Vacant Chapter 11 Time

I drive and can't help that my emotions are all over the place. I'm angry because I've been living in exile from the one†¦ The one person who gives a shit whether I live or die†¦ I left her alone to fend for herself. I take my rage out on the steering wheel before pulling over; I need a minute to collect myself. Two minutes. Five†¦ It takes me half an hour before I'm calm enough to continue driving, but I rush because I want to get back to her. I want to touch her, be with her. I realize how fundamentally wrong I've been about my feelings for her. While I thought I was doing what was best for Emily, I never considered that I was really just protecting myself. I hadn't taken her feelings into account. I hadn't thought about what I was doing to her by leaving†¦and in the same accord, making her declaration of love, trivial. The anger fades and misery takes its place. I'm sad because I miss her. I need her more than air. I need air, and I need Emily. Air is so much easier. Before long, fear sets in. What if she isn't there when I get back? Why would she be? I left her by herself for six days after I swore I'd take care of her. I think about what I did as I continue down the lonely stretch of highway. I worked so hard to separate myself from the drama and emotions of everyday life realizing I haven't been living at all. I think of all the time I've wasted; all the time I could have been with her – been with her†¦ Her legs are bare and slender. I imagine what's just beyond the small rectangle of terry cloth. Her hair tickles the tops of her breasts, teasing me with what's just beyond the knot of the towel. One small flick and she'd be naked before me, her body as fantastic as I've always imagined. My foot pushes a little harder on the accelerator as my frustration builds. I'm tired and feeling the effects of driving ten hours straight. As I consider pulling over, the guilt seeps in again. I've already been away from her for too long. I can't stand to be apart from Emily any longer, but the seconds continue to tick by and I can't seem to get there fast enough. I push on, despite being a danger to others on the road due to my exhaustion. I see a gas station ahead, and force myself off the road and into the brightly lit convenience store. After hours of lonesome interstate travel, the intense glow of the fluorescent lights hurts my eyes, and only serves to remind me of the dim nature of my existence without Emily. I make quick work of refueling the car and myself and then rejoin the blacktop. Finally, finally, I see the mile marker indicating my journey is almost over, an hour to go before I'm back with Emily. Anxiety weighs heavily on me because I think I could have gotten here faster; what if she just left? What if she's been waiting for the last week and that was her limit? I shouldn't have left in the first place. I should have told her how I felt so we could be living a happily ever after. Regret won't change things, though. It doesn't serve any purpose now. I pass the city limits sign, and a smile spreads across my face. I'm happy and hopeful. A hundred and one scenarios play out in my head as to how Emily will react when she sees me. She throws open the screen door and rushes towards me. I catch her in my arms and spin her around. I tell her I love her and want to spend eternity with her. She smiles and says she wants the same thing†¦ We barely make it to the bedroom before I fully make her mine†¦ I open the door and call her name but no one answers. All her things are gone, and she's nowhere to be found†¦ As I make my way up the walk, she stops me and tells me she doesn't ever want to see me again. That I broke her heart and I'm a fuck-up she wants nothing to do with†¦ I'm brought out of my thoughts as a car horn blares behind me. Dawn has broken and there is slight traffic moving about. I'm not sure how long I've been sitting at the stop sign on the corner before the car behind me demands attention. It's now or never, and never isn't an option. I stand at the door, my door – her door – ready to knock. It occurs to me how odd this is; I'm about to knock on my own door. Suddenly, I'm embarrassed. I look down and my clothes are dirty and unkempt. I smell – it's been two days since I've cleaned up at all. How can I look her in the eye, kiss her lips, hug her body, when I look and smell like a homeless man? I am homeless, though. Without her, without her love and care and warm eyes, I'm a man with a heart that has no home. So I knock.

Individual Assignment Environmental Fundamentals Paper Essay

 · How do you define environmental science ?  · How does the relationship between science and technology affect environmental problems and solutions in today’s society?  · Why is the concept of environmental sustainability important, and why should it be studied? What are the historical patterns surrounding sustainable and unsustainable human interactions with the environment?  · In general, how do human values affect sustainability given current challenges facing society? After reviewing the research on the environment, how do environmental hazards affect human health? Provide at least two examples. It is important to remember that college is not all about studying. College is a significant step into adulthood and should be treated as such. While you should not party the night away, do not keep your nose in your books to the point that you do not get to enjoy this time of your life. This work comprises ENV 100 Week 1 Individual Assignment Environmental Fundamentals Paper   General Questions – General General Questions Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you discuss the fundamental principles of environment science. In your paper, answer the following questions:  · How do you define environmental science ?  · How does the relationship between science and technology affect environmental problems and solutions in today’s society?  · Why is the concept of environmental sustainability important, and why should it be studied? What are the historical patterns surrounding sustainable an†¦ To get this material copy and paste link to browser – https://bitly.com/1xptIgO It is important to remember that college is not all about studying. College is a significant step into adulthood and should be treated as such. While you should not party the night away, do not keep your nose in your books to the point that you do not get to enjoy this time of your life. General Questions – General General Questions Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you discuss the fundamental principles of environment science. In your paper, answer the following questions:  · How do you define environmental science ?  · How does the relationship between science and technology affect environmental problems and solutions in today’s society?  · Why is the concept of environmental sustainability important, and why should it be studied? What are the historical patterns surrounding sustainable and unsustainable human interactions with the environment?  · In general, how do human values affect sustainability given current challenges facing society? After reviewing the research on the environment, how do environmental hazards affect human health? Provide at least two examples.

Understanding Financial Statements (Summative Assignment) Essay

Understanding Financial Statements (Summative Assignment) - Essay Example This causes controversies within the organization (ii) The company should institute a good renumerations policy that will not bring controversies among the members. The policy should set the salary towards performance and there should be relation between them. The company should also have control systems that are geared to budgeting. The systems should propagate the vision ad mission of the organization of making profits. This will also deter other mechanisms that may hinder the profitability of the firm. The income statements of Sandrell Company have revealed the money that company generated, the money spent and the profit. The gross margin has increased from 10% to 19.4% from 2012 to 2013.Ordinarily the gross margin indicates the percentage of sales that is available for the expenses and also revealing the profits. Sandrell company has doubled its gross margin implying that it will have excessive money to spend on other expenses and get enough money to venture on the expansion process to the Western Europe. This upward trend of the gross margin is good since the company will not suffer insolvency and therefore the profitability of the company will rise. This is a positive impact on Sandells financial performance. Profit margin reveals the profits per sales after the deduction of expenses from the sales. The profit margin has increased. This upward trend in the profit margin is vital towards the future expansion Sandells Company. Higher profit margin is essential for the growth of the company for it gives the company more advantage over its competition. This gives it protection and the cushioning and prevents the company from collapsing. This is a positive impact on the financial performance of Sandells financial performance. This will enable the company to increase its market share in the long run and experience increased profitability. Return of Capital Employed (ROCE) is vital for

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE DISPUTES SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE UNDER WTO Dissertation

