Friday, May 31, 2019

Immigration Essay -- Illegal Immigrants Essays

ImmigrationDebate over immigration and immigration policy is not new to the nations history. For a long time, Congress debated lawmaking to control the immigration problem. As immigration rises and hatred grows more laws will be carried out trying to release some of the pressure. Immigrants offer cheaper labor to businesses. Immigrants do not get minimum wage, but instead they get paid lower, this gives the business an edge over other competitors. Agriculture industries employ more unregistered workers than any other industry in the country because it cost less. Half of Californias 700,000 farm workers are estimated to be undocumented. Thirty years ago 50 percent of farm workers in California were immigrants, and now its 92 percent. Agriculture is not the only industry that has under paid immigrants. Published by the Chronicle, a list of businesses fined by the INS in San Francisco includes a car rental company, construction firms, restaurants, clubs, a trucker, a travel agency an d even a Protestant church. everywhere today, you see immigrant workers cleaning rooms in hotels, mowing lawns in the suburbs, pumping gas in service stations, doing all sorts of temporary jobs. These business groups have a lot of pursuance in immigrants. The immigrant workers provide cheaper labor which cuts costs and get industries ahead in competition. Richard Rogers, district director of the INS in Los Angeles, was quoted as saying If we were to increase fines 75 to 80 p...

Thursday, May 30, 2019

The Paradox Of Community Essay -- essays research papers

The Paradox of CommunityOne can see that insiders are caught in the paradox of community Thesame cultural vocabulary that undermines community is simultaneously thatcommunitys idiom of self-affirmation (Greenhouse, et al. 175). In Law andCommunity, David M. Engel explores how ordinary people in a small, rural,Illinois townsfolk perceive the law, courts, litigants, and community. By analyzingthe legal pr puzzle outices and relations in smoother County, it is evident that law andthe courts play a central role in the processes of making and unmakingcommunities. Furthermore, this get word illustrates how such manifestations,reflections of the insiders ideology, fail to live up to the promises for law in our society.In the 1970s, Sander County was undergoing great social and economicchanges. Agriculture, a central part of livelihood for most residents, became moremechanized and a few large manufacturing plants opened, bringing in quite anumber of a certain element Sander County had n ever had before (29). Long-time residents, worried about change, express what they believe to be the newrole of laws and the courts in the local and national society (1).though personal injury litigation rates are lower in Sander County thanother major types of litigation, a norm of aversion towards this legal converseis evident throughout the majority of the community. Those who enforce personalinjury claims are viewed by fellow residents as greedy, selfish, and quick tosue. Litigation is portrayed as enervating the collective values personified inthe law as a means of turning the law against the community to make an easybuck (144). Even super respected members of the community are criticized formaking personal injury claims. For example, a minister filed a suit afterslipping and falling at a school. A local observer commented by saying thereare a lot of people who are resentful for it, because...he chose to sue (28).The long-time residents of Sander County were experiencing a pr evalent sense ofa collapse in the conventional dependencies and exchanges that had typified lifein Sander County. Understandings of personal injury claims are largely shapedby these societal transformations as the local populace encounters them and alsoby the notion that traditional relati... ...ty (Carter 11).The irony lies in the fact that the power of the insiders as a altogether disempowersthe individual, whether the individual is an insider or an outsider. Everymember of Sander County is rather powerless before the law the efforts to keepthe town safe from change paradoxically caused a lack of trust in the legalprocess. This lack of trust contributes to the chaos of community that alreadyexisted in Sander County.Law is a language by which we constantly reconstruct our communities(Carter viii). Instead of constructing community through just legal discourse,Sander County destructed what it had left of a community in a desperate act ofwarding of that which it did not understand (or did not want to understand).Law in practice, in Sander County, does not produce justice it producesinequality. This prevalent inequality, or difference, is a justification oflitigation by insiders in defense of their community (Greenhouse, et al. 175).They fail to see that their myth of community is challenging community.Disempowerment and inequality will not generate trust. Furthermore, of what use,or longevity, is a community without trust?

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

The Importance of Volunteering: College Students Should Do Community S

Nowadays, it is very difficult to get a job without a College Diploma. Our ever-increasing demands on students donnish performances have insured well-educated adults, but what we have failed to focus on is the vital component of profferism as an integral part of rearing well-rounded adults. College students should be required to complete a year of community service/volunteer work before they quarter graduate, in order to create mature and affectionateness adults and versatile future leaders. By mandating all College students across the United States of America to add another year to their studies and use this year for community service/volunteer work only, we will be able to increase their knowledge of community need, civic responsibility, and allow them the opportunity to gain experience and skills applicable to their future.The recent spherical financial downturn has greatly increased the dire need for volunteers throughout all levels of society. Also, this recession unmasked the reality of not only our current social economic environment, but also revealed the importance of continuing to educate all members of our society as to the importance of community outreach through volunteerism many of these grass-roots, non-for-profit organizations suffered a detrimental mire to their budgets with the vast reduction of corporate contributions to offset their daily operational cost. These organizations not only rely on economic support, but they heavily depend and deliberate on the continual hands on involvement of their volunteers. In addition to the vast reduction of financial resources, these organizations had drastic cuts in services, community outreach and employment opportunities, which had a severe and direct impact on our society. It is for t... ...eeded transfer and graduating hours all while volunteering and giving back to the community. If you love kids and argon great at arts and crafts, you can visit childrens hospitals and lead art activities with pediatric patients (Volunteering). As you can now see, volunteering is not limited into only one form there are many options when it comes to volunteering. Some may argue that graduating college students have learned all they need to in years of schooling, which is untrue. Although college students have typically undergone sixteen years of academic schooling, not all have had sixteen years of life lessons and character growth. Volunteering is not only beneficial to the community or organization, but also to the mortal partaking in the activity. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change peoples lives, including your own (Volunteering).

Adaptive Thresholding :: essays research papers

SummaryWe have to develop an adaptive thresholding system for greyscale find out binarisation. The simplest way to use image binarisation is to choose a threshold value, and assort all pixels with values above this threshold value as white and all other pixels as black. Thresholding essentially involves turning a colour or greyscale image into a 1-bit binary image. If, say, the left half of an image had a lower brightness range than the right half, we have use of Adaptive Thresholding. spherical thresholding uses a fixed threshold for all pixels in the image and therefore works only if the intensity histogram of the input image contains distinct peaks corresponding to the craved subject and background. Hence, it cannot deal with images containing, for example, a strong illumination gradient. Local adaptive thresholding, on the other hand, selects an man-to-man threshold for each pixel based on the range of intensity values in its local neighbourhood. This allows for thresholdin g of an image whose global intensity histogram doesnt contain distinctive peaks. The assumption behind method is that smaller image regions are more likely to have approximately uniform illumination, thus being more suitable for thresholding. Firstly, we develop a method based on the local row average to binarise the current line using that threshold. We then extend this technique to a moving window of different sizes.MethodFor the first-class honours degree part of the assignment, we develop a method based on the local row average to binarise the current line using that threshold. We consider each individual row at a time calculate the average brightness value for that row based on the brightness values of all the pixels in that row. We then use this average value to binarise that row. We then proceed to the next row and so on. In this way we binarise the whole image.For the second part of the assignment, we make a window of user defined size around the sharpen pixel under consi deration, calculate the average value for all the pixels in this window and then binarise that centre pixel using this average value as the threshold value. We continue this procedure till we binarise the whole image. For the pixels towards the edges of the image, we check for the number of pixels anterior the centre pixel. If this number is less than half the window size, we modify our code accordingly to take care so that we calculate the average value for that centre pixel.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

emmitt smith :: essays research papers

Emmitt metalworker & His Annual Rushing YardsEmmit metalworker announced his retirement February 3, 2005. It was a very emotional moment for Smith, who has played running hind end in the NFL for fifteen years (thirteen of those years for the D solelyas Cowboys). As Smith announced his retirement tears began to flow down his face stating Its been a ugly ride. Over his career in the NFL, Smith has racked up many impressive statistics and awards. Smith has played on three Super Bowl championship teams (including an most valuable player award in 1993). Smith is currently the NFLs all time leading rusher with 18,355 yards.For my derivative project I chose to graph Emmitt Smiths yearbook haste yard total. Emmitt was drafted out of University Florida in 1990 and began his career as an NFL Great. As you can see on the graph, Smith began his career slowly, amassing only 937 rushing yards his lad year. However, his second year Smith improved to 1563 rushing yards. In his third season, S mith again improved to 1713 rushing yards. The decrease in production Smiths fourth and fifth year (1486 and 1494 respectively) in the NFL can be partially credited to the fact Smith did not compete in all cardinalteen regular season games due to injuries. Smith redeemed himself the following year with a career high 1773 rushing yards. Over the next six years Smiths age slowly caught up to him as he ranged from 1021 to 1397 yards. Finally, after his thirteenth year as a Dallas Cowboy, Smith was traded to the genus Arizona Cardinals. In his first year with the Arizona Cardinals (2003), Smith was injured and played as a backup for the majority of the year. This is illustrated through his career low 256 rushing yards. However, in Smiths final year in the NFL, he rushed for 937 rushing yards, bouncing back from a disappointing year. Strangely, Smith cease his last season with the same rushing total as his rookie season. I plotted these points in a graph in an excel written document an d created a line of best fit. This line was a cubic equation (f(x) = 1.4228x3 - 8533.3x2 + 2E+07x - 1E+10). To calculate the first derivative, I found the average rate of change of Emmitt Smiths annual rushing yards from the two years surrounding the year I was deriving. Smiths yards per year had an increasing slope in the years 1990, 91, 94, 97, 98, and 2004.

