Fences: African American and Troy Essay

In 1987, August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† was a part of his Pittsburg Cycle of dramas of the 20th Century. These plays were used to â€Å"examine important elements of African American experiences† (Gardner 1331). The symbolisms in the play are used to tell the late life story of Troy Maxon and his relationship with family. From the start of the play, there is conflict and foreshadowing that shows Troy’s own belief that he has failed in life and that the world did not give him what he deserved. He believes that he has to venture outside of his family to find relief. At the start of the play, Wilson takes the audience into the seemingly happy life of Troy Maxon. The author then makes it clear that he felt like a failure and was not happy. The first symbol that is seen is the difference between the white people and the black people. Troy takes a stand and asks why black people never get to drive the trash trucks. Most of his coworkers believe that he will be fired. This theme of not being appreciated and believing that something is not enough is seen through all the symbols used in this drama. A second symbol seen is sports and dreams of the future. Troy had been in the Negro League and played baseball until he was over 40 years old. The problem presents itself when Troy is overlooked by the recently desegregated professional baseball league because of his age. His dreams of playing for the professional white league were smashed, and he believed that he had nothing to show his worth in the later years. This defeat in his career also defeated Troy mentally. From then on, he saw his family and his life as a failure that he wanted to escape from, yet he could not shake the feeling of responsibility to them. Troy’s first son, Lyons, is accepted by Troy. Lyons is a failure in Troy’s eyes and so Troy believes that Cory is no better than him. Lyons wants to be a musician, but he is not very successful. Troy sees Lyons failure in music career to be equivalent to his failure to get into the professional league. He believes that his son will eventually take an unskilled job and end up just like his father. In the last scene of the play it is revealed that Lyons did end up defeated, but not to the extent of his father. His love of music still lived and he was still pursuing his dream. Unlike his son Lyon, Troy’s feeling of failure is evident in his relationship with his son, Cory. Cory is an excellent football player, and yet, Troy refuses to acknowledge his son’s ability even when he is recruited by a college. Troy will not let Cory succeed where he failed and refuses to let Cory go to college on a football scholarship. In Act 1, Scene 3, Cory asks Troy â€Å"How come you ain’t never liked me? † (Wilson 1075). Troy is angry at this question and tells Cory that â€Å"†¦it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! † (Wilson 1076). However, even before this it is obvious that Troy sees Cory as nothing but an annoyance that continues until the final scene, when Cory arrives for Troy’s funeral. Troy’s relationship with his wife Rose is an unfaithful one. He is constantly stating that there is no better woman or wife, yet he has an affair with Alberta. Through this diversity, Rose is eventually presented as a model of the strong African American woman. She has given her life to Troy, and yet he has an affair with Alberta. He explains the affair as a way to ignore the responsibilities of his failed life. This aggravates Rose because he has never taken her feelings, wants or needs into consideration. Troy continues to be married to Rose, but also continues his affair with Alberta while Rose knows about the whole thing. Rose even accepts the call from the hospital when Alberta dies while giving birth. The full strength of Rose is not shown until Troy brings home his love child. He asks Rose to help him raise her. Rose’s response shows the intensity of her strength. She says, â€Å"From right now†¦this child got a mother. But you is a womanless man† (Wilson 1099). Rose makes it apparent that this child will have as good a life as Rose can give her and she will show no animosity or jealousy towards the child. Troy, on the other hand, will have the responsibility of the child, Rose, Lyons, and Cory while receiving nothing in return. Throughout all these trials, the fence is essential in the explanation of Troy’s life. Rose had requested the fence, and it symbolized her family being held together. The fact that Troy never really worked on the fence showed that he was not in love with Rose, but felt a responsibility to her. He wanted his freedom and the fence symbolized his imprisonment. The symbol of the fence throughout this play connects everything back to the fact that Troy Maxon was unhappy with his life, and felt as if he were a failure. He felt no real responsibility to Lyons, hence their relationship was better. Troy was jealous of Cory and reminded of his failures by Rose. Wilson used the fence to tell this story. It was not just a story of a life seen as a failure, but a look into the mind and thoughts of an African American man of the 1950s. Works Cited Wilson, August. Fences. Literature: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Janet E. Gardner, 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2012. 1053-1111. Print. Gardner, Janet, Beverly Lawn, Jack Ridl, Peter Schakel, eds. Literature: A Portable Anthology. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print.

