Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Meaning

â€Å"Hope† is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson â€Å"Hope† is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul†¦.. And sings the tune without the words†¦.. And never stops†¦. at all†¦. And sweetest†¦ in the Gale†¦. is heard†¦ And sore must be the storm That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm I’ve heard it in the chillest land†¦ And on the strangest Sea Yet, never, in Extremity It asked a crumb †¦. of Me Dickinson defines hope by comparing it to a bird (a metaphor) . Stanza one Hope is a â€Å"thing† because it is a feeling; the thing/feeling is like a bird.Dickinson uses the standard dictionary format for a definition; first she places the word in a general category (â€Å"thing†), and then she differentiates it from everything else in that category. For instance, the definition of a cat would run something like this: a cat is a mammal (the first part of the definition places it in a category); the rest of the definition would be â€Å"which is nocturnal, fur-bearing, hunts at night, has pointed ears, etc. (the second part of the definition differentiates the cat from other all mammals). How would hope â€Å"perch,† and why does it perch in the soul?As you read this poem, keep in mind that the subject is hope and that the bird metaphor is only defining hope. Whatever is being said of the bird applies to hope, and the application to hope is Dickinson's point in this poem. The bird â€Å"sings. † Is this a good or a bad thing? The tune is â€Å"without words. † Is hope a matter of words, or is it a feeling about the future, a feeling which consists both of desire and expectation? Psychologically, is it true that hope never fails us, that hope is always possible? Stanza two Why is hope â€Å"sweetest† during a storm?When do we most need hope, when things are going well or when they are going badly? Sore is being used in the sense of very great or severe; abash means to make ashamed, embarrassed, or self-conscious. Essentially only the most extreme or impossible-to-escape storm would affect the bird/hope. If the bird is â€Å"abashed† what would happen to the individual's hope? In a storm, would being â€Å"kept warm† be a plus or a minus, an advantage or a disadvantage? Stanza three What kind of place would â€Å"chillest† land be? Would you want to vacation there, for instance? Yet in this coldest land, hope kept the individual warm.Is keeping the speaker warm a desirable or an undesirable act in these circumstances? Is â€Å"the strangest sea† a desirable or undesirable place to be? Would you need hope there? The bird, faithful and unabashed, follows and sings to the speaker (â€Å"I've heard it†) under the worst, the most threatening of circumstances. The last two lines are introduced by â€Å"Yet. † What kind of connection does â€Å"yet† establish with th e preceding ideas/stanzas? Does it lead you to expect similarity, contrast, an example, an irrelevancy, a joke? Even in the most critical circumstances the bird never asked for even a â€Å"crumb† in return for its support.What are the associations with â€Å"crumb†? would you be satisfied if your employer offered you â€Å"a crumb† in payment for your work? Also, is â€Å"a crumb† appropriate for a bird? Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"Hope is the Thing With Feathers,† is the VI part of a much larger poem called â€Å"Life. † The poem examines the abstract idea of hope in the free spirit of a bird. Dickinson uses imagery, metaphor, to help describe why â€Å"Hope is the Thing With Feathers. † In the first stanza, â€Å"Hope is the Thing With Feathers,† Dickinson uses the metaphorical image of a bird to describe the abstract idea of hope.Hope, of course, is not an animate thing, it is inanimate, but by giving hope feathers, she begins to create an image hope in our minds. The imagery of feathers conjures up hope in itself. Feathers represent hope because feathers enable you to fly and offer the image of flying away to a new hope, a new beginning. In contrast, broken feathers or a broken wing grounds a person, and conjures up the image of needy person who has been beaten down by life. Their wings have been broken and they no longer have the power to hope. In the second stanza, â€Å"That perches in the soul,† Dickinson continues to use the imagery of a bird to describe hope.Hope, she is implying, perches or roosts in our soul. The soul is the home for hope. It can also be seen as a metaphor. Hope rests in our soul the way a bird rests on its perch. In the third and fourth stanzas, Ads by Google| Famous Haiku Poems  Ã‚  Haiku Poetry  Ã‚  Flying Birds  Ã‚  Examples of Poems| | And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all. Dickinson uses the imagery of a bird’s continuous son g to represent eternal hope. Birds never stop singing their song of hope. The fifth stanza â€Å"And sweetest in the gale is heard† describes the bird’s song of hope as sweetest in the wind.It conjures up images of a bird’s song of hope whistling above the sound of gale force winds and offering the promise that soon the storm will end. Dickinson uses the next three lines to metaphorically describe what a person who destroys hope feels like. And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. A person who destroys hope with a storm of anger and negativity feels the pain they cause in others. Dickinson uses a powerful image of a person abashing the bird of hope that gives comfort and warmth for so many.The destroyer of hope causes pain and soreness that hurts them the most. In the first line of the last set of stanzas â€Å"I’ve heard it in the chillest lands,† Dickinson offers the reader another reason to have hope. I t is heard even in the coldest, saddest lands. Hope is eternal and everywhere. The birds song of hope is even heard â€Å"And on the strangest sea. † Hope exists for everyone. In the last two lines, Dickinson informs us that the bird of hope asks for no favor or price in return for its sweet song. Yet never in extremity, It asked a crumb of me. Hope is a free gift.It exists for all of us. All we must do is not clip the wings of hope and let it fly and sing freely. Its song can be heard over the strangest seas, coldest lands, and in the worst storms. It is a song that never ends as long as we do not let it. This is the only poem of hers that does not stress the mental anguish of the poet. The only one. You can disagree. Great use of metaphors much like the feathers on a bird hope insulates us from some of the harsher realities of life! suggests hope is universal when talks about birds song without words hope is common to all people and all times†¦ Louise Posted on 2009-09 -28 | by a guest .: ah interesting :. I interperted the poem more as a reference. The hope can stand through much more hardship than the people themselves, but hope doesn't react as the way a bird would. A bird would sink into a slump, or fly from the complication, whereas hope would continue to be precious, reasuring the being and coaching its continuation. | Posted on 2008-03-10 | by a guest .: ah interesting :. I interperted the poem more as a reference. The hope can stand through much more hardship than the people themselves, but hope doesn't react as the way a bird would.A bird would sink into a slump, or fly from the complication, whereas hope would continue to be precious, reasuring the being and coaching its continuation. | Posted on 2008-03-10 | by a guest .: :. Dickinson defines hope with a metaphor, comparing it to a bird. Dickinson introduces her metaphor in the first two lines, â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul. † Throughout the entir e poem, this metaphor develops through Dickinson’s comparison of characteristics between hope and a bird, whatever is being said of the bird applies to hope, and the application to hope is Dickinson's point in this poem.It is obvious that a bird â€Å"sings the tune,† but Emily’s version of a bird, â€Å"sings a tune—without the words, and never stops at all. † In the soul where this bird has perched on, sings wordlessly and without pause. Like the bird, hope comes from one’s soul, and â€Å"never stops at all,† meaning that an individual does not stop hoping. Like the tune without words, hope also is not a matter of words. It is a feeling about the future both of desire and expectation. The development of this metaphor continues as Dickinson describes how the bird reacts to hardships. A storm must be impossibly brutal to â€Å"abash the little bird. The bird continues to survive as it can be found everywhere. The â€Å"chillest lan d† to the â€Å"strangest sea,† symbolizes hope’s presence under the worst and most threatening circumstances. Hope reacts in the same way. For hope to be â€Å"abashed,† â€Å"sore must be the storm,† or fatal must be the hardship. â€Å"That kept so many warm† is an appropriate characteristic of hope and a bird. Similar to a bird’s constant and comforting melodies, hope’s constant reassurance â€Å"has kept so many warm† in times of hardships. | Posted on 2007-02-28 | by a guest .: :. Dickinson defines hope with a metaphor, comparing it to a bird.Dickinson introduces her metaphor in the first two lines, â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul. † Throughout the entire poem, this metaphor develops through Dickinson’s comparison of characteristics between hope and a bird, whatever is being said of the bird applies to hope, and the application to hope is Dickinson's point in this poem. I t is obvious that a bird â€Å"sings the tune,† but Emily’s version of a bird, â€Å"sings a tune—without the words, and never stops at all. † In the soul where this bird has perched on, sings wordlessly and without pause.Like the bird, hope comes from one’s soul, and â€Å"never stops at all,† meaning that an individual does not stop hoping. Like the tune without words, hope also is not a matter of words. It is a feeling about the future both of desire and expectation. The development of this metaphor continues as Dickinson describes how the bird reacts to hardships. A storm must be impossibly brutal to â€Å"abash the little bird. † The bird continues to survive as it can be found everywhere. The â€Å"chillest land† to the â€Å"strangest sea,† symbolizes hope’s presence under the worst and most threatening circumstances.Hope reacts in the same way. For hope to be â€Å"abashed,† â€Å"sore must be the storm,† or fatal must be the hardship. â€Å"That kept so many warm† is an appropriate characteristic of hope and a bird. Similar to a bird’s constant and comforting melodies, hope’s constant reassurance â€Å"has kept so many warm† in times of hardships. | Posted on 2007-02-28 | by a guest Post your Analysis Message This may only be an analysis of the writing. No requests for explanation or general short comments allowed. Due to Spam Posts are moderated before posted.