emmitt smith :: essays research papers

Emmitt metalworker & His Annual Rushing YardsEmmit metalworker announced his seclusion February 3, 2005. It was a very emotional moment for Smith, who has played running back in the NFL for fifteen social classs (thirteen of those years for the Dallas Cowboys). As Smith announced his retirement tears began to flow down his face stating Its been a tremendous ride. Over his career in the NFL, Smith has racked up many impressive statistics and awards. Smith has played on three Super Bowl championship teams (including an MVP award in 1993). Smith is currently the NFLs all time conduct rusher with 18,355 yards.For my derivative project I chose to graph Emmitt Smiths annual rushing yard total. Emmitt was drafted out of University Florida in 1990 and began his career as an NFL Great. As you clear see on the graph, Smith began his career slowly, amassing only 937 rushing yards his rookie year. However, his second year Smith improved to 1563 rushing yards. In his third season, Smith aga in improved to 1713 rushing yards. The decrease in production Smiths fourth and fifth year (1486 and 1494 respectively) in the NFL can be part credited to the fact Smith did not compete in all sixteen regular season games due to injuries. Smith redeemed himself the following year with a career high 1773 rushing yards. Over the next six years Smiths age slowly caught up to him as he ranged from 1021 to 1397 yards. Finally, after his thirteenth year as a Dallas Cowboy, Smith was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. In his first year with the Arizona Cardinals (2003), Smith was injured and played as a backup for the majority of the year. This is illustrated through his career low 256 rushing yards. However, in Smiths final year in the NFL, he step on it for 937 rushing yards, bouncing back from a disappointing year. Strangely, Smith ended his last season with the same rushing total as his rookie season. I plotted these points in a graph in an excel document and created a line of best fit . This line was a cubic equation (f(x) = 1.4228x3 - 8533.3x2 + 2E+07x - 1E+10). To point the first derivative, I found the average rate of change of Emmitt Smiths annual rushing yards from the two years surrounding the year I was deriving. Smiths yards per year had an increasing slope in the years 1990, 91, 94, 97, 98, and 2004.

Monday, May 27, 2019

Case Study of Architect Laurence Loh

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISMBehind every good designer lies beds upon beds of diddle idea, critical thought and determination devising in which determines his architectural sentiments and determinations that said is axiomatic, moreover one plenty shoot the breeze over and be intrigued by the fantasys of what lies beyond those beds of ideas, the concluding back end ground. In other words, do we non all experience both internal and external influences in our lives that cast and determine our worldview which in congregation influences the manner we wish to deal with the universe? That I think could be said for anyone, including designers and how lifes experiences determine their do of architecture. The Hagiographas in this essay mantled to neither self-praise nor knock about an designer and their edifices, but instead to speculate or propose certain thoughts about an architects qualification of architecture. More specifically, what is analyzed and discussed in the es say ar what are termed internal and external influences on an designers design, that is the ego of the designer which includes the architects childhood, instruction and operative experiences, and other external lending factors such as clime, theoretical discourses of architecture, clients, political relations, etc. Through the survey and review of these factors could we undercover or detect an unsaid in subject, form or impression in the architects creative activity of architecture.The designer to be dissectd in this essay is the well-respected Ar Laurence Loh. innate(p) in Penang in the 1950s, Ar Laurence is known worldwide of one of the taking innovators in architectural preservation and redemptive of heritage. Graduate of the similarly world-famous Architectural friendship in London, Ar Laurence is most celebrated for the Restoration of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Penang. A member of assorted societies and public capacities for architectural heritage and preservation, A r Laurence besides presently runs a pattern in Penang registered as LLA Arkitek Sdn Bhd which engages in both preservation and modern-day final causets. The undertaking to be discussed here is the modern reference to the historical Penang cumulation Lower Station at Air Itam.Ar Laurence was engaged to plan an extension to the historical colonial edifice of the lower train home which serves as the chief entry point to the popular and historically of import countries of Penang Hill, which was established as a colonial hill station by the British decennaries ago. What resulted was a modern construction of steel and cloth which replaced the old frontage of doric columns and arches. The two images below show the drastic alteration in fibre and sense of topographic point before and after the modern extension was finished.Before the construct of this essay, a thorough and full probe into the internal factors of the ego, as described in the paragraphs before, was already carried out i n the classs of Ar Laurences childhood, instruction and working experience. Therefore, the chief purpose of the subdivision here is to research, describe and analyse the 2nd half of influences that is the external factors on an architects making of architecture. Three separate factors were selected, viz. the reinforced signifier of the undertaking, the influence of clime on the design and eventually guess on architectural theory that could hold informed the development of the extension.Built signifier, in the definition of this analysis, includes all bing edifices, new and old, that shadower be found on site at the minute. Therefore, as we can throw in the analysis diagrams, it is cardinal to indicate out that the historical constructions of colonial architecture were really much preserved in their original province stuffs, placement of structural elements like columns, programme of unfathomables, etc. all exposemed to hold been well-kept absolutely in topographic point and no via media was given in aftermath of the building of the extension. Rather, it could be asserted that the extension was designed to concentrate on continuity of infinites, adding on extra room to infinites that earlier existed in the station, and to besides add on new programmatic and experiential infinites to rejuvenate the energy of the lower station, maybe to pull a greater figure of tourer and visitants to sleep with to Penang Hill.This could be seen in the infinites that were extended and the infinites that were introduced to the site. For illustration, the old ticketing counter and waiting room was given a much larger infinite under the shadiness of the new steel construction, likely to suit a greater sum of people that were anticipated to see the site. Besides, being the cardinal experiential infinite that drives the new energy of the station is the recreational country with the big volume of infinite as created by the eye- transporting retractable canopy roof. The ample sh adiness provided by the canopy and monumental sense of graduated table generated when standing under the roof construction helps to kick in forth that new attraction that hook shots people to the site, a new character that didnt exist before on site, in blunt contrast to the unshackled infinite typology of the old frontage of the lower station. Materiality in the modern extension besides plays a important portion in the coevals of regenerate involvement in the site. The combination of steel and cloth in its construction and materiality greatly contrasts with the brick and concrete frame construction of the original lower station, making an inherit attention-grabbing factor.Traveling on, we now turn our attending towards the clime factor, and how it has affected the design of the extension. As mentioned before, the original construction consisted of a big unfastened infinite or garnering country in the Centre that was unfastened to and exposed to the elements. It is normally known to all that Malaysia is a tropical clime with many yearss of sun image and sometimes it could acquire highly hot and the heat could go intolerable. The big canopy roof construction added provides that much needed shadiness from the scorching beams of the lie and besides from bad conditions. However, other than that, the design doesnt seems to hold much more consideration towards clime, due to the glowering fact as exposed in the analysis diagrams of a deficiency of good cross airing in the side. Though there is proviso for hot air to get away through the stack airing consequence, there isnt good cross airing through the edifice, due to a deficiency of gaps on both windward and lee side faces. The modern extension does nil to work out this issue it doesnt let for new gaps, nor does it build architectural elements like air current walls to catch predominating zephyrs into the infinite. Predominating air currents from the nor-easthold a much more difficult clip acquiring into the infinite, obstructed by solid concrete walls with really small gaps for infixed airing.Third, in the concluding factor of the three external influences, the architectural theory will be discussed. It mentions about three different architectural discourses, viz. retinal architecture, the acquisitions from Las Vegas, and capitalist economy in architecture. As implied in the context of the reinforced signifier influence, the architecture of the modern extension has a certain capitalist lifetime to it, in that it generates a new energy of topographic point to pull the attending of people to the old site of Penang Hill, conveying in concern and an scotch encouragement to the topographic point. At first glimpse, it could be said that the clients have the say in the determination devising of the design phase, and as Michael Sorkin mentioned so truthfully, designers are typically bound to the caprices of their clients. Is this so in Ar Laurences instance? If one looked at the instance f rom the surface, it would be a sensible decision to come to.So far, we have explored some external factors that could hold affected the design of the extension to the lower station of Penang Hill. Some of these logical thinkings may hold implied the impression that Ar Laurence may hold sold out to capital greed and instead than continue his ain rules of keeping a scruples in architecture, he was to yield to the demands of the client over keeping a quality of architecture that matches his criterions. Others point in the opposite way, demoing the quality of Ar Laurence and what he is known for, that is the saving of heritage, seen in how the extension does non overpower and steep the historical colonial edifice, but to a good grade built in harmoniousness with the site and its milieus. much(prenominal) contradictions exist in the same design, but could it be that these contradictions were made consciously? As he has mentioned before, Ar Laurence does non sell out for the interest of money in his architecture, for he does non see architecture as a agency of going rich. However, if such is true, so why would he hold to planing a modern extension at a historical topographic point that is non merely so out of context for the site, but which is designed with a commercial oculus to it, that is to plan something brassy in order to pull more concern? Why non make what he does best and continue the original historical construction or reconstruct it to its former glorification alternatively of simply keeping its physical signifier for the interest of sentimentalism? What does it intend to purposefully belie oneself, and what how does it play out in the populace oculus? What could be the effects of that, particularly since Ar Laurence is an established and respected public figure?Covering with the populace is something Laurence has ever had a abnormal manner of covering with. As with some of his other preservation undertakings, he has mentioned that he conserves non to s imply protect the memory of the topographic point and of its explanation, but in saving comes moving ridges of alteration. Now, he defines waves of change as alteration in idea, alteration in sentiment, alteration in the heads of people in how they grok and value their heritage and traditional values. Here once more we see the contradiction that so glaringly purports to inform the design of the extension to the lower station. How can preservation lead to alter? It could be interpreted that Laurence utilizes the modern extension as an attractive force of the ocular sense to capture attending and draw people to the infinite, due to the suppressing oculus playing the hegemonic function in architectural pattern above all other senses. The extension contrasts and stands out in the originally historical and natural context, emulating the symbolism and decorated caducous consequence as talked about in Venturis Learning from Las Vegas. This could reply for the logical thinking behind the commerciality of the infinite. Its non that Laurence got muscled out by the client or fell to his ain greed for money, it is that he utilized looking contradictory patterns to acquire people to see the infinite. This leads us to our following point, in that the topographic point that Ar Laurence is seeking to take people to is one that is strongly related to the spirit of topographic point, the history of Penang.Possibly, in my sentiment, continuing the original construction in the aftermath of a modern extension leaves a wonder in people, it creates an internal duologue from which inquiries of chew overing are born, invariably inquiring what made the historical construction such an of import consideration to hold been preserved? This relates back to Ar Laurences line of saving for alteration, in that the creative activity of duologue in the public kingdom brings more attending towards architectural heritage. But in our modern xxiv hours and age, that is a difficult thing to accom plish. Ar Laurences solution? Insurgent methods of utilizing brassy architecture to convey focal point to the history and values of topographic point.In the terminal, it is theorized that Ar Laurence, through apparently contradictory and insurgent methods, purposes to bring forth a public sentiment on his attractive and out of context modern extension of the colonial edifices found at the lower station of Penang Hill, in order to convey attending towards the historical values of topographic point. In the terminal nevertheless, what matters is that the extension acts as a supercial method of pulling people to the topographic point the original edifice is still to the full experience one time the users go past the forepart frontage and initial infinites, pulling more people to see history and their heritage.Reference listArkitek LLA. ( 2008 ) .LLA. 1sterectile dysfunction. Malaya Arkitek LLA Sdn Bhd.ARKITEK LLA. ( 2010 ) . Penang Hill Lower Station Modern Extension. Retrieved 15 Jun e 2014, from hypertext transfer protocol //www.lla.com.my/Davies, C. ( 2011 ) . Thinking About Architecture An debut to architectural theory. City Road, London Laurence King feelingHong Kong University. ( 2011 ) .Curriculum Vitae Laurence Loh Kwong Yu.Retrieved 23 May 2014, from hypertext transfer protocol //acp.arch.hku.hk/people/Laurence % 20CV.htmPallasma, J. ( 2005 ) .Eyess of the Skin.Ontario, Canada John Wiley & A Sons.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Building New Brands on the Internet

