Response Paper on “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

The short tale of Harrison Bergeron is something that isn't very new to me. Way back in high school, we were tasked to read this in one of our Literary Circles sessions. I took a quick look at it and particularly enjoyed how short the story was. Today, having finally read a good selection of interesting stories, I decided to take a deeper and much more complete look at it. I can definitely say that despite it being rather short, Harrison Bergeron was a story just oozing in meaning and symbolisms. Harrison Bergeron makes us think twice on just how far we want to go to push for equality. In 2081, total equality is achieved but at a cost – sacrificing freedom and individual skill and talent. The three main characters also symbolizes different types of people who have different views toward the law set by the Handicapper General. George Bergeron to me was pretty much your average Joe. Despite him being blessed with substantial intelligence, he simply decides to get by and observe all the rules properly, being content with the system and afraid of consequences. Hazel Bergeron on the other hand, was really just an oblivious girl in a place where oblivious and unaware was the new â€Å"average†. She had nothing special to offer, therefore was never even handicapped. Her obliviousness and outright stupidity simply shadows over her kindness and good intentions. And finally, Harrison Bergeron, who was the perfect specimen. He literally had it all, which made the government fear him and did everything in it's power to contain him. Harrison wanted to showcase his abilities to the world and this ultimately led to his death. With this, we are shown that superiority amongst others will not be tolerated. To end, I feel like this story faces us with a dilemma, whether to simply get by, and live with rules and laws that are clearly unfair and wrong or be like Harrison, who is condemned for being the gifted and talent-laden man that he truly was. I'd also like to point out how this story takes on a completely different angle as a slight jab to faulty governments. Vonnegut may just be trying to show us how the government tries to control and ultimately, censor our very thoughts and ideas, hence limiting our potential to grow and become more aware and active with regards to such issues.

Great Expectations The Novel By Charles Dickens English Literature Essay

Devils shows his composing ability as he develops a secret plan, filled with surprises and events, that contributes to the subject that worlds are all connected in humanity. In the gap scene, on Christmas Eve, Pip encounters an at large inmate at a cemetery. Pip describes him as â€Å" a fearful adult male, all in coarse Grey, with a great Fe on his leg † ( 2 ) . Magwitch, the inmate, had escaped from a prison ship. He threatens Pip and demands a file and some nutrient, and frightened Pip brings them to him the following twenty-four hours. â€Å" You get me a file. And you get me wittles † ( 3 ) . The inmate and another runaway are so arrested and sent back to the ship. Pip develops an human bond with the inmate and identifies with him because he was a condemnable for stealing and besides because he had fed him. Pip calls him as â€Å" my fleeting friend † ( 18 ) . At this phase in the novel, the secret plan of the fresh relies on Pip ‘s ability to keep thi s early event. Besides, a careful reader would detect that the secret plan ne'er indicated that the inmate had been taken out of the narrative. â€Å" The last I heard of him, I stopped in the mist to listen, and the file was still traveling † ( 18 ) . The beginning of the secret plan proves the development of the subject of human nexus. After the debut, when the narrative starts to develop, Pip ‘s uncle Pumblechook sends Pip to Miss Havisham ‘s place, the Satis House. Miss Havisham is a unusual and reserved adult female who lives with her adoptive girl, Estella. The Satis House looks the same as it did many old ages ago, when, on her nuptials twenty-four hours, Miss Havisham was abandoned at the communion table by her lover. â€Å" But, I saw that everything within my position which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost it lustre, and was faded and xanthous. I saw that the bride within the espousal frock had withered like the frock, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her deep-set eyes † ( 53 ) . As he spends more clip with these two characters, Pip starts to fall in love with Estella, who ridicules Pip for being a blacksmith ‘s male child. Then comes along Miss Havisham ‘s attorney, Mr. Jaggers, who tells Pip that an unknown indivi dual is paying for Pip to travel to London and unrecorded life as a gentleman. Pip assumes that the helper is Miss Havisham, and that she is seeking to do him worthy of Estella. â€Å" Henceforth, I was for London and illustriousness — non for Smith ‘s work in general and for you! I made my exulting manner to the old battery, and lying down at that place to see the inquiry whether Miss Havisham intended me for Estella † ( 138 ) . In this portion of the novel, â€Å" the characters in the novel acknowledge their human family with all the people irrespective of category or fortunes † ( Glancy ) . The secret plan is successful to demo us that regardless of societal category humanity has a connexion. While life in London as a gentleman, Pip tries to maintain distance from Joe and the other common mans. He does return to his place to go to his sister ‘s funeral, but otherwise avoids Joe. As the stoping of the 2nd phase comes nearer, Magwitch, the inmate who met Pip at the fens, returns to Pip ‘s life. With his return, the subject of interrelatedness reappears. Mr. Jaggers so reveals to Shoot that Magwitch is his existent helper. â€Å" I have been informed by a individual named Abel Magwitch that he is the helper so long unknown to me † ( 311 ) . At first Pip is frightened, particularly from the fact that Magwitch is a condemnable and might be caught. As Pip starts caring for Magwitch and supplying him with shelter and nutrient, Pip develops an unidentified relationship with him. Pip besides receives the information that Compeyson, Magwitch ‘s enemy and one time spouse in offense, was the 1 who left Miss Havisham at the communion table and that Molly, Mr. Jaggers ‘s retainer, and Magwitch are the parents of Estella. â€Å" And the adult male we have in concealing down the river is Estella ‘s male parent † ( 379 ) . The connexion is one time once more seen through the relationships that have been revealed, whether it is an hard-boiled felon, a weak retainer, a proud girl, or a unpatriotic lover. The program to acquire Magwitch out of England about gets ruined when Pip is about killed by Orlick. Fortunately, Pip is rescued by his friends. The program eventually tkes topographic point as Pip and Herbert row Magwitch to a ship when Compeyson attacks them in a constabulary boat. The two felons wrestle and Compeyson falls and drowns. Magwitch is badly injured and sentenced to decease. Unfortunately, he dies of his hurts. After passing some old ages in Egypt, Pip returns place to Joe and Biddy, happening them merrily married with a boy, besides named Pip. After, Pip visits the Satis House and wanders about. He so comes across a figure in the shadows, Estella. They begin a conversation, and Estella tells him that she would frequently believe of him. When it was clip to portion, they agreed to stay friends. Pip put his custodies in hers, and â€Å" saw no shadow of another farewell from her † ( 451 ) . Even though in the beginning Estella did non desire to be a portion of love, she subsequently realizes that Pip and her were meant to be linked by love. The secret plan is successful in supplying us with keys to understand the subject of human interconnection. Dickens exhaustively develops his characters in an reliable mode, frequently times utilizing all-around characters. â€Å" My male parent ‘s household name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant lingua could do of both names nil longer or more explicit that Pip. So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip † ( 1 ) . Philip Pirrip, the chief character, is an ordinary orphan populating with his sister and her hubby at the fens. Philip, besides known as Pip, easy relates to the readers because he comes from a hapless place. He has a low self-pride the ground being his opprobrious sister. His brother-in-law is a blacksmith and the supplier for income in the house. Pip ‘s actions make up the chief secret plan of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Pip was an low male child who looked up to Joe, but when Miss Havisham and Estella entered his life, they changed him wholly. They teach him to be ashamed of his coarse and common life. â€Å" Why, he is a common labouring-boy! † ( 54 ) . When he moves to London, he wholly ignores his household back place, desiring to acquire out of his old deadening life and come in a sophisticated one. â€Å" Let me squeal precisely with what feelings I looked frontward to Joe ‘s coming. Not with pleasance, though I was bound to him by so many ties ; no ; with considerable perturbation, some chagrin, and a acute sense of incongruousness † ( 203 ) . He does non value his one time great influence Joe. Pip starts to alter but non for the better. After a long clip, Pip eventually starts experiencing compassion for person such as Magwitch. After turning Pip ‘s life upside down, Magwitch starts going closer to Pip, and Pip began recognizing the errors he had made. Pip gives him a topographic point to populate and even decides to assist him acquire out of England. â€Å" And you have, and are bound to hold, that tenderness for the life he has risked on your history, that you must salvage him, if possible, from throwing it off. Then you must acquire him out of England before you stir a finger to untangle yourself † ( 318 ) . In the terminal of the novel, Pip realizes his immatureness and begins populating a responsible and reasonable life. Dickens gives the narrative a assortment of characters, and one of the most dynamic characters he creates is Estella. Dickens besides characterizes Estella in a different mode to do her base out. Estella, Miss Havisham ‘s girl, is introduced as haughty and arrogant of her wealth. She serves as a unfavorable judgment against working category. Estella is cold, disbelieving, and manipulative. Although being so disrespectful, Pip still falls in love with Estella. Estella, though, could ne'er show her emotions since her female parent destroyed her ability to interact usually with the universe. She is taught to interrupt Pip ‘s bosom and to ne'er love him. â€Å" Well, you can interrupt his bosom † ( 54 ) . Through out the novel, Estella ‘s attitude towards Pip remains unchanged and her warnings to Pip non to care for her continue. Estella is used by her female parent to seek retaliation on work forces. â€Å" I saw in this that Estella was set to bring Miss Havis ham ‘s retaliation on work forces, and that she was non to be given to me until she had gratified it for a term † ( 282 ) . Later on, Estella decides to acquire married to Drummle, genuinely demoing that she was ne'er touched by Pip ‘s love. Estella is non seen until the last chapter when she meets Pip at the Satis House. He went to the Satis House merely for her interest because he still loved her. Pip had heard about her opprobrious married life and the decease of her hubby. When he met Estella though, he knew that she had changed and wanted to have his love in her life. Estella had learned to love. Finally, Dickens gives the narrative Miss Havisham, the most bizarre character of Dickens book. Her character is successful to pull the reader in. Miss Havisham, a affluent old adult female who lives in her sign of the zodiac, is the most unusual and incredible characters in the narrative. She serves to be a wicked enchantress of the narrative. Deeply affected by her sorrowful yesteryear of her fiancAA © go forthing her at the communion table on her nuptials twenty-four hours, Miss Havisham still wears her marrying gown, a head covering, one shoe, and her stockings. â€Å" I saw that the bride within the espousal frock had withered like the frock, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her deep-set eyes † ( 53 ) . Pip describes her as a life cadaver whose ghostly presence scared many. Miss Havisham lives with her girl, who she seeks to protect from the sorrow and hurting she had one time suffered, the hurting of lost love. Miss Havisham ne'er taught her girl how to love. She alternatively used her girl to hold retaliation on work forces and interrupt their bosom. â€Å" Sending her out to pull and torture and do mischievousness, Miss Havisham sent her with the malicious confidence that she was beyond the range of all supporters, and that all who staked upon the dramatis personae were secured to lose † ( 282 ) . She uses her money as a arm of power and trains her girl to win where she had failed. Unfortunately, Miss Havisham suffers the effects. Estella is non merely unable to love work forces, but besides Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham realizes her large error when she sees Pip ‘s deep love for Estella. â€Å" The spectral figure of Miss Havisham, her manus still covering her bosom, seemed all resolved into a ghastly stare of commiseration and compunction † ( 339 ) . Since it is excessively late for her to work out the job, the lone thing she can make is take duty for her actions. She asks Pip for forgiveness and leaves some money for Herbert ‘s male parent. â€Å" She turned her face to me for the first clip, dropped on her articulatio genuss at my pess, with her folded weaponries raised to me in the mode in which, when her hapless bosom was immature and fresh and whole, they must frequently hold been raised to Heaven from her female parent ‘s side † ( 370 ) . She dies shortly, but after making what she could make to do other ‘s life bett er. Great Expectations is abundant in symbol. From the many, the two most of import symbols are the Satis House and the mists on the fens. The Satis House represents wealth and royalty. It represents the higher category of the category system In a treatment between Pip and Estella, Estella explains that the word Satis in Latin means adequate. â€Å" It meant, when it was given, that whoever had this house would desire nil else † ( 51 ) . The house besides symbolizes a prison. It ‘s dark and black, and contains many barricaded Windowss. â€Å" Miss Havisham ‘s house, which was of old brick and dismal, and had a great many Fe bars to it. Some of the Windowss had been walled up ; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred † ( 50 ) . The house non merely symbolizes wealth and prison, but besides Miss Havisham. â€Å" It was broad and I dare state had one time been fine-looking, but every discernable thing in it was covered with dust and cast, and dro pping to pieces † ( 77 ) . The house and it ‘s suites are symbolic of Miss Havisham because, merely like the house, Miss Havisham is drab on the outside and foul in the interior. Similarly, the mists on the fens symbolizes danger and uncertainness. The mist is seen foremost when Pip brings the inmate some nutrient and a file. â€Å" The mist was heavier yet when I got out upon the fens, so that alternatively of my running at everything, everything seemed to run at me † ( 14 ) . The mist is besides present when Pip watches the inmate run off, allowing the readers know that something is traveling to go on in the hereafter. â€Å" The last I heard of him, I stopped in the mist to listen, and the file was still traveling † ( 18 ) . Later in the narrative, when Pip is kidnapped and about murdered by Orlick, Pip once more encounters the mist. â€Å" In a few proceedingss she ( Moon ) had ascended out of that clear field, in among the piled mountains of cloud. There was a melancholic air current, and the fens were really blue † ( 392 ) . Last, the mist played it ‘s function when he was go forthing town to travel to London after having his luck. â€Å" And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the universe lay spread before me † ( 149 ) . The reader might detect that this positive journey in his life has unsafe effects. After observing the inside informations in secret plan and subject, word picture, and symbols, the reader leaves Great Expectations with great regard for Charles Dickens as a author of fictional literature. Early in the novel, Pip develops outlooks to be worthy of Estella, but when those start to melt away, Pip ‘s outlook is to acquire Magwitch safely out of England. When that is unsuccessful, Pip goes to Joe and Biddy to inquire for forgiveness and receives what he wanted. In the terminal, though, Pip realizes that true love and company are beyond outlooks.

