Basket Exercise Essay

Georgina Ryan, HR Director SUBJECT: Speaking engagement next week Ms. Williams, Mr. Armstrong has been transferred to a new location, earlier than expected. My apologies, however, if you would allow me to fill in for Mr. Armstrong, I would be honored to address the Business Club It is common for a large number of calls to come in all at once. When this happens, the customer relations–contact employee is supposed to take the customer’s phone number and get back to him or her within an hour. We’ve found in the past that this is a reasonable target since, after a big rush of calls, things usually settle down for a while. But when we check up on the contact employees, we find that they get back to the customer within an hour only about one-third of the time. Sometimes they don’t get back to the customer until the next day! I sent a memo to all contact employees about a month ago reminding them of the importance of prompt responses on their parts, but it did very little good. We need a training program from your department to improve this critical performance area. Can we get together early next week? MEMO TO: Ralph Herzberg, Manager of Customer Relations From: Georgina Ryan, HR Director. New Training Program Ralph, we will definitely have to address this situation. Let me get with my training program administrator and work out a training session/schedule for your department. I will get back with you on a date and time for next week.

Cosmopolis: a World of Subjective Reality Essay

Cosmopolis, written in the spirit of post modernity, rejects the idea of an ordered universe with one objective reality. This novel asserts that reality is instead subjective, and as human beings while we all experience the same one world ,but we each perceive this experience differently, and therefore we all live in different worlds. In this paper using quotes from Cosmopolis, I will explain how Don DeLillo uses dialogue and the actions of characters to construct his argument for subjective reality, and how his theory of subjective reality relates to the real world. Before I begin quoting Cosmopolis, I will briefly explain the modern definition of subjective reality. The idea of subjective reality asserts that reality and of the â€Å"truths† in the universe changes between individuals. Meaning, although there may be objective truths in the universe, each person perceives these truths and experiences them differently, and because of everyone’s own unique perspective of the world, each lives in their own world existing in an altered state of objective reality. Cosmopolis is littered with dialogue where the characters are talking about subjective reality. You could almost randomly flip to any page in the novel and find that someone is talking about subjective reality. It was obvious to me that Don DeLillo purposefully wrote this dialogue adding an argument for the existence of subjective reality. Although one could argue I read the novel looking for people talking about subjective reality and that in reality it is all in my head, for the purposes of this paper I am going to assume Don DeLillo purposely wrote Cosmopolis as an argument for subjective reality. One of the first lines of dialogue which I encountered that got me to thinking about subjective reality is near the very beginning of the novel when Eric is in the limo talking with Shiner. Shiner asks Eric why they were in the car instead of the office to which Eric replies, â€Å"how do you know we’re in the car instead of the office† (15). This quote is a perfect example of one of the aspects of subjective reality: that a person can never truly be sure of where they are, and that no matter where they actually are, they can choose to be somewhere else. Eric is in a way challenging Shiner to prove both that they are in a car and that they are not in an office. However, these are impossible things to prove, because a person can chose to be wherever they want to be regardless of actual physical position. Ideal to subjective reality, Shiner doesn’t even attempt to answer Eric’s question, because he knows he can’t prove either arguments. Plus, the fact that Eric chooses to turn his limo into an office shows that even though Eric knows his car is not an office, he makes it into an office merely just by acting as if it is an office. Like Eric, Beeno Levin is another character in Cosmopolis who understands the nature of subjective reality. As he is writing he beings to talk about what he sees in other people and what that means, saying â€Å"it is what people think they see in another person that makes his reality. If they think he walks at a slant, then he walks at a slant, uncoordinated, because this is his role in the lives around him† (57). Beeno is making two assertions on the nature of people in reality. Firstly, Beeno is asserting that no matter what a person actually does, it is what you think they do that is reality. Meaning, in his example, whether a man walks with a slant or not, if you think he walks with a slant, then he walks with a slant. Secondly, when he says, about the man, that â€Å"this is his role in the lives around him†, he means that to him the man who walks with a slant is nothing but the man who walks with the slant. In Beeno’s life the role of the man is to do nothing but walk around with a slant. Whether the man does anything other than walking with a slant, such as being an accountant or having children, to Beeno he can never be any of those things, because he is merely the man who walks with a slant. The man can never be anything else unless Beeno chooses to see him that way. Near the end of Beeno’s monologue he also thinks that â€Å"world is supposed to mean something that’s self-contained. But nothing is self-contained. Everything enters something else. My small days spill into light years† (60). Here he is making another assertion on the nature of reality and how it relates to the world. When he says the world is self-contained he is challenging the idea that the â€Å"truths† in the world can be separated and neatly pushed into categories. He asserts that in reality the elements of the world cannot be separated and everything is melting into everything else. There are actually no boundaries because one can perceive the world and anything could be anything else, for example, a limo can be an office. Here in this next quote the characters actually start to directly discuss reality. At this point in the story Eric and one of his advisors, Kinski, are chatting in the limo during the protest. Kinski baits Eric, asking him what the flaw of human rationality is. When he asks what, she answers replying that â€Å"it pretends not to see the horror and death at the end of the schemes it builds† (91). Ironically, she is asserting that human rationality isn’t even concerned with being accurate to reality. Human rationality strives to create its own deluded reality outside of what might actually be happening, such as in this example the evils of capitalism. It is deluded, ignoring the facts and believing whatever it wants to believe, such as the disparity between the rich and poor in the United States. Although Kinski, in this context, is only commenting on humans as a whole, this idea can be applied to human rationality on an individual basis. An individual may delude themselves in the same way, for example Eric continues to lose money on the Yen even though all evidence is telling him he should cut his losses and pull out. He is deluded in ignoring the facts, rejecting what he sees, and formulating his own new reality where he doesn’t pull out and makes a lot of money off the Yen. Some of my favorite moments in Cosmopolis are during the last scene when Beeno shoots Eric. The two of them seem to understand each other, and even hold some of the same beliefs, such as the subjective nature of reality. At one point, Beeno is convinced that his penis is shrinking and receding into his body, while Eric tries to convince him that is not true. Beeno says, â€Å"whether I imagine a thing or not, it’s real to me† (192). Eric asks been to prove it is true by showing him, and Beeno refuses saying, â€Å"I don’t have to look. There are folk beliefs. There are epidemics that happen. Men in the thousands, in real fear and pain† (192). Beeno is asserting something new this time. He has already asserted that a person can look at something, such as the man with the slant, and see anything they want to see (a man walking with a slant), whether that is actually what they are looking at. But now, he is asserting a man can look at nothing and see something that isn’t even visibly there. This is even further into subjective reality, it is one thing to say something can be something that is not, but it is entirely different to say that nothing can be something. Beeno even tries to support his belief that his sex organ is receding into his body with two different arguments. The first is that other men have experienced it, and therefore it is a real thing. The second one is that thousands of other men also fear it, and that it is a â€Å"real† fear. This argument is based on the idea that the very fear itself of something happening is just as real as if it were actually happening. This is another element of subjective reality. Beeno fears that something is happening to his body, even though he knows he can’t see it, but this very fear itself makes it real to him whether or not it is actually happening. During the climax of the novel, Eric begins to belittle Beeno by telling him that he doesn’t even have a good, admirable reason to kill him, that Beeno is just another whack job killing someone just because; â€Å"No. Your crime had no conscience. You haven’t been driven to do it by some oppressive social force. How I hate to be reasonable. You’re not against the rich. Nobody’s against the rich. Everybody’s ten seconds from being rich. Or so everybody thought . No. Your crime is in your head† (196). Here Eric is trying to tear down Beeno’s righteous justification for killing Eric. Eric is saying that Beeno isn’t killing Eric for the greater good of society, getting rid of a bad power-driven rich person, Beeno is just killing Eric just because. Eric asserts Beeno’s own motives are all in his head, that Beeno is deluded and doesn’t actually know why he is killing Eric, he is just doing it. This is a very odd turn. At the beginning of this novel Eric has been a perfect spokesperson for subjective reality, but here he seems to be playing devil’s advocate by trying to tear down Beeno’s arguments. I wondered why Eric would make such a sudden change, but after finishing the book I believe it is clear Eric isn’t actually trying to tear down subjective reality, he is just saying whatever he can to buy time and possibly not die. One of my good friends from primary school used to say that when he died the world would end. His names is Martin, and he is a genius. I am not a genius, but I enjoyed a lot of philosophical conversations with Martin nevertheless. I was really surprised when I came across exactly the same thing in this novel. It is right at the beginning when Eric first gets up and is getting ready to leave. He is lamenting his insomnia and thinks â€Å"when he died he would not end, the world would end† (6). I believe this quote embodies the spirit of subjective reality. If reality exists on an individual basis, and is only inside the mind of every person, then logically it would follow that when that person dies their reality, their world would end too. Possibly the most perfect aspect of this novel is the way Don DeLillo parallels this quote with the structure of the story. When Eric is about to be shot, it is obvious that he is going to die, however the novel ends with just his thoughts right before Beeno kills him. Nothing follows, that is the end of the story. How perfect that the novel ends with the very last thought of Eric! It makes absolute sense that the novel would end when Eric dies, because as already stated he wouldn’t end when he died, the world would end. Postmodernism encourages experiment in literature, and Don DeLillo takes full advantage of this. As an American I was always taught there were rules and truths that ruled the Universe. That reality was always objective and one merely has to interpret it correctly. Objective reality is the idea crucial to the success of religious and political systems. Every religion claims to be the one true religion, and without the claim of objective reality these religions would fail. This is also very much true in political, ethnocentricity being a perfect example of the effects of people believing there is an objective reality to the universe. In conclusion, Don DeLillo argues for the existence of subjective reality in his novel Cosmopolis. He utilizes the dialogue and the actions of the main characters to debate this idea and highlight crucial elements of the theory. In this paper I have analyzed several quotations from different scenes in the novel, explaining how each quotation represents an aspect of subjective reality. Subjective reality may have sounded like a crazy idea in the past, but now as we live in post modernity, subjective reality is quickly gaining acceptance.

