3 essay about Jay Greenberg, Philip Glass, and Tan Dun

3 about Jay Greenberg, Philip Glass, and Tan Dun - Essay Example I am talking about the likes of Mozart, and Mendelssohn, and Saent-Saens.† (Schorn, â€Å"Bluejay Spreads his Wings†). Greenberg felt attached to music since the earliest years of his life having started to play the cello at the age of three or two. Interestingly, Jay’s mother does not have any musical education and his father is a professor at Yale University teaching Slavic Languages. His next instrument was the piano and his first composition was created when he was just six. The subsequent year he started taking lessons from Anthony Johnson, and in three years Jay entered the Julliard School of Music having won a scholarship to study composition (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). Having received considerable training in music theory, piano and ear training, Jay took classes at Yale University. He is known to currently study at Cambridge in the UK. Similarly to some other composers, Jay says he hears some music that is being performed inside his head. Moreover, he is able to hear a few pieces at once. He then notates the music he has just heard. This is how he writes his music. By the way, Jay composes his pieces with the help of the computer through the music notation program. The directions of his work include solo, chamber and orchestral music, with his unique talent being spotted by Sony Classical and IMG Artists which signed exclusive contracts with him. Jay’s music has been described as â€Å"accomplished† (Los Angeles Times), having â€Å"21st century tonality, excitement, and lyricism† (The Washington Post), having â€Å"verve of the rhythms and invention in harmonies† (The New York Times). His most important works include â€Å"Quintet for Strings†, â€Å"Symphony No. 5†, â€Å"Violin Concerto†, â€Å"Four Scenes†, â€Å"Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra† (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). One of his latest works is a song called â€Å"I still keep mute† which was set to the Nabokov’s poem. Philip

Physical wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical wellness - Essay Example Proposed fitness plan: Diversify cardio activities if possible through different activities - running on treadmill, swimming, spinning, step aerobics, kick boxing. Increase cardio activity to 40 minutes at least 3 days a week. Intensify by using weights - ankles, waist, or specially designed weight jacket. Goals: Maintain weight through cardio and strength training. Proper and regular eating habits will be instituted. 4 - 5 small meals each day will be used to maintain energy. Fruits and vegetables can be eaten for healthy snacks between meals. Avoidance of high sodium, high carbohydrate, and high fat foods. Consistent water intake of at least 64 ounces a day for optimum body functioning will be needed. Avoidance of energy drinks and caffeine. Drinks containing electrolytes should be careful consumed, assisting in the body maintaining homeostasis. Proposed plan: Alternate upper body and lower body work-outs in minimize fatigue of larger muscle groups in each area. For each exercise, a total of 12 -15 reps, and a total of 3 sets of reps should be followed. Work major muscle groups and smaller muscle groups to maximize the workout. Circuits can provide cardio during strength training - this entails moving from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between. Free weights and exercise bands can be used for resistance training. Less weight more reps for lean muscle and less reps higher weight for creating heavier muscle mass should be taken into consideration. Exercises to be used: To work large muscle groups within the legs, squats and lunges should be used, with or without weight. Arms: bar bell bicep curls - allows for heavier weight usage and is easiest in technique; alternate dumb bell bicep curls, allows for one arm to rest while another arm works; use of bands with these exercises - use one foot or both feet to hold the band in place while pulling the band in the same motions used with free weights. Abs: standing abdominal work will reduce the stress that is placed on the back while doing crunches in a lying position - the basic standing tuck position works the abs by having the person tuck their hips while maintaining a straight back. Bending from side to side will work the obliques in concert with the abdominals. Goals: Increase muscle tone through gradual weight increments and usage. Increase the amount of weight that can be used during workouts before exhaustion sets in. Use of strength training equipment at Planet Fitness Gym and/or exercise instructional videos for wide variety of exercises. Stress Management Plan: Part 3 Current stressors: Full time college student, living at home with parents, working 3 -4 days a week as a secretary. Inable to sit for long periods of time. Constant stress and high anxiety levels present. Current stress relief activities: Use of sports/exercise; playing piano. Proposed plan: Using time effectively, both exercise and relaxation techniques could be employed. Yoga, pilates, and the newest combination called piyo can be used for stretching, strengthening, as well as for meditative purposes. Receiving a full body massage monthly will help reduce muscle fatigue and lower stress levels by fully relaxing the entire body. A hot bath will also relax the body and help reduce muscl

