Against the Odds, and Against the Common Good Essay

In her essay, â€Å"Against the Odds, and Against the Common Good,† Gloria Jimenez evaluates the debate for state-run lotteries and surmises that state representatives, having citizens’ welfare in mind, should not pass bills urging them to gamble. In today’s society, state-run lotteries are common establishments considering the majority of our country has one. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia all have lotteries justified as necessary state funds beneficial to the common good. But with state lotteries no one wins—not schools, not the government and not the American public. (1) The lottery system does not contribute notable funds to the state or schools (2) it is a regressive form of taxation (3) it creates limited jobs (4) it is harmful to American values and society (5)but they claim to be fair and honest. Overall, lotteries are neither practical nor fair, and they are harmful to the common good. First, let me point out that lotteries do not achieve their first goal of contributing notable funds to the state or schools. The most valid defense for lotteries is that they will increase Educational funding, when, in fact, contributes very little. In her research, Jimenez briefly explains her findings and deducts â€Å"the lotteries have been paying out roughly 4 percent to the businesses while taking in almost $20 billion in 2002.† (New York Times, May 18, 2003, sec. 4, p. 1). If states raised income tax by a fraction of a percent, they could generate just as much revenue as state lotteries. That is how insignificant they are. As well as being an ineffective money raising scheme, the lottery is also a regressive form of taxation. The attraction of the lottery is to strike it rich instantaneously and never have to work again. The message is most evident to the poor, undereducated, and compulsive gamblers. As a result, these citizens participate in the lottery spending an average of three times as much of their income on lottery tickets than the wealthy would. This is, in effect, due to false and misleading advertising aimed specifically at this market. Furthermore, the only new jobs that are created unless, by chance a new casino goes in, are the vacancies for advertising executives and accounting clerks. The positions for clerks that actually sell the tickets do not need filling because they are previously filled at convenience and grocery stores. In addition, state run lotteries are unwholesome and dangerous for the common good. They send out a message that opposes the ethics of hard work, sacrifice, and integrity—everything Americans believe in. The lottery is deceptive and encourages people to believe that they will win something for nothing. Still, government allows lotteries and actually promotes them, encouraging citizens to participate. One of the greatest problems associated with the lottery is that it can lead to addiction. So although people are buying the tickets of their own free will and free will to participate is one of the pro’s of the lottery. Exactly how much free will really is there when all of the manipulation is being done by the ad executives targeting prime citizens, the government strong-arming the constituents into their lottery schemes, and the gambling addicts cannot really help themselves? Government has no business enticing people to gamble their hard earned money for an against the odds chance of winning a big cash prize. It is irresponsible, immoral and far from fair and honest. Works Cited Jimenez, Gloria. â€Å"Against the Odds, and Against the Common Good.† Pg. 112-114. Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing. Barnett & Bedau. New York. Bedford/St. Martin.2008. Print

Managing Knowledge and Learning Essay

Managing Knowledge and Learning at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Summary National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established by Congress on October 1, 1958, in order for the United States to keep up with the technological advancements achieved from former Soviet Union’s successful launch of the Sputnik (1957). The Apollo Era-Mission had risen from the support of John F. Kennedy’s goal, which was â€Å"landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. † Prioritization at NASA evolved into the center’s motto of â€Å"Faster, Better, Cheaper† (FBC), which was mandated in the Goldin Era beginning in 1992. NASA shifted priorities from: 1) performance, 2) schedule and 3) cost to 1) increase mission performance, 2) cut cost and 3) work force reduction. However, this reform was not as successful as planned. From 1992 and 2000, six of 16 FBC missions failed. To address concern of the impact of failed missions and impending retirements of many of the most experienced NASA employees, Congress enforced that the agency search for the solution to Knowledge Management (KM) and promoting learning initiatives at NASA-JPL. NASA’s KM tools were mainly IT systems of Internet-based databases and portals for ease of lessons. The NASA KM crisis was attributed to the organization’s inability to document experiences of failures and successes of missions or projects; ultimately incapable of capturing the â€Å"experiential knowledge† from expert engineers and scientists. In addition, this lack in KM was due to â€Å"privatizing knowledge† and promoting creativity, that stemmed from NASA’s culture where competition among centers for projects and funding was the norm. Several KM Initiatives were developed including project libraries for document and data management, developing standards, establishing databases to find experts, ask technical questions, and to capture history and legacy reviews. 1) What were the pros and cons of the â€Å"Faster, Better, Cheaper† model? How might outcomes (both positive and negative) of projects executed with this model impact NASA’s stakeholders, i. e. Congress and the general public? The â€Å"Faster, Better, and Cheaper (FBC)† objectives were to cut cost and maximize mission performance. There were several advantages of the FBC reform. FBC allowed compressed development and launch schedules that lead to an increase in the number of missions. Mission time could be reduced from decades to a few years. The number of NASA projects increased from four to 40 under the FBC model. An increase in mission projects was thought to lead to additional discoveries so that NASA could gain further wisdom and space knowledge. FBC missions were changed from one big project to multiple smaller projects. Dividing the program into smaller projects helped to minimize the pressure and stress on the team if a mission failed. Furthermore, one mission failure did not consequently lead to the failure of the entire program. FBC practice allowed senior managers more freedom to implement FBC the way they found fit which promoted creativity and autonomy among senior managers. FBC also reduced the cost of each mission and NASA’s overall budget. For example, the Mars program budget was reduced from one billion dollars to $260 million. There are numerous disadvantages of the FBC reform. Applying the FBC model could lead to more mission failures. During the FBC era, there were 6 failed missions out of 16 FBC missions. Cost and schedule constraints, insufficient risk assessment, planning, and testing, underestimation of complexity and technology maturity, inattention of quality and safety, inadequate review processes, engineering, under-trained staff, poor team communication, and design errors all attributed to NASA’s mission failures. Projects conducted â€Å"faster† does not allow for adequate documentation, time for redlining the project, and recording lessons learned from one mission to the next. This could result in repeated mistakes that could be avoided by future missions. Missions carried out faster do not allow time for mentorship and sharing of knowledge. Also, the term â€Å"better† was not properly defined and was open to interpretation, which may negatively impact maintaining standard procedures and processes. The results of the FBC vision could impact NASA’s stakeholders in several ways. The increase in smaller successful missions would alleviate the risk of one large failure, although any failures will have a negative impact on stakeholders. Congress could be discouraged to provide support and funding for major space programs if they fail but might be more likely to fund smaller missions. The public could either lose or gain confidence, support, and belief in the space program depending on the magnitude of success or failure. FBC mission are less expensive which would decrease NASA’s budget and help satisfy both Congress and the general public by reducing the need for extra taxation by Congress and collection of taxes from the general public. 2) Why was the Mars Pathfinder project so successful? Explain how Anthony Spears management style impacted future missions. Project management was the key to success of the Mars Pathfinder project. It began as an experiment to test the validity of the FBC reform mandated in 1992 when Daniel Goldin was assigned as the new administrator of NASA. A clear and specific plan for the Pathfinder mission was laid out in the beginning and followed through until the end. Analogous to the success of Cisco’s ERP implementation, Anthony Spears, an excellent manager and thought leader with years of experience at NASA, gained the support of top management and the JPL institution (Spears, 1999). Spears developed a unique balance of an advisory committee of experts to support and guide the difficult project, while he recruited talented, yet naive, energetic youngster’s to do what some more experienced people thought impossible. As Spears writes in his lessons learned report it was â€Å"†¦a blend of bright, ambitious youth and scarred old timers, each challenged and empowered, all working each issue together†¦ † (1999). Together, they created a team that bonded and worked together successfully. Spears’ goal was not only the success of the Pathfinder project, but of the FBC program success, unlike the vision of future project managers. The success of Pathfinder did not translate well in future FBC missions. Risk management and testing were important to the Mars Pathfinder success. While the Mars Pathfinder team worked together successfully, the younger players went on to think they were great project managers themselves, but still hadn’t learned enough to manage their next missions successfully. In future FBC projects, some reasons for failure were poor team communication, inadequate or under-trained staff or insufficient testing in 70% of missions and insufficient risk assessment and planning on 86% of missions (exhibit 4). 3) One of the major issues in this case is the retirements of experts. Why is this a problem for NASA? Would it be less of a problem in a different type of organization? Suggest immediate steps that NASA could take to mitigate the problem. Explain your choices. By 2006 half of NASA’s workforce was eligible for retirement which could lead to a major loss of knowledge, especially tacit information, diminishing the collective wisdom of the organization. A senior manager at NASA states, â€Å"we have no formal process for transferring knowledge† from thought leaders to new managers and IT systems had not yet been sufficient in transferring â€Å"experiential knowledge† to the younger generation. Unfortunately, this would be true in many organizations unless they had sufficient knowledge management systems in place and a culture where sharing knowledge was valued and encouraged. In order to mitigate the problem of losing their knowledge base, NASA not only needs to continue to implement their KM strategy, but truly change the culture. Experienced project leaders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), such as design engineers, should openly share their knowledge and not just when asked for it. I support several of the planned KM initiatives such as the capture of information by improving documentation, development of an enterprise web-based portal, and the Knowledge Sharing Initiative (KSI) aimed at changing the companies’ culture. In addition to these activities, an exit strategy could be developed for retiring employees where they must follow standard procedures for employing case-based reasoning in an online database employing a searchable classification system. Additional knowledge could be disseminated by those eligible through training sessions. A reward system should be coupled to these exit requirements and could be increased if the employee decides to be available in the Expert Connections directory of SME’s that could be contacted for support after they leave. New positions might need to be created for dedicated knowledge managers such as Chief knowledge officers. It’s also possible that NASA could obtain some replacement of lost experts by collaborating with space programs in other countries. Collecting the information from experts must be coupled with management support of a corporate wide schema to store the data, methods of dissemination, and apply the information to ultimately make better decisions on projects that involve risking people’s lives. 4) Jean Holm had two options she could choose from: 1) upgrade the IT systems or, 2) change the culture. Which would you choose and why? Is there a third option? Explain your answer. In order for Holm’s to truly have a successful knowledge management system in place, implementation of a hybrid system should be in place; enforcing both upgrade to IT systems occurring simultaneously with changing the private culture into a shared one. Integration of both, changing the culture and IT upgrades will be a lengthy process so it would be critical to first strategically plan for cultivating and managing formal processes for knowledge transfers. Implementing formal processes such as required protocols, reports, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for each mission or project should be enforced from every high-level management as it might help with the KM transfer crisis. Once every item has been completed by the high-level management it would be placed into the appropriate IT systems database in conjunction with the integration of the required knowledge management video synopsis from experienced engineers and scientist who exit the centers. Curriculums would be in place with learning modules with specific need encapsulating these protocols, reports, SOPs, work instructions and video synopsis would then be posted on the intranet, ready for the potential novice engineers and scientists entering the NASA work force; making the system more enriched and meaningful. 5) President Obama is implementing changes to NASA’s charter, which will create new ways of funding/executing projects than NASA is used to. Do a little online research. Do you agree or disagree in this change of direction? Explain. Caution; this is not to be addressed as a political issue) The Obama administration’s new NASA charter includes a couple of key parts: A) In February 2010, the Obama administration canceled the Constellation Program, which was started by former President George W. Bush’s administration in 2004. This program aimed to put US astronauts back on the moon by 2020, for the first time since the final Apollo mission. B) In April 2010, Obama proposed increasing NASA’s overall budget by about $6 billion over five years and shifting NASA’s aim for manned space program to Mars (from the moon). By the mid 2030s, â€Å"I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And landing on Mars will follow,† he said. C) He also challenged the commercial space industry to take up the routine tasks that NASA would abandon – such as ferrying astronauts to and from the space station. I do not agree with him on the part A and Part B of the new charter. The Constellation Program is already 5 year old, and has spent $9. 1 billion. It has already made significant progress and will help America maintaining its space leadership position over Russia and China. On the other hand, I think that it will set a foundation for manned space mission to Mars. Obama’s vision of manned mission to Mars by mid-2030 does not seem realistic to me as he has not talked about its technology feasibility. However, I do agree with his plan’s Part C. I think that it will significantly reduce the cost for transporting people and cargo to and from low-Earth orbit, and might induce the rise of a true space economy.

