From Englightenment to Romantisicm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

From Englightenment to Romantisicm - Essay Example Mozart’s oeuvre often focuses on these subjects – he revolutionised traditional operas by making a member of the serving class the hero of one of his masterpieces in â€Å"Le Nozze di Figaro†, where the popular figure of Figaro (a barber) triumphs over his social superiors because of his higher moral values, and because of his wit. The play by Beaumarchais on which the opera libretto was based was banned in Vienna in the times just before the French Revolution, as the content was deemed too inflammatory. The opera â€Å"Don Giovanni† remains to this day one of the most often performed operas worldwide. This paper will explain the particular fascination this opera still holds today by demonstrating the complexity of two of the main characters of the libretto, Leporello, Don Giovanni’s valet, and Don Ottavio, the fiancà © of Donna Anna, one of the women Don Giovanni tried to seduce. As in the comic opera â€Å"Le Nozze di Figaro† Mozart and Da Ponte sketch a two-tier society and the characters in Don Giovanni are either members of the aristocracy or the serving class comprised of servants and peasants. Again, moral values are not identical with class and rank, but low morals can be found in the aristocracy (Don Giovanni) and high morals can be found in the peasant class (Zerlina, Masetto). Leporello appears to be a case of his own - in the first Act we find Leporello in the garden owned by the Commendatore whilst his master, Don Giovanni, is attempting to seduce Donna Anna, the Commendatore’s daughter and fiancà ©e of Don Ottavio. Leporello, although a loyal servant, is dissatisfied with his employment and with his master. He complains that he is kept busy day and night, as expressed in his aria â€Å"Notte e giorno faticar† which could be translated as â€Å"day and night nothing but work†. The close proximity to his master and the knowledge he has therefore gathered about his master’s life

Wilkerson Company Case Essay Example for Free

Wilkerson Company Case Essay 1. The Wilkerson Company is in the business of manufacturing valves, pumps and flow controllers. The company has been experiencing profit losses due to price reductions as a result of heavy competition in the pump category, which is considered a commodity product. In the valves category, Wilkerson seems to be a market leader with a loyal customer base. The valve business is less competitive, with no price reductions, and therefore the company has maintained its gross margin target while not compromising market share. Similarly to the valve business, the flow controller category is not as competitive as the pump industry, hence Wilkersons ability to increase price by 10% without sacrificing volume. In addition, the company needs to take into consideration its increase in indirect expenses relatively to the direct labor expenses. All in all, the company has seen its pre-tax margin decrease from 10% to 3%. 2. Adopting a periodic expense approach will severe the already current problems with Wilkersons cost system by distorting even more the actual cost picture. The reason is that the periodic method would ignore the companys product mix as each of the 3 categories has a differentiated direct cost structure. This would therefore create an even more incorrect analysis of the companys profit structure. Although the current cost allocating system is not optimal (as will be discussed later), it is still preferable over the periodic system, which does not take into account any overhead costs when analyzing product margins and the margins effect on the overall profit. 3. Today, Wilkerson uses a simple cost accounting system which charges each unit of product for direct material and labor cost. Material cost is based on the component price, while labor rates are charged to products based on the production run times of each product. Then, the overhead costs are allocated to each of the 3 products as a percentage of production run direct labor costs (currently 300%). 4. Table 1: Activity Based Costs Drivers and Rates Table 2: Calculations of product margins based on current method: Table 3: Calculations of product margins using proposed Activity Based Costing: The shifts in costs and profitability seen above are driven by all the factors that are not taken into account in the current cost allocation system: production runs, number of shipments and hours of engineering work. We believe that these factors are optimal for estimating the cost per product. For example, if we look at the flow controllers, we can see that they have the least machine hours but the highest values of all cost drivers mentioned above. This dramatic difference distorts the cost analysis and favors the flow controllers on the account of the valves and especially the pumps. 5. There are number of options to improve the companys profitability: * Flow Controller Price Increase: As described in the case, Wilkerson has recently raised flow controller prices by 10% without effect on volume. This leads us to believe that it would be possible to further increase prices in order to improve the products losing gross margin (-10%). * Flow Controller Cost Reduction: In addition to a possible price increase, Wilkerson must find a way to lower costs. This may be done by lowering the number of shipments (cost driver) to customers. According to the current agreements with customers, products are packaged and shipped for just-in-time delivery. This method substantially increases the number of shipments and packaging related expenses. This change can be successfully carried out by offering customers volume related discounts in order to decrease the total number of shipments by increasing the size of each shipment. The rationale behind this recommendation is that the cost driver is the number of shipments, rather than the size of each shipment. * Company Product Mix: Based on our profitability calculations for each category, Wilkerson can improve its total profit and profitability by changing its mix to favor valves rather than pumps. Moreover, there is room to consider reducing or even stopping the manufacturing of flow controllers. 6. Our concern regarding our cost estimates used in the previous sections is that the data in exhibits 1, 2, 4, used for all calculations, is based on a single month and does not necessarily reflect a typical month. A more accurate way to estimate cost would be to rely on a longer period of time (perhaps annual). In order to improve our cost and profitability estimates it would be helpful to have information regarding GA, Selling and Marketing cost drivers so we could allocate them directly to each product cost as well. Lastly, we assumed it possible to further increase flow controller prices without affecting the sales volume. It would be helpful to have more data regarding changes in prices and effect on their sales volume. 7. A number of changes may be made to the current compensation method in order to improve profit: * Higher compensation for sales of high profit margin products in order to improve sales mix as mentioned above. * Relative compensation to quantity of sale. This will also promote the goal of cost reduction as it will decrease the number of shipments.

International Logistics Essay -- essays research papers

Logistics is the designing and managing of a system in order to control the flow of material throughout a corporation. This is a very important part of an international company because of geographical barriers. Logistics of an international company includes movement of raw materials, coordinating flows into and out of different countries, choices of transportation, cost of the transportation, packaging the product for shipment, storing the product, and managing the entire process. The concept of logistics is fairly new in the business world. The theoretical development was not used until 1966. Since then, many business practices have evolved and logistics currently costs between 10 and 25 percent of the total cost of an international purchase.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two main phases that are important in the movement of materials: material management and physical distribution. Materials management is the timely movement of raw materials, parts, and supplies. The physical distribution is the movement of the firm’s finished products to the customers. Both phases involve every stage of the process including storage. The ultimate goal of logistics is to coordinate all efforts of the company to maintain a cost effective flow of goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are four logistics concepts: the systems concept, the total cost concept, the after-tax concept, and the trade-off concept. The systems concept is based on all functions of a organization working together in order to maximize benefits. This concept sometimes requires certain components of the organization to operate suboptimally in order to achieve maximum goals of the system. The total cost concept is based on the systems concept, however goal achievement is measured in terms of cost. A variation of the total cost concept is the after-tax concept. This goal of this concept is after-tax profit. This concept is becoming very popular because of the many different national tax policies. The trade-off concept links the system together in a way that is very efficient, but can have trade-offs that might be inefficient. The advantages of such high efficiency must be weighed against the risk involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the largest obstacles of international logistics is geography. The distance and manner materials must be shipped is the most important step in inte... ...anagement is based on the fact that a company needs to have a division that helps control the local-adaptation needs. Dealing with different cultures requires input from the local branch. The managers that deal with the cultural differences on a daily basis normally know what works and what doesn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Outsourcing is the final option for logistics management. When this happens, transportation firms concentrate on logistics, and the company can concentrate on it’s production. There are many cost savings using this type of program, however that lack of control can negatively effect many companies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  International logistics requires many different options and requirements to be met in order for a company to operate internationally. It’s like a big puzzle that must be put together, in order for all the goals to be met. As described above, there are many options to consider, and sometimes what appears to be an option really isn’t. It is not difficult to hit a road block, and you must start over with a new plan. Once the logistics plan is in place, you must constantly look for improvements in order to maximize profits and goals.

