Communications Plan _ Context Analysis _ Promotional Objectives _ Assignment

Communications Plan _ Context Analysis _ Promotional Objectives _ Marketing Communications Strategies _ Promotional Mix - Assignment Example An effective communication plan acts as a guide to the marketing managers in the company to maintain a better cooperative relationship with the targeted customer group through an enhanced ability to suffice customer needs (Lyles, 2002). It is also argued to be an effective tool to build trust amid the customer groups, which not only stimulates greater volume of customers purchasing the offered service/product, but also ensures long-run stability in the organisation-client relationship (Andersen, 2001). Context Analysis Cambridge Science Pharmaceuticals (CSP), as an international healthcare company, puts principle emphasis on marketing, manufacturing and developing medicinal products that treat gastrointestinal diseases, metabolic disorders, and immune deficiencies along with other chronic and acute medical conditions. Notably, the study in Quelch & Beckham (2010) reflects that majority of the US residents are facing problems related to overweight and obesity, which includes almost ev ery age group with dissimilar perceptions. This rating apparently advocated that one of the major causes for the preventable death toll in the US was diseases of health issues resulting from overweightedness and obesity. It is worth mentioning in this context that with the research conducted by CSP’s Senior Director of Marketing, Barbara Printup, overweight was related to a number of serious health complications about which, the common public was becoming increasingly aware of, taking measures to avoid these hazards. All these factors undoubtedly presented a promising scenario as much as the demand for a weight-loss safe drug was concerned (Quelch & Beckham, 2010). However, the study shows that there were many drugs being circulated around the market to suffice the demand for weight-loss drugs in the US. For example, Alli, a weight-loss drug product, was launched in the US market in 2008 after its approval by the FDA. The product was failed to capture the market because of ne gative side effects, directly hampering the gastrointestinal conditions of the regular consumers. On the other hand, other Over-The-Counter (OTC) weight-loss solutions focused on their capabilities to serve with minimum side-effect assurance, being based on herbal ingredients such as green tea extract, hoodia and chromium. These products were categorised as herbal or dietary supplements by the FDA, which even though ensured minimum side-effects, but were massively slow in yielding faster results (Quelch & Beckham, 2010). Based on the arguments, it becomes explicit that even if the market presented a promising opportunity for the weight-loss drug, it also had its unique barriers of side-effects and faster results. Correspondingly, Metabical possessed some negative effects, which can hamper its market presence and long-run success potentials subjected to the effectiveness of the marketing strategies used for its launch (Quelch & Beckham, 2010). Promotional Objectives As mentioned in Q uelch & Beckham (2010), the final launch of Metabical was pending on the year 2009, in the month of January, following its approval by the FDA. Correspondingly, CSP had a year to program its promotional strategies. The promotional objectives, thereby determined by Printup on behalf of CSP’s Metabical were targeted to both the end consumers and the health care providers who shall be a pivotal participant in the communication plan. The foremost

Expatriation, expenses, advantages and disadvantages

Expatriation, expenses, advantages and disadvantages Expatriation, the practice of sending home country managers to other country locations, is a popular, albeit expensive practice among multinational corporations. Expatriates are charged with facilitating the bidirectional flow of knowledge and resources between company headquarters and overseas subsidiaries. Typically, the company expects its expatriate managers to infuse company philosophy into the local subsidiary, as well as to impose policies and procedures consistent with headquarter operations. They are often responsible for the movement of financial resources, whether this be physical capital or the ability to tap local debt and equity markets. They bring with them managerial as well as technical expertise, functional capabilities, or the training necessary to develop these among the local personnel, and structural and control systems. Among these are appraisal systems and motivational tools and incentives. Either while on assignment or upon repatriation, the expatriate should be able to share information with the parent company regarding local infrastructure, such as roads, housing conditions, and transportation systems. In addition, knowledge regarding the political climate, negotiating techniques, host government concerns, and consumer preferences is passed on to the parent. Finally, expatriates should learn a great deal about business practices specific to the regions where they have been assigned, including holidays and observances, accepted business attire, and the appropriate ways to communicate and socialize with co-workers and locals in general. Background: Given the rapid rise in the internationalization of markets, competition, and technology, expatriates—and in particular long-term expatriates—can provide much of the value-creation opportunities global firms are seeking. But as the numbers of assignments increases, along with their annual cost by some estimates, two-to-four times the individuals base salary, there is need to assure such assignments are being effectively utilized in achieving Companys strategic goals. Only 57 percent of the global firms responding to a 2005 survey by GMAC Relocation Services perceived their return on investment (ROI) in expatriates to be â€Å"good† or â€Å"excellent,† with only 43 percent indicating they had specific programs in place to improve it. Other surveys show that up to 85 percent of managers do not even attempt to demonstrate the ROI of long-term international assignments, nor do they measure it. Thus, expatriate ROI appears to be, not only rarely calculated among global firms but also not widely used as a tool to reduce expatriate costs, despite a growing economic environment of global uncertainty, cost cutting, and risk. Introduction: This report is designed to investigate effectiveness of expatriate remuneration in a multinational organization. For this purpose I have chosen ICI, as this company is operating in many European as well as Asian countries and still in continuation of expanding its operations. Goals for the expatriates in ICI, with the study carried to analyse the effectiveness in achieving those targets are featured in this small study. This study will examine how the expats are remunerated and what bases are used in doing so, furthermore basis opted for rewards system. Others matters considered alongside are considerations for the costs of family residency, insurances, childrens education, properties, and other expenses; including incentives. Gains and nuisances of the expats are issued for the consideration from expats points of view. Moreover explanation of the research methodology coupled with justification for the research is complied in. Due to the nature of the topic, secondary sources of information are used as the primary sources were difficult and time consuming. ICI has many expatriates around the world in various countries of different continents, which includes Asia, Europe- as required by its diverse operations. Sending expatriates on long term assignments is complicated as it triggers diverse needs (i.e. social needs, ethical issues, religions, family commitments and backgrounds, etc). Therefore on one side selecting, enticing, and retaining expatriate staff for long duration of their foreign assignment and on the other designing rewards system for such complex and diverse roles adds difficulties for the organization. Aim and Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of expatriate remuneration at ICI. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives have been set: * Develop a model for measuring expatriate remuneration. * To assess the current expatriate remuneration for ICI. * To conduct fieldwork and collect data on the effectiveness, ethics, etc. * Analyse the results of the fieldwork and present the results of the investigation. Model for measuring Expatriates Remuneration A large studies conducted by the researchers concluded that only 51 out of many global firms participating in the study desired to obtain an acceptable ROI from their expatriates. ROI determinations should also include nonfinancial costs and benefits in order to capture the long-term, post assignment benefits— such as skills transfer, global leadership capabilities, succession readiness, and other talent management objectives. McNulty and Tharenou have defined expatriate ROI as â€Å"a calculation in which the financial and nonfinancial benefits to the firm are compared with the financial and nonfinancial costs of the international assignment, as appropriate to the assignments purpose.†This definition implies two important conditions: * Managers must know the intent for using expatriates—how the purpose of an international assignment is linked to a firms overall global strategy—in order to then track the benefits and costs. * Managers must include both tangibles and intangibles when calculating and comparing costs and benefits. Accurate rates of return are then more likely to be determined when the benefits are compared with the costs, even if a cost is financial (e.g., the cost of cross-cultural training) and the corresponding benefit is nonfinancial (e.g., the benefit of improved performance). In turn, these conditions imply a robust system for creating, approving, documenting, tracking, and evaluating international assignments. Assessment the current expatriate remuneration for ICI During the course of my study I focused my study plan on remuneration of 10 Individuals designated as expatriates with a responsibility of transferring ICI system IT-based skills to other subsidiaries/ offices located across the regions. The individuals selected were salaried Approx. around  £ 4,000 per month during course of their normal office routine work. When and as employee designated as expat, a separate remuneration model was designed for each keeping in view the following * Working hours * Job specifications * Number of travels/locations to different sites * Period for which the expat assigned for the special assignment The model devised without considering as exception circumstances is illustrated below * If the expat tenure for the special assignment is for a period covering more than 2 years, the expat is allowed to take is family (wife and children) along, at his discretion. The salary package of the said expat will be 180% of his gross salary during this tenure. * If the expat tenure for the special assignment is for a period less than 2 years, the expat is not allowed to take is family at COs expense. However he will be allowed to claim return air tickets thrice a year with 20 days paid leaves and will be remunerated at 140% of his original gross salary. * All the medical and other facilities entitled to the employees during routine office duty shall retain and other expenditure related to the business such as travelling, out of pocket expenses shall be reimbursed to the employees. Problems faced by expatriate while implementing head office system/ rules * Expatriates were charged with either learning the host language or communicating through gestures or other non-verbal methods, or they may invoke the services of translators or interpreters * Psychological types of strains, including the negative psychological reactions of anxiety, anger, and frustration when not been able to deliver or transfer knowledge due to national/ regional differences. * Relationship between sociability and cross-cultural adjustment makes them feel alienated. * Understanding of the values and norms of the local nationals was hard to follow and observe.  · Patience was required to build the relationships and the trust. Fieldwork and Ethics Issues Meeting the Senior Manager Finance Manager during their valuable busy working hours and requesting them to give some guideline by providing knowledge about the Expats and the remuneration model designed for the assignments. Moreover during discussion session with the managers, I insisted on asking more details and insights that were not available documented, for which the senior manager was hesitant of doing so, as in their opinion certain information was very sensitive and arise tax sensitive issues. The analysis also involved use of companys IT resources like internet, desktop and other ancillary equipments. Moreover in gathering information about my research/field work I had to make certain quality compromises, as the information was not readily available and the management was hesitant over concerns regarding its secrecy. Following is the data gathered and analysed of the employees during their services as expats. Name of the Employee/Expat ID # Gross Salary Special Assignment Allotment Salary for m/o Dec ‘09 Medical Travel plus Misc Total John Desusa 345 3,500 140% 4,900 100 450 5,450 Ali Kirmani 6576 3,000 140% 4,200 1,110 367 5,677 Patric Mandela 356 4,000 140% 5,600 521 1,200 7,321 Keith Ronaldo 6787 5,000 140% 7,000 124 290 7,414 John Ferry 754 4,000 180% 7,200 413 300 7,913 Harban Bhaveja 7564 4,500 180% 8,100 20 394 8,514 Research Methodology: Data are analysed through primary and secondary data research. This is where financial value i.e. quantitative data or the brand image i.e. qualitative data for ICI will be inspected in those countries where expats are doing the work. This will be done by individual countries examination of customer base and/or business base; depending on what expats have been sent for and what is meant to be achieved there. Knowledge of all countries is brought together for expats as well as all costs incurred; are part of this study. It has complete similarities and differences within this duration of expatriation. These include currency evaluations differences in other countries and the amount that has been spent in those countries is worth the effort. However, this should mean that the expats are giving identical efficiency level as they would have while being in the UK in the away country depending on the targets being given. In most cases, ICI gives a smaller pay due to the economy being down. However, still pays well even after slump where GBP is strong. Data Collection Methods: Due to the nature of the topic, both primary and secondary sources equally provided appropriate and valuable information. Although using the former source was difficult and time consuming. Primary Source An interview was held with Mr. Zawan Navade Senior Finance Manager ICI. The primary purpose of this interview was to assess the potential benefits expats providing to the Organisation with the cost being incurred. Moreover, a meeting was arranged with the Human Resource Manager to gain information regarding the design of the remuneration packages related to the potential benefits to the entity. Secondary Sources These consisted of the following * Payroll Sheets * Documented Reward system * Special assignment contracts Limitations: Financial data by itself may not be sufficient for the purpose of my research work, therefore expert input from Companys senior executives was required but most of the information in my research report is secondary as I was not able to directly approach the companies executive all the time and have limited use of their valuable time due to their tight official schedules and their reservations.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lovable, heartwarming story of love is one of â€Å" Seven Brides for Seven Brothers†. A story of seven men who have no guidance find themselves in love. The two main characters in the play are Adam and Millie. By being husband and wife they help the story out with their own love and romance. The seven brothers fall in love with seven beautiful woman and through out the play we see al the ways they try to get their gals. The singing in this play helps us figure out the songs: â€Å"Bless Your Beautiful Hide†, â€Å"Goin Courtin†, and â€Å"Sobbin Woman†. The style of music they use to get this point across is old fashion, traditional music.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This live performance of â€Å"Bless Your Beautiful Hide† by Adam is a confident and arrogant way to find love. In this song Adam explains how he is here to find himself a wife. That’s just what Adam does too. By hearing this song the viewer gets the hint that the play is a love story about him and this beautiful lady that he is staring at. Adam uses his bass voice to keep the tempo moderately constant. The dynamics change throughout the song with a grand finish of a chershendo. Adam uses accents in the song to emphasize his feelings of getting a wife. An orchestra is accompanying him with the instruments like: trumpets, banjos, and trombones. This sets the mood for the story to take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Goin Courtin† has a different kind of tempo to it than does â€Å"Bless Your Beautiful A Hide†. The tempo in this song is a little faster than the other song. Millie is explaining to the brothers how to get a girl. How to get a girl in nice, gentleman way. Millie uses tone color in this song to make the mood very happy and exciting. Millie uses a slow calm voice to get the instructions across to the boys on how to get a girl. When she get to the â€Å"Goin Courtin† part of the song she speeds thing up to make it more dramatic and to get the brothers to think this is the fun way of getting the gals. She uses body language to help the brothers realize all the excitement that is involved in getting the girls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sobbin Woman† is Adam’s way of explaining to the brothers how to get the woman.

