Ghibertis Baptistry Doors (3Rd Set) Essays - Book Of Genesis

Ghiberti's Baptistry Doors (3Rd Set) The work of art that I chose to do my research paper on was Ghiberti's 3rd set of Baptistry Doors. These doors are known as The Gates of Paradise. The doors were commissioned in 1427; they were finally completed and installed in 1452 at the eastern entrance of the Baptistry of San Giovanni. The replication of the doors is located in San Francisco, at Grace Cathedral. The doors consist of ten square panels, gilded together. Surrounding the panels are small heads, floral motifs, and niches that contain miniature statues of Prophets. Leonardo Bruni created the iconographic formula, taken from stories of the Old Testament. Ghiberti followed the plans and created 10 scenes ranging from the Creation of Adam and Eve to the reign of King Solomon. The top left panel is the scene of the Creation, Temptation and Expulsion of Adam and Eve. The top right panel is the scene of Cain murdering Abel. The next panel is of Noah and the Flood; then Abraham sacrificing Isaac; Jacob and Esau; Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers; Moses receiving the Ten Commandments; Joshua and the battle of Jericho; David and Goliath; and finally Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. All the panels were gilded in gold, giving them a uniform and seamless perspective. Ghiberti was a master of using perspective in his works. The attention to detail is apparent when you examine closely the sculpted figures in each panel. They all seem three-dimensional. The way in which Ghiberti sculpted each figure, gives them a shadow against the background which is key to the three-dimensional perspective of each figure. The way in which the panels were positioned on the doors is interesting. Instead of using smaller panels, which would allow for more scenes, Ghiberti chose to use large panels that are easy to see. The miniature figures and heads surrounding the ten panels is another interesting point. The full body figures are Prophets. There are 20 prophets surrounding the panels. Most likely they were also taken from the Old Testament. Each of these prophets is in the motion of some type of action. Their action is probably what they were known for and why they became Prophets. Again, Ghiberti gives each a three-dimensional pose. He is past the old ways of symmetry and each figure looks realistic in pose. They have a weight shifted stance that adds to the realism of each. The detail on each is also magnificent. The folds in the garment are clearly depicted. The way the clothes drape on the bodies is also realistic. They gather more on one side as opposed to the other side. The way the bodies limbs press underneath the garments also show great attention to detail. There are 24 heads also placed on the outside of the panels. The people that these heads depict are unknown. The only head that is known is of Ghiberti himself. His head is located at the lower right corner of the Jacob and Esau panel. As you can tell by his self-portrayal, Ghiberti was a man about 30-40 years of age. Again, Ghiberti chose to pay great attention to detail for these heads. The way the heads were fashioned is like the techniques used by the Romans. Their heads come out of a circular ring, and part of their upper body is visible. The ways in which the heads are sculpted give them a background shadow that adds to their three-dimensionalism. Its been argued that the people that these heads represent friends of Ghiberti. The perspective used in each of the panels is unique. They all use linear perspective, which Ghiberti became known for. Like Massacio, Ghiberti used the perspective of building and how they relate to certain viewpoints. As the figures and buildings recede into the background, they all have a certain detail of spatial depth. The figures and buildings in the background are considerably smaller than those in the foreground are. The scenery in the background adds to the sense of depth in the panels. If you look at a certain panel, the horizon extends well past the current scene in each panel. Ghiberti knew how to use the vanishing point

Double Consciousness through the Ethics of Jim Crow essays

Double Consciousness through the Ethics of Jim Crow essays Richard Wright, decades after W.E.B. DuBois wrote about Double Consciousness, highlighted the theory through the many events described in his autobiographical sketch The Ethics of Living Jim Crow. The essay is a collection of his experiences where he began to understand the difference of being an American and being an African American in America. His experiences illustrated how African Americans had to understand how they were perceived by Whites. Through Wrights experiences it was very clear the lessons learned and how it applied to Double Consciousness. At a young age, just as DuBois, Wright first learned that he was different and that there were rules to coexisting with Whites in America. From his first lesson in his Arkansas neighborhood he learned that he was not supposed to fight with whites. His mother instilled in him a way to coexist or act with Whites, to take himself out of the equation. This was only the beginning; there were many more lessons to be learned. In the second lesson he learned the lesson of submission and that he must always use Sir or Mister while speaking to a white man. It is beginning to become painfully clear to him that because he is African American that he is not just an American, yet an African American in America. The lessons that he learns are all lessons that many had to learn that gave them the sense that they were different. Over time Wright continues to learn the many lesson associated with the times of Jim Crow. The idea of Double Consciousness is to be able to separate yourself from the ideals and lesson learned and seeing that you are looked at differently, even if you do not understand why. When Wright wrote the note to the library saying: Please let this nigger boy have the following books (1395). it became clear that he was engaged in his own Double Consciousness. He understood that he was looked at as just a Nigger and that to gain strength he needed understand t...

