Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Christopher Columbus The United States And Charles C....

In education today, Christopher Columbus is known by the majority of students as the man who so called â€Å"discovered† the Americas accidentally on his voyage to India. Students learn about the â€Å"Indians† that Columbus stumbled across and the cultivations that Columbus and his crew were able to accomplish on the new lands. Books tell of new resources, materials, and goods that made it all the way across the sea from Genoa, but students have not been introduced to the carryover of disease(s) that Columbus and his men effortlessly passed on to the Native Peoples, the inaccuracies of the pre-Columbian North America, or the government s influence on historical beliefs. The tales of Columbus that are popularized across education only offers a†¦show more content†¦Their lives simply depended on their ability to cultivate the natural resources amongst them as well as develop strategies for agricultural growth and societal management. â€Å"Worldwide, more than half the crops grown today were initially developed in the Americas† (Mann 10). The Native Americans were able to spread crops throughout North America through fertile lands and rural areas, as well as spread maize crops amongst the planet due to their differences growing rates. In addition to being extremely cultivative and resourceful, the belief that pre-Columbian North America was minimally populated was poorly estimated. Anthropologist and researcher of native peoples in the American hemisphere, Henry F. Dobyns, concluded that â€Å"†¦ the Western Hemisphere held ninety to 112 million people†. Although it is very small when compared to the population of the Western Hemisphere today, it stands to prove that America was more populated than the flourishing Europe at the time. Furthermore, Anna C. Roosevelt posed that Marajà ³ was â€Å"one of the outstanding indigenous cultural achievements of the New World†. Marajà ³, being an island in the the Amazon , was able to host an estimated 100,000 inhabitants accumulated by Native American tribes. This proves to the show, the ability of Native Americans to not only depend on their knowledge to survive, but as well as their abilities

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Essay on A Tale of Two Cities Madame Defarge - 987 Words

Madame Thà ©rà ¨se Defarge When terrible things happen to good people there are two paths that can be traveled: forgiveness can be offered, or vengeance can be pursued. Madame Defarge from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, takes the latter of these two options and religiously lives by it, seeking revenge on the cruel heartless aristocracy plaguing France with famine, poverty, and oppression; however, the reasons behind her malice force the reader to understand why she performs such hateful acts during the French Revolution. Madame Defarge, though intelligent, is consumed by her hatred and has transformed into something just as bad, if not worse, than the members of the aristocracy. Madame Defarge will stop at nothing to see the†¦show more content†¦She witnesses firsthand all of the hardships the French commoners are enduring and it fuels her rage and anger toward the nobility. Madame Defarge channels all of this anger into exacting her revenge, but we cannot h elp pitying her for her wretched childhood. We comprehend the reasons behind the madness, but that does not justify her actions. Hundreds of people die on account of Madame Defarge, but she feels no concern and regards this loss of human life as a rightful tribute to the revolution. Her hatred and desire for vengeance has swallowed her whole, and nothing good is left of Madame Defarge: It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her, that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan; that was insufficient punishment, because they were her natural enemies and her prey, and as such had no right to live. (367) Her need to see her enemies destroyed is so strong that it overrides any other emotion that Madame Defarge may have left, and it leaves her â€Å"absolutely without pity† (367). She cannot see the monster she has become because she is so focused on immolating every last aristocrat or enemy of the republic. France may have suffered from poverty,Show MoreRelatedRevenge By William Shakespeare s A Tale Of Two Cities1143 Words   |  5 Pagesin A Tale of Two Cities Suppose your family or someone close to you was hurt by someone or a group of people. What would you do and how would you react to the situation? With that thought in mind, think of how you would react if you were the one hurt. In both situations, you may desire compensation from the offenders who hurt you or a loved one. Depending on the reason why you would desire this compensation it can be classified as revenge or vengeance. Some characters in A Tale of Two CitiesRead MoreThe Duality Of Light And Darkness1117 Words   |  5 PagesOn the Duality of Light and Darkness in A Tale of Two Cities The French revolution was filled with bloodshed as the people of France rebelled against the aristocracy. In every heroic struggle there’s always a darkside and Charles Dicken’s book. A Tale of Two Cities, exemplifies this dynamic. The novel attempts to shed light on the point of lives of the middle class of Paris’ and London’s as they’re trapped in the fighting fighting between the aristocracy and peasantry during the French RevolutionRead MoreDuring the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens948 Words   |  4 PagesA Tale of two cities is a compelling tale written by Charles Dickens. The tale takes place in London and Paris. Main characters Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette, Charles Darnay, Sydney Carton, and the Defarges are chronicled before the French Revolution and when the revolution begins throughout France. The author Charles Dickens explores the economic disparity between rich and poor within in the two cities and topics dur ing enlightenment such as revolution in political thinking. In addition to establishingRead MoreA Tale Of Two Cities By Charles Dickens1024 Words   |  5 PagesAt the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens writes, â€Å"every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other (14).† Throughout the novel, Dickens incorporates the theme of secrets to connect characters and add mystery to the story. The three characters with the significant secrets are Charles Darnay, Alexandre Manette, and Madame Defarge. Darnay, Manette, and Defarge are all of French blood, living in either France or England in the heat of the FrenchRead MoreJohn Barsad and Monsieur Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesA Tale of Two Cities, involves many complicated situations in which the characters must choose between chance or death, career or family, honor or revenge. As a result, ambiguity has evolved in multiple characters because of these difficult choices. Two prominently ambiguous characters are John Barsad and Monsieur Defarge. While Barsad recognizes the importance of career and honor, Defarge sees more prominence in family and revenge. John Barsad’s ambiguity is demonstrated by two contrastingRead MoreA Tale Of Two Cities By Charles Dickens1704 Words   |  7 PagesA Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a novel set during the time of the French Revolution in England and France. The Revolution is a time of great danger and constant change. Dickens’ novel expresses the theme of fate through metaphors in many different ways. These metaphors connect the fates of Dickens’ characters that are intertwined in some way whether they are aware of how they are connected or not. Charles Dickens illustrates to his readers that fate is predetermined as shown throughRead More A Tale of Two Cities - Breaking Gender Stereotypes and Stereotyping854 Words   |  4 Pages nbsp;Breaking Gender Stereotypes in A Tale of Two Cities nbsp; The men and the women of A Tale of Two Cites are violent, loving, cowardly, brave, and ruthless.nbsp; Some people are weak and spoiled, while others are badly treated and vindictive.nbsp; Many contrasts between men and women can be found within this story.nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; A Tale of Two Cities clearly portrays very distinct divisions in the behavior of men.nbsp; The aristocrats, or upperclassmenRead MoreCompare And Contrast Lucie Manette And Therese Defarge866 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the course of the novel A Tale of Two Cities, numerous comparisons and contractions can be made between the main characters. The showcased women, Lucie Manette and Therese Defarge, differ exceedingly for their response to opposition but relate strongly for their definitive influence on others. Compassionate, humble, and raised as an orphan, Lucie Manette is depicted as a strong young woman who became a savior to her. Madame Defarge distinctly contradicts Lucie’s state of mind for she feedsRead MoreVengeance, Vendetta and Vanity: the Women of a Tale of Two Cities870 Words   |  4 PagesVanity: The women of A Tale of Two Cities In this world, there are many things that men may possibly never understand. Time travel†¦ gravity transcendence†¦ and over everything, women, to name a few. In Dickens’ novel, we see just how complex (and simple) women can be. In this paper I will be defending J.F. Hamilton’s â€Å"Of Weaving and Knitting†. When reading A Tale of Two Cities, it is easily discernible that Lucie Manette and M. Defarge are opposites. Lucie is British. M. Defarge is French. Lucie hasRead MoreA Tale Of Two Cities By Charles Dickens1305 Words   |  6 Pages In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, isolation impacts Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton by altering their perception of life, influencing Madame to become obsessive with her vengeful goal of eliminating the aristocracy and damaging Carton by forcing him to contain his depressive emotions. Madame Defarge is first introduced as a stern woman with a rather ominous habit of knitting, with no indication of her bloodthirsty habits. However, it is later noted that Madame Defarge is actually knitting

Monday, December 9, 2019

Occupational Safety Health Act of 1970 free essay sample

Examined in terms of origins, provisions, background, worker protection, litigation, need for reform, weaknesses, penalties, inspections and enforcement. The OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) Act of 1970 empowered the Secretary of Labor and OSHA (Occupation Health and Safety Administration), the federal agency created to administer the act, to establish and enforce standards guaranteeing the health and safety of all covered workers. The act covers every employer whose business affects interstate commerce. Exempted in the 1970 act were federal, state, and local government agencies. Also exempted are self-employed persons, family owned and operated farms, religious groups that do not employ workers for secular purposes, and working conditions regulated by other federal agencies under other federal statutes. The fact that municipal employees are not covered by Federal OSHA is an oversight that should be corrected. The OSH Act has undergone significant changes since its..

