Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Eastboro Corporation

Eastboro Corporation STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMAlthough this case presents several different issues to consider, the underlying problem is the correct implementation of Eastboro's dividend policy. Eastboro was founded as a manufacturer of machine parts, and has traditionally paid a fairly substantial dividend. However, in recent years, the core focus of the company has shifted toward technology in the fields of computer-aided design and manufacturing, highlighted by its latest development, Artificial Workforce.This shift in the focus of Eastboro has brought about some financial changes as well. With revenues falling, they have missed two quarters' worth of dividend payments, and have promised to try to begin repayment of them by the end of 2001. However, to do this, they may need to borrow money, not only in 2001, but in the next several years. Eastboro has always been debt averse, so this is an unsettling prospect for them. There are several options being discussed, such as a zero-dividend payout, a 40% p ayout, and a residual payout policy.Father's Little DividendThis major issue, as well as what direction the firm is going, and whether that corresponds to the wishes of current shareholders are the main issues needing to be addressed by Ms. Campbell.FACTSCurrent dividend policy = 40%Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon occurred one week priorStock has fallen 18% since attacksFirm has committed itself to resuming dividend payout, presumably in 2001Potential name change to Eastboro Advanced Systems International, Inc.Rated as an "A" company by Value LineRecent decline in net revenues and profit marginsFuture international growth is expectedInvolved in high cyclical environmentGDP expected to fall from 4% to 1.6%Largest % of individual investors are focused on retirement needsLargest % of institutional investors are value-orientedManagement expects growth of 15%CAD/CAM and...

Friday, November 22, 2019

5 Ways to Chart Display Your Family Tree

5 Ways to Chart Display Your Family Tree While tracing your ancestry back as far as possible is fun, its even better when you can present the findings in a handsome family tree chart. From hand-drawn genealogy charts to computer-generated ancestor trees, there are many different ways to chart and display your family history. Create It Yourself If you want to create something personal and your family is fairly small, consider creating your own family tree. You can draw the basic connections in a line-and-box format, or get more creative by embellishing with vines, flowers, etc. You can also display the family in an actual tree format, using the roots for descendants and leaves (or apples) for the ancestors. Cant draw a straight line? Try  a flowchart or diagramming program to create any chart you can imagine. Branch Out With Software While most genealogy software programs offer basic computer-generated family tree charts, you can get even better results by taking advantage of add-on programs. For example,  Legacy Charting Companion  expands the charting capabilities of the Legacy Family Tree program, allowing you to create and print a variety of ancestor, descendant, hourglass, fan and bowtie charts ranging in size from  8.5-by-11-inch  printouts to 9-foot displays.   Use a Chart Printing Service If you want a pretty family tree chart without having to deal with designing and printing, try one of the many Family Tree chart printing services that specialize in printing large family trees in both color and black and white. Some, such as Family Tree Illustration will custom design a chart for you, while others allow you to select from a number of different formats. Some require a family tree file in GEDCOM format, but some work from your own handwritten family tree. Perfect for family reunions and large frames, charts can usually be printed in large format. Pre-Printed Charts Make it Simple From basic pedigree charts to elaborate, rose-covered fan charts, pre-printed genealogy charts make it easy to display your family tree in style. A number of simpler family tree charts are available for free download online.  Other, more elaborate family tree charts are available for purchase from various vendors. Designer Family Trees If youre looking for something a little fancier, innumerable calligraphers and artists can render your family tree on vellum or parchment with hand-drawn letters and elaborate designs. For example, Marie Lynskey charges anywhere from $150 for a simple four-generation family tree lettered on parchment to more than $1500 for an illustrated family tree with numerous generations displayed on vellum. Park City, Utah-based artist Saundra Diehl turns dull family tree charts into a work of art, using watercolor and pen and ink to create a custom watercolor painting of your family tree on aged parchment.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

World War II Through the 1970s Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World War II Through the 1970s - Assignment Example The war officially started in 1939 with the formation of two global military fronts, the allies and the axis. Most countries had no choice but to join either of the two military alliances. It was by far the most globally widespread war ever fought in the history of mankind. The European conflict was already heating up during the 1930s that ultimately resulted in German invasion of Poland in Sep 1939 and inevitably marked the onset of the Second World War. Adolf Hitler was a major figure that influenced the course of the war and proved to the mastermind behind the German’s plan of world domination. Therefore, Axis alliance was mostly led by the Germans with major contributions from Italy and Japan. Poland, France, British Empire, Soviet Union and later on US mainly constituted the Allies front. US initially avoided