Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Blast in Centralia Essays

The Blast in Centralia Essays The Blast in Centralia Paper The Blast in Centralia Paper Those alternatives included focusing on; the lack f efficient timing in responding to recommendations, the lack of follow through in holding some entity responsible when those recommendations did not get addressed, the lack of setting professional boundaries between the owners of the Centralia Coal Mine No. 5 and government officials, and the lack of accountability on the managerial staff at the coal mine. I will also briefly address Scandals motivation towards the Constitution and bureaucracy. The Centralia Mine No. 5 , South of Centralia, Illinois, opened in 1907. Producing up to 2,000 tons per day this medium- mall mine had about 250 hardworking men to get the job done. According to there hadnt been many deaths compared to other coal mines, but that No. 5 was always dusty and dry. There seemed to be a great deal of non-compliance with the mining laws based on Scandals observations and recommendations. The first alternative that he could have focused on as the mine Inspector was why there was a time lag In response to the recommendations he made. Martin tells us there were a total of thirteen letters based on the reports of Scandal and no evidence that the coal company even responded. This went on for about three years and the coal company was never closed down based on the fact that the recommendations for improvements were never addressed. How could so much time elapse without someone being held responsible for not following the mining laws? Scandal continued his routine Inspections and often found the mine In worse condition than the previous time. With this continuing there was only a matter of time before the something was predestined to happen. Now focusing on the alternative that someone should be held responsible, Manager Brown never offered a plan on how e could assist in getting the mine up to code. He never advocated for his employees nor challenged the horrible working conditions that ultimately led to their demise. Scandal also had the authority to close the mine down if it had persisting violations which It did. He worried about losing his Job If he decided to close the mine which proved to be a selfish move. He did however have to consult with the mining board if he felt as though he needed to close the mine and Robert Weir had already commented that We honestly didnt think the mine was dangerous enough to close. Why did Scandal accept this? He deemed the mine dangerous on all of his inspections but yet it remained open. This brings us to the next alternative Scandal could have focused on which was the professional boundaries not set between the government McCall Ana ten coal milling company Itself surely tense violations Tanat were found by Scandal didnt suddenly appear overnight when he became the inspector. Who was the inspector before and why hadnt they reported this en ormous amount of violations and why hadnt they taken action to rectify the issues? The mining union even wrote a letter to Governor Green begging for help to enforce the inning laws and protect their lives. Governor Green promised during his campaign that he would enforce the mining laws to the letter of the law but when the miners needed him he wasnt there for them. Did the Governor have a personal interest in the mining company? Scandal appointed by Governor Green never lost focus of his job as the mine inspector as so many other inspectors had. Some inspectors would do their reports in the mining office and it was even rumored that at times the inspectors would have drinks with the company owners. This showed in no way a noonday between the government officials and the owners. These inspectors clearly had an agenda and it wasnt to protect the miners. The last alternative Scandal could have focused on was the lack of accountability on the managerial staff at the mine company. I briefly touched on Manager Brown earlier in this paper, but he did not in my opinion look out for the best interest of the miners who worked very hard on a day to day basis. He looked out for the interest of the mining company and couldnt see past the money that was being made for the company by the dedicated miners. Brown responded to some of the requests by saying that some of the miners were older and didnt want to work the extra hours to fix the concerns. This was certainly a lot to ask of the miners, but why couldnt they fix these concerns during there regular work hours? Scandals motivation towards the Constitution should have been to save these workers from what seemed to be a disaster that was coming anytime soon. Unfortunately, Scandal, as a public administrator didnt hold his responsibility to the public because he did not do everything is his power to close down the mine.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Comparative and Superlatives for Beginners

Comparative and Superlatives for Beginners The comparative and superlative forms in English compare and contrast different objects in English.   Basketball is more exciting than golf.That house is bigger than mine. Our friends have the nicest dog in the town.She is the happiest person I know. Comparative Form   Use the comparative form to show the difference between two objects. Examples: New York is more exciting than Seattle.His car is faster than Dougs.Mary is happier than Anna.   1 syllable adjective + -er She is faster than Mary. 2 + syllables more + adjective Jack is more handsome than Jerry. 2 syllables ending in -y drop -y from adjective +-ier That joke was funnier than mine. Comparative Form Comparative Form Explained One Syllable Adjectives Add -er to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a vowel) remove the y from the adjective and add ier Examples:  Ã‚  slow - slower / high - higher This book is cheaper than that book.Tom is smarter than Derrick.   Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y Drop -y and add -ier to two syllable adjectives ending in -y. Note adjectives ending in -y that are three syllables or more take more rather than -ier.   Example:  happy - happier / funny - funnier I am happier than you.That joke was funnier than his joke. Two, Three or More Syllable Adjectives place more before the adjective Examples:  interesting - more interesting / difficult - more difficult London is more expensive than Madrid.This test is more difficult than the last test. Here is another chart showing how to construct the  comparative form  in English.   Superlative Form Use the superlative form when speaking about three or more objects to show which object is the most of something. Examples: New York is the most exciting city in the USA.Peter is the luckiest guy in the world.Thats the cleanest bathroom Ive ever seen! 1 syllable the + adjective + add -est That's the tallest building in New York. 2+ syllables the most + adjective Alice is the most interesting woman I've ever met. 2 syllables ending in -y drop -y from adjective +-iest Peter is the funniest guy in my class. Superlative Form Superlative Form Explained One Syllable Adjectives Place the before the adjective and add -est to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a vowel) Example: cheap - the cheapest / hot - the hottest / high - the highest Today is the hottest day of the summer.This book is the cheapest I can find. Two, Three or More Syllable Adjectives Place the most before the adjective Example: interesting - the most interesting / difficult - the most difficult London is the most expensive city in England.That is the most beautiful painting here. Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y place the before the adjective and remove the y from the adjective and add iest Example: happy - the happiest / funny - the funniest New York is the noisiest city in the USA.He is the most important person I know. Here is a chart showing how to construct the  superlative form  in English: Important Exceptions There are some important exceptions to these rules! Here are two of the most important exceptions: good good - adjectivebetter - comparativethe best - superlative This book is better than that one.This is the best school in the city. bad bad - adjectiveworse - comparativethe worst - superlative His French is worse than mine.This is the worst day of my life. Teachers can use this comparative and superlative lesson plan to teach these forms to learners. Start from the basics.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

NO TOPIC JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NO TOPIC JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - Dissertation Example It is one’s contention that the change was managed successfully paving the way for various suppliers and customers to take advantage of advanced communication, computer, and mobile services at increasing volume and decreasing costs. Despite the efficiency and success of contemporary organizations in the industry, future challenges come in terms of continued reliability and sustainability of the system as well as controls in costs of both telecommunications equipment and services. Discussion Question 2: The force field analysis is a viable tool to initiate changes at work through the identification and evaluation of both driving forces and forces of resistance. As indicated, through brainstorming, one is made to clearly itemize these forces and determine which force/s have greater intensities that could assist in the accomplishment of identified change goals.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

From War to War, the world in the years 1918-1939 Essay

From War to War, the world in the years 1918-1939 - Essay Example The U.S., being the only Western country with an economy nearly unaffected by the war was in a position to assist the war-torn nations. It supplied loans to Germany and Austria, the losing parties in the Great War. Germany and Austria, on the other hand, were obliged to pay reparations to France and Great Britain. Both Great Britain and France, for their part, had to repay the U.S. which had provided them with loans in the duration of World War I. In such situation, the U.S. financial institutions saw that investments in Europe had become no longer viable and they were prompted to pull out their funds out of the continent, leaving Germany and Austria in serious economic turmoil. The U.S too suffered greatly in the economic sphere. For a time, its agricultural sector grew while there was virtually no competition from Europe, which has yet to recover from the war. However, when Europe’s farmers began to produce the same agricultural products as the Americans came up with, an ove rproduction occurred. The crisis of overproduction eventually led into the downfall of a great number of farms and agricultural enterprises. As the stock market crashed in 1929, industrial and commercial activities came to a slowdown, depriving hundreds of thousands of workers of their jobs. The market contracted further and resulted in more joblessness. This was because â€Å"consumer demand no longer sufficed to purchase all the goods that businesses produced, and when business realized that could not sell their inventories, they responded with cutbacks in production and additional layoffs† (Bentley & Ziegler, 2011, p.986). As America suffered great setbacks in its economy, a chapter in history called the Great Depression, the countries in Europe also began to experience worse economic crisis. Among those that bore the brunt is Germany. As the Great Depression wreaked havoc on the U.S. and other countries of Western Europe, the Soviet Union managed to pursue more seriously its own socialist economic programs. The