One Hot Pot

This was a birthday to be remembered. It had been two years since I had seen my dad, half brother, and stepmom. They came to visit from Los Angeles the week of my birthday. It was also days before Christmas. I knew this birthday was going to be special because I couldn’t remember the last time we were all together for my birthday or Christmas. I’m thankful for the special birthday dinner I had with my family. On the day of my birthday, I had to go to work. After work, I hurried home to get ready for dinner. We all met at my sister’s house at 6:30 P. M.  When I walked inside, nobody was ready. Everyone including my nieces, nephew, sister, and brothers were busy watching television or playing on their I phones. I looked around and saw my dad and stepmom in the kitchen preparing food. I asked them, â€Å"what are you guys doing? † and my dad said, â€Å"I’ve decided to have dinner at home instead of going out to eat. † I thought that was a great idea because I would rather spend quality time with them at home instead of at the restaurant. Then I started to look around to see what he was making. I saw a big pot of boiling stock. At that point, I knew we were having a hot pot. Hot pot consisted of simmering a metal pot of stock placed at the center of the dining table which was fueled by a portable butane gas stove. While the hot pot was simmering, ingredients were placed into the pot and were cooked at the table. Ahhh†¦. I was so excited about the evening because hot pot was one of my favorites. The weather was cold and raining outside while the hot pot was simmering which made the house felt warm and cozy. There was no better meal for this particular day than a hot pot. My dad took all day to prepare the food. He cut and cleans various uncooked items including meat (lamb, beef, chicken, and duck), vegetables (bok choi, bean sprout, daikon, tofu, tomatoes, taro, lettuce, and mushroom), seafood (fish, squid, lobster, prawn, crab, clam, and oyster. ) He had to pull apart the crabs, scrub the clams, and shuck the oysters from the shell; preparing the food was the most difficult part of the meal. Finally it was time for dinner. Everyone started to load the food individually into the hot cooking broth with their chopsticks. When the food was cooked in the pot, it was usually eaten with a dipping sauce. My favorite was the clams, so I grabbed a lot of clams and loaded it into the pot with the strainer and gently placed it over the boiling water and watched the clams open. Once they opened, I placed them in my bowl and started to dig in. Hot pot wasn’t like any regular meal because it could last for hours. Everyone would eat or wait for the food to cook while talking with each other. Even after I was full and I would sit there and listen to everyone talk and then I got hungry again. We would usually eat late into the night when we had hot pot for dinner. I couldn’t imagine a better time than Christmas time to be with my family sitting around at the dinner table admiring each other. Besides my dad and step mom, my oldest sister, three older brothers, a half brother and my sister’s five children were there. Even my mom and step dad came over to celebrate and some of my cousins too. Because of my parent’s divorce, it took a lot for all of us to be sitting around the same table. This meal was unforgettable.

Organizational Systems and Quality Leadership Essay

Nursing-sensitive indicators are defined by the American Nurses Association as indicators that â€Å"reflect the structure, process and outcomes of nursing care. The structure of nursing care is indicated by the supply of nursing staff, the skill level of the nursing staff, and the education/certification of nursing staff† (ANA, 2015). These indicators are outcomes that increase the quality and safety in patient care. Some indicators are patient falls, surgical complications such as infection and pulmonary failure, restraint prevalence, patient satisfaction, nurse satisfaction and staffing, complications such as urinary tract infections and pressure ulcers. The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) provides a guideline for nurses and nurse managers for direction in patient care and how to use patient acuity, patient needs, and referral indicators to provide good, safe, quality patient care. Nursing-sensitive indicators that could be identified as possible int erference with patient care in Mr. J’s case are his being drowsy from pain medications, his mild dementia diagnosis, his being restrained, and his cultural and religious values preferences. Mr. J is said to answer simple questions but with the diagnosis of mild dementia and the pain medication given, any information given by Mr. J may not be accurate. The nurses and staff should have recognized this immediately and gotten with a caregiver or family who knows Mr. J to ask healthcare questions so staff could establish care appropriately from that information. The reason the patient is being restrained is never revealed but patients should never be restrained to the bed. There are more useful and humane ways to monitor a patient who may be at risk for falls with mild dementia such as bed alarm/chair alarm or a sitter. The patient, admitted with a fractured hip and restrained to a bed, is at high risk for pressure ulcers. The CNA should be well educated on the need to turn patients and make sure pressure points are well monitored to prevent skin breakdown. The lack of cultural respect and understanding regarding Mr. J dietary requests as a retired Jewish rabbi are a nursing -sensitive indicator which can lead to patient dissatisfaction, maybe not realized by the patient with mild dementia but certainly by his daughter. The hospital acquiring data on the above indicators of pressure ulcer incidence, prevalence of restraints, patient and family satisfaction could go a long way to advance the quality of patient care throughout the hospital. This hospital is a 65-bed rural hospital but it is the job of every hospital to give the best patient care possible. With a pressure ulcer developing while in the hospital and Medicare not reimbursing for the cost of the care of that ulcer, it is important to make sure for the patients and the financial aspect that these do not happen. The care of a pressure ulcer can take many weeks and be very costly. The development of this in the hospital is uncalled for and does not bring patient satisfaction. I think too often hospitals forget they are treating not just their patients but their families as well. Evidence-based practice could be used to see what could have been done to prevent pressure ulcers, education for the staff on what signs to look for concerning pressu re ulcers as well as education on the laws and when it is appropriate to use restraints on patients. Care of the patient should always be on the individual needs and cultural practice of the patients. As the nursing shift supervisor, I see several issues that need to be addressed. I would first ask who restrained this patient and why they felt this was needed. Evidence-based practice shows us that restraints are usually more dangerous to the patient than not being restrained. Restraints are to be used only in an emergency. In our book it states, â€Å"Restraint of any kind is a form of imprisonment, and the reasonable and prudent nurse will closely adhere to all laws, rules, and policies pertaining to the use of restraints† (Cherry, 2008). Furthermore, restraint† (Cherry, 2008). Policy and procedure needs to be addressed hospital wide with education and clear instructions given to prevent this in the future. The supervisor should not have ignored the dietary error nor told her staff to â€Å"keep it quiet.† â€Å"Each culture has a value system that dictates behavior directly or indirectly by setting norms and teaching that those norms are right. Health beliefs and practices tend to reflect a culture’s value system. Nurses must understand the patient’s value system to foster health promotion (Cherry, 2008).† As nurses, we must recognize and respect the cultures and beliefs of our patients. This hospital may have a small population of Jewish residents but what hospital can afford to lose patients to a hospital 20 miles away? There needs to be education from administration down on how to value each culture and how we as healthcare members must understand the different values to promote health. Education on the ability of practicing the health beliefs and practices of each patient can and will help the patient get better. I think we get into the mind-set that we are healthcare providers and people have to come to us, they need us, but what some don’t understand is we are a business as well. We need to respect our patients and put our patients first. They can go somewhere else. Someone else out there wants their business, wants to show them what kind of quality care they can receive, and will show them just that. REFERENCES Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. (2008). CHAPTER 8 Legal Issues in Nursing and Health Care. In Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends & Management (5th ed., p. 185, p. 222). St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby/Elsevier. Nursing-Sensitive Indicators. (2015, January 1). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/PatientSafetyQuality/Research-Measurement/The-National-Database/Nursing-Sensitive-Indicators_1.aspx

Benefits of Social Media

Did you know that it has been proven that using social media makes people happier than spending time with family, sporting events, or having more money? (THE GUARDIAN, 2014). The rise of social media usage in modern society, particularly amongst young people, has raised concerns among many commentators about the risks and disadvantages of this type of communication. With more and more people choosing to spend large quantities of time communicating via site such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, critics of social media question the privacy, security, and usefulness of social media to modern society. There are both benefits and disadvantages to the increasing use of social media in our modern society. However, despite the very real disadvantages and dangers, research has indicated that social media has real benefits for modern users. Social media carries definite and proven risks for users; however, it can also be enormously beneficial. Social media has been criticized as harmful to the communication skills and benefits of real, face-to-face interactions (READING EAGLE, 2012); because social media encourages virtual communication, it can be seen as impersonal, superficial, and lacking in true empathy. However, research has also indicated that using social media makes people happy. In a study that examined a number of situations such as having more money, spending time with family, and sports events, social media was shown to be the activity that rated highest as making people happy (THE GUARDIAN, 2014). It is likely that this is a direct result of the feeling of inclusiveness and connectedness that social media creates for users, who feel that they can be heard and involved through the use of social media; it may also be a result of the fact that social media facilitates many of the other factors seen to make people happy. At the same time, social media has been criticized as harmful to the communication skills and benefits of real, face-to-face interactions (READING EAGLE, 2012). It is more accurate, however, to say that social media has changed the ways in which people communicate with one another, allowing faster and more informal and impulsive communication. Research has shown that, for businesses in particular, this change in communication methods has resulted in benefits for users in both economic terms and in terms of connectedness to others (THE SOCIAL SAVIOR, 2015). Social media makes it easier for individuals to connect to one another, but also for individuals and groups to communicate effectively, making it easier for messages and ideas to be shared widely and collectively. Communications via social media, for example, can lack security and are vulnerable to invasions of privacy because of their public nature (READING EAGLE, 2012). Outweighing these disadvantages, however, is the fact that different studies have also shown that social media can help to equip young people with a range of valuable life-skills. These benefits occur as a result of the constant practice at communication it encourages (THE WASHINGTON TIMES, 2009). By being so constantly connected to the public, young people have the opportunity to explore and challenge social conventions, develop new interests and technical abilities, and develop their personal sense of identity (THE WASHINGTON TIMES, 2009). These skills help to keep society cutting-edge and progressive, and also help prepare the next generation for life, work, and society. As can be seen, therefore, social media carries definite and proven risks for users; however, it can also be enormously beneficial. It cannot be denied that using social media carries certain risks to security, privacy and personality. However, the benefits that accrue from appropriate use of social media can be seen to outweigh those risks extensively. References

