Case study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Case study - Research Paper Example Different from other organizations, medical institutions depend greatly on supplies to carry out their daily operations. According to Toba, Tomasini & Farhan (2008) health care institution cannot exist without supply management systems. Regardless of this compulsory requirement, medical institutions are very backdated in terms of having improved supply management systems. Different from modern day organizations, healthcare organizations lag behind in updating their supply chain management systems. This can be attributed to the fact that world health bodies frequently update the global stock in medical supplies depending on the emerging trends (Toba, Tomasini & Farhan, 2008). Hospitals rely on these changes in ordering of medical supplies. However, the quality of the supplies does not create the main problem in supply chain management, but the activities applied in the supply chain management. The difference in the strategies used in supply chain management creates the difference in t he cost and efficiency of the process (Toba, Tomasini & Farhan, 2008). What was the impact if any of the implementation of the proposed solution on this issue? Disregard of the process of supply chain management creates the main challenge in making the process efficient and quality. To overcome these challenges Toba, Tomasini & Farhan (2008) suggest that managers should update their technological position and emerging trends in supply chain management. This will create an organization with a lot of sensitivity in terms of coming up with effective logistics procedures. Additionally, this will open up opportunities for the organization to refer to supply chain management bodies and programs that will aid in transforming the state of supply management systems in organizations. Other significant challenges in supply chain management in healthcare institutions include outdated IT systems, lack of executive involvement, poor infrastructure, poor distribution and inventory management and n on improvement of the procurement process (Toba, Tomasini & Farhan, 2008). In overcoming challenges in decision making processes regarding purchasing decisions, Toba, Tomasini & Farhan (2008) advise that institutions should disregard the majority rule. This mode of making decisions should be replaced by the consensus method which minimizes the occurrence of misunderstandings and opposition. This also increases the compliance rate from physicians. How do efficiencies in supply chain management and effective use of sourcing and technology reduce hospital costs? What are the alternative solutions to this question? In 2004, total healthcare spending per person in the United States was $6280. This is representation of 16% of the US gross domestic product (Toba, Tomasini & Farhan, 2008). In regard of the total expenses of the United States government this is a big value that can be cut down by simple arithmetic of reducing the expense incurred by medical institutions. Analysts have argued that this inflation in the cost of provision of healthcare of healthcare is greatly attributed to the mishandling of medical service sin institutions. For instance, many analysts have pointed out the fact hospitals disregard the need to upgrade their supply management systems has made funding of medical services expensive (Toba, Tomasini & Farhan, 2008). They further argue that this is inevitable since healthcare instit

Wizard of Oz Analysis Essay

Wizard of Oz Analysis Essay When I was five years old, my family gathered around the T.V. on a snowy Sunday night and watched a special presentation of The Wizard of Oz. Shortly thereafter, I picked up L. Frank Baums The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  [1]  and was hooked. I read every Oz book that I could find at the public library. Nearly twenty years later, I picked up The Wonderful Wizard of Oz again and found a subtle depth which I did not expect, especially through the feminist lens. Both the book and the film are well-suited for a feminist critique because of Dorothy, the female heroine, and other important female characters. While Baums novel presents a relatively progressive view of women, the 1939 MGM adaptation of the book portrays women as weak and best suited for domestic life through the weakening of Dorothy as a character, the emphasis of Dorothys desire to get home, the dream motif, and the elimination of important female characters. The Wizard of Oz is one of the most important cultural texts of the twentieth century. MGMs movie was an instant hit: and, afterward, thanks to annual prime time television showings, more people have seen it than any other motion picture ever made (McClelland 13). The Library of Congress even included The Wizard of Oz with 24 other films that it declared to be national treasures (Rahn 109). Even with the immense popularity, the film was not met with universal critical acclaim when it was released. Raylyn Moore documents that many critics gave the film scathing reviews. She adds her own assessment: Throughout, the production seesaws alarmingly between the sentimental and the grotesque, the very pitfalls Baum so scrupulously avoided in his first Oz book (Moor 90). Like the film, Baums novel has received its fair share of criticism. Suzanne Rahn chronicles the history of the books reception throughout the century following its publishing. Most people wouldnt hesitate to call [The Wonderful Wizard of Oz] a classic of American childrens literature. Yet if a childrens classic can be defined as a book that is admired by critics and loved by children, then [The Wonderful Wizard of Oz] belongs in a peculiar category of its own. Enthusiastically received by the first reviewers, the Oz books fell into such disfavor with childrens librarians 30 years later that they were systematically purged from library collections. [. . .] Then, in the 1970s, the pendulum swung again. The last 20 years have seen a renewed acceptance and appreciation of the Oz books, accompanied by critical analyses from the full gamut of perspectives-political, economic, spiritual, feminist, and psychological. The MGM film version of The Wizard, too, has received careful study and increasing respect. Yet reservations are still expressed; while no one today would deny the cultural importance of The Wizard, its quality as literature remains somewhat in doubt. (12) As Rahn illustrates, even works that have dubious literary merit often merit scholarly analysis. Arguably, the diversity of critical perspectives applied to the study of the text and film in the scholarly community speak to the value of the works as art forms. Regardless of any particular readers or viewers personal response to the film or the text, both have shown sufficient cultural influence to deserve closer scrutiny. Both the novel and the film lend themselves extremely well to a feminist examination of the texts. While it may seem odd to apply feminist theory to childrens literature, gender issues are often blatantly represented. As Lizbeth Goodman writes, If we take a [. . .] look at some of the most popular childrens story books, we can quickly see that gender inequalities are represented there (16). Goodman also notes that our first experiences with language often come through the medium of childrens books and that these books can have a powerful impact on how we conceptualize the world around us (16). Additionally, the life of Frank Baum strongly suggests the appropriateness of a feminist reading. Baum was a vigorous political supporter of the womens suffrage movement (Dighe 6). His wife also came from a family of womens rights activists. Her mother even wrote a book about the history of the suffrage movement (Moore 50). It is apparent in Baums Oz books that he consciously deals with gender roles. Baums sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a blatant satire of certain strands of the womens suffrage movement (Huebel 35). S.J. Sackett examines [Ozs] value system and detail and sees there respect for individual freedom and nonconformity, the absence of militarism, equality of the sexes, [etc.] (Rahn 20). But perhaps the most compelling reason to look at feminism in both the book and the film is the preeminence of female characters (Moore 119). While both the novel and the film have many of the same important female characters, the film systematically portrays a more oppressive and sexist vision of women than Baum does in the original text. This is evidenced, most obviously, through the portrayal of Dorothy. In the novel, Dorothy is portrayed as a very strong, brave, resourceful six-year-old. Moore gives the following description: To the Wizards thundering I am Oz the Great and Terrible . . , she firmly replies, I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek . . , but she is not really meek any more than the Wizard is really terrible. Faced with getting back home to Kansas, she sets about it with implacable determination. And when the Wizard makes it a condition of his helping her that she destroy the second witch, she sets out immediately to do it, even though she does not want to destroy anyone or anything. (154) Dorothy is also very independent. She meets adults like the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins who cannot help her, but she continues on her journey. In the book, it is her idea to wear the shoes (silver, not ruby-red) as she travels because she figures that they do not run the risk of wearing out (Rahn 58-59). Additionally, Rahn illustrates how Dorothy serves as an Everyman for children to follow: [. . .] Dorothy is not merely an Everyman but a model for children to emulate. [. . .] She is sensible, friendly, helpful, brave without being foolhardy, deeply attached to her friends and family, and resolute in pursuing her goals. She does not change dramatically in the course of the journey, for this is not the course of someone who badly needs to change (like Bilbo in The Hobbit or Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden) but a story of self discovery, in which Dorothy comes to realize her own potential by the journeys end. In this interpretation, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion represent not only the friends we all need to help us on our way but also the qualities Baum felt were most essential for the traveler-qualities that Dorothy is to find within herself. (57) Dorothy is the true heroine in the novel. She is the one who holds the band of travelers together. She is a very strong female character throughout the text, notwithstanding periodic moments of weakness. In the MGM adaptation, however, Dorothy