How to get victims of rape and sexual assault to report their attack Research Paper

How to get victims of rape and sexual assault to report their attack - Research Paper Example Discussion in the paper brings this core idea to everyone’s notice. Paradoxically as it may seem, but the social pressure and the human opinion from the sidelines impacts the decision making process of those suffering from the negative phenomena of the society itself. It is all about the victims of the sexual assault and people who commit such crimes against them. It is difficult to make out the optimal remedy for getting the victims report on the cases of assault. However, all methods would be good for the sake of the final result, i.e. punishment of the criminal. In this case each individual would feel himself/herself in safety. Thus, to make a victim feel free to report on the case of rape is to provide a victim with the feeling of care, support, and security at each stage of the investigation. First of all, the current situation with law and order in the United States of America leaves much to be desired. Most of the victims living in the streets of the huge cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and others take it for granted that police and the judicial system of the US cannot prevent the society from the growing threat of the crime. It means that most of the victims do not even go to police having an idea that nothing will help them in their situation. On the other hand, they do not want to disclose such a negative case in their lives so that to keep themselves on a safe side from the overall social regrets and, say, blames. The trace of rape is never easy to bear for a victim. However, the society cannot realize it to the full. Golden et al. (2010) admit in their study on the rape as a social drawback the following idea, namely: â€Å"The continued judgment of, or disdain for, victims of rape is a form of social stigmatization† (p. 160). Hereby, the way to make a victim open to the talk on such a subtle topic from his/her life is to feel keenly the scenario of the rape and the

Games to Life Essay Example for Free

Games to Life Essay Pong, Super Mario Bros. , and Pac-Man are a couple classic games most everyone has played. These games were some of the first video games ever made and had very little to no violence in them. These video games have now evolved into more graphic, gory, and violent games. This increased violence in video games has caused more aggression in society. On April 20th, 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado a shooting occurred killing 12 students, 1 teacher and also injured 24 other students. Two students were the cause of this shooting. The two seniors played video games religiously and were big fans of a game named Doom. Doom is a game where players is a space marine who must fight his way through hordes of invading demons from Hell. The two shooters liked and played this game so much that even designed their own based off of it. Eric and Dylan’s, the two shooters, game was created based on the Columbine High School’s floor plan. Their game contained characters based off student at their school whom they did not like. When students, in their game, that believed in God would die they would say â€Å"My Lord, why did you do this to me? † which is what Eric and Dylan believed they would say as they would kill them. When a newer game called Duke Nukem came out, a similar game to Doom, Eric and Dylan were quick to design another levels based on Columbine High School. In this game they had more realistic guns and bombs, which the shooters liked. They also mapped out how they would invade the school and whom they would target in these levels they created. Through both these games, that Eric and Dylan loved to play, inspired them to create there own games using their school as a layout and students as the characters. They planned out how they would approach their shooting and where they would place their bombs based on what they did in their games. They knew whom they would kill first and where they would be. They also placed bombs around the school as they would in the game that thankfully did not go off. Video games have become a big part of our culture in today’s society. When video games first came out they were simple, friendly, and non-violent. Since then video games have become more sophisticated, completive, and especially more violent. Eric and Dylan’s shooting on their school was an act of aggression supported from the violent videos games they played.

Haiti :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Caribbean Islands are one of the most traveled to place in the world. One of these islands in the Caribbean Sea is the island of Hispano, which is both the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This country has a recorded history of about 552 years. They also have special culture. The general facts, past history, and culture all effect the ways of this country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The country of Haiti is located in the Caribbean Sea, which is just south of the Gulf of Mexico. The Caribbean Sea is home to a lot of the world’s island. The capital is Port-au-Prince, which is located in the middle of the country right next to Golfe de la Gonave. The whole county is about 10,700 square miles. It contains an estimated 6,867,995 people, this is about 642 people per square mile. This is actually quite dense considering that the United States has about 76 people per square mile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The country of Haiti culture is very much like the French. In fact Haiti is the only Latin American country where the culture is French. The first language is French, but another common language that is spoken there is Creole. Many of the people speak Creole because the French settlers introduced it. Creole is a mix of French and the native language that was spoken on the island. Ninety-five percent of the people of Haiti come from an African decent. The religion consists of eighty percent Roman Catholic, sixteen percent Protestant, and ninety five percent Voodoo.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between the years of 1492 to the present day a lot of historical events have occurred. The first time the country of Haiti fell under European rule was when Christopher Columbus first set foot on it putting it under the rule of the Spanish. Then after, many revolts, in 1804 Haiti successfully became an independent country by passing a law stating its freedom. It was very much like when the United States of America declared its independence from Great Britain with the Declaration of Independence. From 1915-1934 US Marines occupied the country. This resulted in the population to go up which also made the country more dense. In 1949 the democratic rule was turned into a dictatorship. Then in 1991 there was the first elected chief brought into office. His name was Jean-Bertrand Aristide; he won 67% of the votes. Then his close friend and former Prime Minister Renà © Preval succeeded him in 1995.

Work Related Learning By Blended Learning Education Essay

Today, it is widely accepted by universities and employers that those pupils who gain work experience and maximize their acquisition from it are lending strongly both to their surveies and to their employability. This faculty will supply you with the chance to critically measure your working patterns in footings of direction manner ; leading ; alteration ; and working relationships and associate these to your ain experiences with a position to informing your personal development and your future calling.1.1 Module purposesThe purposes of the faculty are to enable pupils to: – addition maximal personal development benefit from their work experience through a series of brooding and peer acquisition activities ; – measure their work experience in footings of their subject particular cognition to widen their apprehension of the concern universe application of their schoolroom surveies.2.0 Learning results of the faculty2.1 Knowledge and UnderstandingSuccessful pupils will typically: critically assess direction manners and leading and how this affects the person in the workplace ; analyse barriers to and effectual patterns in constructing working relationships ; apply theoretical accounts of brooding pattern for personal development ; appreciate alteration, its beginnings and impact.2.1 Skills and PropertiesSuccessful pupils will typically be able to: reflect critically on ain acquisition and accomplishments in relation to personal and calling development ; demonstrate good developed societal and movable interpersonal accomplishments. critically observe direction manners and leading with a position to informing ain hereafter pattern.3.0 What learning methods are used on this faculty?The faculty is delivered through seminars delivered locally and through a one-hour hebdomadal presentation supported by Powerpoint slides and explanatory notes, posted up on StudyNet. The talks introduce you to theoretical tools and constructs together with practical direction illustrations. You are expected to develop your apprehension of both theory and pattern by independent reading and self contemplation utilizing the broad scope of e-book and electronic diary resources referred to in the talk and seminar support notes. These resources can be accessed through your StudyNet portal. Seminars will take topographic point locally each hebdomad associating to a unit of acquisition. In progress of each seminar, pupils will utilize the information provided in this faculty usher and subsequent updates to place the relevant unit and seminar stuff and prepare replies in progress to the inquiries scheduled for treatment on the twenty-four hours. Students will work through the electronically available readings developing their ain responses to the seminar treatment inquiry by using the theoretical cognition and practical apprehension they have gained through survey of employment patterns, relevant talks and readings. When they arrive at the seminar, the local coach will ease their treatment of the seminar inquiry. It is expected that different ways of replying each inquiry will go apparent. Through this experience, pupils are expected to intensify their apprehension of the cardinal function played by arguments and dissensions in the procedure measuring issues. Students are active participants and subscribers to the faculty and its success. They are required to go familiar with the content of the chief texts and to research and read around the topic as the faculty progresses. Seminar readying is an indispensable portion of the acquisition procedure and pupils should anticipate to pass several hours in readying for each hebdomad. They are required to pull on cognition of their work experience and from other concern subjects whilst developing their apprehension through researching administrations, industries and instance surveies of emerging factors. As the faculty develops, through their active engagement, pupils should derive some consciousness of how the pupils and staff may be viewed as a acquisition system and develop self-reflective accomplishment set.Faculty agendaThe faculty is divided into 11 units of acquisition ( hebdomad 12 should be used for contemplation and alteration ) . For each unit of larning the followers will be supplied: Materials aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦these will be a series of electronically available readings with narrative adhering the readings together in chase of the acquisition results, selected chapters from e-books with associating narrative. Presentation aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦..this will represent up to one hr of ‘lecture ‘ which will probably utilize PowerPoint slides with a voice over. These may be enhanced by the usage of picture cartridge holders, intelligence infusions and web based stuff Seminar aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦.this will include a series of seminar subjects which you are required to fix to reply in the seminar. The local coach will move as a facilitator and advisor to the seminar. Activity aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦..this is extra to the seminar and will be used to look into for pupil cognition and apprehension. Detailss of these will be linked to each larning unit and will be released each hebdomad. It will be used to look into pupil cognition and apprehension.Module agenda – Unit of measurements of LearningPresentations in the signifier of talks will give an overview of a learning unit. Seminars will research subjects in greater deepness and concentrate on the subjects given below. This will include ; reenforcing cardinal constructs and theories ; comparing different positions and reexamining theoretical and empirical stuff that may be applied to your work topographic point experience. The accent in seminars is on pupil engagement and the treatment will be based on the readying and reading that has been undertaken by pupils. All talks and learning stuffs will be on StudyNet. Any notices, proclamations or alterations of agreements will be posted on StudyNet and hence the site must be checked on a regular footing.5.0 Weekly programmeThe faculty unit subjects are listed below. Module units: Introduction Contemplation Administrations – Structures, Forms and Processes Management and Leadership Teams Organizational Change Pull offing Change Pull offing Conflict Coaching Giving and Receiving Feedback Career Development The hebdomadal Learning Materials ; Presentations ; Seminars ; and Activities will be produced in due class.5.0 Assessment DetailssThe intent of the appraisal for this faculty is to prove whether, and to what extent, you have reached the acquisition results for the faculty. It is of import that you know early what the appraisal diet is and what is expected of you. Assessment standards stipulate what it is that you will be assessed against, and what, in general footings, you will necessitate to show in your assessed work in order to accomplish the specified classs. The appraisal for this faculty is 100 % coursework-based. It consists of two pieces of coursework ; an separately prepared study ( 70 % ) and an individually presentation ( 30 % ) .a ) Assignment 1 – Report ( 70 % )Individually, you are asked to fix a written study of 3,500 words showing an consciousness of the cognition, accomplishments and experience envisaged of a recent alumnus from this programme to come in an country of graduate employment. The research and self-reflection required to fix the study will back up you in your future calling planning and determinations and the passage to future chances after your undergraduate surveies. The overall purpose of the assignment is to supply you with the chance to: demonstrate consciousness of the different types of alumnus chances i.e. alumnus preparation strategies, professional callings, chances with Small and Medium size Enterprises ( SME ) etc ; provide grounds of how to research these chances i.e. resources available and contemplation on the usage of these ; develop an consciousness of the accomplishments, cognition and experiences Graduate Employers are looking for and how these are altering ; show the function of ego consciousness and contemplation in Career Development activities ; fix a CV /covering missive as a generic calling direction tool to take you frontward during your calling ; develop a clear Career Development Plan as a consequence of sing your current cognition, accomplishments and experiences against the demands you have researched. You will have farther information sketching the demands of the assignment along with back uping resources, one time the faculty starts. There will be hebdomadal online treatment on the appraisal as the subjects of the faculty are explored ( and linked to the appraisal ) . The study should include the undermentioned subdivisions: Section 1 – Occupational Research ( about 50- 60 % of word count ) . The first subdivision of the study should be as a factual contemplation of the findings from the business or country of graduate employment you have chosen to research. This should be written in the 3rd individual and include full â€Å" Harvard referencing † to all beginnings of information used ( inside informations of how to cite all types of resources is available on the Academic Skills Unit site in the ASU Guide to Harvard Referencing – see StudyNet ) . The undermentioned headers should be used this subdivision: Footings of mention – What are you puting out to research and study on i.e. Graduate chances in the Tourism sector Methodology – How did you near transporting out your research? What beginnings of information did you utilize? Include both secondary resources i.e. studies, web sites, employment statistics, company literature ; and primary research ; talking with current alumnuss, reaching employers. ( Note: You are required to finish and subject the Graduate Employment Resources checklist as an appendices to back up this subdivision ) Main Findings – this should include the cardinal information sing this business or country of employment in footings of: General Employment trends in this sector / business: the employment market by and large in this country, recent developments, predicted future tendencies. Opportunities for recent alumnuss – what administrations are enrolling alumnuss in this country of employment? What types of function would a recent alumnus be making? Where are they advertised? The accomplishments / cognition and experience required – a drumhead based on research of a lower limit of 6 different administrations of the cardinal accomplishments / cognition and experience expected from an applier at this phase in their calling How are graduates selected in the administrations you have researched? – what are the enlisting and choice methods being used? How are you expected to show your accomplishments / cognition / experience? Graduate Employment Resources checklist – you are asked to finish this papers ( available on faculty site ) , to show that you have reflected on the value of the different resources used during your research. This will be utile for you when you do farther research related to your calling planning in the hereafter. You should finish this at the terminal of your research and before get downing subdivision 2 Section 2 – Personal analysis, CV / Covering missive readying, â€Å" spread analysis † , and Career Action program – this subdivision is where you look at your current accomplishments, cognition and experience against those highlighted by your research in subdivision 1. This portion of the study should be written in the first individual as it is a personal contemplation. The suggested headers to be used in this subdivision are: Personal analysis – a general reappraisal of your current accomplishments, cognition and experience, foregrounding in peculiar those that came up in your research. CV & A ; Covering missive – Preparation of a CV and covering missive to use for a alumnus degree place in the country of your research, based on your current state of affairs. Gap Analysis – this subdivision is where you look at your ain personal analysis against the demands identified in your research. The purpose is to foreground countries to concentrate your personal development about. Reflect on the undermentioned countries: what countries do you miss grounds in? where do you necessitate farther illustrations / grounds in your applications? Where do you experience weak in your overall application? Career Action Plan – Once you have identified the countries you need to concentrate on, you are asked to fix a Career action program which addresses both the personal development and specific calling related activities you will set about to take you frontward. This should be written out in full i.e. a paragraph on each country in the first individual, and you should explicate the actions and what you hope to derive from them. This should include the cognition, accomplishments and experiences you need to foster develop i.e. commercial consciousness ; and specific activities to back up you through the choice procedure i.e. interview accomplishments, doing presentations etc. Both through your ain research, and utilizing the information heard during the talk Sessionss about resources and support available, you should come up with clear actions with timescales. You should demo the resources you will utilize to travel the country of development forward and the timescales you will fi nish these in. A drumhead papers should be attached as an appendix. Conclusion – written in the first individual, a brief contemplation on how you feel holding completed the overall exercising, and how you intend to utilize the Career Action Plan. Section 3 – Mentions and bibliography – see Academic Skills Unit Report Writing guide notes and Harvard citing papers for counsel. Both are available on StudyNet.

