Supply Chain Case 1

Case Study 1 BioPharma, Inc. 1. How should BioPharma have used its production network in 2009? Should any of the plants have been idled? What is the annual cost of your proposal, including import duties? It produces and sells its same kind of products in both of chemicals for any parts of the world. If its plants in one country are not enough products, it would move products from other countries to add the number of products that are sold in this country. Plants of Relax in Germany and Japan have been idled. The total annual cost is $1,488. 1 million including: * Total Transportation Cost is $24. 85 million * Total Production Cost is $1,268. 31 million * Total Tariffs is $195. 15 million 2. How should Phil structure his global production network? Assume that the past is a reasonable indicator of the future in terms of exchange rates. Dollar and Peso have been decreased to compare with the Euro, Real, Rupee and the Yen the last three years include 2007, 2008, and 2009. However, the bu siness cycle needs to retain capacity and capabilities throughout the entire supply chain. Therefore, production can be diverted as currencies move against each other. 3. Is there any plant for which it may be worth adding a million kilograms of additional capacity at a fixed cost of $3 million per year? There is no any plant for which it may be worth adding a million kilograms of additional capacity at a fixed cost of $3 million per year. 4. How are your recommendations affected by the reduction of duties? If the BioPharma, Inc. wants to reduce duties, it would increase production in Germany, Japan, and The U. S. nd decrease imports into Latin America, Asia without Japan, and Mexico. 5. The analysis has assumed that each plant has a 100 percent yield (percent output of acceptable quality). How would you modify your analysis to account for yield differences across plants? To change the percentage yield, BioPharma, Inc. need to desert capacity or decrease the amount of shipment. 6. What other factors should be accounted for when making your recommendations? Factors should b e accounted for when making my recommendations such as disasters, delay, inaccurate forecasting, and inventory.

Inner Beauty Matters Essay

Inner beauty matters How many times do we see ourselves in the mirror and make negative comments about our looks. I’m not pretty or I’m too fat or I’m too overweight. These are few of the phrases that first come to mind in most girls when they look at themselves in the mirror. Well, 90% of teenage girls do not like the way they look or appear. The reason for that is – in our society you get attention from people if you look attractive and stunning. Some girls who are overweight would get negative comments from peers like- ‘That girl is too ugly’ or ‘That girl looks like a bulldozer’. Fat is not something you have, it is something you are. We don’t say â€Å"You have fat,† we say, â€Å"You are fat. † We identify with our bodies. So the teenager gets the message that this fatness is badness. Some of the teenagers who don’t accept the way they look, try to change themselves by dieting which leads to illnesses and diseases like anorexia. Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases the goal is weight loss in those who are overweight or obese, but some people these days start dieting because they want to change the way they appear to the society. But what really matters in life? An old proverb states, â€Å"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. † Something or someone is beautiful, depending on the perspective of the person looking in. But the major thing that matters is- Is the person good-looking from inside? Because Without a doubt inner beauty lasts forever whereas outer beauty fades. Anyone can fake the outside to make himself or herself look better and pretty but inner beauty can’t be faked. For example you could be the most beautiful person in the world but if you have a horrible personality it just makes you ugly. Your body image is how you perceive, think and feel about your body but this may have no link at all on your actual appearance. For instance, it is common in Western nations for women to believe they are larger and fatter than they really are. Only 16% of women are satisfied with their body weight. Our body shape is already decided before we are born. Each one of us is a unique human being with our own genes from our mum and dad. There is only one person in the world shaped like you. Dieting does not change body shape. The distribution of weight on your body is going to stay the same – so learn to love who you are. Dieting is not effective – dieting changes a person’s metabolism so that they are more likely to lose muscle mass than fat. Instead of dieting to look better and attractive, you can exercise, which is the best and safest way to become healthier. Feeling good about your body as it is helps you to maintain a positive outlook in other areas of your life.

First-Time Buyers Essay

Housing is a common asset that most people regard as their biggest financial asset and the largest make-up of their wealth; the purchase of a house is usually one of the largest investments an individual will make, and therefore lower house prices may encourage more people to consider purchasing housing, serving as a more affordable investment. On the obvious side a fall in house prices will only encourage further demand for housing. A demand & supply analysis will show that the falling prices should theoretically allow individuals who are considering buying a house but holding back due to fluctuations in prices finally take the jump onto the property ladder – falling prices provides an incentive for individuals to make this large investment, particularly as in the long term the value of housing may also increase depending on the state of the economy. While falling prices may indicate a slump in an economy, it provides an excellent chance for people who previously may have not been able to afford a purchase to do so. It is also important to take into account that housing is also a necessity in any part of the personal life cycle, and therefore any fall in prices will create an opportunity and incentive. It also does not necessarily mean that first-time buyers must look to make a large investment immediately; extract two suggests that lower prices may allow considerers to think of renting property as an early ‘alternative’, helping save up for a single cash deposit which would then in turn allow first-timers to climb onto the property ladder. However, as stated in extract two falling house prices does not necessarily indicate a good environment for contemplating investors to finally make the choice of investing; there are numerous other costs to consider such as the availability of mortgages, described as ‘dropping to its lowest level for more than a decade’. The lack of mortgages may in fact serve as a deterrent to first-time buyers, preventing them from climbing onto the property ladder as there are numerous other costs to consider. Extract two also states that lenders have refused to drop their interest rates in line with the governmental cuts, and once again this will only provide a disincentive to first-time buyers no matter how low the price of housing falls. Rising unemployment and cuts in the subsidies budget towards building affordable homes will also serve to undermine confidence in the housing market. While the governmental cut in subsidies towards funding new affordable homes may not have a direct impact on a first-time buyers decision, it is important to note that this policy will contribute to the level of confidence in the housing market, an example being lenders no longer willing to cut their interest rates following suit of the government doing so; the government is offering little support in the housing market and many are therefore not willing to take the risks. The people that will lose out from this ultimately are the first-time buyers who will be deterred from making such a large investment particularly if lenders and the government provide little confidence in this market. Therefore, while the fall in housing prices may incentivise first-time buyers to some degree overall it is likely to only have a limited effect, as many buyers will still be put off by the inability to receive mortgages as well as the other numerous financial costs involved.

Major Case Analysis Daughtery v. City of Maryland Heights, 231 S.W.3D Study

Major Analysis Daughtery v. City of Maryland Heights, 231 S.W.3D 814 (MO. Banc 2007) - Case Study Example In his termination, the City of Maryland Heights maintained that he was not in a position to carry out some essential tasks of his job as he began to suffer from complications that occurred from the accident. He was provided with an option of taking an early disability retirement to avoid termination. However, upon refusal to exercise the option, the City of Maryland Heights terminated him. The physical problems experienced by Daugherty started shortly after he commenced working as an officer in Maryland heights after an accident caused by a drunken truck driver while on duty supervising an accident scene. The accident caused him serious back injuries that kept him from working for over twelve months. However, he later resumed his active duty. After approximately twelve years later, Daugherty was promoted to be a captain. Shortly after the promotion, Daugherty did not attend several months of work as a result of complications from his previous back injury. Later, in 2002, the City of Maryland Heights required that Daugherty should undergo an examination of his health status to determine if he was fit for his duty. The deputy Chief of the Police for the City of Maryland Heights created a memorandum to be used in the evaluation of Daugherty health status, emphasizing on what he believed to be essential for Daugherty’s job. The memorandum was created using both the City’s official description as well as the Deputy Chief’s personal beliefs about what was required of an employee in the position of Daugherty, many of which were very demanding than those listed in the in the official description. However, other officers in the department testified that the position of Daugherty was viewed as a supervisory position. Thus, it was highly unlikely that Daugherty would ever experience a situation that would require strenuous physical activity. The report provided by the physician stated that Daugherty was not able to perform any duty listed in the memo randum. Finally, the City of Maryland heights terminated Daugherty’s employment. Upon learning of the decision to terminate him, Daugherty made an appointment with his supervisor to discuss the decision. However, unknown the supervisor, Daugherty decided to make an audio recording of the conversation between him and the supervisor. In the conversation, the supervisor stated that the City of Maryland Height’s administrator had an intention of getting rid of employees over 55 years old since their salaries were very costly to the City. Daugherty received the right-to sue letter from the Missouri Commission of Human Rights and brought suit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County. He alleged that his termination was as a result of his age and disability. Daugherty appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court that reversed the decision of the lower courts. The Laws violated in the case The legal backgrounds provided by the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) render it unlawful for an employer to terminate an employee from employment because of race, color, disability, religion, sex, or national origin. Therefore, an employee who believes that the employer has violated the MHRA must file a complaint with the commission. Final verdict of the Court In the Daugherty v, City of Maryland Heights, case number 231 S.W 3D 814 (Mo. 2007) the Missouri Supreme Court acknowledged that the discrimination safeguards under the MHRA are not