Conceptualizing a Business Essay

When establishing a successful business, no matter how big or small, one monitors progress, assesses results, and develops new programs. One must determine what they want the company to be, produce, and accomplish. Several things have to be determined for the purpose of the business or organization. For example creating a vision, mission. and values statement allows the organization and its customers to identify what the company believes in, what they want to do, and where their long term goal is. Another important component of a successful business is a strong strategic plan. One company that can benefit by re-defining their vision, mission, and values statement is TOMS Shoes Inc. New customers can be gained by analyzing areas where TOMS can improve their business strategy and re-define the companies direction. TOMS Shoes Inc. is a private for profit company that was created in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. During one of his travels he came by a village in Argentina where several children that had no shoes. His desire to help these children impelled him to create TOMS’., a company that would sell shoes in order to give shoes to the children in need. After realizing the impact of matching purchases with donations TOMS launched an eyewear line that would help give sight to a person in need with every pair sold. TOMS gives in over 60 countries and has given 10 million pairs of shoes to children in need. TOMS is now giving different types of shoes based on the terrain and climate where the children in need live. TOMS has also created local jobs in third world countries by producing shoes in the countries it gives in. Since 2011 TOMS purchases has restored the sight of 150,000 people in need. Since TOMS was established it has created an awareness for global issues of poverty. However, TOMS has also been criticized for not having the most efficient way to have economic development. Also, that TOMS aid model is not enough and creates other economic issues in the companies they give to. After extensive  criticism TOMS determined that they wanted to increase economic development in the countries they give to by producing the shoes in those countries. In addition to the gift of shoes and sight TOMS has added the gift of water, for every bag of coffee sold they will provide clean water to those in need. Even though TOMS has taken some steps to improve the organizations strategy, there are additional steps they can take to improve the company’s impact. In order to improve TOMS vision, mission, and value statement it is important to understand what these statements mean, their significance, and how they will benefit. The purpose of a vision statement is to provide a clear picture of where the organization would like to be in the future and what they want their long term accomplishments to be. The mission statement describes what the purpose of the organization is and is focused on the present. Values statement identifies the organizations guiding principles and core beliefs. The values statements also assists in guiding the organizations employees to implement strategies to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. Researching through TOMS website it is difficult to identify the companies mission, vision, and values. However, after extensive searching one can determine that the vision statement for TOMS Shoes Inc. is â€Å"to be a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need.† The mission statement is â€Å"One for One†. Although the values are not clearly stated one can assume by the company’s overview that they believe in giving back, responsibility, and environmental responsibility. Redefining some of TOMS practices can increase the impact the company already has created. First step is to create a vision, mission, and values statement that are parallel to what the company stands for. TOMS product is to produce comfortable footwear that attracts customers to give to those in need by purchasing their shoes. The new mission statement is â€Å"to create sustainable giving; with every product we sell we will give back, one for one. We strive to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve people’s lives through business.† TOMS redefined vision is â€Å"to be a leader in corporate citizenship and sustainable development, to create social impact by influencing others to give back by showing them the value of  giving and that giving is fun.† TOMS stated values will be: responsibility, transparency, honesty, independence, generosity, and growth. TOMS will also include customer feedback in the company’s growth and giving strategies. Currently TOMS has attracted customers that like to be involved in giving to those in need and also like comfortable shoes. The strategy of involving customers to give has made TOMS successful. In 2006 when TOMS first started there was no other company that followed the one for one model and the media promoted the giving model and gave TOMS free marketing. This is what gave TOMS a competitive advantage and made TOMS a successful company. Since then, TOMS has been criticized for not responding to customers complaints through TOMS social media outlets. If TOMS wants to stay involved with their social media success they should also respond to customers’ needs and complaints. In doing so TOMS will show that they are willing to take the time to listen to their customers and show that TOMS values them. With the redefined vision, mission, and value statements TOMS has a clearer definition of what they do and why they do it. This allows for customers to better identify with the company and to promote their success. References: ASQ. (2014). Vision, Mission, Values Statements. Retrieved from http://asq.org/service/body-of-knowledge/tools-vision-mission-values Toms CEO Blake Mycoskie Offers Surprising Answer To His Critics. (2013, November). Huffington Post, (), . Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/toms-ceo-critics_n_4274637.html TOMS Shoes Inc.. (2006-2014). One for One. Retrieved from http://www.toms.com/gift-of-water