An Overview Of The Book Of Ruth Theology Religion Essay

An Overview Of The Book Of Ruth Theology Religion Essay The Bible is full of inspirational concepts and full of revelatory truth. While the Old Testament points to Jesus of New Testament, it also contains basic doctrines that are established in the New Testament. Hence, words like kindness, faithfulness and mercy have their root in the Hebrew Bible. Hesed is an interesting and fascinating Hebrew word that has a wide range of meaning. The desire to study it makes one to learn a great deal about the characters and attributes of God as it relates to His kindness, faithfulness, goodness, mercy and steadfast love. Hesed was explicitly expressed in the Bible, most especially in the Old Testament. God revealed Himself to His chosen nation (Israel) through His personal attributes and characters (Jenkins,2011:1). No discussion of hesed would be complete without mentioning its role in the interactions of Naomi, her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, and the redeemer Boaz. It is on this fact that this paper answers the following questions: What does the concept of hesed entails? What is the general overview of the Book of Ruth? How is hesed described in the book of Ruth? And what implications do hesed present to the Nigerian Christians? This paper therefore intends to discuss how hesed was embraced and expressed in the Book of Ruth. THE CONCEPTS OF HESED There is a beautiful and rich word in the Hebrew language that powerfully describes the faithfulness, mercy, steadfastness and loving-kindness of the Lord. This Hebrew word is transliterated into English as hesed (Maxey, 2012:1). Hesed (pronounced khesed) is not just a Hebrew word to be translated by exegete as simply loving-kindness or mercy , it is in fact an attribute of God. The hesed of God is a divine characteristic and is at the center of why God acts as He does in real space and time. (Belnap,2009,1) Hesed as Jenkins(2011) asserted can be divided into the following three categories: family relationships, relational and religious (1). He went further to describe its occurrences in the Bible in the following words: Hesed occurs in the family relationships categories seven times in the Old Testament, six times in Genesis, once in 1samuel and once in Ruth. Hesed occurs in nine times in a relational way in the Old Testament- once in Ruth, once in Psalms, once in Esther, once in Daniel, twice in Ezra, once in Job, once Psalms and once Zechariah. Hesed used in a religious category involves forty times in the Old Testament- four timed in Genesis, once in Exodus and Deuteronomy two times in 2nd Samuel, fifteen times in Psalms. Once in 1Kings, once in 2nd Chronicles, once in Job, three times in Isaiah, once in Jeremiah, and once in Ruth. (2) The Bible also reveals that hesed is an attribute that children of God possess and they are commanded by God to emulate and develop it. Being made in God image, Gods people can emulate the divine attribute of hesed. While the idea of loving-kindness and mercy may seem to be only that of positive emotion, it will be demonstrated that Gods loving-kindness is a two-edged sword. Hesed can also mean a mechanism of judgment and accountability before God. People can be described as having the gift of hesed or having no hesed, or no loving-kindness. Hesed is both a Hebrew word and more importantly a Jewish theological concept. Hesed is found approximate 250 times in the Hebrew Bible, with about125 appearances in the Psalms alone. And while the word is not identified specifically as hesed in the Greek New Testament, the Old Testament concept of loving-kindness, mercy and selfless giving can be said to be the very heart of the New Testamnt Gospel. For God so loved the world that He gaveà ¢Ã¢â €š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Jn 3:16) (Emilio, 2012:4). AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF RUTH The Book of Ruth is named after one of the main characters in the story. There are two books in the Bible that bear the name of a woman. These books are: Ruth and Esther. While Ruth was Moabites, Esther on the other hand was a Jewess. The Book of Ruth has the records of a Gentile woman who came to live among the people of Israel and became the great-grandmother of David, Isreal greatest king; while in the Book of Esther an Israelite woman was taking into the court of the Gentile king and became a queen who secured deliverance for her people (Cowle, 2008; 22). Also, Tiessen in his write up portrays the book of Ruth as one of the most well-crafted pieces of literature in the Old Testament. He submits that: Despite its lesser status within the Jewish canon and the Christian Bible, the narrative of Ruth is well known. This popular familiarity is largely due to the engaging and challenging story the book offers: The tale of two women who overcome several formidable obstacles and succeed in preserving themselves and the family line, which eventually leads to the great King David (Tiessen,2010:1) The name of Ruth is mentioned twelve times in this book which bears her name (Heijkoop, 1989:7). The meaning of this name is friendship. This meaning according to Harlow (1987) reflected in the relationship of Ruth with her mother in-law (Naomi), and other people that came along her way. Even though she was a stranger in a strange land she blended well with the people because being friendly was part of her (5). This book of Ruth is in connection with the geneology of Jesus Christ as recorded in (Matt 1.5). Heijkoop (1989) also asserted that, The book itself beautifully illustrates how the Holy Spirit gathers up family circumstances in a manner which quite naturally directs the mind and thoughts to a very important truth(7). This special story in the Book of Ruth draws ones attention to the most precious titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word kinsman as used here could be translated as Redeemer or Avenger. This little book of only four chapters has drawn tributes from very many, and it has even been described as the Perfect Story. It is told simply and directly. Cundall and Morris (1968) in their own assertions described this book in the following words: The book is a book about friendship. The devotion that Ruth shows to Naomi and the care that Naomi exercises towards Ruth run through the book. It is simple a tale of friendship. The three principal characters of the book are depicted as being mindful of their obligations to the family. Ruth does not forget her duty to Naomi, and consequently to Elimelech, Naomi seeks out a marriage that will preserve the name of her deceased husband while Boaz marries the Moabites to raise up the name of the dead (241). It is better to see the book as a tale told because it is true and because it shows something of the relationship between God and man. The book of Ruth raises the question of whether or not Yahweh can be trusted. The incident suggests to Naomi that God had abandoned her or He is no more reliable. The author of the is unknown, but the last verse of chapter 4 points to the fact that it was written during the time of king David because the is where the list of Ruth descendants ends. (Harlow,1987; 6). The story according to Reid (2000), is told from a female point of view and certainly seems to commend Naomi and Ruth to believers (25). HESED IN THE BOOK OF RUTH The book of Ruth revolves around the concept of hesed. Hesed is an active concept and it is considered as an essential part of the nature of God. The word is frequently used to describe the gracious and merciful practices of God (Farmer, 1991: 96). Human beings, as said earlier are also expected to show hesed to one another. The Book of Ruth is about a stranger who had probably not encountered God personally but might have been hearing her mother in-law talked about that God. This gentile woman acted as an agent of Gods hesed when she showed hesed to Naomi. When Naomi thought that every hope was gone, this non- Israelite woman that brought hope by showing kindness to her mother in-law. In accordance with this, Farmer asserted: Ruths speech in 1:16-17constitutes an act of hesed. By committing herself and her future to the Lord, Ruth becomes the means through which God will transform Naomis emptiness into fulfillment. The Lord will be able to work through the loving-kindness of Ruth to change a crises situation into an occasion for hope. The Book of Ruth is a special book Christians should study and ponder well upon. It has an unhappy beginning, an uncertain middle and a happy ending. The tragedy that befell Naomi made her to forget that YHWH is still in control and that He can still bring redemption. This reflected in her statement: 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back, each of you, to your mothers home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband. Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, We will go back with you to your people. But Naomi said, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lords hand has gone out against me! 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Look, said Naomi, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her. ( Ruth:8-15) NIV Naomi tried to convince the women to go back home She even reminded them of their mothers house. She knew the weak spot of Moabites female. The existence of Moab was the result of willfulness of the part of Moabs first mother, who at all costs had to have a relationship with a man and have children. (Gen 19:30-38) And the daughters of Moab had manifested the same willfulness (Heijkoop 31-33). Naomi directly blames YHWH for the tragic circumstances of her life. Believing that everything came from God. Her situation can be related to that of Job. Job accepted the misfortune that came upon him is from God. He said: Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? (Job 19:21-22). NIV Bruggeman, quoted by Tiessen explained the thoughts of job in relation to that of Naomi in these words: Job asks: Is God reliable? And Job, in his rage, entertains the option that Yahweh is not. Naomi, like Job, is in the throes of tragedy and likewise expresses and entertains the option that Yahweh is not reliable. Notice that in 1:13b Naomi asserts that the hand of Yahweh is against her, and thus she excludes her daughters-in-law who also have experienced profound loss through the deaths of their husbands (4). Naomi also pointed to her lonely position. A life without a husband and no children who would give her hope. All was Gods fault. Not only did Naomi try to keep her daughters-in-laws from joining her by depriving them of any hope of help, but she had also given them a total false picture of God, who actually is the husband to the widows and helper to the strangers. She indicated that God was responsible for all her misfortune, instead of admitting that she had brought those things upon herself by leaving God and His appointed place where they would have blessings (Heijkoop,36). She and her entire family chose to go to Moab neglected the place where they would have had the experience of Gods hesed as the Psalmist expressed: Behold, the Lords eye is upon those who fear Him who revere and worship Him with awe, who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness,  To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine (Ps 33:18-19). Naomis great effort to dissuade her daughters-in-law from accompany her seems strange, especially in view of her desire that they become true children of the Lord God of Israel. However, it seemed to be the only course she could take in view of her dire circumstances (Parker, 1980:144). While Orpah yielded to the advice of her mother in-law, went back to her own people and gods. Ruth clave to her, And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you (1:16-17). The strong desire of Ruth to go with Naomi symbolized her commitment to her and her God. Ruth was neither obliged for expected to become her mother-in-laws source of support. But once they were back in Bethlehem she was the one who went into the fields to glean the bits of grain that the harvests missed. Ruth indeed was a good daughter in-law. Her kindness was a total self sacrifice. She took the initiative in providing for their needs by suggesting that Naomi let her glean ear of corn. Gleaning, according to Parker (147) was a special provision of God written into the law to provide for the poor, especially for strangers, widows, and orphans (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut.24:19). The practice required that owners should leave at harvest the corners of their fields and the droppings of the harvesters to care for the unfortunate groups of people. The attitude of Ruth towards Naomi by volunteering herself to take care of her is an expression of hesed which actually belongs to YHWH. One would wonder how a gentile could display the attributes that Gods children should possess. Emilio responded in the following words: How then did Ruth, a Moabitess, come by this divine trait which was originally given by God to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The answer to this mystery is not found in the Holy Bible. However the Talmudic explanation is of value and interest because it helps clarify the theology of hesed which is found in both the OT and NT. Simply put, the Sages held that Ruth was a direct descendent of Abraham by way of Lot. They teach that Ruth was the daughter of Eglon and the granddaughter of Balak who were direct descendents of Moab the son of Lot and nephew of Abraham. Thus Ruth was an inheritor of the seed of lovingkindness which Abraham planted in Lot (Emilio, 2012) The hesed that Ruth showed to Naomi made it possible for her to meet her redeemer. Ruth met Boaz and received unexpected praise and favour. 11  And Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before. 12  The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge! 13  Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants. 14  And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine [mixed with oil]. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi]. 15  And when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Ruth 2:11-15 The writer of this paper has discovered that Ruth and Boaz are like-minded people. The similarities between them are emphasized. Reid (2000), enumerates their similarities as follows: Boaz praised Ruth for her kindness to Naomi (Ruth 2:11-12) and Ruth praised Boaz for his generous kindness to her (Verses 10, 13). As Boaz enters the field, he pronounced a kindly phrase, The Lord be with you!(verse 4). This suggests that Boaz is such a leader who values and respected his employees. The workers respond, The Lord bless you! Boaz is clearly a good, kind man; who is suitable for good, kind Ruth (41). Studying this Book one will discover that God is at work even in the lives of his people. Ruths story reveals loud and clear that through the ordinary and unpredictable aspects of everyday life, one experience the reality of Gods care (Reid, 2000:25-28). IMPLICATIONS OF HESED FOR NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS Hesed in the book of Ruth is significant to the Nigerian Christians. It expresses how good and faithful YHWH is to His promises. He remembered Naomi in her low estate (Psalm 136: 23), even though she and her family brought the tragedy upon themselves. Many Nigerians Christians today run to Oversee countries because of the economical situation of their father land. Some of them are lost not remembering home again. The writer of this paper is of the opinion that there is still hope for Nigeria. The situation can still be better than what it is, if only Nigerian Christians can hope in God and trust Him absolutely. Similarly, hesed in the Book of Ruth stresses both family and community loyalty. Naomi thought first of the welfare of her daughters-in-law. She always acted with their best interest in mind. Boaz was noble. Ruth was loyal. Kent, (1980) submits that the simple narrative also amply illustrates the Lords providential care. God is clearly at work in the lives of those open to Him (143). Nigerian Christians are to commit to one another so as to be of help to one another in terms of needs; an adage says a friend in need is a friend indeed Also, as God expressed hesed (mercy) to His people, He expects them to reciprocate. God was ever faithful and devoted to His people (Israel) in the ancient time and He is still the same God of the contemporary times. In like manner does He expect faithfulness, total dedication and devotional life from the Nigerian Christians. The Christian leaders are expected to be faithful and dedicated to the position they are holding. They should be mindful of the welfare of their followers. As God is good and loyal to His promises, Boaz was good and kind to his followers so the Nigerian Christians should be good and loyal to one another. Also, Nigerian Christians should see God as a God of love and should demonstrate that love into their personal lives and ministries towards others. By doing this, Christians will be able to demonstrate to the world in words and deeds that their lives are grounded in the character of God who loves and desires to redeem the world through the person and work of Jes us Christ. Furthermore, it is worth noting that God can use anybody, no matter how rough the background may be. Willingness and readiness is what He desires. In like manner, Christians should pay sacrifice of taking other peoples problem upon themselves. They should be mindful of poor and the needy around them. CONCLUSION Hesed, is indeed a word denoting emotion but it is more a word of action. On the other hand, hesed is a gift from God, that is to say, God imparts a measure of His loving kindness to His children. And He expects all His children to express it to one another. Hesed, as used in this paper reveals the characters of three major people, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Many in this world have experienced the tragedy of Naomi and long for God to be present and active amidst situations where He does not always act in the way human beings expect. But absolute trust in Him will end in a happy way.

Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin Essay -- Literature

Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins. Merlin gains his first mention in eight ancient Welsh poems attributed to the Welsh bard Myrddin. (Bruce) Signs of his Welsh, druidical heritage are all through the verses. One poem invokes an apple-tree to hide Merlin from his pursuing enemies, and magical apple-trees are common in Welsh fairyland. Another of Merlin's purported poems is addressed to a little pig, and in another he mentions a wolf as one of his few companions. Both of these animals are common devotional cult-objects in Welsh druidism. One poem indicates that Merlin/Myrddin spends a great deal of his time with deer, perhaps even appearing in the form of a stag and living as one. This description is reminiscent of the Welsh stag-god Cernunnos, "The Horned One," who appears as a man with a stag's head and associates with deer. (Tolstoy) In the Welsh poem "Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin" ("The Dialogue of Merlin and Taliesin"), written down around 1050, we receive our first indication of Merlin's most prominent gift in la ter literature, that of prophecy. The poem ends with the lines "Since I, Myrdin, am next after ... ...ne of the great and enigmatic characters of the Matter of Britain and, for that matter, of all literature.    Works Cited Bruce, Dr. James Douglas. The Evolution of Arthurian Romance. Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1958. Loomis, Roger Sherman. The Arthurian Romance. London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., 1963. Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History. Clarendon Press, 1959. Ownbey, E. Sydnor. Merlin and Arthur: A Study of Merlin's Character and Function in the Romances Dealing with the Early Life of Arthur. Vanderbilt University, 1932. Paton, Dr. Lucy Allen. Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance. New York: Burt Franklin, 1960. Tatlock, J.S.P. The Legendary History of Britain. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1950.       Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin Essay -- Literature Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins. Merlin gains his first mention in eight ancient Welsh poems attributed to the Welsh bard Myrddin. (Bruce) Signs of his Welsh, druidical heritage are all through the verses. One poem invokes an apple-tree to hide Merlin from his pursuing enemies, and magical apple-trees are common in Welsh fairyland. Another of Merlin's purported poems is addressed to a little pig, and in another he mentions a wolf as one of his few companions. Both of these animals are common devotional cult-objects in Welsh druidism. One poem indicates that Merlin/Myrddin spends a great deal of his time with deer, perhaps even appearing in the form of a stag and living as one. This description is reminiscent of the Welsh stag-god Cernunnos, "The Horned One," who appears as a man with a stag's head and associates with deer. (Tolstoy) In the Welsh poem "Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin" ("The Dialogue of Merlin and Taliesin"), written down around 1050, we receive our first indication of Merlin's most prominent gift in la ter literature, that of prophecy. The poem ends with the lines "Since I, Myrdin, am next after ... ...ne of the great and enigmatic characters of the Matter of Britain and, for that matter, of all literature.    Works Cited Bruce, Dr. James Douglas. The Evolution of Arthurian Romance. Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1958. Loomis, Roger Sherman. The Arthurian Romance. London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., 1963. Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History. Clarendon Press, 1959. Ownbey, E. Sydnor. Merlin and Arthur: A Study of Merlin's Character and Function in the Romances Dealing with the Early Life of Arthur. Vanderbilt University, 1932. Paton, Dr. Lucy Allen. Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance. New York: Burt Franklin, 1960. Tatlock, J.S.P. The Legendary History of Britain. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1950.      

Having My Ear Surgery

One of the times that I was most proud of was the time that I had my ear surgery done on December 19. I wanted ear surgery so I can hear better and because of the hole in my ear. Before surgery I was scared and worried that it will hurt so bad and painful. Right before surgery, they numbed my vein with liquid and put an intravenous needle in the numbed skin vein and they put me in the operating room. During surgery, I didn’t feel anything and the doctor started the surgery by making an incision on the ear and he put a patch on it. Next, he put more patches on the part close to my eardrum and then he found an old ear tube close to my eardrum and he removed it. After the surgery I went to the recovery room and stayed there for more than an hour and during that time I had some stuff to eat and then after that we went home. One day someone put hot sauce in a soda bottle and put it in the fridge. I came to take it out and then I started to take the bottle out. Then I started to drink from it and my tongue started to burn and I needed help from mom and I had to drink water to make the burning sensation to go away. The burning sensation went away then I had more hot sauce then the burning sensation came back. The smell was very odoriferous and spicy. The lesson that I learned was before eating or drinking anything you are supposed to check the contents of the container.

A Comparison in Anthem

ANTHEM In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the story of Equality 7-2521 and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden can be compared and contrasted in many different ways. Two of those are their similarities and differences. They include both personal and behavioral similarities as well as personal and behavioral differences. They will be stated in the following paragraphs. There are similarities between Equality 7-2521 and Adam. They were both born with a natural curiosity. The curiosity caused them to do something that was explicitly forbidden.This led Equality 7-2521 to rediscover something that was wiped from human memory for a great length of time as stated on page 52: â€Å"We, Equality 7-2521, have discovered a new power of nature. And  we have discovered it alone, and we alone are to know it. † (Rand 41)He attempted to share his discovery but was rejected and scorned. Adam’s curiosity led him to eat the â€Å"forbidden† fruit from the tree from th e center of the Garden of Eden. This action caused his banishment from the Garden of Eden. What they both committed was considered by the governing authority to be sins.Equality 7-2521 was forced to run away because he dared to have an independent mind. Adam was forced out of Eden because he did not obey God. Also†¦ They were condemned for committing a great â€Å"sin. † The â€Å"sin† was disobeying a godlike authority. Equality and Adam both obtained information that was forbidden by the authority that governed them. Equality obtained forbidden information through secretly studying information on the time before the Great Rebirth, rediscovering electricity and creating a piece of electrical equipment.The World Council banned such actions so when he tried to convince the Council of Scholars, they threatened to report him and destroy his discovery as stated on 72: â€Å"You shall be burned at the stake,† said Democracy 4-6998. â€Å"No, they shall be lashe d,† said Unanimity 7-3304, â€Å"till there is  nothing left under the lashes. † And page 74: â€Å"This thing,† they said, â€Å"must be destroyed. †Ã‚  And all the others cried as one: â€Å"It must be destroyed! â€Å"(Rand 41) He was forced to run deep into the uncharted forest where he hid. Adam obtained the forbidden information through eating the â€Å"forbidden† fruit from the tree at the center of Eden.He gained knowledge of many things that were forbidden by God. As a result, he was banished from Eden. The similarities have been stated although†¦ There are also differences between Adam and Equality 7-2521. One is the sin they committed. Equality 7-2521 committed the sin of individual thought. He dared to live, think and love for himself. He also rediscovered electricity by himself, which was considered evil because he didn’t work with the rest of his â€Å"brothers† as stated on page 73: â€Å"So you think that you have found a new power,† said Collective  0-0009. â€Å"Do you think all your brothers think that?   Ã¢â‚¬Å"No,† we answered. â€Å"What is not thought by all men cannot be true,† said Collective   0-0009. â€Å"You have worked on this alone? † asked International 1-5537. â€Å"Yes,† we answered. â€Å"What is not done collectively cannot be good,† said International 1-5537. †(Rand 41)Adam committed the sin of disobedience. He ate the â€Å"forbidden† fruit when God specifically told him not to. As a result, he was banished from the Garden of Eden. Another difference is how they reacted after they left their residence. When Adam was banished, he did not seek revenge against God. He decided to continue living as normally as possible.Equality 7-2521 on the other hand, decided to start a new society that permits individual thought and makes it his goal to tear down the society he lived in and raze the city he lived in to the g round. In conclusion, Equality 7-2521’s story is some that can be easily compared and contrasted with the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. This essay summarized their similarities and differences. There are many other ways to compare and contrast Adam and Equality 7-2521 that are not written in this essay. They may be in a different one. Works Cited Rand, Ayn. Anthem: Student Edition Toronto: Signet, 1995.

Writing for International Markets

Writing for International Markets Make your freelance writing career go viral. To make more money in 2014, take your marketing outside of North America. Introduce your work to a global audience. The Internet and social media have made this task easy, but its still your responsibility to be pro-active. Like hanging out on Facebook, the epitome of social media? Facebook can lead you to international markets. Using hashtags, you can find a publication with similar content to your post. For example, if youre writing about high school proms, you can write about the increasing cost of prom dresses, underaged sex or alcohol. When working with editors from overseas, keep in mind five types of stories most likely to be accepted: 1. Celebrity profiles. Overseas, the American entertainment industry still creates the most revenue. If youve written profiles of American celebrities and business leaders, and you still own rights, sell them to overseas publications as reprints. Even if you sold all rights to one article, most of the time you can still write and publish articles on similar topics. 2. Travel articles. If youre a native New Yorker, editors from London to Mumbai eagerly want to read your views of Central Park, the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg and the Bronx Zoo. Ditto for residents of Orlando or Vail, Colorado. Even if your towns small and relatively nondescript, use your imagination to transform a local event or destination into a beautiful word picture for foreign vacationers or local staycationers. 3. Write about the demographic of your magazine. This is almost impossible for writers not familar with the magazines location. The majority of editors prefer local writers to write about their culture. However, if you know some Indian-Americans, for example, and you want to write about how domestic violence or mental illness affects the Indian-American community in your city, you can pitch to an Indian magazine. 4. Write about American trends. To most of the world, Americas still a leader in finance, culture and science. Many international publications want stories on how trends in the United States affect their particular country. An Australian magazine may want a piece on how their local retail sector reacted to the financial safety breach at Target. A trade magazine from South Africa may want a how-to on encouraging customers to start using credit and debit cards again after similar scandals. If its just a straightforward trend article, editors prefer local writers, so stand out 5. Essays. Another way to crack international markets is through personal essays, especially based on experiences located in the magazines country. Essays can be humorous, political or foster cross-cultural understanding. In this case, always read the magazine before submitting your unsolicited manuscript even if the magazine only comes through snail mail. Stereotypes are not only offensive, theyre a waste of time and cost you money. Here are seven international publications that are looking for material: Writing Magazine www.writers-online.co.uk Country: United Kingdom Contact: Jonathan Telfer Email: jtelfer@writersnews.co.uk BUZZZ Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine www.buzzzmagazine.com Country: Jamaica Contact: Fabian Barracks Email: buzzzeditor@gmail.com female www.femalemag.co.my Country: Malaysia Contact: Terry Saw Email: terrysaw@bluinc.com.my British Airways High Life www.highlife.ba.com Country: United Kingdom Contact: Kerry Smith Email: kerry.smith@cedarcom.co.uk GQ Australia www.gq.com.au Country: Australia Contact: Jake Millar Email: jake.millar@news.com.au WestJets up! Magazine www.upmagazine.com Country: Canada Contact: website for online submission form In Lan Chile Magazine www.in-lan.com Country: Chile Contact: Roberto Schiattino Email: rschiattino@spafax.com