Accounting Standards in the United States of America

Accounting in the USA The following report will describe and discuss the major elements of accounting in the USA. It will show that the US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), where as the International Accounting Standards (IAS) are set by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This report will also state the similarities and differences between these standards. In addition, the following report will use relevant examples to evaluate current accounting problems and issues in the USA related to international convergence of accounting standards.Fargher et al. (2008, page. 67) pointed out that FASB’s conceptual framework (CFW) for financial reporting is generally consistent with that of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). However the FASB provides more detail with six statements of financial accounting concepts (SFACs). The first level in the CFW explains the main purposes of financial reports are to provide useful information for investors and creditors, to estimate future cash flows and to claim venture resources. The second level consists of qualitative characteristics and elements of the CFW.The qualitative characteristics of the USA CFW are relevance, reliability, comparability and consistency. The main components include assets, liabilities, equity, investment by owners, distributions to owners, comprehensive income, revenues, expenses, gains and losses. The third level of CFW indicates how the firm executes the events based on assumptions, principles and constraints. There are four assumptions: economic equity, going concern, monetary unit and periodicity. The four principles include historical cost, revenue recognition, matching and full disclosure.The constraints consist of cost-benefit, materiality, industry practice and conservatism. Fargher (2008, p. 229) mentioned that USA uses FASB 95 Statement of Cash Flows, plus FASB 102 and 104. The for mat is the same as the international one which includes operating, investing and financial activities. However, it is encouraged to report cash flows using the direct method even though the indirect method is usually used. Interest paid and received and dividends received are classified as operating activities. Non cash transactions are excluded from the cash flow statement. Fargher (2008, p. 89) stated that the income statement format under US GAAP involves a range of steps but the subtotals are listed before the unusual and rare items. Changes in retained earnings are included in the retained earnings statement and comprehensive income that reports changes in fair value and similar items after the operating income. Note disclosure is based on particular standards plus SEC and other sources under the US GAAP hierarchy. IFRS and US GAAP have some similarities but there are also several differences. The main similarities and differences are in the areas of revenue recognition and inv entory valuation.A similarity between US GAAP and IFRS is that revenue is not recognised until the revenue is actually earned. Under the US GAAP, a large amount of guidance provided usually only applies to specific industries. For example, there are specific rules for the recognition of software revenue and sales of real estate under US GAAP, while comparable guidance does not exist under IFRS (Ernst & Young 2010). Also, both systems define inventory as assets held for sale in the ordinary course of business. A significant difference between using US GAAP and IFRS is the inventory costing method is that US uses LIFO, whereas LIFO is prohibited by the IFRS.Also, inventory valuation is measured under the IFRS at lower of cost and net realizable value. However, under the US GAAP, inventory valuation is carried at the lower of cost and market, where the market is the current replacement cost (Ernst & Young 2010). According to (Todd M. Hines 2007, p1) IFRSs are becoming more important in the global economy. â€Å"Over the last 35 years there has been a strong push towards the adoption of a uniform set of financial accounting standards to replace the myriad number of country-specific standards now in use†. This indicates that each country has developed its own sets of financial accounting standards.It is essential to work towards the uniformed international accounting standards for organisations doing business globally to have comparable information. As a result of this push for internationally recognised set of accounting standards, IFRS were created with the goal of providing a single internationally recognized set of accounting standards. In an ever increasingly globally connected world, more transactions and investment planning occur on a global level. As international convergence has progressed many countries have conformed under IFRS and adopted their standards.The USA has similar standards but continue to use different financial reporting standards. Ho wever these differences according to (Todd M. Hines 2007, p4) often ‘lead to confusion and large complications for preparers and users of financial statements’. Financial statements prepared under different reporting standards are hardly comparable, therefore overseas investors may not be able to compare between the financial reports of business under IFRS and those operating under US GAAP. This can lead to confusion and affect the judgments of financial statement users.Due to the difficulties in comparison the users of the financial information must understand both IFRS and GAAP to make informed decisions. Moving from US GAAP to IFRS will have a major impact on business’ financial reporting in the USA. Decisions made by managers, financial advisors, CEO’s, governments, and the users of financial statements will have to be drastically rethought with the change. If the USA decides to follow the convergence trend towards IFRS, they will be moving into a more volatile reporting environment, particularly in the reporting of assets as well as that of net profit.One alarming statistic is that the volatility of tax benefits, deferred tax benefits in particular, can be 98% more volatile under IFRS (McAnally, et. al. 2010). This increased volatility is due to the greater use of fair value in the preparation of the financial statements, and the eventual elimination of historical cost under IFRS. Fair values are used under IFRS to better reflect the changing economic conditions, but this introduces uncertainty and makes it much harder to predict reported earnings than under historical cost, which the USA uses.Although fair value is more relevant, often it is not reliable due to the influence of economic conditions on the valuation of assets. This increased volatility will lead to retraining in every area of accounting. With the change to IFRS, there will be a large amount of rethinking and retraining for areas such as financial planning and for ecasting as well as in target setting, but the major area it will affect is the reporting of financial statements. Another issue regarding the convergence of the USA to the IFRS accounting standards is the effect it will have on IT systems.As the adoption of IFRS starts to gain momentum among many counties, global business will be dealing with major changes over the next few years. According to Pratt (2010), not only are private companies considering the IFRS, but also public companies including banks and private investors who also have growing concerns about the implication of the convergence. This adoption of IFRS by the USA will bring about several changes in the way recording and reporting financial data is carried out. This is due to the differences between IFRS and U. S.GAAP standards. It has been found that there are 103 differences between IFRS and U. S. GAAP in the way recording of data happens. Management in the performance and technology division of KPMG suggests that the change to IFRS will drastically affect the accounting IT systems in the USA (Pratt, 2010). One of the major concerns for the USA is that under IFRS the financial data needed to keep IT systems up to date will have to be more detailed and more frequent. It is also believed that the financial reporting ledger will be affected by adopting IFRS.Pratt (2010) claimed the US needs to ‘[m]ake sure that the new system accommodates IFRS if [companies] are planning to upgrade the system. ’ This will mean more money will need to be diverted from other key functions and into the development and upgrading of IT systems. With the major push for convergence, the USA needs to critically evaluate the effect that their move to IFRS may have on their IT systems and the software they use. Also, U. S. companies will need to become familiar with the new systems and technology before the change in order to keep up with international competitors.The major elements of the USA include the concep tual framework, financial reports, revenue recognition and inventory. Taking problems and issues into account, our group concludes that the convergence of the USA to IFRS would benefit both, the global economy and the USA. Although problems with financial reporting, volatility, retraining and IT systems may arise, converging to international standards will allow users to have easy comparisons between companies and greater transparency.In conclusion, we feel it is beneficial for the USA to converge to international standards so that there are a set of global standards for all companies to follow. Word Count: 1491 BIBLIOGAPHY Books Fargher, N, Wise, V, Kieso, DE, Weygand, JJ &Warfield, TJ 2008, Fundamentals of Intermediate accounting, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton. Websites Ernst & Young, 2010, Revenue Recognition, viewed 29 September 2011, Ernst & Young, 2010, Inventory, viewed 29 September 2011, L. Gordon Crovitz. 2008 (September 8). Closing the Information GAAP, viewed 29 Sep tember 2011. lt; http://online. wsj. com/article/SB122083366235408621. html> Mary E. Barth. 2004. Fair Values and Financial Statement Volatility, viewed 29 September. Journal Articles Todd M. Hines 2007 ‘International Financial Reporting Standards: A Guide to Sources for International Accounting Standards’; Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship, Vol. 12(3), p. 1-8 McAnally, M, McGuire, S, & Weaver, C 2010, ‘Assessing the Financial Reporting Consequences of Conversion to IFRS: The Case of Equity-Based Compensation', Accounting Horizons, Vol 24 (4), p. 589-621Gornik-Tomaszewski, S 2003, ‘Short-Term Convergence Between US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards', Bank Accounting & Finance (08943958), Vol 16 (5), p. 39-42 Tarca, A 2004, ‘International Convergence of Accounting Practices: Choosing between IAS and US GAAP', Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting, Vol 15 (1), pp. 60-91 Pratt, MK 2010, ‘GET READY FO R GLOBAL ACCOUNTING', Computerworld, Vol 44 (3), p. 21-23 Laux, C. & Leuz, C 2009. ‘The crisis of fair-value accounting: Making sense of the recent debate’. Accounting, Organizations and Society. V 34 (6-7), p. 826-834

Character Analysis of Roderigo in Othello Essay -- Othello Essays

The play begins with a conversation between Roderigo and Iago. The opening lines are significant in that they set the tone and initiate the plot. Roderigo’s thematic purpose is portrayed through Iago’s manipulation in the lines, â€Å"Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly/ That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse/ As if the strings were thine shouldst know of this.† (1.1.1-3). Roderigo learns about the elopement of the Moor and Desdemona. He questions Iago in pursuit of the money he has given him in order to woo Desdemona. These lines show that even before the play begins Iago greatly influences Roderigo. The relationship and trust the two characters have is made apparent through the first lines. Iago takes enjoyment in influencing people, as seen through his first soliloquy: Thus do I ever make my fool my purse; For I mine own gain’d knowledge should profane If I would time expend with such a snipe But for my sport and profit. (1.3.374-377). Iago states that the only reason he spends time with Roderigo is for his own wealth and pleasure. His plan is to continue giving Roderigo unfulfilled promises. Iago continues to manipulate Roderigo. He convinces him that Desdemona will soon grow tired of Othello and begin to search for a younger, handsome man to fulfill her desires. Continuing to build on Rod sake of his reputation, Iago persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio. In doing so, Roderigo only injures the lieutenant. Iago sees his plan collapsing and rushes in to kill Roderigo. Betrayed by his friend, Roderigo died in pursuit of Desdemona’s love. As a minor character, Roderigo has a significant impact on several themes such as manipulation, jealousy and betrayal. Throughout Shakespeare’s drama, Roderigo is manipulated into performing tasks in which Iago does not want to take part in. Roderigo’s jealousy towards Othello increases as the play progresses. His endless love for Desdemona leads him to his tragic death where he has be betrayed by a person in which he once called his friend. At a first glance, a minor character may appear to have an insignificant role, but upon observing them in detail, their role can be much more significant that first perceived.

AHS 176 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

AHS 176 - Research Paper Example This picture Dorothea Lange Migrant Mother Nipomo California North America (1936) was known as the best image of its time. This abstract picture presents different dimensions of a simple life. The technique used by the photographer is â€Å"realistic†. The photographer has focused on presenting the real expressions of the woman and children who were a migrant and were suffering through depressing time in those years. The aim of the photographer behind the picture could be presenting the feelings and emotions of the people who were suffering badly and this is the reason this picture presents realistic situation (Barnet 2002). The second picture by the name of Cafà © "Au Tambour" was taken by one of the renowned photographer i.e. EuGENE ATGET back in 1908. The picture has been taken from the Archives Photographiques of Paris. The picture thus reflects history of Paris i.e. they were very interested in the instruments such as drums (tambour), there were different signs of metal workers moreover showing the signs of the modern life with the help of distorted figures in the doorway of the cafà © (Frizot 1999)2. Technique could be realistic or naturalistic. The picture has the realistic technique. This document has not only more than one function but more than one ontology. The photograph was included in an album by the name of Enseignes ET Vieilles Boutiques De Paris. This album deals with the aspects of the modern life. It was sold to Bibliotheque National between 1910 and 1915. These albums were not placed in library files, in fact they were catalogued under the name do the photographer i.e. Atget as if they were published books. With this transfer for the archive to the book, the documents entered the new century. The professional viewers were considered as a general viewer. At this time or the history of the photography, the old hierarchies of the technical signs were upset. Thus, resulting in windowpane became the critical space (Frizot