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE DISPUTES SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE UNDER WTO - Dissertation Example Criticism levied at the dispute settlement procedures under the WTO suggests that a need exists for trying to ensure speedy decisions, enhanced transparency, improvements in prospects for implementation and minimisation of costs associated with dispute settlement etc. Developing nations continue to lament about the previously mentioned inadequacies, but WTO Members have not met with much success in the form of a consensus to decide about how best to improve on dispute settlement under the WTO. Critics suggest that it is not possible to fix something that functions reasonably well and gradually all WTO Members have leaned towards presenting a greater trust in dispute settlement under the WTO. This dissertation presents a study to decide about the effectiveness of dispute settlement procedures under the WTO. Declaration I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. ___________________________________________ __ Name and Signature of Author May 2011 This write - up is for a dissertation on Dispute Settlement Procedure for the World Trade Organisation. ... r WTO 24 2.3 Shortcomings of the Rules Based Approach in the Case of Dispute between United States of America and Antigua and Barbuda 27 2.4 WTO Panels and Panel Dynamics in the WTO Panel Review Stage 28 2.5 The WTO Appellate Body 36 2.6 DSB Review 37 2.7 Criticism and Concerns presented by Developing Nations 37 2.8 Retaliation as an Implementation Measure for WTO Rulings 47 2.9 Efforts directed towards improving the DSU and the WTO Dispute Settlement Procedures 49 2.10 Prospects for the Future 50 Chapter 3 Methodology 52 Chapter 4 Findings that Emerge from Research and Case Studies 58 4.1 The Sardines Case 66 4.2 The EC-Hormones Case 70 Chapter 5 Conclusions, Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Work 77 5.1 Limitations 65 5.2 Further Work 79 Bibliography/ References 81 List of Figures Figure 1: The WTO Dispute Settlement Process 8 (This page intentionally left blank) Chapter 1 – Introduction The Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), officially known as the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), is the procedure for settling trade disputes between member states that join the WTO. 1 The DSM, hailed as a victory of law over politics at the time of its introduction on January 1, 1995, has nevertheless received its share of criticism and critics cite a need for enhancing third party rights, the introduction of an interim review stage, with less developed nations calling for less expensive dispute settlement that offers them fair protection. 2 The more controversial set of proposals presented for enhancing the DSU include proposals to enhance the judicial nature of the WTO dispute settlement by creating a permanent Panel body and proposals for enhancing member control over dispute settlement procedures. 3 In addition, proposals

The Bank of Enlgand Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Bank of Enlgand - Coursework Example The governments and the central banks in all the economies of the world formulate their financial strategies to ensure that the inflation rates do not rise to high levels. However a comparatively more dangerous scenario arises when the inflation rates actually reach negative values, or deflation, because a case of deflation can damage the economy much more than a high inflation rate. Most central banks aim to control the inflation rates to low yet positive rates which are usually at 2-3%, and this is done by keeping the equilibrium point of aggregate demand and aggregate supply at the desired level, as shown in the figure on the right. The same has been the aim of the Bank of England, which is the central bank of England, to keep the inflation rates just above 2% during the financial period. This target has been in the strategy of the Bank of England since the past two years because a positive low inflation rate which is stable and under control is considered the best for the economy . The factors of exactly why deflation is a worse scenario than inflation will be discussed later on in the assignment. Inflation rate is determined by three measures which are Consumer Price Index (CPI), Retail Price Index (RPI) and RPIX. CPI is a measure of the change in the price of consumer goods and services. RPI is calculated by measuring the change in price of all the retail goods and service in the economy. Last is the RPIX which is used in the United Kingdom and is calculated by subtracting mortgage interest payments from RPI. Types of Inflation Inflation is when the general prices of the goods and services in an economy are increasing. Due to the rise in the prices, it has a negative effect on the purchasing power of the money in the economy. Such is because the people can buy a lesser quantity of goods and services with the same amount of money compared to the last year. There are two types of inflation which are anticipated and unanticipated inflation, and both of them c reate a different impact on the economy. (tutor2u, n.d.) The first type of inflation is anticipated inflation is when the inflation rate can be correctly calculated and the people can protect themselves from its effects. An example of anticipated inflation and protect oneself from it is when the labor union collectively bargains for a wage rise in order to keep the real wages at the same level. They are able to bargain because they are aware of the inflation rate and keep in accordance with it. The second type of inflation is unanticipated inflation. The truth is that the inflation rates can never be predicted to an exact level and the actual interest rate may usually vary to the calculated inflation rate. This variance is called the unanticipated inflation rate, and it exists because the inflation rates are very volatile from year to year and therefore it becomes difficult to correctly predict the rate. Since it is unknown, the people cannot protect themselves from it (Gillespie, 2 007, pp. 382-383). An example of this is when a natural disaster such as an earthquake or flood, there is a sudden increase in demand for tents. This situation is showed in the figure above. Inflation is caused by cost push and demand pull factors. Cost push inflation is when the rise in prices occurs due to the rise in prices of the raw materials. When the prices of the raw materials increase, the aggregate supply in the economy decreases and the curve shifts to the

Director Management and Director Duties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Director Management and Director Duties - Essay Example The Act also ensures that all the directors are well equipped with the accurate information about all the decisions made and are aware of every step that they decide to take up. Also, the act helps in protecting the directors from the pressures of the shareholders and helps the directors concentrate on the long-term goals. A detailed explanation of the various duties has been included and further research recommendations have been suggested as well. The Companies Act has been in use for over a hundred and fifty years. This has been designed to provide companies with a framework within which companies with limited liability are required to work within. The Companies Act was replaced on 8th November 2006, which was updated, modernized and rewritten version of the company law. The changes in the act, however, are to be implemented in the number of different phases and this would end by October 2009. However, before moving onto the duties of directors of listed companies, it is essential to understand what listed companies are. Listed companies are companies whose shares are quoted on the stock exchange for public trading. Thus duties of directors in these companies are very important and it is essential that these are well understood and followed as well. A number of concerns have been raised in the past concerning the director’s and their duties (Financial reporting council, 2009). It is important to note here that there w ere a number of concerns about the directors having to face increased administrative work due to changes in the law, however the Ministerial Statements have clearly explained this as, â€Å"The words ‘have regard to’ mean ‘think about’; they are absolutely not about just ticking boxes. If thinking about’ leads to the conclusion, as we believe it will in many cases, that the proper course is to act positively  to achieve the objectives in the clause, that will be what the director’s duty is. In other words ‘have regard to’ means ‘give proper consideration to’† (Chivers, 2007).

Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industry - Research Paper Example Cinnamon Melts 4. Brownie Melts Beverages: 1. Inca Kola 2. Irn-Bru 3. Sodas 4. Milkshakes Chicken, Fish and Pork : 1. McChicken 2. McNuggets 3. Fillet-O-Fish 4. McRib 5. McArabia Breakfast: Breakfast sandwiches are the primary McDonald's breakfast's offering. McDonald's provide two styles of breakfast burritos, McDonald's breakfast also includes potato rosti, British bacon and hotcakes. Other Products: McDonald's also provide a wide range of sandwiches, Rice in Asia because the demand of rice is higher and many other products including salads etc. Market structure of McDonald's: McDonald's can be described as a part of a market which has perfect competition, and the competitors are just as huge as the way McDonald's is. Its competitors include Burger King, KFC, Hardees, Subway, Starbucks and other fast food restaurants. Most of the time McDonald's have to compete against the local restaurants of the country in which their franchise is operating, for example in Pakistan, OPTP and othe r local food vendors. For any business to stay ahead, in the competitive environment that it is facing, is a huge task. McDonald's is performing this task quite efficiently, as they promote product adaptation and provide their products on a relatively lower price. Furthermore McDonald's also provides different varieties for different people, based on age groups, occupation, and the region. McDonald's has built its success under the phenomenon of providing a wide range of standardized and high quality products, quicker and cheaper. McDonald's originated from USA, but now it is functioning in more 114 countries with over 25,000 restaurants, having a wide share globally is one of the reasons for McDonald's' success in the competitive environment. Nowadays one of the most valuable resources is time, people would more likely pay a lot to save their time. McDonald's provides its food quicker compared to its competitors, saving people's time. Most of the people prefer McDonald's over its c ompetitors because of the fact that McDonald's saves their time. Product adaptation is one of the major attributes of McDonald's. When McDonald's started to serve in India (elaborated later), a lot of people started to raise their voice against McDonald's, as the products included beef which is un-ethical towards the people of India, what McDonald's did was they stopped making beef related products in India, and started making products including mutton and chicken, an example of that is Maharaja Mac. Also, in Asia since the demand for rice is higher McDonald's introduced McRice. Because McDonald's practices product adaptation so much, it is quite successful compared to its competitors. McDonald's has a strong global presence and is considered as a leader in the domestic as well as the international competition. Even though McDonald's is leading the domestic market, still there are threats by the local food vendors, as people prefer the local food. To tackle this, McDonald's is intro ducing specific products for different regions, which has a local effect in it ("How does McDonald's compete in a monopolistic competition?"). Regulations that McDonald's must follow: Since McDonald's has a lot of franchises in different countries, therefore it has to follow the rules and regulations of that region. Keeping in view the ethics of that region, McDonald's should provide its services accordingly. Taking India as an example, as mentioned before when McDonald's sta

Do the potential advantages of GM food outweigh possible drawbacks Essay

Do the potential advantages of GM food outweigh possible drawbacks - Essay Example With this in mind, it is therefore vital that we understand genetic modification as it relates to our food products, in order to explore more fully the science and controversy surrounding its risks and benefits in our world today. Using this information, we can then make an educated decision as to whether the sale and use of such products would be to our gain or to our detriment. Background First, it is vital that we understand what the words â€Å"genetically modified food† actually mean to the general public and to the scientific community. â€Å"Genetically modified†, or GM, food, is a food crop that has had its genetic code, as designated by the DNA of the plant, altered in some way that makes it different from the original food crop (Forman, 2009). The other commonly heard term GMO refers to a genetically modified organism. This is slightly different from a GM food crop in that it is a wider term. GMO can be any kind of genetically modified product, but the term is most often used in reference to food product organisms, such as soybeans that have been altered to resist colder climates or bacteria that have been designed to be useful in the manufacture of cheese (Whitman, 2000). The sale and human consumption of genetically modified food crops is generally more controversial than the usage of genetically modified organisms in food manufacture, as such organisms are used only in the manufacturing process and are not present in the final consumer product (Forman, 2009). In the approximately fifteen years that genetic modification have been in practice for food and consumer goods, there have been three major tiers of progress. The first level was changes to food at a level generally unnoticeable to the consumer. This included changes to products that primarily affect the growers, such as giving the plants insecticide resistance or a lengthier period of ripeness. While this tier was the only one in effect, most consumers were unconcerned about gen etic modification and there seemed to be little conflict. The second level, however, gained much more widespread coverage. This stage started to involve changes to product that were visible all the way down to the consumer level, such as altering colour and nutritional content. The newest and next generation of genetically modified foods is currently in the research phase, and primarily focuses on medicination uses for GMO. This involves the creation of pharmaceutically-active food crops, which could be designed to contain vaccines or medicines for developing nations (Magana-Gomez and Calderon de la Barca, 2009). All three of these categories are currently ongoing, and all have a wide variety of both helpful and harmful possibilities. Risks and Concerns One major concern for many consumers and companies that purchase food products is the relative newness of the genetic modification process (Forman, 2009). While most produce and meat that we eat today is already greatly modified from its â€Å"wild† phenotype to make it more palatable, have better yields, or for myriad other reasons, the traditional breeding methods used to produce these crops have been in use for hundreds and even thousands of years. The scientific community generally considers such methods proven safe by the basic fact that they are still in use after all this time with no serious detrimental effects on the human

Video Production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Video Production - Essay Example could be defined as "a reconstruction or a re-enactment of another or place for a different audience, a graphing of history in and through the cinematic image and taped sound onto the present" (Rabinowitz 16) has proven useful a few years ago in reportage documentary but its usefulness has been superseded by other forms of documentary. For this reason, critics are of the view that reportage documentary has become obsolete while others argue its value still stands the test of time. In the following section, the researcher shall explore the challenges facing reportage documentary, and prove that reportage documentary has become obsolete in the face of changing mass media and depreciation of factual sustenance. Contemporary documentary practices are strived with the rhetoric of truth, and the strategies for authenticity. In modern environment, where reality TV, camcorder autobiography, and YouTube’s are prevalent, the value of documentaries has become lost within the amateur images of "real life" stories. The essence of documentary could only be found in certain segments of the media where authenticity and reportage are still appreciated, and necessary. According to Maria Lind documentary film production mechanisms has transferred from the hands of the professionals with focused goals to reconstruct reality, to the ambivalent amateur teenagers. While journalism continues to be a mainstream reportage mechanism, documentaries has waned in value and content due to the culture of "truth production" sponsored by reality TV production houses (Lind 15). Indeed, Rabinowitz (2) is of the view that the bizarre movements from reportage to reality documentary have degraded the value of true doc umentary works. Instead, documentaries are nowadays reserved for creating notorious video films. More simply, documentaries are being used as the means for creating commercial projects on reels. For example Bonny Kleins Not a Love Story is a documentary which has been designed to

Customer Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Customer Service - Essay Example Therefore, they will look for the reasonable range for the services they require in contrast to those who seek the aspect of quality and variety of services. The biggest challenges of management that are contemporary in the service industry are providing and excelling in customer satisfaction. The differentiation, competitiveness, and retention of customers are factors that are important in the success of the service industry. To get the satisfaction level of customers, for example in a hotel, there is need to introduce comment cards for guests, which are then analyzed. The other way is to make personal contact with guests and also through feedback on the internet. (Luck and Lancaster, 2003: p 213). The staffs of this service industry need to be able to motivate the customers and this can be done through a motivation scheme for the employees who are exemplary with the customers. Handling of complains is also another major problem and the management needs to formulate a way to compensate the customer either by apologizing and performing random acts of kindness such as issuing doughnuts. According to Bender (2012), success is not brought about by combustion spontaneously but rather one must first set themselves on fire. Bender, A 2012, Americans Biggest Complaints About Hotels. Forbes. [Online] 27 July. Available at:[accessed 21 March 2013]. Westwind Consulting Services Inc,, 2012. Managing Customer Requirements: Requirements vs. Expectations. Website. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 21 March

Ralph and Jack in The Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Ralph and Jack in The Lord of the Flies Essay Question 1 There are a number of differences and a few similarities between Jack and Ralph. First of all the main similarity is the fact that both boys are roughly the same age. Then furthermore, there is the fact that both pf them are boys. In addition their share the quality of leadership, or in other words both of them have the abilities to be a leader. Then on the other hand there are the numerous differences they in clued; different style of leadership, different believes, maturity, and the symbol that they represent. Jack and Ralph have a very different style of leading. Ralph has a democratic leadership and Jack is more of a dictator figure. Then furthermore, there is the difference of believes, Jack believes that the main objective on the island is to hunt and Ralph believes that it is to be saved. Then there is the maturity, Ralph is more mature that Jack. And the last difference in the symbols that these characters represent, Jack represents the bad side of human nature and Ralph represents the good side or democracy. Question 2 Piggy represents intelligence and thinking. This idea is proven through out the whole book, until his death. Fist of all there is the fact that because of Piggy the boys were able to create the fire. The secondary, idea is the fact that Piggy acts very mature through out the book. He is even more mature than Ralph. Piggy comes up with ideas that not a single other boy had though of. For example there is the fact that Piggy though of the sundial. Furthermore there is the idea that Piggy constantly reminds Ralph of their objective to the island, and which is to be saved.

