Monday, September 30, 2019

Value Proposition of Gym/Spa Business

A business endeavor like a gym and spa is a rewarding one, due to the fact that you are not only doing business but you are doing people a favor as well. What is nice about a proposed gym/spa business that it complements each other, a spa will always complement to a spa, because it provides the clients a chance to relax after a rigorous workout. Aside from that, the owner of such business can have lots of opportunities the bodybuilding and fitness industry has its complementary products as well. Among these are food supplements that people place a premium nowadays. This can fuel the revenues of the business as well. On the other hand, the spa will draw ladies and metrosexuals who are put a premium on wellness services. The spa will complement the gym and it is evident among prominent gyms with their own spa services. Pricing and Advertising The gym/spa will get athletes and sports celebrities as their endorsers. This will enable the gym/spa to draw clients which will be motivated to enroll in the gym/spa. The payment will be on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. This will give potential clients the option to enroll at the gym/spa based on their income. Market Niche of a Gym/Spa Business A slogan that can be used with this business is â€Å"Health is Wellness, The Rest Would be for The Best!† The gym/spa business will hold a firm position on its market niche because it will draw people from all walks of life that makes this business worthwhile and lucrative.   Mostly the people who are stressed-out from work will draw your attention. It is evident among gyms like Fitness First and Gold’s Gym who have their own spa amenities inside the gym. Another thing is that, you can engage into this business with some of your friends, so as to draw a variety of crowd that will eventually be your regular clients. SWOT Analysis Strengths  § The gym/spa showcases a wide variety of state of the art amenities and equipment that will promote fitness.  § It has other amenities aside from the usual gym/spa that will augment the gym/spa itself. Weaknesses  § The gym/spa will have a hard time enticing blue collar workers because of its massive advertising using celebrities.  § It is a hindrance that there would be a possibility that the gym/spa can only accommodate a certain number of clients inside the vicinity. Opportunities  § The gym/spa will have potential consignments with other business establishments, such as nutritional supplement shops that will augment the advertising of the gym spa.  § The gym/spa can make their service 24 hours a day because there are people’s work shifts vary. Threats  § The gym/spa is deemed to get a demand for the increase in payments if ever client enrolment will be at a low. Nearby gyms like those within the neighborhood will be a petty yet potential com

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Assessment and Child Essay

Assessments are very important in determining how to teach our children and where they are in terms of development. There are many types of assessments that can be beneficial in helping determine how to approach the learning style of each child as an individual instead of as a whole group. While each assessment is structurally different, they can produce results which give us insight on where our children are during different stages of their lives. There are both formal and informal assessments that can be used. â€Å"Formal assessments are norm-referenced tests that have standardized, formal procedures for administering, timing and scoring. They have been â€Å"normed† or administered to a representative sample of similar age or grade level students so that final test results can be compared to students of similar characteristics. Test results indicate a person’s relative performance in the group. These standardized tests must be administered as specified in the manual to ensure valid and reliable results†(ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation). There is another type of formal assessment called criterion-referenced test. These type of test measure what the person is able to do and indicate what skills have been mastered. A CRT compares a person’s performance with their past performances. â€Å"In criterion-referenced measurement, the emphasis is on assessing specific and relevant behaviors that have been mastered rather than indicating the relative standing in the group†(ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation). Formal assessments can prove to be beneficial as far as comparing test scores over a period of time and how the child is developing over that same period. While formal assessments are useful they also have flaws in them. Standardized test can make a child feel like pressure and anxiety. In a lot of situations when a child feels like this they will not do their best on any type of assessment. Another problem with these types of tests is that they use the same set of questions for all the children and are not sensitive to the situations that different children endure. Children who live in poor and underdeveloped environments may not be exposed to certain ways of life and may not have the same advantages of acquiring knowledge as the other children they go to school with. This will automatically put them at a disadvantage in school and on test they may take. There is another way to do an assessment that is better suited for the child and does not make them feel so uncomfortable and that is an informal assessment. An informal assessment focuses on play and observation of the child and not a test of sorts. By observing the child in a certain situation you can record how they act and how they respond to different situations and stimuli that are presented to them. You can use check-list and rating scales to record your findings and document them and file them away in a portfolio. Another way to do an informal assessment is by parent interviews. You can find out a lot of valuable information by asking the parents questions about their child. Over the past few years teachers have placed more emphasis informal testing than formal testing. â€Å"Some districts have increased the use of curriculum-based measurements(CBM). Several samples of a student’s performance are collected, using items drawn from the local curriculum, usually in basic skill subjects of reading, math, spelling and written expression. Such brief tests are called â€Å"probes†(ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation). One form of an informal assessment is the Battelle Developmental Inventory. â€Å"The Battelle Developmental Inventory is an assessment for infants and children through age seven. It is a flexible, semi-structured assessment that involves observation of the child, interviews with parents and caregivers, developmental and social history, and interaction with the child using game-like materials, toys, questionnaires, and tasks† (Logsdon). This type of assessment is used to make sure that infants and children are reaching their developmental milestones or showing early signs of learning disabilities or developmental delays. This assessment can also be used through examiner/child and parent/child interaction. Examiners observe the child’s responses and score them based on standardized criteria. The parent caregiver input is also important in the assessment because it is used to gather information about the child’s history and interactions that take place beyond the testing session. When this assessment is used to observe the toddler through preschool development it is mostly done by tasks that involve testing the child with games, toys and tasks. They observe how the child follows directions, interacts with others, and how they perform certain tasks. Parent information is used to assess areas that can’t be observed during the testing session. The performance scores are based on standardized criteria. The Battelle is used to assess five components of development. They are adaptive behavior, personal and social skills, communication including expressive and receptive language, gross and fine motor skills, and finally cognitive skills are included. The results of this assessment can be used to determine if there are delays and how significant they are based on the age group the child is in. Another good assessment tool is play-based assessment. This is simply observing the child in their natural environment. By doing this the observer is able to see interactions between the child and their peers as well as how they speak, the language they use and their motor abilities. It is good to record all this information and keep it in an ongoing portfolio. By keeping a written record of what has been observed and any areas of concern you may suspect, you will have more information to share with the parents and find the proper method of dealing with the problems. I feel there is a major advantage when you use an informal assessment as opposed to a formal one. With formal assessments you can never really tell how smart a child really is. These types of assessments are based on statistics of a large group of children not the children as individuals. Just because children do well on a test does not necessarily make them smarter than others, it simply means they have better test taking skills. There are lots of times that the smartest people do horrible on tests just because they suffer from anxiety and get nervous. You can take the same kids that do poorly on a test and give them an informal assessment where they feel comfortable and you will get different results. Standardized tests are not a reliable means of assessing intelligence based on the fact stated above. These types of tests are often overused in this country and they do not take into account the comfort level or socioeconomic background of the child being tested. These play a more important role in test taking than the test itself. This is the number one reason kids are misdiagnosed for having  learning disabilities and other disorders such as ADHD. I also feel that a good relationship with the parents is essential in determining the educational needs of the child. No one knows their children better than the parents or caregivers. They are the ones who spend the most time with the children and can fill you in on patterns of behavior not seen during a certain test taking session. Parents are the most important resources you can obtain information from when dealing with children. I would strive to keep the parents informed of everything that was going on with their child and how to help them with anything that raised a red flag. The parents should always be informed when an assessment is going to be used. A parent could be upset when their child is going to be tested for a development problem without their consent. If you explain the process and how it can help to determine if the child is developmentally behind it can ease the parent’s mind and make everyone more comfortable. I feel that assessments can be beneficial if they are conducted in the proper manner. Making a child feel more comfortable in their environment is the best way to truly assess them and find out if they are lagging in certain areas of development. It is equally important to always keep the parents involved in all decisions affecting their child and the processes used to assess them. The information used by assessments can help make sure children are developmentally on track, just remember the most important factor is the comfort level of the child. Without assessments a plan of action cannot be implemented or executed if the child is behind in any facet of development. Bibliography Logsdon Ann. Testing for Infant and Toddler Development. About. com Guide. http://learningdisabilities. about. com/od/intelligencetests/p/battelledevelop. htm. Accessed on December 10, 2012. ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation. Assessments for Young Children. 1999. http://www. 1donline. org/article /6040/ Accessed December 10, 2012. Sue C. Wortham (2012). Assessment in Early Childhood Education. 6th ed.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Case for Open Heart Surgery at Cabarrus Memorial Hospital Research Paper

