Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Good Luck Chuck how love and sexuality are constructedrelated in the Essay
Good Luck Chuck how love and sexuality are constructedrelated in the movie - Essay Example A close analysis of the movie Good Luck Chuck in examination of how love and sexuality are constructed and related would prove that the modern texts of movies have great contribution to make towards the interest of Purdue students. It is on the basis of various elements in the relationship between love and sexuality that such an analysis of the movie needs to be carried out if the study should emerge with some implications to the Purdue students. In the introductory paragraph, we identified the movie Good Luck Chuck as a text which has got significant meaning to convey or communicate to the Purdue students in relation to love and sexuality and one may wonder how this movie becomes a text. The movie is a text that reads itself aloud to the audience the meaning and the relation between love and sexuality in the modern world. It means that, like a text of the conventional meaning, the movie has a great message to communicate to its audience which if listened to with utmost attention provides more meaning to life than an ordinary text of our understanding. Therefore, the movie Good Luck Chuck, though apparently just another comedy of life, assumes a greater role with immense implications and meanings in the modern environment. To exemplify, the climax of the movie tells how even the fate that had been indifferent all through Charlie's life turns in his favor acknowledging his insatiable efforts to overcome the same. This message is crystal-clear as if any conventional text would explain. It is in the recognition of this meaning that the movie realizes its meaning and scope and it acts as a text open to its audience. Only condition is that the audience needs to open this text and read for the implicit as well as explicit meaning in it. The implication of the meaning that the movie renders is that the movie itself with all its characteristic features such as the plot, theme, dialogues, symbols and pictorial images resides as if a great text of humanity in its love and sexual relation. When we look for some meaning in the protagonist's specific condition where he is able to have a single sexual relation with every lady he meets but cannot make the relation go ahead so as to end up in a celebrated love relation between the two, it reads, as a great text of life in its varied experience, that the construct that is called sexuality is entirely different from what we can gather about the concept of love. The text of the movie, we may conclude, makes a clear distinction between the concept of sexuality and love. What every human being is cherishing for at the end of each sexual relation is that the relation does not stop there, but reaches the greater stage, i.e. love. It is the same concept of love that drives Charlie fo rward to seek for an everlasting love relation with someone, remarkably Cam, rather than just enjoying a life of sexual satisfaction alone. The movie Good Luck Chuck, therefore, becomes an emblem all that human knowledge recognizes as the difference between love and sexuality. Here, sex is of momentary nature whereas love has a greater significance in human life with enduring value and implication. Not many a text would disseminate a greater message through its medium as the movie Good Luck Chuck does in establishing the real nature of sexuality and love. That is the reason why, movies are often considered
Sunday, October 27, 2019
A Review On The ABM System Information Technology Essay
A Review On The ABM System Information Technology Essay This paper will focus on the benefits of utilizing Activity-based management (ABM) system within the workplace. ABM is defined as: a method of identifying and evaluating activities that a business performs using activity-based costing to carry out a value chain analysis or a re-engineering initiative to improve strategic and operational decisions in an organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Activity-based management focuses on managing activities to reduce costs and improve customer value. [1] In order to maintain confidentiality, for the purpose of this paper I will refer to my workplace as XYZ Inc. XYZ Inc. in this instance is a Third Party Administrator (TPA) of employee health benefits. XYZ Inc. sells and administers various insurance products and services to an array of clients throughout various industries. Introduction: Organizations implement Activity-based management (ABM) due to the fact it is believed that this will aid them in making better decisions, improve performance and earn more money on assets deployed. Regardless of ones approach or belief, each organization requires information to make decisions, set priorities, allocate resources and monitor actions taken. ABM systems exist only to meet the information requirement. The information and knowledge gained are of value and benefit only when the information is used to improve the business. This paper will illustrate: where I believe ABM would be useful at XYZ Inc.; how ABM is currently used at XYZ Inc.; lastly, the overall usefulness of ABM. Recommended Application of ABM at XYZ Inc.: ABM information has wide use and applicability in XYZ Inc. There are many uses for ABM information which range from determining product/service costs to evaluating acquisition candidates. I feel that XYZ Inc. would benefit greatly by practicing ABM within its operations. XYZ Inc. would benefit from ABM by implementing its practices: To Determine Product/Service Cost; To Improve Performance of Processes and Activities; To Cut Costs/Downsize Operations; and Various other applications such as: To manage projects, to budget and to support acquisition analysis. Current use of ABM at XYZ Inc.: Currently ABM is claimed to be used in the areas of determining product/service cost, improving the performance of processes and activities and in terms of determining the