Not Waving but Drowning Poetry Analysis

Steve Smith is a particularly somber poem. The poem is about emptiness and shows what people will do to try to get attention. This poem is a metaphor comparing how the emptiness of our lives consuming us is like drowning. This poem is portrayed through the eyes off man who Just died. In the poem the man died by drowning, supposedly because he caught hypothermia but as he suggested he died because he was too far out in the water. What this translates to in real life is that this man was empty inside.In a vain attempt to try to fill this void, he â€Å"swam† further out only to become increasingly more and more empty. In the end the emptiness surrounded him and was â€Å"drowned in it. â€Å"Not waving but drowning† suggests that people saw him doing these thing yet took no notice of it because they thought it was him acting out: â€Å"he always loved larking,† but in reality they didn't see the signs that he was consumed. † It must have been too cold for hi m†¦ † Suggest that they believed he died because it was too risky for him but he refutes that saying, â€Å"it as too cold always,† as in it was always risky.He gives the alternate reason, â€Å"l was much to far out all my life and not waving but drowning. † This suggests he knew what he was doing yet he did it anyways trying to get attention yet everyone misinterpreted. I believe anyone can relate to this poem because it strikes an old chord in the human heart. Everyone is empty inside, and everyone has always tried going on a little â€Å"soul hunt† trying to find someone to truly notice them. But many have failed and end up â€Å"drowning† In their own emptiness and misery. Not Waving but Drowning Poetry Analysis Steve Smith is a particularly somber poem. The poem is about emptiness and shows what people will do to try to get attention. This poem is a metaphor comparing how the emptiness of our lives consuming us is like drowning. This poem is portrayed through the eyes off man who Just died. In the poem the man died by drowning, supposedly because he caught hypothermia but as he suggested he died because he was too far out in the water. What this translates to in real life is that this man was empty inside.In a vain attempt to try to fill this void, he â€Å"swam† further out only to become increasingly more and more empty. In the end the emptiness surrounded him and was â€Å"drowned in it. â€Å"Not waving but drowning† suggests that people saw him doing these thing yet took no notice of it because they thought it was him acting out: â€Å"he always loved larking,† but in reality they didn't see the signs that he was consumed. † It must have been too cold for hi m†¦ † Suggest that they believed he died because it was too risky for him but he refutes that saying, â€Å"it as too cold always,† as in it was always risky.He gives the alternate reason, â€Å"l was much to far out all my life and not waving but drowning. † This suggests he knew what he was doing yet he did it anyways trying to get attention yet everyone misinterpreted. I believe anyone can relate to this poem because it strikes an old chord in the human heart. Everyone is empty inside, and everyone has always tried going on a little â€Å"soul hunt† trying to find someone to truly notice them. But many have failed and end up â€Å"drowning† In their own emptiness and misery.

The History of Blues and Rock ‘N’ Roll

â€Å"You can’t play the blues, until you’ve paid your dues† (Spencer 41), said by the originator of the blues W. C. Handy. The blues is a music style that influenced America in many ways eventually coming to create rock and roll. The true originators of the blues go back to African slaves brought to America to work on plantations. As these slaves gained freedom and acceptance in the big cities blues developed its own unique style. This unique style gained popularity amongst the white community creating an opportunity for record labels to make a profit. Once the blues went nationwide white musicians took the blues style and techniques creating rock and roll. Some argue that rock and roll was only a lame attempt at duplicating the blues which could never be understood in the white community. Others argue that rock and roll artists stole the creativity of blues musicians to make their own profit. My argument is to find out whether or not the blues was stolen from African Americans and whether the blues was the property of African Americans not to be used by whites. Whatever the case, the blues changed how other’s viewed music and brought a whole new vibe to its white listeners. To settle the argument over whether or not the blues was something that belonged to blacks we must find out where the blues came from. If you want to find the origin of the blues you must look back to West Africa before its people were introduced to the European and American society. African Natives were isolated from the rest of the world, because it was too early to have technology for travel. Due to this isolation they created their own unique form of speech and music. The key element of West African music was rhythm, not melody and harmony. Instead of the European melodic harmonies, West African music was surrounded by rhythm. â€Å"The core of European music was to embellish a melody with a number of melodic instruments, and incidentally set a rhythm. The European aspect of rhythm was only specified by vague terms such as â€Å"adagio† or â€Å"allegro. † The core of West African music was to color a rhythm with a number of musical instruments, and incidentally dress it up with a melody† (Scaruffi 2) Rhythm was the foundation of the blues which the early whites never used. It can be concluded that the concept of rhythm was something that was created by African Americans belonging to their culture. Once the concept of rhythm came to America the technique of melody would fall behind becoming a less important aspect of music. In the 17th century America discovered Africa and enslaved the â€Å"Inferior race† (Guralnick 98) to work as cotton and wheat pickers for Southern plantation owners. As African slaves were shipped off to America they brought the musical aspect of rhythm that would lay the foundation for blues music. African slaves brought to pick cotton and wheat would use rhythm to set a pace for work. Black slaves developed a â€Å"call and response† way of singing to give rhythm to the drudgery of their servitude. These â€Å"field hollers† served as a basis of all blues music that was to follow† (Scaruffi 1). These work songs were the original form of blues. They would express the harsh conditions of slavery. Africans brought new emotions and techniques to produce music. None of these emotions could be understood by whites because slavery was not an issue for them. â€Å"Whether ecstatic (religious), mournful (work) or exuberant (party), it was much more emotional than white folk music. The combined effect of the hypnotic format and the emotional content created loose structures that could extend for indefinite periods of time, in a virtually endless alternation of repetition and improvisation† (Guralnick 13). The conditions were harsh and brutal working on the Southern plantations. These harsh conditions were a major focus in the lyrics of African slaves and influenced the future theme of blues music. â€Å"The songs of a Negro were the diary of his life (road, train, prison, saloon, sex), often an itinerant life, as opposed to the diary of a community (plantation, church)† (Spencer 38). Africans held their traditions but changed the theme of their music to paint a picture of their everyday lives. Blues now had a foundation to grow on. Due to the new rhythmic style of the first slaves brought from Africa, and generations of influence from America, blues was beginning to take form. The blues was originally a simple work song of cotton pickers and was now a new style of music making its way into the white culture. Blues music had a style revolving around slavery. So the blues did belong to African American because the issue of slavery did not affect whites. In 1865 the United States added the thirteenth amendment into the constitution abolishing slavery giving slaves the freedom to travel. The end of slavery led to the â€Å"Great Migration† of blacks into cities bringing a hip musical style amongst the white city folk. After the Civil War with the abolishment of slavery blacks gained their freedom and could choose where they would work. â€Å"Black men had few options other than back-breaking manual field labor or becoming a traveling minstrel. Many chose the occupation of a traveling minstrel playing raucous, all-night country dances, fish-frys, and jukejoints† (Pendack 11). For blacks who left the South, the North promised freedom. However segregation was still wide spread throughout America. Due to the end of slavery many changes were made to the former slave music to create the blues. â€Å"The end of slavery meant, to some extent, the dissolution of the two traditional meeting points for the African community: the plantation and the church† (Scaruffi 9). Music remained the way of venting the frustration of African Americans, but the end of slavery introduced Blacks as individuals instead of being defined by a group. The black singer was now free to and capable of defining himself as an individual. Solo singers represented a new take on that condition, the view of a man finally enabled to travel, and no longer a prisoner of his community, although, sometimes, more lonely† (Green 3). The sound of blues music began to change from slave work songs to blues. Whites could not understand the concept of gaining freedom because it was naturally given to them. The themes in the lyrics of the blues could only be seen through a black woman or man’s eyes. Many blacks took railroads to Chicago where the â€Å"City Blues† was born. City Blues† was a blues more subdued than its precursor, in part because its rhythms were more refined-more danceable. The African-rooted spirituality basically continued untouched; but the non-articulations (moans and hums) were less dissonant† (Guralnick 101). In Chicago, the emergence of the â€Å"City Blues,† in the 1920’s, created a new blues culture with increased musical performance due to the merging of city life and African musicians. The white culture had already adapted to the city life whereas the city was completely new to blacks. The theme of the city blues reflected the conditioning of the South’s rural emigrants to the city’s new universe of experience that could never be understood by whites. â€Å"City blues represented the African American’s transition from the relinquishment of old folkways to the appropriation of the new progressive mentality. Race progress, represented the liberation of African Americans from the alleged tyranny of superstition† (Spencer 40). What the blues represented was an emotion that belonged to the blacks. Much of the blues was performed in small venues giving rise to new music techniques. Singers sang louder, amps were cranked up, because small noisy club venues, common then, needed loudness to be heard. Some made the switch to electric guitars while adding drum sets to their bands due to the loudness of the crowd† (Green 6). The electric guitar began multiplying options for blues players. Some of the first generation artists of â€Å"City Blu es† were, â€Å"Muddy Water, Howlin’ Wolf, T-bone Walker, Bobby Bland, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, and B. B. King† (Pendack 2). The slaves of the plantations had made the transition from being â€Å"Field howlers,† to recognizable performers in the city life. As the sound of the blues began to rise in popularity Rock and Roll began to develop over time. As the blues began developing a distinctive sound it provided some fundamental elements for rock and roll. After this time, blues was increasingly merged with rock music to form the rock blues bands of the 1960's and 70's. â€Å"Blues- the last in all of its permutations; call it a blending, a transition, a hybridization, maybe even a genetic modification; this is the progression of the music. The Forties and early Fifties set the table for rock & roll† (Spencer 41). The rise in popularity of the blues had much to do with the mass media, record companies and radios. The blues was spread nationwide amongst the white culture. â€Å"During the late 1920's, with the advent of the 78 RPM phonograph, some of the more popular country blues artists were recorded by Paramount, Aristocrat and other record labels. These records served to expose white folks to the blues, as well as give the fledgling artists exposure to national, yet segregated record labels† (Guralnick 101). The blues rose to new heights because the money was there. War production pay checks and post-war prosperity gave music listeners money to buy the new music they loved. â€Å"They bought radios and they bought record players; they fed juke boxes and they bought records; they went to concerts at the Apollo and at the Hollywood Bowl. They made rhythm & blues profitable† (Pendack 13). With the risen popularity in blues music, record labels jumped at the chance to make some money. With the blues drawing a new crowd and rock and roll was to be born. Many of the original blues artists did not take too kindly to rock and roll. Whites began to make much profit from blues by creating rock and roll. However because blues originated from African American slave songs many whites had trouble replicating the blues because they had not gone through the same experiences. â€Å"Whites would steal from them this creativity born of labor and the elementary forms of industrialization and then turn around and sell it back. White capital, which owned all of the record companies, controlled this commercialization process from the start, economically and culturally† (Spencer 38). The mass media, record companies and radio broadcast stations were primarily under white control making the shift from blues to rock and roll easy. The record labels found that there was a market for blues records among white audiences of the big cities, particularly New York and Chicago† (Green 6). One of the original African American Blues artists, W. C. Handy, admitted, â€Å"Each one of my blues is based on some old negro song of the South, some old song that is part of the memories of my childhood and my race. I can tell you the exact song I used as the basis for any one of my blues† (Guralnick 14). The blues music had an underling meaning of suffering from segregation and slavery. Now let’s admit, I doubt any white man or woman would have any experience writing about that topic. Here is a great example of a white rock band using lyrics depicting the harsh conditions of an African American. Many blacks see this as an attempt at using blues music for profit. As the blues saying goes, â€Å"You can play the blues until you’ve paid your dues† (Spencer 38). â€Å"Every time a white cop hits a Negro with his billy club, that old club says, Bop! Bop!†¦ Be-Bop! Mop†¦ That’s why so many white folks don’t dig†¦ White folks do not get their heads beat just for being white. But you, me, a cop is liable to grab me anytime and beat my head-just for being colored. And this where we come from-out of the dark days we have seen. And not to be dug unless you’ve seen dark says, too. That’s why folks who ain’t suffered much cannot play, and do not understand it. They think it’s nonsense† (Spencer 42). -The Police, 1980 â€Å"It is important to note that â€Å"The Police† was a rock trio from London, England. The trio included the now popular solo singer â€Å"Sting† (Spencer 39). It is also worth mentioning that this band consisted of three white men. Not black, but white. Even though this song was produced and sung by a white band the lyrics are sung from a black man’s perspective. The Police† had no idea what it was like to be beat due to a difference in skin color. It is also worth mentioning that, â€Å"The Police† went on to sell more than 50 million albums and became the world’s highest-earning musicians in 2008. The Rolling Stone has gone on to rank â€Å"The Policeà ¢â‚¬  number 70 on the list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time† (Spencer 39). They ended up making a huge profit while using lyrics from a black man’s perspective. Now the question arises: â€Å"Was the blues really stolen from African Americans? † and if so, â€Å"Was the blues really something that belonged to African Americans? Looking back on the origins of the blues we can see that its foundation was set by the concept of rhythm created in Africa. Once African natives were enslaved they were brought over to America using work-songs to set pace for work. With the abolishment of slavery African Americans moved north bringing the new style of the blues with them. As these former slaves began to make the shift to performing in clubs individually, they began to develop a new sound. As the popularity of the blues began to rise record labels jumped at the opportunity to make a profit. Over time whites began to develop their own form of blues ultimately leading to rock and roll. Going back through this history we can conclude that African-Americans were the founders of blues. However, I do not think the blues is something that could be stolen. Rock and roll was formed by the combination of African culture and White culture. With the rhythmic style of the blues whites were able to transform it into their own version. If we were to keep the blues hidden belonging only to African Americans, slavery would have never been abolished. Due to the clash of the two cultures the outcome is rock and roll. Rock and roll heard today is merely the blues in its developed form. The blues was a melting pot for all musical forms. As the blues was mixed and spiced up by difference artists, rock and roll was what boiled out. Annotated Bibliography Green, Adam. Blues. The Encyclopedia of Chicago. 1991. Web. April 23, 2010. The â€Å"African American Migration† from the South and the growth of the music industry lead to the creation of the â€Å"City Blues. † During the 1950’, â€Å"City Blues, also known as the â€Å"Chicago Blues,† flourished using rhythm sections and a higher amplification. A higher reliance was given to guitar and harmonica leads. While â€Å"Chicago Blues† did not recapture the harsh conditions of the African American community, it found a new audience drawn from followers of rock music. Guralnick, Peter. Feel Like Going Home: Portraits in Blues and Rock ‘N’ Roll. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1999. Print Blues was a property of African Americans before it was even set on paper. Each blues singer had his own individual way of expressing himself. However there is a common thread of ideas as well as lyrics which gives blues players the ability to sit down with any other and play. Its very popularity in fact influenced recording trends and tended to place a far greater emphasis on the community. It has always been a commercial vehicle, and particularly so because of its adaptable form. Pendack, Stephen. History of Blues. Blues Music Rocks! 2002. Web. April 20, 2010. Blues has its deepest roots in the work songs of the West African slaves in the South. During their back-breaking work â€Å"field holler† would use rhythm of their work songs to set the pace. During the Great depression, blacks migrated north along railroad tracks to Chicago. They brought blues music with them and soon the sound filled urban night clubs. We began to see new performers like Muddy Waters switching to electric guitar and adding a drum set to their bands. Scaruffi, Piero. A Brief History of Blues Music. History of Popular Music. 2006. Web. April 23, 2010. During the creation of civilizations, blues â€Å"solo music† was invented to admire and appreciate musical talent of singers and instrumentalists. Blues music relied heavily on rhythm, both for dancing and singing. The key element to African music was rhythm, not melody and harmony. Instead of a melodic counterpoint, West African music was about rhythmic counterpoint. Spencer, Jon. Blues and Evil. Tennessee: The University of Tennessee, 1993. Print White blues artists have tended to overlook the underlying theme of the blues because they have not fully understood African American culture. The language of the blues is one including a deep religious meaning not to be duplicated by the white culture. With the creation of rock and roll a reason for using the foundations a blues arose. Much profit came from blues music but the meaning could never be understood by white culture.