The Truly Tragic Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Macbeth: Truly Tragic Macbeth is the epitome of what the literary world regards as a "tragic hero". His admirable qualities are supplanted with greed and hate when three witches dupe him. The three witches enter with the first scene from William Shakespeare's, Macbeth, a tragic tale of one man's quest for power that leads to his ultimate defeat. The story revolves around our tragic hero, Macbeth, and how an admirable and noble man, so established in society, can fall so greatly. Throughout the play, he is driven by an obsession to become King of Scotland, and in the process commits acts of betrayal and treachery to achieve this goal. However, Macbeth is not the only character involved in this sordid affair. His wife, the manipulative Lady Macbeth, three prophetic witches and members of the Scottish aristocracy all play pivotal roles in the drama. Lady Macbeth, the great woman of influence behind the Macbeth, plots, schemes and propels her husband into a nightmare of falsehood and guilt. The witches, or w eird sisters, (Shouldn’t â€Å"weird sisters† be in quotes and cited?) embody the supernatural element of this tragedy. With their imperfect predictions and calculated duplicity, they created chaos in Macbeth's mind as they toy with his sense of security. (Be careful of matching tenses. â€Å"Created† is past tense and â€Å"toy† is present.) The Scottish aristocracy comprises of King Duncan, the two princes - Malcolm and Donalbain, and various other thanes and nobles, including Macbeth's friend Banquo. They all serve as barriers for Macbeth and, regardless of friend or foe, he chooses to either fall down or overcome these hurdles. However, one hurdle that proves too great is his nemesis: Macduff. After Macbeth's false sense of security is shattered, a mighty swipe of Macduff's sword releases Macbeth from a tangled web of desire, design and deceit. (What is your thesis? That Macbeth is the epitome of a tragic hero? Make sure you stick to your topic a nd don’t get sidetracked.) Macbeth has, as his wife says, the milk of human kindness, the kind of affection that many people have for others when self-interest is not rampant. He has a high regard for Duncan and Banquo, defaming the latter only once (III.i.74 ff.). He differs from Duncan in that the King's charity is of a quality that works to transform human society into a family and that makes the spirit of Duncan persist through the play after his death. The Truly Tragic Shakespeare's Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework Macbeth: Truly Tragic Macbeth is the epitome of what the literary world regards as a "tragic hero". His admirable qualities are supplanted with greed and hate when three witches dupe him. The three witches enter with the first scene from William Shakespeare's, Macbeth, a tragic tale of one man's quest for power that leads to his ultimate defeat. The story revolves around our tragic hero, Macbeth, and how an admirable and noble man, so established in society, can fall so greatly. Throughout the play, he is driven by an obsession to become King of Scotland, and in the process commits acts of betrayal and treachery to achieve this goal. However, Macbeth is not the only character involved in this sordid affair. His wife, the manipulative Lady Macbeth, three prophetic witches and members of the Scottish aristocracy all play pivotal roles in the drama. Lady Macbeth, the great woman of influence behind the Macbeth, plots, schemes and propels her husband into a nightmare of falsehood and guilt. The witches, or w eird sisters, (Shouldn’t â€Å"weird sisters† be in quotes and cited?) embody the supernatural element of this tragedy. With their imperfect predictions and calculated duplicity, they created chaos in Macbeth's mind as they toy with his sense of security. (Be careful of matching tenses. â€Å"Created† is past tense and â€Å"toy† is present.) The Scottish aristocracy comprises of King Duncan, the two princes - Malcolm and Donalbain, and various other thanes and nobles, including Macbeth's friend Banquo. They all serve as barriers for Macbeth and, regardless of friend or foe, he chooses to either fall down or overcome these hurdles. However, one hurdle that proves too great is his nemesis: Macduff. After Macbeth's false sense of security is shattered, a mighty swipe of Macduff's sword releases Macbeth from a tangled web of desire, design and deceit. (What is your thesis? That Macbeth is the epitome of a tragic hero? Make sure you stick to your topic a nd don’t get sidetracked.) Macbeth has, as his wife says, the milk of human kindness, the kind of affection that many people have for others when self-interest is not rampant. He has a high regard for Duncan and Banquo, defaming the latter only once (III.i.74 ff.). He differs from Duncan in that the King's charity is of a quality that works to transform human society into a family and that makes the spirit of Duncan persist through the play after his death.

Picture & musical instrument Essay

In this picture, it showcases a man playing a musical instrument called bagpipes which are prominent and widely used in Scotland and Ireland. Based on the composition of the image, the man is probably a musician from an average social class because his choice clothing is typically worn by commoners probably during the Renaissance period. Generally, this illustration depicts an ordinary event in a musician’s life in the early periods. There are many components in this image that can tell the story of this single picture. Lines, shapes, color, shading and proportions are the elements that give life to a portrait. For the hat, it is a simple head ornament made from a plain fabric. The color gray with touches of brown suggest that it must had been used numerous times. The color combination gives it an aged look making it in a way look stylish. More so, the flower with a hint of light purple and baby pink colored petals that is surrounded by a couple of olive green leaves provided a natural component in the musician’s head cover. At first, it may seem that the beautiful flower is wilting probably because of its downward position but if viewers would look closely, the loveliness of the flower resides on its perfect color combination which exudes harmony. Additionally, a two-toned colored feather is also present on the hat. It is seamlessly intertwined with the flower. The feather added life on this very minimal hat through the blending of the colors gold and cream. Furthermore, the soft brushstrokes on the strands of the feathers give a sense of movement. It contrasted the stiff but delicate position of the flower. Moreover, the feather and the flower can be considered as accents of the hat that showcases the creativity of the musician and his love for things that possess simple yet striking beauty. On another note, hats are usually are worn outdoors during sunny days to protect the face from the rays of the sun. But on this picture, the black background suggests that the time was around in the evening or he was probably indoors which justifies the dark backdrop. Meanwhile, the relatively large brim of the hat had cast a shadow on the musician’s face. In a way, his wrinkles were partly concealed from the viewers’ line of sight. But if it will be examined closely, the series of lines on the forehead and on the mouth area can be considered as the focal points of the facial features. These lines indicate that the musician is probably in his late 40s or early 50s. On the other hand, the eyes tell a different story. It is hard to tell whether the arch of the left eyebrow and the roundness of the eyes signify an emotion. He can either be feeling tired or impassive during his performance. The semi-closed mouth with ripples of lines along the cheek area also adds up to the anonymity of the musician’s emotions. No outstanding feature can really be distinguished making it hard to determine the prominent mood of the painting. Overall, the musician’s face was painted in details. The realistic skin-toned color of the face accented by a small blush of red on the cheeks, the protruding nose, big black eyes, arched eyebrows, nude lips and the fine facial lines made an accurate representation of a male’s physical appearance. Furthermore, the layers of wardrobe added more personality into the painting. The musician is wearing three layers of garments. In the first layer is a white collared long sleeve shirt which is covered by a red V-shaped long sleeve with a wide collar. The bottom of the red shirt is tightened by a garter producing sections of scrunched up fabrics. Also, it seems that there is a set of embroidery at the bottom of the red shirt which serves as the accents to this plain piece of clothing. It is evident from the collar line to the sleeves that the musician is wearing layered clothes. Also, the combination of red and white complements very well. The simplicity of the white is balanced off by the intensity of the red. The third layer is a coat which has the same color as the hat with a dominant grayish tone but with touches of light brown and white. Also, the utilization of dark colors gave a slimming effect on the musician which made him look less stocky. The lining of the coat has a similar shade with the red shirt but more on the orange side. Probably this was intended to give continuity and proper blending of the colors used in the outfit. The whole look of the clothes did not seem stiff because of the folds seen all over the layers of clothing. The folds were intricately added to add movement in order for the clothes to look like as if they were moving with the musician. More so, these folds or lines contrasted the heaviness of the coat which gave a fluid quality to the whole picture. An unusual element was present on the left sleeve of the coat. This object has a circular shape with three layers of different sizes ranging from small to large. At one end is a hole where a red ribbon was tied which was pinned into the coat. Most likely this object is a type of medal that represents the musician’s profession or his achievements or this could just be an ornament used for fashion purposes. Regardless of its function, the circular object adds a touch of splendor to the whole garment. Moreover, the layers of clothing suggest that the weather was cold and that the musician needed the three levels of shirts to provide heat in order for him to properly play his bagpipes. Meanwhile, the bagpipe was illustrated in a neutral mocha brown color. Four pipes of varying heights and appearance were strategically strewn all over the irregularly shaped leather bagpipe. Because of the different sizes of pipes, it gave an illusion of elevation giving some dimension to a flat medium. Also, the creases on the bagpipe added some movement and tension to the image. Furthermore, the hands of the musician holding the main pipe were precisely demonstrated. The veins, the nails and even the lines on the knuckles were accurately portrayed. The viewers can really notice these details which suggest that these hands have been through a lot of experience in playing musical instruments. Despite the rigidity of the details on the hands, the way the hands were positioned displayed softness and finesse which is a true mark of a talented musician.

Dr. Francis Townsend, Old Age Public Pension Organizer

Dr. Francis Townsend, Old Age Public Pension Organizer Dr. Francis Everitt Townsend, born into a poor farm family, worked as a physician and health provider. During the  Great Depression, when Townsend himself was in retirement age, he became interested in how the federal government could provide old age pensions. His project inspired the 1935 Social Security Act, which he found inadequate. Life and Profession Francis Townsend was born on January 13, 1867, on a farm in Illinois. When he was an adolescent his family moved to Nebraska, where he was educated through two years of high school. In 1887, he left school and moved to California with his brother, hoping to strike it rich in the Los Angeles land boom. Instead, he lost almost everything. Dejected, he returned  to Nebraska and finished high school, then began to farm in Kansas. Later, he started medical school in Omaha, funding his education while working as a salesman. After he graduated, Townsend went to work in South Dakota in the Black Hills region, then part of the frontier. He married a widow, Minnie Brogue, who worked as  a nurse. They had three children and adopted a daughter. In 1917, when World War I began, Townsend enlisted as a medical officer in the army.  He returned to South Dakota after the war, but ill health aggravated by the harsh winter led him to move to southern California. He found himself, in his medical practice, competing with older established physicians and younger modern physicians, and he did not do well financially. The arrival of the Great Depression wiped out his remaining savings. He was able to obtain an appointment as a health officer in Long Beach, where he observed the effects of the Depression, especially on older Americans. When a change in local politics led to the loss of his job, he found himself broke once again. Townsend’s Old Age Revolving Pension Plan The Progressive Era had seen several moves to establish old-age pensions and national health insurance, but with the Depression, many reformers focused on unemployment insurance. In his late 60s, Townsend decided to do something about the financial devastation of the elderly poor. He envisioned a program where the federal government would provide a $200 per month pension to every American over the age of 60, and saw this financed through a 2% tax on all business transactions. The total cost would be greater than $20 billion a year, but he saw the pensions as a solution to the Depression. If the recipients were required to spend their $200 within thirty days, he reasoned, this would significantly stimulate the economy, and create a â€Å"velocity effect,† ending the Depression. The plan was criticized by many economists. Essentially, half the national income would be directed to the eight percent of the population over the age of 60. But it was still a very attractive plan, especially to the older people who would benefit. Townsend began to organize around his Old Age Revolving Pension Plan (Townsend Plan) in September 1933 and had created a movement within months. Local groups organized Townsend Clubs to support the idea, and by January 1934, Townsend said 3,000 groups had begun. He sold pamphlets, badges, and other items, and financed a national weekly mailing. In mid-1935, Townsend said that there were 7,000 clubs with 2.25 million members, most of them older people. A petition drive brought 20 million signatures to Congress. Buoyed by the immense support, Townsend spoke to cheering crowds as he traveled, including to two national conventions organized around the Townsend Plan. In 1935, encouraged by the massive support for the Townsend idea, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal  passed the Social Security Act.  Many in Congress, pressured to support the Townsend Plan, preferred being able to support the Social Security Act, which for the first time provided a safety net for Americans too old to work. Townsend considered this an inadequate substitute and began angrily attacking the Roosevelt administration.  He joined with such populists as the Rev. Gerald L. K. Smith and Huey Long’s Share Our Wealth Society, and with the Rev. Charles Coughlin’s National Union for Social Justice and Union Party. Townsend invested much energy in the Union Party and organizing voters to vote for candidates who supported the Townsend Plan. He estimated that the Union Party would get 9 million votes in 1936, and when the actual votes were less than a million, and Roosevelt was reelected in a landslide, Townsend abandoned party politics. His political activity led to conflict within the ranks of his supporters, including the filing of some lawsuits. In 1937, Townsend was asked to testify before the Senate on allegations of corruption in the Townsend Plan movement. When he refused to answer questions, he was convicted of contempt of Congress.  Roosevelt, despite Townsend’s opposition to the New Deal and Roosevelt, commuted Townsend’s 30-day sentence. Townsend continued to work for his plan, making changes to try to make it less simplistic and more acceptable to economic analysts. His newspaper and national headquarters continued. He met with presidents Truman and Eisenhower. He was still making speeches supporting reform of old age security programs, with audiences mostly of the elderly, shortly before he died on September 1, 1960, in Los Angeles. In later years, during a time of  relative prosperity, the expansion of federal, state, and private pensions took much of the energy out of his movement. Sources Richard L. Neuberger and Kelley Loe, An Army of the Aged. 1936.David H. Bennett. Demagogues in the Depression: American Radicals and the Union Party, 1932-1936. 1969.Abraham Holtzman. The Townsend Movement: A Political Study. 1963.