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 58

Nursing research - Essay Example Nonetheless, staff should always ensure that they remained updated on the changes in technology and standards in order to adjust their practice in line with the new technology and standards, which effectively improves the quality of care. I consider poster presentations as an important way of communicating information. In line with this, posters are  an important aid to present the essence of a topic. Importantly, a combination of visual aids and a verbal presentation smooth the progress of communicating scientific ideas in a poster. However, the graphics, which is the poster presentation’s visual aid, attracts my attention. Consequently, I use graphics in a poster presentation to ensure that I drew the attention of people to the poster. However, I have to ensure that the graphics are unique in order attract the attention while also holding the attention. Moreover, I ensure that the graphics on the poster are relevant and increase the understanding of the message

Global enterprise and innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Global enterprise and innovation - Essay Example Because of the extensive trade in goods and services, and because of the flow of capital and technology, the markets have become interdependent. This new structure, as a consequence of globalization is the result of the control measures and dominance adopted by the MNCs. Globalization has brought about tremendous changes in the ways that MNCs operate. Through innovation in various fields they have been able to generate new opportunities and challenges for the developing world. Globalization and Internationalization While globalization and internationalization are interchangeably used, they are distinctly different. Globalization is a worldwide process which implies that tastes, needs and wants become standardized across cultures. This occurs as technology, migration, and education become globally dispersed (McCabe, 2001). This suggests that globalization is the process of uniting the nations as members of one world, as the world shrinks. Internationalization, on the other hand, invol ves information of particular countries which in turn impacts the development of relationships in several sectors. These sectors include business, education, and social and cultural relationships. The concept of One World or globalization has driven innovation as companies like McDonald's have been accused of Macdonaldization of societies. While they export products and services, they are actually exporting American cultural identities. Economies are rapidly evolving and the effects of globalization are clearly visible; globalization is inevitable. Malaysia’s economic policy Among all the developing economies, Malaysia’s economic policy is considered worth emulating (Ritchie, 2005). The economic policies of Malaysia were liberal as it served to attract FDI. This drove a technological change, facilitated specialization and gave the nation comparative advantage. As the Malaysian policies liberalized, it helped in the reallocation and restructuring of resources in differe nt forms of labor, capital and technology which also facilitated FDI-led growth. FDI is a special form of capital flow which is expected to generate tangible assets and brings with it technology to the developing countries (Michi, Cagatay & Koska, 2004). Intangible assets like managerial skills also come with FDI which is a necessity for the developing nations. FDI is also the transfer of organizational knowledge from one country to another (Zhang, Zhang & Liu, 2007). FDI motivation and risks The motivation for the MNCs to invest in a developing economy would include the local and the global factors (Albuquerque, Loayza & Serven, 2005). The local factors include the benefits from location and the cost factors while the global factors explain the dynamics of the cross-section of the FDI. By investing in developing countries, MNCs can take advantage of their marketing and technical know-how, and managerial expertise (Athukorala, 2009). FDI is based on long-term profit considerations a nd carries with it the advantage of influence and control. Nations must be able to offer comparative advantage when they attract FDI. The MNCs would like to achieve economies of scale when they decide on the location for FDI. However, FDI in developing economies is beset with risks and the MNCs must have the capabilities to mitigate these risks. MNCs can face significant adjustment costs but prior experience helps to overcome this (Goerzen, 2005). Economic uncertainties can pose

Bone Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bone Disorders - Essay Example Bone problems are of different kinds. They may include osteoporosis caused by low density of bone and which makes bones weak and susceptible to breakage, osteogenesis imperfect which increases the brittleness of bones, and Paget’s bones disease which makes bones weaker. In addition to these bone disorders, bones may also develop a range of infections and cancers. There can be many reasons for the development of bone disorders. Some major causes of bone disorders include genetic factors, poor nutrition, and poor rate of rebuilding and growth of bones. The most important modulators of the process by which bones form are hormones. Optimal development and maintenance of bones depends upon parathyroid hormone, estrogen, and testosterone. Of these, the most direct impact on the cells of bone is made by estrogen which interacts with specific receptors or proteins on the surface of osteoclasts and osteoblasts (Zallone, 2006). Bones maintain their strength and integrity through a process of continuous renewal known as remodeling. Accelerated bone remodeling may cause a range of bone disorders that include but are not limited to familial expansile osteolysis (FEO), juvenile Pagets disease (JPD), Pagets disease of bone (PDB), early-onset Pagets disease of bone (EOPDB), and expansile skeletal hyperphosphatasia (ESH) (Beyens and Van Hul, 2007). Many stud ies have concluded that the main cells responsible for causing disease in these bone disorders are bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Connective tissues are unlike the parenchymal organs in that their form and function reflects the extracellular matrices of the matter they are made up of. These different compositions of matrices lend unique appearance and mechanical properties to cartilage, bone, and dense fibrous connective tissue (Teitelbaum and Bullough, 1979). Dense fibrous connective tissue is made up of collagen in the form of well-oriented collagen bundles whose main

ART history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ART history - Essay Example If we look at Monet’s Impression, Sunrise and at the following works of Impressionist artists, we will see not only certain concepts but also some beautiful, aesthetically pleasing images. Then, gradually, works of art changed and the concept of beauty changed, too. Can Picasso’s Guernica be called a masterpiece? Certainly. Can it be called beautiful in the traditional, classic sense? Not exactly. In Picasso’s works for example – and in Cubism as a whole – reality is not what the artist sees but what he himself creates. The idea of this style is to take reality, destroy it in your imagination and then recreate it on the canvas. Other styles of the late 19th and early 20th century also took a novel approach to reality – Dadaism and Surrealism, for example. Marcel Duchamp worked in both styles and his works also represent this change. The third change in the definition of art is the growing role of political and social views in artistic works. This is the case with Dadaism, mentioned above. Rejection of traditional artistic values was for Dadaists a way to reject traditional social and political values which, according to them, led to World War One. This change is visible not only in the visual arts but also in music. The music of the 19th and 20th century had a significant social element. The specific ideas may be different around the world but the general change is the same – social ideas were reflected in music. For example, styles like gospel, soul, and spiritual have all evolved in the social context in which African people lived in America in 19th century. If we take a look at what buildings looked like in the past (in the Antiquity, in the Middle Ages, in the Renaissance, and in the Enlightenment), we will see their elaborate beauty. Buildings were meant not only to be used according to their purpose, but also to be admired. Therefore, they had ample ornamentation and numerous details. All the changes described above bring about e

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Essay Example ois Macomber.’ This paper helps to provide an insight into how the author has made use of the feeling of absence very beautifully in the story as he talks about how the lives of people in the shadow of dictatorship and living in exile were full of loss and has also pointed out absence in the form of immigrants. In the middle of Oscar’s pathetic existence, Yunior tells the story of how terrifying it was to live under the dictatorship for Oscar’s mother and grandparents. They underwent blood soaked years of the Trujillo dictatorship full of paranoia, torture, secret police, murder and fear.   These are the words that describe life in a small, tropical dictatorship run by a psychopath.  Not coincidentally, they also describe the legacy of the Twentieth Century. The book helps in describing the dark path that the immigrant, Oscar, was made to tread upon and the various events that he went through during the course of his lifetime. The idea of absence has been provided in a very descriptive manner as the author has tried to point out instances with respect to the emotion. The first taste of absence maybe felt by the readers by the mention of the immigrant family that Oscar was from. Immigrants are people who have been forced to flee their home countries and live elsewhere because of social or moral issues prevailing within society. In actuality, they are not able to fit well within other societies because of problems of acceptance faced by other people around them. Thus, they feel lonely and are one of the most key aspects of describing absence and loneliness. Furthermore, Diaz has made use of the backdrop of dictatorship and exile under the purview of which the protagonists of the story were living. The author describes the absence of friendship and prevalence of loneliness in Wao’s life; â€Å"In the old days when his so-called friends would hurt him or drag his trust through the mud he always crawled voluntarily back into the abuse, hour of fear and