Dante’s Inferno: Sixth Circle of Hell

Dante’s Inferno: Sixth Circle of Hell â€Å"Every evil deed despised in Heaven has as its end injustice. Each such end harms someone else through either force or fraud† (Alighieri XI 22-24). In his divine comedy, The Inferno, Dante Alighieri cruises around the different circles of hell. Virgil, a poet and a good friend of Dante’s, becomes Dante’s guide in hell. Trough out the poem, the reader encounters certain moments of tension in which he or she is forced to choose a direction to follow. In Canto XI, Virgil and Dante find themselves in the sixth circle of hell: circle of violence. Virgil then explains to Dante that there are three inner circles: violence against others, violence against self, and fraud. In the second inner circle, the circle of suicide or violence against self, Virgil and Dante find a deserted forest with twisted weird looking trees. These trees are the people who reside in that circle. Here, the reader is presented with people who have committed suicide because of hardships in their lives. The reader is then presented with the opportunity to either feel sorry and justify their suicide or find their placement in hell a just punishment. In the second inner circle, violence against self, Dante and Virgil meet one of the residents. His name was Pier Delle Vigne, a former minister of Emperor Frederick II. Pier, then, tells Virgil and Dante that reason why he committed suicide was because envious groups schemed him, turned the Emperor against him, destroyed his reputation, and put him in prison; he was too ashamed and decided to take his life. Dante feels sorry for him, because he too understands the importance of a good reputation. At this point the reader is offered the chance to agree with Dante and feel sorry for Pier, or completely disagree. Life is one of the greatest gifts from God, keeping this in mind; suicide would be denying or not appreciating that gift. Everyone in hell is there because in one way or another they denied and committed a sin against God. Regardless of what others did to him, Pier denied God, so one can come to the conclusion that his positioning in hell is just. In the contrary, life or God does not give you more than you can handle. All the alse accusations made against Pier were obviously more than what he could handle, so one could feel sorry for him and justify his suicide. So it is up to the reader to choose one of the two possible opportunities that Dante the poet presents to us. In Dante’s divine comedy, The inferno, the reader is offered with many occasions where he or she is must choose a direction to follow. In the sixth circle of hell, the circle of violence, Virgil explains that there are three inner circles: circle of violence against others, circle of violence against self, and the circle of fraud. In the second inner circle Dante and Virgil meet Pier Delle Vigne. After listening to his story and explanation onto why he took his life, the reader had the option of agreeing with Dante and feeling sorry for Pier’s justified action or find Pier’s punishment just. Life is a gift of God, so taking one’s life is committing a sin against God; which will make Pier’s punishment just. This conclusion could be made if the reader believes in God.

A Brief History of Cote DIvoire

A Brief History of Cote D'Ivoire Our knowledge of the early history of the region now known as Cà ´te dIvoire is limited- there is some evidence of Neolithic activity, but mush still needs to be done in investigating this. Oral histories give rough indications of when various peoples first arrived, such as the Mandinka (Dyuola) people migrating from the Niger basin to the coast during the 1300s. In the early 1600s, Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to reach the coast. They initiated trade in gold, ivory, and pepper. The first French contact came in 1637- along with the first missionaries. In the 1750s the region was invaded by Akan peoples fleeing the Asante Empire (now Ghana). The established the Baoulà © kingdom around the town of Sakasso. A French Colony French trading posts were established from 1830 onwards, along with a protectorate negotiated by the French Admiral Bouà «t-Willaumez. By the end of the 1800s, the borders for the French colony of Cà ´te dIvoire had been agreed with Liberia and the Gold Coast (Ghana). In 1904 Cà ´te dIvoire became part of the Federation of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Franà §aise) and run as an overseas territory by the Third Republic. The region transferred from Vichy to Free French control in 1943, under the command of Charles de Gaulle. Around the same time, the first indigenous political group was formed: Fà ©lix Houphouà «t-Boignys Syndicat Agricole Africain (SAA, African Agricultural Syndicate), which represented African farmers and landowners. Independence With independence in sight, Houphouà «t-Boigny formed the Parti Dà ©mocratique de la Cà ´te dIvoire (PDCI, Democratic Party of Cà ´te dIvoire)- Cà ´te dIvoires first political party. On 7 August 1960, Cà ´te dIvoire gained independence and Houphouà «t-Boigny became its first president. Houphouà «t-Boigny ruled Cà ´te dIvoire for 33 years, was a respected African statesman, and on his death was Africas longest-serving president. During his presidency, there were at least three attempted coups, and resentment grew against his one-party rule. In 1990 a new constitution was introduced enabling opposition parties to contest a general election- Houphouà «t-Boigny still won the elections with a significant lead. In the last couple of years, with his health failing, backroom negotiations attempted to find someone who would be able to take over Houphouà «t-Boignys legacy and Henri Konan Bà ©dià © was selected. Houphouà «t-Boigny died on 7 December 1993. Cà ´te dIvoire after Houphouà «t-Boigny was in dire straits. Hit hard by a failing economy based on cash crops (especially coffee and cocoa) and raw minerals, and with increasing allegations of governmental corruption, the country was in decline. Despite close ties to the west, President Bà ©dià © was having difficulties and was only able to maintain his position by banning opposition parties from a general election. In 1999 Bà ©dià © was overthrown by a military coup. A government of national unity was formed by General Robert Guà ©i, and in October 2000 Laurent Gbagbo, for the Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI or Ivorian Popular Front), was elected president. Gbagbo was the only opposition to Guà ©i since Alassane Ouattara was barred from the election. In 2002 a military mutiny in Abidjan split the country politically- the Muslim north from the Christian and animist south. Peacekeeping talks brought the fighting to an end, but the country remains divided. President Gbagbo has managed to avoid holding new presidential elections, for various reasons, since 2005.

