Feminist critique on a street car named desire Essay

Although the play itself would have made huge strides in the feminist movement at the time the message behind the play brings out a crucial and relevant message to the audience today, and asks bigger questions to young people in a generation that questionably has made very few steps forward in the past few decades. It questions how gendered stereotyping controls our society and how little both sexes care to amend it in an apathetic civilisation. Blanche as a character although resembling, at times, the potential to be of more substantial character and command the recognition she deserves, is trapped into a bubble of what can be considered feminine and is convinced by her own sub conscience and those around her that the only way to get what she wants is to act within certain stereotypes to find herself any man to provide the stability she craves, Stella alike takes the role in a less exaggerated manner but this in some ways is more powerful as she has the power over Stanley to conduct him as she wishes but herself deems it only acceptable to run back to him every time he calls. Self-destruction in its simplest form because society has condemned her to our four walls of femininity. A Streetcar Named Desire presents a sharp observational critique of the way the institutions and attitudes of postwar America placed restrictions on women’s actions and lives. Williams uses Blanche’s and Stella’s dependence on men to expose and evaluate the treatment of women during the transition from the old to the new South. Both Blanche and Stella see male companions as their only means to achieve happiness, Blanche and Stella throughout the play remain in the mindset that to acquire a male companion is their only true and justified path to happiness, consequently they form a dependency to men for both their sustenance and their self-image. Blanche criticizes Stella for staying in a physically abusive relationship with her brooding husband Stanley, thus in turn criticizing Stella for depending on Stanley for emotional support and sexual relief, Stella declares she is ‘not in anything she wants to get out of’ this moment in the play shocks Blanche as she realises that someone she loves and respects so completely could choose this life for herself . However the way Blanche leads her life—contacting Shep Huntleigh for financial support—still demonstrates a complete uncompromising dependency on men. At the end of the play, when Stella makes the conscious decision to remain with her husband, Stanley, she has chosen to rely on love, and put her faith and reliance in a man instead of her sister. Williams chooses not to present this decision as a mistake or a female falling as it is clear that Blanche’s behavior does not offer nor demonstrate a secure future for Stella or for her newly born child. One of the most prominent communications within the play is that posed by Blanche, as a character we find it incredibly hard to sympathize with her, she appears on the surface manipulative and unhinged masked clumsily by nauseating girlishness . She comes across in so many ways barely a woman at all with her shrill demands and constant awkward giggling, however her past reveals she is far more of a woman than Stella or Blanche would ever like to believe, her shaded life in Bellereeve leaves trails of fragmented womanhood behind her which later manifests itself in the form of vicious gossip that consequently sparks Blanches downfall. Within herself, Blanche views a quick marriage to Mitch as a manner of absconding destitution. Blanche’s sexual exuberance is criticized by Stanley and exploited by all the other men in her life excluding Mitch, tarnishing her name, and providing her with a promiscuous reputation. This reputation, by nature of society, brands Blanche an unfit and unattractive marriage prospect, however, as she is destitute, Blanche perceives marriage as her only probability for survival in a bible belt that condemns women be pure in order to be a possibility for wedlock. When Mitch discards Blanche based on the slander painted by Stanley about her licentious past, Blanche instantaneously turns to another man—the millionaire Shep Huntleigh—in hope of another miraculous rescuing. Because Blanche is blinded by her dependence on men, she loses sight of a realistic concept of saving herself from being pushed down, this view has been embedded in her by humanity condemning her to believe her only discharge will be if a good honest man will wed her, thus somehow erasing the shadows of her past in Bellereeve. Blanche fails to come to terms with the fact that by putting so much emphasis and reliance in men she no longer controls the outcomes of her future as she puts her fate in the hands of a man, thus ultimately leading to her descent into insanity. One of the most important aspects of feminism is that gender is a social construct and if womanhood is defined purely through the chains of society rather than through natural causes, few societies have enforced it more forcefully and with such vigour as the American South. The saga that is the southern woman began in the mid 1800’s which saw a white woman of a certain standing put on a pedestal. The southern gentleman and society enforced that a woman be a non-sexual creature, helpless and fragile, this is concentrated and highlighted in Blanche’s behaviour as she believes the only way for her to appear attractive to the opposite sex is to manifest herself as pathetic and incapable. As a Southern lady, Blanche’s narrowly defined social role has kept her from admitting her natural appetites and pursuing them forthrightly. She has felt obliged to lie to herself and to others. However throughout the play these hidden desires have revealed themselves in private company, for instance her heavy drinking would be seen as impure by southern society and this is evident by both Mitch’s and Stanley’s reaction to this trait. Blanches greatest scandal from belle reeve is that she let her sexual nature control her actions thus ‘spoiling’ her and rendering her a ruined woman. To express one’s sexuality or desires instantaneously reduces a woman to tainted and impure. Williams has said that he considers Blanche’s character liberated, she has lived such an autonomous life in such a repressive time she could almost be considered heroic were she not so ashamed of her fierce former independence. In the play she seeks stability after the tragedy of her life in Belle reeve – ergo her attraction to Mitch – his incessant and ceaseless tedium results in Blanche being capable of fulfilling her central hunger in this time of her life, to find a good husband. She regularly discourages masculine behaviour in Mitch, rendering him the submissive co-part of the relationship, Blanche subconsciously maculates herself by doing this. Both sisters have felt the full force of marrying for love (Stella through the physical abuse omitted by Stanley and Blanche through the affair of her bi-sexual late husband) it could be argued that Allan’s sexual ambiguity led Stella to choose an overtly heterosexual working class man. Some criticise Williams writing of Stella as she fails to release herself from the grasp of her abusive husband, expressing that Williams presents Stella (and blanche) as weak and incompetent however this criticism is unjust as Williams would have been writing before any form of feminist movement arose, meaning that Williams himself was writing purely from observation of his Southern America. Williams himself as a homosexual male experienced the same struggles as these women being considered a second class citizen or an ‘other’ The ending of the play, finishes controversially for feminists addressing the issue of rape, however Williams does not present Blanche as victim, although the tone of sympathy primarily lies with the women of the play Blanche manifests herself as a worthy opponent, she has allured Stanley with provocative comments and engaged in verbal battles with him throughout the play. She has not proved a weak adversary at any moment and at the climax of the play smashes a bottle and threatens to ‘’twist it into his face’’. Stanley does not rape Blanche in order to re-instate his power in the house rather than as a battle for position of alpha-male, as from the beginning of the play Blanche has threatened this position, she has drunk his alcohol, manipulated his wife and this pinnacle marks the end battle of this ongoing power-struggle. Stanley is not belittling Blanche or women in general by raping her rather he feels it is his last resort in order to have victory thus proving he sees her as a genuine intimidation. Stanley says ‘we’ve had this date with each other from the beginning’ showing that she was a direct threat from the beginning and the fact that it could imply that the act was pre-meditated is the only indication of deliberate cold- blooded cruelty on Stanley’s behalf. Williams challenges the traditional view of marriage as posed by cultural standing, assuming that marriage is the end of the story, and that marriage is synonymous with a lifetime of joy, erasing all pain from behind that moment. Williams sees marriage as the start of a life for a man, far from the bliss that is advertised. Mitch and Stanley represent realistic portraits of men who will constantly cram their women into gendered stereotypes and Stella and Blanche will always oblige to protect their own stature and (in the case of Stella) to shelter their children.

