Monday, September 30, 2019

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 35

Chapter 35 Sculptures Sunset cast a warm orange across the great Pyramid, while below, the Emperor enjoyed a cappuccino on a concrete bench and Bummer and Lazarus battled for the remains of a three-pound porterhouse. â€Å"Men, would that I could let you, like Cincinnatus, retire like gentlemen soldiers to the country, but the City is still in need. The fiend is vanquished, but not the despair of my people. Our responsibility is legion.† A family of tourists passed the Emperor, hurrying to get to the cable-car stop at California Street before dark, and the Emperor tipped his cup in salute. The father, a balding fat man in an Alcatraz sweatshirt, took the Emperor's gesture as a request for spare change and said, â€Å"Why don't you get a job?† The Emperor smiled. â€Å"Good sir, I have a job. I am Emperor of San Francisco and Protector of Mexico.† The tourist scrunched his face in disgust. â€Å"Look at you. Look at your clothes. You stink. You need a bath. You're nothing but a bum.† The Emperor looked down at the fraying cuffs of his dirty wool overcoat, his rib-worn gray corduroys, stained with splatters of vampire blood, the holes in his filthy sneakers. He raised an arm and took a sniff, then hung his head. The tourists walked away. Cavuto and Rivera sat in leather wingback chairs in front of the fireplace in Cavuto's Cow Hollow apartment. The fireplace was burning, the fire crackling and dancing as it fought off the damp chill of the bay. The room was furnished with rugged oak antiques, the bookshelves filled with detective novels, the walls hung with guns and posters from Bogart movies. Rivera drank cognac; Cavuto, Scotch. On the coffee table between them stood a three-foot-high bronze statue of a ballerina. â€Å"So what do we do with it?† Cavuto asked. â€Å"It's probably stolen.† â€Å"Maybe not,† Rivera said. â€Å"He might have bought it from Degas himself.† â€Å"The black kid says it's worth millions. You think he's right?† Rivera lit a cigarette. â€Å"If it's authentic, yeah. So what do we do with it?† â€Å"I've only got a couple of years before I retire. I've always wanted to own a rare-book shop.† Rivera smiled at the thought. â€Å"The wife wants to see Europe. I wouldn't mind having a little business of my own. Maybe learn to play golf.† â€Å"We could turn it in and just finish our time. They're going to move us out of homicide after this, you know that? We're too old for narcotics. Probably vice – night after night of screaming hookers.† Rivera sighed. â€Å"I'll miss homicide.† â€Å"Yeah, it was quiet.† â€Å"I've always wanted to learn about rare books,† Rivera said. â€Å"No golf,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Golf is for pussies.† Tommy moved the futon so he could sit facing the two statues, then sat down to admire his handiwork. He'd worked all day in the foundry below, covering Jody and the vampire with the thin coat of conductive paint and putting them into the bronzing vats. The two biker sculptors had been more than happy to help, especialy when Tommy pulled a handful of cash out of the grocery bag that the Emperor had delivered. The statues looked very lifelike. They should, they were still alive under the bronze coating, except for Zelda, who stood next to the two vampires. Tommy had put Jody in a leotard before he applied the paint. He'd dressed the vampire in a pair of his own jockey shorts. It was amazing how fast the vampire had healed after drinking Jody's blood. The worst part had been waiting – waiting outside the bedroom where Jody had carried the vampire, waiting for them to go out at sunrise, listening to the soft murmur of their voices. What had they been talking about? Overall, the vampire looked pretty good. Almost all the damage to his body had healed by morning. Jody, even bronzed, looked beautiful. The finishing touch had been to drill ear holes through the thick bronze coating so he could talk to her. â€Å"Jody, I know that you're probably really, really mad. I don't blame you. But I didn't have a choice. It's not forever, it's just until I can figure out what to do. I didn't want to lose you. I know you wanted to just go away and I think you would have, but he wouldn't have. He would never have let me live.† Tommy waited, as if he would get some response from the statue. He picked up the grocery bag of money from the floor and held it up. â€Å"By the way, we're rich! Cool, huh? I'll never make fun of Lash for studying business again. In less than a day he fenced the art from the yacht and got us ten cents on the dollar. Our cut's over a hundred thousand. The guys flew to Vegas. We tried to give a share to the Emperor, but he would only take enough to buy a meal for Bummer and Lazarus. He said that money would distract him from his responsibilities. Great, huh?† He dropped the money and sighed. â€Å"Those two cops believed you. They're going to leave us alone. They reported that the killer was on board the yacht when it went up. Lash gave the gate guard some money to back up their story. I couldn't believe they were going along with it. I think the big cop kind of likes me. â€Å"I'm going to write a book about this. I came here to find adventure and being with you sure has been that. And I don't want to give it up. I know we're not the same. And we shouldn't feel lonely when we have each other. I love you. I'm going to figure I something out. I've got to sleep now. It's been days.† He got up and went to Jody. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. He kissed the cold bronze lips and was turning to go into the bedroom when the phone rang. â€Å"It's probably the Animals calling from some casino,† he said as he picked up the phone. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Uh, hi,† a man's voice said. â€Å"Could I speak to Jody, please?† Tommy pulled the phone away and looked at it, then put it to his ear and said, â€Å"Jody's†¦ well†¦ she's deceased.† â€Å"I know. Can I speak to her?† â€Å"You sick fuck.† â€Å"Is this C. Thomas Flood? The guy from the paper?† Who was this guy? â€Å"Look, buddy, that was a mistake. They got the guy who did those murders.† â€Å"Look, my name is Steve. I can't tell you my last name. Not until I'm sure it's safe. I'm a med student at Berkeley. I spoke to Jody the other night. We were supposed to meet the other night at Enrico's, but she never showed up. I'm kind of glad, I met a nice girl who works at the Safeway with you. Anyway, when I saw Jody's name in the paper I took a chance and looked up the number.† â€Å"If you saw the paper, you know what happened to Jody,† Tommy said. â€Å"This isn't very funny.† The line was silent for a moment, then Steve said, â€Å"Do you know what she is?† Tommy was shocked. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"So you do know?† â€Å"She is, I mean was, my girlfriend.† â€Å"Look, I'm not trying to blackmail you or anything. I don't want to turn you in. I talked to Jody about reversing her condition. Well, I think I've found a way to do it.† â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"No. Tell her. I'll call you back tomorrow night. I know she's not up during the day.† â€Å"Wait,† Tommy said. â€Å"Are you serious about this? I mean, you can make her human again?† â€Å"I think so. It will probably take a few months. But I've been able to do it with cloned cells in the lab.† Tommy covered the mouthpiece and turned to the statue of Jody. â€Å"There's a guy here that says he can help you. We can be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vapor was streaming out of the ear holes in the brass and swirling into a cloud in the middle of the room. Tommy dropped the phone and backed away from the cloud. He could hear Steve's voice calling for him on the phone. Tommy backed against the counter in the kitchen. â€Å"Jody, is that you?† The cloud was pulsating, sending out tendrils, or were they limbs? It was as if it was condensing into a solid shape. Jody thought, Oh Tommy, you can't believe what I learned last night. You're going to have the adventure of your life, lover. And it's going to be such a long life. The things you'll see – I can't wait to show them to you. She became solid, stood before him, naked, smiling. Tommy held the phone to his chest. â€Å"You're pissed, aren't you?† â€Å"I was never going to leave you, Tommy. I love you.† â€Å"But what about him?† Tommy pointed to the bronzed vampire. â€Å"I had to make him think that I was going to go with him so I could find out what I needed to know. I've learned a lot, Tommy. I'm going to teach you.† She started moving toward him. â€Å"He taught you the mist thing, huh?† â€Å"That, and how a vampire is made.† â€Å"No kidding. That could come in handy.† â€Å"And soon,† she said. She looked back at the old vampire. â€Å"The bronzing was a pretty good trick. I didn't exactly know what I was going to do with him after I found out what I needed to know. Maybe later we can figure out a way to let him out and still be safe.† â€Å"So, you're not mad? You're really not leaving?† â€Å"No. I thought I would have to leave, but I never wanted to. You and I are going to be together for a very long time.† Tommy smiled. â€Å"Great, this guy on the phone says†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hang up, Tommy. And come here.† â€Å"But he says†¦ he can change you back.† â€Å"Hang up.† She took the phone from him and set it down on the counter, then moved into his arms and kissed him.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Monsanto Balances Environmental & Ethical Factors