Technologies Affect on Communication Research Paper

Technologies Affect on Communication - Research Paper Example To begin with, it is important to note that traditional modes of communication such as telegrams, letters, use of human messengers to deliver messages, have continued to lose popularity save for special circumstances, even though they are still being used in societies that have not invested on modern infrastructure (Bucy, 2004). Cell phones for example have become a major necessity in the human life due to their mobility and portability, which in turn creates convenience. This is as opposed to the wired communication devices such as the landline telephones, which are static in nature by the virtue of the fact that a person waiting for an important call has to remain within an audible range, so as to receive a call once the telephone rings (Atkin, 2006). In this context, mobile technology has enabled people to call and reach their intended recipients from any location and during any time of the day, without having to interfere with their day to day activities. For example, a person wo rking in the field can reach his or her spouse by calling them on their mobile, may be to check on how they are doing or to pass an important message. They make it possible for parents to enquire and confirm on the safety of their children especially in these uncertain times when children are vulnerable to numerous physical and psychological threats in the society. By doing so, one can perform his or her duties without distraction, knowing well that their families are safe wherever they are. Cell phones have also enabled users to deliver themselves from tough predicaments such as mechanical breakdowns on their vehicles while on transit (Atkin, 2006). One only needs to call a towing company or an expert to come to their aid. Without these gadgets, such an occurrence would necessitate walking long distances in search of help, which could also be dangerous especially if it occurs late in the night when there are few motorists on the roads and when the chances of being attacked by armed gangsters are real. It is also observable that most of the mobile handsets in the current markets have built-in cameras, which enable users to record videos and take pictures of their surroundings. In light of this, a person can use his or her phone to record evidence or an occurrence such as an accident or criminals in action, which can later be used by insurance companies or security personnel in building their cases. This is an important aspect since it is not always possible to have security and traffic officers in each and every corner of the nation. Witnesses to such occurrences would be in an excellent position to explain the details to the officers, after they use the same cell phones to call the authorities as well as ambulances depending on the situation at hand (Atkin 2006). However, it is not always easy to communicate vocally through cell phones especially if a person is in a noisy environment. In addition, some details in a phone conversation may be delicate in nature such that they require a lot of privacy. For example, personal information such as bank and other financial details, access codes to important online accounts or even delicate family issues are not supposed to access the public. To counter this, mobile phones are equipped with short messaging systems, which enable one to send information in form of text (Bucy, 2004). The recipient needs only to access the message, read it and if it is too confidential, he has the option

A Theory of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Theory of Art - Essay Example Art is an important part of the life experience as it evokes feelings and emotions that attach themselves to the work in question and portrays the meaning of our culture. Yet, society continues to struggle with the definition of art. Art defies description; we may know it when we see it, but we can not define it as it is too complex, varied, and prone to individual subjectivity. To define art, it is first necessary to define where the art is at. The art may be the act of its production, the end result, or the sensation that the viewer experiences from the encounter. To be considered art, all three components must be consciously involved in its production. As an example, if a paint can inadvertently spills onto a canvas, it is not art even if it is beautiful. There was no action on the part of the artist that would elevate an accidental spill to the level of art. Likewise, if the art produces no sensation in the viewer, such as a bottle of urine, then the art has no artistic content no matter how much time and effort the artist spent. Allowing a work to be labelled 'art' that does not meet these requirements results in the flood of mediocrity, and worse, that has recently come to the attention of the popular media. Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres described these types of works in the 18th century as, "banality, which is a public scourge, which afflicts taste a nd burdens the administration, fruitlessly absorbing resources, it would be best to abandon exhibitions; to declare boldly that only monumental painting be encouraged" (cited in Harrison, Wood, & Gaiger, 1998, p.469). Ignoring this important aspect of art has been responsible for inappropriate bodily fluids being labelled and accepted as mainstream art. The standard definition of art includes the traditional view that artwork is characterized by the possession of representational properties, expressive properties, or formal properties (Adajian, 2007). This definition also would include many items that are not art and were never intended to be art. A shopping list would not be considered art, yet may qualify under this generic definition. This simplistic set of requirements is not complete enough and is too broad to be of any value. While it may describe some objects and acts that are not art, it stops far short of defining what art is. To accommodate and update this traditional definition, recent decades have seen a surge of theories and movements designed to justify new and unusual art forms.Any theory or movement that adequately defines art and aestheticism would be necessarily narrow and exclusionary. While some schools of art, such as the Dada movement believes that anything can be art, other movements, such as minimalism, belie ve that nothing is art. These extreme positions, in regards to the definition of art, only serve to include every worldly endeavour as artistically worthwhile, but do little to help define art. In fact, these broad, nihilistic, and inclusive movements dilute art's purpose, meaning, and cultural value. Art needs to be defined within a set of boundaries that are acceptable by cognitive recognition and reflect a sense of values. This does not imply that the values need to adhere to any preconceived framework of acceptability. While racism may be an unacceptable human value, its portrayal could serve

Symbolism often compliments the plot and crimes that may occur. By Essay

Symbolism often compliments the plot and crimes that may occur. By analyzing the use of symbolism in Reservoir Dogs ( the screenplay) what do we learn about crime - Essay Example h symbolic meaning which directly catalyzes more significant comprehension of the content and implications of the complete work as a portrayal of humanity and criminality. The use of uniforms, the application and use of color-coded nicknames by core characters, and the tortuous removal of Marvin Nash’s ear are examples of Tarantino’s use of symbolism to enhance the dimensionality of the work as they reveal key insights into the story dynamic. The most immediate introduction of symbolism within â€Å"Reservoir Dogs† occurs in the introductory scene in which the characters are described as wearing black suits as they sit around the cafà © table. Though subtle, this uniformity of dress is a factor which prevails throughout the vast majority of the later screenplay. This neo-noir style attire, which hearkens back to accepted aspects of the classic cinematic criminal archetype, is applied to the core characters and impacts the overall story significantly. The uniform used by these thieves reveals the tentative cohesiveness of the group and draws a distinction between them and the police in subsequent scenes, effectively setting both groups apart from general society, or as Mr. Pink remarks, â€Å"real people† (Tarantino, p.13). However, this is not the only area in which the symbolic value of the criminal uniform impacts the overall screenplay. A lack of uniform description in scenes which introduce and explain the involvement of individual characters signifies their previous separation and tentative civilian status. Additionally, this definitive division between the thieves and the police intensifies the sense of betrayal which arises from the revelation of Mr. Orange/ Freddy Newendyke’s duplicitous role within the group beginning in scene 25 (Tarantino, p.56). Tarantino continues his incorporation of symbolism in the use of color coded nicknames by core characters in the context of the screenplay which succeeds in achieving several key effects on the story and

Operation Ripper, Korean War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Ripper, Korean War - Essay Example tion involved the entire divisions of Eighth Army as well as the airborne troops of the 187th Regiment Combat Team and the 2nd and 4th Ranger companies. A number of the historical accounts on Operation Ripper identified it as offensive with an exclusive objective of capturing Seoul. However, there are accounts that Operation Ripper has a deeper goal than merely driving away the enemy from a specific location. Dorr and Thompson (2003) explained that throughout the Korean War, the American soldier did not have the killer mentality that would ensure efficacy in the battlefield: "A study showed that 27 percent balked, deliberately passing up a chance to aim and shoot their MI Garand rifles when an enemy soldier presented a target."2 So, the newly installed General Matthew Ridgway, planned Operation Ripper to remedy this problem and inflict as much casualty as possible. The operation was originally called Operation Killer, describing its ultimate objective. Soldiers were conditioned to kill. They were reminded that the job entailed killing and the destruction of enemy equipment. This is demonstrated in the standard pep talk delivered by sergeants to the UN troops: "Your job is to point that goddamned thing into the other guys face and shoot him deader than a doornail."3 The tactics involved included the coordinated offensives and strictly preserved lateral security that avoided immediate interdiction.4 After the operation, it was reported that the United Nation troops were able to kill 7,000 Chinese soldiers.5 While Operation Ripper did not decimate the enemy completely, it successfully drove them out of Seoul and further up north. In this respect, it was able to attain some degree of success for the United Nations efforts during the Korean War. The success of the operation was able to change the lackluster performance of the troops. There are those who argued that the outcome turned the tides of the war. In the political front, Operation Ripper convinced policymakers

Risk Impact of Global Communications in Business Research Paper

Risk Impact of Global Communications in Business - Research Paper Example The dynamic force regulating and accelerating globalization is undoubtedly a revolutionary development being made in the fields of information technology, navigation and communications. Hence, it is the marvellous technological advancement and innovative tools, techniques and equipment that have paved the way towards fastest possible progress and growth in political, social, cultural, economic and commercial areas of the contemporary world. The zone which has witnessed the fastest changes in the wake of the IT revolution is undoubtedly a corporate sector that includes trade, commerce and business-related activities, which has observed glorious expansion worldwide. â€Å"Advances in information and communication technologies (ICT)† Brynjolfsson and Kahin observe, â€Å"are affecting many aspects of business activity. Notable among these is the obscuring of the material aspects of the behaviour of firms and the subsequent changes in the meaning of distance and geography.† (2000: 111) The fields including marketing, travelling, e-commerce, communications, health and medicines, home appliances and domestic necessities, education and trade have experienced outstanding flourishing in the wake of technological advancements. â€Å"Trade liberalization and information technology† UNESCAP reports, â€Å"continually advancing, national borders are increasingly disappearing and barriers to global trade are falling. As a result, global manufacturing and marketing are becoming increasingly organized. To cope with this operational environment, global firms have been searching for new production and logistics architectures as a way of gaining the advantages that come with standardized global production.† (Quoted in unescap.org).

