Economic Icon: Chris Biehler

Economics is the social science that deals with the allocation of scarce resources, working to obtain the greatest satisfaction from society's unlimited wants. Many factors that deal with economics is the concepts of demand and supply. While most people may not really realize how economic takes place in their everyday life, while it is very obvious that it does. My job of working at a McDonald's is very much related to what I have learns in our economic course. The law of Demand states that the quantity of demanded of a good or service is inversely related to the price of a good or service. To have a demand for something you must be willing and able to purchase the good or service at the various prices during that time period. This is related to my job in many ways. There are five factors that make up the non-price determinants of demand, Income, tastes and preference, the price of related goods, expectations and population. So with the concept of demand if a person wants McDonald's then they must be willing and able to pay for the food and services. The first nonprice determinant being income. If a persons income changes they may not come to McDonalds as much anymore because they can now afford nicer good or services. Making a McDonald's an inferior good. An Inferior good is when there is an inverse relationship between income and demand. Another example may be now that your income has increased people may come to McDonald's more and buy a larger quantity of food, making it a normal good. Another determinant would be tastes and preferences, if people get in the mind set and McDonald's may cause obesity may increase, the demand for McDonald's may decrease while the demand for a healthier product may increase. Another example is price of related goods. The two types of related goods are substitutes and compliments. For example if price was to increase at McDonald's then people may go to Burger King to satisfy their fast food needs. Compliments would be if the price of burgers increase then the demand for fries may decrease because everyone knows that you do not go to McDonald's and not order french fries. Resulting in the ration customer going to buy other things. Another example is expectations, if people expect a pay bonus then, they may go out and buy things. A final determinant is population, the quantity demanded will increase if there are more people in society that are willing and able to buy McDonald's. Not only is demand related to my life but supply is as well. Supply is the willingness and ability of producers to sell a good or service at various prices during that given time period. The law of supply is the quantity demanded of a certain good or service is positively related to its price. One determinant is relevant resources. Another determinant is a change in technology. If McDonald's had advanced machine that would cook meat faster than food would be able to cook much fast and service would be quicker making more customers come to our store. Another example is change is the use of product. If the price of milkshakes increase, people may want to buy more ice cream resulting in our McDonald's being able to use the mix toward sundaes and cones. Another determinant would be change in expectations. Due to the summer months coming up McDonald's may increase or prepare to order more cases of the strawberry lemonade. A change in a number of producers is another determinant. Meaning that as supply increase or decrease their may be an increase or decrease in producers. Taxes and subsidies are more determinants alone with the weather. If the weather is poor and the McDonald's floods the supply will decrease. Another Thing that I find to relate to my life from what I have learned in our economic class is price floor. A price floor is a minimum is the legal minimum price below which a good or service may not be sold. For example minimum wage. As the prices in our economy increase, if there wasn't a price floor then McDonald's may want to offer lower wages, making it harder for a person to live. During our micro economics class there have been many aspects that I can relate to my life. This class is allowing my to expand my horizons and further understand economic concepts and how they apply to my life and the people's lives around me.

Interpretation of Family Life Education Essay

Family Life Education has endured multiple evolutions, definitions and criteria since its origins in contemporary family science between 1881 and 1920. Currently, Family Life Education has tightened the reigns of its purpose, created fundamental criteria and yet still leads itself to an assortment of interpretations. For the purpose of this paper, I will endeavor to give my individual definition of Family Life Education based on course readings and research, the guiding principle of FLE, a theoretical perspective that supports and, is most relevant to my definition of Family Life Education and, a personal philosophy of ‘education’. What does Family Life Education signify to me? Depending on the company you keep, this is a potentially loaded question. Within the realm of my present circle, the question does hold a realistic explanation. Family life education has been significant in the historical development of several educational enterprises (Arcus, vol. 1, 1993, p. 46); therefore, lending itself to the family life professional to select a track that best complements their own philosophies and professional preparation. The definition by the National Council on Family Relations (2006) sums up what FLE means to me, â€Å"Family life education is the educational effort to strengthen individual and family life through family perspective. The objective of family life education is to enrich and improve the quality of the individual and the family life. † As a future professional in this distinctive field, I strive to possess the many characteristics of a well-rounded practitioner, including, but not limited to, sound knowledge of the professional content and to function, when needed in a multidisciplinary approach. As the possibilities to individual and family composition are endless, the ability to draw from other disciplines is crucial. It is probable that when working with a family for instance that is struggling with an issue, the family life professional would need to utilize an approach that incorporated all of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (1983). In addition, it is also important to note Family life educators have used educational concepts as their solitary approach to ‘multidisciplinary’ intervention (Arcus, vol. 2, 1993, pg. 28) and this approach has created concern amongst scholars and professionals alike. To become multi disciplinary, Arcus (1993) offers that through the use of knowledge from a broader range of disciplines and through greater cooperation among the contributing disciplines, true multidisciplinary approach can be attained. As indicated previously, the composition of individual or family is infinite and special attention needs to be paid to issues of diversity. Within the profession of Family Studies, there is particular emphasis on valuing differences and respecting those distinctions (Arcus, vol. 2, 1993, pg. 28) furthermore, creating effective working relationships with persons served. Lastly, to complete the puzzle of the well rounded practitioner, one must be able to utilize their own life experiences relevant to family life topics and to honestly accept those experiences as not to furnish hypocritical recommendations. To further personalize my definition of Family Life Education, I have compiled some additional ideas. It is unlikely that a professional in the field of Family Studies is wandering aimlessly without purpose or direction. Typically, they are a part of an organization that is providing services to individuals or families with a set of defined needs. Even more likely it is the responsibility of the professional to design, develop and deliver the services needed by means of effective programming. The Family Life professional becomes the program and an effective program does not rest solely on content (Brindis & Davis, et al, 1998, part IV). The professional must mobilize for action by increasing awareness and generating support of a program, assess the needs and assets of the populations served and build strong foundations that will serve to protect the potential of the program and last, but surely not least, design an effective Family Life Education program. Designing a new or adapted family life education program frequently entails many planning and management issues. The development is easier when the concerns are planned for at the onset. Think about how to advocate for the program, especially in the face of controversy. Expect controversy (Brindis & Davis, et al. 1998, sect. IV). Controversy or conflict is seguing to the subsequent topic, the guiding principles of Family Life Education. Intervention, the anti-conflict: Being proactive in a reactive world. ‘Intervention by way of education’, this statement, in my opinion is the guiding principle to family life education. No matter how you slice it, the opportunity to impart an intervention is endless. Intervention can have many connotations. In day to day life it is regularly defined as an unwelcomed interference. For instance, a wife introduces an intervention for her substance abusing husband, of which does not want to admit to or take responsibility for his addiction. Therefore the husband would characterize the intervention as ‘unwelcomed interference’. For the purpose of family studies, the definition takes a neutral stance to denote the ‘taking of clearly defined actions to induce change’ (Encarta English Dictionary). The change is expected to be positive, indicating harmony or affirmation. Societies evolve along different cultural, religious, historical, economic, geographical, and political paths. At any time, members of different societies view themselves and the world from distinctive perspectives. Yet global trends in communication and information dissemination, entertainment, and other economic and commercial exchanges always affect local realities, sometimes more than people living in those localities fully understand. How children, adolescents, and adults are assigned roles ultimately reflects the convergence of such societal paths and global trends. The preceding statements have the potential to be segue ways and/or roadblocks to the family professional. The professional should establish family life education at an early age, to combat the notion of reaction and to introduce the idea of prevention, lessening the likelihood of ever intervening. The introduction of a program that would counter negative or damaging societal outcomes should implement age appropriate curricula, especially when working solely with school age children, which meets the developmental needs and matches backgrounds and life experiences of all individuals involved. What are â€Å"universal† interventions? As adapted from Family Health International (2001), †¢Offer education and skill-building †¢Engage youth caretakers, including parents, extended family, or other adults such as teachers and youth workers. †¢Engage youth themselves in program design, development, implementation, and evaluation. †¢Ensure access to counseling and other services that respond to the special needs of the individual or family †¢Augment collaboration and effective referrals among existing health and other development agencies and organizations. †¢Coach program site managers, service providers, and others to improve their interactions with individuals and families †¢Have clear goals, target populations, and indicators while building in monitoring and evaluation from the beginning of a project; use such findings to improve strategies and services. The family life professional should strive to maintain balance and realistic programming and to ultimately provide information and activities that encourage skill development that is relevant and useful. Imparting a value system and norms when they are lacking or completely absent to an individual or family is an asset to the overall program, especially when follow through is a potential issue. A basic skill set is at least in place. Last but not least, ensure that your program is based on a solid theoretical model. Ability, Desire and Potential: Why MI theory is relevant to Families â€Å"Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential. † – John Maxwell During the tenure of this course, Family Study Methodologies, we have encountered many theories and how they are or have been significant to the field of Family Life Education. The theories have run the gamut from their birthplace in social theory and social therapy to a current state of post modern, contemporary status. As indicated by Lavee and Dollahite (1991), there is a weak link between theory and research in modern family science and they go further to say, from multiple points of view, it is imperative to couple theory with research methods. There are multiple approaches to theory and research in the family sciences (Sourcebook, pg. 17) and there is not one that is committed as the ‘flagship theory’ to FLE. Rather the â€Å"interplay between scholars, families and the socio-cultural context that surrounds them† (Sourcebook, pg. 18). These connections should pay special attention to the unique quality of families in society and how these families function within their environment. It is necessary to confirm what I mean by theory within the field of family life education. As defined by Gibbs ( 1972, p.5),sourcebook p 20 theory is â€Å" a set of logically interrelated statements in the form of empirical assertions about properties of infinite classes of events or things†. This definition lends itself to the notion of a conceptual framework, a theory that has not come full circle. Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences fits this description. Although there are several intelligences define which possess a sound theoretical foundation, eight to be exact, there are additional ‘intelligences’ waiting in the wings for validation; therefore supporting the notion of the conceptual framework. Gardner’s theory is relevant to family life education, in part due to its flexible and expandable nature but mostly because the ‘family’ is a phenomenal, progressive body that needs room to evolve, just as MI theory continues to do. References Brindis, C and Davis, L et al. (1998) Designing effective family life education programs. Advocatesforyouth. org. Four sections. Retrieved April 13, 2008, from www. advocateforyouthorg/PUBLICATIONS Lavee, Y. , & Dollahite, D. C. (1991) The linkage between theory and research in family science. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 53, 361-373.