Character analysis of “The Hitch-Hiker” by Roald Dahl Essay

The hitch hiker’s appearance was described as a small ratty faced man with grey teeth, rat like eyes, slightly pointed ears, wearing a cloth hat, greyish coloured jacket with enormous pockets. In other words, he looked like a human rat. In my opinion I think that Roald Dahl describes the hitch hiker similarly to a rat so that it makes the reader assume that the hitch hiker is probably a looney-toon, murderer or some other sort of criminal. Once the reader assume that, it will make them predict that something bad or interesting will happen involving the narrator and hitch hiker. The hitch hiker’s appearance as a rat also predicts his personality. When normal human beings think of ratty type people, their stereotypical reaction will be that the person is selfish, backstabbing, dirty, smelly, disloyal, violent and probably a criminal. At the beginning of the story, the narrator asks the hitch hiker why the he was going to the horse races if he wasn’t going to bet, the hitch hiker acts as if he didn’t hear the question and doesn’t seem to like it. These actions predict that something is up, otherwise why wouldn’t he answer the question. In the story, the hitch hiker has very fast hands. He managed to roll up a cigarette in just 5 seconds. He also managed to knick off the narrators watch, wallet, shoelace, driving license, key ring with keys, coins, a letter, a diary, and an expensive sapphire and pearl ring, belonging to the narrators wife. The hitch hikers extremely talented hands make the readers assume that the hitch hiker’s job, that he has been hiding all along, had something to do with his hands, leading the reader to assume that he was probably a pick pocket. Yet again Roald Dahl makes the readers assume something and then surprises the reader; in this case the hitch hiker is actually a finger smith, apparently the top position in the pick pocket career. When the hitch hiker speaks, he has an accent, for example he says, ‘guv’nor’ ‘od’carrier’. This lets the readers know that he is probably not from London, and from the country side. The most noticeable thing about the hitch hiker’s speech is that he manages to criticize everything as if he looks down on every type of job out there. For example when the narrator guesses the hitch hikers job as a piano player, the hitch hiker responds saying, â€Å"My job, is a hundred times more difficult than a piano player, any twerp can learn how to do that.† When the narrator guesses that the hitch hiker is a card player, the hitch hiker responds saying, â€Å"Me! A rotten cardsharper? That’s a miserable racket if ever there was one.†The hitch hiker criticizing every job makes the reader think that he must be incredibly skilled and talented, and that his job is the most knowledgeable job out there. Yet again, Roald Dahl surprises the readers that the hitch hiker is in the criminal business even though all the clues add up to it. The relationship between the narrator and hitch hiker is very surprising and unpredictable. It turns out that they become friends in the end despite the fact that the hitch hiker is a criminal and the narrator is a successful writer. I think that Roald Dahl teaches a little lesson in this story that even the two most opposite type people can have something in common and become friends.

Near The School For Handicapped Children Essay Essay

In the poem, ‘near the school for handicapped children’ by Thomas Shapcott a man and his daughter are passing by a local school for handicapped children and come across a handicapped boy from a distance. In stanza one, the poet (Thomas Shapcott) describes the boy physically. In stanza two and three, he is still describing the boy, but also telling us how he feels about seeing him and how he compares himself to the boy while watching him. In the final stanza, he describes how the boy is happy and leaves the people who are watching him behind. Within the first stanza, as stated before, the Poet describes the handicapped boy physically. In the line â€Å"his shirt jerks at his body† the author uses an affective idea of personification, giving the boy’s shirt human characteristics. By using this structure, the poem becomes more descriptive and hooks the reader in; making them want to read more. By writing the physical properties of the boy, the poet has written this stanza in third person, for example; his hat, his shirt and his feet. In the second stanza, the writer is still describing the boy, but leading his appearance back to himself, and using his own physical properties in comparison to the boy’s. We can see this in the lines; â€Å"his limbs remind me of how straight/is my own spine and that I take/my fingers for granted† he then says â€Å"he is waiting for the green light† this is the first direct action that the Poet gives us. The other actions he has used previously have all been impressions, where he has given us clues to puzzle together ourselves, to make a vivid image in our mind. Whereas in this line, he tells us what the boy is doing directly. Stanza three is a little different to stanzas 1 and 2 because it is written in first person. This is recognized because of the way the writer has written â€Å"MY fingers, I am hurt, I fear MY, I’M, grasps ME† These are all examples of first person the author has used. Another big factor of this stanza is the emotion and technical vocabulary â€Å"I am hurt by my wholeness† is a great example because it makes you feel sympathetic towards the boy’s disadvantages. Another great example within the text is â€Å"his struggle rasps me like a whisper† Stanza four has a complete change in the whole poem. It is nothing alike to the other stanzas, and the poet tries to show you how the handicapped boy is still happy, no matter how different he is or how many problems his world has, he dances and skips away, no matter how many people stare or what anybody else thinks. A good strategy the author has used here is repetition. In the line â€Å"he skips he dances and skips† he uses the word skips over and over again for affect. He also uses a simile for a finish. â€Å"Like a skimming tambourine brittle with music† Overall, the descriptive poem â€Å"Near the school for handicapped children† By Thomas Shapcott has been written informatively and gives you a real impression on real life issues for some people. I highly recommend this poem to anyone who will enjoy it, as I really did. By Bo Jacobsen

