Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Lady Macbeth’s language in Act 5 Scene1 and Act 5 Scene 1 Essay

Ambitious, enthusiastic and assertive are merely few of the words that describe Lady Macbeth, a woman so controlling she convince her husband to murder the king. She carefully plans it out, but her obsession leads to nightmares, and further on a brutal suicide. The Act 1 scene 5 opens with Lady Macbeth, reading out a letter sent to her from her husband, regarding the encounter he had with the three witches and what they had said about the prophecies, and that he would become king. She then begins her first soliloquy, this doesn’t just echo the witches prediction but also suggests how certain she is that the prophecies will come true ‘Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be/ what thou art promised.'(Lines 14-15) She shows signs of her exceptional language from the start, and she speaks in blank verse, she emphasizes her confidence and sense of purpose in carrying out the murder by using iambic pentameters ‘That I may pour my spirits in thine ear’ (line 25) she starts to build up her control and self-confidence, becoming so powerful she is more ambitious than her husband, the warrior of a great a army, but this is mainly because he is to soft-hearted, she uses the breast-feeding metaphor to describe this ‘too full of the milk of human kindness,'(line 16) This in contrast to her wish that she be the man that Macbeth isn’t, so that she could be in complete control, as the man is the one who is mainly in control, ‘unsex me here,’.(line 40) To emphasize her control of language and thought she uses balanced phrases between the lines ‘May read strange matters to beguile.'(Line 26) She is also easily able to change her state of mind that is extremely compatible depending on the situation she is in. Her double sided nature can switch easily can switch easily, obviously this can be seen by the audience but isn’t visible to the other characters. When the messenger enters the room, Lady Macbeth is still speaking of her plans on murdering King Duncan, and to avoid him understanding what she is saying she uses coded language and speaks in riddles, this also for fear that she is overheard and someone realizes what she is conjuring up for the future, ‘to catch the nearest way,'(line 17) While the messenger remains in the room the change in her character and her language is yet again visible, she stops using ostentatious and sophisticated words, and instead returns to her ordinary self . Another incident which took place while the messenger was in the room, was when she got angry, this was mainly because she feared that she wouldn’t have enough time to prepare and fully plan out the rest of the murder ‘Thou art mad to say it’ (line 31) Once again proving her ability to switch focus especially at the right time, ‘what is your tidings?'(Line 29) This also suggests how she is over powering the messenger and proving how authoritative she is. Her prevailing nature becomes so controlling that even tries dominating the evil spirits as she calls out for them ‘come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts!'(Lines 39-40) And to dominating Macbeth she uses persuasive flattery ‘Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor!'(Line 53) And to demonstrate the control she has, not only over her husband but also over the entire situation, she uses imperatives, ‘look like the innocent flower’ (line 64) she has become her own woman and fully responsible over her every action, no longer does she need anyone to control her, on the contrary, she will control them, and she has already done so over her husband. She can also vary the tone and pace of her language, the dark side that slowly started devouring her after she called for the evil spirits soon takes effect on Lady Macbeth, she uses fricatives to expose this, they are all words that begin with the hard C sound, and this is how she establishes her second soliloquy. She uses the fricatives mainly so that it would sound as if the raven himself was speaking, Creaks, Come, Crown, Cruelty, etc†¦. Her role in the murder becomes so much more superior to that of her husband. Throughout the scene she enlightens us with her dominance and solid control, this is mainly conveyed through the way she speaks so much more than Macbeth, and he is hardly given a chance to speak, but this also shows how she is scheming the murder ‘and you shall put/ This night’s great business into my dispatch’ (line 67) Her highly elaborated and sophisticated language though out the scene is ended with a rhyming couplet, this emphasizes on the great reward which will soon belong to them. For them to become King and Queen ‘which shall to all our nights and days to come, Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom’ (lines 68-69) Over all though out Act 1 scene 5 she shows great infatuation onto carrying out the massacre, the words that she applies into her language are imposing and dignified, to achieve utmost control, which was the basis for her success over persuading Macbeth into committing the murder. The built up to Act 5 Scene 1 is tense and the pressure starts to mount as Macbeth begins to face truth of what is going to happen, but he faces reality through fatality, and after contemplating what he must do, he tells his wife that he will not carry out the murder ‘we will proceed no further in this business’ but to his displeasure, he is once again persuaded to perform the murder execution. The witches also tell Banquo of the fortune he is to achieve, and that his offspring are to become kings. He murdered Duncan in order to make the witches prophecy to come true, but now he plots to murder Banquo and Fleance so that witches promise to Banquo will not come true. Lady Macbeth suffers from a guilty conscience, despite being the main instigator of the murder. The scene begins with her walking in her sleep, and dreams that she and her husband are murdering King Duncan. The difference in her language, from Act 1 Scene 5 can be recognized instantly, you can tell this as she speaks in prose ‘Yet here’s a spot.'(Line 31) The sophisticated vocabulary and grammar are no longer a custom of Lady Macbeth, it is replaced by language which is almost of a childlike simplicity ‘one, two, why, then it’s time to do it’ (line 34) This scene mainly conveys the manifestation of her guilt and how badly she feels about bringing the plan of the murder to this extent. This pushes her limits and certain actions question her sanity, she once again speaks in a child like manner ‘The Thane of Fife had a wife'(line 41). Previously, she was in total control, but now the burden has become too much, she has become a broken woman, this mainly due to the fact that she had to play the role of the man, this can be proved as on several occasions she has had to play this role, for example, when she had to disguise the visions Macbeth was seeing after the death of Banquo. The disturbances in her mind have made her think without order ‘hell is murky! Fie my Lord fie!'(Line 35) and remembrance of the past as she contemplates on what had happened ‘here’s the smell of blood still’ (line 48). As Macbeth and Duncan are two characters who have been the main subjects of Lady Macbeth’s mind, she relieves past conversations that took place (Macbeth talking to King Duncan), ‘To bed, to bed: there’s knocking at the gate’ (line 63). One of the things that she mentioned in her sleep was concerning the ghost of Banquo ‘I tell you again, Banquo’s buried, he cannot come out on’s grave’ (lines 60-61), this was the subject of a past conversation with her husband. The manifestation of her guilt soon becomes an obsession, still in her sleep and unaware of what she is saying and totally senseless. She is still able to speak about reality and what has been going on, she is also able to release her true emotions and express how blameworthy she feels ‘would these hands never be clean?'(Line 42) As Lady Macbeth is in a deranged state of mind, the excuse that she was asleep is valid enough to cover up and hide what she had said throughout the entire period that she was sleep walking ‘To bed, to bed, to bed’ (line 65). Lady Macbeth’s great ability to switch focus, use of impressive words, her controlling and convincing taunts and her authoritative state of mind, somehow fall to pieces, she turns into a broken woman. The tale of Lady Macbeth unfortunately ends tragically, her plans turn to dust, and her life ends in a brutal suicide. As for her husband Macbeth, despite becoming King his rein didn’t last, and he was killed during a battle and Malcolm became king.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Reflection Paper Indigenous Perspective Essay

I agree with Professor Acuna and his historical statement. Along with Linda Tuhiwai Smith, their interpretations of the colonization of the Americas has long since been scene as the rape of a country for it’s riches, resourced and land is evident. The impact of the Catholic Church (I am catholic) at this time in history was one of the most devastating blows to the indigenous peoples of America, and the beginning an effort to wipe their cultures and history form the global historical record. The pillage of gold and the exploitation of the indigenous people clearly funded the beginning of Europe’s rapid expansion leading up to the Industrial Revolution. Without the vast amount of gold and wealth taken from the continent, Europe would have taken much more time to amass its wealth and the economical ability to pursue colonization around the globe. It is the perspective of the authors from both readings that our history from the perspective of currently accepted research is flawed. They claim, from an ethnocentric focus, any research conducted by a non-indigenous researcher is to re-inscribe a Western view. I agree that to legitimate and be considered â€Å"real† knowledge as they term it, such research should be from the perspective of an indigenous author. In addition, my perspective is that any non-indigenous researcher has to immerse themselves into the culture being studied. Smith especially argues that western research and critiques’ are but the cultural assumptions by a dominant culture, namely non-indigenous Americans. I think that Acuna’s adamant declarations asserting his self professed socialist views; that there is â€Å"insidious ethnic prejudice woven into the fabric of American culture†, and that minorities with an emphasis on Chicano and African culture are in fact victims of American society seems to be eccentric, but it does have the indication of validity to it. It was interesting to note that Professor Acuna actually had to go to court, in order to in order to obtain a position at an Institute of American Higher Education. Perhaps this is one of the best examples of his view on ethnic prejudice. I does seem to me that our current views on the history of the Americas should be expressed from the view of the ethnic culture that experienced it. What we read in grade school history books, does not tell us the perspective of the people who actually experienced colonization and its effects. The Mesoamerican’s were nearly wiped out and their cultures were devastated. These interpretations are clearly lacking. We are taught our history through rose-colored glasses that obstruct our vision of the destruction, enslavement, and rape of the early Americas through colonization of South and Central America. We are not taught that the cultures were largely wiped out by disease spread be their conquerors, or that the entire history of their culture was put to torch by catholic priests. Very few of the documents written by scribes of those cultures survived and exist today. What does exist is an enigma.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Animal Testing Research Paper

