The Story of an Hour Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour Essay The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin is about a woman named Mrs. Mallard, who learns that her just died in an accident. As I continued to read the story I learned that Mrs. Mallard, was not your ordinary grieving widow, she is actually somewhat happy of the news of her husband’s death. Chopin uses symbolism and irony to show readers the world through Mrs. Mallard’s eyes. Symbolism was a strong term in the story, mainly because Chopin uses symbols in many of her paragraphs. Also the author uses irony to get readers to understand why she is so happy that she is free of her husband. The two literary elements that are prevalent in the story is symbolism and irony because Chopin uses them the most to create different feelings in the readers’ minds. In the â€Å" Story of an Hour† Chopin uses symbolism as much as she can throughout the story. The symbolism begins when Chopin says â€Å" the delicious breath of rain was in the air† (23). I believe this means she is about to start a new life, and that she can finally start living for herself. Another example, is â€Å" there stood facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair† (23). The open window symbolizes being open to change; the adjectives roomy and comfortable symbolizes a feeling of being embraced, a feeling of love and security. While looking through the window Chopin describes other symbols such as: The warm weather which suggest life rather then the cold of winter that symbolizes death. I believe the quote â€Å" were all quiver with the new spring life† (23), symbolizes a new life to come, or maybe something new and exciting was about to happen in her life. The setting of a â€Å" delicious breath of rain† in the air refers to the calmness and quietness after the storm (23). I believe Chopin uses that to refer to Mr. Mallard’s death and the new life she will have now that she is free of him. Another thing outside the window are the â€Å" singing of birds† and â€Å" the distant song of someone who was singing (23). This symbolizes a feeling of relief that she is finally free of her husband, almost as if a burden has been lifted from her shoulders. In the story, Mrs. Mallard is described as being â€Å" a fair, calm face† (23), symbolizing beauty and innocence. I believe Chopin used the symbols in an underlying way to give the readers a feeling empathy for Mrs. Mallard. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† this is much irony used throughout the story. Irony is first detected in the way Mrs. Mallard reacts to the death of her husband. Instead of reacting like a typical grieving widow, she accepts it and wants to be alone in her room, where she visualizes her life being better off without him rather than missing him. Another example, of irony is when Mrs. Mallard whispers, â€Å" free, free, free† (23). But as the story continues, we learn that ironically she really isn’t free because Mr. Mallard didn’t die after all. Another thing that is ironic is when the doctors say she died of the â€Å"joy that kills† (24). In reality the doctors are correct, but they don’t understand what joy actually killed her, it wasn’t the joy of her husband being alive, but rather that she was finally able to live her life without him. The recognized irony in the story was the fact that Mrs. Mallard was excited about her new life, but ironically she only gets to enjoy her new life for an hour before she dies. In closing, Chopin uses symbolism and irony to get the readers to understand the underlying message that she was trying to get across. Symbolism and irony are two very important literary elements because they provide the story with incite and heighten the readers expectations and interest throughout the story. I feel that Chopin did a very good job in implementing irony and symbolism into the story especially when trying to get the readers to view the world through Mrs. Mallard’s eyes and to describe her state of being regarding her husband’s death.

The Corporate Strategy Model

The Corporate Strategy Model Understanding the strategic position is concerned with identifying the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organizations strategic capability and the expectations and influence of stakeholders. The sort of questions this raises are central to future strategies. The Environment Environment plays an important role in building up the strategies and how it affects the organisation strategies and goals looking out for the opportunities and threats from the outer world. Therefore it is very important to evaluate the environmental impacts on the organization. The capabilities Capabilities depends upon the resources and competences within the organization. One way of thinking about the strategic capability of an organization is to consider its strengths and weaknesses. Look for the core competences and USPs which the competitors will find difficult to imitate. Purpose The major influences of stakeholder expectations is organizations purposes. Purpose is summarized in an organisations vision, mission and values. This is important since it clarifies who should the organization serve and how should it work. this reflects the corporate social responsibilities and ethics. Culture These influences directly either on organizational, sectoral or national. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is concerned with the structures and systems of control by which managers are held accountable to those who have legitimate stake in an organization. (4) There are many other reason which has made its presence an important issue for the organization. Out of which the three main reasons are as follows; The separation of ownership and management control which means that the organization works with hierarchy or within the chain of governance. This chain basically represents those groups that influence an organization through their involvement in either ownership or management of an organization. Scandals by the corporate have increased a lot of public debate about different parties in the governance chain should interact and influence each other. Most notable here is the relationship between shareholders and the boards of businesses as well as relationship between government or public funding bodies and public sector organizations. Increased accountability to wider Stakeholder interests has also come to be increasingly advocated; in particular the argument that corporations need to be more visibly accountable and responsive , not only to owners and managers in the governance chain but to wider social interest. Governance Structure Strategic Purpose Social responsibility and ethics Stakeholder expectations Figure 4.0 Influences on strategic purpose (4) The governance chain explains completely the roles and relationships of different groups which are present in the governance of an organization. The chain is very simple to understand it is similar like a family tree. It has shareholders, family members, managers and a board. It is a large and publicly quoted organization with more investors layers as well. Hence good corporate governance can be achieved only if it is an embedded part of corporate life: part of the DNA of the organisation, its internal processes and the way it makes information available