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Introduction (22)

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Introduction

Greyhound Lines Incorporation commonly referred to as Greyhound, is a renowned intercity bus with operations in over 3800 destinations in various parts of Northern America. Worth noting, Greyhound is fully operational and competes with many intercity buses accompanies, private automobiles, and low-cost airlines. Leadership is critical in steering an organization towards achieving its business goals and objectives. For maximum effectiveness, companies should make deliberate efforts to equip workers with proper resources and incentives. This text demonstrates the missing aspects of leadership, the consequences of those missing elements, and the best cause of action that can be employed by Greyhound to manage the crisis.

Missing Aspects

Successful organizations employ the use of vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan. The four ingredients have to work hand in hand to ensure the success of the organization. Greyhound is failing in its mandate because it does not have the right tools to ensure it thrives as a company. To begin with, Greyhound does not have a clear vision about what it wants to achieve for its stakeholders including, clients, managers, drivers, team manager, and its executive team. For instance, the fact that the human resources team reported that the workers at the terminals did not have high-school qualifications begs the question of recruitment in the company. It points to the fact that there is a problem with the recruiting strategy meaning that they do not put important factors such as education as a basis for recruitments. This shows that they do not have a clear vision about what they wish to attain because if they did, they would have made a better and informed decision. Another loophole that points to lack of vision is that despite the warnings by managers that many low-income passengers were not in a position to used Trips, the executive made the rush decision to roll out the new system emphasizing that it would improve the quality of services. By disregarding the advice provided by experts they did not help the situation but rather increased it.

Greyhound also lacks resources as evidenced by the move to reduce operation costs by making massive cuts in the services, routes, and personnel. Although the move was critical and needed for migration from the use of hand-written receipt to computerization of everything including reservations, they should have first weighed other options such as increasing the number of fleets, employing more drivers, and expanding the routes. Further, they did not have a solid action plan in place evidenced by the back and forth and disagreements among managers. Additionally, the fact that executing the plans led to a nightmare shows that they did not do their due diligence before implementing the new systems. Had they been thorough in their work, they would have been better placed to point out the loopholes including the long customer cues, systems crashing, and dissatisfied clients. Moreover, Greyhound leadership failed to provide their employees particularly low-level employees such as drivers with incentives to motivate them in their work.

Consequences of the Missing Elements

A company that does not have a vision is built on confusion. Vision statements help describe the purpose of the company, what it aims to achieve, and what it strives for. The vision helps the company to focus on what is most rewarding to them which inspires them to come up with a viable strategy to help them attain their objectives. The fact that the company lacks a vision is evident in the poor decisions made by the company which exacerbates its problems. For example, since the company did not have a clear vision, they were not in a position to manage the crisis that followed. Additionally, lack of resources has the potential of paralyzing a company. This is because all company operations rely on resources. For instance, without buses, drivers, and finances, the company will be paralyzed. Greyhound should have looked for alternative means to ensure the business is running rather than making massive cuts in personnel and services. For instance, they could have looked for a financer or a partner to offer them a loan or invest in their business. Incentives are key in ensuring the staff members remain happy and motivated to carry out their duties. Lack of incentives places companies’ sustainability at risk and will only drive the stakeholders away. Greyhound should have employed incentives particularly for the drivers who have to deal with the tiresome work of handling clients. Further, they should have given their customers incentives to ensure they remain loyal. Lack of an action plan means that the company is often off to a false start. In such situations, the company lacks direction and is bound to poor business decisions that put the company at risk of collapse.

Recommendations

If I were a management consultant called upon to help fix the problem I would recommend thorough training and preparation to all employees on how to use the new system. This plays a critical role in ensuring that the staff members are well equipped and prepared to perform their duties under the new system. In this case, the terminal workers without high-school-level education will be better placed to function with the new system. I would also recommend that Greyhound should have a sit-down with the management to streamline communication issues as it would help them do reduce disagreements with other managers and senior executives who make the important decisions within the company.

The Barriers to Women’s

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The Barriers to Women’s Participation as Game Designers and Developers

Introduction

Across societies, there is the stereotype that women do not play video games. However, this is far from the truth. While the gaming industry continues to grow and with many women begin to play the games, there are still very few female developers in the industry with efforts to diversify the industry curtailed by wide online harassment. A 2014 report by the Entertainment Software Association showed that the average gamer in the US is 35 years old, with 74% of the gaming population being more than 18 years and women gamers above 18 years accounting for 33%. The question here is, if there are plenty of women playing video games, why are they shying away from been involved in their development. The purpose of this essay is to assess the barriers hindering women’s participation in the development of video games.

The Online Harassment of Women Developers

The discussion of women’s involvement in the design of video games began to heat up in 2014 following the intimidation against women that spoke up against inequality in the video game industry in what was branded as the “Gamergate controversy”. The controversy began with Zoe Quinn, a 27-year-old who started receiving anonymous hateful emails. The threats are believed to have as a result of a game that she had developed known as Depression Quest. Some people were convinced that she had been given positive reviews which she did not deserve. The critics also believed that the theme of the game was rather progressive and did not have the escapism found traditionally in the videos that had been developed before such as fighting and shooting. By August 201, the harassment had escalated. Her then-boyfriend came out and wrote a blog post saying that Quinn had entered a sexual relationship with a popular journalist in exchange for positive reporting and coverage which informed the positive reviews. The supporters of Gamergate opposed this and viewed it as the growing influence on social justice and ideologies of feminism in the video game industry. This led to a press that was feminist in nature; it segregated the audiences of the traditional gamers. Observers referred to Gamergate as a depiction of the long-running war of cultures against the efforts of increasing diversity in a male-dominated community that targeted candid women. With the 2014 Entertainment Software Association conducted annually showing almost equal participation of men (52%) and women (48%), Gamergate is beginning to notice the shifting cultural identity of gamers. With the risk of online harassment, many women shy away from taking up careers in the gaming industry because they do not want to become victims of sexual harassment.