is portrayed as a weaker character with moments of strength. Arthur Freed, who worked on the film, had a lot to say in the conscientious decision to weaken Dorothys character. Michael Hearn writes in his introduction to the screenplay: But the chief weakness so far, according to Freed, was the lack of a solid and dramatic drive of Dorothys adventures and purposes that will keep the audience rooting for her throughout her trip to Oz. Freed [. . .] demanded that Dorothy have a deep-rooted psychological need back home that would justify her actions in Oz. [. . .] There she is motivated by her generosity to help everyone first before her little orphan heart cries out for what she wants most of all (the love of Aunt Em)-which represents to her the love of a mother she never knew. [. . .] Consequently Dorothy in the film became far more weepy than Baums practical, determined girl from Kansas. (12) Judy Garlands portrayal of Dorothy is considerably more helpless than Baums character. In the film, Dorothy is held a helpless prisoner by the Wicked Witch of the West. She can do nothing for herself until her male friends, the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Woodman come to save her as she sobs. When Dorothy defeats the witch, it is because she accidentally douses her with water while trying to splash Scarecrow. The book portrays a much stronger and proactive heroine. Baum has the Scarecrow helplessly scattered across the land, the Tin Woodman dashed to the bottom of a rocky ravine, and the Lion helplessly harnessed in her courtyard. Dorothy engineers her own escape by purposefully throwing water onto the witch. While Dorothy did not know this would kill the witch, her subsequent actions show her as a brave heroine. Moore helps to interpret Dorothys actions. In a struggle over Dorothys magic shoes, of which the wicked sorceress knows the worth while Dorothy does not, [. . .] that water is spilled over the girls enemy, who is at the time also her captress. The witch promptly melts away Like Brown sugar before her very eyes. But practical, self-reliant Dorothy is not one to waste time in pointless hysteria. . . . The Witch fell down in a brown, melted, shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor. Seeing that she had really melted away to nothing, Dorothy drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess. She then swept it all out the door. After picking out the silver shoe, which was all that was left of the old woman, she cleaned and dried it with a cloth and put it on her foot again. (154) Dorothy then proceeds to free the Lion and orchestrate the rescue of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman (109-111). Dorothy is unequivocally the hero in Baums novel. Additionally, Dorothy is further weakened as the dominant female character in the film by her exaggerated desire to return home. While the book contains this same motivation and even includes the phrase, Theres no place like home, this becomes a dominant motif in the movie. As Harmetz explains: Dorothys urgent desire to get home was a part of L. Frank Baums book. (Understandably, since in the book, unlike the movie, the cyclone that picked her up was not fulfilling any wish on her part.) But the movie, by design, inscribed that theme with a hatchet. Be it ever so humble, theres no place like home was a truism and a moral lesson on which L.B. Mayer, Mervyn LeRoy, and Arthur Freed wholeheartedly agreed. (298) Because the movie purposefully portrays Dorothy as trying to escape her Kansas farm, her insistence that she return home as soon as possible sends an even stronger message: women leaving the home is a mistake, and while it may lead to colorful adventures, women are happiest when they are at home. This message is hammered in at the end of the film when Glinda explains to Dorothy why she didnt tell her about the shoes at the beginning. Because she wouldnt have believed me. She had to learn it for herself. At this point, the Tin Man asks, What have you learned, Dorothy? Dorothys response is revealing. Well, I . . .think that it . . . that it wasnt enough just to want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em . . . and its that if I ever go looking for my hearts desire again, I wont look any further than my own backyard; because if it isnt there, I never really lost it to begin with! Is that right? Glinda replies, Thats all it is (Hearn 128). The reason that Glinda didnt help Dorothy in the first place is because Dorothy didnt yet understand that her place is in the home. The film sends the clear message that true happiness for women lies in the domestic realm. Baum in his books, however, creates a place for Dorothy both in Kansas and in repeated visits to the Land of Oz. Additionally, the good witch at the beginning of the book doesnt tell Dorothy about the charm of the shoes because she, herself, does not realize the charm; she does not intend to teach Dorothy a lesson. The biggest change made in the film adaptation from the book also serves to entrench this anti-feminist mindset. In the book, Dorothys trip to Oz is very real. The house is actually carried away. When Dorothy returns, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are surprised to see her. They have already built the new farm house to replace the old one (154). This realness of Dorothys experience in a different world is what makes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a fantasy. The film effectively eliminates the elements of fantasy from their text, changing the fantastical experience, instead, to a psychological dream. The writers reasoned that, you cannot put fantastic people in strange places in front of an audience unless they have seen them as human beings first (Harmetz cit. in Rahn 124). This decision invalidates Dorothys entire experience in Oz. Rahn describes the critical response, saying: Most critics-and nearly every child who sees the movie-agree that the worst mistake was to explain away Dorothys adventures and Oz itself as a dream. As art, says Harmetz, The movie is flawed by its sentimentality, by its cheerful insistence that east, west, home is best, and by the decision to void Dorothys experience by making it into a dream (229). [. . .] Whatever the film may have suggested about the power of dreams and aspirations, the journey through life, or the discovery of ones own potential is effectively invalidated by this ending. (124) In a sense, Dorothys journey and watered down accomplishments become a counterfeit. The viewer has no reason to believe that Dorothy could survive outside of Kansas in the real world. Additionally, the dream viewed as an expression of Dorothys psyche presents an even more damning view to the potential of women to be strong and solve their problems. Nathanson suggests that a psychoanalytic approach is appropriate in dealing with The Wizard of Oz. It seems clear that The Wizards dream sequence can be interpreted psychoanalytically in terms of growing up (78). When we look at the dream from this perspective, it is clear that the central conflict shifts from Oz in Baums novel to Kansas in the film. Dorothy is not really struggling against witches, flying monkeys, and an incompetent wizard. She is struggling against Mrs. Gulch who wants to take her dog and her desire to escape the dreariness of the Kansas farm. Hence, fight for her independence and the fight for Toto become the two main conflicts in the film. In regards to the first, her dream serves to convince her to stay at home in the domestic role prepared for her by Aunt Em who even tries to keep her from coming near the pig pen, let alone the outside world. In her struggle with Mrs. Gulch, Dorothys victory is fleeting. While the movie ends with Dorothy in possession of Toto, Mrs. Gulch still has the sheriffs order and legal recourse to have Toto put to sleep. In this sense, Dorothys subconscious desire to stay in the domestic confines of the farm is so great that she sacrifices her love for Toto. Where Dorothy is unquestionably victorious in the book and gains strength and wisdom, the films portrayal of her experience as a dream leaves her the ideal woman: a more submissive, ineffectual version of herself. Finally, the films elimination of important female characters from the book devalues the contributions of women in Oz. In the book, there are initially four witches: two good and two bad. The movie condenses the characters of the two good witches into one good witch Glinda. In the book, there is a queen of the mice who plays a critical role in helping the travelers achieve their goals. She is completely omitted from the film. Finally, there is a female stork who rescues Scarecrow from a river. Dighe contends that the stork is symbolic for Baums support of the womens suffrage movement (74). While the elimination of these important female characters arguably gives the film needed directionality, it severely limits the number of major female characters, shifting the balance of power towards the men in the film. The three remaining female main characters all paint an anti-feminist picture. Dorothy, as discussed, is a weakened heroine who sacrifices her dreams and battles for domestic lif e. The Wicked Witch of the West is the only female character who is powerful in the movie and in the real world of Kansas. Ironically, she is portrayed as the stereotypical strong woman: unnatural and evil. Glinda, the one good witch, is the only major character who does not represent an actual person from Kansas. The implication is that women who are powerful and good are imaginary; they do not exist in reality. While the popularity of The Wizard of Oz both in text and film amongst readers and viewers of all ages is almost uncontested, the quality of each of works of art remains debatable. It is clear, however, that gender issues permeate both the novel and the film. While L. Frank Baums book is not the model of feminist equality judged by modern standards, it portrays a world in which good and powerful women exist and where determined and resourceful little girls can accomplish extraordinary things. He illustrates that there is a place for women in both the world of the home and in the world outside the home, just as there are for men. Even though the film was released 39 years after the publication of the novel, its adaptation represents a regressive approach to gender equality through its portrayal of Dorothy, its glorification of domestic life for women, its representation of Oz as a dream, and its elimination of key women from the novel. Which raises the question: why, in our society, s o progressive concerning gender and gender roles, are we still so drawn to MGMs backward film?