DIABETES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

DIABETES - Essay Example Further complications associated with diabetes include kidney disease, blindness, and the threat of amputations. This health concern currently affects about 16 million people in the United States with an estimated five million of those unaware of their condition. These numbers increase every year along with the rising costs associated with health care provisions. This discussion examines what diabetes is, the lifestyle and genetic risk factors of the disease and its potential health consequences. It will also discuss preventative measures as well as proper diet and care for those afflicted with the disease. A primary factor in diabetes is the level of insulin present in the body. Insulin is a chemical the body produces naturally to mange the induction of glucose into the system. When the body produces too little amounts of insulin, greater amounts of glucose are allowed to enter the bloodstream thereby causing the symptoms of the disease called diabetes. Glucose, a simple sugar, enters the body by way of ingested food and into every red blood cell via the bloodstream; the cells then break down the glucose which acts to supply energy throughout the body. Brain cells, as well as other organs, are fueled by glucose alone. In diabetics, the body does not keep a stable amount of glucose in the cells. This means the body has more than the necessary glucose levels immediately after a meal but too little otherwise. To maintain a constant blood-glucose level, the healthy body produces glucagon and insulin, two hormones originating from the pancreas. Typically, there is balance of these hormones in the bloodstream with the insulin acting to prevent the concentration of blood-glucose from increasing disproportionately. There are generally two types of diabetes that have been identified, differing primarily in the onset and cause and referred to as Type

Marketing strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing strategy - Assignment Example Macro and Micro Environmental Analysis PESTEL The PESTEL analysis is performed to analysis the macro environment of the industry. The PESTEL analysis provides a frame within which the strategic thinking of the company for the future takes place. The analysis sets boundaries and expectations (Burke, Clarke, et.al, 2008, p.27). Political factors of the US software industry seem to be stable. The government has promoted the IPR protection as the US software industry experience a loss of about $12.8billion due to inadequate protection (Brown, et.al, 1995, p. 9). The US economical factor represents a strong GDP rate of $47200. In the market oriented economy, private firms and individual dominates the business. US business enjoys a better flexibility than the other parts of its counterparts (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d). With the population becoming savvier about the software industry there has been a steady rise in the software applications and industry. The social factor of the US h as demanded the country to produce more software application. The technological factors of US software industry have enabled it for the global distribution of software management teams. With a technological advance the software industry has been able to develop a new phase in the software industry. ... Legal factors include compliance with issues like Open Source Initiatives. The companies are following the source code to protect it against any threat. Also the use of illegal software is prohibited. Product-market industry analysis The product market industry is analyzed with the help of two dimensions and their extremes which is the product-market matrix. This matrix explores the two dimensions Product and Market (Lowy & Hood, 2004, p.134). Figure 1: Product-Market Matrix (Source: Lowy & Hood, 2004, p. 135) Microsoft with the launch of Windows 7 Phone has come up with a product development and hence its product Windows 7Phone would fall under the first quadrant of Product development. Microsoft has understood the positive relationship with its customers and also the goodwill and thrust that accompany it. When ZuneHD was launched it gained a positive feedback and thus Microsoft also expect the same from its 7 phone. With a growth in mobile phone, it has become a major computing pla tform for big giants like Microsoft, Apple. The market of Smartphone is expected to grow by 705 thus investment in this growing sector would help Microsoft gain profits and revenue as well as capture the market share. The new product, Windows 7 Phone, resents a lot of information more clearly and it’s easy to navigate. Therefore the product development by Microsoft is its new Windows 7 Phone. Competitor’s analysis The competitor analysis aims to evaluate the company with its peer group with a motive to analysis the company’s positioning with its competitors. Microsoft top competitors are Apple and Google. Apple known for its innovation, with its release of iPhone has revolutionized the mobile industry. Also with its innovation in desktop and laptops

Last day at school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Last day at school - Essay Example I gained many friends in these years and they really changed my world. Even the teachers of the school were different in their own way. Somewhere friendly but others grave and did not talk freely with us. It is sometimes hard to imagine that these lovely years of learning has at last come to an end. It is impossible to believe that I need to leave the high school where I met so many wonderful people and friends. I know I have become close with my fellow students and this bond is not easy to forget. It is really difficult to assume what life would have been without these happy high school years. These days I was sometimes joyful and sometimes nervous and also there were days of sorrow. All these emotions took a ride through my years in high school. And the day when I had to bid good bye to my friends, tears rolled out of my eyes. I never realized that I love my school so much .It has given me valuable experience and knowledge and number of friends that I can never forget. It was a mem orable days, when I was busy compiling my graduation book with my friends and fellow students. All of us with a mixed feeling of sorrow and anxiety in our mind spend the last days of school in unity. I remember the times when I was busy with compiling the graduation book, the one with all the memories, fun photos and writing jotted down in it. The graduation book is a treasure for me, when I look in to the book I find my friends face glaring at me which give me utter happiness. The day when I was compiling it, I requested my best friend to put his picture on the front page and he sticked a photo in which both of us were holding hands in a sportive manner. He wrote words which displayed his feeling and love for me. I could not look in to his eyes as I could see the tears ready to fall out of his eyes. I did not know to cry or smile and was in a big confusion as to how to express my feelings for my friend at this delicate moment. The second page of the book I dedicated to the sporting days that me and my friend have spend together .The picture of me and him in soccer shorts and dribbling the ball through the foot ball ground and how messy we looked. Those beautiful days are hard to be captured in the space of a book. In that joyous moment I hugged my friend as he meant a lot to me. The main reason for this is that he was with me through all the good and bad times of high school days. He drew a picture of my smiling face with the pen on this page and I knew he always wanted me to laugh and be happy. The other moment was to confront my only friend who was a girl and she was such a lovely person, less could be told about her. She was the one who gave me confidence and hope in times of despair and depression. When I moved to this school, I was all gloomy and disturbed but she came to me as a hope. She consoled me and introduced me to other students proudly and made me converse with my class mates. On this day I expressed to her what she has meant to me. I hugged her and express my gratitude and respect as she was unlike other girls in the class. It was surprising when she wrote that sweet poem in my book which related to friendship and love. There were words from heart and is heart touching every time I read it. The picture taken with me and her on the birthday was the best picture in my graduation book. Her smile was radiant and always gave me positive vibes. I remember the day, when I approached her at home and requested for a picture for my book. And she came with a wrapper of chocolate that I have given her during my school days. She still had it, and she stuck that to my book and I could not ask for more. The wrapper still smelled of chocolate, it had the aroma of friendship and warm feeling she had for me. I could n

Enterprenureship and venture creation Coursework

Enterprenureship and venture creation - Coursework Example This is essential because of the utilization of local skills to enhance development strategies within the society (Macko and Tadeusz, 2009 P.469). Andy Harsley was a risk taker because he initiated a business by investing in the reusable polythene band used for tying up bin bags, cables or saplings. He also possesses the characteristic of being an opportunist for the identification of the market gap in the polyurethane industry. As a result, in the opportunity phases, Harsley was capable to discover than polyethylene straps were lacking in the market for tying up items. During the start-up of his venture, Harsley possess the trait of being optimistic for he knew that the business could strive for greater heights. Q3. How did her identified skills/characteristics if any help Karen Lowthrop succeed and pursue her idea/vision? If you do not feel any entrepreneurial talent was exhibited, please make your argument accordingly Karen Lowthrop’s success to pursue her vision depended on her passion to conserve the environment. This skill was instrumental because it assisted her to be a social entrepreneur whose intention was geared towards helping the entire society. This is an entrepreneurial skill because it facilitated the creation of employment to others and sustained societal development. Entrepreneurial styles are numerous because people invest in different areas that require independent abilities and skills. This implies that the nature of the business shall determine the entrepreneurial style to adopt. An intrapreneur is a person who manages and utilizes resources within a large firm by not incurring risks related with those activities. They use the resources provided by an organization to generate creativity and enhance sustenance of the firm. In this regard, intrepreneurs are people who employ the resources of an organization to come up with entrepreneurial activities (Macko and Tadeusz, 2009 P.