Purchasing and supplies assignment Essay

ABC analysis In materials management, the ABC analysis (or Selective Inventory Control) is an inventory categorization technique. ABC analysis divides an inventory into three categories- â€Å"A items† with very tight control and accurate records, â€Å"B items† with less tightly controlled and good records, and â€Å"C items† with the simplest controls possible and minimal records. The ABC analysis provides a mechanism for identifying items that will have a significant impact on overall inventory cost, while also providing a mechanism for identifying different categories of stock that will require different management and controls. The ABC analysis suggests that inventories of an organization are not of equal value. Thus, the inventory is grouped into three categories (A, B, and C) in order of their estimated importance. ‘A’ items are very important for an organization. Because of the high value of these ‘A’ items, frequent value analysis is required. In addition to that, an organization needs to choose an appropriate order pattern (e.g. ‘Just- in- time’) to avoid excess capacity. ‘B’ items are  important, but of course less important than ‘A’ items and more important than ‘C’ items. Therefore ‘B’ items are intergroup items. ‘C’ items are marginally important. Advantages and Disadvantages of ABC Analysis Inventory Activity Based Costing, or ABC, is a method of allocating overhead and direct expenses related to the most important activities of the company first. This process allows business owners and managers an opportunity to better define the areas of manufacturing or sales that generate the most profit for the company. Inventory analyzed under the ABC method is classified in order of profitability to the company. Class A inventory accounts for 80 percent of revenue, class B inventory for 15 percent of revenue and class C inventory for 5 percent of revenue. Better Control of High-Priority Inventory ABC inventory analysis places tighter and more frequent controls on high-priority inventory. High-priority inventory, or class A inventory, is the class of inventory that customers request most often. In manufacturing, class A inventory also can include the items most often used in the production of goods. Because Class A inventory is directly linked to the success of the company, it is important to constantly monitor the demand for it and ensure stock levels match that demand. With ABC analysis, your company can use its resources to prioritize control of high-priority inventory over inventory that has a lower impact on your bottom line. More Efficient Cycle Counts Under the ABC inventory analysis method, you can allocate your resources more efficiently during cycle counts. A cycle count is the process of counting only certain items on scheduled dates. The frequency of your cycle counts and the items you choose to include depends on how often your inventory fluctuates. Once inventory is organized by class, you can focus regular cycle counts on class A inventory. Depending on your needs, it may be necessary to count class B inventory as infrequently as twice per year and class C inventory only once per year. The ABC analysis method saves time and  labor counting only the inventory required by the cycle for the class of inventory versus counting all inventory items each cycle Disadvantages Conflict with Other Cost Systems The ABC inventory analysis does not meet Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) requirements and also conflicts with traditional costing systems. Companies that use ABC methods must operate two costing systems, one for internal use under the ABC method and another for compliance with GAAP. Traditional costing systems generate the figures required by GAAP. Traditional costing systems allocate cost drivers by the actual unit cost, rather than by the activity percentage of the cost driver. As a result, ABC cost assignments often differ from traditional cost system assignments. Requires Substantial Resources The ABC method requires more resources to maintain than traditional costing systems. When cycle counts are performed, class A inventory must be routinely analyzed to determine if the inventory still consists of high-priority items. If an inventory piece is no longer used or demanded as frequently, it is moved to another inventory classification. This constant process requires much more data measurement and collection Just in time A strategy for inventory management in which raw materials and components are delivered from the vendor or supplier immediately before they are needed in the manufacturing process Advantages & Disadvantages of Just-in-Time Inventory Companies turnover significant inventory control to suppliers with just-in-time inventory. Just-in-time (JIT) inventory refers to an inventory management system with objectives of having inventory readily available to meet demand, but not to a point of excess where you must stockpile extra products. Maintaining inventory takes time and has costs, which is what motivates companies to implement JIT programs. Customer Needs Balancing the goals of avoiding stock outs while minimizing inventory costs is at the heart of just-in-time inventory. One of the main benefits of automated and efficient inventory replenishment systems is that you can quickly respond to reduced inventory levels. Companies are now equipped to pull back on stock in a given product category and ramp up inventory in another as customer needs and interests change. Inventory Costs Minimization of inventory management costs is a primary driver and benefit of just-in-time practices. Inventory management has costs, and when you reduce the amount of holding space and staff required with JIT, the company can invest the savings in business growth and other opportunities, points out the Accounting for Management website. You also have less likelihood of throwing out product that gets old or expires, meaning reduced waste. Coordination A disadvantage of managing a just-in-time inventory system is that it requires significant coordination between retailers and suppliers in the distribution channel. Retailers often put major trust in suppliers by syncing their computer systems with suppliers so they can more directly monitor inventory levels at stores or in distribution centers to initiate rapid response to low stock levels. This usually means build up of technology infrastructure, which is costly. This coordinated effort is more involving on the whole than less time intensive inventory management systems. Risks Just-in-time inventory is not without risks. By nature of what it is, companies using JIT intend to walk a fine line between having too much and too little inventory. If company buyers fail to adjust quickly to increased demand or if suppliers have distribution problems, the business risks upsetting customers with stock outs. If buyers over compensate and buy extra inventory to avoid stock outs, the company could experience higher inventory costs and the potential for waste. Vendor managed inventory Top of Form Bottom of Form Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) . Bottom of Form Vendor Managed Inventory or VMI is a process where the vendor creates orders for their customers based on demand information that they receive from the customer. The vendor and customer are bound by an agreement which determines inventory levels, fill rates and costs. This arrangement can improve supply chain performance but reducing inventories and eliminating stock-out situations. VMI, the vendor specifies delivery quantities sent to customers through the distribution channel using data obtained from Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). There are a number of EDI transactions that can form the basis of the VMI process, 852,855 and the 856. The first is the Product Activity Record, which is known as 852. This EDI transaction contains the sales and inventory information such as key product activity and forecast measures, such as Quantity sold ($) Quantity sold (units) Quantity on hand ($) Quantity on hand (units) Quantity on order ($) Quantity on order (units) Quantity received ($) Quantity received (units) The EDI 852 information can be sent from the customer to the vendor on a weekly basis or more frequently in high-volume industries. The vendor makes the order decision based on this data in the 852 transmission. The vendor reviews the information that has been received from the vendor and an order determination is made based on existing agreement between the vendor and customer. Many vendors use a VMI software package to assist them in determining order requirements. VMI software can be part of an ERP suite  such as SAP or be a standalone option such as products from Blue Habanero, LevelMonitor, NetVMI or others. The software will verify if the data as accurate and meaningful. It will calculate a reorder point for each item based on the data and any customer information such as promotions, seasonality or new items. The quantity of each item available at the customer is compared with the reorder point for each item at each location. This will determine if an order is needed and the quantities required. The second EDI transaction that is used in VMI is the purchase order acknowledgment, which is known as the 855. This EDI document sent to the customer contains a number of fields including; Purchase Order Number Purchase Order Date Purchase Order Line item Quantity Price Item Number Description of Item Freight Charge Ship Date Some vendors supply an advance ship notice (ASN) to their customers to inform them of an incoming order, which is know as EDI 856. The ASN differs from the purchase order acknowledgement in both timing and content. The 856 is sent to the customer after the shipment has been made instead of at the time of the purchase order. Advantages of vendor managed inventory One of the benefits of VMI is that the vendor is responsible for supplying the customer when the items are needed. This removes the need for the customer to have significant safety stock. Lower inventories for the customer can lead to significant cost savings. The customer also can benefit from reduced purchasing costs. Because the vendor receives data and not purchase orders, the purchasing department has to spend less time on calculating and producing purchase orders. In addition, the need for purchase order corrections and reconciliation is removed which further reduces purchasing costs. Cost saving can also be found in reduced warehouse costs. Lower inventories can reduce the need for warehouse space and  warehouse resources. When a business relies on vendor-managed inventory, it’s placing a big bet on that company’s ability to deliver. The vendor has to be able to determine when to send new stock, what specific products to send and in what quantities. This can be beyond the means of a supplier that doesn’t have the software, infrastructure or expertise in place to make that work. If just-in-time inventory turns into way-too-late shipments thanks to poor demand forecasts or a supply-chain breakdown, VMI isn’t going to work. Disadvantages of vendor managed inventory Unscrupulous Partners Even with return policies in effect, a business risks being taken advantage of by a supplier looking to make its numbers. For example, a vendor might ship an excessive amount of product at the end of the quarter and book it as revenue to boost its sales figures regardless of the customer’s needs. The customer may return the unneeded merchandise, but the vendor already has gotten what it wants out of the transaction. In addition, VMI may require a company to share sensitive information with the supplier, which can leave it in a delicate position should the relationship between the parties ever falter. Limited Options A vendor-managed inventory system can be bad for a business when it keeps the business from seeking better-suited or lower-cost options. Because VMI links the supply chain together so closely, it serves as a disincentive to make a change that necessitates changing the company’s inventory management system. As a result, a business may find its inventory savings negated by settling for higher-priced or inferior goods. Market Responsiveness Customer preferences can change in a heartbeat, with favorites falling out of style and new items becoming more in demand. If your vendor doesn’t supply a wide enough range of products and your contract prevents you from going to the competition, you may be stuck with items your customers don’t want and no way to fix the problem. Make sure your contract doesn’t bind you so tightly to your vendor that you both sink together when the market changes. The manufacturer can gain some benefits from vendor managed inventory as they can gain access to a customers point of sale (POS) data makes their forecasting somewhat easier. Manufacturers can also work their customers promotional plans into forecasting models, which means enough stock will be available when their promotions are running. As a manufacturer has more visibility to their customers inventory levels, it is easier to ensure that stock-outs will not occur as they can see when items need to be produced. INTRODUCTION TO MRP manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) is defined as a method for the effective planning of all resources of a manufacturing company. Ideally, it addresses operational planning in units, financial planning, and has a simulation capability to answer â€Å"what-if† questions and extension of closed-loop MRP. This is not exclusively a software function, but the management of people skills, requiring a dedication to database accuracy, and sufficient computer resources. It is a total company management concept for using human and company resources more productively. MRP is a comprehensive system used for planning and scheduling materials requirement. It assists in improving the materials handling capability of an organization. But it has certain disadvantages. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of MRP have been discussed below Advantages Some of the key benefits that can be derived from using an MRP system are: Reduced per unit cost of production thus enabling an organization to price its products competitively Low inventory levels, especially for in-process materials Better response to market demand Better customer service Reduced set-up and tear-down costs Comprehensive material tracking and optimized production scheduling Improvement in capacity allocation and planning Disadvantages Following are the disadvantages of an MRP system: High costs and technical complexities in implementation. In addition, organizations, which use an MRP system need to spend considerable effort on installing necessary equipment (computers), training personnel, modifying the software to serve their specific needs, validating, testing, and eliminating possible errors, and maintaining the software. The time required for planning and implementing an MRP system is generally very long. Data entry and file maintenance requires considerable inputs in the form of training and education of the personnel. Dependence on forecast values and estimated lead-time can sometimes be misleading. The implementation of an MRP system can be effective only when there is a high degree of accuracy in the organization’s operations. It requires high commitment from the top management of an organization. The management should educate its executives on the importance of MRP as a strategic planning tool. The success of an MRP system, like that of any other system depends on proper implementation and right application. Managers can derive more benefits if they use the MRP system as a management-planning tool. MRP needs enormous human efforts and care in continuously collecting the required information for the system. However, many organizations prefer to adopt MRP systems, as the advantages of the system outweigh its disadvantages. Are you searching Operations Management expert for help with Advantages and Disadvantages of an MRP system questions? Advantages and Disadvantages of an MRP system topic is not easier to learn without external help? We at www.expertsmind.com offer finest service of Operations Management assignment help and Operations Management homework help. Live tutors are available for 24Ãâ€"7 hours helping students in their Advantages and Disadvantages of an MRP system related problems. We provide step by step Advantages and Disadvantages of an MRP system question’s answers with 100% plagiarism free content. We prepare quality content and notes for Advantages and Disadvantages of an MRP system topic under Operations Management theory and study material. These are avail for subscribed users and they can get advantages anytime. Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) Economic order quantity (EOQ) is the order quantity of inventory that minimizes the total cost of inventory management. Two most important categories of inventory costs are ordering costs and carrying costs. Ordering costs are costs that are incurred on obtaining additional inventories. They include costs incurred on communicating the order, transportation cost, etc. Carrying costs represent the costs incurred on holding inventory in hand. They include the opportunity cost of money held up in inventories, storage costs, spoilage costs, etc. Ordering costs and carrying costs are quite opposite to each other. If we need to minimize carrying costs we have to place small order which increases the ordering costs. If we want minimize our ordering costs we have to place few orders in a year and this requires placing large orders which in turn increases the total carrying costs for the period. We need to minimize the total inventory costs and EOQ model helps us just do that. Total inventory costs = Ordering costs + Holding costs By taking the first derivative of the function we find the following equation for minimum cost EOQ = SQRT(2 Ãâ€" Quantity Ãâ€" Cost Per Order / Carrying Cost Per Order) Example ABC Ltd. is engaged in sale of footballs. Its cost per order is $400 and its carrying cost unit is $10 per unit per annum. The company has a demand for 20,000 units per year. Calculate the order size, total orders required during a year, total carrying cost and total ordering cost for the year. Solution EOQ = SQRT(2 Ãâ€" 20,000 Ãâ€" 400/10) = 1,265 units Annual demand is 20,000 units so the company will have to place 16 orders (= annual demand of 20,000 divided by order size of 1,265). Total ordering cost is hence $64,000 ($400 multiplied by 16). Average inventory held is 632.5 ((0+1,265)/2) which means total carrying costs of $6,325 (i.e. 632.5 Ãâ€" $10). businesses require an efficient inventory system to maximize profit. The Economic Order Quantity model is a commonly used element of a continuous review inventory system. It is based on a formula that calculates the most economical number of items a business should order to minimize costs and maximize value when re-stocking inventory. Small business owners should evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this inventory model before implementing it. DISADVANTAGES Minimizes Storage and Holding Costs Storing inventory may be expensive for small business owners. The main advantage of the EOQ model is the customized recommendations provided regarding the most economical number of units per order. The model may suggest buying a larger quantity in fewer orders to take advantage of discount bulk buying and minimizing order costs. Alternatively, it may point to more orders of fewer items to minimize holding costs if they are high and ordering costs are relatively low. Specific to the Business Maintaining sufficient inventory levels to match customer demand is a balancing act for many small businesses. Another advantage of the EOQ model is that it provides specific numbers particular to the business regarding how much inventory to hold, when to re-order it and how many items to order. This smooths out the re-stocking process and results in better customer service as inventory is available when needed. Complicated Math Calculations The EOQ model requires a good understanding of algebra, a disadvantage for small business owners lacking math skills. Additionally, effective EOQ models require detailed data to calculate several figures. For example, the key formula of the model calculates the square root of 2DS/H, where D is the number of units purchased annually, S is the fixed ordering charge, and H is the holding cost per unit. Rent or mortgage payments, utility costs and property taxes are required just to calculate H. Based on Assumptions The EOQ model assumes steady demand of a business product and immediate  availability of items to be re-stocked. It does not account for seasonal or economic fluctuations. It assumes fixed costs of inventory units, ordering charges and holding charges. This inventory model requires continuous monitoring of inventory levels. The effectiveness of the basic EOQ model is most limited by the assumption of a one-product business, and the formula does not allow for combining several different products in the same . INTRODUCTION TO ERP What is ERP? It means enterprise resource planning, which itself means planning the resources in an enterprise (business). So, this abbreviation simply means, that this is a way of using the resources in a company more effectively. Notice, that this is not some kind of software, this is an ideology. Some companies build applications, that work according to this ideology, called ERP solutions. But there is something more there†¦ the developers of such solutions build their application implementing some best business practices in it, and this is one of the most valuable features of ERP systems. The so called know-how is the most common thing that many of the small businesses out there lack. And this could be the difference between the successful, fast flowing company and the average company. At some point of the life cycle of an enterprise, the need of such a system becomes inevitable. The earlier managers understand this, the better. As the company grows, its control becomes more and more difficult task. An integrated solution, like ERP software, could be really helpful in this situation. Every small company, that wants to grow big just needs to use an ERP system. Some big corporations even would not do business with you, if you hadn’t such a software implemented and working in your business. Such a solution is a proof for higher quality and that you are running your enterprise well and effectively. There are many many benefits coming from these systems, later we’ll talk about them more. ERP solutions are from the group of integrated systems, which means that they are built to integrate any part of your business. Initially the manager in a small company can coordinate the different departments relatively easy, but when the company starts to grow, the same happens with the size and number of departments. The coordination between them becomes really hard and expensive. At some point of time a crisis of control is inevitable. ERP systems can be  managers’ best friend then, because this is one of their main purpose – to integrate your business. Advantages & Disadvantages of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Systems In order to understand computer networks better, it would be helpful to have an overview of the applications running on the network. ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is an important enterprise application that integrates all the individual department functions into a single software application. ERP Systems make it easier to track the workflow across various departments. They reduce the operational costs involved in manually tracking and (perhaps) duplicating data using individual & disparate systems. In this article, let us have a look at the advantages and dis-advantages of implementing ERP (Enterprise Resource Management) Software Systems. Advantages of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) 1. Complete visibility into all the important processes, across various departments of an organization (especially for senior management personnel). 2. Automatic and coherent workflow from one department/function to another, to ensure a smooth transition and quicker completion of processes. This also ensures that all the inter-departmental activities are properly tracked and none of them is ‘missed out’. 3. A unified and single reporting system to analyze the statistics/status etc. in real-time, across all functions/departments. 4. Since same (ERP) software is now used across all departments, individual departments having to buy and maintain their own software systems is no longer necessary. 5. Certain ERP vendors can extend their ERP systems to provide Business Intelligence functionalities, that can give overall insights on business processes and identify potential areas of problems/improvements. 6. Advanced e-commerce integration is possible with ERP systems – m ost of them can handle web-based order tracking/ processing. 7. There are various modules in an ERP system like Finance/Accounts, Human Resource Management, Manufacturing, Marketing/Sales, Supply Chain/Warehouse Management, CRM, Project Management, etc. 8. Since ERP is a modular software system, its possible to implement either a few modules (or) many modules based on the requirements of an organization. If  more modules implemented, the integration between various departments may be better. 9. Since a Database system is implemented on the backend to store all the information required by the ERP system, it enables centralized storage/back-up of all enterprise data. 10. ERP systems are more secure as centralized security policies can be applied to them. All the transactions happening via the ERP systems can be tracked. 11. ERP systems provide better company-wide visibility and hence enable better/faster collaboration across all the departments. 12. It is possible to integrate other systems (like bar-code reader, for example) to the ERP system through an API (Application Programing Interface). 13. ERP systems make it easier for order tracking, inventory tracking, revenue tracking, sales forecasting and related activities. Disadvantages of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) 1. The cost of ERP Software, planning, customization, configuration, testing, implementation, etc. is too high. 2. ERP deployments are highly time-consuming – projects may take 1-3 years (or more) to get completed and fully functional. 3. Too little customization may not integrate the ERP system with the business process & too much customization may slow down the project and make it difficult to upgrade. 4. The cost savings/payback may not be realized immediately after the ERP implementation & it is quite difficult to measure the same. 5. The participation of users is very important for successful implementation of ERP projects – hence, exhaustive user training and simple user interface might be critical. But ERP systems are generally difficult to learn (and use). 6. There maybe additional indirect costs due to ERP implementation – like new IT infrastructure, upgrading the WAN links, etc. 7. Migration of existing data to the new ERP systems is difficult (or impossible) to achieve. Integrating ERP systems with other stand alone software systems is equally difficult (if possible). These activities may consume a lot of time, money & resources, if attempted. 8. ERP implementations are difficult to achieve in decentralized organizations with disparate business processes and systems. 9. Once an ERP systems is implemented it becomes a single vendor lock-in for further upgrades, customizations etc. Companies are at the discretion of a single vendor and may not be able to negotiate effectively for their services. 10. Evaluation prior to implementation of ERP system is critical. If this step  is not done properly and experienced technical/business resources are not available while evaluating, ERP implementations can (and have) become a failure ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BARCODING Bar codes consist of bars and spaces that vary in width. The bars and spaces on a bar code correspond to numbers and letters that represent descriptive data. Scanners scan the bar code to find the corresponding description of the item, including the make and model of an item and its price. Many stores and shops commonly use bar code technology for stock inventory. It’s also used to scan when a customer wants to purchase it. There are advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of bar code technology. the Disadvantages of Barcodes disadvantages of Bar Codes Time In the blink of an eye, scanning a bar code instantly displays the product name, type of product and price. Bar codes also have a 12-digit product number that when entered also produces the same information. However, if a cashier has a long line of impatient customers, entering the product details of each item is time-consuming, especially in grocery stores where each customer usually purchases multiple items. Although bar codes are a huge advantage when it comes to time, it can also be a disadvantage if the bar code on the product doesn’t correspond to the right product, or the bar code scanner isn’t working Inventory Inventory is a huge component of any goods and services business. Keeping track of inventory can be a tedious, time-consuming and difficult task to do without a bar code scanner. With a bar code scanner, shop owners simply scan the bar code on the items and keep track of the store’s inventory that way. When an individual purchases an item, the scanner transmits this information to the computer and it’s calculated on the stock inventory via computer technology. The major disadvantage here is if the cashier sees a number of items that look or seem the same and scans one item multiple times to save  time. Each item and type of item has a unique bar code and must be scanned separately. As a result, this could affect inventory. Labels Labels make it easy for bar code scanners and computers to recognize the product item and vendor name. But when a label is damaged or non-existent, it poses problems. Damaged labels make it difficult for the cashier to scan. Even the 12-digit number on the label may be damaged to the point where it is not legible. When this occurs, the checkout process is significantly delayed while the same product is sought out and brought to the cashier for scanning. In addition, some products, such as fruits and vegetables at grocery stores, don’t have labels, which potentially cause delay. However, cashiers are usually trained to remember the 12-digit number corresponding to items without labels. Costs While bar code technology drastically reduces the time and energy spent on inventory and checkout procedures, it is costly. Businesses that want to implement bar code equipment and technology have to withstand the growing pains of doing so. This includes training employees, installing the equipment, expensive printers and the time spent entering codes for labels. However, despite the disadvantages with start-up, the bar code technology benefits businesses in the long run. CONCLUSION ON THE ABOVE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT TOOLS One should start by saying that inventory management is the active control program that facilitates the management of sales, purchases and disbursements. The inventory management is all about special software that would reduce the costs and human efforts required to create invoices, purchase orders, various receiving lists, or payment receipts. The inventory management attempts to coordinate all the efforts in the warehouse, retail and other product lines in order to develop better controls of the processes that go inside the organization. Speaking about a particular software, I would like to note that one of the many is available at http://www.advanceware.net/modules.asp. The software is said to provide all  the needed inventory management tools in just one package. The website provides a demo version of the software where one is able to explore the shipping module. The software allows the company to print serial numbers on an invoice, set a default tax rate, generate several types of reports, receive and process various customer/vendor returns, and place/process customer orders in various currencies. As for the inventory management in the workplace I would like to note that because I work in the hotel industry, the inventory management is different here than in other industries. The inventory that hotel manages is the room space available for rental. One should understand that because hotel industry sells services the improper inventory management might mean that the hotel will not fill up all the rooms. Thus, the inventory management for the hotel industry should focus on the timeliness with respect to room occupation and marketing. The inventory management should also account for the food, towels, bed sheets, and other items required for the daily hotel operations. The inventory management should assure that the hotel rooms are filled right after they are freed, otherwise, the hotel would lose out since unlike tangible inventory, the service hotel industry offers cannot be s References Harris, Ford W. (1990) [Reprint from 1913]. â€Å"How Many Parts to Make at Once†. Operations Research (INFORMS) 38 (6): 947–950. doi:10.1287/opre.38.6.947. JSTOR 170962. Retrieved Nov 21, 2012. edit Hax, AC and Candea, D. (1984), Production and Operations Management, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, p. 135 Grubbstrà ¶m, Robert W. (1995). â€Å"Modelling production opportunities — an historical overview†. International Journal of Production Economics 41: 1–14. doi:10.1016/0925-5273(95)00109-3. Nahmias, Steven (2005). Production and operations analysis. McGraw Hill Higher Education. edit Altintas, N.; Erhun, F.; Tayur, S. (2008). â€Å"Quantity Discounts Under Demand Uncertainty†. Management Science 54 (4): 777–792. doi:10.1287/mnsc.1070.0829. edit Andrew Caplin and John Leahy, â€Å"Economic