Areas Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Areas - Research Paper Example Therefore, the total number of square units in the rectangle will be ‘b times h’, which is the area of the rectangle. Thus, the area of a reachable is given by: The line DC is extended to point F. The line AE is perpendicular on the line DC and the line BF is perpendicular on the line DF. The shape (triangle) represented by enclosures ADE and BCF are same (congruent triangles). Therefore, if we cut part ADE from the parallelogram from left and place this to the right on part BCF, than the enclosure ABFE will be a rectangle with base b and height h. Therefore, the area of the parallelogram ABCD will be equal to the area of the rectangle ABFE that is given by: The line DA is parallel to line BC and the line DB is parallel to the line AC. The enclosure DACB represents a parallelogram with base b and height h. The line AB divides the parallelogram DACB into two congruent triangles. Therefore, the area of the triangle ABC will be half the area of the parallelogram DACB, which is given by: Figure 5 shows a trapezoid (enclosure EFGH) with bases b1 and b2, and height h. This trapezoid can be separated in two triangles, triangle FGH and triangle FEH. Thus, the area of the trapezoid will be sum of these two triangles. The triangle FGH with base b1 and height h. and the triangle FEH with base b2 and height h. The circumference C of a circle is equal to its diameter d times π, or 2 times its radius r times π. Finding the area of a circle is related to finding the area of a parallelogram. A circle can be separated into congruent wedge-like pieces, as shown in figure 6 (left). These wedge-like pieces can be arranged to form a figure similar to a parallelogram as shown in figure 6 (right). Thus, the circle has an area that is relatively close to the area of the parallelogram-shaped figure. Therefore, we can use the formula for the area of a parallelogram to find the area of a circle. In

How are the ideas of legitimacy and identity used in politics and Essay - 1

How are the ideas of legitimacy and identity used in politics and social movements - Essay Example They seemingly claim to fight for minority rights, equity, or fairness but on the sidelines, they advocate for external interests like cessation, revenge, exploitation of foreign resources, political supremacy, or independence. One of such groups may include the whites in the world. Indeed, the Whiteman is arguably the most powerful ethnic group in the world and is physically set apart from other groups. Actually, the whites enjoy many privileges in the world as compared to other groups though they constantly deny that (McIntosh Web). We have seen in various occasions, the whites receiving favors in accessing resources like education, health care, and even employment. At the same time, they hold a certain identity from their language, color, and way of doing things, and quest to remain powerful, and most innovative (McIntosh Web). Indeed, when the whites went to Africa and other nations during the colonial period, they had the pretense of spreading Christianity and discovering new things yet it is logical that they sought to expand their dominance in the world, exploit resources in those countries, acquire free labor, spread their western culture, and influence the political direction in those countries. M ost recently, the whites in America will always seek to have their say in the politics and public debates of the most powerful nation on the world. Indeed, when Obama was seeking presidency questions of whether he is white or black took center stage. Additionally, the white in America influences world politics in the name of advocating for democracy. Indeed, most Arab countries that experienced the Arab Spring equally encountered the white influence where the whites called for and aided the removal of political leaders in those countries. In doing this, the whites presumably occupied a strategic position to benefit from the woes of such nations. Actually, the whites claim to fight for and hold the world democracy yet they only assent to laws that

The Kurdish Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Kurdish Question - Essay Example By some estimates, there are as many as 45 million Kurds that live within the region defined by Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. Due to the fact that this region is ultimately inhospitable, rocky, and mostly mountainous, it has ultimately served as a buffer zone and a hinterland for all of these nations and has not readily lent itself to being defined as a nation (Jimenez & Kabachnik, 2012). However, in order to understand the plight of the Kurds, it is necessary to review the situation from a historical perspective. As with so many disenfranchised and otherwise marginalized people groups, the Kurdish people have historically found themselves trapped between great powers and incorporated in a litany of different empires. The reader can and should understand the unique geographical realities that the Kurdish people have had to deal with in terms of understanding the fact that these people occupied the highlands that separated the Mediterranean and the Caucuses from the riche s of Mesopotamia. Though the history of the Kurdish people predates even the earliest records, as a means of impressing the reader/researcher with the realities of the current situation, this analysis will begin considering the history of the Kurdish people during the time of the Persian Empire. The way in which Kurds and Kurdish land were absorbed into the Persian Empire would ultimately become the model by which future regional and world powers would integrate with an understanding of the Kurds (Ackerman, 2006). Yet another interesting geographic dynamic that helps to define this group is with regards to the fact that all of the nations that have been listed, Kurds comprise high percentages of minority groups within each nation (A.P. & Chu, 1996). With the exception of Iran, Kurds comprise the second largest minority in each of the prior countries that it been listed. Similarly, one of the main reasons that a Kurdish homeland is not currently being considered is due to the fact that one of the most oil-rich areas within the entire Middle East has been determined to be directly under the regions of northern Iraq, South Eastern Syria, and southwestern Iran; an area in which the Kurds would like to make their homeland. Such a reality of course precludes any hope that these nations will relinquish control and allow the Kurdish people to have a higher

How does the Novel Nineteen Eighty Four anticipate social changes Essay

How does the Novel Nineteen Eighty Four anticipate social changes after WW2 - Essay Example 3). Characterized as dystopian fiction, Nineteen Eighty-Four gives expression to the aftermath of the Second World War and the onset of the Cold War by depicting a largely â€Å"impoverished world† (Booker and Thomas 2009, p. 193). In Orwell’s world, a harsh dictatorship has risen to power following a global nuclear war that occurred during the 1950s. Put in its proper context, this abrasive regime in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four is particularly thought provoking because the novel is written when â€Å"memories of European Fascism were still fresh and anti-Stalinist rhetoric was on the rise† (Booker and Thomas 2009, p. 193). A major theme in Orwell’s novel is anti-totalitarianism. Reed and Spring (1984) maintain that Orwell wanted to demonstrate what can occur when governments are prescribed too much authority (p. 24). Ultimately, those self-empowered governments will take control to such an extent that is meant to ensure that their power is sustai ned (Reed and Spring 1984, p. 24). Orwell wastes little time introducing the extent of that power and its system of control. Through his protagonist Winston Smith who is a civil servant for the ruling dictatorship, the reader learns of the extent of the ruling dictatorship’s control. ... representative of the government’s warning that it was constantly watching and that any sign of revolt or opposition against the government would not go unchecked. Indeed it can be argued that Orwell predicted or forewarned with a reasonable degree of precision what would unfold in the future. Tinpots, as described by Wintrobe (2000) are governments that permit conventional ways of living, but uses repression and oppression in order to remain in power and â€Å"collect the fruits of monopolizing political power (p. 11). Latin American dictators typically epitomize this image of the tinpot regime (Wintrobe 2000, p. 11). In the aftermath of the Second World War, Latin American regimes have been characterized by economic growth and lulls and political instability facilitated by tumultuous outcries for democracies (Leonard 2006, p. 123). This political instability may be a direct reflection of Orwell’s forecast of totalitarian rule in Nineteen Eighty-Four. The drive to do all that is necessary to retain power by these kinds of regimes remains intricately connected to political unrest and instability. When power is centralized, maintaining power becomes a virtual struggle with the result that economic policies are not a priority. As Sloan (1984) puts it, in Latin America, policymakers are so determined to obtain legitimacy â€Å"or at least survival† that development suffers (p. 19). Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four however, forecasts Asia, rather than Latin America, as â€Å"a region dedicated to death worship and the obliteration of itself† (MacKinnon and Powell 2007, p. 86). This death knell however is not relegated to Asia alone in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. Orwell’s novel acknowledges that the world’s three super-states, Oceania (Britain, the Americas, South