Watching Erin Brockvich in Feminist viewpoint Essay

Watching Erin Brockvich in Feminist viewpoint - Essay Example The film Erin Brockovich is a moving, true story about a woman who overcomes hardships, including gender discrimination, to investigate a large corporate lawsuit. Her battle to present the case in the â€Å"man’s world† of a law firm is seen as an excellent step in the direction of feminism and empowered women. However, Erin Brockovich does not follow the guidelines of true feminism. In the film Brockovich displays an unfair advantage over her male counterparts that not only give her an upper-edge but also contradict the true meaning of feminism and gender equality. The best example in the film is Brockovich’s admittance into the county water board. The scene begins with Brockovich getting out of her car and walking toward the building. The shot cuts to the clerk inside who is frantically fixing his hair and straightening his clothes. He has an immediate attraction to Brockovich and her suggestive clothing. Brockovich enters the building, flashes a dazzling smile and begins to flirt and chat with the beaming clerk. She also makes a few comments that suggest she’s just a dumb girl who does not know or care at all about public records. Her hidden agenda is to gain access to public water records that might contain information on contaminated water. Ed Masry warned her that these records can be easily â€Å"lost† if the wrong people start asking for them. Her plan is to charm the clerk into letting her search the records alone. Most people would not be permitted full, unassisted access to a public records office.

Developing Strategic Management and Leadership Skills Essay

Developing Strategic Management and Leadership Skills - Essay Example This project stresses that a leader will verify that the salaries are being paid in time; will pursue a system of rewards and bonuses; and, will listen to the employees’ troubles and will try to remove them. This will keep them working at high competence. The leader will make agreements with business partners while respecting their decisions. This confidence between the partners makes the organization grow and maintains its integrity. A leader will know how to schedule his projects keeping in mind the time frame and instructs the team to manage their work schedules accordingly.  From the report it is clear that the goal of leadership is to make the new comers follow the way the leaders work and behave in the organization. The leaders should show such an attitude at the workplace that would inspire others to follow their directions. The ultimate goal of the leadership is to create such teams that work effectively to produce greater results. The most important thing is conside ration about internal and external communication. If leaders want that employees participate in a vigorous collaborative environment where they interrelate with each other in a better way to share their ideas and information, they would have to take steps to improve their communication with their workers, listen to their problems, talk to them and work out their issues. Workers will automatically start following them and the overall organizational culture will improve. This is the transformational leadership. (Brown & Travino, 2006) actually in which the leaders produce such an effect on their subordinates that they inflict a â€Å"transforming effect† on them thus producing â€Å"sweeping changes in organizations and societies† (Priyabhasini & Krishnan, 2005, p.1). Strategic Management Strategic management is the process of determining goals and objectives while recognizing roles and responsibilities and meeting deadlines. It involves the

Managing Financial Resources Cafe Restaurant Essay

Managing Financial Resources Cafe Restaurant - Essay Example The following should be included in the capital expenditures: equipment for accounting purposes such as calculator or computer , cash register , and credit card machine; utensils for the use by customers such as forks, spoons, and knives; other furnishing and appliances such as a CD player for background music, trash baskets, flower pots and decorations, toilet fixtures, special lighting, and display shelves (refrigerated and non-refrigerated);safety equipment such as intrusion and smoke detectors; and of course , a sign that says "Jana's Caf" or something similar. Capital expenditures like these are durable goods used over a long period of time by the business and their costs are depreciated or amortised over their useful lives which can last more than one year. Some restaurants businesses consider utensils as revenue expenditure if these get lost frequently and need to be replaced. Revenue expenditures are the costs of running the business and should include government permits and fees, taxes, utilities such as power/light and water; building dues and fees; repair and maintenance of equipment and furnishings; office supplies such as paper, pens, and receipts; salaries of staff, and uniforms of serving staff, if any. If they borrow from a bank, they also have to pay bank interest. (2000, 000 CZK).

Budget and Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Budget and Performance - Essay Example This strategy is not in line with the values of its current business. Keeping all things into consideration, Guillermo makes the budgets and evaluate variances and takes corrective measures when and where required in order to run its business smoothly and efficiently. Every single businessman wants his business to run smoothly without any hindrance. In Guillermo's scenario, he manipulated the figures in order to make the business attractive, which is unethical. From Guillermo's accounting decision perspective, he manipulated the sales; the variable cost per unit and unit sales in order to attract the outside companies, like making the figures attractive for the Norwegian company. So it is very important for Guillermo not to take and adopt unethical values in his decision making because may be very good in the short-run but can prove disastrous for the company in the long run (Garrison, 2004).

The impact of the Cold War on the Middle East Essay

The impact of the Cold War on the Middle East - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the cold war had a lot of effects not only to the participating countries but also the neighboring states: moreover, the effects were both positive and negative depending on the situation. Significantly, when it comes to the nuclear legacies, most of them can be traced back to the cold war, with most of the Middle East states experiencing the availability of new technologies for nuclear power and energy, use of radiation for improving medical treatment and health; moreover, environmental remediation, industrial production, research science, and technology development have all benefited from the carefully managed application of radiation and other nuclear processes. On the other hand, military development and spending have continued despite the end of the cold war especially in relation to the exploitation of defensive systems; furthermore, former superpowers in the Middle East have proceeded to maintain and develop existing weapons and delivery systems. Additionally, with some countries having had overseas military bases and facilities, they have inherited responsibilities and costs especially with the urge of more production and serving facilities (sometimes even military staging and storage); as well, nuclear and conventional forces remain at levels reasonably high for a  peacetime  environment with localized conflicts and tensions having replaced the former bilateral nuclear confrontation. Generally, in the wake of the Cold War, some of the Middle East countries inherited expenses, commitments, and resources for which they were not prepared, and others state also found themselves with contemporary national-security burdens and substantial environmental contamination legacies, all to be financed while new or revised civilian economies had to be instituted. In 1955, Syria aligned with Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Arab Solidarity Pact) to balance against Iraq and the United States sponsored Baghdad pact; still, on the same year, there was a pact between Syria and USSR - Syria was trying to balance against Iraq, Turkey and Israel (went up to1958). Additionally, in 1958 Syria united with Egypt under Nasser (United Arab Republic) to balance against internal communist threats and external superpower pressure; after this, there was the Tripartite Unity Pact - where Syria and Iraq formed an alliance with Egypt, and later on in the year, Syrian and Iraqi Ba’ath united to balance against Egypt to fulfill ideological goals.

Organizational Environment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Environment - Case Study Example The link between innovation and the competitiveness of a business depends on the ability of the business to adapt strategically to the market it is in. Adaptation to a particular market is a dynamic process and can only be achieved as a long-term project and must consider other factors that may be external in nature and may also be affected by previous decisions on strategic positioning in the market. The ability to innovate is one key factor that dictates whether a business will be able to survive in the market and its performance. Therefore, a business must be able to conceptualize an adaptation strategy by having the correct strategy, structure and internal alignment that will position it competitively in the market both through the internal and the external environment (Eunni, Post and Berger 2003). HKM can develop can develop a functional structure as its organizational structure as the company is set to grow into a larger company but is interested in the economies of scale thro ugh the production of large quantities of the products but at a lower cost. This can be achieved by having highly efficient and specific divisions with specialized tasks, in this case the production of designs. Being dependent on the environment or the market to dictate the sale of the designs, HKM must adopt the open system in order to know what is going on in the business market especially concerning the customers, the suppliers and the competitors. The fact that the market seems stable for HKM in that he is assured of constant market for the designs; he can adopt a mechanist management system in the organization structure. In this kind of arrangement, HKM will consider the specialized differentiation of the functional tasks facing the partnership and break them down. He will also have to distinguish the abstract nature of each task that may be pursued with techniques or purposes that are different from those of the business as well as reconcile each level in the hierarchy. This f orm of structure that applies to HKM must also determine the precise definition of the rights and obligations attached to each party and how they transit to responsibilities of a functional position (Burns and Stalker, 1961). Harold and his partners must therefore be aware of the environment they operate in so as to survive as well as to know its domain or field of action. Daft (2010) states that this will be dependent on the products, services and the markets that the business is intending to serve as compared to its business objectives. Assuming that the product and the market that are to be produced by Harold and his new partners are perfectively competitive, the price is one of the most important factors that are to be considered. The price should be set at the market level through the interaction of supply and demand in that all the organizational structures put in place must consider the demand and the supply of the targeted market. Further before increasing the quantities of the goods in the market, the firm must decide how much labor that will be required for the business that will ensure that there is maximization of the profits in line with the objectives of the business (Plantes and Finrock, 2009). Before increasing the quantities of production of the products, Harold must identify and evaluate the competition, their number, size, location, strengths and weaknesses and how the business can overcome the

