Of Mice and Men And American Depression Beginning Essay

In 1930, the American Depression began. It was to become a feature that would affect many people’s lives. Men such as George and Lennie had no literacy skills; therefore their job span was increasingly limited. George and Lennie were unique in the way that they went around the country working on the ranches together. John Steinbeck used George and Lennie’s companionship in these times of hardship to reflect optimism and hope. Steinbeck’s knowledge is mirrored in a vast amount of this book in the way that he produces scenes for the characters to encounter and try to solve. America turned on its people in the Depression, forcing even the severely disabled to work for they had no other options they would not survive if they did not have any capital. Workers used the ranch’s resources to comfort themselves. Workers even came to the ranches on a Saturday afternoon, so they could have all their meals on the day of rest and then depart without doing any intense labour. The book illustrates this fact with the quote. ‘ Guy that wants to look over a ranch comes in Sat’day afternoon. He gets Sat’day night supper an’ three meals on Sunday, and he quit Monday mornin’ after breakfast without turning his hand’. This quote emphasises the ranch workers dependence upon the ranches and in a way lets us into the typical ranch workers pattern of thoughts, therefore this reiterates how the migrant culture worked. Throughout the book, George and Lennie have a pipe dream; this dream has been a goal, a goal to keep them from spiralling into depression. The dream is to be able to afford their own piece of land and live in peace and harmony, however the dream interprets two opposite trains of thought. For Lennie it means that he can look after the rabbits, therefore it creates a childish reality. For George he craves independence to make his individual character content, however George knows that this is a dream, he is not thinking about what will most likely happen. This was the case for many American ranch workers; they fulfilled these dreams by reading magazines with stories such as ‘The Dark Rider’. For example ‘ He went to his bunk and put his head on his shelf. Then he picked a pulp magazine from his shelf and brought it to the light over the table. This emphasises the American Dream and this is why this of magazine was so popular, it produces a play in text about a fantasy ranch worker, who travels majestically about the country on his ebony stallion. For the ranch workers they envisage that it will be them upon the stallion doing deeds to save the country, this reflects the migrant cultures point of convergence with their dreams and how it kept their hopes up high during these times of hardship. Steinbeck selects George and Lennie out of the vast migrant culture, for their unique circumstances and their overpowering friendship. For example: Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦ because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you and that’s why.’ This quote depicts their fondness for one another and how important friendship was. The task for Steinbeck was to create an array of characters who had different characters and attitudes at this time, yet they formed a team who had to work together and cope with each other’s habits. The migrant culture was a population of people from different backgrounds; therefore this point is dissected from the rest of the book very well At the beginning of the novel, we follow George and Lennie through the state of Soledad trying to seek work. To make matters worse the bus driver dropped them off more than four miles from their location. ‘Jes’ a little stretch down the highway,’ he says. ‘Jes’ a little stretch.’ God damn near four miles. George is obviously angry about the bus drivers heartlessness towards these two men, however men like George and Lennie were easy targets, as the man knew he would never see them again and they were lower class civilians, therefore people showed no respect towards them. Travelling these long distances in such isolated conditions was a daunting task and there must have been some murders and fatalities in such solitary conditions. The migrant culture brought the aspect of danger into many peoples lives. On arrival. George and Lennie have to go to the boss office to submit their name and various details. It is vital that they both have a reputation for being hard workers at this early stage or they could be asked to leave. The boss’s suspicions are aroused by Lennie’s lack of communication and he immediately asks questions such as: ‘He ain’t much of a talker, is he? and , I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?’ These questions show that the migrant culture was untrustworthy and nobody could be trusted. In the migrant culture the vast majority of ranch workers decreased every man’s chances of being noticed and looked after, therefore if the worker was not working up to the average standard they would simply be told to leave. It was a dog eats dog world and the other ranch workers were certainly not sympathetic to your feelings. For example: You was pokin your big ears into our business,’ George said. ‘ I don’ t like nobody to get nosey. Ranch workers had to have a depth of insensitivity and be oblivious to acrimonious comments. Loneliness featured in the novel was the result of bitterness. There were three main characters that represented loneliness in the novel. Crooks was a black man who looked after the stables. During the American Depression, black people were shown little respect and the white people regarded them as slaves making hurtful comments and forcing them into isolation for the insignificant reason of their colour. To add to Crook’s misery, he had a severely bowed back, this limited his work span and his isolation became greater. Crook’s was bitter towards all white people for the way they had mentally scared him and for this reason he showed no feelings towards them either. Crook’s was even a solitary figure at night, for he was not even allowed into the bunkhouse let alone to sleep in there. Crooks confided in books to make up for his social loss, however he could only seek refuge in a book to a certain degree and soon he fell into the bottomless pit of seclusion once mo re. Crooks was even foul to his equals such as Lennie. ‘ Crooks said sharply: ‘ You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.’ This quote reflects Crook’s bitterness and shows that his isolated life has made him selfish. The America Depression and the migrant culture turned on black people and treated them as dirt. Crooks feels this harsh mannerism and understandingly turns against it, which makes him uncivil too. Curley’s wife is another lonesome character, who seeks solace with the workers on the ranch. Her isolation is increased by the fact that she is the only woman on the ranch and the only unemployed person as well, therefore she has far too much time on her hands. Her hasty marriage was a way to conquer loneliness; however it has only stretched her detachment from the world. Other lonesome characters such as Candy and George will not mix with her, as they see her as a troublesome threat. The only person on the ranch who listens to Curley’s wife is Lennie, however the relationship is not true, for Lennie’s mental problems make it infeasible for him to join in any conversation. Lennie’s power is what makes Curley’s wife attracted to him, for Lennie crushed Curley’s hand during a fight. Most women would be furious with the man who had injured her husband, but Curley’s wife laughs saying to Lennie.’ Ok, Machine. I’ll talk to you later. I like machines.’ This implicates how she hates her husband and reveals that she only married him for security. Curley’s wife knows that Lennie is mentally inadequate, therefore she feels as if she has power over him and of course it is unlikely that she has ever experienced this feeling before. The migrant culture has had a great effect on Curley’s wife life. The men who once had time for her, now have to work to survive, therefore they have no time for her inane chatter. George is another solitary character on the ranch. This may sound inaccurate, but as we have discovered Lennie is mentally disabled and cannot participate in sort of conversation. George may be able to have a social life at the ranches, however he will only stay at a ranch for a small duration of time, so close friendships cannot be made. The migrant culture had an immense impact on ranch workers social lives and soon they would have become social outcasts. In chapter three, Lennie brings the subject of the dream into conversation, while sitting down with George one night. George informs him of a reasonably priced farm he has discovered. Candy joined in the conversation still traumatised by his elderly dog’s sudden death asking the details of this house. George is reluctant to tell him for the reason that it has been George and Lennie’s dream from when they started roaming the countryside for work and it would seem immoral for them to invite someone they did not know into it at this stage. Candy is not struck back by these comments and informs them that he has $450 saved up in the bank. ‘ George half-closed his eyes. ‘ I gotta think about that. We was always gonna do it by ourselves.’ George portrays a reluctant character who is unwilling to co-operate, yet inside he is probably celebrating the making of his dream. The sudden scope of this dream that has been released is truly magnificent. George and Lennie have conquered every migrant worker’s pessimistic prospect, to make their dream realistic George is overcome by this unexpected event that he knows will change his life for the rest of his days. In the book he frees his humble and timid character to replace it with an electrifying and bold person who we have not seen before. Quotes to reflect this outburst are: George said reverently: ‘Jesus Christ’! I bet we could swing her.’ His eyes full of wonder. ‘I bet we could swing her,’ he repeated softly and George stood up. ‘We’ll do her,’ he said. ‘ We’ll fix up that little old place an’ we’ll go live there’. George is ecstatic he has finally found a way to make his naturally independent character content and he will be able to make his own money by being the boss, the man he has respected for so long. At last Lennie will be safe from the temptations of the world that he simply cannot handle. George and Lennie have found hope in these mentally painful times, which scarred so many men for life. This scene interprets the fortunes of the human life and after many downfalls they have come to a conclusion, that many migrant workers never found. In novels after optimism comes despondency. The ending of this book is tragic. Lennie, who has become easily influenced by Curley’s wife flirtatious movements becomes too attached to her and when asked to feel her hair he becomes over exuberant and in sheer panic clings on to the delicate framework of this woman, Curley’s wife slumps to the ground like a ragdoll taking the effect of this man’s awesome power with a broken neck to prove the damage, which can not be reversed. The tragedy led to Lennies disappearance and the ranch workers pursue him , however George knew where he was from an earlier plan and went to find him. ‘The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.’ A emotional scene for two people we thought were so fond of each other, however George knew that Curley and fellow friends were going to kill him and in the most brutal manner possible to mankind, which would have been distressing for the two companions. George thought it would have been appropriate for Lennie’s last living moments to be filled with the memory that they loved the most, the dream. The dream would not be fulfilled after Lennies crime and death; therefore he would be of a majority once again working to make his dream reality and this is why so many migrants ended becoming severely depressed and killing themselves as a result of their bitterness and hurt. John Steinbeck creates a novel, which depicts a compelling yet brusque meaning. Steinbeck brings out the truth of these times and does not try to shroud it and keep it away from the human eye, for nothing can hide the truth. Since George came to this ranch in Soledad, we have been through his pain with him and happiness, however we have always had the dream in the back of our minds. Grasping the fact that the dream will never occur has added a touch of realism to this book and made us realise that this is not a imaginary story, instead it is the hard hitting truth. The novel has made it obvious that the typical migrant workers life was a continuous circle, which never changes its shape and that it would be the same for George from now on. Hopes and Dreams have been the ‘backbone’ for this story. Many of the characters have mentioned a dream and at that point their tone of voice changed. For example: She looked up at Lennie, and she made a small grand gesture with her arm and hand to show that she could act. The fingers trailed after her leading wrist and her little finger stuck out grandly from the rest. This quote shows how Curley’s wife sparkles on the inside, when she talks about her illusive acting career. Dreams meant so much more to people during the American Depression as they do to our generation due to the great span of activities we can do today compared to the limited amount in the 1930’s.A number of peoples dreams can be accomplished today for we have the technology. Hopes and Dreams became the great factor in George and Lennie’s relationship, for it gave them something to talk about that they both understood and talking is the key to a good friendship. Lonesome migrant workers did not have a friend to confide instead they constantly thought about the long working hours and their isolation. A dream kept them focused and acted as an aid to comfort them. George has now become one of these lonely souls, who we envisage trekking along dusty roads with a face tangled by his own grief. It would not have been right if Lennie, George and Candy went to the idyllic farmhouse and lived happily ever, as that would have not been reflecting the outcome of so many migrant workers lives and Steinbeck would have been interpreting a false hope to the reader. Characters in the novel such as Candy and Crooks fell into the ‘invalid category’, where they were envisaged as being outsiders who looked up to normal people on the ranch. Crooks was a black man and at the time of the Depression, black people were looked upon as dirt and only being able to do jobs that would not involve them with any human contact, therefore he was very much isolated from the world and felt bitter and resentful towards any human who tried to bond with him. An example of Crook’s bitterness: ‘ Crooks said sharply: You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.’