The Education Gap

The underrepresentation of women in the development of games is also linked to the fact that there is a huge gap between women and men in education. Because of the stereotypes that put it that the technology sector is a boy’s world, girls are less likely to view themselves as working in any roles whether advertising or development. As such, women are less likely to take up a career in technology-related fields as they do not feel as if they belong in the sector. Further, although some often get a chance to attend college, without a doubt women and particularly women of color are not likely to select Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects such as computer science. Recent research reports that about 17% of men graduate with STEM degrees compared to 6.7% of women (Hancock, and Mary, 2018). This points out that men are twice likely to become a video game developer than a woman. The common reasons behind this huge education gap have been linked to the various assumptions regarding the inherent capabilities of men and women, continued discrimination against women, and the lack of role models in these STEM fields.

Domestic Responsibilities Gap

The domestic duty of women at the family level is another reason behind the low participation of women in the design and development of video games. This follows the notion that careers in STEM and particularly programming are time-consuming because it takes an intense amount of time to work on a video game to completion, that is, about 50-70 hours a week. Despite the progress made in sharing domestic responsibilities, women continue to bear a larger burden of responsibilities despite working similar hours with their male counterparts. On average, women spend twice their time carrying out domestic activities such as cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children. They struggle to balance between career and family responsibilities. The situation is even more dire for women that work in companies with little value for the family institution. They are forced to make hard choices that impact their careers. To address this issue requires government buy-in through reforms on maternity leave. Moreso, it comes down to sharing of responsibilities. At times, women even end up losing their jobs because childcare is rather expensive.

Lack of Role Models/Mentors

Another factor hindering women from taking part in the design and development of video games is the lack of role models. This is because there is a huge gap in the number of women leaders within the industry which rather discouraging. Furthermore, being a pioneer is hard because they find that they are the only women in the rooms which is daunting. Just like in the technical and scientific industries, women in the gaming industries encounter a lot of sexism which is even harder when you are the only woman in the room. Mentorship plays a critical role in increasing the uptake of STEM-related careers among minority groups. Professional mentors help in restoring confidence because, by virtue of being professionals in STEM, they assure young girls that look up to them that women too can excel in STEM. Unlike men, women go through many hurdles in their quest for having an established career. Listening to the advice of a woman who has ‘been there’done that’ vastly increases the ability of a woman to rise in their respective fields and to stay on course as success is possible. Additionally, multiple studies indicate that having a mentor significantly improves career opportunities as well as providing best practices for navigating career paths. If women do not have a person they can look up to and identify with, they tend to lose interest in the career. In so doing, gaming companies are also losing out on money and talent by not exercising diversity.

The Expectation Gap

Expectations play a critical role in informing the career path which both men and women take up in their careers. It is predominantly expected that video game designers will automatically be men and not women. Men hold more power and this leads to a self-perpetuated cycle. The notion that game developers are mostly men tends to have an impact on who gets hired in the business. Many people are wrongly convinced that women do not know much about games with some being convinced that they lack the necessary experience required for such an industry. Society through the process of socialization has taught us that women should be involved in the less risky and feminine careers such as in hospitality or teaching while men take up the more difficult careers such as the army, engineering among others. However, this is slowly changing over time with women coming out to prove that they are just as capable as their male counterparts. Notably, it is very common to come across men in bigger roles than the work they do. Further, men tend to benefit from people assuming they are capable. Recent studies show that men are given promotions based on their potential while women, of at all they get a promotion are judged on the basis of their previous accomplishments (Harvey, and Tamara, 495). In essence, men are promoted based on what they are yet to achieve. This brings inequality and disparity in the workforce. Further, men are more likely to get credit as a result of their achievements than women whose competence makes them unlikeable. As a result, women working in the gaming industry have no choice but to walk on the edge of a razor if they want to advance and rise across ranks at the workplace.

Conclusion

People believe that women do not play video games however this is far from the truth. The number of women involved in video games has been on the rise over the last few years. Notably, as recent as 2014, there was almost an equal number of women and men participating in video games. If the number of women is on the rise, it begs the question of why they are not as involved in the design and the development of video games. This is because they face some challenges when compared to their male counterparts. Women have lower educational qualifications because they rarely advance to college and the few that do, often do not take up STEM-related courses. They feel that the field is not for them because they have been told it is a boy’s world. Women also have to deal with sexual harassment. Women developers are bullied and sent threats and hateful emails to discourage them from entering and dominating the field. There are also gaps in expectations and domestic responsibilities which further limit women’s participation in the fields. Notably, the lack of role models and mentors in the video game fields also discourages young girls whose wish is to become a developer from joining the profession.

Works Cited

Hancock, Meg G., and Mary A. Hums. “A “leaky pipeline”?: Factors affecting the career development of senior-level female administrators in NCAA Division I athletic departments.” Sport Management Review 19.2 (2016): 198-210.

Harvey, Alison, and Tamara Shepherd. “When passion isn’t enough: gender, affect and credibility in digital games design.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 20.5 (2017): 492-508.

Why College Should Be Made Free

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Why College Should Be Made Free

Introduction

The question of whether college education should be made free has become a topic of discussion with an unclear and complicated answer. The debate about the affordability of college education and the crisis of student debts has always taken center stage during presidential seasons. College raptor 2020 article written by Ellen Anderson notes that the majority of the presidential candidates have always built their agenda around the issue of college costs ( Andersen, 2). Noteworthy, the cost of a college degree is rising at a faster rate than the inflation rate in the United States. Most students particularly from the disadvantaged class face dire financial challenges when the time comes to attend college. Education has become a significant aspect of life as it impacts society positively and as such, it should tuition fees particularly for college should be free. While taxes will go up, college should be free to everyone because lower-income students will be afforded the luxury to attend college, it will lower the student debt across the board and students will enjoy the freedom to choose a major of their choice.

Low-Income Students Will Attend College.

By making college tuition-free, the government will be granting all people access to quality education including low-income students who do not have the luxury to attend college. This is because the cost of college is not very affordable to the students that come from low-income backgrounds. These students are often forced to drop out of college as they are not in a position to pay four years’ worth of tuition. As such, because they no longer have to worry about fees, they will have fewer reasons for not finishing school and graduating. Additionally, reducing tuition fees further translates into improved quality of education because the graduation rate will increase. Students will not feel the need to be away from school for any reason or study part-time while taking unnecessary breaks. To afford college tuition fees, most low-income students have to work part-time in between classes to raise extra money for fees and day-to-day upkeep. This affects their productivity because they have divided attention and have to form a balance between studies and work. This affects their studies and they end up performing poorly in their studies as they do not have sufficient time to study and work in between jobs just to sustain themselves in school.

