Dangerous Technology

English 1010 5 October 2012 Dangerous Technology Many people have one. Some have more than one. Odds are pretty good that yours is within reaching distance right now. â€Å"What is it? †, you may ask. The answer is simple: the almighty cell phone. Although cell phones allow easy and quick communication, they are starting to create problems in today’s society: they distract drivers, they interrupt social interaction, and society is unaware of any long term medical issues they could create. One of the most dangerous issues with cell phones is people using them while driving. A distracted driver is a dangerous driver.If someone is reading or sending a text, or even talking on the phone, they are not paying full attention to the road, making it hazardous for themselves and those around them. It has become enough of an issue that many states have passed laws that make using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle illegal. It is a severe issue with inexperienced drivers, who need as few distractions as possible. Many schools are even stepping up and asking students to pledge not to use their cell phones while driving. Although they are an amazing piece of technology, they are beginning to create social barriers in today’s society.They allow us to always be connected to one another, which is creating a social dependency on being connected. Cell phones are replacing face to face communication. There’s no need to make time in our schedules for people we consider important because they are just a text message away. Many people can’t go without their phones for fear of missing out. It’s like an unspoken anxiety problem. Because of this dependency, cell phones are becoming distractions in social settings. So much that even movie theatres ask their guest to please silence or turn off their cell phones for the presentation.There are some who can’t even be without them to watch a ninety minute movie, for which they paid a pretty penny to see. Just as there are some who can’t make it through dinner with friends without making a call, checking their messages, or even utilizing them for social media sites. At the first hint of boredom in a social setting, people turn to their phones to find a source of entertainment. We’re becoming a society addicted to technology. Cell phones are a fairly new technology really. We do not know if there are long-term, adverse effects of carrying around something that receives and emits satellite signals.They are electronic devices, meaning they emit electricity. Electronic devices are known to produce electromagnetic radiation, something often linked to cancer and tumors. Granted, currently there is no proof directly linking cell phones to cancer. This is just one of issues with cell phones we should be weary of. It’s a potential wolf in sheep’s skin, if you will. Cell phones are seemingly harmless, but who is to say that in another twenty yea rs or so there won’t be widespread cases of cancers all linked to consistent, direct contact of electromagnetic radiation.In conclusion, cell phones are an amazing piece of technology that need to be used more cautiously. Countless vehicle accidents occur every year due to a driver who was distracted by his or her cell phone. Society should learn to make more time for interpersonal relationships, instead of depending on a piece of technology to communicate. Lastly, we should be weary of the effects that could come from carrying around electromagnetic radiation for extended periods of time.

How Does the Author, Robert Louis Stevenson, Present Good and Evil in his Novel ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’? Essay

The novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was written in the late 19th century (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson who first began to study engineering only with the aim of following his father’s footsteps. However, Stevenson who had not really wanted to study engineering, compromised with his father and decided to study law instead. Although he ‘passed advocate’ he did not practise law as he had already decided to become a writer. Following his dream, he chose to go to France to be in the company of some other artists, writers and painters. He later published volumes of writing which were regarded as some of his best. Immediately after Stevenson’s ‘inland voyage’ in 1876 he met his future wife, Fanny who changed the rest of his life. He was twenty-five years of age and she was a thirty-six years old independent American ‘new woman’ separated from her husband with two children. Two years later, Fanny decided to obtain a divorce from her husband and Stevenson set for California in order to be with Fanny. This was where he wrote his sensational novels. The novel is set in the 19th century Victorian Era in â€Å"the nocturnal streets of London† when religion was more looked upon than science. However, the industrial revolution then increased the importance of science slowly pushing out religion. This novel falls into the genre of mystery and gothic horror. Gothic horror which often has nightmarish qualities and is usually based around the dark side of human nature is a genre which generally uses fantastic settings far removed from reality in order to make an uncomfortable comment about society. The novel ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelly was another famous gothic horror which influenced Stevenson as both novels are about arrogant creators (Jekyll and Dr. Frankenstein) who are destroyed by their creations (Hyde and the monster). The genre of the book is also science fiction. As Stevenson was influenced by Sir Charles Robert Darwin, a British scientist who laid the modern foundation of the evolution theory, he used quotes referring to animals which are less evolved creatures than man. Moreover, Stevenson was influenced by Sigmund Freud whose theory stated that everyone is made up of two or more conflicting personalities. During those times horror books were very uncommon and therefore, this book brought fear into the hearts of all those who read it. Many readers were surprised when Stevenson wrote this novel as there was a large contrast between ‘Treasure Island’, a story about people on an adventure and ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, a Victorian gruesome gothic horror. The book reflected his two halves, the two contrasting sides of his soul, his Yin and Yang (Chinese symbol showing two sides of something: good and evil). The book is set on the duality of respectability, which is derived from Stevenson’s youth. The main themes of the book are the duality and conflict between good and evil. When Stevenson was young he lived in the new part of Edinburgh with respectable, pious, middle-aged men. From time to time, however, R.L. Stevenson went to the filth of brothels and shadiness. His character and life reflect Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; Jekyll being the respected figure while Hyde is the evil dirty side of him. Many people during the Victorian times believed in physiognomy (the use of facial features to judge somebody’s character or temperament) and therefore Hyde would have been thought of as evil because of his appearance. Physiognomy was a pseudo science as we know that one’s appearance does not judge the character of that person. Charles Robert Darwin was becoming famous because of his theories of evolution and natural selection. Like several scientists before him, Darwin believed all the life on earth evolved over millions of years from a few common ancestors. Stevenson who was influenced by Darwin uses many descriptions of his characters to animal behaviour. For example, he refers to Hyde’s anger â€Å"with ape like fury† saying that Hyde is like a creature who has not fully evolved. There was a rigid hierarchical class system during those times. On the top of the hierarchy would be the eminent rich class such as Dr Jekyll, Dr Lanyon, Sir Danvers Carew and Mr Utterson. Money and occupation would determine one’s status in the hierarchy. Lower than the rich class would be the butler, Poole followed by the knife boy and the maid. Finally, the lowest class would be the prostitutes who sold their dignity to earn a living. The story is about a respected, eminent scientist called Dr Jekyll who believes that the human soul is made of two opposite beings; good and evil. He discovers a potion that can separate the two beings, allowing him to transform into the dark side of Mr Hyde, short, well built, and having a devilish appearance, and then back into his good, manner-some side. He is able to transform at will using the drug. Following Mr Hyde murdering Sir Danvers Carew, Jekyll decides to stop transforming into Mr Hyde as he now realises the danger being Mr Hyde causes. Eventually, Mr Hyde becomes stronger and kills Dr Jekyll. The lawyer, Mr Utterson investigates the peculiar situation. Finally, when Mr Hyde is about to be caught he commits suicide and the strange tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is unfolded to Mr Utterson. Dr Jekyll was a rich and respected man described as having some â€Å"kindness† in his body telling the reader he is good. He was religious and he had â€Å"copy of pious work for which Jekyll had several times expressed great esteem†. He believed that he was still a gentleman as it was Hyde whom Jekyll described as â€Å"pure evil†. Dr Jekyll was described as â€Å"a large man†, â€Å"a smooth-faced man of fifty† and his hand is described as â€Å"professional in shape and size†, â€Å"large†, â€Å"firm† and â€Å"white†. Mr Hyde, the evil side of Dr Jekyll, is described as being â€Å"deformed somewhere† but many of the characters â€Å"cannot specify the point† of where the deformity is. This is why Hyde is quite so repulsive and as physiognomy was strongly believed in, for Hyde’s appearance to be so repulsive he must have been evil. As the people do not know how to describe the evil which is seen in Hyde they describe it as a deformity. He is also described as â€Å"hardly human† and â€Å"like Satan† showing the extent of his evil appearance. Hyde was â€Å"dwarfish†, young and his hand was â€Å"lean, corded and knuckly†. Jekyll and Hyde are opposites showing evil and good in their appearances and personalities. Mr Utterson, a trustworthy and respected lawyer is described as â€Å"backward in sentiment†. The author tells us of his rationality and how he keeps his emotions to himself. Robert Louis Stevenson also mentions a â€Å"catholicity of good nature† and his dual personality. â€Å"When he was alone† he â€Å"drank gin† which was illegal according to Victorian laws but as for Mr Utterson, not only did he like Gin but he also drank â€Å"to mortify a taste for vintages†. He is respectable but he sins. Little is known about him throughout the novel but the reader trusts him. His full name ‘Gabriel John Utterson’ is symbolic of the Christian faith as two of his names are characters from the bible which also helps us as readers to have trust in him. Dr Lanyon, also a well respected man, is considered â€Å"hearty† and therefore we know he is a good person. There is nothing secretive about him as we know that he was a close friend of Jekyll and that he knew of Jekyll’s experiments which caused him to think of Jekyll as the â€Å"devil†. Sir Danvers Carew was a Member of Parliament and greatly respected. He was given the honour of knighthood showing his respectful position in society. It was monstrous of Hyde to kill a â€Å"gentle† man for no apparent reason. Good and evil are presented in ways other than through the characters. Jekyll’s house has two contradicting sides, one well maintained and the other neglected. The well maintained side of the house is well kept and is the only part visitors see, whereas the other more secretive side where guests are not allowed to enter is dirty and neglected. The ill maintained side that contains Dr Jekyll’s laboratory is where Jekyll created the magic potion splitting the good and evil of his soul. Hyde’s dialogue is one of the many devices which helps to show the reader Mr Hyde’s evil nature. His speech and manner is different from that of a gentleman. Talking in short sentences, being rude, never speaking in a normal tone by either mumbling or by raising his voice portrays his foul character. Another device used by Stevenson to highlight the intensity of the following chapter of the novel is the weather and setting. When it is a fine day, nothing evil shall happen whereas when the weather is bad, it is anticipated that something evil is imminent. Before the murder of Sir Danvers Carew the weather was described as â€Å"a fog rolled over the city in the small hours†. The weather turns grim just before a disaster strikes. This is repeated throughout the novel and it is used to camouflage Hyde adding tension and mystery. The settings are again a contradiction: Dr Jekyll lived around Regents Park, an extremely wealthy place and Hyde lived in Soho, the poorer part of London, an area full of prostitutes. The two doors of Jekyll and Hyde are also opposites which are used to describe the rich and poor class structure. The front door was said to be clean, expensive, new looking and well maintained which is likely to have been used by family, friends and other guests. However, the back door was said to be poorly kept, run down and dirty and was used by the workers, highlighting the class difference. The technique of using multiple narrators is used in ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. They are used in order to suspend the reader in a state of uncertainty. Stevenson sets out the information which is available in a puzzling detective case providing separate narrators’ perspectives with the use of narrative techniques such as testimonies and letters which are written by well-respected people that have little overall understanding of the case themselves. By using different accounts of the same case Stevenson delays the understanding of the reader thus serving suspense and realism projecting into the reader’s imagination into the fiction which is experienced by the characters. The purpose of chapters nine and ten are to reveal to the truth to the reader and to end the suspense. Dr Jekyll is the final narrator and is also the one who reveals to the reader and to Mr Utterson that Mr Hyde and Dr Jekyll are the two sides of the same soul. The reaction of the unsuspecting Victorian would be devastating as during those times, horrors were so rare that this book would have brought fear to everyone who read it. I feel that the idea of people being good and evil is true but the actions people choose are what make up the overall character of that person. Jekyll resorts to drugs to satisfy his desires. This book is relevant in society today as people resort to alcohol, drugs, crime, and other evil things for pleasure and relief from aspects of their life. They are then ashamed but do not have the will power to stop or know of no other way in which to live their lives. Good and evil are well represented in ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Using the good and evil of the same person was an extraordinary idea by Stevenson. He manipulated the ideas of Freud and Darwin to create an exhilarating novel. Dr Jekyll does try to do the right thing at the end. Stopping the intake of the potion which changed him to Mr Hyde was a start in ending the disaster he had caused by unleashing Mr Hyde. In order to relieve his conscience, he donated a lot to charity even though nothing could change the fact that his other form had killed Sir Danvers Carew. Finally, the evil overcame the good which was what made the ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ a gruesome, gothic Victorian horror.

