Monday, September 30, 2019

If I Could Go Back in Time Essay

I’m sure that everyone at least once in his or her life thought: â€Å"If I could go back in time, I would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . I think every person has something in their past that would want to change: some people regret about mistakes they’ve done, others about things they wanted to do, but didn’t resolve to. Mine would be that if I could go back in time I would pick one of the gifts I am good at and focus on one of them. I am a multi-talented person. It must have been because as a pastor’s kid I had to be ready to function wherever my father needed me. A pastor in Puerto Rico is different than a pastor here. My father was the church driver, taxi driver (taking people to go do groceries and other runs), carpenter, plumber, preacher, teacher, etc†¦ you get the picture right? Well, being part of his ministry I also learned how to do a little bit of everything. I am a musician, handy man, involved in real estate, pastor, now a student, and a few other things I am involved in. The big problem is that, though I am good on most of all the things I do, I have not been successful on any of them because I am doing a little bit of everything. I truly believe that if I had focus on any or maybe two, I would have been very successful. As a musician I have made some recordings, wrote my own songs and my own music. In real estate I have bought houses, rented houses, and renovated and sold houses. As a handy man I’ve worked in all kinds of building jobs (carpet, drywall, tile floors, doors, roofing, etc). As pastor I have helped many people and brought many to the Lord. As a student I am trying to get my Associate this year. There is a saying in Spanish that says â€Å"el que aprieta mucho abarca poco†. It means â€Å"he who squeezes much retains little†. If I could go back in time I would take one or two of these areas focus on them and give it my best. As a matter of fact I have been working on making those changes now. I have come to the conclusion that this opportunity of going back in life is not going to take place. Therefore, I have decided to stop doing some of the things that I have been doing and focus on two of them. My number one desire is to continue to do the work of the Lord as a pastor. I want to grow and continue to work for the Lord. I love helping people and being able to meet their needs, both material and spiritual. The other area I am focusing on is Real Estate. I have decided to go 100 percent on it and give it the best. Next week I am taking my license and becoming a full time real estate agent. Of course, I will continue playing my music and singing my songs but it will now be a hobby that I will enjoy to do.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Safeway

This paper talks about Safeway a store, now so popular that it has made itself establish as a brand in the market. This paper talks about problems that are plaguing Safeway and how can a solution be reached. It starts off with a summary of the entire paper and then details on the company’s vision, mission, goals etc. It provides a list of problems that Safeway has been facing through the years prioritizes these and then develops a solution plan in a logical step-wise manner. The paper concludes itself with a brief discussion on how the solution can be achieved in an effective manner and provides a brief evaluation of it. Executive Summary. Safeway is a chain of stores, now so popular that it has made itself establish as a brand in the market. Safeway started off as a store back in 1915, under the vision of M. Skagg’s. Then, it was just a store and now we see around one thousand seven hundred and seventy five stores all across United States of America and Canada. The vision at Safeway talks about value and adding value to the chain of operations that the store is involved in. It talks about giving value to customers through value added products and services under the name of Safeway stores and by strategizing success in terms of profits by keeping them narrow while expanding. In 2000, Safeway faced a huge internal labor problem whereby it received threats and complaints from peers and its competitor, Wal-Mart. Another issue was that of loss in sales and of customer base. It also experienced declining profits. (IBSCDC) Safeway, as of its current standing has been facing internal issues revolving around pay conflicts and the chain not keeping its promises to the laborers/ workers. This has resulted into a lot of frustration and feelings of negativity in between the two entities. Strikes arranged by labor union/s have been the looming issue this year, 2009 at Safeway. The basic reasons for this are frustrated workers because of their wages and pension benefits, which they consider low or minimal. (SFGate) Other issues revolve around lawsuits by two pension funds on the management and board of Safeway, blaming them guilty to deceit, greed and managerial inexperience. Due to this situation, many a times the shareholders have gotten very upset at the way things function inside the chain. Another main problem that the company faces is that of conflict of interests, which results in selfish behavior. (RedOrbit) The labor problem directly affects the key stakeholder groups. It has resulted into upsetting the laborers or workers who are the driving force behind the various operations that the chain undertakes, be it the sales stores, warehouses, or the staff at the chain’s office. And when this extends to the whole of America and Canada, it results into negative spill over effects throughout the organization. This affects the shareholders, since history has also proved that two lawsuits also were filed against the management of Safeway due to reasons of conflict of interests, no or minimal transparency etc. The different solutions that this paper has proposed comprise of a sound transparent system in overall operations, fair measurement of performance through technology usage and SAPs (HRMReport), improving upon the recruitment guidelines by involving pre-agreed upon contracts between the company and the worker being recruited, and lastly, employing the element of bureaucracy by the ‘stick’ technique applied to the upper management by the Board. The last option surrounds replacement of all those managers who have shown a history of conflict of interests. Resource Center) The best solution out of all these is a combination of achieving transparency through correcting any occurrence of conflict of interests with pre-agreed setting of labor contracts. The solution can be implemented by communicating it to the shareholders, workers and upper management. This should be done in a clear manner. A ‘no-patience’ approach should be communicated boasting an environment fr ee of greed, selfishness and self-interest- envisioning, communicating and implementing a conflict of interests free environment. This can hence help in adopting a measurement of performance for workers plan under which the transparency guidelines will be communicated effectively. Position Safeway started off as a store back in 1915, under the vision of M. Skagg’s. Then, it was just a store and now we see around one thousand seven hundred and seventy five stores all across United States of America and Canada. Today, Safeway is not just a chain of stores (grocery stores) rather it is a brand. It has also launched several private brands under its umbrella all across North America. There are three thousand products approximately available under the brand names of Lucerne, Mrs. Wright’s, Safeway and Safeway Select Label that markets more than a thousand premium brands. Through the years, the chain of stores has done its share of corporate social responsibility. It does this by donating to schools, for breast and prostate cancer research, contributing towards the displaced people resulting out of natural calamities like the Tsunami and also helps disabled people. This initiative, which is a proper program at the company basically, has helped it make and retain community partnerships. Also, Safeway has contributed towards the restoration and preservation efforts of the environment, by extending help in the areas of renewable energy and solid waste management. (Safeway Website) Vision and Mission of Safeway The vision at Safeway is the same as it was before that was built by Skagg’s. It talks about value and adding value to the chain of operations that the store is involved in. It talks about giving value to customers through value added products and services under the name of Safeway stores and by strategizing success in terms of profits by keeping them narrow while expanding. Its mission statement is that of ‘expanding for the better’, which revolves around continuous improvement when the management jargon is applied. These also constitute the broader, long-term goals for the company. Safeway believes in ‘Ingredients for Life’, since it encompasses the concept of ‘wholesomeness’ in whatever services and products it is providing to the customer. This, henceforth also forms its tagline. (Safeway Web Site). Stakeholders of Safeway These include groups and people from the different segments of the countries. First and foremost it includes the shareholders who have been investing in the company and the Board of Directors of Upper Management. Other key stakeholders include customers who contribute towards the revenues by visiting stores and making purchases. Its suppliers include all the companies that through stocking fee reserve their spaces in shelves in all Safeway stores for retail. The Corporate Social Responsibility Steering Group or CSR Steering Group is yet another group that has stake in the chain of stores- Safeway. Others include, Media Companies, Journalists, Laborers, and last but not least its employees. Problems: Contextual Analysis Safeway’s ride to success and its expansion efforts have not been problem free. It has faced many internal as well as external problems that have rendered its free will operations difficult to perform under such circumstances. In 2000, Safeway faced a huge internal labor problem whereby it received threats and complaints from peers and its competitor, Wal-Mart. Another issue was that of loss in sales and of customer base. It also experienced declining profits. (IBSCDC) Safeway, as of its current standing has been facing internal issues revolving around pay conflicts and the chain not keeping its promises to the laborers/ workers. This has resulted into a lot of frustration and feelings of negativity in between the two entities. Strikes arranged by labor union/s have been the looming issue this year, 2009 at Safeway. The basic reasons for this are frustrated workers because of their wages and pension benefits, which they consider low or minimal. (SFGate) Other issues revolve around lawsuits by two pension funds on the management and board of Safeway, blaming them guilty to deceit, greed and managerial inexperience. Due to this situation, many a times the shareholders have gotten very upset at the way things function inside the chain. Another main problem that the company faces is that of conflict of interests, which results in selfish behavior. (RedOrbit) Sense One of the major problems at the company revolves around its labor workers due to labor unions and their frustrations. The chain of grocery stores- Safeway has been trying to take control over this issue, through resolution efforts in terms of labor agreements etc. , but nothing too productive and fruitful has been done. Therefore, the issue still stands and even though is not raging with the same force as it was before it is definitely the most problematic area for the corporation as of now. SFGate) The fringe benefits including health care and pension related alongside the wage issue present in the labor staff, has resulted into a deep frustration. This has resulted into a negative feeling between the company and the workers. The labor union demands increments in their wages and wants a yearlong hold to adjusting the pension program (which constitutes pension benefits for the workers). Many companies have agreed to these terms to some extent by increasing the retirement age but the wage issue remains frozen. (McGhee, T. These however are the symptoms of a larger cause, a greater problem, this being mismanagement on the part of the upper management arising due to a conflict of interests and as mentioned above greed and hypocrisy. The labor problem directly affects the key stakeholder groups. It has resulted into upsetting the laborers or workers who are the driving force behind the various operations that the chain undertakes, be it the sales stores, warehouses, or the staff at the chain’s office. And when this extends to the whole of America and Canada, it results into negative spill over effects throughout the organizat ion. This affects the shareholders, since history has also proved that two lawsuits also were filed against the management of Safeway due to reasons of conflict of interests, no or minimal transparency etc. Uncover The problem surrounding labor related issues and up rise of labor union movements against the management is the biggest problem at Safeway because if a company’s employee/s workers are not happy, the manual force behind its operations is not strong therefore this results into low profitability, bad reputation and further conflict of interests. The different solutions that this paper has proposed comprise of a sound transparent system in overall operations, fair measurement of performance through technology usage and SAPs (HRMReport), improving upon the recruitment guidelines by involving pre-agreed upon contracts between the company and the worker being recruited, and lastly, employing the element of bureaucracy by the ‘stick’ technique applied to the upper management by the Board. The last option surrounds replacement of all those managers who have shown a history of conflict of interests. Resource Center) Solve The problem is so massive that it requires a proper plan of action in the form of a labor plan and a formalized labor budgeting report. This calls for transparency as well as a clear set of goals for the laborers or workers at the company. Employing transparency within the company is the key solution here and others should replace replacing managers or upper management people, who have showed a selfis h attitude, in the corporate market. This is the only end solution in end. But, since this is not a feasible option since laying off and replacing a company’s upper management just like that is not an easy task, what needs to be established is a formalized, controlled system of labor handling. Under this each laborer or worker before his recruitment will know about his wages, fringe benefits and pension benefits. If the agreement proves to be a compromise between the company as well as the worker, then it should be agreed upon to start off induction and the recruitment processes after that. There should also be a sound â€Å"management of employees framework†, that helps in gaining accountability and transparency with fairness to the entire process of performance evaluation. The best solution out of all these is a combination of achieving transparency through correcting any occurrence of conflict of interests with pre-agreed setting of labor contracts. Build Strategic decisions involve making of sound decisions which includes goal identification, problem finding, generation of solutions as possible options and then evaluation these to select the best possible one. Schwenk, C. (1984) says that cognitive psychology hence needs to be adopted when making decisions in the corporate world. (Schwenk, C. , 113) A risky project comprising of uncertainty according to theorists comprises of setting a performance measure that results into goal alignment successfully. The ‘standard’ here is that of the project passing through the potential ‘Pareto Improvement’. (Graham, D. , 715) In line with these theorists’ views, the best solution as proposed above out of all the ones mentioned is a combination of achieving transparency through correcting any occurrence of conflict of interests with pre-agreed setting of labor contracts. The positive side of this tells a story of no or minimal confusion in agreements of labor contracts, less occurrence of ill reputation, and no or minimal frustration on the part of the workers and shareholders as the two key stakeholders here in this case. The dark side to the cost benefit analysis in line with what Schewenk, C. 1984) has talked about revolves around fears of bureaucracy and the upper management becoming agitated and frustrated due to less empowerment and control in their hands. Achieve The solution can be implemented by communicating it to the shareholders, workers and upper management. This should be done in a clear manner. A ‘no-patience’ approach should be communicated boasting an environment free o f greed, selfishness and self-interest- envisioning, communicating and implementing a conflict of interests free environment. This can hence help in adopting a measurement of performance for workers plan under which the transparency guidelines will be communicated effectively. An evaluation phase can be developed henceforth, by having an internal audit constituting of representatives of the Board Members, so as to hold checks after each quarter. This shall help in consistency supervision and prevention of conflict between Safeway and its workers.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Bacchae Essay Research Paper In the Bacchae

