Was Moby Dick a Real Whale

When Herman Melvilles novel Moby Dick was published in 1851, readers were generally puzzled by the book. Its mixture of whaling lore and metaphysical introspection seemed strange, yet one thing about the book would not have been shocking to the reading public. A huge albino sperm whale with a violent streak had fascinated whalers and the reading public for decades before Melville published his masterpiece. The whale,Mocha Dick, was named for the island of Mocha, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile. He was often seen in nearby waters, and over the years a number of whalers had tried and failed to kill him. By some accounts, Mocha Dick had killed more than 30 men, and had attacked and damaged three whaling ships and 14 whaleboats. There were also claims that the white whale had sunk two merchant ships. Theres no doubt that Herman Melville, who sailed on the whaling ship Acushnet in 1841, would have been quite familiar with the legends of Mocha Dick. In May 1839 the Knickerbocker Magazine, a popular publication in New York City, published a lengthy article about Mocha Dick by Jeremiah N. Reynolds, an American journalist and explorer. The magazines account was a vivid tale purportedly told to Reynolds by the eccentric first mate of a whaling vessel. The story by Reynolds was noteworthy, and its significant that an early review of Moby Dick, in the International Magazine of Literature, Art, and Science in December 1851, referred to Mocha Dick in its opening sentence: The new nautical story by the always successful author of Typee has for its name-giving subject a monster first introduced to the world of print by Mr. J.N. Reynolds, ten or fifteen years ago, in a paper for the Knickbocker entitled Mocha Dick. Its little wonder that people remembered the tales of Mocha Dick as related by Reynolds. Following are some excerpts from his 1839 article in the Knickerbocker Magazine: This renowned monster, who had come off victorious in a hundred fights with his pursuers, was an old bull whale, of prodigious size and strength. From the effect of age, or more probably from a freak of nature, as exhibited in the case of the Ethiopian Albino, a singular consequence had resulted — he was white as wool!Viewed from a distance, the practised eye of the sailor only could decide, that the moving mass, which constituted this enormous animal, was not a white cloud sailing along the horizon. The journalist described the violent nature of Mocha Dick: Opinions differ as to the time of his discovery. It is settled, however, that previous to the year 1810, he had been seen and attacked near the island of Mocha. Numerous boats are known to have been shattered by his immense flukes, or ground to pieces in the crush of his powerful jaws; and, on one occasion, it is said that he came off victorious from a conflict with the crews of three English whalers, striking fiercely at the last of the retreating boats at the moment it was rising from the water, in its hoist up to the ships davits. Adding to the white whales ghastly appearance were a number of harpoons stuck in his back by whalers who failed to kill him: It must not be supposed, howbeit, that through all this desperate warfare, our leviathan passed [unscathed]. A back serried with irons, and from fifty to a hundred yards of line trailing in his wake, sufficiently attested that though unconquered, he had not proved invulnerable. Mocha Dick was a legend among whalers, and every captain wanted to kill him: From the period of Dicks first appearance, his celebrity continued to increase, until his name seemed naturally to mingle with the salutations which whalemen were in the habit of exchanging, in their encounters upon the broad Pacific; the customary interrogatories almost always closing with, Any news from Mocha Dick?Indeed, nearly every whaling captain who rounded Cape Horn, if he possessed any professional ambition, or valued himself on his skill in subduing the monarch of the seas, would lay his vessel along the coast, in the hope of having an opportunity to try the muscle of this doughty champion, who was never known to shun his assailants. Reynolds ended his magazine article with a lengthy description of a battle between man and whale in which Mocha Dick was finally killed and towed alongside a whaling ship to be cut up: Mocha Dick was the longest whale I ever looked upon. He measured more than seventy feet from his noodle to the tips of his flukes; and yielded one hundred barrels of clear oil, with a proportionate quantity of head-matter. It may emphatically be said, that the scars of his old wounds were near his new, for not less than twenty harpoons did we draw from his back; the rusted mementos of many a desperate encounter. Despite the yarn Reynolds claimed to have heard from the first mate of a whaler, legends about Mocha Dick circulated long after his reported death in the 1830s. Sailors claimed that he wrecked whaleboats and killed whalers into the late 1850s, when he was finally killed by the crew of a Swedish whaling ship. While the legends of Mocha Dick are often contradictory, it seems inescapable that there was a real white whale known to attack men. The malicious beast in Melvilles Moby Dick was no doubt based on a real creature.

Values. Value Is Defined As Something That Has Moral Worth.