Consumers atomic number 18 the main source of revenues and profits of many businesses. Companies always depict to ensure that their consumers eudaimonia are noned and considered in their decision making. Companies strategize their marketing campaign based on what their target market needs. They try to create a comprise and temper for themselves that would be hunch overd by each their consumers and keep them coming back. Companies do this by doing common forms of marketing scheme which well-planned. Some of these marketing strategies are those that community see every(prenominal)day, exclusively around, in different forms.These goat be advertisements in billboards, radio, television, newspapers, flyers, etc. But as technology continues to present new means of communication, these forms have got now evolved and now include media such(prenominal) as mobile ph adepts and the internet. stigmatisation Defined What most companies want is for their key outs or sends to be po pular and well- cognize. close entrepreneurs and union executives consider deformitying top priority in their to-do list. Some mountain think that brand is just merely a name or a logo that represents the company or the merchandise.In its truest essence, branding is, in fact, to a grander extent than that. Dunn defines branding as a demanding, complex process that requires disciplined worry over an extended period of time. For company heads who are serious in making a lasting impression and a great paradigm for their company or product, branding is a major part of their everyday responsibilities. Dunn explains more Branding is owning a single idea, concept or feeling in the intelligence or heart of the customer. Somemultiplication its just a word. A phrase. A thought. An emotion. Whatever it is, you want to own it in the mind of the customer.A brand helps recognize you from the competition. It makes your product, service or experience different from all others. It lets yo u stand out from the crowd. Without differentiation, you might end up competing only on price. And with price, there seems to be no bottom to the bottom. Markets today are extremely competitive and getting ahead of competitors and winning the hearts of customers are rightfully essential for any company. Customers now are also a lot wiser and smarter than before. They know what they want and they make sure that what they patronize is up to their set standards.Branding, indeed, is a lifelong perspiration as unremitting improvement is necessary in order to keep up with the current demands of customers. What people want today whitethorn not be the same tomorrow. Advantages and Disadvantages of Branding Every companys goals are to be ahead in the industry it belongs, be known to its target market and be profitable. An important ingredient in achieving these goals is to create a brand that go out make a lasting impression to the companys target market and make customers do it it. E ffective branding requires a lot of time, effort and creative minds.Geoffrey Randall enumerated the following that brands thunder mug benefit the customers Identity the brand must identify itself clearly and unambiguously, so name, legal protection and design elements are important. Shorthand summary the identity should act as a summary of all the information the consumer holds about the brand. auspices buying a familiar brand should be reassuring. The brand should guarantee to provide the benefits expected. Differentiation the brand must clearly differentiate itself from its competitors, and show buyers how it is odd. Added cherish the brand must offer more than the generic product.These are just the five major things, noneffervescent there are even more that brands can do to customers. Customers patronize brands for several reasons such as trust, instinct, perceived quality, knowledge and image. Customers like to try new brands but once they already found one that is a perfect fit for their taste, it is highly likely that they result stick to that brand for a certain period of time. It may not be forever, though, that they will just go with one brand, unless the brand keeps on reinventing itself and always stays up to date with the current market demands.Thus, it is important for marketing people or brand managers to always be updated with the latest trend and be knowledgeable on what customers want. Nowadays, any industry, any market is so dynamic that changes happen every now and then. Being always in the loop on all market updates is imperative for all company owners and executives. Branding, indeed, has a lot of good benefits to the customers. However, with all the upside comes the downside of branding such as cost, time and difficulty in reinventing the brand.For a company to establish a brand, a lot of money is required. From search and development, application, testing, up to finally marketing the brand, a huge investment is definitely needed to ensure everything works out smoothly. There are also times when brands tend to already have a fixed image which makes it difficult for companies to deviate a little (i. e. adding another product of different kind) and still have customers trust in the brand. Reinvention is one factor to keep the popularity of the brand and make consumers love it as time goes by.However, when people already got so used to what the brand has to offer, it may be difficult to extend the brand which might create a new image for it. Time is yet another huge investment required in coming up with a brand and marketing it. Coming up with a good brand and make people love it does not happen overnight. These things, though, can all be worth it anyway when there is a solid plan on the table and an effective group working on it. Types of Branding There are different types of branding strategies that are adopted by different companies depending on how they want to be known by the market.Among these br anding types are the following Unique Branding A unique branding strategy allows a company to dominate a product area by retraceing a successful brand that stands for just one thing. Such a brand can often become synonymic with the product. A good example of this branding strategy is Procter & Gamble. This giant company manufactures a wide range of products. Each of those products has its own brand name such as Ariel, Pantene, Pringles, Pampers, Head and Shoulders, and a lot more. These brand names have been popular and have already been associated to its single type of product.But behind all of those planetary house names, there is just a single company enjoying all the success. With this branding strategy, companies can come up with same product types and market them with different brand names. However, it takes a significant investment in time, money and effort to establish a new brand. Corporate Branding This branding strategy is somehow the contrary of unique branding . The company has different product offerings but all using the same brand. An example of a company using corporate branding strategy is Apple.When customers are already familiar with the brand, it is easy for them to patronize new product releases of the company. Once the company already has the customers trust, it can come up with new products and not have difficulty marketing it. Releasing a new product using corporate branding takes significantly lesser time and money than unique branding. However, companies using this branding strategy should also be careful to maintain the quality of their product as a failure of one may imply the entire brand. Also, range of products may be limited so as to avoid customers doubting the companys dedication to its original product line. roll up Branding This is a combination of the two abovementioned branding strategies. A single company creates two or more brands depending on the market needs and customers exist perception to its original brand. A good example of a company that utilized range branding is Toyota. The company Toyota came up with Lexus, another brand of cars but meant to be marketed to the upper societal class. Toyota decided to do this because people already have the perception of Toyota being an affordable brand and most of its clients belong to the nerve center class.Using the same brand to reach the upper class may be difficult for them as their original brand was already stereotyped. Branding Methods Development of brands can be done in different ways. Branding draws in identifying a striking brand name which may represent the characteristics of the product or it may be a name that is easy to remember. It takes a substantial amount of time before companies can come up with a brand name that will be released in the market. On the more creative side, companies also do come up with logos associated with their brand name.Logos help companies attract more customers who will also tend to remember the b rand better because of the visual representation. Brand names and logos are important chances of branding because those are the things that really represent the product. However, there is more to branding than just those representations. Branding should also happen within the company. The work environment and culture of the company should also approve with what it is trying to promote. Executives and all employees of the company also represent the brand. They should embody the companys and the brands beliefs, mission and vision.In short, employees should be able to live the brand. For example, in a fast food chain promoting quick, appetizing food on the go, the staff should act as quick as possible but still treat customers very well packaging should be sturdy enough and really meant for people who like eating while moving machines and equipments should be economic to meet daily demands. The overall process in making the product and delivering the service should indeed live the brand. Advertising is also one other aspect which should not be taken for granted in branding.Coming up with the brand name and logo is one thing, but introducing it to the market is another. Creating an identity and making a name in todays very dynamic market is not a walk in the park. A lot of time and great deal of effort is required for the company to reach out to customers and be known. Establishing the brand is the hard part but can be done if all the people behind the brand work together. The abovementioned brand development greatly applies to brick-and-mortar companies. Todays generation needs more than just the traditional branding methods.Customers are now looking for more interactivity and convenience as todays technology continuous to get better and better. Companies should now also try the world of e-commerce or building brands in the internet. Most people now have access to the internet and are aware of the different things they can do with it, which include research ing, communicating, and online shopping. Companies trying to establish a new brand, want to extend their existing brand or want to reach more market will benefit with the interactive world of the internet. However, branding in the virtual world is a lot different.The only representation the company will have over the internet is its webpage. The homepage should have a very attractive and interesting layout that will make visitors stay. Backend should also be stable and reliable with fast servers and wide bandwidth. alive brands who have already made its name offline should also keep their image online because that is what people will actually look for. Also, online presence also requires human intercession in terms of customer support which should be available 24 by 7, if possible. The web point should also have an easy-to-remember domain name.Even the best web site will be overlooked if users cannot remember where to find it. In online branding, customer experience is very impor tant because this is where customer loyalty starts. Capturing customers attention right from the start and providing excellent customer experience through the companys virtual presence translates to an effective online branding. For an online business, the look and feel of its website and the quality of the interface is the most important way to communicate its brand. Schools of Internal BrandingThe importance of employees embodying and living the brand has already been mentioned. This is, in fact, termed as internal branding. Within the company, all the employees should fully understand and hold their brand for them to provide the desired brand experience to customers. There are four schools of internal branding defined in book by avant-garde Gelder. These schools are as follows Mission school asserts that organizations must have a corporate belief, extolled by visionary management, that functions as an internal bonding mechanism and strategical directive. Strategy school b rand-based strategic management, in which the brand is the leading organizing principle of a corporation and drives all corporate activities. Communications school sees branding as an internal and external communications strategy which is aimed at educating staff and customers alike about the brand. Organization school aims to establish internal conditions that allow employees to deliver the right(a) brand experience to consumers during so-called moments of truth.These schools aim to deliver the best customer experience by making the companys employees understand the brand and the image the company wants to create, and equipping them with the right tools and knowledge to accomplish their jobs. Whether branding is done offline or online, these things are important as there are always people working behind the brand. Conclusion Creating a name that will be inculcated in the minds and hearts of consumers is definitely not an overnight job.It takes a lot of time, effort and money to plan, strategize and decide on the right branding strategy that will be the best match for the products and services the company is selling. Technology, indeed, has opened more opportunities for companies to build and create a name. Yet, the requirements to be successful in making a name on the virtual world are more comprehensive. Marketing and building a brand through the internet is totally different from the common media that people have been used to. Nevertheless, the benefits of this, if done correctly, are better and more fire than the usual means offer.Bibliography Dunn, D, Branding The 6 Easy Steps, Cameron Street Press, Oakland, 2004. Mauro, C, Visual/Interactive Brand Development, TaskZ, 2000, retrieved 4 May 2007, http//www. taskz. com/visual_interactive_indepth. php Randall, G, Branding A Practical exceed to Planning Your Strategy, 2nd ed, Kogan Page Limited, Dover, 2000. Seidenberg, J, Three Types of Branding, Deltaflow, 2006, retrieved 4 May 2007, Van Gelder, S, Global Brand Strategy Unlocking Brand Potential Across Countries, Cultures & Markets, Kogan Page Limited, 2003