Pros and Cons School Uniform Essay

Abstract The decision for school district to enforce school uniforms has been in existence since the 16th century. School uniforms were originally created for poor children; however, over time, schools saw uniforms as a way to bring students together. There has been debate whether uniforms improve academic success while reducing affiliation of violence. There is opinion and study that indicate no correlation between school uniforms and academic achievement; however, there were come correlation between school uniforms and student behavior. Among many concerns is the cost of uniforms, especially for a multiple child household. Pros and Cons of School Uniforms History of School Uniforms Uniforms were first instituted in 16th Century England at the charity schools for poor children. It was not until the 19th Century that the great English public schools began instituting uniforms and even later for them to be widely accepted at state schools–especially state elementary schools. There is a lot of debate whether the acceptance of school uniforms is good or bad. Read more: Should school wear uniforms essay Historically, the concept of school uniforms is familiar to many European schools and private schools within the United States. However, much more attention to the controversy over school uniforms arose when a significant movement began in the 1980’s to introduce dress codes within public schools in the United States. . â€Å"In 1996, approximately three percent of all schools in the United States had a school uniform policy (Gentile & Imberman, 2009). † How Society Views Uniforms During the 1996 State of the Union Address, President Clinton discussed school uniforms as one solution to gang-related behavioral problems in the  metropolitan areas. â€Å"That discussion led us to scour the existing literature to determine whether his assertion was supported by empirical evidence. We found a body of literature (largely journalistic and anecdotal) that discussed not only reduction of gang violence in schools but also a host of other possible outcomes of school uniform policies that included decreased behavioral problems, increased learning, and enhanced school climate, self-esteem, school spirit, and academic achievement (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 2003). How students view school uniforms  Many students in grade school to third grade don’t really render any judgment either way favorable or not for the school uniform policy. Students that are more conscious of their appearance and want to be viewed for their individuality are the ones that speak more openly about having the choice to be a non-uniform school. For example, â€Å"as children we always seem to be told â€Å"love who you are and be yourself. † For instance, as a child how many of you were so excited to pick what to wear for the day, to feel that sense of control and to know you could show up to school and say â€Å"this is me and I love who I am! (2012, 10). † â€Å"In the Long Beach Unified School District study, 4th and 5th grade elementary and all middle school students were surveyed for their opinions of the school uniform policy. Students felt uniforms did not lessen the occurrence of fights (80. 9%) and a majority of students did not feel safer at school (Stanley, 1996). Cost of School Uniforms FrenchToast. com, a website that sells school uniforms, listed specific prices on their website. For boys? uniform tops and bottoms in sizes 8-14, prices ranged between $9 and $20 (http://www. frenchtoast. com/). Young Men sizes ranged between $8 and $41. For girls?uniform tops and bottoms in sizes 7-14, prices ranged between $7. 50 and $29. Young Women sizes ranged between $13 and $21. Sweaters were generally the most expensive type of item, and short sleeve tops were generally the cheapest. Pros of School Uniforms Surprisingly, there have been several incidents of violent acts simply over clothing and accessories. A student from Detroit was shot for his shoes, and another student in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was robbed for his jewelry. With these shocking revelations, many schools converted to requiring school uniforms in hopes of preventing any such violent acts (2013, 04). † Many people view the school uniform policy as a way to uniform the schools. By having each student dress the same, the ability to distinguish between the different social classes is obsolete. â€Å"Clothes breed jealously because people will want what another has. If everyone is dressed alike, they will feel equal, and it will help children focus on their studies better (2013, 04). † In today’s schools, there are many issues that may take a child’s focus off education. These problems include social outcast, violence, fashion, cliques, and economic class. School uniforms can eliminate these problems that arise in school and enable to students to focus on their education. Cost of clothing students the same as their peers can be costly for those not in the same economic class as others. School uniforms eliminate this stress since the attire is mostly khaki’s and a plain shirt. In some cases, schools offer the outfits at a low cost to the parent; however, in most cases, schools inform students of certain colors that are appropriate for each school district. By instructing certain colors, this can alleviate any gang affiliation. â€Å"Proponents of school uniforms often cite many reasons for improved academic achievement (Knechtle & Mitchell, 2003). † â€Å"Though there are many arguments for school uniforms, the issue of academic achievement is most pertinent in a society focused on test scores. Arguments abound in the discussion of school uniforms and their relation to academic achievement. Academic achievement, when used in various studies, is the combined subject scores on standardized tests (Bodine, 2003). † Cons of School Uniforms â€Å"The issue of uniforms becoming mandatory in public schools is an outrage. Not only does it infringe on the rights of students to express themselves, but it is unconstitutional. The first amendment states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; of abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances (Jacobs 19). † As parents and society, we encourage people to embrace their own diversity and individuality. By enforcing school uniforms, the identity of children is erased. Also, if a parent of more than one child in a uniform school, the cost tends to increase the cost with having to purchase multiple outfits. Additional disadvantages in a school uniform is that many students do not like wearing them. The chosen style of uniform may not suit some students need to express their individuality, which many students thrive on and in some cases lower their self-esteem.. â€Å"While a statistically significant correlation was shown, further analysis of this correlation showed that an increase in academic achievement disappeared in subsequent years. Students who were forced to wear uniforms after the initial year of the study had a three-point decrease in standardized test scores. In addition, students who never wore a uniform during the study had little change in test scores (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 1998). † Conclusion Overall, the debate continues still whether the effect of school uniforms on children is good or bad. In one study, school uniforms had a direct relation to a student’s self-esteem, behavior problems and low academic success. On the other hand, school uniforms seemed beneficial for elementary kids providing less distraction and uniformity. Teachers have also concluded that uniforms bring a distraction to teaching, as some school systems have gotten bogged down in what a child is wearing instead of their academic performance and study. The debate of school uniforms has been ongoing since as far back as 18th Century and more recently the 1980’s. References (2012, 10). com/essays/Pros-And-Cons-Of-School-Uniforms-1598816. html Bodine, A. (2003). School uniforms, academic achievement, and uses of research. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(2), 67-71. Retrieved from www. proquest. com/ Brunsma, D. L. , & Rockquemore, K. A. (2003). Statistics, sound bites, and school uniforms: A reply to bodine. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(2), 72-77. doi: 10. 2307/27548013 Brunsma, D. L. , & Rockquemore, K. A. (1998). Effects of student uniforms on attendance, behavior problems, substance use, and academic achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 92(1), 53-63. Retrieved from http://www. proquest. com/ Gentile, E. , & Imberman, S. (2009). Dressed for success: Do school uniforms improve student behavior, attendance, and achievement? (No 2009-03, Working Papers, University of Houston). Retrieved from http://www. uh. edu Knechtle, J. C. , & Mitchell, H. W. (2003). Uniforms in public schools and the first amendment: A constitutional analysis. The Journal of Negro Education, 72, 487-494. Retrieved from http:// www. journalnegroed. org Stanley, M. S. (1996). School uniforms and safety. Education and Urban Society, 23, 424-435. doi:10. 1177/0013124596028004003.

