Mental Health The Wondrous Woo - 1843 Words

Mental Health in Carrianne K.Y Leung’s The Wondrous Woo In Carrianne K.Y. Leung’s The Wondrous Woo a large majority of the characters are affected by psychological problems and encounter mental breakdowns. Certain mental health issues are portrayed more openly than others, while others are hinted at, but never entirely developed. Leung’s protagonist Miramar is challenged by eating disorders and her mental health in general, Sophia lies compulsively to make her life seem more appealing to others, while their mother suffers from attacks of paranoia, for which she is hospitalized. Miramar’s love interest in the novel, Mouse, also struggles with his mental health and complex family dynamics. Secondary characters as well suffer from mental†¦show more content†¦Ba’s death may have cause Ma to stop taking her medications regularly, as her caregiver died with Ba, and the children were unaware of the mothers true mental state. Dr. Pang notifies Miramar of her mother’s condition, saying, â€Å"She suffe rs from episodes of panic attacks and depression. The hallucinations may be related to some kind of trauma† (116). It is reasonable to assume that Ma’s hallucinations stem from the death of Ba, which is solidified in the ending of the novel when she visits the intersection where her husband was killed. Although Ma’s mental health issues had been present for longer than her husbands passing, his death definitely amplified her already unstable mental state. Despite the negative aspects of Ba’s death, his love for Chinese New Year brought the family together as a new tradition. However, these New Years celebrations would often end in tension and fights between the children and Ma. Miramar, Sophia and Darwin all lost their father, yet the repercussions seem to more greatly affect Sophia and Miramar, not so much Darwin. All of the children deal with Ba’s death differently, although Sophia and Darwin are given â€Å"gifts† to help them with the process. With Darwin’s gift of music, he is able to travel to London, England and avoid truly grieving his father’s death. Sophia becomes a math genius at McGill, but still struggles with the loss of her father and acts out by fighting with MaShow MoreRelatedIn Carrianne K.Y. Leung’S The Wondrous Woo A Large Majority1991 Words   |  8 PagesIn Carrianne K.Y. Leung’s The Wondrous Woo a large majority of the characters are affected by psychological pro blems and encounter mental breakdowns. Certain mental health issues are portrayed more openly than others, while others are hinted at, but never entirely developed. Leung’s protagonist Miramar is challenged by eating disorders and her mental health in general, Sophia lies compulsively to make her life seem more appealing to others, while their mother suffers from attacks of paranoia andRead MoreReading Has Many Benefits1604 Words   |  7 Pagescollection - book are a source of knowledge, spending money to acquire them is not a waste, it is a form of investment EXAMPLE 2 Good Health The one thing everybody should value the most is good health. No matter how rich, intelligent and powerful a man is, he cannot be happy if his health is poor. Good health is the best wealth. In order to keep ourselves in good health, we should eat balanced meals, maintain cleanliness, exercise regularly and keep away from unhealthy habits. What are balanced meals

Performance and Bonus Systems

Question: Discuss about SWOT analysis and identification of HRM issues, comparison of incentive schemes and dispute resolution. Answer: Introduction The aim of this paper is to implement human resource practices for resolving disputes in Foundry AB Ltd. The organization is located in Dunedin of New Zealand. The organization has taken a strategic decision of introducing a bonus scheme for the manufacture of a high-quality, high-value product. However, the organization faces negotiation from both management and the Engineers Union. AB Ltd was formed as a merger between Foundry A Ltd and Foundry B Ltd. Both the companies continued manufacturing their own products such as rollers for generators and conveyor belts with iron casting. Both markets experienced recession but there were no redundancies. Both organizations have different working culture due to which Company A was in constant conflict with the unions. White-collar staffs in both plants are not paid bonuses. The management pointed out that the productivity increased by 110 percent, wage increased by 30 percent and no employee lost their job due to changed working practices. T he company introduced two incentive schemes namely, 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Scheme for Repair Welders and 50/100 Geared Incentive Scheme for Fabrication welders. However, the management intended that the fabrication welders would be paid only the basic rate for working on rejected castings. There was a conflict in the organization as the welders received a temporary fixed rate of $20 per hour and they wanted a fixed rate of $25 per hour. The employees wanted to negotiate and commented that all incentive schemes in both works should operate on an individual basis. Firstly, this paper conducts internal analysis and identifies human resource management issues. Then, a discussion is made for a comparison between 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Scheme and 50/100 Geared Incentive Scheme. Lastly, strategies that could help in resolving disputes are determined. SWOT Analysis and Identification of HRM Issues Strengths Foundry A Ltd and B Ltd merged together to for Foundry AB Ltd. The company went through change management but they did not experience any redundancies from the merger despite poor