Bradford Assay

Bradford Protein Assay Practical Report 1. Present your data (including raw data and calculated concentrations) for the protein standards in the form of a clear table. Give one example of how you calculated protein concentration. Do not forget a descriptive title and units (4marks) Title either too long or not descriptive or absent Your results are in duplicate shouldn’t be referred to as ‘set1 set2’ or ‘original’ and ‘duplicate’ Many of you think units of absorbance are nm but A has arbitrary (ie no) units. nm indicates the ax of the chromophore Failure to give correct units in legends eg (ml) or (? g/ml) 2. Plot a graph of absorbance against protein concentration by hand. The graph should have an appropriate title and clearly labelled axes. Staple graph to the completed proforma and the Life Sciences submission sheet (4 marks) Mainly ok but both duplicate Abs- blank should be plotted and one line of best fit drawn through points. Do not extrapolate beyond the highest standard, you have no evidence that Beer-Lambert’s Law applies at high A. Make sure you choose appropriate scale and use full scale deflection on A4 graph paper. These types of graph are standard curves and that term should be in the title, remember we are not directly measuring the absorbance of protein, but a chromophore derived from the protein. 3. Present your data for unknown samples (including raw data and calculated concentrations of X Y) in the form of a clear table. Do not forget title and units. (4 marks) All data should be in one table but pay attention to typesetting and make sure that words/numbers are not split between 2 lines, this will lose marks. Absorbance of blank must be subtracted from values for unknown as they also contain non-specific absorbance. Many of you wrote dilutions incorrectly eg 1:2. The symbol : means ratio ? this actually means 1in 3. Either write as 1in 2 or 1:1 Never average absorbance-it’s not good practise (except for blank) you should convert to analyte then average your final results. Most dilute samples have least absorbance, many of you muddled your dilutions making final values incorrect. Always double-check arithmetic. If the final answer for the different dilutions don’t agree, look at your results and ask yourself if they seem right. Remember there is only one right answer for each unknown . Explain briefly each step of your calculations to find the protein concentration of X and Y, underlining your final answers. Convert to mg/ml. (6 marks) No need to explain how to read values from the std curve. Explain which absorbance values you read from the graph, what (if any) dilution factor you multiplied that value by, and then which answers you then averaged to get your final answers and why you ignored any data (eg poor duplicates or off scale cf standard- you cannot extrapolate beyond your std curve ) Some of you not using the proforma wrote too much. You will be penalised for exceeding allocated space in assignments, so be mindful of this 5. What is the chromophore measured in the Bradford assay? (2 marks) Many of you defined the term chromophore rather than describing the Bradford chromophore which is CBB + protein. (not CBB alone! ) The ? max at 595nm is formed when the dye binds to protein 6. What is the purpose of the blank? Why is it necessary to subtract the absorbance of the blank from all other results? (2 marks) The blank gives us the value for non-specific absorbance ; as we are interested in the specific (in this case protein) absorbance, we must subtract the blank absorbance from all other abs. values. Many of you didn’t subtract the blank from the unknown’s but as they are also mixtures of protein, NaCl and reagents measured in cuvettes, they also contain non-specific absorbance so you must subtract the blank. Many of you said the blank is used to zero the spectrophotometer (which it can be ) but we didn’t do that; we zeroed on water or NaCl then subtracted the blank mathematically. The blank you had to deduct was to remove the combined absorbances of water, NaCl and most importantly the dye in the uncomplexed state 7. The Biuret and Folin-Lowry are two other commonly used colourimetric protein assays. UV absorption can also be used to determine protein concentration. Describe the basis of these methods and compare them with the Bradford assay in terms of ease, sensitivity, range and interferences. (8 marks) You need to describe the biochemical basis(not the actual method) of the Biuret, Lowry and Bradford assays. The Lowry is a modification of the Biuret to improve it’s sensitivity so it’s appropriate to describe the Biuret method first , then describe the Lowry modification You need to state the range (the lowest- highest concentration they can detect) sensitivity(the lowest amount they can detect) for each assay. Some of you confused sensitivity with interference ie substances which, if present will give incorrect results. You need to state how reliable they are -whether they are prone to interferences. You could mention cost of reagents, ease of procedure Many of you placed too much emphasis on the ? ax of the different chromophores described but this is not really relevant. You need to state the wavelength at which proteins absorb UV radiation and which moieties in proteins absorb in the UV. ie at 280nm(near UV) it’s the aromatic amino acids, some of you also mention A200nm(far UV) at which peptide bonds absorb, although this is of little practical use. Note any inte rferences- remember many things absorb UV radiation Advantages of using UV- it’s non destructive so you can recover your sample for further investigation. Formula which relates UV absorption to protein concentration

The Al-Shabaab Terrorist Group Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Al-Shabaab Terrorist Group - Research Paper Example Al-Shabaab is a militant group composed of Islamist youth with a foundation in Somalia. Al-Shabaab, also referred to as the Mujahideen Youth Movement, was formally recognized by Somalia government in 2012. It is believed that Al-Shabaab is a Somali-based cell of the militant Islamist affiliate of al-Qaeda that controls the larger part of southern Somalia, where is has imposed its own form of Sharia. The number of members in Al-Shabaab militia was estimated to fourteen thousand, four hundred and twenty-six in May 2011. The quarrel between Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda over the union leadership caused the spread of Al-Shabaab; Al-Shabaab quickly lost their ground due to widespread disintegration. Members of the Al-Shabaab describe themselves as waging jihadists against non-Muslims whom they refer to as kufaars. The group is engaged in a constant combat against the Transitional Federal Government and the African Union Mission to Somalia. The motive of the Al-Shabaab is to eliminate foreign in terference in Somalia; they thus kidnap, intimidate and kill aid workers to accelerate the suspension of humanitarian operations and an exodus of relief agents. Al-Shabaab is one of the most dangerous groups of the time and it is raising concern throughout the world because of its merciless terrorist activities. Al-Shabaab was initially a representation of the hard-line militant youth that was within the Islamic Courts Union. Currently, Al-Shabaab is described as the extremist splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union.

The Great Depression and Government Response Research Paper

The Great Depression and Government Response - Research Paper Example Despite the fact that the depression had taken its roots in the United States, it rapidly spread to other industrialized countries across the globe and had a devastating effect on output and employment levels. The cultural and social effects of the great depression were also profound, requiring an immediate response from the governments to adopt various expansionary macroeconomic policies. Research proves that in the US, the great depression ranks as the second greatest crisis after the civil war. Regardless of the fact that the causes of the depression still remains controversial, a combination of such factors such as poorly regulated markets, consumer debt and the shortage of high growth industries created a recessionary business environment, leading to low investment confidence, reduced spending and a high level of uncertainty. What is important to understand here is how and why the Great Depression is credited with the evolution and development of macro-economics as a distinct fi eld. It is felt by many scholars that it is the Great Depression that gave birth to macroeconomics as a separate and distinct field(Hamilton, 1992). To some extent it is thought by many that to this day, the Great Depression continues to influence the beliefs and policy recommendations of macroeconomists. It would not be incorrect to say that many of the contemporary systems of regulating banks and the Wall Street have been developed keeping the lesson learnt from the Great Depression in mind. In fact, macroeconomics gained attention after the Great Depression since it helped highlight all the main flaws that occurred in applying theories of microeconomics to the economy. According to the micro economists, the high level of unemployment that followed the Great Depression should have been regulated by Adam Smith’s â€Å"invisible hand†. According to this theory, workers should have revised their expectations of their wages downwards to the extent where firms would be wi lling to hire more people. However, what actually ended up happening was that because of the poverty and unemployment, demand for products dropped and so firms did not require additional workers. Moreover, since the workers were not willing to accept considerably lower wages for the same jobs as before, the wage rates were prevented from lowering to a more appropriate level. CAUSES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION The causes of the Great Depression are still subject to debate and argument by various economists. One school of thought is that the onslaught was demand-driven, that is, the aggregate demand declined. However, many economists believe that the tight monetary policy of the US government, which was aimed at limiting the stock market speculations, played a major role in the occurrence of the depression. The 1920s did not witness any exceptional boom. The prices remained constant except the stock prices which rose fourfold from exceptionally low in 1921 to extremely high in 1929. In th e last two years of the decade the Federal Reserve had to resort to increasing interest rates in the hopes of slowing down this boom. The higher rates depressed the spending on interest-sensitive areas like automobile and construction. Towards the end of 1929, the stock prices had reached unprecedented heights (Kindleberger,

Benefits of Cohabitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits of Cohabitation - Essay Example They understand that they want and need to determine if they are right for each other, if they can accept each other’s quirks and habits, and of course, if they can see themselves still being together after the honeymoon stage. As stated by Monika Johnson, â€Å"a wedding will not change your relationship. If you and your partner have difficulties living together, a marriage license will not improve things. In such a case, it may be better to end the relationship, rather than to enter into a marriage that is troubled from the start† (Johnson). What Johnson tries to point out is that marriage is not a solution for a troubled relationship. It is not a way to resolve differences and issues. Marriage should be commitment not a solution. Although the majority of people, those who believe in the traditional religious beliefs, believe that living together is in fact going against the norm by asserting that â€Å"cohabitors are partially rejecting the society's dominant value system. Those people who enter cohabitational relationships tend to perceive social rules in flexible terms† (Cohabitation). Because the dominant value system is strongly associated with traditional religious beliefs, the bulk of which are Christians, cohabitation without the institution of marriage poses great threat to the stability of traditional values. Couples entering into the arrangement of cohabitation without marriage can be seen as people challenging, or even rejecting, the norms, which places great pressure and stigma on the relationship. This may put a strain on the relationship. This may pose a question on the stability of the relationship. But a glimpse on the research on contemporary generation has proven that â€Å"young couples are most accepting of cohabitation,... Benefits of Cohabitation By living together, couples satisfy their personal beliefs and companionship without sacrificing an acknowledged vow that legally binds them through marriage. Couples opt to decide on living together before getting married for diverse reasons including compatibility, fear of the consequences of divorce and economic considerations. Young couples believe that living together before marriage is part of choosing as to how they will go on about their life. It may be seen as a test period, but consequentially this set-up allows the couple to realize whether they want to live their life with each other. For young couples, this set-up is part of expressing themselves. On the other hand, those couples who spent time living together run the risk of falling out of love eventually. Couples eventually develop psychological problems that lead to depression and anxiety due to the possibility that they are really not meant to be together in the long term. Living together before marriage shows that there may be a fear of commitment. The institution of marriage legally binds the couple. This can be viewed as fully committing oneself to the other. Cohabitation without the institution of marriage can be perceived as lack of solid foundation and structure to build a family and future together. Living together before marriage is a controversial topic. I strongly believe that couples should live together before marriage to understand whether they are willing to be bound to their partners without fear of divorce.