externally. In many countries most companies are run mostly for the benefit of the shareholders, the rightful owners. But there is another model, where companies are run for the benefit of other significant groupings as well such as customers, the general public or employees. This is the stakeholder model. Choosing a board for each of these models or something in between requires people with different backgrounds and outlooks. The following table compares the shareholder and stakeholder models: Shareholders Stakeholders Maximize shareholder value and look after shareholder interests Look after all stakeholder interests, especially public Seek profitability and efficiency Look for survival, long term growth, and stability Hard-nosed and commercial Less concerned with profit than value for money A Stakeholders mapping can be used appropriately to understand the stakeholders influence. Stakeholder mapping can define his expectations and power and helps in understanding political priorities. It emphasizes the importance of two issues: Interest of the stakeholder group on organizations purposes and choice of strategies Power of stakeholders to actually do it They are described in a quadrant of four different types based on level of interest and their power, as follows Non Profit Organizations A non-profit organization is an organization which does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. Examples of NPOs include charities (i.e. charitable organizations), trade unions, and public arts organizations. Most governments and government agencies meet this definition, but in most countries they are considered a separate type of organization and not counted as NPOs. They are in most countries exempt from income and property taxation. Profit Organizations An organization is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals, controls its own performance, and has a boundary separating it from its environment. It is a business which has a primary goal of making profit and a proposed goal such as helping the environment. Differences between Profit and Non-profit Organization Ownership is the quantitative difference between for- and not-for-profit organizations. For-profit organizations can be privately owned and may re-distribute taxable wealth to employees and shareholders. By contrast, not-for-profit organizations do not have owners. They have controlling members or boards, but these people cannot sell their shares to others or personally benefit in any taxable way. While they are able to earn a profit, more accurately called a surplus, such earnings must be retained by the organization for its self-preservation, expansion and future plans. Earnings may not benefit individuals or stake-holders. While some non-profit organizations put substantial funds into hiring and rewarding their internal corporate leadership, middle-management personnel and workers, others employ unpaid volunteers and even executives may work for no compensation. However, since the late 1980s there has been a growing consensus that nonprofits can achieve their corporate targets more effectively by using some of the same methods developed in for-profit enterprises. These include effective internal management, ensuring accountability for results, and monitoring the performance of different divisions or projects in order to better benefit from their capital and workers. Those require satisfied management and that, in turn, begins with the organizations mission There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the organizations leadership, culture of the organization, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners, etc. For example, there are a variety of strategic planning models, including goals-based, issues-based, organic, scenario (some would assert that scenario planning is more of a technique than model), etc. Goals-based planning is probably the most common and starts with focus on the organizations mission (and vision and/or values), goals to work toward the mission, strategies to achieve the goals, and action planning (who will do what and by when). Issues-based strategic planning often starts by examining issues facing the organization, strategies to address those issues and action plans. Organic strategic planning might start by articulating the organizations vision and values, an d then action plans to achieve the vision while adhering to those values. Some planners prefer a particular approach to planning, eg, appreciative inquiry. Some plans are scoped to one year, many to three years, and some to five to ten years into the future. Some plans include only top-level information and no action plans. Some plans are five to eight pages long, while others can be considerably longer. For-profit and nonprofit business plans have many similarities. For that reason, nonprofit personnel would benefit from reading the links in the section above, For-Profit Business Planning. Some of the terms are different, but in most cases they can readily be translated into words more commonly used in the nonprofit sector. For example, balance sheet is what nonprofit call a statement of financial position, profit and loss statement (or income statement) is essentially the same as a statement of financial activities, and so on. One of the key difference between a for profit and a non profit plan is the marketing section. In a for profit business, the served customers are generally those who provide the revenues needed to cover expenses and continue operations. For a non profit, often the served constituents do not provide this sustaining funding, and it must be sought from a third party donors. This means the marketing plan must describe both how the organization will communicate its services to its service target market and how it will communicate its need for funding to its funding target market. This means detailing these two separate marketing messages and two strategies for marketing. Another key difference is the non profit part of the business plan. Financial plans for a non profit do not have to show net profit, and, if they do, there must be some explanation of what those retained earnings will be used for. They cannot be distributed as dividends, as the organization is technically owned by the public and not by the directors or board. However, profits can be accumulated for the purposes of creating an endowment or capital fund for future expenditures. An accountant should be consulted for any decisions of this nature. International dimensions of strategic business management and planning Going global is one of the key visions of most of the organizations. Choosing globalization increases the option for the organizations range of products or services and how to manage across the borders. Through international strategy framework it becomes achievable in a better way. International strategy as the core theme, depends upon two things, the external environment and organizational capabilities. If you see the figure 6.0 it focuses more on internationalisation drivers and on the capabilities side it emphasises on international and national sources of advantage. Figure 6.0 International strategy framework Internationalisation drivers Market selection Sources of competitive advantage Mode of entry International Strategy (4) Market Drivers Similar customer needs Global customers