AIS Implementation Case Study

Steve Cowan is the owner of a distribution company of salon hair products. The company, Professional Salon Concepts, (PSC) was growing and decided to upgrade their AIS to support the demands of the company. Steve hired Mike, his brother-in-law to assist him and the two of them began to research the different products available believing they could better determine the needs of the company than a consultant could. After a short time they bought first one and then changing their minds and bought a second system. After a short training period the new system was installed with some very problematic first few days. Eventually the system was up and running but never fully doing what they had originally wanted from the new system. Romney & Steinbart (2009). Implementing new AIS is something that businesses everywhere have to consider at some point and time. The case of PSC and how they went about choosing and implementing their AIS is what we will be looking at. There are six main points of consideration I will be covering in this study. The first is a look at how good of a job PSC did in selecting, installing and implementing their new system. We will look at what they did wrong and what they could have done differently. We will try to determine how PSC could have avoided the missing features, the conversion and reporting problems they had. Next we will review Steve’s analysis of his numbers and determine if his conclusions were correct. Looking at his new shipping system we want to see if there is a way that PSC’s customers can defraud the company. Finally, we will take a look at the level of service PSC received from the company where they purchased their new AIS and how it could have been improved. Steve’s Assessment Selecting the New AIS PSC spent months researching software and attending demonstrations. While doing research on their own is not a bad thing they however dismissed the possible use of consultants. Again not always a bad thing but when they did their research, it is not clear if they had a confirmed set of requirements of their needs in the new AIS. As a result PSC never compared companies through a request for proposals, (RFP); if they had they could have sent their requirements to the vendors. The vendors would then have sent back their proposals to PSC. After eliminating vendors that do not meet the minimum requirements, PSC could then do a comparison of the remaining vendors before making a final decision. Romney & Steinbart (2009). The key is the set requirements and minimum standards they were willing to settle for. In the end they had decided on one system, paid for it and had started installing it when they changed their minds and went with a different company. The company, DSM was chosen almost on a whim. DSM could not demonstrate all of the features PSC had wanted and took a reassurance that they would get those features without documentation. PSC also did not do an extensive background check into DSM before they purchased the new AIS. Installation Installation and implementing of the new AIS was anything but smooth. In retrospect even Steve knew they did not take the time needed to properly test or to train employees on how to use the new system. Three months was not sufficient time to try and work out the possible problems they would have with the new AIS. While Steve felt that training was very important he greatly underestimated the amount of time that was needed for proper training of employees on the new systems. The operators should have been involved from the beginning to determine what was needed and how it was being implemented into the new AIS. Each of these operators should also have been included in the design of the interface they would be using. If their input was not a possible part of the design they should have at the very least been included in the original installation and testing part of the new systems to determine what the possible problem failures would be and to better learn the new systems. Missing Features How could PSC have avoided the problem of the missing features? If PSC had gotten RFPs the problem of missing features in the system they chose would have been eliminated during the vendor selection process. However, in the route they did take those features that were important to Steve but were not included in the AIS could have been included by having a systems requirements list and a written contract with the specifications explicitly written out. Conversion and Reporting How could PSC have avoided some of the conversion and reporting problems it faced? As I stated before, more time was needed in the testing and training portion of the conversion before the new AIS went online. One trick I learned from our own system change at the city I work in is to train a few operators on the new systems during the testing phase and then have them train a few more in their own departments. By using your own employees to train each other they are gaining a better understanding of how the system works. This way on the day of the change you have more people who understand the system and how to fix or correct the things that can go wrong. The more people you can have trained this way before the system change the better off you will be at the critical moment. Steve’s Analysis Steve’s analysis of the numbers is incomplete in my opinion. Steve looked only at the initial cost of the package but he did not look at recurring costs of up keep of the hardware and software, systems maintenance, conversion cost, training expense, cost of running the testing phase as well as several other things. The conversion alone cost him a 15% drop in sales and none of these expenses were calculated into the cost of the new AIS. Steve and Mike should have consulted an accountant to help with the crunching of numbers before they had purchased the AIS from DSM. One other mistake they made in this purchase was not to have the extra features written into a contract as a part of the cost. Shipping and Fraud Is there a way PSC could be defrauded by the new multi-box shipments? After looking online for ways the only thing I could come up with was for the customers to claim that not all of the boxes were received. Because they only require one packing slip for multiple boxes, one of the boxes could just not make it to the stores or items could go missing from the shipments. I don’t think it would be hard to say that one of four or five boxes was missing an item. Without a packing slip in each box it would be easy for something to be overlooked when they are being packed. I’m not sure if there is another way the multi-box one packing slip approach could be defrauded. Level of Service On a level of one to five, one being the best, I would probably rate DSMs level of service about three. DSM was not the worst company I have read about but they could have stepped up their service. One of the things they could improve on is their training. Training was something of a disaster judging from the first day. More of the employees should have been trained and trained much better than they were. Another area of improvement would be in the testing phase of the installation before the new system went online. The sales person made assurances that it was apparent after the fact that they had no right to made or no intention of keeping. The extra features that PSC was told would be included in their package were only going to be added for an extra fee that PSC would have to shoulder the majority of. One feature was added at an additional cost of ten thousand but the second feature was never added. Conclusions In the end Steve was satisfied with the new AIS. While the new AIS did decrease the turnaround time to only twenty minutes from five hours it never did do all the things they had wanted. PSC is negotiating with DSM to write the programs that will complete the processes he wants the AIS system to do, for an additional cost. Upgrading from the system they had was necessary but, I can’t help wondering if they wouldn’t have been better off sticking with the original $20,000 purchase and having a company write the programs they were missing. The price PSC paid for the AIS from DSM was rather steep in comparison. In the end Steve said he was satisfied but I have to wonder if he really was or if he was just trying to feel ok with what had happened and what he paid.