Kroger enables compliance auditing using role assignments and role history. They must keep check on efficiency for provisioning of new users, streamlines the process of changing a user's role. Saving time and cost. Kroger roles might Include some of the same roles as a lot of other companies. They also have certain guide lines to follow, and a role is a representation of a set of access right to resources/data that corresponds to duties associated with a business function. Kroger roles are desirable to their organization.Like with any organization, to create an enterprise role based access control Infrastructure, organizations often find that Initial role creation is a major barrier. Even In small and medium sized companies, the numbers of accounts, systems, locations, lines of business, and other attributes to map Into roles is daunting. Lacking a centralized view, many organizations start from the bottom up by dumping access data from multiple systems into databases and manually co rrelating user by user basis. This is how Kroger organization measure efficiency and effectiveness.Kroger know how to treat the knowledge component of business activities as an explicit concern of business reflected in strategy, policy and practice at all levels of the organization. It makes a direct connection between an organization's intellectual assets-both explicit and positive business results. Kroger management often encompasses identifying and mapping intellectual assets within the organization, generating new knowledge for competitive advantage within the organization, making vast amounts of corporate information accessible, sharing of best practices, and technology that enables all of the above including groupware and Intranets.There are several business management strategies such as Change AT management, Best practices, RISK Management, Benchmarking. I newer Is a common thread among these and many other recent business strategies, recognition that information and knowledg e are corporate assets and that business need strategies, policies, and tools to manage those assets. The need to manage seems obvious and concussions of intellectual capital have proliferated, but few businesses have acted on that understanding.Where companies have taken action and a growing number are doing so implementations of knowledge management may range from technology driven methods of accessing, controlling, and delivering information to massive efforts to change corporate culture. Our company doors are always open to different opinions to different paths and methods, and even objectives. Some effects focus on enhancing creativity by creating new value to our customers. The specific ND general forces in the global environment of this organization were brought up in one of our Monthly meetings about the global change.Someone asked, â€Å"Why does a major grocery store chain need a comprehensive policy addressing climate change? † The answer was they don't, one of the nation's oldest and largest grocery firms Kroger Inc. Based in Cincinnati, OH rejected a shareholder proposal which called for the company to develop a comprehensive policy addressing climate change. If you haven't noticed Wall-Mart is starting to sell a lot of â€Å"Green foods†. Problem is that the costs are on the average higher than traditional foods.That is pretty much typical across the entire economy. It is called greenmailing, or environmental entrepreneurs. They slap a green label on it and Jack up the price because in many cases the ones who feel the most environment guilt and think they can make a difference simply by spending money on the right thing. I can assure you that the global environment has not affected Kroger like some think. According to our Job orders we have not missed a beat on our sales.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Managing children on watching television

Managing children on watching television The definition for television is a system for transmitting visual images and sound that are reproduced on screens, primarily used to broadcast programs for entertainment, information, and education. The history of television comprises the work of numerous engineers and inventors in several countries over many decades. The first practical demonstrations of television, however, were developed using electromechanical methods to scan, transmit, and reproduce an image.As electronic camera and display tubes were perfected, electromechanical television gave way to ll-electronic systems in nearly all applications. Commercially available since the late 1920s, the television set has become commonplace in homes, businesses and institutions, particularly as a vehicle for advertising, a source of entertainment, and news. In 2009 78 percent of the world's households owned at least one television set, an increase of 5% over 2003. Television can be used in ma ny ways, such as entertainment, information, and education.Television can be bad but it can be good if we know how to manage with it. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that television viewing can be a powerful influence in eveloping value systems and shaping behavior. Most of us are aware that Sesame Street teaches children who are ready for it, letters and numbers. Research on children's behavior, school performance, weight, sleeping habits, and brain development back up the assertion that TV is harming our children.Violent behavior, research has shown that the more hours children spend watching TV, the more likely they are to display aggressive impulses and hostile feelings. This effect has been found to apply whether the televised behavior is performed by a human or by a cartoon character. And aggressive impulses have been found to occur with girls s well as boys and with teenagers and adults as well as children. There are also other behavior that alm ost likely to occur when we let our children watch television such as, kids who watch more TV start smoking at an earlier age, exposure to alcohol use on TV and in music videos (such as on MTV).As a parents what can we do to teach our children to view television as a treat or special entertainment. Many of the following suggestions come from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the first one is observe, how do our children act after watching television? Do the certain behavior increase or decrease? After observing you can decide whether to eliminate certain program or not, short term effects are easier to observe but, long term effects are far more difficult.Listen to our child also can help them to share what are they thinking about the show and let them share their feeling about, by listening we also can ask question and help them to think about what theyVe seen, process it, and clarify values. Monitor the shows children and adolescents are viewing, most programs should be informat ional, educational, and nonviolent. Choose shows that engage through challenging and interesting content, rather than flashy graphics and oise. Make sure programs are age and developmentally appropriate.Provide alternatives, when your child says I'm bored, does it become your problem? Or is it an incentive for your child to be creative? Are the raw materials for creativity available? hobbies, and creative play. There are lots of ways to manage children on watching TV shows. We Just need to learn and do research about how to manage rather than shut the TV and ask your children to study. There is a way to do it. Lastly, manage your children on watching TV well is the key to control their behavior.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Business Case Study Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Case Study Review - Essay Example -Hello- I am not asking for anything different than what is in the attached insturctions. All steps 1-5 were included in request where an action plan is step 5. Please compelte this and 2 days is fine I will fix the rest. Â   The initial instruction: To read the case study and apply all of the steps as indicated on my attachment. You can use bullets but make sure all steps are answered for the McDonalds "Seniors" Case Study I did answer all the steps 1-4 in bullet form for that is what you requested. Step 5 cannot be answered in bullet form so I assumed it was not part of the task. Furthermore your order consists of 4 pages only at 250 words a page. That would amount to a mere 1000 words. With this bullet answers, we have already covered 1498 words. We have exceeded the word limit by 498 words already. you are not obliged to do any extra work for free. If you have completed the paper up to the initial instructions, please upload the same file to the order page and advise the Customer to place a new order. Or let us know for mow many extra pages we should charge him, if the additional work pertains to this paper 5. No documents have been forwarded. All information is from observations of the Manager. Data on population of the town: number and ages- can be obtained from national statistics office if the town; data on average number of elderly that stay up to 3pm or mid afternoon can be recorded by the door guard. All information is from observations of the Manager hence it is a first hand account and very reliable. The source definitely has an interest in the case since she is the manager and it is her responsibility. 8. The problem is urgent because the number of elderly staying for prolonged periods is increasing. The impact of other possible effects relative to this cannot be estimated at this time but immediate action is better than a singed reputation. 9. The stakes are high. If the manager is unable to find a

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Compare the Maxwell and Pauly articles on Moral Hazard Essay

Compare the Maxwell and Pauly articles on Moral Hazard - Essay Example People buy health insurance to protect themselves from future financial risks. This is the point of Pauly when issue concerning what motivates Americans to buy insurance is taken into consideration. From economic point of view, Pauly has the point and got it right. However, if this would be the case since he also states that â€Å"people contemplating about insurance are not poor or high risk† (2), most, if not all, Americans must be insured. From Gladwell’s article, there is a significant contradiction to Pauly’s point since Americans spend $5,267 per capita on health care every year and even a visit to their dentists seems to be a luxury (Gladwell, 2005). This only depicts the reality that to be insured in the US for health care is a bit expensive for ordinary citizens, which until now many Americans suffered financial bankruptcy due to unpaid amount of bills from received medicare. Gladwell and Pauly would both agree marginal benefits should be tantamount to marginal costs. However, what Pauly fails to consider is the capacity of every Americans to secure health insurance for each of them. The moral hazard that Pauly would want to point out cannot have full realization if in the first place the Americans do not have the capacity to secure health insurance. In other words, based on Gladwell’s article, the prevailing US health care is not even subject to moral hazard. Pauly’s article might be too presumptuous about the health care system situation in the US by not initiating prior consideration of the minor details just as what Gladwell exactly did. In the first place, consumers could not demand for more health care, as they do not even have one in the first place as what Gladwell would want to clearly state. Personally, I do not want to go the doctor when nothing was wrong with me, even though I might have a very generous policy for my health insurance. In this case, the moral