being part of this power clash but had no option but to counter attack after Japan bombers drop havoc over Pearl Harbor. (Payment 2004). During 1930s to 1970s, the p eriod is full of major historical events but two of them had a major influence on America’s current politics, economy, culture and society. These include the mentioned incidence of Pearl Harbor and later US atomic bomb explosions over the two populated cities of Japan. Pearl Harbor and Atomic Bombs The attacks on Pearl Harbor proved to be the decisive event that prompted US to finally involve in the bloodshed of the world war. However, going into the war turned out be politically and strategically beneficial as it helped US to emerge as a superpower on the global canvas. Soviet Union was the other force that gained immense power during the war period, thus, a clash between these two super powers was displayed in the form of cold war that had a great impact on political, social and economic front of America. Incidence of Pearl Harbor can be argued as one of the major underlying factor in stirring these future events. Moreover, dropping of nuclear bombs on the two cities of Jap an by the American planes that killed thousands of people in an instance turned out be a major blow. It gathered huge criticism and induced massive uproars regarding the use of nuclear weapons but it also put an end to six year long war. It had a great political as well as social impact. Even today, it remains as a black mark on the history of United States. Arguably, that event influenced many US policies that include a solid stance on global nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. US reluctance During the development of European conflict in the late 1930s, America maintained its stance of isolationism. Few reasons for such apathy can be deduced. First of all the great depression during the 1930s discouraged the US from participating any distant conflicts that would add burden on the economic front. Secondly, they were reluctant to enter the emerging war after the lessons learned from the aftermath of the First World War. A committee in the senate had already blamed war profiteers or â€Å"merchants of death† for American entry into the World War I. Several neutrality acts were passed during the late 1930s to ensure similar mistake is not repeated under the current situation. (Wittkopf et al 2002). Women in the World War American women played a major role in winning the World War II. Their contributions came in many forms. War demanded utilization of all country resources such as labor in the factory to produce military supplies, troops to fight for country’s cause. American women served all these purposes, more efficiently than anticipated. They also contributed as nurses, taking care of the wounded by serving in the Red Cross. The whole

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Case study - Assignment Example However, the author also notices that there are situations that fixing may not be a good option, when the employee shows disinterest in the duties and underperforms, this may affect the other employees performances and the department or company’s position (46). In this case, firing is the better option. An effective employment termination plan should include these three key things. First, the plan should have a way that prevents the employee from seeking delay or postponement of the process by seeking help from the authority above the immediate manager or to other departments (52). This is avoided by having the communication about the termination received and supported by the supervisors above you and other departments such as human resource approval. Secondly, the plan should include activities immediately to secure the companys assets that were under the employee (53). This is done through change of passwords, repossession of rights and materials and escorting of the terminated employee to make sure he or she leaves the compound as fast as possible. The third requirement of the plan is to have administrative support and presence in the termination process (55). This helps to have a witness and to indicate that the decision has been made with the involvement of all the administrat ion. Underperformance in any business is costly and brings the company down in an effort to reach their goals. This is the main reason the managers should always monitor the employees’ performance and make decisions related to fixing or firing employees. Some employees however may try to rationalize their underperformance. First, the underperforming employees may appear to follow the example of another employee who underperforms and the company or the manager does nothing about it (46). They, therefore, feel that the level of performance demonstrated by this employee is acceptable. Secondly, the employees may use the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay Example for Free

The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a political satire on society. The butt of the satire is civilization at the time of the second world war. During this era, a civilized society goes to war and obliterates, maims, and kills. In this novel, Golding depicts destruction, killing, and fear as evil in the heart of man, and uses irony to elaborate on this theme. The novel begins with a plane crashing on an uninhabited island. We are not told the reason for this, but we can assume the crash was a result of events associated with World War II. The survivors of the crash are a group of boys who we know little about prior to the crash. The group of boys then attempt to create a functional society by using a system of rules and a chief. The story then revolves around the breakdown of the boys society. Piggy and Ralph meet up with each other after escaping from their shot-down plane. A large scar was made by the crashing plane in the untouched jungle, symbolizing the first of mans destruction on the island. A war is going