Transferable marketing Internationalisation Drivers Figure 7.0 Internalisation Drivers International Strategies Cost Drivers Scale economic Country-specific differences Favorable logistics Government Drivers Trade Policies Technical Standards Host Government Policies Competitive Drivers Interdependence between countries Competitors global strategies (4) Market globalization drivers There is a general belief that several markets are converging around the world. There are several reasons for this. First, the convergence of Gross National Product (GNP) per capita in the developed world is leading to a convergence in markets sensitive to wealth and level of income such as passenger cars, television sets, and computers. Second, there is evidence to suggest that in some industries, customers tastes, perceptions, and buying behaviours are converging, and that the world is moving towards a single global market that is basically Western and, more specifically, North American. In a landmark article titled The globalization of markets Levitt (1983) predicted that globalization drivers such as new technology would lead to homogenization of consumer desires and needs across the world. He argued that this would happen because generally consumers would prefer standard products of high quality and low price to more customized but higher-priced products. Third, in the quest to build a global brand and company image, multinational firms are increasingly favouring a global standardization of marketing and advertising efforts. This does not mean identical marketing and advertising campaigns, but the use of similar themes that send the same message across the world. Recent developments in broadcast media, particularly direct-broadcast satellite and international media, are making this more possible. CNN, for example, broadcasts standard adverts around the world. Cost globalization drivers Several key cost drivers may come into play in determining an industry globalization level. One key factor is global scale economies. That is, the costs of producing a particular product or service are often subject to economies or dis-economies of scale. Generally, economies of scale arise when a product or a process can be performed more cheaply at greater volume than at lesser volume. This is often the case when the product or service is standardized; hence it becomes hard for multinational firms to differentiate themselves, and cost becomes key in achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. Producing different products for different countries leads to higher cost per unit. This is because multinational firms serving countries with separate products may not be able to reach the most economic scale of production for each countrys unique product. Multinational firms could reduce the cost by using common parts and components produced in different countries. Another factor is sourcing efficiencies. Global sourcing efficiencies may push multinational firms towards a global strategy. The prices of key resources used in the production process have a strong impact on the cost of the product or service, the cost of inputs depends on the bargaining power of the firm with their suppliers. For example, large firms purchasing large volumes have more clout with their suppliers than their small rivals. Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a good example. In the past, country-level subsidiaries used to solicit bids for insurance coverage independently. Each subsidiary chose the local provider who bid less than the competition. However, HP now belongs to a global insurer-insured pool which provides rebates based on business volume. In addition, as noted earlier, some countries provide a cost advantage because of low cost of raw material, low cost of labour, or low cost of transport because of location. Thus multinational firms locate their activities in different countries to benefit from these advantages. Further, in sectors where transportation cost is low, closeness to customers is not important, and urgency to distribute the product is low, multinational firms tend to concentrate their production in large plants producing large-scale products. Finally, high cost of product development drives multinational firms to focus on core products that have universal appeal to control cost. Government globalization drivers Governments have different policies for different industries. While (as discussed above) the general trend is lower trade barriers and less regulation, for a few sectors trade barriers are prohibitive and highly regulated by governments. In addition to trade barriers and regulations, technical standards are becoming similar around the world. For example, several countries have accepted new international accounting norms and standards. In Europe, the International Accounting Standards (IAS) are quickly becoming the norm. This will allow direct cross-border comparison of financial statements, and facilitate communication between subsidiaries and the centre. Companies like Nokia, the Allianz group, and Novartis are working to bring about a convergence of US accounting standards with IAS. Competitive drivers Because of tight interlinks between key world markets, intense competition across countries, and the continuous increase in the number of global competitors, multinational firms are adopting a globally centred rather than nationally centred strategy. According to George Yip, the increase in interactions between competitors from different countries requires a globally integrated strategy to monitor moves by competitors in different countries. He notes that by pursuing a global strategy, competitors create competitive interdependence among countries. This interdependence forces multinational firms to engage in competitive battles and to subsidize attacks in different countries. Cross-subsidization is only possible if the multinational firm has a global strategy that monitors competitors centrally rather than on a country-by-country basis. Globalized competitors drive industries to adopt a global strategy. Yip noted that when major competitors, especially first movers, use a global strategy to introduce customers to global products, late movers adopt the same strategy so as to achieve economies of scale or scope and other benefits associated with adopting a global strategy. Last, the ability to transfer competitive advantage globally drives multinationals to adopt a global strategy. For example, IKEA succeeded in transferring its locally developed advantage to a global market. Conversely, sectors where the competitive advantage is locally rooted and hard to transfer across countries, multinationals tend to adopt an international strategy rather than a global one. (8) Strategic Management Strategic Management is a term which underlines the importance of managers with regards to the company strategy. Strategy needs to be defined by the people especially the managers who also implement them. Strategic Management involves a greater scope than that of any one area of operational management. It is characterised in way it makes easy for the managers to make decision and judgement based on the conceptualisation of difficult issues. Corporate strategy is defined as the identification of the purpose of the organization and the plans and actions to achieve that purpose. Corporate