Cyclermate

CYCLERMATE REPORT I. Introduction of Cyclermate Lewis Llewellyn and Dai Armstrong were the first two men who made a plan of opening their own company after being redundant as the consequence of the closure of their town’s steel works in South Wales. Both of them belonged to the local cycle touring club and since then, they had become close friends.With the idea of making a traditional upright cycle in sharp of the 1940’s and 1950’s, Cyclermate Ltd has been established and quickly gained success and attracted a number of attentions of customers owing to its high quality hand – made products and word – of – mouth reputation. Over the next 15 years, the company had still expanded and continued to be successful when persuading many small cycle shops in Wales and England to display or at least to keep a stock of brochures of its products.Everything seems to work quite smoothly until 2010, when Cyclermate has faced a lot of issues in terms of finan ce, human resource and operation. To be specific, the demand among buyers in this field continues to fall even price of each Cyclermate’s product has been reduced; the quality of its products are no longer as good as it was in the past which illustrated by the increase of complaints from customers about its quality and fault and the bank manager has expressed concern about the overdraft which will cost Cyclermate a big trouble if it does not solve these problems immediately.These are just some of the obstacles which the company has faced so in this essay, I will analyze more clearly about its difficulty and recommend some positive solutions for Cyclermate which it can follows to handle these issues. II. Cyclermate analysis 1. SWOT analysis First of all, in order to have a wide vision about this company, I have used SWOT as a tool to identify and analyze the situation of Cyclermate at the moment. As regards internal factors, one of the strength of this company which makes it d ifferent compared to the other companies is unique products.As far as I am concerned, with the development of technology, many cycle shops nowadays use a modern production chain to dispose and assemble materials. Nonetheless, the cost for this activity is quite high and most of the products will be the same. When it comes to Cyclermate, almost processes have been settled by hand; thus, staffs can easily add their creation into products and attract customers by the wide range of style of its bicycle.Furthermore, by using traditional method, Cyclermate have brought some new things to the market making buyers feel more interesting, especially when products have been sold in the market are quite common and familiar. When it comes to the weaknesses, as almost Cyclermate’s products have been made by hand so mistakes and faults are inevitable. That is to say, besides the price paying for materials, it also has to spend some more for fixing service.Moreover, with the lack of employee s and capital, Cyclermate has struggled in operating the company and consequently, it normally has to face the insufficient production selling in the market. As regards external factors, a huge opportunity for Cyclermate at the very first is that it produces an unfamiliar product so Cyclermate can avoid big competitors and has a chance to dominate the market. Besides, according to Mr. Llewellyn, there is still strong growths to come in the cycle market as more and more people abandon their cars; hence, this is a good chance for this company to reach to its customers.One of the most striking features which should be considered here is the economic crisis occurring in 2008 resulted in the threat of total collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments, and downturns in stock markets around the world. In many areas, the housing market also suffered, resulting in evictions, foreclosures and prolonged unemployment. The crisis played a significant ro le in the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth estimated in trillions of US dollars, and a downturn in economic activity.As the consequence, people will have to think about a solution to save money and one possible way at this time is reduce the usage of petrol; in another word, reduce using gas transportation and change to physical vehicle such as bicycle. So if Cyclermate can attracts customers and creates a habit of using bicycle among them, it definitely will success in the future. The only threat of Cyclermate which I want to mention here is the appearance of some competitors in this major for example Halfords which gained success at the moment even there are many cycle shops are closing – outpriced.At the very first, Cyclermate was one of the first company entering this field so it did not have to pay much attention about how to deal with the others competitors. Nevertheless, when the time passed by, many companies have noticed about this potential mar ket so it is time for Cyclermate to try their best to gain trust of customers if they do not want to lose the market to their rivals. 2. Current issues of Cyclermate a. Finance problem After having an overlook about the situation of Cyclermate, the next part of my essay will come closer to all the issues which Cyclermate has met.Firstly, this company has to deal with a huge trouble which comes from finance. As I mentioned before, Cyclermate had to reduce the cost of its product to maintain sales, costs are rising and the overdraft is increase year by year which push the company on the edge of bankruptcy. Besides, according to Ms. Barry the budget for the coming year will further decline and possible trading losses as the consequence of a decline in sales. Moreover, based on the profit statement for the last five years, it is clearly that the finance issue of this company is in danger.To illustrated, the profit retained of the company had decreased significantly compared to the last 4 year (from ? 42734 in 9/30/2009 to ? 12724 in 9/30/2010) and it did not even pay the dividends for shareholder and the cash on hand of Cyclermate in 30/9/2010 was just ? 657; put it in another words, the liquidity of this company was too low and if there was something happen for example the banks did not believe Cyclermate anymore and they wanted their money back, it could not have enough cash to pay for its creditors and had to mortgage its non-current assets; hence, this company will not have enough machine or capital to run its business.In order to help the company overcome this problem, there are some solutions which I am considered will be possible. First, according to the financial statement, even the direct sales units sold was lower than shop sales price, the profit which Cyclermate received from direct sale was much more higher. To be specific, in 9/30/2006, even there were just 743 units sold by direct sales, compared to 1010 units by shop sales, the revenue from the for mer was much more higher ( 743Ãâ€"650 – 1010Ãâ€"390 = â‚ ¬89050).That is to say, by reducing the products sold in shop, Cyclermate can saves and gains more money. Furthermore, in order to maintain the connection which suppliers after reducing the quantity, Cyclermate can negotiate with these suppliers and offer some extra interest rate or commission so that its supplier will still remain display and sell the product of this company. Another solution is that Dai Armstrong should allow Lewis Llewellyn to retire. The reason is that Lewis Llewellyn himself does not willing to work anymore and he usually find his work increasingly tiring and stressful.Besides, although he is one of the first 2 men who established Cyclermate as well as the shareholder of the company, he himself thinks that this company should close down or should be sold for the others UK firms. If employees in Cyclermate know what he is thinking, will they want to work for its workplace anymore; and even they still work for this company, no one can guarantee that they will put 100% of their mind on working. So let Lewis Llewellyn go seem to be the right choice at this time.However, Dai Armstrong must negotiate with Lewis about his share in the company because if he wants his money back; I believe that the capital of Cyclermate will not meet the standard to run its business. In my opinion, the negotiation will success as these two men has a strong relationship and has worked with each other for such a long time so if everything is ok, Cyclermate will save a lot of money for the next coming year. b. Human resources problem There are a number of problems with the human resource of Cyclermate. First of all, it does not have enough staffs to run the business smoothly after expanding.For instance, Dai Armstrong is the chairman of the company and normally, he must takes in charge of operating and controlling the activity of Cyclermate and distributes a particular job for his employees. Nonethe less, owing to the insufficient workforce, Dai himself still makes all the frames, using the original jigs constructed in his garage all those years ago and the inevitable thing is that he is finding it hard to keep up this level of production, both because of the physical demands of the task, and because of his other duties as factory manager and business director; as regards package, it is usually taken by anyone who has spare time.That is to say, it cannot guarantee the productivity of the firm, especially in rush time, when the staffs cannot even meet the quantity requirement of their main duty so how can they handle another. Moreover, at the moment, the company does not have as much skillful staffs as possible in order to maintain the productivity of Cyclermate and Gwyneth Morgan is one of typically example. She usually deals with internal and external enquiries, ata entry, and other routine tasks which is classify as paper work; however the main responsibility of her job is pu rchasing and help company avoiding disruption from stockouts; hence, the work cannot meet the efficiency as expected or Ffred Gregory who is 18 years old and quite new to the process, often has to work overtime to ensure that orders are met on time so that training him has further slowed production recently. Of course, Cyclermate still has some professional employees like Idris Pugh who was recruited from a local cycle repair shop.He is a perfectionist in terms of wheel manufacture and never cause for any complaints but sometimes, the work were late for appointment owing to his old-age and bad healthy. As far as solutions are concerned, I have found out some possible ones which Cyclermate can applies. At the very first, it should re-train the staffs in the company in order to meet the requirement of their field. This train can be hold by the boss himself or skillful employees of Cyclermate so that they can not only save a bundle of money for the company but also have more time to ch at and understand each other, especially newcomers.Moreover, after enrolling in this course, employees should be guaranteed to understand their job clearly and easily to combat with the task given. Another thing which can be done is recruit some new employees for Cyclermate. This is kind of positive way at this time as a new and professional staffs can help the company find out a new and creative way to complete the task and maintain the requirement quantity and quality of the company. However, I do not highly recommend this solution as the finance issue of the company is in danger and it is hard for Cyclermate to hire some new employees at this time. c. Operation problemThe very last problem of Cyclermate which I want to mention here is Operation ones. First of all, the leader of the company does not have a clear distribution for each staff which leads to the unstable in their job and costs a low productivity for such a long time. To be illustrated, Dai Armstrong has to take charge of many different responsibilities included the chairman of Cyclermate, the worker who makes all the frames of products and even a packaged man. With a bunch of workloads which have been handled like that, how can this man has time to think about a new strategy, a new plan to improve the current situation of the company?And the others workers, with a number of things have been done in a short time, how can they guarantee that no mistake will be made, not mention about some majors are not their professional field. Besides, as far as I concerned, before establishing Cyclermate, Lewis was just on his way up from apprentice to be chief mill engineer while Dai had progressed from â€Å"office boy† to a senior marketing post. That is to say, with this current position, how can they have enough management skills to lead the other in the company?Last but not least, the problem even come from the top manager of the company which is Lewis and Dai who share management of the business, though by nature of their differing roles, Lewis tends to focus more on production issues and Dai on external relations. Like people have said â€Å" 1 dat khong the co 2 vua†, with a different role like that, they cannot guide their employees to a single task which is break the basic rules of a corporation; consequently, Cyclermate’s staffs do not know what to concentrate on and lack of clear vision about the goal of what they have to do.When it comes to the solution, I believe that there are some ways which can help Cyclermate improve the current situation of this company. Firstly, Dai Armstrong has to set down a clear distribution for each position in the company. He has to reduce the multi – responsibility among his workers so that they can focus 100% on their current job and maintain the productivity of each process.Secondly, as I mentioned above, If Cyclermate accepts the retirement of Lewis Llewellyn, it can concentrates deeply on a single task at the mom ent for example maintain the productivity or improve the quality of its products, etc which is clear so that employees will know what they have to do to meet the goal of the company. Lastly, in order to save money, save materials and still supply enough products to meet the need of customers, Cyclermate itself should considers to apply JIT method on produce the products.This method was described by Henry Ford in his book as a production model in which items are created to meet demand, not created in surplus or in advance of need. I absolutely think that this solution will fit the Cyclermate’s situation well, especially when it has a huge issue with finance; Thus, by calculating an exact figure of materials has been and should be used, this company can avoid the waste associated with overproduction, waiting and excess inventory. In order to support for this method, I highly recommend the company to use Kanban cards to make JIT become more efficiency. As far as I oncerned, this Kanban card is like a label which contained a number of information about products such as name, number of units and a variety of other news that clearly conveys what must be done. By applying this card in manufacturing, especially in the situation of Cyclermate when the work of each staffs does not fix, it will help employees to control and identify which should be done next by analyze the color of Kanban cards for instance the white or green Kanban cards mean that a product do not have to manufacture yet, the yellow ones mean that employees should start producing a goods immediately, etc.III. Recommendation After analyzing the case study about Cyclermate, I want to note down briefly about some potential routes which this company can follow to reach to the market. First of all, as far as I am concerned, Cyclermate has a good supplied channel who ready to advertise and sell the product of the company and Word of Mouth method seems to bring a positive chance for it to attract custom ers.That is to say, developing this supplied channel can help Cyclermate increase its image on the eyes of customers and there are many others retailers which have not been asked about selling Cyclermate’s products so this a one of a best way for this company to expand its business. Another striking feature here is that it can focus on direct sale to sell its product to buyers. This method can help the company reduce the price paid for middleman and furthermore, Cyclermate can take this chance as an opportunity to interact with customers in order to understand and identify what they really want and need.Lastly, with the significant develop of technology, marketing is now become more and more important within any corporation around the world to approach and attract buyers. However, this way seems to be forgotten by Cyclermate indicated in the meeting’s report that the marketing activity of this company in recent year is quite rare. As the consequence, Cyclermate can spe nd some of the money saved from firing Lewis Llewellyn and profit retained to improve this activity to rise up its status and advertise a great hand-made bicycle to customers. IV. ConclusionCyclermate Ltd, in my opinion, is a brave company as it does not follow the trend of current market but identifying and having its own idea to manufacture a unique product, even in a harsh time like this. However, it has met a number of issues when trying to operate its business which I have mentioned above. In the future, there will be a lot of difficulties which this company has to handle. Having said that, with all the ideas and solutions which I have noted down in my essay, I strongly believe that it is possible for Cyclermate to recover and strengthen as it did in the past.