Indigenous People and the Right to Self Determination Essay

Indigenous People and the Right to Self Determination - Essay Example The descendants of these indigenous people live in different parts of the world especially in the arctic and southern part of the pacific. This is according to those individuals that came to reside in countries earlier during which time people encompassing diversified cultures or even diversified ethnic origins arrived. Indigenous people include some Americans, the Aleutians and Inuit who reside in circumpolar region, northern Europe’s Saami, Australia’s Torres Strait Islanders and Aborigines as well as New Zealand’s Maori. As such, they have a history of unique characteristics retention and as such, these characteristics are by far differentiated when compared to those of other population segments (Ivison, Patton, & Sanders 2000). The U.N once asserted that, it is the identification of the indigenous people that can be regarded fruitful but not concentrating on trying to establish their definition. As such, the U.N based this on the criterion of self identificat ion, which is the most fundamental approach underlain in the documents that spell out the rights of a human (Shaw 2003). The fact that the indigenous people show distinct characteristics should be taken as a positive thing and as such, they must be protected by the international law. Therefore, there are several rights which are stipulated to protect them (Shaw 2003). Such a right is the right to self determination. Self determination can be described as a principle entailed in the law applying internationally whereby, it spell out the right to choose the political status of the entire world as well as the sovereignty. During the making of the choice, there should be no any form of manipulation in the form of external compulsions and interference (Suseno, Tri & Komnas HAM (Indonesia) 2006). The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of the indigenous people and thereby establishing ways in which these individuals can enforce their self determination rights. To understand the right to self determination of the indigenous people, it is better to look at the case between the Lubicon Lake Band and Canada whereby the communication which was submitted by Bernard Ominayak, who at that time was the chief of Lubicon Lake Band resulted to a decision being made by the committee handling the case (Suseno., Tri & Komnas HAM (Indonesia) 2006). As such, in that decision, a judgement was passed out that article 27 had a quotation of rights and as such, it spelled out the persons rights who reside in a community together with other people ought to give a hand in matters concerning the economic as well as social activities (Dersso 2010). The article made a clarity emphasis that these activities should be part and parcel of the culture of the society in which they reside in. At that time, the Lubicon Lake Band had its way of life put under threat and this indeed violated article 27 (Dyson, Hendriks & Grant 2007). Claiming capacity for the self determination right by the i ndigenous people is the most important focus point. If indeed these individuals were given a green light to exercise the underlying capacity, then they would in a consistent push for rights associated to autonomy, which encompasses the danger related to succession (Dyson. Hendriks & Grant 2007). The indigenous persons are entitled to a standard set in regard to protection and of which puts the basis on the combination of customary law applying internationally as well as legal instruments. In order to ensure that

The cross section of Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The cross section of Globalisation - Essay Example Coming out of internal fissures, we then analyse the share of its structural framework in triggering current financial collapse. Free Trade regime promulgated Deregulation, which has been the underlying cause of today's liberalized world. This philosophy has been the source for lax and ludicrous financial sector management that aided the global financial system to collapse. The ensuing panic that has spread out of the economic meltdown is tempting enough for nations to reverse gains of open policies by reverting back to protectionist approach. Calls for G20 to address the very fears of scaling back and to come up with singular global stance, are proving speech fully tactical but practically inconclusive. Despite of all these fears and anxiety, the Gross domestic contribution of free trade has been immense and can not be shrouded by just single brush of jittering. Greater global integration 'brain child of Globalisation, on one hand has not only given us tools for prosperity by employ ing thousands of workers across continents, while on the other hand made them vulnerable on slightest of demand fluctuations. Present crisis no doubt has brought hard time upon Global economic regime but on the same note provided us with an opportunity to rectify those worms that had conveniently been ignored for long time. Introduction The Demise of Globalisation as narrated by Princeton's economist in his obituary "The late Great Globalisation"1 confines us to look in to its realm in a very limited and constrained fashion, such that we only seem to view the extreme shades on the spectrum's periphery while ignorantly shrugging the rest. Globalisation is about finance, economics, investment, trade, borders and barriers no doubt, but it also encompasses while shouting load about the flow of ideas that are free to flow across the world, their convergence and divergence. The breadth and depth of Globalisation is more comprehensively addressed by David Held, a political scientist who envision it as the "widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life"2. Thus expanding the very realm to incorporate slants of life's social, political and economic shades. The Great Shift Seismic shift that has taken place after the violent jolts of world economic crisis has ripped apart the already disdained and reservation-ridden world trade order. Today when the battle for survival is on, Seven years of wasted Doha round are beginning to shape into a painful memoir of impasse. The lost opportunity is beginning to afflict the very foundations of global free trading regime, that could have been achieved if interest of corporations and powerful governments had been neutralised for greater gains of global integration. In the wake of attaining consensus, the presiding of invitation-only ministerial meetings in the so called 'Green rooms, by Lamy1 were enough to dispel the ideals of WTO, whose commitment has been an environment based on consensus, harmony and equality. The height of irony was still grossly palpable when even the exclusive few could not converge on single agenda to work through with. Even before the current crisis ever emerged, the road through WTO had already become rock-strewn. WTO's Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi3 who

Managing Organisational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Organisational Change - Essay Example In Charlie’s case, a lot of blame in the collapse of his business can be attributed to organizational change. Basically, Charlie failed because he did not open himself up to positive change. The only change we are told of Charlie undertaking was the change in pricing with the hope of meeting future inflation values. Wallace (2007) notes that for any organizational change, â€Å"target population for the change will come to realize that the change was for the better.† The question will be ‘did Charlie’s customer see the change as a better one?’ Charlie’s decision to increase prices against future inflation was not a step in the right direction. This is because the world seems not to have recovered yet from the global economic crisis. For this reason, there is very little money in the pockets of many consumers. For this reason, undertaking reduced pricing should be a strategy for attracting more and more customers since demand for business has generally gone down. Secondly, Charlie refused to take greater advantage of his competitive advantages. The major com petitive advantage Charlie had was the location of his coaches at the coast, which was a tourist attraction site. So even if Charlie wanted to increase prices, he could have waited till summer when patronage of coast activities and holidays are very common. Since summer holidays come every year and patronage of holidays continue to increase, Charlie should have used that as an advantage to promote and publicize his business during off seasons so that he would have been sure of having more customers when the holiday season starts. Finally, Charlie should have avoided the private participation on ‘part-time’ basis. Frequent change of hands in running a business causes a breakdown in organizational culture. Some of the new people in whose hands the business went might have been people that customers were not well

Extent to Which Social Network Network Affect Academic Perfomance Research Paper

Extent to Which Social Network Network Affect Academic Perfomance - Research Paper Example The majority of the sites assists strangers bond with others on the circumstances of common individual interests, political and economic opinions, or merely recreational activities. Many of the social sites hold distinct viewers, whereas others draw individuals on the basis of similarities, such as same languages or mutual racial, sexual, spiritual or the same nationality. Despite the advantages of social networks, they have contributed unconstructively to academic performance of students. Social network websites have the following effects to individuals: they create a public outline within a bordered system and provide a list of other people that they are able and willing to communicate with. They are able to see and go over their list of associations and those contributed by others inside the system. The nature and classification of these associations may differ from the social websites (Boyd). Social networking has turn out to be an accepted tool for communication globally and it is considered the best form of communication. People who join social networks may consider them as their first time of school where they do not know anybody. After spending some time in the social network individuals are able to engage with new friends, thus it becomes more interesting. The social websites are utilized by a vast populace and those from dissimilar races. Whereas the name social sites are taken to depict this incident, the word social networking site as well appears in public communication, and the two names are regularly used interchangeably. Networking insists relationship introduction, frequently linking strangers. Whereas networking is likely on these sites, it is not the major practice on many of them, nor is it what varies them from other types of computer mediated communication (CMC). Most of the big participants are not automatically networking or looking to get together with new populace; instead, they are mainly communicating with individuals who are a part of their extensive social network (Cross, Pg15). To stress this communicated social websites as a serious organizing characteristic of these websites, they are labeled as social network sites. Teenagers in the current generation have a face book account which they spend most times signing and chatting with friends (Cross Pg 55). Many students spend precious times in these social networks until they forget doing their assignments. Extensive research showed that many students prefer spending most of their time in social network sites than studying. Even with the advantages of social networks, they have affected the studies of students negatively. Most of the students have poor grades because of spending much time in social websites, thus they procrastinate their work (Cross Pg 67). On the issue of educational performance and merit, researchers suggested that, performance is used to note the apparent demonstration of knowledge, concepts, and understanding. Thus, performance is the use of learning results that at the end of the course ensures mastery. It is the attainment of specific grades on tests shows candidates’ capability, understanding of the content, and skills in using gained knowledge to specific situations (Turkle, Pg 40). A student’s achievement is mostly judged on tests performance. Success on tests and assessments is a major show that a learner has gained from a course of study. Many students tend to spend a lot of time in social ne

Business Law - resit Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Law - resit - Coursework Example However, Sally is concerned about the fact that Anita remains unwell very frequently which makes her scope of contribution for the overall business questionable. Sally is also concerned about the fact that owing to the health complications of Anita, a situation might arise, where the entire business will be Sally’s responsibility where she would want to take over to the entire business by paying off Anita. Partnership law of United Kingdom Partnership in business is commonly known as the relationship between two people or a group of people who view to work together under one name with the intention to earning maximum profit. According to the s. 25 & s. 26 Vict.Ch.89 of the Partnership Act 1890 of UK, people involved in a partnership are deemed as jointly accountable for the failure as well as the success of the business as both of them own the common property. Furthermore, the law also suggests that, at the least two people or group would be required to form a partnership agre ement1. a) As depicted in the given case referral, both Sally and Anita are eager to work together as a combined unit. The underlying motive of Sally is to obtain competitive advantages in the local market. However, the motive of Anita was to continue obtaining profits, by mitigating her limitation of poor health. Here, neither of the parties has invested any significance towards investments made to the business. In this regard, section 24 of the UK Partnership Act 1890 depicts that when two individuals or companies are engaged in any partnership, they invest equal amount to the overall business whereby the profits or losses resulting from their operations will also be shared equally. Since both Sally and Anita are assumed to invest equally in the business, they are also liable to share the outcomes of the business equally. Furthermore, section 24 of the Partnership Act 1890 also depicts that owing to similar contributions in the form of capital to the business, either companies or individuals involved in the partnership will equally take part in the management of the business, including all the ordinary matters linked with the company operations. Contextually, both Sally and Anita will need to share the responsibilities of the business equally owing to the section 24 of the Partnership Act 1890. In precise, it can be stated that remuneration and work responsibility of both the parties will be equal in accordance to their inputs in the combines operation of both the businesses2. Furthermore, Sally is also concerned about the frequent health complications of Anita. Owing to this aspect, it is evident that Sally will need to provide greater inputs to the business as compared to Anita, owing to Anita’s health problems and consequently, Anita’s share shall logically remain limited or lower than that obtainable by Sally. In such situations, where the partners involved in the business are recognised to fail in actively contributing towards the organiza tional success and are thereby termed as ‘sleeping partners’. According to the Limited Partnerships Act 1907 of the UK, sleeping partners will be only being liable to get profits for the amounts they have invested in the business. In this regard, Anita will be eligible to realise a marginal amount from the profit of the business, whereas Sally, owing to her greater contribution towards the management of the business, will be liable to obtain a larger section of the profit of the