Fast Food Annotated Bibliographydocx Essay

Over the years fast food have become a multi-billion dollar business all over the world. They are known for their swift service, affordable prices, and tasty, yet unhealthy food. There are a number of factors that can cause obesity and one of them is the colossal intake of fast food that many people consume worldwide. One third of American adults are obese today and fast food is a major reason why. Fast food restaurants are known for having foods high in calories, Trans fat, sugar, salt and carbohydrates. The question today is should fast food be blamed for the high rates of obesity? The reasons vary. Some people think that the cheap prices and the high in fats food make it easier to access to the food and to consume it. Another reason why people choose fast food is because of the incredible low fares. Some evidence suggest that many people cannot afford to buy healthier food, while some suggest that people think that everyone has the right to choose what they put in their mouth. Though fast food is not the only factor contributing to obesity, it is one of the major factors that needs to be addressed in the conversation surrounding the obesity epidemic. Currie, Janet, Stefano DellaVigna, Enrico Moretti, and Vikram Pathania. â€Å"The Effect of Fast food Restaurants on Obesity and Weight Gain. † American Economic Journal: E economic Policy 2. 3 (2010): 32-63. Print. Ogunrinde 2 This article is comparing how the proximity of fast food restaurants affects the rates of obesity between three million pregnant women and three million children (32). The article spotlights what the rate of weight increase would be depending on where the fast food restaurant would be located. Over several years of this experiment they focused on ninth graders in California, and pregnant women in Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas who had already had at least two children over a course of fifteen years. The authors discovered that ninth graders who had fast food restaurants within 0. 10 of a mile from their school had a 1. 7 percent chance of gaining more weight rather than a ninth grader who went to a school with fast food restaurants 0. 25 miles away (33). In pregnant women they found that having fast food restaurants approximately 0. 5 miles from where they lived resulted in a 0. 19 percentage contingency of them gaining weight. They also found that the more fast food restaurants there were in an area greatly affected obesity although the closeness of fast food restaurants did not affect obesity. The article states that although there is a clear increase in weight gain due to the supply of fast food restaurants, there is no distinguishable increased rates in obesity and weight gain due to the proximity of the restaurants, which made the authors come to the conclusion that fast food does have a major effect on weight gain and obesity rates. This article is featured in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy which is known for publishing a myriad of topics all relating to economics. Some of the topics include public economics, urban and regional economics, law and economics, environmental and natural resource economics and many more. This article was written by four distinguished authors. Janet Currie, Stefano Della Vigna, Enrico Moretti, and Vikram Pathania. Janet Currie works in the Department of Economics at the Columbia University. Stefano Della Vigna and Enrico Moretti Ogunrinde 3 both work in the Department of Economics at the University of California at Berkley. Vikram Panthania works at Cornerstone Research in San Francisco, California. The article was published in August 2010 and during this time McDonald’s had already established 31,000 plus restaurants worldwide which is another reason why there is a visible rise in weight gain because of the numerous supply of fast food restaurants available. The sole purpose of this article was to see the effect of fast food on weight gain and obesity rates. Young, Lisa R, and Marion Nestle. â€Å"Portion Sizes And Obesity: Responses Of Fast-Food Companies. † Journal of Public Health Policy 28. 2 (2007): 238-48. Print. This article talks about portion size and its effect on weight gain and obesity rates. In 2001 the US surgeon general made a â€Å"call to action† on the obesity epidemic. The call of action addressed the obesity epidemic as a major public health problem and their plan was to help Americans in eating healthier and having more physical activity so they could maintain a healthy body weight. He challenged fast food restaurants to lower their portions in their foods. For example MacDonald’s had â€Å"super-size me† fries which were 7. 1 fl oz. Burger King had the â€Å"King† size which was 6. 9 fl oz., and Wendy’s had the Great Biggie which was 6. 7 fl oz. The large portions of fries, hamburgers, and soft drinks in fast food restaurants were starting to correlate with the weight gain in many adults and children. As the years went by the fast food restaurants started lessening their portions in some places and other times they would just change the name. Wendy’s â€Å"Biggie† became a medium and its â€Å"Great Biggie† became a large. McDonald’s gave away with the super-size me, Burger King got rid of the â€Å"King† size fountain drinks, and Wendy’s removed the â€Å"Great Biggie† French fries from their menu. What the fast food restaurants were required to do though was put the number of calories on the menu for each food item. Ogunrinde 4 This article is published in â€Å"The Journal of Public Health Policy†. JPHP is connected with the World Federation of Public Health Associations. This journal discusses public health policies and the many controversial topics concerning it. The authors of this article are Lisa Young and Marion Nestle. Lisa Young is a professor at New York University in Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health. Marian Nestle likewise is a professor of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University. This article was published in 2007, which is pretty outdated and a lot of things have changed in the fast food industry since then. At that time restaurants like MacDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s had very large portions of food but they have since lowered their portion size in mainly their fries and soft drinks. Jeffery Robert, Baxter Judy, McGuire Maureen, and Linde Jennifer. â€Å"Are Fast Food Restaurants An Environmental Risk Factor for Obesity? † Are Fast Food Restaurants an Environmental risk Factor for Obesity? 3. 2 (2006). Web. In this article the authors are studying fast food restaurants as an environmental risk factor for obesity. What they discovered out was that eating out at fast food restaurants, did indeed result in weight gain and poor eating habits. They discovered that people with children and people who often worked outside of the home tended to eat at fast food restaurants more. They also found that people who lived within a two mile radius of a fast food restaurant was more likely to frequent fast food restaurants along with regular restaurants. There was a connection between the geographic location and the amount of times people went to a fast food restaurant. This article was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. This journal is available for anyone to see and it is peer reviewed. IJBNPA focuses on physical activity and the behavioral aspects of dieting. The authors of this article are Ogunrinde 5 Robert Jeffery, Judy Baxter, Maureen Mcguire, and Jennifer Linde. Robert Jeffery received his Ph. D. in Psychology at Stanford University and currently is the Director at the University of Minnesota Obesity Prevention Center, Academic Health Center, Minneapolis, MN. Judy Baxter is an Associate Professor at the Community and Behavioral Health Colorado School of Public Health. Maureen Mcguire works at Guidant Corporation, Cardiac Rhythm Management Group. Jennifer Linde received her Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Iowa. She currently is an associate professor at the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota. They are all experts in their fields which makes them very qualified to publish this article. Lorna,Fraser,ClarkeGraham,CadeJanet,andEdwardsKimberly. â€Å"FastFoodandObesity: A Spatial Analysis in a Large United Kingdom Population of Children Aged 13–15. † American Journal of Preventive Medicine 42. 5 (2012): 77-85. Print. This article identifies how there is an obesity epidemic all over the world in children and in adults. It points out how fast food is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Their main focus in this experiment is to find out the relationship between fast food consumption and obesity. They conducted the study by getting a group of 4827 participants and surveying them on their fast food habits. They found that almost half of the participants ate fast food. Some of the participants only ate it once a month, some every two weeks and some participants ate fast food three to four times a week. They came to the conclusion that people who consumed fast food regularly had a higher BMI than the people who did not consume as much, also that people should be more informed of the nutritional values in fast food. The article was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. They publish articles on prevention research, teaching, and practice and policy. Their papers focuses on many Ogunrinde 6 different topics like infectious disease, nutrition, diabetes, obesity, and so much more. Lorna Fraser received her Ph. D. from the School of Geography, University of Leeds. Graham Clarke is a Ph. D. holder and a professor at the School of Geography, University of Leeds. Janet Cade is also a Ph. D. holder and works at the Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom. Kimberly Edwards has a Ph. D. and works at the Centre for Sports Medicine, University of Nottingham. The article was published in May 2012. Poti, J. M. , K. J. Duffey, and B. M. Popkin. â€Å"The Association of Fast Food Consumption with Poor Dietary Outcomesand Obesity among Children:Is Itthe FastFood or theRemainder of the Diet? † American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 99. 1 (2014): 162-71. Print. This article is trying to figure what is causing obesity among children. Is it the huge consumption of fast food or is it the remainder of their diet? They conducted this experiment by studying a group of 4466 children from the ages of 2-18, by studying their eating habits and dietary patterns. What they found out was that half of the children in the study ate fast food and the other half consumed a western dietary pattern which consisted of red meat, desserts, and fatty food. The result was that there was a greater connection with the non-fast food diet that affected obesity in people. Despite fast food consumption having a great connection with obesity they discovered that a non-fast food diet had a stronger bond with obesity. This article was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This journal is a remarkably rated peer-reviewed journal in the nutrition and dietary category. It publishes articles on topics like obesity, nutrition, disease, vitamins, and energy metabolism. The AJCN has been selected as one of the top 100 influential journals by the Special Libraries Association. Jennifer Poti is a graduate research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kiyah Ogunrinde 7 Duffey hold a Ph. D. in Nutrition and her research focus is that factors that causes adults to become overweight. Barry Popkins received his Ph. D. from Cornell University and is an obesity researcher and a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The article was published on October, 13, 2013. Trushna, Shah, Purohit Geetanjali, Pillai Nair Sandhya, Patel Bhavita, Rawal Yash, and Shah R. â€Å"Assessment of Obesity, Overweight and Its Association with the Fast Food Consumption in Medical Students. † Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research 8. 5 (2014): 5-7. Print. This article is focusing on the correlation of consuming fast food and how it affects your BMI. They used a 147 medical students for this research study and they filled out self-questionnaires describing their physical appearance like weight, height, and age. They found out that 90 percent of the students have eaten fast food, and that 34 percent of those students were pre obese and obese. At the end of the study they found out that 90 percent of the medical students had fast food in their diet but only 22. 45 percent and 9. 52 percent were pre obese and obese. Eating more fast food and having less physical activity caused them to have a higher BMI. The article was published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. Their aim is to publish the discoveries of doctors and new researchers. Trushna Shah and Sandhya Pillai Nair are both assistant professor in the department of biochemistry in Gujarat, India. Geetanjali Purohit is an assistant professor in the department of physiology in Gujarat, India. Bhavita Patel is a Ph. D. student in the Department of Biochemistry in Gujarat, India. Yash Rawal is an undergraduate student and works in the department of biochemistry in Gujarat, India. R. M. is a professor and head of department in the Department of Biochemistry in Gujarat, India.

Internal combustion engine Essay

Electric cars should be used instead of cars that run with gasoline because electric cars do not harm the environment, are quieter, quicker, does not require gasoline and include a significant reduction to air pollution. Firstly, electric cars have a lot of benefits. One of them is that they are quiet, quick and smooth, making most regular cars look clunky and outdated. What surprises people the most is the torque (axle-twisting power) offered by the electric cars. Step on the accelerator and power is delivered immediately to the wheels, providing a thrilling driving experience. Secondly, after a while with an electric car you will forget that gas stations existed. Imagine never going to a gas station and spending all that money for fuel. All you have to do is pull your vehicle in your drive way or garage and plug it in to the charging inlet. It is very convenient to just wake up the next morning and have a fully charged vehicle that can go up to 100 miles. In addition they are cheaper to operate. Almost everywhere in the world, electricity is very cheap. So when you compare an electric vehicle to a regular car, the cost per mile to fuel an electric vehicle is approximately one-third to one-quarter the cost of gasoline (on a cost per mile basis). Nevertheless, owning a car is associated with the responsibility of maintaining it. Regular cars require frequent maintenance but this is not the case in electric cars. These cars do not suffer same level of stress as traditional engines acquire and do not require frequent oil changes and other regular maintenance. On the other hand, electric cars have a lot of disadvantages too. First of all the limited range of the electric cars is probably the biggest disadvantage. Most affordable electric cars only have about 80 to 100 miles of range. Which is not enough if you are for instance going on a long road trip. People who have electric cars need to properly plan, assuring that they will not go over the limited range. Not to mention, they also have a long refueling time. It is not like going to a gas station and adding a couple of hundred miles of range in five or ten minutes. To recharge a completely empty electric car would take about 10 hours depending on the voltage. With 120 volts (which is the current voltage in every house) it will take ten hours. With 240 volts it takes about four to five hours to fully charge the electric vehicle. Also, you would have to have the right place to charge your electric vehicle. You cannot go more than the car’s limit but you the right place to charge it. For instance people who are living in apartments cannot own electric cars because they do not have a garage to charge their vehicle. Big electric car companies have charging stations where you can get your vehicle fully charged in 1-2 hours but there are not a lot like gas stations. Furthermore the higher cost is probably what keeps people away from electric vehicles. The current electric cars are priced between 30. 000 and 40. 000 dollars. While you can buy, for instance the Honda Fit, Ford Focus etc. for less than 20,000 dollars. Last but not least, electric cars are costly to maintain and repair if there is a big problem with the car. Since electric cars are in a class of their own, owners may wind up paying more on repairs and maintenance because not every mechanic is trained to repair and maintain electric cars. In conclusion, when considering the pros and cons of electric cars, it is clear that there are some major advantages and disadvantages of owning an electric car. At the end, if these cars help people save a tremendous amount of money and help the environment, the pros of owning an electric car will outweigh all of the cons.