An Overview Of The Godiva Chocolatier Company

An Overview Of The Godiva Chocolatier Company Before heading towards the first question, it is essential to know about Operations Management. The simplest definition of Operations Management is ‘the production of goods and service.’ It is the focus and objective of the organizations. http://managementhelp.org/ops_mgnt/ops_mgnt.htm http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=161691 (cited in ‘Design of Flexible Production System: Methodologies and Tools’): ‘Component or basic flexibilities that included machine, material-handling and production flexibilities System flexibilities in which Process, Routing, Product, Volume and Expansion flexibilities were considered Aggregate flexibilities, e.g. Program, Product and Production, Market Flexibilities’ In term of flexibility, Godiva Chocolatier has ensured that in every stage of production. Godiva’s operations strategy is a set of above mentioned five performance objective which can be highlighted in both the methods adopted by t he organization and these are: enrobing and moulding. According to the case study, Godiva is a small producer which gives a variety of products with more than 100 types of chocolates. The machinery and the technology used in the organization indicate that there is not enough volume as compared with the range of variety. So, the organization decided to invest more on technology and new machinery to get high quality and high variety with its low volume. Such as, the enrobing department is operating the machine to get the individual product designs by linking together the various pieces of equipments like extruders, guillotines, depositors, enrobers, decorators and so on in different sequences and combinations. However, moveable conveyors are used to link different machines to justify the volume. The staff and the machines are decoupled and worked at different speed and times. The speed is enhanced in short span of time by using small liquid chocolate tanks at the enrobing machines for different types of chocolates and for this purpose only 20 minutes changeover is taken to disconnect the tank, clean the machine and connecting to the other. Though it takes less time with good speed in production but planning is complex as well because Godiva surely wants to save its economic side as well, as it is considered to be uneconomic to produce less than 300 kg of a particular colour of chocolate. So, it is planned that the different types of chocolates with the same coating should go through the process. Likewise the strategy is adopted in the moulding department as well. Simple operator-assisted device, computer-controlled depositing machines (take less than one minute for the changeover), automatic individual wrapping machine and the packing robot are used for the best quality, speed and save the time. In short, its operations strategy is trying to achieve its objectives along with the five performance objectives as well.

Business ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business ethics - Assignment Example The overall capital structure of the firm therefore can offer a critical insight into the overall well-being of the firm. A typical capital structure of the firm therefore will include both the equity and debt and combination of both can actually determine whether the business is risky or not. A firm which has higher level of debt in its capital structure tends to have higher risk therefore its well-being is also not considered as good. On the other hand, if the firm is mostly financed through its own equity, its risk profile will be low and its overall wellbeing will be relatively good. Thus if debt is in higher proportion in the capital structure of the firm, it may not be healthy as it can serve as a risk indicator and investors may not chose to invest in such firms. Other stakeholders therefore may also get affected due to high probability of failure for such firms. The overall capital structure of the firm will have different meanings and importance for different groups of stakeholders. Shareholders may not like to see more debt on the balance sheet of the firm because debt holders are always paid before the shareholders in case of liquidation of the firm. As such shareholders would see higher debt levels are detrimental to overall wellbeing of the firm. Lender will also view higher level of debt as well as low level of equity as a detrimental sign for the firm. A lower level of equity for a lender would indicate that the overall stakes of the owners of the firm are relatively low as compared to external sources of financing. A prudent lender will therefore not prefer to lend to such firm because of low stakes of the owners of the firm. Higher level of debt, for a lender will be an alarming sign too because higher debt levels will increase the debt servicing expenses and higher debt services will have an impact on profitability of the firm and hence will affect the cash flows of the firm too to service new and existing debt.

Chapter 1-3 questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 1-3 questions - Assignment Example Historians show that immediately after the end of the threat to England, the English nationalists obtained freedom and began growing and enforcing their roots. Accordingly, a section of the Englishmen who liked the queen threw their support for the Church of England but hated Catholics, majority of whom were from Spain. However, later attempts to stop the expansion of the English only served to promote the establishment of the English culture and pride (Brands et al., 2012). The Puritans decided to leave England and migrate to North America because they wanted to settle in a place where they could be free to practice their religion without interference. This is because they were strongly opposed to the liturgy and rituals of the Catholicism that was being imposed on them by the Church of England (Brands et al., 2012). The chaos that was experienced during the New Jersey settlement occurred due to two main factors. Firstly, the chaos emerged due to rivalry between Swedes and the Dutch over the fur trade. Secondly, the chaos erupted during the settlement following the New York governors move to assign lands to many Puritan groups unaware of the existence of Carteret and Berkeley proprietorship (Brands et al., 2012). The Barbadians background as agriculturalists contributed significantly to the development of the Carolinas. The Barbadians introduced the concept of sugarcane plantation to the Carolinas, which not only employed many of the residents, but also acted as a source of livelihood for the Carolinas (Brands et al., 2012). Life for women in the 17th century New England was difficult are required perseverance. Historians show that women of the time lived in deplorable conditions characterized by poor diet, illnesses and that childbearing was constant as women were expected only to bear children., Women of the time were also had to do hard work all day long. At the same time, women of the time had no right to choose a husband for themselves.

Global Strategic Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Global Strategic Managment - Essay Example The paper will also seek to analyse the key elements of the strategies taken by Kodak in order to develop the business. Global Strategic Management With the rapidity of globalisation, organisations operating in international market cannot delay till the local marketplace becomes unappealing or unbeneficial; rather they need to make proactive movements to capture the advantages of global market. Even organisations which do not operate globally, framing and applying a strategy which focuses exclusively on the local competitors and local customers, cannot assure the maintenance of strategic competitiveness in future. Shifting from local to global strategy is a challenging task and generates various difficulties. The major problem in implementing global strategy is to develop one exclusive approach which can be used throughout the international business and can keep flexibility to adjust in the local business environment (Mellahi & et. al., 2012). Drivers for Global Strategy The extent t o which a multinational company adopts the global strategy is regulated by three major aspects which are ‘macro globalising drivers’, external drivers and internal drivers. The macro globalising driver has a general influence and is not specific to particular businesses or organisations. The external globalising driver controls the internationality of an organisation, industry, or market. Ultimately, the internal drivers determine how an organisation responds with the international business environment. The combination of these drivers can be unique for every organisation (Mellahi & et. al., 2012). Macro Globalising Drivers In theory, there are two major macro globalising drivers which are globalisation and information communication... This paper approves that industry globalism is generally determined by the global marketing context. In industry globalism, the strategic performance of organisations relies on the global competitive framework inside an industry. The photographic industry is labelled as moderate level of industry globalism where there are few interdependencies between markets, consumers and dealers. This kind of industry is subjugated by several multinational organisations. This essay makes a conclusion that globalisation or localisation is a significant business decision that multinational organisations are facing nowadays in order to gain competitive advantage. Standardisation and localisation have their own benefits and importance for multinational organisations. With respect to Kodak, it had transformed its business operations through adopting digital growth strategy. Several drivers had played vital parts in the globalisation and localisation for Kodak such as technology, market, competition and cost. With the successful blending of different strategic elements such as new product development, marketing activities, acquisition, and cost control, Kodak is attempting to maintain its position in the digital photographic industry. Kodak was very slow to react to the trend of globalisation and thus was late to adopt the digital technology. The increasing trend of globalisation has made Kodak to globalise the business operations and adjust with the local business environments in order to compete with the strong competitors in the market.