Notes Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Notes - Term Paper Example An effort has been made to present notes that have practical implications. Notes of a fictitious company are as under: 1. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as applicable to UK, and the Interpretations of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRIC). Principal financial accounting and valuation methods used to prepare consolidated financial statements are set out in each of the following sections. The accounting methods are generally unchanged as compared to the previous year. 4. The consolidated financial statement includes the financial statements of the Principal and the group companies in which group holds stake (its subsidiaries) until 31st December of each year. Majority stakes of the group deem to exist if the group can determine the financial and managerial policies of a subsidiary in order to obtain economic advantages. a. In case of acquisition of a company, the capital is consolidated using acquisition method. The assets and liabilities of respective subsidiaries are valued at market value attributable at the time of acquisition. If the acquisition costs exceed the attributable current market value of the acquired identifiable assets and liabilities, the capitalised difference is shown as goodwill; otherwise it is immediately adjusted against income. The Non- Controlling interests are reported as part of the current values of the stated assets and liabilities corresponding to their respective interests. d. The earnings as well as assets and liabilities of associated companies are incorporated in this consolidated financial statement using the equity method of accounting. Interests in associated companies are given in SFP as acquisition costs adjusted by changes in the group share of net income following acquisition, and losses due to depreciation. Losses that exceed the

Dss Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dss - Case Study Example Therefore, this paper aims to study the application of Decision Support System in the UAE including the analysis of its effectiveness on the business arena. The selected application is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which is an application that integrated both internal and external information of different departmental sections in an organization. The application is aimed to allow the flowing of information between marketing, accounting, finance, and manufacturing, whilst managing the customer preferences and profiles. In addition, the research study also exhibits the importance of the ERP in order to determine its viability into the competitive global market. An effective DSS is the computerized application that assists the decision makers in compiling important information from a mixture of documents, raw data, business models, and personal knowledge in order to make decisions that solves the underlying or predicted problems. The business information that a DSS may assist include preparation of inventories for assets, projecting revenue costs based on the sales assumptions, and comparing sales figures, among others (Power, 2002). However, there are different areas in UAE under which DSS can be applied including in construction modeling support, in school’s learning management system, in operational management to assist employees, and automating financial records in accounts and finance departments. Other areas include human resource systems to monitor employees’ performance and attendance, for security monitoring by signing the visitors in and out or verifying their documents. In other words, DSS can be used in several areas, although it must be interactive and effective to all management staff. The organization must ensure there is satisfaction of all employee levels in adopting a new DSS in order to ensure its functionality and

Critical review of Environmental Statements Literature

Critical of Environmental Statements - Literature review Example A few of the key factors of the EMAS would include openness, periodic provision of the environmental information and transparency. These factors are also vital for the companies to build a confident relationship with the interested entities (EMAS, n.d.). Methodology In the entire evaluation process a primarily qualitative approach will be used. It would intend to evaluate the EMAS environmental statement of Park Communication based on certain benchmarks such as company performances in accordance with EMAS regulations, core indicators of company performances and the organisational goals which is expected to render an in-depth understanding of the environmental compliance practices by Park Communication. Furthermore, using statement checklist the report would present an accompanying statement of conformance that would justify the evaluation. The aspect related to the conformance of environmental statement with the prescribed guidelines will be evaluated from the EMAS environmental stat ement of Park Communications. Aims This report aims to conduct a critical evaluation of an environmental statement published in accordance with the EMAS regulation. The report would be presented to the Environmental Manager of an organisation i.e. Park Communications. Evaluating Environmental Statement Published In Accordance With the EMAS Regulation This report reviews an EMAS environmental statement of an organisation i.e. Park Communications. In this regard, the report considers the EMAS environmental statement of Park Communications, which sets the objectives for the year 2011. Park Communications is a United Kingdom based organisation which provides ‘one-point-of-contact’ services to translate, distribute and store literature of the people. The company also performs functions such as print reports and accounts, marketing literature, financial prospectuses and government publications among others (Park Communications, n.d.). It has been observed that the company has been quite committed towards the employees, customers, local environment and global environment along with taking every step by considering all these aspects. The company is aware of the fact that whatever it does would certainly have an effect upon the environment, directly as well as indirectly. In this regard, the company has taken a step further and introduced the system of EMAS in the organisation. Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is an initiative designed to enhance the environmental activities of companies. It further aims to identify and reward organisations to take a step further to improve its performance. According to this scheme, companies would have to present reports publicly on a regular basis that could show how they are improving their environmental activities (Park Communications, 2011). Park Communications aims at managing its business in a way that would have less effect on the environment. It has been obse

Birth Control Pills Essay Example for Free

Birth Control Pills Essay Teen age also referred to as puberty is the age between twelve years and nineteen and it is one of the most crucial stages in life. For many young people, this is one period that presents difficulties for many as it is the time they get to discover exactly who they are. They begin to experience certain changes in their body and it is usually at this stage that they realize that there is a difference between a boy and a girl. Of the many issues that the young people discover during puberty is their sexuality. They get to learn how the reproductive system works and are sensitized that at this age they are capable of being reproductive as their reproductive systems at this point are fully mature. Although sexual intercourse is a reserve of the adults, it is a fact that cannot be refuted that young people, even as young as teenagers are now engaging in the act (Seaman. 54-57). Teenagers are getting sexually active as early as at the age of ten years. It is for this reason that it has become necessary for the teenagers to be sensitized among crucial issues like methods of protection from pregnancy and other sexually transmitted diseases. This paper focuses on birth control pills as one of the methods of contraceptives which is now very common among teenagers (Seaman. 75-77). Birth control pills are tablets whose chemical composition is made up of hormones which are meant to later the normal functioning of the body and specifically the reproductive system. The birth control pills just as the name suggests are taken as a precautionary measure to prevent a woman from getting pregnant after getting sexually involved with any form of protection (Zonderman. 83-86). How it Works As already mentioned birth control pills are made up of hormones that are meant to alter the normal functioning of the reproduction system and specifically the ovaries and the uterus. Most birth control pills contain a combination of hormones, mainly progesterone and estrogen whose function is to prevent ovulation and consequently prevent fertilization of the egg by the sperm during sexual intercourse. As a result, a woman cannot conceive since no egg was available for fertilization. The chemicals in these pills also thicken the mucus that normally surrounds the cervix making it extremely difficult for the sperm to swim through to the uterus to reach any eggs that may have been released during ovulation. Sometimes these pills have the effect of making it hard for the egg to attach itself on the wall of the uterus and thus fertilization becomes impossible (Zonderman. 99-103). Dosage While the dosage of these pills differs depending on the type, most of them are taken for 21 days or 28 days. This means that a woman is required to take these pills on a daily basis and once one pack of 28 pills is complete, a woman gets her periods. Some pills are such that they reduce the frequency at which a woman gets her monthly periods. This means that instead on the normal monthly period being received every month, a woman get period once in three months. Some pills have one hormone (progesterone) instead of the combination of progesterone and estrogen. The effect of such a pill is such that changes the mucus that surrounds the cervix and the lining around the uterus. However this pill has been found to be less effective in prevention of pregnancy in comparison with other birth control pills. For this pill to work it must be taken at the same time everyday without skipping (Watkins. 153-156). Any woman taking the minipill as it is commonly referred to is likely to miss her periods or get them but at irregular frequencies. During the first seven days when a woman begins to use birth control pills it is always advisable to use an additional form of contraception like a condom to prevent pregnancy. However after the seven day period the birth control pill should be strong enough to prevent pregnancy even without the use of an additional form of contraceptive. However it is important to note that birth control pills only protect a woman from getting pregnant and not from contracting sexually transmitted diseases. This therefore means that even when a woman is using the birth control pills it is important to use condoms to protect them from getting sexually transmitted infections. It is also important to note that birth control pills are not to be shared. A person should stick to their pack and never take pills belonging to a friend even though they are of the same type (Zonderman. 112-116). Effectiveness Research conducted by medical practitioners indicates that, even though the birth control pills are effective to a large extent, if used for a prolonged period they become ineffective and possibilities of becoming pregnant are high. This is because, just like any medicine, when the pills are used for lengthy periods, the body tends to develop resistance against the pill and thus the ineffectiveness. However this largely depends on how disciplined one is in taking the pills on a daily basis. Skipping taking the pills increases the chances of getting pregnant. In general the effectiveness of birth control pills is dependent on a number of factors including any inhibiting factor, for example intake of some medication may interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills. How properly the pills are taken (without skipping) also determines the effectiveness of the pills (Watkins. 175-178). Side Effects Just like all others types of medication, birth control pills have various side effects. Some of the most common side effects of these pills include nausea, irregular menstrual cycle and change in moods. However these side effects are rarely felt and those who experience the side effects, they are only mild cases. Most of these side effects fade away with time and especially after the first three months most women no longer experience the side effects of these pills. Some of the most likeable side effects among teenagers of birth control pills include reducing the flow of the monthly periods so that they become lighter and reducing cramps that come with the monthly periods. In addition these pills have been said to offer protection from anemia, cancer of the ovaries and some diseases that affect the breast (Zonderman. 135-137). Conclusion Although birth control pills play an important role in keeping away unwanted pregnancies, it is important to remember that they do not protect one from sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS which has no cure. Abstinence especially among teenagers is the only sure to keep STDs and unwanted pregnancies at bay. If one has to engage in sexual intercourse then perhaps use of a condom may be advisable. Work cited Seaman. B. The doctors case against the pill. New York: Doubleday, 1980. Watkins, E. Siegel. On the Pill: A Social History of Oral Contraceptives, 1950- 1970. Baltimore, Md: New York: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. Zonderman. J. Birth control pills, New York: Chelsea House, 2006.