Can Yahoo Still Attract Tech Workers? Essay

Introduction An American multinational Internet corporation known as Yahoo! Inc. is one of the most well known Internet sites out there. Yahoo is always expanding and seeking out and recruiting for high tech software experts to help this business grow. Any high tech job should come with competitive salary as for Yahoo! They have to work long hours to achive their goals. Yahoo! Employees work hard but, play hard as well. Review/Analysis of the Case Yahoo! Attracts over 700 million visitors a month. Now that’s a lot for a company that has been around since 1994. They may have 14,000 employees but, they work them so hard that some leave for better paying opertunities. Yahoo is part of the old Internet with Google being the new age. Their supply an demand is very low. Meaning they have more work then workers. Their workers keep leaving. Some of the best top employees have even left due to wanting to go to the new age internet. Yahoo need to strengthen it communications internaly. According to an article written by Bridgettte Redman on the Chron site she states, â€Å"Internal recruitment works only if employees have access to the information about opportunities. Multiple communication channels ensures that more employees will have access to the information.† (http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-hr-approach-internal-recruitment-25095.html) Developing plans and goals for each one of their employees can keep them on track and to keep them motivated in what they are doing. They can also do semi annual and annual performance reviews to establish what they need to work harder on and what their new goals/ achevments are. Recruitment is probably one of the most important for Yahoo!. If they don’t  have the right type of people then they will now be able to keep them. They first need to look at well known Technology Colleges and then look into some of the most brightest, and talented students on each campus. â€Å"Using the talent management system, Intercontinental is filling 84% of general manager positions and 26% of corporate jobs with current employees. The initiative has lowered recruiting costs, increased employee loyalty, and boosted productivity and profitability. â€Å"(Gerhart, B., Hollenbeck, J., Noe, R., & Wright, P. (2009). Lookin for the right canadit with the right skills and degree you are looking for usualy have already developed the desired commitment that the recruiter is looking for with the exception customer service skills needed. Most colleges and universities like Kaplan has placement services to help graduate to find their desired jobs. Putting the information in wi th them with help a recruiter to also scan candiates and expand Yahoo into the new age and out of the old internet world. Summary and Conclusions Yahoo had good employees that left for other companies despite their great talent and how good yahoo was because of their lack of excitement and no creativity. Hence, the other companies had better talent and much more to offer. Yahoo should most definitely recruit people from the top best engineering schools in order to expand the organization of yahoo. They should also keep all the employees on their toes and push them to go futher and stronger with compensation for their time, hard work and dedication. References Gerhart, B., Hollenbeck, J., Noe, R., & Wright, P. (2009). Fundamentals of human resource management (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Bridgette Redman, Deman Media. Chron. (NA) http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-hr-approach-internal-recruitment-25095.html

Issues in Educational Research Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Issues in Educational Research - Article Example The coded information included the source, respondent, episode any other information that was emerging. Sorting out, which was the second stage involved using the unitized data in identification of learning areas and relating them to the components of learning. The third stage of analysis sorted out the components of learning into the learning categories that had been predetermined. During the analysis enabled establishment of the key identified areas used for learning in the science and mathematics sector. The in-depth analysis procedures were adequate in that they gave an avenue through which knowledge construction of the pre-service teachers could now be understood in a better way (Johnson&Christensen, 2011). The adequacy of study results The study results were adequately equipped. This is because; the results indicated the numerous elements that were interacting in the environment that this study was conducted. The results gave the required insights on how the system functions an d how it affects learning of science and mathematics in elementary schools for the pre-service teachers. The results provided the most active and influential elements in the learners system cohort. The methods of improving learning methods were also established in the study results which were the most important factor for the study. Learning venues like incorporating models in learning process, the use of reflection before, during and even after teaching and incorporating collaborative learning are a good strategy for learning mathematics and sciences in elementary schools. More so, predetermined methods for both teaching and learning experiences were defined like learning from children, teachers, instructors and course methods, self and peers. Therefore, the... This paper makes a conclusion that going through this study, we have acquired the basic knowledge that is required for elementary school pre-service teachers for better teaching and learning of science and mathematics in elementary schools.The issues that are unexpected during the process of research may came up and proper measures should be put in place in case of such an event. The report approves that the study has also given me an insight on the proper ways of carry out data collection procedures. Through this study, I have established that primary sources are very reliable methods of collecting data. This is because, from the study, the institution contributed to the insights that have been projected out from the study. The results are reliable due to the active involvement of the correct participants. According to the paper the study has also enabled my understanding of the appropriate data analysis procedures in the process of carrying out any educational research. Data analysis methods contribute to effective results hence proper recommendations for any educational research. Teaching elementary school teachers who are specializing in mathematics and science for elementary schools has been enhanced through this study. This is because, while preparing students for elementary schools, it will be possible to apply the recommended strategies to these future elementary teachers. This means that better pre-service teachers in the area of mathematics and science for elementary schools will be produced.

Transformational Leadership Style as a Contributor to Motivation and Research Paper

Transformational Leadership Style as a Contributor to Motivation and Organizational Productivity - Research Paper Example The study involved 21 participants from the Hospital who represented both the directors and employees. The participants were picked at random using a stratified random sampling technique to ensure that each category of the target populations was represented. Quantitative data was collected from the 21 participants using questionnaires. The questionnaires had statements relevant to the relationships under investigation. The participants were supposed to agree or disagree with the statements. The quantitative data collected were analyzed using the SPSS software. The analysis provided descriptive and empirical descriptions of the responses. The findings of the study indicate that there is a strong and positive relationship between independent and dependent variables. In addition, the findings indicate that there is a strong relationship between employee motivation and organizational productivity. ... Improving employee motivation through transformational leadership and other strategies will help an organization to increase its productivity to higher levels. Organizations should equip their leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge in transformational leadership to enjoy its benefits. Despite the effects of transformational leadership on employee motivation and productivity, organizations should consider the internal context and the most likely response from employees to avoid negative effects in some parts of an organization. Employees react differently to changes in an organization especially in leadership and thus an abrupt introduction of transformational leadership may lower the level of motivation in some departments. Introduction Many past researchers have explored transformational leadership and thus, several definitions of transformational leadership exist. Hacker and Robert (2003, p. 3) define transformational leadership as â€Å"the comprehensive and integrated leadership capacities required of individuals, groups, or organizations to produce tran sformation as evidenced by the step-functional improvement.† Leadership is an exchange relationship between the leaders and followers and transformational leadership allows leaders to make their followers develop their sense of self-worth. Hacker and Robert (2003, p. 3) define transformational leaders as those who bring about a positive change in their followers and motivate them to do more than they had intended. Transformational leaders will cause their followers to exceed their traditional level of performance. This kind of leadership allows followers to revise their expectations and perform better than what they thought possible (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 4).