Making College Education Free Lowers the Student Debt Across the Board

By making college education free, the government will be eliminating the problematic issue of student loans that students have to put up with. Student debts crush the spirit of younger generations because they have to repay the student loans once they graduate and enter the employment scene. This means that as soon as they get their first job, they have to prioritize paying back their college loans which limits their capacity to make investments for their future developments. The average American students incur student loans amounting to $37, 000; students who are graduate with loans amounting to less than $10,000 are deemed lucky (Chingos, 45).

Worth noting, nonresidential students who originate from countries that have eliminated tuition fees have an upper hand become most of their loans emanate from books and living expenses. With the burden of student loans on their backs, they are better placed to make worthwhile investments such as buying a house. This way they do away with monthly rents which they would have paid had they decided to rent an apartment. Further, they will be in a position to make better contributions to the economy and society by extension. They do so by traveling more, purchasing cars, and spending more money purchasing healthy foods.

Students Enjoy More Freedom to Choose A Major They Enjoy

Another reason why the government should consider making college education free is that it will grant students an opportunity to pursue a career they enjoy. As is, students rush to pursue majors based on careers that are likely to pay more lucratively upon graduation. This is because they feel pressure from their parents and also because of the sense of urgency to repay their student loan in the shortest way possible. If the students did not have to deal with the pressure to repay student loans or feel pressure from parents, then they would be more comfortable and relaxed about selecting majors they love. They would be driven by interest and passion in the specific field rather than large paychecks that come with working in certain careers. This contributes to development because by pursuing a field they have interests in they will be more self-driven and dedicated and they are likely to do well because they are not only motivated by good salaries and benefits attached to a job but also interest. In essence, interest and enjoyment in a specific field go a long way in ensuring that students finish their courses and also prevent them from experiencing burnout which leads to poor productivity and low grades.

Counterarguments

College Tuition Money Has to Come from Somewhere

If a tuition-free college policy was to take root in America, the question that we would have to deal with would be where the money would come from. The reality is, the finances to cover the cost of tuition particularly for public colleges would come from taxes. This would mean that taxpayers, that is, citizens would be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to account for the money. Although the taxes that citizens pay is depended on the amount of income that one generates, this means that the population that would be largely impacted are the members of the upper class (Strempel and Stephen, 33). Further, it is also likely that the amount of taxes paid by the upper-middle classes would also be increased substantially. There is even a chance that the money would come from speculation taxes made by Wall Street. However the case, this money will have to come from somewhere and someone will pay for them through taxes. There is a lot of uncertainty among Americans about who will bear the burden of the taxes and it is making citizens rather uncomfortable. However, it can be argued that although the money will have to come from somewhere, it is still a decision that deserves consideration. The benefits that would come from eliminating college fees outweigh the burden of taxes. It is a sacrifice worth making because it will be helping students from low-income backgrounds who would otherwise not have attended college a chance at education.

College Might Lose Importance

Another reason why the government should not consider making college education free is that it might make college education lose meaning and seem unimportant. This decision would impact the education system directly in that it will devalue college degrees. College degrees will eventually seem worthless because almost everybody will be having a degree. After all, every person will be eligible to attend college. Further, it will make students lose interest in education with some students cutting classes. This has to do with the fact that they will not be mandated to work hard to achieve good grades to get the worth of their money. On the contrary, if they pay fees, they will feel the need to perform well because they will not want their fees to go to waste. Currently, with the existence of college loans, students feel the need to finish college as fast as possible so that they can get a job and repay their loans. Without financial drive, students will become lazy. In spite of this, removing college fees is something that the US should consider because it will save many people the pain of having to repay hefty loans which take away from young graduates. Young graduates can use this first time salaries for other initiatives that contribute to development such as buying a house or starting a business.

Young People Will Not Know How to Deal With Finances

If colleges are made free, the young generation will not get a chance to get first-hand experience when it comes to the management of finances. College is always a learning experience where young people learn tips on how they can manage money by saving from the limited budgets at their disposal. College loans are the first significant financial dealing they come across. Additionally, paying off the debt on time is a testimony that a person is responsible to budget their money; they use similar skills when buying cars or houses. If school is made free, they will not have a chance to get this experience which might land them in trouble in the future when making even bigger financial decisions.

Conclusion

The issue of rising college debts has always been a topic of discussion. While making college education free is a good idea worth employing, it also poses serious dilemmas, particularly for the students. Making college education free will eliminate the burden of student loans. Further, it will lower the student debt across the board and students will enjoy the freedom to choose a major of their choice. If a tuition-free college policy would take root, the taxpayer would be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to cater to these bills. Further, college education will importance and younger generations will not know how to handle expenses while they are still young which is important because it teaches them accountability and discipline.

Works Cited

Andersen, E. (2020, July 31). Should college be free: Pros and cons – College raptor. College Raptor Blog. https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/affordability-college-cost/pros-cons-tuition-free-college/Chingos, Matthew M. “Who would benefit most from free college?.” (2016).

Strempel, Eileen L., and Stephen J. Handel. Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021.

The Concept, Origin and Spread of the Order of Illuminati

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The Concept, Origin and Spread of the Order of Illuminati

One of the most vexed issues in the present international world order is Illuminati. The concept of illuminism is fraught in much controversy, with people holding different views in respect of different aspects thereto. At the very heart of the controversies is the basis of the Order of the Illuminati; whether it is real conspiracy or a fictional belief; what it essentially entails; and the implication of membership thereto, if any. Deriving from this, several questions have arisen, with many uncertain answers by scholars, philosophers, and researchers alike. In light of the foregoing, the paper succinctly critiques the article, ‘a primer on the Illuminati’ by William McIlhany.