Thomas Nast, Famous 19th Century Political Cartoonist

Thomas Nast, Famous 19th Century Political Cartoonist Thomas Nast is considered the father of modern political cartoons, and his satirical drawings are often credited with bringing down Boss Tweed, the notoriously corrupt leader of the New York City political machine in the 1870s. Besides his scathing political attacks, Nast is also largely responsible for our modern depiction of Santa Claus. And his work lives on today in political symbolism, as he is responsible for creating the symbol of the donkey to represent Democrats and the elephant to represent Republicans. Political cartoons had existed for decades before Nast began his career, but he elevated  political satire into an extremely  powerful and effective art form. And while Nast’s achievements are legendary, he is often criticized today for an intensely bigoted streak, especially in his depictions of Irish immigrants. As drawn by Nast, Irish arrivals to America’s shores were ape-faced characters, and there’s no obscuring the fact that Nast personally harbored a deep resentment toward Irish Catholics. Early Life of Thomas Nast Thomas Nast was born September 27, 1840, in Landau Germany. His father was a musician in a military band with strong political opinions, and he decided the family would be better off living in America. Arriving in New York City at the age of six, Nast first attended German language schools. Nast began to develop artistic skills in his youth  and aspired to be a painter. At the age of 15 he applied for a job as an illustrator at Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, a very popular publication of the time. An editor told him to sketch a crowd scene, thinking the boy would be discouraged. Instead, Nast did such a remarkable job that he was hired. For the next few years he worked for Leslie’s. He traveled to Europe where he drew illustrations of Giuseppe Garibaldi, and returned to America just in time to sketch events around the first inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, in March 1861. Nast and the Civil War In 1862 Nast joined the staff of Harper’s Weekly, another very popular weekly publication. Nast began to portray Civil War scenes with great realism, using his artwork to consistently project a pro-Union attitude. A devoted follower of the Republican Party and President Lincoln, Nast, during some of the darkest times of the war, portrayed scenes of heroism, fortitude, and support for the soldiers on the home front. In one of his illustrations, â€Å"Santa Claus In Camp,† Nast portrayed the character of St. Nicholas dispensing gifts to Union soldiers. His depiction of Santa was very popular, and for years after the war Nast would draw an annual Santa cartoon. Modern illustrations  of Santa are  largely based on how Nast drew him. Nast is often credited with making serious contributions to the Union war effort. According to legend, Lincoln referred to him as an effective recruiter for the Army. And Nast’s attacks on General George McClellan’s attempt to unseat Lincoln in the election of 1864 was no doubt helpful to Lincoln’s reelection campaign. Following the war, Nast turned his pen against President Andrew Johnson and his policies of reconciliation with the South. Nast Attacked Boss Tweed In the years following the war the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City controlled the city government’s finances. And William M. â€Å"Boss† Tweed, leader of â€Å"The Ring,† became a constant target of Nast’s cartoons. Besides lampooning Tweed, Nast also gleefully attacked Tweed allies including the notorious robber barons, Jay Gould and his flamboyant partner Jim Fisk. Nast’s cartoons were astoundingly effective as they reduced Tweed and his cronies to figures of ridicule. And by portraying their misdeeds in cartoon form, Nast made their crimes, which included bribery, larceny, and extortion, understandable to nearly anyone. There is a legendary story that Tweed said he didn’t mind what the newspapers wrote about him, as he knew many of his constituents wouldn’t fully comprehend complicated news stories. But they could all understand the â€Å"damned pictures† showing him stealing bags of money. After Tweed was convicted and escaped from jail, he fled to Spain. The American consul provided a likeness which helped to find and capture him: a cartoon by Nast. Bigotry and Controversy An enduring criticism of Nast’s cartooning was that it perpetuated and spread ugly ethnic stereotypes. Looking at the cartoons today, there is no doubt that depictions of some groups, particularly Irish Americans, are vicious. Nast seemed to have had a deep distrust of the Irish, and he was certainly not alone in believing that Irish immigrants could never fully assimilate into American society. As an immigrant himself, he was obviously not opposed to all new arrivals in America. Later Life of Thomas Nast In the late 1870s Nast seemed to hit his peak as a cartoonist. He had played a role in taking down Boss Tweed. And his cartoons depicting Democrats as donkeys in 1874 and Republicans as elephants in 1877 would became so popular that we still use the symbols today. By 1880 Nast’s artwork was in decline. New editors at Harper’s Weekly sought to control him editorially. And changes in printing technology, as well as increased competition from more newspapers that could print cartoons, presented challenges. In 1892 Nast launched his own magazine, but it was not successful. He faced financial difficulties when he secured, through the intercession of Theodore Roosevelt, a federal post as a consular official in Ecuador. He arrived in the South American country in July 1902, but contracted yellow fever and died on December 7, 1902, at the age of 62. Nast’s artwork has endured, and he considered one of the great American illustrators of the 19th century.

Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture

Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture Jade is a metamorphic rock that is naturally colored green, red, yellow, or white. When it polished and treated, the vibrant colors of jade can be extraordinary. The most popular kind of jade in Chinese culture is green jade, which has an emerald hue.   Called 玉 (yà ¹) in Chinese, jade is important to Chinese culture because of its beauty, practical use, and social value. Here is an introduction to jade and why it is so important to Chinese people. Now when you browse through an antique shop, jewelry store, or museum, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of this important stone. Types of Jade Jade is classified into soft jade (nephrite) and hard jade (jadeite). Since China only had soft jade until jadeite was imported from Burma during the Qing dynasty (1271–1368 CE), the term jade traditionally refers to nephrite, and so soft jade is also called traditional jade. In preColumbian America, only hard jade was available; all Native American jades are jadeite. Burmese jadeite is called feicui in Chinese. Feicui is now more popular and valuable than soft jade in China today. History of Jade Jade has been a part of Chinese civilization from the earliest days. Chinese jade was used as a material for practical and ornamental purposes at an early period in history, and it continues to be very popular today. The earliest Chinese jade is from the early Neolithic period Hemudu culture in Zhejian Province (about 7000–5000 BCE). Jade was an important part of ritual contexts in the middle to late Neolithic periods, such as the Hongshan culture that existed along the Lao River and the Liangzhu culture in the Tai Lake region (both date between 4000–2500 BCE). Carved jade has also been found in sites dated to the Longshan culture (3500–2000 BCE) by the Yellow River; and the Bronze age cultures of Western and Easter Zhou dynasties (11th–3rd centuries BCE). In  Ã¨ ª ªÃ¦â€"‡è § £Ã¥ ­â€" (shuo  wen  jie  zi), the first Chinese dictionary published in the early second century CE, jade was described as beautiful stones by the writer Xu Zhen. Jade has been a familiar substance in Chinese culture for a very long time. Uses of Chinese Jade Archaeological artifacts of jade include sacrificial  vessels, tools, ornaments,  utensils, and many other items. Ancient music instruments were made out of Chinese jade, such as the yuxiao  (a flute made of jade and played vertically), and chimes. The beautiful color of jade made it a mysterious stone to the Chinese in ancient times, so jade wares were popular as sacrificial vessels and were often buried with the dead. One example of the ritual importance of jade is the burial of the body of Liu Sheng, a prince of the Zhongshan State (Western Han Dynasty) who died around 113 BCE. He was buried in a  jade suit  composed of 2,498 pieces of jade stitched together with gold thread. Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture Chinese people love jade not only because of its aesthetic beauty but also because of what it represents regarding social value. In the Li Ji (Book of Rites), Confucius said that there are 11 De, or virtues, represented in jade: benevolence, justice, propriety, truth, credibility, music, loyalty, heaven, earth, morality, and intelligence. The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. Book of Rites In the Shi Jing  (Book of Odes), Confucius wrote: When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade. Book of Odes Thus, beyond monetary worth and materiality, jade is greatly prized as it stands for beauty, grace, and purity. As the Chinese saying goes: gold has a value; jade is invaluable.   Jade in the Chinese Language Because jade represents desirable virtues, the word for jade (yu) is incorporated into many Chinese idioms and proverbs to denote beautiful things or people. For example, å† °Ã¦ ¸â€¦Ã§Å½â€°Ã¦ ´  (bingqing yujie), which directly translates to clear as ice and clean as jade is a Chinese saying that means someone is pure and noble. ä º ­Ã¤ º ­Ã§Å½â€°Ã§ «â€¹ (tingting  yuli) is a phrase used to describe something or someone that is fair, slim, and graceful. Additionally, 玉å ¥ ³ (yà ¹nÇš), which means jade woman,  is a term for a lady or beautiful girl.   A popular thing to do in China is to use the Chinese character for jade in Chinese names. The Supreme Deity of Taoism is known as Yuhuang  Dadi (the Jade Emperor). Chinese Stories About Jade Jade is so ingrained in Chinese culture that there are famous stories about Jade (here called bi). The two most famous tales are He Shi Zhi Bi (Mr. He and His Jade or Hes Jade Disc) and Wan Bi Gui Zhao (Jade Returned Intact to Zhao). The stories involve a man named Bian He and a piece of jade that eventually became a symbol of united China. He Shi Zhi Bi tells the story of Mr. He and how he found a piece of raw jade and tried to give it to two generations of kings, but they didnt recognize it as valuable and cut off his feet as punishment for trying to pass off an unworthy stone. Eventually, the grandson of the first king finally had his jeweler cut the stone open and found the raw jade; it was carved into a disc and named after Mr. He by that grandson, Wenwang, the king of the Chu State, around 689 BCE. Wan Bi Gui Zhao is the follow-up story of this famous jade. The carved disc was subsequently stolen from the Chu State and eventually ended up owned by the Zhao. The king of the Qin State, the most powerful state during the Warring States Period (475–221 BCE), attempted to buy the jade disc back from the Zhao State in exchange for 15 cities. (Jade is known as ä » ·Ã¥â‚¬ ¼Ã¨ ¿Å¾Ã¥Å¸Å½, Valued at multiple cities because of this story.) However, he failed. Eventually, after some amount of political chicanery, the jade disc was returned to the Zhao State. In 221 BCE, the emperor Qin Shi Huangdi conquered the Zhao state, and as the ruler and founder of the Qin dynasty, he had the disc carved into a seal representing the new united China. The seal was part of the royal stores in China for 1,000 years before being lost during the Ming and Tang dynasties. Source Wu Dingming. 2014. A Panoramic View of Chinese Culture. Simon and Schuster.

