Happy Chips Essay

The supply and management of a company have various difficulties in trying to manipulate the logistics of supply and making analysis of the whole performance of the supplying team. These issues apparently result from low surge and have had great inconveniences to stock and management. The reasons for these intensive difficulties are a result of malfunctioning of one group or department and thus disrupting the paths of supply. Prior to lack of frequency in stock-outs, poor customer response and high prices on the products of the supplying enterprise have the greatest impact then due customers. This results in reduction in profits and furthers the customer – supplier relationship. The operations of the supplying company have bigger effects on the customers unlike any other department involved in stock supply. This is well described from the logistics created by Harold, the director of Logistics explaining what Buy 4 Less had to go through due to malfunctioning of the Happy Chips’ management. The increased complexity in the supply operations make the methodologies that Buy 4 Less suggested to Happy Chips to implement so that both parties could benefit and improve the understanding of the results of poor management. The factors that led to failure in the various sections mentioned above by Buy 4 Less were associated to activities in the product’s delay leading to low costs of income. The problems addressed by Buy 4 Less and other customers of Happy Chips require a complex analysis of set activities or else a high cost in resources production but a reduced cost in selling the supplies. This is unfavorably good for Happy Chips management as they count it as a bigger loss. The activity based costing gives meaningful information about the driven cost from Happy Chips that Carter could have used to track down and establish a well published outcome that Wendell could have used to have simple and possible solutions to his problems (Kaplan, R et al 47) At this juncture, Wendell had to use more detailed analysis because the complexity of the problems had gone higher. This would have a negative result in averages as the original information was fraud or distorted at the segment point. Process cost interacts interchangeably with profit segmentation and this is what Wendell did not pay attention to. The customers are torn between moving on with Happy Chips as their supplier while they still think of vacating from the firm to another supplier. On the other hand, Happy Chips is a firm that has not qualified to national levels and could only operate at the primary and local levels thus losing Buy 4 Less firm would be a great loss. As a result Wendell has to confine into explicit measures of the costs of activities and tend to pay attention to communicating with Buy 4 Less firm whereas he improves management fitness. It is fantastic that many managers have the final rule but it is profound that Wendell gets objections from his colleagues. With anything that would give the customers better alternatives like relatively low costs for the products the firm makes, direct store delivery and distribution to various customers’ shops would rather sound finer and good to the customer himself. Being inconsiderate of the additional costs the supplier has to suffer by himself. In regard to the case demonstrated in the case of Happy Chips, Wendell is left with no option rather than to comply with the customer’s wish in order to benefit from the outcome of his firm (Kaplan, R et al 108). As a manager, he finds himself in a tougher situation because he is even forced to make the direct deliveries lesser than before. The objections from the colleague made it more difficult for him to decide the best of all the collections he had done in the Midwestern University on the cost analysis. The management had to include cost of utilities as well as the basic costs. These would also lower the income. In consideration to the defaults the management had to appeal to their best customers. Happy Chips has no options to guarantee their safety from loss but have only one way to save it. Accepting the decisions made by Buy 4 Less firm as due to lack of their appropriateness, they got the customers angry to no despicable point. For the safety of their reformation, they would have to comply with the customers’ decision in accordance to the logistic analysis. The direct cost of labor is a basis for bigger losses in the Happy Chips as the work would be increased but wages decrease. The cost of production would rise while the demand of the products decreases due to broken customer relationship. Eventually the firm would experience bigger losses in general. The changes desired by Buy 4 Less should be adhered to by Happy Chips firm. The core reason as to why they should comply is because they might end up closing the firm taking into consideration that the head of logistics who had already submitted the analysis of the outcome. From time to time, the company receives many offers to make and sell products at a lower price unlike the significantly high prices that many customers would not be confronted with buy. Due to this offer, the companies make a special decision making meeting with the board so they can either accept or reject it. For instance, Buy 4 Less is confronted to hit a very much lower cost in the products and even distributing them to customers’ premises. That would undoubtedly make a greater loss in the firm. Given conditions, the customers might disappear if Happy Chips does not comply with the requests and be left to die alone. Apparently, Wendell has no desirable option left with him and failure to eliminate these segments will be seen as lacking to comply with the current demands of the customers (Hitchner,et al 34). On the other hand, the amount of revenue required to be given by the Happy Chips firm is relevantly high. The special order requested by Buy 4 Less is relatively comparable to incremental revenues in addition to the normal costs. Wendell is liable to determine the total costs he is about to recur from accepting the request. From the analysis point of view, the unit-level request is basically far from the special request by Buy 4 Less firm and the latter should not be considered. Segment report analysis created by Wendell should show that he had orders in potatoes that were more reliable than any other supplier. In a good arranged order of the potato segment, he would restore the path of profitable sale of the same potatoes by dividing the segments according to grocery segment, drug and mass merchandise. From the analysis Wendell created from the University study of logistic, then this would help hip organize a presentable segment report. This report should not dwell on his colleagues and should stand upon making the critical decision in accepting the new orders to save his company. Increase in the mass merchandise would not affect the results of the new terms as far as the new order is still to be implemented. The new order should be defaulted and as a result the additional profits are evenly shared to the affected areas in the supplying company (Hitchner,et al 67). Conclusion Segment profitability is a mutual concept by itself and far from the common understanding of the difficulties expressed by Happy Chips firm. The whole problem should be addresses in an agreement, so that Happy Chips should consider complying with the granted order to avoid higher losses. The segment of profitability is mutually critical if the parties do not agree and come up with a common solution.

Teen Mom and Effects on American Culture

American teenagers take a lot of things for granted, but what we don’t take into consideration is what would happen if these things suddenly disappeared. Teenage life consists of school, jobs, driving, friends, sports, and going out with friends. We never consider others’ way of life. In some cultures, they are just fighting to stay alive, while others don’t have the freedom to go out with friends, or play a certain sport. They are so consumed in family life or their future jobs that they have no social life. No one ever thinks what would happen if their way of life was completely turned around.This concept is shown on a reality television show called 16 and Pregnant. It follows a group of teenage girls throughout their pregnancy and a few weeks after. It shows the trials, worries, and changes in these girls’ lives. There is also a follow up show called Teen Mom that follows 4 girls from the first season of the show. I will be expanding on these girls†™ lives from the beginning of their pregnancy to their lives now. Maci Bookout was just your ordinary teenage girl. She was an excellent student, played softball, and was very popular. She had big plans to go away for college and be a typical college student.This is the way the typical American is viewed. But things suddenly changed for Maci when she discovered she was pregnant. All her dreams and aspirations soon faded away and she had to consider her life with a baby. Maci comes from a middle upper class family, so concerns for money were minimal, and she didn’t have much of a struggle, other than with her baby’s dad, Ryan. But she couldn’t go away to college; she was just worried about graduating high school. She had to quit softball, and her friends soon turned on her. Her life was completely changed with just one decision.She took her teenage years for granted, but once she became a teen mom, that was all she wanted back. Amber Portwood was a big party gi rl, who didn’t care what others thought of her. She would party instead of doing homework, and didn’t have many friends that truly cared about her. She viewed life as a big party, and didn’t take it seriously, until she had to. She became pregnant at 16 and her whole life was changed. She dropped out of high school, and moved in with her boyfriend, Gary. They were from a lower class family, so they struggled with money. Gary and Amber soon both were working, and had to leave their aughter with Gary’s mother. It was obvious from the start that Amber and Gary were not meant for each other, because they would often get into fights. Fights started to get physical and Amber soon saw herself sitting home alone while Gary took their daughter and left, after many months of physical abuse. Amber knew she had a problem, and needed help, but she realized it too late. Gary broke up with her and she was alone, and without her daughter. She took her teen years for gran ted, and instead of living life to the best of her ability, she tried to grow up too fast, and got what she wanted.Farrah Abrams was the popular cheerleader in high school. She had great friends and an amazing boyfriend. She had big dreams of going to culinary school, becoming a chef, and opening her own restaurant. All those dreams were put on hold when she discovered she was pregnant. Things became even worse when the father of her baby, and boyfriend of 1 year, was killed in a car accident. 2 months later, her daughter, Sophia, was born. She had to go through the loss of her boyfriend, and the birth of her daughter. Soon after Sophia’s birth, Farrah began to miss her boyfriend and saw herself going out more, and leaving her baby with her mother.Farrah’s mom constantly had to remind her daughter that she was now a mother and couldn’t just go out with friends anymore. She was from a very wealthy family and had no problems with money, but all her other problems took the place of money problems. Farrah and her mother did not get along very well at all. She was constantly disrespecting her mom, and her mom was constantly nagging her about everything. When Sophia was almost 1 year old, Farrah’s mother punched Farrah. Cops came to the house and arrested her mother, and Farrah didn’t see or speak to her mom for months.Farrah had a successful life planned out for herself, but now she’s unsure of whether or not she’ll ever reach her goals. Catelynn Lowell is an ordinary girl. She doesn’t have any special gifts or talents, she’s just a teenager. She and her boyfriend, Tyler, were dating 3 years when she discovered she was pregnant. Ironically this was a good thing for her. She had no plans or goals for her life, because her mother and step-father (which is Tyler’s real dad) are both drug addicts and have never been strict on Catelynn about anything. Being pregnant made Catelynn realize she needed to do something with her life and not turn into her mother.She and Tyler talked for months, and both decided that they needed to give their daughter, Carly, up for adoption, because there was no way they could raise their daughter in the living situation they were in. Catelynn and Tyler are both from very low class families, and could barely provide for themselves, so they knew their daughter would be very unhappy. While it was a difficult decision, they also knew it was the best one. Catelynn and Tyler will be graduating from high school this year, and have many goals they’re eager to achieve. The similarities and differences between these girls are many.Amber dropped out of high school, and missed out on graduating. Will she ever get her GED? Farrah is the only one who does not have a father in her baby’s life; will her baby ever have a father figure? Maci seems to have it all together, but does is she really happy not being with her first love? Catelynn and Tyler gave their daughter up for adoption, and while it was a smart decision, will they later regret it? All these girls’ lives will be affected forever because of the decisions they’ve made. I believe this show takes the concept of the average American teenager, and adds some reality into it.While not all teen girls become pregnant, it’s amazing to see that this is what it take to make some teens grow up. Other cultures would think that this is just crazy because these girls took for granted the fact that they had people who loved them, a house to live in, and a chance for education. American culture is very different from other cultures, just in the fact that we don’t value things that should be valued, such as family, morals, and God. If we viewed life a little more seriously, and not as a game, then we may be a much stronger, happier nation.

