Saturday, August 31, 2019

Why Fat People are Funny In Hollywood

The quote listed in the title comes from 2009 box-office hit The Hangover. The events that incite Mr. Chow (played by Ken Jeong) to say laughing â€Å"it's funny because he's fat† feature Alan Garner (played by Zach Galifianakis) charging at Mr. Chow, who is stomping on Alan's satchel, and exclaiming â€Å"Hey! There are skittles in there! † (Hangover 76:55; 76:45). In return Alan is punched in the stomach by one of Mr. Chow's henchmen, causing Mr. Chow to laugh hysterically and simultaneously slip â€Å"it's funny because he's fat† out of his mouth (Hangover 76:55).Clearly in the scene, the overweight character, Zach Galifianakis, is the butt of the joke as he is punched very hard in the stomach and then laughed at for his stupidity and weight. In modern movie making, overweight comedians have had a critical role in humor in films. Stars such as John Black, Seth Rogen, and Zach Galifianakis are modern examples of such characters, but in the last thirty years, ma ny other large comedians have developed and popularized similar roles in films.The overweight funny man in film has evolved into a more personal, relatable character due largely in part to their accurate reflection of the United States obesity problem. These characters have also created their own genre, a genre that has evolved out of slapstick comedy, yet remains in the realm of realism. This genre, which often involves immature and physical pain, yet remains plausible and not fake (like earlier slapstick humor), continues to bring new fans to the cinema and create greater love for this group of comedians.This paper will explain funny fat people's emergence, humor, and popularity in American cinema. Evolution of Slapstick Comedy in Films When was the first comedy film? John Montgomery suggests it â€Å"may well have been Fred Off's Sneeze, filmed in 1894 by William K. L. Dickson. The film was produced for Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope Company in the ‘Black Maria' Kinetographic Theatre which Dickson built for Edison in West Orange, New Jersey† (Montgomery 17). This film was released just three years after Edison's invention of the Kinetoscope in 1891.It is not a coincidence that a comedic piece of film was released soon after the production of the moving picture, but it simply suggests the necessity of comedic entertainment in American culture. From the early days of film, comedy became a staple on American cinema. In the early twentieth century, films were silent and featured many comedies. The initial type of comedy featured was slapstick comedy, which â€Å"was a gift to America from France† (Durgnat 67). The term slapstick evolved from â€Å"the double paddles formerly used by circus clowns to beat each other.The loud crack of the two paddle blades as they crashed together could always be depended upon to produce laughter and applause† (Dale 1). Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated physical violence and activities wh ich exceed the boundaries of common sense. The first American slapstick comedy producer was Mack Sennett, who with the help of actor/producer Charlie Chaplin, created many hilarious films loved by the American people (Durgnat 70). In these films, there was no audio component, requiring all humor to be dependent on physical actions (Montgomery 18).Raymond Durgnat states that â€Å"in early Chaplin, Dough and Dynamite (1915), the human body is all but reduced to an apparatus for punching, kicking, ducking and dodging† (Durgnat 69). Chaplin has been considered the â€Å"master clown† and in 1916, Chester Conklin, an actor and comedian, stated â€Å"without a doubt the one person who has been most successful in making people laugh is Charlie Chaplin† (Montgomery 108). Chaplin and others continued to produce silent slapstick comedy films through the Roaring Twenties, a time when film became increasingly popular and very successful.In 1926, Warner Brothers introduced the first film with audio attached. Because of the imperfections of the initial product and smaller budgets in the 1930s due to the Great Depression, films with an audio component remained imperfect, allowing silent films to retain their popularity and stay popular and not outdated. Following Chaplin and the others of the first generation of slapstick comedy was the Three Stooges: Larry Fine (born Louis Fienberg), Moe Howard (born Moses Horwitz), and Curly Howard (born Jerome Horwitz) (Matlin 163). This trio continued to produce popular short films and a few feature films until the late 1950s.The Three Stooges were the last true slapstick comedians, where Leonard Matlin argues that the use of â€Å"clever scripting and direction places the physical burden on others but still gives the Stooges elbowroom in which to clown† (Matlin 168). The Three Stooges were some of the last slapstick films, which essentially died out as many other forms of comedy emerged onto the film scene. One of these styles of humor Louise Dobson describes in a 2006 edition of Psychology Today as ‘hate-me humor', a style in which â€Å"you are the butt of the joke for the amusement of others† (Dobson 76).She continues stating this character is often the â€Å"familiar clown† or â€Å"fat guy† and includes examples like John Belushi and Chris Farley (Dobson 76). Dobson directly identifies the â€Å"fat guy† as an example of such comedy because of how popular these comedians have become. From this article it is evident that funny fat people are essential to American comedy, so much so that the author is able to classify them as the ‘fat guy' and American readers are able to identify with popular overweight comedians. Although there appears to be a reasonable argument that this comedy genre  falls into ‘hate-me-humor', I would suggest that these comedians exist as an of slapstick comedy.The laughs these characters receive come from the sa me qualities the original slapstick comedians, like Charlie Chaplin, shared. Raymond Durgnat describes this stating â€Å"Slapstick comedians are childlike, and in consequence act out the impulses which as adults we suppress† (Durgnat 72). If you replace Durgnat's word ‘slapstick' with overweight, the sentence would read: overweight comedians are childlike, and in consequence act out the impulses which as adults we suppress.Looking at many overweight comedians we see that this very well could be the case. The characters impulsive and childish actions are very common in their films (many examples to follow in next section) and generate laughs similar to those of traditional slapstick humor. In recent years, no director has released a true slapstick comedy film. The genre has been avoided (except in children's cartoons) in movies perhaps because the producers believe that the modern American culture is too advanced for this immature, simplistic, outdated humor.In reality, current comedy has progressed into a new form of slapstick comedy, where the exaggerations have been toned down and the humor has become a little more realistic. Looking through the last four decades we can see countless examples of films featuring this realistic slapstick humor. These characters tend to be lovable, goofy, wild and consistently overweight. Modernization of Slapstick Comedy: Realistic Physical Humor. In order to analyze the continuation of slapstick humor in American cinema, a look at the period immediately following the Three Stooges (the last true slapstick productions) is essential.In 1963, the release of the first Pink Panther film, starring Peter Sellers marked a new era for slapstick comedy. The Pink Panther series stretched nearly two decades with Sellers as the star, relied on slapstick humor, yet remained plausible. Most scenes from the Pink Panther movies are absurd and over the top in every manner, yet the events of the plot could be realistic, creating a new breed of slapstick comedy. At the end of the Pink Panther's dominance, National Lampoon released Animal House in 1978, starring several actors including John Belushi.Following the release of the film, Belushi evolved as the work’s centerpiece providing countless hysterical events. In the movie, John ‘Bluto' Blutarsky (played by John Belushi) appeared in about a dozen scenes, yet is the most memorable character of the film through his ridiculous actions. In the movie he rarely speaks, and acts very childish, both parallel pieces of the earliest slapstick comedians. Belushi has a handful of memorable quotes and scenes, most of which are truly ridiculous, yet believable.He has several immature one line quotes including: â€Å"Toga! Toga! †, â€Å"Blow-job!†, â€Å"Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit! †, and â€Å"Food Fight! † (Animal House 44:00; 63:55; 30:25; 35:37). All of these quotes fit perfectly into the description of â€Å"childlike a nd in consequence act out the impulses which as adults we suppress† that the classic slapstick comedians possessed (Durgnat 72). Bluto continues to act wildly doing many things including falling off of a ladder trying to peep in a sorority window, crushing a beer can on his head, smashing a guitar someone else is trying to play, and chugging an entire bottle of Jack Daniel's and smashing it on a car.All of these actions are absurd and exaggerations of what any human might do in a similar scenario, yet all are possibly plausible. A last scene from Animal House that demonstrates the evolution of slapstick comedy begins with Bluto (Belushi) going through the lunch line where he stacks a ridiculous amount of food on his tray and in his pockets. While doing this he also stuffs enormous amounts of the food in his mouth, including a hamburger in one bite. He then proceeds to sit down at a table filled with some clean cut preppy students.There he is ridiculed for his eating habits and called a â€Å"P. I. G. pig† (Animal House 34:35). In response to being classified as a pig, he attempts to be a zit, stuffing his mouth with mashed potatoes and spraying everybody at the table by mashing his cheeks with his hands as seen in the following picture (Animal House 34:55): The focus of the scene is the unrealistic quantity and grossly unhealthy quality of food Belushi eats as well as the animalistic, childish manner in which he feasts.Following the incident he proceeds to be chased around the cafeteria, ultimately ending in a brawl and food fight. The sequence of events in this scene all are extremely humorous, yet very childish and exaggerated beyond what any viewer would expect from a twenty year old man. However, all of the actions in the scene are perfectly capable of being true, making this portion of the film extremely humorous in its realistic slapstick fashion. Nearly a decade later, in 1987, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles featured John Candy, another ov erweight comedian.In this film, the progression of slapstick comedy continues paralleling Belushi's contributions to the genre. Candy acts extremely childish and wildly, yet his actions remain plausible, exhibiting similar humor to that of John Belushi. In Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Candy's humor can fully be grasped in a scene on a commercial plane flight. On the plane, co-star Steve Martin has just been downgraded from first class to coach seating, and finds his seat next to John Candy. It quickly becomes clear that Candy fills up way too much of the seat, creating an uncomfortable situation.To make things worse Candy proceeds to take off his shoes in order to help relax, clearly releasing a disgusting odor observed by others in seats around him. He continues his gross movements by taking off his socks and spinning them around to air them out. When doing so, his dirty sock is very close to Steve Martin's face, and based on the expression on Martin's character it is clear that the sock smells wretched. This act is unbelievable, childish, and ridiculous, all similar characteristics of slapstick comedy.Later in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, John Candy continues to provide humor through another similar evolution of slapstick comedy, where he accidentally spills several beers on the bed in which he (who barely fits on the bed alone because of his enormous frame) and a complete stranger share. The move is very careless and results in an incredibly uncomfortable situation that makes the audience laugh hysterically because of the continuation of unfortunate events all linked to Candy's childish careless actions.A last scene from this film takes place in a rental car, after the duo (Martin and Candy) have managed to run into every problem possible on a trip to Chicago to get home for Thanksgiving. In the car, Candy attempts to get comfortable by tampering with the seat position. He uses the buttons on the side of the seat, jerking the seat around for a few mi nutes, failing to find a satisfactory position. Although Martin has persistently told him to stop and that he will break the seat, he continues on until ultimately he breaks the seat, making it uncomfortable and unmovable.Following the seat incident, he continues his path of destruction. After smoking a cigarette, he drops the butt out the window. However due to the wind, it blows into the back seat of the car ultimately sending the back seat up in flames and roasting the entire car. In this quick scene, Candy manages to act immaturely and rambunctiously resulting in the destruction of the car. The remains of slapstick comedy are clearly evident in this scene, climaxing with the unreasonable fate of the rental car.The absurdity of someone so overweight that he breaks a seat and the reality of seeing a car explode in flames seem like a moment from a slapstick cartoon, yet the film is completely plausible due to the overweight and clumsy nature of Candy. Following John Candy's death i n the early 1990s, Chris Farley emerged as the next overweight star, both on television and in a few Hollywood films. His humor was similar to that of John Candy and also very comparable to the works of John Belushi.In an article praising the life of Chris Farley following his death in Rolling Stone magazine, the author states â€Å"we talked about his hero and Saturday Night Live predecessor, John Belushi. It was well known that Farley had been obsessed with Belushi, and people loved making much of this fact, since the two seemed to share a love of certain rather common excesses† (Hedegaard 39). Looking at Tommy Boy, produced in 1995, John Belushi's influence on Chris Farley becomes apparent through Farley's role and performance in the film.In Tommy Boy, Chris Farley stars as the protagonist, an immature and dimwitted heir to an auto parts factory who must save the business to keep it from take-over and away from evil relatives. Throughout the film, Farley's childish actions bring laughs to audiences of all ages. To begin the film, Tommy (Chris Farley) is shown in a flashback as a young school boy rushing to class, late as always. In this scene he runs full speed into a glass sliding door, shouting â€Å"Holy Schnike! † (Tommy Boy 0:44). The film then skips several years and shows an older Tommy, in his seventh year of college.Although the older character is much larger (Chris Farley was very large), he mirrors the young middle school version of Tommy because he is pictured doing the same action: rushing to class (late again). In this scene, he is scene trying to take a short cut through some hedges, but runs full speed into a newly put up fence, hitting his head very hard and exclaiming â€Å"Holy Schnike! † again (Tommy Boy 2:02). From these scenes which mesh together, we can clearly see the immaturity of the character, yet the viewer gets many laughs through the physical pain Farley endures.These actions take place in the first minute of the film, and really set the tone for the rest of the movie. In the film, Tommy is seen acting very foolishly on many accounts: he consistently runs into sliding glass doors, he gets hit in the head with a two-by-four piece of construction wood, he hits his head on a forklift after not listening to his father say heads up, he slips and gets covered in cow manure when trying to go cow tipping, and he rips his friends blue blazer because he is too big for it. Consistently, Tommy releases very childish comments, and he is largely responsible for destroying his friend’s beloved car.In the film, the actions Farley takes mirror concepts that defined slapstick comedy. His childish and extreme actions are all very similar to this genre of comedy. Farley extends this comedy to make it more personal and relatable as the protagonist becomes more developed. His actions are all very extreme and in many incidents would cause physical pain. Although painful or ridiculous, all actions tha t take place in the movie could take place in real-life, making the audience relate to the comedy. In one scene in particular, Tommy pushes the realm of reasonable office behavior.In an attempt to sell auto products for his company, he acts out an anecdote with his customer's nice model cars. In his story he gives two examples of how a similar scene could play out with two different brakes. In the first action, the car has on Callahan Brake Pads (his company’s) and is able to stop in front of a obstacle that is suddenly in front of the car (a lighter also on the desk). While showing this action he has a complete narrative stating â€Å"You're drivin' along, la-de-da, woo. All of a sudden there's a truck tire in the middle of the road. And you hit the brakes. EEEEEEEEE!Whoa, that was close† (Tommy Boy 35:30). He then proceeds stating â€Å"Now let's see what happens when you're driving with the â€Å"other guy's†[does quotation marks with fingers] brake pads. Yo u're drivin' along, you're drivin' along, the kids start shouting from the back seat, ‘I gotta go to the bathroom, Daddy! ‘ ‘Not now, damn it! ‘ Truck tire. EEEEEEEE! I CAN'T STOP! † (Tommy Boy 35:45). He then rams the model car into the lighter smashing the car of the customer. Farley then gets really into the story acting out voices of a narrator, the kids, the parents, and eventually the paramedics who respond to the scene.In the scene, some of his quotes include â€Å"No! I can't feel my legs †¦ Here comes the meat wagon †¦ And the medic gets out and says, ‘Oh my God. ‘†¦ New guy's around the corner puking his guts out† (Tommy Boy 36:05). He also finishes the crash by setting the crushed car on fire with the lighter and calmly collects himself making his point casually stating â€Å"All because you want to save a couple extra pennies† (Tommy Boy 36:20). This scene is a clear example of Farley taking over a sc ene that could have easily been executed much more peacefully, maturely, and professionally.But the director and Chris Farley decided to execute the scene wildly and immaturely so that viewers see the scene in awe as they cannot believe how overdone he makes the episode. The film is full of scenes like this one, which leave the audience in shock at how a human could act in such a manner. They key to the humor brought about in the film is much like that of Belushi and Candy, it remains believable: although unlikely, all actions in the film could possibly occur in a person's life. Through looking at these three overweight comedians we see the progression of the same genre of comedy.The slapstick comedy that first featured Charlie Chaplin and other silent film comedians progressed into slapstick comedy with audio, like the Three Stooges. Following the Three Stooges, the horseplay that was extreme and in many ways violent and not possible for a person to survive, died out. In return, se veral years later comedians like Belushi rediscovered the art of making a career out of horseplay in every film or television show in which they appeared. Following the mold Belushi made, many other actors have morphed their careers into similar roles.Through the years the importance of the overweight comedian has grown dramatically. In 1978, John Belushi was a minor character in Animal House. Although his few scenes (around a dozen) are the most memorable from the film, his role contained very few lines and he was never intended to be the star of the film. Looking forward nearly a decade later, John Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles promoted his role to the supporting actor, though not the protagonist of the film.In this film, we learn much more about the character (a back story, his emotions, etc.) than we did of Belushi in Animal House. Belushi's character, Bluto, has apparently been in college for several years and the odds of him graduating appear slim. Other than this, we have no other information on the character. For Candy's character, Del, we find out much more about his life as a shower ring salesman as he appears in nearly every scene and is a much better developed character. Finally looking at Tommy Boy, released almost two-decades after Belushi, the American audience sees the fat wild character as the protagonist of the work.Chris Farley's character, Tommy, is the clear protagonist of the film (the film is even titled after the character's name). Farley's character has a well developed character, as the viewer is well informed of the character's entire family and Tommy's flaws and strengths. Why Overweight? Following in the footsteps of the unrealistic, unsurvivable slapstick comedy to the more plausible realistic feature films, the role of the fat comedian progressed to the center of the film. Perhaps the movement towards realism reflects American’s recognition of their own overweight society.The United States is the world's most ob ese country. In an attempt to explain this epidemic, Greg Critser published Fat Land: How Americans became the fattest people in the world. This work highlights new research that claims cheap fats and sugars as the source which causes our calories to stick and shows why children are too often the chief metabolic culprits of such foods. He clearly claims that we (Americans) have been telling ourselves lies about how much we can eat and how little we can exercise.He attempts to expose the nutritional value (or lack thereof) in schools as well as political and cultural forces that have caused American’s fitness to continue to decrease (Critser 23). Critser debunks all eating patterns and even diet books in an attempt to explain why they do not work and only supplement the obesity problem in the United States. Although a slightly humorous book, Critser's message is very serious; the lack of a balanced nutritional diet (which he provides to the best of his understanding) and reduc ed exercise has set a death trap for many people in America, leading to an obesity problem.Hollywood has capitalized on the acceptability of overweight people, and has used and continues to use actors bearing this unhealthy lifestyle in order to provide entertainment (usually humorous) to the United States (Critser 25). The comedians explored in the previous pages share one common obvious trait, their weight. John Belushi, John Candy, and Chris Farley were all obese. The reason why they were overweight will never be fully understood, whether it was genetics, poor eating, lack of exercise, pressures of society, or bad habits. The fact is that all these men were huge, and remained large until their respective deaths.Not only were all of these men overweight, they were also well loved. In a People Magazine article following the death of John Candy, the author concludes â€Å"in the end, of course, no one can say for certain whether diet and self-denial would have prolonged Candy's lif e a single day. Only one thing is sure: Already Candy is missed† (Harmes 97). Similarly in a Canadian magazine an author begins â€Å"While all of us feel as though we've lost someone we knew personally,† showing another example of the attachment fans had with such comedians (Candy in both of these instances) (The Untimely Passing 9).Like Candy, Chris Farley had his fair share of praises in a Rolling Stone Magazine stating â€Å"almost everyone loved Farley, and it was a genuine love, not a Hollywood love† (Hedegaard 40). Through these accounts praising the lives of such overweight comedians, it becomes clear that the actors really connected with their audience and gained a sincere affection from their fans. The love they generated came through both the laughs they consistently provided America as well as their big loving appearance.Perhaps people connected with the characters because they thought their enormous build made them more resilient and therefore they c ould endure the slapstick comedy they provided. Maybe the reason they were admired was because their large appearance was not the typical Hollywood ‘Barbie'-like figure that so many stars posses, but a reflection of how America really looks: overweight. Or, perhaps their size made them more human because they embodied the flaws in all of us. By the simple act of laughing at and with them, the audience is put at ease and feels better about their own shortcomings.In any case, the success of these comedians came through their realistic appearance on stage. The people and actions in these films could occur in everyday American lives. The men were not living a sophisticated lifestyle and did not have special skills; they portrayed an overweight male (which is common in the United States) and shined in immature and physical humor evolving the slapstick genre that has been a staple of American comedy films since their beginning a century ago.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Cyber Crime Law