EVIL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

EVIL - Essay Example Therefore, even the ideal moral judge like God has to draw arbitrary line even when deciding on the number of evil things he would allow; therefore, the vague line guarantees that some evils in the world are gratuitous (Sullivan 398-402). Inwagen’s strategy and enlightenments to the evil problem are very significant in enhancing people’s understanding, and rather than giving an entirely critical response, he offers contributions and then explains their significance. Inwagen condemns the normal taxonomy regarding the problem of evil and provides a substitute all of which are important (Ã… ukasiewicz 448-450). The disadvantage that Inwagen points out includes analytic philosophers haste in categorizing the argument from evil into two, which involves the logical argument and evidential argument from evil. The logical problem from evil purports to indicate that the existence of both God and evil is logically impossible; nevertheless, defenders of evidential argument from e vil grant that the existence of both God and evil to be possible (Van 8). However, Inwagen insists it is unlikely that God exists given the extent as well as the degree of evil observed; hence, he notes that logical as well as evidential distinction are only but relics of history. Furthermore, Inwagen points out historical differences that usually encourage theists to consider sufficient response concerning argument from evil (Shabo 107-110). Instead of the conventional classifications, Inwagen provides an alternative way of classifying all arguments from evil with their scope of evil that is given as evidence against God’s existence. Inwagen’s global argument from evil posits that if God existed, then the world would never have evil; however, the world has vast amount of evil, which points out that God never exists. On the other hand, Inwagen’s local argument from evil posits that if God were there, then the world would never have particular evil; however, the world

Network Design management (Dissertation) Literature review

Network Design management (Dissertation) - Literature review Example Theoretical framework: OSI reference model: The OSI model (operation systems interconnection) is used to distribute the internal activities of a communications system into a number of layers (Kozierok, 2005). The model distributes the communication system into seven different logical layers where each layer is designed to perform a unique function. The seven layers are given below: Layer 1: The first layer is known as the physical layer. The first layer is used to specify the physical and electrical needs of the device. The physical layer basically provides a connection between the transmission medium i.e. the communication cable and the device itself. Other than that the physical layer sets up the connection with the communicating device, terminates the communication and the conversion of digital data into analogue signals (Kozierok, 2005). Layer 2: The second layer of the OSI model is the data link layer. The data link layer is responsible for detecting any errors that occur at the first level of the device. In addition the data link layer also handles the flow control of the packets of data. The data link layer is divided into two parts the MAC (Media Access Control) layer and the LLC (Logical Link Control) layer. The MAC layer handles all the activities that allow the device to gain permission to access a network and to transmit the data packet. While the LLC layer is responsible for handling the flow control, error checking and flow control of the data packet (Kozierok, 2005). Layer 3: The third layer is called the network layer and it creates virtual paths on which the data packet is transmitted. Moreover the network layer is responsible for congestion control and addressing the packet (Kozierok, 2005). Layer 4: The fourth layer is the transport layer ensures that the entire data packet layer is transferred from the sender’s end to the receiver’s end. Layer 5: The session layer is responsible for establishing sessions between the sender†™s applications and the receiver’s application. Layer 6: The presentation layer encrypts and decrypts the message from the data packet. The application layer transforms the data into a form that the application can understand. The application layer encrypts the data in such a way that data transferred faces no compatibility issues (Kozierok, 2005). Layer 7: The application layer is the layer with which the user has the most interaction. The application layer supports all the user applications and the user’s activities. User authentication, quality of service and privacy are taken into account at this layer (Kozierok, 2005). E-governance engineering methodology: There has been a lot of work and research carried out regarding the performance measurements used within the public sector. Measuring the service quality and performance monitoring are just some of examples where significant progress has been made. However, there always has been an issue of how these factors a re to be integrated with various process of designing and development processes that are regularly used for e-governance projects (Carter et al., 1995). By adopting and implementing the correct methodology the integration of e-governance process and planning and designing services could become a possibility. There have been a

Business of Ford Pinto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business of Ford Pinto - Essay Example For advocates of utilitarian ethics, an ethical doctrine that states that the decision or course of action that will yield the highest benefit (or utility) is the best and most morally upright, on the other hand, the continued production of Ford Pinto after knowing that it has a major safety flaw is unjustifiable. First looking at the benefit or the utility that Ford, itself, will receive out of releasing Pinto in the market, utilitarians may argue that production of this product knowing that it has a vital defect is itself unjustifiable. There is no good reason why Ford will endanger its reputation to the public. Though they may reap benefits in terms of profit in the short run, still it will not compensate the loss of trust that their risky move will engender. This marred reputation most probably will result in lower sales in the future. In terms of its responsibility to the society, Ford’s move for utilitarians is irresponsible and unacceptable. Though it may have computed the cost that they may incur once there compensate casualties because of their product, still that does not justify the loss of a human life because of their negligence and irresponsibility. In terms of computing financial costs, a human life and moral damages are incomparable to the figures that they released. Ford also know even before the launching of the car that additional parts and equipment might have saved the lives of their customers, yet still, they commenced the production without adding it.