Self Analysis of Personal Work Experience Essays

Self Analysis of Personal Work Experience Essays Self Analysis of Personal Work Experience Essay Self Analysis of Personal Work Experience Essay Self Analysis of Personal Work Experience During the past years of work experience personal observation and this current self analysis I do have identified my primary self-identified weakens is fear of public speaking. I cant seem to communicate fully the ideas I am actively thinking due to anxiety about how people will Judge my speaking ability. According to Laskowski(2011) improving your public speaking and communication skills increases your self-confidence, but studies have revealed an additional benefit: Professionals with good communication skills are promoted more often and faster within their Job nvironment So it is important that I practise the art of addressing an audience effectively to overcome the fear of public speaking Other Self-identified weakness is I believe is I do lack a bit personal competency on system documentation. According to Brewer (2006, p. 65) every business objective, statement of need, or business driver to be supported by the information technology system must be documented. As an entitys business operations evolve over time, changes in the systems architecture will have to be made. An advantage of having sufficient systems architecture ocumentation is that it accelerates the process of updating or improving applications and hardware to meet changing business needs. It is important for me to prepare well documented and up to date operation manual and use it as a tool to ensure consistent delivery of finest product or service The self-awareness only makes it possible to create a better communication and influence others. According to www. cipd. co. uk (2013)Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is an investment that you make in yourself. Its a way of planning our development that links learning directly to practice. Continuous professional development process is valuable for the manager to update themselves. It can also call as a method of relentlessly updating personal skills and knowledge. According to alle (1997,p. 139) the edifice of knowledge is a continual growing ,living, breathing process. As a manager it will be very essential thing for me to update my CPD knowledge by attending seminars, conferences, tutorials etc. Furthermore it is called known as a part time life long process which improves our managerial skill

What Is SAT Verbal How to Raise Your Reading Score

What Is SAT Verbal How to Raise Your Reading Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've found this article, you might have heard the term SAT Verbal. It's an older, outdated term to describe the SAT Reading and Writing section. However, the content of the SAT Verbal section is still very important today. The many of the topics and skillsfrom what used to be known as SAT Verbal are now tested in the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section.To do well on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, you need to understand what SAT Verbal is, what types of skills it tests, and how to practice it. What Is SAT Verbal? SAT Verbal was the traditional term for the SAT Reading section. Before 2005, the SAT had only two sections: Verbal and Math.The sections were each scored on a scale of 200-800, and your composite SAT score ranged from 400-1600. Then, from 2005-2015, the SAT had three sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. The Critical Reading Section wasnearly the same as the pre-2005 SAT Verbal section, butanalogy questions were eliminated. Since2016, the College Board hasreverted to the old two-section system with scaled composite scores ranging from 400-1600.However, the two sections aren'tMath and Verbal, butMath and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing combines elements of the 2005-2015 Verbal/Critical Reading section with elements of the Writing section.If you’re familiar with the 2005-2015 SAT, you know that the SAT Critical Reading/Verbal section asked two types of questions: sentence-completion and passage-based reading questions. On the new SAT, the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section will no longer have sentence-completion questions, but will still have passage-based reading questions. What Verbal SAT Skills Are Tested on the New SAT? As I said before, the only part of the SAT verbal remaining in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section is passage-based reading questions. The new SAT’s passage-based reading questions ask you questions related to five passages: 1 with a US and World Literature topic 2 with a History and Social Studies topic 2 with a Science topic After reading each passage, you’ll be asked questions. The types of questions that you’ll be asked fall into eight categories (each utilizing a slightly different skill). The first six skills were required for the Critical Reading section on the old SAT. Skills 7 and 8 are new. #1: Identify the Meaning of Vocabulary in Context These questions ask you about to identify what a word means in the context of the passage. Sometimes, the word you’re asked about is common (not a very rare world like the old sentence completion words), though these common words are typically being used in an uncommon way in the passage. For example, the word may have multiple meanings and the less common meaning is being tested. Sample Question In line 88, "adhere" most nearly means to stick to a surface to believe in to preach to run away #2: Recognize the Big Picture / Main Point of the Passage These questions will ask you about the overall purpose of the passage. Is the passage meant to inform, review, contradict, prove, parody, hypothesize? Sample Question The primary purpose of the passage is to inform the public about a discovery review a work of art parody a well-known poem contradict a common claim Can you sift through the clutter? #3: Recognizethe Purpose of Small Details in the Passage These questions usually refer to a specific line and ask you about a detail from that line. They may also ask what a phrase or paragraph is accomplishing in the context of the whole passage. Sample Question Which best describes the function of the statement in lines 47-48 ("To...final")? It summarizes the points made in the preceding paragraph. It provides support for the argument made in the first paragraph. It shows a surprising realization. It contrasts recent scientific findings. #4: Infer the Meaning of a Line, Paragraph, or Entire Passage These questions ask you to interpret the meaning of a line, a paragraph, or the whole passage. That may sound difficult, but don’t worry. These won't be asking for your subjective interpretation. There will always be only one correct answer to these questions. Sample Question The author of this passage would likely agree with which of the following statements about the "Dali" referred to in line 2? He should be more criticized. He was ahead of his time. He should be more widely known. He revolutionized modern art. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! #5: State the Function of a Phrase or Sentence in the Passage These questions ask you to identify what effect a phrase or sentence has in the passage. Sample Question In lines 7, the author refers to his â€Å"scared smile† primarily to imply that Gerald had no feelings towards Ophelia. suggest that Gerald is excessively concerned about appearances. illustrate some of the exaggerated claims made Gerald’s uncle. emphasize the Gerald’s cowardice. #6: Recognize the Author’sTone,Style, Voice, Attitude, or Perspective In these questions (known as Author Technique questions), you are asked to identify the author's tone, style, voice, attitude, or perspective. Sample Question The author discusses Peruvian culture from the perspective of a concerned spectator an awed traveler an established researcher a beloved native #7: Interpret Data / Use Scientific Reasoning Skills (New Skill for 2016 SAT) For these questions, you will be asked to interpret graphs or charts and choose which fact they best support or least support. You don't need to be a science or data expert to answer these questions correctly, but you’ll need to be proficient at reading and interpreting graphs and charts. Look atour ACT science articles for assistance with this skill as ACT science relies on the same skill. #8: Provide Evidence Support *NEW Skill for 2016 SAT These questions come in sets of two. The first asks a question about the passage, and the second question asks you to identify exactly where in the passage you found your evidence to answer the first question. Sample Questions Via College Board's Test Specifications for the Redesigned SAT How to Practice Your first step in your SAT Verbal practice should be to learn the test format and strategies, soyou’re not surprised the day of the test.Learn more about each type of passage-based reading question, the best passage-based reading strategies, and the best way to study SAT vocabulary. After acquiring this knowledge, you need to start taking SAT practice tests, if you haven’t already.Check out the best SAT reading comprehension practice tests and questions.Make sure to do an in-depth review after completing each practice test.Review is the most important step in your study process.You need to identify what mistakes you’re making, so you don’t make them the day of the test. Followingthese steps will put you well on your way to raising your verbal SAT score! What’s Next? If you're taking the SAT, you should learn about the format of thenew SAT,and also, check out some general tips onhow to prepare for the SAT. Before you start studying for the SAT, figure out what’s a good score for your target college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

English 105 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English 105 - Essay Example According to the paper from the author's former classes he was acquainted with some theoretical knowledge and thought he is capable of differentiating between the types of writings and genres. However, when being asked to adjust his own writing to the corresponding standards, he would necessarily make a list of mistakes. At the same time, although knowing that creating a kind of a text is actually a process, he always omitted stages of writing bullet points, drafting thesis, re-reading and making possible adjustments. The problem was that the reporter did not have an opportunity to see a real use of such approach to work, did not realizing that my score can, in fact, be improved. Another problem that he has always encountered touches upon his time management skills, which are also under the constant process of improvement by him. Without a doubt, English 105 helped him with these two aspects.From this study it is clear that  he has learned to take a more systemized and more thought ful approach to writing. Today the reporter realizes that this process consists of certain concrete and steps that are to be taken in the process of creating a successful writing. They are not boring requirements, but conditions of producing a good and readable content.  Prior, his writing skills lacked the component of planning and structuring which made the process of writing quite chaotic and random.  

Reflective Questions That Require to Think Critically Essay

Reflective Questions That Require to Think Critically - Essay Example The essay "Reflective Questions That Require to Think Critically" offers a comparison and contrast of provided articles with regard to their purpose, organization, data compilation, analysis, and conclusions. The paper also differentiates correlation research from other research types and offers a description of a study plan for studying. The following is an overview of a World Bank research titled ‘World Bank policy research on vocational education and training† the purpose of this article is to establish whether it is important for the World Bank to fund educational projects. The study focuses on vocational education and training with an aim to identify benefits of such projects to young people. Concurrently, the provided article equally focuses on deductive processes within the education process. The organization of the study is as follows; first, the article begins by citing the origins of different educational projects, which are funded by the World Bank. There is a highlight of the assumptions considered before undertaking of the research. The article offers an explication of different challenges, which arose during the conduction of the study. The provided article deduces the background, methodologies; furthermore, it focuses on literature prior to presenting the postulations. There is a further exp lication of how the scope of the study was limited and how the entire project was structured. There is a provision of the research literature and ground study results that are significant to the study.

