Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Bush Administration Travel Budget

The article that I chose for my current events paper came from the New York Times, on September 25, 2002. The title of the article is  ¡Ã‚ °Cheney ¡Ã‚ ¯s Travel Budget Raises Eyebrows ¡Ã‚ ±. It was written by Katherine Q. Seelye. Vice President Dick Cheney ¡Ã‚ ¯s staff is asking Congress for an additional $100, 000 for his travel budget this year. Administration officials say it is for  ¡Ã‚ °additional unplanned official trips ¡Ã‚ ± related to the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Democrats suggest the money is being used for political trips in this campaign season. Mr. Cheney is given $386,000 appropriated by Congress, for the fiscal year. He has already spent that sum, as well as an additional $50,000 Congress gives him for unanticipated travel. In 1994, the comparable year for President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore was allocated $164,000 and spent only $51,000 of that amount. When asked his opinion about the funds, David Sirota, spokesman for the Democrats on the House of Appropriations Committee, said,  ¡Ã‚ °This kind of disregard for other people ¡Ã‚ ¯s money may have worked at Halliburton, but it doesn ¡Ã‚ ¯t work with the American taxpayer. ¡Ã‚ ± According to the figures in the article, Vice President Cheney has spent $1194.52 per day for a full fiscal year. That is an outrageous amount of money for travel. I have an idea for a budget plan. If we cut all the politicians ¡Ã‚ ¯ travel money for the fiscal year in half, I think we would have quite a substantial amount for some worthwhile government spending (like maybe bailing out Amtrak). I do understand that politicians and government officials cannot travel by commercial flight, but there has to be a better system in place. I am appalled to think that I pay $0.30 out of every dollar I earn to pay for this kind of nonsense.... Free Essays on Bush Administration Travel Budget Free Essays on Bush Administration Travel Budget The article that I chose for my current events paper came from the New York Times, on September 25, 2002. The title of the article is  ¡Ã‚ °Cheney ¡Ã‚ ¯s Travel Budget Raises Eyebrows ¡Ã‚ ±. It was written by Katherine Q. Seelye. Vice President Dick Cheney ¡Ã‚ ¯s staff is asking Congress for an additional $100, 000 for his travel budget this year. Administration officials say it is for  ¡Ã‚ °additional unplanned official trips ¡Ã‚ ± related to the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Democrats suggest the money is being used for political trips in this campaign season. Mr. Cheney is given $386,000 appropriated by Congress, for the fiscal year. He has already spent that sum, as well as an additional $50,000 Congress gives him for unanticipated travel. In 1994, the comparable year for President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore was allocated $164,000 and spent only $51,000 of that amount. When asked his opinion about the funds, David Sirota, spokesman for the Democrats on the House of Appropriations Committee, said,  ¡Ã‚ °This kind of disregard for other people ¡Ã‚ ¯s money may have worked at Halliburton, but it doesn ¡Ã‚ ¯t work with the American taxpayer. ¡Ã‚ ± According to the figures in the article, Vice President Cheney has spent $1194.52 per day for a full fiscal year. That is an outrageous amount of money for travel. I have an idea for a budget plan. If we cut all the politicians ¡Ã‚ ¯ travel money for the fiscal year in half, I think we would have quite a substantial amount for some worthwhile government spending (like maybe bailing out Amtrak). I do understand that politicians and government officials cannot travel by commercial flight, but there has to be a better system in place. I am appalled to think that I pay $0.30 out of every dollar I earn to pay for this kind of nonsense....

Saturday, November 23, 2019

A Critical Review of Young Goodman Brown

A Critical Review of Young Goodman Brown The short story, "Young Goodman Brown", is about a man, his faith, his wife, and his community. Although he and his wife share a strong belief in spiritual things, Goodman makes a spiritual decision in which the effects on his life are overwhelming. Goodman's choice causes him to take a turn for the worse and he eventually dies a miserable person. The central character in this story is undoubtedly Goodman Brown. The idea of taking this journeyThe story deals primarily with his character and person. Yes, there are others in the story. However, the main ideas and actions surround the life of Goodman Brown. Although, he may have not held a high position in society, early in the story, Hawthorne describes Brown as a man of substance. Webster describes the word substance as "that which is solid or real". Truly Goodman possessed a spiritual experience that was real by being married to Faith. Hawthorne names Goodman's wife Faith. Although Hawthorne is playing on words, Faith represents all that is good and stable in Goodman's life. And before he takes his journey, he claims he will " cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven". His statement leads us to believe that Goodman Brown was exactly thata good man. The background of this story is during a time of extremes. Whatever the people believed, they worship with all of their heart. Bert A. Mikosh, from the University of Texas, says that Brown is a part of the generation that followed the Salem Witch Trialsa time in which many were accused and suspected of devil-worship. Through a series of events, Goodman changes from the good man that he is earlier described to a wretched, miserable person. He takes a journey into the woods. Although he dreads leaving Faith alone, he feels he must make the trip. While on this journey, he meets someone who appears to be evil. Many have speculated that Goodman actually met Satan him...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Pilots Flying Fatigued Alertness in the Skies Essay