Analysis of an Ethical case in management Research Paper - 1

Analysis of an Ethical case in management - Research Paper Example As a result, employees are becoming de-motivated at a greater extent (Wozniak, 2011), which is in turn causing job turnover to increase significantly in recent years. Because of this reason, organizations are struggling to maintain viable and strong human capital in order to effectively and efficiently achieve organizational goals. However, it is interesting to note that in advanced epoch characterized with decentralized organizational authority and flattened corporation structure, MT neglected to brief Hady about the background of his assignment. Along with this, his new boss is not taking him seriously and considering him as an incompetent individual therefore, believing Hady as someone who is useless. In the light of this observation, deployment of utilitarian approach as a source for managing human resources in MT can be implied that is an obsolete technique towards motivating employees. Because of utilitarian management, MT only compensates its employees in monetary terms and considers them as an organizational property. This typical management strategy is leading MT to have a pool of incompetent and uninspired employees. In parallel, Hady is considering himself betrayed because of the unfulfilling level of information provided about his current assignment. Additionally, Phil’s stubborn attitude is affirming Hady’s provision of betrayal. Nevertheless, MT is in need of educating its top and middle management in terms of modern managerial approaches such as participative decision-making and other similar techniques, so that they can inspire employees in considering themselves as the important part of organizational success. At the same time, MT should also integrate rights theory to provide job autonomy and friendly work environment to its employees to enhance their productivity. Conversely, Hady is a person with budding talent, which should be polished

Network Security and Different Ways to Secure Networks Essay

Network Security and Different Ways to Secure Networks - Essay Example The researcher states that assigning a password and an ID to a network is often called one-factor authentication while the two-factor authentication has often been identified when the account or network is secured by a security-token for e.g. an ATM Card or a mobile phone; and the three-factor authentication is distinguished by the use of the security measures such as a fingerprint or a retinal scan (de Jong et al, nd). It can be further secured by a firewall so that it could only be available to specific users of that network. Most of these utilities are being used by banks, armed forces, and, intelligence agencies etc. The Need for Network Security In practice, network security is an important part of many networks at homes, at public places, at colleges and universities and at various offices such as banks, stock exchanges, all kinds of multinational firms and other businesses, law enforcement agencies and even the Government offices and departments where important information is stored. The level of security needed and indeed, in use, varies from network to network and it depends on things such as the sensitivity of the data, the structure of the network, the size of the network and the threats to the network. A home user, for example, may not need to employ the same in-depth means of securing the network as, for example, a large multinational bank would. The reason for that is that there’s less sensitive data on a home network, there are fewer threats and there is not much at risk compared to the network of a bank. Now let’s take a look at the history of network security. The need for network security has been around since the time computers have existed, although this need was further emphasized after one of the most famous computer hackers of the world, Kevin Mitnick was arrested and convicted in 1995. Even before that, there were reported crimes related to computers and networks. The requirement for networks and networked computers to be s ecured was further enhanced after the Internet was made publically available in the 1990s. And gradually, in order to protect against loss of intellectual property, monetary loss, loss of sensitive customer data, invasions into personal privacy, disruptions to the working networks of large multinational firms and banks etc, further ways to secure the networks are being implemented. There are various ways in which the security of a network can be breached. In broader terms, the attacks can be categorized in two forms first one is a passive attack in which the hacker disturbs the travelling of data using the same network and in active attack the hacker uses different commands to change the network’s normal working. Both these attacks can have various forms. Some examples are Wiretapping, Idle scan, Port scanning, a Denial of Service attack, spoofing, ARP poisoning, smurf attack, heap overflow and SQL injection. Further to that, other forms of attacks such as Trojan Horses, Viru ses, Worms or Logic Bombs are also sometimes used. Ways to Secure Networks Securing a network depends on the type of network structure in place and the level of security which needs to be implemented.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Assignment Example The goal is to present this information in the ten minute time allotted. Benefits and methods of the proposed project are to improve on-line fire prevention information for businesses. In order to complete that task there are preliminary document checklists that should be completed in order to ensure that the project management proposal is accepted and utilized for the target deadline date. The Learning Outcomes in this Assignment prepared us to present a Project Initiation Document Checklist which describes 1. What is the project all about? 2. Why should this project go ahead? 3. Who will work on the project? 4. How and when will the project be delivered? ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 1. Choose type of leadership 2. Use practical project management 3. Understand your responsibilities as a leader for the group are 4. Understand your responsibilities as a manager for each individual are 5. Implement the Project Initiation Document Checklist 6. Team is ready to proceed with Project Management Ta sk Transformational  Leadership What Is Transformational Leadership? Transformational leadership is a type of leadership style that leads to positive changes in those who follow. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic and passionate. Not only are these leaders concerned and involved in the process; they are also focused on helping every member of the group succeed as well. Leading and Developing Others Personal Qualities Leading the Organization Showing genuine concern Being honest and consistent Networking and achieving Enabling Acting with integrity Focuses effort Being accessible Being decisive Building shared vision Encouraging change Inspiring others Supporting a developmental culture Resolving complex problems Facilitating change sensitively Practical Project Management: The most important thing to know about project management is that first and foremost it’s a way of thinking about projects 1. Focus on the objective – A written statemen t of a project designed to achieve one or more goals 2. Starting to Plan – work through the planning process, uncover questions, problems and issues 3. Laying out the project – gather task data and prepare a rough sequence process 4. Analyzing Your Tasks – sequence first analyze tasks second and integrate the two steps 5. Managing Time and Cost – By Utilizing the PERT The Program Evaluation and Review Technique 6. How to Make and Use a Gantt Chart – Don’t reinvent the wheel save time use templates 7. Using PERT and CPM Charts – Critical Path Method to determine time, budget, and performance 8. Budgeting for Projects – determine fixed, variable costs, equipment, rentals, outside contracts 9. Managing the Project – committed teamwork, SMART Goals, communication 10. Monitor and Adjust – Utilize a project control chart to tract progress of time budget & data 11. How to wrap up the project - Determine the three Estimat es: Historical Data, Research, and Publish Data & Scenarios. Source: Practical Project Management (Dobson 1996) Project Initiation Document Checklist PID Item Check When Complete Section 1: What is the project all about?    Project title    Background    Purpose    Objectives (and how they will be measured)    Project scope    Exclusions from scope    Deliverables (including dates of completion)    Constraints    Assumptions    Section 2:Why should this project go ahead?

The Gospels--Mark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Gospels--Mark - Essay Example The struggle of the disciples in the storm is their lack of faith. They were overwhelmed by fear and were afraid that they will perish in the storm. The struggle of the man oppressed by demons was that he was being controlled by the devil. He was powerless against the evil one. The prominent man with the sick child was helpless because his daughter is dying. He was desperate and asked for the help of Jesus. The woman with an illness was struggling from her disease of discharging blood for a long time already. She however did not doubt Jesus’ healing powers. 2. What religious traditions or rituals do you practice? What customs does your church practice? Which of these are helpful to you? Which have not been prescribed by the Bible? Describe how we sometimes put human tradition over the authority of Scripture. The major rituals and practices in Shintoism include Ayurveda, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Namaste greeting, Puja, and The Sadhu (Religionfacts.com). Ayurveda is the system of medicine and healing of the ancient Hindu system. Hatha Yoga is the practice or meditative movement. Kundalini Yoga is the practice of awakening the kundalini or the energy that lies at the base of the spine. Namaste greeting is the act of greeting somebody by bowing the head and putting both palms together. The Puja is a ritual whereby humans relate to the actions of the divine. The Sadhu are the holy men of Hinduism, like the priests of the Catholics (Religionfacts.com). Among these practices the Kundalini Yoga is most helpful to me. Among these rituals the Ayurveda and the Namaste greeting have not been prescribed by the Bible. The use of ancient healing like the Ayurveda is a human tradition which takes precedence over the authority of the Scripture. Even the Namaste greeting cannot be found in the Bible. If I knew that I have only a few weeks to live, I will spend more time with my family, relatives and friends. They are the people who

What do good leaders do to Motivate people Research Paper

What do good leaders do to Motivate people - Research Paper Example It is their ability to influence and motivate others that made them highly successful leaders. From business and organization behavior perspectives, leaders are those who influence, motivate and control people with a view to cultivate social capital and employee vigor (Carmeli, Ben-Hador, Waldman & Rupp, 2009). ‘Motivation’ is undeniably one of the most significant resources that leaders should make use to achieve organizational objectives, attain high performance working and ensure competitive edge. This piece of research attempts to present theoretical perspectives of leadership and to explain what and how leaders do things differently to motivate people. This paper, presenting succinct details on different leadership models, exemplifies ways and strategies that leaders take in to account to motivate their subordinates and get them involved in achieving organizational goals. Leadership is a unique personal and professional quality. It is necessarily an inborn quality according to some researchers and it is ‘made’ according to some other researches. Trait theory of leadership, one of the earliest theories of leadership that gave way to the Behavioral theory and Contingency theory, viewed that distinctive physical and psychological characteristics account for leadership and its effectiveness. Various physical and psychological traits such as height, intelligence, attractiveness, self-reliance, creativity etc were studied and analyzed. Basic intelligence, clear and strong values and high level of personal energy were always listed in the main traits for effective leadership (Manning, Curtis and Manning, 2003, p. 16). In recent years, some researchers argued that leaders are ‘made’ and not born. Warren Bennis is one of the most important names who contributed much to leadership studies. He strongly disagreed with the concept that leadership is an innate ability. He defined leadership as â€Å"the capacity to translate vision in to reality† (Corcoran, 2008, p. 3). Being the founding director of Warren Bennis tried to avoid the traditional view about leadership and the concepts of trait-theories, as he argued that leaders are made from training, education, developmental program and learning experiences. Based on this view, leaders can become still more effective leaders and develop their skills further by testing and applying various strategies and techniques to better influence and motivate their followers. Influence and motivation are important matters to leadership. From the fact that leaders’ effectiveness is influenced by training and developmental program, it can be understood that leaders can try several ways to motivate their people and thus to improve their leadership effectiveness. Effective