strategy consist of two main elements: corporate level strategy and business level strategy .See figure 7.0 At Corporate Level: All the decisions need to be taken over what business the company is in or should be in. The culture and leadership of the organization are also important at this broad general level. Corporate strategy is the pattern of major objectives, purpose or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a way as to define what business the company is in or be in and the kind of company it is or be. (9) At Business Level: corporate strategy is more alarmed with the competing for customers, generating value from the resources and the underlying principle of the sustainable competitive advantages of those resources over rival companies. Figure 8.0 The essence of corporate strategy At the individual business level: How do we complete successfully? What is our sustainable competitive advantage? How can we innovate? Who are our customers? What value do we add? At the general corporate level: What business are we in? What business we should be in? What business our basic directions for the future? What is our culture and leadership style? What is our attitude to strategic change? What should it be? What is the purpose of the organization? And what are our strategies to achieve this? (10) The three main areas of strategy At both the levels of corporate strategy every organization has to manage its strategies in three main areas: Organizations internal resources; External environment within the area of organization operates; Organizations ability to add value to its organizations process. Resources Strategy Resources of any organization includes human resource skills, investors and the capital. Organizations need to build a good strategies to optimise the use of the resources. In particular, it is essential to investigate the sustainable competitive advantage that will allow the organization to survive and prosper against competition. Environmental strategy Environment encompasses all the aspect external to the organization itself: not only the economic and political circumstances, which depends place to place but competitors, customers and suppliers, who may vary widely around the world, but also competitors, customers are particularly important here. Hence organizations therefore needs to develop corporate strategies that are best suited to their strengths and weakness in relation to the environment in which they operate. Adding Value Apart from environment and resources organizations still need to add value to the supplies brought into the organization. For long term survival, an organization take their supplies seriously and then deliver its output to its customers. The main purpose of corporate strategy is to make the organization create and add vital values to make sure the organization adapts the changes and continue to add value in future. Core areas of Corporate Strategy There are three core areas of corporate strategy are strategic analysis, strategy development and strategy implementation. Strategic analysis: The organization, its mission and objectives have to be examined and analysed. Corporate strategy provides value for the people involved in the organization, its stakeholders but its the managers who decide the objectives of the organization. They also analyse the resources and examine the objectives as well as the relationship with the environment. Strategy development: A strategy options has to be developed and then the right has to be selected. To be successful, the strategy is build upon a particular skills of the organization and the special relationship that it has or can develop with the other outside suppliers, customers, distributors and government. Strategy implementation: The selected options now has to be implemented and the organization will find many other difficulties in terms of motivation, power relationships, government negotiations, company acquisitions and many other matters. Hierarchical Characteristics of Strategy Strategy can be formulated on three different levels: Corporate level Business unit level Functional or Operational level, While strategy may be about competing and surviving as a rum, one can argue that products, not corporations compete, and products are developed by business units. The role or the corporation then is to manage its business units and products so that each is competitive and so that each continues to corporate purposes. While the corporation must manage its portfolio of businesses to grow and survive, the success of a diversified firm depends upon its ability to manage each of its product lines, While there is no single competition to Textron, we can talk about the competitors and strategy of each of its business units. In the finance business segment, for example, the chief rivals ate major banks providing commercial financing. Many matagers consider the business level to be the proper focus for strategic planning. Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of businesses. It is concerned with: Reach Defining the Issues that are corporate responsibilities; this might include identifying the overall goals of the corporation. The types of businesses In which the corporation should be involved and the way in which businesses will be integrated and managed . Competitive Contact defining where in the corporation competition is to be localized. Take the case of insurance; In the mid-1990s, Aetna as a corporation was clearly identified with its commercial and property casualty insurance products. Managing Activities and Business Interrelationships Corporate strategy seeks to develop synergies by sharing and coordinating staff and other resources across business units. investing financial units across business unit to complement other corporate business unit. Management Practices Corporations decide how business units are to be governed: through direct Corporate intervention (centralization) or through more or less autonomous government (decentralization) that relies on persuasions and rewards. Corporations are responsible for creating value through their businesses. They do so by managing their portfolio of businesses. ensuring that the businesses are successful over the long-term. developing business units. and sometimes ensuring that each business is compatible with others in the portfolio. Business Level Strategy A strategic business unit may be a division, product line, or other profit centre that can be planned independently from the other business units of the firm. At the business unit level. the strategic issues are less about the coordination of operating units and more about developing and sustaining a compititive advantage for the goods and services that are produced. At the business level the strategy formulation phase deals with: positioning the business against rivals anticipating changes in demand and technologies and adjusting the strategy to accommodate them inf1uencing the nature of competition through strategic actions such as vertical integration and through political actions such as lobbying. Functional Level Strategy The functional level of the organization is the level of the operating divisions and departments. The strategic issues at the functional level are related to business processes and the value chain. Functional level strategies in