Healthcare Solutions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthcare Solutions - Research Paper Example This ensures deep industry expertise is employed in delivering demonstrated benefits that include savings. Studies show that many benefits that associate with the involvement of a healthcare solutions company. This may include; deeper savings, this because a prospective kind of management that is employed through adoption of market leading technology (Plunkett, 2009). It is an efficient way that provides a single source of worker`s compensations including auto solutions in a more amicable way. This allows easy tracking of issues that may need urgent attention. It is the most essential way that serves to reduce administrative costs and time as it engages seamless customer service in its operations, a factor that is beneficial to both parties involved. However, there are that are associated with such healthcare solution companies despite many advantages involved with the healthcare solution services. It is with this point that the problems need to be discussed to in a bit to find ways of implementing improvements to better service provision. According to studies, innovations in healthcare solution provision are associated with many difficulties. It is revealed that the process of packaging and delivering healthcare solutions is in efficient and consumer unfriendly in the United States. Many of the problems however, range from soaring cost of health care, many medical errors. This problems needs to be fixed through innovation in all aspects of health care solution provision. However, their various issues or problems associated with innovation that hinders the whole process. There are hindering forces that inhibit innovation; the health care sector comprises of many stakeholders with different interests and agendas. Because of subst antial powers and resources that such players may have, they may use the resources and power to influence public policies through direct or indirect attack against innovators. For instance, many a times, doctors

Role of Compromise in Delaying the Civil War Essay

Role of Compromise in Delaying the Civil War - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the period before the American civil war of 1861-1865 was one of the politically dramatic periods in American history. This essay discusses that compromise played a big role in delaying the civil war until 1861. The compromise of 1850 consisted of five bills processed by Clay and advocated by Douglas. This paper illustrates that the bill made it possible for Texas to withdraw its war claim to New Mexico. States such as Washington D.C agreed to ban of slave trade whereas others such as national capital retained slave trade. Additionally, other states allowed California to be a free state. The author has rightly presented that the ideas of popular sovereignty sought to manifest sovereign powers to the people by allowing them to have free will in determining their political and societal discourse. The paper tells that this was most evident in Kansas-Nebraska act. Douglas advocated for democracy and free will among the people. Different st ates were able to make their own independent decisions regarding an important issue such as the constitution. This helped delay the civil war appreciably. This essay discusses that Missouri compromise aimed at finding a consensus between pro and anti-slavery factions. House of Representatives eased their stand on the issue. According to the research findings, Missouri was allowed to make their own constitution in which they sought to forbid slave trade.

Describe either a good or a bad experience with a sales person. What Essay

Describe either a good or a bad experience with a sales person. What made it good or bad - Essay Example I received a call from the holiday promoters that I had won a short holiday to a beach resort, and to avail this prize I had to visit their office. As advised, I reached their office and received a warm welcome by the marketing agent. Before explaining about the prize that I won, this agent started explaining about their company and various products they offered. The bottom-line information was not being provided. I had to intervene and ask specifically about the product because I did not have the time as well as patience to listen about something that I was not really interested. Upon interrupting, the agent started explaining about the prize, which was a holiday to a beach resort. When I confirmed that I would be interested to go on a holiday by using this prize, I was shown a very different picture. The agent then started explaining the process of availing this, so called, prize. I then realized this was not a prize, but a marketing and sales promotion activity. To avail the holiday, I had to spend money and would be given stay at subsidized rate, and hence was not free of cost; the rest of the costs had to be borne by myself. This was totally shocking and displeasing experience as I was not ready for such risky expenses at that time. Upon learning about my low level of interest in this scheme, the agent put me through his marketing manager. This manager, indeed, continued with the sales promotion of the holiday package and also tried to meet his other targets by promoting products like ‘life-time’ holiday membership to various destinations across the world and so on. The initial holiday package, which was promoted as a lucky prize was a trial sales purchase promotion that did not impress me and also did not seem genuine. Although this attempt from the hotel company was an attempt to reach customers, the sampling and proposed contests did not cohere with my requirements, interests and situation. Moreover, the entire process