Summary of Michelle Alexander argument relative to origin of Jim Crow Essay

Summary of Michelle Alexander argument relative to origin of Jim Crow - Essay Example As a result, they were constrained to second grade jobs and opportunities such as being slaves or performing menial jobs for the whites. It follows that the form of segregation postulated and fronted took the holistic approach such that the places where the African-Americans lived was supposed to be of lower cadre or class comparative to the other white neighborhoods. Thus, it goes without saying that the limited employment opportunities of the African-Americans limited their economic empowerment and as a result they lived in poverty. This is so due to the fact that they were set to occupy low paying jobs which implies that their economic power was greatly reduced and as a result they lived poor lives. Accordingly, the current criminal justice dispensation acts as a racial tool to discriminate and control the African-Americans if the empirical evidence and statistics is anything to go by. It is critical to note and mention that the speaker in the New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander outlines that Blacks get arrested for equal or lesser crimes as their white counterparts. For instance, she mentions that the â€Å"blacks are arrested for non-violent often drug related offence, the vary sorts that occur with roughly equal frequency in the middle class white community or on college campuses.† Equally important is that the kind of treatment that the African-Americans are subjected to in prison is second class.

Diploma in Ship Superintendancy Module 3 TMA Essay

Diploma in Ship Superintendancy Module 3 TMA - Essay Example This can be followed when there is enough Insurance for the ship and the cargo. I t is important to know to whom the insurance is named after and whether the insurance is assigned to a bank under a loan agreement. The extent of the insurance should be known for there may be uncovered items. Then there is Freight Management which is the provision of voyage orders and other information to enable the master to plan and undertake the voyage, of voyage estimates and accounts, the calculation of hire and freights, dispatch and demurrage and the arrangement of the correct collection and payment of all charter hire and freight monies. Fifth would be Accounting which is the accurate records of accounts. Sixth is Chartering which is the owner's instructions. Proper coordination with the owner, or a selected organization, is crucial to avoid mistakes. Next is Vessel Sales and Purchase. This is a major activity where the exchange of the purchase price with the deed of sale of the ship along with the physical asset. Eighth is Provisions and Bunkering. This is the negotiation for competitive prices for optimum quality for shipment. Then we have Operation, which includes voyage estimates, voyage instructions, appointment of agents and stevedores and the arrangements for surveying cargoes. ... Seaworthiness and cargoworthiness always go hand in hand. As an overview, seaworthiness is the shipowner's responsibility to see the ship is fit for travel and cargowothiness is the responsibility to make the cargo hulls safe for the cargo and the cargo safe for transport. Related directly as the shipowner's right to limit his liabilities, the concept is of seaworthiness is a very important in legal context. This is achieved by proper preparation at the start of the voyage. This means that the ship must be properly manned, equipped and supplied. The parts of the ship in which the good are carried must be fit and safe for receipt, carriage and preservation. At the event that cargo is not at par with the cargo owner's desires, the right to limit the liabilities can then be challenged at court. The concept of cargoworthiness relates as the consideration associated with fitness for purpose and condition. This is now the cargo owner's task to see that his products are properly transported. This is important for both the cargo and ship owner's because it will definitely limit future problems with substandard shipments. Furthermore, the cargo must be properly loaded, stowed, carried, discharged and delivered. This now is the mainly the responsibility of the cargo owner, although it does go hand in hand with the shipowner's task of keeping the ship seaworthy. Even if the ship is of perfect condition for cargo containment, without the proper handling and transport of the cargo to and from the vessel, it is still likely that the goods are to be damaged. 3. The process involved in amending (in 1995) the STCW convention and ensuring that it operates consistently and effectively Back in 1974 when the STCW convention was first introduced, it was

Fall and Collapse of Communism between 1989 and 1991 Essay Example for Free

Fall and Collapse of Communism between 1989 and 1991 Essay The fall of Soviet Union and the subsequent collapse of communism has been a defining moment in the post World War II politico-social environment. Although the collapse of communism accelerated itself during the period 1989-1991, it is necessary to investigate the historical reasons which contributed to the collapse of communism. A strong tendency of totalitarianism has always been evident in the history of Russia. The same tendency has been carried over into the Soviet Union in the form of Marxism-Leninism. Stalin’s attempt on enforcing a common Soviet national identity on disparate ethnic groups has always been a source of unrest in the USSR. The Marxist-Leninist way of redefining communism from a state and nation building perspective has also made the internal socio-economic structure of the Soviet Union inherently unstable. Moreover the Soviet narrative on international communism once again emphasized the dominant hierarchy of Marxism-Leninism, as evidenced by the Hungarian uprising of 1956. An inclination towards collectivization as a State building principle has also rendered the Soviet economy distinctively vulnerable in comparison to Western nations. The Soviet Union was caught in a pincer movement of internal instability and external influences in terms of foreign policy. Gorbachev’s introduction of reforms in terms of Glasnost and Perestroika hinted at a possible opening up of the Soviet society. The departure of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 resulted in a decreased military influence on the Soviet society. This further encouraged the citizenry to question the legitimacy of Soviet identity culminating in the violent demonstrations across the Soviet Union, especially in the Baltic States. This exposed and brought the structural weakness of Communism to the surface. The fall of Berlin wall also contributed to the weakening of Soviet foreign influence.   Economic factors like dip in the oil price and lack of foreign reserves further divided and weakened the nation already disturbed by the civil unrest. Soviet Union was not only reeling under the pressure of internal conflicts, but also could not compete with United States in terms of military power and economic development. Finally Soviet Union was forced to withdraw its troops from Eastern Europe and the communist regimes there were overthrown. The erstwhile Baltic Republics also declared independence in 1990. As a result the Soviet brand of communism shrunk itself and was limited to Russia. As a culmination Boris Yeltsin banned the CPSU in 1991 and termed it unconstitutional. To summarize the fall and collapse of communism was not due to internal strife alone, but also hastened by the indirect economic influence by United States. The collapse was accelerated during 1989-91 due to a combination of these factors. The collapse itself has to be further understood within a broader framework of systemic weakness of the idealogy. At the same time short-term factors like lack of satisfactory economic growth and civil unrest did indeed play a crucial role in the sudden demise of Communism. Work Cited Friedman, L. Thomas. The World is Flat, England: Penguin Books Ltd., 2005. 48-172