Pilots Flying Fatigued Alertness in the Skies - Essay Example A National Transportation Safety Board safety study of U.S. major air carrier accidents attributed to flight crew error from 1978 to 1990 found that in half of the flights crews had been awake for more than 12 hours prior to their accidents. "Crews comprising captains and first officers whose time since awake was above the median for their crew position made more errors overall and significantly more procedural and tactical decision errors" (Strauss, 2007). Fatigue has significant physiological and performance consequences. It is essential that all flight crewmembers remain aware and play their role in flight safety by their observations and actions. As fatigue is a safety concern, this discussion will describe the symptoms of fatigue along with its physical and psychological effects specific to airline pilots. Looking into the factor of pilot fatigue and how it affects the aviation industry in the short and long runs is the concern of this study. The paper will research on the extent of fatigued pilots flying in the skies and the hazards it poses to consumers and the aviation industry in general. Factors that lead to this problem and possible solutions will also be discussed. The study will contribute to a better understanding of the risks the aviation industry is facing when pilots fly their airplanes under fatigued conditions. It is important that consumers have closer insights on the limitations of the pilot. Airline owners need to get a better view of pilots as a special human resource with tremendous roles and responsibility. Knowing what causes fatigue will effectively give solutions to problems that can directly be attributed to pilots flying planes under stressed conditions. Pilot fatigue is a national interest in so much as it is the concern of airline clients and owners. Safety in the skies is a multi million dollar industry because besides human lives, transport goods using airplanes has developed ways of business and lifestyles. Disruption does not only cause delays but also loss of business. The study will therefore contribute to the growing research that is urgently needed by regulating bodies. "The National Transportation Safety Board has cited fatigue as a factor in more than 20 aviation accidents. As a result, addressing the issue of pilot fatigue has been on the NTSB's Most Wanted Safety Improvement List for almost a decade.In order to address the issue of pilot fatigue, the FAA does have regulations in place that limit pilots' hours of service. In addition, since December 1995, the FAA has been working on updating and improving the Federal regulations limiting pilots' flight time. The FAA wants to incorporate the latest research on fatigue into regulations, as well as simplify existing rules, making it easier to respond to changing business practices in the aviation industry." (House of Representatives Report, 1999) Studies help private entities and public officials appreciate the effectiveness of existing laws and regulations. However, studies help improve existing regulations that can prevent accidents from happening. In a fast paced environment where people and machines continuously attain twenty-four hour by seven-day operations, studies like this will share valuable information. Pilots Flying Fatigued Documented accidents have shown that pilot error can be attributed to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Scholarly Research Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scholarly Research Articles - Essay Example This article is within one’s chosen area of research on managing obesity in children, particularly as it discussed means of prevention as the first line of defense. There were other recommended treatments for childhood obesity which were consistent with the policy statements issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The strengths of the article lie in the clarity of structure and presentation of information, as well as the magnitude of scholarly and academic authoritative references that supported and validated the authors’ contentions. There were a total of 83 references with 1997 as the earliest research date and 2003 as the most current. The only weakness of the research was its failure to present an actual study comprising of a sample of participants to test theories, particularly the neuroendocrine control of weight, which, as indicated by the authors were still being investigated at the time of their report being published. Since most information were so urced from secondary sources, there was no new data or findings instigated from their current research. Evidence based management of childhood obesity: evidence based paediatrics By Laurel Edmunds, Elizabeth Waters, Elizabeth J. Elliot Edmunds, Waters and Elliot (2001) presented a research through citing a real case scenario of an obese child manifesting depression and finding out how to manage and address the dilemma through research literatures as evidenced based support. The theoretical approach of the authors identified the crucial role of secondary sources of information to support issues associated with obesity, particularly on areas of prevalence, psychological problems, current and future health problems, risk of obesity in adulthood, and family based weight reduction programs, among others (Edmunds, et.al, 1 – 3). The article is significant for one’s personal area of research focusing on the management of childhood obesity in terms of the information provided that supports frequently asked questions about obesity with specifically identified type of evidence (ibid, 5). The article’s strengths are found through the manner and clarity of structure, presentation and support from 25 authoritative and scholarly sources on the topic. By providing an actual case scenario, readers are given a clear understanding of reality as manifested through the points of views of both the child and the parents. Likewise, through the presentation of evidence, professionals, practitioners and clinicians are made aware of viable interventions that require the collaborative efforts of the family and the school. The only weakness of the article is its failure to identify research limitations and applicability of findings. Further, also school-based programs were presented as a promising approach to prevent obesity, it was clearly noted that â€Å"schools are not suitable locations for treatment due to stigmatization of children receiving treatment† (ibid, 5). Further studies must validate and determine the net effect of school based programs for the child’s proposed treatment for this chronic illness. The Impact of Physical Activity and Obesity on Academic Achievement Among Elementary Students By Jimmy Byrd The article written by Byrd and reviewed, accepted and