Values Value is defined as something that has moral worth. These values determine ones priorities and are fundamentally the things that one believes and stands for in life. Throughout my life, I have met people and experienced a plethora of situations that have shaped who I am today. I value many things in my life, however, it can be easily forgotten due to the privileges and securities of all the things I am blessed with. I place value on things that I believe benefit my life and the people around me. In essence, I value my parents, my health, music, freedom, and money. My parents met in Tehran, Iran where they eventually got married and had two kids. A couple years after my birth, they decided to uproot their entire lives and move to†¦show more content†¦However, being healthy is not only a physical thing but emotional as well. Being surrounded by friends that family that care for you are important as well to a stable mental state. Furthermore, constantly thinking negative thoughts is extremely bad for one’s self esteem, confidence, and overall health. I try always look at the bright side of any situation rather than looking at the glass half empty. Music is one of the few things that I could not live without. It is something that I can turn to every day no matter what the situation is. If I’m sad, there’s a song for that. If I want to dance, there’s a song for that. There is music for any moment at any place in the world and that is what makes it so beautiful. Music to me is extremely important because there is no other form of art that can connect with a person so deeply and actually have them feel some type of way. Another reason why the value of music is high to me is because there is so much you can learn about a person through their music tastes that you could not discover by yourself. While someone might seem like a quiet or mellow person, that same person might listen to death metal on their free time. 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Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting in a Modern World Free Essays

Professor Renville English I 14 September 2012 The Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting in a Modern World Picture yourself on a hot summer day†¦is water involved? Does your damp skin feel the cooling effect of a light breeze? Maybe you’re thirsty and sipping on a glass of lemonade, ice cubes bobbing at the surface. Perhaps you are at the beach, listening to the waves crash onto the shore, or you’re in your backyard hearing the sprinklers on the lawn. Yes, water is involved. We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting in a Modern World or any similar topic only for you Order Now Water, in all of its forms, is one of the most essential substances on Earth and provides the opportunity for life. We, as a society, take water for granted. Every day, if you want water, all you have to do is walk to the nearest sink and turn it on. There is no thought as to where that water comes from, or the fact that it may not be there forever. Our everyday consumption behaviors such as showering and clothes washing can have a significant impact on the environment. Imagine a future where water is scarce and restricted. How would you survive? All over the world regions with sustainable ground water balance are shrinking every day. This can be due to depletion because of overdraft, salinization from inadequate drainage or pollution from agricultural and industrial activity. In Yemen alone, ground water extraction is expected to exceed recharge by 400 percent. Aquifers in Mexico are declining at an average rate of 1. 79 to 3. 3 meters per year (Shah, Molden, Sakthivadivel and Seckler, 2000). At such an alarming rate of recession, it is important to find another alternative source of water to help recoup some of the ground water supply. For this reason I do believe that rainwater harvesting is a viable option to substitute ground water extraction in some regions and to help replenish ground water. About 70% of the Earth is covered with water, and 96. 5% of that is part of the oceans. Only a small portion of the Earth’s water is fresh water. 1. 7% is below ground and 1. 8% is above ground in ice caps, glaciers and permanent snow, with only . 06% usable above ground in lakes, rivers and swamps (Shah, Molden, Sakthivadivel and Seckler 2000). Rainwater harvesting can be used in many ways. Rainwater can be used as water for livestock, irrigation for crops, to water plants around your house, to replace water for showering, flushing your toilet, for your dishwasher or for laundry, and with the right treatment, it can be used for drinking water. There are many advantages to rainwater harvesting. After the initial cost for equipment, rainwater harvesting is essentially free. It eliminates the need for intricate and expensive dispensing systems. It can replace groundwater supplies where the groundwater is unacceptable or unavailable or it can increase finite ground water supplies. Rainwater has a nearly neutral pH and is not hard, so it eliminates the need for adding salts for softening the water and it is also sodium free. Plants thrive in rainwater (as seen when it rains). One of the most interesting aspects of rainwater harvesting is learning about the methods of capture, storage and use. The idea of rainwater harvesting is to intercept precipitation before it gets dirty. Contamination can still take place in the air, on the collection surface or in the storage facility itself. For that reason it may be more desirable to treat the water or restrict it to non-potable use (non-potable meaning not for consumption). Boiling is resource intensive and there is the danger of accidental scalding. Chemical disinfection requires some management, but it is well understood and compatible with water storage (Thomas 1998). However, possibly the best way to treat rainwater is via a filtration system. When assessing the health risks of drinking rainwater, consider the path taken by the raindrop through a watershed into a reservoir, through water treatment and distribution systems to you, the consumer. Water absorbs contaminants and minerals on its way to the reservoir. While in the reservoir, the water can come into contact with all kinds of materials: oil, animal wastes, chemical, pharmaceutical and industrial pollution and trash. It is the water treatment plant’s job to remove contaminants and kill pathogens, however when chlorine is used, it degrades into byproducts that may pose health risks. The raindrop harvested on site will travel down a roof by way of a gutter to a storage tank. Before it is used for drinking, it is treated by a simple process with filtration equipment that occupies about nine cubic feet of space (Krishna 2005). Rainwater harvesting can also reduce the volume of storm water lessening the impact on erosion and decreasing the load on storm sewers. This would help to keep pollutants, such as pesticides and fertilizers, out of rivers and ground water (Krishna 2005). The summer of 2012 was harsh. Several regions suffered. Almost 61% of the country was in drought according to Brian Fuchs in an interview with USA Today posted on their website July 17, 2012. Rain was few and far between, however a lot of rainwater was wasted. Having water shipped in can be very expensive, and so many farmers cannot afford the added cost. Harvesting rainwater for irrigation is already utilized in some regions of the world such as India where the bulk of their rainfall happens in about 100 hours of heavy downpour with little time to replenish the ground water supply (Keller, Sakthivadivel and Seckler 2000). If more farmers would utilize rainwater harvesting during the times that it does rain, and build up a back up supply, then when rain is scarce, more of their crops could be irrigated, helping to offset some of the devastation. Next year, in 2013, the prices of gas as well as groceries are expected to rise immensely because of the scarcity of crops in 2012. It is no surprise that rainwater harvesting is utilized more in poorer countries where it is generally more difficult to get clean water; however, in the long term clean water scarcity is expected to intensify globally, even in richer countries (Thomas 1998). Systems can be as simple as a rain barrel for garden irrigation at the end of a downspout or the can be as complex as a potable (for consumption) system. It makes sense, then, that for showers and flushing the toilet, rainwater could be used to offset using water from other sources that are shrinking annually. Only three key elements are needed for this: a collection surface, such as a roof, guttering and a storage tank large enough to moderate fluctuations in usage and rainfall (Thomas 1998). It is the third element that poses the greatest cost burden, however it may be worth it to try to help alleviate groundwater usage and eventual depletion. From a financial perspective, a system for potable use cannot compete with water supplied from a municipality; however, it is cost-competitive with the installation of a well in rural settings (Krishna 2005). An estimated 100,000 residential rainwater harvesting systems are in use in he United States (Krishna 2005). More are being installed by gardeners and homeowners seeking a sustainable, high-quality water source. Rainwater harvesting is recognized as an important water conserving measure. I am not proposing that anyone completely rely on rainwater for their household consumption. It would be very hard to rely solely on a rainwater supply. Howev er to try to supplement some every day water usage such as shower water, toilet water or even water for laundry would greatly benefit the water supply and, in the end, the planet. Works Cited Krishna, Dr. Hari J. â€Å"Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting. † Texas Water Development Board (2005). Print. Pandey, Deep Narayan, Anil K. Gupta, and David M. Anderson â€Å"Rainwater Harvesting As an Adaptation to Climate Change. † Current Science, Vol 85 (2003). PDF file. Shah, Tushaar, David Molden, R. Sakthivadivel and David Seckler. â€Å"The Global Groundwater Situation: Overview of Opportunities and Challenges. † International Water Management Institute (2000). Print. Thomas, Terry. â€Å"Domestic Water Supply Using Rainwater Harvesting. † Diss. University of Warwick (1998). Print. How to cite Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting in a Modern World, Essay examples

