Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Deutsche Telekom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Deutsche Telekom - Essay Example 2. When the letter from the technician becomes known to the public, what, do you think, various stakeholders might say about Deutsche Telecom? What would customers say? What would analysts say? What would the general public, say? What would employees of the organization say? The various stakeholders will end up disappointed by the CEO of Deutsche Telecom and his entire managerial team and immediately call for his removal from office. Many customers would feel pity for the employees of the company and would remain loyal to the company, whereas analysts will put it clear to the media that, the main reason for the company’s failure is due to the CEO’s incompetence. This will tarnish the corporation’s reputation besides prompting mixed reactions amongst the employees of the company. Some due to the fear of losing their jobs will start criticizing the move adopted by the company’s technician. However, others will be in full support of the move and encourage the technician. The employee’s actions of making the letter public will be below par. Therefore, I would insist on meeting with the CEO first to discuss on the way forward. Then I would also hold a meeting with all the company’s employees to discuss on their grievances and the steps to take. 4. Put yourself in the shoes of middle manager of DT. Imagine that your employees are actively discussing the letter after it became public. Would you be engaged in those discussions? If yes, would you do that informally or in a formal setting? What would you say or ask? Yes, I would engage myself in the discussions but in an informal setting to make them feel at ease, hence share their thoughts. I would ask them of their opinions concerning the letter, whether it was right or wrong. I would also try making them feel appreciated by asking what they think is the way forward for the survival of the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

All Roads lead to China and its economy

All Roads lead to China and its economy The article â€Å"All Roads lead to China† dated 5th December 2009 in The Star Bizweek focuses on Chinas rise as an economic powerhouse, with the stage set to become the largest economy of the world. Continuous rapid economic development till date has placed China right at the heels of United States and Japan. After a market-orientated reform programme in 1970s, China turned into the centre of attraction for foreign investments from all over the world. The nations importance in the global economy is evident with its government policies and local companies actions being closely monitored. The staggering population in China of 1.3 billion provides an attractive customer base besides serving as a cheap labour force. In line with a boom in the manufacturing sector, Chinas demand for raw materials also propels correspondingly. This has not only transformed the way in which commodities are traded, but also led China to indulge in the acquisition of foreign assets and the formation of alliances with resource-rich countries. Despite of downbeats ranging from the low quality of goods produced to the accusation and allegation aimed towards China, the China economy is still going strong with corporations envisioning to compete against other established international players. The introduction of the market-orientated reform programme in 1970s do clearly seems to be a masterful move which has resulted in China enjoying rapid yet encouraging economic developments over the years. In addition, with a much improved and predictable legal system in practice, the republic seems to have strummed the right note in the global economy game, with investments pouring in from different parts of the world. It is indeed amazing to think how the China economy has managed to emerge as one of the dominant force in such short time span. With such thriving potential and capacity of the China economy, no wonder it is by no boast to claim that any business considering itself to be a global player has to enter the China market, as stated in the article. The major advantage that China enjoys and has successfully utilized over the years is the huge population which provides a cheap, appealing labour force for industries, particularly the manufacturing sector. Though China is not able to match with tech-savvy nations such Japan, they have understood the population advantage which they gain over other countries and thus embark on a labour-intensive-centered economy development. On top of that, a competitive surrounding too serves as a catalyst in Chinas economic development. Low wage may seem to be a fair reason to explain Chinas competitiveness, but Kwan (2002) pointed out that the productivity of Chinese workers also has to be taken into account as a factor in Chinas competitiveness. He explains that though China pays low wage for their workers like how Bangladesh and Somalia pay their respective workers, the relatively high productivity of Chinese workers has placed their competitiveness on par with United States. This indicates why till date, there has yet to be any countries able to match up with the cost advantage of companies based or branched in China. Amidst of the advantage discussed above, there are several setbacks occurring concurrently with Chinas economic progress. The first revolves around Chinas very own legal system. Though Chinas legal system has been more consistent and predictable with businesses enjoying a smoother entrance into the republics market, it still has its flaws and could still prove to be an obstacle for companies venturing into China. Recently, BBC (2010) reported a conflict between Google and the Chinese government with the former threatening to pull out of the nation due to cyber attacks and tight surveillance by the Chinese government to limit freedom of speech in the internet. With China continuously imposing tight regulatory and censorship rules over the internet while Google holding firm to its stand of prioritizing moral concerns ahead of businesses, the conflict has demonstrated that Chinas restricted openness will to certain extent hold back the republics potential to expand its economy. Additionally, there is also the factor of quality that China has to seriously look into. The recent years have saw Chinas exports raising safety concerns all around the world. The people worldwide are basically getting cheap goods at the expense of their health and safety. At the same time, the reliability and durability of China-made products have also raised concerns and dissatisfactions from the outside world. From toothpaste to pet food to toys recalled over the years, the quality control in China seemingly to have deteriorated from bad to worse. Of all the quality flops, the most serious case saw tens of thousands hospitalized due to melamine-contaminated dairy products. The scandal not only tarnished the nations image, but it has also puts Chinas credibility and ethical responsibility into question. Moving on, Chinas domination in the global economy will soon be severely tested with the issue of inflation surfacing in line with the prosperous developments. According to Peoples Daily Online (2010), experts have been predicting inflation in 2010 and the challenge lies ahead for Chinas economy to ‘prevent inflation and to control the inflationary expectations. With increased demand for commodities due to rising consumption power, inflation do seem inevitable for China and it would be interesting to see how the Chinese government will deal with this upcoming obstacle. Although Chinas economy has progressed immensely for the past 30 years, there are certain areas that still can be further improved to allow further expansion of the promising market. In the legal matters prospect, China could have given its legal system a thorough review to widen its doors to companies such as Google to encourage more potential investments. On the other hand, China can address to the problem of low quality goods by tightening the quality control regulation to regain consumers confidence towards China-made products. If the relevant problems have been attended and rectified accordingly, it is only a matter of time before China replaces United States at the top of the rankings. References BBC (2010) Google ‘may pull out of China after Gmail cyber attack [Online], Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8455712.stm [accessed 11 January 2010] Kwan, C.H. (2002) The Myth of China Competitiveness, [Online], Available: http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/miyakodayori/047.html [accessed 11 January 2010] Peoples Daily Online (2010) Experts: Preventing inflation is the biggest challenges for Chinas economy in 2010 [Online], Available: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90862/6871595.html [accessed 11 January 2010] Bibliography ICIS.com (2007) China product quality under spotlight [Online], Available: http://www.icis.com/Articles/2007/08/06/9049799/china-product-quality-under-spotlight.html [accessed 11 January 2010]

Friday, October 25, 2019

Twelve Years a Slave Essay -- Solomon B. Northup Autobiography Essays

Whites have long argued that slavery was good for slaves because it civilized them and that slaves were content to be held in bondage. But such is not the case, at least not according to those who were actually held in bondage. The accounts of slavery are greatly known by emancipated or run away slaves. One recorded account of slavery is by Solomon B. Northup’s autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave which was published in 1853. Solomon Northup was born a freeman in New York in 1808 (3). His father, who had been a slave until his owner death had granted him his freedom in his, wills (5). In 1829, Northup married Anne Hampton and worked as a laborer in Hartford (6). However, Solomon was captured after being tricked by slave traders to work for them while working in Washington in 1841 and sold as a slave into Louisiana (15). A slave was considered in law as property, or chattel (Lecture Notes, 9-12-03), and was deprived of most rights ordinarily held by free persons. Slavery typically occurs in societies whose economy is of a market type capable of producing surpluses. Slavery existed over two—hundred and forty years. Slaves were considered property rather than persons (AP, 96). They had few legal rights: in court, their testimony was inadmissible in cases involving whites (246, 247); they could make no contract nor own any property; even if attacked, they could not strike a white person (80); they could not be away from their owner's premises without permission; they could ...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Nursing: Academic Degree and Emergency Room Nurse Essay