marketing, finance, operations, human resources and RD involve the development and coordination of resources through which business unit level strategies can be executed efficiently and effectively. Functional units of an organization are involved in higher level strategies by providing input into the business unit level and corporate level strategy such as providing information on resources and capabilities on which the higher level strategies can be based. Figure 9.0 Levels of Strategy (10) Global Strategies Global strategies have been deliberately pursued in some industries to integrate worldwide strategy. Essentially, strategy is centralised for the whole world, with an integrated network of production and market positions in all the leading countries on a broadly similar platform. The need for strategic business management planning can be easily understood by the porters diamond model. The diamond model is an economical model developed by Michael Porter in his book The Competitive Advantage of Nations, where he published his theory of why particular industries become competitive in particular locations. The phenomena that are analysed are classified into six broad factors incorporated into the Porter diamond, which has become a key tool for the analysis of competitiveness: Factor conditions are human resources, physical resources, knowledge resources, capital resources and infrastructure. Specialized resources are often specific for an industry and important for its competitiveness. Specific resources can be created to compensate for factor disadvantages. Demand conditions in the home market can help companies create a competitive advantage, when sophisticated home market buyers pressure firms to innovate faster and to create more advanced products that those of competitors. Related and supporting industries can produce inputs which are important for innovation and internationalization. These industries provide cost-effective inputs, but they also participate in the upgrading process, thus stimulating other companies in the chain to innovate. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry constitutes the fourth determinant of competitiveness. The way in which companies are created, set goals and are managed is important for success. But the presence of intense rivalry in the home base is also important; it creates pressure to innovate in order to upgrade competitiveness. Government can influence each of the above four determinants of competitiveness. Clearly government can influence the supply conditions of key production factors, demand conditions in the home market, and competition between firms. Government interventions can occur at local, regional, national or supranational level. Chance events are occurrences that are outside of control of a firm. They are important because they create discontinuities in which some gain competitive positions and some lose. The Porter thesis is that these factors interact with each other to create conditions where innovation and improved competitiveness occurs. (11) Figure 10.0 Porters Diamond Model Government Related and supporting industries Demand Conditions Factor Conditions (11) Conclusion No nonprofit entrepreneur should launch prior to completing a strategic business management planning. This is where entrepreneurs perform the well-known SWOT analysis to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) associated with their nonprofit business proposition. Strengths and weaknesses identify factors that are under their control, such as what they do better or worse than the competition. Opportunities and threats are external or not under their control. For example, an opportunity may be a new foundation looking to fund nonprofit organizations within a specific time frame. A threat may be the lack of philanthropic donations due to a recent tax increase or the reduction of the nonprofit tax deduction. Many nonprofits fail because they fail to complete their SWOT strategic analysis. The strategic planning process depends on the nature and needs of the organization and the its immediate external environment. For example, planning should be carried out frequently in an organization whose products and services are in an industry that is changing rapidly . In this situation, planning might be carried out once or even twice a year and done in a very comprehensive and detailed fashion (that is, with attention to mission, vision, values, environmental scan, issues, goals, strategies, objectives, responsibilities, time lines, budgets, etc). On the other hand, if the organization has been around for many years and is in a fairly stable marketplace, then plann

Neil Postman and The Great Debate of Televised Religion Essay -- Paper

Neil Postman and The Great Debate of Televised Religion Neil Postman states that religion on television is expressed purely as entertainment. He believes that by making religion more entertaining, sacred rituals and traditions are replaced and lost. In his chapter titled â€Å"Shuffle Off to Bethlehem,† Postman describes what he believes to be a fraudulent religious tactic and loss of spirituality through television. Postman also makes a good point when he states that all televised religious matter has been geared purely towards entertainment rather than achieving a real spiritual connection with people. He says it best when he comments, â€Å" Everything that makes religion an historic, profound and sacred human activity is stripped away; there is no ritual, no dogma, no tradition, no theology, and above all, no sense of spiritual transcendence.† I agree with most of his points on this loss of the spiritual connection. Participating in spiritual rituals and traditions, as well as feeling a sense of community, are necessary for worship and cannot be replaced on the T.V. screen. I also agree with Postman that rituals and traditions are lost through television. I know that when I attend church, communion is a very important part of our Sunday. In the Church of Christ, communion is taken every week. I cherish that sacred time and find that I need that tradition to make me feel a spiritual connection. It is not just bread and juice, it is a reminder of a sacrifice that was made for me. Baptism is another ritual that I feel is a sacred event to symbolize your commitment to the Lord. I feel that once you make the commitment to become a Christian, the next step is baptism. I don’t think it is something mandatory for salvation but it jus... ...ide more than a visual image of support and does not come close to providing the emotional support that is needed to get through the trials and tribulations of religion and life. All the sacred rituals and spiritual connections to God and community are aspects of religion that cannot be found on television. In his chapter, â€Å"Shuffle off to Bethlehem,† Postman creates an excellent argument against the secular traditions displayed in televised religion. I agree with his views and feel that religion is something much more demanding and spiritual. It almost seems a responsibility as a Christian to remember that although it is hard to attend all services, God has done more than you could ever repay him for. Attending a real service and worshipping him in person is one small thing you can do to make a big difference in your spiritual connection to the one who created you.