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Rock of Ages Case Study free essay sample

Executive Summary Rock of Ages (ROA) is an industry leader in granite quarrying and manufacturing, specializing in memorials. With nine quarries ranging through Vermont, Quebec, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and recently Ukraine, ROA offers a variety of granite colors and grades for the selective consumer. Until January, 2008, ROA also had a retail division dedicated to memorials. Although ROA has been in business for over a century, economic factors in a global economy are eroding on their once rock-solid consumer base. Specifically, ROA has operated at a loss over the last several years, with 2008 being a transition year due to the discontinuation of the Retail division. This case study serves to evaluate ROA’s strategic direction given both internal and external environmental factors using best-of-breed analysis tools. Table of Contents Executive Summary2 Rock of Ages Case Study 2 Table of Contents2 Introduction3 Mission and Goals4 Situation Analysis5 SWOT Analysis10 Porter’s Five Forces12 Sustainable Competitive Advantage13 Resources and Capabilities14 Performance Measures16 Strategic Integration17 Bibliography22 Introduction Rock of Ages is in trouble. We will write a custom essay sample on Rock of Ages Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The following pages illustrate ROA’s declining performance over the last five years in revenue while operational costs continue to rise. Return on equity plummets while debt continues to climb. This diminishes shareholder value for ROA, and impacts their long-term viability. The time for action is upon them. To evaluate the appropriate strategy to revitalize ROA’s business, we employ several analyses essentially inspecting the company from separate facets as though it were a prism. First, we analyze the current strategy and direction. What does the organization already have in motion to change their fiscal landscape? Next, we perform situational analyses of ROA by evaluating both internal and external factors which have shaped their current situation. These include: A financial analysis over the last five years, marking both long and short term trends. SWOT analysis to determine where ROA shapes their future, and where the present situations are allowed to shape ROA. Porters Five Forces analysis to evaluate how well ROA is positioned to respond to competitive pressures and which area of competition require immediate response. A competitive advantage analysis appraises how ROA differentiates them from the competition, and whether this advantage is sustainable. After gathering the data from these analyses, it’s used to create performance measures and mapped to strategic integration throughout the organization. The case study ends with recommendations based on the analyses for ROA to regain market share and preserve brand equity. Mission and Goals Founded in 1885, Rock of Ages (ROA) is nearing its 125’s birthday as a granite quarrying and manufacturing company. Priding themselves on lasting granite memorialization, the company sells wholesale memorials to independent retailers in the US and Canada. Until January of 2008, ROA operated three separate lines of business: Manufacturing, Quarrying, and Retail. The Retail division has been discontinued, allowing the company to focus on the remaining two core business divisions. ROA’s newly revised strategy now focuses on the following elements (ROA, 2008): Strategic alliances With the Retail division’s discontinuation, business partnerships with local and regional retailers, funeral directors, and cemetery owners is critical to ROA’s continued growth and success. Direct sales of private mausoleums and civic memorials Local, state, and federal funding are available for creating and renovating civic memorials. One of the recent commissions for ROA produced the world’s largest statue of Pope John Paul II at over 30 feet tall. (ROA Civic, 2008) Personalization ROA seeks to provide a product line with enough variability to meet the needs of anybody in search of a memorialization solution. Expansion of quarries and quarry business Until recently, ROA focused the business on domestic quarries only; owning and operating ten quarry properties in the US and Canada. ROA recently brokered a partnership with VIKA, Ltd. , a Ukrainian quarrying company, to broaden their product offering and remain competitive with overseas competition. Reduce overhead and streamline operations Having recently sold the Retail division, ROA seeks to decrease redundant job functions and administrative office space costs. ROA focuses on product differentiation through quality. The only company who offers a perpetual warranty (guaranteed forever), ROA products set the standard for granite memorials. Situation Analysis ROA’s situation is defined largely by recent financials. They have demonstrated year over year decline in revenue, profit, and net income since 2003 as demonstrated in Figure 1 (below). (MSN Money, 2008) Figure 1 ROA’s 2006 and 2007 financials have been resubmitted to accommodate for the discontinuation of the Retail organization, providing skewed trend lines. However, one will still note continued decline of net income between 2006 and 2007 in spite of a slight increase in both revenue and gross profit. This additional loss has been attributed to the costs of discontinued operations (Retail), and constitutes a $5. 2 million cost in 2007. The resubmission of 2006 financials have repositioned 2006 as a bounce-back year for some key metrics. Figure 2 (below) illustrates improved fixed assets turnover and inventory turnover, with a minor decline in total asset turnover. Figure 2 Figure 3 Not all key metrics show positive gain since the 2006 resubmission due to the Retail discontinuation. Figure 3 (right) shows continued decline of return on equity following the same trend line as 2003-2004. This demonstrates poor performance for stockholders. While return on equity falls, ROA’s debt ration continues to climb. Years 2006-2007 show this trend leveling off, and the current ratio in figure 5 has started to climb. These ratios will need to significantly improve to increase the company’s liquidity. Figures 4 5 While sales performance appears dismal, recent trends are largely due to the resubmission of the 2006 financials and the discontinuation of Retail. Sales revenue increased approximately 10% between 2006 and 2007 with the restated financials removing the Retail division. Figure 6 Figure 7 (below) evaluates the company’s assets and liabilities over time. This more clearly illustrates the benefit of selling the Retail organization, as the working capital once again approaches the current liabilities, and current assets are back on the rise. Again, as ROA reduces debt their market attractiveness will improve. Figure 7 Financial Summary While much of the fiscal landscape is in a period flux for ROA due to the discontinuation of the Retail business line, much work is left to put them on the road to financial recovery. Based on the company’s performance and analysts predictions, few investors would risk ROAC in their portfolio. (MSN Money, 2008) SWOT Analysis Highlights of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats currently met by ROA are illustrated in figure 8 (below). Figure 8 (Chapman, 2008) Strengths ROA has a long history of product quality. Backed by the industry’s only perpetual warranty, ROA stands behind their product for the customer and the customer’s heirs forever. The quality begins with the type of stone quarried from the Earth, as many of ROA’s quarries yield granite composition among the best in the world. (Granite Museum, 2008) In addition to quality, ROA also moves more quantity of granite than any other quarrying company in the US. (USGS, 1997) These factors have drawn and kept a talented workforce at ROA, and provided a brand name well recognized in the granite industry. Weaknesses Although ROA demonstrates generations of granite expertise, there are some modern day business challenges which impact ROA’s profitability. Distribution channels are in need of expansion to reach a broader and more diverse customer segment. While this must be driven through key business partnerships, better management of enhanced distribution partnerships will require investment in information technology systems to integrate the ROA web presence with consumers, partners, and suppliers. ROA suffers from limited RD funding, relying on an industry as stable and solid as the product they sell. With consumers growing increasingly demanding in terms of customization, ROA needs to stay ahead of the curve in terms of innovation. Perhaps a prospective customer could upload a photo and see various types of stone to virtually carve it onto in an effort to facilitate better and faster sales. Putting choice into the hand of the consumer will create another differentiating factor for ROA to sustain their competitive advantage. Opportunities Threats Some of the external factors for ROA present themselves as opportunities rather than threats. For example, the rate of cremation is rising – currently ~25% and expected to rise to ~40% by 2010 (see figure 9 below). This presents an opportunity for the growing customer market that need an alternate method for memorializing these loved ones. A new product or deviation from the existing product line would be required to meet this need. Figure 9 (CANA, 2006) SWOT Summary This SWOT analysis reinforces ROA’s key strengths (branding, quality, labor force) which the company should continue to maintain. More importantly, however, is the revelation of the weaknesses in the organization (distribution, RD, strategic partnerships) and threats (overseas competition, labor unions) requiring a plan of action. This case study’s recommendations for that plan can be found in the Conclusion and Recommendation section. Porter’s Five Forces ROA’s competition framework is illustrated in Figure 10 below. Porter’s framework maps out the five competitive pressures for an industry. Figure 10 For ROA’s quarrying and manufacturing divisions, the larger threats stem from buyer power and substitution. Buyer power is a significant force as ROA maintains high pricing in comparison to the competition. ROA seeks to differentiate their product offering through quality and their perpetual warranty, charging a premium for these services. Buyer power is also emphasized by the growing number of alternative solutions available for memorialization. Lower cost bronze markers are common for cremation memorials, as well as spending alternatives for the urn. In these instances, the granite products ROA is known for are losing market demand, and as a result consumers have a higher bargaining power. Another of the forces in need of attention is industry rivalry. In conference calls with Norwich MBA students, ROA representatives have stated overseas competition is the fastest growing threat. â€Å"A granite company in China can quarry, manufacture, ship and resell a product for less [cost] than it takes [ROA] to create a finished product. † (Brock, 2007) While ROA contends these overseas monuments are inferior quality, this source for price competition creates diminished profit margins for ROA. Summary Similar to our SWOT analysis, we’re seeing a common theme for ROA to focus on specific areas of the business: Overseas competition Price Dwindling market segment Need for strategic partnerships (distribution, retail) Focusing on these factors will stabilize the company and provide a basis for sustained competitive advantage. Sustainable Competitive Advantage ROA’s competitive advantage is based on quality in raw materials, quality in manufacturing, and the industry’s only perpetual warranty. While these differentiating factors allow dominance over a portion of the target consumer market, the remaining consumers are less discerning on quality and more driven by price. To meet the needs of