market structure and recession. It can be inferred that the management structure of the organization is well-managed and stable as it stayed profitable even in recession. Sometimes redundancy leads to reduction in pay, unemployment and various other challenges. But, the management frequently pointed out that productivity had increased by 110 per cent, wages had risen by 30 per cent, and no one lost their job, as a result of the changed working practices. Weaknesses The production-process faced defects and the castings required rectification. The rectification could be achieved through repair welding. All repair welders, in common with the other production operators, are paid a basic rate per hour excluding bonus payments, and cannot be lowered under the existing employment contract. The two companies have different working cultures even though they formed a merger. Foundry A Ltd production employees had operated under bonus incentive conditions for many years, both prior to and since the merger. Bs management ran a family-style of operation, whereas As executives were in constant conflict with the unions. Opportunities A lucrative opportunity has emerged for B in the shape of high-quality fabricated castings. There is a new demand for fabricated products that can only be produced by welding castings together. There is a great demand for their high-quality welding skills in the North Island and Australia. The company can gain competitive advantage by meeting the demands of consumers. The fabrication castings can be exported and excellent profitability can be earned if the rejection rate is below 2 per cent and welders achieve standard performance. With greater profitability, the market share and financial structure of the company can be improved. Threats Due to market fluctuations and recession, the demand in North Island and Australia could decline. The company could go into losses as the purchasing power of the clients in these countries shall be reduced. There is a chance of over-production (Elsby, Hobijn and Ã…Å ¾ahin 2015). There is a threat of strike or lockout by the employees (Lee 2011). The HRM director informed the Engineers Union yesterday that he was giving the fabrication welders four weeks notice of termination of their temporary fixed rate of $20 per hour: they would revert to their basic rate of $15 and not get bonuses until the incentive scheme was up and running. District basic rates for repair welders varied between $12 and $19 per hour. In an immediate reaction, the Engineers Union called a mass meeting of workers in both plants, which intimated to management that industrial action would commence in all production areas, unless the welders demands were met. HRM Issues The organization faces conflict as the Engineers Union and the management want negotiation for incentive scheme. The management introduced incentive schemes into all production areas in B, despite much strife. There is strong support among the workforce for the Union. The Engineers Union proved an able negotiator in the past, particularly in the B plant. Fabrication welders told their union officials they were rejecting the fabrication welding incentive scheme, and instead wanted a fixed rate of $25 per hour. They further commented that all incentive schemes in both works should operate on an individual basis. There is a great demand for their high-quality welding skills in the North Island and Australia. District basic rates for repair welders varied between $12 and $19 per hour. Therefore, the HRM director informed the Engineers Union yesterday that he was giving the fabrication welders four weeks notice of termination of their temporary fixed rate of $20 per hour: they would revert to their basic rate of $15 and not get bonuses until the incentive scheme was up and running. In an immediate reaction, the Engineers Union called a mass meeting of workers in both plants, which intimated to management that industrial action would commence in all production areas, unless the welders demands were met. Comparison of Incentive Schemes According to the case study, Foundry AB Ltd made a strategic decision to introduce a bonus incentive scheme for the manufacture of a high-quality, high-value product. Standard performance is known as the level of performance in which a qualified worker who is suitably trained and motivated, taking appropriate rest would work for a shift of eight hours without over-exertion. The standard time involves an allowance for rest and relaxation. Two schemes were introduced known as the 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Scheme and 50/100 Geared Incentive Scheme. The bonus in both the schemes shall be supplemented above the basic rate. In the 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Scheme, the minimum wage is paid to the workers up to 75 percent of the standard performance. They are also paid for the unmeasured portion of the time. The incentive increases on a linear basis or proportionate to the performance for more than 75 per cent performance level (Singh 2016). The incentive payment is directly proportional to the performance. There is no ceiling limit on the bonus earning potential of employees. For instance, if basic rate is paid at 75 percent performance, then the earnings shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis for other levels of performance. The minimum earning level is considered as a fall- back at performance (Acas.org.uk 2016). According to the human resources, this scheme is beneficial for the employees (Singh 2016). Foundry AB Ltd provisionally agreed with the Engineers Union that fabrication welding would carry a temporary fixed-rate pay rate of $20 per hour, irrespective