Saturday, August 31, 2019

Is the term ‘Green Logistics’ an oxymoron Essay

Is the term ‘Green Logistics’ an oxymoron? An oxymoron is a term in which contradictory words appear in conjunction with one another such as bitter sweet or a deafening silence. In an attempt to answer this question we must first define what the term ‘Green Logistics’ means. When the term is broken down into its composite parts ‘logistics’ is simply defined by Murphy and Wood (2011) as the part of the supply chain which plans, implements and controls both the forward and reverse flows of goods, services and information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in an efficient and effective manner. However, the term ‘green’ is much more equivocal when defined in a business sense. In 1996 McDonagh and Prothero proposed that there are several dimensions of ‘Green’ which not only cover ecological, sustainability and conservation issues but also political, corporate social responsibility, fair trade and equali ty matters. Since these topics are very broad it is hard to define ‘Green’ in a logistics sense. As a result of this uncertainty over the definition of ‘green’, it is helpful to look at the definition of ‘Green’ on a consumer product level. Ottman (2006, p.24), suggested that while all products inevitably have some effect on the environment, ‘Green’ products are those which aim to minimise this impact by conserving energy and resources and limiting pollution and waste. This definition builds on Reinhardt’s (1998, p.46) view that a ‘Green’ business â€Å"creates products that provide greater environmental benefits, or that impose smaller environmental costs, than similar products†. When we combine these definitions we can view ‘Green Logistics’ as the activities which facilitate the forward and reverse flows of goods, services and information through a supply chain in a way which is not only efficient and effective in achieving organisational goals but also aims to minimise the environmental impact and promote sustainability. When we define and consider ‘Green Logistics’ this way, I believe the term is not an oxymoron and when aligned with an appropriate higher level corporate strategy can actually a major competitive advantage for organisations who are able to achieve it. The body of this essay will provide practical examples of organisations who are successfully using the concepts of ‘Green  Logistics’ to not only minimise environmental impacts but also create and maintain a competitive advantage against competition. One concept which is becoming more prominent in ‘Green Logistic’ networks is the   practice of reverse logistics. Reverse logistics can be simply defined as goods flowing backwards through the supply chain from the consumer to the producers and suppliers. Tompkins (2010) provides multiple ‘Green’ benefits which arise from practicing reverse logistics such as increased sustainability throughout the supply chain and reduced waste product s, as well as producing an increased level of customer service through after-sales support. An example of reverse logistics in practice is the South Australian Government’s policy of paying 10 cents for every glass, plastic and tin container returned to collection depots. By doing this the Government is able to facilitate the recycling of materials which ultimately has a positive benefit on the environment. This provides a clear example of how logistics processes can be ‘Green’ by promoting greater environmental benefit than similar products existing in different logistics chains. An Australian Associated Press article revealed that in 2010, 80 percent or 49,800 tonnes of all containers are recycled in Australia which reveals both obvious environment and financial benefits arising from the practice of green logistics. Another common and relatively simple way for organisations to ‘Green’ their logistics processes while also reducing financial costs is to redesign their logistics chains with increased considerations for route optimisation and collaboration throughout the supply chain. Blanco and Cotrill (2013) make apparent one example of this through a case study of the agricultural cooperative Ocean Spray (based in New Jersey with a distribution centre in Florida) and competitor Tropicana who is based in Florida with a distribution centre in New Jersey. Tropicana’s third party logistics provider approached Ocean Spray and suggested that instead of Ocean Spray delivering to their distribution centre via road, they make use of Tropicana’s rail links between the two cities and utilise the empty train carriages returning from New Jersey to deliver to their distribution centre in Florida. This agreement allowed Ocean Spray to lower both their logistics  costs and environmen tal emissions and saved Tropicana the cost and emissions associated with returning empty rail carriages to Florida. Apart from the physical movement of goods, a firm’s logistics operations also incorporates warehousing strategies. The storage of goods may be overlooked when considering the environmental impacts of logistics chains. Figure 8.1 taken from McKinnon et al. (2013) shows the increasing usage of warehousing and its associated impacts. McKinnon et al. (2013) also proposed three ways in which firms can reduce the environmental impact of warehousing practices. Firstly firms should improve the energy efficiency of the lighting   and particularly heating methods used in warehouses (as shown in figure 8.4. McKinnon, 2013). Secondly, firms can harness green energy to generate energy from low carbon emitting or renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and biomass. Finally, and most importantly, firms should design sustainability into their warehouses, meaning that the buildings not only produce green energy more efficiently but also use less of it. If an organisation is successful in doing this it is able to not only fulfill the logistical goals of operating efficiently and effectively but also minimise impacts on the environment. While reverse logistics, route optimisation and energy efficient warehousing strategies are only a small example of ‘Green Logistic’ practices, which also include environmental packaging considerations, paperless order processing and improvements in vehicle energy efficiency, these practices may be ineffective in achieving ‘Green’ outcomes unless the corporate strategies of the organisation also align. Reinhardt (1998) suggests that for an organisation to establish environmentally friendly practices as a competitive advantage it must first consider whether this strategy is viable in the industry in which it operates. If a firm does consider environmental product differentiation an option it must then ensure customers are willing to pay for environmental quality, establish and convey the environmental benefits of its product and finally these benefits must be defendable against imitation competition. Only then can an organisation enjoy the benefits of a growing green trend in consumption (Peattie, 2010). If this is strategy alignment is adopted and maintained by an organisation, then ‘Green Logistic’ practices can provide substantial competitive advantages for the organisation while reducing impacts on the environment. Modern organisations can no longer afford to view ‘Green Logistics’ as an oxymoron and perhaps Henry Ford’s (1903) famous oxymoron â€Å"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business† may be more applicable. References: Blanco, E & Cotrill, K, 2013, ‘Delivering on the promise of green logistics’, MITSloan Management Review, December 2013. McDonagh, P & Prothero, A, 1996, Green management: A reader, The Dryden Press, London. McKinnon, A. Browne, M. Whiteing, A. 2012, Green logistics: Improving the environmental sustainability of logistics, Kogan Page, London. Murphy Jr PR & Wood, DF 2011, Contemporary Logistics: International Edition, 10th edn, Pearson, Boston. Ottman, J, 1997, Green marketing: Opportunity for innovation, TC / Contemporary Books, Lincolnwood. Peattie, K, ‘Green consumption: Behaviour and norms’, Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Vol. 35, Issue 1, pp. 195-228. Reinhardt, F.L. 1998, â€Å"Environmental product differentiation: Implications for corporate strategy†, California management review, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 43-73. Tompkins, J, 2010, ‘Reverse logistics is not the reverse of logistics’, Material Handling and Logistics, November 2010. ‘Big jump in container recycling in SA’, AAP General News Wire, July 22, 2010.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Arts or Protection of Enviroment

Obviously, both of these two choices have their own reasons that our society could get benefits from each of them. In the past several decades, remarkable achievements have been made in the arts, while our natural environments are increasingly getting worse and even more difficult to handle. Under these current circumstances, I believe that it is not so hard to make decision about this question. The company should choose to protect the environment.The first and the most important thing is that we must survive on this planet that allows us almost every possibility, including supporting the arts or something like. These days, our natural environments are under the threats of contamination, global warming, extinction of species, etc. For example, the oil leaking on the Gulf of Mexico, has contaminated a large amount of sea area. And this not only has a negative effect on ocean-life, also it has influence on our life strongly. Therefore, it is very worthy to costing some money to protect the environment.Furthermore, spending some money on protecting the environment is a good investment to a company. It is from fact that our every activity is based on our environment. As far as I am concerned, if the company spends some money on environmental friendly issue, it will gain more public attention and earn more supports by which the company could grasp the best opportunity to develop more successfully. In return, the company would also do more and more things that good to the environment.Finally, giving some money to protect the environment is one thing, and doing the precedent to protect environment is quiet another. If a company take a good example for protecting environment, it is easy to imagine that this successful precedent will provoke the public and also other companies to protect our brittle environment. By means of this, I believe that more environmental protection programs which are running for our wellbeing will come into being. In view of the above concerns, the company should choose to protect the environment rather than to support the arts.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Fuddy Meers Essay