this consumer segment, ROA will need to offer a lower priced alternative product line. This can be accomplished through overseas partnerships, similar to the VIKA partnership in the Ukraine. Limiting themselves to the premier segment of a diminishing market will spell ROA’s doom. To protect the ROA brand’s association to quality, the lower-end product marketing could be done under a separate business name. The following table lists the resources and capacities for ROA. Resources and Capabilities Table 1 Importance Relative Strength Comments RESOURCES R1. Finance 9 2 ROA has shown steady decline year over year. R2. Technology 5 2 ROA has not made significant investments in technology to enable the business R3. Plant Equipment 8 8 These facilities are key components to ROAs continued success R4. Location 4 8 ROA operates in Vermont in close proximity to their quarries R5. Distribution (dealership network) 9 6 With sale of the retail division, the distribution network is critical. R6. Brands 7 7 ROA has a strong brand in the industry CAPABILITIES C1. Product Development 6 5 ROA must develop new products to meet changing market needs C2. Purchasing 7 4 ROA needs to perform a cost benefit analysis for overseas procurement of raw and semi-finished product C3. Engineering 8 9 ROA has a strong skilled labor force C4. Manufacturing 8 7 Additional cost-saving measures may be available through partnerships. C5. Financial Management 9 4 Though the Retail division has now been discontinued, the company has suffered financial losses year over year. C6. RD 5 1 No real RD investment C7. Marketing Sales 8 5 Limited web presence, lack of integrated CRM C8. Government Relations 8 8 Much of the Civic Memorial business is dependent on this business line. C9. Strategic Management 9 6 Discontinuing Retail was a sound decision, but was it too late? The company needs to get a few profitable quarters to satisfy shareholder concerns. Figure 11 Several key strengths and weaknesses are evident based on this evaluation. Of particular note is R1- ROA’s financials. This has been an area of weakness due, in large part, to the Retail organization. By discontinuing Retail, ROA has stepped onto the road to financial recovery, yet there are still additional steps needed to ensure that recovery takes place. These are addressed in other key weaknesses, such as partnership management, market incentives for distribution dealers, and contraction of operational expenses. Focusing on ROA’s strengths, engineering and manufacturing remain core assets to the company. The government relations ROA has been making are also strong assets for the organization, allowing growth in the civic memorial business where federal funding is required. Performance Measures Through the SWOT, Porter’s Five, and Resource and Capabilities matrixes, we have identified several strategic areas within ROA which are core to the growth and business success. Table 2 (below) captures these objectives with key performance measurements. These metrics above are broken into the strategic areas of financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth. Table 2 Strategic Performance Areas Objectives Measures Actual (2006) Actual (2007) Change Financial Cash Flow Positive net cash flow Net change in cash $ 1. 36 Mil. ($ 1. 39 Mil) ($ 2. 75 Mil. ) Revenue Increase sales Gross sales $ 50. 16 Mil. $ 55. 55 Mil. $ 5. 39 Mil. Debt Decrease debt Current Liabilities $ 47. 00 Mil. $ 27. 87 Mil. ($19. 13Mil. ) Customer Dealer relations Improve relations Dealer based sales N/A N/A N/A New products Introduce new low end product lines Customer adoption of new product N/A N/A N/A Customer satisfaction Survey to evaluate customer satisfaction Survey results N/A N/A N/A Internal Processes Manufacturing costs Decrease costs Manufacturing COGS $ 17. 6 Mil. $ 18. 0 Mil. $ 0. 4 Mil. Inventory Turnover Maintain or improve Inventory Turnover 1. 77 1. 89 0. 12 Distributor relations Improve relations Distributor survey N/A N/A N/A Learning and Growth Employee Satisfaction Maintain or improve Employee survey N/A N/A N/A Core skill competencies Improve skills Skills testing N/A N/A N/A The financial section outlines areas of positive performance, but also opportunities for improvement. Revenue improved 10% between 2006 and 2007, and debt fell 40%. While these numbers are drastic improvements, they are tempered with the discontinuation of the Retail business line, providing uncertainty on the sustainability of the recovery trend. More troubling is the slip in cash flow, as it fell from a positive $1. 36 million to a negative $1. 4 million. One will note that many of the metrics necessary in other sections are unavailable. These are metrics critical for the organization to monitor, and have either been ignored or are not publicly unavailable. Dealer relations are of particular importance with the discontinuation of the Retail organization. Strategic Integration Many suggestions brought about from these analyses are consistent with ROA’s stated mission and goals. However, while the goals ROA works towards are correct, there is still some question on the strategy in place to achieve those goals. Table 3 (below) suggests a point rating for the various segments of the business. The following section will delve into each of these initiatives in further detail. Table 3 Functional Initiatives BSC Performance Areas Affected Objectives Measures Change (2006-2007) Points HRM Human Capital Focus on strategic job families to decrease overhead SGA Increased $0. 11 Mil 15 Finance Financial Perspective Increase Profit Net Income ($1. 19 Mil) 25 Marketing Customer Management Process Increase customer base Number of sales N/A 25 Operations Inventory Turnover Increase quality, reduce errors Number of returns 0. 12 15 Change Leadership Organizational Capital Successful discontinuation of Retail and subsequent cultural adoption Strategic job employee satisfaction N/A 20 The order of importance suggested of 1) Finance 2) Marketing 3) Change Leadership 4) Operations 5) Human Resources are based on ROA’s SWOT and Porters 5 analyses. The company has been in steady fiscal decline over the last 5 years, and every effort must be made to limit overhead and spending while increasing sales in this pivotal time. To carry these sales out, a new marketing effort is required, and strategic partnerships with retailers and distributors are a core component to that effort. Based on the recent company changes and forecasted changes necessary, leadership must focus on careful strategic communication to bolster morale and align culture with the new business direction. These new directions require operational processes and systems in place to enable the business. Finally, the company cannot afford to lose the talent which provides their competitive advantage. The human capital component must focus on retaining key performers during this transition period. Conclusions Recommendations Following the suggested order of importance listed in the previous section, we begin the recommendations with Finance. As a publicly traded company, ROA has a fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders. (Friedman, 1970) Today, that responsibility is in direct conflict with the strongly held cultural values of ROA. The company has been slow to react to the overseas threat in availability and price, and has suffered significant market erosion due to this sluggishness. ROA prides themselves on being a US (and Vermont) company, and as a result of their industry and location are subject to significant overhead due to US Labor Union rates. While the quality of these skilled workers remains a differentiating factor, ROA must find ways to either lower domestic costs or increase offshore investments and partnerships to lower operational costs and provide a product line priced appropriately for the less discerning market segment unwilling to pay a premium for their product. This leads us into marketing recommendations. With the discontinuation of Retail, ROA is far more dependent on strategic partnerships in distribution and retail. Incentives for these partners are critical, and must be compelling enough to differentiate ROA from other granite wholesalers. ROA needs retailers and funeral home directors to sell ROA’s product line preferentially and only use a competing brand to save a customer sale. To facilitate this brand loyalty, ROA needs current marketing materials for consumers and information which is readily available and emphasizes ROA’s competitive advantage (quality, skilled labor, perpetual warranty) over the competition. ROA also needs a product line and pricing schedule which meets the needs of a broader segment of the market base. The ROA website needs a partner portal, such that retailers can sell ROA products through ROA’s site, as well as manage inventory and orders to ROA. This brings us to operations recommendations (we’ll address leadership at the end)†¦ One critical facet of operations is inventory management. ROA’s inventory turnover is too low. By implementing a partner portal, orders can be integrated into both lines of business (Quarry and Manufacturing), ensuring lead times are effectively managed and inventory reduced. As ROA increases its offshore presence, this type of a management system will be increasingly important to highlight areas of surplus and shortfall. By setting expectation with business partners accurately, ROA is enabling their partners to succeed, which in turn will anchor the partnership into the future. As ROA chooses where to allocate capital funds, marketing and operations should receive funding specific to these initiatives. As mentioned, ROA differentiates itself based on quality, and much of this quality stems from the skilled craftsmen and artisans which create their product offerings. Quality is core to ROA’s business, and outsourcing or off shoring these strategic job functions would likely lead to diminished quality, thereby destroying the competitive advantage ROA offers. Therefore ROA should maintain the finishing and final quality assurance inspection of all products domestic, but increase the offshore supply of raw materials (granite) and have products semi-finished shipped in. This will reduce both quarrying and manufacturing overhead, while maintaining the high levels of quality ROA is known for. The final section for recommendation is leadership. ROA’s leadership team has taken a bold step forward with discontinuation of the Retail division. However, it was done too late. The business has sustained years of lost revenue due to the failing Retail division. The leadership team has invested in offshore opportunities with VIKA. This, too, was done too late. International competition has eroded ROA’s consumer base and undersold their pricing structure. The first point of concern in evaluating ROA’s leadership is the sluggish reaction to threats and opportunities rather than proactively maneuvering the company for quicker responses. Now is the time to unite the company behind the manufacturing and quarry divisions to ensure positive momentum from the sales of Retail. Now is the time to confront the international competition threats by investing in offshore opportunities. Now is the time to solidify the relationships with distributors and retailers with strong incentives to bolster ROA’s sales and reinforce the market branding. The second point of concern is the culture in ROA which has lead to this situation. With the discontinuation of Retail, the company is provided with a rare opportunity to capitalize on the sense of urgency ensues to create change. (Kotter, 1996) With a carefully articulated vision and strategy, ROA has the opportunity to change the culture in the company from a lethargic reactive one to an energetic, proactive culture less likely to balk at the investment of an offshore manufacturing facility. Focusing inward on resource alignment is as critical (if not more so) as the external factors in ROA’s stated strategy. (ROA, 2008) Bibliography