Did you know that the Civil War had an effect on nursing jobs for women? According to Karen J. Egenes, the volunteer nurses of the Civil War â€Å"changed the public’s perception of work by women outside of their homes. † There are numerous nursing jobs available to this day. Nursing jobs are always in high demand. Although some people go into this career field, not for the passion of it, but for the income, this is not a career for everyone. One type of nursing job that is important is an emergency room nurse. Emergency room nurses play an important role in the nursing industry because there can never be enough nurses in the ER. Emergency room nurses are growing in high demand. Within the next 10 years, the ER nursing industry will increase with twenty-six percent. One reason they are in high demand, is because it is becoming harder and harder to get in to see a regular doctor. Instead, you could go to the emergency room and get immediate attention. Being an emergency room nurse there are many tasks. Although you may not be doing the same thing daily, you will always be busy. Some of those tasks include, provide care for the patients coming in, monitor health conditions, administer medicine, and advising the patients and their families. To become an emergency room nurse you must have an associate’s degree in nursing, a bachelors of science in nursing, or have graduated from an approved nursing program. There are many transferable skills needed in this job. One of the main skills needed is critical thinking, because you always deal with something new, and have to think on the spot. Some other skills are compassion, being able to pay attention to detail, organization, being calm and patient, and being a good communicator. The median hourly income according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly income in Iowa is $31. 10, and the yearly income is $64,690. Although some people go for jobs because of the income, becoming an emergency room nurse is not for everyone, and you would need to be compassionate for it. Although all nursing jobs you have to have a passion for, being a Hospice nurse takes a lot of courage. According to Asera Care, the hospice team provides medical, emotional, practical, and spiritual support to people with terminal illness, and their families. The hospice nurse provides many things for the patient and the family. As a hospice nurse, some tasks you would do are providing nursing assessments, plan and care for the patient’s comfort, and you would be with the family until the patients’ last day. Some of the transferable skills needed to go into the hospice field is being structured, independent, strong, self-directed, and caring. To become a hospice nurse, you must obtain an associate’s degree in nursing, bachelors in science of nursing, or a nursing degree. Along with having a degree of nursing, you must also have one years’ worth of nursing experience. The average salary for a hospice nurse is between thirty-one thousand, and forty-one thousand. Being a hospice nurse may be a hard job, dealing with the end of people’s lives, but in the end it is rewarding knowing that you made it better for them. A third nursing job that is available, and is in demand is a pediatric nurse. To be a pediatric nurse, you must be able to work well with kids, and young adults. You would be dealing with patients from infancy to young adulthood. Some of the daily tasks you would be doing according to Discover Nursing, are conducting checkups, giving immunizations, counseling patients and families, and helping or teaching the families of diseases or sicknesses. Although many of the nursing jobs available, you must have the same type of transferable skills, some of the skills you need to become a pediatric nurse are being structured, multifaceted, and strong. To become a pediatric nurse, you need an associate’s degree in nursing, a bachelors of science in nursing, and a pediatric nurse certification. Some of the classes that can help you pursue your dream of becoming a pediatric nurse are any type of children’s class, and children’s psychology classes. The average salary for a pediatric nurse is anywhere between $31,007 and $81,951. If you are not able to deal with little kids, and or things you have to handle with kids, being a pediatric nurse is not the career field for you. Nursing is an astounding career field to go into, that is, if it is a passionate field for you. There are many choices for the nursing field, such as an ER nurse, hospice nurse, or pediatric nurse. There are different positives and negatives in each career field. In the nursing field, I feel as if there are more positives than negatives. You’re changing somebodies life, for the better. Works Cited Asera Care. Asera Care, n. d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. . The Campaign for Nursing’s Future. Johnson & Johnson, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2014. . Egenes, Karen J. â€Å"History of Nursing. † History of Nursing: 6. Print. Snag a Job. N. p. , 2000. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. .

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Gentleman Of Rio En Medio Essay

Having a Family Don Anselmo is the protagonist of the short story â€Å"Gentleman of Rà ­o en Medio† written by Juan A. A. Sedillo. He is an old man descendent of Mexican Americans who born and lived up in Rà ­o en Medio, New Mexico. He is a respectable, humble and generous man who cares a lot of the people around him. The most important value that represents Don Anselmo is demonstrate through the development of the story is the importance of having a family. For Don Anselmo the family is a very important value. Its importance is present from the beginning to the end of the story. Don Anselmo has a particular form to introduce himself in the meeting he has with Senator Catron. Before considering a new offer proposed by the Americans, the ones who want to buy Don Anselmo’s house and property and the principal purpose of the meeting, the old man starts a conversation about his family. During this conversation, he emphasizes how proud he is for having a very big family in which he is like the â€Å"patriarca†. When Senator finally had the opportunity to make the new offer, Don Anselmo does not accept it immediately. It is possible to infer that the old gentleman does not respond because he was thinking in his family and community. He feels that he cannot accept this offer because he does not deserve more money for sell something that he consider a gift from nature to his family. At the end of the meeting Don Anselmo decided to reject the new offer in order to respect the value of nature and the love that he and his family feel for it. (By Nicole Ferrer) Other reason to say that the highest value of Don Anselmo is the family is that almost every person in Rio en Medio are they descendants. In several parts of the story â€Å"Gentleman of Rio en Medio† the author emphasizes using the characters the importance that the family has to Don Alselmo. Also he says in the story that the children of Rio en Medio are his sobrinos and  nietos, part of his family. Like the oldest man of the village, the people there belong to him. For this reason, he demonstrates the responsibility that has with his family that is the people in Rio en Medio. This show us why he don’t accept more money for the sale of his land or the reason to says that the trees aren’t of he, they belong to the children in Rio en Medio. Once more time we realize that the value best describe Don Alselmo is having a family because he has a responsibility with his descendants and a respect to them. (by Edrick Negron) The last reason to say that the most important value that guides Don Anselmo’s behavior in â€Å"Gentleman form Rio en Medio is having a family because every time a child was born in Rio en Medio, Don Anselmo planted a tree for that child (par.11). It was like a birth gift, so that tree belong to the child. When the Americans complain about the children trespassing the fence to play at the orchard after Don Anselmo sold it to them, they wanted him to stop the children for doing it. Since the children were part of Don Anselmo’s family they thought he had the power to stop it. When they confront Don Anselmo he said that he couldn’t do a thing about it because the trees belonged to the child and not to him (par. 12). When Don Anselmo didn’t sold the trees because he couldn’t; the Americans bought the trees from every single children. (By Bryanda Diaz) Don Anselmo’s biggest value is having a family. Three reasons why he is a family man are presented in the story. Been a family man includes being caring and Don Anselmo demonstrates this in the story when he say he gave every child in the city a tree as a birthgift. Also it says he is proud of his big family; every child in Rio en Medio is his niece or grandchild. Having a family includes being honest, caring, loving and have wisdom, and Don Anselmo have all of this.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Marxism will not return as a major ideology in the 21st century