They play was quite an interesting play with its use of comedy and tragedy. The actors did a terrific job on portraying the characters. The set was small so it was much easier to see their reactions. The introduction to the play was pretty unique with those people in tight pants and glitter all over everybody in the lobby. They never broke character no matter what went on in the lobby. Later they used as prompts on stage which was pretty interesting because at times I was so into the play I forgot they were there acting as a car or a door. Although Claire was the main character, the actor who played Millet had the best acting on stage. They way he switch between the two personality was amazing and hilarious. He portrayed the character really well and had me believing for a bit that he actually had a dual personality. His entrance on to the stage in every scene was perfect, every time he can on he was really enthusiastic and his enthusiasm did not fluctuate too much in the play, even though he was not playing one but two characters. The actress who played Claire portrayed the character well. From the beginning to the end she really captured the characters and her emotions. When she first entered on stage I was confused of what was going as she was walking aimlessly across the stage but later realized that was the whole point. She wanted the audience to believe she was confused and lost; and she did. I notice her break the fourth wall every now and then as she looked into the audience. I suppose it was part of the scrip to interact with the audience because she mostly did it when she was on the side doing random things with the people in tight pants. Her entrances where perfect every time, even though the scenes where being switched off between her and Richard in the car, she never seen to loose focus. You could clearly see every expression on her face which made it more realistic to the audience. The actor who played Richard could have done a better job on portraying his character. He wasn’t terrible it just looked like he was trying to hard; it just didn’t seem as natural. For example in the scene he gets pulled over by the lady cop, he was a little too jittery; no one really acts like that. Overall he did pretty decent job but could have done much better. The limping man, who was Zack than later we found out he was Claire ex husband, did an amazing job portraying his character. It wasn’t only his facial deformation, which I have to admit looked pretty real to me, but was the way he acted out the character, from the lisp to the scary deep voice, that made him truly incredible. He made the audience believe he was really deformed. The scene when he first took Claire and he was struggle to enter the window was pretty hilarious but he also gave an insight to what he character was going through. They endowed many things on the set, most of the things looked pretty realistic. In the scene when Richard and his son go looking for Claire they used a paper joint to endow the marijuana they were smoking but they did not portray being under the influence as well as they could have. Usually people that smoke pot are really laid back and giggly with short term memory loss not knowing what their doing half the time. They also endowed the officer’s gun which still look pretty real. When Claire was running up and down the stage with that knife it seem pretty dangerous but from where I was sitting I couldn’t even tell if it was real or fake. The overall play was excellent and it gave me an opportunity to learn from these actors what to do and not to do. They really had some tremendous actors on this set who did an amazing job on convincing the audience on what was going on in the play.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Leading Global Workforce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Leading Global Workforce - Assignment Example important for the firm to shape its organizational culture in a way such that the capabilities identified can be employed to address the market challenges and emerging market opportunities. In the words of Becker, Huselid, and Beatty (2013), it is vital for an organization to identify its strategic capabilities effectively to set achievable short-term as well long-term goals in the light of its current resources and potentials (p.na). This process may also assist the business to forecast how long the organization would take to achieve the targets specified. Another importance of identifying strategic capabilities is that it can benefit the organization to determine the right time and method for initiating the next phase of business expansion. Identifying strategic positions is the second step in the process of developing a differentiated workforce. This phase is essential for the organization to deliver its strategic capabilities, employee competencies, and the key behaviors needed (Identify strategic positions). The major significance of strategic positions lies in the fact that they can have a great influence on one or more of the firm’s strategic capabilities. In addition, strategic positions can significantly affect the performance variability, which represents a substantial difference between high and low levels of performance in a given job. By identifying the strategic positions clearly, an organization can determine whether it needs to invest additionally in workforce management and differentiation. This process may also benefit the management to decide whether or not the organization is in a position to capitalize on its strategic capabilities (Becker & Huselid). Management professionals indicate that rec ognizing strategic positions is really inevitable for the organization to promote workplace collaboration and manage a culturally diverse worksite. Assessing strategic players is an integral part of developing a differentiated workforce. This process

Proposal new Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal new - Essay Example in a competitive market, the company needs to invest in their human resource needs (SIMS, 2007). The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) was formed in the year 1992 by a decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, 2014). This company is known for its reliable and efficiency in its operations. This company has made great efforts in meeting the growing demands of its customers. The growth of customers means that DEWA increases its employees. With this increase, there is the need to look at the human resource management policies to make sure that they are motivated to fulfil the goals of the company. To be able to maintain its good reputation with the customers, there is also need to look at the human resource policies. This will help to avoid cases that would damage the company’s reputation as seen in 2008 when an employee insulted and assaulted his superior officer (Khaleej Times, 2008). This will form the primary data collection method in this study. The questionnaires will be structures and will be administered randomly to employees in the operational level (BRACE, 2008). The number of respondents will be thirty employees. This number is arrived at for easier analysis of data collected within the project’s timeframe. Information will also be obtained from the company’s past records. Due to the fact that the company will be reluctant to release its internal information because of confidentiality issues, the study will be limited to past record in the company’s website and from published e-newspapers. Observation method will form as a source of secondary information. Observation does not provide accurate information and for this reason, this method will be used to verify data already collected. This method will also be useful in helping the respondents answer the questionnaires as expected. A number of challenges are expected to be encountered during this study. One major challenge

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

British Politics Shaped By The FPTP Electoral System Essay

British Politics Shaped By The FPTP Electoral System - Essay Example British elections follow the plurality voting system. It is the responsibility of the people to vote for representatives of their constituency and will, therefore, elect a candidate of their choice from the competing political parties. There are approximately six hundred and fifty constituencies in the UK that have to be contested by the multiple parties in elections. Under the FPTP, political parties take time to invest and campaign for their candidates and parties, so as to influence the majority people to elect them. After the First World War, several changes in the electoral system of Britain occurred. The constituencies were divided into approximately equal proportions based on the population from which the FPTP electoral system would operate in. With the 1918 reform, additional groups of people such as the soldiers who had returned from war and the groups of women who had achieved the minimum property qualification affected the size of the electorate. For the first time, the nu mber of voters had almost tripled. Under the new FPTP system, each qualified voter from a constituency has been required to vote for a single candidate from a list given in the ballot paper. The assumption is that the candidate who gets most votes compared to other individual candidates wins the election to qualify for the representative in the constituency. This method has by far been the simplest and regarded as the voice of the majority. No doubt that conservative party can be regarded as the dominant political party of the 20th century.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Argumentative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentative Research - Essay Example This essay will try to decide the question whether multiculturalism is good or bad for America. America has been called a melting pot of cultures since the last many decades. The situation is so prevalent that when you see whole areas of cities being taken over by a particular community like Chinese, Indians, Armenians and Latinos, you wonder if you really are in America after all. It is so surprising to see that road signs, shop signs and advertisements for products, services and even jobs are put up in Chinese, Hindi, Spanish or whatever the language of use in these parts of America. Added to this, these groups are often very protective of their rights and duties and would fight if any others want to take over their turf. They also want their own members who speak their own language to be part of the local administration at City Hall and in the police and rescue services. Of course there is Little China or Chinatown in a part of many cities but this part is locally devoted to Chinese cuisine and also sports a little of Chinese culture. As an international student in America I am glad for this although the dialect I speak may not be the same as theirs. Even a person who looks like a Chinaman is good enough to please me. So I think it is the same for people of other cultures and nationalities- that they are pleased to see and hear people who are from the same country as them or have people back in the home country. They generally get together in one area and seek to help others buy property in the same area till they form a majority and then the language is also changed to their home language and the culture becomes a set part of the landscape. According to something called diversity which is practiced in America there is a rule that if the majority of the local population is belonging to a particular culture, then there should also be adequate representation of these people in the local administration and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Business Consultants Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Consultants - Assignment Example This is because their skill set in general matches the required skill set of Event Planning in a satisfactory manner. This type of work requires extensive planning and an ability to deal with problems on the spur of the moment. It entails coming up with quick solutions to crises! Most of the team members possess these skills. Team members possess sound negotiation and leadership skills which are mandatory for an event management consultant firm. This is because organizing an event is a multi-faceted task which requires a lot of people working on a project. Without a leader things can get out of hand. Another reason why these members will be appropriate for the above mentioned firm is because their customer orientation and support of others is high in addition to them being assertive as well. In any consultancy firms, customer orientation and regard for customers is essentially required and can never be done without. This is because a touch point between the customer and the company i s the employee. Lastly, this type of work requires creativity and idea generation which most members of the group have. Pharmaceutical Marketing is different from mainstream marketing. Its target market comprises; doctors and medical institutions mainly. Therefore a different skill set is required for such a firm. Since it requires training of sales reps for pharmaceutical companies, an understanding of the sales person's job is required. The team scores high on sales men skills which is therefore fit for the firm. It requires a certain degree of sensitivity to market pharmaceutical goods. Marketers must be sensitive and responsive to the needs of the customer especially in this area because medicines are critical substances, often used in life and death situations. This is also a skill which the team members possess abundantly. Other than that being good with details and attention to details are qualities every consultancy needs. The team members aptly possess these skills. Work Place Etiquette: Work place etiquettes are extremely significant in order to establish ethical guidelines and code of conduct in a company. Consultancies dealing in this area need to have people who are persistent and committed to making things better in the organizational landscape. This is because etiquettes and codes of conduct take time in being implemented in organizations. Therefore; persistence is a key skill, which the team members do have. Also, the ability to be persuasive and to be able to reason with people is essential for this type of firm. This is because people often have conflicting views on work ethics and morals which need to be resolved. The team rates well on this attribute. Lastly, being a problem solver helps in this type of industry. The team members also rank high on this skill and would therefore be highly appropriate for this type of firm. References: 1. (n.d). Business Consultant; Speaker/Trainer/Writer. Retrieved 1st September, 2007 from Job Profiles, Your Guide to Career and Education Website: www.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Challenges of Managing Generation Y in the workforce Thesis