Abstract With animal testing, the killing and harming innocent animals, being around for centuries with little change, will exploiting the facts that the public does not know about, help put an end to all the product and medication testing on animals? Introduction Animal testing has been around for centuries, when it really should be one of those â€Å"cruel memories† of things we have done in the past, but will not let in happen again in the future. Rats, Mice, Rabbits, and a whole slew of other animals are forced to endure massive quantities of testing substances or endure pain by having harmful chemicals applied to their bodies, even though the testing may have nothing to do with anything relatable for human use. My purpose for this subject is to let people think twice about buying a product, or hopefully helping put this inhuman testing to an end. When did animal testing originate? The history of animal testing goes back to the writings of the Greeks in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Aristotle (384-322 BC) and Erasistratus (304-250 BC) were among the first group of people to perform experiments on living animals. A physician in 2nd-century Rome, dissected pigs and goats and is known as the â€Å"father of vivisection†, when his real name is Galen. Avenzoar, whom is also a physician but of Arabic, also practiced dissection in 12th-century Moorish Spain, and introduced animal testing as an acceptable experimental method of testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients. (Cohen Loew, 2013) What is animal testing? Animal testing, a phrase that most people unsure of exactly what is involved but have heard it before. There are many names, animal testing, animal experimentation or animal research, it all refers to the experimentation carried out on animals. Its main purpose in why it is used, is to assess the safety and effectiveness of everything from medication to cosmetics. We also use it to help find a better understanding of how the human body works. Supporters believe it is a necessary practice and obliteration to animals for our bettering and the deaths of the animals are well worth the cause. Then there are those opposed to animal testing because they believe it involves the torture and suffering of innocent animals (Ian Murnaghan BSc (hons), 2011) Who does animal testing affect? Animal testing affects everyone in the modern world today. It is primarily used to help save lives. The testing is performed so that there is a better understanding of what reactions drugs may have, so that we can figure out which drugs help which diseases, as well as observe how certain drugs affect conditions such as pregnancy and other side effects they may cause like cancer. Another part of animal testing is to help promote a product or to understand the effects of those products and the percentile of which those effects may cause. This might include testing makeup, lotions, or food products. Animal testing main support is from those people that believe the animals in our world today, are a close link to humans, and therefore allow them to be tested to see what effects drugs, products, or foods have on our society. A second opinion humans have, is that animal testing is a cruel and inhumane, torturous act, and should not be done to anyone or anything, no matter what the benefit might be to the human species (Contributor, 2012). Animal Testing Funds The United States government spends up to the sum of $14. 5 billion in a year in any research involving experimentation on animals. These experiments will often lead to death or unwarranted consequences for the animals involved. Some projects are funded for decades by the siphoning of the US taxpayers dollars and resulting in cruel treatment and deaths of an unfathomable number of animals. About 47% of research grants have an animal research-based component according to NIH, National Institutes of Health, and documents. The number has been very consistent over the last decade (Newcomer, 2013). Where do companies get money for testing? Many companies today get their funding for research from the NIH. Other companies also receiving money from the NIH are numerous colleges around the U. S. A. whom are primarily receiving grants to experiment on animals. The NIH is a biomedical research facility located in Bethesda, Maryland. They are part of the United States department of Health and Human Services. These agencies are primarily used to do biomedical and health-related research. NIH uses the Intramural Research Program to conducts scientific research through. 80% of the NIH funding, is used as research grants to outside researchers. They give approximately 500,000 grants to an approximate 325,000 researchers that consists of more than 3000 institutions. In 2010 alone, NIH spent around $10. 7 billion on just clinical research. On top of that, they also spent $7. 4 billion on genetics-related research, $6. 0 billion on prevention research, $5. 8 billion on cancer research, and $5. 7 billion on biotechnology research which almost all include the torture of other species on Earth (Health, 2013). How much does it cost? Each year in the United States, there are approximately 100 million animals that are tormented and killed in experiments conducted to better humans. Much of this cruelty is highly supported by the National Institutes of Health, and the United State government, since the NIH is a department of the government. The NIH allocates a minimum of 40% of its annual research budget just towards animal experimentation. Based on the NIH’s 2010 budget, this accounts for more the $16 billion in US taxpayer money alone (PETA, 2013). Substitutes for Animal Testing There are nearly 50 different alternative methods and testing strategies that have been developed, validated and/or accepted by international regulatory authorities. These non-animal methods usually take less time to complete then using the crude, archaic methods animal testing that they meant to replace. In addition, these methods cost only a fraction of what animal experiments burn through, cash wise, and are not affected by a species differences from humans that make applying test results to humans difficult or impossible (PETA, Alternatives to Animal Testin, 2013). Corrositex Testing Corrositex is a non-animal alternative toxicology test. Although this is not a classical â€Å"in vitro† style test, Corrositex uses a synthetic membrane-based detection system to determine the UN packing group classification of chemicals, consumer products, or other hazardous materials. The results, expressed as a break-through time, correlate well with rabbit dermal corrosively tests. In the Corrositex testing system, a glass vial filled with a chemical detection fluid and is capped by a proprietary bio-barrier membrane. This membrane is designed to mimic the effect of corrosives on living skin. Corrositex measures the time required for a test article to pass through a hydrated collagen matrix and supporting filter membrane (Corrositex, 2010). Technological Advancements The NIH has recognized that animal models do not always accurately predict a drug efficacy in people, and they are starting to support the generation of more reliable and predictive models. The use of different human cell types, in series of combinations, will help generate micro-sized physiological systems which can â€Å"talk to each other† and better address the biological complexities of whole living organisms. This â€Å"human body chip† technology would start to allow scientists to look for specific profiles in cells and would help identify human safe compounds to allow testing on people. This technology represents significant advantages over animal models because it relies on human cells which is more like what they are going to be applied to then the use of a completely different species, and is more likely to be predictive of what happens in people in the product or drugs current form (Society, n. d. ). What happens during testing? The government describes an animal experiment as a â€Å"procedure† that is ‘likely to cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. ’ Many experiments cause extreme suffering, often to the point of the animal’s death. Even when they are not being experimented on, animals suffer stress in laboratories where they are typically kept in barren containers or kennels, often in solitary confinement. After the animals have been used in experiments, they are usually killed to prevent being released and causing an evolutionary process in the wild that was created in the lab (Aid, 2013). Killings Injuries According the U. S. Department of Agriculture, in 2006 there were about 670,000 animals that were used in procedures which did not include more than a momentary pain or distress. About 420,000 were used in procedures in which pain or distress was relieved by anesthesia, while there were 84,000 which were used in studies that would cause pain or distress that would not be relieved. In the UK, research projects are classified as mild, moderate, and substantial which is measured in terms of the suffering that they, the researchers conducting the study, say they may cause. There is also a fourth category of â€Å"unclassified†, which means the animal was anesthetized and killed without recovering consciousness, according to researchers (Ryder, 2013). Subjected to horrible unsafe procedures Research reveals that only 5% to 25% of the animal tests and human results are agreeable! Most of the drugs passed by animal tests are discarded due to the fact that they are useless to humans. The conditions under which the animals are subjected to these human experimentations, have caused tumors in rodents, while the animal test results were declared to be of little relevance for humans! The only explanation being offered for this declaration, is the mere fact that there are anatomical and physiological differences between animals and humans. It is important to note that even though animals are almost always used in cancer research, they never get the human form of cancer which also affects membranes like the lungs. With all that research being done that only yield maybe 5% success, almost 9% of the anesthetized animals in the laboratory die. These animals have a better chance of dying then actually helping us develop something successful. Most medical experts agree that data from animal test cannot be extrapolated safely to human patients without any altercations to the drugs (Buzzle, 2013). Companies using and not using animal testing There are a lot of companies that test on animals that we buy from every day. Some of these companies are 3M, Air Wick, Almay, Band-Aid, Blue Buffalo, Febreze, and the list goes on. There are some companies though that do not test on animals such as Abercrombie Fitch, Absolute Green, Aloe Vera of America, and more. It seems like all the companies we know and buy from use some form of animal testing for their product, and yet there are others companies that we have not have hardly heard of, don’t test on animals. Companies use the warning labels saying â€Å"animal tested† Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products may be used to establish product safety. In some cases, after considering available alternatives, companies determine that animal testing is necessary to assure the safety of their product or ingredient. FDA supports and adheres the provisions of applicable laws regulations, and policies the governing animal testing. FDA supports the developments and uses of alternatives to whole-animal testing, as well as adherence to the most humane methods available with the limits of scientific capabilities when animals are used for testing the safety of cosmetic products (FDA, 2006). Types of animals being tested on, and what is tested on them Researchers use many different types of animals, mice, rabbits, dogs, ferrets, and fish to name a few. The type of animal selected for study often depends solely depends on a combination of factors; previous research involving that animal type, scientific relevance, accessibility, and practical aspects of implementation of the product or item being tested. Government agencies also require that any drugs used in humans needs to be tested in at least two different types of animals, one of which is not able to be a rodent. The reason is that a drug can have very different effects on different species of animals (Nordin, 2009). All the animals used in testing/studies Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in an unfathomable number of laboratories across the country and even the world. Exact numbers are not available because mice, rats, birds, and cold-blooded animals- who make up over 95% of creatures used in experiments, are not covered by even the minimal protections of the Animal Welfare Act and therefore go uncounted (PETA, Animal Testing 101, 2013). Types of products used on animals during testing Mice and rats are forced to inhale toxic fumes, dogs are force-fed pesticides, and rabbits have corrosive chemicals rubbed onto their skin and eyes. Many of these tests are not even required by law, and have often produced inaccurate or misleading results that were pointless towards the end affect when the results had to be tossed and started over for being inaccurate towards the desired end result. Even if a product harms animals, it can still be marketed to consumers. Cruel and deadly toxicity tests are also conducted as a part of the massive regulatory testing programs that often funded by USA taxpayers’ money without them even knowing (PETA, Animal Testing 101, 2013). Conclusion Animal testing should not be something that is taken lightly, where as innocent animals are being tested with harmful products, and it is not fair to them. With our advancements in technologies every day, why are we still using innocent animals to test our products on which in turn may not even give us the results needed or give us false results which makes the tests of those animals useless and obsolete? With people knowing what many of these animals go through, would they sign their own pets up to go through that? Having a heart on this issue is what will end it, animals have lives, should be able to live it in their nature desired ways that is unaffected by humans.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Philosophy and Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy and Media - Essay Example Neo begins to seriously reflect upon the nature of his identity and existence in the middle of the movie as he is already taken to the Nebuchadnezzar. This rather personal and philosophical search begins with Agent Smith saying that Neo is seeking answers to his own questions although Neo himself does not even realize he is doing this. The point is that Neo’s search for himself and questions about his existence begins with a doubt, much like the 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes who wrote, â€Å"†¦it will be sufficient to justify the rejection of the whole if I shall find in each some ground for doubt† for this systematic process of doubting is â€Å"the only way to achieve clear and well-reasoned conclusions† (Author, Year). This means that if Neo had not doubted his existence, he would have simply stayed in the Matrix and, although such ignorance would have felt like bliss, he would forfeit all the possibility of knowing who he really is and what rea lity is actually like. As Morpheus tells Neo what he and reality are really like as well as what the Matrix is, this is the only time that Neo begins to realize his true identity and only then is he able to start being conscious of his own existence. Besides, â€Å"it would be impossible to be self-conscious if we didn’t have a personal identity of which to be conscious† (Author, Year). After Morpheus explains to Neo what he calls â€Å"the desert,† which is a rather simplistic term for what the real environment looks like in contrast with the virtual environment in the Matrix, Neo is shocked but is enlightened at the same time (Berman & Wachowski, 1999). Nevertheless, as he learns the truth that he is a person of and from this â€Å"desert,† it is only then that he comes to develop true self-consciousness. Moreover, Neo bases his own existence on his mind, or, more specifically, on the activities of his mind, or on his mental faculties. He knows that he exists only through his thoughts and his beliefs. The actions of his thoughts are evident in the scenes where he discovers his hidden abilities merely by thinking through his Kung Fu training with Morpheus and the one where he has to jump from one building rooftop to another. Through these scenes, Neo is able to prove once again a rationalistic approach to reflecting on his own identity. According to Descartes, â€Å"†¦it would even happen, if I should wholly cease to think, that I should at the same time altogether cease to be† (Author, Year). Therefore, realizing that he is a thinking being and that it is through this thinking faculty that he defines his own existence, Neo then proceeds from this and develops his self-consciousness and the various aspects of himself – physically, emotionally and intellectually – from his thinking mind. Furthermore, he also chooses the Real World as the place where he develops aspects of himself and not from the Matrix, wh ere such aspects are fake. In short, upon knowing that his true identity is that of the Real World, Neo has now attained a degree of self-consciousness where he would make choices only based on the context of the Real World and not anymore of the Matrix. The Matrix then, which is represented by Agent Smith