The Case for Open Heart Surgery at Cabarrus Memorial Hospital - Research Paper Example Discuss ways the program does or does not comply with the hospital’s mission First, the availability of the open heart surgery program should be reviewed. In fact, it is available in 11 counties in North Carolina, however, it is not offered in the primary operational area, the CMH involves. Actually, this can be regarded as a key decisive factor for extending the range of procedures. Considering the hospital’s mission, it should be emphasized that the hospital has the sufficient base for heart surgery and therapy; therefore, the open heart program will lower the risks for the patients, who need angioplastry, and other invasive therapies. Considering the planned expansion of the hospital, the open heart surgery program is required for attracting experienced heart surgeons as well, while the lack of experts may be regarded as a stop factor. Considering the necessity to review the mission, the CMH will have to consider several additional aspects for launching the program. Therefore, the program will need some amendments, such as including output measurements, integrating the emergency practices into the new program, as well as differentiate responsibilities of the entire team. (Courtney, 2008) These amendments require the in-depth restructuring of the strategic approaches applied, as well as improving the implementation control schemes. Therefore, the mission of the hospital will have to be oriented at several aspects: 1. Patients’ satisfaction 2. Qualification improvement of the personnel (including training courses and experience exchanges) 3. Resolving legislative issues (medical insurance, new program formalities, etc.) Analyze whether or not CMH has sufficient infrastructure and financial resources / leverage necessary to add the program As it is stated in the case study description, the hospital has sufficie nt financial resources for rearranging the space, purchasing equipment, and employing additional personnel. (Swayne, Duncan and Ginter, 2008) Nevertheless, there is a lack of experienced personal expected. Therefore, as it is emphasized in the discussion, the hospital has only one invasive cardiologist, while the other experts are either interns, or non-invasive cardiologists. Therefore, the hospital will have to resolve the problem of finding the experienced personnel, for launching the open heart surgery program. Nevertheless, this could be regarded as the only serious threat for implementing it. On the other hand, the CMH will have to redesign the overall control management in order to launch the open heart surgery program. In accordance with the research by Scharer (2005), such a redesign may be performed by considering the engineering approach to measure and calculate the possible workload. These measures are required for adapting the HR strategy to the new working approaches, associated with launching the new program. However, such a shift will also require applying organizational development approach concentrated on the proper team building principles, since proper recruiting, and necessity for coordinated team work is essential for health care strategic management. Describe the competitive situation among other area hospitals that could impact the decision On the one hand, the CMH has an opportunity to become the first clinic in the county, offering the open heart surgery program. On the other hand, in accordance with the case description, the lack of the experienced personnel is essential, and some experts have been already gained by other clinics of the State. (Swayne, Duncan

Friday, September 27, 2019

Assess the extent to which manufacturing in China can compete on a Essay

Assess the extent to which manufacturing in China can compete on a global scale. Illustrate your argument with different types o - Essay Example These were originally set-up on the south china coast near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan. The 1990s was the actual boom decades in china’s introduction to foreign capital. About 70 percentages of FDI flows to china are in developed businesses. This was a reply to a rising political commitment by the Chinese administration to market-oriented reform, the continued creation of special economic zones and strong domestic development and other shareholder incentives. New worldwide economic slowdown and U.S recession are forcing a lot of U.S companies to re-evaluate their manufacturing policy in order to compete successfully in the market. China has turn into a preferable and logical option. There are a number of methods to doing manufacturing in china. â€Å"In china, there are many industrial parks with all the needed infrastructure- electricity, water, telephone, transportation, customer service, shipping service, bank branches, government service and security† (Michael Yih -chung Shen, 2004. P. 118). Presently china has a part of the world trade organization has skilled 23 successive years of development in its gross domestic product. This paper analyses the importance of manufacturing competitiveness in China and its influence on the global market, including aerospace, apparel/clothing, automobiles, and electronic goods. Competitive strength of China in manufacturing field: China’s move to the global centre for manufacturing is based on numerous factors such as the eastward immigration of manufacturing facility, the fact that china is already the world’s number one manufacturer for more than 100 products in terms of quality and its complementary position in terms of financial levels from east to west. The geographical attentiveness of exports and imports in china is highly rough. It is focused in the coastal regions. According to Jintong Lin, Xiongjian Liang and Yan Wan in his book Telecommunications in China: development and prospects says that â€Å"The development of china’s telecommunication manufacturing industry is closely linked with the development of china’s telecommunication industry† (Lin, et al, 2001, P. 74). In the late of 2000s china was the second largest nation in the world in terms of purchasing power parity GDP and it was the third biggest trading state. In the primary production, china was the main producer of wheat, rice, cotton, red meat, coal, tobacco and aluminium. In the case of manufactures, china produced about 60% of the world’s bicycles, 70% of the world’s toys, 40% of the world’s mobile phones and 50% of the world’s motorcycles. In addition to being the world’s top producer of LCD screens and TVs, china created above a third of the world’s air conditioners, luggage, computer monitors and microwave ovens. It also creates above 50% of the world’s cameras and shoes, and regarding two-thirds of all DVD players. "The succ ess of home-grown companies rests in equal measure on the vision of their strategic management and the competence of their labourers. While China indeed possesses a vast pool of workers, few of them are able to compete in today’s global economy" (Wyne, 2007). A major feature of china’s competitive benefit as a site of export-oriented manufacturing production is a low-cost, huge and highly creative labour force. According to James Riedel, Jing Jin, Jian Gao in his book How China grows: investment, finance, and reform says

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Case student of a site of adoult learning in san antoino Essay

Case student of a site of adoult learning in san antoino - Essay Example The clubs operated by curves, however, only provide fitness services to women. The organisation was founded by enthusiasts of fitness, Gary and Diane Heavin, who have been involved in fitness advertising. The founder had a passion for sharing information regarding health and fitness to women. The first club targeted women and provided comprehensive 30 minute fitness sessions, which proved to be highly effective. The successes realised by the first two clubs resulted in the massive expansion of the club. The club began undertaking educational training to people on how to operate fitness clubs, in different communities. This created the current franchise of curves, which reached over 7000 outlets in less than a decade. The organisation has been identified as the fastest growing franchise, globally, with presence in 85 countries and running over 10,000 outlets. Initial training, of the individuals running the outlets, ensures the organisation maintain s uniform operating standards. Within the online site of the company people can learn a lot regarding physical fitness as well as other elements regarding healthy living. The site provides free information on various aspects of fitness, including exercising, losing weight, among many others. The focus of the website is women, who commonly lack information regarding physical exercises which help individuals maintain their fitness. The website provides answers to fitness questions which visitors might have, absolutely free. The organisation provides information to empower members towards adopting fitness measures which enhance their health(Merriam & Bierema, 2014). The organisation itself provides very effective methods of keeping fit through exercise. The organisation has created a signature 30-minute workout which has been fundamental in ensuring the popularity of the clubs, globally. This approach ensures individuals running on a busy

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

My vision of the modern lawyer in the 21st century Essay

My vision of the modern lawyer in the 21st century - Essay Example Justice and fairness is a principle that many nations are advocating for in the 21st Century. The fundamental role played by diversity and dynamism of modern lawyers and modern law cannot be refuted. A dynamic character should be creative and innovative. In this regard, the modern lawyers cannot hold onto the old doctrines of operation, where so much time was needed to make a significant reform independent of external factors. Embracing this principle is a guarantee that commerciality of lawyers in the 21stCentury will be achieved. Lawyers play a very crucial role of guiding their clients on legal matters. The services offered are not free of charge. In this regard, service delivery is accompanied by costs, which are basically the underlying principle incentive for duty and responsibility discharge. In other words, legal and business aspects are combined, where either party to this undertaking is a beneficiary. Going commercial is a desire for a 21st Century lawyer. The level of representation does not matter, but the activities undertaken therein do. Lawyers provide their services at differentiated levels. Some operate simply as private consultants on legal matters, others practice advocacy, while others perfectly commercialize their services into commercial law firms. Whatever the case, it is evident that legal matters primarily determine how functional a lawyer is. For a 21st Century lawyer, the field and line of work should be enterprising, but most importantly competitive and effective. Therefore, the place of work does not really matter, but the quality of a lawyer’s output does. Law, legal practice and related professions are highly influenced by one factor; the client. Contemporary trends have saw clients become more cautious on legal issues that surround them. The world has become a dynamic structure, and every now and then there is something new that seems to improve a given phenomenon. However, with these changes, there are underlying

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Ownership Program of Wal-Mart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ownership Program of Wal-Mart - Case Study Example As we know that labor unions heavily criticize Wal-Mart for avoiding unionization. What happens is that the company uses a 'union prevention program' i.e. meetings are held in stores where the managers or supervisors explain the consequences of unionization to the employees. Therefore due to this program, the employees in the North American stores are not unionized. As a result, a great deal of Wal-Mart unions has joined together to form a coalition called 'Wal-Mart Watch'. This group was formed so that the unions can put pressure on the company. The ultimate goal of this group is to unionize the employees of Mart-Wart and this coalition has targeted all the company's practices for its employees. This group has its own website called walmartwatch.com where it encourages the employees to file their complaints in a legal manner against the laws or regulations the company's management has violated against them. The solution to the given problems that are being faced Wal-Mart would be that if the company allows unionization then it would be able to stop the heavy criticism against the company and the company's reputation will not be damaged more. The company needs to implement unionization because today's union can be defined as the institution of the employees or workers of the company who have come together to achieve a common goal or an objective because they are considered to be open systems which are affected by their working environment and by political organizations. (Carrell & Heavrin, 2006) It's been believed that when the companies grow, the employees lose direct contact with the management of the company and therefore unions are created to help the worker's influence workplace decisions. It is through the unions that the workers were able to gain control over their jobs and the work environment of the company. It has also been recognized that the unions must address larger social issues of politics and economics to serve the best interests of their members. The labor unions of the 21st century are dealing with old issues but in new forms. For example, whose interest the unions are working for, this can be answered or described in 4 ways. And they are 1) qualified elite, 2) the core workforce, 3) peripheral employees and 4) workers who are unemployed. (Werther & Davis, 1996) Â  