Russban Plastics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Russban Plastics - Essay Example It means that Jack together with the minor shareholders will not be able to vote for the approval of the company's dissolution; he needs to be in agreement with Ben. Therefore, Andy and Ben will be able to continue their business. However, it is recommended to negotiate with Jack and other shareholders, because their strong dissatisfaction may lead to opposition to approval of the investment decisions and bring company to a halt. 3. In order to buy out the shareholders and remaining shares at par value, and to obtain a full control over the Russband's operations, a loan of ( 120,000 - 60,000 - 21,000) + ( 250,000 - 160,000) = 169, 000 will be necessary. The bank will not have a positive view of the loan, as the amount of the loan is quite substantial, and the company's expansion plans would have to be shelved for another year. It means, at least, two more consequent years of losses and there is no proof that the market conditions afterwards will be favourable and allow achieving considerable profits. Whether the loan will be granted will depend on Ben and Andy's ability to provide a sound financial plan indicating that the company in the future will be able to generate enough cash to make principal and interest payments, and on the presence of appropriate collateral. Russban Plastics has sufficient authorized capital, more than 25% of it issued and satisfactory amount of the paid-up capital. To change the status from private to a PLC company it will need to seek certificate of trading and incorporation from the authorities before starting the financing activities. Afterwards, it will also need to submit latest financial reports and made the news and information that are likely to affect the price available to the market. In order to join AIM the company will need to: Appoint an advisor and a broker; Submit a declaration of business interest; Submit an admission document; Pay admission fee of 4,000; Incur the advisor's fees ranging from 300,000 up to 1,000,000 and 2%-5% flotation cost. Generally speaking, while going public offers an opportunity to raise a significant amount of additional funding, it will require substantial spending of the management time and costs. 5. The incremental investment amount, taking into account sale of the existing premises for 500,000, would be equal to 500,000. According to the Gordon Growth Model cost of equity will be equal to: Ce = D1/p0 + g = (50 p*0.06* (1 + 0.01))/50 p + 1% = 7.1% Considering also cost of

International service2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International service2 - Assignment Example Credit ratings play a fundamental role in a reduction of the information asymmetry. Such information concerning the value of securities or bonds is often a subject to distortion and bias, but the rating portfolio chips in to alleviate the crises. The information provided for a certain bond or security influences the intensity of participation of its sales and value in the financial markets. For a borrower to qualify in the stage of borrowing, the lender has to reconsider a variety of factors, one of which is credit rating. Third parties also utilize the same analysis to establish the confidence of the bond progress. Primarily, credit ratings are very essential in reducing such information gap. One has to spot a critical difference between a real borrower and a risk borrower. In this way, credit ratings will come hand in hand with their in-depth information. The information is independent and not subject to bias. Private investors may not keep in close useful trend with the companies that issue the security. Therefore, it is important for an intermediary to come in between the companies giving their results in terms of ratings. The ratings will not only aid in investment portfolios but also in transparency and disclosure of appropriate bonds purchase in the coming days. Most significantly, credit rating process utilizes the entire firm’s financial data, financial trends, accounting information and other charters to come up with a conclusive information of rating the firm. The evaluation process is rigorous and consumes much time. Those analyzing the data always strike a clear balance in the assessment tools to ensure that there is no one firm that is disadvantaged. The information is also withheld d and not disclosed to other competitive firms, hence high level of confidentiality. With the rigorous process utilized in data collection, analysis and final verification, the

Julius Caesar and Other Assassinations Essay Example for Free

Julius Caesar and Other Assassinations Essay Former President Jimmy Carter said â€Å"We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jimmy Carter – Nobel Lecture). This statement is supported by the countless events of history and the many accounts of death from the past. Death is a natural but heartbreaking event affects all who were once close to the now deceased. But the reaction of the people who knew the dead may react differently to the incident. The moment we humans take our first breath, our death begins but for many people the time is not right. The response of a population is greatly dependent on the reasoning of the death. Murderous acts are committed for different reasons that infect the mind of those who carry out such an inhumane action. The murder of a powerful Roman is forever reenacted in the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare. The clashing art of betrayal and loyalty drive the characters to war. In the last century, the murders of two political figures around the world emulate the death of Julius Caesar as it is portrayed in Shakespeare’s play. Both assassinations of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and the late former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto are similar to Caesar’s. The result of all three assassinations is violence that ravages the streets and civilizations of their respective areas. Julius Caesar was born near July 13, 100 B. C. and grew up to a family of politics. An early introduction to politics helped Caesar gain his reputation in Rome as a potential official. At the same time that Caesar was presenting himself as an official in the Roman Senate, he displayed a powerful, deadly reputation as a general. Caesar was captured on his route towards Rhodes, in the attempt to become a better orator which would help him politically. He manipulated his captors to the point where they were doing his biddings (Bio. True Story). Then when he was let go, Caesar raised a navy and arrested the pirates that held him captive; he crucified them for their effort to keep him in custody (Bio. True Story). Upon his return back to Rome, Caesar was elected praetor which was the first political office one could hold in Roman society. Caesar’s political rising would gain momentum with the help of marrying prominent women and victories in battle. Caesar defeated many armies during his rise to power. Over a span of 13 years he defeated a number of separate armies. Capturing Gaul and defeating the praised Roman, Pompey, added to Caesar’s popularity among the people of Rome. Shakespeare’s play begins with the people praising Caesar as he returns from his success against Pompey (Shakespeare 1. 1). But not everyone in Rome is celebrating Caesar’s return. Caesar’s friend and a Roman official, Brutus, as well as Cassius, Cinna and others, is planning a coup to assassinate Caesar. The heedful soothsayer warns Caesar of the Ides of March but Caesar completely disregards his counsel. The blithe Caesar is too euphoric with the praise he is receiving from the people that he disdains the soothsayer. And the conspirators plan is executed with on the Ides of March. Caesar’s death is imminent since the beginning of the first scene and he is killed with the conspirators stabbing him at the foot of Pompey’s statue (Shakespeare 3. 3). Caesar’s friend, Mark Antony, is given permission to speak to the people on behalf of Caesar’s side of the happening and his lament persuades the people of Rome to turn against the conspirators. The conspirators’ actions are committed based on an alleged â€Å"ambition† that would later consume Caesar but Antony provided facts to counteract their argument. The people begin to ravage the Roman Empire after Antony’s mourning speech. Chaos runs through the streets and there is no way to assuage this rampage. The angered population of Rome roams the streets killing hundreds of innocent people, along with government officials. They will find a reason to kill, an example being the murder of Cinna the Poet just because he shares the name with Cinna the Conspirator (Shakespeare 3. ). The assassination of Julius Caesar destroys Rome and causes a war. Rome is a headless chicken; it is running amok without any cerebration. Not only is there anarchy in Rome, two opposing armies are being raised. Antony, along with Octavius and Lepidus, is building his army to oppose the burgeoning armies of Brutus and Cassius (Shakespeare 4. 1-2). The aftermath of Caesar’s murder has Rome destroyed and the government corrupt. A little less than two thousand years later, another European murder changed the world. Treaties between all the European powers of the late 1800’s and early 1900 kept peace between the countries but tension quickly arose in Eastern Europe. Austria successfully annexed the two provinces, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a cash settlement given to Turkey. But Serbian Empire did not agree to this because they wanted both regions as their own territories (Sowards). This annexation led umbrage in Serbia and unfortunately a murder for the heir to the Austria-Hungarian Empire. The Austria-Hungarian Empire’s heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was scheduled to visit Sarajevo for a military inspection in the city (History. om). He and his wife, Sophie, arrived in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, on their anniversary date (History. com). They, alongside his motorcade, left the army camp with the intent of going to City Hall. But as they approached City Hall, seven assassins (six who were armed) proceeded onto the sidewalk adjacent to the route the Archduke was on. Bombs were thrown and exploded on the street but nothing injured Ferdinand or his wife. One of the cars in Ferdinand’s caravan and several pedestrians were injured but he continued on. But, his auspicious trip in Sarajevo ended on the route back from City Hall. One of the assassins, Gravelo Princip, was present during the unfortunate mistake of Ferdinand’s driver. He had turned on the wrong street and in the undertaking of reversing allowing Princip to approach the car (Sowards). He fired two shots: one hitting the Archduke in the neck and the other penetrating Sophie’s stomach, causing her to die instantly (â€Å"World War One†). This murder caused a disastrous chain of events that had the globe at war. Austria was able to put the Serbian government responsible for the crime because the assassins were a part of a Serbian group. But Serbia had allies through treaties with Russia while Austria-Hungary had ties to Germany. Along with Russia came France because of their alliance and France carried in Britain. Within a few weeks after Ferdinand’s murder, Europe erupted in conflict. The middle of Europe was in arms against both the eastern and western fronts. Associations with other countries brought all of Europe into the war (Sowards). The United States was later dragged in to keep trade alive with France and England. All hemispheres were present on the battlefield, later ending in one of the deadliest wars in all of history. Just as in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the death of an official led to a war. Political problems are the reason for wars and other international affairs. But political problems do not always solely create problems internationally, but also in individual countries. In recent years, the Middle East has been in political turmoil. Terroristic groups are running corrupted governments and late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has fallen victim to them. Bhutto was a precocious girl having attended Harvard’s Radcliffe College and soon after at Oxford University in England. Her family was downgraded when her father was hanged under the new government that had just taken power upon her return (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto†). She also experienced the arbitrary persecution of the government ruled by the military when she was arrested many times. She protested the government as often as she could but she always fled to avoid persecution; Bhutto would return to England after being released (Benazir Bhutto). Then in 1988, she became one of the youngest persons to hold the office as Prime Minister, as well as being the first woman to take the position. Two years later, she was removed from office after another corrupted leader won the presidency. Reelected in 1993, she was only in office another three years until the president again dismissed her from being the Prime Minister for Pakistan (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto†). She was later sent into exile for more than ten years (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto†). Later she returned in 2007 to help her political party campaign. Unfortunately terroristic activity attacked her at rallies where more than 100 people were killed. The last two murder attempts left Bhutto dead in her limousine with a bullet wound to the neck (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto†). She was pronounced dead at the hospital two miles away from the devastated scene. There are many conspiracies behind the assassination but the terrorist who killed Bhutto detonated a bomb that was strapped to his body as soon as he killed her. Immediately after the proclamation of her death, supporters filled the hospital. Bhutto’s casket was carried down the halls and stairs of the hospital high over the heads of those who mourned her death (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto†). A former Prime Minister before Bhutto states â€Å"†¦ [Today] is the saddest day [in Pakistan’s history]† (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto Assassinated†). Riots broke out all over Pakistan from the streets of Karachi to just outside Bhutto’s hospital. The entire country was being destroyed due to the people’s reaction to the murder. The police were given the permission to open fire on any protestor potentially violent (The Guardian). The chaos that was present in the streets was so dangerous that citizens were advised to stay home (â€Å"Benazir Bhutto Assassinated†). The riots that happened in Pakistan were very similar to the riots in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar; it was not safe to be outside and even more dangerous if you had some relation to the murderers. Pakistan’s corruption was then put into the spotlight even more than it was before because of this murder. The chance of freedom that Bhutto brought with her into office ended once the bullet ended her life. The act of mourning can quickly turn violent in the attempt to avenge someone’s death. Reacting cursorily without thinking heedfully is dangerous because in all three cases of the people of Rome in Julius Caesar, the countries that started World War I after Franz Ferdinand’s death and the people of Pakistan created havoc and destroyed their own homes. There will always be resentment towards people with power depending on one’s point of view. Of course there will be opposing viewpoints and radicals will take it to extremes so that their side will come out victorious. But these differences do not change the fact that what happened was completely wrong. Assassinations of political figures ruin the families and friends of the deceased, along with the country they are from. It becomes a national tragedy for many. Violence only begets violence.