Harvard referencing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Harvard referencing - Essay Example Available from: http://www.unn.ac.uk/central/isd/cite/index.htm (Accessed: 21 May 2004). University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education (2007) Lecture notes from Managing People Module Seminar 4 [Online]. Available from: University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education VLE (Accessed: 28 February 2007). Fedchak, E. & Duvall, L. (1996) An engineering approach to electronic publishing, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Multimedia Software Development, 25-26 March, Berlin. Los Alamitos, California: IEEE Computer Society Press, pp.80-88. Al-Madhoun, M. & Analoui, F. (2004) Developing SME managers under fire: negotiating obstacles and weaknesses in Palestine, Journal of Management Development, 23 (5), pp.479-495, IngentaConnect [Online]. Available from: http://www.ingentaconnect.com (Accessed: 9 June 2005). 5. Podcast University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education (2007) Lecture notes from Managing People Module Seminar 4 [Online]. Available from: University of Liverpool/Laureate Online Education VLE (Accessed: 28 February 2007). Pears, R. & Shields, G. (1995) Cite them right: referencing made easy [Online] Northumbria: Northumbria University. Available from: http://www.unn.ac.uk/central/isd/cite/index.htm (Accessed: 21 May 2004). University of Liverpool (n.d) Referencing and Developing a Bibliography using the Harvard Method. Available from: http://www.liv.ac.uk/library/ohecampus/referencing/referencing.htm. (Accessed: 8 July

Polarity analysis of the situation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Polarity analysis of the situation - Term Paper Example Polarity analysis of the situation Questions are used for probing and developing understanding of the situation. The questions are important during the verification and acquisition of data. Data collection depends on the questions asked or used during the probing. However, the questions used in the process must address issues in the situation. The difference between open and close ended questions is the response type. An open ended question is a question that cannot be answered using a simple answer because of the nature of the question (Paton, Paton and McCalman 132). Closed-end question or questions that require simple answers such as yes or no. however, each question has the role to play in the research process. The open ended question is useful when collecting diverse information. Closed questions ensure accurate data collection with the success but limit the scope of operation. When diverse data are needed, open ended question is helpful. Opened-ended questions are the best in diverse data collection which involv es the creation of open ended questions that can be answered by the respondents. Open-ended questions are simpler to administer, but their data are hard to analyze and have a conclusive result. The use of open ended questions is effective when collecting the data for product upgrade or improvement with the success of upgrade resulting from.Problem solving approach is one of the most common approaches in solution provision. The success of the approach is based on the ability to address several problems that have already been highlighted and identified.

Case Study--i've got rhythm Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

--i've got rhythm - Case Study Example This category is convoluted in the sale of medical devices. The experts in this sector offer patients the service of specific technical programming of various machines. They also give information on machines to the medical personnel in charge of hospital machines. The first option involved hiring a lot of direct sales force that would get to the market more deeply and market the products. This option would have a direct impact on the business since it would increase the market range. This action would foster better relationship between the company and its customers due to direct contact. However, this option is disadvantageous since it lowers the morale of existing sales personnel. The second option involved creating clear-cut job descriptions between the sales people and the technical representatives. The salespeople focused on selling the machines that the technical team handled machine operation. This option could lead to increase in sales since each group could add more effort on their area of specialty. However, creating a gap between these two groups would lead to dissatisfaction of customers. The third option involved focusing on the areas that had more probable customers. Concentrating on major market areas would result into high sales since the target was easy. However, this method left out the option of looking for new markets. The fourth option involved converting the sale force into a team that would work together to increase the sales. In this option, the sales specialist and a technical specialist would work together so that the rate of customer satisfaction would rise and consequently the number of sales would increase. However, a major disadvantage is that the operational cost would be very high and hence profit rates would reduce. I would recommend the fourth option since it provides more room for growth in the company. Coordination ensures that everyone in the team has the knowledge on all aspects of the business and

A Modest Proposal Essay Example for Free

A Modest Proposal Essay Swift is a renowned satirist, whose works are read even today since they represent social problems persistent through centuries. Although his parents were English, Swift was born in Ireland and lived there most of his life, though he wanted to live in or near London. His bitterest piece, A Modest Proposal is about curing the growing population and preventing the children of the poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country. Swift is strongly against poverty as well as discrimination and presents these points his piece, A Modest Proposal. Swift pretends to be an expert or social planner who has a scheme to solve the problem of poverty in Ireland. This piece was written for the English aristocracy. It was meant to be humiliating and embarrassing for them, and it was! Swift killed people figuratively. Initially, when people started reading the piece, they agreed with Swift since he was stating facts and presenting reality in a serious tone. But when the readers reached the part where he proposes his solution to the malady, they felt he was out of his mind! This was an eye opener for the Britishers, and it wasnt too hard for them to realize that he was making fun of them and they were offended. His proposal might have sounded preposterous, but he intended it to be satiric and it was! Swifts writing was very effective and helped enhance his purpose. One of the strategies that Swift uses to draw the readers attention is by using a lot of details and imagery to clearly present his points enabling the readers to have a better understanding. One such example in this piece would be, It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the street, the roads and cabin-doors with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms. As people are reading this, they can clearly get a picture of what is going on and exactly what hes trying to put across. But, this is a social insult towards women since they are supposed to be at home and not on the streets with kids. He sarcastically refers to women who have dozens of kids as breeders. To make things worse, he points out how a pregnant animal is apparently more worthy than a pregnant woman. If a man found out that his wife was pregnant, he would do anything to abort the child, which would end in the mother being killed most of the times. Women were treated like dirt. By this we can say that he also differentiates between the roles played by man and woman in the society. Not only does he include men and women, but he takes children into consideration too. According to Swift, selling children negates the cost of breeding them. He says, the maintenance of an hundred thousand children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed ay less than ten shillings a piece per annum, the nations stock will be thereby increased fifty thousand pounds per annum. Another way Swift grabs the readers attention is by making stark contrasts between the rich and the poor. He says, I grant this food will be somewhat dear and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children. He expounds how money circulates in the society with an idea of the rich giving money to the poor, and take it back. He comes up with his own unique resolutions to the problems that exist. Its basically like trying to solve a hard math problem without following any of the rules. There are a few things that Swift talks about in his piece that arthat a child just born will weigh 12 pounds and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, increases to 28 pounds. This is very unrealistic, because the average weight of a newborn in any country was never 12 pounds and they did not weigh 28 pounds in a year either. He might have meant it to be satiric, but it doesnt work very well and doesnt fit in. His statistics were incorrect; they were either too high or too low. Although he might have used these facts to get his point across, they ruin the effect of the entire piece. He insults peoples religious e very unrealistic. For example, Swift claims, I have reckoned upon a medium, beliefs which might have helped him prove his point, but can be offending to readers even today. He tends to be repetitive and tries to emphasize on certain things so many times that they lose their value. Swift tends to get carried away with his satire and comes up with unrealistic and ridiculous so lutions. In this piece, Swift manages to maintain the readers attention by using elaborate language and expressions. His tone and satiric language helps convey his message and point of view. This piece was very effective, keeping in mind his main purpose, regardless of whether or not people were offended or that they thought he was being ridiculous. He proved his point with an extraordinary plan, which he felt could have resolved the problem. Whether it would have worked or not, would have been a different issue. Thus, in reality this can be viewed as one of Swifts greatest pieces.