How Communication And Culture Are Related Essay

Communication has been one of the most powerful tools that humans species have develop trough thousands of years and that we still have. There are many types of communication like body language, eye contact, sign language, paralanguage, haptic language, and chromic, also media like pictures, graphics, sounds and writing. Culture emerged in the XII and XIX century in Europe. The word culture means cultivation or improvement, how the human species act, thinks and how it interact with the environment, thanks to the communication people have changed their way they act. For this reason is why is important to know how communication and culture are related, and how they are important for each other. Good communication is very important. It can help someone to understand what others are saying. Communication is important and can be positive if is handled well. But at the same time it can be hurtful, depending on how it is done and the words that are used. Communication is where culture was improved, because with communication provide information to a group of people, and that specific group of people will react and determine how they will use the information. Arts, traditions, and rituals are some examples of culture, these types of culture have being used trough thousands of years, they have communicate with gods, civilizations, animals. So in a way communications have being a very important role in the culture, and how it has been develop trough this years. The main reason why humans behave the way they behave is that we have developed communication to the point that we behave more reasonable, we can expose ideas, thoughts, and we can give an opinion for it. We use communicatio n now a days for everything, without it would be very difficult or impossible to live in a society that have express everything we think, and have an opinion of it. In conclusion, thanks to communication, culture within the human behavior, people have developed a rational thinking; this makes a better how people relate with other. Communication has played a very important role in the  culture in human species. Communication have being part of our life and our behavior cense the first humans apparition, we use it all the time to interact with people, and that’s why we, humans behave the way we behave.

Financial Statement Review Essay

What is the net income for the current fiscal year? Is it up or down from the prior year? Why would this information be important to investors? The total consolidated net income for Fiscal Year 2015 is $17,099 million dollars. This is amount is up from the previous Fiscal Year (2014) which had a consolidated net income of $16,695 million dollars. This information can be found on page 38 of the Walmart 2015 Annual Report. This information would be of importance to investors because it indicates whether the company is prospering financially and generating revenue. What is the ending balance in stockholders’ equity? Why would a labor union potentially be interested in this information? The ending balance in stockholders’ equity is $323 million dollars. This information can be found on page 40 of the Annual Report. This information would be of potential interest to a labor union because it provides information that could be used in determining labor rates, work salaries, and employee benefits. What is the total value of assets? Why would this information be important to a potential creditor? The total values of assets is $101,381 million dollars which can be found on page 60 of the Annual Report. This information would be of importance to a potential creditor because it provides an indication of whether the company would be able to repay any accumulated debt. It also provides a picture of how liquid those assets might be. What is the total cash flow from operation? The total cash flow from operations is $17,099 million dollars which can be found on page 41 of the Annual Report. What financial statement user would find this information most important?

Reading Stories with Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Stories with Children - Essay Example book was depicting the story of the princess more did not please him and there are many times that the child lost concentration and was distracted by some simple natural events taking place while I was reading the book. The reason why I uncovered the loss of concentration is the age of the child. The child was too young to understand issues revolving around relations and love. The child was only 6 yrs old and I asked him whether he liked the book and said that it was not very interesting. I consequently asked the kid why he had chosen the book if it was to bore him. However, the child offered me an answer that I did not expect. The child explained to me that he had chosen the book because he had heard the older sister talking about it and thought that it was appropriate to try reading it. The other story that I read the child is called Jack and the Beanstalk. While reading this book, I found a huge change in the manner in which the child responded. As opposed to previously, the child was more interested and this is noted from the questions that he asked as I was reading (Samuels 54). I experienced the fact that initially the child was a passive listener However, in this particular story, the kid was actually asking questions almost in every page that I was reading. I asked the kid what he liked about the book and he told me that he liked Jack and that he wanted to meet the king. When I further asked why he wanted to meet the king in the book he told me that he wanted to do this because he had read in class that the king is very strong and thus why he was eager to meet him. Another point that I noticed about the child is that he had more expectations than the ordinary 6 year old. The reason is that he expected most of the content in the book to have many cartoonist characteristics as used to the television that he was used to. The setting was critical for the kid as he understood that more serious situations in life do happen and this is more than what he was

Organizational Structure and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Organizational Structure and Culture - Essay Example As indicated in the earlier paragraph, such an organizational set up uses charts that show the hierarchy of responsibilities and how their roles are divided. An organizational chart is a diagrammatic expression of the positions and departments found in an organization. It is also important in defining the relationship between them. An organizational chart is important in playing a number of roles that include;- showing the formal organizational relationships between different people and departments in the organization, enhancing channels of communication and hence improving the way information flows in the organization and lastly it helps one to know whom they are accountable to. This is very important in any nursing set up to eliminate the confusion that can be created if they could be working in an informal set up where the role s and responsibilities of the various people playing part was not clearly defined. Organizational charts include vertical ones which run from up to bottom while left to right have the highest rank on the left and the others follow to the right. In our study I used a vertical chart. An example used has the board of directors as the premier heads of the organization. They are responsible for making core decisions regarding the organization. In case the hospital is government owned or accountable to a higher body they are the ones who will be accountable. They decide on what is good for the hospital and through the suggestions laid before them by people in the lower levels in the rank they can decide on how to address each problem in the organization. The hospital administration follows in the rank. This is a group of people who are selected to oversee the day to day running of the hospital and trouble shoot problems as they emanate. They handle different departments in the hospital which makes the positions very delicate and need to be handled by diligent personnel who cannot

Leadership Among Senior Managers in an Organization Research Paper

Leadership Among Senior Managers in an Organization - Research Paper Example The research will be conducted at Sky Digital which is a digital satellite broadcaster for the UK. They have 8.1 million customers and are still growing. The broadcasting industry is going through a very competitive phase, and it becomes necessary that staff in senior positions stay achievement oriented and focus on personal growth. This is essential because it impacts company performance.   The research question examines the level of existing need for achievement and personal growth among 900 senior managers in the cancellation department of Sky Digital. For the purpose of this study 100 randomly selected managers will be surveyed. 1. A one on one interview will be conducted with 100 randomly selected senior managers of the cancellation department for open-ended questions. For closed-ended questions, the response sheet will be left with the manager and anonymity will be maintained. The selection of managers will be based on simple random/probability sampling method. The lottery me thod will be used. A list of all senior managers in the cancellation department will be obtained from the HR department and every 3rd manager will be selected for the survey. 2. As and when data is collected, the responses to the survey will be updated in an excel spreadsheet. To survey the achievement needs of senior managers, a questionnaire is prepared, adapted from the achievement motivation scale published by W.W.Norton and Company (n.d.). A question is formulated for each attribute critical to need for achievement, to ascertain whether a manager manifests the need for achievement. The questionnaire has mostly close-ended questions but also includes open-ended questions to help analyse the organization’s role in supporting these managerial attitudes. Since senior managers give direction to the company and are responsible for motivating their subordinates, it is necessary that they exhibit a high level of need for achievement and personal growth. This is the reason for th e project proposed.