Hamlet Act II Close Reading

William Shakespeare uses many types of literary devices to describe the very principle of Hamlet’s true battle. Hamlet compares himself to a â€Å"peasant slave† and to the talented actor, whom could give a convincing performance without feeling the true emotion. After his visit with the ghost (his supposed father), he has been dedicated to the idea of plotting revenge of his uncle-father. Although, it is difficult for Hamlet to perform this horrific act, because of his disgust of the emotionless scheming revenge. Lastly, for Hamlet to try and convince himself to follow through with this scheme, he arranges a trap to have Claudius unknowingly reveal that he is guilty. In the beginning of Hamlet’s soliloquy, he compares himself to a â€Å"rogue and peasant slave†, which points out that Hamlet is frustrated with himself. In this metaphor, Hamlet feels terrible that the actor could shed more emotion, and force his soul to feel made up feelings in a work of make-believe. The use of visual imagery is used when Hamlet describes his acting, â€Å"That from her working all his visage waned, tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, a broken voice, and his whole function suiting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here Hamlet is amazed by how easily the actor could show such emotion, and he even says â€Å"what would he do, had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have? † He knows that actor would be even more tremendous if that was the case, because the use of a hyperbole is noted when he says, â€Å"He would drown the stage with tears and cleave the general ear with horrid speech. After stating the above facts, Hamlet then looks at himself and sees himself as pathetic. His reflection of himself, describes that he is an unattractive, uncourageous mischief and protests that he primarily just mopes around and has no motivation to plot revenge and doubts his ability to achieve it. Another literary device utilized is the rhetorical questions he asks himself, â€Å"Am I a coward? Who calls me a â€Å"villain†? Breaks my pate across? Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face? Tweaks me by the nose? Gives me the lie I’ th’ throat as deep to the lungs? Again doubting himself for his lack of motivation. A bit of foreshadowing also takes place after these questions, when he asks another rhetorical question, â€Å"who does me this? ‘Swounds, I should take it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which could possibly take place later on in the play, that someone will call him out, and there is only one reason why someone would; his revenge on Claudius. Hamlet creates a conflict with himself deciding whether to go or not to go through with this horrific s cheme, but he reminds himself that his father’s life has been stolen so he must seek his revenge. Hamlet is planning to have the â€Å"players play something like the murder of [his] father before [his] uncle† that he can â€Å"observe his [his uncle’s] looks† to judge his guilt. Hamlet concludes to himself that â€Å"[he] know [his course]† of what to do if his uncle â€Å"do blench† or flinch. Shakespeare uses personification on the word murder, for he states that â€Å"murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ†, referring to the situation of murder being able to speak through the actors. This is significant because it is a step forward towards Hamlet’s plot of revenge. Although, Hamlet may believe that â€Å"the spirit that [he] have seen may be the devil and devil hath power t’assume a pleasing shape†, this symbolizes the use of hell imagery and portrays the theme eye of the beholder. The devil can be very convincing and can disguise itself as something or someone we desire and enjoy. So, with that being said Hamlet concludes that â€Å"[he’ll] have grounds more relative than this. The play’s the thing wherein [he’ll] catch the conscience of the king. †

Fixing Poverty in the Philippines: Mission Impossible Essay

The Philippines has the second highest poverty incidence at 40%, in Southeast Asia, following East Timor which has 55% (Aldaba, 2005). Also according to Aldaba (2005), poverty in the Philippines has always been a rare rural occurrence, in spite of the fact that the poverty in urban areas is also increasing. More than two-thirds of the poor families in the Philippines live in rural areas. The Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) states, based on legitimate poverty lines, that poverty incidence in the Philippines has dropped from 49.3% in 1985 to 36.8% in 1997, a downfall of a total of 12.5 percentage points in 12 years. On the other hand, poverty incidence increased by 3.2 percent from 36.8 percent in 1997 to 40.0 in 2000 (Aldaba, 2005). According to the article written by Ted Torres (2013) in The Philippine star, the percentage of Filipinos living below the poverty line has remained almost unaltered in the past six years. The statement was based on the latest poverty data rele ased by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). For the first half of 2012, the poverty incidence recorded was 27.9 which is slightly less than the 28.8 percent recorded in the first half of 2006, and 28.6 percent in the first half of 2009 and 2011. The NSCB report on the 2012 first semester state of poverty in the Philippines presented that a family with five members can be considered extremely poor if it is earning an amount of P5, 458 a month or just enough to place some food on the table. The same family has to earn at least P7, 821 a month to satisfy other primary needs such as clothing. Discussion and knowledge about the high poverty incidence that is dominating the country is very significant. It should be shown to the Filipinos especially to the people who are considered living a first-class life. Because of too much poverty that governs the country, it can be concluded that poverty in the Philippines cannot be helped anymore. One main reason behind the high poverty incidence in the Philippines is because of the high population growth. De Dios (1993) stated that high population growth affects poor households through a smaller distribution of incomes among them. The Philippines has recorded one of the highest population g rowth rates in Southeast Asia, at 2.6 percent from 1960 to 1994; this rate is higher than Indonesia and Singapore at 2.1 percent and Thailand as 2.3 percent (De Dios, as cited in Aldaba, 2005). De Guzman (1994) notes that crude birth dates has been declining since 1975, but this downfall has been slow, at 35.3 percent in 1973 to 32.8 percent in 1983. De Guzman also noted that contraceptive prevalence is quite low (30%-40%), and an increasing apportionment of females are getting married – factors which may weaken the decline. High population growth can be pulled down by consistent use of right family planning. Different government departments are actually conducting talks, meetings, and seminars about Family Planning. These departments are inviting parents and married couples from different parts of the country to attend the seminars to hear and be open to the use of family planning. But this advocacy seems to be impossible because there are too many undisciplined Filipinos wh o cannot be controlled by the government. Those undisciplined Filipinos are not open to any advice or suggestions from the hierarchy to improve their way of living. Another huge reason for the high population growth in the Philippines is the government system. According to the former Philippines senator, Mr. Francis Pangilinan (n.d.), the government people have heard never ending complaints about how the government has become a stumbling block for progress in the Philippines. Because of corruption and inefficiency, as well as lack of vision and direction, the government has become impediment to reforms and authentic and real change when it ought to be in the forefront of making change happen. It is enough to say that the old methods of governance have not worked and the usual and old style of electing political leaders characterized by patronage and money politics has failed the disappointed the people. The old ways of selecting leaders, the old ways of electing politicians have not resulted in a better nation. The truth is the country is in a mess because of the failure of the government to lead the country (Pangilinan, n.d). But on the other hand, maybe, the â€Å"Tuwid na Daan† of the [NoyNoy] Aquino Administration can pull this country up from its flat and dull position. This advocacy, consisting of many programs that can help improve the Philippines and its people, can be the sight solution to poverty. But, according to Pangilinan (n.d), there is still a great problem that holds the government from its right leadership – the corruption. Corruption, waste and inefficiency prosper within many situations and yet the government, despite a few valorous attempts to break this cycle, has largely failed to change the character of the bureaucracy (Stiftung, 1989). Ubiquitous corruption will not end unless the Philippine government punish more and punish swiftly and that cannot be done unless the country modernize its Judiciary and supply it with the necessary resources to do so. Too many politicians denounce corruption yet apart from exposes, they have not presented definite steps to address it (Pangilinan, n.d). One way to modernize the Judiciary system is to increase conviction rates. According to Pangili nan (n.d), the conviction rate of the Ombudsman in the Sandiganbayan (anti graft court) for corruption cases is held down at an estimate of less than 20 percent. For every 10 cases filed, less than two end up in conviction; the rest of the cases are the dismissed. No wonder and doubt that most of the people have no fear of committing corrupt acts. Imagine the situation when more than 8 out of 10 corruption cases get away. This can be sharply compared to the conviction rates in Hong Kong, which is pegged at 79 percent. Meaning, nearly 8 out of 10 are convicted. When more are punished and punished promptly, respect for the rule of law will return. It is certainty of punishment that inculcate fear and respect for the laws. It is the duty of the Judiciary system to ensure that the conviction rates are upped. It is also ideal to organized an anti corruption task force, at the highest levels, to monitor big cases and to ensure that government resources are equipped to ensure convictions w ithin months from the time of its organization. The proverbial big fish must not be allowed to get away (Pangilinan, n.d). Another way to modernize the Judiciary system is to double its budget. By upping the budget of the Judiciary, to say 2 percent of the 1.17 trillion national budget, we give rise to the prompt dispensation of justice, the creation of more courts, and expanding of the compensation and benefits of judges, prosecutors and court personnel (Pangilinan, n.d). Corruption cannot be ended. It may be lessened, but not totally ceased. It is because there will forever be government people who will be blinded by the power they got from their position and the huge amount of money they handle. It is a very risky and dangerous work to do corruption acts just for the sake of getting money, but that is the nature of the government people in the Philippines. One politician cannot end his or her term without even getting a single centavo from the money of the Philippine citizens. Another reason behind the high poverty incidence in the Philippines is the lack of jobs and employment. Too many Filipino citizens are still unemployed and most of them are having a hard time finding jobs. The private sector of the government is blamed for lack of jobs in the Philippines. According to Senator Ralph Recto (Recto, as cited in Cabacungan, 2013), â€Å"the job of the private sector is to create wealth and jobs. Unfortunately, the private sector in the Philippines does not have a high degree or culture of giving and sharing.† Sen. Recto also added that, maybe, the administration is focusing too much on government, which accounts for only 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product when it should have its eyes on the 83 percent controlled by the private sector that is creating too many poor people. Recto and Salceda (Recto & Salceda, as cited in Cabacungan, 2013) said that the social inequality or injustice was the reason for the increase of unemployment to 7.5 percent or 3.086 million in April this year from 6.9 percent or 2.803 million in the same month in 2012 despite a record 7.8 percent growth in the economy in the first quarter of 2013. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) continuously creates programs to help the Filipinos find jobs. One way is the online website which encourages the unemployed people to submit resumes online. In the perspective of the employer, it is very easy to find an employee by just visiting the website made by DOLE. The employer can just type in there the position needed in the company and the search results will give the employer the list of the people who are capable of doing the said job. Regardless of the effort of the government to plant more jobs in the Philippines for the Filipinos to be successfully employed, there are still millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who risk their lives in other lands just to get a job and leap their family from poorness. There are mountains of reasons why great poverty is still colonizing the Philippines. Some can be helped but most of it cannot be solved anymore. No matter how the government strives to give jobs to the Filipinos, it will remain as a nonsense act if the Filipinos are not going to help themselves out of this poverty. It was stated by Mahatma Gandhi that poverty is the worst from of violence. It is really the worst and it cannot be helped anymore. Reference List Aldaba, F. (2005). The fight against poverty in SouthEast Asia NGO good practices in Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Stiftung, F. (1989). Poverty and growth in the Philippines. Metro Manila, Philippines: FRESAN Printing. Torres, T. (2013, April 24). Poverty level in Phl unchanged since ’06. The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 10, 2013 at http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04/24/934243/poverty-level-phl-unchanged-06 Cabacungan, Gil. (2013, June 12). Private sector blamed for lack of jobs. Inquirer News. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/425271/private-sector-blamed-for-lack-of-jobs Pangilinan, F. (n.d). 4 proposed solutions to help fix the Philippines. Senator Francis â€Å"Kiko† Pangilinan: Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://kiko.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=505:4-proposed-solutions-to-he..