Orthotics in Neurology: Disorders, Treatment and Causes

Orthotics in Neurology: Disorders, Treatment and Causes Contents (Jump to) Introduction Explanation Disorders Posture and Gait: Deformity: Muscle Weakness: Contractures and Spasticity: Sensory problems: Autonomic Functions: Treatment Causes Conclusion Bibliography Introduction Orthotics refers to all kind of problems related to the shape, function and posture of the body and all part it contains. Since all the parts of the body and their movement are associated with the brain, thus orthotics is highly related to neurology. Orthotics in neurology encompasses all the elements that relate to the functioning of muscles, organs and joints which are utterly controlled by the nerves which carry the orders of a brain to the respective body part. The problems that can occur due to bone disorders and neurological deficits are limb problems, joint complications and abnormalities in locomotion system. Besides these, there are certain minor problems too that may turn into major abnormalities if orthotics occurs in neurology (Houlden, Charlton, Singh, 2007). The initial indicator of orthotics is identified by a defect in the motor neurons that carry the message from the brain to the parts of the body. When a defect in a motor neuron is diagnosed, it becomes crucial for the individual to consult an orthotic consultant so that the disorder can be minimized at the very stage. The most common disorders that occur as a result of disorders in lower motor neurons are: traumatic peripheral nerve lesions and neuromuscular disorders. The disorders related to the upper motor neurons are often regarded as stroke and vertebral palsy. These disorders are commonly as chronic conditions like poliomyelitis etc. these are the most usual type of disorders the result due to orthotics in neurology and to cure such abnormalities at mild stage or at developed stage, neurologist, psychiatrist or orthotics expert must be consulted (Houlden, Charlton, Singh, 2007). Explanation To overcome the diseases of orthotics, an appropriate diagnosis is needed to avoid extreme consequences of disorders. To get the disorders diagnosed at initial stages, it is recommended to get regular electro-diagnostic investigations, radiological and routine blood tests. Moreover, genetic testing is most commonly used and positive results will give the assurance of negligence offensive procedures. Disorders The most common disorders that are diagnosed as a result of orthotics in neurology are given as follows: Posture and Gait: Such kind of disorders of neuromuscular relates to the typical patterns of muscular movements such as ataxic and waddling gait, high stoppage gait, drop foot gait and spastic gait (Houlden, Charlton, Singh, 2007). Deformity: These disorders occur when muscles get weak; it results in instability in joints. The most common consequences are limb floppy and flail which results in balanced paralysis. This is most common when one of the muscles become weak in a group of muscles and loses its strength to carry out functions of controlling the movements and locomotion in the body. The deformity is surely curable when it is diagnosed in the initial stages (Houlden, Charlton, Singh, 2007). Muscle Weakness: This is caused due to disorders in the lower or upper motor muscle disorder and neurons lesions (Houlden, Charlton, Singh, 2007). Contractures and Spasticity: These are the most frequently occurring orthotics disorders found in the neurology, they are mainly caused due to any defect incurred in the upper motor neuron lesions. It results in the contraction of muscles of no proper treatment is done on time. The exercise recommended for its cure is muscles stretching. The contractures result due to disorders in lower neuron as well. Spasticity is painful which can damage the activities of daily routine. Sensory problems: These are major symptoms of pain and may result into extreme consequences of disorders in neuropathic joints, ulcers and pressure sores etc. Autonomic Functions: These are the disorders in involuntary functioning of the system of an individual. They can be recurring in nature and highly disabling as they result from the abnormality of high sweating, sphincter control, increased or decreased heartbeat or pulse rate and unstable blood pressure etc. (Houlden, Charlton, Singh, 2007). Treatment For the purpose of treatment of such abnormalities in the human body, it is essential to consult an orthotics consultant, physician, neurologist or pharmaceutical clinical staff that can help minimizing the disorders experienced by the individual. The main emphasis of treatment order is considered steady and long term in which patient is diagnosed on the regular basis and certain physical exercises with the adequate dose of medicine are prescribed. This results in steady improvement in the neurons of the patient as in case of neurology abrupt and intense treatments are used rarely only when there is no option left because treating the neurons is recommended for a lighter and ongoing process which reduces the symptoms of disease and minimizes intensity of disorders (Wade, 2013). The physical exercises are highly recommended in case of orthotics disorders. The exercises may include stretching of uses every now and then, this increases the flow of blood circulation to the muscles and also improves the ability of neurons to receive and send orders from and to the brain in an effective manner. This eliminates the possibility of any disorder caused due to lack of functioning of the muscles. A process called self-management is majorly recommended to all those who seek ways to overcome orthotics in neurology. This relates to managing the stability of functioning of neurons by your own self. The management can be done by scheduling the routines of exercising in order to improve both physical and mental health. The stretching of muscles and continuous routine of running, jogging or walk helps in reducing the chances of abnormalities or disorder problems related to heart, brain, and muscles. This is because medicine merely is a formula that dissolves in the blood and improves the functioning. But exercise is a continuous process that keeps the muscles of body in function which increases circulation of blood, improves heartbeat and pulse rate, enhances the efficiency of neurons ability to receive and send messages of brain, advances the reflex action and controllability element in the human body. Thus, the foremost suggested way to overcome orthotics disorders is to maintain a routine of exercise. Even after exercising the neuron shows disorders as a side effect of any other disease then the dose of proper medicine must be scheduled (Wade, 2013). Causes These disorders are often caused by consuming drugs or alcoholic products. The overuse of such drugs highly affects the neurons and make them damage or causes the cells of the nervous system to die which results in disability or malfunctioning of neurons. The other causes can be irregular eating habits, consumption of carbonated drinks or high intake of junk food etc. all these products affects directly or indirectly to the neurons which may cause the disability in their functioning. Sometimes, orthotics can be caused by being overweight or underweight which exerts high pressure on the brain and thus the neurons are adversely affected. In few cases, such disabilities are found genetic in the individual who may or may not be diagnosed in early age but becomes prominent when the person reaches maturity (Wade, 2013). Conclusion Orthotics in neurology has an overall impact on the entire human body, its structure, and systems and the neurology holds and controls all the functioning of an organism. The disorders of orthotics are controllable if proper exercise is made mandatory in the daily routine. Alongside, regular checkups of blood pressure and pulse rate etc. are recommended to get notices of any disorder incurred in the neurons of the body. A periodic meeting with the clinician must be scheduled to get noticed of every change being occurring in the system. Further, to avoid such disorder healthy diets are suggested with the minimal use of drugs and related items. All these help the body to maintain its normality. On the whole, healthy activities with healthy food are suggested to overcome the chances of orthotics in neurology as its occurrence can be dangerous for health. Bibliography Houlden, H., Charlton, P., Singh, D. (2007). Neurology and Orthopaedics. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 78(3), 224–232. Retrived from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2117631/ Wade, D. T. (2013). Stroke rehabilitation: the evidence. In: Greenwood RJ, Barnes MP, McMillan TM, Ward CD, eds. Handbook of neurological rehabilitation, 7-25.