Student resources worksheet Essay Example for Free

Student resources worksheet Essay Student resources include a variety of helpful sites and tools that can be of assistance when completing assignments, connecting to other students, and searching for careers. Complete this table regarding student resources provided by the university. In the first column, identify where the resource can be found. In the second column, summarize each resource in at least one sentence. When you are finished with the matrix, answer the follow-up question in part B. Part A: Resources Scavenger Hunt. Student resource Where found Summary of the resource Syllabus In course materials in the main classroom Gives you a sense of what you will be doing day to day and from week to week Class Policies In the main classroom in materials Helps you understand what your instructor expects of you and how the class will run. University Library The Library tab on the top of the page. You may research everything here including careers to studying or even get help with a paper youre writing. University Academic Catalog. By clicking the program tab it will be listed as an option under my program Has the most current academic programsand policies and is updated once each month University Learning Goals Life Resource Center Under the program tab listed under services Life coaching, career coaching, counseling its free confidential support 24/7 Phoenix Career Services Under the career tab on the homepage Theses services helps you look up careers, compare income , education required, anda also the top employer Student Workshops. Listed underneath my classes when they are available You may not be doing so well in a class or you may just need some tips and advice on college classes well either way the student workshops are available for theses things and to everyone PhoenixConnect Under the phoenix connect tab The place where you can ask questions to other students and chat about almost anything . Technical Support phone number In the gray area on my classroom. Used just in case I run into trouble on the site or having problems with my computer I can call and get help and answer 24 7 Part B: Follow-Up Question Based on the resources in the table, what are the attendance, posting, and participation requirements for the university? You may only be absent one time in 9 weeks. Post at leasts 2 messages on two separate days to be in attendance . for participation students are to contribute 6 substantive messages each week in the main forum on three different days.

Definition Of A Long Term Condition Nursing Essay

Definition Of A Long Term Condition Nursing Essay The number of people living in the UK with a long term condition is increasing rapidly. As healthcare provision improves and the availability of healthcare increases, the number of people living longer increases. The proportion of the population aged over 80 years will increase to one in twelve over the next 25 years, and one in four will be over the age of 65 years. (Health Delivery Directorate Improvement and Support Team, 2009) As people get older their health may begin to change and are more likely to suffer from illnesses and chronic conditions. At present, care for people with long term conditions, particularly older people, is reactive and interventions generally only take place after an event or exacerbation of a long term illness. A system change by NHS Scotland aims to deliver an integrated, coordinated and preventative health and social care system, especially for people with long term conditions (NHS Scotland, 2007). Definition of a Long Term Condition A long term condition (also called chronic condition) can be defined as health problems that require ongoing care and management over a period of years or decades (WHO, 2012). Long term conditions can sometimes be referred to as chronic diseases. They are conditions that last for a year or longer and can greatly impact on a persons life which may result in the person requiring continued support and care. Long term conditions can affect children as well as adults and is not only the elderly who can be affected. It is also not just confined to physical illness but it can also include a range of mental health illnesses. Amongst the most common long term conditions are diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, chronic pain, arthritis, some mental health problems, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (NHS, 2012). Socio-Political Context of Delivery of Care In the past, care for people with long term conditions was generally reactive and unplanned (DHSSPS, 2011). People with long term conditions are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital, and tend to have longer hospital stays. They also account for over 60% of hospital bed days used. Most people who need long term residential care have complex needs from multiple long term conditions (The Scottish Government, 2012). Scotlands approach to the management of long term conditions is based upon the Chronic Care Model developed by Ed Wagner and his colleagues at the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation. This model suggests that if conditions are created to support a partnership that is productive between people who are knowledgeable and are capable of implementing changes and with those who have the long term conditions, then this can be positive steps towards improving the way care is delivered (The Scottish Government, 2009). In the past, care for people with long term conditions was generally reactive and unplanned (DHSSPS, 2011). In 2007, The Scottish Government developed an action plan to better manage care for people with long term conditions. Adopting Wagners Chronic Care model, The Scottish Governments plan was reflected in Better Health, Better Care. The 6 domains of the Chronic Care Model have been mapped to 6 key components of the model for long term conditions care in Scotland:- Multi-professional care teams and their partnership with people with long term conditions Self management of LTCs strategy Gaun Yersel primary care, hospitals, and social work integrating care Integrating evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines into care and support delivery processes Sharing of Data through supportive information systems Assuring appropriate delivery of care through the national performance framework, HEAT targets and the Community Care Outcomes Framework How the care is delivered In order to deliver a proactive and coordinated care management approach for people with complex and changing needs, health and social care professionals require a range of competencies and skills. Health professionals that work together to deliver this anticipatory care are community nurses, community psychiatric nurses, social workers and care managers (HDDIST, 2009). Anticipatory and Advance care planning (ACP) both adopt a thinking ahead philosophy of care. This allows practitioners and their teams to work with patients and their family members to set and achieve common goals to make sure the right course of treatment has been chosen and is carried out at the right time for the best interests of the patient and their family members or support network (The Scottish Government, 2010). Advance care planning is the term most commonly referred to in end of life care, although it does incorporate the writing of wills or Living Wills now known as advance directives or advance decisions which can be done by the well person early on in life to plan for what may happen at the end of life. Anticipatory care planning is more commonly applied to support those living with a long term condition to plan for an expected change in health or social status. It also incorporates health improvement and staying well. Completion of a common document called an anticipat ory care plan is suggested for both long term conditions and in palliative care (The Scottish Government, 2010). Anticipatory care, as an approach, was pioneered in the 1960s by Van den Dool in The Netherlands and Julian Tudor Hart in Wales. Both approaches involved identifying patients who were at high risk of specific diseases or conditions. This was achieved by reviewing patient medical records when the opportunity arose during routine consultation or when the patient made contact with their medical practice (ODonnell et al, 2012). As an individuals condition appears to be more complex it may be useful to discuss legal and practical issues, as well as individual care and support preferences. As the needs and dependency of an individual increase, it may become appropriate to discuss end of life preferences (Scottish Government, 2009). The Anticipatory Care Plan may then include information about the persons: concerns and personal goals the persons own understanding of their illness and how it will progress a persons own wishes for end of life care, including preference of where care is carried out, as well as their views about the level of interventions, treatments and whether CPR is wanted (Scottish Government, 2009). Government Programmes The Scottish Government (2010) has outlined its commitment to developing a health service that tackles inequalities in health, addressing both health and social determinants, and to delivering a health service that moves away from a reactive, episodic model of care, where the patient is a passive recipient, to a system that anticipates health needs before they arise and that delivers continuous, integrated, preventive care with the patient as partner. Such a model of care has been termed anticipatory care (ODonnell et al, 2012). Recently, the Scottish Government has established Keep Well, a national programme of anticipatory care targeting deprived populations at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which brings together a number of the active ingredients important to anticipatory care (ODonnell et al, 2012). NHS Health Scotland provides the national programme management role for Keep Well. Established before the implementation of this government programme, The National Coronary Heart Disease Demonstration Project, Have a Heart Paisley, was a Scottish Government-funded national health demonstration project (2001-2008) hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It was a partnership between the local community, primary and secondary care and the local authority (NHS Health Scotland, 2012). The initial project was established to reduce heart disease and promote healthier, longer lives for the people of Paisley. It was one of four projects outlined in the Governments White paper Towards a Healthier Sco tland. Have a Heart Paisley moved into its second phase in 2005 2008 which narrowed its focus and allowed an opportunity to build upon phase one. An anticipatory care report published in 2007 by Sridharan et al, outlined challenges for interventions such as Keep Well that are based on the vision described in Delivering for Health such as Identifying individuals within the different levels of disadvantage. Instead of a broad approach to identify a deprived area, a more focused approach may be required to help identify poor people in those deprived areas. The problem is that individuals with the greatest need (e.g. multiple disadvantaged populations with co morbid conditions) may be overlooked and the standard sampling frame such as a Central Data Repository (CDR) may not harness or identify populations with multiple disadvantages (Sridharan et al, 2007). The Long Term Conditions Collaborative (LTCC), aims to support patients to develop person centred care that is effective, safe, timely and reliable, makes best use of the skills of the multi-professional team, and is supported by good communication and sharing of information across teams and care settings (The Scottish Government, 2010). Models of Care The Kaiser Permanente pyramid is a chronic care model which was developed by the Kaiser Permanente Health Institute in the United States. This chronic care model is not a fixed model and people can move up and down the levels as their condition, ability to cope and their general sense of well-being changes (The Scottish Government, 2009). Kaiser Permanente focuses on integrating organisations and disciplines. People with long term conditions are organised and managed according to need, with intensive management targeted at those at highest risk (NHS, 2006). Supporting Literature Research carried out by Baker et al (2012) aimed to identify a population who were at risk of admission to hospital and to provide an anticipatory care plan (ACP) for them. Baker et al (2012) aimed to determine whether, using primary and secondary care data to identify this population and then applying an ACP, can help to reduce hospital admission rates. The results of Baker et al (2012) study showed that whilst not significant, having an ACP and a co-ordinated team based approach can reduce admission rates and reduce hospital bed days. Baker et al (2012) found that a reduction in admission rates is mediated by an increase in transfers out from secondary hospitals to the community hospital and home. Several factors enabled this to happen: improved community support from families and carers who had a better understanding of the course of a disease, care workers who were able to prevent admissions and provide rapid support on discharge, as well as a coordinated approach and good liaiso n between the case manager, local nursing, and the practice (Baker et al, 2012). Cleland, Moffat Small (2012) carried out research to explore stakeholder views of the utility and design of a community-based anticipatory care service (CBACS) for COPD. The key benefits of this service were seen to be reducing hospitalisation, educating patients in self-management in order to improve self-care and reduce acute admissions, and coordination of health and social care (Cleland et al, 2012). ZuWallack Nici, (2010), wrote an article describing the problems associated with the current care delivery approach for people with COPD. ZuWallack Nici (2010) proposed a Chronic Care model for the primary care of people with long term illnesses such as COPD. This model had many similarities to the care approach set out in Better Health, Better Care, with 6 similar components. ZuWallack Nici (2010) found that the integrated care approach is ideally suited to the management of chronic diseases, such as COPD. They claimed that Integrated care is patient centred but not limited to the traditional boundaries of the disease and is not overwhelmed by the complexities of the multi-morbid patient. ZuWallack Nici (2010) claims that there is great emphasis on self management strategies and the co-ordination of care, all of which increase the lines of communication amongst the agencies involved in the care being delivered. Role of the Case Manager The evolving role of case manager in delivering anticipatory care to patients with long term conditions is key to ensuring that care and services for the individual are co-ordinated and do not become fragmented, confusing and overwhelming. It is an opportunity to make best use of the advanced level of knowledge, skills and competencies that District Nurses have developed (HDDIST, 2009). Good communication, co-ordination and information sharing within and between multi-disciplinary teams are essential to ensure that where a person moves between different care settings, for example between primary care and specialist services provided in secondary care, these transitions are seamless and co-ordinated (DHSSPSNI, 2012). IN 2009, Information Services Division (ISD) developed The SPARRA tool. It identifies people who have entered a cycle of repeat admissions to hospital in the previous 3 years and predicts their risk of future hospitalisation. The information on the SPARRA lists supports the patients local team to provide the proactive, planned and co-ordinated care required for people with complex or frequently changing needs. Instead of reactive or crisis care, people and their carers will receive an improved service through a more robust assessment and care planning approach. Delivering continuous, supportive care with a single point of co-ordination improves the experience for the person and their carer; supports care at home and may prevent avoidable hospital admissions (ISD, 2009). SPARRA is only one way of identifying people at high risk of admissions. People who may benefit from care management can be identified by sharing local intelligence at Practice and locality team meetings and by using other community risk prediction tools (ISD, 2009). End of Life Care Palliative care has been described as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Problems can be encountered with the availability of medicines during the out-of-hours period. To maintain effective symptom control it is important that sufficient quantities of appropriate palliative care drugs, including CDs, are available to anticipate deterioration in the patients condition (NHS Scotland, 2012). Just in case boxes support anticipatory prescribing and access to palliative care medication for patients at the end of life. Adequate quantities of the appropriate medicines (including Controlled Drugs) are prescribed for the patient and stored in an identifiable container the just in case box in the patients home or care home. This is intended to prevent unnecessary delays in symptom management especially out of hours and at weekends (NHS Scotland, 2012). The GP will assess the individual needs of the patient and will issue a prescription for the appropriate medication If symptoms develop the nurse can administer the appropriate drugs without having the delay of contacting the GP to prescribe them (NHS Scotland, 2012). Making appropriate plans to meet a persons changing needs and aid timely transitions to end of life care are critical components of the quality improvement process in health and social care (NHS, 2011). Care planning harnesses the care of people with and without capacity to make their own decisions. The assessment undertaken is person centred and it aims to establish the persons needs, preferences and personal goals relating to their own care and the decisions made to meet these goals with the available resources (NHS, 2011). It can be oriented towards meeting immediate needs, as well as predicting future needs and making appropriate arrangements or contingency plans to address these (NHS, 2011). Where a person lacks capacity to decide, care planning must focus on determining their best interests. This can be achieved through discussions with the persons family or close friends or carers and any decisions made must act to protect the persons best interests (NHS, 2011). Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of discussions with an individual and their care provider to determine the persons wishes should their illness deteriorate in the future. ACPs can lead to an advance statement, an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT), a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision or other types of decision, such as appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney (NHS, 2011). In conclusion, planning should be tailored to individuals a one size fits all approach will not work (NHS, 2011). Individuals have the right to live well with their conditions that are managed holistically and within the boundaries of their own personal needs and desires. Everyone involved with the care planning for an individual should be available for opportunities for follow-on conversations and support. Discussing potential risks and benefits associated with different treatment options will help people make choices and have confidence in agreed treatment and care plans (NHS, 2011). Wordcount: 2743 .