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Nursing research - Essay Example Effectively, a tool that provides findings that answered the research questions was valid and reliable since it measured what it was intended to measure in an accurate manner. In research, reliability is the extent to which an instrument provides consistent results in research. In effect, this is the stability of a tool to provide consistent results while used by different researchers. Based on the definition, there are three types of reliability that can be established. First, a determination of the equivalence is one example of establishing the reliability of an instrument. In this case, equivalence establishes whether the instrument used under different research studies produced similar results. The second type of reliability that can be established is consistency. The consistency of a research instrument is through the establishment whether the same instrument produced the same results when used on the same subjects in different instances. Finally, another type of reliability that a person can establish in an instrument is internal consistency, which determines the extent to which items in an instrument measured similar

Political Functions of London and Cairo in 1600 and 1800 Research Paper

Political Functions of London and Cairo in 1600 and 1800 - Research Paper Example 1During the 17th century, geographical growth was notable in Cairo under the control of Ottomans who were striving to expand the city’s borders from Citadel. Modernization of the city was noted in the 19th century upon entry of the Britons into the region. On the other hand, England’s capital city London was established over 2000 years ago. 2Over this time, London has been acclaimed for its important cultural and financial capitals despite the devastating fires, plague, terrorist attacks, aerial bombardments, and civil wars. Expansion of the city was realized in the 17th century (Hindley 57). Records have shown that Cairo has played an important role in the history of the world. Its influence led its recognition as the â€Å"mother of the world† among the Arab world. During the period 1600 to 1800, Cairo’s political influence was manifested in the Islamic period under the Ottoman dynasty. The Ottoman dynasty had a vast political influence on Cairo city bot h in the urban and rural settings. 3Cultural settings of most communities were sustained such as Jewish and Christian among the Armenians and Balkans. Several centers emerged from the aristocratic families’ homes and coffeehouses. ... As a result, land holdings were re-evaluated whereby large portions were subdivided into smaller pieces that were distributed to tenant farmers. Cairo’s rulers reserved some large portions of lands for scientific purposes such as research. Therefore, Cairo served as pivotal administrative point for all regulations related to rural areas. Similarly, Cairo’s political influence was noted in its attempt to promote economic, educational, and security development (Shaw 168). On the other hand, political system’s influence in London in the 19th century was exemplified by the exponential growth because of establishment of Industrial Revolution and British Empire. Consequently, London city expanded and became to be regarded as the Greater London and into a giant metropolis (Hindley 127). At the end of this century, London had experienced tremendous advancements in technology. 5Administrative influence of London city saw the construction of London Bridge in 1800. Under th e leadership of King James I, the puritans were denied their grants to several reforms. Political influence led to abolition of Bishops in London. However due to conflicts, the puritans managed to defeat King James I upon formation of a strong bond within the parliamentary party (Masters et al 183). The first form of an organized government in London was formed in 1888 through the local government. The basis of administration was in regard to the counties. Moreover, the 1894 local act initiated localized administration in London since it aimed at dividing the city into urban and rural districts. Therefore, localized system of governance was the first advancement that political influence enacted (Hindley p.146). Due to these legislations, civil parishes were established in London city. An

Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final - Research Paper Example Various concepts of validity and reliability have been discussed to analyze the extent of accuracy of the measurements in the research. Other than that, the ethical aspects of using human subjects in the research have also been analyzed. Table of Contents Research Methodology 4 Criteria for Research Method Selection 4 Difference between: 4 a)Facts and Theory 4 b)Concepts and Variables 5 Use of Theoretical Perspective in Design Process 5 Validity and Reliability 5 Construct Validity 6 Measurement Reliability 6 Quantitative and Qualitative Research Design 6 Quantitative Research Design 6 Qualitative Research Design 7 Requirement of Ethics in Research 7 Comparative Study between non-experimental, quasi-experimental, and experimental research designs 8 References 9 Research Methodology The process of systematically solving the research problem is called research methodology. It can also be understood as a way to conduct research scientifically. The researchers study the problems and the logic behind them, with the usage of the right research methodology. The researchers not only have to assess the quantitative aspect of any research but also its qualitative dimension too. It is also necessary to analyze the assumptions that have been taken for various techniques and also the criteria by which the techniques could be chosen. In the virtual project management of oil and gas industry, the right methodology for conducting research is by mailing questionnaire to the respondents, conducting telephonic survey or through observation (Kothari, 2008, p. 7-8). Criteria for Research Method Selection As we have already studied, research methodology is the tool for scientifically approaching a research problem. So the success and the failure of the research are mostly depended upon the right research tool selected by the researcher. The criteria for selecting the research tools are not fixed, they vary according to the research problem, the issues behind such situation and the l ogic behind selecting the method of research. In this study the research is conducted to analyze the various issues that arise when companies utilize virtual project tools in the oil sector. These projects are usually undertaken by teams of people who work from different countries around the world. So in this case telephonic survey or questionnaire sent through mails would be the best method for data collection. Difference between: a) Facts and Theory The things which we can see, feel, touch or hear are facts as it can be verified and its existence is real for us. Even when we do not personally experience something, but the experiences of others are also counted as a fact. In research facts are those which can be tested and verified. For example in virtual projects, the virtual project tools such as the satellites show the picture of the oil wells, pipeline or oil spills to the project managers in their offices. This is also a fact. Theory on the other hand utilizes the fact and put forward the reason behind such occurrence. It is the logic behind the fact that took place. In research it is very important to identify the reason behind the problems; otherwise solutions cannot be formulated for the same. b) Concepts and Variables The point of difference between concepts and variables are the measurability. Concepts are perceptions that are created in minds

Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Integrity - Essay Example about because it shares the same meaning with the other term; ‘flammable’ which many people would, and, in fact, should understand to be the opposite of the former. In the usage, and ordinarily in English. When the prefix ‘in’ in introduced before the main word stem, then the word created would be understood to mean the opposite of the original word (Kearns 34). In this ordinary sense, the term ‘inflammable’ would be understood to mean that substance that does not catch fire easily or non-combustible. This is because the original word, before the addition of the prefix, is ‘flammable’ and means that which catches fire easily. Secondly, the term ‘inflammable’ originated from the word ‘inflammare’. It is not clear whether this term ‘inflammare’ is a French or Latin word. It is, therefore, not clear where the origin of this term is, and thereby making it difficult to establish the exact meaning of the word. The only sure way of establishing the right meaning of this word is by attaching the prefix ‘in’ before the original word stem and giving it a negative meaning. In addition, when it comes to the current views and uses of the term, it is restricted within a given range of circumstances, which ensures that the common confusion, and especially that which can cause injury to life, does not arise. In this respect and because the term refers to what causes a destruction when mishandled the â€Å"flame†, the term has been widely used in non-technical and figurative contexts. An example could be in general speech where a speaker cold be said to ignite inflammable emotions in the crowd. The other term ‘flammable’ which has the same meaning as ‘inflammable’ is used with a lot of ease in technical circumstances. An example is when giving warnings to vehicles ferry substances which easily catch fire. It is in this regard that that I find it unsuitable that, two terms with the same meaning, i.e. the synonyms should have different