Bacchae Essay, Research Paper In the Bacchae, for whom do you experience more sympathy? Pentheus or Dionysus? In the Bacchae, Pentheus and Dionysus have really different characters. They are both really complex characters and they both go through alterations that alter the manner you see them. At the beginning of the drama, we are given a really dramatic image of Dionysus at his female parents, Semele? s memorial. He is have oning a Crown of Hedera helix, transporting a thyrse and have oning a dun tegument. It is a really cryptic and haunting scene. When Dionysus speaks he speaks angrily and passionately # 8211 ; you do non acquire the feeling that he is a really hushed character. In contrast, nevertheless, when you foremost run into Pentheus you see him as a really proud adult male. He is outraged with the adult females of Thebes, he has a rigorous sense of his ain beliefs? he merely can non understand why the adult females are taking to believe in a foreign God, an? upstart God? . He is instinctively doubting. He believes that the adult females of Troies have left? on some pretension of Bacchic worship? . He is so misanthropic he candidly can non believe in the power of Bacchus. When we foremost meet the two antagonists face to confront, we at first feel understanding for Dionysus, for he is the captive. Pentheus starts the conversation thought he has the upper manus because he has more power over the state of affairs. However, it is clear to the audience that Dionysus is in control of the state of affairs. He is unagitated and strong. He could hold felt threatened, being in a male monarch? s presence, but alternatively he acts confidently. This could hold made me experience proud of Dionysus for managing the state of affairs so good ; if it was non for the fact that he cruelly mocks Pentheus. Pentheus evidently has no thought that he is speaking to a God, and Dionysus takes full advantage of this. Dionysus drops intimations that he is non merely a Bacchic worshipper, but these are merely obvious to the audience. Dionysus tells us that Dionysus is? near at manus and sees what? s being done to me? . The audience can appreciate the subtly in this, but to Pentheus the adult male is merely arousing him. I think that Pentheus is covetous of Dionysus? power over adult females, long coils and white tegument. This would explicate why he is so arch to Dionysus. Pentheus does non desire to believe that Dionysus is truly the boy of Zeus. I think that deep down he knows that he is and that is why he invariably needs to reassure himself of his royal position. I think Dionysus is cognizant of Pentheus? green-eyed monster and he uses this to his ain advantage. We know that he can pull strings people, as he can do the guard experience guilty for merely conveying him before the male monarch. I can sympathize with Pentheus because it is difficult for him to understand this new, foreign cult, allow entirely accept it. He is a immature and comparatively new male monarch and fresh to his power, without holding it questioned by a alien. He wants to asseverate his power and to be in control. He can non make this when being threatened by an eastern cult. I do disagree, nevertheless, with the manner Pentheus attempts to order Thebes # 8211 ; it should be up to the people of Thebes to do up their ain heads as to their beliefs. If they want to believe that Dionysus is the boy of Zeus, there is nil Pentheus can make to alter their heads. Pentheus is frightened by the manner that the adult females are so certain of themselves, he does non like the manner they are all of a sudden at easiness with nature. What he does non realise is that Dionysus does non desire the adult females to wholly abandon themselves to nature, but merely to recognize his importance and the importance of his worship. There are many qualities that make Dionysus a strong God, he is really wise and helps the people to bury their agony by securing vino. He is besides a prophesier and can enable people t Os see their hereafter. Dionysus is frequently blamed for his female followings being unchaste and without ethical motives. I do non believe that this is a just accusal, as he does non do them move immoral. If they do, so they are already immoral and would hold been so even of they had stayed at place with their households. Teiresias makes this clear when he says ? Dionysus will non oblige adult females to be chaste, since in all affairs self-denial resides in our ain natures? . Dionysus is besides thought to hold been the ground the adult females of Thebes go monsters and plunder the nearby small towns when faced with any resistance or force. I do non believe that this has anything to make with the faith, for when the chorus, the true Drunken revelers, are faced with force they alternatively lie prostrate on the floor naming for their God to deliver them. What I do non hold with though, is the manner Dionysus turns everyone mad. It is non the people of Thebes? mistake that Agau? , Ino and Autonoe believed that a mortal fathered Dionysus. It is really unfair of Dionysus to penalize the whole metropolis. I besides do non hold with the manner that he punishes Cadmus. The adult male has done nil incorrect, he believed in Bacchus and followed his rites. He has to come to footings with the slaying of his grandson, by his ain girl. It is non just to besides ostracize him from his place. Cadmus even entreaties to Dionysus, stating him that? Supreme beings should non be like persons in vengefulness? . His supplications are ignored. There are besides grounds for non sympathizing with Pentheus. He instantly Judgess Dionysus to be an effeminate doormat and mocks him for this. He besides Judgess the adult females of Thebes and the Maenads excessively rapidly. He is xenophobic, racialist and clannish. Whilst these are non admirable features in a individual, they can be excused because Pentheus is merely a person. Dionysus does non hold that alibi. However, Pentheus can sometimes merely be accused of being incompetent. He makes a foolish opinion in locking Dionysus up. He has blatantly ignored the guards? and Dionysus? warnings, about the miracles that Dionysus can execute. In the 3rd scene when Dionysus is runing Pentheus, Pentheus is have oning Bacchanal attire, much as a victim of forfeit would hold. This is a cardinal scene in the drama. It is here that I can clearly see that the functions of Dionysus and Pentheus have been reversed. Now it is Dionysus in control of Pentheus? arrant humiliation. I feel far more sympathy for Pentheus than Dionysus because Pentheus is non cognizant that he is under enchantment or being mocked. Even when it was Dionysus being hunted, he was ever cognizant of what he was making. Pentheus would neer hold humiliated himself by dressing in adult females? s apparels and moving vain, if he had been of sane head. When it eventually comes to the decease of Pentheus, I feel no heat for Dionysus whatsoever. He has cruelly lured Pentheus to his decease and has sent Agaue mad and unable to state that she is slaying her ain boy. Whatever understanding I had one time felt for Dionysus? character is now gone. He has acted in such a cold, hardhearted mode to everyone around him. He has driven every one who did non believe that he was the boy of Zeus mad, every bit good as some who did. He has acted in a revengeful and vindictive mode non suiting for a God. He is the boy of Zeus, but he acts like a resentful person. Pentheus, though he has made some bad determinations, is decidedly the character I feel more sympathy for. Almost all the manner through the drama, he is non cognizant of what is go oning around him, or the manner he is being used. It is rather pathetic to see the manner he tries to appreciation on to his power and saneness. He deludes himself all through the drama that he is the 1 in charge, the 1 with the authorization.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Analyzing an Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing an Experience - Essay Example This is what initiates the pathway towards the transformation. The second stage, the Threshold, is when one tests his or her limit to break away from the boundaries into a newly formed threshold, just as Halifax discovered the grief after her mother’s tragic death. It is when the concealed truth is disclosed and â€Å"the gate to the unconscious† is re-opened (Halifax, 17). Finally the third stage, the Return, is when the individual realizes the deeper truth that had been hidden from him or her as a husk covers the core (Halifax, 16). The whole cycle leads an individual to the path of spiritual understanding which Halifax describes as a successful initiation experience where â€Å"the husk of alienation† is conquered (178). In his essay â€Å"Once More to the Lake†, the author E. B. White has explored the state of mind and the power of mental retention of experiences. As White recollects the memories of a visit he made with his son to a camp near a lake, h e points out its resemblance to the visit he made with his own father in 1904 (1). What is more important is his understanding of trivial details regarding the scenic environment and the natural context. White has looked upon the temporal development of a human being as it is captured in our minds as memories. As such, White’s experiences of his visits are aligned with the three stages of initiation experience which Halifax describes as separation, transition, and incorporation, namely Severance, Threshold, and the Return (15). Halifax explains that the pathway towards Threshold experience allows an individual to transcend the borders to move on from the realm of society to one which has unobstructed space (Halfax, 108). As such, White chooses to return to the natural setting of Maine to recollect memories of his childhood in an attempt to seek isolation from the social realm and realize the limits of life yet the longevity of time that brings him closer to nature. Therefore,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