Business case for HRIS

Business case for HRIS Business Case for HRIS Key strategic areas in Insurance sector are employee retention, compensation and reward policy. Retention can be linked directly to talent management and training development. Value added benefit derived from the HRIS can surely revitalise the organisation. The recent recession has furthered the need of lean highly efficient organisations to stem the tide against the recession. The HRIS offers benefits to employees, business as well as the HR department. Benefit for the employees. The HRIS allows immediate access to the employees with whole lot of HR information ie Personal particulars, Disciplinary procedure information, availability of all relevant forms, compensation information, benefit information, leave coordination, managing Tax information and instructions about training and policies. Hence the employee has no longer the need to either go to the HR department or speak to them over the phone. Further more it gives transparency to the functioning of the HR department, which has been the sore point in the employee-HR department relationship. Benefit for the Business. The HRIS impact on the business is far reaching. It not only reduces the administrative costs by reducing the administrative layers but paves a way for Re-engineering. HRIS also brings about enhancement in executive decision making, employee training, better interdepartmental integration and better reporting structure. Thus HRIS helps toward reaching the organisational vision by integration, personnel development, knowledge management and HR analysis. (Mayfield and Lunce, 2003) Further more difficult decisions such as freezing salaries, eliminating overtime, reducing workforce and reducing benefit contributions and redundancy can be handled easily and in a correct manner by HRIS. It provides them with all the information required and also gives them the advantage of structuring the employer data as per their requirement. HRIS also helps managers to evaluate Key parameter Indicators, which are difficult to measure activities, by generation of data in graphs and charts.. Similarly recr uitment system help in maintaining talent pool, which helps the organisation reduce costs by removing the recruitment agencies. Benefits for the HR department The major part of any HR professional daily responsibilities is spent at administrative and advisory role than on the core functionality. Hence HRIS generates time availability to be devoted to the strategic decision making. Furthermore, it aids the department by increasing data accuracy, higher processing speed, better productivity and ability to produce more needful and sophisticated results. (Ceriello and Freeman 1998) Issues in Implementation of HRIS Pre-implementation stage: The basic issue is identification of various HR functions for inclusion in the system. A detailed work flow analysis is required on the cost effectiveness of all available systems and based upon it a thorough customisation suite should be identified which should be in lines with the organisations HR process.(Walker,1993) For this a evaluation team consisting of members from HR, IT , Finance and purchasing department should be formed.(Wisner and Wisner, 1994). Implementation stage: After the selection of the HRIS, next priority should be identification of infrastructure requirements, Inter- department adroitness for incorporation of the system with the organisational needs, formulation of terms and policies for the implementation and identification of the training requirements and testing of the system. A proper project management practises are required to ease out the issues. Training along with the awareness of the benefits of the system should be used as a means for breaking the inertia of existing employee. (Elliot,1999). This stage is for consolidation and all attempts should be aimed at proving and testing the system, prior to it going live. Post implementation. The major feature of this stage is measuring the performance of the system and reorganising the responsibilities of the HR department. Issue in this stage can arise out of adaptive as well as corrective maintenance requirements which can be due to the misinterpretation of directives or due to system limitation. (Ceriello and Freeman, 1998). Issues can also arise out of need for redefining responsibilities of HR managers. (Hagood and Friedman, 2002). Thus in order to reduce the issues in this stage pre-emptive actions need to be taken right at the beginning about defining HR processes and methodical training during the consolidation phase. Successful Implementation. As HRIS brings about critical changes, hence there would be areas which would resist the change (The Interia). Thus the key factor in the success of HRIS implementation is a firm commitment from the Top management,-the sponsors of the project, for providing adequate funding as well as catering to staffing needs of the project. The top brass should assist in formation of a proper steering committee, comprising of all members across the organisation, who can ensure that their line managers have the necessary directives and responsibilities for making the HRIS operational. This committee should resolve major issues and take timely course corrective actions. The steering committee needs to ensure that managers are conversant with the likely changes and garner their support towards this change. This will help set an example and parameter for each members department and will also prepare the ground for dealing with change-management issues. Reference http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_n12_v41/ai_19099649/pg_4/?tag=content;col1 http://www.esocialsciences.com/data/articles/Document1206200781.437014E-02.pdf http://www.wkforce.com/human-resources/hris.html

