Project Estimating Techniques Essay

One of the most important factors to the success of a project is how well the project is estimated, as well as how overall costs are managed during the execution phase by the project manager. Project costs and estimates are vital to the success of any organization to remain competitive in the market. Cost estimating for organizations rely heavily on resources that can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Forecasting and utilizing historical return costs are just a couple of ways that organizations rely on estimating. Experienced planners are often a sought trade within the market; this paper will discuss some often used project cost estimating techniques. Types of Estimating The first type of estimating is analogous. This type of estimating utilizes estimates from a previous project that is similar, and uses them to build estimates for the new project. While this type of estimating is beneficial to the planning process, caution must be used to ensure that estimates carried over from the previous project are fair and reasonable. Parametric estimation takes historical data inputs, makes calculated assumptions based on market and statistical data, and then formulates the estimate. This type of estimating is useful as it does use historical data, coupled with statistical data; however, assumptions made by the planner can be skewed and lead to inaccurate estimates in my opinion. The next type of estimating is bottom-up. Bottom-up estimating utilizes information from individual estimates through the Work Break Down structure. This type of estimating is one of the most common types of estimating because it uses estimates from the floor tasks. These floor tasks are estimated by subject matter experts with years of experience, and can be very beneficial to ensuring that not only the estimate is accurate, but the scope of the task is correct. Another type of estimating is three-point estimating. Three-point estimating takes a look at the best, worst, and most realistic scenario to cost estimating the project. These three options obviously come with a  premium on cost, time, or quality. Dependent on what the project objective is will more than likely determine what route to take in this process. From my work experience with project planning, cost estimating can be a very difficult task. Most organizations have a method or process in how to cost estimate. Some utilize checklists, while others may standard operating procedures as part of an organizational policy. Regardless of what tools are available to a project team during the cost estimating process, knowing the overall goals and objectives of the project are keys to estimating a successful project. The burden of cost estimating is not normally the responsibility of one individual; it often lies within the project team. Multiple estimators from various skills are part of the process, and all types of estimating as discussed earlier are part of the process. Tools that my organization utilizes are bid specification review meetings that go over the material, labor, and rates that apply to the work being conducted during the project. In addition, an independent government estimate (IGE) is utilized to ensure that estimates are filled out thoroughly, and reviewed against the contractor’s estimates upon receipt. There are many other processes that can be used; however, these are the most commonly one’s used within government estimating. Conclusion Cost estimating is a very important part of the project planning process as it often dictates the duration of the project, and how much work can be accomplished during the project against the budget given for the project. Estimates of time and cost together allow the manager to develop a time-phased budget, which is imperative for project control (Larson & Gray, 2014, p. 131). While there are many different ways that estimates are created, there is no sure fire way in stating that one is better than the other. While some may think that historical data is a more accurate way, there is not telling that the estimate and return costs from a previous project were fair and reasonable. If the previous project cost was overestimated, then the current project would continue to be overestimated; therefore not proving to be a cost benefit to the organization. Cost estimating drives the project plan, and organizations need to ensure they utilize all the tools and resources they have available to them to make the  project a success. Reference Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2014). Project Management: The Managerial Process (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Nietzche’s Master and Slave Morality Essay

In Of the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche sought to provide context for what he saw as the central value system of the society in which he lived: slave-morality. Nietzsche saw morality as reflective of the conditions in which its proponents were brought up. He saw the roots of slave morality in oppression and slavery, and posits that it grew as a reaction to the morality of the masters of the time. What follows is a simplified account of Nietzsche’s master-slave dichotomy, and what he saw as the dire consequences for human progress should the pervasiveness of slave morality be allowed to remain at the expense of the master. I will argue that although religion and slave morality may have had significant influence in Nietzsche’s day, his fears about the stagnation of mankind through its adherence to slave morality are exaggerated and largely unfounded. I will also briefly discuss the applicability of slave-master morality to contemporary life. Nietzsche’s account of master and slave morality springs from a time of actual master-slave relationships. Master morality is found in those who have the power to create their own values to live by, without the need for approval from others. In Nietzsche’s own words, the master â€Å"honours everything he sees in himself. † They understand themselves as having an integral function in the universe, as resembling a kind of god, and therefore see goodness in those attributes which they find in themselves, and goodness in the values they themselves create. They see no reason to refer to others or seek another’s approval. Nietzsche’s idea of the Master comes from nobility, and so the central tenet of master morality is nobility; that those attributes found in a noble person are those that can be considered good. In master morality, a person is considered good if s/he is autonomous, strong-willed, brave, powerful, proud, able and happy in themselves. They see badness as a lack of that which is good-that is, a lack of the noble characteristics. Co-dependence and conformity are bad because they are not autonomy, weakness is bad because it isn’t strength, poverty is bad because it isn’t wealth, cowardice is bad because it isn’t bravery, and so on. The master respects his or her hierarchical equals, but the wellbeing of common folk is not his/her concern. The moral badness of the master’s subordinate does not have a significant impact on the master’s happiness or security, but only reinforces what he already knows: that s/he is a vastly superior being than those under him/her. In terms of actions, master morality is consequentialist: it judges the goodness of an action by its outcome. It is a morality of instinct and individualism, whereby the fulfilment of one’s animal desire is seen as a positive outcome no matter what actions were taken to obtain this fulfilment. Any action which leads to a positive outcome is seen as being a good action. Any action which has negative consequences for the master is seen as being inherently bad, regardless of the intentions behind it. In practice, this morality glorifies self-regard, greed and ruthlessness because these attributes lead to the best outcomes for the person who displays them. Nietzsche sees the basis for his master archetype in the violent and brutal emperors, warriors and warlords in ancient imperial civilizations: â€Å"Roman, Arab, German, Japanese nobility, Homeric heroes, Scandinavian Vikings† who represent â€Å"the blond beast splendidly roaming around in its lust for loot and victory. Master moralists are rarely unhappy, as the primary goal of their actions is their own wellbeing and happiness. They are able enjoy to the fruits of their various conquests, unburdened by the weaknesses guilt or remorse. Slave morality could not exist without master morality, as it is first and foremost a reaction to it, a â€Å"revolt† against it. Slave morality stems from ressentiment or resentment the slave feels towards the master. The master feels, at most, condescension or smug pity towards the slave. By contrast, the slave is consumed by hatred and bitterness towards the master, and sees the master as responsible for his or her misfortune. This resentment and bitterness leads to the slave adopting a mentality which demonises the master, and which holds up as good those attributes which are unlike that of the oppressor. Characteristics shown by the master are â€Å"evil† and goodness is seen in the traits which oppose them, e. g. Humility, obedience, restraint, self-denial, modesty, patience and acceptance of one’s fate. Slave morality does not aim for self-ascension or self-gratification. Its aims centre on utility: the reduction of suffering for the greatest number of people. It sees evil in the self-aggrandizement and the ruthlessness and violence of the master. Where master morality is for the elite few, slave morality is a value system for the masses. The values inherent in slave morality, not coincidentally, are almost synonymous with Judeo-Christian moral ideals; Judaism and Christianity were, in the past, religions of the poor and the oppressed. Nietzsche sees, in the reactionary nature of slave morality and its dishonest demonization of its oppressors, a desire to make slaves of the masters. Violence and vengefulness are anathema to slave morality, however, if the slave moralists can universalise their value system – through religion, for example – they can convince the masters that they are evil, and in doing so lessen their power and take revenge for past evils. Nietzsche sees slave morality, especially the universalisation of it through religion, as harmful and damaging to human progress. However, he does not see it as an unreasonable reaction to oppression, and suggests that the slave is in fact cleverer than the master, even if this cleverness is often exercised through self-deception. In contrast to the consequentialism of master morality, slave morality can be seen as a deontological morality. It determines an action’s goodness by looking at the actor’s intention: to slave moralists, the ends do not, necessarily, justify the means. The nature of acts and their actors plays an important role in Nietzsche’s discussion of morality. Slaves believe in and strive for freedom and see evil in the masters’ oppression of them, as they believe they perform these acts of oppression of their own free will. They believe that, because the masters are free agents, they should be held responsible for their actions and criticized for them. Nietzsche disputes this view, and demonstrates his argument using the analogy of the eagles and the lambs: â€Å"That lambs dislike great birds of prey does not seem strange: only it gives no ground for reproaching these birds of prey for bearing off little lambs. And if the lambs say among themselves: ‘these birds of prey are evil; and whoever is least like a bird of prey, but rather its opposite, a lamb – would he not be good? ‘ there is no reason to find fault with this institution of an ideal, except perhaps that birds of prey might view it a little ironically and say ‘we don’t dislike them at all, these good little lambs; we even love them: nothing is more tasty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Nietzsche claims that asking masters to act with humility or restraint is akin to asking a bird of prey not to hunt to feed itself. He believes that slaves separate the being from the action and in doing so are able to condemn the masters for the supposed evils they perform. Nietzsche believes the slaves are dishonest in this, because the master acts in strength not because he wants to cause harm to the others, but because he is strong and powerful and should not be expected to act as if he is otherwise. It would be against the eagle’s nature to act against his own self-interest, and the same applies to the master. He believes the slaves are practicing self-deception in claiming goodness is theirs because they choose to be humble when, in fact, slaves are only humble and restrained because these traits were forced upon them through slavery, or through their own inherent weakness. He does not blame the slave for being this way – the slave performs these acts of self-deception in order to survive and affirm his/her own existence as worthwhile – but, again, sees the increasing prevalence of the slave mindset as harmful for society as a whole. He saw, in the democratic fight for equality, a movement towards mediocrity and stagnation. Nietzsche saw the move towards democracy in the western world as a logical continuation of slave morality’s influence, calling the democratic movement â€Å"†¦the heir of the Christian movement. † (BGE 151) The principle of equality on which democracy in based was profoundly unreasonable to Nietzsche, given the obvious inequalities within the human race. He believed that in order to enforce equality, strong men are lowered to the value of weak men, to the point where ambition and ingenuity goes unrewarded and progress stagnates. He looks back on times of scarcity and warfare, when enterprise and domination were rewarded and respected because they were necessary. Now, the west has given itself over to a herd mentality, where such attributes are seen as â€Å"dangerous†¦ [and] branded as immoral. † When an individual does raise his or herself above the herd through ambition or excellence, the community’s self-confidence is diminished. The herd takes comfort in the fact that, in their eyes and/or the eyes of their god, this individual must be immoral. Judeo-Christianity was the dominant religion in the west during the 19th century, and democracy did become the dominant political system during this time. However, although most of the sentiment behind it seems to hold true, there are flaws in Nietzsche’s argument that this is evidence of the overarching adoption of slave morality, and that this adoption created a stagnation of ambition or progress. Put simply, Nietzsche must argue the following: 1. Slave morality has triumphed over master morality in the west. 2. Progress stagnates under slave morality because excellence is not rewarded but condemned, 3. Progress has stagnated and excellence is condemned in contemporary western society. But we can look to the history of the late 19th century to see that the progress made in that time was not insignificant. The invention of the motor car, the telephone, the light bulb, among other things, is a sign that creativity and ambition was certainly not altogether stifled. While democracy provided the political framework, capitalism (primarily an individualistic economic system) flourished and rewarded enterprise and ambition with money and influence. This shows one of two things to be true: slave morality’s influence over western society was not as pervasive as Nietzsche claims OR its influence was not as damaging to human progress as he believed it was. If, as Nietzsche claims, master morality is a necessary condition for the advancement of society, it must not have been defeated entirely, for society was and is advancing. Nietzsche’s account of the master-slave dichotomy is more difficult still to apply to modern western society, although I doubt Nietzsche himself would try to do so. While our individual morality may still come from external sources, these days the sources are likely to be many and varied, rather than from a single religious viewpoint. Individual morality grows and evolves from experience. And while the culture of our society may endorse elements present in Nietzsche’s slave morality (compassion, modesty and patience, for example, are certainly not seen as bad things,) we also see a culture where achievement and ambition is not stifled but rewarded. We see celebration of athletes, who embody the strength, beauty and pride present in a Nietzschean master. We want our leaders to be honest, active, strong willed and brave, but raise concern if they are seen to lack compassion, or are too boastful, or do not seek to reduce suffering. Nietzsche’s Genealogy is convincing in its methodological approach to understanding the opposing moralities it discusses. It is logical that masters, the strong and elite, should seek no comfort or endorsement from external sources when they have total faith in themselves. That slaves sought out comfort in a morality based in religion, which holds up piousness and selflessness as virtues, makes sense as a survival strategy and as a way for these slaves to carve out meaning in their difficult lives. In discussing the impact on society in his time, Nietzsche despairs that of these two moralities, the slaves are winning, through the growth of democracy throughout the west. Perhaps, instead, the growth of democracy led to an evolution of western morality. Through the evolution of our class system beyond master and slave, our culture has become more multifaceted. Our relations with those above and below us has become more nuanced, and so too has our morality.