Clear Channel and the Cultural and Socio-Political Ramifications of Med

Clear Channel and the Cultural and Socio-Political Ramifications of Media Consolidation I.INTRODUCTION In 1996, Congress passed the Telecommunications Act thereby lifting restrictions on media ownership that had been in place for over sixty years (Moyers 2003; Bagdikian 2000: xviii). It was now possible for a single media company to own not just two radio stations in any given local market, but eight. On the national level, there was no longer any limit on the number of stations a company could own – the Act abandoned the previous nation-wide ownership cap of forty stations (20 FM and 20 AM). This â€Å"anti-regulatory sentiment in government† has continued and in 2004 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a new rule that would allow corporations to own â€Å"45 percent of the media in a single market, up from [the] 35 percent† established by the 1996 Act (Croteau & Hoynes 2001: 30; AFL-CIO 2004). Companies can now also own both a newspaper and a television station in the same city (AFL-CIO 2004). This deregulation has led to a frenzied wave of mergers – most notably the Viacom/CBS merger in 1999, the largest in history (Croteau & Hoynes 2001: 21). Ownership of the media has rapidly consolidated into fewer and fewer hands as companies have moved to gobble up newspapers, television stations, and radio stations across the country. Perhaps no other company has benefited more from this deregulation than the company which is the focus of this essay – Clear Channel Communications, Inc (CC). The Telecommunications Act and the actions of the FCC paved the way for the rise of this radio industry behemoth. In 1995, the company owned 43 radio stations nationwide. By 2002, it owned 1,239, making it the largest radio company in th... ...in Dubious Times. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. McChesney, Robert W. and John Nichols. 2002. Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle Against Corporate Media. New York: Seven Stories Press. Moyers, Bill. 2003. â€Å"Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Larry Klayman.† NOW: With Bill Moyers, July 11. Retrieved November 4, 2004 (http://www.pbs.org/now/printable/transcript_clearc_print.html). Open Secrets. 2004. â€Å"TV/Radio Stations: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates and Parties.† Retrieved October 7, 2004 (http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.asp?Ind=C2100). Spivak, Laurie. 2004. â€Å"Culture War May find WMD.† Retrieved October 2, 2004 (http://www.alternet.org/story/18090). Turner, Ted. 2003. â€Å"Monopoly of Democracy?† The Washington Post, May 30. Retrieved October 28, 2004 (http://washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A56132-2003May29?language=printer). Clear Channel and the Cultural and Socio-Political Ramifications of Med Clear Channel and the Cultural and Socio-Political Ramifications of Media Consolidation I.INTRODUCTION In 1996, Congress passed the Telecommunications Act thereby lifting restrictions on media ownership that had been in place for over sixty years (Moyers 2003; Bagdikian 2000: xviii). It was now possible for a single media company to own not just two radio stations in any given local market, but eight. On the national level, there was no longer any limit on the number of stations a company could own – the Act abandoned the previous nation-wide ownership cap of forty stations (20 FM and 20 AM). This â€Å"anti-regulatory sentiment in government† has continued and in 2004 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a new rule that would allow corporations to own â€Å"45 percent of the media in a single market, up from [the] 35 percent† established by the 1996 Act (Croteau & Hoynes 2001: 30; AFL-CIO 2004). Companies can now also own both a newspaper and a television station in the same city (AFL-CIO 2004). This deregulation has led to a frenzied wave of mergers – most notably the Viacom/CBS merger in 1999, the largest in history (Croteau & Hoynes 2001: 21). Ownership of the media has rapidly consolidated into fewer and fewer hands as companies have moved to gobble up newspapers, television stations, and radio stations across the country. Perhaps no other company has benefited more from this deregulation than the company which is the focus of this essay – Clear Channel Communications, Inc (CC). The Telecommunications Act and the actions of the FCC paved the way for the rise of this radio industry behemoth. In 1995, the company owned 43 radio stations nationwide. By 2002, it owned 1,239, making it the largest radio company in th... ...in Dubious Times. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. McChesney, Robert W. and John Nichols. 2002. Our Media, Not Theirs: The Democratic Struggle Against Corporate Media. New York: Seven Stories Press. Moyers, Bill. 2003. â€Å"Transcript: Bill Moyers Interviews Larry Klayman.† NOW: With Bill Moyers, July 11. Retrieved November 4, 2004 (http://www.pbs.org/now/printable/transcript_clearc_print.html). Open Secrets. 2004. â€Å"TV/Radio Stations: Top Contributors to Federal Candidates and Parties.† Retrieved October 7, 2004 (http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.asp?Ind=C2100). Spivak, Laurie. 2004. â€Å"Culture War May find WMD.† Retrieved October 2, 2004 (http://www.alternet.org/story/18090). Turner, Ted. 2003. â€Å"Monopoly of Democracy?† The Washington Post, May 30. Retrieved October 28, 2004 (http://washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A56132-2003May29?language=printer).