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Holiday Skits for Young Students

Holiday Skits for Young Students Developing holiday skits and plays for young students can be a challenge. This list of ideas for imaginative holiday performances can help you to create an event that is enjoyable for children and their parents. Religious Christmas Plays For religious or private schools, Christian Crafters offers a long list of good-natured Christmas skits. Some are Biblically inspired, while others share warm-hearted stories of faith and holiday spirit. Another Christian themed website showcases an extensive catalog of free skits and plays celebrating the historical and mythical St. Nicholas. Secular Christmas Plays For teachers looking for a more secular approach to holiday skits, Apples 4 the Teacher provides an abundance of creative resources for teachers. Festival of Lights Finally, there are a few sites that offer scripts for Hanukah. The Tree of Light is a full-length musical that can be performed, royalty-free, so long as teachers request permission from the playwright. And for older students who might enjoy classic sketch comedy from vintage 1980s Saturday Night Live, recreate this whimsical skit about â€Å"Hanukah Harry.† Each of these choices will bring laughter, fun, and creativity into your classroom†¦ all the while spreading a bit of holiday cheer!

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper

How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper? WhÃ'â€"lÐ µ wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Ã' Ã ¾mÐ µÃ'• nÐ °turÐ °llÃ'Æ' to some Ã'€Ð µÃ ¾Ã'€lÐ µ, others have tÐ ¾ mÐ °kÐ µ Ã' Ã ¾nÃ'•Ã' Ã'â€"Ð ¾uÃ'• Ð °nd concentrated Ð µffÐ ¾rts to craft a worthy paper. It doesn’t concern Ð ¾nlÃ'Æ' thÐ µ wÐ ¾rdÃ'•, but Ð °lÃ'•Ð ¾ the fÐ ¾rmÐ °ttÃ'â€"ng, spelling Ð °nd grÐ °mmÐ °tÃ'â€"Ã' Ã °l Ð µrrÐ ¾rÃ'• thÐ °t Ð ¾ftÐ µn overfill the students Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ'. There is a numbÐ µr of rÐ µÃ °Ã'•Ð ¾nÃ'• fÐ ¾r thÃ'â€"Ã'•, hÐ ¾wÐ µvÐ µr they Ã' Ã °n be Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' tÐ µd effortlessly wÃ'â€"thin a short period Ð ¾f time. In the case of containing a lot of mistakes, the Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ' could nÐ ¾t receive a good mark. It Ã'â€"Ã'• important tÐ ¾ make Ã'•urÐ µ that Ð °nÃ'Æ'thÃ'â€"ng frÐ ¾m a paper title to a full blown rÐ µÃ'•Ð µÃ °rÃ' h Ã'€Ð °Ã'€Ð µr Ã'â€"Ã'• Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' t and rÐ µÃ °dÃ'• wÐ µll. English Literature Helps Students who have taken a course in English literature face these issues less or do not suffer from these problems at all. Why? Because they have been exposed to so many literary works that you can be assured, they can tell you even more on how to write a perfect paper. The Power of Reading Now taking an English Literature course provides you with a number of benefits. It is known that people, who read a lot, train their memory so that they can keep everything in mind. Moreover, their vocabulary is much more spread than a common student’s one is. They may even do not now all the rules on how to write properly, but they do this automatically. Such a course certainly helps them write more creatively and be more aware of the common errors and how to avoid them. Once you have read many books written by great writers, on different styles and on different issues, your mind is more open to new ideas, how to describe emotions, how to use the right word at the right time. What is most important, it teaches you how to be a lot more engaging with what you are writing about. Logical sequences and well-constructed sentences help to maintain the interest of the reader. As a result, your chances of submitting a worthy paper are far greater. Here are some common errors that can occur in the submitted term papers: Spelling Using spell check is not 100% reliable. Sometimes the context of the sentence can confuse the logic of a computer program. Be aware. Improper Person AlmÐ ¾Ã'•t every Ã'•tudÐ µnt hÐ °Ã'• a problem wÃ'â€"th writing Ã'â€"n the wrÐ ¾ng Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ã'€Ð µÃ' tÃ'â€"vÐ µÃ'• at Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µ Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'â€"nt or another. It Ã'â€"Ã'• a Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾blÐ µm, and Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ addressed with a lÃ'â€"ttlÐ µ bit of undÐ µrÃ'•tÐ °ndÃ'â€"ng. ThÐ µ two most Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ã'€Ð µÃ' tÃ'â€"vÐ µÃ'• for wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng are thÐ µ first Ð °nd third Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ð ¾n. Fragments and Run-On Sentences Students commonly fÃ'â€"nd themselves Ð µÃ'â€"thÐ µr wÃ'â€"th a lÐ ¾ng wÃ'â€"ndÐ µd Ã'•Ð µntÐ µnÃ' Ã µ Ð ¾r ones thÐ °t are nÐ ¾t Ã' Ã ¾mÃ'€lÐ µtÐ µ ideas. ThÃ'â€"Ã'• Ã'â€"Ã'• a vÐ µrÃ'Æ' Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾blÐ µm Ð °mÐ ¾ng professional wrÃ'â€"tÐ µrÃ'•. GÐ µnÐ µrÐ °llÃ'Æ', individuals would Ð µÃ'â€"thÐ µr have trÐ ¾ublÐ µs wÃ'â€"th Ð ¾nÐ µ or the Ð ¾thÐ µr, but Ã'â€"n Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µ cases bÐ ¾th Ã'â€"Ã'•Ã'•uÐ µÃ'• Ð °rÐ µ a problem. Not Proofreading PrÐ ¾Ã ¾frÐ µÃ °dÃ'â€"ng Ã'â€"Ã'• nÐ ¾t Ð °ll that fun Ð °nd no Ð ¾nÐ µ lÃ'â€"kÐ µÃ'• doing Ã'â€"t, but Ã'â€"t Ã'â€"Ã'• really important for a wÐ µll wrÃ'â€"ttÐ µn paper. AÃ'• wÐ µ Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'â€"ntÐ µd out earlier, Ã'•Ã'€Ð µll check does nÐ ¾t Ã' Ã °tÃ' h Ð µvÐ µrÃ'Æ' tÃ'Æ'Ã'€Ð µ Ð ¾f Ð µrrÐ ¾r that Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ fÐ ¾und in typical wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng. It takes only a fÐ µw mÃ'â€"nutÐ µÃ'• to rÐ µÃ °d Ð ¾vÐ µr to make sure thÐ °t thÐ µÃ'Æ' Ð °rÐ µ complete thÐ ¾ughtÃ'•, have thÐ µ Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' t wÐ ¾rdÃ'• and mÐ °kÐ µ Ã'•Ð µnÃ'•Ð µ.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A case on Mergers & Acquisitions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A case on Mergers & Acquisitions - Assignment Example me concepts such as FDI1, which is the acquisition of ownership of assets by a foreign country in another country with the intention of having direct control over manufacture, distribution and sales of a firm in the host country. Foreign investment basically means the gap in a country’s requirement for investment and its savings rate (Yuang, 1998 p.63). The host country for FDI stands to benefit in a number of ways in terms of capital formation, export diversification, technology import, management system improvement, and enhanced market competition, infrastructure development to support economic activity, financial sector growth and markets development (OECD, 2001 p.13). FDI is a powerful engine in helping to achieve country objectives such as those about poverty reduction, development and international integration, and it is perceived to be an international investment route that most developed economies have embraced. Low income countries in Africa, for example, have not taken this advantage and are thus being excluded from the globalization benefits of FDI. This research paper seeks to explain general aspects of international trade and economic blocs as well as critically evaluate the economic environment for FDI in the United Arab Emirates focusing on business risk for a firm keen on investing in UAE and considering key aspects of the international business environment such as culture, ethical practices, legal systems, purchasing power, income, consumption patterns, taxes, infrastructure, economic prospects and stability in general among others. Picking on a specific product or service, the paper will explain distribution and marketing strategies and provide guidance on the extent to which the firm’s performance may be put at risk based on last five years. International trade deals with the dynamics around movement of goods and services including intellectual property across country borders and it affects not only a country’s economic, social and

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Endotracheal intubation pros and cons of its use in the emergency Research Paper

Endotracheal intubation pros and cons of its use in the emergency medical services field - Research Paper Example ared towards the pros and cons of the application of endotracheal intubation during the different procedures of emergencies that are usually undertaken when issues of time and saving life is at stake. In the discussion that follows, a deeper understanding on the realities behind the process of applying endotracheal intubation shall be given way. It is through this that the characterization of the said process shall be well opened for criticism with regards the positive effects as well as the negative effects of the medical approach to the patients immediately treated through endotracheal intubation (Sengupta 8). A part of the context of this particular reading shall also present the necessary reasons behind the establishment of such process and how it has been approved for medical application; from this particular discussion, a path towards the revealing on how the entire medical approach is actually creation a major breakthrough as well as a major danger to some patients to whom the process is applied to. Basically, endotracheal intubation is the description as to how the use of a plastic tube is utilized as a means of protection for the trachea and a direct passage for air during a critical medical situations. With the aid of laryngoscope, the tube is passed towards a path that includes the nose, larynx, and the vocal cords. This process then aims to at least give a patient that chance to breathe especially in special cases that they are already unable to release and accept air for body circulation. A bulb is then lighted at the tip of the apparatus to secure the entire set up in place and avoid vomit and blood from getting through the set up. The application of the entire set up may seem to be easy to explain however, it is really hard to apply though. One applying such process needs to have a mastery of its actual practice. Particularly, this is required to assure that the patient undergoing such medical treatment does not undergo any complications along the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The White Cube Museum Essay Example for Free