Little Mermaid Essay

Jackeline Elizabeth Chang Chang 1 Ms. Carr EMS30 24TH, March, 2010 The Little Mermaid The Little Mermaid is a film made in November, 17th, 1989. It was written by John Musker and Ron Clements. This is the story of a mermaid named Ariel, youngest daughter of King Triton, who is dissatisfied with life in the sea. She longs to be with the humans above the surface. She dreams of going on land. She is often caught in arguments with her father over those â€Å"barbaric fish-eaters†. Her father also forbids her to go on land. She goes to meet Ursula, the Sea Witch, to strike a deal, but Ursula has bigger plans for this mermaid and her father. Ariel is the type of girl that wants everything to go her way. She does everything she pleases. In the movie Ariel portrays a character that symbolizes a normal teen. Disobedient, demanding, will powered and very independent. She is 16 years and wants to follow her dreams no matter what anyone says. Ariel as a princess of her father, King Triton, must act and behave like one. King Triton is very controlling and have many arguments with her. As king he demands and expects good from everyone, especially his daughters, including Ariel. He wants Ariel not to go to the surface because it’s dangerous and doesn’t want her to be involved with humans. Knowing Ariel she disobeys and goes anyways. Here we see that Ariel is doing what she wants. Demonstrating her will power. Ariel is not alone when she goes on her adventures above the waters, she has her best friend Flounder, he is a yellow and blue Chang 2 coloured fish. He is seen to be younger. As a male character, Flounder scares easily and is prone to panicking under stressful situations, but when Ariel is in trouble he comes through for her without hesitation. After an initial argument over Ariel over her latest trip to the surface, Triton orders his loyal servant, Sebastian, to keep an eye on her. Sebastian is a crab, he is known for his Caribbean accent. He follows Ariel and tries to keep her out of trouble. He tries his best to watch for Ariel, and helps her in anyway he can. He is very loyal and honest and wants to please the King. Ursula is another character in the movie, she is an octopus person sea witch who â€Å"helps† unfortunate mermaids to achieve her own goals. Her appearance is of an obese purple-skinned, white-haired female human with a facial mole, but from the waist down she has six black tentacles. She is very cruel and dominant. Ursula commands her minions, the twin moray eels, to watch Ariel, who might be â€Å"the key to Triton's undoing†. Ursula forms her plan to seize power around Ariel's forbidden love for the human Prince Eric. Ariel has many journeys in this movie. From finding human treasures to falling in love with a human prince. In disobeying her father to going up the surface she finds her true love. All of a sudden a storm hits, everyone manages to escape to the lifeboat except for Eric, who swims back to save his dog, Max. In the process he almost drowns, but he is saved by Ariel. She drags him to shore and sings to him, but before he can regain consciousness fully, Max and Grimsby arrive, forcing Ariel to dive underwater. Ariel wants to meet him again and be with him. At that time, Sebastian and Flounder were with Chang 3 her when she was with Prince Eric. Sebastian tries to do the job given to him, and is horrified when Ariel saves the life of and falls in love with a human. Sebastian accidentally lets this information slip to King Triton, who confronts Ariel. King Triton is furious with Ariel and destroys all her human treasure that she has kept in her secret place. Ariel is hurt and angry. She goes on another journey where Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula’s minion’s, persuade Ariel to go to Ursula's lair, claiming that the sea witch is the only one who can solve her problem. Ariel knowing she is not allowed to talk or even be with her because she was banished from Atlantica. Goes with them and agrees with Ursula’s plan. She is being disobedient and doing what she pleases. Ursula plan is to take her voice and she will give her human legs. She has to kiss Eric within 3 days, or else she belongs, her soul, to Ursula. She has Ariel sign a contract to have proof that Ariel made a deal with her. What Ariel doesn’t know is that she never kiss Eric because Ursula has planned it like that. So she can have the Triton’s power. Ariel soon learns Ursula whole plan in tricking her, but it’s too late, she can’t do a thing. Ariel puts her father and even Eric’s life in danger. She put the whole sea life in danger. When you do anything wrong and be disobedient , there are always consequences, no matter what, This what Ariel got for being disobedient in going up to the surface. At the end, of course Ursula loses her powers and King Triton gains back his power. He see’s what Eric, a human, has done. He knows that he was wrong about all humans, and gains respect for Ariel. With the approval of her father she does marry Eric and everyone is happy. King Triton has learned that Ariel was right about humans, and that Ariel is very independent. He has Chang 4 changed his views about humans and his daughter. Ariel has know followed her dreams, even though it almost cost her life and father‘s, to marry her true love, a human, prince Eric. Even tough her adventures and journeys has caused trouble, at the end it all came out good. She marry’s Eric, She has made friends with Sebastian, and has gained her respect and trust with her father again. The social values that are described in this movie are gender values. There is that stereotype of a princess, Ariel, always ending up marrying their true love. This is what happened. Ariel marry’s Eric. Ariel also portrays a stereotype of a typical teen, she disobeys, independent and has will power. Most teens resemble her personality. Another stereotype is the villain. There always has to be an antagonist in the movie. The villain gains and has power at one point, and they even go through with their plan, but at the end they always end up losing, or dieing. In this case, this is what happened to Ursula. Lastly, a demanding or controlling person is always portrayed, in this case that would be King Triton. He looks out for Ariel and wants things to go his ways. Men are always demanding, and they want the will power. A father always, no matter what, looks out for his daughter, and this is what King Triton portrays. In conclusion, The little Mermaid created by John Musker and Ron Clements was a good movie indeed. It demonstrates how love has power, even for a mermaid. Journeys and adventures have purposes, even though they get you into trouble. Ariel followed her dreams of her heart. She disobeyed her father many times, made a deal with Ursula the Chang 5 sea witch, put her father, Eric and even the whole sea in jeopardy. All for the cause of true love. She marry’s her Prince and gains respect from the whole sea. All because Ariel was a will powered, independent and demanding teenage girl.