Why Juveniles should be tried as adults and Why shouldn't Juveniles be Essay

Why Juveniles should be tried as adults and Why shouldn't Juveniles be tried as adults - Essay Example Also, these courts and separate punishment laws have not helped stop or minimize the number of juvenile crimes taking place. If these delinquents are not punished properly then the next generation will be no better, probably even worse. The other side, that is that juveniles shouldn’t be treated as adults say that these children do not understand the consequence of their action and are not mature enough to handle this type of punishment. The juvenile court is there to help treat these children and not deter them. Also, by punishing the juvenile delinquents will not reduce the number of such crimes taking place but providing them with a healthy and supportive social environment will help achieve these results. (Cliff Notes, 2008) There have been some cases where children aged 7 till the ages of 14 have committed crimes. It seems unfair to judge them in an adult court as they did not understand the intensity of the crime that they have committed. In Chicago, two boys of the ages 7 and 8 were accused of killing an 11-year-old girl. The possible reason was to take her Road Warrior bike. (McLaughlin, 1998) Charging these boys with the same punishment as an adult would be a crime in itself. The adult prison is not a very safe place with all those men who are frustrated. Sending these children there would be the death of them and their innocence. On the other hand there was another case of three boys one of them who was a 15 year old. They tortured and decapitated an eight year old boy. The older companions were judged in the adult court while the fifteen year old was judged in a juvenile court, even though he was about to turn sixteen in three weeks. His punishment was a lot less than the punishment of the two older companions. He was to be released on his twenty-fifth birthday while the other two companions got life imprisonment with out

Critically evaluate the ways that the HR function could play a more Essay

Critically evaluate the ways that the HR function could play a more strategic role in the organisation - Essay Example By stepping away from subordinate-based practices and theories, the human resources manager develops practices that are geared for long-term success as it relates to the tactical side of objective fulfilment and long-run market orientation. The HR manager can take a more strategic role in the organisation by focusing on line management, executive leadership, new training development, and involvement in change management principles in an effort to expand their presence in the organisation as an HR leader. The strategy angle â€Å"The overall purpose of HRM is to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong 2006: 11). Success does not necessarily pertain to human capital needs and motivational practice development, it involves market orientation, market position of the business, operational efficiency, general staff productivity, and development of competitive strategies to gain cost and human capital advantages. Therefore, to become more st rategically oriented, the HR manager needs to expand their organisational presence to include executive management involvement and line management education to achieve competitive success using people as resources. In most organisations, change is a constant scenario. New technology implementation or procedures that relate to attaining market profitability (as two examples) dictate a need for improving change leadership and gaining employee/management support. In a situation where the business requires new information technology, changes to how employees conduct their job roles is inevitable, usually on the back of workflow redesign or complete changes to job responsibility. Kappelman, McKeeman and Zhang (2009) identify that when IT projects are part of change management, failures occur due to weak team commitment, lack of senior executive support, or team members who lack the requisite skills and competencies needed to complete the project effectively. In most cases, large-scale im plementation of new technologies consist of months if not years of labour investment and contribute significantly to cost reduction activities or improving process flow related to meeting customer demands. This is where the HR manager can take a more strategic role in the business in promoting change management principles to meet strategic goals. When change is required, management is described as â€Å"undeserving victims of irrational and dysfunctional responses of employees† (Ford, Ford and D’Amelio 2008: 362). The human resources manager can become more involved with the team functioning during the implementation phases of the new technology launch, promoting more effective interpersonal relationship development and team functioning. Weak team commitment may be stemming from employees, executives or mid-tier management due to the illogical and dysfunctional inherent psychology of the team members. By applying subordinate-based practices to higher-level individuals involved in project teams, the HR manager is promoting a more strategic angle that leads to more positive information technology and process improvement outcomes. Outside of technology scenarios, the HR manager can

Information Technology and Information Systems for Business Essay

Information Technology and Information Systems for Business - Essay Example It also highlights the limitations of this project as well as advantages and disadvantages of implementing this technology in a retail business. Those companies who have already carried out the implementation process of RFID tags into their businesses are taken into account during this report. Conclusion is drawn from the research and recommendations have been made at the end of the report as to whether the company should go for applying RFID tags into their business or not. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether it is feasible for Naisten Pukutehdas to embed RFID tags in the products of all of its stores. This prospect has disadvantages and advantages as well but the pros of this proposal weigh better. It will provide customer satisfaction, a greater, better, newer and easier experience for the customer, optimization of the business, speed benefits to the business and loyal customers. In these challenging and turbulent times, where people find it difficult to risk new technology, this proposal intends to increase the market share of the company as well as to expand the market on cost which is relatively low. The examples of other companies who have successfully gone through this procedure have been discussed and the good and bad of this technology has been discoursed as well. The company of Naisten Pukutehdas started at the end of 1910 when young and vivacious Aino Rosendahl’s ambition of doing a sewing business was put into practice. Since then there has been no looking back. The apparel line includes clothes for young girls and women, ranging from sports, casual dresses, jeans and the famous pants for women and girls. After passing several consequential years, the company just celebrated their 90th anniversary in the spring of 2009. With 11 personal stores in Finland and 2 in St. Petersburg, NA aims to establish Finnish fashion internationally and

SCIE210 Unit 2IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SCIE210 Unit 2IP - Research Paper Example Fact number two suggest that women may opt to delay having children, and the last fact is that they may even opt not to have children at all. All those facts will lead to low birth rates and low death rates because there will be an improvement in health care and nutrition (Kenkel, 2001). Economically, there will be an increment of old people depending on pension schemes for survival. In another definition, demographic transition refers to changes in high birth rates to low birth rates and change in high death rates to low death rates (Kenkel, 2001). In this stage, a society will experience high birth and death rates. Since the two rates are high, there will be a very slow growth in population. The population will belong to the young generation because many people born do not live long (Chesnais, 1992). In this stage, children are economically valued in the families because they reinforce high birth rates. The main economic activity that they contribute to is carrying water and firewood, caring for young ones below them, cooking, and working in fields. There are very few education opportunities hence; the cost of raising children is higher than the cost of feeding them (Chesnais, 1992). In this stage, a country enters an industrialization period, which facilitates a drop in the death rates rapidly. There are two factors attributed for the drop in death rates. The first factor is improved food production and improved health facilities and sanitation. The country turns into more efficient food production methods and better transportation and food distribution methods (Galor & Moay, 2002). At this stage, death due to starvation is eradicated and the population will be growing. Population growth is witnessed due to reduced death rates and stabilized birth rates. It is important to note that population does not grow due to increased fertility but due to reduction in death rates. Therefore, birth rate maintains its pace while more people continue to live

An Inspector Calls Essay Example for Free

An Inspector Calls Essay An Inspector Calls is a play that investigates the social injustice of society in England. Its author JB Priestly writes a story based on the society reigned by King Edward. In this historic period the British Empire was at its peak of world colonial power. Edwardian society, as the period was known as, was split into different class groups. You had upper class, middle class and lower class. JB Priestly rights about an Edwardian upper class family, called the Birlings and how their transgressions lead to the suicide of a poor lower class factory worker known as Eva Smith. The story begins in the Birling household where the family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. The celebrations are interrupted as the inspector appears, bringing the news of the suicide of Eva Smith. His inquiries reveal each member of the Birling household involvement in the case and the once respectable Birling family are revealed to be rather pathetic and immoral.  In reference to the essay question I shall now write about one member of the Birling family and how their character changes through out the play. Sheila Birling is the daughter of Author and Sybil Birling. It is at her engagement party with Gerald Croft, where the inspector reveals the familys involvement in the Eva Smith suicide case. In the story Priestly portrays her as a young beautiful lady with a rather selfish and arrogant nature. Using her compelling personality she is able to obtain anything in which she desires through her father. At the beginning of the inspectors inquiries she seems  somewhat curious about the reason for the inspectors interference. Of course at this time she is unaware of her contribution to the incident and sits in the room with a feeling of impartial responsibility to the suicide of Eva Smith. After the inspector explains whats happened and how Eva Smith dies she shows an empathetic side of her personality, which might have surprised the audience watching the play. She shows her remorse by describing her feelings towards the injustice of the case. The inspector interviews Author Birling first before moving on to Sheila. Author Birling insists for the inspector to leave his daughter out his inquiries, but the inspector points out to Mr Birling that he must speak to everybody in the house. The inspector unveils Sheilas involvement by revealing her as the second link in a long chain of events leading to the death of Eva Smith. Edwardian upper class society was well renowned for their ability to exercise total power and control over lower class persons. Priestly shows a perfect example of this during the inspectors questioning of Sheila. He reveals that after being sacked from Mr Birlings factory, Eva Smith found a knew line of work at a clothes shop where Sheila Birling was considered a valued customer. Eva Smith was soon left unemployed after being sacked again. The reason was for being better looking than Sheila in a dress which had Miss Birlings best interest at heart. Using her social position she was able to influence the managers at the clothes shop into dismissing Eva Smith. Sheila is devastated after hearing the effect of her selfish act. The inspector shows another side to Sheila Birlings character, her gentle side. Perhaps Sheila can be separated from the rest of the family as she is the only one, apart from Eric who is able to accept responsibility for her action, unlike her father who a coward at heart made excuses for his actions.: Through the course of the play Sheila slowly changes from a spoilt little rich snob into a mature young lady. She begins to share the inspectors views on Edwardian society and brings about a few of her own views.  The purpose of Priestly writing An Inspector Calls was to get his views about Edwardian society across England. Using the inspector he criticizes  The social order of Edwardian society. So any comment made by the inspector is a comment made by JB Priestly.  Conclusion  I have been able to successfully answer the essay question using Sheila Birling as my character to show how members of the Birling family changed. JB Priestly reveals the injustice that occurred in Edwardian society. He shows the audience that the upper class people of Edwardian society were consequently not the respectable upright citizens that their class positions would have implied.