On March of 1994, Internet connection was brought to the Philippines. Only few people were familiar with the world wide web and was use only for basic communication such as email. Years have past and for the past 18 years almost all Filipinos are familiar with the internet. Using it not only for communication but also for video streaming, research, news, gaming and etch. It is now part of the lifestyle of 30% of the population of Filipinos. Our country even made it to top 20 nation using the internet, along with China, United States of America and United Kingdom.The internet has been very useful and its occurrence is seen as one of the most wonderful invention of all time. But as it widens, it's usage also became more useful to some opportunist, thefts and other criminals. Cyber bullying, identity theft, cyber harassment, violation of rights and many more offenses is now happening because of the availability of the internet. Now The Cyber Crime Prevention Act of 2012 or simply known as Cyber Crime Law had been pushed to legalization.However, the Cyber Crime Prevention Act gathered many criticisms and issues. Pouring comments about the topic were seen in many social media networks in the Philippines on the day of the act's effectivity. Some were in favor but many protests. Internet users also known as netizens criticizes the law. Cyber crime law was a good idea although some of the content is a redundancy such a the Child Pornography which was already implemented since the year 1975 and the revise in year 2009 in addition with the use of computer while committing the crime.Another issue that broke was when online libel was added. The said part of the law will be able to criminalize social media comments and post, blogs or news article uploaded on the web whenever you found it offensive. The penalty for the said crime was doubled from the original libel laws and this is scary for many politician might use this to silent their critics. What about our freedom of sp eech?On the Philippine Constitution of 1987 Article III Section 4 states that â€Å"No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. † It is clear that that in our constitution, freedom of speech is part of our democracy. It is just right that our Supreme Court releases a temporary restraining order against the cyber crime law. It needs revision and a whole new study regarding every atter of its content. Cyber Crime Law is not bad, it's just not so precise nor accurate. The law apparently has great intentions of preventing violations of human rights within the cyber world. However, preservation of human rights with this system violates a very important rights which is freedom of speech. World Wide Web might be another world, but it is still part of our reality. Law is needed to protect the users, but a more definite and justifiable kin d of law.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Public Toilet