Critical Thinking in Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking in Homeland Security Essay Critical Thinking in Homeland Security Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Homeland Security is an essential part of the security organs that are very crucial in ensuring the protection of the country’s sovereignty. Just as other nations in the world, United States faces significant threats from the external and internal factors. The US established Homeland Security Department in 2003, in an effort to address the external threats and aggression like the September 11 terrorist attacks (Pruitt, 2003, â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Therefore, the main objective of the department is to prevent terrorist attacks in the US. Additionally, the department has to minimize the exposure of the nation to terrorism and minimizing the injuries that results from the attacks, if attacks occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To achieve its mandate the department applies several skills. These skills are aimed at determining the likelihood of a threat and establishing the credibility of the threat as per the information provided. Among the skills used is the critical thinking. By definition, critical thinking refers to the ability by the department personnel to make clear, rational judgments (Paul Elder, 2009). This means that the decisions regarding security should be arrived through a well thought out processes (Pruitt, 2003). Critical thinking under homeland security focuses on crucial elements of thought and asking the relevant questions. This means that the department has to evaluate every piece of evidence at their disposal in order to develop appropriate security solutions to the country. The discussion put forward below will aim at establishing what critical thinking method model is appropriate for the decision-making within the structures of homeland s ecurity (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). The reason behind this inquiry is highly dependent on the fact that there are different critical thinking models. These models are very useful in the since they help to find the best and effective solution in homeland parameter. However, different models offer different results. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The September 11 attack brought about unprecedented need for good, efficient and effective security apparatus. With the introduction of the Homeland Security Department, the country was placed at a position to deal with the terrorism threats. The terrorism activities are currently very dynamic and in return there is a need for the solutions that might meet these challenges (Pruitt, 2003). As a consequence, the homeland security personnel is require to meet the ever rising need for increased demand of the security services as well as meeting the high placed accountability standards. To achieve these requirements they have to learn to become highly skilled in their level of thinking, as well as reasoning abilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fundamental reason for the need to improve skills is that the employees have to analyze all the massive information, understand it, identify the problems and offer solution (Paul Elder, 2009). However, the processing of this massive information comes against the race of time. Homeland security department has to make timely decision that would help to preempt any threats that may arise or control the already existing threats (Pruitt, 2003). Additionally, the strategies employed by the terrorist are changing day in day out, and as well these changes must be encompassed in the decision which the department is undertaking. For instance, before the September 11 attack, the defense apparatus restricted themselves to biological and chemical threats. Moreover, the use of airplane as a tool to carry out terrorism strikes was covered by defense agencies like the Pentagon (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). On the other hand, the threat o f airplane strike was not addressed as the security agencies believed this would result to giving the terrorist an additional tool to their disposal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The example about the use of airplane as a tool of terrorism indicates an ineffective manner of using the available information to mitigate the terrorist attacks. In this regard, critical thinking is very essential in manner in which the homeland security handles the information they acquire to handle security issues or threats (Paul Elder, 2009). This is mainly, because critical thinking offers the prediction and diagnosis analysis for security issues. Prediction depends chiefly on the ability of the security organs to be able to think ahead. Thinking ahead, as part of critical thinking, dictates that the security organs are able to establish the likely causes of terrorism and probable outcomes (Kiltz, 2009). Diagnosis means the analysis of previous threats which in turn helps to extrapolate the likely future events. In this regard, security organs are able to identify their past failures and in turn making amendments. Additionally, the organs are able to replicate past successes to the future. Best Critical Thinking Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While understanding the importance of the critical thinking skills, there are several critical thinking models at the disposal of security organs to address any homeland security issues. It is very crucial to put a lot of emphasis on the fact that critical thinking is basic requirement for security decisions facing the country (Paul Elder, 2009). Therefore, to identify the best critical thinking model it would be prudent to learn the two factors that will play a very major role in determining the best model. Critical thinking in the context of homeland security is fundamentally dependent on the most important factor for good decision-making and the nature of the homeland security context (Browne Keeley, 2007). 1. Decision making   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critical thinking is fundamentally aimed at arriving at appropriate decision. Every decision made or arrived at should be able to offer solution in the context of homeland security. In this light, the decision of the security apparatus should be able to effectively prevent the threats that arise as well as minimize the damages is events occur (Kiltz, 2009). Thus, critical thinking plays a pivotal role in decision-making process. On the same note, the best decision-making model is exceedingly reliant on the right questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The right question are said to be the main factor that enable effective decisions to be made in all the fields of the society, security being inclusive (Kiltz, 2009). Questions are a good guiding factor while looking for the appropriate results. One, right questions create a structure that our thinking relies upon, that is to say, right questions are essential in finding the suitable materials or information that are essential to the decision or solutions. Secondly, right questions play a vital role of determining the course of our thinking. In this regard, the right questions are crucial element of individual thinking (Kiltz, 2009). This indicates that the right questions part of the homeland security parameters, in that they would help the decision makers in this context will arrive the best solutions possible to the various security challenges. 2. The nature of homeland security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The processes and the activities surrounding decision making in the parameters or the context of the homeland security are substantially complex. The complexity comes in two levels: one, there amount of data or information being processed is extremely large and second, there are a lot of dynamics and variables in homeland security decisions (Paul Elder, 2009). Therefore, the decision-making process has a higher requirement of exhaustive scrutiny of all the probable accompanying implications of any decision made. In addition, the scrutiny extends other available options prior or before the enforcing any decision passed. A good example relates to diversion tactics that are highly employed by terrorist (Davis, 2012). This is where a threat is identified in a particular location while in reality the actual threat is in another place. Without appropriate critical thinking capabilities, the security apparatus are expected to put enough emphasis on areas which are reported to have the threat while leaving the other places vulnerable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding the nature of homeland security is pegged on homeland security operations and the past failure. Past failures help to understand what part of the process failed and how efficiently and effectively did homeland rise from their falls. For instance from the example above, if the severity of a homeland security event was increased by the misjudgment stated above, in future homeland security would put all efforts at protecting all places equally while still putting emphasis on any information gathered (Paul Elder, 2009). That fact encompasses a crucial part of the critical thinking in such a security decision-making process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In effect, the most effective critical thinking model should be all-inclusive. Inclusivity means that all the available alternatives should be taken into account while simultaneously evaluating the possible outcomes associated with each likely action. The module applied is similar to a game theory model (Davis, 2012). In such a model, the homeland security is supposed to establish every strategy available to them as well as those available to the opponents, the terrorists. This would help to preempt most, if not all, of the threats posed by various terrorists groups. Therefore, every strategy has probable action, which in turn will deliver results. It would be the aim of homeland to select the most applicable strategy and take an action that would offer the best-expected outcome (Paul Elder, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, through information and intelligence gathering, the security organs in the United States had all the necessary, adequate and relevant information to indicate that an attack was eminent. This information was prior to the September 11 attack, which detailed the Al Qaeda plans to attack the US. This shows that the security organs had the available strategies of the opponents. However, the organs failed to select the best strategy and their actions failed to meet the required results (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The time constraints also play a critical part in undertaking any security decision. The reason behind this is that despite the large volumes of information that need to processed, the uncertainty of when a homeland security event is likely to occur needs timely decision-making. Using the September 11 example, it can be observed that the security organs failed to meet the timely decision requirement (Kiltz, 2009). Although all the information processed indicated the likelihood of a terrorism incident in United States, no timely action was taken to preempt the threats due to the argument that the decision process was at its preliminary stage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, homeland security should be in a position to predict the opponents’ likely cause of action and also putting a lot of effort towards preventing the threats preempting the homeland actions. This is attached to diversion tactics, where the threats mature to events in places other than those indicated in the threats information. This was the strategy that was employed by the Al Qaeda to beat homeland security at their game in September 11 (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Prior to the attack, the information gathered indicated that the threats were highly in United States departments and agencies that were beyond borders. The fact that overseas parts of homeland security were threatened, the homeland skewed its efforts towards the external offices and agencies. Consequently, the Al Qaeda anticipated the moves of homeland security and they counteracted by attacking the internal departments (â€Å"The 9/11 Commissi on,† 2005). Critical thinking should help to homeland security to fill all the available loopholes that may expose their operations and the country was vast. 3. Right Questions Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier there are several models at the disposal of the homeland security, but among them asking the right questions takes the reign. There are several factors that have heavily tilted the odds towards the right questions model of critical thinking (Browne Keeley, 2007). First, the model plays a pivotal role in addressing the various loopholes found under the nature of homeland security. For instance the failures that were capitalized by the Al Qaeda in the September 11 attack (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). The right questions model aims at querying all the information available. The inquisitive nature of the model allows the various security issues to be determined as well as determining the necessary conclusions. The conclusions are highly dependent on the reasoning, assumptions, and clarity of words.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are numerous benefits that accompany this essential model of right questions. To begin with the model is highly useful in offering a well detailed analysis of the decision made as well as the cause of actions undertaken. When comparing this model with the other models such as the elements of thought thinking model, right questions model outranks them all in enabling homeland to meet its objectives or targets (Browne Keeley, 2007). Furthermore, it is established that the model has other models easily inbuilt. Mainly, homeland security establishes the positive elements of the other models and encompasses them in the right questions model. As a consequence, the models offer comprehensive and well-contained solutions out of all the available alternatives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the said model is highly interactive as it offers an all rounded analysis of the various situations. The analysis is crucial in timely and effective decision-making as well as in actualization of the actions set. Additionally, the model allows homeland to identify the instances of fallacies in reasoning (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Well thought out decision should not be guided by a belief, myth of misconceptions. This allows homeland security process of verification and validation of evidence to be thorough and unbiased. If some essential information is missed, the model would results to different alternatives. Right questions model bases its success on availability of possible alternatives. Therefore, the model puts a lot emphasis on the available information which helps decision makers to arrive at the best possible alternative. On the other hand, the other models have some constraints in their operations (Bro wne Keeley, 2007). For instance, the Element of Thought thinking model success is highly dependent on the emphasis given to some four aspects of decision-making. Using the Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Several failures have been seen under the dome of homeland security. These failures are highly attributed as the indirect contributors of past events like the September 11 attacks. The right questions model can easily address these past challenges (Browne Keeley, 2007). Moreover, the model is the key to providing support to the homeland security decision-making process as well as creating and enhancing the credibility of the actions undertaken by homeland security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The right questions model is dependent on an extensive spectral analysis. This analysis is the foundation of critical thinking. As a consequence, the right questions model helps to evaluate all the possible alternatives and their accompanying actions; which aim at getting the best possible solution. The model has been extensively used under the homeland security context to eradicate and lessen threats like the September 11 attacks. For example, prior to September 11 attacks the United States intelligence had gathered that there were several threats directed towards the United States institutions outside the country (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Lack of a wider spectral analysis, the homeland security failed in its job (Browne Keeley, 2007). In dependence to the information, the homeland security strengthened the security agencies beyond borders and failed to do so with the domestic agencies. As a consequence, the Al Qaeda use d this loophole to carry out the attacks in the US soil (The 9/11 Commission, 2005). Under right questions model, an in-depth analysis would have taken place prompting homeland security to reinforce all the security agencies across the board. Such analysis would have enabled homeland security to alleviate the September 11 attacks. The alleviation would have been achieved through the fact that the homeland security would have easily identify and eliminated all the security exposures that faced the United states at large without overemphasis on the overseas institutions (Browne Keeley, 2007). The fallacies of logic resulted to this misguided conclusions. While combating the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, there was a belief that the US turf was safe from the Al Qaeda actions. This resulted to homeland security ignoring the domestic security need for dealing with terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, there were not efforts to fill the information gaps that were there before the attacks. There poor statistics since there limited activities that were undertaken by security agencies in the United States (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). The model selected put emphasis on identifying the missing information which in turns increases the chances of obtaining the best strategy and the appropriate cause of action to be employed. For instance, the evidence provided that an attack was imminent, but there were no prompt actions that were undertaken to mitigate these threats. Also, despite the availability of evidence that indicated that there were terrorist threats facing the US, no security actions were undertaken in time (Browne Keeley, 2007). The claims behind the lack of actions were that the decision process was still at preliminary stages, indicating the rigidity of the security operations. The selected model offers flexible and dynamic solutions to challenges. Through the right questions model, appropriate decisions would have been arrive at early enough to mitigate the threats. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critical thinking is crucial for the undertakings of the homeland security department. This is because there are significant complexities of the decisions and accompanying actions. The critical thinking models are several but one outranks the others; the right questions model is very essential in establishing the right decisions and cause of actions. The model employs a wider spectral analysis strategy with an aim of achieving efficient, effective and timely solutions. Looking at the applicability of the model against the events of September 11 attacks the model would achieve better-desired results (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). References Browne, M., Keeley, S. (2007). Asking the right questions. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Davis, V. (2012). Use Critical Thinking to Overcome Personal Biases. IN Homeland Security. Retrieved 22 January 2015, from http://inhomelandsecurity.com/use-critical-thinking-to-overcome-personal-biases/ Kiltz, L. (2009). Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Courses. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 6(1), 1-20. Retrieved from http://www.innovative-analytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DevelopingCriticalThinking.pdf Paul, R., Elder, L. (2009). The miniature guide to critical thinking. Dillon Beach, Calif.: Foundation for Critical Thinking. Pruitt, K. (2003). Modeling Homeland Security: A Value Focused Thinking Approach (1st ed., pp. 1-236). Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio: Department of the Air Force, Air University. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/afit/pruitt_vft_hls.pdf The 9/11 Commission,. (2005). The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (1st ed., pp. 1-400). Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-911REPORT/pdf/GPO-911REPORT.pdf Source document

Building Rapport in Community Setting

Building Rapport in Community Setting Clint B. Magbago Introduction This written report is all about cultural assortment which is also relating to or including many different cultures. To give you an idea what this written report is all about, it is having a heart and mind that concede, accepts, values and celebrates other ways in which people live and interact all over the world. Everybody is embraced by cultural diversity at any rates of their cultural differences. People are harmonious by cultural diversity over common phase that includes acceptance, well-being, security, esteem and physical, emotional and spiritual neutrality. FILIPINO CULTURE The Filipino culture consists of a variety of different cultures. These cultures vary from different places in the country. Although there are many cultures, there are common practices practiced by the Filipinos. Firstly, Filipino people commonly use the words Mano Po. Mano is a Spanish word for hand while Po is used in the end of the sentence when addressing elders or superiors. (Filipino Customs And Traditions) This implicates a show of respect to elderly people. Mano po is done by putting the right back hand of the elderly on the forehead of the younger ones. This also means that a blessing is given by the elderly people. Secondly, Filipinos have their unique traits of Family close ties. It is one of the outstanding cultural values that Filipinos have. The family takes care of each other and is taught to be loyal to family and elders by simply obeying their authorities. (Traditional Culture And Modern Culture: Mans Fall From Grace) One of the good examples is having a family reuni on during temporal and religious holidays like Christmas, fiestas, holy week, wedding, birthdays and many more where all the relatives are invited regardless of the number of people going. This means that Filipino culture is not only a traditional practice but also in the spiritual aspects of family bonding. Lastly, we Filipinos are very romantic. When it comes to dating, a traditional dry run is done where a man serenades a woman. In our language, it is called harana. Harana is one of the most popular forms of courtship to show that a man is very serious with his intentions to a woman. (Filipino Customs and Traditions) The young man will sing a love song in front of the ladys house. The man usually brings an instrument like guitar or sometimes it is done in acapella. You will figure out if the woman has the same feelings if she opens their windows when the young man started to sing. It also shows a sign of respect to the man who is serenading. In addition, the parents of the woman must be there to entertain the man after serenading. Usually, he is offered with food and drink. Getting to know the mans intentions, the family tends to ask questions and decide whether he is fit for the hand of their daughter. FILIPINO BELIEFS When it comes to religion, the Philippines are one of the large catholic cluster in Asia. Filipinos believe that having a strong devotion may lead to a better life and their guidance to face everyday life. (Filipino Customs And Traditions) Some Filipinos go to church every Sundays, others go twice or thrice a week depends on their devotion and how they reflect their self. Filipinos have a strong faith and belief when it comes to religion. One good example of this is Sinulog where it is a feast of Jesus Christ when he was a small child and is celebrated in Cebu City, Philippines during the 3rd Sunday of January. Different people of different countries and different places in the Philippines are all gathered together to witness the festival of the saint. They usually do the sinulog dance where they dance together with the statue of a small Jesus Christ in the street. With this celebration some people may risk their lives because of too many people gathered in the street, some are exhau sted and others are cannot breath. On worst case scenarios, it may cause a stampede. Moreover, there is another event like this, namely the feast of the black Nazarene (in Quiapo Manila) where many people wanted to touch the statue with their small handkerchief in hopes of transferring the blessing and luck from the statue. This can be a bit dangerous since thousands of people are gathered around the statue. On the other hand Filipinos also believe in superstitions. These beliefs are nabes of our culture, for one make out their beliefs from the leverage of what their customs, they charge culture and traditions to discuss anonymous or try to affright the people. Some are practiced primarily because Filipinos believe that there is nothing to lose if they will comply with these beliefs. (Filipino Customs And Traditions) it is thought by our distinct ancestors that there are other different living things that still exist in our world that we do not see in our own naked eye, and we need to respect them for us to be free from harm or any possible danger. FILIPINO COSTUMS AND VALUES Filipino people have a different variety of taste when it comes to food. We also have different specialty from different regions of the Philippines where they made unique types of lovely and tasty cuisine, but there is this one well known type of food where you can see it any every occasions. Filipinos call it lechon. It is a roasted pig that most Filipinos love because of the crispy and crunchy skin and the belly part that has a fantastic taste. It is delicious because all of the ingredients are put inside the belly of the pig that allows it to ooze out and spread all throughout the body. In addition Filipinos like to eat, we have this unique diet that came up to a six meals a day and some are eating midnight snack before going to sleep. RUSSIAN CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS On the other hand, there are many different cultures that are migrating here in Auckland. One of this is the Russian people but they have lesser number of population. They have an organization here that celebrates their own unique custom and traditions. As what I have observed, Russian people here in Auckland they have this irrational attitude so dont ever give try to reason out to them because it will never work for them. They have this chaos belief, serendipity, and adaptation. (Russian Customs And Traditions). In addition, they prize generosity, they can have you their final meal they have if they take that you really require it. So if you are in need they will help you as long as they can, but you have to give back in return. Moreover Russian people also are quite emotional if they have problems. They will keep it to themselves thats why Russians are prone to suicidal attempts. They are also very respectful to women especially to old women. If there are gathering and they invited you, you must bring some present like beer or something that can contribute. Furthermore, Russian people dont talk too much to strangers, but they are a very good friend when you know them better. Russians are not racist; we were grown up in the world, where everybody is equal and where the friendship of nations is an important part of our agenda. (Russian Customs And Traditions). If encountered with a different looking person, Russians tend to stare at people. But, this does not mean that they are judging the person, it is so because they see the person is different and they havent seen one in their country. In addition Russian people also believe in force field, for example the sunlight, they set stored by giving to them a good mood and nice feeling. TWO STRATIGIES ON HOW TO BUILD TRUST AND RAPPORT I think in dealing with this kind of culture is not easy for me to do but there are plenty of ways to catch their attention and established rapport. Firstly, you must accept their culture so that you will know and understand their way of living. In this way, we will be able to understand and interact easily with them. Secondly, you must introduce yourself properly and explain to them what your intentions are because they are cautious when it comes to strangers. Knowing each other is simplest way in establishing trust and rapport to one another. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there are no boundaries of getting to know other cultures, worried no more as long as you know its limitations and able to deal, understand, accept, and respect each culture as we encountered in our daily journey. REFERENCES Filipino Customs And Traditions. Vigattin Tourism (ARTICLES) Philippines. N.p., 2017. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. Russian Customs And Traditions. Way to Russia Guide. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Schools Equating Disability with Inability to Learn :: Education Disabilities Teaching Essays