Allowing Same Sex Marriage in Malaysia

Allowing Same Sex Marriage in Malaysia Marriage normally brings together men and women who complement each other in extraordinary ways (Willard and Harley, n. d.). However, there is an existence of another form of marriage which is a same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is legally and socially defined as marriage between two adults of the same gender identity or biological sex (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). In the earlier century such as ancient Egypt, the marriage between two persons of same gender was encouraged (Altergott, 2012). At that time, attraction between two people with same sexuality is normal and it is considered as an action to express love. In late twentieth century, legalization of this form of marriage becomes a wide debated issue in many nations. However, there are around seventeen countries has approved the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide such as Netherlands which is the first country to offer marriage equality (Pew Research Center, 2013). As of May 2014 in America, same-sex marriage has been legalized in the following states such as Massachusetts, New York, Washington and Delaware (Gay Marriage, 2014). In addition, both Vietnam and Thailand became the first Southeast Asian countries that allow and accept gay marriages but Malaysia is far from adopting the similar accepting attitude to this issue (Michelle, 2013). The issues on religious beliefs and adopted children are the common reason of opponents to affirm their stand. Despite there are some arguments that against gay marriage, there are some reasons that our country and nationwide should consider seriously on the issue of allowing gay couples the equal right of marriage. People usually condemn same-sex marriage based on their religious beliefs. However, it is morally wrong to discriminate homosexual couples solely based on their sexual orientations. In fact, eliminating the right of homosexual couples to get marriage is meant to denying the healthy relationships among gay communities. Therefore, same-sex marriage should be allowed for protecting the right of same-sex couples although there are many arguments against it. Legally allowing gay marriage in our society is able to give basic human right as well as freedom for those who have same-sex orientation based on their behavior preference. The equality principle of human rights is meant by the availability of civil marriage without discrimination to all couple (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2012). Therefore, the right to marriage should be given to everyone as long as that kind of marriage does not hurt anyone. One of the civil right is pursuing the happiness but happiness unable to be chased by homosexual communities when people denying gay marriage (Delano, 2013). In this situation, couples with same gender have no right to marry with the person they love and this is obvious that unequal right of marriage may violate their freedom. In fact, no one should have the right to choose the partner for marriage of other people because this is also morally wrong to eliminate the right of marriage for two people who feel affection for one another. Furthermore, allowing gay couples the right to marry in a legal way is able to foster true freedom of religion (Corner, 2014). Many people are not willing to accept gay marriage as they believe that this form of marriage is morally wrong in their religious belief. However, this is a violation of the true freedom that should be deserved by everyone. In the view of religion, everyone should have the right to get married with the one they love regardless of gender, race or other social category (Faith in America, n.d.). However, banning the gay marriage is actually against the natural and original principles of religious belief. People should be given the right to stay together with another one by concerning on the condition that they will contribute their true love to each other, regardless of sexuality. Therefore, it is no reason to ban the gay marriage based on the religion beliefs. Also, giving the right of marriage for same-sex couples can promote social equality. When gay marriage or same-sex union is in force, this can directly eliminate the minority discrimination towards gay and lesbian. So, this will automatically increase the societal acceptance towards this form of marriage. Based on the statistics, public support to same-sex marriage has risen 8% from the year which gay marriage was first legalized in United States (Saad, 2012). By allowing gay marriage, people will learn to accept and understand the real nature of homosexuality. Therefore, this will able to help in reducing social misunderstanding over the definition of same-gender relationship. Also, permitting gay communities the right to marriage is meant to allow them the right to deserve their dignity and respect. Since everyone has their own dignity, people should not treat gay couples unfairly but respect should be shown to them anytime to prevent them to believe that they are inferior and not worthy to be treated equally. So, this will directly reduce the social stress faced by the gay couples by showing true equality to gay couples in society. In addition, marriage equality will allow gay couples to enjoy benefits and protection legally. Everyone should be treated equal regardless sexuality. By allowing them the right of marriage, gay couples are able to access government benefits and protections of the law which is same with the heterosexual communities (Nolo Law, 2014). Additionally, marriage equality may integrate homosexual individuals into the community. This allows government to provide well protection and benefits to them in an easier way to prevent this community to be treated unfairly in society such the housing benefits and insurance protections to their partner. A strong sense of belonging of gay and lesbian to community can be built with the benefits and support given by government. This is will lead the homosexual couples to be more motivated to make contribution to the society. This is also a cornerstone to create a stable society. Allowing same-sex marriage also can reduce social misunderstanding towards this form of marriage by insisting the right concept on this issue to the people. The ideas of society which think that gay relationships are shallow and uncommitted are inaccurate. Therefore, allowing gay marriage is able to reduce such form of harm to the gay and lesbian. In fact, the unstable relationship is just like in the straight society, where such relationships will also exists but this is merely occupied the minority part within gay communities and exist primarily among the young people (Bidstrup, n.d.). As we know, the relationship will last longer and become more stable as people getting aged and becoming more mature. This natural scenario not only exists within heterosexual communities but also the homosexual communities. So, gay couples should not be denied to marry with the reason of they build shallow and uncommitted relationships all the time. Other than that, allowing gay marriage is able to overcome the problem of misunderstanding over the nature of homosexual relationship. Over the years, people always consider homosexuality as a form of deviant sexual behavior (Messerli, 2009). However, there is a statement about homosexual relationships have existed for around 600 years according to the historical evidence (Bryner, 2007). Also, people always misunderstand that sexual orientation is a choice so that gay and lesbian are able to reform their same-sex orientation to be an opposite-sex anytime they want. However, many researches were being done for proving that there is a biological causation for homosexuality. Scientists stated that the sexual orientation is congenital and unable to be altered (Law Teacher, n. d.). That means if an individual is born to be gay, they cannot made any changes on their sexual orientation. So, it is not fair to treat them in a different way as this is not their choice to be different. Permitting same-sex marriage in a legal way can also improve the health of gay, lesbian and bisexual community. In contrast, banning the same-sex marriage is able to damage the health of those who are identified as sexual minority (Schwecherl, 2013). This decrease both physical and mental related health risk in gay communities. In term of physical health, allowing gay marriage in a legal way may reduce sexually transmitted diseases by discouraging the promiscuous sex. According to the research of scientists, there is an obvious improvement of heath by legalizing same-sex marriage. This is because medical visits about physical problems among homosexual individuals has significantly decreased associated with the reduce in healthcare cost in the twelve months following the change in marriage law as compared to the twelve months before the changes made (Hatzenbuehler et.al., 2012). In addition, allowing gay marriage in a legal way may bring a lot of health benefit regarding the mental health. Since marriage allow couples to become happier they can stay together with the one they love, marriage equality should be promoted to allow the same-gender couples to pursue their happiness (Anderson, n. d.). In addition, unwed people seems less mature in thought and less concern about their discipline. This leads them to be more likely to take some unnecessary risks. So, the homosexual marriage should be promoted to allow same-sex individuals to marry as married people often consider the feeling of their partner before taking risky actions since they are committed to take care of their partner. In addition, since allowing gay marriage is able to reduce or even eliminate the social discrimination, married individuals will less likely to deal with problems of psychological health includes depression (Hatzenbuehler, et. al., 2012). Mental health among sexual minority also ca n be reduced as they can share their problem to each other and they can solve the problem together. On the other hand, there are opponents who argue that allowing same-sex marriage will destroy traditional family values in our society. They always affirm that marriage will only make sense when it happens between opposite-sex couples and allowing this form of marriage will merely alter the natural definition of marriage. Besides, opponents also have considerations about the right given for gay to marriage will directly reduce the normal rates of reproduction. They believe that gay couples are will directly affect the future reproduction level since they do not have the ability of having own children. Opponents argue that allowing same-sex marriage will increase the health risk of gay couples and the heterosexual communities as well. They think that allowing gay marriage will lead to highly promiscuous and bring many related diseases though same-sex couples demonstrate that homosexuality will not harm anyone by trying to segregate their behavior from such diseases (Slick, n.d.). Allowing gay couple the right to marriage will also help in improving their family stability. This is able to promote children well-being in many aspects (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013). Since children represent the future of the nation, their development should be supported by the society regardless of whom they are parented by. Nowadays, there are about six millions of children are being raised or adopted in households led by gay couples in America (Gates, 2013). However, there are many of them who adopt children are prohibited to get marry legally and this leads the children who are raised by gay couples to be disadvantaged. The lacking of support for gay families denies children within these families the same protections which are afforded by children in heterosexual families. Therefore, this will mislead the children within gay families to believe that their parents are inferior who are not worthy to be treated equally in society. Also, this can avoid the family members o f gay community to be adversely affected. This is because lack of opportunity for gay couples to marry family will add family stress within it. Giving the right of marriage to gay couples can increase the social acceptance and prevent impacts caused on the health and welfare of all household members. Also, the close bond if kinship will be formed by people with a more committed relationship as they are interdependence to each other. So, this definitely will stabilize a family. Therefore, allowing gay marriage can help to support the family stability within gay communities by addressing this injustice. With deeper understanding over gay marriage, it can be known that allowing gay marriage may also bring financial gain or income to government and the society. One of the benefits in term of financial that brought to government and society is the increasing in tax revenue on marriage licenses and tax revenue on sales of wedding items (Ramos et. al., 2009). Since everyone will spend money on their wedding ceremony, this will definitely boost the domestic economic within a gay marriage legalized state. Since permitting same-sex marriage may discourage promiscuous sexual activities and decrease the sexually transmitted illness, it may also reduce the costs of organizing healthy program and campaign. As the marriage equality is able to resolve the problem of psychological health within gay communities, this will also improve their abilities and performance of job which is good for any business and employers. As we know that married couples are happier and become more optimistic and energe tic than singles, they will be more productive. Therefore, this allows them to be more concentrate in doing their works. By an indirectly way, this can improve the business competitiveness and economic conditions within our country. It is also obvious that allowing same-sex marriage does not harm the opposite-sex marriages and communities as well as the traditional family values. This is because society will continue to function well with the existence of gay marriage. There is no proximity between implementation of same sex marriage laws and rates of opposite sex marriage (Ferro, 2013). There is a research of United States recognize that there is no significant changes in rates of opposite-sex marriage as compared the rates after and before the legalization of same-sex marriage (Diebold, 2013). This means same-sex marriage does not bringing down the venerated institution of marriage. Allowing this form of marriage will not alter any previous set legal framework of the marriage institution as gay couples will accept to the same duties that are currently imposed on married opposite-sex couples (Mormons for Marriage, 2014). Apart from that, people always condemn that gay marriage is exposed at high divorce rate as the relationship between gay couples is uncommitted. In fact, divorce rates do not correlate directly with gay marriage. This is because data shows that divorce rate in the states such as Massachusetts that allow marriage equality is lower than in states that gay marriage is not recognized (Aldridge, 2012). Also, decreasing reproduction rates which always condemn by heterosexual communities towards same-sex couples is not only caused by same-sex marriage but also infertile couples. Since infertile couples are still gaining the equal right of marriage, gay marriage should not be the exception. In conclusion, same-sex marriage should be allowed and accepted by government and society since it is uncivilized and unmerited but it promotes the social equality in the way that it does not harm anyone. However, it must be controlled under strictly regulations to protect the equally welfare of both homosexual and heterosexual communities. Therefore, in order to allow the gay marriage by not affecting the other communities, governments should be take a more serious view on the legislation of this form of marriage to ensure the basic human right of everyone being protected. Educational programs should also be supported and developed to change the social view towards this issue.