budget. However, in other vital areas such as: determining when to cut costs/downsize, managing projects and acquisition analysis, ABM practices are not present. These areas definitely require the attention of ABM in order to ensure the best and most informed decisions are made relative to these vital areas of the operation. Although XYZ Inc. collects all the data they need for costing (i.e. Number of Employees to ensure, Insurance Premium Bulk Rates, Geographic Location etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), they dont use it effectively or appropriately. As XYZ Inc. sole purpose is to undercut the competition and provide the lowest possible insurance premium rates to clients in order to attain their business. This is not allowing XYZ Inc. to effectively price their products/services. XYZ Inc. also receives feedback from its clients and customers relating to problems with its services, pointing to bottleneck issues within the claims reimbursements processes. Again, XYZ Inc. does not effectively utilize the information that is being forwarded to them in terms of how to remedy the issue. Rather in information is just ignored with hopes that the issue will in some fashion correct itself. Lastly, in terms of budgeting, the information collected here is used in a more serious manner. Senior management looks closely and most of ten times solely at expenditures throughout the year; almost instantaneously issuing a corporate update outlining where cutbacks will occur in the upcoming year. Most often times Senior management only looks at the large expenditures without taking into account correlating factors or benefits that may have be attained via the expenditures. Collecting all the pertinent data and utilizing it in a productive fashion, in theory would lead to more effective and efficient operations of the organization. However, when human power and capital is spent to ascertain such data and it is not used in accordance with betterment of the organization, this in turn leads to extreme discouragement and the action of accurate record keeping seems to become more and more pointless, creating a sense of uselessness in a vicious cycle and spiral downward within the organizations efficiency and effectiveness. When data is collected, it needs to be utilized in a fashion whereby everyone involved can reap and clearly see the benefits of attaining the data and using it in an effective and efficient manner for the betterment of the organization. Usefulness of ABM in Specified Application Areas: In the areas identified earlier, I will describe how ABM would be useful within the following applications. To Determine Product/Service Cost: In this area accuracy is required for operational and strategic decisions of product mix, product pricing, product line investments and production alternatives. Most ABM implementations are directed toward product/service cost. However, managers use Activity-based costing (ABC) to determine the actual, true cost of products and services. Organizations use ABC because they believe the understanding of true product/service cost will lead to better decisions of product mix, product pricing and product sourcing. Better decisions lead to increased profits. However, knowing true product/service cost does not necessarily result in better product/service decisions. If an organization is selling all it can at a market driven sales price, there may be no opportunity to increase the selling price or changes the mix of products. In these situations, accurate product/service cost information will force the organization to look at the activities associated with making or delivering an unprofitable product/service. To effect reductions in product/service cost, activities will have to be improved; requiring the implementation of ABM system. To Improve Performance of Processes and Activities: Many organizations use ABM as a structured way to select and examine key activity work processes, which are critical to the success of the organization. Activities are defined, analyzed and assigned a cost, in order to determine an organizations current or as is situation. With an organizations current or as is situation established, activities and processes with high potential for improvement can be selected and the efforts/actions undertaken to realize the improvement opportunity. Through identifying the biggest bang for the buck, improvement can be focused. ABM is also used to monitor the result of improvement initiatives. Through reporting cost and performance of processes and activities, people and teams responsible for improvement have a scorecard to judge the result of effort. The ABM system is used to provide the feedback necessary to sustain improvement initiatives. To Cut Cost/Downsize: Some organizations use ABM to cut cost, downsize, or restructure operations. This is the unfavourable side of ABM. In all actuality, ABM is an effective tool for cost cutting/reduction. In situations where financial returns are unacceptable to stockholders or when survival of the organization is at steak, organizations often take significant cost reduction actions. These actions typically take the form of layoffs, plant closings and idled equipment. Often taken across the board in all areas of the organization, they are rarely effective. Unless the volume of work is reduced, these cost reductions just leave the same work to be done by fewer people. Eventually, the cost creeps back into the organization. Activity-based cost reduction is focused on the activities of the organization. Cut activities, cost will follow. Other Applications: To Budget: To Support Acquisition Analysis: To ensure the future prosperity of XYZ Inc. ABM practices should be adhered to and utilized on a going forward basis. Conclusion: A prerequisite to benefiting from ABM is the willingness to assign responsibility for effecting decisions, actions and changes necessary to deliver the desired benefit. Decisions must be made and actions must be taken. Specific responsibility has to be assigned to reduce/eliminate non-value-added