Freedman talk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Freedman talk - Essay Example The purpose of the speech was to warn Americans into being led to the same trap and fate for primarily analogous reasons. The distressful contents of Freedman’s speech could be interpreted differently by readers. One could immediately be swayed and convinced of the veracity and credibility of Freedman’s contentions given that he was regarded as a successful Jewish businessman with inside connections to Jewish organizations and famous American leaders of his time. However, some people would still regard his arguments as merely preposterous due to the antithetical information, the validity of which should have set the records straight. In sum, Freedman’s speech gained notoriety and controversy in terms of the delicate nature of the information he revealed. By pinpointing the major tragic events to the Khazars, a warlike tribe, who supposedly carries the commitment to provoke chaos with their communal interests for economic gain, readers would continue to reflect on his credibility and his inner personal or professional purpose for the discourse. Freedman’s speech would continue to be a subject for literary

Goals Essay Example for Free

Goals Essay I have always believed to set a goal, focused on it, achieve the goal and then again set another goal to achieve that. With the work experience of two years that has imparted the basic skills and knowledge of the professional field; I would like to put my next step to achieve my goal by pursuing Master degree in Management Information System. Information technology is a further step to mankind. After completing my under graduate study in Computer Engineering, I worked in a software company where I got chance to hone my mind in the information management field. Working as a software engineer mainly in the database field for the two projects in the Inland Revenue Department and Nepal Telecom, my main assignments were to handle the information in a systematic and secure way. I was part of the software team from the preliminary investigation of the software development to the final review. And here where I knew the importance of the data and data turned information. My working environment is also one of the motivating factors that pushed me towards obtaining a degree in Information System. During my under graduate studies, I with my three friends undertook projects in library management system and Regional Information Provider (A project on Geographical Information System), both focusing on how we can collect the data, how we can process them and how we can get the result. Our project paper proposes the two major factors in the field of management and information system: First, how we can formulate the data. And, secondly, how we can get the secure information and store the information. The Library Management System was a project which demonstrated about the items (mainly books) owned by the library, availability of the items and information of the students who have borrowed the items. Similarly, Regional Information Provider was my major project which visualizes the concept of Geographical Information System. It was built using the Arc View 3. 0 software. It demonstrated the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu city. All the information about the rivers, colleges, schools, hospitals, market place, bus stops, roads etc. of the city was driven by the project in a systematic and efficient way. I took data mining and data warehousing and Internet/Intranet in my undergraduate studies and they were the stirring factor for me to do my projects in information system. From the last decades, the capabilities of both generation and collection of data has been increasing in great pace. The main factors include the computerization in all the sectors such as business, science, government and management. In addition to these, the World Wide Web which is a global information system has loaded us with a tremendous amount of data and information. The present scenario of online banking transactions is a good example of the need of secure and convenient information system. This explosive growth in stored data has generated an urgent need for new techniques and tools that can intelligently assist us in the management of data and information. So, defining new methods and utilizing the present tools of managing information system in a more efficient way could be a flourishing frontier in the information field for the days ahead. Beside we should not forget: The need is great in the future. The present world is surrounded by the data and information field. On one hand, these data present the potential for us to discover useful information and knowledge not seen before. On the other hand, we are limited in our ability to manually process large amounts of data to discover useful information and knowledge. So, the need of better tools and application as well as the reliable methods of utilizing the data and information is the eminent necessity of not only today’s world but the future also. The real-time processing and analysis of various data and information should be realized. There should be a constant evaluation of the system indicating relatively strong work handling capacity and expansion capacity; useful for optimization, reduction of management risks, and improvement of information efficiency. Through my academic and professional experiences, I have found that, in order to further increase myself as an asset to the information industry, I need to pursue course work in management information system that examines the fundamental principles of information systems and security, which I have discovered fits well with the research interests of outstanding faculty members in the area at University *Name*. Beside I have set up my mind to have a doctorate degree in Information Technology and I will be glad to join the PhD program in Information Technology in the university (if the university has the program) after the completion of my master degree. The University has a worldwide reputation, and commands great respect in my homeland of Nepal. As my understanding the university provides a supportive environment for opportunities in research. Through my academic career as well as my professional work, you can clearly see my passion and dedication to everything that I will undertake. I am confident that I will develop invaluable research skills while having the privilege of interaction with accessible professors and intellectually-gifted colleagues. I have a strong belief that one of the most important elements in pursuing a successful academic career is to have a good mentor who can closely guide you academically, and as a person, as well. I have achieved every success through strong willpower and persistence. I believe that life is a long journey and my present application for the University, arguably the best university in the world, is my new attempt to scale new heights. In order to develop software by a computer/software engineer he/she has to know about processing data in an accurate and systematic way. And I know the Master degree in Management Information System provides the kind of exposure needed to broaden my thinking and undo my insular prejudices that might be still prevalent in me.

Book Report on “Fathers and Sons” by Ivan Turgenev Essay Example for Free

Book Report on â€Å"Fathers and Sons† by Ivan Turgenev Essay â€Å"Fathers and Sons† is, perhaps, the most interesting book by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, which gained international recognition. It has been first published in 1862 and concurred with a complicated period of Russian history, known as the â€Å"Great Reforms†. Abolition of serfdom, reforms of administrational system, industrialization and raise of revolutionary ideas caused profound changes in the Russian society and in the minds of people. Turgenev’s book is devoted t this dramatic mental and psychological break. â€Å"Fathers† are old generation who share conservative views and â€Å"sons† are youth, dreaming of revolution and demonstrating nihilism and disrespect towards traditional values. The narrator of the story – Nikolai Petrovitch Kirsanov, is a son of a general, who has been a hero of Napoleonic wars. His life is rather unremarkable. Being unable to serve in the army because of the childhood trauma, he has married and lived happily with his wife till her early death. After that he devoted all his life to his only son Arcady. The novel opens when the older Kirsanov stands before the door of his dominion waiting for his son returning from the university. Finally the son comes back, but he is not alone, he is accompanied by his new university friend Yevgeny Vasilevich Bazarov. Soon Nikolai Kirsanov finds out, that his son has completely fallen under influence of Bazarov’s nihilistic and realistic views. He dreams of bloody revolutionary changes and disputes with Kirsanov about the future of Russia: Aristocracy, liberalism, progress, principles, said Bazarov. Just think what a lot of foreign . . . and useless words! To a Russian theyre no good for anything! , says he. Further along the novel Bazarov continues to play a role of a â€Å"revolutionary demon†. He is pretty charismatic, so such miserable people as Sitnikov and Kukushkina fall under his influence. Those two are represent a sort of â€Å"progressive thinkers† whose â€Å"progrogressism† comes to be reduced to absurd. They are ready to admire any new nihilistic ideas being completely unable to think of them critically and add any own reasoning to them. Bazarov openly contemns Sitnikov and flirts with Kushkina to allay his boredom. What is really interesting for Bazarov are his disputes with Pavel Petrovitch Kirsanov, older brother of Nikolai Kirsanov They feel antipathy from the very first moment of their acquaintance. Pavel Kirsanov speaks of Bazarov’s nihilism as of an unfounded doctrine existing in vacuum. Bazarov’s manner of thinking is purely utilitarian: We act by virtue of what we recognize as useful, went on Bazarov. At present the most useful thing is denial, so we deny. Pavel strongly disagrees But allow me, began Nikolai Petrovich. You deny everything, or to put it more precisely, you destroy everything . . . But one must construct, too, you know. [33] But Bazarov remains sure, that to construct something it is first necessary to â€Å"Clean the ground†. Perhaps this dispute between Pavel Kirsanov and Bazarov puts forth the basic idea of the book: conflict of conservatism and revolutionary doctrine. In order to iron out the differences between Pavel Kirsanov and Bazarov Arcady tells Bazarov the story of Pavel’s life. Once Pavel was a luminous officer, but love to a woman, duchess R† ruined his life and left him completely drained. Pavel only retained his sophisticated taste, fair manners and Anglomania. Although she is not present in the novel, duchess R† seems to be one of the characters because even after years she continues to determine Pavel’s actions. He asks for satisfaction from Bazarov, when he sees him kissing Fenichka, but the real reason is not Bazarov’s behavior, but that Fenichka somehow reminds Pavel duchess R†. While men in the story are symbols of social classes and positions, women represent something, what can be called â€Å"normal life†, whether it is duchess R† – a symbol of Russian magnificent nobility, Fenichka – a symbol of common sense, or Mme Odintsov. Mme Odintsov is a very special character. On the one hand she is perfectly educated and progressive woman, on the other she does not in any way share Bazarov’s enthusiasm about social cataclysms. She is sure, that society is to be bettered by bettering of human, but not by reconstruction of it’s formation. She asks Bazarov a question which he is unable to directly answer: And you suppose, said Anna Sergeyevna, that when society is reformed there will be no longer any stupid or wicked people? [56] Bazarov starts explaining that a proper society will make no difference, but inside he feels, that Odintsova is right. Love to a woman is so contrary to Bazarov’s views, that he is unable to accept it, putting cynicism on himself, and then leaving her house. He attempts to find some occupation for himself, flirts, fights at a duel and tries to speak about his ideas with peasants. The peasants are in fact those, who are to be enthusiastic about the revolution, at least as Bazarov thinks. So he is unhappily surprised to find out, that peasants do not want to understand complicated teaching and think of him as of a cheat. Bazarov’s ideas collapse: he finds no support both with educated and common people, so he has to recognize, that revolution is actually unnecessary to anyone and that it is nothing more, than a fashionable game. Pavel Kirsanov is right: doctrines of Bazarov exist in vacuum. It is not clear whether Bazarov’s death was a suicide, but his behavior itself is suicidal, and he accepts the certainty of death calmly. The only thing he wants is to say farewell to Odintsova. At his deathbed he openly confessed, that all his prod ideas went down to the pan. He continues to speak of himself as of a giant, but now the only task he puts for himself is to die with dignity. Six month after his death the two couples married: Nikolai Kirsanov to Fenichka and Arcady to Kate – Odintsova younger sister. The normal life continues even after Bazarov’s death, and Arcady, his former confederate, becomes a wealthy landowner, representing an antithesis to Bazarov’s views. Bazarov’s grave is almost forgotten, and only his parents sometimes come to shed tears over it. Although â€Å"Fathers and Sons† is a novel about pre-revolutionary Russia, it’s lesson is useful for all generations. Sons always rise against their fathers, willing to change this world and create a totally new one for themselves. And Turgenev demonstrates how mental dissoluteness and spiritual weakness can destroy even the most sharp-minded person. The whole revolutionary fervor of Bazarov is destroyed by romantic love – the real motivation of the world. At the end of his life â€Å"the demon† feels lost and betrayed, while conservatism triumphs over his grave. Works cited: Ivan Turgenev (1998) Fathers and Sons. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Production and operations management