Great Depression was pointed out as a sign that capitalism is a bankrupt system and that socialism is the only path towards economic development. Both V.I. Lenin and Josef Stalin were able to initiate programs that aimed to industrialize the Soviet Union, less concerned this time with external threats coming from the weakened West. Lenin, however, was pragmatic as he considered certain aspects in the economy that should bear the hallmarks of capitalist system at least for a certain period of time. Through the New Economic Policy or NEP, â€Å"large industries, banks, and transportation and communications facilities remained under state control, but the government returned small-scale industries (those with fewer than twenty workers) to private ownership† (Bentley & Ziegler, 2011, p.992). When Lenin died, however, his successor Stalin, decided to hasten the construction of a purely socialist state. He did so by overturning the NEP and i nitiating the collectivization of agriculture. The objective was apparently to bolster the efforts in national industrialization. However, Stalin’s policy led to the alienation of many peasants, especially the kulaks who benefitted much from the NEP. Discontent grew and many began to oppose the Stalin’s government. In response to this, Stalin used the full force of the state and the Communist Party in running after individuals who are suspected of opposing the policies

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Growth Strategy for Vincor Essay Example for Free

Growth Strategy for Vincor Essay Vincor needs to align itself in the marketplace such that it can continue to be a market leader and grow internationally. The Canadian wine market is stagnant with limited growth opportunities in a few segments red, premium, varietal, and ice wines. Supply is always a big concern and government regulations for the sale of alcohol must be considered. As a result of the changing environment, new prospects in the market and strategic growth in external markets (international) should be analyzed. Going forward, Vincor’s growth strategy needs to focus on markets where they can have substantial market penetration and be highly successful. The opportunities are as follows: 1) Expand into international markets via acquisition and restructure the current debt to reduce interest costs. Capitalize on the popular brand name in the new market to achieve significant foreign growth. 2) Varied approach to cost reduction and focus on niches within Canada. Recover a portion of the emerging grey market by developing new product packaging for the low-end wines (plastic or boxes). 3) Build mutually beneficial partnerships with new glass bottle suppliers and develop a sales channel that will induce economies of scale for the price of bottles and increase margins; or renegotiate with current suppliers to reduce costs and provide incentives by signing an exclusivity agreement. 4) Zero in on the ice wine consumers by meeting the demand. Exploit the Inniskillin brand in the Canadian premium wine market in order to gain market share. 5) Develop a new product internationally through a partnership with a winery or vineyard by leveraging Vincor’s strong management team, international award status and proven sales force to sustain Vincor’s growth pattern. Expanding internationally through the acquisition of a company with strong branding would prove the best alternative, both in terms of timing and future growth potential. Developing a partnership in order to produce new products would take years and considerable time and effort before any gains would be realized. The varied approach would not produce enough growth to support an IPO, but many of these avenues will be addressed to reduce costs over the next several years. First six (6) to twelve (12) months: †¢ Set up the team that will conduct an international market study to determine which market, and more specifically, brand to penetrate. The team will include: 1. Jones and a market insight team (utilize services of a consulting firm that specializes in foreign winery acquisitions) 2. Jackson and his mergers and acquisition (MA) team 3. Munroe for sales and marketing 4. Investment banker †¢ The market insight team will gather the data and develop a sound understanding of the targeted wineries and knowledge of the regulations of the country †¢ Recommendations will be made to MA team Next twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months: †¢ Once a decision is reached, the investment banker and MA team will contact the companies, begin their due diligence process and conduct the final purchase †¢ The new winery will be integrated into Vincor’s portfolio and Munroe with his sales and marketing team will be responsible for its growth The international acquisition will expand Vincor globally and provide for significant growth in its portfolio. At the same time, the desired Canadian relationships with suppliers will be cemented to reduce cost of sales and increase margins.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

COLD MOUNTAIN Essays -- Essays Papers

