to store layout. Monitoring sales week by week and merchandise accordingly. Staff (Men mostly) wearing latest trends this way giving examples for customers what to look for. Sales assistant who’s greeting customers by the entrance promoting sales or at least inform customers where to find items on sale and the new collection. Because of the location lot of tourists are visiting the store, they are a good amount of potential sales. (With the right atmosphere and service it’s easy to get them spending). Under the staircase in the men’s section is a good area for positioning better selling products because that is the only spot what you can see from the upper level when you’re looking down if there’s more to see downstairs. Ground floor changing room more organized and approachable. Local competitors have poor products. Can surprise competitors. Threats †¢ Customers leaving store without purchasing an item. †¢ Theft (Staff not paying attention), high stock loss. †¢ Loosing regular customers and potential regular customers. †¢ High staff turnover. †¢ Poor reputation among customers. ———————– fcuk fcuk

Attitudes in Jesse Pope and Dulce Et Decorum Est

Compare the poets attitude to war in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s for the game? ’ by Jesse Pope In this essay I will be comparing the poets attitudes to war in ‘Dulce et decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s for the game? by Jesse Pope. ‘Dulce et decorum est’ is about the unglamorous reality of trench life, while ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is a propaganda poem published in the Daily Mail encouraging young men to join the army. Both have different views and attitudes to war and there poems are quite different. Wilfred Owen’s poem is positive, whilst Jesse Pope’s is positive.Although both poems are about war they have vastly different attitude to war. Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ encourages young men to join, promotes the positives and makes those who don’t join feel like outsiders. For example the ‘who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid? ’, which is implying that those who don’t join the war are afraid of the war. This is very effective because they use emasculation to make a man feel like less of a man. Furthermore their family would feel embarrassed and pressured by others who have joined the army.Young men ,during that war, also thought that joining the army would be like an adventure and that they would have a blast. Many people also underestimated the war and assumed that it would all be over by Christmas. On the other hand ‘Dulce et decorum est’ focuses on the negatives aspects like death, war and the harshness of it. In the very first line Owen writes ‘Bent double, like beggars under sacks’ as soon as the reader starts the poem they already know that Owen is strongly denying the concept: ‘Dulce et Decorum est’- that it is sweet and honourable to die for your country.By using that it sets the theme for the rest of the poem, which is about the untold story of trench life. While ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is a poem about the reality of war, Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is promoting the war and portrays it as a game. She uses word and phrases usually used in sports such as: ‘grip’; ‘tackle’; ‘Signal to Go! ’ and ‘toe the line’. Using these words she makes the comparison between war and game more effective. On the other hand Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decdorum est’ is the hard reality of going to fight for your country.Therefore he focuses on describing the soldiers’ vunerable and poor situation as already seen ‘Bent double, like beggar under sacks’. Instantly this sets the subject matter for the poem, by comparing soldiers, who are thought to be of as strong and healthy, to beggars. This comparison is effective because beggars are thought of as weak, dirty and vunerable, which is what he is trying to get the reader to imagine. Although the Pope’s poem is about war she had never experience the war first hand, compared to Owen who was a soldier and had actually joined the army.Jesse Pope was a writer and journalist and her work was often described as being very patriotic as can be seen in ‘Who’s for the game? ’. Her attitude was that war was a game, and that young men should take part in the war. Pope was also part of the propaganda pro-war poets, who encouraged and pressured young men to join. Unlike today woman, during that time, were not allowed to join the army. The fact that a woman wrote this poem was also very significant, because men felt that they couldn’t refuse a woman and that their pride and honour was very important.Whereas Wilfred Owen was a soldier and had joined the army, been injured, but still came back. Sadly Owen, who was against the war, died in action one week before the end of the war. The tone in the poem reflects the poets different attitudes. Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ tone sounds betrayed, angry and upset. One line that reflects the betrayal is ‘The old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’. This line is also the title and the betrayal he feels towards the propaganda is clear, because his discusses the negatives of war throughout his poem and does not mention anything positive about the war.On the other hand Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is more excited and upbeat and she uses words like ‘Come along, lads’ to suggest it’s a game and that all are welcome to play. I think both poems had alot of poetic techniques both use rhyme. Pope uses words that rhyme like ‘tight’ and ‘fight’, and Owen used word like ‘sludge’ and ‘trudge’ . I think both poets used rhyme (a sound device) so that the poem could be appreciated when read aloud. Especially words like ‘sl udge’ and ‘trudge’ really exaggerate the soldiers movement and how hard it was for them to walk.Pope also uses a extended metaphor comparing war to a game throughout the poem. This comparison is very effective because she tempts the reader by saying have fun and join us or watch and be part of the audience, which is made apparent when she writes ‘who wants a turn to himself in the show, and who wants a seat in the stand. She also uses repetition with the word ‘who’ll’ on the beginning of several lines and also uses collective personal pronouns like ‘you’ll, your and you’ as if she is speaking directly to the reader. On the other hand Owen uses the same technique (repetition) but for a different purpose.This can be seen when he writes ‘I saw him drowning†¦ He plunges at me guttering, choking, drowning’. He repeats these words to emphasize the shock and harshness that someone is dying and he canâ€℠¢t do anything about it, and the soldiers death is still haunting him after all this time. Likewise he repeats the words face ‘white eyes writhing in his face, his hanging face’ to really emphasize what he is seeing. Owen also uses personification, metaphors and similes in his poem. For instance ‘haunting flares’, ‘drunk with fatigue’ and ‘like hags’ to paint a picture of what the soldiers and their surroundings look like.This is effective because the reader can empathise with the soldiers just from the description. Pope also uses personification by comparing the country to a woman she writes, ‘Your country is up to her neck in a fight’. This use of personification is effective because men feel they need to protect woman and so they feel responsible for their country. Both poets use poetic techniques such as: personification; repetition and rhyme to express their different views and attitudes towards war. So whilst the y may have used the same techniques they used it for different purpose.I think that their attitudes towards war are very different. Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is what he thought and had personally experienced, while Jesse Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ was propaganda poem encouraging young men that the war was a game. Even though I don’t agree with Pope’s approach, I think it’s very effective and shows how her attitude towards war is very patriotic. I think Pope’s poem is very effective and I can understand why so many men felt they needed to join the army. They have different views and attitudes to war and express their personal views through their poems.