Examining The Importanceof Key Performance Indicators Construction Essay

Examining The Importanceof Key Performance Indicators Construction Essay The Latham Report, also known as Constructing the Team was published by Sir Michael Latham in 1994 to highlight the inefficiencies of UK construction industry at that time. The industry was underperforming as a whole, generating low profitability and unable to meet clients satisfaction. Latham Report served as a wake-up call for the nation and underlined the immediate need to reform. Sir John Egan picked up from where Latham left off and published the Egan Report, also known as Rethinking Construction in 1998. Egan Report (1998) identified five key drivers of change which are committed leadership, a focus on the customer, integrated processes and teams, a quality driven agenda and commitment to people. Sir John Egan also challenged the industry to reduce its construction cost and time by 10% annually. Egan Report concluded that, if the UK construction industry is to meet new challenges and opportunities, it must transform itself, and KPIs were highlighted as a tool for attaining this (Cooper, 2004). The first set of UK Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) was published in 1999 with three main objectives (Constructing Excellence, 2006): Key Performance Indicators can be rather confusing to those who have little knowledge in business management. It is believed that the benefits of KPIs are yet to be fully exploited by the construction industry ever since the publication of Egan Report. KPIs are not new to the industry but they are either not recognised or kept away by the management teams (Parmenter, 2007). Nowadays, the term KPIs has become one of the most over-used and little understood terms in business development and management (Ibis, 2010). According to KPIs expert David Parmenter, KPIs represent a set of measures focusing on those aspects of organisational performance that are the most critical for the current and future success of the organisation (Parmenter, 2004). When used correctly, KPIs are able to tell an organisation what to do to improve performance dramatically. However, the organisation can only succeed when the company leaders and staff are all together focusing on KPIs. Each business industry has a different set of KPIs for companies to use to measure their success. In the construction industry, companies use indicators such as the number of safety incidents in a specified time period, profitability of construction projects or reviewing cost of construction materials against the predetermined budget (Vitez, 2010). Cox et al. (2003) state that KPIs are compilations of data measures used to assess the performance of a construction operation. They also state that KPIs could be the methods management uses to evaluate employee performance of a particular task. These evaluations typically compare the actual and estimated performance in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and quality in terms of both workmanship and product. In order to measure performance or calculate the effects of any given change on the construction process, one must first determine the appropriate KPIs to focus on to measure its impact (Cox et al., 2003). Performance indicators can be defined by either the quantitative results of a construction process, for example  £/unit, or by qualitative measures such as worker behaviour on the job. Accurate analysis of construction performance can be only performed after the KPIs are determined and monitored (Cox et al., 2003). Before any Key Performance Indicators are determined, it is vital to identify what the organisations goal is (Visitask, 2010). After the goals are identified, KPIs will act as a measure of progress towards those goals. Whatever the KPIs may be, they must be critical to the success of the organisation (Reh, 2010). After the KPIs have been defined and the way to measure it has also been determined, a clear target has to be demarcated which should be understandable by everyone in the organisation (Visitask, 2010). The target should also be specific so that every individual are able to work together towards accomplishing it. To achieve a particular target level of Key Performance Indicator for a company, every department along with the company leaders have to work in synergy towards it (Visitask, 2010). In short, KPIs help an organisation define and measure progress toward organisational goals. Once an organisation has analysed its mission, identified all its stakeholders, and defined its goals, it needs a way to measure progress toward those goals and KPIs are those measurements (Reh, 2010). Measuring performance allows an organisation to objectively determine what is working and what is not (Ling and Peh, 2005). There are many ways to use KPIs in the business and industry. According to Constructing Excellence (2006), the main ways that KPIs are used in the construction industry are: CIPFA (1996) describes benchmarking as a tool for self improvement. It suggests that organisations are often prompted to use benchmarking when they want to reduce cost, achieve more with the same or fewer resources, prepare for competitive tendering, improve quality of service, or change culture of the organisation. Benchmarking can be used in a host of ways. For example a company can compare its performance internally, by benchmarking processes in one office against the same processes in another; or it can undertake similar work externally by examining how it compares with its direct competitors (Pickrell and Garnett, 1997). When choosing a target for benchmarking, it is best to benchmark similar organisations in the same industry, in similar marketplaces, of a similar size and if possible, working in a similar locality. Such an approach provides not only more meaningful and focused targets for improvement, but also data and more general information about what competitors are achiev ing (Cooper, 2004). However, sometimes it is necessary to go beyond the sphere of ones own industry to identify the best practice in the business (McGeorge and Palmer, 1997). KPIs are a type of performance measurement tool. It allows management to measure the performance of a company in a certain area such as profitability. KPIs can help a team to work together to achieve a common set of measurable goals, and provide a very quick way of seeing the actual performance of a goal or strategic objective (RapidBI, 2009). According to Constructing Excellence (2006), KPIs can also be used as a marketing tool. For example, Contractors can use KPIs to prove that they have excellent safety records to promote themselves in front of clients when tendering. Besides, KPIs can help companies to make decisions quicker when there are accurate and visible measures to back them up (RapidBI, 2009). In the construction industry, KPIs help managers to find weak areas in their operations that can be improved, leading to faster construction completion times and fewer employee safety incidents (Vitez, 2010). Moreover, constructions companies who use KPIs in their operations usuall y have more flexible operations than their competitors (Vitez, 2010). Although not realised by many people, KPIs actually play a part in providing sustainable construction. There are environmental KPIs that measure impact on the environment, energy use, waste, and impact on biodiversity which are all crucial to sustainability. Benchmarking can provide an objective analysis of how successful an organisation is performing and allows a company to identify its position in the market (Ling and Peh, 2005). By benchmarking against best practice in the industry, one can identify potential areas of growth or weaknesses and use lessons learnt to make targeted improvements. In long run, companies who benchmark will be able to deliver clients expectations and increase clients satisfaction. Besides, benchmarking can help to lock an organisation into continuous performance improvement, and to develop a culture in which it is easier to admit mistakes and make changes (CIPFA, 1996). Pickrell and Garnett (1997) claim that benchmarking can help to reduce overheads and increase profitability of a company. It also enables companies to really understand their business processes. The most important thing of all about benchmarking is that it allows better companies to demonstrate that they are capable of delivering good services and products, thus developing a barrier to the poorer performers in the market. When this happens, poorer performers will strive to improve their performance by means of benchmarking the better ones and consequently the overall performance of the industry is increased as the market gets more competitive.

Love in Andrew Marvell in To His Coy Mistress and John Donnes The Sunn

Love in Andrew Marvell in To His Coy Mistress and John Donne's The Sunne Rising These two poems, "To His Coy Mistress" and "The Sunne Rising" are similar poems, they are both metaphysical (metaphysical means more than physical) poems written around Shakespeare's time. The main theme of these poems is the same; it is romance and the love of a woman. Yet the two poets have very different opinions on these two things. Within both poems are arguments, in "To His Coy Mistress" it is with the woman and in "The Sunne Rising" it is with the sun. "The Sunne Rising" is about a mans argument with the sun over how important it is compared to his woman. "To his Coy Mistress" is about a man trying to seduce the woman. The main theme of the two poems is love. There are other themes in the poems which are linked to love, in "To his Coy Mistress" the theme time and how it is passing by is introduced> The three stanzas develop the theme, in the first stanza the narrator in the poem talks about how they could be together forever, "Till the conversion of the Jews" this is saying how they have all the time in the world so they can take it slow, in the second stanza time speeds up, "The grave's a fine and private place, But none, I think do there embrace." This means that he will not be able to love her when she is dead and alone. In the third stanza the man is saying they can't stop time, they should take things fast and make time try and keep up with them. "The Sunne Rising" has a very different theme, it is the sun and the world, instead of the argument being with the woman about them being together, in "The Sunne Rising" it is about how the sun think... ...entre is, these walls, thy sphere." This is saying that if you shine here sun you are shining on my whole world, this room is my world and my woman is the centre of it. This shows how Donne uses imagery to illustrate the mans love for the woman and how he feels about her. This shows how both writers feel that imagery is a good way to get feelings across within a progressing argument. These two poems have similarities in structure, poetic voice, use of imagery, tone and in the use of themes. Yet both poems also have difference in these same areas. In "The Sunne Rising" he already has his woman and in "To his Coy Mistress" he is trying to seduce the woman. I believe "The Sunne Rising" by John Donne was the more successful poem because I thought the author got the mans feelings for the woman across to the reader better.

Chemistry of LSD and Route of Access Essay -- Chemistry Chemical Scien

Chemistry of LSD and Route of Access Classification Pharmacologically, the commonly abused hallucinogenic substances may be divided into two major groups. The indolealkylamines, including d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) bear a structural resemblance to the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). The phenylethylamines, including mescaline and the phenylisopropylamines such as 2, 5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM, "STP"), are structurally related to dopamine, norepinephrine, and the amphetamines (Gelenberg, Bassuk, Schoonover 1991). Doses Usual doses range from about 25 micrograms to more than 300 micrograms. LSD is known to posses a low level of toxicity; the effective dose is about 50 micrograms while the lethal dose is about 14,000 micrograms. These figures provide a therapeutic ratio of 280, making the drug a remarkably nonlethal compound (Julien 2001). Pharmacology d-Lysergic acid diethylamide is a synthetic hallucinogen derived from an extract of the ergot fungus. The drug is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It is usually ingested as part of a pill or dissolved on a piece of paper (Gelenberg, Bassuk, Schoonover 1991). LSD is often added to other substances, such as the back of stamps, or sugar cubes, which can be handled more easily (Julien 2001). Following oral administration, the drug is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed to body tissues. Only small amounts are detected in the brain, however (Gelenberg, Bassuk, Schoonover 1991). It also crosses the placenta. The largest amounts of LSD in the body are found in the liver, where the drug is metabolized be... ...emoved from the reaction mixture and can be re-employed in other conversions (Making LSD in the Laboratory, 2005). References Gelenberg, A.J., & Bassuk, E.L., & Schoonover, S.C. (1991). The Practitioner's Guide to Psychoactive Drugs. 3rd. Ed. (pp. 288, 290). New York: Plenum Publishing Corporation. Julien, R. M. (2001). A Primer of Drug Action. (p. 234). New York: Worth Publishers. Stockley. (2002). Stockley's Drug Interactions. (pp. 906-907). Great Britain: The Bath Press. Strang, M. (2004). LSD and Psilocybin- Serotonergic Hallucinogens: Route of access, brain metabolism, and neurochemical effects. February 24 2005, from The Shroomery. http://www.shroomery.org/index/par/25277. (2005). Making LSD in the Laboratory. February 28 2005, from Temple of the Screaming Electron. http://www.totse.com/en/drugs/psychedelics/lablsd.html