Sunday, November 17, 2019

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Cultural values and social practices change and evolve over time. Cultural values and social practices inevitably over time as individuals and societies are subject to change with it. In the timeless bildungsroman novel, â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† (1960) written by Harper Lee, it explores the confronting experiences of a young child, living in a world of racism, injustice and disability. In a more modern context, however, the novel â€Å"The Family Law† (2009) written by Benjamin Law, is a hilarious memoir describing the quirky and â€Å"stranger-than-fiction† family circumstances that he and his family lived through. Both of these texts vividly describe their culture values and practices, and looking at it from a 21st century, modern perspective, we can see how much these morals and principles have changed. The novel, â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† is set in a town called Maycomb in Alabama in the 1930s and is a story about racism, injustice and empathy through the eyes of a young girl, Scout Finch. Scout is nearly six years old when the novel starts, and she lives with her brother Jem and her widowed father Atticus, who is a lawyer. In the novel, the Maycomb society is extremely rigid, conservative and unjust in terms of race and class. Any person who is black or is associated with blacks were looked down upon, and it is just assumed that â€Å"that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted. † The injustice towards black people is also shown through the Tom Robinson case. Even though there is sufficient and reliable proof that Robinson is innocent, he is still charged as guilty – simply because he is black. Those of lower class are also disregarded such as Arthur Radley. Arthur is a man in his 30s, but during his teenager years, he became wild and his father locked him in their house and has never been seen since. The children of Maycomb refer to Arthur as â€Å"Boo†, as if he were a ghost. They made up stories and terrible rumours about him, and he is constantly being degraded, even though he is innocent. This also brings us to the importance of the title of the novel: â€Å"to kill a mockingbird†. The significance of this title is seen through a key passage in the novel: â€Å"Atticus said to Jem†¦ â€Å"Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. She said, Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. † In the novel, Robinson, Boo Radley, Jem and Scout are the â€Å"mockingbirds†. The mockingbird represents anyone who is weak, innocent and defenceless, and to kill a mockingbird in that sense means to take advantage of someone who is weaker than you. Tom Robinson was exploited and was accused of rape, and even though everyone knew he did not do so, they still charged him guilty, because he was black. Boo can also be considered a mockingbird, as he is taunted and looked down upon, even though he is nothing like what people describe him to be. The community take advantage of his absence and vulnerability to make fun of him, although he has done nothing wrong. Finally, Jem and Scout are also referred to as â€Å"mockingbirds†, when Bob Ewell tries to take revenge on Atticus for making him look bad in front of Maycomb. He decides to attack his children, who have done completely nothing wrong. The children are innocent and naive, but they are the target because they are so weak and helpless. Without the intervention of Arthur, Bob would have easily killed the children and impact Atticus’ life greatly. Lee effectively uses analogies such as these to create a more confronting method to illustrate the inequality and injustice that people faced in history. For example, she uses an analogy of the Maycomb courthouse to describe how cultures are changing: â€Å"†¦the concrete pillars supporting its south roof were too heavy for their burden; they were all that remained standing when the original court house burned. Another court house was built around them, or is it better to say, built in spite of them†¦the Greek revival columns clashed with a big nineteenth century housing a rusty unreliable instrument, indicating a people determined to preserve every physical scrap of the past. † This passage demonstrate that the pillars were ancient – what they held before and what they are now are of the past as the world has changed; there is no point trying to support something that is not worth supporting. In this way, segregation is like this pillar – the people who are racist and segregate themselves from others are the pillar. They only uphold their own values, but these values are wrong and out-dated, and it is changing. Also, Lee adds irony to this analogy, as a courthouse is the place where everything is supposed to judge what is right and wrong – it is a place where everything should be fair and just, yet, so many bigoted and unfair things have happened there. â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† is also about empathy and heroism. The bravery that Atticus had to stand up for the blacks was considered incredulous and degraded for doing so. He knew that the jury was going to charge Tom guilty; yet he still fought and defended him just as he would defend any other innocent person. â€Å"Its when you know youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. † He teaches his children, especially Scout the important lesson about empathy. He says, â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. † He explains that even though some things are wrong, you have to look at it from another person’s perspective and understand it from their point of view. In the novel, people’s views do change, and not everyone is racist. For example, Mr Dolphus married a black woman, but due to the disgust of the white community, he pretended to be a drunk so that he could â€Å"give them a reason folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whisky – that’s why he can’t help himself and lives the way he does. † Change does happen slowly, and once again Lee uses metaphors and analogies to portray this. When the jury took longer than usual, Atticus says he thought there was â€Å"a shadow of a new beginning†, and he knows that wrong beliefs and values were starting to change. But most importantly, change can only come about through individuals first. This can be seen through the jail incident. When Mr Cunningham comes with a lynching mob, all it takes for him to realise his wrongs was when Scout talks to him. Scout was so innocent and unsure about what was happening, but it was this that made Mr Cunningham realise what he was doing was wrong and for him and his mob to go home. A mob is made of individuals, and each and every individual is capable of being nice people, because every individual has a heart. Atticus says to Scout at the end, â€Å"Most people are (real nice), Scout, when you finally see them†. The way Lee structure the book is also very significant. The two major victims of the novel, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are merged at the end at an ultimate climax. The themes of racism and disability are therefore also combined. From all the events that happened in the novel, at the end, we can see that slowly, but surely, the values that the community and individuals holds are beginning to change. â€Å"The Family Law† is a memoir written by Benjamin Law about himself and his family. From the first chapter we can already see how much culture has changed between two generations. He begins by describing his father whose attitudes and values are much different than those of his children. He expresses his experiences with his father in a humorous and light tone, and uses lots of hyperboles and rhetorical questions to engage the reader in his tales. An important part of the chapter is the description of his father’s childhood. Law’s father had only seen his own father (Law’s grandfather) once in his whole life, as he moved to San Francisco to earn more money. When Law’s father turned 12, his father moved back to Hong Kong to see him, but within 30 minutes of seeing his son, he died. Law describes this moment: â€Å"Is it possible to describe what happened next without sounding like a liar? † From this chapter, we can already see how much culture has changed between 2 generations. Before, China was poor, but now it has become much more updated, innovative and modern. The fact that his grandfather had to go to America to earn money – this is usually uncommon as families nowadays are much more likely to stay together. Also, it is much easier to communicate nowadays with improving technology compared to previous years, where even electricity was scarce. In the first chapter of â€Å"The Family Law†, we can already see distinct cultural differences between the past and the present. Cultural and social values have definitely evolved over time – some changes may be slow and gradual such as racism or equality, and other perhaps quite fast such as technology and design. Either way, beliefs and values must change as over time, morals and customs evolve as well.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Princess Diana- Media Victim or Media Manipulator :: essays research papers fc