Points for Great Expectations Essay

Within Great Expectations, the conception of the contextual element concerning status and money is prominent, where Old Money Vs New money provides a division that separates the higher class from the lower class. Money becomes a standpoint in ‘determining’ ones belonging within the society say, for example, when we compare Pip and Bentley Drummele, we view the contrasting forms of old money (indicated as immediate and absolute according to society) and new money (the development of belonging, which according to society, is not a complete form) involving their overall sense of belonging. Pip comes from a family (or lack of thereof) which is associated with poverty and the lack of social belonging that is standardised by people such as Bentley Drummele. Pips ascent from the world of a blacksmith towards a world of a gentleman is exercised by the luxuries of money, and Magwitch’s generosity, as well as the idea of upperclass and middle class belonging, which is shown through his consideration of being the apprentice of a blacksmith, ‘Never has that cutain dropped so heavy and thick’. His belonging, as a result as become enforced upon him, both by himself and by Magwitch, which has led to his inability to gain complete acceptance and peace of his position, ‘It felt very sorrowful and strange that this first night of my bright fortunes should be the loneliest I had ever known’. Dickens use of emotive language envelopes an atmosphere of uncertainty and disturbance within Pips world as he propels himself from the ‘meshes’ of Kent to London, examining his incomplete sense of belonging, due to disturbance of the ‘Victorian Great chain of Being’. Money can buy status, as indicative through Compeyson and Drummle, but neither character is noble. Money is not an indication of character, as wrongly perceived by Pip. Pip and Estella, parts of what make the lower class, are given status when given money. Given by Miss Havisham and Magwitch, there are catches involving behaving in a certain way with the money. Eventually, understanding the true comprehension of money and nobility, Pip goes to work with Herbert, redeeming himself through commerce and hard work, as Estella, left poor and ‘bent and broken’, becomes a softer and stronger person. Pip fails emotionally and physically to assert his place in London’s society. Money buys Estella a place in higher society but has a loveless life and an abusive marriage, living through ‘wretched years†¦ and a long hard time’. Miss Havisham’s jewels and money have not brought Estella happiness, and eluded her for her whole life. Dickens attempts not to convey the luxuries of money, but rather the shallow fundamentalism of materialism which ultimately leads to an incapacity to gain belonging. Pip finds his belonging, not within the realms of his gentlemanly character, but rather, he reconnection to Joe as he re-enters the forge, leaving his regret and misery behind to venture to his real family, and a life of working hard. Through emotive language, Pip and joe are ‘both happy’, with the prospect of regaining Pip’s place within his world, as it is through Kent, and his hard work in Egypt which enable him to gain his exisential belonging and his identity. We see the social division between class through the discourse between Herbert and Mr Joe. Unlike Pip, Herbert was ‘born a gentleman’, whose belonging was not significantly thrust upon him in the same way as Pip. By asking Joe ‘What do you say to coffee’ we are compelled to develop a conclusion based on how Dickens portrays the distinguishing characteristics of the upper and the lower class. In Joe’s visit to London for Pip, Herbert puts Joe in his place through recognising that he can never truly belong within the world of the gentleman. Through colour symbolism, Dickens socially comments on the inferiority concerning the lower class, by Joe, as the colour of coffee itself is reminiscent of the labour and physical hard work that he, as well as others within his class, must face and never escape. On the contrary, Herbert positions himself as well as Pip (with irony indeed) to be more superior and valued through their associations with tea, as its clear iridescence becomes a representation of the ‘purity’ embedded within the views of the higher class. Joe’s inability to have tea is a symbol of his inability to join the higher class, simply because his place lies within the forge ,’I am wrong in these clothes and out of the forge’. By first person, he regards himself as a single entity, as he reflects on his existential belonging within Kent, where unlike Pip, Joe finds that he does not need to be of a higher class in order to gain belonging. What has driven Pip to consistently live a life of misery has led Joe to stray away from it. Unlike Pip, Joe affirms his place within the Victorian era, as being ‘Joe the Blacksmith, there, at the old anvil, sticking to the old work’, where he constructs himself in absolute terms to his blue collar existence, enabling him to belong amongst other things. Totally at home in the forge, with his bare essentials of food and shelter, Joe has found the place to which he belongs to. This is emphasised through his use of black smith jargon, ‘life is made up of ever so many partings welded together. One man’s a blacksmith and one’s a white smith and one’s a goldsmith and one’s a coppersmith’, where Joe describes the inevitability of belonging, regardless of whether one longs to belong to a particular sector or not. Joes mentality involving the development of belonging regardless of circumstance allows him to ‘perfectly’ weld in his own home. Rather than attempting to shape his own belonging, he leaves it be. Victorian England had a distinct class system, which was divided into categories which divided the upper class with the lower class. Transitioning himself from the lower class sector to the upper class, Pip has brought along the social pressures that are associated with his change into becoming a gentleman, and as a result, employed a servant called the avenger. The avenger plays no useful role in Pip’s life, other than to portray the idealistic views of what a gentleman should do, ‘which had a more expensive and a less remunerative appearance ‘. Pip’s own expectations involves the conception that money will bring acceptance, and ultimately, belonging, which is examined through his use of the avenger. The Avenger becomes an allusion for Pip’s vengeance against the higher class, whose belonging is based off the social mandates within the era. Romanticized by social perceptions, Pip has a misconceived idea on the brad picture of belonging to the gentlemanly class, ‘I want to be a gentleman’ meaning that he has a narrow idea that it is merely based on how much money and status that is earned. He believes that, if he becomes a gentleman, he will be Estella’s equal and obvious partner. This changes gradually, as Pip gains a familiarity of the range of people in London’s gentlemanly society, he begins to realise that belonging to such a group is not what he wants anymore. London At the time Dickens has written Great Expectations, London was a fast-growing and changing city of two million. Dickens uses London as an indictment of the flawed perceptions concerning belonging in regards to the higher class, as its physical description suggests that financial improvement and higher social class does not necessarily constitute moral, social and existential mprovement. Pip’s initial perception of London being the ‘foundation’ of his belonging is severely counteracted by what he views in reality. Through descriptive language, Pip examines London as ‘the dingiest collection of shabby buildings ever squeezed together in rank corner’. Rather than escaping from the doomed life of Kent, Pip has entered the damned life of London, which is fu rther reinforced by Wemmick’s claim ‘ Like is the same everywhere’. This epitomises the lack of change involving his belonging, as fate has provided a standard to which he is capable to obtain belonging, rather than forcing it upon himself, which eventually lead to his misery, and his failure to emotionally develop a connection to his own identity, leaving him as a wondering, ‘souless’ entity with a lack of human spirit. England Moreover, England as a whole also becomes a representation of the decay which pervades the Victorian society and their entire sense of belonging, as money and class becomes corrupting. This is examined through Mrs Pocket, who reflects the ideas which radiate from the upper class, the epicentre of London, as she is portrayed to be the ‘female gentleman’, having a useless life filled with self importance and ‘dignity’. Dickens uses her as a criticism on England’s obsession with titles in their class system, as she becomes so caught up with the idea of titles and class that she spends her whole day reading a book about them. Mrs Pocket is evidently disappointed by her own lot in life, even though she does not endure the same struggles as ,say, Biddy, by having almost no household duties and a good man for a husband. Being so caught up within her class system, as her grandfather is a knight, Mrs Pocket is oblivious to what is actually going on around her, preventing her from being the ‘Victorian’ mother, which foreshadows Pips future of laziness and moral decay. Through indignant language ‘am I grand papa’s granddaughter, to be nothing in the house? ’ she uses her belonging to her past as justification to her negligent ill-considered actions as a mother, which reflects her and England’s corruption through social class. Treatment of children In an era such as the Industrial revolution, the treatment of children differentiates from the modern era, which makes it a distinguishable component throughout the novel. The treatment of children becomes a social comment that Dickens attempts to elucidate, as the characters predicament becomes reminiscent of his own childhood miseries of working pasting labels on pots of boot blacking. By reflecting the struggle of all children who underwent suffering through labour, Dickens illustrates the enforced belonging of children towards the adult world, and how they are perceived by adults. This is examined through Pip, who is a shadow of Dickens character in his youth, where surrounded by adults, becomes criticised and scorned for something he cannot help, ‘What is detestable in a pig more detestable in a boy’. Through metaphor, Pip is likened to an entity that is worse than a pig, recollecting the distinct differences between the adult world, and the world of a child which has been forced into it. This is further emphasised through Mrs Joe’s treatment towards Pip. The repetitious ‘Brought you up by hand’, brings forth an indication on how children were physically abused, which becomes another motivation for Pip to leave the clutches of Mrs Joe and Kent into the ‘freedom’ of London. This is further emphasised through the appearance of the ‘tickler’ a wax-ended cane stick which Mrs joe uses to abuse Pip with. It appears that the era encourages such actions towards a child, due to the fact that they are shown as more vulnerable, weaker, and inferior, representing the lack of belonging children have within the era. Time The attachment towards a particular time, more specifically in the past and what lies there, possesses a different sense of belonging which may not even be fabricated within the decayed web of its lies. This is expressed through the character Miss Havisham, where her hold towards the past defines her belonging and identity, or rather, lack of thereof. Miss Havisham is a character who has been left at the altar by her fiancee Compeyson, and from this circumstance, attaches to it for the remainder of her life. Constantly holding on to her grief, as it becomes the only way she can deal with the harsh miseries of being unloved, she grows with the constant reminder that she has been abandoned and left behind, as it is examined by the appearance of the house. The satis (which is latin for enough, a symbol of the intellectual upper class) becomes a physical representation of the stagnant state of belonging Miss Havisham attempts to clutch on to with her bony ittle fingers. The transcendence of this belonging from matrimonious ( as it depicts her wedding day) to decayed is further illustrated by Dickens use of descriptive language ‘Bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white’. Pip’s initial impression of Miss Havisham draws from her appearance, classifying her as ‘pure’ and chaste, like an angel, which changes later on, as he sees her once, pure appearance changing into a ‘faded and yellow’ exterior. Her wedding dress is a symbol of the belonging which becomes diseased over time, as she finds herself in a predicament which prevents her from shifting her belonging according to her present, and rather, holding on to her past. Miss Havisham desperately wants to belong to one thing: her sad status as an aggrieved bride. This is further enhanced through descriptive language of what lies within the satis house as ‘I saw speckled legged spiders with blotch bodies running home to it†¦ Black beetles took no notice of the agitation’, which illustrates the creation of a mental and physical prision. Her environment becomes a constant reminder of the moment she was jilted, and it is derived from that moment which costumes her with an ugly sense of belonging, Wemmick The contrasting forms of belonging expounds from the different perspectives that permeate through their characters. We see that Wemmcks belonging is dependent on the place he lies in. Within London, he embeds the values of London belonging which evolves around business and finance, closing himself to emotion where his mouth is likened to a ‘post box’. We see that he becomes hardened, enclosed by the London shell, as he denounces whatever emotion that characterises a human being, and ironically earns his belonging through his emotional detachment. However, in Walworth, we view the transitioning character from one who is denied emotion to one whom expressed it. Wemmck has constructed his belonging through building his house to replicate a castle, as a means of creating a retreat away from the law office. The house connotates a true home, a warm place where a contented family creates a fulfilling sense of belonging.. Wemmick’s gentleness and love towards his father is reminiscent on how Pip should behave to Joe. Through descriptive language, Pip describes its atmosphere as ‘a pretty pleasure-ground’, which differs from the chaotic and dismal places of London, Satis house, and his descriptions of his childhood places; places which Pip yearns to belong to. Dickens implements warm and positive words creates a contrast between these two worlds; One which characterises familial belonging and the other which characterises social belonging. Estella Estella is the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, whom has raised her for her own motivations. Another way of ‘dealing’ with her grief, Havisham employs Estella as a pawn for her vengeance, characterising and moulding Estella in order to suit Miss Havisham’s desires. In the midst of her own self destruction, Miss Havisham uses Estella to create a belonging need in all men who see her, a need so great that they will be destroyed by what they cannot have. Thus, the lack of existential belonging which is examined through Estella has become a work of miss Havisham’s ‘art’, as Estella states ‘We are not free to follow our own devices, you and I’. In her discourse with Pip, she uses inclusive language, as Estella relates her predicament with Pip by defining her instructions for the day and how they must not deviate from them. The statement, however, is a projection of how both of their lives are controlled in general. Estella is not free ‘to follow her own devices’ not only because Miss Havisham is her adoptive mother and she should do as she says, but because Estella has been raised to actually think, feel and act exactly as Miss Havisham wishes. In raising Estella, Miss Havisham has created a puppet, an individual who indeed cannot choose her own destiny nor character because she will act the way she has been conditioned to act. Miss Havisham’s divisive actions have deprived Pip and Estella from belonging to each other. This becomes a demonstration of he ‘forced’ belonging between Miss Havisham and Estella, revealing her real intentions of using Estella as a pawn in her vengeance, as well as the lack of love Estella has grown to possess. In the end of the novel, Her transition is illustrated through her language, ‘Be as good and considerate to me as you were, and tell me we are friends’. The once abrasive disposition which she conveys throughout the novel has altered in accordance to the miseries experienced by Miss Havisham and her marriage to Bentley Drummelle and years of suffering have forced her to see the value in Pip’s constant love and attention. Estella’s change in language from a biting tone to a softened one examines a softer, older and a much wiser character. Estella becomes the stimulant which drives Pip’s longing to become a gentleman. After Pip’s initial encounter with Estella in the Satis house, Pip becomes insecure about his speech, manners and appearance. Estella’s scorns and disdainful comments ‘what coarse hands he has, and what thick boots’, Pip begins to revaluate his current predicament and his future. His reappraisals enable him to think differently about himself, Kent, and his social status, as Pip develops a longing to lose his ignorance whilst improving himself educationally and socially, in order to win the love of Estella. Through repetition, ‘She had said I was common, and I knew that I was common, and that I wished I was not common’, Dickens emphasises the state of Pip’s mind, and the association of his new awareness and dislike of the ‘common’ belonging that he has been born into. As a result, he embarks on a journey to acquire snobbery through his becoming a gentleman, which is further induced by the arrival of his ‘great expectations’, and his transition to London, leading him to drop his old friends (Joe, Biddy) and pursue new, although occasionally pretentious acquaintances (with the exception of Herbert). Magwitch Magwitch yearns to find belonging in the same manner that Pip yearns to become a gentleman, being considerate that both these characters have not been exposed to these romantic conceptions. Magwitch’s life ‘in jail and out of jail’, consisted of a childhood memory which has been befitted with misery, as he ventures a life of slight criminality through his occupations, such as his association with Compeyson, which consequently lead to his time in jail (14 years). Belonging to a criminal society is all Magwitch has ever known before he meets Pip, yet he constantly finds himself in circumstances which are against the law. This is further examined through his trip to London to visit the new ‘expected’ gentlemen that is Pip, when previously, he was given specific instructions not to enter it with the consequence of execution. Magwitch further attempts to construct his belonging through building up Pip to become a gentleman, which is examined by his use of repetition, ‘That’s a gentleman I hope’, as he attempts to create belonging within an artificial family. Similar to Miss Havisham, Pip’s belonging has been moulded to suit Magwitch. His time in New South Wales being a drover as earned his belonging, which he fails to attempt to transfer it to Pip. However, Magwitch’s endeavours of gaining belonging have not been futile in the end, as Pip offers Magwitch it through telling him that Estella is his daughter. Through emotive language, we are exposed to the final conversation which has taken place between Pip and Magwitch, As Pip Tells Magwitch that Estella is his daughter, ‘She lived and found powerful friends. She is living now. She is a lady and very beautiful. And I love her’, ultimately, giving Magwitch the sense of belonging which he has sought throughout his whole life yet never received.

