Critique of Geoffrey Canadas Fist Stick Knife Gun Essay

Critique of Geoffrey Canadas Fist Stick Knife Gun The Book â€Å"Fist Stick Knife Gun† by Geoffrey Canada is a biographical account of his childhood in the south Bronx. He and his 4 brothers were raised by only their mother. She would survive on no more than ten dollars a week. He moved several times as a child until finally landing on union avenue, the place were many of his life lessons were learned and at times applied. He learned about the ranking process of kids on union Ave. and how the only way to improve your status was to use your fists to fight your way up the chain. Looking back Geoffrey Canada notices the major shift in attitudes concerning the rules of the streets. What once was harmless fist fighting has now turned over to†¦show more content†¦The next was â€Å"Stick†. Their wasn’t much mention of this phase in his life, but he does mention the fact that in certain circumstances, a broken bottle or a stick can be used in self defense when the opponent uses a weapon. The place where this w ould happen is at school. The rules of the streets still applied but the problem was many different â€Å"gangs† associated and congregated at his junior high. So everyone their follows different rules, some â€Å"gangs† might think the use of weapons is acceptable, so Union Ave. people have to adjust these circumstances and use a stick or a broken bottle to defend themselves. As he grew even older he began to notice other gangs tendencies of carrying knives. He realized that this fact changed the code of conduct. No longer would be a good fist fighter keep you from confrontation. Even the most unskilled fighter could win a fight and be on top if they knew how to swing a blade. One day Geoffrey lucked out, because he found an old rusted up knife in the gutter. It was his pride and joy. He could never afford one, so he went to many lengths to get it in working condition again. Once he returned it to its original shine, he perfected his techniques of swinging it. The gun gave him a new sense of protection. He walked with a sense of certainty that if anyone were to mess with him, they would be sorry. One day however, he realized the realities of what a knife could

Jonathan Edwards †Sinners in the hands of an Angry God! Free Essays

Jonathan Edward’s most recognizable sermon was entitled â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God†. This was a very stimulating and reassuring speech containing religious instruction because as you read it you will be able to engage yourself easily. He used some statement that may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but it is rarely meant to be taken literally. We will write a custom essay sample on Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the hands of an Angry God! or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just like the sinners that he spoke of briefly was illustrated as one that stood or walked in slippery places. We will never know the instantaneous or abrupt devastation waiting ahead of us because of the things or situations that might happen. He never threatened anyone but he tried his best to imply the possible consequence or consequences. One more thing that he wanted to share with us was that the sinners that stood or walked on slippery ground needed nothing but their own weight to throw them down. They were liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another. The sinners must decide on their own without being pushed or influenced by other. I never thought introducing fear gradually through sharing can be an effect means of bringing people to God. It was a matter of choosing the right strategy of convincing them. I admired Edwards because during his time he delivered the sermon effectively. In my opinion, he wasn’t constraint the people or the listener to believe him but he just showed them the reality of what might happen if the wrath of God would not be suspended. On Calvinistic doctrine of predestination, it accented that humans were unqualified of adding anything to obtain redemption and that God alone was the initiator at every stage of salvation, including the formation of faith and every decision to follow Christ. Calvinism stressed the sovereignty or rule of God in all things — in salvation but also in all of life. In this belief, the only choice that we have is to accept and have faith in God because he is the one and only way for us to be saved from hell. Because of God’s love, he gave his only begotten son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Thus, we must believe and follow Christ because He is the only way for us not to go to hell. There was no contradiction between the concept of predestination, central to Calvinism and Edward’s Covenant of Grace because both of them signify that salvation was not bestowed to us upon any condition, but freely and for nothing. We were to do nothing for it; we were only to take it. This taking and receiving was faith. It is very improper to say that a covenant is made with men, any otherwise than in Christ; for there is an immeasurable difference between a free offer and a covenant. The promise was made with Christ, and in him with his mystical body; and the condition of the covenant is Christ’s perfect obedience and sufferings. The Covenant of Grace was described by Christ’s open and free offer of life, whereby he holds it out in his hand to sinners, and offers it without any condition. Faith cannot be called the condition of receiving, for it is the receiving itself: That’s why, the only reason why Christ died on the cross was for our salvation. God loved us so much that He won’t allow us to go to hell. He offered the salvation freely just believe and have faith. I think Calvinistic Doctrine is popular because in the history of America, two-thirds of the colonial population was trained in the school of Calvin. It means most of the individuals were fascinated and knew the teaching of Calvinism. Never in the world’s history had a nation been founded by such people as these. Furthermore, these people came to America not primarily for commercial gain or advantage, but because of deep religious convictions. It seems that the religious persecutions in various European countries had been providentially used to select out the most progressive and enlightened people for the colonization of America. Until now, the Christianity that spreads in America was born through the existence also of Calvinism. That’s why I was convinced that Calvinism is not dead but accepted and widely practiced by many. How to cite Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the hands of an Angry God!, Papers Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the hands of an Angry God! Free Essays Jonathan Edward’s most recognizable sermon was entitled â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God†. This was a very stimulating and reassuring speech containing religious instruction because as you read it you will be able to engage yourself easily. He used some statement that may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but it is rarely meant to be taken literally. We will write a custom essay sample on Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the hands of an Angry God! or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just like the sinners that he spoke of briefly was illustrated as one that stood or walked in slippery places. We will never know the instantaneous or abrupt devastation waiting ahead of us because of the things or situations that might happen. He never threatened anyone but he tried his best to imply the possible consequence or consequences. One more thing that he wanted to share with us was that the sinners that stood or walked on slippery ground needed nothing but their own weight to throw them down. They were liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another. The sinners must decide on their own without being pushed or influenced by other. I never thought introducing fear gradually through sharing can be an effect means of bringing people to God. It was a matter of choosing the right strategy of convincing them. I admired Edwards because during his time he delivered the sermon effectively. In my opinion, he wasn’t constraint the people or the listener to believe him but he just showed them the reality of what might happen if the wrath of God would not be suspended. On Calvinistic doctrine of predestination, it accented that humans were unqualified of adding anything to obtain redemption and that God alone was the initiator at every stage of salvation, including the formation of faith and every decision to follow Christ. Calvinism stressed the sovereignty or rule of God in all things — in salvation but also in all of life. In this belief, the only choice that we have is to accept and have faith in God because he is the one and only way for us to be saved from hell. Because of God’s love, he gave his only begotten son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Thus, we must believe and follow Christ because He is the only way for us not to go to hell. There was no contradiction between the concept of predestination, central to Calvinism and Edward’s Covenant of Grace because both of them signify that salvation was not bestowed to us upon any condition, but freely and for nothing. We were to do nothing for it; we were only to take it. This taking and receiving was faith. It is very improper to say that a covenant is made with men, any otherwise than in Christ; for there is an immeasurable difference between a free offer and a covenant. The promise was made with Christ, and in him with his mystical body; and the condition of the covenant is Christ’s perfect obedience and sufferings. The Covenant of Grace was described by Christ’s open and free offer of life, whereby he holds it out in his hand to sinners, and offers it without any condition. Faith cannot be called the condition of receiving, for it is the receiving itself: That’s why, the only reason why Christ died on the cross was for our salvation. God loved us so much that He won’t allow us to go to hell. He offered the salvation freely just believe and have faith. I think Calvinistic Doctrine is popular because in the history of America, two-thirds of the colonial population was trained in the school of Calvin. It means most of the individuals were fascinated and knew the teaching of Calvinism. Never in the world’s history had a nation been founded by such people as these. Furthermore, these people came to America not primarily for commercial gain or advantage, but because of deep religious convictions. It seems that the religious persecutions in various European countries had been providentially used to select out the most progressive and enlightened people for the colonization of America. Until now, the Christianity that spreads in America was born through the existence also of Calvinism. That’s why I was convinced that Calvinism is not dead but accepted and widely practiced by many. How to cite Jonathan Edwards – Sinners in the hands of an Angry God!, Papers