Suicide :: essays research papers fc

I will never forget what happened in my high school merely five months ago. Chuck was 16 years old, a junior in high school, and a star football player. In December of 2002, he began to have many troubles in his life. His girlfriend of about one year broke off their relationship, and declined his invitation to the school’s annual Christmas Ball. In the days leading up to this dance, Chuck had lost his after-school job, and had several conferences with his guidance counselor about his poor academic performance. On top of all of these factors, Chuck went to a car dealership to put a down payment a car he had his heart set on, and discovered it had already been sold. Chuck went to the Christmas Ball alone, following his ex-girlfriend around for the majority of the night. Midway through the evening, one of Chuck’s classmates screamed at him, â€Å"She doesn’t like you, get away from her and get a life!† Chuck spent the rest of the evening sitting alone. He di d not attend any of the after-parties that evening, and the next day, Chuck’s parents discovered his body hanging in their shower. Have you ever felt like just throwing it all away? No matter how pleasant a person’s life is, there are often times where a person feels overpowered by feelings of doubt, despair, and hopelessness. The majorities of people either push these feelings aside or cope with them, and the feelings diminish and disappear. For others, these emotions never seem to fade away; intense negative feelings continually overwhelm their lives and lead them to believe there is no way to escape or cope with the problems at hand. They turn to suicide, seeing death as the only solution to their problems. Suicide is a problem that affects all people, in every age group, from every background, in every social class, and should not be taken lightly. Due to the graveness of the issue and its detrimental effects, all people are socially obligated to help prevent suicide at all costs. Suicide is defined as â€Å"the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself.† (www.dictionary.com) In the United States alone, an average of 29,350 people commits suicide each year, equaling approximately 80 people a day, one person every 18 minutes. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Although the overall rate of suicide has dropped in recent years, teen suicide has increased, becoming the 3rd leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24.