The Challenges of Managing Generation Y in the workforce - Thesis Example In this regard, business experts are endeavoring nowadays to identify factors that are causing problems in the workplace and are putting efforts to propose solutions and alternatives that may reduce the gap between the two generations, and allow the management to achieve their organizational objectives. Due to such reasons, some of the major problems in this respect of attracting and recruiting Generation Y talent that is fast-paced and technologically efficient. In addition, due to conflicting workplace practices (Tulgan, 2009), a number of organizations are confronting problems in retaining and engaging Generation Y successfully due to lack of communication between the two generations. In the result, recruitment, engagement, and retaining of Generation Y have now become some of the major issues of the current decade that are revolving around the factors, such as generational boundaries, technology, cultural shifts, etc.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Advantages of queuing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advantages of queuing theory - Essay Example Reneging happens when a prospective client decides to leave and forgo that service he is queuing for mostly because the queue is too long. In this calculation the main principle is that the costs of waiting in queues are normally inversely proportional to the timely cost of service. Queuing theories are clearly known to be simple as they normally require less data and it is known to produce results that are generic. This is the advantage of using queuing theory over the use of simulation as models of queuing theory. The theory is widely used in service rendering sectors such health services area. Also in the same field of health care (Aaby et al. 575) describes the use of spreadsheets and spreadsheets software to implement the desired queuing network models of mass vaccination in the dispensing clinics. Another important example of software that forms part of such a system is found in an emergency department. (Broyles and Cochran, 615) say it is quite able to calculate the percentage number of patients who usually leave the emergency department without actually getting help. This can be done by assessing the arrival rate, utilization, service rate as well as the capacity of the health care. It is out of this percentage that they can be able to actually determine the revenue that has been lost from the patients who left without being served. Disadvantages of queuing method Since the queuing theory models are mostly based on what is referred to as the exponential distribution, they work through applying these traits of exponential distribution. The main problem that comes with this is that in that this exponential distribution normally has a coefficient with a variation of one. This fact has the effect of precluding the modelling of any other process that has a coefficient which is of variation significantly different from one. Therefore Because of the low likelihood that any of a random process will just be having a coefficient of variation that is just one, thi s queuing theory is considered to have the disadvantage of low applicability and practicality. While the number of assumptions for most of these applications of queueing models is normally few, they sometime tend to be quite irrational. This is clear especially when human queues are involved. From the theory, it is understood that human behaviour is uniform and can be determined. This is quite untrue because human character and behaviour vary from one human being to another. Thus from these assumption some critics have argued that the queuing theory cannot apply where human being are involved in the queue. The assumptions are not normally correct as human behaviour is not actually determinable. Where as one person shall behave in a certain manner, another person might act the actual opposite of what the other person did. For instance, one assumption can be that a person is likely not to enter a queue if he finds that there are too many people already ahead in the queue. In reality, this may not be true; otherwise, the situation would be that there would be no lines outside stores. Another point to discard the assumption there would no store opening on holidays for those maybe seeking to buy late gifts. The restrictive nature of the assumptions of the queuing theory is also another disadvantage that exposes the theory to criticism. The nature of the production lines is quite complex and cannot be fully explained by the simple models that are provided for by the queuing theory. Therefore in order to cure this there are specialized tools which have been developed in order to simulate, visualize, analyze, and finally

Thursday, August 22, 2019

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Essay Example for Free

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Essay In Cold Blood: A True Account of Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote details the social arena that molded Dick Hickock and Perry Smith into criminals and killers.   The author wrote of how Hickock was brought up in a loving home with a stable family but suffered from mental illness.   Perry on the other hand, had alcoholic parents in a very unloving atmosphere, uneducated and suffered from depression.   Each was influenced by society differently but the result was the same.    The author details their stories from the beginning of their criminal history up to their execution for the murder of the Clutter family.   The question is, was Perry a â€Å"natural born killer†. In an article in Psychology Today there is evidence that activity or lack of in the prefrontal cortex of the brain region are associated with acts of murder.   This prefrontal cortex activity is also associated with a wide range of behaviors such as risk taking, rule breaking, aggression and impulsivity that can lead to violence.   This evidence has a great value in maybe creating a way for society to possibly point out problem individuals and possible treatment or prevention of criminal activity such as murder.   The article goes on to say that perhaps this is a way to point to biological differences or the possibility of natural born killers (Raine 10). In some ways Truman Capote could relate to Perry because both had terrible experiences growing up. The author was intrigued as to why Perry would go on to kill and he didn’t. Capote wrote that possible social consequences made the difference possibly grooming Perry to be a killer and some professionals agree sociologist are not satisfied with the explanations that are rooted in biology and personality.   They point to the perspective of symbolic interaction that each of us interprets life through symbols that we learn (Henslin 133).   Sociologist Edwin Sutherland stressed that people learn deviance.   He uses the term differential association to indicate that we learn to deviate or to conform to society’s norms mostly by the people we associate with.   But if this is correct then why does some with the same interaction kill and others do not?   In my opinion there are people who are born natural killers.   It is something that is innate within some individuals and is nurtured by society to its final display.   In my belief some individuals will be born a killer and some will not.   Society takes this innate trait and shapes them even more, or even less, towards the direction of their innate features.   The degree of their actions is my proof.   Take hunting some individuals can hunt and some cannot.   This is an example of the innate trait for killing expressed in killing for food rather than killing another human. Degree is how society grooms each killer, the hunter and the murderer, to their final â€Å"ends†.   Because traits are passed from parent to child that is why some societies are prone to have more killers than others and what degree the acts are committed is influenced by each of the societies they live in.  Ã‚   The degree of the trait is what society uses for determining how wrong the act is and how that individual will be punished.   Evil is solely influenced and decided by the society one lives in.   Killing is inevitable for some individuals; it is to what degree that makes the difference. Reference: Capote, Truman.   In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its    Consequences.   New York: Signet Books, 1965. Henslin, James M.   Essentials of Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach.   Boston:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Allyn and Bacon, 2000. Raine, A.   Natural born Killers?   Psychology Today 28(1), p.10, 1995 Jan/Feb.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Basic Unit of Life Essay Example for Free

The Basic Unit of Life Essay One of the hallmark characteristics of living things is that they perform chemical reactions. These reactions are collectively known as metabolism. Cells, the basic units of life, can perform many of these metabolic reactions. In a multicelled organism, the cells group together to form tissues that perform the same functions. Tissues group together to form organs, and finally, several organs exist together in a system. In this lesson, we will see how and why this hierarchy is established. The Basic Unit of Life All organisms from the smallest single-celled protists to huge whales and giant redwood trees are based on tiny microscopic cells. The types and number of cells may vary, but the cell is the basic unit of life. The cell is the minimum amount of organized living matter complex enough to carry out the functions of life as outlined in Lessons 1 and 2. In the most basic sense, a cell is made of a gelatinous living substance we call protoplasm, which contains many small structures, all surrounded by a membrane. Cell Structure The cell membrane separates the living cell from the rest of the environment. However, this membrane is not just a static solid wall. It must allow food molecules and oxygen to enter and wastes to exit. Thus, the cell membrane is semipermeable because it allows some things to pass through, but not others. It must also communicate and associate with the membranes of other cells. Inside the cell membrane is a substance called protoplasm in which many tiny structures called organelles (because they act like small versions of organs) are suspended. Some of the more important organelles and their functions are listed in the following table

The Life Of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart History Essay