The Worlds First Farmers essays

The World's First Farmers essays One day about 9,000 B.C- thats about 11,000 years ago - a little boy was walking. He picked up some grains of wheat, which were growing wild. As usual, when he got back to camp where he lived, he gave the grains to his mother. She ground then into flour between two flat stones. But no one noticed that a few of the grains fell on to earth. Weeks later, when the family was wandering in search of food, they passed by their old camp. There, as if by magic, was a little clump of green shoots. More wheat! The fallen grains has sprouted and begun to grow. Soon there would be new grains of wheat to pick. The family had made a great discovery-instead of having to search for wild food, they could grow it themselves in one place. And so they settled down. They gathered more wild grains and them in the ground. They built huts with sticks covered in mud. They even built storehouses to keep their spare food in. as time went by; they learned how to keep goats and sheep in herds nearby. Now they could have meat and milk whenever they like or feel like having some. This was probably the way farming began. It was one of the most important changes in human history. People no longer needed to wander about in search of food. They could stay in one place and farmland. And with time to invent new skills such as pottery and weaving. How did farming change peoples' lives? Before farming people lived by hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants. When supplies ran out, these hunter-gatherers moved on. Farming meant that people did not need to travel to find food. Instead, they began to live in settled communities, and grew crops and raised animals on nearby land. They built stronger, more permanent homes and surrounded their settlements with walls to protect themselves. How did people become better farmers? By around 9000 B.C, people were storing grains during the winter, then sowing them in specially cleared plots. By 800B.C, the farmers ...

An Introduction To The Operations Management Concepts Business Essay

An Introduction To The Operations Management Concepts Business Essay Operations Management has been defined by Krajewski, et al. (2007) as the control and direction of the processes of the organization that changes its input materials to products and/or services for its customers. This report will compare how Mercedes-Benz and Honda manage their operations. The comparison might be useful because it would help identify various ways an organisation could be run in order to meet its goals and objectives. The report will give a brief background of the two organizations mentioned above and then would move on to the comparison of their marketing strategies and competitive priorities. Finally, the importance of frameworks such as capacity planning, inventory management, supply chain design, Total quality management and performance measures, would be discussed and how they could be useful in helping an organisation function efficiently and effectively. A) COMPANY BACKGROUND OF MERCEDEZ BENZ [MERCEDEZ-BENZ U.S. INTERNATIONAL, inc. (MBUSI)] and HONDA [HONDA MA NUFACTURING OF ALABAMA, LLC. (HMA)]. MERCEDEZ-BENZ (MBUSI) Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (http://www.mbusi.com) was established for the main purpose of manufacturing the M-Class. The M-class was such a huge success that they decided in August 2000 to expand the facility not only to manufacture more units of It, but also to include the R and GL-classes to its product list. The expansion not only doubled the plant size but also the labor force. The plant consists of a body shop, paint shop and two assembly shops. MBUSI receives orders from their 135 worldwide markets. MBUSI uses the â€Å"Just-in-Time† (JIT) philosophy which implies that they do not stockpile large amounts of the inventory they use to assemble their cars. HONDA (HMA) HMA (http://www.hondaalabama.com) manufactures the odyssey, ridgeline and pilot models for the world wide market. HMA’s investment in Alabama is over $1.4billion with the construction of a new Honda Engineering facility, on-site con solidation center and steel blanking operation. One of their goals is to be able to produce goods with high quality and sell at a reasonable price. HMA can be referred to as a Zero Landfill Facility due to the fact that they are committed to the principle of â€Å"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle†. They have made efforts in curbing energy use during their production processes, and this has earned them an energy star award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A.1) OPERATION/TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS MERCEDEZ-BENZ (MBUSI) The manufacturing process for both models begins in the Body Shop where the components that comprise the metal body are welded together. From the body shop, they are taken to the ultra-clean Paint Shop where the cars are painted. Finally, they end up in the Assembly where it becomes a new Mercedes-Benz M, R, or GL-Class ready for shipping. From beginning to end, these vehicles are created with style, functionality, and quality in min d (http://www.mbusi.com). HONDA (HMA) Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (HMA) has the largest output for Honda light trucks. It has the capacity to create over 300,000 odyssey minivans, pilot sport utility vehicles, Ridgeline pick-up trucks and V-6 engines annually (http://www.hondaalabama.com).

The Current Strategic Position of Amazon com Essay

The Current Strategic Position of Amazon com - Essay Example The web guides in countries like Japan, Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many others, it has been able to reach out to an international internet audience. Moreover, its business associates are also swelling in ranks and may now be more than 900,000 members in over 150 counties of the world. Its strategic alliance with Dell Computers in co-branding endeavors has also yielded excellent results. Dell main strategic position has been due to its fundamental, or core concept, of devising a long-term strategy for its company, and all its efforts are being directed towards achieving a robust long-term leadership in this field. Current strategy: Its current strategy is seen in terms of achieving market leadership on a long-term basis by a portfolio of judicious investments that could consolidate its position and brand image in the global markets. Internet business is subject to ill effects of market vicissitudes, which strike without notice, and companies need to take previous safeguards to alleviate, if not eliminate the detrimental effects of such risks and threats. Problems facing amazon.com : The main issues that are now being faced by amazon.com are firstly, in terms of whether their present business model could be successfully implemented during the next five years of the company’s lifetime, or should grassroots changes need to be institutionalized to keep pace with market demands and changing business environments. Secondly, the idea of catering a large number of products and services to all strata of customers needs to be reviewed or not, and what the future holds for this kind of marketing strategies. Thirdly, it also needs to look into the matter of how marketing innovative techniques and methods could be successfully evolved to meet future leadership challenges, and how this could lead to increased levels of consumer satisfaction. Finally, whether the image of being an internet Wal Mart could be successfully sustained in the years to come.

Education - Communication with Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education - Communication with Families - Essay Example Also, the teacher has provided translators for parents whose first language is not English. Since â€Å"translators† is plural, it is possible the teacher arranged for translators of more than a single language to be present at the meeting. Also, the teacher announces a willingness to stay late one day a week until 8:00 PM. Showing sensitivity to parents provides instant benefits. Thanking attendees for their presence is a basic element in many addresses, because it focuses attention on the audience and the effort they made to get to the meeting. As Mendoza (2003) notes, geographic distances can be difficult for some parents to cross so they can get to school events. By providing translators, the teacher is indicating an understanding that language barriers might exist and need to be addressed. This action says, â€Å"Those of you who can’t speak English deserve to know this, too.† The teacher’s willingness to stay late once a week would positively affect parents who could not make it to the school during regular school hours. Mendoza (2003) cites a study that showed how the structure of the school day limited information exchange to transition periods. A meeting at 6:00 PM would be more peaceful and productive for both parties than a hurried exchange in the parking circle at 3:00 PM. While the speaker clearly has good intentions, the speech is not without examples of insensitivity. The teacher states, â€Å"E-mail is one of the best ways for us to communicate!† This is only true for homes with Internet access, though. Students in households with low incomes might not have such access. Also, while the teacher has not peppered the speech with jargon, it is still not free from confusing vocabulary such as â€Å"state education office,† â€Å"national standards,† and â€Å"country reports,† though she does make an attempt to explain her â€Å"disclosure document† (there has got to be a friendlier name for that!). Such

Effects of National Culture on the Marketing Strategies Dissertation

Effects of National Culture on the Marketing Strategies - Dissertation Example The paper tells that international business theory begins with trade. Daniels and Radebaugh identified and compared ten types of trading theories. The theories are mercantilism, neomercantilism, absolute advantage, country size, comparative advantage, factor-proportions, product lifecycle, country similarity, dependence, and strategic trade policy. In the factors-proportions theory, there are four defined factors related to each home country. The factors are land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship. The land is the natural resources associated with the physical boundaries of the country that are used to produce things. Countries without a strong and sufficient land base are forced to engage in international trade in order to obtain needed resources. Labor is the availability of unskilled and semiskilled workers within the country that can be mobilized for production purposes. Capital is the money, machinery, and infrastructure a country possesses. Countries abundant in these areas are considered more developed countries. Entrepreneurship is the creative management and ideas people use to solve problems and find new opportunities. The four factors explain the inherent resources a country possesses that make it attractive for trade, and therefore, international business. The theory is that "differences in a country's proportionate holdings of factors of production explain differences in the costs of the factors and that export advantages lie in the production of goods that use the most abundant factors."