A 3-Year Marketing Plan for a new smart phone Coursework

A 3-Year Marketing Plan for a new smart phone - Coursework Example Matching international standards would not be easy and the company would need a massive investment (shown in detail in the Financials heading) and the capital will mostly be used in marketing activities and recruiting trained professionals. In addition to that, Vertigo would be operating on a low margin as we plan to keep prices competitive in order to attract more customers. This would limit the revenue earning capacity of Vertigo however this will be refuted by overall increase in sales as a greater market will be attracted towards a low priced high quality product. Because of the growing market, Vertigo is projected to generate a steady rising revenue increasing Contribution Margin to Sales. On 7th May, 2009, a long-awaited recommendation on the mobile termination rates to reduce termination charges was adapted by EU by the end of 2012. (berr.gov.uk). On 1st April, 2010, a statement with a further consultation was issued to the mobile number porting process in which the porting time took one day (berr.gov.uk). The standard Value Added Tax rate is 17.5%, however, it will be increased to 20% in January 2011 (hmrc.gov.uk). The call tariffs indicate that calls may be charged by any residential or business package selected as the Charge Costing Package (telecom-tarriffs.co.uk). This implies that the market for mobile phone users is likely to be damaged as the call rates may rise because of the increases in tariffs mentioned above. Apart from that, the mobile operator companies are likely to introduce new packages to attract more consumers. This would directly have an impact on Vertigo as the demand for cell phones would rise pertaining to offers and packages introduced by Op erators (Gruber, 2005). UKs economy grew to 0.4% in the first quarter, 1.2% in the second quarter and 0.8% in the third quarter of the year 2010 and inflation stands at approximately 4% (statistics.gov.uk). The average employment income is  £16761 (worldsalaries.org/uk.shtml). The exchange

What challenges does cultural diversity present for social psychology Essay

What challenges does cultural diversity present for social psychology - Essay Example nguage also plays a part in this discussion because it is an intricate part of what makes up a culture and the language can help or hinder an individual or group as they attempt to acclimate themselves in different circumstances. Some of the work that has been done in this area is through the use of cultural models and cultural theories. One of the theories is the social schema theory. According to Wikipedia, the social schema theory helps the individual when they are in familiar situations. This brings all of the information to the individual that is relative to their current experience. "Schemas unique to individuals are created from personal experiences, whereas those shared by individuals are created from various types of common experiences" (Garro, 2000 cited in "Cultural Schema Theory" ). Garro also says that this theory helps to understand why some people have more knowledge than others. The more conversations individuals have with each other, the more information they obtain about the culture (Garro cited in Rodriguez, 2005, p. 7). Britt and Heise (1997) write about this theory in relationship to pride in culture. They support that pride and shame are related because they both can be results of how the individual perceives them. Through this they develop their understanding of their culture and their emotions help them to understand how to act inside the culture. The last part of this theory says that there are three states that people have when getting information: The situation works with an example. When people go into any type of situation whether it is cultural or business, they understand going in that they have a role to play and others have a similar role. If someone within the group acts out, they will be interrupting the reference state and that behavior will be deflected to bring the situation back to the reference state. Deflection of the situation is always relative to how much disruption is occurring. These are just a few of the theories

Standards of care from a legal and a nursing perspective Essay

Standards of care from a legal and a nursing perspective - Essay Example The nurse is also expected to recognize adequately and report adverse cases or near misses and to take any possible actions that would minimize or prevent harm as a result of adverse events. As such, it is important for nurses to seek appropriate assistance where required and contribute to a supportive, safe and professional environment in their practice, in order to uphold client well-being and to uphold the trust of the public in the profession (Cartwright-Vanzant, 2011). The current professional environment is defined by increased competence resulting from the constant change in practice and technology. The new health care systems are undergoing constant evolution, and the consumers are looking for health care providers with high competences to handle their changing needs (Cartwright-Vanzant, 2011). Upon licensing of a nurse, they are viewed as having met the minimum competency levels. As such, various standards have been developed to ensure that such competency is enhanced throughout their practice. The nurses are thus left with the sole duty of expanding and enhancing their skills and knowledge in order to maintain a high level of competency equal to their role. It is for the nurse to take up responsibility for the personal knowledge and skills’ currency. Through evaluation of an individual nurse’s performance by other health professionals, a nurse’s responsibility to the society is upheld (Guido,

Platos Allegory of the Cave Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Platos Allegory of the Cave - Term Paper Example For, as one should probably know, the shadow is an allegory for a man’s self, ultimately, the id. The id is what separates the humans from the animals, and this philosophy delves into what is truly the nature of a man. It consists, one realizes, not of the man’s shadow but of himself as well as the representation of himself—which can be realized in the shadow. That itself is an allegory for what is really happening here—in essence, Plato is parsing that of which humanity really consists. If one, for example—were to be chained to a cave wall—does that diminish any less one’s humanity, one’s dignity, one’s sense of pride? Perhaps, but it cannot defeat the self, which is an inimitable, integral part of the human psyche—a cave, indeed, in which Plato explores more deeply the mysteries of the human mind. Just as some philosophers might attribute parts of a speech with rooms in a house, Plato is advancing upon new territ ory here—basically a type of psychoanalysis—which delves into what really makes humans tick. He has found out, and figured out, what is at the basis of all human interest and toil. It’s a need for knowledge. The cave allegory is significant because Plato thought that the cave represented work in education. Plato felt that the cave was symbolic of something greater in a man’s life. The cave could be an allegory for the fact that man spends all of his life—in essence—figuratively chained inside a cave. One struggles and slaves away, toiling at work, in search of an education, in search of a future. Meanwhile, the real battle is trying to find oneself in the midst of living life. Seeing shadows on the wall are an allegory for noticing one’s form in sensory ways—although it does not reflect the true nature or character of the person which it represents. Indeed, the shadows are a leitmotif for something more spiritual—it coul d be said. One has probably heard the phrase, â€Å"He’s only a shadow of himself, only a shadow of what he used to be.† A shadow intimates the presence of a skeleton which does not represent the true heart or soul of a person, but only the person’s physicality—the earthiness of his or her being. Indeed, these shadows represent a filament in the light bulb of human existence, which is ignited with personality. It is in this revelatory moment that one realizes the importance and power of the human spirit—and it is in this moment that one learns how everything important about being human can be understood from the allegory of the cave. It is not just our sensory awareness that is important to have in life, but knowledge of this sensory awareness at its height is the most evolved consciousness that a human can hope or expect to have. It is this consciousness that one seeks to cultivate through education, and this is reinforced by the allegory of the c ave. The cave allegory does for philosophy what Freud’s theory did for psychology. It revolutionized everything. Plato’s cave allegory is ultimately the ability to ascribe forms to shadows, making indiscrete objects into discrete realities. Thomas Hobbes was ridiculed for taking abstract notions and then defining those in concrete terms. But if we had never had such abstractions defined, we would—in Western political philosophy—not have had notions such as justice, good, evil, right, wrong, and moral philosophy, for example. Plato’s allegory of the cave is simply another way in which he attempted to define a human element. Plato’s allegory of the cave recognizes the importance

Marketing Opportunity of Kralogie Germany Essay

Marketing Opportunity of Kralogie Germany - Essay Example Aside from expanding its coiffeur's network, the company should consider entering into a contract with its tie-up coiffeurs not to sell other hair care products like Wella and Sebastian. Â  It is also possible for the company to keep its distance closer to the consumers by allowing the product to be sold in hair salons, hyper- and supermarkets, health and beauty outlets, and throughout the different malls in Germany. Â  Also, the price of the product is considered to be very expensive on the part of the consumers. Considering that Wella and Sebastian are very active in selling hair care products, KÃ ¨rastase should make the price of its products competitive. Â  KÃ ¨ralogie’s product advantage over the other hair care brands is the fact that KÃ ¨ralogie products are known for its ability to tackle hair related problems such as dandruff. This gives the product a medicinal image. Â  Since the majority of its existing customers are females between the age brackets of 35 to 65 and are earning their own personal income, the company should start using fresh and famous personalities in advertising KÃ ¨ralogie products. Based on several reports, using famous personalities in advertising hair care and other related products could effectively increase the company’s annual sales. Since the quality of KÃ ¨ralogie products has been proven effective in treating hair related problems, the company could use sophisticated and good looking individuals with long hair to advertise the medicinal effects of KÃ ¨ralogie. Â  Q3 The recommended selling price for KÃ ¨ralogie products is basically the purchase price for the product plus a 100% markup. Considering the current competition in the hair care market, do you think it is still possible to apply the same pricing method today? Explain the reasons for your answer. Â  

