PBS series America Revealed Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PBS series America Revealed - Research Paper Example The episode on ‘Food Machine’ enlightens viewers regarding farming and supply of different food items in the country. The extensive supply chain through which farmed food items go through is elaborated and challenges are discussed. The episode is certainly an eye opener with regards to the overall food industry of the country. Most people while consuming food items don’t consider the effort that goes into the farming and distribution of vegetables, fruits, and other food items. The overall process is highly sophisticated and includes many valuable lessons with respect to supply chain management. The episode revealed a very important fact that efficiency of supply chain depends upon the effective work of all units working in the supply chain. Another important thing that one can learn from the episode is the strong association between planning and successful operations management. The third important thing that one can pick from the episode is that production can b e increased through infusing technology in the supply chain effectively. Efficiency of Supply Chain and Role of Individual Working Units The sophisticated food supply chain of United States is working effectively and efficiently just because all the individual working units in the supply chain are perfectly synchronized. The most important thing in supply chain management is to make sure that all the players involved in the chain are working effectively because time lag at any level can disrupt the whole change and can reduce efficiency. This is what the episode on food production teaches the audience. A pizza is enjoyed by a consumer because farmers grow the required vegetables in time and supply them to the markets from where they go to pizza stores. The whole process involves many small players upon whom the efficiency of supply chain is dependent. Even if one of them do not work hard enough then the end consumer will suffer. Supply chain management is only efficient when no extra time is consumed on any individual unit in the supply chain. This is only possible when all individual players do their job on time fla wlessly. The episode tells us how farmers are working day and night in producing food items that find place in markets all over the country. The synchronization between all players is the most important thing because without it nothing can work in the food industry. Synchronization of all players in the supply chain is most significant as it is the only thing that can increase efficiency of a supply chain (Khouja, 984). Link between Planning and Effective Supply Chain Management The episode revealed that long term planning is essential in order to develop an effective supply chain. It was all because of extensive planning in 1940s that California was able to get the necessary water required for farming. Without this long term planning of the government, farmers of the area would never have been able to develop so much. It is essential in supply chain management to plan many years ahead of time and anticipate future needs and demands. Government made dams and developed irrigation sys tem in order to support farmers and this is how production increased significantly. All this was possible due to extensive long term planning of the government. Long term planning in supply chain management is important today because demands are ever changing and consumers are demanding news thing every day. The trick is to anticipate this demand and develop an effective supply chain that can fulfill the demands of the consumers. Long term planning is an important part of effective supply chain management (Spekman, Kamauff, & Myhr, 53).This is one of the most significant things one can learn from the episode because all the production of food items became possible through dams and canals planned by the government many years ago. People of today are bearing the fruits of this long term pl

Culture and work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culture and work - Essay Example Understanding the difference between culture and nation begins an understanding of how culture has evolved through the collision of beliefs and traditions that have integrated citizens of England, defining the culture as influenced by ‘otherness’, negating the very meaning of the concept of ‘otherness’. A nation is built upon a culture that develops a need to come together and form a structure of government in which beliefs and power are cantered, radiating out and using, protecting, and impacting all of those that live within its boundaries. The concept of creating a nation includes a sense of inclusion and exclusion in which those that are included are a part of something that ties them together, defined by those that are outside of those boundaries who do not have the same benefits. When a nation becomes powerful enough and economically advantageous enough to be seen as a place of opportunity, the result will be to attract people from other places, creating an influx of ‘otherness’ which begins to impact the core culture that originally developed the nation. The emergence of an integrated nation becomes a new entity. Migration becomes a source of cultural change, a system in which one culture shifts the entirety of another. The historical dialogue about the way in which history develops tends to keep cultures separated, the conversation becoming focalized on one culture independent to another. However, this is not a real representation of how the integration of cultures in one location develops. Caribbean history is not independent of English history, which is not independent of Scottish history, nor independent of Chinese history. The pieces of the historical relationships between the cultures are integrated, affecting the course of theory, philosophy, and tradition. As Gilroy (1995, p. 189) suggests, the revisionist tendencies of