Marxism will not return as a major ideology in the 21st century Introduction During the 19th century, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed a world view theory referred to as Marxism (Player 165). So far, this theory has been severally reviewed by other scholars and political philosophers who have offered their own perspectives. Some of the inherent perspectives that have been developed to date include eco-socialism, Marxist humanism, feminism and Christian Marxism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marxism will not return as a major ideology in the 21st century specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a theory, Marxism has four main elements that are closely related and which may largely assist towards understanding how society transformed as well as evolved over the years especially among the capitalist economies. As a matter of fact, some of the elements of change that have characterized transformation in society include materialistic approach to history, social class divisions, d ialectical approach to historical changes and commitment to socialism (Player 166). It is also imperative to underscore the fact that during the very 19th century period, Marxism was adopted as the main ideology in running the communist’s governments that were spreading all over the world. Initially, the ideology was first introduced in Canada by the British intellectuals and as a result, it ended up dominating the ideals and major principles of the socialist parties in the country (Player 165). However, it is evident that Marxism began to stagnate in the 20th century due to several interconnected reasons. We may also not ignore to mention that since Marxism theories have been critiqued by scholars, certain pieces of opinions have also developed which tend to assert that these theories may not be suitable in the 21st century (Hundelson 259). This paper explores some of the theories on Marxism and argues that the latter may not be suitable or applicable in the 21st century. A brief overview of Marxism It is apparent that, in order to understand why Marxism is not suitable as a major ideology in the 21st century, it is important to have an overview of what the theory is all about. It is also worthy to mention that, the proponents of Marxism targeted to fight self- emancipations that existed among the working class people. In a more subjective manner, it also aimed at eliminating any form of domination of the bourgeoisies against the poor in society. As a result, Marxism gradually progressed and came up with movements that fought against all forms of domination by virtue of gender, race and social class. According to the Marxists’ view, the only way of decimating manifold domination and exploitation was through liberating the working lass from being oppressed by rich employers. In the process, Marxism gave birth to a socialism movement that was destined to eradicate all forms of institutional sadism. Meanwhile, in the process of destroying the conce ntration of power among specific classes of people in society, Marxism aimed to empower and strengthen workers’ movements (Row thorn 26). Karl Marx and Friedrich had already realized that workers freedom was greatly limited by the wealthy elites (Keynes 9).Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, they proposed to enhance it by expanding the capacity of collective action thus increasing possibilities for individual intensification within the society. Karl Marx argued that workers freedom could not be enhanced by limiting their autonomy but rather facilitating individual participation in the economy (Rowthorn 26). In this case, the freedom was to be achieved by use of a theoretical approach. In addition to this, Marxism applied practical critiques through political actions (Hundelson 261). Therefore, the theorist mobilized masses of people to oppose certain manifold dominations. However, since Marxism had different faces, there were no specifically set principles in the sense that no face could embody any historic achievement in the entire process. In this case, the movement and its integral concerns adopted the name of its key proponent namely Karl Marx. Meanwhile, irrespective of the many contributions of Marxism’s, the movement has several shortcomings. Criticisms of the movement have originated from a political point of view. In other words, democratic socialists declined to accept the views of Marxism on the issue of socialism (Rowthorn 34). According to Karl Marx, socialism could only be achieved through class conflict and grassroots, revolution. Contemporarily, there are very few supporters of Marxist ideology as opposed to other movements such as liberalism and democracy. Moreover, the basic fundamentals of Marxism that have been criticized by thinkers creating a negative illusion in peoples mind (Sowell 112).That not wi thstanding, it is imperative to understand why the theory was highly criticized as a major ideology of the century. Critiques of Marxism Considering the intellectual basis of Marxism, one of the main fundamentals was on historical materialism. According to Karl Marx, advancement in technology and modes of productions impact a change on the social relations (Keynes 8). However, this view has some limitations because it fails to consider the superstructure of the society. Such factors include ethnicity, culture, religion and political views. According to this view, Karl Marx tends to overlook both the real and perceived causes of economic underdevelopment. With Marxism, there is a general perception that material factors such as technology are the main causes of economic decline. He bases economic development on law, politics, morality and religion. According to Marxist critics, Karl Marx oversimplified nature of the society on their impact on economic development (Rowthorn 26). The c ontroversy here is that, the theory does not bring out clearly whether it is the material factor or the superstructure of the society that influence development. Furthermore, thinkers have argued that though Marxism theory is testable there is lot of falsified facts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marxism will not return as a major ideology in the 21st century specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, it is arguable that the issue of historical materialism is very narrow to act as a pedestal for indulging the complexity and numerous power structures. In this case, there is a conventional twist that rules out the scientific status of Marxism. In the 21st century, we need a theory that will emphasize on the possible factors that are responsible in enhancing development (Player 165). It is also vivid that Marxism does not put into consideration the role and effect of governments on the capitalist system of productio n. Karl Marx asserts that economic investors and businessmen need monopoly over their businesses (Rowthorn 43). While the latter approach towards economic empowerment sounds awesome, Marxists did not consider that capitalism can collapse the very economy it defends and that exclusive monopoly could result to social revolution. Instead, Karl Marx perceived capitalistic monopoly as, an inherent tendency towards to overcome fiscal and ecological crises (Keynes 7). Moreover, he perceived that capitalist system would eradicate poverty, unemployment, disparity, disaffection and environmental destruction once every individual was given an opportunity to participate in production. Karl Marx fails to understand that, capitalist system can not collapse on its own but as a result of resource depression (Hundelson 264). However, it is evident that when businesses monopolize the market forces it can be dangerous and this requires the government to regulate the market forces. Failure to regulate investments results to capitalism system reaching its final stage. Optimum trust and monopoly in businesses affect the regular and natural mode in which the economy is run by the government (Sowell 117). In another words, total monopoly eradicate government regulation through unionization and legislations. Predictably, thinkers argue that such a state can result to economic collapse in a country. In this case, if the theory is applicable in the 21st century, there is n way we can overcome problems associated with monopolistic nature of the current investments (Sowell 120). Additionally, Marxism theory assumes that there are other factors other than the economy that that drives history (Keynes 12). According to some thinkers, considering economy as the only drive for history may be quite a narrow and oversimplified way of revisiting such a theory.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Needless to say, economy as a factor cannot be used to explain the history of civilization (Sowell 118). Thinkers feel that, in order to understand civilization, we need to use superstructures of a particular society in order to examine the struggles and achievements up to the contemporary period (Keynes 8). Moreover, though Karl Marx figures out human superstructure as source of underdevelopment, it is vivid that, in as much as man needs freedom he requires a bit of barbarism such as tribalism and racism. This helps him to explore himselves and finally establishes his identity. This implies that, to some extent conflict is inevitable and thus important in shaping man’s destiny. In one way or the other, conflict triggered competition, responsibility and increased human experience. Due to this reason, anarchists feel that, 21st century deserves a more realistic theory that will put into account the idea of self-realization. Finally, thinkers and scholars perceive that Marxism is vulnerable to corruption by the fact that all the means of productions are at the hands of private citizens (Sowell 112). As mentioned earlier, the fact that Karl Marx assumed the role of government in regulating production, the effects is that there will be no revenues to run a state. Lack of strict regulation of wealth by the government will deprive the state from getting funds obtained from taxes (Govind 75). This also gives people the freedom to conduct businesses on their own means and thus some wealth might be created through unethical strategies. In this case, anarchists find this theory unsuitable since it will bring revolutions that have the exact nature of those that they are struggling to overthrow. Considerably, Marxism creates ample conditions for the socialists who destruct the normal nature of a state (Keynes 18). This implies that, the anarchist campaign against Marxism reduces its chances to return as a major ideology in the 21st century. Conclusion To recap it a ll, it is factual that Marxism is outdated and can hardly stand as a major ideology in the progressive and dynamic 21st century socio-political and economic life. Although Karl Marx’s theory appears consistent, the assumptions are extremely disputed. This has been attributed by the complex errors and ambiguities identified when the theory was being analyzed by scholars. Furthermore, Marxism has failed to provide an accurate theoretical framework that can rescue the world states from capitalist totalitarianism. Indeed, even the existing framework lacks coherence and means of accessibility especially among developing countries. Proactively, the 21st century era demands a theory that is independent of religious and close-minded fanatics. Govind,  Rahul.  Equality, Right, and Identity: Rethinking the Contract through Hobbes and Marx. Telos, 1.154  (2011):  75. Hundelson, Richard . Poppers Critique of Marx. Philosophical Studies 37 (1980) 259- 70. Keynes, Anderson.  Not Just Capital and Class: Marx on Non-Western Societies, Nationalism and Ethnicity. Socialism and Democracy,  24.3  (2010):  7-23. Player,  Job.  On Marx: An Introduction to the Revolutionary Intellect of Karl Marx.   Capital Class,  35.1  (2011):  165-167. Rowthorn, Bob. Skilled Labor in the Marxist System. Bulletin of Conference of Socialist Economists, 8 (1974) 25-45. Sowell, Thomas. Marxs Increasing Misery Doctrine. American Economic Review, 50.1(1960): 111-20.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Street Car Named Desire

In the Street Car Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, Stanley Kowalski displays his brutality in many ways. This classical play is about Blanche Dubois’s visit to Elysian Fields and her encounters with her sister’s brutal and arrogant husband, Stanley Kowalski, and the reveling truth of why Blanche really came. Stanley Kowalski is a very brutal and barbaric person who always has to feel that no one is better than him. His brutish and ferocious actions during the play leave the reader with a bad taste in their mouths. Stanley’s brutality is shown in several places during the duration of The Street Car Named Desire . For example, his first array of brutality is evident at the poker night when he gets so angry and throws the radio out the window. Another example of his brutality is displayed when he beats his wife, Stella. Lastly, his arrogance and ferocious actions are most apparent when he rapes Blanche, while his wife is in labor in the hospital. Stanley Kowalski’s first exhibition of his brutal actions occurs at poker night. Blanche turns on the radio, but Stanley demands her to turn it off. Blanche refuses and so Stanley gets up himself and turns it off himself. When Stanley’s friend, Mitch, drops out of the game to talk to Blanche, Stanley gets upset and heeven gets more upset when Blanche flicks on the radio. Due to the music being on, Stanley, in a rage, stalks in the room and grabs the radio and throws it out the window. His friends immediately jump up, and then they drag him to the shower to try to sober him ... Free Essays on Street Car Named Desire Free Essays on Street Car Named Desire In the Street Car Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, Stanley Kowalski displays his brutality in many ways. This classical play is about Blanche Dubois’s visit to Elysian Fields and her encounters with her sister’s brutal and arrogant husband, Stanley Kowalski, and the reveling truth of why Blanche really came. Stanley Kowalski is a very brutal and barbaric person who always has to feel that no one is better than him. His brutish and ferocious actions during the play leave the reader with a bad taste in their mouths. Stanley’s brutality is shown in several places during the duration of The Street Car Named Desire . For example, his first array of brutality is evident at the poker night when he gets so angry and throws the radio out the window. Another example of his brutality is displayed when he beats his wife, Stella. Lastly, his arrogance and ferocious actions are most apparent when he rapes Blanche, while his wife is in labor in the hospital. Stanley Kowalski’s first exhibition of his brutal actions occurs at poker night. Blanche turns on the radio, but Stanley demands her to turn it off. Blanche refuses and so Stanley gets up himself and turns it off himself. When Stanley’s friend, Mitch, drops out of the game to talk to Blanche, Stanley gets upset and heeven gets more upset when Blanche flicks on the radio. Due to the music being on, Stanley, in a rage, stalks in the room and grabs the radio and throws it out the window. His friends immediately jump up, and then they drag him to the shower to try to sober him ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Mea Culpa