activities, improve value-added activities and reduce or eliminate the associated cost drivers. The value and benefit of ABM can only be measured by the decisions, actions and improvements that result due to the fact individuals were motivated to take action, based on the knowledge and information provided. Implementers of ABM systems should be warned that all efforts to implement an ABM system will be wasted if no one uses or takes action on the information provided. The value and benefit of ABM can be difficult to quantify. The result of some decisions can be difficult to quantify, while others cannot. Expect people to want process improvements to be credited to their project or initiative versus giving the necessary credit to the ABM system which was the driver of information leading to success. ABM information drives and supports all improvement initiatives. It can be difficult to measure and quantify its role in improvement and decision making. Activity-based management measure the result of decisions and improvements, regardless of who or what initiative gets credit. While some organizations view ABM as a tool to support improvement initiatives and decision making. The dollar sign makes this information tool useful. Organizations and managers are bottom line driven, and dollars and cents are the language of business. The dollar sign inspires people to take action. The ABM information system tracks improvements and provides individuals, managers and teams with process-based cost and operating information to judge the result of their decisions and efforts.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Schools And Tests :: essays research papers
SCHOOLS AND TESTING Â Â Â Â Â In the article provided, the author, Dick Williams, presents two ideas on the state of schools and education in the United States. The points of view he attempts to argue are the conditions of the nation’s schools and the quality of the educational system. During his efforts to present his points, it appears as though his article is more opinionated than objective. This presents a problem because an opinion is not an argument. By presenting his thoughts he fails to do so tactfully through arguments, and those that are arguments are fallacies. Â Â Â Â Â One of the first arguments presented deals with the conditions of the schools. Specifically the renewal and renovations of schools comes into question. Should the harried taxpayers of Cobb and Dekalb counties, for instance, bail out incompetent or corrupt school boards in other states? Should New York City be rewarded for failing to build new schools in a timely manner? This is the fallacy known as the circular argument. A circular argument is where the premise and the conclusion repeat each other using different wording. The premise in this fallacy would be the first question, while the second question is the conclusion. The idea in this statement is that cities with rundown schools are being paid for by taxpayers in other cities. In these cities the problems with schools are quite minimum. Â Â Â Â Â Another argument made early on focuses on the office of the president. In the middle of the second paragraph, Williams writes: President Clinton has become the master of exploiting the divide. Insiders call it the micropresidency: Identify a problem and propose a small solution. In this statement, the phrase “Insiders call it the micro-presidency'; is the conclusion. The rest of the statement forms the premise. Williams tries to convey the trickery of the president and his lack of handling problems effectively. Basically he attacks the presidency and commits the Ad hominem fallacy. The Ad Hominem is an attack against someone based on some aspect of his or her character, which has no relevance on the argument being made. This statement has no relevance on the point of the schools in America. Â Â Â Â Â The second point Williams focuses on is the education of the school system in the country. More specifically he turns his attention to the testing of America’s youth through the end of high school. “High school graduates can take the SAT or the ACT.'; Well, this sentence is a clear case of the false extremes fallacy.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Film Analysis: The Bird Cage Essay
In the year 1996, Mike Nichols decided to produce and direct the film version of the highly successful 1978 stage play La Cage Aux Follies. Geared towards the western tastes of the American audience, he called the movie The Bird Cage and presented the public with a hilarious yet informative movie about a gay man who fathers a son after an affair with a woman. The film showcases the brilliant talent of Robin Williams as Armand Goldman, father to Val Goldman as portrayed by Dan Futterman. Nathan Lane flawlessly essays the role of Albert Goldman, the â€Å"wife†involved in the homosexual relationship with Armand. Christine Baranski plays Katherine Archer, the biological mother of Val who had a one night stand with the openly gay Armand.            The movie gives us a glimpse into the reality that gay bashing and fear of homosexuals is really an unfounded fear that society insists on propagating rather than understanding that just because a person is homosexual, it does not mean he stops being a real live person. Any homophobic person who views the movie must do so while making the effort to keep an open mind about the topic. The reality is that there is nothing to fear from these people. They, just like any normal person continuously struggles for acceptance and they are normal functioning human beings. They are not an illness, nor a curse from god. Since Val was raised in a homosexual household, he is quite comfortable with his father and â€Å"stepmother†because they function as a family unit. Proving therefore that the dynamics of a family exists regardless of whether the child is raised in a same sex or normal couple household. To Val, there is nothing strange about his family and he is highly confident of his sexuality. His beliefs about how normal his household is get shaken the day he gets engaged to Barbara Keeley ( Calista Flockhart), the daughter of Senator Kevin Keeley, founder of the Coalition for Moral Order, as the name of the organization implies, the good senator would never approve of his daughter marrying a man raised in a homosexual household. In an effort to gain the approval of the senator for their engagement, Val must convince Armand to pretend to be a straight heterosexual for just one night and pretend to be a man with Katherine at his side.            