Princess Diana "Lady Diana was born into a privileged family as the daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer and Lady Frances Althorp in Norfolk, England. Princess Diana was raised by nannies, separated from her parents by divorce and isolated from her sisters and brother when sent to boarding schools. Her life was filled with activities, friends and social events that 'bred' her for royal status and community involvement". At first glance we can easily assume that such a person would easily be one who knew how to handle themselves in front of a camera, being that royalty were never left alone by the media. When she first married the prince the world of the media was rather new to her, and not necessarily unappreciated or ignored in the sense that it could give her a bad name. Considering that she was raised in royalty to some degree, it was only natural that she takes advantage of the media, once she knew how. Yet, at the same time Diana seemed destined to work for others through her status as royalty, which may have been manipulation, but seemed far more sincere than that. In an interesting spiritual judgment of her personality: "Diana's first trait determined how she made choices. In balance, this trait gave her a strong desire to stabilize all aspects of her life. Because of that pull, Diana's goals focused on the equilibrium between motherhood, attention to her nation, charity work and responsibility to her husband. Without effort to achieve balance in one's life, those with this trait in excess can become lifeless--at times lacking the desire to work towards stability and only existing. Through Diana's much publicized life, depression and immobilizing mental turmoil threatened at times her very existence" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.html). She married into royalty and though, at times, got caught up her status and her appearance, slowly changed her focus to people in need, which caused her conflict in relationship to here station in life, which caused her turmoil and misery. Yet, she pursued these events at whatever the cost. Before her death she had become known as a powerful force for good in the world as she "embraced all those requiring care, even breaking the barriers associated with AIDS, leprosy, and those maimed from land mines. She had such a deep concern for each individual taught the world for which we will be forever blessed" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana. Princess Diana- Media Victim or Media Manipulator :: essays research papers fc Princess Diana "Lady Diana was born into a privileged family as the daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer and Lady Frances Althorp in Norfolk, England. Princess Diana was raised by nannies, separated from her parents by divorce and isolated from her sisters and brother when sent to boarding schools. Her life was filled with activities, friends and social events that 'bred' her for royal status and community involvement". At first glance we can easily assume that such a person would easily be one who knew how to handle themselves in front of a camera, being that royalty were never left alone by the media. When she first married the prince the world of the media was rather new to her, and not necessarily unappreciated or ignored in the sense that it could give her a bad name. Considering that she was raised in royalty to some degree, it was only natural that she takes advantage of the media, once she knew how. Yet, at the same time Diana seemed destined to work for others through her status as royalty, which may have been manipulation, but seemed far more sincere than that. In an interesting spiritual judgment of her personality: "Diana's first trait determined how she made choices. In balance, this trait gave her a strong desire to stabilize all aspects of her life. Because of that pull, Diana's goals focused on the equilibrium between motherhood, attention to her nation, charity work and responsibility to her husband. Without effort to achieve balance in one's life, those with this trait in excess can become lifeless--at times lacking the desire to work towards stability and only existing. Through Diana's much publicized life, depression and immobilizing mental turmoil threatened at times her very existence" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.html). She married into royalty and though, at times, got caught up her status and her appearance, slowly changed her focus to people in need, which caused her conflict in relationship to here station in life, which caused her turmoil and misery. Yet, she pursued these events at whatever the cost. Before her death she had become known as a powerful force for good in the world as she "embraced all those requiring care, even breaking the barriers associated with AIDS, leprosy, and those maimed from land mines. She had such a deep concern for each individual taught the world for which we will be forever blessed" (Anonymous Diana Frances Spencer George diana.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Current Issues in Early Childhood Education Essay