Social Isolation and Withdrawal free essay sample

New technologies exacerbate social isolation with the advent of online social networking communities, there are increasing alternatives to do social activities that do not require real world physical interaction. Besides that, people are gaining support through hours of texting and social networking rather than meeting with each other face to face. either on their webcam or just simply sign in to Facebook to chit chat. Although chat rooms, message boards meeting the need for those who are far apart, but misuse of these communication tools pulls people away from traditional social settings. In a study conducted by Andrea Cockett, she concentrates on children that depend upon technology such as internet, phones, video game systems, etc. These technologies are isolating the children from what’s beyond home. Children are being isolated from the outside world. (Social isolation, 2012) Other than that, Hikikomori and Otaku are two particular groups of users of digital technologies causing social withdrawal problem in Japan. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Isolation and Withdrawal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This issue begins due to the technological boom which altered Japan’s social structure. Hikikomori are people who do not want to leave their house or room and isolate themselves from society for a period of more than six months. (Cha, 2010) According to the Oxford English, Otaku is defined as a person who is skilled in the use of computer technology and is considered by some to be poor at interacting with others. (Tsutsui, 2008) They somewhat wander away from the social norms of society. Otakus are mostly Japanese computer nerds who live in front of their computers and play stations surfing the Net and playing computer games, totally alienated and isolated from the outside world. For instance, a monster otaku is an otaku into TV and manga monster. (Otakus, 2004) There are also Pasocon otakus, who are people obsessed with their personal computers. Another would be the Gemu otaku, who is obsessed with video games. (Basil, 2012) The overrated use of Internet has brought coldness and distance between people. Instead of meeting people, internet addicts choose to stay at home and surf through different web pages and are alone with their personal computers. (Social Isolation and New Technology, 2012) That’s how technology makes us less sociable.