What makes a Food Organic Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What makes a Food Organic - Article Example If a product is labeled â€Å"organic†, it means that a government-approved certifier has approved the food. This certifier has inspected where the food came from to ensure that the food is in fact organic. Organic foods are foods that are produced without pesticides, bacteria, fertilizers containing synthetic ingredients or chemicals, herbicides, antibiotics, bioengineering, hormones, and ionizing radiation. This paper intends to discuss how food is made organic. The most important thing is to convert the agricultural land to organic status. This is done on a much larger scale. Land conversion may take two to three years to convert the status of the land from infertile to fertile. â€Å"They will also look to ensure that the entire surrounding areas and systems maintain its biodiversity and sustainability† (BiofuelsWatch.com, 2012, para.3). The crop or produce that shows up in the first year is not organic, and that produced in the second year is still in the conversio n phase (Foerstel Design, 2012). Fully organic food is produced in the third year, when the land has fully turned into its organic status. So, the nature completes its course while producing organic food. Organic farming not only reduced the production costs but also helps sustain the environment. The produce, which includes vegetables, fruits, and livestock, is very much closer to the natural organic state. Hence, the most important step in making the food organic is organic farming, whose important factors are soil and natural fertility of the land. At small level, pots can also be used with potting soil, to produce a wide variety of vegetables and fruits (BiofuelsWatch.com, 2012). Potting soil is free of fertilizers and is handled very simply. Personal compost heaps can be used in the potting soil for the plants, which may include banana peels, which act as a very good fertilizer due to high content of potassium. Crushed mint leaves and camphor can be used as insect repellents fo r home grown plants, because these things expel pungent vapors that repel the insects, thus saving the plants. In order to save water, rain water can be conserved and saved in specially designed devices. Farmers can repot the plants with nutrient rich organic soil. Repotting is beneficial because it helps the plants to develop useful soil microorganisms and sustaining roots. Hence, home grown food is organic in nature since it is grown in soil which is free of fertilizers, and is grown in the most natural environment and by the most natural means ever possible. After production, there are manifold steps that producers go through to make sure that the organic food meets the standards of the consumers and is of high quality. Organic farmers make sure that the production is never sprayed with chemicals, insect repellents, synthetic hormones, and other synthetic sprays, so that the quality remains at its highest level. The livestock food chain is saved from synthetic hormones and antibi otic injections. Organic farmers use renewable sources to conserve soil and water, thus maintaining the organic state of the land and environment. This helps ensure that the quality of the organic food remains high year after year. Cover crops keep insects away, saving the organic produce from harmful effects of the environment. Animal manure and compost are used to feed the soil and the produce, which ensures the renewability of resources. However, according to Insel, Turner, and Ross (2009, p.609), it is important for the organic farmers to properly manage the animal manure while feeding the soil, so that it does not contaminate the water, soil and crops to affect the overall quality. Hence, organic farming needs proper management

Marketing Plan Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Marketing Plan Project - Research Paper Example United Arab Emirates has been enjoying modern, diversified and growing retail food sector over the years. Increasing development of new hypermarkets in last few years is the key driver for rapid growth in retail food sector. 90% of the total consumed food especially food ingredients s outsourced from markets and processed in this market. Therefore the domestic firm has huge opportunities in food market of UAE. Consequently, the people have high disposable income and for this reason they are very much reluctant to pay higher price for food if it is presented in a luxurious way and environment. Nevertheless, very few domestic businesses operate in retail food sectors as luxurious restaurant like multinational food chains present in this market. Therefore, future growth of this new business has been identified after detailed analysis of business environment, market trend and consumer behaviour. The main objective its marketing strategy would be to position the brand as luxurious restaur ant with a touch of western culture. ... Important macro environmental factors are political or legal, economical, social or cultural and technological factors of the market. Environmental analysis provides detail overview and understanding of a specific industry in a specific market. Economy Economy has substantial impact on this new food business. UAE is an emerging economy which driven by multiple strength areas of it like per capital income, consumption power and consumption trend, enrichment in living style of people etc. Though the country imports 90% of its annual food consumption from foreign markets but it can be neglected as weakness of the economy if it compared with the huge export of oil. Growth and opportunity of restaurant business highly depends on the positive economic factors of this market like income level and consumption trend. Significant growth in gross domestic product is the overall positive aspect of this economy. Economic growth of major cities like Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi is average 2.9%. This e conomic growth leads high income and rising trend of people to adopt modern and luxurious food habits (Rncos, 2010,p.1). Legal This company will operate restaurant food business which is very much sensitive category of business. Legal policies imposed in comparatively higher extend in food businesses than any other businesses in any economy. As a food processing business, it needs to follow the rules and regulations imposed by the government authorities regarding ensuring quality food to the people of the country. First, of all the company must need to have food licence from the government authority to operate its business in legal way. This is special legal requirements for this apart from other mandatory legal procurements. On the other hand, political disturbance and

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Effective leadership and its impact on organization performance Research Paper - 1

Effective leadership and its impact on organization performance - Research Paper Example An effective leader should be aware when to act and when not to act. An effective leader should have good knowledge as it gives the leaders the ability to evaluate the causes and outcomes of their actions. For the existence of an effective leadership, a leader has to acquire from a mentor who can inculcate values that outshine the leader himself. If no guides or mentors are available, a leader can learn the direction and meaning through intercession. Further, an effective leader will have a real good faith for the common good of their subordinates or followers. An effective leader is not only advising his followers or subordinates to follow some path but also will be ready to learn things that require to be inculcated. During their communication process, effective leaders will always communicate with fairness and will exhibit respect to others. An effective leader will always exhibit as an example to other by adhering politeness, gentleness, calmness and quietness. Following these qu alities will make them as effective observers, spectators and thinkers. An effective leader will involve in meaning, thinking and careful observations. An effective leader will have the right virtue for the desired goals and vision of their organizations. Leaders should strive hard without any expectations for the outcomes since the results of effective leadership should derive advantage from the organizations and people instead of the leaders itself. Effective leaders will involve themselves in sattvic charity with a real sense of offering without any anticipating anything in return (Avolio & Gardner 2005, p.320). This thesis will analyze how â€Å"effective leadership contributes towards the achievement of organization success and improvement in the performance level of an organization†. Leadership connotes many characteristics and variables influencing the manner in which it is evaluated so as to be regarded to be effective. Leadership connotes intellectual drive,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Public Health and Health Care Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Health and Health Care Paper - Essay Example Generally, the private sector in any health care system of a nation consists of diverse nongovernmental institutions of varying scale and scope. Public health is basically financed with government’s funds solicited from tax revenues. In the United States, â€Å"the public sector includes official (or governmental) agencies, voluntary agencies, and nonprofit agencies.† (Delaune & Ladner, 2006, 60) This essay is hereby written with the objective of describing public health and its role in the delivery of health care services. It aims to describe a selected public agency and determine its contribution to the core functions of public health. The essay will also examine specific ways the agency influences the workplace and health care provider. Finally, the roles of the agency workers are to be identified, including specific responsibilities, competencies, and skills. At the top of the hierarchy in the public sector’s delivery of health care is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) which is the sole governing body tasked with the responsibility of delivering health care services to the public. Next in line are state departments of health which vary in providing health care to their constituents. The state departments of health eventually relegate and coordinate health activities of local health units. A report from the USDHHS on Public Health in America proffered the public health sector’s vision as â€Å"healthy people in healthy communities† with the mission of â€Å"promoting physical and mental health and preventing disease, injury and disability†. (DHHS, n.d., 21) The national governing body ensures that its role in the delivery of health care services to the public encompasses the following core functions, to wit: â€Å"prevents epidemics and the spread of disease; protects against environmental hazards; prevents injuries; promotes and encourages healthy behaviors; responds to disasters

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Pope John Paul II and the Dogma of Mariology Essay

Pope John Paul II and the Dogma of Mariology - Essay Example Since in the times of the early Catholic Church, church fathers have endorsed Mary's elevated status as mother of God. Standing as a paragon of womanhood and motherhood, Mary represents purity, compassion, female perfection and even salvation. The Catholic movement also forwards scripture for its Marian adoration.  Ã‚   The Catholic Church has endowed on Mary supreme regard, remaining  a fundamental and distinctive doctrine. With titles such as Madonna, Mother of God, Mediatrix, co-Redemprix, Lady of Guadalupe, Virgin of Virgins, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Sorrows, Star of the Sea, Blessed Virgin, Blessed Mother, Holy Virgin, Saint Mary, Immaculata, Our Lady and the Seat of Wisdom, Mary is distinguished as a deified woman2.  These references all explain dimensions of Mary's personality and her function.  Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God as a virgin and remained untainted and holy throughout her life. Her sinless existence entitles her to heaven where she stands as Mediatrix, the way to God for man. Through Mary, the devotee has access to all the graces of God, just as the maternal love expressed towards her children grants them great benefits. She is not only conceives Christ, but she ministers along with Christ in the plan of redemption, thus she is accoladed as co-Redemptrix.   From the onset of his pontificate, on 17 October, 1978, Pope John Paul II makes clear his unswerving allegiance to his Marian faith. In his inaugural  Urbi et Orbi  message at the Sistine Chapel, he sermonizes on the necessity to â€Å"turn our mind with filial devotion to the Virgin Mary who always lives and acts as a Mother in the mystery of Christ and repeat the words ‘Totus tuus’ (all thine) which we inscribed in our heart3.† This papal exhortation is derived from a deep sense of Mariological fervor in which he desires congregants to abide and always pay faithful and sincere homage to Mary.   Two weeks later on Oct. 29, 1978 Pope Jo hn Paul II conducts his very first pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella where he proclaims, â€Å"I wanted to come here, among these mountains, to sing the Magnificat in Mary's footsteps4.†She remains Pope John Paul II‘s paragon of blessed and divine motherhood, exemplifying her pilgrim fidelity. Pope John Paul II shows deep and reverential sincerity in his devotion to Mary, even naming her â€Å"the second Eve† in anther of his pilgrimages.5 Heading the documentary evidence of Pope John Paul's espousal of Mariology as key in Catholic doctrine is his encyclical named, Redemptoris Mater  of the Supreme Pontiff on the Blessed Virgin Mary  in the Life of the Pilgrim Church  (1988). In no uncertain terms, Pope John Paul II outlines over 50 points enumerating the reasons for and benefits of Mariology. Divided into three sections: Mary in the mystery of Christ, the Mother of God at the Center of the Pilgrim Church and Maternal Mediati on, Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, expounds using scriptural evidence, drawing on the authority of the Vatican Council, church fathers such as Saint Augustine, Saint Origen, Saint Ambrose, Saint John Chrysostom and the constitution of the Church to uphold Mariology as in effect. Topics such as the Blessedness of Mary, the divine, mystical union of Mother and Son, the union of Mother and the Holy Spirit and Mary's Advocacy for Mankind are key. The encyclical commences with the poignant words: "the Mother of the Redeemer has