Economic and Health System Comparison between U.S.A and Canada Essay

Economic and Health System Comparison between U.S.A and Canada - Essay Example The Canada Department of finance publishes tax expenditure estimates and projections belonging to personal and corporate income taxes. In addition, the department also brings into the public domain goods and services tax (GST) since 1994. Finance Department does the publication in two different documents. The first document is known as tax expenditures and Evaluations. The document provides for a broader definition of estimates and projections of tax expenditures. Besides tax expenditures, it also outlines analytical papers that address particular tax measures. Tax expenditure is the second document that outlines the objective of tax expenditure and describes the calculations of projections and estimations of tax. The Department of Canada prepares this document annually and makes it available to its website. However, tax expenditures in America and Canada show a lot of variations and differences though there are a few notable similarities. The two states have almost similar sectors in which they redistribute their tax expenditure, but comparing them reveals different priorities. Such priorities are more pronounced in the education, health, medical, military, Social Security among other sectors. US tax expenditure has been growing over time since its introduction in 1960’s with a focus mainly given to the defense department. However, in the recent past, the focus is shifting from defense towards health care and Medicaid. Canada has also shown the same trend in tax expenditure increase since 1994 to date, though with the focus on different sectors. Both America and Canada have comprehensive health or medical tax expenditure coverage. However, the two states have various contrasts in the amount and manner of acquisition. Both Canada and the US have shown gradual growth in the health expenditure over the years since their introduction. Canada, for example, divided its health tax expenditure into four

Technical Term Paper (Part B) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Technical Term Paper (Part B) - Assignment Example The current network system has security lapses and faces slow response time and occasional downtime. In the process of moving and with the professional input of Wide-IP Company, Fiction Corporation intends to upgrade its system in order to adopt modern and standard network operations and security. The current hardware used in its network system was bought a long time ago and its application is based on the old technology. The network system upgrade will be essential in increasing system reliability, easy and economical maintenance of its components and increased speed of the data transfer process. At an estimated budgetary cost of $425,000 and a time frame of one month, Wide-IP Company will develop logical and physical design that will be useful in configuring Fiction Corporation network system. Project goal Making the correct and appropriate network technology decisions ensures that the organization attains its goals, the morale of the employees is retained, and the cost incurred is tenable with organization’s budgetary plan and financial objectives. In order to ensure that there is smooth transition of organization networking system from one location to the other, the right networking technology plan must be developed and implemented. In most cases, transferring a data center needs a flush cutover of the network system in order to supply remote systems that have access to data before and after migration. Wide-IP intends to develop a number of router configuration changes that would enable data center routers to be easily transferred, one at a time and dismantling the old lines after the installed new data centers are proven. This is essential in providing an uninterrupted user support during the transfer and reducing the ongoing operational risk. Project scope The project of transferring and developing a new networking system for Fiction Corporation will be done by the Wide IP Company that has 10 members who are proficient in system networking. With a budget of approximately $425,000, Wide IP Company will identify the requirements of Fiction Corporation, develop networking systems, establish errors and correct them, and provide and adhere to a detailed project schedule of 30 days. Design requirements User communities and network applications Fiction Corporation, a retail chain needs to move a new headquarter several miles away. Considering the distance and the chain operations, the main challenge is moving all the personnel to the new headquarters and ensuring that the data center supports all call centers and warehouse operations. Whereas the warehouse functions from Monday to Saturday, allowing one day transferring an AS/400 and developing new SNA links, most of the stores will be open for 24 hours, which will be significant in ensuring non interruption transfer of the network system. Basing on the viewpoint of data processing, the migration of network system will include as AS/400, a large UPS, NT PC and Novell servers, and mu ltiple RS/6000 AIX application servers. The network will be made up of 100 servers for call centers and three remote warehouses .These user communities are connected through frame relay that has ISDN backup to three routers located in data center. The three routers will run a common LAN that will be shared by the headquarter staff, call centers, the warehouse and the data center. There is a high possibility for a whole

Correctional Officers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Correctional Officers - Essay Example In many cases female candidates with many years of work experience and efficiency were not allowed to be promoted only because of the reason that they were females. The ability of the female correctional officers will often be questioned by the administration and they are always doubted by the male co-workers. The female correctional officers will have to work extra hard to prove themselves.    Because of the nature of work and the high stress level in the corrections, it will be difficult to leave work at the workplace and therefore it becomes difficult for them to relax at home. Women are mostly not hired in male prisons because of the growing concern about their security and safety and there is also a possibility of violation of privacy of the inmates. The male prison administrators and the male guards found the presence of women as a problem. The courts have often recognized that there is always a possibility of assault on female correctional officers. There is also inequality in job  assignments to the women correctional officers especially in cases where there is a need of direct contact with the inmates. â€Å"The ambiguous and contradictory court rulings have provided no clear, definitive direction for resolution of the conflict between the equal employment rights of women correctional officers and the privacy rights of male inmates† (Tewksbury & Collins, 2013). Some of the researchers are of the view that the amount of psychological stress faced by the female officers has caused health concerns for them. The experience of the women correctional officers is complicated and filled with broken barriers. The male superior officers also sometimes do not provide the important information with respect to inmate interaction, which can help them to succeed professionally. The amount of freedom provided to the female correctional officers is minimum and they are made to work for longer hours. Senior male officers also disregard them in the context of their training and their social interactions and they also tend to exercise excessive supervision on them. The environment in the  correctional system does not give the required trust and respect to female officers. The possibility  of   sexual harassment by the inmates as well as colleagues is also another problem faced by the female correctional officers. Question 28 of 30 Summarize the management problems that special need inmates pose for corrections officials?   For this study, the special â€Å"populations are defined as those prisoners who exhibit unique physical, mental, social, and programmatic needs that distinguish them from other prisoners and for whom jail and prison management and staff have to respond to in nontraditional and innovative ways† (Stojkovic, 2005, p. 3). Correction officials are most often unable to effectively manage and supervise special need population of prisoners. The methods of management of the special need prisoners by the correctio nal leaders are many times questioned. Traditional methods of treatment of prisoners will not suit special needs inmates. In the traditional method, the issues of physical and mental health are not primary consideration. If the special needs population has to be effectively managed, the existing policies will have to be altered and innovative methods adopted.