Impact of Globalization on International Conflicts

Impact of Globalization on International Conflicts Introduction Globalization is a process that relies upon strategies internationally with the aim of expanding business operations on the face of the world. This is with the help of global communications, which have been made possible due to advancements in technology, developments in the political front, socioeconomic, and the environment. Another definition to globalization is cross-border interactions being intensified and countries depending on one another. This definition shades light on how the international system has changed. Relationships have changed in individual states due to depending on one another and whatever events are ongoing outside their boundaries are more likely to have an impact within their territories. In this paper, we shall look at the conflicts and how different nations are embracing globalization to help root out these conflicts, (Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, 1995).[1] Global change is a rapid process and it is hard to keep track of the new and many developments. Nevertheless, trends are observable and they all add up to globalization. Currently, there is a contradiction in globalization being in full force and the global governance processes that are in existence have insufficient power, the scope and an authority, which ensures that a certain direction is followed, as well as regulations that all lead to beneficial results for all parties involved. Thus, more often than not, globalization does not offer equal effects and it is disruptive. New challenges also have rose in institutions (the public ones), which become less autonomous and are weak in their support. The process of globalization is turbulent, as analysts have found out. In addition, it may be touted as representing a rational economy, however, there is a dark side to it. Critics have always brought out the side of globalization that runs soley on economic power. In addition, it favors the western cultures and their corporations, which puts a lot of communities and jobs at risk. Rich countries have an exploitative nature; they harness cheap labor from countries that are poorer. This creates threats to the environment and does not uphold the principles of democracy and/or social stability. This is through plunging political institutions of the nation into unavoidable forces of change in the economy. Moreover, quite a volume of essays highlight that globalization is uneven, (Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, 1995). This can be analyzed in terms of its processes as well as its effects. It results in concentrations and deprivations which, on average, encompass a well defined structure of power. Globalization creates conflicts, which, on one end, focus on cultural issues as well as identity, and on the other, the issues are primarily economic. From historical archives, social change can be closely associated with the ever-rising levels of conflict. Sorokin did a study, which explored this, largely, (1937: 409-475). His study encompassed twelve countries and it showed to what extent what he refers to as social strife was at its greatest in eras when a certain society was involved in a change that was significant (for example, religion). Such a moment of change is transitional and it cannot pass by without it being muddled in conflicts of values and interests. There is also the paradox of reflectivity. Analysts say that increased reflectivity comes from effects of rapid changes. These changes emanate from societies from all over the world. These rapid changes in turn contribute to incidences of conflict. There is also the effect of globalization in terms of identity. Basically, globalization seeks to homogenize people but it is also a fact that it increases social heterogeneity as an awareness. There are quite a number of groups whose identity rests upon race and ethnicity, religion, and language. These groups have used media in a global sense to voice their discontent. At the end of cold war, ethnic revival was unleashed. It goes without saying that cold war was a conflict [2]among states and it propagated the primal need for a national identity in a worldwide society. During the 1990s, this notion was weakened by globalization. It was less effective in ensuring that people complied or being able to integrate a society nationwide. This means that minorities are better off in reasserting their identity in reference to cultural forces of hegemony. These minorities therefore identify the state as not being a reliable promoter and protector of their interests (which are domestic in natu re). They see the state as collaborating more with external forces (Scholte, 1997). Therefore, in the 1990s, we can argue that conflict is not primarily found between and among states, but rather, the state and its groups. In this case, we can comfortably say that globalization has helped root out conflicts between states but resulted in creating conflicts within the state itself. In the economic world, globalization compels businesses to embrace diverse strategies in relation to the new trend of ideas so as to bring on average the rights and interests of a person and the entire community. This makes the businesses have a competitive front in the world. This also gives business leaders, management, and labor a significant change. This is through accepting the contribution of workers and that of the government so that company strategies and policies are developed and implemented. In this case, globalization has reduced conflicts. It enables companies from different countries to share ideas, transact business together, make dealerships, et al. however, it should be noted that some companies may decide to undertake competition. Either way, it is healthy. Businesses will be motivated to embrace new ideas, strategies, and policies. The reduction of risks can be done through diversification. Companies will be involved with financial institutions internationally and thus making partnerships with businesses locally and with other nations. The process of globalization also increases the dire need for knowledge on the differences of culture between countries as well as the culture of the corporate world. Employers from time to time send their experts to other countries so that they can build subsidiaries and/or support the ones that are already in existence, (Beaverstock, 2012). For a successful subsidiary, language skills are fundamental, so are the influences of the sub culture, the styles of communications of which they are different, societal behaviors. This points out to the fact that in terms of economy, globalization does not create a conflict, it deals away with any conflict that is present. In the economic front, there is what Schumpeter refers to as ‘creative destruction’, (1942: 84). Firms are catapulted into innovation because of competition; surely, a firm cannot just look at its competitors embracing new ideas while it is just stagnant. Innovation here involves both products and the process of production. On the other hand, industries and regions can undergo destruction or marginalization. This is because competitors may become more innovative in a certain area and take lead. In an economy, that has become globalized, national boundaries and distances have diminished, (Ake, 1995: 26). This is because the many obstacles have been done away with thus ensuring market access. Cost of transaction has been reduced significantly as well as the time [3]and distance being compressed and this refers to the international transactions. Several changes have been brought about by globalization. They include trade dynamics, flow of capital, and technology transfer. Markets and production present in different countries have made these countries depend on one another. International competition, as said earlier, is increasing in intensity and in turn increases the strategic interactions across the border. This further makes the various business enterprises to organize and structure themselves into transnational networks. Globalization is characterized by increasing interdependence on various levels. For example, foreign direct investment goes hand in hand with technology t ransfer and the knowhow. It also includes the flow of capital, which is in form of international loans, equity, profit repatriation, et al. this facilitates the export of goods and services from countries that are investing. In this case, also, globalization has brought countries together to a united economic front. The aim is to develop interdependent business across different countries. It is due to globalization that we have trade blocs, (Sorensen, 2004). Members in the same block undertake transactions as it were within their national boundaries. However, we can note that the countries outside this trade bloc suffer from what is called trade diversion. This country will not be able to get the benefits the countries within the bloc are getting. It is from this trade ties that conflicts arise. A country may feel sidelined and thus any ties to the countries in the trade bloc may be severed. Conclusion Globalization by definition is a process, which relies on international strategies while aiming to expand businesses globally. The goal of globalization in this case is to give organizations an upper hand in competition through lowering costs, increased number of products as well as services and customers. Globalization has an hand in conflict creation as well as conflict resolution. In the economic arena, globalization has unified various economies and countries. International trade is now a possibility and countries depend on one another. Cross border costs when conducting trade have been lifted and transport and communication between countries conducting trade have been improved. Borrowing of ideas for implementation in other countries has also resulted because of globalization. New businesses have been started in other countries and this is because there are set policies and strategies. In addition, for businesses to be global, knowledge and language skills come in handy to under standing a foreign market and knowing the consumer needs. Globalization also enhances cultural diversity. People from different ethnic groups, big and small, have a worldwide audience for their cultural values and beliefs. Lastly, international trade may be facilitated by globalization, however, due to the emergence of trade blocs, some countries are left out. This is trade diversion and it may create a conflict between countries in a trade bloc and those without. This means, therefore, that globalization increases and reduces conflicts in the international system at the same time. However, the larger part it plays is to reduce conflicts or resolve them. Reference List Ake, C. 1995. The new world order: a view from Africa. In Holm, Hans-Henrik and SÃ ¸rensen, Georg Eds., Whose World Order: Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War, Boulder: West view. Beaverstock, J. V. (2012). Highly skilles international labour migration and worldcities:expatriates, executives and entrepreneurs. In B. Derruder, M. Hoyler, P. J. Taylor, F.Witlox, International Handbook of Globalisation and World cities (pp. 240-249). Cheltenham, Uk: Edward Elgar Publication Ltd. Scholte, Jan Aart. 1997. constructions of collective identity in a time of globalisation.http://nexxus.com.cwru.edu/amjdc/papers/76. Schumpeter, Joseph. 1942. Capitalism, socialism and democracy. New York: Harper. Sorensen, G. (2004).The transformation of the state – beyond the myth of retreat;Palgrave Macmillan. Sorokin, P.A. 1937. Social and cultural dynamics, vol III, fluctuations of social relationships, war and revolution. New York: America Books Co. Holm, Hans-Henrik and Georg SÃ ¸rensen. 1995. Introduction: what has changed. In Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, Whose World Order: Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War. Boulder: West view. [1] Holm, Hans-Henrik and Georg SÃ ¸rensen. 1995. Introduction: what has changed. In Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, Whose World Order: Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War. Boulder: West view. [2] Sorokin, P.A. 1937. Social and cultural dynamics, Vol. III, fluctuations of social relationships, war and revolution. New York: America Books Co. Scholte, Jan Aart. 1997. Constructions of collective identity in a time of globalization.http://nexxus.com.cwru.edu/amjdc/papers/76. [3] Sorensen, G. (2004).The transformation of the state – beyond the myth of retreat;Palgrave Macmillan