COLD MOUNTAIN Since Cold Mountain does not heavily rely on dialogue to tell the story, the point of view Frazier uses to narrate the story is important: He must create the effect of being enveloped in two separate worlds, and give insight into characters who have no one to discuss their thoughts with. The only way to accomplish this is by using the omniscient point of view, which is when the author has unlimited knowledge about the characters and their thoughts. A romantic story is especially suited for this type of narration, because romances revolve not around events, but emotions, which are difficult to describe objectively. To fully appreciate the depth of the love between Ada and Inman, the reader must be able to peer into the deepest thoughts of the characters. Isolation, however, prevents Ada and Inman from revealing these thoughts to each other or to another character. We instead must learn from introspections like the one on pg. 393, when Inman reflects, â€Å"†¦he intended to eat nothing until he found Ada. If she would not have him he would go on to the heights and see if the portals on Shining Rocks would open to him†¦He doubted there was a man in the world more empty than he at the moment.† Intimate insights such as this one are frequent in the novel, and reveal the most information about Ada and Inman’s feelings for each other. This unlimited power to inform is used also to directly characterize Inman and especially Ada; due to the relative calm of her ...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Nestle Philippines Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Nestlà © Philippines, Inc. (NPI) is a leading manufacturer of food and beverage in the Philippines. It was established in the country in the early 1930s, initially as a trading company. By the year 1962, it formed a joint venture with San Miguel Corporation (SMC), a company specializing in brewing with extensive interests in agribusiness and food products. In 1996, San Miguel’s Magnolia Foods Division had been merged with Nestlà ©. It produced and sold products like Magnolia ice creams and tetra pack juices, Bear Brand and Carnation condensed milk, Bertolli pastas and tomato sauce, Maggi seasonings, pasta and mayonnaise, and Smarties candies. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Instant Drink Division produced and sold Nescafà ©, Nestea, Milo, Coffee Mate and Milkmaid powdered milk. Nestlà © Philippines is ranked number 10 among Nestlà © subsidiaries worldwide and number 3 in Asia-Pacific, behind Japan and Australia. Nestlà © is the only foreign-owned coffee producer in the Philippines. Nescafà © –already a household name in the Philippines needs to respond to major changes in the environment. Competing brands like Great Taste and Nescafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s nearest competitor, Blend 45 already reduced or are planning to reduce their prices. There are also major changes in Government Regulation, Imports and Market Entry resulting to the potential entry of foreign brands like Kraft General Foods’s Maxwell House and Procter & Gamble’s Folgers Coffee. The company needs to decide whether it should import Arabica beans for blending Master Roaster coffee, change the composition of Nescafà © by importing Arabica beans to the same composition as those sold abroad, and whether it should continue producing Taster’s Choice which are made from Philippine-grown Robusta and Imported Arabica. II. STATEMENT OF FACTS Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Instant Drink Division contributes 75% of the company’s total sales; Nescafà © contributes 53% of the department sales. In 1996, Nescafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s market share increased from 52% to 66%. Nestlà © have 40 independently-owned warehouses located throughout the Philippines. These warehouses, along with 200 salespersons cater 20,000 dealers who had accounts with Nestlà ©, with direct access for orders and credit lines. The company’s production facilities however are already strained to the limit. The company spent 5%  of sales on advertising and promotion of Nescafà © which includes decorative streamers and raffle draws. The company also offered volume â€Å"bonus discounts†. According to market research, the bonus promotions are Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s most effective promotional offering. However, Nestlà © doesn’t buy shelf space, which is a common practice in the Philippines and other Asian countries. Instead it prefers rental of special display space for promotion, which is considered as the most expensive real estate in the Philippines. There is a significant increase in the number of households that purchased coffee within two weeks, from 67% in 1974, to 96% in 1995. This is due to the relatively high usage of 1.7 gram foil packs in the Philippines. These 1.7 gram individual packs contribute 8% of Nescafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s sales. Coffee is typically drunk with sugar and without milk or non-dairy whiteners. However, there is a 350% increase in the use of such whiteners over the past decade. The Carnation brand which produces whiteners, condensed milk and powdered milk is owned by Nestlà ©. One of the reasons behind the rapid increase in volume and market share is the fall of green coffee bean prices both in the world market and Philippines. The price of green coffee beans, where Nestlà © sourced all its coffee fell by 50%; these beans comprised about 30% of the delivery costs. Nestlà © and other producers are able to lower their prices because of the savings. Another reason is the introduction of cheaper packaging. Bottles make up 30% of the total cost. Hence, coffee sold on bottles are more expensive at PHP 26.25 for a 50-gram pack while those in foil packaging are sold only at PHP 20.45. Research by Nestlà © shows that its market share is highest in small stores located in large cities. Conversely, among small stores, its market share is highest outside big cities. People outside big cities prefer to shop in sari-sari stores. The prices of commodities sold in sari-sari stores are 15% higher than in supermarkets outside big cities and 20% higher than those in big cities. Over the past decade, other producers, who sold their coffee 10% below the price of Nescafà ©, entered the market. Nescafà © gradually lost market share from 75% in 1965, to 60% in 1975, and finally, 55% in 1985. However, there was a decline in coffee prices in the 1980s, giving Nestlà © a window to reduce its prices to within 5% of its competitors and still preserve its margins. Other major producers of coffee