The subject of illuminati is no doubt a significant concern to a majority of people today. A cursory perusal over written articles, movies or fictional books on this subject portrays somewhat fierce conspiratorial order. Suffice to say, many attribute illuminati with inhumane acts coupled with manifestation of supernatural powers. Elsewhere, other commentators hold the view that Illuminati arose as an order with the germane aim of defying the existing religious, social and political orders and replacing them with their desires, and subsequently exercising control over the same (McIlhany, 31).

Summary and Evaluation

The article by William McIlhany on the subject of Illuminati attempts to offer response to the above conflicted questions. With much precision, William McIlhany in his informative article has placed much emphasis on unveiling the root of Illuminati, its central theme, its spread, reprisal thereto and the current situation. At the very onset of the paper, McIlhany remarks that since time immemorial, there have emerged many secret and conspiratorial movements. In the author’s perspective, these movements have often been driven by certain motives, with the key goals being inter alia gain absolute authority over the universe, dismantle existing governance arrangements and at last destroy religious orders (McIlhany, 31). This is akin to the position highlighted in the introductory section of the paper.

The central philosophy adopted by the author in respect to Illuminati is that it had originated as an association in the eighteenth century. As a consequence of destructive movements, McIlhany asserts that Illuminati arose in Bavaria, Germany, in pursuance of the instructions from Adam Weishaupt (McIlhany, 32). In this regard, the author holds that Weishaupt’s formation of the organizational structure of Illuminati was inspired by the desire to direct worldwide attack on religion and monarchy. Thus, on May 1, 1776 Weishaupt formally founded the order, in which it was referred to as ‘the Order of Illuminati’ (McIlhany, 32). Though the author gives the origin of the Order, the article does not however give a sound rationale behind the adoption of the name itself.

Following the formation of the Order of Illuminati, it is illustrated in the article it gained the membership of other persons, precisely clergymen and leaders of various institutions, inclusive of monarchs. With such membership, it became much easier to exercise authority and issue directives on how the Order of Illuminati was henceforth to be governed. Regarding its organization, McIlhany writes that its members were required to submit to the Order. In fact, McIlhany states that Weishaupt established spies wherein secret police would kill anyone who opted to reveal the secrets of the conspiracy (McIlhany, 34).

I am led to believe that the author has not fully brought out the issue regarding the membership of the Order of Illuminati satisfactorily. Precisely, it appears as though the membership was limited to clergymen and leaders. Even though it is reasonable to observe that such persons would have significantly contributed to the membership of the Order, other ordinary persons were as well included. Thus, the author should as well address their input in equal measure.

Critical to this critique, it is noted in the article that most loyal members of the Order enjoyed myriad sensual and material benefits. In the averments of the author, ‘the power of the Order must be turned to the advantages of its authors…money, services, honor, goods, and blood must be expected for the fully proved Brethren.’ Within the writings of the Order were included the system of operations. Some of the instructions included; fomenting hatred and bloodshed between the religious, racial and ethnic groups; entrenching hatred between children and parents; and instructions on the kind of buildings to be burned (p.34). Indeed the author remarks that with the above arrangement and benefits, the conspiratorial structure in Bavaria made great achievements. These pieces of information are indeed reliable, considering that the article provides specific dates when each material event took place.

The spread of the Order of Illuminati is traced to 1782 when its power and influence began to mushroom outside Bavaria (McIlhany, 34). Herein, it is indicated that Von Knigge was quite instrumental in persuading many German and French people to join the Order (McIlhany, 34). The upshot of this was that the whole of German freemansory become under the auspices of the Illuminati. Besides, as the French Revolution ensued, the Order of Illuminati had spread in France (McIlhany, 35). This trend spread to other parts of Europe and into the US. However, according to the author, the practice of the Order of Illuminati was met with much resistance. Its revival was nonetheless engineered by leaders such as Karl Bahrdt and Baron von Knigge (McIlhany, 36).

Response

While the preceding paragraphs sets out the summary and evaluation of the article in respect to the Order of Illuminati, it is important to observe that there are areas that I agree with the author. One of the aspects that I subscribe to is in respect to the roots of the Order of Illuminati. As the author puts it across, Illuminati emerged as an organizational conspiratorial structure established by Weishaupt. This position has been reaffirmed by several other scholars, philosophers and commentators (Gardiner, 167).

Even though it may not be said with highest degree of precision the concise chronological development of Illuminati, it suffices to attribute it to the conspiratorial movements evident during the eighteenth century. The writings of Adam Weishaupt were critical in designing appropriate instructions to oversee the management of the Order of Illuminati (Gardiner, 167). Thus, while one may loosely assert that Weishaupt might not have been the first developer of the conspiratorial, he was, however, very instrumental in its formation, growth and spread.

Conclusion

The study sought to determine the root origins of the conspiratorial of Illuminati. This is against the backdrop that Illuminati is one of the most vexed orders to understand in the present day. Thus, as highlighted in the preceding paragraphs, many people do not really understand the development, nature and spread of Illuminati. Nonetheless, the critical review has pointed out that Illuminati is a conspiratorial concept that emerged in the eighteenth century. The underlying rationale behind its formulation was the desire to challenge the existing orders by replacing them and exercising authority over the world.

Works Cited

Gardiner, Philip. Secret Societies: Gardiner’s Forbidden Knowledge: Revelations about the Freemasons, Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and the Serpent Cults. Red Wheel/Weiser, 2007.

McIlhany, William H. “A Primer on the Illuminati.” New American 25 (2009): 31-36.

Neruda Poem Analysis. I Can Write the Saddest Verses

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I Can Write the Saddest Verses

Introduction

“I can write the saddest verses”, is one of the poems that were written by Pablo Neruda to express the pain he felt after he lost his lover. Pablo wrote the poem in 1923. This paper aims at looking at the various aspects of the poem such, as the theme, the styles, and the speaker among other elements. The paper will look at how the poet has used the elements in his poem to bring out his message. The paper will also look at how this poem is relevant to the contemporary society.

Discussion

In every work of art and especially literature, authors use various methods of passing their message. Some of these ways through which an artist or an author can use include styles as well as themes. Through the use of these elements, the authors are able to pass their message in a more appealing way that usually attracts the reader’s attentions. In this poem there are various themes and styles that the poet has used.