The Life Of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart History Essay One of historys most tragic figures, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart begun his performing career as a child prodigy. He played the piano, harpsichord, organ, and violin beautifully and was taken by his father on a number of concert tours through several European countries. The young performer delighted his noble audiences, who rewarded him, however, with flattery and pretty girls rather than with fees. (Copied straight from the book and should be in quotes.) Mozart was fun loving, sociable, and generous to a fault, but he never learned the art of getting along with others. Fiercely independent, he insisted on managing his own affairs, apparently without great success: though recent scholarship reveals that he earned substantial sums, he was chronically short of money. (Quotation marks?)(Ferris, 2010) Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a multi-instrumentalist who started playing in public at the age of six. Over the years, Mozart aligned himself with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of works that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, concertos, and operas, marked by vivid emotion and sophisticated textures. (Quotation marks?) (Wolfgang Mozart. Biography) In the summer of 1781, it was rumored that Mozart was contemplating marriage to Fridolin Webers daughter, Constanze. Knowing his father would disapprove of the marriage and the interruption in his career, young Mozart quickly wrote his father denying any idea of the marriage. By December, he was asking for his fathers blessing. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart married Constanze on August 4, 1782. Mozart and Constanze had six children, though only two survived infancy, Karl Thomas and Franz Xavier. (Copied from page 3 of website: Wolfgang Mozart. Biography) Karl Thomas Mozart (1784 1858), a skillful pianist, did not perform professionally. He became an Austrian government official and never married. With his death, the direct Mozart lineage ended. The youngest child, Franz Xavier Wolfgang Mozart (1791 1844), was known as Wolfgang Amadeus, Jr. Born only five months before his fathers death, he remembered nothing of him. In a classic case of a fathers fame intimidating a gifted child, the son showed early promise as a composer of depth and originality, but the image of the father he never knew loomed over his career with a stifling effect. (Copied from the indicated source.)(Famous family history) Mozarts father Leopold (1719 1787) was one of Europes leading musical teachers. His influential textbook Versuch Einer Grundlichen Violin Schule, was published in 1756, the year of Mozarts birth. He was deputy Kapellmeister to the court orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg, and a profile and successful composer of instrumental music. Leopold gave up composing of instrumental music. Leopold gave up composing when his sons outstanding musical talents became evident. They first came to light when Wolfgang was about three years old, and Leopold, proud of Wolfgangs achievements, gave him intensive musical training, including instruction in clavier, violin, and organ. Leopold was Wolfgangs only teacher in his earliest years. A note by Leopold in Nannerls music book, the Nannerl Notenbuch records that little Wolfgang had learned several small Andante and Allegro, written in 1761, when he was five years old. (Copied from Indicated source). (Wolfgang. Biography) Mozart firmly believed that supreme element of opera was music, which the text must always serve; never the other way around. He wrote serious as well as comic operas, and some of his works are a curious combination of styles. The Magic Flute, for example, is a German opera with both serious and comic implications, and Don Giovanni is a serious Italian opera that includes several comic episodes. The Marriage of Figaro is a delightful romp that nevertheless addresses serious political concerns of the emerging middle-class audience of late eighteenth-century Vienna. (Copied from Indicated source). (Ferris, 2010) Mozarts operas teem with love and anger, with humor, wit, pathos, and revenge. Yet Mozarts emotional expression is always under firm control for no matter how unlikely the plots or improbable the resolutions of his operas, he never abandoned classical restraint. Soaring melodies and attractive harmonies, presented in a wide range of orchestral and vocal timbres and effects, provide unfailing entertainment in these masterpieces of Music Theater. Although primarily a secular age, the Classical period was still strongly influenced by the church in some areas of Europe, and many eighteenth-century composers contributed to the repertoire of sacred-Catholic or Protestant-music. (Copied from Indicated source). (Ferris, 2010) Haydn and Mozart, both Catholics, continued the well-established tradition of writing Masses, oratorios, and other religious compositions for church and for concert performance. Haydn, profoundly moved by Handels Messiah, in his last years wrote two beautiful oratorios of his own, The Creation and the Seasons. Both Mozarts and Haydens Masses contain passages for solo voice and for small vocal ensembles, alternating with magnificent choruses all accompanied by organ and orchestra. The solo passages are sometimes quite operatic, but the emphasis in these religious works is on the choral sections. The irrepressible Haydn, criticized for writing religious is on the choral sections. The irrepressible Haydn, criticized for writing religious music that was too happy, replied that he did not believe the Lord minded cheerful music. (Copied from Indicated source). (Ferris, 2010) Mozarts years in Vienna, from age twenty-five to his death at thirty-five, cover one of the greatest developments in a short span in the history of music. In these ten years Mozarts music grew rapidly beyond the realm of many of his contemporaries; it exhibited both ideas and methods of elaboration that few could follow, and to many the late Mozart seemed a difficult composer. (Wolfgang. Biography) In the years 1763 1766, Mozart, along with his father Leopold, a composer and musician, and sister Nannerl, also a musically talented child, toured London, Paris and other parts of Europe, giving many successful concerts and performing before royalty. The Mozart family returned to Salzburg in November 1766. The following year young Wolfgang composed his first opera, Apollo ET Hyacinthus. Keyboard concertos and other major works were also coming from his pen now. (Mozart Biography) In 1769, Mozart was appointed Konzertmeister at the Salzburg Court by the Archbishop. Beginning that same year, the Mozart made three tours of Italy, where the young composer studied Italian opera and produced two successful efforts, Mitridate and Lucio Silla. In 1773, Mozart was back in Austria, where he spent most of the next few years composing. He wrote all his violin concertos between 1774 and 1777, as well as Masses, symphonies, and chamber works. Toward the end of the 1780s Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts fortunes began to grow worse. He was performing less and his income shrank. Austria was a war and both the affluence of the nation and the ability of the aristocracy to support the arts had declined. By mid 1788, Mozart moved his family from Central Vienna to the suburb of Alsergrund, for what would seem to be a way reducing living costs. But in reality, his family expenses remained high and the new dwelling only provided more room. Mozart began to borrow money from friends, though he was almost always able to promptly repay when a commission or concert came his way. During this time he wrote his last three symphonies and the last of the three Da Ponte operas, cosi fan tutte, which premiered in 1790. During this time, Mozart ventured long distances from Vienna to Leipzig, Berlin, and Frankfurt, and other German cities hoping to revive his once great success and the familys financial situation, but he did neither. 1788 1789 was low point for Mozart, experiencing in his own words black thoughts and deep depression. Historians believe he may have had a cyclothymiacs personality with manic depressive tendencies, which might explain the periods of hysteria coupled with spells of hectic creativity. Between 1790 and 1791, now in his mid thirties, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart went through a period of great music productivity and personal healing. Some of his most admired works. The opera, The Magic Flute, The final piano concerto in B-flat, the clarinet concerto in A minor, and the unfinished Requiem to name a few were written during the time. Mozart was beginning to revive much of his public notoriety with repeated performances of his works. His financial situation begun to improve as wealthy patrons in Hungary and Amsterdam pledged annuities in return for occasional compositions. From this turn of fortune, Mozart was able to pay off many of his debts. However, during this time both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts mental and physical health was deteriorating. In September, 1791, he was in Prague for the premier of the opera La clemeza di Ti to, which he was commissioned to produce for the coronation of Leopold II as King Bohemia. Mozart recovered briefly to conduct the Prague premier of The Magic Flute. Mozart fell deeper into illness in November and was confined to bed. Constanze and her sister Sophie came to his side to help nurse him back to health, but Mozart was mentally preoccupied with finishing Requiem, and their efforts were in vain. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died on December 5, 1791 at age 35. The cause of death was uncertain, due to the limits of postmortem diagnosis. Officially, the record lists the cause as severe miliary fever, referring to a skin rash that looks like millet seeds. It was reported that his funeral drew few mourners and he was buried in a common grave. Because he was buried in an unmarked grave, it has been popular assumed that Mozart was penniless and forgotten when he died. In fact, though he was no longer as fashionable in Vienna as before, he continued to have a well paid job at court and receive substantial commissions from more distant parts of Europe, Prague in particular. He earned about 10,000 florins per year equivalent to at least 42,000 US dollars in 2006. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart death came at a young age, even for the time period. Yet his meteoric rise to fame and accomplishment at a very early age is reminiscent of more contemporary musical artists whose star had burned out way too soon. Constanze sold many of his unpublished manuscripts to undoubtedly pay off the familys large debts. She was able to obtain a pension from the Emperor and organize several profitable memorial concerts in Mozarts honor. From these efforts, Constanze was able to gain some financial security for herself and allowing her to send her children to private schools. At the time of his death, Mozart was considered one of the greatest composers of all time. His music presented a bold expression, of ten times complex and dissonant, and required high technical mastery from the musicians who performed it. His works remained secure and popular throughout the 19th century, as biographies were written and his music enjoyed constant performances and renditions by other musicians. His work influenced many composers that followed most notably Beethoven in its complexity and depth. Along with his friend Joseph Haydn, Mozart conceived and perfected the grand forms of symphony, opera, string ensemble, and concerto that marked the classical period. His seven year old son, Karl, noted that a few days before Mozart died his entire body became so swollen that the smallest movement was almost impossible. He also noted that there was an awful stench, which after death made an autopsy impossible. It was also observed that upon death the corpse did not become stiff and limbs were able to be bent, which is often the case when someone is poisoned. So was Mozart poisoned or was it disease that killed him? The poisoning theory is interesting in the Mozart himself started these rumors by telling his wife, I am only too conscious that my end will not be long in coming, for sure, someone has poisoned me! For a long time poisoning had been suspected. Who could have done it? The first suspect was his rival Antonio Sallieri, chief composer to the court of Emperor Joseph II. Mozarts wife blamed Salieri, and in his later years, suffering from dementia, Salieri, himself took credit for poisoning Mozart. This has been discredited as Salieri had no reason to murder Mozart. Salieri was in a position of power and esteem with a handsome stipend, and Mozart was of little threat to him. Some maintained that Mozart poisoned himself by treating his syphilis with mercury and using larger than recommended doses. Others felt the Freemasons did him in because his Magic Flute challenged their doctrines and revealed their secret rituals. An early 20th century German neuropsychiatrist, Mathilde Ludendorff, put forward one of the most bizarre theories that the Jews, Masons, and Catholics collaborated together to poison Mozart. Mozart was a studiously hard worker, and by his own admission his extensive knowledge and abilities developed out of many years close study of the European musical tradition. In particular, his operas display an uncanny psychological insight, unique to music at the time, and contuie to exert a particular fascination for musicians and music lovers today.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Ellen Franz: Using Community to Close the Cultural Achievement Gap Essa

One of the foundations of teaching that is currently lacking adequate implementation in the classroom is the ability to understand and use the cultural differences that exist within different communities in order to help individual students thrive. Not only is it important for teachers to cultural awareness, but also it is crucial for teachers to have the skills to utilize this awareness when forming relationships between the learner and the community. Thus they are able to promote the best learning environment possible. In other words, while it is both important to focus on the individual students and the overall culture it is important to connect both of them in order students to be successful in the classroom. Ellen Franz, an elementary school teacher in a small school in Sausalito Marin City School District, is able to seamlessly accomplish the daunting task. She does so by focusing on the individual students’ needs while keeping in mind the overall community by being aware of the cultural differences between her and her students. She is grounded in the culture and community which allows her to use the techniques of ZPD in order to bring all students to a level where they can expand their knowledge and learn what they are supposed to in order to thrive. However, this is not a magic formula and creating the relationships with both the students and the community is not enough. To assure that ZPD is being used as effectively as possible, everyday she must take control of the class and in order to do so she consistently uses pedagogical knowledge, engagement, formative assessment, and persistence. Her ability to use pedagogical knowledge effectively is very important because it allows her to stay in control of the classroom and m... ...chers to know what pay attention to and what to focus on. In addition, there are some basic things that could be taught such as the importance of forging relationships with parents and how to knowing how to approach parents that may not as assessable either because of language barriers or work More importantly it is crucial for teacher to be culturally aware before joining the field of teaching because there is a thin line between being aware and feeling bad for students. When working in a community that is underserved it could be easy to make up excuses for students or assume that parents don’t care about their education. However, this is not always the case and if teachers have an idea of the challenges that they will face and a understanding of how to deal with them then it may buffer against the instinct to not hold students accountable to the same standards.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Portrayal of Marriage in Wuthering Heights and Scarlet Letter Essay exa