The White Cube Museum Essay Introduction: White cube was set up by art dealer Jay Jopling, an ex-Estonian and son of a Conservative MP who is married to artist Sam Taylor Wood. It was first opened in a small, square room in May 1993 in Duke Street. Indeed, it was the smallest exhibition space in Europe at the time, and yet, for such a small space white cube became, arguably, one of the most influential galleries of the past decade. Situated at 44 Duke Street, St James, one of London’s most traditional art dealing streets, surrounded by auction houses, old master galleries and specialist art bookshops.   The central concern of White cube was to create an intimate space in which an artist could present a single important work of art or a coherent body of work within a focused environment. In this regard, the gallery achieved its reputation by being the first to give one person shows to many of the so-called Young British Artist [YBAs]. Even when it moved to its present location at Hoxton Square, it still held on to its unique gallery rule that an artist could only be exhibited once. By this time, white cube had built up an international reputation for showing international artists such as Chuck Close, Richard Prince and Jeff Wall but interspersed with this Jay Jopling had also shown, cutting edge, YBAs including Gary Hume, Mona Hatoum, Marc Quinn and Sarah Lucas. Alfred H. Barr. Jr., director of the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA, is credited for transforming the white cube concept into a functionalist ideology that conveyed purity and restraint, hence setting up the canon for modern art. On the other hand, Carol Duncan has attempted to bring out the effect caused by MoMA’s imposition of the masculine gaze to modern art galleries. Indeed her writings have given feminists an impetus to show that the personal is political and hence, women can channel there own experiences to disrupt the masculinity of the museum’s space. Ideally, Carol Duncan challenges the white cube’s functionalist concept of purity and restraint by directing us to begin to think about ‘female form’ and its cultural significance. The concept of purity and restraint conveyed by the white cubes has its basis in the ideology that representations of the female body can be though to be less of a static object and more as a limit point or set of exclusions, for while an image of the body of a woman can represent all that is pure or worthwhile, it can also embody that which is thought to be the most contaminated and disgusting. It is this objectivism of the female body by male artists’ that Duncan describes as male artists’ attempts to reach abstraction. The white cube captures this abstraction in such a way that it bars women artists from admittance to its canon. She seems to portray the idea that this canon emanates from the view point of a heterosexual male audience whose desires activated the modernism of the white cube art concept. In essence Carol Duncan’s main critique of MoMA’s white cube is based from its perceived attempt to foster stereotypes in society. From her are led to imagine exhibition sites to be quite the opposite of the white cube, to be social spaces based on the model of a living, responsive, organic entity. This is because to her, the white cube deliberately restricts the range of sensorial input to the viewer as works are spatially isolated in uncluttered, pristine environments characterized by large expanses of bare, unadorned wall. The cool aesthetic of the modern art institution, to her, only serves to emphasize the architecture as a functional container and a set of solid surfaces. This makes the art museum appear like a ritual site whose aesthetic exhibition, courtesy of the white cube, distinguishes viewers from art works both conceptually and spatially, which is an ideal of the neutralized relationship between art and space. Emma Baker also presents a different angle to the critique on the white cube. She argues that by interpreting artistic statements concerning art and space within the expanded notion of interior space, better understandings and more appropriate solutions will result. This solutions are necessary because the modernist idea of a universalized and neutral environment for art as espoused by the white cube concept impinges on the interior space in the gallery, and therefore on the artwork. The idea of space itself is considered an ambiguity, and it is this ambiguity that the white cube concept capitalizes on, presenting an unobstructive gallery space characterized by sterile and lifeless walls. This is a marked contrast from the artists of the past who expressed their spatial concerns within the abstract notions of the interior, architecture, environment, and /or space; hence there is a lot of interest expressed by artists, in negotiating concerns associated with the physical, psychological, and experiential implications of space. In as much as Emma Baker declines to support the white cube concept, which has been the traditional approach of a modernist museum to the collection and exhibition of art work, she also does not go out to support the artists of the past since, according to her today’s museum’s privileging of newness, non-linearity, and post modernity seems to disavow the influence of history and the relevance of modernity. Her writings instead seem to allude to an approach which is concerned with the mediation of that art work to a diverse public, rather than the cultivation of the artist within a historical context. This is because, today architecture is the prevailing element that determines the quality and characteristics of art related spaces and therefore dictates the interrelation of art and space. Thus, because of the psychological, aesthetic, and behavioral implications, the notion of the interrelation of art and space needs to be considered within the complexity of interior space. Essentially, Baker advocates for a generic post modern approach style, which presents the concept of space in a fashion that is without precedent in architectural style, something which is widely apparent in recently constructed museums and shopping malls globally. And yet, the fundamental structure underlying these new effects can also be seen as maintaining clear connections with past incarnations of the institution’s built form. Precedents for this approach include the exhibitions from the Education and Community Program, such as Unspoken Truths (1993), and Once is Too Much (1997-1998). These exhibitions, and the programs of work from which they derived, set standards for education and community work within, rather than parallel to, the museums activities. Hence the idea of neutrality as espoused by the white cube is in this context dismissed within a design sensitive framework.   Furthermore, Emma Baker considers that one of the key functions of a museum of modern art, through the acquisition of art works, is to challenge rather than to reinforce assumptions about definitions of art and artists. This viewpoint contributes to make a powerful argument for a new way of looking and thinking about art that is open and inclusive rather than closed an exclusive. As such, this viewpoint employs features of modernity at a generally invisible albeit fundamental level. This is so in regard to history, display and communication on the one hand, so that on the other, it can attempt to undercut the problems of representation associated with modernity, by referencing a post modernity that denies both historical precedents and the connection between museums and modernity as a progress-oriented project. This is ironic in relation to modernism’s belief that ‘ornament is a crime’ because it   looks as if post modernity has been appropriated within Emma Baker’s view point not as a cohering style, or as a guiding principle, but as precisely that: adornment. In both asserting and critiquing the idealized modernity of white cube exhibition spaces through their strategies of display, Emma Baker’s viewpoint may be physical evidence for the argument that modernity and post modernity do not exist in a dialectical relationship, but as influences that overlap and compete for attention. In conclusion, it is important to note that both authors, Emma Baker and Carol Duncan attempt to critique the white cube’s concept of artworks that speak for themselves by employing neutrality to achieve the needed effect. Carlo Duncan approaches her criticism from the standpoint that rather than have museums with bare and unadorned walls, art exhibitions were designed to be   social spaces based on the model of a living, responsive, organic entity. Emma Baker on the other hand argues that what is essentially needed is some sort of mediation of that art work to a diverse public, rather than the cultivation of the artist within a historical context. Reference: Marie Fitzpatrick, D. The Interrelation Of Art And Space: An Investigation Of Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Century European Painting And Interior Space http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:StnTM_h7QVAJ:www.spokane.wsu.edu/Academics/Design/documents/Theses/d_fitzpatrick_10568509.pdf+Emma+Barker+*white+cubehl=enct=clnkcd=24gl=keclient=firefox-a Toorn, T. Sensing Bodies: Documentation, Preservation and Wearable Computer Art http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:ClLDm5PRsH4J:www.docam.ca/Pedagogie/Seminaire_2006/Tai_van_Toorn.pdf+Carol+Dunkan+*white+cubehl=enct=clnkcd=10gl=keclient=firefox-a

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

Sastra merupakan suatu bentuk karya yang tertulis dengan makna dan tujuan tertentu dari pengarangnya. Karya sastra bervariasi bentuknya, ada yang pendek ada yang panjang, ada yang terikat aturan ada yang bebas. Karya sastra tertulis dibuat untuk merekam kejadian yang terjadi pada saat itu di masa lampau. Seiring dengan perkembangan jaman, makna sastra berkembang dan jenisnya pun beragam. Puisi adalah salah satu cara para penyair untuk mendeskripsikan kondisi sosial pada suatu masa atau era. Sejak dahulu Indonesia sudah terkenal dengan karya-karya sastra yang berbentuk pantun, sajak, gurindam, mantera, syair dan lain sebagainya. Karya-karya ini digunakan untuk berbagai macam kejadian seperti pernikahan, kematian dan acara sosial lainnya. Seiring dengan perkembangan jaman, berkembanglah pula karya-karya sastra tersebut dan muncullah jenis-jenis puisi baru. Puisi-puisi baru tersebut juga digunakan sebagai salah satu bentuk ekspresi dari seorang sastrawan untuk mengungkapkan perasaan dan pendapat terhadap kondisi sosial yang berlaku di masyarakat. Baik berupa pujian maupun berupa sindiran atau protes. Karya sastra merupakan potret sejarah yang mencerminkan kondisi sosial masyarakat, politik, ekonomi dan budaya yang terjadi pada saat itu. Puisi yang akan dibahas dibuat pada tahun 1978 pada masa awal pemerintahan Soeharto setelah kesekian kalinya. W.S. Rendra membuat puisi â€Å"mata-mata† dengan suatu tujuan untuk memprotes sekaligus merefleksikan kondisi sosial masyarakat Indonesia berdasarkan pengalaman pribadinya hidup di jaman itu. Puisi yang akan dibahas ini adalah sebuah puisi yang berjudul â€Å"mata-mata† karya WS. Rendra. Beliau adalah salah satu penyair terhebat dan paling dikenang di Indonesia sepanjang masa. Bentuk puisi â€Å"mata-... ...si ini ditulis. Sehingga hasil interpretasi bisa menjadi tepat dengan adanya dukungan dari sejarah dan kejadian nyata. 1.4.1 Metode Pengumpulan Data 1.4.1.1 Sumber Primer 1.4.1.2 Sumber Sekunder Sumber sekunder dapat didapatkan dan dikumpulkan melalui puisi ini sendiri, buku dan situs-situs Internet. Informasi yang akan digunakan akan diseleksi dan dipilih secara seksama sehingga informasi yang didapatkan relevan dan terpecaya. Esai ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa dan mengupas tuntas sebuah puisi yang berjudul â€Å"mata – mata† karya WS. Rendra untuk menjawab sebuah pertanyaan â€Å"bagaimana puisi â€Å"mata – mata† dapat menunjukkan kondisi sosial Indonesia? Dengan cara menganalisa dan mengupas tuntas dengan berbagai teknik dan teori, maka arti dan tujuan dari puisi itu sendiri seakan-akan dapat diperjelas dan lebih nampak agar lebih mudah untuk dimengerti oleh semua orang.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Modern Day Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time there lived a young couple who had found true love and were bound together by fate. His name was Brian and hers was Melody. They lived it the beautiful city of Anchorage, Alaska. Brian was a C-17 Pilot stationed at Elmendorf AFB and Melody a 1st grade teacher at local school. Melody was a beautiful sight; her body was athletic, her hair fell over her shoulders and was highlighted to the most beautiful blonde, her skin was flawless and her eyes were blue but not an ordinary blue; like a tropical ocean and they sparkled like the water when the sun hit it. Brian wasn’t so bad himself. He was what all girls dreamed prince charming to be. He was tall and worked out often; his muscles could be seen through his shirt, his hair was dark, his skin tan, and one could get lost in his piercing green eyes. Brian and Melody spent every chance they had together outside of their busy schedules. They went on evening walks together and early morning jogs. They sat on their front porch and watched the sun rise and set in the beautiful snow covered Mountains of Anchorage. Most weekends the couple would make time for dinner and a movie. Brian and Melody were made for each other. Even a stranger could clearly see the love they had for each other would never die. (Sight & Touch) It was a cold brisk night in late December; the weather had changed in a matter of hours. The wind rose with a backing wind, it brought a clouded sky and a heavy snowstorm with it. A pallor of winter evening seemed to have closed upon the city, cloaking it in a blanket of snow. Brian and Melody were returning home after eating dinner at the Olive Garden and watching the movie â€Å"The Black Swan†. They had enjoyed their night out at dinner and a movie. The aroma of garlic wafted through the air from the white styrofoam box filled with Sicilian Scampi and the delightful flavor of light buttery popcorn remained in their mouths as if they were still indulging on it. The weather brought the worst driving conditions; (Sight) everything around them seemed to disappear in a thick white haze through which large snowflakes of snow were flying; the sky merged with the earth. (Hear) The wind blew with freezing blasts and such force it howled around the car as it faded out the music playing over the radio. The vehicle swayed while Brian fought to regain the road that was now a snowdrift burying the yellow and white painted lines. The challenging road conditions were inviting collision as other cars overtook the wrong side of the road and had a complete disregard for speed limits. Brian deeply concentrated and felt comfortable driving his 4 wheel drive Rubicon in these conditions. Breaking his concentration; Melody frantically shouted, â€Å"Brian, that truck, he is in our lane†! Brian didn't have time to react, â€Å"Crash†. The airbags deployed while the jeep flipped end over end and slid on the white blanket of snow that was once the road. The jeep came to a stop landing on its roof, the windows were busted out and the headlights shinned directly at the truck that had hit them. The Ford F-150 sat upright sideways in the road. It took a moment for Brian to come to reality with what had just happened. He glanced over at his wife who still sat there restrained, unconscious and bleeding severely from her head. He could hear the sirens of an Ambulance and Fire Truck off in the distance. Before he knew it he and Melody were being rushed to the hospital in an Ambulance. Brian lay there in the back of an Ambulance suffering only minor injuries. Melody lay across from him. Time seemed to stand still while he watched the Paramedics try to revive his wife. He shouted at the Paramedics, â€Å"do something, do something! † â€Å"Please do something; please don’t let my wife die! † They arrived at the hospital in what seemed to take hours to Brian. The Paramedics were able to get Melody’s heart beating but she was still unconscious. Brian paced back and forth up and down the hospital halls as his wife underwent surgery. The Dr. finally came out and said, â€Å"I have good news and bad, your wife seems to be stable but she is in a coma that could be indefinite. † â€Å"Indefinite†, Brian shouted! The Dr. attempted to calm Brian and Explained, â€Å"I can't promise that she won't wake up but it may take a miracle. She could wake up tomorrow, she could wake up in a month or she could be a Modern day Sleeping Beauty†. The following months felt like years to Brian. Melody lay there in a deep sleep and Brian remained by her side. Brian would speak to her softly while clasping her hand or pinching er fingers; He would tell her he loved her and beg her to wake up. He played songs the couple had danced to from their wedding and read to her from her favorite books. Often Brian would run his hands through Melody’s long blonde hair admiring her beauty dreaming of a future they had planned. The Dr. ’s showed little hope that Melody would ever wake up but Brian never gave up believing. Six long Months had passed and summer had come. Brian was at his last wit and desperate. One late night Brian said a prayer for his wife as he did every night before. Then he leaned over her bedside and pleaded, â€Å"Melody if you can hear me, please just give me a kiss. † What happened next was beyond Brian’s wildest dreams. To his shock Melody responded; slowly she turned her head towards his, puckered up her lips and gave him the smallest kiss. At that moment fate was sealed tightly, bound by one simple kiss and they lived happily ever after. â€Å"You can’t stop fate; â€Å"Whatever will be, will be†. Life presents unavoidable risks. You can’t stop the fate of True Love; it is also unavoidable. True Love is worth believing in and True Love never dies.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Cohabitation Before Marriage Essay