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Charge of the Light Brigade Essay Example for Free

Charge of the Light Brigade Essay Compare the ways the poets present ideas about power in ‘Hawk Roosting’ (page 49) and in one other poem from Con? ict. Compare the ways the poets present the destructive impact of con+ict in ‘The Yellow Palm’ (page 37) and in one other poem from Con? ict. Compare the ways poets show how con+ict and war a/ect feelings about a place in ‘At the Border, 1979’ (page 39) and in one other poem from Con? ict. Compare the methods poets use to present their points of view in ‘next to of course god america i’ (page 48) and in one other poem from Con? ict. Compare how poets present the e/ects of war in ‘Mametz Wood’ (page 36) and  in one other poem from Con+ict. Compare how poets present bravery in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ (page 43) and in one other poem from Con+ict. Compare how poets use language to present strong feelings in ‘Poppies’ (page 41) and one other poem from Con+ict. Compare how poets show attitudes to war in ‘Futility’ (page 42) and one other poem from Con+ict. Compare how poets present the e/ects of con+ict in ‘Belfast Confetti’ (page 40) and one other poem from Con? ict. Compare how poets present the experience of soldiers in ‘Bayonet Charge’ (page44) and one other poem from Con? ict. Prev Page Next Page Search TOPICS IN THIS DOCUMENT Affect, Ancient Rome, Charge of the Light Brigade, Poetry, Prime number, Rhyme, Translation RELATED DOCUMENTS questions Organizations: Behaviour, Structure, Processes Pre-sighted examination questions and notes on the examination Semester 3, 2013 QUESTIONS Section A Question A1 will be offered in the exam without any change and you will have to answer this question. As a guide, approximately three pages long relevant answers should be sufficient for this question. It is worth 20% of the total grade for this course. 207 Words | 7 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Poetry Essay ? Rodrigo Ramos August 2nd, 2013 Megan Haugh The Voice is What Matters Poetry is unique compared to other literary works in that in order to close the gap of emotional distance within the individual reader, the voice needs to be sincere. When a character is not relatable to the reader, it destroys the art of poetry. Berg explains in his essay â€Å"The Poetry Does Not Matter†, â€Å"I detest that man, who hides one thing in the depths of his heart, and speaks 207 Words | 6 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Poetry how is the theme of loss and separation explored in remember, a mother in a refugee camp and poem at thirty nine? The three poems Remember written by Christina Rossetti, A Mother In A Refugee Camp by Chinua Achebe and Poem at Thirty-Nine by Alice Walker share the same negative theme of loss and separation. Remember explores the pain felt by losing loved ones. A Mother In A Refugee Camp emphasizes the relationship between a mother and her child living in a refugee camp. Poem at thirty 207 Words | 5 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Poetry [Name] [Course Title] [Instructor Name] [Date] Interpretation of Invictus by William Ernest Henley Introduction No one can ever sufficiently justify William Ernest Henry’s indescribably touching and heartbreaking poem â€Å"Invictus†. It would be prudent to remark how his sorrows in life paved a path for him to think beyond and maneuvered him to become a celebrated poet. In spite of his affliction from an early age he did not succumb to his disease. Henley’s Invictus is a gamut of infinite 207 Words | 3 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Poetry English Poetry Explication April 9 2014 Biography Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was called a â€Å"silver poet of his time because of the way he did not conform to the poet writing style of the Renaissance era. He became fairly popular with Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted in 1585. But he fell out of her good graces when he secretly married ladies without her permission. The queen locked him in the Tower of London for some time, and while he was locked up he was writing 207 Words. READ FULL DOCUMENT Poetry however, the author’s reason for giving a masculine identity to nature must be because of the malignant role it is playing. Edmund Spenser’s Sonnet 75 from Amorreti is not only an exquisite piece of Elizabethan times, it portrays the quintessential poetry of the time as well. His optimal employment of literary techniques of form, rhyme, imagery, personification and alliteration give the sonnet a wholesome structure and an pleasant quality. Theme : When he writes her name on 207 Words | 5 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Poetry Love Poem Analysis: Linda Pastan is an American poet of Jewish background. She was born in New York on May 27, 1932. Today, she lives in Potomac, Maryland with her husband Ira Pastan, an accomplished physician and researcher. She is known for writing short poems that address topics like family life, domesticity, motherhood, the female experience, aging, death, loss and the fear of loss, as well as the fragility of life and relationships. Love poem is a very simple poem yet it has 207 Words | 6 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT poetry writ in sand’ suggesting that her love is stronger than Kate’s. The echoed structure in the final stanza – that Kate has ‘not got’ and is ‘not like to get’ the gift of a child – emphasises the speaker’s sense of triumph. Language The speaker’s questions in the first stanza express her anger and confusion at the experiences she has had to endure: ‘Why did a great lord find me out†¦ Why did a great lord find me out? ’ She suggests that before the arrival of the ‘great lord’, 207 Words | 4 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT CITE THIS DOCUMENT APA (2014, 11). POETRY QUESTIONS. Retrieved 11, 2014

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Data Replication

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Data Replication By having a file system replicated, if 1 of the replica crashes, the system is still able to continue working by switching it to another replica. Having multiple copies helps in protecting against corrupted data Example: If there are three copies of a file data with each of them performed read and write operation. We can prevent failing of a single write operation having the value returned by the other two copies are correct. Improve the performance by replicating the server as well as dividing the work. This can be achieved by increasing number of processes needed to access data managed by the server Scaling in geographical area Client at all sites can experience the improved availability of replicated data. When the local copy of the replicated data is unavailable, the clients will still be able to access the remote copy of the data Disadvantage: Leading to inconsistency of files containing data When there are multiple copies and that one copy is being modified, the copy will be different from the other replicas. If the copy is being modified and is not propagated to other copies. It will make the other copies out-dated. Example: replication to making improvement the access time of web pages. However, the users might not get the most updated webpages because the webpages that are returned might be a cached version of the pages previously fetched from the web server Cost of increased bandwidth for maintaining replication Replication of data in the files needs to be kept up to date, a network often has large number of message flowing through when the users interact with the file data having to modify or delete data. Thus, data replication will get expensive Give at least two examples of a distributed system, and explain how scalability is addressed in those systems. An online transaction processing system is scalable due to it can be upgraded by adding new processors, storage and devices to process more transactions. This can be upgraded easily and transparently without shutting the system down. The distributed nature of DNS (Domain Name System) allows working efficiently even when every host in the worldwide Internet are served. Thus, it is said to scale well. DNS has the hierarchical design around administratively delegated namespaces and also the use of caching. This seek to reduce load on the root servers at the top of the namespace hierarchy as well as the successful caching limit client-perceived delays with the wide area network bandwidth usage. Question 2 We mentioned in the lectures three different techniques for redirecting clients to servers: TCP handoff, DNS-based redirection, and HTTP-based redirection. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of each technique? TCP handoff Advantage: The TCP handoff achieved total transparency from the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s point of view as it operates on transport level streams. Therefore, the client will not be aware of them being redirected. When they send the requests to the service machine, they will not be able to know the intermediate gateway switch them between replicas. Disadvantage: The disadvantage of TCP handoff is that the client will not be offer more than one replica to choose from and the redirection mechanism remains in charge of what happen to the client requests. TCP handoff is being treated as a redirection mechanism as it distinguishes service based on the combination of the target machine port number and address. Thus, if we want to replicate service, it is needed to make full copy on the each replica where in this way will lose the flexibility of partial replication. DNS-based Redirection Advantage: DNS-based Redirection achieves transparency without the loss of scalability. It achieved transparency due to the clients are obliged to use the provided addresses by the DNS server. It cannot establish whether the addresses are from the home machine of the server or its replicas. DNS is very efficient as a distributed name resolution service. DNS allows multiple replicas addresses to be returned and to enable the client to choose one of them. Another advantage of DNS is its good maintainability. Disadvantage: DNS queries carry no information on the client triggering the name resolution. For the service-side DNS server, it knows the network address of the DNS server only that ask about the service location. DNS cannot distinguish between the different services that are located on the same machine. When a recursive query occurs, DNS server needs to create chain of queries that end at the server domain DNS server. This will only let the latter knows the address of the DNS server that is a step before the chain and not the origin of the created chain of queries. Thus, the service domain DNS server does not have information about the location of the client. HTTP-based Redirection Advantage: HTTP-based redirection is easy to deploy. What is needed is the possibility of serving dynamic generated web pages. In addition to create the actual content, the generator can determine an optimal replica which rewrite internal references that point to the replica. It is proven to be efficient even though it is always required to retrieve initial document from the main server. All the further works proceeded between client and selected replica; this is likely to give optimal performance to the client. Disadvantage: The disadvantage is that it lacked of transparency. Receiving a URL explicitly points to certain replica and that the browser will become aware of the switching between the different machines. And for scalability, the necessity of making contact with is always the same, the single service machine can make it bottleneck as the number of clients increase which makes situation worse. What is multicast communication? Explain an approach for achieving multicasting. Multicast communication refers to the delivery of a data source transmitted from a source node to an arbitrary number of destination nodes. Application-level multicast is an approach to achieving multicasting, the nodes are organise into overlay network and is use to disseminate information to the members. The nodes are organising into either a tree or a mesh where there will be a unique path between pair of nodes or every node will be having multiple neighbours which can mean that there are multiple paths between each pair. Having nodes organise into a mesh will be more robust due to having the opportunity to disseminate information without immediate reorganise the whole overlay network. Example: Multicast tree in chord This is because when a multicast message is send by a node towards the root of the tree, it looks up the data that is along the tree it wants. In the case of reliable FIFO-ordered multicasts, the communication layer is forced to deliver incoming messages from the same process in the same order as they have been sent. What are the permissible delivery orderings for the combination of FIFO and total-ordered multicasting in Figure. 8-15 (shown on the last page of this assignment)? Question 3 Why is receiver-based message logging considered to be better than sender-based logging? Explain the reasons behind your answer. The reason for this is that recovery is entirely local. In the sender-based logging, a recovering process has to contact the senders to retransmit their message. Example: When a receiving process crashes, most checkpoint state will be restored and replay the message that is been sent again. It combines checkpoint with message logging make it easier to have a state restore that lies beyond the recent checkpoint. As for sender-based logging, it is difficult to find recovery line as the checkpoint will cause a domino effect meaning that there will be inconsistency checkpoint and cost of taking a checkpoint is high. In conclusion, receiver-based message logging is better than sender-based logging Does the Triple Modular Redundancy Model (TMR) capable of masking any type of failure? Explain your answer. Triple Modular Redundancy Model is not capable of masking any type of failure. This is because TMR assumption on the voting circuit determines which replication it is in error having a 2 to 1 vote is observed. The voting circuit will output the result that is correct and discard the erroneous one. The TMR is able to mask the erroneous version successfully if it is assumed to be a failure presenting itself to the system. Also, if there is 1 fault or more appearing at the same time in the particular system, TMR will not be able to mask. In addition, TMR is not able to mask successfully if the above assumptions are invalid. Thus, it is sometimes extended to QMR (Quad Modular Redundancy). Example: if X1, X2 and X3 were to fail all at the same time, the voter will have a undefined output. Compare the two-phase commit protocol with the three-phase commit protocol (chapter 8 in the book). Would it be possible to eliminate blocking in a two-phase commit when the participants were to elect a new coordinator? Explain your answer. The blocking can never be completely eliminated. This is because after the election, the new coordinator might crash. Thus, the remaining participants will not reach a final decision because the election requires vote from the newly elected coordinator. Question 4 Why do persistent connections generally improve performance compared to non-persistent connections? Explain reasons to why persistent connections are disabled on some Web servers (why would anyone want to disable persistent connections)? The client is able to issue several requests without the need of waiting for the response to the 1st request. The server is also able to issue several requests without having to create spate connection for the communicate pair. It is so because when using non-persistent connections. A separate TCP connection is establish to load every component of a Web document and when the web documents contains embedded content such as images or multi-media content, it will become inefficient. Also it is because some of the web serversà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ middleware layer is weak and unable to manage clients that are sending several requests. These requests will only stack up in the middleware layer that will cause response to be slow due to only 1 connection for all the requests. Explain the difference between static web content and dynamic content created by server-side CGI programs. The difference between static web content and dynamic content is that: Dynamic content is able to customize response and providing transparency to users. Users are unable to know if HTML document is generated on demand or it is physically stored in a location. The value can be store in database and will be retrieved and generated on demand when user requested for the values using the CGI program. Flexibility is provided in CGI program as it can run executable file from the server which allowed interactivity on the site. However, static web content is not able to do it. Static web content, the users are aware that the data is stored as information presented would be the same. If multiple webpages were needed to be updated it will be quite tedious. A lot of time is consume due to each update requires retrieving of HTML documents to update. When create a new webpage, time is consume. For static web content, overhead will not be generated as much as dynamic content as CGI program will take up time and memory to generate and produce output. Whereas for the static web content, it is displayed as how it is being retrieved.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