Critical thinking exercise 6-3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical thinking exercise 6-3 - Essay Example Start-up capital requirements and funding – The exact amount of capital to start the business and its sources should be identified. Services to be offered – Mike should specify what services he will offer in his shop and how much he will charge per service. Will there be specific cars only that he will work on? How many service bays will he have? Inventory – Mike should determine the inventory of car parts that he will keep, if any. He should also have a list of equipment and tools that he will need and where he plans to purchase these items. He must decide how he intends to purchase these items, whether it be cash or on credit. Target market – Mike should decide where to locate his shop, whether to rent or buy the place. Most important is for him to determine who is his target market, is it the middle or upper income class or will he work directly with a towing service? Marketing strategy – Mike should come up with a marketing strategy taking into account the 4Ps namely product, price, place and promotion. This marketing strategy should also consider his strengths, weaknesses and the opportunities and threats in the environment. Salaries – Having a list of personnel is not enough.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Kmarts Downfall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kmarts Downfall - Essay Example The competition model established by Porter is an analytical tool for studying industry behavior and corporate strategies. It is derived from industrial organization economics and includes five forces. These forces, in turn, determine the level of competition, and thus that profitability of a market. These five forces comprise of substitutes, competitors, new entering firms, bargaining power of suppliers and customers. The facts of this case study reveal that Kmart was facing intense competition from Wal-mart and Target. Wal-Mart initiated the movement of every day low prices, which was a more worthy substitute for products in Kmart. In addition, Wal-Mart utilized information technology to keep a record of sales in all of their stores and for ordering stocks of fast moving items. Wal-mart heavily invested in information technology by installing new registers with barcode scanners in every store during the 1970s and early 1980s, which fed the sales data into the back-end computers. This information, in turn, assisted them in planning future strategies, deciding which products reap more profit. Thus, they gained a competitive advantage. By 1983, Wal-Mart was able to receive goods for only two cents whereas Kmart had to pay five cents per dollar for getting goods to stores. This meant that Wal-Mart was in a position to sell products at a price three percent lesser in contrast to Kmart. Then, another c ompetitor Target began a new campaign in which they depicted themselves as a low-cost source of quality and style mart. They focused on merchandising. These attractive schemes took away Kmart’s market share. This demonstrates that Kmart was under intense pressure of substitutes, competitors, and lost customers. In 1987, Kmart undertook investments worth 1 million to modernize their systems.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Social Disorganization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Disorganization - Research Paper Example The paper "Social Disorganization" examines how does social disorganization relate to organized crime and its evolution. The case of gang culture could remarkably deviate from the prevailing order within the society. Within the gang culture, it could be evident that in one way or another, there is a presence of leadership that is either organized or unorganized. There might be order within this culture, but from the point of view of the society, there is a deviation from the actual law enforced by the people. It is in this case that one could link the case of gang culture with social disorganization. It is important to understand how does social disorganization relate to organized crime and its evolution. One substantial case that could explicate this point is gang culture. Gangs have substantive culture that within it there is a great presence of shared values and beliefs. What makes this shared values and beliefs became a success is the point in which gangs have remarkably hired ne w set of members and flourish due to unsuccessful prosecution effort and even worst, becoming legitimate business. All of these could remarkably start within street gangs. The evolution is so tough, but the bottom line paves the way for organizing street gangs into something vibrant readily associated with business that could also interconnect with corrupt officials, which eventually strengthens them further to become established crime groups. Social disorganization could become established organized crime.... Eventually social disorganization meets the criteria of organized crime because just like the latter, it is completely against the prevailing values and set standard by the society through the prevailing law emancipated for the protection of everybody’s freedom or right. Law-breaking behavior is generally present within the context of social disorganization and ultimately street gangs could evolve as groups that would have fundamental association with corrupt officials leading to their social, economic and political power. Due to these fundamental reasons, there is not doubt that social disorganization such as in the case of gang culture eventually meets the criteria for organized crime. In fact, its evolution substantially completes the achievement of these criteria. Corrupt political machine and social disorganization As already stated, a full-pledged or grown up group of street gangs eventually make it a point to consider undertaking maximum gain through establishing a busi ness for the survival of the group and maximum benefits of each member. However, along the way, social disorganization such as in the case of street gangs and their evolution would try to make it a point to maximize the achievement of relevant gains for the benefits of their groups. In reality, they have close tie or connection with corrupt officials (Lyman & Porter, 2007). In other words, the more there will be corrupt officials, social disorganization continues to prevail and even continue to move in an upward spiral. It is due to the fact that the presence of these corrupt political machines creates the competitive advantage of social disorganization and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Research Paper Example II. Oedipus follows Aristotle’s description of a tragedy. A. The plot is not an ordinary tragedy. B. The plot is whole, complete and has unity of action. C. The plot considers serious dramatic action around a person of high social status. D. The plot is more important than the characters. E. The hamartia represents the mistake of a hero. F. Oedipus has a complex plot because of â€Å"reversal of intention† (peripeteia) and â€Å"recognition† (anagnorisis), which is related to the hero’s catastrophe. III. Oedipus has some tragic flaws. A. He manifests hubris. 1. He disrespects Teiresias. 2. He misjudges Creon. B. He conducted impure deeds. 1. He killed his father. 2. He slept with his mother. 3. He brought a curse to his homeland. IV. The play has diction that illustrates that Oedipus suffered a fate he could not change; thus, his tragedy is his helplessness and hopelessness. A. Oedipus moira is sealed. B. He started with outstanding reputation and good for tune. C. Sophocles described the â€Å"catharsis of pity and fear.† D. Hamartia is action, not character. V. Conclusion A. Oedipus is a tragedy in Aristotle’s terms because of its dramatic complex plot. B. It shows the tragedy of an upright man who cannot change his ill fortune. C. The action in the plot is the tragedy, not the character. D. Oedipus does not deserve a tragic life, which makes his downfall a great Aristotelian tragedy. Oedipus is paradoxically a hero and a villain. He initially saves a whole city from the Sphinx, but because of his real identity, he brings a deadly curse to it later on, and most especially, to his family and himself. This essay analyzes Sophocles’ Oedipus, determining if it fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. In Poetics, Sophocles’ Oedipus exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero because it follows the latter’s elements of a tragic plot, explores the character’s flaws, and n arrates with a compelling diction that includes irony and images of human flaws, where despite this weaknesses, the greatest tragedy is that Oedipus does not deserve his fate since the gods controlled his destiny from the beginning, and therefore, he is inherently innocent, and yet he falls to complete disgrace. Oedipus follows Aristotle’s description of a tragedy, where Aristotle defined a tragedy as not a mere imitation of a good man suffering a misfortune. A tragedy is not historical but is an account of what might be true. Scheepers (2005) described what Aristotle meant by a tragic plot: â€Å"Aristotle refutes the ‘simplistically’ structured tragic plot, which involves a good man coming to misfortune, as completely immoral, and rejects the simple moral plot, in which a bad man succumbs to hardship, as utterly untragic† (p.137). Instead, Aristotle uses the notion of hamartia, which can be defined as an account or

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Investigate into the Primacy and Recency effect Essay Example for Free

Investigate into the Primacy and Recency effect Essay The aim of this study was to investigate into the Primacy and Recency effect. The study was based on Glanzer and Cunitzs research (1966) who suggested that when remembering words, if given an interference task, the recency effect will be virtually eliminated. It was therefore predicted that when a group of participants were recalling words after having an interference task there would be little, if no recency effect. However it was also predicted that when an interference task was not involved there would be both a primacy and recency effect. The experiment was conducted on two groups of participants, 20 in each group. They were all students between the age of 16 and 18. This was an independent experiment. The findings form this study indicated that there was less of a recency effect when using an interference task then when not. Introduction The aim of this investigation to find out whether people remember material at the beginning of a list better than material at the end. A further aim is to show that when participants take a memory test with the involvement of an interference task there is no recency effect. The recency effect can be defined as the tendency to recall items at the end of the list more readily than those in the middle (about the last 25%). The recency effect occurs due to the last lot of information still being in short term store. A familiar example of the recency effect is the observation that a pop group is only as good as there last hit song. People tend to remember things more clearly if they have happened recently. The recency effect can be measured using free recall, where participants are shown a list of words, and the later asked to recall them. The recency effect is shown by the fact that the last few words in the list are usually remembered better than the middle. However, Glanzer and Cunitz (1966) found that counting backwards for only 10 seconds between the end of the list presentation and the start of recall (thus producing and interference task) virtually eliminated the recency effect, but had no other effect on recall. This can be explained by the fact that the counting backwards interfered with the process of creating memory and so this wiped out the words towards the end of the list. It can be seen that the rest of the list was not affected by the interference task, as they were now in long-term memory store. In Glanzer and Cunitz experiment the participants recalled the first few items in the list much better than those in the middle, this is known as the primacy effect. The primacy effect can be defined as a high level of free recall of the first items in a list (about the first 25%). The primacy effect depends mainly on rehearsal, in that the words at beginning of the list are rehearsed for longer than those in the middle. The primacy effect was shown by Rundus and Atkinson (1970), who asked their participants to rehearse out loud any of the words they wanted to during list presentation. The recency effect is found when the results of a free recall task are plotted in the form of a serial position curve. Generally, this curve is U-shaped, and the recency effect corresponds to the tail of the U on the right. This tail indicates that words presented at the end of a list of to-be-remembered items are better remembered than words presented in the middle of this list. It is called the recency effect because these items were the ones presented most recently to the subject in the memory experiment. The primacy effect is found when the results of a free recall task are plotted in the form of a serial position curve. Generally, this curve is U-shaped, and the primacy effect corresponds to the tail of the U on the left. This tail indicates that words presented at the start of a list of to-be-remembered items are better remembered than words presented in the middle of this list. It is called the primacy effect because these items were the ones presented first to the subject in the memory experiment. The diagram below shows the multi-store model of memory designed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968). It shows us how rehearsal is a vital part of the memory system. This model of memory can help to explain why interference will eliminate the recency effect. The recency effect is part of the short-term memory store, in that it is the last piece of information taken in and so, like all information, it goes into short-term store first. What allows us to remember this information is through rehearsal, thus temporarily keeping it in short-term memory store. It is therefore clear to see that if rehearsal is taken away, as it is through an interference task, then there will be no recency effect. Experimental hypothesis If given a list of words to remember, involving an interference task, when recalled there will be a strong primacy effect, and little, if no recency effect. This, one tailed hypothesis was formulated as previous research has indicated the existence of a primacy effect, and the elimination of the recency effect when using an interference task. However when undertaking the same task without interference there should be both a primacy and recency effect. Null hypothesis If given a list of words to remember involving an interference task, when recalled there will be no difference between how strong the recency and primacy effect is. Method Within this investigation there are two groups of participants, consisting of 20 different people in each group. The participants used were all A level students and were asked at random if they willing to take part. Some of these students studied psychology at A level themselves and so may have known what the investigation was about, thus possibly affecting the final results. The type of design being used is that of independent measures. There are two main variables in this investigation, which will later be correlated; these are word number and the total number of times each word was remembered by the participants.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Sickle Cell Disease Perspective: Genetic Anthology