If I had to assess myself as a team player, I woul Essays

If I had to assess myself as a team player, I would think I am a pretty good one. I am very hard working and strive for the best! I am very outgoing and rarely meet a stranger. I am a hard worker and will work to get the job done. Teamwork is about compromise. Your idea may not be the same as someone else's so you have to work together to come to a common ground. Everyone has the same goal which is to get the task done. I do feel like I am a bit of a leader but not by choice. I feel like I have been put in the position of the leader because of my outgoing personality. I am a bit OCD and I do strive for perfection. I may not always achieve it but I do work hard. I feel like I have let myself down and my team when I don't give my best. Mind-mapping Editing Storyboarding False False True Wikis Search engines Executive Informative Organize Outlining

Close Reading Analysis of Last Of His Kind Essays - Free Essays

Close Reading Analysis of Last Of His Kind Essays - Free Essays Close Reading Analysis of Last Of His Kind The 33rd President of the United States of America, Harry S. Truman, had over ten biographies published about him, each one being different from one another. This book is especially unique due to its style, easy reading, and simple sentence structure. The tone of the book Last of His Kind, by Charles Robbins, is best described as informative and effusive, in other words the book is very outgoing by often giving "fun facts" and a great deal of insight. There is also some juggling of conversation between Harry, his friends, and the author. This "juggling" helps to give the book its own distinct style and also keeps the reader focused. The authors view towards Truman was very admiring. The style is informal for conversations due to the use of jargon like "I put up a whirlwind membership campaign for the Kansas city Automobile Club and made a good living at it." This suggests that Truman is being involved in automobiles and often gives a little insight. Also, it often seems as though Harry is speaking to the reader directly. Slang is also a big part of conversation mostly because of the authors attempts of making the conversations appear more life-like by giving the people the southern accent that they had. Slang sayings like "you were late and you caught the devil" are also often used, throughout the whole book. Other slang words like "Bum," and "gimpy" are also being used. The formality and informality fluctuates between the author and Harry. When Harry is speaking the style is informal but when the author is speaking the style switches to high formal. The sentence structure is basically simple and conversation-like when Truman or his family/friends are speaking but changes to compound and sometimes complex when the author is speaking. A good example would be "[s]o I came to the United states senate and went to work (notice the simple words) Beyond pointing out that both his opponents had not been above seeking Pendergasts help." Notice the change of style between Trumans sentence and the authors. Figurative language like metaphors and similes are only used in conversations. Most sentences are clear, organized and parallel. They are also very specific when referring to certain actions in the past that will affect the future. The sentences are mainly short thought they sometimes tend to run on. (nobody is perfect) The diction, often formal when the author speaks, tends to push towards formal due to the choice of elegant words used, but when Truman speaks, it tends to be informal and neutral. Denotation and connotation, even though its hardly used, it is used when Truman speaks about his wife, Bess, and daughter, Margaret. The syntax maintains an active voice throughout the whole book and only is passive in a few small spots. The sentences are loose in some parts and become periodic in other parts; it mostly depends on what is going on. A good place to find periodic sentences is around the atomic bomb, and the firing of Gen. MacArthur. Parallel structure is maintained throughout the book and is sometimes not parallel when Truman speak. The syntax is generally simple and only slightly becomes complex when the author speaks. Simple syntax, a peaceful tone, and great insight on Harry S. Truman all contribute to the style of the book making it unique and captivating. The mixture of first and third person point of view combined with all the other good aspects of this book make it not only interesting but also bring it one step closer to grammatical perfection.

Website Usability of Coventry University Students Union Assignment

Website Usability of Coventry University Students Union - Assignment Example There are different ways usability can be determined for a given software product. These different ways are known as the usability evaluation methods. They include usability testing, usability inspection, and lastly, usability inquiry.In usability testing, we look at how users use the software product or website to accomplish various tasks. Then, as evaluators, we use the different results we receive from the whole process to determine whether the user interface is usable enough to support the demands of users as they go about accomplishing their different tasks. Under usability testing there are several other different sub-methods (Nielsen, 1994). The sub methods include co-discovery learning, coaching method, question-asking protocol, performance measurement, shadowing method, thinking aloud protocol, remote testing, and lastly, teaching method.The next testing method or evaluation method for the usability of a software product or a website is usability inspection. In this case, as the software developer, or as a user and or a professional in the usability field, we look at the various aspects of the user interface that are related to each other. There are different ways of doing this. We could decide to do this using pluralistic walk through, or using cognitive walkthroughs, or heuristic evaluation, or feature inspection, and lastly, through perspective based inspection. The last evaluation method is done through, usability inquiry. In this evaluation method, as professionals and evaluators, we talk to the users.... Under usability testing there are several other different sub-methods (Nielsen, 1994). The sub methods include co-discovery learning, coaching method, question-asking protocol, performance measurement, shadowing method, thinking aloud protocol, remote testing, and lastly, teaching method. The next testing method or evaluation method for the usability of a software product or a website is usability inspection. In this case, as the software developer, or as a user and or a professional in the usability field, we look at the various aspects of the user interface that are related to each other. There are different ways of doing this. We could decide to do this using pluralistic walk through, or using cognitive walkthroughs, or heuristic evaluation, or feature inspection, and lastly, through perspective based inspection. The last evaluation method is done through, usability inquiry. In this evaluation method, as professionals and evaluators, we talk to the users to find out information ab out what they like about the product we are giving them. In this process, the target or aim is to get to know the dislikes, the likes, the needs, as well as the understanding of the users. This can be done by watching them use the system to do real work, or through talking to them and asking them questions and noting down the answers. Additionally, the questions could be written or asked aurally. The different ways inquiry evaluation takes place is through, focus groups, field observation, interviews, questionnaires, proactive field study and so on and so forth. www.cusu.org is the website run by the Coventry University Students Union. The Coventry University Students’ Union, abbreviated CUSU, represents the voice of the students