Business Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Analysis - Case Study Example The Company drew popularity in the 1940s as a cleaning company that offered its services to the defense forces of nations especially those involved in war. The Tennant brand is strong and so is its positioning within the market. They currently hold approximately fifteen percent of the global market share, with sales growing faster than many of their competitors. Tennant’s focus was rare as they chose to deliver a sustainable value to their customers without compromising on price or performance. This strength is not imitable with new companies as it something that is built over time although many existing companies have built the same brand strength with their products. This strength has proved to be a sustainable competitive advantage for Tennant. They have exploited this strength and achieved organization. Key Issues 1) Tennant needs a strategic plan that will assure them future growth in the wake of competition and uncertainty in the market. 2) The market diversification pla ns at Tennant are intense. Tennant should focus on making their current product lines stronger. 3) Tennant is constantly facing new competition, much of which is offering discounted products making it difficult for Tennant and other companies in the industry to compete. Criteria and Evaluation of Alternatives by Criteria SWOT Analysis Strengths Tennant has strength in their discovery and early adoption of new technologies. It has allowed them to build relationships with various suppliers and service providers and has helped further build their brand name and recognition within the industry. This strength will be critical if Tennant chooses to venture in to new market segments or further expand their product line as they will always be a step ahead of their competition. This strength has proved to be a key competitive advantage for Tennant. They have exploited this strength and achieved organization. Weaknesses This industry is mostly affected by the growing consumer demands that sur pass production capability of any company. Due to this identified demand, the industry has experienced substantial growth, emanating from the expansion of market by competitors. Opportunities also arise as a result of growth. This is reflected by the current state of intense competition in the industry. Political factors fuel this demand especially due to policies regulating health standards and application of such efforts to ensure cleanliness. Opportunities The primary identified opportunity of the industry is that of providing chemical-free cleaning product alternatives as supplements to their already established product lin

Explain what the term 'Fair trade' means and what are the important Essay

Explain what the term 'Fair trade' means and what are the important issues for the business world - Essay Example The basic intention of having fair trade is to move the works of the producers from the developing markets down towards the more urbanized quarters of the world, which suggests that the works of these developing countries are appreciated and allotted with revenues in return. This also helps the developing regimes to move from a position of vulnerability to security as well as economic self-sufficiency. The aspect of empowerment is also apparent from these undertakings since it allows for these developing nations to have more stakes in their produced goods over a period of time and thus allow them far more share in their own wealth. What this in essence does is to provide a greater share of equity which marginalizes the world trade levels as well as brings an end to the exploitation that has been happening over a long period of time, more so under the international trade tenets. A number of different global organizations work in close unison with fair trade regimes since this brings in aid for the poor countries, uplift in economic levels for the ones which are on the development curve and an overall prosperity scenario for the countries that have already been established and are making both ends meet in an economically self-efficient manner. These social and environmental organizations include Oxfam, Amnesty International and Caritas International to name a few. What these organizations try to do is to devise ways and means through which fair trade could be bolstered between different world regions and the societies could benefit from these steps that are taken under such levels. Also there is unity of purpose and actions are carried out in a manner which works to the advantage of the whole globe rather than a single entity at the very end. Because of these very steps, there are critics present under the banner of the fair trade regimes which suggests that the close

Research Technique Essay Example for Free

Research Technique Essay Suppose your sociology instructor has asked you to do a study of homelessness. Which research technique (survey, observation, experiment, existing sources) would you find the most useful? How would you use that technique to complete your assignment? If my sociology instructor has asked me to do a study of homelessness, I will choose the observation research technique because I think this method is the most useful to me. In definition, observation means collecting information through direct participation and/or by watching a group or community engaged, which means, this is a technique which researchers observe carefully the behaviors of people involved in their hypothesis. Although there are various types of observational research techniques (naturalistic observation, participant observation†¦), each of them has both strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I believe participant observation is the most suitable method for the study of homelessness. Firstly, this technique allows me to gain information in my own point of view as I’m the observer and participant as well. Secondly, by using this method, the subject behaviors (homeless people) remain natural, therefore, giving the results high validity and reliability. Thirdly, it’s flexible as I can myself test the hypotheses and be able to redefine possible personal conceptions. Fourthly, by directing involving the research, my results will contain highly-detailed, high-quality information about the homelessness’s behaviors. However, this technique also has some disadvantage. First, it’s likely for me to have a close relationship with others which may influence the results. Second, it’s quite difficult for me to be accepted in the group (maybe I’m too different from them). Third, this technique requires a great deal of skill and commitment from the researchers. I must have the ability to fit-in with the people being observed and the ability to communicate naturally to them without letting them know my purposes. Finally, I have to make sure that I have enough money, time, resources, skills and support to go through this research. More details about my study. After having finished 3 important steps (defining the problem, reviewing the literature, formulating the hypothesis), I’ll continue the fourth step: collecting and analyzing data by using the observation technique (participant observation). I’ll join the homeless communities, which usually gather to sleep in the parks, under the bridges or in the verandas of the private or public houses†¦It’d be easier for me to participate if I can show them for sure that I’m a real homeless person (little money, no mobile phone, have acceptable reason to become homeless, dirty clothes†¦). The length of my stays are going to be about 6 months to 1 year as this time is long enough for me to have a generally view about this problem (however, it mainly depend on the time which the instructor allows me to so that I can limit/expand the areas researched). During the time I’m homeless, I’ll try to gain the acceptance in the group studied in order to collect the information needed without raising close relations or letting them know who I am, which will affect the conclusion of my study. Then, I’ll listen to their stories about the reason why they become homeless (of course I must have a reason for myself), observe their feeling, their behaving in life as well as their attitudes about their present conditions. Besides, I also have to try fulfill my study by finding the answers for these following questions: 1. How did they become homeless? (different people will have different answers) 2. Do they feel like the government is helping them to reduce homelessness? 3. How has being homeless affected them? (difficulties in all aspects) 4. What are the main causes of people becoming homeless? 5. What should the government do to help the homeless people? 6. The link between being homeless and having social diseases (HIV, syphilis†¦) 7. Where do the homelessness rates have the highest/lowest percentage? What are the differences in these areas? These 5 questions are the basic information that I have to find the answers by asking directly through normal conversations, by observing, by listening†¦ Besides, I think I can conclude some other useful results so as to have a general overview to support for my study thank to the time I’m being homeless. My conclusion will include these data: 1. Trends in homelessness recently. 2. Characteristics of persons experiencing homelessness 3. Causes of homelessness 4. Effect of homelessness. 5. Homeless policy initiatives 6. How different places have different rate of homelessness. Reasons? Solutions (If I can) 7. Outlook for the future (solutions) Finally, I’ll finish the final step: developing the conclusion base on the data I have to support or redefine the hypothesis.

Would Theodicy work Essay Example for Free

Would Theodicy work Essay A. J Ayer argues that human actions are so because of already preexisting factors in their lives but not as a result of their own free will. He maps these already existing factors such as feelings and past experiences which he calls casual laws as the one that makes people to be who they are. He defends his argument of on the basis that determinism and freewill co-exist in relation when a human behavior is being executed. His definition of free will is that it is the absence of any constraint and thus argues that although people usually are compelled to behave in a certain manner by these casual laws, they remain responsible for their actions since they are not constrained to the choices (Ayer). Theodicy How should evil be viewed in the presence on an omnipotent God who is all good? Could the evil-that which is not good- be from the same God that is all good? How could the all good God ‘create’ if not create then ‘allow’ evil? One could question if it is not him who has created evil, then do his creatures have the potential to create evil? If so, did He create this potential of creating evil in them? If He did why didn’t he create the absolute power in them not to do evil? People are considered to be doing evil based on the choices that they make. The argument is based on the presence of free will on human beings, that is one is absolutely free (without external compulsion) to act in a certain manner. But Ayer does not see it all in this light. He believes that determinism and free will are compatible. To him free will can only be regarded as free if ones actions could have been different and thus because of the chosen cause of action, one is held responsible for his/her actions. He also pointed out that the agent could have been bound to act otherwise if the action motivators were different. But the conditions being as they were for him or her, then the individual acted as he/she did. His argument is that if there happens to be any causal determinism, then it is not possible for the action to be driven by free will. He believes that ones free will is acknowledged, it remains no longer to be free will since to his view, free will should be in the unconscious. He gives an example such as, when one says â€Å"I’m acting on free will†, the person ceases to be acting on free will. He identifies this situation as one which has now already been determined. He views that people’s use of the term free will is on ordinary sense. He believes that the term freedom needs not to be linked to the meaning and term causality but to constraints. An example is when a man does take some actions at gun point not because they want but because they have been compelled to do it, (Ayer). Another example is that of Kleptomaniac who are not free agents. Unlike a regular thief would do, their minds do not let them decide to steal. Ayer yet gives another example of compulsion neurosis. He says if in such an instance he happens to wake up and walk around the room whether he wants it or not or he has been compelled by someone to do so, then he would not be acting freely. But Ayer argues that if he did it on his own, then it would be free action. For him he held that when it comes to constraints, some generalizations could be made on human behavior, (Hick). He holds that suffering as a child affects ones behavior as an adult. But if this behavior happens to be altered by something that happens in the course of life, then the person is not acting under constraint. An example he gives is a man who decides to forever avoid serious relationship because of having been cheated by a woman in a previous relationship. In this instance the man is conditioned by fear of being hurt and thus is not acting on free will. But the man in question would not agree that his decision is not on free will because he believes that the choice he made was not the only one. This is Ayer’s definition of free will, that is choosing to do something where there were other possibilities of choice even though there could have been a possibility of casual laws. A clear observation of Ayers argument on determinism and free will is that he has attempted to turn free will into that which is not. It should be noted that free will is not simply defined as lack of constraint. A choice that has been made by the virtual of causal necessity cannot be regarded to be more free than the one that is made under logical necessity. Out of this erroneous definition of freewill, Ayer could not be held right on his argument of moral responsibility. Peoples actions are products of numerous causal laws and are thus still being compelled to act in certain manner unlike his view of people being held responsible for their actions because they have acted on free will, (Hick). Conclusion Its common to ask if God is the author of sin and evil in our world. The view of a God who created moral beings and at the same time left them to this probationary economy with the absolute knowledge that they will absolutely fall may seam to be one that could justify theodicy. If the all good God cannot create evil, then the only way that the evil can be looked at it is that is a predestination of a greater glorious good. The attainment of the perceived good may not be because that God is lacking in power to have it without evil but it could be because the glorious end requires sin itself. If this is the case then, the argument that God is the author of sin cannot hold for this reason that if the evil does take place because of his permission, it is not because it the end of the process but rather a part of a process towards the real ‘end’ -omnipotent and ‘all goodness’- which in short is back to God. God cannot thus be the author of evil but rather evil can be regarded as the part of that process that is towards all good. If God permits it then, it is not to the denial of Himself, the all good, but an affirmation that He is all good since everything, even evil leads all back to Him.