Compare the Usability and Accessibility issues related to the use of Essay

Compare the Usability and Accessibility issues related to the use of multimedia in the areas of online broadcasting and museums. plus table comparisons - Essay Example For example; â€Å"people with low-bandwidth connection† and â€Å"new and infrequent web users† (Jim Thatcher, 2006, p 8). This essay will compare Usability and Accessibility issues related to the use of multimedia in the areas of museums, the ArtStart Kiosk at The National Gallery and British Museums COMPASS Database, and BBC Online Broadcasting. Multimedia guides, software applications, organization of links and information, graphics format and style, navigation systems, screen resolutions, interface, browsing facilities, interactivities, communication access and user applications are the points by which this paper will discuss. British Museum’s COMPASS (Collections Multimedia Public Access System) and National Gallery’s ArtStart Kiosk; are both database-driven multimedia guides to a selection the Museums’ paintings or objects. Both systems provide users with electronic catalogues of pictures on the application using multimedia touch screen. The technology museums’ system are user-friendly, such that visitors can use the technology even if they do not have previous experience of the collections by providing indexes as common terms and organized information. Organization comes in the form of links to collections of varied interests; virtual tours of groups of objects in familiar themes; objects of the month from the Home page and thousands of links between the objects and to background information. The textual links however could create confusion to the graphical image links at the menu page. This confusion is also brought by lack of site map facility. Instead of a full site map b rowsing facility, the user can browse specific areas such as browsing paintings by A-Z Artist and paintings title at the ArtStart Kiosk. With the BBC there is an alternative similar to a site map in which sitemap navigation is facilitated by A-Z

Final project (module 1-7) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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How social or economic issues in this country influence the roles Essay

How social or economic issues in this country influence the roles women and men play in the family today - Essay Example and aided by the feminist movement, the number of women in the workforce has escalated since the 1970’s, a social phenomenon that has redefined the roles of both parents. Increasingly, mothers are contributing more to the family finances while fathers are spending more of their time caring for the kids. Though some decry this inevitable and necessary circumstance because they fear the disintegration of the traditional family unit is detrimental for children, the evidence shows that the opposite is true. For the vast majority of mothers, going to work every day while leaving their children with surrogate moms is clearly not a matter of choice as some have suggested. Of the women who work in two-parent homes, more than 80 percent have spouses who receive $30,000 per year or less. A mother’s choice in many cases is to either allow their children to live in abject poverty or to go to work. Though among the minority, some working mothers have chosen to continue their career pursuits following childbirth but in either case, the workplace is seldom conducive to the family concerns of mothers, or fathers for that matter. Seldom do employers allow a mother to take a year or two off to care for small children without sacrificing position or employment status and are generally upset when mom is often called away to attend matters concerning a child. The choices are hard for mothers. The unsympathetic attitudes towards working mothers among some factions of the public and most employers are not constructive nor aligned with reality (â€Å"Working Mothers†, 1999). Today, more than a quarter of all American kids reside in homes containing one parent, usually the mother, who must work to support the family. Some believe that the label ‘good mother’ implies one that dutifully fills her societal role by remaining home with the children. This belief is based solely on preconceived and outdated stereotypes and not on prevalent scientific data which indicates that

Contract Law assignment question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contract Law assignment question - Essay Example When the execution of the contract was considered the duty of the promise under legal and contractual means will come under consideration. This is dealt under 1. legal duty, 2. duty arises from the contract, 3. the duty arised from the contract. According to the UK law commission recommendations the consideration of the duty must not be against the law and public policy. This point is derived from the traditional law. Under common law the term consideration is a controversial requirement for the contracts. This is considered controversial because this is not necessary in civil law systems and it is considered in law of obligations and the contexts involving the criminal offences. This controversial thing was introduced in the law because, both the parties that entered into a contract will bargain and this bargain will come to the fore or disappears when any one breaches the contract. So, in that context, if the situation does not come under civil law the consideration term is taken f or perusal. This is for avoiding unnecessary or unintentional advantage for other party. In the case of Eastwood v. Kenyon the guardian of a young girl raised loan for her education. This is in the intention of improving her marriage prospects. After her marriage the court held that the husband need not pay the loan as the loan raised for the education of the girl was a past consideration. Two parties can enter into a future contract regarding sale and purchase. When a person is having enough goods that he can sell. for reasonable profit after a certain time and a person who wants to make profit by buying certain goods after a period of time can make a future contract. The supplier must sell the goods by

Assault Rifles Should Be Banned In Washington State Essay

Assault Rifles Should Be Banned In Washington State - Essay Example 7 should be banned because these rifles are most commonly used in mass shooting incidences, the ban will result in safeguarding the lives of defense officials and the ban is completely constitutional. One of the main reasons due to which assault rifles should be banned is that these fire arms provide an advantage to the shooter and allows them to take more lives and spread more fears in a very limited amount of time. These rifles mostly contain more than 10 rounds and are easy and much faster to shoot and due to this several lives are taken away in a very small period of time. For example: in the Sandy Hook case the shooter, Adam Lanza used an assault rifle known as Bushmaster and within a matter of 10 minutes ended up taking a total of 27 lives at a school (Flegenheimer 1). Another reason due to which assault rifles should be banned is that it restricts the defenders of the nation in carrying out their duties in the best possible manner. It does not only become an obstacle in the way police men carry out their duties, it has even resulted in the deaths of several policemen while they try to safeguard the citizens of Washington. According to Mathews, there has been an increase in the number of police officials being killed since the removal of the ban on assault weapons, he notes that during the period of 2009 there was an increase of 24% in the number of police officials being killed due to gun fire as compared to 2008 (Matthews 1). Banning of assault rifles is completely constitutional and does not infringe upon the citizen’s right to purchase and carry arms as stated in the Second Amendment. During the period of 2008, Justice Scalia held in a verdict that the Second Amendment protects the right of the Americans to own and carry firearms but the amendment does not cover fire arms that are dangerous and unusual (Fuchs 1). This means that if Washington State bans assault rifles they would not be going against the constitution because these weapons are very

Contract Law assignment question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contract Law assignment question - Essay Example When the execution of the contract was considered the duty of the promise under legal and contractual means will come under consideration. This is dealt under 1. legal duty, 2. duty arises from the contract, 3. the duty arised from the contract. According to the UK law commission recommendations the consideration of the duty must not be against the law and public policy. This point is derived from the traditional law. Under common law the term consideration is a controversial requirement for the contracts. This is considered controversial because this is not necessary in civil law systems and it is considered in law of obligations and the contexts involving the criminal offences. This controversial thing was introduced in the law because, both the parties that entered into a contract will bargain and this bargain will come to the fore or disappears when any one breaches the contract. So, in that context, if the situation does not come under civil law the consideration term is taken f or perusal. This is for avoiding unnecessary or unintentional advantage for other party. In the case of Eastwood v. Kenyon the guardian of a young girl raised loan for her education. This is in the intention of improving her marriage prospects. After her marriage the court held that the husband need not pay the loan as the loan raised for the education of the girl was a past consideration. Two parties can enter into a future contract regarding sale and purchase. When a person is having enough goods that he can sell. for reasonable profit after a certain time and a person who wants to make profit by buying certain goods after a period of time can make a future contract. The supplier must sell the goods by