Does living together before marriage help or hurt relationships? This question has plagued couples for the last few decades, as both the numbers of those living together without being married and the rate of divorce has grown. I think living together before marriage can only help people avoid divorce, as they are given the chance to see what it is like to live with either the specific person, or a person for the first time. This also brings up the questions of why divorce rates are up and whether it has anything to do with living together before marriage. I bring certain prejudices about it, believing that living together before marriage does not negatively impact couples’ ability to stay together after marriage, as I have seen it work many times. In the end, I will attempt to make the connection between the two, if there is one, or explain why people think there may be. SOURCES: Hurley, D. (2005, April 19). Divorce Rate: It’s Not as High as You Think. The New York Times. Divorce Statistics Collection. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. divorcereform. org/nyt05. html Knadler, J. (2005, December). Is Five Years the New Forever? Cosmopolitan. Vol. 239, Iss. 6; pg. 149-152. Kramer, E. (2004, October). COHABITATION: JUST A PHASE? Psychology Today. Vol. 37, Iss. 5; pg. 28-29. Whether because of the instinct to procreate, emotional desire, or compulsion to follow social norms, human pair-bonding leads often to marriage. Defined as a social institution, religious sacrament, and personal commitment, marriage continues to evolve, growing to include a more relaxed attitude to divorce and the practice of cohabitation before marriage. Both of these subjects have sparked heated debates, with the issue of cohabitation before marriage being the latest movement in the realm of matrimony. While many opponents of cohabitation before marriage cite a lack of core family and moral values that have sanctified union through marriage for millennia, recent studies have shown that cohabitation before marriage is not only increasing in popularity, but may be beneficial compared to marriage first, as evidenced by the increasing divorce rate among married couples, the decrease of overall marriages, and the ever-changing landscape of marriage throughout history. Marriage between a man and a woman has long been the backbone of social cooperation and society itself. Marriage offered greater economic stability, the opportunity to produce heirs, and was often utilized as a tool to strengthen alliances between groups. Marriage echoed the foundational desire for societal regulations and norms, and like society, marriage continuously evolved, redefining itself and its purpose. From the days ancient Mesopotamia to Greece and Rome, marriage was largely a civic obligation. However, the proliferation of polytheistic religions as ultimate moral authorities transformed marriage into an expression of faith. Until the emergence of modern nation-states, most marriages were conducted under one or another religious regime. Starting with the Protestant Reformation, â€Å"most states took over their dominant religion’s marriage laws; debate has ensued ever since whenever a nation deviates from the still powerful religious rules that sanctify marriage† (Miller, 1999). Despite these dogmatic rules, outlawed actions such as unmarried cohabitation and divorce have become commonplace among couples, and the cause and effects are mixed. According to an analysis of new census figures by The New York Times, married couples, whose numbers have been declining for decades as a proportion of American households, have slipped into a minority in the United States. The American Community Survey, released in October by the Census Bureau, found that â€Å"49. 7 percent, or 55. 2 million, of the nation’s 111. 1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier† (Hurley, 2005). This trend shows that less and less heterosexual couples are choosing to get married, instead preferring to cohabitate and have children without marriage. Cohabitation can have many important benefits that marriage cannot, even if it comes with no religious sanctification or government protection. Cohabitation before marriage can be for a variety of reasons. Some couples may use it to see if they can live with the person, while others may do it simply out of convenience, and still others may do it for more practical reasons such as to save money. Susan Sassler, a sociology professor at Ohio State University, interviewed undergraduate and graduate students who had been living with a romantic partner for at least three months and asked them why they decided to move in with their partners. Fewer than a third of interviewees reported discussing their ideas for the future before making the move, and even fewer had mentioned marriage in their discussions with their partners; nearly a fifth specifically stated that they weren’t using cohabitation as a trial for marriage, and the most commonly cited reasons for moving in together were â€Å"saving money, convenience and the need for housing† (Kramer, 2004). This study helps show that cohabitation before marriage is not necessarily anything more than a practical move on the part of the couple. Whether or not the couple gets married seems to be secondary to the mutually beneficial arrangement that can allow many young couples to pursue personal and professional goals more easily with the support system offered by such a thing as marriage, with the freedom offered by being single. In the United States, it is widely believed that one in two marriages will end in divorce, so while many couples live together out of sheer practicality, cohabitation may be a good way to avoid the increasing divorce rate. The rate of divorce today is considered to be roughly 43% by the National Center for Health Statistics but was moved back up to around 50% by the Census Bureau in 2002. Most recently, according to the New York Times, it has been revised downward to just over 40%. (Crouch, 2005) This lower figure could be due to the fact that less people are getting married and choosing instead to cohabitate, but it cannot be denied that less people are getting and staying married than ever before. The proliferation of cohabitation before marriage could be for a great number of reasons, including the increasingly fast pace of society, a more cynical view of traditional morality, or even the more evolved view that couples do not have to sanctify their union through religion or law. Studies on successful cohabitation are difficult to perform, and no concrete statistics such as divorce rates offer clear-cut answers to its ultimate success or failure. However, moving past religious and social dogma that often frowns upon cohabitation before marriage, it would seem to be preferential for young couples to do before getting married, and many have. According to Jessie Knadler of Cosmopolitan Magazine, â€Å"many couples today live together before they marry, roughly 70 percent versus less than 5 percent 40 years ago† (Knadler, 2005). While this number suggests that virtually all couples that marry live together first, it also leads to a pitfall that cohabitating couples must avoid, namely seeing marriage as the next logical step in the relationship. As evidenced in the Sassler study, many of these cohabitating couples are doing it out of practical reasons, sharing money, bank accounts, bills, and such; to move this arrangement into marriage without a strong foundation is a risky mistake that ends in divorce nearly half of the time. The casual acceptance of divorce in today’s society seems to offer couples an easy way out whenever they so choose, unlike a few short decades ago when divorce was considered taboo. Divorce ultimately costs not only the couple, but also society as a whole, in legal fees and wasted court time. While breakups are rarely pleasant, they can prevent many of these personal fights from entering the public arena. The success of any marriage, relationship, or partnership depends on the trust and commitment of those who enter into it. Cohabitation can be a good way to lead to marriage, but it takes work and honesty between both partners. If the partners see a future with each other, marriage is the next logical step. However, if they are living together out of convenience, perhaps marriage is a bad idea. And, while marriage continues to evolve and to some degree evaporate, human relationships will always be too complex and diverse to generalize. REFERENCES Crouch, J. (2005). Divorce Rates. Divorce Reform Page. Americans for Divorce. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. divorcereform. org/rates. html Hurley, D. (2005, April 19). Divorce Rate: It’s Not as High as You Think. The New York Times. Divorce Statistics Collection. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. divorcereform. org/nyt05. html Knadler, J. (2005, December). Is Five Years the New Forever? Cosmopolitan. Vol. 239, Iss. 6; pg. 149-152. Kramer, E. (2004, October). COHABITATION: JUST A PHASE? Psychology Today. Vol. 37, Iss. 5; pg. 28-29. Miller, M. (1999, March/April). What is Marriage For? : A Conversation with E. J. Graff. UU World Magazine. 37 pars. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://www. uua. org/world/0399feat3. html

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Actual Experience essays

The Actual Experience essays Have you ever been to one of you favorite bands or musicians shows before? Wondered what it takes to put on a show? You are in that point of view of being in the crowd. Now you will learn what goes on from the point of view of a band member in a group called The Same. There is a bassist/backup vocalist, guitarist/vocalist, and a drummer. When a band of musicians takes the stage at a show there are things that have to take place and feelings that dont compare to anything else. I will bring you in a musicians shoes on the day of a live show. During the actual performance, the feelings, and what happens after the show. The time comes up when The Same is supposed to set up their equipment on stage and get ready. The bassist has a Fender p bass, the color of the sky on a beautiful day, and an 8 x 10 Hartke amp. It is about the size of a small child. The drummer has a very nice 5 piece set. Two crash symbols that will cringe in your ears, a snare that could pop a zit right off your face, a ride cymbal that rings like a bell, two toms, hi hats, floor tom, and a thumping bass drum. The guitarist has two different amps, and a nice wooden-red guitar with a lot of pedals. The Same then gets on stage and starts to set up. The amps are then turned up loud, making sure to have the volume of the bass amp up just as loud as the guitar amp and the drums. Then the mics are turned on. Check one, two. Czechoslovakia, the guitarist says. Check one, two. Checky, check, check, said the bassist. Now its time for the band to get their mind set to what they are about to play and forget anything else that tends to flow through their brains. There is a feeling of being focused, relaxed, but a little nervous. Hearts are beating fast and they are just walking back and forth ready to rock some kids socks off. Their teeth are cringing and their throats just want to get some ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Fastest Way to Find Money to Write