Analysis of movie knowing her place indu krishnan Essay

Analysis of movie knowing her place indu krishnan - Essay Example Growing up in a liberal society in the United States for immigrants like Vasu already requires for a series of psychological and emotional adjustments in order to fit in the society. Physical appearance, language, and tradition are but the easiest to get acquainted to in the society that is different from what one’s parents have grown up to, especially for young children. On the other hand, an appalling dilemma for these children is to be brought back to the society in which they have grown out of for more than a decade in their lives. When Vasu was brought back to India at a stage when she was going through her adolescent stage, every day has been a struggle since. Her life back in the United States after getting married as a teenager due to a cultural norm, life has become a huge battlefield. There were bigger challenges and heavier social and cultural responsibilities as a wife and mother. Women like Vasu have to get acculturated to the various roles that are perceived to b e played by women in the society against men. If it is Krishna’s goal to reveal women’s cultural schizophrenia with cross-cultural background (Hoppe, â€Å"Knowing† & wmm.com, â€Å"Knowing†) to the world, this movie definitely did much justice to their experiences through the main character in the movie. Cultural identity is essential in women’s competence upon accomplishing their roles and responsibilities to their family and the society. The lack of which would only provide a vehicle to emotional and psychological instability that could lead to identity

Plato Short Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato Short Paper - Essay Example ‘The Republic’ which is an influential philosophical book was written by Plato in which he spoke many of his ideas on the nature of knowledge and reality. The theory of forms unravels the fact on how do we evolve the knowledge. According to Plato, our knowledge is mere recollection of the forms that we have seen prior to our birth and the knowledge on the immaterial realities cannot be obtained through our bodily experiences. The pertinent aspects of theory of forms are briefed in the ensuing part of this paper. Forms are the ideas which are not the material world of change and the things that we experience through our senses are particular things not abstract things. For instance, we see a flower and we understand that it is beautiful. This beauty is referred to a particular flower but we do not see ‘beauty’. We understand that there are many beautiful flowers. In the view of Plato, if there are many beautiful flowers there will be a common factor that is shared by all the beautiful flowers. Therefore, there must be a thing known as ‘beauty’ which is not visible and experiential to our senses. So, there is a universal idea of beauty that is shared by all the beautiful things and this is the core idea of the form. Plato postulates the theory of metaphysics of forms describing that form has existence independently on the particular things. For example, beauty exists independently on the beautiful things but beautiful things share the beauty in common. There are some essential properties for the forms in the view of Plato. They are self predication, independence from particulars, perfection, permanence and simplicity. Self-predication means that form is simply beautiful independent of particular things, but particular things are beautiful since they share the universal beauty. Independence from particulars means that the form has its own essence, and therefore, the form does not need time and space for its

Cross-Cultural Management Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cross-Cultural Management Report - Assignment Example The report is a step by step guideline on the influence that cultures have on the development and completion of projects. It follows research that looks at a case study of six Brazilian international companies. Projects from these six companies have different outcomes across continents, and the impact of different cultures on them are analyzed. In the end, the report emphasizes the importance of multi-cultural understanding and integration that ensures the success of projects. It also wraps up in an explanation of the reasons why it is important to know how to manage people from different cultures. It cites that globalization of companies is a norm in the present day business world (Holden, 2002). The research paper, a study on Brazilian Multinationals, and the cultural challenges they face in managing global projects, looks into the internationalization of Brazilian companies. This growth in the company depends on the need to manage multicultural teams. The biggest challenge in the literature study of this topic of development is the lack of theoretical development in this field. It is a new phenomenon that is growing at a very high rate and has caught many researchers by surprise, giving them very little time to study multicultural influences on projects. The research looks at the relationship between management of project teams and the characteristics of different cultures across the globe. It evaluates the role of managers in hiring and the planning, development, and deployment of projects on an international scale. It also looks at the major challenges facing six Multinational companies in their endeavors to achieve success in the international arena. The researcher choo ses Brazil because it is a developing country (Rodrigues, 2012). Developing countries had no Foreign Direct Investment before 1980 and were known to deal locally in all their business ventures. However, there has been a significant change in this trend, to the extent where

Plato Short Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato Short Paper - Essay Example ‘The Republic’ which is an influential philosophical book was written by Plato in which he spoke many of his ideas on the nature of knowledge and reality. The theory of forms unravels the fact on how do we evolve the knowledge. According to Plato, our knowledge is mere recollection of the forms that we have seen prior to our birth and the knowledge on the immaterial realities cannot be obtained through our bodily experiences. The pertinent aspects of theory of forms are briefed in the ensuing part of this paper. Forms are the ideas which are not the material world of change and the things that we experience through our senses are particular things not abstract things. For instance, we see a flower and we understand that it is beautiful. This beauty is referred to a particular flower but we do not see ‘beauty’. We understand that there are many beautiful flowers. In the view of Plato, if there are many beautiful flowers there will be a common factor that is shared by all the beautiful flowers. Therefore, there must be a thing known as ‘beauty’ which is not visible and experiential to our senses. So, there is a universal idea of beauty that is shared by all the beautiful things and this is the core idea of the form. Plato postulates the theory of metaphysics of forms describing that form has existence independently on the particular things. For example, beauty exists independently on the beautiful things but beautiful things share the beauty in common. There are some essential properties for the forms in the view of Plato. They are self predication, independence from particulars, perfection, permanence and simplicity. Self-predication means that form is simply beautiful independent of particular things, but particular things are beautiful since they share the universal beauty. Independence from particulars means that the form has its own essence, and therefore, the form does not need time and space for its

Integrated Science, Hurricanes Definition Causes and Precautions Essay Example for Free

Integrated Science, Hurricanes Definition Causes and Precautions Essay The winds weaken with height.  · The centers of the hurricane are warmer than their surroundings  · They form under weak high altitude winds.  ·The air also sinks at the center of a hurricane and the main energy source is the latent heat of condensation.  ·They weaken rapidly over land. Definition: A Hurricane is an intense tropical weather system with a well defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons, and in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones. Hurricanes are products of the tropical ocean and atmosphere. Each year on average, ten tropical storms (of which six becom become hurricanes) develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. Many of these remain over the ocean. Howevever, about five hurricanes strike the United States coastline every 3 years. Records of hurricane in the Caribbean:  ·Anguilla Hurricane Earl 2010 Antigua Barbuda Hurricane Debby 2000 , Hurricane Omar 2008 , Hurricane Earl 2010  ·Babrbados Hurricane Joyce 2000  ·Haiti Hurricane Isaac -2012 , Hurricane Hanna 2008 , Hurricane Ernesto 2008 , Hurricane Kyle 2008  ·Grenanda- Hurricane Emily 2005 Evacuation Safety Procedures: (Hurricane) When a Warning or Hurricane watch is occured :  ·Leave low lying areas.  ·Protect windows with plywood boards, or storm shutters.  ·Secure outside objects.  · Make sure you have plenty of fuel and water.  ·Have several days supply of food and water for each family member. If called to evacuate, do so immediately. Before the storm: -Stay in Secure Room. -Stay away from windows. -Do not use the phone, or candles. -Have supplies on hand. -Remain indoors when the eye moves over your area because the storm will resume shortly. After the storm:  ·Make sure that all is definitely clear outside, and the storm has completely passed before going out.  ·Report downed power lines, and stay away from them.  ·Use stored water and food.  ·Be patient. Things will take a while before they get back to normal.