G answer B F A 1) J I C E D 2) Cycle Time (CT) = Productive time per hour Output per day = 7 hrs. /day X 60 min/hr X 60 sec/min 1008 units/day = 25,200 sec 1008 units = 25 sec/unit 6 5 4 3 2 1 3) Workstation = J I G H F E C D B ATask Time 24 25 25 25 25 24 Idle Time = 1 0 0 0 0 1 ( Total = 2 sec ) 4) WS = Sum of task times Cycle time (CT) = 148 sec 25 sec/units = 5. 2 ? 6 units of WS 5) Efficiency = Sum of task times X 100% CT * Actual # of (WS) = 148 sec * 100 % ( 25 sec/units * 4 units of WS) = 98. 67 % ) Idle time per units = (CT * actual # of WS) – sum of task times = (25 sec/unit X 6 units of WS) – 148 seconds = 2 sec/units Idle time in seconds per day = idle time per units X output per day (in unit) = 2 sec/unit X 1008units/day = 2016 sec/day Idle time in hour per day = Idle time in seconds per day 60 min/hr X 60 sec/min = 2016 sec/day 60 min/hr X 60 sec/min = 0. 56 hr/day Thus,The cost of idleness per week = Idle time in hour per day X wage rate per hour X # working day per week = 0. 56 hr/day X RM 40 per day = RM 22. 40 per week QUESTION 4 Claytan Fine China, a well-known dinner ware producer has upgraded its moulding procedure by using the most sophisticated equipment. The mouding process consists of 10 elements. The following table shows the task element in alphabetical order and their precedence element task(s) and times in seconds.Task Element| Precedence Task| Task Time (seconds)| A| -| 24| B| A| 25| C| A| 13| D| -| 10| E| C, D| 12| F| B, E| 11| G| B| 15| H| -| 14| I| F,G. H| 10| J| I| 24| 1. Draw a precedence diagram 2. If the expected weekly output is 5040 dinner sets and daily productive time is 7 hours (in a 5 day work-week), compute the cycle for the process. 3. Compute the theoretical number of workstations. 4. Arrange the task element into proper workstations by using the longest task-time heuristic/rule. 5. Calculate the efficiency of the balanced line and balance delay. 6. If the wage rate is RM 40 per day, calcula te the idleness cost per week.QUESTION 8 Hakim Bidaman Enterprise is in the process of developing an aggregate capacity plan for the month of Jan-Sept 2010. The company has gathered the data as shown in the following table: MONTH| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul | Aug| Sept| Forecast Demand (unit)| 5000| 4900| 4500| 4200| 6300| 5000| 5100| 4800| 4700| Other information to be considered: 1. Each output requires 26 minute to be produced. 2. Labour cost per hour is RM 5. 00 3. Overtime rate per hour is RM 7. 50 4. Overtime given to 4 workers only with a limitation of 2 hours per day. 5. Beginning inventory is 400 units. . The inventory carrying cost is RM 2. 40 per unit. 7. Hiring cost per worker is RM 400 and lay off cost per worker is RM 600 8. Subcontracting cost is RM 20 per unit. 9. Current workforce level is 10 workers. 10. The company operates 8 hours daily in 26 days a month. Determine the production cost for the planning horizon by using all five strategies. Apply informatio n given as necessary for a certain strategy. ANWER STRATEGY 1 Monthly forecast output = number of day per monthly X daily standard output = 26 days (60 minutes/hr ? 6 minutes/unit X 8 hours/day) = 480 units per worker per month MONTH| FORECASTDEMAND (UNIT)=UNIT PRODUCED| CURRENT WORKER| WORKERS REQUIRED| HIRE| LAY OFF| Jan| 5000 – 400 = 4600| 10| 4600/480 = 10| | | Feb| 4900| 10| 4900/480 = 10| | | Mar| 4500| 10| 4500/480 = 9| | 1| Apr| 4200| 9| 4200/480 = 9| | | May| 6300| 9| 6300/480 = 13| 4| | Jun| 5000| 13| 5000/480 = 10| | 3| Jul| 5100| 10| 5100/480 = 11| 1| | Aug| 4800| 11| 4800/480 = 10| | 1| Sept| 4700| 10| 4700/480 = 10| | | | 44100| | | 5| 5| TOTAL PRODUCTION COST Regular production cost = (44100 units) X (RM5/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 0 minute/hr) = RM 95,550 Hire worker = (5 worker) X (RM400) = RM 2,000 Lay off worker = (5 worker) X (RM600) = RM 3,000 Thus, total cost = RM 100,500 STRATEGY 2 Units Produced = (number of day per monthly) X (working days per pe daily ) X (standard output per day) = (10 worker) X (26 day) X (60 minutes/hr ? 26 minutes/unit X 8hr) = 4800 unitsMONTH| FORECAST DEMAND (UNIT)| UNIT PRODUCED| UNITEXCESS| UNIT SHORTAGE| OTUNITS| ENDINV| Jan| 5000 – 400 = 4600| 4800| 200| | | 200| Feb| 4900| 4800| | 100| 100| | Mar| 4500| 4800| 300| | | 300| Apr| 4200| 4800| 600| | | 600| May| 6300| 4800| | 1500| 1500| | Jun| 5000| 4800| | 200| 200| | Jul| 5100| 4800| | 300| | 300| Aug| 4800| 4800| | -| -| -| Sept| 4700| 4800| 100| | | 100| | | 43200| | | 1800| 1500| TOTAL PRODUCTION COST Regular Production Cost = (43200 units) X (26 days ? 8 hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 60 minute/hr) = RM 60,840 Overtime Cost (1800 unit) X (RM7. 50/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 60 minute/hr) = RM 5,850 Inv. Holding Cost = (1500 unit) X (RM2. 40 per unit) = RM 3,600 Thus, total cost = RM 70,290 STRATEGY 3 Units Produced = (number of day per monthly) X (working days per pe daily) X (standard output per day) = (10 worker) X (26 day) X (60 minutes/hr ? 26 minu tes/unit X 8hr) = 4800 units MONTH| FORECAST DEMAND (UNIT)| UNIT PRODUCED|UNITEXCESS| UNIT SHORTAGE| OTUNITS| ENDINV| Jan| 5000 – 400 = 4600| 4800| 200| | | 200| Feb| 4900| 4800| | 100| | 100| Mar| 4500| 4800| 300| | | 300| Apr| 4200| 4800| 600| | | 600| May| 6300| 4800| | 1500| 900| | Jun| 5000| 4800| | 200| 200| | Jul| 5100| 4800| | 300| 300| | Aug| 4800| 4800| -| -| -| -| Sept| 4700| 4800| 100| | | 100| | | 43200| | | 1400| 1300| TOTAL PRODUCTION COST Regular Production Cost = (43200) X (RM5/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 0 minute/hr) = RM 93,600 Overtime Cost = (1400 units) X (RM5/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 60 minute/hr) = RM 3,033 Inv. Holding Cost = (1300 units) X (RM2. 40 per unit) = RM 3,120 Thus, total cost = RM 99, 753 STRATEGY 4 Units Produced = (number of day per monthly) X (working days per pe daily) X (standard output per day) = (10 worker) X (26 day) X (60 minutes/hr ? 26 minutes/unit X 8hr) = 4800 unitsMONTH| FORECAST DEMAND (UNIT)| UNIT PRODUCED| UNITEXCESS| UNIT SHOR TAGE| OTUNITS| ENDINV| Jan| 5000 – 400 = 4600| 4800| 200| | | 200| Feb| 4900| 4800| | 100| | 100| Mar| 4500| 4800| 300| | | 400| Apr| 4200| 4800| 600| | | 1000| May| 6300| 4800| | 1500| 1500| | Jun| 5000| 4800| | 200| 200| | Jul| 5100| 4800| | 300| 300| | Aug| 4800| 4800| -| -| -| -| Sept| 4700| 4800| 100| | | 100| | | 43200| | | 1000| 1800| TOTAL PRODUCTION COST Regular production cost = (43200) X (RM5/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 0 minute/hr) = RM 93,600 Overtime Cost = (1000 units) X (RM7. 50/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 60 minute/hr) = RM 3,250 Inv. Holding Cost = (1800 units) X (RM2. 40 per unit) = RM 4,320 Thus, total cost = RM 101,170 STRATEGY 5 Units Produced = (number of day per monthly) X (working days per pe daily) X (standard output per day) = (10 worker) X (26 day) X (60 minutes/hr ? 26 minutes/unit X 8hr) = 4800 unitsMONTH| FORECAST DEMAND (UNIT)| UNIT PRODUCED| UNITEXCESS| UNIT SHORTAGE| OT UNITS(max=480Unit)| ENDINV| SUBUNIT| Jan| 5000 – 400 = 4600| 4800| 200| | | 200| | Feb| 4900| 4800| | 100| | 100| | Mar| 4500| 4800| 300| | | 400| | Apr| 4200| 4800| 600| | | 1000| | May| 6300| 4800| | 1500| 480| | 20| Jun| 5000| 4800| | 200| 200| | | Jul| 5100| 4800| | 300| 300| | | Aug| 4800| 4800| -| -| -| -| | Sept| 4700| 4800| 100| | | 100| | | | 43200| | | 980| 1800| 20| Overtime unit max = 4 X 2 X 26 per month ? 6 month/unit X 60 minute/unit = 480 units TOTAL PRODUCTION COST Regular Production Cost = (43200) X (RM5/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 60 minute/hr) = RM 93,600 Overtime Cost = (980 units) X (RM7. 50/hr) X (26 minute/unit ? 60 minute/hr) = RM 3,185 Inv. Holding Cost = (1800 units) X (RM2. 40 per unit) = RM 4,320 Subcontracting Cost = (20 units) X (RM20 per unit) = RM 400 Thus, total cost = RM 101,505