Early childhood education refers to the type of education for children in the early ages, those considered still vulnerable in life. It’s normally considered from the inception of human life to age eight. Other synonyms can be used like early childhood learning, early care and early education but they all mean the same thing as early childhood education. There are so many emerging issues in early childhood education today. This is majorly due to the changes in the cultures, dynamism, political systems and technology. These changes have had a very drastic change in the education of children. Some of these changes include the changes in the resources for use in teaching the children, the change in curriculum, the change in the mode of teaching and the support materials to be used in class. (Booth, 2004) There are different curriculum approaches which have caused different effects in the school systems especially the early childhood curriculum in Alabama. The three common approaches are the traditional approach, the learner centred approach and the critical approach. These approaches have brought about different issues in the school curriculum. These include: (Gibbs, 1992) Â  The Scott Foresman series is a very intensive reading intervention programme. It’s designed for children i.e. Those who cannot comprehend grade-level material and cannot benefit from the strategic intervention of support materials in class. The program is a systematic, researched based and well balanced program that has a great influence on every lesson taught in class. It utilizes the five essential elements of reading which include phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. They form the fundamental instructional design of the lessons. Students are provided strategies and activities that often reinforce the essential components in learning. (Barnett, 1992) The ultimate goal of this series is to ensure that early(Barnett, 1992) childhood teachers across the united states get high quality and well aligned classroom assessments to adequately monitor the learners in development of their skills and achieve the best in the educational objectives. This series is based on the priority skills model which ensures that students receive the right and the best instructional materials at each grade level. Of much emphasis is the early childhood level. This has created a more accurate and effective alignment of state standards. The curriculum in this series was developed by the education experts, who were trained in their coding process, having more independent decisions as to the content and quality of the evaluation process and the state objectives. Test alignment indices for each test grade level were prepared by the technical staff and comprised grading from 0.0 to 0.1 and the possibility of comparisons with other tests. It adapted the handwriting curriculum making it one of the best series in the states. This handwriting curriculum is the innovative, continuous stroke method of teaching children how to write on manuscripts. This has had a positive effect on the form of education because it has caused consistency. (Barnett, 1992) In general the Scott Foresman series fulfils the requirements which are fundamental for an educational programme. These include providing solid support for teachers in the classroom, enabling the learners especially children to learn equally and complying with the State and local curriculum guidelines and frameworks. The Scott Foresmans series however has had failures also. One of the failures is its overemphasis on child student learner and not considering an older person. The resource materials, the curriculum development, the learning criteria and the evaluation process is so much articulated to the child development and the older student has not been considered. The Scott Foresman series helps the teacher to identify only the best children and develop them ignoring the slow learners and the weak students. This is evident in the mode of instruction which gives priority the best learners to excel. The system of learning in Foresman is very rigid and procedural. This does not give room to the learner to have his own research and to utilize other skills of children. The series provide a routine that provide an explicit and systematic format. Reference: Barnett, R. (1992) Learning effect, Great Britain: Open University press. Gibbs, G. (1992) Teaching more students: problems design strategies, Oxford: Polytechnic The oxford Centre for staff Development (1994) Course design for Resource based learning, Oxford: Oxford Brookes. Booth, T. (2004) developing learning, participation and play in the early years of child care, Bristol: Centre for learning and Inclusive education. Education review office (2002) Evaluation review on early childhood services, Wellington: Education Review office.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Statistics: Practice Problems Solutions