â€Å"The convention of marriage is portrayed as a force which is detrimental to characters achieving their desires† Set in the North of England, the convention of marriage is prominent in Victorian society. This is shown as very detrimental to many characters in Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s ‘Wuthering Heights’ leading to marriages in which, neither the bride nor groom know each other well enough to spend their lives together, causing a breakdown of their relationship and pain for surrounding characters. Brontà « shows that, without love, a marriage is unable to function and prevents those involved from achieving their desires. In ‘Scarlet Letter’, Nathaniel Hawthorne proves to the reader that an unfortunate marriage can lead to adultery, revenge and unhappiness, caused by traditional conventionality. Catherine’s marriage to Edgar Linton is motivated by her desires to advance socially causing severe emotional damage for herself, Linton and of course, Heathcliff, who feels total adoration towards her. The force of conventionality is shown by Brontà « here, as although Catherine is so powerfully in love with Heathcliff and has such intense feelings towards him, she marries Linton instead, with whom she shares nothing like the love and connection that she has with Heathcliff. Brontà « not only shows here the faults within Catherine’s character but also the problems within society at the time, that money and status are most important in finding a husband. Heathcliff views this marriage as betrayal, bringing out the worst in his character as he dedicates his life to planning revenge. By denying herself union with Heathcliff she causes herself and Heathcliff deep emotional pain. The convention in Victorian society of marriage being a way of advancing socially ... ...as an obligation, where you were unable to choose your husband or had to choose for financial stability rather than love and companionship. The Church at the time of the setting was highly condemnatory against sin, most particularly in this case where a woman betrays the contract of marriage as men were seen as the most important and respect worthy in a marriage with women treated as second class citizens. In conclusion, one can see that in both novels the idea that the convention of marriage can cause many problems and can overall be detrimental to characters achieving their desires as in Wuthering Heights we see the torment of characters whom the marriage has caused pain and we also see the damaging effects of marriage in The Scarlet Letter as we see Hester’s love life shatter as she breaks the bond of marriage that was so sacred in the 17th century by adultery.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Social Networking Dos and Donts Essay -- Facebook, Social Network

Social Networking sites and application are an increasingly entwined part of our everyday lives. We use them to communicate with friends and family all over the globe, to chat with friends down the hall to decide where to eat, to network for jobs, and to connect with others with similar interests. However, much like any other part of the internet, social networks can be frought with serious security risks, both for your person, and your data. Many social networks will tell you that the more you put into them (your information), the more you get out of them (connections, recommendations, etc.). However, despite the aura of privacy they try to engender, one must keep in mind that social network takes place in essentially public space, with only the barest of mechanisms providing any semblance of privacy. Even seemingly innocuous data shared with the world can be dangerous in the wrong hands. The best attitude to take in order to enjoy the benefits of social networking, while minimizing the inherent risks, is to remain SKEPTICAL and CAUTIOUS. SKEPTICAL of any requests for...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Tourism has often been criticised for damaging the environment and undermining local cultures

Environment and undermining local cultures. To what extent Is this true in Hong Kong? You should give both the advantages and disadvantages of Hong Kong's tourist industry but your essay should support one side only. Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. It has become a popular global leisure activity, which is of vital importance for many countries, due to large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunities for employment in the service industries. This rapid expanding industry shows both positive and negative effects. Hong Kong is an attractive and vibrant city that worth tourists' travelling as we can see many tourists in some tourist spots every day, for instance, Central, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and so on. However, tourism in Hong Kong has long been criticised for damaging the environment and undermining local cultures. First and foremost, tourism can promote job opportunities. A good example is the operation of the Hong Kong Disneyland. It attracts more fresh graduates and young adults to find jobs and work there, and hence increase employment rate of Hong Kong. Undeniably, under the background of rising job opportunities, tourism can stimulate economic growth. As more and more tourists around the globe visit Hong Kong, this increases foreign exchange earnings and boost sales of shops. To cater for tourists' needs, there will be improvement of facilities or infrastructure such as roads, buildings, airports and communication systems, which may be improved to meet growing demands. Although tourism can bring us benefits, its drawbacks cannot be disregarded. Tourism may damage traditional culture. Tourists visit to Hong Kong will focus more their attention on shopping than seeing some popular tourist spots related to traditional cultures. Although economic growth is stimulated, Hong Kong will soon become a consumer society. Tourism could cause pollution. The non-biodegradable rubbish left behind by many tourists often ends up being dumped into landfills, rivers and the sea. Furthermore, young people will grow up in a deteriorating environment and be affected by what they see tourists do and then follow their behaviours such as drunkenness, drug abuse and gambling. In some serious cases of crimes, the relationship between two countries may be worsen because of the records of criminals. In my view, tourism has often been criticised for damaging the environment and undermining local cultures. When you walk on the streets and beaches, you can see a lot of waste and litter on the ground, even though local citizens throw some of them on the floor. Moreover, the reason why tourism undermines local cultures is tourists enjoy material comfort more than spiritual satisfaction. They realize that there are lots of cheap goods in Hong Kong and then rush into the shops and buy whatever they can without consideration. This forms a consumer culture. When they find something they have bought is useless, they will throw them away immediately. This definitely damages the environment and becomes a vicious cycle as time goes by. To remedy the problem, the local government should implement some effective measures to make tourist industry more traditional and environmentally-friendly, for example, holding more traditional activities so as to attract tourists and let them know more about local culture. Education of tourists to be a responsible person in their home countries is extremely important. Although different countries have different rules and laws, ‘When in Rome, do as Roman do', tourists should strictly follow the rules when they are traveling to Hong Kong or even other places. If they do not obey the law, they would receive heavy penalty and even imprisonment, no matter they are tourists who visit Hong Kong.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Safe Sex, Or Is It

The number of teenagers having sex is increasing every year. With sexually transmitted diseases prevalent more than ever, the Philadelphia Board of Education has decided to allow high schoolsto distribute condoms to students. The board of Education isdoing this, to demonstrate to students that safe sex is a goodidea. I agree with the distribution of condoms in public highschools because it promotes safe sex among teenagers, allowsschools to supplement parental education, and teaches sexualresponsibility. Sexually transmitted diseases affect teenagers because someteenagers are not told the consequences of unprotected sex. Besides abstinence, condoms are the best protector from sexuallytransmitted diseases. High schools that distribute the condomsshow that they do not want to see children infected with diseasesor a teenage girl to become pregnant. Continuing to promote safesex, the high schools and the Board of Education decrease thechances of teenagers catching a disease or becoming pregnant. The promotion regarding safe sex, almost seems like theconversation a parent would have with their child about sex. The Board of Education promotes safe sex that way to make thesubject of safe sex more comfortable for a parent to talk to hisor her child about safe sex. The distribution of condoms in high schools allows the Boardof Education and public high schools to intervene as a parentalfigure and give parental advice. Their are a lot of households,were the parents do not bother themselves with their children andlet their kids run wild. Kids who are raised in thosecircumstances sometimes will have sex to get the attention theywant and to be loved. The distribution of condoms shows that theBoard of Education and public high schools care about the welfareof teenagers. Some parents object to high schools distributingcondoms, because the parents say the Board of Education and the high schools send the wrong message. Some parents complain thatthe Board of Education is promoting premarital sex. Theseparents say that the best policy of preventing disease andpregnancy is to practice abstinence. The Board of Educationargues that if the students decide to have sex, then they shouldbe protected. This is why condoms are being distributed. It isnot to say Go ahead and have sex, but if a student decides tohave sex, that student should protect his or herself. Thedecision to have sex is the students responsibility. Distributing condoms also teaches responsibility, by givingthe student the opportunity to protects his or herself. TheBoard of Education and public high schools teach teenagers tolook at the situations and decide for his or herself what is right, and what is wrong. After all, the teenagers are the oneswho make the decision whether or not to have sex. As teenagersget older, their responsibilities increase, but with sexuallytransmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy, the teenagersresponsibility starts when they decide to have sex. The Board ofEducation feels that the responsibility of safe sex is not theparents, but the teenagers. The distribution of condoms is a sincere gesture by theBoard of Education, and by allowing high schools to do this itshows that the high schools care about their students. Condomdistribution promotes safety, and it teaches responsibility. Themembers of the Board of Education know what it is like to be ateenager and a parent, and the Board of Education does not wantto see another teenager become pregnant, or worse die from beingirresponsible and having unprotected sex. The Board of Educationwants to see teenagers enjoying high school. High school is animportant step in a teenager s life and if teenagers are educatedabout all aspects of life and taught responsibility, they willgrow up to be mature adults.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Finagle A Bagels’ upside-down organization chart Essay

1.What does Finagle A Bagel’s upside-down organization chart suggest about the delegation of authority and coordination techniques within the company? Finagle A Bagels’ upside-down organization chart suggests that the people who are normally on top, support the people who are at the bottom, such as the general managers and workers. This gives general managers the authority to do whatever it takes to alleviate problems in their stores or increase sales. 2.Is Finagle A Bagel a tall or flat organization? How do you know? Finagle A Bagel is a Flat Organization. Flat organizations generally are more responsive to customer demands since decision making power may be given to lower-level employees which is what Finagle a bagel does. Whereas tall organizations have many layers of management which can cause communication to be distorted as if flows from one manager to next before reaching the employee dealing solely with the customer. 3.What values seem to saturate Finagle A Bagel’s corporate culture? The values that seem to permeate Finagles A Bagels’ corporate culture is team work, positive work ethic and strong a support system. 4.Why would Finagle A Bagel build a dough factory that has more capacity than the company needs to supply its stores and its wholesale customers? A reason why Finagle A bagel would build a dough factory that has more capacity than the company needs would be to account for future business growth. By purchasing a factory that is able to produce more then what they currently need, they are leaving open the option of expansion without having to spend more revenue on another factory to compensate for growth.