What is Reality? Philosophy Essays

What is Reality? Philosophy Essays In this essay we look at the theories of Plato, Descartes and Locke and their views on what reality is, we look at what perception means to reality, and how everyones view on reality is different. As we begin to question what reality is, we learn more about ourselves and our perceptions of life, we begin to question ourselves, and we slowly learn what reality means to us, as individuals. This essay should hopefully encourage deep thinking about reality and existence; it aims to bring individuals to closer to understanding what life means to them. Every day we trust in our senses to tell us the truth, we believe what we see, smell, touch, hear, and taste, but do we ever question whether or not our senses are lying to us, do we ever stop to think that perhaps our senses are being manipulated? If we can doubt if our senses tell us the truth, than how can we know what really exists? An Individuals perception is completely their own, the way that one person perceives things, may be completely different than the way another individual perceives things. In one passage from Renee Descartes, he questions if beliefs are impossible even though they are derived from the senses. He asked himself how could it be denied that these hands or this whole body is mine? He then compares himself to mentally disturbed people saying that mentally disturbed individuals sometimes believe that they are somewhere, or that they see things, that are not correct. Who are we to question someone elses sanity? What is it that makes our perceptions reality and a mentally disturbed persons perceptions incorrect? (http://www.writework.com/essay/descartes-view-real) When a sentient being acknowledges that they exist in a world of physical objects, they also confirm that their sense perception functions to an extent which allows them to reason, even to a small degree, their physical existence. What is a physical object? Does a physical object have to be something you can see, touch, feel, taste, or smell or can a physical object exist without one being able to confirm its existence? Is the sensory perception of a fly wrong just because it has over a 1000 eyes or is the way humans view the world incorrect because we do not? A blind man can still help a person distinguish a colour because no one perception is ever totally interpreted by only one sensory organ. Many other animals on earth do not just rely on their sight for information about their world. For instance fish in totally dark areas of the ocean have no eyes and yet can still maneuve r around in their environment by sensing ripples in their area with special sense organs on their body. Birds also seem to use the magnetic lines of the earth to navigate south for the winter each year. It would be foolish to make the statement that all sensory perception of the world is circumspect and is exactly the same for all creatures. Firstly, we need to look at what perception and reality mean, the definition of perception is the  act  or  faculty  of apprehending  by  means  of  the  senses  or  of  the  mind;  cognition;  understanding. This means that perception is what we sense in our environment from what our senses and mind tells us. The definition of reality is the state or quality of being real (dictionary.com) but if we know what is real because of our perceptions and senses, how do we know our senses can be trusted to tell us the truth, and thus how do we know what is real? Every philosopher has searched within themselves for the answer to what is reality, and how we know what is real, but every philosopher has their own views on reality, to begin idealist Renee Descartes argued that sensations and experience can be doubted, so it is pure reason, not the senses, that must form the basis of Truth and what reality is. Next, an Idealist, Plato who claimed that the world of ideas, for example the ideal nature or essence of a tree or a circle or a color, was more fundamental, more real, than physical reality, and that physical reality, a tree for instance, comes into being as an imperfect instance of the ideal.  John Locke an empiricist said that the mind starts out without any knowledge and everything one knows is built up from experience through the senses. So who is right? Is there any one way to know what reality really is? In Descartes his first and second meditations he claims that all our beliefs can be doubted because our senses could simply be just an illusion, he goes on to say that although all our beliefs cannot be certain, because we think and experience, our minds must exist. Descartes argued that our ordinary experiences and views of the world cannot give us the kind of affirmed foundation on which all other knowledge and beliefs can be based. We are often dismayed to acknowledge that what we have learned is simply detriment, or that what our senses tell us is not certain. That should make us wonder about whether all the other things we believe might also be uncertain. So is there anything that we can know for certain without a doubt? We can doubt whether there is a physical world and whether we have a physical body. We can doubt whether our own reasoning can be trusted, so then what can we absolutely know for certain? Descartes gives an example that even if a higher power deceives us about a ll our other beliefs, there is one belief that we can be certain about, which is that we are thinking. Even to doubt this belief is proving that we are thinking. And since thinking cannot occur without there being something that does the thinking, this proves that we exist. When we think, it proves we have a mind, regardless of whether we have bodies. The body we experience as our own is not an essential part of our self because we can doubt its existence in a way that we cannot doubt the existence of our mind. Plato believed that reality was in the form of two separate worlds, he believed that something was an individual object, but could be put together into a larger group. For example there are multiple breeds of cats, but they all fall under a larger group, which is cats, or felines. Another analogy that Plato came up with was the allegory of the cave. Here the physical world is in the form of a cave, in which the humans are trapped from the beginnings of our life, where we are stationary and cannot move our heads, so we perceive only shadows and sounds. Without reason, one of us is released and is encouraged to travel upward to the entrance of the cave. This revelation is very confusing to the person. Then he is pulled to the entrance of the cave, where the light is hurting his eyes that are accustomed to the dark, which threatens the only security his life has known. The world of daylight represents the realm of Ideas. His eyes grow accustomed to the light and he can look up to the sun, and understand what the ultimate source of light and life is. This is symbolic of the Idea of the Good in the Realm. This gradual process is a metaphor of education, and enlightenment. Yet the real lesson of Plato is that the enlightened person now has a moral responsibility to the unfortunate people, still in the cave, to rescue them and bring them into the light. This lesson brings about Socrates famous quote, As for the man who tried to free them and lead them upward, if they could somehow lay their hands on him and kill him, they would do so. This is ironic in nature. The fact that this man is trying to help these people and they are so uneducated masses will resent him and threaten his life. Lastly, John Locke stated that we define objects by primary and secondary properties; primary properties being undeniably objective features such as size and shape, and secondary properties being subjective such as colour and taste. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dQpDNtsIAE) Lockes theory on reality is called Representative Realism, it is the view that sense data (an immediate object of perception, which is not a material object; a sense impression) somehow represents the objects and that these objects are causally involved in our production of the sense data. Our perception of objects is thus indirect; hence, representative realism is a kind of indirect realism. (An Introduction to Epistemology, second edition, 277) This view argues that we experience reality indirectly by perceptions that represent the real world. So, if we see a brown table, what we are actually seeing is not the table itself but a representation of it. In this way, differences of perception which occur due to c hanges in light conditions, position of viewer, etc., can be easily explained: it is not the object which is changing, only the perception of it. As an example, a man is standing on the corner of a busy road and witnesses two cars collide. Neither driver is hurt, but both step out of their cars to inspect the damage. Driver A is a young mother with a young child in the back of the car; driver B is a business executive in a hurry; the witness is an old man wearing glasses. As the two drivers argue about whose fault it was, the man approaches them and offers to confirm what he saw happening. What does each of them see? Whose is the correct view?   It is evident that the mind knows not things immediately, but only by the intervention of the ideas it has of them. Our knowledge therefore, is real, only so far as there is conformity between our ideas and the reality of things. But what shall be here the criterion? How shall the mind, when it perceives nothing but its own ideas, know they agree with things themselves? (John Locke, 452) So who is right? These are just three different views on reality out of hundreds, and possibly even thousands from other philosophers, but is there any one way to know if one philosophers theory is right over another? One thing most of these theories have in common is that our perceptions of reality, how we view things through our senses and the different objects we see, may not be what is certainly real, they suggest that what our perceptions of reality are, are not really what reality is. What this means is that for the average person living, their reality is based upon ignorance towards other truths. Throughout the span of humanity, we as a species have looked upon the workings of the universe through the lens of religion, using it to explain the unexplainable. However, secularized sciences began to surface and thus, scientific explanations began to replace religious beliefs. What was previously the affliction of ignorance towards the people who used religion to perceive the world around them transformed into a truth. However, as the sciences and technology grew more advanced, previous scientific theorems began to be disproved by newly discovered ones. Again, the ignorance transforms into truth; nonetheless, each and every time ignorance converts to truth new ignorance manifests. As an example in while inside the matrix, Neo had no idea that his reality was created by the workings of a machine. To him, the food he ate was real, and the punches he took in the face were painful. He perceived the mechanical world he resides in to be reality, to be real. However, as soon as he awakens to the new reality, outside of the machine, his previous life became an obsolete truth to him, and this new one became his new reality. Reality is a cycle of truth and ignorance, and will continue to be so eternally. Unless one is omniscient, there will always be a truth, a fact, in existence that will carry the potential to disprove everything we know. As humans we struggle to know why we exist and what reality is, but many of us are too afraid to give up the comfort of believing what we see to be true to discover the answers to what reality is, because of this there are select few individuals who question their life and what it means, these individuals give insight to others and are able to teach other individuals about what it means to question our existence and perceptions. Although for many of us the theories of philosophers such as Descartes, Plato, and Locke may seem wildly unlikely, the more we question what reality is, the more we ourselves create new theories about reality, and they themselves may seem far-fetched to other individuals. We may look at what other philosophers have theorized in the past, but for us, as individuals, to discover what reality means to us personally, we must think deeply ourselves, we must theorize and question ourselves until we are so confused by our questions we no longer know what it means to exist. We cannot rely on other theories of reality because everyone perceives reality differently, what one person may perceive is different than what another person may perceive, and because of this not everyone can have the same views and theories on what reality and existence means. Some of us may see God as an important part and influence in our reality, while others may not. Some people may say nothing truly exists, and that we are just an illusion and others may say everything they see is real. No one is wrong; our individual views on reality are personal, our perceptions are not the same as other individuals perceptions, and that does not mean one is wrong or right. What it means is that we as humans have the responsibly to question ourselves, to question what it means to live. In order for any of us to achieve true happiness we must question reality, existence, and our perceptions. If we live in ignorance, we are not truly being happy; we are letting ourselves be satisfied with not understanding the world. Thinking deeply about reality inspires growth, it inspires us to realize there is more to the world then what we can see, the world is a limitless place of our desires.