As the night progresses and the best laid plans of Val begin to unravel and his secret threatens to become exposed with the arrival of his â€Å"grandmother†, who is really Albert Goldman in drag, Val realizes how unique his confusing family really is and that it does not matter if he was raised by 2 homosexuals. He eventually comes clean and everything works out in the end.            The Bird Cage is a movie that carries with it a very serious message regarding homophobia and the society that at the time could still be considered intolerant of gay partnerships. Indeed a lot has changed in the past 11 years since this movie was created. At the time the movie was filmed, Director Nichols was setting out to inform the viewing public about the misconceptions and myths about homosexuality by encouraging the homophobic viewer to become more tolerant of the alternative sex while understanding that they too have a place and bring a balance to the world we live in.            In an in independent review by James Berardinelli back in 1996, he praised the film for its creativity and humor in dealing with such a delicate topic as a child raised in a same sex family. Something which at the time was only whispered about. Mr. Berardinelli commented that â€Å"The Birdcage rivals A Midwinter’s Tale for the funniest movie released thus far in 1996. In fact, the film is so boisterously entertaining that it’s easy for the unsuspecting viewer not to realize that there’s a message here. The structure of The Birdcage is designed to show us that there isn’t much difference between conservatives and liberals or straight and gay people. Nichols’ picture preaches tolerance and understanding, but neatly camouflages such themes beneath gaudy sets, colorful costumes, and unrestrained humor. The script has a few lulls, and there are times when it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but there are few better ways to spend a chilly winter evening than peering through the bars of The Birdcage.†           These days, homosexual relationships have begun to receive a certain amount of tolerance and acceptance by society. Although, society still frowns upon allowing a homosexual or, for that matter, lesbian couple to raise a child in a same sex household fearing that such a set up would confuse the child and encourage the child to follow the lifestyle he was immersed in all his life causing the child to become a homosexual, lesbian, or have a certain type of sexual abnormality about the child.            In a normal family, a mother or father is identified by his sexuality. Therefore there is no way to tell who is which in a homosexual family right? Wrong. When you ask a gay couple who is the mother or father in the situation, they will always have a ready answer. This is because one of them seems to be born with the motherly instinct activated. Although it is believed that a child raised in a homosexual household will never experience the mother/father, husband/wife, mother/father relationships, he will however have exposure to the same through relatives in the family who belong to the standard definition of a family.            In the movie, Val realizes towards the end that he has 2 mothers who love him very much. One who gave him life, and the other, a man who, just like his mother has only his best interest at heart. Both persons only wanting to see him happy throughout his life. There is no real gender perception in terms of who is the mother or father role because the dynamic that describes either parent is the same, a person who loves and cares for the child and only wants the best for him or her. Why does that kind of relationship work? Parenthood requires one to be selfless and put the interest of the child ahead of your own. It does not matter if the child comes from a normal parent, one parent, or homosexual parent family, the guiding objective of parenting remains the same.            As evidenced by this movie and actual real life homosexual families, just because one is raised in a homosexual household does not make that person gay. According to the United Families International, there is no truth to the gay gene and therefore it cannot be considered genetic. The organizations explanation goes on to say that â€Å" Homosexuality is not a genetically encoded condition. Contrary to media hype, there is no conclusive or compelling empirical evidence showing any absolute biological, genetic, or hormonal causation for homosexuality. Homosexual activist and molecular biologist Dean Hamer’s study claiming the existence of a homosexual gene has been scientifically discredited. Studies that claim to prove homosexuality is genetic have been purposefully designed from a homosexual advocacy perspective and seek to convince society that homosexuality is innate, psychologically normal, and thus socially desirable. â€Å" As for the possibility of a genetic disposition towards homosexuality the organization claims that ; â€Å" There may be a possibility of the existence of a genetic predisposition toward homosexuality, which is far different from causation. But even this possibility is far from scientifically proven. Predisposition toward something does not mean that it is inevitable, or that such a predisposition cannot or should not be resisted and overcome.