Payroll System Documentation Essays

Payroll System Documentation Essays Payroll System Documentation Essay Payroll System Documentation Essay Information Technology is the study, design, development, implementation and support management of information system. It helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate and/ or disseminate information. We used the term information technology or IT to refer to an entire industry. In actuality, information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information. In some companies, this is referred to as Management Information Services (or MIS) or simply as Information Services (or IS). The information technology department of a large company could be responsible for storing, protecting processing, transmitting and retrieving the information as necessary. Nowadays all establishment are becoming modernized, they use modern technologies to make their transaction fast, easy and accurate in order to avoid waste of time and for the sake of safety and security. It also helps human to solve and understand complex problem and analysis such as computational need of human. Especially the business establishment or corporation processing data and transaction. The success or failure of an organization in today’s highly competitive and technological business world depends on how they manage to streamline. The flow of information between their department and outside the world. Implementing a system make their transactions easy and accurate and to secure their files and data. There are different system that used by the company and other establishment; such as Inventory System which is an integrated package of software and hardware used in any business sectors to monitor the quantity, location and status of their income regarding on their products going in and out. Enrollment system is the system in a school when a student is enrolling for a specific course the school requires all the necessary information of the enrollee. Library System is a system of coding and organizing library materials (books, serials, audiovisual materials, computer files, maps, manuscripts) according to their subject and allocating a call number to that information resource and the example of complex transaction is the Payroll System which it is critical business operation dealing with numerous accounts and produce plenty and confidential files. Payroll is a financial statement that shows the total amount of money paid to the people by a particular company. It’s an accounting system that calculates the amount due to employee’s salary after the necessary deduction. It is also generating a statement of amounts to be paid to employees. It is also amount of money a company, business and establishment pay its employee at any given time. In order to pay their employees for services rendered, employers performs payroll processing which must be done in timely and accurate manner to ensure that employees receive their salary. Payroll System is system used in a series of accounting transactions dealing with the process of paying employees for services rendered, after processing of the various requirements for withholding of money from the employee for payment of payroll taxes, insurance premiums, employee benefits, garnishments and other deductions. It is use in order to make the payroll transactions fast, convenient and make data and confidential files secure. Using a manual payroll procedure can’t secure data especially for those confidential files for payroll. A manual payroll system is done by hand. This means that all wages calculations are performed on paper. An advantage using of manual payroll is that it costs very little to use. However it takes a lot of time and energy to do manual payroll processing. Using a computerized payroll system is much quicker than a manual payroll. It reduces the amount of paperwork to be filed, as most of the payroll information can be store in the system. It will not only provide an accurate calculation and fast process of payroll transaction but it will also secure data through security implementation and accordingly arrange file provided by a well designed database. A database is where you are storing your files and data for its security. It is more widely used by all users that have a computerized system by different sectors. And a Database Management System is software who operates database providing storage, access, security back-up and other facilities. The implementation of this proposed system is a great help for the Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. especially to their HR Department, Accounting Department and as well as Finance Office. They lessen their job and they can manage their payroll processing accurately. PROJECT CONTEXT The Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. located at Allah Valley Drive, Surallah South Cotabato was on its eight years operation. The school in the municipality of Surallah offered a Technical and Collegiate courses. The said institution was lack of facilities such as any computerized system had not been implemented. The said school wishes to utilize an existing hardware and software as soon as possible. As a pioneering graduating student for the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology we are tasked to develop a propose system as part of our Capstone Project. We found out that the main problem of the said institution is difficult to process payroll transactions because of their manual payroll procedure that takes a long time to finish their task due to many steps and processes to undergo. Other problems we found out are as follows: Hard in processing payroll slip and payroll form Difficulty in calculating the wages. Too much time consumption. Misplaced some employee data with plenty assigned to the bookkeeper with cause’s inconvenience to their services Files are not totally secured and there is a possibility that the files might be lost. Delay in releasing employee salary On their procedure, it will need more time and manpower to complete the payroll processing. In this problem we are implementing a Computerized Payroll System for the Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. to minimize the effort of the bookkeeper to make an efficient and accurate computation of payroll to create a well designed database and to implement strong security of the system for data secrecy. This proposed system is a great help to the accounting section of the Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. especially to the Bookkeeper and Finance Office of the said school. It will help to lessen time and effort of the Bookkeeper in filing all employee records and files as well as to the Accounting Department in preparing payments of the employees. This proposed system can accommodate and produce a paperless environment. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purposed of this study is to propose a Computerized Payroll System for Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. We found out that this school had no any Computerized System since it was started its operation that’s why we choose to implement a Computerized Payroll System for the said institution. To have a Computerized Payroll System could easily to generate and calculate all information regarding the payroll transactions it’s reason that the said institution needs a reliable, effective and easy- to- use payroll system in order to make their task faster and easier without any hassle. This Computerized Payroll System we implementing for Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. could encompass every employee of a company who receive a regular wage or other compensation. To provide an accurate calculation and fast processing of a payroll transactions. To help the said institution to comply the timely payment of the wages and salaries for the employee. To secure the employee files by using a database where to store all data regarding to the payroll and to have security for their data secrecy. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY This proposed Computerized Payroll System allows to process and issue employee print out report for their Pay Slip and Payroll Statement. It will compute wages and deductions and enter data into a well designed database for its security. It will record all employee information such as transfer and resignations in order to maintain and update payroll records. It will help to lessen time and effort of the Bookkeeper in Accounting Department in preparing payments of the employee. This proposed system will lessen their job and they can manage their payroll processing accurately. SCOPE OF THE SYSTEM This study is designed to develop a Computerize Payroll System for the Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. It covers the process of preparing Pay Slip of each employee. The system is designed to compute for the income of an employee whether regular or contractual. It is also developed with features used to provide ease in searching and updating records such as search, add, edit and delete. It will compute for the total net income of an employee by adding the bonuses to the gross income and deducting the taxes and fees from the gross income. It will keep the records safety and computing the exact wages of each employee, including the stored report list of employee such as hourly or weekly basis salary, net pay, overtime and some deductions including PHILHEALTH, SSS, Cash Advances and others. LIMITATIONS OF THE SYSTEM This proposed Computerize Payroll System for the Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. can only provide the print out report for the Pay Slip and Payroll Statement for the employee. It has a security feature where only an authorize personnel are allowed to access the system which therefore guarantees company employees the reliability that they desire. The system is limited to designated officials in the Payroll department since it will incorporate a security measure. The Payroll Administrator only has a responsible for adding new employees, updating employee’s records and changing all employee information. OBJECTIVES This proposed system is designed to provide a fast and reliable automated solution for the recording and processing of the salary of an employee. The main objectives of this research are to develop a Computerize Payroll system for Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. To prepare a detailed salary records of all employees in an institution. To generate Pay Slips through the calculation of salary and to ensure the proper use of manpower. The specific concern of this system are as follows: To minimize the effort of the Bookkeeper in processing and preparing the payments of an employee. To lessen the hassle in manually computing an employees net income. To ensure that employees are paid, contractual obligations are met and taxed and other withholding duties are upheld. To provide ease, lessen the possible errors and produce faster results. To determine whether an employee is a regular, fulltime or part time since a egular employee or full time employee has a different computation than that which is casual or contractual. To ensures quick and accurate computation of a certain employees monthly salary, hourly or weekly salary depending on factors such as basic pay, benefits, bonuses, taxes, exemptions as well as other compensations and deductions Fast, accurate and reliable results are going to be produce by this system ther efore proving it to be effective enough to meet the company’s needs regarding the Payroll System. Technical Background Through hard work and tough research and having enough knowledge, we come up to a conclusion that our study is technically feasible. The user of the system can maintain, operate the system easily and back up files such as payroll report and other cash transaction. Hardware Specification: ITEM/PART SPECIFICATION MonitorAOC 15† PrinterEpson LX-300+11 AVRUltra Power 300-220 v Black CD-ROM DriveLG ProcessorL775 Pentium D 3. 06 GHz MouseGenius Ps2 Hard DiskSeagate 80G IDE KeyboardAsus P458X MotherboardMB S940 AM2 MemoryDDR-1GB PC-400 Kingston Software Specification: Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 OPERATIONAL The Holy Child College of Information Technology Inc. Payroll System will be used by the HR Department and Finance Office once it will be installed. Payroll System will be operated by the HR personnel. The benefit will always goes to the departments and to the employees as well. We also make sure that the system is easy to use and user fri endly. ECONOMICAL Estimated cost of the Proposed Hardware and Software. Hardware ITEM/PART SPECIFICATION AMOUNT MonitorAOC 15†6,500 PrinterEpson LX-300+112,800 AVRUltra Power 300-220 v Black400 CD-ROM DriveLG2,500 ProcessorL775 Pentium D 3. 06 GHz9,295 MouseGenius Ps2450 Hard DiskSeagate 80G IDE5,400 KeyboardAsus P458X950 MotherboardMB S940 AM22,500 MemoryDDR-1GB PC-400 Kingston1,460 TOTAL 32,255php Software Microsoft Windows XP(Licensed)5,500 Microsoft SQL Server(Licensed)5,000 Microsoft Visual Studio 2005(Licensed)5,500 TOTAL 32,255 php LOCAL RELATED LITERATURE Cagayan de Oro City Hall Computerized Payroll System The City Accounting Department has introduced an upgraded computerized ayroll system for permanent employees in a bid to improve its services and maximize resources. This project, which was conceived two years ago, basically aims to improve our services particularly in the processing of payrolls for permanent employees, City Accountant Wilma Polley-Rugay told payroll in-charge of the different departments and offices at City Hall during a briefing and orientation on the concept of the one-month payroll system held Friday last week at the City Council session hall in Cagayan de Oro City. With the added features of the new computerized payroll system, Rugay said the preparation, processing and payment of payroll system to permanent employees would be hastened and fast-tracked. Adopting of the one-month payroll system is also beneficial, not only to the City Accounting Department, but also to the payroll-in-charge as it would save time, energy and resources. Employees who handle payroll preparation and processing can now attend to other office needs and concerns as the new payroll system will lessen their workload, she added. Under the new payroll system, preparation and processing of payroll, which reflects the accrued, amount payable every 15th and 30th day of the month, done only once. Unlike the time-consuming old payroll system, preparation and processing of payroll is done twice a month covering the first half and second half of the month. (www. sunstar. com. ph) Computerized Payroll System of Department of Health (DOH) The Computerized Payroll System is a window based program especially designed to facilitate and simplify the monthly preparation of general payroll and related reports such as Standard computerized payroll system for use in all DOH offices, Allows faster and more accurate computation of monthly gross income, deductions and net salary, Faster and less-resource-consuming generation of General Payroll and other payroll related reports, Security and integrity of payroll data and information. The Features of computerized payroll system of DOH are Graphical User Interface, Interactive and menu-driven program, Systematic maintenance and retrieval of employee records, Flexible as it provides options to include additional fields for other compensation and deductions unique to an office or unit, Automatic omputation of monthly net income, GSIS, PAG-IBIG, Withholding Tax and other deductions, Y2K compliant, Fast and easy generation of the General Payroll and all other payroll related reports which include Monthly reports like GSIS and PAG-IBIG remittances, Denominations Report and Leave Credits Report and annual Year-end Tax Reports, Password security to ensure the integrity of data. General payroll reports such as Payroll Summary sheet, Pay slip, Leave Credits Report, Withholding Tax Statement (W-2), BIR Remittance Reports, GSIS Remittance Reports, PAG-IBIG Remittance Reports, Other User-defined Reports (PERA, ACA, PNB, etc.. ). (www2. doh. gov. ph) The proponents learned from this study that the Cagayan de oro and Department of Health has its own database for their employees. They stored the information of the employees to the database that represent each employee’s records as a separate persistent object. FOREIGN RELATED LITERATURE Titus Information Payroll System A Payroll System designed to produce payroll checks with appropriate withholdings, benefits, allowances, and deductions for employees in multiple companies, departments, and/or sub-departments. It has been designed to handle up to 1,000,000 employees in 100 companies, 1,000 departments in each company, and 36 sub-departments in each department. Some of the features and benefits of the Payroll System are multiple cost centers for payroll reporting, will handle special non-taxable benefits for ministers, flexible withholding capability, ability to split payroll expense between different cost centers, complete governmental reporting; FICA, FUTA, SUTA, Workmans Compensation, W-2s, and 1099s, Payroll check reversal, One check capability, Salaried, hourly, and contract employees in the same payroll run, Combined processing for weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, Taxable and non-taxable benefits and deductions, Multiple hourly rates for each employee, General ledger interface, Check list UFD file for check reconciliation, Extensive personnel information for each employee, Accrual of sick, vacation, and holiday hours, Flexible federal, state, and local taxation, Multiple company, department, and sub-department capability, Flexible benefit and deduction capability, Easy federal, state, and local tax table maintenance, Split income over multiple companies, departments, sub-departments, Payroll accrual/reversal capabilities, Time card data entry function, Special message function for printing on check stubs. (Www. titusinformationsystems. com) Canadian Payroll System Sage Accpac Canadian Payroll is a flexible module that gives you complete control over employee earnings and benefits, special payroll situations and government reporting, ensuring that your companys payroll requirements and personnel policies are accurate to the penny. You can enter or import timecards, enter after-the-fact paycheques, run automatic calculations or even combine all three methods to get your pay data into the system and your paycheques deployed on time. Payroll handles all pay frequencies; multiple work states; unlimited earnings, deductions, benefits and taxes; and other pay factors such as expense reimbursements, accruals and advances. (www. 2020software. com) CONCLUSION