Athenian Women :: essays research papers

ATHENIAN WOMEN It is ridiculous to assume that the Athenian women of Ancient Greece were respected and revered by men. These women were not held in high regard. Men controlled all aspects of their lives, beginning with their fathers and continuing with their husbands once they married. Most girls were married in their very early teens to men that were usually much older (Xenophon’s Oeconomicus), sometimes as much as twice the age of their wives. The age difference was considered a moot point since women at that time often did not survive the rigors of repeated childbirth and died young. It was also generally believed that marrying a very young girl enabled the husbands to train her and mold her into a proper Athenian wife. Athenian women had almost no influence or power in Greek society and were not highly regarded until they could produce a male child (Socrates). The common belief at that time (in most Western societies) was that women were necessary to produce children. Women existed for the sake of procreation, to bear sons in order to continue the family name (Aristotle states that the man supplies the substance, the soul, i.e. the form for children, the woman provides only the nourishment), (Source: Generation of Animals). In Athenian society, extramarital affairs by husbands with women (and men) was the norm, and it indeed contributed to the image of a man’s prosperity if he had a mistress. Did the males in this society consider their wives praiseworthy? In my opinion the answer is no, since a wife who was the husband’s property and could be disciplined if she did not conform to the Athenian standards of wife. Athenian wives were judged in society by their frugality, ability to rais e sons, and their devotion and faithfulness to their husbands, (e.g., Penelope and Odysseus). A married woman caught in adultery would have been forced to abandon her home and children for the disgrace it would bring the family name, (Hunt, pg. 70). Men in ancient Athens (as in just about every Western civilization) had altered views of women. They saw women as being weak and dependent (Xenophon Oeconomicus), and because of the socioeconomic structure of the time, they were. Women in this society could, to some degree, assert power and influence in the home. The everyday life of the â€Å"ideal† Greek woman included child bearing and rearing, cleaning, both weaving cloth and making clothes, cooking and supervising slaves and other domestic tasks, (Xenophon, On Household Management).

Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin Essay -- Literature

Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins. Merlin gains his first mention in eight ancient Welsh poems attributed to the Welsh bard Myrddin. (Bruce) Signs of his Welsh, druidical heritage are all through the verses. One poem invokes an apple-tree to hide Merlin from his pursuing enemies, and magical apple-trees are common in Welsh fairyland. Another of Merlin's purported poems is addressed to a little pig, and in another he mentions a wolf as one of his few companions. Both of these animals are common devotional cult-objects in Welsh druidism. One poem indicates that Merlin/Myrddin spends a great deal of his time with deer, perhaps even appearing in the form of a stag and living as one. This description is reminiscent of the Welsh stag-god Cernunnos, "The Horned One," who appears as a man with a stag's head and associates with deer. (Tolstoy) In the Welsh poem "Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin" ("The Dialogue of Merlin and Taliesin"), written down around 1050, we receive our first indication of Merlin's most prominent gift in la ter literature, that of prophecy. The poem ends with the lines "Since I, Myrdin, am next after ... ...ne of the great and enigmatic characters of the Matter of Britain and, for that matter, of all literature.    Works Cited Bruce, Dr. James Douglas. The Evolution of Arthurian Romance. Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1958. Loomis, Roger Sherman. The Arthurian Romance. London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., 1963. Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History. Clarendon Press, 1959. Ownbey, E. Sydnor. Merlin and Arthur: A Study of Merlin's Character and Function in the Romances Dealing with the Early Life of Arthur. Vanderbilt University, 1932. Paton, Dr. Lucy Allen. Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance. New York: Burt Franklin, 1960. Tatlock, J.S.P. The Legendary History of Britain. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1950.       Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin Essay -- Literature Arthurian Literature: The Evolution of Merlin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins. Merlin gains his first mention in eight ancient Welsh poems attributed to the Welsh bard Myrddin. (Bruce) Signs of his Welsh, druidical heritage are all through the verses. One poem invokes an apple-tree to hide Merlin from his pursuing enemies, and magical apple-trees are common in Welsh fairyland. Another of Merlin's purported poems is addressed to a little pig, and in another he mentions a wolf as one of his few companions. Both of these animals are common devotional cult-objects in Welsh druidism. One poem indicates that Merlin/Myrddin spends a great deal of his time with deer, perhaps even appearing in the form of a stag and living as one. This description is reminiscent of the Welsh stag-god Cernunnos, "The Horned One," who appears as a man with a stag's head and associates with deer. (Tolstoy) In the Welsh poem "Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin" ("The Dialogue of Merlin and Taliesin"), written down around 1050, we receive our first indication of Merlin's most prominent gift in la ter literature, that of prophecy. The poem ends with the lines "Since I, Myrdin, am next after ... ...ne of the great and enigmatic characters of the Matter of Britain and, for that matter, of all literature.    Works Cited Bruce, Dr. James Douglas. The Evolution of Arthurian Romance. Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1958. Loomis, Roger Sherman. The Arthurian Romance. London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., 1963. Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History. Clarendon Press, 1959. Ownbey, E. Sydnor. Merlin and Arthur: A Study of Merlin's Character and Function in the Romances Dealing with the Early Life of Arthur. Vanderbilt University, 1932. Paton, Dr. Lucy Allen. Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance. New York: Burt Franklin, 1960. Tatlock, J.S.P. The Legendary History of Britain. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1950.      