Photography Themes and Issues

Photography Themes and Issues Photography Themes and Issues Essay Describe how a greater understanding of the social and historical context of a body of photographic work can be useful in interpreting its meaning. You should refer to the work of an individual photographer, or of an organisation using photography, to justify your argument. In this essay I am going to look at the photographic work of Craig J Barber and his unique approach to post-war Vietnam and Havana, Cuba using the medium of pinhole photography. I will explore how Barbers approach to photographing Vietnam through the use of pinhole cameras, tells a unique story of its own in terms of post-war Vietnam, the atmosphere and life after the war and also the alternative route he has taken compared to the work of other photographers who have looked at Vietnam as a subject. I will also look at Barbers view of a modern day Havana and how the countries past issues with politics has shaped Havana and how its future is deconstructing the Socialist ideal. The Vietnam War began in 1959 and continued until 1975, the war was fought between the Northern Communists and the Anti-Communist South. The Vietnam War had a profound impact not only on the countrys political shift but also on the surviving population as the death toll reached over 4 million Vietnamese dead by the end of the war. The Vietnam War was well documented photographically and produced some of the most iconic images of war of the past 100 years, most notably Nick Uts famous image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc as a young girl, running towards the camera whilst screaming in pain due to injuries sustained from a napalm attack by Southern Vietnam. Another iconic image of the Vietnam war was Eddie Adams ‘General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon depicting a Vietnamese police chief executing a war prisoner in a street. Both of these famous images are stark statements of the brutal and inhumane nature of war and symbols that helped boost the anti-war movement s during that period and subsequent periods of conflict. Craig J Barber served as a marine in the American armed forces during the 1960s stationing him in Vietnam during the war at the age of 18. Thirty-five years later, Ghosts of the Landscape: Vietnam revisited is Barbers attempt to re-visit and document the aftermath of the devastating war and the country that so deeply affected his life forever; â€Å"This was an opportunity to be able to revisit a land that had a profound effect upon my life and to be able to come to terms with it. I always remembered it as a beautiful land that I wanted to return to.† The pinhole photography of Ghosts of the Landscape is a very different account of the country compared to the photojournalistic style that covered the war itself. Due to the nature of the pinhole camera, the images are given a softer focus that feels like the landscapes of Vietnam are nothing but memories left over from before the country experienced such devastating bloodshed. Another characteristic element of pinhole photography that has helped to separate Barbers work from the likes of Adams and Ut is the longer exposure times for each image. Working with pinhole allowed Barber to observe his subject more closely helping him forge a working relationship with the subjects while he waited and observed; â€Å"For me it is important to get to know a place in an intimate way. When I work I am very slow, I like to look around the corners and behind the doors at the small, quiet details that make up the cultural landscape.† A standard SLR or medium format camera used by many photojournalists will decrease down to f22 in aperture size, whereas when working in pinhole the aperture can take an f-stop down into the hundreds. In many of Barbers Ghosts images, he has chosen to include a human presence, often that of children (Plate.2 and Plate.3) which then gives these images a distinct difference in meaning to the desolate landscapes in his other images. When we see a post-war Vietnamese village, obviously populated, but with its inhabitants obscured and blurred almost into the background itself, it starts to invoke thoughts of the aforementioned ghosts and memories for Barber of the country he first saw in his youth. The inclusion of children in these images then provokes thought at whether or not this is an homage to the dead or perhaps something deeper, for example this could be Barbers way of telling the viewer that the people who live in Vietnam today are still plagued by the after-effects of war and that pride, hope and dignity is still yet to make its way back into the lives of every Vietnamese person. It would be worth noting that during the Vietnam war, The US inflicted a deadly toxin ‘Agent Orange onto Southern Vietnam resulting in 400,000 deaths and subsequently causing half a million children to be born with such birth defects as; cleft palate, mental problems, hernias and extra toes and fingers. So Barbers inclusion of children as blurred semi-human shapes could also be a message to the world about the continued suffering and miserable conditions that are a day to day occurrence in this country. If Barber had used standard photography equipment, he would have needed to document this aftermath either literally or by including a body of text with his image to give clarity to the viewer, whereas pinhole has given him freedom to simply create his image and let it speak its own story through stripping away individualism and showing that it is not just an isolated problem to any one group of people. Almost all of the images included in Ghosts in the Landscape include views of rural villages made up of primitive wooden huts (Plate.5) and other areas of grand French architecture (Plate.16) Barber is documenting the lack of technology in some areas and the lack of change that has occurred since his first days in Vietnam in 1960. It shows the innocence among the people and stays true to the anti-capitalist ideals that they held. Barbers combination of the platinum process and his focus on documenting his own past and the past of the Vietnamese serve to take the viewer back to a time in history through a beautifully contrasted and toned path of desolation and despair. Craig Barbers pinhole work went on to a project ‘Havana Passage which looked at Cuba, a country that following a revolution in 1959 became a Socialist republic and has been under a trade embargo from the United States since 1962. Barber, perhaps unbeknownst to him, makes several connections between his Vietnam and Cuba photographic work; Both of these countries have been in conflict with the United States, both countries share the same radical political stance and both countries have experienced revolutions during the 1960s and transitionary periods that have left the contemporary culture at a slight economic and social disadvantage. â€Å"In the late 1990s I ventured to Cuba for the first time and visited a land that has remained a forbidden mystery for most American citizens. Unspoiled by mass consumerism and global trademarks, Cuba remains a unique blend of Spanish colonial and 1950s Americana with not a Starbucks in sight.† Cuba began its revolution with Alberto Kordas iconic image Guerrillero Heroico and ended up at Barbers Cuban lament through a series of images depicting the final ghosts of Communism roaming the streets of Havana. Barber chose Havana as a subject for his pinholes because he wanted to document the fading culture of Cuba as it started to lose its revolutionary ideals. Once again, pinhole manages to create mystery and despair through its long exposure times of Havanian streets and public spaces although this time we see well built Spanish architecture and people who are busily working at street stalls or having a moment to themselves. The photograph Cabbages tells Cuba that they are moving away from the world of the local grocery stall where there might be a friendly face, conversation and fresh produce and moving towards a corporate atmosphere where buying pesticide or genetically-engineered riddled produce will strip away the intimate moment of conversation and interaction with a local farmer or street stall-worker. The cabbages are forced into the eyes of the viewer pleading for the time when Cuba provided for itself, where the cabbage was grown with love from the farmer and for the country. Memories is another photograph from the ‘Havana Passage set, this image depicts an outdoor bar in a beautiful setting. There is a distinct lack of human presence here, no bar staff and no patrons and it could even be considered a ghost town with its neglected paint work and no typical bar products in sight. Memories looks at the imminent loss of freedom, an outside bar is where people go to relax and socialise while enjoying the world around them, but with the Capitalism creeping in, these people might instead be stuck in their new office job miles away in the heart of Havana creating new areas of desolation among the beauty. In juxtaposed, Barber creates a Fritz Lang style scene of Havana. The foreground consists of an almost empty street scene with subtle hints of neglect to the road and the paintwork of the buildings, there are some people dotted around in the foreground only, and they seem to be unaware of the looming Modernist building creeping up in the background. The photograph looks almost like a photomontage, there is such a contrast between the rough, textured neglected street scene and the smooth perfect curves of the new Modernist architecture. There is a car that contextualises Cubas lack of consumerism and Capitalism and lets the viewer see Cubas antiquated way of life in motion. It looks like a car from the 1950s around the same time that Cuba underwent its revolution. The Modernist building is a direct symbol of the times moving forward, from the patchy street that contains a community, stories and families to the high rise apartment blocks for the wealthy and the sterile office environme nts. Craig Barber shows the photography world that pinhole is so much more than just a niche for experimentalists, pinhole could be the next stage of documentary photography tailored specifically to documenting the slow demise of one country after another; perhaps employed by prospective government parties during elections to show the public where it is heading as a propaganda tool for their own ‘revolutionary office. Bibliography Books Craig J Barber Alison Devine Nordstrom (2006) 1st Edition Ghosts in the Landscape: Vietnam Revisited. New York: Umbrage Editions Websites http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara_(photo) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._embargo_against_Cuba http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Korda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana http://www.robinricegallery.com/pastexhibitions/craig_barber/index.html http://withoutlenses.com/view/a-conversation-with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_V%C4%83n_L%C3%A9m http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hu%E1%BB%B3nh_C%C3%B4ng_%C3%9At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Adams_(photographer) http://www.eastmanhouse.org/exhibits/container_60/index.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_orange http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara_(photo)