The Contributions of the FIFA world cup 2010 to the Local Businesses Dissertation

The Contributions of the FIFA world cup 2010 to the Local Businesses in South Africa - Dissertation Example This type of activity is regarded as one of the most fastidious importance to emerging economies and growing commercial countries, such as South Africa. However, comparatively small work has been completed by researchers to reveal the effect of mega-events, such as the football world cup, on informal as well as formal sectors in emerging economies. Known the comparative size as well as strength of the involvement made by informal sector to different economic activities in the developing part of the world, it has been significant to consider â€Å"how an event like the world cup may help shape the entrepreneurial potential of informal and formal sector participants† (Venter et al., 2012, p.449). This paper is aimed at providing a detail analysis of different contributions made by this world cup on the local businesses of the country. FIFA world cup and economy of South Africa: It has been well-established that super-events are most expected to possess a considerable effect on t he business as well as socio-economic development of the host nations and localities. Commanding as well as hosting of mega-events, such as the football world cup, has been a means through which regions compete in respect to attracting as well as retaining greater volume of capital mobility through place improvement. Also with the help of re-imaging as well as regeneration of local businesses of these regions has been realised. Particularly, sport hallmark as well as mega-events, which have been hosted on either as a one-off basis or as regular basis, has been transformed as increasingly important in the contemporary period of globalisation. Some of the most high profile illustrations of these super-events would incorporate the â€Å"Olympic Games, the Rugby and Cricket world cups, and the FIFA soccer world cup†. These events have been provided to create greater level of emphasis on the development of industrial as well as agricultural sector of the developing countries. Sout h Africa being a developing country has also been expected to be greatly helped by the mega-events like the soccer world cup. Several other important works have been discussed by several other researchers regarding the fact that tourism and travel industry of the developing countries of the world (du Plessis and Maennig, 2010, p.2). Key aspects of concern in regard to the hosting of super-events mainly in the developing part of the world relate to process of optimising their effects for economic as well as social development. These issues are also related to the building of greatest level of national identity along with significant volume of foreign policy effects. The distributional as well as allocative benefits of hosting super-events in the developing countries of the world have been scrutinised with many vital observers. These observers have suggested that widespread growth or development benefits cannot be considered as a necessary corollary of the process of hosting of these types of super-events. This is due to the fact that the marginalised groups can be given little benefit (Venter et al., 2012, p.450). Positive contributions in South Africa: Even though potential opportunities for medium as well as large businesses related to the strategy of hosting of super-events has obtained significant amount of academic notice, limited consideration has been intended for the

Transgender and feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Transgender and feminism - Essay Example That said, one notices that diversity indicates strength, not weaknesses. Despite polarization and fragmentation, no force can nullify inclusive coalition politics (Connell, 2012). This paper will talk about transgender, with transgender feminists being marginalized from the mainstream of the womens movement. It will then explain relationship between transgender and feminism. Transgender individuals have been subject to extended scrutiny. Feminist literature is among the examination of these individuals. These literatures are the first to expose the antagonistic relationship between feminism and transgender individuals (Riley, 2015). A study by Butler (2010), defined transgender as ‘those who gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth (Butler, 2010, pp 2). Every time the transgender feminists, who had been previously silenced, begin to speak out, some feminists begin to rethink on what they stand for or who they represent. In many cases, the idea of rethinking by feminists leads to the painful realization of their biases. However, in the end, the feminists would have widened their perspectives and constituency (Butler, 2010). Studies indicate that, feminists movements that have expanded their views are encouraging transgender individuals to take part in the feminist revolut ion (Connell, 2012; Riley, 2015). This expands the scope of their movement. The feminism movement formed by transgender individuals is called transfeminism as noted in the study by Koyama (2001). In the past, trans-men have contributed significantly to feminism than trans-women. Experts believe that is important for more trans-women to participate in feminism movements in order to increase the chance of liberating the women (Koyama, 2001). Many people think that transfeminism is in place to take over the existing feminist institutions. However, this is not possible because

A Critical Analysis of Article 5 of UCP 600 Essay

A Critical Analysis of Article 5 of UCP 600 - Essay Example More especially the fact that banks are not concerned with the terms of the contract to which it is attached, means that regardless of whether or not the goods are delivered or not or conform to the terms of the contract or not, the letter of credit must be honoured by the bank. This paper will analyse the consequences of Article 5 of UCP 600 and the potential for fraud and other forms of injustice to the parties impacted by a letter of credit. Letters of Credit In its simplest form, a letter of credit is a device by which a bank or other similar party agrees to provide credit to a specific party on behalf of another party upon receipt of the relevant supporting documents.4 A standard letter of credit is comprised of at least four parties: the vendor (exporter); the purchaser (importer) and each of their banks.5 The importer/purchaser’s bank typically issues the letter of credit which imposes a duty on the importer/purchaser’s bank to pay the specified sum to the vendor /exporter once the particularized documents are received.6 A key feature of the letter of credit is the fact that it is independent of the underlying contract to which it applies. In other words, the bank’s responsibilities under the letter of credit are segregated from any other contractual duties existing between the parties to the letter of credit. This would include contractual duties between the vendor and the purchaser or any duties on the part of â€Å"reimburse the bank for payments made† by virtue of the letter of credit.7 The banks involved in the letters of credit are typically referred to as the â€Å"issuing bank† and the â€Å"conforming bank†.8 The issuing bank is asked by the purchaser who is commonly referred to as the applicant to assume responsibility for paying the vendor who is commonly known as the beneficiary, a specified sum upon the presentation of specific documents. The conforming bank is the bank selected by the beneficiary tha t acts as a â€Å"correspondent of the issuing bank to advise the beneficiary on the terms of the credit† and usually assumes the â€Å"same liability towards the beneficiary as the issuing bank†.9 The autonomy of the letter of credit was fortified in the case of Gian Singh & Co. Ltd. v Banque de L’Indochine in which the court ruled that the autonomy doctrine obliges an insuring bank to make payment to the beneficiary even if the specified documents submitted by the beneficiary pursuant to the letter of credit were forged.10 It was also held in IE Contractors Limited v Lloyds Bank Plc that the duty of issue payment under a letter of credit is not conditional upon ascertaining whether or not the supporting documents presented by the beneficiary are correct.11 The autonomy of the letter of credit is justified in the grounds that contractual disputes occur quire frequently. It would therefore be obstructive to international trade to permit one party to use a contra ctual dispute to delay payment and thus the â€Å"assurance given to the beneficiary would be severely undermined† and thus â€Å"documentary guarantees would become unacceptable†.12 The autonomy principle of the letters of credit therefore illustrate that indeed, banks are only concerned with documents and not the underlying transaction to which it is attached. Although the rationale for the autonomy principle rests on limiting the risks of delaying or stopping payments in international trad

Transgender and feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Transgender and feminism - Essay Example That said, one notices that diversity indicates strength, not weaknesses. Despite polarization and fragmentation, no force can nullify inclusive coalition politics (Connell, 2012). This paper will talk about transgender, with transgender feminists being marginalized from the mainstream of the womens movement. It will then explain relationship between transgender and feminism. Transgender individuals have been subject to extended scrutiny. Feminist literature is among the examination of these individuals. These literatures are the first to expose the antagonistic relationship between feminism and transgender individuals (Riley, 2015). A study by Butler (2010), defined transgender as ‘those who gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth (Butler, 2010, pp 2). Every time the transgender feminists, who had been previously silenced, begin to speak out, some feminists begin to rethink on what they stand for or who they represent. In many cases, the idea of rethinking by feminists leads to the painful realization of their biases. However, in the end, the feminists would have widened their perspectives and constituency (Butler, 2010). Studies indicate that, feminists movements that have expanded their views are encouraging transgender individuals to take part in the feminist revolut ion (Connell, 2012; Riley, 2015). This expands the scope of their movement. The feminism movement formed by transgender individuals is called transfeminism as noted in the study by Koyama (2001). In the past, trans-men have contributed significantly to feminism than trans-women. Experts believe that is important for more trans-women to participate in feminism movements in order to increase the chance of liberating the women (Koyama, 2001). Many people think that transfeminism is in place to take over the existing feminist institutions. However, this is not possible because

Degrowth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Degrowth - Essay Example They believe that human dependence on non renewable sources is way too high right now which will eventually lead humanity to a dead end. They promote sustainable development, use of renewable source of energy and reduce our ecological imprint on Mother Nature. They are also against neocolonialism which leads to exploitation of third world countries by developed countries. Why degrowth? Whats wrong in growth? The meaning of growth in today’s capitalist world mean grow more, produce more, sell more and use more, all in order to make more money which is termed as growth. Countries also do bother about human development index (HDI) but are almost always sidelined when it comes to the focus on GDP and growth. This growth is only increasing the pace of life, and as the Indian revolutionary M K Gandhi said ‘there is more to life than just increasing its speed’ is so relevant now. It seems a simple idea of people working hard, earning money and spending on a good life sty le. Companies keep on developing new products for those people to better their life style. People work to earn to buy products which are developed by companies where people work. It’s a catch 22 position and an endless cycle. ... This growth if continued at current rate will exhaust the fossil fuels on the basis of which is thriving so fast. You thought Economic growth is solutions of problems? Is it the problem? Any sane person shall say that solutions to issues like starvation, housing, education, poverty, disease, health care and employment is economic growth. Countries who have achieved economic growth are called developed country and live a comfortable life, those who are struggling are called developing countries. Economic growth in western countries had lead to larger spending powers and hence larger consumption of products. Larger demand for these products leads to mass production of them in third world countries as labor and capital is cheap there. This leads to exploitation of developing countries and creates a divide between rich and poor in the society. Rich becomes richer, poor becomes poorer. Fossil fuels are fast depleting, there are wars between countries for crude oil and nuclear power. Hence fast economic growth in past few decades have increased the speed of the world so much, that growth itself has become the problem and rest of the real issues of education, poverty and food are side tracked. â€Å"Questioning growth is deemed to be the act of lunatics, idealists and revolutionaries. But question it we must. The myth of growth has failed us. It has failed the two billion people who still live on less than $2 a day. It has failed the fragile ecological systems on which we depend for survival. It has failed, spectacularly, in its own terms, to provide economic stability and secure people’s livelihoods.† as correctly said by Tim Jackson, Economies commissioner of the sustainable development commission, an independent advisory body to the