Perceptions about Art Education from the Curators End Assignment

Perceptions about Art Education from the Curators End - Assignment Example The author of the paper states that for the curator to deal with his on the job and the off the job functions, it is necessary that the curator is educated and up to date with various forms and kinds of art. In order to further the education and research of curators, it is the duty of the curator and the employing institution to allow for research and personal growth. Additionally, the curator should be allowed to interact with art experts and curators through the course of regularly scheduled meetings, conferences and through specialist interactions. Another important tool in the curator’s educational arsenal is various forms of catalogs. These publications and others like them are required to educate both the aspiring curator and the expert curator alike. As new developments take place in the world of art, it is important that the curator is updated effectively through a properly standardized channel of communication such as catalogs and information plaques. Another interest ing aspect to note is that the curator from a few decades ago was required to be well informed about works of art alone. However, the modern curator is required to have knowledge of people and their interests so that exhibitions may be successful. It has been suggested that the modern curator should perform small exhibitions in order to gauge the interest of the public so that larger exhibitions are more successful. Certain scholars have argued that the roles of the modern curator have assumed new dimensions due to the growth of new tools of engagement with wider audiences. The modern curator has been interpreted as being a marketer, an interpreter, a program producer, a conservator, and other such allied roles. The modern curator has to be more involved with people and presentation compared to the traditional curator given the massive changes in how communication is managed. It is relevant to note that the uptight and self ostracised curator of the past has given way to a more inte ractive and friendly curator in the present era. Currently, the role and use of art education in curatorial practice are available but its participation needs to be increased given the kinds of new roles and responsibilities that the modern curator in the museum will have to face. The current frameworks for educating curators through museums are limited in their scope and the means that are being utilized. It is common to notice conventional means such as catalogs, information plaques, physical conferences and the like organized by museums. The need of the hour is to expand the current conventional museum curator education frameworks to incorporate digital means and channels of education. The education of the modern curator is not about becoming aware of art or of developing awareness about other myriad people interaction roles. Instead, the modern curator has to be taught to assume an independent learning framework that allows the modern curator to remain afloat in the vast sea of knowledge throughout his entire career. Presently, the curator is provided with a fixed educational frame within the museum environment that consists in large part on conventional means of education as mentioned above. The greater burden of the curator’s education has to be left to the curator himself since the museum can only act as a channel for education.  

Critical abstracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical abstracts - Essay Example In addition, Gabriel, Johnson and Stanton through empirical analysis found out that, ethnicity had no adverse influence on card values from 1984 to 1990 (Gabriel, Johnson & Stanton 215). 5. Authors through this article have managed to clear speculations or doubts commonly held by the public regarding the influence of ethnicity on card values and inequity, which they thought existed between 1984 and 1990. This is via contacting successful empirical analysis of the then rookie cards data for both pitchers and hitters (Gabriel, Johnson & Stanton 228). 6. However, this study’s results contrast with both 1990 and 1991 analyses; contacted by other experts whose conclusions exhibited adverse influence of ethnicity on card values besides resulting to other discrepancies (Gabriel, Johnson & Stanton 228). This is because Gabriel, Johnson and Stanton contacted analysis of rookie card prices for the active players only and excluded the retired members. Therefore, they ought to have included both age groups, which would give reliable information devoid of contrasting

Investigating Ratios of Areas and Volumes Speech or Presentation

Investigating Ratios of Areas and Volumes - Speech or Presentation Example A graphical depiction of the said areas is shown below: Knowing the value of the area B, the area A may also be computed. Instead of integrating the function, it is simpler to subtract the area below the curve from the total area of the rectangle. This results to area A as shown: By comparing the plots of two curves, it can be seen that the area under the curve decreases as the exponent increases. Consequently, the ratio of the two areas also increases. This trend supports the calculated data. This shows that for the section of the curve from x = 0 to 1, the ratio is just equal to the exponent. However, does this conjecture hold true for all ranges? To examine this, we reevaluate the generic function y = xn with various ranges: With a range of 0 to 2 for x, the ratio of the areas remains equal to n. However, only the upper limit has been changed in this particular case. By adjusting the lower limit, a certain area is removed from the rectangle as depicted in the following graph. Again, the resultant ratio is simply equal to the exponent n. In fact, it can be proven that the ratio will remain constant despite any changes in the limit. With a lower limit of a and an upper limit of b, the proof will appear as shown. Now that it is clear that the ratio of the two areas will remain constant, it is possible to extend the analysis to a three-dimensional one by revolving the surface around a specified axis. First, we will investigate the effects of a revolution around the x-axis. Since the area being revolved is that of B, the resulting volume is taken by evaluating the previous expression. The radius in such a case would be equivalent to y or generally xn. Using this, the volume can be determined in a straightforward manner. The remaining volume is that of the revolution of surface A. However, instead of integrating, it is

International politics, Movie Analysis Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International politics, Analysis - Movie Review Example They should have known that for monistic states, the international law that protects humanity is directly translated and incorporated into the national law and should be applicable (Bradley 1). Moreover, the truth is that the judges should have known better and understood international law since they were already educated adults by the time Hitler was rising into power (Bradley 1). These judges during the Hitler’s regime were bounded by the love for their country. This is shown in the movie when Hitler announced that all Jews would be destroyed, they as judges who knew the law also stood down (Bradley 1). The truth of the fact is that the outcome of this military tribunal was very important. It was a test case to show that national and international law against humanity is powerful and applicable to anyone. It will send a strong message to all government officials whose work is to enforce the law to do so with international law appealing before making final verdict against the accused (Bradley 1). There was need to value for human life as a judge (Bradley 1). According to the movie, the judges had sentenced 99 people to life imprisonment and there was not a single one who was serving the trial. This calls for the pardon granted to them by the military tribunal that had been formed to explore the crimes committed against humanity during the Hitler regime. The military tribunal was specifically formed to try top war criminals, political and military leaders of the third Reich (Bradley 1). The tribunal operated under the Control Council Law No.10 at the US Nuremberg Military tribunals (Bradley 1). In summary at the end of the movie, judge Janning confessed after being found guilty that as Judges of the time they had no idea that mass execution would erupt as a result of their ruling (Bradley 1). He also confessed to have realized for the

Recognizing Cultural Differences Essay Example for Free

Recognizing Cultural Differences Essay I have worked for Pizza Hut for a total of nine years. This company claims that they are considered an equal opportunity employer. They claim that they follow the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This means that they cannot and do not discriminate against their employees (current and potential) based on several things: race, gender, religion, or national origin. This commission was set into place on July 2, 1965. Several other protected classes were added later on. These include, age (if the person is over 40), disability, family history, military history, and most recently, sexual orientation (Wikipedia, 2012). Although Pizza Hut does recognize cultural differences amongst their employees as well as their customers, I have seen times where Pizza Hut has faltered. Recognizing Culturally Different Employees Pizza Hut does several things that recognize the cultural differences amongst their employees. The first is that we are closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving days. This not only allows us to spend time with our families, but it also allows us to celebrate the true meaning of these holidays. Our company does not have a Christmas party because we do not want to exclude anyone that does not celebrate these holidays. We do have a couple people who do not. We also have a couple of employees who have had to alter their uniform due to the beliefs that their culture believes in. There are some religions that believe that women should always be in an ankle length skirt. We do have one or two employees that are able to continue to honor this belief, even though our uniform includes black pants. My company also has a variety of different cultures working for us. We have African Americans, Hispanics, Pakistanis, Bulgarians, and whites. To be a part of a crew like this has made for a great educational experience for me and my other co-workers. I learn something new from these cultures almost every day. This company also recognizes the cultural differences amongst our customers. During the religious period, Lent, we offer specials on Fridays for those customers that do not eat meat on Fridays, per Lent. We do have customers that are vegetarian by choice or due to their culture. The way that we accommodate and recognize this is that we make sure that when these types of pizzas are ordered, we cut the pizzas with a clean knife and we change our gloves to make sure there is no cross-contamination. The best way that I have seen our company recognize the differences amongst our employees and our customers is that we take extra special care concerning people with disabilities. We have an employee that has severe attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. As a co-worker as well as a mentor to the new employees, I have set up different types of training modules in order to accommodate for different learning disabilities. This is one thing that I am really proud of. For our district, we have a binder that has different modules of training to help accommodate the employees that have certain learning disabilities. I have had to experience using the general training methods on people who have a hard time learning unless it is done a certain way. I used to get frustrated when they just did not seem to get it. By using the training kits and tools we have now, our company has helped to train employees of all types. Breach of Cultural Awareness As proud as I am to boast about all the good things that my company does to recognize cultural differences, there are some things that I have seen that make me ashamed to say that I work for them. It is not just Pizza Hut, but there are a lot of companies that say they do one thing but they actually do the complete opposite. For example, my store in particular states that we do not discriminate against anyone based on gender. The truth is my boss does to an extent. All members of management are male. Our entire dining room staff is women. To me, I feel like I am being discriminated against due to the fact that I am a woman. I have the qualifications as well as the knowledge to become a member of management. In fact, I have passed all the necessary tests and interviews, but my boss continues to make excuses as to why I have not been promoted yet. Another example of a breach in cultural awareness is one that makes me really ashamed to say I work for this boss. I have heard on several occasions that my boss does not like hiring African Americans. This is something that bothers me a lot because I think that prejudice and racism is completely uncalled for. Recently, we had an applicant come in for an interview and to take the assessment test. He passed the test better than most of our other employees. I was able to observe this interview and was complete appalled by what I saw. My boss did not really interview him like he did me when I got hired. He truly acted like he was not interested in anything that the applicant had to say. In fact, after the interview, my boss told me that he was not going to hire him. He said he was not qualified. I informed him that I thought he would have thought different had he actually listened to him during the interview. He finally told me what his reason was for not wanting to hire him. He said that he does not like to hire African Americans because they are lazy and he has had bad experiences with them as far as work is concerned. This comment angered me to a point where I almost quit because I did not want to work for a company that would allow this type of discrimination. I talked to my area coach about this. After this talk, the applicant was hired and has become an incredibly hard worker. He is actually one of our best. Both of these examples are inappropriate because not only are they against the law, but they are against any moral that I know or believe. It is wrong to discriminate against people for any reason. The classes the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission protect do not identify the type of worker you are. Just because I am a woman does not mean that I am not capable of running the store when my boss is not there. It does not mean that I do not know how to protect myself concerning my safety as well as my fellow employees. The skin color does not depict what type of worker that specific person is. My boss said he had a bad experience with that particular race. This does not mean that the entire race needs to be punished. Conclusion Just because a company says that they follow the law established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does not mean that they do. Of course, concerning rule book, they do. Just like case with Pizza Hut, there is always going to be some type of discrimination. Every company has the good things that they do to recognize the differences amongst their employees, but I also believe that there are going to be the blunders as well. Companies have been getting away with blunders for a long time. The blunders seem to be overshadowed by the recognition that the companies give.