People's History of Southeast Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

People's History of Southeast Asia - Essay Example Every generation transmitted its stock of values, skills methods, and traditions from one generation to another since the beginning of human existence. The systematic provision of learning began to develop approximately two hundred years ago. The growth of schools for children increased over time due to initiatives of the priests, bureaucrats and specialists. The religious leaders headed schools and were responsible for moral and intellectual growth of children. The early history of Southeast Asia picked up as an aspect of seminal writings that occurred at religious centres. The eagerness of the rulers and elites to absorb influences and ideas from the international arena accelerated the quest for education in the region. The earliest traces of teaching and learning in Southeast Asia are found in Hindu and Buddhist instruction manuals, development of Monastic cultures across Asia and trails that   were left by circulation of scholars.   These indicators are believed to have contr ibuted to the lodgment of successive world religions and their traditions of high learning in the region’s cosmologies. Transnational networks and interactions led to the emergence of educational entrepreneurs. The role of educational entrepreneurs was to draw on financial resources and international networks to put up reformist schools of Islam and printing presses.   Prior to 1920s, the accumulated wealth of Southeast Asia countries was used to erect educational projects such as schools and printing presses.... se indicators are believed to have contributed to the lodgment of successive world religions and their traditions of high learning in the region’s cosmologies. Transnational networks and interactions led to the emergence of educational entrepreneurs. The role of educational entrepreneurs was to draw on financial resources and international networks to put up reformist schools of Islam and printing presses. Prior to 1920s, the accumulated wealth of Southeast Asia countries was used to erect educational projects such as schools and printing presses with an objective enhancing educational development. The South Indian Muslims, Tamil Social Reformers and jobbing Theosophists recognized scientific development as a critical force behind societal development.4 The countries devised patterns of regional migration with the hope that these individuals will return home equipped with new wealth of knowledge and skills. An example of this group was the Minangkabau of West Sumatra who mainl y believed in matrilineal traditions. People were considered to belong to the same decent groups as their mothers. The educated people chose to be teachers, whether in colonial schools, Jawi while others volunteered to work as teachers in Mecca and Medina. The region was largely characterized by an educational cosmopolitan, which lay at the heart of its later educational experiences. The systems of learning in Southeast Asia permeated down to local levels. The communists exploited the village-level Confucian scholar during the mid-20th century revolution. Jean deLanessan, the French traveler, wrote in the year 1895 that even the peasants could read and write. This writing was one of the elements of Orientalist romanticism in action. Jean deLanessan studied the overt behavior of the region during

Saturday, July 27, 2019

What is current macroeconomic situation in the U.S Essay

What is current macroeconomic situation in the U.S - Essay Example Over the period of time, the unemployment rates in US averaged just over 5% however, during September 2011, the unemployment rate reached over 9%1 suggesting that despite measures taken by the government, unemployment level is rising. The overall growth rate of GDP has not been encouraging as the growth during the current year has further slowed down due to depressed aggregate demand as well as higher levels of inflation. The overall forecasts for the growth rates during the current year are less than 4% thus suggesting that the economy may further slow down as the growth rates fall and inflation increases. In order to deal with the problem, US government has undertaken a restricted expansionary policy under which fiscal stimulus has been provided to the economy. At the start of the crisis, Bush administration has introduced a tax cut fiscal expansion program to stimulate the economy. After that a further fiscal expansion package was introduced to save the financial system from collapse during 2009 and a further tax cut and unemployment fund extension package was introduced during 2010. (The New York Times, 2011). These attempts suggest that the US government undertook fiscal expansion in order to stimulate the economy and provide the necessary launching pad for the economy to pick up. However, despite such measures, economy has not responded and as such the overall growth rates remained depressed. The monetary policy also remained expansionary in nature wherein FED reduced it policy rate to almost zero. Reduction in discount rate critically reduced the overall interest rates within the economy thus allowing the economy to get stimulus. Low interest rates were also meant to encourage consumer spending on credit so that the overall aggregate demand could be increased. Apart from this, FED also continued with the policy of quantitative easing under which fictitious money was created to increase the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Family Having a Child with Life-Limiting Illness Thesis

Family Having a Child with Life-Limiting Illness - Thesis Example Consequently, the number of children with terminal diseases continues increasing, raising the cost of their care at family and national levels. Many research studies have been conducted to investigate the financial impact of life-limiting disabilities on medical care budgets of various countries, especially in the developed world. A study conducted by Michelson and Steinhorn (2007) in England investigated the palliative costs of managing various types of life-limiting disabilities on children. Though the study focused on particular standards needed to cater for patients suffering from a particular life-limiting disorder, it gave insights of financial costs that such life-limiting disorders have on families. Majority of all life-limiting conditions require palliative care and in children, such care is concerned with controlling the symptoms and maintaining the good quality of life of the child for the uncertain period before the child dies (Michelson & Steinhorn 2007). Though the deat h of children with the life-limiting condition is usually expected, it is difficult to determine when and how such children will die. Therefore, caregivers of people with such conditions are faced with financial challenges of preparing the patients until death. EAPC (2007) noted that though children’s palliative care at national level supports children and young persons diagnosed with life-limiting conditions, the inclusion of children with other types of disabilities often puts an extra strain on the care of such patients. According to Chochinov (2005) majority of children, hospices depend on charitable organizations for funding which in most cases is short-term and inconsistent. Others rely on short-term grants and statutory funds that are similarly unreliable and as a result, most parents use vast resources to add life to the child is remaining years to supplement the funding for their children’s care. There are different categories of life-limiting disorders most o f which are rare with unique symptoms. Consequently, it is difficult to determine the needs and care of children with life-limiting disorders. According to Dangel (2005), a strong relationship exists between the requirements of children in need of palliative care and those with other disabilities requiring complex care. However, those in need of palliative care are usually in an unstable state, requiring a different type of care according to their state of health at any given time. This is in contrast with other types of disabilities, which are generally in a constant state, making it easy to manage and plan for their needs. The unpredictable nature of life-limiting disorders makes it more expensive to manage, plan and take care of the sufferer than in children with other disabilities (Dangel, 2005).