MLA RESEARCH ARGUMENT- Social Media issue Essay

MLA RESEARCH ARGUMENT- Social Media issue - Essay Example This work goes to point out the relevant effects that are associated with social media. This research paper aims at evaluating the issues related to social media in general. Scholars have carried out research on the matter, and it is evident that there are advantages as well as disadvantages associated with social media. The issues affect a wide range of individuals. You can now connect to the whole world from the comfort of your home or office. This is one of the important attributes of social media. Not only are people able to make business connections, but they can find new jobs, find assistance and get advice. It has also enabled people to learn something new about a foreign country, and interact with people from diverse cultures. Social media has replaced pen pals mails that used to take a long time, now friends can communicate instantly using the many available social websites (Bryant and Zillmann 418). Social media offers the advantage of interacting with people who share the same interests. People can make wiser decisions on a subject, especially when they have managed to find solutions online. This is enhanced by the fact that communication via the Internet is real-time, as long as you have an Internet connection. Noor Al-Deen and Hendricks (182) conclude that many social sites have instant messaging that facilitates this. This has gone a long way to helping students, researchers, managers, business people, as well as teachers. One can source information online instantly. According to Noor Al-Deen and Hendricks (182), marketers have largely benefited from social media. It has become very cheap, fast and reliable to do marketing online. With a click of a button, a marketer can sell his or her idea, new products and services to millions of social network users worldwide. It is also handy for not for profit organizations to communicate with people, educate

Math Anxiety and Math Self-Efficacy Essay Example for Free

Math Anxiety and Math Self-Efficacy Essay Objective: This is a descriptive-correlational study which investigated the relationship between math anxieties, math self-efficacies and math achievements of maritime college sophomores in Iloilo, Philippines. Method: This research was conducted at the three campuses of St. Therese- MTC Colleges, namely: Tigbauan, La Fiesta, and Magdalo Sites during the first semester of academic year 2004-2005. The participants of the study consisted of 316 maritime sophomores who were chosen using proportional random sampling. The data for this study were gathered using standardized questionnaires. For mathematics achievement, the mean of their grades in mathematics subjects taken in their first year were used. Basic descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, t-test for independent samples, and Pearson-Product Moment correlation test were used to analyze data. Result: The study found out that the majority of the maritime sophomores belonged to the â€Å"terminal† case of math anxiety or was on the verge of becoming impatient, yet the majority had a high math self-efficacy level. Their math achievements, on the other hand, were generally poor. They differed significantly on their math achievement when grouped according to math anxiety and math self-efficacy. Finally, negative but significant relationship existed between math anxiety and math self-efficacy and math anxiety and math achievement while math self-efficacy and math achievement were positively and significantly related. In other words, those with low math anxiety had high math self-efficacy and consequently they performed better in math than those with high math anxiety and low math self-efficacy. Discussion: Results indicated that the higher math anxiety is the lower is math self-efficacy and math achievement. In the same manner, lower math anxiety results to high math self-efficacy which in turn results to high math achievement. This is consistent with studies done by previous researchers like Richardson and Suinn, (1972), and Suinn, et al, (1972) to name a few. Although three decades and cultural differences separated the studies, still similar results have been observed. This only implies that when it comes to factors related to math performance, time and culture have no bearing on the results. Conclusion: Generally, maritime college sophomores’ math achievements were poor. However, when they were grouped according to math anxiety and math self-efficacy, it showed that those with high self-efficacy had higher math achievement than those with low self-efficacy. Moreover, those with high math anxiety had lower math achievement compared to those with low math anxiety. The study suggests that math educators must look into building students’ confidence in mathematics to overcome their anxiety and thus, improve their overall performance in math.