Prius automatically switches Essay Example for Free

Prius automatically switches Essay There are many reasons why people want a revolutionary car. Some enthusiasts enthuse about scientific and technological advances and want the latest gizmos. Others rebel against fuel price increases, even though fuel is cheaper than it has been for decades. Finally, people are ‘concerned about the environment’. Hoping that all the above was true and looking to grab a technological advantage over other car manufacturers; in 2000 Toyota introduced Prius, their first hybrid car. Prius means ‘to go before’, so is a name that may be very prophetic. The Prius and the Honda Insight are the first in a wave of hybrid family cars coming out ahead of similar vehicles from GM, Ford and Daimler Chrysler. At first glance, the Prius seems to have a lot going for it. It combines a 1. 5 litre, four cylinder petrol engine and a 33-kilowatt electric motor. It comfortably seats five, if the three in the back aren’t too tall or too big and has 0,34 cubic meters of luggage space. The electric motor starts the car and operates at low speeds, using a nickel metal-hydride battery.   Under normal motorway conditions, it should get 28 km per liter. The downside is that the Prius is no muscle car. It also costs about 4,000 euros more than the Toyota Echo, although they are nearly the same car. Of course, getting twice as many kilometers per liter of petrol will help to offset the price differential. Assuming the range and a typical 2002 price of one euro per liter, the Prius owner would have to buy 4,000 liters of petrol, enough fuel for 112,000 km, which could take years. Of course, if prices were to rise drastically, that could change. But even if prices doubled-which is not likely-you’d have to drive more than 50,000 km to make up the initial price difference. The picture gets even gloomier when you realize that no one is going to get the estimated fuel consumption anyway. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has admitted that its testing procedure overstates petrol mileage by as much as 15 per cent. It tests cars on a chassis dynamometer, where the driven wheels turn freely on a set of rotating drums-far from normal driving conditions. In addition, hybrids use regenerative braking to recharge their batteries, with the result that braking during the EPA driving cycle is feeding more energy back into the system, boosting estimated petrol mileage. Although this offers a fuel saving, the overall cost of ownership looks less attractive. Compared with the family ‘Car of the Year 2004’, the conventionally powered Toyota Avensis 1. 8 T3-S, the Prius looks poor value. Although the Prius saves on fuel, its overall running cost comes out higher than that of the equivalent Avensis. The reason is its 25 per cent higher service or contract hire cost. On the brighter side, Toyota and its competitors believe that costs will decrease once production of hybrids begins to yield economies of scale. The benefits of scale would not stop with the producer. For example, a major part of the cost of the car is the nickel metal-hydride batteries. A company such as Panasonic could reduce the cost of producing batteries through research and development, it the market merited such an investment and could further reduce the price of batteries through its own economies of scale. However, realizing that cost reductions are a way off that fuel savings aren’t going to be the key to convincing people to purchase the Prius, car manufacturers have asked for tax incentives to stimulate purchase of clean-fuel and high-mileage cars. Several governments are providing incentives to people to buy hybrid cars. The US government offers $ 2,000 federal income-reduction and the UK government offers reduced car tax on initial purchase. Electric car drivers can also avoid London’s GBP 5 per day Congestion Charge. Are consumers ready for hybrids? Do improved gas mileage and emissions standards affect their buying decision? A glance at car sales in the last 10 years would suggest not. The biggest sales growth was in gas-guzzling 4 x 4s. After all, we rarely saw Range Rovers 10 years ago, now they’re a fairly common sight. People, it seems, think it’s a good idea for their neighbors to drive green machines, not themselves. Actually, when the Prius was introduced, it flew out of dealer’s showrooms. Between July and October 2000, Toyota sold 2,610 Priuses and had difficulty keeping up with demand. By the end of October 2000, the cars were waitlisted until January. Of course, much of that sales success is attributable to Toyota’s clever marketing. Two years before introduction, Toyota began educating consumers about the Prius. The company established a website to distribute information and also sent e-brochures to 40,000 likely buyers just before the introduction. Within two weeks. Toyota sold 1,800 cars based on the email message. In all, Toyota spent â‚ ¬15 million in 2002 promoting the Prius. There were print ads in magazines, but the bulk of the campaign was in television advertising. Ads running before the actual introduction used the tag line ‘A car that sometimes runs on gas power and sometimes runs on electric power, from a company that always runs on brain power. These ads helped to position Toyota as an ‘environmentally concerned’ company and more subtly stressed the technology aspect of the car. After introduction, the ads appealed more to emotion, with tag lines such as ‘ When it sees red, it charges’ – a reference to the car’s recharging at traffic lights. The headline captured the consumer’s attention through ambiguity. Only through focusing on the ad could the consumer learn why the headline was accurate. Again, the appeal is based on the technology of the car. Finally, Toyota took advantage of Earth Day to send out green seed cards shaped like Toyota’s logo to prospective buyers, wrapped some Priuses in green, and gave away cars at Earth Day events. Of course, â‚ ¬15 million is just a drop in the ocean compared to Toyota’s overall marketing budget of â‚ ¬ 200 million in 2002, but Toyota was satisfied with the effectiveness of the campaign, given the ‘newness’ of the car and the need to explain its technology. Much of this success can also be attributed to the narrow targeting of the ads. The company expected the first hybrid car buyers to be ‘techies’ and early adopters (people who are highly likely to buy something new). They were right. Many Prius owners are immersed in thee technology. They flood chat rooms with discussion of the car. The Priusenvy. com website urges owners to ‘Kick some gas’. Owners immediately began tinkering with the car’s computer system. One owner was able to add cruise control (an option not offered by Toyota) by wiring in a few switches in the car’s computer system. The founder of priusenvy. com worked out how to use the car’s dashboard display screen to show files from his laptop, play video games, and took at rear-view images from a video camera pointed out of the back of the car. One Austrian consumer installed a sniffer – a device on the car’s computer network that monitors messages. With the sniffer, he will be able to hook up add- ons such as a MiniDisc Player, an MP3 player, a laptop computer and a TV tuner. In the past, owners using mechanical skills customized cars with paint, lowered bodies, and souped – up engines. In the future, customization may rely on being computer savvy. Even though the Internet was a major part of the Prius launch, Toyota does not sell the car from its website. Buyers go to prius. toyota. com online to pick a color and decide whether they want a CD player and floor mats- the only options available from Toyota. After that, the dealers get involved, but it takes specially trained salespeople to explain and promote the Prius. Consequently, only 75 per cent of Toyota dealers handle the car. Many of them are not happy about the need to train salespeople. And why should they be? Margins are higher on gas-guzzlers, which are also easier to sell. Given dealer reluctance and consumer resistance, why have Toyota and Honda spent so much on their hybrids? While part of the answer is government regulations, a bigger part of the answer is competition. All car manufacturers concede that they will eventually have to move to hybrids to raise petrol mileage and lower emissions, and all of them have plans to do so. Ford, for example, plans to introduce an Escape SUV that will get 17 km/litre. Daimler Chrysler says that 15 per cent of its sport-utility vehicles will be hybrids that will get 20 per cent better fuel efficiency than conventional vehicles. General Motors is betting on hybrid buses and trucks. Toyota hopes, however, that its early entry will be the basis for a system of hybrids from ultra compact ‘minicars’ to luxury saloons, sport-utility vehicles, and even commercial trucks,. The mass market, however, values space, comfort, and power. Although hybrids may have space and comfort, power would appear to be elusive. Without greater power, it will be interesting to see whether consumers, who like speed on those open autobahns and acceleration on alpine roads, will settle for a hybrid. Questions 1. Outline the major macroenvironmental factors-demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural-that have affected the introduction and sales of the Toyota Prius. How has Toyota dealt with each of these factors? 2. Evaluate Toyota’s marketing strategy so far. What has Toyota done well? How might it improve its strategy? 3. In your opinion, what are the advantages of Toyota’s early entry into the hybrid market? What are the disadvantages? Should Toyota have waited- like Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler? 4. What needs and reasons would drive someone to purchase a â€Å"green† car?