Los Vendidos Essays -- Theatre

Luis Valdez wrote â€Å"Los Vendidos† in order to address his view of the Mexican culture and in reference to the prejudices that surrounded him. The play defines four versions of Mexican men, shop owner Honest Sancho is trying to sell to a Secretary in Governor Reagan’s political office. The buildup of characters: The Farmworker, Johnny Pachuco, The Revolucionario, and the Mexican-American, symbolizes an evolution of what society deems the â€Å"ideal† Mexican-American should be. â€Å"Los Vendidos† translates to "The Sold Ones" or "The Sellouts† which is a solid interpretation of Valdez’s opinion on Mexican’s conformity to the American culture. Valdez creates a distinct characterization of all four models, Miss Jimenez, and Honest Sancho with snarky humor and stereotypes in order portray the front of exactly who is running the show in the Used Mexican Lot and Mexican Curio Shop. The scene opens with Miss Jimenez entering the shop in needs of a Mexican to fill a diversity slot in Governor Reagan’s office. She tells Sancho that her name is Miss JIM-menez, which is considered an Anglo pronunciation. Her insistence that she be called this leads the reader to believe she makes it a point to disassociate herself with her Hispanic heritage. She carries herself in a superior manner that signifies her entitlement to treat Sancho and the Mexican models in a negative way. She continues to list the trait requirements for the person she needs to look â€Å"good† in Reagan’s office. Sancho displays each model trying to receive Miss Jimenez’s approval. One important aspect of the play is the adjectives that Ms. Jimenez uses to describe the Mexican that she would like to use as her prototype. Such adjectives are: "suave, debonair, dark, but of course not too da... ...position. What makes their role even more difficult is that they are continually faced with adversity from racial prejudice, which affects all aspects of their life, from gaining equal access to education to gaining employment. â€Å"Los Vendidos† displays a forced choice on whether they want to keep their heritage and remain proud or if they want to become a â€Å"carbon copy† American. Works Cited *Vargas, Zaragosa . "Major Problems in Mexican American History.." Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.. (2011): n. page. Print. . * Cuello, Dr. Jose. "Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies." Faculty Research Portfolios - Dr. Josà © Cuello. n. page. Print. .

Writing Techniques in Art Spiegelmans Maus and Kurt Vonneguts Slaught

Writing Techniques in Art Spiegelman's Maus and Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five BAM! ZONK! POW! ZAP! What images do these words bring to mind? For many people, they illicit scenes of Batman and his sidekick Robin, fighting their way through a legion of bad guys while arriving only seconds after their arch-villain has escaped. From these short, succinct, nonsense words, images of battles are painted over a much larger canvas; the delicate balance and constant struggle between good and evil is illustrated in black and white terms. Unlike comics or television, life does not fit within these binary opposites. In a war there are good guys, bad guys, and everything imaginable in-between. ZONK! POW! Did a bad guy get thrown into a pile of crates or did our hero get knocked out from behind? These simple words are not enough for us to distinguish the difference between good and bad or right and wrong. At the same time, no artist or writer or illustrator could ever hope to present a situation in its entirety. How would a sentence like, ‘the hero, who although he treats his wife in a derogatory manner, punched a bad guy to save a damsel in distress’ serve as a gauge of morals or justice? It is not the creator’s job to portray an entire event, but rather, to present the event in a way that the audience can understand and draw their own conclusions from. In Maus, Art Spiegelman does not make any apologies about what he includes or leaves out from his story. Maus is not meant to be a story that encompasses World War II or the Holocaust, but rather, a story about the life of his father, Vladek Spiegelman: I still want to draw the book about you†¦/The one I used to talk to you about†¦/About your life in Po... ... but rather, that it was humanity itself which suffered. It is interesting that we cannot definitively say that either Maus or Slaughterhouse Five was intended to be an anti-war book. For an author to have taken a side would have opened their book to more criticism and opposition than they already harbor. Instead, both Vonnegut and Spiegelman chose to mask their true meaning behind subtle hints and allusions. We cannot put either book into the black or white category of pro or anti-war. Even Vonnegut by his own admission states that, â€Å"all I would have to do would be to report what I had seen† (Vonnegut 2). Maus and Slaughterhouse Five are not about proving a point or pushing an agenda. Instead, they present the absolutes of good and evil in a simple and concise way so that we may be able to distinguish all of the many gradients that lie in-between.

Controls at bellagio Essay

Focus on three key roles at mainly three levels of authority in the casino. How would you characterize the â€Å"control strategy† (e.g., tight vs. loose) used over each of these roles? A. Blackjack dealers (tight controls) Dealers are highly visible which does not allow for fraudulent activity. This in itself is a tight control but other tight controls in place include: table assignments, closed circuit television (CCT) observation, 2 dealers at the table, and other employees on the floor keeping watch. Standardization is also part of the tight controls for blackjack dealers. They must wear uniforms and perform certain duties, such as accepting tips and doing cash and chip exchanges, exactly as procedure states. All dealers must be licensed and the Bellagio does background checks before hiring. Financial and accounting analyses ensure there are no statistical anomalies associated with any one dealer or shift. CCT is one of the best controls the Bellagio has. Employees do not always follow controls put in place but when they know they are being watched they have no other option and the temptation to steal lessens. CCT cameras can zoom in on the tables close enough to monitor all cards being played and bets being made. (Mills & Yamamura, 1996) B. Pit bosses (tight controls) Pit boss controls aren’t as tight as dealers but they are always on the floor watching dealers and handling customers so they are still visible. Part of their job is to promote and market the casino on the floor. Some of the tight controls for bosses are the same as dealers and include: CCT observation, licensure, background checks, thorough documentation whenever they interact with finances such as customer perks or chip counts, and bonuses based on profitability. Documentation is not only important for comparison and accountability; it is an audit trail to ensure nothing fraudulent is occurring. â€Å"The objective behind documentation testing is to prove that cash coming in or cash going out does not result in a currency transaction reporting violation.† (Mills & Yamamura, 1996, p. 54) C. Vice president of table games (loose controls) The Vice President of table games (VPTG) oversees the operations of the games. They assure the organization mission, products, and services are presented in a positive image and are consistent with casino business strategies. VPTG have little to do with the actual physical chips and cash therefore require little supervision. Complimentary service (comps) abuse may become a problem; VPTGs â€Å"taking care† of their friends. (Rudloff, 1999) This will be an issue for auditors to monitor very closely. VPTG must also be licensed and have background checks run. Their bonuses are based on profitability as well. There are action controls, personnel controls, and results controls. Action controls include observation and documentation. Personnel controls include training, licensing, background checks. Result controls include documentation and financial and accounting analyses. All of these controls play a part in protecting the casino from theft, fraud, and skimming. Are the managers interviewed for the case justified in being proud of their company’s control system? Why or why not? The managers should be proud of the control system in place because it meets the goals of the company and it is working. As long as they keep evaluating the controls and evolve when necessary the system should continue to work. Bellagio Casino Resort’s control systems for firms in other industries Much of this system is already being used in many industries where there are high value inventories. Such industries include banking, jewelry, pharmaceuticals, and many precious metal industries. Any industry plagued by theft and fraud could benefit from aspects of the casino control system. As more things become regulated and the accounting world converges towards international standards tighter controls will need to be in place. References Merchant, K. & Van der Stede, W. (3rd Ed.). (2007). Management control systems: performance measurement, evaluation and incentives. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Mills, J.R., & Yamamura, J.H. (1996). Casinos and controls. Internal Auditor, 5(3):54-58. Retrieved October 18, 2013 from ebscohost.com. Rudloff, R.W., (1999). Casino fraud. Internal Auditor, 56(3): 44-49. Retrieved October 18, 2013 from ebscohost.com. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Me, Myself, and Why Problem Set Essay

1. What is the difference between self-interest and selfishness? Why is this distinction important when considering the competitive market economy as appropriate for society? Self-interest is looking out for your best interest and finding the best possible alternatives that will benefit yourself in the business world. Selfishness is putting your own interests above the interests of others and making decisions solely based on how they will benefit you. This distinction is imperative in considering the competitive market that is appropriate for society because you need to make sure that you are looking out for yourself but at the same time you should not make market decisions based solely off your own selfish interests. A selfish business man or woman will never be successful in the long run. 2. Does your textbook present only positive economics and avoid any normative economics? If not, give some examples of normative economics covered in your textbook. The textbook presents both positive economics and normative economics. An example of normative economics that is used in the textbook states â€Å"a value-free interpretation [of economics] leads to all sorts of abuses† (42). Normative economics incorporate subjectivity in to their analysis. Normative economics are heavily influenced by value judgment as well as theoretical situations. Normative economics are the opposite of positive economics. 3. What did Adam Smith believe serves to curb self-interest in an economy? â€Å"People care what others think of them and it is this desire for the good opinion of others that constrains people in their pursuit of self-interest† (41). Adam goes on to say, â€Å"this constraint is reinforced by competition and by the jurisprudence system† (41). Smith believes that others opinions shape what they pursue. Smith opposed the exclusive privileges of corporations and even went as far to oppose  regulations such as taxes which he claims gave individuals the ability to gain an unfair advantage. 4. What does it mean to seek the Kingdom of God in a democratic capitalist economy? How can it be done? Capitalism and Christianity can be combined. It may be difficult to combine the two because many Christians believe that it is better to always put the interests of others before yourself. However, Christ calls us to be good stewards of what He has given us and it is important to be good business men and woman that strive to be warriors for the Lord. Christ has not called us to be mediocre but to rise to the top and to shine for Him. The book states, â€Å"we’re not perfect, but we can strive to act righteously with in a system that accommodates both vice and virtue† (50).