Monday, September 23, 2019

China; a dangerous superpower; responding to debate Assignment

China; a dangerous superpower; responding to debate - Assignment Example The military size is not shrinking but growing, this indicates there is more to it than meets the eye. China is gradually establishing its self as an economic giant, and this is the best place to mitigate its threat of becoming a super power. China mostly focuses on virgin markets that are thought to have been neglected by the west. United States of America and it allies should focus on tapping into the markets before China. That will ensure that the countries grow their GDP at a rate similar to China’s and be one step ahead. I agree with the answer and strongly advocate for the United States allies to review their laws in regard to combat and military matters. Japan adopted laws that regulated its military to duties that are close to the ideal ceremonial in combat matters. China with its quest to have a firm grip in the region decided to claim regions that are clearly Japans sole possession. The act violets international law and threaten Japans sovereignty. The region under contention is a joined military training field for both the United States of America and Japan. That might be the main reason China invaded the region. Japan should review its laws and wake up to what its neighbor is doing. The country should invest more into military equipment. The action may make China slow on its pursuit for the territory. China continued expansion economically, and investment into carriers signify that the country is more a threat now and looking to becoming a super power. The USA should assist Japan in strengthening it military both in terms of more combined training and equipment. The act will deter China from invading Japan and help America as a nation have an ally where it can launch an offensive should there be a need for such action. I strongly agree with the author and see China as a growing super power and threat. United States of America has many trade agreements with China making its

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Correlation and Association Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Correlation and Association - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of a relationship by utilizing the geometric relationship of the dependent variable Y with the independent variable X. It is defined as â€Å"the measure of association between two interval variables† (Willnat, Manheim and Rich, 2011), also known as the Pearson product-moment correlation. This coefficient predicts the values of Y according to that of the corresponding values of X. Because of its higher accuracy and efficiency in predicting values of association between variables, the correlation coefficient is still reliable even when the samples to be used in the test vary in size. Since the coefficient of association relies mainly on a specific sample size on guessing the measure of association instead of the whole population, the test for statistical significance is stronger using the correlation coefficient. The latter can accurately predict the association between variables based on any subgroups of a population, hence making it a reliable tool in any given statistical data

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Best source of funding for research organization Essay Example for Free

Best source of funding for research organization Essay There are a number of ways of funding research programs to help medical clinics; we may have an aspect where the government lends a hand or seeking the indulgence of the pharmaceutical companies. (NCSL, 2014) The above stated are two of those ways. Acceptance of offers to carry out research depends on the wishes of beneficiaries; they get to choose whom they perceive to be their best options. (U.S. Congress, 2006) Grants by the federal government may be defined as the assistance in monetary terms offered by the American government. (NIST, 2014)The government assistance has to conform to the laws and regulations set about by the federal agencies. (USA Government, n.d.)Grants offered by the pharmaceutical companies; to conduct clinical research is one of the common ways of sourcing for money to carry out research activities for clinics. (Canadian Business Network, n.d) Pharmaceutical companies are private entities which may not be put under tight regulations as compared to public institutions. (Federal Grants, n.d)The financing pharmaceutical company may fund a research project they deem to be in line with what they find necessary for them. (D.o.J., 1998) Advantages of using government grants to fund research projects Government or federal grants are a good way of sourcing for funds; even though the central government may impose very strict measures to go about using the cash. (Cornell University, n.d.) Once a government agency has given the nod for one to conduct the research alongside the funds allocation; a research organization is left to conduct its affairs in the required time they find ample. (UCONN, n.d.) Pharmaceutical companies may impose timelines so that they launch their products for commercial gains. (The Arc, n.d.)Pharmaceutical companies may continue funding a project based on interests to be fulfilled; some may be under pressure to churn out products that cause a buzz within markets. (Grant Space, n.d.)Another risk involved with pharmaceuticals funding projects would be purely to spite their competitors and caress enormous egos of company executives and owners. (TGCI, n.d.) Government does not engage in competition; but their mandate is to look out for the welfare of their citizen s. (The White House, n.d.)It’s with the above stated reasons that governmental funding looks more appealing as compared to funding from private entities. (Homeland Security, n.d.)There would not be conflicts or interests as well as undue pressure. (FELDESMAN+TUCKER+LEIFER+FIDELL, n.d.) References NCSL. (2014). NCSL. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/american-health-benefit-exchanges.aspxU.S. Congress. (2006, October). Research and Development in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Retrieved from https://cbo.gov/sites//10-02-drugr-d.pdfCanadian Business Network. (n.d.). Canadian Business Network. Retrieved from http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/page/2740/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DoC). (2014, February 25). ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (FFO) Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs. Retrieved from www.nist.gov//grants/USA Government. (n.d.). Benefits, Grants, and Loans. Retrieved from http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Benefits.shtmlFederal Grants. (n.d.). Federal Grants. Retrieved from http://www.federalgrants.com/D.o.J. (1998, September). The United States Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/crt/grants_statutes/legalman.phpCornell Univers ity. (n.d.). Cornell University. Retrieved from http://www.irb.cornell.edu/faq/UCONN. (n.d.). University of Connecticut. Retrieved from http://research.uconn.edu/The Arc. (n.d.). Public Policy. Retrieved from http://www.thearc.org/what-we-do/public-policy/know-your-rights/federal-lawsGrant Space. (n.d.). Knowledge Base. Retrieved from http://grantspace.org/tools/knowledge-base/Funding-Resources/Government-Funders/government-grantsTGCI. (n.d.). Thw Grantsmanship Center. Retrieved from http://www.tgci.com/training/competing-federal-grants-5-dayThe White House. (n.d.). Office of Mnagement and Budget. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_defaultHomeland Security. (n.d.). Title VI Overview for Recipients of DHS Financial Assistance. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/title-vi-overview-recipients-dhs-financial-assistanceFELDESMAN+TUCKER+LEIFER+FIDELL. (n.d.). Federal Grants. Retrieved from http://www.feldesmantucker.com/federal-grants/ Source document