History Of Black Males In American Society Essay -- African-American R

History Of Black Males In American Society The black community have always been suppressed and oppressed by the dominant and powerful white members of society. The historical social order of Americans meant that traditionally positions of power have been held by a very exclusive group of people; members of this group are stereotypically middle class, middle aged, white males with nuclear families. This Caucasian dominance is well documented throughout history and is epitomized by the slavery of African, and Caribbean Negroes in America by white settlers and pilgrims, which continued for many hundreds of years. This has led to much resentment from the black community towards white people, as it is still very difficult for someone of an ethnic minority heritage to gain a position of any real authority or significance within the USA. Things have undoubtedly improved in America but a balance of equality has still not been achieved, evidenced today by Barack Obama becoming the first Black man to achieve election into the USAsenate (the highest form of government in the American administration apart from the cabinet). Whilst this demonstrates that society is becoming more equality based in the US, it also shows that out of 255 senate seats, a black person holds only one of them. This illustrates that American society favours those of white origin, as they do not trust black people in positions of power or importance. The situation with regards to racism has changed dramatically over the past fifty years; this is largely down to the work of black activists such as Dr Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Another individual who had a ... ...ssing over $225 million each, while the motion picture biography of Malcolm X, one of the most important cultural icons for black people, and one of the most influential figures in the change of racial tolerance and ultimately, world society grossed just $48 million. American society is still intolerant of black people and in film, more often then not, cast the African-Americans in the role of the minstrel. This has been noted by black people and have now taken to playing up to the role by creating spoof films such as the 'Scary Movie' trilogy which grossed over $500 million in total. This shows that whilst society in America has not changed much, except that white people pretend to be less prejudiced, black people have decided to take control and use their own societal positions to take advantage of white America.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

the call of the wild Essay -- essays research papers

The Call of the Wild, on the surface, is a story about Buck, a four- year old dog that is part Shepherd and part St. Bernard. More importantly, it is a naturalistic tale about the survival of the fittest in nature. Throughout the novel, Buck proves that he is fit and can endure the law of the club, the law of the fang, and the laws of nature. Buck had been raised in California, on the ranch of Judge Miller. There he had the run of the place and was loved and pampered by all. Unfortunately, one of the judge's workers had a gambling problem and stole Buck to sell him for fifty dollars. Buck fights being tied, caged, and beaten, but his efforts only frustrate him. He is put on a train and a boat, being shipped to Alaska to be used as a sled dog. Although he is miserable on the journey, Buck learns an important lesson - the law of the club. If he does not obey, he will be beaten. In Alaska, Buck is sold to become a sled dog. Intelligent and hard working, he quickly learns to adapt to his new life. He becomes a good sled dog, working as part of the team; he also learns how to protect himself from the miserable cold, burrowing under the snow, and how to find food, stealing if necessary. He also learns he must always be alert, for there are dangers everywhere. Additionally, Buck learns the law of the whip, for if he does not obey the driver or do his fair share of pulling, he will be popped. Buck also learns the law of the fang. Unlike the domesticated dogs at Judge Miller's ...

Essay --

â€Å"Knowledge is Power.† When people are asked what the key to success in life is, a few things come to their mind: being charismatic, being born into a wealthy family and knowing the right people, have a high paying job, or just plain luck. Although all of the above are true, the true key to success is knowledge. To have knowledge is to have options is to have power. Illiteracy is derived from the lack of knowledge or awareness from people. To eradicate the social divide and economic decline people must first be informed of the causes and effects of illiteracy to draw an affective solution. The impending threats to global infrastructure are not economic collapse, terrorism, climate changes, overpopulation, poverty, or even lack of fossil fuels; it is a deeper and simpler threat- illiteracy, (Top Ten List). The estimated cost of global economy is USD 1.19 trillion dollars. One-fifth of the world is suffering with illiteracy, which means there are more than 796 million people who unable to read or write, (Cree, Kay, and Steward). This large number can be attributed to many causes such as attitudes towards learning, geographical factors, disabilities, and gender bias, (Nayak). Problems are present in third world countries as well as first world countries. These people are â€Å"trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited opportunities for employment or income generation,† (Cree, Kay, and Steward). This cycle of poverty leads to other problems such as crime, dependence on welfare, health issues, unemployment or debt. Illiterate people earn about â€Å"30%-40% less than literate counterparts,† (Cree, Kay, and Steward). The income they make stays consistent throughout their lives. On the other hand, literate people make 2 or 3 times more than wha... ... affects economy because of lost profitability and productivity, (Cree, Kay, and Steward). Constantly having to fix mistakes and losing potential customers are an opportunity cost from having illiterate employees. The cost of finding a skilled staff to fix issues is very difficult for smaller businesses. Illiterate employees make communication harder and often miscommunicate causing internal problems. Illiteracy â€Å"costs a developed nation 2% of its GDP, an emerging economy 1.2% of GDP, and a developing country 0.5% of GDP,† (Cree, Kay, and Steward). Illiteracy limits the ability to access, comprehend, and apply health related issues thus resulting in a household with poor personal hygiene and nutrition. Illiterate people are trapped in a â€Å"cycle of poverty† and are more likely to turn to a life of crime and depend on social welfare and charity, (Cree, Kay, Steward).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Shakespeare Midterm