Outline and Evaluate Research Into the Breakdown of Relationships

Outline and evaluate research into the breakdown of romantic relationships. (24 marks) One piece of research into the breakdown of romantic relationships conducted by Thibaut and Kelly, can explain why a relationship may breakdown using the Social Exchange Theory. A relationship may breakdown due to the ‘profits’ and ‘losses’ in the relationship, one of the participants in the relationship may compare the current relationship to a previous one and realise they are not getting what they should be out of it.However, Hatfield’s Equity Theory suggests that individuals in a relationship are not trying to maximise the benefits and minimise the costs, but the happiest individuals were the ones where the rewards for both parties were equal. Therefore, a relationship may not breakdown because a person is under-benefitting but because there is an imbalance in the rewards. This research is supported by further research carried out by Hatfield which shows that th e happiest newlyweds were the ones who felt like they both inputted equally into the relationship and had equal rewards.The ones under-benefitted had feelings of anger, resentment and deprivation, and those over benefitted felt guilty and uncomfortable. However, this may not mean that a relationship will break down. Karney and Bradbury (1995) found that marital unhappiness did not strong predict a future divorce. A problem with both of the theories is that they cannot explain why people stay in unhappy relationships, where the costs are clearly outweighing the benefits, or where the rewards are unequal.For example in an abusive relationship, many partners stay in the relationship even though they are not having any benefits from it. Another criticism of the social exchange theory is that they imply that people are extremely selfish and underestimates the role of altruism. There are also problems when trying to quantify the costs and benefits in a relationship. A problem with the equ ity theory is that there are strong individual differences as to how much equity people expect from a marriage or romantic relationship.These two theories focus on individualist cultures, where there is an emphasis on personal freedom. They may not apply to collectivist cultures where there is an emphasis more on what is best for society. Another researcher, Duck (1992) looked at findings from several longitudinal studies into the breakdown of relationships. He found that there are many predisposing factors that could influence the dissolution of a relationship. These factors can either be internal; which is where the risk lies in the partners background and personality, or external where it is events outside the relationship that may threaten it.Graziano et al (1996) supports the fact that personality has shown to be an important factor in the breakdown of relationships and says that individuals who are high in agreeableness (co-operative, supportive and non-confrontational) tend t o be in relationships which last longer and there is less conflict. They also believe that relationships where one of both of the couple is high in neuroticism are more likely to end in a divorce. Duck’s predisposing factors do offer reasonable explanations for why some marriages may fail.However only some of the marriages that meet most of all of the criteria will actually end in a divorce, many divorces will involve couples that do not meet any of the criteria. This then suggests that the predisposing factors oversimplify the complex behaviour. This would make the theory reductionist and therefore is not good in explaining the breakdown of relationships. Another problem with the research is that a lot of it can be troubled by various factors such as individual differences with the individuals involved in the relationships.Many of the couples interviewed were often white and middle class, this is culturally biased and therefore means that the results found from the studies c annot be generalised to the cultures of the rest of the world. The data gathered from the research is often mainly retrospective self-report, this is bad because the retrospective means looking back after the event has happened and therefore may be unreliable as it relies on the memory of the individuals meaning that it is not reliable, the self-reports also may lack in validity because it is possible for the participants to lie.

Care of a Dying Patient

My own perceptions about quality of life and health promotion might affect my care for a dying patient with a lingering illness such as cancer because the patient and I may have a different definition or outlook on what quality of life means. To me this would mean making the best of what little time the patient has left to live. Most importantly is to keep the patient comfortable which may include positioning the patient in bed, giving a gentle massage and administering pain medications if necessary. It is also very important to provide the patient and the family with emotional support.It seems as Mrs. Thomas’s children are somewhat distant at her time of need because they are upset about her condition and probably in denial because they know what her outcome will be. It would play a very crucial part in improving the quality of life for Mrs. Thomas if her children and their families would come to visit her in person. I know that this will be difficult for the children to see their mother suffering but her family should play an important role in emotional support. I think a visit from her children and their families would really uplift her spirits.Mrs. Thomas does not want take any pain medication because she does not want to become addicted to it but it should be explained to Mrs. Thomas that since she is truly in pain she will not become addicted to it. By Mrs. Thomas taking the pain medication it would not only help control her pain but it would also make Mr. Thomas feel more at ease knowing that she is comfortable and not suffering. Mr. Thomas is depressed because of Mrs. Thomas’s condition and he is not managing it very well and this is making Mrs. Thomas very sad.I think that getting a behavioral health specialist involved and providing the family with counseling with also improve the quality of life for Mrs. Thomas. I think that it would put Mrs. Thomas’s mind at ease knowing that Mr. Thomas is dealing with his depression professiona lly. Talking about their feelings to a professional with also help both of them better understand and cope with Mrs. Thomas’s condition. According to American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), holistic nursing is an â€Å"all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal. A holistic nurse will not simply attempt to treat the physical symptoms of a disease or condition, but will consider the totality of the person being treated: mental, emotional, spiritual, social, cultural, relational, contextual and environmental aspects. Treating Mrs. Thomas holistically may not only help Mrs. Thomas but Mr. Thomas as well. As the community health nurse I would allow for Mr. Thomas to assist with Mrs. Thomas’s care when he is able to. At an institution where I once worked at offered â€Å"healing touch. During this time of healing touch the room would be made rather dark for calmness and comfort and soft calming music would be played. This is what I would recomm end starting with under my holistic care with Mrs. Thomas and Mr. Thomas may be present as well. During this time a light massage may also be preformed to assist with comforting Mrs. Thomas and hopefully assist with managing her pain. A way to assist Mrs. Thomas to optimize her functional ability would be to use range of motion (ROM) on her, which is when the nurse would mildly exercise her joints to minimize stiffness and Mr.Thomas may be taught how do range of motion as well. If Mrs. Thomas is not strong enough to walk to the bathroom I can assist in getting a bedside commode delivered to her home. I can also teach her how to transfer herself safely to the commode if she is strong enough or if she is unable to transfer herself I can also teach Mr. Thomas how to safely transfer herself and I could assist as well. As the community health nurse I could assist Mrs. Thomas with everyday care such as feeding, bathing and dressing herself. I would allow Mrs.Thomas to do as much as she ca n for herself. During the bed bath is a great time to apply lotion to her back and extremities and apply a gentle massage for comfort. I could also assist Mrs. Thomas with turning and positioning her in bed every 2 hours for comfort and to prevent skin breakdown. Mr. Thomas and I could assist her to complete feeding, bathing and dressing herself if she is unable to. Allowing her to perform as much tasks as she is able to will optimize her functional ability. According to Higuera, chronic depression can affect every aspect of a person’s life.The symptoms vary, but people with chronic depression often feel intense sadness and hopelessness. They have a negative outlook on life. As the community health nurse I could assist Mr. Thomas with his chronic depression by assisting him with getting in touch with a behavioral health specialist for one on one counseling. I could also assist Mr. Thomas with coming up with a medication plan that would work for him so that he can take his dep ression medications on a regular basis and hopefully not forget. I could also sit with Mr. Thomas and we could do some quiet relaxing breathing exercises together.I would also convince Mr. Thomas to take short and relaxing walks to clear his mind. I could also assist Mr. Thomas with checking with his employer to see if he could be relieved of some of his duties temporarily or take some time off from work. Although taking some time off from work may put a financial burden on their family but is may be best mentally and physically for both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. One Mr. Thomas’s depression is managed appropriately then he can spend some quality time with Mrs. Thomas and enjoy just enjoy each other’s company.

Surprises from the RealAge

I am surprised by the findings of the RealAge test. I am only 33, but my RealAge turned up to be 38. This makes me 5 years older than I am. On the other hand, the test did explain why I am older. In particular, I inhale second-hand smoke quite regularly, because some of my friends and family members smoke. I also lack strength training and flexibility exercises, although I walk every time I can. I also need to know my blood pressure rate and other health statistics, so that it can be clear to know how healthy or unhealthy I am.I also need to improve eating healthier, by including more fruits and vegetables into my daily meals and snacks. The barriers to taking action that can improve my RealAge are my environment and lifestyle. First, my environment is not actually conducive to healthy living. Smokers abound inside and outside the house, so I tend to inhale second-hand smoke, which I know is bad for my health. However, I cannot control or influence others to stop smoking. They should quit smoking on their own. My environment is also somewhat polluted, so it is not an incentive to be walking around, as there is barely fresh air to inhale.In terms of my eating habits, college life is not essentially a haven for healthy eaters, as the study of Deshpande, Basil, andBasil (2009) revealed. College life is often stressed and students frequently skip meals or do binge eating, when they have the time, which I also frequently do. Second, my lifestyle is more or less sedentary, which also makes me not enough motivated to exercise. Sometimes, I want to exercise, but it is easy to find excuses, like it is too hot or cold outside. I can overcome these barriers by following simple advices from the Department of Health and Human Services.According to this agency: â€Å"The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three to five servings from various vegetables and vegetable juices and two to four servings from various fruits and fruit juices, depending on calorie needs† (2009a). I will put more effort into integrating fruits and vegetable juices into my life. This way, even when I do not have time to eat fruits, I can always drink fruit or vegetable juices. Furthermore, the agency noted: â€Å"The adoption and maintenance of regular physical activity†¦ provide multiple opportunities to improve and maintain health† (2009b).Since I do not have the time to exercise for an hour or more (four to five times per week), I can just divide these exercises into 10-minute workouts. There are already numerous 10-minute workouts in Youtube. com that I can use; so that whenever I am watching TV or passing time, I can do some exercise. I will also improve my physical activity by being more active. For example, I can do some squats or push ups, while waiting for my coffee to cool down a little, or when I am just waiting for anything. Increasing my physical activity can incrementally add up to burn more calories.I was also surprised with the findings o f the Portion Distortion Quiz. I realized that I have mostly underestimated the calories in today’s servings, especially for burgers, French fries, desserts, softdrinks, and other fast food choices. This can also be the reason why I feel sluggish after eating these foods. Evidently, they are packed with more fats and calories than I originally imagined. I plan to use this information to improve my food choices and how I eat fast food. For instance, instead of drinking a whole bottle of soda, I can divide it into two and drink the rest later.I will also bring my own water bottle, so that I do not need to drink too much sugary drinks, like softdrinks. Furthermore, I will cut the servings of fast food meals into two, since almost all of them have twice the calories and fats I need per meal. I will also strive to eat more fruits by bring fruits with me or fruit/vegetable juices. This way, I can feel full and not eat more junk or fatty foods. Thus, through systematically changing my lifestyle, I can become pursue a healthier life. References Deshpande, S. , Basil, M. D. , & Basil, D. Z. (2009).Factors influencing healthy eating habits among college students: An application of the health belief model. Health Marketing Quarterly, 26 (2), 145-164. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2010a). Healthy People 2010: Nutrition and overweight. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from http://www. healthypeople. gov/Document/HTML/Volume2/19Nutrition. htm U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2010b). Healthy People 2010: Physical activity and fitness. Retrieved May 1, 2010 from http://www. healthypeople. gov/Document/HTML/volume2/22physical. htm#_Toc4 90380794