Friday, September 20, 2019

Nike Operation Management Strategies

Nike Operation Management Strategies Nike – The legendary brand Operations Management – Strategies 1. Introduction Many companies measure their research and development performance, associated with their business strategy and their operations management, such as design, operation, and control of the transformation procedure. The operations system converts inputs (labor and raw materials) into the outputs (goods and services). Operations management has encompasses both services and manufacturing, enhanced efficiently managing predictability, and played a strategic role in an organization’s success. As an international corporation, Nike has implemented the concept of operations management in its operating process. It has facilitated the concept of the LeanSigma ®, which helps ‘focus on lead-time reduction to increase customer loyalty and market share’[1]. As a manufacturing company, Nike has gained competitive advantages from Kaizen breakthrough, with the layout redesign for lean, just-in-time (JIT) system, total productive maintenance and six-sigma management. The paper will concentrate on why and how Nike has been competitively positioned in the world market. The legendary brand, Nike, seems never to stop growing. 2. Situation Analysis 2.1. Strategy Companies might vary their strategic business procedures, since they select most suitable alternatives and solutions to solve problems overtime. As a result, there will be certain measurement criteria for the company performance, which reflect the most successful alternatives to their most essential problems. Nike specializes in producing sport shoes, a labor-intensive manufacturing sector. As a manufacturing organization, it is easy to observe, evaluate, and improve each functional stage of Nike’s operation process. Improving productivity for the overall outputs of goods, divided by the inputs, is needed to maximize the outputs. The increasing strict quality control management combined with the demand by consumers for affordable goods has suddenly put Nike in a precarious situation. The question of how high quality products can be produced under many measurements at a price which consumers are willing to pay is addressed. This can be accomplished by applications of transformation procedure, which converts from batch to lean manufacturing at the strategic level. Additionally, the sales turnovers have forced many companies to narrow down and concentrate on why and what consumers have actually purchased. As a transactional company, Nike concerns and cares for what its targeted consumers look for, and it finds products for consumers not consumers for products. Operations management is defined as the integration of management principles into the decision-making procedures for the conversion of resources into usable outputs of products. The success of the lean operations management strategy will result in products that exceeds customer expectations and regulatory requirements by increasing productivity for a better process. 2.2. Product Nike has implemented sophisticated systems and well-understood business procedures by keeping cross-functional cooperation, which consequently lead to the best inventory turnover from performance. Indeed, Nike has continuously improved its operations management. ‘By mid-1985, inventories had fallen to less than 10 million pairs of shoes from a peak of 22 million in late 1983. Profit margins rose in the second fiscal quarter to 33% from 25% a year earlier. During the period, expenses as a percentage of revenue fell for the company, which started selling shoes in 1964 and went public in December 1980.’[2] Nike can dictate the prices. Since consumers have set prices by understanding what they should have prepared to pay for, their payments then will depend on a large degree on how they could see differences between the perceived value and the actual value. In fact, consumers are willing to pay premiums for perceived values, but value can go beyond plain price and quality. Positioned as a transactional corporation, a successful image Nike becomes the ultimate high-volume, low cost factory, not about the assumption that there is likely the occasional anti-made-in-sweatshop products. In the past, Nike had been challenged by boycotting of goods, due to the threats that Nike has outsourced and exploited developing nations. However, currently Nike have taken advantage of their low cost of manufacturing environment and implemented operations management strategies to its manufacturing systems. 2.3. Capacity When new operations strategy has been implemented and exhibited by different physical processes, volume measurement can be a relevant allocator. Volume can show how far equipments and machinery requirements for the operating procedures have been utilized and properly facilitated. This allocation usually provides rational consequences when the processes change. The location of the production facility is impacted on treatment facilities, which often happen in areas where air pollution might not be a problem. However, the environment limitation also determines the quantity at which a facility can produce, and become independent of capacity or demand. These problems impact on production, which will happen long after manufacturing facilities are established and put into operation. Nevertheless, Nike aims to apply the operations management to achieve high quality, low cost and effective delivery for better output, not just to expand its production facility. The overall result, through the Kaizen breakthrough methodologies, has been successfully. (Appendix 1) There might be a relationship between the operations performance and associated risk factors. Due to high rate of development failure during implementing new operations strategy, the risks involved in developing a system have caused a lot attention. 2.4. Process Supply chain management Recently, Nike has opened wider its domestic market to the outside world. More investment to renovate current market will enhance, facilitate, and maximize the distribution channels. ‘Nike was embarking on the Nike Supply Chain Project, a massive global centralisation project to integrate its ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning], supply chain, and CRM [Customer Relationship Management] software onto a single SAP platform. And a higher level of governance over the IT operations to ensure project success and visibility was necessary.’[3] The differences between the flexibility and fixed service have been scheduled in comparison with maximizing the large scale of alternatives. As a result, the relationship between the demand to reduce the indirect costs and the velocity along with inventory management should be closely scrutinized. ‘John Shanley, analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group, told clients Nikes inventory levels are ‘likely somewhat bloated in several key international regions’ and that the fourth quarter ‘marked the second consecutive quarter where Nikes inventory levels seemed out of balance with the brands forward orders’.’[4] Each company has its own mission, vision, objectives, strategies and business framework. Top management can initiate logical points and identify the company’s current conditions and situations. Alternatives in any one of the primary components in the model for top management can set off changes in other components. As a result, strategic framework, implementation and evaluation should be performed on frequent and continuous foundations, especially in technology management, human resource supervision, professional development, adaptation to cultural change, and importantly the project planning process. High performing companies can have more informed decisions with good anticipation of both short term and long term plans and have prepared for both short and long term consequences. They have prepared for future fluctuations in the external and internal environments. ‘Training, in general, and management coaching, in particular, must be well resourced, high priority components of successful enterprise systems implementation.’ [5] Since Nike is probably to pursue creative products, it has implemented new technologies can be a sign of future success in the new market. Therefore, commitment available resources to different projects can help evaluate and measure the operations management performance as well. ‘Critical to success is the necessity for the team to realize that team performance is more important than any individual success or idea generated. If the team has a successful improvement idea, then all enjoy the success.’ [6] Additionally, measurable goals should be in the line with the objectives and the scopes of the strategies. In fact, the operations management team should be evaluated whether the goals flow harmoniously with their companies’ missions. The performance evaluation helps operations managers to fasten the companies’ missions, plans and strategic goals to the each employee’s tasks on daily basis. Moreover, preliminary evaluation will need more feedback every period, such as monthly, three months, or six-months. Assessment should be targeted to provide a path for companies to improve their operations management performance. Likewise, Nike starts with basic assessments by accomplishing assessment and proper evaluating areas. In fact, soft and periodic assessment can help Nike identify areas in order to achieve greatest return on investment and highest turnover. 2.5. Layout redesign Layout redesign is important to transforming process. Usually, raw materials have been brought into workplace during the time not conflict with workers’ operating hours. Counterclockwise flow is also taken into consideration, since most workers are right-handed. ‘Two lean concepts introduced with LeanSigma ® transformation are the functions of the supermarket and the waterspider. Similarly, these early lean manufacturers established a single day storage area very near the production cell to provide, the necessary materials to the cell as needed. The second concept these early lean adopters incorporated was the waterspider.’[7] In fact, waterspider concept is to provide the essential materials at frequent replenishment of small quantities, opposite to infrequent replenishment of large quantities of materials. As a result, space required for storage is minimized. This concept has enhanced the just-in-time approach at Nike. Parts and raw materials are provided to the production site just as they are needed, not stockpiled to hedge against later delivery. 2.6. Allocation of costs and deductions Traditionally, cost allocation analysis considers direct labor as cost driver for indirect costs; nevertheless, since suppliers respond increasingly to reduce their total costs, the use of direct labor as a cost driver has become inappropriate when evaluating the performance the cost allocation analysis. Determining appropriate cost drivers for indirect costs help establish new allocation rates for these cost drivers. Additional information can be used to support the new allocation rates, different from traditional methods. With the new operations management, Nike heavily considers the cost factor. ‘As with quality, cost is a significant aspect of lean performance measurement. These three key indicators are productivity, scrap, and WIR Productivity [Warehouse, Inventory, Reporting Subsystem] is the most effective indicator of value added activities. Scrap is a quality measure that will drive overall costs up or down depending on the trend. Finally, WIP [Work-In-Process] is a lagging measure of flow and cycle time and a leading measure of customer satisfaction.’[8] (Appendix 2) At this time, high proportions of Nike exports are white-label goods, which have been made for Western companies. The company also wants to capture more value to acquire a brand and to create its global brands. Quality has been considered as a differentiator. Product quality and service quality will be becomes differentiators and continuously enhance Nike’s quality image worldwide. ‘Why didnt Nike start making skate shoes 20 years ago? Nke6.0 may be nurturing the grass roots its roster of athletes is made up entirely of what appears to be pre-pubescent rippers but there is a whole generation of action sports addicts out there who were ignored by mainstream sport brands, so they started their own brands, creating kit that was tailor-made for their sport, keeping their ear to the underground to find out what people wanted.’[9] The choice of cost allocation method can impact whether the company can report a loss or profit from the unrelated business. The over-cost allocation can become the potential for maximizing the company’s economies of scale. The costs related to the operating activities can be joined among many material and operation activities. Analyzing the functional and design benefit can help allocate the cost component appropriately. The new paradigm for cost allocation provides Nike which benefits from investment transmission to pay the costs. The decentralization of the cost allocation should take into consideration. The production cost in manufacturing companies and the allocation of joint costs in the context of external financial accounting practice, applied to cost of goods sold and for inventory. 3. Conclusion As a transnational corporation, Nike is subject to domestic and international competition. It has tried to increase their productivity and efficiency to meet these challenges. One method applied to improve productivity has been expanded application of manufacturing processes. Concurrently, however, the increased use of materials and decrease use of operating expenses help managers reconsider their current methods of quality, cost and delivery. In the long-term, the manufacturing industry will sustain and reward for low-cost operating organizations. Nike is making efforts to build an effective and efficient control system for commodity circulation. Applying the operations management process, Nike has tried to build effective control system for their commodity circulation, which helps emphasize on reform of the marketing and purchasing system of the important commodities. Furthermore, the rational distribution of commodity resources and the local community reserves have enriched the domestic market from international market. Appendix 1: Quality Cost and Delivery after Operations Management[10] Appendix 2: Kaizen methodology even schedule[11] Bibliography ‘Brand Design: Miss a trick’ 2006, Design Week,London, 26 January, p.17 Brown, BC, Collins, RT McCombs, LE 2006, ‘Transformation from Batch to Lean Manufacturing: The Performance Issues,’Engineering Management Journal, Rolla, vol.18,no.2, June, p.3. Choy, J 2004, ‘Just do IT’, Asia Computer Weekly.Singapore, 25 October, p.1 Foster, L 2006, ‘Rising costs mean Nike disappoints’, Financial Times,London (UK), 29June, p.17 Kittredge, J 2006, ‘A New Era in Corporate Performance Management’, Cost Management, Boston, vol. 20, no. 3, p. 23. Tharp, M 1986, ‘Nike Recoups Laurels in the Sportswear Market Company Adopts a More Conventional Management Style,’ Wall Street Journal, New York, N.Y, 19 March, p.1. Page 1 Footnotes [1] Brown, BC, Collins, RT McCombs, LE 2006, ‘Transformation from Batch to Lean Manufacturing: The Performance Issues,’Engineering Management Journal, Rolla, vol.18,no.2, June, p.3. [2] Tharp, M 1986, ‘Nike Recoups Laurels in the Sportswear Market Company Adopts a More Conventional Management Style,’ Wall Street Journal, New York, N.Y, 19 March, p.1. [3] Choy, J 2004, ‘Just do IT’, Asia Computer Weekly.Singapore, 25 October, p.1 [4] Foster, L 2006, ‘Rising costs mean Nike disappoints’, Financial Times,London (UK), 29June, p.17 [5] Kittredge, J 2006, ‘A New Era in Corporate Performance Management’, Cost Management, Boston, vol. 20, no. 3, p. 23. [6] Brown, Collins McCombs 2006, p.3. [7] Brown, Collins McCombs 2006, p.3. [8] Brown, Collins McCombs 2006, p.3. [9] ‘Brand Design: Miss a trick’ 2006, Design Week,London, 26 January, p.17 [10] Brown, Collins McCombs 2006, p.3. [11] Brown, Collins McCombs 2006, p.3.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Is the Black Family Only A Myth? Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