Ed Boehm Essay Example for Free

Ed Boehm Essay Edward Marshall Boehm Inc. Case Study The Edward Marshall Boehm case talks about a company whose main objective is to produce the highest possible quality porcelain products while keeping a focus to nature. The following report will include the company’s vision and mission statement, their main objectives, a SWOT analysis and their specific plans in great detail. Edward Marshall Boehm’s vision for the company is â€Å"to capture that special moment and setting which conveys the character, charm and loveliness of a bird or animal in its natural habitat† with his highest possible quality porcelain products. His mission is similar to his vision statement in that he wants to make the world aware and protective of endangered wildlife by making them aware of nature’s charm. As stated in the introduction, the main objective is to make the highest objective porcelain products focused on nature. Other main objectives include trying to establish the company to stay profitable for the long run. The company is particularly focused on making their quality products with the purpose of raising awareness and raising a profit, rather than mass producing for quantity. With these objectives, they believe it will put them where they want to be in the long run. After reviewing the case we have completed a SWOT analysis to get a better idea of where they are headed. The company’s strengths are numerous and promise success. They use a very high quality porcelain clay equal to the finest in the world and have the skill to make many different beautiful figurines. Mr. Boehm is not only extremely artistically talented but also has unlimited knowledge about the art market. He also leads promotion for the company and possesses great merchandising skills. Mr. Boehm could be named as a strength himself. The porcelain figures are becoming increasingly recognized as unique, and irreplaceable as well as many becoming collector’s items; the most intricate have been priced at over $20,000. The weaknesses are less numerous than the strengths but are still existent. First, the figure making process is complex, including 52 steps. This makes it extremely hard when orders become numerous and they start to get backordered, it is hard to catch up because Mr. Boehm is the only artist. Considering at the time this case was written Boehm was 55 years old, it may be hard to view the long-term vision for the company because he may not be around to always be able to create the same quality products he once was able to produce. There is also the expense of creating the products, and the travels Mr. Boehm makes in order to bring back live models of his birds. The company may look at several opportunities in order to improve their company. First, they should consider expanding into international markets; doing this could get their name out there and attract more customers. Mr. Boehm should look into teaching other people how to make the same high quality figures so they are able to create more products efficiently and have less backorders. Finally they should look into selling their porcelain clay to other businesses in order to make more money. We feel that this company faces many threats. As mentioned before Mr. Boehm’s age could potentially be a threat for the businesses. The fact that they have backorders may start to frustrate the customers and cause them to stop ordering from the company because the wait isn’t worth it. A rise in the cost of materials to make the figures may cause him to raise the cost of selling them which will in turn cause the loss of customers. New competitors could always be a threat and they may find a more efficient way to get the figures to customers quickly without backorders. We have a few specific plans that will help this company continue to thrive in the future. The most important thing to do is for Mr. Boehm to train other people in his craft. This is crucial if the company is to plan for long term. Another plan is to hire more than one company to distribute the product. Right now they only have one distributor, Milton China. With more distributors he could reach a larger market. The final plan we came up with is to work on technological advancements to make the long tedious process of making the figures quicker. The largest problem of the company is that it has so many backorders, with technology they could possibly speed up the process and narrow down the amount of backorders. We feel with our analysis that Edward Marshall Boehm Inc. is in good position for the future but they could make vast improvements if they capitalize on their opportunities and focus on the specific plans we provided.