The case of Hauer vs. Union State Bank of Wautoma Research Paper

The case of Hauer vs. Union State Bank of Wautoma - Research Paper Example To change the entire Boiler 2. To repair the Boiler When the plumber had gone there to check for the boiler, he had informed his boss Barkley that the boiler needs to be replaced and not repaired. Let us analyse the facts to get a clearer understanding. â€Å"While inspecting the non-operating boiler at Chetum’s building, the plumber notices that the boiler is one that has been recalled by the manufacturer, Housewarm, because of a defect that does not allow all the carbon monoxide produced by the boiler to vent properly. This boiler was purchased by Chetum at a salvage yard and replaced another non-operating boiler. Further, the boiler has been improperly installed, according to the plumber. The plumber notifies Barkley of the problems with the boiler and Barkley immediately notifies Chetum. Chetum tells Barkley that he does not want to purchase a new boiler. He asks if the existing boiler can be fixed to get through the winter months. Barkley calls his plumber who is still a t the Chetum site and asks the plumber about a quick fix for the winter. The plumber tells Barkley he would not recommend the quick fix for the winter as this boiler is defective and has been recalled.† Looking at the facts, it can be directly inferred that the boiler which was in the building was defective and should have been replaced. However, to save costs and other expenditures, Chetum did not want that to happen and therefore asked for the boiler to be repaired. It is pertinent to note that the boiler which had been installed in the building was not only improperly installed but also was defective. Therefore there was an urgent need to replace the boiler, which was concurred by the plumber but not approved by Chetum. The question which arises right now is... The case of Hauer vs. Union State Bank of Wautoma One of the most fundamental principles of Contract Law is that an individual who is below the age of 18 cannot enter into contracts with other parties. This law also applies to situations which consist of an individual entering into contracts to represent a firm which has been established under law. Applying the law to the facts, we understand that Barkley was not eligible to enter into Contract with Chetum. Along with this, Barkley is not eligible to represent the firm of his father in his absence. Therefore, looking at the overall perspective of Contractual Obligations, Barkley could not have entered into a contract with any other party. In case a contract has been entered upon between a minor and some other party, then such contract happens to not be legally binding on the parties although the work of the contract may be carried out and performed by the parties. According to the facts taken hypothetically, Knarles was aware that his firm consisted of a number of plumbers whose lic enses had not been renewed in the current year, and in spite of that his firm had sent one of them to a client by the name of Chetum, to do the repair work. Looking at the facts of the case, it can be inferred that there was not material breach of fundamental breach of contract. On the contrary, there is a case of tortious negligence on the part of Chetum. Along with this, he entered into a contract with a minor. Keeping these two facts into account, there is no breach of contract.

Junk food is killing America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Junk food is killing America - Essay Example nderstand how exactly the food has been made, but more importantly, a person should consider making personal food from clear ingredients other than consuming anonymous junk products. Most junk food contains an excessive amount of sugar that lacks no nutrients other than a large amount of energy. The above causes demoralizing effect and increases the rate of metabolic reaction beyond the required amount of calories. Excursive calories thus increase chances for Triglycerides and the indigestible amount of cholesterol that accumulates around the liver and the abdomen, which in turn create avenues to chronic diseases that claim numerous life’s for American citizens. Besides, junk foods are often processed from a centralized processing plant that is susceptible to spreading of germs and bacteria. Health practitioners in the United States argue that majority of citizens in the United States often fall sick after contracting pathogens associated with junk food outlets such as ground beef of, which 15% do not survive. Therefore, it is recommended that that fresh food from gardens, salad restaurants and positive eating habit is critical to improved performance and a positive, healthy impact in the future (Smith