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

In what ways can Hyundai increase profitability in the UK car market Essay

In what ways can Hyundai increase profitability in the UK car market - Essay Example Eventually, the researcher will conduct a literature review as a way of examining whether or not mergers and acquisitions contribute to the increase in Hyundai’s profitability in the UK car market despite the tight global competition. Also, the researcher will discuss the importance of organizational restructuring in Hyundai Motor right after its merger with Kia Motor and Asia Motor. Prior to the conclusion, the researcher will discuss the practical and ethical issues behind the success of Hyundai Motor Company. The fact that a total of ten automobile manufacturers are competing in the global market makes it even more difficult for any car manufacturer to implement a proper management in handling the company’s resources. Considering that Hyundai is a Korean-based company, issues related to the cultural differences in handling the business should be carefully studies. Aside from proper management and product strategy, the protection law on labor management should be considered in order to avoid operational damages caused by organizational conflicts with the labor unions. Merger – combination of two or more business entities into one via purchase acquisition or a pooling of interests (InvestorWords, 2008); A corporate law on joinging togather of two corporations wherein one corporation transfers all of its In line with globalization, Hyundai Motor won the acquisition contract with Kia Motors via public bidding. Prior to signing a contract with the Korean Development Bank, Hyundai Motor took over Kia group in November 1998. (Lee and Cho, 2008) In the process, Hyundai had to pay a total of 1.18 trillion won for the 51% shares of both Kia Motor as well as the Asia Motor. In general, a company is able to expand its business operations either through acquisitions or merger. The short-term effect of the merger and

The Oregon Dispute and its Settlement Summary Essay

The Oregon Dispute and its Settlement Summary - Essay Example However, the aftermath of this moment prepared Japan for most important feat in history. Surprisingly, after this interaction, America and Japan would be at war as the Americans struggled to stamp its authority on Japan (Fallows 20). Mathew Perry was an important figure during this conduct in that he was well prepared by training and temperament for negotiation in Japan. More so, Perry dedicated his entire career to the expansion of the American navy. Perry’s first important mission in 1819 was to transport slaves to Africa during the founding of Liberia. During this time, he did not witness the combat until he was in his 50s at the battle of Veracruz in the Mexican war as the nation Kept on expanding westward towards a second sea frontier on the Pacific. The opening up of America to Japan for trade was aided by the fact that there was invention of new maritime vessels that were powered by steam. By 1850, the first and graceful clipper vessel had made America to take the lead in the shipping trade (Fallows 22). But, the Britons were outperforming Americans in the steamships. The steam ships required coal to power their engines but the clippers had to choose the routes to China depending on the basis of favorable winds. On the other hand, steamers were more deliberate in that they followed a great circle route up to Alaska and then down to the Japanese Archipelago. It was on this ground that Senator Daniel Webster of New Hampshire discovered that Japan had coal deposits thus declaring that it was time to establish oceanic steam navigation. The American expansion to Japan was facilitated by the desire to expand a coal using steam powered navy. In addition, the Americans wanted to find markets in Japan in order to develop and convert more souls. Initially American expansion to Japan in 1700s was characterized by persecution in that the Japanese used to torture American sailors and whalers. More so, their ships were wrecked on the shores of the oceans. There was need to protect the whalers from these problems and destroy the religious practice of the Japanese people. It is vital to note that during the time of American expansion to Japan, the British had just won its opium war against China while the Russians were approaching from the North, swarming around were the French and Dutch. The American government watched this with great care and that Millard Fillmore commissioned the Japan expedition by convincing Mathew Perry to command it (Fallows 24). Japan adopted her own seclusion policies under the leadership of Shogun and they did not want Japan to interact with the outside world. On day, American whalers rescued a Japanese fisherman known as Kajima who was ship wrecked and he was taken to live in New England. Under the seclusion laws of Japan, it was an offense to leave the country and come back if one had escaped. Despite this, Kajima decided to risk returning home. Surprisingly, he was not killed instead he was sent to Nagasaki and told to say everything he knew about United States. He said that America was lewd by nature and that their toilets are placed over holes in the ground. The Japanese repelled any foreign ship that docked at their sea. For instance, before Mathew Perry landed in Japan, James Biddle of the U.S nay had been humiliated by the Japanese and was ordered never to return in

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Yield Curve Kink Decision Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Yield Curve Kink Decision - Case Study Example The past last seven years of operation the company has been outstanding as revealed by its ability to attract new clients in that same period it lost two small pension accounts that is worth $ 10million while gaining a whopping $400 million in new pension business. The investment style is summed up by a pension consultant as 20% pure interest rate anticipation and 80% quantitative strategies based on values. The company anticipates trying to predict whether the interest rate will rise or fall. The periods when the interest rate reaches volatile state are rare, but when it does like in a period between December 1994 and July 1995, then a timing mode was engaged because GBA already expected a fall in interest rates.AT such scenarios a barbell strategy was employed where other bond are retained with the bench mark or entering a period long dated trip bonds. The system created a system of long dated strips and a shorter duration bond that form a barbell. Barbell is an investment strategy mostly employed in fixed type of investment that comprises a combination of short term and long term bonds. The term barbell is used here to reflect the both end loading the system look to be experiencing. Therefore in a nutshell, barbell tries to exploit the best of both end of situation hence it combine the high and the low risk assets to influence for the best outcome. However during the period the interest rate is stable, then their family gets in and creates a management for portfolio’s that ranges for a 1.5 year period and are standard income benchmark which most clients are awarded unless the request differs. Most or all of the GBA invested strategies on computer models and quantitative models which compare the bond selling price to the price as determined by GBA.GBA has its own analysis technique regarded as proprietary model which has parameter’s close to fifty with 20 of it being critical checking points and that help GBA

Monday, August 26, 2019

IPAD VS TABLET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IPAD VS TABLET - Essay Example This product has the best Ios application store which facilitates wider selection (Stanton's). IPad as compared to its competitors has continued to improve its products coming up with varieties. These generational have additional improvement and tweaks enabling it to being the best tablet. The existing and the prospective consumers always expect new and additional features on the IPad thus attributing to consolidated customer base and loyalty (Weinstein 62). The following are the key notable features which make IPad more distinct and better placed in the market with other competing products. Retina display IPad has a beautiful and large display thus making the user to have a better experience as compared with the display of other similar competing products (iPad). The IPad Retina display feature has remarkable resolution of 2048 by 1536 which is further enhanced by rich colour saturation and 3.1 million pixels. The pixels are a number of times more than other competing products scram bling for the same market. The IPad pixels are very close together thus enabling the viewer to be able to have a total different view of the photos, articles images and enabled record of HD video in full as well as the improved new Face Time HD camera. Improved device performance IPad have new generational products which are considered most powerful by its customers. It has a high speed delivery performance in both the CPU and its graphics performance (iPad). This makes IPad faster and more responsive compared with other competing products (Stanton's). IPad applications launch faster and they run smoothly, making it cool is the graphics-intensive games which are lifelike enhanced by the gorgeous Retina display. Also in built is the fast and improved image signal process which makes IPad camera sharper and a more clear display compared to other products. Built-in applications The IPad users find it more extraordinary in using IPad applications as compared to other products. These app lications are characterized with new adventures with easy performance of many tasks. IPad has more than 275000 apps from its apps store which are beautiful and immersive which have been designed to perform various tasks. This enhances performance of the many tasks on a single device and this is impossible in other devices. With these characteristics and attributes IPad has become a notable competitive product in its market and admired by its existing and potential customers. Market Segment Description Apple Company has constantly added more features and specifications on its major product iPad in order to appeal more prospective buyers. With the above mention key important features and characteristics this product is better position for the completion in the underlying market segments (Weinstein 108). The iPad mainly targets individual customers who want to perform tasks without being dependent on the keyboards. The target market segment for Apple’s iPad is majorly businessme n and professionals who need portable, accessible and easy to operate devices for the various tasks. Another key market segment is that of the young customers comprising mainly of the students, this is attributed by the trendy and innovative features and iPad design with variety of selections (Pickton 78). It is also notable that the market segment of the older people is emerging. This diversification of the market segment resulted into iPad gaining popularity and has become widely accepted in the global

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Critical analysis of a tv show of film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical analysis of a tv show of film - Essay Example This paper helps to provide an insight into the life of Juno, how she dealt with her problem of teenage pregnancy and how the people around her were affected, taking into account the stereotypical reactions and circumstances that she was thrust within. Juno the film has a very basic story line as well as concept attached to the tale; it is about a young girl trying to explore the nooks and crannies of intimacy and relationships without understanding the implications that might arise along with the same. The film has been directed in a very concise manner making use of pencil stylized ‘rotoscoped’ images right from the credits in the beginning, making use of animation in order to help the audience understand the maturity level of the girl and the kind of colourful life that she always wanted to live for herself. This entire sequence took a period of seven to eight months to be mastered as each and every shot that follows Juno on her way to the medical pharmacy was taken i n short screenings. The film thus helps teenagers to explore the kind of curiosity that reigns within them, and how the same should be understood not by simply jumping in and trying things out with friends, but by reading about things and comprehending the facts about life from one’s parents first. ... (Sciretta, Peter) The film achieved mass appeal because of the story telling as well as how the girl managed to learn her lesson without panicking much about the situation. The various characters within the movie have been portrayed in a very interesting manner. The director has taken his time to choose the main protagonists and provide them with a different twist. Juno is a young teenage girl who comes off a little strong on the first meeting with everyone. Full of sarcasm, she helps to put an indie spin on the movie and gives a very intense performance with her dominating nature and need to control everything that might not even be in her reach. However, she understands where she went wrong by getting pregnant but decides to bring about a change in a couple’s life with the help of her baby who she is willing to give up in order to make someone else happy. There was a vast amount of dramatisation in the film played by the other characters, namely Juno’s parents which h elped to calm the situation by making her understand what she had gone through, and helping her come out with a solution rather than screaming at her and making her feel the pain of the implications and consequences that she was already suffering. The two characters acted in an excellent manner, almost very real and lifelike, helping parents all around to understand how to cope with their children if they befall such a similar situation in their future. Juno herself wonderfully shows the kind of solid and sincere relationship she always wanted a child to be under the influence of during his or her growing up years and thus decides to give the baby to the perfect couple who will be able to raise it with love and patience. The movie falls