on in the outside world, and now for the rest of the book, everyone on the island will be isolated from the real world and put into their own world. Throughout the book we are told of the scar, and it is clear to understand that the scar symbolises mans destruction and destructive forces The island is ultimately a natural environment untamed by man that holds the resources for the boys survival parallel to other life on the island. Golding tries to convey the island like a cage confining the boys and isolating them from the rest of the world. We are told in the story that no boy could reach even the reef over the stretch of water. This shows us that the reef is like a boundary that cannot be crossed by any inhabitant on the island. A major factor stopping the boys getting even close to the reef is between the beach and the reef: the snapped sharks waited. This information helps us comprehend there is no way out. Another device Golding uses to emphasise the boys isolation is metaphors the miraculous throbbing stars. The stars help us understand the boys isolation as they are surrounded by mystery and speculation but their reality can never be found because they are so far away and out of reach. We are told the boys response to this situation is that they were gradually made accustomed to these mysteries and ignored them. Even though the mysteries are ignored, this does not mean that they do not exist or does it? : Sometimes land loomed where there was no land. This shows us that however tangible some of the mirages may seem, they are not necessarily real. The island is not an obvious character or type of life but it demonstrates human qualities and characteristics through its description. The way Golding brings the island to life is mainly through personification and metaphors: The great rock loitered. The wind roared. A thunderous plume leapt half way up the mount. Sending at last an arm of surf up. This language help us visualize the island as a character more powerful than any life on the island, but it has different capabilities and communicates as a force opposed to a physical presence. Near the beginning of Lord of the Flies we can see the island as a paradise: The water was warmer than blood and the temperature even though a little hot is generally comfortable. Which shows us how generally the boys were happy on the island. This gives us an optimistic view towards the book: the air was bright. Later on the mood changes to a darker more cynical mood, which warns us of trouble to come. The sun transforms from a warm presence to an angry eye. This device Golding uses warns us in chapter nine that tension is rising between Jack and Ralph: Revolving masses of gas piled up the static until the air was ready to explode. Throughout Lord of the Flies Golding uses surrounding conditions to reflect the mood on the island. This device helps the island become integrated into the story as a character. The boys in the difficult situation they are presented with have different reactions to their surroundings. Their first experiences with the island prove to show a foreign unfriendly environment: All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. The metaphor bath of heat shows the area around the boys is humid and the destruction may be a message about how humans are in the centre of our planets destruction. This situation because it is so extreme brings out the boys characters immediately and shows their ability to cope with the situation. Ralphs first reactions are casual as he pays little attention to his surroundings, which may indicate he may not understand what is happening at this stage. He could also feel the island poses little threat to him and is in a safe environment. Piggy, however, seems to understand how serious his situation is and feels unsafe on the island we can see this from his attempts to start a conversation with Ralph and he makes suggestions to deal with the situation. I suppose well want to know all their names. At the end of Lord of the Flies the island is burning down and Ralph is being hunted down. The fact that the island is burning down could be suggesting the only thing we are going to achieve is the destruction of the planet if we keep on fighting and developing weapons of greater power. The boys near the end of the book describe the surrounding events as a game. This could be telling us that wars and destruction in modern society are just considered a game but really they are destroying our lives and people are dying. So when the boys were taken off the island the question arises were they really rescued, or just moved to the real world to aid the destruction of our planet. The irony of the final chapter can be viewed either way about if the boys were really rescued.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

An Analysis Of British Literature Essay -- essays research papers

An Analysis of British Literature Death is inevitable and what happens after death will always be a mystery to the living. For this reason, the afterlife has always been a topic which artists have chosen to explore in their works. Throughout the chronology of British literature, artists have used society's views as a basis to examine the afterlife, and look at it in new ways. The afterlife has been a theme in British Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period of Beowulf to the twentieth century writings of Dylan Thomas. The mysteriousness of the afterlife makes it a topic which artists will always be eager to analyze. During the Anglo-Saxon Period which lasted from 449 AD to 1066 AD, the popular belief of the times was that a person's life was predetermined by Wyrd, the Old English word for fate, and there was nothing which the individual could do to change his destiny. The most famous writing from this epoch is the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf, the main character, had no fear of the evil monster Grendel