Mea Culpa Mea Culpa Mea Culpa By Maeve Maddox The Latin expression mea culpa is used as an interjection and as a noun. mea culpa interjection: an exclamation acknowledging one’s guilt or responsibility for an error. For example: MOTHER: The garbage is overflowing! SON: Mea culpa! I’ll take it out right now. As a noun, a mea culpa is the acknowledgement of ones guilt or responsibility for an error and is often used as a synonym for apology. Here are examples of this use: Just before Guillen began his 45-minute mea culpathe Marlins announced he had been suspended for five  games. Anthony Weiners emotional mea culpa: Will it be enough? Does McCain owe mea culpa to POWs MIAs? Hydro owes us a mea culpa. An apology is â€Å"an acknowledgement of an offense with expression of regret for it, by way of reparation.† Mea culpa as a synonym for apology derives from its use in a Latin prayer called â€Å"The Confiteor.† The Latin word confiteor means, â€Å"I confess† or â€Å"I acknowledge.† In praying, the supplicant repeats the phrase mea culpa, â€Å"through my own fault,† numerous times during the recitation of the prayer. An error with mea culpa occurs when a writer doesn’t understand its English meaning. Here are examples of misuse: Annie gritted her teeth and lifted her hands briefly from the wheel in  a mea culpa apology  to the indignant driver of the cleaners van.- Novel published by Random House. Rather than from John Paul Culotta, The Progressive, a mea culpa apology is due from the cretins who faithfully followed our torturer in chief to financial and human disaster.- News item, The Wave (Rockaway, New York). Alpha Chi Omega President Megan Koelln issued a mea culpa apology.- LA Weekly. In each example, the word apology is redundant. The only reason to follow mea culpa with the word apology would be in the context of talking about different kinds of apology. Note: More often than not, the statement being described in the news as a mea culpa is not an apology at all, but an excuse. excuse noun [eks-KYUS] : anything that justifies or extenuates a fault or defect. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a US Business LetterLatin Words and Expressions: All You Need to Know5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Religion - Essay Example er eight of the text, which discusses how a group of churches banded together to do social outreach projects in the city around them in 1996, after welfare reform measures were signed into law by President Clinton. It was feared that the changes would leave many of the poor and underprivileged without necessary services. One such group was known as â€Å"the Cluster.† Its members busied themselves in activities such as litter cleanup, literacy training, and vocational guidance. While their efforts did much good and provided a visible spiritual presence, the volunteers themselves actually minimized the degree to which they used religious terms to describe their work. As one passage relates: After eighteen months of Cluster meetings, I counted a total of five instances in which Cluster members affirmed a religious basis for action – in mostly jocular or indirect terms at that. In one instance, a member quipped that the Cluster needed to â€Å"act on the Christianity that comes out of our mouths.† It appeared to the researcher that, given the fact that the workers were people of faith, there should have been more verbal expressions of the spiritual ideals that supposedly motivated their good deeds. But instead such discussions were quite rare. They acted more in line with what could be expected of representatives from a secular agency such as the Lions Club or the Boy Scouts. This finding indicates that, as religious volunteers branch out into the areas surrounding their church buildings, they adopt more of a secular outlook on things in general, including the motives for their service projects. This same sort of effect was noted in the chapter that discussed how Evangelical Christians interpret and practice their beliefs about male –dominated households. The writer mentioned how such arrangements are often thought to be very hierarchical and paternalistic. The customary mental image is of a stern, controlling husband and father handing out orders

Friday, October 18, 2019

Comprehensive case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comprehensive case analysis - Essay Example Gold has towards its workers include maintaining ethical conduct in its workplace and most vitally prohibit the devastating financial implications imposing adverse impact on the families of such workers (Nkomo et al., 2007). The challenges relating to human resource that the US based firms generally face when they globalize include problems related to hiring as well as retaining their respective potential workers and most vitally forming a globalized workforce (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011; Goldsmith, 2008). If I would have been in the place of Goldstone, I would have designed such an effective policy based on which the adverse financial implications on the families of the workers in the firm are mitigated by a considerable degree. In this similar context, such policies would also ensure better pays as well as other benefits to the workers along with maintaining diversity in the workplace Based on the above discussion, I have learned that maintaining ethical norms in the workplace by taking into concern the benefits of the workers is quite indispensable element to reap available benefits and avoid the challenges. This particular case certainly revealed the challenges associated with the management might unfavorably influence the families of the workers particularly in the domain of health care. As a healthcare manager, the implications of the case provided can be ascertained as strengthening the interests of the workers as per their respective needs for delivering quality services to the patients. Goldsmith, M. (2008). Human resources: the big issues. Retrieved from

Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Russia - Essay Example The site is beloved by Russians and visitors around the world; hence, making it a valuable example of a cultural landscape (Moscow.Info). From the observations, the Cathedral Square represents a rich cultural history of the Russian Republic. It symbolizes the rule of Tsarist. It was constructed by Ivan the Great. Additionally, the area acts as a center of power, coronation, and an assembly for the nobles, as well as different ceremonial rituals. The Kremlin wall is a vast enclosure of the buildings contained within the Kremlin. The wall creates an impression of a small city. The Grand Kremlin Palace hosts cultural performances from the Kremlin Ballet. The buildings in the Moscow Kremlin link the country to its legendary past (Geographia). The towers and domes of the St. Basil Cathedral have an important cultural history. At first, eight domes were constructed, representing the eight attacks on Kazan. The different colors and shapes of the cathedral are unique and unmatched anywhere in the world; thus, making it a cultural heritage of the Russian people. The bronze statue commemorates Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who led a volunteer army against the Polish invasion in the 16th and 17th Century. From the above accounts, it is evident the St. Basil’s Cathedral is one of the cultural landscapes of Russia (Sacred-Destinations) The apartment blocks are unique; hence, they are part of the cultural landscape of the Russian Republic. The construction of these apartment blocks epitomizes the communal living advocated by the Soviet ideology (Obrazkova) The mosque is located in downtown St. Petersburg, and has a cultural and historical meaning to the Muslim community of Russia. The construction of the structure began in 1910; hence, the mosque has been in existence for more than 100 years (Admin). Cultural landscapes are of great importance to any country. They represent the identity of a people and the manner in which humankind co-existed in a given

Employability Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employability Portfolio - Assignment Example MS Work I have used this program for general word processing. In the Office, it was very useful in producing office documents. MS Excel I have used this program in simple data analysis such as analyzing market data to find median, mode and mean. MS Project This software is very useful in project management. I have used it in the past to plan projects for efficient time and resource management. MS Access This is a database management system. I have used it in the past to create and manage databases QUESTIONS Please answer all of the following questions using examples from either university or your work experience. 1. Tell us about yourself. What are you passionate about? a.) Related to your education or studies/degree? I have a passion for making things work, especially with people. I believe that the best resources that an organisation has. In this regard, I feel that I can be able to make big and important contributions. Human resource is a field that has a lot to be learnt and to b e investigated and there are issues and these interests me. b.) In your personal life? I believe in people development and I also believe that any person can be turned into an efficient and effective person. I always look around myself and see a lot of human resource, not only in companies but in every day lives, being wasted. This makes want to do something that will change this and that will help in making sure that they are able to reach their potential. When I see organisations using too much money trying o buy talent, I feel that there are better ways of getting talent, that is, by develop the talent in house. 2. Can you give us an example of a successful team that you have been a member of? In my neighbourhood, we created a voluntary group that that was intended at helping disadvantaged children in getting education. This team was successful in making sure that all these children were given a second chance. We saw most of the children improving their grades and also having a b etter attitude towards education. Why was it successful? I can attribute the success of the team to two major issues, both of which have to do with human motivation. The first factor is that the team members were highly motivated. I founded the team on a noble cause and the only motivation was to see these children getting better lives. The fact that we saw these children having better lives made it easier for the team to have ht energy and will to go on even with the numerous challenges. The second factor was the factor that the team focused on motivating the children to learn on their own. The team did not only try to offer the children knowledge, focused on making the students to be able to look at knowledge seeking as a fun activity. This was my idea which I introduce to the team and asked them to discuss on how to motivate the children to like reading on their own. After discussion with the team, we developed a method of encouraging the students to learn in their selves. What w as your role in the team? I was the founder in the team and after the team was founded, used to be the coordinator, albeit not in an official way. The main challenge of that the team was facing was the fact that most of the students who was

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Media production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media production - Assignment Example The texts are mostly in black and various hues of pink, used to emphasize words in titles. As a whole, the written text, being influenced by the background color now becomes part of the visual. The coordination of colors of the titles, the model’s clothes and other objects in the cover page all come together well to produce an impression of high stylization and a connotation of modern fashion (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003) which Cosmopolitan is known for. Using Miley Cyrus, previously known as a wholesome star of a youth-oriented program, Hannah Montana, as the cover girl who has shed such goody-goody image and embraced a sophisticated-woman-persona may have been a move to stir controversy, and so, attract buyers. Miley’s cover reflects Cosmopolitan’s â€Å"fun, fearless female† philosophy (Streitmatter, 2004). No matter what background Miley Cyrus had, once she becomes a Cosmopolitan woman, she is welcomed into the world of strong, sexually seductive and powerful women (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003). The use of pink background may intentionally indicate Miley’s past as a wholesome teenager. The color Pink usually connotes softness and femininity (Machin, 2007) which were words that could have described her as Hannah Montana. However, Miley’s picture becomes ironic to what Pink represents because she can be perceived as a sexually mature woman, knowledgeable about the ways of the world. Her Cosmopolitan image is far from the innocent Hannah Montana that she characterized just a few years before. The visual elements of the cover page collaborated to successfully depict Miley’s transformation a daring, fun and uninhibited sex symbol and no longer an innocent child. In analyzing the cover page in-depth, the image of Miley Cyrus can be considered symbolic of what she was undergoing at the time of the shoot. While she wears white, a color that connotes purity and wholesomeness, she wears