Hierarchies, Incentives and Firm Structure Essay

Hierarchies, Incentives and Firm Structure - Essay Example They suggest that it contains the majority of elements that a partnership has only that it defines the period that it will end. However, joint ventures have been said to have their own predicaments. This paper describes the joint venture of SynChem and Henlin Biotech in utilizing their power in chemical research in technologically upgrading the chemical industry in China. This happened after SynChem had submitted their first application for a patent after discovering the linker technology anti-body drug conjugate (ADC) (Cheng, p.76). The paper additionally describes the benefits and/or problems that all of one of the participants in the joint venture. Finally, it discusses how the joint venture could be set up in such a way so that it still produces the potential benefits but avoids some of the pitfalls inherent in such projects. 2.0 Benefits and Pitfalls The chairman, president and other esteemed guests from Henlin Biotech visited the offices of SynChem with an intention of negotiat ing a joint venture with the company on upgrading the chemical industry in China. These visitors said that by combining their capabilities in research, both companies would greatly benefit in modernizing or upgrading their technologies. There are numerous benefits or pitfalls that such a joint venture may encounter during the course of executing business. The companies in the joint venture may benefit by making local contacts with people who have a greater understanding of the problems that technology is having within the Chinese chemical industry (Ekvall & Evan, p.90). These local contacts may help the companies in building closer relationships with other players in the industry who may bring in additional information and resources for the benefit of the joint venture. Both of these parties that are involved in the joint venture may in turn gain experience on the matters affecting the industry in addition to becoming more familiar the rules or practices used within the Chinese chem ical industry (Bouchikhi & Kimberly, p.112). The joint venture that SynChem and Henlin Biotech are into will greatly benefit both companies that have combined their talents along with resources for achieving their objectives (Cheng, p.88). This is mainly because the companies will be able to pool together their individual workforces, equipment, finances and expertise in overcoming any risks that they may encounter in the industry. Both of the companies in the joint venture may also be able to obtain additional capital sources for facilitating their activities. Their joint venture will enable them to have stronger capital bases from which they can draw finances, additional cash or contributions on their capital from the shareholders within them (Hamilton & Zhang, p.165). The move would greatly enable them in preventing shortages of cash which may hamper their activities or the profitable completion of their projects. The companies within this joint venture which are SynChem and Henli n may additionally benefit through their increased bidding powers and bonding capacities. The companies combined efforts may assist them in attaining more powers when making bids in future projects. This is because the companies in the joint venture may have an extra ability of raising the resources and finances required to complete various projects (Campbell, p.87). Since SynChem is more experienced and

Managing Business in Europe - Airbus versus Boeing Research Paper

Managing Business in Europe - Airbus versus Boeing - Research Paper Example The formation of the European Monitory Union (EMU) and its subsequent policies stirred the aircraft manufacturing industry to a new level of anxiety and competition. At the forefront of this competition, wars are the two major manufacturers of large commercial aircrafts, Boeing and Airbus. The success story or lack thereof of the euro poses a lot of challenges to the role the U.S dollar has played in the international aircraft market, more so in the European market. Most affected in this regard is Boeing, which carries out its production and sales using the dollar. The negative impacts of a credible euro on the dollar stem from the fact that the euro has become an attractive alternative to the dollar in the European aircraft market. The euro’s challenge to the dollar as the world’s leading currency in the aviation industry still attracts a lot of debates and uncertainty. On one side of the debate are those stakeholders holding the opinion that forces of inertia will sti ll see the dollar maintain its role as the leading currency in the aviation industry for quite a long time. The euro-enthusiasts, on the other hand, foresee a situation in which the euro will soon rival the dollar as the preferred currency in the aviation industry’s manufacturing subsector. Besides the above lines of thought, there are those aviation stakeholders who assert that it is too early to postulate on the long-term impacts of the EMU on the role of the dollar or the euro on the manufacturers of aircraft such as Boeing and Airbus.

Case Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Summary - Essay Example Helen must also become an attentive listener. F. Leigh Branham, the CEO of human resources consultancy Keeping the People, thinks that Sambians employees need a forum in which they can speak openly about their discontent. The candid discussions can expose the "triggering events" that impel people to leave, such as a disconnect between the firms long-standing focus on innovative design and a more recent concern with profitability. Jim Cornelius, the chairman and CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb, once faced a potential employee exodus as interim CEO of the pharmaceutical company. He advises Helen to meet face-to-face with her most talented employees and assure them that she understands their concerns and desires. Jean Martin, the executive director of the Corporate Executive Boards leadership council, urges Helen to support a mission and culture to which employees will feel connected. She explains that although people join companies for rational motives, they stay for emotional ones. By the time unhappy workers tell their managers whats going on, its often too late. In this case study, an architectural firm has begun losing valued talent. But departing employees arent giving specific reasons for their defection. The company must determine how to stop the exodus. Readers will explore questions such as how the CEO can play a stronger role in retaining top talent, how to create a safe environment for employees to express complaints, and how to make leaders throughout the organization more accountable for attracting and retaining talent. There are trying times when businesses face enormous challenges in their normal operations. These challenges could be caused by circumstances like impacts of global warming, global economic depression and so on. Such catastrophes do have far reaching negative effects on the usual operation of the

US Supreme Court Decision AT&T. versus Hulteen Research Paper

US Supreme Court Decision AT&T. versus Hulteen - Research Paper Example Hulteen 1). The matter in controversy is clear, if the employer does not give an employee full pension benefit by excluding the time of pregnancy leave on the ground that when the employee took pregnancy leave, the PDA Act was not operative, Can the employee file a suit for discrimination? Can the employee enforce credited leave time for such absence? Can the employee get relief under U.S. law and enforce greater pension benefit? What is the present law with regard to this matter? To find answers to the above questions, a research and in depth analysis of the case in hand would surely prove to be of great help, as discussed in the latter context of the paper. 2. The Dispute Before proceeding further into the case, knowledge of the facts of the case is essential. The petitioner of this case was the American Telegraph & Telephone Company, whereas the respondents consisted of individual respondents in the form of Noreen Hulteen, Eleanora Collet, Elizabeth Snyder, Linda Porter, and the c ollective-bargaining representative of the employees, the CWA or the Communications Workers of America (AT & T Corp v. Hulteen 3). AT & T provided pensions and other benefits to its employees on the basis of seniority system, relying upon the term of employment, which was equivalent to service at the company minus uncredited leave time. For a period extending from 1960 to mid-1970s the employees on disability leave got full service leave but those who took personal leave, which also included leaves for pregnancy, received a maximum service credit of 30 days. The respondents of this case received less service credit for pregnancy leave than they should have received, if they had taken a leave for disability. Respondent Noreen Hulteen received seven months less credit, Eleanora Collet received six months less credit, while Elizabeth Snyder and Linda Porter received two months less payment. If the total term of employment was not so decreased, they would receive greater pension benefit (AT & T Corp v. Hulteen 2-3). The individual respondents of this case and the CWA filed charges of discrimination against AT & T with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). After receipt of complaint EEOC issued a Letter of determination finding that AT & T had discriminated against Hulteen and similar class. The EEOC issued a notice of right to sue to the respondent and the CWA, after which Hulteen filed a suit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Certiorari was granted by the Supreme Court on this issue to resolve a split between the decision of the Ninth Circuit on the one hand and on the other hand the Sixth and Seventh Circuits on the same issue (AT & T Corp v. Hulteen 3-4). Hulteen had to take the issue to the Court without negotiating a settlement due to the fact that she had to satisfy herself with considerably low pension than she would have received, if she would not have taken the pregnancy leave. The policy of AT & T Corp. will never have allowed her to enjoy the full pension benefits and she had to file a suit. The EEOC had to resort to a case, as it had to keep in mind the interest of the other workers. Finally, AT & T had to move to the Supreme Court, as it was not satisfied with the decision of the Ninth circuit. 3. The Procedure The suit never reached the District Court at the first instance. The individual respondents of this case and the CWA filed charges of discrimination with the EEOC, stating that discrimination has taken place on the basis of sex and pregnancy in violation of Title VII. The suit