Hydrofoils and How They Work :: Hydrofoil Physics Boat Boating Watercraft

What is a hydrofoil? A hydrofoil is a watercraft that is supported on ski-like pontoons while in motion, with the bulk of the hull remaining entirely above the water (Encarta Encyclopedia 2002). Hydrofoils were first seen about in 1869. Emmanuel Denis Farcot was issued a patent on a boat that he had developed to go faster through the water because of less resistance. If you look at his design, he was using many little foils along the side of his boat to lift it out of the water in order to reduce the drag on the hull of the boat. Hydrofoils are not only used on boats. Guidoni and Croco took the idea of hydrofoils and put then on seaplanes. Their main reason for puting foils on the plane was to make the landings smoother and to make takeoffs much quicker. The plane can get out of the water much faster with foils because there is less drag inhibiting the plane from gaining speed to get airborn. This is useful when taking off of short lakes or in rough water. There are many purposes for hydrofoils. The main reason people or buisnesses install hydrofoils onto their watercraft is to decrease the drag of the boat as it travels through the water. By decreasing the drag, the watercraft is able to travel at higher speeds while burning less fuel. This makes use of the watercraft much more economical and provides a smoother, more comfortable ride because the watercraft rides above the reach of most of the waves. Another reason to use hydrofoils is because they are fun. The picture below shows a water ski that has been transformed into something that you sit on with your feet in front of you while you are "floating on air" behind a ski boat. When used on sail boats, hydrofoils can increase the top speed by quite a bit. Once the hull of the sail boat is out the the water the drag from the water is much less. Simply explained, there is less surface area "rubbing" on the water to slow the boat down. This means that even with gentle winds, a small boat can really get moving. Most hydrofoils lift the watercraft that they are supporting in the same way that airplane wings keep the plane supported in the air. With enough lift on the water foils, the hull of the watercraft is lifted out of the water.