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Economics and B. Government C.

1. Which of the following is not a key trade-off faced by community? A. who gets good and service? B. whether or not to produce. C. how to produce? D. which goods and services to produce. 2. Most microeconomic models assume that decision markers wish to A. act selfishly. B. make themselves as salutary off as possible C. make others as well off as possible. D. none of the above. 3. What links the decisions of inducers and firms in market? A. coordinations officials B. government C. legal injurys D. microeconomics 4. The price of a good or service is A. Always equal to the cost of producing the good B. Never affected by number of buyers and seller.C. Usually determined in a market. D. None of the above. 5. Economists make many assumptions to simplify their models because. A. they be lazy B. no one would understand building complex models. C. the real world is too complex to analyze fully. D. none of the above. 6. Which of the following is an example of a autocratic statement? A. if you consume this good you, will get sick. B. since this good is bad for you, you should not consume it. C. if this good is bad for you, you should not consume it D. none of the above. 7. Which of the following is true. A. A normative economic stament is a testable hypothesis about cause and effect.B. a positive stament concerns what somebody believes should happen a normative stament concerns what will happen. C. A normative stament concerns what somebody believes should happen a positive stament concerns what will happen. D. none of the above are true. 8. Microeconomic models used to. A. evaluate policy alternatives. B. make predictions. C. explain real life phenomena D. all of the above 9. Which of the following choices is an example of a negative externality. A. educations B. mercury emissions from a coal-fired power plant C. your neighbor is trimming the hedge between your houses. D polio vaccinations