A Strategy for Devise and Launch of a new Adidas Product Research Paper

A Strategy for Devise and Launch of a new Adidas Product - Research Paper Example The group floated stocks in 1995 under the leadership of Robert Louis-Dreyfus as chairman of the executive board. Presently, Herbert Hainer is in charge of the group. Adidas has a wide and varied history of acquisitions. It was in the year of 1997, the group acquired Salomon Group, thereby changing the name of the group to Adidas-Salomon AG. But in 2005, Adidas decided to part its way with Salomon and changed its name to Adidas AG. The company had a remarkable achievement in 2006 when it acquired Reebok International Ltd. With this takeover materializing, the two of the most reputed brands in the industry expected to have a wide market share with complementary products. The worldwide market of the group includes Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America thus making the company truly multinational (Adidas Group, â€Å"The Adidas Group at a Glance†). The present type of the products of the company includes three broad heads that of footwear, clothing, and accessories. The section of footwear includes shoes and flips flops. A host of items like jackets, jerseys, shirts, shorts, pants and tights, sweatshirts, tracksuits, swimwear, tops, and pants are part of the clothing section. Accessories of Adidas include bags, eyewear, watches, hardware, hats, and stocks, etc (Adidas, â€Å"Catalogue†). Being a market leader of all most all the product segment they are into, Adidas might look into new product line so that the company can get diversified. The development and launch of energy drink can be a viable option for the company. Energy drinks are such drinks which provide more energy to the drinker compared to other drinks. Adidas already has a wide market in the arena of sports with all its existing products. With energy drink in the product category, the company can expect to get more penetration into its core competency.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Media production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Media production - Assignment Example The texts are mostly in black and various hues of pink, used to emphasize words in titles. As a whole, the written text, being influenced by the background color now becomes part of the visual. The coordination of colors of the titles, the model’s clothes and other objects in the cover page all come together well to produce an impression of high stylization and a connotation of modern fashion (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003) which Cosmopolitan is known for. Using Miley Cyrus, previously known as a wholesome star of a youth-oriented program, Hannah Montana, as the cover girl who has shed such goody-goody image and embraced a sophisticated-woman-persona may have been a move to stir controversy, and so, attract buyers. Miley’s cover reflects Cosmopolitan’s â€Å"fun, fearless female† philosophy (Streitmatter, 2004). No matter what background Miley Cyrus had, once she becomes a Cosmopolitan woman, she is welcomed into the world of strong, sexually seductive and powerful women (Machin & Thornborrow, 2003). The use of pink background may intentionally indicate Miley’s past as a wholesome teenager. The color Pink usually connotes softness and femininity (Machin, 2007) which were words that could have described her as Hannah Montana. However, Miley’s picture becomes ironic to what Pink represents because she can be perceived as a sexually mature woman, knowledgeable about the ways of the world. Her Cosmopolitan image is far from the innocent Hannah Montana that she characterized just a few years before. The visual elements of the cover page collaborated to successfully depict Miley’s transformation a daring, fun and uninhibited sex symbol and no longer an innocent child. In analyzing the cover page in-depth, the image of Miley Cyrus can be considered symbolic of what she was undergoing at the time of the shoot. While she wears white, a color that connotes purity and wholesomeness, she wears

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Vibration of Continous Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Vibration of Continous Media - Essay Example The gradient function is the function f’(x) or {dy}/{dx} is called Differentiation is the process of finding the gradient value of a function at whichever point on the curve, and the derivative of f (x). There are diverse ways of demonstrating the derivative of a function: {dy}/{dx}, {df(x)}/{dx}, f’(x), y’, {delta y}/{delta x}, and {y over} Example f(x + h)   =   5(x + h)   =    = = 5 f’(x)   =   Ã‚     =   5 Therefore f(x) = 5x; and f’(x) = 5. Deriving an equation from first principles implies that the equation is systematically proven based on the original principles of physics and mathematics which were postulated as a result of the basic researches and inventions that were postulated by scholars. There are the basic laws and theories of science which are recognized the world over and they form the basis upon which the later day scientific applications are based. The contemporary applications came as a result of manipulations of the initial principles of science. They are currently based on the hybrid equations theories and principles which hail from the maiden principle fronted by the scientific scholars. Putting an equation to conform to the initial principles of science is writing it in first principles. In regard to the equation in question, which is the cable equation; its first principles are the Newton equation and the Hookes equation. Newton is a renowned scholar who came up with numerous scientific principles including the principle of gravitational pull. It is from his principle of force that the cable equation veered. The Newton equation on force is as written below:- The equation forms the stepping stone of the cable equation. The Hookes equation on the other hand is as written below:- In regard to Newton’s equation, it follows that the equation for any kind of motion in respect to the weight of an object which is at the arbitrary location cited as x+h is effectively given or computed by a concerted manipulation which entails getting to equate these two desired forces as fronted form the first principle equations: In this case it is evident that entire time-dependence framework of the desired u(x) has with no doubt been made to be effectively explicit. Based on the above proven outcome, it follows that in the event that the array or list of weights weights in question in this computation which are arbitrary and hence indeed any other arbitrary eights do consist of inevitable N weights which as such are spaced evenly and stretched over the entire length L that is equal to Nh of the entire mass M that is equal to Nm, as well as to the sum total of the constant of the spring which is indeed of the desired array K that is equal to k/N. based on this conceptualizations, it follows that we can be able to comfortably write the entire above equation in the form that follows below: In regard to the stipulated equations, it is possible to compound the equations by making use of basic limits for the equation. Taking the limit N > ?, h > 0 and assuming smoothness one gets: This is manifested by the vibration mechanism of a catapult as well. As the toy trigger is being pulled, tension is applied on the trigger bar, and this relies on newton’s law. The ball is given at first a high pushing force by the gun which makes it vibrate; this also relies on newton’s law. The system uses a number of scientific principles of operation, all of which revolve around the three Newton laws of motion. As the ball