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Background research on Center of Residence life Essay

Background research on Center of Residence life - Essay Example Center for Residence Life also organizes activities that are directly related to developing the surrounding environment and community near the campus. The number of staff working in the Center for Residence life is quite large and includes full time and part time staff members (Crawford, 2011). The main competitors of the Center for Residence life include community service centers and also other student activity programs within the campus. This is because as the center struggles to gather a loyal customer base, the students have a variety of activities to choose from and may not necessarily take part in the activities of the Center for Residence life (Crawford, 2011). Outside community activities also appeal to a huge number of students who are looking for fun and do not necessarily wish to be involved in community development. Also, clubs and societies reduce the number of students that het involved in Center for Residence life plans and activities. Participants in other clubs and societies find their participation time consuming and thus they cannot juggle handling another activity such as those organized by the Center for Residence life. (Crawford, 2011) The company’s customers mostly consist of students within the campus. This is so because the company was started in the campus and hence has a huge customer base from the campus. These students have either enrolled in the campus or are part of the campus alumni. Other customers for the company include students from other campuses (Crawford, 2011). This is in an effort to promote cross-campus interactions and build healthy relationship networks amongst students in campus. Community members around the campus are also part of the customers that that the company boasts of. This is due to the fact that the activities of the Center for Residence life are considerate of community development activities and thus involve the public in some of its

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Entrepreneurship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Entrepreneurship - Assignment Example further discussion will evaluate the driving forces of future business venture of The Gathering Goddess, a small vintage apparel boutique based on London. This discussion will also illustrate the essential entrepreneurial marketing communication approach of the organization to improve their future market performances. The Gathering Goddess is an organization specialized in the designing and marketing of vintage clothing materials through online stores as well as physical stores. This vintage boutique was established in 2002 by Wilma Mae Basta. This organization has only one physical store in North Kensington, London. The majority of its marketing procedure is dependent on various ecommerce sites and online retail stores such as Fab.com and eBay (The Gathering Goddess, 2014). The organization is known for marketing and selling their products through online stores to different parts of Europe and the US. The major target of the organization includes the premium consumers from upper class and upper middle class. Most of their products are designed to target the female consumer section of the market (UKSBD, 2015). Over the last few years the organization has witnessed huge competition in the global apparel market. Most of their products are sold through third party online retail stores which is hindering their direct communication capacity with their potential consumers. It is also hampering them to secure a competitive position in the market. The increasing global demand is influencing the organization to incline towards setting up organizational online retail option. They are also concentrating on improving their marketing relationship and communication with the stakeholders of the organization (Gard, 2013). The organization possesses strong financial structure that can assist them to indulge into new marketing venture. The availability of skilled workforce will also enable them to offer innovative and lucrative products to their consumers. The major competitive

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Juvenile Probation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Juvenile Probation - Essay Example Additionally, probation officers ensure that juveniles who are placed on probation abide by their probation rules, receive appropriate Court related services, are referred to other community services when necessary and coordinate with schools, agencies, employment/training programs and other services within the community". (2006a) "The Juvenile probation officer supervises and reports on the conduct of youth offenders committed to the state's custody as ordered by the judge. He also assess the youth's needs, develop and coordinate case plans in the community or correctional setting, arrange for and coordinate community services that support the youth's plan, monitor the youth's behavior to make certain he or she follows the provisions of the parole or probation agreement, and enforce court orders". (2006c) The foremost responsibility of the probation officer is to conduct regular meetings with youth in order to establish a healthy relationship and support just after the release from state care and custody. The probation officer is responsible for attending case review of youth, research youth's background, family situation, school record and past criminal behavior; formulate and present recommendations to the court, correctional professionals and service providers regarding the suitability of youth offenders for release under probation. ... d and past criminal behavior; formulate and present recommendations to the court, correctional professionals and service providers regarding the suitability of youth offenders for release under probation. Probation officer also checks the availability of community resources to support the youth and families when released. He takes care of the family by collaborating with other professionals who can help the family and youth in providing support services like educational or job training, drug or alcohol treatment, and other court ordered actions such as payment of restitution or community volunteer work. Probation officer also plans objectives and court orders. (2006c) In order to bring about an improvement in environmental conditions, the probation officer uses three types of treatment: (1) removal of the child, where the home is hopelessly inadequate; (2) transplanting the home into another neighborhood, where the influence of the family itself is good, but not strong enough to counteract the bad influences of the neighborhood; (3) case work on the family, where the physical surroundings of the home and neighborhood are adequate but where personal relationships are not conducive to harmony and happiness. Case Management Monitoring: Probation officer is liable to monitor youth's adjustment to placement environments and conduct regular meetings with youth to encourage and monitor the youth's progress. Visiting: "He visits youth at approved placement, schools and places of employment to monitor juvenile's performance. Often the probation officers investigate alleged probation violations by searching for evidence". (2006c) Responding: "Probation officer responds to emergency situations and diffuses aggressive behavior of youth by taking him into custody. Arrange