in the Philippines include: Blend 45 which has 15% market share in 1996, Great Taste with 10% market share, Kafe de Oro with 6%  market share and Cafà © Filipino which has 3% market share. The Gokongwei Group’s Blend 45 employs a cheaper blend of coffee and carbohydrates. In 1996, they dropped the price of Blend 45. They are sold 28% below Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s price and 20% below most of the other brands sold in the market. So far the price increase made no significant effect yet on the market share of Nescafà ©. Prior to 1996, the import of coffee beans, either unprocessed or processed is prohibited. All of the coffee sold within the Philippines had to be produced within the country. The quality of Robusta beans grown in the country was of international quality. On the other hand, the quality of Arabica beans was of inferior quality. Consequently, Nestlà © used 100% Robusta unlike those processed in the U.S. or Europe which are blends. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Master Roaster coffee is made from locally grown Robusta and Arabica beans. Taster’s Choice, on the other hand is made from locally grown Robusta and imported Arabica. In 1996, the Philippine Government committed under GATT and WTO to remove import prohibitions on agricultural products. Hence, a Minimum Access Volume (MAV) was set. Impor ts of green and roasted beans and packaged products are charged a tariff of 30% while those outside the MAV are charged 100%. The government, however committed to increase the MAV and reduce the tariff in imports both within the MAV and outside it. Nestlà © is facing the threat of importers, both from the U.S. and regional coffee producers. One of which is Indonesia’s Indocafà © which already begun production in Malaysia and exporting to Vietnam and is rumored to invest in China and export to the Philippines. Indocafà © is sold 10% below the price of Nescafà © in both markets. It has backward integration with its own coffee plantations so it was buffered from price swings. Another possible importer is Singapore’s Supermix who pioneered in individual â€Å"3-in-1† packs within Singapore and in other nearby countries. In the 1990s, the Philippine Government liberalized regulations on Foreign Direct Investments. Prior to that, investments with sales direct to domestic market had to be 40% Filipino-owned. In 1992, the government allowed 100% foreign ownership in most industries. As a result, Kraft General Foods which had substantial production operations in the Philippines is rumored to produce Maxwell House within the country. Procter & Gamble which also had substantial production in the Philippines also announced that it would produce Folgers Coffee in the country. IV. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION One of the possible alternative courses of action is to increase the production capacity of Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s facilities. Upgrading the capacity would enable Nestlà © to experiment on product development without the possible reduction of Nescafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s already established market share. However, the upgrade would require $3 million worth of investments. Another possible option is to focus substantial amount of investment for the marketing and sales of Master Roaster coffee which is currently made up of locally produced Robusta and Arabica. Nestlà © could either import Arabica beans to improve the taste of Master Roaster, which is now possible due to the major changes in import regulation. The brand would cater Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s high-end consumers. However, it would reduce the company’s current production capacity of the current blends. Lastly, Nestlà © could modify the Nescafà © and use imported Arabica and locally produced Robusta to copy the foreign blend. This would make Nescafà © a high-end product which could match imported brands. Again, this is possible because of the favorable changes in import regulation. However, this modification might result in Nescafà © losing significant amount of market share and household penetration. V. CONCLUSION To react to the major changes in the environment, Nestlà © should lower the price of Nescafà © closer to its competitors. According to research, there is a direct relationship between coffee prices and household penetration.  Hence, the price reduction would make the product even more accessible to the masses. In return, the company would gain even higher market share. In response to the threats of the entry of imported brands in the country, Nestlà © should continue producing Taster’s Choice and discontinue the unsuccessful Master Roaster. Taster’s Choice would both accommodate a separate market segment and the increasing â€Å"import mentality† of Filipinos. Importation of either Arabica beans or finished product is possible because of the changes in import regulation. Lastly, Nestlà © should consider buying shelf spaces. Besides the fact that it is a proven and common practice not only in the Philippines but also in other Asian countries, it is more econ omical than renting special display spaces. Nonetheless, Nestlà © should only lessen, not stop renting special display spaces. VI. CHANGE MANAGEMENT In order to sustain the changes made, Nestlà © should explore the use even cheaper packaging materials. The savings, in turn would enable the company to reduce the prices of Nescafà ©. The company should also actively promote its 1.7 gram individual packs and â€Å"3-in-1† packs. This would result to the brand gaining more market penetration, translating to a better market position. It should also aggressively promote both Nescafà © and Taster’s Choice which satisfies different market segments. VII. RECOMMENDATION Nestlà © should engage in more product development activities, like for example new flavors of coffee. Considering it is a multinational company, it will have the advantage of increased awareness in the current trends abroad. A development in the existing product lines would not only generate more market shares but also create new market segments. Filipinos would accept the idea of these improvements because of their import mentality. However, there should be enough market research regarding such improvements to make sure they are feasible in the Philippine setting. Also, Nestlà © should capitalize on its strength of having close relationships with its farmers. It should procure its raw materials in a manner that would benefit farmers. There should be more capacity building trainings among its coffee suppliers in order to promote increased productivity.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Life after death Essay