Chose an interesting topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chose an interesting topic - Essay Example This leads Alice to be even more frustrated than she was in earlier chapters. While on the surface the way of life in Wonderland seems strange to Alice, this is perhaps because she is not really at home. Not being from Wonderland means that she cannot really understand the mindset of the critters that reside in the area. In this way, she grows increasingly mad at the actions that are taking place around her, when she should be soaking up what is being said and trying to understand what is really happening. Take the fact, for example, that every question Alice asks in chapters six and seven is met with a nonsensical answer. This is completely alien to Alice’s way of life. She was raised, the reader is lead to believe, in a world that has purpose and direction. In her mind, Wonderland lacks both. Her questions, while logical in her former world, are actually illogical to the animals in Wonderland. In this way, the animals and Alice continue to go back and forth, until Alice is on the verge of giving up. It is quite interesting to watch this ‘battle of the minds’ and consider how it will play out through the remainder of the

Outsourcing prisoners to other countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Outsourcing prisoners to other countries - Essay Example Outsourcing typically refers to contracting out a range of public services and/or responsibilities to other private organizations or entities in order to achieve different types of benefits such as correctional expenditures, reduce costs, reduce crime, improve law and order, and achieve other types of correctional measures. From the perspective of criminology, according to the National Council on Crime and Delinquency indicated that the practice of state and local correctional agencies contracting with private entities for medical, mental health, educational, food services, maintenance and administrative office security functions have shown significant rise; notably, the correctional agency maintains control over policy decisions and the quality of service provided by the private agency, using a monitor to maintain policy control and management of the private facility (Price, 2006). The most significant reasons for outsourcing parts of work or entire work to other units are reduced costs and increased profits along with improved efficiency in yield. Williamson’s (1975) analysis indicated that independent, competing service providers are potentially more economical and innovative than captive workers (cited in Mahoney, 2005; p.72). Besides these, work and services obtained from prisoners is said to be beneficial for taxpayers by reducing recidivism and promoting social duty to help criminals return to the society, with the use of cheap labor (Hollis, 2008). Overall, it can be concluded that outsourcing prisoners to other locations/countries cannot be equated with outsourcing of other services owing to the potential disastrous impact that outweighs its intended advantages.

Same-Sex Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Same-Sex Marriage - Essay Example According to the paper findings same sex marriage has undergone numerous milestones from the initial secretive affair which was prohibited by cultural and religious beliefs of the society to an open affair where weddings are done in public. The coupes are recognized as a man and wife despite the same sexes. This issue is openly against the norms; however, it has found its way to acceptance and legalization. The first time, when same –sex was mentioned and performed was in 342, in the early Roman Empire. Nero became the first emperor to marry a man. He later married two other males in different occasions. As the report declares there have been various perspectives on the legalization and acceptance of same-sex marriage. According to the religious views, the Bible defines marriage as a union of two people of opposite sex. This implies that same-sex marriage is a redefinition of marriage, which is contrary to the Bible. Most Christians have opposed this type of marriage based on ungodliness and against the word of God. This is opposition is reflected in most of the nations that have refused to recognize such marriages. The nations are well founded on religious beliefs. Similarly, the aspect of culture plays a critical role in reflecting what nature of morals a society should uphold. Most cultures across the world respect and recognize marriage between a woman and a man. This makes it difficult to accept marriage between two individual of same sexes. This is a taboo according to most cultures.

Mad Cow Disease Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mad Cow Disease - Case Study Example (see figure below). Preliminary information indicates that this most recent BSE case occurred in a13 year old beef cow from Alberta. Thus, this animal was born before the implementation of Canada's 1997 feed ban," Further elaborating that, "Through 2007, BSE surveillance has identified 15 cases in North America: three BSE cases in the United States and 12 in Canada. Of the three cases identified in the United States, one was born in Canada; of the 12 cases identified in Canada, one was imported from the United Kingdom (see figure above). Assuming that the proportions of animals sampled that were found to have BSE similarly reflect each country's BSE prevalence, the surveillance data indicate that the prevalence of BSE in Canada is well over 20-fold higher than that in the United States (see BSE Prevalence below). (CDC p.1). The following is a graph obtained from the CDC's webpage of those impacted within North America. The first known case of BSE in the United States was identified in December 2003. On December 23, 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a presumptive diagnosis of BSE in an adult Holstein cow from Washington State. This diagnosis was confirmed by an international reference laboratory in Weybridge, England, on December 25. Preliminary trace-back based on an ear-tag identification number suggested that the BSE-infected cow was imported into the United States from Canada in August 2001. The preliminary trace-back identification of the animal was later confirmed by genetic testing. On June 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced receipt of final results from The Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, England, confirming BSE in a cow that had conflicting test results in 2004. This cow was from Texas and represented the first endemic case of BSE in the United States. On March 13, 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the confirmation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in Alabama. The newly confirmed case was identified in a non-ambulatory (downer) cow on a farm in Alabama. The animal was euthanized by a local veterinarian and buried on the farm. The age of the cow was estimated by examination of the dentition as 10-years-old. It had no ear tags or distinctive marks; the herd of origin could not be identified despite an intense investigation (see Alabama BSE Investigation, Final Epidemiology Report, May 2006 [PDF - 105 KB]). (CDC p.1). History (B) "Mad cow disease spread widely among the cattle herds of England in the 1990's because cows were fed bone meal prepared from cattle carcasses to increase the protein content of their diet. Like the Fore, the British cattle were literally eating the tissue of cattle that had died of the disease," (Johnson p.677). Even earlier than that, "Research indicates that the first probable infections of BSE in cows occurred during the 1970's with two cases of BSE being identified in 1986. BSE possibly originated as a result of feeding cattle meat-and-bone meal that contained scrapie-infected sheep products. Scrapie is a prion disease of sheep. There is strong evidence and general agreement

Allen Ginsberg Essay Example for Free

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

British Chocolate Manufacturers Essay Example for Free

British Chocolate Manufacturers Essay After reading The History of Chocolate by Diner’s Digest it is easy to understand that the main idea of the story is about the history of chocolate. For example, how it all started and how it changed over the years. The history of chocolate a beverage and ended in a bar. To begin with the history of chocolate all started with the Olmecs, an ancient civilization, in southern Mexico which thrived from 1500 B.C. to 400 B.C. Then it got passed along to the Mayan civilization. The Mayans used chocolate mainly as a drink. They usually flavored it with herbs, spices, or even chili. Then they shaked it back and forth to make it foamy. Next came the Aztecs, they thought the beverage was beneficial to warriors in battle. Another way cocoa was used was in currency. There was an official Aztec document saying a list of price equivalents. Next, a descendant of Mayans, the Kekchi Mayans presented crates of chocolate to Prince Philip. It was all frothed and ready to drunk by the Europeans. When Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus classified the â€Å"cocoa bean† he gave it the scientific name of Theobroma which meant â€Å"food of the gods’† in Greek. Another manufacturer, Coenrad Van Houten, produced a way for making chocolate powder. He did it using hydraulic pressure to remove the natural fat from it. Then that produced a hard cake which was crushed into powder. This was then mixed with water to make a chocolate drink. Next came the Joseph Fry Son, British chocolate manufacturers, which was founded by a Quaker. The Quaker was a doctor before finding that company. In 1847 they discovered a way of converting melted cocoa butter to â€Å"Dutched† cocoa butter (which was sweetened). This would create a paste that would be pressed into molds. This created a bar that turned to be a big hit. Last Daniel Peter (Swiss Chocolate Manufacturer) unsuccessfully repeatedly tried to make a milk flavored chocolate. But in 1867 Henri Nestle created the first milk chocolate bar. The milk’s low water content, that he made, made it possible to not spoil in storage. Another company named Celia’s Confections produced chocolate covered cherries. But the military put 3-4 chocolate bars in soldier’s â€Å"D-ration†. It was meant to sustain the soldier. The chocolate bar came to be associated with peace. Today chocolate is a major industry in the world. Americans consume 3.1 billion pounds of chocolate. That’s 11.7 pounds per person! To sum it up the Olmecs found chocolate. Throughout the years it got changed and passed along to many civilizations. This is the the history of chocolate.