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Principles of Law Enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Principles of Law Enforcement - Essay Example strength of the police culture is based upon a mission and anything that is done in pursuing that mission is serving the greater good of the community (Reiner as quoted in Hall, 2002, p.1). One of the reasons why this situation exists is because police officers are in such a difficult and sometimes hostile environment. In order for them to work well, it helps when they have the assurance that other officers will have their back if something happens. Since the world of police work is unpredictable, it helps police have peace of mind when they know that the other officers will help them in external and internal investigations by keeping silent. According to Hall (2002) there are eight reasons why the Code of Silence exists. Here are a few:: With this information in mind it is easy to see why this Code of Silence is an integral part of law enforcement. The interesting issue about this is that each officer decides how much of this they will do and it is usually based on their own moral code of ethics. In research done by The National Institute of Ethics in 2000, it was found that 52% of officers were not bothered by the Code of Silence (as quoted in Hall, p. 3). In other words, they were fine with it. Hall also suggests that the root of this comes from the fact that we were told as children not to tell on our siblings and the fact that we were punished if we did. Walker (2001), in his book on police accountability says that the reason this Code of Silence exists is because "officers learned that there was no risk of punishment for backing up fellow officers responses no matter how credible the tale." (Walker, p. 109). Another issue that comes up for officers is that some have compassion for people who have experienced brutal crimes. Because of this, they may begin to think that since the public wants to get rid of an individual like this, whatever they do to get rid of the individual will be seen as the right thing to do. They ignore due process for the perpetrator

Friday, August 23, 2019

ISOM 201 Excel assignment Speech or Presentation

ISOM 201 Excel assignment - Speech or Presentation Example The means are however different among the retailers and means that the standard deviation is not a god measure for variability. The universal measure, coefficient of variation, which does not depend on units, is therefore suitable (109). Based on the coefficient of variation, the demand is more volatile for retailer D and least volatile for retailer B. Retailer A experiences the second highest level of volatility and retailer C follows. From the results, and using either the standard deviation or coefficient of variation because of equivalent means, combining retailer B and retailer D, reduces the variability from 69.9 percent to 64.75 percent. The other combinations increase variability of D. Postponement tactic allows Benetton to meet uncertain demand of each color by reducing the level of uncertainty. By waiting until demand arises in a season, the company operates under certainty. Production is also done on demand and therefore to meet customers’ needs at a low inventory level. With high level of uncertainty, the postponement strategy reduces volatility to establish accuracy in production volumes. This ensures reliable and valid data and the eliminated error, due to variation, in the production volumes, ensures accurate

Thursday, August 22, 2019

General Motors Essay Example for Free

General Motors Essay General Motors Corp., commonly known as GM, is an iconic American corporation. It was the world’s largest automobile manufacturer from 1931 to 2008. GM was a winner in the automobile market until 2005, when it reported a net loss of more than $10 billion and continued to post annual losses since that time. During 2005 to 2007, the stock price slight increased until it disclosed its huge deferred tax assets. Since then GM’s stock price continued dropping and reached at a low of $1.45 per share on March 6, 2009. On March 4,2009, Deloitte Touche issued an unqualified opinion with a going-on concern paragraph on GM’s 2008 financial statements. GM received $13.4 billion in government loans in December 2008 and has requested another $16.6 billion. In April 2009, a restructuring plan was created to save GM. On June 1, 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A new GM, known as General Motors Co., was created under the terms of bankruptcy plan. General Motors Co. began its operations on July 10,2009. In November 2010, GM went public with an initial public offering that raised $23.1 billion. This time, Deloitte did not make reference to going-on concern on GM’s 2010’s financial reporting. Discussion Questions 1. From Exhibit 1, we can see that since 2005, GM is suffering from losses and it had negative cash flows from operations except for 2007. In 2006, its total assets shrank nearly 60% from $476,078 million to $186,182 million. However, in my opinion, 2005 is not the sign of GM’s impending financial distress. It is in 2007 when it disclosed its huge deferred tax assets, which made the stock price dropped abruptly. And it is also in 2007 when the company’s net losses reached at $38,732 million. The huge deferred tax assets and constant huge losses make me consider that GM may encounter big financial distress in the following years. 2. Auditors should consider the following things in evaluating potential going-on concern uncertainties. (1) Consideration of conditions and events such as negative trends of operating losses, working capital deficiencies, negative cash flows, adverse key financial ratios. (2) Consideration of management’s plan such as plans to dispose assets, plans to borrow money or restructure debt, plans to reduce or delay expenditures and plans to increase ownership equity. (3) Consideration of financial statement effects; whether they are adequate and what are the possible effects. (4) Consideration of the effects on the auditor’s reports. 3. In my opinion, the going-concern uncertainty is not warranted. No one could predict what will happen in the future. Auditors do not have the responsibility to predict future events. Therefore, the going-concern uncertainty is just a substantial doubt based on historical data and past events, some reasonable estimates and management’s plans. From the exhibit 1, we can find that GM suffered losses since 2005. However, I do not think it necessary to issue an audit opinion modified to disclose going-concern opinion prior to 2007 when its losses reached at $38,732 million. A going-concern opinion should be issue when substantial doubt exists. Although it suffered losses since 2005, there was no sign that management would file the chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and it was likely that the US government would provide financial support for the GM. So it is not adequate to add the going-concern paragraph in my point of view. 4. The Great Recession which began in December 2007 and lasted to September 2008 might have accelerated Deloitte’s decision to issue an audit opinion modified to disclose going-concern uncertainties. The financial crisis resulted in collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments, downturns in stock markets around the world, etc. The financial crisis made GM’s problems more difficult because it could not pay its debt and it became harder for it to refinance. Therefore, at this point, the going-concern uncertainty for GM was substantially increased, which led to an audit opinion with modified going-concern paragraph. 5. The Car Allowance Rebate Program released on July 1, 2009 did help the new GM. The program provided incentives for the automobile industry with more than 690,000 transactions rebated under this program. Although GM’s sale were down 17% from 2008, it got rid of 70% debt, abandoned 4 unprofitable brands and 13 manufacturing plants, cut off 22,500 employees and 2,300 dealers. These measures helped the new GM cut down its costs and got through its tough time. And there was no sign that any going-on concern uncertainty existed. What auditors should consider about the going-concern is pretty much the same as in question 2. 6. GM’s going-concern opinion would somewhat influence my decisions regarding purchasing a car from GM or investing in GM’s stock. And this may be part of the reason why GM’ stock dropped after 2008. In my point of view, going-concern is a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, it is not the going-concern opinion caused the company to file a bankruptcy protection. The company’s problem such as inefficient benefit plan had been existed there for a long time without solving. The going-concern opinion just revealed the problem and accelerated its demise. And this eventually made the self-fulfilling prophecy come true.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Manifest Destiny Essay Example for Free

Manifest Destiny Essay Manifest Destiny is defined as a belief that it was Gods will that Americans spread over the entire continent, and to control and populate the country as they see fit. Many expansionists conceived God as having the power to sustain and guide human destiny. It was white mans heavy burden to conquer and Christianize the heathen and savage land. While the positive side of Manifest Destiny was a surge of enthusiasm and energy from the white settlers for pushing West, the negative side was the belief that the white man had the right to destroy anything and anyone namely Indians who got in the way. Tracing the path of Manifest Destiny across the West would highlight mass destruction of tribal organizations, confinement of Indians to reservations, and full blown genocide. The dark side of Manifest Destiny revealed the white mans belief that his settlement of the land and civilization of its native peoples was preordained. While the whites were occupying the land, they decimated the Indian population, causing many tribes to flee their relentless onward push, or try to compromise with treaties and agreements. One such tribe to fall victim to the white encroachment upon their territory was the Nez Perce of North Western Oregon. The Nez Perce agreed to an 1855 treaty that guaranteed the tribe most of their traditional homeland in the Wallowa Valley of northeast Oregon to try to accommodate the white people who were beginning to invade their lands. Unfortunately, gold was soon discovered upon the Nez Perce land and the settlers wanted a larger portion of that land. The resulting 1863 treaty was agreed to by some tribal chiefs, but not all. Those who refused to sign were given an ultimatum in 1877, and rather than risk war, the non-treaty Nez Perce chiefsJoseph, Looking Glass, White Bird, Toohoolhoolzote, Bald Headdecided to move their people onto the smaller remaining section of the reservation, towards Fo rt Lapwai. Look more:  manifest destiny essay There were nearly 800 of the Nez Percemen, women and childrenand a herd of about 2,000 Appaloosa horses on the trek. On the way to Lapwai, things fell apart. A few young warriors were goaded into taking revenge on several whites who had killed tribal members in the past, and the U.S. Army retaliated by attacking the Nez Perce at White Bird Canyon, Idaho. Giving up the attempt to move to the reservation, the Nez Perce chiefs resolved to  flee to the east and seek out their Crow allies in Montana. When the Crow tribes showed them no friendship and tried to steal their horses, the Nez Perce set off for Canada. They almost made it, but the U.S. Army caught up with them and defeated them 45 miles shy of the border. Although the Nez Perce were one of the welcoming tribes that met Lewis and Clark, their kind efforts led to revenge, misunderstanding, deceit, greed and death. Another tribe which was victimized by the United States were the Cupeà ±os. The Cupeà ±os were a small tribe, one of the smallest Native American tribes in Southern California. It was unlikely that they ever numbered more than 1,000 at a time. They once occupied a territory approximately 10 square miles in diameter in a region of the San Luis Rey River in the valley of San Jose de Valle. Before 1810, the Cupans had very little contact with outsiders Spanish or otherwise. They had lived on their land for countless generations, their land including the medicinal hot springs and the village called Cupa. Unfortunately for the Cupenos, the pioneers who trekked West through the southern route, took a trail which trespassed upon their territory. To add insult to injury, American officials in San Diego concluded that a reasonable source of revenue would be taxation upon the Indians of the back country. The Cupans were assessed a $600 tax that with great resentment was finally paid by the villagers. By the late 1800s the hot sulfur springs found on the Cupa territories were becoming very popular and attracting visitors from Los Angeles and San Diego. The popularity of the destination and the growing California population began the events which ultimately led to the expulsion of the Cupans from their homeland. Four years after California became a state, a land survey commission was formed, and cattleman Juan Jose Warner claimed 47,500 acres of what is now Warner Springs. Warner Springs makes up the majority of the Cupan homeland. The property was later purchased by former California Governor John Downey in 1880. Downey then filed a lawsuit later pursued by his heirs after  his death claiming title to the land and demanding eviction of the Cupenos from the property. The Cupas argued before the courts that Mexican law, as well as the peace treaty that ended the war between Mexico and the United States, ensured Indian rights and precluded the hostile takeover of their land. They argued to no avail. The California courts agreed with Downey and in 1901 the United States Supreme Court affirmed the judgment ordering removal of the Indians. President Rutherford Hayes, prompted by the Supreme Court holding, declared the Indians trespassers and ordered the tribe relocated to Pala, California, just beyond the Palomar Mountains where a 10,000-acre reservation had been established. Pala was a Luiseno reservation then, not Cupa. This act marked the first time in U.S. history that two distinct Indian tribes were herded together in one reservation. This was a blemish upon a nation that prided itself on leading the world into the 20th Century and the cultural and political renaissance that accompanied such a transition.