The benefits of ecommerce and emarketing

The benefits of ecommerce and emarketing The most current and relevant literature on e-marketing is examined and the relevant areas disused in various literature which has connection with the objective of the business project are explored in this chapter. E-business and e-commerce are modern form of business which is performed in a technologically advanced business environment. The e-business is termed as the application of information technology for internal business process as well as activities in which a company engages during commercial activity. These activities can include functional activities such as finance, marketing, human resources management and operations (Philips, 2003). Ecommerce is the use of Information and communication technology to enable external activities and relationship with individuals, groups and other businesses (Laudon and Traver, 2002).Due to the growth in electronic media for business functions , the way of interaction between the supplier, distributor, seller and customer has become changed and more enhanced. E-commerce channels allow businesses to get to the customer faster, with more velocity, and more value (Budhwani, 2001) E-Marketing E-marketing is a process of building and maintaining customer relationship through online activities to facilitate the exchange of ideas, products and services that satisfy the goals of both parties (Mohammed et al, 2001). Strauss et al (2003) suggest that e-marketing covers a wide range of IT related applications with three main aims: Transforming marketing strategies to create more customer value through more effective segmentation, targeting, differentiation and positioning strategies; more efficiently planning and executing the conception, distribution, promotion and pricing of goods, services and ideas; creating exchanges that satisfy individual consumer and organisational customers objectives. Business is mainly based on exchange process; e-marketing has the ability to be beneficial for all the people who involve in the business. Mainly organization has realised this and started to refocus their marketing strategy using e-marketing. E-Marketing versus Traditional Marketing As number of individuals spending their time on internet is increasing rapidly, e-marketing is growing as a powerful marketing tool. Due to advancement and utilisation of technology in Internet has grown rapidly, thereby e-marketing gained more attention by most of the firms and due to this the traditional marketing methods loses its value. The traditional marketing channels like as television, print media, and radio are becoming less popular. The traditional media are competing with the electronic media for seeking customer attention but the Internet and appear to be gaining over the other media. On implementing E-Marketing a company can reach its customer directly through website, e-mail, social networking sites and various other means. E-Marketing is cost effective and also gains lot of attention of the customer. These factors make E-Marketing to overlap the traditional marketing. The Internet is assumed to be an important channel for marketing and distribution of products and services. This is, among other things, due to the cost-effectiveness of the Internet and the convenience for customers. With the Internet marketers can reach out to a broad customer base, locate target customers, identify their needs and communicate with them at a relatively low cost. The Internet provides an opportunity for market testing and optimization. Increasing digitalization will make it progressively easier to experimentally alter particular aspects of a business and quickly observe how customers respond (Wyner, 2000) Benefits of e-marketing E-marketing has several benefits which can be capitalised by the organisation to gain competitive advantages; those benefits are listed below, The web allows non-linear communication in which there is free flow and exchange of information, and there is a potential for two-way communication between a business and its audiences in different contexts on a one to one basis, and a many-to-many basis. The many-to-many model involves communication between customers (Hoffman and Novak, 1995). E-marketing can increase an organisations geographic coverage beyond its traditional operating area. E-marketing will also make the organisation to have a global presence and a wider reach. New market and new customers can be obtained by the company, if the e-marketing is utilised effectively. Moreover e-marketing provides a cheap way of communicating with customers and the business transactions can also be cared out in low cost. A website can be used as a powerful business tool for carrying out sales and services all day providing greater convenience for the customer. Besides that e-marketing can be used for an online sales promotion and provide targeted offers and special privileges to the customer. E-Marketing is fast and flexible communication tool and helps to fulfil the customer retention objective of the company. The internet provides rich sources of marketing data for the marketers, which can be used for decision-making purposes. Additionally e-marketing research supported with appropriate software and technology provides a good data analysis to streamline the process of research. Similarly e-marketing help to improve the brand name and provides a better platform for development of the brand presence. The purpose of branding is to facilitate the organisations task of getting and maintaining a loyal customer base in a cost-effective manner to achieve the highest possible return on investment (De Chernatony and McDonald, 1998, p.17) E-marketing problems There are also few problems with e-marketing that marketers must understand and respond to. Those are outlined below: A companys marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that affect the marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful transactions with its target customers. The marketing environment offers both threats and opportunities (Kotler et al, 2001) The major problem of e-marketing is lack of trust among the online users to make transactions with unknown traders and the customers resistance to change, mainly older and disadvantage people. Next big problem is customers concerns over privacy issues such as spam and unwanted marketing communication. Rising network security doubts over fraud and hacking cause huge setback for e-marketing. Moreover the technology gap between the organization and customer is a disadvantage. There are also difficulties and social impacts in cross-broader trading using electronic media. Customization and Personalization through E-marketing The e-marketing provides customization and personalization benefits to both firm and the customer. Customisation refers to more personalised products availability and tailored communication. The Internet marketing environment offers extensive customization and personalization opportunities. The evolution from marketing on the averages to marketing on the differences is a very prominent theme and a major advantage of the Web market compared to real environments (Reitman, 1994). Customization provides the ability to the customer to order product uniquely as per their need and specification. This helps the firms to know more about the individual customer, so that the offers and communications can be tailored as per the behaviour of the customer. This provides a great competitive advantage. E-marketing and Customer Focus The customer is the central focus for any business organisation and marketing activities are will be build to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction. Customer loyalty is emerged from satisfaction and from loyalty come more profitability and sales. The customer is the key element for all business but the e-marketing make customer even more powerful. Due the technology advancement customers are more demanding with search engines, more substitute product availability and multi-channel user friendly technology. Customer makes up the online communities of an organisation. Consumer behaviour growing to be more complex. But e-marketing coupled with emerging technologies enables more precise segmentation and targeting of customer. E-marketing helps to implement personalised offering to each customer, this done by obtaining permission and sends offers to target customer. The interactive nature of internet allows getting quicker customer feedback. These factors of e-marketing helps firms to remain customer focused.

Blood Diamond : Why Fiction is More Effective Than the Facts Essay

Blood Diamond: Why Fiction is More Effective Than the Facts When watching a movie that is allegedly based on a true story, it may not occur to some viewers that the movie does not necessarily represent the complete and absolute truth. The movie Blood Diamond was inspired by the true story of how the illegal sale of smuggled diamonds helped fuel the 1991 to 2000 civil war in Sierra Leone (â€Å"Sierra Leone†). In an interview with Foreign Policy Magazine, Edward Zwick, director of Blood Diamond, admits that â€Å"my first goal was to make a good movie, one that fulfills the obligations of any story, which has to do with characters and drama.† It is true that Blood Diamond uses glamorized fiction to cover up and sweeten the horrible truths for its audience, but what matters is how effectively the movie makes an emotional connection with its viewers. Hollywood filmmakers know what the majority of their audience expects: glamour and excitement throughout the film and a dramatic and emotionally satisfying ending. If it is to sa tisfy the expectations of this audience, and the expectations of the filmmaker and his backers to make a lot of money, the movie—at least this particular movie—cannot be a totally accurate and graphic depiction of what really happens with blood diamonds and their role in Sierra Leone’s civil war, because what really happens would not sell as well as the fiction. In the case of Blood Diamond, while it is important to look at the factual accuracy or inaccuracy of the what the characters represent, what matters more is why the fiction is more effective than the truth when it comes to getting the audience emotionally involved. Effective manipulation of the audience’s feelings through fiction may make the sympathet... ...58260>. â€Å"How to Buy: Diamond Facts.† A Diamond is Forever. De Beers Diamond Company. 18 November 2007. . â€Å"Lovette Freeman: A Personal History.† September 2006. Online video clip. The History Channel. 18 November 2007. . â€Å"Seven Questions: A Chat with Blood Diamond Director Ed Zwick.† Foreign Policy Magazine December 2006. 18 November 2007. . â€Å"Sierra Leone Civil War.† Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 17 August 2005. Wikimedia Foundation. 18 November 2007. . Voeten, Teun. How De Body?: One Man’s Terrifying Journey Through an African War. Amsterdam: St. Marin Press, 2000.