Schools Equating Disability with Inability to Learn One need not consult a scholar of education to learn that each and every individual experiences the educational system in a different way. Most people would even be able to point to the factors that most influence our differences in the way we are taught--race, class, and gender. In focusing in on those three, however, some factors which are pretty influential are sometimes ignored. One of these is physical and other disabilities. In an interview with a disabled individual, â€Å"Phillip", I learned a number of things. To begin with, I was ignorant about the extent of discrimination that disabled individuals face in the formal educational setting. Secondly, the discrimination that disabled individuals face is similar to that which economically disadvantaged individuals experience. In Phillip's case, the similarities were seen in the his being tracked in the lower level and the presumption that deaf is synonymous with ineducable. So although Phillip and I are of the same race, and our families are relatively close in socioeconomic status, we experienced school in a drastically different way--simply because Phillip has a hearing disability. Phillip has a profound sensorineural loss, which essentially means that he can hear very little of conversational speech, even though he wears a hearing aid in one ear. Although Phillip communicates without sign language and other augmentative communication, he has experienced many trials throughout his life, especially in the educational setting. He understands language only by reading lips and using contextual cues according to his environment. Phillip doesn't remember much of his elementary school experience, but for the most part, his language was very poor, from a developmental perspective, and he was kept in classes where there were only deaf students present. He refers to his elementary school experience as "positive," but isn't really sure whether it was just the fun and excitement of his youth which overwhelmed the barriers that he would later experience in his life. Phillip's true experience with discrimination in the school setting began when he entered junior high, where he was mainstreamed, and took subjects among all of his peers, whether they were hearing or not. In high school Phillip was partially mainstreamed. He took English and other required courses with his deaf peers, but for his electives and physical education, he was put in classes where the majority of the population was hearing. In junior high, Phillip has vivid memories of not being able to understand teachers.

Should Everything on the Internet be Free? Essay -- Internet Technolog

Should Everything on the Computer be Free? Many people say, "The best things in life are free." However, when we say this, we don’t particularly mean materialistic items. Nearly two years ago this saying was heard by those who may have won the lottery or whom may have been in love and feels that it is the best thing. Nevertheless, a few years ago nearly nothing was free and if it was there was always a catch to go along with it. Now that the Internet has become so popular it is difficult not to find something for free. There are numerous sites on the World Wide Web that offer free items. For example, www.zipso.com, is a site that you are able to subscribe for free offers. The site www.napster.com, is a music site which people are able to download songs from. The site www.freephone.com, is a site where one can download a program and have a microphone on your computer and make phone calls. The site www.netzero.com, this is a site that one can go to and get free Internet access. These are just a few sites that offer free items. Since all these free things are accessible through a computer it would make since that there would be free Internet services. There are a few companies that offer free service. America Online (AOL) sends out CD’s, that hold 100 minutes of Internet time on them. There is a catch, of course, with this though, many people make the mistake of downloading the product the wrong way and later find their phone bill with multiple unknown charges. There is also another company called Netzero which an entirely free service. There are some stipulations with the service that limits what can be done, it is also not guaranteed to be working all the time. With these services I feel it is a great opportunity for people... ...f a call is longer than a certain amount of time there should be a charge. Other than that I feel it is companies are going to get upset that they are loosing money. The problem should get taken care of before it happens. I feel that having the Internet is an ample opportunity to try out innumerable things. Although there are many services that offer free items, a number of people like to stick to the original product of service. The services that are free have drawbacks that a large portion of our fast past population does not have the patience for. It is much easier for a person to pick up the phone or the newspaper than to get on the computer, wait to be connected to the Internet and then look for what you need. In conclusion, although free is awesome, it is great and by far not perfect!the same thing with what Napster is going through. Eventually the phone . Should Everything on the Internet be Free? Essay -- Internet Technolog Should Everything on the Computer be Free? Many people say, "The best things in life are free." However, when we say this, we don’t particularly mean materialistic items. Nearly two years ago this saying was heard by those who may have won the lottery or whom may have been in love and feels that it is the best thing. Nevertheless, a few years ago nearly nothing was free and if it was there was always a catch to go along with it. Now that the Internet has become so popular it is difficult not to find something for free. There are numerous sites on the World Wide Web that offer free items. For example, www.zipso.com, is a site that you are able to subscribe for free offers. The site www.napster.com, is a music site which people are able to download songs from. The site www.freephone.com, is a site where one can download a program and have a microphone on your computer and make phone calls. The site www.netzero.com, this is a site that one can go to and get free Internet access. These are just a few sites that offer free items. Since all these free things are accessible through a computer it would make since that there would be free Internet services. There are a few companies that offer free service. America Online (AOL) sends out CD’s, that hold 100 minutes of Internet time on them. There is a catch, of course, with this though, many people make the mistake of downloading the product the wrong way and later find their phone bill with multiple unknown charges. There is also another company called Netzero which an entirely free service. There are some stipulations with the service that limits what can be done, it is also not guaranteed to be working all the time. With these services I feel it is a great opportunity for people... ...f a call is longer than a certain amount of time there should be a charge. Other than that I feel it is companies are going to get upset that they are loosing money. The problem should get taken care of before it happens. I feel that having the Internet is an ample opportunity to try out innumerable things. Although there are many services that offer free items, a number of people like to stick to the original product of service. The services that are free have drawbacks that a large portion of our fast past population does not have the patience for. It is much easier for a person to pick up the phone or the newspaper than to get on the computer, wait to be connected to the Internet and then look for what you need. In conclusion, although free is awesome, it is great and by far not perfect!the same thing with what Napster is going through. Eventually the phone .

Colonialism and Imperialism - The White Male and the Other in Heart of

The European, White Male vs. the Other in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   The novella Heart of Darkness has, since it's publication in 1899, caused much controversy and invited much criticism. While some have hailed it's author, Joseph Conrad as producing a work ahead of it's time in it's treatment and criticism of colonialist practices in the Congo, others, most notably Chinua Achebe, have criticized it for it's racist and sexist construction of cultural identity. Heart of Darkness can therefore be described as a text of it's time, as the cultural identity of the dominant society, that is, the European male is constructed in opposition to "the other", "the other" in Heart of Darkness being defined as black and/or female. Notions of cultural identity are largely constructed through language and setting and are essential to the reader's understanding of the text.       While many characters are critiqued or criticized by Conrad for their exploitation of Africa and it's inhabitants, they remain the dominant and superior race, both according to Conrad, and his primary narrator Charlie Marlow. The African characters are not only constructed as "other", but also as inferior and to an extent subhuman. This is evident through their lack of language or voice throughout the text. Africans are denied language, and are instead granted "grunting" noises and a "violent babble of mouth sounds" relegating them to an inferior status.       Only on two occasions are the natives given language and expression by the author. Firstly, when cannibalism is seen to overcome them, and one of then when asked what they will do with the body of one of the dead crew, replies "Eat 'im". The second occasion is when the enigmatic figure of Kurtz... ...constructing women as the "other", not being able to cope with the truth and facts of life, Conrad asserts the superiority and dominance of the white male.       In Heart of Darkness, cultural identity and the dominance of the European, white male is constructed and asserted through the constructions of the "other", that is the African natives and females, largely through language and setting. Thus, while claims of Conrad's forwardness in producing a text that critiques colonialism may be valid, Heart of Darkness is ultimately a product of it's time and therefore confirms the contextual notions of difference.          Bibliography    Conrad, J. Heart of Darkness. London: Penguin Group. 1995.    Achebe, C. An image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness   1975.    Sarvan, C.F.   Racism and Heart of Darkness 1982.   

Looking for patterns in elements of life Essay

Looking for patterns in elements 59 of the 92 naturally occurring elements had been discovered by 1850. Much of the work of trying to search for patterns in the elements was done by Johann Dobereiner and Lother Meyer in Germany John Newlands in England Dimitri Mendeleev In Russia Mendeleev’s Groupings Group1 Group2 Group3 Group4 Group5 Group6 Group7 Group8 Period1 H Period2 Li Be B C N O F Period3 Na Mg Al Si P SCl Period4 K/Cu Ca/Zn / Ti/ V/As Cr/Se Mn/Br Fe,Co,Ni Period5 Rb/Ag Sr/Cd Y/In Zr/Sn Nb/Sb Mo/Te /I Ru,Rh,Pd. Indicates element yet to be discovered Mendeleevs groupings were seen as more credible than previous attempts to find patterns in element. Unlike newlands, mendeleev left gaps in his table. They allowed for the discovery of new elements. He predicted the properties of an element called eka-silicon. He predicted that the element would go between silicon and tin in his table. The element was discovered in 1886 and called germanium. Since mendellevs death in 1907:   8 elements have been discovered   24 elements have been made in the laboratory the modern periodic table is based on mendellevs original table. See: Assignment 3 Activity EL3. 1 Activity EL3. 2 Activity EL3. 3 Ideas 1. 2 Ideas 11. 1 Ideas11. 2.