Six Sigma at General Electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Six Sigma at General Electric - Essay Example Its goal is to ensure that there are no problems with any product or service that GE provides. This is done through quarterly customer surveys and daily manufacturing checks by internal engineers (Cohen, 1997).Since the 1980s, GE has sought improvement in business-performance and profitability through various programs (Hendericks and Kelbaugh, 1998). However, in 1995, Welch decided that those programs were not enough and directed the company to undertake Six Sigma as a corporate initiative. He said that it "is the only initiative he will introduce, but it will be introduced everywhere".The introduction of Six Sigma within GE was a dramatic culture change requiring impetus from the very top. Welch's personal leadership and direction was necessary and instrumental in the rollout of Six Sigma. When the employees tried to dismiss Six Sigma as the program of the month, Welch changed the business structure at a corporate level to underscore the importance of the goal. He implemented two no table strategic changes:The concept of Six Sigma at GE deals with measuring and improving how close the company comes in delivering on what it planned to do. Six Sigma provides a way for improving processes so that the company can more efficiently and predictably produce world-class products and services. There is a five-phased methodology applied by a Six Sigma team to tackle specific problems to reach Six Sigma levels (Paul, 1999). (We note that when Six Sigma was first launched at GE Aircraft Engines, a four-step methodology (MIAC) was followed. Recently, the Define phase has been added to recognize the importance of having a well-scoped project and to be in line with the current practices across GE): (1) Phase 1 - define (D). Who are the customers and what are their priorities A Six Sigma project team identifies a project suitable for Six Sigma efforts based on business objectives as well as customer needs and feedback. As part of the definition phase, the team identifies those attributes, called CTQs (critical to quality characteristics), that the customer considers to have the most impact on quality. (2) Phase 2 - measure (M). How is the process measured and how is it performing The team identifies the key internal processes that influence CTQs and measures the defects currently generated relative to those processes. (3) Phase 3 - analyze (A). What are the most important causes of defects The team discovers why defects are generated by identifying the key variables that are most likely to create process variation. (4) Phase 4 - improve (I). How do we remove the causes of the defects The team confirms the key variables and quantifies their effects on the CTQs. It also identifies the maximum acceptable ranges of the key variables and validates a system for measuring deviations of the variables. The team modifies the process to stay within the acceptable range. (5) Phase 5 - control (C). How can we maintain the improvements Tools are put in place to ensure that under the modified

World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World War I - Essay Example Firstly, no other war has involved governments, societies and populations of the participating nations in its service to such an extent. It was truly a war of nations marked by tremendous enthusiasm, youthful volunteerism, and industrial mobilization, a mixture of anxiety and elation and nationalism (Bartov, n.p). The war demonstrated the power and intellect of the modern and industrialized states and accompanied drastic political and social changes. It brought the whole nation to the home front; men, women, soldiers, government, and ministers everyone was involved in it. The war evoked the sense of patriotism no other war had been able to bring out, and it reorganized societies to participate in it in an economic, social and spiritual sense (Bartov, n.p). People believed and supported their nations at the cost of their lives because they believed that the victory of their country was worth the cost. â€Å"All the horrors of all the ages were brought together; not only, armies but w hole populations were thrust into the midst of them.† (MacElroy 16). Second most important reason for it being called a total war was its impact on the industrial revolution. It was the first global industrial war which was dominated by industrial weaponry, tanks, machine guns and militarism. As Omer Bartov has described in the first few pages of chapter 1 of his book, â€Å"Mirrors Of Destruction† that World War I brought with itself a new style of warfare not even perceived by the people who were fighting it (Bartov, n.p). The war had in itself an extraordinary expression of devotion not just to the nationalism but also to the notion of the war itself (Bartov, n.p). 2. Why World War I was considered different than conflicts in previous decades? World War I was considered different because it changed the tactics used by all countries earlier. It was the first time modern machinery, trenches and poison gas was used on the battlefield (â€Å"World War I†). This wa r was marked with an era of change brought by it as everything was changed from uniforms to training of soldiers. Particular battalions were used to fight this special battle, and it was the first conflict in which attrition was used against the enemy. Field's artillery was used to defend the enemy. The entire way of fighting battle was changed. Even the international system was completely transformed. On one side, dictatorship emerged out of the war, whereas on the other side, a communist movement emerged backed by the Soviet Union. It was at this time that America became a world power, and the British Empire lost its status from being the world power to the second-class power (â€Å"World War I†). Moreover, the war brought with it the break of the major participators when it was decided at the peace conference of 1919 to break the defeated central powers (â€Å"World War I†). WWI was marked with an industrial revolution faced by no other war before and was fought on such a huge scale that no other war had incorporated so many participators as world war I did. The consequences and effects of this war outspread to every corner of the land, and the specialized armies at the front contained members of every social group and region of the country. 3. WHY WAS THIS WAR CALLED TO BE A WAR WITHOUT END? World War I was a war colossal by its very nature. The war never ended in its real essence but gave birth to many unfinished stories. It brought with it massive destruction, killing of millions of people, collapse of four major empires and devastation of many continents, and its repercussions spread to many nations. It is called a war without end because it paved the road to World War II

Comparing the Logistics Hubs of Worldwide Markets Research Paper

Comparing the Logistics Hubs of Worldwide Markets - Research Paper Example The potential for logistic hubs are studied, gaps in the logistic system are identified and recommended measures are suggested. The various trend and innovations in the logistics industry are considered in this report and suitable recommendation is given as to the strategies that the logistic hubs should take up to maintain their position in the fast-evolving logistics industry. Keywords The following keywords are used: logistics management, globalization, logistic hubs, logistics technologies, outsourcing. Introduction The advent of globalization, innovations in technology, mergers and acquisitions, consolidations and the boom of outsourcing have led to a huge growth in the logistics industry throughout the world. The logistics service providers are designing and implementing new services and capabilities to meet the new demands and expectations of the customers. With the evolution of a sophisticated logistics framework, the major logistics hubs in countries like Singapore, Hong Kon g, and New York are focusing on strategic approaches based on information rather than on the goods oriented commoditized approach. The customers are looking for all the services integrated into one point so as to avoid the complexities of involving a number of parties across the supply chain process. A single point of contact is preferred in today’s logistics market. The logistics market all around the globe has started adopting new models and new technologies to address the changing requirements of the market. The models are based on the levels of assets, collaborations, Information technology capabilities, and the scope of the services offered across the supply chain. The logistics model has evolved to a specialized function to fourth party logistics and Fifth party logistics. The third party logistics model has added capabilities and integration of the different operations in their model. The first party logistics and the second party logistics handle the storage of the as sets. Thus, they have higher asset intensity levels and lower barriers to entry. The fourth party logistics is an integrating model that puts together all the capabilities, resources and technologies to design and implement an enhanced supply chain service. The factors that create the highest opportunity for the logistics service providers are as follows: management of complex supply chains, comparatively high-value products, increased spending on logistics processes, decentralized logistics management, time sensitivity of the supply chain process and logistics management across multiple modes. The status of the logistics industry has considerably improved over the last few years. This improvement has been done due to the proper recognition of the following factors impacting the industry: High level of competition for both the users and the service providers which drives the continuous improvement in the operations. Increase in logistics opportunities and costs driving huge savings. Innovation in operational processes such as total quality management (TQM), just in time (JIT), time compression, flexible processes etc. (Carlson, 1989, p. 315). Growing need for adopting new technologies in order to identify and track goods.     