Unconscious Communication and Defence Mechanisms

Unconscious Communication and Defence Mechanisms According to Frayne[1] unconscious communication is one of the three types of communication, the other two being conscious and preconscious. To the clinician, it is critical to understand the full nature of unconscious communication, defence mechanisms and the manner in which these interact in the therapeutic environment[2]. The therapeutic environment is often prey to issues of transference, countertransference and a multitude of defence mechanisms. As a result, it is essential that the clinician understand how issues of transactional analysis impact both the patient and therapist. The therapeutic setting is one based on a close relationship, that of patient and clinician. Both parties bring their own beliefs and perceptions, personality, stages of development and behaviours to the therapeutic experience. As a result, both parties are prey to their own types of unconscious communication and use of various defence mechanisms. Frayne[3] states â€Å"Contemporary psychoanalytic interventions (require that) the analyst be able to work in that transitional field that joins the unconscious of the patient and the analyst.† This paper will highlight the many concepts involved in the roles of unconscious communication, defence mechanisms, transactional analysis and the transference and countertransference experience. In order to highlight these issues and how they can manifest themselves, this paper will present the case of B.A., a 13-year-old child who has been in the therapeutic setting for 5 months. Following the case presentation, topics will be explored in a reflective manner. Case Presentation B.A. is a 13-year-old Caucasian male who presented to the therapeutic setting as a result of maladaptive behaviour displayed at home and in the school setting. B.A. is one of four children born to working class parents, both of whom work a traditional 8:30 – 6:00 work day. B. A. is second oldest and the only male child. His other sisters are 15, 10 and 7 years of age, respectively. B.A. has had history of excellent grades, mostly As and a few Bs for the majority of his public education and has been cited as a good citizen by his teachers. Five months ago, B.A.s grades significantly dropped to near failing, his attitude was oppositional, he was frequently truant and B.A. became involved with numerous fights with other children. When school counsellors brought the issues to B.A.s parents, his parents acknowledged that B. A. changed at home as well, being oppositional and defiant. Both his teachers and parents cited increased frequency of lying and his parents stated â€Å"It is getting impossible to tell the difference between when he is telling us the truth or a lie. We wonder if he even knows the difference anymore, whether he believes his lies really are the truth.† Upon closer familial examination, B. A.s parents admitted they had been having marital problems, including issues of betrayal and infidelity such that there have been â€Å"regular loud shouting matches† and arguments in the house. During those times B.A. would stay in his room and turn the volume on his stereo up, causing more stress within the household. The infidelity was first uncovered six months ago at which time B.A.s parents discussed divorce options, which B. A. overheard. A precipitating incident involving night time vandalism four months ago at his school led to court involvement and mandated psychological counselling for a period of one year. The reflective nature of this paper is based on two months of bi-weekly therapeutic sessions. Unconscious Communication Frayn[4] tells us that unconscious communication can only be inferred, as it cannot be tangibly seen, but only sensed in the therapeutic setting, primarily during those times of silence. There were many times that B.A. maintained his silence, primarily during those times when he was challenged to explain his behaviour, justify his actions or explain his thought processes. Although his overt actions during these silent periods could be interpreted as insolent behaviour, there was no way to truly know what unconscious mechanisms were engaged, but a series of defence mechanisms were evident in his therapy and were inferred as greatly influenced by the unconscious process[5]. Defence Mechanisms Frayn[6] believes that unconscious processes are often a form of â€Å"acting out† in the therapeutic environment, in particular those under age seven, where children find it easier to act instead of talk[7]. This is particularly evident in the transactional analysis approach when dealing with dysfunctional or challenged adolescents, like B.A. who respond with childlike reactions when stressed. In particular, Araujo, Feldman and Steiner[8] state that defence mechanisms are a function of age, sex and status of mental health. In particular, those unconscious actions and reactions are involuntary but serve to reduce a perceived threat as reality-distorting mechanisms postulated to form themselves in the unconscious[9]. Araujo et al. [10] state that youths with psychological issues have a tendency to display less mature defence mechanism such as â€Å"denial, projection, regression, passive aggression and displacement† even though they are considered ineffective coping stra tegies for an adolescent. More mature defence mechanisms are considered â€Å"sublimation, anticipation, affiliation, suppression and humour.† This concept is particularly important to the therapeutic environment as the defence mechanisms among mentally healthy early adolescents differ from the mentally healthy mid-adolescent. The older the individual on the child to mid-adolescent continuum, the less the patient should be employing immature defence mechanisms[11]. Similarly, the higher the level of emotional intelligence, the less one relies on maladaptive defence mechanisms that often prove inconsistent and illogical[12]. B.A.s impulsive and acting out behaviour coupled with his lies made therapy particularly difficult. Elaad[13] tells us that lying is a method of deceptive communication that provides an advantage to the deceiver, stating that those with poor social skills use methods of deception more frequently than others with lesser levels of guilt over their deception. From a transactional analysis standpoint, Elaad[14] states that the bad-child indulges in defence mechanisms that feel natural, as the ego state attem pts to rid itself of parental pressure. Clinicians need to be aware of developmental stages and influences, such as emotional intelligence in order to effectively intervene for the patient, especially if significant unconscious communication mechanisms are in place[15]. Given B.A.s familial discord, it was not difficult to see that when B.A. acted out or displayed other defence mechanisms, including his frequent lying, issues of transference were part of the therapeutic process. Transference The defence maturity model postulated by Vaillant[16] believes that defence projection is the result of unacceptable feelings or relations with another that are displaced and redirected away from one person and directed at a less-cared-for-person, often a therapist. For those patients experiencing unconscious emotions, many times patients will shift their unconscious feelings towards another person instead of dealing with them personally[17]. B.A. appears to be transferring and projecting his own unresolved parental/authoritarian conflicts on his therapist and although he displays occasional glimmers of wanting to please and receive the favour of his therapist and gain a feeling of security, the security he used to feel with his parents before the familial discord. Countertransference Haarhoff[18] tells us that for the therapist, an awareness of countertransference, whereby the therapist unconsciously projects their own unresolved conflicts on the patient can have negative repercussions and consequences if the therapist ignores â€Å"or fails to understand his or her own emotional reactions† including the inability to set limits with a patient, feel inhibited to discuss various topics and other manifestations of avoidant behaviour. As a therapist, issues of countertransference are also paramount in B.A.s therapy, as feeling of anger at being lied to or suspecting that B.A. is lying during therapy sessions creates feelings of wasted time when time in for sessions is limited and B.A. avoids various topics and time management is one of the personal stressors this writer experiences. Awareness of countertransference creates boundary issues with a therapist[19]. In particular with B.A., it appears that a more demanding and controlling nature seems to overshadow the therapeutic process. Conclusion The use of defence mechanisms in the therapeutic environment is important to identify, as, according to Reisner[20] different types of neuroses are associated with different types of defence mechanisms. For example, those who are high in hysterical identifiers are more likely to employ repression as a defence mechanism where those who are obsessive compulsive, considered sensitizers, are hypervigilant to any kind of threatening stimuli[21]. Feldman and Steiner[22] believe that the more a therapist knows about defence mechanisms, particularly those who deal with children and adolescents, that knowledge can be used to predict levels of pathology among their patients. Aalto-Setala et al. [23] tell us that unconscious behaviours, such as communication and defence mechanisms are associated with an effort by the patient to manage their conflict. In particular, researchers found that the greater levels of immature defence mechanism use by adolescents â€Å"is associated with the onset of mood disorders in adults[24].† Successful therapeutic intervention must assess both conscious and unconscious communication in the patient and therapist. Bibliography Aalto-Setala, Terhi, Lonnqvist, Jouko, Poikolainen, Kari and Tuulio-Henriksson, Annamari. Psychological Defence Styles in Late Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A Follow-up Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1997. Araujo, Katy B., Feldman, S. Shirley and Steiner, Hans. Defense Mechanisms in Adolescents as a Function of Age, Sex, and Mental Health Status. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1996. Cashwell, Craig S., Schweiger, Wendi K. and Watts, Randolph H., Jr. Fostering Intrinsic motivation in Children: A Humanistic Counseling Process. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development. 2004. Clark, Arthur J. Scapegoating: Dynamics and Interventions in Group Counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development. 2002. Elaad, Eitan. Detection of Deception: A Transactional Analysis Perspective. The Journal of Psychology. 1993. Feldman, S. Shirley and Steiner, Hans. Two Approaches to the Measurement of Adaptive Style: Comparison of Normal, Psychosomatically Ill, and Delinquent Adolescents. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1995. Frayn, Douglas H. Unconscious Communication and its Relational Manifestations in the Analytic Process. Canadian Journal of Psychoanalysis. 1998. Haarhoff, Beverly A. The Importance of Identifying and Understanding Therapist Schema in Cognitive Therapy Training and Supervision. New Zealand Journal of Psychology. 2006. Jones, Alun C. Transference and Countertransference. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. 2004. Murray, Robert J. The Therapeutic Use of Forgiveness in Healing Intergenerational Pain. Counseling and Values. 2002. OReilly-Knapp, Marye and Erskine Richard G. Core Concepts of an Integrative Transactional Analysis. Transactional Analysis Journal. 2003. Pellitteri, John. The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Ego Defense Mechanisms. The Journal of Psychology. 2002. Pires dos Santos, Manuel J. Countertransference in Psychotherapy and Psychiatry Today. Presented at the XXII Brazilian Congress of Psychiatry, Salvador B. A., Brazil. October 2004. Reisner, Andrew D. Repressed Memories: True and False. The Psychological Record. 1996. Footnotes [1]D. Frayn, Unconscious Communication and Its Relational Manifestations in the Analytic Process, Canadian Journal of Psychoanalysis, 1998) 207. [2]Frayn 208. [3]Frayn 207. [4]Frayn 208. [5]Frayn 210. [6]Frayn 211. [7]Frayn 211. [8]K. B. Araujo, S. S. Feldman and H. Steiner, Defense Mechanisms in Adolescents as a Function of Age, Sex and Mental Health Status, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1996. [9]A. Freud 1966 as cited by Araujo et al. [10]K. B. Araujo et al. 1996. [11]K. B. Araujo et al. 1996. [12]J. Pellitteri, The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Ego Defense Mechanisms, The Journal of Psychology, 2002. [13]E. Elaad, Detection of Deception: A Transactional Analysis Perspective, The Journal of Psychology, 1993. [14]Elaad 1996. [15]Pellitteri 2002. [16]Vaillant, 1986 as cited by S. S. Feldman and H. Steiner, Two approaches to the Measurement of Adaptive Style: Comparison of Normal, Psychosomatically Ill and Delinquent Adolescents, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1995. [17]Pellitteri, 2002. [18]B. A. Haarhoff, The Importance of Identifying and Understanding Therapist Schema in Cognitive Therapy Training and Supervision, New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 2006. [19]Haarhoff 2006. [20]A. D. Reisner, Repressed Memories: True and False. The Psychological Record, 1996. [21]Reisner 1996. [22]Feldman and Steiner 1995. [23]Aalto-Setala et al. 1997. [24]Feldman and Steiner 1995; T. Aalto-Setala, J. Lonnqvist, K. Poikolainen and A. Tuulio-Henriksson, Psychological Defense Styles in Late Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A Follow-up Study, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997.