Production and operations management Production and Operations Management (POM) is about the transformation of production and operational inputs into outputs that, when distributed, meet the needs of customers. The process in the above diagram is often referred to as the Conversion Process. There are several different methods of handling the conversion or production process Job, Batch, Flow and Group POM incorporates many tasks that are interdependent, but which can be grouped under five main headings: PRODUCT Marketers in a business must ensure that a business sells products that meet customer needs and wants. The role of Production and Operations is to ensure that the business actually makes the required products in accordance with the plan. The role of PRODUCT in POM therefore concerns areas such as: Performance Aesthetics Quality Reliability Quantity Production costs Delivery dates PLANT To make PRODUCT, PLANT of some kind is needed. This will comprise the bulk of the fixed assets of the business. In determining which PLANT to use, management must consider areas such as: Future demand (volume, timing) Design and layout of factory, equipment, offices Productivity and reliability of equipment Need for (and costs of) maintenance Heath and safety (particularly the operation of equipment) Environmental issues (e.g. creation of waste products) PROCESSES There are many different ways of producing a product. Management must choose the best process, or series of processes. They will consider: Available capacity Available skills Type of production Layout of plant and equipment Safety Production costs Maintenance requirements PROGRAMMES The production PROGRAMME concerns the dates and times of the products that are to be produced and supplied to customers. The decisions made about programme will be influenced by factors such as: Purchasing patterns (e.g. lead time) Cash flow Need for / availability of storage Transportation PEOPLE Production depends on PEOPLE, whose skills, experience and motivation vary. Key people-related decisions will consider the following areas: Wages and salaries Safety and training Work conditions Leadership and motivation Unionisation Communication ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ production types of production method Definition In our introduction to production and operations management (POM) we suggested that there are several different methods of handling the conversion or production process Job, Batch, Flow and Group. This revision note explains these methods in more detail. Introduction The various methods of production are not associated with a particular volume of production. Similarly, several methods may be used at different stages of the overall production process. Job Method With Job production, the complete task is handled by a single worker or group of workers. Jobs can be small-scale/low technology as well as complex/high technology. Low technology jobs: here the organisation of production is extremely simply, with the required skills and equipment easily obtainable. This method enables customers specific requirements to be included, often as the job progresses. Examples include: hairdressers; tailoring High technology jobs: high technology jobs involve much greater complexity and therefore present greater management challenge. The important ingredient in high-technology job production is project management, or project control. The essential features of good project control for a job are: Clear definitions of objectives how should the job progress (milestones, dates, stages) Decision-making process how are decisions taking about the needs of each process in the job, labour and other resources Examples of high technology / complex jobs: film production; large construction projects (e.g. the Millennium Dome) Batch Method As businesses grow and production volumes increase, it is not unusual to see the production process organised so that Batch methods can be used. Batch methods require that the work for any task is divided into parts or operations. Each operation is completed through the whole batch before the next operation is performed. By using the batch method, it is possible to achieve specialisation of labour. Capital expenditure can also be kept lower although careful planning is required to ensure that production equipment is not idle. The main aims of the batch method are, therefore, to: Concentrate skills (specialisation) Achieve high equipment utilisation This technique is probably the most commonly used method for organising manufacture. A good example is the production of electronic instruments. Batch methods are not without their problems. There is a high probability of poor work flow, particularly if the batches are not of the optimal size or if there is a significant difference in productivity by each operation in the process. Batch methods often result in the build up of significant work in progress or stocks (i.e. completed batches waiting for their turn to be worked on in the next operation). Flow Methods Flow methods are similar to batch methods except that the problem of rest/idle production/batch queuing is eliminated. Flow has been defined as a method of production organisation where the task is worked on continuously or where the processing of material is continuous and progressive, The aims of flow methods are: Improved work material flow Reduced need for labour skills Added value / completed work faster Flow methods mean that as work on a task at a particular stage is complete, it must be passed directly to the next stage for processing without waiting for the remaining tasks in the batch. When it arrives at the next stage, work must start immediately on the next process. In order for the flow to be smooth, the times that each task requires on each stage must be of equal length and there should be no movement off the flow production line. In theory, therefore, any fault or error at a particular stage In order that flow methods can work well, several requirements must be met: (1) There must be substantially constant demand If demand is unpredictable or irregular, then the flow production line can lead to a substantial build up of stocks and possibility storage difficulties. Many businesses using flow methods get round this problem by building for stock i.e. keeping the flow line working during quiet periods of demand so that output can be produced efficiently. (2) The product and/or production tasks must be standardised Flow methods are inflexible they cannot deal effectively with variations in the product (although some variety can be accomplished through applying different finishes, decorations etc at the end of the production line). (3) Materials used in production must be to specification and delivered on time Since the flow production line is working continuously, it is not a good idea to use materials that vary in style, form or quality. Similarly, if the required materials are not available, then the whole production line will come to a close with potentially serious cost consequences. (4) Each operation in the production flow must be carefully defined and recorded in detail (5) The output from each stage of the flow must conform to quality standards Since the output from each stage moves forward continuously, there is no room for sub-standard output to be re-worked (compare this with job or batch production where it is possible to compensate for a lack of quality by doing some extra work on the job or the batch before it is completed). The achievement of a successful production flow line requires considerable planning, particularly in ensuring that the correct production materials are delivered on time and that operations in the flow are of equal duration. Common examples where flow methods are used are the manufacture of motor cars, chocolates and televisions. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ capacity management the meaning of capacity Introduction The capacity of a production unit (e.g. machine, factory) is its ability to produce or do that which the customer requires. In production and operations management, three types of capacity are often referred to: Potential Capacity The capacity that can be made available to influence the planning of senior management (e.g. in helping them to make decisions about overall business growth, investment etc). This is essentially a long-term decision that does not influence day-to-day production management Immediate Capacity The amount of production capacity that can be made available in the short-term. This is the maximum potential capacity assuming that it is used productively Effective Capacity An important concept. Not all productive capacity is actually used or usable. It is important for production managers to understand what capacity is actually achievable. Measuring capacity Capacity, being the ability to produce work in a given time, must be measured in the unit of work. For example, consider a factory that has a capacity of 10,000 machine hours in each 40 hour week. This factory should be capable of producing 10,000 standard hours of work during a 40-hour week. The actual volume of product that the factory can produce will depend on: the amount of work involved in production (e.g. does a product require 1, 5, 10 standard hours? any additional time required in production (e.g. machine set-up, maintenance) the productivity or effectiveness of the factory Constraints on capacity In capacity management there are usually two potential constraints TIME and CAPACITY Time may be a constraint where a customer has a particular required delivery date. In this situation, capacity managers often plan backwards. In other words, they allocate the final stage (operation) of the production tasks to the period where delivery is required; the penultimate task one period earlier and so on. This process helps identify whether there is sufficient time to meet the production demands and whether capacity needs to be increased, albeit temporarily. Production Scheduling A schedule is a representation of the time necessary to carry out a particular task. A job schedule shows the plan for the manufacture of a particular job. It is created through work / study reviews which determine the method and times required. Most businesses carry out several production tasks at one time which entails amalgamating several job schedules. This process is called scheduling. The result is known as the production schedule or factory schedule for the factory/plant as a whole. In preparing a production schedule, attention needs to be paid to: Delivery dates (when are finished products due?) Job schedules for each relevant production task Capacities of production sections or departments involved Efficiency of these production sections or departments Planned holidays Anticipated sickness / absenteeism / training Availability of raw materials, components and packaging There are two key problems with production scheduling: (1) Measurement of performance (e.g. should financial performance be most important (e.g. minimise the amount of stock), or are marketing objectives more important e.g. always produce enough to meet customer demand). (2) The large number of possible schedules often caused by too much complexity or variety in the production needs of the business. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ introduction to break-even analysis Introduction Break-even analysis is a technique widely used by production management and management accountants. It is based on categorising production costs between those which are variable (costs that change when the production output changes) and those that are fixed (costs not directly related to the volume of production). Total variable and fixed costs are compared with sales revenue in order to determine the level of sales volume, sales value or production at which the business makes neither a profit nor a loss (the break-even point). The Break-Even Chart In its simplest form, the break-even chart is a graphical representation of costs at various levels of activity shown on the same chart as the variation of income (or sales, revenue) with the same variation in activity. The point at which neither profit nor loss is made is known as the break-even point and is represented on the chart below by the intersection of the two lines: In the diagram above, the line OA represents the variation of income at varying levels of production activity (output). OB represents the total fixed costs in the business. As output increases, variable costs are incurred, meaning that total costs (fixed + variable) also increase. At low levels of output, Costs are greater than Income. At the point of intersection, P, costs are exactly equal to income, and hence neither profit nor loss is made. Fixed Costs Fixed costs are those business costs that are not directly related to the level of production or output. In other words, even if the business has a zero output or high output, the level of fixed costs will remain broadly the same. In the long term fixed costs can alter perhaps as a result of investment in production capacity (e.g. adding a new factory unit) or through the growth in overheads required to support a larger, more complex business. Examples of fixed costs: Rent and rates Depreciation Research and development Marketing costs (non- revenue related) Administration costs Variable Costs Variable costs are those costs which vary directly with the level of output. They represent payment output-related inputs such as raw materials, direct labour, fuel and revenue-related costs such as commission. A distinction is often made between Direct variable costs and Indirect variable costs. Direct variable costs are those which can be directly attributable to the production of a particular product or service and allocated to a particular cost centre. Raw materials and the wages those working on the production line are good examples. Indirect variable costs cannot be directly attributable to production but they do vary with output. These include depreciation (where it is calculated related to output e.g. machine hours), maintenance and certain labour costs. Semi-Variable Costs Whilst the distinction between fixed and variable costs is a convenient way of categorising business costs, in reality there are some costs which are fixed in nature but which increase when output reaches certain levels. These are largely related to the overall scale and/or complexity of the business. For example, when a business has relatively low levels of output or sales, it may not require costs associated with functions such as human resource management or a fully-resourced finance department. However, as the scale of the business grows (e.g. output, number people employed, number and complexity of transactions) then more resources are required. If production rises suddenly then some short-term increase in warehousing and/or transport may be required. In these circumstances, we say that part of the cost is variable and part fixed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ quality management introduction One of the most important issues that businesses have focused on in the last 20-30 years has been quality. As markets have become much more competitive quality has become widely regarded as a key ingredient for success in business. In this revision note, we introduce what is meant by quality by focusing on the key terms you will come up against. What is quality? You will comes across several terms that all seem to relate to the concept of quality. It can be quite confusing working out what the difference is between them. Weve defined the key terms that you need to know below: Term Description Quality Quality is first and foremost about meeting the needs and expectations of customers. It is important to understand that quality is about more than a product simply working properly. Think about your needs and expectations as a customer when you buy a product or service. These may include performance, appearance, availability, delivery, reliability, maintainability, cost effectiveness and price. Think of quality as representing all the features of a product or service that affect its ability to meet customer needs. If the product or service meets all those needs then it passes the quality test. If it doesnt, then it is sub-standard. Quality management Producing products of the required quality does not happen by accident. There has to be a production process which is properly managed. Ensuring satisfactory quality is a vital part of the production process. Quality management is concerned with controlling activities with the aim of ensuring that products and services are fit for their purpose and meet the specifications. There are two main parts to quality management (1) Quality assurance (2) Quality control Quality assurance Quality assurance is about how a business can design the way a product of service is produced or delivered to minimise the chances that output will be sub-standard. The focus of quality assurance is, therefore on the product design/development stage. Why focus on these stages? The idea is that if the processes and procedures used to produce a product or service are tightly controlled then quality will be built-in. This will make the production process much more reliable, so there will be less need to inspect production output (quality control). Quality assurance involves developing close relationships with customers and suppliers. A business will want to make sure that the suppliers to its production process understand exactly what is required and deliver! Quality control Quality control is the traditional way of managing quality. A further revision note (see the list on the right) deals with this in more detail. Quality control is concerned with checking and reviewing work that has been done. For example, this would include lots of inspection, testing and sampling. Quality control is mainly about detecting defective output rather than preventing it. Quality control can also be a very expensive process. Hence, in recent years, businesses have focused on quality management and quality assurance. Total quality management Total quality management (usually shortened to TQM) is a modern form of quality management. In essence, it is about a kind of business philosophy which emphasises the need for all parts of a business to continuously look for ways to improve quality. We cover this important concept in further revision notes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ quality control Quality control is the more traditional way that businesses have used to manage quality. Quality control is concerned with checking and reviewing work that has been done. But is this the best way for a business to manage quality? Under traditional quality control, inspection of products and services (checking to make sure that whats being produced is meeting the required standard) takes place during and at the end of the operations process. There are three main points during the production process when inspection is performed: 1 When raw materials are received prior to entering production 2 Whilst products are going through the production process 3 When products are finished inspection or testing takes place before products are despatched to customers The problem with this sort of inspection is that it doesnt work very well! There are several problems with inspection under traditional quality control: 1 The inspection process does not add any value. If there were any guarantees that no defective output would be produced, then there would be no need for an inspection process in the first place! 2 Inspection is costly, in terms of both tangible and intangible costs. For example, materials, labour, time, employee morale, customer goodwill, lost sales 3 It is sometimes done too late in the production process. This often results in defective or non-acceptable goods actually being received by the customer 4 It is usually done by the wrong people e.g. by a separate quality control inspection team rather than by the workers themselves 5 Inspection is often not compatible with more modern production techniques (e.g. Just in Time Manufacturing) which do not allow time for much (if any) inspection. 6 Working capital is tied up in stocks which cannot be sold 7 There is often disagreement as to what constitutes a quality product. For example, to meet quotas, inspectors may approve goods that dont meet 100% conformance, giving the message to workers that it doesnt matter if their work is a bit sloppy. Or one quality control inspector may follow different procedures from another, or use different measurements. As a result of the above problems, many businesses have focused their efforts on improving quality by implementing quality management techniques which emphasise the role of quality assurance. As Deming (a quality guru) wrote: Inspection with the aim of finding the bad ones and throwing them out is too late, ineffective, costly. Quality comes not from inspection but from improvement of the process. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ total quality management tqm Total quality management is a popular quality management concept. However, it is about much more than just assuring product or service quality. TQM is a business philosophy a way of doing business. It describes ways to managing people and business processes to ensure complete customer satisfaction at every stage. TQM is often associated with the phrase doing the right things right, first time. This revision note summarises the main features of TQM. Like most quality management concepts, TQM views quality entirely from the point of view of the customer. All businesses have many types of customer. A customer can be someone internal to the business (e.g. a production employee working at the end of the production line is the customer of the employees involved earlier in the production process). A customer can also be external to the business. This is the kind of customer you will be familiar with. When you fly with an airline you are their customer. When Tescos buys products from food manufacturers, it is a customer. TQM recognises that all businesses require processes that enable customer requirements to be met. TQM focuses on the ways in which these processes can be managed with two key objectives: 1 100% customer satisfaction 2 Zero defects The Importance of Customer Supplier Relationships Quality Chains TQM focuses strongly on the importance of the relationship between customers (internal and external) and supplier. These are known as the quality chains and they can be broken at any point by one person or one piece of equipment not meeting the requirements of the customer. Failure to meet the requirements in any part of a quality chain has a way of multiplying, and failure in one part of the system creates problems elsewhere, leading to yet more failure and problems, and so the situation is exacerbated. The ability to meet customers (external and internal) requirements is vital. To achieve quality throughout a business, every person in the quality chain must be trained to ask the following questions about every customer-supplier chain: Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who are my customers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are their real needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How can I measure my ability to meet their needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do I have the capability to meet their needs and expectations? (If not, what must I do to improve this capability?) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do I continually meet their needs and expectations? (If not, what prevents this from happening when the capability exists?) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do I monitor changes in their needs and expectations? Suppliers: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who are my internal suppliers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are my true needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do I communicate my needs and expectations to my suppliers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do my suppliers have the capability to measure and meet these needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do I inform them of changes in my needs and expectations? Main Principles of TQM The main principles that underlie TQM are summarised below: Prevention Prevention is better than cure. In the long run, it is cheaper to stop products defects than trying to find them Zero defects The ultimate aim is no (zero) defects or exceptionally low defect levels if a product or service is complicated Getting things right first time Better not to produce at all than produce something defective Quality involves everyone Quality is not just the concern of the production or operations department it involves everyone, including marketing, finance and human resources Continuous improvement Businesses should always be looking for ways to improve processes to help quality Employee involvement Those involved in production and operations have a vital role to play in spotting improvement opportunities for quality and in identifying quality problems Introducing TQM into a Business TQM is not an easy concept to introduce into businesses particularly those that have not traditionally concerned themselved too much with understanding customer needs and business processes. In fact many attempts to introduce TQM fail! One of the reasons for the challenge of introducing TQM is that it has significant implications for the whole business. For example, it requires that management give employees a say in the production processes that they are involved in. In a culture of continuous improvement, workforce views are invaluable. The problem is many businesses have barriers to involvement. For example, middle managers may feel that their authority is being challenged. So empowerment is a crucial part of TQM. The key to success is to identify the management culture before attempting to install TQM and to take steps to change towards the management style required for it. Since culture is not the first thing that managers think about, this step has often been missed or ignored with resultant failure of a TQM strategy. TQM also focuses the business on the activities of the business that are closest to the customer e.g. the production department, the employees facing the customer. This can cause resentment amongst departments that previously considered themselves above the shop floor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Globalization and Islamic Fundamentalism Essay -- Muslim Culture Islam