because he believed "Grendel and I are called/ Together," by fate. He also displayed his faith in the beliefs of society when he told Hrogthgar "Fate will unwind as it must." When Grendel died, the soldiers "had no semse of sorrow, felt no regret for his sufferings," because they believed Grendel was destined to die, and there was no way to defy destiny. They also did not pity Grendel because they considered him to be entirely evil because it was his fate. The Anglo-Saxon's strong belief in fate led to them not fearing death as much as during other times periods in British Literature. Beowulf's strong belief in fate was a reflection in the society's pagan belief in fate. Due to the fact that the society at the time of Beowulf was pagan, they did not believe in the afterlife. The Christian revision to Beowulf illustrated a different outlook on death and the afterlife. When monks were copying the story, they realized it dealt with pagan ideals, and they incorporated Christian ideals into the text. The monks included the concept God was the ultimate one who controls fate. This was shown when Beowulf told Hrogthgar "God must decide/ Who will be given to death's cold grip." The monks also inserted the idea that there is an afterlife. When... ... in the afterlife. Throughout the chronology of British literature, artists have presented many different perspectives on the afterlife. There are views which I agree with, and there are views which I don't agree with. One of the ones which I support is John Donne's idea of death not being a terrible thing because it leads to the afterlife which is a better place. I support this idea because I have been raised in a rather religious family, and it has been instilled in me that death is not bad, and there is an afterlife to go to. I also agree with the ideas in "Ulysses" and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" that one should struggle to make the most out of his life and to make it meaningful. This idea is very appealing to me because I believe a person should always attempt to make the most out of what he/she is given, and it is important to never give up. While I don't agree with the poems which state that there isn't an afterlife, analyzing and thinking about them has been valuable for me because it has forced me to consider my views, and to build up a stronger support of my views to counter the ideas presented in these poems.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Data Flow Diagram

mywbut. com Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) 1 mywbut. com Specific Instructional Objectives At the end of this lesson the student will be able to: †¢ †¢ †¢ Identify the activities carried out during the structured analysis phase. Explain what a DFD is. Explain why constructing DFDs are important in arriving at a good software design. †¢ Explain what a data dictionary is. †¢ Explain the importance of data dictionary. †¢ Identify whether a DFD is balanced. Structured Analysis Structured analysis is used to carry out the top-down decomposition of a set of high-level functions depicted in the problem description and to represent them graphically.During structured analysis, functional decomposition of the system is achieved. That is, each function that the system performs is analyzed and hierarchically decomposed into more detailed functions. Structured analysis technique is based on the following essential underlying principles: †¢ †¢ †¢ Top-down de composition approach. Divide and conquer principle. Each function is decomposed independently. Graphical representation of the analysis results using Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs). Data Flow Diagram (DFD)The DFD (also known as a bubble chart) is a hierarchical graphical model of a system that shows the different processing activities or functions that the system performs and the data interchange among these functions. Each function is considered as a processing station (or process) that consumes some input data and produces some output data. The system is represented in terms of the input data to the system, various processing carried out on these data, and the output data generated by the system. A DFD model uses a very limited number of primitive symbols [as shown in fig. 5. 1(a)] to epresent the functions performed by a system and the data flow among these functions. 2 mywbut. com External Entity Process Output Data Flow (a) Data Store number readnumber validatenumber data-item valid number (b) data-item readnumber validatenumber validnumber number (c) Fig. 5. 1 (a) Symbols used for designing DFDs (b), (c) Synchronous and asynchronous data flow Here, two examples of data flow that describe input and validation of data are considered. In Fig. 5. 1(b), the two processes are directly connected by a data flow. This means that the ‘validate-number’ process can start only after the ‘readnumber’ process had supplied data to it.However in Fig 5. 1(c), the two processes are connected through a data store. Hence, the operations of the two bubbles are independent. The first one is termed ‘synchronous’ and the second one ‘asynchronous’. Importance of DFDs in a good software design The main reason why the DFD technique is so popular is probably because of the fact that DFD is a very simple formalism – it is simple to understand and use. Starting with a set of high-level functions that a system performs, a DFD model 3 mywbut. com hierarchically represents various sub-functions. In fact, any hierarchical model is simple to understand.Human mind is such that it can easily understand any hierarchical model of a system – because in a hierarchical model, starting with a very simple and abstract model of a system, different details of the system are slowly introduced through different hierarchies. The data flow diagramming technique also follows a very simple set of intuitive concepts and rules. DFD is an elegant modeling technique that turns out to