Sickle Cell Disease Perspective: Genetic Anthology Grayson Jones  Ã‚   Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is inherited which means that the disease is passed by genes from parents to their children. People who have SCD inherit two abnormal hemoglobin genes, one from each parent. SCD has many forms; however, the most common and severe form, sickle cell anemia, overwhelming affects African-Americans and Hispanics in the United States. This paper will analyze SCD; explore the social implications and any genetic advantages; and report on the current societal implications. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders which have abnormal hemoglobin. SCD is not contagious, like a cold or an infection, and is passed by one gene from each parent to their children. People with SCD have either one or two abnormal hemoglobin S genes. Sickle cell anemia is the disease that describes those with two hemoglobin S genes, hemoglobin SS. Sickle cell trait is the condition where the hemoglobin S gene is inherited from one parent and a normal hemoglobin gene is inherited from the other parent.   People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy and symptom free. Nevertheless, they are carriers of the defective hemoglobin S gene and can pass that defective gene to their children. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes (NHLBI) (2016) figure below shows the difference between normal and abnormal red blood cells.   Normal red blood cells contain hemoglobin that is disc shaped which allow cells to provide a steady flow of oxygen to the bodys tissues.   Abnormal red blood cells contain sickle hemoglobin which are not flexible and do not move freely to provide needed oxygen to the bodys tissues. Lack of tissue oxygen causes attacks of severe and sudden pain.   According to the NHLBI (2016), Most children with SCD are pain free between painful crises, but adolescents and adults may also suffer with chronic ongoing pain. The red cell sickling and poor oxygen delivery can also cause organ damage. Over a lifetime, SCD can harm a persons spleen, brain, eyes, lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, penis, joints, bones, or skin. Normal red blood cells live approximately 90 to 120 days while abnormal sickle cells typically last only 10 to 20 days.   This is due to the fact that sickle cells cannot change shape easily and burst apart or hemolyze (NHLBI, 2016).   The human body is continually reproducing new red blood cells to replace old blood cells which mean that a body with SCD has trouble keeping up with demand.   The affect is a lower than normal red blood cell count called anemia. The social implications of Sickle Cell Disease have been seen in a myriad of ways such as caregiving, community perceptions, and the health care system. Since SCD begins prior to birth and affects not only the children but the parents too, a rise in a family based approach to this disease has been seen. Mothers of a children with SCD are living in constant anxiety and stress that their child may become deathly ill at any moment, intense, complex nature of SCD crises as unpredictable, recurring, and potentially severe (Burnes, Antle, Williams, Cook, 2008). The disease can arise and be triggered by a fluctuation in temperatures, stress, lack of sleep, and other factors. Since the symptoms come on suddenly and intensely, then this makes it difficult to predict onset which cause families to live in constant state of fear. In the study, the mothers felt that they are left with all the responsibility and to be the overall caregiver, while the fathers distance themselves from the childs pa in. Another social implication of SCD is the community perception or lack of knowledge of the disease. SCD has not had a significant public awareness in the developing countries where most cases are prevalent, Most mothers had not even heard of SCD, and they did not know how the illness is transmitted (Burnes et al., 2008). The understanding is that women and men are not tested for the sickle cell trait and are not aware of how the disease is spread which has led to stigma about SCD in their cultures. There are many falsehoods about the disease such as contagious, a curse on ones family, or being at fault for having a child who is born with such a physical illness. In addition, a racist assumption of the disease exists and a feeling of being powerless to speaking up about the disease because one does not want to be thought of less than anyone else. The last social implication is what is identified in the health care system. There have been advancements in the treatment of SCD in first world countries, through medication and other treatments; however, ­Ã‚ ­ there is still a lack of treatment possibilities in the areas that are mostly affected by SCD. The overall complaint among families affected by the disease is that there is a lack of knowledge among medical professionals, did not know about SCD or how to treat its symptoms during a crisis (Burnes et al., 2008). Parents going into a hospital and having to tell the staff about treatments is scary. They think that they cannot trust professionals to take care of their child since these professionals lack the required education about such a serious disease. The overall leading social implication of SCD is the lack of knowledge and education that is associated with this disease. The Sickle Cell gene has a genetic protection against Malaria, which is a serious and sometimes deadly infectious disease.   Malaria is caused by a mosquito that is carrying a parasite harmful to humans and the mosquito bites the human. Symptoms include high fevers, chills, and other flu like signs. If a person who is a carrier of one sickle cell gene (heterozygous), has shown signs of lower mortality and morbidity rate among those who may become infected with malaria, Unexpectedly, heterozygous individuals experience some protection from malaria infections. Aidoo et al.(2002), demonstrate reduced mortality and morbidity, Aluoch 1997 reports higher resistance to malaria, whereas Hesran et al.(1999), demonstrate a reduced parasite load for heterozygous carriers of this otherwise damaging gene (Lidell, Oswusu-Brackett, Wallace, 2014).   Heterozygote Protection is when an individual who carries a normal allele and an infected allele are at an advantage and maintain that he terozygote presence in population. This is seen directly, When the malarial protozoan invades the red blood cells of heterozygotes, the parasites cause a relatively large reduction in the oxygen tension within the cells and thus contribute to sickling. The sickling of the red blood cells then impairs the protozoan growth and development (Howe, 2007). This means that the sickled blood cells stop the infection of malaria spreading throughout an individual; the heterozygotes are protecting the body from an infectious disease. The exact number of people living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the United States (US) is not known. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) (2016), SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans. SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births. SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births. About 1 in 13 Black or African-American babies is [sic] born with sickle cell trait (SCT). Over the past four (4) decades, the US has made significant progress in the care of people with SCD. Homer and Oyeku (2016) explain the increase in survival rate due to healthcare progress: Even in the absence of the discovery of new medications, median survival has increased dramatically from death typically occurring during early childhood in the 1970s to survival now in the mid-50s for individuals with hemoglobin SS and mid-60s for individuals with hemoglobin SC disease. This progress has been made possible through universal newborn screening, the effective use of penicillin, and more recently of hydroxyurea, careful monitoring, and the provision of supportive care. Testing for SCD is easy and only requires a blood test. Early testing is imperative for diagnosis and early preventative measures to prevent complications. According to the CDC (2016), the US newborn screening program requires every baby to be tested for SCD. Prior to birth, amniotic fluid can be also tested to diagnose SCD. Newborn screening is extremely important and effective so that informed parents can discuss options with their primary care doctor, a hematologist or a genetics counselor. SCD disproportionately affects African-American and Hispanic communities which rely heavily on public healthcare and insurance programs. According to Hassell (2016), SCD therapies which include coordinated care by knowledgeable providers, integrating specialized and routine health care across the life span are not readily available to these targeted groups. A structured system of care is nonexistent for people with SCD. In addition, mounting evidence suggests that therapies of proven benefit, including prophylactic penicillin, transcranial Doppler, and hydroxyurea therapy, are not being utilized (Hassell, 2016). In conclusion, one does not contract SCD, one is born with SCD. This disease is easily identified by a simple blood test and disproportionately affects those people in low-income areas. SCD treatment options are not widely available to those afflicted by the disease. The social and societal implications are far reaching and significantly negatively impact the African-American and Hispanic communities. References Burnes, D. P., Antle, B. J., Williams, C. C., Cook, L. (2008). Mothers Raising Children with Sickle Cell Disease at the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Illness Stigma. Health Social Work, 33(3), 211-220. doi:10.1093/hsw/33.3.211 Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.nuls.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE|A184643666v=2.1u=nu_mainit=rp=AONEsw=wauthCount=1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016). Data Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html Hassell, K. L. (2016). Sickle Cell Disease A Continued Call to Action. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Volume 51, Issue 1, S1-S2. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.11.002. Retrieved from http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(15)00726-6/fulltext Homer, C. J. Oyeku, S. O. (2016). Sickle Cell Disease A Roadmap for Getting to Excellence Everywhere. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Volume 51, Issue 1, S1-S2. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.10.018. Retrieved from http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(15)00702-3/fulltext Howe, E. M. (2007). Untangling Sickle-cell Anemia and the Teaching of Heterozygote Protection. Science Education, 16(1), 1-19. doi:10.1007/s11191-005-4712-7 Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.nuls.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a36e64b9-4230-45e0-accb-db8cdc436af1%40sessionmgr4009vid=1hid=4209 Liddell, C., Owusu-Brackett, N., Wallace, D. (2014). A Mathematical Model of Sickle Cell Genome Frequency in Response to Selective Pressure from Malaria. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 76(9), 2292-2305.   Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.nuls.idm.oclc.org/docview/1560166043?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:primoaccountid=25320 United States Department of Health Human Services. National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute (2016). What is Sickle Cell Disease? Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sca