Company background Essay Example for Free

Company background Essay BMW (www. bmw. com) continue maintaining their strong position as one of world’s leader in premium vehicle market besides Daimler-Chrysler, Lexus, and many others. The company established in March 7, 1916 when Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (BFW) founded. One year later, BFW was renamed to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH (BMW) that focused on producing cars and military aircraft at that time. Within several decades in the 20th century, the company performed several acquisitions on Rover and MINI, to name a few. However, the intense competition in automobile industry that becomes more segmented has driven BMW to focus on few brands. Under such circumstances, BMW decided to sell Rover Group in 2000 but still retaining MINI brands in the BMW Group. Therefore, BMW group (www. bmwgroup. com) now has three major brands: BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The three segments are all in premium cars segment, thus lessen the company’s effort in building brand awareness for their products. Figure 1 BMW Group Website Source: www. bmwgroup. com 1. Business Analysis The Automobile industry is one of the most competitive global industries in the world. This is because automobile companies are generally multinational in nature because they have the need to achieve economies of scale in their production. The automobile industry represents significant portion of GDP in US and Europe. They are considered of significant importance because their existence enables other industries to work. Most automobile markets bring possess significant influence whether in their domestic as well as global markets. Moreover, there is an indication that commencing the end of the 20th century, most of the markets in modern countries are saturated and the new trend of the industry is to find new and developing markets where they can deploy their products. Similarly, automobile manufacturers are tired of facing the cutthroat competition in their markets. The situation drives them to expand their services into Asia-Pacific regions, South East Asia and other developing regions. This strategy becomes the latest trend within the global automobile industry. This generates new trends in automobile designs and their tendencies. Cheaper and fuel-efficient cars are the design of this decade. Concerning the many facets of automobile industry, below is several business analysis tools that assess how the market behave, especially relates to development of premium markets where BMW serves. 3. 1 Strategic group: BCG Matrix As mentioned previously, BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) maintains three major brands in their portfolio. Each of them has somewhat similar markets, the premium cars, but the company further determines particular markets that each of the product portfolio serve. This strategy is carried out to avoid unnecessary cannibalism among their products. In order to analyze the performance of each product portfolio in BMW group, we can use BCG Matrix. The matrix is named after the founder, Boston Consulting Group, a well-known global business consulting firm. The basic philosophy of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is to assess various Strategic Business Units (SBUs) in a company portfolio. By definition, an SBU is a business unit in a company that has its own missions and objectives. It could be departments, divisions, or subsidiaries. In case of BMW group, the SBUs can be BMW product lines such as BMW 3, 5, 7 series, MINI, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The BCG Growth-Share matrix composes of four quadrants that each describe BMW product lines in relation to market share and market growth rate. The BCG matrix helps BMW to understand each of their product’s life cycle and position in the market better by charting each product in one of the four quadrants. Figure 1 shows the BCG Matrix of an organization: Figure 1 BCG Matrix Source: Tutor2U, 2007 The upper left quadrants in the matrix are stars. Stars are business units or product lines within BMW Group that undergo high growth or have strong position in the market. In other words, stars are business units that have large market shares in a fast growing industry (‘Boston Consulting Box’, 2005). The characteristics of stars are they generate cash and thus revenue for a company. However, as the market for the products grows rapidly, they require extensive investment to maintain their lead. If the strategy is successful, a star will soon become a cash cow when its industry matures. In case of BMW, the stars are their USA division since the marker experience fast growth. In 2003 alone, the USA division records a history since it become the Group’s strongest market with 8. 0% growth or represents the sales of 277,037 units in the 2003. In terms of product line, the stars are BMW 7 series as they continue achieving a growing pattern of sales. In 2003, the sales of BMW 7 series rose 8. 2% compared to previous year. Another star is BMW X5 that record a 4. 6% of growth or represents the sales of 105,554 units. The second quadrant in the lower left is cash cows. It is similar to main sources of revenues/income for a company where it represents a product line(s) that continue exhibiting low-growth businesses or they have a relatively high market share (‘Boston Consulting Box’, 2005). Cash Cow is a business unit that has a large market share in a mature, slow growing industry. Due to the slowing down of market growth, cash cows only need little investment and generate cash that can be used to invest in other business units. In BMW case, the cash cow is the home market, Germany. In the home country, BMW experiences declining trend in which in 2003, it recorded -0. 9% of growth compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, concerning the product lines, the cash cows are BMW 3 series and 5 series. The BMW 3 series, for example, have many models that all of them continue showing declining sales volume. The sales of BMW 3 series Limousine, for instances, decline by 5. 9% compared to 2002. Similarly, the sales of BMW 5 series also plummets by -23. 5% compared to the previous year sales volume. In the upper right of the matrix lie question marks. It represents BMW product line(s) that exhibit low market share but operate in higher growth markets (‘Boston Consulting Box’, 2005). These business units require resources to grow market share, but whether they will succeed and become stars is unknown or potentially less likely. The last quadrant is Dogs. They are BMW’s products lines that have low relative market share in unattractive, low-growth markets (‘Boston Consulting Box’, 2005). It means that dog is a business unit that has a small market shares in a matured industry. A dog may not require substantial cash, but it ties up capital that could better be deployed elsewhere. If a dog has no other strategic purpose, it had better to liquidate the product lines since the product lines have little opportunities to gain market share. Based on the above analysis, we can decide which BMW brands belongs to quadrants in BCG Matrix as following.