be useful not only to represent the results of structured analysis of a software problem, but also for several other applications such as showing the flow of documents or items in an organization.Data dictionary A data dictionary lists all data items appearing in the DFD model of a system. The data items listed include all data flows and the contents of all data stores appearing on the DFDs in the DFD model of a system. A data dictionary lists the p urpose of all data items and the definition of all composite data items in terms of their component data items. For example, a data dictionary entry may represent that the data grossPay consists of the components regularPay and overtimePay. grossPay = regularPay + overtimePay For the smallest units of data items, the data dictionary lists their name and their type.Composite data items can be defined in terms of primitive data items using the following data definition operators: +: denotes composition of two data items, e. g. a+b represents data a and b. [,,]: represents selection, i. e. any one of the data items listed in the brackets can occur. For example, [a,b] represents either a occurs or b occurs. (): the contents inside the bracket represent optional data which may or may not appear. e. g. a+(b) represents either a occurs or a+b occurs. represents iterative data definition, e. g. {name}5 represents five name data. name}* represents zero or more instances of name data. represe nts equivalence, e. g. a=b+c means that a represents b and c. {}: =: /* */: Anything appearing within /* and */ is considered as a comment. 4 mywbut. com Example 1: Tic-Tac-Toe Computer Game Tic-tac-toe is a computer game in which a human player and the computer make alternative moves on a 3? 3 square. A move consists of marking previously unmarked square. The player who first places three consecutive marks along a straight line on the square (i. e. along a row, column, or diagonal) wins the game.As soon as either the human player or the computer wins, a message congratulating the winner should be displayed. If neither player manages to get three consecutive marks along a straight line, but all the squares on the board are filled up, then the game is drawn. The computer always tries to win a game. display Tic-Tac-Toe Software 0 move Human Player (a) displayboard 0. 1 validatemove 0. 2 game move board result checkwinner 0. 4 playmove 0. 3 (b) Fig 5. 2 (a), (b) Level 0 and Level 1 DFD for Tic-Tac-Toe game described in Example 1 5 mywbut. comIt may be recalled that the DFD model of a system typically consists of several DFDs: level 0, level 1, etc. However, a single data dictionary should capture all the data appearing in all the DFDs constituting the model. Figure 5. 2 represents the level 0 and level 1 DFDs for the tic-tactoe game. The data dictionary for the model is given below. Data dictionary for the DFD model in Example 1 move: display: game: board: result: integer /*number between 1 and 9 */ game+result board {integer}9 [â€Å"computer won†, â€Å"human won† â€Å"draw†] Importance of data dictionaryA data dictionary plays a very important role in any software development process because of the following reasons: †¢ A data dictionary provides a standard terminology for all relevant data for use by the engineers working in a project. A consistent vocabulary for data items is very important, since in large projects different engine ers of the project have a tendency to use different terms to refer to the same data, which unnecessary causes confusion. The data dictionary provides the analyst with a means to determine the definition of different data structures in terms of their component elements. Balancing a DFD The data that flow into or out of a bubble must match the data flow at the next level of DFD. This is known as balancing a DFD. The concept of balancing a DFD has been illustrated in fig. 5. 3. In the level 1 of the DFD, data items d1 and d3 flow out of the bubble 0. 1 and the data item d2 flows into the bubble 0. 1. In the next level, bubble 0. 1 is decomposed. The decomposition is balanced, as d1 and d3 flow out of the level 2 diagram and d2 flows in. 6 mywbut. com (a) Level 1 DFD (b) Level 2 DFD Fig. 5. 3: An example showing balanced decomposition 7

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Freshman English Paper Oliver Sacks

English Wednesday April 4, 2012 â€Å"Perspective Matters† As children, we learn that there are five human senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Upon reflection and memory, I realize that sight is always listed first in the list of senses. It may just be a reflex or a habit to do so, or maybe it’s just human nature to place high emphasis on sight. Sight is taken for granted by most of us, and when we encounter non-sighted individuals, we have an emotional and physical reaction that we’re relieved the non-sighted cannot see.Reading Oliver Sacks’ case â€Å"To See and Not See†, about a man named Virgil, gives me a new and interesting perspective on blindness. I have a friend who is partially deaf. She and I communicate with visual cues and our communication is helped by the fact that she can hear some sound and can read lips. In contrast, I cannot say I have had an occasion to spend time with a non-sighted person. While reading about Virgil, however, I felt that I was given an opportunity to learn about the life of someone who lives in a world of only four senses.Virgil was born with sight, he briefly lost it at the age of 3 while ill, and at age 6 developed cataracts which blocked his vision and made him functionally blind. The life he lived was a modest one. He â€Å"had a steady job and an identity, was self-supporting, had friends, read Braille papers and books†¦ Life was limited but stable in its way. † (112) He accepted his blindness as simply part of his existence; Virgil’s life was imbued with passivity. At the age of 47, Virgil became re-acquainted with an old girlfriend named