of output, pending work measurement times becoming available for use in the introduction of a 50/100 Geared Incentive Scheme. This scheme is different from the 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Scheme as this arrangement is not directly related to the results achieved (Singh 2016). A proportionate increase in performance shall give a less than a proportionate increase in pay, subject to a bonus starting performance of above 50. The basic rate is paid up to performance and standard performance gives 33.33 per cent increase in pay (Singh 2016). As seen in the 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Scheme, in this arrangement too there is no ceiling limit on the bonus earnings potential of employees. This scheme may give relief to low performance worker but the high performance workers would receive less incentive (Acas.org. uk 2016). Dispute Resolution As stated in the case study, the organization has reached impasse. Impasse is a stage in which the situation to progress is impossible. An impasse occurs when it is impossible to reach an agreement on all of some of the bargaining proposals because the parties are so far apart in their expectations and requests. There is resistance between the Union and management as the Engineers Union called a mass meeting of workers in both plants, which intimated to management that industrial action would commence in all production areas, unless the welders demands were met (Hrcouncil.ca 2016). As a human resource manager, I would look things from a different perspective. Firstly, I shall ask the parties to set the issue aside and focus on work. As the employees are not ready to commence production, they shall be convinced to not stop production. Both the parties must be asked to explain their perspective (Hrcouncil.ca 2016). Collective bargaining can be used as a strategy to resolve dispute. The employer must respect the statutory freeze period and cannot change the terms and conditions of employment for its employees until an agreement has been reached voluntarily, until there is a lockout or strike, or pursuant to the arbitration provisions in the legislation (Hrcouncil.ca 2016). As soon as a union represents the employee, the employee and the employer cannot negotiate with each other over individual terms and conditions of employment. The union is the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for the employees it represents. The employer must deal with the appointed union rep resentatives. The parties should be aware that, even though the collective agreement is silent about a legal right or obligation, that right or obligation is not eliminated (Hrcouncil.ca 2016). Respect is the key to successful relationship between the union and employer. The management must understand the needs of employees. Both the parties must acknowledge the rights and obligations. The management must understand that the employees have the right to call out for strikes without getting influenced by the employer. The management must treat all employees fairly (Hrcouncil.ca 2016). As the matter has reached an impasse, then third parties can be used for help. Both parties should work toward establishing and fostering a two-way communication system. They should not only come together to resolve a dispute (Hrcouncil.ca 2016). Conclusion The above report implements human resource practices for resolving disputes in Foundry AB Ltd. Both organizations have different working culture due to which Company A was in constant conflict with the unions. The production-process faced defects and the castings required rectification. The rectification could be achieved through repair welding. Bs management ran a family-style of operation, whereas As executives were in constant conflict with the unions. A lucrative opportunity has emerged for B in the shape of high-quality fabricated castings. Standard performance is known as the level of performance in which a qualified worker who is suitably trained and motivated, taking appropriate rest would work for a shift of eight hours without over-exertion. There is a great demand for their high-quality welding skills in the North Island and Australia. The company can gain competitive advantage by meeting the demands of consumers. As seen in the 75/100 Straight Proportional Incentive Schem e, in this arrangement too there is no ceiling limit on the bonus earnings potential of employees. A proportionate increase in performance shall give a less than a proportionate increase in pay, subject to a bonus starting performance of above 50. This scheme may give relief to low performance worker but the high performance workers would receive less incentive. There is resistance between the Union and management as the Engineers Union called a mass meeting of workers in both plants, which intimated to management that industrial action would commence in all production areas, unless the welders demands were met. References Acas.org.uk, 2016.Pay systems - Appendix: Examples of some commonly used schemes | Acas. [online] Acas.org.uk. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=740 [Accessed 23 May 2016]. Elsby, M., Hobijn, B. and Ã…Å ¾ahin, A., 2015. On the importance of the participation margin for labor market fluctuations.Journal of Monetary Economics, 72, pp.64-82. Hrcouncil.ca, 2016.HR in a Unionized Workplace | HR Policies Employment Legislation | HR Toolkit | hrcouncil.ca. [online] Hrcouncil.ca. Available at: https://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/policies-unionized-environment.cfm [Accessed 23 May 2016]. Lee, G., 2011.Labor relations. New York: Avalon Books. Singh, L., 2016.Work study and ergonomics. Delhi: Cambridge University Press.