Themes

There are various themes that the poet brings out in this poem. One of these themes is memory and reminiscence. In this poem, the poet mainly talks about the memories of his lost love. Through this, the poet shows how loosing someone that you really loved can be painful. In the poems, the poet remembers all the details of their relationship with his lover. The poet is able to juxtapose the various images of the love and the passion that she had once felt for the woman that he loved, with the current loneliness. This shows that it is the pain that the poet had previously experienced that had not elicited the reminiscence of that love. However, the poet is now able to write about the relationship without much pain. This is demonstrated in the line where the poet says that ‘it falls to the soul as dew to the pasture’.

Another theme that comes out clearly in this poem is love and passion. The poet is able to express his immense love for the woman that she had once loved. The poet expresses the physical details of their love when he says that ‘as she once belonged to my kisses, her voice, her light body and her infinite eyes’ (Neruda 123). All these demonstrate how the poet loved his woman, and now she cannot imagine that she is sharing all that love with someone else. This pain is too much that the poet is not able to admit the depth of the love for his lover.

Another important theme that the poet also brings out in this poem is the theme of loneliness and alienation. The poet remembers his passionate love with his lover with sadness. He juxtaposes the love that he had at that time, with the sadness and loneliness that she is undergoing through at the moment. The poet also uses nature to reflect on his present condition. Poets loneliness is demonstrated by him stating that he hear someone in the distance singing. This shows that he longs to be near the person that he hears in the distant. However, the poet is determined to end this condition when he says that those were the last verse that he will write for her. This poem, therefore, was mainly written to help the poet not only remember the good times that he shared with his lover, but also as an act to end his loneliness and accepts the reality.

The speaker

The poet uses first person narration in this poem. It is through the poet voice that the reader gets the message that the poet want to pass. The poet uses the first person narration, so as to ensure that the reader can have the first hand experience. In addition, by using the first person narration the speaker is able to express his feeling deep from his heart. The first person narration also helps in drawing the reader’s attention, as the reader feels that the poet is directly speaking to them. By engaging the reader, the poet makes the reader feel his pain. In addition, first person narration also helps the reader to compare themselves with the poet.

In this poem the poet through the first person narration, is able to describe his love for the woman that she used to love but now he has lost her. For instance, when the poet says that, ‘on night like this I used to hold her in my arms’ (Neruda 123). This helps the reader to understand their relationship better. By further explaining his current feeling, the reader, is able to have an imagination on what is currently happening in the poet live.

Rhythm

Rhythm occurs when the poet uses vowels and consonants sounds in their poems, in a well and organized manner to catch the attention of the reader. The poet has been able to achieve rhythm in this poem by the use of consonance and assonance. For instance, the poet says ‘I can write the saddest poem of all tonight’. The poet uses consonance in this poem to ensure that he is able to emphasize on his message. In this line, the poet tries to show the length that he is ready to go to show how he loved his lover. Rhythm is also usually used in poems to attract the reader’s attention. This usually helps the poet to pass an important point message in such a situation. For instance, the poet says that, ‘we, we who were, we are the same no longer’ (Neruda 123). The poet uses the assonance sound here to show his current situation. Rhythm is, therefore, one of the artistic styles that poets usually use so as to capture their message, as well as attracts the readers’ attention.

Personification

Personification in literature occurs when non living things, are given the characteristics of living things. Personification is usually employed by poets and authors to help them in bringing out a message in a more realistic way. In addition, personification also assists the reader in having a better comprehension of what the feelings and thoughts that the poet is expressing this, by the use of the things that the reader can easily associate with in life. In this poem, the writer uses personification where he says that, ‘the night was full of star, and the stars were shivering in the distance’ (Neruda 123). The poet gives the stars human characteristic of shivering. This, however, helps the writer to drive the message that, even the stars though far were sharing the loneliness that the poet was experiencing at the moment.

Conclusion

In writing this poem, Neruda may have experienced what he was saying, but he was also trying to show the pain that a human being undergoes when they lose what they love most. The relevance of this poem to the contemporary society is that, it shows that, love is an important aspect of every human being. The poem emphasizes the need to protect ones love by all means. The poem also teaches the society how deal with the loss. Through the poet, the society learns that it is right to reflect over the loss of loved one, but it is also important to move on.

Works cited

Neruda Pablo “Twenty Love Poems and a song of despair” (1924) Poem number 123

LG and six sigma

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Introduction

Six Sigma has been incorporated in many organizations as a measure of quality in order to attain perfection, especially as far as the quality of goods and services is concerned. It refers to a data-driven and disciplined methodology and approach for elimination of defects in the organization (Harry 64). This methodology is incorporated in all levels of production from manufacturing to the transaction level in products and services. It is noteworthy that, Six Sigma has varied meanings for varied groups within any organization. This variation depends on an individual’s level, as well as his respective job role in that organization. In the case of the enterprise level, the methodology would mostly be applied as a strategic business initiative. This is where it would focus on enhancing considerable improvements in varied areas including capacity, business growth, customer satisfaction, and investor relationships (Harry, 63). In the case of the operations level, the methodology takes a tactical nature. In this case, it is mostly directed towards enhancing Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), delivery time, Defects Per Unit (DPU), as well as varied other crucial measures of operational efficiency and effectiveness. In the case of the process level, the process is mainly used in reducing variability. This is in an effort to reduce the process cycle times, the number of defects, as well as direct costs. In this case, the mantra is that if any improvement is made, then the gains must be verifiable on a timely basis. In this case, the elimination of a mistake, error, defect or fault in the system must in essence directly translate to a measurable gain. The gain could be in terms of lower overhead costs, reduced headcount and less material.

This implies that Six Sigma is essentially a tactical and strategic system used in the management of the total business enterprises. In this case, the methodology incorporates the capability and the capacity to deliver provider and customer satisfaction, which are essential ingredients for business prosperity (Harry et.al. 97). In essence, Six Sigma marks the epitome the ideals of business prosperity and maximizes an enterprise’s control functions. In its most basic form, the methodology represents 3.4 faults per million defect opportunities. The Six Sigma perspective relates to one defect opportunity for every critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristic. The methodology rests on the idea that as performance is enhanced, other key aspects of the business would also be improved. These aspects include capacity, quality, inventory time, cycle time and many others. Once these factors are improved, the service-provider and the customers would derive increased satisfaction in the performance of their business transactions (Harry et.al. 132).