Organizational Behavior and Leadership Essay

   Effective Communication: Partnership in Italy Melissa Chang is a business woman from US who is about to travel Venice, Italy to meet with her company’s partnering company. During the preparation of the trip she faces different obstacle like she was stressed and her friend cancelled their trip to Moscow at the last minutes. She was afraid of meeting the Italian Partner, however after collecting necessary information upon making phone contact with the company’s partnering company to confirm her travel plans. When Melissa meets face-to-face with the partners, she quickly realized their source of frustration and at the same time she was able provide all the information requested by them about the product. She was also able to answer all the questions and explain the business process during the first meeting in a productive way and also maintain the relationship for the further business for the future. Both Melissa and Italian partner drew up the projected plan for the next fiscal year at the end of the week. The Presid ent of the Italian office arranges a formal dinner in her honor and appreciates the professionalism of Melissa. Analysis and Findings In this case US company is not providing the basic product information due to which Italian partner were unhappy which may lead to cancellation of the partnership. When Melissa agrees to visit to Venice, Italy then she meet their partner company face to face, listen all their views and provide them with all the required information and answer all their questions on the spot due to which the partner company we really impressed with her performance and they started building the positive attitude towards US company. Melissa’s communication impact on Italians The company has not upheld the basic business standard due to which the Italian partners were frustrated. If the things did not get up cleared quick they company of US may lose the partnership. As Melissa Chang has a very good communicating skill through which she impressed the Italian partner and gain the positive appreciation. Melissa has both interpersonal and communicating skill. She has an ability to work with one-on-one as well as she can present a good public image for the organization. She was aware of her own internal noise and the role it can play with her own listening abilities which makes her the best situational leader. She possessed the three basic competencies in influencing as diagnosing (being able to understand the situation you are attempting to influence); adapting (being able to adapt your behavior, and the other things that you have control over, to the contingencies of the situation); and communicating (being able to put the message in a way that people can easily understand and accept) (Hershey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2011). Primary Sources of Information Prior to Melissa’s Visit Effective communication plays a very important role in an organization. In order to do any work first we need to collect the information regarding the work which is very important. In this case, Melissa collected all the information of Italian partner through the phone call. But in this company it doesn’t show the good commutation because the colleague of the Melissa cancelled their recent trip to Moscow at the last minute, and do not respond to the requests of partnering or Host Company of Italy for information. This kind of behavior clearly shows that employees have lack of professionalism and negligence. So the perception of the company towards the parent company at US was not good. The parent company at US is just focusing on the profit and forgetting the other factors that help in the maximization of the profit. So the parent Company is sending Melissa for the visit of the Italian partners without proper guidance and training. Melissa believes those Italian partner was frustrated and may cancel the partnership. So due to her effective communication and situational leadership she is successful to gain the Italians business. Thus we need to gather information from face-to-face communication or other means of communication like email,  telephone, and fax etc. is very essential to begin any new business or work which makes easier to understand the situation and deal with it. Primary Sources of Information after Melissa’s Visit Before beginning any new thing the first thing we need to is gathering information regarding the new thing which makes easier to perform new task. In this case Melissa gathered and learned many things before visiting to the Italy, Venice. The parent company at US was doing negligence and doesn’t provide the information to the partner company at Venice as per requirement on time. When Melissa travelled to Venice and had face-to-face communication with their partner company at Italy, she realizes the reason for the frustration as the parent company at US has not provided the basic information regarding the product. She was successful on answering all the quarries of the partner company and also maintains the positive relationship for the business in the future. The partner company also agrees to discuss details for the next fiscal year plan. The partner company appreciates Melissa’s ability of communicating and the performance of her and also the partner company arranges a formal dinner program in her honor. So face-t- face communication helps to gather all the necessary and available information before beginning any new task. The president of the partner company noted the empathetic listening skills and ability to relate to their business needs and being critical to their future success and also praises her for her quick action and decisiveness she demonstrated during their meeting. Melissa’s Change in Attitude Dealing the Italian Partners When Melissa reached Venice, Italy she was quite stress but she quickly realize that the partners companies were frustrated from their prospective because the parent company at US was not providing the proper information regarding the product. But Melissa was fascinated with the serenity of the Italian partners. Diagnosing and communicating might account for Melissa’s change in attitude about dealing with the Italian partners after her visit. After face to face meeting with Partner Company she was able to she was able to understand the situation over there. But after meeting the partner company she was able to answer all their queries and also provided all the  information regarding the product due to which they were happy about the performance of Melissa because she was able to handle the critical situation in a proper manner. She was also invited for the dinner by the president of the partner company at Venice which motivates her and feels more confidence and also the Italian Partner were more committed towards the product then before. Similarly, the dedication of Italian partners toward their works might also account for Melissa’s change in attitude about dealing with the Italian partners after visit. Summary and Conclusions Effective communication by business managers facilitates information sharing between company employees and can substantially contribute to its commercial success. Effective communication should generate the desired effect and maintain the effect, with the potential to increase the effect of the message. Interpersonal skills and written and oral communication skills are important not only in obtaining a job, but also in performing effectively on the job. Therefore, communication is essential to keep the organization functioning at maximum level and to make the most of the management human resources (Hershey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2011). References Brandt, W. K., & Hulbert, J. M. (1976). Patterns of Communications in the Multinational Corporation: An Empirical Study. Journal of International Business Studies. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K., & Johnson, D. (2011).Managing of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources. (9th ed., pp. 243-250). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Persuasive Techniques: John Edwards