Training and Development Uber and GrabCar

Question: Discuss about the Training and Development for Uber and GrabCar. Answer: Introduction The rapid evolution of new entrants such as Uber and GrabCar has put ample of strains on the shoulders of taxi industry. The inclusion of app shared taxi services has affected the traditional taxi drivers of Singapore and the local government. The local government is not worried of the options, as it is a good concept; however, the government is worried for its proper maintenance. The maintenance of app shared taxi drivers is indeed difficult as some of the sexual assault cases in some other parts of world claims so. The inclusion of Uber and other like that has enlarged the competition in the Taxi Industry in Singapore. The competition has posed a significant threats to the traditional drivers of whom some are also considering their switching to the new concept (Daly, 2015). The main purpose of the assignment is to analyse the needs of training for the behavioural skills of the drivers and the way to measure the assessment. Analysis of the Cited Training needs The local government has felt the necessity of having some controlling measures of the ethical behaviours of the drivers. This is because of the fact that app shared taxi drivers such as Uber has recorded some sexual assault cases to its credit in some other parts of world. The local government has felt that the competition in between the traditional taxis and the app-shared taxis would be healthier for the economy of the country (Ford, 2014). This is because of this that the government has decided to switch to the latest form of cab systems to provide a handful; services to its citizens. However, some problems have posed a question mark on the support to the new cab system. The cases of crimes and sexual assaults in other parts of world have questioned the security of consumers. This is for the particular reason that the government is feeling that there should be something to track the movement of drivers. Moreover, a controlled action would reduce the chance of crimes to a consider able level (Gardner Gardner, 2012). This is indeed a good move by the government to have a balancing movement of both the traditional and the new cab systems. However, in practicality, this is not possible for several reasons such as job security of thousands of traditional drivers. The jobs of the traditional drivers would be at stake because the growing market of Uber and other services would attract the traditional drivers for the same revolution. The increasing competition with the new cab systems and a comparative low earning resource would certainly prevail for a new way. Moreover, the increasing number of new cab system would lower down the traditional form of taxis (Phillips, 2012). Expected Outcomes Following are some o the expected outcomes of the proposed controlling measures (Ebenso, 2012): Having a control on the movement of the app shared drivers to facilitate full security to the passengers Having trained drivers that follows all the necessary guidelines Having a control on the license approval system for the drivers Relevance of the Training The intended training given to the drivers of app-shared taxis can be helpful in guiding them to the best and professional form of behaviour. Customers are at risk under the hands of such drivers who does not have any respect to their privacy. In addition to this, some drivers do not even care of someones dignity. They rather just think of their passion. Training would infuse the necessary driving and professional etiquettes among the drivers (Cummings Worley, 2014). However, the expected outcomes, which the local government of Singapore is aspiring of, would be partially archived through the inception of training. This is because of the fact that cross checking the license of drivers is not related to any kinds of training. It is rather the responsibility of local government and the licensing department to verify the every important aspect before handing over the license. On a same note, tracking the drivers movement is not related to any form of training; it rather can be achieved by installing the GPS technology inbuilt in the mobile phone. GPS technology would help in tracking the navigation of cabs. To fight with the created problem, it is very difficult to find out a single resistive force, which could effectively control the problem (Phillips Phillips, 2016). Appropriate Training and Assessment methods The drivers of new cab system such as Uber need to be trained on behaving with customers. It is not feasible to have training classes of drivers like it happens in school or colleges; however, spending some moments with them could be useful. They should be told about the penalties, which the violation of training would attract to the drivers. However, this is also a fact that a brief session would not be sufficient to change the behaviour of drivers. Nevertheless, it would let them acquainted of the facts that customer service is important for app-shared cabs. This would also let them know about the consequences of any complaints from the customers. This is very important, as the sense of realization about the behaviour with customers is compulsory for them (Kolb, 2014). Assessment of the short training that would be given to the drivers is much important than the training itself. This is because of the fact that tracking the movements of drivers brings practicality to the training. It has been observed occasionally that drivers tend to commit wrong intentionally just to satisfy their needs. Tracking could be done with the help of GPS technology inbuilt in the mobile phone, which is used for the purpose of logging and receiving the booking orders. The behaviour of the drivers can also be improved with the help of review system that is inbuilt in the application. In this system, the customers are asked for giving ratings based on their experiences. The rating system would help in analyzing the behavioural level in the concerned driver. However, government should also request to the citizen that they participate in the rating system with full honesty and responsibility. This is because of the fact that any foul playing in this regard would attract the punishment on some innocent drivers (Nda and Fard, 2013). Required Sources for the Training Following are some of the resources that are required for the conduction of training (Elnaga Imran, 2013): Availability of chairs or any other else for sitting Projectors to communicate the required materials to the drivers Speakers to be lauder and audible to the attendees Signing of an agreement paper for ensuring the following of all the taught ethical guidelines at the time of driving Conclusion Training is an integral part of life, which is required at its every stage. The requirement of training is never over as it promotes humanity, which indeed is very much required to the present world. The rising numbers of crimes and sexual assaults have questioned the security of dignity and life of human being. To avail the technological advancement in the taxi industry, the local government of Singapore needs to be careful while dealing with the drivers. They need to be strict against the non-behavioural drivers. References Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Daly, J. L. (2015).Training in Developing Nations: A Handbook for Expatriates. Routledge. Ebenso, J. (2012). An overview of training and development needs.Leprosy review,83(2), 127. Elnaga, A., Imran, A. (2013). The effect of training on employee performance.European Journal of Business and Management,5(4), 137-147. Ford, J. K. (2014).Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press. Gardner, J. N., Gardner, J. (Eds.). (2012).Assessment and learning. Sage. Kolb, D. A. (2014).Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press. Nda, M. M., Fard, R. Y. (2013). The impact of employee training and development on employee productivity.Global Journal of Commerce and Management Perspective,2(6), 91-93. Phillips, J. J. (2012).Return on investment in training and performance improvement programs. Routledge. Phillips, J. J., Phillips, P. P. (2016).Handbook of training evaluation and measurement methods. Routledge.