†Comparing the predisposition to homosexuality to alcoholism, it is further stated that â€Å" Some people may have a predisposition to alcoholism, yet we do not affirm their disposition, but rather treat their condition and help them change. Current evidence suggests that environmental, familial, and personal influences contribute significantly to the development of homosexual tendencies. Seventy years of therapeutic counseling and case studies show a remarkable consistency concerning the origins of the homosexual impulse as an uncompleted gender identity seeking after its own sex to replace what was not fully developed in childhood†           As for the social issues a child raised in a homosexual household faces, I will agree with those who say that they face a rougher time in the real world than the children from regular parent households. This is mainly because children are by nature mean and love to tease each other without realizing how it emotionally affects their fellow child. This however should only serve to help strengthen the child’s personality as well as help him to further understand how different his or her own family is from everyone else. But, that does not make him any less of a human being nor should it prevent him or her from enjoying childhood. Val was practically raised in a same sex household and he grew up to become a responsible, caring, and understanding individual. Something that cannot often be said even for children raised in normal parent households.            A child comes to this world as a blank slate. It is the parents of the child who write on that slate and determine what a child’s value system will be based upon. A child learns his values in life by the example and reinforcement of his parents. It is up to the parent to teach their child the value of tolerance and acceptance of something that is deemed different in our society such as homosexuality and the fact there will be a few kids here and there whom he or she may mingle with who comes from such an upbringing. Therefore, how comfortable and confident a child will be about his sexual orientation, as well as how he accepts those of a highly different gender than his or hers solely depends upon how the parents explain the moral value of treating each sex fairly while highlighting the need for tolerance and understanding of such people.            To illustrate the point about the value system of a child, one only has to view how well adjusted Val was brought up by both his straight mother, gay father and his partner to see that any value system an adult has in place was developed during his childhood. He was taught the value of tolerance and understanding from the minute he could walk and it made a huge difference in regards to how he accepted people in his life when he became an adult. According to Lois Clark, who compiled the Ohio State University Fact Sheet, communicating with children can help develop their sense of values. Simply put, Ms. Clark indicates that â€Å"When talking to children, it is important to tell them what acceptable behavior is and why it is acceptable. Simply telling a child not to do something does not teach the child anything except he should not do that particular thing. By explaining the reasoning behind the request, the child can learn.†This method of child rearing, wherein the parent will have the opportunity to explain about sexual differences to the child can prove to be a valuable part of a child’s value system in today’s day and age where homosexuality and lesbianism are slowly becoming an accepted part of society. Work Cited Berardinelli, James. (1996). The Bird Cage: A Film Review. Retrieved July 25, 2007 from http://www.reelviews.net/movies/b/birdcage.html Clark, Lois. Topic for Teen Parents. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-Fact/5000/5233.html Dannon Marcello, Imperato Michele, Machlis, Niel, Mike Nichols. Mike Nichols. (1996) The Bird Cage. USA: United Artists. United Families International. (2003). Myth and Reality about Homosexuality–Sexual Orientation Section, Guide to Family Issues. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1034938/posts Â
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
A380 Globalisation Essay
Describe how the A380 is both the product of and a contributor to globalization. An Airbus is the name of an Airline Company. This company makes a particular plane called the A380. The A380 is a is a four-engined, double-decked airplane made by Airbus. It is the world’s biggest passenger airplane, bigger than a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. But, it is not the biggest airplane in the world because the Antonov An-225 is the biggest in the world.The Airbus A380 can carry up to 850 passengers (but it usually carries about 525), and weighs over 550 tonnes. It has four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines or four Engine Alliance GP7000 engines. The companies General Electric and Pratt & Whitney make alliance engines. The A380 is a product of globalization because engineers have produced different parts of the aircraft in different parts of the world. Lots of the Aircrafts parts have been made in so many different countries and shipped back to the place where it was to be fully made. France, German y, Spain and the United Kingdom all helped making these planes with the materials and parts they send. This makes it a product of globalization because it has been and affected different parts of the world. As of July there are 138 Airbus A380 planes. The A380 is a contributor to globalization because it helps carry people across the globe to a huge amount of different countries. The A380 is very special, mainly because of its size. It is a double decker plane, and it is the world’s biggest passenger airplane. The A380 mainly uses these airlines: Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Lufthansa. These airlines can basically get you around the world. I think that the A380 is good for globalisation because it connects lots lf different countries together as a transport and helps people get to their destination. The A380 is a major contributor to globalisation and helps people to travel, it is a big thing in globalisation and I think that its a great way to travel.
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