In a climate of austerity is it right for government to support small Essay

In a climate of austerity is it right for government to support small business - Essay Example There are also people who advocate that government should not intervene at all and should let the forces of market prevail. So there are many differing opinions about areas where government should or should not spend money of tax payers. In this essay we will argue why governments should support small businesses even in a climate of austerity. It is not only economically but socially also desirable for any economy if small and medium enterprises are encouraged. These small businesses can provide employment and at the same time can boost economy by increasing consumer spending. The arguments against government support to small and medium enterprises will also be studied in order to understand both sides of the debate. There is no doubt that these are tough times for the economy but it is not logical to curb spending in areas that will reap positive cash flows in future. Support for small businesses should be seen as an investment. This is the reason why governments should support smal l businesses even in a time of economic austerity. Why Government Should Support Small Businesses? This portion of the text will be devoted to the understanding of the reasons for government support of small businesses. There are many reasons why government should support small and medium enterprises. The effect of support to small businesses is seen directly in a country’s economy. ... With the support of government small businesses can help an economy increase its GDP. Economists argue that growth of GDP can solve many problems of a country. If economy is growing at a good pace then it is an indicator that the country is going in the right direction. These are tough times for the whole world and countries are still trying to recover from the crisis of 2008. In these times focus of the governments should be on increasing Gross Domestic Product of the country. More GDP means growth and growth in an economy can fight every crisis. It is actually a stimulus for the economy as whole. Small business can help governments do that and the money that is needed for small business support is very small as compared to the other methods of increasing growth. It can be safely concluded that governments should spend money in order to support small business even in a climate of austerity because it will help the economy recover from the very crisis it is going through. The role of government in this regard can be substantial and development and growth of small businesses are dependent upon government policies regarding small and medium enterprises (Li & Matlay, 2006). The best way through which small businesses can help solve problems of any economy is by creating jobs. Unemployment is a very awful thing for an economy because as a result government revenues decrease and more and more people become dependent on the state instead of earning for themselves. The problem of unemployment can be reduced, if not resolved, by supporting small and medium enterprises. These small businesses will provide the people with the job opportunities that they desperately need.

E-service Web Portal Accounting Software Assignment

E-service Web Portal Accounting Software - Assignment Example The objective of the participants such as the Lockheed Martin is to solve similar problems. In this case, the market is usually competitive, however within a defined market niche. For the case of Lockheed Martin Company, which contracts with various governments across the world, the accounting package should have distinctive features such as the foreign currency translation due to the issue of diverse currencies in each country. Moreover, features such as an integrated CRM, and bulky marketing abilities are fundamental considerations when selecting an accounting package for a government contracting company. This follows that this investigation focuses on the eService Web Portal accounting package and its integration within the Lockheed Martin system to ensure smooth contracting processes (findaccountingsoftware.com). This refers to web-based portal software that offers and performs enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM). It helps in strengthening associations with larger customers who include national and international contractors. For our case, the system is critical in making its contract correspondence with governments. The eService system is an online system that performs automated work orders, subcontractors, invoice services and approvals among others. This software has an ability to translate multiple currencies. The following are the services that this accounting package software offers to the clients, subcontractors and contracting company (findaccountingsoftware.com). The most fundamental aspect of eService is the ability for customization. The eService can be customized to include both the company and clients’ logos. In addition, the eService offers an extension of creating an interface that indicates the brand of the company.  Other applications that can be integrated with the eService Web Portal include Accounts payable and receivables, Inventory and equipment Job costing, Payroll, Mobile Field Service which are essential in carrying out operations that pertains a government contracting company (findaccountingsoftware.com).     

Terrorism, its Causes and Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Terrorism, its Causes and Responses - Essay Example The United Nations General Assembly attempts to define terrorism as criminal actions aimed at provoking the state of terror in the public, groups of people or certain persons for unjustifiable political reasons. Such actions are intolerable and are termed terrorism despite the ideologies, religious considerations, philosophical or political reasons that might be brought forth as justification. characteristically acts of terrorism are politically motivated, violent in nature, calculated to instigate psychological fear, are advanced by organizations with clear conspiratorial command chains which are identifiable and the perpetrators and entities which are non-state. Terrorists generally exploit the media to achieve much publicity as possible and amplify their influence on the audience of the target. The objective is for the effects to be felt by an audience that goes beyond the immediate subject being targeted. Terrorism can take the type of either domestic terrorism if conducted within the confines of national borders or international terrorism is conducted by groups that are able to exert their effects beyond borders of nations. Terrorism can also take the form of Civil Disorder in which violence is utilized in order to disrupt the security & peace as well as the normal community functioning. Political terrorism on the other takes the form of violence and criminal mannerisms aimed at generating fear in an entire community or a significant part of the community in order to advance political interests. There is also Limited Political Terrorism which involves terror acts conducted out of political and ideological motivations but not aimed at gaining state control.  

Future MBA Cartoon Essay Example for Free

Future MBA Cartoon Essay Ambiguity: Friend or Foe Often times during our earlier years, we stumble upon ‘loopholes’ within our language. We then take these ‘loopholes’ and mend them to our advantage. These ‘loopholes’ that I am referring to are words that have many different meanings, however actions can also be grouped into this. Much like the cartoon, â€Å"Future MBA† illustrated by Mike Shapiro. In this cartoon you see two students sitting at their desks, both with paper and pencil on the desk. The teacher is standing in front of them and one can only be brought to the assumption that these children were either taking a test or doing an assignment that was meant to be finished solo. However, this cartoon depicts that these students did not follow those instructions by giving us the text, â€Å"We weren’t cheating. We were consulting.† With this text we are given that the children are looking for a way out of punishment by re-characterizing their obvious but ambiguous actions by altering what the teachers perception of it was with that of something that is not detestable, although rather questionable. Cheating is the sharing of answers or ideas that one person may have and is given to another. With the idea that there was no cheating or answer exchanging going on but rather discussing possible outcomes, or consulting in this case, these children are trying to pose the idea that they have done no wrong. This happens more often than you would think. Unfortunately, when these do occur it is not always in a less harmful situation such as a classroom setting over a test or assignment. This often happens in large business and even our government. Through the use of euphemisms you take a word that is particularly disliked and exchange it with a word that has more appeal. On the news for example when there are times of war and there are casualties. The word casualties take the place of saying â€Å"four women, seven children, and six men were killed’. It can be used in this scenario where emotions could get the better of the situation and cause an uproar. However, is this right? Has our language helped us or betrayed us by making it so easy to  cleverly deceive our minds from what is really going on? Then again, in situations it can help ease the pain of loosing a loved one, and explaining it to a child. For instance, instead of telling a child that their father was decapitated i n a car crash and is dead, we can tell the child that their father has passed away. In this case it is our ally. It is hard to determine whether something of this magnitude is beneficial or ultimately malicious. I can see both sides of this, but you cannot get rid of one without the other. They are two sides of the same coin. The only thing I can leave with you is that you cannot have the use of one without the other. However, I can tell you that you have to choose how to use this. Personally, I choose to use this for the greater good not to deceive others or try to confuse them about what is really going on. Works Cited Shapiro, Mike. â€Å"Future MBA† Reading Literature and Writing Argument. Pearson Education, Inc, 2008.