Expressionism And Fritz Lang

Expressionism And Fritz Lang I have been interested in a thousand things in my life, and out of these interests in a thousand things came one primary interest: mankind. And not only what he does- in innocence or in guilt- but what moves him to act, what makes him tick! And with that attempt to identify there grows not only personal awareness, but much more important, sympathy. Through this ones own sphere of thought is enriched; as a reaction to it, associations with all things one has occupied oneself with for a lifetime are expandedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Who can honestly say how one arrives at a theme? What influenced him? It could be a falling leaf from a tree in Autumn, a sudden lull in the wind, a sudden thunderstormà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Fritz Lang in interview with Gero Gandert, 1963) Fritz Lang was one of the pioneers of German school of Expressionism, one of the few auteurs, who was able to make the successful transition from silent cinema to the talkies, and who also paved the way for the film noir genre in the United States. In this paper, one will be looking at his two of his films as case studies, Metropolis (1927) and M (1931) respectively, all the while keeping in mind the distinctive role of Lang as an auteur in context to the tradition of expressionist cinema. Throughout the paper, one is going to deal with object-subject relationships in German expressionist cinema as well as self-referentiality, private anxieties and public projections in the Weimar Republic and an attempt is going to be made towards a feminist reading of German Expressionism with respect to the case studies. To give a brief background of the two films in question, both were made in the Weimar Republic before Lang went into a self-imposed exile in America. The circumstances of Langs emigration remain controversial; the story goes that he was offered a post of managing director of the entire German film industry by the ministry in Germany (to be precise, Goebbels, the propaganda minister) after banning his film, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and that he was given 24 hours to consider the proposal but soon afterwards he fled from Berlin to Paris. Metropolis was the worlds most expensive silent cinema at the time of its release while in M, elements of early film noir can be seen and the classic use of sound as a tool has been acknowledged by film scholars (this aspect of the film is going to discussed in detail later on in the paper). As is well-known expressionism as an art movement stemmed from the school of impressionists and goes well back to the 19th century. It assumed an identifiable structure only in the 1900s though. It sought to utilize contemporary philosophical and psychological thinking (Freudianism to a large degree) and relied heavily on personal experiences, feelings and emotions rather than impressions of reality. Weimar cinema has time and again been described as being proto-fascist and expressionism linked to National Socialism, which was popularized in the writings of Siegfried Kracauer and can be traced back to the theoretical debates of the 1930s, specifically to the views expressed Georg Lukà ¡cs. In a 1934 essay, Lukà ¡cs argued that expressionism was undoubtedly one of the diverse bourgeois ideological currents that would later result in fascism as its tendency towards subjectivism and romanticism linked it ideologically to the irrational mysticism of Wilhelmian philosophy, and therefore one of the central sources of Nazi beliefs. Lukà ¡cs sociological argument was later expanded and applied to the analysis of German cinema by Siegfried Kracauer in his study of Weimar film culture, From Caligari to Hitler (1947). John S. Titford begins his journal article with the sentence, Expressionist cinema is an impossibility. What he is trying to say through this is that the Expressionists and Realists alike cannot possibly transcend the limitations of cinema as a medium even if they exploit it to its fullest extent. It has to be mimetic, symbolic, never being the things it represents in exactitude. Art must, unlike reality itself, have a beginning and an end. Having defined its boundaries, cinema has proven to be the most appropriate medium for expressionism. It is more dynamic than expressionist painting, more able to instill a feeling of horror than expressionist literature, and more claustrophobic than expressionist theatre. Expressionism found an expression in the rapidly evolving motion pictures. There is a dichotomy between the creator and his creation, the medium and the message, and there is a need to understand the artists perception of the subject matter so as to get a hold of the deeper meaning of the piece of art itself. For it is the artists, or the auteur in our case, thoughts and feelings which are being communicated through his actions. Christian Metz has hence, made the differentiation between the signified (human consciousness) and the signifier (work of art). Anthromorphism, the process of inanimate objects coming to life, is a key feature of German expressionist cinema. Metropolis is an archetypal example for that. The live consciousness of the artist is, in a sense, metamorphosed into dead celluloid. Within the film, the humans tend to imbibe the characteristic traits of the world of objects while the objects exude human-like features and this is a cycle of life and death which the expressionist cinema follows. The figure of Rotwang exhibits qualities of a machine, or that of a prototypical cyborg to say the least, with a mechanical right arm, whereas the machines in the industrial underbellies of the city demonstrate signs of life as well as the Robot, which takes on the form of Maria, seemingly human but not quite. German expressionist film offers a penetrating analysis of the society along with the philosophy and psychology of its age. It is important also because of its filmic process. Unlike other forms of art, it is not static (before the advent of pop art and kinetic models), and transforms inert photographic frames into rendering a semblance of truth. Thus, film can make an object assume personality and vice versa. The workers in Metropolis operate like machines, often being grouped together in abstract geometrical shapes. The figure of Rotwang, as stated earlier, is the model for sub-human forces embodying the concept of Destiny, or a threat to the nation of Germany, depending upon the interpretation. He is perceived as a monster, hardly convincing as a living creature than the true monster like the Robot Maria. One of the scenes in M epitomizes the process whereby the animate becomes the inanimate. Beckett, the child-murderer, has been captured by the underground criminals and is brough t into a room where they are about to give him a trial. As he confronts the mass of people assembled to indict him, the camera pans around the group. It is not a moving mass that we see, but a still photograph: the image is frozen. It has thus taken the nature of an inert, static painting. Buildings become demoniacal in expressionist films; foreboding houses are used for shock effect, and rooms and enclosed spaces create a sense of claustrophobia. Maria in Metropolis is persistently pursued by a strong beam of light as she struggles to find a way out of the catacombs. The streets are merely an extension of the threatening building and dominate and control the lives of its inhabitants. In general, diagonals and oblique angles in the sets are employed, and the buildings and streets are distorted, ghostly, and with painted shadows and streets that seem to lead nowhere. Since the films were mostly shot in the studios with the help of painted canvas scenery, the world thus created was usually two dimensional. The mood or the stimmung and the claustrophobia of the expressionist world is further intensified by the use of lighting. There is a predisposition for the world of twilight in which the inanimate can readily become alive with no warning. Expressionist films are frequently lit using sharp, often jarring, blacks and whites, distorted shadows, and large areas of darkness. Precisely because light or absence of light gives space its reality, it can effect a transformation of concrete into abstract, living into dead, or vice versa, making us doubt our own senses, and even our awareness of figure and ground distinctions. Chiaroscuro affects our perceptions, and shadows themselves can become alive. Expressionist cinema was by no means limited to the city, even though the two case studies portray the cityscape. Expressionist directors were more concerned with life as a process ending in death, and their art was almost totally pessimistic. The game expressionist cinema plays with itself and i ts audience is that of Russian roulette, with destiny as the bullet, and death the prize. German expressionist cinema was concerned with the powers of darkness, with people trapped by their environment and with claustrophobia pervading everyday life. To back to the lighting in the early Weimar Republic cinema, the use of chiaroscuro effects of artificial lighting was unsurpassed. Lighting was used as a narrative device, and while in some early Weimar cinemas it was a little more than a decorative element or a creator of mood, in later films chiaroscuro elements and specifically shadow assume a precise communicative element. Chiaroscuro manipulated the visual sense to create emotions whereas the shadow rather than being a merely expressionistic mannerism, added narrative depth to the silent cinema. The employment of shadow as a communicative metaphor is found as early as Platos Republic, where he talks of the cave-men perceiving shadows and echoes as reality itself, which is not totally false; it results from reality even though it might be a weakened, diluted version of the real. The traditional motif of the shadow as a metaphor of perception later appears in the 20th century in Jungian psychology. Jung used the shadow metaphor t o describe the underside of the human psyche, which if acknowledged brings forth the survival responses, stimulating the libido, whereas if repressed can bring about the downfall of the individual. However, the intention of the early popular filmmaker was to involve the viewer in the film event. Thus, the shadow metaphor was appropriated as a narrative device, and the philosophical and psychological significance of the shadow became subordinated to the films fictional narrative, and the function of the shadow was sublimated in the narrative act. It became a device for communicating a simultaneous, secondary narrative to the viewer. Shadows significance is neither good nor evil but instead projects an other reality, another interpretation of sorts. Instead of seeking an escape from the pursuing shadow, one needed to acknowledge and accept it. In M, the character of Beckett was seen running away from his shadow, which relentlessly pursued him, stronger than the man himself, and the on ly way out for him was to embrace his darker side, even if it made him commit cruel, inhuman acts of violence. The early cinematic shadow enabled a possibility of multiple narratives which was later achieved through the use of sound. There was first an adoption and then rejection of shadow as metaphor within the conventions of the cinematic code, adoption during the silent period of cinema and rejection with the onset of sound in the 30s. The shadow as a metaphor was used most effectively in the early period of silent cinema. By the late 1920s, the New Objectivity had brought heightened realism in German films, and more natural lighting had replaced the intense chiaroscuro of the early 1920s. The cinematic shadow had become a clichà ©, and its narrative function was soon overtaken by other devices: the significant object of the late silent films and the soundtrack of the early sound films. In the opening credits of M, one sees a hand with the letter M inscribed on it. The drawing style evokes the exaggerated shapes and dramatic textures of German Expressionist painting, but due to its linear abstraction and dynamic simplification the hands image is also reminiscent of 1920s techno-culture: of New Objectivitys cold modernism and of Futurisms celebration of speed, energy, fluidity, and prosthetic body-machines. It strikes the viewer as an artificial limb taking on the uncanny function of living, or conversely, a human charged with the strength of a robotic apparatus. The first scene opens to a Berlin backyard populated by a bunch of children, their positions resembling that of a clock, with one girl standing in the middle and functioning as the clocks hand so as to count and count out the other players. The girl sings a song of brutal murder and dismemberment, a blatant endorsement of terror and violence itself. In Langs first sound film, M, sound had for the most part supplanted the communicative function of the shadow; the films basic distinctions between good and evil, rationality and irrationality, appearance and reality is rendered perceptible by shadow somewhat and mirror reflection, but mostly by sound. In M, nothing is as it seems on the surface: an apparent innocent is a psychotic killer, an apparently peaceful crowd can transform into a raging mob, apparent friends can become suspicious accusers, apparent organization (the police) is ineffective against the killer and the apparent disorder (the underworld) is really more orderly and efficient than the police. Even seemingly innocent children are tainted by the evil: the films opening sequence shows a group of children playing as they sing a variation of One Potato, Two Potato, a song about another non-fictional mass murderer Harmann, who not only murdered but also cooked and sold his victims as canned meat. What we see is innocent childhood, but what we hear refutes this appearance. In M, appearance is always deceptive, true reality is only perceptible to the observant viewer and listener. In M, the shadow metaphor has become secondary to the metaphors of reflection and sound. Shadows only appear infrequently. For instance, when Beckert leaves his home, he is followed by his shadow, a constant and quite visible reminder of his irrational psychosis. Later in the film when Schrà ¤nker and his band of criminals plan to trap the murderer, the camera moves from them to their shadows on the wall, depicting their transformation from a group of individuals to a retributive force, sort of vigilantes, which by its organization is able to capture the murderer. The most effective use of shadow in the film undoubtedly is at the beginning of the film when the shadow of the perpetrator falls across the poster describing his previous murders, at the same time his voice addressing the little girl, Elsie. The juxtaposition of the visual and the aural helps in the unraveling of the plot and is used as a device for placing the viewer on a level of knowledge or awareness exceeding that of any of the characters (including Beckert himself, who it is implied, is unaware of his condition). Even though the killer appears to be harmless, Lang informs the viewer very blatantly the shadow as killer and the girl as the victim. In Jungian terms, the shadow of Beckert is the actual killer. The shadow is used to establish Beckerts villainy. Later in the film, when he makes his first appearance he is shown inspecting himself in the mirror, probably trying to come to terms with his own predicament and grasp the reality, which he seemingly fails to perceive. What the viewer sees is two Beckerts, comparable to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde where at times Dr. Jekyll loses complete control over himself and the monstrous Mr. Hyde takes over his person. In a later shot, Beckert does get to know of his own reality when he becomes the marked man and sees the letter M imprinted on his overcoat in a glass reflection. Lang has reinforced the shadow and the mirror images by sophisticated sound, where it complements and supplements the visuals. The oft cited example here would the voiceover commentary during the scenes of police investigation: the voice of the police commissioner giving an overall explanation to the minister about the police actions that are seen. Sound, however, is also used to contradict the visual image, communicating a real threat to an apparent tranquility. In one sequence a little girl walks alone along a street, apparently safe. Had M been a silent film, the danger to the girls life might have been shown by an ominous shadow pursuing her. Instead, Lang replaced that with Beckerts characteristic whistling tune. As soon as the girl meets her mother, the whistling stops, the silence signifying the girls actual safety. However, the shadow and the chiaroscuro element never entirely disappeared, even though it was replaced by a more realistic lighting. The shadow was incorporated into American cinema as an element of film noir where it became an emblem of the criminal unknown. Fritz Langs Metropolis (1927) is one of his most well-known and widely recognized films of all times. It has either been termed the silliest film or the most unique and remarkable spectacle ever shown on screen, but the reaction or response towards it has at all times been extreme. Widely acknowledged as a bravura display of film craftsmanship, it has also been equally denounced as unbearably trivial, naÃÆ' ¯ve sentimental and even fascist. Some of the problems raised by the narrative structure of Metropolis stem from the fact that much of the original version of the film is missing. Nevertheless, it marks a significant moment in the history of cinema and represents a culmination of Langs early style. Metropolis began with a segment which appeared totally expository, having, however a definite function in the narrative. Langs film begins with a depiction of the totally alienated condition of the workers, their lack of control over their own conditions of existence. This lack marks the workers as the films first subject or hero (as a collective unit) although their function as a performer of a set of operations changes throughout the course of the film. The dichotomy between machine/self-movement and Machine/Human is highlighted in this segment of the film, which is to form an important device in the narrative structure. The notion of space is central and his definition of all narrative events as some sort of real or attempted transfer of an object is accompanied by or imply a special discontinuity. This happens in the second segment of the film when Maria, as subject, takes a group of children (the object of value) to the pleasure garden in the upper level from the worker city. Sh e is forced to leave and this unit of narrative is ended by the failure of this attempted transfer. This narrative unit may seem isolated but is not unconnected with the narrative as a whole, as through it another hero is created in the form of Freder, whose main aim would be to return these children to the upper level. In this segment itself, Freder realizes his own lack of knowledge of the workers and he descends to the machine rooms to observe the workers and witness the accident at the central power room. This however, constitutes his first stage of acquisition of knowledge. This portion of the narrative ends with him leaving the space of conflict to return to the upper level with his knowledge. When Freder returns to the upper city, the residence of the ruling class, he attempts to give his father, John Frederson, his understanding of the workers condition. But Frederson, in this segment, being the anti-hero/anti-subject/traitor prevents the transmission of this knowledge. Fred erson is the subject of another story in which the object of desire is the control of the workers. Another lack is revealed when Freder discovers a map in the pocket of the dead worker- the lack of the rulers knowledge of the maps and the workers intentions. From this point on, the object of desire for both father and son would be to seek knowledge in the catacombs, which would then enable them to function as hero and traitor in the later stages of the narrative. Knowledge will be acquired in stages all throughout the course of the narrative and so following the interview in Fredersons office, Freder descends to the machines and Frederson goes to see the inventor, Rotwang, each in search of a more adequate knowledge. The film shows the similarity with the use of parallel editing. Freder discovers the grueling effects of time and repeated effort by taking charge of the machine deserted by a failing worker. Frederson is shown the Robot by Rotwang, and mystery of the maps is deciphered partially which are revealed to be guides to the catacombs below the worker city. Parallels are established between these acquisitions of knowledge by intercutting. In the catacombs, the acquisition of knowledge is completed but this gives way to further problems; Frederson realizes he has no control over his workers while Freder comprehends his responsibility as a mediator. The new object of desire is Maria; she is desired by both as a means of obtaining another object, the workers, for their elimination (by the father) or their liberation (by the son). The abduction of Maria from the catacombs by Rotwang to his house and the confrontation between Freder and the scientist resulting in the latters victory over the former with the use of machinery, is replete with symbolism. Machinery, as a sign of evil, remains a constant throughout the film, and is always utilized by the traitors as a helping agent. Freder is denied access to Maria and her features are quite literally transferred to the Robot so as to transmit a false knowledge to the workers, deceive them and lead them astray. Transmitting false knowledge is the classic means of neutralizing power. The Robot Maria convinces the workers to act violently and turns them into traitors temporarily, allies of Frederson and Rotwang. The children, the metonymic representatives of the proletariat are left behind in the lower city. However, the deception of the workers is soon followed by the restoration of Freders power, by his acquisition of knowledge that Robot is not Maria. Subsequently Maria is released and destruction of the children is prevented by moving them to the upper city with the help of Freder and Joseph. The second abduction of Maria by the evil Rotwang is the final lack which is eliminated by the hero vanquishing the evil. At the end of the film, traitors are destroyed (Frederson is redeemed through his sons actions) and peace and balance restored. The heroes in the film are Freder, Maria and the workers while traitors are Frederson, Rotwang and the Robot. There is a tripartite division of the objects of value: the knowledge of the proletariat, the use of Maria, and the children of the workers who represent the proletariat as social entity. At the end of the film even though the children return to the pleasure garden their status is ambiguous; as a result of the accord reached between ruling class and the workers they would have to return to their original space. Thus the film reaffirms the social structure present at the beginning. The film can be divided into two dealing with political and scientific distinctions on the axis human/mechanical and with cultural and religious distinctions on the axis Christian/mystical-alchemical. The film starts with a montage comprising of several shots of stylized machines. This concludes with a shot of the whistle blowing indicating the end of the shift and the next shot shows the workers taking the elevators to go to the worker city. It is not only the machinery which is identified with the traitors as oppressors, but also the concept of time. Time is the measure of the repetitive effort required of the proletariat. In the pleasure garden Freder is essentially depicted as being out of vicious circle of time and is removed from all types of machinery. Also, out of the traitors, only Frederson, who would be transformed into a good man, is wholly human. Rotwang is part-human part-machine while the Robot is fully mechanical. There are other such examples all throughout the film- when the workers ply to and from work; they use the elevators, whereas when they need to descend to the catacombs, they do so on foot. Also when Freder, Maria and Joseph take the children to the upper level, they do so by purely human effort. Metropolis has heavy and significant allusions to religion. There is a consistent opposition present between the vague Christianity and the mystical and the alchemical, most evident in the connotations produced by Rotwang. He is portrayed to be some sort of a medieval sorcerer (his robot will be burned like a witch); compared to the archetypal Aryan appearances of Freder and Maria, the inventor looks distinctly Semitic. On his door and above his robot in his laboratory is a five-pointed star. He lives alone in a curiously distorted, old-fashioned house, set apart from the rest of the society. His science is occult and solitary. The Christian tradition is most apparent in Maria and Freder. While working in the circular machine, he clearly crucified at the hands of the clock face. Maria is undoubtedly Christian; in the catacombs while retelling the tale of the Tower of Babel, she is standing in front of a number of crucifixes and viewed reverently by the workers from below. Metropolis can also be analyzed on psychoanalytic terms. The oedipal aspect of the film is quite apparent. A three-member family is created with Frederson as the Father (leader of the society), Freder as the Son (representative of the workers) and Maria the Mother (spiritual creator of Freder and the workers/mother of the masses). Freder to negate and assume the power of the Father must have access to the Mother. This is achieved at the end of the film when the Father is stripped of his power (castration), and is seen kneeling in front of Freder, which is transmitted to the Son. Metropolis has not gone without criticism and Don Willis in his article has thoroughly bashed Lang for his overtly simplistic plot, going on to say that the spectacle seems almost incidental where the spectacle has been sacrificed to the message. He says of the film, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the eerie delicateness of this image of foreboding is betrayed by the crudeness of development of plot and characterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Barry Salt has been quoted in his text as stating that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Langs film is not even much of an improvement in craftsmanship, despite the several years of development there had been in film technique elsewhere. The rave reviews that the film opened in Germany are dismissed as sensationalistic. The position of an author is defined by the relationship which he maintains with his characters. In the film, one form of this relationship rests on the systems of vision which the pictures reveal: how the author fragmentarily indicates and encloses the viewpoint of his characters within the continuity of his own viewpoint constitutes the viewpoint of the film. Lang allows ambiguity to hover over the relationship which unites character and director in the vision. He is showing that only a well-crafted device can precisely situate a viewpoint, which the vision of the real alone cannot, or he is deliberately moving to a symbolic level, which results in distancing the author from the characters even more. The author defines himself by his point of view towards the objects he unveils. This point of view is manifest in the first place by the distance at which the camera is held. With Lang, it seems to be vivid or in a disguised manner. There are innumerable formal and thematic references, configurations which come into play from film to film and organize the enigmatic web of Langian knot-work. Hence, the sign, the token, around which the narration is organized, the significant object Lang always indicates with a close-up which is the first easily located link between the chain of shots and the thematic chain. The generally intensified demarcation of space disrupts the viewpoint in order to lead it to its more rightful place which carries to an extreme, in cinematographic space, dialectic of subject and object finding its origin in German cultural tradition and its achievement in the fundamental materialism of industrial civilization. This subject-object game, when divided, provokes the eye, making an incredible fissure in Langs films. Lang bases the possibility of his narrative on the richness and the perversity of oppositions. It is the logical outcome of writing and vision. Lang keeps the point of view in perpetual hesitation; for the event, whether it is foreshad owed or already occurred, always seems linked to something else. There is an incessant disequilibrium and abstract waiting which marks all of Langs films. Lang plays with counter-shots and at times tends to lose sight of his narrative, obscuring his characters. There is a subtle defeat in his films, which is revealed by the impossibility of the closed system. His films are extremely dense; in every shot, a writing unfolds which is strictly defined and structured, a part of the larger picture. Thus, by distancing himself from his films, Langs works always seem to be in the process of creating itself.