Shakespeare the Psychologist? :: Biography Biographies Essays

Shakespeare the Psychologist? I have found that most of the characters in William Shakespeare's plays seem to be "mad", or mentally disturbed in some way. Shakespeare's characters display psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, senility, psychosexual disorders, and many more. Was this an early form of psychology or was he just relating to his own personal experiences. In my paper, I will discuss some basic concepts of psychology, and how I believe Shakespeare explored the world of psychology through the individuals in his works. I will also diagnose some of his famous characters from the plays “Hamlet” and “King Lear.” Psychological Concepts have been around since practically the beginning of time. Even Aristotle asked questions that would be classified as psychological in today's era (Wade and Tarvis, pg. 5). So Shakespeare was not the first person to use psychology but he may have been the first person to use a form of it in plays for an audience to see. Psychology is defined as the discipline concerned with behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state, mental state and external state (Wade and Tarvis, pg. 4). It is evident in the plays that I have read that some of the characters in the plays have psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, split-personality disorder, Oedipus Complex, senility, and delusions. Schizophrenia is defined as a psychotic disorder marked by positive symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and incoherent speech; and negative symptoms such as emotional flatness and loss of motivation (Wade and Tarvis pg. 485). A person suffering from schizophrenia may have imaginary events happen to them or have imaginary people in their lives. For example, a man suffering from schizophrenia may believe he has a best friend named Joseph, when in fact there is no best friend at all. This disorder can be treated with medication but never cured. Another disorder showed in Shakespeare’s works is the split-personality disorder. The Split-personality Disorder is defined as a disorder marked by the appearance within one person of tow or more distinct personalities, each with its own name and traits (Wade and Tarvis pg. 479). The Oedipus Complex is another psychological disorder presented in Shakespeare’s work and is defined as a conflict in which a child desires

The Subtext of Violence in Henry James The Wings of theDove: The Sacri

The Subtext of Violence in Henry James' The Wings of theDove: The Sacrificial Crisis A reading of Henry James' 1902 novel The Wings of theDove is particularly fitting for this issue ofSchuylkill for several reasons. This late novel is rife withrepresentations of multiple, often overlapping subject positionsthat the close reader is forced to reckon with. These subjectpositions include, but are not limited to, James as authorand as a self-referring subject of the novel's "Preface,"who perceives and performs outside of the designation of "author."The reader must also consider James' unreliable narrator as asubject who functions as both detached observer and protagonist,and whose equivocal rendering of events includes labyrinthineaccounts of the contents of other character’s consciousness. Andfinally, we the reader, are rendered subject to our own ambivalentinterpretation of events. James complex representation of so manysubject positions has, not surprisingly, earned his late work thereputation of being "difficult." However the student of humansubject formation e njoys a uniquely Jamesian-inspired "jouissance"if he or she is persistent and enjoys a good slow read. In this paper I hope to show how James offers the reader aparticipatory glimpse into the complex mechanics of human subjectformation. I argue that The Wings of the Dove re-presentswhat anthropological literary critic Rene Girard terms the"sacrificial crisis," an act of violence that is endorsed andenacted by a community--a bloody ritual whose sole purpose is to"restore harmony to the community, to reinforce the socialfabric...and establish order"(8). According to Rene Girard in Violence and the Sacred,violence proliferates within a community when social distinctionsamong individuals or groups become confused or are contested. Morespecifically, when the established social hierarchy is challengedthrough rivalries, jealousies, quarrels and acts of dissent,community infighting escalates into reciprocal acts of vengeanceand retribution. Community violence is contained, says Girard, bya collectively sanctioned, climactic event--the blood sacrifice.The blood sacrifice is a unanimous yet limited act of violencevented upon that representative of the community who is deemedresponsible for the eruption of internal discord. In other words, a "scapegoat" is selected by the group. Thissacrificial subst... ...he processof finding a surrogate victim constitutes a major means... by whichmen expel from their consciousness the truth about their violentnature...(82-83). The "bad" violence inherent in Kate’s enterprise has notactually been eliminated--the potential for someone else to deviseand successfully execute a similarly ambiguous plan still existsafter we close the book (in fact such a plan is executed by MaggieVerver, the heroine of James last novel The Golden Bowl--thenovel which has been called "the novel to end all novels"). But inThe Wings of the Dove James contains and controls theviolence temporarily, thus taking the place of and serving the sameancient function as the primitive blood sacrifice. Works cited Allen, Elizabeth. A Woman's Place in the Novels ofHenry James. London: Macmillan Press, 1983. Brooks, Van Wyck. "Two Phases of Henry James." In TheQuestion of Henry James: A Collection of Essays. Ed. F.W.Dupee. New York: Holt, 1945. 120-27. Girard, Rene. Violence and the Sacred. Trans. PatrickGregory. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1972. James, Henry. The Wings of the Dove. Ed. J. DonaldCrowley and Richard A. Hocks. New York: W.W. Norton and Company,1978.

Reggie Bush Scandal

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Five Phases of Project Management