Altering the Landscape of Health Care Essay

The health care field is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and other countries. The scope of changes suggests a consumer-driven environment and moving away from a provider-driven industry. Changes in technology and communication methods are allowing people to engage directly with their health care provider and not rely solely on the medical provider. We will discuss the modifications taking place in health care, current and potential challenges, and how the health care industry is adjusting to those changes. Modifications in Health Care The modifications taking place in health care involve the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and changes in insurance coverages. A report from Mobile Health 2012 from the Pew Internet & American Life Project states that 45 percent of American adults own a smartphone (Khan, 2014). In addition, the report also states that 53% of smartphone owners use their phones to gain access to health care information (Khan, 2014). With this increase in technology, patients do not have to wait for the next appointment for laboratory results, access real-time data, or health information. They can have access to their medical records anytime they choose, including other methods of communication such as email or social media (Khan, 2014). Through the ACA, patients have choices about choosing health insurance exchanges that benefit their families and themselves, which includes choosing premiums, copays, and deductibles. Individuals have the benefit of choosing cost-effective insurance coverage that is affordable for them which give them direct power and actively engaging in their quality of care. Current and Potential Challenges in Health Care The current and potential challenges facing health care comes from the new mandates under the ACA. Health care employees are under tremendous stress with shortages in the workforce, and instability in the industry (Anderson, 2014). The average health professional’s level of stress is causing job dissatisfaction, burnout, and difficulty retaining quality health care providers (Anderson, 2014). Consumers expect to receive quality care with more choices under the ACA and have the freedom to monitor their health care expenses. Although patients can seek additional health care information through technology, it will take a strong workforce to provide optimum patient care to consumers (Anderson, 2014). The challenge to improve the quality of care without a strong, resilient, growing workforce is undeniable. Many health professionals are seeking other career interests because of the effects of ACA. The mandate that comes under the ACA increases the level of stress on workers, organizations, and the health system is increasing tremendously (Anderson, 2014). The complexity of implementing the rules of the ACA places extreme burden on health providers to fulfill professional obligation, adhere to legal requirements, and still provide quality patient care (Anderson, 2014). Instead of lifting the pressure off of workers it place enormous stress to perform with excellence daily. Another huge challenge in health care is the increase of medical errors because of overworked individuals, which creates fewer optimal outcomes, including patient death and health care disparities (Khan, 2014). The mandate on medical providers to implement electronic health records is creating workforce stress, increased workloads, and burnout among health providers and professionals (Anderson, 2014). In addition, there will be growth in the workforce because of the increase in the number of patients that will be insured under the ACA. Therefore, this will create overwhelming strain on existing medical workers and their ability to accomplish those goals. Solutions to Health Care Challenges The effort to remain competitive in the health care industry requires medical providers, such as physicians, hospitals, physician group practices, and numerous health care companies to integrate and merge businesses (Anderson,  2014). As stated in the article, mergers and acquisitions lower operating costs, but also keep an even distribution of financial safety and increases market share (Anderson, 2014). Consolidations now include many physicians selling their practices to join physician groups and working in hospitals. With these changes taken place, insurers, hospitals, physicians and stakeholders can have an increase in negotiation power (Anderson, 2014). In 2011, there were consolidations that include 432 mergers involving 832 hospitals (Anderson, 2014). As a result, many hospitals are not independent but are now major health care systems throughout the United States. The implementation of the ACA suggests more individuals by law will have to purchase insurance. The health care system is not prepared to handle the large quantity of cases, which will add significant stress among workers. Health care organizations will need an efficient workforce to accommodate the growing population and give patients the quality of care that they deserve (Anderson, 2014). According to Anderson, â€Å"Solutions to the existing problems will require innovation in medical education and training, improved delivery of care, and implementation of policies to retain the existing health care workforce† (Anderson, 2014, p.1). The shift taking place in health care will continue to change along with the implementations under the ACA and the mandate to obtain insurance coverage. Changing the landscape of health care includes the shift to mobile technology and consumer-driven industry. Consumers are more aware of technology that can assist in gaining access to medical information and are seeking alternatives to insurance coverages and reducing costs. Therefore, they are engaging directly with the medical providers and taking ownership of their health information and status. Health care professionals are seeking less stressful working environments, smaller workloads, and even other career paths. The operating costs of the health care system are astronomical and will continue to increase as health care becomes available to more consumers. References Anderson, A. (2014). The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Health Care Workforce. Re trieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/03/the-impact-of-the-afforda ble-care-act-on-the-health-care-workforce Khan, F. (2014). The Shift to Consumer Driven Healthcare. Advance Healthcare Network. Retrie ved from http://healthcare-executive-insight.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/The-Shif t-to-Consumer-Driven-Healthcare.aspx

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Analysis and ploicy Tom Ltd and Jerry Ltd

3.With reference to your ratio calculations, comment on the importance of identifying accounting policy choices when comparing ratios for entities, or when comparing ratios for a single entity over time? Return on Equity = Profit available to shareholders / Equity   Profit Margin = Net profit / Revenue Current Ratio = Current assets / current liabilities Assets Turnover = Net Sales / Total assets Debt Ratio = Total liabilities / total assets The performance of a company is measured by its profitability and efficiency ratios. The profitability ratios included in the above table are return on assets, return on equity and profit margin. Asset turnover is the efficiency ratio. Jerry Ltd has a higher profitability as compared to Tom ltd as all the profitability ratios for the company is higher. This is majorly because of one expense that is the depreciation expense which is higher for Tom Ltd. ad this expense has made all the difference. The net profit of Tom Ltd. is less. Jerry Ltd has a higher return on assets ratio because it has higher earnings before tax and expenses and also lower total assets. Tom Ltd has taken the fair value of the property, plant and equipment. This reflects a higher value of the non – current assets, thus increasing the total assets. Also the depreciation has been applied on this fair value of property, plant and equipment, thus giving higher depreciation expenses. Therefore, Tom Ltd has lower net profits and higher total assets leading to a low return on assets. Tom Ltd has a lower return on equity due to lower net profits available to its shareholders and also a higher value of the equity. This coupled effect has reduced the return on equity for Tom Ltd. whereas Jerry Ltd. has a higher return on equity due to higher net profits and a lower equity value. This means Jerry Ltd is providing higher returns to its shareholders. Jerry Ltd has a higher profit margin due to increased net profit. The revenue for both the companies is the same. As a result of difference in the net profit, the profit margin is different for both the companies. Jerry Ltd. gives higher returns on its sales. Jerry Ltd. has a better assets turnover ratio. This is because it has lower total assets. Jerry records its assets at the historical cost due to which the total assets appear lower on the balance sheet. For Tom Ltd. the assets are recorded at fair value which is higher than the historical cost, thus the total assets value appears higher for Tom Ltd. on the balance sheet. The revenue for both the companies is the same. A higher assets turnover ratio means that the company is able to utilize its assets efficiently in generating sales. With lower total assets, Jerry Ltd. is able to generate the same amount of revenue as Tom Ltd. thus indicating better utilization of assets to generate sales. Thus from the above analysis of the profitability and efficiency ratios, we see that Jerry Ltd. ahs a better performance in both the categories. The difference in the performance is solely based on the difference in the accounting policies of depreciation and recording of fixed assets in the balance sheet. The financial position of the company is measured through the liquidity and the solvency ratios. In the above table, current ratio is the liquidity ratio and debt ratio is the solvency ratio. The current ratio measures the short term liquidity of the company. It measures if the company has sufficient current assets to pay for its current obligations. Both the companies have the same current ratio. The current ratio of both companies is 3.7. This means the current assets are 3.7 times the current liabilities. This shows high liquidity of both the companies. Both companies have enough current assets to pay for their current liabilities, thus making them highly liquid. The ideal current ratio is 2. The debt ratio is a long term solvency ratio and measures the ability of a company to pay for its assets with its liabilities.(John, Subramanyam, Halsey, 2007) 3. Ratio analysis is majorly used by firms to analyse the performance and also for making financial performance comparisons between two companies. However, there are certain limitations of ratio analysis. One such limitation is on account of the use of different accounting policy being used by the two firms in question. Like in the above case, though both the firms are identical in all their revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities but the only difference lies in the accounting policy relating to measurement of fixed assets of plant property and equipment. The firm which records the fixed assets at the historical cost has recorded the asset at the lower value since the fair value of the asset is higher as per current market prices. Hence, the value of fixed assets of Tom Ltd. is higher than Ltd. This has affected the profit through depreciation charges. The depreciation is calculated on the carrying values of the plant and machinery. Tom Ltd. has higher depreciation charges becaus e of high value of the same assets as possessed by Jerry Ltd. therefore the profits of Tom Ltd. have been reduced by that amount. Also both the companies use different deprecation methods. Jerry Ltd uses diminishing value method of depreciation and Tom Ltd. uses straight line method. Under diminishing method of depreciation, higher depreciation charges are applied in the initial years and lower in the later years. Under straight line method, same percentage of depreciation is applied every year. Due to this difference in accounting policy, the depreciation charges differ for both the companies, and they have a direct impact on the profits. This affects the financial performance of the companies.(Alayemi, 2015) Even for a single firm, ratio analysis may yield misleading results for two years where accounting policy has been changed over the years. Let’s say if the company has changed its accounting policy on measuring the company’s plant and machinery from historical cost to the fair value. This will have two effects, first a change in the value of fixed assets appearing on the balance sheet and the change in the depreciation charge which will directly impact the profits. Thus both financial performance and the financial position ratio results will change for the same company. Thus ratio analysis cannot be applied for companies using different accounting policies as for the same revenue and profits, the performance results may vary. Alayemi, S.A., (2015), Choice of Accounting Policy: Effects on Analysis and Interpretation of Financial Statements, American Journal of Economics, Finance and Management, Vol.1, No.3 John, J.W., Subramanyam, K.R., Halsey, R., (2007), Financial Statement Analysis, 9 th edition, New Delhi, Tata McGraw- Hill Khan, M.Y., Jain, P.K., (2005), Basic Financial Management, second edition, New Delhi, Tata McGraw-Hill Looking for an answer 'who will do my essay for cheap',