Battleship Potemkin

Battleship Potemkin Introduction Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 film Battleship Potemkin represents a classical example of formalist editing in cinematography. According to most well-known enthusiasts of this style of editing, such as Pudovkin and Eisenstein himself, the semantic significance of film’s mise en scene should not be dialectically explored but rather constructed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Battleship Potemkin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Both individuals tended to perceive the process of movie’s editing as being similar to the process of composing music – just as composer constructs a melody out of individually sounding and often dissonant musical notes, film’s director endows a particular scene with semiotic significance by the mean of providing scene’s takes with contextual wholesomeness. While outlining the essence of formalist editing, Gianetti (2001) states: â€Å"The envir onment of the scene is the source of the images. Long shots are rare. Instead, a barrage of close-ups (often of objects) provides the audience with the necessary associations to link together the meaning† (p. 157). Given the fact that Eisenstein never ceased being closely affiliated with promotion of Communist agenda, it comes as not a particular surprise that he had chosen in favor of formalist editing – by juxtaposing scenes’ seemingly unrelated shots, he was able to endow his films with clearly defined ideological sounding. In the same book from which we have already quoted, Gianetti provides us with the insight onto the actual technique of Eisenstein’s style of editing: â€Å"The conflict of two shots (thesis and antithesis) produces a wholly new idea (synthesis). Thus, in film terms, the conflict between shot A and shot B is not AB but a qualitatively new factor- C† (p. 158). In the next part of this paper, we will explore how Eisenstein went a bout applying the methods of formalist editing in Battleship Potemkin at length. Analytical part Even the very beginning of Battleship Potemkin is being perfectly illustrative of how the utilization of formalist editing in film can achieve a strong dramatic effect. At first, there is a take of battleship’s physician wearing a monocle, meant to emphasize his association with the class of bourgeoisie (00.05.43). After that, follows the shot of maggots crawling all over the piece of meat, which was supposed to serve ship’s sailors as food (00.05.45). After having exposed viewers to this take for a while, Eisenstein sharply replaces it with the shot of angry expression on sailors’ faces (00.05.60). It is needless to mention, of course, that from purely semantic perspective, the sequence of these shots does not make much of a sense.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mo re Nevertheless, after having watched this particular scene, viewers quite unintentionally get to absorb the idea that Eisenstein wanted them to absorb – namely, the fact that, while serving in Russian Imperial Fleet, sailors used to be subjected to a number of different abuses, which had prompted them to revolt. Just as it is being often the case with today’s TV commercials, the main idea that combined earlier mentioned shots into something that conveyed cognitively recognizable ideological message, only existed in director’s imagination. And, it is namely the fact that Eisenstein was a master of psychological manipulation, which had allowed him to impose his obscure and morally repugnant ideas upon viewers as representing some objective value. Another clue as to the actual essence of Eisenstein’s formalist editing can be found in the scene where revolutionary speakers address angry mob (00.41.32 – 00.42.19). Given the fact that Battleship Potemkin is a silent movie, exposing viewers to the sight of crazed revolutionaries encouraging marginalized crowds to kill nobles, while intensely gesturing, making angry faces and spewing saliva, during the course of the process, does not appear rationally motivated – after all, there is no sound in the movie. Nevertheless, by having this particular scene presented in his film, Eisenstein did not aim at subjecting viewers to Communist propaganda per se, but rather at making them cognitively comfortable with this propaganda as a concept, because on subconscious level, people tend to associate emotional intensity with intellectual honesty. In other words, just as it is being the case with the shots of maggots crawling over the piece of meat, the shots of hook-nosed political activists instigating ‘proletarians’ to overthrow Czar had served the cause of psychological manipulation, on director’s part – a clearly formalist editing technique. Neverthel ess, it is specifically the scene of czarist police shooting at civilians in Odessa, which provides us with the full understanding of how the utilization of formalist editing had helped Battleship Potemkin to attain a cult status. After police fires a salvo at demonstrators, we get to watch the following sequence of structurally unrelated takes: people running down the ‘Potemkin stairs’ (00.49.23), some kids laying on these stairs and crying, while being stepped upon (00.50.08), a bug-eyed woman experiencing an emotional distress (00.50.12), the older woman making jesters with her hands (00.51.18), one-legged man maneuvering through the running people on his crutches (00.51.48), police officers firing another salvo (00.51.51), woman with a baby in her hands catching the bullet (00.52.53), people running again in a chaotic manner (00.53.07), and finally the baby-carriage with a baby rolling down the stairs on its own (00.54.57), with