Human Nature in Shakespear’s Plays Essay

Topic- in Shakespeare’s plays how is his unusual detailed knowledge of nature as well as of human beings shown? Shakespeare was a man who deeply loved nature and the beauty of it. He was not just an author who experienced and enjoyed nature but also as someone who studied, understood and knew nature intimately. In this essay there will be discussions about how Shakespeare would often use examples from nature to describe the nature of human beings in his plays and how did he show a deep understanding and knowledge of human nature which he would put that deep knowledge in his plays and poems. Shakespeare’s greatest influences were the works of other great writers as well as from variety of books, and plays which he used as subject materials for his own plays. He got most of his ideas from existing written literature. All of his plays were based on British history, adjusted to suit the occasion. He also drew ideas from many things that he grew up with, like his love for nature gave him several ideas how to write some of his plays and poetry. Besides this, he got many ideas from his childhood as his father is known to have often told him ‘bedtime stories’. Shakespeare may have got inspirations from nature and some ideas of characterizations from real life experiences but his plots where never made from events that happened in his life. Two of his favorite writers were Geoffery Chaucer (1340- 1400) and Plutarch (46-120). Chaucer, who was the first poet ever to be buried at the â€Å"poet’s corner† in Westminster Abby was from a wealthy family where his father was as a deputy to King Edward the third’s butler. Chaucer’s poetry was in Middle English and he was known to be one of the finest poets in England. Shakespeare admired him and many of the sources of his plays came from Chaucer’s poems. Plutarch studied philosophy and he taught it as a teacher in Rome where he earned the admiration of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Plutarch’s work was translated by Sir Thomas North which had become very popular in Renaissance England. His translations were then used by Shakespeare himself as sources for many of his plays like Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens, etc. The way Shakespeare examined and admired nature was quite different from regular viewers. His way of seeing nature was deep and he would use it in many other forms as well. He would usually find ideas for his poems by what he saw and nature was the biggest part that inspired him how to write his poems and plays. For example in one of his plays named King Lear, the concept of nature is considered to be the groundwork of the whole play. From Kingship through to personal human relations, to the views of the empire, from the representation of human nature to the animal imagery, there was nature filling every line of King Lear. Nature is a socially constructed concept which is made in order to legitimize the existing social order. By drawing a brief sketch of the political and social beliefs of the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages, it will be at the same time outlining the arguments for believing that nature truly is the socially constructed concept. The Elizabethan and Jacobean age was a time of change and disorder. They were not known for their unity. Elizabeth had her subjects worry about who would succeed her as she was not married, therefore there was no heir to carry on with the throne. ‘Kings are justly called Gods for that they exercise a manner or resemblance of divine power on the earth. ’ This quote was taken from the speech of James I where he describes the divine rights of Kings. James I had succeeded Elizabeth I to be the first Stuart King. Although he had the Kingship, he still was not able to overcome the political and financial problems of the state. In order for the continuation of his reign, the unity and harmony of the state and nature was of great importance. He legitimized his power by naturalization. Therefore by ‘nature’ everyone has its place, and knows the duties and obligations to that place, and those who have power cannot be questioned which are the divine rights of Kings. The belief in the social order restricting from the natural order is an important concept to hold when probing the idea of nature being utilized to maintain the status quo. The interdependence of man and nature as a theme is explored in King Lear. Men are always represented in the relation to the divine hierarchy which is the physical world and the world of animals but they are never represented in isolation. It becomes easier to understand the actions of Lear with the almost constant references to nature, once the concept of correspondence between man’s nature and the natural world is understood in terms of legitimizing the social order. In King Lear, the tragedy shown in the play is when Lear tries attempting to overthrow the ‘natural’ social order by handing over his crown to his daughters. Once disorder is initiated by Lear’s revocation of his powers and rights as King, disaster in corresponding hierarchies follow. Lear’s abandonment of his power is in direct opposition to the concept of the Divine Right of Kings. According to the laws of nature, it was impossible for Lear to stop being a king, because that was his rightful position by divine ordination and in fact throughout the play he is still referred to as the King, even though he has divided his crown. Also Lear is unable to stop seeing himself as the King, which can be seen from his banishment of Kent, soon after he has relinquished his powers: Hear me, recreant, on thine allegiance, hear me: That thou hast sought to make us break our vows, Which we durst never yet, and with strained pride To come betwixt our sentence and our power, Which nor our nature, nor our place can bear, Our potency made good take thy reward. King Lear (1. 1. 169-173) In this speech Lear not only uses the power of the King which he no longer holds to banish Kent, but he also, unknown to himself, explains why he cannot or should not divide his kingdom, for it goes against both his ‘nature’ and his ‘place’ to divide his ‘power’ from his ‘sentence,’ which is exactly what he does, thereby attempting to deny his nature and position. Aside from the natural position of Kings the natural social order can also be seen in terms of power relations between characters: King over subjects, fathers over daughters, husbands over wives. This naturalization can be seen as being represented by the character of Lear. He possesses his daughters, because he controls over them, therefore it is only ‘natural’ that they should proclaim their love for him. Cordelia’s refuses this which is therefore shocking to Lear and he calls her ‘a wretch whom nature is ashamed’. (1. 1. 213-214) The animal imagery that is shown in King Lear indicates the unnaturalness of a character‘s behavior in comparison to how they should behave if they observed the natural social order. This contradiction again underlines the distinction between nature and the ‘natural social order’. Shakespeare was good in phycology and describing the human character. He did not state many new ideas of human nature in his place as much as he did on the personalities and behaviors that all human beings have. There still are experts that claim that Shakespeare was the ‘inventor of human nature. However, these were Shakespearean experts and not the experts in psychology or human personality. It was not that Shakespeare new more things around him than other people but it was how he saw and examined things and people around him. In many of his plays and poems he showed deep knowledge of human nature. The way in which we experience fear, love, hatred, jealousy, despair, or anything else one can name. The way he wrote it and staged it would leave many artists in the dust and that the meaning of his work would stay with readers and viewers while everything around them changed. Shakespeare managed to grasp what it took to shape the essence of human nature in many of its aspects and drop it into text and drama in a way that would draw our ears, our eyes and our hearts. Unlike psychology, Shakespeare tries attempting to understand why people do what they do. He simply outshone most others, in many times and many places, at drawing portraits of the mystery of human behavior. Shakespeare used to combine nature and human nature together in many of his plays and poems. He used to describe human behavior by relating them with nature. In one of his plays known as Troilus and Cressida, he quotes the following: Let not virtue seek Remuneration for the thing it was; For beauty, wit, High birth, vigor of bone, desert in service, Love, friendship, charity are subjects all To envious and calumniating time One touch of nature makes the whole world kin, That all with one consent praise new-born gawds, Though they are made and moulded of things past, And give to dust that is a little gilt More laud than gilt o’erdusted. (3. 3. 169–179) This quote was spoken by the character known as Ulysses where he says this to the great Greek warrior Achilles who did not participate in the Trojan War because he contained a broken pride and was in love with a Trojan. He did not understand why he was not liked by the other Greeks and Ulysses tried to get Achilles mind back into action by giving him an uncomplimentary lecture on human nature. In the seventh line of Ulysses’ quote, he speaks about the ‘touch of nature’ which means ‘natural traits’. These are vital characteristics that make us all in this world kin. The phrases nowadays used for our ‘touch of nature’ as warmth or generosity or any other romantic ideal is different from how Ulysses describes it. He sees unanimity in our gaudy originalities as our ‘touch of nature’ is a short memory. The past deeds of Achilles, like beauty, wit, love, and so on, are subject to the ravages of time. In other words, it is our nature to forget these types of faded glories because they do not seem important anymore as there are bigger things that should be remembered instead of wasting it on these small glories that will be slowly forgotten in the future. Shakespeare’s unusual yet deep ways of describing human nature through his characters in his plays were unique. From the way he wrote his plays and poems, it would almost feel like to the reader and viewer that he lived in another type of world and that he saw everything around him very differently from normal people. He was very good in describing what he felt through what he saw as well. In one of his well-known plays called Hamlet, one of Hamlet’s quotes he says as following: What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me— nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so. (2. 2. 303–312). This passage exemplifies how Hamlet says that man is like an angel or god in apprehension. The ‘quintessence of dust’ states that from all God’s work, Man is one of the noblest. Despite all this nobility, Hamlet is not delighted by all this grace or beauty of man. This is one of the moments where his sincerity is genuinely in question as he explains this to two of the king’s followers or ‘parasites’ as he seems them as, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He feels like there is nothing in Denmark for him and that it feels like a prison to him where he is stuck in following his uncle’s orders and wished that there was another choice for him to follow instead. Even though Man is described as the beauty of God’s works, from what he sees man as in his life gives him another image of human nature.