Operations Management assignment Essay

Supply chain management is the coordination of the processes and functions within a business, adopted by most companies in the UK in the late 1990’s. It deals with the internal and external factors that, when dealt with correctly and systematically, can determine a businesses success or failure. A supply chain is the network of activities that delivers a finished product service to the customer. By definition, supply chain management (SCM) is â€Å"the management of the flows of materials from suppliers to customers in order to reduce overall cost and increase responsiveness to the customers† (Reid & Sanders). SCM entails the co-ordination of the movement of good through the supply chain from suppliers to manufacturers to distributors to the final customer. The main aim of SCM is to maximise the efficiency of any given process being carried out by a company; by doing this it is allowing them to try to cut their costs and hopefully keep satisfying their customers’ needs, while at the same time maintaining their competitive position within their market. Supply chain management is seen as more of an â€Å"open system† in contrast to the traditional system used by the majority of companies just 20 years ago. The new â€Å"open system† allows room for change which is greatly needed with the current financial instability of the economy. SCM has evolved over the years and has moulded to suit the ever changing economy. First adopted by the Japanese, in the form of Geba Kai (A meeting of the minds), the now commonly found process is used by a vast amount of companies in the UK. Nowadays, SCM within a business is responsible for a product from when it’s in its raw state to when it’s a finished product, ready for consumption by customers. The chain management that Comfort Company PLC currently uses is a very traditional system, otherwise known as a â€Å"closed system†. This type of management system isolates itself from the other components in the supply chain and therefore only has communication flowing through the companies own system, this is a negative attribute as it prevents the company from getting important and influential information about the state of the other links in their supply chain. When the dynamics of change happened, it forced the breakthrough of a new approach, the â€Å"open system†. The â€Å"open system† made companies a lot more open to operational change and as a result of this it made several managers, whose companies used the closed, more traditional system, view the new approach as a loss of power; this consequently made a lot of companies resist against the change. The new and more flexible â€Å"open system† was adopted firstly by the Japanese in the form of â€Å"Geba Kai†, they were closely flowed by the British who quickly followed them in adopting it. There are still some nations that, even now, rigidly stick to their old ways and use the â€Å"closed system†, two examples of these nations are the Americans and the Germans. Along with the list of positives the company will gain by changing from a traditional chain system to a more formal supply chain management (SCM) system, there are also a few strategic reasons why a company should change to the newer system, reasons that will help them to stay on par with the other business’ within their industry and within the whole business sector. One of these reasons is globalisation. As stated in â€Å"Operations management: Along the supply chain†, Two thirds of today’s businesses operate globally through global markets, global operations, global financing, and global supply chains†. Globalisation means that British companies, such as Comfort Company PLC are going to have to be prepared to compete in markets that are foreign to them and also have foreign competition within their own domestic markets. Companies that adopt, or have already adopted, a formal supply chain management system will have an advantage upon those who havenâ€⠄¢t and will be able to benefit from globalisation. There are many benefits a company would gain from introducing a formal supply chain management system, all fulfilling the wish to supply the customer with good quality products that â€Å"Comfort Company plc† posses, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to maximise their customer satisfaction, manage their supply chain effectively and allow flexibility to their supply chain. By maximising customer satisfaction, â€Å"Comfort Company plc† could asses how well they are meeting their customers needs, while at the same receiving an indication of how well the business is doing in comparison with their competition; both in their market and foreign markets. Having a flexible supply chain would mean that the company would be able to react to change in demand quickly to ensure that they level the demand to their output, this would save them a lot of time, waste and resources if a freak change in demand was to happen. If â€Å"Comfort company plc† did not adopt the formal supply chain management system they would be at risk of loosing a lot of money if an unforeseeable change was to happen, this would give them a disadvantage upon the competition and would lower their competitive advantage. Effective management of a supply chain could open up opportunities for â€Å"Comfort Company plc† to improve many aspects of their production, and potentially save themselves a lot of money. By identifying the unnecessary waste along the supply chain, â€Å"Comfort Company plc† could make the process an easier, cheaper and quicker one for themselves and other links in their supply chain; this would make the chain more productive, co nsequently making the finished product â€Å"better value†. One of the main advantages of a formal supply chain management system, and an excellent attribute a company can have, is an advantage upon your competitors. Defined, competitive advantage is â€Å"an advantage over competition gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and service that justifies higher prices†(Tutor2u.net, 2011). The type of competitive advantages a company such as â€Å"Comfort Company plc† would achieve from a formal SCM system are advantages such as lower costs and operational flexibility. As there are numerous ways of gaining a competitive advantage, the company in question needs to do some research into their market to see how it could be done, they could research the ways in which their successful competition operate and try to adopt some of their approaches. A good example of a company using its formal SCM system to achieve a good competitive advantage is Dell Computer Corporation. â€Å"Quick delivery of customised computers at prices 10-15 percent lower than the industry standard is Dell’s competitive advantage. A customised Dell computer can be en route to the customer within thirty-six hours. This quick response allows Dell to reduce its inventory level to approximately thirteen days of supply. Dell achieves this in part through its warehousing plan. Most of the components Dell uses are warehoused within fifteen minute travel time to an assembly point. Dell does not order components at its Austin, Texas, facility; instead, suppliers restock warehouses as needed, and Dell is only billed for items only after they are shipped. The result is better value for the customer† (Reid & Sanders). There are a few ways â€Å"Comfort Company plc† can gain competitive advantage within their market, such as using tools like business to business (B2B) e-commerce, or adopting one of Dells results gaining approaches and making sure that there components and raw materials for making the products are located a short travel time away from the place of assembly. Being situated on the Crewe Gates industrial park, where many other businesses, some similar to â€Å"Comfort Company plc† no doubt, are situated, there’s sure to be some way that they could find a supplier closer. If this was to succeed they could create a good, strong relationship with the suppliers and build a barrier of trust and communication, this would be a perfect scenario to ensure the links in the supply chain are strong, as the supply chain is â€Å"only as weak and its weakest link† and vice versa. A business to business (B2B) e-commerce is when companies sell to other business, it is the largest segment of e-commerce. If â€Å"Comfort Company plc† were to use business to business (B2B) e-commerce, they could gain potential benefits such as: †¢Lower procurement administrative costs, †¢Better quality because if increased cooperation of between buyers and sellers, especially during the product design and development, †¢Low-cost access to global suppliers, †¢Lower inventory investment due to price transparency and reduced response times (R. Dan Reid, Nada R. Sanders) The reasons/advantages stated above for changing from a traditional chain system to a formal supply chain management system are in fact more than just small advantages â€Å"Comfort Company plc† could gain, but necessary changed that need to be made if they want to survive the current economical crisis and still have customers/revenue at the end of it. With globalisation growing and the need to satisfy the customers becoming more apparent and diverse, the formal supply chain management system is a necessary system that every business, no matter how small or large, should put into place. The formal SCM system will allow â€Å"Comfort Company plc† to integrate their information systems with their suppliers and customers in an effort to meet their goals and objective while still at the same time doing this in a cost-saving way. With every new system brought into a company, there is the risk of it creating a few problems within the company; this makes the need of a contingency plan much higher. There are a few risks that come along with implementing such a big change to a business so set in its ways like â€Å"Comfort Company plc†, a main one being the possible lack of cooperation from the workforce or managers. When change happens in a workplace the employees can feel threatened and scared and will sometimes rebel against the new change, this could be avoided if the company took a few simple procedures to ensure the workforce are happy with the new system. They should tell the workforce about the new operational plan and get their feedback on it, this will make them feel involved in the change and will hopefully make them feel less alienated. Also, they should sit them down and explain the needs of introducing a formal supply chain management system into the company, and the benefits it would gain by doing so, if they feel it would be benefiting the company, they should feel happier about the change going on. Furthermore, if both of the steps are carried out correctly, it could make them more motivated towards their job as they will feel involved in the company and will hopefully want it to succeed. Another risk of the formal supply chain management system is the potential loss of jobs within the company; this will be because some members of staff will not be needed as a go between for information between suppliers and so on. The redundancies in the company could possibly cause bad feeling between the workforce and the new system and could de-motivate them, possibly leading to a decrease in the effort put in by the workforce; this could potentially lead to a product being of a lower quality. Also, the possible redundancies made will be a negative factor for the economy as there will be a few more unemployed people in the country; this is one of the only major downfalls of the introduction of the formal SCM system. However, there may be members of staff who are close to retirement and could benefit from voluntary redundancy and the benefits that go with it. A negative of that would be that â€Å"Comfort Company plc† may loose some of their staff with the most experience and expertise, potentially making them train up current members of staff to the same quality as the members of staff who left. However, the operations management team at â€Å"Comfort Company plc† will have to put contingency plans in place that cover all of the possible risks, and ways to reduce the risks from happening. There are many needs of introducing a formal supply chain management system into â€Å"Comfort Company plc†, and many advantages it would gain by doing so. While there are also some risks involved, the advantages and needs outweigh them massively as they could potentially provide â€Å"Comfort Company plc† with a competitive advantage, while at the same time reducing their costs and use of resources. Like the traditional chain system currently adopted by â€Å"Comfort Company plc†, the new, more up to date formal supply chain management system will fulfil their wish to supply the customer with good quality products while at the same time saving them resources and money, making them more profitable. The introduction of a formal supply chain management (SCM) system is necessary and â€Å"Comfort Company plc† should definitely strongly consider it. References: †¢Operations Management: An integrated approach (2007) (3rd edition) R. Dan Reid, Nada R. Sanders. Pages 16, 98-105 †¢Operations Management: Along the supply chain (6h edition) Russell & Taylor. Page 9. †¢Tutur2u.net (2011) Competitive advantage (WWW) Available from: http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/competitive_advantage.htm

Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington

Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington Early Life Gregory Boyington was born December 4, 1912, in Coeur dAlene, Idaho. Raised in the town of St. Maries, Boyingtons parents divorced early in his life and he was raised by his mother and an alcoholic stepfather. Believing his step-father to be his biological father, he went by the name Gregory Hallenbeck until graduating from college. Boyington first flew at age six when he was given a ride by famed barnstormer Clyde Pangborn. At age fourteen, the family moved to Tacoma, WA. While in high school, he became an avid wrestler and later gained admission to the University of Washington. Entering UW in 1930, he joined the ROTC program and majored in aeronautical engineering. A member of the wrestling team, he spent his summers working in a gold mine in Idaho to help pay for school. Graduating in 1934, Boyington was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Reserve and accepted a position at Boeing as an engineer and draftsman. That same year he married his girlfriend, Helene. After a year with Boeing, he joined the Volunteer Marine Corps Reserve on June 13, 1935. It was during this process that he learned about his biological father and changed his name to Boyington. Early Career Seven months later, Boyington was accepted as an aviation cadet in the Marine Corps Reserve and assigned to Naval Air Station, Pensacola for training. Though he had not previously shown an interest in alcohol, the well-liked Boyington quickly became known as a hard-drinking, brawler among the aviation community. Despite his active social life, he successfully completed training and earned his wings as a naval aviator on March 11, 1937. That July, Boyington was discharged from the reserves and accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the regular Marine Corps. Sent to the Basic School in Philadelphia in July 1938, Boyington was largely uninterested in the mostly infantry-based curriculum and performed poorly. This was exacerbated by heavy drinking, fighting, and failure to repay loans. He was next assigned to Naval Air Station, San Diego where he flew with the 2nd Marine Air Group. Though he continued to be a discipline problem on the ground, he quickly demonstrated his skill in the air and was one of the best pilots in the unit. Promoted to lieutenant in November 1940, he returned to Pensacola as an instructor. Flying Tigers While at Pensacola, Boyington continued to have problems and at one point in January 1941 struck a superior officer during a fight over a girl (who was not Helene). With his career in shambles, he resigned from the Marine Corps on August 26, 1941, to accept a position with the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company. A civilian organization, the CAMCO recruited pilots and staff for what would become the American Volunteer Group in China. Tasked with defending China and the Burma Road from the Japanese, the AVG became known as the Flying Tigers. Though he frequently clashed with the AVGs commander, Claire Chennault, Boyington was effective in the air and became one of the units squadron commanders. During his time with the Flying Tigers, he destroyed several Japanese aircraft in the air and on the ground. While Boyington claimed six kills with the Flying Tigers, a figure accepted by the Marine Corps, records indicate that he may actually have scored as few as two. With World War II raging and having flown 300 combat hours, he left the AVG in April 1942 and returned to the United States. World War II Despite his earlier poor record with the Marine Corps, Boyington was able to secure a commission as first lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve on September 29, 1942 as the service was in need of experienced pilots. Reporting for duty on November 23, he was given a temporary promotion to major the next day. Ordered to join Marine Air Group 11 on Guadalcanal, he briefly served as the executive officer of VMF-121. Seeing combat in April 1943, he failed to register any kills. Late that spring, Boyington broke his leg and was assigned to administrative duties. The Black Sheep Squadron During that summer, with American forces requiring more squadrons, Boyington found that there were many pilots and aircraft dispersed around region not being utilized. Pulling these resources together, he worked to form what would ultimately be designated VMF-214. Consisting of a mix of green pilots, replacements, casuals, and experienced veterans, the squadron initially lacked support personnel and possessed damaged or distressed aircraft. As many of the squadrons pilots had previously been unattached, they first wished to be called Boyingtons Bastards, but changed to Black Sheep for press purposes. Flying the Chance Vought F4U Corsair, VMF-214 first operated from bases in the Russell Islands. At age 31, Boyington was nearly a decade older than most of his pilots and earned the nicknames Gramps and Pappy. Flying their first combat mission on September 14, the pilots of VMF-214 quickly began accumulating kills. Among those adding to their tally was Boyington who downed 14 Japanese planes a 32-day span, including five on September 19. Quickly becoming known for their flamboyant style and daring, the squadron conducted a bold raid on the Japanese airfield at Kahili, Bougainville on October 17. Home to 60 Japanese aircraft, Boyington circled the base with 24 Corsairs daring the enemy to send up fighters. In the resulting battle, VMF-214 downed 20 enemy aircraft while sustaining no losses. Through the fall, Boyingtons kill total continued to increase until he reached 25 on December 27, one short of Eddie Rickenbackers American record. On January 3, 1944, Boyington led a 48-plane force on a sweep over the Japanese base at Rabaul. As the fighting began, Boyington was seen downing his 26th kill but then became lost in the melee and was not seen again. Though considered killed or missing by his squadron, Boyington had been able to ditch his damaged aircraft. Landing in the water he was rescued by a Japanese submarine and taken prisoner. Prisoner of War Boyington was first taken to Rabaul where he was beaten and interrogated. He was subsequently moved to Truk before being transferred to Ofuna and Omori prisoner camps in Japan. While a POW, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions the previous fall and the Navy Cross for the Rabaul raid. In addition, he was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel. Enduring a harsh existence as a POW, Boyington was liberated on August 29, 1945 following the dropping of the atom bombs. Returning to the United States, he claimed two additional kills during the Rabaul raid. In the euphoria of victory, these claims were not questioned and he was credited with a total of 28 making him the Marine Corps top ace of the war. After being formally presented with his medals, he was placed on a Victory Bond tour. During the tour, his issues with drinking began to reemerge sometimes embarrassing the Marine Corps. Later Life Initially assigned to Marine Corps Schools, Quantico he was later posted to Marine Corps Air Depot, Miramar. In this period he struggled with drinking as well as public issues with his love life. On August 1, 1947, the Marine Corps moved him onto the retired list for medical reasons. As a reward for his performance in combat, he was advanced to the rank of colonel at retirement. Plagued by his drinking, he moved through a succession of civilian jobs and was married and divorced several times. He returned to prominence during the 1970s due to the television show Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad as Boyington, which presented a fictionalized story of VMF-214s exploits. Gregory Boyington died of cancer on January 11, 1988, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Three schools of counselling psychology Essay Example