Strategic Decision Making Case Study: Zara

Strategic Decision Making Case Study: Zara Introduction ZARA is the brand of the Spanish retail group, INDITEX SA. Its one of the well known performers in a retail market in recent years its stores can now be found in the most important shopping districts of more than 400 cities in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. With year-on-year sales increasing at around 25% over the last 5 years, it has become one of the worlds fastest growing retailers (Lopez, 2009). Task 2 Strategic decision A strategic decision is what is thought to be a long-term investment and which is helpful in changing the direction of business undergoing in any organization. Such a decision can be a lot risky as the market changes very rapidly but if it turns out to be successful it give a competitive advantage over its competitors. The decision will be made by the top level management in a company and the shareholders will be consulted for that (Harris,ÂÂ  1998). Example For taking an example of a strategic decision we can take a look at their working with a design driven strategy, they produce about 11000 styles per year which means that they produce about 1000 new styles every month which is managed by a team consist of experts in design and development fields of over 200 people. This means that every member of the team on average is producing around 60 styles a year. As a result of that in zara stores a customer can always find a customer can always find new and latest products. This comes out to be a successful strategic decision in order to gain the competitive edge and higher profits in the market (Machuca, 2005). Tactical decision The second type of decision is called tactical decision making. Such a decision may be made by a group of managers but the shareholders are not involved in it as it is a medium term decision and have a lesser effect then a strategic decision. The result of such a decision can be seen within a period of less than a year or so and it has no contribution in changing the direction of the business. (McKinne) Example An example of such a decision is Zaras unique approach to advertising and marketing. It an additional factor within their business model which adds a lot to their success. They spend 0.3% of total revenues on advertising and marketing. This percentage is very less as compared to the competitors in their markets as on average companies like GAP and HM spend about 3-4 % of their total revenue for the similar expense this shows that Zara is successfully maintain a cost advantage to their competitors in marketing activities. For completing with its peers successfully Zara uses different useful locations, store layouts and the life cycle of its products as an effective marketing tool. they open their stores in primes markets to get the maximum visibility. And as mentioned earlier their product are in stores for a very small period of time which provokes the customer to visit time and again and make a rapid decision about purchasing as they might not get that product again when they visit the store even next day. Zara also spend heavily to the layout of their stores each store is remolded after every five years to keep up with the current trends (Gallaugher, 2008) Operational decisions Operational decisions are those which are made on regular basis the effects of such decisions are often minimal and usually do not last for more than a week of so these decisions are mostly done by staff and do not require much of an attention by the top level management (Harris, 1998). Example The example of such a decisions at Zara is its Centralized Logistics and Distribution they have maintain a control and have optimized their supply chain very effectively at many different levels. Within a week there are two orders or prescribes specific days and hours with usually prepared overnight shipments in La Coruna. (Felipe et al., 2010) There are specific times for trucks to leave and shipments to arrive at stores, the garments are pre-hung, already labeled and priced even those which are set by air.ÂÂ   As a result of this clearly defined rhythm, not on the supply chain works smoothly but also the customers know the time and days to visit the stores to get the fresh arrivals and new designs. It is very interesting to know that where in industry a standard time of 6 months has to get the product from sketch to store Zara does this in a remarkable short time of just 2 weeks (Vitzthum, 2001) Task 3:Â  Information needed for decision making Following is the explanation of the type of information required for strategic and tactical decision making. Human intelligence such as information from store managers and market research and information technology such as PDA devices are being used in order to form a hybrid model for flow of information from where houses to stores. Manager present at Zara stores use hand handheld device to send the standardized information about the feedback by customers and ordering needs directly to in house designers. This not only support and helps in making strategic decisions along with the rapidly changing trends and customers demand but also make the company be aware about the merchandise which is less desirable. The competitors of Zara completely rely on information technology which the unique approach being used by Zara makes them manage their inventories well helps them create a link between demand and supply and also helps in controls the problems occurring due to obsolete merchandise. For supporting the operational decisions Information from the distribution centers and from the production facilities, gives a better view to the manager of a certain store about the availability of garments at the stores this also helps in adjusting their orders and passing on information needed by the customer. (123HelpMe.com, 2010) Task 4:Â  Competitors intelligence The competitive intelligence is a process of monitoring the activities of rivals in market. It helps to know about competitors plans and review the own strategies for taking successful decisions (Arik, 2010). Main competitors of Zara are HM and Gap. HM OPENS its distribution centers in the region it has its stores in order to cut down the lead time and transportation cost. It also heavily investing in advertisement which helps them cater large market size and capture attention of a lot of customers worldwide. Another risk which is reported to the Inditex group it works by reinvesting all its profits in opening new stores HM is Sweden based retailer that spent heavily in advertising and is a close competitor of Zara. HM opens its distribution center in the country of its operations so as to cut down on lead time and transportation cost. (Pankaj and Jose, 2006) The process which id adopted by Zara of obtaining the market information is very different from its competitors. Many of them majorly rely on small elite design teams that plan all the needs of the business. Their stores have a very little autonomy in deciding which products they should out in display or which to go for sale because the quantities and planned and shipped according to the forecasts. Where the speed of Zara in product development is far better than anyone in the market (123HelpMe.com, 2010). When it comes to Strategic Partnerships and Cost of Production Most of Zaras competitors have 100% outsourcing to cheap Asian countries. Zara does not use Asian outsourcing unlike its competitors such as Gap, Benetton, and HM and 80% of Zaras materials are manufactured in Europe with 50% made in Zara controlled facilities in the Galicia region of Spain . The cost of production in Spain is 17-20% more expensive than Asia this gives a cost advantage to it competitors in regard to labor and expands their market worldwide (123HelpMe.com, 2010). The information and communication technologies being used by the competitors of Zara are quite different the cost spent by Zara in this regard is less than 0.5% of its total revenue and the it employees account for about 0.5% of Zaras total workforce. And if we take a look at its competitors they spend on average 2% of their total revenue on it expenditures and have 2.5% of their total workforce devoted to it. Which certainly makes their working far better in these areas? This is the global age and these gimmicks are demand of the time so Zara should pay some more attention to it both financially and strategically (123HelpMe.com, 2010). Task 5:Â  Importance of Business-To-Business for Zara Business to business commerce is a form of E-commerce involving business to business transactions, servicing customers, working with other businesses and the exchanging of products or services. B2B opens up a global market at little cost, reduces the costs of sales and promotions and can increase demand. This term specifically defines the electronic collaboration among different enterprisers. The B2B is a lot more important for Zara to promote its business activities at a bigger level and to cater a bigger market. It makes sure the world about the about the presence of variety of products available in its stores. Zara is even new to e-commerce as it launched it website in 2009 (Alisa, 2009). As compared to its competitors Zara is offering cheaper rates and a good quality product that is why many dealers would want to make a purchase to save their expenditure on high prices designers clothes of same quality. This will also give the benefit of saving time and money because after taking the order the product may be delivered to the door step of the customer. And other e-commerce retailers who are involved with fashion will be looking carefully to what Zaras online store can bring to online shoppers. The pace of which your ordinary high street stores are moving online and developing e-commerce solutions is set to lead to a more intensified competition for online sales, and more focused e-commerce marketing strategies. (DeltaQuest, 2010) Canada and China: Cybercrime and Cryptocurrency Canada and China: Cybercrime and Cryptocurrency Bitcoin, Cyber-crime, Cryptocurrency, Canada, China. Cyber-crime is a byproduct of the information age and is growing very fast worldwide (FBI, 2017). As technology has advanced so have the criminals methods to exploit the internet. Cyber-crime can be described as the use of a computer, a network or other electronic device to facilitate a crime, Interpol makes a distinction between two types of cyber-crime (INTERPOL, 2017): Advanced cyber-crime attacks on computer software or hardware; Cyber-enabled crime financial crimes, crimes against children and terrorism are more prevalent since the introduction of the internet. These types of crime in the past would have been likely to be conducted by small groups or even individuals, but new trends according to Interpol show organized criminal gangs worldwide have embraced technology to further their profits be it from illegal gambling, sale of fake goods, theft, fraud etc. Since 2009 the criminals now have a new virtual currency also labelled as a cryptocurrency called Bitcoin which is used by many to conduct transactions on what has become known as the dark web. The dark web can only be accessed through encryption software and this area of the internet is largely un-policed and users can remain anonymous. The anonymity is an ideal scenario for the criminal to work in. This paper will discuss firstly the give a brief overview of cyber-crime and the origins of bitcoin in more detail. Secondly how this electronic currency technology is being used for legal and illegal purposes. And lastly how governments around the globe are trying to regulate this electronic currency, with a major focus on the Canadian government and Bill C-31. Criminality is nothing new it has been part of lives for centuries, crime as such has not changed over the years only the tools used to carry them out have developed. Criminals have learned to use technology to hide themselves in the shadows and use technology to further profit. The biggest technological advancement in the last thirty years has been the internet. The internet has revolutionized our lives in so many ways from ease of communications, e-commerce to the large wealth of knowledge on line. Cyber-crime comes in many forms but it is primarily aimed at computers, computer infrastructure and other connected devices. With the large spread of the internet and smartphones, now nearly 3.2 billion people on the planet have access to the internet (ITU, 2015). It increases the pool of people that criminals have access to. When this is compared to decades ago when computers were only used by government agencies, research and financial institutes, crime in this area was limited to those who had the expertise and access to these devices (Clough, 2015). Now a small group can conduct crimes on a global scale without the restrictions of physical location to perform the crime. Bitcoin is an electronic virtual currency that allows users to conduct transactions between themselves (peer to peer) over an electronic network without the need for a third party namely a financial institution (Nakamoto 2008). Bitcoin was released in January 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto which there is little known about as this was an alias used by the inventor (Powers 2014). The Bitcoin software is open source and in order to use the currency a user must obtain a wallet, there are two common types of wallets. Firstly the software wallet and the secondly the mobile wallet (Bitcoin 2017). The software wallet is mostly stored on a users hard drive, with the mobile wallet being stored on mobile devices such as android phones, IOS phones and tablets, giving the user the flexibility of have a currency attached to a mobile device. These wallets contain both a public and private key, the public key is what a user will share with other Bitcoin users in order to have them send bitcoins over the internet, whereas the private key is used by the owner of the bitcoins to make payments from the wallet (Miller 2015). The back bone of this cryptocurrency is the public ledger called the blockchain, this ledger records who owns what bitcoins and records transactions that take place. No one controls or owns the blockchain its all in the public domain. Transactions on the blockchain cant be reversed, the blockchain is only written too and are confirmed by the peer to peer network. Nakamoto has placed a limit of just under 21 million bitcoins, once that limit is reached, no more bitcoins can be made. Bitcoin is viewed as being the electronic equivalent of cash, as no financial institutes are involved no personal information is required when creating a personal wallet or purchasing Bitcoins. This anonymity has drawn scrutiny from some sectors to Bitcoin because some criminals have adopted the currency instead of conducting business in more traditional financial ways (Miller 2015). Just like any currency, Bitcoin can be used to purchase many of the everyday things in life the same way that we use traditional cash or credit cards. You can transfer Bitcoin to relatives, donate to charity, and this was what Bitcoin was created for to be a replacement for current systems. The first Bitcoin ATM was opened in Vancouver, Canada in 2013. In its first week of operation, the ATM performed over 10,000 independent transactions with a third of users being first time Bitcoin buyers (Wagner 2013). Across the world, entire city areas are accepting this cryptocurrency Bitcoin as payment for a range of goods and services. In the Germany City of Berlin, the borough of Kreuzberg, has the highest number of businesses accepting Bitcoin on the planet. This is expanding across the globe because every day more and more businesses are authorizing Bitcoin as a means of payment (Small 2015). Kirkpatrick (2017) refers to an interview with David Decary-Hetu, an adjunct professor of criminology at the University of Montreal, There are many helpful and legal reasons for having bitcoin, Decary-Hetu says, noting that large established companies such as Dell Computer, Expedia, Microsoft, and PayPal, each accept bitcoin, and are clearly not dealing in illegal goods. Small (2015) stated the total market value of the Bitcoin currency is currently estimated at slightly below $7.6 billion. The main argument for the regulation of virtual currencies and Bitcoin is that because of the anonymity offered to the buyer of such currencies, criminals have advantage over law makers and law enforcement. This anonymity helps obscure the identities of those purchasing drugs, money laundering, illegal paraphernalia and terrorist financing with the use of Bitcoin. Kirkpatrick (2017) again in his interview with Decary-Hetu says There is no way to tie your identity to your online bitcoin wallet address, if you do it properly, noting that when users try to convert cryptocurrencies to traditional money they may lose that anonymity. Thats where sloppy people are going to get arrested. China In China, the government banned Bitcoin in December 2013. The Peoples Bank of China does not give Bitcoin any legal status, refuses to recognize it as a currency, and has misgivings about Bitcoin as a central authority does not regulate it (Ponsford 2015). This was not always the case as in May 2013, the Chinese government unofficially gave its blessing to the currency when the government sponsored a documentary that was shown on state television to inform the public about Bitcoin (Small 2015). Because of the interest that came from the documentary, a surge of Chinese clients downloaded Bitcoin software, more than any other country for the last seven months of 2013. Before the ban, China accounted for the most Bitcoin exchanges and as a result Bitcoins value plummeted nearly twenty percent in a single day after the announcement (Small 2015). Canada In Canada, the government in 2014 stated that Bitcoin was not legal tender. The government however did state that it was a payment system (George-Cosh 2014) and as such should be taxed as a commodity when Bitcoin is exchanged for Canadian currency. Canada was the first jurisdiction in the world to pass concrete legislative measures to deal with Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. Bill C-31 was passed into law in June 2014, which made reporting requirements on the use of virtual currencies like Bitcoin. These measures are similar in nature to regulations on other financial transactions in the country. Bill C-31 made it law that Bitcoin be regulated as a money services business, requiring users to register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). These Bitcoin regulations would apply to both domestic and international Bitcoin operators (Ponsford 2015). The summary of Bill C-31 stated (in part): Division 19 of Part 6 amends the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to, among other things, enhance the client identification, record keeping and registration requirements for financial institutions and intermediaries, refer to online casinos, and extend the application of the Act to persons and entities that deal in virtual currencies and foreign money services businesses [emphasis added]. Legislation that specifically altered the definition of money services business stated: (4) If subsection 256(2) comes into force, then on the latter of January 1, 2015 and the day on which that subsection comes into force, money services business means an entity (a)(iv) dealing in virtual currencies, as defined by regulation Other legislative provisions incorporated virtual currency language, including foreign businesses directing services at a Canadian person or entity. This legislation has had effects on Bitcoin use in Canada, because firstly it regulates virtual currency as a money service business; secondly imposes registration with FINTRAC to combat money laundering and terrorist financing; thirdly extends to both users inside and outside of the jurisdiction, or services within Canada; fourthly prevents banks from dealing with unregistered users (Ponsford 2015). References bitcoin.org (2017). Available: https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet. Last accessed 18/03/2017. Calumn Jeffrey and Tobias Feakin. (2015). Ungerground web. ASPI Special Report. March 2015. Daniel Miller. (2015). Bitcoin explained: the digital currency making millionaires. Available: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-02/bitcoins-the-digital-currency-explained/5119034. Last accessed 19/03/2017. David George-Cosh. (2014). Canada Says Bitcoin Isnt Legal Tender. Available: http://blogs.wsj.com/canadarealtime/2014/01/16/canada-says-bitcoin-isnt-legal-tender/. Last accessed 12/03/2017. Dr. Mike McGuire (University of Surrey) and Samantha Dowling (Home Office Science). (2013). Cyber-dependent crimes. Cyber crime: A review of the evidence. p4-p5. FBI. (unknown). What we Investigate. Available: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber. Last accessed 16/02/2017. Jeffery Powers. (2014). January 3, 2009: Bitcoin Introduced, 1983: Computer Machine of the Year. Available: http://dayintechhistory.com/dith/january-3-2009-bitcoin-introduced-1983-computer-machine-year/. Last accessed 19/03/2017. Jonathan Clough (2015). Principles of Cybercrime. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p6. Keith Kirkpatrick. (2017). Financing the Dark Web . Communications of the ACM. 60 (3), p21-p22. International cyber security protection alliance. (2012). Detailed Findings. Impact of cyber crime on businesses in Canada. ICSPA (4),p3, p16. INTERPOL. (2017). Cybercrime. Available: https://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Cybercrime/Cybercrime. Last accessed 18/02/2017. International Telecommunication Union. (2015). ICT revolution and remaining gaps. ICT Facts and Figures 2015, p1. Kurt Wagner. (2013). Worlds First Bitcoin ATM Opens In Vancouver, Canada. Available: http://mashable.com/2013/10/30/bitcoin-atm-2/#HUU2o4zadsq7. Last accessed 18/03/2017. Matthew P. Ponsford . (2015). A Comparative Analysis of Bitcoin and Other Decentralised Virtual Currencies: Legal Regulation in the Peoples Republic of China, Canada, and the United States . Hong Kong Journal of Legal Studies Volume 9 (2015) . p51-p70. Satoshi Nakamoto. (2008). Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. Stephen Small. (2015). BITCOIN: THE NAPSTER OF CURRENCY. HOUSTON JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. 37 (2), p585-p640.