The Al-Qaeda offshoot ISIS, has made its way through Iraq and Syria. This new terror campaign appears to have been rolled out with a decades old objective, which is wrought with violence, propaganda and destabilization. But what are the reasons behind these acts of terror and violence? How is it possible to stop terrorism? What is the future of the endless conflict between Islamic extremism and modernity? The last one is particularly burning, since it touches an issue, entwined in ever-lasting controversy, aggression and needless carnage - the issue of Islamic fundamentalism and its extreme manifestation - terrorism. In my paper I argue that in its essence Islamic fundamentalism is a negation of the values, upheld by globalization, democracy, true Islam and modernity. There are several interconnected focal factors that render Islamic extremism incompatible with modern trends of development. The first and basic factor, always in the context of the history of Islam, is the theoretical foundation of fundamentalism. Also, another important issue is the rise of Islamic nationalism, which helps fundamentalism transform religious and cultural differences into an overt and brutal struggle against non-Muslim countries and their globalizing world. Of particular significance, however, is the poor economic development of Muslim states. Moreover, I believe it is the actual reason behind the violent outbreak of extremism. All these issues combine to form the idea of Islamic ideal versus reality, or the ever-increasing gap between modernity and the nature of fundamentalism. In addition, I argue that poor economic and social conditions in Muslim countries are caused by improper government policies and deep social c... ...://www.worldbank.org/wbi/mdf/mdf1/edecmen.htm> Global Poverty Monitoring. The Middle East and North Africa: An Overview. United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report 2001 United States Senate. Extremist Movements and Their Threat to the United States. Washington: U.S. Government printing Office, 2000 The Islamic World to 1600: The Rise of the Great Islamic Empires The New York Times; October 31, 2001