Effects of Global Warming on Penguins Essays

Effects of Global Warming on Penguins Essays Effects of Global Warming on Penguins Essay Effects of Global Warming on Penguins Essay Effects of Global Warming Penguins, Disease, Health Global warming is a very popular topic of conversation worldwide. People have speculated wildly about the causes, effects and solutions. Although global warming does not affect my life now, it is a danger that could impact the lives of my children. Global warming is defined as an increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere that is theorized to contribute to climatic change and rising sea levels due to heat trapped by greenhouse gases. Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier was a French mathematician who came up with the first theory of global warming in 1824 when he discovered that the Earth’s temperature was increasing (NewspaperArchive. com par 3). Fourier argued that â€Å"the Earth’s atmosphere traps  solar radiation  and reflects it back toward the earth† (NewspaperArchive. com par 3). It was later named the greenhouse effect in the late 19th century when Nobel Laureate Svante Arrhenius used the term to â€Å"explain how  carbon dioxide  traps heat in the Earths atmosphere† (NewspaperArchive. om par 4). This theory was later dismissed in favor of Milutin Milankovich’s hypothesis that climate change correlates with orbital changes of the earth, until the 1950s when scientist G. S. Callendar warned that the greenhouse effect was real and significantly impacting Earth’s atmosphere (NewspaperArchive. com par 5). The media speculated in the 20th century about the possible ef fects; some sources predicted the return of the ice age while others wondered about the massive flooding caused by the melting of the ice caps (NewspaperArchive. om par 6). Through reading and basic research I have discovered that global warming negatively impacts several species of penguins, infectious diseases, and public health and mortality rates aggravated by floods, droughts, and heat waves. Juame Forcada and his colleagues from the British Antarctic Survey and Natural Environment Research Council have investigated the effects of climate warming and resulting sea ice reductions on the habitats of Adelie and chinstrap penguins. Forcada et al. 411). Forcada further asserts that new evidence implies that global warming has caused the number of cold years, and consequently heavy winter sea ice, to decrease which harmfully effects â€Å"ice-dependent penguins† (411). Specifically, the populations of Adelie and chinstrap penguins have declined due to breeding failures and dec reasing food supply (419). A study of the breeding performance and diet of chinstrap and Adelie penguins†¦indicated that both species had breeding failures†¦during the most persistent negative anomaly in sea ice extent†¦associated with a reduction in Antarctic krill biomass† (419). Both Adelie and chinstrap penguins are dependent on Antarctic krill as a staple of their diet (Gonzalez et al. 2). Areas where the food supply is dependent on sea ice as a constant feature of the environment indicates that climate warming will result in simultaneous population declines (Forcada et al. 421). Celine Le Bohec from the Departement d’Ecolgie, et Ethologie, at the Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien and her colleagues agree that the same adverse effects impact the King penguin population, â€Å"Warm events negatively affect both breeding success and adult survival of this seabird†¦Breeding reveals an immediate response to†¦warm phases of El Nino Southern Oscillation affecting food availability† (Le Bohec et al. 2493). In addition, the king penguins’ survival and breeding success is reduced when the air temperature and sea-surface temperature is high (2495). Finally, Le Bohec concludes that, â€Å"King penguin populations are at heavy extinction risk under the current global warming predictions† (2493). The consequences of global warming heavily affect the marine ecosystem. (Forcada et al. 411). â€Å"Many health outcomes and diseases are sensitive to climate, including†¦infectious diseases† (Patz, Olson 535). According to J. A. Patz and S. H. Olson from the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, infectious disease can be transmitted from organism to organism, and one of the most deadly diseases is malaria (Patz, Olson 539, 540). Between 700,000 and 2. 7 million people – mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa – die each year of malaria, and, thanks to climate†¦change†¦there is no evidence that malaria attributable mortality is falling† (540). The transmission of malaria has also been linked with temperature fluctuations in highly endemic areas (540). In Punjab, a region in In dia, extreme rainfall and the humidity that resulted have been accepted for years as major indicators of malaria epidemics (540). Patz claims that â€Å"More recently in the region, the frequency of malaria epidemics was observed to increase approximately five-fold† (545). Andy Haines from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concurs with the findings of Patz and Olson: â€Å"Climate change will cause†¦increase in the population at risk in Africa†¦climate change will also lengthen the transmission season in many areas, causing a 16-28% increase in the total number of person-months of exposure† (Haines et al. 590). Public health in many places will be heavily impacted by climate warming. Patz and Olson also discuss the deaths resulting from severe storms, natural disasters, rising sea level and droughts that occur with ever increasing frequency as a result of climate change: â€Å"Floods, droughts, and extreme storms have claimed millions of lives during the recent past, and have adversely affected the lives of many more people† (Patz, Olson 537). Disasters alone have claimed the lives of 123,000 people in the world each year (537). â€Å"Africa suffers the highest rate of disaster-related deaths, even though 80% of the people affected by natural disasters are in Asia† (537). These catastrophes can also cause mental disorders, such as post-traumatic-stress disorder among people depending on the â€Å"unexpectedness of the impact, the intensity of the experience, and the long-term exposure to the visual signs of the disaster† (537). Haines agrees, â€Å"Natural disasters have a variety of health impacts. â€Å"These range from immediate effects of physical injury and morbidity and mortality through potential long lasting effects on mental health† (Haines et al. 588). Additionally, Haines attributes most deaths caused by flooding to an increased drowning risk (588). In 1996, 86 people died from a flood in the town of Biescas in Spain as a consequence of the stream of water and mud that suddenly covered a campsite located near a channelized river† (588). â€Å"Slow-rise river flood events† have also led to fatalities: â€Å"In 1997, river floods in central Europe left of 200,000 people homeless, and more than 100 people were kill ed† (588). Lastly, droughts are a concern both Patz and Haines comment on, â€Å"Droughts may have wide ranging effects on health including on nutrition†¦forest fires causing air pollution† (589). â€Å"That droughts cause famines well recognized†¦. Droughts and other climate extremes†¦have a direct impact on food crops† (Patz, Olson 538). While Patz and Olson admit that the projection of climate change on food production appears to be neutral, â€Å"such change will probably exacerbate regional inequalities in the food supply. As there is a breakdown in sanitation as water resources become depleted, droughts can also increase the incidence of diarrhea and diseases, such as scabies, conjunctivitis, and trachoma† (538). Patz and Haines are also in agreement that heat waves can be deadly. â€Å"Mortality rises in hot weather† (Haines et al. 588). According to Patz, â€Å"In the U. S. A. , heat waves are more deadly than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined† (Patz, Olson 535). In an incredible heat wave that affected much of Europe in 2003, up to 45,000 people were killed in 2 weeks (535). Haines states, â€Å"Impact on mortality occurred in France where it was estimated that 14,800 excess deaths occurred during the first 3 weeks of August 2003†¦the sustained period of extreme high temperatures unique in the recorded history of Paris, together with housing designed for cooler summers, caused a major public health crisis† (Haines et al. 588). Moreover, â€Å"the excess mortality from heatwaves is related to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory causes† (588). Air pollution compounds the effects of warmer weather and could contribute to a greater number of deaths (Patz, Olson 536 and Haines et al. 588). â€Å"It is very likely that climate change will be associated with increase in the frequency of heatwaves† (Haines et al. 588). The occurrence of heat waves, given the effect on health, is something that is not desired. As a result of my research I have learned that global warming is a visible threat to both animals and people. To prevent loss of life and extinction of species, this menace should be addressed and dealt with. Forcada, Jaume, P. N. Trathan, K. Reid, E. J. Murphy, and J. P. Croxall. Contrasting population changes in sympatric penguin species in association with climate warming. Global Change Biology 12. 3 (2006): 411-23. Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. Gonzalez, Virginia G. , Rodolfo W. Kinkelin, and Mark Stevens. Ecosystem-Based Management of the Antarctic Krill Fishery to Protect Penguins and Other Krill Predators. Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. ASOC. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. soc. org/. Haines, Andy, R. S. Kovats, D. Campbell-Lendrum, and C. Corvalan. Climate change and human health: Impacts, vulnerability and public health. Public Health 120. 7 (2005): 585-96. Public Health. Elsevier, Inc, July 2006. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. publichealthjrnl. com/home. History of Global Warming. NewspaperArchive. com. Heritage Microfilm, Inc. , 2009. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. newspaperarchive. com/. Le Bohec, Celine, Joel M. Durant, Michel Gauthier-Clerc, Nils C. Stenseth, Young-Hyang Park, Roger Pradel, David Gremillet, Jean-Paul Gendner, and Yvon Le Maho. King penguin population threatened by Southern Ocean warming. PNAS 105. 7 (2008): 2493-497. PNAS. National Academy of Sciences, 19 Feb. 2008. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. pnas. org/. Patz, Jonathan A. , and S. H. Olson. Change and health: global to local influences on disease risk. Annals of Tropical Medicine Parasitology 100. 6 (2006): 535-49. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. http://web. ebscohost. com. libdb. dccc. edu/ehost/search? vid=1hid=111[emailprotected].