Friday, September 20, 2019

Employment Relations and Australian Apprenticeship Essay -- Education

Introduction (share of responsibility at the workplace) Apprentices and trainees currently represent 25 per cent of the 1.7 million students enrolled in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and 3.8 percent of the entire workers (NCVER, 2010). More than 13 per cent of the entire Australian workforce comprises of 1.2 million workers in the technical and trade sector (Expert Panel, 2011: 8). Therefore, the quality and effectiveness of the Australian Apprenticeships systems will impact on the productivity of the wider Australian economy. For decades, Australians have completed apprenticeships and traineeships that have provided pathways into satisfying and rewarding careers in trade or vocation, or into further training, skills development and leadership (Lansbury and Wailes, 2004). Consequently, shifting the onus to the interested stakeholders in the employment industry to ensure that Australian Apprenticeships remain a valued pathway. This involves reinforcing a shared responsibility for the Australian Apprenticeships system b y establishing an employer contribution schem...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Polaroid Essay examples -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Polaroid In March 1996, Ralph Norwood, treasurer of Polaroid Corporation, was asked to consider refinancing proposals from investment bankers of $150 million of debt due to mature in January 1997. Gary DiCamillo, newly appointed CEO of the firm,in reaction to the company's lagging share price, had set forth a new plan to agressively expoit the existing Polaroid brand, introduce product extensions, and enter new emerging markets. Before Norwood can choose a refinancing proposal, he must consider the funding needs of DiCamillo's new corporate strategy and the capital structure which would provide the lowest cost of capital and most financial flexibility. Norwood also needed to consider the maturity structure of debt. COMPANY PROFILE Nature of product Polaroid Corporation has been engaged primarily in the business of designing, manufacturing, and selling instant photographic imaging products worldwide. Since 1948, this mission has led them to develop instant black-and-white film in 1954, instant color film in 1960, and the SX-70 camera in 1972 which no longer required users to coat the developing picture. However, most revenues generated from the instant photography market were not through camera sales. Cameras were often sold on low margins to encourage film sales. By increasing the base of instant camera users the company increased file sales, its primary margin product. However, the advent of digital photography in the 1990s threatened to erode Polaroid's base of instant film camera users. Demand for Instant Photographic Services In the consumer market, demand for film on newly purchased cameras tended to be highest and then tappered off to somewhat predictable patterns. Therefore film demand often correlated to camera sales. In the commercial market, demand was derived from instant photography for indentification purposes such as I.D. badges, as well as various applications in medicine and law enforcement. The market for instant film photography in the U.S. had matured. Sales in 1994 and 1995 had fallen 2 percent and 12 percent respectively. International sales, on the other hand, offered strong growth potential. With rising standards of living and no infrastructure to process 35 mm film in many emerging market countries, there was a large untapped market for instant photography. Polaroid's cameras were in high demand. Growth in int... ...over, the company's EBIT coverage ratio would shift downward. If Norwood, were to reduce the company's debt requirement to under $690.47, Polaroid would maintain its investment-grade bond rating and benefit not only from a lower cost of debt, but also from a lower cost of total captial as shown in Appendix B. In addition, Polaroid's EBIT would remain above 2 over the next 5 years. Norwood could also raise the bond rating to A if he were to reduce the required debt amount to $574.47 million. At this level of debt, the company's EBIT coverage ratio would shift upward even more and remain above 4 over the next 5 years. Yet, lowering the amount of debt used would also raise the company's WACC. RECOMMENDATIONS Norwood should choose to maintain the company's current bond rating of BBB. Allowing Polaroid's bond rating to drop to BB could not only cause damage to the firm's brand name, but it would also increase the company's total cost of capital. Polaroids current level of debt financing surpasses the benefits of debt. Although it increases the company's credit worthiness as measured by their EBIT coverage ratio, it also raises their WACC do to the increased risk of default.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Chocolate War :: essays research papers

1. Robert Cormier wrote The Chocolate War. The copyright of the book is 1974. 2. In the exposition of The Chocolate War, Jerry Renault, the freshman quarterback, was receiving constant blows from opposing players. Jerry was trying to get the ball to his receiver, the Goober, but not having any luck. In The Chocolate War, the rising action was the majority of the story. At Trinity High School, the school that Jerry attends, there is a group of "elite" students called the Vigils. The Vigils give out "assignments" to random students at Trinity. Archie, the head, told the Goober that his assignment was to unscrew every screw in Room nineteen. The Goober spent several hours doing his assignment, and eventually finished with the assistance of a few Vigil members. As the story goes on, the reader learns that every year at Trinity, there is a chocolate sale run by the assistant head master, Brother Leon. The last major detail in the rising action was when Archie informed Jerry of his assignment, Jerry’s assignment was not to sell chocolates for the first ten days of the annual chocolate sale. The climax of the novel was on the eleventh day of the chocolate sale when Jerry was supposed to start selling the chocolates but he didn’t. As a result of Jerry not selling any chocolates, the other students’ sales began to plummet during the falling action of the story. Brother Leon began to feel nervous and had to go to Archie and the Vigils for help. Incredibly, the Vigils turned the whole school against Jerry and made selling chocolates the "cool" thing. Students began to look down upon Jerry for not conforming to the chocolate sale tradition. Someone even vandalized Jerry’s locker and cut up his gym sneakers. A group of boys, including Emile Janza, one of the biggest bullies at Trinity, jumped Jerry after football practice and abused Jerry’s body with their fists and football cleats. The Chocolate War didn’t have a happy ending, but there was a resolution in the story. Archie set up a boxing match, of all things, between Jerry Renault and Emile Janza. Emile ended up beating Jerry to a bloody pulp in a matter of minutes, while Jerry landed only three punches the entire match. As a result Jerry finally learned that he couldn’t beat the system, and that he’d be better off doing what his authorities instructed him to do.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

“Broken Lives” By Estelle Blackburn Essay

The chapter â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is a chapter from Estelle Blackburn’s expository text Broken Lives. This chapter focuses on one night of Eric Edgar Cooke’s murderous sprees where he steals a rifle and shoots a baby sitter, once again leaving the city of Perth in the hands of fear and danger. The purpose of this chapter is to fight for Cooke’s guilt. It shows that he had no fear of being caught and was a devious man when it came to him stealing, killing and the plans he came up with. Through particular aspects of its construction including point of view, structure, language, personality presentation and tone, our response to the ideas conveyed are able to be shaped and moulded to the ideas that are presented The point of view in â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is from a third person omniscient view, looking in on the world surround Cooke. However the point of view is no ordinary third person point of view, it is in fact shifting, jumping from one character to the next so that we can get into the minds of all the characters and the emotions they are experiencing at the time of the ‘gunman’s rampage.† The point of view is shifting as to present the views of the many characters we come into contact with throughout the chapter. All people views on Cooke come to fruition and to our realisation. The fear that Cooke spread throughout Perth is exposed and our response to him and our feelings moulded. He shoots an innocent girl studying, through the point of view we can look in on his emotions and thoughts and the evil side of him. â€Å"†¦ He had a rifle and was in a killing mood †¦Ã¢â‚¬  This suggests that Cooke had been in this mood before when he has killed people previously and asks us the question, what sort of man is he if he gets in a killing mood. If Broken Lives was written from a first person point of view, we would not see the same emotions and feeling that we do from a third person omniscient view. The language goes hand in hand with the point of view. The sort of language that is used in â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is one to convince people of Cooke’s guilt when it comes to these murders and shows how much of  a crazed killer he really was. It also proves how he enjoyed the fear of being caught and the fear that someone could see him. â€Å"†¦ He could see a short woman sitting in the lounge. He loved the risk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What is this saying about Cooke? That he is a quiet, well-mannered, law abiding citicen? Or that he is a crazed madman that enjoyed the risks of robbing people and killing them without any remorse. The language even describes the look on Cooke’s face or the way in which his heart was beating. Even though some of this is fictionalized, it has been incorporated to shape our response towards Cooke so that we feel the same way in which Blackburn does about him. â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is structured in such a way so that many points of view and characters are presented. The chapter jumps from one character to another, which results in many feelings and attitudes being presented. Through the numerous amounts of characters being presented we are able to see that it was not only a handful of residents of Perth that feared for their lives, but it was all people, ranging from the better off people to those that weren’t as well off. Through the way she has structured â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† Blackburn has successfully conveyed many ideas into one small section. By structuring the chapter in this way, Blackburn can also select the details that she wants to include, those that will support her view, and exclude other, those that will contradict her view. By selecting certain details from certain characters, Blackburn’s point can be made stronger without her need to fictionalise or fabricate some of the ‘facts’ that she is presenting to the reader. The way in which the characters are presented in â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† shapes our response and how we react when Cooke take the lives of people. When we are first introduced to Shirley Martha McLeod we are told of how she is a hard working science student at St Catherine’s College. She is presented in such a way that sets visual pictures in our  head of just what McLeod would have been like. â€Å"†¦ She had a satchel of books with her and told Dowd how she planned to work very hard for The rest of the university year†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This sets up an image of a young girl who concentrates on her school work and is well mannered and polite. â€Å"†¦ Dowd felt comfortable leaving baby Mitchell  in her care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The way in which McLeod is presented sets up the fact that Cooke stole the lives of innocent, caring people that he did not know and had everything going for them. This proves that it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. By giving us this information, Blackburn can shape our response by playing on this. Blackburn can emphasise how much of a caring young lady McLeod was and ask us to question how Cooke could take the life of a person so innocent. Then there is also the way in which Blackburn portrays Cook’s personality. She describes him as a monster that was only out to kill and nothing else. â€Å"†¦ The feeling of power began to come over him as  ran his fingers along the barrel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is describing the feeling that Cooke got when he found the .22 rifle that would eventually lead to his demise. Through describing Cooke like this, Blackburn is reinforcing her previous opinion of Cooke’s personality. By doing this we are once again being shaped into responding in a particular manner. Does Blackburn know how Cooke felt or has she once again fictionalised sections to fight for the innocence of John Button? By putting a serious mood and tone to â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† Blackburn is setting up the fact that this was all real and it was not something she made up. Some sections of Broken Lives have a good-natured feel about them, especially when they are speaking of John Button. An example of this is â€Å"Life’s a Ball† where the tone is less serious as Blackburn is describing John Button and how he was a fine upstanding member of society. However by using a more serious mood and tone when speaking of Cooke, Blackburn is shaping our response to the ideas she presents. If â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† was presented in a lighter mood such as â€Å"Life’s a Ball† the chapter would not be as effective in proving Cooke’s guilt. Seeing as the purpose of Broken Lives is to assure us that Cooke was guilty and Button innocent, Blackburn would not go and put a humorous tone on something as serious as a young girl being murdered, especially when it was Cooke that murdered her, the one she is trying to prove guilty. â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† succeeds in it’s purpose of assuring us of Cooke’s guilt. Blackburn does this be presenting particular characters in particular aspects. Or including certain information that supports her argument or even just through the language she chooses. This chapter argues for Button’s guilt and just proves what type of a man Cooke really was. These particular aspects of narrative construction all shape the way in which we respond to the ideas the Blackburn is presenting.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Control Mechanisms: The Walt Disney Company Essay