Persuasive Techniques The art of persuasion is a feature that can oftentimes, work to one’s advantage. In order to be persuasive, one must use persuasive techniques to convince a reader or listener to one’s viewpoint. Old sermons, such as Jonathan Edwards, â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God†, are written to drive home a message or to bring the sinful back to the church. Beth Chapman’s modern speech, â€Å"Stand Up for America Rally Speech†, is proposed to convince Americans to support the troops who are laying down their lives for our freedom.The two authors use the persuasive techniques of repetition, appeal to emotion, through charged words and the appeal to reason, through common sense, in order to influence their listeners and persuade their audience that their viewpoints are correct. In â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God† Edwards uses the persuasion technique of repetition. Edwards uses â€Å"†¦The wrath of god†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (110) many times which make the people feel uneasy and scared of their sinful ways.He implies that God is furious with them and has them on the edge of hell. Beth Chapman also uses repetition with â€Å"†¦human shields†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1). She feels that our troops go to war to fight for our country and celebrities are mentioning that they want to become â€Å"human shields† when they don’t do nothing. She is frustrated that all the â€Å"human shields† are the cops, military and other public authority while celebrities are mentioning that they want to help but they don’t really do anything.Repetition is used to enforce the message and or get to the main point or idea to an issue. A technique that is found in both â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God† by Jonathan Edwards and Beth Chapman’s â€Å"Stand Up for America Rally Speech† is emotional appeal. Jonathan Edwards describes â€Å"And now you have an extraordina ry opportunity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (111) by stating that the people still have a chance to be able to save his or her self and go to heaven.He uses it to make the people in the church uncomfortable and feel guilty about their sinful ways. He stresses that they still have an opportunity to enter into heaven. Beth Chapman uses emotional appeal with this quote â€Å"†¦Fact that this country has been forced into war- innocent people have lost their lives†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1). Beth Chapman uses this quote to approach the people that soldiers do all the scary, hard work and celebrities mention that they want to serve as human shields.Another persuasive technique that both Jonathan Edwards and Beth Chapman use is analogy. Edwards says â€Å"And your destruction will come like a whirlwind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (109). He compares your destruction with whirlwinds because whirlwinds are like tornadoes which cause destruction and damage. Beth Chapman also states â€Å"when the USS Cole was bombed, there were no movie stars guarding the ship- where were the human shields then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1) Her anger towards the movie stars is that they weren’t their serving as human shields.Analogy is a technique where both Edwards and Chapman who often uses figure of speech for desired emphasis. Jonathan Edwards and Beth Chapman all employ a variety of persuasive techniques in their sermons and speeches. Their goal is to try and convince their listeners to agree with their viewpoint. Whether it is to scare churchgoers into rededicating themselves to God, as in Edward’s sermon, or to stand up for what you are fighting for the messages all produce intense emotional responses from the readers.

Sexual Dreams and Fantasies are a Normal and Healthy Part of Life Essay

Sexual Dreams and Fantasies are a Normal and Healthy Part of Life - Essay Example Alongside the enjoyment of the actual act of sex is, or can be, the enjoyment that comes from erotic dreams and fantasies. It is my position on erotic dreams and fantasies that they are common in both men and women, and that they serve purposes that maintain a healthy life. While I believe that men and women have different fantasies, and that these fantasies can serve different purposes, through citing current research on all of these points, I believe that I will prove that both erotic dreams and sexual fantasies are common, normal, and healthy behaviors that are needed, if not required, for a person to be and remain healthy sexually and overall, regardless of gender. It is first important to understand that sex, and sexual behaviors, do not encompass a short or even somewhat workable list of topics and behaviors. Controversy surrounds the subject in society, with some behaviors such as anal sex and others automatically being seen as dirty, taboo, or against nature. Given this infor mation, it is not hard to understand why even the very mention of sex can make hairs on the back of the neck stand up in anger, embarrassment, or indignation. While there can be no doubt that sexual acts are private in nature, it should also be understood that sex is a normal and healthy part of life. According to a 2009 survey entitled The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), which encompassed 5,865 adults ranging in age from 14 to 94 years old, to say that the differences found in various behaviors related to sex were wide would be an understatement (Kreimer). It found, among other things, that men and women alike participated in activities that involved sexual acts both alone and with partners, and when the question was posed to report their latest sexual act, 41 different combinations were counted (Kreimer). No decrease was apparent in sexual activity among older adults, and in fact when questioned, this grouping was more receptive to new sexual ideas and needs (Kreimer). Orgasms were found to be the widest variant among the participants, with 85% of men reporting an orgasm in their latest sexual encounter, as opposed to only 64% of women (Kreimer). While this data does not speak to erotic dreams and fantasies, it does help to establish that sex is still seen as a common act between those of consenting age and nature. Helping the acceptance of erotic dream and fantasy become more accepted in society is the fact that America no longer lives in the 1950s, when sex was talked about in hush-hush tones and twin beds were shown on television for married couples. In a 2004 Live Poll Survey by ABC News, startling truths were revealed about just how far America had come in viewing the act of and the acts that went with sexual intercourse. The poll showed that 57% of Americans had had sex outdoors or in a public place, and that 29% had had sex on a first date. While 55% of Americans described their sex life as â€Å"traditional†, 10% of thos e people said that they would like their sex life to be more adventurous. Also, the poll showed that 21% of Americans had fantasized about a threesome, while 10% fantasized about having sex at work. An additional 14% reported that they had actually engaged in a threesome, while an additional 12% reported having had sexual activity or intercourse at their place of employment. Most importantly, 51% of Americans talked about their sexual fantasies with their partners.

Electronic Health Records in the UK Research Paper

Electronic Health Records in the UK - Research Paper Example This is in part informed on the fact policy debates are fueled by bogus, self-defeating attitudes. One of such thinking is that the United States is incapable of affording to cover the uninsured, when in real sense a synchronized monetary system is the chief instrument for cutting cost down, and there relatively inexpensive ways to do it. Even more, the biggest viewpoint, seized by many medical specialists, is that they would be unable to find more authority than they have before now under commercial managed care. Nevertheless, health care systems elsewhere grant medical specialists superior institutional muscle (James, 2005). In the fall of June 1941, a British civil servant, radio personality and educator Sir William Beveridge was requested to execute social modernization after World War II. He had previously worked as a civil servant whereby he interacted with the impoverished in the East of London. At this time, Beveridge observed the numerous paradoxical, biased programs for une mployment, housing, child support, amid other programs run by various departments under conflicting doctrines. As a result, Sir William Beveridge concluded that the only crucial approach was to deal with all the programs at once, in a manner that would form affiliations among the individual and state. The Beveridge account Social Insurance and Allied Services, advocated for all-inclusive health care as an element of a postwar government grand plan endorsing employment, housing, education and social security. However the Beveridge preparation provided just a preface and faltering sketch, it recognized an important vision and became an instant success. The Beveridge report for tax-based state health service as a communal good provided a rudimentary alternative to the existing Bismarck plan of National Health Service (Polly, 2003). Waiting records are a universal pressure valve in numerous systems that cut back on far too much spending. In the National Health System, the standard waiti ng time for discretionary hospital-based care is 46 days. The distinction by social status in seeking services, and admittance are nominal by international standards, though more affluent people are always adept at maneuvering any public service. The British system has been privileged to have private sector for the rich who want faster and plusher optional care. This quarter clinical value is not superior by a margin of 9 percent. The formulated policies favor a duplicative coverage for voluntary dealings for which medical professionals charge very abnormal fees. Private care is intense in the larger London quarter and other cities. Currently, all private admittance and day cases total more than 2%. The world and International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization have played a crucial role in the transformation of British Health sector (Scott, Randall & Vogt 2007). The existing design for the new NHS by the current British government is even more determined than the transf ormation shaped by Margaret Thatcher. The NHS was largely criticized as no longer affordable and or sustainable. Restraining it to an emergency and benefit service would have been glaringly politically practicable and would have been received well by the public-private joint venture premises of

Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Hospitality Management - Essay Example Most important is for the organization to identify the needs of its consumers. The organization must then select a specific product that will meet consumer needs (Day, p. 38). A purchase team is also put in place to deal with all purchase processes. The team then comes up with a list of products that meets the customer needs and puts into consideration the company’s standards of quality of products. Lastly a budget for purchase is created, a search for best and potential supplier is done, and contract awarded (Day, pp. 37-39). Receiving is a process of properly documenting receipts of goods and services that were ordered by the organizations purchase team by signing and dating the receipt. It involves checking condition of purchased goods that is their quality, quantity and finally storing them. In case of damaged goods or any other complain, it is put forward before signing the receivership book (Siddiqui, p. 8). Storage is the process of keeping goods in a safe place or in the company stores for future sale. Various activities take place during storage. Recording of goods in the store is one of the important activities that take place. The management in the store also records goods that are received or taken from the company’s warehouse. They are also responsible in ensuring all the goods in the stores are in good condition and identify arising problems in the store. Inventory control is the process of maintaining a balance in quantity of available goods in an organization. The management in the inventory control department ensures efficiency and prevents acquisition of excess goods by keeping record of available goods and their condition (Axsater, pp. 76-77). Procurement is the backbone of the organization since it deals with goods and services in the organization. Management of the organization should ensure it has qualified and competent staff or team to be efficient