Definition and Examples of Tricolons in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Tricolons in Rhetoric Tricolon is a  rhetorical term for a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses. Plural: tricolons or tricola. Adjective: tricolonic. Also known as a  triadic sentence. For example, this tricolonic advice for  speakers  is generally credited to  President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Be sincere, be brief, be seated.Its the sense of completeness, says  Mark Forsyth, that makes the tricolon perfectly suited to grand rhetoric (The Elements of Eloquence, 2013). Tricolon comes from the Greek, three unit. Examples and Observations Dorothy ParkerI require three things in a man. He must be handsome, ruthless, and stupid.Robert Maynard HutchinsThe whole apparatus of football, fraternities, and fun is a means by which education is made palatable to those who have no business in it.The Wizard From The Wizard of OzYou are talking to a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe.President Dwight EisenhowerEvery gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone.It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.President Barack ObamaLet us search for his largeness of spirit somewhere inside of ourselves. And when the night grows dark, when injustice weighs heavy on our hearts, when our best-laid plans seem beyond our reach, let us think of Madiba and the wo rds that brought him comfort within the four walls of his cell: It matters not how strait the gate, / How charged with punishments the scroll. / I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul. Benjamin FranklinTell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.Edna St. Vincent MillayDown, down, down into the darkness of the graveGently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.Eric BentleyOurs is the age of substitutes: instead of language, we have jargon; instead of principles, slogans; instead of genuine ideas, bright ideas.E.B. WhiteIn the still air, under the hard sun, gleamed the flags and the banners and the drum majorettes knees.Annie DillardShe loved Maytree, his restlessness, his asceticism, his, especially, abdomen.Holling VincoeurWhat a time we had: splashed through bogs, ate like hogs, slept like logs.Herman From The SimpsonsThe key to Springfield has always been Elm Street. The Greeks knew it. The Carthaginians knew it. Now you know it.Quentin CrispIf you describe things as better than they are, you are considered to be a romantic; i f you describe things as worse than they are, you will be called a realist; and if you describe things exactly as they are, you will be thought of as a satirist. John le CarreThey liked his diffidence when he apologized for the company he kept, his insincerity when he defended the vagaries of his subordinates, his flexibilities when formulating new commitments.Jack Sparrow From The Pirates of the CaribbeanI think weve all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically.Edmund CrispinThey chattered with stoic resignation about the state of the war, the quality of the beer, and the minor inconveniences of being alive.Carol Smith[I]n some unknown sequence, she put out the Do Not Disturb sign, applied pink Està ©e Lauder lipstick and combed her short auburn hair. She wrote a note on hotel stationery, opened her Bible to the 23rd Psalm and mixed some cyanide into a glass of Metamucil.Then she drank it. Tricolons in the Gettysburg Address Gilbert HighetTricolon means a unit made up of three parts. The third part in a tricolon used in oratory is usually more emphatic and conclusive than the others. This is the chief device used in Lincolns Gettysburg Address, and is doubled at its conclusion:But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground.[W]e here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.Although Lincoln himself knew no Cicero, he had learnt this and other beauties of Ciceronian style from studying the prose of the baroque age. The Tricolonic Joke Alan Partington[I]n the tricolon joke, the narrative is repeated so that it becomes a script or acquired information, and this repetition sets up expectations about the series, the model being followed. The third part of the tricolon is then employed to upset these expectations in some way. Here is [a] tricolon joke: There are three Irishmen stranded on an island. Suddenly a fairy appears and offers to grant each one of them one wish. The first one asks to be intelligent. Instantly, he is turned into a Scotsman and he swims off the island. The next one asks to be even more intelligent than the previous one. So, instantly, he is turned into a Welshman. He builds a boat and sails off the island. The third Irishman asks to become even more intelligent than the previous two. The fairy turns him into a woman, and she walks across the bridge. The joke begins with a mix of three joke-scripts: the DESERT ISLAND, the GODMOTHER-THREE WISHES and the ENGLISHMAN, IRISHMAN AND SCOTSMAN. A script i s built up within the world of the joke of HOW TO GET OFF THE ISLAND. The script expectations are doubly defeated in the third section of the tricolon. Not only is no intelligence required to leave the island, the intelligent third member of the trio, instead of being the expected Englishman (in the English version of the joke, of course), is a woman, and the joke is partly on the listener, especially if male and English.