Death Marches of the Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death Marches of the Holocaust - Essay Example fall into enemy hands alive to tell their stories to Allied and Soviet liberators (2) The SS thought they needed prisoners to maintain production of armaments wherever possible (3) Some SS leaders, including Himmler, believed irrationally that they could use Jewish concentration camp prisoners as hostages to bargain for a separate peace in the west that would guarantee the survival of the Nazi regime (Holocaust Encyclopedia). Thus, one is clear that the Germans prevented the prisoners escaping from the concentration camps, and if anybody attempts to escape or protest against this injustice, they would either be severely tortured or killed. Evacuation The evacuation of the soldiers was so brutal that thousands of prisoners were forced to move through a worst climate. According to Yehuda Bauer, on January 18, 1945, about 66,020 â€Å"†¦starving prisoners were marched out of the camp shivering in the bitter winter cold dressed in the now familiar thin, striped clothed and wearing, for the most part, only wooden shoes or sandals where their feet were not covered in rags† (Bauer 1). The words of Bauer exactly portray the picture of the Death marches. He further adds that the prisoners were treated as animals and â€Å"were either forced to march on foot, driven relentlessly and senselessly through the snow-covered countryside, beaten and starved, anyone lagging behind would shot without mercy; or they were herded, 80 to 100 persons or more, onto uncovered railway cars without water or food for days on end† (Bauer 1). Historical analysis reveals that the Death Marches continued for about four months till the defeat of the Germans. After effect of the evacuation As stated earlier, the Death Marches, as the names symbolizes, were really marches of death. Jennifer Rosenberg... This essay discusses that the evacuation of the soldiers was so brutal that thousands of prisoners were forced to move through the worst climate. On January 18, 1945, about 66,020 â€Å"†¦starving prisoners were marched out of the camp shivering in the bitter winter cold dressed in the now familiar thin, striped clothed and wearing, for the most part, only wooden shoes or sandals where their feet were not covered in rags†. The words of Bauer exactly portray the picture of the Death marches. He further adds that the prisoners were treated as animals and â€Å"were either forced to march on foot, driven relentlessly and senselessly through the snow-covered countryside, beaten and starved, anyone lagging behind would shot without mercy; or they were herded, 80 to 100 persons or more, onto uncovered railway cars without water or food for days on end†. Historical analysis reveals that the Death Marches continued for about four months till the defeat of the Germans. Some of the studies have identified that even after the death marches still there remained about 70000 prisoners in the concentration camps. It has also been identified that at least a quarter of a million prisoners were sent on death marches which lasted for weeks and hundreds of kilometers. The death marches continued to the very day of German fall. It was unparallel in history that majority of the survivors are of the opinion that it would be better to be killed in the gas chambers than undergoing all these tortures. Thus it unearths the fate of the prisoners in the Death Marches.

Arauco Case study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arauco Case study - Research Paper Example The overall contribution made by the new proposed pulp manufacturing facility will result into the expansion of the production capacity of the firm by more than 3 millions. This increase in capacity will therefore make the firm one of the leading manufacturers of pulp in the world in terms of overall production capacity. With an estimated investment of $1 Billion, the new project is estimated to produce sales of $350million per year. Since the overall estimated economic life of the plant would be 30 to 40 years therefore overall revenues will be equal to $14.00 Billions over the period of 40 years thus contributing significantly to the value of the firm. Though no specific discount rate is given however, given the sales generating capacity of the proposed project suggest that it will add significant value to the firm and firm’s shareholders will gain value from the proposed investment. Any organization willing to make its strategic move therefore has to look into its core comp etencies and must examine its core strengths. In past firms have made forward integration moves however, such moves proved fatal because of the integrated nature of the process. (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson). Suppressed demand for paper can seriously damage the profitability of the pulp business also because of the integrated nature of both the processes. It therefore becomes more critical to look into those aspects of the strategy where they can offer an insight into the ability of the firm to actually utilize its existing strengths in more effective manner rather than spending its energies on the development of new set of skills and competencies in order to compete in a market which has remained relatively untapped by the firm. Firm’s decision to move away from Pulp only could also be the direct result of its decision to diversify the business in other segments. Though the firm has expanded into related businesses however, diversifying from pulp business can be mostly a res ult of capitalizing on firm’s core competencies in manufacturing pulp at relatively low cost. It is also important to understand that the pulp sales of the firm have increased over the period of time suggesting that due to high demand and better cost efficiency, firm is able to sell its pulp products at relatively premium prices in the market. Such acceptability in the export markets therefore indicates that the firm has already established itself in international market in this segment of the business. Pulp is used for just 50% of the paper manufacturing therefore firm will have to acquire new set of skills and efficiency with which to use other remaining material and ingredients to produce better quality and low cost products. This would therefore invariably put the firm on a new learning curve thus slowing down its progress to become the market leader in the business. Recommendations Firm derives its competitive advantage from its low cost production and market reputation in the international market. Since firm is already backward integrated with access to high quality wood to manufacture pulp and other allied products therefore it is recommended that the firm should take the decision of horizontal expansion rather than engaging into forward integration. The proposed move will increase the production capacity of the firm by large

Mergers and acquisitions as a response to the deregulation of the Essay

Mergers and acquisitions as a response to the deregulation of the electric power industry - Essay Example Mergers and acquisitions are such modes of growth. Mergers occur when two firms of equal standing concur to combine their operations under one shareholder group; acquisition is when one firm outrightly purchases another and becomes its majority shareholder. As to whether they combine operations or not and the manner they choose to do so are a matter of strategic determination, but it does not detract from the fact of the merger or acquisition as a matter of ownership (Daniel & Metcalf, 2001, p. 216). This report examines the fundamental theories behind mergers and acquisitions and gives a cursory examine of one such undertaking. Motives for firms to enter into mergers or acquisitions: (1) To improve efficiencies by reducing production costs, increasing output, improving product quality, obtaining new technologies, or providing entirely new products. A merger or acquisition may explore both operating and managerial efficiencies. Operating efficiencies come from economies of scale, production and/or consumption economies of scope, enhanced resource allocation, shift to a less costly technology or asset configuration, or acquisition of better skills, use of grand name capital, and so forth (Pautler, 2003, p.122). (2) To explore financial and tax benefits by diversifying the firms’ earnings with dissimilar earnings streams to lessen earnings variation. Depending upon regulations, tax benefits may be realized, as in situations where the law allows offsetting the acquiring firm’s taxable income with the acquired firm’s net operating losses to reduce future taxes (Pautler, 2003, p. 122) (3) To increase market power to the advantage of the merging fir ms. Where the merging firms each command a significantly sizeable part of the market, then their merger may well trigger a spate of other mergers by the competing firms, which result in virtual monopolies or oligopolies. These so-called â€Å"merger waves† were evident in three periods: the successive mergers in the 1887-1904 wave which were viewed by George Stigler as â€Å"mergers for monopoly,† the 1916-1929 wave he called â€Å"mergers for oligopoly,† and the 1968-1974 wave which Matsusaka termed the â€Å"conglomerate merger wave† (Stigler, 1950, and Matsusaka, 1993, both cited in Pautler, 2003, p. 125). After the passage of the antimerger legislation in the U.S. in 1950, preventing the merger of competitors with significant market shares, such mergers were allowed only after review and approval by U.S. antitrust and other regulatory agencies. In the UK, a similar merger wave was seen between 1948 and 1961, when 735 public companies were taken over b y other public companies, with two to three hundred other unsuccessful bids during the period, which Kuehn (1969) attributed to the effect of the valuation ratio as a constraint on the managerial utility function (p. 133). (4) Because of management greed, self-aggrandizement or hubris. A study conducted by Morck, Shleifer & Vishny (1990) showed that managerial incentives may account for merger activity that eventually erode the firm’s long-term value. Badly considered mergers may result in over-diversification, an ill-considered pursuit of growth, or merely bad acquisition decision. Oftentimes, the poor quality of the decision is not evident at the time it was made, and only becomes apparent afterwards. Matsusaka found that in the conglomerate merge

How far did communism manage to proceed along the road to a classless Essay

How far did communism manage to proceed along the road to a classless society - Essay Example Gradually, the worker became a victim of injustice, harassment and exploitation. Protest movements originated. According to Karl Marx, a great social thinker and reformer, the root cause of exploitation is traced to private ownership of the means of production. If this ownership is transferred to State, exploitation will cease! When the exploiter class has been finally done with, with no chances of its rising to power again, the State will be replaced by a classless society. Since there is no private property in a communist state, the individual is reduced to a cog in the giant state wheel. The old exploiter has been removed and a new exploiter has taken over. In the name of defeating the counter-revolutionaries, the state apparatus becomes more and more totalitarian. The process of dehumanization of the individual gets accelerated. This has been the post-revolution picture in many communist countries. The so-called great ideals of classless society supposed to be achieved in a perfect state of communism, have proved to be mirage. Those who still swear by the communist ideology, amidst its failures in many countries, do so for their political advantage, and not with the passion for the welfare of the workers. They are just beating the dead corpse. â€Å"The Pope calls Marxist ideology inhumane and essentially impossible, he recalls that history has confirmed his position towards Marxism to be correct. The â€Å"illusion† of a classless society, Pope Benedict XVI says, â€Å"has vanished†. Instead of Communist political maximalism the Pope suggests patient charitable and spiritual activity to fight for more justice in the world.† (O’Brien et. el, 2006) None can deny that Communist rulers are to be blamed for some of the heinous crimes recorded in the human history. Marxist teachings validate such crimes. The concept of classless society, though it has remained as an unattainable dream so far, the positive effects

The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea Essay Example for Free