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Compile a report evaluating how a National Governing Bodys Sports Essay

Compile a report evaluating how a National Governing Bodys Sports Equity Policy conforms to the guidelines set out by Sport England - Essay Example In order to eliminate the inequalities that exist within the sport traditionally Sport England has brought out the Equity Guidelines for the governing bodies which contains, apart from a five stage inclusion plan, specific advices on race, disability and gender to the effect that sports activities should be extended to all the people without any discrimination. The guidelines also deal with the provision of opportunities for ethnic minority communities, disabled people and women in sports activities. This paper envisages bringing out a report as to whether the National Governing Bodies formulated by the Sport England are following the equity guidelines prescribed by the parent body in the promotion of sports activities, specifically the National Governing Body covering the sport of Football (Soccer). It is an established principle that all the governing bodies have ethical, moral and business responsibility to plan and provide equal opportunities to a wider range of participants. Keeping this idea in view Sport England has issued guidelines governing the sports equity to be followed by the governing bodies. ... gender, and aspirations of all the different priority groups." As distinct from the 'equal opportunities' 'Sports Equity' covers a wide range of activities and issues connected with sports like participation and membership, service delivery, selection of voluntary committees and appointment of voluntary coaches. Sports Equity principles provide a number of benefits to the society in general. The Sport England Equity guidelines detail some of these benefits which are: Fair and effective employment practices to all segments of the society Enhancement in the revenue by increase in the number of members Provision of services to the needy customers and members Availability of an enlarged forum of professional assistance from able administrators, leaders. Coaches and managers Improved public image as a professionally organized and forward thinking organization Increasing the representation of all communities in the various positions of committees, volunteers, staff, management and executives 3.0 National Governing Bodies: As per the definition provided by Deloitte & Touche - Investing in Change p9 a National Governing Body is the one which carries out most if not all of the following functions: Sets out and implements the strategic vision and direction for the sport; Promotes the sport; Manages the rules and regulation of the sport, including anti-doping procedures; Manages the sports officials; Establishes and maintains links with the sports' international representative; Encourages participation; Develops talent, including elite athletes; and Organises and hosts competitions. 4.0 Stages to the Planning Process for inclusion of Equity Guidelines: In order that the Sports Equity Policies are effectively implemented the Sport England organization has prescribed five

Monday, August 12, 2019

Leading Global Workforce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leading Global Workforce - Assignment Example The paper tells that global mobility of people in regards to economics refers to the movement of the right employees across the international boundaries to the right jobs. This is a trend that is becoming an essential tool for many multinational organizations. There is a critical need for efficiency and speed in operations as multinational companies are always exploring new markets. Globalization has consequently increased competition for new markets and the shortage of talents and manpower has pushed global mobility of workforce to be a priority for many global companies. This mobility of talents from one international border to the other is very important to global companies as the rapid growth of cross-border activities implies many multinational companies will become increasingly active in in-bound assignees and assignments within a particular region. Global mobility of people helps the companies because they can hire workforce from any region provided that they the capacity for the jobs. On the other hand, global mobility of jobs refers to the ability of a job to be available in more than one international geographical location. Multinational companies utilize this feature by capturing markets across the globe; identical to the original jobs offered in the country of origin. Global mobility of jobs is essential to the global companies especially in regards to expansion due to new market acquisitions or due to increased demand in other geographical areas; as setting up of the identical line of jobs is easier than setting up a whole new business.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Maritime Logistics at Hitachi Transport System Company Essay

Maritime Logistics at Hitachi Transport System Company - Essay Example According to the paper supply chain management encompasses bringing together business operations through coordinated activities to ensure that there is flow of input from supplies to manufacturers till goods and services reaches to the final consumer. Therefore, this assessment focuses on providing a sharp insight on the principles of third party logistics, advantages and disadvantages of third party logistics and suggested improvement that could be implemented at Hitachi Company(selected company for assessment) to make maritime logistics more effective and efficient. From this paper it is clear tha in above connection, logistic providers have realized that information technology is a key to success. Therefore, logistic leaders and information technology executive are anticipated to implement the following six principles. The principle of automation to increase business profitability, the principle of leverage technology, the principle of configured solutions, the principle of collab oration with all stakeholders, the principle of measures for improvement and the principle of delivering truth version. The principle of automation entails implementing computerized systems that can perform complex task and allow employees to focus on customer. The principle of leverage technology focuses at preventing time wastage and speed up time to the market.

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Survey Development Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Survey Development Project - Assignment Example The beginning of Boston included events such as the Boston massacre, Boston Tea Party, Boston Siege, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. After the establishment, Boston attracted many settlers from without because it became an interregional center for education, medicine, socialization, and business (Chowdhury, 2012). The city was a regional leader in innovation and economic development. The changes that occurred in Boston made the population grow very fast with the influx of immigrants and investors. The groups that migrated to Boston included Germans, Syrians, French, Canadians, and Haitians, among others. This migration made a blend of many ethnic communities, which changed the operations and interactions of the city drastically (Byrne & Deane, 2011). Boston has a population of 645,966 people, about 10% of Massachusetts’ population, which is 6,708,874 (Love & Sajatovic, 2011). Over half of Boston’s population is made up of Caucasian people, a quarter African-Americans, Hispanic Latinos 17.5, and 8.9% Asians, and American Indians 0.4 (McCuskee, 2012). This makes Boston a blend of many cultures with variations in belief systems and values. The Boston Haitians started to migrate to Boston in the 20thcentury. They were fleeing the dictatorship of Francois Duvalier (commonly known as Papa Doc). Today, the population of Haitians in Boston is only third in United States after Florida and New York (Johnson, 2015). In 2005, for example, there were 40,000 Haitians in Massachusetts. The paper illustrates how Haitians are treated in the medical sector in Boston. The focus is specifically on mental health with a specific focus on the contributions of cultural beliefs. This study will be done among the Boston Haitians with the involvement of professionals in medicine, sociology, and history. This survey explains the approaches to the treatment of the Haitians by the healthcare providers in Boston. The research aims at finding the disadvantages that

EU Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

EU Law - Essay Example According to the research Non-Profit Orgnizations such as Animal Protection Association (APA) cannot be considered an independent entity within the context of Article 34 since it receives substantial funding from Sagoland’s Ministry of Environment geared to promote activities having as their objective and effect to reduce the demand for wares sourced from another Member State. The measures were attributable to the Sagoland primarily because APA initiated the Animal Protection Mark (APM) at the behest of the Sagoland; its failure to arrest members of the APA found to have committed illegal acts such as threats, coercion, blockade of roads, burning of lorry and other similar activities. The enactment of Sagoland of a national policy prohibiting fur farming and restricting the entry of fur products in its territory is indeed a hindrance to competition. It is clear that its intention is to impede, prevent or reduce patronage of products source from other Member States which is con trary to the EU’s objective of a single and integrated market. This would promote locally produce products giving it undue economic advantage. Thus, the act of Sagoland falls within the prohibition of Article 34 TFEU. Measures of another Member State to protect the health and life of the animals found in the other Member State cannot be justified under Article 36 TFEU. National law of Sagoland intended to protect the life and health of animals found outside its jurisdiction do not have extra-territorial application. Scandonia likewise violates the principle of mutuality because the member state cannot use their quantitative restrictions and laws in another state. Another basis is the principles of proportionality were not fulfilled where the means employed to achieve the objectives must not go beyond what is necessary. Lastly, public morality is not a sufficient justification to restrict the importation of goods to and from another Member State. III a.) In the case of Mr. Zac k, and Henrietta L’s relationship, it is clear that the promoter contract governs the relationship of the two. Mr. Zack’s action of purchasing additional products from Henrietta’s website will not transform that relationship since the purchase of the product supports the promoter contract. As its ambassador Mr. Zack is compelled to only use and endorse Henrietta’s products, purchasing Henrietta’s product from its website supports this relationship since as the endorser Mr. Zack cannot use or purchase other products. b.) Henrietta’s website was meant to only cater to customers within Scandinionia. The website’s disclaimer declared and intimated as much and the use of the LAX currency as the only currency entertained by the websites absolutely proves this position not to mention the use of Scandinionian as one of its language. The use of a primary domain name by the website and the use of English is of no moment since the content and in tent of the website is only meant to cater to customers within Scandinionia as proven by its disclaimer and the use of LAX as the only means of payment. The disclaimer is sufficient in form and in substance, therefore it cannot be considered as an unfair item in a binding contract. It should be noted that the disclaimer was not ambiguous and it was conspicuously displayed within the website. PLEADINGS FOR HENRIETTA L I. a) GOVERNMENT ACTION IN FAVOR OF APA ESTABLISHES PUBLIC MEASURE Animal Protection Association (APA) is a non-profit organization founded according to the Law of Non Profit Associations in Sagoland. Although it is established denoting a social objective, it cannot be considered an independent entity within the context of Article 34 since APA receives substantial funding from Sagoland’s Ministry of Environment geared to promote activities having as their objective and effect to reduce the demand for wares sourced from another Member State. The issue arose when S agoland implemented a measure to ban fur farming and to dismantle existing fur farms in its territory. Following the implementation