BP Corporate Governance

BP Corporate Governance The concept of corporate governance is the system by which business corporation are directed and controlled. The three main aspect of good corporate governance are seen in shareholder right, transparency and board accountability. (Corporate governance by Alan Calder 2008). Definition: Corporate governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goal and between individual and common goal and aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individual, corporation and society (Sir Adrian Cadbury, 1999). Using the British Petroleum case, we develop a model of efficient corporate governance addressing all facets of the society in which corporations exist such as economic, ethical, political, and social. These facets determine the norms by which corporate decisions are judged. Without incorporating every facet into decisions, companies will eventually fall short and company just cant do the things in profit motive by sacrificing the moral and ethical issues British Petroleum failed in averting the Mexico oil spill due to lack of coordination between board and chairman and interlacing all the facets of society in the corporate decision making process. This failure contributed to the mismanagement of the company by a relatively detached board of directors who failed to assimilate high ethical management standards into the foundation of decision making process. This model developed here will help companies in addressing the appropriate system of corporate governance which serves as a foundation to avert failure through the practice of high ethical patterns of behavior which are needed to survive in the modern business world. Case analysis and discussion By late 2010,the British Petroleum has become a cause cà ©là ¨bre amongst those concerned with corporate governance and particularly with the social, ethical and environmental responsibilities of business In the 21st century, corporate governance has become critical for medium and large organisation. The organization which fallows corporate guidelines strategy performs well than compared to organization which does not adhere to the guidelines. Corporation work with governance framework which is first set by law and then by regulation emanating from the regulatory bodies to which they are subject. The chairman and Boards of directors are responsible for the Mexico disaster as they not properly scrutinised the outsourcing to the partner and we call as leadership failure. The responsibilities of the board include setting the companys strategic aims, providing the leadership to put them into effect, supervising the management of the business and reporting to shareholders on their stewardship. It will be critically analyses the corporate governance structure of British Petroleum and its related issues regarding the corporate social responsibility. British Petroleum Corporate Governance structure Board structure British Petroleum Board fallows unitary board structure, characterized by one single board comprising both executive and non executive directors. The unitary board is responsible for all aspects of the company activities and all the directors are working to achieve the same ends. The shareholders elect the directors to the board at the company annual general meeting. The Board of British Petroleum focuses more on Agency theory which take into account of principle- agent framework. The work of Jensen and Meckling (1976) in particular, and of Fama and Jensen (1983), are associated with this Agency theory (Corporate governance -Christine A Mallin). In Agency Theory, in the context of corporation and issues of corporate control, agency theory views corporate governance mechanisms, especially the board of directors as agent to monitor the functioning of management or the corporation. The focus of the theory is on design proper incentives measure and implementing those incentives and monitoring the performance. Economic performance is vital, and increasing shareholder value is deemed good. Agency theory, however, is not able to address the issues of non-direct shareholder interests such as political pressures and societal expectations from firms such as British Petroleum The corporate governance structure of a firm should provide the medium of norms and best practices which balance the needs of all stakeholders of the firm. Therefore, the model of corporate governance structure for firms must include economic, political, social and ethical norms for decision making in order for firms to gain and retain legitimacy which leads to resources and survival. British Petroleum Plc board governing principle is as fallows. The BP Board is responsible for the direction and oversight of BP plc (BP) on behalf of the shareholders and is accountable to them, as owners, for all aspects of BPs business. The Board recognize that in conducting its business, BP should be receptive to other relevant constituencies. British Petroleum believes that good corporate governance involves to specify the role and responsibilities and the proper utilisation of distinct skills and processes. The Board therefore focuses on activities that enable it to promote shareholders interests, such as the consideration of long-term strategy, the monitoring of executive action, and ongoing Board and executive management succession. The board gives clear guide lines for the allocation of authority for the executive management of BP through the group Chief Executive (GCE) and these can be seen in the Governing principle The BP Goal The Goal of British petroleum is to maximize the shareholders value by investing the resources to activities in the oil, natural gas, petrochemical and energy business. The role of the Board The Board is collectively responsible for pursuing the BP Goal and is accountable to shareholders for all the actions of BP. The Boards role is to govern BP by discharging its sole responsibilities, which include Focus primarily on strategic issues; Regard to economic, political and social issues and any other relevant external Matters which may influence or affect the development of BPs business; and Exemplify through these Board Principles and its expectations for the conduct of the BP business and its employees. The Board and its processes The Board will take into confidence and seek to obtain the view of the shareholder as a whole, the board will decide the agenda for the financial year and these will be done with consultation of chairman, general chief executive and company secretary. Discussion at Board meetings will be open and constructive and the record will be kept confidential, unless there is a specific decision or legal requirement to make disclosure. The entire director can obtain independent professional advice relating to directors own responsibilities and the affairs of BP. Board Composition and Compensation Composition, Size, Independence and Tenure The Board comprise a experienced individuals with appropriate range of knowledge and working principle in Experience in dealing with strategic issues and long-term perspectives; Leadership experience, a superior knowledge of business principles and capacity Independent thought; Ability to participate constructively in deliberations; and Willingness to exercise authority in a collective manner. The director are elected annually by shareholder and half of director excluding the chairman, are non-executive director. Board and Director Evaluation The Board will evaluate its own working condition and performance including the work of its committees and this is done to keep the efficiency of the board. The performance and contribution of individual directors as members of the Board will be reviewed periodically, with the Chairmans performance being reviewed annually. The non executive will monitor the work of General chief Executive, the performance of the Executive directors will be monitored by the GCE and Non-Executive directors. Board Induction and Education All the directors will be given induction and training program for enable them to fulfil their responsibilities as directors, all the directors especially non-executive directors are prepared give sufficient time for the discharge of their BP responsibilities. The board will be kept informed by the directors through company secretary. The Nomination Committee will keep under review the commitments of Non-Executive directors and make recommendations to the Board if the Committee concludes that a directors other commitments are inconsistent with those required by BP. Role of the Chairman The Chairman will the leader of the board and act as facilitator, and has authority to act and speak for the board meeting on matter relating to the board principle. The Chairman is empowered to make any decision, establish any policy, take any action or enter into any obligation which is consistent with the Board Principles. and, in so doing, may interpret the Board Principles in any reasonable manner. The Chairman will ensure that systems are in place to provide directors with accurate, timely and clear information to enable the Board to consider properly all matters before it. The Chairman is responsible for ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of the Board Principles. The chairman role is clearly followed as per Sir Adrian Cadbury observation the primary task of chairman is to chair the board. This is the work they have been appointed to do and, however the duties at the top of the company may be divided. Chairing the board is their responsibility alone (p. 78). He clear highlights an important difference between CEOs and chairman. This principle is adhered by the British Petroleum as per Sir Adrian Cadbury statement on chairman. Role of the Deputy Chairman The Deputy Chairman will play as role of chairman in his absence and deputy Chairman normally serve as the Boards Senior Independent Director and will be accessible to shareholders who have concerns that cannot be addressed through normal channels. The Company Secretary The company secretary is selected by the nomination committee and all the board members have access to the advise and service of company secretary. The Company Secretary is responsible for advising the Board and the Committees on  all governance matters, ensuring that Board procedures are followed, that the applicable laws and regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the Board are complied with and for all matters associated with the maintenance of the board Board Committees The Board consists of permanent committee which are as The Chairmans Committee, Safety, Ethics and Environment Assurance Committee (SEEAC), Remuneration Committee, Audit Committee, Nomination Committee Chairmans Committee: Consist of chairman and all non-executive Directors and it work include; Evaluate the performance and the efficiency of the GCE Review the structure and systems for senior executive development and determine the succession plan for the GCE, the Executive directors and other senior members  of executive management Determine any other matter which is appropriate to be considered by all of the  Non-Executive directors Safety, Ethics and Environment Assurance Committee: consist of four to six Non-Executive Directors and it work include Monitor and obtain assurance that the management or mitigation of significant BP risks of a non-financial nature is appropriately addressed by the GCE Receive and review regular reports from the GCE or his delegate, the Group Internal  Auditor and the Group Compliance and Ethics Officer regarding the GCEs adherence  to the relevant Executive Limitations and his management in responding to risk Review material to be placed before shareholders which addresses environmental,  safety and ethical performance and make recommendations to the Board about  their adoption and publication Remuneration Committee: Consist of at least three Non-Executive Directors and it work include Determine the terms of engagement and remuneration of the GCE and the Executive directors and to report on those to shareholders   Determine on behalf of the Board matters of policy over which BP has authority  relating to the establishment or operation of BPs pension scheme of which the Audit Committee: Consist four to six Non-Executive Directors and it work include Monitor and obtain guarantee that the GCEs internal control system is in place and implemented effectively in the observance of the audit and relevant toExecutive Limitations Review regular reports from the GCE or his delegate, the Group Internal Auditor and the Group Compliance and Ethics Officer which evidence the GCEs adherence to the relevant Executive Limitations and his management in responding to risk Review all financial disclosure documents including quarterly results, annual accounts, prospectuses, information and offering memoranda to be placed before shareholders or filed with regulatory bodies and make recommendations to the Board about their adoption and publication Nomination Committee: Consist of chairman and chairs of SEEAC, Audit and Remuneration committee and it work include Categorise recommend candidates for appointment or reappointment as directors and company secretary Review the mix of knowledge, skills and experience of the Board to ensure the orderly succession of directors Evaluate outside directorship/commitments of the Non-Executive directors Risk and Internal Control The GCE will not cause or permit BP to operate without a comprehensive system  of controls and internal audit to identify and manage the risks that are material to BP,  to protect BPs assets and to monitor the application of BPs resources in a manner  which meets the standards of external auditors. (BP governing plc extract from bp.com) Weakness of corporate governance structure in British petroleum In the wake up of Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the corporate governance structure and the governing principle collapsed , the oil giant send uncharismatic leader, chief executive Tony Hayward to placate its major partners and stakeholder. Instead, BP should quickly provide new leadership and replace its ineffective top decision-makers. That would be just the first step in trying to win back the confidence of its partners and regaining investors trust while it continues to work on stopping the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and cleaning up the environmental disaster its created,The Financial Times in an editorial on July 6 said theres an urgent need for changes at the top of BP. And foremost investor Warren Buffett has said Hayward needs to be replaced for the good of both BP and the U.S. The FT made clear what it believes BP should do: There is no question that top management will have to be changed following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. It noted that BPs response has exposed shortcomings in leadership and presentation.(Gene Marcial, financial columnist in Daily finance 7/12/2010) Analyst Lucy Haskins of Barclays Capital in a recent report noted that there are serious corporate governance questions given the magnitude of events at BP, which she describes as structurally disadvantaged. Haskin advises BPs nonexecutive directors should should change the whole corporate governing system of the company, like appointing new CEO and new leadership team.(Analyst Lucy Haskins of Barclays Capital in financial times December 2010) As we can see, on paper, BP addressed the management teams responsibilities in their corporate governance program. It is this same program that is being rated by Management Excellence and ranked accordingly. BP ranked number three on the list and surprising to many as BP ethics are based solely on board structure and policies. If the rating were based on management actions then we would have a new ranking, as ethics should be based on the verbs that management take in the day-to-day operations of the company; not the policies.   Olsen (2005) points to BP having more fatalities than compared to other company and also the recent 11 death in the April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (Casselman, 2010). Considering death toll of BP and disaster like the Texas Refinery explosion, pipeline leaks, illegal doming, and the Gulf Coast oil leak, we feel some things out of place and the rating system has it wrong, as environmental issues cannot be measured by policy and Procedure but the actual action and their day-to-day activities to gauge the ethical behaviour. Effective boardrooms need to be able to perceive fraud and misdeeds within their organization. To accomplish this, directors need to make sure they have internal controls that monitor, detect, and measure the usefulness of red flags. Employees and management must be properly trained to spot red flags within the scope of their job functions. Properly trained employees and management should be able to spot red flags sooner; leading to a reduction in cost per incident for fraudulent activities within the organization.   Creating an effective board, by utilizing Leblanc and Gillies (2003) model, can strengthen the overall sustainability of an organization. Effective boards have to understand the ethical risks, red flags, and internal controls within their organization. As failure to do so, often leads to a road, no one wishes to go down As per Tony Jackson review in Financial times British Petroleum has a stubborn nature of corporate culture which is difficult to change and also has defective safety culture. If we go through BP annual report which shows its top priorities are safety but it has not adhered to this statement as seen from Texas refinery explosion and Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Independent safety expert has given advise about BP US refinery safety upto to scratch and from we can assume there specific problem of corporate governance, Several investment professionals have said recently that the BP affair underlines the duty of owners to examine companies on safety. The recently refurbished UK Corporate Governance Code lays out the official position. The board, it says, is responsible for determining the nature and extent of the significant risks it is willing to take in achieving its strategic objectives. The board should maintain sound risk management and internal control systems. In other words top level management policy is not carried in execution below and this will make us believe the hypothesis of weak corporate governance in BP. Several institutional investors didnt buy BP share because of before the disaster because of safety worries. These all indicate weakness in safety, Ethics and environment Assurance Committee and actual fact the work is not up to mark of the committee Recommendation for good corporate governance in British Petroleum In general, we would recommend that corporate governance structure should establish a relationship among a company, its shareholders, and society in order to promote a fair, transparent, and accountable principle in an enterprise. Furthermore, the board of directors should be independent from the sphere of influence of the CEO and senior management. The board must bear no material relationship between the corporation and major independent directors. The Board should fallow the combined code of UK and Sarbanes-Oxley act of US as per the company operation of BP Refineries. Corporate governance structure for a particular firm must fulfill with societal norms to maintain legitimacy and resources in that society. In the model of corporate governance structure for firms developed in this manuscript, norms included economic, political, social and ethical norms Further, compliance by all the five groups of corporate governance structure -the Board of Directors external analysts, regulators, outside advisors and management form the model of corporate governance and all the group should remain independent in order to maintain check and balance The more proactive role is needed by the states and companies for the development process aimed at balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability and social cohesion, has motivated the following three interlinked business movements: This can be done by the following way Worldwide reforms on corporate governance. Corporate social responsibility SUMMARY In critically examining the case of British petroleum we have discussed with example of how corporate governance failures directly led to the fall in share price and loss of confidence in investor community. Though it is a helpful example to study and provide a scholarly discussion of the destructive effects a failure of corporate governance structures and corporate social responsibility can have on a companys shareholders, stakeholders, and society in general; a broader analysis leads us to conclude that having a governance structure in place that blends all appropriate norms of ethical, social, political and economic facets of society will have the most lasting and positive impact on all stakeholders. The interaction of all groups in the corporate governance structure is needed to help a corporations abide by best practices at all times. Sound corporate governance give confidence in the investors that the business environment in which the company operates is fair and transparent. It tells investors that that the company is made up of conscientious employees who respect the rights to ethics of care, justice, rights and utility. Overall, the notion of corporate governance is contained in the ethics of care, justice, rights and utility, and this is why it is of supreme importance in all business entities. Reference and Bibliography New UK Corporate Governance Code in force from 29 June 2010 BP plc -Board Governing Principle, September 20,2010 from bp.com Takis katsoulakos and Yannis Kat soulacos, Emerald Group publishing Ltd, Volume. 7 no. 4 2007,pp-355-369, Uche Nwabueze and Joan Mileski, Emerald group publishing Ltd, Volume 8 no .5, pp 583-594 Tony Jackson (2010), BP must ensure Its good intension become reality. Financial times, 27 June Oil spill Panels Reilly Fault Regulator, Wall street Journal(online), New York, March 4th ,2011 Leblanc R Gilllies J(2003), The coming revolution in corporate governance, Ivey Business Journal BP leads nation in Refinery Fatalities, Retrieved (2010), 1st October Ross, M (2008) 1st April, Fraud Red Flags Mallin A C (2010) 3rd edition, Corporate Governance Guler Aras David Crowther (2009), A Handbook of Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Robert G Monks and Nell Minow(2004), 3rd edition, Corporate Governance Joseph. B. White, Proquest Document ID: 2282002181, Source , Newspaper British Petroleum Annual Report 2011