The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea Essay Luis Alberto Urrea has done thorough research over the topic of illegal immigration and the problems people face while crossing the border before writing this book. Most of them die in the mid of their journey as they have to cross on foot which is very dangerous and involves a lot of risk. Urrea describes the situation and facts so lively that the reader gets completely involved and almost starts feeling the pain by which these men might have gone through. Urrea wants to point out that these illegal immigrants as human eings and wants them to be treated likely because the process of immigration takes us back into the history when men were needed in US to do some odd jobs that the citizens were not willing to do. Also these people could be paid less and thus helped indirectly in the economy of the country. But seeing some of the Mexicans well settled in US lot of them wanted to come and this gave rise to people like Don Moi to create mafia too. The Arizona desert is considered as the devil’s highway because it is deadly. Getting lost nd water are continuous problems that men face there. The description of different kinds of death makes the reader breathless and this looks quite close to reality as they tell their personal stories and the reasons behind why each one is risking his life. Urrea uses terms like ‘cutting the drag’ and explains the reader how these men carry themselves forward in that unimaginably strong sun and drag their body in extreme hot conditions. He also uses terms like ‘a pig at a luau’, which is used to describe the type of death these men were getting in that deadly desert due to heat. The ‘signcutters’ like Don Moi in the story takes away his cut of interest and leave the men in the way lost, as there are no signposts in the way to guide them. Urrea spends a lot of time on the point of view of the Border Petrol because he wants to show the real picture to the readers. He has done complete research work and has interviewed the various politicians on each side. Some of them are in favor of immigration while many want to build a high wall from one end to other end of Border. He wants to tell the reader that the common and poor people suffer due to this kind of politics. The two sides of the story tell the reality of both immigrants and the problems they face and activities involved at the border like patrolling and maintaining them. Urrea has very beautifully mixed the two stories and makes the reader feel the real picture behind what people actually think of. The Devil’s Highway’ is considered as literary nonfiction because it is a story based on acts and author has done a great job of blending reality with story. The facts are so well described in the pattern of story telling that reader actually feels pain and almost relive the story along with words used by writer. Urrea tells the story in a very fascinating way and even gives brief description of each individual, his life and reason why he wants to immigrate. This makes the story even more interesting and live. The book is ‘literary’ because reader is almost linked to facts through the story.

Marital Satisfaction And Gender Sociology Essay

Marital Satisfaction And Gender Sociology Essay Marital satisfaction also called marital quality is defined as the happiness and satisfaction one feels about their relationship with their spouse, as well as how well one feels their spouse fulfills their needs (Booth, Johnson, and Granger, 2005; Peleg, 2008). Marital satisfaction is the subject of much sociological research. Most of this research has focused on how certain influences affect marital satisfaction. Current research examines how factors such as division of labor, income, and parenthood affect marital quality (Kluwer, Heesink, and Van De Vliert, 1997; Tichenor, 1999; Cox, Paley, Burchinal and Payne, 1999). Studies shows that many factors play a role in the happiness spouses feel about their relationships. Much of the early research in this area focused on the traditional roles of husbands and wives. Because of recent trends such as the increase in dual-earner households and the fact that many women are making more money than their husbands, more recent studies focus on how gender role ideologies affect the marital relationship. Gender role ideology is how a person relates to family or marital roles that are usually linked to gender (Minnotte, Minnotte, Pederson, Mannon, and Kiger, 2010). Gender role ideologies are defined by Mickelson, Claffey, and Williams (2006) as spouses expectations of each other as well as of themselves within the context of the marital relationship. Mickelson et al. (2006) investigate the impact of egalitarian and traditional gender roles on marital satisfaction. Gender role ideology is shown to be a major influence on the levels of marital satisfaction reported by husbands and wives. Marital discord also influences marital satisfaction. Rogers (1999) defines m arital discord as problems and conflict in the marital relationship. Communication and interaction between spouses can have a major impact on marital quality. Does gender play a role in marital satisfaction? This article will examine previous research on the major factors that influence marital satisfaction, including gender role ideology, division of labor, income, children and parenthood, and communication and marital interaction beginning with the factors that correlate most with gender. GENDER ROLE IDEOLOGY Gender role ideology is defined by Minnotte et al. (2010) as the identity one assigns him- or herself with regard to gender-linked marriage or family roles. The difference in expectations between egalitarian and traditional gender roles can have a major impact on marital satisfaction. Lower marriage satisfaction in women seems to be the result of traditional gender role expectations (Ng, Loy, Gudmunson, and Cheong, 2009). However, lower marriage satisfaction in men tends to be influenced by egalitarian gender role expectations (Ng et al. 2009). Traditional relationships can appear to be less conflicted than egalitarian ones, but this is likely the result of conflict avoidance in the traditional relationship (Kluwer et al. 1997). Egalitarian relationships may seem to observers to have more conflict, however, they also have more communication and conflict resolution, whereas traditional relationships foster lower marital satisfaction by evading conflict management (Kluwer et al. 1997). Studies show that the gender role ideologies of husbands and wives play a significant role in their levels of marital quality. Mens marital quality is higher when the husband and wife share the same role ideology and is lower when the ideologies differ (Minnotte et al. 2010). When work responsibilities interfere with family responsibilities, the quality of marriage and other familial relationships can deteriorate. Minnotte et al. (2010) explain that egalitarian wives marital satisfaction suffers with relation to work-to-family conflict (lower marital satisfaction is related to high work-to-family conflict). Work-to-family conflict is defined as conflict that occurs when family needs are negatively impacted by the demands of ones work (Minnotte et al. 2010). DIVISION OF LABOR Division of labor continues to be a contentious issue between spouses. Saginak and Saginak (2005) define labor in the context of marriage and family as responsibilities of the home, including domestic, emotion and organizational work necessary to maintaining a family home. Dew and Wilcox (2011), Faulkner et al. (2005), and Ng et al. (2009) all report that a perception of inequitable distribution of household labor is directly related to marital dissatisfaction. In addition, Kluwer et al. (1997) report that just because a couple does not report household labor conflict doesnt mean that it is not present in their relationship. In traditional marriages, wives frequently avoid division of labor conflict, however discontent they may be, according to Kluwer et al. (1997). Evidence shows that instrumental support is crucial to marital satisfaction for egalitarian wives (Mickelson et al. 2006). However, the level of egalitarianism in men is negatively related to their marital satisfaction, probably because there is a higher expectation of household labor duties for egalitarian men compared to traditional men (Mickelson et al. 2006). This shows that in spite of egalitarian beliefs, many men still do not consider household labor their responsibility. INCOME The amount of money a woman makes doesnt influence marital quality in the ways we may think. Tichenor (1999) finds that gender has more of an impact on marital satisfaction than status or income. In families where the wife earns more money than the husband, most women reject the power they may get from earning more money and create an image of their husbands control of the family (Tichenor, 1999). These status-reversal relationships appear to seek the image of a conventional marriage (Tichenor, 1999). Tichenors (1999) research shows that most husbands prefer the label of provider and do not object to this manufactured image. Wives who earn more money than their husbands are still doing a majority of the housework while contributing a majority of the family income (Tichenor, 1999). This shows that housework is gendered and not influenced by wives income. Women cannot exchange money for housework by earning more money than their husbands (Tichenor, 1999). Rogers (1999) reports that wives marital dissatisfaction significantly influences wives income. Marital discord can contribute to a womans decision to get a job, but husbands marital dissatisfaction has no influence over their wives income (Rogers, 1999). Interestingly, Faulkner, Davey, and Davey (2005) report that wives job loss creates less marital conflict and a higher level of marital satisfaction for them. However, the time their husbands spend working outside the home is negatively related to their marital happiness (Faulkner et al. 2005). When a wife is unhappy, she is more likely to get a job outside the home, but when an employed wife loses her job, it contributes to less conflict and more satisfaction in the marriage. This illustrates the tendency of many men to have traditional gender role expectations. CHILDREN/PARENTHOOD The effects of parenthood on marriage are also more complicated than expected. Cox et al. (1999) argue that having children creates a decrease in marital satisfaction, but that the severity of the decrease is significantly influenced by whether the pregnancy was planned or unplanned, the gender of the child, and the conflict managements skills of the couple prior to pregnancy. Levels of marital satisfaction have been shown to bottom out around the childs first birthday, and then increase in small increments during the childs second year of life (Cox et al. 1999). Planned pregnancies purported higher levels of marital satisfaction than unplanned pregnancies. Studies show that parents of male children report higher levels of marital satisfaction than parents of female children, although the difference was slight (Cox et al. 1999). Dew and Wilcox (2011) report that wives decrease in marital satisfaction shortly after childbirth was attributed to a decrease in time spent with their spous e as compared to prior to the birth of the child. COMMUNICATION/MARITAL INTERACTION Communication plays a vital role in marital quality. Disclosure is the sharing of information about the self including past information and future plans (Finkenauer, Engels, Branje, and Meeus, 2004). Disclosure is a key aspect of marital communication. Finkenauer et al. (2004) state that disclosure in horizontal familial relationships is positively related to relationship quality. Sharing between spouses can lead to more intimacy and feelings of closeness (Finkenauer et al. 2004). Loss of time spent together as a couple can contribute to low marital satisfaction (Dew and Wilcox, 2011). Spending time together can lead to more sharing and disclosure, and has been shown to lead to higher levels of marital satisfaction for husbands and wives (Finkenauer et al. 2004). Interpersonal differentiation is also very important to personal relationships. Peleg (2008) defines interpersonal differentiation as the capacity for both intimacy and autonomy in relationships with others. Peleg (2008) argues that the differentiation of self is crucial to marital satisfaction. There is delicate balance of togetherness and separation that contributes to a healthy marriage (Peleg, 2008). More marital conflict is experienced by couples with low differentiation (Peleg, 2008). Peleg (2008) also states that low differentiation can result in negative feelings, which can negatively impact marriage satisfaction. These factors were equally significant for both men and women (Peleg, 2008). High marital locus of control (MLC) is associated with increased marital happiness (Myers and Booth, 1999). Locus of control is defined by Myers et al. (1999) as the level of control one feels over the conditions of their life. High MLC among spouses is directly correlated to lower reported marital instability and conflict (Myers and Booth, 1999). In other words, a perception of more control over marital activity equals increased perceived marital quality (Myers and Booth, 1999). Gender has not been shown to play a role in the MLC factor. Another aspect of the level of marital satisfaction has to do with the increasing number of aging wives caring for their ill and/or aging husbands. Between impaired husbands and their care giving wives, reciprocity of emotional support is directly related to lower perceptions of burden and increased marital satisfaction in the wives (Wright and Aquilino, 1998). Although reciprocity levels depend on the impairment of the husbands, increased interaction leads to higher marital quality perception in care giving wives (Wright and Aquilino, 1998.) CONCLUSION There is no simple answer to whether gender influences marital satisfaction. Simply stating that one gender is happier in marriage than the other is oversimplifying the facts. Most literature on marital satisfaction focuses on the different factors that influence marital satisfaction such as gender role ideology, income, children and parenting, communication and marital interaction, and division of labor. Some research goes a step further to distinguish how each factor is affected by gender, and some does not. There are so many angles from which to look at the quality of marriage that it would be next to impossible to isolate gender as the single most compelling issue in marital satisfaction. For example, a husband who has traditional gender role expectations is more likely to report higher marital satisfaction if his wife stays home with the children and does all the housework. However, if the wife does not share the traditional gender role expectations, she will be unhappy in the marriage, which will no doubt affect the husbands satisfaction with the relationship. These multi-layered findings make it obvious that gender is not the most significant factor in determining marital satisfaction. Differing gender role ideologies clearly influence marital satisfaction, as does each spouses expectations about their partners income. But husbands and wives are shown to have the same preferences when it comes to marital communication and disclosure. They also report almost identical patterns of marital satisfaction when it comes to the transition into parenthood. This illustrates how although influential, gender is not one of the most significant factors in marital satisfaction. Future research on this topic could focus specifically on how gender alone directly affects marital satisfaction. Excluding other influential factors could mean isolating the specific ways gender affects marital satisfaction in a way that hasnt been done before. This would be challenging, but finding a way to focus on gender would provide information that isnt currently available. This information can be useful to professionals who study the breakdown of marriage or to marriage counselors who are trying to help troubled couples salvage damaged relationships. It could also provide researchers with data that may predict the likelihood of success in future relationships.