this shot climaxing the whole scene.A dvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Battleship Potemkin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apparently, Einstein was well aware of the fact that, even though the scenes of police shooting at civilians do not occur very often in reality, his depiction of such a scene nevertheless would be perceived by viewers as perfectly plausible, due to its strongly defined emotional undertones. In their turn, these undertones had been brought about by director’s mastery in utilization of formalist editing. Conclusion Even though that in ‘artsy’ circles, the application of formalist editing in cinematography is being often considered as the only appropriate, due to such editing’s ‘sophistication’, the majority of movie goers do not subscribe to this point of view. And, this has nothing to do with their lessened intellectual abilities, as is being implied by enthusiasts of ‘auteur’ genr e in cinematography, but simply with the fact that this style of editing does not correspond to the linearly defined workings of Westerners’ psyche. In formalistically edited movie, there is very little of an actual movie, but mostly theory. The watching of Einstein’s Battleship Potemkin is like observing Malevich’s Black Square painting – without having been introduced to both individuals’ highly irrational and superficially sophisticate life-philosophies, it would prove quite impossible to define the actual significance of their cinematographic/artistic creations’ themes and motifs, if we assume that they do exist. As Gianetti had put it: â€Å"Eisensteins theories of collision montage have been explored primarily in the avant-garde cinema, music videos, and TV commercials. Most fiction film ­makers have found them too intrusive and heavy-handed† (p. 168). Thus, even though in Battleship Potemkin Einstein did succeed with providin g an emotional appeal to the Communist cause, he nevertheless had failed in making this particular movie watchable – after all, viewers do not particularly enjoy the feeling of being intellectually manipulated by the mean of being forced to accept director’s own ideological agenda as representing an undeniable truth-value. References Gianetti, L. (2001). Understanding movies. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Biography of Numa Pompilius, Roman King

Biography of Numa Pompilius, Roman King Numa Pompilius (c. 753–673 BCE) was the second king of Rome. He is credited with establishing a number of notable institutions, including the temple of Janus. Numas predecessor was Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. Fast Facts: Numa Pompilius Known For: According to legend, Numa was the second king of Rome.Born: c. 753 BCEDied: c. 673 BCE Early Life According to ancient scholars, Numa Pompilius was born on the very day that Rome was founded- April 21, 753 BCE. Little else is known about his early life. Some 37 years after the founding of Rome, Romulus- the kingdoms first ruler- disappeared in a thunderstorm. The patricians, the Roman nobility, were suspected of having murdered him until Julius Proculus informed the people that he had had a vision of Romulus, who said that he had been taken up to join the gods and was to be worshiped under the name Quirinus. Rise to Power There was considerable unrest between the original Romans and the Sabines- who had joined them after the city was founded- over who would be the next king. For the time being, it was arranged that the senators should each rule with the kings powers for a period of 12 hours until some more permanent solution could be found. Eventually, they decided that the Romans and Sabines should each elect a king from the other group, i.e., the Romans would elect a Sabine and the Sabines a Roman. The Romans were to choose first, and their choice was the Sabine Numa Pompilius. The Sabines agreed to accept Numa as the king without bothering to elect anyone else, and a deputation from both Romans and Sabines went off to tell Numa of his election. Numa did not even live in Rome; he resided in a nearby town called Cures. He was the son-in-law of Tatius, a Sabine who had ruled Rome as joint king with Romulus for a period of five years. After Numas wife died, he had become something of a recluse and was believed to have been taken by a nymph or nature spirit as a lover. When the delegation from Rome came, Numa refused the position of king at first but was later talked into accepting it by his father and Marcius, a relative, and some of the local people from Cures. They argued that left to themselves the Romans would continue to be just as warlike as they had been under Romulus and it would be better if the Romans had a more peace-loving king who could moderate their bellicosity or, if that proved to be impossible, at least direct it away from Cures and the other Sabine communities. Kingship Having agreed to accept the position, Numa left for Rome, where his election as king was confirmed by the people. Before he finally accepted, however, he insisted on watching the sky for a sign in the flight of birds that his kingship would be acceptable to the gods. Numas first act as king was to dismiss the guards Romulus had always kept around. To achieve his aim of making the Romans less bellicose, he diverted the peoples attention by leading religious spetacles- processions and sacrifices- and by terrifying them with accounts of strange sights and sounds, which were supposedly signs from the gods. Numa instituted priests (flamines) of Mars, of Jupiter, and of Romulus under his heavenly name of Quirinus. He also added other orders of priests: the pontifices, the salii, and the