Describe a Friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Describe a Friend - Essay Example The Simpsons is, of course, the very famous American cartoon show. I understand that the show is very popular with adults in America, especially with college students. But back home when a twenty year old watches cartoons as much as Arence, most people think he did not have a fulfilled childhood. I asked him why he still watches the show and he answered, "I just enjoy it." But I think it goes more deeply than that. Arence actually arranges his scheduled around the show so that he can watch it both times it airs each day. Not only that, but he even leaves off his homework for the commercial break. And he doesn't just watch it when it comes on, but he also tapes the show so that he can watch it over and over again. He has seen the episodes so much that he will quote along with the show, speaking in a voice like Homer Simpson or Mr. Burns. The lobby where the television is located is intended for 100 students to share. Every night Arence makes his way down from the third floor, places a chair right in front of the TV and prepares to watch his show. The lobby has two couches and tables and chairs where students sit down to study. Every night everyone in the lobby kind of waits for Arence to come down for his nightly ritual.

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

International Business - Essay Example that are very well suited to the regions they operate, the cultural difference in different in different nations may not be found with the small business enterprise as we see in with large companies with high volume of operations. Create logistic support for the small companies or enable them to use the economical logistic resources with funding their activities through the public owned means of transport. Liberalization of aviation policies for transport among the regional trading block countries. The governments should form forums and communities for developing the multinational business etiquettes and cultural knowledge to enable the small companies’ leadership team to be more constructive in enhancing the business terms. Governments should provide consulting advisory boards on the industries, functions specific to enhance the knowledge about the opportunities for the small companies with respect to business volumes, clientele and consumer

Harriet Tubman Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Harriet Tubman - Research Paper Example The Underground Railroad operation marked a significant turn in the lives of the slaves who found a safe way to reach Canada when the would be able to escape the laws such as the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 which permitted the owners of the slaves to redeem the escaped slaves back to the south. The paper focuses upon the role of Harriet Tubman in this Underground Railroad Operation. Introduction Harriet Tubman was born somewhere around 1820 in the country of Dorchester located on the east shore of Maryland. She was a slave by birth on the plantations of Edward Brodas. From birth her name was Araminta, which in short became Minty. Her father’s name was Benjamin Ross and her mother was Harriet Green. Her parents were ‘enslaved Ashanti Africans’. The slave owners had sold many of their eleven children in Deep South. At the age of five, the neighbors rented her for doing household works in which she was never that good and hence was regularly beaten up by the owners. Since she was uneducated, she was engaged to work in fields as a helping hand that contributed to her strength and she preferred the work. In the initial years of her teen, she altered her name to Harriet following her mother. When she was fifteen years old, she was unintentionally hit on the head by a heavy weight by her master, and sustained a severe fracture in the skull. She remained ill for a long period and never fully recovered. In the early years of injury, she had periodic sleeping fits that affected her looks negatively as a slave. The injury resulted in narcolepsy that made her suddenly fall asleep any moment of time no matter wherever she happened to be. After the death of her old master, the son sold her to a lumber merchant. The new owner appreciated her work and allowed her to keep the money earned from extra work. At the age of twenty-four or twenty-five she married, a free black man named John Tubman but the marriage did not work well. Shortly after that sh e hired an attorney for investigating her official history which resulted in the finding that her mother had been free from slavery and she was also born free which made her instinct rise and run for freedom. In the year 1849, her husband was inclined to sell her to Deep South along with her two brothers. A white neighbor of her helped her with the contacts of some people she could seek help from in times of need. She ended up alone trying to persuade her brothers to escape and alone made her way to freedom and fled to Philadelphia in the year 1849 escaping through the Underground Railroad. Her freedom that day led to the freedom of thousands of other slaves through the same. She led this solely with all her strengths and courage risking her life for liberty so that every individual could experience freedom. When the civil war broke in the country she did not even wait for the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ but instantly participated in order to free the slaves. After the war ended, she returned to Auburn and continued to help the class by raising money for the welfare of the impoverished children, transforming her home into the home for the aged and the black people2,3,4. The Underground Railroad operation undertaken by Harriet Tubman resulted in freedom for 300 slaves. The journey towards escape of Harriet Tubman and the other slaves Harriet Tubman was first marked as a criminal when she fled from the Maryland farm in 1849. Instead of