Romantic relationships and academic grade point average

Romantic relationships and academic grade point average This study will be conducted to investigate whether or not there is an association between involvement in a romantic relationship and academic grade point average (GPA) amongst pharmacy students. METHODS: Pharmacy students in their first, second, and third professional years of the traditional Doctor of Pharmacy program at Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia will be utilized as subjects for the study. Fourth-year and non-traditional students will be excluded from participation due to limited or no accessibility. By way of convenience sampling, approximately 355 students from the Winchester and Ashburn campuses of the school of pharmacy will be administered a survey at the end of the spring semester. Only students who are present and in class on the day the survey is administered will participate. Based on their responses to the third survey question concerning current romantic relationship and corresponding living status, the students will be separated into groups ranked from least involved to most involved with respect to current romantic relationship status; these groups will be designated single, casual partner, serious partner, and married. After all students have been placed into a group, their GPAs will be analyzed and compared to examine if there exists a correlation between involvement in varying levels of romantic relationships and pharmacy school GPA. We hypothesize that involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on GPA. RESULTS: N/A. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that involvement in a romantic relationship affects pharmacy school GPA. Students who will be or are currently enrolled in a graduate program can use the information from this study to make decisions concerning involvement in romantic relationships and extracurricular commitments. Introduction While there have been many studies on the effect of academic grade point average (GPA) (given a wide range of variables), it is unknown, up to this point, if relationship status affects GPA, and if so, how it affects GPA (positively or negatively). The rationale for this research project is that there have been no previous studies on GPA and relationship status for graduate students currently enrolled in pharmacy school. While limited research has been conducted on GPA and relationship status, there was more focus on adolescents (high school students). Previous limited studies performed on pharmacy students include variables such as test anxiety, time management, test competence, academic competence, and study techniques. The scope of this research project is to study the effects of relationship status on GPA for graduate students in pharmacy school. As a result, the same study can be performed on any graduate school program, not just pharmacy, using the same survey questionnaire. We hypothesize that involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on GPA. Relationship status, in this study, is defined as any one of the following: single; casual partner; serious partner; married. Being in a relationship is defined as all of the latter except: single. Other variables considered in this project (gender, age, year of study, hours dedicated to studying per week, importance of GPA, and hours worked and/or volunteered per week) are needed and help to isolate the effects of relationship status on GPA. While the primary concern of this study is to evaluate if romantic relationship status has any effect on the GPA of students in pharmacy school, it may also be extended to discover if there is a positive or negative effect on GPA dependent on relationship status. If there is no significant difference between relationship status and GPA, then perhaps data collected on other variables might explain a difference. Literature Review Our study is conducted to determine how varying levels of involvement in romantic relationships affect the academic GPA of pharmacy students. There have been many studies that examined the relationship between dating and the GPA of students. Many of the studies were conducted using high school and undergraduate college students. One study was conducted by Phuong T. Pham (2002) at Loyola University. Effects of Romantic Relationships on Academic Performance in College, examined the relationship between dating and academic performance in college. Pham hypothesized that dating while in an undergraduate program would result in a lower GPA. A survey was conducted at Loyola University and after analyzing the results, it was concluded that there was no correlation between academic performance and dating. A similar study was conducted by Matthew E. Kopfler (2003) at Loyola University that looked at the effects of romantic relationships on academic performance of undergraduate students. The hypothesis of the study was that students involved in romantic relationships would not perform academically as well as those who were not involved in romantic relationships. The study was conducted by surveying 75 Loyola undergraduate college students. After collecting the surveys and analyzing the results, Kopfler concluded that there was no impact on GPA if a student was involved in a romantic relationship. Factors that Affect Academic Performance Among Pharmacy Students was a study conducted by Sansgiry, Bhosle, and Sail. This study looked at different factors that might have an impact on the GPA of pharmacy students. Sansgiry et al. used a questionnaire to evaluate factors such as test anxiety, time management, test competence, academic competence, and study techniques and their impact on GPA. This is a very important question to ask since GPA is used as an indicator of academic performance. Most colleges and universities set a minimal GPA that student applicants must meet in order to be considered for admittance into the school. Their study concluded that test competence was an important factor in distinguishing students who will perform well academically from those who will perform poorly. Other factors that include academic competence, test competence, test anxiety, and time management improve as the student advances through the pharmacy curriculum. The two studies conducted at Loyola University derived similar conclusions, that is: the academic performance of undergraduate college students were not affected by involvement in romantic relationships. Our study advances the focus further by investigating how academic performance, as measured by GPA, is affected by involvement in romantic relationships while enrolled in a graduate college program. The study conducted by Sanger et al. is important because it looked at time management and its effect on the GPA of pharmacy students. It was concluded from this study that time management does not have an impact on GPA. Time management was defined as clusters of behavioral skill sets that are important in the organization of study/course load. Time management includes planning in advance, prioritizing work, test preparation, and following schedules. In our study, we will correlate time management with respect to relationship status by examining the amount of time spent with a partner com pared to studying academic material and evaluate if this impacts the GPA of graduate college students. Methodology Participants Second-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students from Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia (VA) conducted a research study to determine if there exists a link between involvement in romantic relationships of pharmacy school students and their academic GPA. GPA will be the dependent variable of this study and thus the focus of the research. The GPA will subsequently be analyzed and compared with involvement in romantic relationships. Involvement in pharmaceutical organizations, volunteer work, and weekly part-time work will also be considered as future research factors that may have an impact on GPA. The data for the project was gathered at the two separate campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. The survey was administered at the main campus in Winchester, VA as well as the satellite campus in Ashburn, VA. A survey was selected to be the method of choice to obtain data because of its relative low cost of manufacturing and ease o f administration. Sampling The population under consideration in this study includes all traditional PharmD students who are currently enrolled full-time. This does not include fourth-year and non-traditional students on clinical rotations. Our sample population will include all traditional PharmD students at the Winchester and Ashburn campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy who agreed to fill-out and complete a survey questionnaire within a 10 day period. The researchers agreed that a limit of 10 days is a sufficient length of time to provide for appropriate completion of the survey questionnaires and for adequate collection of responses. The sample will be gathered through a convenience sampling method and will therefore be given to participants present on the day selected by the researchers to administer the survey. Because a control group will not be utilized in this study, convenience sampling is the easiest and most effective method to gather participants. The researchers plan to administer th e survey to approximately 355 participants across the two campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. Before data is collected, the researchers will obtain approval for the research study from the Human Subjects Review Board at Shenandoah University. This board is the equivalent of an Institutional Review Board. The confidentiality of participants will be ensured for this study as no indentifying information will be collected. Research Design Data will be collected through the use of a survey questionnaire. The survey consists of eight questions designed to gather information about students GPA and their involvement in romantic relationships. The survey was created by the researchers and was designed to allow for quick and easy completion. The survey was administered to the students at the end of the spring semester by the researchers. Administration of the survey at end of the spring semester was chosen in order to allow for the inclusion of first-year students, who by then already received their fall semester grades, in the study. Each survey questionnaire contains the same questions and can be administered without any prior training of the student participant. Each survey question was designed to be a test item for the research study. The survey is attached as an appendix. The first, second, and fifth questions are used to attain demographic information. Gender, age, and year in professional school can all be used as adjuncts in evaluation of the data. The third question is the first critical test item of the study. It inquires into the current relationship and corresponding living status of the survey respondent. This question is intended to be a test item that would group students into categories ranging from least involved to most involved as relating to romantic relationship involvement. Each category was based upon the following answer choices: 1. Single 2. Casual partner 3. Serious partner 4. Married An answer of the respondent to this question is the independent variable and therefore the prime factor for comparison against GPA. Using responses to this question, the researchers will place student participants in their designated groups, compute and compare the average GPAs for each group, and evaluate for any variances in GPA amongst groups. The fourth question was used as a tool to gather information about the dependent variable, student GPA. The researchers decided to use five ranges for the GPA. This will allow for easier collection and grouping of data in a manner that will facilitate efficiency of management and analysis. The sixth, seventh, and eighth questions were placed in the survey to gather additional data about the extracurricular activities of student participants. These responses will be collected and appropriately managed. The data will not be analyzed in this study but will be made available for future research studies. The seventh question was based on a Likert Scale and can be used to evaluate whether or not the motivation of a respondent has an effect on their GPA. Data Collection Our method of collecting data is through a survey. The entire sample population will be asked to complete the same survey within a 10-day period. We have increased the reliability of our study in two ways. The first is by asking all of the participants to complete the same survey. This increases the consistency of the study. The second is by making the survey questions concise and straightforward so that each can be interpreted and understood the same by all respondents. This is critical because all respondents are asked the same questions, and therefore, it is necessary to achieve similar interpretation among respondents. It is important to have reliability because without reliability a study cannot have validity. Reliability is required in order to assess the validity of the measurement instrument. We have established that our study has reliability. We must now determine if it has internal validity. Internal validity is very important in our study because it shows that our survey correctly assessed the effects of involvement in romantic relationships on the academic GPA of pharmacy students. Our study is based on a two-group after only model, and therefore, many of the threats to internal validity do not apply. The history threat does not apply because we do not ask questions regarding past events that might have altered the GPA of a pharmacy student. For example, a student may have a lower GPA than normal because a traumatic event happened right before a big exam. Many of the other threats to internal validity cannot occur in our study because of our study design. Therefore, the internal validity of our study is further substantiated. Only complete survey questionnaires will be included in this study. If all eight survey questions are not answered, that particular survey questionnaire will be thrown out. Data Analysis The pooled variance t-Test will be used because of the two populations (single and in a relationship), as well as the comparison between two means (mean GPA of students who are single and mean GPA of students who answered as being in a relationship). Data will be collected using the eight question survey discussed previously and will be coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientists (SPSS) program. The data will be coded corresponding to the answers circled by each participant (for example, if a participant circled the number 1 for the question What is your gender, that would correspond to male and the number 1 would be entered under the gender category for our SPSS data sheet; if they circled a 3 for the question What is your current age range, that answer would correspond to 25 29 and a number 3 would be entered under the age category for our data sheet). All of the data will be entered manually by one person and every fifth entry will be checked agains t that particular survey by a research assistant. Having all data entered into SPSS allows for easy comparison of different factors on GPA, including testing the study hypothesis. The first test performed on the data will be to evaluate the average GPA for respondents of all romantic relationship status groups except the single group. This average GPA will then be compared to the average GPA of those students who fall into the single group. The mean value of GPA for all students who completed a survey questionnaire will also be computed. An alpha level of 0.05 will be set. Our objective is to discover any significant variances in GPA of those who are in romantic relationships versus those who are single. If our P value is less than 0.05 (our alpha value) then there is a significant difference in the mean GPA values for those who are in romantic relationships versus those who are single. In this case, we will reject our null hypothesis: involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on academic GPA. Accordingly, we will examine significant differences in GPA to see whether there exists a positive or negative correlation to involvement in romantic re lationships as opposed to being single. We will also break down the relationship categories to compare and determine if there are any significant differences between the average GPA of each group. For example, analysis will be performed to see if there is a significant difference in GPA between students in serious partner relationships versus those in married relationships. Discussion The null hypothesis of the study states that there is no effect regarding involvement of romantic relationship on GPA. If the resulting P value is greater than or equal to our alpha value of 0.05, we would fail to reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, the projected outcome of the study is that there is no effect on involvement in a romantic relationship and GPA. However, if the resulted P value is less than our alpha value of 0.05, then we would reject the null hypothesis. In the latter case, the result would be that there is an effect regarding involvement of romantic relationship on GPA. The main reason for this study is to see if being in a relationship has an effect on GPA for graduate students. As noted earlier, no study has been done on graduate students in terms of relationships and GPA. While a few studies have been done in the past on relationship status and GPA, the studies were conducted on adolescent (high school age) students. It was agreed by all of the researches of this graduate student study that there is quite a big difference between the types of relationships in high school versus graduate school, as well as the courses, course load, and expectations of each student. Quite frankly, there really is no comparison between the two (high school versus graduate school). While this particular study was done on pharmacy school students, the exact same study can be done to any graduate school program, not just pharmacy. The eight questions in the survey are not specific to pharmacy or any other program and, although we are only concerned with relationship st atus (our independent variable) and GPA (our dependent variable), we also asked a series of other independent variable questions. Further tests and comparisons can be made with the other independent variables collected on the survey questionnaire. This is especially helpful if there is no correlation or significant difference between GPA and relationship status. The other independent variables might be able to explain some of the differences between GPA other than relationship status (for instance, if a student works or volunteers regardless of relationship status perhaps some work has no effect but working full time while in graduate school has an effect on GPA). How many of the additional questions to use in the analysis of the GPA versus relationship status is up to the evaluators of this study. Limitations Results from this study should be interpreted with several limitations in mind. First, the study is limited in sample size because only the first through third year students at one pharmacy school were used as subjects for the survey. This small population would inhibit and prevent the generalization of results and findings from the study to other schools of pharmacy. A second limitation of the study is the narrow focus on pharmacy students. This restricts generalizations of study findings and results to other graduate and professional programs (e.g. medicine, law), undergraduate curriculums, and vocational programs. Another study limitation is the use of different levels of pharmacy students: first-year, second-year, and third-year students. This limitation may skew results due to the differences in the degree of difficulty between the distinct years of professional pharmacy study, and this can have an impact on GPA. Generally, the first year curriculum is less difficult and demanding than the second year curriculum, and the second year curriculum is less difficult and demanding than the third year curriculum. Moreover, the difference in the cumulative amount of classes students have completed between their first, second, and third years in pharmacy school can also impact their overall academic GPA. The results of just one semester of completed classes can be skewed and are more volatile to GPA shifts in the next semester than a student who has completed three years of classes. Furthermore, there may be other factors influencing GPA for first year students that the survey does not account for. T his study limitation may discount external factors such as moving to a new city and or state, starting at a new school, making new friends, finding suitable housing, and even living away from their family for the first time. The study does not take into consideration if a person was in a relationship at some point during graduate school and now is not, and vice-versa. The survey questionnaire only seeks information regarding current romantic relationship status. It can be assumed for those who selected married that they have either been married for the duration of graduate school or were in another of the relationship categories and then got married. This aspect points out that people do not get married without first being casual and/or serious partners. For those in a casual partner relationship, one may wonder how long they have been in the relationship. For some third year students, perhaps they have finally taken on relationships because they feel comfortable with their GPA and school to take on more responsibility. For a first year student, classes and program demands are perhaps still not difficult. This suggests they still can have a romantic relationship without significant effects on GPA. Although the survey questionnaire is completely confidential, some students might find a need to over-inflate their GPA. Instead of asking for them to fill in their actual GPA, ranges were provided in the hopes of keeping over-inflation of GPA to a minimum. However, over reporting of GPA can still exist. Conclusions It is the hope of the evaluators that this study will shed some light on trends in GPA and what exactly affects it in order to help and inform incoming graduate students. With this information and correlations (or no correlation), graduate students will be able to make educated choices in terms of relationships and possibly other aspects outside of the classroom as well (for instance, how much time to work without having an effect on GPA). The results of this study should answer some of the myths of graduate school and having a life at the same time.