Three schools of counselling psychology Essay Example Three schools of counselling psychology Essay Three schools of counselling psychology Essay Counselling involves a therapist who offers certain conditions, activities and methods and aims to help clients live more effective lives. Meltzoff and Kornreich (1970) defined counselling as informed and planful application of techniques derived from established psychological principles With regards to one to one talk therapies, there are eight mainstream approaches. Allport (1962) recognised that these counselling approaches fall into three main groups or schools. The first is behaviourism, where the client is a reactive being. The second is the psychodynamic school, where the client is a reactive being in depth. The third is the humanistic school, where the client is in process of becoming.One of these major approaches is psychoanalysis, which belongs to the psychodynamic school. This theory stresses the importance of unconscious factors causing faulty development. Other therapies belonging to the psychodynamic school include analytical therapy and self psychology. Freud suggested a persons behaviour can be understood by the interaction among the three unconscious systems.The Id is the first to develop and looks for immediate gratification in whichever way possible. The Ego develops from the Id and is under the influence from the reality principle. The Superego is the incorporation of parental and social standards (introjection) and acts like a moral restriction. The Ego acts as a mediator between the two systems, and may create defence mechanisms such as repression which puts painful experiences into the unconscious. Therapy aims to use free association to gain insight into unconscious wishes and fixations and to use transference to free the client of them.Personality (or psychosexual) development is marked by five distinct stages. The first is the Oral stage (0-18 months) and is characterised by the infants need to reduce feelings of tension e.g. hunger. If the infants needs are not met, this can cause the adult personality to be pessimistic (Abraham, 1924). The second stage is the Anal stage (18 months-3 years). The main source of pleasure comes from retaining and passing faeces. Freud (1917) suggested that if the child doesnt learn the acceptable behaviour, it may cause loss of self esteem in adulthood. The third stage is the Phallic phase (3 years-adolescence).This is characterised by becoming familiar with the genital organs of both sexes and the Oedipus complex. The child will unconsciously long for the parent of the opposite sex and become hostile towards the parent of the same sex for having that person. The fourth stage is the Latency stage (adolescence) where they resolve their childhood conflicts through masturbation and have romantic relationships, go to school and learn adult responsibility.Most criticisms aimed at psychoanalysis are because it lacks empirical evidence and is not seen as falsifiable (Popper, 1986). It also criticised on the grounds that is phallocentric. It is also argued that the theory is not generalisable because Freuds ideas were based on a demographically restricted sample of individuals The humanistic school offers therapies such as the person centred approach (Rogers, 1902) and reality therapy amongst others.He believed that humans have an actualisi ng tendency to achieve their full potential. It emphasises the role of over socialisation in preventing people to perceive themselves and their environment properly, and consequently not being able to self actualise. Through experience with clients, he found that each persons reality is different, depending on their perceptions and experiences. He called this perception a persons internal frame of reference. When perceptions become maladaptive, therapy aims to focus on each individuals world to help them live more fully, using the core conditions of congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathy.Rogers believed that experiences are valued as positive or negative according to whether they maintain their actualising tendency. Through interaction with others, a self concept develops. This self concept/regard needs to be positively regarded from others. This leads to selective perception of experiences so that they fall in accord with the individuals conditions of worth. Experien ces which dont agree are distorted and arent put into the self structure. This causes incongruence and psychological maladjustment. For congruence to occur, all experiences must be assimilated with other concepts of the self. Counselling aims to recognise incongruous experiences, whilst showing empathy and unconditional positive regard.