Assessment of overhead costs Essay

If a decision was made to outsource the manifold manufacturing, then the overheads of the Bridgestone Industries will show significant difference and even reductions in the level of overhead costs. The overhead pertaining to the wages and benefits for the non skilled personnel would decrease as the outsourcing of the product line would reduce the need for the non skilled personnel in the capacities of trucks and janitors by a small percentage level. The overhead associated with the salaried personnel, including the benefits would also decrease as there would be no need to hire or pay personnel to work on the manifold line. The production supplies overhead which includes production gadgets, tools and equipment like gloves, safety goggles and packing material etc would also reduce as the manifold line would not require such production supplies if outsourced. The overheads associated with the small technical tools would also reduce as the need for such tools would no longer be presented by the manifold line, if the line is to be outsourced to a third party. The usage of the utilities like coal, gas and electricity used to drive the manufacturing process of manifold would also be eliminated as an expense. Therefore the overhead associated with this expense would also be significantly reduced. On the other hand the wages of the no production employees and the benefits provided to them might not decrease. Any decrease in this overhead would be minimal as the non production employees are not greatly impacted by the outsourcing of a production line as opposed to the production associated employees and personnel. Similarly the deprecation conducted on the property and the taxes would not reduce and can remain stable as the property is shared by all product lines and as long as the other two product lines are operating, the depreciation overhead would still occur at the same rate. The expenses related to constant personnel for the training, travel, and union representation would also considerably reduce as the number of personnel employed will decrease with the outsourcing of the manifold product line. The project expense of the setup and arrangement of new equipment and machinery would not be a reducing overhead as this expense is effect by purchase of new equipment and not by the operation of a product line. The overhead associated with the benefits provided to employees in terms of overtime payment, on an hourly basis, state unemployment and the pension provided to employees and labor at the company would not reduce by a significant amount. Instead this expense can increase as more people are laid off or provided early retirement if the manifold line is outsources. Similarly the benefits of this kind provided to the skilled hourly workers specifically those associated with production will also reduce in the long term due to the outsourcing of the manifold producing. The reduction of this overhead would be due to the reduction in the employee/ labor strength in the production department which would reduce the expenses of benefits for the labor. Estimated Proposed Budget. In order to effectively budget for the year 1991, considering the manifold line is outsourced to a third party for manufacture, substantial assumptions had to be made. These assumptions pertained included adjusting the estimates of the active production lines at Bridgestone Industries with the incremental growth trend for their respective costs. The costs increase form year to year due to inflation and the changes in the CPI index. As a result it is important to adjust any forecasted figures for the respective growth trend of the costs and revenues. It has also been assumed that by outsourcing the manifold production line, the company is able to eliminate the costs associated with manifold production line labor, the direct materials used by the manifold production line and the overheads that were contributed to by the manifold production online. Another assumption that is made in the proposed budget is that even though the company has outsourced its operations for the manifold production line. The company is still selling the products by purchasing them from the outsourcing company and providing them to the automobile manufacturers in the United States. As a result the sales revenue is forecasted even though the costs associated are eliminated and not considered. Moreover the costs associated with outsourcing are not incorporated in the budget as they are no longer part of the manufacturing/ productions department. The following is the proposed budget for the year 1991 which considers the manifold production line to be outsourced while no additional production line is dropped by the Bridgestone Industries. Proposed Budget for the year 1991 USD (‘000) 1991 Sales Fuel Tanks 87,378. Manifolds 97,031 Doors 52,681 Mufflers/Exhausts – Oil Pans – 237,089 Direct Material Fuel Tanks 17,693 Manifolds – Doors 17,414 Mufflers/Exhausts – Oil Pans – 35,107 Direct Labor Fuel Tanks 4,788 Manifolds – Doors 3,084 Mufflers/Exhausts – Oil Pans – 7,872 Overheads 1000 3,093 1500 3,229 2000 1,152 3000 768 4000 4,049. 5000 11,043 8000 2,039 9000 3,261 11000 1,650 12000 8,543 14000 4,418 43,246 The proposed budget that has been drawn up significantly depicts that if the company opts to outsource the manifolds production line in the year 1991, then the company is able to observe significance reductions in its operating costs and overheads. Therefore it can be mentioned that by outsourcing the manifold production line the company can experience cost savings and better revenue levels. The proposed budget for the year 1991 indicates that the Sales forecast increased to $237 million while the direct material based costs are forecasted to be at $35 million. The forecast of the direct labor employed for the active production lines would be at $7 million only while the total overheads for the operation would be equivalent to 2 million only. The overhead burden rate in the year 1991 as a result is reduced to 307 percent with the allocated overhead for the fuel tank’s production line at $26 million while the production line for manufacturing the rear and front doors would be at approximately $17 million.

Analysis Of Theodore Roethke s My Papa s Waltz Essay -- Poetry, Stanza

He tries to beautify the experience by making it a waltz. He also, by means of images and rhythm, shows the conflict between the readers, or the way any other ‘normal’ man will look at this experience, and how he sees it, or wants it to be seen ( although he does not show his father as completely innocent). It can also be looked upon as the Petty Herst syndrome – meaning having a ‘reality’ so intense and strong that one feels incapable of any other ‘reality’, fearing it can and will be worse. The poem is built of four stanzas (quatrain), each consisting of four lines. The rhyme scheme is, in the first stanza – abab, in the second – cdcd, in the third – efef, and in the fourth – ghgh. The meter is trecet iamb (stressed unstressed – three times per line). The central image in the poem is the metaphor in which the beatings are described as a waltz. The poet is led around the house, dancing – not beaten around. Which is also brought throu by the meter – trecet iamb – the beat of the waltz, thus the main image is shown through the meter as well, giving the reader more of the feeling of a dance in contrast to the ‘secondery images’ which are more associated with the rough experience of a beating. Given such parameters the poet installs some sort of relaxation in the reader (maybe even in himself), in order to make the subject – the beating – more readable, and lessening the effect of thewhen the person leaves this reality it will still, in retrospective, be the best situation he was ever been. It is possible that the narrator in this poem is ‘afflicted’ by this syndrome. He defends his father because to him it seems that this is the reality he should be in. He describes the beat ings as a waltz because he sees it as such. Although the poem is narrated retrospectively, from a grown up man point of view, something remains, the poet does not hate his father for the beating, on the contrary, he shows us that the love to his father is not, and never was lost. And twice during the poem – he talks about † But I hung on † in the first stanza, and † Still clinging to your shirt.† in the fourth stanza, which gives the feeling that he loved and stayed with his father during his childhood, and that he does that even now when his childhood is no longer with him.

Labor relations assignment 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Labor relations assignment 6 - Essay Example The unions are used to represent the employees so as to achieve a lot of benefits both in the public and private sectors as a whole. The labor movements have made many countries to stabilize their economy and improve the living standards of their citizens. The labor movements concern is the general welfare and the interest of the public. The labor movements look at the employee wage, hours worked, working conditions regardless of whether the workers are working for the private or public sector within the same geographical area or in the same industry. This paper will discuss the similarities and differences between collective bargaining in the private and public sector. Differences between private and public sectors The major difference between public and private sectors in collective bargaining and decision making is that in public sectors decision making is decentralized and negotiations are conducted on a single employer. That is, in the public sector they have to involve a variet y of government officials in collective bargaining on the firm and the individuals must have authority in a particular issue while in the private sector they have to involve the government to intervene and asses the situation and from that point a collective bargaining can start. ... eir leaders to dialogue on behalf of other employees and sometimes they will not consort them making them to feel dissatisfied with the labor movements while in the private sector bargaining issues are brought to the bargaining table and both the labor and the management are given chance to work out the solution and agreements are made. The third difference between public and private sector in term of strike is that in the public sector, strikes are illegal. If the demands of workers were not met they have to look for other means, if strike is to be conducted, a firm must appeal to the court first so as to be declared legal while in the private sector whenever the employee is not dissatisfied with the working condition he or she may call for a strike since strike in private sector is legal. In many countries before one calls for a mass protest, the firm must pass the right channel by involving the court to declare whether to strike or not, but in many circumstances the court mostly p ostpones the strike. The legal frame work in public sector must be followed accordingly since government entities such as hospital and schools are guaranteed to everybody and the entities are supposed to be opened at normal working hours and closed within the stipulated time as per the constitutional framework. While in the private sector no legal framework is followed to stipulate their working condition and hours worked in the firm. The management of a firm is the one to decide the extra and normal working days. Finally, in private and public sectors the nature of services offered to individuals differ a lot, since a private sector is viewed as a profit making body it has to offer high quality services to individuals, while the public sector will only offer moderate services since it is