The Bible version controversy :: essays research papers

A controversy of immense silliness has recently broken out among Evangelicals regarding the validity of modern, conservative translations of the Bible like the New American Standard, the New International, and the New King James. The controversy was ignited by a book written by Gail Riplinger entitled New Age Bible Versions. The only thing sillier than the controversy is the book that sparked it. Remember the old joke? -- "If the King James Version was good enough for the Apostle Paul, then it's good enough for me!" Well, Riplinger tries to convert the joke into gospel. A Ridiculous Thesis Her thesis is that the King James Version is the one and only pure translation (in any language!) and that all the new translations that have flooded the market in recent years (including the most conservative) are part of a Satanic, New Age conspiracy to undermine the deity of Jesus and the credibility of God's Word. The book is mean-spirited and vicious in its attacks upon the godly evangelical scholars who labored so hard to produce the modern versions, not to undermine the Word, but to make it more understandable to the average reader. Unfortunately the book has spawned an army of Riplinger disciples who feel it is their god-ordained duty to go forth and purify the Church by demanding the exclusive use of the King James Version. Picking up on their mentor's divisive spirit, they are labeling as heretics all fellow Christians and Christian leaders who prefer to use some version other than the King James. To illustrate how insane this silliness has become, consider a recent article that appeared in the newsletter of one of Riplinger's most enthusiastic supporters, a prophecy teacher by the name of Texe Marrs. Calling the new conservative translations "unholy" and "grotesque," he proceeded to condemn four leading prophecy teachers because they refused to endorse Riplinger's book and join with him in certifying the King James Version as the only reliable translation. The four he condemned as "misguided leaders" and "false witnesses" were Dave Hunt, Peter LaLonde, Arno Froese, and John Ankerberg. Two of these, Hunt and Ankerberg, happen to be among the leading defenders of the Christian faith today! Even more incredible is the fact that all four men use the King James Version in their preaching and teaching -- and Marrs knows that they do! Still, they must be condemned as heretics because they refuse to denounce the "Satanic, New Age" versions.

The Powerful Opening of Kafkas Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays

The Powerful Opening of Kafka's Metamorphosis    'When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.' Franz Kafka opens his novella Metamorphosis (also The Transformation and The Transfiguration) with the above phrase, a simple statement of fact. He startles the reader with this bold first sentence. It draws the reader directly to the question of why? Why is Gregor Samsa a monstrous vermin. The inclusion that Samsa has had 'unsettling dreams' could indicate that he was subconsciously aware of his metamorphosis taking place. It also tells us that his mind is not at rest. The words 'monstrous vermin' in the publication translated by Stanley Corngold differ from the description in the original German. The German translates directly to 'horrific bug' . 'Monstrous vermin' still leaves the reader space to imagine a number of different vermin that Samsa could have become, but the use of 'horrific bug' narrows this down somewhat. Kafka's opening sentence sh ows the path that Samsa's feelings follow, to the point, with little hope.    F. Kafka goes on in the remainder of the first paragraph to describe Samsa's physical appearance. His back, described as 'as hard as an armor plate' gives an impression that Samsa has gained more protection from life, from who or whatever changed his physical form. The cover, as it is said that it is about to fall off of his domed brown belly, can be likened to society in Metamorphosis. The cover (nor society) could not fulfill its purpose, and clings to Samsa. An important image is that of Samsa's 'many legs... ...waving helplessly before his eyes.' This gives the reader an impression of Samsa's inability to control the situation.    Gregor Samsa's first thought is to ask himself what has happened to him. Obviously from this one can assume that Samsa was not expecting his metamorphosis and is indeed quite surprised by the whole event. His instant deduction that it was no dream implies that Samsa has control of his mind, and a certain grasp of the reality of his new situation. Kafka describes Samsa's room as 'a regular human room' allowing the reader the necessary understanding that it is just Samsa that has changed, not the world around him. The Powerful Opening of Kafka's Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays The Powerful Opening of Kafka's Metamorphosis    'When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.' Franz Kafka opens his novella Metamorphosis (also The Transformation and The Transfiguration) with the above phrase, a simple statement of fact. He startles the reader with this bold first sentence. It draws the reader directly to the question of why? Why is Gregor Samsa a monstrous vermin. The inclusion that Samsa has had 'unsettling dreams' could indicate that he was subconsciously aware of his metamorphosis taking place. It also tells us that his mind is not at rest. The words 'monstrous vermin' in the publication translated by Stanley Corngold differ from the description in the original German. The German translates directly to 'horrific bug' . 'Monstrous vermin' still leaves the reader space to imagine a number of different vermin that Samsa could have become, but the use of 'horrific bug' narrows this down somewhat. Kafka's opening sentence sh ows the path that Samsa's feelings follow, to the point, with little hope.    F. Kafka goes on in the remainder of the first paragraph to describe Samsa's physical appearance. His back, described as 'as hard as an armor plate' gives an impression that Samsa has gained more protection from life, from who or whatever changed his physical form. The cover, as it is said that it is about to fall off of his domed brown belly, can be likened to society in Metamorphosis. The cover (nor society) could not fulfill its purpose, and clings to Samsa. An important image is that of Samsa's 'many legs... ...waving helplessly before his eyes.' This gives the reader an impression of Samsa's inability to control the situation.    Gregor Samsa's first thought is to ask himself what has happened to him. Obviously from this one can assume that Samsa was not expecting his metamorphosis and is indeed quite surprised by the whole event. His instant deduction that it was no dream implies that Samsa has control of his mind, and a certain grasp of the reality of his new situation. Kafka describes Samsa's room as 'a regular human room' allowing the reader the necessary understanding that it is just Samsa that has changed, not the world around him.

extinction of great apes :: essays research papers

The great apes are humankind’s closest relatives. Great apes include gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos, which are also known as pygmy chimps. At the turn of the century, there were approximately one million chimpanzees in Africa. This number has declined down to 150,000. Mountain gorillas have halved in size over the last ten years, leaving only 320 to roam the trees of their homeland. Some say these great apes will face extinction within a decade. Why is this the case and should we let this happen? These apes lose areas of habitat on a daily basis. They are also constantly slaughtered for meat and body parts. These two enormous contributors of great ape depletion are just unnecessary additional threats to the existence of our relatives. We must not forget that there is also disease and environmental catastrophes that kill off these intelligent human-like primates. Humans share up to 98% of their DNA. This makes the great apes a very valuable and important subject for study. There is a lot we can learn from them. Because we are so closely related, this may also be a link to global extinction. Perhaps a more thorough evaluation of each of the factors which contribute to the depletion of the four great apes may help to understand how damaging and unnecessary this depletion has become for them, as well as for us. Loss of Habitat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most influential causes for the mass decline in great apes is due to habitat loss. Habitat loss includes the clearing out of forests for agriculture, timber extraction, and fuel wood. The orangutan may be in the most trouble because of this. The last large groups of these primates are located in the large rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. These forests are currently being destroyed by illegal loggers, planters, and also by forest fires. Many of these fires seem to be started by plantation owners. The act of logging is not just about taking down a few large trees. It is about stealing all of their resources. Great apes use their environment to build tools and to eat. If we continue to take away their primary food source, they are sure to die off. In addition to destroying their food resources, logging creates islands of rainforest. Cutting down trees, leaves gaps of open area. This causes an isolation of the great ape population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The gap caused by logging also is a common cause of these rainforest fires.