You may choose any comparison-contrast approach related to person, Assignment

You may choose any comparison-contrast approach related to person, place or things - Assignment Example It is apparent that both leaders advocated for non-violent ways of settling their grievances. For instance, Mandela borrowed ideologies and principles from Gandhi who had insisted on negotiation with the black Africans and Indian administrators. Similarly, Mandela and Gandhi were revolutionists who fought for the rights of other citizens (Dalton, 2012). This implies that the two leaders mobilized people to help them fight for changes by pushing the administrators to transform their ruling strategies. It is also evident that Mandela was similar to Gandhi in that they were against social segregation and discrimination across South Africa (Limb, 2008). For instance, as a lawyer in South Africa, Gandhi did not like the way the Indians faced mistreatments from other ethnic groups. Mandela also led the anti-apartheid movement that separated the blacks against the Europeans in the country. This indicates that they had similar approaches of influencing equality and appreciation of separate r aces within the country. However, some differences were also evident between the two prominent leaders. For instance, while Mandela fought for the interests of his people, he emerged as a political leader. He also formed a political party that acquired independence for the black liberators. In contrast, Gandhi later became a religious nationalist in his native country India (Dalton, 2012). Another difference is that Gandhi never had political ambitions and only fought for the liberation of people against the British (Dalton, 2012). Mandela had political ambitions that enabled him to contest in a democratic election where he emerged the victor. It is also different that Gandhi was instrumental in both his country and in South Africa where he led the campaigners for change (Limb, 2008). Contrastingly, Mandela only participated in his home country where he was

Autocallable Structured Notes - involving the knowledge of exotic Essay

Autocallable Structured Notes - involving the knowledge of exotic options and portfolio replicating skills - Essay Example With reference to the term sheet, the issued autocallable structured notes however are principal protected which is a significant deviation in the structure of the security since it was originally issued. One issue which is more prominent since the launch of this type of security is its pricing. Pricing models have now proposed a new approach to the pricing of autocallable structured note by incorporating stochastic volatility by taking on the correlation between the interest and equity. Due to the high return offered by these structured notes owing to their inherent structure as they tend to increase in value when markets go down as well as when markets are rising. The reason for the issuance of these investment securities during Oct/November 2007 was because of the fact that due to credit crunch in the financial sector at International Level and resulting volatility in the equity markets resulted in creating opportunities for the investors to engineer instruments which provide a confirmed high return coupled with principal protection. This fact can also be corroborated in the sense that the overall credit crunch in western financial institutions resulted in upward surge in the interest rates hence necessitating a raise in the required rate of return by the investors in the equity markets also. Since these structured notes are structured in a way that they either go in tandem with some benchmarking rates like LIBOR thus any fluctuation in benchmarking rates also pu sh the returns on these instruments in more favorable position for the investors. Apart from that autocallables are considered as yield enhancement strategies. Trading units and size of the issue do not seem to be having any implications on the risk return profile of the investor however it must also be noted that the underlying currency of the asset may have some implications on the value since any changes in the interest rates will have impact on the exchange rates and this may

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Case study - Essay Example A person should always adopt the educational program that suits to his or her career plans. Career planning is essential for success in life and I have always kept this notion in mind. My immediate career plans entail moving from employment in the private sector, in order to establish and manage my own business in the near future. Although my current work in GMME in Saudi Arabia requires strong leadership and decision-making skills, so I decided to come to Canada and to apply for new degree that will help me to reach my goals in the near future. I opted for Royal Roads University because of its sound reputation in the field of business studies. In addition, I had feeling that the degree offered at Royal Roads University-Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management will provide me with the advanced leadership and managerial skills and the necessary information to the development of fledgling business enterprises. I am confident that the complexity and diversity of courses offered in this program will provide me with a comprehensive understanding of organizational models and managing strategies and skills that I need in my job and to start my business soon. The degree of Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management will facilitate me with education and practical knowledge related to the field of business. Not only will I be able to get business knowledge but also management skills such as leadership and decision-making. For a businessperson, it is overly significant that he knows to lead and decide. It is only possible with acquired knowledge of business and management that one can work successfully with a personal business. For me, I think that the degree offered by Royal Roads University is the best choice, as it comprises each and every aspect of my career goals. Learning is necessary for success in any field of life, therefore, the knowledge that I will attain from the university will make me eligible to serve

The kite runner Essay Example for Free

The kite runner Essay Leesh bear Friendship with a Kite The desire for friendship comes quickly. Friendship does not. Aristotle In The Kite Runner, the theme of friendship is probably one on the most obvious themes to spot. The book is centered around the friendships made, and how the friendships will test their true loyalty and sometimes even their lives. According to Mark Vernon friendship is a complex thing. He says this; A heavy burden is placed on friendship. We turn to friends for our happiness. Some say they trust friends more than family. And there are those who want to marry their best friend a very novel idea. Then, in the networked age, we believe, or hope, that friendship is elastic enough to connect us across the web of complex lives, and strong enough not to snap. But is it? For whilst friendship offers much, few ask about its perils and limitations, as well as its promise. This relates to The Kite Runner almost perfectly. As it would tor any book dealing with the hardships and tests ot friendship, but somehow this one seems to fit best with this novel. one of the characters who reflects a lot on friendship Is Amir. Amir not focusing so much on his friendship, but the question of friendship completely, how two people of ifferent races, one accepted by society and the other outcast can be friends. But In none of his stories did Baba ever refer to All as his friend. The curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either. Not in the usual sense anyhow Because history isnt easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shia and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. When Hassan talks about friendship or more so reflects on it, he comes from more of a third party outsider point of view. He never really goes into detail, but the author ets us know he is caring and forgiving. Hassan writes letters to Amir filled with warmth and nostalgia for their time in Kabul. Somehow, Hassan never thinks to hold a grudge against Amir. Its unthinkable its simply not part of the makeup of this character. (shmoop. com) Even th ough they come trom different back rounds the tact that they are Ilke brothers Is really nice to see. Though the time they live In their friendship Is considered bad, they pursue It anyways. Many trials their friendship faced, yet they continued to keep eachother close. Then, when Amir attempts to fit Into society he leaves Hassan behind. Someone who he was so close to for so long. Too late we learn, a man must hold his friend unjudged, accepted, trusted to the end Oohn Boyle OReilly). Hassan was the one who helped Amir choose the path of his future career. Amir had taken advantage of the friendship between Hassan and him. He made fun of him whenever he had the chance, but Hassan never took it to heart and still perceived Amir as his best friend. One day while he read to Hassan, Amir made up the ending of the story and Hassan loved it. He said, That was the best story youVe read me in a 1 OF2 Hassan was both physically and mentally stronger than Amir. According to Baba, Amirs father, there was something wrong with Amir since his birth. Amir never stood up for himself and he was different for the fact that he liked poetry, something that Baba believed was not normal for a young boy. One day while Hassan and Amir were walking towards their tree, they came upon Assef and his friends. Assef was the son of one of Babas friends, an airline pilot. He was known for his brass knuckles and wanted to start an argument with Hassan and Amir. Right before he was going to hurt them, Hassan grabbed his slingshot and aimed it right at Assefs left eye. He let the boys go but said he was going to get revenge. This part of the story foreshadowed an event that occurred later in the story in which Amir and Hassans lives were changed forever.

Comparison of Nursing Theories

Comparison of Nursing Theories Jessica N. Baker The grand nursing theories are too abstract to effectively guide practice, but they can provide a world view. Middle range theories, on the other hand, are less abstract, but are more easily linked to practice. Compare and contrast these two types of theory and how they can be used to inform ANP practice using one grand theory and one middle range theory as examples. Nursing theories are organized frameworks of concepts and purposes to guide nursing practice (Risjord, 2010). Two types of nursing theories are grand nursing theories and middle range nursing theories. Grand nursing theories encompass all aspects of the human experience and allow for general application whereas middle range theories are less abstract and are more specific (McKenna Slevin, 2008). Although there are similarities and differences between grand nursing theories and middle range theories both types of theories can prove to be useful when informing advanced nursing practice (McCrae, 2012). Grand nursing theories are broad in scope and relate to larger areas of nursing such as promotion of health for all individuals in a society (Powers Knapp, 2011). Although broad and non-specific, grand nursing theories provide several implications for advanced practice nursing. It is widely known that healthcare is constantly becoming more complex at an exponential rate. Because of rapidly increasing complexities the abstract nature of grand theories can be useful for complex phenomena relevant to nursing such as aging populations and complex disease states (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson, 2012). Grand theories can highlight the complexities of these and other complex issues concerning for advanced practice nursing in a global society (Im Ju-Chang, 2012). By using grand theories the advanced practice nurse can view each client both as an individual as well a part of larger systems (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson). One grand theory that can be used to guide advanced nursing practice is Neuman’s systems model. This theory uses prevention as the basis for health promotion and it provides a holistic and comprehensive approach to maximizing client health by focusing on stressors that influence the relationship between the client and the environment (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson, 2012). The environment is comprised of five interrelated biological, mental, environmental, social, and spiritual variables (Neuman Fawcett, 2012). The role of the nurse is to retain stability in the client-environment relationship through three levels of prevention (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson). These include primary prevention that occurs before the client experiences a reaction to a stressor, secondary prevention that occurs after the client experiences a reaction to a stressor, and tertiary prevention that occurs after the client has been treated through secondary prevention methods (Skalski, DiGerolamo, Gig lotti, 2006). Using Neuman’s systems model the advanced practice nurse can clearly identify appropriate interventions at different stages of disease processes (Lee, 2014). By discussing the five environmental variables with patients, partnerships can be created to mutually create goals (Skalski, DiGerolamo, Giglotti, 2006). The advanced practice nurse can also promote prevention through client education and counseling (Neuman Fawcett, 2012). Like grand nursing theories, middle range theories provide several implications for advanced practice nursing. Middle range theories can be described as the link connecting research and practice (Fawcett Garity, 2009). Middle range theories can be descriptive, explanatory, or predictive and each plays a role in informing and guiding advanced nursing practice (Fawcett, 2005). When compared to grand nursing theories, middle range theories have a narrower scope, greater levels of specificity, and greater ease of concept application (Powers Knapp, 2011). A middle range theory that influences advanced nursing practice is the theory of optimal client system stability. This theory was derived from the grand theory of Neuman’s systems model as described above. This theory has only one proposition and that is that stability represents system health (Neuman Fawcett, 2012). This theory is useful because interventions by the advanced practice nurse are linked to client outcomes (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson, 2012). There are multiple applications when age, health status, and stressors are identified (Risjord, 2010). One such example is a study of fatigue in patients with diabetes by Casalenuovo (2002) that examined the relationship between stress, well-being, and fatigue. In this study the author concluded that interventions aimed at enhancing client well-being reduced fatigue. Both grand and middle range theories are sets of interrelated concepts to guide thinking in advanced practice nursing (Risjord, 2010). However, there are many differences between these two types of theories. Grand nursing theories consist of conceptual frameworks to provide broad insight useful for general practice. Because of the level of abstraction they are usually not easily testable (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson, 2012). Grand theories are often developed through insightful appraisal and considerations. Middle range theories are narrower in scope and are a bridge between grand theories and nursing practice (Fawcett Garity, 2009). Because middle range theories are less abstract and their concepts are more easily operationalized they allow for hypothesis testing. Middle range theories are often evolved from grand theories, literature reviews, and clinical practice making them more specific to nursing practice (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson). Despite multiple differences, both grand theories and middle range theories have a role in informing and influencing advanced practice nursing. Grand nursing theories define the role of nursing and separates nurses within the infrastructure of health care professions whereas middle range nursing theories guides the nurse to considerations when making clinical decisions (Florczak, Poradzisz, Hampson, 2012). The different types of theories provide different advantages for practice. These two types of theories are complementary and each type can contribute to advanced nursing practice and knowledge (Risjord, 2010). References: Casalenuovo, G. A. (2002). Fatigue in diabetes mellitus: Testing a middle range theory of well-being derived from Neumans theory of optimal client system stability and the Neuman systems model. Dissertation Abstracts International, 63(5), 2301B. Florczak, K., Poradzisz, M., Hampson, S. (2012). Nursing in a complex world: A case for grand theory.Nursing Science Quarterly,25(4), 307-312. Fawcett, J. (2005). Middle-range nursing theories are necessary for the advancement of the discipline.Aquichan,5(1), 32-43. Fawcett, J., Garity, J. (2009). Evaluating research for evidence-based nursing. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis. Im, E., Ju-Chang, S. (2012). Current trends in nursing theories. Journal of Nursing Scholarship,44(2), 156-164. Lee, Q. (2014). Application of Neumans system model on the management of a patient with asthma.Singapore Nursing Journal,41(1), 20-25. McCrae, N. (2012). Whither nursing models: The value of nursing theory in the context of evidence-based practice and multidisciplinary health care.Journal of Advanced Nursing,68(1), 222-229. McKenna, H. P., Slevin, O. (2008).Nursing models, theories and practice. Oxford: Blackwell. Neuman, B., Fawcett, J. (2012). Thoughts about the Neuman systems model: A dialogue.Nursing Science Quarterly,25(4), 374-376. Powers, B., Knapp, T. R. (2011).Dictionary of nursing theory and research. New York, NY: Springer. Risjord, M. W. (2010).Nursing knowledge: Science, practice, and philosophy. Chichester, West Sussex: Blackwell. Skalski, C., DiGerolamo, L., Gigliotti, E. (2006). Stressors in five client populations: Neuman systems model-based literature review.Journal of Advanced Nursing,56(1), 69-78.