Assignment – Five Phases Project Management Strategy November 5, 2012 Five Phases of Project Management Life cycle management is a business management approach that can be used by all types of businesses (and other organizations) to improve their products and thus the sustainability, employing the principles of project life cycle – the five phases of project management, which consists of, initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Iniation PhaseThe first phase of a project is the initiation phase. During this phase, a business problem or opportunity is identified and a business case providing various solution options is defined. Once the recommended solution is approved, a project is initiated to deliver the approved solution. Terms of reference are completed outlining the objectives, scope and structure of the new project and a project manager is appointed. The project manager begins recruiting a project team and establishes a project office environment. Within the initiation phase, the business problem or opportunity is identified, a solution is defined, a project is formed and a project team is appointed to build and deliver the solution to the customer (Barkley, 2005). Planning Phase Often the most time-consuming of the phases of project management, the Planning phase is where you lay your project groundwork and is critical for a successful implementation of the subsequent Execution phase (Reynolds, 2009).Additionally, in this phase Project Planning builds on the work done in Project Initiation, refining and augmenting Cost, Scope, Schedule and Quality (CSSQ) and Project Plan deliverables. Usually, additional members join the Project Team, and they assist the Project Manager in further elaborating the details of the Cost, Scope, Schedule and Quality (Macek, 2010). The planning phase produces a project plan, project charter and/or project scope outlining the work to be performed. During this phase, a team should prioritize the pro ject, calculate a budget and schedule, and determine what resources are needed0 (LaBrosse, 2008).This phase is the basis for the successful execution of the subsequent Executing phase. The planning phase is also the phase where, definition of work packages, detailed planning, clarification of responsibilities, risk analysis, and interfaces are defined. Project Planning marks the completion of the Project Plan –i. e. , no work is left uncovered. Execution Phase Execution. This is where the project team does the work to crate the final deliverables of the project. It is the largest part of most projects and it goes far better if adequate time was taken to properly plan the work of the project (Reynolds, 2009).Resources' tasks are distributed and teams are informed of responsibilities. This is a good time to bring up important project related information (Project Plan Execution, 2009). During the Execution phase, the project manager spends a considerable amount of time in commun ication making sure the resources (people, equipment and materials) are available to do their work and know what work needs to be completed. There is a significant amount of work in this phase, as a project manager works to juggle many aspects of the project.During this phase, you'll use all of your management skills to implement and manage cost and quality, risks and change, and several other factors (Reynolds, 2009). Monitoring The next phase of the Project management life cycle is monitoring. Successful Project Management Principles & Controls are summarized as three main methods; continual focus on the Project Plan, constant update of the Project Plan (especially the triple restraints, and most importantly, measure status and project progress against the Project Plan -making adjustments to get back on track, if necessary (Project Plan Execution, 2009) .Closure In Project Closeout, the Project Team assesses the outcome of the project, as well as the performance of the Project Team and the Performing Organization. This is accomplished primarily through soliciting and evaluating feedback from Customers, Project Team members, Consumers and other stakeholders. The primary purpose of this assessment is to document best practices and lessons learned for use on future projects. In addition, key project metrics are also captured to enable the Performing Organization to compare and evaluate erformance measurements across projects. Project completion is signified by accomplishments such as (1) all tasks finished, (2) agreed deliverables completed, (3) testing completed, and (4) training materials prepared. The project benefits should be measured and compared with the final business case. Not all the benefits of the project are immediately apparent. The results must be compared with the cost-benefit analysis along with all the other forecast benefits that the project was planned to provide the organisation.Analyzes how each phase could support the organizationâ₠¬â„¢s business strategy. There is a dramatic rise in the use of project management as organizations shift to provide customer driven results and systems solutions. Some implementations of project management have been successful, while others are incredible failures. A common occurrence in many organizations is too many projects being attempted by too few people with no apparent link to strategy or organizational goals.Unfortunately, this is why the organization I currently work in is struggling to successfully complete the EMR, too few resources and too many projects being implemented simultaneously and most not align with the strategic plan. Experience indicates that the support of upper management is critical to project success, upper management was absent as participants of the project until the decision was made to delay the go-live. In our case, Upper management did not take action to create an environment for more successful projects in their organizations.Project management m ust be regarded as a company-wide project management competency designed to benefit the entire company (Kerzner, 2005). It also includes developing a corporate culture that is based upon effective organizational behavior and creating a well-developed project management methodology, accompanied by the proper supporting tools, which is vital to achieving organizational goals. Once the organization recognizes that project management is a core competency, the organization can convert this competency into a sustainable competitive advantage.The ultimate purpose is for the sustainable competitive advantage to become the pathway for a strategic competency that becomes a primary drive during strategic planning activities (Kerzner, 2005. As the project management strategy matures, the business value derived from each phase increases. Increased value subsequent to increase project portfolio leads to the alignment of project management and organizational strategy across the organization/enterp rise. Keeping each phase of the project on track yields a successful project, which means managing the triple constraints and strict management of metrics (monitoring phase).The project goals then extend throughout the team to the suppliers, contractors, and stakeholders. The five phases of project management assists the organization in creating a strategic value chain that gives companies a competitive edge. References Kerzner, H. (2005). Using the Project Management Maturity Model: Strategic planning for project management (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. LaBrosse, M. (2008). Key principles of project management. Food Management, 43(5), 27-27. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/215900222? ccountid=32521 Macek, W. (2010). Methodologies of project management. Wspolczesna Ekonomia, 4(4), 267. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1115291842? accountid=32521 Project Plan Execution – where you â€Å"walk the walk† as the Pr oject Manager. (2009). Retrieved from URL Managerhttp://www. mastering-project-management. com/project-plan-execution. html Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13). Phases of project management: Initiation. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1672. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13).Phases of project management: Planning. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1673. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, July 28). Phases of project management: Execution. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1674. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13). Phases of project management: Monitoring. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1675. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13). Phases of project management: Closing. Bright Hub weblog.

Filipino Cry: The Social Issues in OPM Songs Essay

Introduction This paper will attempt to highlight the theme of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) that appeals the public concern of the government. This will feature two selected songs –, Upuan (2009), and Walang Natira (2010) by Gloc9. These songs were selected according to their similarities in terms of the social issues of the Filipino to the government such as poverty, unemployment, corruption and oppression. The paper seeks to prove that these songs have similar theme that Filipino composers integrate in a music/song to convoke the attention of the government officials. Statement of the Problem This paper answers the following questions: 1. What are the images depicted in the lyrics of the songs? 2. What are the social issues of the public depicted in the songs? 3. What are the common theme and its implication to its listener? Objectives Generally, this paper aims to determine the themes of some OPM Songs. Specifically, this aims to: 1. identify the images found in the lyrics of the songs; 2. determine how these images portray social issues of the mass to the government; and 3. discuss the implications of the theme to the listener. Methodology An interpretational analysis of the theme of OPM songs, specifically the songs of Gloc9 that has a cryptic meaning underlies in the lyrics of the songs. Enabling to identify the images within it that helps to completely understand the theme of the song. This will also use marxism as a framework of the study. References Online Sources http://www.johndanielcastillo.myotd.com/Blog.php/46 http://glocdash9.com/about/ http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/216918/lifestyle/people/gloc-9-a-pinoy-rapper-and-his-painful-truths

Success, challenges and future prospects of IS outsourcing in the UK: A case study of an UK company outsourcing most of its IS activities.