Teddy Roosevelt Essays (1234 words) - Theodore Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt Early Life and Family Theodore Roosevelt, the second of four children, was born in New York, New York on October 27, 1858. He was part Dutch, English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, French, and German. Because of Roosevelt's poor health, he suffered from asthma and defective vision. He had great energy, curiosity, and determination like his father. ?Teedie? as his family would call him, loved books and the outdoors. He combined these interests into nature study. When he was ten and again when he was fourteen, Teedie went with his family on yearlong trips to Europe and the Middle East. His father built a gymnasium in his house so he could exercise regularly. His father said that he would need a strong body to give his mind a chance to develop fully. Over time, Roosevelt overcame his asthma and built up unusual physical strength. On October 27, 1880, Roosevelt married Alice Hathaway. They were a happily married couple for about 3 years until she died on February 13, 1884, following a baby girl the next day named, Alice Roosevelt's mother died on the same day as Theodore's wife. Baby Alice survived, and was subsequently married in a lavish White House ceremony to Nicholas Longworth. Meanwhile, Roosevelt married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow, in London. She was an intelligent, sensitive and cultivated woman. Resignedly, she accepted many of her husband's most disruptive decisions, such as his break with the Republican Party in 1912. She gave four sons?Theodore, Jr.; Archibals; Quentin; and a daughrt Ethel. The energetic kids in the Roosevelt family were the liveliest group of children to live in the White House. Details of Presidential Life September 14, 1901 Roosevelt took the oath of office at Buffalo and became the twenty-sixth President of the United States. At age 42, he was the youngest man to hold that office. In May of 1902, Crater Lake National Park was established. Other National Parks established by Roosevelt are Windy Cave National Park, South Dakota; Sullys Hill, North Dakota; Platt National Park, Oklahoma; and Mesa Verde National Park. In November of 1903, Roosevelt signed the Treaty with Panama for building the Panama Canal. In November of 1904, Theodore Roosevelt was reelected president over Democrat Alton B Parker. The first major achievement of Roosevelt's second term was the Hepburn Act of 1906, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission power to fix railroad rates and to prohibit discrimination among shippers. During the last two years of Roosevelt's presidency, Republican leaders defied him almost continuously. Finally on January 31, 1908, Roosevelt lashed back in one of the most bitter and radical presidential messages on record. He said that the representatives of ?predatory wealth? were thwarting his program. In 1902, Roosevelt gave his support to the Democratic-sponsored Newlands Act. Under his authority 30 immigration projects, inculding Roosevelt Damn in Arizona, were begun or completed during his presidency. In October of 1912, Roosevelt was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt during a characteristically aggressive campaign. But Democratic governor of New Jersey, Woodrow Wilson, received 42% of the popular votes and won overpowering in the Electoral College. Early Jobs / Career Goals Prior to Presidency When Theodore was 23, he was elected to serve his first term in the New York State Assembly. As the leader of a minority of reform-minded Republicans, he pushed through a number of ?good government? bills. From 1884 to 1886, Roosevelt took up his lonely time by writing history and by operating a cattle ranch in the Dakota Territory, where he earned the respect of cowhands and ranchers. In the fall of 1886, he returned east to run for mayor of New York against Congressman Abram S. Hewitt and the economist Henry George. Hewitt won decisively, while Roosevelt finished a poor third. In 1887, Roosevelt was named Assistant Secretary of the Navy by President William McKinley. With this important job, Roosevelt worked behind the scenes for war against Spain. In 1878, Roosevelt resigned to accept a lieutenant colonelcy in the 1st U.S. Volunteer Calvary ? the ?Rough Riders?. He led the Rough Riders in a heroic charge up Kettle Hill in the battle for San Juan. As head of the commission, Roosevelt was being lead by the belief that the spoils system was a ?fruitful source

How would you explain to Walt why many workers are stressed Essays

How would you explain to Walt why many workers are stressed Essays How would you explain to Walt why many workers are stressed Essay How would you explain to Walt why many workers are stressed Essay While it is true that there are already so many inventions and technological devices that have been invented to help people accomplish more at work, the result is far from the anticipated goal of allowing people to rest more.   The increased capability of performing more work has been off-set by the fact that more and more tasks are placed upon the employees.   The fact paced working environment and steady competition has changed the way work is being done and increased the stress levels.   When a few decades ago companies only had to contend with local or national competition, the current business environment faces competition from firms and companies all over the world (Sedgeman 2005).Another factor which adds to the stress in any working environment, aside from the increased pressure to produce more, is the fact that the stress in the work place negatively affects the health of employees thus causing more absences and adding more pressure to catch up with the work load.Lazar us and Folkman suggest that stress can be thought of as resulting from an â€Å"imbalance between demands and resources† or as occurring when â€Å"pressure exceeds ones perceived ability to cope† (Lazarus Folkman, 1984).Discuss some antecedents to stress in the workplace and whether these factors are more common now than when Walt was working.The most common reasons for stress are poor working conditions such as excessive noise or heat and crowded or poorly designed workspaces, a lack of control over work, time pressures, long or inflexible working hours, too much or too little work or responsibility, confusion about duties and responsibilities, including role ambiguity, a lack of variety and interest in job, inadequate training and possibilities for learning new skills, poor work-life balance, difficult relationships with supervisors and coworkers, lack of support from colleagues, isolation from colleagues, organizational confusion, restructuring, and job change (Bo wer 2004).   All of these factors contribute to stress at the work place.   It is important to note however that the effect or weight of each of these factors differs from person to person.Over the years, there has been more emphasis on job specialization and training.   Aside from performing the regular work tasks, employees are also expected and pressured to meet higher expectations and maintain their competitive edge constantly.   These factors were not as prevalent in the work place a few decades ago as they are now.Provide your views about why employers should be concerned about worker stress.There have been a number of studies on the relationship between stress and job performance that show that as the level of work related stress increases the job performance and satisfaction level also changes (Sedgeman 2005).   Some of the consequences of stress include, job-related consequences such as low performance and absenteeism, emotion related consequences such as irritabi lity and depression which affect work place relationships, and physiological consequences such as high blood pressure and other illnesses (Bower 2004).All of these consequences affect the worker’s ability to perform his/her task at work and are also detrimental to the work atmosphere as more irritable people are less likely to contribute to team-related tasks and goals.   Absenteeism is also a problem as it directly affects the work output of not only an individual worker but of the team or unit as well.

Assignment One Essay Example for Free

Assignment One Essay 1.) What are some of the hardships faced by indentured servants in Virginia during the early days of the colony? a. Some of the hardships faced by indentured servants was disease such as â€Å"scurvy, bloody flux, and diverse other diseases.† Also, they have not much of a variety of food to eat, they eat â€Å"peas and loblollies†, and so they will do anything to be able to eat other variety of foods. The amount of food they get is shared between other men. Therefore their amount of food intake is not enough to make them full. They have clothes but they are old and dirty because they one of everything they wear. Since they do not have anything worth a penny, because if they do others steal it, they cannot have food other than peas. They cannot eat bread because it cost a penny and they don’t have a penny to buy anything. 2.) How does the physical location of Jamestown colony lead to many of the hardships described in this document? b. It seems they are close to possibly Indian attacks or people from other countries because he stated in the story â€Å"but yet we are 32 to fight 3000 if they should come.† He hasn’t seen any deer or venison since he arrived in Jamestown; therefore the meat source is not a great source for food reliability. It takes them a few days to retrieve cargo from the ships. They start to the shore and sleep the first night they get there, then unload the next day and start back to their home with the cargo. 3.) How have conditions at Jamestown affected the writer of this letter? c. He thinks negative about everything. He has nothing in Jamestown to call his own or â€Å"nothing to comfort him.† He expects the worse because people are dying by the hour. Not having much to eat, he doesn’t think he will survive much longer unless his he dies before he receives the package. He believes in God and that he can keep him alive if he drinks water, he heard. He tells his dad to have mercy and pity on him, that life in England was better because he had more food that filled him. He thanks his parents for providing all that they did while he lived in England. He loves his dad and doesn’t want his dad to forget him. Assignment One. (2017, Feb 13).