The Permanent Campaign :: essays research papers fc

'The Permanent Campaign'; was written by Norman J. Ornstein and Amy S. Mitchell. This article appeared first in The World & I, in January 1997.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Norman Ornstein is regarded as one of our nation's foremost experts on Congress. Mr. Ornstein received a Ph.D.. from the University of Michigan, he writes for the NewYork Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and he has a regular column in Roll Call newspaper called 'Congress Inside Out';. Mr. Ornstein is also an election analyst for CBS and appears frequently on television shows including the Today Show, Nightline and the Mac Neil/Lehre News Hour where he has been a consultant and contributor for fifteen years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Ornstein is a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and is also an advisor and member of the Free TV for Straight Talk coalition. The coalition is a group of 80 leaders from the worlds of politics, corporations, broadcast journalism, the entertainment industry and public interest groups. They support giving political candidates free air time on TV to promote their political views without the media's input. He has authored or co-authored recent books such as How We Can Get Out of It, Debt and Taxes: How America Got Into Its Budget Mess, and Intensive Care: How Congress Shapes Health Policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amy Mitchell is a journalist whom graduated from Georgetown University, she has written may articles concerning government and the media and was a congressional associate at the American Enterprise Institute for four years. She is now the staff director of the Committee of Concerned Journalists. The CCJ is an organization of editors, producers, reporters, and producers whom are concerned with the future of the media. They believe that right now is a crucial moment in American journalism and it is time to sit down and talk about the core principles and function of journalism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Article 'The Permanent Campaign'; takes a look at the way the American political system has evolved over the years. When George Washington was president he did not campaign any before he was put in office. When he was in office he only made a few public appearances and when he did he didn't speak a word. During Washington's era political campaigning was considered undignified.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now the whole philosophy has changed. Before the 1992 election was even over the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report ran a story on the possible Republican hopefuls for the 1996 campaign. We have gone from a country who denounced campaigning to one in which candidates start campaigning for seats that haven't even been decided in the current elections.

Hawthornes Scarlet Letter vs Scralet Letter the Film Essay examples --

Hawthornes Scarlet Letter vs Scralet Letter the Film Published in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne‘s The Scarlet Letter describes many details of the life of a woman in a Puritan community and her conflict with their beliefs. Immoral events committed were harshly treated in those times; today these situations are dealt with up-to-date solutions. A Hollywood version of the novel was created in 1995 to visually illustrate the story but left room for comparison. Both the book and movie contain similarities and differences in point of view, plot, and symbolism. The point of view in a story is important for visualization of the plot. In the novel Hawthorne narrates the story of Hester Prynne and her sin of adultery making his point of view third person omniscient. He speaks of Hester like an outsider watching upon her life through a lucid glass window. This opposes the movie’s point of view which is told by Hester’s daughter, Pearl, with a first person limited prospect. Pearl speaks of her mother’s life and romance with her father as she has heard the tale of love and suffering. ...

Pride And Prejudice: Five Married Couples Essay -- essays research pap

Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice presents five married couples. No two are alike. From the pure love which was experienced through Elizabeth and Darcy. To the love and attraction shared by Jane and Bingley. The convenience of marriage was portrayed through Charlotte and Mr Collins while Lydia and Wickham’s marriage was based on their desire, attractions and financial status. Mr and Mrs Bennet’s marriage was for their necessity. Austen reveals many messages through her characters on her major theme, being marriage. Elizabeth and Darcy share common interests that help reflect their love and marriage. During Elizabeth’s stay in Pemberly while Jane is ill, Austen reveals to the readers, that Elizabeth and Darcy share a common interest. For example, Miss Bingley states that ‘Miss Eliza Bennet†¦ is a great reader†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ p34. While in a conversation between Darcy and Miss Bingley, it is stated, ‘What a delightful library you have at Pemberly,†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ p34. This illustrates to the readers that the two share the same interest of reading. Having the interest reading portrayed to the readers as an interest, reveals that Elizabeth and Darcy may be suitable match for one another. It clearly shows how common interests can increase the chance of marriage as it makes the bond for one another stronger. Thereby demonstrating that the love between Elizabeth and Darcy reflects on their interest shared by each other. The marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy was also pure love for one another. Though this is not established until the end of the novel. Darcy’s love for Elizabeth is expressed from his heart. Austen illustrates this when he states to Elizabeth, ‘You must allow me to tell you†¦ I admire and love you,’ p157. Austen portrays Darcy’s character as being very proud, so they way he expresses his love for Elizabeth seems pure and genuine. A proud man would find hard to express such feelings in that manner. Thus it proves his love for Elizabeth is clear. Elizabeth also shows her love towards Darcy. Mr Bennet calls Elizabeth into the library after his proposal. In a conversation between the two Elizabeth states, ‘†¦I do like him,†¦ I love him.’ P303. She is aware that her feelings towards Darcy haven’t always been this positive, but she believes that he is able to make her happy. Elizabeth believes happiness is the first sign to a good m arriage. Therefore, this reflects Elizabeth and D... ...n a man of large fortune should be in want of a wife. Though Mr Bennet was not a man of large fortune, he did however, need a wife so that in the event of his death, he had a heir to pass of family fortune to. Mrs Bennet married Mr Bennet simply because women wish to get married. It seemed a perfect match, Mr Bennet had to marry someone to pass on family heritage whilst Mr Bennet married for her own needs. Those being, for connections and fortune of another man. This reflects how marriage between Mr and Mrs Bennet is conveyed to the readers as entirely different reasons. Thus showing how Mr and Mrs Bennet married for necessity. Five married couples are married together for different reasons Austen’s major theme discussed during the text is marriage. Many messages are put forward to readers as to what an ideal reason for marriage is like. For instance, Elizabeth and Darcy marry for love and interests. Jane and Bingley marry for love and attractions. Charlotte and Mr Collins marry for convenience. Lydia and Wickham marry for their desire, attractions and financial reasons, while Mr and Mrs Bennet marry for necessity . This is established in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice.

Regulate Irresponsible Cell Phone Users on the Road

The U. S constitution should pass a federal law to ban cell phone use on any moving vehicles. The law should include all 50 states. We get irritated when we are in certain places such as a library, movie theater or a concert when a person is talking or texting on his/her cell phone. But at least our lives are not in danger of extinction. When we are driving on the streets or the highways, however, drivers using their cell phones behind the wheels are more than irritating. These foolish cell phone users are putting our lives at risk.I have witnessed drivers so distracted by texting, chatting or updating their Facebook profiles that they resemble drunk drivers, merging between lanes or nearly driving into pedestrians in the crosswalks. These motorists are not convincing they are dangerous because the governments are not interfering with their careless behaviors. Only a few states are taking action to fines these drivers who are ignoring these safety warnings. For example, New York was the first state to ban motorists from using their cell phone while driving.In the state of New York, drivers that are found guilty of talking or texting behind the wheel, they will automatic fine a $150 violation fees and penalty of two points under the distracted driving handheld law. Many countries and cities in Europe are banning cell phones while driving and are persecuting drivers who are violating the cell phone laws. Some legislators introduce a number of bills to regulate these foolish drivers; apparently, those bills were rejected because most lawmakers do not think it is required.For example, Gary Biller the president of National Motorist Association (NMA) claimed the laws banning cell phone use while driving is not necessary. According to the NMA, talking and texting while driving are already covered by existing distracted-driving laws. It would be more productive, he said, to invest resources in campaigns that discourage careless driving in general. Mr. Biller quoted tha t drivers could easily become distracted by other actions such as having a conversation with their passengers, changing the radio stations, eating or applying make-up.Regulations on cell phone use while driving needed, because technologies are advancing, and more people are becoming more obsessed with their cell phone every five minutes in a day. Seemingly, 80% of people who live in the US have a cell phone and more people owning cell phones are expecting to grow in the future due to the arising of Smartphone’s. Drivers who are using their cell phone while driving are becoming more dangerous, and the laws on negligent and distracted driving are not sufficient to punish those offenders.None of us can disagree with that cell phone users on the road have caused traffic deaths and accidents. New studies verify drivers that are texting while behind the wheel, their reactions are the same as drivers behind the wheel intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit. Insurance companies and researchers suggest that using cell phone while driving is dangerous. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that three thousands fatal traffic accidents nationwide that occurred last year were caused by distracted drivers and 70% of those polled were phoning.A survey published by State Farm Insurance, states that using a cell phone while driving delays reaction time the same amount as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0. 08 the legal limit. In 2006, a Utah psychologist did a study and confirms that driving while on the phone is as impaired as drunken driver. By comparing these two types of motorist, here are the psychology results: â€Å"We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit† of 0. 8 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U. S. states, says study co-author Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology. â€Å"If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving. † The report first gained lawmakers attention, but they later compared it with distracted drivers. Nevertheless, the comparison with drunk driving is very serious and lawmakers should look deeper into creating a federal law to prohibit drivers from using their cell phone while on the road.If past studies have demonstrated that using a cell phone while driving is as risky as driving intoxicated. Therefore, law makers should focus to have every states keep a record on fatal accident involving cell phone, based on the statistics—they should pass a federal law on whether a driver should allow to use cell phone while driving or not. Many researchers report the dangers of driving while on the cell phone. Sadly, some lawmakers argued that the states which create those traffic laws to regulate cell phone while driving use are unnecessary .Harvard Center Risk Analysis performed a research in 2002 on how many fatal accidents were results each year due to cell phones usage while driving on the road. They have calculated 2,600 people die each year in car accident due to using their cell phones while driving. I could use myself as an example; I work for TracFone Wireless which is a prepaid cell phone company—where I release information on customers such as call detail records and subscriber information when served a subpoena by third parties.I have come across subpoenas from the deceased family members where the family’s attorney requests cell usage to compare the time of the collision with the phone records. In addition, one day I received a subpoena from a deceased’s family attorney requesting a call record on one of our customers. Although, I have received numerous requests similar to this one, on this particular request, the attorney was more detailed in the subpoena which gets me more aggravated when I see drivers on their cell phones behind the wheel.He requested the call details record to confirm the time the accident occurred that the accused driver was on the phone. The attorney reports that the customer ran a red light at 50 mph broadsided his client vehicle and killed him instantly. From that day forward, I would think twice before I use my cell phone while driving. Furthermore, in 2010 a British news-paper reported a teenager girl who killed a grandmother while she was reading an incoming text message. The police stated that the victim receive the incoming text seconds before the collision.Since mobile phones are becoming more technology advancing which are creating obsessions among many young adults. Legislators should pass a federal law on a national level to restrict use of cell phones while behind the wheel. Moreover, cell phone use on moving vehicles should be enforcing as a primary law in all the 50 states. It will make more sense if the law is not legislated in a state level. As of November 2, 2012, only 10 states restrict motorists from using their cell phones, and 32 states banned school bus drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel.Because researchers and scientist have made public awareness and confirm the dangers of using cell phones while driving. Legislators should focus on drafting a nationwide federal law to enforce hands-free cell phones on all motorists while behind the wheels. It is not fair; the law to ban cell phones is only made available on a few states. If cell phone uses on any moving vehicle are regulating, people will feel safer on the road and it will eliminating unnecessary car accidents. The time has come for the federal governments to adopt legislation to ban the use of cell phone while driving.