The Puerto Rican Community in Hartford :: Culture Puerto Rico Spanish Essays

The Puerto Rican Community in Hartford Social Mobility is a hard term to define because it can be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways. My group has the responsibility of reporting how the Puerto Rican community in Hartford has evolved or changed in the past eighteen years. We are using a special section produced by the Hartford Current as our starting point. From there we are suppose to document how, if at all, the idea of transnational identity and mobility for Hartford’s Puerto Ricans has changed. I am writing about social mobility because my group is interested in knowing if in fact the idea of moving up on the social ladder is a motivation for Puerto Ricans to move to Hartford. Sal Enriquez has already shown that Puerto Ricans have moved to Hartford in the hopes of attaining economic success but what about social success? Before an answer can be provided I must try and define what social mobility is. In the context of this paper social mobility is the ability or opportunity for people within a certain to move up or down. I will assume that those that we are discussing are trying to move up, and not down in social class. It might be argued that social class ascension is directly related to economic success. If one wants to move up the social ladder then they first must move up the economic ladder. Since Puerto Ricans travel to the United States to attain economic stability are they also looking for social stability or improvement? There is no clear answer to this question. There are some Puerto Ricans in Hartford who have migrated so that they can maintain their social class standing. One student here at Trinity College is a good example of such mobility. Luigi Dessy a junior, engineering major, and active participant in school activities says that he came here for a good education and new experiences. He is appreciative of the fact that he has been able to attend private schools his whole life.

The Catcher In The Rye :: essays research papers

The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger The Catcher in the Rye was an interesting and controversial book. I chose to read the book because of the negative status it has with parents, teachers, and school. I wanted to discover what the roots of this controversy are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character who narrates throughout the book, Holden Caulfield, tells about his life before and after he is kicked from Pencey Prep. At Pencey, the only subject he got a decent grade in was English, all others he failed and didn’t show up to regularly. The meat of the book consists mainly of what Holden does and thinks after he leaves Pencey. His internal conflict after leaving is what his parents will think when they find out he had been kicked from another college. The title of the book portrays the best idea of what Holden wants to do with his life. He imagines a group of children playing in a rye field that’s adjacent to a cliff. He described himself to his sister as the person that would catch the kids if they ever got near the edge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was truly enjoyable to read, to see Holden’s strange and peculiar outlook on life. He had very distinct things that he hated and liked. For example, the only kind of books he enjoyed were books written by his brother, who wrote short stories. In many parts of the book, he is remembering a girl he once went out with or liked at one time. In one instance he called a girl he had the number of in the middle of the night from a drab hotel room. I think he did this solely to hear a girl’s voice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversy that has arisen from this book also became clear after reading it. Holden has an overall negative attitude about everything and the way he lives his life. Also, his being kicked from colleges numerous times doesn’t set a good example either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This novel by J.D. Salinger about a troubled teen is one that’s controversial and fun to read at the same time.

Time Waltz :: essays papers

Time Waltz Oriana walked down the hallway, her mind back in a time about a millennium ago. Her people had learned much about the past from historic documents and paleontologists’ findings, and now, through technology, she was going to witness it live. Her people had built a time slider. Now she could go back in time and learn the truth about the North American Indians. She mentally went through her list...†Let’s see...I’ve taken my hair and skin pigmentation pills, and had my eyes colored...I have my clothes waiting, my pouch with my time remote, my taser, and my communicator. All I need now is the languagechip.† Oriana walked into the equipment room, and Erel jumped. â€Å"I am not used to seeing you in Native American pigmentation!† He debriefed her once more about her mission, as he set her down and slipped the languagechip in the facilitator and then used it to put the chip in her brain. Then she changed into an authentic buffalo hide dress and boots. She fastened a bone knife to her boot, and added some rope to her pouch. â€Å"There. Now you are all set.† â€Å"Thanks, chief.† They walked to the time slider’s warping chamber, silent, both a little nervous. Erel reminded her to be careful, and what not to do, and what to do. They shut the door behind them and then Oriana walked into the portal. Everyone else, already stationed, began to get ready. â€Å"Ready, Riana?† â€Å"Yes, Erel. Fire it up.† The time keeper began the count down. â€Å"10...9....8† Oriana swallowed. Erel wiped the sweat from his brow. â€Å"5..4...3† The lights around the portal began to glow. The base began to vibrate. â€Å"2....1! GO!† The lights flickered, the room shook, and the air seemed to erupt with the sound of roaring engines. Oriana screamed, Erel yelled, the other operators struggled to stay calm. Suddenly the lights got bright, then totally dark. The room seemed to rumble and shake. Then it was over. Oriana was gone. Erel switched the communicator on and called to her frantically. â€Å"Oriana! Come in! Did you make it all right?† â€Å"Erel? Yes...I’m fine. I am not sure where I am, though. I am going to explore a little. I will be back in a little.† She switched off her communicator excitedly and started to look around.