Amy. Their relationship evolved into a committed one within 3 years.With Amy’s insistent encouragement, Virgil assented to have surgery to remove one of the cataracts, despite his family’s misgivings over the disruption to his already stable life and identity as someone who is blind. There is a distillatio n of Virgil’s state of being; as I see it, his life is not his own, other people are making choices for him, and he is not asserting himself. Amy and his mother have strong opinions about if he should live with sight or without sight. Virgil himself sits, waiting for them to make a decision about his destiny.And so began Virgil’s passive journey into seeing – again. Virgil’s situation is not unlike Greg’s from Sacks’ case â€Å"The Last Hippie. † While Virgil was about to regain his vision, Greg, by contrast, was losing his; the result of a stealthy tumor slowly stealing his sight. But Greg, like Virgil, initially had concerns when confronted by his differently sighted future. For Greg, he accepted the explanation of his swami about the loss of his vision being due to â€Å"a deeper spirituality, an inner light. † He was â€Å"an illuminate,† a great honor. 43) This explanation pacified him about his vision, as it also b rought him to a deeper spirituality. Despite their concerns, both Greg and Virgil came to accept their destiny being written by other people in their lives. Amy brought Virgil to her ophthalmologist who reviewed his case and ascertained that the old diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa may not have been accurate and he agreed to operate. Before the surgery, Virgil â€Å"could still see light and dark, the direction from which light came, and the shadow of a hand in front of his eyes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (108) Dr.Hamlin did the cataract removal on his right eye, inserted a new lens implant and after the bandage came off, Virgil could see but only after hearing the surgeon speak to him to attract his attention. The first thing that Virgil saw was not concrete or a firm image, but light, motions and colors. This was only a brief indication of the tangled web of sight that was ahead. Sacks states: â€Å"Everyone, Virgil included, expected something much simpler. A man opens his eyes, light ente rs and falls on the retina: he sees. though there had been a careful surgical discussion of the operation and possible postsurgical complications, there was little discussion or preparation for the neurological and psychological difficulties that Virgil might encounter. † (115) While reading about Virgil, I have to come reflect more upon myself and the sense of sight. Very recently, I was diagnosed with early-onset glaucoma. I received this news from my doctor with heightened emotion and anxiety about what I would do if I lost my vision. I am lucky that my doctor immediately did a procedure to stop the progression of the glaucoma and keep my vision at its current state.I try to put myself in Virgil’s place and have become more empathetic to him and his particular circumstance. I think of my friend who is partially deaf; she says she wouldn’t change it for anything; it is who she is. Is Virgil conflicted about his identity now that he can see? When Dr. Sacks meets Virgil, Sacks is struck by the way he acted; that Virgil was exhibiting behavior of someone who looks but does not grasp the full picture. He is â€Å"mentally blind† or the definition of agnosic – the partial or total inability to recognize objects or persons by use of the appropriate sense – in Virgil’s case, the sense of sight.For example, he sees in pieces: notices facial features, not a composed face. Virgil still continues to use the actions of a blind person for everyday living, having Amy, now his wife, to establish lines for him to walk from room to room in their house. He even says he finds walking â€Å"scary† and â€Å"confusing† without touch, without his cane. (120) Virgil is dealing with being disrupted by massive changes: having surgery and getting married. The confusion he feels about walking without his cane is understandable.The cane was his support for a basic of life; another aspect that is taken for granted, putting on e foot in front of another. Virgil’s independence is being encroached upon and there is an erosion of confidence in his abilities that were part of his identity as a sightless person. Additional aspects of his new life were just as jumbled, as disconnected. Virgil couldn’t identify his cat and dog without touching them while visually investigating them. He’s confused by distances, light, sizes, angles and perspectives. Sacks says that â€Å"Virgil was blinded for a minute, until he put on a pair of dark-green sunglasses.Even ordinary daylight, he said, was too bright for him, too glary, he felt that he saw best in quite subdued light. † (131) During the initial testing Sacks’ conducted with Virgil, they went to a zoo for an outing. Virgil was only able to make out an animal by either the way it moved or by specific visual features, such as height. His heightened sense of hearing was noticed when he heard the lions roaring in the distance. He had a request to touch an animal, and was able to examine a statue of an ape. When he touched the statue, â€Å"he had an air of assurance that he had never shown when examining anything by sight†¦. emanding that he renounce all that came easily to him, that he sense the world in a way incredibly difficult for him and alien. † (132-33) Virgil’s non-sighted and sighted worlds joined briefly in the moment when it became apparent he could visually identify more features of the ape only after touching the statue. In Virgil’s journey to see again, he appears to be finding his way by adapting his skills from his past life to his current existence. There must have been a necessity to do so, so as to bridge the gap and to glue together who he was with who he is, and who he is going to be.Otherwise, I