Analysis of the Black Codes 1865-66 Essay -- Slavery, Inexpensive Labo

The Black Codes were legal statutes and constitutional amendments enacted by the ex Confederate states following the Civil War that sought to restrict the liberties of newly free slaves, to ensure a supply of inexpensive agricultural labor, and maintain a white dominated hierachy. (paragraph 1) In southern states, prior to the Civil War they enacted Slave Codes to regulate the institution of slavery. And northern non-slave holding states enacted laws to limit the black political power and social mobility. (paragraph 2) Black Codes were adopted after the Civil War and borrowed points from the antebellum slave laws as well as laws in the northern states used to regulate free blacks. (paragraph 3) Eventually, the Black Codes were extinguished when Radical Republican Reconstruction efforts began in 1866-67 along with the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment and civil rights legislation. The lives of the Black Codes did not have longevity but were significant. (paragraph 3) Although each ex-Confederate state enacted its own set of codes, all of them shard certain features such as they ...

Teaching Philosophy :: Education Teachers School Essays

Teaching Philosophy I feel that education is not only based on the basics, but built on them. To me, creative expression revolves somewhat around those basics that are taught and also around the areas in life that are unseen, or thought. Creativity opens a person’s mind, to not just focus on what has been taught to us, which is information stored in the left side of the brain, but also to utilize our own ideas and imagination to express ourselves, which utilizes the right side of the brain (which is rarely used in the average individual). By doing creative things that use the imagination, it helps to strengthen that part of the brain which has been weakened with time. As children we feed that part of the brain, all is growing at once. But once formal education is introduced, that vision is narrowed to the point that it becomes lost and usually never recovered. What we are taught contradicts vision in art and destroys the vision of an artist unless given the proper instruction an d guidance on how to combine the known knowledge acquired and what is seen in actuality. A class that offers this guidance but to have freedom in a pressure-free environment that allows for creativity is what I desire from my class because for me, the art program when I was a child lacked. Art was mostly for holidays, something to take home to your mom for a certain special occasion, not for individual expression. I think out of all the philosophies that would best suit my desires in an art class would be the existentialist approach. Existentialism rejects the existence of any source of objective, authoritative truth other than the individual themselves, in which that individual determines for themselves what is right / wrong, true / false, and beautiful / ugly. Existentialism fits perfectly for an art program in that it gives the student a chance to have freedom of thought to be as creative as they like without something/ someone controlling what they do. In the existentialist class, students are allowed to choose their own medium, like prose, poetry, art, or music, and evaluate their own performance and sometimes each others performance.

One Fat Summer - Analysis Of Important Theme Essay -- essays research

One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte, is a very good book for teenagers that feel insecure about themselves and have low self-esteem. In the book they will read about a young boy name, Bobby who overcomes his fears of being fat and being bullied by Willie, one that is much stronger then him physically, but not emotionally. The basic theme of this story is to stand up for yourself no matter the situation. Willie, the antagonist of the story accidentally makes Bobby overcome his fears and stand up to him. In a way Willie could be a protagonist because he helps Bobby overcome his fears. Willie is a crazy person that doesn't know what he is doing. It all started in the summer when Bobby, an overweight fifteen year old is embarrassed to take his clothes off and swim in the beach because he is embarrassed that people would make fun of his wobbly legs and stomach, yet that isn't the his worst fear. He had taken swimming lessons the last summer, but quit because he started to gain a lot of weight. He tries to ignore the nasty remarks people say about him, but they stay in his mind. He can sort of ignore it because his best friend, Joanie has the ugliest nose on the face of the earth, but she doesn't care a bit about what other people think, which makes her Bobby's mentor, kind of. Bobby finds himself a hard low paying job. It doesn't matter to him how much it pays, but he wants to feel secure about himself that he can do something in his life except eat. The job is to mow a lawn f...