Managing Project End-Date and Resource Allocation Essay Example for Free

Managing Project End-Date and Resource Allocation Essay Project management is one of the most effective means by which to manage and control just about any project. Construction management, Information Technology, Engineering are just a few of the many fields that are positively complimented and capable of utilizing project management to benefit processes from beginning to end as well as providing a platform for inclusion of all team members and an excellent level of communication to keep shareholders, corporate boards fully informed about a project. In addition, it provides the Project Manager with a means to â€Å"overview† the status of the project without having to micromanage team members, and allows them the freedom and flexibility to utilize their talents. Project also points out weaknesses in the project and team members as well. So, the following areas will be points of discussion: 1.General project management practices. 2.Allocation of resources. 3.Resolution of over allocated resources. General Project Management Practices All projects begin with a plan to get the work done. From there the project manager applies â€Å"best practices† based on his/her interaction with the owner, shareholders, and project team. On occasion there may be a tendency to â€Å"jump† right into the project without proper planning, but considerable time and money can be saved as well as increase in quality of the project. (Karim, 2011) So the following aspects to be included in the project definition would be: 1.Project overview, objectives, and scope. 2.Assumptions about the project, risks, and approach. 3.Organization, getting shareholders to approve and buy-in to and approve the project by signing the signature page for the project document. 4.The initial cost, duration and front end efforts are important even though they are just the â€Å"best guess† estimates that can change throughout the life of the project. Regardless of what occurs in the project, it is imperative that the project manager pay close attention as the project progresses. His/her quick actions are what will help the project to successful or unsuccessful for that matter. So, the importance of resource allocation is key here. Allocation of Resources Allocating resources on the front end of a project is also a lesson in estimating a â€Å"best guess† for the project. However, as the project manager more closely reviews the different aspects of the project allocated resources whether they be first, second, or third iteration (if any exist) will be pointed out by PM software such as MS Project. Its correct use will allow over allocation to be corrected which in some cases may bring the project in earlier and under budget. (de Sousa) In my analysis, the Huntsville Plant Project will not be ready by June 2012. In fact, it appears that the project will be extended to completion to take place at July 6, 2012 according to the project schedule. The approximate duration of the project is 64 weeks from the planning phase through final phase of distribution. To allow the project to complete on or closest to the project finish date, the over allocated resources could be used to bring the project closer to the approximate completion date of June 30, 2012. (Gido Clements, 2011) esolution of Over-Allocation of Resources A few examples from the Huntsville of over allocation are: 1.Item # 8 (Establishing Building Concept) is scheduled for 11 days, but could be reduced to 6 days ending on 5/8/11 which would decrease the lag by 5 days allowing item # 9 ( Create Building Design) to perhaps begin on 5/10/11. I chose to allow one day of lag in the event of inclement weather which most always throws a damper on most business behavior/activities. In this case, creating the building design can begin 5/11/11 and run through 5/14/11 with 2 days of lag remaining. 2.Item # 3 (Select Architect) could also be streamlined to 4 days instead of 11 days. 3.Item # 12 (Obtain Permits and Approvals) could be shortened by moving the start date to 5/15/11 to get the required approval from the municipal planning commission in a more timely fashion to keep the project on track. So, (Site Prep) could begin closer to 6/24/11 4.Item # 19 (Procure Equipment) could be shortened by one month to 10/11/11 giving 30 days lag. The Huntsville project shows over allocation of resources during the months of April, May, June, and July of 2011. However, careful review of the Resources Worksheet, Resource Graph, and Network Diagram will allow you to make the best use of project resources. The Team Planner can be used to clearly see work resources, and tasks can be dragged to make required adjustments. So, the allocation a resources is very important and should be done carefully, and reviewed often to help with the project final completion dates, avoid cost overruns, and be successful. While there is no such thing as the â€Å"perfect† project, we can certainly determine problem areas and resolve them before they affect the project negatively. Resources Karim, S. (2011, July 20). Best practices in project management or better practice?. Retrieved from http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2011/07/best-practices-in-project-mana.html de Sousa, S. (n.d.). My PM Expert. Retrieved from http://www.my-project-management-expert.com/project-management-resource-allocation.html Gido, J., Clements, J. P. (2011). Successful Project Management . (5th ed., pp. 216-219). Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. DOI: www.cengage.com