Friday, May 24, 2019

CEO & CFO Perceptions About AIS Impact on Firm Essay

In the multifaceted, dynamic, corporate global milieu, imminent rifts continue to rattle the arnas of history/finance. The ain ambitions of chief executive officers and CFOs outweighed their responsibilities toward ploughshargonholders, employees, operations, civic/ethical duties, and the habitual monetary dust. chief executive officers primarily focused on their own profitability, by increasing margins, meeting shareholder/market expectations, and expanding by any means necessary. Therefore, this lead to CFOs and other members of top counseling on the attend lines in manipulating margins to promote growth in that respectby committing various levels of fraudulent activities, mainly to manipulate poor monetary performance. The intertwining of ethical dilemmas and constant conflicts of interest endangered employees, shareholders, customers, and the general public. With the passing of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) in 2012, the act demanded, that corporate management design and imp lement versed regards over the entire financial reporting process. (Hall, 2013)In reference to CEO turnover and the appropriateness and effectiveness of a board, board of directors that are, dominated by independent directors are more likely to remove a CEO base on poor performance than boards dominated by insiders. (Dah, Frye, & Hurst 2013) During the post-SOX, significant decline in the incidence of CEO turnovers for compliant trustys. (Dah, Frye, & Hurst 2013) Top management guide take Accounting cultivation Systems, utilizing information engineering science and bleak understandings of carnal restraints in the workplace, in their effort to comply with SOX, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO), and to maintain ethically conscious decisions. A companys ingrained controls have been under scrupulous review and are continuously examined to a point where they are in full residency with SOX. Most of the attention is attributed to two main provisions, organized b y the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) that directly relate to internal controls. Under role 404, the CEO and CFO of publicly traded companies must personally disclose and certify, quarterly and annually, an adoption of a detailed code of ethics, which implys an effective maintenance of an internal control system.This section excessively protects whistle-blowers. In addition, section 303 requires that the CEO andCFO must sign off on the financial statements to assure that the reports do not include any material misstatements or omissions. To further protect capital markets, corporate governance, employees, shareholders, the general public, and the auditing profession, the organizations auditors assurance on managements internal control and ethics policies is required. Top management teams understood the importance of adding IT prowess. study Technology departments garnered more responsibility after the passing of SOX. be held as critical importance to interna l control melts in an organization, IT departments became responsible for creating, improving, executing, and modifying a series of controls, essential to reduce fraud.Additionally, IT is accountable for accumulating, actuate, and storing financial data, which is utilized in financial statements, and creates audit trails for external auditors. A portion of the internal controls enforced in a business exist as IT controls, many of which are base in the computerized environment and usually pertain to financial data. Programs and processes are written and maintained by IT professionals. Fairly bare-assed and intuitive processes include automated systems. These programs have reshaped the environment of accounts reporting. They, initiate, authorize, record, and report the effects of financial transactions. (Hall, 2013) Automated accounting is associated with most Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). ERP systems, facilitate the flow of information among all departments in an organization, and manage data sharing with outside systems, such as suppliers, business partners, clients and regulatory agencies. (Chinn, 2011)Top management are attracted to apply automated systems in roam to create an efficient and secure operating and accounting environment. Rudimentary features include the generation and distribution of invoices to customers, which usually follows with spunky possibility, that payment allow be reliable at a epochly manner. This electronic process of invoicing goes hand in hand with receiving wire designates and, on the opposing cycle, purchases of materials therefore, in either process, this allows the company to efficiently benefit from increasing cash/credit receipts and the ability to quickly obtain corporate and operating capital. These advanced computerized processes are able to initiate the transfer of a corporations as muckles and are able to automatically incur liabilities, in relation to their correspondingtransactions without h uman interaction.However the many stimulate advantages an automated system offers, there is no doubt the, inextricable elements of the financial reporting process that SOX considers, and they must be controlled. (Hall, 2013) Section 302 is in place to border any inconsistencies of internal control in the workplace. Automation of the revenue cycle is typically used to reduce overhead costs, make break-dance credit granting decisions, and better collect outstanding accounts receivable. Along with SOX provisions, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations framework group IT system controls into two broad categories Application Controls and General Controls. Subcategories of application controls include input controls, processing controls, and output controls. The General controls include controls over IT governance, infrastructure, network & operating system security, database access, application acquisitions & development, and program changes.General controls are needful to support the environment in which application controls function, and some(prenominal) are needed to ensure accurate financial reporting, as good(p) as reduce instances of fraudulent activity. (Hall 2013) While utilizing the aforementioned controls lead greatly reduce risk of financial fraud, there are inherent risks concerning information technology systems. Organizations compound in a global frame, face an overarching environmental risk involving stability, which primarily concerns IT. The rapid production and ingenuity of increasing computing power, coupled with consistent gains in the growth of technology, have a direct pass in an exponentially vibrant information technology atmosphere. This dynamic environment causes constant changes within internal controls in companies.Currently, IT is considered one of the main risk factors in organizations, and both lack and excess of such investments can compromise the structure and the operations of the firm. (Lunardi, Becker, Macada, & Dolc i 2010) To keep up with the forward thinking global environment, as well as complying with constant legal and technical changes, IT innately becomes a focus with organizations. Management continues to adapt to new challenges that emerge, in relation to IT. Recently, companies have been spending about(predicate) 50% of all capital investment on IT. (Lunardi, Becker, Macada, & Dolci 2010) Executives understand that it is impossible to significantly curb IT spending in such a technologically drive world however, they do not want to spend any more than the minimumnecessary to deploy and run IT efficiently. (Lunardi, Becker, Macada, & Dolci 2010) Outsourcing proper(postnominal) IT projects, as well as full ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, has become more normal throughout the past few years.Over 90% of firms that were sampled in various research projects engage in IT outsourcing. Given the pervasiveness of IT outsourcing and the magnitude of IT spending in the economy (Kobe lsky & Robinson, 2010) top management can write-off costs, as well as secure system failures. In case of an unforeseen disturbance, firms can still operate ERP systems in their headquartered location, by creating an off-site ERP system. However, most IT outsourcing does not connect with cost decrement. Most managers, indicate that though practitioner research emphasizes ITOSs (IT outsourcing) cost-reduction benefits gained at the individual project level, outsourcing is associated with higher IT spending, presumably reflecting enhancement of capabilities. (Kobelsky & Robinson, 2010) Organizations utilize ITOS, in addition to improving in-house IT fraud reduction projects.The continuation of outsourcing affects an increase in IT spending, than for localization. Consistent computing advancements and technological prowess have had positive outcomes in business processes, as well as added new computer support systems. There have been recent instances that cite, fraud costs U.S. busines s more than $400 billion annually. (Ravisankar, Ravi, Rao, & Bose, 2011) Data exploit techniques have been implemented to remedy fraud and increase fraud detection by utilizing approaches that are more data-driven. These methods proper(postnominal)ally depend on historical monetary data of both troubled and strong companies, coupled with their respective financial ratios. With the use of objective data mining, companies can solve financial statement inaccuracies and financial problems affecting the business, by sifting through the records of fraudulent and healthy companies. Then, they discover knowledge which can be used to predict whether a company at hand will perpetrate financial accounting fraud in future. (Ravisankar, Ravi, Rao, & Bose, 2011)Artificial Intelligence systems bring forth a theoretical advantage. They understand when and when not to extract specific statistical facts on the input variables. Nevertheless, new computing power and automated systems could contain un expected risks that could alter and affect reliability on financial statements. Because of newfound internal control spending, coupled with anincrease of information technology in the workplace, companies have been progressively shifting their reporting systems from legacy platforms to a widespread client-server network. The integrated network utilizes new servers and product software, such as industry leaders, Oracle and SAP. Since the passing of SOX and introduction of COSO, Oracle and SAP have been duking it out for majority share of the market. The Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing (SAP) is a software ERP, which comprises a streamline of business function applications. The system offers a, real time management and tracking of sales, productions, finance, accounting and human resources in an enterprise. (Indika, 2011) Usually, IT systems operate separate processes.Traditionally, each process cycle operates in its own system. SAP differentiates itself by inte grating into all business practices and operations. Updates are presented in real time, and pass along through different cycles and departments. The complexity of SAP, runs on a fourth generation programming language called Advanced business organization Application Programming (ABAP). (Indika, 2011) Oracle maintains a similar application to the environment. ORDBMS (Oracle DMBS) has been primarily incorporated to be as versatile as SAP, specifically to assist elephantine enterprise settings and manage data in the enterprise. Additionally, it can be useful on a personal level. Oracle DBMS is comprised of data and retrieved by applying SQL (Structured enquiry Language). The commands set entrance boundaries and protect the users data files. It, can be embedded in other languages or could be executed directly as scripts. (Indika, 2011) During the initial SAP installation, Oracle can be defined as the database that is going to be used and then the SAP system will issue SQL commands th at are compatible with the Oracle DBMS. (Indika, 2011) There is not a drastic difference in installation time for Oracle or SAP. It also depends on whether the system is slowly introduced to the organization, or if it is launched all at one time.Top management will review an in depth cost and risk analysis, in find which method of installation is most appropriate. (http//whatiserp.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/duration.png) The centralized legacy processor environment is tightly controlled and has made management complacent because of the simple fact that it works. The security structures and internal controls found on legacy systems have developed over the past four decades. Program and file access is easily traced andorganized. The operating system of mainframe programs deliberately create audit trails and logs, which offer conveniences to external auditors, as well as making it more difficult to commit fraud. Legacy systems incorporate intricate scheduling software, which oper ate as safeguards. For example, plans are input into the system when appropriate authorization is in effect and in the precise sequence. Additionally, these systems adopt specific controls, which protect the integrity of financial reports and stages in the multiple cycles utilized by a business.Specifically, change controls pre-determinately restricts alterations to production applications. Automated responses appear and instruct employees to provide high level approvals and testing. The mainframe control environment has had time to evolve in decently stable times. However, upon the introduction of SOX and the realization that there were material internal control weaknesses in the workplace, standardization and integrated programming systems were presented to the business world. Over time, more and more companies are making the jump to cross-referencing and streamlined technologies. Because of a limited time lapse regarding the application of new ERP systems, there has not been reli able risk analyses on internal control processing, as there are with legacy systems. Unfortunately, there is an insurmountable need for risk awareness, when incorporating new systems in this day & age. Over-crowded client-server networks can become a problem to configure and monitor appropriately.To cushion the negative associations of risk, physical and internal controls are put into place to monitor systems. Companies may want to place security cameras and physical guards of the servers and related systems during off-hours. When deciding to implement new technology in a firm, or replacing an entire system with more up-to-date specifications, control risks need to be assessed. New risks and internal control weaknesses are often created faster than they can be discovered and regulated. Integrity and security of a firms data should be at a top priority. Threats, like viruses and worms are to be kept at bay, with various walls and algorithms. Emerging technologies like Extensible Busi ness Reporting Language (XBRL), Radio Frequency appellative (RFID) tags, the continuation of reporting, subject to repeated external audits & compliance with SOX and COSO, and object-oriented databases remedy discrepancies should protect systems.A firms internal audit department are also available in coordinating and evaluating the IT control environment, and should be able to verbally instruct and announce employee centric workshops to increase employee control awareness. Because of issues concerning independence and segregation of duties, the internal audit department will not be able to design code and functionality specifications in the internal control mainframe. However, they are the cheapest and central consultants on how the controls affect operations, and if the specific controls work in detecting fraud. Top management considers the internal audit department an under-utilized resource in perfecting internal controls and information technology controls. unvarying balance be tween CEOs and CFOs must be maintained in order to synergize business operations, in accordance with GAAP, SOX, and COSO. tuition technology, serves as a facilitator, catalyst, motivator, or even an enabler for the convergence of management accounting and financial accounting. (Taipaleenmaki & Ikaheimo 2012) In order for the SOX initiative to be effective, the information technology function must be in conjuncture with aiding the control environment of a business. Financial reporting has changed over the years, to favor IT processes, which are almost entirely fundamental to the financial reporting practice. Additionally, with the passing of SOX, new responsibilities are imposed upon IT functions, which would usually be ignored, because IT is not necessarily responsible for monitoring internal controls. IT & finance professionals, as well as top management, have had to adopt and learn a whole new set of functions, reporting, and monitoring.The information technology culture is of di re importance to adhering to new standards and progresses the business environment to innovative and more secure highs. A functioning IT department is crucial for the CEO & CFO to document financial and internal controls. appreciate is a very subjective term, especially in reference to capital expenditures. Different opinions and different needs will influence how much a firm spends on new technology to facilitate and cooperate with changing standards. Usually, implementing a new system in a business have positive and financial benefits, in the long run. However, a new system will often find resistance at the individual level because the users do not comprehend any value to them from it. (Barua, Brooks, Gillon, Hodgkinson, & Kohli, 2010) Positives could include additional time to perform other tasks, and create more efficiency around the organization.However, an overuse of technology could threaten employees jobs, as systems become more automated. Individual perception on new insta llations of systems might be shaky at first, but in the end, whatever is needed to comply with changing standards, is exactly what leaders of organizations will flock toward. CEOs and CFOs understand that integrating proper Accounting Information Systems is integral to society and the business world. Additionally, as per Thomas Piketty, who maintains in his freshly published voluminous, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, CEOs, CFOs, and Super Managers are running massive conglomerates effectively because of IT and AIS. Therefore, IT has given them powers to set exorbitant compensation packages for themselves, by super-humanly maximizing their own productivity and performance. In conjunction, if fraud can be avoided in the bargain, they are awarded super hero perspective and remuneration, which may summarize their perceptions about AIS, IT, and the dual benefits of SOX and COSO.BibliographyBarua, A., Brooks, L., Gillon, K., Hodgkinson, R., & Kohli, R. (2010). Creating, Capturing a ndMeasuring Value From IT Investments Could We Do Better? . Communications of theAssociation for Information Systems, 27, 13-26. Chinn, D. (2011, March 11). What Is Enterprise Resource Planning Systems?. eHow. RetrievedApril 15, 2014, from http//www.ehow.com/info_8050594_enterpriseresourceplanningsystems.htmlixzz2zS3rm7n5Dah, M. A., Frye, M. B., & Hurst, M. (2014). Board Changes and CEO Turnover TheUnanticipated Effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Journal of Banking & Finance, 41, 97108. Difference Between. (Indika). Difference Between RSS. Retrieved May 5, 2014, fromhttp//www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-sap-and-vs-oracle/ Hall, J. A. (2013). Accounting Information Systems (8th ed.). Cincinnati, Ohio South-WesternCollege Pub.. Print. Kobelsky, K. W., & Robinson, M. A. (2010). The impact of outsourcing on informationtechnology spending. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 11(2),105-119.Lunardi, G. L., Becker, J. L., Macada, A. C., & Dolci, P. C. (2010 ). The impact of adopting ITgovernance on financial performance An empirical analysis among Brazilian firms .Journal of Banking & Finance, 15, 66-81. Ravisankar, P., Ravi, V., Rao, G. R., & Bose, I. (2011). Detection of financial statement fraudand feature selection using data mining techniques. Decision Support Systems, 50(2),491-500. Taipaleenmki, J., & Ikheimo, S. (2013). On the convergence of management accounting andfinancial accounting the role of information technology in accounting change.International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 14(4), 321-348. Chart Picture http//whatiserp.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/duration.png