JET2 Task 4. Findings on Competition Bikes, Inc. Essay

Costing Method The traditional costing method is a distribution of manufacturing overhead costs to the actual products manufactured. By using this method the factory’s indirect costs are assigned, on a scale of volume, to the items manufactured (Averkamp, 2013). This may include items such as the direct hours of labor or the number of bikes produced. This volume metric, however, is not the driving factor for manufacturing overhead expenses in fact this method is designed more for departmental focus. It can also be very inaccurate as there is little to no relations between the actual costs and the activity these costs are being signed to. This method often causes inaccuracies. It is in the company’s best interest to switch, as many companies are doing, to an activity-based costing system. Activity-based costing system will be used to identify the costs of Competition Bikes, Inc.’s activities and services based on actual consumption. This system consists of four steps in order to build its cost point. First, Competition Bikes, Inc. must recognize activities guesstimate their overall costs. Second, the cost driver must be estimated for each activity and done so on the basis of the overall quantity of the driver’s allotment. Third, Competition Bikes, Inc. must calculate how much of the costs should be distributed to each activity. Fourth, costs must be distributed to the cost object. Although this method is time consuming and costly the activity-based costing method will generally earn this money back plus some as it has a much more precise prognosis of the correct costs that are related with each activity. This system often generates more overheads into direct costs then compared to the traditional costing method. It is believed by switching from a traditional costing system to an activity-based costing system, Competition Bikes, Inc. will gain greater knowledge and be able to define the driving forces and costs of the products being manufactured. According to the overhead analysis, while using the traditional costing method the Titanium models costs $713 per unit and the CarbonLite models costs $1,359 per unit. Under the activity-based costing method Titanium models cost $656 per unit to produce and CarbonLite models cost $1,460 per unit. This shows us the difference in the two costing methods. Traditional costing method over-valued the costs of Titanium bikes and under-valued the costs of CarbonLite bikes, which is apparent when looking at the activity-based costing method. Again due to the way activity-based costing method breaks down the activities and allocates each one, this method is much more accurate than that of the traditional. Competition Bikes, Inc. can now analyze these costs and look for ways to improve operational results now that the costs have been broken down and allocated to different activities. Using the activity based costing method the CarbonLite models is at a much higher rate than that of the traditional costing method yet the Titanium models have the opposite affect as the total product costs are lower using the activity based costing system than that of traditional costing methods. Prices vary greatly between the two bike models, which were not seen before under the traditional costing method. The company should be able to now evaluate these costs and find ways in which they can lower them to get them more in line with one another. As stated above the activity-based costing method also allows Competition Bikes, Inc. to simply identify variations in product costs and pinpoint the variation directly to the source. This helps the company keep control of  the company’s costs and expenses. This assists in keeping profits relatively steadily. The current operations can also be improved by implementing a just-in-time inventory management system. This is where the company only buys the materials that it needs to produce the units that are actually sold. This cuts down on dollars that are tied-up in inventory held in raw materials inventory. This is a considerable amount for Competition Bikes, Inc. and will be lowered enormously as fewer materials are placed in raw materials. This will be billed in the same month in which they are produced creating fewer dollars to be tied up in inventory. This will then be converted to cash to be used as working capital. Breakeven Point According to Investopedia the breakeven point is the point at which gains equal losses. For Competition Bikes, Inc. achieving the breakeven point is a leap in the right direction. This will allow them to be one step closer to being a profitable business. Here we will analyze the sales units and the sales dollars of the Titanium and CarbonLite bike models in order to configure the breakeven point. In order to construct the breakeven point we must use the weight average contribution margin. This is calculated by dividing the combined contribution margin (sales price per unit subtracted by the variable cost per unit) by the total sales mix-in units. The contribution margin per unit is equal to $221 for the Titanium models and $111 for the CarbonLite models. Now we multiply these numbers by the total sales mix-in units to reach the contribution margin. The total contribution margin ($127,200) is divided by the total sales mix-in units (700) in order to receive a weight average contribution margin of $181.71. At breakeven the total contribution margin subtracted by the fixed costs will equal 0. The sales units multiplied by the weight average contribution margin equals the fixed cost. From the data given the estimated fixed costs  is $400,000. The fixed costs divided by the weight average contribution margin of $181.71 can help Competition Bikes, Inc. determine the breakeven point of 2,201 sales units. Now Competition Bikes, Inc. can calculate sales units and sales dollars with these numbers calculated. By parting the sales at the breakeven point by the product mix-in does this. Competition Bikes, Inc. must sale 1,415 Titanium and 786 CarbonLite models in order to hit their breakeven point and gain profitability. The sales dollars at the breakeven point are computed by multiplying the breakeven sales units by the sales price per unit. This equals $1,273,584 for Titanium and $1,175,314 for CarbonLite models giving us a overall amount of $2,448,899. Breakeven Analysis Change We will now discuss how the changes in direct materials and fixed costs to the production facility based on an evaluation of cost-volume-profit will affect the breakeven analysis. If the costs of direct materials increased by 10%, Competition Bikes, Inc. will notice a change in the breakeven point as the variable costs would then increase from $679 per unit to $709 per unit for the Titanium models and $1,384 per unit to $1,451 per unit for the CarbonLite models. Because the variable cost per unit has changed so will the contribution margin per unit. This will have a large decrease on both the Titanium and the CarbonLite models as Titanium bikes would have a contribution margin of $191 per unit and CarbonLite bikes would also have a contribution margin to $44 per unit. We then multiply these changes by the sales mix in values. The contribution margin for the Titanium bikes is $85,950 and $11,000 for the CarbonLite bikes. This gives Competition Bikes, Inc. a total contribution margin of $96,950. The weight average contribution margin is now calculated by dividing the contribution margin of $96,815 by 700 the total number of sales mix-in units. This totals to $138.5. Before the 10% increase this number was much higher at $181.71. If Competition Bikes, Inc. added $50,000 in the fixed costs towards the production facility, changes would occur in the sales units at the breakeven point. The calculation would be $450,000 compared to $400,000 divided by the new weight average contribution margin of $138.5. This totals to 3,249 units. Titanium models would total 2,089 in sales units at the breakeven point and CarbonLite would total 1,160 sales units at the breakeven point. The total breakeven point in sales dollars now increases to $3,614,620. This is an extra $1,165,721. Competition Bikes, Inc. would need to stay on top of these additional costs and in order to do so they must increase their sales each quarter. Based on direct materials increase of 10% and the additional $50,000 in fixed costs, Competition Bikes, Inc. will need to manufacture 1,048 additional units in order to breakeven. References Averkamp, Harold. (2013). Accounting Coach. What is the Traditional Method used in Cost Accounting? Retrieved from http://blog.accountingcoach.com/taditional-method-cost-accounting/ Investopedia. (2013). Breakeven Point-BEP. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/breakevenpoint.asp Johnson, Rose. (2012). EHow Money. The Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_10040118_costvolumeprofit-cvp-analysis.html Wikipedia. (2013). The Free Encyclopedia. Activity-based Costing. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity-based_costing

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