How Vowel Sounds are Produced

How Vowel Sounds are Produced Speech sounds of English are 44 sounds. These sounds can be divided into two groups: Consonants (24) and vowels (20). The consonants are also divided into two categories: voiceless and voiced sounds. The voiceless are nine: k, p, t, f, h, s, É µ, tʃ, and ʃ. The voiced are fifteen: b, d, g, w*, j*, n, m, ņ¹, z, dÊ’, Ê’,  °, l, r, and v. The action of the vocal cords (i.e., the state of the glottis) determines weather a sound being produced is voiced or voiceless. When the vocal cords are brought close together, but not shut tightly, the air escaping from the lungs causes them to vibrate: this is called voicing, and a sound produced while the vocal cords are vibrating is a voiced sound. When the vocal cords are apart, no vibration occurs, and sounds produced with the glottis in this state are voiceless sounds. Are /j/ and /w/ consonant or vowel sounds? The two semi- vowels /j/ and /w/ are mainly vocalic glides that start near a close vowel, /i/ or /u/. The most important thing to remember about these phonemes is that they are phonetically like vowels but phonologically like consonants. These sounds resemble vowels in their open articulation and in being voiced, but differ from them in other phonetic aspects; in other words, they display consonantal behavior in relation to other sounds. The definite article the, for example, is pronounced /  °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢/ before /j, w/, as in /  °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ jiÉâ„ ¢/, / °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ we °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢ /, the year, the weather respectively, in which case the semi-vowels appear to behave like consonants. By the same token in RP the /r/ usually deletes before the semi-vowels as it does before consonants so the sequences for women, for you are realized as / fÉâ„ ¢ ju:, fÉâ„ ¢ wumÉâ„ ¢n /respectively. What is meant by a vowel? A vowel is defined as a sound which is produced or made without any kind of obstruction (closure or impediment) to the flow of air in the mouth as it passes from the larynx to the lips. In all  vowels, the mouth passage is unobstructed. If it is obstructed at any time during the production of a speech-sound, the resulting sound will be a  consonant. So the difference between vowels and consonants is a difference in the way by which they are produced. In other words, vowels are the sounds which are produced without narrowing or closure of the air passage. Vowel sounds, of course, normally voiced, so that the voicing is not relevant for their production. There are three parameters by which we describe a vowel in English: first the height of the tongue or openness of the mouth. This gives us the categories: close, half-close, half-open, open (an alternative set of categories is also sometimes used: high, mid-high, mid-low, low). Second, the area of the mouth that has the highest part of the tongue or the general area of the mouth in which the vowel is made. This gives us the categories: front, central and back. A third set of categories involves the shape of the lips; the categories are roundeded and spread (unrounded). Vowels of English can be divided into two categories: pure vowels and diphthongs. The pure vowels are 12 sounds and the diphthongs are 8 sounds. The difference between pure vowels and diphthongs (glides): The pure vowels are the ones that are made with the mouth taking up a single position during the articulation. Diphthongs, by contrast, are vocalic glides, and the configuration of the mouth changes in the course of the articulation of the vowel sound. . In other words, diphthongs are the sounds that consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another. A vowel which remains constant and does not glide is called a pure vowel. Unlike the pure vowels, diphthongs are defined as vowel glides produced by a quick movement of the tongue from one position to another. The vowel in hat, for example, is produced differently from that in hate -the former is realized with a pure vowel /à ¦/; the latter with a diphthong /eÄ ±/. Note the change in the vowel quality in the realization of /eÄ ±/ where the tongue glides quickly from the position of /e/ to that of /i/. Features of vowels [+syllabic], [-consonantal], [+continuant], [+voiced], [-sibilant], [+sonorant] Pure vowels: (12) Pure vowels of English can be classified into three groups according to the general area of the mouth in which they are made or produced. There are three areas in which pure vowels are produced: Front, Central and Back. Front vowels (4) /i: /, /I/, /e/, /à ¦/ In the front area of the mouth (tongue), English has four vowels. These four front vowels are made with spread (unrounded) lips. Two vowels are in the close area. One is the close front spread vowel found in beat or sheep and symbolized by /i:/ , so these words can be described phonetically as /bi:t/ and / ʃi:p/.It also occurs initially as in eat /i:t/ and finally as in tea /ti:/. The other is a more open and a more central close front vowel, usually described as a lowered and centralized close front spread vowel. It is represented by the symbol /I/, and it occurs initially as in in /in/, medially as in sit /sit/ and finally as in happy /hà ¦pi/. English has no a vowel at precisely either the half-close or the half-open position, but one mid way between the two. This is usually described as mid front spread vowel. It is sometimes symbolized by e (Ɇº). This vowel occurs initially as in egg /eg/, medially as in set /set/, and it does not occur finally. The other English front vowel is in the open area but it is not completely open: it is somewhere between half-open and open, although it is usually as an open front spread vowel. This front vowel can occur initially as in and or an /à ¦nd, à ¦n/, medially as in man, can, /mà ¦n , kà ¦n/ and finally this vowel does not occur. Back vowels (5) /a: /, /Ɇ/,  /Ɇ: /, /u/, /u: / In the back area of the mouth we can recognize five vowels in English. Four of them are made with rounded lips and one with spread lips. There are also two vowels in English that fall in the close back area. One is the close back rounded vowel, as found in boot and tool and symbolized by u:, so these words will be transcribed phonetically as /bu:t/ and /tu:l/. The other is a more open and more central variety. It usually described as a (lowered and centralized) close back rounded vowel. It is represented by the symbol u. It occurs medially as in put and book. As in the case of front vowels, English has no vowels at precisely half-close and half-open back position. There is one vowel somewhere between the two, probably nearer to half-open than half-close. It is symbolized by Ɇ: It may be described as a mid back rounded vowel. It occurs initially as in orbit, order, medially as in ball, and bought. In the open back area two vowels are found in English, one made with rounded lips, the other with spread lips. The open back rounded vowel is, is like its front counterpart, not completely open but somewhere between half-open and open. It is symbolized by Ɇ. It may be described as an open back rounded vowel. It occurs initially as in of, on, odd, and medially as in dog, top, and dot. The open back spread vowel is not completely back and it tends towards the central position. This vowel is symbolized by a:. It occurs initially as in arm, medially as in part and finally car. Central vowels: /ÊŒ/, /3:/, /Éâ„ ¢/ We come now to the final group of pure vowels, those made in the central area of the mouth. There are three vowels produced in this area in English, all with spread lips. One of these vowels is in the open area, but like a and Ɇ in fact mid-way between half-open and open, although it is described as an open central spread vowel. It is represented by the IPA symbol for a half-open back spread vowel, namely ÊŒ. This vowel occurs initially as in up, under, and medially as in but/ /bÊŒt/ and some /sÊŒm/. The other two central vowels in English are both mid central spread vowels, that is mid-way between half-close and half-open. One is represented by the symbol 3:. It occurs initially as in earth and earn, and medially as in girl bird, etc. The latter sound is often referred to the schwa vowel. It is symbolized by Éâ„ ¢ and it can be described as an unstressed mid central spread vowel. It occurs initially as in above /Éâ„ ¢bÊŒv/, along /Éâ„ ¢lɆÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ /, ahead /Éâ„ ¢hed/, medially as in consider / kÉâ„ ¢nsIdÉâ„ ¢/, consist /kÉâ„ ¢sIst/, continue/ kÉâ„ ¢ntInju:/ and finally as in father/ fa: °Ãƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢/, teacher/ ti::tʃÉâ„ ¢/. Diphthongs (8) As mentioned above diphthongs are the sounds that consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another. Unlike the pure vowels, diphthongs are defined as vowel glides produced by a quick movement of the tongue from one position to another. In other words, they are a combination of two vowels. They are eight vowels: /ai/, /ei/, /Ɇi, /au/, /Éâ„ ¢u/, /eÉâ„ ¢/, /iÉâ„ ¢/, /uÉâ„ ¢/. The easiest way to remember them is in term of three groups divided as in the below diagram The closing diphthongs have the characteristic that they all end with a glide towards a closer vowel I or u. The first closing diphthong is /ei/. The beginning point of this diphthong is the mid front spread pure vowel of English e. It occurs initially as in aim, age ate, medially as in lake, take, make and finally as in say, and play. A second diphthong in this group begins with an open front spread vowel a, moving towards the closing front spread vowel i . This diphthong is represented by ai. This vowel occurs initially as in aisle, medially as in nine, and finally as in buy. The third diphthong in this group begins with a mid (between open and half-open) back rounded pure vowel Ɇ, moving towards the close front spread vowel i. This diphthong is represented by Ɇi. It occurs initially as in oil, medially as boys and finally as in joy. The second group of diphthongs comprises those tending u. The first in this group starts with the unstressed mid central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢ moving towards u. This diphthong is symbolized with Éâ„ ¢u. It occurs initially as open, medially as in home and finally as in go. The other in this group starts with an open central spread vowel a, moving towards u. It is represented by au. It occurs initially as in out, medially as in house and finally as in now. The third group is the centering diphthongs glide towards the Éâ„ ¢ (schwa) vowel. In other words, the diphthongs of this group tend towards the mid central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢. First, the diphthong that begins with (the lowered centralized) close front spread vowel I, moving towards the vowel Éâ„ ¢. This diphthong is represented by iÉâ„ ¢. It occurs initially as in ears, medially as in museum and finally as in clear, fear and here. The second diphthong in this group begins with a mid front spread vowel e, moving towards Éâ„ ¢. It is represented by eÉâ„ ¢. It occurs initially as in airline, medially as in shares and finally as care, fair, pair and hair. The last diphthong in this group begins with the close back rounded vowel u, moving towards the unstressed central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢. It is symbolized by uÉâ„ ¢. This diphthong occurs medially as in cruel, and finally as in pure, poor, and sure. Summary Features of English vowels uË Ã‚  Ã‚   ÊÅ   Ɇ ɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚  É‘Ë Ã‚   ÊŒ à ¦ ɜˠÃ‚  Ã‚   e iË  Ä ± + + + + + + + + + + + Syllabic _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Consonantal + + + + + + + + + + + Sonorant + + _ _ _ _ _ _ _ + + High _ _ _ + _ _ + _ _ _ _ Low + + + + + _ _ _ _ _ _ Back + + + + _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Round + + + + + + + + + + + continuant _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Sibilant Pure vowels iË Ã‚  Ã‚   a close, front, spread vowel Ä ± a (lowered and centralized) close, front spread vowel. e  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a mid, front, spread vowel à ¦ an open, front, spread vowel uË Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a close, back, rounded vowel ÊÅ   a (lowered and centralized) close, back, rounded vowel :ɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ Ã‚   a mid (between half-close and half-open) back, rounded vowel Ɇ a mid (between open and half-open) open, back, rounded vowel É‘Ë Ã‚   an open, back, spread vowel :ɜˠÃ‚   a mid, central, spread vowel. ÊŒ an pen, central, spread vowel Éâ„ ¢ an unstressed, mid, central, spread vowel Diphthongs eÄ ± begins with the mid (between half-close and half-open) front spread vowel e, moving towards (lowered and centralized) close front spread vowel Ä ±. aÄ ± begins with the open front spread vowel a, moving towards the (lowered and centralized ) close front spread vowel Ä ±. ɆÃƒâ€žÃ‚ ± begins with the mid (between open and half-open) back rounded pure vowel Ɇ, moving towards the close front spread vowel i Éâ„ ¢u begins with the unstressed mid central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢ moving towards (lowered and centralized ) close front spread vowel u. au begins with the open central spread vowel a, moving towards the (lowered and centralized ) close back rounded vowel u. eÉâ„ ¢ begins with the mid front spread vowel e, moving towards the unstressed mid central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢. iÉâ„ ¢ begins with the (lowered centralized) close front spread vowel i , moving towards the vowel the unstressed mid central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢. uÉâ„ ¢ begins with the close back rounded vowel u, moving towards the unstressed central spread vowel Éâ„ ¢.