Health Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup :: Sugar HFCS Artificial Sweetener Food

Health Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup Abstract: What is high fructose corn syrup? Is it some kind of disease making machine? High fructose corn syrup is causing many problems in the United States and two of the main problems are obesity and type two diabetes. There are also many other diseases that branch off from these two main diseases, like liver and heart disease. In this paper, the reason why high fructose corn syrup is becoming such a huge problem in the United States will be explored. The Japanese first developed high fructose corn syrup. When they saw that it is more cost effective than other sugars, other companies started to use high fructose corn syrup in their products. High fructose corn syrup is a sugar made of fifty-five percent fructose and forty-five percent glucose. Compared to normal table sugar, which is fifty percent fructose and fifty percent glucose, it doesn?t seem like much. Yet the fructose in high fructose corn syrup is less attached from normal sugar. This fructose that is free from the glucose part is more harmful to the body. It was first introduced in 1970 but it hasn?t been actively used until the late 1900?s. Yet because we started to use high fructose corn syrup, it is now causing a lot of problems. It has many negative side effects after consumption, and most of the consuming is done in the United States. Two of the main problems caused by high fructose corn syrup are obesity and type two diabetes. Some of the other branches of these problems are liver and heart disease, osteoporosis, an increase in triglycerides, and many other kinds of health problems. Since high fructose corn syrup is very common in our daily diets, ranging for drinks to desserts, it is becoming a huge problem. (Severson, K. 2004) One of the main problems of high fructose corn syrup is obesity. Eating high fructose corn syrup is like eating fat. Fructose isn?t absorbed the large intestine or the first part of the small intestine. Fructose is absorbed in the jejunum at a much higher rate than normal glucose. After it is absorbed, it goes to the liver, where it is converted to fatty acids. When someone consumes too much fructose, the liver is unable to convert all of it so it can be absorbed improperly.