Everything carried out in any enterprise involves a process, where there is a beginning and an end. All these processes involve frequency distributions. These are histograms that indicate the number of measurements falling within certain data range. While there are varied distributions that have been investigated and observed, the normal distribution is the most prevalent. The normal distribution incorporates a curve with a bell shape, as well as a center point which is the average or the mean.

Going by the magnitude of the company, it is inevitable that LG electronics would be using the Six Sigma methodology to eliminate wastage and improve efficiency and effectiveness. This is the only way that it would enhance customer satisfaction while safeguarding the success of the company, especially in the long term. LG electronics consists of three companies namely Digital Multimedia, Digital Media and Digital Appliance. Its principal products include refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaner, air conditioners, and air compressors. While it adopted the Six Sigma methodology in 1996, it fully applied it in 2000 so as to upgrade its performance (Park, 67).

In business innovation, LG Electronics Company adopted a Total Quality Control (TQC). On adoption of the Six Sigma methodology, the company adopted varied facets including a Six Sigma e-Academy for training individuals and a Six Sigma marketing strategy, which was essentially its main quality management concept. As a means for total customer satisfaction in product and service provision, the company divided its Six Sigma roadmap into three parts, including the manufacturing six-sigma, research and development six sigma and transactional six-sigma. In the initial stages of application, improving the Rolled Throughput Yield (RTY) was the key project in the manufacturing area. Later on, however, the RTY improvement was incorporated into all the subsidiaries. In the case of Research and Development DFR (Design for Reliability) was the main concern and, therefore, became the key goal for all research and development sectors. In the case of the transactional areas, the Six Sigma methodology was adopted to enhance the company’s market share via total customer satisfaction (Park, 69).

At LG Electronics, Six Sigma is customer-focused, practically implemented and process-driven via continuous Six Sigma projects. In this company, the methodology incorporates three things. There is statistical project evaluation where defect rates in all the processes are measured, while using s-quality level to measure the capability of the measuring process. There is also the business strategy, where the company aims at gaining a competitive edge in cost, quality, and customer satisfaction. In the management philosophy, the company works smarter based on teamwork and data analysis. Customer satisfaction involves analysis of the market needs, which include delivery, quality and price. These needs are solved through working smartly (Park, 73).

Conclusion

The importance of the Six Sigma approach in enhancing the performance of an enterprise cannot be gainsaid. LG has been using it since 1996 and earned an award for it in 2000. It has been able to enhance its performance as pertaining to cutting costs and enhancing the performance of various sectors.

Works cited

Sung H. Park. Six Sigma for Quality and Productivity Promotion. Hirakawacho: Asian Productivity Organization. 2003. Print

Mikel J. Harry, Prem S. Mann, Ofelia C. de Hodgins, Christopher J. Lacke, and Richard Hulbert. Practitioner’s Guide for Statistics and Lean Six Sigma for Process Improvements. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010. Print

Harry, M. J. Six Sigma: A Breakthrough Strategy for Profitability, Quality Progress. New York: May. 1998. Print

(Park)

(Harry et.al. )(Harry)

Skinny models

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Introduction

The modeling industry happens to be one of the most dynamic industries in the recent times. It accounts for billions of money in terms of revenue for the government. However, there has been controversy over the notion that only skinny can or should be on catwalks. Unfortunately, many women have been influenced to make every move so as to be skinny and look like them. However, it is noteworthy that models may end up starving themselves in order to maintain a skinny figure. This poses significant risks on the health of individuals sometimes leading to death. What are the risks of modeling at an early age?

Unfortunately, starving oneself comes with the danger of getting anorexia nervosa. Recent times have seen an increase in the number of young girls who become too frail due to starvation, to the point of fainting in front of the cameras.

In addition, it is noteworthy that when young girls cannot get a skinny image like the models that they admire, they end up having a low self-image to the point of hating themselves. Many women have had to undergo counseling due to low self esteem as a result of hating their image (Hellmich). Many ladies view the skinny image as the model or desirable figure, especially in the fashion industry.

As a consequence of modeling at an early age, girls would fill their minds with self-loathing, as well as suicidal thoughtswhen they cannot attain the ideal figure. It is noteworthy that eating disorders are some of the deadliest mental illness, sometimes having 20 percent mortality rates (Preti et al. 90). Studies show that even when the girls survive, they should expect to lose their lives decades earlier than individuals at a similar age but who never had eating disorders. This is due to the risks posed on the health and wellness of the young girls who starve themselves in an effort to attain the “right” size.

In an effort to imitate their admired models, many young girls tend to engage in substance abuse. Stress is one of the principal elements that come with the fashion industry. This is due to the various pressures emanating from varied quarters such as employers, expectations of the public, the media, and especially, the need to maintain the slim figure. It is noteworthy that most young girls are unable to cope with the stress and, therefore, end up abusing substances such as alcohol and illegal drugs. Quite a large number of models have had to sign up in rehabs due to substance abuse.

Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa are likely to be obsessed with weight and eating control. They are also likely to check their weight persistently and revert to only certain foods. It is noteworthy that most of the diet plans for models do not incorporate a balanced diet as they mostly involve junk foods. In addition, they may end up exercising excessively and even withdraw from social activities that involve food (Preti et al. 89).

Eating disorders also lead to serious health conditions touching on the behavioral, mental and physical wellbeing of the individual. It is noteworthy that many girls who start modeling at a young age have frail forms and weak bones, which increases the risk of fractures. Bulimia and anorexia are also likely to result in dehydration and other serious medical complications like kidney failure, heart problems among others (Halliwell and Dittmar).

Conclusion

The fashion industry has had a tremendous impact on the lives of many people especially women, who adore the skinny models and strive to attain slim figures. Unfortunately, many people end up starving themselves in an effort to attain the slim figure. This has serious health implications on the lives of young girls who indulge in the fashion world, engaging in substance abuse and eating disorders just to keep up with the fashion world. It is imperative that they be taught that there is a line between being skinny and being healthy. In addition, efforts should be made to uplift their self esteem.