The Manufacturing Process At Almoiz Sugar Mills Marketing Essay

The Manufacturing Process At Almoiz Sugar Mills Marketing Essay Introduction Al-Moiz Sugar Mills Limited incorporated in 2004 as a limited company and certificate of commencement of business was granted in 2005. The Head Office of the company is located at Gulberg III Lahore whereas the factory unit is located on Chashma Road in the D.I.KHAN District Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The company is recognized in the local and international market as a fine quality producer of white refined Sugar, Molasses and also holds a substantial share in the market. The company is also engaged in the export of white refined sugar to Afghanistan and molasses to Euro countries and is contributing to the national economy in the form of foreign exchange. The company has strong corporate clients including Engro and Pepsi. This is the only Pakistani company with state of the art technology and is one of the very few mills in Pakistan that is providing Wapda with electricity. The sugar mills basic plant machinery was acquired and installed by The Heavy Mechanical Complex Taxila (A State Engineering Company). Other equipment such as turbines and gearboxes etc were imported from Germany and United Kingdom. Currently the plant is working at the crushing capacity of 1oooo MTCD and company is keen to increase it to 12000 MTCD. The sugar mill has a state of the art technology which is the latest technology in Pakistan. The mill produces sugar by using both sugar cane and sugar beet as a raw material.The company is committed to invest in IT with an eventual target of implementing ERP system. AL-MOIZ Sugar Mills Limited is one of the significant units of Almoiz group of industries. The company is principally engaged in the business of manufacture sales of white refined sugar molasses (as a byproduct), Crushing of sugarcane, Sugar beet raw sugar in to white refined sugar. Manufacturing Process The manufacturing process at Almoiz Sugar Mills comprises of the following steps Main Competitors Products White refined sugar: Major business of the company is to produce white refined cane sugar of intermission standard and from the erased cane and three different components are achieved that are fibber, pith and moisture. Molasses: This is a by product and it is sold to molasses contractors. One of the allied concerns, reliance commodities (pvt) limited is the main buyer of the molasses of al-moiz sugar mills limited and also the main buyer of molasses from whole the country. Reliance commodities (pvt) limited is the main exporter of molasses in pakistan. Baggase This is also a bye product of the company. Baggase is used as source of energy fuel for sugar industry for juice heating. And also used for making medium density fiber board (mdfb). Baggase is sold to the baggase contractors. Mud Mud is also the by-product of the company. It is sold to the mud contractors. This is used in making chocolates and other products. Electricity Al-moiz sugar mills also produce electricity on large quantity. The mill does not only fulfil its own energy requirements but is able to product surplus electricity which is supplies to wapda. Departments at the Factory Site Departments at the Head Office The strengths and Weaknesses of the company are as follows Strengths Attractive salary packages for employees on the site Top management. The CEO of the company is a Stanford Graduate and is a man of great vision Friendly and cooperative working environment Financial resources Agricultural assistance to the local farmers State of the art technology Corporate Social Responsibility Weaknesses Lack of skilled persons available in the region where the mill is located Shortage of residence available for employees on the site The site is prone to being affected by the flood and has been affected by the floods that occurred in the past Unavailability of modern facilities on the site Number of accidental reports are increasing Turnover rate is high Weak organizational policies Poor GSM services on the site Literature Review Sugar Industry in Pakistan JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited, (2011) described the sugar industry ranked the fifteenth largest globally and the second largest after textile industry with 86 operational factories across the country with an installed capacity of 7.0 million tons of sugar annually. It directly employed over 30,000 personnel. JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited, (2010) described the industry as the driving engine of the rural economy after agrarian economy in many countries. They also stated the sugar industrys cyclical nature as harvesting of sugar cane was dependent on weather as well as the availability of adequate water. Khushk, Memon Saeed described the Pakistan sugar industry as uncompetitive in nature due to low sugarcane yield per hectare and low content of sucrose ranging between 7-9 percent however they also described the sugar industry from a growers perspective as competitive since the growers were of the opinion that the sugar crisis was artificially created by mill owners with the motive of keeping sugarcane prices below support prices and reaping abnormal profits. (Shaukat) described Pakistan as the fifth largest country in the world in terms of area under sugar cane cultivation, eleventh by production and sixtieth in yield. The author also described the sugar industry in Pakistan as the second largest agro based industry with 81 sugar mills with annual crushing capacity of over 6.1 million tons. The author also mentioned that the Sugar industry is mostly located in the rural areas of Punjab and Sindh. A small percentage of total production is produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Previously, Punjab was partly dependent on supply of sugar from Sindh however after the establishment of some large scale units in Punjab the Province became self-sufficient in the commodity. (Rizvi) described Pakistans sugar industry as mostly owned by politicians. The author also mentions that majority of the sugar mills were setup with the help of Development Financial Institutions normally trapped with the working capital crisis. Consequently, some of the mills were closed and it was feared that some more sick units would close down. The author also mentions the collapse of sugar mill being a loss of national assets, reduction in the sales tax revenue and an increase in unemployment. Awareness of consumers towards branded products Aaker (2000) was of the opinion that brand awareness was a remarkably durable and sustainable asset that provided a sense of familiarity especially in low- involvement products. It also provided with a sense