Women's Studies. Gender Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women's Studies. Gender Violence - Essay Example Women abuse is very popular and it has become like an order of the day since in some societies even a boy child does not give an elderly woman the deserved respect equal to the one he would give to a male counterpart. In various societies, a woman is considered as a weaker success who cannot handle some tasks. Could problem have been the society we live in? Or is it our forefathers’ who initiated this? But then what are we doing to curb this kind of mistreatment? Can we all rise up and say no to gender violence? This piece of writing analyses the issue of gender violence. Undeniably, issues of gender violence are on the rise and something ought to be done about it. Some of the court decisions regarding these violence are actually not satisfying and I believe very punitive action will solve this matter to a very large extend. Talking about human rights, this is among the issues that should be addressed. A female child or a woman must enjoy her freedom once and for all without e ven an inch of denial. It is upsetting to hear that even celebrities who should lead these campaigns such as Chris brown are involved in this kind of character. This is certainly perturbing and it leaves someone wondering who should lead the campaign geared towards eradicating this kind of vice in the society if even the most respected people in the society are guilty of it. Who is in a good position to solve this abuse? I am convinced that we can all come together and treat all females equally by knowing that they are all human beings who deserve freedom and have rights given to them by their creatures. The following story is one of the sad stories of gender violence which is very rampant in military. Amanda Tenorio was a 28-year old divorced mother of two whose husband turned violent to shortly after marriage and later became a victim advocate for Army Community Services at Joint Base Henderson. Being a gender violence survivor, she was actually the best person to address this iss ue particularly after her husband’s unvarying thrashings caused her grave damages such as dislocated knees and brain injuries that eventually put her into unconsciousness. Tenorio together with other domestic violence survivors have strongly come out to condemn this act more so out of the military families that also seem to experience most of the violence. Tenorio feels that it is important to address this issue and she strongly believes that helping people through education is really vital especially the many victims that we come across almost on daily basis. The program which is aimed at eradicating and creating awareness amongst military families is put on all military installations. The program which focuses on treatment and interventions as well as trying to assist both the victim and the abuser has more than 800 clinical social workers and quick quickly responds to emergencies that would require either healthcare and shelter interventions. It is also revealed that some of the causes of violence are stressful situations such as financial difficulties, military trimming, or even handling of outcome of combat and the increase of this violence immensely worries the military leaders and domestic violence workers thus making the program to be focused on everyone in the military. Although war is very violent, it is not supposed to contribute to domestic violence and therefore it should change the attitude of the soldiers towards violence by making soldiers even better people. Loss of job can however bring stress such as how to complete mortgage or pay bills and this only requires counseling since violence can never solve this situation. The program that was started by Tenorio is therefore intended

Need to be paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Need to be paraphrase - Essay Example This research paper provides how Value Stream mapping a lean tool can be used for the achievement of effective environmental waste management. Value Stream mapping techniques as a lean management tools is effective as it identifies the underlying issues or problem and maps out how it can be addressed both in the current and in the future. The application of this construction lean tool is investigated through the examination of the various construction projects taking out analysis on each stage. The findings in regard to these construction firms study are analysed determining its green lean approach and its environmental sustainability. INTRODUCTION The art of construction is one of the core pillars of any country economic growth. Despite of its importance this aspect of economic growth has its underlying problems attributed to it. It is notable that most construction works and operations results into production of waste commonly in areas where demolition work is in progress. Accordin g to Green (1999) in his research asserts that most of the stakeholders of the construction works do not take into account its implications to the environment before undertaking them. This aspect has led to the stakeholders applying lean management tools to mitigate the impacts and keeping the environment green. Green brings forward the concept of lean construction which mainly involves the incorporation of lean thinking in construction. Koskela (1992) adds that lean construction improves the reliability and quality. The research on lean manufacturing is essential in ensuring that construction works conform to the environmental conservation measures. As stated earlier that construction sector has been considered to be highly associated with poor management of pollution notably waste management and the general conservation of environment. This has been attributed by adoption of traditional management and sustainability concepts of construction. Thus, due to this deficiencies construc tion firms have shifted towards the adoption of lean construction and the overall sustainability practices in its construction projects (Smith, 2003).. The lead construction initiatives aiming sustainability are based on VSM techniques and the achievement of lean and green sustainability. This management approach of construction projects enhances stakeholder’s efforts in the implementation of sustainability strategies in the construction project stages. The effectiveness and the reliability of VSM techniques is that its system has been integrated with both the production and environmental sustainability (EPA, 2007a). Research on the implementation of the construction lean management techniques in construction work has not been done widely. Stakeholders have overemphasized the aspect of environmental conservation in the design phase instead of the crucial construction phase. Larger amount of waste is realized in the construction phase. This has resulted into intensive research towards the adoption of value stream mapping in the environmental conservation in construction sites. VSM is widely adopted in the manufacturing sector in the management of waste in the whole process and has proved to be effective. Effective adoption f this technique ensures that all the

Transport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Transport - Essay Example Overall, the air travel industry provides an opportunity, which is facilitated by more than tourism. It also incorporates economic development, global trade and international investments, thus being one of the best investment opportunities (Brennan, 2009, p. 212). As a small-scale entrepreneur, the number of tourists entering France provides any investor with the opportunity of establishing a low cost international or local flight service. In Europe, the connection between the UK and France presents a lucrative venture for business. The route that I choose as an investor is between the Heathrow, London and Charles De Gaulle, Paris airports. One of the strongest reasons why this choice makes economic sense to me is that the two stations represent the hubs of business in the regions (Doganis, 2001, p. 90). The two airports are located within two of the busiest cities in Europe. These cities have an intricate transportation network in which the passengers can get to the airports in a nu mber of transportation choices. One of the most preferred choices of transport happen to be the train, closely followed by the cab. Transport between the centers and the airport has some merits as well as demerits. One of the challenges that the surface transport modes face is the case of jams. In both the UK and Paris, traffic congestion is a common occurrence, especially during the rush hours (Fleisher. and Bensoussan, 2007, p. 62). The jams are common in the railway stations as well as the motor ways. These characteristic is one that lowers the convenience of this mode of transport. This is however, it is an occurrence prominent in certain hours, but the intricate network is quite useful when there is little traffic on the road and rail networks. The car, either in a private or cab company capacity provides another choice of transport in the centers to the airports routes. As the preferred choice of transport, the car is one of the best choices in transportation, when convenience is involved, but this is dependent on the profile of the passenger. Where luggage is involved, the car might be the best operational choice, since it provides a better means of transport from the house to the terminal as opposed to public transportation. The train, though high speed faces an inconvenience in that it is public transport and is located at strategic points for a community (Frechtling, 2001, p. 31), in which the travellers have to walk or take a car to the service stations as well as from the terminals to the airports. With the train and buses being restricted to certain routes, the inconvenience lays mostly in the distance between the public terminals and the airport terminals, for they are not the same though close, in some instances. Another challenge with the public surface transport is the challenge introduced by the complexity of the transport network, especially for a nonlocal (Duncan, 2012, p. 134). Some of the competitors in the route chosen include the Eurost ar. The train is one of the modes of transport between the two centers i.e. Paris and London. There are several favorable elements associated with the train such as speed, lower costs and the interactive nature of the travel. The car is another competitor to the mode of transport between the two terminals, since the intricate transport network provides a motorway that links the

Children on edge of care, and the role of social workers associated Essay

Children on edge of care, and the role of social workers associated with them - Essay Example The language used in describing the issue of child protection has undergone many transformations over the years, and has especially seen marked changes in the last 40 years. From 1960s medico-social perspectives that exposed and treated the ‘battered babies’ (Parton, 1991), to the modern day twenty-first century provisions for ‘child care’ by the UK government, represent the huge transition in the perspectives of the state and the society on the issue of child protection. â€Å"The primary focus of official concern has broadened considerably. While in the 1960s it was ‘battered babies’, in the 1970s ‘non-accidental in jury to children’, in the 1980s ‘child abuse’, and for much of the 1990s ‘significant harm and the likelihood of significant harm’, the focus of the new millennium is ‘safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child’† (Parton, 2007, 9). ... that children need a secure and stable familial atmosphere within their homes, â€Å"in order to enable them to develop attachments and achieve the outcomes, to which we aspire, for all children. However, some children who are not able to form these attachments in their present living circumstances may need to be moved, which entails difficult judgements for all concerned†( Department for education and skills, 2006, 4). Protections for such children, were given a legal framework for the first time through the legislation of the Children Act 1989. Under section 31 of this 1989 act, children without stable and secure homes are liable to come under the overall care of the local authorities. ‘Children in care,’ however is a blanket term that covers all children that are being cared for by the local authorities, including â€Å"those subject to care orders under section 31of the children act 1989 and those looked after on a voluntary basis through an agreement with th eir parents† (Lall, 2007, 3). As per the Department of Education, the children that are placed for some reason under care of the local authorities in England /UK, form one of the most vulnerable social sections, in today’s context. â€Å"The majority of children in care are there because they have suffered abuse or neglect. At any one time around 60,000 children are looked after in England (of whom some 59 per cent are subject to care orders). Some 90,000 children are looked after at some point in any one year† (Department for Education, 2011). Children in care can be broadly divided into 3 basic types. These are: Any child placed under the care of the local authorities (LA). Children that are provisioned to a statutory care order under the rulings of section 31 of the Children Act 1989. Children place