could see the confusion, disruption and erosion of independence would become overwhelming to Virgil and could therefore stymie any potential for improvement after the upcomi ng second surgery. Virgil was experiencing periods of severe visual fatigue and spontaneous distorted vision. The fatigue was understandable; his visual system was weak and unstable, not yet practiced and strong. The periods of distorted vision that lasted for hours or days were not as easy to understand, and therefore more of a worry.The continuation of the distorted vision became apparent with displays of what Sacks calls psychic blindness: â€Å"speaking of seeing while in fact appearing blind and showing no visual behavior whatever. † (136) He exhibited another type of withdrawal of sight, emotional, as well. When his family came to town for his wedding, Virgil began to need Amy to lead him around due to blurred vision. His family did oppose the surgery and despite the verity even then they did not believe he could see. Virgil’s emotional withdrawal of sight only ended after his family left post-wedding.Virgil was treated by his family as his former self instead of as his current self; his past passivity returned and he gave them what they wanted: Virgil as a blind man. His current visual identity must have felt threatened. Due to Virgil’s unpracticed and weak visual state, â€Å"that either neural overload or identity conflict might just push him over it. † (138) After the surgery on Virgil’s left eye revealed that his acuity was the same as the right eye, there was some improvement but not as much as had been hoped for. He was able to focus somewhat better and was able to go back to work after the 2 months since the first surgery.Massage therapy was different for him now that he could see his clients. In order to do his job comfortably, he had to close his eyes and function as a non-sighted person. This experience for Virgil made him revert to functioning as blind rather than sighted, continuing his identity confusion. His continuing experiences for the next few months were memorable: experiencing the holidays with sigh t, seeing his family and home in Kentucky, seeing the ballet with Amy. He interacted with his family while exhibiting visual behaviors, a big step towards change for Virgil. The change was arrested by his becoming critically ill with pneumonia.The result of the illness was lack of oxygen to brain, and Virgil’s vision was receding. He acted as though he could see even when he couldn’t; by reaching for things but saying he could not see. Sacks indicates â€Å"This condition – called implicit sight – occurs if the visual parts of the cerebral cortex are knocked out, but the visual centers in the subcortex remain intact. † (146) At this point for Virgil, he is now experiencing even more change; after his health improves and he leaves the hospital, he is attached to an oxygen tank which leaves him unable to work, and therefore having to move from his home.Of course, these changes have an effect on Virgil’s visual and emotional states, as they wou ld on anyone. Virgil is now blind – again. Even though Virgil has rare moments of minimal sight, he has returned to functioning as a non-sighted person. After the all too-human reaction of rage, Virgil himself has expressed an acceptance of his visual situation. Sacks notes, â€Å"Virgil for his part, maintains philosophically, ‘These things happen. ’† (151) As Virgil says, things do happen. My friend lost her hearing as a toddler; I will be losing my vision and prepare myself for this inevitable future.All of us deal with these stages of life and envelop them into ourselves, our identities. There are different definitions of perspective: point of view; representation of objects as they might appear to the eye; a mental view or prospect. To apply them all to Virgil is to see him as he should be seen, without a need to change him and to accept him with and without sight. Works Cited Sacks, Oliver. An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales. New York : Vintage, 1996. Print. —. â€Å"The Last Hippie. † An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales. New York: Vintage, 1996. 42 – 76. Print.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Technology Implementation

Technology Implementation Project Plans PAGE PAGE 3 Technology ImplementationTechnology Implementation PaperAugust 8, 2007Technology Implementation: Management RecommendationsBurney Productions is considering upgrading technologically through the purchase of new software and hardware that will enhance profits, reduce overhead, and improve the organization ability to meet customer satisfaction and needs. Furthermore, the implementation of the new technology services can be added with little or no financial impact. Management and many of the staff members within the organization believe that technological changes are necessary in order for the organization to remain competitive. While others believe that the upgrade is not needed and is an unnecessary expense. In order to determine the technological needs and implementation of successful changes, management is presenting the following recommendations concerning the project plans, implementation plans, related training, and the support strategies.Introduction of any change w ithin an organization can be a catalyst for disruptions and resistance, creating disharmony and decreasing efficiency.ERP- Vendor Evaluation Services, Gap analysis and ...The goal of technological change is usually the desire to increase value and improvement within the organization. Information technology systems have the capacity to hold and analyze a great deal of information, to make retrieval of customer information more quickly, and add value to the data, which is stored among other benefits. However, the introduction of new technology into an organization can be one of the most traumatic and difficult changes that can be encountered.Project PlansManagement of Burney Productions first step of the project upgrade is to determine the needs of the organization that is necessary to provide for its customers on a daily basis. "Upgrading for the sake of upgrading is not sound business strategy. However, continuing to use outdated technology could cost your business. Upgrading may ad vance your company's competitive position in the marketplace"(Kform, 2007, para 5). For this particular reason, all upgrading plans...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Make Your Blog Pay for Your Sweat Equity