The Causes Of Information Overload

The Causes Of Information Overload Developments in information and communication technology have facilitated the generation of management information considerably. Thus, managers are confronted increasingly with an information flood which provides more information than managers are able to process. This results in an information overload, which, while being advantageous, also carries considerable problems for both consumers and manager. This paper presents the scientific controversy surrounding the information overload problem, its behavioural background and the implications made. Analysis of the subjectively perceived information overload of managers in various managerial fields is presented in the second part. The suggestion, that the subjectively perceived information overload is positively related to the disposable information volume, was confirmed 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0.1 BACKGROUND The acquisition of knowledge, and the use of this knowledge as information, represents an important factor in corporate planning in an age of dynamic market developments. It has become an important economic variable alongside production factors such as work and capital. The exploitation of this factor represents a considerable element for market-orientated corporate management Recent publications have suggested increasingly that the amount of disposable information in (marketing) management exceeds the human processing capacity. Frequently used catchphrases in these discussions are information flood and scarcity of information in an age of surplus information (Bradley, 2000). The information overload problem arises due to the interplay of the technology-related information supply and the information demand derived from the information and decision behaviour of marketing managers. An information overload on the part of the manager is viewed as being detrimental to the efficiency of the various decision processes (Bradley, 2000). Communication and information management system has never been before so easily accomplished as today. With the simple click of a button, internal and external communication can be so effortlessly achieved as with the use of phone connections and desktop computers or laptop devices. It also provides for less capital outlays on the part of the company, as it proves to be the cheapest and most accessible way of transmitting information through a wide variety of media or channels. 1.0.2 BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PROBLEM Innovation of information technologies have been presented to us in so many ways, that one may now feel an overload of information, achieving a diminishing marginal utility status in our brains. Therefore, we need to organize and reorganize these pieces of information constantly as to be able to keep track of which are valuable to us and which ones are not 1.0.3 APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY All the above will be achieved through primary or secondary research, the use of recommended material and lecture notes, different books, websites and search engine. 2.0 INFORMATION OVERLOAD THEORY Lossee (1999) in article for the Journal of Information Sciences defined information overload as the economic loss associated with the examination of a number of non- or less-relevant messages, as in related to information retrieval models. According to Bawden (2001) the concept of information overload defines situations where an individual is presented with an amount of data which exceeds his or her cognitive capacity. Bradley, (2000) defined information overload as degradation of information. Degradation of information occurs when information is noise like, irrelevant, and interferes with desired signals and when it is redundant, banal, or does not tell enough of interest. One of several definitions of information overload is that there is too much information available in both print and electronic form so that when individuals attempt to sort out the appropriate, relevant and current information from everything else they develop feelings of helplessness (Lossee, 1999). A second definition of information overload is that the mere presence of more information than an individual could possibly assimilate, absorb and synthesize engenders feelings in individuals that the task of finding the information is an onerous one (Payne, 1998). Put another way, information overload occurs when individuals are aware of relevant information but do not have the time to locate and use that information. Even using Web tools like search engines to find information may result in data smog, that is, finding poorly constructed sites or sites of questionable authority. The last definition of information overload is that as the explosion in information continues to grow in a seemingly exponential manner, the individuals ability to be selective in finding and retrieving information does not subsequently grow in tandem (Schroder et al, 1997). The quality of information varies considerably because anyone can publish Web pages provided they have access to a Web server. Information overload is equated with the proliferation of available data and publications and ever-more-comprehensive and widespread automated means of access to them (Schroder et al, 1997). Moreover, research that purports to address the dilemma of information overload does not define or measure it in a fashion that supports its taken for granted cultural status. Solutions to information overload include renewed or revised input from the human intermediary (Payne, 1998) or prioritizing operations performed in electronic environments (Losee, 1999). Studies suggesting solutions to overload are conducted in business settings and embrace decision-making theory and profit motives (Losee, 1999). 3.0 THE CAUSES OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD Having too much information and staffing resources are difficult to manage information effectively, which adds information glut and eventually causes inefficiencies in productivity growth. We cant do anything about the general information overload in our culture, but we can control overload in the context of our marketing messages. First, lets look at what can create information overload in your communications. 3.0.1 LACK OF CLARITY When a person does not understand something, information is nothing more than random data. Even short messages can overwhelm people if the meaning is not clear. In advertising, this is often caused by too many writers working on a single project a sure way to muddle a message. It is also caused by repeat facts without understanding them, by not having a tangible purpose for writing, and by striving to impress rather than communicate. 3.0.2 SEMANTIC DISTORTIONS The word semantic refers to the meaning of words not just the dictionary meaning but the total meaning as interpreted by a reader or listener. This can vary widely depending on education, experiences, and beliefs. You must always ask questions about the perceived meaning of your messages: Do your words say what you intend them to say? Is your headline too clever? Do you get lost in a narrative? Is your tone too upscale? Do you spend too much time on the problem and not enough time on the solution? (Summers, 2004). 3.0.3 POOR RETENTION Generally, direct marketing is more concerned with immediate decisions than image-building or branding. However, its beneficial for people to remember favorable facts about your business (Summers, 2004). Do you make the impression you want to make? Do your prospects hear you? Understand you? Even loyal customers or donors seldom remember much about you. You must continually educate them. 3.0.4 POOR PLANNING Have you thought this through? Is this the best time for your pitch? Is this the best offer? Are you using the best lists? Do you have the best placement? Are you appealing to the best markets? Even the very best copy cannot overcome faulty planning. 3.0.5 DISTRUST People are by nature suspicious. Evolutionary biologists have even said that one of the primary functions of the human brain is to be a cheater detector. You might bend over backwards to be honest, but do people believe you? Are you open and generous with information about your organization? Do you offer a fair guarantee? Do you carefully describe your product or service or programs? Are there drawbacks you should point out? 3.1 THE CURES FOR INFORMATION OVERLOAD Information overload is a human problem that needs a human solution. Before we can design better software, we first need to understand and address our own abilities (or inabilities) to manage information and organize our work day. If we cant do it ourselves, how can we teach software to do it for us? It will just be a case of the blind leading the blind. Technology is a tool for personal productivity, not a replacement. It cant exhibit the good judgment of a human being. Technological solutions can only be as good as the people using and developing it (Haider, and Bawden, 2007). Technology alone wont solve all our personal productivity and information overload problems it can only ease them. If we are inefficient to begin with, no amount of technology will fix that. It will just mean youre inefficient with an expensive toy 3.1.1 KNOW WHEN TO TAKE ACTION Seeking out that latest article can be just one more form of procrastination that keeps you from accomplishing your real goal. Every now and then, stop and assess the information you already have. Do you have enough to move forward right now? If you do, go for it. If you dont, only research the areas that you dont have enough data for yet (Scammon, 1997). 3.1.2 SORT YOUR CURRENT INFORMATION You have huge piles of data, bookmarks for informative pages online, and lots of reference books but you cant find anything. Take the time to organize your data based on the actual goal you have in mind. Start from the beginning and find the information that helps you accomplish your first task, and keep a file for it. Then move on to the next step, and the next. That way you can actually use your information, instead of just collecting it. 3.1.3 KNOW WHEN TO STOP If youre getting soaked by the torrent of information online, its time to get out and dry off. If youre already feeling overwhelmed, take a break and assess what you already know. When you discover specific missing pieces of information you know you need, you can hop back into the water knowing just which drops you need to accomplish your goals. 3.1.4 WHEN TO CONTINUE Data assessors often feel overwhelmed by all the information out there, so its tempting to say Stop! Too much! Sometimes, though, you really dont have enough you just dont want to face the gushing river again. Be honest with yourself about whether youve really mastered a topic. If you need to know more, hold your breath and dive in again (Russo, 2004). 3.1.5 TAKE CONTROL OF EMAIL Dont start your day with email. Set your email so it doesnt download new mail automatically or, at the very least, turn off any alert system. Instead, set a time to check for messages manually preferably later in the day, after youve used your brainpower for more important things. Equally important is that others at your business know how you want email used. Emails should be short, concise, and used only when a conversation is not an option, says Adrian Moorhouse, managing director of executive coaching firm Lane4. The easier communication is to digest, the more likely it is that the messages will be delivered effectively. 3.1.6 BLINDSIDE THE DATA (APPROACH IT FROM AN UNEXPECTED DIRECTION) Break down complex information into sub-groups. Once youve determined a goal, you can chunk your work into groups to achieve it. You can also do this with your to-do lists. According to an experiment at Wilfred Laurier University, (Its About Time: Optimistic Predictions in Work and Love, European Review of Social Psychology) people are generally very bad at estimating when theyll finish their own work, but well at guessing for others. So gauge your timing by using someone elses experience. Youll be less stressed if youre realistic about your workload (Schroeder and Benbasat, 2000). 3.1.7 DO LESS To do less, you should delegate more. Too many managers cant resist the temptation personally to get involved in everything thats happening. But effective delegation means limiting the amount of information you have to process, as well as empowering those around you. Then, ask for regular briefings. 3.1.8 UNPLUG Many managers feel they cant shut off the fire hydrant of information. But they can take a break from it. Its tempting to think that more information makes for better decisions, says Penny de Valk, CEO of the UK-based Institute of Leadership and Management. But in most cases, it just erodes your focus. You need time to synthesize information and generate real intelligence. That takes discipline, of course, but its useful to stop thinking when you are stuck on a project so your brain can recover. You do need to switch off and rebalance your brain chemistry if youre going to come up with new ideas, says Rock. Stefan Sagmeister of New York-based design firm Sagmeister says he so much believes in the power of time off that he closes up shop for 12 months every seven years to pursue little experiments that he doesnt have time for in his daily life. 3.1.9 IMPROVED EFFICIENCY An online marketer would be more efficient in his or her work if he or she has complete access to useful resources. Only choose practical courses and information that can help you to improve your work and your business as well. Most programs that claim to be really effective and powerful produce minimal results. Therefore, instead of going for a program that is loaded with almost everything that they say you need, go for something that will give you the newest courses and techniques one at a time, well laid-out and smooth (Wilkie, 2001). 3.1.10 CONSISTENT TRAINING Every information technology has to be updated online with the latest information overload solutions and marketing strategies applicable in the business. By having a laid out program, you are to learn new things about online marketing regularly. Hence, you will not run out of any ideas and your skills will continuously be honed as you learn something new each time. If youre not sure of the latest technologies and techniques, you and the business you are running will lag behind. 3.1.11 HOLISTIC KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT It is not enough that you settle for one reference material only. If you want to have a holistic development and have a deeper understanding about, how to overcome on information overload you should look into other courses and programs that have been proven by the entire business community (Virkus, 2003). If you look into these materials, you will learn more about the different techniques and will soon be able to find a way of doing it yourself. You can compete with it or at the least prevent information overload as you arm yourself with proper information overload solutions and strategies. 4.0 HOW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPROVE DECISION MAKING A majority of workers today are knowledge workers they spend time creating, distributing, or using information. Example: bankers, coordinators, caseworkers, counselors, community organizers, programmers, etc About 80% of an executives time is devoted to information receiving, communicating, and using it. Information is the basis for virtually all activities performed in an organization Best use of two key ingredients in organizations people and information Effective utilization of information systems in management Productive use of information Information is a resource to increase efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness of an enterprise Some Examples of MIS Airline reservations (seat, booking, payment, schedules, boarding list, special needs, etc.) Train reservation Bank operations (deposit, transfer, withdrawal) 4.1 TYPES OF INFORMATION SYSTEM Information system aims at processing data: to capture details of transactions, to enable people to make decisions, and/or to communicate between people and locations. 4.1.1 TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM Reasons for TP are recording, classification, sorting, calculation, summarization, storage and display of results 4.1.2 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Provide information for decision support where information requirements that can be identified in advance Decisions supported by this frequently occur. 4.1.3 DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM Assist with unique and non-recurring decisions, which are relatively unstructured mainly what factors to consider and what information are needed. New software should be used by the users in ABC Bank an there is evident of resistance for adopting change in using the new software due to the fact that such users are worried as they are acquainted of using the old software. Truly, culture and brain metaphor appear relevant to the situation as organization change in terms of software utilization is visible and this astounds to the culture of ABC Bank but, can impose such organizational conflicts and issues leading to diverse ideas as reflected within the organizations brain, the people comprising the ABC Bank (Schroder et al, 1997). The brain must be learning, self organizing, entity and that, the brains very hardware must disassemble, reorganize, restructure and in response to data. In most man-made machines, the data is external to the processing unit. It enters and exits the machine through designated ports but does not affect the machines structure or functioning as not so the brain reconfigures itself with every bit of data and then one can say that new brain is created every time single bit of information is processed. Thus, ABC bank will need to integrate and should go along with Decision Support System (DDS), as there maybe interactive computerized systems that help decision makers utilize data and models to solve unstructured problems with user friendly interface, data and expert knowledge (Schroeder, and Benbasat, 2000). While appreciating potential of technology, it may be noted that technology has not been received in totality by the decision makers and implementers, who are responsible for executing certain management plans in the field. Decision Support System offers the system, which captures knowledge of experts and acquirements of decision makers. In fact, DSS is software that establishes the required relations between the present conditions along with needed management requirement. 4.1.4 OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEM Combine word processing, telecommunications and data processing to automate office information. Draw on stored data as a result of data processing. It also includes handling of correspondence, reports and documents. 4.2 MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS Management is the act or skill of transforming resources (land, labor, capital and information) onto output to accomplish a desired result or objective. Planning Establishing goals and developing policies, procedures, and programs to achieve them Organizing Grouping activities and establishing organizational structures and procedures to ensure that the activities are performed Staffing Obtaining and training personnel to work in the organization in order to achieve goals and objectives Controlling Measuring performance against goals and objectives and developing procedures for adjusting goals, procedures, or activities. Communicating Transferring information on goals, objectives, and performance to personnel throughout the organization and the environment 4.3 TYPES OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Seven types of information are necessary for top-level managers. 1. Comfort information: informs about current situation or achievement levels that are tuned to expectations. (Clients served, target achieved, patients treated, operations conducted, etc.) 2. Status information or progress information: keeps abreast of current problem and crises and changes (progress on office construction, status of research study, labor negotiation, grant application) 3. Warning information: signals that change for good or worse are occurring (stock price, turn over, client complaints, etc). 4. Planning information: descriptions of projects/programs due in future, knowledge of anticipated developments (future of funding, future of federal/provincial support) 5. Internal operations information: indicators on how organization/ program is performing. 6. External intelligence: information, gossip, and opinions about activities in the environment of the agency. Competition, funding policies, political changes, emerging social policies, etc. 7. Externally distributed information: annual report before release, quarterly progress report for donors, press releases about the agency, publicity material before printing, etc. Among these, the first five are internal to the organization. Two are external to the organization 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS As an obvious fact, both consumers and managers face a more extensive supply of information and consequently face a rising risk of an information flood and a personal information overload. Based on the discussions above, it is found out that information is a key resource of the organization, together with people, finances and material assets. Thus, it is accepted to state that information is a business issue. The discussion above revealed that through effective information management of the organizations resources and systems, organization administrators can add value to the services delivered to customers, reduce risks in the organizations business, reduce the costs of business development and service delivery and encourage improvement in internal business processes and external service implementation. It is recommended that when developing an information system just commences to make sure it produces important information and not data. It is better to build a report that is ideal for a specific need then to make a report based on a predefined concession between several users. The shaped information will have value and increases insight into information needs and the way the business is looked at. Adding more and more information to the system and solving the problems as they occur will eventually lead to a system as mentioned. In fact, that is the way any functional Information System is developed. Having an experienced team helping you take the first steps and educating your staff in the first period can make all the difference.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Comparing the Millers Tale and the Reeves Tale :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing the Miller's Tale and the Reeve's Tale  Ã‚      In the conclusion between the Miller's Tale and the Reeve's Tale, the Reeve's Tale is far more insulting and malicious and convincingly closer to the true definition of quiting, then the Miller's Tale. The Reeve's Tale defines what trickery and evildoing and cuckolding is. The Miller's Tale is more of a tale dealing with a form of black 'humor and slapstick comedy, rather than a succession of put-downs which occurred in the Reeve's Tale.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Miller's Tale, we see many insults directed towards bow ignorant the man was in choosing the right wife for marriage. He picks out an eighteen year old bombshell, named Allison and John, the carpenter, who marries her says:   Ã‚  Ã‚   This carpenter had married a new wife Not long before, and loved her more than life. She was a girl of eighteen years of age. Jealous he was and kept her in the cage, For he was old and she was wild and young; He thought himself quite likely to be stung.   Not only are their ages apart, but they share no similarities in their lifestyles, pointing to the fact that he is a dimwitted fool. (MiLT 89)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other quiting of the Reeve in the Miller's Tale is when, once   again, the carpenter is portrayed as a dullard by being totally oblivious to the situation; Allison, his wife, and a man named Nicholas, a man known locally for making love in secret, (which was his talent), are trying to have sexual laissons behind John's back. (MiLT 91). They get John to believe that a great flood, worse than Noah's is coming, and will destroy all of them. This fool by believeing this tale and following them with the preparations protects himself, even though no flood of any sort arises. This is the ultimat act of stupidity! The Reeve's Tale about the Miller is a perfect example of evil and trickery at it's best. The part being that in the end, the trickster becomes tricked over and over againt but the tables turn and the Miller is the real loser having lost his stolen flour and to add insult to injury, he finds out that his wife and daughter have been cuckolded especially after all the jargon about the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to have Simpkins his relation, The nuns had given her an education.