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Preoccupation with Death in Hamlet Essay

juncture is a run across permeated with termination. Right from the opening scene of the play death is introduced, where the ghost of Hamlets father introduces the idea of death and its consequences. Preoccupation with death is a major theme in this play as shown in the numerous deaths of the main characters of Hamlet, Polonius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Claudius and Laertes. Taken off the web accurate definitions of soaking up are the borrowing 1)a state in which you think about something so much that you do not think about other things 2)something that you think about and want to do because it is important.This is exactly what the main characters are preoccupied by-death. An showcase would be that Hamlet is preoccupied by death throughout the story. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his fathers death. When Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, their conference raises all kinds of unthinkable questions, for example murder by a brother, an unfaithful mother, that triggers Hamlets obsession. He feels compelled to determine the reliability of the ghosts statements so that he can determine how he must act.Ultimately, it is his obsession with death that leads to Hamlet avenging the death of his father by killing Claudius. Although Hamlets preoccupation is deeply rooted in his characters fascination with death, it could be a product of his grief. Hamlets most potent consideration of death comes in Act 4, Scene 3. His almost gruesome fixation with the idea of death is revealed by his mockery and such when asked by Claudius where he has hidden Polonius body. Hamlets answers seem to reveal an extremely morbid state of mind.Hamlet exclaimed how once the body dies, it goes through a cycle where it is eaten by worms, these worms are utilize to get food for another person therefore, that person digests the dead body. Finally, the graveyard scene shows how Hamlet views death and that he fears how no matter who you were or what you did that someday you too, will be at one with the earth and dirt only to become decayed, fed upon and then nothing.No, faith, not a jot but to follow him thither with modesty enough and likelihood to lead it as thus Alexander died, Alexander was uried, Alexander returned into dust the dust is earth of earth we defy loam and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might they not stop at a beer-barrel? (Act 5, Scene 1 Lines 201-206) As Hamlet continuously postponed the death of Claudius he became more(prenominal) preoccupied with the various ways he could have his revenge. Hamlet has completed his transformation from an unhappy young man to a hardened killer. He has no hope and despite Horatios praise, by this time he would not have made a good king.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Lean Management in a Salon