fetiales, and the vestals. The pontifices were responsible for public sacrifices and funerals. The salii were responsible for the safety of a shield which had allegedly fallen from the sky and was paraded around the city each year accompanied by the salii dancing in armor. The fetiales were peacemakers. Until they agreed that it was a just war, no war could be declared. Originally Numa instituted two vestals, but he later increased the number to four. The main duty of the vestals, or vestal virgins, was to keep the sacred flame alight and to prepare the mixture of grain and salt used in public sacrifices. Reforms Numa distributed the land conquered by Romulus to poor citizens, hoping that an agricultural way of life would make the Romans more peaceful. He would inspect the farms himself, promoting those whose farms looked well cared for and admonishing those whose farms showed signs of laziness. People still thought of themselves first as original Romans or Sabines, rather than citizens of Rome. To overcome this division, Numa organized the people into guilds based on the occupations of their members. In Romulus time, the calendar had been fixed at 360 days to the year, but the number of days in a month greatly varied. Numa estimated the solar year at 365 days and the lunar year at 354 days. He doubled the difference of eleven days and instituted a leap month of 22 days to come between February and March (which was originally the first month of the year). Numa made January the first month, and he may have added the months of January and February to the calendar as well. The month of January is associated with the god Janus, the doors of whose temple were left open in times of war and closed in times of peace. In Numas reign of 43 years, the doors remained closed, a record for Rome. Death When Numa died at over the age of 80 he left a daughter, Pompilia, who was married to Marcius, the son of the Marcius who had persuaded Numa to accept the throne. Their son, Ancus Marcius, was 5 years old when Numa died, and he later became the fourth king of Rome. Numa was buried under the Janiculum together with his religious books. In 181 BCE, his grave was uncovered in a flood but his coffin was found to be empty. Only the books, which had been buried in a second coffin, remained. They were burnt on the recommendation of the praetor. Legacy Much of the story of Numas life is pure legend. Still, it seems likely that there was a monarchical period in early Rome, with the kings coming from different groups: Romans, Sabines, and Etruscans. It is rather less likely that there were seven kings who reigned in a monarchical period of approximately 250 years. One of the kings may have been a Sabine called Numa Pompilius, though we may doubt that he instituted so many features of the Roman religion and calendar or that his reign was a golden age free from strife and warfare. But that the Romans believed that it was so is a historical fact. The story of Numa was part of the founding myth of Rome. Sources Grandazzi, Alexandre.  The Foundation of Rome: Myth and History. Cornell University Press, 1997.Macgregor, Mary.  The Story of Rome, from the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus. T. Nelson, 1967.

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

Business law - Essay Example The faculty chair of the department of economics at the University of Iceland, Gylfi Zoega, justifies the practice by recapping that it was a universal problem. â€Å"In New York, you have the same problem, right?† The actors use the utilitarian philosophy to vindicate their actions. The utilitarian philosophy holds that actions are rational if they result to a ‘summum bonum’, the greatest good and a happy end to a greater number. It contravenes the hedonistic approach where an individual acts for their own good and happiness. The revolving door, from a utilitarian perspective could be beneficial to both the private and government sector. For instance, former industry executives bring their rich knowledge and vast proficiency to the private segment and secure the private segment support needed in formulation and implementation of government policies. The former executives further would have sufficient influence over important individuals in government positions thus making it easy for firms to lobby for auspicious state policies and protocols. Moreover, former executives acquired jobs, power and influence and Charles Ferguson presents this as a beneficial approach to the financial crisis that was threatening to engulf America. The predominant notion is that allowing executives to switch positions was at the best interest the public; in reality, this was far from the veracity. However, the utilitarian approach to the revolving door issue was quite imprudent since utilitarianism justifies overlooking or minimization of widely embraced principles and justice in the formulation of ethical decisions. Instead, the actors should have framed their actions to be in line with the deontological philosophy and rights-based philosophy which could have led to the production of a fairly acceptable and justified movie. The deontological philosophy