Project Plan To British Airport Authority Construction Essay

Project Plan To British Airport Authority Construction Essay This report is aimed at producing an effective project plan to British Airport Authority (BAA) using Heathrow terminal 5 as a case study. The methodology used in this project is the problem solving approach where a major problem is identified, the possible solution to the problem is analysed and the best solution for the implementation of the project is recommended. In producing this plan, a major problem of airport congestion was identified and an option appraisal was carried using the SWOT tool to determine whether the proposed project plan was worth doing, the projects scope, definitions and deliverables were clearly stated. Some assumption, considerations and constraints had to be made to assist the project team consulted for this project in understanding and delivering the plan effectively. The projects critical factors, measurable targets dependencies and resource requirements were outlined in this report. Also a detailed cost estimate was done for the allocated budget. Microsoft project package was used to prepare and produce a Gantt chart including a work breakdown structure for each task identifying the major milestones. A communication and risk plan is also included in this report to ensure a smooth implementation of the project plan. Finally this report recommends time duration for the project and a sustainability framework. INTRODUCTION This is a detailed report based on the project plan presentation made by group 5 project consultants to British Airport Authority (BAA) on the 14th of December 2009. The problem solving approach was used in this project plan using BAA terminal 5 as a case study. This report identifies and addresses the problem of passenger and airline congestion in Heathrows existing terminal. In order to fully understand this report, the project background and rational would be discussed in the following section. 1.1 Background Heathrow located in the London borough of Hillingdon was initially a private airport with one grass runway used to assemble and test aircrafts. During World War II, the land occupied by this private airport was acquired by the government to build a Royal Air Force (RAF) Heston Aerodrome which was an army surplus tent small grass airfield. In 1946 it was handed over to Air ministry as Londons new civil airport. Due to the closure of the old terminal on the North side by 1961, airlines either operated from the Europa terminal or the oceanic terminal which handled long haul carriers (now terminal 2 and 3 respectively). Terminal 1 was opened in 1969 by which time about 5 million passengers were passing through the airport travelling from Heathrow to and from all parts of the world (British Airport Authority 2009). The demand for air travel and increased congestion in the central area further created the need for the development of terminal 4 in 1986. As at 2006, Heathrow owned and operated by British Airports Authority (BAA) can boast of nearly 1.4 billion commuters over 14 million flights (British Airport Authority 2009). It is UKs only international network hub airport. As traffic of commuters increased Heathrow Airport is faced with an ever increasing demand for passenger facilities and capacity constraint which has lead to frequent flight delays. This need has further lead to the construction of terminal 5. Terminal 5 is said to be a passenger terminal and associated facilities that would complement Heathrows existing terminals The planning and building of a new terminal (Exciteh 2009), presents a distinctive challenge compared to the construction of any other structure. Building this new terminal would expand Heathrows capacity to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of passengers, improve the safety and security of air transport, introduce high quality facilities, and increase the status of the British airport worldwide. The new Heathrow terminal 5 would be a gateway between the UK and the world. Group 5, is a project management consultancy team based in Aberdeen. This team has been retained as project consultants by BAA to produce a project plan for the successful delivery of her terminal 5 project at its very best. This report shows explicitly all the steps and phases required to produce the final deliverable (the project plan). 1.2 Project Rationale Heathrow is synonymous with international travel and is one of the UKs most significant fiscal assets. As a two runway and four terminal airports in 2005, it is one of the worlds leading airports in terms of passenger and airline capacity. If Heathrow continues to operate within its existing limits, it is forecasted that the airport will handle 87 million passengers a year by 2015 and thereafter 90-95 million passengers a year (Heathrow airport interim master plan 2005). With such an increase in the yearly passenger travel a new terminal is inevitable. Over the years, these existing terminals could accept more traffic because of the implementation of risk reduction measures. However, the continual congestion in Heathrows terminals may reach a condition such that it cannot be said with confidence that these terminals will continue to be safe. However, since the airline industry is a peoples industry without passengers the industry will not thrive. So the objective to build a structure that would stand the test of time and serve its millions of prospective customers thereby reducing congestion cannot be over emphasized. 2.0 PROJECT BUSINESS CASE The development of a business case to all intents and purposes is to gain support, commitment and eventually approval from the top management. The Business Case depicts the reasons for undertaking for the project, based on the estimated costs of the project, the risks and the expected business benefits and savings (APM 2006). The business case highlights the justification for the project. Reports by BAA (2009) shows that Heathrow runway operates at 95% capacity compared to 75% of its major European competitors. This congestion has lead to increased delay, lower resilience and fewer destinations served. Statistics taken from the UK Parliamentary office of Science and Technology (2000) and Airport council International (2008) shown in the table below portrays a rising trend in Heathrows passenger capacity from 1978 2008. Year 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 No. of Passengers (million) 45.4 49.2 50.4 50.7 51.1 53.7 59.4 61.6 Year 1986 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 No. of Passenger (million) 66.3 76.3 82.3 87.1 89.9 84.3 94.6 100.2 Year 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 No. of passengers (million) 109.2 115.6 120.7 130.7 142.2 150.9 64.61 60.74 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 No. of passengers 63.34 63.49 67.34 67.92 67.53 68.07 67.06 Figure 2.1 Average passenger capacity (Adopted from UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2000) and Airport Council International (2008) To further explain the table above is a graphical representation of the passenger capacity plotted against years. Figure 2.2 Graph showing increasing passenger trend (Adopted from UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2000) and Airport Council international (2008)) GRAPH ANALYSIS The statistics used for this graph shows all fights into Heathrow airport for terminals 1 to 4. From year 1998 to 2000 there was quite a steady rise in the number of passengers passing through Heathrow. From year 2001 to 2009 Heathrow experienced a decline in airline and passenger capacity. This could be attributed to the global economic situation in many parts of the world and the threat to aviation from international terrorism. On the other hand with the UK economy gradually coming out of this recession there is an expected rise in the number of aviation travel. 2.1 Available options for addressing the opportunity Option Appraisal An option appraisal to determine the best means to achieve the project objectives was done. In carrying out an option appraisal, a need and a cost benefit is first carried out, then objectives are set and options are created and reviewed (Department of Treasure UK 2009). An option appraisal is a decision making technique that identifies the project objectives and explores other alternatives for attaining these objectives. It determines whether the proposal is worth doing and clearly communicates conclusions and recommendation. After a critical analysis a preferred option was taken and used in establishing this project plan. The approach for this project plan also incorporates the traditional project management concept which breaks the project into the various life cycle phases. The three major options identified for this project is as shown below; 2.2 OPTION 1 Do Nothing This option is the base option it involves not embarking on the project. If chosen it may result in undesirable and increasing risks to air passengers due to airport congestion. 2.3 OPTION 2 Expansion of the existing terminals Measures could be taken to expand current terminals including runways to accommodate the increase. However carrying out an expansion work on the existing terminals, would be quite challenging on airlines and passengers. This would require a temporal closure of some of the terminals which may lead to potential loss of customers as they would seek alternative routes. In addition, this approach may leave current structures with minimum factor of safety and do little to improve the deficiencies and congestion in current airport. 2.4 OPTION 3 Construct a new terminal In this option constructing a new terminal of the anticipated capacity would mean that the new terminal would be constructed to expand the operations of older terminals and can potentially replace them. A SWOT analysis for this option was carried out. 2.5 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a technique used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in the project. This method involves specifying the project objectives and identifying the internal and external factors (Nigel and William 2002) that could stop or improve the success of those objectives. The environmental factors internal to the firm are classified as strength and weakness while the external factors are classified as opportunities and threats. These terms are further explained below: Strengths Strengths could either be a positive tangible or intangible attribute and they are usually within the organisations control. Weakness These are the areas that project needs to improve on. They can be considered as the projects fault or disadvantage that might prevent them from attaining their goals. Opportunities Opportunities propel an organisation. These factors represent the reason for the project or business to exist and develop. Opportunities are beneficial and may assists to negate threat. Threats Threats are factors beyond the organisations control which could result in project failure. The SWOT Matrix for this project is as shown in Appendix 1. Furthermore a cost estimate is also carried out to determine the preferred option 2.6 Cost Estimate 3.0 PROJECT DEFINITION James P. Lewis defined project as a onetime job that has defined starting and ending dates, a clearly specified objective, or scope to be performed, a pre-defined budget, and usually a temporary organization that is dismantled once the project is complete. For this project the objectives and scope are explained below. 3.1 Goals and Objectives Project objectives as defined by Westland (2007) are statements describing in more details what it is that the project will achieve. It is the desired outcome of the project. Unclear objectives could result in conflict when information is not adequately understood. The objectives of this project plan include the following: To supplement Heathrows other existing terminals to accommodate her increasing customer base and increase the airport current capacity by 30% BAA (2009) To reinforce Heathrows position as Europes principal intercontinental hub To provide excellent customer service and travelling experience to her highly esteemed customers 3.2 Statement of the Project Scope The project scope can be defined as the specific and overall definition of what the projects end result should accomplish (Briggs 2009). It specifies what work is included and excluded in a project perhaps defining in effect the boundaries of the project (Carmichael 2004). 3.2.1 Scope The scope of this project is as follows: An effective project plan for the successful delivery of BAAs Heathrow Terminal 5 project Recommendation of a sustainable development plan for the new terminal 3.2.2 Scope Exclusions Exclusions are done in order to avoid misunderstandings they spell out what the project wont do. The following are the exclusions considered in developing this project plan The project plan would not include the conceptual design of the project The effects of inflation on budgeted cost would not be included The project plan does not include obtaining the necessary permits and authorization documents The project plan does not include the ground rules to be adopted during the implementation of the project plan 3.3 Project Deliverables A deliverable is any unique and verifiable product, result or capability to perform a service that is identified in the project management planning documentation, and must be produced and provided to complete the project (PMBOK 2004). It can also be described as the output of the project during the project and at the end. According to PMBOK (2008) there are four generic life cycle phases for a project. However since this is a mega project, five distinct phases have been identified for efficient planning. For this project, the key deliverables are grouped into the various project life cycle phases as shown in the diagram below: Fig 3.1 Project Life cycle diagram showing the deliverables The life cycle for this project is made up of the conception, planning, execution and control, completion/handover and post project review. These phases are further explained below. Conception phase This is the birth phase of any project in which the scope of the project is defined along with the methodology for delivering project desired outputs. Planning Phase This is the phase where all the plans required to deliver the project objectives and scope is done. This phase is characterized by breaking down the project into smaller more manageable work packages. Execution/ Monitoring phase This is the implementation phase of the project where work towards direct achievement of the projects objectives and the production of the projects deliverables take place (APMBOK 2006).This phase also involves monitoring and control. This involves recording, analysing and reporting project performance and comparing it to the planned performance in order to identify and report deviations as well as develop targets and plans. Completion/Handover Phase This is the project exit phase and the formal orderly end point of a project, either because it has been completed or because it has been terminated early (PMBOK 2004). Post project Review In this phase the lessons learned are reviewed. Below is a detailed explanation of the various deliverables at each project phase, their targets, dependencies and resource requirements. Description of Deliverables Project phase Deliverable Brief Description, targets, dependency and resource requirement Conception Business case This is a document that describes the project justification Target: Approval of top management Dependency:Project objective Resource Requirement:Project client or sponsor Project Initiation document (PID) Project initiation document is a statement of the scope, objectives and participants in a project. It defines the authority of the project manager and roles and responsibilities of project stakeholders. Target: Dependency: Resource requirement:project manager Planning Responsibility matrix It is a tool used to assign tasks relating to each project activity in the Work breakdown structure. It indicates clearly the role and responsibility of each project player Target:roles and responsibility of project players Dependency:work breakdown structure Resource requirement: Project manger Work breakdown structure (WBS) It is a hierarchical decomposition of the project into smaller elements or deliverables called work packages thereby allowing for effective management and control of project scope and objectives (PMBoK 2008). Target: work packages in relation to project objectives Dependencies: Project scope and deliverables Resource requirement: Project manager and input from project team Gantt chart This is a Microsoft project tool that illustrates the project schedule. It is a useful tool in planning, predicting and deciding how resources are used to achieve time and cost goals. Target:Project schedule and project resource requirements. Dependency:Work breakdown structure Resource requirement:Project manager Risk matrix This is a plan used in assessing risk Categories their probability of occurrence and the impact on the project it also highlights controls identified to mitigate the risks. Target: Dependency:Risk assessment Resource requirement;project team Execution/ control phase Completion/ handover Certificate of practical completion (CPC) it is a certificate handed over to the project manager after the project has been completed and has been certified to meet clients and stakeholders requirement. Target:client satisfaction Dependency:Project completion Resource requirement: project owner Lessons learned it is a documentation of all lessons learned in course of executing the project and is kept for future references in order to prevent pitfalls in the execution of similar projects in future. Target;should clearly highlight lessons learned from the project. Dependencies: project completion and client satisfaction Resource requirement: Project manager 3.4 Critical Success Factors The primary objectives of any project being completed within the specified cost, time and good performance are not the only determinants of a successful project. These primary objectives can identify immediate contribution to profit (kerzner 2006) but will not identify if the project has been properly managed. These success factors can be seen as value enhancing practises (VEP). The following are some required factors that will determine the success of BAAs Heathrow terminal 5 project (HT5): Clearly established project goals and procedures Strong support and shared vision from BAAs top management Satisfaction of the various groups of stakeholders with minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes. The contracting strategy employed would enable suppliers focus on delivery Excellent teamwork and good communication among key players to align and convey objectives The use of standard project management methodologies, tools and techniques. For example monitoring and change management practices should be employed to identify and resolve problems early Availability of technological expertise and equipment 3.5 Critical Project Barriers Unlike risks, critical project barriers are overwhelming issues that can be critical to a projects plan. Should any of these events occur the project plan would become invalid. In this project, the following are possible critical barriers: Removal of project funding Occurrence of force majeure e.g. natural disasters or acts of war 4.0 PROJECT CONSTRAINTS CONSIDERATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS According to APM Body of knowledge (2006), constraints are issues that could cause a delay or restrictions that would affect the project; considerations are the key elements required to have a binding contract; and assumptions are statements that will be taken for granted as fact and upon which the project business case will be justified. 4.1 Constraints In an airport environment, height limitations are placed to avoid interference with the airport radar systems and this could affect the project team during construction. Logistics challenge due to condensed site area. Ecological constraints and the landscape of the area to support such a project Permit, licensing or consent approvals could take a long time to be obtained considering the sensitive nature of this project Health and safety of the project team and locals during and after construction due to pollution Legal requirements of the construction regulation and environmental act 4.2 Considerations There could be potential changes to the structure in future so provision would be made available for that in the project design. Satisfaction of the projects large and diverse group of stake holders. 4.3 Assumptions BAA the project sponsor and client will accept the project plan offered by this consultant team All project participants will abide by the guideline identified within this plan All necessary approvals have been obtained The time frame for the project is 10 years Management will ensure that the project team is available as at when required to complete project tasks. All project participants will abide by the guideline identified within this plan The required resources are available, and the estimated budget would be adequate for the project Inflation would be constant throughout the period of the project 5.0 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PLAN A project development plan defines the phases that connect the beginning of a project to its end (PMBOK 2004). Because projects have a beginning and an end, there is a logical sequence of activities or tasks to accomplish projects objectives. This sequence of activities leads to the Work Breakdown Structure 5.1 Work Breakdown Structure Work breakdown structure is defined as a way in which a project may be divided by level into discrete groups for programming, cost planning and control purposes (APMBOK 2006). It acts as a control and monitoring tool in any project and also shows full clarity and understanding of the project scope. The work breakdown structure for this project is shown in appendix 2. 5.2 Gantt Chart The Gantt chart is used in scheduling the work breakdown structure. It is a useful tool in planning, predicting and deciding how resources are used to achieve time and cost goals. It is a type of bar chart used to represent when activities are being carried out or when resources are required. It uses time lines and other symbols to illustrate multiple time-based activities of a project on a horizontal time scale (Carmichael 2004). The Gantt chart for this project is as shown in appendix 3 6.0 Project Organisation and Management Project organizational structure clarifies the makeup of the project board and teams. It identifies the roles and responsibility of the various stakeholders involved in the project. Lock (2007) defined stakeholders as the people and organizations who affect, or will be affected by the project. Stakeholders can be grouped into primary and secondary stakeholders. The principal/primary stakeholders stand to make profit or loss from the project while the secondary stakeholders are non profit making stakeholders. The following are the stakeholders for the HT5 project. Primary Stakeholders Her Majesties Government British Airport Authority (BAA) British Airways (BA) Local Authorities Major contractors Suppliers Project managers Project team Secondary Stakeholders Sub-contractors Local communities Non-Governmental Organisations Employees of Heathrow airport Regulatory Authorities Customers 6.1 Project Structure The diagram shown in Appendix 4 depicts the project organisation structure. 6.2 Roles and Responsibilities Roles and responsibilities needs to be clearly defined among the project team to avoid conflict. The responsibility charts clarifies the duties of each persons involved in the project .The roles and responsibilities table for this project is as shown in Appendix 5. 6.3 Project Approach/Methodology The methodology for managing the implementation of this project plan for BAA Heathrow terminal 5 is the problem-oriented approach. With this approach, a major problem is identified, the cause and the possible solution to the problem and finally a best solution for implementation recommended. For this project, the problem identified was the congestion of passengers and airline capacity constrain which lead to the decision to construct a new terminal in Heathrow. 6.4 Project Controls Lewis (2001) described project control to be the process of comparing where you are and where you are supposed to be so that corrective action can be taken when there is a deviation from target The project manager will monitor and control the project on a daily basis ensuring that issues are properly resolved. The steering committee shall meet at the completion of each milestone as indicated on the Gantt chart, to ensure that no previous issues are carried over and that quality has not been compromised in any form. 6.5 Project Communication In any successful project, there must be a continuous need for communication to issue directives, solve problems, make decisions, resolve conflicts and keep everyone supplied with the required information (Burke 2003). According to Westland (2007) the communication plan identifies the type of information to be distributed to stakeholders (what), the methods of distributing the information (How), the frequency of the distribution (when) and the responsibilities of each person in the project team for distributing the information (who). For this project, the communication plan as shown in appendix 6 is divided into the external and internal communication for the following stakeholders: Project sponsor Project team Steering committee Local community General public 7.0 Project Risk Management Project risk is defined as the cumulative effect of the chances of uncertain occurrences which will adversely affect project objectives. It is the degree of exposure to negative events and their probable consequences. Project risk is characterized by three factors: risk event, risk probability and the amount at stake (PMBOK 2004) Project risk management is a structured process that allows individual risk events and overall project risk to be understood and managed proactively, optimising project success by minimising threats and maximising opportunities (APMBOK 2006). In order words risk management is an approach of identifying, assessing and controlling risk that occurred during the project life cycle 7.1 Project Risk Assessment Issues of risk (uncertainties) cannot be over emphasized. It must be properly identified, analysed and mitigated. The political, technical, financial, environmental and sociological aspects are the key factors that were considered during the risk assessment. For this project, the probabilities of risks occurrence were classified as: 1 Almost impossible to occur 2 Slight tendency of occurrence 3 Likelihood of occurrence 4 Expected possibility of occurrence 5 Extreme possibility of occurrence And the risks impacts were classified as:   1 Little or no impact and work will continue 2 Slight impact but work will continue 3 Limited Impact but could slow down activity and extend completion date 4 Significant impact and could result in the project standstill 5 Massive impact and could result in termination of project The risk breakdown structure and risk identification mapping for this project is as shown in Appendix 7 and 8 respectively. 7.2 Risk Mitigation and Control The process of lowering the probability of a risk occurrence or reducing its effect or impact should it occur in a project is project risk mitigation and control. To be able to mitigate and control risk, we classified the resulting risk indices into three categories using the colour coding as shown below: Colour Coding Red: High Risk (18 25) Yellow: Medium Risk (11 16) Green: Low Risk (1 10) For this project, the risk assessment matrix is as shown in Appendix 9 8.0 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BAAs sustainability development policy sets a context for improving its environmental performance. This recommendation will look at the following: noise, air, water and the building. AIR Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of the UKs carbon emissions. It currently represents 6.4 % of the UKs CO2 emissions or 13% of the total climate change. For an important and massive project like the Terminal 5, the following should be considered; Air quality should be weighted on the overall balance of costs and benefits An elaborate air quality computer modelling should be done around major vicinity where the Terminal will be located and around the local areas. Pollutants to model should include but not limited to NO2, PM10 ,Ozone and CO2 The benefit of another runway will surely be of great benefit to the UK Government as facts below states; Benefit to the UK economy of mixed mode at Heathrow is  £2.5 bill