Monday, October 14, 2019

Customer Analysis of the Airline Industry

Customer Analysis of the Airline Industry Introduction: In the highly competitive airline industry, customers become the most important factor of the whole producing process. Besides flight safety, enhancing service quality, and therefore customer satisfaction, is the most crucial strategies of the airlines (Fried, 1989; Gardner, 2004; Zaid, 1995). Customer complaints serve as a critical dimension of service quality and customer satisfaction. Both the great affect that complaint handling has on customer retention and the beneficial usage of complaint information for service quality improvements have been widely recognized by the airlines and evaluative institutions (Strauss Schoeler, 2004). Complaint management continues to be a focal point of research as more companies have become convinced that defensive marketing is a highly profitable endeavor (Davidow, 2003). Customer complaints provide organizations with an opportunity to rectify their mistakes, retain dissatisfied consumers, and influence consumers’ future attitudes and behavior (Estelami, 1999). There is much empirical evidence showing that the complaint satisfaction with a company’s response has an enormous impact on customers’ future behavior (Stauss, 2002). Therefore if the customer relation department is doing the job effectively and getting complains from customers it can be used a tool to make improvements in the company as their feedback will tell the airlines where there are lacking and how they can improve. So it will just not increase customer satisfaction but also the loyalty and the profit for airline as customers will like to use the services again and again. These days Airlines are in fierce competition with each other and they are trying to gain each others market share by using different strategies some are giving cheap tickets some are giving extra weight and so forth. The point here is no matter what strategies airlines are using the thing that matters is if they are satisfying the customers or not. Getting market share from other airlines might be easy but retaining that share is very difficult to retain. Nowadays people are highly price sensitive and they will switch the airlines for a minor difference too. So now the airlines really have to work on something so that they can retain the customer while satisfying them too. In Pakistan there wasn’t any survey which was precisely on Airline industry. So that is why this topic was chosen so as to provide better insight in this industry regarding the customer satisfaction. The Airlines really have to do something extra to attract more and more customers as the biggest problem airlines are facing are the economic problems like fuel prices and very tough competition from other carriers and getting very strict regulations from governments. The airlines have to develop new ways to attract the customers those days are long gone when airlines could charge as much as they want because of many new competitors now they can’t do that. After 9/11 the whole industry saw a major sets backs and increased fuel prices and security conditions were totally changed since then. The industry was facing setback economically and viably. They had to improve their operations so as to reduce as much costs as they can as they fixed costs were going sky high and it was getting very hard for the airlines to operate in such environment. While reducing costs they cannot ignore customers as they are the one who are getting them revenues. The Airlines have made their operations better so they were able to reduce operational costs and can give better fares with respect to other airlines. Airlines have started customer relationship programs so as to have better relations with customers so they can travel on the same airline again and again. But there were many airlines that went bankrupt because of high operational costs and low revenues even majors airlines were failed to make profits after 9/11. During the last eight years there were many airlines who ceased there operations mainly due to revenues and there were many airlines who are going in loss or hardly on break up. Due to this there were many mergers in the airlines too. All this happened due to the economic conditions across the world. It is worth mentioning here that air traffic has increase many times but still airlines are not making very high profits. It is all due to very high operating costs and due to security conditions. The losses faced by airline industry is also caused by many low cost carriers which are not giving other benefits and just taking from places to places and many travelers prefer to save on tickets. The security conditions has forced many airlines to step up their operations and make sure of the safety of passengers which has ultimately increased the fixed costs but in return they are giving complete satisfaction to passenger while providing safe journey. The passenger’s satisfaction differs from person to person some want more off board facilities some want onboard some like extra luggage some are satisfied with good food. Now the question arises here how an airline can satisfy so many people. This is the reason this research has been conducted to get a better insight of the customers that what customers are expecting and what airlines are giving them. The gap will tell us where airlines are lacking and how they can give better services to customers with better fares. The Main Hypothesis for the thesis is: Airlines with higher satisfied customers are getting more passengers. The Sub hypotheses are following. 1. Reliability Airlines with higher Reliability are getting more passengers. 2. Responsiveness Airlines with higher Responsiveness are getting more passengers. 3. Assurance Airlines with higher Assurance are getting more passengers. 4. Empathy Airlines with higher Empathy are getting more passengers. 5. Tangibility Airlines with higher Tangibility are getting more passengers. Literature Review Everyone knows what satisfaction is, until asked to give a definition. Then it seems nobody knows [Richard Oliver 1997]. He is expert and long time research writer and researcher on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is â€Å"Satisfaction is the consumer’s fulfillment response. It is a judgment that a product or services feature, or the product or service itself, provides a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfillment† [Richard Oliver 1997]. Customer satisfaction can differ from person to person and product to product. But generally if the product has at least met the needs of the consumer then it will be customer satisfaction. Incase it failed to meet the minimum expectation then it will be turned into dissatisfaction. Tolman (1932) was the first person to use the term expectation in the context of behaviour. In general terms, expectations borrow from Tolman’s expectancy theory whereby, subsequent to learning, people actualize or ward off potential consequences of their actions. Pretrial beliefs about a product (Olson Dover, 1979) that serve as standards or reference points against which product performance is judged (Zeithaml, 1993) is a commonly used definition of expectations that draws from Tolmans original conceptualization. Customer satisfaction is measured in a given reference of time. So with due respect of time even it changes so as the satisfaction level. It changes from time to time and factor to factor as it is a dynamic process. In highly involvement decisions it is very important to meet the satisfaction level. If it failed to meet the expected level then the companies will loose the customer. As there won’t be any second chance. The key to provide the excellent service is in understanding the customer expectation [Parasuraman, Berry, Zeithaml, 1991b, p. 39). Expectations play a role in the formation of satisfaction and service quality through the expectancy disconfirmation paradigm (Oliver, 1980, 1993, 1997; Tse Wilton. 1988), and the gap model (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, Berry, 1985) respectively.  Satisfaction and perceived quality result from a comparison of the level of performance perceived and the level of performance expected by the consumer. In this so competitive industry such as airline industry nowadays the airlines are meeting with very harsh realities first of fuel prices going sky high making there fixed costs sky high as well. Then due to high fares passengers are switching the airlines for any extra favors. Due to this many airlines went bankrupt as they couldn’t even have breakeven. That is why nowadays low budget airlines are making more profits then big airlines because of low fares. But it is just not fare which makes them change the airline. There are many other factors involved other then just fare. They need to even meet certain level of expectations. In the customer satisfaction, expectations are treated as predictions made by customers about what is likely to happen during a service encounter. Such expectations correspond to what the service will be like (Oliver, 1997; Zeithaml et al, 1993). Oliver defines expectations as predictions, sometimes stated as probabilities or likelihoods, of attribute or product performance at a specific performance level. Miller (1977) called this standard the expected standard, which is the result of a probability estimate. American Society for Quality told in a report that recently the troubles that airline industry are facing are, flights are getting delayed, overbooked and sometimes even cancel and due to that passengers are getting worked up are losing patience. The level of satisfaction is on the decrease and will continue to decrease. The airline industry analysts are expecting that the situation is going to get bad or even worst before it will get better. The American Customer Satisfaction Index score for industry in the first three months of 2007 was about three percent lower to 2006 score and it is 63 on 100 scale.   Satisfaction with constituent elements is particularly important in a service setting because customers are involved in the service process. Thus services are necessarily experiences, and as a result, customers rely on multiple indicators of service quality to evaluate overall satisfaction with the service (Bitner, 1990; Zeithamel 1990; Mittal, V., P. Kumar, and M. Tsirors 1989). Peripheral attributes are further distinguished as physical attributes, the choice of features and amenities that are included in the service concept, and interaction attributes, the way that service employees Interact with customers in the service delivery system. The importance of a particular attribute in the service concept is derived from the sensitivity of overall satisfaction to changes in satisfaction with the particular element (Kamakura et al. 2002). Customer satisfaction is desired because of its role in the service value profit chain in producing a stream of revenues that is resilient to competition and obtained at lower long run cost (Heskett et al., 1997). Research shows that irrespective of the outcome of the service encounter i.e., performance on core attributes, peripheral attributes both physical and interactional can independently affect customer satisfaction (Bitner, 1990) Taking quality and customer satisfaction into consideration, the airlines can improve their customer service and airline operations in a lot of ways. It will take sometime to apply better strategies to make the daily operations run smoothers and more effectively, but if you start implementing the better strategies and user friendly processes to improve passenger assistance and customer service it will give you a very good idea and plan what are the possible problems customers are facing and through which strategies can be adopted to prevent such problems in future. The service marketing literature discriminates among elements of the service concept. Some elements core attributes define the basic service being provided, while other elements, termed peripheral attributes specify the distinctive manner in which the service is delivered (Gronroos, 1990; Booms and Bitner, 1990). One of the leading reasons for customers loosing patience and showing dissatisfaction with the airlines is late departures or cancellations of flights. Customers just want to go from origin to destination on time but they are unable to trust the airlines with this issue. People are pointing fingers to different issues but no one is ready to accept the responsibility for flights late departure or arrival. It is because of number of reasons like bad weather; Aircrafts have to wait in sky to land at airports due to heavy traffic. Then maintenance problems of engines and fuselage, airport operations and ATC problems are some of the examples which make the flight difficult to depart or arrive on time. Even though all these arguments are valid and legitimate but still customers are not ready to relax. It has been found that airlines have no reason to improve the effectiveness and quality of their operations, since all airlines think and believe that they all are facing the same problems and no one is worst then anyone else. So when customers feel dissatisfied with a certain airline. They will travel on a different airline next time it will happen again and then again they will retry a new but how long they will keep on changing and ultimately they will feel all airlines are handling the customers in a same manner and eventually they will travel on same airline on which they traveled for first time. This is not necessarily true. TARP research indicates a passenger who files complain is thirty percent more loyal than a noncompliant and fifty percent more loyal than a dissatisfied complainant. Nowadays customers are not complaining much than they did a decade ago when half of the passengers will complain least once. Today, the rates of complaints even for big problems with serious consequences are not much and it is about 20%. Now hardly one percent customer’s complaints to the airline that too which are serious in nature. This is one of the major problems for airlines because when passengers will not file complaints then airlines will not know the problems which are faced by passengers during flight or even before or after flight. The fault here is not entirely on customers but on airlines more then customers but they are so hopeless that they think it is more of wastage of time. So airlines need to assure people that their complaints will be solved as soon as possible and it will not happen again. They need to inform the customers after it is resolved but how many airlines do that? Hardly a few, When customers will feel that airline wants to work on the problems and their problems will be solved only then they will start complaining and it is just not that problem they tell it is a whole new gateway to success because solving the complains means better satisfactions that will result in more revenue with good will. Airline Managers should not assume that if the customers are not reporting the problems or complaints it means they are not having any problems and customers are satisfied with the service. In fact it is the total opposite which is passengers are now so hopeless that they have assumed that even complaining wont help them either, so they don’t care to file a complaint. The expectations of the passengers have been decreased to such a point that they don’t expect the airlines will do anything to satisfy there customers. The airline staff that comes in direct contact with passengers on daily basis must understand and try to solve their problem as soon as they can. This is especially true for the channels in service industry and point where customers interact with employees working in customer relation department who are there to resolve customer complaints. In the situation which we are discussing, empathy has these things to be friendly, understand customer’s feelings,, Showing care to solve the problems and making sure to meet his needs, Make the customers feel that their concern is valid, and when in problem, solve the problem or at least try to find a solution. Handling the customers in airline industry is very much different and much personalized. It is not like dealing with lots of super market customers or like dealing them like they are dealing with loose cattle’s. How can an airline get its staff to show and have empathy? One way is to show staff videos of service experiences they can be real or staged in which empathy is there but is not expressed. A video is better instead of written description because a lot of times communication between staff and customer is nonverbal like body language, expressions, voice tone and even eye contact and consistency is part of quality. Consistency is vital for customers because consistency is an experience taken as reliability by the customer. So if there is a lack of reliability it will not only affect the customer’s trust in the company but will create bad image. This is an important issue to be addressed because trust is a essential condition for customer loyalty.   