Custom Snowboards Inc. Analysis Essay

European Expansion Historical Analysis To make a decision about expansion to Europe, we must first analyze past performance as an indicator about future performance. A historical analysis was completed on the company’s past balance sheets. Custom Snowboards Inc. has had increased net sales in the past three years. Net sales went up .23% in year 13 and .93% in year 14. Cost of goods sold (consisting of direct material, labor, and overhead) and in relation Gross Profit, also increased by the same percentages. Using the historical data, we use the trend analysis to determine what sales will be like in future years. The company’s trend analysis shows this increase in net sales and gross profit will continue well into year 17. Using base year 12, historical data shows an increase to 100.2% in year 13 and another .7% increase to 100.9% in year 14. Then to further review the upcoming year’s predictions, Custom Snowboards uses year 14 as the base year at $6,955,200. Year 15 increases to $7,163,856, a 3% increase. Year 16 slows slightly to $7,094,304, down a percent from year 15 but still an increase of 2% from the base year. Year 17 shows net sales at 103.7% of the base year 14 earnings. This indicates the compan y has worthy cost control in revenue. When reviewing European sales forecast for years 15-19, we see the same trend as with Custom Snowboards Inc. trend analysis. European net sales will increase from $1,391,040 to $2,423,748, or 74% during the 4 years. Using year 15 as the base year, in year 16, net sales are predicted to be 120%,  144% in year 17, 158% in year 18, and 174% in year 19. Operating Expenses. The selling expenses that include transportation out, sales commissions, and advertising increased at the same rate as revenue. The related increase fluctuates with units sold as it should. This is another indication the company can manage its cost control. The future operating expenses in the European Sales forecast indicate that advertising expenses will decrease and sales commissions, transportation out, factory manager/ staff expenses will increase as expected with an expansion. The overall selling and admin expenses move from $215,048 in year 15 to $251,480 in year 19. Using year 15 as the base, there is expected 7% increase by year 16, 15% increase by year 17, 11% in year 18 and ending with a 17% increase by year 19. Coupled with the increasing net sales, this continues to show positive cost control. General and admin expenses increased disproportionately. In year 13, the expenses increased an overall 7.24% and another 6.50% in year 14. The hardest hit areas in this area are the other general and admin expenses in year 13 and compensation in year 14 bringing the total operating expenses to an increase just over four percent each year. Since compensation increased, this could mean additional employees. More workers would explain why an increase in utilities. Since sales went up, it would be justified in the employee increase however, the percentages should be more similar. Expenses should have gone up a smaller percentage, one closer to the .23% and .93% numbers shown in net sales. Expenses growing at a faster rate than sales is poor cost control. Net earnings shows a trend of declining over the past few years by 25-30%. This decrease – and another unfortunate cost control – is mostly due to the decline in interest income. Interest went down 28% in year 13 and 90.63% in year 14. The interest income could be influenced by the fact that short term investments also declined in year 14 by 83.3%. Interest expenses decreased as well indicating that Custom Snowboards Inc. is paying the minimum payment on the amortization schedule instead of paying on the principle. Assets. Cash and cash equivalents increased for Custom Snowboards Inc. 114.2% in year 13 and another 30.6% in year 14. Consistent increase shows well for the company but since sales went up 23% in year 13 and .93% in year 14, the cash should have increased more in year 14 however, furniture, fixtures, and equipment went up 200,000 which means the company purchased more assets for the company. Custom Snowboards is putting the money back into the company without taking on more debt which indicates a decent cost control. Custom Snowboards most likely took money from their short term investments to pay for the furniture. The short term investments dropped significantly in year 14 by more than 80%. This caused a decrease in total current assets but the overall total assets remained healthily increasing, partly due to increase in finished goods and raw materials inventory. Overall, Custom Snowboards uses respectable cost control in assets. Liabilities. Accounts and notes payable increased proportionately to the net sales increasing total current liabilities by the same proportions. Mortgage payable decreased consistently over the three years as did other long term liabilities. Overall, liabilities continued to decrease over the three year period. Stockholders Equity increased over the three year period. Common stock remained steady at $200,000 ($1 par) and so did paid in capital. Retained earnings increased every year, a plus for the bank. Return on total assets, return on common equity, and price/ earnings ratio are significantly higher than the competition, Winter Sports. Overall the company remains stead and the bank can deduct from reviewing the financial statements that the company will continue to make strong decisions and increase net worth over the next few years. Cost Control Improvements Custom Snowboards has good cost controls in place however some improvements can be made. The company currently uses Traditional Cost Base (TBC) method by using a predetermined overhead rate and then costs are divided evenly  among the products regardless of what is actually used. This does not give a true picture of costs. For the most part this is working well but the company could use better cost control by implementing the Activity Based Costing method. In this method, overhead manufacturing costs are divided in a more rational and deliberate manner. Costs are allocated by how much it actually costs to make a specific product group. Each product would be placed in a group with other items with the same costs, regular vs personalized snowboards for example. This includes labor hours, machine costs, etc. Although the ABC method is more complex and time consuming, it will be worth it to Custom Snowboards. The company will be able to better assess how and where money is spent and drive down expenses and increase net earnings. In the specific case of Custom Snowboards two types of boards, regular and personalized, the ABC method helps the company manage its money. In traditional costing, the regular bikes are $119 per unit. The personalized snowboards are $162. However, using activity based costing, the regular bikes are only $105 per unit and the personalized units are $218 each. In total production costs, the company is spending $522119 more on regular bikes than it would using ABC, and [$522119] less than it should on personalized bikes. This shows that in TBC, too much money is allocated for the regular snowboards, and not enough for the personalized units. The company needs to improve its cost controls with the ABC method to decrease expenses and increase profits. Another way the company can control more of its costs are to itemize and budget ore specifically. Line items like other general and admin expenses should be much smaller and contain items that are tracked. Having a more specific budget can also allow the company the opportunity to seasonalize its budget as well. Utilities may go up in the winter because of heat, or up in the summer due to air conditioning. Snowboard sales are more likely to be higher in the months leading into winter than the summer months. Identifying seasonal funding requirements could save Custom Snowboards a lot of money and increase net profits. Custom Snowboards can control costs by using aggressive funding strategies versus conservative ones. The cost of long term financing is more expensive  than the cost of short term financing. Being aggressive in its borrowing, the company can lower interest expenses and raise net earnings. Short term investments are riskier because of the fluctuation in interest rates, but coupled with the tighter budget, the company should be able to predict when the best time to finance is. Day to day activities can help control costs for Custom Snowboards. Collecting account receivable as quickly as possible but not losing customers from high-pressure collections, better customer service, faster and more efficient mail, processing, and clearing time reduction when collecting from customers (collection and disbursement floats), and controlled disbursing, paying accounts payable slowly (but still on time to avoid credit damage) are all ways to accomplish better cost control. Inventories should be classified into three categories: raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods. Proper management should be strictly enforced to ensure funds are used wisely by keeping inventory low, but having enough inventory on hand to quickly fill orders and prevent production delays. This is in direct relation to knowing the seasonal demands of the products and predicted sales. If the company uses the ABC method, it can use the calculation Total Cost=(OxS/Q) + (Cx Q/2) where O = order cost per order, S = usage in units per period, and Q = order quantity in units. A re-order point (including lead time) should be set by management to determine when more materials should be purchased so as to not upset the balance. The just in time (JIT) management system is ordering materials so they arrive at exactly the moment they are needed for production. This minimizes inventory investment but also takes extensive coordination with near perfect quality and consistency to be successful. The company must work with suppliers and shipping companies to ensure correct arrival times in addition to internal controls to make sure the correct items are ordered on time. Both Custom Snowboards’ raw materials inventory and finished goods inventory increased over the past three years. The JIT method will help the company keep these numbers under control. Risks Custom Snowboards is considering expansion into Europe either through merging with or acquiring European SnowFun, or by simply building a new facility. Mergers happen to improve a company’s share value, expand externally, diversify produce lines, reduce taxes, and increase owner liquidity. With the benefits of a merger, there are risks. The CEO of Custom Snowboards is concerned about internal operations risks associated with an expansion to Europe. She is also concerned about Custom Snowboards reaction to external risks encountered by the expansion as well. Internal risks Custom Snowboards faces could have a negative impact on the daily operations of the company. These are the risks from circumstances the company has control over. For this merger, Custom Snowboards will need to consider internal loss of focus on current operations, cultural differences including the language barrier, different financial reporting systems, different customers, new monetary system, and new management. Although the culture is an external factor, the way the company handles the risk is internal. The culture of the new market is vastly different and will need new strategies to continue sales regardless if the expansion is a merger or not. If Custom Snowboards does not understand its new customer base, it could lose sales quickly plummeting the company into bankruptcy. To mitigate this risk, research and development will need to do some work to help management communicate with a new market; associates, suppliers, shipping companies, etc. Some gestures and nuances we use in the United States may not be used in Europe or vice versa. Something we think rude, may be acceptable there. They could be offended by something innocent to us resulting in sales loss. The marketing department will also need to adjust the way it relates to customers. What sells in American, may not see in Europe. The use of multiple new languages will also need to be addressed. Bilingual employees, particularly the customer service representatives would be beneficial and help mitigate the risk of losing customers to a language barrier. It will also help the employees communicate with each other as  many current employees will have to go to setup the expanded portion of the company. A