1. (24 points) If needed, additional workspace is provided on the next sheet. Doug Moodie is the president of Garden Products Limited. Over the last 5 years, his vice president of marketing has been providing the sales forecast using his special â€Å"focus† forecasting technique. The actual sales for the past ten years and the forecasts from the vice president of marketing are given below. Year |Sales |VP/Marketing Forecast | |1 |170,300 |– | |2 |168,250 |– | |3 |165,700 |– | |4 |169,000 |– | |5 |168,000 |– | |6 |167,300 |170,000 | |7 |175,250 |170,000 | |8 |172,500 |180,000 | |9 |156,700 |180,000 | |10 |176,300 |160,000 | Doug wonders if perhaps a weighted moving average or an exponential smoothing approach to forecasting might be better than having the vice president of arketing prepare the forecast. Doug wants to evaluate a two-period weighted moving average with weights of 0. 7 and 0. 3 for the most recent and next most recent p eriods. He also wants to evaluate the exponential smoothing with an ? = 0. 3 and a starting forecast for period 6 of 168,000 units. a) Which of the three methods (weighted moving average, exponential smoothing and VP/Marketing) provides the best forecasting method if you were to evaluate these methods for their forecasting accuracy for Years 8 through 10. Use one of the evaluation methods we have discussed. See next page b) In part a) we identified which is the best method of those three methods.However, would you recommend using this method for forecasting sales for Year 11? Why or Why not? See next page c) What would be the forecast for Year 11 using both the weighted moving average and the exponential smoothing methods? See next page [pic] 2. (23 points) Lake Charles Seafood makes 500 wooden packing boxes for fresh seafood per day, working in two 10-hour shifts. The marketing department has advised that demand has increased so that 650 wooden boxes for fresh seafood are required daily. Due to higher demand, plant managers are considering operating three 8-hour shifts instead. Productivity is measured in terms of boxes produced per hour worked. ) Calculate the productivity of the operation for the two-shift operation producing 500 boxes. 500/20 = 25 boxes per hour b) Calculate the productivity of the operation for the three-shift operation producing 650 boxes. 650/24 = 27. 08 c) Using the two-shift operation as the base, calculate the percentage difference between the two-shift operation and the three-shift operation as described in parts a) and b). (27. 08-25)25 = 1. 083 or an increase of 8. 3% d) Now suppose that the plant managers want to be able to produce the 650 boxes but only use two 10-hour shifts. What must the productivity be to achieve this production output? 650/20 = 32. 50 boxes per hour ) If the company believes that to be competitive if it is to produce 650 wooden boxes, the company must reach a productivity measure of 40 boxes per hour. What are the maximum hours a day the company can work? 650/x = 40 X = 16. 25 hours 3. (19 points) Additional workspace is provided on the next page. Students in a science class have just received their grades on the first test. The instructor has provided information about the first test grades in some previous classes as well as the final average for the same students. Some of these grades have been sampled and are as follows: Student |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 | |1st Test Grade |98 |77 |88 |80 |96 |61 |66 |95 |69 | Final Average |93 |78 |84 |73 |84 |64 |64 |95 |76 | |You are also provided the results from several different linear regression relationships for the above data. These provide different regression relationships looking at different combination of independent and dependent variables. [pic]a) Develop a linear regression model that can be used to predict the final course average based on the first test grade. [pic] b) Predict the final average of a student who made an 83 on the first test. [pic] c) Would you recommend using this relationship for forecasting the final averages? Why? Also, explain how strong the relationship is between these two variables. [pic] d) Suppose a student scored a 38 on the first test. Predict the final average of a student who had this score?What cautions would you recommend about using the linear regression relationship for predicting a final average? [pic] 4. (18 points) David Upton is president of Upton manufacturing, a producer of Go-Kart tires. Upton makes 1,000 tires per day with the following resources: Labor:400 hours at $12. 50 per hour Raw Material:20,000 pounds per day at $1. 00 per pound Energy:$5,000 per day Capital:$10,000 per day a) What is the labor productivity for these tires at Upton Manufacturing expressed per labor hour? Labor productivity = 1000 tires/400 hours = 2. 5 tires/hour. b) What is the multi-factor (total factor) productivity expressed per dollar? Original Multifactor productivity is 1000 tires/(40 0 ? $12. 50 + 20,000 ? $1 + $5,000 + $10,000) = ,000 tires/$40,000 = 0. 025 tires/dollar. c) What is the percent change in the total factor productivity if Upton can reduce the energy bill by $1,000 without cutting production or changing any other inputs? Original Multifactor productivity is 1000 tires/(400 ? $12. 50 + 20,000 ? $1 + $5,000 + $10,000) = 1,000 tires/$40,000 = 0. 025 tires/dollar. Revised Multifactor productivity changes from 1,000/40,000 to 1,000/39,000, or from 0. 025 to 0. 02564 The ratio is 1. 0256, so the change is a 2. 56 percent increase. 5. (16 points) a) Briefly discuss two ways that operations management can provide a company with a competitive advantage. 8 points Open-ended answerSupports the other functions, delivers what is promised to the customer; provides a competitive advantage; provides a low cost option; plan and execute the production and delivery of the firm’s goods and services; Ops Mgt is defined as the design, operation, and improvement o f the systems that create and deliver the firm’s primary products and services. b) Briefly discuss two of the major issues that are facing operations management staff in the current business environment. 8 points Open-ended answer Global challenge, automation and technology, commoditization of the supplier, coordinating the relationships between mutually supportive but separate organizations, optimizing global supplier, production, and distribution networks, increased co-production of goods and services, managing customer touch points, raising senior management awareness of operations as a significant competitive weapon.

Friday, November 8, 2019

7 Keys to Magical Business Relationships ( Personal Ones Too!)

7 Keys to Magical Business Relationships ( Personal Ones Too!) The Beginning of a Great Relationship? One of the ways I find great writers for my Executive Resume Writing team at The Essay Expert is to pay attention to the winners of resume writing contests. You might be surprised to learn that resume writing contests even exist – but yes, they most definitely do. And they are a big deal. In fact, three organizations hold these competitions annually: Career Directors International (the TORI Awards), The National Resume Writers’ Association (ROAR Competition), and Career Thought Leaders (Modernize Your Resume Contest). In January, I reached out to one of the award winners – I’ll call her Rebecca – and asked her if she would be interested in joining my team. She is an experienced, highly certified writer and I was impressed by her work. I was thrilled when she replied that she was interested- and even more thrilled with the phone conversation we had about our resume writing strategies and core values. Rebecca was exactly the writer I was looking for. I drew up an agreement which Rebecca promptly signed. I set her up with access to my Dropbox folders where I keep documents with guidelines and processes for writers. And then I got the email. Subject line â€Å"Apologies.† First line of message: â€Å"After reviewing most of the information you shared via Dropbox, I have decided, and must advise you that this is not a good fit for me.† Handling Disappointment My heart sank. I had been so excited to have Rebecca on my team. Were my documents really so complicated that a great writer would decide not to work with me? Had I done something wrong? It took all my learning from my personal growth classes to breathe deeply and stay in conversation. I asked for more information, and heard that she was feeling overwhelmed by the files and processes, but that there was an underlying health issue that was the true reason she needed to take a step back from writing. As I continued asking questions and expressing my concern and care, something remarkable happened. I discovered she suffered from severe headaches, and I suggested an essential oil remedy that I have discovered makes even migraines abate. She purchased a bottle and our conversation became more about natural remedies and other personal topics. I became more interested in her as a human being than I was as a resume writer. We developed a real relationship. Relationship Building Lessons The old me would have given up at â€Å"Apologies.† The more evolved me used some important strategies: Breathe. When I got the upsetting news from Rebecca, I noticed my negative thoughts, told myself things were probably not as bad as I thought, and chose to breathe and trust that things would be okay. I was able to act outside of my â€Å"stinking thinking.† Express truth. I immediately communicated to Rebecca that I was sad to hear she would not be working with me and that I really enjoyed our initial conversation and thought we were aligned on so many things. I let her know I would love to have her on my team! Be curious. I asked Rebecca questions. I wanted to understand her concerns, and she was generous in sharing with me. Offer to talk. One thing I’ve learned is that people can make things up over email and text that seem much less charged when talking by phone. So I offered to have a conversation, and suggested that things might look more complex on paper than they really are. She agreed. Care. This is something that can’t be manufactured. I quickly and genuinely started to care about Rebecca and her health issues, and I was especially excited that I had something to offer that would help her headaches. Follow up. I kept in touch with Rebecca to see how the migraine remedy was helping, and she reported that she went from up to 2 Tylenols/day to zero! We celebrated that together. I also learned about her family and other pursuits in her life. Risk. I took several risks along with way with Rebecca, starting with asking her to continue our relationship after she said â€Å"no.† And then, most recently, I risked asking her if she might be interested in a resume project. Guess what? She said yes. Better than Business I got much more out of my interactions with Rebecca than a new, talented resume writer. I got a new friend. I’m thankful that the migraine remedy worked, which not only created joy in our relationship but also gave her more ability to work! I spoke with her this week to walk her through my processes in a less intimidating manner than they might have appeared in my documentation. And I am looking forward to sending her a project in a week or two. This story is a slice of life from a business person (me) who used to be much less relationship-oriented than I am now. I treasure the relationships I’m building and am inspired to continue creating connections with the people I work with. I’d love to hear your lessons in relationship from your business life. What successes (or failures) have you had and what did you learn? Please leave a comment or use our contact form. Also, if you get headaches or migraines and want a bottle of this magic potion, let me know!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