Passengers are not dissatisfied with all airlines. There are many airlines like Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Etihad and Qatar etc especially Emirates has constantly topped in customer satisfaction for consecutive four years according to Skytrax. Airline industry researchers find it very interesting that some airlines continue to satisfy the customers in most efficient manner and making huge profits in such industry where there rivals are not even having break even. In north America Southwest is one of the best airlines and in their ads they make it a joke that they are not giving you any special service but they’re doing what is precisely they are saying that is they get you on the destination on time without troubles. What they have done what so many other companies have failed to do. The secret of there recipe is they have met the most basic thing for a effective and quality airline operation that is consistently meeting expectations. This has enabled them to earn good profits with better customer’s satisfaction. The flights of reputed airlines arrived on time eighty percent of the time, they are able to set standards for even other airline and there operations are now used as benchmarks for other airlines. They are departing on time and getting to their destinations on time just because of effective management and quality tools. They have a proper and consistent process and they have documented their workloads properly. Their turnaround times are a lot better than other rivals in the industry because they use standardized operations. They know the more time plan will be parked at apron it is there loss the sooner the aircraft will be in air and is flying it is there profit so they land the plane, get new passengers and get the aircraft back in the air as soon as they can because that is only way airlines make money. Booming airlines are putting the aircrafts back in the air at much higher rate then other airlines because of the fact the more time the aircraft is parked at apron it is there loss and the more time it will be in air it will generate revenue for them thus making more profits. This makes customers at ease too as they don’t have to wait for hours to get to their destination. That means no long waits at airport thus no frustration for passengers. Reputed airlines set the expectations and then will meet the expectations. Airlines are thinking their problems are not much different from other airlines and everything is going smoothly even if not everyone is facing same situations. As they blame on weather and acts of God. Which everyone else is facing as well. Immense financial pressures, then with fuel prices going sky high and struggle in the low-fare market, is making the airlines believe that they are unable to afford to put all the resources together  to resolve their customer satisfaction problems. The most effective and cost efficient way to improve the complaint managing process is to prevent the problem by anticipating the problems instead of not acting on the complaint. It is better to take notice of the complaint than have the customer go away. The loyalty of customers who have experienced troubles is about 20% lesser than those of non-complainants customers. This 20% reduction includes both non-complainants and those who have filed the complaints. To prevent a problem the first thing one has to do is understand what is causing the troubles or problems for customers. In a recent it was found that most of the companies think if they have a customer who is dissatisfied for some reason, it is due to a worker who caused the dissatisfaction by doing wrong. The TARP’s study has found that most of the employees did a good job and hardly 20% of dissatisfaction was caused by staff’s bad attitude or by doing something wrong. Most of the problems which were between fourty to sixty percent are due to substandard processes, and the remaining are because of either customer mistake or confusion in either the kind of the product or service purchased. (Goodman 2006.) A satisfied customer can even get dissatisfied due to differences in current satisfaction level and previously measured one. Consider the following scenario. In 2008, a customer flies on a flight to Europe in Economy Class on an Airbus A380. She is happy to have her own personal TV screen, in which she can choose any channel, watch movies or listens to songs or even play video games. In 2009 she flies the same flight but in Boeing 777 to her dismay that her plane is not equipped with personal visual in-flight entertainment but it has movie projected on central screen. Even though the specific service of transportation did not change. This customer had increased her expectations about the service. Even though the airline provided the same transportation service in 2009 as in 2008, the customer was dissatisfied because her increased expectations were not met. While this customer may not file an actual complaint, the takeaway from this example is that customer dissatisfaction is a function of the gap between pre and post customer expectations about a product or service [Zeithaml, 1990]. So, the more perceptions fall short of expectations, the higher customer dissatisfaction will be. As customers can change their expectations over time, dissatisfaction can change even if the product or service remains the same. Therefore, customer dissatisfaction will be different from previous experience. Even if an organization delivers identical results over time, customer dissatisfaction may increase as customers increase their expectations. So it is imperative for airlines to manage the balance of customer pre and post expectations. Sasser (1978) originally coined the term â€Å"service concept† in reference to the bundle of elements packaged as a complete service for sale to the customer. In services marketing, research on customer satisfaction parallels Sasser’s concept, positing that satisfaction with elements of the service concept combine to create overall satisfaction with the service encounter (LaTour and Peat, 1979; Mitall et al. 1989; Oliver 1997). Managers may think that the company’s complaint handling is fine, but if customers disagree, then the company still has a problem. Attribution research on consumer behavior suggests that customers’ attribution plays a pivotal role in shaping their attitudes and responses (Folkes, 1988), and it may mediate the relationship between complaint handling and post-complaint behaviors, such as negative word-of-mouth, future patronage etc. (Au, Hui, Leung, 2001). Customer satisfaction is desired because of its role in the service value profit chain in producing a stream of revenues that is resilient to competition and obtained at lower long run cost (Heskett et al., 1997). There are many areas in the airlines itself where faulty processes are leading to customer complaints and displeasure. Some are infrastructure problems, then the heavy air traffic issues specially high season, but these reasons affect an airline just as they affect every other airline. So why some airlines are consistently better? It is because they have designed their own skills to handle problems and their own operating measures to operate within the resources that they have. With reasons which are not in their control, they must do something to improve their systems. The Airlines need to utilize their resources in most effective way so as to operate effectively and best possible manner. Then they must exert influence on the people who have got power to control the infrastructure. Flight delays and cancellation is one of the leading factors in dissatisfaction among the passengers. The airlines needs to continuously improve their processes and systems, as it is vital for any other industry too. What use to happen doesn’t mean it can happen now too because previously customers were not aware much and companies couldn’t charm them with their advertising? The days are long gone now the customers are very well aware of situations and they ask question when they get to know something so as to know it better. What was satisfying the customers that time will now make them highly dissatisfied because times have changed so as the customers. The performance of airlines will decrease over time until unless something is done to improve it or sustain it. To sustain the current standards of performance, it is highly important to perform high level of maintenance. Then to have a better and improved operations airline need a lot more then just maintenance to have an effective flight operation. Weather is one of the major factors which is beyond the control of an airline and is one of the leading cause of flight delays and even cancellations and it is just not causing great deal of dissatisfaction to customers it is also costing airlines huge sum of money as then they have to give them accommodation as well. Some customers don’t care about the weather and they just want to reach to the destination as soon as they can, which is not possible as it can be very dangerous to fly in such weather. Even a highly sophisticated aircraft can not fight with the forces of nature. If due to bad weather flights are delaying or canceling the airline must provide the actual cause of delay instead of saying delayed due to technical fault. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) compiled figures on weather-caused delays, free of the other categories. Weather caused the flights to be delayed approximately 9.5% of the time during the 2006 for seven airlines. Then 13% of the flights were delayed for different reasons which were in control of airline like fueling, aircraft cleaning, loading, crew problems, maintenance and baggage handling Then if a flight will depart will late that means it will arrive late at next airport and then again depart late for next leg of journey as it is a chain which will effect the chain until it makes up for that time. It will be just not delay but the passengers who got to catch a connecting flight will also miss their flight because of late departure. There are many reasons of dissatisfaction among the customers and just not food and check in problems. It is just not the dissatisfaction of customers but the airline will have to bear additional costs as well. There are some delays which are not due to weather but not also in control of airlines like heavy traffic volume at airport, ATC, Holding pattern of aircrafts due to runway not available even Airport operations too. Last but definelt not least the security reasons cause hardly 1 percent of flight delays. It is because of extra security check at the airport that at the end hardly flight gets . Communicating with customers when a problem occurs is a better way to improve the satisfaction. In this high – tech fast moving world due information and technology, everyone is now used to get instant information and communication. Passengers want to be instantly informed about the current status of their flights as if they are delayed or canceled. Industry experts said, the airlines cant change the weather in there favour, but what they can do is give customers better information. Several airlines have improved their communication processes by cross training and moving employees who aren’t busy due to a flight cancellation (baggage handlers, porters, etc.) and putting them in areas where other employees are overwhelmed at the gate and ticket counters. Rather than having two gate agents handling 200 unhappy passengers, there are now 10-12 employees helping. Lines move faster, and people feel like they’re making progress. Airlines have so many cancelled flights and weather problems, so how does one can make your work force that much efficient so that you can decrease the customers’ concern level? They can easily do that with updated information, empathy, and assistance, even if you can’t get them from origin to destination any faster. Now the question is should expectations are seen as the level of desired service. Desired and adequate services are two more service level expectations conceptualized by researchers (Parasuraman, 1991, 1994; Zeithaml, 1993). Desired is what consumer wanted; it represents the level of service performance consumers believe an excellent service provider can and should deliver. Adequate service is what consumers accept and is partly influenced by consumers predicted level of service (i.e., will expectations). Separating these two types of expectations is a zone of tolerance, which can vary from consumer to consumer and from situation to situation (Parasuraman 1991). The zone of tolerance will be higher for the outcome than for the process dimensions of expectations since the single outcome dimension, namely reliability, is the most important. Thus, it will be easier for managers to exceed the process dimensions of expectations (i.e., responsiveness, assurance, tangibles, and empathy) than the outcome dimension (i.e., reliability). The adequate level of Service performance is similar to the minimum tolerable expectation defined by Miller (1977). Deserved expectations, another level of desired service derived from Adams (1963) theory of inequity, are a consumers subjective evaluations of her/his own investment. A consumer who, for example, has invested much in ticket feels that he/she deserves a high level of performance or a reward. The leading Airlines try to identify the specific flights where customers experience a high level of inconvenience or trouble. So when it happens, the airline will send them a letter to explain the cause and apologize for the inconvenience caused. They don’t want the customer to feel that they should not go back to the same airline again. Industry analysts have said that enhanced customer services will help settle the passengers, but only for the short term. They think no matter what airlines can do but people are going to be annoyed because of the fact that customers are not getting to the destination on time. Some airlines are reworking. If they can they do it better next time. Sure, but the purpose is not to do rework in the first place. You will get to know that it is not a value-added practice. You don’t want to have such process or people when they will end up in customers disatisfaction because it will be a rework that you shouldn’t have to do in the first place. Federal Aviation Administration the regulating authority for aviation in United States is testing the new technologies and latest satellites technologies so as to replace the aging and old Air Traffic Controller radars systems. So they can  overcome the problems and short comings of the current air traffic network and want to implement the Global positions system in the country for all the phases of flights. (Carr, J. 2001) Currently the airports are