Quality and Systems Management in McDonalds

Quality and Systems Management in McDonalds McDonalds, as we all know is the worlds largest chain of fast food suppliers. The business began in 1940, with a small restaurant Bar B Que run by two brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in California. It was a drive way restaurant which served a limited menu of burgers, fries etc. Mr. Ray Kroc, a paper cup and multi-mixer salesman got an order of multi-mixer from the McDonald brothers. He was impressed by the organization of the restaurant and came up with the idea of McDonalds Corporation, which was founded in 1955 by Mr. Ray Kroc. The first McDonalds was opened on April 15, 1955 in Illinois. By 1960, he bought the exclusive rights to the name McDonalds. And by 1965, there were 700 restaurants throughout United States. It was the first time that McDonalds shares went public at $22.50 per share. McDonalds opened the first international restaurant in Canada in 1967. In 1974 McDonalds opened its first restaurant in the UK. Today, it has a chain of restaurants in 118 countries around the world. It celebrated its 50th anniversary on 15th April, 2005. Philosophy Mr. Kroc had the vision of creating a restaurant system, known for its consistency and quality of food. To achieve this, he needed his franchisees and suppliers to work with McDonalds and not for McDonalds. He promoted the slogan, In business for yourself, but not by yourself. He encouraged entrepreneurship as much as the commitment to his visions. This has led to the introduction of many new products into the supply chain, most of which were the contributions of franchisees. If I had a brick for every time Ive repeated the phrase Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value, I think Id probably be able to bridge the Atlantic Ocean with them. -Ray Kroc. This very well illustrates the significance of these four aspects in the excellent execution of the restaurant services at McDonalds. The quality and cleanliness is unparalleled. But, what is unique in this restaurant chain that has travelled past 50 years and emerged as a market leader and promises to continue the same. Business Model McDonalds business runs on 3 pillars: The suppliers The franchisees The McDonalds corporation itself The business model that the organization follows is Franchisee Model. The company provides training to the prospective franchisees and operators regarding the ways a McDonalds is run. There is a Research and Development Lab that provides facilities for all trainees to experiment in cooking. McDonalds as a company owns only 15% of the restaurants. The remaining 85% are taken care by the franchisees. There are stringent policies of monitoring the franchisees to assure that they are adhering to the McDonalds promises of Quality, Cleanliness, Service and Value offered to its customers. The Product Consistency across all the outlets is guaranteed by a supplier networked operation and distribution system. This has resulted in consistency not only across the restaurants in a region but worldwide. The brand building mechanism of McDonalds is not to cater the needs of the current market demand, but also ensures the brand value in years to come. The organization ensures that the promises to the customers are not compromised which ensures repeat business. Operations Management It is considered to be the management of an organization capable of transforming an input to output. This transformation is performed by following a particular process. The transformation can be applied to different categories based on the nature of the business. The three main categories being materials, customers and information. Most of the organizations rely on a combination of these. However, in this particular example, the input is the raw materials going into the making of any of the eatables in the restaurant. The process is the conversion of these products to deliverables. These processes are repetitive throughout the organization except for the minor changes resulting due to an introduction of a new recipe which, at a later point of time, become repetitive. The output is the finished eatable that is been supplied to an end user, here the customer. Strategies of Operations Management Operations management plays a very significant role in the building up of any organization. The Operations, when put into place, help the organization achieve its basic goals. It is well established by the Potters value chain model. Value is the amount the byers are willing to pay for what an organization provides them . . . creating value for buyers that exceeds the cost of doing so is the goal of any generic strategy. Value, instead of cost, must be used in analyzing the competitive position. . . Potter M. (1985) According to Potters analysis, the value chains consist of basically two activities, viz. primary activities and support activities. The Primary activities are Inbound Logistics Operations Outbound Logistics Marketing and Sales Service The Support activities are Procurement Technology and Development Human Resource Management Organization Infrastructure Further, the operations management is not constrained to value addition task alone. It is a process of Planning, Organizing and Controlling of the operations to ensure that the customer satisfaction is achieved. Planning and Control Planning is the major step in Operations management. Planning helps serve many objectives that can contribute to the profit of an organization. Proper planning helps reduce the cost of the production. This is achieved because proper measures are taken to ensure availability of raw materials at reasonable cost even in bleak periods, hence avoiding a stall in the production scenario. Moreover, proper planning also takes care of measures to avoid excess production. There is a better control of the cash flow, which can be the expenses incurred and future investment of the profit earned. Moreover, the planning strategies will also help make proper use of available resources, raw materials as well as human resources. It also mitigates the causes of dissatisfaction among the employees at times of unexpected workload and among the customers at times of unexpected delay in the services. Any organization would perform to the best of its abilities when the planning is proper and the plans are put into action as well as process control systems are enforced to make sure that the system is running as per the planned schedule. The control can be implemented by system or manually monitored by people. It does not matter as long as the processes are being followed without fail. The process is monitored meticulously and the reports are created for every output produced. In the case of our example, the reports would be the profit and the customer feedbacks obtained. These reports are analyzed to detect the deviation from the expected outcome. If the deviations are trivial, corrective measures are taken at the franchisee level. If the deviations are significant, corrective measures are incorporated at an organizational level. The challenge for fast food joints like McDonalds in structuring their strategies are better ways to provide variety of end products to the consumers in large quantities, at the same time maintaining the quality and value of the product and keeping it cost effective. Performance Measures Since the fast food joint McDonalds has a global presence, the competitive priorities can be analyzed on the following parameters. Cost Quality Delivery Flexibility Service Cost Any customer of a fast food joint has various options to choose from. This leads to tuff competition for an organization. The cost is sometimes the major factor influencing a customer choice. The customer in most cases wont be able to distinguish the difference in the cost of the commodities put together to produce the end product. So, the organization needs to make sure that the cost of the end product is lucrative for any prospective customer. Quality The product quality also plays a significant role in customer satisfaction. Low cost ensures initial customer flow, but low cost put together with superior quality ensures repeat business. The quality of product is an impact of the quality in process. The process quality is significant as it takes care of delivering product to the customers worldwide having a uniform taste and quality. This is very important for fast food joints as their taste is expected by the customers at various geographic locations to be same. Delivery Another major significant priority is the speed of delivery. Most of the customers going to a fast food joint are expected to be short on time. Hence, they would prefer places which have the fastest customer service even at peak load times, like lunch time. But even with the best processes in place, there can be delays due to unanticipated circumstances. McDonalds has schemes in place to avoid customer dissatisfaction on such uncommon situations. They offer the ordered items for free in case of delay beyond a threshold time. Some joints provide additional items free of cost too. Flexibility Flexibility can be the variety of products provided to the customer. Since during a peak time, there would be far too many customers ordering a variety of items, the supply chain is well organized to cater to the requirement of each and every customer in the least time possible. Moreover, it also requires the organization to adapt to the changing demands of the customers, which may vary based on basically the geographical locations. McDonalds is dominantly a fast food joint which specializes in beef and pork varieties, but they have a wide range of menu for the Asian customers, where vegetarian and chicken recipes are more in demand. Service Since fast food joints are a service oriented industry where in business depends not only on the above mentioned factors, but to a large extend on the customer interaction. The customer service employees, who are responsible for interacting with the customers while taking orders and delivering them, undergo a proper training before being assigned the job. This gives an advantage over the competitors as customers tend to prefer joints having better customer services. Along with all of these strategies, the competitive nature of the global fast food market requires the organization to keep on innovating new products to lure various ranges of customers. McDonalds has in place various product packages that cater to the needs of customers of various age groups. The ranges include the inclusion of HappyMeal option for kids which include toys from the latest animation movies along with food for the kids. Quality Customer satisfaction is the key to success for any fast food joint. According to David Garvin of Harvard Business School, quality is defined as transcendent, product based, user based, manufacturing based or value based .Based on these five definitions, Garvin(1984) compiled together eight quality dimensions which are as follows . Performance Features Reliability Conformance Durability Serviceability Aesthetics Perceived Quality With respect to our example of fast food joint McDonalds, only a few of these are significant. They are as follows Conformance This is one of the major concerns of a product developed by any organization that it should conform to some pre defined standards that are expected for that particular range of product. The fast food joints are expected to conform to the food quality norms and nutritious value. Performance Performance is the measure of how efficient a product is to perform its intended purpose. In case of fast food, the objective is to relieve a customer of hunger and provide the necessary nutrition to the body. The better the performance of a food item in this respect, the more is the demand for that particular item. Features These are the additions to the product that can enhance its performance. The addition of accessories in electronic equipment can enhance its performance. Similarly, fast food joints provide a wide range of additional products like soft drinks, sweets, coffee etc. along with the burgers which fetch more revenue as well as result in the increased service quality and performance. Some of the food packages include additional items like toys etc. that further result in rich features. Reliability Reliability is the property of achieving customer trust. A customer should be able to rely on a product for its consistency across various geographic locations. This is crucial for fast food joints as a person travelling to an unknown place around the globe would be more tempted to walk in to a familiar food joint and hence would expect the same taste and quality that he is used to in his own country or region. This leads to an increase in global business by catering to regular customers. Aesthetics It is the biggest concern for any organization dealing with food and drink market. Its the subjective sensory characteristic. There are a lot of competitors in a fast food business. The customers along with the nutrition and value for money also care for the aesthetic value of the delivered products. These may be the taste, look and feel etc. This may also be the ambience in the fast food joint. The customer prefers a place where he finds a good combination of all the above concerns. A very nutritious burger in a shabby wrapping wont be popular among the customers on the contrary vice versa can be a market leader. The Sand Cone Model Cost Efficiency Speed Dependability Quality An Operations Management Competence Model Slack et al (2008) Quality improvement methodologies Improving the product quality is an evolving process in any business organization irrespective of the domain or range of product it deals with. A variety of norms and paradigms are in place to monitor the Quality improvement processes. Total Quality Control (TQC) Total Control Quality is the philosophy of continual improvement in the quality. Its based on the adherence to the 5 Ss that are a sequential process that organizations follow to ensure that result in high quality processes and in turn high quality products. According to Ramasamy(2005) The 5 Ss are Seiri This is the organization by getting rid of unnecessary items. These may include a wide range of objects. The cleaning up of the old files and records in one of them. The old machineries which no longer give optimal results can be discarded or replaced with new one. The machineries may include cutting instruments, baking ovens etc. The constraint for removing the machineries and tools is the once that have been unused for past 2 3 years. However, the organization can override these constraints based on their domain and requirements. Seiton Its the cleanliness as a result of performing a Seiri. In case of a fast food joint, keeping the area neat is extremely important as it concerns not only the aesthetics but also hygienic issues of prospective customers. Food outlets need to be well cleaned and maintained so. Seiso The equipment and plant where the production happens should be clean to avoid dirt and resultant obscure problems. In case of fast food joints, the plants where the raw materials for making the food items, the farms from where the vegetables and poultry are being used etc. must be scrutinized to make sure that there is no compromise on the quality of the products used. Moreover, the kitchen in which the food is made should be cleaned. The food items should not at any point of time be touched by bare hands unless it reaches the customer. All these ensure that the food is safe and free from any germs or disease carriers. Seiketsu Standardizing the locations of all the items is another way of enhancing quality. The places of raw material in the kitchen needs to be standardized in order to facilitate fast assembling of various items and hence reduce the time of delivery. Moreover, the cash counter has a well-organized cash box which facilitates easy and faster transactions as it becomes easier for the employees to return the change to the customers. Shetsuke It is the disciplined way in which the above four Ss are implemented and adhered to in any organizations. This doesnt only include the management to take care of the enforcement of these rules. The responsibility lies with each and every employee be actively involved in ensuring that the quality processes are followed. The three Universal Processes of Managing for Quality THE JURAN TRIOLOGY DIAGRAM Quality Planning Quality Control Quality Improvement Determine who are the customers Evaluate actual product performance Establish the infrastructure Determine the needs of the customer Compare actual performance to product goals Identify the improvement projects Develop product features that respond to customers needs Act on the difference Establish project teams Develop process able to produce the product features Provide the teams with resources, training and motivation to : Diagnose the cause Stimulate Remedies Establish controls to hold the gains Transfer the plans to the Operating force Copyright  © 1989 by Juran Institute Inc There are many standards in place to ensure that Quality norms are followed. But, these policies seem useless unless there is proper and timely audit for the same. The Quality audit processes would require a team of quality experts to evaluate each and every process for its quality. The above table gives an overview of all the quality planning, control and improvement strategies. According to Summers (2009), the various standards and criteria that exist globally to support effective quality management systems are: ISO 9000 International Organization for Standardization has representatives from the national standardization bodies of over 90 countries. The main objective is to satisfy customer by quality assurance and increase the level of confidence of a customer in an organization. A company can audit itself to gain this particular internal certification. The customers can audit an organization against the set of standards for second party certification. ISO 14000 This is an extension of ISO Standards regarding environmental issues. The organizations are evaluated for environment protection and pollution prevention. These are followed by organizations to reduce negative impact on the environment. The organizations can implement various strategies to achieve this. Like, providing bio degradable wrappers and glasses instead of using plastics. SIX SIGMA The goal of this process is to reduce the process variation to the point where there are only 3.4 defects per million opportunities. This is especially significant for industries whose business involves mass production. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBQNA) This is another evaluation process which was designed by consulting lots of experts. The main evaluation dimensions are The soundness of the system. The deployment of the system across the organization. The outcome of the deployment. Organizational Performance If you dont drive your business, you would be driven out of business. B. C. Forbes. This is the basic principle of business in todays world. The business world is very competitive and doesnt leave room for compromise on any of the aspects of business, be it, Quantity, Quality, Operations Management, Process Management etc. The responsibility of a successful business lies with each and every employee, as was the theory of Ray Kroc, which led him to implement the franchisee business model. But, implementing alone would not ensure adherence. Adherence can be assured only when measured. Measures literally mean dimensions or capacity of anything. For an organization, the performance has to be measured as well as recognized and rewarded. The performance can be measured for employees, processes, services, suppliers etc. Any parameter that plays a significant part of the organization needs to be measured against certain standards to ensure quality. Measures of good performance The performance of the processes in place can be measured on the basis of certain parameters like expenses, income, quality, throughput, delivery time, safety, cleanliness etc. In a fast food joint like McDonalds, the service time to the customer is a major concern. This can be ensured only if the production time for the food in the kitchen is well defined. Any delay in the production time would delay delivery to the customer hence violating the standards. So, standard time constraints need to be put in place. Moreover, the cleanliness is important as its a matter of hygiene. The quality of food depends a lot on the incoming raw materials like flour, vegetables, fruits, poultry, oils used etc. All these have to be of superior quality for the proper working of the organization. The organizational results performance measures are focused on the strategic interests of the organization. The results involve both the organization and customers equally. The customer satisfaction is one of the measures, which can be measured by the amount of repeat business and the number of customers per day. All satisfied customers tend to recommend the organization to their friends hence increasing the business. The performance measure with respect to the organization can be based on its annual financial results, quarterly financial results, deviation of these results from the predicted results, the profits etc. The organizational performance can be measured also by the brand value generated by the organization. The measures discussed so far were materialistic, but its the human resources that make a service oriented organization like McDonalds achieve its objectives. There are measures to monitor the efficiency and performance of these human resources. This can be done yearly or half yearly in the form of appraisals. The employees can be rated based on performance. The excellent performers should be rewarded to encourage them to keep up the work and also motivate the rest of the employees to perform better. The extremely poor performers should be given proper mentoring to help them perform better. The internal process measures are meant to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the plans and processes that are incorporated inside the organization. The Learning and Growth measures are focused on the growth and well being of the human resource i.e. the employees. It also encourages innovations, in case of McDonalds, the innovation of new recipes in the RD department by the franchisees. Financial measures are put in place to analyze the business progress of the organization world-wide in the context of the monetary gains or profits. These performance measures are used by the organization leaders to analyze and review the existing strategies, plans and processes, and make changes if necessary to improve the present conditions. The quality management systems and Six Sigma are used by organizations to ensure that the organization is moving towards progress in business by balancing the cost, quality and availability of products to the customer satisfaction. Conclusion For any fast food joint, in this case McDonalds, to be a success, the first principle should be Customer is the King. A service oriented industry can flourish only by providing the best customer service in the least possible time. But, service is not the only factor. The quality of the products delivered must be hygienic and nutritious so as to serve their purposes. The competition is fast food industry is on an all time high, so the cost along with the quality would be a deciding factor for the customer. An organizations success doesnt rest in the managements hands. The responsibility lies with each and every employee and franchisee. The employee has to work for the organization as their own. The process of the organization has to be adhered to. This measure of these adherences and changes in the organizational strategies according to the requirements would lead to better business. The organizational leaders should not only Implement policies but also incorporate performance measure exercises to ensure that the processes are being adhered to.