Review of Ella Delorias Waterlily Feminist Perspective Essay

Review of Ella Delorias Waterlily Feminist Perspective - Essay Example Ella Cara Deloria is best known for her linguistic and ethnographic work on the Sioux Nation. Though not formally trained as anthropologist, since she was a trained as a teacher, she gained a reputation in the field. She brought a new perspective on her work, as she was born on the Yankton Sioux Reservation and part of a traditional Dakota Sioux family. Deloria was born in the White Swan district of the Yankton Indian Reservation, South Dakota. Her parents were Mary Sully Bordeau Deloria and Philip Deloria, the family having Yankton Sioux, Irish, and French roots. Her father was one of the first Sioux to be ordained as an Episcopalian priest. Although Ella was the first child to the couple, they each had two daughters by previous marriages; her parent had three more children after her. Deloria was brought up on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, at Wakpala, and was educated first at her father's mission school and All Saints Boarding School in Sioux Falls, and then a brief period at the University of Chicago at Oberlin College, Ohio, to which she had won a scholarship. After two years at Oberlinshe she moved to Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and graduated with a B.Sc. in 1915. Throughout her professional life she suffered from not having had the money or the free time necessary to take an advanced degree, largely because of her commitment to the support of her family; her parents were elderly, and her sister suffered from brain tumors. In addition to her work in anthropology, Deloria had a number of jobs, including teaching dance and physical education, lecturing and giving demonstrations on Native American culture, working for the Camp Fire Girls and for the YWCA, and holding positions at the Sioux Indian Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, and (as assistant director) the W.H. Deloria had a stroke in 1970 and died the following year of pneumonia. Her family spoke Dakota and Lakota dialects of the Sioux Language. It was through the understanding of the Dakota and Lakota dialects that Deloria would find her place in history. The Deloria family was devote Christians, but also followed the traditional ways of the Dakota people. Ella Deloria was dedicated to her family, which through extended kinship was great in numbers and this was one of the factors that hindered her professional education. Waterlilly was perhaps the highest of Deloria's achievement; it can be described as a book that guides the outsider into the mental as well as the historical world of the nineteenth century Sioux. Deloria was more focused on kinship, tribal structure, and the role of women in her traditional society and this greatly shaped her work. From a feminist perspective, Deloria's work appears to demonstrate the strength of the women in a traditional structure that is greatly misunderstood. In her efforts to research traditional culture and structure, Deloria conducted vast number of interviews with elders, women and tribal historians. She spent 1962-1966 working at the University of South Dakota, where she did her research, lectured, consulted and continued writing that she became an authority on the Dakota and Lakota Sioux. These, to a large extent, defined the content and perspective of her novel - Waterlilly. Through her extensive research work,

Contextual and Theoretical Studies (Information Design - London Essay

Contextual and Theoretical Studies (Information Design - London Underground) - Essay Example This is normally not the case with other forms of art where it is not possible to know what part of the piece was intended for communication and what information it was intended to pass to the viewers. These reasons therefore argue for the case why people may choose a diagram to analyse at the expense of other forms of art (Penrice, 1975). The London underground diagram is used to communicate to ordinary people in the London underground railway system but due to the fact that people have gotten very familiar with it, they tend to ignore it and therefore fail to utilise the information that it provides. It was expected that the diagram would receive a lot of attention from the citizens of the country as well as British art critics due to the fact that the London underground diagram is considered a master piece of art of the twentieth century. Another reason that there should have been more appreciation directed to the diagram is the fact that a lot of artists of the United Kingdom hav e their residences in London as it is considered a centre for art and culture. It is therefore this reason that studying the diagram is important in order to understand how it communicates to the people of London in the city’s underground railway network (Walker, 1979). History of the London underground diagram The LUD idea dates back to 1931 and was brought by an artist named Henry C. Becks but was first rejected on the argument that it was a very revolutionary piece of art. This rejection was however over turned and the diagram was accepted in 1933 at the expense of Stingmore’s map. It is important to note that Beck, the original designer of the diagram, was also responsible for the various subsequent revisions that were carried out on the diagram to reflect the additions of various lines of the London underground railway line system. The reason why Beck chose to use a diagram instead of a map was as a result of a thorough evaluation of the needs of the public in ter ms of the need for clarity of the diagram rather than geographical accuracy. The fact that there were additions of various lines to the underground system made it impossible to maintain a geographically correct diagram and therefore the only option was to ensure that the diagram was clear to the public in the sense that they could see clearly the various lines and the outline of the underground train system (Penrice, 1975). The diagram as a map The diagram has been referred to as a map by various artists as well as ordinary people but it should be noted that this reference has been discredited due to various reasons. Most of the critics have argued that diagrams do not possess some of the unique and communicative features found in maps and therefore cannot be referred to as maps. It is however important to note that a further study by various academicians revealed that there are various common characteristics that are shared between maps and diagrams and therefore it is not wrong to refer to diagrams as maps. The main argument about the differences is due to the specific characteristics of maps as they are used to depict actual pieces of earth although in a much smaller size and on a piece of paper. It is also clear that maps are used to reduce