Introduction Organizations use control mechanisms to help regulate guidelines and procedures which contribute toward effectively achieving organizational goals. The Walt Disney Company is a well known entertainment organization that has become tremendously successful both nationally and internationally over the past 70 years or so partly through successful implementation of control mechanisms throughout every aspect of the organization. The purpose of this paper is to explore four types of control mechanisms used by the Walt Disney Company: (1) budgetary, (2) financial, (3) management audit, and (4) bureaucratic through compare and contrast to determine the effectiveness of each by examining the positive and negative reactions to these control mechanisms in order to explain how the different control mechanisms impact the four functions of management throughout the organization. Budgetary Controls Budgetary controls are a well known and frequently used control measure throughout corporate America and the international business market system. Budgetary controls are used to align the various company operating costs with the company’s strategic goals and to either verify goal attainment or to plan corrective action. Throughout its existence, Walt Disney has implemented many different budgetary controls reaching across numerous and diverse product lines. With the motion picture production division, production budgets were used to limit expenses for the cost of materials and equipment, talented actors, various support staff, and the marketing and placement of movies into circulation. As Walt Disney expanded its business to include multiple elaborate theme parks, a capital budget was created to establish a threshold on the cost of real estate, buildings and equipment, and the operating and maintenance costs. When the company decided to venture into the production of toys and clothing, the management designed and implemented a sales budget to manage the increased cost of entering a new market. With the budgetary controls in place, Walt Disney has managed to keep operating costs at an acceptable level and experienced remarkable success in the entertainment industry. These budgetary controls have given the company the ability to venture into new markets, cross international borders, and bring family entertainment to the world. â€Å"Its filmed entertainment units have been riding high on a string of box office successes and its theme parks continue to draw millions of visitors each year.† (The Walt Disney Company, 2008). Along with the use of budgets, companies universally use various financial statements to put into practice financial controls. Financial Controls The Walt Disney Company’s main financial objective is to be able to generate revenue through growth and long-term shareholder values. The segments of which the Disney Company is categorized are studio entertainment, parks and resorts, media networks and consumer products. Each segment generates a different percent of the organizations profit. 42% of Disney’s income is through media networking and expends 55% operating the resource. 30% is earned from parks and resorts, while it takes 22% to operate the resource. Studio and entertainment earn 21% of Walt Disney’s revenue; however, 15% is used to operate this resource and lastly 7% is earned form consumer products and 8% is used to control this expense (Disney, 2008). The Disney Company resources are very effective to maintaining and operation of the business; however, some of the resources are costing more to operate than producing income. Therefore, the decision to keep maintaining the resources that are costing more to operate are costly for business. Planning for the future of the Walt Disney Company is a continuous process; the company strives to be the leader of the entertainment world through imaginative entertainment. Disney’s financial success is due to their efficient leaders who also employ talented individuals to help increase profitability through the company’s mission, values and goal planning. Management Audit Controls Overseeing The Walt Disney Organization is a major responsibility for Disney’s Board of Directors. Responsibilities are extensive, including the overseeing of the company’s systems of internal control, including compliance of financial reports, implementing policy and  procedures, along with adhering to the applicable laws. According to the Disney (2007)†¦ The Committee shall have responsibility for overseeing that management has implemented an effective system of internal control to promote the reliability of financial and operating information and compliance, including those related to risk management, ethics and conflicts of interest. The Committee plans periodical evaluations to discuss with management any audit findings, including management recommendations for improvement in a particular area in order to promote internal control. Having an effective internal control is extremely important in any organization, especially The Walt Disney Organization, because of the magnitude of its organization. Internal control of management audits are designed to provide reasonable assurance that goals are being achieved in all organizational areas, including effectiveness and efficiencies of operations, reliable and accurate financial reporting, and that all laws are in compliance. Bureaucratic Controls Bureaucratic control is a necessary tool used by large corporations. The Walt Disney Company is not an exception to when it comes to using bureaucracy to control the corporation. Bateman and Snell (2007) define bureaucratic control as â€Å"the use of rules, regulations, and authority to guide performance. When a person thinks of Walt Disney, the first things that may come to mind are creativity and risk taking. Walt Disney has released groundbreaking movies that are time consuming to make and have large budgets. A risk is taken every time a movie is created. The risk is that there may not be a market for the product. Walt Disney uses bureaucratic control to insure that all business units are working towards performance standards set by the leaders of the corporation. Bureaucratic control can have a stifling effect on the creativity of the persons working under the system. Robert A. Iger is President and Chief Executive Officer of Walt Disney. According to Chaffin and Waters (2006) when Mr. Iger became the CEO of Walt Disney he removed the corporation’s strategic planning committee. The move was made to loosen up the bureaucratic control that the committee had over  the corporation’s business units. The loosening of the bureaucratic control could allow for new ideas to be explored without the fear of the idea being lost in an overbearing bureaucratic system. Not going through the old system of control will also allow innovations to be quickly applied. Quickly applying innovation will help Walt Disney gain a larger market share. Free thinking and risk taking must be balanced with bureaucratic control in order for Walt Disney to remain a successful corporation. Conclusion Based on the research presented through compare and contrast one can conclude that the four control mechanisms selected: (1) budgetary, (2) financial, (3) management audit, and (4) bureaucratic each has had a profound and positive impact on the Walt Disney Company’s success from different aspects of the organization. Each of the four selected control mechanisms has impacted the four functions of management to different degrees. Planning was impacted mainly by ever changing budget, finance and management audit controls depending on the cost of production materials, equipment, staff and so forth. Organizing was impacted by each of the four controls based on the initial planning process for each division; hence, when strategic plans were altered by these control mechanisms organizing was altered accordingly. Leading was mainly impacted by management audit and bureaucratic controls through the company’s internal and external evaluations when leadership decisions lead the company in a different and more productive direction. Lastly, controlling was impacted by each of the four control mechanisms based on internal and external evaluations that lead to the implementation of each control mechanism. References Bateman T., and Snell S., (2007), Management: Leading & Collaborating in a Competitive World (7th Ed.), McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York, NY. Chaffin, J., and Waters, R., (2006). Drawing on Jobs’ judgment but harnessing talents of Pixar chief could be challenge even for Bob Iger, says Richard Waters. The Financial Times, p.29. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Disney. (2007). Committee Charters- Audit. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from http://Corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/charters_audit.html Disney. (2008). The Walt Disney Company Reports Record Earnings for Fiscal Year 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://amedia.disney.go.com/investorrelations/quarterly_earnings/2007_q4.pdf The Walt Disney Company. (2008). Austin, Texas: Hoovers Company Inc. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from ProQuest Central database. (Document ID: 168155651).

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Money Can’t Buy Happiness Essay

Can money buy happiness? No, money is a material asset. In today?s world many of us revolve our lives around money, but does it really make us happy? We are contented when we go out buying, not only essentials, but also the latest cars, fashions, new technology, furniture, going on expensive holiday?s etc. Having all these congenial material items will make us happy but it is artificial happiness. True happiness lies within our spirit, to be happy not with material items, but with ourselves, our family, and the gifts God has given us. When we buy certain items of ?value? they may give us pleasure, but pleasure is not the same as joy or happiness. Pleasure fades quickly, and when pleasure is not connected to goodness and joy it has a bitter aftertaste. If we always choose pleasure over goodness and joy, we shall choke on the residues of the very pleasure that makes us who we are. Happiness is not connected to being rich or poor. We all need fulfillment from sources other than money. It has been proven that forty-two percent of people would keep their current job, even if they won at least ten million dollars. For example a twenty-six year old Brooklyn (America) schoolteacher kept working despite winning sixty-five million dollars. She stated that, ?My job will keep me grounded, it is about life outside of money; relationships, and comfort.?. This shows us that there are people who will choose happiness after pleasure. The people who do choose happiness over pleasure will benefit it in the long run. Even if they did loose all their money they would still have a job to go to in the morning, real friends and not people who have hopped on for a ride, and spiritual contentedness. Money does not, will not, and should not ever equal happiness. Happiness should stem from the very simplest things in life: our families, the world around us, even getting mail! Life should be lived passionately; spent living, but not living for money. Be picky close your eyes and point; but make sure your choices make you happy. If you execute what makes you happy, you?ll be the richest person in the world. Money is a source of short-term happiness and only gives us pleasure; it does  not give us happiness or joy. Wealth is a material asset that gives us synthetic blissfulness, which will eventually fade away. Money can not buy true happiness, it buys artificial happiness. People who value money, beauty and popularity more so than they value intimacy, growth and community contribution are a lot less mentally healthy and a lot more unhappy. We all suffer the consequences of our choices, so make sure they are the right choices and we shall then devour the beneficial outcome. We must all look for genuine happiness money is unable to buy. Money does not, will not, and should not ever equal happiness. Money can?t buy happiness!