Amy Tans Story Mother Tongue Essay -- Amy Tan Mother Tongue

Amy Tan's Story Mother Tongue A good portion of Americans today speak English as their first language. However, what makes us different is that it is rare to find two people that speak the exact same English. This is the argument Amy Tan makes in her story â€Å"Mother Tongue†. A first-generation Asian American, Tan emigrated from China to Oakland, California, where she became a famous writer. She shares her personal story of the English she speaks, and how much the people you are around can change the way you converse. While at home, she speaks to her mother in a â€Å"broken† sort of choppy English that she can understand. When she is talking to people she works with or deals with on a more business-oriented basis, she uses clearly spoken, grammatically correct, standard English. It was not until giving a speech in a room that her mother was a part of that she finally realized how different her two forms of English really are. â€Å"Mother Tongue† by Amy Tan, was written for all kinds of people. Those who, like her mother, speak a broken form of English, those who speak a more...

One Summer Night :: essays research papers

Remember the day’s when you were once a teenager? Their were so many decisions to make and choices to choose from; yet so many advantages. Now can you remember all of the good times that you had? Always hanging out with your friends, gossiping, having sleep over’s, talking on the phone constantly, and all of the teacher’s whose class you dreaded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now I want you to imagine that it is the last day before summer break. Your parents are taking a trip to Kentucky Lake with some friends, so your stuck home all alone. So you’re pondering what all you could manage to stir up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question isn’t â€Å"what are you going to do† its â€Å"what aren’t you going to do†. What would a normal teenager do on a basis like this. You would just have to be a fool to not have a party. I know a party never works out, your parents always got to find out some way or another. But, maybe just this one time a teenager could actually out smart their all knowing all seeing, parents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t get me wrong, I not completely a renegade teenager. I followed my parents rules, for awhile. I watched a movie and fixed me some popcorn. But as far as friends coming over, I didn’t just bend the rule, I broke it completely in half.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of my friends showed up, in all there were about thirty-two, including myself. I got some cool jams, some strobe lights, a fog machine, a black light, and just a few more gadgets to play around with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, the party kicked off around 6:30. It didn’t start off on a bad note and it began to heat up about 7:00. Half-way through the party, a fight broke out between Chad and Mike. I wasn’t going to break it up, as a matter of fact I thought that the whole thing was hilarious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At every party something bad has always got to happen. It wasn’t the fight which broke out it was the phone call afterwards. Let me tell you this, it wasn’t the pizza boy who lost his way, it’s your mother checking up on her â€Å"little baby boy†. One Summer Night :: essays research papers Remember the day’s when you were once a teenager? Their were so many decisions to make and choices to choose from; yet so many advantages. Now can you remember all of the good times that you had? Always hanging out with your friends, gossiping, having sleep over’s, talking on the phone constantly, and all of the teacher’s whose class you dreaded.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now I want you to imagine that it is the last day before summer break. Your parents are taking a trip to Kentucky Lake with some friends, so your stuck home all alone. So you’re pondering what all you could manage to stir up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question isn’t â€Å"what are you going to do† its â€Å"what aren’t you going to do†. What would a normal teenager do on a basis like this. You would just have to be a fool to not have a party. I know a party never works out, your parents always got to find out some way or another. But, maybe just this one time a teenager could actually out smart their all knowing all seeing, parents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t get me wrong, I not completely a renegade teenager. I followed my parents rules, for awhile. I watched a movie and fixed me some popcorn. But as far as friends coming over, I didn’t just bend the rule, I broke it completely in half.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of my friends showed up, in all there were about thirty-two, including myself. I got some cool jams, some strobe lights, a fog machine, a black light, and just a few more gadgets to play around with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, the party kicked off around 6:30. It didn’t start off on a bad note and it began to heat up about 7:00. Half-way through the party, a fight broke out between Chad and Mike. I wasn’t going to break it up, as a matter of fact I thought that the whole thing was hilarious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At every party something bad has always got to happen. It wasn’t the fight which broke out it was the phone call afterwards. Let me tell you this, it wasn’t the pizza boy who lost his way, it’s your mother checking up on her â€Å"little baby boy†.