Compare and contrast discontinuous change Research Paper

Compare and contrast discontinuous change - Research Paper Example They are responsible for creating organizational environments that encourage improvement. However, human beings are naturally resistant to change. The organization has to overcome this resistance in order to increase engagement with the new structures. Employees have a difficult time adjusting to the new environment, and managers have to create an environment that will hasten the adaptation (Stanley, 2002). Employee training and changes in the work cultures are some of the methods of sustaining change. Progressive and visionary managers act as architects for change. They design and implement organizational change by basing their decisions on objective information. Successful changes are introduced gradually under the supervision of managers. Managers become advocates for change as well as fighting for their teams and projects. Aggressiveness, sound conviction, and courage are necessary for advocating for change. Employees have to be convinced on the advantages of embracing change, wh ich is a role for managers. They have to acknowledge past achievements, appraise present accomplishments and lay out the future of the organization after implementing proposed changes. Managers are responsible for explaining the impacts of change on individual employees and coordinate individual and organizational change. ... Effective change must make full optimization of existing resources so as to increase productivity. Managers have to encourage innovation, cultivate problem solving, address employee concerns, remain truthful, and help individuals transcend their self-interests. Employees must cultivate a desire to improve the condition of the company. This helps employees raise their concerns during the fact finding process. Change requires constant learning and employees have to be willing to engage in learning process. On the other hand, managers must create appropriate learning experiences and motivate their employees. This involves introducing better ways of doing the job and making employees aware of the reasons for performing certain tasks. Planning for change creates an orderly way of ensuring an organization meets the short-term and long-term goals. Employees have to be involved in the design practice as a way of reassuring change adaptation (Stanley, 2002). Change is inevitable in organizati ons, but almost two-thirds of major change programs are unsuccessful. The main cause of this failure is resistance by managers and employees. Change is accompanied by uncertainties and potential outcomes that cause resistance. Employees usually display reservation, which arises as a reaction to change. Resistance detracts the proficiency of the organization and becomes an enemy of change. Normal interactions between individuals and groups are interrupted and there is a breakdown between employees and managers. Individual rational assessments of change outcomes can conflict with those of management creating resistance. Individuals can also resist due to preferences and predispositions that are not based on rational assessment.

None Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

None - Term Paper Example These pollutants have migrated off the site which became the basis of the case. In late 2008, families in the small town of Attica, Indiana learned that toxic chemical vapors were entering the air inside their homes.   After getting the bad news, these families turned to The Pollution Lawyers for help.   A class suit was then filed against Kraft Foods Global, Inc. alleging that the volatile organic compounds trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) that was dumped at the manufacturing site by Kraft seeped into the groundwater and traveled underneath over  one-hundred nearby homes (Manzke, 2011).   It was alleged that once these chemicals are underneath these homes, the chemicals worked their way into the indoor air.   This process is commonly known as vapor intrusion (Manzke, 2011).   Vapor intrusion occurs when volatile chemicals from contaminated groundwater or soil â€Å"intrude† into an overlying building. These chemicals contaminate the air, causing a potential health hazard to individuals in the building who are subject to prolonged exposure to the chemicals (Nichols et al., 2011). After two years of litigation, a settlement was then reached. The court approved the amount of $8.1 million out of court settlement of the class action brought by 124 families in Attica, Indiana, against Kraft Foods alleging pollution from a nearby factory contaminated groundwater and caused vapor intrusion in their homes (Stoll v. Kraft Foods Global Inc.,  S.D. Ind., No. 1:09-cv-00364, 5/20/11). Also, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved the $2.7 million attorney’s fees that were requested plaintiffs. In addition to the monetary compensation,  Kraft has contractually agreed to remediate the groundwater and indoor air contamination of the site (Manzke, 2011). The $9.8 million ($8.1 million out of court settlement plus $2.7 million attorneys fees

Theatre Evaluation of The Woman In Black Essay Example for Free

Theatre Evaluation of The Woman In Black Essay On December 11th 2001 we went to go and see a production of Woman In Black at the Lowry Centre in Salford, Manchester. The play was a thriller based on a story of man that he had to explain, and needed to tell some one about his experience. This man went to a theatre and asked for help in telling this story. Two male actors retold the story in the theatre using the theatrical effects available. It was set on a proscenium stage. When we were first introduced to the stage setting all we saw were drapes hanging at the back, which were later to be turned into gauze to help portray the later more frightening scenes in the house. The only props on the stage were a large basket, a hat stand, a clothes rail and a chair (later on in the play a door was introduced). Throughout the play these were the only props used, but with great effect. Each prop was brought into a scene and used in a different way. The gauze was used for projective images. This gave a chilling effect for example when the image of a cross was shone on to it. It was also used to create other images like a graveyard, the old house and also other parts of the house, like when you saw the woman in black on the stairs. The use of gauze had a more terrifying effect on what we were witnessing. There were only two actors in the play, but they played numerous characters throughout the different scenes. When they wanted to change characters they simply took clothes off the clothes rail, this was a very quick and swift way to change characters and was very effective, because it kept our minds constantly on the play as the action was constantly on stage. Each prop was used for different things. For example the basket was used as a bed, a basket, a train carriage and a horse and carriage. This moment was particularly effective; the basket was used to take the actor to the house. As approaching the house the horse seemed to become stuck, the use of good sound effects of the horse and carriage, then the use of lighting made this all seem very frightening and disturbing. When the carriage crashed into the marsh the goods sound effects took our imagination and it seemed very real. This was also helped by the skill of the actor driving the carriage. He was playing the old man and as soon as he took on the role he seemed to instantly become this old man. He changed his voice and his face in order to create a very realistic image of the scene. This helped to make the scene more believable. It seemed that the actors fears were being portrayed into the audience. I felt that the frightening scenes were in the house when the actor could hear noises and also saw the woman in black. He seemed very scared. The climax of this was when he finally entered the door into the childs bedroom and we saw the rocking of the chair and the playing of the childrens music toy. This was very disturbing and the actor made us feel his sense of edginess and that he was frightened. The actor helped build up the tension when he first stayed in the house, that the audience was very anxious about when he went back and the audience became very worried about what was going to happen next. There was a third actor, the woman in black. The woman said nothing, which made her even more terrifying. The woman appeared out of the darkness of the back of the audience when we first saw her. She also appeared out of the darkness when we saw her in the graveyard scene, this time she was accompanied by a scream when she appeared, this made the audience very scared and fearful of her. The woman was just an image of a white face and we only saw her as a distant shadow in the house, it made us feel very startled by her. She was very effective as a silent actor because this made the audience use our imagination as to what the woman really was, because we never heard her speak. The sound effects, the shrill scream, that accompanied her on the stage also added to the eerie effect. The screams were very shocking and we could feel it in the audience, they became very jumpy and weary of this ghostly apparition on stage. When the play first started it was very slow at taking up the story and did not really grip our attention straight away. But it soon grew in pace and fright, with each scene moving faster and becoming more and more effective in scaring the audience. The effects used in the play, the gauze, the visions, the sounds and the woman really helped in making the play very successful in creating the disturbing feel of the story. I think everyone left the theatre very jumpy, so the play was obviously successful, and I thoroughly enjoyed my fearful experience.

Daisy in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay -- Great Gatsby Fitzgera

Daisy in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the character of Daisy Buchanan undergoes many noticeable changes. Daisy is a symbol of wealth and of promises broken. She is a character we grow to feel sorry for but probably should not. Born Daisy Fay in Louisville, Kentucky, Daisy was always the princess in the tower, the golden girl that every man dreamed of possessing. ?She dressed in white, and had a little white roadster, and all the day long the telephone rang in her house and excited young officers from Camp Taylor demanded the privilege of monopolizing her that night,? (79). Daisy is beautiful, rich, and appears very innocent as a young woman, although it is later suggested that she was quite promiscuous. While she was the object of every man?s desire, Daisy was madly in love with Jay Gatsby. Daisy tried to escape to New York to see Gatsby off to war but was prevented by her parents because Jay did not meet their standards. They disapproved of him because he did not have as much money or come from a family in the same social class as their own. Though Daisy wrote letters to Gatsby and promised to remain faithful she married Tom Buchanan from Chicago the very next year. Tom was incredibly wealthy and ?the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars,? (80). Daisy seemed to be madly in love with her new husband and looked to be very happy. Daisy has been married to Tom for quite a considerable amount of time and they have already had a daughter by the time Daisy?s cousin, Nick, reappears in Daisy?s life. Mrs. Buchanan is extremely friendly with her cousin and always seems glad to see h... ...nted everyone to feel sorry for Daisy. However, one finds it hard to feel sorry for someone as well off as herself. She is a symbol of money and the corruption it brings. One must be careful not to identify Daisy with the green light at the end of her dock. The green light is the promise, the dream. Daisy herself is much less than that. Even Gatsby must realize that having Daisy in the flesh is much, much less than what he imagined it would be when he fell in love with the idea of her. While Daisy Buchanan undergoes numerous changes throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, she remains a symbol of wealth, broken promises, and dreams corrupted. While one finds it easy to feel sorry for her, she is in no means the victim of the novel. Work Cited F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992