There are many themes through Shakespeare’s plays, As You Like It, Merchant of Venice, and All’s Well that Ends Well. such as love, pride, irony, and marriage. All three plays are comedies because essentially the love that so alludes the protagonists in the beginning of the play somehow unites them toward the end of the play through either mis-identity, in the case of Roselind and Orlando in As You Like It or Helena and Bertram in All’s Well that Ends Well, albeit the latter’s love is a forced loved by the King (whom Helena’s physician father heals of fistula), as Bertram writes to Helena while he’s at war, â€Å"When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and show me a child begotten of thy body that I am father to, then call me husband† (Shakespeare III. i. 55-58). The purpose of this essay paper will be to explore these issues of love as they apply to the main characters and come to a revelation on the l ove between them and the progress of its destruction or affirmation through Shakespeare’s device of mis-identity – thus, identity and love will play a dual role in this essay along with high authorities such as royalty or fate. As You Like It As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s comedies. The focus of the play revolves around the theme of love and identity – either the changing of the main character’s identities or their dramatic use of mis-identity to other main characters. The main protagonists, Rosalind and Orlando, fall in love, but due to circumstance (such as their identities and their fates as destined by higher authorities) are unable to unite until the end of the play. The play begins with Rosalind’s banishment into the forest of Arden (along with her friend Celia and a clown) and with Orlando’s own fleeing of his brother’s plot to murder him. Thus, the beginning of the play is in direct opposition to the close of the play: the beginning of the play is about banishment and betrayal and the end of the play is about unification through love; thus it is the theme of love that unites each of these three Shakespearean plays. To the characters in As You Like It, the most important, and powerful thing in life is love and through love the reader comes to understand the concept of fate. It is the power of love that drives Rosalind to dress up as a man in order to escape being detected as herself from royalty. While she is ‘Ganymede’ (a man) she approaches Orlando and has him practice wooing Rosalind with ‘him’, thus staying true to Shakespeare’s idea of mixing comedy with love and in the process revealing certain truths about the characters (such as their feelings for one another and their destiny with each other). Thus, the beginning of the main lover’s courtship is done through this misappropriation of identity by way of a royal idea of what love should be countered with Shakespeare’s idea of what love is as seen with the mounting feelings his protagonists have with each other. It seems that the message that Shakespeare is trying to convey with these two characters is that love flourishes under the most drastic of circumstances: Two lovers fleeing or banished from home and yet through disguise are still able to find true love. As Jacques states in As You Like It, All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. (Shakespeare II. vii. 39-143). This passage’s intended meaning emphasizes love (although Shakespeare does poke fun at the intention of the play with this passage as well as Rosalind’s final speech or epilogue which requests the audience to enjoy the play at their disposal but not more than warrants undo attention). The end of the play sees Hyman the god of marriage (another pun in the play, making reference to virginity) unite Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Silvius and Phebe and even Touchstone and A udrey. Thus, while the beginning of the play has a start in banishment and gloom, the final act of the play is exalted in love, and in finding love, each character reveals their true identity thus suggesting to the reader that love can only come if a person is honest with themselves about who they are. Merchant of Venice The hero’s evil that is confronted in The Merchant of Venice, is that of Antonio’s (hero) to Shylock’s (the villain). This play is one of Shakespeare’s problem plays. The plot synopsis is that a young man, Bassanio wants to woe Portia but is unable to due so because of lack of funds (Hankey 431). He asks his friend Antonio for the money, and in turn, Antonio asks Shylock for a loan. The prejudice of the play is found in Antonio having spat on Shylock and called him a Jew; thus the tension for the play is set between the loan and these two principle characters. It is through Antonio’s own actions, as one can pull from the text, that his relationship with Shylock is doomed. The tension of the play is further doomed as Shylock’s daughter Jessica runs away to convert to Christianity in order to marry her lover Lorenzo; thus Shylock’s vengeance is twofold – one for getting his money back and the other for seeking vengeance from religion. Although the finer points of the play are dealing with vengeance and the scenes between Shylock and Antonio are very suspenseful, the point of the play is that love prevails despite the urgency of an opposing powerful force (thus keeping this play linked with the opposing royalty force as seen in As You Like It). Bassanio chooses the correct lead box in order to marry Portia according to her father’s will and thus, the point of the play where the suitor is involved is resolved. However, Bassanio still is entangled with the tension between Antonio and Shylock since it was for Bassanio that Antonio loaned money from Shylock. It is Antonio’s haste in agreeing to such a deal that the play is focused upon. This play is filled with smaller plot elements that add to the definition of this being a problem play. The turns which the play makes during the progression of the plot makes the play point towards being a tragedy, it is not until the end of the play that the theme of love can truly be applied: With Bassanio’s engagement and Antonio’s getting out of his deal with Shylock. Portia (in disguise as a man) asks Shylock to show mercy in her famous speech, â€Å"The quality of mercy is not strained—(Shakespeare IV,i,185), this plea comes to no avail however and Shylock is determined to extract his pound of flesh. In the end love reigns: as the court decides that since Shylock is unable to extract the flesh without shedding any blood, he must forfeit his property half to the government and half to Antonio. In a gesture of fairness, Antonio will have the principle amount given to Jessica and Lorenzo – thus, the theme of love wins at the end for Bassanio gets Portia and Jessica marries Lorenzo and Shylock. Thus, when Shylock’s daughter comes forward with her true feelings and her love, she gains power. Thus, the link between love and power and the revelation of love through true identity is found. Indeed the theme of love is found in plenty in The Merchant of Venice with the correlating couples. In a particularly romantic scene Lorenzo speaks of Jessica (Skylock’s daughter), Beshrew me but I love her heartily; For she is wise, if I can judge of her, And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true, And true she is, as she hath proved herself, And therefore, like herself, wise, fair and true, Shall she be placed in my constant soul. Shakespeare II, vi, 51-57. It is found in this play that Shylock is a naysayer when it comes to the subject of love; it would be prudent then to state that because of Shylock’s predisposition on the theme of love, his negative attitude about it, as revealed in the court case in the presence of the play’s caste of characters, â€Å"Some men there are love not a gaping pig, some that are mad if they behold a cat, and others when the bagpipe sings i' the nose cannot contain their urine. † (Shakespeare IIII, i, 47-50) that the end that Shylock meets with (having to convert to Christianity and losing his property) is in direct relation to his sentiments about love. The issue that Shakespeare presents them with the financial and religious demise of Shylock is that love conquers all. All’s Well that Ends Well The them of All’s Well that Ends Well is one that is definitely defined as love, albeit, a rather dishonest start to love. Bertram is made to marry Helena after her father cured the kind of an illness. Although Helena is very much in love with Bertram, as she reveals, â€Å"'T were all one, That I should love a bright particular star, And think to wed it, he is so above me. † (Shakespeare 1. 1. 98). Bertram seeks refuge in war and tells Helena that the marriage isn’t truly a marriage since they have not slept together and thus do not have any hopes of having children. Helena seeks to remedy this situation. This play, (as with the previous plays written about in this paper) exudes the cleverness of women dressing up as men in order to gain access to information or dressing up as women (as Helena does, dressing up as her maid Diana) in order to have power and information. Thus, Bertram is seduced by Helena/ Diana and made a proper husband of by his wife; in fact the play ends on Bertram’s lines, â€Å"†¦love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. (Shakespeare V. iii. 354) which are made in reference to Helena. This romantic view is littered throughout modern art – such as movies and music. The concepts to most adults of â€Å"adolescent suicide is horrifying and a little unreal†. (Hodgdon 342) To the eyes of fellow young lovers, this tale could be seen as the very definition of modern teen angst. There are obvious examples throughout the play as to why this label had been given, and remains used to this day. One way that a play may be seen as a tragedy, as Nevo wrote, is â€Å"by way of intrusive morality in the interpretation of the spectator†. Nevo 244) This means that, while the audience watches the play, it uses its own ideals of law, order, and society to judge the actions of its characters. The actions of Romeo are seen by the audience as falling against the contemporary ideals of right and wrong. Romeo is a character who longed for a chaste girl, accepted an invitation to a party under false pretences, allowed for his love of Rosaline to be completely forgotten at the sight of Juliet, and who, in a moment of extreme rage and wanton revenge, slays the cousin of his new bride (this rage is also seen in Othello’s character when he believes Desdemona is cheating on him). Thus, love reigns at the end of this play as well as it had in the end of As You Like It. Conclusion The themes of the plays have been made obvious: Love. Through the use of disguises, the women of the play are able to help themselves into positions of power through the gaining of information that would not be known to them without the ruse (as with Jessica disguising herself in order to persuade her father, Roselind in order for Orlando to woe her, and Helena in order to gain access to Bertram’s bed) (Kimbrough 30). The plays end, each in their own accord, on scenes of love and rejoicing for the characters who have found love (this means that since Shylock did not find love, he could not rejoice). Thus, love is the element of consistency in each play, and it is with love that the plays are able to progress from one scene to the next until the end of the play finds the main characters happy.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Emotiv System

Emotiv System Min Company Background When Tan Le and Nam Do sold their company and earned a large of money in 2003, they decided to take a new challenge about processing brain signals. Then, together with Allan Snyder, a physicist and Neil Weste, a chip designer, they founded Emotiv Systems Inc.. The company built a R&D lab to develop a workable system about brain signals process. Finally, the team had a breakthrough-successfully developed basic technology called EPOC, which can detect 30 mental states and process brain signals into software algorithms.Now, The company wants to launch this new kind technology into market. However, there are many issues need to be decided, such as: 1. To launch as a PC-only device or both console enabled and PC enabled, which is better? 2. If Emotiv plans to launch into console market, what marketing strategy would best promote rapid adoption? 3. What kind of demand could materialize for the EPOC console-enabled? How about if only PC enabled? Technolo gy development about brain activity Actually, many approaches were developed all the time for transmitting brain activity.Tech| method| Advantage| Disadvantage| fMRI| Through magnetic properties of oxygenated blood | 1. Able to get strong signals2. Able to distinguish what different brain structures are doing| 1. Much cost2. Large size of apparatus| PET| Through injections of radioactive tracers| 1. More portable than fMRI machines| 1. Expensive process2. Consumer are hard to be willing to endure| EEG| Cross brain’s protective layers| 1. Portability2. Low cost| 1. Bad effects on signal quality| EPOC| Through a head set to capture brain signals| 1. Portability2.The cost is reasonable| | According the table above, we knew EPOC is a new technology that is innovative enough for Emotiv to seek launching into market. Console-Enabled market Gaming market is certainly a giant market from which the company can earn amounts of money and creates much profit, especially for console-enabl ed market. Then, it’s necessary to seek the chance to cooperate with console makers. The following is the comparison for seeking cooperation with different console makers. Console maker| Group of consumer| Issues| Nintendo Wii| Casual gamers| 1.Lacking in computational power. 2. Planing to focus on improving existing technology rather than trying a new one. | Sony PS3| Mix of hard-core games| Harm for cooperation:1. Sony company was highly divisive with PS3 hardware and software. 2. Sony Europe was willing to cooperate with Emotiv, but it needed to dumb down EPOC just for releasing a simple version. Benefit for cooperation:1. Sony PS3 is less competitive than Wii for less complex controllers and needs a new technology. 2. Sony Europe group has autonomy to decide whether to cooperate with Emotiv. Microsoft Xbox 360| Hard-core gamers| 1. Not include a high-definition DVD in console2. Taking a policy of â€Å"wait-and-see†. 3. Wanna others to prove the concepts first| Acc ording the comparison above, we can conclude Sony is the best choice if Emotiv manages to convince one of the console makers in time for a fall 2008 debut. And the demand of new product needs to focus on hard-core gamers. Then, the marketing strategy is the key to best facilitate rapid adoption. Product| With the platform of Sony PS3 and EPOC system|Price| Using Penetration pricing to capture market share| Place| Retail channel including Sony and Best Buy, e-tailers, company| Promotion| Bundling with PS3, Selling CDs with inclusion of experience, etc| PC-Gaming market For gaming, except console gaming, PC gaming also take over a large part. There’re several features as following. 1. PC gaming was less than 1/5 size of console market. 2. Game development for PC was less concentrated, then there were more PC games. 3. There had been a trend to open brain computer interface technology. . The demand of PC gaming would focus on very hard-core gamers and role-playing gamers. 5. PC and Console Gaming profits are inversely proportional to each other. Conclusion According all the information above, there’s a conclusion that EPOC will have a beautiful prospect with no matter Console market or PC-Gaming market. Emotiv may launch its technology at both the markets, but what it needs to do the most important now is firstly to launch at console market, seek to cooperate with Sony, capture the market and finally aim at other goals.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Nonverbal Communication in an Emergency Room