Honesty and Trust Essay -- Dishonesty Ethics Morals Essays

Honesty and Trust Several decades ago I used to enjoy an occasional lunch in with the late Professor G. Warren Nutter, a distinguished economist who taught at the University of Virginia. Professor Nutter had considerable expertise in comparative economic systems, particularly that of the former Soviet Union. While he had a deep understanding of economic theory, he always stressed that markets do not operate within a vacuum and we gain a greater understanding of human behavior if we paid attention to the role of institutions and other non-market forces. At one of our luncheons, just out of the clear blue sky, and maybe just to tease me into an argument, Professor Nutter said that if we had to stop to count our change each time we purchased something, economic activity would grind to a halt. That’s a bit of exaggeration, but Professor Nutter was making the point that the institutions of trust and honesty are vital to human well-being. Honesty and trust are not simply matters of character and morality; they’re crucial for efficient human interaction and a smoothly working economy. To gain an appreciation for the significance of honesty and trust, consider what our day-to-day life would be if we couldn’t trust anyone. We purchase a bottle of a hundred folic acid tablets from our drugstore. How many of us bother to count the tablets to ensure that we in fact received a hundred? We drive into a gasoline station and the meter reads that we put ten gallons of gasoline into our fuel tank. When was the last time anyone of us bothered to verify whether in fact we received ten gallons instead of nine and a half? We paid seven dollars for a one-pound package of steak. How many of us bother to verify that it was in fa... ... honesty. Many More Victims The fact that honesty and trust are vital should make us re-think the treatment of the dishonest and untrustworthy. Dishonest people impose losses that go beyond those suffered by their direct victims. If pack-ages are stolen from people’s doorsteps, the rest of us incur costs when delivery companies stop leaving packages unless someone is home. If people rob bus operators and taxi drivers, all of us are required to have exact change or small bills. Considering the large economic effects of dishonesty and of not being able to trust one another, we should show little tolerance for violators. Fortunately, we live in a society where we can generally trust and accept the word of one another. That’s the good news. The bad news is there’s nowhere near the level of trust and honesty there was as recently as a half-century ago. Honesty and Trust Essay -- Dishonesty Ethics Morals Essays Honesty and Trust Several decades ago I used to enjoy an occasional lunch in with the late Professor G. Warren Nutter, a distinguished economist who taught at the University of Virginia. Professor Nutter had considerable expertise in comparative economic systems, particularly that of the former Soviet Union. While he had a deep understanding of economic theory, he always stressed that markets do not operate within a vacuum and we gain a greater understanding of human behavior if we paid attention to the role of institutions and other non-market forces. At one of our luncheons, just out of the clear blue sky, and maybe just to tease me into an argument, Professor Nutter said that if we had to stop to count our change each time we purchased something, economic activity would grind to a halt. That’s a bit of exaggeration, but Professor Nutter was making the point that the institutions of trust and honesty are vital to human well-being. Honesty and trust are not simply matters of character and morality; they’re crucial for efficient human interaction and a smoothly working economy. To gain an appreciation for the significance of honesty and trust, consider what our day-to-day life would be if we couldn’t trust anyone. We purchase a bottle of a hundred folic acid tablets from our drugstore. How many of us bother to count the tablets to ensure that we in fact received a hundred? We drive into a gasoline station and the meter reads that we put ten gallons of gasoline into our fuel tank. When was the last time anyone of us bothered to verify whether in fact we received ten gallons instead of nine and a half? We paid seven dollars for a one-pound package of steak. How many of us bother to verify that it was in fa... ... honesty. Many More Victims The fact that honesty and trust are vital should make us re-think the treatment of the dishonest and untrustworthy. Dishonest people impose losses that go beyond those suffered by their direct victims. If pack-ages are stolen from people’s doorsteps, the rest of us incur costs when delivery companies stop leaving packages unless someone is home. If people rob bus operators and taxi drivers, all of us are required to have exact change or small bills. Considering the large economic effects of dishonesty and of not being able to trust one another, we should show little tolerance for violators. Fortunately, we live in a society where we can generally trust and accept the word of one another. That’s the good news. The bad news is there’s nowhere near the level of trust and honesty there was as recently as a half-century ago.

Essay --

T.Y.W. 1618-1648 The Thirty Years War was a series of conflicts, not-knowingly involving most European countries from 1618 to 1648. The war, which was fought mainly in Germany, was started when Bohemian Protestants furiously attacked the Holy Roman Emperor in terms to impose a restriction on their religious and civil liberties. By understanding the Thirty Years War, you will notice the notable religious, political and social changes. The changes paved the religious and political maps of Europe. Not only did this war affect the religious and political demographic, it caused populations to perish and lose large amounts of their goods. What was known as a religious battle, turned out to be a political feud in competition of which state has the greater power affecting men, women, soldiers and civilians. â€Å"[The bohemians] had no idea that their violent deed would set off a chain reaction of armed conflict that would last thirty years and later be called Europe’s â€Å"first world war† of the modern era.† When the war ended, the lands were defiled and over 5 million people were killed. During the Thirty Years War, men and women had to experience trials and tribulations. Solders and officials, putting fear into the eyes of the countrymen, were testing all their patience, tolerance, and rights. The soldiers thought they could do anything they wanted because they abuse their powers. Citizens were often tortured by water boarding, daggers and hung if they did not satisfy the needs and wants of the officials. Martin Botzinger briefly describes his experience saying, â€Å"they beat me to the ground with daggers†¦ both my feet were bound together, and the other took the rope round my left arm, and they shoved me in water.† Scenes like this caused so ... ... then five more, one after another†¦ they allowed themselves to eat those bodies†¦ They said, ‘it was the great unbearable famine that did it.’† The struggle to find food was real. It was a heavy burden for people to bear. The need to stay a live became a daily struggle many civilian and soldiers. The Thirty Years War, known as a religious war started off as a small debacle between the bohemians and the Roman Catholics. Not knowing this was a beginning to something big. The war that lasted thirty years, allowed for torment and diminishing events to happen. Events that effected men, women and soldiers. While some suffered more than others, there was not much left to do but to deal with what you had. The war defiled the lands of Europe leaving individuals helpless without much to eat or look forward to. All in all, the Thirty years War paved the new European landscape