Fred :: essays research papers

There once was a planet inhabited by ape like creatures. All of their names were fred. Anyways... one day fred went on an adventure to fred's store to buy a pack of gum. He noticed the employee of the month had the same name as his and he purchased the gum and chewed the first piece. It was grape flavored, fred's favorite. On the way home, fred saw his best friend fred, sitting on a bench with his brown bagged lunch which had been packed 3 hours previous by fred's mother, fred. So fred went up to his best friend fred, and said, "I'll trade ya a stick of gum for one item in your lunch." Fred agreed to this with much enthusiam. Fred looked through his friend's lunch and found 3 items of interest, a bolongia sandwhich, a golden toothpick, and some tree bark. Fred's instinct was to pick the tree bark, but thinking with his head he realized he should choose the bolongia sandwhich. So fred made the wise choice and headed home with his bolongia sandwhich. He ran home so excitedly just like a monkey should. But as he got to his street, fred street, he saw that there had been a big brush fire that swept through his block and wiped out everything he held true and dear. It didn't burn his house down or anything but it melted his prized collection of wax figurines which made fred very very sad. Moving on to the next order of business, fred drove his hovercraft car to the Secretary of State that day to pick up his custom liscence plate which read, FRED, he was on a waiting list for 3 years before he could purchase such a thing due to all the people living on his planet with the first name of Fred. Which is strange because fred isn't all that common a name on other planets. On fred's way to the DMV he got stopped by the police for speeding in a slow zone. You see, there are no speed limits on this planet, only zones, zones for going fast and zones for going slow, so fred was stopped by the police officer and sat waiting for the police man to give him his ticket, when all of a sudden his hover car ran out of fuel. The fuel for his hover car was interesting because it's not radio active or anything, it runs mud, the muddier, the better.

Henry T. Ford Essay -- essays research papers

Henry T. Ford (1863-1947) Henry Ford once said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young';. - Henry Ford Henry T. Ford, pioneering automotive engineer, is mostly credited forinventing the automobile. The fact is he did not, he used what was developed and studied in the automobile industry to develop his own ideas and revolutionized the automotive industry. His creativity made possible for him to develop the assembly line that sparked the auto production. Henry Ford Henry Ford was born near Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. His family had nothing to do with the automobile, they were simple farmers. Henry lived on the farm that was run by his father who was an Irish man, and his mother who was Dutch, his mother died when he was 12. After his mother death he helped out around the family farm in summer and in winter attended a one-room school. From the young age he was fascinating my moving mechanical things. Form the young age he was fascinated by watches and clocks. He went around the countryside doing repair work without pay, for him all mattered was to play with the machinery of the watch. From his personal experience on the farm he was fascinated my farm machines that reduced the drudgery of farm chores. We can notice there was a lot of a kid in him, and to go around or making his chores easier he invented his own farm machines. His fascination with machines grew as he grew older. At the age of thirteen, for the first time he saw a coal-fi red steam engine that was rolling along a long rural road. From that point he grew more fascinated about machines that moved about a roads without any manpower. At the age of sixteen, and against the wishes of his father, he left the home farm for Detroit, where he found work as a mechanic’s apprentice. He was faced with low paying jobs. Working for $2.50 in mechanics shop then moved to watchmaker were he worked for four hours and was paid $2 a week. Steadily he worked him self up in Edison Illuminating Company, and became a chief engineer there. In 1884 he took charge of a farm his father gave him. At twenty-four he married Clara Bryant and settled at his farm. But Ford did not stay long at the farm after two years he went back to Detroit and worked as a n... ... a 1941 ford company became the only major manufacturer of automobiles in the Detroit area that had not recognized any labor unions. At hearings before the National Labor Board ford was found guilty of repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act. Ford was forced to negotiate a labor contract with a union after a strike was successfully held at the main plant at river Rouge, Michigan, in April 1941.During the W.W.II era Ford was granted government contracts for which he manufactured war materials like: parts for the bombers and later, the entire airplane. By the end of W.W.II (1945) one of his plants manufactured more than 8,000 planes. Henry ford died on April 7,1947, in Dearborn. Ford left a personal fortune at $500 to $700 million, giving large shares of the money to Ford Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The Ford Motor Company was taken over by grandson of Henry Ford, Henry Ford II who carried his ownership until his death in 1987. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity.'; -Henry T. Ford