The Future of Traditional Retailing :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

The Future of Traditional Retailing Retailing can be vaguely described as the business of selling goods or services to the final customer. This particular area of business is extremely important to the economy, totaling an estimated three trillion dollars in sales per year. Retailers are in constant battle among themselves to find new and innovative ways to meet the customers’ needs and wants in order to secure a share of the market. There are numerous channels through which retailing can be performed. The most prominent form is the brick-and-mortar operation. This category consists of the physical store locations where customers can go to browse through the selection of merchandise. These operations have been a staple in communities for years past and will most likely remain for years to come. However, their stronghold on the retail industry is being seriously threatened by the extraordinary growth of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as the business of retailing conducted over the Internet. Although the retailing industry is a driving force behind the economy, its magnitude leaves little room for growth. The industry has reached its maturity, sales have not grown in great proportions, and expansion has slowed (Loeb, May 1998). In addition, the level of competition is at a high. Customers have more choices than ever on how to spend their dollar with the abundance of stores and catalogs (Maruca, Jul/Aug 1999). These conditions have lead retailers to search for a different channel by which to reach consumers. A relatively new development has been the introduction of Internet-based retailing. It is estimated that online sales have tripled between 1997 and 1998, reaching roughly nine billion dollars. With the growing number of households joining the Web each day, projections indicate no signs of slowing down anytime soon (Anonymous, Aug 1999). Interactive retailing can prove to be a real threat to existing businesses. A recent article by Bob Woods discussed a report from Jupiter Communications LLC which â€Å"claims that most of the growth will come at the expense of traditional retailing† (Aug 13, 1999, p. 11). The report goes on to state that a large part of Internet sales is not growth, but a shift in dollars from traditional retail channels. In order to regain lost sales, many brick-and-mortar outlets have ventured into the World Wide Web.

Arthur Millers The Crucible :: Arthur Miller Crucible Essays

Arthur Miller's The Crucible Arthur Miller individualises characters through their style of speech in many ways. Abigail Williams, one of the main characters, is a very attractive young lady, as portrayed in the text. However, her personality is bitter spiteful and vengeful. This has been shown by the way Miller individualises her, through her speech. Abigail is very bossy and has a lot of authority; "Uncle, the rumour of witchcraft is all about: I think you'd best go down and deny it yourself. The parlour's packed with people, sir. I'll sit with her". She seems to take control in a stressful situation, and hence controls people through their fear: "I think you'd best go down". Miller uses this sentence, in order to portray Abigail as a very manipulative and some-what controlling person. Miller also exposes the fact that Abigail is very spiteful and demanding. This is shown when Abigail is having an argument with her uncle, Parris. "She hates me, uncle; she must, for I would not be her slave. It's a bitter woman, a lying, cold, snivelling woman, and I will not work for such a woman!" This shows how Abigail puts everyone down, and tries to make out that she is the innocent victim in all the chaos. Another way Miller individualises Abigail, is the way she blames other people to get her self out of trouble- "Not I, sir- Tituba and Ruth". This shows how Miller puts across to the audience, the 'real' Abigail. Yet again, Miller reveals Abigail as being manipulative and controlling. "I have been hurt, Mr Danforth; I have seen my blood runnin' out! I have been near to murder every day because I done my duty pointing out the Devil's people- and this is my reward! To be mistrusted, denied questioned like a-". This also shows how Abigail is making everyone else feel sorry for her, as she has been doing the right thing. This is effective as it again brings out the 'real' Abigail, a cunning, sly, deceiving person. Abigail Williams wants to protect herself, and hence confesses, as she wants the same attention as Tituba, not to suffer, This shows her selfishness as she doesn't want to get hung and therefore follows Tituba's lead. "I want to open myself! I want the light of God; I want the sweet love of Jesus!" Miller uses the word "open" to emphasise the fact that Abigail doesn't want to just reveal herself, but "open" her. This then shows the audience how overdramatic Miller makes Abigail. In conclusion, I feel that Miller has effectively individualised Abigail, as a self-centred, overdramatic, deceiving woman. Mr Hale, another one of Miller's characters, however he is not as