Harrington Collection

Case Assignment #2 – Harrington Collection Outlook for overall women’s apparel industry Since the downturn that began in the early 2000s significantly impacted the women’s apparel industry, the increasing rate on overall sales had presented a slight decrease from 2004. Although it came up from 3. 5% to 5. 7% in 2004, it began to come down from that year as well with a relatively stable dropping rate. However, it led to a significant fluctuation among units that sold in different price ranges.Let’s take a look at Chart-1 below which is transformed from Exhibit-2 in the case to the form of increasing rate and proportion respectively. According to (a), units sold whose price is more than $200 and in the range of $100 and $200 increased well below the average increasing rate. While the units sold whose price ranged from $50-$100 and under $50 increased higher than the average increasing rate. What’s more, the growth rate of units sold under $50 had jump ed to 11. 50% in 2007 by 4. 28% which is in great contrast with that of only 1. 5% whose price ranged from $100-$200. Chart-1: (a) Price Point| 2006 (growth rate)| 2007 (growth rate)| difference| $200+| 0. 6508%| 2. 8736%| 2. 2228%| $100-$200| -0. 0457%| 1. 5075%| 1. 5532%| $50-$100| 7. 0548%| 9. 0851%| 2. 0303%| Under $50| 7. 2188%| 11. 5010%| 4. 2822%| Total| 5. 1272%| 8. 1631%| 3. 0359%| According to (b), the units sold proportions presented little difference from 2005 to 2006. However, in 2007, we found that 2 points less of units sold pricing up from $100 and 2 points more of that were priced under $50 compared with previous year.Chart-1: (b) Price Point| 2005 (proportion)| 2006 (proportion)| 2007 (proportion)| $200+| 10. 7601%| 10. 3020%| 9. 7982%| $100-$200| 17. 0388%| 16. 2004%| 15. 2036%| $50-$100| 34. 0776%| 34. 7025%| 34. 9983%| Under $50| 38. 0456%| 38. 8025%| 40. 0000%| Total| 100%| 100%| 100%| Although the statistics suggests a slight increase of the total demand in th e industry of women’s apparel, the shift in the structure of units sold in different price ranges indicates a downturn in the industry which led to a downward consumer purchasing behavior.Indeed the economic sluggish hit the segment targeted on upscale-class apparel pricing higher than $100, however, it provides a great opportunity for manufactures who engaged in the segments targeted toward â€Å"budget† and â€Å"moderate† classifications. As a result, consumers undergoing economic downturn would become more and more price sensitive, especially for those who were always purchasing â€Å"moderate† or â€Å"budget† apparel even before the economic sluggish began. Competition Since the industry was moderately concentrated, it should belong to monopolistic competition market, under which sellers could differentiate their offers to buyers.Products can be varied in quality, features, or style, or the accompanying services can be varied. Sellers try to develop differentiated offers for different customer segments and, in addition to price, freely use branding, advertising, and personal selling to set their offers apart. Retailing Competition for the Apparel Market In current years, department stores have been squeezed between more focused and flexible specialty stores on the one hand, and more efficient, lower-priced discounters on the other.It results in a markedly falling in market share which can be found in Exhibit-5. In the contrast, specialty stores with narrow product lines and deep assortment, and supercenters who are actually giant specialty stores with broader product lines presented an enlightening future trend. The fierce competition, as a result, gave rise either to merger and consolidations between retailers in order to gain bargaining power with suppliers, or to contracting directly with manufacturers to produce private label products.Manufacturers also expanded their roles by integrating forward into retailing so a s to reduce expenditures and to take better control over their own business. Harrington Collection Harrington Collection targets itself at high-class fashion enthusiasts and divides the â€Å"upper-class† market into 4 further specific segments represented by 4 brands which focus on people with different income status, ages, self-concepts, etc. If we refer back to Chart-1: (b), we find that market share of total apparel industry pricing higher than $100 decreased in 2007.It would hit the performance of Harrington Collection since all of its products are priced up from $150. In addition, we also find a rapid growth was taking place in the low-end market in 2007. As a result, senior executives of the company is considering to introduce active-wear into manufacturing and stretch its product line downward to grab the opportunity in low-end market as well as to make up for their profit loss in high-end market. However, a brand’s price and image are often closely linked and a change in price can adversely affect how consumers view the company.When a cheaper product is introduced into the market, their loyal consumers would think that the quality has been reduced. Especially for luxury oriented company like Harrington Collection whose customers are extremely loyal to the brand and looking for status that the company’s brand stands for, lowering price would threaten the company’s position in the minds of its loyal customers. (disadvantage) On the other hand, when it comes to new customers who never purchased Harrington’s apparel before, lowering price might attract consumers in â€Å"moderate† or even â€Å"budget† segments to buy its products.Moreover, if prices are similar with that of competitors who target only in â€Å"moderate† or â€Å"budget† segments, consumers are more likely to purchase Harrington’s apparel, because the brand would make them look wealthy. (advantage) However, it is not th e case. Consumers belonging to â€Å"moderate† or â€Å"budget† segments are extremely price sensitive, especially under a downturn economic situation. When company slightly raise the price to meet a higher quality or service requirement, lots of consumers coming from these two segments would turn to its competitors.Even though the company makes profit due to the current fad, it would hurt the company’s profitability in a long run. (disadvantage) As a result, management of Harrington Collection should trade off both advantages and disadvantages when making decision of lowering its price to develop active-wear product line. Active wear According to the case, both the facts that the number of active-wear units sold was expected to double by 2009 and the extremely high turnover rate suggest a promising future of active-wear classification.So the point is to which segment active-wear classification should target and how this new product line should be priced. First of all, let’s refer back to our analysis right above. Although targeting to consumers who pinch pennies and lowering price to attract this kind of â€Å"new† purchasers might make profit in short term, the great price sensitivity and disloyalty hidden behind this group would result in a greater loss in a long run. Moreover, the inexpensive brand image would drive a lot of loyal customers away to its competitors.However, â€Å"10% of customers purchasing apparel in the $100-$200 price range would buy an active-wear set if one with superior styling, fabric, and fit was available. † â€Å"There is a sub set of Harrington customers who were loyal to the brands throughout their careers but no longer desire the tailored, professional look. They are now interested in something fresh and comfortable that fits with their active lifestyles. † â€Å"The aging baby boomer population wants clothing that does not make them feel old. All of these facts suggest that it seems safer and more conservative to remain in the existing classification and excavate the need of loyal customers. However, due to the high growth in low-end market, we don’t want to give up the opportunity to take a bite on that tempting market. So why don’t we price the product slightly higher than the â€Å"moderate† active-wear product, and increase the quality as well as add exceptional features to attract both old customers and new consumers who are not that sensitive to price?For instance, if customers purchasing active-wear from Liz Claiborne related themselves with sexy and glamorous image, Harrington could redesign the active-wear product adding features to attract customers who would like to relate themselves with elegant or sophisticated images which is more consistent with the company’s value. It can also increase the quality in fabrics, manual work and services. People would love to pay a little higher price in exchange of a much higher qu ality, unique style and better services.In this way, not only it would attract new customers who are less price sensitive with affordable prices and retain them by reliable quality compared with that of poorly made â€Å"moderate† products, but also it would bring fresh experience to its old customers and then increase the times of their purchasing behavior without eating up the sales of company’s other brands or hurting a luxury image. Secondly, if Harrington faces a host of smaller competitors charging high prices relative to the value they eliver, it might charge lower prices to drive weaker competitors out of the market. However, Liz Claiborne, one of Harrington’s major competitors, was also one of the leaders in the â€Å"better† active-wear category with relatively low price. As a result, the company may decide to differentiate itself with value-added products at higher prices. In conclusion, Harrington should price the new product line of active-we ar slightly higher as well as increase its quality and services in order to support the price and keep consistency with its luxury image.Furthermore, Harrington should differentiate its style and features to avoid direct competition with other leading manufacturers. Brand