“Do the right thing” by Spike Lee Essay

I dearly love the film and maintain that it’s one of the great pictures from the last 10 years. I don’t know what the director of this movie (Spike Lee) intended the moral to be, but my take on the film has always been that NO ONE does the right thing, and this is the cautionary element of the movie. The racial message about racial injustice is very deep and one that every race should see. The climax of the movie is very powerful and deep. The heat is blazing, tensions are running high (especially racial ones), and under this kind of pressure no one behaves according to common courtesy and decency. The entire film is a chain of uncontrolled outbursts of anger that lead to everyone’s misery. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability could be wrong, so is the belief that a particular race is superior to others. Anyone can have a belief like that – black, white, whatever. I am not about to buy into this rhetoric that any race shoulders 100% of the blame for racism in America today. Indeed, but racism is a belief, not an action. Sociologists clearly delineate between â€Å"prejudices† and acts of â€Å"discrimination.† One can be racist (prejudice) and not act on it (discriminate). By the same token, one can discriminate against others and not hold racist beliefs (prejudice). There is simply no way, short of telepathy, to determine if anyone is truly racist. One can easily assume that Adolf Hitler was a racist based on his writings and horrific actions, but there is absolutely no way to know for sure that Hitler *truly* hated Jews or simply used the hatred of Jews as a convenient means to attain power. Anyway, those in a position of power have more opportunities to act discriminatorily than those without, but I see no evidence to suggest that The Powers That Be are more *likely* to engage in such behaviors. As such, a discriminatory action by a â€Å"powerless† person can be more effective than the lack of such an action by someone in power. Riots are NEVER true result of racism, but rather the violent, destructive impulses of citizens with no faith in the justice system to take matters into their own hands. They are simply an opportunity for a misguided youth, unsupervised or uninstructed on issued of morality, to appease their violent appetites by destroying the livelihood of someone who is not exactly like  them. In every major example of the last 40 years in US, the violent rioters were not good citizens who felt pushed to the breaking point by some act of injustice, but degenerates whose prejudices against anyone with more money than they found an excuse in the politicized â€Å"racial† arguments to act out what they never truly cared to know was wrong (Heath & Petraitis, 1987). The only result of a â€Å"race† riot is hatred, looting, and murder. It is not the answer to anything, and should never be treated as such. It is an insult to the millions of black citizens who seek to live their lives as normal, peaceful, law-abiding citizens of the United States to associate them with the few degenerate thieves and murderers who commit â€Å"race† riots (Singer & Singer, 1986). That’s why â€Å"Do the Right Thing† has always touched its viewers. The ending turns a decent, fine comedy-drama into a vessel for class and race related hatred. I do believe in violence as a last measure to protect one’s self, or their personal freedoms, or in the case of a moral war. Just look at my signature closing line. I do not in any way believe that the situation in â€Å"Do the Right Thing† presents a need for violence. It is merely a bunch of tempered people retaliating against the brutality of the police by burning an innocent man’s pizza shop down, apparently only because he was a white business owner. That is sad. I think, really, this film’s central theme if there really is one is the path black men in America today face as inspired by their most prominent leaders. Radio Rahiem is easily the wisest in the entire film as he’s aware of the dichotomy and thus tries to balance his existence under both directions†¦ fight the power constantly playing takes on an entire new meaning here as the film doesn’t really know what the power is that â€Å"PE wants us to fight.† Rahiem knows though, it’s the self. Pretty amazing imagery. But on the other hand, he rarely speaks but instead relies on his radio to speak for him. Likewise, he doesn’t understand his own rhetoric on the nature of love and hate. That made him as ‘racist’ as any other character in the film, with the possible but unlikely exception of smiley, and brings his own death on himself.† I wondered what would be the cops reactions if racial positions had been  reversed (ie a black man’s pizzeria, a white man accidentally killed after basically making a complete, hostile mess of himself, then resisting arrest etc) Would a white cops strangle a white man to death? That’s where racial issues arise. I was upset at the death of radio Rahiem, but just couldn’t escape the fact that he had brought it on himself. No one deserves to die like that. But if he had avoided escalating a completely unnecessary confrontation by assaulting Sal, he wouldn’t have died. He was responsible for his own death, just as Sal was responsible for the destruction of the pizzeria (very nearly his own death) when he destroyed Rahiem’s radio. Radio Raheem was pissed off, his whole existence was that radio. Sure he physically assaulted him, but he didn’t say anything like, â€Å"I’ll kill you†. Maybe if Radio said in an earlier scene â€Å"Man I’m gonna kill that irk bastard† etc. I’d be more apt to agree that Radio Rahiem intent was to kill Sal. Technically Sal brought the destruction of the pizzeria on himself too, by (through the chain of events) not putting up pictures of ‘brothers’ on the walls; but it is his pizzeria and he was within his rights to do so. He yelled racist epithets which is a direct act of aggression and smashed someone’s property to pieces. Instead of destroying someone’s property, he should have called the police to escort Buggin out and Radio Rahim. Radio Rahiem was NOT within his rights when he entered the store and refused to turn his radio down. Of course Sal and Radio Rahiem are both racists, everyone in the film is. No one did the ‘right’ thing in the end, but the unfortunate fact is that, in the final encounter with Radio Rahiem, Sal was just a little more ‘right’ than Radio Rahiem. Imagine Radio Rahiem and Sal were both black (or white.) Imagine the ultimate reasons behind the clash were not racially based. Radio Rahiem is the aggressor, and because of this, ultimately audience sympathy would lie with Sal. Radio Raheem and Buggin’ Out were trying to bully an innocent business owner. It was Sal’s restaurant, if they did not like his regulations than they could leave, but he was entirely within his rights to demand for them to either leave or turn off the music. He certainly gave fair warning, and he never ever tried to physically harm anyone until Radio’s attack. While it is  unfortunate Radio died, he simply was not worth the destruction that was carried out in his name. I also find it mystifying that Mookie, supposedly the levelheaded character in the movie, was so superficial that he blamed Sal for Radio’s death. I cannot reconcile myself with the notion that Mookie throwing the trash can through the pizzeria window was even remotely â€Å"doing the right thing.† I sympathize a lot with Sal, but I also sympathize with Mookie. Sal also cared a lot about the black in Bastury, and was genuinely hurt when some of them turned against him. I will vehemently argue that Sal’s character is not racist; he drops an n-word at the end, but the man is watching his life’s work being torched by arson at the hands of a group of African-Americans; his outburst is understandable and forgivable. Vito, Lee’s Sister, and the baby are as decent as people could be. Da Mayor is a good man who has made mistakes but is trying to change so at this point he’s a good man trying to be a better man. He does drink too many beers with little money, though. One thing that always confused me about this film (although it’s one of my favorites) is why Mother Sister painfully screams â€Å"noooo†, when only a few minutes beforehand, she was right with the crowd yelling â€Å"burn it! burn it!† it seems like a bit of a flaw to me, but I could be wrong. My guess is the â€Å"Burn it down Burn it down† is with respect to the pizzeria. The â€Å"noooo† is with respect to radio Rahiem’s death. Let’s assume that the film is about the cyclical nature of violence. Does Spike Lee( the director) think that all violence is bad or only certain violence is? After reading Martin Luther King’s quote I thought it was all violence; after reading Malcolm X’s quote I got the message that some violence is ok. I know that Blacks have been prejudiced against for a long time, but I don’t see how violence ever solved their problem. It seems to me that Martin Luther King’s non-violence app roach ultimately did much more to further equality than Malcolm X’s approach of violence-sometimes-needed approach. The cops didn’t necessarily care for Sal or anyone there. They didn’t kill Rahiem because they wanted revenge. They did a right think by choking Rahiem, but they should have weakened him enough to handcuff him and then have thrown him in the police car. I doubt either Clubbing or strangling  will ever equate to, to use your words, â€Å"holding him in place until he calmed down†. I doubt those are the only options law enforcement officers have. They shouldn’t have killed him. It was an extreme use of force pure and simple. The key being that if as you say they were trying to prevent Sal from being chocked by â€Å"a criminal† than why didn’t they release their choke hold on Radio Rahiem after he had let go of Sal? They kept choking him long after he was a threat to anyone and it was obvious he himself was being choked to death. Why did they not throw him to the ground at that time and handcuff him? They didn’t even try. In the film, Da Mayor says you gotta â€Å"Do The Right Thing†. Rahiem does not because he won’t respect Sal’s wishes to turn off or turn down the radio (Also didn’t respect Sal’s decision to represent only his culture in the pizzeria). Bugging Out is just a racist who knows nothing and wants to pretend to have a calling so he rides in on Radio’s coattails. Rahiem did the wrong thing and Sal did nothing wrong until he uttered the N-word. I don’t think Sal meant it in that way. He was angry so he exploited a characteristic of Radio’s boom box. The people were angry at Sal for saying the n-word but they didn’t go against Sal. They got confused and yelled. Then the police came in and everything went up in flames. Obviously, a spark leads to a fire. The spark: The police killing Rahiem. The Fire: The mob. It was understandable for there to be a riot and it was understandable that they got angry at white men in general because they are black people and they live in an ugly area. But just because it’s understandable, doesn’t mean its right. The name of the movie is â€Å"Do The Right Thing†. And to be honest, even though that’s very straight and very literal, towards the end it becomes ironic. The moment that they could do the right thing, they did the worst thing of them all. And that riot could have been right but it went wrong. Their anger went in the wrong direction. Things just happen. Sal’s pizzeria going down in flames is symbolic of the fact that people just destroy each other. And in the end, the face of the oppressor (The white man) is thrown on every white body and someone with the face of the oppressor is oppressed. Well, there’s a line (Not from this movie) that goes â€Å"You become the monster so the monster will not break you†. You become what you terrify you. And in  this case, the oppressed (The black community) gets so fed up (Throughout the entire movie, there is talk of there recently being a police brutality situation involving black civilians being killed) with being oppressed that they become what they hate and they oppress someone else: Someone who’s been more of a family member to them then most of their families has a different face than they do. He has the face of the monster, and they don’t like past skin deep and treat him the way they should treat the people who do oppress them. And it’s painful and we don’t know what to think. I’m the least racist person in the world and I’m also the person who is more annoyed than anyone with jokes being allowed to be made about white people and not about black people. I don’t like going to the park and having some guy say, â€Å"White boy, don’t want none of this†. It irritates me because I want plenty. Sometimes it gets so hard to hear all the unfairness and listen to a person’s lack of understanding for another. This film is just a day. It’s the hottest day of the summer. You can do nothing, you can do something, or you can ‘Do The Right Thing.’ You can. So do it.