Cultural Diversity Ewareness Essay

Many cultural differences abound in San Francisco’s educational institutions. The so many people of different races who live together in this side of the United Sates have quite a challenge trying to coexist because of their cultural differences occasioned by their differences in race, religion, gender, social status besides others. These differences pit the whites, Latinos, Caucasians, Black Americans and the physically challenged against each other in their day to day activities whether it is in the educational institutions, in church or in several other social organizations. A case in study here is the educational institution set up where these differences are so common they threaten to get out of control. All these groups live in a state of denial because they are not able to appreciate their cultural differences. Stereotyping coupled with worrying levels of intolerance has adversely affected social order in campuses since no one group is prepared to accept what they see as an act meant to devalue them from from an otherwise well- meaning different racial group. This has resulted in near total communication breakdown. One needs to be well acquainted with the several differences in the cultures of these students so as to be able to coexist without these unnecessary conflicts (Paul et al 1967). Black Americans and students from foreign countries mainly from Africa, Latin America and some Asian countries have most of the time had the going tough due to racial profiling. Discrimination is meted against them and their response is denial and defencse. A few respond to this challenge using minimization. Most cases of violent confrontations on many campuses in San Francisco are as a result of these differences which are more often than not ignored by the concerned authorities. Professionals handling students’ affairs should make every effort to infuse into students affairs work the needed skills that bring about multicultural competences, for example awareness and the knowledge together with the necessary skills so that the students can be able to work with fellow culturally different students in a way that bears meaning, relevance and productive ways (Pope, Reynolds & Mueller 2004). Cross-cultural communication is a big issue here as the different racial groups speak a language that sometimes has words that do not exist in the vocabulary of the others or words that bear different meanings and this presents a case of communication on cross-purposes and therefore conflicts are bound to be frequent. We are talking about slang, idioms and dialects that are not common to all. A student from outside the U. S. will not fully understand the meanings of many words used by their native college mates occasioning a breakdown in communication. This age-group has its own set of language that deviates from the common language, the only one they know and this brings misunderstandings among them posing a threat to communication. The physically challenged do not fare well in many socio-cultural settings due to heir disabilities. They are left to maneuver through the tight and difficult programs in the educational institutions on their own. The frustration resulting from these acts of abeism makes them react by way of misplaced aggression (Jaime 2004). To this, they respond by coiling to a corner to give the strong way, and so do some female students. College youth has serious intolerance for some religions especially Islam. Most of them in this region few and associate it with terrorism, which is a very harsh term to a fellow student, but still they cannot avoid using it against students from some Asian countries or those from a similar origin. Counseling needs to be given priority in resolving these various differences and biases. REFERENCES Jaime, (2004). Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural Education; Newton, Ma, Intellectual Resource Corporation. Paul et al, (1967). Pragmatics of Human Communication: A History of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies and Paradoxes. New York, W. W. Norton. Pope, Reynolds and Mueller, (2004). Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs; San Francisco, CA.

Is Graffiti an Art or a Crime Essay

Through the years, people have expressed themselves in different ways and manners. Some have chosen photography, drawings or sculpture. Others came up with new ways like graffiti which is a new form of urban expression that made controversial reactions. I believe that some graffiti is an artistic performance because of its expressive nature, beautiful display, and creative ways. The rest of it reveals a criminal behavior since it uses others’ properties without permission or consideration, harms the urban landscape, and sends negative messages. The major differences between both perceptions are the aim of the taggers and location of the tags. On the one hand, taggers have produced beautiful and expressive pieces that people appreciated. During a class trip to 5 Pointz, an outdoor art exhibit space in Long Island City, New York, where graffiti is permitted and regulated. I stood for few minutes in front of a tag of ghostly skulls surrounded by flames (The Picture). The skulls had an expression on their skinless faces that made me feel like hearing the sound of those portrayed people as if they were screaming out in pain with the sound of evil laughter in the background. This mixture of its beauty and livelihood made me and my classmates enjoy the experience. In addition, after admiring the excellence of the tags, I thought that those taggers must be very talented and creative to come up with such beautiful artworks, especially on those large surfaces and hard-to-reach places, bearing in mind that they’re only using spray paint. It makes you wonder how they could make all those fading colors and shades, and transform bare walls into three dimensional objects. They certainly are very creative and highly skilled. Before leaving the site, I noticed that there was a transportation corporation that actually had graffiti artists tag its wall with trucks to make it more appealing to commuters, which affirms that people do like and appreciate this art as long as it belongs where it is permitted. On the other hand, I denounce the effect that graffiti has had and continues to have on our urban landscape. That’s where it gets associated with vandalism, because instead of tagging specified places, taggers choose train cars, bridges and public walls, which make the cities look messy and hasty, forcing the authorities to spend unnecessary money to paint them over. Furthermore, most of graffiti, especially those done discretely and with no permission display gang names, obscene language and silly drawings which make many people think of it as crime and violence. In McCann’s novel Let the Great World Spin, Ciaran was accompanying his brother and looked across the van window to a church, and said â€Å"It was daubed in graffiti—whites, yellows, reds, silvers. TAGS 173. GRACO 76. The stained- glass windows had been broken with small stones. Even the cross on top was tagged. † (McCann, 34). When he said that even the cross was tagged, I thought that they were making a statement that their pride and art are above religion, and thus above other people’s beliefs and feelings. Graffitists were invading every surface, including sacred and religious ones. It seemed that they find their pleasure in what annoys and bothers their community, just like the person who gets pleasure in consuming drugs that are poisoning his own body. They leave others clean up, deal with the trauma of property damage, and wonder why their property became a target, whether it was hate and racism act, or just a tool in somebody’s careless adventure. Whereas many people find it hard to categorize graffiti, I think that the taggers are the ones who make of it an art or a crime based on their purposes and the locations they use. For instance, when I come across a tag that catches my eye, even if it is visually pleasant, it bothers me a lot to see that the tagger made it with the intent of defying the authorities, damaging public or private property, or just challenging and cursing his rivals, instead of making it to express himself and display his high talent. It loses its artistic value and becomes a cheap tool for his malicious intentions. I also believe that it depends heavily on where they’re putting up their work. If a graffitist uses the walls of my building without my permission, I would not be happy, and I certainly would not consider that as an artistic act, but as a reckless behavior showing disrespect. It is just as if someone rode your bike, without your permission, to perform some stunts and then brought it back to you and expected you to appreciate that. That is insane. Inversely, if the tagger performs on a spot where it is regulated and permitted (like the 5 Pointz site), I would get to see his pieces from a positive perspective. In conclusion, graffiti is basically an artistic performance that contains talent and aesthetic vision. It also is very expressive and meaningful. But, some taggers use individuals’ and public properties without their permission displaying gang-like negative messages and vandalizing our urban scenery which makes many of it considered as a criminal act. What distinguishes between graffiti being art and graffiti as an act of vandalism is the intent of its producers and the spots they chose to display their pieces. As people continue to live, there will continue to be inventions of new methods of social expression.

Development Of Emotional Or Psycholgical Problems In Children

Psychologists, for a long time, have always faced the problem of how various emotional and psychological factors surface and developing human beings. In order to solve this problem, these psychologists have traced the various ailments and causes backwards towards childhood times. As a result, modern psychology, biology, and therapists have looked towards childhood markers which eventually dictate psychological and emotional well-being of children.However, the problem remains that tracking emotional and psychological problems that eventually surface in adults could and even in early childhood could not essentially be associated only to a single factor, but rather many other variables. In fact, recent research has continuously found many root causes and markers for predicting emotional and psychological problems in adults and especially in children. One such cause and root for emotional and psychological problems could be related to biology and genetics.As researchers have discovered, various genetic markers may be able to associate themselves with the root causes of abnormal emotional and psychological behavior. In fact, the role that genetics plays in emotion study and psychology has goes so far as to develop a whole new discipline of biological psychology which focuses on genetic factors that eventually result in the disabling or magnification of neural factors.Specifically in children, these genetic factors may affect psychology through language, pathology, learning and memory, cognition, and even over all consciousness. For example, although a society found in children has been traditionally associated environmental experiences and causes, psychologists have for a long time wondered why some kinds of anxiety disorders found in children come up so early as that social factors and cultural norms could not have played an essential role in its development.Towards this research, psychologists have discovered that there are genetic markers that could be passed fro m parent to offspring that directly result in nonnormal anxiety behavior. Also directly to the study of genetics is the association of other biological factors which contribution to emotional and psychological states of children. Genetics, by definition, has to do with the genes of an individual. However, imbalances in organs and biological factors and functions within the human body have also caused such psychological problems to surface in children.For example, occurrences of cerebral palsy in children — an abnormal biological condition that significantly affects emotional and psychological well-being of adults and children alike — could be associated to biological functions and biological causes. However, this research and field of connecting biological relationship to a motion and psychology of children is still in the research stage of scientific development is more and more psychologists are connecting their disciplines in euro signs.Mostly, at least, these biolo gists and psychologists have associated emotional and psychological issues of children to euro and brain activity which only reflects that our emotions and psychological state — even as children — could not only be associated to the environment. However, among all these disciplines, instructions, and research, a large part of the development of emotional and psychological problems in children could be associated to the environment.In fact, statistically, bringing together the research of emotional and psychological problems in children, environmental factors pose the most significant statistical and relevant cause for such behavior. Listing them all down and discussing them would fill volumes and volumes of work and relevant research has been made that connects recent environmental and social concerns that have not even been traditionally associated with emotional or psychological effects to children.For example, just one area of child psychology focuses on the family environment and how it significantly affects and causes many of the problems that surfaced early in childhood that contribution greatly to emotional or psychological health. Also, another childhood years, your pressure and social consciousness — specifically in the academic setting and age groups — has been a constant focus of child psychology research because of the significant effects that are contributed by such social pressure and social environment to the way children think and react especially to given situations.The development of emotional and psychological problems in children, therefore, could either be individual factors in genetics, biology, or environmental factors, work could also be in fact a mix of these three interrelated causal variables. Recent psychological research, again focusing on child psychology, or integrating these three disciplines through the use of open sharing of academic information, to understand the development of emotional or psychol ogical problems in children and they said the research is well underway in the identification of still new variables and factors to problems with regard to child mental health.