How to Make Your Blog Pay for Your Sweat Equity When I began blogging in 2009, I never thought it would become an important income stream that would greatly enhance my writing business. Like most â€Å"serious† writers, I saw blogging simply as a means to an end. It was an avenue to build a platform and interest potential publishers and agents for future projects. And everybody was doing it†¦ Fast forward, it’s 2013. And my blog for writers has paid off big in exchange for over 400 posts, endless hours of creativity, and pounding the virtual pavement to get noticed. And yours can too. Break through your blog fog and earn money for your investment. But, before you begin implementing these money-making strategies, your blog must meet certain criteria for optimal success. 1. It must be professional in content and design, with a specific niche and a clearly identifiable target audience. 2. It must provide social proof. Success breeds success. This can be demonstrated through testimonials from satisfied clients, the number of followers you have, or icons reflecting awards your blog has won or industry recognition. For example, in a very prominent place on my site, I display my â€Å"Best of the Web† designation, and my Writing-World.com’s recognition for â€Å"Awesome Blogs†. 3. It must show consistent updates and maintenance. This conveys a sense of commitment, and builds credibility and trust. 4. It must provide good take-away value.    Now let’s look at your money-making strategies: Ad Placement: There is a common misconception that in order to make money through ads, a blogger must have â€Å"super-starâ€Å" status, a massive following, or be willing to settle for a few bucks a month in ad clicks. Not true. Over the last few years, I have earned thousands of dollars, and have had well-known companies and authors such as Good Earth Tea, Healing Hands Massage Clinic, Five Star Publications, and novelist Randy Richardson place ads for their books and services at my spot. If you’d like to experience something similar, you can either pitch individuals or organizations directly, or place a tab on your site that says â€Å"advertise here†. Be sure to have your current stats available, and be able to explain how placing an ad with you can help advertisers to reach their goals and their target market. In other words, what’s in it for them? Blogging Jobs: Using my blog as an oline resume has helped me to hook new clients for my ghost writing, marketing, and other creative services. Through it and testimonials, I have been hired to set up other writers’ blogs, provide creative consultations, and even contribute to e-book projects. Contests and Competitions: Most people don’t see contests as a way of making money through their blogs. But it is. Money can be made both directly and indirectly. For example, a pivotal point in my blogging career came years ago when I placed as a Top 10 Finalist at Write to Done’s annual competition. Though I didn’t get a monetary gift, it gave me mad creative props with blogging peers, and my first paying advertiser. A friend of mine actually won $500 with her blog, through a theme-based contest. It could happen to you! Blogging is a lot of hard work. Follow these timely tips to get a greater return on your sweat equity, with less trial and error.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Mickve Israel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mickve Israel - Research Paper Example The architect of the building also reflects the desire of the Jewish community to come up with a building that look like the existing churches of the city and provide a worthy and prominent existence to the Jews in America. The site for the building was also selected keeping in view this desire. The design of the congregation is appropriate for its prominent Monterey Square location. The design of the building stands alongside the Savannah churched without standing out as different structure. During the American revolutionary war, the formal prayer services were suspended at the congregation however, in 1786, it was formally recognized as K.K. Mickvah Israel and special space was allocated and rented to be used as synagogue and many worshipers were attracted to this place. In 1790, the charter for the Parnas and Adjustas of Michve Israel was authorized by the governor of Georgia and the congregation is still in operation under the same charter. In 1793, there were some financial problems faced by the congregation due to which it gave up its leased space and the services began to hold at the homes of the members of the congregation. However, the formal structure of the congregation was maintained and the officers were also elected as usual. The congregation also has the honour of standing as the first Jewish community centre that received the letter from the U.S. president after which the congregation president also sent letter to the U.S President George Washington congratulating him on his election as first President of the United States. The construction of the building for the synagogue was stated in 1818 when the city of Savannah granted a plot of land to the congregation. A small wooden building was built at the northeast corner of Liberty Street. The building was completed in 1820 as the first synagogue to be established in Georgia. In 1829, the building was destroyed by the fire and