Life after death is credible to a large extent, as there is a large of percentage of people who believe in it. A study carried out between October and November 2009 showed that out of 2,060 people, 53% believed in life after death, with 55% believing in heaven and 70% believing in the human soul in the UK. However, there are many problems with believing in life after death – not least the fact that there is no proof. As Hume might have said, ‘there aren’t enough witnesses’ and ‘testimony isn’t proof. ’ Some evidence put forward is parapsychological, such as near-death experience, mediums, and so on, though the data generated from such evidence is contested. While there may not be any hard evidence for rebirth, it provides advantages to those who believe in it, therefore attaining the label of credibility. For instance, there is an idea of moral value because if one is constantly reborn, one must constantly strive for good karmic effects. However, G. E Moore’s theory of ‘naturalistic fallacy’ might intervene because rebirth confuses moral ideas with factual information about how the world works. There is no means of verifying the principle of karma, and it assumes a dark view of reality with the inevitability of suffering. On the other hand, there is some psychological truth in the ideas of anatta and anicca, since an individual continues to grow throughout their life. Resurrection also delivers benefits for those who believe in it, thus making it credible to a large extent. It has a basis in tradition and is supported by evidence from Sacred Scripture, while it is also fair and encourages morality. However, many challenges to belief in resurrection have been centred on the fact that there is no available way to falsify claims concerning life after death. But, non-Christian sources agree that Jesus was executed by crucifixion and his disciples believe that he rose from dead. A Church persecutor, Saul of Tarsus, unexpectedly transformed into a believer after the resurrection. Verification is only possible in the weak sense of eschatological verification suggested by John Hick in his Celestial City analogy. John Hick is a materialist, who believes that the soul and the body are ‘psycho- physically’ unified. Hick explains in his Replica Theory, where he discusses how God makes it possible for people to be ‘replicated’ on a parallel universe. Hick talks about how the instantaneousness replication would be different from simply being transported from London to New York, he says all the individuals would know their dead and would be on a world populated by deceased individuals. His theory could be seen as incoherent because there is no evidence in science to suggest there is a parallel universe, however if you accept God’s omnipotent existence, this theory is plausible and does not depend on dualism. But, even Hick recognised the limits of his own theory and the fact that it is hypothetical in the extreme. It should be noted that this is an extending theory into the unknown and is purely hypothetical. To conclude, life after death is credible because believers avoid the limitations of rationality and focus on faith, rather than empirical evidence. While some philosophers like Bertrand Russell, argue that the hope of a better life in heaven relieves humans of responsibility for what happens on Earth and encourages a fatalist mentality, such beliefs may do the opposite and soothe fears of demise.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Semiotics Definition and Examples

Semiotics Definition and Examples Semiotics is the theory and study of signs and symbols, especially as elements of language or other systems of communication. Common examples of semiotics include traffic signs, emojis, and emoticons used in electronic communication, and logos and brands used by international corporations to sell us things- brand loyalty, they call it. Semiotics Takeaways Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, in particular as they communicate things spoken and unspoken.Common signs that are understood globally include traffic signs, emojis, and corporate logos.Written and spoken language is full of semiotics in the form of intertextuality, puns, metaphors, and references to cultural commonalities. Signs are all around us. Consider a set of paired faucets in a bathroom or kitchen. The left side is almost certainly the hot water tap, the right is the cold. Many years ago, all taps had letters designating the temperature of the water- in English, H for hot and C for cold; in Spanish, C for hot (caliente) and F for cold (frio). Modern taps often have no letter designations or are included in one tap, but even with a single tap, the semiotic content of faucets still tells us to tilt or turn left for hot water and right for cold. The information about how to avoid being burned is a sign. Practice and History A person who studies or practices semiotics is a semiotician.  