Development and frameworks support development influence current practice Essay

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development focusses on how children acquire knowledge and learn. He believed that when a child and an adult are given the same logical question children gave less sophisticated answers, not because they were less competent than the adults but because children are born with an extremely simple mental structure which is the basis for the child’s knowledge and learning ability. He suggests that children go through four stages of intellectual growth: 0-2yrs – Sensorimotor, i.e. motor control and learning about objects, the child explores the environment around them using their senses; 2-7yrs – Preoperational, verbal skills development, the child understands the use of symbols and language; 7-11yrs – Concrete Operational, beginning to grasp abstract concepts, shows logical thinking; 12yrs to adulthood – Formal Operational, logical and systematic reasoning skills, is able to work through abstract problems. One of the basic components of Piaget’s theory is ‘Schemas’. Each schema is a building block of intelligent behaviour and a way of a child’s brain organising the knowledge they have gained. Children will develop new schemas as they learn and experience more to allow them to retain this knowledge, as well as modifying their existing schemas as new information about them emerges through additional knowledge. We can effectively plan the development of a child by taking his ideas of ‘schemas’ into practice and using Piaget’s stages we can assess where and how a child is currently learning. From assessment it becomes possible to plan activities to help them to develop onto the next stage. Psychoanalytical Sigmund Freud (1856 1939) An Austrian neurologist Freud believed that each stage of a child’s development directly related to specific needs and demands, each based on a particular body part and was rooted with a sexual base. Freud outlined these stages as oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. Each stage involves the satisfaction of a desire and can later play a role in the adult personality. Freud suggested that if a child does not successfully complete a stage, they could develop a fixation that would later influence adult personality and behaviour. According to Freud the mind can be split into two halves, the conscious (mental processes we are aware of) and the unconscious mind (mental processes we are unaware of), and has three separate aspects – the Id (the conscious mind), Ego and Superego (unconscious mind) which all need to be balanced to have good mental health. The Id is about basic needs and feelings, the pleasure principle. The Ego is the reality principle and the Superego is the moral part of the mind. Freud’s theories about unconscious actions can still be witnessed, for example when a child is caught hurting another child. The aggressor may deny it and tell a lie, but may start to cry because he knows what he has done is wrong, and that he has lied about it. Whilst Freud’s psychosexual theories do not fit well with today’s more scientific standards and are considered not to be very accurate, they have been influential because it was original thinking about human development, and many other theorists used his ideas as a starting point. He has also helped those working with children by understanding there is a link between our conscious and unconscious actions. Humanist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) An American psychologist Abraham Maslow was a humanistic psychologist who is most famous for his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, which is relevant to all ages, not just for children. The five-stage hierarchy of needs is often visually displayed as a pyramid with the largest most important needs at the bottom and the more advanced needs at the top We are born with basic needs for survival, food, water, shelter and sleep which is represented in the first layer. Without these nothing else is possible. Once these needs are met we can progress to the next level which consists of a need for feeling safe and secure. We seek safety from others and strive to be in an environment that keeps us safe and free from harm. The third level is our need for love, our desire for acceptance and our need to fit in. At this level we seek out love, friendships and intimacy. The fourth level is our need for esteem, achievement, education and respect. At this level we focus our attention on self-respect and respect from others. We seek information and knowledge through education, strive to make advancements in our careers and work towards an overall higher self-worth. The fifth and final level in the hierarchy is our need for self-actualisation, the need to reach our fullest  potential with complete understanding of ourselves. According to Maslow very few people if any, master this level. Our basic needs (1st level) are essential for our survival. We need to feel safe (2nd level) before we can develop friendships which will give us a sense of belonging (3rd level). Once we have developed friendships we seek the esteem of self and others (4th level). This demonstrates how each layer must be fulfilled before moving up to a higher level. Maslow’s theories are very relevant to child development and care. Based on his hierarchy of needs a child would find it very hard to learn if their basic needs are not being met, for example a hungry or thirsty child would find it difficult to focus their attention to learn as the most basic need must be met first. A simple solution of snack time in between lessons and having drinking water available would help to overcome this problem. Addressing a child’s most basic needs will help them to grow, learn and develop. Social learning Albert Bandura born 1925, an American psychologist Bandura states that behaviour is learned from the environment, i.e. behaviours of others, and then imitated. His famous experiment in 1961 – the Bobo doll study – involved a film being shown of an adult beating up a Bobo doll and shouting aggressive words. This was then shown to a group of children and after watching the film they were allowed to play in the room that held the Bobo doll. All the children began to beat up the doll and were physically and verbally aggressive towards it, even though nurturing toys were available to play with the doll. They were apparently imitating the actions of the adult they had seen in the film. This was seen as an important break away from the behaviourist theory that behaviour is directed by reinforcement or rewards. The children simply copied the adult’s behaviour. They received no encouragement or reward. Bandura’s theories have an influence on current practice today in the form of positive role modelling. Recognition that child carers have a responsibility to demonstrate positive role modelling, as children will often imitate their behaviour. If aggressive behaviour or frustration is exhibited by the adult it is likely to be imitated by the child. Learning  is acquired by observation and imitation. Operant conditioning B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) An American psychologist. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning can be described as a process that attempts to modify a behaviour through the use of positive and negative reinforcement. The child will make the association between a particular behaviour and a consequence. The fundamental idea behind this is that behaviours that are reinforced will tend to continue while behaviours that are punished will eventually stop. Positive reinforcement is when a desired behaviour is rewarded positively: for example, when a child completes a set task they would receive a positive response e.g. a sticker, positive praise or maybe free play. Negative reinforcement is more about focussing on the negative behaviours that are to be changed and instilling a sanction or removal of a positive event: for example, a child that is continually exhibiting a negative behaviour, such as disobeying house rules will be told that if this behaviour continues they will lose their gaming machine or similar sanction. In summary if we reward good behaviour we expect that behaviour to continue and if we punish negative behaviour we hope that behaviour will cease. Importantly adults using this theory must make sure that they consistently carry out what they have intended otherwise the system becomes completely ineffective. Skinner’s theories are used widely in childcare today, we actively praise children for positive behaviours and for performing actions correctly; additionally we use the ‘time out’ method for negative behaviour. Behaviourist John B Watson (1878-1958) An American psychologist. Watson believed all learning was gradual and continuous. Development is a sequence of specific conditional behaviours with the main emphasis on the environment not heredity. Observable behaviours were considered to be more important rather that internal events such as thinking because external/observable behaviours could be witnessed and monitored. Watson believed that everyone is born as a ‘blank canvas’ and with the same abilities as each other and that they can be taught and trained to become anything they wish to be. Individuals can be trained to behave in a certain  way. He believed all behaviour is a result of the environment and a response. His work was heavily influenced by physiologist Ivan Pavlov who is famous for his theory based on dogs. Pavlov learned that dogs would begin to salivate in response to seeing a care giver in anticipation of food, rather than just in the response of receiving food. He named this response the ‘Classical Conditioning Theory’. It was Watson’s and Pavlov’s ideas which impacted on that of Skinner’s. We use Watson’s theories today by rewarding good behaviour and punishing negative behaviour. Good behaviour in our classrooms today is often rewarded with stickers, privileges or other positive motivators. To discourage negative behaviours often a stepped warning system is used. A system of planned ignoring is beneficial and often used for dealing with attention seeking behaviour. Social pedagogy Social Pedagogy is a framework that influences current practice by creating a holistic way of working with children by seeking to bring together theories and concepts from education, psychology and sociology. It aims to treat the child as a whole, making sure all their needs are met especially those children with additional needs.

Competition in the Movie Rental Industry: Netflix and Redbox

The competitive forces in the movie rental industry are quite strong, as I will explain through the five forces model. There are a vast amount of substitutes for watching a movie. You can go to a play, sporting event, concert, out the lake/beach, go for a run, watch regular television, go shopping; I could go on and on. Also, torrenting or pirating movies is growing increasingly popular. Buyers have a strong presence in this industry mainly because they are picky about how much they will pay to rent or stream a movie.With the amount of substitutes and their pickiness, they make this industry more competitive than what it may seem. Suppliers can make this industry very difficult because there is so much red tape in the movie industry. There are copyrights and restrictions on everything. This gives the supplier a lot of leverage and for the most part, they know that they can demand a price of just about anything. I see the potential and threat of new entrants being moderate to strong. First off; many customers have their loyalties whether it be to Netflix, Redbox or a local hometown movie rental.Secondly; pricing, availability and quality are all key factors. Lastly you have to have a large sum of money upfront in order to get the ball rolling. As I mentioned prior, gaining rights from movie companies is not cheap. The rivalry among the competitors is rather intense as they are battling for the best prices, biggest variety, quickest accessibility for the customer, and quality movies (HD streaming, few scratches and number of blu-rays). With the growing increases in technology and home entertainment, there are major forces pushing for change in the movie rental industry.In addition to this; we now live in a world where people want something and they want it NOW. I work in retail and this â€Å"in the now† era is changing everything and is putting a lot of pressure on almost any company. This has increased the push for expansion of online streaming and or th e ease of access to movie rental kiosks. Also in this new world, there is a huge demand for entertainment. Our generation spends more time in front of the TV and now computers, tablets and smart phones than ever before.The increase in the quality of televisions, surround sounds and filming capabilities is pushing the envelope. People are also always looking for the biggest bargain while maintaining quality. When looking at a strategic map the two variables would be price and how quickly the product can be attained. Netflix and Redbox rank high within each category. On the other hand Blockbuster and Movie gallery would be ranked much lower due to their high prices and the fact that you have to go out of your way to a brick and mortar store.The biggest key success factor to me over the next 3-5 years will be the capability to stream HD content at home. I understand that this hinders on your internet provider due to bandwidth. But I believe that if a customer can stream HD content it w ill save them the cost of purchasing a blu-ray player and blu-ray videos. To stem off of this idea, it’s going to depend upon how quickly the customer can obtain the video. After those two factors, I think that price (low) will then come into play. People want things to be as simple and as user-friendly as possible.Whether this is how it easy is to navigate a website or make purchase at a kiosk machine. Lastly I foresee the variety being a component of success; I don’t know about you but I do miss some of the movies from the 90s. After performing a SWOT analysis of Netflix, the company looks increasingly more popular. First off, lets look at Netflix’s strengths. Overall Netflix has had strong financial stability as they have grown their margins year over year. They definitely have their brand name out on the market; much of this can be attributed to their amount of advertising.You can say that they have alliances given that their videos can be streamed on virtua lly any device (phone, tablet, and computer). This also allows their content to be viewed virtually anywhere. The fact that they teamed up with Oracle to work on their website was a very beneficial move as this gives them somewhat propitiatory technology. I personally enjoy their recommendations and it is obvious that with their next arrival that they have strong logistics. They have a big cost advantage too.If I can stream a whole season of How I Met Your Mother in one day, I feel as though the $8. 9 that I spent was a good investment and yet I still have another 29 or 30 days to go. The two times that I had to deal with their customer service; they quality of service was outstanding and I’ve heard many other wonderful testimonials. When looking at weaknesses, I feel that their inability to provide new releases is a major drawback. In addition to this, they need to amp the selection for online streaming since streaming is expanding rapidly. The issue at hand with streaming i s that it can potentially lead to server crashes if there are too many users on at once.Netflix can also be very enticing to hackers since there is so much personal information stored. I would say that the biggest opportunity for Netflix would to be to make deals with the movie production companies to allow Netflix to offer new releases. To feed off of that, they need to increase their variety; particularly in the selection of indie and international films. With as big as they have become Netflix should try to gain rights to more countries. They could try to test out the video rental industry. This would help them out as gamers can stream Netflix on their consoles.Since they have software to offer recommendations based off of likes, they could look into developing a music streaming service similar to Pandora. Lastly, they need to set up kiosks in high traffic shopping areas. Maybe they could start this by putting up kiosks in each of the 50 towns in which they have a distribution ce nter. I see the biggest threat being the increasing amount of pirating movies and people performing illegal downloads. The supplier has a lot pulling power as they can quote big prices. If other companies began to enter the online streaming idea; Netflix will have to look for ways to distinguish itself.Redbox’s SWOT analysis does not make it look as attractive as Netlfix, however it is still pretty strong. Again starting with strengths; Redbox has its kiosks placed in prime locations. It is much more convenient for a customer to pick up a movie as they are walking out of the grocery store or McDonald’s than it is for them to drive to a physical store location. It is good for both the store and Redbox. I feel that their prices give them a large competitive advantage especially when comparing to the price of a rental from Blockbuster or Movie Gallery.Their smartphone app allows the customer to decide whether or not they can go out and pick up a certain film. I know that many people appreciate the fact that Redbox has many new release films. Moving on to weaknesses; the biggest issue with kiosks is the amount of variety and inventory. There are only 20 to 30 films to choose and I feel that folks enjoy more choices. The other issue with kiosks is that nobody is there to inspect the condition of the disks therefore a customer can potentially rent a scratched up disk.The beauty of Netflix is that your movie will arrive on your doorstep or you can stream it instantly. With the increasing price in gas, it can be seen as somewhat of an inconvenience to drive out to a kiosk. On a positive note, Redbox has many opportunities available to it. They can start off by offering online streaming. Like Netflix, I suggest that they look into tapping into the video game market at their kiosks. After lifting their lawsuits from Universal and Warner bros, they should renegotiating the length of time that it takes to get their hands on new release films.Redbox’s biggest threat would if/when other companies also begin to offer rentals via kiosk locations. The advances in technology may one day lead us away from using discs and virtually everything will be done online. They also face uncontrollable threats such as snow days. It is much easier for the customer to stream a video with Netflix than it is for them to bundle up, clear off their vehicle and risk their lives in hazardous driving conditions. Financially Netflix has been quite sound since its creation.I am rather impressed with how well its gross profit and net income have steadily increased year over year. On the other hand, it does somewhat bother me that their stockholder’s equity has decreased each year since 2005. Recommendation: Netflix: I recommend to Netflix that they look into adding kiosk locations in attempt to drive out Redbox as much as possible. This will pull in any more customers because not everyone enjoys being on a subscription and paying monthly rates. By the time everything turns completely towards online streaming, you will be leaving Redbox in the dust with almost nothing.To further help with pulling customers away from Redbox, Netflix needs to look into gaining access to new release films. With their powerful software, Netflix should look into a streaming service similar to Pandora and or create something like iTunes where customers can purchase and download music. Redbox: Redbox has got to get with the program and offer online content. Along with this, they should offer some sort of subscription service to ensure that they are holding onto their customer base. They could also look into having a rental service via online so that they can offer their customers more variety in movies.