Art History Essay Example for Free

Art History Essay 1. How does Ernst Gombrich define style and how might we understand the relationship between an object’s style and the time and place in which it was created? Ernst Gombrich defines style as â€Å"any distinctive, and therefore recognizable, way in which an act is performed or an artifact made or ought to be performed and made.† He also portrays style as distinguished event or pieces that has â€Å"desirable consistency and conspicuousness† and â€Å"stands out from a mass of ‘undistinguished’ events or objects†. In relation to time and place in which style was created, â€Å"The analysis of stylistic traditions in terms of the means peculiar to individual arts cuts across another approach, which is less interested in longitudinal study of evolution than in the synchronic characterization of all activities of a particular group, nation, or period.† 2. Based upon the readings, what is the relationship between style and form? Style is observing and seeing recognizable features in an object; form is in representing the event, portrays the idea, in which style and form come together to create pictorial representation. 3. Jacques-Louis David is often described as the leader of the Neoclassical school of painting and Oath of the Horatii is frequently described as the quintessential Neoclassical painting. Identify five elements of David’s painting that might be described as Neoclassical. 1. â€Å"Neoclassic artists and critics sought to revive the ideal of classical Greece and Rome.† The drapery and clothing worn by the figures in the drawing represent the classical Greek era, as well as; the columns in the background show a great representation of classical architecture. 4. The harsh, slanting light gives the figures their relief, and their contrasting characters are conveyed using different forms. The figures are separated by large empty spaces in a stage-like area shown head-on. The applied shade and shadow contrasted to the lighting emphasis enhanced the perception of depth. 5. â€Å"There is a sense of order, logic, and clarity in the subject matter and content, concepts† such as dedicating it to a ruler. Also there is a sense of decorum, appropriateness, and morality was emphasized. The painting isn’t styled with playful subject matter, or dreamy mythological, Greek god-like figures and bright colors, but technical approach by the artist. 6. Through the use of shade and applied shadows to representing three dimensional space on a two dimensional canvas. The 1-point perspective of the room was convincingly natural; the human figures were well proportioned and anatomically accurate. 7. The return to the Roman antiquity was the primary source of inspiration, which led to a period of resurgence in classicism and classical knowledge. It was also a period of enlightenment and rational thinking. This entire picture was a result of an imagination, drawn up with convincing realism to serve as an illustration to convince the viewers at their first glance. 8. Explain the significance of genre and narrative in the classification of David’s Oath as Neoclassical. This image is classified in the genre of history painting. This painting was based on the legend about the founding of Rome. David tells the story of three brothers that make an oath of loyalty to their father swearing defend their city ‘til death. . Most Neo-Classical paintings take their subjects from Ancient Greek and Roman history. In this painting, the Horatii brothers are swearing an oath on their swords, which their father presents to them to fight until they die for their country. David creates the ideal image to represent â€Å"greater seriousness and moral commitment,† which are the basic principles of Neo-Classicism. David achieves what most neoclassical artists and critics strive for in their art by reviving the idea of classical Greece and Rome.

Science Time Lesson Plan Essay Example for Free

Science Time Lesson Plan Essay Materials:   classroom analog clock, individual student clocks, Daily Times worksheet Objective:   Students will use scientific processes: questioning, planning and conducting investigations, using appropriate tools and techniques to gather data, thinking critically and logically about relationships between evidence and explanations, and communicating results. Anticipatory Set: Teacher will discuss daily routine, getting up in the morning, dressing breakfast, and the times of each event.     Emphasize the clock time for each event using the large clock. Instructional Procedures:   The students have explored the concept of a minute; they need to know how to tell time. They need to be able to see a clock and know how to read 1-5 minutes on it. Read the story Clocks and More Clocks and discuss why the clocks tell different times. It is important the students understand that activities take time, introduce the term â€Å"lapsed time†. When they participate in various activities it takes time and this is â€Å"lapsed time†. Discuss how long it takes to do reading, spelling, recess, and other class activities. Students can also discuss how much time they spend at lunch or in the computer lab. Students will practice with a clock looking at various times. (Students should have done activities with a clock prior to doing this activity.) Pair them up and give several guided practice times to check for understanding.   Once this you have accomplished this step the students can be given a sheet to record events of the day. They need to record these events so they are sequenced in the correct order. Discuss why the clocks were at different times. Distribute clocks. Have the students show various times on their clocks. (Have them do times that are part of their day. Example: recess, lunch, computer time, etc.) Pass out the worksheet. Have them begin working on the sheet. Send it home to be finished. Assessment:   Students will create clocks using paper plates then mark and label times on the clock for events of the day. Additional Resources: Pigs on the Blanket by Amy Axelrod The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle Nine O’clock Lullaby by Marilyn Singer All About Time by Andre Verde   Social Studies Lesson Plan Materials: classroom analog clock, 12 x 18 sheet of white construction paper, individual student clocks, Daily Times worksheet Objective:   Ã‚  Place important life events in chronological order on a timeline.   An understanding of chronological order is applied to the analysis of the interrelatedness of events.   Ã‚  The student will order the events that occur in a day. The student will distinguish between events that occur in the a.m. and p.m. Anticipatory Set:   The teacher will review the terms of analog, a.m. and p.m. as well as discuss the difference between the two.   Prior Knowledge:   Teacher will then brainstorm activities for each. Develop prior knowledge by asking for suggestions of activities that occur in the a.m. and p.m.   Create a tree map to display students suggestions. Instructional Procedure: Give each student a small analog clock to review time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour. The teacher will model using the classroom clock. Using students brainstorming suggestions of events, have the students demonstrate the time on their clocks and name whether it is a.m. or p.m. Hand out white construction paper and model folding into eight sections. Students will follow step by step directions by folding once vertically and twice horizontally to create the eight sections, (teacher may need to help some students with this part). Students will cut the handout of paper blank clocks and glue one on to each section of the paper.   Students will then choose four events that occur in the a.m. and label the time to the hour, half hour, or quarter hour on their blank analog clock with pencil. Under each time, students will write the digital time. Students will write a sentence describing the event and the time it occurs under the digital time. For example, I get up in the morning at 8:15 a.m. Students will follow the same steps for the p.m. times on the second day. Once students have completed their My Day Timeline, they will get together with a partner to read their timeline. The partner will ask them a questions after each time to encourage social and communication skills. Assessment:   The students will be evaluated based on the completion of the My Day Timeline. Teacher will monitor as students complete closure activity and check for accurate use of time and a.m. /p.m. Extension: Students can elaborate on their sentence by describing what and how they do each activity in their sentence.

Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle Comparison

Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle Comparison Introduction Emotional sufferings are part of humans life. People are overwhelmed by them leading to desperation or even to the acting out of these emotions in a destructive way. Finding a way to cope with these emotions is important. This could be done by various means playing music, doing sports and especially by doing art. I choose the research question: How do Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle cope with their emotional sufferings by doing art? because of two reasons. First of all, I researched artists who dealt with their emotions artistically. I became especially interested in Frida Kahlo an artist of Mexican origin as I am partly Mexican and thus can connect to her. Niki de Saint Phalle has been well-known to me as I have been in France for one year and heard about her famous shooting paintings. Secondly, I started to develop paintings resulting from emotional sufferings myself and became interested in the connection of emotions and their artistic expression. Once I went to a vernissage organized by the Malwerkstatt of the Asklepios Klinik in Gà ¶ttingen. There I saw some paintings done by mentally hurt women who paint regularly. In the following weeks I spent some time in the Malwerkstatt interviewing them about their process of doing art, related feelings and resulting paintings. I became interested in their way of seeing art as a transformation of negative feelings into a piece of art. Doing art has a positive impact on their well-being. However, they cannot fully transform their sufferings into an expressive piece of art. Frida Kahlo, Niki de Saint Phalle and the interviewed mentally hurt women realized the possibility of doing art as a constructive way to express their emotional sufferings. Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle cope with their emotional sufferings to the last extent; going on stage not hiding any more but extricate themselves from expectations. The resulting creation can be seen as a mirror reflecting their inner-self which might be shocking and disapproving. The courage to create is one of the basic principles to start with. In order to cope with the sufferings fully the step these great artists did is essential. Freeing yourself not thinking about assessment anymore giving your sufferings an artistic voice will eventually be constructive and surely improve your emotional state. The focus will be on the analysis and interpretation of the selected artworks in relation to the emotional sufferings expressed through it. Additionally, the transformation into a piece of art will be pointed out. Frida Kahlo ´s expression through paintings, especially self-portraits; stand in contrast to the three-dimensional artwork and shooting paintings done by Niki de Saint Phalle. One painting done by a mentally hurt woman will be taken into account for the analysis. Taking into consideration these two artists I aim to show their different artistic expressions, the creation of innovative, unconventional and evocative art. Frida Kahlo Frida is the only example in the history of art of an artist who tore open her chest and heart to reveal the biological truth of her feelings. The only woman who has expressed in her works an art of the feelings, functions, and creative power of women said her husband Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Frida Kahlo, an artist of Mexican-German origin, was born in Mexico in 1907.In her life she suffered from physical and emotional pain mainly due to a serious bus accident at the age of 18 that left her with lifelong incapacitating illnesses and a disintegrating body.The metal bar of the bus skewed her body causing her spinal column and pelvis to break. Because of the destroyed uterus Frida could not give birth leading to desperation and loneliness, expressed in her self-portrait Henry Ford Hospital. The physical pain she suffered from this incident marked a turning point in her perception of art. In bed-ridden she started to paint as an expression of her traumatic experiences. She recorded her emotional state in paint. During 1946 up to 1950 she underwent eight operations on her spin. Consequently, she confronted herself with thoughts about her own death visible in the painting The Dream. The impact of the spinal trauma on her continuous sufferings is shown in her self-portrait entit led The Broken column. The coping of her sufferings by painting was the way to improve her well-being or even to keep her alive. Frida Kahlo transformed her emotions into a piece of art which tells her feelings honestly and open. Especially in her lifetime she was one of the rare artists who were not afraid of expressing their emotions through art in such a heartbreaking and shocking way. Her style is dramatic and original. Frida mostly created self-portraits: I paint self-portraits because I am the person I know best. I paint my own reality.Some of Frida ´s self-portraits show her crying, broken up and even bleeding. Frida had the courage to show her body, nude and sick. Her emotions were transformed into a painting, as they were; she wore her heart on canvas. The Broken Column is a self-portrait of Frida Kahlo that shows her sufferings. It is like a X-ray picture from her broken spinal column. The ground color is a tone of yellow, brown and orange. In the foreground she is standing upright; paralyzed like a statue. Her nude body is shown from the hips upwards. Probably, she is not yet ready to expose herself completely nude as she covers the pubic area by holding a white blanket. However, it seems as if in one moment the blanket might fly away because she does not hold it strongly. The torso is split vertically into exactly two mirrored parts. Therefore, the middle part is symmetrical. Frida ´s spinal column is replaced with a broken column which as an ancient element refers back to her bus accident: the source of never ending pain.The spinal column makes it possible to stand upright and indicates self-confidence. It is of psychological and physical importance. Because of the broken column Frida should have lost stability. However, this is prevented by the steel corset. It is in form of a grid like prison bars which keeps the body together but at the same time imprisons her. Similar to the imprisonment by society values and the restricted freedom of movement.Although, being broken she keeps her attitude upright. The head is shifted to the right and supported by the column. By her visible right ear it seems as if she wants to hear something. Her facial expression is lifeless and sad. She is gazing and tears come out of the eyes that express her emotion of pain. The mouth is closed and the lips are slightly pressed together. The hair is loose which stands in contrast to the bounded body. Like in acupuncture the metallic nails of different sizes stick from all directions into her body, face and right side of the blanket.I know that in colloquial Spanish being nailed means estar calvada. In the figurative sense it stands for being cheated on. The nails go back to the relationship with her husband Diego Rivera and coul d refer to his infidelity.In the background a barren desert is shown which is broken up like her infertile body. The atmosphere conveyed by the desert reinforces her pain and loneliness. The horizon cuts the throat like the column divides the body. Frida is alone in the dry and rocky brownish landscape that stands in contrast to her wet tears. The painting has a great impact on me. While taking a look at it for the first time I was overwhelmed and my body was tense. I had the impression of sharing the physical pain. This is because of the openness and brutality done to her body. By this painting Frida shows two sides. Her inner-self; broken, bleeding and her appearance hiding the pain by her upright posture and lifeless face mask. To me Frida ´s strong personality is well shown. I admire her for the courage to depict the pain in such an impressive way as to expose her vulnerability. The painting The Dream shows Frida lying in a wooden bed which floats in the clouds. A yellow blanket covers her body and two pillows are under her head. She is comfortable and has fallen into a deep sleep like the Sleeping Beauty. Her facial expression is calm and without any preoccupations she seems to be lost in her dream. Roots are spreading from the bed end over the whole bed and reaching up to the face having small leaves. A wooden board is fixed on top of the bed. On there a white papier mache skeleton lies like Frida Kahlo. The skeleton holds a bunch of flowers and firecracker are all over his body and legs. This painting shows her willingness to confront with the hardest reality: the end of her human existence. Frida painted her own death as she underwent many serious operations leading to the confrontation of death each time.Frida expresses her death to the maximum by imagining herself as a skeleton.To some this might be extremely shocking to portray oneself already dead. Imagining your own death would be the last thing. To explain why Frida was able to paint her death one can look back to her Mexican origin. She was very much involved in Mexican traditions which includes the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. On this day the welcoming of the dead is celebrated in a colourful way. This shows the fearless attitude Mexicans have towards death. As I am of Mexican origin the connection to the Mexican culture is visible. Personally, I am not shocked because the skeleton does not look in a scary way. He rather seems to be smiling. Additionally, the luminescent and intense yellow coloured blanket makes me think of the power of light. Moreover, the blanket protects Frida ´s body from the thorny branches. However, it seems as if the peaceful tranquillity of the dream can easily be interrupted. Only a spark is necessary to ignite the firecrackers. The painting would turn from a static to a dynamic one. On the right bottom corner the formation of darker clouds might indicate a weather change. Another interpretation could be that the background is meant symbolically. Frida is in heaven where she has gained the freedom from emotional sufferings. The painting Henry Ford Hospital shows Frida lying naked and hemorrhaging up in bed. Her body is twisted with the legs bent and turned to the right side. She covers her pubic bone. The white blanket is partly covered with her blood. Her left hand is close to the thumb and she holds strings which are connected to different symbols. The red cords vein-like ribbonsare connected to six images that symbolize the source of pain and the impact they had on her fertility. The orchid symbolizes her femininity. As it is not integrated in her body the capability of giving birth is not given to her due to the accident. The snail represents the slowness of the miscarriage and is related to her sensation of passing time. In the left corner a machine can be seen which stand for the painful miscarriage due to the technical part of it. In contrast to the bed shown in The Dream this bed seems to be rudimentary and it stands on brown soil. The bed frame is inscribed: on the length side Henry Ford Hospital Detroit and on the narrow side Julio de 1932 F. K.In the background industrial facilities are shown. In combination with the blue greyish sky the depicted grief, desperation and loneliness is stressed.The depiction of these industrial facilities in Detroit could be connected to her bus accident as it was the modern technique being responsible for the accident to occur. This painting is related to the emotion of grief and loneliness after her first miscarriage in the Henry Ford Hospital. The longing to have an own child was obsessive. She was desperately waiting for the baby. Thus the miscarriage hit her very hard. The loss led to a serious depression. In this painting Frida depicts a powerful and coherent statement of inner and outer maternal fracture, loss, and agony. I think that the torture she had to face is clearly expressed trough this painting by her posture and blood. Frida writhes in pain. At first, I was confused why the bed is not in hospital but in a landscape without plants. Like in the Broken Column a brownish and dry landscape is shown on which no plants grow. I think that it stands for her incapability of giving birth. The bars of the bed can be related to the grid visible in the Broken Column. Frida is imprisoned in hospital where she cannot escape from pain. The symbols matched to Frida make me think of a mind-map.However, everything shown cannot be understood at first glance. The symbols can be seen as a puzzle Frida gives to the viewer. A story is to be discovered. Niki de Saint Phalle Niki de Saint Phalle was born in France, Neuilly-Sur-Seine, in 1930. She was a French mixed-media artist and sculptor. Brought up in a conservative family and educated in monastery school Niki was confronted with the strict values held by society. The domestic position of wives was one of the main values that Niki rejected. However, she married young and gave birth to children. When she realized that she led a conventional life an inner conflict arose. Moreover, she had a trauma due to her being abused by her father. An aggression against men developed. Consequently, she had a nervous breakdown and got a treatment in hospital.Like Frida Kahlo she started to express her emotional state right after a serious health problem. After she had left her family behind her main focus became art.Niki de Saint Phalle joined the artist group called Nouveau Realistes in 1960. In the following, Niki created the assemblage Portrait of my lover.In 1961 she created her first shooting paintings which ma de her well known around the world. They were an open door for the recognition of her art works on an international level. Niki de Saint Phalle Portrait of my lover, created in 1961 shows a target, black tie and white shirt attached to a black board. Instead of a man ´s head a target is placed at which the visitors could throw arrows. On the black painted canvas a tie and a men ´s shirt is glued on. The shirt is covered with black droplets. Niki admired Jackson Pollock and could have been influenced by his actions paintings.Therefore, she might have applied great force by throwing the paint on the shirt. The throwing of the arrows is representative for the step to independence. The special feature of this artwork lies in the changed meaning of well-known objects to symbolize a human. Pieces of art created out of ready for use objects are called Ready-Made.By this artwork she has was able to find A fertile outlet for her ferocious rage toward men -and the dominant masculine art establishment via the creative expression of violence. Niki de Saint Phalle ´s performed the creation of her shooting paintings in public. All over the world shooting actions took place. One of these actions is depicted in the above shown photograph. She shocked society by her performance.She shot at a relief with paint so that all the paint spilled out and the painting was bleeding. Her way of doing art by shooting was new as it went against the traditional. The aggressive acts were meant symbolically. By shooting she released herself from the standards, gained in a solid-middle class home and monastery school. The artist secreted plastic bags filled with paint behind paintings, and sculptures; the bags burst when the works were shot by a gun held by Niki.By the act of destruction Niki created a new painting. The dispersion of color plays a role in the spontaneous effect. It seems as if the painting is bleeding. By her shooting paintings she went on stage and showed to public that it is time for action. Not only to let her aggressions out she shot at the painting but as well to make the public aware of the brutal reality at that time.Wars and conflicts were the current issue. The shootings symbolize the power of killing. She acted in an aggressive way towards her pieces of art in the same way as society did with her and their opponents.The sacrificial death of the painting should be a warning to society. Analysis Frida Kahlo expressed her emotional sufferings comprehensibly through self-portraits. One can refer back to the sources of her pain. She portrayed herself as the victim of pain. The background supports the emotion. Niki de Saint Phalle expressed her emotional sufferings in a completely different way. Rather than painting she made use of the role oppressor-victim by performing art. She was not the one suffering from pain but a women standing up fighting back in spite of society values. Niki wanted to be in the role of the aggressor not of the suppressed one. By shooting at it she seems like a beautiful Amazon. This was new for that time to see a women holding a gun in their hands and not being the calm and carrying household woman. Niki violated the traditional role of women. Furthermore, she freed herself from this role she did not to fit in. Niki shot with self-confidence, fearlessness and strength at the painting showing her superiority. She killed the painting but at the same time gave birth to a new one. Death and rebirth are connected in a way that her expression became constructive instead of destructive. Trying to reach public by performing the shooting on a larger scale meaning on inter national shooting session shows the great step she did to make an appeal to others. Killing the painting was her way to get her aggression out.Finally, she reached to overcome and cope with her emotional sufferings by shooting and even more I became addicted to shooting like one becomes addicted to a drug. Blood appears in both of the artistic expressions either in painting as blood droplet out of a wound or as the painting being hurt and bleeding. I was impressed by their courage to go that far in art as to show their own nude and sick body or acting violently by shooting. It is incredible as to what extent they had success. While researching and taking a look at their biographies I realized that both had a male artist who helped them to express. They were usually people who were right in society having a certain influence as a famous painter: Diego Rivera and Jean Tinguely. By expressing art they went on stage not hiding their feelings anymore but choosing a direct confrontation with these. They do not want or can escape any longer. I became interested in the fact that if other people not being artists can cope with their emotional sufferings by doing art. To get an answer I went to the Malwerksatt in the Asklepios Klinikum in Gà ¶ttingen, Germany where mentally hurt women do art once per week for about two hours. I interviewed them about their feelings, experiences with art and took a look at their artworks. Eve Kaboth is in charge of the Malwerkstatt and provides assistance in case of help but does not assess them in any way. This is especially important as it guarantees a free working atmosphere. The women having experienced loss, betrayal and suppression are trying to do art as to improve their well-being. Negative emotions are released leaving them relieved and happy. As to their paintings they mostly do them subconsciously without having a clear idea in mind but which will develop during the process. I took a look at one painting showing clowns covered by coloured oil pastels smashed on the paper. Usually they are afraid of portraying humans. They represent some kind of colourful dream world. A composition of colours in which the forms, lines and objects do not play a significant role. While painting they are relaxed and enjoy it. This painting seems as if the woman is still hiding like the clowns shown in the picture. By this painting it is clear that she is not yet ready to go on stage. The impression I got is that they have not fully overcome the imprisonment by society and confronted themselves with their sufferings. Thus the step of showing everything openly, provocatively in order to fully cope with them is not yet reached. Niki de Saint Phalle and Frida Kahlo, in contrast to the mentally hurt women, reached the highest point they could possibly reach by their expression. Doing art was not restricted by society anymore. Art is an expressive source the artists Niki de Saint Phalle and Frida Kahlo realized. With their moving art they freed themselves but not only this. They went a step further by breaking society values. Frida Kahlo drew herself bleeding, open and naked. Especially at that time when artists were not supposed to express themselves in the painting as if they were the subject. Taking this into consideration one can see parallels to Niki as she was the first woman not being a victim but the aggressor. They realized that emotional sufferings can trigger creativity and be seen as a genesis source of new expressive art. But this is not at all easy to undergo. It requires courage and the refusal to run away from the inner self, unconscious and the unknown. Conclusion To answer the research question How do Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle cope with their emotional sufferings by doing art? I came to the conclusion that both, Frida Kahlo and Niki de Saint Phalle cope with their emotional sufferings by doing art in a different way. Frida Kahlo documented her emotional sufferings by painting, especially self-portraits. The extension of her is Niki de Saint Phalle whose action was art. She created shooting paintings. Emotional sufferings can be beneficial and reinforce a development (out of a crisis new things are created). Without having these experiences and the related emotional sufferings this new expression of art would not have been created. Therefore emotional sufferings can be seen from positive point of view. Creativity, then, can in part be thought of as the capacity to express the demonic constructively. This is what all great artists do. Is there a limit to cope with emotional sufferings by doing art? When is it said not to be ethical? On the one hand the shooting paintings helped Niki to cope with her sufferings but on the other hand she shocked society by her performance. But sometimes it can be good to draw people ´s attention to an issue by shocking them. I think that as long as no humans, animals and ethical principles are hurt by the art process it is legitimate. Bibliography Primary Source: Interview with mentally hurt women and the leader of the workshop. August-October 2009. Asklepios Fachklinikum Gà ¶ttingen in Germany. Secondary Sources: Books: Bauer, Claudia. Frida Kahlo. Mà ¼nchen: Prestel Verlag, 2005. Becker, Monika. Starke Weiblichkeit entfesseln. Niki de Saint Phalle. Berlin: List Taschenbuchverlag, 2005. Diamond, Stephen A. Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic. New York: State University of New York Press, 1999. Herrera, Hayden. Frida Kahlo.Malerin der Schmerzen-Rebellin gegen das Unabà ¤nderliche. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, 1988. Prignitz-Poda, Helga. Frida Kahlo. Die Malerin und ihr Werk. Mà ¼nchen: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, 2003. Schrà ¶der, Stefanie. Ein starkes verwundetes Herz Niki de Saint Phalle. Ein Kà ¼nstlerleben.Freiburg: Herde Verlag, 2002. Seemann, Annette von. Ich habe mich in eine Heilige verwandelt. Frida Kahlo.Mà ¼nchen: List Taschenbuch Verlag, 2002. Journals: Goldsmith, Marlene. Abjection and Psychic Deadness In The Paintings of Frida Kahlo. The Psychoanalytical Review Vol.92, No. 6, December 2004. 729-758p. Websites: Brown, Amy. Frida Kahlo an amazing woman. http://www.amybrown.net/women/frida.html Frida by Kahlo. http://www.fbuch.com/fridaby.htm Niki ´s official website. http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com Tate Liverpool Educators ´Pack. http://www.tate.org.uk