Case Study of Best Buy

Case Study of Best Buy In 1966 Richard Schultze and James Wheeler saw an opportunity in opening a specialized electronics store in St. Paul, Minnesota. Soon after opening, The Sound of Music became an immediate success in the industry. By the year 1969 the company grew so fast, Schultze decided to publically trade The Sound of Music. Over the next few years, The Sound of Music was able to raise their annual revenues to over $1 million. In 1981, a tornado hit the Roseville, Minnesota store. In order to salvage what they could from the storm wreckage they held a huge storewide sale which was advertised as The Best Buy. The sale was such a huge success that Schultze decided to hold it annually. Sound of Music became widely known for this annual best buy sale, therefore in 1983, the board of directors decided to officially change the name to Best Buy Co., Inc.  [1]   Best Buy went on to become the leading consumer electronics retail store in the Nation. By 2008 they had opened their 1000th store (Lawrence being #837). Due to their success, Best Buy was able to expand their business by building additional stores throughout the nation as well as expanding internationally in countries such as UK, Canada, Mexico and China. Best Buy was able to achieve such growth because of the rapidly growing consumer electronics market. Best Buy was joined in the Industry by competitors such as GameStop, Radio Shack, hhgregg and Conns Inc. (Yahoo financial).  [2]  Other competition includes Wal-Mart, Nebraska Furniture Mart and other big super stores. By being the Industry Pioneer, Best Buy has been able to maintain positive annual revenues as well as a large market share. Business Information Best Buy is one of the International leaders in the sale of electronics. They offer a wide variety of products that are needed as well as wanted in the entertainment industry. Best Buy carries movies, games, music, computer hardware as well as software, and television entertainment equipment. They also provide many home appliances which are sought after by people throughout their market. Best Buy is successful because it provides customers with entertainment as well as equipment and the newest technology as it becomes available in the market. Geographical Reach Best Buy offers its services and products to people not just throughout our country, but in many different countries as well. Their first international venture came in 2001 with the acquisition of Future Shop. Future Shop was the leading consumer electronics retailer in Canada. Since 2001, Best Buy has expanded by establishing stores in Canada as well as the UK, China, Mexico, and they are looking to establish a position in Turkey in the future. Market Performance The market for consumer electronics is a very saturated market. Most of the electronic needs in the industry are spoken for by current businesses, therefore it is very difficult for any new competition to enter into the market and successfully compete. Best Buy has been able to capture a substantial amount of the market for electronics. Between the five main competitors for electronics, Best Buy has a $17.5 billion market capitalization, which is number one out of all 5 electronic specialists. It is hard to quantitatively compare Best Buy to businesses such as Wal-Mart, Target and Nebraska Furniture Mart because these firms sell a variety of other products to different industries. After interviewing Supervisor, Jeremy Brown he discussed the service you will receive when you shop at Best Buy. Best Buy is the place you know you will receive the best service and help from employees in searching for the item you came in to buy.  [3]  Given the data found, Best Buy has been able to pe rform as the market leader in the electronics Industry. Best Buy has the greatest Brand awareness in the Industry. They have very loyal customers because of their Geek Squad business which was opened in 2004. The Geek Squad operates to assist customers in learning how to use the products that they previously purchased from Best Buy, as well as servicing any customers equipment which is in need of repair or replacement. Jeremy Brown said, It benefits Best Buy having a complimenting business like Geek Squad because it allows us to offer the whole solution to the customer. We can repair, protect, as well as install any product the customer would need us to.  [4]  By offering a variety of products and services in the electronic industry, Best Buy can tailor to any needs of the existing market. Financial Performance In the end of the February 2010 fiscal year, Best Buy reported revenues of $49,694 million. This was a 10.3% increase from the previous year. Net profit in 2010 was $1,317 million which was a 31.31% increase from 2009. Best Buy, which is publically traded on the New York stock exchange is currently up 42.59. Best Buys revenue per share is $121.49. According to Yahoo finance the company has a strong balance sheet, with $840 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of the most recent quarter in August 2010, meaning that Best Buy has created a successful trend of positive cash flows.  [5]   Internal Analysis Since Best Buys inception in 1966, the companys top executives have used numerous strategies to keep their earnings increasing at a steady pace. Changing the way that people shop in their stores was a key internal strategy for Best Buy. In 1984, they introduced the superstore format for the first time. This allowed for sales to rise and for them to secure a 42% market share. In 1989, Best Buy introduced its Concept II stores. The new stores had a large warehouse attached to the store so that more inventory could be kept on site and thus help with inventory management. The new stores also had self-help information guides and answer centers for customers seeking personal attention. This move had both positive and negative reactions. The customers liked it so sales rose, but some suppliers thought that the lack of sales representatives would lead to lesser sales. In 1994, the Concept III stores were introduced and they had even more self-help service. Then Hitachi and Kenwood pulled their products from Best Buy stores because they believed that salespeople were key to selling their product. Despite the minor setbacks, revamping the stores to tend to the customers wants was working as sales continued to rise. Concept IV stores launched in 1998 and they implemented digital displays as well as new departments such as home theatre and digital imaging. This new store design was a tremendous success as Best Buy recorded record sales of $224 million in 1998, a 137% increase from the previous year. Then in June, Best Buy changed the way its products were sold again by selling consumer electronics on its website. From expanding to a superstore to selling its products online, Best Buy has tweaked and changed its distribution medium to allow for its profits to keep going up. Probably the largest factor in Best Buys success is its expansion into new markets and offering of new products. The consumer electronic industry is constantly changing as technology improves and new markets are created. Best Buy stores are always stocked with the most up to date products. In 1982, they started selling VCRs and appliances. Then in 2000, Best Buy partnered with Whirlpool to start offering KitchenAid brand appliances. In 2008, they even bought a majority holding in Napster. They were also the first third party retailer to sell Apples iPhone. Now, theyve opened Apple stores inside the Best Buy megastores. In 2006, they tried the digital music market as they launched the Best Buy Digital Music Store and in 2010, they launch their web-based movie service. Best Buy is constantly looking for new markets that they could feasibly dive into and start selling new products.  [6]   Another way Best Buy tailors their stores for the customer is by purchasing another company. Magnolia Hi-Fi, one of Best Buys competitors, was bought by Best Buy in 2000 for $87 million. This allowed for Best Buy to later put Magnolia Home Theatre stores inside of hundreds of Best Buy superstores. As technology increased in the consumer electronics market, there was a growing need for technical support and assistance with different, more complicated electronics. So in 2003, Best Buy acquired Geek Squad in order to better accommodate to the customers needs. Geek Squad gives Best Buy full technical support right there in the store for all of the electronics that they sell. In 2006, Best Buy acquired Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath, a retailer of high-end home improvement products. So, Best Buy is also looking to move to new markets via an acquisition.  [7]   Best Buy also uses a rewards program to help boost sales. Their rewards program gives the customer a $5 Best Buy gift card for every $100 that he spends at Best Buy. This gives an incentive for customers to spend more money and to buy their electronics at Best Buy since theyre getting 5% of their money spent back. Plus, giving out a free gift card will help boost sales. If someone has a $5 gift card, they are more likely to go and buy something. But there arent many things that cost $5 or less, so usually, the customer will end up spending more than $5, all because he had the gift card in the first place. The rewards program has been very successful for Best Buy and has lead to increased sales.  [8]   Best Buy is a successful consumer electronics retailer that has been around for over 40 years. Whether its changing the layout of the store, selling new products in new markets, expanding through acquisition, or implementing a rewards program, Best Buy uses many strategies and tactics to not just survive in the consumer electronics market, but to thrive, and Best Buy has been thriving for over 40 years. Comparison To Competiton Best Buy has a sizeable piece of the consumer electronics industry, but they still face heavy competition from many other retailers and online stores, just a couple of them being Wal-Mart and Amazon. Best Buy is not the price leader when it comes to consumer electronics, but they do seem to be the leader when it comes to providing extensive knowledge about products, and selling services with them. Their competitive advantage  [9]  is being able to display products in an appealing setting while providing customers with insight to their product needs. This has proven a successful strategy and has attracted a lot of traffic in their stores. One metric Best Buy seems to lead the retail industry in is in-store sales per square foot. Best Buys current sales per sq. ft is around $830, compared to Wal-Marts $680, and HHGregs $380. This an important metric because it helps track how much of their store front space is being utilized, as leasing for space usually constitutes a large share o f a companys costs. Forbes Magazine1 says that 74% of Best Buys stock price is directly proportional to its sales per sq. ft metric. This is much of the reason Best Buy has been so successful and why theyve been able to keep growing so rapidly. Best Buy has also remained successful for its ability to get products out of the store. Latest figures show Best Buy having inventory turns  [10]  of 6.1, the same as Target, much better than Sears 2.9 or Radio Shacks 3.2. Close to Best Buy was HH Greg with 5.8. Amazon and Wal-Mart both have higher turns but Amazon is all online with no store front, and Wal-Mart is a much larger company with a better supply chain and a far broader array of products while