Alcohol and Drinking - Alcoholism :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Alcohol and Alcoholism When people hear the word "drug," they usually think of an illegal substance such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or any other drug that can be found on the street. Most people never consider the fact that consuming alcohol can be just as harmful as illegal drugs, not only on the body, but on the mind and spirit as well (#1). If constantly abused, alcohol can be even worse for one than taking illegal drugs (#5) Irresponsible drinking can destroy a person's life as well as the lives of those around them. When people become both physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol, they become an alcoholic and suffer from a disease called alcoholism. One denotation of this term is "a diseased condition of the system, brought about by the continued use of alcoholic liquors" (Webster's Dictionary, 37). Another definition of this term, given to me by my English professor, Janet Gould who is in fact, a recovering alcoholic, is that alcoholism is a mental dependence and a physical allergy (#3) . Alcoholism somehow affects us all through a parent, sibling, friend, or even personal encounters with a stranger. In fact "alcoholics may become angry and argumentative, quiet and withdrawn, or depressed. They may also feel more anxious, sad, tense, and confused. They then seek relief by drinking more" (Gitlow 175). Alcohol and Alcoholism is a big part in our society, which should be recognized and dealt with. In addition "about 7%" of all adults who consume alcohol in the United States today are considered alcoholics, or have suffered from some sort of drinking problem in their lives (Secretary of health viii). "Although there is no indication of how the alcoholism of families members is linked ... [through genetics], studies show that about 50 to 80 percent of all alcoholics have had a close relative that was an alcoholic" (Caplan 266). Many times alcoholism starts during a person's high school and college years; however some teenagers and young adults frequently abuse alcohol and never think about the physical, mental, and emotional toll that alcohol can have on a person's life (#3). Alcoholism usually begins with social drinking then a person will find excuses to drink more often (Burgess 13). When alcohol is made more readily available to an individual, such as in a college environment, it increases the risk that person will drink excessively (Ewing 173) (#5).

Population: The Growing Problem Essay -- Science Biology Papers

Population: The Growing Problem History of Earth's Population From the beginning of time until 1850, the world population had been steadily growing until it finally reached the point of one billion people. Hurray for our species, we are successful and have been able to make adaptations in order to survive! Then, only 80 years later, the world population doubled to a whopping 2 billion citizens. After that, the doubling time was sliced once again. By 1960, just thirty years later, three billion people called Earth "home." Seventeen year later, in 1977, the world population hit four billion people. In 1986, nine short years later, we reached a population of 5 billion inhabitants. Sometime in the next few years, we are looking at crossing the 6 billion mark (Davidson 1995). The notion, debate, and warning behind overpopulation is nothing new. The theologian Tertullian, in 200 CE, wrote, "What most frequently meets out view (and occasions complaint) is our teeming population." He continued by exclaiming that "[the global population] numbers are burdensome to the world, which can hardly support us." At the time of this statement, the global population totaled a mere 190 million people (Lambert 1995). In 1798, Thomas Robert Malthus, possibly one of the best-known writers and debaters of overpopulation, wrote an essay entitled "Principle of Population." In this composition, Malthus suggested that humankind was, currently and forever more, playing a hopeless game of population vs. natural resources. This game, he continued, would end with a vast number of humans losing the battle. Malthus presented this doomsday scenario of global overpopulation as closely connected with famine and starvation. His belief was that human po... ...9). World population and development. New York: Syracuse University Press. "Ireland." The 1996 grolier multimedia encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Danbury: Grolier, 1996. Lambert, T.A., Olin, J.M, Abernethy, V.D., Barroso, C., Sen, G. (1995). Women and population. Environment, 37, 3. Sanger, M. (1931). My fight for birth control. New York: Maxwell Reprint Company. Sax, K. (1955). The world's exploding population. Boston: Beacon Press. Scanlon, M. (1997, September). The new population bomb. Mother Earth News, 163, 48. Wattenberg, B.J. (1997, November). The population explosion is over. The New York Times Magazine, 60-63. Wilson, E.O. (1992). The diversity of life. Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. World-wide web 1: "United nations population fund moves day of six billion based on new population esitmates." 30 October, 1998.

The story is dated and juvenile

Highpockets, by John Tunis, is a baseball novel, first published by Scholastic Book Services in 1948.It is one of a series of books that Tunis has written on the subject of a fictionalized Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. In this book the title character,   Cecil (Highpockets) McCade is   an unlikable rookie professional ball player in New York City.   He is totally selfish and is not liked by anyone on the team. He does not play for the team.He is only concerned with his own records and his money. He was a poor farm boy from North Carolina, and now that he is in the major leagues and playing in the outfield for a famous and well-loved team he thinks only of how it will profit him. He considers his siblings at home in North Carolina and thinks about how to pay for their schooling as well as pay off the mortgage on his family’s home. No one else matters.Before the end of this book the protagonist, Highpockets McCade, learns the importance of being a team player and that th e praise of your team and friends is much more important than the cheers of the crowd or a good story from a sports writer. The book didn’t change my thoughts much, though I enjoyed the book. It seems to me that the lessons he learned should have been a part of his upbringing and his parents should have instilled better values in him to begin with.The turning point in his life, the incident that causes him to see the light, is an accident involving a boy. It is not McCade’s fault but he becomes friends with the boy and it changes his attitude and his life as he starts to become the team player that his teammates want and need. In a move that is so predicable that it seems right out of Hollywood, his team makes it to the playoffs and he makes the play that wins the game and the pennant. The story is dated and juvenile but has good values and is worth the reading.BibliographyTunis, J.   Highpockets   New York: Scholastic Book Services 1948