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Apartheid, Globalization, and South Africa Essay -- Outsourcing, Offsho

Introduction In 1991 President Frederik Willem de Klerk of South Africa succumbed to the pressures of international economic sanctions, officially repealed the apartheid laws and called for the drafting of a new constitution. Just three years later, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa in the country’s first multi-racial election. Apartheid’s end may never have come, however, were it not for the improved efficiency of communication between states, the increased economic interdependency between those states, and the emergence of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that make national borders all but invisible and chip away at Westphalian sovereignty. The existence of such factors allowed for International Organizations (IOs) such as the United Nations to call state governments’ attention to the crimes against humanity committed in South Africa each day, and it allowed those governments to act effectively. Yet the Black, Coloured, and Asian pe ople of South Africa are not singing globalization’s praises. In point of fact, historically globalization has done far more harm than good to the natives of South Africa. Globalization is by no means a fundamentally new phenomena but rather a thickening of preexisting networks of interdependence. (Keohane and Nye 2000). After the industrial revolution in Europe and the surge in international trade in the mid 1800s globalization soon took hold of South Africa. The discovery of diamonds in the territory in approximately 1900 increased the land’s value significantly as it could be exploited by the colonists to generate substantial monetary gains. Following the Boer War with English invaders thirsty to share in the profits of the mineral rich land, the ... ...tiglitz suggests, the supranationals need to remove conditionality from their loan agreements and pay closer attention to the domestic needs of the countries they aim to help. Superpowers like the United States need to practice what they preach, and stop protecting their own markets while plundering others. (Stiglitz, 2001) Only this fused effort of dedication and hard work by the ANC with increased aid from IOs based on less one-sided terms will pave the way to sustainable equality in South Africa. The plateauing environmental degradation is an example of this process. In this case, South Africa observed a shift from sharp degradation to the â€Å"sustainable development† they sought. Sovereignty has been all but lost in South Africa in the past decade, and its people and land suffered. Its gradual restoration will pave the way to recovery and eventual prosperity. Apartheid, Globalization, and South Africa Essay -- Outsourcing, Offsho Introduction In 1991 President Frederik Willem de Klerk of South Africa succumbed to the pressures of international economic sanctions, officially repealed the apartheid laws and called for the drafting of a new constitution. Just three years later, Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa in the country’s first multi-racial election. Apartheid’s end may never have come, however, were it not for the improved efficiency of communication between states, the increased economic interdependency between those states, and the emergence of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that make national borders all but invisible and chip away at Westphalian sovereignty. The existence of such factors allowed for International Organizations (IOs) such as the United Nations to call state governments’ attention to the crimes against humanity committed in South Africa each day, and it allowed those governments to act effectively. Yet the Black, Coloured, and Asian pe ople of South Africa are not singing globalization’s praises. In point of fact, historically globalization has done far more harm than good to the natives of South Africa. Globalization is by no means a fundamentally new phenomena but rather a thickening of preexisting networks of interdependence. (Keohane and Nye 2000). After the industrial revolution in Europe and the surge in international trade in the mid 1800s globalization soon took hold of South Africa. The discovery of diamonds in the territory in approximately 1900 increased the land’s value significantly as it could be exploited by the colonists to generate substantial monetary gains. Following the Boer War with English invaders thirsty to share in the profits of the mineral rich land, the ... ...tiglitz suggests, the supranationals need to remove conditionality from their loan agreements and pay closer attention to the domestic needs of the countries they aim to help. Superpowers like the United States need to practice what they preach, and stop protecting their own markets while plundering others. (Stiglitz, 2001) Only this fused effort of dedication and hard work by the ANC with increased aid from IOs based on less one-sided terms will pave the way to sustainable equality in South Africa. The plateauing environmental degradation is an example of this process. In this case, South Africa observed a shift from sharp degradation to the â€Å"sustainable development† they sought. Sovereignty has been all but lost in South Africa in the past decade, and its people and land suffered. Its gradual restoration will pave the way to recovery and eventual prosperity.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

A Look at Humor, Laughter, Tickling, and the Brain Essay -- Neurology

A Look at Humor, Laughter, Tickling, and the Brain Everybody smiles and laughs at some time or another. The first laughter appears at about 3.5 to 4 months of age (8)., way before we are able to speak. The average adult laughs 17 times a day (4). Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. But really, why do we laugh? Why are we not able to tickle ourselves? What part of the brain is responsible for laughter and humor? Why do we say some people have no sense of humor? We never go to the doctor because we feel good or because we think something is funny. Therefore, it is not a clinical problem; that is why there has not been much research done on the topic of laughter and the brain. Although there is considerable information on the neuronal representation of speech, little is known about brain mechanisms of laughter (2). While many researchers have tracked the brain mechanisms of depression, fear and anger, they have ignored positive emotions and have just begun to study humor. Their investigations are shedding some light on how the brain processes humor and prompts laughter. Take this joke for instance: How many Bryn Mawr college students does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: None, they were all so busy studying that they didn't even notice the light was out. If you found this old joke funny, you will get some activity going on in the brain. Investigations into how humor and laughter influence the brain are leading to a clearer understanding of how positive emotions affect brain mechanisms. This in turn may lead to creative ideas for new therapies for emotion disorders and pain (1). The physiological study of laughter has its own name, "gelotology". Researc... ...Nature Journal http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v391/n6668/full/391650a0_fs.html 3)What is so Funny and Why: Laughter and the Brain http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/laugh.html 4)How Laughter Works http://www.howstuffworks.com/laughter.htm 5)Humor on the Brain http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=laughter.htm&url=http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DyeHard/dye990414.html 6)The Heart of Laughter http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=laughter.htm&url=http://www.wm.edu/wmnews/research/laughter.htm 7)Brain may hinder sense of self-tickling http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/health-science/html98/tick_102098.html 8)A Big Mystery: Why do we Laugh? http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3077386/ 9)Scientists Locate Sense of Humor http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/humor001128.html A Look at Humor, Laughter, Tickling, and the Brain Essay -- Neurology A Look at Humor, Laughter, Tickling, and the Brain Everybody smiles and laughs at some time or another. The first laughter appears at about 3.5 to 4 months of age (8)., way before we are able to speak. The average adult laughs 17 times a day (4). Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. But really, why do we laugh? Why are we not able to tickle ourselves? What part of the brain is responsible for laughter and humor? Why do we say some people have no sense of humor? We never go to the doctor because we feel good or because we think something is funny. Therefore, it is not a clinical problem; that is why there has not been much research done on the topic of laughter and the brain. Although there is considerable information on the neuronal representation of speech, little is known about brain mechanisms of laughter (2). While many researchers have tracked the brain mechanisms of depression, fear and anger, they have ignored positive emotions and have just begun to study humor. Their investigations are shedding some light on how the brain processes humor and prompts laughter. Take this joke for instance: How many Bryn Mawr college students does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: None, they were all so busy studying that they didn't even notice the light was out. If you found this old joke funny, you will get some activity going on in the brain. Investigations into how humor and laughter influence the brain are leading to a clearer understanding of how positive emotions affect brain mechanisms. This in turn may lead to creative ideas for new therapies for emotion disorders and pain (1). The physiological study of laughter has its own name, "gelotology". Researc... ...Nature Journal http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v391/n6668/full/391650a0_fs.html 3)What is so Funny and Why: Laughter and the Brain http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/laugh.html 4)How Laughter Works http://www.howstuffworks.com/laughter.htm 5)Humor on the Brain http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=laughter.htm&url=http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DyeHard/dye990414.html 6)The Heart of Laughter http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=laughter.htm&url=http://www.wm.edu/wmnews/research/laughter.htm 7)Brain may hinder sense of self-tickling http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/health-science/html98/tick_102098.html 8)A Big Mystery: Why do we Laugh? http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3077386/ 9)Scientists Locate Sense of Humor http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/humor001128.html