Tess, Gatsby and Rapture Essay Example for Free

Tess, Gatsby and Rapture Essay ‘For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.’ The assertion made here, being that true love does not involve physical actions but strong emotional bonds, is evident in both the novels, Tess of the D’Urbervilles as well as The Great Gatsby and in the poetry collection ‘Rapture’ as we see all three protagonists experience a volume of intense feelings towards the object of their affections; from the passionate love that they feel for their other half to sheer desperation of their others approval. However there are many physical obstacles that stand in their way, such as Alec and Tom who touch Tess and Daisy physically and materially but not emotionally. In Rapture, the lovers become separated due to the unconventional nature of their relationship, this arguably intensifies the love felt by the poet as many say, ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder’.It is obvious to us as the reader that Tess is willing to obtain true love at all costs; even though that may mean death, this shows how very deeply Angel has touched Tess emotionally and not just physically. It shows her obsession with Angel and her dismay at Alecs persistent love interest in her; ‘I don’t see how I can help being the cause of much misery to you all your life. The river is down there. I can put an end to myself in it. I am not afraid†¦I will leave something to show that I did it myself – on account of my shame. They will not blame you then.’ Here Tess takes all the blame for Angel’s decision to end their relationship and offers to kill herself in order to save Angel the embarrassment of having to explain why his marriage failed. Tess takes the heavy burden and almost exaggerates it ‘being the cause of much misery to you all your life’ seems to be a bold statement of guilt yet it was not just her who wasn’t a virgin when Angel and Tess’s relationship commenced. The use of simple sentences in this extract gives Tess’s decision a sense of finality and determination; she will do anything to see that Ang el is happy. The use of such negative language sparks a sympathetic despair in the reader as Tess seems so set on ending her life: ‘misery’ ‘end’ ‘not’ ‘shame’ and ‘blame’ all have connotations of conclusiveness, as if nothing will change Tess’s mind because she is convinced that she must take the suffering in order to appease Angel. Her final though ‘They will not blame you’ not only evokes a sense of  definiteness but is perhaps a comment on the social conventions that the Victorian reader would be accustomed too; should one have an affair or it be discovered that a gentleman’s wife was not virginal before their marriage then the primary concern for the man was to avoid scandal as it could destroy his reputation. No matter how in the love the couple may have been, it was not easy to forgive ones wife is such a discovery was made as it was a social embarrassment and ultimately a social inconvenience. Here Tess demonstrates her knowledge of Angel’s concern as she attempts to solve this problem by suggesting that she drown herself. A modern reader would not be quite so concerned with the idea of people finding out that one was not virginal before marriage as one critic comments: her soul remains unstained regardless of what happens to her body. This comment on how Tess remains pure even though her body is violated, is a particularly modern view, society no longer frowns upon a girl if she is not chaste till marriage as they did in the Victorian era. This is why the statement ‘They will not blame you’ has such an impact on both the readers’ acceptance of the novels social context and the readers realisation that Angel has touched Tess’s heart and soul and not just her ears and lips.Similarly in the poem ‘If I Was Dead’ from Duffy’s collection ‘Rapture’ the main theme of the poem is around the idea that the love recei ved from the poets lover is strong and powerful enough to raise her body along with her own love from the dead: ‘I swear your lovewould raise me out of my grave,in my flesh and blood,like Lazarus;hungry for this,and this, and this,your living kiss.’ Duffys use of the images of death, especially the Biblical reference to the man who was awoken from the dead, in contrast to the vagarious kiss of life show the physical distance of the lovers yet it emphasis the strength of the bond of true love between them, even in death. In a similar way to the way Hardy uses Tess’s family tomb in ‘The Woman Pays’, to heighten the sense of a bleak future for Angel and Tess, Duffy uses a ‘grave’ to illustrate not only the powerful, reawakening nature of love, but the foreshadowing of the metaphorical death of their relationship. In this poem, the graphic images of ‘flesh and blood’ being restored to arise from a grave create a gothic image of the supremacy of love. Instead of using a noun such as ‘skin’ Duffy chooses the word ‘flesh’  to show the rawness of the emotions associated with death and she almost begins to compare these with the emotions indicative of love as she w rites that the speaker is ‘hungry’ for the lovers ‘living kiss’. The adjective ‘living’ provokes one to think of the kiss of life. The lover breathes life and love into the carcass of her other, in order to restore what once was there; this kiss is so heart-rending that it touches not only her lips, but her soul as it rekindles the light of life within her. Contrastingly in Gatsby, the love felt by the protagonist is never truly reciprocated as it is for Tess and Angel and Duffy and her lover, as Daisy ultimately cannot admit that she wishes to be with Gatsby and not her husband Tom. However, the love that Gatsby feels, to him is pure and all engulfing, as it is what has driven him to seek corrupt means of becoming successful as he feels this is what is stopping himself and Daisy being together. Yet Gatsby’s idealised version of Daisy is what forces his love to stand the test of time: ‘He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his teeth set, so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity†¦because of the colossal vitiality of his illusion†¦no amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart.’ The fact that at this point in the novel, when Gatsby and Daisy get their first intimate moments alone together, Hardy choses to describe Daisy as Gatsbys illusion is incredibly poignant.