Works cited

Halliwell, Emma and Dittmar, Helgar. “Does Size Matter? The Impact of Model’s Body Size on Women’s Body-Focused Anxiety and Advertising Effectiveness.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 23. 1(2004): 104.122. Print

Hellmich, Nanci. Do thin models warp girls’ body image? usatoday.com, 2011. Web. February 29, 2012.

Preti Antonio, Ambra Usai, Paola Miotto, Donatella Rita Petretto and Carmelo Masala. “Eating disorders among professional fashion models.” Psychiatry Research 159 (2008): 86-94. Print.

Transportation research records

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Summary of Transportation Research Record

The trend taken by aviation travel in the long term echoes the growth experienced by growth domestic product (GDP). With growth in the United State’s population and economy coupled with globalization of its economy, it would not be surprising if air travel increases. However, many communities have been against airport expansion due to noise and traffic.

In Denver, Colorado, the opening of a new airport in 1995 marked the end of construction of key new airports. Since then, runways have been added in an effort to expand most key airports. These efforts have however been hampered by insufficient land for expansion as well as the communities’ opposition to the aircraft noise. This explains why the last decade has seen the addition of only 7 runways. Nevertheless, quite a number of secondary airports have experienced tremendous growth, becoming the desired airports for specific destinations. This does not undermine the fact that they have been experiencing delays and congestion, especially in peak periods due to lack of places for the planes to land.

The larger part of the funding for the airports in Denver, Colorado can be traced back to the federal government. However, decisions pertaining to the operation, building and expansion of the facilities are handled at local and state levels. It has been recognized that delays and congestion in airports can only be remedied by comprehensive remedies.

Describe the technical area of transportation covered by this article.

This article examines air travel since it is always a pointer as to the direction taken by Gross Domestic Product of a particular state. In essence, there are concerns about the delays and congestion in many airports resulting from lack of space for expansion. Communities neighboring the airports are also against the expansion due to traffic as well as noise from the planes. This problem however would not be solved by simplistic remedies but a combination of solutions geared addressing the financial, technical and even social aspect of the airports, more so in relation with the neighbors.

References

http://www.trb.org/itpc/expandingairportcapacityintercitytravel.aspx

Using Class work to make Portfolio About Myself.

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Using Class work to make Portfolio About Myself.

Initial question 1: What do I value most in life?

Initial Question 2: What is my career goal?

Initial Question 3: What am I most curious about?

While reading through the Cap Portfolio instructions, and resume, I reflected upon the approved portfolio items I choose from in the previous assignment. I came up with three questions as they easily make up my portfolio. While I feel I did a good job in writing the resume cover letter, and video-selfie tasks, I can polish and revise them a bit. The above three questions can easily tell about my portfolio. To answer the questions, I value family, friendships, honesty, and life itself most. Family is everything for me and I feel we should love our family a lot. Friendships are what keeps me going, especially in the face of problems. It is good to know there is someone to talk to and rely on during the worst times of life. My career goal is to use my knowledge, skills, and expertise for the betterment of society. I am most curious about the tomorrow and what the world has in store for us.

Culture of the Chinese Women

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Culture of the Chinese Women

China is one of the nations in East Asia that has a wealth of history on the roles of women in the society and it offers a good platform to see the dynamic change in the roles of women from traditional China to the present day. In one of the books written by a historian by the name Pan Chao, he said: “Let a woman modestly yield to others. Let her respect others. Let her put others first, herself last. If she does something that is considered good, she should keep silent and not mention it. If she does something that is considered bad, let her not deny it. Let her bare disgrace and let her endure when others speak evil or do evil to her…always let her seem to tremble and fear” (Kazuko, and Joshua 78). This audacious statement was put together by a respected man in ancient China whose opinion mattered in the courts of law and exerted great influence on the judge’s decision and judgment served to women. This is a brief peak into the setting of China about 2000 years ago.

In ancient China, the girl child was always treated with contempt and referred to with disappointment by the men who would tower over them as though they were gods to be served and satisfied by the women. The women were more often than not looked upon as concubines and no woman would claim right, whether legally or morally to be the sole wife of one man. The men had every right to take to themselves as many women as he would to be his multiple wives. The married women would also fall in a hierarchy based on simple factors as, the maid who was most favored by the master would come top of the list. Other bases would be the order in which they were married. To say that women in Chinese history were treated as animals would almost be an understatement since some of the practices were bordering evil. For example, one of the most common practices in ancient China was that of crippling women which started from their childhood where their feet would be bound (Greenhalgh 56). The arch of each foot would be deliberately broken and the foot tied to prevent it from growing. This would latter lead to a painful hobbling kind of motion for the women and their mobility would be limited to household chores.

In the process of time, wealthy households and the non-aristocratic Chinese could not afford to have their women unable to work due to the crippling so they opted to keep them as slaves. They did jobs such as spinning clothes, processing tea and other labour intensive tasks in the home. During these severe times of inequality, there were individuals who arose to show that women were not as useless as deemed and that they could exert a certain degree of influence. For example, in ancient history, the heir to the Chinese throne was taken by a young boy whose mother; ‘Empress Dowager’ was the true ruler (Greenhalgh 71). Another interesting area to note as the changes in tradition changed overtime, the role of arranging marriages was handed to an aunt or older female relatives. They decided which families would be allied by marriage and who would pay the dowry to whom. In some regions of ancient China an interesting tradition was developed of having groups of 6 to 7 women who would be “sworn-sisters” and they would even develop their language and system of writing to help them communicate amongst themselves.

On the onset of the 19th century, there was an outcry of discontentment amongst the Chinese people regarding the roles of the women. However, it was not until the short lived Chinese republic that there was significant progress in the fight for women rights. The rise of communists under the Mao caused a shift in the long held beliefs and traditions that degraded the Chinese people and they were willing to die for their beliefs and one of their goals was to erase the inequality between the men and women once and for all. In these times women worked outside their home, were educated and involved themselves in political matters (Kazuko, and Joshua 81). With the death of Mao the nation moved towards a state capitalism economy. The fact that there has been an increasing influence on consumerism and the increased levels of technological advancement has made the western cultures to rub up on the eastern cultures and women have equal rights with men and it is highly improbable that the traditional values and cultures against women will find root in China ever (Cecilia 71).