American Dream Essay

Many people in the world have an idea about the American Dream. Some people’s American Dream is to help people who are in need to be successful in life while others may dream of making a lot of money. The key to the American Dream for most people is attaining that dream job. However, it can’t be just any job; it usually includes having a job where one feels successful and comes with minimal stress. It gives people determination to be their best. In order to figure out what job I might best be suited for, I took the Gregorc Learning Style Inventory test, and it showed that I am a concrete random learner. Therefore, I enjoy establishing relationships with others, seeing possibilities, gaining ideas, and being competitive. Hence, my dream job would be to become a physical education (PE) teacher. Most people think they know what being a PE teacher is all about, but some may find that the job is more involved than they realized. First of all, according to Career Cruising, a vocational website, â€Å"Physical education teachers educate their students about good sportsmanship, teamwork, personal fitness, and how to lead a healthy and active lifestyle† (â€Å"Physical Education Teacher†). Being a PE teacher requires knowing about students and their abilities. â€Å"A physical education teacher teaches students how to keep their bodies fit through good health practices and exercise† (â€Å"Becoming a Physical Education Teacher†).  They organize games and challenges that promote physical activity for children and young adults from kindergarten to high school. Secondly, there are many responsibilities that PE teachers have. PE teachers need to be able to adjust their curricula and to adapt to children with disabilities or different physical abilities (Bold). For example, if the weather outside was effecting the activity played, the PE teacher would need to be able to change the plans by planning something inside. Another responsibility that a PE teacher has is having strong listening and speaking skills. Besides being knowledgeable about an activity, they need to be able to communicate and demonstrate the activity properly to the class. Therefore, I will be able to observe students and maintain discipline within the class. PE teachers also interact with parents, other teachers and the school’s administration, but it takes knowledge and education to get there. Finally, people that want to become teachers can’t just graduate high school and try to become one; work experience and knowledge about activities are essential keys to being a  successful PE teacher. For instance, I have played volleyball for seven years, so I have learned a lot about how to coordinate conditioning activities, drills, games. That has provided a good foundation for me to become a PE teacher. Because of that, I would also love to coach a volleyball team while being a PE teacher. Even volunteering at the Boys/Girls Club or the YMCA would help me before I become a PE teacher because I would be able to interact with kids and learn how they interact with each other. I know that before becoming a PE teacher, I need to truly enjoy being around people and kids which is something that I know I already have. It’s not going to be â€Å"easy as pie† to become a PE teacher. First of all, Going to college to study certain majors is a big part in becoming a PE teacher. I will complete a degree in health and physical education at a four- year college or university. Classes that I might have to take in order to become a PE teacher are Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, and a Health and Wellness class (â€Å"Skills Required for Become a PE Teacher†). Going to college and learning about physical health will let me have a better understanding of what I am going to teach about. Going to college will cost about seventy thousand dollars but, I am going to college on a volleyball scholarship which will lower the costs. Education is the key role in becoming a PE teacher. There are many personal qualifications into becoming a teacher. A skill that I will need to have in order to become a PE teacher would be to have a general understanding of the purpose and value of physical fitness and how individuals can perform their exercises at their best. PE teachers value physical fitness and want their students to perform at their best therefor being able to communicate with students will help me understand what their bodies are capable of. Personality is a big role in being any type of teacher. Having a positive attitude throughout the day will help me motivate my students to do better, which is a big key in becoming a PE teacher. â€Å"On a daily basis, physical education teachers face unmotivated students and students who are living unhealthy lifestyles† (â€Å"Working with Students†). It is my goal to motivate students and to have fun. To me, having a relationship with my students and having fun with them is a lot more important than how much I would get paid as a teacher. One stereotype that people have about teachers centers around how much teachers get paid. Some say it is too little while others say it is too much: â€Å"The national median salary of all middle and high school teachers is around $52,000 dollars a year† (â€Å"Physical Education Teacher†). It may not seem like a lot but, it’s all that I need. I would also love to coach a school volleyball team and coaching a team would could help me make an additional $2,000 a year (Dodrill). Overall, the American Dream involves having a job that one loves. Even thinking about being a PE teacher and even a coach makes me smile. The American Dream involves with making one happy. I would love to help students learn about their health and teach them new sports! Having obstacles everyday will only make me a better teacher! I will have to work ha rd in college to get this job, but working hard is something that I am up for. Having a relationship with my students and learning what I can do to become a better teacher is something that I can’t wait to wake up every morning to do. Having a dream job and getting to interact with students would be perfect. Getting to coach a volleyball team and have relationships with my students would make my dream job even better! Having fun at a job and doing what you love is all that matters to me! Being a physical education teacher and a volleyball coach for the school would be my American Dream job. Works Cited Bold, Jessica. â€Å"Skills Required for Become a PE Teacher.† EHow. Demand Media, 11 Oct. 2009. Web. 07 May 2014. Dodrill, Tara. â€Å"What Do High School Coaching Jobs Pay?† EHow. Demand Media, 24 July †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2009. Wed. 22 May 2014 Manross, Mark. â€Å"PE Central: Becoming a Physical Education Teacher.† PE Central: Becoming a Physical Education Teacher. Executive Director, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 07 May 2014. â€Å"Physical Education Teacher.† Career Cruising. Anaca Technologies. n.d. Web. 15 June 2010. Zeiger, Stacy. â€Å"The Pros & Cons of Being a Physical Education Teacher.† Work. Demand Media, 11 Nov. 2012. Web. 07 May 2014.

Elementary School and Middle School Essay

Transitioning from elementary school to middle school is something we all have or had to do! Most kids cringe at the thought of making this huge step in life. For many students this transition can be a time of mixed emotions. Having been through this experience, I will compare and contrast the two, hoping that this will give you a clear picture of elementary and middle school. Elementary and middle school have distinguishable characteristics. In elementary schools, you basically have your homeroom teacher and one other teacher. The movement of students is very limited and you are mostly escorted by a teacher. Teachers are more understanding and are not as demanding because of the student’s age. Fun days are set aside as an award for students that have done what is expected of them. Most of the children are placed in classroom with the same students each year. Elementary school is very important in our young student’s lives; this is where it all starts. However, middle school students are expected to execute their daily tasks without assistance. Teachers are there to direct the students in right direction; everything else is left up to the student. Middle school students have several different classes, in each class it is usually a different teacher. Students have lockers to store their books and other supplies. In middle school students are required to be more independent and serious about school. Elementary school set the pace for all other levels of schooling. Students enter elementary school learning all the basic aspects of school system and the learning process. At this stage in life most students are eager to learn and get excited to learn new things. Elementary is the main point of delivery, it introduces social skills, behavioral adjustments, and basic academic learning. Middle school prepares students for higher education. Ultimately, middle school bridges the gap between elementary and high school. It is definitely a different experience than elementary, but it prepares students for their future and encourages them to be more independent. Elementary schools and middle schools also have common qualities. They are both open Monday through Friday on the same days. Each day students eat lunch at a designated time. All students are expected to sit in desks in an appropriate manner. Teachers require students to be respectful and display good behavior at all times. Homework is given on a daily basis and class discussions are routine also. School is essentially school with minor differences. Each school level has its own pro’s and con’s, they are also very similar. They each have their own benefiting factors and they are used to their advantage. School systems up this way because it is initially what works in our culture. Elementary and middle schools are stepping stones that that help us get from one place to another in our academic life. Each level is an important standpoint for academic excellence and they should be taken seriously so that you can be an effective student/learner.

Wilfred Owen -Anthem for Doomed Youth

These words indicate rifles were moving fast on the battleground as many soldiers were slain, this gives the reader a clear image and uses caesura as they reflect on the deaths in the war. 2) Why are the men referred as cattle? Wilfred Owe;en refers the men as cattle as exemplified by the phrase â€Å"who die as cattle†. This simile is used in the poem to make the reader realism how many soldiers were killed during the war fighting for there country. The men killed are compared to cattle to indicate the great number of soldiers inured and killed. At the start of the poem what rhetorical question Is asked by Owen before he goes to answer It? Owen asks a rhetorical question in the beginning of the poem which he then answers throughout the rest of the poem as evident in â€Å"what passing bells for those who die as cattle? † The question asked is a rhetorical question which gives no time for the reader to answer however the poem does that. Caesura has been used In this rhe torical question because It will give time for the reader to reflect on the question whilst reading down the poem. How does Owen appeal to our sense of sight and hearing by using the sounds of the battlefield? Owen appeals to our senses of sight and hearing using the sounds on the battlefields. This Is evident In â€Å"no mockeries for them from prayers or bells†, the phrase is appealing to our senses because it is explaining to readers ceremonies did not go on in any way either prayers or bells. The dead people were not given a proper funeral or mocked at. Owen uses the words prayer and bells because it is comparing the deaths then and now. It is highlighting the main differences of unreels.Moving on Owen also appeals to our senses by using personification to describe the gun shooting on the battlefield. This technique of personification Is event In â€Å"monstrous anger AT teen guns† Owen gives teen gun unman counterblasts to make the reader understand the sight and sounds on the battlefield. 5) Where does Owen suggest that there is no dignity in suffering during the war time? Throughout the poem Owen suggests that there is no dignity in suffering during the war time. He compares natural death to deaths caused by the war.This is evident in â€Å"demented choirs of wailing shells† the choirs are described as â€Å"shrill† and â€Å"demented† which indicate dying during war was a disastrous, mad and pointless. However dying naturally would be the completely opposite as you would have calm and relaxing choirs singing hymns rather than â€Å"wailing shells†. 6) What techniques does Owen suggest that young men were taken out of their beautiful countryside homes and persuaded to go to the frontline? Owen uses may techniques to show that they were missed and taken out of their countryside homes.One of the techniques used by Owen is a metaphor on line 13 stanza 2 as shown in the phrase â€Å"their flowers the tenderness of silent maids†. The metaphor used he is showing flowers were replaced by there wife's and girlfriends when they died fighting for there country. Family and friends were taking the place of flowers and missed thee brothers, dads, children and wives. Moving on Owen uses another technique to show they would not have a proper and burial and will be missed by there loved ones at home.