Appreciation Of Ringgit Malaysia Marketing Essay

Appreciation Of Ringgit Malaysia Marketing Essay The Appreciation of Ringgit Malaysia seminar is expect to be held between 20th to 21st December 2010 addressed the appreciation of ringgit effect on exports in Malaysia. Specifically, it will bring together a dynamic group of economists, futurists, academicians and students from public as well as private sector and government to look into the future and explore ideas about the appreciation of currency or exchange rate in ways that might challenge Malaysia. This executive summary provides an overview of the judgments, insights and implications for the seminar. Objectives This seminar aimed at promoting the monetary value of ringgit Malaysia by providing experts and academicians from within our country concerned an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences and to review challenges of the ringgit appreciation in Malaysia, and to have in-depth discussions on the role and prospects of this issue. In particular, by exchanging views and sharing the most updated information on exchange rate, it aimed at strengthening against most of the worlds major currencies and thereby contributing to the nations ambition to be a high-income economy. The seminar is also intended to provide an opportunity for the Malaysian citizens to understand the status and the challenges of the appreciation of ringgit on exports. Potential Participants This seminar would be of great interest especially to economists, financial analyst, international businessman, universities students, academicians and other communities as well. Mission and Vision Statements Mission To increase knowledge about currencies. To anticipate currency devaluation or appreciation and impacts on business world. To understand the exchange or conversion cycles for local and foreign currencies. Vision Educate the society on the importance of appreciation in ringgit. To encourage the society to look at the development of managing money and wealth. To promote an understanding on how major organizations such as the IMF are influenced by monetary transactions. To provide a better understanding on exchange rate in our country. Educate the society on the impact of appreciation and devaluation of ringgit on exports and imports. Event Team The Appreciation of Ringgit Malaysia event organising members include the following groups: What will be members role(s) in the proposed event? Director He as the director will be the primary decision-maker in our event plans. His responsibilities are to manage all his other group members ensure the member are carrying out their responsibilities in their respective roles, consult lecturer for advice and suggestion as well as to maintain order in our group. Secretary Preparing letters and log reports meetings are the responsibilities. This also includes tallying with the leaders of promotion, decoration and designing and treasurer in the purpose of recording the details in every respective role. Not forgetting, they also help in preparing letters, typing out drafts of event proposal and report, booking for the events venue and drop down selected ideas in every meeting. Treasurer This division will be in charge of the financial of the event, accounts, budget limitation and allocations. The primary task is creating a budget cost of the materials and applications with its pricing, original cost and etc. They also need to plan for fund raising, in charge of sponsorship matters and do help in publicity and promotion tasks. Design Technical Info The main task is to design the fonts, background, slogan, and events image as well as compressing the contents of our events massage besides estimating the precise size of the flyers, booklet and etc. They also help the leader in their decision making and present finalize ideas of design to the rest of members. Publicity and Promotion Promotion tasks are divided among the members in the same division and responsible in planning the promotion strategy to publicize our event, with the team title Appreciation of Malaysian Ringgit efficiently. Plus, they also collaborate with the leader about the decoration and designing and also design and technical info members to discuss on how to widen our publicity range within and outside the campus. Exhibition term For the exhibition, we will prepare a storyboard, drama or video for audience to enjoy seeing the facts and figures about the economy in Malaysia, especially from the aspect of worldwide money currency. Through the storyboard, drama or video, we will inform audience about Ringgit Malaysia, the important of stabilizing our money currency and the relation between Ringgit Malaysia and countrys export. We will be persuaded audience to support our Malaysia product through the storyboard, drama or video too. By using the method of drawing, we will show the story about how the Ringgit Malaysia can be strengthen and what its effect on our export in our country. When there is an appreciation in RM, product of Malaysia will increase the price and will reduce the local raw material cost. In addition, this will help to increase our nations export and income. So, we will use some industries and other countries as an example to make the story more interesting. Beside, through the video, we will show some picture and explain what causes the RM to appreciate or depreciate. Factors that causing a nations currency to appreciate or depreciate include: Relative product prices Monetary policy Inflation rate differences Income changes Secondly, we will exhibit the information of Ringgit Malaysia appreciation by doing the introduction to intro the Malaysians currency. The ringgit is the official currency in Malaysia which is often known as the Malaysian dollar. The Malaysian dollar or ringgit is subdivided into 100 sens, which are known as cents in foreign markets. For the example, The Ringgit Malaysia (RM) is one of Asias best performing currencies, which in 2010 has appreciated by 6% against the US dollar, 19% against the euro and 16% against the British pound. There were several factors that contributed to the stellar performance of the ringgit. Amongst them are Malaysias better than expected economic recovery, the central banks monetary tightening policies, the New Economic Model (NEM), and speculation on revaluation of Chinas Yuan, coupled with speculative funds inflow into Malaysias financial system. The currencys strength isnt likely to affect exporters, as Europes sovereign debt crisis may increase capital flows to Asia, and inter-Asia trade is expected to keep Malaysias exports at healthy growth levels. Malaysias exports to Europe make up some 10% of its total exports. Thirdly, we will exhibit the information about our seminar and the comparison advantages and disadvantages. The Pros and Cons of Stronger Ringgit Pros: Encourages the import of capital goods, which contribute to the innovation and automation of industries in the country. Improves the living standards of the people by increasing their purchasing power through cheaper imports and lower inflationary pressure. Cons: A stronger ringgit could pose challenges to the exporters of this export-dependent Malaysia, such as palm oil companies. The stronger ringgit usually trims the refinery margins as crude palm oil feedstock for refined products is priced in the currency. Any wild swings in the ringgit hurt refiners: For every 100 basis point appreciation in the ringgit, refining margins fall by US$2-US$4 a tonne. For example, if the ringgit keeps strengthening, where previously you would collect 3.2 for every US dollar you earn, now you get only 3.1. Information is very important in seminar to develop awareness about the theme of the seminar among audience. We will prepare accurate information in exhibition from Internet, survey, book, journal, and even Malaysia economic annual report. Advantages and disadvantages will clearly state in the exhibition and the information should be in bilingual, such as Malay and English. We will also consider on international students as audience too. Furthermore, the factors that cause Ringgit Malaysia to appreciate will be exhibit in the exhibition. We will collect the information from latest news or from others resources. All the information about the factors will be state clearly in the exhibition. Besides that, the comparison of the currency and different types of graph about the Ringgit Malaysia and exports of the products will be well prepared in the exhibition too. The information that we are prepared is due to these current years. The comparison of the currency within others country will be shown too. The countries that we will be compare such as US or China. The graph such as comparison of currency with others country, comparison of exports products, comparison of the latest years for currency will be shown too. For the exports of the products, we will be deciding to put example for palm oil or furniture. There are many types of graph will be shown during the exhibition. These aspects also consider as important information for audience to understand our main theme. Also, we will be taking the information through Internet, survey, book, journal and economic annual report. Committees in the exhibition are responsible to deliver a clear message to audience. Good interpretati ons will really helps the audience to understand the theme that we intend to deliver for them. Lastly, through the teamwork among the committee and the accurate and clear information in the exhibition, we will successfully organize the seminar and message will be well delivered for the audience. Potential speakers to be invite Prof. Dr. Mohd. Nazari Bin Ismail Professor Department of Business Strategy Policy Faculty of Business and Accountancy Universiti Malaya. Associate Prof. Dr. Fatimah Binti Kari Associate Professor Department of Economics Faculty of Economics and Admistration Universiti Malaya. Dato Mukhriz Bin Tun Dr. Mahathir Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia. Promotional and Publicity Strategies Internet Using social network as a main promotional tool to provide seminar information to promote and educate the targeted audiences regarding our topics of exhibition and seminar. Facebook Blogspot Twitter MMU Portal Newspaper Reporters will be invited to the seminar and before the seminar conduct to promote the seminar in aim to target public audiences. Interview session between the speakers and reporters will be conduct after / before the seminar. The Star The Sun MMU Nexus Promotion Booth Booth will be open before the week of seminar and exhibition to capture the attendance of MMU students and lecturers toward our seminar and exhibition. Members on duty will introduce to the public regarding the seminar and exhibition. Class Publicity CLC concourse FBL Lobby Selling Souvenirs (key chain, T-Shirt, and etc) Flyers Changing the computer background wallpaper to the seminar and exhibition wallpaper to promote the exhibition and seminar. (to be confirm later) Co-operation with lecturers Cooperate and encourage FBL lecturers to post an announcement regarding our exhibition and seminars. Lecturers may encourage students to attend and take as class attendance. SAPS point will be provide to those who attend the seminars. Take Attendance SAPS Point MMLS Invite higher education institutions Invite STPM students, or higher education institutions in Melaka to the exhibition and seminar. Stamford Collage Secondary Schools in Melaka Invite Vendors Invite Vendors to participate on the exhibition and seminar to selling their products. Part of the profit are encourage donate to the event. Fund Raising Due to Christmas is around the corner, we have planned to sell goody packs in our campus. Our goody pack includes sweet and chocolate. We can promote it through distribute flyers, so that all students will know goody pack is available for sale here. We may sell RM4-5 per one goody pack which price is reasonable and affordable for all students. We may sell the couple T-shirts. The couple T-shirts and the goody packs will be a good match for the students. They may wear it to celebrate for the Christmas and the sweets and chocolates will be the presents for their partners. We are planning to raise fund in the restaurant or cafà © by providing the services there. We can be the part time waiters or waitresses. The earning we get will be the funds for the projects. We will also try to ask the owner to contribute the earning for one particular day to be our funds. We have planned to sell fruits such as guava, papaya, and watermelon inside or outside the campus. Believe that, there are many students are like to eat fruit in such a torrid weather. So we may sell Rm1.50-2.00, which is affordable for them.

Albert Einstein :: essays research papers

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany. Further to this, his parents initially believed him to be somewhat backward as he was late in starting to talk. Einstein was noted for saying that he waited until he could speak in complete sentences before he would say a word. He entered school at the age of six and to his parents surprise, he did very well. Albert did not mix well with other students, often preferring to play his own private games or reading books; he never liked school. At the age of 12 he was given a book on geometry, from that point on he taught himself anything he wanted to learn. "In 1905 Einstein received his doctorate from the University of Zurich for a theoretical dissertation on the Dimensions of Molecules, and he also published three theoretical papers important to the development of 20th century physics." (http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/introPhy/Famous/ei†¦n/einstein.html) The first of these, on Brownian Motion, made significant predictions about the motion of particles that are randomly distributed in a fluid. This theory was later proven by experiment. The second paper, on the Photoelectric Effect, presented a hypothesis on the Nature of light. He not only proposed that under certain circumstances light can be considered as consisting of particles, but also stated that the energy carried by a photon is proportional to the frequency of the radiation. No one accepted this theory, even Robert Millikan was overwhelmed when Einstein prove this theory to be correct. "In 1915 Einstein published his third paper on the General theory of Relativity, his theory of Gravity."(http://www.humboldt.com/~gralsto/einstein/einstein.html) In this theory Einstein made his statement on equivalence, in which it’s impossible to distinguish between whether the force acting on a body is caused by the body accelerating or whether it’s gravity. For example, if you were weightless inside a lift in outer space and you then feel a force pulling your feet to the floor you can’t distinguish whether the lift is accelerating upwards, or whether there is a large volume of matter below causing the attraction. "The General Theory of Relativity describes gravity as being the result of a four-dimensional continuum (space-time) and that matter produces curves in this space-time with the measure of the curvature being a measure of the strength of gravity. In this perspective, bodies of matter follow the path of ‘shortest distance or least resistance’ and hence in the case of curved space-time around a star a planetary body would follow a ‘circular/elliptical’ orbit. Einstein’s theory was able to explain anomalies in the Mercury’s orbit which had eluded explanation from Newton’s Laws.