Human Rights Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Rights Paper - Essay Example 3) points out, Canada was the first country to adopt an official government policy on diversity. Its multicultural policy, which entered into legislature over thirty years ago, was "Canada's official legislative response to ethnic plurality for a multicultural society (Mahatani, 2002, p. 3). This does not mean, however, that there are no racial and ethnic tensions in Canada but only that the nation is comparatively more tolerant and accommodating of diversity than are many others. If Canada is to maintain relative ethnic and racial harmony it must diffuse the poisoned environment phenomenon which pervaded in the case of Clive Stevens and Robert Symister versus Lynx Industries. In 2005, two black Jamaicans were dismissed from Lynx Industries, allegedly for race-based reasons. The case was brought before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. The plaintiffs alleged that they had been subjected to racist treatment by Lynx Industries and its employees. The alleged racist treatment encompassed all of racial slurs, race motivated harassment and racist graffiti on the bathroom walls. The defendants denied all allegations but admitted to the graffiti incident. Their legal representative, however, cautioned that it had been a single, isolated incident. The Tribunal was unconvinced and found that the plaintiffs were not credible. The complaint was, therefore, dismissed. Even though the complaint... Interestingly, the Commission contends that "unlike harassment which requires repeated behaviour, a poisoned environment can be created by a single incident, if serious or substantial enough" ("Racial Harassment and Poisoned Environment," 2008, para 5). The creation of a poisoned environment is contrary to the Commission's Code. Importantly, employers are held responsible for either the prevention of the creation of poisoned environment or for taking immediate action against those responsible for it ("Racial Harassment and Poisoned Environment," 2008, paras 5-6). An environment which has been tainted by racism, even if it has assumed the form of a single incident, is considered poisoned because racial tolerance has been undermined, even violated. Indeed, poisoned environments may very well become intolerable for racial minorities, thereby forcing them to leave. While it is important to acknowledge the Tribunal's findings, the fact of the matter is that Lynx Industries did admit to the presence of racist graffiti on the bathroom wall. Certainly, it did caution that it was a single incident and there was no reoccurrence. The fact of the matter is, however, that it did occur and the Commission considers such occurrences a breach of its policies ("Racial Harassment and Poisoned Environment," 2008, paras 1-2). Within the context of the stated, the Commission's findings appear contradictory to its own guidelines. Indeed, even if one assumes that the defendants were truthful in claiming that the plaintiffs were not dismissed for racial reasons but for their on-the-job performance, it could very well be that the environment had been poisoned to the extent where Stevens and Symister could not perform their jobs to the best of their

Have the welfare reforms enacted since the 1980s been successful in Essay

Have the welfare reforms enacted since the 1980s been successful in achieving their goals - Essay Example However, some decades later, the program was blamed for creating a dependent culture. This encouraged the government to institute reforms on the welfare sector. This paper will look at major achievements and challenges of welfare reforms since the 1980s. The Need for Reforms in Welfare Sector To the beneficiaries, the financial benefits derived from public welfare programs were better than most low paying jobs. Hence, most people preferred to remain covered by the welfare program than be employed. On the contrary, many people felt that there was a need for the government to continue providing welfare assistance since most of the beneficiaries were children under the Aid to Families with Dependant Children (AFDC) (Wax 2009). Under this program, families were living under comfort of assured of federal support. However, the new reforms on welfare have changed this situation by eliminating the guarantee. The choice of who to benefit from the welfare program in most countries depends on t he intended goal of a specific program. In basic terms, the main aim of major welfare programs is to get the target individuals out of poverty by making them self-reliant and thereby lead a better life. ... ility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PROWRA) of 1996 takes credit for helping reduce the number of people who are dependent on welfare (Grogger & Karoly 2005). Second, the reform removed the control of the welfare system from the hands of federal government and passed it to state governments. Third, the reform set some minimal requirements that a state has to meet in order to benefit from welfare services. The reforms saw the federal government give out welfare support in a flat rate on the basis of the population in the state. This succeeded in encouraging people to look for work as a way of lessening dependence on state welfare. The achievements of Personal Responsibility and Work opportunity Act reform were strengthened by the Temporary Reward for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF replaced the AFDC which gave support to all needy families with needy children (Martin 2011). TANF required state governments to encourage the people to search for employment while receiving welfare assistance. This was the first time in the history of the welfare approach for the government to impose requirements to states and beneficiaries. The assistance was also limited to five years of a family’s lifetime. As a result, there has been a 60 percent reduction in welfare dependency due to rise in employment levels. However, the perceived reduction in caseload in 1990s due to the reforms is challenged to be as a result of strong economic growth in the economy of United States. Strong economy meant people were able to find better paying jobs, and hence become less reliant on welfare funds. Increase in Employment and Income of Single Mothers Even though the critics of early reforms had predicted dire consequences primarily to the single unemployed mothers, they stood to witness

European Union Law - Article 101(1) Treaty on the Functioning of the Assignment - 1

European Union Law - Article 101(1) Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union - Assignment Example It also increases the part played by national completion authorities (NCA) and national courts in enforcing EU competition law therefore warranting an effective and even application (Cavicchiolli 1991). The main EU competition rules are encompassed in article 101(treaty on the functioning of the European Union TFEU) which covers anti-competitive agreements. The new rules came into force as from June 1, 2010 and will expire in May 2022.A paramount aim of the founding fathers of the European community was creation of a single market. To accomplish this, a compatible, fair and transparent regulatory framework had to be established. The first major decision under article 101 was taken by the commission in 1964 (Kimmer 2011). There is debate surrounding the purpose of the law of competition while some assert that it serves as elimination for substandard firms that are non-competitive. It is argued that the law stands in the way of free flow of goods and services. The general court says that the law is to protect the final consumer whereas Stephen (2010) states its purpose in protection of member states as a whole. The overall bargain however is to maintain a balance between undertakings and the consumer. Article 101 is construed widely. It includes formal and informal agreements, concerted practices where businesses tend to increase or decrease prices simultaneously without physically consenting to do that. Coincidental price increase or reduction will not itself uphold as a concerted activity hence there should be proof that the parties involved were knowledgeable of the fact that their actions may destabilize the normalcy of competition operation within the internal market. In the light of agreements, sheer anti-competitive influence is ample to make it unlawful despite parties being unaware of it or having no intent to spur the effect to occurrence (Okeoghene, 2006). In

Hello Kitty - Punishments in Pink Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hello Kitty - Punishments in Pink - Essay Example Once he has blazed through the intersection, he resumes normal driving with the assurance that his behavior is accepted, albeit angrily, by society because of his powerful position. The Thailand government, on the other hand, takes it seriously when their police officers attempt to place themselves above the law. In Bangkok, whether an officer breaks traffic laws, litters, or just arrives to work late, they are reprimanded. In previous years, these officers were given plaid armbands to make them stand out against their lawful brethren, but the officers treated the armbands like novelties. When Pongpat Chayaphan, the acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division, realized that these bands were not making an impact, he gave them a makeover. The new armbands are now pink and decorated with hearts and the famous Hello Kitty icon. The Hello Kitty armbands may seem humorous and even sweet and adorable to citizens, but Chayaphan claims that this is their purpose. â€Å"This new twist is e xpected to make [the officers] feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense [...]. Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It’s not something macho police officers want covering their biceps (Mydans 1).† If a little girl squeals with glee at the sight of the armband or if a burly motorcyclist sniggers at it, the police officer is humiliated and his sense of masculinity is dropped down a notch. When this occurs, according to Chayaphan’s reasoning, then the armband is a success. The designs on these armbands are an epitome of young girls and sparkly things, which are the last things that macho police officers want to be associated with. The Hello Kitty armbands of shame have yet to be used by Bangkok police departments. While people might think that their lack of use will never reveal how well they can work, the reality of the situation is quite the opposite. Since the implementation of these pretty armbands, disobedience among police officers has significantly declined. During the months of the short-lived plaid armbands, numerous officers found themselves as the recipients of the laughable attire. When the Hello Kitty armbands were introduced and after the police officers fully comprehended what it would mean to their manly reputations to be caught wearing them, the Bangkok officers got their acts together with lightning speed. Even though they are not being used, the armbands are still proving to be effective. I find this strange and intriguing fact interesting because it reveals pride as a cornerstone to a police officer’s work. There may be some officers that might be willing to wear the armbands out of fun or to get a laugh, but when it comes down to it, anything that threatens a man’s masculinity is simply unacceptable to them. A pink armband with a cartoon kitty and hearts is enough to deter Bangkok police officers from thinking that they are above rules, regulations, and laws. When police officers were faced with fines, possible job termination, or even imprisonment, some would simply pay what was due and then return back to their lawless behavior.

English writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

English writing - Essay Example Among the biggest differences between China and America are their cultural values and these have been cultivated over a long period. China is an extremely conservative nation with most of the cultural practices of its people being influenced to a certain degree by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius. This influence has been paramount in China for over two millennia and has guided the Chinese nation throughout all its incarnations. The culture of the United States, on the other hand, is very liberal with individuals living their lives as they see fit, making Americans very independent people from a young age. Moreover, Chinese culture dictates that younger people be subservient and submissive towards their elders, obeying them without question. Young Chinese people tend to be obliged to take care of their elders until the latter die and in most cases, elderly Chinese are very revered in the society. This is not necessarily the case in America where younger people tend to live t heir own lives without any consideration to the wishes of their elders (Weston). The elderly people in America tend to be highly independent and often live by themselves; going into homes for the elderly when they can no longer take care of themselves rather than living with their children. Another difference that arises between America and China is on their systems of education, which are in many ways managed diversely. The Chinese system of education tends to be slightly more difficult than that of America because students have to undergo a rigorous system of examinations almost at every level of their education to ensure that they are competent enough to proceed to the next level. The American system, on the other hand, is less rigorous with the number of people whose performance in school is below average being extremely high. In China, parents tend to be very involved in