Group Geospatial Revolution Videos Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Group Geospatial Revolution Videos - Assignment Example Alternatively, geographical or geospatial information systems describes the different technologies, methods and processes used to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in organizations. From the foregone discussion, it is evident that organizations strive at increasing efficiency and effectiveness in their operations. This same motivation has motivated Portland City to create some technologies, methods and processes that can be used to enhance their service operation. This has been motivated by the fact that GIS systems area cost effectiveness; additionally, they improve different functions in the city, something that increases the city’s potential to attract investors. The city has employed various professionals that have been doing their best in order to ensure that the city improves its practices. The incorporation of GIS in the city’s operations has increased job opportunities for many people that have continued to enjoy the improved services in the city. For this reason, the city needs to create goals and objectives that can be helpful in the achievement of the mission and vision statements in the city. However, the goals and objectives for the city’s GIS can only be derived from its mission and vision statements. It is important to note that a vision statement refers to the future picture or impression that an organizations develops for its for its practices. In this case, the vision statement for Portland City provides the picture of the city in its future as far as GIS systems are concerned and looks as follows; â€Å"To have a city that has effective and efficient services so that city residents and other investors can enjoy the lucrative investment opportunities. The city is thus positioned to become the centre for innovations and inventions that enhance people’s social and economic functions and processes.† The mission statement

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Example for Free

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes is a thought-provoking, often amusing collection of stories from within jazz’s inner circles, told by and about some of the genre’s leading figures. While not a history of jazz, it gives readers some insights to how jazz artists worked, lived, bonded, and coped with an America in which many were still outsiders. The book’s forty-three chapters (expanded from the original 1990 edition) describe the life jazz musicians shared, offering insights into a rather exclusive, unconventional circle of performing artists. The numerous anecdotes are categorized by chapters, gathering related tales and moving from a general overview of jazz life to anecdotes about individuals, like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman. Essentially, Crow creates a context in which jazz musicians lived, and then places individual musicians within it, giving readers a better understanding of how they functioned in this rarified climate. For example, the volume opens with â€Å"Wild Scenes,† which Crow says describes how â€Å"the individuality of jazz musicians combines with the capricious world in which they try to make a living† (Crow 3). The brief chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, giving glimpses of the unconventional world jazz musicians inhabited (which explains to some degree their relationship to society at large). â€Å"The Word ‘Jazz’† contains attempts to explain the origins of the genre’s name, and â€Å"Inventions† offers accounts of how certain innovations occurred (such as Dizzy Gillespie’s distinctive bent trumpet), giving the reader a sense of history though the work is not an orthodox history per se. Many of the stories contained in Jazz Anecdotes convey the musicians’ camaraderie and warmth toward each other, as well as each other’s idiosyncrasies. Others convey how difficult and often arbitrary the jazz lifestyle often was. â€Å"Hiring and Firing† demonstrates how unstable many musicians’ careers were, rife with disputes over money or dismissals for their personal quirks. (For example, Count Basie fired Lester Young for refusing to participate in recording sessions occurring on the 13th of any month. ) â€Å"Managers, Agents, and Bosses† offers a glimpse into the seamier underside of jazz, where dishonest managers and mobsters often trapped jazz performers in unfair contracts or worse. Though jazz musicians appear to inhabit a special world, Crow does not discuss jazz in a social vacuum, tying it to social phenomena like race relations. In â€Å"Prejudice,† the tales take a more serious tone by showing how black jazz artists faced abundant racism, particularly in the South. However, Crow notes that â€Å"Jazz helped to start the erosion of racial prejudice in America . . . [because] it drew whites and blacks together into a common experience† (Crow 148). Jazz artists dealt with racism in various ways – Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday stood up to it while Zutty Singleton accepted it. Meanwhile, even white musicians like Stan Smith angered both races – whites for performing with blacks, and blacks for â€Å"intruding on their music† (Crow 152). The final chapters focus on individual artists, illustrating the greats’ personalities. Louis Armstrong emerges as earthy and good-hearted; Bessie Smith as strong and willful but ultimately self-destructive; Fats Waller is an impish pleasure-seeker given to excellent music but poor business decisions; and Benny Goodman as gifted but tight-fisted and controlling. Taken as a whole, Jazz Anecdotes offers a look at jazz’s human side, including its foibles, genius, camaraderie, crookedness, and connection to an American society from which it sometimes stood apart. Its legendary figures are depicted as gifted, devoted artists who enjoyed hedonism, companionship, and particularly independence. If any single thing stands out in this book, it is the latter; for the figures in this work, jazz meant creativity and freedom, which they pursued with equal vigor and vitality. Crow, Bill. Jazz Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.