Biodiesel :: Energy, Biomass

Biomass can be classified as dry biomass (such as wood) or the wet biomass sources such as organic fraction of domestic waste, agro-industrial wastes, slurries and waste water. Thermal conversion or gasification of the dry biomass generates energy. Figure 3 summarizes an approximate worldwide energy consumption level. Nearly 2 kg billion biomass is burned everyday in developing countries. Especially in India, 90% of primary energy use is accounted for biomass in rural areas (wood-56%; crop residues-16%; dung-21%). Combustion of these sources leads to high concentrations of respirable particulates, gases including CO, SO2, nitrogen oxides and toxic compounds such as benzene and formaldehyde [23]. The wet biomass is less suitable for thermal conversion. Biotechnological processes are involved where the reactions are catalysed by microorganisms in an aqueous environment at low temperature and pressure. Aquatic biomass presents an easy adaptability to grow in different conditions and has enhanced CO2 fixation accompanied with a low nitrous oxide release. Some microalgal biomass is considered as a better alternative renewable energy source, either terrestrial or aquatic (Botryococcus braunii) (Fig. 1m). In view of the oil content of many microalgae (Table 2) energy recovery from biomass can be implemented on a large scale readily. The photosynthetic efficiency of aquatic biomass is much higher (6-8%) than that of its terrestrial counterpart (1.8-2.2%) [13]. Further, aquatic biomass presents an easy adaptability to grow in different conditions either in fresh or marine water or in a wide range of pH. This makes the aquatic biomass more adaptive or an enhanced CO2 fixation to afford a high biomass production. The only practicable methods of large scale production of microalgae are tubular photobioreactors [19] and open raceway ponds [20]. Extensive studies have been carried out for the cultivation of different marine microalga using a variety of cultivation systems including open ponds and various types of closed photobioreactors [21, 2 2]. Since already several articles were dealt with large scale production, this paper did not concentrate on these issues. Biomass for power generation has been recognized as an important component of the renewable energy programme in India and this is reflected in the priority attached to it by the MNES. There are niches with substantial potential for the use of biomass for power generation e.g. bagasse cogeneration in sugar mills, decentralized gasifier based diesel cogeneration systems in south India and biomass waste from agricultural operations or agro-industries in concentrated geographical pockets [23]. A biomass power / cogeneration capacity addition of 115 MW in six states was created in the country during the year reaching a cumulative power generation capacity of 727 MW.

Accounting Essay -- essays research papers

Revenue Recognition Policies The purpose of this paper is to compare the revenue recognition policies of two companies in the search, detection, navigation, guidance, and aeronautical systems industry. The two companies I have selected are Aerosonic Corporation, and Esco Electronics Company. Esco Electronics Company is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and support of engineered products. These products are used principally in filteration/fluid flow applications, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, and electric utility communications and control systems. The filtration/fluid flow and EMC testing products are supplied to a broad base of industrial and commercial customers worldwide. At the present time, electric utility communications systems are marketed primarily to customers in North America. The four primary industry segments of Esco are Filtration/Fluid Flow, Test, Communications, and other. In order for Esco to conform with generally accepted accounting principles, management must make careful estimates in preparing the financial statements. These estimates are for anticipated contract costs and revenues earned during the life of the contract. These amounts affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities on the company’s financial statements. Actual results could differ from these numbers. Revenues are recognized on commercial sales when products are shipped or when services are performed. Revenue on production contracts are recorded when specific contract terms are fulfilled. These amounts are determined either by the units of production or delivery methods. Revenues from cost reimbursement contracts are recorded as costs are incurred, plus fees earned. Revenue under long-term contracts in which the previous two methods are inappropriate, the percentage-of-completion method is used. Revenue under engineering contracts are generally recognized as certain â€Å"milestones† are attained. The percentage-of-completion method recognizes a portion of the estimated gross profit for each period based on progress to date. Progress to date is based on three factors. These three factors are the costs incurred to date, the most recent estimate of the project’s total cost, and the most recent gross profit percentage. Progress to date is assumed to ... ...s these items as sales. Like Esco, Aerosonic follows the percentage-of completion method to account for long-term engineering contracts. Revisions in costs and revenue estimates are reflected in the periods in which the revisions are made. Provisions for estimated losses are determined without regard to the percentage-of-completion. Like Esco, Aerosonic’s financial statements are based heavily on management’s estimates. To auditors, this raises a red flag. Auditors must be careful when conducting the audits of these particular companies. It is rather easy, and conceivable for management to manipulate earnings to meet projected totals. Another important area is that a company like Aerosonic has one major customer, and that is U.S. government. Another important factor is that Aerosonic recognizes revenue when title transfers to the government. Since the two parties are closely related in a business sense, Aerosonic may have the incentive to push titles of products to the government to meet target revenues. Auditors should take care in determining whether or not the financial statements conform generally accepted accounting principles.

No Promises in the Wind

Irene Hunt is a prominent American writer who wrote primarily for children's and young adult audience. The remarkable feature of her style of writing is a presence of historical details which help to create a unique atmosphere of her works. Hunt represents a historical fiction genre. I. Hunt was born in Illinois in 1907, in the family of Sarah and Franklin Hunt (Biography: Hunt Irena, n. d. ). When her father died, she was a seven-year old girl. The family moved to a farm where she spent the rest of her childhood.Her grandfather’s tails about the Civil war period had a great influence on a child’s imagination and, probably, influenced her style of writing. In 1939, I. Hunt graduated the University of Illinois, and in 1946, she received her Master degree in the University of Minnesota, and continued her study at the University of Colorado (Biography: Hunt Irena, n. d. ). For 15 years, Hunt worked as a teacher of French and English in a public school, and then in the Univ ersity of South Dakota where she taught psychology. In 1965, Hunt decided to come back to Illinois where she has spent most of her life.Irene Hunt received many awards including American Notable Book Award and a Newbery Medal. The most interesting fact is that Hunt published her first book in 1964 only, when she was about 57 years old. The first book called â€Å"Across Five Aprils†. The other two books are â€Å"Up a Road Slowly† and â€Å"No Promises in the Wind†. Hunt has a unique style that appeals to children and adults. To convey a message of the stories, Hunt appeals to emotions of readers and their imagination using specific techniques and different stylistics devices (metaphors, comparison, etc).It is possible to say that Hunt is a keen observer of people, historical and war events which is manifested in her style. The most important is that she feels what children need supposing that even â€Å"the troubled child will often receive the message in a go od book that he cannot accept from an adult† (Biography: Hunt Irena, n. d. ). In the book â€Å"No Promises in the Wind†, Hunt depicts the period of the Great Depression and struggle of population to survive. The main characters of the book, Joey and Josh, are two brothers who leave their home in Chicago looking for better life.The narrator, Josh, tells that: â€Å"the year 1932 was not good one in which to be fifteen years old and in close quarters with a hopeless father† (Hunt, p. 4). Feels that his father does not love him and understanding that there is no enough food for the whole family, he starts his journey with his friend Howie and little brother Joey. Great love to music is the main thing which joins Howie and Josh. Two friends decided Howie could play his banjo to earn for leaving, while Josh is looking for a job.During their journey, they are faced with casualties of life suffering form the lost of their friend, Howie. The most impressive thing in the story is their struggle for existence and food. Hunt depicts that a hunger was the most terrible thing for people during recession. In this novel, she portrays the futility of sufferings of people who are still alive, but know that hunger is â€Å"around the corner†. The message of this story is that fight is senseless bringing only grief and constant tension. Then, the brothers meet a man, Lonnie, who helps them to find a job and earn for leaving.Suddenly, Josh becomes sick, and someone who found Lonnie’ address in his pocket brought Josh to Lonnie. For a long time, they cannot find Joey, and when Joey appears the brothers decide to back home. The story appeals to me very much depicting very interesting and discrepant historical period. I like the characters of the story who are courageous enough to escape from home and start new life. In spite of all the negative life lessons two brothers understand what it is to be an individual, because it is the only way for them to survive during Depression.At the end of the story, Hunt creates a strict ethical code which functions as the defense against the overwhelming chaos of economic instability. This book is very impressive depicting real life situations and struggle for survival. Hunt depicts growing-up of the boys during the depression period and described events which caused their maturing. References 1. â€Å"Biography: Hunt Irena†. Educational Paperback Association. (N. d). Available at: http://www. edupaperback. org/showauth. cfm? authid=82 2. Hunt, I. (2002). No Promises in the Wind. Berkley.