Denim Finishing Company Case Essay

1. Mrs. Kelsey Bowser using the ABC method decided to use the number of garments as the cost driver of the change-over costs. Nevertheless, I argue that this was not the best possible choice. I will try to defend my point using the following example. Let’s assume that Guess Who Jeans demands 600, not 500 garments per shipment. Although the number of garments changes, the total change-over costs would stay the same, because no additional retooling of the machine would be necessary. The whole change-over process takes 3 hours regarding if the number of garments is 200, 500 or 800. Furthermore, let’s strictly theoretically assume that the company is able to achieve some extra capacity and one batch is now composed of 150 garments instead of 100 garments. Still, although the total number of garments would vastly increase, the change-over costs would be altered only partially. The opportunity cost measured as a lost contribution margin would slightly increase, but the out-of-po cket costs would stay the same, as the wages of the employees and supplies costs will not change. Thus, it is clear that the number of garments is not the proper cost driver for the change-over costs. In my opinion the number of shipments would be a much better cost driver for the change-over costs. Regarding the number of garments or the number of batches Guess Who Jeans demands every shipment requires the change-over costs to be incurred twice. For instance, if 99 shipments were made, the total change-over costs would equal $351 * 198 = $69,498, because two change-overs ($702) would not have to be undertaken. Thus, the number of shipments clearly drives the analyzed costs. Unlikely the previous example with the number of garments per batch increasing to 150, the number of shipments fully ‘drives’ the change-over costs. Every time the number of shipments rises or falls, the change-over costs change by the full amount of the two per-changeover costs which properly reflect the real situation. Using such a cost driver may be problematic when the allocation of the chang e-over costs is analyzed. Nevertheless, I argue that those cost should be solely allocated to the propriety denim finishing. The demand for the stonewashing services exceeds the company’s capacity. Thus, if the Guess Who Jeans’ offer was declined, the company would use the whole capacity for stonewashing. However, if the offer was accepted the stonewashing processes would be somehow ‘interrupted’ by the propriety denim finishing. Each ‘interruption’, and therefore each shipment would require incurring the change-over costs twice. No factor connected with stonewashing ‘drives’ those costs. Regarding the number of batches or garments used in the stonewashing process each shipment necessitates the cost of $702. Therefore, I believe this cost should be associated with every shipment done by Guess Who Jeans. In Appendix A I present the product profitability analysis using the number of shipment as the cost driver. Moreover, Mrs. Kelsey Bowser claims that the change-over costs should be treated as product-sustaining costs. Nevertheless, I believe her opinion is wrong. I believe these costs should be on the batch level in the cost hierarchy. Hence, I believe the initial analysis undertaken by Mrs. Bowser was correct, although the cost driver she selected was improper. Product-sustaining level costs could be defined as ‘activities that are needed to support an entire product line but are not performed every time a new unit or batch of products is produced’ [Hilton 2010]. Although the first part of the definition applies to the change-over costs, it is clearly not the case when the second part of the definition is concerned. The change-over costs have to be incurred every time the shipments is delivered and the propriety denim finishing has to be done. Therefore, I believe these costs should be rather placed as the batch-level costs in the cost hierarchy. Batch-level costs are believed to ‘arise from activities performed once for each batch or lot of products’ [Zimmerman 2011]. Since the change-over costs need to be incurred every shipment, placing them at this level in the hierarchy seems reasonable. 2. It is clear that before accepting the proposal several nonfinancial issues have to be considered in order to make a reasonable decision. First, the management should think how accepting the Gues Who offer would affect the relations with the other clients. Since Guess Who requires the Denim Finishing Company not to offer the particular type of finish to other customers, it is very likely that relations with other firms will worsen. The Denim Finishing Company has been cooperating with many companies for a long time. Therefore, those companies may dislike the fact that the new client receives the special treatment, while such benefits could not be observed in their case, even though they have been the customers for ages. Consequently, the Denim Finishing Company’s reputation may shrink and furthermore the firm may lose some of its customers that it had long term relations established with. Accepting the Guess Who offer, as mentioned before, would require the Denim Finishing Company to offer the certain time of finish exclusively to Guess Who. Hence, the firm would be prohibited from providing other companies with this service. Before making the decision it should be analyzed if that could lead to potential losses in the future. For instance, although cooperating with Guess Who may be beneficial, the potential gains from offering that type of finish to other clients could be higher. If so, the Denim Finishing Company should rather provide the service to other firms. Naturally, before making such a decision it has to be determined if other firms would require the Denim Finishing Company to offer the service exclusively to them, like it is the case for Guess Who. Offering exclusive service to one company may result in other companies’ (not only potential clients as mentioned in the previous paragraph, but also current ones) demands for exclusive treatment. If other clients, especially those who have been cooperating with the Denim Finishing Company for a long time, realize that it is possible to receive such a special treatment, they would likely claim for it too, as it could give them a competitive advantage over other firms in their industry. Thus, the Denim Finishing Company would undoubtedly face a big problem. It theoretically could increase the prices for the firms that demand exclusive service, but it could lead to losing those clients. Accepting or declining the Guess Who offer may also result in potential conflicts within the firm that have to be considered. For instance, Bruce Farrand who is against the offer may be so determined in defending his point of view that if the offer is accepted, he will decide to terminate his employment. However, he might be so valuable for the company that the gains from the cooperation with Guess Who would not compensate for the value added by Mr. Farrand. Moreover, some other conflicts could arise in the company after deciding either. Before making the decision it would also be recommended to analyze the potential influence the service offered to Guess Who could have on the machine. Since providing the finish would require constant and often retooling of the machine, it could negatively affect the lifetime of the machine. What is more, it is possible that the quality of services done by the machine would shrink because of those often changes. Hence, the satisfaction among clients could diminish and the high cost of purchasing new machine would have to be incurred soon. It also cannot be forgotten that the current demand exceeds the firm’s capacity and some of its clients already use services provided by other companies. Thus, if the Denim Finishing Company’s has even less time for stonewashing, these clients can shift to competitors. Finally, it should be estimated what potential nonfinancial benefits could cooperating with Guess Who bring to the Denim Finishing Company. Guess Who is considered to be a company that offers innovative and premium products. Thus, being an important business partner of such a firm could have a positive impact on the Denim Finishing Company’s reputation. Consequently, it could attract new clients and encourage more companies to cooperate with the Denim Finishing Company. Moreover, successful cooperation with Guess Who Jeans could lead to extending the business relations with that company. For instance, it could outsource more of its production to the Denim Finishing Company. 3. If I were Tom Corcoran, I would undoubtedly have a few questions for the controller. First, I would ask about all the problems mentioned in the two previous questions. As mentioned before, I believe that Mrs. Bowser did not place the change-over costs at the right level in the cost hierarchy. Hence, I would like to get to know why she decided to treat them as product-sustaining costs, while there are a lot of arguments supporting the idea to treat them as batch-level costs. Furthermore, the cost driver chosen by Mrs. Bowser is highly doubtful. I would require the explanation how and to what extent in her opinion the number of garments ‘drives’ the change-over costs. Since I believe the number of garments is not the right cost driver, I would ask Mrs. Bowser for some other type of profitability analysis, such as the analysis presented in Appendix A. The analysis presented at the meeting by the controller could be misleading. Both Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4 present data that is in my opinion inaccurate. Moreover, as it was analyzed in the second question accepting or declining the offer could lead to multiple nonfinancial outcomes that may play a significant role on the company’s profitability. Hence, I would ask if such factors have been analyzed and if so, what possible impact they may have. I also believe that Tom Corcoran would be most interested in the total profit his company would have under both scenarios. Analyses presented at the meeting, as valuable as they might be, do not contain such information. For instance, they do not include the facility-sustaining costs that the Denim Finishing Company has to incur. Hence, it would be recommended to present Tom Corcoran with the yearly profit the firm may earn. Moreover, I would ask Mrs. Bowser about the accuracy of her assumptions in Exhibit 4. She estimates that the costs of the proprietary process, as well as the price paid by Guess Who Jeans will not change during the year. However, it may not necessarily be the case. The analysis relies on historical costs that may not be appropriate for the future estimations. Thus, I would like to know if Mrs. Bowser took that aspect into account. Another question would regard the overhead rates of the batch- and unit-level costs. The rates were estimated when only stonewashing was done. However, accepting the offer from Guess Who Jeans would require retaining from using the machine for 600 hours. This could likely result in different overhead costs and consequently different overhead rates. The batch-level utility cost can be particularly problematic. It is ‘driven’ by the machine hours and as previously mentioned the machine is not used for 3 hours before and 3 hours after the shipment. Furthermore, the case makes it unclear whether drying is also performed by the Unit #4. The per-garment utilities cost includes 3 hours for washing and 3 hours for drying. However, when the change-over is undertaken, the washing is not performed, because the machine cannot be used. Therefore, during the change-over the utilities cost is possibly lower. This is especially important for the opportunity cost analysis. Since the case is lacking information explaining the problem, if I were Tom Corcoran I would like to clarify it. Finally, I strongly believe that it would also be necessary to ask Mrs. Bowser about the facility-sustaining costs. Such costs are ignored in the controller’s analysis. Nevertheless, they still affect the company’s profitability. Hence, I would like to get to know how big those costs are. Moreover, the facility-sustaining costs could also be somehow influenced by the possible cooperation with Guess Who Jeans. For instance, the security or insurance costs could rise, since the service is supposed to be offered exclusively to that particular client. Therefore, the analysis of the capacity-sustaining costs would also be useful. To sum up, if I were Tom Corcoran I would have many doubts about the controller’s analysis. I would probably ask her to prepare yet another presentation that includes my suggestions. However, if I were to make the decision, I probably would accept the Guess Who Jeans’ offer. The analysis in the Appendix A, although it does not include nonfinancial factors and may not properly reflect all the costs, clearly shows that such a scenario leads to increased profits. 4. Activity-based costing is undoubtedly a useful tool that could help the management to make the optimal decision. It is much more accurate that the traditional costing systems. Distinguishing various activities and determining cost drivers relating to them helps to more precisely allocate the costs. Using one cost driver for all the amount of the overhead could create the situation where the indirect costs are not really ‘driven’ by the particular cost. For instance, although direct labor hours might to some extent determine the value of the overhead, the influence may only be partial, especially regarding certain products. Using various cost drivers for various activities largely eliminates this problem. What is more, selecting particular cost drivers for respective activities enables ‘taxing’ certain activities. This internal tax system gives an incentive to reduce certain costs and therefore improve the company’s efficiency. For instance, if machine labor hours are chosen as a driver for the production activity there is an impulse to lower the number of machine labor hours which consequently results in decreased value of overhead, lower costs and higher profits. Under Activity-Based Costing the share of costs allocated directly to the products increases. Thus, the company better understand where its overhead costs go to. It enables the firm to identify the products that are not profitable and undertake relevant actions, such as decreasing costs, raising the price or withdrawing the product. However, the cost hierarchy helps to make such decision regarding not only particular products, but also batches and product lines. This undoubtedly allows making decisions that are more profit-maximizing. Moreover, in the ABC the practical capacity is used. Therefore, it is possible to determine the unused capacity. Diminishing the unused capacity is definitely helpful in maximizing the profits of the company. Hence, Activity-Based Costing provides the management with the information necessary to make optimal decisions. To compare, the traditional costing systems do not give such a possibility. However, the ABC method also has some flaws that may result in making a non-optimal production decision. Some of those disadvantages could be observed in the previous questions. First, the system is believed to be complicated. As noticeable in the first question choosing the proper cost driver for the particular activity might be problematic. Selecting the wrong driver could lead to biased results and consequently the decision that is not profit-maximizing. Furthermore, trying to maintain the cost hierarchy may also be difficult, as shown in the example of Mrs. Bowser from the Denim Finish Company. The results when the costs were determined as the batch-level where completely different than when they were analyzed to be product-level. Thus, such easily made mistakes could result in a non-optimal decision. Furthermore, as it could be seen in the second question Activity-Based Costing does not include any nonfinancial measures. Thus, even though pure financial values may show that a particular decision is profit-maximizing, it might not necessarily be the case. Other factors, such as e.g. loss of reputation could actually result in decreased profits. Finally, the ABC method requires gathering data from the whole company, often through interviews. Hence, there is a relatively big possibility that collected data is not perfectly accurate. To sum up, the Activity-Based Costing method is quite reliable tool in making optimal production decisions, especially compared to the traditional costing systems. However, the system has to be carefully planned and implemented, because any mistakes could lead to inaccurate results. Choosing the wrong cost driver and improper assignment of the costs in the cost hierarchy may result in undesired errors. Furthermore, as useful as the ABC is, the management cannot rely solely on financial values provided by the method. Before making the decision all nonfinancial factors have to be considered. Only such a consideration combined with the information supplied by the properly designed and applied Activity-Based Costing system can lead to the optimal production decision.