Mental Health and Psychotropic Drugs Essay

In the last thirty years, the number of patients diagnosed with depression has doubled. (doubled from what? What percentage) The sharp increase in these diagnoses is due to the fact that the medical community has blurred the distinction between everyday unhappiness and clinical depression. (what percentage or numbers are you getting the 40% from? The use of Psychotropic medication in depressed patients has increased in the United States by more than 40 percent over the last decade. (you have a website but what is the website for? ) (http://find. galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/ovrc/retrieve. do? subjectParam=Local) The bulk of the increase can be accounted for by the aggressive use of SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) in patients. It is the class of drugs that includes Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. The question is: Are more Americans clinically depressed now than in the past, or has medical science started to treat the far more common experience of â€Å"everyday unhappiness† is this a quote from someone or from you? with medication, thereby increasing the number of drug prescriptions? A Psychoactive drug or Psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain functions, resulting in perception, mood, consciousness, and behavior. These drugs may be used recreationally to purposefully alter one’s consciousness, as entheogens for ritual or spiritual purposes, as a tool for studying or augmenting the mind or therapeutically as medication. (www. Wikipedia. org ). (Is this whole paragraph a quote? If so, it needs to be centered and in quotation marks. ) For example: On January 22,2008, acclaimed Australian actor, Heath Ledger, died from an accidental overdose of six types of prescribed painkillers and sedatives. Ellen Borakone, spokesperson for the New York Medical Examiner’s office, said the cause of death was â€Å"acute intoxication by combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam [Valium], temazepam [Restoril], alprazolam [Xanax] and doxylamine. Valium, Restoril and Xanax are benzodiazepines or tranquilizers/sedatives. The U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched an investigation into how Mr. Ledger acquired the prescription drugs that killed him. (Why did you use this example? The usage of this example is in a incorrect location of the essay) A year earlier, on February

Julie was perfect – Creative Writing

Julie was perfect. She was smart, popular and pretty. Her naturally blonde hair was professionally styled at least once a week and her size eight figure was always gloved in designer labels heard of only in magazines, brought for her on Daddy's credit card. She was involved within the school teams and clubs, including gymnastics and dance, as well as all of the social clubs and school politics. Jen was far from this. She was what would be referred to as â€Å"bad†. Her dyed black hair that was worn so that half of her face could not be seen and she always wore uniform black. She was the kind of person that rarely made an appearance at school, let alone at anything extra curricular. She spent her entire life drinking, smoking and getting â€Å"high†. Dom would have called himself one of the cool guys but everyone else would have called him a jock. He was captain of the football team and head of his gang. They were all members of the football team and spent their free time taunting or punching one another mindlessly. When he was away from his gang, he spent his time acting too cool for anyone else. Brian was one of the cleaver ones. He was a straight A student who enjoyed extra curricular activities like science and chess club. The only thing that he was not good at was sport. Whatever he tried, he looked gawky and awkward. Everyone saw him as a â€Å"geek† or a â€Å"nerd† and I suppose the fact that he wore trousers that were slightly too short for him and glasses didn't help. These four people had nothing in common apart from the fact that they had to share a chalet on a skiing holiday organised by the school. There had been a mix up with numbers meaning that none of them could share with their friends. There was no television or radio and no one was to leave their chalet after eight in the evening unless there was an activity. After the first day of skiing, neither Julie, Dom nor Brian wanted to leave their friends. Jen, who had no friends that had come on the holiday, was busy having a smoke out of the window with her Walkman turned up. She didn't hear Mr Bowdon, their incredibly strict PE teacher come in to the chalet. â€Å"What do you think your doing, Ms. Parker?† Mr. Bowdon shrieked red with fury. Jen turned off her Walkman and spoke. â€Å"What does it look like I'm doing?† She said sarcastically. â€Å"It looks like your trying to get yourself banned from the slopes,† Mr. Bowdon remarked snidely â€Å"What do I care? Skiing is mind-numbingly boring; I only came to pick up some cheap smokes and booze!† Jen laughed, â€Å"Besides, where are the princess, the jock and the geek that I have to share this place with? I bet there with their friends and its after eight! So, instead of wasting your time with no-hopers like me, why don't you guide them into doing the right thing, isn't that what you say your job is?† Her words oozed with contempt. Mr. Bowdon looked at her but she stared him out. Eventually he turned and went in search for the others. For the rest of the week, Mr. Bowdon kept an eye on all four of them and caught them out many times. By the second to last evening, he had had enough. He called them all in to his chalet and banned them from spending their last day on the slopes. There was an array of moans and groans but it was clear that Mr. Bowdon's word was final. They were to be supervised by Mr. Bowdon's wife who was not a skier and would have to spend the day with only each other for company. Everyone knew that tomorrow would be hard. They were woken at six in the morning for breakfast, which was to be eaten on a solitary table laid just for the four of them. Jen was the only one to speak through breakfast. She spent the whole time complaining about being stuck with a bunch of losers for the whole day. When they had finished breakfast, they were instructed to go back to their chalet and to stay there until they were told otherwise. â€Å"This is so unfair, all I wanted to do was to spend my holiday with my friends, and now I'm stuck in here for the day,† Julie whined â€Å"Oh shut up princess, just because you can't go running to Daddy!† taunted Jen. â€Å"Leave her alone, arguing's a waste of time because you can't walk away, your stuck in here all day whether you like it or not,† Said Brian shyly. â€Å"This is none of your business, Geek†, jeered Jen and, with that, she lit up a cigarette and began to inhale deeply. Just as Jen had thrown the cigarette butt out the window, a hard faced woman came into their chalet without so much as a knock. She informed them that she was Mrs. Bowdon and that she would be surprising them with visits throughout the day and, as swiftly as she entered, she left. â€Å"God, no wonder Mr. Bowdon's so bitter with that witch as a wife†, sniggered Jen. For the first time, Julie and Jen made eye contact and smiled. â€Å"So, why do you waste so much of your free time in clubs then?† asked Jen. â€Å"Leave her alone,† warned Dom. â€Å"No I'm being serious, why?† â€Å"I don't know, it's just what me and my friends have always done. Besides, it's not so bad† Julie answered unconvincingly. There was an awkward silence. Julie began to study her French manicure and the others started to fidget. After a while, Dom crossed the room to talk to Julie. â€Å"Hey!† Dom said with ease. â€Å"Hi† Julie said, surprised. â€Å"Aww, the Jock and the Princess, what a prefect match† Jen jeered. â€Å"Shut up!† They all said in unison. â€Å"It's a free country!† She retaliated. â€Å"Why are you always so sarcastic, Jen?† Julie asked, â€Å"I think it's just a front. I think that you are so scared about letting anyone see your feelings, that you cover them up with jokes and sarcasm.† â€Å"Shut up Julie. Yeah, so I don't show emotions, so what? Besides you can hardly talk. Everything about you is fake. Your so fake that you probably don't even know who you are anymore. So maybe I do hide emotions but I'd rather do that then have everyone know my personal business.† Jen shouted and, with that, she went into their room and slammed the door. â€Å"You know, she's right.† Brian said timidly, â€Å"Every single one of us puts on a front.† â€Å"And what front do you put on then?† Dom mocked â€Å"You know, I'm not as good as you think I am,† Brian said, a little braver than last time. As if on cue, Jen entered the room again. Her gothic make up was freshly applied to red, blotchy eyes and her infamous army boots had been removed, as had a little bit of her front. â€Å"So, what have you done that's so bad?† Jen asked with a friendly smile on her face for the first time. â€Å"Well, I've smoked a cigarette and I got a little bit drunk at my cousions wedding,† Brian said nervously. â€Å"Hey, I know what'll make the day pass quicker!† Jen said with a glint in her eye. With that, Jen ran to her room to fetch something. The others looked at each other nervously. She returned with a tightly wrapped package. â€Å"Is that drugs?† Brian asked nervously. â€Å"It's only pot, it's not gonna kill ya,† Jen said â€Å"Well, ok then,† Brian said reluctantly. â€Å"Are you guys in?† Pushed Jen. Julie and Dom looked at each other. After a few minutes they agreed. They all sat around in a circle and watched Jen expertly roll it. After it was lit, they passed it around. Everyone accept for Jen coughed violently on their first drag, and, after it had been passed around a few times, they were too relaxed to care! They spent hours talking mindlessly and becoming relaxed in each others company until it wore off. When it did wear off, the fronts that they had been putting on for so many years also wore off.