Use of Computers :: Technology Computers Essays

Use of Computers After reading Dr. Alan Bundys web page, I realized of all the ways we rely on computers in this day and age. Computers and the technology today allow people to receive any type of information in the world right at their fingertips. With all the written information that is in libraries, it seems as though people just skip right over that and head straight for the computer. Ità °s as thought they feel that the computer does all the work for them and finds all the information that they need. Ever since I was in elementary school I was introduced to working with computers. If it was from writing a paper, playing computer games, or using the many resources on the Internet, the computer has always been on my beckoning call. I could never imagine not being able to use the computer and its many possibilities to find information. I was taught at first to be able to find books in the library and to find information out of books, but this was when the Internet was not as popular. Today the very first thing that I would go to help me with a report is the Internet and the computer. Ità °s as thought I donà °t really remember how to use the library to find a resource I need because I am so used to the computer. I feel that children today are brought up to much on relying on the Internet and the computer. I think that it would have been more useful if I were taught when I was younger to rely on using resources from the library or by looking it up in books. Even though the Internet was not as big as it is now when I was younger, children should be taught to use books and other resources besides the computer. Ità °s as though all they use for their information is the computer. By teaching children just to depend on the use of computers, it makes them lack skills in penmanship, since they use the computer to write all their papers and reports. It also does not allow them to develop skills in revising and spelling because the computer has all those programs all ready in it.

Barclays: Matt Barrett’s Journey †Winning Hearts and Minds Essay

The fact that Barclays is one of the four most dominant retail and commercial banks in the U.K. says a lot about its reputation. This company has faced many challenges between the time periods of 1980-2000. Matt Barrett has several great ideas to turn this company around, and the factors that should be considered are essential to the success of his strategy. Social/Demographic The Company initiates good customer relationship skills. They have built personal relationships with one out of five personal customers, and have direct relationships with 25% of the businesses in the U.K. On the downside, the company’s cost base is much higher than its competitors. The plan is to change the core infrastructure of the company in order to build a stronger customer base. Becoming more competitive and offering value to its core products will give Barclays the competitive edge it needs to help increase profit and attract new clients. Technological Barrett and his Executive Committee (ExCo) team have plans to restructure the company by shifting its culture. In order to shift the culture, the mind-set of the employees has to change. Barrett promoted younger talent to join his ExCo team to give the company fresh innovative ideas. These new ideas will give solutions to replace the incompetence of traditional strategies that are no longer useful. The company also did an analysis on the industry and company data to figure out which segments were making money, and which ones weren’t. A value-based management approach gives the ExCo team an opportunity to take on challenges and risks, and make strategic decision about what segments to add, and what to take away. Economic Considering that Barclays is a reputable company, and the fact that an estimated 20% of its profits are generated outside of the U.K; it would be ideal for the company to expand to gain exposure. The company is the ninth largest bank in Europe, and already has a customer base in the country. Developing a second home market in continental Europe would allow the company to create a larger customer base, therefore increasing profit. Environmental/Geographic Barclays is located in a stable economy with a strong domestic franchise. The only crutch is that they need a strategy to compete with new entrants. The U.K. accounts for 80% of the company’s profit, so plans to restructure core products will require a dynamic strategic plan. Using diverse tactics to differentiate product/customer markets will help aid in maximizing the economic value of the company; and improving these products by offering value to clients will aid in creating a stronger customer base. Political/Legal/Governmental Barclays is the first foreign bank to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington D.C. This is an advantage to the company on a global scale because banking laws are enforced according to SEC regulations. On the downside, the company may be overlooked by firms who are looking to establish offshore accounts in order to bypass these regulations.

Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein by Mary Shelley” Essay

Robert Walton writes numerous letters to his sister, who is presently in England about his endeavors at the North Pole. He is currently stuck as the water has since been overridden by ice, making it impossible for him and his crew to continue his dangerous mission. Although his progress was positive at the beginning, he is now unable to move forward because of the ice. It is during this period that the captain meets with Victor, who has been weakened by the ice and is almost dead of cold. Walton the nurses Victor back to health, and hears the tale about the monster that victor has created. Victor, who is a brilliant man, has discovered the secret of life itself and had consequently created his own monster, but as a result of his actions, he fears that the monster will ruin the lives of the people he cares about as well as his. Character Development, Victor, his Father and the Monster                   At the beginning, Victor is an innocent loving boy who is full of life and surrounded by loved ones. As a young boy, he lives with his father, plays with his brother and friend and also loves his future wife Elizabeth. The turn of events occurs when victor’s brilliance in chemistry and his curiosity about life forces him to reanimate a dead body. Throughout the novel, victor changes step by step and the grief he encounters due to the loss of loved ones fuel his heart with hate and remorse. From a young scientist filled with prospects of great future to a guilt-ridden man filled with anger and revenge. As a young boy, victor spent his youth in Geneva. His life as a young person was fulfilling with the loving accompany of his loving sister Elizabeth and his best friend Henry. Upon being of age, Victor enrolls at the University of Ingolstadt, where he studies chemistry and natural philosophy. Being a curios and brilliant person, he is overwhelmed by the unknown knowledge of life and, therefore, revolts his life to finding the true origin of life. Victor then spends his whole time in research with the hope to discover the secret of life. After many years of research, he is able to discover the basics of life. According to (Janowitz and William 938), Victor’s ambition to create life blinds the moral obligations that he should have felt about creating a monster without human emotion and characteristics. Notable, Victor does not evaluate the consequences that might arise as a result of his action. He just spends time creating a creature with the knowledge that he has gained. He uses dead parts of a human body to put together the creature and reanimates him later. The creature, however, does not look as appealing as he expected. The sight of him fills Victor with horror and disgust. Victor is disappointed with his work and becomes contemptuous of the creature. With the creature trying to understand the meaning of the behavior being exhibited by his creator, victor becomes more afraid and runs from him scared and remorseful. According to Vargo (417) the use of dead parts to create a living thing sheds message that the expected creation would not behavior like a normal person. Victor should have recognized that his endeavor would only lead to more death. After creation of the monster, he feels remorseful and decides to return home. Woolley (46) observes that his wish to return home would maybe reconnect him after losing touch with humanity. So, he decides that since the monster has disappeared, he should also return to his family to nurse his remorse and poor health back to normal. However, victor receives an unexpected letter from his father explaining that his brother has been murdered. Victor now rushes home, remorseful as ever to support his family at this moment of grief. As he is about to arrive, he sees the monster he created looming the woods where is brother was killed. With this knowledge, Victor believes that the monster must have killed him. To make matters worse, Victor arrives to find that his adopted sister, a gentle and kind person, is being accused of the crime that his monster dis. She is consequently executed although Victor knows the real murderer. Victor now grows more remorseful and guilty for his actions becaus e he knows that his actions have led t the death of two of his beloved ones. According to 5865, this is the point where Victor begins to get sense of the consequences of his actions. He created death, so death follows him. Levine (490) notes that people tend to run away from their actions’ outcomes after they see that they are not desirable. Instead of dealing with the situation, Victor grief overpowers him and he is unable to withstand the sorrow at his home at Geneva. He decides that it is best to stay away from home by taking a vacation in the mountains; since he knows that the monster is probably tracking him; he knows that by staying away from home the monster would also follow him, and leave the family alone. While at the mountains, the monster approaches Victor and tries to beg for attention. It is evident that the monster is disappointed by the fact that Victor left it after creation. He admits to killing Victor’s brother, and asks that Victor understand his reasons. He says that the death of Victor’s brother William was a payback for leaving him to rot. With this, he asks victor to create another one like him so that he can be happy around someone who understood him, and w ho would not abandon him like Victor did. He says; â€Å"‘I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create'† (Shelley and Maurice 129). His action of acting god, which is pure inhumanness, haunts him from the moment he creates the monster. His obsession to act as a creator finally ruins his life as well as the lives of the people that he cares about. Eventually, Victor changes from a human with feelings to become a person without feelings just as the creature that he created. The basics of human feeling are family and friends. The monster, seeing that victor does not care about him, sought to make him like he is, in an effort to make Victor understand the situation of being in solitude. With this, Victor falls for the monsters please and weighs the odds of creating a second monster, and refuses to grant the creature his wish to have a companion. However, the monster pleads and persuades him until he agrees to make the second, female monster to act as a companion to the first monster. He takes his friend Henry and return to England to prepare the necessary materials and information required for the creation of the female monster. Victor starts the work at a secluded island in company of the monster and is almost done when he feels that his actions are against moral expectations. He, therefore, destroys his progress attracting an outrage from the monster who in turn vows to destroy everything he loves. He even swears to kill Victor’s lover during his wedding night. In this, it is evident that Victor realized and regained his moral ground way too late. At this point, he will have to endure consequences for his actions (Vargo 419). The fist revenge the monster has on victor is killing of his best friend, Henry. When Victor travels to dump the remains of the second monster, He returns in the morning only to be arrested and accused of murdering his own friend. This occurrence finally drives victor to the edge. Losing his humanity is the only thing preventing Victor from becoming the monster he has created (Choice Reviews Online 32). He realizes that Henry was killed by the monster after the fallout they had the previous day. Although he denies having killed his friend, Victor is imprisoned for the time being as investigations are conducted. Overcome by grief of losing the people that he loved the most due to the consequences of his actions, Victor falls sick in the prisons where he is nursed back to health and acquitted. At this point, Victor returns with his father to Geneva, and marries the woman he loves, Elizabeth. (Woolley 50) notes that Elizabeth and Victor’s father are the only things holding him from truly becoming a monster. The monster knows that killing Victor wife would bring them closer. However, although he still remembers the words of the monster about visiting him on his wedding night and sends his bride away to avoid a confrontation. Despite this, the monster catches up with Elizabeth and kills her. At this point, Victor’s father, who has lost many people as well is unable to overcome his grief and dies shortly after the death of Elizabeth. Having lost his wife, his brother, his sister, his father and also his friend to the monster, he vows that it is time to exact revenge. Victor’s father, who was his source of comfort, is now dead, and so are his advices and encouragement. The hunter becomes the hunted as he runs from Victor, who is now murderous after losing his family and friends to the monster. Victor has not undergone a complete metamorphosis and turned into a monster. With no family, friends or siblings, Victor is now as lonely as the monster. The grief, anger, pain and remorse have now exhausted his feeling and behavior of a human being. At one point he almost gets to him but the monster is saved by the sea as the ice cracks and separates them with a gap. At this point, Victor is found by the captain Walton, as he travels through the ice and is almost dead of cold. This story, as the writer intends, enables the reader to have multiple interpretations of the actions of Victor. With these, the reader can decide either to think that Victor was a mad scientist, who crossed human boundaries without concern or an adventurer who lack responsibility of his actions. Either way, the reader can related to the process of Victor turning into his own creation. When Walton meets Victor, he is weak and almost dead of cold for travelling many days in the ice. Unlike the monster, he is human and unable to endure the cold. Walton tries his best to nurse Victor but later he succumbs to death. Walton, having heard the stories of the monster’s cruel acts is astonished to find him weeping over Victor’s body. He tells Walton that now that Victor is dead, he has no one else in this world. He recounts is suffering, remorse, solitude and hatred and concludes that he can now die as his creator has. At this point, he departs to the northernmost cold region to die. It is at this point that the reader finally experiences the solitude of the creature. The creature is Victor’s creation, gathered from old body parts and weird chemicals, energized by a puzzling flash. He enters life as a grown up and immensely strong yet with the psyche of an infant. Relinquished by his maker and befuddled, he tries to bond himself into society, just to be disregarded by everyone. Looking in the mirror, he understands his physical bizarreness, a part of his being that blinds world to his delicate, innocent nature. He mentions that; â€Å"‘When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, the, a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?'† (Shelley and Maurice 105 Looking for reprisal on his maker, he executes Victor’s youthful sibling. After Victor wrecks his work on the female beast intended to facilitate the creature’s acceptance to the society, the beast murders Victor’s closest companion and afterward his wife Elizabeth. While Victor feels great disdain for his creation, the beast demonstrates that he is not a malicious being. The creature’s articulate portrayal of occasions (as given by Victor) uncovers his surprising affection and kindheartedness. He helps a gathering of poor laborers and saves a young lady from drowning, but since of his outward appearance, he is remunerated just with beatings and disdain; torn in the middle of vindictiveness and empathy, the beast winds up forlorn and tormented by regret. Indeed the demise of his inventor turned-would-be-destroyer offers just ambivalent alleviation: delight on the grounds that Victor has created him so much enduring, trouble on the grounds that Victor is the main individual with whom he has had any kind of relationship. Conclusion                   In conclusion, the characters of Victor and his father are different from that of the monster, which has no family and friends. The only person who understood his existence, his creator Victor turned his back on him after he created him. Victor realized that his actions were immoral and that he was not supposed to create a monster. The plot develops the character of both Victor and his father to align with that of the monster. With time, the monster ruins the life of Victor just as his suspected by killing his family and best friend. In the end, Victor is filled with hate, remorse and anger just like the monster and dies a bitter man. References Coats, Karen. â€Å"Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.† Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: 113-14. Print. Janowitz, Anne F., and William Veeder. â€Å"Mary Shelley and Frankenstein: The Fate of Androgyny.† The Modern Language Review: 938. Print. Levine, George. â€Å"Mary Shelley: Collected Tales and Stories. Charles E. Robinson Mary Shelley’s Monster: The Story of â€Å"Frankenstein.† Martin Tropp.† Nineteenth-Century Fiction: 486-91. Print. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. Rev. ed. London: Penguin, 2003. Print. â€Å"The Other Mary Shelley: Beyond Frankenstein.† Choice Reviews Online (1994): 31-36. Print. Vargo, Lisa. â€Å"Mary Shelley Studies: From â€Å"Author of Frankenstein† To â€Å"the Great Work Of Life†Ã¢â‚¬  Literature Compass: 417-28. Print. Woolley, Rachel. â€Å"Syndy M. Conger, Frederick S. Frank, and Gregory O’Dea, Eds., Iconoclastic Departures: Mary Shelley After ‘Frankenstein’ – Essays in Honor of the Bicentenary of Mary Shelley’s Birth. Madison and London: Associated University Presses, 1997. ISBN: 0-8386-36.† Romanticism on the Net. Print. Source document