Chav Culture | Subcultures and Cultural Criminology

Chav Culture | Subcultures and Cultural Criminology The word chav is defined in the oxford dictionary as: a young lower-class person typified by brash and loutish behaviour and the wearing of designer clothes. It is described as an informal derogatory word in British slang. The website, www.urbandictionary.com, which is known for its definitions of British slang words, rather than define the word chav, depicts the image of a 12 year old boy wearing an imitation tracksuit whilst smoking a cigarette and simultaneously showing off his jewellery. The website describes young boys attitude as arrogant walking around as if he is 8 feet tall and mouthing off to strangers that walk by. This website does a great job of posing a truthful image of what a chav is deemed to be. The importance of cultural criminology lies within understanding human social behaviour through the recognition of cultural factors which enables theorists to view behaviour as dynamic rather than determined giving rise to different views on transgressive behaviour. The actions of the youth considered to be chavs on a daily basis can be deemed as part of their lifestyle, which has subsequently lead to the increase in the term chav subculture. The word subculture is used to describe a culture with qualities that differentiates them from a larger culture, for example the chav culture within British culture. The qualities that this chav subculture observes that differentiates are; a different fashion sense predominantly tracksuits and baseball caps; the wearing of lots of bling which is generally gold jewellery whether fake or real; and general loitering (hanging out) in public places such as street corners, town centres. Cultural criminology aims at looking at crime in the context of its culture. It aims to show the relationship between media culture, youth culture and crimes. It is the idea that the reason for committing an offence due to the thrill received. This may be due to excessive boredom meaning offenders have to resort to crime as their only source of pleasure. Cultural criminologists argue that offenders are influenced by media, and are in the mindset of that is the way to behave. In the context of the chav phenomenon they would argue that the chav phenomenon has occurred through choice, primarily for youngsters to fit in with their surroundings. An example of this can be seen through chav fashion and style. The Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies describes style as a means of resolving structural contradictions; however cultural criminologists, such as Martin, take this a step further and describe style as a way of connecting an individual to society. By following the fashion trends, and wearing designer gear, regardless of its legitimacy it is an attempt by chavs to connect with society. Fashion may be seen as a form of exclusivity, with the elite wearing exclusive designer labels; an art form with an agenda of keeping the non-elite at a distance. I believe that the subversive use of Burberry wear by chavs is undeniably an attempt by chavs at connecting with society; by separating themselves from normal fashion and creating their own rebellious trends. Taking into account Bennetts notions of lifestyle, I would argue that the choices taken by the working class youth are an effort to attain an identity, to be realised and accepted in a community in which they believed they are ostracised. This conclusion was also drawn by the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies who believe the chav phenomenon can be a reaction to analogous transformations in working-class identity, community and culture, now taking place in the context of consumer capitalism. Chavs tend to socialise or loiter in places which are public such as town centres, street corners due to boredom. The only form of entertainment available to them is shouting abuse at passers. This deviance is conceived as the thrill of transgression and self-transcendence as a way of overcoming the conventionality and mundanity typically associated with the banal routines and practicalities of everyday regular life. I believe the reason chavs walking around flaunting their designer gear a bid receive attention that isnt obtained elsewhere. The word chav is connected to communities that have suffered social deprivation. Lawler takes this a step further and describes them as the poor and dispossessed. Furthermore, Cohen and Ainley describe chavs as a post-industrial youth underclass. However I do not believe the words chav and underclass are entirely synonymous. I fear underclass is the word that has confused caused arguments regarding class prejudice. Skegg notes that terms such as social exclusion and the underclass have been cynically promoted and utilized by successive British Governments and policy makers, and have rapidly taken the place of terms such as working class. It is this point that illustrates the fact that despite post 1980s studies of culture that showed a decline in the analysis of social class; class distinctions have not disappeared rather they have been replaced. As the recognition of class inequalities has been buried so have class identities making the work on social class appear out of place. Howe ver the fact that the economic polarisation reached its pinnacle in the 1980s meant that the working class became the new underclass. This is echoed by Sayer who deems that the term working class has become one of embarrassment and shame after a decline into the issues of class equality. Moran asserts that the chav phenomenon surfaced as part of the 1980s turn towards neo-liberal thinking and enterprise culture. Moran claims society was perceived as groups comprising distinguished tastes and lifestyles, which further became known as yuppies, toffs, boffins and chavs. Despite various research about the declining importance of class, the creation of such groups has lead to stereotyping resulting in new classes. One way of distinguishing the lower classes is their crass and flashy style illustrated in the clothes they wear, the jewellery they wear and the music they listen to. News media has been one of the prime means through which the chav depiction has been composed and constituted. An example is an article titled Sites to check out if you chav what it takesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News 2004, in which writer Gina Davidson declares: And we will know them by their dress . . . and trail of fag ends, sparkling white trainers, baggy tracksuit trousers, branded sports top, gold-hooped earrings, sovvy rings and the ubiquitous Burberry baseball cap. In essence, writers such as this label and define the new underclass known as chavs. She writes, Call them what you will, identifying them is easy. In addition to this statement, she continues in a defaming manner by stating that the girls wear too much gold plated jewellery that they will end up putting H Samuel out of business. She labels them as the dole-scroungers, petty criminals, football hooligans and teenage pram-pushers. Davidsons description demonstrates how the chav label ha s become an umbrella which encompass a string of older stereotypes of the white working classes. However the media distinguishes the fact that the chav image possesses a characteristic that makes it unique from previous images of the underclass; the attention paid to the exaggerated use of consumer goods, examples of which include cheap jewellery, branded sports gear and the excessive use of Burberry wear. This has been acknowledged by Hayward and Yar who argue that the chav phenomenon reiterates the discursive creation of the underclass, while simultaneously reconfiguring it within the space of commodity consumption. Through descriptive illustration of chavs, the news media has created a profile, and a person who fits the profile or is similar to the profile will be characterized as a chav. The media has created a class from which people may be pigeonholed purely based on their foreground; with no regard whatsoever as to their background. Furthermore, theoretical writers such as Lawler , Skeggs and Tyler have laid emphasis on the fact that the portrayals of the chav plastered with a sense of disgust which leads to attempts of distinctions by the middle class who are insecure about being tarnished with the same brush as the lower class. An illustration of this antipathy is shown in a quote from a website regarding chavs: I am so glad I have money and am not forced to live in local authority housing. This image just makes me realise how lucky I am to be an educated, cultured member of the middle classes. This disregard for the background along with the sense disgust created by the media towards this new underclass is what separates the middle/upper class with the chav underclass. I commend Billigs critique that these unhelpful media accounts of chavs have an underlying intent to produce a disgust which is not simply reactive but is constitutive of social class. The expression of disgust within media portrayals of chavs must be seen as conscious and not unintentional. The chav figure has produced a boom of condescending scorn aimed at the lower classes by not only the upper class but the middle class as well. I would argue that from the view of cultural criminologists, it is this ostracisation that breeds the chav culture and influences the youth to act in such way that contravenes the conventional norm exhibited by society. These transgressions are what gives these chavs their identity. Modern studies on youth frequently put emphasis the notion that class has become less important in shaping young peoples futures has become a powerful argument in sociological writing on youth. But it is this notion of class itself that shapes the youth to pick a culture to follow. The chav culture is just new option that adds to the list of other youth cultures such as Goth, Emo and Urban. Taking the viewpoint of conventional criminologists, when analysing the new underclass they would take into account the fact that chavs predominantly come from neighbourhoods that exhibit community disorganisation and physical deterioration. The neighbourhoods in which chavs grow up are generally estates which are mainly owned by the local authority or areas or rented housing. These areas are high in proportion of single parent families. These areas also exhibit socio-economic deprivation. The parents of the youths in these areas are largely unemployed, a study for the Centre of Social Justice shows that between 1981 and 2006 the proportion of social housing tenants of working age in full-time employment halved from 67% to 34%. Parents also tend to have histories of drug or alcohol abuse and backgrounds relating to criminality. Families living in these areas tend to lack good relationships between children and their parents with the parents lacking good parental skills resulting in d ysfunctional families with high tendency of family breakdown. In turn the children of the parents have as a result of poor parenting and social upbringing been left with no or little social skills or work ethic and may be impossible to educate. These youths display a number of individual factors such as hyperactivity, impulsive reactions, mental and/or physical health problems and a low self esteem. It leaves these youths with poor academic performances in their schools, due to constant time wasting through disruptive and aggressive behaviour. Their lack of discipline and organisation can lead to poor attendance in schools and early leaving. Edwin H. Sutherland put forward the notion of differential association which asserts that criminal behaviour is learned through interaction, it emerges when a person is exposed to more social message favouring conduct than pro-social messages. He argues that criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values the same as non criminal behaviour. If we remove the criminal factor from this theory, it can be applied in the context of chavs; the reason for their behaviour such as loitering or the reason they conform to a dress code is because chavs would like to express themselves just as the upper classes do. They too feel the need to follow a fashion, trend or culture just as much as everyone else. Another theory that can be applied to the chav phenomenon is the theory of anomie and strain developed by Robert K. Merton. This theory when applied to the chav phenomenon would suggest that chavs divulge in transgressive behaviour as a result of culture and the structure of society itself. He echoes the fact that all of society shares the same values and goals. The theory asserts the reason for chav behaviour is due to a retreat from social norms as a consequence of unequal social opportunities causing the youth to drop into deviant subcultures. Taking this theory a step further we could interpret the culture of chavs a rebellion, which aims to seek new goals, such as creating a new identity or culture solely to differentiate themselves from those who distance themselves from chavs due to ignorance. Furthermore, the theory of delinquent subculture could be applied, developed by Albert K. Cohen. He believes that the reason for delinquent behaviour was an uprising against the middle class societys perception of what society should be. He states the delinquent subculture, takes its norms from the larger culture, but turns them upside down. The delinquents conduct is right by the standards of his subculture precisely because it is wrong by the norms of the larger culture. In essence, I believe that the chav phenomenon as subculture has come about due to circumstance as well as choice. I believe that the choice to adhere to this subculture made by the youth does not come solely by free will, but is based upon the circumstances and factors that surround these youth, leading them to conform to a culture. This would lead me to say that the view taken by cultural criminologists that chav culture is a choice or a rebellion would not be true if taken out of the context of the argument put forward by conventional criminologist. I do not believe that chav label solely depicts someone following a culture. We have seen in the media, people who have come from chav like backgrounds are still regarded as chavs such as Jade Goody and Coleen Rooney. Although no longer displaying chav-wear, the fact that they come from chav backgrounds has permanently branded them as chavs with Jade Goody being regarded as the ultimate chav. The fact that the she moved out of the depr ived living conditions she once resided in the label has stuck with her despite her moving into a middle class society. I believe this has lead to a social labelling and almost social prejudice against people who come from areas populated with chavs. What people fail to see the is what is hidden behind veil known as chav , the real social underlying problems that have lead the youth to make those choices to follow this culture. Jade goody, labelled the ultimate chav, was ridiculed for her lack of general knowledge on national television, but a closer look at her background reveals that her upbringing was one of hardship and difficulty. She was brought up in an environment full of crime and violence, with her father was a chronic drug addict and her mother a thief, it was not an rearing full of values and ideals. Tyler and Bennet claim in their article on celebrity chavs that Media portrayals of these celebrities employ con- notations of the undeserving poor à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in order to generate accounts of the undeserving celebrity. In reality I believe there is more to the chav phenomenon than just a culture, it has been introduced into society as a class; a class that you are born into and cannot leave. A class that has been produced as a by product of the decline of class and fashioned to produce fluid identities and to compensate for the change in political strategies. A class that the youth choose to be in purely because they fit in no other class.

Children and Television Violence Essay -- Media Violent Children Psych

Children and Television Violence Through what they experience on television, children are forced into adulthood at too young of an age. The innocence of youth is lost when children stare endlessly at a screen displaying the horrors of murder, rape, assault, devastating fire, and other natural disasters. Although these are occurrences in everyday life, things adults have grown accustomed to hearing about, children do not have the maturity level to deal with these tragedies appropriately. Children's behavior changes because they become desensitized to the violence. There are many preventative techniques that can be applied to ensure that negativity on television will not interfere with a child's development.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children see violent acts on television and make an attempt to process it, and in doing so, their innocence is lost. According to Dr. David Elkind, president emeritus, National Association for the Education of Young Children, ?Television forces children to accommodate a great deal and inhibits the assimilation of material. Consequently, the television child knows a great deal more than he or she can ever understand. This discrepancy between how much information children have and what they can process is the major stress of television.? (160) Children?s minds are not fully developed; therefore, they can not be expected to understand the violence on television.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media, specifically television, has become more and more violent, in not all too subtle ways, exposing many children to behaviors not appropriate to a young audience. Remember ?the Menendez brothers, who ruthlessly shot their parents as they ate ice cream and watched TV in their family room, planted in children?s minds the worst possibility -- that a parent could die violently at the hands of a child.? (Medved, et. al. 243) Seeing the violence, hearing about it, watching news reports about violent acts committed by real people, especially other children, affects the viewer negatively. Children can not relate to what they see when they are so young, making the act of watching violent television extremely questionable. Children should not know about murder and rape; however according to Gloria Tristani, Commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission, by the time they finish elementary school, children have witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of viol ence. (Tristani... ...ing violence on television, parents are helping to eliminate the desensitization that happens from witnessing such wrongdoing. Bibliography Black, Jay, and Jennings Bryant. Introduction to Media Communication. Iowa: Brown, 1995. Eisenstock, Bobbie, PhD., and Cathryn C. Borum. A Parent?s Guide to the TV Ratings and V-Chip.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Washington: Media, 1995. Elkind, David. The Hurried Child. Reading: Addison, 1981. Krcmar, Marina, and Patti M. Valkenburg. ?A Scale to Assess Children?s Moral Interpretations of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Justified and Unjustified Violence and Its Repercussions.? Communication Research Oct.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1999: 608-635. ?Lock-Out Blocks Media Violence and Provides internet Safety for Your Children.? Lock-Out! n.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pag. 6 June 2000 . Medved, Diane, PhD., and Michael Medved. Saving Childhood. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. Medved, Michael. Hollywood VS. America. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. Nathanson, Ian. Telephone interview. 6 June 2000. Tristani, Gloria. ?Children and TV Violence Speech.? FCC 11 Feb. 1998: n. pag. 2 June 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .

A Circuitous Path to Dentistry :: Dentistry Admissions Essays

A Circuitous Path to Dentistry I could hardly keep myself from staring at the girl: the right side of her face was misshapen and bigger than the left. Only later did I notice that Cheryl, about nine at the time, had light brown hair, lively brown eyes, and a captivating smile. When she walked into the candy shop where I worked six years ago, Cheryl told me she was a student of my former fourth grade teacher with whom I had kept in contact. We talked then and spent time talking each time she visited. She became a very special friend of mine, one whom I admire greatly. At the time we met, I was taking honors and AP classes, working about twenty hours a week, and feeling sorry for myself. Cheryl's outgoing confidence and good cheer put my situation in perspective. Cheryl was strong, kind, and surprisingly hopeful. She never focused on her facial deformities, but always on the anticipated improvement in her appearance. Her ability to find strength within herself inspired me to become a stronger person. It motivated me to pursue a career where I could help those like Cheryl attain the strength that she possesses. At the time, my initial interest turned toward psychology. Impressed with Cheryl's outlook, I overlooked the source of her strength: she knew that treatment will improve her appearance. Focusing on the emotional aspects of her illness, I volunteered at the Neuropsychiatric Institute. There, I supervised the daily activities of pre-adolescents, played with them, and assisted them in getting dressed. I worked with crack babies, autistic children, and children who had severe behavioral problems. I enjoyed interacting with the children, but I often became frustrated that I was not able to help them. For instance, a young autistic boy frequently hit himself. No one was permitted to stop this child. We had to turn away and allow him to continually strike and hurt himself until he tired. I was increasingly disappointed with the lack of progress I saw in my volunteer work at NPI, but my job again pushed me in the right direction. During the fall quarter of my junior year in college, I left the candy shop where I had worked for nearly five and a half years, and I began working as a senior clerk in the Anesthesiology Residency Program. Ironically work, which frequently made study difficult, helped me find the right

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Essay -- essays research papers

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) One of the leading causes of mental retardation in the United States is fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance by pregnant women because it's legal and socially acceptable. A greater majority of young women are not aware of the complications that are involved with pregnancy. They see pregnancy as a way of bringing a life into the world but do not use the necessary safety measure in their dietary habits to prevent such damage or inhibitions of such a life. By continuing on their drinking binge throughout their pregnancy, they can cause an inexplicable damage to herself and the fetus she is carrying. In my opinion, any amount of alcohol combined with pregnancy can cause devastating effects to the fetus. "Neurobehavioral deficits have been found in infants whose mothers reported fewer than seven standard drinks a week, and the effects of drinking in early pregnancy (the first trimester) are among the more severe of alcohol's effects on the fetus, causing irreversible facial malformations and neurological damage" (Kaskutas & Graves, 2001). Lee Ann Kaskutas and Karen Graves believes that the precision of measurement of how much a woman drinks throughout pregnancy is very important to the assessment of fetal risk (2001). The title of their study, "Pre-pregnancy drinking: How drink size affects risk assessment", can help us conclude that the independent variables are the drink sizes and the dependent variable is the risk assessment. From the introduction section, I have learned that in the United States, American Indians and African Americans are at the highest risk for FAS. Even though there have been advances in research methodology, people can have a misconception on the concept of what is a standard drink. When asked how much they drank on previous surveys, previous participants had a misconception on the drink sizes. "This has implications for FAS risk assessment, as underestimates of alcohol consumptions could lead researchers to conclude that increasingly lower safe thresholds of consumption are called for" (Kaskutas & Graves, 2001). The authors found that half of the subjects under study have underestimated the amount of alcohol in their various drinks. The authors believed that most women ... ...ance on standard drinks results in considerable underestimation of alcohol consumption, especially among the heavier drinkers and those consuming higher alcohol content beverages" (Kaskutas & Graves, 2001). It is concluded in this research that standard drink sizes assume a much smaller size than self-defined drink sizes. The authors did note that this study has several limitations. First, their sample included only few white subjects with no Hispanics, Asians and other ethnic groups. Also, "the vessels methodology should be used with expanded samples to determine whether large drink sizes are represented among other groups of pregnant women" (Kaskutas & Graves, 2001). Future research could include specifications of standard drink size for different types of alcohol when assessing risk for FAS. "Consideration of drink size represents a promising avenue both for alcohol research and for alcohol prevention and education, with pregnant women and more broa dly with the general population" (Kaskutas & Graves, 2001). Reference Kaskutas, L.A., Graves, K. (2001). Pre-pregnancy: How drink sizes affects risk assessment. Addiction, Vol 96(8), 1199-1209.

Comingof Age – Adolescence and Identity

Coming of Age Interview Adolescence and Identity Life is a series of lessons and challenges which help us to grow. According to Erik Erickson, the better that people come through each crisis, the better they will tend to deal with what lies ahead. People experience the most lessons during their childhood when they are Just learning of how the world operates. Children and young adults handle situations very differently because their thought processes are different depending on their experiences.Of course lessons can be revisited successfully when they reoccur as adults, if they are recognized as a problem. This essay is a good example of how two people raised in different environments felt like they became adults. I chose to use myself as one example and a co-worker to compare to. The interviewee is a 23 year old male named Michael. Michael was raised by his mother and father in Texas. His father was in the Marines and their family moved a lot. He said that his father was hard on him to always be manly and tough and he was physical with him for punishment.His parent's eventually divorced and Michael started to do his own thing with his friends in Texas while staying at his moms. He said that because he moved a lot growing up he was okay with having his things scattered about and staying with different people. It seemed like he did not have much stability after graduating High School. He waited two years after High School before he realized that he needed to do something with his life. It was a shock to him that life was nothing like High School. He stated, â€Å"l was the popular one in High School and I had a lot of friends. After we graduated they all did things and I stayed and was bored.I decided to Join the Marines like my dad. † Michael ended up in the Army instead which is how he became my co-worker. Now, Michael is newly married and takes care of a one year old girl. He has his own apartment and is the only one who brings home the income. He said that he felt he came of age when he joined the military and realized that life wasn't like High School. He rebelled to community expectations for the longest time until he realized that it made life more difficult and he needed money to get anywhere. He said that he used to Just care about partying and hanging out with friends but now his interests are in his family and career.He is comfortable with his adult identity but he realizes that he picked up some anger issues from his father and that can cause strain in his marriage as it did with his parent's. Like Erikson suggests, depending on how you dealt with things in adolescence it can reflect the way you do in adulthood. My development was different in that I was not necessarily raised by my parent's at all. I grew up in Northern Wisconsin and only moved around in the same three owns. My mother suffers from Schizophrenia and my father is also an alcoholic who had violent tendencies.I felt that I was an adult at the young age of 13 . I was completely self-sufficient and got a Job right away at the age of 14. I knew what I had to do to succeed Just by going off what my parent's were lacking in. I told myself that I mental illness and we grew up with little to no income. I lived with my younger brother Taylor up until he was taken from the home at age 4. Instead of being very popular and focused on the High School life like Michael, I was focusing on my grades ND Job so that I could graduate early and attend college. I graduated a half a year ahead of my class and started college right away.I never imagined not having a Job. It became hard for me to afford college on my own so I Joined the Army. Michael joined the Army as a sort of last resort to kick his life into gear. One thing that I know was similar; whether it had correlation or not, is that we both had alcoholic fathers. I did many successful things as a youth but that's not to say that I didn't get into the drinking and drug scene myself. My father's inf luence showed me that it was okay to rink and it looked like that is what adults do. I was acting like an adult with work and school so I also started to drink at age 13.Michael also started to drink at a young age with no question as to what right or wrong was. I think this shows that parental influence is a large factor in shaping your own values and coming of age. According to Erikson, â€Å"Surrounded by mighty disapproval the child's original state of naive self-love is said to be compromised. He looks for models by which to measure himself, and seeks happiness in trying to resemble them. Where he succeeds he achieves self-esteem†¦ † (Erickson 1980. As seen by the example above, the role models Michael and I have both affected us but in different ways.I chose to do the opposite of my parent's because I saw the mistakes they made. Michael chose to follow the career path of his father because he saw it support the family. â€Å"The growing child must derive a vitiati ng sense of reality from the awareness that his individual way of mastering experience is a successful variant in a group identity and is in accord with its space-time and life plan. † (Erickson 1980. ) It is shown that each child has their own perspective of reality and adulthood which comes about through positive and negative experiences in childhood and adolescence.Erickson theory is useful in that it reminds us to look back and wonder where a person's actions and way of life derived from. It is important to remember that in order to fix any problems and make changes in adulthood. It is silly to think that we Just woke up one day with anger problems or low self-esteem. Everything came from somewhere and finding the source makes it easier to handle. References Erikson, E. H. (1980). Ego Development and Historical Change. Identity and the life cycle (up. 17-50). New York: Norton.