Ban the School Uniform!

School Uniform. Who actually likes school uniform? Nobody. Nobody in their right mind wants to wear exactly the same clothes that hundreds of people are wearing at the same time, in the same place. Why do people wear school uniform? Because they have to. There is no law saying people have to wear school uniform, so who says you have to? Governors, head-teachers, your parents? They all say â€Å"wear your school uniform† And why? Because they were told to wear uniforms when they were at school. It's not because they like school uniform, or that they think it makes you look smart like they always tell you- it's because they want revenge. That's all. They just want to get their own back on their governors, their head-teachers, their parents. They just can't get over the way they were treated at school, the fact that they were made to wear school uniform. On average 90% of Britain's school children are FORCED to wear a school uniform. 90%. And this number is always increasing. Think how many people that is. Hundreds, thousands, millions of kids walking about dressed exactly the same, like identical robots. Also think how much time is wasted on the uniform. Going out and buying it. Time wasted by you getting dressed into the uniform with a thousand layers-the kind of layers that keeps you roasting in summer and does bugger all in the winter-, time wasted by parents washing the uniform and ironing it continuously. Don't forget the uniform has to be worn 5 days a week, so it's not just a case of wash it Saturday, iron it for Monday†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦it's more like wash it Tuesday, iron it Tuesday, wash it again Thursday, iron it Thursday and then wash it for Monday again on Saturday. It's a never ending cycle. Not only that, teacher's time is being wasted by having to CHECK that you wearing the goddamn thing. â€Å"Why haven't you got your tie on?† – The tie you can't even see â€Å"Why have you got your trainers on?† – What difference does it make what shoes you wear? Expensive time is being wasted on this pointless matter: time which could cost your child those marks to get a better exam level. Uniform are restrictive, and in a recent survey 99% of people feel uncomfortable in their uniform. This causes them to fidget and lose their concentration. Concentration which is already at a low level. Nothing bad can come out of banning school uniform. Nothing. People will argue that too much pressure will be put on parents to buy designer clothes for their children, but I disagree. Clothes that people own now would be worn and there was no pressure on buying these so there should be no pressure to buy new clothes. Pressure is already on parents to buy the school uniform so this is a pointless point. We have to ban the school uniform for people's individuality. If we don't people will dress exactly the same all their lives, until we become one world of uniform wearing, identical robots. It's been said that somewhere in the world there is someone who looks EXACTLY like you. Imagine if there were a billion people look exactly like you? So people, join me in saying â€Å"Ban the uniform, ban it now before it is too late!† In my speech I used: * Clusters of 3 * Repetition * Use of statistics * Addressing the reader * Repetition of powerful phrases * Point of the disadvantages of not agreeing * Rhetorical questions * Alliteration * Short, sharp sentences * Ending with the main slogan

Assignment: Change and Innovation Essay

In today’s society companies are finding that it is more demanding that they make changes in certain departments or in the entire company. May managers are faced with the question, â€Å"How do I make successful changes? † Another issue company’s face is the resistance to changes by employees. How can a company reduce the resistance from employees? What role do human resources play in managing change? Change is a part of moving forward in the company and keeping the company successful in years to follow. To make successful changes managers, employees, and human resources need to work together in making those changes. In companies there are factors that create a need for change. Some changes are motivated from external forces, such as competition or updating technology. Other changes are motivated by internal forces, such as employee attitudes, new equipment, and redesigning of jobs. When implementing changes the person who implements those changes are called a change agent. A change agent can be a manager or a non-manager. Mangers make smaller, less drastic changes and are more cautious about the outcome. Non-managers tend to make larger, more drastic changes because they do not have to deal with the repercussion of the change (Robbins, DeCenzo, & Coulter, 2011). Once the manager or non-manager implements the changes or changes that need to take place they have to make sure that the plan is followed by employees to have the biggest chance of success. When implementing the change from regular medical record to electronic medical record the first thing that needs to happen is, the change agent needs to accept the change and communicate the importance to the employees. The electronic medical records will be more successful if the change agent recognizes the impact on staff and adopts an open policy if one is not already in place. Committing to an open environment will establish trust and open-door policies. Open-door policies allow feedback and allow for employees and change agents to give and receive feedback with less defensive approaches. Employees need to feel comfortable when change is being implemented, providing training and allowing them to be a part of the change process are ways to help them feel comfortable. Allowing employees to help with the change making decisions will help them to accept the change. Employees that work with the customer may also have better insight on how to better provide for the customers. Providing the employees with training on why and how the change to electronic medical records will be implemented and making sure they know what is going on will help keep the employee more comfortable about the process. Letting employees know that some failure is okay will help ease them when failure comes. Changing agents need to look at failure as a positive learning experience and encouraging them to think the same way. Taking these steps and recognizing the employees efforts along the way can have a huge effect on if the employee feels positive about the change or not. If these practices are not implemented then employees may resist the change (Richards, 2012). Some common reasons why employees resist change are because they are afraid of the uncertainty, they may fear that the change will not work, change interrupts habit, and they may lose personal benefits or have personal losses due to the change. If an employee is not trained or allowed to give feedback they may resist changes due to uncertainty. Employees need to be trained on the reasons for the changing to the electronic system as well as how to use the system. Training employees may ease them out of their habit of the old way and into accepting the change and creating a new habit around this change. When a change in implemented in a company the employees resist the change due to the fear of the loss of status, money, or benefits they were getting from the old system. Employees should be told what changes will affect them personally and be allowed to give feedback on ways to minimize loses. All changes should be expressed in positive ways to help employees deal with their fears. Open-door policies and encouraging feedback will help with minimizing employees’ fears and resistance to change. Being proactive and allowing the employees give ideas for the change, along with supporting employees during and after the change will help resistance of employees be minimized (Robbins, DeCenzo, & Coulter, 2011). Human Resources (HR’s) also play a role in managing change. HR’s can act as the change agent and overlook the whole change process. HR’s can be in charge of setting a strategy, facilitating, training, and monitoring employee engagement, input and feedback. If a company does not feel that they want HR’s be in charge of the whole change then they may ask them to play no role at all or to evaluate the change effort once the change is complete. HR’s may have a small role or a big role in the change process at a company. Many companies are starting to give HR’s bigger roles and allowing them to be part of the change (APQC, 2012). Human Resources, manager, and even non-managers can implement change in a company. It is up to the person who is implementing the change to communicate, train, and support employees so that they feel comfortable with the change. Allowing HR’s and employees to be a part of the change can help everyone feel more at ease with the change. Failure should always be a learning experience and if a change agent gives employees a positive outlook and support while making the change then resistance will be minimized.

CUSHING'S SYNDROME Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CUSHING'S SYNDROME - Assignment Example The paper will cover the symptoms and diagnostic procedure to evaluate for Cushings syndrome. There are various symptoms of the syndrome. The symptoms include increased weight, thinning skin that gets harmed easily, stretch marks that appear as reddish-purple located on the thighs, stomach, buttocks, arms, legs, and breasts (NHS, 2015). Other symptoms include fat deposits that occur in the face, weakness of muscles or bones, and loss of libido. The affected individual may also experience mood swings, high blood pressure, irregular menses, and frequent urination (State Government of Victoria, 2015). There are various diagnostic procedures to evaluate the syndrome. The first important thing is to do a physical and visual examination to note of any change. At the same time, it will also be necessary to establish the individual medical history. The other thing is to measure the amount of cortisol in the body. This is done through urine, blood, and saliva tests (NHS, 2015). The tests will help confirm the level of cortisol in the body. The other thing is to establish the underlying causes for the condition. The first thing is to determine whether the syndrome is as a result of increased amount of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) in the blood (NHS, 2015). The reduced level of ACTH may confirm the presence of a tumor in the adrenal glands. The best way of confirming the syndrome is through petrosal sinus sampling. It entails taking a blood sample from the veins of pituitary gland and forearm (NHS, 2015). This is followed by comparing the level of ACTH in both samples. Sometimes x-r ays and scans may be