America’s Commercial Airline Industry

1989 has been a year in which both aviation experts and spokesmen. For the flying public have expressed intensified concern over what they perceive to be a substantial deterioration in the safety of America†s passenger airline operations. In the first nine months of 1989 alone, there have been ten fatal air crashes involving large transport-category planes owned by U. S. based carriers (Ott p. 28). This compares disfavorably to the first nine of months of 1988, when but two such accidents took place, and in fact, it is the highest number of death-causing accidents for the American commercial aviation industry during the 1980s (Fotos p. ). This spate of airborne tragedies has prompted interested parties to ask a series of disturbing questions. Is it now safe to fly on American owned airlines, and, related to this, is it now riskier to board these planes than it was before industry deregulation took place in 1978? What, if any, specific factors have contributed to the perceived decline in the industry†s safety standards? Finally, what, if anything, can be done to enhance the airworthiness of U. S. passenger planes and to improve the safety performance of the crews who man them? In this paper, all three of these questions will be addressed, and, without advancing too far ahead, we discover that there simply are no definitive answers to any of them. As serious accidents among America†s air carriers have mounted in 1989, a â€Å"conventional wisdom† has supplied a plausible account of the historical roots of the present safety problem. In 1978, the Federal government de-regulated the U. S. airline industry. Faced with an increasingly competitive environment, individual carriers tried to hold down fares by making cost-related cuts in policies and procedures related to safety. Many have argued that, â€Å"increased competition may lead airlines to skimp on investments in safety,†(Bornstein and Zimmerman p. 913) by, for example, allowing aging planes to take to the skies following routine inspections rather than replacing them with new craft. But there is an overarching problem with this explanation: 1989†³s accidents apart, empirical data suggest that it is currently safer to fly on a plane operated by a major U. S. air carrier than it was ten years ago! In 1978, the odds of a large airliner†s becoming involved in fatal crash were one for every million aircraft departures; ten years later, that proportion has dropped to around one in every 2. 25 million departures (McConnel p. 207). On the whole, it is, in fact, comparatively safe to fly, and even with 1989 crash incidents added to the aggregated figures, flying is no more dangerous today than it was prior to deregulation. The Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and an array of independent air safety experts have all probed this year†s major airline accidents. Despite all of post hoc study, they have been unable to discern a common link among them, (Ott p. 28) with one major exception. The qualification at hand refers to dramatic increase in the volume of air traffic since de-regulation. According to NTSB member John Lauber, † ‘ if there is a trend in accidents, it is a trend set by the increasing volume of air transport operations rather than any fundamental deterioration in the margins of safety (Ott p. 28). At first glance, this argument is comforting: more flights in the air simply result in more accidents commensurate with higher traffic volumes, so that the impact of de-regulation has had only the broadest and most indirect influences upon the industry†s safety record. But to ascribe the recent rash of safety problems to the â€Å"neutral† effect of higher traffic volume in the wake of de-regulation and leave it at that overlooks several critical points. For example, to remain competitive, many airlines schedule flights in clusters for the convenience of their passengers. This, in turn, as Rudolf Kapustin (an independent industry- watcher) states, tends to increase risks among flight occurring at â€Å"peak times (Ott p. 28). † Far more worrisome, when accidents for smaller, commuter or regional airlines are factored in, we find that 16 percent of all airlines had safety records considerably worse than the norm, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all airborne accidents between 1977 and 1984 (Ott p. 30). These figures strongly indicate that policies and practices by the airlines themselves may have acted as variables that have had a role in recent accidents. There are two major factors that appear to have had a part in this year†s major carrier crashes, both of which can be related to cost cutting challenges upon the airlines unleashed by de-regulation. The first of these concerns the planes themselves. There is evidence to suggest that some U. S. airlines are operating a higher percentage of â€Å"high time† or â€Å"geriatric† aircraft than was previously the case. About 2,300 of the 8,000 odd commercial jets flown by major airline crews have passed twenty years of continuous service. Plainly, aging fleets have some immediate linkage to two recent air fatalities. In April, 1988 Aloha Airlines 737 experienced a structural collapse; a huge section of the upper fuselage peeled off; one flight attendant was killed and sixty-one passengers were injured. â€Å"The aircraft in question,† investigators found, had logged some 90,000 take-off/landing duty cycle, † the second highest number recorded by any jetliner operating in the free world. Eight months later, with the Aloha case still under study, a United Airlines 747 bound for Honolulu literally disintegrated in the air over the Pacific Ocean, resulting in nine deaths. This craft was another â€Å"veteran† plane, one that had a maintenance record suggesting increasing safety problems. Clearly, there is an economic motive behind airline operation of â€Å"geriatric† planes. A Boeing 737, for example, cost around $25 million at present, so that, † it is in the economic interest of an airline to prolong the life of its current fleet if it can do so at reasonable cost and without compromising safety. In the opinion of some critics, given the competitive pressures of a de-regulated market environment, some airlines are paying too much attention to this economic imperative, and, conversely, too little care to the maintenance of adequate safety standards. Most jet transport accidents are not the result of equipment failure; a full two-thirds can be attributed to human error. At present, all U. S. air carriers, major airlines and regionals alike, are facing a reduced pool of qualified pilots and flight personnel to staff their crews. De-regulation has meant a higher level of demand for a finite number of qualified crew members, and, at the same time, the number of potential crew members leaving the nation†s armed forces (the traditional mainstay of new hires for the airlines) has dropped sharply in recent years. As has been noted in a recent issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology: † the major airlines are reported to be drastically reducing the amount of flying time they require from applicants, â€Å"and while † there is no shortage of applicants (there is) a shortage of highly qualified ones (Pilot Turnover†¦ p. 91). Inexperienced pilots tend to make more mistakes than their veteran counterparts, so that the labor demand growth that has taken place with deregulation coupled with a reduced number of former armed forces pilots available may well be a factor undermining airline safety. Having stated that it is, in general, safe to board U. S. operated planes, yet another qualification must be made at this juncture. Smaller carriers, flying short routes and known as â€Å"commuter† airlines have much worse safety records than the major airlines. According to McConnell: In the past decade, commuter airlines have had 81 fatal accidents, Killing 384 people. In 1987 alone 35 accidents caused 58 deaths. And in the first two months of 1988, crashes killed 22. The Commuters† fatal accidents rate per 100,000 departures has averaged Seven times that of the major airlines (McConnel p. 206). These smaller carriers, like their major airlines counternumbers, are subject to FAA monitoring and regulation, and the results of FAA inquiries into the safety of the commuter lines has led the Agency to suspend or revoke commuter airline operating certificates on 58 occasions since 1981 for safety violations. The heart of the problem with the commuter airlines resides in the shrinking pool of qualified pilots available to them (Ott p. 28). Generally offering lower pay than the majors, the commuter lines have experienced a drain of talent as many of their most experienced pilots have left to take positions with the majors. In 1985, major U. S. carriers hired some 7,600n new pilots; the majority of them previously worked for commuter airlines (McConnel p. 209). At the same time, willingness of the majors to accept less qualified pilots from sources apart from the regionals has decreased the quality of regional hires yet another notch (Pilot Turnover†¦ p. 91). The trend toward less experienced crews in this segment of the industry is undeniable. † The pilots hired by U. S. regionals who had less than 2,000 hr. flight time rose 22. 3% of those hired in 1985 to 36. 2% in the first six months of 1989 (Ott p. 29). In addition to a declining level of experience in the cockpits of commuter aircraft, these pilots face demands that often exceed those placed upon pilots working for the majors. On some small carriers, pilots face several trips a day between under-equipped airfields, and in addition must plan routes, study weather, handle baggage and even fuel the plane. Fatigue can become a factor (McConnel p. 207). To fill spots, regionals have tried to lure flight instructors from flying schools into their ranks (Pilots Turnover†¦ p. 91). Unfortunately, by engaging in this practice, the regionals reduce the capacity of the nation†s flight schools to enlarge the pool of personnel available to all carriers. If a shortage of qualified crew members is identified as a factor that has some causal relation to a perceived decline in American air carrier safety, this effect is most acute at the level of the commuter/regional firms. The evidence regarding the effect of de-regulation upon safety for American airlines is mixed, inconclusive, but nevertheless broad enough. Common sense tells us that older planes and less experienced crews will have a negative impact upon safety, and, in the case of commuter lines, the latter has probably contributed to a performance record significantly below that of the major carriers. Given that a case can be made that identifiable variables are now eroding flight safety, the question naturally becomes: What can be done to remedy or, at least, ameliorate this situation? The FAA formed an Airworthiness Assurance Task Force shortly after the Aloha incident, and, in February, 1989, this body issued its recommendations. These proposals generally dealt with the tandem problems of aging fleets and inexperienced crews. Regarding the former, The Task Force noted that in several recent accidents, parts that had either been inspected and passed review or parts that were thought to have an â€Å"infinite† working life, broke down. The Airworthiness Assurance Task Force recommended to the FAA an $800 million program to upgrade older aircraft. The key provision would mandate the replacement of various parts and assemblies at specified time intervals, even if inspection detected no flaws. In other words, the industry would move to a plan of preventive replacement, rather than preventive maintenance. The plan would require repairs in about one of every five jetliners currently in service (Hoffer p115). The FAA itself has followed up on this recommendation: this year the agency mandated replacement of rivets on older 727s, and in the near future, the order will be extended to veteran 737s and 747s as well. The cost of all this promises to be high, amounting to an average of around $600,000 per plane. Still, conducted on a phased basis, it does not spell financial ruin for the majors, and given FAA powers, they have no choice but to comply. The FAA has also made recommendations regarding improvement of crew performance. It has, for example, suggested that airlines should â€Å"avoid pairing two pilots who may be qualified but inexperienced, either as pilot or in the particular aircraft type they would be flying (Ott p. 29). † The Agency has also urged that only experienced pilots be given control over aircraft during times of severe weather conditions. Both of these proposals have been accepted by the industry. Far more controversial, the FAA has also endorsed the idea of setting autonomous safety departments within each airline that would have absolute power to ground flights or personnel on the basis of safety. These departments would actively monitor pilot performance through retrospective examination of data contained in tapes on flight recorders (Fotos p. 31). Although the airlines see such a move as having safety-enhancing outcomes, the notion that control over scheduled flights will be ceded by line management to a safety procedures, has met with some resistance. At bottom, implementing the FAA†s suggestions will carry a step price tag in both financial and management labor terms, and taken together, may contribute to a second round of shakeouts, as weaker carriers will not be able to bear these costs and continue to be competitive.