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Essay on Camus’ The Stranger (The Outsider): The Gentle Meursault :: Camus Stranger Essays

The Gentle Meursault of Camus’s The Stranger (The Outsider) In Albert Camus’s The Stranger, Meursault, the protagonist, could be seen as immoral if he were judged on the basis of his actions alone. However, through Camus’s use of a first person narrative, we begin to understand Meursault as not an immoral man, but simply an indifferent one. Meursault is a symbol of the universe, and so in understanding him we understand that the universe is also not evil, but instead a place of gentle indifference. At first glance, Meursault could be seen as an evil man. He shows no grief at his mother’s funeral, worrying more about the heat. His first reaction to his mother’s death is not sadness, it is a matter-of-fact, unemotional acceptance of the situation. â€Å"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know.† Later on in the story, Meursault kills an Arab on the beach, and his only concern is that he has ruined the calm, pleasant day he was having. When he is in jail, the magistrate comes in an attempt to save Meursault’s soul, but instead of cooperating, Meursault simply confounds the magistrate by refusing to believe in God. Even at his trial, Meursault doesn’t show any remorse for having killed the Arab. Based on this evidence alone, how can we not see Meursault as evil? In the novel, we are given a more complete view of Meursault. The story is told from his point-of-view, which allows us to understand the situation as Meursault perceives it. Looking at the situation in this light, we can see Meursault as not evil, but simply indifferent and detached from life. He doesn’t attempt to get wrapped up in emotion or relationships, he just takes things as they come, doing whatever is easiest for him. He becomes friends with Raymond and agrees to marry Marie simply because he doesn’t have a very good reason not to. Seeing the story from Meursault’s viewpoint, we understand that even killing the Arab wasn’t an act of malice or evil intent. As Meursault puts it, â€Å"My nature is such that my physical needs often get in the way of my feelings.† With this in context, things begin to make more sense. Meursault’s seemingly cryptic statement that he murdered the Arab â€Å"because of the sun† can be taken as truth . Meursault does things that society judges as wrong not because he is evil or wants to appear immoral, but because the sun and heat, symbols for Meursault’s emotional state, cause him to become uncomfortable and act â€Å"inappropriately.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Obon :: essays research papers