Second Foundation 2. Two Men without the Mule

The ship was in near-readiness. Nothing lacked, but the destination. The Mule had suggested a return to Trantor – the world that was the bulk of an incomparable Galactic metropolis of the hugest Empire mankind had ever known – the dead world that had been capital of all the stars. Pritcher disapproved. It was an old path – sucked dry. He found Bail Channis in the ship's navigation room. The young man's curly hair was just sufficiently disheveled to allow a single curl to droop over the forehead – as if it had been carefully placed there – and even teeth showed in a smile that matched it. Vaguely, the stiff officer felt himself harden against the other. Channis' excitement was evident, â€Å"Pritcher, it's too far a coincidence.† The general said coldly: â€Å"I'm not aware of the subject of conversation.† â€Å"Oh- Well, then drag up a chair, old man, and let's get into it. I've been going over your notes. I find them excellent.† â€Å"How†¦ pleasant that you do.† â€Å"But I'm wondering if you've come to the conclusions I have. Have you ever tried analyzing the problem deductively? I mean, it's all very well to comb the stars at random, and to have done all you did in five expeditions is quite a bit of star-hopping. That's obvious. But have you calculated how long it would take to go through every known world at this rate?† â€Å"Yes. Several times,† Pritcher felt no urge to meet the young man halfway, but there was the importance of filching the other's mind – the other's uncontrolled, and hence, unpredictable, mind. â€Å"Well, then, suppose we're analytical about it and try to decide just what we're looking for?† â€Å"The Second Foundation,† said Pritcher, grimly. â€Å"A Foundation of psychologists,† corrected Channis, â€Å"who are as weak in physical science as the First Foundation was weak in psychology. Well, you're from the First Foundation, which I'm not. The implications are probably obvious to you. We must find a world which rules by virtue of mental skills, and yet which is very backwards scientifically.† â€Å"Is that necessarily so?† questioned Pritcher, quietly. â€Å"Our own ‘Union of Worlds' isn't backwards scientifically, even though our ruler owes his strength to his mental powers.† â€Å"Because he has the skills of the First Foundation to draw upon,† came the slightly impatient answer, â€Å"and that is the only such reservoir of knowledge in the Galaxy. The Second Foundation must live among the dry crumbs of the broken Galactic Empire. There are no pickings there.† â€Å"So then you postulate mental power sufficient to establish their rule over a group of worlds and physical helplessness as well?† â€Å"Comparative physical helplessness. Against the decadent neighboring areas, they are competent to defend themselves. Against the resurgent forces of the Mule, with his background of a mature atomic economy, they cannot stand. Else, why is their location so well-hidden, both at the start by the founder, Hari Seldon, and now by themselves. Your own First Foundation made no secret of its existence and did not have it made for them, when they were an undefended single city on a lonely planet three hundred years ago.† The smooth lines of Pritcher's dark face twitched sardonically. ‘And now that you've finished your deep analysis, would you like a list of all the kingdoms, republics, planet states and dictatorships of one sort or another in that political wilderness out there that correspond to your description and to several factors besides?† â€Å"All this has been considered then?† Channis lost none of his brashness. â€Å"You won't find it here, naturally, but we have a completely worked out guide to the political units of the Opposing Periphery. Really, did you suppose the Mule would work entirely hit-and-miss?† â€Å"Well, then† and the young man's voice rose in a burst of energy, â€Å"what of the Oligarchy of Tazenda?† Pritcher touched his ear thoughtfully, â€Å"Tazenda? Oh, I think I know it. They're not in the Periphery, are they? It seems to me they're fully a third of the way towards the center of the Galaxy.† â€Å"Yes. What of that?† â€Å"The records we have place the Second Foundation at the other end of the Galaxy. Space knows it's the only thing we have to go on. Why talk of Tazenda anyway? Its angular deviation from the First Foundation radian is only about one hundred ten to one hundred twenty degrees anyway. Nowhere near one hundred eighty.† â€Å"There's another point in the records. The Second Foundation was established at ‘Star's End.'† â€Å"No such region in the Galaxy has ever been located.† â€Å"Because it was a local name, suppressed later for greater secrecy. Or maybe one invented for the purpose by Seldon and his group. Yet there's some relationship between ‘Star's End' and ‘Tazenda,' don't you think?† â€Å"A vague similarity in sound? Insufficient.† ‘Have you ever been there?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Yet it is mentioned in your records.† â€Å"Where? Oh, yes, but that was merely to take on food and water. There was certainly nothing remarkable about the world.† â€Å"Did you land at the ruling planet? The center of government?† â€Å"I couldn't possibly say.† Channis brooded about it under the other's cold gaze. Then, â€Å"Would you look at the Lens with me for a moment?† â€Å"Certainly.† The Lens was perhaps the newest feature of the interstellar cruisers of the day. Actually, it was a complicated calculating machine which could throw on a screen a reproduction of the night sky as seen from any given point of the Galaxy. Channis adjusted the co-ordinate points and the wall lights of the pilot room were extinguished. In the dim red light at the control board of the Lens, Channis' face glowed ruddily. Pritcher sat in the pilot seat, long legs crossed, face lost in the gloom. Slowly, as the induction period passed, the points of light brightened on the screen. And then they were thick and bright with the generously populated star-groupings of the Galaxy's center. â€Å"This,† explained Channis, â€Å"is the winter night-sky as seen from Trantor. That is the important point that, as far as I know, has been neglected so far in your search. All intelligent orientation must start from Trantor as zero point. Trantor was the capital of the Galactic Empire. Even more so scientifically and culturally, than politically. And, therefore, the significance of any descriptive name should stem, nine times out of ten, from a Trantorian orientation. You'll remember in this connection that, although Seldon was from Helicon, towards the Periphery, his group worked on Trantor itself.† â€Å"What is it you're trying to show me?† Pritcher's level voice plunged icily into the gathering enthusiasm of the other. â€Å"The map will explain it. Do you see the dark nebula?† The shadow of his arm fell upon the screen, which took on the bespanglement of the Galaxy. The pointing finger ended on a tiny patch of black that seemed a hole in the speckled fabric of light. â€Å"The stellagraphical records call it Pelot's Nebula. Watch it. I'm going to expand the image.† Pritcher had watched the phenomenon of Lens Image expansion before but he still caught his breath. It was like being at the visiplate of a spaceship storming through a horribly crowded Galaxy without entering hyperspace. The stars diverged towards them from a common center, flared outwards and tumbled off the edge of the screen. Single points became double, then globular. Hazy patches dissolved into myriad points. And always that illusion of motion. Channis spoke through it all, â€Å"You'll notice that we are moving along the direct line from Trantor to Pelot's Nebula, so that in effect we are still looking at a stellar orientation equivalent to that of Trantor. There is probably a slight error because of the gravitic deviation of light that I haven't the math to calculate for, but I'm sure it can't be significant.† The darkness was spreading over the screen. As the rate of magnification slowed, the stars slipped off the four ends of the screen in a regretful leave-taking. At the rims of the growing nebula, the brilliant universe of stars shone abruptly in token for that light which was merely hidden behind the swirling unradiating atom fragments of sodium and calcium that filled cubic parsecs of space. And Channis pointed again, â€Å"This has been called ‘The Mouth' by the inhabitants of that region of space. And that is significant because it is only from the Trantorian orientation that it looks like a mouth.† What he indicated was a rift in the body of the Nebula, shaped like a ragged, grinning mouth in profile, outlined by the glazing glory of the starlight with which it was filled. â€Å"Follow ‘The Mouth.' † said Channis. â€Å"Follow ‘The Mouth' towards the gullet as it narrows down to a thin, splintering line of light. Again the screen expanded a trifle, until the Nebula stretched away from â€Å"The Mouth† to block off all the screen but that narrow trickle and Channis' finger silently followed it down, to where it straggled to a halt, and then, as his finger continued moving onward, to a spot where one single star sparked lonesomely; and there his finger halted, for beyond that was blackness, unrelieved. â€Å"‘Star's End,'† said the young man, simply. â€Å"The fabric of the Nebula is thin there and the light of that one star finds its way through in just that one direction – to shine on Trantor.† â€Å"You're tying to tell me that-† the voice of the Mule's general died in suspicion. â€Å"I'm not trying. That is Tazenda – Star's End.† The lights went on. The Lens flicked off. Pritcher reached Channis in three long strides, â€Å"What made you think of this?† And Channis leaned back in his chair with a queerly puzzled expression on his face. â€Å"It was accidental. I'd like to take intellectual credit for this, but it was only accidental. In any case, however it happens, it fits. According to our references, Tazenda is an oligarchy. It rules twenty-seven inhabited planets. It is not advanced scientifically. And most of all, it is an obscure world that has adhered to a strict neutrality in the local politics of that stellar region, and is not expansionist. I think we ought to see it.† â€Å"Have you informed the Mule of this?† â€Å"No. Nor shall we. We're in space now, about to make the first hop.† Pritcher, in sudden horror, sprang to the visiplate. Cold space met his eyes when he adjusted it. He gazed fixedly at the view, then turned. Automatically, his hand reached for the hard, comfortable curve of the butt of his blaster. â€Å"By whose order?† â€Å"By my order, general†- it was the first time Channis had ever used the other's title -â€Å"while I was engaging you here. You probably felt no acceleration, because it came at the moment I was expanding the field of the Lens and you undoubtedly imagined it to be an illusion of the apparent star motion.† â€Å"Why? Just what are you doing? What was the point of your nonsense about Tazenda, then?† â€Å"That was no nonsense. I was completely serious. We're going there. We left today because we were scheduled to leave three days from now. General, you don't believe there is a Second Foundation, and I do. You are merely following the Mule's orders without faith; I recognize a serious danger. The Second Foundation has now had five years to prepare. How they've prepared, I don't know, but what if they have agents on Kalgan. If I carry about in my mind the knowledge of the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, they may discover that. My life might be no longer safe, and I have a great affection for my life. Even on a thin and remote possibility such as that, I would rather play safe. So no one knows of Tazenda but you, and you found out only after we were out in space. And even so, there is the question of the crew.