1. 0. About the organization jaundiced Nails Salon is a privately run business which specializes in nail get by and started off as a nail-bar 5 years ago. It is a sm altogether setup with 10 value staff, mavin main work floor, 2 treatment rooms, a storeroom, a pantry and a restroom. The owner visits the beaut shop every day for a couple of hours to keep an eye on the over-all running of the salon and to ensure work is be done up to the standard. The salon helps some(predicate) 20 nodes on weekdays and up to 40 customers on weekends/peak seasons, and receives about 20% turn-away customers daily. . 1. Main products and functions The core gos provided by the salon ar different types of manicures and pedicures. Since 2010 the salon has grown in popularity and seen a demand from official customers to offer more varied services, so hair treatments, massage services, hair removal and specialized facials have been introduced. The salon also stocks nail polishes which the cu stomers apprize purchase. 1. 2. The customers The client base consists of women from low to mid-income families residing in the area.These are women that like the convenience of having a salon close by that they give the bounce visit regularly and pamper themselves, unless non blow a hole in their pockets by doing so. A lot of the customers treat their salon time as a requirement kind of than an indulgence and slot it in as a job in their busy schedules. 1. 3. Order qualifiers and tramp winners for the company The order winners for the salon are the prices offered on with the decor and environment.There are no other salons in the area with a matching stylish interior while offering similar competitive rates. any(prenominal) salons that offer this type of ambience will be too pricey, and those that are not, will not have the same sort of interiors. The order qualifiers are the obtain of the staff, the services offered and the location. 2. 0. Challenges One of the biggest cha llenges faced by the business is that a lot of customers have to be turned away because the salon is unable to accommodate them in several ways.While a lot of similar salons thrive on new and walk-in customers, in Yellow Nails, unless you have pre planned the visit and booked, you will not be at consorted to, even if is it a pillow slip of adding an extra treatment during your visit. Appointments are made and not kept, yet the staff is obligated to sit dead(a) until the customer arrives and turn away walk-in customers. Another major problem is that a lot of time is taken up by each customer alone as a single specialist attends to a customer at a time, while other staff waits for their booking to arrive.There have been make when it has been witnessed that some roll-on wax has been thrown away because it has dried up so the attendant has had to open a new case, which is also the case with other beauty products. Seemingly, in that respect is sort of a bit of wastage due to old sto ck being kept. Another issue seems to be that though the staff is very fond and their work is of a high standard, the space around them is not very organized, resulting in longer waiting time for the customer, even between services.Along with these challenges, the damage of operations is high, as the owner gets the spa products from Switzerland which she visits periodically and stocks up on her visit and has also invested heavily in treatment machines, which require regular maintenance. These factors show that it is quite master(prenominal) for the business to structure its operations more effectively in order to generate more desirable profits. 2. 1. Evidence Having been to the salon many generation and witnessing the problems on a first-hand basis, there is no doubt that the problems observed do truly exist.Many businesses have challenges which are buried under a shiny exterior, except when the customer starts facing it directly, you know its an issue that needs to be dealt w ith immediately, possibly more critically in a service-based company. 2. 2. Effects on the fear While the salon is making sufficient revenue, it is losing out on prospective business because the jobs are not streamlined effectively. Having spoken to the manager of the salon about how the business is performing, she said it is doing quite well and they are making good money.On the slightly negative side, she went on to say that they are unable to get hold of any more staff because they dont have space to accommodate more customers at one time and the owner had no aspiration to expand the space. What was perceived from the discussion was that they do recognize that a lot of customers have to be turned away due to which they are losing potential business, and that the owner is interested in hiring more girls in order to boost profit but is unable to, and she doesnt think there is any other issue to this problem.The obvious answer, as per the owner, is that more staff equals more cu stomers, which means more revenue. ? 3. 0. Lean implementation in the service sector Traditionally, Lean practices have been mostly associated with the manufacturing industry, with literature and methods of implementation being more accessible in that particular sector. We therefore cipher at the research of several authors that discuss how slight can be applied in service industries and the factors that need to be focused on in order to be able to do so.We also look at the different frameworks of joust that makes it a recommended approach. 3. 1. Literature Review The term Lean management has first been used in the book The Machine That Changed the gentleman by Womack, Jones and Roos (1990), describing the fundamentals of the Toyota production system as die hard production (Coote and Gould, 2006). Following on from which, Coote and Goulds (2006) literature talks about lean as a concept that has come to mean different things to different people, from claiming that most view it as a collaboration of efficiency and low cost which they record as being a narrow view.They provide a more wholesome definition describing it as delivering customer value without waste. As businesses tend to place a high grandeur to their customers, it would be inevitable that a concept with a large focus on that factor would be adopted, although one would question whether the approach is only fit for a manufacturing company. Abdi et al (2006) state that lean can be applied to service sectors and that there are similarities and differences in adopting the approach from a service point of view.Their literature discusses five different principles from the works of Womack and Jones (1996) and how these lean manufacturing principles can be applied to the service sector, which includes specifying value by service, indentifying the service value stream, making the service flow, supplying at the pull of the customer and implementing the pursuit of perfection and in order to apply these p rinciples, they place the merciful element as a crucial variable in the services sector.Another piece of literature, researched by Bonaccorsi et al (2011), concludes that lean thinking has the potentialities to be implemented in the service industry as an effective way to put down costs and maturation customer satisfaction. They emphasize that applying lean to service is challenging which is why lean concepts must often be redefined in a proper way, and to solve this, the concept Service Value Stream Management (SVSM) has been developed.This approach is flexible in nature and can be applied to a wide range of cases, including Yellow Nails salon, wherein the principles of lean need to be tailored to the requirements of that particular sector. As SVSM is claimed to be flexible and used functionally as a general guide, there should be no complications to develop a true lean service via its implementation. Piercy and well-heeleds (2009) research findings highlight that through the a doption of lean service tools, service business can serve the traditionally competing priorities both of operational cost reduction and of increased customer service quality.The lean approach is validated in the service context and proposed as a valuable addition to traditional service marketing approaches to services improvement. In their paper, they present the data on the implementation of lean process approaches in the call centre context highlight rapid improvements such as value identification, process/value stream chromosome mapping, and removal of barriers to flow value to the customer. An empirical study by Alsmadi et al (2012), analyzes the differences in the relationship between lean practices and firm performance in the UK manufacturing and service sectors.Although lean practices have been successfully implemented in many manufacturing cases, their effect on firm performance in both manufacturing and service sectors is still limited. First, the empirical findings in bot h sectors suggest that Lean practices are positively associated with firms performance and the level of impact on performance is also identical between the two sectors, therefore their study supports the positive argument concerning the applicability of Lean practices in service firms and their potential effect on performance.The results also suggested that soft Lean practices related to customer and HR management in the service sector was performing exceedingly which is why it is essential, as stated by other authors, that Lean practices need to be distilled and tailored to the specific features of the sector. Once the idea of lean principles has been accepted that is can be implemented by a service based company, it would be important to focus on the specific internal implementation techniques, wherein Malayeff (2006) attempts to provide cleverness into the management of an internal service system derived from a perspective of Lean management.He claims this would exist within p rofessional service units of development, engineering, information technology, human imagerys and consumer affairs. In the case of Yellow Nails salon, the focus would be on the HR and consumer functions.. Malayeffs (2006) study stated that internal service systems have numerous common structural characteristics including the importance of information, process flows across functions, many hand-offs of information, hidden costs and wellbeings and no explicit motivation for urgency.The wasteful activities can be classified into seven groups delays reviews, mistakes, duplication, movement, processing inefficiencies and resource inefficiencies, and he found that the most common problems included a lack of standard procedures, long service clock, communication breakdowns and poor personnel management, out of which all but communication breakdowns are issues that Yellow Nails salon can be seen as a victim of. Draghichi and Petcu (2011) also propose Lean Six Sigma as a strong leadership approach for improving management rocesses, while reducing errors which can in turn help both the organization and its employees do things quicker and discover through quality principles, resulting in improvements at all service organization levels Bortolotti and Romano (2012) developed a framework based on a study they conducted wherein they found that the automation of a process that is not streamlined can generate problems that can slow down the flow of work and increase errors. They state that a process should first be mapped to highlight waste and only when the new process is streamlined, can it actually be automated.They go on to say that by doing so, the new process will automate only value-added activities recognized by the customers which we will touch upon in more detail for Yellow Nails salon in section 4. 3. 2. Recommendations Though the authors state that through tailored concepts being applied to service sectors, lean can be effectively employed, it is important for a uthors in the field to depict more focused principles relating to lean practices for a full service based business, which seems to be missing. 4. 0. Project Plan for Lean ImplementationIn order to fix the problems that the business is facing, I would propose a new business model incorporating a lean approach. Lean focuses on elimination of waste (Slack et al, 2010) and the pastime are some of the Muda, or non-value adding work for the customer that can be eliminated with the suggested operational implementations. 4. 1. Reducing waiting time Yellow Nails Salon will benefit from eradicating the appointment system that they are currently enforcing, which in fact ties up the service slot, even if the customer is late due to the business policy that could be given to a walk-in customer.Management should instead implement job cards with a list of what treatments the customer wants with service being given on a first-come-first-serve basis. This will allow the business to maximize the num ber of customers they are taking on daily, not turn any customers away and eventually cut down on the waiting time of the customer. 4. 2. Full utilization of Human Resources Currently, the staff is not being utilized to their maximum capability so it would be beneficial to the business to reorganize the way the service staff is taking on workload.A full utilization of all staff at all times approach should be set into place, so if there is one customer and two staff members available, they should both attend to the client to speed up the service where possible . This would essentially free up 50% of the clients time in the salon, which no doubt will be give them better value for money. The improved efficiencies can be highlighted by illustrating this using Value Stream Mapping. 4. 2. 1 Value Stream Mapping Value stream mapping focuses on value-adding activities and distinguishes between value-adding and non-value-adding activities (Slack et al, 2010).The following is a simplified ve rsion showing the value added activities for a customer at the salon and highlights the waiting time as the waste which should be eliminated. Example of customer x Requirement Manicure, Haircut & Waxing It can be seen that with the current means of operations, a customer with the mentioned requirements will be at the salon for three hours and fifteen minutes, whereas by employing lean practices, their time can be cut down by a full hour and fifteen minutes. 4. 3. JIT implementation for beauty productsThough the owner may view it as a major set-back, it would be an intelligent decision to acquire a topical anesthetic supplier that can provide good quality products that the salon can order in smaller batches when required, rather than purchasing excellent quality products in large quantities, keep the stock in storage over long periods of time and throw a large portion of it away due to it being spoilt.. By introducing JIT, the salon can keep customers happy as well as combat avoida ble costs. 4. 4. 5S principles implementationAnother factor that can improve customer service provided at the salon would be to reorganize the workspace by adopting the 5S lean implementation framework which would help the staff operate in a more tidy manner. The staff is directly customer facing so there is not a lot of scope to waste time locating the required goods to service the customer. 5. 0. Conclusion To conclude, though the business is currently at a good stable position in the market with a loyal customer base, there is scope for growth in terms of increased profits and new business which can only be enjoyed by Yellow Nails if it implements lean practices.The challenges which are currently faced comprising of turning away customers, long waiting time and wastage of stock can all be solved by incorporating the 5 principles of lean thinking, which include focusing on value of the customer, appreciating the value stream, concentrating on improved flow and perfecting quality. The business possesses some very strong attributes wherein some lean value can already be found such as the pull factor as staff is flexible in fulfilling customer requirement, and additional billing is given to quality of service.However, there is still a gap in the model which is not allowing the business to perform at its full potential, and by tapping in to this area, going forward, Yellow Nails will be able to see substantial improvements. ? 6. 0. References Abdi, F. et al. (2006) Glean Lean How to use Lean approach in service industries?. daybook of Services Research, 6 p. 191-206. Alsmadi, M. et al. (2012) A comparative analysis of Lean practices and performance in the UK manufacturing and service sector firms. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 23 (4), p. 81-396. Bonaccorsi, A. et al. (2011) Service Value Stream Management (SVSM) Developing Lean Thinking in the Service Industry. Journal of Service Science and Management, 4 p. 428-439. Bortolotti, T. and Roman o, P. (2013) Lean first, indeed automate a framework for process improvement in pure service companies. Production Planning & Control The Management of Operations, 23 (7), p. 513-522. Coote, P. and Gould, S. (2006) Technical Matters Lean Management. pecuniary Management, p. 31-34 Draghici, M. and Jenica Petcu, A. 2011) Knowledge Transfer The Key to Drive Innovation for Service Organizations Excellence. Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, (4), p. 44-53. Maleyeff, J. (2006) Exploration of internal service systems using lean principles. Management Decision, 44 (5), p. 674-689. Piercy, N. and Rich, N. (2009) High quality and low cost the lean service centre. European Journal of Marketing, 43 (11/12), p. 1477-1497. Slack, N. et al. (2011) Essentials of Operations Management. Harlow Prentice Hall fiscal Times, p. 1-318.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Junk Science That is Eugenics Essay