Effects of Technology on the Hr Function Essay Example for Free

Effects of Technology on the Hr Function Essay Critically analyse the ways in which the increasing application of technology at work have an effect upon the HR function. The use of technology within HRM has grown considerably within recent years with the majority of large organisations now using technology of some form within their HR function (CIPD, 2005). As HR becomes increasingly reliant on technology it is important to assess its effect upon the HR function. Firstly, consideration will be given to definition of terms along with a description of the uses of technology within the HR function. Next the change in the structure of the HR profession that has developed alongside the emerging and growing use of technology will be addressed. The goals of the use of technology which have been afforded a significant amount of attention within the literature will then be outlined along with consideration of the realisation of these goals. In addition, the effect of shared service centres, which make significant use of technology, upon the role of HR practitioners will be addressed in conjunction with the views of HR practitioners themselves. Whilst little attention has been given to the situating of the use of technology in HR within a wider sociological perspective in the academic literature, an attempt will be made to consider the effect of technology upon HR within such a debate. Finally, conclusions will be drawn as to the impact of the use of technology upon the HR function. It is firstly important to consider what is meant by the use of technology within the HR function. The term e-HRM is frequently used to refer to the use of technology within the HR function. The use of e-HRM varies enormously within organisations and may be used for different purposes (Parry et al. 2007). The term Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is also used to refer to any system that helps an organisation to â€Å"acquire, store, manipulate, analyse, retrieve and distribute information about an organisation’s human resources† (Tannenbaum, 1990, p.28). However, the use of technology within HR is broader than the use of HRIS and may encompass manager and employee self-service, the use of staff intranets and e-enabled processes such and recruitment and performance management amongst others (Reilly, 2012). It is acknowledged that some current research focuses on the more recent developments in web-based technology, collectively referred to as social media technologies or Web 2.0 (see Reddington, 2012). However, the use of Web 2.0 is outwith the focus of this discussion. HRIS was originally used for standardising the gathering of information about and for employees (Kovach et al. 2002). However, the use of HRIS has subsequently developed and is now used more broadly for purposes such as recruitment and selection, learning and development, administration of flexible benefits and performance appraisal (Grensing-Pophal, 2001) or to manage HR and employee information across the whole employment cycle (Parry et al. 2007). Technology has also been increasingly associated with supporting integrated call centres, shared service centres and the use of manager and employee self-service (CIPD, 2007). There is a great emphasis in the literature about the potential goals of e-HRM (Marler, 2009; Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004). However, there has been less emphasis on whether these goals have been realised in reality (Parry and Tyson, 2011; Strohmeier, 2007). Alongside the development and increasing use of technology is the development and changing role of the HR function itself. Traditionally the HR function has been seen as being a largely administrative function, focussed on administrative processes such as the maintenance of employee and payroll records (CIPD, 2007). It would appear that in its search for identity and the resulting proposed need for transformation of the function (Ulrich, 1997), HR has made use of technology to attempt to facilitate this transformation (Shirvastava and Shaw, 2003). Ulrich (1997) has argued that HRM should become a strategic business partner, in addition to performing roles as administrative expert, change agent and employee champion. It has been suggested that the use of technology within the HR function may create the opportunity for HR to become more strategic by freeing up time through the automation of many administrative tasks (Parry et al. 2007). The provision of accurate and detailed information available through the use of HRIS could also enable HR practitioners to engage in a more strategic role as such data could be used to inform managerial decisions. The move to new service delivery models of HR and the development of technology can be seen as interdependent as without increasingly sophisticated technology the various elements of HR service delivery may not be as effective (Reddington, 2012). Drivers for introduction of technology can be described as being operational, relational or transformational (Kettley and O’ Reilly, 2003; Snell, Stueber and Lepak, 2002) Operational goals can be described as having a focus on reducing the administrative burden of HR and cost effectiveness, whilst enhancing the accuracy of data; relational goals relate to improving services for internal customers due to reported low levels of satisfaction with the HR function (Kyprianou, 2008) and transformational goals address the strategic aims of the business (Lepak and Snell, 1998; Martin et al. 2008). These drivers of e-HRM can be seen as addressing either transactional or transformational goals (Martin et al. 2008). Transactional goals relate to operational efficiencies or improved service delivery. There is talk of liberating HR through technology (Shirvastava and Shaw 2003) although this strong statement is qualified by the requirement that it informates as opposed to automates HR proc esses. The distinction between automating and informating is made by Zuboff (1988) whereby automating relates to increasing efficiency through computerising work processes and procedures with decreasing dependence on human skills. In contrast, informating refers to increasing effectiveness through acquiring information by using information technology and using that information to create new knowledge. Automating could be seen as relating to addressing operational goals whereas informating could potentially address the relational and transformational goals through provision of information to inform decisions and strategy. Despite the attention to the promise of technology in transforming the HR function, much less attention has been given to the impact of technology on the HR function and whether or not the highly prized strategic orientation of HR has been achieved (Lepak and Snell, 1998, Shrivastava and Shaw, 2003). Studies that relate to whether e-HRM is achieving its operational goals provide some mixed results (Strohmeier, 2007). In practice it would appear that HRIS is having a slightly better (but not statistically significant) impact in areas of information processing, for example improving the speed that information is available and the quality of the information available than in economic terms, such as reducing headcount, lowering operational costs and improving productivity and profitability (CIPD, 2005). However, within this survey, in a third of cases the reduction in administrative burden was less than was to be expected. Stronger support for the operational impact of e-HRM comes from analysis of 10 case studies by Parry et al. (2007) which showed that technology can lead to faster and more efficient processes, greater accuracy and consistency as well as a reduction in costs. A number of other studies also provide some evidence of the impact of technology on operational efficiency ( Marler, 2009; Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004; Ruta, 2005). However, it may be that some caution needs to be exercised in drawing conclusions on the impact of e-HRM in this area as it may be that the efficiencies achieved within the HR function are simply moved elsewhere within the organisation as the responsibility for some tasks is moved from HR to line managers or employees (Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004). There is some positive evidence for the relational impact of e-HRM, notably improvements in HR service delivery achieved through the increased accuracy of data or by simplification of processes (Gardener, Lepak and Bartol, 2003). However, the relational impact of e-HRM appears to have been granted little attention in the literature (Strohmeir, 2007). Whether technology has led to a transformational impact on the HR function appears even less clear than the impact it has had on transactional processes. Despite the identification by many organisations of transformational drivers being important in the adoption of e-HR (Watson Wyatt, 2002; Yeung and Brockbank, 1995) it would seem that the issue of whether e-HRM supports a transformation of the HR function into a strategic business partner is only â€Å"parenthetically addressed† (Strohmeir, 2007, p.28). Indeed, Bondarouk and Ruel (2009, p.508) state â€Å"organisations are definitely silent about whether their HR departments become more strategic with e-HRM†. Where evidence is presented it is contradictory in nature. It would seem that in some cases technology has not led to a more strategic orientation of the HR function and has been used mainly for automating operational processes (Burbach and Dundon, 2005; Dery, Grant and Wiblen, 2009; Kinnie and Arthurs, 1993; Tansley et al. 2001). Indeed, Broderick and Boudreau (1992) found that most organisations have only used technology to support a narrow range of administrativ e decisions, resulting in efficiencies in managing information but that the potential competitive advantage of technology has not been exploited. In contrast, other studies have offered some evidence that e-HRM has supported the strategic integration of HR with business strategy (Olivas-Lujan, Ramirez and Zapata-Cantu, 2007; Ruel, Bondarouk and Looise, 2004; Teo, Soon and Fedric, 2001) More recent research has provided some anecdotal evidence for a move towards a more strategic role (Parry and Tyson, 2011) although the evidence supporting the transformational impact compared with the operational and relational appeared to be the weakest. It would appear that there is far greater attention in the literature to the potential for e-HRM to have an impact in the three areas outlined above than there is accorded to the actual outcomes (Shrivastava and Shaw, 2003; Strohmeir, 2007). The reorganisation of the HR function and the introduction of shared service centres appears to have had an impact on numbers of on-site HR staff and a reduction in the number of HR staff to employees (Francis and Keegan, 2006). The operation of such shared service centres relies on technology that is characterised by formalisation, routinisation and centralisation resulting in an impact on staffing of such centres, which require specialised but generally low level HR administrators (Martin and Reddington, 2009). Research that addresses the issue of how HR practitioners have viewed the increasing use of technology appears to be limited to date. There is evidence that some practitioners may view the use of technology and an associated increase in the use of shared service centres cautiously because it has resulted in a reduction of face-to-face relationships, which is often the reason individuals cite for choosing a career in HR (Francis and Keegan, 2006). Martin and Reddington (2009) suggest that the significant role of technology within shared service centres will lead to a lowering of the status of those employed in such environments especially when compared to the status of HR business partners. It is arg ued that there is a risk of deskilling within the administrative function of HR and that staff may be confined to more routine tasks where they had previously had a wider role (Reilly, 2000). It is also suggested that within shared service centres different skills may be required and staff may be employed who have customer service skills but who do not necessarily have a background in HR as technical knowledge can be learned whereas the right attitudes may be harder to learn (Parry et al. 2007; Reilly, 2000). In addition to this, there is evidence that suggests that there a perception amongst HR practitioners of an increasing distance between those at the top and bottom of the career ladder and that people from outwith the HR function are â€Å"parachuting† into the top jobs (Francis and Keegan, 2006). This effect could possibly be explained by the requirement of new areas of expertise, such as technical, consultancy and project management skills (Parry and Tyson, 2011), which may require developing within HR practitioners and could possibly result in recruiting from outside the profession. Indeed a number of reports emphasise the skills of HR staff as a significant barrier to transformation of the HR function (see Reilly, 2012). The debate on the use of technology within HRM can also be situated within a wider sociological perspective. Whilst the sociological literature appears to focus mainly on the use of technology within manufacturing environments or of computerisation in general as opposed to within the HR function an attempt to situate the effect of technology upon HR could be made in terms of attempting to assess the effect upon the organisation of the function and the impact on the level of skills required. The attempts to understand the impact of technology upon the organisation of work have resulted in divergent views. The debate focuses mainly on two opposing views. The managerialist and essentially optimistic perspective associated with writers such as Blauner (1964) argues that the application of technology will render obsolete routine and more manual jobs and create more skilled and complex opportunities resulting in an overall effect of â€Å"upskilling†, along with organisations characterised by decentralised structures, reduction in hierarchy, increased worker autonomy and a prevalence of knowledge workers (for example, Attewell, 1992; Piore and Sabel, 1984) Such analysis suggests that in the earlier phases of industrialisation advances in technology tended to reduce skills and devalue work but that more recent technological developments have had the opposite effect. Examination of the increasing use of technology and its impact on skills levels has provided some evidence for a raising of skills levels (Daniel, 1987, Gaillie, 1991) In contrast, labour process theorists have argued that technological changes have a degrading effect on work and result in â€Å"deskilling† of the labour process and reduced worker autonomy, with a centralised, neo-Taylorist form of organisation, with separation of conception from execution (for example, Braverman, 1974; Zimbalist, 1979). The issues of the expansion of non-manual work and the apparent rising skills levels as suggested by formal skills gradings are not inconsistent with the labour process perspective (Gaillie, 1991) who argues that non-manual work has undergone a major transformation, r esulting in work that is increasingly routinized and mechanised (supported by the increase in office automation). From such a perspective non-manual workers are no longer accorded their relatively privileged position and are now accorded a similar level of skills as manual workers. Support for the process of deskilling can be found in many analyses of the effects of computerised technology (Meiksins, 1994) Analysis of the experience of employees within the call centre environment emphasises the process of deskilling (Desai, 2010) which is described by Taylor and Bain (1999, p.109) as a situation of â€Å"an assembly-line in the head†. The impacts of such call centre roles are often high turnover rates and high levels of absence (Ackroyd, Gordon-Dseagu and Fairhurst, 2006) and the effect on employees is outlined by Rose and Wright (2005, pp.156-157): â€Å"low skilled call centre jobs allied with high levels of technological and management controls do not contribute towards employee well-being and satisfaction† This account of the impact of technology resonates with the description above of shared service centres whose result has been the deskilling of the administrative function of HR and the recruitment of those who do not have a background in HR (Martin and Reddington, 2009; Reilly, 2000). However, whilst it could be argued that a labour process perspective accounts for the effects of technology on some aspects of the HR function, it does not address the effect on the function as a whole as it does not appear to account for the strategic end of the spectrum, where it seems that business partner roles are accorded status and prestige along with substantially increased salaries (Francis and Reddington, 2006). The role of business partners cannot easily be reconciled with the notion of deskilling. There has been a tendency to view the classification of either upskilling or deskilling as too simplistic and some writers have moved away from this conceptualisation of work by postulating that instead there is an increasing polarisation of the workforce in terms of skill level with at one end, highly skilled workers with high levels of autonomy and at the other end a lower skilled sector characterised by an intensification of work through deskilling and management control (Edw ards, 1979), who can be dispensed if surplus to requirements (Berger and Piore, 1981). This polarisation of the workplace appears to be a better reflection of the changing HR function with the autonomous business partner role, with the accompanying perception of a high level of skill and status at one end of the spectrum and at the opposite end, the shared service centre roles characterised by routine and deskilling. In relation to professional work, there is some argument that professionals have not been adversely affected by computerisation and continue to be accorded high status and prestige (Friedson, 1984, 1986). In contrast, it is argued that technology may have differing effects on professionals, depending on the relative status of the profession and on the status of individuals within the profession (Burris, 1998). It is argued that alongside polarisation of the workplace, there tends to be poorer career prospects for non-expert workers (Baran, 1987; Hodson, 1988) with higher level posts being filled from outwith the organisation (Hodson, 1988; Burris 1983,a,b) This issue within HR is highlighted by Reilly (2000) who suggests that there may be less opportunity for career development if lower level staff do not build the experience that they would gain in more generalist roles in traditional HR functions. As stated earlier, there also appears to be a perception that the higher status business partner roles are at least sometimes being filled not just from outwith the organisation but from outwith the HR profession (Francis and Reddington, 2006). Whilst the issue of the impact of technology upon the HR function appears to have been given little attention within research (Lepak and Snell, 1998; Shrivastava and Shaw, 2003) it would seem that what discussion there has been relates mainly to the promise of technology in transforming the HR function and facilitating a more strategic orientation. The reality of the impact of technology in achieving an impact in operational, relational and transformational areas is much less clear although evidence would suggest that the greatest impact is in achieving operational efficiencies. Alongside the development of the use of technology has been the reorganisation of the HR function. Although there has been little attempt to consider the impact of technology from a sociological perspective, it can be argued that the increasing use of technology, which has been used to support the shared service centre model may be resulting in a deskilling of an element of the HR profession and reducing career development paths for some practitioners. In addition, there appears to be a change in skills viewed as necessary within this function, with a focus on customer service skills as opposed to specialist HR knowledge. In contrast, although the evidence for a transformational impact of technology upon HR is weaker and more contradictory, there would appear to be a perception of a higher status role in the business partner, with accordingly higher remuneration, thus demonstrating a polarisation of the HR function in terms of both skills and status. However, this reorganisation of the HR function and the development of a more strategic orientation, which it is argued can be facilitated by the increasing use of technology, although being seen as having an upskilling effect on those in a more strategic role could be argued as achieving the opposite effect if the result is recruiting from outwith the profession. This could leave HR professionals in a precarious position in terms of career and skill development, which could at least in part be attributed to the effect of technology as without increasingly sophisticated technology the new models of service delivery may not be possible or at least may not be as effective. Whilst, a lack of academic attention to the actual impact of technology on the HR function requires that caution is exercised in drawing conclusions, the tendency to focus on the potential impact of technology could be followed in suggesting that the potential of technology in facilitating the move to a transformation of the HR function may be to tend towards a degradation of the HR profession, with low skilled staff employed in shared service centres and more highly skilled and valued business partners being recruited from outwith the HR profession. However, without significant further research in the area, in particular on the impact of technology and the accompanying change in service delivery models upon the career paths and development opportunities for HR practitioners, this conclusion remains just a potential. References Ackroyd, K., Gordon-Dseagu, V. and Fairhurst, P. (2006) â€Å"Well-being and call centres†, Institute of Employment Studies, Brighton [online]. Available at: http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/pdflibrary/mp69.pdf (Accessed 21st November 2012) Attewell, P. (1992) â€Å"Skill and occupational changes in U.S. manufacturing† in Technology and the future of work, P.S. Adler, New York, Oxford University Press. Baran, B. (1987) â€Å"The technological transformation of white collar work†, in Computer chips and paper clips, vol 2, H. Hartmaan, ed., Washington DC, National Academy Press. Berger, S. and Piore, M. (1981) Dualism and discontinuity in industrial societies, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Blauner, R. (1964) Alienation and freedom, Chicago, IL, University Chicago Press Bondarouk, T.V. and Ruel, H.J.M. (2009) â€Å"Electronic human resource management: challenges in the digital era†, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20 (3), pp. 505-514. [online]. Available at: http://ezproxy.napier.ac.uk:2343/doi/pdf/10.1080/09585190802707235 (Accessed 10th November 2012) Braverman, H. (1974) Labor and Monopoly Capital, New York, Monthly Review Press Broderick, R. and Boudreau, J.W. (1992) â€Å"Human resource management, information technology and the competitive edge†, Academy of Management Perspectives, 6 (2), pp. 7-17. [online]. Available at: http://ezproxy.napier.ac.uk:2334/docview/210521060/fulltext PDF/13A99A5CA0029773271/6?accountid=16607 (Accessed 21st November 2012) Burbach, R. and Dundon, T. (2005) â€Å"The strategic potential of human resource information systems: Evidence from the Republic of Ireland†, International Employment Relations Review, 11 (1/2), pp. 97-117. [online]. Available at: http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=164472644509297;res=IELBUS (Accessed 21st November 2012) Burris, B.H. (1983a) No room at the top, New York, Praeger Burris, B.H. (1998) â€Å"Computerisation of the workplace†, Annual Review of Sociology, 24, pp. 141-157. [online]. Available at: http://ezproxy.napier.ac.uk:2334/docview/199730349/fulltextPDF/13A94B0278177DBCD7E/8?accountid=16607 (Accessed 10th November 2012) CIPD (2005) People management and technology: progress and potential, London, CIPD. CIPD (2007) HR and Technology: beyond delivery, London, CIPD Daniel, W.W. (1987) Workplace industrial relations and technological change, London, Frances Pinter. Dery, K., Grant, D. and Wiblen, S. (2009) Human resource information systems (HRIS): replacing or enhancing HRM, Paper presented at the 15th World Congress of the International Industrial Relations Association. [online] Available at:http://sydney.edu.au/business/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/72273/IIRA_Dery_et_al_HRIS_Replacing_or_enhancing_HRM_final.pdf (accessed 10th November 2012)