Many terms and concepts used by contemporary semioticians were introduced by the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913). Saussure defined a  sign as any motion, gesture, image, pattern, or event that conveys meaning. He defined langue as the structure or grammar of a language and parole as the choices made by the speaker to communicate that information. Semiotics is a key study into the evolution of human consciousness. English philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) tied the advancement of intelligence to three steps: understanding the nature of things, understanding what to do to achieve whatever you wish to achieve, and the ability to communicate these things to another. Language began with signs. In Lockes terminology, signs are dyadic- that is, a sign is tied to a specific meaning. Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) said that signs work only if there is an intelligence capable of learning from experience. Peirces conception of semiotics was triadic: sign, meaning, and interpreter. Modern semioticians look at the entire network of signs and symbols around us that mean different things in different contexts, even signs or symbols that are sounds. Think of what an ambulance siren communicates when you are driving: Someone is endangered and we are in a hurry to help. Pull over to the side of the road and let us drive by. Textual Signs Intertextuality is a type of subtle communication in that what we write or say often is recollecting something shared between us. For example, if you mimic James Earl Jones deep baritone saying Luke, you can transmit a raft of Star Wars images and sounds and meanings. Knowing the semiotics you are, Grasshopper, is a reference both to Master Yoda and to Master Po in the 1970s Kung Fu television series. In fact, you could argue that Yoda was a semiotic reference to Master Po. Metaphors can act as meaningful stand-ins to people who are familiar with the culture: He was a rock to me in my hour of need and That coffee is hotter than Hades are intertextual references to the Judeo-Christian Bible, and theyre so common that it doesnt matter whether youve read the Bible. Metonyms can, too: The Smoke is a metonym for London, a reference to its once-prevalent smog, which still means London even if the smog is less prevalent. Writing William Shakespeares and Lewis Carrolls writings are full of puns and cultural references, some of which, sadly, are no longer meaningful to modern speakers. The master of intertextuality was the Irish writer James Joyce, whose books such as Ulysses are so dense with snippets of different and invented languages and cultural references that the modern reader needs hypertexts- live weblinks- to get them all: Stephen closed his eyes to hear his boots crush crackling wrack and shells. You are walking through it howsomever. I am, a stride at a time. A very short space of time through very short times of space. Five, six: the nacheinander. Exactly: and that is the ineluctable modality of the audible. A hypertext supports semiotic understanding. We know what a hypertext means: Here youll find a definition of this term or this phrase. Nonverbal Communication Many ways that we communicate with one another are nonverbal. A shrug, a roll of the eyes, a wave of the hand, these and thousands of other subtle and unsubtle body language memes communicate information to another person. Vocalics is a type of nonverbal communication embedded into speech: the pitch, tone, rate, volume, and timbre of spoken language communicate  additional information about the underlying meaning of a group of words. Personal space is also a form of semiotics that is specific to a culture. A person approaching too close to you in Western culture might seem a hostile incursion, but in other cultures personal space dimensions are different. Simply touching someone can calm an angry or sad person, or enrage or offend them, depending on the context. Sources Chandler, Daniel. Semiotics: The Basics.Klarer,  Mario. An Introduction to Literary Studies.Lewis,  Michael. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. Craig, Robert T. Communication Theory as a Field  in Theorizing Communication: Readings Across Traditions.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

monologophobia - definition and examples

monologophobia - definition and examples Definition: A fear of using a word more than once in a single sentence or paragraph. The term monologophobia was coined by New York Times editor Theodore M. Bernstein in The Careful Writer, 1965.See Examples and Observations, below. Also see: What Is Monologophobia?Elegant VariationThe Fear of Repetition in Writing: Beware the Elongated Yellow FruitPeriphrasis (Rhetoric)RepetitionSynonyms and Variety of Expression, by Walter Alexander RaleighSynonymyThesaurus Examples and Observations: It took about a dozen men and women to heave the huge, orange produce item onto the forklift.When the driver lowered the massive pumpkin, the last of the 118 entered in yesterdays annual All New England Weigh-Off kicking off the Topsfield Fair, the traditional Halloween ornament broke the scale. . . .(Pumpkin Pounds Topsfield Scale: Oversized Produce Weighs in As Big Hit With Visitors to Fair. The Boston Globe, October 1, 2000) Bernstein on MonologophobiaA monologophobe (you wont find it in the dictionary) is a writer who would rather walk naked in front of Saks Fifth Avenue than be caught using the same word more than once in three lines. What he suffers from is synonymomania (you wont find that one, either), which is a compulsion to call a spade successively a garden implement and an earth-turning tool. . . .Now avoidance of monotony caused by jarring repetition of a conspicuous word or phrase is desirable. A little touch of monologophobia might have helped the framer of this sente nce: The Khrushchev defeats, General Hoxha said, took place at the international Communist meetings that took place in Bucharest in June, 1960, and in Moscow in November, 1960. . . .But mechanical substitution of synonyms may make a bad situation worse. Elegant variation is the term applied by Fowler to this practice. It is particularly objectionable if the synonym is the one that falls strangely on the ear or eye: calling a snowfall a descent, calling gold the yellow metal, calling charcoal the ancient black substance. Repetition of the word is better than these strained synonyms. Often a pronoun is a good remedy, and sometimes no word at all is required.