Leadership Interview Essay

â€Å"Today’s professional nurses assume leadership and management responsibilities regardless of the activity in which they are involved† (Koernig-Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2006, p. 2). D. Martin. is the nurse manager for The Spirit Medical Transportation Services (Spirit) of Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She started her career as an ICU nurse, and from there moved into medical transportation. She worked as a staff flight nurse in three different programs, including Spirit, for 15 years before assuming the assistant nurse manager role for Spirit, and in the past year moved into the position of manager. In an interview with D. Martin she discussed achieving of a position of leadership in our nursing community. The interview included questions about her background, and the role she has today. Leadership Style D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) describes a leader as someone who is able to work effectively with other people and facilitate getting the job done. She further discusses the leader needing to have interactive communication skills. These skills she describes as two parts; first is active listening, making eye contact and giving full attention to the person speaking; the second is being able to talk and make a point with sounding condescending. Through her examples, D.Martin has a democratic or participative leadership style. Leaders with a democratic style act as a catalyst or facilitator to guide the group towards achieving group goals (Koernig-Blais et al, 2006). Democratic leadership may be less efficient than other types of leadership, but it does allow for a spirit of collaboration and creativity from group members. This type of leadership can be extremely effective in the healthcare setting (Tappen, 2001, p. 26)Personal Philosophy and Important Qualities of Leadership When questioned about important qualities or characteristics of a leader, D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) again emphasized the importance of interactive communication. D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) stated that an effective leader needs to respect their staff, or whomever they are leading. That a leader needs to learn how to be politically correct in all settings, and the  leader as manager needs to learn how to delegate, and to be aware of the fiscal responsibilities within the institution, and balance those requirements with the needs of the department they are managing. Sullivan and Decker, 2005 p. 44 state that â€Å"all good managers are also good leaders.† D. Martin talked interchangeably of leaders and managers, because she views herself as a leader first, and a manager second. Her views are that as a staff nurse, she was viewed as a leader among the flight crew, and now as a manager, she is still that leader, but with the responsibilities of management (D. Martin personal communication, March 6, 2008). A manager is responsible and accountable to the organization for accomplishing the goals of the organization (Sullivan & Decker, 2005). When D. Martin was questioned about her personal philosophy of leadership she replied that â€Å"you are never going to please everyone all of the time, and that the most important thing to remember is that you have to be able to live with your decisions, legally and ethically† (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). According to D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008), quality and safety should be ranked equally at number one in consideration for what can and should be done. She believes that as a manager, she needs to be the mother tiger looking out for her cubs; that she has to protect the staffs’ interests. D. Martin also believes that an effective manager should have come up through the ranks. A manager should not ask the staff to do something she has not done, or would not do. Another aspect of an effective manager is that the manager should have been a clinical leader first, that they have been there, done that for years. The manager may not always be able to keep up those clinical skills, and be able to perform the clinical aspects of the job, but if they have done it for years, they will understand the concepts when the staff needs someone to talk to (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008)Learning Experiences that have Influenced Growth as a LeaderD. Martin believes that her own clinical experiences and what she has done have had the most influence on her personal development. Her bedside clinical experience in an ICU prepared her for her role as a transport nurse (personal communication, March 6, 2008). She was involved in the start-up of two different transport services, and her third experience was a transport nurse on a well established service. The first transport service she was part of was a load and go team with one of the first mobile ICU’s in Wisconsin. Her belief is that being on the ground floor of two services, the personal growth from those experiences as the service went through it’s growing pains, makes her better prepared for the growing pains of going from peer to boss. She also emphasized that managers should not take things for granted, if they have not been where they are asking their staff to go, she feel strongly that she brings a â€Å"been there, done that† style to her leadership (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Evolution of Nursing Leadership in Healthcare TodayThe interview continued with the question of how she sees leadership evolving in nursing today. Her first response was disappointed. When she first started out in nursing, many registered nurses were from an associates program, and the recommendation for a management position, or to teach was someone with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Once she had achieved her bachelor’s, the bar had been raised with the recommendation that managers have their master’s degree, in nursing or in business, and that nursing instructors have their PhD in nursing or education (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her thought is that with the requirement of that much schooling, the people managing departments, and teaching new nurses, are so far removed from the clinical aspects of nursing, that they are not as effective as someone who has recently been a clinical nurse. She feels nursing needs instructors that have â€Å"been there,† and instructors should not be â€Å"only those with the highest degrees.† There needs to be opportunities for nurses to move up through the ranks through independent nursing practice, and recognition needs to be given to the clinical experts at the bedside. The advanced degree should not be more important than clinical expertise in a given field (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Challenges Facing Leaders in Today’s Healthcare SystemsD. Martin (personal  communication, March 6, 2008), believes that the most challenging issues in her current position are the need to have a more global perspective, and having an appreciation for it. She described one aspect of that global perspective in terms of the hospital budget. Finding out what the hospital budget is, and that it comes down from the top of the corporation, not just the top of our individual hospital. Patients are important, but from a business standpoint, money is the bottom line (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Healthcare is a business, and needs to be run as a business. She states that the biggest passion she had to give up was that the patient comes first. She had to learn how to facilitate the system, within the budget given, and with the resources available to her. Management cannot give the staff everything they are asking for, the money, and decisions come from the top down. â€Å"Management would be easy if you didn’t have to deal with the people† (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). The Impact of a Mentor on Leadership StyleD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) states that she has had three mentors in her career. Each is unique and she is grateful to them. Her first was her nurse manager of her first flight service. She states that he too came up through the ranks. He taught her the importance of creating a balance between management and work. Her next mentor was her first nurse manager when she started at Saint Joseph’s, Terri. Terri was her mentor through her master’s program, and taught her the importance of being politically correct and fair. That, as a manager, you might not agree with what is being said, but you need to have enough self control to not let them see you do not agree with the company line, or to never let them see you sweat (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her third mentor was her nurse manager for the 11 years she was a flight nurse with Spirit. Through him she learned that different management styles are okay, and that an open door policy was what she respected most about his style. He also taught her the importance of credibility, and to not make promises you may not be able to keep (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Advice to Someone Interested in LeadershipD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) discussed the difficulty going from peer to boss. Her recommendation would be for anyone in that position to take a class on effective leadership to learn more on how to delegate, find resources and about fiscal responsibility. She did inform me that Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital does offer a two day seminar to employees on this topic, and she further recommends all Neonatal Intensive Care Transport Nurses take this class, as they all function in a leadership role (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her other advice was to be ready to put in long hours. To be passionate about whom you want to lead. Be clinically competent, and have confidence in yourself, and your knowledge. Stand up for yourself and your staff. Learn to take risks, and trust your instincts (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Conclusion Leadership and management are the responsibility of all professional nurses. Effective leadership and management is a learned process. Mentors can have a positive impact on the personal and professional growth of a nurse. Personal integrity, honesty, and a concern for human dignity should guide all leadership and management decisions (Koernig-Blais et. al, 2006). References: Koernig-Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. (2006). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J., (2005). Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall HealthTappen, R. M., (2001). Nursing Leadership and Management: Concepts and Practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.