also focusing on a cost-leadership strategy. Though Best Buys differentiated strategy has been successful, it can possibly encourage consumers to come into Best Buy to become educated about products, and then turn around go buy them at Wal-Mart or off of the internet. To better differentiate themselves, Best Buy has focused on services to add to their products, of which would not be available unless otherwise purchased from Best Buy. These services include extended services plans, installations, and repairs. These services usually have high profit margins and can constitute a significant amount of revenue, while giving customer professional installations and peace of mind. Wal-Mart is also on Best Buys trail, now adding expanded electronics department in many of its stores and has added personnel to provide customer assistance, similarly to Best Buy stores. Given Wal-Marts supply chain and price leading capabilities, they remain a constant threat to Best Buy. Amazon remains a threat as their prices are usually always lower, and consumers can shop from home and never have to go to the store. Although Best Buy provides this service, they cannot match the price, and with no other way to differentiate themselves through the limited online experience, price remains the deciding factor. For these reasons Best Buy continues to try to set its self apart and take advantage of its strengths. Its recently used it large distribution network to get into the used game market. It will buy used games, send them to a center to be refurbished, and sells them at relatively low prices. This is helping the huge retailer compete directly with small retailers such as Game Stop. With their size, Best Buy has an opportunity to steal market share in this industry. External Analysis The general environment involves several external factors that would have unpredictable and dramatic effects on firms strategy, such as demography, socio culture, politics, technology, economy and globalization. However, it is difficult to monitor all aspects of the general environment, so most managers only focus on their own industry structure. As the leading consumer electronics retailer in the United States, Best Buy primarily faces the economic segment and the global segment. First of all, the economy affects all industry. During the financial crisis period from 2008 to 2009, the stock price of Best Buy, Inc hit to $16.42 in the third quarter of 2009 fiscal year, dropping approximately 65.43% in four months and touched the lowest price in past 5 years; the net income of 2009 decreased to 1.003 million, comparing with previous annual net income of $1.407 million, thus distracting the investors.  [11]  The worst situation may be that total operating cash flow reduced by 148 mi llion from 2008 to 2009, which significantly limited the companys internal operating activities. However, with the recovery of the domestic and global economy, the companys net income climbed to $1.137 million by February 2010, which is 13.36% higher than previous annual performance. Also the stock price reached about $42.83 per share recently. Secondly, for global segment, Best Buy divided its operating portion into two parts, domestic and international. The company tends to expand its market to attract multinational customers, to use lower costs of resource, and to access more opportunities to grow up. Besides the domestic market, Best Buy established 2453 stores in Europe, Canada, China, Mexico and Turkey at the end of fiscal 2010. Although the general environment inevitably affects the firms strategy, the company is usually more directly influenced by forces in the competitive environment. Through the Porters five-force model of industry competition, the company would have a deep realization of developing trend and ability of restructuring and improvement. The Threat of New Entrants There are few new major entrants in Consumer Electronics Appliances Retail because this industry is already mature in United States and the entry barriers are relatively high. Obviously, Best Buy has the advantage of economies of scale with 1069 stores across the all states. Its major competitors, Wal-Mart, target, Amazon, apple Inc also share the rest of market through the physical stores and web-based sales channel. Moreover, the capital requirement for entering the consumer electronics industry is normally huge, including the investment in negotiation with distribution channels, inventory systems, purchasing of infrastructure, employee training and so forth. Another barrier exists in the product differentiation. Since the consumer electronic retail industry is not highly innovative, customers loyalty and brand identification are difficult to change. The Bargaining Power of Buyers The Power of buyers in consumer electronic retail industry is relatively high because that the switching costs are almost close to zero. In most circumstances, customers are price sensitive. According to the firms annual report, Best buys business is most profitable in the fourth quarter because of the discounts of products in holiday season. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers Partially, Best Buys business depends on offering a broad selection of name-brand products, so establishing a long and stable relationship with suppliers is important for the firm. Since the suppliers of Best Buy are not dominated by a few companies. In fact, In fiscal 2010, our 20 largest suppliers accounted for just under 60% of the merchandise we purchased, with five suppliers Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba -representing 35% of total merchandise purchased.  [12]  In other words, the concentration relative to buyer industry is low, thus leads to the low suppliers power. The Threat of Substitute Products and Services Best Buy offers almost the same electronic products as Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon. How can it differentiate from those competitors? The answer is Geek Squad. It is a subsidiary of the Best Buy and primary offers services in-store, on-site and also provides 24-hour telephone and emergency support, including repairing computers, adding cars navigation, transferring data, fixing personal digital products and so on. As their first pledge states: We are dedicated to giving you the best service possible and well prove it. If youre not completely satisfied, well do our best to correct the problem, Fast and Free.  [13]  This strategy is difficult to imitate and brings the firm high profits. The Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors in an Industry In order to compete with so many competitors in this industry, Best Buy needs to consider the settlement of price, to face the advertising battles, to continuously improve the customer services and warranties. In addition to low industry growth rate, low product differentiation, and low switching costs, the intensity of competitive rivalry is pretty high. After the analysis of the companys general and competitive environment, Best Buy has reached success through expanding, providing prior and high-quality service, well established relationships with customers and suppliers, and differentiation. Recommendations for the Future As the leading company in the Electronics Industry, Best Buy already has a competitive advantage over its competitors. In order to gain even more market share for their company there are steps Best Buy could take in becoming more specialized. If they kept their focus on the specific aspects of the electronics industry that the everyday consumer does not necessarily know, consumers would feel even more comfortable purchasing specific electronic products. This way they would be differentiating themselves from their main competitors and be considered as a superior business all together. An advantage that Best Buy has is the production of their own products, such as Rocketfish, Dynex, Init. This allows for Best Buy to gain higher margins on products that are sold. Therefore we feel that it is important for Best Buy to market their products strongly. By increased advertising and promotion on such products, consumers will begin purchasing Best Buys own products rather than other competing name brands such as Sony and LG. It is also important for Best Buy to continually enhance their employee relationship within the Company. A job at Best Buy is highly sought after, however it is important for them to keep their employees interests in the company high. By maintaining good employee relations they are also ensuring that their employees speak of them highly outside of work which ensures their customer relations in good order as well. It would be beneficial if Best Buy would keep enhancing their Reward and Benefit Systems for their employees. By doing so, moral and interest in the company will increase and the Company will see improvements in their performance. One example of such reward systems that Best Buy already has in place are what they call Blue Crew Bucks. This system is used to pay a bonus to stores who perform the highest and their employees. While Sarah Ballard, Vice President of Human Capital for Best Buy developed this system and thought it was a great idea employees thought differently. Thr ee months after it began, she realized that employees didnt agree. Store managers told her that some workers thought Best Buy wouldnt pay up; others just didnt understand the program. After realizing that employees were upset she was able to talk to managers of each store and clarify how the program worked. By continually receiving feedback from employees and the management team, Best Buy is able to make sure that everyone is satisfied with their work environment and with how things operate.  [14]   As new products are constantly entering the market along with rapidly developing technology it is important for Best Buy to keep up with the market and make sure they always provide the newest products for customers immediately. With the latest products such as the I-Pad and X-box Kinect consumers will only consider shopping for these at the stores they know will be the first to carry them. It is important for customers to know when they want to purchase that new item they can do so at Best Buy. Jeremy Brown stated, It is so important to have the newest items for customers when they come out. Upon the new items release we must make sure that we have enough of the product to cover the demand and place them at an appropriate location in the store to maximize the items appeal.  [15]  Making sure these new products are placed so that they can be easily identified by consumers when they enter the store is very important for the company. This will attract consumers into the store in th e first place, in hopes that upon purchasing the new item, they will also decide to purchase other items. After analyzing Best Buys competitive approach in their corporate strategies, it is apparent that they have established themselves as the leader in the consumer Electronics Industry. The resources that Best Buy has at their expense allow for them to have a remain competitive in the electronics industry as a leading electronics retailer. The process by which Best Buy utilizes their resources is a valuable asset, for the company strives to continually strengthen their competitive approach. They can continue to strengthen this by focusing on great employee relationships, keeping up with the newest technology and products in their stores and focusing on specific products where they have a competitive advantage above competition.