The Unintended Consequences of Drug Legalization Essay

The Unintended Consequences of Drug Legalization - Essay Example For example: Pew research figured out that people in the favor of legalization of illicit drugs such as marijuana have exceeded the number of people who are against the legalization of such drugs (PEW, 2013, p.1). This research was conducted through a survey during the period of 2013. Due to the increase in the number of people who are in favor of such drugs, certain states such as Colorado and Washington have accepted marijuana as a legal drug. There is heavy support for the legalization of such drugs due to the several benefits that can be attained through legalization. These benefits may include: decrease in issues related to accessibility of such drugs, decrease in crimes that are conducted by individuals to obtain these drugs, the medical benefits of these drugs and various other reasons. What these people have ignored is that the legalization of such drugs that can result in consequences that are unknown and unintended. The legalization of illicit drugs in the region of United States of America can lead to unintended negative effects including: increase in consumption by those who could not previously afford such drugs, crimes that are severe in nature may increase loss of ability to make rational choices, development of other diseases while being used to help cancer patients. Body It is a common rule of demand and supply that when any good or service is recognized as illegal, its supply through legal methods decreases and this causes shortages and due to the shortage of supply, the prices of goods and services elevates as demand exceeds supply and people are ready to pay any price for certain goods such as goods that are addictive in nature. One of the reason due to which there have been an increase in the support for the legalization of illicit drugs is that if these drugs are made legal, the supply of such drugs will increase as legal ways of supplying such drugs will increase and the supply will exceed demand which will result in decrease in prices of these drugs. The problem with this benefit of legalization of illicit drugs is that the drug will become affordable to those individuals who could not previously attain these drugs due to higher prices. Wealthy individuals in a society have the ability to pay higher prices for such drugs but those who earn lo w and those who are dependent on pocket money from their parents can hardly purchase such drugs if they are illegal because illegal drugs are sold at higher prices. This means that consumption of such drugs will elevate and number of addicts will elevate. Another issue is that consumption of such drugs will become affordable for school and college going students who live on small amount of pocket money provided by parents (Zimring, 1995, p.104). Due to this, students start experiencing psychological issues associated with abuse of illegal drugs and if an individual develops an addiction at an early age, he/she may conduct with that addiction during adulthood. Individuals even support the legalization of illicit drugs because they believe that legalization of drugs will result in decrease in rate of criminal activity associated with it and will even decrease the amount of money spend by the criminal justice system to deal with drug related criminals and crimes. Drugs are considered i llegal, due to which deals and buyers both tend to sell

English writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

English writing - Essay Example Among the biggest differences between China and America are their cultural values and these have been cultivated over a long period. China is an extremely conservative nation with most of the cultural practices of its people being influenced to a certain degree by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius. This influence has been paramount in China for over two millennia and has guided the Chinese nation throughout all its incarnations. The culture of the United States, on the other hand, is very liberal with individuals living their lives as they see fit, making Americans very independent people from a young age. Moreover, Chinese culture dictates that younger people be subservient and submissive towards their elders, obeying them without question. Young Chinese people tend to be obliged to take care of their elders until the latter die and in most cases, elderly Chinese are very revered in the society. This is not necessarily the case in America where younger people tend to live t heir own lives without any consideration to the wishes of their elders (Weston). The elderly people in America tend to be highly independent and often live by themselves; going into homes for the elderly when they can no longer take care of themselves rather than living with their children. Another difference that arises between America and China is on their systems of education, which are in many ways managed diversely. The Chinese system of education tends to be slightly more difficult than that of America because students have to undergo a rigorous system of examinations almost at every level of their education to ensure that they are competent enough to proceed to the next level. The American system, on the other hand, is less rigorous with the number of people whose performance in school is below average being extremely high. In China, parents tend to be very involved in

JPMorgan Chase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

JPMorgan Chase - Essay Example In the last section the essay will shed light on software automation in online banking transaction. According to Securities and Exchange Commission (2013), its purpose of existence is to protect the interest of investors, facilitate capital formation and maintain a transparent and fare market. Research scholars such as Kamin and DeMarco (2010) and Hill (2010) have pointed out that SEC plays much larger role in comparison to CFTC when it comes to saving the interest of investors. Hence in this essay, the researcher will only focus on control mechanism of SEC in order to discourage banks and financial institutions from involving in high risk gambles in primary market and securities. SEC has created two divisions such as Division of Trading and Markets and Division of Investment Management in order to create a fair a transparent market and protect interest of investors (Securities and Exchange Commission, 2013). ... mechanisms of Trading and Market Division and Investment Management Division of SEC to protect interest of investors can be summarized as, 1- incorporating financial integrity program to mitigate conflict of interest between broker-dealers, 2- reviewing policies to identify and punish fraudulent activities of banks and other companies, 3- assisting the Commission to establish a fair security market and 4- monitoring the actions in commodity market, 5- reviewing the investment adviser filings and 6- assisting Commission to go for law enforcement against companies and banks falsifying the financial results (Securities and Exchange Commission, 2013). SEC has also investigative arm which conduct investigation on following charges; Omission or misrepresentation financial results or crucial security information Manipulation of market prices of securities Defrauding customer’s fund    Insider trading of market information On the basis of above mentioned guidelines, control measures and legal enforcement actions, SEC take actions in order to prevent high-risk gambles in securities in the field of banking operation and security exchange. Elements of contracts include various items such as, 1- An Offer- willingness of parities to enter into bargain, 2- An Acceptance- acceptance of condition mentioned in by both parties, Purpose- purpose of the contract must be legal, 4- Mutuality of Obligation- mutual understanding of the condition and obligation between parties, 5- Consideration- there must consideration of benefits among both promisor and promise and 6- Certainty of Subject Matter- all the conditions must be clearly defined in the contract so that everyone involved in the contract can understand it. However, the nature of contract between banks and customers is purely based