Is the Black Family Only A Myth? My objective for writing this essay on the black family was to examine and interrogate a myriad of stereotypes surrounding this family structure. Slavery and its inception need to be explored because it enables one to acquire a better understanding of the modern day black family. It is my hope that once we achieve this level of understanding, if not acceptance, that we may be able to start the healing process that is so necessary. THE MOYNIHAN REPORT. SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES. POVERTY. CHILDREN IN TROUBLE. The aforementioned are descriptions and reflections associated with the black family. Although these identifications are different, they all reflect one negative connotation. The connotation is that of families of African descent being "problem ridden" and "dysfunctional." Despite the fact that many families are dysfunctional, the question is: "Why are families of African descent frequently labeled as such ?" The state of black Americans and their families has been at the center of debate for decades. Biased and inaccurate reports such as the infamous Moynihan Report by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan have helped to solidify the false stereotypes surrounding the black family. Such reports and their counterparts have had a long and lasting detrimental effect . Em phasis has been placed on personal biases and racist testing procedures such as the Bitch Test instead of actual data and observation. The Bitch Test (as you can tell from its name), is very racist. It was an intelli gence test designed for children of African descent. This test unlike the Stanford - Binet IQ test, asked questions which were irrelevant to the child's IQ. Questions such as, "What type of car would you call a 'hoo... ...ression and inequality. Works Cited Bennett, Lerone. "The Ten Biggest Myths About The Black Family." Ebony November 1989. Billingsley, Andrew P.H.D. "Understanding African- American Family Diversity." The State Of Black America 1990., National Urban League, 1990. Bray, Rosemary. "So How Did I Get Here?" The New York Times Magazine 8 November 1992. Burgess, Norma. "Examining The Female - Headed Family." The Daily Orange 12 Ocotober 1992. Dubois, W.E.B. The Negro American Family. M.l.T. Press: Cambridge MA, 1970. Eshelman, Ross. The Family. Allyn & Bacon: Boston, Ma. 1991. Graves, Carl. "Challenges For The Black Family." Black Enterprise. December 1988. Mbiti, John. African Religions And Philosophy. Heinemann Educational Books: London, 1988. Yinger, Milton. A Minority Group In American Society. McGraw Hill: New York, 1965.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Portrayal of Women in James Joyces Ulysses Essay -- Joyce Ulysses Ess

Portrayal of Women in James Joyce's Ulysses The novel, "Ulysses", by James Joyce shows the reader hour by hour a single day in the life of one man.   But this epic which specifically deals with Leopold Bloom and has reference to Stephen Dedalus, holds so much more appendage to other areas of life.   One, is the portrayal of women in Ulysses. A common speculation is that men seem to have a more dominating status over women.   However, in Ulysses  that theory dwindles due to the women who   play significant roles in the story.   Although the women in the novel all use various tactics to entice the men to succumb and cower to them, it all ends up that the men do heed to the qualifying factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first woman of purpose that we become aware of is Stephen Dedalus's mother.   Even though she is dead, her presence is accounted for in Stephen's night and day dreams.   His refusal to pray at her bedside while she was dying triggered an immense amount of guilt that he cannot shake.   His undeniable brooding over her was shown when he remembered the song by W.B. Yeats, " and no more†¦the brazen cars."   In the annotated text it claims that, "The song, accompanied by a harp, is sung to comfort the countess, who has sold her soul to the powers of the darkness that her people might have food."   That song is important because he is trying to lift the blame from his heart by reaching out for forgiveness.  Ã‚   The book then tells of a "bowl with bitter waters."   That bowl implies what is told in "Portrait of a Young Man", which is that his mother was an adulteress, and that recollection was bothering him. He even goes a s far to say aloud, "No mother, let me be and let me live."   It seems that he wants to escape her clutches, yet is clinging... ... get away with acting disdainful and speaking to Bloom with a harsh tongue, but he does not leave her.  Ã‚   In fact, he does cower, and takes her, illicit affairs and all.     Ã‚  Ã‚   The men in "Ulysses" are viewed as the warriors, or bread-winners, yet they are only characterized as that due to the women in the novel.   Many of the women are able to be looked upon as the "hierarchy" in a sense because of the way the people around them reacted.   It is said that whenever there is an action, there is a reaction.   As clichà © as that may be, the women were the ones that created the "action" and the men rebutted with the "reaction".   Despite the social conventions that most of us are familiar with pertaining to men and women, "Ulysses", can surely counteract with notable arguments. Works Cited Joyce, James. Ulysses. Ed. Hans Walter Gabler. New York: Random House, 1986.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

More Evidence Needed to Support George Ritzers McDonaldization Thesis :: George Ritzer McDonaldization Thesis

More Evidence Needed to Support George Ritzer's McDonaldization Thesis The McDonaldization Thesis presupposes some familiarity with Ritzer's earlier work, The McDonaldization of Society (1993), in which he defines McDonaldization as "the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world" (1). These principles include efficiency, predictability, calculability (or an emphasis on quantification), and control (especially via non-human technologies). Taken together, they constitute the formal (functional or instrumental) rationality that undergirds McDonaldization. In the present work, Ritzer continues to sound the alarm by depicting McDonaldization as "a largely one-way process in which a series of American innovations are being aggressively exported to much of the rest of the world" (8). Although the author acknowledges that the McDonaldization thesis is rooted in Weber's reflections on rationality, specifically the notion of the "iron cage of rationality," he prefers the "simplicity" of Mannheim's thinking on the subject. The latter, for example, locates the fundamental irrationality of highly rationalized systems, such as McDonaldized ones, in threats to the ability to think; whereas, the former emphasizes threats to human values, an area the author deems unnecessarily messy for the purposes of his theoretical analysis. The author further justifies this position by noting the cognitive demands of the present post-industrial system in which human beings live. Indeed, it is the dehumanization resulting from the simultaneous increase in functional rationality and decrease in substantive rationality, which rationalized systems demand and perpetuate, that animates the author. The author introduces the concept of the "new means of consumption" to illustrate the ways in which not only business, but cultural, practices are threatened by McDonaldization. Defined as "those things owned by capitalists and rendered by them as necessary to customers in order for them to consume" (91), examples of the new means of consumption include fast-food restaurants, credit cards, mega-malls, home shopping television networks, and cybermalls. The critical point for the author is that each changes the ways individuals consume. For example, the exportation of fast-food restaurants and American eating habits, with their emphasis on food as something to be consumed as quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively as possible, alters the way people eat and, thereby, "poses a profound threat to the entire cultural complex of many societies" (8). There is a distinct normative dimension to the concept of the new means of consumption, which is evident in the author's insistence that they "constrain" individuals "to buy more than they need" and "to spend more than they should" (119).