The Effect of Slavery on the Identity of Cuba Essay examples -- Slaver

The Effect of Slavery on the Identity of Cuba The Caribbean is a diverse region with a unique history. The progress and advancement of each island complied with the European country in control of it at the time. The Caribbean was conquered and colonized soon after Columbus’ discovery in 1492. A similar aspect of the heterogeneous region has been its plantations. The plantations were an important aspect of the cultural history of the Caribbean. Mintz believed that the plantations tied the colonies in the Caribbean to the European country that was colonizing it. He states: "the plantation system was an agricultural design for the production of export commodities for foreign markets- a means for introducing agricultural capitalism to subtropical colonial areas, and for integrating those areas with the expanding European economy"(Mintz 26). The plantations of the Caribbean are also useful tools in learning more about the history of the island who once inhabited the island, as Benitez-Rojo states in his essay, From Plantation to Plantation, "the plantations serve as a telescope for observing the changes and the continuities of the Caribbean galaxy through the lenses of multifold disciplines, namely economics, history, sociology, political science, anthropology, ethnology, demography, as well as through innumerable practices, which range from the commercial to the military, from the religious literary"(Benitez-Rojo 38). The plantations in the Caribbean played a significant role in shaping each colony in the development from colonialism to the modern society. In the other readings in class, we learned that Michelle Cliff (Abeng) despised the plantation systems because the Europeans profited from the sugar plantations, whic... ...combination. The blending of the Spanish guitar and the African drum gives Cuban music its distinctive form, the rumba and son are good examples. Today Cubans are peoples of all different colors. The islands complicated history is evident in its inhabitants. WORKS CITED Beckles, Hilary& Shepard, Verene. Caribbean Slave Society & Economy, New York, 1991. Cliff, Michelle. Abeng. Penguin Group, 1984. Knight, Franklin. The Caribbean: The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism. New York, 1990. Paquette, Robert. Sugar is Made with Blood. Middletown, CT, 1988. Perez, Louis. Slaves, Sugar & Colonial Society, Wilmington, Delaware, 1992. Benitez-Rojo, Antonio. The Repeating Island, Duke University, Durham & London, 1992. Mintz, Sidney W. The Caribbean as a Socio-Cultural Area, Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean, Garden City, New Jersey, 1971.

Search for Identity in Judith Guests Ordinary People :: Judith Guest Ordinary People Essays

Search for Identity in Ordinary People When we are young, we live life by the day. In our preteen and teenage years, the process of self discovery begins. For some people, this could take years. For others, it could happen within a week. No matter how people discover themselves, who they really are, and what they stand behind, everybody goes through it. Especially the characters in the book Ordinary People by Judith Guest. As they struggle through death, guilt, and a lack of understanding; Calvin, Beth and Conrad eventually discover their true identities. While dealing with their first major struggle; death, Calvin, Conrad's father, Beth, Conrad's mother, and Conrad begin their road to self discovery. They all deal with Conrad's suicide attempt in different ways. Calvin is the most concerned person about Conrad. "How's going it going? School. Swimming. Everything okay?" "Yeah, fine. Same as yesterday." "What does that mean?" A faint smile. "It means you ask me that every day." "Sorry." He smiles, too. "I like things neat." (11) Calvin is very concerned about Conrad's well-being after his suicide attempt. Every move or motion Conrad makes, Calvin is there to question it or question Conrad's health. Conrad on the other hand, is focusing on recovering from the incident. He is mainly focused on recovering from the mental damage he has caused himself and trying to begin his new life. "But he cannot relax, because today is a Target Date. Tuesday, September 30. One month, to the day, that he has been home. And what are you doing Jarrett? Asking weird questions like From what? Toward what? Questions without answers. Undermining. A serious affliction" (4). After coming out of the hospital, Conrad is forced to relearn how to deal with every day situations. Learning how to establish routines and manage his own life is Conrad's first step on his way to recovery and self-discovery. Beth deals with Conrad's suicide attempt in a very different way, she is very enclosed and in a constant state of denial. This is just the first of many actions until she reveals her true colors. "Will you talk to him this morning? About the clothes. He's got a closet full of decent things and he goes off every day looking like a bum, Cal" (7).

Political Philosophy and Brief Critical Evaluation

Sample essay questions? 1. Describe Plato's scheme for communism in the Republic. (Discuss each of the main features of this life-style. ) Which classes, according to Plato, should practice this way of living? What justification does Plato offer for advocating communism? Offer a brief critical evaluation of Plato's communism. PHL 107 | study guide for exam 2 | page 4 2. (1) Briefly describe Plato's allegory of the cave. 2) Then state how the allegory expresses Plato's position on (a) the place of the Philosopher-Kings in Plato's utopia, (b) Plato's distinction between opinion and genuine knowledge (wisdom), and (c) Plato's position on the motives of the Philosopher-Kings for ruling. 3. (1) What is Plato's dualistic metaphysics? (2) How is this metaphysics expressed in the allegory of the cave? (3) How is it related to his position on the nature of the human person? 4. (1) What is Plato's assessment of democracy, and (2) how is this linked to his theory of justice? 3) How might a cont emporary defender of democracy respond to Plato? 5. What is the mimetic theory of art? Did Plato invent this theory? Did he accept it? How is this theory related to Plato’s criticisms of the arts? 6. (1) What two reasons does Plato give for proposing to banish the arts from his Republic? (2) How is his position on the arts related (a) to his Theory of Ideas and (b) his position on the highest goal of human living? (3) Offer a brief critical evaluation of Plato's position on the arts. . (1) What does Rawls mean by â€Å"the original position . . . under the veil of ignorance† and how does this serve as the basis for his theory of justice? (2) What are his two principles of justice? Explain the two principles.? (3) Offer a brief critical evaluation of his theory of justice. 8. (1) Starting with Rawls’ â€Å"original position . . . under the veil of ignorance,† do you think you would arrive at a principle or principles of justice similar to those of Rawls, o r if different ones, which?Defend your position. (2) As part of your answer give a clear statement of what Rawls means by the â€Å"original position . . . under the veil of ignorance. † 9. (1) What is Aquinas’s causal argument for the existence of God (the 2nd of his five arguments)? Sketch the argument. (2) Critically evaluate the argument. What appears to be the weakest part of the argument? Do you think the argument can be defended in the face of this proposed weakness? Explain. 10. (1) What is the design argument for the existence of God?You may present either Aquinas's (his 5th) or William Paley's or the fine-tuning version of the argument (but only one). (2) Why does Darwin's theory of evolution appear to undermine Aquinas and Paley’s version of the design argument? Why does Darwin’s theory not affect the fine-tuning argument? (3) Do you think that there is some way of salvaging the design argument in the face of Darwin's theory? Defend your positi on. 11. Describe Hobbes’ â€Å"state of nature. † What kind of a concept is this — historical, empirical, anthropological, analytic? Explain.Offer your own critical evaluation of Hobbes’ notion of the state of nature? Do you think it is a useful concept? Is it true? Defend your position. 12. Hobbes argues that each person has the resources within themselves to overcome the state of nature.? (1) What are these resources and how do they help the person to overcome the state of nature? (2) But why, for Hobbes, are these internal resources insufficient? Why is a very strong sovereign also needed to overcome the state of nature? (3) What role does contract or covenant play in overcoming the state of nature?