In Dan Agins Junk Science How Politicians, Corporations, and Other Hacksters Betray Us, he scoffed at eugenics as one of the most disastrous examples of the ignoble application of science. In the get along where scientific breakthroughs and development have been achieved, scientists have devised some ways in which selective breeding are used in plants and animals to meliorate the chance of survival of their species. Of course, they did non throw away the idea of applying the homogeneous process of improving homophiles and eliminate undesirable char take oneristics in them.British biologist Francis Galton (18221911) coined the word eugenics in 1883, which in Greek liter aloney meant good in birth. Galton believed that marital unions between people of what he regarded as excellent genetic stock could be expected to produce offspring with the same or similar qualities (Last, 2007). However, the eugenics movement was frowned upon by many people because it was used by the Nazi regim e in Germany, as it pushed improve to military man wash surface by eliminating the people they despised the Jews.Thus, eugenics and racism are link up by the fact that every person will have their own rights and it is prone to be treat by people who want to dominate the weak. As a cousin of Charles Darwin who introduced to the world the theory of evolution, Galton co-ordinated the Darwins idea of survival of the fittest into his notion of eugenics. The goal of eugenics was the improvement of the human species through the careful pickax of parents. Galton identified two primary processes to achieve this end. Positive eugenics encouraged individuals who were above average both mentally and physically to produce more offspring.Negative eugenics proposed that individuals who were below average should have fewer or no children. This second proposal could be achieved through institutional segregation, marriage restrictions, or sterilization (Berson & Cruz, 2001, p. 300). His exact wrangling for these processes were eugenics first objective is to check the birth-rate of the unfit the second object is the improvement of the race by furthering the productivity of the fit. Galton used the word race in its nineteenth-century sense to designate the population of the nation state and not in the broader twentieth-century sense.Galton seems to have believed that the reason why it would be desirable to improve the genetic quality of a nations population is that this determines the quality of its civilization and the economic and military strength of the nation. It is clear that eugenics screw be used for racism. Since racism is defined as a plaster bandage of prejudice based on perceived physical differences and usually refers to unfavorable or hostile attitudes toward people perceived to belong to some other race, eugenics would definitely fall in this category because racism usually results in a belief in the gilt-edgedity of ones own race.The trigger of pre judice and racism is the human tendency to form stereotypes, generalized beliefs that associate whole groups of people with particular traits. Racial stereotypes are described to be exaggerated or oversimplified descriptions of any persons appearance, personality, and behavior (Cavalli-Sforza, 2005). Actually, Galton and his cohorts were well intentioned and progressive in their idea of suggesting eugenics because they were skilful concerned with bettering humanity. After all, this was during the Progressive Era, where it was characterized as a time of hope and reform.Gerald Grob (1991) pointed out that eugenics advocates were persuaded that they were acting on behalf of a noble cause that would benefit humanity. They believed that medical and scientific know conductge, combined with a new technology, had reached a point in time in which the eradication of inherited defects was possible. With all that intention, eugenics was welcomed in the United States. As Rosen (2004) writes Be ginning in the early years of the twentieth century and spanning the decades of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s, eugenicists in the United States called for syllabuss to control human reproduction.They urged legislatures to pass justnesss to segregate the so-called feebleminded into state colonies, where they would live out their lives in celibacy they back up compulsory state sterilization laws aimed at men and women whose germplasm menace the eugenic vitality of the nation they led the drive to restrict immigration from countries whose citizens might pollute the American melting pot. Their science filtered into popular gloss through eugenics advice books and child-rearing manuals, eugenics novels, plays, and films, and scores of magazine and newspaper articles (p.6).With the growing presence and perceived virility of African Americans, immigrants in the early 1900s, and the working classas well as the increasing visibility of working-class women adrift, this threatened white midd le-class male authority in both power and numbers, proponents of eugenics in the United States targeted a factor in middle-class decline the limited fecundity of this new woman. As Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed in the 1900s, white middle-class womanhood had willfully abandoned its fertility.The white birthrate was rapidly declining whereas the average American family of 1840 had produced six children that of 1900 generated only three children. Roosevelt propelled sociologist Edward Rosss term race suicide into the public arena. In a 1901 address, The Causes of Race Superiority, Ross warned that the advancement and progress of the superior race could lead to its demise manhood had become overcivilized, decadent, and impotent. nevertheless Roosevelt, significantly, placed the blame on white womanhood.Women of good stock who chose not to have children, he declared, were race criminals (Paul 1995, p. 102). Yet, the shocking turnout the eugenics movement was that in 1902, when an Indian a physician named Dr. Harry Sharp urged passage of authorisation sterilization laws that would require all men in prisons, reformatories, and paupers houses to be sterilized. Before any such law was passed permitting it, he had involuntarily sterilized more than five hundred men. Following Dr. Sharps lead, in 1907 Indiana became the first state to pass a eugenics-based sterilization law.By 1912, eight states had sterilization laws. ultimately nearly thirty states followed suit (Paul 1995, p. 81-82). In the course of the rise and fall of eugenics, we can see that in that respect are obvious problems with it. The first is that there is more at stake in creating a superior human than in creating a superior species of vegetable. Vegetables do not have rights but humans do, and these human rights are possessed by all persons because they are human human rights do not free to exist if an individual is imperfect in one or more ways.At its core, eugenics tends to cancel out the right of the less than perfect individual to existence and this type of presumptive arrogance is inherently felonious and racist. A second harmful outcome of eugenics could be that through screening programs privileged groups might act on their prejudices against, for example, Black people being linked with criminality. Since being Black is neither a offensive activity nor a defect, it would be a grave injustice for advocates of eugenics to try to eliminate such classes of people from the human gene pool.Another possible harm of eugenics is that those who promote it do so at the expense of the harmony of the human community. This community, as we know it, is made up of people of all kinds, some more expert than others, some more troubled than others. The solidarity and prosperity of the human community depend on cooperation and respect among all members, not on a screening policy, like eugenics, through which some members lose their right to membership based on the values and biases of those in influential positions.The biggest problem with eugenics is probably the fact that, even if the program were embraced and employed, it would be impossible to carry it out effectively without trampling on human rights. Thus, eugenics is a sure junk science and a good learning experience that science cannot be used to improve humans.ReferencesAgin, D. (2006). Junk Science How Politicians, Corporations, and Other Hacksters Betray UsI, New York St. Martins Press. Berson, M. J. , and Cruz, B. (2001). Eugenics Past and Present. Social Education 655, p.300. Grob, G. (1991). Introduction, in The Surgical Solution A History of Involuntary Sterilization in the United States, ed. Phillip R. Reilly, Baltimore, MD Johns Hopkins University Press. Last, J. M. (2007). Eugenics. A Dictionary of Public Health. Oxford Oxford University Press. Paul, D. B. (1995). Controlling Human Heredity 1865 to the Present. Atlantic Highlands, N. J. Humanities Press. Rosen, C. (2004). Preaching Eugenics R eligious leadership and the American Eugenics Movement, Oxford Oxford University Press.

Monday, May 20, 2019

Tituba, Black Witch of Salem: Oppression and Feminism

It is because of this that the most prominent themes of this novel to me are hat of subjugation and womens liberation movement, which I m other(a) to be constantly tied together passim the novel. Tuba, as well as m all other female characters in this book are constantly pushed around and abused simply because they are women. It appears want anytime a women in this novel tries to defend her rights as a human being they are penalise for it In the most extreme ways. Tubas mother hit Is the first example we see of this type of oppression.As I pass water previously stated Tuba is a child of rape and it is because of this that Bean has always been yon from her daughter. Bean was a beautiful woman and this tatty gets her unwanted attention from her owner who attempts to rape her. Bean defends herself and fights him off and it is because of this that she is hung and killed. This is where you truly see how being a woman during this time seemed to be a feller because of how little re spect and compassion women received from men. Bean Is do by Like she has no rights at all.She is treated Like a piece of property who is supposed to do what she is ordered to do no subject area what it is. Simply because Bean decided to defend her rights non only as a woman, still as a human being she is executed. This is one of the reasons why I feel feminism and oppression are constantly linked in this novel, Bean tries to defend herself from not only being raped tho from being raped in front of her daughter and has to pay the ultimate harm for It. The second a woman tries to stand up for herself she is shutdown Immediately and refused her right to a voice, freedom, and respect. N paginate 6 Tuba states, My mother sorely regretted that I was not a boy. It seemed to her that a womens fate was even more painful than a mans. When you read this novel it is unfortunate how true that statement proves to be to Tuba and some(prenominal) there women. Women of this time lived in c onstant fear of the men in their world. When Tuba meets John Indian, the aim of her mother and momma Way warn her not to fall In love with him or any other man. On page 14 Mama Way tells Tuba, Men do not love. They possess. They subjugate. It is in that moment when you see the first hint of feminism in the book.Mama Way and Bean see that a woman does not need a man and that Tuba should have pride in her independence. To me they seem to act as Tubas conscience, as if she knows what they are saying to be true but she cannot help but fall into temptation. If only Tuba had listened her future men around them. They give up their own independence for the companionship of a man, which is what Tuba does with John Indian. The men in this novel control the women and the women live in fear of not only the men themselves, but of the men leaving them.There is no sense of condition for women without a man by their side. An example of this is Elizabeth Paris constant fear of her abusive and t errible husband, Samuel Pars. On page 38 Elizabeth shows her fear in a conversation with Tuba, are most fortunate if you believe that a husband can be a pleasing companion ND if touching his hand does not send shivers up your spine. There she stopped as if she had said too much. It is this fear that bonds Tuba and Elizabeth big(p) Tuba her first real bond with a woman other than her mother or Mama Way, which in turn gives her a small sense of comfort.The most prominent character for feminism and oppression in this book is Hester Preen, Tubas cellmate and the star of the book The Scarlet Letter. I find that Hester is a symbol for feminism and a reminder for Tuba that she does not need John Indian, nor any other man for that matter, to bushel her strong. Hester is a strong minder of the hardships that women have to face and the consequences of not abiding by the rules that the men have set up for them. She rejects all the ideas that are forced upon women in society, even how women are named.During Hester and Tubas discussion it dawns on Tuba, She was yet another case of a victim being branded guilty. Are women condemned to such a fate in this world? (page 98). Hester Preen stands as a symbol for feminist thought, hope, and equality for women. The capital of Oregon Witch Trials are responsible for many innocent womens deaths. During these trials so many women were wrongfully accused of practicing witchcraft and hey were never even given the chance to defend themselves. All it took was one doubt and the women would be executed.The capital of Oregon witch trials took away all the rights of the women accused and stripped them of their voice. Oppression and feminism are constantly butting heads throughout this book. When feminism begins to rise there always seems to be a man or an obstacle wait to tear it down again. A woman during this time was forbidden from fighting the restraints that were constantly against them. Women were property and had no real rights in the eyes of a man, especially a black woman. Tuba faces many struggles during her time. Everything seems to use against her and force her into a world of darkness, tragedy, and despair.Unfortunately Tuba was one of many women who lived in a world govern by mans law. There was no choice other than to abide by those laws or pay the price with their lives. Unfortunately throughout this novel that is what happened to almost every woman, starting with Bean, then Hester, then the women of the witch trials, and in the end Tuba herself. Feminist rights Just simply did not exist in this time but it is the undismayed women like the ones shown in this novel that I believe are the reason women have the rights that they do today.