Caught by a Computer :: Personal Narrative Cheating Papers

Caught by a Computer As I sat in his office, sweat dripped off my long brown bangs onto my light blue collared button-down shirt. It was not because I was nervous, it was because it was the end of April and unseasonably warm in Charlottesville, Virginia. I was there, in my professor’s office, in my mind, because he wanted to get caught up with me about my future plans after graduation. He was curious about my plans for the summer, plans for my fiancà © and I, and plans for my career as a high school teacher at the public school in my hometown, Mclean, Virginia. I was alone in his office, waiting for Dr. Bloomfield to show up to his office for our casual meeting scheduled for 3:30 that afternoon. The heat was becoming unbearable. The University of Virginia’s century old buildings on the quad were not air conditioned, and I was beginning to wish that I had paid the extra tuition to have them installed. I sat in his small dimly lit office, becoming impatient because it was nearing four oà ¢â‚¬â„¢clock. I began to notice the pictures that cluttered Dr. Bloomfield’s overrun office. Pictures of his wife, his twin daughters, who appeared to be roughly the same age as I, and his younger son, in his early teen years, sat atop stacks of periodicals and yet to be graded finals. I noticed my final research paper on the top of the stack. This seemed odd; however I guessed he only wanted to discuss it while we met, as foreclosure to the popular Intro. To Physics class for upperclassmen of his that I was enrolled in, as it was our final assignment. I was distracted once again by the array of pictures throughout his undeservedly small office. Among these were more pictures of his boat, his bay house on the Chesapeake Bay, and his chocolate lab Mocha, whom I was familiar with at this point due to several stories he shared in class. Dr. Bloomfield was a family man whom I had gained great respect for over the years. My aspirations for what I wanted my life to turn out like ve ry closely replicated his own life. Sitting alone in his office gave me time to think about what I wanted to become, who I wanted to marry, how many kids I wanted to have and so on.

American History :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.† — Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference into public affairs. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief. The Court has interpreted the First Amendment to apply to the entire federal government even though it’s only supposed to be applied to the Congress. The First Amendment was written because at America's beginning, citizens ordered to have a guarantee of their basic freedoms. Without the First Amendment, religious minorities could be persecuted, the government might well establish a national religion, protesters could be silenced, the press could not criticize government, and citizens couldn’t assemble for social change. Most people believe in the right to free speech, but debate whether it should cover flag-burning, hard-core rap and heavy-metal lyrics, tobacco advertising, hate speech, pornography, nude dancing, solicitation and various forms of symbolic speech; though many would agree to limiting some forms of free expression. A Phrase that is often used to describe expression that is combined with elements of conduct is â€Å"Symbolic Expression†. The Supreme Court has dealt with a series of cases and has made it clear that symbolic expression or expressive conduct may be protected by the First Amendment. There have been a plethora of cases on this issue and they have been extremely controversial. One remarkable one was Texas vs. Johnson in 1984 during a Republican National Convention; it was about a man who expressed his displeasure with the United States by burning an American Flag. This action of his took Gregory Johnson to court and the court came to a conclusion that burning the flag was â€Å"speech† and again determined that Johnson was only trying to send out a message through his perspective by the burning the flag.

Impressions of an Indian Childhood Essay

Impressions of an Indian Childhood and The School Days of an Indian Girl What is Gertrude Bonnin complaining about? Is she even complaining? She got to go to school and get an education for free. She even went on to go to college. Very few white Americans could say that in those days, much less Native Americans. Even today a free ride through college is a rare occurrence. Of course she experienced a few hardships along the way. Learning a new language was definitely a challenge for her in the beginning, although one she overcame quite well (after all, she did win an oratorical contest at her college). Living by the rules of a different culture was another challenge for her. But she eventually became accustomed to the new ways and she learned how to adjust. And of course she went through many years of discrimination and persecution, simply because of the fact that she is a Native American. But in the long run, wall the challenges she overcame helped to improve herself as an individual and as a representative of a culture. We must all go through hard times and face many difficult challenges in our lives if we want to make a better life for ourselves. As long as there are different races, racism will always exist. People like Gertrude Bonnin who can overcome racism and discrimination by succeeding in the â€Å"white man’s world,† are the people who help others like them be accepted in our culture.

Juvenile Justice Essay

Morals usually are the guiding principles in just about everybody’s life. Humans generally tend to do what is considered to be â€Å"right† and astray from what is â€Å"wrong†, but in some cases, people choose to do what is considered â€Å"wrong†. However, people believe that children should be dealt with much more lightly because they’re not adults yet. On the other hand, I disagree that children should be exempt from punishment, and I fully agree with the four justices that believe a child who commits a heinous crime should be punished with a prison sentence of life without parole. The eighth amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment to protect its citizens. If a child commits a murder and goes unpunished, is that not a cruel punishment for the victim’s family? In Jennifer Jenkins’ â€Å"On Punishment and Teen Killers†, she states that there is: â€Å"no regard to the impact on victims’ families†(10). The jus tice system is not doing its job if it is not getting justice for the victim’s family. Therefore it would be unconstitutional for the law to not punish the criminal for their heinous crime. Additionally, there have been researches and studies conducted in order to answer why teenagers act the way they do. Research shows that the brain is the very reason for these children’s actions. In Paul Thompson’s article â€Å"Startling Finds on Teenage Brains†, he claims, â€Å"massive loss of brain tissue loss occurs in the teen years† and that it is, â€Å"only being lost in the areas controlling impulses, risk-taking, and self-control†(7). This may explain why children act in this horrific manner, but it does not give them an excuse to commit crime. A rebuttal to Thompson’s claim of defense would be Marjie Lundstrom’s article â€Å"Kids are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes†, when it points out: â€Å"they’re only kids. That is, until they foul up. Until they commit crimes†(4-5). Kids are kids until they choose to make an â€Å"adult decision† and commit a serious crime. Whether the criminal is eleven or seventeen, they are making a conscious decision to engage in a crime. Based on the premise that morals do not substantially change from young adulthood to adulthood, the offender should know that their crime is wrong. Thus, the punishment should be mandatory as a result of the offender’s actions. Children should pay their dues, even if that means life in prison without parole. If crime is dealt with lightly now, it will only get worse as time progresses. A wise and responsible decision needs to be made so that society can have a more safe and secure future.

Poverty and Progress: Are we suffering from delusion of poverty?