Targeting and Positioning Myer thought active-wear would be a perfect addition to the Vigor division for two reasons – Vigor styles were less traditional than the other Harrington divisions, and Vigor division emphasized comfort and fashion although it’s a career-oriented design. However, these two reasons cannot sufficiently support whether active-wear would well fit into Vigor brand.Even though attributes and benefits brought to customers could be varied among different products, the images, beliefs and values created for customers must be consistent with each of the product under the same brand. For instance, active-wear and existing Vigor’s product don’t have the same features, as ac tive-wear is more sporty and casual while the other is more work/professional oriented. The point is neither the same attributes they have in common nor the comfortable benefits they will bring to customers. The point is the same image customers would like to relate themselves with and values the company intends to create.Since Vigor has already successfully created an image of â€Å"Trend Setter†, the new product line must also create values of â€Å"breaking rules†, â€Å"looking exceptional†, â€Å"pursuing new life style† for customers to meet the requirement under the brand of Vigor. As a result, it’s not a bad idea to branch out Vigor to support active-wear manufacture. Advantages and Disadvantages Moreover, to extend a current brand name to a new category will give the new product instant recognition and faster acceptance. It also saves the high advertising costs usually required to build a new brand name.And it could also use the brand†™s existing support and functions to run the new business, which would decrease part of overhead expenditures. At the same time, branching out Vigor involves some risks. If a brand extension fails, it may harm consumer attitudes toward the existing products carrying the same brand name. Potential Retail Trade Since Company-owned stores accounted for about 20% of the manufacturing group sales, and the remaining sales were split 40:60 between specialty stores and department stores. It can be inferred that the sales proportion among these three outlets is 20: 32: 48 in manufacturing group.According to the sales information provided in Exhibit-6, the sales and corresponding proportions among different retailing terminals can be concluded as below: (For instance, in 2005, sales of Own store is $556*20%+$843=945. 2) Chart-2: (a) | 2005 (sales in millions)| 2006 (sales in millions)| 2007 (sales in millions)| Own Store| 945. 2| 921. 4| 913. 6| Specialty Store| 177. 92| 173. 44| 172. 16| D epartment Store| 266. 88| 260. 16| 258. 24| Total| 1390| 1355| 1344| Chart-2: (b) | 2005 (sales in pro)| 2006 (sales in pro)| 2007 (sales in pro)| Own Store| 68. 00%| 68. 0%| 67. 98%| Specialty Store| 12. 80%| 12. 80%| 12. 81%| Department Store| 19. 20%| 19. 20%| 19. 21%| Total| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| 100. 00%| As we can see from Chart-2 above, sales from Company Owned Store account most of the company sales. By integrating itself forward into retailing or the entire value chain, company could be able to reduce the time required of distribution, to take control of promotion and retail prices directly, and to provide more personal selling services to customers by professionally trained salesperson so as to better meet customer needs.On the other hand, multiple channels offer many advantages as well to companies facing large and complex markets. With each non-company owned store, the company expands its sales and market coverage and gains opportunities to tailor its products and services to the specific needs of diverse customer segments. But such multichannel systems are harder to control, and they generate conflict as more retailers compete for customers and sales. The current channels of different brands are exhibited in Chart-3: Chart-3: | Harrington Ltd. | Sopra| Christina Cole| Vigor|Price Range| $500-$1000 (Dsn)| $400-$800 (Brd)| $300-$700 (Brd)| $150-$250 (Btr)| Retailer| 70 Company Own; Specialty;Department| Specialty| 70 Company Own; Specialty;Department| The other 50 Company Own;Specialty;Department| 40% (50 stores) of the Company Owned Stores sell Vigor exclusively. One of the reasons might be that Vigor stands for a less traditional image and a new life-style relatively to the others. As a result, environment, decorations and even salesperson of stores selling Vigor would be specifically designed to meet the specific expectation of the customer positioned in that segment.Since we’ve decided to branch out Vigor to integrate active-wear line into it due to the similar value they represented, we should display active-wear together with existing Vigor brand with separated segments in order to deepen the assortment of Company Owned Stores and give customer psychological suggestions about the value it intends to present. Secondly, since specialty store carry a narrow product line with a deep assortment, active-wear provides a great opportunity to enrich the classifications of the store. Thirdly, upscale-department outlets might also find active-wear an appropriate supplement for their product line.Since consumers with relatively high income would like to give the stylish, active and more casual clothes a shot in the case that the clothes have to be made in good quality. As Harrington’s active-wear has differentiated itself with exceptional quality, features and services, which implies nothing related to the cheap prices. As a result, upscale-department would love to support this product line regardless its low price range . What’s more, Harrington could develop its channel into Superstores which indeed is a giant specialty store, since it might attract a larger group of people with various income statuses and self-positioning.Reaction of Competitors If active-wear with Vigor’s logo performs brilliant once it is introduced, it would attract lots of small competitors into the market. Since it’s a monopolistic competition market which allows a wide range of price and competitors could differentiate their products with various qualities, features, values and services, small companies who are not able to find themselves competitive in quality and creativity would be more likely to cut their price down to attract customers coming from a more price sensitive and less loyal segment compared with the segment targeted by Harrington.Although the price would be slightly higher than that of those small competitors, Harrington has gained strong customer relationship and its newly brought-in pr oduct targets both to loyal customers and to new customers who are less price sensitive and who’d like to pay more attention to quality and features. As a result, Harrington would successfully avoid competitions from its competitors. Demand and Profitability Analysis Start-Up Costs:| Start-up Costs Pants Plant| $1,200,000| Start-up Costs Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant| $2,500,000| Equipment Pants Plant| $2,000,000|Equipment Hoodie and Tee- shirt Plant| $2,500,000| Launch-PR, Advertising| $2,000,000| Fixtures for Company Stores| $50,000*50| Total Start-up Costs| $10,200,000+$50,000*50| Annual Depreciated Start-up Costs| $2,540,000 (total start-up cost/5)| Annual Ongoing Operating Costs – Fixed:| Overhead Pants Plant| $3,000,000| Overhead Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant| $3,500,000| Rent Pants Plant| $500,000| Rent Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant| $500,000| Management/Support| $1,000,000| Advertising| $3,000,000| Total Fixed Operating Costs| $11,500,000|Direct Variable Costs:| Hoodie| Tee-shirt| Pants| Sew and Press| $3. 25*x| $2. 00*y| $2. 85*z| Cut| $1. 15*x| $0. 40*y| $0. 70*z| Other Variable Labor| $3. 20*x| $2. 40*y| $3. 05*z| Fabric| $9. 10*x| $2. 20*y| $7. 50*z| Findings| $3. 85*x| $0. 50*y| $2. 30*z| | $20. 55*x| $7. 50*y| $16. 40*z| Direct Variable Costs Translated into â€Å"Unit† Cost| Hoodie| Tee-shirt| Pants| | $20. 55| $7. 50| $16. 40| | *0. 5 (weight)| *1. 5 (weight)| *1 (weight)| | $10. 275| $11. 25| $16. 4| Indirect Variable Costs| Wholesale â€Å"unit† price| $100*50%*0. (weight)+$40*50%*1. 5 (weight)+$80*50%*1 (weight)=$95| Total variable costs as % of wholesale price| $(3+4+1+0. 7+0. 24+0. 15)%=9. 09%| Indirect variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $95*9. 09%=$8. 6355| Direct variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $10. 275+$11. 25+$16. 4=$37. 925| Indirect variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $8. 6355| Total variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $46. 5605| Contribution:| Wholesale price per â€Å"unit†| $95| Less tota l variable costs per â€Å"unit†| $46. 5605| Contribution per â€Å"unit†| $95-$46. 5605=$48. 4395| Breakeven:|Fixed annual costs (operating and depreciated start up) | $2,540,000+$11,500,000=$14,040,000| / Contribution per â€Å"unit†| $48. 4395| =Breakeven Units| 289,846 units| Profit Margin:| Revenue| $7,500,000*2*40%*7%*$95=420,000units*$95=$39,900,000| less fixed annual costs| $14,040,000| less total variable costs| $46. 5605*420,000units=19,555,452| Profit before tax| $6,304,548| Profit margin before tax| 15. 8009%| If Harrington could guarantee that there’ll be 289,846 units sold in the launch year, it won’t lose money.If market share of 7% â€Å"better† active-wear segment is accurately estimated, the breakeven point will be definitely met and the company will even earn a15. 80% profit margin. If the company decides to raise price in order to earn more on one unit in expense of losing part of its sales volume, consumers’ price elasticity would be extremely important for company to see whether the amount of money it makes more on one unit would cover the loss of volume decrease. Sometimes the price-demand curve slopes upward when it comes to prestige goods, but it is another case.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay

The many different works of Edgar Allan Poe all aim to do one thing. Strike fear into the heart of the reader. Simple, yet effective, he expresses fear through these many different themes and motifs. At full length, Poe’s stories all acquire a distinct theme or motif that moves the story forward. Whether you know it or not, many of his stories rely on themes and motifs to make the story more appealing to the reader. Time, duality, and dreams all play key roles in Poe’s short stories. They descriptively provide all of the necessary information in order to produce the whole concept of fear. Without them, these stories wouldn’t push you to the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. Time plays a major role in providing the story with the crucial data it needs to make the story frightening and suspenseful. It presents the story with a visual that makes the mood of the story transition into a very adverse setting. Dusk is probably the most common time of day in many of Poe’s stories. He chooses dusk because, during that time of day, it is very difficult to see. For example, in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the narrator begins to describe how it is very difficult to see while he is making his way towards his child hood friend’s mansion. When choosing the time of day that produces little or no light, Poe tries to make the setting as dark as possible. Light represents happiness and positivity, so Poe tries to eliminate anything that represents prosperity. By assembling negative forces, the story will generate fear into the reader. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† the narrator stalks his pray for seven days, but on the eighth night the narrator commits the horrible deed. The number eight is used frequently with Poe and his stories; in this case, it represents what day the narrator will kill the old man. With â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, time represents life. It represents life because once a person is infected with the red death; the infected person has only 30 minutes to live. The ebony clock also represents life, because after every hour the clock will ring, reminding the people that time is running out. This theme is very necessary for producing fear, because if Poe doesn’t clarify what time of day it is, the story loses suspense. So it’s apparent that time is a key necessity in conveying fear into readers. The narrator often produces dreams themselves. Frequently, it presents a distortion of reality for the narrator and the reader. Dreams in Poe’s stories draw the line between reality and fantasy. Many unexplainable things would occur and the narrator would instantly assume it would be his imagination or that he would be dreaming. Providing dreams will make the reader build curiosity into whether or not these bizarre things are real or just images of the narrators eccentric imagination. In â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, a huge party is thrown, to isolate the people from the disease. In the party, the guests have a great time by dressing up and having a â€Å"perfect† time, until the ebony clock rings. Once the clock rings, the party guests snap back into reality for a short moment. For that short moment, the reader realizes the severity of the situation. That short moment of severity produces fear. During his trip to Rederick’s mansion in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, the narrator feels like the trip is a dream because the environment of the mansion is so surreal. Alcohol provides the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† with a distortion of reality, because after he hangs the black cat, he comes across a cat that is identical to the one he hangs after he leaves the bar. The narrator is completely shocked by the resemblance to his previous cat. This similarity conveys fear into the reader, because you can’t tell if it’s the same cat or a different one. The distortion of reality in dreams really help produce fear due to the doubtful events that keep occurring. These events help generate fear and build up the suspense in the reader for a few moments. Duality in the characters conveys the most fear towards the reader. By having a dual persona, the character is able to build up that suspense by having a â€Å"good† side and a â€Å"bad† side. As an animal lover, the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† would always love to take care of animals, until he becomes â€Å"consumed by the imp of the perverse† which exposes his negative side. This negativity leads him to killing his cat and his wife. The insanity of having a dual persona helps transmit true fear into the reader. As a young caretaker, the narrator in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† has nothing against the old man he is looking after; the old man has done nothing wrong to deserve any negative treatment. During the day the narrator would go about his business taking care of the old man, until night came upon. At night, the narrator would be consumed by the old man’s eye. His â€Å"evil eye† leads the narrator to kill his wife and their pet. The duality in both of the these characters are very similar due to them being consumed by some object that leads them into killing their loved ones and pets. All of these themes help produce the backbone of Poe’s stories. Without these themes and motifs, these stories wouldn’t be as suspenseful as they are today. These stories rely on the descriptiveness and the intensity of these themes to carry the suspense and to convey fear into the readers. Today, as people still learn about Poe’s stories, they will still be able to consume the fear that they read due to these themes and motifs.