Outsourcing has become increasingly attractive for many organizations. In such relationship, a company contracts with a vendor that rents its skills, knowledge, technology, service and manpower for an agreed-upon price and period to perform functions the client no longer wants to do. Much attention has focused recently on the outsourcing of IS/IT services to countries such as India and the Philippines. Indeed outsourcing any business activity creates potential risks as well as benefits.Companies can find themselves overly dependent on suppliers, and they can lose strength in strategically core competencies. Interestingly, given the importance of the outsourcing decision and the amount of academic and practitioner literature on it, there is surprisingly little consensus about the topic, probably because of the multiplicity and complexity of the factors involved. In this section, the authors identified six key factors that companies should consider when making outsourcing decisions. Th e framework, which helps assess the pros and cons of outsourcing, can be applied specifically to IS/IT functions.Changes in the broader business environment are affecting nearly every aspect of how companies manage their human resources, altering the balance of pros and cons for outsourcing IS/IT business process. First, conflicting pressures in the labor market have brought the role of human resources to the fore. On the one hand, the 1990s bought the so-called war for talent for IT professionals. On the other hand, intensifying competitive pressures have forces companies to be more aggressive in cutting costs, often by reducing head count.Human resources have had to manage such downsizing, while also trying to be innovative in attracting and retaining valuable employees. Second, IS/IT themselves have become the target for belt-tightening efforts, and they must now find ways to provide more value at lower cost. Many have argued that the key is to focus on activities that are essent ial and outsource the rest. Third, the growing complexity and increasing regulatory changes in the legal environment for human resource management, in particular in the areas of health care, stock-related compensation, overtime-pay calculations, pension reform, and eligibility for contingent workers.This has driven demand for outsourced IS/IT activities from vendors that are subject-matter experts. Globalization poses a comparable challenge, requiring IS/IT departments to address the needs of the business and moving between different countries and markets. Lastly, mergers and acquisition have become increasingly frequent, creating huge IS/IT integration challenges. Often, IS/IT is charged with the simultaneous tasks of integrating and managing the technologies and business processes in the face of continuous change. Problem StatementThe primary objectives of this dissertation will be to investigate the issues involved in factors affecting the success or failure of outsourcing IS/IT activities. Before doing this however there will have to be a thorough examination of the current state of global IT outsourcing services. The main task of the research is to find out what actually makes outsourcing work for Welsh Water. Challenges of having multiple suppliers and the steps Welsh Water undertakes to make outsourcing success. The following is a list of objectives which the author aspires to accomplish in the dissertation:– To analyse the objectives for outsourced services, selecting outsourcing suppliers, benchmarking. – To research contractual aspects of ‘multiple suppliers’ outsourcing, problems and risks associated with it. Assessment of contracts/SLAs: structures, similarities and differences between contracts/SLAs – What steps Welsh Waters undertakes to make outsourcing success (outsourcing program management, contract management, building outsourcing relationships, partnership, mutual benefits, communications, change control, h ow performance is measured, what constitutes for success/failure, etc)– To investigate if any proven/best practices have been adopted by Welsh Waters to mitigate the risks and manage the suppliers effectively. – To look at the ‘uneasy’ relations between the Welsh Waters IT management and some of the suppliers – To research relations between suppliers themselves (possible hostile behavior towards each other, rivalry, hidden conflicts, etc). The Overview of the Study The remainder of this study is as following statement: Chapter 2, Literature Review, will provide first a concise concept and explanation of IT outsourcing.We will examine the competitive landscape within the IT outsourcing industry. We will also define critical success factors and key trends for IT companies operating in this market. We also look different related literature on supplier management and sourcing decision framework for clients. Chapter 3, Methodology, will describe the rese arch design of this study. The research design of this study is empirical research method using secondary data for quantitative analysis. The researchers administered a case study framework to understand the factors affecting the IT sourcing decisions of clients.Chapter 4, Results, will demonstrate the results of this study. The authors will provide a brief description of the company under study, highlighting IT sourcing decision of the company. The research also will employ statistical data such as frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation on the different factors that affect the success and failure of IS/IT outsourcing. These data will be tabulated and analyzed to examine the effect of the various variables. The findings will then be generated from these analyses will be presented and interpreted.Chapter 5, Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations, the â€Å"Summary† section will first provide a comprehensive summary of the major findings of this study. The â€Å" Conclusion† section will highlight the implications of the research findings. Finally, â€Å"Recommendations† will be proposed to help companies improve IT implementation with partner suppliers and avoid pitfalls and traps. In next chapter, we will discuss the environmental analysis on Global outsourcing highlighting process management services, IT management, and data processing. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATUREThe literature review will first define nature of business process outsourcing. This section will offer a concise definition of IT outsourcing and its ability to thrive in a globalized economy. Then, the review will consist of three parts: (1) Environmental Analysis of the Outsourcing Industry and competitive landscape in the industry, (2) define the common IS/IT activities that are outsourced, (3) identify the key success factor of IT outsourcing and define the maturity stage of the company, and (4) the importance of customer-vendor relationship in providing innova tive solutions to the clients.Defining of Business Process Outsourcing Given the potential headaches of managing IT, it is tempting to hand the job over to someone else. Indeed, outsourcing once appeared to be a simple solution to management frustrations, and senior management teams at many companies negotiated contracts with large service providers to run their entire IT functions. At a minimum, these providers were often able to provide IT capabilities for a lower cost and with fewer hassles than the companies had been able to themselves.But many of these outsourcing arrangements resulted in dissatisfaction, particularly as a company's business needs changed. Service providers, with their standard offerings and detailed contracts, provided IT capabilities that were not flexible enough to meet changing requirements, and they often seemed slow to respond to problems. Furthermore, a relationship with a supplier often required substantial investments of money and time, which entrenche d that supplier in the company's strategic planning and business processes.The company then became particularly vulnerable if the supplier failed to meet its contractual obligations (Ross and Weill, 2002). Problems arose because senior managers, in choosing to outsource the IT function, were also outsourcing responsibility for one or more of the crucial decisions they should have been making themselves. Companies often hired outside providers because they were dissatisfied with the performance of their own IT departments—but that dissatisfaction was primarily the result of their own lack of involvement.In light of this track record, most larger companies, at least, are deciding to keep their main IT capabilities in-house. But many engage in selective outsourcing. Good candidates for this are commodity services, such as telecommunications, in which there are several competing suppliers and specifications are easy to set, and services involving technologies with which the compa ny lacks expertise. Unlike decisions to outsource the entire IT function, selective outsourcing decisions are usually best left to the IT unit, assuming that senior management has taken responsibility for overall strategy.Beaumont and Costa (2002) studied IT outsourcing in Australia. They found that almost 40% of Australian organizations outsource one or more IT applications. Large organizations tended to outsource more than small ones. The three most important reasons for outsourcing were access to skills, improved quality and focus on core business. Four factors contributed to successful outsourcing: a tight contract, a partnership, a change process, and the IT manager's role changing from managing projects and operations to acquiring and managing the internal and external resources required to do the organization's IT work.Successful IT outsourcing relationships enable participants to achieve organizational objectives and to build a competitive advantage that each organization co uld not easily attain by itself. Outsourcing success can be viewed as the level of fitness between the customer's requirements and the outsourcing outcomes. Outsourcing success can be measured in terms of both business and user perspectives. From a business perspective, outsourcing is motivated by the promise of strategic, economic, and technological benefits.The success of outsourcing, then, should be assessed in terms of attainment of these benefits. From a user perspective, outsourcing success is the quality level of services offered. A decision to outsource on the basis of saving costs without analysis of the quality of services frequently leads to higher costs and lower user satisfaction. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a proper analysis of the service quality before building a relationship with a service provider for a successful outsourcing arrangement (Lee & Kim, 1999).In this paper, we define outsourcing as the process of turning over an organization's computer cente r operations, telecommunications networks, and/or applications development to external vendors is called outsourcing (Laudon & Laudon, 2005). Loh and Venkatraman (1992a) define IT outsourcing as the significant contribution by external vendors in the physical and/or human resources associated with the entire or specific components of the IT infrastructure in the user organization. Vendors may contribute computer assets for the user from outside the organization.Alternatively, the ownership of certain computer assets of the user may be transferred to the vendor. Similarly, vendors may utilize their personnel to provide the required services, or the vendor may employ existing staff of the user. In their research, they attempted to explain the degree of IT outsourcing by using cost structures and economic performance. They found that the degree of IT outsourcing is positively related to both business and IT cost structures, and negatively related to IT performance.IT outsourcing was fr amed as a make-versus-buy decision, where contractual modes differ in the domain of influence within the corporation (Loh & Venkatraman, 1992a, 1992b). Environmental Analysis of Outsourcing Market In the global front, the increasing trend towards outsourcing is evident from the high year-on-year growth of the global market for data processing and outsourcing, a sector, which consists of the provision of commercial electronic data processing and/or business process outsourcing services.Since 2001, the market has expanded by almost 50%. The global data processing and outsourced services market reached a value of $265. 5 billion in 2005, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9. 7% in the 2001-2005 period. The rise in credit card use and Internet banking/payment has created new types of problems for operators in this area; firms in this market are engaged in developing and refining data protection techniques to fight against money laundering and fraud.