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Behaviour and experience which in nearly all situation affects Essay

The studies carried out by Milgram, Piliavin, Haney and Gardner & Gardner, have unearthed some very important as well as surprising details about human behaviour and experience which in nearly all situation affects it. This question looks at the various forms of human behaviour, which make us what we are and also looks at ‘experience’, something we all seem to rely on heavily. Firstly, in Milgram’s study of obedience, it was found that under pressure or authority we sometimes do what we normally would not have done, therefore showing that others influence our behaviour, particularly those who we think are more superior to us. â€Å"Carry on †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å", one of the main prods the experimenter used on the teacher to make the teacher carry on with the shock treatment. This shows that not only the presence of some authority figure, but also what they do and say can influence human behaviour. One of the reasons, which make us think that a person is superior to us, is because we think of the experience he/she has in that particular field or area. Because of this we assume that they are superior to us and that what they tell is the only option we can follow. Of course this is not always the case. Hitler did have some men in his army who did not follow his instructions and did try and betray him, but the majority of his army did do as he commanded. The effect of an authority on human behaviour is demonstrated clearly in Milgram’s study as the ‘teachers’ ask the so called experimenters, who they think are an authority over them, whether or not they should continue giving shock treatment to the subjects and they also turn to them for support and advice during a very tough emotional and moral battle that they are fighting within themselves. Therefore we turn to people who we think have more experience than us and our decisions are affected by what others say and do, especially those who we see as an authority above us. Similarly, in Pilavin’s study, human behaviour when helping people revolves particularly around three main factors. These are: Cost Reward Analysis, Plurastic ignorance and the emotional arousal. It was discovered in the experiment that people only went to help if the situation appealed to them and if they thought it was serious enough to help. This resulted in the drunk getting less help than the cane victims. Also people used the cost reward analysis before helping. This in simplified terms means the advantages and disadvantages of helping and also the advantages and disadvantages of not helping. This shows another part of the human behavioural patterns. Another, which can be added to this, is that of plurastic ignorance, which means that people do not know what to do, and therefore look at others near them and assess the genuineness based on what they do. Therefore if most people would not help, neither would that person. Also another reasons for humans not helping during certain situation is because of the Diffusion of Responsibility which means that the more people we see around us, the less we help out as we think that someone else will do so. There is also emphasis on ‘experience’ in the experiment as it can once again have effect on human behaviour. In this particular experiment if passengers on the train had themselves been a victim (i. e.  cane victim, or drunk), or even if they had helped others before, it will most probably have an effect on their behaviour. Those people, who got help from others when they themselves were victims, might help out, whereas those who got no help when in a similar situation might not help. Also if a person has helped before and had not had the best of times helping, may decide to stay away from he incident this time around. Zimbardo’s Prison Stimulation experiment was another experiment during which human behaviour and experience paid an important role. It was thought that prison life would have an effect on the behaviour of the prisoners as well as that of the guards. It was discovered that prisoners started to behave in degrading ways because of them being trapped in a prison environment and also because they always had to follow orders from the guards and also because of the fact that they had no choice in the matter. Similarly the guards started to behave in cruel ways once they knew that they were powerful. They then started to punish guards whenever they felt like it. Zimbardo’s experiment proves the fact that when we have power and are see as an authority figure by others, our behaviour changes drastically and we become on some occasion very unfair and cruel to those below us. Experience once again can affect behaviour. This is because those who have been in a prison before will feel that it is not that bad as they have been there before and know what to expect whereas those who haven’t been before find it as a shock. Those who have been in prison before may behave in a more civilised manner than others who haven’t. Finally, the experiment carried out by Gardner and Gardner did not really uncover anything about human behaviour apart from the fact that language is something we are innately programmed to do. In this experiment a chimp named ‘Washoe’ was taught ASL(American Sign Language), but even after 4 years of training, only 132 signs were learnt. In comparison with that human children learn much more as they grow older, therefore showing that humans are innately programmed to do so. It also shows that we have a much more complex form of communication which animals like chimps cannot learn. Experience is again a relative feature in this experiment. The experiment shows that with adequate experience even animals can learn features of our communication, therefore if they were to continue to be taught for many hundred of years they too may be able to communicate in the complex form that we are now able to communicate in. Therefore all these various studies show a close relationship between experience and our behaviour.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Assignment 5 Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 5 - Thesis Example The essay explores such issues, and why MBAs shun such important sectors of the economy. There are various importance and centrality of HR departments in today’s chaotic and competitive world. For example, HR departments are tasked with the employment of both personal and group psychology for the purpose of committing workers to the attainment of organizational objectives. Similarly, it is the role of HR to strike the link between the company and the workers through retention and development of workers (Hunter 78). Alternatively, in order to keep with the current competition, HR departments assist in the decision making through constant communication with the General Management on the fundamental goals and objectives of the company. In the same aspect, there is the element of injecting inspiration in order for maintain the low worker turnover rate. Furthermore, HR ensures there is proper management and training of workers in the organizations through different ways. For example, assisting managers becoming better managers is crucial when establishing the relation ship between workers and managers. In other words, this helps in the prevention of distractions that may lower the morale of the employees. On the same scope, HR teaches the management on how the management can effectively deal with employees through prevention of unnecessary conflicts and disagreements. HR also ensures the management puts their whole focus on their roles in the organization as their fundamental centrality of meeting the goals of the company. There are several ways in which HR departments help bring a company to an early demise. For example, lack of employee development through solving their crucial problems on time may result to demoralization. In the same aspect, failure to attract to competent and skilled workers has a likelihood of leading to reduced production and productivity of the workforce. Alternatively,

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Question about how Immanuel Kant defined problems and attempted a Assignment

Question about how Immanuel Kant defined problems and attempted a solutions - Assignment Example What changed the face of philosophy for the first time in history is Kant’s answer to the problems generated by these traditions. To begin with, Kant argued that the old division between posteriori truths and priori truths which were employed in both camps was quite insufficient in describing the metaphysical claims which were under dispute. Also, an analysis of knowledge requires a distinction between analytic and synthetic truths. Analytically, the claim lies within the subject. Considering this claim, "Everybody occupies space," the aspect of occupying space simply explains in an analysis of what it means to be a body. Synthetically, the subject of the claim does not contain any predicate. In the claim, "This tree is 120 feet tall," the concepts are brought together to form a new claim which does not have any of the individual concepts. Kant further argues that Empiricists did not succeed in proving the synthetic priori claims like the fact there is a cause behind every. Their major assumption was that the two resulting categories were exhaustive (Lucien, 100). According to Kant’s arguments a synthetic a priori claim must be true without appealing to experience, without having the predicate within the subject. This is where the empiricists failed as they did not give their justification. Similarly, rationalists made the same

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

ENEMA in Relieving Constipation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ENEMA in Relieving Constipation - Essay Example An enema is the introduction of a solution into the rectum and sigmoid column. And is a common clinical practice by nursing to promote the evacuation of feces in patients complaining of constipation (Funnell, Koutoukidis & Lawrence, 2009). Bowers, 2008, in the evaluation of evidence on the use of phosphate enema as an intervention for constipation, points out that though phosphate enemas are routinely used in clinical practice for relieving constipation, there is no clear evidence to support the continued use of phosphate enemas. This finding stems from the limited evidence available in support of enemas, as a more effective intervention in constipation, over the other medication and treatment strategies available in the management of chronic constipation, though phosphate enemas have useful for some diagnostic bowel investigations. This lack of evidence of efficacy on enemas is further compounded by two factors, reducing the potential use of enemas as an intervention in constipation . The first factor lies in the detrimental complications in the patient that could arise from the use of enemas in the management of constipation. The second factor pertains to the need to avoid the use of phosphate enemas in patients with certain underlying conditions (Bowers, 2008). The findings of Bowers 2008, in the evaluation of phosphate enema is strongly supported by the body of knowledge on constipation and its treatment, which can be extended to the use of enemas in the interventions to alleviate constipation. Based on the history of the patient and the duration of symptoms, it is possible to differentiate constipation into occasional constipation (Johnson, 2006). Using enemas is known to interfere with normal bowel movement and enemas are not recommended in simple constipation. Enemas should not be considered as a means to alleviate constipation when there is obstruction of the bowel and the cause of the obstruction is still to be diagnosed. Additionally, enemas are not an option when the constipation is accompanied by abdominal pain, rectal fissures, and ulcerated hemorrhoids. This is because evidence shows that in all these cases enemas can lead to mechanical damage and perforation of the bowel (Lemone & Burke, 2008). Evidence points to use of enemas only in the case of significant or chronic constipation, particularly, when the constipation arises from fecal impaction. The general rule in the use of enemas is that it be employed in acute situations and that too only on short term basis. Phosphate enemas are efficient is such situations through its ability to draw fluid into the bowel and irritate the mucosa, causing evacuation of the bowel. However, repeated use of enemas is known to cause impaired bowel function and fluid and electrolyte imbalances. This is particularly true in the case of phosphate enemas and tap water enemas (Lemone & Burke, 2008). Meier & Monias, 2005, point out a further restriction in the use of phosphate en

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management Assignment - 2

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management - Assignment Example When choices increases, shaping and monitoring investment portfolios becomes more complicated and it is more exposed to excessive risks. To succeed in portfolio market, it requires one to make more research in order to learn how to evaluate fundamental issue and manage related risk. This increases effectiveness to clients and organization leading to more productivity. In order to succeed in investment environment, Nelly company they should have proper management of cash. They should always have knowledge of cash they receive from regular contribution of their members made and how much the fund grows. This will enable them to know the amount of money they will use to finance education (Kendrick, 2009).Later the company management should discus and make decisions on how to finance the education and how much they should have for the company to profit which will be available for contributor to make the withdraw. They should also come up with rules which should be favourable for the company and the contributor to minimize the amount they should withdraw than the amount they contribute (Elton & Gruber, 1995). The success of Nelly Company can be brought by setting complicated and favourable rules for members who would like to withdraw their funds and which can bring the member core benefits in future. The members who have more than four years and would like to withdraw their funds can be given a portion, say, 20 percent of their net contributions. The remainder should be used for funds creation at an interest which then and be allocated to these members on a residual basis. This ensures that the company remains a going concern and may not necessarily liquidate (Aiken, 2008). The company can also borrow quickly from other financing institution under a line of credit agreement, which permits company to have up to a specified maximum amount. The company will be able to buy marketable