The Fastest Way to Find Money to Write Got you on the edge of your seat, right? Everyone loves to find money, and in this business, so few people make much of it. I just returned from a conference where publishers and agents alike warned the attendees not to quit their day jobs because the competition is just so fierce. I appeared on three panels at PubSense 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina: One on promotion, one as an example of a small press success, and the third, which I moderated, on funding. My favorite topic. Sowhat was the hot topic of both the panel and the crowd when it came to finding money? Crowdfunding. Some people deflate thinking about the effort of crowdfunding, but it is 1) You set the bar as to how much you need. 2) You establish the rewards to those who donate to your cause. 3) You choose the crowdfunding site/platform that best suits your taste. 4) You are not judged 5) You develop a platform of ambassadors, followers, and fans during the process. 6) You become respected as an entrepreneur. 7) You might become discovered or picked up Projects to post and request money for? First of all, you dont say you need money to live on. Instead, you might show how you are soliciting funds for: 1) Research 2) Travel 3) Cover, editing, formatting 4) Public speaking 5) Performances 6) Part Charity in affiliation with the subject of your book 7) Raising awareness of a subject And if you dont like asking for money for a project? Many people dont like holding their hand out. Then consider using the platform to ask for pre-orders of your book. Hey! Thats not painful at all. My favorite crowdfunding sites: 1) Pubslush.com 2) Kickstarter.com 3) Indiegogo.com

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Interpersonal Conflict in Film Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interpersonal Conflict in Film - Research Paper Example The movie film ended without showing how such conflict is handled, and in fact, there is no proof of it at all. The work at hand tries to discuss why the conflict was not handled effectively and what could have been done differently. Interpersonal conflict happens when individuals fail to agree or share on the same views, which is an upshot of having varied interests or goals (Rahim, 2011). This is exactly what happened to Deborah and John. At some point, these two characters have varying point of views in life, even wants, desires and goals, that each of them failed to manage to understand. The movie film shows a little portion for effective communication between Deborah and John especially during the confrontation. Deborah talks so much of words that her husband, John, could hardly catch up. There was a depiction of poor communication process in this case, making the entire conversation between Deborah and John so monotonous that the latter failed to emphasize his points to allow t he former to know his stand. In other words, one clear reason why the depicted interpersonal conflict was not handled effectively is due to the lack of focus to emphasize a good point of view for better communication, which has to be a two-way process between the receiver and the speaker. The movie film did not quite deal much of this point, leaving the entire situation between John and Deborah hanging until the end. On the other hand, the movie film handles too many interpersonal conflicts in it, as it depicts varying walks of life. One reason why there was poor handling of the interpersonal conflict between John and Deborah is the point that there are also other conflicts that need to be addressed or resolved apart from theirs. Their interpersonal conflict is common to take place among couples, but the entire movie has its point of view not only on their family, but the entire perspective of the movie film comes from Cristina, who herself have specific struggles to handle with her mother, a single Hispanic parent, Flor. This is the reason why it has become a great priority in the movie film to end it up with a meaningful resolution on the part of Cristina’s family, leaving it hanging to resolve the conflict between John and Deborah. This is a specific reason why at some point it was not that effective how the movie film handles the interpersonal conflict between John and Deborah. On the other hand, the movie film reveals that it is re-enacted based on Cristina’s essay application for scholarship in a prestigious academic institution. This makes the entire story to have a strong bias on her point of view, resulting to effective resolution on the case of her own family, and leaving the entire situation hanging for Clasky’s couple. The interpersonal conflict between John and Deborah could have been handled effectively if somewhere in the essay application of Cristina, there should have been significant information concerning the progress of Clasky’s couple. This may be made possible if Cristina would only have concluded the essay with a specific insight of the characters of the couple and how things might go smoothly if people are able to adjust to everyone’s personalities, attitudes, culture, and value no matter how diverse the group that someone might go through. On the other hand, the movie film fails to address the general issue of human emotion, as an effective element to ensure effective

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Equal Opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Equal Opportunity - Essay Example However, an efficient system is nearly impossible to attain due to factors beyond education management control (Cogan, McKnight, and Schmidt, 2010). The income level of the parents determines the level of resources that the students access both at school and at home for personal studies. Whereas financially stable parents can easily provide extra resources to their children based on the amount of disposable income at the household level, lower income classes may find it difficult to offer competitive learning resources to their children. Outcomes of national analysis across survey districts conducted in 2010 reveal characteristic performance in mathematics standards among students (Cogan, McKnight, and Schmidt, 2010). Brown (2012) makes similar observations, with projections of how the impacts of relatively lower development affect learning and spread of information. In view of access to internet services for learning purposes, future policies will require recognition of connectivity as a basic right for all Americans. Brown, J. (2012). â€Å"Equality? All Kids have a Right to Internet Access!† Retrieved from

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Lee Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Lee Miller - Essay Example Though it started and ended in tragedy, it was filled with excitement and several trail-blazing firsts. "Lee Miller - The Movie" would star: Miller's interesting supportive parents, two husbands, famous WWII figures, her son who was disappointed by his alcoholic mother, celebrities, and famous artists (including Picasso) and photographers. Major scenes would include the tragic childhood sexual abuse that left her with gonorrhea, the fairytale discovery of her by photographer Conde Nast, her New York modeling career, her two marriages, her experiences photographing World War II, and the disastrous effects the war had on her that ultimately lead to her own tragic demise. The final scenes would chronicle the world's amazing "rediscovery" of Miller through her son's book and her daughter-in-law's rummaging in Miller's attic, after Miller's death in the 1970s. Lee Miller was born "Elizabeth Lee Miller" in Ploughkeepsie, New York on the 23rd of April 1907 to parents Theodor and Florence Miller. She was the middle child, with an older brother John and a younger brother Erik. Theodore Miller, her Father was an engineer and a businessman. Like many of his time Theodor was a strong believer in science and technology - going as far as to run his household scientifically.2 He had several affairs and not much is known of his relationship with his wife Florence.3 On a visit to family friends at the ages of seven Florence left Elizabeth in the care of "Uncle Bob". This short visit changed her life as, though the exact details are unclear, "Uncle Bob" raped her.4 She was rushed home, and shortly after to a doctors when it became apparent that she had contracted gonorrhea from "Uncle Bob".5 The available treatments for the disease at the time - before the discovery of antibiotics - were painful, frequent, and took many weeks.6 Elizabeth was traumatized by the rape and the subsequent treatments. To help her emotional recovery, her parents took her to a psychiatrist. This doctor taught Elizabeth that love and sex were separate things - a fact that probably contributed to her many amorous liaisons later in life.7 Theodore, an amateur photographer, quite likely thinking that he was following the doctor's directions in helping his daughter separate her physical being from her emotional one began taking nude photographs of his daughter on her eighth birthday. She soon became proud of her appearance and was a good model. The photography sessions continued until she was twenty. The family was accepting of Theodore's new hobby, treating it as art.8 The camera loved Lee Miller and so did a lot of men. She was a beautiful woman and the true definition of American beauty with her golden locks and blue eyes. She was an independent woman; a true feminist who would break all rules if they were not to her liking.9 Though outwardly she led an independent life, there was a dark side to her that she hid from the world.10 She was undoubtedly one of the most intriguing and mercurial women of the twentieth century. Beauty is central to her story: it was her passport to the glamorous and artistic worlds she plunged into between the world wars. New York Modeling Career While in Manhattan, when she was 19, her life was saved by a magazine publisher, Conde Nast, who was so impressed by her beauty that he helped launch her modeling career. She thus became