It is indeed that most Filipino today suffers from delusion of poverty which is a false belief of a person that he or she is impoverished or will be deprived of material possessions or a person’s mindset the he strongly believes that he is financially incapacitated. Many people will use the excuse of this is the way I was born or this is my environment and I cannot change it. Through these statements it shows that most of the time it is because of your own mindset the reason you are where you are today. We have all heard, you are where you are today because of what you did yesterday.If you didn’t change or plan ahead yesterday, then you can expect today to be different until you change. A poverty mindset can manifest itself in a lack of vision for the future. You end up stuck in a financial rut, perhaps working a job that barely meets the financial needs of your household. When you lack vision, it’s hard for you to believe that God would give you an idea to take your household to prosperity. And if God does give you a big idea, you either will not follow-up on it, or you will find a way to sabotage it. Your poverty mindset keeps you stuck where you are.If a person feels less than others then he will not feel deserving. If he does not feel deserving, his life is based on desperation and wanting, rather than from joy and abundance. If one feels abundant, he will have abundance. If one feels desperate and wanting, he will expand the poverty in his life. Wealth or poverty is something that resides within. Poverty is a state of mind and about perspective not always about money. It is a fear of never having enough. To break that state of mind we have to make different choices and unblock the shackles that have been placed on our minds by our parents and the society around us.Our beliefs about how the world works is passed down from generation to generation. If your parents have a poverty mindset, it’s highly likely that you grew up with th ese same beliefs. People may say that they want to be wealthy, however a mindset that is set for poverty cannot handle a sudden increase in wealth. Because of the delusion of poverty mindset, you never set up a written budget to plan the use of your finances. You never set financial goals for what you want your money to accomplish. You just let it flow through your fingers and out of your pocket and the end result is being broke.That’s the type of mentality that keeps people in poverty. Often, thinking that we’re â€Å"poor† while others are â€Å"rich† is a result of comparing ourselves with other people. The first step is to stop comparing ourselves with others. You don’t need lots of money to be rich. Poor people put a high priority in having cash on hand. They do pocket accounting. What cash they have in their pocket is often how they manage their money. They do not like checking accounts because it requires financial management. Delusion of po verty has nothing to do with money, it has everything to do with the willingness to communicate and face a problem.Growing up in that environment absolutely shapes one’s mind about money and life. People who heard from their parents that â€Å"we can’t afford this and can’t afford that†, as if there was no other way to get money other than welfare. There was no budgeting to help make the money last the full 2 weeks. They get their check and blow it on junk food, alcohol, drugs etc. Then act like victims for the rest of the days while waiting for the next check or the next binge. Change your environment and you change your financial future. Where did you learn your financial habits? Other adults: primarily your parents.We spend the way they spend. We value what they value. We carry their views on most things. So if your parents spent foolishly, their actions taught you to spend foolishly. If your parents spent wisely, you would gravitate towards wisdom in finances. If your parents were really wise they would have explained why they spend the way they do and how to by-pass financial failures through proper money management. People who grew up hearing a language of poverty that sounds like this: â€Å"we can’t afford it†, â€Å"we don’t have the money†, â€Å"that’s for the rich people not for us†. All of those statements are victimized, poverty statements.Change your language, and you change your financial future. Even the rich people suffer from delusion of poverty according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (2007, January), â€Å"As the economy dips precariously, people who still have a lot of means are freaking out†. According to Dr. Kotbi from his interview in New York Times (2009,Jauary) he had a wealthy woman patient, worried about whether she would have enough money to buy groceries, refused to eat. Another patient, a real estate investor grew so paralyzed by financial fear that h e asked his wife, who had hardly paid a bill in her life to take over the family finances.Dr. Kotbi said they often suffer â€Å"delusions of poverty† which is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, associated with psychotic depression and despite retaining millions of money in assets, are crippled by self-doubt, loss of power, and sometimes guilt. These people have fear of being poor. I hate this delusion of poverty in our country where poverty is imbibed to all of us: ‘Hindi ako makakapagtapos ng pag-aaral kasi dukha lang kami’ or ‘Anong magagawa namin? Eh mahirap lang kami? ’ It’s always like that. I also hear that from my neighbors, saying everyday that they are just poor folks.I hate that in every election season, the candidates that we see on television hail themselves as messiahs or the bringer of solutions to poverty. Or perhaps, a knight in shining armor, ready to rescue a poverty-stricken maiden. We should acce pt the fact that the way we think affect our actions. Yes, somehow we are poor but we can be rich also. We need to be aware of a self-defeating thought process or activity in order to change our poverty mindset. Remember the sayings that what your mind can conceive your heart and body can achieve. It is the time to cut the chain that ties Filipino to the endless delusion of poverty.

American Literature. Mark Twain Essay

Twain – a romantic or a realist?, literary significance of Mark Twain, Twain’s life experiences as reflected in his works, Twain as a travel writer, Twain as a publisher – the American literary market in the late nineteenth C., Twain’s personal tragedies, literary fads exploited by Twain, Twain’s major woks 1. NATURALISM AND REALISM Realism vs. romanticism, naturalism as a more drastic version of realism, naturalism in literature: philosophy and technique; the importance of Darwin and Marx for naturalistic literature, William Dean Howells as a pioneer of realism and naturalism in American literature, main representatives (you should be able to provide at least one title with a brief description): Hamlin Garland, Jack London, Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, Stephen Crane 2. HENRY JAMES (part I & II) Twain vs. James, critical opinions about James, James’s background, James’s international novels, James as a critic, James as a dramatist, James as a pre-modernist author, The Turn of the Screw – James as a Gothic writer, three periods of James’ literary career (with representative examples). 3. REGIONAL WIRTING The influence of realism and romanticism on the development of the local color literature, examples of regional writing: Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Bret Harte’s The Luck of the Roaring Camp, Edward Eggleston’s The Hoosier Schoolmaster, Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus, George Washington Cable’s Old Creole Days, Sidney Lanier 4. FRANCIS SCOTT FITZGERALD Fitzgerald as an icon of the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald’s relationship with Zelda Sayre, This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby – Fitzgerald as a critic of the American Dream, Fitzgerald’s stay in Paris, Tender is the Night , Fitzgerald and Hollywood 5. ERNEST HEMINGWAY Hemingway as a war correspondent, Hemingway’s â€Å"macho† philosophy of life – the importance of fishing, hunting and bullfighting, the â€Å"Hemingway hero†, the â€Å"Hemingway code,† Hemingway and the Lost Generation, Hemingway’s style, Hemingway and sentimentalism, Hemingway’s major works 6. GERTRUDE STEIN Stein’s background, Stein and feminism , the importance of Stein for American letters, political controversies surrounding Stein, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas – Stein as a chronicle of Paris life, Tender Buttons as an example of Stein’s experimental writing, Stein as an art collector 7. AMERICAN MODERNIST POETRY: EZRA POUND Pound and Whitman, Pound and imagism: â€Å"A Few Don’ts by an Imagiste,† Pound’s definition of an image, Pound’s â€Å"translations† from the Chinese – Pound and Fenollosa, Pound and the haiku tradition, Pound as a critic of the Western civilization, political controversies surrounding Pound 8. AMERICAN MODERNIST POETRY: WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AND THE OBJECTIVISTS William Carlos Williams’s idea of modern American poetry – Williams’s attitude towards Eliot’s Waste Land – actually, we did not do much back then – it was the day when the world was supposed to end and the computer broke down The topics of the remaining two lectures: 9. AMERICAN MODERNIST POETRY CONTINUED 10. WILLIAM FAULKNER

Emotion regulation techniques and preventing the occurence of Research Paper

Emotion regulation techniques and preventing the occurence of self-harming behaviors - Research Paper Example Response modulation is another technique used to control emotions. This paper analyses different emotion regulation techniques and preventing the occurrence of self-harming behaviors. Emotion regulation techniques and preventing the occurrence of self-harming behaviors â€Å"Emotions can hurt us as well as help us. They do so when they are of wrong type, when they come at the wrong time or when they occur at the wrong intensity level† (Lewis et al, 2010, p.498). For example, crying will help us to relieve our emotions. Many people use the weeping mechanism to relive their emotions when they lose some of their beloved ones. In other words, in, crying helped us to relive our emotions. At the same time, there are many cases, in which people appears to be calm when they lose their beloved ones. Such people are suppressing their sorrow or emotions. Suppression of emotions often cause psychological problems and it may come out in different forms. In some cases, such people may try t o cause self injuries. In short, emotions can help us and hurt us. The outcome depends on how well we manage our emotions. According to Gratz (2007), â€Å"deliberate self-injury is a serious clinical concern. Although this behavior is distinguished from suicidal behaviors, individuals who engage in self-injury are at heightened risk for suicide attempts, sometimes due to demoralization over an inability to control acts of self-injury† (Gratz, 2007, p.1091Ã'„). Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a highly debated topic among psychologists and sociologists. The reasons why people cause self injury even without an intention of suicide is still an unanswered question even though many hypothesizes are there. Emotional regulation is necessary for a person to act wisely. Over emotions may bring more harm than good; not only to the person, but also to the surroundings. By nature, all the living things have emotions. The influence of emotions on human being is more than that on other living things. At the same time, it is not necessary that two people are similar emotionally. In other words, different people have different mental abilities and they respond differently to a particular stimulus. For example, over emotions may force a person to cause self injury when they meet some distracting realities like the death of some of their beloved ones. On the other hand, emotionally sound personalities manage such situations more quietly without causing any self damages or damages to others. In short, emotion deregulation often leads towards unwanted activities which should be prevented using suitable techniques. Emotion regulation techniques for preventing self-harming behaviors In order to prevent self harming behavior, or Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), the reasons which motivate the individual for NSSI should be controlled or avoided. There are many reasons cited for the self harming behavior. Hilt et al, (2008) have pointed out that ‘increases in rates of i nternal distresses (e.g., feeling bad about oneself, experiencing negative emotions), specifically depressive symptoms, occur during early adolescence in girls should be prevented in order to avoid self harming behavior in future (Hilt et al, 2008, p.64). Girls are more beauty