Written and Unwritten Rules on the CUE Bus :: Projects Driving Buses Papers

Written and Unwritten Rules on the CUE Bus I have been riding the CUE bus regularly for a period of about two years now, and through that time have learned a lot about what goes on on the bus. The thing that has stood out to me the most is the many written and unwritten rules that govern behavior for both passengers and bus drivers. There are certain things one needs to do to be a "successful" passenger, and I have learned many of them along the way through experience and observation, without even really noticing it. For the past two months I have consciously observed people and how they relate to these rules, and the patterns have become even more clear to me. Rules for Bus Drivers One main thing that one needs to do be a successful passenger is to understand the rules that govern how the bus drivers behave, because this will effect the choices that you make. The bus drivers have a lot of rules they have to follow that are given to them by the management. For instance, they are supposed to do everything in their power to arrive at each bus stop at the posted time on the schedule. They are also supposed to only pick up passengers or let them off at designated CUE bus stops. The bus drivers must constantly balance these rules with another, unwritten rule - that they should be friendly and considerate to the people who are riding the bus. Sometimes these two principles come into conflict, and that's when things really get interesting. Some examples of times when they come into conflict are the following: The Bus Driver is Ahead of Schedule It is bad for the bus driver to arrive at a bus stop late, but it is even worse for him to arrive there early, because then people who have not gotten there yet may miss the bus. I have seen bus drivers stop at Rite Aid pharmacy (on the intersection of Lee Highway and Chainbridge road) and at George Mason and sit for several minutes because they were ahead of schedule. This creates an awkward situation for the people riding on the bus, who are now just sitting stopped for no apparent reason. The longer the bus sits, the more awkward it feels. Although nobody has ever complained about it out loud, there is an unspoken pressure.

Privacy In The Information Age :: essays research papers

The world is changing rapidly. There used to be a time when we could be confident that no one could learn too much about our personal lives. There used to be a time when information was merely a way of keeping records. That time is gone and with it went a large amount of what we might call our personal privacy. Information about our personal lives has now become one of the most valued resources on the market today. The explosion of the computer and communications industries has created a system that can store vast amounts of data on an individual and transmit that information almost anywhere in a negligible amount of time. More and more people are gaining access to this information and the government has been too slow to react to the changes. As a result, employers, insurance agencies, law enforcement officers, and researchers are all lobbying for legislation that would establish clear rules for the access to this information. Each of these groups stand to gain enormous benefits from legitimizing access to a broad base of personal information. This information will be organized into vast databases that will be maintained by the government, credit report agencies, the health care industry, and employers. The system will come to contain information on virtually every aspect of our lives, the data will be quickly and efficiently transferred around the globe via the arising Global Information Infrastructure, and paper records sitting in file cabinets will become a thing of the past. However, considering current trends, what may be missed the most from the old system are the locks on those old, rusted file cabinets. This new system allows for a lot of access to previously confidential files and we are already seeing the negative effects that this system has produced. For example, employers and insurance companies have begun to discriminate against individuals based on samplings of a person’s or fetus’s DNA. As genetic testing and the human genome proje ct advance, there will be an even greater opportunity for discrimination based on characteristics or conditions that may, or may not, arise in an individual's future. To provide a background to the discussion, this report will establish who has access to what information today.