Great Depression and Person Adolf Hitler Essay

â€Å"If you want to shine like sun first you have to burn like it.† The words were rightly said by mankind’s greatest mind and most despised person Adolf Hitler. Many Historians wonder how such a commonplace, comical-looking figure could have become the object of mass hysterical adulation. Many see Hitler as a diabolical adventurer, motivated solely by envy for personal power; he was misunderstood for his mental capabilities. He was not interested in grappling serious, wit profound intellectual problems. Instead, he portrayed himself as a â€Å"great simplifier† who could solve problems and reduce them to elementary slogans and solutions. His success in pulling Germany out of the depression and virtually eliminating unemployment reinforced this view of himself as a great simplifier. This taught me that no matter how big or complex a problem is; a trick is all u need to make it simple enough even for the dull to understand. Hitler precisely said â€Å"Do not compare yourself to others. If you do so, you are insulting yourself.† Because of competition among the major world powers, he felt under confident but then because of sturdy will he was able to overpower them all. Many a times when I feel under confident, just because I am compared to the better people out there, I remember this and get right back on the track. For the first few months He took to the stage, he appeared nervous and spoke haltingly. Slowly he would begin to relax and his style of delivery would change. He would start to rock from side to side and begin to gesticulate with his hands. His voice would get louder and become more passionate. He ranted and raved about the injustices done to Germany and played on his audience’s emotions of hatred and envy. By the end of the speech the audience would be in a state of near hysteria and were willing to do whatever Hitler suggested. This gave me the optimism to interact to people of higher status and education level. Speaking in front of huge crowds and in formal organizations is surely nerve-wrecking. But if a man of his altitude can be nervous so why can’t I. Slowly and gradually I gained more confidence. He possessed an unusually retentive memory much like that of an elephant. So he could remember his faults and not repeat it ever again. From this I got encouraged to remember and learn from my mistakes. He saw everything in terms of extremes opposites. People were either his followers or his enemies. War for Germany meant either world power or defeat. My perspective to this was weather give in your 100% or don’t try it. Adolf Hitler was not a power hungry psychopath; rather a patriot who was determined and devoted to work for the country. The man was plainly a nationalist. Just his methods for vengeance were vicious. There are innumerable examples wherein Hitler used his extraordinary power as dictator to push both evil and good policies such as providing cars and radios, making highways making laws for animal integrity. Again, it’s important to keep in mind the ‘yin yang’ concept, when attempting to make sense of such information concerning a person and his achievements. I would like to end with another of Hitler’s saying â€Å"It is not truth that matters, but victory. Because if you win, you need not have to explain..If you lose, you should not be there to explain.†