The role of women in the society and the economy at large cannot be underestimated. Women, like the men play a critical role in the society covering from economic to cultural and biological. As dictated by the society, women and men are expected to live in accordance with the societal laws and norms or social values that act as the guiding principles for the spirit of togetherness and communism. Women are perceived as weaker creators with little and insignificance influence in the social and economic development of any country. Besides, women are often engaged in unproductive and non-income generating activities. This has served as the barrier point that has obstructed these women from exploring their potentials for the betterment of the living standards of the entire generation. For a long time, the Chinese women too were oppressed by the ‘self-claimed superior sex’ (Greenhalgh 99). Through such oppression and discrimination, the Chinese women had no ability to realize their potentials and significantly contribute to the economic growth and development.

However, Chinese women, unlike the rest of the women (especially Africans), have broken the odds and the cultural barriers that restricted their position and contribution in the society. Owing to the difference in the gender ordination and roles in the Chinese culture, women had no opportunity to unleash their portfolio or potential for the gain of the entire Chinese community. These differences in Chinese culture with respect to gender prompted women to go out of the way thereby becoming more substantive that the male counterpart. Women are charged with the responsibility of caring for the entire family members and the community at large (Cecilia 78-9). In so providing, these women had no choice but to be very active and hard working. For this reason, most Chinese women become more productive and substantive at the expense of men who should be the bread winners. The other main reason why women became more productive than men is demographic factors. The population dominance of the female in China played a role in the development and growth of the female characters to take-up the responsibility of providing for their families (Kazuko, and Joshua 51-7).

The discrimination and inequality between men and women in the Chinese culture is attributed to the feminine nature of the Chinese culture. According to the Chinese culture and tradition, women are just but objects of slavery and exploitation. This act of discrimination against female characters starts at birth through the celebrations and birth parties. In this culture of the Chinese, a birth of a baby boy is valued and celebrated than the birth celebration for girls. The differences in the treatment of men and women in the society through inequality is evidence beyond the social spheres. It is noted that in the Chinese culture, women were charged with the responsibility of caring for the family and serving the needs and demands of the entire family while men were breadwinners by name (Cecilia 85). This limited their access to resources therefore, limited ability to growth and development. On the other hand, the inequality is between these characters is evidenced by the fact that women were meant to serve as slave. The slavery and the servitude nature of the male counterparts made these female characters weaker and of less value to the Chinese economy. Women therefore served as servants in the firms of their masters at zero or exploitative compensations. According to the Chinese culture, women unlike the men were not accorded the opportunity to access education and other academic professions. This in turn made them more vulnerable to male slavery as they lacked the technical and professional skills needed in the job market owing to the competitive nature of the labor market (Li, Yu-ning 67).

The inequality in the Chinese cultures is also evidenced by the issue of marriages and marriage rights. However, women have no right to choose their loved partners. They have no voice or say on who becomes their live partner. Ladies and the female characters are forced into marriages with their parents (particularly fathers) negotiating these marriage arrangements without the consent of the lady (Tao 39). In some incidences, parents exchange their girls as a way of maintaining social and economic status. This is an indication of lack of equality and freedom on personal life and choices. Although this inequality still exists in the twenty first century, the magnitude of such gender inequality and discrimination is minimal. Unlike in the conservative Chinese culture where women were more of objects to the male, the modern world has recognized the position and contribution of women. Lack of freedom for Chinese women is explained by the fact the single women are outlawed from living on their own in apartments. Instead, they are forced to reside with single mothers in the dormitories (Tao 45-6). On the extreme, even the learned few are not allowed by their husbands to participate in formal employment.

The “one child policy’ enacted by the Chinese government has worsen the position of women in the society. One unbelievable effect of this policy is the killing of girls. The policy restricted the number of births a woman would have. According to this policy, Chinese women were not allowed to have more than one child. However, given the cultural value for boys, women who had given birth to girls opted to kill their children in order to allow room for boys. Although the single-child policy was aimed at controlling the population growth rate of China, the effects of this policy have negatively impacted on Chinese communities and population (Li, Yu-ning 37). One of the major set-back of the single-child policy is the ethical and biological concerns. Through this policy, it has been reported that there has been a significance increase in the case of selected-abortion. Abandonment of infants of female sex and sex-selective induced abortions in the favor of boys is one of the leading impacts of this policy in China. Such acts are unethical and may have long-lasting implications on the demographic and biological statistics of China. The post-natal factors and cultural value for male children has resulted into unforeseen gender imbalance because of the rise in the adoption of modern family planning and other birth control mechanisms (Cecilia 101-3). Although it is acknowledged that overpopulation pose a great danger to the Chinese resources and economy, the state-restricted reproduction and toxic cultural preference for male as opposed to girls has resulted into gender imbalance with the males outnumbering females, deeply desired abortions, and children kidnapping leaving the affected families in pain and agony.

Works Cited

HYPERLINK “http://www.google.co.ke/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Cecilia+Nathansen+Milwertz%22” Cecilia N. Milwertz. Accepting Population Control: Urban Chinese Women and the One-child Family Policy. HYPERLINK “http://books.google.co.ke/url?client=ca-print-tandf_uk-routledge&format=googleprint&num=0&channel=BTB-ca-print-tandf_uk-routledge+BTB-ISBN:0700704574&q=http://www.routledge.com/shopping_cart/products/product_detail.asp%3Fsku%3D%26isbn%3D0700704574%26parent_id%3D%26pc%3D&usg=AFQjCNEiyuVGLLvdvT3gGCDNtEIW8cG4Hw&source=gbs_buy_r” Routledge. 1997. Print.

Greenhalgh, Susan. Just one child: science and policy in Deng’s China. Berkeley: University of California Press. 2008. Available online.

Li, Yu-ning. Chinese women through Chinese eyes. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. 2002. Print.

Ono, Kazuko, and Joshua A. Fogel. Chinese women in a century of revolution, 1850-1950. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. 2009.

Tao, Jie. Holding up half the sky: Chinese women past, present, and future. New York: Feminist Press at the City Univ. of New York. 2004. Print.