Monday, September 16, 2019

Acknowledging Female Stereotypes in Much Ado About Nothing Essay

Women in the Elizabethan age were extremely repressed and discriminated against. Most would not have gone to school or received any type of formal education. They were not allowed to vote, own property, or freely voice their opinions. They were seen as the property of a man, subject to his wants, needs, and not allowed to have their own; men held extremely stereotypical views of their female counterparts that helped them justify the way they treated them. Shakespeare exposes many of these injustices and biases in his stage plays, which are still commonly read and performed today. In Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio moves from seeing women (specifically Hero) as goddesses and wives to adulterers, and then back again to his original views. Claudio initially views Hero according to the established stereotypes, in Act 1, Scene 1 as property. When first speaking of Hero, he refers to her as the â€Å"daughter of Signor Leonato;† while this appears to be simply for identification purposes, he actually relinquishes the power of her name to her guardian (1. 1. 119). Instead of calling her by her given name, Hero, Claudio names her in relation to her more powerful male owner. He goes on to ask Benedick if she is a â€Å"modest young lady,† not wondering only if she is sweet, but if she is literally a virgin (1. 1. 121). A woman’s virginity was extremely valuable in Elizabethan England, and determined her worth as a potential wife. This outright inquiry into her purity foreshadows the later scandal surrounding it. Benedick asks Claudio if he would buy her, and Claudio responds with a seemingly noble hypothetical question: â€Å"Can the world buy such a jewel?† (1 1 134). While his question seems to imply that she is so valuable that the entire world’s money could not purchase her, it still perpetuates the stereotype that women are pieces of property, albeit very beautiful and expensive ones. Later in the same scene, Claudio demonstrates Elizabethan men’s views of women through Shakespeare’s thematic messages. He remarks that â€Å"in mine eye, [Hero] is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on† (1 1 139). This introduces a reoccurring theme of Much Ado About Nothing of seeing and perception. Here, and later on in the play, Claudio bases his opinions of Hero on her outward beauty and appearance of piety. In addition, the words â€Å"mine† and â€Å"I† stress the importance of Claudio himself, the important, powerful male in the situation. One notes Shakespeare’s wordplay in the pun implied when â€Å"eye† and â€Å"I† sound interchangeable when spoken aloud. Another theme surfaces in the use of the word â€Å"sworn† in line 144 of Act 1, Scene 1, whereby Claudio makes evident that his honor depends on people’s perception of him and, by proxy, his future wife, Hero. Also notable is the hope he expresses that Hero would â€Å"be [his] wife†, in that he uses language again pertaining to himself; where he could have wished that Hero would â€Å"marry him† or something similar, he instead wishes her to become his property. Claudio reveals that he has had an interest in Hero for a while before their present conversation about her. He admired her before he went away to war, but more pressing, important, masculine issues took his mind off her. This implies that matters of the heart were less valued by men than duty and honor, and that his current infatuation with Hero is sort of an afterthought, something to pursue as he is now bored. This distant, material admiration for Hero quickly turns to contempt when he thinks that Don Pedro has taken her for himself in Act 2, Scene 1. When Don John and Borachio tell him about his friend’s betrayal, Claudio seems to be angrier with Hero than with the man who stole his prospective bride. He claims â€Å"beauty is a witch, against whose charms faith meltheth into blood† (2 1 135-6). This demonstrates the stereotype that Elizabethan men held of women being easily turned to adulterers – it seems to be her evil beauty that lured Don Pedro into supposedly winning her over for his own. This is again an insult to Claudio’s pride; Don John and Borachio use forms of the word â€Å"swear† when recounting Don Pedro’s supposed conquest of Hero, calling to mind how Claudio swore to marry her in the first act. Claudio denounces Hero, and wishes Don Pedro â€Å"joy of her,† once again suggesting women to be objects of personal property, solely existing to fulfill the desires of man. When it is confirmed that Don Pedro was indeed just performing his friendly duties, Claudio instantly reverts to his view of Hero as a perfect, virginal, almost goddess-like potential wife. He says to Hero: â€Å"Lady, as you are mine, I am yours: I give away myself for you, and dote upon the exchange† (2 1 233-4). Claudio acknowledges that Hero is now his property, and as that is an accepted custom in Elizabethan England, it is therefore deemed heroic that he gives himself to her, as well. Using the word â€Å"exchange† suggests a formal transaction of property, which is what is really transpiring between Claudio and Leonato. Claudio expresses his anticipation for the wedding, as time moves slowly â€Å"till love have all his rites† (2 1 269-70); the two meanings of rites as the actual ceremony and rights as a husband provide insight into this. He feels a necessity for their union to be official, as legally marrying Hero will give him legal ownership of her, and her property. Though he claims to love her, his affection could ultimately be seen as a want of her dowry. Claudio shows his opinions of women in his comical description of Beatrice’s love for Benedick in Act 2, Scene 3. He describes her grief over her unrequited love in a ridiculous way, saying that she threw a savage fit. This implies Beatrice, and by extension all women, to be controlled and weakened by their emotions. Claudio says that Hero had told him that Beatrice would surely die if her situation with Benedick progresses in any direction, again poking fun at women’s irrationality. He suggests she wear herself out by talking to someone about her love, as though she were a small child throwing a temper tantrum. Like most men of his time, Claudio appears to believe that women’s perceived lack of control of their emotions made them less worthy of esteem. His view of women again turns cynical again when he receives news in Act 3, Scene 2 that leads him to believe that Hero has had an affair with another man. Don John uses the word â€Å"disloyal† to describe her actions, and Claudio repeats that word in outrage and confusion about this blow to his honor (3 2 76). Being â€Å"disloyal† seems worse than most other things, in that it has wounded Claudio’s pride and reputation. The prefix â€Å"dis† is extremely negative and poignant. He emphasizes that if he sees anything with his own eyes, he will believe these accusations. He describes the issue as â€Å"mischief strangely thwarting,† and extends that description to all women in general; here he shows that he has moved from seeing women as wives and goddesses to adulterers and shrews. At their wedding ceremony in Act 4, Scene 1, Claudio spitefully and ironically addresses Hero with all sorts of virginal, innocent, pure language like â€Å"maid† (4 1 19). He again describes her as property in calling her a â€Å"rich and precious gift,† yet this time it is with an air of contempt and scorn (4 1 23). Continuing the theme of perception and sight, he calls Hero â€Å"but the sign and semblance of her honor,† implying that she merely put on a facade of virginity and purity (4 1 28). He asks the attendees of the wedding and, by extension, the audience, to acknowledge that her innocence is merely a show. Claudio accuses her girlish blush to be truly that of guilt and shame. Where previously he has referred to Hero as a maid, here he calls her only â€Å"like† a maid; this literal comparison emphasizes his change of feeling toward her and her sex. He facetiously describes her as the goddess of chastity and the moon, Diana, and of an unopened flower bud – virgin in appearance only. Then he compares her to Venus, goddess of sexuality, and even to mindless beasts that act only on impulse and instinct. In the line â€Å"Marry that Hero, Hero itself can blot out Hero’s virtue,† he proclaims that women are the source of their own downfall (4 1 75). Where her outward appearance was that of a virtuous young lady, her perceived actions lead Claudio to believe her to be a whore. Although one could argue that Claudio’s view of women was that of all Elizabethan men, including Shakespeare himself, the development of Benedick’s opinions show that this is not true. He begins the play disliking the idea of marriage and especially marriage to Beatrice, yet, through the dramatic action, he learns to love and appreciate her for her previously detested intelligence and wit. Benedick learns to value women for the humans they are, and yet Claudio still sees them as property at the end of the play. This suggests that Shakespeare realizes that, although he can bring attention to the issue of gender equality in his works, he cannot expect the audience to fully accept his ideas. Claudio constantly moves between stereotypes in his views of women in this play: he alternatively sees Hero as wife, goddess, adulterer, and everything in between. Shakespeare’s specific word choice and themes revealed in Much Ado About Nothing provide insight into how women were actually thought of and treated in Elizabethan England, and how the author himself believed they should be. Today, the centuries-old fight for gender equality is far from over. But, like Shakespeare, we can hope that all women will eventually be respected as equals, like Beatrice. Works Cited McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare. Boston: Bedford, 2010. Shakespeare, William. Much Ado about Nothing. Ed. Mary Berry and Michael Clamp. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Malaysian Economics Essay

Differences in education During the British rule, each ethnic group also generally experienced different education systems. Most Malays were educated in the government school system located in the rural areas that used the Malay language as the medium of instruction. The Chinese on the other hand sent their children to the Chinese medium schools, which mere established by Chinese voluntary associations. Nevertheless , the elite segment of each ethnic group generally sent their children to the English medium schools located in the urban areas, where the quality of education was far better than the rural Malay-medium school. Furthermore, most secondary and tertiary education was available in the urban areas with English as the medium of instruction. Those who were educated at the English medium schools tended to gain positions in the civil service, commerce, business, and professions. Since most of the Malays were educated in the rural Malay medium schools, this indirectly limited their upward social mobility. . 2 Differences in skills Since Malay only received the education from government school in rural areas, the skills were limited. Lack of skills and knowledge were the factors of unemployed. This will worsened the situation of poverty and income disparities between the ethnic groups. Sectoral employment of Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera (%) in peninsular Malaysia, 1970. Sector| B umiputera| Non-Bumiputera| Primary| 67. 6| 32. 4| Secondary| 30. 8| 69. 2| Tertiary| 37. 9| 62. 1| Notes: Primary (agriculture) Secondary (mining, manufacturing, construction, utilities, and transport) Tertiary (wholesale and retail trade, finance, government, and other services) 3. 3 Differences in access to capital A majority of non-malays are usually found to be living in the southern and western states of Malaysia , such as Pulau Penang and Kedah. These states form modern urban sectors and also modern rural sectors which are playing the important roles in the economic activities. On the other hand, the Malays lived in the northern states of Malaysia, and they are indeed in the traditional rural sector. This imbalanced development had result the imbalance capital gain among the ethnic groups. Wealth Decomposition by Asset Classes in 2007 Asset Classes| Bumiputera| Chinese| Indian| Savings| 567| 2 795| 1 026| Investment Assets| 1 853| 4 629| 2 058| Financial Assets| 2 419| 7 423| 3 083| Real Estate| 70 453| 120 903| 84 146| Wealth| 72 873| 128 326| 87 229| 3. 4 Differences in unemployment pattern The supply of skilled manpower in their own field is the main problem in employment restructuring. Despite the limited success of bumiputera students, the presence of skilled and qualified bumiputera workers and professionals are inadequate. A few factors that contribute to this problem are such like limited accessibility to modern educational facilities and quality educational or even low family income. Bumiputera are mainly attracted to the public sector and lately the bumiputera states the record for having the highest employment rate among malay university graduates. Although the manufacturing sectors display a tremendously high rate or malay labor force, most of them are employed in the lower level or non-manegerial level of occupations.