Michael Jackson Research Essay

An Icon Never Forgotten The world of pop culture would never be the same. His voice was harmonious, his moves earth shattering and his actions unequivocally eccentric. The whole world could only watch in astonishment as the â€Å"King of Pop† altered lives and established himself as the juggernaut of the music industry. Having been born in 1993, did not give me the opportunity to anxiously stay up until midnight, December 2, 1983 and witness the world premiere of Michael Jackson’s pinnacle, the hit, Thriller.Though my life began as the height of his career began to taper off, his music, actions and appeal is as much a part of my generation as it was then. Michael Jackson is the world's greatest entertainer. His body of work, likeness and story has had a profound influence on popular music today, and will continue to have a resounding impact for generations to come. It was the early morning of August 29, 1958, in the blue-collar town, Gary, Indiana, when Katherine and Jo seph Jackson welcomed their eighth child, Michael Joseph Jackson into the world he would forever change.Joseph Jackson was quick to realize his children had an unnatural talent, a divine gift of song and dance. He became eager, if not obsessive to profit from these talents. Michael was pushed towards stardom at a very early age. In 1962, his father formed the group The Jackson Five, consisting of Michael and his brothers. Every aspect of their domestic and now professional lives where micromanaged by Joe. He parented and managed them with a strong, often cruel unyielding hand. The wrong dance step could easily result in a beating one day and a barrage of verbal battery the next, â€Å"There is a lot of sadness in my past life.My father beat me. It was difficult to take being beaten and then going on stage. He was strict; very hard and stern† (Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). Their childhoods were pretty much taken away due to the rigorous work schedule, † I remember going to th e record studio and there was a park across the street and I'd see all the children playing and I would cry because it would make me sad that I would have to work instead† (Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). When this was discovered, he was one of the first to be shown as a product of abuse by parents to further their own selfish ventures.His story would be related to various young entertainers of today. Questions will be asked such as, â€Å"Are parents pushing their children to hard? † In terms of his musicality, Michael was the lead singer and his immense talent was already evident at this young age. His voice is like an angel, a sound so seducing and his myriad of effortless gravity defying dance moves, he was a natural. By 1969 The Jackson Five were the first group to appeal to black and white audiences. The crossover success was evident by the record breaking, four number one singles in 1970.The Jackson Five had become worldwide superstars, constantly performing to sell out concerts in global venues. The Jackson five was universally popular on all broadcasting networking appealing to all audiences black and white. Hits such as â€Å"ABC†, and â€Å"I'll Be There† are instantly recognized even today. In 1971, they were named one of the most influential groups and were given an animated series based on the lives of the Jackson Family. It was a drastically fictional portrayal of their true reality. Even through the young Jackson’s success, the torment from their father was constant.Joseph would continue his physical abuse of Michael throughout his adolescence and the mental cruelty would last throughout his life. Yet somehow, Michael kept singing and the hits kept coming. Michael Jackson had become a star, one that could not be contained by the Jackson 5. It was the first time the world had seen young black child reach that level of success. The world would become in tune with his life. They would share his pain upon news of his abus e. They too would revel in all his success as his talents consumed the world over.Michael’s early life helped pave the way for his influential career. The Jackson Five were a big influence on future boy bands including New Edition, New Kids on the Block, and The Jonas Brothers. When the group New Edition met with their manager and creator, Travis Gresham, he suggested to name the group New Edition to signify that they were the ‘new edition' of the Jackson Five. When producer Maurice Starr created the group, New Kids on the Block, he was in search for a new version of Michael Jackson to take on the lead vocals.Starr came across the high note hitter and dancing machine, Joey McIntyre. The more current version of an all brother group, The Jonas Brothers, were also significantly influenced by the Jackson Five, â€Å"The first time we heard Michael's voice was when our dad played the Jackson Five's hit, I'll Be There. We were amazed by the way that he and his brothers came together to entertain the world has been an obvious influence on us. Michael Jackson influenced every listener and every future performer with a talent the world had never seen before† (Joe Jonas. MTV Awards).Furthermore, various R&B groups like Boyz 2 Men and All 4 One have sampled their songs countless times. Even today’s big stars like Chris Brown copied a track from Michael in his song â€Å"She Aint You†. The fact of the matter is the Jackson 5, a product of Michael’s talent, was bigger than most groups could ever hope to be and is universally recognized as one of the biggest groups of all time. In Michael’s young adulthood, he made the decision to break away from his brothers, as his talent could not be limited to his family. A decision fueled by his desire to further explore his talent and be in charge of his own career.Michael influenced many other artists, including Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, to take the chance and break away from the g roup that they were engaged in. When most artists leave an extremely prosperous and established band to start their own solo career, the odds of success are dismal. Michael Jackson defied that statistic, far surpassing anything the Jackson Five had previously accomplished. Michael's major breakthrough as a solo artist came when he released his first album, â€Å"Off The Wall†, which was co-produced by the legendary Quincy Jones. The album was released in 1979, and its success was exceptional.The album produced four United States top hits on the charts, a first for any US album, and won Michael Jackson three Billboard Music Awards: Top Black Artist, Top Black Album, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Imagine that dance from his song â€Å" I Want to Rock with You† is known by anyone who has sat in front of a TV. These awards and self-advertisement practically made the name Michael Jackson a household name and helped his career flourish in the 1980s. Even with the grea t success of his first single, Michael was still not satisfied, â€Å"I'm never pleased with anything, I'm a perfectionist, it's part of who I am† (Jackson.Oprah Winfrey). Again, Michael and Quincy collaborated and created three-hundred songs for his new album, Thriller. Hard to decide, they cut it down to their nine favorite songs and the album was released in 1982. Thriller had an astonishing seven hit singles and it was selling one million albums per week. There was no one in the United States who did not hear the song. The music video is so popular that there are events around the world to re-enact the dance. It spent 80 consecutive weeks in the top ten albums, and 37 weeks of those in the number one spot. Don’t think for a moment that it was a one hit album though.His hit Billie Jean features an even more memorable dance featuring a move at a concert that shook the world in which he effortlessly glided across the dance floor. That dance is often imitated and that â€Å"Moonwalk† is a term that permeates pop culture. At the Grammy Awards, Thriller won Michael Jackson a record-breaking seven Grammy awards and, what he wanted the most, Album of the Year. Blending pop, R&B, soul, dance, and disco, Michael brought a new sound to the population. All Grammy hopefuls compare their success to Michael Jacksons sweeping of the awardsThe Thriller album not only created history, it also become a milestone for racial equality in music. Music Television, MTV, was against playing African American R&B music video; however, eventually, they agreed to air Michael Jackson's hit video, Billie Jean. MTV had been previously dominated by rock music videos and denied videos from black artists like Rick James, but once they recognized the popularity of Michael Jackson’s songs, they evolved more towards pop and R;B, which helped future black artists like Prince. Before Michael Jackson's video aired, MTV was struggling to become a top television channel.W hen they aired Michael's videos, MTV became the hottest channel to watch. When the video for Thriller debuted, the demand to play it was so high that MTV had to play it twice an hour to meet demand for it. Thriller was said to be the best and most prominent music video ever created. MTV owes it's over one hundred million viewers to Michael Jackson. In fact a video that insulted him was removed at his requests. His songs are still asked for to this day. Michael Jackson's videos were not popular just because of the catchy, upbeat rhythms, but, because they were different. He was all substance.He is the definition of a true performer. As mentioned before, the video Billie Jean was first debuted on MTV, viewers watched something they have never seen before. Dressed in a glittering black jacket and wearing one white glove, Michael jumped, spun, and slid all over the video's surrealistic city street set. Viewers could not take their eyes off of him. Michael Jackson made music videos an ar t form instead of having the singer stand there in front of a band lip synching the song. He incorporated special effects, storylines, dance routines, and cameo appearances into them.This started the epidemic of music videos. Every music dance video played today, has Michael Jackson to thank for that. Recording artist Ne-Yo remembers that when when Michael Jackson, â€Å"dropped a video, it was an event. † (Ne-Yo. MTV). He was one of the first to spend a million on a music video. A model that is copied today buy the biggest stars. Michael Jackson is not only a brilliant singer/songwriter, but also a skilled dancer. In 1983, on the TV special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, Michael Jackson debuted his iconic dance move, the moonwalk.Unlike anything that had ever been seen before, the moonwalk proved Michael Jackson’s staying power and influence on popular culture. Everyone was trying to master the dance moves they had seen Michael do in his videos and on stage. W ho didn't want to glide across the stage in a perfect floating moonwalk? Besides the moonwalk, his other famous dance was the choreographed routine in the video Thriller. Michael knew that he wanted the video to, â€Å"take [dance] to another level†(Michael Jackson. Barbra Walters).The dance has been used in many Hollywood movies including the 2004 Blockbuster hit, 13 Going on 30. If you ask people to do the Thriller dance, nine out of ten will be able to demonstrate it. Michael Jackson's dance moves has inspired many current artists today including Justin Timberlake and Usher. A former teen sensation himself, Usher is probably the closest current performer to Michael Jackson in terms of singing style and album anticipation. Usher is the primary reason for the return of the popularity of choreographed dancing with current R&B acts.Usher states that ,†[Michael Jackson] influenced me in so many ways, more than just music †¦ as a humanitarian, as a philanthropist, as an artist, as an individual who transcended culture. I wouldn't be who I am today without Michael Jackson† (Usher Raymond. MTV). With his outstanding talent as a dancer and a high-range vocals, Justin Timberlake has been honored in being compared to Michael Jackson ever since his former N*Sync days. 2006, at the Video Music Awards, the curtain rises as seven time Grammy winner, Justin Timberlake, stands, silhouetted with the stages lights.With his neck tilted down, hand on head, and spinning around, the crowd goes wild. Not because it is Justin Timberlake about to perform, but because he has just immortalized the one and only Michael Jackson. Timberlake expresses that, â€Å"No one presented a song onstage like Michael. To create the things that he created with his music, it's really untouchable† (Justin Timberlake. MTV). Being one of the most influential artists, if not the most, is not always as exhilarating as it seems. With fame and fortune comes pain and despair.Fr om skin bleaching to the dangling of his child off the balcony, there has always controversy surrounding his life. In 2002 Michael was in a hotel with his family and wanted to show off his new born baby to the paparazzi. He dangled the child over a fourth floor balcony. Michael stated that, â€Å"I love my children. I was holding my son tight. Why would I throw a baby off the balcony? That`s the dumbest, stupidest story I ever heard† (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). A lot of rumors got around that Michael Jackson was bleaching his skin because he wanted to become Caucasian.Michael Jackson said that he had a skin pigmentation; however, a lot of people did not believe this. There were many hurtful comments about him bleaching his skin and he was very offended by them, â€Å"I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin, it's something that I cannot help, OK? † (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). With all these controversies, Michael was given a nickname , â€Å"Yeah, Wacko Jacko, where did that come from? Some English tabloid. I have a heart and I have feelings. I feel that when you do that to me. It's not nice† (Michael Jackson.Barbra Walters). With all of these controversies, Michael was still a charitable man with a big heart, † I've helped many, many, many children, thousands of children, cancer kids, leukemia kids† (Michael Jackson). In 1984, Jackson bought all new equipment for a unit at Mount Senai New York Medical Center, which is part of the T. J. Martell-Foundation for leukemia and cancer research. Later that year, he visited the Brotman Memorial Hospital, and donated all the money he received from a Pepsi commercial that he was in, $1. 5 million, to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children.Michael also created one of the largest charity events, the recording of â€Å"We are the World†, to help raise money for kids in Africa in 1985. Artists like Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Bruce Springstein, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner and many more, helped with this recording. This charity was so influential that in 2010, over one hundred of today’s biggest artist including Justin Bieber, Fergie, Lil Wayne, Adam Levine and Pink re-sang the song for Haiti, raising an immense amount of money. Even with the rumors going on, Michael was said to have donated over three-hundred million dollars to different charities throughout his life.With Michael Jackson being big on charities and helping kids in need, he created an amusement park in his backyard for kids who are disadvantaged or have medical conditions. Michael named the park Neverland, same as the fantasy island in the story Peter Pan, which is about boy that never grows older, â€Å"I'll always be Peter Pan in my heart† (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). The 3000 acre land is filled with rides, animals, a train and many more attractions, â€Å"We have elephants, and giraffes, and crocodiles, and every kind of tigers and lion s.And – and we have bus loads of kids, who don't get to see those things. They come up, sick children, and enjoy it† (Michael Jackson. Ed Bradley). Neverland was intended to bring happiness to everyone; however, it brought a horrific result to Michael. In 1993, Michael Jackson was accused of molesting a thirteen year old boy at his Neverland Ranch. Michael had met the boy in 1992 and they soon became friends. The child had become a regular guest and started staying the night at the residence, which was not uncommon.Michael gave the boy gifts and paid for several family vacation trips around the world. The father of the boy, Evan Chandler, stated that, â€Å"[Michael Jackson] was part of our family† (Chandler. Vindicating Michael). According to the allegations, for four months, Michael had been kissing and fondling with the boy when they were alone. These allegations became the main topic on all news stations. While Michael said he was innocent, many believed the news articles that stated he was a child molester, â€Å"It's a complete lie, why do people buy these papers? It's not the truth I'm here to say.You know, don't judge a person, do not pass judgment, unless you have talked to them one on one. I don't care what the story is, do not judge them because it is a lie† (Michael Jackson). In 1994, Michael Jackson settled the civil lawsuit paying an undisclosed amount to the boy’s family. Many believe that he paid between 15 and 20 million dollars. After receiving the money, the boy refused to testify in any criminal matters. Therefore, the prosecution was not able to pursue a criminal case. Michael was accused again of child molestation in 2005, but was also found not guilty.These accusations did not fully ruin Michael's career, but they did impact it. The media began to impair the career of Michael Jackson with ridiculous tabloid stories and false allegations, using wrong information to convince them. Society started to see hi m in a different light, giving him a poor reputation, â€Å"The press has made up so much†¦ God†¦ awful, horrifying stories†¦ it has made me realize the more often you hear a lie, I mean, you begin to believe it† (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). Sadly, his fans began to separate Michael from his music.The music was still prodigious; however, Michael, was seen as a predator. Artist Lil Wayne is going through the same thing with fans, but he went to jail for drugs. Lil Wayne’s music is still heard on the radio; however, the media on him is not respectable. After the allegations, the majority of people did not consider Michael as the influential pop star he once was, nor gave him recognition for his notable charity work and contributions in society; however, Michael tried to better his career; however is was never at the same magnitude as his â€Å"Thriller† album.From experiencing fame at such a young age, fighting lawsuits, paparazzi scandals, con tinuous plastic surgery, extreme tabloid stories, and false allegations, Michael Jackson never fully recovered. These struggles lead Michael into a deep depression, which subsequently resulted in an accidental overdose that cost him his life. People around the world were taken back by his sudden death in 2009. Through the comments all over the Internet, persistent updates on the television, the massive increase of albums sold on ITunes, and the misinterpretations of the way his death occurred, it was vident that the death of the King of Pop had a large impact on the nation. Rarely does any album get a 25th anniversary celebration, but Thriller did. Without a doubt, Thriller was a milestone for an entire generation. With singles at the top of the charts, changing MTV, and credit for breaking the color barrier and making way for a new generation of black artists, Michael Jackson truly exceeded what anyone could have expected. His unprecedented success is still resounding in popular cu lture today.Televison shows such as X Factor, Glee, America’s Next Top Model and American Idol have all had â€Å"Let’s give thanks to Michael Jackson† episodes. There is even a dance game called â€Å"The Michael Jackson Experience† that lets people learn his dance moves and perform with him. Michael Jackson’s iconic dances, vocals, and blending of genres continue to inspire new artists and captivate audiences worldwide. There is no doubt in my mind that twenty years from now, everyone will still know who the â€Å"King of Pop† was and how he has influenced almost every artist today. Works CitedGoh, Dion Hoe-Lian, and Chei Sian Lee. â€Å"An Analysis Of Tweets In Response To The Death Of Michael Jackson. † Aslib Proceedings 63. 5 (2011): 432-444. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. Fast, Susan. â€Å"Difference That Exceeded Understanding: Remembering Michael Jackson (1958-2009). † Popular Music ; Society 33. 2 (2010): 259-266. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. Jackson, Michael. Moonwalk. New York: Doubleday, 1988. Print. Krohn, Katherine. Michael Jackson. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2010. Print. Halperin, Ian. Unmasked: The Final Years.New York: Pocket Books, 2009. Print. Taraborrelli, Randy. Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009. New York: Hachette Digital, Inc, 2009. Print. â€Å"Vindicating Michael. † HIStory vs EVANstory: The 1993 Allegations Part 1. 20 Apr. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. ;http://vindicatemj. wordpress. com/2011/04/20/history-vs-evanstory-the-1993-allegations-part-1/;. Interview by Barbra Walters. 20/20. ABC. 12 Sept. 1997. Television. Interview by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey Show. KFMB. 1993. Television. Interview by Ed Bradley. 60 Minutes. CBS. 1993.