Epifanio de los Santos Avenue

How shameful a Filipino would be, not knowing his nations own history. The history that brought his parents and his own freedom. Who would even forget the sacrifices that former President Corazon â€Å"Cory† Cojuangco Aquino had given not only for her own good but also for the improvement of the next Filipino generations. Corazon Aquino had been known because of her nonviolent revolution held at Epifanio de los Santos Avenue Quezon City, Metropolitan Manila , with the help of 2,000,000 Filipino citizens as well as several political, military and religious figures, such as Cardinal Jaime Sin who had push their way for a democracy from the hands of an authoritarian President. This revolution had last for four days it is popularly known as EDSA Revolution or People Power and also named as Yellow Revolution because of the scattered yellow ribbons. This protest had been brought by the years of corruption in Marcos government. This history had been shortened and summarize for the leaders of this nation to realize the importance of the freedom that they’re enjoying now, not only for the leaders but also for the citizens of this nation. No one wants to suffer the pain that other countries have to suffer just for them to get there freedom. No one wants to be a slave or to be a prisoner that can be raped, tortured, and can even be killed, killed by the same color, the same nationality and by the same blood that runs through the veins of every Filipino. No one will never give up his or her own freedom just for money, for jewelry and not even for power. No one don’t want to lost it even the highest leader of this nation would not give it off. Remember the quote â€Å"The Filipino is worth dying for†? This quote is given Benigno â€Å"Ninoy† Aquino Jr. when he was interviewed about the death threats his receiving from the military and other pro-Marcos group including former First Lady now Congresswoman of Ilocos Norte Imelda Marcos. August 21, 1983, after a three-year exile in the United States, he was shot at Manila International Airport now known as Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). His assassination gave shock to many Filipinos, who lost confidence in the Marcos Administration. His assassination caused the economic problems of the country to deteriorate even further, and the government plunged further into debt. And by the end of the year, the country was bankrupt, and the economy contracted by 6. 8%. The assassination of Benigno Aquino also gave Corazon Aquino the guts to continue what her husband had started. â€Å"Money is the root of all evil† seems that it’s true. Even now in the present we hear news about the execution of witnesses and deaths of innocent citizens just to cover up the sins of a suspect or even a leader who wants to eliminate his opponents.