Inventory Control Essay

Read the case study below â€Å"Harvey Industries†. Provide reasoning for the current financial distress of the company and make recommendations for improvements to the new company president. Include at least one specific recommendation for both Supply Chain Management (chapter 15) and Inventory Management (chapter 13), as well as any other recommendations you deem necessary from your reading. Provide your recommendations in a 2-4 page APA style paper. Harvey Industries Background Harvey Industries, a Wisconsin company, specializes in the assembly of high-pressure washer systems and in the sale of repair parts for these systems. The products range from small portable high-pressure washers to large industrial installations for snow removal from vehicles stored outdoors during the winter months. Typical uses for high-pressure water cleaning include: AutomobilesAirplanes Building maintenanceBarns EnginesIce cream plants Lift trucksMachinery Swimming pools Industrial customers include General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Delta Airlines, United Parcel Service, and Shell Oil Company. Although the industrial applications are a significant part of its sale, Harvey Industries is primarily an assembler of equipment for coin operated self-service car wash systems. The typical car wash is of concrete block construction with an equipment room in the center, flanked on either side by a number of bays. The cars are driven into the bays where the owner can wash and wax the car, utilizing high-pressure hot water and liquid wax. A dollar bill changer is available to provide change for the use of the equipment and the purchase of various products from dispensers. The products include towels, tire cleaner, and upholstery cleaner. In recent years Harvey Industries has been in financial difficulty. The company has lost money for three of the last four years, with the last year’s loss being $17,174 on sales of $1,238,674.  Inventory levels have been steadily increasing to their present levels of $124,324. The company employs 23 people with the management team consisting of the following key employees: president, sales manager, manufacturing manager, controller, and purchasing manager. The abbreviated organization chart reflects the reporting relationship of the key employees and the three individuals who report directly to the manufacturing manager. Current Inventory Control System The current inventory control â€Å"system† consists of orders for stock replenishment being made by the stockroom foreman, the purchasing manager, or the manufacturing manager whenever one of them notices that the inventory is low. An order for replenishment of inventory is also placed whenever someone (either a customer or an employee in the assembly area) wants an item and it is not in stock. Some inventory is needed for the assembly of the high-pressure equipment for the car wash and industrial applications. There are current and accurate bills of material for these assemblies. The material needs to support the assembly schedule are generally known well in advance of the build schedule. The majority of inventory transactions are for repair parts and for supplies used by the car washes, such as paper towels, detergent, and wax concentrate. Because of the constant and rugged use of the car wash equipment, there is a steady demand for the various repair parts. The stockroom is well organized, with parts stored in locations according to each vendor. The number of vendors is relatively limited, with each vendor generally supplying many different parts. For example, the repair parts from Allen Bradley, a manufacturer of electrical motors, are stocked in the same location. These repair parts will be used to provide service for the many electrical motors that are part of the high-pressure pump and motor assembly used by all of the car washes. Because of the heavy sales volume of repair parts, there are generally two employees working in the stockroom- a stockroom foreman who reports to the manufacturing manager and an assistant to the foreman. One of these two employees will handle customer orders. Many customers stop by and order the parts and supplies they need. Telephone orders are also received and are shipped by United Parcel Service the same day. The assembly area has some inventory stored on the shop floor. This inventory consists of low-value  items that are used every day, such as nuts, bolts, screws, and washers. These purchased items do not amount to very much dollar volume throughout the year. Unfortunately, oftentimes the assembly area is out of one of these basic items and this causes a significant amount of downtime for the assembly lines. Paperwork is kept to a minimum. A sales slip listing the part numbers and quantities sold to a customer is generally made out for each sale. If the assembly department needs items that are not stocked on the assembly floor, someone from that department will enter the stockroom and withdraw the necessary material. There is no paperwork made out for the items needed on the assembly floor. There were 973 different part numbers purchased for stock last year and those purchases amounted to $314,673. An analysis of inventory records shows that $220,684 was spent on just 179 of the part numbers. Fortunately for Harvey Industries, most of the items they purchase are stocked by either the manufacturer or by a wholesaler. When it is discovered that the company is out of stock on an item, it generally takes only two or three days to replenish the stock. Due to the company’s recent losses, its auditing firm became concerned about the company’s ability to continue in business. Recently the company sold off excess vacant land adjoining its manufacturing facility to generate cash to meet its financial obligations. New President Because of the recent death of the owner, the trust department of a Milwaukee Bank (as trustee for the estate) has taken over the company’s affairs and has appointed a new company president. The new president has identified many problem areas- one of which is improper inventory control. He has retained you as a consultant to make specific recommendations concerning a revised inventory control system. What are your recommendations and rationale? Harvey Industries is a Wisconsin company that specializes in the assembly of high-pressure washer systems and in the sale of repair parts for these systems. With the recent death of the owner, the trust department of a Milwaukee Bank, the trusty for the estate, has taken over the company’s affairs and has appointed a new company president who has identified many problem areas such as improper inventory control and has asked me as a consultant to make specific recommendations concerning a revised inventory  control system. After reviewing the company’s current inventory control I would recommend that it would be very important for them to establish good communication with the supply chain because they need to know what the demand would be for each of the parts so that they can forecast the needs so that they can plan ahead and order the necessary materials and supplies do that they do not have to wait three days for the messing parts. Currently the inventory control â€Å"system† consists of orders for stock replenishment being made by the stockroom foreman, the purchasing manager, or the manufacturing manager whenever one of them notices that the inventory is low. An order for replenishment of inventory is also placed whenever someone (either a customer or an employee in the assembly area) wants an item and it is not in stock. I would recommend changing this system, they need to establish the number of parts that would be needed in a weekly basis and replenish as the item is used so that they do not run out of the necessary parts and supplies. The company currently employs 23 people with the management team consisting of the following key employees: president, sales manager, manufacturing manager, controller, and purchasing manager. The abbreviated organization chart reflects the reporting relationship of the key employees and the three individuals who report directly to the manufacturing manager. I would recommend having different departments manufacturing, sales department for repair parts and sales department for supplies. All three departments need to be in communication with the purchasing manager that will need to be informed in order to make all the necessary purchases to maintain an appropriate inventory for all three departments. This will help save the company some money on payroll. I would also recommend that the inventory for the manufacturing department be kept in the warehouse as well as the other items that way there can be more control on the parts that go out so that they can be promptly replenish. Currently the stockroom is well organized, with parts stored in locations according to each vendor. The number of vendors is relatively limited, with each vendor generally supplying many different parts. However they could also separate the parts and supplies per department so that it would be easier to find and less man power would be needed creating a saving in payroll and payroll taxes. References Stevenson, W.J. (2011). Operations management (11th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill/Irwin

This Is Water Reaction

Commentary and reaction to David Foster Wallace’s â€Å"This is Water† This speech was clear and direct to the point, especially both parables David told. He did not force his ideas; he merely explained his realizations and suggested actions. It is how he said it though, that made me want to listen to him more. I sthrongly agree with the suggestion of taking the spotlight away from ourselves and our misfortunes and pointing it towards other things and people we encounter. Some people are really egocentric to care about others and their problems (which are probably worse than theirs).This type of self-centred thinking affects our mood in a way where it may dampen our happiness. His speech raised my awareness on the arrogance of some people, and of mine too at times. He talked about learning to think, learning to control what you think. I feel that that is a step close to being a more positive and happy person. If you submit yourself to negativity, it will ruin you. We ha ve choices; it’s just a matter of making the right one not only for you but for everyone involved.What struck me the most was what he called the Capital T– Truth which is what matters — life before death. His message was to not stick to a routine just because you are afraid of change. Do not be dull, be alive. The major lesson I took from his speech was to enjoy every experience life offers us to make the most of our lives instead of living in the fast lane which will cause us to forget what and how things happened. Our lives are limited and so we shouldn’t make the least of it by worrying about mishaps and troubles. If we do, then that is truly a life wasted.