Development of attribution theory

Development of attribution theory The Attribution Theory was developed by Fritz Heider, it looks at how people make sense of their world, and how they interpret events and relate them to their thinking and behaviour. The Attribution Theory divides the behaviour attributes into internal and external factors, internal attribution is an attribution that is made by looking at a persons characteristics, such as intelligence or personality, on the other hand external attribution is an attribution that is made when looking at factors outside the persons control, such as bad luck or peer pressure. Psychologists have found from research that people are often biased in their ways of thinking and judgment when deciding who or what is the cause of an event or action. External factors are attributed when others are successful in their goals and we are not, but internal factors are attributed when we are successful in our goals and others fail (Heider, 1958). The correspondent inference theory describes that an attribution is made when a judgement made by one person on another persons behaviour, which has been caused by a particular trait. This suggests that we believe that a persons behaviour is intentional and after identifying this we try to look for a personal characteristic which may have caused this behaviour (Manstead, Hewstone, 1996). According to the correspondent inference theory we can make a correspondent inference based on 2 major factors, the first is when we perceive that the person freely chose the behaviour, and the second is when we perceive that the person intended to do whatever he or she did. An example of correspondent inference is if we see someone beating someone else up, we will assume that they are going this deliberately, not because they are pretending and that they are a violent person by nature. An internal attribution is likely to be made if we think that the behaviour was freely chosen, intended and low in social desirability, an external attribution is more likely to be made if we believe that the behaviour was not freely chosen, unintended and socially desirable, we usually over rate internal attributions and under rate the role of external attributions. The covariation theory believes that people decide that the most likely cause of any behaviour is the factor that occurs as the time as the behaviour. The covariation theory focuses on external attributions in contrast to the correspondent inference theory which focuses on the process of making internal attributions and the factors beyond the person that may be causing the behaviour. According to the covariation theory, to make an attribution 3 pieces of information are needed. The first is consensus information, which informs us of whether other people have had a similar or different reaction when in the same situation. A situational attribution is made if there is a high consensus, which would indicate that others has a similar behavioural reaction, a person attribution is made if there is a low consensus, which would indicate that others had a different behavioural response. The second piece of information needed is distinctiveness information, which describes the situation in whi ch behaviour occurred, and determines whether or not the situation is unique or distinctive which may have caused the behaviour (Bordens Horowitz, 2002). A person attribution is made if the person acts this way in other situations as well as in this particular situation, however if the person does act differently in this situation compared to other situations then a situational attribution is made, and we assume that the behaviour was most likely caused by the situation that the person was in and not by the person themselves. The last piece of information needed is consistency information, which informs us of whether the person has acted this way before or if this is a one-time behaviour. One of the limitations of the covariation theory is that it fails to distinguish between the intentional and unintentional behaviour of a person (Hayes, 2002). Jurors often make internal and external attributions of the defendant and of the victim when declaring their verdicts within the courtroom. In one study researchers found that the jurors verdicts or suspicions of whether or not the defendant was guilty were not influenced by whether the defendant was disabled or not. Those jurors who did think that the defendant was guilty were less likely to convict the defendant if they were described as disabled rather than non-disabled. This tendency occurred because the jurors made fewer internal attributions for the disabled juveniles actions (Najdowski, Bottoms, Vargas Cummens, 2009). One case study investigated the trials in which the defendant was charged with a firearms related offence, it was found that if the accused had intended to use the firearm then they were found guilty by the jurors. This case study shows supports for the correspondent inference theory as the defendant chose and freely intended to use the firearms (Tinsley, 2001). In a film called 12 Angry Men, a young boy is put on trial for the murder of this father, the majority of jurors decide that the boy is guilty. One juror, played by Lee J. Cobb makes internal attributions of the boys behaviour based on the fact that he is from the slums, and believes that the boy must have no respect or sense of morality because of where he is from (Lumet, 1957). A criticism of the correspondent inference theory is that is does not account for fundamental attribution error, which is a term used when people intensify the importance of explanations linked to a persons personality and reduce the importance of explanations linked to the situation which occurred to explain a persons behaviour (Heffner, 2001). In the film 12 Angry Men, evidence used against the boy includes when he is heard shouting at this father Ill kill ya before leaving the house, as the film continues, jurors begin to argue among themselves and Lee J. Cobb is insulted, to which he replies Ill kill ya in anger. This is a good example of fundamental attribution error as Lee J. Cobb was angry in the situation and does not actually mean he is going to kill the other juror. In addition to this another pointed out that if the boy went back to retrieve the knife he must have been guilty and was trying to cover up the evidence, which suggests that if he did kill his father then he intended to do so. It seems that a defendants characteristics have a strong influence on jurors decision making, Dowdle, Gillen and Miller (1974) concluded that significant leniency is applied to defendants who are attributed with positive characteristics by jurors, compared to those who are attributed with negative characteristics (Decaire, 1999). When the juror is provided with previous convictions of the defendant in trial, this can provide them with extra information as well as influence their decision. In one study, researchers investigated the effects of the defendants prior record on mock jurors judgements and found highest conviction rates would occur when the defendant had a prior sentence which was the identical to the charge they were presently being prosecuted for, and lowest conviction rates if the defendant had no past convictions (Wissler Saks, 1985). This shows support for the consistency element of the covariation theory, as previous convictions of the same present charge provide jurors which an attribution that this person has behaved this way before and is repeating this behaviour despite being convicted. Padawar-Singer and Barton (1974) found that there was a 50% more chance that jurors decided the defendant was guilty if they were aware of the defendants past criminal record, compared to if they did not have this information (Brewer, 2002). In support of this, one study found that mock jurors were more likely to convict the defendant when they had evidence of a prior conviction than when they had no evidence (Greene Dodge, 1995). It may argued that jurors should make their decisions based on the evidence available and not on information about the defendants past convictions because people do change and just because a person was convicted once does not mean that this should be used against them for their entire life. However in one case study it was found that Simon Berowitz was cleared of burglary at a solicitors office without the jury knowing that he had 230 previous convictions for burglary. In this instance jurors should have been provided with the information of Berowitzs previous convictions as the consistency of his actions would have allowed jurors to make a more informed decision, but as the jurors were not provided with the defendants previous convictions they may have made a situational attribution using distinctive information, believing that Berowitz had never been charged for burglary before (Brewer, 2002). In the film 12 Angry Men, the juror played by Jack Klugman was portrayed as a man who, like the boy, was from the slums, initially he seems unsure whether the boy is guilty or not but goes along with the majority verdict because of pressure (Lumet, 1957). This is an example of situational attribution using consensus information, as described by the covariation theory, as the juror is looking at the decisions made by others and then makes his own. Not all research has found that jurors make internal or external attributions about the defendant when making decisions. In one study, a survey was performed and it was found by researchers that one of the most influential factors contributing to jury making decision was the knowledge jurors had of the law as well as the instructions and information about the case (Kakar, 2002). Other factors may also affect jurors decision making such as the ages of the jurors, in one court case, researchers found a difference in length of sentence and the amount of responsibility attributed to the parent between undergraduate mock jurors and high school mock jurors (Ackerman, McMahon Fehr, 1984). Racial leniency is also another contributing factor found in many jury studies, Sommers Ellsworth (2000) and Ugweugbu (1976) both found that the jurors decisions were influenced when the juror was of the same race as the victim or defendant. People make internal and external attributions on a day-to-day basis trying to find an explanation as to why people behave in a certain way and although many studies have found that jurors use the information of intent of the defendant, past convictions and the behaviour and verdicts of their fellow jurors to help them making a decision, there have also been other studies which show other contributing factors which should be taken into account, such the age, race, gender of the juror and the defendant as well the amount of knowledge the juror has about the law. References Heider, F. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. John Wiley Sons Manstead, A.S.R and Hewstone, M. (1996). Attribution Theories. The Blackwall Encyclopaedia of Social Psychology, pg 67. Wiley-Blackwall. Bordens, K. S and Horowitz, I.A. (2002). Social Psychology (2nd Ed). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Hayes, N. (2002). Foundations of Psychology (3rd Ed). Thomson Learning. Heffner, C.L. (2001). Psychology 101. Chapter 8: Social Psychology. Retrieved January 3, 2010, from http://www.allpsych.com/psychology101/attribution_attraction.html Najdowski, C.J., Bottoms, B.L., Vargas, M.C. Cummens, M.L. (2009). All Academic Research. Understanding Jurors Perceptions of Juvenile Defendants, Effects of Intellectual Disability and Confession Evidence. Retrieved January 3, 2010 from http://allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/9/5/7/8/p295784_index.html Tinsley, Y. (2001). Jury Decision Making: A Look Inside The Jury Room. British Society of Criminology, Vol. 4. Lumet, S. (Director) Fonda, H. Rose, R. (Producers). (1957). 12 Angry Men (Film) USA: MGM. Kakar, S. (2002). An analysis of the relationship between jurors personal attributes and decision making. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, Vol. 17 (2) pp 45-53. Ackerman, A.D., McMahon, P.M. Fehr, L.A. (1984). Defendant characteristics and judgment behaviours of adolescent mock jurors. Journal of Youth and Adolescents, Vol. 13 (2), pp 123-130. Wissler, R.L Saks, M.J. (1985). On the Inefficacy of Limiting Instructions: When Jurors use Prior Conviction Evidence to Decide on Guilt. Law and Human Behaviour, Vol. 19 (1) pp. 37-48. Brewer, K. (2000). Psychology and Crime. Heinemann. Greene, E. Dodge, M. (1995). The Influence of Prior Record Evidence on Juror Decision Making. Law and Human Behaviour, Vol. 19 (1) pg 67. Ugwuegbu, D. C. E. (1976). Black Jurors Personality Trait Attribution to a Rape Case Defendant. Social Behaviour and Personality, Vol. 4 (2), 193-200. Sommers, S.R. Ellsworth, P.C. (2000). Race in the Courtroom: Perception of Guilt and Dispositional Attributions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 26 (11), 1367-1379 Decaire, M.W. (1999). The Faltering Common Law Jury System: A Psychological Perspective. Retrieved January 3, 2010 from http:www.suite101.com/article.cfm/forensic_psychology.18339/3

The Countless Sounds Heard in a Day :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Countless Sounds Heard in a Day As a musician, I always related to sounds in terms of musical application. The only sounds I paid attention to were those involved in creating and performing music. Musical sounds were the most important to me. Well . . . actually, as a traveling musician, any troubling sounds my car made were almost as important. The only other sound I appreciated was silence - something I valued after six nights of rhythmic and melodic saturation and the babble of three hundred or so party drunks. Since I've settled down and become a family man, however, I have discovered a whole new world of sounds that give me more pleasure than music ever did. Something I never thought possible. I would like to describe for you the world of sound that I experience in a typical day. My morning always begins around seven o'clock when I am awakened by a sweet, gentle, little voice calling . . . "DADDY, I GO F'RIDE!" This is followed by a dainty smack of tiny lips on my cheek, then another smack of Mom's lips on my lips. A few minutes later, the front door slams shut and I slip back into a slumber. The next thing I hear (a few hours later) is the bloodcurdling, screaming caw of a pterodactyl about to swoop down and pluck me right out of my bed. Actually, it's only my alarm clock. I don't dare hit the snooze button, as I do not even want to hear that again. From here, my morning ritual begins, rich with the sounds of water: the galoosh of the toilet, the soft spattering of the shower, and the gurgle of coffee brewing in the kitchen. It's the coffee maker that totally captivates me, for I cannot begin to function mentally until I've had my cup of "go juice." I'll sit in a total stupor until that gurgling stops - my cue that it's ready. Before that, noting else matters. After a sip or two, I step under the whispering water of the shower and, if never fails, the phone rings. At least, I think it is ringing. Actually, it is just a subtle overtone, an aural hallucination that is produced by the shower. The Countless Sounds Heard in a Day :: Personal Narrative Essays The Countless Sounds Heard in a Day As a musician, I always related to sounds in terms of musical application. The only sounds I paid attention to were those involved in creating and performing music. Musical sounds were the most important to me. Well . . . actually, as a traveling musician, any troubling sounds my car made were almost as important. The only other sound I appreciated was silence - something I valued after six nights of rhythmic and melodic saturation and the babble of three hundred or so party drunks. Since I've settled down and become a family man, however, I have discovered a whole new world of sounds that give me more pleasure than music ever did. Something I never thought possible. I would like to describe for you the world of sound that I experience in a typical day. My morning always begins around seven o'clock when I am awakened by a sweet, gentle, little voice calling . . . "DADDY, I GO F'RIDE!" This is followed by a dainty smack of tiny lips on my cheek, then another smack of Mom's lips on my lips. A few minutes later, the front door slams shut and I slip back into a slumber. The next thing I hear (a few hours later) is the bloodcurdling, screaming caw of a pterodactyl about to swoop down and pluck me right out of my bed. Actually, it's only my alarm clock. I don't dare hit the snooze button, as I do not even want to hear that again. From here, my morning ritual begins, rich with the sounds of water: the galoosh of the toilet, the soft spattering of the shower, and the gurgle of coffee brewing in the kitchen. It's the coffee maker that totally captivates me, for I cannot begin to function mentally until I've had my cup of "go juice." I'll sit in a total stupor until that gurgling stops - my cue that it's ready. Before that, noting else matters. After a sip or two, I step under the whispering water of the shower and, if never fails, the phone rings. At least, I think it is ringing. Actually, it is just a subtle overtone, an aural hallucination that is produced by the shower.