Highway traffic operations Essay

Introduction Highway traffic operations are influenced by the behavior of drivers. A highway can be used by a finite number of vehicles, and the driver perceived safe distances between vehicles determine this limit. For a given speed, as distances become shorter, more vehicles can use the highway. Both the volume of drivers choosing to use the highway (demand) and the maximum volume that can be served (supply) depend on driver behavior. Congestion results from too many people attempting to reach their destinations at the same time using the same highways. The combination of demand, capacity, and certain infrastructure features (traffic control devices) determines how drivers perceive the traffic conditions. Transportation agencies strive for economical solutions to congestion that satisfy a majority of highway users. A traffic signal installation is a power-operated device which informs motorists or pedestrians when they have the right of way at a particular intersection. The first traffic signal was installed in London in 1868 and used semaphore ‘arms’ together with red and green gas lamps. Unfortunately, it exploded, putting an end to this sort of control for 50 years. However, in 1918 the first three colored light signals were installed in New York and in 1925 they started to be used in Great Britain. At the beginning of the 1930’s an attempt at making the signals more `intelligent’, or vehicle responsive, was tried in America, using microphones at the side of the road, requiring drivers to sound their horns. This was obviously not too popular and the first traffic detectors – electrical and pneumatic were invented. Traffic signals are now used throughout the world, using the three light signals of Green, red and amber. Also, by convention, these are normally arranged vertically with the red signal at the top and the green light at the bottom. This also helps people who are colour blind – both drivers and pedestrians to identify the differences between the lights. Traffic signals are used at intersections to reduce conflicts to a minimum by time sharing of right of way. This actually reduces the capacity of the intersection, but greatly enhances safety. Conflicts at intersections shows the potential conflict points at the junction of two roads, both with two way traffic flows, at which all crossing and merging movements are permitted. With the provision of traffic signal control the number of potential conflicts can be reduced from 64 to zero. There is no doubt that signals are one of the most powerful tools for urban traffic control available to city authorities and their correct installation can improve both traffic flow and the safety of all road users. In comparison to other traffic improvements, signals are also relatively low capital intensive and in recent years the advancement in informatics and telecommunications has led to a new generation of low cost controllers and systems that have made modern signaling an even more attractive and powerful tool. Essentially, traffic signals form part of the â€Å"software† of a city as opposed to the roads and bridges that are part of it’s â€Å"hardware†. As such they have the advantage of being cheap and often the disadvantage of being so cheap that no local lobby is interested in them, especially when city mayors fail to see the  political advantages in changing an old signal for a new one. It is thus part of the traffic engineer’s task to prove to city authorities that a modern and well designed traffic signal system will bring real and visible benefits to the city. Conflict points at an intersection. HYPOTHESIS Traffic control devices contribute a great deal to accidents that occur in Zambia. GOAL: To Contribute to Reducing the occurrence of accidents in Zambia OBJECTIVES: To improve on the standard of traffic control devices and installations. FINDINGS 1- For each site where traffic signals are being contemplated, it has been discovered that normally adequate data on the traffic flows at the junction is not sufficiently collected. What has been discovered is that the local authority in most cases they do not carry out traffic count surveys as the result, they end up installing traffic lights where they are not needed. Look at figure 1, traffic lights have been introduced at the curve. They could have been placed at more convenient site to avoid accidents with vehicles that may lose breaks and at the same time file to negotiate. 2- Traffic counts are likely to be divided into two types all day counts (normally during 16 hours of a work day) usually mid block on key roads, with the objective of defining the duration of the peak periods and general vehicle composition; and, specific junction counts carried out with the objective of providing the data for evaluation and design of the junctions. Due to not considering conducting traffic surveys the objective is not clearly known hence it was discovered that most of the junctions that houses traffic devices, do not have what is referred to as† BELL MOUTH† to allow safely turning of vehicles, lack of the bell mouth has really resulted into accidents which could have been avoided at design stage. 3- The counts should be made in periods of about 15 minutes, during at least two working days. If the counts are not similar then the counts should be repeated on another working day. A simple 16 hour survey form could look like Specific junction counts are aimed at providing the data for detailed evaluation and design. This has been in most cases overlooked. In line with the same, it was discovered that where the Local Authority ought to provide a road reserve which in most cases have been given out as plots, in some instance the same â€Å"road reserve† can be used for filter lane as the road approaches the junction where traffic devices are installed. Because of that, it was discovered that usually traffic on the sides, would want to find the way out of the unnecessary congestion thereby causing an accident.