Monday, July 22, 2019

Factual reporting, interpretation and distortion Essay Example for Free

Factual reporting, interpretation and distortion Essay How are distinctions made between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion? This essay is going to tell the differences between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion. Factual reporting means that an answer or a statement is based on facts that are true and proven. Interpretation is an individuals opinion and appreciation about a subject. It is not based on facts but just on opinions and theories. Distortion is a way of delivering wrong information, twisted and wrongly explained information. It is based on facts but kind of turns them around. Factual reporting is the way of delivering an opinion/theory based on true facts. An example of this is an article I read in Metro today, which was about conspiracies. The one that caught my eye was one that stated that an airplane never crashed into the Pentagon. This theory was based on facts, which I never had heard of. For example, the surveillance camera of the Pentagon didnt show an airplane but only a white line in the sky. Another thing was that the hole in the Pentagon was way too small to have been creased by an airplane. The write stated that the US Air force shot down flight 77, and to cover this up they blew up a part of the building without the workers knowing anything about it. Also no big wreck parts from the plane were found. This is a factual reporting as its based on true facts and it not created by opinions or own thoughts as in an interpretation. Also the moon landing is believed to be a fake. There are many facts that point against it. In a video from the moon the flag that Neil Armstrong put up was waving in the wind. And theres not supposed to be any wind on the moon. Also the shadows go in different directions and the shadow of the space shuttle should fall on Armstrong, a good example of factual reporting. A theory based on facts. Interpretation is a theory based an individuals own opinion. A great example of this is racists. The Nazis believe that black or people with darker skin than westerners are worth less. This is a great example as this theory of theirs is based on their own opinions and have no actual facts to base it on. There is no proof that colored people are worth less than white people. This is why its an interpretation. No facts or proof are involved in the theory. Another example of interpretation is Bin Ladin. The US government doesnt know that hes alive. The videos that they got from him are old now and he could be dead already. The US government think that he is alive because of the videos, but they have been bombing caves, cities and other places in hope of killing him, so he could be dead. This is interpretation as they base it on what they believe. There is no proof that hes alive. Distortion is when facts are wrong, twisted or inaccurate. Another definition is when two people disagree with one another. An example is if I say to Andreas, we have homework for tomorrow and he says we dont. This is distortion in a way. Another example is all kinds of magazines and television shows as they tent not to show all of their footage information. They cut what they dont want people to hear, which helps them things look negative and positive. This is a typical example of distortion as it twists the truth or the reality. Often when you experience something and they write about it the next day in a newspaper, its never the same. You always say to yourself, Thats not exactly what happened. Sometimes the media exaggerate to find a big audience. They do what I like to call, Stretch reality. Its a clear case of distortion because they twist the truth or give an inaccurate point of view. As a conclusion or to answer the question I would like to say that the difference or the distinctions between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion is the amount of facts they are based on. Factual reporting is based on only facts to make a clear image of a theory, event or opinion. Interpretation is based on opinions but no facts. Only the people who made the theory, its only based on things that are going on inside those peoples heads. Distortion is based on facts but mostly told the opposite way or twisted to change the way people think of it. It often tries to make the facts inaccurate.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Object Oriented and Modelling Concepts Car Parking