Shakespeare Term Paper :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Shakespeare was an Englishman who wrote poems and plays. According to many he was labeled as one of the greatest dramatists the world has ever known and the finest poets who wrote in the English language. No other writer’s plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries (Wadsworth 342).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 26, 1564, John Shakespeare and Mary Arden’s son, William, was baptized at the Stratford Parish Church. No one knows for certain when his birthday was. However, since most baptisms take place three days after birth, Shakespeare’s alleged birthday is April 23. He was the third of eight children (Biography.com). It was thought that young Shakespeare began attending a local grammar school at the age 7, in Stratford. He attended the school with other boys of his social class. Students spent nine hours a day in school and attended classes year round, except for brief holiday periods. In spite of his long hours spent in school, Shakespeare’s childhood was not likely boring. Stratford was a lively town, and for you William is could have been an exciting place to live (www.gale.com/freresrc/poets_cn/shakebio.htm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. Anne was at least 8 years her husband’s senior. The marriage record dates November 27, 1582 in an Episcopal register found in Worchester (Brown 45). The custom in Stratford after the eldest son married, was for the new couple to live in the house of the groom’s father. In all likelihood, Shakespeare obeyed the customary procedure (Wright 24). Arden gave birth only 6 months after they were legally wed to Shakespeare’s first child, Susanna. Early in 1585, Anne gave birth to twins- a boy, Hamnet and a girl, Judith. Hamnet was only 11 years old when he died (Wadsworth 345).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan Period in England, the time of Elizabeth I’s reign. This time saw England emerge as the leading naval and commercial power of the Western World. England consolidated its position with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and established the Church of England (www.gale.com/freresrc/poets_cn/shakebio.htm). England was characterized as a hierarchy and everyone lived under a strong feudal system (Singman 10). The quote by Thomas Nashe, 1593, sums up the system of rank: â€Å"Unfortunate is the man who does not have someone to look down upon.†(Davis 20). Queen Elizabeth was a fan of literature and theatre.

Use of Technology in Teaching Essay -- education, pedagogical approach

In this paper I will introduce you to my reflections that helped influence my pedagogical approach in the use of technology to address my learner needs. I will deliberate how this impacted on my current and future teaching, learning and assessment practices. I aim to discuss technological advances in my industry, which is health, and how this impacts on my students now and into the future. I will explain ways I made adjustments in the use of technology within my teaching area to better meet both mine and the student’s needs. My goal is to explain the strategies I will use to strengthen this area for ongoing development and how this will help in making adjustments to specific occupational and personal needs of my students. Reflections on past, current and future approach in the use of technology I would like to discuss how I went from delivering a face to face class of 12 students to today having over 100 students externally using technology as my main delivery method. Lets go back to the beginning of my delivery of a Certificate IV level in the health area. I started at my workplace by being given a qualification to deliver, and nothing much else. I wrote the material required for a face to face class, as that is all that I knew to do at the time. I did this for over a few years in which time I collated a reasonable amount of feedback from both my current and prospective students. This started me on a journey of critical reflection resulting in distant and online delivery. Looking back on my reflective practice approaches and journey, I have come a long way but still have a way to go. John Dewey’s vision in1923, was â€Å"School should be less of a preparation for life and more like life itself.† (Dewey, 1923) Although he was... ...reditation MIMS Australia . (2013). Retrieved from MIMS Australia : http://www.mims.com.au/index.php/products/product-overview Dewey, J. (1923). Democracy and Education-An introduction to the Pilosophy of Education. Los Angeles, Calafornia: Indo European Publishing. Martha Burkle, M. C.-I. (2013, January). Defining the role adjument profile of learners and instructors online. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks,, 17(1), 73 -87. Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance Education: A Systems View of online learning. Belmont,CA : Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Rory McGreal, M. E. (2011). Technologies of online learning (E-Learning). In T. Anderson (Ed.), The Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton: Au Press, Athabasca University. Rushton, I. S. (2012). Reflective Practice For Teaching In Lifelong Learning. Maidenhead, GBR: Open University Press.

Organizational Change Process Essay

Organizations need tactical responsiveness to external dynamics to bring strategic renewal within the continuum, which organizations need to create and maintain outstanding performance (Spencer, 2010). Through strategic renewal the organization alters its operational strategy to gain economic advantage. Successful of implementation of change should be a long-lasting occurrence often determined by readiness, resources necessary to implement change successfully, how the organization monitors such change (Whelan-Berry, Karen, Somerville & Karen, 2010). Gaps or omissions in the process of change often lead to disastrous outcomes. This paper will focus on the Lewin’s phases of organizational change reflecting on Concord Bookshop conflict and its effect on organizational failure. Lewin’s Phases of Organizational Change According to Lewin’s theory in studying human and organizations it is imperative for managers to understand change as forces working in different direction, for change to happen there should be a driving force with less counteracting resistance (Borkowski, 2005). Borkowski further states the importance for managers to understand the external and internal environmental influence and differentiating between forces that need to stay status quo and those that require change. Lewin stated three important steps of change that managers need to follow to attain successful transition to change. Unfreezing Schein as stated in Spector (2010) for effective learning and change to happen some sort of dissatisfaction should be created, to bring discomfort to the members. Underperformance does not necessarily create change because when people are comfortable with a status quo they are unmotivated to change. Instilling discomfort will force employees to change and unlearn current norms to learning desired new practices. Change The need for change should be communicated and parties involved must be part of the change process. Dictation by upper management at this phase will meet with resistance. Once employees are open to change, implementing new protocols will not have much resistance, during this phase retraining and education should take place to eliminate the fear of inadequacy and uncertainties. Employee’s involvement will give them sense of ownership and feeling of adequacy, and they will be willing to move from one set of behaviors to another (Spector, 2010). Refreezing Companies invest a substantial amount of money to process change within the continuum through training, retraining, and staff development. Therefore, the new learned behaviors should be permanent. â€Å"Refreezing stage is where a newly created equilibrium is made relatively secure against change† (Spector, 2010, p. 29). It is important that the management keeps tabs on the implementation phase through monitoring and evaluation process. Concord Bookshop Conflict Concord bookshop was facing economic turmoil created by the change in customer preferences and tight completion from its rivals. Therefore, it was imperative for management to revise both marketing and operational strategies to save the organization. The decision of hiring a manager without consulting with its departmental management was a serious mistake by the owners. They failed to create the discomfort needed for change. If the managers were put in that predicament they would have responded differently from resigning. The owners omitted unfreezing stage to change process, which did not involve the employees. For change to be successful employees should be part of the change, and they should believe they are indispensable. Announcement by management of hiring new manager brought fear, uncertainty, and inadequacy to the employees. Their job security was at stake, they also feared the unknown. Working for that many years demotion brought a feeling of shame and ambivalence accompanie d by loss of status and power. The combination of all these factors brought resistance to change. The Concord management failed participative decision making, delegation, team building, and employee involvement in its organizational transformation, which met with resistance from both employees and the public (Elie-Dit-Cosaque, Pallud & Kalika, 2011 ). Creating a driving force for change, avoidance or elimination of resistance ensures successful strategic transformation in meeting and implementing new goals. Awareness of internal and external factors that influence change is of paramount importance when dealing with organization strategic transition. Knowing and applying Lewin’s phases of organizational changes empowers the managers with essential skill to process change within the continuum and ensure smooth transformation to new ideas and behaviors. Concord Bookshop failed to follow Lewin’s phases, which led to resistance and conflict from both employees and the publi c. References Borkowski, N. (2005). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Elie-Dit-Cosaque, C., Pallud, J., Kalika, M. (2011). The Influence of Individual, Contextual, and Social Factors on Perceived Behavioral Control of Information Technology: A Field Theory Approach. Journal of Management Information Systems,28(3), p201-234. Spector, B. (2010). Implementing Organizational Change: Theory into Practice (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Whelan-Berry, Karen S., Somerville, & Karen A. (2010) ‘Linking Change Drivers and the Organizational Change Process: A Review and Synthesis’, Journal of Change Management, 10(2), 175-193.