DNA :: Deoxyribonucleic Acid essays research papers

DNA DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is described, in Encarta Encyclopedia as a genetic material of all cellular organisms and most viruses. DNA carries the information needed to direct protein synthesis and replication. Protein synthesis is the production of the proteins needed by the cell or virus for its activities and development. Replication is the process by which DNA copies itself for each descendant cell or virus, passing on the information needed for protein synthesis. In most cellular organisms, DNA is organized on chromosomes located in the nucleus of the cell. A molecule of DNA consists of two chains, strands composed of a large number of nucleotides, that are linked together to form a chain. These chains look like a twisted ladder and are called a double helix. Each nucleotide consists of three units: sugar molecules called deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and one of four different nitrogen containing compounds, also called bases. The four are adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), and cytosine (C). The deoxyribose molecule occupies the center of the nucleotide, with the phosphate group on one side and a base on the other. The phosphate group of each nucleotide is also linked to the deoxyribose of the adjacent nucleotide in the chain. These linked deoxyribose-phosphate subunits form the side rails of the ladder. The bases face inward toward each other, forming the steps of the ladder. The nucleotides in one DNA strand have a specific association with the corresponding nucleotides in the other DNA strand. Because of the chemical affinity of the bases, nucleotides containing adenine are always paired with nucleotides containing thymine, and nucleotides containing cytosine are always paired with nucleotides containing guanine. The complementary bases are joined to each other by weak chemical bonds called hydrogen bonds. DNA carries the instructions for the production of proteins. A protein is composed of smaller molecules called amino acids, and the structure and function of the protein is determined by the sequence of its amino acids. The sequence of amino acids, in turn, is determined by the sequence of nucleotide bases in the DNA. A sequence of three nucleotide bases, called a triplet, is the genetic code word, or codon, that specifies a particular amino acid. For instance, the triplet GAC (guanine, adenine, and cytosine) is the codon for the amino acid leucine, and the triplet CAG (cytosine, adenine, and guanine) is the codon for the amino acid valine.

Gender Communication Differences in Traditional Marriage Essay

Men and women communicate differently. Two people of opposite gender joined in marriage have two very different styles of communication to the extent that this problem is sometimes insurmountable. Lack of clear communication between partners in a traditional marriage is often cited as the cause for divorce. What often occurs â€Å"is not a failure to communicate, but a failure to understand communication† (Akin, 2003, 1). Long before technology took over society and created more avenues for communicating with each, men were used to showing support by â€Å"doing things† for the family and women showed their affection through talking (Torrpa, 2002, 1). Women expect their marital relationship to be based on mutual dependence and cooperation while men expect it to be based on independence and competition (Torppa, 2002, 1). Clearly, these two different sets of expectations will have an effect on how the two partners communicate and ultimately, on the strength of the union. According to Ohashi (1993) marriage is a system established on the assumption of a division of labor based on gender-role stereotypes (from Katsurada, Sugihara, 2002, 2). Women traditionally tend to want to â€Å"make everyone happy† while men make decisions based largely on their own personal needs (Torrpa, 2002, 1) – one aspect of marriage that is unchanged for the most part yet responsible for many breaks in communication between the partners. Differences in characteristic gender roles also affect communication between husband and wife. Typically, women are characterized as being the more talkative of the sexes as well as being comfort providers and more secure in showing their emotions. Women are also better at â€Å"reading between the lines† regarding interpersonal issues (Torrpa, 2002, 1). Men, on the other hand, are known for their distinct lack of communication and inability to provide emotional support. Their ability to â€Å"read between the lines† regarding status is more pronounced than in women. With traditional roles in marriage declining and technology taking over, communication is at once both more effective and less available (Morris, 2001, 1) – we have more ways of communicating (e. g. text messaging, Email, etc. ) but we have less time to do so with multiple careers. Both male and female partners tend to see the other as being more controlling of the relationship (Torppa, 2002, 1) and without the ability to communicate effectively, this assumption can be quite damaging to the marriage. This research will explore the varying roles of a man and woman in a traditional marriage relationship, how these roles influence their ability to effectively communicate, and the level of satisfaction each partner feels based on their idea of whether or not they are communicating effectively with each other regarding important issues. According to Torrpa (2002, 1): â€Å"understanding differences is the key to working them out†. B. Hypothesis It is expected that marriage partners with traditional roles (i. e.the husband as breadwinner, the wife in charge f the household) will experience a greater chasm between what is being said and what is meant in that these partners will have communication styles more typical of their gender. It is hypothesized that men will have a very different style of communication than the women in each partnership. C. Participant Selection A minimum of 15 married alumni couples will be identified via public records office and sent a mailed invitation. Commitment may also be obtained via telephone. Respondents to the survey will be offered a gift card from a local merchant. D. Materials 1) Written questionnaire regarding the couple’s marriage 2) Assessment of task completion using a scale model E. Procedure In this study, the married couples will be surveyed regarding their role in the marriage. Each couple will be surveyed individually. A task will be randomly and privately assigned to one of the partners with specific instructions to verbally communicate the specifics of the task to the other partner. Communication style and effectiveness will be measured by the ability of the spouse to complete the task and a post-task survey completed by the spouse that will rank the value of the instructions given on a scale of one to 10. The spousal differences between the style of communication (i. e. non-verbal direction, logic) will be made apparent by the answers to the post-task survey. Analyzing the data with frequency tables is expected to show that the males in the group communicate using logic, while the females will rely more on non-verbal signals they expect their partner to recognize. Potential Risks to Participants There are no potential risks associated with participation in this research study. However, should participants feel the need for counseling services following the survey, they will be directed to the campus counseling center. G. Expected Benefits for Participants and Society Participants in the survey should garner a much better idea of how to communicate more effectively with each other. The hope is that through awareness of communication deficits, the married couples will be able to put this new knowledge to use when needing to communicate about larger and more important issues.

Alberti on Renaissance Painting and Technique

This essay will deal with the technical and metaphysical aspects of Alberti’s famous 1435 piece, On Painting, specifically, the paragraphs in Book II 25-34. What is significant about this selection is that it summarizes many of the technical and metaphysical principles that have come to define the renaissance, especially the dominance of Plato and the rule of Form.Hence, this selection is not merely a matter of painting technique, but a summary of the basic ontology of Renaissance thinking as it pertains to painting and sculpture, as Alberti considers these as â€Å"cognate arts.† The citations will be based on the paragraph number rather than the page.The professed aim of this section is to justify the honor and virtue of the painter as an artist. But of course, it is far more than that. Alberti depicts the painter almost as a sorcerer or sorts, someone who can make what is not present, present. The notion of re-creation, or even co-creation is a central element of the scientific revolution that the Renaissance both foreshadowed and participated in.For Alberti, the painter can, in a sense, bring the dead back to life (25). The painter does, on a regular basis, what the alchemist tries and struggles to bring about, to have a dominance over creation, to master it and force it to bend to the artists’ will. This is the real connection between Alberti’s work here and the scientific and alchemical ideology of the Renaissance (Caron, 1961 35-37).Alberti continues to contrast the painter’s art to the alchemists, holding that a painted jewel or piece of gold, because it is artistically rendered, is actually worth more than the actual stone or previous metal. This is a challenge to alchemy, having been reborn during the Renaissance. Alchemy sought to manipulate matter for the sake of wealth and power. But the painter does this on a regular basis, and is financially more successful than the alchemist (25).Therefore, painting is man†™s way of re-creating the already extant creation of God. It is the application of the human mind to what already exists, and in a sense, the artist becomes the creator, or more accurately, the architect of creation using what already exists to create something new, to take creation and raise it to a new level of understanding. If one can understand creation, then one can control it: the reward is money and glory (26, explicitly mentioned in 28 as the foal of the artist, which of course, is the same goal as the alchemist).Alberti makes the intriguing claim that the arts of painting and sculpture developed at the same time as religion (27). He does not elaborate on this claim, but the remainder of the selection under examination here might give us come clues.In paragraph 30, three specific steps of artistic technique and developed, though ultimately, only the first two really matter, that of circumspection and that of composition. The third, color or the â€Å"reception of lightâ €  is not treated in this selection. But this is not merely a technical manual, but a strong summary of the ontology of Alberti and the Florentine Renaissance. This ontology might help us answer the question that Alberti poses concerning the identical development of religion and painting.Specifically, there are three steps in re-creating the object under examination. First, and the most important, is the concept of circumspection. This is the most important because it is a reference to Plato’s Forms, or the ultimate grounding of all objects that exist. A Form is the true being of an object, outside of space and time, which is the â€Å"essence† of the object to be painted.It is this Form that the painter must understand, however incompletely, though the mind of the artist, since a Form cannot be seen with the senses. Only the intellect can apprehend the Form. In a more technical sense, the Form that can be perceived by the artist is the â€Å"outline† of the object. One first needs to eliminate what is specific about an object and reach its form.