Nickel and Dimed Analysis

Looking at whether or not individuals living in poverty are considered to be a minority group by our contemporary culture is an interesting scenario. I’m a social work major so of course I want to think, yes, individuals living poverty are most definitely an oppressed group in society. Minimum wage is nowhere near to what could be classified as a living wage, and these positions often have little room for career advancement within the company. But I assume that what the question was getting at was whether or not those living in poverty are viewed as a minority group by America’s contemporary culture. The answer to that I believe is a â€Å"no.†People who belong to the upper and middle classes often don’t consider the fact that you can have a job yet still be living in poverty. A single parent may hold down two minimum-wage paying jobs, but still need a little help to make ends meet. And because they receive government assistance their hard work is ignored and they are simply viewed as lazy nuisances who are mooching off the middle classes’ tax dollars, not an oppressed minority group. The American government has taken steps to show that it is more aware about the minority status of those living in poverty, and has taken some steps help people in that group.Beginning with the civil right’s act in 1964, discrimination based on race, religion, or sex was 2 made illegal on a federal level and thereby beginning the first steps meeting the needs of poor individuals by combatting poverty through getting rid of housing codes, and racial redlining laws throughout the U. S. After the civil rights act a plethora of social justice programs were put into action. The Economic Opportunity act and The Economic Development act began to earnestly work a provided more jobs to both rural and urban communities.Medicare and Medicaid were developed to provide aid to the aging and poverty stricken communities, and multiple food programs were p ut into place for different types of people needing assistance. Special attention was paid to developing programs for America’s children and youth. The Special Milk and the National School Lunch Programs were developed feed children through their early childhoods as well as their school years. Grants and services were given to low-income and inner city schools and research was being put into how to deal with the social causes of delinquency and stop the emerging problems of youth gangs.Many of these programs started in the 1960’s have evolved into services we hear a lot about in social work today, such as AmeriCorps, TANF, and WIC. Although many of the programs above have helped to alleviate some of the pressures faced by those living in poverty, in our ever changing country new problems are always coming up. In modern day America, Homelessness, and the stereotypes associated with being homeless, is one of the larger problems social workers are working to help with. On e of the bigger issues with being homeless is finding a stable job and source of income.I remember in class when Dave talked about giving out cell phones to the people at his shelter so that if they had a job interview, they wouldn’t have to put down the shelter’s telephone number. The stereotypes that 3 come with being homeless often discourage employers to consider hiring someone who is living in that condition. When I had my field placement my sophomore year at Refuge of Hope, I remember one of the first things the director of the shelter would do during an intake, was to give the new client a bus pass, so that when the client was job hunting he could say that he had a reliable source of transportation.I think that a lot of these government programs are helpful in meeting some of the daily needs of those living in poverty, but I also think that one of the biggest needs that needs to be met is to stop the negative stereotypes and prejudices we have about those who ar e living in poverty, and I’m not sure I believe that’s something a government run program can do In our American Minorities course this semester we have defined prejudice and discrimination in the following ways; Prejudice is a negative attitude that rejects and entire group and discriminations is a behavior that deprives a  group of certain rights or opportunities.In other words, prejudice is how you feel towards a certain people group, and discrimination is the way you act towards that certain people group. One example of prejudice and discrimination that especially stood out to me in Nickel and Dimed was the way the hotel management in Key West would automatically have their Black and Hispanic job applicants sent to work as housekeeping staff or busboys in the hotel restaurant. Similarly the white applicants were pressed to work as front desk staff or as waitresses in the hotel restaurant.Obviously the Hotel management had conceived the idea that their Caucasian w orkers needed to be the ones interacting with the customers and guests, meanwhile the Black and Hispanic workers where supposed to have jobs that were more â€Å"behind the scenes. Why was this happening? Well perhaps it is because the hotel 4 managers held the stereotype that people of color are lazy, and wanted them out of sight from their customers and guests and in positions where management could easily keep an eye on them and hold them accountable for any â€Å"time theft.†Perhaps the reason is management viewed there Black and Hispanic workers as less educated and sophisticated, and therefore didn’t want them directly interacting with the hotel’s middle and upper class clientele. Either way it’s obvious that in this book the management held negative views of their Black and Hispanic workers, and acted upon them by denying people of color certain jobs. Another example of prejudice in noted while I was reading Nickel and Dimed was how the owners of the houses Barb cleaned while working as a maid in Portland seemed to always be on their guard from the maids.As evidenced by Eh Erenreich later in her book, you can see through the way hidden cameras are being sold to owners so they can spy on their maids or babysitters at home, there is a genuine distrust experienced by these home owners. It seemed like these homeowners are just waiting for one of their priceless heirlooms to disappear. I think that the main belief that Barbara Ehrenreich tried to explore in Nickel and Dimed is that, if anyone is living in poverty, than they can work their way out if they would only get a job.Basically, it’s the concept of the â€Å"American Dream,† where you can be a homeless orphan, but if you work hard enough you can make your way up the ladder until you become the president, or anything else you desire to be. Throughout Ehrenreich’s book, she proves this belief to essentially be a myth. If you are a healthy individual how can find at least two entry-level job positions run by companies who are willing to work around your schedule, and you’re also able to find affordable housing and transportation close to these job sites, then maybe it’s possible to make a better life for yourself.But finding and maintaining everything on this checklist is an 5 extreme rarity in life. If even one of the things on this list doesn’t come through for you, then you’re probably using any extra money you’re making to cover up the gap that this missing thing costs. Ehrenreich combatted many myths about poverty in her book, and I think the first and biggest myth she debunked is the common belief that poor people are lazy. After reading her description about what it was like when she worked as a maid, cleaning houses top to bottom every day, I know I couldn’t do the same.I used to throw a fit when my mom made me dust and vacuum my room once every Saturday. Housekeeping, retail work, e ven waitressing are some of the most tiresome jobs In America, and the fact that you’re paid minimum wage for these things is astounding. A myth I hear most commonly from my own friend’s and family, is that they are pouring so much of their tax dollars into people in poverty, that their basically getting a free ride through life.In the book however, we saw Barb practically chasing her tail to try and get some food assistance, and after hours of phone calls she eventually ended up with a basket of what sounded like expired leftovers from Sam’s Club, not anything the government actually paid for, or anything of real nutritional value. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, she showed her readers that â€Å"minimum wage,† is not equal to a â€Å"living wage. † Even when Ehrenreich was successfully holding down two jobs in Maine, the money she was making wasn’t enough to account for the small unexpected expenses she ran up against, let alone som ething like health insurance.In Nickel and Dimed, the concept of meritocracy is challenged in several ways by Ehrenreich. First we see that gaining employment at many of these entry-level jobs is in no way 6 associated with intelligence. We see Barb take several â€Å"personality† tests that are in reality actually designed to see how well you’ll be able to comply with the company’s standards and employee ethics. It’s also required several times for Barb to let the company test her for illegal drug use. These are the only two things every required before Barb is accepted into a job.I think this sadly only goes to show that companies are not at all interested in having employees that will rise through the store ranks to eventually become managers, in fact, Barb’s employers were often surprised to find that she hadn’t quit after the first week. In sort of an odd way, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Barb met some i ndividuals who had gone through or were going through truly horrible things, and while I didn’t enjoy reading about those situations, I did enjoy the breath of honesty that was brought into this book through those people.I think that perhaps the most stunning revelation I received while reading this book, was when Barb acknowledges that while she was struggling with the physical part of being a maid, she was a healthy person who had grown up exercising and getting three square meals a day. What could it possibly be like then, for someone who can only afford a bag of Doritos for lunch, and doesn’t have the vitamins provided by fresh fruits and vegetables to help get them through the day?It’s unbelievable how much the system works against you when you’re trying to make a living for yourself. If the government could start a program that could force everyone in America to read this book, that would be great, but I don’t see that happening. I suppose th at’s why Advocacy is such an important part of social work. We’re the ones who have the opportunity to help others see that a person living in poverty is oppressed by society, and we need to change the way we think about him or her.