Comparing The Faiths Of Deism And Puritanism Philosophy Essay

Comparing The Faiths Of Deism And Puritanism Philosophy Essay The 18th century and the age of the enlightenment was a period in American history which saw a proliferation of many new scientific ideas as well as an increase in religious tolerance. During this time many intellectuals explored new possibilities and interpretations of religion that were sometimes quite contradictory to the Puritanism that had been the standard religious practice since Puritans first settled the New England region. Deism, which was quite radical in contrast to the Puritan faith, came about during this time, and Benjamin Franklin, a famous enlightenment figure and a founding father of America, was one of its first spokespersons. The Deist doctrine he wrote as a 19 year old preaches a starkly different message from the writings of famous Puritans such as Mary Rowlandson, Michael Wigglesworth, and John Winthrop. While their works paint a portrait of God as a severe, demanding creator and man as a sinful, wild beast who must be restricted in his actions, Franklins piece on Deism portrays a more benevolent God who has released man into the universe to pursue his own goals without fear of Gods interference and wrath. It is these ideas of Gods intent and the nature of man which set these two religious philosophies and their writings apart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Puritan understanding of God as a vengeful and commanding ruler of men is one that dominates the writings of all of the most famous and widely read Puritan authors of the 17th and 18th centuries. Michael Wigglesworths poem The Day of Doom is particularly useful in highlighting this belief as its content focuses on Christs return to earth on Judgement day and how he deals with the sinners. He opens the poem with the quotes The Mountains smoak, the Hills are shook, the Earth is rent and torn, and Straightaway appears (they seet with tears) the Son of God most dread, (Wigglesworth, 3.) From the first lines of the poem there is a sense of helplessness and despair in the face of an angry God who is going to judge and punish his subjects on his terms. The descriptions of Gods destruction of the physical earth demonstrates his awesome power, and the use of the word dread to describe peoples perception of God is very telling of the Puritan bel ief. Even though they dread his second coming and his vengeance, they have a profound respect for his power and submit themselves to his will. The poem goes on to describe who is going to hell and why, and this passage serves to demonstrate the strict qualifications for getting into heaven that the Puritans believe God employs in his judgement of souls. Children who are too young to read the bible, Native Americans, and the mentally challenged are all unworthy of heaven in the eyes of God because they lack the ability to understand the Puritan faith (Wigglesworth, 4.) Along with these people unwelcome in Gods kingdom are all non-believers, sinners, and anyone who is simply not predestined to be saved by God. These harsh qualifications preached by Wigglesworth and other Puritans to a very accepting public are all strong testaments to the harsh nature of the Puritans God.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast to the harsh God of Puritanism, Deism preaches that God is a benevolent, all knowing creator who does not find evil to punish in the world of men and can for the most part leave them to their own devices. Franklin outlines this idea at the beginning of his doctrine on Deism, A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain, with the idea that If [God] is all-powerful, there can be nothing either existing or acting in the Universe against or without his Consent; and what he consents to must be good, because he is good; therefore Evil doth not exist. (Franklin 26.) This statement is radically different from the Puritan system of belief because it eliminates the existence of evil and therefore demonstrates a more pleasant interpretation of God. Rather than stressing the need for Gods constant exertion of authority over humankind and its evils through interference and punishment, Franklin asserts that since God made every thing and knows everything, there is no reason for him to even bother with the trivial affairs of humans, much less reprimand them. This is a very Deist concept of a God who is less involved in the daily business of man. The common Deist perception of God, which embodies this image of a wise and somewhat removed God, is often illustrated by the image of God as a clockmaker who has set the universe into motion to play out without his influence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The idea of Gods constant