Classic Poems About America for the 4th of July

Classic Poems About America for the 4th of July Patriotism is the theme for the Fourth of July. Many poets have taken on the subject over the years and their words, even in part, have been engrained in the minds of millions of Americans. From Whitman to Emerson and Longfellow to Blake and beyond, these are the poems that have inspired patriots for years. Walt Whitman,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I Hear America Singing† The collection of Walt Whitmans poems known as Leaves of Grass was published a total of seven times during the poets lifetime. Each edition held different poems and in the 1860 edition,  I Hear America Singing made its debut. Yet, Whitman made some changes and the version below is the 1867 version. The differences between the two editions are minimal at best. Most notably, the first verse was changed from American mouth-songs ! to the lyrical lines youll find below. It is quite interesting to note that the two editions were printed just prior to and after the Civil War. In the context of the country during that time, Whitmans words take on an even more powerful meaning. America was divided, but the differences were not extreme when viewed from the songs of the individual. I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;Those of mechanics- each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat- the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench- the hatter singing as he stands;The wood-cutter’s song- the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;The delicious singing of the mother- or of the young wife at work- or of the girl sewing or washing- Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;The day what belongs to the day- At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs. More From Whitmans Leaves of Grass The many editions of Leaves of Grass are filled with poems on a variety of subject matter. When it comes to patriotism, Whitman penned some of the best poetry and this contributed to his notoriety as one of Americas great poets. â€Å"By Blue Ontario’s Shore†Ã‚  (first published in the 1867 edition) - The poet spends this poem in a contemplative state marked with talk of liberty and freedom. Lines like Chant me the poem, it said, that comes from the soul of America, and O America because you build for mankind I build for you, are inspiring. At the same time, the narrator seems haunted by troubles and questions.â€Å"Song of the Broad-Axe†Ã‚  (first published in the 1856 edition) - An epic piece of poetry, Whitman embodies too many facets of America and Americans in this poem to note in a brief summary. It is a wonderful look at the individual spirit that formed the country and the strength it took from each and every person through the powerful symbol of the broad-axe. Ralph Waldo Emerson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Concord Hymn† The Fourth of July celebrates Americas independence and few poems remind us of the sacrifices required during the Revolutionary War better than Ralph Waldo Emersons Concord Hymn. It was sung at the completion of the Concord Battle Monument on  April 19, 1837. Emerson settled in Concord, Massachusetts after marrying his second wife, Lydia Jackson, in 1835. He was known for his admiration of self-reliance and individualism. These two factors seem to have a  heavy influence on the personal nature and deep patriotic feelings he penned in this poem. The last line of the first stanza - the shot heard round the world - was quickly made famous and remains a hallmark for describing the valiant efforts of the American revolutionaries. By the rude bridge that arched the flood,Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,Here once the embattled farmers stood,And fired the shot heard round the world,The foe long since in silence slept,Alike the Conqueror silent sleeps,And Time the ruined bridge has sweptDown the dark stream which seaward creeps.On this green bank, by this soft stream,We set to-day a votive stone,That memory may their deed redeem,When like our sires our sons are gone.Spirit! who made those freemen dareTo die, or leave their children free,Bid time and nature gently spareThe shaft we raise to them and Thee. This was not the only patriotic poem Emerson wrote. In 1904, 22 years after his death,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Nation’s Strength† was published. The poets patriotic zeal appears once again in lines like Men who for truth and honor’s sake/Stand fast and suffer long. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Paul Revere’s Ride† The opening lines of Henry Wadsworth Longfellows 1863 poem are etched in the memories of many Americans. The poet was known for his lyrical poems that retraced historical events and in 1863, ​Paul Reveres Ride was published, giving Americans a new, amazingly detailed, and dramatically versed look at one of the most famous nights in the countrys short history. Listen, my children, and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere,On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;Hardly a man is now aliveWho remembers that famous day and year. More Longfellow â€Å"O Ship of State†Ã‚  (â€Å"The Republic† from â€Å"The Building of the Ship,† 1850) - A contemporary of both Emerson and Whitman, Longfellow also saw the building of a young country and this influenced many of his poems. Though it reads as a simple poetic description of shipbuilding, it is, in reality, a metaphor for the building of America. Piece by piece, the country came together, just as those ships built near Longfellows Portland, Maine home. The patriotic enthusiasm of O Ship of State extended beyond America. Franklin Roosevelt quoted the opening lines in a personal letter to Winston Churchhill during World War II to rally his allys spirit. More Famous Poems About America Though those are some of the most noted poems appropriate for Independence Day, they are not alone. The following verses are equally popular and express national pride perfectly. William Blake,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"America, A Prophecy† (1793) - Written by the famous English poet 17 years after the American Revolution, this poem has long been an icon in patriotic poetry. A mythical look at what might come out of the new country, Blake romanticizes the tale and clearly shows he too has no love for tyranny or the King.Emma Lazarus,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The New Colossus† (1883) - Written to raise funds for the base of the Statue of Liberty, this famous poem is engraved on it for all to see. The lines Give me your tired, your poor,  Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, speak volumes to the nation of immigrants.Carl Sandburg,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Good Night† (1920) - Fireworks over the pier on the Fourth of July, Sandburgs short poem is both timeless and timely. If youre seeking a poem to memorize, this is a fantastic choice.Claude McKay,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"America† (1921) - A love sonnet written by a leader of the Harlem Rennaissance,  America portrays the poets adorat ion for the country while, at the same time, confronting the troubles he has seen in his community. Amy Lowell,  Excerpt from â€Å"The Congressional Library† (1922) - Published in The Literary Digest (incorrectly, at first), the poet captures the wonderful architecture and art of this historic building that houses the nations archives. She also wonders about its future as well as the library as a reflection on all Americans.Stephen Vincent Benà ©t,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"American Names† (1927) - Both a geography lesson and a poem examining the poetic styling of names, the poet explores sound and place in lighthearted verse.

Zara and Ready Meals Case Study Individual Report Essay

Zara and Ready Meals Case Study Individual Report - Essay Example The problem arose mainly because of centralized stock ordering system, which was being practiced by Strutt. There is a change in the stock ordering and delivery system, which sees the losses tremendously reduced, and a significant improvement in customer satisfaction. Before and after Status of Ready Meals Case The initial system is flawed with extensive variations of the orders demanded. Strutt provided a provision all week long order and a final order the day before the intended deliveries. These two orders varied a lot at times even by over 50% and this resulted in an inconvenience to Ready Meals. There were also penalties associated with lateness of delivering the orders by Ready Meals. The Strutt demand of the food was also very uncertain. Ready Meals could not plan itself on what it would deliver more than a day before. This coupled with the fact that Ready Meals had to make small packaging led to an extended lead-time and this in turn led to creation of wastage. Ready Meals se t up stock buffering mechanisms to counter this effect of fluctuation of orders by Strutt. Buffering mechanisms was used in the supply of the sauces. This helped in mainstreaming the supply; however, the sauces have a life span of only five days and the keeping of excess stock led to wastage losses. Another buffer mechanism used by ready Meals to counter the uncertainty in supplying Strutt with food was the buffering of employee working hours. Employees could work for an extra 2 hours without notice and this led to an increased discontentment in the employee fraternity leading to turnovers. Wastage losses were also contributed to by Ready Meals computer system. On reception of provisional orders, Ready Meal would feed this information into their system. When this information was already in the system and the final order comes along, if the final order was less, the computer could not reduce the provisional order to meet the required order. If the final order was more than the provis ional order, the computer could not requisition for the excess rather it requisitioned for the final order in addition to the provisional order. This led to a great variation on the ordered quantity and the produced order. If Ready Meals also failed to deliver a day’s order, the computer would assume that the order was lost and make another order, which it would compensate for, by a lower order the following day. In the new system, a weekly schedule was set on Fridays with fixed daily deliveries for the following week. This was also found to not need changing from week to week apart from gradual seasonal adjustments. Threat of penalties was also removed and Strutt’s shelf life was increased by RM promising to dispatch on the day of production and supply the early rather than late delivery into the depots. Finally, the depot location was specified on the same day rather than 2 days before delivery, thereby enabling the packaging quantities to be in line with store requi rements and, therefore, avoiding depot delays in trans-shipment. This new system removed the variation in the quantities ordered and those delivered thereby reducing wastage for Ready Meals to zero. The uncertainty, which had earlier been created by the two orders placed by Strutt, was also removed. This is

Managing Workplace Diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Managing Workplace Diversity - Assignment Example However, in the course of this unit, I have discovered that every state in the United States have The Second Injury Fund that assumes the responsibility of compensating the disabled in an instance they sustain an injury and become totally disabled. The affirmative actions were created to supplement what law could not do in ensuring equality among people of different cultures, gender and ethnicity. There are policies and laws that are in place to ensure that discrimination is addressed, but their effectiveness remains equivocal. Affirmative actions will remedy these inequalities, but presenting the long-time disadvantaged minority groups with equitable opportunities that ultimately addresses inequalities. Although the affirmative action will present added advantage to the minority groups, I learned in class that they, too, should meet qualifications. Affirmative action does not translate to undue advantage over others. It simply means providing more opportunities to the underserved group of individuals. Another misconception I had is that affirmative action is only concerned with providing people of the color with more opportunities. However, Caucasian women can attest to the more open doors available to them following affirmative actions. It is evident that we mostly practice the religion passed down to us, and with time, we believe that our religion is the right one. This belief may lead to creating an environment that disregards co-workers’ religion. When handling religious diversity, I have learned from the class work that the best way to go about it is to have an open mind. It is impossible to understand all religions and their beliefs and practices, but keeping an open mind will facilitate accommodation of people with religious beliefs that differ from mine. Work diversity is often viewed in terms of cultural diversities among the workers. Often, religious contributions towards the same are neglected.