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching for Medical Student

Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching for Medical Student CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION This chapter deals with analysis and interpretation of data collected to evaluate the effectiveness of video assisted teaching programme regarding successful ventilation with the I-gel and Laryngeal mask Airway among the paramedical students. The purpose of the analysis is to reduce the data as manageable and interpretable form, so that the research problem can be suited and tested. The collected data are tabulated, organized and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Section–A: Distribution of paramedical students according to their selected demographic variables. Section-B: Distribution of paramedical students according to pretest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Distribution of paramedical students according to pretest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Section-C: Distribution of paramedical students according to posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Distribution of paramedical students according to posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Comparison between the pretest and posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Comparison between the pretest and posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Area wise comparison between the pretest and the posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Area wise comparison between the pretest and the posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Comparison between the pretest and the posttest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Section-D: Effectiveness of video assisted teaching programme on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Relationship between pretest and posttest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Association between the pretest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students and their selected demographic variables. Section A Distribution of paramedical students according to their demographic variables. Table 4.1: The frequency and percentage distribution of paramedical students according to their selected demographic variables. n=50 S.No Demographic variables f % 1 Age in years 17-19 20-22 23-25 22 23 5 44 46 10 2 Gender Male Female 34 16 68 32 3 Religion Hindu Muslim Christian Any other 31 12 7 0 62 20 18 0 4 Category of course of study B.Sc Critical care B.Sc physician assistant 31 19 62 38 5 Previous knowledge Yes No 40 10 80 20 6 If yes how did you obtain information By attending classes By attending airway management courses Through television Through internet 22 7 9 2 48 16 22 14 Table-4.1 Table 4.1 describes that distribution of paramedical students according to their demographic variables. According to their age most of the paramedical students, 22(44%) are in the age group of 17-19 years, 23(46%) are aged between 20-22 years and 5(10%) are aged between 23-25 years. Among 50 paramedical students according to their gender, majority of the paramedical students 34(68%) are male and 16(32%) of them are female. Among 50 paramedical students according to their religion, majority of the paramedical students 31(62%) are Hindus and 12(20%) of them are Muslim. 7(18%) paramedical student is Christian and none of the paramedical students belong to other religion category. Paramedical students according to their category of course of study, 31(62%) of them studying in Bachelor of Science in Critical Care, 19(38%) of them studying in Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant. Paramedical students according to their previous knowledge regarding airway management, more than half of the paramedical students 40(80%) has previous knowledge regarding airway management and 10(20%) of paramedical students do not have previous knowledge regarding airway management. Paramedical students according to their previous knowledge regarding airway management, among 40 paramedical students, who have previous knowledge regarding airway management, more than half of them 22(48%) have gained knowledge by attending classes, 7(16%) have gained knowledge by attending airway management classes, 9(22%) have gained knowledge through television, 2(14%) of them have gained knowledge through internet. Section-B a) Distribution of paramedical students according to pretest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Figure-4.1: Percentage distribution of paramedical students according to pretest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. The above bar diagram shows that 34(68%) paramedical students have inadequate knowledge, 16(32%) paramedical students have moderately adequate knowledge and none of them have adequate knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their pretest. b) Distribution of paramedical students according to pretest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Figure-4.2: Percentage distribution of paramedical students according to pretest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. The above bar diagram shows, among 50 paramedical students none of the paramedical students have good skill, 15(30%) paramedical students have average skill and 35(70%) of them have poor skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their pretest. Section: C a) Distribution of paramedical students according to posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Figure-4.3: Percentage distribution of paramedical students according to posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. The above bar diagram shows that 42(84%) paramedical students have adequate knowledge and 8(16%) of them have moderately adequate knowledge regarding I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. None of them have inadequate knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their posttest. b) Distribution of paramedical students according to posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. Figure-4.4: Percentage distribution of paramedical students according to posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway. The above bar diagram shows, among 50 paramedical students none of them have poor skill, 7(14%) of them have average skill 43(86%) of them have good skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their posttest. c) Comparison between the pretest and posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Figure: 4.5 Percentage distributions according to their pretest and posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students The above bar diagram shows that 34(68%) paramedical students have inadequate knowledge, 16(32%) paramedical students have moderately adequate knowledge and none of them have adequate knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their pretest, Where as in post test, 42(84%) paramedical students have adequate knowledge and 8(16%) of them have moderately adequate knowledge, none of them have inadequate knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway when compared with pretest. Hence it highlights that there is a significant improvement in the knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway is improved compared to pre test. d) Comparison between the pretest and posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Figure: 4.6 Percentage distributions according to their pretest and posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. The above bar diagram shows, among 50 paramedical students none of the paramedical students have good skill, 15(30%) paramedical students have average skill and 35(70%) of them have poor skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their pretest. Where as in the posttest, none of them have poor skill, 7(14%) of them has average skill 43(86%) of them have good skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway in their posttest and compared with posttest. Hence it highlights that there is a significant improvement in the skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway was improved in the posttest, when compared to pre test. e) Area wise comparison between the pretest and the posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Table – 4.2: Mean, standard deviation, mean percentage and difference in mean percentage of pretest and posttest scores on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students in pretest and posttest. n=50 Area wise Maximum score Pretest Posttest Difference in mean % Mean S.D Mean% Mean S.D Mean % General information 9 5.9 1.55 65.5 8.08 0.71 89.7 24.2 I-gel 9 3.78 1.65 42 6.54 1.51 72.6 30.6 Laryngeal Mask Airway 12 5.26 1.77 43.8 8.96 1.29 74.6 30.8 Overall 30 14.94 4.97 151.3 23.58 3.51 236.9 85.6 The above table shows that, in area of general information the pre test mean score is 5.9 ±1.55 and mean percentage is 65.5, where as in the post test mean score is 8.08 ±0.71 and mean percentage is 89.7. This reveals that the difference in mean percentage is 24.2. In the area of I-gel the pre test mean score is 3.78 ±1.65 and mean percentage is 42, where as in the post test mean score is 6.54 ±1.51 and mean percentage is 72.6. This reveals that the difference in mean percentage is 30.6. In the area of Laryngeal mask airway the pre test mean score is 5.26 ±1.77 and mean percentage is 43.8, where as in the post test mean score is 8.96 ±1.29 and mean percentage is 74.6. This reveals that the difference in mean percentage is 30.8. In the pretest, the overall mean score is 14.94 ±4.97. In the pretest, the highest mean score is achieved in the general information with the score of 5.9 ±1.55. It reveals that difference in mean percentage is 24.2. In the post test, overall mean score is 23.58 ±3.51. The highest score is achieved in the Laryngeal Mask Airway with the score of 8.96 ±1.29. The overall difference in mean percentage is 85.6. The mean difference reveals that there is significant improvement in the knowledge in post test. f) Area wise comparison between the pretest and the posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Table – 4.3: Mean, standard deviation, mean percentage and difference in mean percentage of pretest and posttest scores on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students in pretest and posttest n=50 Area wise Maximum score Pretest Posttest Difference in mean % Mean S.D Mean % Mean S.D Mean % I-gel 14 7.08 1.03 50.5 12.08 1.33 86.2 35.7 Laryngeal Mask Airway 16 7.82 1.19 48.8 13.54 1.43 84.6 35.8 Overall 30 14.9 2.22 99.3 25.62 2.76 170.8 71.5 The above table shows that In the area of I-gel the pre test mean score is 7.08 ±1.03 and mean percentage is 50.5, where as in the post test mean score is 612.08 ±1.33 and mean percentage is 86.2. This reveals that the difference in mean percentage is 35.7. In the area of Laryngeal mask airway the pre test mean score is 7.82 ±1.19 and mean percentage is 48.8, where as in the post test mean score is 13.54 ±1.43 and mean percentage is 84.6. This reveals that the difference in mean percentage is 35.8. In the pretest, over all mean score is 14.9 ±2.22. The higher percentage of the pretest is achieved in the Laryngeal Mask Airway, where the mean score is 7.82 ±1.19 with the difference in mean percentage of 35.8. In the post test, the overall mean score was 25.62 ±2.76. The highest mean score is achieved in the area of laryngeal mask airway with the score of 13.54 ±1.43. The overall difference in mean percentage is 71.5. This reveals that there is significant improvement in the post test on skill than the pretest. g) Comparison between the pretest and the posttest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Table – 4.4: Comparison between the mean, SD, mean difference of pretest and the post test scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway Among the paramedical students. n=50 S.No Variables Maximum score Pretest Posttest Difference in mean % Mean S.D Mean% Mean S.D Mean % 1 Knowledge 30 14.94 2.99 49.8 23.58 2.50 78.6 28.8 2 Skill 30 14.9 1.72 49.7 25.62 2.31 85.4 35.7 The above table shows that in pretest, the knowledge mean score is 14.94 ±2.99 and the mean percentage is 49.8%. Where is posttest, the knowledge mean score is 23.58 ±2.50 and the mean percentage is 78.06%. The difference in mean percentage between the pretest and the posttest was 28.8%. In pretest, the skill mean score is 14.9 ±1.72 and the mean percentage is 49.7%. Where is posttest, the skill mean score is 25.62 ±2.31 and the mean percentage is 85.4%. The difference in mean percentage between the pretest and the posttest is 35.7%. It shows that in posttest there is significant improvement in knowledge and skill when compared to the knowledge and skill in pretest. Section D a) Effectiveness of video assisted teaching programme on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Table – 4.5: The mean, SD and ‘t’ value on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students in pretest and posttest. n=50 S.No Variables Maximum score Pretest Posttest Paired ‘t’ value Df Mean SD Mean SD 1 Knowledge 30 14.94 2.99 23.58 2.50 15.74 49 2 Skill 30 14.9 1.72 25.62 2.31 30.63 *significant at p≠¤0.05 level Table value: 2.02 The above table shows the pre test knowledge Mean score is 14.94 ±2.99 and the posttest knowledge mean score is 23.58 ±2.50. The Skill mean score in the pretest is 14.9 ±1.72 and the posttest skill mean score is 25.62 ±2.31. The Obtained‘t’ value for knowledge and skill is 15.74 and 30.63 respectively, which is significant at p≠¤0.05 level. Hence the hypothesis H1 was retained. Thus it becomes evident that Video Assisted Teaching Programme is effective in improving the knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among the paramedical students b) Relationship between pretest and posttest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students Table – 4.6: Correlation between the pretest and the post test scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among the paramedical students. n=50 S.No Group Knowledge Skill ‘r’ Mean SD Mean SD 1 Pretest 14.94 2.99 14.9 1.72 0.41 2 Posttest 23.58 2.50 25.62 2.31 0.65 The above table shows that, in the pretest mean score of knowledge and skill is 14.94 ±2.99 and 14.9 ±1.72 respectively, ‘r’ value was 0.41. The posttests mean score of knowledge and skill is 23.58 ±2.50 and 25.62 ±2.31 respectively, ‘r’ value is 0.65. This reveals that there is positive correlation between the pretest and the posttest knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students. Hence the formulated hypothesis H2 was retained at p≠¤0.05 level. c) Association between the pretest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students and their selected demographic variables. Table – 4.7: Chi Square test on the knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among the Paramedical Students with their selected Demographic Variables. n=50 S.No Demographic variables à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ £2 Df Table value 1 Age 2.76 2 5.99 2 Gender 0.06 1 3.84 3 Religion 2.21 3 7.82 4 Category of course 0.001 1 3.84 5 Previous knowledge 0.023 1 3.84 6 If yes how did you obtain information 1.60 3 7.82 *significant at p≠¤0.05 level The above table shows that there is no association between pretest score on knowledge regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students and their selected demographic variables such as Age, gender, religion, category of course of study, and previous knowledge. Hence the research hypothesis H3 was rejected at p≠¤0.05 level. Table – 4.8: Chi square test on the skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among Paramedical Students with their selected demographic variables. n=50 S.No Demographic variables à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ £2 Df Table value 1 Age 0.27 2 5.99 2 Gender 0.63 1 3.84 3 Religion 1.04 3 7.82 4 Category of course 0.03 1 3.84 5 Previous knowledge 0.59 1 3.84 6 If yes how did you obtain information 1.18 3 7.82 *significant at p≠¤0.05 level The above table shows that there is no association between pretest score on skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students and their selected demographic variables such as Age, gender, religion, category of course of study, and previous knowledge. Hence the research hypothesis H3 was rejected at p≠¤0.05 level. Summary: This chapter deals with the data analysis and interpretation in the form of statistical values based on the objectives, frequency and percentage on the knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among paramedical students and their selected demographic variables analyzed. The‘t’ test is done to evaluate the effectiveness of video assisted teaching programme on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among Paramedical Students. The chi-square analysis is used to find out the association between the pretest scores on knowledge and skill regarding successful ventilation with I-gel and Laryngeal Mask Airway among the Paramedical students and the selected demographic variables.