interference in the lives of men, which Franklin refutes as unnecessary because Gods has already predetermined the fate of the entire universe and its inhabitants, is another cornerstone of the Puritan belief system. One of the best examples of this idea in Puritan writing is Mary Rowlandsons A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson which describes the destruction of her town at the hands of a band of Native Americans and her subsequent captivity among them. This work gives a slightly more benevolent description of God as her protector through these hardships, but her easy acceptance and rationalization of the massacre as Gods will and punishment still alludes to the harsh nature of God and highlights his interferences in the lives of Puritans. One of the most telling quotes of the account, which Rowlandson uses to sum up her beliefs, comes in the final paragraph when she says, yet I se e when God calls a person to any thing, and through never so many difficulties, yet he is fully able to carry them through, and make them see and say they have been gainers thereby, (Rowlandson, 20.) Rowlandson cites Gods hand throughout the piece in every aspect of her captivity, and in this conclusion she makes it quite clear that it was God who put her through the terrors of these tribulations. The idea of God carrying her through her troubles and making her see and say that she is better for the experience not only indicates that God is responsible for what happened, but that he was actively focused on her for every instant of her captivity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The nature of man is another key point of disagreement between the two religious beliefs, and the Puritan stance views man as a beastly creature whose primitive instincts must be controlled by the authority of God. John Winthrops famous essay On Political Authority and Liberty, which is both a description of Gods intent of how the people should be ruled and a pitch to be reelected as governor,   gives examples of this belief in mans unruly nature. Winthrop makes a point of driving home exactly how God feels about mans more primal, natural liberties when he says, This [kind of liberty] is that great enemy of truth and peace, that wild beast, which all of the ordinances of God are bent against, to restrain and subdue it. (Winthrop 1.) The kind of liberty that he is alluding to is mans freedom in nature to do whatever he wants. According to Winthrop, this freedom, which man shares with all beasts and other creatures leads to chaos and must be controlled. This concept of the natural evil in men and the fact that God must constantly restrain men pervades Puritan doctrine and directly carries over to the Puritan style of governing that stresses adherence to authority figures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unlike the Puritan idea of mans evil nature and his need to be controlled, Deism states that mans nature is inherently good and that control over his actions is unnecessary. Franklins writings illustrate this idea when he says, If a Creature is made by God, it must depend upon God, and receive all its Power from Him; with which Power the Creature can do nothing contrary to the Will of God because God is Almighty; what is not contrary to [Gods] Will, must be agreeable to it; what is agreeable to it, must be good, because He is good; therefore a Creature can do nothing but what is good, (Franklin, 27.) In this quote Franklin asserts his belief that since the all-good and almighty creator made man and gave him his nature and abilities, man must be naturally good. He also makes the point that all of mans actions are actions of which God made him able; therefore, man can make no natural action which is not inherently good. This idea of man as g ood from the start clearly breaks from the general Christian and especially Puritan belief of original sin, and this stark difference demonstrates the progressive nature of Deisms. The idea that man is inherently good removes the need for overbearing authority and allows for man to rule himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The overwhelming differences in the beliefs of Deism and Puritanism on the subjects of God and the nature of man illustrate a clear break in the religious ideas of 18th century America. The contrast between Franklins writings and those of his Puritan predecessors demonstrates the shift from the nearly uniform belief in religion of the 17th century to a more progressive atmosphere in the time which Franklin writes. The Deist beliefs of the goodness in God and man explore an alternative to the strict Puritan faith, and in both Franklins time and today they serve as a mode of beliefs which fit the understanding of many religious Americans.