† Channis was smiling again, ironically, in obviously complete control of the situation. Pritcher's hand fell away from his blaster, and for a moment a vague discomfort pierced him. What kept him from action? What deadened him? There was a time when he was a rebellious and unpromoted captain of the First Foundation's commercial empire, when it would have been himself rather than Channis who would have taken prompt and daring action such as that. Was the Mule right? Was his controlled mind so concerned with obedience as to lose initiative? He felt a thickening despondency drive him down into a strange lassitude. He said, â€Å"Well done! However, you will consult me in the future before making decisions of this nature.† The flickering signal caught his attention. â€Å"That's the engine room,† said Channis, casually. â€Å"They warmed up on five minutes' notice and I asked them to let me know if there was any trouble. Want to hold the fort?† Pritcher nodded mutely, and cogitated in the sudden loneliness on the evils of approaching fifty. The visiplate was sparsely starred. The main body of the Galaxy misted one end. What if he were free of the Mule's influence- But he recoiled in horror at the thought. *** Chief Engineer Huxlani looked sharply at the young, ununiformed man who carried himself with the assurance of a Fleet officer and seemed to be in a position of authority. Huxlani, as a regular Fleet man from the days his chin had dripped milk, generally confused authority with specific insignia. But the Mule had appointed this man, and the Mule was, of course, the last word. The only word for that matter. Not even subconsciously did he question that. Emotional control went deep. He handed Channis the little oval object without a word. Channis hefted it, and smiled engagingly. â€Å"You're a Foundation man, aren't you, chief?† â€Å"Yes, sir. I served in the Foundation Fleet eighteen years before the First Citizen took over.† â€Å"Foundation training in engineering?† â€Å"Qualified Technician, First Class – Central School on Anacreon.† â€Å"Good enough. And you found this on the communication circuit, where I asked you to look?† â€Å"Yes, Sir.† â€Å"Does it belong there?† â€Å"No, Sir.† â€Å"Then what is it?† â€Å"A hypertracer, sir.† â€Å"That's not enough. I'm not a Foundation man. What is it?† â€Å"It's a device to allow the ship to be traced through hyperspace.† â€Å"In other words we can be followed anywhere.† â€Å"Yes, Sir.† â€Å"All right. It's a recent invention, isn't it? It was developed by one of the Research Institutes set up by the First Citizen, wasn't it?† â€Å"I believe so, Sir.† â€Å"And its workings are a government secret. Right?† â€Å"I, believe so, Sir.† â€Å"Yet here it is. Intriguing.† Channis tossed the hypertracer methodically from hand to hand for a few seconds. Then, sharply, he held it out, â€Å"Take it, then, and put it back exactly where you found it and exactly how you found it. Understand? And then forget this incident. Entirely!† The chief choked down his near-automatic salute, turned sharply and left. The ship bounded through the Galaxy, its path a wide-spaced dotted line through the stars. The dots, referred to, were the scant stretches of ten to sixty light-seconds spent in normal space and between them stretched the hundred-and-up light-year gaps that represented the â€Å"hops† through hyperspace. Bail Channis sat at the control panel of the Lens and felt again the involuntary surge of near-worship at the contemplation of it. He was not a Foundation man and the interplay of forces at the twist of a knob or the breaking of a contact was not second nature to him. Not that the Lens ought quite to bore even a Foundation man. Within its unbelievably compact body were enough electronic circuits to pin-point accurately a hundred million separate stars in exact relationship to each other. And as if that were not a feat in itself, it was further capable of translating any given portion of the Galactic Field along any of the three spatial axes or to rotate any portion of the Field about a center. It was because of that, that the Lens had performed a near-revolution in interstellar travel. In the younger days of interstellar travel, the calculation of each â€Å"hop† through hyperspace meant any amount of work from a day to a week – and the larger portion of such work was the more or less precise calculation of â€Å"Ship's Position† on the Galactic scale of reference. Essentially that meant the accurate observation of at least three widely-spaced stars, the position of which, with reference to the arbitrary Galactic triple-zero, were known. And it is the word â€Å"known,† that is the catch. To any who know the star field well from one certain reference point, stars are as individual as people. Jump ten parsecs, however, and not even your own sun is recognizable. It may not even be visible. The answer was, of course, spectroscopic analysis. For centuries, the main object of interstellar engineering was the analysis of the â€Å"light signature† of more and more stars in greater and greater detail. With this, and the growing precision of the â€Å"hop† itself, standard routes of travel through the Galaxy were adopted and interstellar travel became less of an art and more of a science. And yet, even under the Foundation with improved calculating machines and a new method of mechanically scanning the star field for a known â€Å"light signature,† it sometimes took days to locate three stars and then calculate position in regions not previously familiar to the pilot. It was the Lens that changed all that. For one thing it required only a single known star. For another, even a space tyro such as Channis could operate it. The nearest sizable star at the moment was Vincetori, according to â€Å"hop† calculations, and on the visiplate now, a bright star was centered. Channis hoped that it was Vincetori. The field screen of the Lens was thrown directly next that of the visiplate and with careful fingers, Channis punched out the co-ordinates of Vincetori. He closed a relay, and the star field sprang to bright view. In it, too, a bright star was centered, but otherwise there seemed no relationship. He adjusted the Lens along the Z-Axis and expanded the Field to where the photometer showed both centered stars to be of equal brightness. Channis looked for a second star, sizably bright, on the visiplate and found one on the field screen to correspond. Slowly, he rotated the screen to similar angular deflection. He twisted his mouth and rejected the result with a grimace. Again he rotated and another bright star was brought into position, and a third. And then he grinned. That did it. Perhaps a specialist with trained relationship perception might have clicked first try, but he'd settle for three. That was the adjustment. In the final step, the two fields overlapped and merged into a sea of not-quite-rightness. Most of the stars were close doubles. But the fine adjustment did not take long. The double stars melted together, one field remained, and the â€Å"Ship's Position† could now be read directly off the dials. The entire procedure had taken less than half an hour. Channis found Han Pritcher in his private quarters. The general was quite apparently preparing for bed. He looked up. â€Å"News?† â€Å"Not particularly. We'll be at Tazenda in another hop.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"I don't want to bother you if you're turning in, but have you looked through the film we picked up in Cil?† Han Pritcher cast a disparaging look at the article in question, where it lay in its black case upon his low bookshelf, â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And what do you think?† â€Å"I think that if there was ever any science to History, it has been quite lost in this region of the Galaxy.† Channis grinned broadly, â€Å"I know what you mean. Rather barren, isn't it?† â€Å"Not if you enjoy personal chronicles of rulers. Probably unreachable, I should say, in both directions. Where history concerns mainly personalities, the drawings become either black or white according to the interests of the writer. I find it all remarkably useless.† â€Å"But there is talk about Tazenda. That's the point I tried to make when I gave you the film. It's the only one I could find that even mentioned them.† â€Å"All right. They have good rulers and bad. They've conquered a few planets, won some battles, lost a few. There is nothing distinctive about them. I don't think much of your theory, Channis.† â€Å"But you've missed a few points. Didn't you notice that they never formed coalitions? They always remained completely outside the politics of this corner of the star swarm. As you say, they conquered a few planets, but then they stopped – and that without any startling defeat of consequence. It's just as if they spread out enough to protect themselves, but not enough to attract attention.† â€Å"Very well,† came the unemotional response. â€Å"I have no objection to landing. At the worst – a little lost time.† â€Å"Oh, no. At the worst – complete defeat. If it is the Second Foundation. Remember it would be a world of space-knows-how-many Mules.† â€Å"What do you plan to do?† â€Å"Land on some minor subject planet. Find out as much as we can about Tazenda first, then improvise from that.† â€Å"All right. No objection. If you don't mind now, I would like the light out.† Channis left with a wave of his hand. And in the darkness of a tiny room in an island of driving metal lost in the vastness of space, General Han Pritcher remained awake, following the thoughts that led him through such fantastic reaches. If everything he had so painfully decided were true – and how all the facts were beginning to fit – then Tazenda was the Second Foundation. There was no way out. But how? How? Could it be Tazenda? An ordinary world? One without distinction? A slum lost amid the wreckage of an Empire? A splinter among the fragments? He remembered, as from a distance, the Mule's shriveled face and his thin voice as he used to speak of the old Foundation psychologist, Ebling Mis, the one man who had – maybe – learned the secret of the Second Foundation. Pritcher recalled the tension of the Mule's words: â€Å"It was as if astonishment had overwhelmed Mis. It was as though something about the Second Foundation had surpassed all his expectations, had driven in a direction completely different from what he might have assumed. If I could only have read his thoughts rather than his emotions. Yet the emotions were plain – and above everything else was this vast surprise.† Surprise was the keynote. Something supremely astonishing! And now came this boy, this grinning youngster, glibly joyful about Tazenda and its undistinguished subnormality. And he had to be right. He had to. Otherwise, nothing made sense. Pritcher's last conscious thought had a touch of grimness. That hypertracer along the Etheric tube was still there. He had checked it one hour back, with Channis well out of the way. Second Interlude It was a casual meeting in the anteroom of the Council Chamber – just a few moments before passing into the Chamber to take up the business of the day – and the few thoughts flashed back and forth quickly. â€Å"So the Mule is on his way.† â€Å"That's what I hear, too. Risky! Mighty risky!† â€Å"Not if affairs adhere to the functions set up.† â€Å"The Mule is not an ordinary man – and it is difficult to manipulate his chosen instruments without detection by him. The controlled minds are difficult to touch. They say he's caught on to a few cases.† â€Å"Yes, I don't see how that can be avoided.† â€Å"Uncontrolled minds are easier. But so few are in positions of authority under him-â€Å" They entered the Chamber. Others of the Second Foundation followed them.