(Theodore M. Bernstein, The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage. Scribner, 1965) [M]onologophobia strikes in many places. In court reports there is a bewildering alternation of the names of people with their status as defendant or plaintiff. It is better to stick to names throughout.(Harold Evans, Essential English. Pimlico, 2000) Verdict and Ruling[An] accident of style that writers often get into with verdict and ruling is switching blithely back and forth between them, as if the words were interchangeable. In a story about a British libel case where the judge ruled against a Holocaust-denying historian, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune did this egregiously: International Jewish groups applauded the unsparing British court verdict against Irving. . . . The verdict shredded Irvings reputation. . . . Professor Dorothy Lipstadt of Emeroy University . . . hailed the ruling. . . . The ruling also was a victory for Penguin Books, her British publisher. . . . [Irving] said he had two words to describe the ruling. . . . Irving may appeal the verdict.In every instance in that story, verdict should have been ruling. But the reporter was no doubt suffering from a bad case of monologophobia, a fear of repeating the same word. . . .Instead of flip-flopping between the correct ruling and the incorrect verdict, the Chicago Tribune reporter should have assuaged his monologophobia by here and there tossing in the word decision, an unobjectionable substitute for ruling.(Charles Harrington Elster, The Accidents of Style: Good Advice on How Not to Write Badly. St. Martins Press, 2010) Also Known As: elegant variation, burly detective syndrome

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Organizational Change Applications Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Change Applications Paper - Essay Example Amazon, with its advanced Information Technology, is required to give all the required books to its customers at its library. But brining change is not that easy job and most important part of this is to critically evaluate the Change Process or the Change Control (CC). This is the process used by a company to implement its desired and required changes in it. And also controlling the environmental impacts of this change within and outside of the company. This research paper will cover up almost all the basic concepts of Change and also cover up all the steps involved in Change Control and Procedures. This method will be applied to Amazon, the number one internet company, that have the best internet online library for its readers. With the help of suspicious procedure and planning, it is possible to reduce risks associated with changes thereby minimizing the likelihood of detrimental impacts on business operations(5 measure to minimize risk). Organization Change Management The definit ion of Change Management Change Management is defined as the process of controlling IT service changes in a manner that assures minimal disruption in service delivery and minimal degradation in service quality (Rigby, 2001). Change Control Process for Amazon Instantly changing IT requirement that is to be applied in libraries, is impacting a change in the online academic libraries, like Amazon, Google, Hawlett-Packard etc. A change is something that is completely unavoidable and it is one of the most adopted facts of life. To be changed, is a matter of human nature and the need of time in order to provide defined Service Level to the users and give them ultimate satisfaction. Amazon, with its advanced Information Technology, is required to give all the required books to its customers at its library (How to Make Better Decisions). To bring change, is to bring betterment and advancement for the maximize availability of products. But, at Amazon, we will maintain our standard along and with the adoption of new enabling technologies for our clients, whose mostly are students. Although this change will help us grow our business and bring positive feedback to us but, we surely will maintain a high level of internal security of the company (Amazon, 2012). Amazon – The introduction and need for change Amazon is a big name in the sale of books and stuff online, it is one of the most popular internet companies that was come into being in 1994 in Scattle, USA. at the time, it has more than 20 thousand people working with it and serveing the client with its online shopping and free shipment service. it has a braod range of offered products. Amazaon allows its users to give feedback at their portal that helps in brining change within the organization (Amazon, 2012). Mission of company ‘To leverage technology and the expertise of our invaluable employees to provide our customers with the best shopping experience on the Internet’ (Amazon.com, 2012). Vision of company ‘To be earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online’ (Amazon.com, 2012). Objective of company ‘Not to discount a small number of products for a limited period of time, but to offer low prices everyday and apply them broadly across our entire product range.’ (Amazon.com, 2012). Activities contribute in change management Five different activities are involved in change management that affects it on a larger level. These activities help a