(see figure 3) 4- Traffic lights not protected. It was discovered that most traffic lights  at the junctions are not secured, they are usually hit by vehicles that have lost breaking system. And again because the Local Authority takes time to repair and replace the affected device, accidents continue to escalate. Traffic lights near chawama pick & pay 5- Sub standard Quality of installation. It was also observed that most of the works are really supervised, hence contractors will normally employ cheap means of achieving the task. 6- Separators towards the junctions (or traffic devices) have been least attended to e.g the one before arcades coming from chelston (unza), many lives have been lost. Other one is the Kerb separator in Ndola along Blantyre avenue as one approaches the traffic lights at Shoprite in town centre , equally, it has not been attended to Last and not the least is the stud separator in Chingola just before Total filling station along Kabundi Road just after Musonko House approximately 250m before traffic lights,this equally is not in good shape hence contributes to accidents that occur at traffic lights. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS For each site where traffic signals are being contemplated it is fundamental to obtain adequate data on the traffic flows at the junction. Normally, surveys should be carried out during the peak hour periods. However, it may be important to have a broad view of the flows in the city throughout a normal working day, especially when Area Traffic Control or linked signaling are being considered, below is the suggested form to be used when carrying out traffic count There is need to construct what may referred to as† BELL MOUTH† to allow safely turning of vehicles, lack of the bell mouth has really resulted into  accidents which could have been avoided at design stage. There is need to protect Traffic lights by introducing steel barriers around the traffic lights, at least 3000mm away from the pole that is carrying traffic light. We cannot bargain with life and so, for the installation of traffic device, there is need for the Government for now to have one project â€Å"Design & install†. This project should be given to a deserving company which should be able to carry out installations and give guarantee in relation to : – (1) Quality,(2)level of accidents. There is need to have highly qualified personnel in Local Authorities so that Quality of work which involves :- installation of traffic lights,separators and generally all road furniture can be attained. This sign and the kerbing segregate vulnerable road users and slow local traffic from higher speed through traffic. Pedestrians clearly feel safe in the segregated lane. There is need for the Local Authority to work in collaboration with RDA. Certain works that are of low standard in towns is due to lack of supervision of the contractor by RDA and Local Authority. Attached as appendices(Apendix A & B ) are the monitoring and evaluation form which can be used for supervision of projects. There is need for the supervising Authority to come up with a Logic Framework which should critically bring out: – Goals, Objectives, measurable indicators, means of verifications and important assumptions.(see below Logic framework) Logic Framework Narrative Summary Measurable indicator Means of verification Important Assumptions Goal-To improve the standard of traffic devices Objectives 1. To have a nation with minimal accidents from the current 80% to 5% by 2020 2. Improve on the functional traffic control devices from the current 40% to 100% by 2020 3. To improve the availability of essential traffic control devices from the current 30% to 100% by 2016 1. % of personnel involved in road accident reduced. 2. % of functional traffic control devices increased. 3. % of essential traffic control devices increased 1. Recorded number of accident in a particular period , taking in consideration the traffic devices 2. Inventory or asset register/and physical check. 3. Stock records of the essential traffic control device. Government commitment, Management will(RDA & Local Authorities) and Commitment, Constant flow of funds from donors Govt commitment to release funds on time  unnecessary. To avoid this problem it is essential that the engineer or traffic department has a clear set of warrants to justify the use of signals. If possible, these warrants should be approved by the local government bodies (elected and executive) so that requests for signals on sites that do not need them can be refused according to pre-discussed rules and not just on the personalized decision of the head of the traffic department. Traffic signals may be justified if, usually two, of the following criteria are present where there is a minimum major-street/minor-street conflicting vehicle volume where there may be need to interrupt continuous flow on the major road to allow traffic to exit from the minor road without excessive delay where a minimum pedestrian volume conflicts with a minimum vehicle volume where a schoolchildren crossing is present where there is a need to maintain progressive movement of vehicles along an otherwise signaled route; and where there is a record of accidents of the type which could be reduced by the use of traffic signals. A rough and ready set of warrants might be: Traffic flows – when there is a minimum of 1000 pcu’s per hour entering the  junction during the peak hours. visibility – when drivers on the minor road have poor visibility for judging gaps. accidents – when three or more accidents (collisions or pedestrians) are registered per year. Figure 2, for example, shows the relationship between major-road/minor-road flows and the type of control recommended at a junction in the UK. For a major road flow of 20,000 pcu’s per day and a minor road flow of 6,000, a roundabout would be a good solution for eliminating the  conflicting traffic movements – if space were available. If, however, the junction is in a built-up area, then traffic signals probably represent the best solution. It should be stressed, however, Monitoring and Evaluation Form appendix â€Å"A† STRATEGIC Objective 1: Local Authority /RDA Intermediate Objective: Activities/Resources Indicators Sources of Data and Collection Methods Frequency of Data Collection Responsible Person(s) & Team Outputs Key Outputs Key Outcomes Definition of Key Outcome Indicators 1) Illustrative Timeline appendix â€Å"B† Activities to Assess Year One Year Two Year Three First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter First Quarter Second Quarter REFERENCES 1. UNIVERSITY OF AFRICA- Road Structure and Traffic Control Device module – 2013 (extract from Road maintenance Hand Book Volume iv). 2. BENT THAGESEN : Highway and traffic engineering in developing countries 3. Cannell, A. E. R. and Kaestner, C. Some Aspects of Area Traffic Control in Semi-Developed Countries. 4. Traffic engineering acrd Control. 1983. Companhia de Engenharia de Transito -CET. 5. Department of Transport. Junction Layout for Control by Traffic Signals. Highway, Safety and Traffic Advice Note TA 6. Gardner, G, Fouracre, P.R. and Jacobs, G.D. Traffic Management. 7. SCOOT: Traffic Responsive Method of Coordinating Signals. TRRL Report 1014. Transport and Road Research 8. Willumsen, L.G. and Coeymans, J.E. Research into the Value of Area Traffic Control Techniques in a Developing Country.