Bureaucracy and Scientific Management Essay

Bureaucracy, which is an important model of organization defined by rules and series of hierarchical relationships, has been the dominant role for understanding organization for decades (Grey, 2007). Since the 1960s, numerous criticisms in mainstream thinking keep emerging toward the bureaucracy asserted that the imminent death of bureaucracy is coming because the defects associated with applying rules would lead to several problems such as poor employee motivation and goal-displacement. In view of this, the implication of a move from bureaucracy to post-bureaucracy has emerged and it is being depicted as a new label of flexible specialization in volatile market. Based on trust and empowerment, post-bureaucracy and other terms including post-hierarchical, post-fordism and post-modern organization are also employed in the same sense (McSweeney, 2006). While some expert judge that the post-bureaucracy are actually more rhetorical than real and it has its own problems such as the risk, unfairness and loss of control, others highlight that the advent of the new post-bureaucratic era is still arriving since the market has been experienced a moving from mass production towards niche production in today’s business environment. While it can not be denied that the concern on the aspect of its design and efficiency in mainstream thinking toward the bureaucracy did lead to some problems in a sense, this essay will attempt to demonstrate that the bureaucracy is still relevant for understanding organizations in current business environment and the existence of post-bureaucracy should be questioned. In order to demonstrate this, according to the mainstream thinking, critiques towards bureaucracy at different perspectives and the feasibility of post-bureaucracy will be discussed at the beginning. Then it will argue the limitation of the mainstream thinking and how bureaucracy can still be relevant for understanding organizations by using examples from literatures. According to Weber, rational-legal is the basis of bureaucracy and it becomes widely adopted because it refers to a highly efficient form of organization while critiques towards the bureaucracy in mainstream thinking are basically to do with the aspect of its design and efficiency in contrast. In the popularist critiques, bureaucracy is viewed as a form of organization which is like a predictable machine with standard operations and leads to the unnecessary delay and excessive obsession with rules. Based on the mainstream thinking, Grey (2007) summarized some important problems from the popularist critiques related with the inertia and ‘Red Tape’ mentality. Specifically, because simply following the rules in bureaucracy gives rise to have little personal commitment and low interest for the workers in the organization, job satisfaction and responsibility in their minds will not be guaranteed and leads to a poor motivated customer service as well as the procrastination in paper work. In the view of the customers, due to the impersonal rules from bureaucracy, sometimes it facilitated the employees in organizations to be ‘jobsworth’ and lead to ‘buck-passing’ by hiding behind the rules when no decision is being made towards a rule-against problem until ‘authority’ comes because the typical mind in their heads. However, some managerialists such as Crozier (1964, cited in Grey, 2007) and Gouldner (1954, cited in Grey, 2007) might deal a blow to the idea that bureaucracy is rigid and impersonal because rules sometimes are completely ignored by employees in their observation. For example, safety regulations as well as equal opportunities regulations in organizations are usually being ignored because they are viewed as a commonplace and sometimes the inconvenience would get in the way of the their jobs. But it was not assured that whether the result of the observation is suit to the organizations in other industries. Yet, more overriding controversial problem in bureaucracy is the goal-displacement within organizations. In the managerialist critiques, as Robert Merton (1940) addressed in his study, bureaucracy would not always lead to the best outcome because people are more likely to follow the rules as a goal rather than its effect. In this way, it gives rise to deliver sub-optimal outcomes in organizations by ‘doing the thing right’ rather than ‘doing the right thing’. A defense for the goal-displacement would be that solutions are not all the optimum ones in every case, but bureaucracy offers an optimum average at overall level. However, another particular version of goal-displacement given by Philip Selznick (1949, cited in Grey, 2007) also poses a blow to the bureaucracy. He suggests divisionalized structures on organizations would lead to different aims towards the divisions by pursuing divisional interests but not the whole organization as the rules designed. Individual prejudices would play a central part in decision making and different aims in divisions within the organizations would very much debunk the rational image of bureaucracy. These insights above are very much pointing to the emergence of post-bureaucracy in organization. Admittedly, apart from overcoming the demerit of bureaucracy, as new forms of organizations with an open boundary based on trust and empowerment, post-bureaucracy would be more suitable for the organizations while the market is even more volatile in today’s business environment. However, post-bureaucracy has its own problems on the aspect of control and risk in mainstream thinking. Without applying rules in organizations, it is not easy to sustain the operation of organizations in an open boundary while trust and empowerment is so fragile that there is a danger that post-bureaucracy will descend into anarchy. Besides, giving employees more freedom to work in their ways would lead to the risk of making wrong decisions. Because employees might have adopted an even less efficient approach to the problems, the efficiency in the post-bureaucratically organizations would be less efficient at all times (Grey, 2007). However, some experts would try to advocate the post-bureaucracy in a different perspective. While the present business environment is moving from mass production towards niche production, organizations are chasing the trend of fitting with the flexible specialization in producing (Piore and Sabel, 1984, cited in Grey, 2007) and the rise of the network society and network organizations also provide a favorable environment for the post-bureaucracy (Castells, 1996, cited in Grey, 2007). But managerialists such as Warhurst and Thompson (1998) and McSweeney (2006) acute that the critiques towards the mass production is by no means decreasing over the world, and the new forms of operation with post-bureaucracy based on trust and empowerment are actually more rhetorical than real because few and limited practical cases of detailed type post-bureaucracy could be found in recent period so far. Therefore, the existence of post-bureaucracy within organizations should be questioned in a sense. Back to the argument discussed in the front, some limitations are worth noticing in the mainstream thinking. Although bureaucracy has its shortcomings in multiple perspectives, Paul du Gay (2000) claims that bureaucracy actually embodies fairness. It is true because people would chase for the maximum efficiency due to the demand of instrumental rationality. Ethic of impersonality and fairness in bureaucracy are required so that employees and customers are treated without prejudice and discrimination. In George Ritzer’s The McDonaldization of Society (2000), it also provides the idea that impersonality is the central of bureaucratic ethos that guarantee fairness as du Gay mentioned and this can be related to the merit of standardization in organizations. Specifically, Ritzer utilizes Mcdonaldization and sees it as the template for contemporary forms of bureaucratization. By focusing on the four dimensions including efficiency, calculability, predictability and control through non-human technology, he exemplifies the logic of standardization in bureaucracy has several advantages including economic and material reasons and contends that the proliferation of standardization has spread into more and more sectors in all kinds of area. Scientific management in bureaucracy is still very evident in organisational systems over the period. Another noticing limitation could be found on the one-sided aspect of the restriction focused on efficiency. The critiques towards bureaucracy as well as post-bureaucracy in mainstream thinking might have a different understanding if the vision is shifted from different perspectives. According to du Gay (2000), it is fundamentally doing with the power. But more importantly, it is about the question of a binary logic. Mainstream thinking concerning about the efficiency towards bureaucracy is more likely to divide whether the bureaucracy is good and post-bureaucracy is bad or post-bureaucracy is good and bureaucracy is bad. However, the division between bureaucracy and post-bureaucracy was actually much less clear-cut in current business environment. For example, in Richard Sennett’s (1998) study, he revisits what previously was a Greek bakery operating with bureaucratic rules and workers are stable unionized few decades ago. However it becomes a multinational firm with large scale and uses shifting workforce of non-unionized workers for operating the bakery machines. In this way, products are easily to shift from type to type while workers know nothing about the techniques of baking but just simply pressing the button on the bakery machine. It clearly shows how new working environment of post-bureaucracy about flexibility in production do not simply imply an empowered kind of organizational life and the ways of working are as dehumanizing as before — the combination of bureaucracy and post-bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is still very much alive in the new forms of organization. In conclusion, the concern on the aspect of its design and efficiency in mainstream thinking toward the bureaucracy did lead to some problems in a sense. However, while bureaucracy has been proclaimed is ending since 1960s and it leads to the view of emergence towards the new form of organization, post-bureaucracy has its own problems and its existence should be questioned. However, bureaucracy actually does embody fairness. While the world is stepping into a new business environment, organization operate in bureaucracy still has several advantages including economic and material reasons and the proliferation of standardization has spread into more and more sectors in all kinds of area. Bureaucracy is still very much alive and evident in modern organizational and social life, even combined within the new organisational systems.