10 Steps to Writing a Succesful Book Report

10 Steps to Writing a Succesful Book Report A book report should contain the basic elements, but a good book report will address a specific question or point of view and back up this topic with specific examples, in the form of symbols and themes. These steps will help you identify and incorporate those important elements in a process that takes three to four days. How To Write a Book Report Have an objective in mind, if possible. Your objective is the main point you want to argue or the question you plan to answer. Sometimes your teacher will offer a question for you to answer as part of your assignment, which makes this step easy. If you have to come up with your own focal point for your paper, you may have to wait and develop the objective while reading and reflecting on the book.Keep supplies on hand when you read. This is very important. Keep sticky-note flags, pen, and paper nearby as you read. Dont try to take mental notes. It just doesnt work.Read the book. As you read, keep an eye out for clues that the author has provided in the form of symbolism. These will indicate some important point that supports the overall theme. For instance, a spot of blood on the floor, a quick glance, a nervous habit, an impulsive actionthese are worth noting.Use your sticky flags to mark pages. When you run into any clues, mark the page by placing the sticky note at the beginning of the relevant line. Mark everything that piques your interest, even if you dont understand their relevance. Note possible themes or patterns that emerge. As you read and record emotional flags or signs, you will begin to see a point or a pattern. On a notepad, write down possible themes or issues. If your assignment is to answer a question, you will record how symbols address that question.Label your sticky flags. If you see a symbol repeated several times, you should indicate this somehow on the sticky flags, for easy reference later. For instance, if blood shows up in several scenes, write a b on the relevant flags for blood. This may become your major book theme, so youll want to navigate between the relevant pages easily.Develop a rough outline. By the time you finish reading the book, you will have recorded several possible themes or approaches to your objective. Review your notes and try to determine which view or claim you can back up with good examples (symbols). You may need to play with a few sample outlines to pick the best approach.Develop paragraph ideas. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and a sentence that transitions to the next paragraph. Try writing these first, then filling out the paragraphs with your examples (symbols). Dont forget to include the basics for every book report in your first paragraph or two. Review, re-arrange, repeat. At first, your paragraphs are going to look like ugly ducklings. They will be clunky, awkward, and unattractive in their early stages. Read them over, re-arrange and replace sentences that dont quite fit. Then review and repeat until the paragraphs flow.Re-visit your introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph will make the critical first impression of your paper. It should be great. Be sure it is well-written, interesting, and it contains a strong thesis sentence. Tips The objective: Sometimes it is possible to have a clear objective in mind before you start. Sometimes, it is not. If you have to come up with your own thesis, dont stress about a clear objective in the beginning. It will come later. Recording emotional flags: Emotional flags are merely points in the book that bring about emotion. Sometimes, the smaller the better. For example, for an assignment for The Red Badge of Courage, the teacher might ask students to address whether they believe Henry, the main character, is a hero. In this book, Henry sees lots of blood (emotional symbol) and death (emotional symbol) and this causes him to run away from the battle at first (emotional response). He is ashamed (emotion). Book report basics: In your first paragraph or two, you should include the book setting, time period, characters, and your thesis statement (objective). Re-visiting the introductory paragraph: The introductory paragraph should be the last paragraph you complete. It should be mistake-free and interesting. It should also contain a clear thesis. Dont write a thesis early on in the process and forget about it. Your point of view or argument may change completely as you re-arrange your paragraph sentences. Always check your thesis sentence last.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Lggerhead Sea Turtles and their migration and why they are protected Research Paper