Lies My Teacher Told Me Essay

There is a common expression that a lot of us have heard at least one time â€Å"don’t believe everything you read†, just because a book is written and published does not mean is always accurate. True historical facts can easily be transformed by adding or taking away details in order to see it only from a certain perspective. The textbooks in history classrooms represent many different groups from the perspective of one group, usually European. Loewen explores the topic of why students dislike history classes. He also discusses the idea that much of what students learn in American history classes, is wrong and that there are many omissions. He challenges the Public School system mostly in regards on how history is taught in high school classrooms. American history books wish to paint the United States as the best country, almost to the point where they make it seem that it doesn’t have any flaws. A lot of books used to teach history in high school neglect to include the entire information on events that formed the United States. Reading some essays from the book Lies My Teachers Told Me helped me open my eyes and see how wrong history is taught in high school; we as citizens need to do the proper research and spread the knowledge among peers to create socially aware generations. Most of the time American history isolates children of color by ignoring the fact that many of the people who contributed greatly to this country were non-white. In a sense, one can say that this contributes to the majority of high school students thinking of white as superior to other races. They think that no other races made great contributions in building this nation. This mentality can be seen as an immediate effect of history classes omitting details about other races major contributions to the country. According to Loewen most students also see history as a boring subject, this is because history is made up of nothing but stories that shouldn’t be boring but textbooks companies have left out anything that â€Å"might reflect badly upon our national character†(Loewen). The case of John Brown is a good example of something that might reflect badly to our national character. He was an American abolitionist who believed armed revolution was the only way to overthrow slavery in the United States. The name John Brown was never mentioned in any of my history classes. After learning about John Brown, my perspective of things changed and it made me see that the people who are responsible for putting the books in high school classrooms, are trying to keep students at a margin in which nobody can learn anything about rebels who used violence to make a statement about inequalities lived in the United States. Omitting this historical fact from books and not permitting teachers to give students the knowledge about John Brown makes it seem that they want to keep people under control and avoid some kind of revolution. That is because, until these days there is a lot of inequalities but seems like everybody just goes along with their life and overlook many inequalities that are going on in our nation and the world. The study of history in high school is mostly all about facts and dates. Students find this to be irrelevant and have a difficult time to make the connection between history to their daily lives. Therefore, making history really boring and the material presented does not really challenge any student to think critically and analyze history. The topic of social class is never touched in high school, which is something that everybody relates to. The issues seen in â€Å"The Land of Opportunity† can make a lot of people gain instant and undivided attention because we can actually relate to it. It makes you analyze how we live and that is something that affects our daily lives. In high school most students are fed the idea that everybody has an equal chance to achieve success through education, but there is an inequality that puts people of higher social status in an advantage to achieve better scores in tests given in high school. Even without coaching, affluent children are advantaged because their background is similar to that of the test makers†(Loewen,208). It is important for students and people to know that equal opportunity it’s just a phrase that has been propagated by white people. People of color in this country have never had an equal chance to thrive the way white people have. History classes in high schools lead students to believe that everything is okay, so students are not troubled. This view of history holds the American idea of individualism rather than looking at the many factors that affected lack of equal opportunity. High school history courses make us believe that equal opportunity was and is an option for all when the reality is very different. A lot students and people still do not know this, it is important to spread this kind of knowledge among people we know in an attempt to make them socially aware. If it doesn’t enforce an immediate change, at least an idea is established and they eventually can look into it when they realize that, in fact the world is not always fair to minorities. By students understanding this, it would make it easier to make a change and achieve many of their goals. Textbooks ignore many historical realities for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons is that publishers believe that students must develop a sense of nationalism or patriotism towards the United States. To acknowledge troubling areas in our nation’s history is to run the risk that patriotism is not going to be developed. They distort events and avoid conflict that might spark up some type of controversy. This causes students to fail in engaging and analyze information and draw their own conclusion about the credibility and cause and effect of the events being presented. Instead, students have to memorize the standard information given, which is often times is wrong and manipulated. This wrong information builds around them without students actually making a critical analysis or whether the information is true or not. All the important issues that we don’t learn in class makes me think as a citizen to do my own research and learn the facts about any issues. Not only in regards of history but also in situations that are going on in different parts of the world. Because the fault for our misinformation is not entirely from publishers who need to sell books or interest groups that prefer myth to reality, each of us who learned this myths and believes them as untouchable are also to blame. We need to change this and speak about it to the people we know in order to create socially aware generations, by just speaking to some people it can create a chain reaction and eventually more citizens are going to be informed. By spreading the knowledge a lot of change can come, the change might not be immediate but if we are not actors we will never be factors.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

American Online Case Study

Q1: The major explanations to the reason why AOL was so successful in the commercial online industry comparing to its competitors CompuServe and Prodigy are as follows:  · AOL offered the unique and board range of features such as Online Community, Computing and the like, so their services are relatively differentiated  · AOL kept good relation with its customer because of the easy access to AOL’s online service which only required to have a personal computer, a telephone line, and a computer, and also reflected in AOL’s rate structure which was the easiest for consumers to understand and anticipate, relative to its competitors  · The bargaining power of AOL with supplier is achieved by making strategic partnership with American Express, and so on; and completing its acquisitions of Internet software developers, along with AOL’s growing membership base, in order to strengthen its new interactive services industry by means of pursuing a number of initiatives .  · The threat of new enchant is low, since there is not much service providers, like AOL, acted as middlemen between thousands of content providers and millions of customers, which provided lucrative profits prior to 1995. Q2: There are several crucial changes happened in the commercial online industry in the year of 1995 and after:  · With the advent of the Internet World Wide Web and the entrance of Microsoft Network, content providers had substitution distribution channels that offered greater control over their products  · Under the background that the migration of proprietary services and content to Web sites, the exclusive offerings of AOL was declining, thus it was likely reduce the market share of AOL in the industry and subsequently posed negative effect on its profitability  · Since everyone with a PC was his/her own publisher, customers would sign up for an Internet on-ramp service provided by other companies and they were tend to use the other companies’ browsing software to surf the world’s database, resulted in the situation that content providers were starting to make use of these distribution channels. Q3. Based on the annual reports and footnotes, AOL’s accounting policy was to capitalize subscriber acquisition costs prior to 1995, which in my view, was not likely to be justified in that period based, for the uncertainty whether ts customers could migrate to the internet still remained since this would probably affect the growth in its subscriber and the profit of its services, although the CFO of AOL attributed the choice to the explanation that the period over which the revenue would be received was matching with the timing the expense, yet there was a rising gap between the reported income and its tax income, except for a big change in its service quality, these two numbers bear a consistent relationship to each other. Q4. The company should shorten the length of amortisation of the acquisition costs instead of extending it. The reason of this assertion are based on the life cycle of the industry which was supposed to be relatively short and because of the constantly cha nging environment of the commercial online industry with huge uncertainties, which was likely to require conservative accounting policy to reflect the financial figures so as to better match revenues with expense. Nevertheless, AOL even extended the amortization period for its subscriber acquisition cost from about 15 months to 24 months, which made it would be tend to face big risks when customers switched to other online service under uncertainty. Therefore, the company’s response seems to be inconsistent with my view. Q5. If AOL followed the policy of expensing subscriber acquisition outlays rather than capitalizing them, there would be a huge amount of subscriber acquisition costs, leading to a comparatively decreasing profit and increase operating loss in the income statement as well as lower equity in the balance sheet for the last same period or compared to its peers, which might lose the attractive looking of the accounting figures when it was eager to raise money from the public market so as to pay its bill.

Friday, September 13, 2019

History - The Palaeolithic Period, Barbarians, Stonehenge Assignment

History - The Palaeolithic Period, Barbarians, Stonehenge - Assignment Example The only art we can see from this period are the pieces that stood the test of time – to survive, according to the author, art has to have a) been made of metal or stone b) needs to have a climate that is not destructive to the works of art c) had to exist in a relatively complex society and d) had to have been produced bya society with a tendency to â€Å"cache their art† in places that are hard to access (352). The Palaeolithic cave paintings of France meet a few of these requirements – they are made on a stone surface, so will not degrade, are in caves, which provide protection from both the elements and people who may destroy the work. The Neolithic Stonehenge is made of stone, and had a complex enough society to create monumental architecture, both of which helped it survive. Works of every-day material such as wood are unlikely to survive, which eliminates our ability to understand the small scale art that every day people made in their spare time, and prob ably increases the quality of art that we know of. Question 2 Seeking to protect the empire from the ravishing of barbarian hordes, as well as allow for a change in focus and religion in the Roman Empire, the Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Empire from Rome to the city of Constantinople, which was constructed purely for this purpose (378). This shift coincided with an edict allowing Christianity to be freely practiced in the Roman empire, which later would be followed by edicts making Christianity the sole religion of the Roman Empire. To better aid management of this massive empire, it was split into two different ones, the Western, based in Rome, and the Eastern, based in Constantinople, which would have immense affects on art and culture. The two empires grew culturally distinct, with the east speaking Greek instead of Latin, and religious divisions followed, creating the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox religious respectively. Art in the Western Half tended to foll ow traditionally Roman precedents, like St. Peter’s basilica which is styled after a Roman forum, whereas art in the East developed a novel Greek style. As the western half of the empire fell, the art in that region was predominated by the Northern Germanic animal style, which eventually combined with Christianity to inform Carolingian art, named after Charlemagne, one of the most famous Frankish kings (385). Following this style of art, Romanesque art developed, which was a conscious look back on and imitation of older Roman forms. This form was followed by Gothic, which featured a number of architectural advancements (such as thinner walls and flying buttresses) which allowed for the building of light, airy buildings without thick walls and substantial pillaring, as demonstrated by Notre Dame de Paris (389). Question Three Cultures use monumental art as a way of expressing their power, their religion and the will of their people. When comparing Stonehenge with the Colloseum , it becomes apparent that though these works differ significantly in artistic principles and primary purpose, they both fulfill the same roles as works of monumental architecture. Stonehenge was created in the Neolithic period by a pagan people who probably cared deeply about the passing of the stars. It works as a form of monumental calendar, and probably had significant religious intent (354). It consists of a series of state lines, arranged in concentric circles –