Candide by Voltaire Essay

Through Candide’s perplexing adventures and enlightening encounters, Voltaire illuminates the numerous diverse cultures of which Europeans consider themselves superior. Yet rather than supporting the foreign practices of cannibalism, bestiality, and the abolishment of priests, Voltaire is ridiculing the Europeans’ own methods of torture in an abusive social hierarchy. Therefore, while freedom of expression and a consensus of the majority constitute faucets of good behavior, the European practice of elitist rule and inequitable punishments is revealed as unjust. This criticism suggests the need for reform by deriving authority from somewhere other than the traditional roles of the royalty, clergy, and nobility, a rather radical move at the time. Voltaire at first reveals the fault of Europeans through his description of the savage land of Oreillon. Upon their dissent from Paraguay, Candide and Cacambo come across two women, completely nude, who cry out and â€Å"spryly† run away from two monkeys who snap â€Å"at their buttocks† (73). Instantly sympathetic, Candide shoots his musket and kills the monkeys, thinking that he has redeemed himself from earlier sins by saving these distressed women. However, to his surprise he discovers that he has just killed the ladies’ lovers. Without questioning the practices of this foreign society, Candide reacts based on his own perceptions of right and wrong. His actions reflect the naivety of Europeans concerning what is thought to be normal based on their own â€Å"superior† culture. As punishment for Candide’s rash actions, the Oreillons attempt to roast the travelers over a spit to eat, justifying this through the proclamations that Candide and Cacambo are Jesuits and thus deserve to die. This behavior is explained by Cacambo as being â€Å"appropriate† because â€Å"if we Europeans do not exercise our right to eat others, it is because we have other ingredients for a good meal† (pg. 74). He recognizes that each society contains its own equally valid practices which cannot be altered or condemned by those who think they are predominant. In addition, Voltaire is not justifying that bestiality and cannibalism constitute a righteous society, but rather satirically commenting on the Europeans own practices, for it would be hypocritical to condemn these practices without evaluating whether the European’s own forms of punishment are just. As the innocent Candide ventures to Eldorado, he is once again introduced to a land unlike that found in contemporary Europe. Upon their arrival, the travelers bewilderingly walk upon pavement made up of rubies, emeralds, and gold and rapture in the delights of a free feast at a common inn. The generous, humble citizens then guide them to an old man and, later, even the approachable king, in order to answer their many questions. Through these communicators they come to realize that the most striking aspects of the village do not constitute its physical features, but rather its ideology. They are told that all men are free, and thus there is no need for the establishment of courts, trials, or prisons. While Candide is quite baffled by these assertions which completely contrast the structured social organization of Europe, he is even more confused by the lack of priests or an enforced religion, upon which he exclaims, â€Å"What! You have no monks who lecture, debate, govern, conspire, and burn people who don’t agree with them?† (79). These seemingly sarcastic remark is a reflection of the binary thinking in which the Europeans have taught their citizens to believe. Candide had always considered the church as an institution which interjects in every aspect of life and constantly ridicules and punishes others while denying the fact that there are other practices and religions besides the order of the church and Catholicism. Voltaire is not suggesting the elimination of priests, which would be a radical idea at the time, but is rather demonstrating a deeper criticism of Europeans who assume that they are superior and must punish all those who defy this idea. Although Oreillon and El Dorado are societies completely unlike that of the Europeans in law and culture, they are seen as portraying decent human behavior because they allow their citizens to express free will and they derive authority from the consent of the masses. For instance, in Oreillon, women are allowed to mate with whomever they please without judgement or persecution from others. This freedom of expression illustrates that the culture seeks to facilitate the happiness of its people. Additionally, when the two monkeys are murdered by Candide, the leaders instantly capture and attempt to punish the travelers, reflecting the society’s dedication to protect its citizens from harm and condemn those who impinge on basic freedoms. While this culture may seem bizarre compared to more civilized nations, the fact that it derives its authority from the people illustrates that bestiality and cannibalism are enforced as appropriate human behaviors so long as there is a general consensus. Similarly, good behavior does not necessarily need to be derived from praise towards the king or daily sacrifices to a church, as portrayed in Eldorado. Unlike in Europe, the king is humble, approachable and genuinely concerned with the welfare of his citizens. For example, the feast the travelers consume at the inn is free because the state is said to assist business, thus revealing that the government is willing to contribute to the success of its people despite their class or wealth. Therefore, despite their practices, these societies emulate good behavior. However, Voltaire forms a critic of the Europeans due to the unjust practices in which they derive and maintain authority. In Candide’s hometown of Westphalia, for example, the naive Candide is exiled from the castle of the Thunder-ten-tronckh because he kissed the Baron’s daughter, Cunegonde. He was unfairly punished because he stepped out of the social hierarchy to which he was born, while Cunegonde was not disciplined for her actions due to her rank. Similarly, in places like Paris, the elites haughtily criticize their fellow man’s creations and do not hesitate to manipulate and greedily conspire against others. When Candide is led into a ploy by the despicable Abbe and arrested even though he had not committed any crimes, he is able to buy his freedom with three diamonds. The officer then exclaims, â€Å"Ah sire, even if you committed every crime imaginable, you’re still the best man in the world† (97). One’s fate depends on the inconsiderate word of the elite, one’s wealth, and the act of bribery. Since Candide had money, he was able to secure his freedom while the majority of peasants who are near penniless would have to suffer. These scenarios represent the unjust rule of the elites over the consensus of the majority. While Voltaire formulates the components of good behavior based on the legitimacy the authority derives from its citizens, he also constitutes bad behavior as punishment without just cause. For instance, when Candide and Martin arrive in Portsmouth, they view the execution of a British Admiral. The Admiral’s crime was explained in that he had stayed too far from the French enemy and that his death would encourage others to fight more fervently during war. This nonsensical behavior represents the paradox of European punishments which reduce war heros to criminals. Another such scene is presented when Candide and Pangloss reach the city of Lisbon in which a haphazard earthquake kills thirty thousand people. Faculty of a university decide that, in order to prevent another earthquake, they must â€Å"roast several persons over a slow fire†¦ They had therefore seized a man from the Basque province who had been convicted of marrying the godmother of his godchild, and two Portuguese men, who when eating a chicken, had removed the bacon seasoning† (52-53). As a manner of electing their sacrifices, they choose those who had committed even questionable offenses, though even those forms of misconduct can be viewed as unsubstantial enough to deserve punishment, much less death. While it is firstly completely unreasonable to attribute a natural phenomenon to personal actions, Voltaire goes so far as to satirically illustrate that this is a commonsense European belief, for both offenses appear inconsequential to the victims’ punishment. Meanwhile, most Europeans would be disgusted with the culture of the Oreillons who engage in cannibalism after enacting a punishment. However, Candide’s death penalty after murdering two of its citizens is a much more equitable offense in terms of its punishment than removing bacon seasoning from chicken, such as in Europe. Furthermore, once a body has been burnt, it seems inconsequential whether it is eaten or not. Voltaire is thus able to portray the irony as well as the unjust nature of European punishments as a bad behavior of society. The figures of the time who would be most notably perturbed by Voltaire’s suggestions constitute the royalty, the nobility, and the clergy. Firstly, for centuries the royalty had uncontestedly derived authority through lineage and from claims to divine right. Candide’s embrace with the King of Eldorado would probably be perceived as strange because the royalty was considered far above the common people in class, stature, and rights, and thus did not need the consent of its citizens to govern. Thus, the monarchy would be opposed to Voltaire’s ideas because they undermine his authority. This is reflected in eighteenth century Europe when the National Assembly made a radical move by sending Louis XVI to the guillotine as a symbol of the growing dissatisfaction of the peasants and workers. Secondly, the nobility consisted of a small number of elites who mainly derived their elevated status from patronage. Voltaire’s view of this social class, at least in Paris, is illustrated in the abode of Marquise de Parolignac, in which these morose intellectuals portray that their sole interests are to spread slander, hypocritically belittle art, and greedily take advantage of Candide’s treasures. Similarly to the monarchy, Voltaire’s proposal that society’s values and laws should be supported by the consensus of the masses was a scandalous assertion because it would undermine the power of the elites and force them to surrender their privilege. Finally, the clergy’s word penetrated all aspects of life in eighteenth century Europe while Religious Orthodoxy formed local allegiances and bound communities together by preaching sacred traditions. However, it can also be said that the institutions of the church hypocritically valued their own self-preservation over educating the masses. Therefore, these religious authorities would not consent in being forced to adhere to stricter laws by having to give proper, legitimate reasons as a means to punish nonbelievers or delinquents of the church. Despite these opponents, Voltaire suggests a need for reform by deriving authority from somewhere other than the norm. Although European society appears far more advanced than that of the savages and more structured than Eldorado, that does not necessarily determine that its laws and people are superior. In fact, Voltaire constitutes good behavior in a society as something that has been consented upon by its people, while bad behavior derives from unjust punishment and the dangerous rule of elites. Voltaire thus forms a critic of Europeans through comparisons to these foreign lands and furthermore questions whether a reformation of authority is a necessary means to benefit society. Source Voltaire. Candide. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.

A Childhood Memory of a Funeral Home Daughter Essay

As a child, I grew up in two separate funeral homes. My father owned one and my grandfather owned and lived in one. There was not a day when someone wasn’t dying. Many of my childhood memories lead me back to the funeral home. Heck, I even learned to ride my tricycle in the area where all the caskets were kept! Many of my friends would find it neat that I knew all about the place and would always ask me to take them around for a tour. There is a story that I always tell people that happened at my grandpa’s funeral home one unique day. My earliest memory of my grandpa’s house; which was a funeral home, was when I was 8 years old. The top part of the house was the funeral home, but the bottom part that was underground was where my family lived. Four children were raised there and it was a normal life as we thought. One day I was playing around with my toys in the living room and a call came over the line. My grandma picked up the phone like she normally did and asked all the info that she needed. Soon after, my grandpa and one of the workers went outside and hopped into a hearse to go get this person who had just died. I mean it was their job right? This was a normal everyday occurrence at my grandpa’s house. I don’t know what else happened during grandpa’s ride that day. When he came back home my life would be forever changed. First, they always get the person out and roll them to the preparation room. Most of the time my grandpa would put them on the table in the prep room and go do other chores. He always had more than one person dead in his place. Yes, I have grown up in it my whole life, so I think I am desensitized to death when I talk about it. He would always go out on another call or go get the person ready for viewing. His business was a very busy one because he also ran the ambulance service back in the day before paramedics came to be.