For this project I had to decide upon and visit an environment that I would not normally be in. This environment had to be different from my normal and more comfortable surroundings, in which I thought the nonverbal communication patterns would differ from my own. I made my observations over two days. The environment I chose to observe was an emergency room waiting area. I chose this because I figured the people that I would be observing would not necessarily be very different from me, but I figured that they would be in a different emotional state then I was. I was just an observer in the emergency room while everyone else was there because of some sort of serious medical issue. During my observations I tried to identify any emblems, adaptors, affect displays, eye gaze patterns, regulators, and illustrators and interpret why they might be occurring and what they mean. I also studied and interpreted the impact of the environment itself and what effect it might have had on the people in it. I took a seat toward the back of the room to get the largest possible view of the waiting room. The overall feeling was fairly comfortable and it was not intimidating. The first thing I noticed was that the lighting in the waiting room was dimmer than the lighting in the rest of the hospital. It seemed like mood lighting to me and compared to the fluorescent lit rooms in the rest of the hospital it was more relaxing. The wall facing the outside was basically a wall of tinted windows looking into the parking lot. The windows were tinted to let in a comfortable amount of sunlight without it being too bright. I think the goal was to allow as much natural light in as possible. This would be a good idea in a waiting room because the windows can help reduce the feeling of being â€Å"stuck† there. There were a couple televisions mounted on the wall. Obviously, these were put there to help waiting patients and visitors pass the time. But I would also argue that the televisions were placed there to make the waiting room more familiar and comfortable like someone’s living room. The color of the wallpaper was a very dull, khaki, color. I think that color was picked because it is a neutral color that would not evoke any emotion. Another thing I took note of was how the seating arrangement was laid out. The room was a rectangle shape. The chairs lined the walls and outlined the shape of he room. Other chairs were placed in the middle of the room around a couple of coffee tables. It didn’t seem to make sense at first. However, the more I stared at it, the more it made sense. The chairs seemed arranged to accommodate the different types of groups that would be sitting there. Some rows were long and straight without any other rows opposite them, which I thought would be suitable for somebody waiting alone and might not want to be facing any strangers and keep to themselves. Other rows were arranged to give you the option to sit face to face with someone. There were also some rows that were arranged in a square facing each other but further apart, possibly so that if you wanted to talk to somebody you didn’t know, you had the option to do so, without it feeling obligated or awkward. At the end of the rectangle-shaped room, in the back left and right corners, were two additional areas. One was a â€Å"family consultation room† and the other area was the â€Å"children’s play area. † These two environments differed from the rest of the waiting room. The children’s play area was in the corner and was made to be a fun environment. There was a small, pink, round table with four matching chairs. The ceiling dropped down and was lower than the rest of the room as you entered the play area. I felt this made it cozier for children because the ceiling height was more in proportion to a smaller child’s height. The paint on the walls changed also. It had the same color wall as the rest of the waiting room but there was a big, blue, zigzag pattern that started half way up the wall and wrapped around the perimeter of the play area. It seemed appropriate because even without the label on the wall, the area was clearly a children’s play area. The pattern also set a playful mood. The emergency room can be a stressful place and having to a specific place for children to feel comfortable in was a good idea. The second area was a â€Å"family consultation room. † This was an additional room in the back right corner. This room is for families that have received devastating information about a patient in the emergency room. The room has a door but it was open and unoccupied at the times I was there. This room also had a different feel then the waiting room just outside. As you would imagine it had a very comforting feel. The walls were a light blue color that seemed to be painted on with a sponge. This room also had a wall of windows but it had an optional pull-down shade to cover the windows if desired. The chairs in this room were different too. There were a set of two normal chairs, a couch and a two-seat bench. The couch had room for three people and the bench had room for two. The couch and bench were different from the seats in the other rooms because these did not have any dividers between the seats. I think the idea behind that was that the room was an area to be close with friends and family. Having places to sit were you can be close to someone next to you was essential for the purpose of the room. After making notes about the environment I started making notes on everything I saw people doing, and taking note of the different types of people I was observing. I also intentionally put on headphones so that I would only be interpreting non verbal behaviors. Some of the emblems I saw were unique to the individual, while others were repeated among a lot of people. One that I saw a lot of people doing was to put an arm around the person sitting next to them. Along that same line, people were holding each other’s hands, as well as putting a hand on somebody’s leg. The triage nurse that was calling new arrivals into triage rooms used her hands and body movement to direct people to come with her and to direct them into specific rooms. She would call out someone’s name and when that person acknowledged that they heard her she would invite them over with a wave of her hand. I also saw her point to one of the triage rooms without saying anything when a doctor walked into the waiting room. The doctor had come in and looked at her with a questioning facial expression. She answered his non verbal question with a non verbal answer. She pointed to the second of two triage rooms. That was the answer the doctor was looking for because he entered the triage room without a word. Other conversational examples that were simpler were things such as a person shaking or nodding their head as a response to someone else talking to them. One woman was actually nodding and shaking her head in response to whoever she was talking to on her cell phone. There were a lot of adaptors throughout the entire room, visitors, patients and hospital staff alike. A few of them were actually common throughout the room, not always simultaneous, but at some point or another they were repeated by others. One such adaptor was bouncing a leg up and down while talking or waiting. A couple of people also kept shifting in their chairs while talking. The two most common I saw with people’s hands were drumming their fingers on the arm rest, or rubbing their hands incessantly. One that I only saw once was a girl who every few minutes had to switch the position of her feet that were propped up on a coffee table in front of her. She seemed to be doing it out of boredom or restlessness. I felt she was doing it too often for it to have been the result of her feet being uncomfortable from being in the same position for too long. Others that I noticed were small. A security guard that passed through a few times had the consistent habit of playing with his set of keys attached to his belt. I spotted one of the nurses at the information desk had a habit of tapping the end of her pen gently on her two front teeth while she was pausing to look up anything on her computer. Most of the affect displays throughout the room were revealers, and very similar to each other, without much change from when I entered to when I left. The first thing I noticed was that nobody was smiling. The only smiles I noticed were fake smiles. The person smiling was forcing the smile. This occurred a lot within groups sitting together when they weren’t talking. A mother â€Å"smiled† at her son but her eyebrows were furrowed and pulled together, and her eyes remained unexpressive. The mother’s â€Å"smile† was a sign of reassurance and maybe it was interpreted by her son as a real smile, but the mother was clearly worried. Most of the people in the room had blank expressions or just a slight frown. It seemed as if everyone was in deep thought and most people did not look thrilled to be there. Eye gaze patterns throughout the room varied quite a bit depending on the person's situation. A group that was sitting together in the area of chairs facing each other kept the most eye contact with each other while talking and seemed very comfortable with it. There was another group that was not as good at making eye contact. The group consisted of an elderly woman in a wheelchair along with a middle aged man and woman. The man looked very agitated. He sat with his body positioned forward toward his companions, but his head was turned completely to the side so that he was looking out the windows. He had his elbow propped on the back of the chair next to him, his chin was resting in his hand and his fingers were covering his mouth. When one of the women talked to him his eyes darted to the one speaking to him but quickly went back to the windows as he answered. The women exchanged glances with each other that seemed to let the other know that they both picked up on his agitation and should probably let him be. A few people’s gazes were all over the place. Those people seemed to be the ones that had nothing to do. They were sitting there without a magazine or anything to distract them. Another person sitting alone also mainly looked at their lap or the ground, occasionally locking eyes with a stranger sitting across from them and quickly looking away. The same thing happened to me with a girl sitting opposite of me. We kept making eye contact when I was looking around the room for examples. I’m pretty sure she was trying to figure out what I was doing. I do think she did figure out that I was making some sort of observations and recording them because she started to avert her eyes more quickly the next two times we made eye contact. Regulators were hard to spot because, for the most part, nobody was talking to each other, with the exception of the two groups near me. In the corner what I noticed was, while the man was listening to the woman, he sat back in his chair, body turned towards her, and nodded his head. When it was his turn to speak, he did the opposite and sat up and leaned more towards her and looked around more. The family was all fairly reserved while listening; hands in their laps, bodies turned towards the speaker, but were more animated with their hands and body shifting as they spoke. The illustrators I saw were mostly emphasizing or helping illustrate something somebody was saying. I watched one funny example play out between the two girls in front of me. I never heard what they were talking about but at one point they both put their arms out to their sides and touched the tip of their noses with their pointer fingers. They were discussing either a field sobriety test given by a police officer or a balance test given by a doctor. Another example like this helping explain speech was a young man holding both of his closed fists together and snapping them apart while talking to a woman he was with. I determined he was explaining what had happened to his leg since he was in a wheelchair and his leg was wrapped. Those were the only specific illustrators I saw that seemed to have some type of meaning, where the most common thing was just random gesturing of people’s hands as they spoke. This did not always seem to have any direct connection to what they were speaking about. The adaptors I saw had clear and similar messages with each other. One man came off as stressed and anxious because he was rubbing and squeezing his hands together very roughly without seeming to be aware of it. Fidgeting with his hands seemed to help him take away from the stress he was feeling. Similar to the man rubbing his hands was the girl shifting the position of her propped up feet. She was releasing energy through movement of her feet. It seemed as though she didn’t want to be sitting and would rather be moving around. Most of the prescriptive interpretations I came up with for the behaviors observed came to me immediately as I saw them, as most of them seemed to convey a very clear message in my mind. Almost all of the emblems I saw were various people putting an arm around the person’s shoulder sitting next to them, holding their hand, or putting their hand on their leg. Touch is a powerful form communication. These all were ways of conveying to the other person that they were there for them, to comfort them and help them in this emotional time, and that everything would be alright. I didn’t have to do too much adjusting once I entered the room. I didn’t stick out anymore than anybody else did as far as my clothing went. Since this is an emergency clinic, I assumed that none of these people planned to be here so there really was no particular style of dress. Also, the fact that I was there alone and not talking to anybody actually helped me blend in. There were plenty of people alone and keeping to themselves. The only time I felt like I wasn’t blending in was when the girl in front of me noticed I was writing about the room. That happened on the first day. The second day I went into the emergency waiting room, I wore a hat to better conceal my face and what my eyes were doing. Overall I thought what I found was pretty interesting because I have been in this environment before, noticing most of these things, but the observations this time were put in a whole new perspective because I had to consciously interpret each one, instead of casually noting them. What I think was unique and interesting about this environment was the fact that, although everybody in the room could have easily been of a different ethnicity, gender, age, religion, or political affiliation than each other, they all still had a very similar communication style and seemed to convey the same general emotions. The overall communication was mostly nonverbal simply for the fact that there was very little talking. However, the non verbal communication that was happening was easily interpreted by the people I was observing. There are few places you can go where the overall internal state of mind and emotions will be so universally contained within one room and made this an excellent location. This exercise made me realize how much and how effectively we communicate as humans without even talking.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Couplings Elements Essay