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Costume and Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Costume and Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Costume and Fashion" talks about the connection between costume and fashion and analyzes what impact has a costume from the past to the modern fashion. In today’s fashion industry, there is no faux – pas what – so – ever, any and everyone can be fashionable if they chose to. This is very unlike fashion in the historical times where fashion was only for the rich and famous. If you wanted to be fashionable, you had to be rich! Contemporary fashion has it, that a person could be fashionable even on a shoe- string budget. Today, Fashion in the broader sense of the word is a person’s identity – a ticket to be known. It is a sort of stamp on society so to say where everyone tries to make a mark. In trying to differentiate between â€Å"costume† and â€Å"fashion†, we come to understand that there is a great disparity between the two. Research carried out in the field of fashion shows that fashion takes place all over the wo rld and is closely related to sociology, the Urban Geography, the Class and Labor system and the Material culture of a place. All these components combine to portray the fashion of a particular country. That is why each country has its own unique and traditional flavor when it comes to fashion. â€Å"Costume† on the other hand, is clothing that is made for a particular purpose and is worn by a whole group of people who are together and doing the same job. For example in the ancient world, people like the German tribes used costumes, in order to differentiate between the different social classes.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Stakeholder theory and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words - 1

Stakeholder theory and Strategy - Essay Example Subsequently, the study elucidates how significant stakeholder relationships are in a firm’s enduring existence and survival. Likewise, the paper attempts to concisely illustrate the importance of firms’ employing stakeholder management in their day-to-day operations at the same time succinctly presents how the use of stakeholder analysis can advance corporation efficiency and facilitate a corporation’s effectual policy/decision-making. For the investigation’s methodology, it makes use of the qualitative research employing the interpretivist/inductive stance mode of inquiry. It then concludes with the premise that stakeholders can provide the firm with access to the resources and capabilities that they own, create, and control only if the corporation promotes the stakeholders’ interests or stakes and thus offers the stakeholders opportunities for achieving their objectives. This premise directly follows from the dynamics that create organizations stating that an organization is an amalgamation of people who interact with each other in particular and often repeated ways over some period of time. To attract people to its activities and thereby to assure its continued existence, an organisation must bring some form of benefit—whether psychological, social, cultural, professional, or economic —to the people who participate in its activities. The word stakeholder is compellingly authoritative (Phillips, Freeman, & Wicks, 2003) due to its all-inclusive and at the same time logical depiction of how organizations conduct their business and day-to-day existence. In his pioneering work, Freeman (1984) recommended a stakeholder method to strategic management, inferring that it is imperative for organisations to pay attention to those who affect and are affected by the corporate actions. From that time on, stakeholder theory has become a ‘middle-of-the-road’

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

MCA Mouth Full Of Smoke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MCA Mouth Full Of Smoke - Essay Example The piece has made use of process to confront deep, personal memories. He wanted to portray the history of paint in a very physical and materialistic process. Through the approach, the piece gives a big hint of painting history. So many artists have used oil paints over so many centuries. He also felt that oil painting artworks are a challenged medium in the modern times. Additionally, the artist used oil paint to bring out the physicality of the piece and to portray the human body. The artwork piece evoked a strong feeling of abstract expressionism since it transits from representational to unrecognizable abstractions. The unique process of painting that Otero used conspicuously brought out materiality. I could not clearly figure out the subject matter of the painting since it is totally abstract. It is full of different colors and lines that do not convey any clear image. However, what attracted me most to this painting is the contrasting colors that the artist has used in this composition. Bright colors such as yellow and white are used to create a contrast with dark colors consisting of black and other dull colors. The use of this technique evokes a feeling of conflicts such as a conflicting idea or a particular struggle. I could deduce that the author meant to portray the personal conflicts that individuals such as smokers sometimes encounter in the social sphere. Looking at the image, I also felt that it is absolutely a unique composition, which has used elements of art tactfully for a full composition. The author has employed elements such as depth, space, shape, line, and texture. Texture, for instance, stands out, as the image appears rough to the touch and this made me rethink the message Otero wishes to portray with this painting. The roughness perhaps is an indication of tough experiences. When I see a painting of such a texture, what comes to mind is

Monday, September 9, 2019

Describe the journey of a Red Blood Cell around the body Essay

Describe the journey of a Red Blood Cell around the body - Essay Example A spectrin network attached to the lipid bilayer contains several organic proteins, phospholipids, sphingolipids and cholesterol. This type of attachment increases the stiffness of the RBC. Moreover, this sort of spectrin protein allows the free diffusion of vital component from extracellular fluid to intracellular fluid. (Li & Lykotrafittis, 2012). The journey of red blood cells (erythrocytes) usually begins in the circulatory system. During their passage through the blood vessels the erythrocytes undergo several important changes in shape and structure particularly when needed to pass through the narrow passages in the circulatory system. An erythrocyte is a biconcave disc of a diameter ranging between 6-8 microns, with mean thickness of 2.5 micrometres at the periphery and approximately 1 micrometre towards the centre of the cell (Guyton & Hall, 2006). Transporting of oxygen from lung to various other organs is the function of the RBCs during their journey in the human circulatory system. Importantly, this oxygen available for the functioning of organs is stored into the haemoglobin of RBC and when it reaches its particular destination, oxygen is liberated from haemoglobin and it moves through the cellular passive diffusion. Furthermore, carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released after cellular activities is then again fused with haemoglobin of RBC. This deoxygenated blood due to presence of CO2 into the haemoglobin then enters into the heart, and is finally diffused to the lungs. It was reported that in some lower animals (some invertebrates), Hb is present as a free protein in plasma and it is not bound to the RBCs like in human beings. The total life span of each erythrocyte in the circulation is 120 days (Dean, 2005). But during this period if any of them gets damaged, then they could be eliminated from the circulatory system with the help of macrophages which is usually present in the bone marrow, spleen or in the liver (Premkumar, 2004). A normal man has an average of 5,200,000 red blood cells (RBC) per cubic millimetre and a normal woman has an average of 4,700,000 RBCs per cubic millimetre (Guyton & Hall, 2006). Around 3 million red blood cells (RBC) enter the circulation each second (Starr & McMillan, 2012). Haemoglobin is usually concentrated in the red blood cells (RBC); the metabolic limit of haemoglobin-forming mechanism of the body allows only a maximum concentration of 34grams of Haemoglobin in each 100 millilitres of cells (Guyton & Hall, 2006). In any normal and healthy individual, the haemoglobin (Hb) concentration remains at this maximum permitted level. 2. Bone marrow, Journey and Production of erythrocytes: Production of the erythrocytes from the bone marrow is called erythropoiesis (Schlossberg & Zuiderna, 1997). Apart from bone marrow, red blood cells are also produced by various other organs during the early development of human body. Yolk Sac is the primary site of the production of RBCs during the early embryonic p eriod (Guyton & Hall, 2006, p. 421). Liver serves as the main organ for RBC production during the middle trimester of gestation while lymph nodes and spleen also produce an amount of RBCs during this stage of development (Guyton & Hall, 2006, p. 421). Bone marrow is an important part of human body for the production of red blood cells (RBC) during the last month of gestation and soon after the birth (Guyton & Hall, 2

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Security & Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Security & Risk Management - Essay Example The studies of risk perception and risk management have resulted in the development of different psychological models of risk perception. These models play an important role in understanding the behavior of the people toward risk and their reactions. This paper discusses these very models along with their advantages and limitations. The paper begins with a brief discussion on security management as it is important to first understand the nature of the topic. This is followed by another brief discussion on risk perception which provides the base for the paper. After that, the psychological models of risk perception are discussed in general. The psychometric paradigm is discussed in particular as it is one of the main models of risk perception and perhaps the oldest. After that the advantages of these models are discussed followed by its limitations for the security managers. In the end, the conclusion of the paper is given. Security management is a broad term which is used to refer to securing different types of assets of an organization, including the security of the information of an organization. It is the job of the security manager to identify the assets of an organization that need to be secured. Once these assets are identified, it is then required that the security manager develops policies to ensure the safety of these assets and introduce procedures and guideline which are to be followed for an effective security management. Managing risks is also an important part of security management which rather difficult as it includes identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks. A wrong prioritization can result in a grave situation. Therefore, the security managers are always under great pressure to make the right decision which is influenced by a number of psychological and social factors that vary in different situations. The security managers

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Land Law solve the problem with Sunnydale Cottage Essay

Land Law solve the problem with Sunnydale Cottage - Essay Example †¢In May 2006, Charlotte went abroad for a few months on holiday. She sent post cards to each of the other inhabitants of Sunnydale Cottage saying that she had met Costas, a Greek waiter, and wanted to marry him. Accordingly, she notified them all that â€Å"My one fifth share in Sunnydale Cottage is to be ring-fenced and should anything happen to me Costas is to get it.† The postcard to Barbara was lost in the post and never delivered. Charlotte has tried of Costas and has now returned to live in Sunnydale Cottage. The TLATA avoids this problem as there is no duty to sell under a trust of land, merely a power of sale. All land subject to a trust will be held on a "trust of land" (TLATA s 1). Existing settlements are excluded, but land already held on express or implied trusts for sale are included within the provision. Although it is still possible to create express trusts for sale, as a subset of the trust of land, this will rarely be appropriate for domestic situations, and even here the power to postpone sale cannot be excluded. This means that there is no longer a problem posed by an imperative duty to sell, in situations where that was the last thing intended. One of the most important features of the TLATA is the nature of the trust of land. No longer is there a duty on the trustees to sell the land, there is simply a power to do so if desired. This perhaps reflects the fact that the reasons why trusts are set up nowadays are not the same as in 1925. The trustees of land, when exercising any function relating to the land subject of the trust, are now under a duty (as far as practicable) to consult with beneficiaries of full age and beneficially entitled to an interest in possession in the land. They must give effect to the wishes of those beneficiaries, so far as they are consistent with the general interest of the trust. If there is a dispute among the