Lggerhead Sea Turtles and their migration and why they are protected - Research Paper Example The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) has also listed sea turtles species as being one of the most endangered species on the planet. Unfortunately, scientists claim that Loggerhead sea turtles could face extinction in less than five decades. The loggerhead sea turtles are under the threat of extinction in the near future due to the human activities on their habitat that has seen their number decrease exceptionally fast, according to a report. Loggerheads sea turtles are also regarded as the species that migrate frequently over their lifetime particularly during the breeding period (Bowen et al., 1995). This paper will explore the loggerhead sea turtles in light of their features, distribution, and migration behavior, why they need protection and the protection measures already initiated to conserve the species. The loggerheads are arguably the largest hard-shelled turtle on planet, observed Kobayashi et al. (2008). The species were named so because of extra large head comprising of h orny beak, which is thicker than other sea turtle species are. Loggerhead sea turtles have exceptionally turf jaws, which enables them feed comfortably hard-shelled prey such as the conch and whelks. The adult loggerheads have carapace that is heart-shaped, and reddish-brown in color. Adult males differ from the female in the sense that they have long tails that protrude beyond the rare carapace (Kobayashi et al., 2008). Additionally, adult male loggerheads have narrow carapace tapering towards the rear. These species have been listed as being among the over 15,000 animal species facing the threat of extinction. Loggerheads were listed as endangered species in 1978, and since then efforts are being made to ensure that they are accorded the necessary protection to abate the extinction threat. Research shows that loggerhead sea turtles are among the species that make the longest journeys than any other sea turtle species (Witherington, Herren, and Bresette,  2006).   They migrate long distances easily due to their adaptation for such movement. Report indicates that loggerheads usually migrate more than 7,500 miles between their nesting beaches in Japan and Mexico here they feed, notes Witherington, Herren, and Bresette  (2006). Since loggerheads are slow in movement, they have turf shell that protects them from predators in the event of an attack. Distribution Loggerheads are regarded as a circumglobal animal present throughout tropical and temperate regions of Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Researchers have shown that loggerheads are the most abundant sea turtles in the United States’ coastal waters. The loggerhead sea turtles in the Atlantic Ocean range extend from Newfoundland to Argentina. The species nests mainly during summer seasons in the subtropics. In the U.S., the species nesting concentration is found in North Carolina through to the southwest Florida. Research indicates that very few nesting occurs outside this range particularly in Texas and Virginia. Adult loggerheads normally migrate frequently between foraging areas and nesting beaches. However, during non-nesting periods, adult female loggerheads from the U.S. beaches distribute themselves in waters off eastern U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, Greater Antilles, Bahamas, and Yucatan (Kobayashi et al., 2008). Most loggerhead nesting takes place in the western part of Indian and Atlantic Oceans. A study

Friday, November 1, 2019

SPEAKER NOTES 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SPEAKER NOTES 2 - Essay Example Without passion, one can never be able to enjoy their occupation or fruits of their hard work because money can come and go but job satisfaction will always remain as a testimony. Perhaps another insight that comes up in the presentation is the fact that most people do not realize their full potential due to lack of self-esteem of adequate confidence. Undeniably, real success can never visit any person unless they discover their inner ability to the maximum and exploit it fully. Although the presentation is fair enough as far as giving insight into the business world is concerned, it is worth noting that certain issues such as the art of winning contracts and tenders require more consideration. Before one ventures into private practice, they need to consider whether they will be able to win and implement contracts successfully, as there is more to it than meets the eye. Additionally, one needs to consider whether the capital they have is enough to finance their prospective businesses . This is especially so because while some ventures require small amounts of finances to start, others require huge capital input that might drain an individual hoping to establish a start-up. Lastly but more importantly, one ought to conduct an accurate cost benefit analysis in every endeavor in order to ensure that the adverse consequences of a particular project do not exceed the anticipated benefits. When it comes to controversial issues such as the ability to achieve success without prior experience, I slightly differ with the presenter due to a number of reasons. Essentially, one needs a bit of experience so that they can be able to execute their duties effectively the absence of which they ought to learn first. This means that can has to undergo various significant stages in life before being fully qualified for any eventuality, an aspect that the speaker dint seem to mention. The controversy struck when the speaker simply mentions that they can achieve both personal and prof essional success without having to gain initial experience. Besides, the speaker does not explicitly reveal the fundamentals of professional growth that encompass dedication, discipline, and motivation from those who have achieved success. From the issues discussed in the presentation, I personally connect with the idea of having a positive attitude in whatever one is doing. Since success in career and business largely depend on the audacity with which one believes in themselves and their undertakings, I find the speakers words quite motivating to the extent that they are worth emulating. Indeed, I have interacted with these interesting perspectives in the past whereby I had to take courageous steps in choosing a career that most of my peers shunned owing to its relative toughness. Similarly, when I once wanted to start a business, I had to sacrifice my pride and begin small so that I could grow my business from strength to strength. Finally, one important insight that I gained from the presentation besides having the audacity to try out new things was that everyone is unique in their own ways and can influence the world in a different way. According to Venkataramany and Bhasin, financial inclusion and government intervention plays a major role in enhancing financial success of citizens, contrary to what was said by the speaker in the