Object Oriented and Modelling Concepts Car Parking Akila Kanishka Gangodage   At the present time parking is the major requirement of the people. And also there are limited spaces to park vehicles in the city area. Therefore car park systems should have proper management system to control the day to day activities. Peoples time is very valuable their time cant be wasted. People cant spend lot of time in the car park to park their vehicles. Traditional car parking systems are mainly best on human. That kind of systems use human to control activities of the car park, as example collect the money, generate the tickets, check the remaining space etc. But to do all these activities are taken lot of time and it is not efficient process and also this type of systems are no longer applicable for the modern society. Modern systems are using computers and software systems to manage and control the activities of the car park which can be interact by people time to time According to fact which are discuss above, a car park need a proper system that can manage and control all the day to day activities of car park efficiently Generate tickets. System should have generate two type of tickets. For ordinary customer and season customer. Season tickets should be issued to defined individual or company, a ticket need to be included contact number address and each season ticket should be valid for the given time period and issue date and expiry date should be display on the ticket. Ordinary tickets should be issued time period at the car park. Accept tickets. For the ordinary customers, if car park is full, no tickets should be issued. Each and every ordinary customers ticket should have bar code on it. When ordinary customer is leaving the dates or time should be the same, if not the ticket is ejected. For the season ticket holder, a check is made that the season ticket is valid for this car park and has not expired. Season ticket holder should not be recorded as having already entered this car park and not left. When the car park is full, tickets should not be issued from the control pillar. Handle payment. Payment can only be card (Master/Visa/Debt) or cash (50c, 1$, 2$, 5$, 10$, 20$, 50$). For ordinary customer, according the duration of the stay in the car park charge should be calculated and displayed. System should identify the notes and coins which are inserted by customer and the value added to an accumulated amount. When that amount exceed the charge, the ticket should be validated. And also change should be given accordingly. Invalid notes and coins can be identified and returned back to the customer. Control boom gates. The barrier should be raised, after the customer pull the ticket from the control pillar. Car should be detected by the sensor on the other side of the barrier when it has passed then barrier should be lowered. When the customer reach the exit barrier should be detected by a sensor and then the control pillar should allow the customer to check the ticket and after complete the payment the barrier should be raised. If this process consume more than fifteen minutes, the attendant can view the details of the ticket on his computer and should be able to control the barrier Record problem in a log book. If there any fault of equipment or any other aspect of the operational system the maintenance company must be notified straight away. The system should be able to generate static report of all faults. Manage security. The security guard should be able to put his or her card into card reader and arrival date and time should be recorded. Leave time also should be recorded as the same. The system should be able to handle one or more security companies. Hardware resources. Computer Boom gates Ticket scanner Printer Security camera Sensor Software resources. Windows Operating System. Need a user friendly and lightweight operating system for the computers for manage all other software. Browser. Since the developed system is interacted with web the computers require browser in order to use it. Database. System require a central database to store and process all the data. Barcode reader software. By using this software the system can identify each and every barcodes which are on the ticket. Payments handling software. Using this software system can detect and identify the notes and coins get the accumulated amount. Financial resources. The City Administration is fund for the project. Human resource. Most of the activities of the car park is done by the system itself but to be the complete system the car park system need human interaction. So system need to at least 10 peoples to proceed, Five peoples for the IT department. Three developers, one Tech Lead and one Project Manager Three peoples from the client company. Tow from the security company and one from the maintenance company One investor User There are some possible risks that can be happened while this car park system is using. Natural disaster. The significant increase in disasters of a natural and/or technological origin seen today has serious consequences for CI, the population, the environment, and the economy. These consequences have been exacerbated by the development of sociotechnical systems such as transport networks and industrial plants, their interdependencies, and their sensitivity to major hazardous events. (Farid kadri, Babiga birregah Eric chatelet, 2014). Natural disaster like Earth quick, flood, fire, and tornado can be done major impact for the hardware, software and human resources of the system. As an example when Earth quick happened it can be effected for the hardware devices like CTTV camera, boom gates control pillar, computer etc. and also it can be harm people and vehicles in the car park. Hardware failure. Hardware failures are permanent failures that occur over a period of time (Asim kadav, Matthew j renzelmann Michael m swift, 2009). Hardware devices can fail, but many systems assume they do not. When confronted with real devices that misbehave, these assumptions can lead to driver or system failures (Roozbeh bakhshi, Surya kunche Michael pecht, 2013). For an example if a boom gate will not work, cars cant enter the car park. Software failure. Sometime software need to be updated for work with the new technologies Database crash. Valuable data can be lost because of database crash Electricity failure. This kind of systems are mainly depend on electricity. So electricity failure is major risk that this system have to face. Lack of trained employee. Sometime it can be hard to fine trained employee to work with the car parking system. Propose outcome of this project is, that provide the efficient and effective car parking system for the people and avoiding unnecessary time wasting at the car park. And also this car parking system is very simple to control and manage and regulate for the city administration and can get higher business value in the city area. By introducing this new car parking system with new technology can gain lots of benefits for the company. Since parking is becoming a major requirement of people who come to the city for office, busyness, studies, work, shopping and hospital etc. this kind of efficient parking system can get high demand rather than other car parking system. Maintaining the parking system is becoming easier. Because of any fault of equipment can be notified by the system for the Maintenance Company. Another main benefit of car parking system is can operate with low manpower because of most of the activities of car park can be managed by the system itself therefor company can save lot of money Safety and security of drivers and cars are very high because system has security management system itself. Therefor company can earn customers trust and can have regular customer base. Another benefit of this system is system can keep the record easily in database and use them any way company want. Company use record for security purpose, financial purpose and maintain the statistic. Using this kind of car parking system the City Administration can have maximum utilization of space in city area. References Asim kadav, Matthew j renzelmann Michael m swift.(2009). Tolerating Hardware Device Failures in Software. University of Wisconsin-Madison : . Roozbeh bakhshi, Surya kunche Michael pecht.(2013). Intermittent Failures in Hardware and Software. University of Maryland: . Farid kadri, Babiga birregah Eric chatelet. (2014). The Impact of Natural Disasters on Critical Infrastructures: A Domino Effect-based Study. Retrieved 16 March, 2017, from https://doi.org/10.1515/jhsem-2012-0077

Saturday, July 20, 2019

To Fast or Not to Fast? Essay -- Weight Loss Dieting Diet Papers

To Fast or Not to Fast? Introduction "Rapid weight loss", "quick and easy weight loss", "preventative", "therapeutic" and "low cost"; with these guarantees, who would not want to attempt a seemingly unchallenging fasting diet!? According to a report on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) web site, as of 1995, tens of millions of Americans are dieting at any given time, in the process spending more than $33 billion annually on weight-reduction products. Are you playing the weight loss game? Here I will identify weight-loss programs advertised on the internet, discuss their claims to success, highlight specific fallacious claims, and report on findings of both the FDA and various medical studies. What’s on the Web? A collection of "easy" fasting or very low-calorie weight loss plans advertised on the world wide web includes the following: California Dreaming, The Wellness Center of Alaska’s "weight loss on-the-web", Medifast, Optifast, 4 Season Weight Control Center’s "medically supervised weight loss program", Liquid Fasting Diet, All-natural Aspen Spa diet program, and various methods compiled by Fasting Center International. As an example of programs guaranteeing a quick fix to weight problems, I will focus on both the Medifast and Fasting Center International (FCI) methods and claims concerning weight loss. Medifast According to the Shape Up America web site, a supporter of the Medifast product, it is a "physician-supervised very low-calorie diet program of fortified meal replacements providing 450-500 calories per day". (http://www.shapeup.org/sua/publications/hwhl/partax9c.html) The purpose of Medifast is to promote quick and healthy weight loss to its customers by creating a great defic... ... Dulloo, A. G. Human pattern of food intake and fuel-partitioning during weight recovery after starvation: a theory of autoregulation of body composition. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 56: 25-40, 1997. Macdonald, I. A. and J. Webber. Feeding, fasting and starvation: factors affecting fuel utilization. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 54: 267-274, 1995. Masoro, Edward J. McCay’s hypothesis: undernutrition and longevity. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 54: 657-664, 1995. Schwartz, Michael W. and Randy J. Seeley. Neuroendocrine responses to starvation and weight loss. The New England Journal of Medicine. 336(25): 1802-1811, 1997. Schwartz, Michael W., Dallman, Mary F., and Stephen C. Woods. Hypothalamic response to starvation: implications for the study of wasting disorders. American Journal of Physiology. 269: R949-57, 1995.

Division of Labor Essay -- essays research papers

Marx's View of the Division of Labor The Division of Labor is a subject which has fascinated social scientists for millennia. Before the advent of modern times, philosophers and theologians concerned themselves with the implications of the idea. Plato saw as the ultimate form of society a community in which social functions would be rigidly separated and maintained; society would be divided into definite functional groups: warriors, artisans, unskilled laborers, rulers. St. Paul, in his first letter to the church at Corinth, went so far as to describe the universal Church in terms of a body: there are hands, feet, eyes, and all are under the head, Christ. Anyone who intends to deal seriously with the study of society must grapple with the question of the division of labor. Karl Marx was no exception. Marx was more than a mere economist. He was a social scientist in the full meaning of the phrase. The heart of his system was based on the idea of human production. Mankind, Marx asserted, is a totally autonomous species - being, and as such man is the sole creator of the world in which he finds himself. A man cannot be defined apart from his labor: "As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce."1 The very fact that man rationally organizes production is what distinguishes him from the animal kingdom, according to Marx. The concept of production was a kind of intellectual "Archimedean point" for Marx. Every sphere of human life must be interpreted in terms of this single idea: "Religion, family, state, law, science, art, etc., are only particular modes of production, and fall under its general law."2 Given this total reliance on the concept of human labor, it is quite understandable why the division of labor played such an important role in the overall Marxian framework. Property vs. Labor Marx had a vision of a perfect human society. In this sense, Martin Buber was absolutely correct in including a chapter on Marx in his Paths in Utopia. Marx believed in the existence of a society which preceded recorded human history. In this world, men experienced no sense of alienation because there was no alienated production. Somehow (and here Marx was never very clear) men fell into patterns of alienated production, and fr... ...of Revolution (Nutley, New Jersey: Craig Press, 1968), p. 112. 7 German Ideology, pp. 44-45. 8 Critique of the Gotha Program (1875), in Marx-Engels Selected Works, II, p. 24. This is one of the few places in which Marx presented some picture of the post-Revolutionary world. 9 Ibid. 10 Ludwig Yon Mises, Socialism (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, [1922] 1951), p. 164. 11 Maurice Cornforth, Marxism and the Linguistic Philosophy (New York: International Publishers, 1965), p. 327. 12 German Ideology, p. 84. 13 Murray N. Rothbard, "Left and Right: The Prospects for Liberty," Left and Right, 1 (1965), p. 8. 14 "On the Jewish Question," (1843-44), in T. B. Bottomore, Karl Marx: Early Writings (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964), pp. 34-40. 15 G. D. H. Cole, The Meaning of Marxism (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, [1948] 1964), p. 249. 16 Leon Trotsky, The Revolution Betrayed (1936), quoted by F. A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom (University of Chicago Press, 1944), p. 119. 17 Mises, Socialism, pp. 60-62. Reprinted with permission from The Freeman, a publication of The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc., January 1969, Vol. 19, No. 1.