How It Feels to Be Colored Me Analysis Essays

How It Feels to Be Colored Me Analysis Essays How It Feels to Be Colored Me Analysis Essay How It Feels to Be Colored Me Analysis Essay How it Feels to be Colored Me was written in 1928. Zora, growing up in an all-black town, began to take note of the differences between blacks and whites at about the age of thirteen. The only white people she was exposed to were those passing through her town of Eatonville, Florida, many times going to or coming from Orlando. The primary focus of How it Feels to be Colored Me is the relationship and differences between blacks and whites. In the early stages of Zoras life, which are expressed in the beginning of How it Feels to be Colored Me, black and whites had little difference in her eyes. She didnt even seems to differentiate between the two until her early teens. She says, I remember the very day I became colored. Before this time, she cites the only difference being that [white people] rode through town and never lived there. During this part of her work, Zora is showing her childhood view that whites and blacks are no different from one another. This view changes as a result of her being sent to a school in Jacksonville. Now being outside her town of Eatonville, she began to experience what it was like to be colored. But I am not tragically colored, she says. Zora makes it a point to show how she is not ashamed to be colored. At this point she seems to attack whites who continue to point out that she is the granddaughter of slaves by saying that blacks are moving forward. The terrible struggle that made me an American out of a potential slave said on the line! The reconstruction said Get ready! ; and the generation before said Go! Blacks have the opportunity to advance, and they should make the most of it. I am off to a flying start and I must not halt in the stretch to look behind and weep. She refuses to stay bound by the memory of slavery and by the fact that she is black. I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background. This same feeling is also related to a white person being set against the background of colored people. Unlike her childhood views, she now sees a difference between whites and blacks. This is explained by the reaction of each to a jazz orchestra at a Harlem night club. The music has a profoun dly different effect on her than it does on a white person sitting next to her. This orchestra grows rambunctious, rears on its hind legs and attacks the tonal veil with primitive fury, rendering it, clawing it until it breaks through to the jungle beyond. I follow those heathen follow them exultantly. I dance wildly inside myself; yell within, I whoop My pulse is throbbing like a war drum. I want to slaughter somethinggive pain, give death to what, I do not know. The contrast is created by the remark that the white person makes: Good music they have here. Where the music has driven Zora to these inner feelings, the white person can only sit and admire the music itself. He can get no further meaning out of it as Zora has. As she shows this difference between the white person and the black person, she also says that there are times when she has no race. During these times, she seems to revert to her childhood view that people are just people. She realizes the differences but chooses to ignore them. She ends by speaking of times when she sees her self as being a brown bag along a wall in company with many other bags or different colors. These bags can be emptied into a pile and refilled and nothing would change. A bit of colored glass more or less would not matter. In How it Feels to be Colored Me, Zora talks of when she first discovered the differences between white people and black people. Her childhood view that all people are the same was changed with her experience in life. The music that drives Zora to internal fury, the white person sees as entertainment. While these differences are apparent she knows it is not the color of skin that makes the difference. People are all the same on the inside. They could be poured out, mixed up, and filled back to be the same as they were. Like the bags along the wall, people can be different on the outside but be still be the same. How it Feels to be Colored Me. 123HelpMe. com. 13 Dec 2011

Free Essays on Bill Cooper

that come from Bill will change your ways of thinking forever. The only thing I didn’t like about the recording was that it was too short, the topics he talks about can go on forever. Just to fill you in a little bit, as a young man Bill Cooper was enlisted in the Navy as a Navel Intelligence Officer who dealt with top secret information. He had high clearances and was trusted to not give out any of these government secrets, but he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t hide these secrets from the American citizens and felt that they had ... Free Essays on Bill Cooper Free Essays on Bill Cooper The non-music recording I chose is a part of a forty two hour long series entitled Mystery Babylon by William M. Cooper. His radio show took place in the early nineties over a shortwave radio on the World Wide Christian Radio Station (WWCR). During this recording the host speaks of subjects like the new world order, corporate symbology, freemasonry, the first religions, current religions, skull and bones society, and ancient Egypt. The quality of the recording was live. It was clear until he took his mouth away from the microphone. The downfall of the quality is that it was recorded from shortwave radio so it sometimes lost reception. After listening to this series I look at the world, and the way I approach the world, in many different ways such as noticing corporate symbology and their meanings. Now when I look around me I see names of companies like Sunoco(Sun-Oil-Co),Gulf, Lays, Wise, Mobile, Getty and they all have one thing in common, the Sun. The sun appears in most corporate logos today and to find out what the symbol of the sun means you should listen to the series. Overall the recording was a great learning experience and I would recommend it to anyone. Who ever listens to the series will never look at things the same again. After I listened and did some research on Bill Cooper (www.hourofthetime.com - Bill’s website) I was amazed, speechless, scared even. The words that come from Bill will change your ways of thinking forever. The only thing I didn’t like about the recording was that it was too short, the topics he talks about can go on forever. Just to fill you in a little bit, as a young man Bill Cooper was enlisted in the Navy as a Navel Intelligence Officer who dealt with top secret information. He had high clearances and was trusted to not give out any of these government secrets, but he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t hide these secrets from the American citizens and felt that they had ...

Oldowan Tradition - Humankinds First Stone Tools

Oldowan Tradition - Humankinds First Stone Tools The Oldowan Tradition (also called Oldowan Industrial Tradition or Mode 1 as described by Grahame Clarke) is the name given to a pattern of stone-tool making by our hominid ancestors, developed in Africa by about 2.6 million years ago (mya) by our hominin ancestor Homo habilis (probably), and used there until 1.5 mya (mya). First defined by Louis and Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in the Great Rift Valley of Africa, the Oldowan tradition is to date the earliest manifestation of stone tool making on our planet. Further, it is global in scope, a toolkit thought to have been carried out of Africa by our hominin ancestors as they left to colonize the rest of the world. To date, the oldest known Oldowan tools were found at Gona (Ethiopia) at 2.6 ma; the latest in Africa is 1.5 mya at Konso and Kokiselei 5. The end of the Oldowan is defined as the appearance of Mode 2 tools or Acheulean handaxes. The earliest Oldowan sites in Eurasia are 2.0 mya at Renzidong (Anhui Province China), Longgupo (Sichuan Province) and Riwat (on the Potwar Plateau in Pakistan), and the latest so far is at Isampur, 1 mya in the Hungsi valley of India. Some discussion of the stone tools found at Liang Bua Cave in Indonesia suggests that they are Oldowan; which either lends support to the notion that the Flores hominin is a devolved Homo erectus or that the Oldowan tools were not specific to species. What Is an Oldowan Assemblage? The Leakeys described the stone tools at Olduvai as cores in the shapes of polyhedrons, discoids, and spheroids; as heavy and light duty scrapers (sometimes called nuclà ©us racloirs or rostro carà ©nà ©s in the scientific literature); and as choppers and retouched flakes. Selection for raw material sources  can be seen in Oldowan by about 2 mya, at sites like Lokalalei and Melka Kunture in Africa and Gran Dolina in Spain. Some of that is surely related to characteristics of the stone and what the hominid planned to use it for: if you have a choice between basalt and obsidian, youd select basalt as a percussion tool, but obsidian to break down into sharp-edged flakes. Why Did They Make Tools at All? The purpose of the tools is somewhat in controversy. Some scholars are inclined to think that most of the tools are simply steps in manufacturing sharp-edged flakes for cutting. The stone-tool making process  is known as chaà ®ne opà ©ratoire in archaeological circles. Others are less convinced. There is no evidence that our hominid ancestors were eating meat before about 2 mya, so these scholars suggest that the stone tools must have been for use with plants, and the percussion tools and scrapers may have been tools for plant processing. Admittedly, however, its hard to make assumptions on negative evidence: the oldest Homo remains we have only date to 2.33 mya in the Nachukui Formation of West Turkana in Kenya, and we dont know if there are earlier fossils we havent found yet that will be associated with Oldowan, and it may be that Oldowan tools were invented and used by another non-Homo species. History The Leakeys  work in Olduvai Gorge in the 1970s was quite revolutionary by any standards. They defined the original chronology of the Oldowan assemblage in the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa including the following periods; the stratigraphy within the region; and the material culture, the characteristics of the stone tools themselves. The Leakeys also focused on geological studies of the paleo-landscape of the Olduvai Gorge and its changes over time. In the 1980s, Glynn Isaac and his team worked at the more-or-less contemporaneous deposits at Koobi Fora, where they used experimental archaeology, ethnographic analogy, and primatology to explain the Oldowan archaeological record. They developed testable hypotheses about ecological and economic conditions that might have triggered stone tool making- hunting, food sharing, and occupying a home base, all of which is also done by primates, with the exception of the production of sharp-edged tools. Recent Investigations Recent expansions to the interpretations built by the Leakeys and Isaac have involved adjustments to the time span of use: discoveries at sites such as Gona have pushed the date of the first tools a half-million years earlier from what the Leakeys found at Olduvai. Also, scholars have recognized a considerable variability within the assemblages; and the extent of the Oldowan tool use throughout the globe has become recognized. Some scholars have looked at the variation in stone tools and argued that there must have been a Mode 0, that Oldowan is the result of a gradual evolution from a common tool-making ancestor of both humans and chimps, and that phase is missing in the archaeological record. That has some merit, because Mode 0 tools may have been made of bone or wood. Not everyone agrees with this, and, currently, it seems that the 2.6 mya assemblage at Gona still represents the earliest stages of lithic production. Sources I highly recommended Braun and Hovers 2009 (and the rest of the articles in their book Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan) for a good overview of current thinking about Oldowan. Barsky, Deborah. An Overview of Some African and Eurasian Oldowan Sites: Evaluation of Hominin Cognition Levels, Technological Advancement and Adaptive Skills. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, SpringerLink, 2018. Braun, David R. Introduction: Current Issues in Oldowan Research. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, Erella Hovers, SpringerLink, 2018. Braun DR, Tactikos JC, Ferraro JV, and Harris JWK. 2006. Archaeological inference and Oldowan behavior. Journal of Human Evolution 51:106-108. Carbonell, Eudald. From Homogeneity to Multiplicity: A New Approach to the Study of Archaic Stone Tools. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, Robert SalaDeborah Barsky, et al., SpringerLink, 2018. Harmand, Sonia. Variability in Raw Material Selectivity at the Late Pliocene sites of Lokalalei, West Turkana, Kenya. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Oldowan, SpringerLink, 2018. Harmand S. 2009. Raw Materials and Techno-Economic Behaviors at Oldowan and Acheulean Sites in the West Turkana Region, Kenya. Lithic Materials and Paleolithic Societies: Wiley-Blackwell. p 1-14. McHenry LJ, Njau JK, de la Torre I, and Pante MC. 2016. Geochemical â€Å"fingerprints† for Olduvai Gorge Bed II tuffs and implications for the Oldowan–Acheulean transition. Quaternary Research 85(1):147-158. Petraglia MD, LaPorta P, and Paddayya K. 1999. The first Acheulian quarry in India: Stone tool manufacture, biface morphology, and behaviors. Journal of Anthropological Research 55:39-70. Semaw, Sileshi. The Oldowan-Acheulian Transition: Is there a Developed Oldowan Artifact Tradition? Sourcebook of Paleolithic Transitions, Michael RogersDietrich Stout,  SpringerLink,, June 16, 2009.

Outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Outsourcing - Essay Example From raw materials to semi-finished components, from consulting to detail engineering and from direct sales to distributor/retailer networks – there have been avenues for outsourcing as a part of strategic management of operations. The new twist to this has been the phenomenal growth of outsourcing from overseas resources as opposed to the conventional local outsourcing, resulting in significant job losses at home and the public outcry. Business surpluses or profits seek avenues of investment with high returns. Multinational firms in the developed nations with high surpluses and operating in saturated markets look to developing and underdeveloped nations with high populations for investments. The latter countries, on the other hand have the problem of high unemployment or surplus labor and low wage structure. These factors result in overseas investments, actively supported by the globalization process. In the process, the benefit of low cost production not just for the overseas market but for the home market itself Loss of jobs for locals is a sensitive issue for politicians and the public spirited. President Obama’s famous statement, ‘Say no to Bangalore and yes to Buffalo’ reflects the chasm between political and business compulsions. Multinationals like Nokia, IBM, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, General Motors and Levy have set up production facilities overseas with local employees while even in the US thousands of jobs in the technology industry are contracted to foreign workers (CNN.com; Rai, New York Times Feb.22, 2004; Case study, Rugman & Collinson, 2009, pp.30 ). The debate surrounding the ‘sweatshops’ of Asian countries with both the supporters and opponents holding out valid arguments, is another angle to the phenomenon of outsourcing. In the ultimate analysis, outsourcing has to be viewed as a trade off between high-cost local manufacture vs. low-priced but standard quality foreign-made products vs. job losses at home vs. expanding demand

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 59

Reflection - Essay Example with fewer regulations concerning labor rights in order to produce products that are cheap with the aim of trying to remain competitive in the global market. Although cheap labor is one of the incentives that are making different companies to outsource their operations to Asian countries, there must be limits on how to use this labor. I was surprised that Nike kept stating that it was creating employment to poor countries while in reality; the firm was exploiting the local population and enhancing poverty in these regions. In addition, sweatshops were meant to ensure that money was distributed evenly to the laborers through high wages. On the contrary, the sweatshops were characterized by poor working conditions, low levels of environmental protection, and less attention to health and safety. Therefore, Nike Company was able to make immense profits on the expense of poor people in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam. I have been persuaded that companies have not been making the lives of the locals who are working in sweatshops any easier. This is because with the increasing levels of globalization resulting from liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information, and integration or economies the level of competition in the local market has increased tremendously. Many multinational companies such as Wal-Mart have also been found to have violated the labor rights in an attempt to offer the customers with high quality goods at very low prices. This is an indication that companies are targeting areas with fewer regulations in order to exploit child labor and pay low wages despite overworking these subordinates. I never thought that child labor still exists in the modern society. I thought that competition is healthy and it makes the company to be innovative. In addition, I thought that competition forces the companies to mechanize their operations and becomes more innovative. However, this session has enlightened me on the negative side of intense competition in

Wall-MArt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wall-MArt - Assignment Example The divisional structure works for Wal-Mart in attaining the objectives of each division. Annual shareholders meeting assists in the governing process of Wal-Mart in several aspects, with the assistance of a president or chief executive officer. The Wal-Mart Corporation has forty-one regions, thirty-five Wal-Mart regions and six Sam’s club regions (Maestri, 2010). Regional vice presidents head the regions thus supervise the operation of stores in the region. Each region has stores in each district chaired or headed by district managers for Wal-Mart stores and directors of operations for Sam’s clubs. District managers collaborate with regional personnel managers who are responsible for hiring workers and settling their issues. Each Wal-Mart has a person responsible for the overall store activities (store manager) and one in-charge of the overall activities (general manager). Below the store manager, there are co-managers; their deputies depending on the size of the store (Maestri, 2010). Down the ladder, there are hourly department managers who supervise all the junior workers in the stores. However, there are certain elements in the company that affect this structure. The company has a transparency policy in its operation, based on documents filed by the US Security Exchange Committee. This policy applies in all the Wal-Mart stores situated outside the territories of the US. The nomination of the Wal-Mart’s directors is based on shareholders votes. Wal-Mart has a significant number of stakeholders thus should engage all of them in its operations. However, this is not the case, as there is no evidence that shows the engagement of this audience in the executive duties. In addition, the Wal-Mart structure does not encourage training its staff in a manner that engages the stakeholders. Wal-Mart lacks a policy to appraise its ecological effects. However, it has a social assessment plan that evaluates its significance to the society through ethical

Individual Critica Essay - Strategic Analysis of an Organisation

Individual Critica - Strategic Analysis of an Organisation - Essay Example Here, the researcher will conduct PESTLE analysis in order to understand how external factors are shaping Network Rail’s strategic initiatives. Based upon pertinent internal and external pressures on Network Rail, the paper has selected corporate social responsibility (CSR) as key strategic issue to be discussed. In the main discussion, the paper will review strategic initiatives being taken by Network Rail in order to address corporate social responsibility issue. In context to corporate social responsibility, the paper will analyze issues regarding nature of the emerging stakeholder, tensions and challenges within Network Rail and pertinent industry. Strategies of Network Rail to address corporate social responsibility issue will be addressed from leadership or change perspective will be analyzed to understand effectiveness of strategy of Network Rail. Before going into main discussion, the essay will shed light on business matrix of Network Rail in order to create backgroun d for further discussion. Network Rail Ltd uses the trade name of Network Rail and the company has multiple subsidiary companies. The company is headquartered at London, United Kingdom and was established in the year 2002 (Network Rail, 2014). Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd works as subsidiary of Network Rail and the subsidiary operates and owns rail infrastructure across different cities in UK. However, Network Rail does not operate underground railway track or railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland (Network Rail, 2014). From structural perspective, Network Rail Ltd works as a statutory corporation, which can be classified as "not for dividend" private company (Network Rail, 2014). As a result, Network Rail Ltd neither has shareholders nor is it controlled by any particular owner. The company is vulnerable to government ownership as well as intervention, due to absence of legal owners. During 2012, Network Rail announced

Space Age Furniture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Space Age Furniture - Term Paper Example 3079) which needs machining on a particular lathe equipment applied for the making of that special part only. Ed Szewczak, an able and experienced machinist is in charge of this special lathe machine. Once the lathe gets started it can run on its won without being attended by someone. However it is necessary for the machinist to be present during the operations of any machine, including the lathe. Recently it has become essential for Ed to opt for overtime in order to finish producing the part 3079 on time. Due to the increased overload, Ed has become unhappy and this news has been communicated to the operations manager, Coral Snodgrass. Coral has been finding solutions to solve the overtime issue. Recently the company started using an MRP system which has helped it in reducing the inventories and improving the timing of the deliveries. There are two different sub-assemblies where the part 3079 is used and the lathe machines are used for producing both the sub-assemblies of Saturn an d Gemini. Ed Szewczak is supposed to get a 50% additional payment for the overtime work. Thus the whole scenario has got certain advantages and certain disadvantages which when studied carefully provide a framework for the better functioning of the organization. Questions & Answers 1. ... Overtime is expensive and the variation between a profitable week and a losing week is represented by overtime. If the demand is constantly surpassing the facility, then Coral can consider either adding more employees or adding more facilities. While taking this step, he should attempt to improve the efficiency of the plant by eliminating waste and dropping bottlenecks. Whenever measures are taken to remove overtime, either by increasing capacity or improving efficiency, it is necessary to understand the consequence of such a step on the employees. As in this case the overtime is not consistent, therefore extreme measures are not required; however Coral should be conscious of when the overtime is taking place which will help him to recognize the grounds for overtime. There is an alternative way-out that can be applied instead of adding more people to the organization which is outsourcing the jobs and getting things done away from the workplace. This would of course incur more expense s but it would reduce the costs of material consumption, overhead costs, labor costs, electricity consumption and other related expenditures. Therefore in simple terms it can be concluded that Coral can either add more people to the company or add more machinery to the organization or a third option is there where he can include an additional shift between the regular shifts. These steps would be helpful in reducing the workload on Ed. 2. How would reducing the minimum quantity of subassemblies help? The Saturn and Gemini tables are made up of part 3079 which is exclusively manufactured by the lathe machine and the lathe machine is not used for any other purpose. Also the part

Segmentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Segmentation - Essay Example Despite this, there are no restaurants in Victoria, BC that serve Saudi Food. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the marketability of opening a Saudi restaurant in Victoria BC by focusing on three potential market segments for this business venture. Three market segments will be analyzed which include Single Saudi students in Victoria, Married Saudi students in Victoria and Muslim non-Saudi. These will be analyzed based on demographic, psychographic, behavioral attributes. Evaluation of the profitability of the restaurant will be based on the analysis and finally recommendations would be offered for the business. The segment consists of Saudi students including both genders male and female. According to Saudi club in Victoria â€Å"Victoria now has more than 860 Saudi students male and female are divided among between University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, and Camosun College as well as other English institutions in the city; 67 per cent of the students are single and the rest are married† (N. Daheher, Personal Communication, 12 February, 2013). This means 576 are singles. The percent of single Saudi females in Victoria are 17% of 576 (98 females). The percent of single Saudi males in Victoria are 83 of 576 (478 males). These students usually lead a very busy lifestyle. They are involved in a myriad of activities which apart from taking classes includes homework, taking English Language classes and also socializing. Saudi students, especially men, come from a culture where they have little experience of household chores including cooking. Also their busy schedule in Canada does not allow them to take out the time to cook food. While they consume mostly Western fast food, they are still nostalgic about their Saudi food which is quite different from the food that is available in Victoria BC. As mentioned before, there are more than 860 Saudi male and female students; of these 23 percent are married. The married are further divided into male