Couplings are mechanical elements that ‘couples’ two drive elements which enables motion to be transferred from one element to another. The drive elements are normally shafts. We tend to see lot of applications of the couplings mainly in the automobiles, for example the drive shaft which connects the engine and the rear axle in a bus or any automobile is connected by means of a universal joint. In order to transmit torque between two shafts that either tend to lie in the same line or slightly misaligned, a coupling is used. Based on the area of applications there are various types of coupling available. But they are generally categorised in the following varieties 1. Rigid Couplings 2. Flexible or Compensating Couplings 3. Clutches to are a type of Coupling – We will the dealing on them separately. RIGID COUPLINGS Rigid Couplings are mainly used in areas where the two shafts are coaxial to each other. There are many types of couplings that fall under the rigid couplings category. They are  · Rigid Sleeve or Muff Couplings- This is the basic type of coupling. This consists of a pipe whose bore is finished to the required tolerance based on the shaft size. Based on the usage of the coupling a keyway in made in the bore in order to transmit the torque by means of the key. Two threaded holes are provided in order to lock the coupling in position. The photo shows a type of the rigid sleeve or muff coupling.  · Flanged Coupling – The coupling basically consists of two flanged end pieces as shown in the figure. A spigot and recess is provided in the flanges to provide location between them. The flanges are connected firmly by means of fitted bolts which are tightened accordingly to the torque to be transmitted. FLEXIBLE OR COMPENSATING COUPLINGS Flexible couplings are normally used in areas where the coaxiallity between the connecting shafts is not always assured and in areas where there is a possibility of occurrence of shocks in the transmission is applicable. They are also called as Elastic Couplings. By construction these couplings tend to have a elastic member in between the two connecting entities. The different types of flexible couplings are 1. Flanged Pin Bush Couplings 2. Bibbly Coupling 3. Gear Tooth Coupling 4. Tyre couplings 5. Elastomeric Couplings – This consists of jaw type and S-flex couplings. 6. Oldhams Coupling 7. Universal Coupling or Hooke’s Coupling 8. Bellows Coupling Each of the above couplings are quite unique in their construction and we can deal in detail on their constructional and working aspects in separate articles. BIBBLY COUPLING: This article deals with Bibby Resilient type couplings. The article describes constructional aspects of the coupling and the selection procedures for the coupling. * Named after its Inventor Dr. James Bibby in 1917, this coupling is still one of the most sought after flexible couplings for heavy shock applications. Let us now look at the constructional features of the coupling. 1. The Coupling consists of two flanges or hubs specifically mounted on the drive and the driven shafts respectively. These hubs contain axial grooves cut on their circumference. 2. The two couplings are joined or held together by means of a specially designed grid spring. 3. The total assembly is enclosed in a casing or shell filled with grease for low speed applications or, in high speed application with high viscosity oil. Now let’s look at the working aspect of the coupling and how it tends to reduce vibration and prevents the build up of resonance in the system. a.) The specially designed spring is wound up through the grooves forming a series of resilient bridges throughout the periphery of the coupling. b.) The grooves are tapered up at the edges (see photo) in order to provide extra flexible spans to the spring at normal loads and tends to support the spring at the sides whenever overloading occurs. c.) The stiffness of the spring depends on its unsupported length of each of its flexible span. The unsupported length tends to vary with the loads producing a varying stiffness for the coupling based on the loading. d.) This action tends to produce a detuning action altering the torsional vibration frequency of the system that prevents the build-up of resonance. Some applications of Bibby Couplings are 1. Cement Mills – in grinding and crushing machinery. 2. Cranes 3. Conveyors 4. Turbines 5. Marine Auxiliaries 6. Paper Mills Bibby couplings can be used for applications with powers varying from as low as 1 h.p to about 100,000 h.p. per 100 rpm of the coupling. Correspondingly the couplings are available in varying sizes ranging from 100mm diameter to 4000mm diameter. Bibby couplings are capable of taking axial and radial misalignments to a very small extent only. It is necessary for the user to ensure that both axial and radial misalignments are kept to the minimum possible. Selection procedure for Bibby Couplings: The selection of the Bibby coupling is mainly based on the torque being transmitted by the coupling. Each coupling has a characteristic value for the torque transmitted by it to the revolutions per minute of the coupling. The rating of the coupling is given by Rating = Maximum power to be transmitted in h.p/ r.p.m of coupling In order to account for contingencies like shocks, sudden stops, stalling, etc. a factor of safety is to be considered during selection of the coupling. Rating of coupling to be Selected = Max. power of coupling* Factor/ r.p.m. of coupling The chart containing the factors to be considered is given below based on the application and driving machinery. See the selection chart below for the selection of corresponding coupling based on the power. Note: This chart is an indicative for the selection of the Bibby coupling. Kindly refer to an actual manufacturer’s catalog for selection as ratings may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. GEAR COUPLING: This article deals with Gear Couplings. The article describes constructional aspects and selection procedures for flexible gear couplings. * Couplings are used as connecting elements between two shafts. The complexity in the type of connectivity, the power to be transmitted and the area of application tend to play a vital role in the selection of the type of the coupling. Gear Couplings belong to the category of flexible couplings that are capable of transmitting very high torques. Constructionally the gear coupling utilizes the advantages of gear engineering; practically the coupling is a complete gear assembly. Let us now look into the constructional aspects of the coupling. 1. The gear couplings consists of a forged sleeve with internal teeth cut on its inside. The forged sleeves are normally two halves possessing internal gears in both of them. In certain cases the forged sleeve tends to remain a single piece. 2. Two hubs with external teeth containing the same number of teeth as in the internal gear is present with each one being mounted on the driven and driver shaft respectively. The tooth profile of the external teeth is normally crowned in order to take up more loads. 3. The entire assembly in normally enclosed and is provided with gaskets at the joints and O-rings at vantage points in order to prevent the leakage of the lubricant filled inside the coupling, 4. Lubrication plugs are provided at vantage points in order to lubricate the couplings during predetermined intervals of time. Tooth forms in the Coupling: Three types of external teeth are used in gear couplings. The only difference is the manufacturing methodology of the same. a.) Straight Teeth: The external teeth in the hub are straight. During the condition of misalignment in the coupling the contact pattern between the internal gear and the external gear tends to be line type of contact as shown in the figure. b.) Crowning with constant radius: The external teeth are barrel shaped with a constant radius in order to increase the area of contact and move the area of contact to a near middle portion of the teeth. c.) Crowning with variable radius: The external teeth are barrel shaped with a variable radius instead of constant radius. This increases the area of the contact significantly compared to that of the constant radius crowning. The maximum degree of misalignment permissible in gear couplings is from 0.5 Degrees to 1.5 Degrees. This varies with the size of the coupling being used. Selection procedure for gear coupling: The gear couplings are selected based on the torque ratings. 1. 1. The torque transmitted by the coupling is to be determined. 2. 2. Based on the application the appropriate service factor needs to be determined. A reference chart on the service factors is shown below. 3. 3. The equivalent torque is to be determined by multiplying the service factor with the torque transmitted. 4. 4. Select the coupling based on the equivalent torque value calculated. A reference selection chart is given below for example. JAW TYPE ELASTOMERIC COUPLING: This article deals with Jaw type Elastomeric coupling. The article describes the constructional aspects of the coupling and selection procedures. * Couplings are indispensable mechanical power transmission elements used for connecting shafts. Flexible couplings in particular are used in areas where misalignment needs to be accommodated (the flexibility is highly restricted based on the type of Elastomeric material used) and also to take up shock loads at the driven end, thus protecting the driving element like a motor or such. Jaw Type Couplings tend to have a flexible member or Elastomeric member between the two metal components. The flexible member is also called the â€Å"Spider.† The Spider material can be made from different types of rubber or plastic possessing varying degrees of hardness in order to suit the load carrying capacity of the system torsional characteristics. The constructional features of the Jaw type coupling are shown below. The dimensional drawing as wel l as the nomenclature of the coupling is also enclosed. Here as some of the key aspects on the constructional features of the Jaw type coupling. These points are to be considered for the proper selection of a coupling. – The metal hub is constructed of sintered iron, cast iron, or aluminium or stainless steel. The type of metal hub is mainly based on the area of operation of the coupling and its inertia aspects. – The spider is normally made up of a nonmetallic element like rubber, urethane, hytrel because of their Elastomeric properties and in very rare cases bronze is used. BEAM COUPLING: A beam coupling A beam coupling, also known as helical coupling, is a flexible coupling for transmitting torque between two shafts while allowing for angular misalignment, parallel offset and even axial motion, of one shaft relative to the other. This design utilizes a single piece of material and becomes flexible by removal of material along a spiral path resulting in a curved flexible beam of helical shape. Since it is made from a single piece of material, the Beam Style coupling does not exhibit the backlash found in some multi-piece couplings. Another advantage of being an all machined coupling is the possibility to incorporate features into the final product while still keep the single piece integrity. Changes to the lead of the helical beam provide changes to misalignment capabilities as well as other performance characteristics such as torque capacity and torsional stiffness. It is even possible to have multiple starts within the same helix. The material used to manufacture the beam coupling also affects its performance and suitability for specific applications such as food, medical and aerospace. Materials are typically aluminum alloy and stainless steel, but they can also be made in acetal, maraging steel and titanium. The most common applications are attaching encoders to shafts and motion control for robotics. Oldham Animated Oldham coupler An Oldham coupling has three discs, one coupled to the input, one coupled to the output, and a middle disc that is joined to the first two by tongue and groove. The tongue and groove on one side is perpendicular to the tongue and groove on the other. The middle disc rotates around its center at the same speed as the input and output shafts. Its center traces a circular orbit, twice per rotation, around the midpoint between input and output shafts. Often springs are used to reduce backlash of the mechanism. An advantage to this type of coupling, as compared to two universal joints, is its compact size. The coupler is named for John Oldham who invented it in Ireland, in 1821, to solve a paddle placement problem in a paddle steamer design. * * it is recommended to use manufacturer’s alignment target values to set up the machine train to a defined non-zero alignment, due to the fact that later when the machine is at operation temperature the alignment condition is perfect Coupling maintenance and failure Coupling maintenance is generally a simple matter, requiring a regularly scheduled inspection of each coupling. It consists of: * Performing visual inspections, checking for signs of wear or fatigue, and cleaning couplings regularly. * Checking and changing lubricant regularly if the coupling is lubricated. This maintenance is required annually for most couplings and more frequently for couplings in adverse environments or in demanding operating conditions. * Documenting the maintenance performed on each coupling, along with the date.[2] Even with proper maintenance, however, couplings can fail. Underlying reasons for failure, other than maintenance, include: * Improper installation * Poor coupling selection * Operation beyond design capabilities.[2] The only way to improve coupling life is to understand what caused the failure and to correct it prior to installing a new coupling. Some external signs that indicate potential coupling failure include: * Abnormal noise, such as screeching, squealing or chattering * Excessive vibration or wobble * Failed seals indicated by lubricant leakage or contamination.[2] Checking the coupling balance Couplings are normally balanced at the factory prior to being shipped, but they occasionally go out of balance in operation. Balancing can be difficult and expensive, and is normally done only when operating tolerances are such that the effort and the expense are justified. The amount of coupling unbalance that can be tolerated by any system is dictated by the characteristics of the specific connected machines and can be determined by detailed analysis or experience.