Email privacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Email privacy - Research Paper Example productivity through email use, and this furthers their curiousity to scrutinize the actions of employees during work time, especially through the email. Most employees exploit company resources to conduct private and unrelated work like communicating with friends and family. Employers are also at times afraid of employees using email to send their competitor secrets and changes that occur in their organization, because this gives the other firm and upper hand in the market. Every email message, including attachment sent or received on the company server are the property of the company. Even so, employees believe that it is not ethical for employers to go through or have access to their email conversation as it breaches their privacy (Guerin 47). It is common for employees to browse and handle their personal emails in the company computer. In addition, for employers to monitor their email, this will mean going through both the company related work and employees personal and private conversation. Today there are laws that protect the privacy of an employee in the workplace and employers need to adhere to this, although this does not apply in many organizations, mostly privately owned. When an employer goes through an employees email without his or consent, they might gather some personal information such as medical records and private conversations of the employee. In essence, this calls for the need of an employer to obtain permission from the employee before he/she accesses the employees email

Opportunity Costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Opportunity Costs - Essay Example sources are never enough to satisfy human needs and wants, and the concept of opportunity cost, therefore, informs choices among alternative use of resources. Individuals, firms and governments face opportunity cost from time to time in their efforts to allocate resources for the most suitable purpose (Keat & Young, 2006). At an individual level, one may want to pay for mortgage and buy a car given a certain level of resource available. While both the car and mortgage are equally important to the individual, the individual may forego the car and make the mortgage payment. The individual pays for the mortgage at the expense of the car. The car is the next-best alternative given up when the individual pays for the mortgage. In a firm’s context, the firm may want to maximize shareholders’ wealth and at the same time retain significant profits for firm operations. If the firm chooses to maximize shareholders’ wealth at the expense of retaining more profits for the firm, more profits becomes the foregone item (Douma & Schreuder, 2008). In the choice made in this case, the next-best alternative is shareholder wealth maximization. Governments also face opportunity cost. A government may want to finance a healthcare project while it also needs to acquire more military equipment using the same resources. Choosing to finance the healthcare project over acquiring military equipment makes military equipment acquisition the foregone item. The choice to finance healthcare makes military equipment acquisition the next-best

Corporate Leadership and Change Management Essay

Corporate Leadership and Change Management - Essay Example Jack Welch and Steve Jobs. In the case of GE, it was a company with a long established tradition of good business practices and success in their own particular fields that was on the decline. In the case of Apple, it was a company that had a rich history to call on but the current products were hurting the company more than helping it. These examples can be studied in light of relevant theories and examples given by employees as well the individuals who participated in the change management process to show how leadership as well as the culture of the organization can be used to take a company to new heights. No company in the world across any industry in any location is as well respected and appreciated as GE (Demos, 2006). Throughout its existence, and more recently in current years, analysts from the fields of management, administration, human resources and organisational behaviour have all given their highest respect to GE (Fisher, 2006). A large part of this respect comes from the way GE handles its organisational aspects of Leadership and company culture of which examples have been given by those who have been a part of GE as well as those who have observed it from afar. There was certainly was a man at the top who ran GE for many years before stepping down to make way for the new guard, the policies and methods used by Jack Welch have remained popular with the company and little has changed despite his exit. The systems established by him have not only been used by GE, they have also been implemented in other Fortune 500 companies as standard practices. In fact, the systems created by Welch were so good that they are continued in place with modifications made only when necessary (Colvin, 2006). It is clearly no wonder than Business Week hailed him as the singe best manager in all of America long before he wrote his own book on management and leadership (Byrne, 1998). It was the particular

Polybius, the Constitution of the Roman republic Essay

Polybius, the Constitution of the Roman republic - Essay Example Polybius begins the analysis of separate magistrates with consuls. The consuls, when they are present in Rome, govern all the people and all the officers except the tribunes, they report to the Senate on all matters and enter the embassy to the Senate, oversee the execution of enactments, summon the national assembly, make proposals, execute orders, have unlimited authority in military affairs, may punish any person in the military camp and spend public funds at their discretion. The senate primarily administers the state treasury; in its jurisdiction are all crimes committed in Italy, it is responsible for the administration of embassies in countries outside of Italy; it decides issues of war and peace, receives the embassy. Polybius emphasizes that people do not participate at all in these events. Realizing that may give the impression that people can do nothing substantial, the author hastens to warn that this is a false opinion. He draws the reader’s attention to the fact that people have a very strong influence on the life of the Roman state, as in people’s hands is the right to reward and punish. From the viewpoint of Polybius these incentives determine people’s entire lives.

Life essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Life - Essay Example Right from a young age I have been taught these values and constantly reminded to follow them in my day to day life. As I have learnt the importance of these values early on it has been easy to emulate them and ever since I truly understood these moral values and culture I have been striving to adhere to them. This life is a god given gift and we ought to spend it wisely and earnestly. Through my life experiences I have learnt that leading a principled life has a lot of positive effect on the mental and physical well-being of the individual. In addition it also helps to cope with difficult situations in life. I have also faced several setbacks in life but the moral values and principles that I believe in have given me the strength and courage to face them with a positive spirit and overcome them with right reasoning and tact. Youngsters of the present generation are being lured into all kinds of addictive habits that have damaging effects on their lives and career. It would be very tempting to tread the negative path initially; the actual effects would only be felt later on in life but then it would be too late. Leading a principled life would teach us self-control which would help to refrain from such activities. There is no doubt that the modern world is becoming more unsafe and ruthless due to the dwindling beliefs in family values, culture, tradition and ethics. Violence and criminal activities have also reached a peak. When closely observed the people behind these activities would be those who have lived their lives without any set values or principles which are largely imbibed from family. The increasing divorce rates resulting in broken families can also be attributed to similar factors and children hailing from broken homes by and large resort to deviant activities. Life has become more materialistic and people are ready to go to any extent to achieve materialistic comforts in life. In the process people forget that apart

Edgar Allan Poe and Suspense in Poe and Jackson Term Paper

Edgar Allan Poe and Suspense in Poe and Jackson - Term Paper Example This can be accredited to the actuality that most of his stories were short, interesting and easy enough to be classroom material, or due to their ability at pandering the present sullen morbidity that is characteristic of early adolescence or late childhood. American literature reached its peak maturity in the XIX century through the works of different writers such as Melville and Hawthorne, Thoreau and Emerson, Whitman and Longfellow, Twain and Poe, who was oddly in his own category. He has had a far-reaching influence on not only mass culture, but he has been able to provide rare insights into elite culture. As an innovator, he was quite resourceful: it is evident through his invented modern detective tales such as The Mystery of Marie Roget, The Purloined Letter, and The Murders in the Rue. He, together with Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, is a progenitor of horror movies (Datlow 59). Poe was always worried a lot about life after death, especially in terms of the body and soul bein g depicted in the number of his narratives that entailed characters being buried alive, or of corpses having a life as zombies or of characters who were kept, under hypnosis, animate. He was gifted in the creation of small, enduring images that have up to this era remained in the collective psyche of a wide range of audiences. In his work – The Masque of the Red Death – Poe describes an intricate floor plan for the imperial suite of Prince Prospero with the strange design of the ball-room location emanating from the Prince’s eccentric tastes of decoration and his love of the weird. All the seven rooms of irregular shapes add to the suspense of the viewer with there being a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yard distances, with each turn eliciting a novel effect. All successive rooms had different colors, a sort of progressive journey through a range of garish hues with the last chamber being black. This view only got from a gaze through a window tinted red. T he reader is held in suspense due to his/ her vague grasp of the different room’s signature colors (Jackson 67). Soon, the imperial suite becomes the scene of a crime with both the prince and his guests succumbing to a succession of bloody murders committed by an unknown assailant. Furthermore, the architecture entailed in these successive rooms also adds to the sense of suspense due to their eliciting luminal spaces between the notions of reality and illusion. The architecture of the suite, which is complicated, is symbolic of the reader’s limited comprehension. In his other work – The Black Cat – the readers encounter a character who after getting drunk, releases his guilt and self-hatred on his wife’s pet cat by grabbing it but the cat bites him. In revenge, he takes out one of its eyes but this quickly heals, though the cat’s presence is a continuous reminder of his failings. Eventually, though, the narrator gets rid of the cat by hangin g it from a tree. There is a twist to this event with his house burning down except for a section of the wall that has sketched on it the image of a giant cat (Datlow 58). Later on, he finds a new cat that has much similarity to the first in a bar and he takes it home. The reason behind this was so as to aid in undoing his previous act of violence. The feline’