of presence, commitment and substance. It was very vital to recall at the time of purchase. Besides the conventional media there were other effective means to create awareness such as event promotions, publicity and sampling. Chen (2001) stated that though brand awareness was a necessary asset however it was not sufficient for building strong brand equity. In this view a brand could be well known because it had inferior quality. Ramasamy et al. (2005) reported that, the buying behavior was vastly influenced by the awareness and attitude towards the product. Television commercials were said to be the most important source of information, followed by retail outlet displays. Consumers formed an opinion about a brand on the basis of various product features. A large number of respondents laid emphasis on quality and were of the opinion that price is an important factor while other respondents attached importance to image of manufacturer. Purchase Behavior of Consumers Results of the study conducted by Joshi (1993) in Dharwad on food purchasing habits and consumer awareness among rural and urban housewives indicated that majority of the urban respondents purchased sugar (69.00%) on monthly basis. Rural respondents purchased sugar (71.00%) once in week. Both rural and urban respondents purchased groceries (99.00% each) from retail shops. Price, quality and weight of the products were the important factors considered by both rural and urban respondents while purchasing of food items. Nagaraja (2004) opined that, buying behaviour is very much influenced by experience of their own and of neighbour consumers and his family. Above all, the quality of the product and its easy availability were the primary and the vital determinants of his buying behaviour. Consumers were influenced by touch and feel aspect of any promotional activity. Shivkumar (2004) showed that the consumer, irrespective of income groups, was mainly influenced by the opinions of their family members to purchase. Consumers were also influenced by the dealers recommendation, followed by advertisement. Brand Preference Kubendran and Vanniarajan (2005) described the change in consumption pattern a result of change in food habits. If income and urbanization increase among consumers, the percentage of income spent on consumption increased. Branded products were preferred my urban consumers. The major factors influencing buying decisions were accessibility, quality, regular supply, door delivery and the mode of payment. Narang (2006) claimed that, a buyer does not stick to one brand when it comes to purchasing a food item. They should be able recall different brand names when they go for purchase. Repetitive advertising can be used to aid brand recall. The product should appeal to the consumer. Kim-Hyunah et al. (2005) concluded that brand preference and brand image had considerable positive effects on brand loyalty. Thus, the companies should strive to strengthen brand loyalty through building brand preference and brand image. Brand loyalty led to increased customer visits. Low and Lamb Jr. (2000) maintained that known brands tend to exhibit multi-dimensional brand associations, consistent with the idea that consumers have more developed memory structures for more familiar brands. Consumers might be willing to expend more energy in processing information regarding familiar brands compared to unfamiliar brands. Padmanabhan (1999) conducted study on brand loyalty, which revealed that the price of the preferred brand, efficiency of the preferred brand and influence of advertisement significantly influenced the brand loyalty. Factors Influencing Brand Preference In a study conducted by Sarwade (2002) it was observed that the factor which influenced the purchasing decision as against the quality of the product was its price. Another interesting finding was that the company image and brand image were not totally considered by the households. Kubendran and Vanniarajan (2005) described the change in consumption pattern is due to changes in food habits. If income and urbanization increase among consumers, the percentage of income spent on consumption increases. The urban consumers prefer mostly branded products compared to rural consumers. The most significant factors influencing buying decisions were acceptability, quality, regular supply, door delivery and the mode of payment. Vincent (2006) elicited that quality was an important factor that draws consumer towards branded products. Branded products were accepted as good quality products. People do not mind paying extra for branded products, as they get value for money. Media is a key constituent in promoting and influencing brand. External environmental analysis Sugar Industry in Pakistan Sugar is the important sector of Pakistans economy. Sugar industry plays a vital role for development of any countries. In Pakistan this industry play a significant role for economic development. Its share in the large scale industry is 19.25% and in GDP is 1.98%. Sugar industry contribution to the government exchequer in federal excise duty 17.34% History At the time of partition in 1947 only seven sugar mills, existed in the territories of Pakistan, 5 in East Pakistan now known as Bangladesh and only 2 in West Pakistan now known as Pakistan. These two sugar mills namely Rahwali Sugar Mills and Frontier Sugar Mills established in 1936 and 1938 had a capacity of 5000 tonnes each of producing white sugar. During 1954-56 three more sugar mills were established with a capacity of 10000-15000 tonnes. By 1955-56, the sugar production capacity in Pakistan was around 45,000 tonnes. With an abrupt change in the economic activities and urbanization, the demand for white sugar was on the increase. This was attributed to the manufacture of soft drinks, confectioneries and bakery products etc. The number of sugar mills was also on the increase to meet the demand. Major Players in the Sugar Industry The major players in the sugar industry are Current Scenario The sugar industry is the second largest in the country after the textile industry. Currently there are 83 sugar mills operating in Pakistan. In Pakistan normally season starts in November and ends in April. Out of the 83 sugar mills present in the country 76 Sugar Mills are operating having crushing capacity of 361,300 tons of cane per day (TCD). Seven Sugar mills extended capacity but they are unable to utilize. Based on 160 days season these sugar mills have a total crushing capacity of 58 million tons of sugarcane capable to produce 5 million tons of refined sugar and 3 million tons of molasses. Also the weekly sugar production is conveyed to the government via Pakistan Sugar Mills Association. The environmental