Uniform Code of Military Justice

Article 92 is perhaps the most important article in the entire Uniform Code of Military Justice. It lays down the ground law, which is the absolute line that may not be crossed. Everything else in the UCMJ is an explanation of the various forms that disobeying an order can take. Without the support given by Article 92, service members would be free to do whatever they want, whenever they want, and wouldn't be any more accountable than a civilian could in a civilian job. However, service members are held to a higher standard.We are the line that protects this country and we are the defense against the storm. Without us, this country would not exist and could not exist. And for that, I have to follow the orders and instructions given by anyone appointed over me. The fact that I didn’t get to an appointment on time showed lack of accountability on my part, a lack of discipline to follow orders I was given and a lack of respect to those who are appointed over me as a leader. I fai led to be at my place of duty, which costs the Army money for another Soldier who could’ve been at that appointment and been on time.The military can only function if orders, when given, are obeyed. We would like to trust in the honesty and integrity of the Soldiers who made that oath and put their lives on the line for their country. The truth is that there are many out there that, if not given a clear set of rules, will not follow the rules. Will not care about the punishments, will not be productive or efficient members of the military machine. That is why Article 92, and the entire UCMJ, are necessary. They reinforce the behavior of those who do the right thing, promoting it and praising it.They punish those who do not do the right thing, undercutting and stamping out such behaviors. With such a system, the bad eggs, those who are unable to fit into the machine, will be ground up by it and spit out. Broken, incomplete, forever bemoaning the lack of foresight and flexibili ty that would have saved them. Accountability in the Army is paramount to the successful completion of the mission. It is a soldier’s personal responsibility to keep all his or her items accountable at all times. This ensures that the Army mission will be completed and that the soldier will remain prepared at all times.On a daily basis, thousands of Soldiers are seen at appointments varying anywhere from surgery on better eye sight to putting a broken foot into a cast for 6 weeks to heal. Appointments can be located anywhere on or off post depending on the type of appointment or preference of the Soldier. It is every Soldier’s right to choose where they would like to receive health care services. The Army spends Billions of dollars on medical supplies, medications, the latest and newest high tech equipment, and the healthcare facilities and the healthcare providers. When a Soldier misses an appointment, the Army’s money is then wasted.Money that could have been used on something such as new trucks, weapons and equipment. With budget cuts on funds within the ranks, missing an appointment is money the Army could use elsewhere. Of all the complications for military funding due to budget cuts, missing an appointment should not factor into it at all. Budget cuts have influenced the Chain of Command and their decisions on requiring Soldiers to pay out of pocket for their missed appointment. The government was starting to discuss having Soldiers pay out of pocket for their missed appointments.Have the Soldier pay out of pocket for the injuries received in an accident because they neglected their profile restrictions. Whether this has taken effect now or it will in the future, Soldiers will be less likely to miss any kind of appointment. If the responsibility were to fall on the shoulder of each individual Soldier, the Army would more than likely not have to inflict budget cuts and â€Å"Troop Cuts† we have all been reading about in The Arm y Times. If each Soldier were accountable for paying for their appointments, there wouldn’t be another wasted appointment because the Soldier was forgetful.It is every Soldiers responsibility to be healthy and remain in a fit condition. When Soldiers fails to do so however, the consequences can be catastrophic or even fatal in some cases. Best example, a Soldier has a tooth ache but ignores it because he or she thinks it’s a sign of weakness, that tooth ache can develop into something much worse than a cavity filling, the Soldier could end up being hospitalized because they didn’t take care of the issue when it was small. They ignored their MEDPROs warning about being past due for a check in.This action seems small, but when the Soldiers fall out of the ranks because they needed more medical attention such as surgery. That unit needs to replace that Soldier to remain fit and ready to deploy. This can led to issues and financial problems within that unit. Their d own a Soldier, which means they have to file paperwork to request a Soldier to replace him. That leads to more money to have that new Soldier coming in for travel and new training. Everything costs money. From the paper we use to request a Soldier to the training that he or she must receive so they can be ready to deploy on a mission.All of that money spent on the new Soldier could have been completely avoided if the Soldier had not ignored his MEDPROs dental warning. Something so small, like a tooth ache, turned in all new training requirements for a new and unprepared Soldier to keep a unit ready for a mission. If Soldiers were required to pay out of pocket for all of their appointments they made, the Army could spend more money where it is needed most. Such things are better training for Soldiers, Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, better equipment for deployed units and faster approval on funding.This increase in money in better areas can lead to more successful missions an d fewer fatalities on the battle field because the equipment is more accurate. Soldiers have been trained to the highest level, instead of just the basics for life saver course. The Army can afford to push every Soldier through the advanced kind of training needed to save lives. All of this could happen if every Soldier was held responsible for their actions of missing an appointment. Including, if every Soldier made it to all their appointments on time.If every Soldier was paying out of pocket for their appointments, the bigger picture we see is more saved lives in the combat zone. Every Soldier has the right to be seen for health issues. The well being of every Soldier, whether it’s their mental state or their physical health, is required for the best combat ready Soldier the Army has. That is the reality in today’s forces. The citizens of our country need us at our highest peak in health. So when unexplainable and tragic accident such as 9/11 ever happens again, a f orgotten dental appointment will not hold out any Soldier.The responsibility in accountability is every single individual’s duty for themselves and their team. The rank is not a concern when compared to responsibility. No one is singled out. It is my responsibility and my responsibility alone to maintain my physical and mental health state. I have to maintain myself at the highest level for Soldier readiness. That is my responsibility, no one else’s. However, in the long run, I affect someone else’s life if I neglect that responsibility. A simple phone call to change the time of my appointment could have avoided all of this.Neglecting to call was a failure on my part completely. I do not blame nor will I blame anyone but me. On the next appointment, I will be sure to make my appointment on time with enough reminders that it would be impossible not to forget. This standard for accountability needs to be a high priority of every Soldier who does not know much abou t the Army. Such as young privates coming out of Basic and AIT, can be trained and carry on the standard for responsibility and accountability. So future funds can be focused more for the training and not for missed appointments. Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 92 is perhaps the most important article in the entire Uniform Code of Military Justice. It lays down the ground law, which is the absolute line that may not be crossed. Everything else in the UCMJ is an explanation of the various forms that disobeying an order can take. Without the support given by Article 92, service members would be free to do whatever they want, whenever they want, and wouldn't be any more accountable than a civilian could in a civilian job. However, service members are held to a higher standard.We are the line that protects this country and we are the defense against the storm. Without us, this country would not exist and could not exist. And for that, I have to follow the orders and instructions given by anyone appointed over me. The fact that I didn’t get to an appointment on time showed lack of accountability on my part, a lack of discipline to follow orders I was given and a lack of respect to those who are appointed over me as a leader. I fai led to be at my place of duty, which costs the Army money for another Soldier who could’ve been at that appointment and been on time.The military can only function if orders, when given, are obeyed. We would like to trust in the honesty and integrity of the Soldiers who made that oath and put their lives on the line for their country. The truth is that there are many out there that, if not given a clear set of rules, will not follow the rules. Will not care about the punishments, will not be productive or efficient members of the military machine. That is why Article 92, and the entire UCMJ, are necessary. They reinforce the behavior of those who do the right thing, promoting it and praising it.They punish those who do not do the right thing, undercutting and stamping out such behaviors. With such a system, the bad eggs, those who are unable to fit into the machine, will be ground up by it and spit out. Broken, incomplete, forever bemoaning the lack of foresight and flexibili ty that would have saved them. Accountability in the Army is paramount to the successful completion of the mission. It is a soldier’s personal responsibility to keep all his or her items accountable at all times. This ensures that the Army mission will be completed and that the soldier will remain prepared at all times.On a daily basis, thousands of Soldiers are seen at appointments varying anywhere from surgery on better eye sight to putting a broken foot into a cast for 6 weeks to heal. Appointments can be located anywhere on or off post depending on the type of appointment or preference of the Soldier. It is every Soldier’s right to choose where they would like to receive health care services. The Army spends Billions of dollars on medical supplies, medications, the latest and newest high tech equipment, and the healthcare facilities and the healthcare providers. When a Soldier misses an appointment, the Army’s money is then wasted.Money that could have been used on something such as new trucks, weapons and equipment. With budget cuts on funds within the ranks, missing an appointment is money the Army could use elsewhere. Of all the complications for military funding due to budget cuts, missing an appointment should not factor into it at all. Budget cuts have influenced the Chain of Command and their decisions on requiring Soldiers to pay out of pocket for their missed appointment. The government was starting to discuss having Soldiers pay out of pocket for their missed appointments.Have the Soldier pay out of pocket for the injuries received in an accident because they neglected their profile restrictions. Whether this has taken effect now or it will in the future, Soldiers will be less likely to miss any kind of appointment. If the responsibility were to fall on the shoulder of each individual Soldier, the Army would more than likely not have to inflict budget cuts and â€Å"Troop Cuts† we have all been reading about in The Arm y Times. If each Soldier were accountable for paying for their appointments, there wouldn’t be another wasted appointment because the Soldier was forgetful.It is every Soldiers responsibility to be healthy and remain in a fit condition. When Soldiers fails to do so however, the consequences can be catastrophic or even fatal in some cases. Best example, a Soldier has a tooth ache but ignores it because he or she thinks it’s a sign of weakness, that tooth ache can develop into something much worse than a cavity filling, the Soldier could end up being hospitalized because they didn’t take care of the issue when it was small. They ignored their MEDPROs warning about being past due for a check in.This action seems small, but when the Soldiers fall out of the ranks because they needed more medical attention such as surgery. That unit needs to replace that Soldier to remain fit and ready to deploy. This can led to issues and financial problems within that unit. Their d own a Soldier, which means they have to file paperwork to request a Soldier to replace him. That leads to more money to have that new Soldier coming in for travel and new training. Everything costs money. From the paper we use to request a Soldier to the training that he or she must receive so they can be ready to deploy on a mission.All of that money spent on the new Soldier could have been completely avoided if the Soldier had not ignored his MEDPROs dental warning. Something so small, like a tooth ache, turned in all new training requirements for a new and unprepared Soldier to keep a unit ready for a mission. If Soldiers were required to pay out of pocket for all of their appointments they made, the Army could spend more money where it is needed most. Such things are better training for Soldiers, Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers, better equipment for deployed units and faster approval on funding.This increase in money in better areas can lead to more successful missions an d fewer fatalities on the battle field because the equipment is more accurate. Soldiers have been trained to the highest level, instead of just the basics for life saver course. The Army can afford to push every Soldier through the advanced kind of training needed to save lives. All of this could happen if every Soldier was held responsible for their actions of missing an appointment. Including, if every Soldier made it to all their appointments on time.If every Soldier was paying out of pocket for their appointments, the bigger picture we see is more saved lives in the combat zone. Every Soldier has the right to be seen for health issues. The well being of every Soldier, whether it’s their mental state or their physical health, is required for the best combat ready Soldier the Army has. That is the reality in today’s forces. The citizens of our country need us at our highest peak in health. So when unexplainable and tragic accident such as 9/11 ever happens again, a f orgotten dental appointment will not hold out any Soldier.The responsibility in accountability is every single individual’s duty for themselves and their team. The rank is not a concern when compared to responsibility. No one is singled out. It is my responsibility and my responsibility alone to maintain my physical and mental health state. I have to maintain myself at the highest level for Soldier readiness. That is my responsibility, no one else’s. However, in the long run, I affect someone else’s life if I neglect that responsibility. A simple phone call to change the time of my appointment could have avoided all of this.Neglecting to call was a failure on my part completely. I do not blame nor will I blame anyone but me. On the next appointment, I will be sure to make my appointment on time with enough reminders that it would be impossible not to forget. This standard for accountability needs to be a high priority of every Soldier who does not know much abou t the Army. Such as young privates coming out of Basic and AIT, can be trained and carry on the standard for responsibility and accountability. So future funds can be focused more for the training and not for missed appointments.