Friday, August 9, 2019

Famine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Famine - Essay Example This paper will further anayze whether famine is a seasonal happening or if it has an annual cycle, its predictability, and the steps that can be taken to prevent it,if there are any. Famine can be described as the scarcity of food on a largescale. The functional description of famine needs to include the fact that it is a natural hazard that goes on to affect humans. Without it affecting humans, the otherwise natural disaster becomes a natural hazard. It is not a disaster when the human aspect is lacking. Over time in history, incidences of famine have been experienced repeatdly, and in some regions more than others. This begs for one to view it as a seasonal happening. The seasonal nature of famines is attributed to there being certain human activities that augment the influence of drought. The likelihood of famine to be experienced in a region dependson a myriad of factors. These include the geographical location, policies governing food distribution, and human activities in a place. When these factors are all analyzed, the likelihood of a famine can be determined. The effects of famine are felt by all spheres of nature, both living and non-living. Humans, plants, animals, and even property is affected by famine. Humans are by far the most affected by famine. On the event of a famine, humans are faced by starvation, malnutrition, and cases of death are reported. People waste due to lack of food, and become emaciated. Stunted, and retarded growth are also experienced by the victims of famine. Cases of diseases are increased, as individuals grow weaker and weaker due to poor nutrition. In certain instances people start fighting for the little food available, and war may result. Plants during famine, are usually the first to die. This however, is true when the famine is due to harsh weather conditions such as drought. When the cause of the famine is other than this, plants are affected to a lesser extent. Wasting,

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Eiffel Tower or the Lady of Iron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eiffel Tower or the Lady of Iron - Essay Example In 1909, it was decided to dismantle the tower however the process never took place because the tower was being used for Radio transmission. The government of France decided to hold a monument contest. It was intended that the best monument will be displayed in the World Fair of 1889. The design for the Eiffel Tower by Gustave was unanimously selected out of 700 monument designs received. The construction on the Tower began in 1887, at first Parisians did not like the Eiffel Tower and considered it to be an eyesore. Most of them wanted the Tower to be dismantled, however, when the construction was completed, the tower became a prominent French symbol. French structural Engineer Gustave received the assistance of two other engineers Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin during the construction. The architect who assisted Gustave in the construction was Stephen Sauvestre. The Tower was constructed by three hundred workers who joined 18,038 pieces of pure structural iron known as the ‘puddled iron’. During the construction, 2.5 million rivets were used to join the pieces of puddled iron together. The Eiffel Tower has an open frame supported by two platforms, thus during its construction, there was a danger of losing human lives. To minimize the danger level, Gustave ordered the use of movable staging, screens as well as guard-rails. Due to the precautionary measures were taken during the entire period of construction, only one man lost his life. The construction of the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 and the inauguration ceremony was held on 31st March 1889. The Tower was officially opened on 9th May 1889. In 1889, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in France. However, now the tallest structure in France is Millau Viaduct and Eiffel Tower is the second tallest structure. The Tower has three floors and has a height of 324 meters or 1,063 feet. The heights of the three floors are 57 m, 115 m and276 m respectively. Eiffel Tower was not loved by all Parisians and it received much criticism during the time of its opening.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Stephen Colbert on American Jobs Essay Example for Free

Stephen Colbert on American Jobs Essay They range from jobs to energy to healthcare, and of course, they are all written in a satirical sense. In the second chapter, Colbert and his writers talk about jobs in America. They discuss the problem of jobs being shipped overseas to countries like India and China and Colbert puts forth his â€Å"solutions† to the problems, which mostly include setting up sweatshops in America. He also talks about job interviews and how to be successful at them. Colbert and his staff of writers use a wide range of comic techniques in the book as a whole and in the chapter on jobs to satirize the American culture and government. One comic technique Colbert uses in the jobs chapter is reduction. Reduction is essentially belittling or degrading someone. Near the beginning of the chapter, there is a picture of Barack Obama being captioned as Jimmy Carter. While Jimmy Carter was a decent president and many historians agree that he didn’t do anything bad, he is widely remembered for not doing much of anything during his one term as president except failing to get the Americans that were being held hostage in Iran out safely. Barack Obama has a similar record of inactivity in his first term, so the book captions Obama as Carter to essentially say that Obama didn’t do much in his first term as president. Throughout the chapter and the whole book, Colbert and his writers use pictures to their advantage. This is a common technique in satire because it’s easy to get your message across using pictures. They are usually fairly simple, quick to look at, and easy to understand the meaning of. Colbert also uses caricatures to his advantage in the chapter on jobs. A caricature is usually some sort of picture of the person or group being satirized with their more unsightly features being greatly exaggerated. It is a common technique used by satirists. Near the beginning of the chapter, there is a picture of an Indian woman going through the Kama Sutra exercises, a very old series of exercises used to strengthen the body and mind, while working at a call center. Through this picture, Colbert is talking about the problem of American jobs being shipped overseas. He also has a picture of a howler monkey named Bobo running a human resources department at a company. There is a common stereotype against human resources departments for not doing much work and making the employees’ lives difficult. The howler monkey is supposed to represent the HR department because it would be impossible to work with a monkey. Bobo even goes so far as to eat an employee’s paperwork, the equivalent of an HR department losing your paperwork. While pictures are of great use in satire, words can be just as effective if used properly. One technique Colbert and his writers use is burlesque, or the treating of a serious matter in a joking or flippant way. Burlesque is used throughout the chapter, but is used the most in the part about job interviews. Job interviews are extremely important, for they can make the difference between being hired for a job and not getting a job. In our current economy, interviews have become even more important because people are often in dire need of employment. Colbert devotes several pages to telling readers how to conduct a good interview. He tells the reader how many handshakes they should give, proper dress, and even how to appeal to the interviewer. Colbert also says to repeat the interviewer’s name many times. He says â€Å"Make a point of repeating your interviewer’s name as many times as possible as soon as you hear it† (Colbert 44). Colbert is essentially saying that by repeating the interviewer’s name, you’re flattering them, a common technique used by job seekers in interviews. Colbert satirizes the interview process as whole because he sees it as a joke and formality. He believes, and many will agree with him, that getting a job depends on flattery and connections with the interviewer. A fourth technique used by Colbert in the jobs chapter is reductio ad absurdum. This technique involves the satirist pretending to take the side of the person or group he or she is mocking in an attempt to further humiliate their subject. In the chapter, Colbert pretends to support sweatshops and shipping jobs overseas. He even goes so far as to suggest putting sweatshops in America and disbanding unions. In one of Colbert’s â€Å"truth punches† he says â€Å"The minimum wage ruined the proud American tradition of the sweatshop. You start paying American workers a minimum wage, the next thing you know they’re demanding air-conditioning and less flammable shirtwaist materials† (Colbert 30). The conditions he describes are very common in sweatshops around the world and are obviously a huge health and safety hazard. However, they make manufacturing cheaper and the lack of labor laws allows them to force their employees to work in the aforementioned conditions. Colbert pretends to support these views because by doing so he can make fun of them more effectively. Also, he highlights the extreme working conditions because by doing so, he can show the absurdity of both sweatshops and the argument for them. He can pretend to support horrible working conditions and still be viewed as humorous because everyone knows that those conditions are inhumane. One characteristic of satire that Colbert and his writers use in the jobs chapter is obscenity. At the beginning, he makes fun of the Rosie the Riveter, a common figure for female empowerment during World War II. He describes Rosie as â€Å"History’s most thinly veiled lesbian-I have worked hard to remain ignorant of whatever depraved act ‘riveting’ is† (Colbert 21). He also talks about Alan Greenspan’s scrotum and puts in a picture of it. The obscenity does not really have any purpose in satirizing Americans and their jobs. It’s there mostly for the sake of making the reader laugh and want to continue. Exaggeration is easily one of the most common, if not the most common, characteristics of satire. The chapter and the book as a whole are filled with exaggerations of varying amounts. He uses a â€Å"quote† of Ayn Rand’s, which says â€Å"Any man using the words of another is an unthinkable parasite worthy of contempt and death† (Colbert 25). Obviously Ayn Rand never said this; it’s a rather extreme thing to say and would have damaged her credibility. Colbert uses exaggeration in this instance to satirize Rand’s views of the working American. She is widely known for being a conservative and scorning Americans who don’t work and live off of the benefits of society. Colbert also uses this quote as an opportunity to take another swing at the Republicans. By making fun of a popular conservative, he is, by association, making fun of conservatives as a whole. The style of satire that Colbert and his writers use is a monologue. In a monologue, the satirist speaks from behind a mask. In America Again, Colbert is the narrator, and he uses this position to satirize more freely. By staying as himself, he can use the persona he has on his tv show, and he doesn’t need to spend time creating a character to speak through. This is also advantageous when using the reductio ad absurdum technique because most readers will already know that he doesn’t really support the side he’s pretending to be on, and they can appreciate the comedy more. The chapter on jobs was very amusing and did a good job of satirizing American jobs and American’s views on jobs. He satirizes how Americans preach the need to bring jobs back to America from countries like India and China, but no one is willing to lose money by investing in more expensive American workers.