Groups marginalised in Society Essay

One of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in society are people with an intellectual disability. Developmentally delayed individuals need a wide range of leisure programmes to choose from. The principle of Normalization has led to equal rights for people with special needs. Providing people with inclusive leisure programmes with non-disabled persons assists with their socialisation. However, lack of tolerance in the community at large, financial constraints, difficulties in accessing transport as well as skill deficiencies can inhibit some people from participating (Paterson & Taylor, 2002). People with disabilities often feel isolated, with little support from family and friends. This can inhibit them from being able to attend recreational activities. It is important that changes of attitude occur in mainstream society to assist the person with a disability to achieve a ‘better quality of life’. (Patterson & Taylor, 2001). Marginalised groups often are stigmatised, discriminated against and excluded from society. (Goffman,1997). This is certainly the case for people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Negative community responses, especially fear of HIV, often leave the person in despair and with lowered of self-esteem (Edington et al, 1998). They have to cope with loss of employment and rejection by members of professional and social networks and as a result they feel isolated and impoverished. The Aids Council of New South Wales (ACON) has responded by offering individual programmes as well as a network of social groups for leisure activities. A caseworker from AC (Aids Council) explained that it is extremely difficult for the HIV/AIDS affected person to participate in ‘mainstream’ activities because of negative attitudes and stigmatisation. Poverty is disproportionately high amongst minority and ethnic groups. Issues such as discrimination in finding employment, accessing education and training prevents individuals from achieving success. One study by Vescio et al, 1999, investigated sports participation and attitudes towards girls attending high schools in Sydney. It was found that participation by girls from non-English speaking backgrounds was significantly lower than those of Anglo-Australian culture. Barriers experienced by the girls included language, cultural and religious aspects. Cultural differences, prejudice,  discrimination and ignorance of ethnic groups often lead to isolation (Hibbins, 1998). These factors greatly inhibit ethnic communities from participating in leisure activities. Society needs to become more understanding of cultural diversity and tolerance of religious difference. Goffman, E, 1997, Selections from Stigma. In The disability studies reader, ed., L. Davis, Routledge, London, pp.203-215. Hibbins, R., 1998, Leisure and ethnic diversity in Australia. In Tourism, leisure and sport: Critical perspectives, eds.D. Rowe & G. Lawrence. Hodder Education. Sydney, pp.100-111. Patterson, I., & Taylor, T., 2001, Celebrating inclusion and diversity in leisure. Vescio, J.A., Taylor, T., Toohey, T., 1999, An exploration of sports participation by girls from a non-English speaking backgrounds.

Deception Point Page 8

The President gave her a comforting grin, and Rachel sensed firsthand the legendary Herney affability. The man possessed an easygoing countenance political cartoonists loved because no matter how skewed a rendition they drew, no one ever mistook the man's effortless warmth and amiable smile. His eyes mirrored sincerity and dignity at all times. â€Å"If you follow me,† he said in a cheery voice, â€Å"I've got a cup of coffee with your name on it.† â€Å"Thank you, sir.† The President pressed the intercom and called for some coffee in his office. As Rachel followed the President through the plane, she could not help but notice that he looked extremely happy and well-rested for a man who was down in the polls. He was also very casually dressed – blue jeans, a polo shirt, and L.L. Bean hiking boots. Rachel tried to make conversation. â€Å"Doing†¦ some hiking, Mr. President?† â€Å"Not at all. My campaign advisers have decided this should be my new look. What do you think?† Rachel hoped for his sake that he wasn't serious. â€Å"It's very†¦ um†¦ manly, sir.† Herney was deadpan. â€Å"Good. We're thinking it will help me win back some of the women's vote from your father.† After a beat, the President broke into a broad smile. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, that was a joke. I think we both know I'll need more than a polo shirt and blue jeans to win this election.† The President's openness and good humor were quickly evaporating any tension Rachel felt about being there. What this President lacked in physical brawn, he more than made up for in diplomatic rapport. Diplomacy was about people skills, and Zach Herney had the gift. Rachel followed the President toward the back of the plane. The deeper they went, the less the interior resembled a plane – curved hallways, wallpapered walls, even an exercise room complete with StairMaster and rowing machine. Oddly, the plane seemed almost entirely deserted. â€Å"Traveling alone, Mr. President?† He shook his head. â€Å"Just landed, actually.† Rachel was surprised. Landed from where? Her intel briefs this week had included nothing about presidential travel plans. Apparently he was using Wallops Island to travel quietly. â€Å"My staff deplaned right before you arrived,† the President said. â€Å"I'm headed back to the White House shortly to meet them, but I wanted to meet you here instead of my office.† â€Å"Trying to intimidate me?† â€Å"On the contrary. Trying to respect you, Ms. Sexton. The White House is anything but private, and news of a meeting between the two of us would put you in an awkward position with your father.† â€Å"I appreciate that, sir.† â€Å"It seems you're managing a delicate balancing act quite gracefully, and I see no reason to disrupt that.† Rachel flashed on her breakfast meeting with her father and doubted that it qualified as â€Å"graceful.† Nonetheless, Zach Herney was going out of his way to be decent, and he certainly didn't have to. â€Å"May I call you Rachel?† Herney asked. â€Å"Of course.† May I call you Zach? â€Å"My office,† the President said, ushering her through a carved maple door. The office aboard Air Force One certainly was cozier than its White House counterpart, but its furnishings still carried an air of austerity. The desk was mounded with papers, and behind it hung an imposing oil painting of a classic, three-masted schooner under full sail trying to outrun a raging storm. It seemed a perfect metaphor for Zach Herney's presidency at the moment. The President offered Rachel one of the three executive chairs facing his desk. She sat. Rachel expected him to sit behind his desk, but instead he pulled one of the chairs up and sat next to her. Equal footing, she realized. The master of rapport. â€Å"Well, Rachel,† Herney said, sighing tiredly as he settled into his chair. â€Å"I imagine you've got to be pretty damned confused to be sitting here right now, am I right?† Whatever was left of Rachel's guard crumbled away with the candor in the man's voice. â€Å"Actually, sir, I'm baffled.† Herney laughed out loud. â€Å"Terrific. It's not every day I can baffle someone from the NRO.† â€Å"It's not every day someone from the NRO is invited aboard Air Force One by a President in hiking boots.† The President laughed again. A quiet rap on the office door announced the arrival of coffee. One of the flight crew entered with a steaming pewter pot and two pewter mugs on a tray. At the President's bidding, she laid the tray on the desk and disappeared. â€Å"Cream and sugar?† the President asked, standing up to pour. â€Å"Cream, please.† Rachel savored the rich aroma. The President of the United States is personally serving me coffee? Zach Herney handed her a heavy pewter mug. â€Å"Authentic Paul Revere,† he said. â€Å"One of the little luxuries.† Rachel sipped the coffee. It was the best she had ever tasted. â€Å"Anyhow,† the President said, pouring himself a cup and sitting back down, â€Å"I've got limited time here, so let's get to business.† The President plopped a sugar cube in his coffee and gazed up at her. â€Å"I imagine Bill Pickering warned you that the only reason I would want to see you would be to use you to my political advantage?† â€Å"Actually, sir, that's exactly what he said.† The President chuckled. â€Å"Always the cynic.† â€Å"So he's wrong?† â€Å"Are you kidding?† the President laughed. â€Å"Bill Pickering is never wrong. He's dead-on as usual.† 9 Gabrielle Ashe gazed absently out the window of Senator Sexton's limousine as it moved through the morning traffic toward Sexton's office building. She wondered how the hell she had arrived at this point in her life. Personal assistant to Senator Sedgewick Sexton. This was exactly what she had wanted, wasn't it? I'm sitting in a limousine with the next President of the United States. Gabrielle stared across the car's plush interior at the senator, who seemed to be far away in his own thoughts. She admired his handsome features and perfect attire. He looked presidential. Gabrielle had first seen Sexton speak when she was a poli-sci major at Cornell University three years ago. She would never forget how his eyes probed the audience, as if sending a message directly to her-trust me. After Sexton's speech, Gabrielle waited in line to meet him. â€Å"Gabrielle Ashe,† the senator said, reading her name tag. â€Å"A lovely name for a lovely young woman.† His eyes were reassuring. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† Gabrielle replied, feeling the man's strength as she shook his hand. â€Å"I was really impressed by your message.† â€Å"Glad to hear it!† Sexton thrust a business card into her hand. â€Å"I'm always looking for bright young minds who share my vision. When you get out of school, track me down. My people may have a job for you.† Gabrielle opened her mouth to thank him, but the senator was already on to the next person in line. Nonetheless, in the months that followed, Gabrielle found herself following Sexton's career on television. She watched with admiration as he spoke out against big government spending – spearheading budget cuts, streamlining the IRS to work more effectively, trimming fat at the DEA, and even abolishing redundant civil service programs. Then, when the senator's wife died suddenly in a car crash, Gabrielle watched in awe as Sexton somehow turned the negative into a positive. Sexton rose above his personal pain and declared to the world that he would be running for the presidency and dedicating the remainder of his public service to his wife's memory. Gabrielle decided right then and there that she wanted to work closely with Senator Sexton's presidential campaign.