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Wolf :: essays research papers

The Wolf Destiny, perhaps from the very beginning, claimed the wolf as a symbol. Has any other animal stirred human passions the way the wolf has? Its haunting howl, its incredible stamina, its brilliant eyes, and its superiority as a predator all have been reviled as nefarious, and even demonic, traits. Ironically, these same characteristics have also been revered as belonging to a majestic, and sometimes spiritual, creature - a symbol of the magnificent, untamed wilderness. In truth, the wolf is neither evil nor exceptionally good - neither demon nor god. Wolves are simply predators. Their role as a predator must not be reduced, however, to that of savage killer. Wolves, like humans, need to eat to survive. In this process, wolves also provide a service: they help preserve nature's delicate balance by keeping herds of deer, elk, moose, and other large mammals in check, as well as keeping these populations strong and genetically viable by preying on the weak and sick. Both the idealized wolf and the demonic wolf are creations of the human mind. It is not easy to transcend the image of the Big Bad Wolf that has filled our myths and legends, but if we know only this wolf we do not truly know the wolf at all. And what we do not know, we fear. Our fear is perhaps the greatest threat to the survival of the wolf, for it causes us to react rather than act, to repel rather than respect. But this fear and hatred did not always separate man and beast Man the hunter once looked on the wolf the hunter with admiration. Man and wolf both used their keen intelligence to overcome the disadvantages they faced in their day-to-day existence. Survival for both was enhanced by hunting and living in groups or packs. And, at one time, the chance of survival for each was also increased by following, learning from, and adapting the skills of the other to its own advantage. As long as man's daily living was earned primarily as a hunter, he knew a respect for wolves, and coexistence was relatively peaceful. Eventually, man and wolf took up together in a process of domestication that brought a different meaning to their coexistence. Even while those early ancestors of man's best friend enjoyed this new relationship, the wolves that did not come in from the cold were beginning to be cast in a different and less favorable light, for the dog was not the only animal toward whom man turned his attention in the early days of animal husbandry.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

CEO of Ventura Electronics Essay

Financial statement analysis is done by every successful corporation, as your team at Ventura Electronics very well knows. â€Å"Comparisons within a company are often useful to detect changes in financial relationships and significant trends† (Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 653). Financial statement analysis is done by horizontal analysis, vertical analysis, and ratio analysis. â€Å"Horizontal analysis, also known as trend analysis, is a technique for evaluating a series of financial statement data over a period of time (Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 54). If Ventura Electronics is interested in determining any increase or decrease in, for example, net sales (as an amount or percentage) than horizontal analysis are appropriate. Vertical analysis analyzes more specific data on the financial statement. â€Å"Vertical analysis, also called common-size analysis, is a technique for evaluating financial statement data that expresses each item in a financial statement as a percen t of a base amount†(Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 656). Ventura Electronics can not only analyze the relative size of each category on the financial statement, but can also see the percentage change in the individual asset, liability, and stockholders’ equity. Ventura Electronic can also use this analysis when comparing its financial statements to the competition. The last tool commonly used for financial statement analysis is ratio analysis. These ratios are useful in evaluating the financial health and performance of a company. In ratio analysis we use three different ratios; liquidity ratios, solvency ratios, and profitability ratios. Liquidity ratios are important because it evaluates the short-term ability of a business to pay their obligations as well as meet their unexpected cash flow needs. When Ventura Electronics wants to measure the ability of the company to survive over a long period of time then solvency ratios are appropriate. Profitability ratios evaluate the income of the business or their operating success over a given period of time. Ventura Electronics would find this ratio very important in analyzing the company’s income and to evaluate the ability for the business to obtain debt and equity financing, its liquidity position, and its ability to grow. As CEO, this ratio would be useful when determining the managements operating effectiveness. It is very important for Ventura Electronics to provide â€Å"full and transparent information that will not confuse or mislead users of the financial statements† (Kimmel, Weygandt, and Keiso p. 61) this is called quality of earnings. When Ventura Electronics performs a financial statement analysis to evaluate the financial performance of the company using the methods above, it is important to maintain a high quality of earnings. Factors that affect quality of earnings are; alternative accounting methods, pro forma income, improper recognition, and price-earnings ratio. Though financial statement analysis is important for Ventura Electronics, it also has its limitations  The limitation of financial statement analysis occurs with ratio analysis. Though this analysis is very useful to the company in analyzing internal factors, Ventura Electronics cannot compare ratios to their competitors accurately. Differences in accounting methods limit ratio analysis in comparing companies. As the CEO you understand the importance of knowing where the company stands as compared to its competitors. Ratio analysis also limits Ventura Electronics to analyze the definite future of the organization. They do not account for industry trends, technological changes, changes in consumer tastes, changes in broad economic factors, and changes within the firm itself. Though ratio analysis has its limitations; horizontal and vertical analysis makes up for these limitations. So as you can see, if the methods for financial statement analysis listed above are used, Ventura Electronics can receive a great knowledge and insight into how successful the company is and could be and make proper decisions based off these evaluations.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Living in Sin Essay

In Adrienne Richs song, Living in Sin a cleaning lady is looking back on her kinship. The title tells me, although unconventional, in the 1950s the gibe was living together unmarried. The first demar wanderion She had thought the studio would throttle itself, th consumes how she evaluate her birth to be. The woman make uply had an image, non a realistic one, of the perfect relationship. more(prenominal) men and women fall into this trap (I certainly did with my own failed marriage). It is clear the woman is non happy and does non want to do the daily up keep of the home.She no longer get laids the man and dreams of an escape from the flavor in which she is in. This numbers is free poesy with no rhythm or rime scheme. Its meter consists of most births having ten syllables. The verse uses metaphors finished bring out to describe the relationship. The relationship was set forth through the talking to studio, furniture, and grime. The metaphors help in creating the tone for this rime which is one of tribulation and despair. Adrienne Rich use of these metaphors and meter is a nonher(prenominal) way to describe the relationship.In line two, no dust upon the furniture of love, truly sells the nous that she believed the relationship would not need each work to keep it happy. There is no dust to low-cal in the perfect fairy bilgewater relationship. The poem enters the present with line iii as the woman begins to describe problems with the rip-roaring pipes and grime on the windows. Again the pipes and windows be metaphors for the condition of the relationship. The poem goes on to describe the inside of a home A plate of pears, a piano with a Persian shawl immediately leads into the image of a perfect home.No different than when anyone enters a home for the first time and the interior design gives the natural depression of perfection. We have all been to passels homes and the interior decoration always gave an impression of the soli darity within the home. Of course no home is as perfect as the decor leads you to believe, no different here. The first character reference of the man enters within the line a cat stalking the personationsque comical mouse had risen at his urging. That cat rises to perhaps receive some warmness from the man, this shows that the man is not ithout love or affection. The next few lines a milkman appears. A personification is used in describing the grueling from the stairs Writhe. Im sure many who have read this poem ar thinking the woman is either having an affair or fanaticizing some an affair nevertheless I turn int tonus that is the case. There is no other reference to suggest this. In fact, at the time the milkman arrives, the man is clearly home, it is 5 A. M. I believe the thinking(a) of the milkman arriving under the milkmans bum woke the woman and reminded her of the day ahead.The words writhe and tramp are descriptions of sounds organism made eon the milk is bein g delivered. The man is shown for his unbent likeness spell playing the piano. The picture perfect image of the piano is out of pedigree, another metaphor reflecting their relationship. He yawns ( seting boredom) while he plays the few notes clearly shows a man who only puts in nominal effort into the relationship. If the piano represents their relationship hence the few notes represents his effort. He shrugged at the mirror tells us he did not assist the relationship was out of tune and left.I also was wondering how many measure had he played the out of tune piano before? Had he anticipate it to be repaired this time around? That idea left me with the impression that the man, who was self-absorbed, was aware the relationship was out of tune but judge the woman to learn it. The man was declaring any problem with the relationship not his fault. The poem does a good job of occupation the difference of how the man and woman feel about the relationship. mend she, jeered by t he minuscule demons the man just shrugs it off. He leaves and she starts works on her daily chores.The sharp contrast of dusty table top in candor and no dust upon the furniture of love in imagine is clear contrast as well. The womans feelings are further supported by and let the deep brown pot roll over. Her disdain for maintaining the home clear be interpreted with letting the coffee pot boil over. Furthermore the words boil over also represent her feeling regarding the relationship. The spilt coffee also represents a never ending routine where she cleans up one mess and another appears. It is a life she is actually unhappy with.The ratiocination lines of the poem reflect back to her being in the fantasy again, forgetting the daily routine. She is not nearly in love as before not so completely as it appears each day takes more and more out of her. Her nights were also not peaceful as she woke dreading the routine of the very next day. Adrienne Richs poem shows the misery of a woman through the images created within the writing. The images of fantasy and honesty are a sharp contrast. She tries to maintain the fantasy with the decor of the home when in reality she is not happy at all.She realizes that her relationship will not have a song and dance ending. The real sin is not living together unmarried but staying together in a loveless relationship. I can relate to this poem on a personal level. I believed my marriage was forever, certainly a fairytale thought. In reality we were not as happy as the images we created through our home. This poem struck me, as it is probably how my ex-wife matt-up for years while I unattended the signs. This poem portrays a sad reality in many womens lives. While the man just expects the problem to fix itself.