President of the National Honor Society Essay

As I review the past several years, there are many accomplishments that I can be proud of. I have been able to maintain a 3. 95 grade point average while in high school. At the same time, I have had the good fortune to act as President of the National Honor Society at Keller High School. I have also been able to lead the drum line battery of the school marching band as the Captain. I have also dedicated much of my spare time to working with youth at Gateway Church as a Youth Group Leader. Finally, I was given the chance to be nominated as Keller High School’s Homecoming King in 2008. All of these accomplishments have helped shape the person I have become. However, the most significant experience that has impacted my life was the time I spent at the Dream Center in one of the many slum neighborhoods of Los Angeles. â€Å"No red or blue clothing,† is what caught my attention as I embarked on the journey to Los Angeles. Simply wearing the trademark colors of the famous Bloods and Crips gangs was something to be avoided. This rule stuck with me more than any other rule or guideline that I had been presented with. Suddenly, the task I was about to undertake became real and I was honestly frightened about what I was going to see. I had been given vivid illustrations about the poverty and death that I was about to witness. However, growing up in an upper middle class neighborhood didn’t prepare me for the reality that many people face each day. I asked myself how do I pray for people whose best days are not even comparable to my worst days. Soon I was able to see firsthand where I would be staying for the next two weeks as I tried to find an answer. The building was called the Dream Center. The fact that I grew up in an affluent neighborhood didn’t prepare me for the horrid accommodations I would be living with. Before settling in I was given a nametag that identified me as a member of the Gateway Church. Although needed for identification, my badge was as irrelevant as a Christmas tree on Halloween. For two weeks I would not be known by the affluent suburb of my origin, but I would be known as a fifteen year old, six foot two, African American male who was a temporary guest of a fifteen story homeless shelter. I accepted my nametag and proceeded to my room. I quickly took in my surroundings and came to the conclusion that my temporary living quarters could certainly be compared to a prison. The room was stark and devoid of any emotion or color. The white walls made the room appear harsh and unfriendly. My roommates and I had only three bunk beds, a nightstand, a closet, a toilet, a sink and six towels, which made for uncomfortable conditions. However, this simplicity allowed us to step outside our comfort zone and prepare ourselves for the work ahead. The white-stained walls, questionable mattress stains, unfamiliar smells, and random bed linens left our young imaginations to do their work, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it – there was work to do! This work was rewarding. There were many opportunities to serve, both individually and as part of a larger group. Some of these missions were optional and some were mandatory. However, this didn’t matter. What truly mattered was the work I was able to engage in so that I could make a small attempt to improve the lives of others. I was able to feed the homeless, work with the children’s ministry and work with the food truck ministry. After a very short time, I realized the dedication of the permanent staff at the Dream Center. I only had the night to rest and I was constantly busy with one task or another during the day. I began to look up to the people who did this job each and every day. During my free time, I engaged in Bible study, prayer groups and devotions in order to prepare for the most challenging and demanding event that was to come. It was an event that would change my life forever. On July 19, 2007 at 5:00pm I began to prepare for a journey that would impact the course of my future. The Skid Row Missions leader gave a short thirty minute preparation speech about the mission I was about to embark upon. â€Å"You are about to embark on one of the most rewarding, frightening, and most dangerous events of your life,† are the words that I will never forget. He led a prayer, gave instructions and also gave caution about the danger of the job I was about to do. I looked around at the others in my group and saw similar emotions on their faces – I was excited and I was scared but the most intense emotion I was feeling was eagerness to go out and do something for someone in need. â€Å"Be smart, be alert, be careful, and trust in God†, our church leader warned as we boarded the fifteen-passenger Ford vans that would take us from relative safety to the harsh and dangerous street known as Skid Row. The van weaved in and out of the notorious Los Angeles traffic making me feel as if I were riding a rollercoaster. I took in my surroundings as they turned grim and dark. The skyscrapers were shot into the darkening sky like a bullet fired to start the Kentucky Derby. New technology and infrastructure meshed with old landmarks to create eye candy for everyone who paid any degree of attention. My excitement began to fade as I saw the sign. The massive green sign that said â€Å"SKID ROW-NEXT EXIT†, reminded me that it was time to become alienated in the new world I was venturing into. I immediately began to sense darkness and death even though it was daylight and everyone around me was alive. My fear soon faded and was replaced with an inner peace from God that told me that I was right where I needed to be. One member of our group voiced what we were all thinking, â€Å"Is this safe? † It didn’t matter anymore – what mattered was that we had arrived and we had a job to do. We couldn’t have known that this simple question would come up again and again as we did our ministry work. We began our ministry by passing out Ozarka water and Famous Amos cookies. We were immediately tested by a large African American male in tattered clothing. He asked for two waters but we had been specifically instructed to only give out one water and one snack to each person. After five minutes of listening to escalating expletives as unpredictable as an F-5 tornado in Texas, we finally gave him a second water. We feared enough for our safety that we felt we had no choice. We continued our work under a thinly disguised veil of complete terror. As we proceeded down the dark streets, I had to constantly remind myself that I was not watching a movie. The people I saw were real and were suffering from very real afflictions. I was able to look past this reality by praying for the people I came into contact with. I prayed for healing, strength, jobs, addictions and sickness and many other things that were on the hearts of these poverty-stricken people. As I prayed, I also began to ponder the images I was seeing. The images began to way heavy on my heart and I wondered how people could live this way. The most important question I asked myself was, â€Å"Why isn’t anyone doing something about this? † I received my answer when I realized that I was doing something. It was something small but it was something. As the trip to the Dream Center came to an end, I was left with a heavy heart and a deep passion to help the poverty-stricken people living in Los Angeles. The Gateway Church youth group was able to break apart my arrogant, spoiled mentality so that I could move toward the mentality of someone who is in survival mode. I stepped into someone else’s everyday life, and had to survive based on the little that I knew. I learned that the world is very different than the small corner of the world where I live. It is my job as someone who has experienced the troubled world to tell other people what the real world is like, so that we can work together to be the voice of the people who struggle to simply survive. I will no longer consider perfect grades and being crowned Homecoming King as my most important accomplishments. Instead, I now know that the events of this trip did more to help me develop into the man I am today and they also set the precedent for the man I will be in the future.

Importance of Quality Development to Supply Chain Term Paper

Importance of Quality Development to Supply Chain - Term Paper Example EliteClean’s supply chain aligns with the business strategy where the basis of competition takes the order of the process. This is enhanced through development of high quality goods to create competitive advantage. In addition, the firm has an overall market-winning criterion since the supply chain aligns to needs of the customers. The supply chain of this firm enables bundling of purchasing volume with other segments other than creating different lines of products. Consequently, this results into developed distribution channels that assure the firm of its global presence as well as strong relationship with key customers. It is also undisputable to note that supply chain within EliteClean is adaptive thereby enhancing the relationship between various departments and regions through regional distributional channels. Despite the many strengths enjoyed by EliteClean within its supply chain, the process suffers the weakness of not incorporating technology. Contemporary world is changing rapidly due to advancements and improvements in technology. So far, EliteClean’s supply chain does not incorporate technology. What’s more, this supply chain of the firm does not explicitly revise its strategies in respect to power positioning as well as new competitors. Since the firm produces different products, it would be more effective through enhancement of segmentation of customers. The retailers may demand a reduction in price an action that may reduce the company’s revel of income in their moneybag. These may occur because of the retailer claiming that the market demand of the product has gone down. Moreover, they may also insist that they are incurring many expenses in their running hence leading to reduced profitability. The company may increase its services by employing various measures that include selling of its cleaning products directly to the consumer. Consequently, there will be improved sales volume hence earning more income and profitability. EliteClean may also increase its services by conducting a market research directly to the consumers.

Ooredoo Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ooredoo - Coursework Example All employees must obey and follow the general work ethic while the other corporate social culture requires that employees should respect one another. Structure is another framework as posited by Peters (2011). This involve the structure of the organization with a well layout from the top managers and directors to subordinate works (Palatkovà ¡, 2011). It also outline the chain of command defining how orders move within the organizational structure. Strategy is another framework where the company maintain and build a competitive, differentiated advantage and cost leadership over competition (Peters, 2011). Another framework is style. In this case, it refers to the mode of leadership a company adopts. For example, the style can be decentralization or centralization within the company where an employee can talk to the management at any time. Singh (2013) asserts that staff is another framework where the company need to have employees with different capabilities. For example, the considerations with regard to this include age, culture and religion variations. Another framework is skills where the company should have an excellent training program for employees and a special one for mangers (Palatkovà ¡, 2011). Through this, employees and managers will have the necessary competence for working in the company (Peters, 2011). Finally, system is another framework that involve the daily activities and procedures that the company staff members engage in to get job done. For example, this may involve setting up goals for each employee, assessing the employee to see what they have done so far and finally rewarding hardworking

Analysis of Procter and Gamble Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Procter and Gamble - Research Paper Example Additionally, its strategy has been very effective worldwide that is exemplified by its 138,000 employees globally. And, at the same time, due to the worldwide demand for P&G’s services and products, its management is forced to devise such competitive strategy that ensures its sound global marketing strategy with innovation. However, it almost lost its market supremacy to competition in the mid 1980’s had it not been its unsound and aggressive play-to-win strategy (Davila, Epstein, & Shelton, 2006, p.73). After that period, the management of the company realized this fact and changed their competitive strategy. Rivals- stronger financial position both in the foreign and domestic market have left many of its rivals behind. As mentioned earlier, the company was declared as the 25th largest by revenue clearly provided its position in the U.S. market in comparison with its competitors such as Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, and Unilever. They are not only identified its main competitor in the U.S. market but also in the global market as well. However, the company has been successful in maintaining comparatively better financial position in the industry due to the fact that it has capability and ability to use the latest innovation in its products. And, besides, the P&G has very effective and efficient manufacturing processes that enable her to remain competitive in comparison with its rivals. New entrants- P&G operates in a diverse industry- ranging from consumer products to households. In the local as well as in the global market, the company uses innovation in its products in a way to ensure their consumers demands. As a result, the new entrants in the industry would face very tough time to stay competitive as the company has very strong and stable market brand image and perception. Buyers-the company sells a diverse range of buyers. They range from home products such as Ariel, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, laundry and cleaning products (detergents) , beauty care (shampoos, cosmetics), paper goods (toilet papers), famine care (sanitary towels) food and beverages (snacks and coffee) and health care (medicine and toothpaste) (corporatewatch.org, web). The company products clearly highlight the diverse range of buyers that are being served globally by the company. Suppliers- P&G greatly values its suppliers and relationships with the suppliers. Recently, in that direction, the company has put into practice Combine Net’s approach to developing and building sourcing networks, called as expressive competition (Hughes, Jacobs, Begg, 2006). In this process, the P&G’s suppliers are greatly benefiting by this approach; expressive competition match demand to the efficient means of production and at the same time removes exposure risks in making offers. Aggregately, this is another evidence of the company in introducing innovative means to interact with its suppliers. Threat of substitutes- P&G has been famous for its high qu ality products which are pretty difficult to match or beat (Masahudu Gunu, 2010). Consumers want high quality goods at affordable and reasonable prices. It is this thought that has been the motto of P&G in its product development and innovation, making its products recognized worldwide. It would not easy for any new entrants to come up with new products, putting a tough time to P&G products. Additionally, the brand image of P&G is considerably stable globally.