Structure of Society and Social Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Structure of Society and Social Policy - Essay Example The relevance of this trait to programs for the elderly is that the high percentage of young people shifts government policy priorities away from the needs of older persons (Schulz, 2005). Creating new jobs for young people is much more of a state problem than meeting the service needs of older people. Government attention in health care is also more focused on reducing infant mortality rates than in developing geriatric medical care. The family is the social unit with primary responsibility for the care. This is consistent with social, cultural, and religious mores. Although reliance on the family to care for elderly members has subsided in recent years, for reasons discussed later, there is a pervasive understanding that government policy should be designed to bolster the role of family care (LaVeist, 2002). Low class people often incur higher out-of-pocket costs for medical care and have fewer choices among health care providers. Theoretically critics accepts this to result in fewer health care contacts, far fewer of the routine examinations that are so important for early detection of potential problems, and greater delay in seeking care when ill. Research has found this to be true (Schulz, 2005). Considering the ultimate cost of poor health, it is also uneconomic. The issue of poverty, a major contributing factor to poor health and one that impacts more severely on poor people, is simply too far beyond our purview to treat here. However, it bears remarking that some of the recommendations, in fact, poverty reduction measures. For example, policies that would lead to a reduction in drug and alcohol abuse would also lead to a reduction in poverty, for just as substance abuse is partly a result of poverty, so is it also partly a cause. Even more effective as poverty reduction devices ar e policy proposals yet to appear. Although their primary purpose is to relieve other problems, measures such as family planning services, teen pregnancy prevention programs, parent training classes, infant stimulation programs and early childhood education all attack poverty at its roots. Good education and high paid job leads to social mobility and allows a person to maintain high standards of living and receive better medical help (Schulz, 2005). 2. Social class determines the level of medical care and dietary patterns available for people. Life span has long been the thermometer used to measure the health of the public. Only in this case, assuming quality of life is maintained, elevation indicates better health. We have come to expect greater longevity as one of the benefits of continued economic development. A fall in life expectancies is cause for alarm. Fortunately, this has happened only rarely. Poverty makes it more difficult to lead a healthy life. Shelter and diet may be inadequate. Neighborhood air quality may be poor. Life is generally more stressful. Few people consciously choose to live a life of poverty, but people can and do make unhealthy lifestyle choices. People who are poor and less educated tend to make them more often, perhaps because of lesser understanding of the possible consequences (Schulz, 2005). More likely it is because some of those choices provide considerable utility, particularly in the very sh ort run and particularly to persons whose long-run expectations are low. Poor nutrition can be deadly (LaVeist, 2002). The traditional diet,

TLMT312 WEEK 2 FORUM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TLMT312 WEEK 2 FORUM - Assignment Example TCO is much wider in manufacturing; the cost involve include cycle time, repair, ship, re-ship, opportunity, incentives, tax credit, delivery and supplier visits costs (Richard, 2004). TCO ensures financial analysis by determining the total economic value of products and investments. The financial analysis entails; economic value added, rapid economic justification, and internal return rate. TCO analyzes the total cost of assets and related systems, in the entire organization processes. This ensures adequate forecasting of profitability of the organization (Richard, 2004). TCO is applied in the computer industry, fro financial analysis by multinationals. TCO describes the financial effect of using the information technology products, throughout the entire lifecycle. The cost analysis considers the main aspects of computer hardware, training and software. Technology implementation entails three levels of costs. Hardware and software analysis costs like; warranties, licenses, purchasing research and risks. Operation costs entail infrastructure, electricity, insurance, testing and back up. Long term costs include replacement, upgrade and decommissioning (Richard, 2004). When comparing the TCO between present and proposed technology solutions, maintenance expenses should be analyzed. The maintenance expenses for present solutions may not be applicable for the proposed technological solution (Richard,

Metrics and measurements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Metrics and measurements - Essay Example Overall, human resource metrics and measurements translate human resources capabilities to measurable strategic value, which facilitates better understanding of human resource data, and improves human resource connection with the rest of the organization (Jamroq and Overholt 3; Strategy2Act). According to Strategy2Act, an organization that develops solutions for obtaining valuable information out of files created with popular office tools, the most common human resource measurements and metrics are typically related to "employee attitudes, employee turnover, employee skill levels, as well as outsourcing costs, service center operations, the number human resource transactions processed, staffing process, training programs utilization and effectiveness, and promotions". These metrics and measurements are used by 25% to 75% of all organizations (Strategy2Act). "Employee turnover" metric includes indicators such as cost per hire, turnover cost, turnover rate, time to fill, and length of employment. Cost per hire includes calculation of advertising fees, employment agency fees, headhunter fees, employee referrals rewards, relocation benefits, recruiter pay and benefits costs, and the number of hires. Turnover cost includes calculation of termination, new hire, vacancy, and learning curve costs. Turnover rate is the rate at which employees leave the organization. Time to fill is the period from job requisition approval to new hire start date. Length of employment takes into account the job designation, department, etc (Strategy2Act). For example, Carphone Warehouse found that every retail employee who left the company within six months cost 4,875 in gross profit margins. If they could reduce turnover by only 2% they could cut 585,900 in recruitment and training costs and lost productivity (Carrington 38). "Recruiting" metric includes vacant period, new hires performance appraisal, manager satisfaction, turnover rates of new hires, and financial impact of bad hire. Vacant period is the number of overall days the jobs were vacant. New hires performance appraisal is the average performance appraisal of new hires, compared to previous period. Manager satisfaction is the satisfaction of hiring managers, compared to previous period. Turnover rate of new hires is measured for a specific period. Financial impact of bad hire includes the cost per hire and the turnover cost. For example, Carphone Warehouse uses recruitment metrics to "get the right people at the right time - and first time". "Retention" metric includes overall employee turnover, preventable turnover, diversity turnover, and financial impact of employee turnover. Overall employee turnover emphasizes the key positions. Preventable turnover takes into account the reasons why the employee left the organization and what measures may be taken to prevent it. Diversity turnover classifies the turnover rate into three categories based on professional, managerial, and technical positions. For example, Scottish Power uses a scorecard system to monitor retention of its retail business that employs call center staff, meter readers, and sales person where retention rate is low. "Training and Development" metric includes learning and growth opportunities, on-the-job learning satisfaction, and opportunities for new hires. Learning and growth

You may pick a good one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

You may pick a good one - Essay Example The two cultural groups exhibits differences as described in the following paragraphs. African American has traditions, values and customs concerning death. This is drawn from the various ethnic, culture and religious backgrounds they exhibit. Some of the common practices exhibited by African Americans in their values include: African Americans also have distinct patterns of language. Some of the developed languages among the communities here include; Gullah popular with the Sea Islands and Creole common to the Louisiana. The African American culture is also associated with academic legitimate dialect due to its logical structure; however other people consider this as slang because of the poor Standard American English command (Hudgens 57). The African Americans also practice a variety of religions ranging from Protestant Christianity to Muslims. On the other hand, Hispanic Americans possess diverse cultural and custom background. They include people from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Spain, central and South America, and Mexico. Some of the common cultural values and customs they exhibit in relation to death include: Hispanic Americans are often united by language, customs, values and religion. However, an extensive diversity exists among them in their traits. Some of these values include; family commitment, belief on the child behavior reflecting the family honor, a strong system of support to the family, duty to care and hierarchical order in the family siblings (Dunn 239). Hispanic Americans are hence different from the African Americans in language, religion, customs, values and beliefs as mentioned in the

Design Driven Innovation in B & O company Essay

Design Driven Innovation in B & O company - Essay Example This paper illustrates that many of the B & O’s products are said to have held a place of honors in the permanent collection of globe’s greatest art museums. The company had delivered the most and largest consistent design portfolio among the world’s industrial companies according to a citation at the museum of modern arts in New York.   The level of the accomplishment translated into profit margins and high price points and was realized through an increased number of dealers from discerning and devoted customers. The good reputation provided the company with a competitive advantage. The company is said to have evolved development processes and unique designs that enabled them to develop products with functionality and appearances that improved their recognition. The company offered the designer a chance to develop new products that would confuse engineers to find news of manufacturing them. Creating a business that is profitable entails offering services and p roducts that consumers will be able to buy at a better price, The Company was good at this. New ideas technologies and materials made their way into the company’s products by utilizing the best designers. The products designed were appealing to the customers. Customers too were willing to pay for the products designed. Despite the company’s product design prowess, what happened in 2006 was getting more complicated after the product was turned on. The Apple iPod closely integrated and acclaimed by designers with online iTunes music services had shown that design in the company market space was to encompass more than function and physical forms. The company should be prepared to adapt to the changing environment since the company’s products will be extended more deeply into virtual space, where great design meant network-based interaction and great software. Excellence and performance in such areas required ideas and skills that were different from the companyâ₠¬â„¢s traditional expertise.