Managing and evaluating informal education Assignment

Managing and evaluating informal education - Assignment Example Nearly every conflict circulates around communication issues, as both an origin, as well as an effect (McCarthy, 2001). Misunderstandings or errors, arising from poor communication, can simply cause a clash or make it even worse. In additional, once a conflict has begun communication matters often develop since people, in disagreements, do not communicate with each other as regularly, as openly, and as truthfully as they do when associations are not edgy. Therefore, communication is essential to most conflict cases (McCarthy, 2001). I work in an organisation whose staff ranges from 14 to 16 years. These individuals have not gone through the mainstream school curriculum. They, therefore, do not know how to communicate well with others, and this has had a significant effect in how the company runs. Communication is extremely essential in an organisation. This paper will discuss communication, with regards to the workplace, and how issues relating to communication could be addressed. Communication refers to the process of sharing thoughts, messages and information with individuals in a particular place and time (McCarthy, 2001). Communication comprises of talking and writing, as well as nonverbal cues such as gestures, facial expressions, or body language. Communication also involves visual communication like the use of pictures or images, such as photography, painting, film or video (McCarthy, 2001). Communication also incorporates electronic techniques such as telephone calls, satellite broadcasts, electronic mail, or cable television. Communication is a critical part of personal life and is also imperative in business or any other situations where individuals encounter each other. Nobody, at my workplace, seems to consider this. However, I cannot blame them since they missed out on the vital element of life, and that is education. The management also considers them as

Monday, September 9, 2019

Modern History - Nazi ideology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modern History - Nazi ideology - Assignment Example Six weeks after Hitler was appointed Chancellor on March 18, 1933 the Nazi Minister of propaganda spoke to the German women. His speech set out the expected image of women and proper duties that were to be carried out by them. It is apparent that Goebbels made a strong statement when he said that women are not significant in terms of history and the things they do have no effect on society. He was of the view that the only thing that women do in history is to raise men who create it. This view was the same for the Nazi Party about women and their roles in society. Goebbels explained the idea of defining women only as a mother was because of the respect, and that is why Nazis kept them out of the political sphere (Ascheld, 2010). The women supported the party and the leaders even with the strong idea about women. It is evident as many women became party members. Also, through various avenues of propaganda, Nazi officials were able to convince women that their place in society lay in the private sphere. The act of placing enough of a priority for women as mothers to the nation, Nazism gained strength and grew across Germany. Teaching Nazism to the youth was one of the main Nazi ideologies hence it was essential to gain support of mothers and young women in the country. Pamphlets and propaganda posters were distributed to preach the values of Nazism for women and their need to raise strong â€Å"Aryan† children (Ascheld, 2010). The difference between the private and the public sphere during the Third Reich is a key concept when talking about the image of the German woman. In the public sphere of the Nazis party, women were not expected to have a role in the Reichstag or hold any other political office. It was also evident that women would not work as doctors or lawyers. Nazi officials emphasized that women were to take care of their husbands and children. Hitler in his speech of 1934 Party Day he said that the man’s worlds were the sate while the woman was

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Tourism Sculpture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tourism Sculpture - Assignment Example Barossa International sculpture symposium, which took place in 1988, resulted to Barossa Sculpture Park after nine sculptors met and carved sculptures in granite and local marble. The park is situated at Mengler Hill Rd, a short distance from Tanunda by car. The sculptures were created to express the spirit and ambience of Barossa as well as reflect the environment (Mayer, 2013). The challenges facing this sculpture park is lack of playing grounds for children and poor access to public mode of transport. The China Changchun International sculpture symposia have resulted to Changchun world Sculpture Park and five other sculpture parks. The Changchun World Sculpture Park has 451 sculptures made by 400 national sculptors from various regions and countries and is located at the South of Renmin Street, at Urban City. The park is enormous with large bronze and stone sculptures, over 6 meters tall, at the parkland setting. It also has a scene of a huge lake that adds to the park’s serenity. Changchun world Sculpture Park is spread over 90 hectares of land and has the largest sculptures in China. The park has displayed hundreds of African woodcarving, foreign and Chinese fine sculptures. Marble sculpture International symposia resulted to sculpture park in Thassos with the help of Emmy Varouxaki who invited and hosted artists in Thassos and provide them with raw materials to create their works at the marble of Thassos . The sculpture park of Thassos is located at the olive groove of Lampidis family in Kalirahi village.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Public Policy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Public Policy - Coursework Example Dialectic relationship is defined as the interactive relationship between two entities in which one affects the other in a continuing iterative process. This process influences the strategic knowledge of both actors as well as the structured context, which in turn shapes the agent's future action. The implications are that policy network analysis may not be the foolproof method of policy analysis that it is made out to be. Nonetheless, it is attracting considerable interest in the policy-making arena because it expands the concerns of policy research previously confined to options directly or indirectly related to an issue. Analysis of policy with the use of the policy network concept involves theoretical approaches in a wide range of disciplines that includes political science, sociology, anthropology, international relations and management (Sutton, 1999). By putting political science theories at work, the process looks at policy networks as epistemic communities that can help develop an understanding of the role of various interest groups in the undertaking. The concept of an epistemic community is important, especially in knowledge-based theories, because it can influence four stages of the policy process - policy innovation, diffusion, selection and persistence (Hasenclever, et al., 1997). These epistemic communities are likely to take a strong stand on the policy decisions, and once politicians agree with this position, the latter are expected to invite experts into the circle of power, thus giving such communities an opportunity to have a substantial influence on the policy process (Ibid). From t he sociological viewpoint, policy networks are classified as either corporatist, state-directed, collaborative or pluralist, which essentially differ in their degree of integration. The networks with the greatest level of integration are the so-called "Iron Triangle" coalitions in the US, which are state-directed communities composed of congressional subcommittees, interest groups and government bureaus pursuing a mutually supportive relationship (Dowding, 1995). The level of integration of the other communities depends on the policy area. If the policy area concerns energy issues, the network assumes a corporatist character because it is made up of business groups, while it becomes collaborative if the issues relate to public health because the network will be composed of professional organizations. The network is pluralist in character if the policy under study involves national issues with social, political and economic ramifications. There are two different approaches to policy network analysis developed in UK, one by Rhodes (1997) and the other by Wilk & Wrights (in Dowding, 1995). The Rhodes approach specifically addresses the relations between the central British state and governance in the periphery (Dowding, 1995), thus it looks at the policy network as a cluster or complex of organizations connected to each other by resource dependencies and distinguished from other clusters or complexes by breaks in the structure of these resource dependencies. As for the Wilk & Wrights model, it seeks to explain the complex nature of policy-making in

Friday, September 6, 2019

The Weimar Republic Essay Example for Free

The Weimar Republic Essay The Weimar Republic was created in 1919 after Wilhelm II abdicated. The new government consisted of the ones who signed the Treaty of Versailles, and so nationalistic Germans thought this to be traitorous. The severe consequences given by the treaty had many Germans looking for a scapegoat to blame and the government fitted perfectly. Straight from the beginning, Weimar faced obstacles from both left and right wings. The Spartacist group on the left, lead by Liebknicht was looking to imitate a more Russian Communistic political system. They then tried to take control of Berlin, with the support of the USDP, however the military troops suppressed the revolt. Next revolt was from the right wing, and this was the Kapp Putsch, where they seized government buildings. Then Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch, with an attempt to seize the Bavarian government, which lead to another revolt being crushed, but clearly indicating that there were oppositions from both sides. The Treaty of Versailles had put Germany into financial implications, and it was starting to show that the numbers they had to repay was not a realistic one. In 1923 when a hyperinflation had developed, the currency was becoming more and more worthless: the Treaty, which was signed by the government, caused great despair, so they blamed the government for it. Then when Stresseman was appointed chancellor, he tried to get the ‘Allies’ to be more merciful and showed them how impossible the task they were given from the treaty actually was. Then the Dawes plan kicked in, which tried to keep the levels of reparations at a balanced budget, in order to prevent another situation of hyperinflation. It did help to stabilize the economy and settle inflation and it was shown in the general economic improvements, such as car sales and mass productions. More cultural improvements would follow: music, literature and theatre. Berlin even overtook Paris’ place of being the most à ¢â‚¬Ëœartistic city’ After the Great Depression occurred, the economy once again plummeted, which caused unemployment level to skyrocket. Hitler who had established himself as a leading politician at the time, preached employment and greatness, had almost ten times as many seats in the 1930 election than they did three years earlier. The German population was looking for more extreme solutions, and hundreds of demonstrations occurred against the government. This was what Hitler wanted. He had such a wide appeal and was attractive to the workers, by promising employment. A couple of years later, though, their number of votes would decline: the country was splitting into two, but both wanted to change the current government. Hindenburg passed away and Hitler appointed himself the Fuhre and the Weimar Republic was over with. To conclude, The Weimar Republic had been growing for many years, and the current circumstances did not make it any easier. It had overcome many difficulties earlier and the first signs of the republic being doomed came in the late 20’s and early 30’s when the country was starting to separate into two. To say that it was doomed from the moment it was created is irrational because it was not evident in the earlier years and only became visible later on.