look into the competition will assist the company quite a bit as well. Increased costs in everyday business. Translators, new paperwork in different languages etc. must be mitigated with pre-planning and research. The company will need to complete new reports using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFSR) which could also be a costly change for the company. Even worse, the change in accounting standards could prove to be more costly if reported incorrectly. Proper training and understanding of the new system will mitigate this risk. All monies will need to be converted to the current system in that country as well. All costs should be pre-budgeted to ensure the company has enough cash flow for start-up costs as well as an operating budget. Realistic business plans should be in place. Hiring an outside local agency to assist in the accounting the first few years may be a smart way to invest into the company and mitigate the cost risk associated with an international expansion. With all the focus on getting the new part of the company up and running smoothly, there is a tendency to let the current operations fall behind. Oftentimes companies will send their best people to assist with the expansion leaving behind employees who can barely keep the current operations afloat. This leads to missed deadlines, mismanagement of operations, and quality control issues. To mitigate this risk, the company should find a balance of more experienced employees as well as less seasoned ones for the project team. The new management team can also be a risk to the company as foreign markets have different business practices. Business mistakes could cost the company money or its reputation. Inexperienced in how the company works, the new team will need lots of training. Custom Snowboards can mitigate this risk by ensuring an extensive training program is available as well as hiring qualified individuals in European business practices as well as those of the US. Offering some current employees benefits to work in Europe until the expansion portion of the company is up and running will also benefit the  company. Keeping in mind of course, the balance of current operations and those of the expansion. The new management team may also have different management styles. This could be good for the company as it tries to adopt the European market business culture. In addition to cultural barriers, another external risk is the local laws and regulations of the expansion country. In addition to the IFSR, there are specific laws that must be followed. This includes local labor, wage laws. Without knowing these laws, the company could inadvertently break them, leading to large fines, legal action against them, or being disallowed from doing business there. The best way to mitigate these risks are to educate, educate, educate. Custom Snowboards must learn the new laws and ensure everyone is trained on following them. A quality team should be in place to follow up on compliance as well as a consultant to get things going. External market plays a role in the success of the expansion. GDP growth rate, interest rates, consumer growth rate, the unemployment rate, etc. can all effect business for the company whether it is in the form of shipping costs or sales. To mitigate this risk, the company should do a thorough analysis of the market and benchmarks set prior to making the commitment to expand. The company should also take into consideration any political issues in the new country as this could cause instability and effect the market. So do government regulations and tariffs so Custom Snowboards should research, analyze, and be prepared. Potential Returns To make the most informed decision about expanding to Europe, we must look at the potential returns for the investment. The company will fund the expansion through increasing capital structure. To analyze potential returns, we look at net present value (NPV) and internal rate of returns (IRR). The NPV measures profitability which is the main goal of any business. It identifies the dollar amount the company will make from the project, using the current rate. An in depth look at Custom Snowboards capital budget reveals the NPV for the expansion via a new facility is $167,479. A positive NPV is an indication the company should move forward with the expansion. Had the NPV been zero, or less, the venture should have been rejected. An analysis of NPV for the merger has not been conducted. The IRR, also known as the expected rate of return, is the point in which the project’s cash flow equals cost. This too will tell Custom Snowboards if the venture will be profitable. The hurdle rate set by Custom Snowboards is 10%. Which means if the IRR falls below that, the company does not feel the investment is worthwhile. If the IRR is above 10%, the company should move forward. The IRR for Custom Snowboards was analyzed for years 15 through 19 with $1,000,000 investment, the IRR is 14.4%. This indicates the company should move forward with the expansion. Both potential returns indicators demonstrate Custom Snowboards the expansion is a viable option and should be moved on. The company should accept the project as the expected return on investment would prove a significant asset. Merger vs Acquisition Since the company knows now that an expansion is the way to go, it must then decide if a merger is appropriate. The growing percentage of total sales is expected to continue rising. The company can opt to expand to Europe by way of building a new manufacturing facility with a lease option or by merging with SnowFun, a European company. Custom Snowboards can also acquire SnowFun. SnowFun’s product is less durable but offers a personalized paintjob that increases sales. Custom Snowboards Inc. uses 10% hurdle rate for capital budgeting and expansion decisions. Merge. The IRR discussed earlier indicates the merger will be a profitable decision for the company at 14.4%. The NPV for the merger was established at $167,479, both indicating the merger will be profitable. Merging with SnowFun means  shareholders of SnowFun would stock swap three of their existing shares for one share of the combined company. The stock purchase price for the company after merger would be $2.40 per share. SnowFun has 300,000 currently outstanding. Which would mean 100,000 shares of Custom Snowboards would now be owned by former SnowFun shareholders, diluting the shares owned by Custom Snowboards stockholders. Expected earnings per share (EPS) after a merger would decrease .06 to .92. The EPS for European SnowFun is currently at a low .27 but will increase dramatically to .92. The company would have to decide if the value decline in EPS for Custom Snowboards is worth the increase from European SnowFun stocks. Positively, the merge would provide the company with pre-established workforce, facilities, and customers. As discussed, this can also be a risk to the company. Build. Building a new facility means spending $800,000 on building and equipment and, $200,000 working capital is required for startup. The build option will increase assets for the company while simultaneously return profits. The build option will cause the company to incur debt. Custom Snowboards has decided that if this option is chosen, the company will fund the expansion through increasing capital structure. The company would raise capital by issuing long term debt, sale of common stock, or a combination of both. All of these options effect the company’s financial leverage. It is recommended that both be done to maximize the value of the company for shareholders. Custom Snowboards could enter into a sale-leaseback at 6%, or purchase a preexisting facility over time, also at 6%. The shorter term lease would be the most beneficial to the company. The annual loan payment would be $189,917.12 versus the annual lease payment would be $195,000. The $5,082.88 yearly difference is an acceptable risk in this venture as the lease option preserves more working capital. The lease option requires cash outflows of $653,355 while the purchasing option requires outflows of $809,409, a $156,054 difference. Custom Snowboards Inc. can reinvest that money back into the company. This option provides tax advantages rather than paying property taxes. The purchasing option will have the company pay property taxes but will also provide advantages by way of depreciation. Acquire. The total present value for an acquisition is $732,522. After a $720,000 purchase price, this would put the NPV for acquisition as $12,522. This makes an acquisition a profitable measure as well. This option is less expensive up front and still increases the company’s assets. Acquiring SnowFun would also mean a stock purchase price of $2.40 per share. With 300,000 outstanding shares, that means $720,000. This option also provides the benefits of an established workforce, facilities, and customers, and the risk that comes with that. Recommendation Based on the analysis above, it is my recommendation that Custom Snowboards expand to Europe using the build with leasing option building the most working capital than the other options. The NPV indicates the investment will have a positive return on investment as does the IRR. A merger or acquisition would eliminate SnowFun as a threat however their inferior product and outstanding stocks would decline business for Custom Snowboards. The risk of the preexisting structures and products is greater than the company should accept. The tax advantages would contribute to the working capital of the company. The excess working capital the company gains from the expansion, can be placed back into the company, covering the startup costs. As the company builds its own reputation in Europe, a future acquisition may be more feasible. Custom Snowboards product is higher quality therefore, it may force SnowFun into a position of being acquired at a lower rate in the future. In selecting this option, the company must lastly choose how to fund the decision. There are a few ways to finance the build. The capital structures are: 100% long term debt, 30% long term debt and 70% common stock, 80% long term debt and 20% common stock, and 100% common stock with no long term debt. The long term debt will yield an average .47 earnings per common stock (EPCSS). The least beneficial to the stakeholders. In year 15, the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) is $81,912, the income available for common stock is $10,809, bringing the EPCSS to .054. In year 16, the EBIT is $134,544, the income available for common stock is $50,283, and the EPCSS is .251. In year 16, this option  yields the best results. In year 17 with an EBIT of $198,116, the income available for common stock is $97,962, and the EPCSS is .490, .703 in year 18 with EBIT $254,959 and $140,594 income available for common stock, and with an EBIT of $295,639 and $171,104 income available for common stock in year 19, a yield of .856. Using the long term debt option will look the least beneficial to the stakeholders in the first year, but then maintains the best return for all subsequent years. The 30/70 option will yield in year 15, an EPCSS of .084, .156 in year 16, .243 in year 17, .320 in year 18, and .376 in year 19. This is the second best option in year 15 but in the middle for the other years. On average, this option will yield .236 EPCSS, making this the second worst option. The 80/20 option will yield an EPCSS of .070 in year 15, .201 in year 16, .360 in year 17, .502 in year 18, and .604 in year 19. This option isn’t bad in year 18 but not the best for the other years. This option will yield .347 on average. The no debt option will yield an EPCSS of .088, the most beneficial in year 15. In year 16, the EPCSS is .144, .212 in year 17, .273 in year 18, and .317 in year 19 making this the least beneficial of all the options the rest of the years. Over the course of the 5 years, this option will yield .207 EPCSS, the least return of all options. Although the benefits start slow with a lower EPCSS in year 15, my recommendation is to fund the build with the long term debt option. Although the 100% common stock option produces more income available for common stock, the long term debt option will yield the highest returns at an average EPCSS of .477. Longevity will prove to work best in this scenario. Over time, this option will yield the most benefits to the stakeholders. Securing capital in this way will ensure the highest earnings, producing more income for common stock money for future investment into the company.