International Language and Strategic Inventory Learning Language

Our universe has now become a planetary small town, the clip has long gone when it used to take several months to go from one terminal of the universe to the other, now distance is no more an issue and as distance has shortened the interaction between people from different civilizations and societies have become more frequent beef uping the communicating over the universe. When interacting with people from all over the universe, communicating barrier is faced due to difference in linguistic communication and since it is impractical to larn all the linguistic communications so we have one linguistic communication known as International Language i.e. English which is spoken and understood by a big bulk of people round the Earth. Although it is the female parent linguistic communication of really few states, it is taught and learned in the full universe since larning English has now become a necessity. Learning a new foreign linguistic communication may non be an easy occupation particu larly it requires a batch of forbearance and pattern but it can be made easier and the end can be achieved rapidly if the instruction manner is made harmonizing to the learning manner of an person and this is what Strategic Inventory Learning Language is all about. Learning of linguistic communication in the best manner can be done by first acknowledging our ain acquisition manner and so work on that form. Learning manners can be observed by an person or merely by the acquisition manner checklist. Largely our acquisition manners are developed at really early phases may be pre-school clip or early school life. I found out from the larning manner checklist that I am a Ocular Learner significance that my acquisition abilities are best with the assistance of images, graphs and images. I believe this is because from really get downing of my schooling my parents and instructors emphasized on learning me by demoing or making practical instead than merely reading to me or stating me about it. Normally our acquisition manners are at sub-conscious degree therefore before working to better larning abilities it is of import to acknowledge our manner. A scheme stock list for linguistic communication acquisition is formalized tool that answers the inquiry of what method is best for one peculiar scholar, or group of scholars, to larn a foreign linguistic communication. Harmonizing to the writer Strategic Inventory Learning Language is grouped into five schemes which are memory scheme, cognitive scheme, compensation scheme, meta-cognitive scheme, affectional scheme and societal scheme ( Griffiths and Parr, 251 ) . Normally we follow one or two of the schemes sub-consciously. To recognize our scheme we can detect our acquisition and analyzing wonts or merely make full the SILL inquirer. I found out that my sub-conscious SILL is Cognitive Strategies ; which is that I read for pleasance in English to increase my vocabulary and to guarantee speedy and right sentence formation, besides I try to happen forms in English which enables me to easy discourse in the linguistic communication. As from my larning manner I found that I am a ocular s cholar and so this explains my cognitive scheme that I prefer reading over listening to better my acquisition abilities, since reading helps me to do images of the words in my head moreover, by doing forms I easy retrieve what I have learned. I besides realized that if I have to larn something I do non declaim it several times it alternatively I prefer composing it few times as it helps me to retrieve better as I rapidly absorb the images of the words formed when I had written it down. After all the research about my ain learning manner and the schemes I have been following I feel that now I can expeditiously work upon rushing up my linguistic communication larning procedure and go an independent scholar. Another scheme which I feel I slightly follow is the Social Strategy that is I try to larn by interacting with people who I know have command in English, I besides try to discourse in English and utilize vocabulary in my conversation this is a practical attack towards larning and h ence builds up the assurance which is an of import factor. In future I plan to follow another scheme of SILL which is meta-cognitive i.e. pull offing ain acquisition accomplishments by maintaining a degree Celsius I have check and balance on my advancement and besides guarantee me about how much I have already learned. This scheme will besides enable me to schedule my clip in such a manner that I take out adequate clip to work on my linguistic communication accomplishments on routinely footing. Since I am good at retrieving things that by visual image and I already follow cognitive scheme hence, in order to follow this new scheme I will non hold to alter my acquisition manner hence it will necessitate less attempt and non much clip. Conscious working and acceptance of Strategic Inventory Learning Language will guarantee better acquisition of the linguistic communication in effortless and less clip. Strategic stock list larning linguistic communication is a really utile and efficient agencies to larn linguistic communication as it enables the scholar to larn in the manner that suits them best, this non merely rush up the acquisition procedure but besides develop assurance in the scholar. This strategic attack makes it easier for the scholar to accomplish the end and acquire bid on the linguistic communication. Hence, in order to link to the full universe and feel at easiness when interacting with people of different states holding different linguistic communications it is really of import to larn English and the best and quickest manner to accomplish this end is by following SILL schemes.

Racism and Justice System

The authors expose the myth of American meritocracy by informing us of all the ways that we maybe never paid attention to, such as how many black leaders there are in the sports arena’s such as coaches. They also expose the racial realist to the point that everything is not race based. Racial hierarchies are shown in ways that show us that American meritocracy is a myth by where blacks live. If blacks live in white neighborhoods how some would feel uncomfortable, or would even move out of the neighborhood. If racism was a thing of the past then we would no longer need affirmative action. Racism still exists and will forever exist in the world because the history it has of getting here. The book talks about how law institutionalizes the American ideal of equality, and this may be true but there are always people that are in these positions that corrupt and contaminate the entire system. Things have changed from the past form how racial discrimination was. It’s just done now through actions more so now than verbalizing. You can’t really verbalize your hatred for another race such as Texaco’s executives because you run the risk of people not bringing their business to you and now you can end up in civil court. The Supreme courts have made it even harder for one to make a discrimination suit against a company or employer because the evidence has to be so strong that it leaves no room for doubt in anyone’s mind in fact that was the case. Blacks are constantly stereotyped because of another black person’s action. Many white people have the perception that black people are lazy because we as a people seek more government help such as housing, food programs and even the low end jobs that some blacks have. They say that education rules out discrimination and employers rationally hire and promote people on the basis of their education and job skills. This is true to a certain extent; they won’t give the entire truth. They will hire African American based on those credentials but they won’t let them into the top positions. This I have found to be true just as recent as a couple of years ago. Walgreens would hire black assistant managers but would not promote them as store managers and a civil suit was filed against Walgreens’. Even in these case blacks still haven’t won because they promote a couple of black store managers and put them under a microscope, putting them in positions to fail. And once they fail they can keep hiring white store managers because they now have a paper trail of at least giving blacks an opportunity†¦.. to fail but at least they gave them a chance. Racism still exist even in schools to this day, no matter how you look at it they are still segregated to a degree. We can all agree that for the most part public schools in major cities are failing, and to get your children a good education you send them out to the suburbs. For here in Milwaukee they let a couple of black kids in their school system just to show that it’s not segregated but their tolerance for them is pretty low, knowing they can kick them out because 9 times out of ten they don’t stay in that school district. I am thankful that Brown’s case brought about desegregation in schools but there are loopholes in everything that people find. The plan that was implemented was whites move out of the major city and then their children have a chance for a better education with a lot less blacks there to intimidate or get their children involved with the wrong situation because so many whites think very lowly of blacks. I believe no matter what we as a nation or even the world will ever escape the ramifications of racism because like the book says how can we expect something of this nature to disappear in over thirty years that took over three hundred to create. My personal opinion is that we can make strides at it but we will never fully abolish racism. After all collectively as blacks we are taken for granted just as the fish takes the water they live in.

The GDP per unit of energy use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The GDP per unit of energy use - Essay Example According to Pimentel (2013), data from populous and industrialized nations like China and India will serve the purpose of substantiating the relationship between the variables mentioned above. In this case, stage three of the term paper involves a comprehensive literature review that seeks to acquire relevant information about the underlying hypothesis. Literature Review Introduction Since the paper seeks to examine nations’ economies from the perspective of domestic product and energy consumption, then it is inherent to clarify certain terminologies and abbreviations that will be used extensively in the essay. First, gross domestic product, commonly referred to as GDP, remains one of the essential indicators of a nation’s economic status. According to Meyers (2010), GDP is the cumulative monetary value of all goods and services produced and offered by a nation’s population over a period of one year. Secondly, energy intensity is a terminology referring to effic iency of energy use within a given economic setting. The intensity is obtained by determining the ration between total energy consumption and the total gross domestic product. ... rding energy intensity within a nation are gaining attention after World Bank projected that by 2050, the world’s fossil fuels will have reduced by approximately 35%. According to Mely and Chang (2012), such prediction insinuates that reduction in fossil fuels will create a subsequent increase in demand for the same commodity. Consequently, nations whose economy is energy dependent may experience diverse difficulties in adjusting to the significant drop in fuel content across the world. In this context, it is undeniable that third world nations in Africa relies more on agriculture and tourism as the main source of their gross domestic product. However, populous and industrialized countries like China and India rely on manufactured exports and skilled services. Bosselman (2010) says that in China, industries and skilled services like road constructions are known to consume a lot of energy. GDP per Unit of Energy Despite the fact that manufacturing and service industries in Chin a and India generating huge economic output from every given energy unit, they still face a threat with regard to diminishing oil reserves. For example in 2005, China yielded a GDP of 3.7 for every kilogram of oil consumed. India yielded a slightly higher GDP of 5.3 for the same mass of oil consumed. On the contrary, the adjacent Republic of Hong Kong posted a GDP of 21.2 for every kilogram of oil used within the same period. Switzerland, which is known to being a less populous nation than India, posted a GDP of 12.3. Based on these figures, one can develop an insight on the energy efficiency within the four nations compared above. From the figure of 3.7 GDP per kilogram of oil consumed, then it is undeniable that China has lower energy efficiency. On the other hand, Hong Kong can manage to

Analysis of the music video Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U Essay

Analysis of the music video Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U - Essay Example The song, Cater 2 U, has a general gendered meaning; that men will enjoy the rewards of love and compassion following a point where their female lovers notice that they are working hard. The music video casts feminine figures whose romantic actions could create an impression to the hard working man. In addition, it acts as a clear depiction of the level to which a hardworking man inspires his female companion (Sfetcu 16). When a woman notices the hardworking nature of her male lover, she will gain inspiration to make such a man happy and thus, want to accommodate him in a great way. In this perspective, a woman's submission to a man would be best when the man deserves it and thus, gives it back; a hardworking man furnishes her woman and gets back all the lovely accommodation. Form The text's enhanced application of formal techniques allows it to reinforce the overall meaning. The music video's shooting took place at a desert, which depicts a decision by the trio to go natural, which makes the video more authentic. The desert scenery, as well as the exquisiteness of the trio mainly enhances the clip. However, the presence of male actors seems to be superfluous to the music video's scene of female pleasures and bodies. However, the enriching nature of the feminine shooting acts as a balancing factor, which helps in driving the theme that the male actors depict to the audience. The natural lighting of the music video's shooting period helps in showing the natural feminine look of the females in the music video.