Little Ice Age

europium had experient a general modify of the climate betwixt categorys 1150 and 1460 and a very ratty climate between 1560 and 1850. This even upt came to be acknowledgen as the petty(a) chicken feed season. This stone- chilliness stomach had impact on agriculture, health, sparings, emigration, and art and literary works . The term Little field glass maturate was named by Francois Matthes in 1939 to describe the or so destructive climate drop in atomic modus operandi 63. This methamphetamine geezerhood was consisted of mountain glaciers which brought temperatures as low as 2 degrees Fahrenheit. legion(predicate) mess got sick and some were even killed and starved to d saph because of a famine.Farms and vill festers were disjointed pay fitted to the cold weather. It is unknow on what caused this Little internal-combustion engine get a farsighted. We do know that this event impacted the large number vivification in Europe. Many flock mother spotted egress that the solarisespot bodily process during this time period was low. This rargon feature of sunspots triggered a cold sun, to a fault the some a(prenominal) volcanic eruptions which then turned into an trash age. Imagine the fog hugging the naval waters, cold winds coming in from the north, no horizon, no boundary between the sea and sky, land is frozen, and there you atomic number 18 gazing at a futureless world.Although The Little internal-combustion engine mount up was not a accredited frappe age because it didnt blend in long enough to cause chalk sheets to modernize vastr, but it did tilt the occasional life in Europe. At the endpoint of the Medieval Warm Period, the codswallop age make screwb totallyland and Greenland attractive colonies for publ arctic Europeans to transmigrate to delinquent to the lack of nourishment and cold temperatures. Even schools of cod, tilt were forced turn up into the western Atlantic Ocean due to the frigid wate r temperature. Pilgrims followed the cod dump the coast of North America remittal on Cape Cod. commonwealth increased in Europe during the warm period which unexpended a large amount of pot starving and dying during the first year of The Little grump hop on, due to famine. pelting was harsh during this time, it drenched the farmlands. To overcome this dilemma, farmers had turn soils with long furrows, creating fields that absorbed large amounts of rain without doing much drainage problems. aft(prenominal) it was cleared the land became a dusky wilderness. The work ons were flattened where they grew. Europeans needed to find a new way to rely on food. One way in calveicular, was maneuver bark was make into bread.No longer were they fitting to rely on crops due to the fill and frozen grounds. The frozen contains led farmers to pull abide their cattle, hunters could no longer hunt for food, and black cat could no longer fish for food. Villages of heap subcommed to th e famine. The famine outbreak occurred between the days of 1315-1317 where over 25 million great deal died from famine or famine regain diseases. One in particular know as Black Death. Many of the athirst(p) were also killed by famine diarrhea. This condition was resulted from bad nutrition and changes in the intestines that bewildered the water and salt balance in the body.The tidy sum of Europe were forced to eat the flesh of dead animals as part of their survival. The hungry would abandon their homes and villages and go to hospitals and sometimes even crowded prisons just to detain. In doing so, the large majority of mountain also brought on many other infected diseases. People huddled to furbish upher for warmth. When people died their clothes, including their underwear, were passed on to other people. When these people left their homes they only left with what they wore on their backs. In addition to the impact The Little frosting Age had on human survival, it had a large impact on economics.Increasing whit prices with lower wine yield greatly change the income of many. Property values and way out of taxes were at a decline . Population was increasingly declining due to the famine. With all these accompanimentors many of the people suffered much hardship. The lack of production in Europe caused other countries to course up bidding wars against one some other for cargos of food and imports. The Little Ice Age, caused many people to flee Europe in appear of better living habitats and survival strategies. This ice age not only affected humans, but also the wildlife and invariablyything around it.The plants enzymes are failing them and their roots are assay to find a way by dint of the frozen soil. These plants cant grow and main(prenominal)tain themselves in these conditions. Pollination is most(prenominal) impossible during this time. The plants arent able to give off much oxygen into the atmosphere, which we let out in. The true impact of The Little Ice Age began around 1600 and chokeed until the 1800s. During that time in Europe is when it was at its height. It was considered to be the most significant climate event of the last millennium.Only until recently set out climatologist discovered interrogation of climate conditions in historical times. As stated before, no one is quite a sure how The Little Ice Age evolved. Climatologist and historians build had many discussions on what they think was the main cause of the ice age. at once they are able to settle toss off the each year average temperatures, rainfalls, volcanic activity, and the effect of the sun during that period . What we know is that the sun experienced a quiet period, meaning its vividness was not that strong. Therefore, a cooling occurred.Sunspots which determine the suns strength were noted to be in decline. Volcanic activity is to be another known source of the cause. As the volcanoes erupted they gun for hire out particles and gases into the demeanor. With these gases floating in the air it led to an event called the aerosol effect. This had cut the amount of heat by reflecting it back into space. Europe was not able to get direct sunlight so temperatures dropped. An unscientific way that climatologists were able to determine how extremum the temperatures were and how frigid the air felt was finished art.They were also able to determine through these paintings when the colder air was beginning to lift. An interesting fact regarding the ice age is the paintings that were done during that time. Artists depicted people wearing warm winter clothes, all bundled up, and landscapes were covered in juggle and ice. The theme of the paintings ended once the climate was starting to get warmer. A man once had studied more than 12,000 paintings in 41 art museums in the united States and 8 European countries to test if this guess was true that these paintings would accurately reveal the climate.He looked at th e color of the clouds and sky in these paintings. By doing this scientist were able to tell when The Little Ice Age was at its peak and how cold it was then. The impact that The Little Ice Age had on neighboring countries such as Greenland and Iceland were exceedingly dramatic. Greenland, prior to The Little Ice Age, was free of packed ice and Scandinavian Settlements were well ceremonious in the region. During The Little Ice Age, as the temperatures changed and plummeted, Greenland suffered considerably.Increased hardship for families, animals, and agriculture, all do to the conditions The Little Ice Age, brought along. This include flooding and storminess. The Little Ice Age caused major economic disruption end-to-end Europe. Ice covered seas make voyages extremely difficult. Settlements were either abandoned or died out when temperatures were at only 2 degrees. In the Norse Settlements, archeologists have discovered the garments on the bodies of the buried to be in remarkably good shape due to the frozen grounds. Iceland was another rustic that suffered greatly.Since the fourteenth centaury Icelands major economic ratifier has been exporting fish. Harsh winter temperatures made it nearly impossible to sustain this industry. Icelanders fished from subject boats, not far from land, and tried to survive on local farming relatives that lived jam to shore. With the population of 50,000 between the years of 1750-1758, 17,000 people died of hunger or disease. Irelands main source of income and stability in their country was the import and export of stump spudes. Ireland had adopted the potato from America.Irish farm workers ate nothing else overly potatoes. Later on, the people of Ireland would suffer the beat out due to the worst famine Ireland had ever experienced. We need to understand that the ice age has proven to have affected millions of people in the world and many countries. Starvation, hunger, crime, economic hardship, and settlements that wer e lost were all due to a period in time that we fluent dont know too much about. What The Little Ice Age did to many parts of Europe has, and resulting change the future events that will go on. Because of the ice age tree high have been altered.Many trees have gone, so the ones that are left are not as big as they used to be. This marrow the people of Europe will have little supply of wood to be able to make things such as furniture and paper. The disappearance of animals will be affected. Many fish such as cod have traveled to divergent waters around the world. This lowers the population of fish in Europe which hurts fisherman, trade, business, and food supply. as well as that many animals have died and decomposed into the ground, it leaves hunters empty transfer with fur to use as fit out and trade.Europe also suffers agriculturally. The harvest supplies that were destroyed during the ice age have led Europe to a decline in crop production today, such as cotton. If heati ng trends continue in Europe, suppuration seasons will lengthen, and wine vineyards will be established again in England. Many people have questioned as to whether the Little Ice Age will happen again. For hundreds of years, scientists have been observing the sun, examining the sun spots, wondering if the ice age could happen again. The scientist are discussing that the number of sun spots should be increasing.Human made greenhouses that help release carbon dioxide is a major factor in guardianship the atmosphere warm. In addition, the ocean plays a tremendous part in care the climate on track. If melting ice caps and glaciers off of Greenland flows into the Northern Atlantic, it will turf out down the Gulf Stream, also known as the Great Conveyer. In this situation, the icy cold water would shut down the Gulf Stream, which now cumbers Europe warm. whip case scenario would be a upright blown ice age or a period of harsh winters. Now, if the heating system continues and con trols progressing on the right path, then the growing seasons in Europe will lengthen.This is big because the majority of European citizens depend on this to grow food that they need for the future seasons. Farms will be cleared to be closer to the Arctic Circle. In this neighborhood the sun is visible through the summertime and does not set. Farmers cant emphasis enough about having sun on their farm. It is crucial in their growth of their crops. The people of Europe had come a long way to deal with this ice age. close to of the things that they did were to migrate to other countries, away from the cold temperatures, and build houses that were together so that they could keep warm and not disrupt their family relation.If we keep building greenhouse affects and burn fossil fuels, Europe may be able to recover fully and successfully. If The Little Ice Age has taught us anything, it is that climate change and weather are unpredictable, and we should always be prepared for any su dden berth in change. This was the Europeans story of how climate made history. http//science. jrank. org/pages/47813/Little-Ice-Age. html http//www. geocraft. com/WVFossils/ice_ages. html http//www. commondreams. org/views04/0130-11. htm