The Japanese cultural holiday Obon is short for Urabon and can be traced etymologically to the Sanskrit word Ullambana, literally meaning to â€Å"hang upside down†. It implies that one must withstand unbearable suffering while being hanged upside down. In the Buddhist script Urabon Sutra, a story is told where a son saves his mother from Hell by making offerings to monks. Through the merits of his actions, his mother was saved from Hell, ascended into divinity, and became a Buddha. Thusly, to save people from Hell (being hanged upside down), one’s family and/or friends must make offerings to the deceased. Obon is held usually in the mid August or July for a week in which the spirits of the deceased are supposed to come back to the land of the living. Being held since the 7th century, it is especially enjoyable to the Japanese people. One of its key features involves offering food items to the deceased. Vegetables, fruits, rice, candy, rice wine, and among others are offered to the deceased. (But not only the deceased receive food; special foods are made to give away to neighbor, friends, and family.) In addition, respect is shown with floral decorations on the altar or gravesite along with incense burning and prayer. Particularly, prayer is said for wayward spirits that have passed away in the recent year, as it’s said they need more guidance to find their way. The Festival of the Dead, as it’s sometimes called, is a celebratory and social event. While this is not a national or public holiday, plenty of people from the city go back to their hometowns to polish up and cle an their ancestor’s gravesites. On the actual day of the celebration, a menagerie of lanterns, in a multitude of colors, are hung all around the town and specifically on houses. The logic is this – since spirits come back, the lanterns will guide them to and from the spirit world. However a more realistic use for these is lighting the area where the bon dances will take place. The bon dances have religious undertones also. In the story above, the dancing signifies the joy and elation the son felt when his mother was offered divinity. Now, in the center of town, a makeshift tower is erected. A Taiko drummer is on top and speakers play special Obon music and dancers below dressed in yukata (summer) kimonos circle below in dance.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Roman Extrapolation :: essays research papers

Extrapolation of the World had the Roman Empire succeeded Everyone has wanted, at one time or another, to go back and change history. Have you really thought about what would happen should you do that? Things would be different, you wouldn’t be who you are, and the world would potentially change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the course of history, mankind has been judged on its actions and advancements. From the beginning of written history, we have strove to better ourselves in all aspects. Certain peoples stand out in our texts as the people that lead to these strides. Arguably, none greater then the Romans. Through the process of extrapolation, I will show you how the world’s governments, medical care, and culture would change had the Roman Empire not fell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rome was considered by many to be the height of civilization. Their advancements in every field were leaps and bounds ahead of what scholars today thought they were capable of. Their amazing advancements in technology undoubtedly lead them into this position. The Roman’s however should not, and cannot be held responsibly for their rise to power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rome started off like any other, as a small city-state with dreams of advancement. Unlike the other cities in the region, Rome was bloodthirsty. The Romans love for blood started early. While other cities were concentrated on scientific and agricultural advancement, Rome was preparing for war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Around the year 740 Rome started advancing its forces. They easily conquered their close neighbors. Knowing that expansion depended on people Rome decided instead of enslaving its conquests, it would absorb them. Rome continued this policy throughout its career. â€Å"Rome’s policy of taking in conquered outsiders produced tremendous expansion (Hunt et al 138).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This absorption of different peoples is how Rome achieved all its great discoveries. Some of which were said to have happened before Rome was founded. The common technological advancement credited to the Romans is roads. The ability to move an army quickly over land, it was thought roads were used to move troops quickly across the growing republic. In 509 B.C. Rome overthrew its last king and created the worlds first republic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Said to be their greatest achievement, the Roman republic is what many of today’s governments are based upon. Using Hammurabi as an example the Romans established a stable system of laws that its people were expected to follow. The â€Å"Laws of the Twelve Tables† was published in 449 B.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

What Kind of a Learner I Am

Throughout life everyone learns. How we learn and whether we are able to retain and recall that information is the problematic part. The way we absorb, analyze, and retain information is what makes each individual unique. What is successful for one individual may not be the most optimal way of learning for someone else. Therefore, everybody has a preferred learning style. Knowing and understanding our learning style helps us to learn more effectively. Through identifying our learning style, we will be able to capitalize on our strengths and improve our self-advocacy skills. For example, I am visual type of a learner. For me it is better to read something to memorize it and then it is easier for me to recall that information. I think this method is helping me a lot through my life because such a way I can use my advantage everywhere where it is possible. As concerns studying, I can pertain myself to 3 types: instrumental, achievement-oriented, and intrinsic. I am studying because it is interesting, but at the same time I want that my efforts were appreciated with a help of good grades and by getting a good job. One of the basic skills for success in the knowledge society is the ability to learn. With increasingly rapid changes in the work place, people must learn to learn in order that they can maintain their full and continued participation in a society. In conclusion, I can say that we all have elements of each learning style. But the truth is that one or two types stand out in each of us. Having determined which style of learner you are, and figure out ways to incorporate that learning style into your studying process. I will continue to encourage myself to figure out alternative styles, and try to bring each type into my life.

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Mind and Its Functions

Psychology studies the mind and its functions, and biology studies living organisms and their physiology, psychobiology uses biological foundations to try and explain psychological phenomena's. This is basically science in the branch of the biological bases of behavior and mental experiences. This is sometimes also known as biological psychology because it deals with the biological interactions such as hormones, neurotransmitters, cells and the social aspects of our environment (Where mind meets matter, n.d.). Psychobiologists study the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms that effect human behavior as a way to understand why the brain works the way it does. A psychobiologist has the belief that biology plays the major role in the actions and behaviors of humans. Some of the research psychobiology focuses on is positive emotions, capacity of self-regulation, social competence, and bonds made with caregivers (Feder, Nestler, ; Charney, 2009). There is some psychobiology that focuses on the impact of our genetics and environment on one's own self, and how that can impact our mental state as well. Biological psychology is the broad overview of the sub disciplines of Comparative Psychology. Some of these similar/other names for Psychobiology would be behavioral neuroscience, and biopsychology. The differences between some of the different sub disciplines include; physiological aspects, genetics, and developmental mechanisms of behavior. These all study the stimulants, and such that impacts behavior in humans and animals and looks for the links for why certain people behave the way they do when presented with a particular stimulus. Because some people react differently and at different degrees than others, it can serve as a measurement to help gauge where they are at stimulant wise. Some of the earliest history of this comes from philosophers who believed that the brain and mind were two separate entities, other known as dualism. Dualism is a theory where the mind and brain are made of different components and materials. Where the mind is an independent material separate of any physical materials, the brain is physical a physical matter. But it wasn't until the 19th century, when scientists started studying the brain and its components, that scientists began to argue that the mind and brain were the same thing. This is known as monism because they saw that the mind, and brain were one entity and that they could not be studied separately. There are quite a few psychologists who were in the search for behavior and its biological foundations. Some of these people who were interested in searching for this were Weber, Pavlov, and Freud. (Hergenhahn, ; Henley, pg. 567) Weber's Law was originally done to describe the research on weight lifting by Ernst Weber who was a physiologist. It was later then applied to â€Å"measurement of sensation† by his student, Gustav Fechner, who eventually developed the law of science and psychophysics (Weber's Law, n.d.). The statement that the relationship between the spiritual world and the physical worlds to Fechner, indicated that the spiritual world was the only world. But to others, they interpreted this as a possibility of a scientific quantitative psychology. Pavlov's contribution to psychobiology would be his research in animal physiology, which led to an understanding in behavior and conditioning responses (Burgemeester, 2016). Freud's influence on psychobiology would be his theory of the human mind and human behavior. He also developed a clinical technique that is made for helping people who are unhappy (The man who revolutionized, n.d.).Another person who contributed a lot to physics, physiology, and psychology would be Hermann Helmholtz. Helmholtz was a poor child who struggled with the arts in school, but read science books and practiced geometry in his free time. Though his family could not afford to send him to college, the government had a program for â€Å"gifted† children to go to med-school for free if they agreed to sign on with the army as surgeons for 8 years. Though Helmholtz agreed with his teacher Muller, they had many disagreements. They disagreed over Muller's belief in vitalism, which in biology and physiology, the vitalism-materialism problem was similar to psychologies' mind-body problem. Vitalism is the view that life and its experiences cannot be explained by physical and chemical processes alone. Helmholtz sided on the side of materialists who believed that no other forces such as the physical and chemical ones, are active within an organism. Basically by meaning that everything happens because of the physical aspect, and not the psychological. By believing and supporting the mechanistic-materialistic philosophy that humans had both physical and nonphysical aspects to them, they had a big influence on physiology, medicine, and psychology. By having the understand that mind, brain, and body are all separate but yet intertwined, it can help with understanding why certain interactions or medications might not work well with certain people because the way their body reacts to certain stimulants may be too much for them to handle. But that could also work for another person who may not have such a high response to a stimulant whether it be environmental, psychological, or medicinal stimulant.Phrenology is the study that the shape and size of the cranium is supposed to be an indicator of one's character and mental abilities. Franz Gall accepted the belief that there are faculties of the mind that act on and transform sensory information. He came up with three additional things to add on to phrenology; that mental faculties do not exist to the same extent in all humans, the faculties are houses in specific areas of the brain, and that if ones faculty is well developed, a person would have a bump that corresponds to that region of the brain. But if the faculty is underdeveloped, a hollow or depression like part would be on the corresponding region of the skull. (Hergenhahn, & Henley, pg. 230) Phrenology became popular in the aspect of education where the belief became that as would a regular physical muscle, a brain would get stronger with practice by stimulating those faculties of the brain. This would be called formal discipline and it is the belief that educational experiences can arrange to strengthen the specific facilities of the brain related to that subject. This encouraged further research in that the brain and mind are related and different regions of the brain hold different bouts of information. (Hergenhahn, & Henley, pg. 232) Another big aspect of psychobiology would be experimental psychology; which is seeing what is physically present, and what is psychologically experienced. (Hergenhahn, & Henley, pg. 237) Though there was never doubt about the existence or presence of a conscious, it was a matter of how we would measure it in a scientific aspect. It was believed that conscious sensations were triggered by brain responses, but then were originally initiated by sense perceptions. Psychophysics is the study of the relationship between physical and psychological events that occur. Weber's Law claims that the number of a physical stimulus, that must occur because a change has occurred and results in the change of awareness or sensations. Through a various series of calculations, Fechner came to his most known formula, which he believed showed the interaction/relationship between the physical and the mental state. S= k log RThis formula basically states that for sensations to rise arithmetically, the magnitude of the physical stimulus must rise geometrically. If the change is detected it means that as the stimulus grows so does the magnitude and it keeps growing and growing afterward (Hergenhahn, ; Henley, pg. 241) Psychobiology has a lot of factors and subsections that research into it. Not only is it important to research both the psychological side and the biological side, it is important to know why and how these things interrelate. By furthering research in these fields we can make strides to better understanding how our genetics, as well as our environment impact our mental and physical well-being and how we may react to certain stimulants psychologically and biologically.