Week

Then find a current event in an article at the inline periodical listed to illustrate that concept. Compose an analysis of that event or situation using the weekly operations concept that you selected. Try to choose the concept that has been addressed the least by your classmates. Your post is due by Midnight (Central Time) Thursday. Next, respond to at least three classmates' posts by Midnight (Central Time) Sunday. Remember that content matters. You need to write more than â€Å"Great Job† or â€Å"l agree with you† to get full credit on your discussion responses.Week 1 Discussion The weekly textbook concepts for our discussion this week are: Operational efficiency Operational effectiveness Operational Sustainability Strategic Operations Planning Operational Productivity Operations and Supply Chain Strategy Select one of these concepts and find a related article at the New York Times: http://www. Anytime. Com/ . Try clicking on â€Å"Business† on the left to se e the business related articles or search by entering your topic in the search box. You'll find one (or several articles) to analyze.Remember to focus upon your selected concept in your analysis. After reviewing and analyzing one of the current events articles, post your analysis and comments to your classmates low. For full credit, review three of your classmates postings and reply to them. If you're the first to enter the Discussion there will only BEA Respond button. Otherwise, you will see others' posting below. Click on the + Expand All button to view all of the entries made by your fellow learners. This section lists options that can be used to view responses.Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Response Author Defeatism* Week 1 Nicole Haunt 3/19/2013 PM Speedy Check-Len Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk The hotel industry is becoming more electronic fr iendly by placing check-in kiosks in their hotels for quick and easy check-in. It is the age of social networking and people like to get things done quickly and having this capability in the hotels will allow things to go a lot quicker.This also allows the hotels to cut down on staffing and increase revenue. They have also added kiosks by the elevators so that if their keys do not work the customer does not have to go all the way to the front desk to get it fixed. Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people heckling-in and then help then when it is needed. This represents operation effectiveness because it is something that can be continuously improved; it improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. The hotels are maximizing their check-in process by making it faster and reducing wait time. Http://www. Anytime. Mom/2013/03/19/business/speedy-chi eek-in -lets-h Tool- guests-bypass-front-desk. HTML? Ref=business&_r=O RE: Weekly Eduardo Bertha 3/1 9/2013 PM Nico le remember the first time when I encountered the electronic check-in. It was in NY City and it seemed very unusual. There I was checking into the hotel hill the lady was standing behind the counter watching me. This was about 8 years ago and din ‘t understand the point Of having the electronic check-in at a small hotel†¦ It makes sense to have it in a large hotel where the electronic check in will reduce waiting times†¦ RE: weekly Memorable Ramona 3/19/2013 PM Good point Eduardo.In big name hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton I can see where providing kiosks to their guests would benefit in time managing. This way, the hotel clerks can accommodate and assist their guests in different areas. From experience, have had to check-in to plenty of hotels Ewing in the Air Force Reserves and it does get pretty bothersome having to wait in line, especially after a long tiresome drive. RE: Weekly Nicole Haunt 3/20/2013 AM also agree that it would seem unusual to have a kiosk at a small hotel because I would think that you would want more of a mom and pop feel when you go to small establishments like that.I know that when I go on vacation to Vegas or any where that is popular the last thing I want to do is stand in line so a kiosk would be helpful but then I wonder if customer service will go down because they are not pay too much attention to the customer. RE: Week 1 Nicole, Geisha Bristol 3/20/2013 9:48:49 PM You hit the nail right on the head. Customer service WILL go lacking. L, myself, have worked in the hospitality/hotel field (and hoping to one day get back into this field) and know that customer service is a BIG deal when it comes to that.That first â€Å"meet and greet† is important when checking into a hotel. I can understand the functionality of using kiosks. But can also see the downside. You would still need the staff to clean the rooms from previous guests. Somehow, the status on each room needs to be updated to make the system of the kiosk work. Housekeeping and the front desk work very closely in the hotel setting. As housekeeping cleans the room, the front desk is updated on what rooms have been cleaned and are ready for a new guest.The use of a kiosk, I feel can become a problem down the road. Thatcher's how feel. RE: Weekly Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:44:19 PM Niccole, This was news to me! I was unaware that hotels would start using kiosks to check-in. I suppose it makes sense since the Airlines do it as well and the process has proven to work in that regard. As a customer, this is great. I would think that this is a win/win situation. I hope they do not do away with he bell man though! I kind of of still want my baggage carried for me if I'm on a fancy vacation!Tony RE: Weekly Instructor Cube 3/23/2013 AM Nicole, you wrote that â€Å"Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. † You are doing a good job in this analysi s Of illustrating the similarities between services processes and assembly (manufacturing) processes. There really are a lot of similarities that are evident when we consider efficiency and effectiveness improvement methods. Chapter 2 (page 30-31 ) does a good job of illustrating how Operations managers measure productivity (partial, multiracial, total).Which of these methods would you think that a services business, like the hotel in your article, would apply? Class, any ideas on this†¦ RE: weekly Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 PM Professor, believe using a partial measure of productivity would be ideal. The Operation manager of a hotel would be interested in the productivity of its staff. Fifth Operations manager were in charge of multiple hotel chains, then he/she would use total measure of productivity or even malefactor measures. According to the textbook, a total factor measure would be used to measure he productivity of an entire organization.This way the Operations manager can compare and make adjustments in the less producing hotel chains. Eunice RE: weekly Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:3108 AM Right, in services process with lots of people, labor productivity (partial measure) is a good way to measure productivity. Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:37:33 PM In 2012, Shell Oil Company had to suspend operations in the Arctic Ocean when their drilling rig the Kulak was grounded. Shell had attempted to drill for oil in the Arctic but the harsh climate made oversight of the operation very difficult.A recent review concluded â€Å"Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, like supervision of contractors that performed critical work, including towing one of the company's two drilling rigs†. This failed operational control caused the rig to be damaged. The ineffectiveness to oversee these operations correctly diminished the value of drilling in the Arctic. For now Shell states that they â€Å"will not return to the Arct ic Ocean in 2013†. Overall, I believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment.Despite the unfortunate towing incident, Shell has made the right decision to reevaluate how things are being managed. Brooder, John M. (2013), Interior Dept. Warns Shell on Arctic Drilling. Retrieved March 1 9, 2013 from http://YMMV. Anytime. Com/2013/03/1 5/business/gibbon/ RE: Shell in the Artic Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8:40:23 AM Anthony, you wrote that â€Å"l believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment. Despite the unfortunate towing managed. † Which of the weekly textbook concepts (above) do you thing was involved in this decision?Would it be Operations efficiency, Operations effectiveness, Operations productivity, or some other factor? Class, what do you think†¦.. RE: Shell in the Artic Sandra Rolling 3/20/2013 11 AM think this is would be under Chapter 2 – Page 22 , Exhibit 2. 1 – Shell is actively working their Triple Bottom Line Thanks Sands RE: Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/21/2013 8:23:38 PM Proof, would think that Operational sustainability was a big factor in considering to terminate operations in the interim. Because of the issues that happen, value was lost and therefore so was effectiveness and efficiency.Its to me that each concept must hold strong for operational management to work. RE: Shell in the Artic Matthew Bat-y 3/22/2013 10:35:02 AM I think, in this case, operational sustainability was going to be lost. There were too many negative consequences in continuing action in the Arctic, not least of which was the safety hazard to the employees. Inclusively, both efficiency and effectiveness would have been diminished. RE: Shell in the At-tic Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Good observations about social responsibility. The way that companies pursue operations is very important.RE: Shell in the Artic Eduardo Bertha 3/24/ 2013 2:02:32 PM Social responsibility has different meanings depending on the culture where the many originates and where it operates†¦ Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/19/2013 PM Textbook definition Of efficiency means doing something at the lowest possible cost while effectiveness means doing the right things to create the most value for the company. (Jacobs & Chase 11). An article from the NY Times focuses on Promethean, a biodegrade company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats. (Promethean 2).It develops several medical treatments to meet the critical needs of the united States and its allies by developing and counterclaiming medical entrepreneurs against biological and chemical threats. The company employs both operational efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operating expenses that went from $21. 2 million in 2011 to $19. 5 million in 2012 by cutting unnecessary operating expenses. Also general and administrative expenses went dow n from $14. 3 million to $11. 6 million as a result of a reduction in legal and other general and administrative expenses.As a result of being efficient, some trade-offs were made. â€Å"Trade-offs occur when activities are incompatible so that more of one thing necessitates less of another. (Jacobs & Chase 27). The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. In this line of business, dealing with break-through medical advancements, the company must strive on process quality. Being effective is more important than being efficient for Promethean. Jacobs, F. Robert & Richard B. Chase. Operations and Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill & Irwin. New York, NY, 201 1.Print. Promethean. â€Å"Promethean Reports Year-End 2012 Financial And operational Results. † NY Times. Com. 13 Mar 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8137138 AM Eunice, you wrote that â€Å"The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. † Everyone should note that every business must choose among the focus dimensions (pages 25-27) to decide how they will compete, and then the Operations function of that company has to apply the business level focus dimensions that support the overall business plan.Class and Eunice, in this case above which of the focus dimensions did this firm adopt in its operations function and which did they trade-off? † Any ideas†¦.. RE: Portfolio Jill Davis 3/23/2013 PM Eunice, I liked your post. I think that in terms of product and service safety, especially in the health care fields, companies should make the trade off toward products and service quality, rather than a cheaper or faster service or product. Our text says that a company has to decide on which parameters of performance are critical to success and focus on those.High quality can be a trade off to low cost, but when it comes to health services and pharmaceutical companies the performance parameters critical to success are the well-being of their customers so low cost should have to take a back seat to product and service quality. Jacobs, Robert F. & Chase, Richard B. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Right Jill, we have all seen how a focus on low cost and low quality in the medical industry can endanger consumers.RE: Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 6:54:56 PM As Jill and Jordan stated, quality is more important when it comes to the healthcare field. Not only would Promethean lose its business if even one person dies from the company's negligence, but it would face tremendous lawsuits from individuals and the government. Its reputation would be destroyed. Promethean understands the repercussions if they don't deliver a quality product so it sacrifices cost in order to deliver quality products. People are willing to spend money on medications that work.I think this is one field where consumers will pay anything for medicine that truly works. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:36:44 AM Right Eunice, so these Operations managers do not focus upon low cost, flexibility, customized products, or high efficiency. They have traded off all of these focus dimensions and their approach is high quality. RE: Portfolio Steven Rice 3/24/2013 3:44139 PM would say the main focus dimension is to focus on quality, or â€Å"Make a great Product† vs.. â€Å"Deliver a great service†. Anything in the healthcare industry has a heavy emphasis in the quality control in design and process quality.I used to work for a company that produced Animal Drugs and was heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because the animals that received the drugs we produced were farmed for human consumption. As consumer, I always want the best quality for the price I'm willing to spend or can afford. Steve Rice RE-: Portfolio Jordan Edwards 3/20/20 13 PM Modified:3/20/2013 1184 PM Thanks Eunice for the insightful analysis on your article. It seems like a lot of firms/organizations are looking at ways they can save by eliminating inefficiencies or other processes altogether.In this case I would say that Promethean opted to focus on quality or making a great product and sacrificed cost or price-?making the product cheaply. RE: Portfolio Kristin Truer 3/24/2013 PM think that being effective vs. being efficient has paid off for this organization. Sometimes, a company or organization may have to pay a little more to be ore effective in delivering their product that they want and are needing to get out. In the end, its what is going to pay off for the company when the product is sold to its customers.Good info and article. Kristin Operational Sustainability Pamela Chafed 3/19/2013 10:58:43 PM I would not normally think of using Wall-Mart in the same sentence with the term operational sustainability but an article titled Unexpected A lly Helps Wall-Mart Cut Waste changed my thought process. Wall-Mart courted environmental groups and sought their input on its policies since it first announced a sustainability program. The major push for Wall-Mart to strive towards operational sustainability was to transform the publics' opinion of the corporation.With negative public views towards Wall-Marts environmental impacts and treatment of women in the workforce, H. Lee Scott, the chief executive, now retired, announced wide ranged plans to lessen the environmental impact the company had on the communities it served. The company has met some environmental goals and missed others. One of these was increasing reuse or recycle of waste produced in its stores by 64 percent, not quite the zero-waste goal that was set, but a huge step forward s progress continues to be made. Week Then find a current event in an article at the inline periodical listed to illustrate that concept. Compose an analysis of that event or situation using the weekly operations concept that you selected. Try to choose the concept that has been addressed the least by your classmates. Your post is due by Midnight (Central Time) Thursday. Next, respond to at least three classmates' posts by Midnight (Central Time) Sunday. Remember that content matters. You need to write more than â€Å"Great Job† or â€Å"l agree with you† to get full credit on your discussion responses.Week 1 Discussion The weekly textbook concepts for our discussion this week are: Operational efficiency Operational effectiveness Operational Sustainability Strategic Operations Planning Operational Productivity Operations and Supply Chain Strategy Select one of these concepts and find a related article at the New York Times: http://www. Anytime. Com/ . Try clicking on â€Å"Business† on the left to se e the business related articles or search by entering your topic in the search box. You'll find one (or several articles) to analyze.Remember to focus upon your selected concept in your analysis. After reviewing and analyzing one of the current events articles, post your analysis and comments to your classmates low. For full credit, review three of your classmates postings and reply to them. If you're the first to enter the Discussion there will only BEA Respond button. Otherwise, you will see others' posting below. Click on the + Expand All button to view all of the entries made by your fellow learners. This section lists options that can be used to view responses.Collapse All Print View Show Options Responses Responses are listed below in the following order: response, author and the date and time the response is posted. Response Author Defeatism* Week 1 Nicole Haunt 3/19/2013 PM Speedy Check-Len Lets Hotel Guests Bypass Front Desk The hotel industry is becoming more electronic fr iendly by placing check-in kiosks in their hotels for quick and easy check-in. It is the age of social networking and people like to get things done quickly and having this capability in the hotels will allow things to go a lot quicker.This also allows the hotels to cut down on staffing and increase revenue. They have also added kiosks by the elevators so that if their keys do not work the customer does not have to go all the way to the front desk to get it fixed. Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people heckling-in and then help then when it is needed. This represents operation effectiveness because it is something that can be continuously improved; it improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. The hotels are maximizing their check-in process by making it faster and reducing wait time. Http://www. Anytime. Mom/2013/03/19/business/speedy-chi eek-in -lets-h Tool- guests-bypass-front-desk. HTML? Ref=business&_r=O RE: Weekly Eduardo Bertha 3/1 9/2013 PM Nico le remember the first time when I encountered the electronic check-in. It was in NY City and it seemed very unusual. There I was checking into the hotel hill the lady was standing behind the counter watching me. This was about 8 years ago and din ‘t understand the point Of having the electronic check-in at a small hotel†¦ It makes sense to have it in a large hotel where the electronic check in will reduce waiting times†¦ RE: weekly Memorable Ramona 3/19/2013 PM Good point Eduardo.In big name hotels like Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton I can see where providing kiosks to their guests would benefit in time managing. This way, the hotel clerks can accommodate and assist their guests in different areas. From experience, have had to check-in to plenty of hotels Ewing in the Air Force Reserves and it does get pretty bothersome having to wait in line, especially after a long tiresome drive. RE: Weekly Nicole Haunt 3/20/2013 AM also agree that it would seem unusual to have a kiosk at a small hotel because I would think that you would want more of a mom and pop feel when you go to small establishments like that.I know that when I go on vacation to Vegas or any where that is popular the last thing I want to do is stand in line so a kiosk would be helpful but then I wonder if customer service will go down because they are not pay too much attention to the customer. RE: Week 1 Nicole, Geisha Bristol 3/20/2013 9:48:49 PM You hit the nail right on the head. Customer service WILL go lacking. L, myself, have worked in the hospitality/hotel field (and hoping to one day get back into this field) and know that customer service is a BIG deal when it comes to that.That first â€Å"meet and greet† is important when checking into a hotel. I can understand the functionality of using kiosks. But can also see the downside. You would still need the staff to clean the rooms from previous guests. Somehow, the status on each room needs to be updated to make the system of the kiosk work. Housekeeping and the front desk work very closely in the hotel setting. As housekeeping cleans the room, the front desk is updated on what rooms have been cleaned and are ready for a new guest.The use of a kiosk, I feel can become a problem down the road. Thatcher's how feel. RE: Weekly Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:44:19 PM Niccole, This was news to me! I was unaware that hotels would start using kiosks to check-in. I suppose it makes sense since the Airlines do it as well and the process has proven to work in that regard. As a customer, this is great. I would think that this is a win/win situation. I hope they do not do away with he bell man though! I kind of of still want my baggage carried for me if I'm on a fancy vacation!Tony RE: Weekly Instructor Cube 3/23/2013 AM Nicole, you wrote that â€Å"Having kiosks will allow the staff to monitor people improves the hotels processes, and functional performance. † You are doing a good job in this analysi s Of illustrating the similarities between services processes and assembly (manufacturing) processes. There really are a lot of similarities that are evident when we consider efficiency and effectiveness improvement methods. Chapter 2 (page 30-31 ) does a good job of illustrating how Operations managers measure productivity (partial, multiracial, total).Which of these methods would you think that a services business, like the hotel in your article, would apply? Class, any ideas on this†¦ RE: weekly Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 PM Professor, believe using a partial measure of productivity would be ideal. The Operation manager of a hotel would be interested in the productivity of its staff. Fifth Operations manager were in charge of multiple hotel chains, then he/she would use total measure of productivity or even malefactor measures. According to the textbook, a total factor measure would be used to measure he productivity of an entire organization.This way the Operations manager can compare and make adjustments in the less producing hotel chains. Eunice RE: weekly Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:3108 AM Right, in services process with lots of people, labor productivity (partial measure) is a good way to measure productivity. Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/19/2013 5:37:33 PM In 2012, Shell Oil Company had to suspend operations in the Arctic Ocean when their drilling rig the Kulak was grounded. Shell had attempted to drill for oil in the Arctic but the harsh climate made oversight of the operation very difficult.A recent review concluded â€Å"Shell had failed in a wide range of basic operational tasks, like supervision of contractors that performed critical work, including towing one of the company's two drilling rigs†. This failed operational control caused the rig to be damaged. The ineffectiveness to oversee these operations correctly diminished the value of drilling in the Arctic. For now Shell states that they â€Å"will not return to the Arct ic Ocean in 2013†. Overall, I believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment.Despite the unfortunate towing incident, Shell has made the right decision to reevaluate how things are being managed. Brooder, John M. (2013), Interior Dept. Warns Shell on Arctic Drilling. Retrieved March 1 9, 2013 from http://YMMV. Anytime. Com/2013/03/1 5/business/gibbon/ RE: Shell in the Artic Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8:40:23 AM Anthony, you wrote that â€Å"l believe it is wise to pause operations when they become a safety hazard to people or the environment. Despite the unfortunate towing managed. † Which of the weekly textbook concepts (above) do you thing was involved in this decision?Would it be Operations efficiency, Operations effectiveness, Operations productivity, or some other factor? Class, what do you think†¦.. RE: Shell in the Artic Sandra Rolling 3/20/2013 11 AM think this is would be under Chapter 2 – Page 22 , Exhibit 2. 1 – Shell is actively working their Triple Bottom Line Thanks Sands RE: Shell in the Artic Anthony Bennett 3/21/2013 8:23:38 PM Proof, would think that Operational sustainability was a big factor in considering to terminate operations in the interim. Because of the issues that happen, value was lost and therefore so was effectiveness and efficiency.Its to me that each concept must hold strong for operational management to work. RE: Shell in the Artic Matthew Bat-y 3/22/2013 10:35:02 AM I think, in this case, operational sustainability was going to be lost. There were too many negative consequences in continuing action in the Arctic, not least of which was the safety hazard to the employees. Inclusively, both efficiency and effectiveness would have been diminished. RE: Shell in the At-tic Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Good observations about social responsibility. The way that companies pursue operations is very important.RE: Shell in the Artic Eduardo Bertha 3/24/ 2013 2:02:32 PM Social responsibility has different meanings depending on the culture where the many originates and where it operates†¦ Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/19/2013 PM Textbook definition Of efficiency means doing something at the lowest possible cost while effectiveness means doing the right things to create the most value for the company. (Jacobs & Chase 11). An article from the NY Times focuses on Promethean, a biodegrade company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats. (Promethean 2).It develops several medical treatments to meet the critical needs of the united States and its allies by developing and counterclaiming medical entrepreneurs against biological and chemical threats. The company employs both operational efficiency and effectiveness through reduced operating expenses that went from $21. 2 million in 2011 to $19. 5 million in 2012 by cutting unnecessary operating expenses. Also general and administrative expenses went dow n from $14. 3 million to $11. 6 million as a result of a reduction in legal and other general and administrative expenses.As a result of being efficient, some trade-offs were made. â€Å"Trade-offs occur when activities are incompatible so that more of one thing necessitates less of another. (Jacobs & Chase 27). The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. In this line of business, dealing with break-through medical advancements, the company must strive on process quality. Being effective is more important than being efficient for Promethean. Jacobs, F. Robert & Richard B. Chase. Operations and Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill & Irwin. New York, NY, 201 1.Print. Promethean. â€Å"Promethean Reports Year-End 2012 Financial And operational Results. † NY Times. Com. 13 Mar 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/20/2013 8137138 AM Eunice, you wrote that â€Å"The company had to make decisions of either making the product or delivering services cheap. † Everyone should note that every business must choose among the focus dimensions (pages 25-27) to decide how they will compete, and then the Operations function of that company has to apply the business level focus dimensions that support the overall business plan.Class and Eunice, in this case above which of the focus dimensions did this firm adopt in its operations function and which did they trade-off? † Any ideas†¦.. RE: Portfolio Jill Davis 3/23/2013 PM Eunice, I liked your post. I think that in terms of product and service safety, especially in the health care fields, companies should make the trade off toward products and service quality, rather than a cheaper or faster service or product. Our text says that a company has to decide on which parameters of performance are critical to success and focus on those.High quality can be a trade off to low cost, but when it comes to health services and pharmaceutical companies the performance parameters critical to success are the well-being of their customers so low cost should have to take a back seat to product and service quality. Jacobs, Robert F. & Chase, Richard B. (2011). Operations and Supply Chain Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 AM Right Jill, we have all seen how a focus on low cost and low quality in the medical industry can endanger consumers.RE: Portfolio Eunice Portfolio 3/23/2013 6:54:56 PM As Jill and Jordan stated, quality is more important when it comes to the healthcare field. Not only would Promethean lose its business if even one person dies from the company's negligence, but it would face tremendous lawsuits from individuals and the government. Its reputation would be destroyed. Promethean understands the repercussions if they don't deliver a quality product so it sacrifices cost in order to deliver quality products. People are willing to spend money on medications that work.I think this is one field where consumers will pay anything for medicine that truly works. RE: Portfolio Instructor Cube 3/24/2013 8:36:44 AM Right Eunice, so these Operations managers do not focus upon low cost, flexibility, customized products, or high efficiency. They have traded off all of these focus dimensions and their approach is high quality. RE: Portfolio Steven Rice 3/24/2013 3:44139 PM would say the main focus dimension is to focus on quality, or â€Å"Make a great Product† vs.. â€Å"Deliver a great service†. Anything in the healthcare industry has a heavy emphasis in the quality control in design and process quality.I used to work for a company that produced Animal Drugs and was heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, because the animals that received the drugs we produced were farmed for human consumption. As consumer, I always want the best quality for the price I'm willing to spend or can afford. Steve Rice RE-: Portfolio Jordan Edwards 3/20/20 13 PM Modified:3/20/2013 1184 PM Thanks Eunice for the insightful analysis on your article. It seems like a lot of firms/organizations are looking at ways they can save by eliminating inefficiencies or other processes altogether.In this case I would say that Promethean opted to focus on quality or making a great product and sacrificed cost or price-?making the product cheaply. RE: Portfolio Kristin Truer 3/24/2013 PM think that being effective vs. being efficient has paid off for this organization. Sometimes, a company or organization may have to pay a little more to be ore effective in delivering their product that they want and are needing to get out. In the end, its what is going to pay off for the company when the product is sold to its customers.Good info and article. Kristin Operational Sustainability Pamela Chafed 3/19/2013 10:58:43 PM I would not normally think of using Wall-Mart in the same sentence with the term operational sustainability but an article titled Unexpected A lly Helps Wall-Mart Cut Waste changed my thought process. Wall-Mart courted environmental groups and sought their input on its policies since it first announced a sustainability program. The major push for Wall-Mart to strive towards operational sustainability was to transform the publics' opinion of the corporation.With negative public views towards Wall-Marts environmental impacts and treatment of women in the workforce, H. Lee Scott, the chief executive, now retired, announced wide ranged plans to lessen the environmental impact the company had on the communities it served. The company has met some environmental goals and missed others. One of these was increasing reuse or recycle of waste produced in its stores by 64 percent, not quite the zero-waste goal that was set, but a huge step forward s progress continues to be made. Week In the trolley car problem I would hit the switch to save the 4 people and sacrifice the one because I would not be able to live with myself Just by allowing them all to die. At least even though I would be sacrificing one person I would still be able to save the rest of the people. The reasoning that has allowed me to come up with this decision is based upon my own personal values that I have which Is If there Is omitting that I can do some way shape or form that will allow me to make a difference I am willing to do It especially If It Is for the greater good to be helpful to someone else.By me Just sitting by and watching the trolley car and letting them all die would be something that I would physically be able to do because of the heart that I have. Though I am not a killer I would still weigh the options between the two and come up with one person dying Is better the all 5. When this problem was first Introduced I had the same decision to pull the switch to save the four guys op posed to letting them all die.But I can say that my reasoning behind the decision has somewhat changed before I looked at the situation as damage reduction and choosing between the lesser of the two but now I look at the situation as being to take into account the right thing to do and what I would want someone else to do for me if I were in that same situation. Week In the trolley car problem I would hit the switch to save the 4 people and sacrifice the one because I would not be able to live with myself Just by allowing them all to die. At least even though I would be sacrificing one person I would still be able to save the rest of the people. The reasoning that has allowed me to come up with this decision is based upon my own personal values that I have which Is If there Is omitting that I can do some way shape or form that will allow me to make a difference I am willing to do It especially If It Is for the greater good to be helpful to someone else.By me Just sitting by and watching the trolley car and letting them all die would be something that I would physically be able to do because of the heart that I have. Though I am not a killer I would still weigh the options between the two and come up with one person dying Is better the all 5. When this problem was first Introduced I had the same decision to pull the switch to save the four guys op posed to letting them all die.But I can say that my reasoning behind the decision has somewhat changed before I looked at the situation as damage reduction and choosing between the lesser of the two but now I look at the situation as being to take into account the right thing to do and what I would want someone else to do for me if I were in that same situation.