Sacrament of Reconciliation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Essay Example The Israelites were constantly reprimanded for their transgressions against God through the prophets. The reference about the sacrament of reconciliation can be seen in the history of the Israelites. They were the recipients of mercy and grace due to their covenant with God. Yet at the individual and community level, they would engage in wickedness and evil deeds. Thus there was a need for compromise and exoneration which was the right of the Israelites due to their special status. The New Testament enjoins kindness and mercy for all human beings irrespective of color, caste or creed. Jesus Christ proclaimed the liberation of humanity from sins through repentance and clemency. Faith is a powerful force that enables human beings to abstain from sin and wickedness. Such a state can be acquired only through grace, mercy, and affection. Thus it can be seen that the New Testament modifies the concept of repentance and forgiveness in numerous ways. The early Church devised a system of expi ation and atonement that was public in nature. An individual who had perpetrated a sin would have to offer penance through his outwardly actions and behaviors. Such individuals had to perform religious rites and rituals in a systematic manner. They had to engage in worship, charity, and abstain from worldly desires (Coffey, 67). The severity of sins would determine the number of years in which the individuals would complete their penance. The public system of atonement would lead to the ostracism of individuals as they were prevented from participating in Christian rituals. The system was harsh and ruthless since it exerted unnecessary burden on individuals. The system eventually met its demise through the reforms of Irish monks. The new system for expatiation and atonement was implemented at the private level. Further penance had to be completed until a specific time period. The Irish monks devised an

America History19th Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America History19th Paper 1 - Essay Example While Smith’s religion has more of a substantial legacy, it was Prophet Matthias that made the headlines. The cult or ‘Kingdom of Matthias† the ideals of sexuality in the early 19th century. Historically the United States had a strong base in the freedom of religion and Protestantism. It was during the 1820s that smaller groups began to separate from the traditional and entered into the heretical. The Finneyites began great revivals that upended many of the long established customs regarding sexuality, religion, and politics. Theses followers shunned traditional Calvinist beliefs and strove to create an atmosphere that was governed by each individual versus a pre-ordained destiny.(23) It was not because of their beliefs, but the members of the movement that upset many. These were the middle and upper class citizens with aversion for many of the traditional beliefs. These men and women believed in abolishing many of the patriarchal beliefs and lifestyles that many Americans were living. When many started to protest against the Finneyites way of living, Prophet Matthias saw his chance. For many of the established branches, the woman’s place was in the home as a faithful servant to her husband and children. Not one to speak out or cause a stir, women were to bide by their husbands command and lead a spiritual life. It was during this time that some small groups of women started to stand up against the patriarchal beliefs and start to pursue their own religious opportunities. One such woman was Isabella van Wagenen, a servant who moved to Bowery Hill with who was James Latourette’s servant. Ms. Wagenen had been a slave and believed to have spoken with God since childhood.(53) When invited to the Bowery Hill Asylum created by Elijah and Sarah Pierson by two fellow women, she joined only to refuse the teachings. Oddly she decided to stay on with the Piersons and acted as an at will housekeeper. Women during this

Debates in Australian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Debates in Australian History - Essay Example The term may also be used to denote those programs or agencies which are independent in nature within an institution on which the responsibility of selecting, preserving and offering access or archival documents is bestowed on. The third meaning refers to repositories or buildings that are used for purposes of housing various collections of archival material. This paper, however, aims at presenting an in-depth understanding of archival documents as a broad collection of media and other traditional textual materials, including films, photographs, sound recordings, videotapes, magnetic disks and magnetic tapes (Shultz, Hoffman & Reiter-Palmon 2001, p.23). Oral history, on the other hand, refers to the formal, well-rehearsed accounts of the past presented by traditional bearers who have been culturally endorsed to informal conversations regarding to things and incidents of the old days among the members of the family, coworkers and/or neighbors. Oral history may also entail printed comp ilations of old stories which were told about both the past and the present experiences or even recorded interviews with certain persons deemed to have an imperative story to tell (Mnjama 1993, p.83). Each and every of these uses has a certain specific currency. Undeniably, a majority of the people throughout history has got to learn about the past through spoken words. In addition, for those individuals in the society who are history-conscious, firsthand accounts of the past have been so preserved for the record and to be precise, at those moments when they were historical actors and with their memories of the pass from the scene. Being histographical methods, both oral history and archival documents have had their merits, as well as demerits. Advantages Archival documents are important cultural resources. This is because these materials have been authored in such a conscious way so as to not inform, but also perpetuate knowledge, convey feelings, ideas and opinions. Moreover, the authoring of archival documents is geared towards entertaining and availing information about their subject (McKemmish 1993, p.9). Archival documents are customarily a part of the broader group of records which are closely related. Since they are created or accumulated in the course of undertaking business, these documents do play a central role in facilitating the business process. Another of the advantages of archival documents is that they are useful for historical and/or research purposes. They actually provide a doorway through which both the past and present events can be examined. Furthermore, a variety of researchers, including scholars, students at various levels, genealogists, biographers, local historians, documentary filmmakers and independent writers, take advantage of these archival documents (Lucas 1981, p.228). It is also worth noting that archival documents can be used for a number of purposes and by assorted audiences. As thus, records of organizations which do not have their personal institutional archives, as well as individual personal papers are most a times actively sought by the historical societies. Additionally, archival documents are the basis for legal evidence, personal and collective memory and organizational knowledge. Since archival documents are undeniably information objects serving as an evidence of the past events,

Reading To a Child Everyday and Language Development Essay

Reading To a Child Everyday and Language Development - Essay Example Nativist perspective: This theory was suggested by Noam Chomsky and has remained significant in understanding language acquisition in children. The nativist perspective postulates that children learn through their innate ability to organize language laws. However, the theory acknowledges that children cannot utilize their ability to organize and utilize language laws in the absence of adults. Based on this theory, children have in-born Language Acquisition Device embedded in their brains, which enable them to learn language skills as they grow (Martin, Fabes & Fabes, 2009). Social interactionist theory: This theory emphasizes on the environment and context in which language is acquired. According to this theory, pragmatics of a language precedes grammar. Children and adults live in a negotiated environment where there is likelihood of feedbacks. As such, language develops through one’s negotiation of his or her environment (Martin, Fabes & Fabes, 2009). Language development stems from children’s desire to learn and share new information with others. The theory argues that language acquisition takes both biological and social dimensions. Cognitive theory: In this theory, Jean Piaget postulated that symbols and structures constitute language and becomes exposed as children’s brains develop. Consequently, language is a mental activity. Piaget’s cognitive theory on how a child’s brain develops has for a long time been influential in shaping educational theory (Ellis, 2006; Pütz, 2001).

Timberlands Model Essay Example for Free

Timberlands Model Essay 1a) How would you characterize Timberlands exercise of its corporate power in society? Timberland uses its corporate power in society not only to make a profit, but to help others. It is a rarity for a company to go as far as Timberland has gone to make a huge difference in society. Whether participating in its City Year to Service program that serves its communities; or becoming carbon neutral, Timberland has paved the way and reflects a company that not only cares about its communities, but also cares about the environment. 1b) Is Timberland engaging multiple stakeholders in its business operations? If so how? Yes. Timberland’s Chief EarthKeeper and CEO Jeff Swartz, hosts regular stakeholder engagement calls to inform, inspire, and engage others about Timberlands corporate initiatives. They allow stakeholders to dialogue in a public forum. Past calls have covered topics such as corporate climate strategies, responsible sourcing, eco labeling, community greening, and the current state of corporate responsibilities. 2a) Has Timberland balanced its economic and social responsibilities through its various programs, such as the Path to Service program and sustainability goals? Yes, Timberland planned to build 15 community gardens worldwide and refurbish 80 playgrounds by 2009, utilizing the more than 76,000 employee volunteer service hours. The company contributes 2% of its pre-taxed income annually and makes grants to many non-profit organizations, including many of those it aids through its service projects. They advocated an ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010, meaning they would eliminate or offset its own carbon footprint by reducing emissions at its facilities and this can be seen in its Ontario, CA distribution center where 60 percent of its power is generated through installation of new solar panels. The solar installation reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 480,000 pounds annually. In the Dominican Republic plant, Timberland installed a wind turbine and solar heating panels to provide approximately 30,000 kilowatt-hours of clean renewable energy each year. 2b) Are the companys programs examples of enlightened self-interest? Yes, because Timberland considers what they call earthkeeping, common sense. Earthkeeping allows them to make their products by using recycled materials and also allows them to use renewable energy in their facilities. Earthkeeping is second nature to them. Their belief is that earthkeeping will help them create and sell better gear for customers to enjoy the outdoors and to protect the outdoors by being environmentally responsible. 3. What impact do you think that the current economic recession may have on Timberlands social programs? With the recession, most companies are cutting back on company-sponsored programs to stay profitable. There is no doubt that this has affected the Timberland Corporation as well. However, as the article noted, with 95% of employee participation in the companys sponsored program, if the company could no longer sponsor the program, greater than 50% would most likely stay. 4. How would you improve Timberlands corporate social responsibility program? Timberlands corporate social responsibility program, although great, could improve by involving its shareholders in its green efforts. Timberland could promise dividends if its green-goals are met quarterly. This would give its shareholders a vested interest in ensuring Timberland continues its corporate social responsibility programs. Update: Even after the economic slowdown in 2007 through 2009, Jeffrey Swartz has continued to look for ways to not only improve the communities his company affects, but also to improve the company. He has turned his monitoring inward on his factories and launched improvement programs that have improved working conditions for his employees. As he stated in Timberlands 2009 Earthkeeper Report, The results from our remediation efforts also support our belief that going beyond monitoring and beyond factory walls is critical to addressing workers’ needs. The article also mentions that they have eliminated high-risk issues from some of their footwear sourcing channels and seen their business partners increase their scores on Timberlands Code of Conduct assessments which help measure working condition improvements. References Retrieved from http://www.timberland.com