analysis can be classified into two major types of environments that a firm has to face. They are micro and the macro (mega) environment. These are discussed in detail below. Macro Environment Technological Environment Almoiz sugar mills position as far as the technological environment is concerned is pretty strong as of now. It uses the state of the art technology and can produce sugar using sugar beet as a raw material other than sugar cane. Other than sugar production the firm is also engaged in electricity production and is a supplier of electricity to wapda. Socio-cultural Environment The impact of societal changes, life styles and culture on Almoiz sugar mill is significant. There has been a shift in the life style, for example the type of stores customer prefer to shop from, the type of packaging they prefer sugar in. Consumers are becoming more health conscious they prefer to go for low calorie versions and are very concerned about hygienic conditions of the sugar and the shop that sugar is purchased from. Economic Environment The economic environment of Pakistan is not very stable and it continues to fluctuate every now and then. With the rise in interest rates and double digit inflation in the country, it has practically become impossible for the consumers to buy the same number of products as they used to buy a few years ago, thus the purchasing power of the consumers has sharply gone down. Political Environment The political scenario of Pakistan is the biggest threat to a business. Changing tax rates, rebates, labor strikes and the instability in general makes it difficult for Almoiz sugar mill to cope up with these changes and thus it can hamper future operations and thus profitability of the entire business. Legal Environment The legal system of Pakistan is generally not very strong and in case of a problem, a company can involve itself into years long legal implications and trials. Micro Environment Suppliers Almoiz has divided its suppliers into two zones Factory Zone: 73 % of sugar cane during the cane season is obtained from the factory zone i.e. 640,000 M .Tons Outer Zone: 27% of sugar cane during the cane season is obtained from the outer zone i.e. 240,000 M. Tons. The outer zone comprises of areas including Indus road, Bypass, Bhakkar and Mianwali. Market Demand There is a great deal of demand for sugar in households. Sugar is used in very house it may be directly consumed or may be indirectly consumed in other products such as beverages and Confectionery items such as sweets, lollipops, candy bars, chocolate, cotton candy and other sweet snack items. Competition Almoiz sugar mill has many competitors with Chashma sugar mill and Layyah sugar mill being the its two immediate competitors. The competitors also offer the same range of products with white refined sugar being the core product and several other by product including molasses however there isnt any sugar mill that generates its own electricity as Almoiz sugar mill. Skill Level of Workforce Workforce and the people in the company is the biggest asset of an organization. In the case of Almoiz sugar mill the workforce plays a very important role in the organizations productivity. The location of the factory is in Dera Ismail Khan and due to the instability in the region finding skilled workforce in that area is very hard. Hence attractive salary packages are given to attract skilled workforce from other regions of the country to come and work for Almoiz sugar mill. Marketing Intermediaries Marketing intermediaries are involved especially when it comes to sugar distribution to retailers and wholesalers. A high level of intermediary involvement makes communication difficult and increases the dependence. Porters Five Forces Model http://www.12manage.com/images/porterfiveforces.gif Porters five forces model basically gauges the intensity of competition within its industry. The collective strength of all these forces combined determines the ultimate profit potential of the industry where profit potential is measured in terms of the long-run return on investment of capital. Threat of New Entrants If someone from a political or influential background wants to set up a sugar mill they have the financial resources to obtain the machinery and contacts needed to obtain a license to start up a sugar mill. So entry into the sugar industry is not hard. There are 83 sugar mills in Pakistan out of which 76 Sugar Mills are operating. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Almoiz has a diverse range of suppliers as mentioned earlier. It has separate categories of suppliers based on distance from the factory site. Thus giving the suppliers a low bargaining power. Bargaining Power of Customers Customers have the option of switching to other sugar producers since barely one or two sugar mills have done something to distinguish themselves from other competitors in terms if having a brand name or packaging. People dont even take into consideration the brand or sugar mill name while purchasing sugar they just purchase whatever is easily available. Threat of Substitute Products Almoiz has many direct competitors. Currently there are 83 sugar mills in the country out of which 76 sugar mills are operating. The competitors also offer the exact same range of products with white refined sugar being the core product thus making the threat of substitute products high. Also other substitute products such as canderal are available for consumers who want to go for a sweetener with less sugar content Porters Generic Strategies According to this strategy, in order to cope up with competition, firms adopt three generic strategic approaches to gain competitive advantage. Overall cost leadership entails the firm to make all or possible attempts to achieve the lowest costs in production and marketing. Differentiation approach lays emphasis on achieving class leadership by providing unique characteristics to the product/service. Focus strategy attempts to serve a narrow strategic target effectively and efficiently. Thus, on the basis of these three strategies, Almoiz sugar mill follows the Overall Cost Leadership Strategy. By being the low cost leader, it increases its efficiency at all levels thus gaining a significant market share. An illustration is shown below: External Factor Analysis Summary Opportunities Entering International Markets Expanding corporate clients Technology Government and industrial projects. Minimization of cost by properly utilizing the by-products. Organic sugar Threats Seasonal Variation in sugar cane Political Instability Natural Calamities The region in which the mill is located is very risky in terms of stability Competitors in the same region can attract the skilled resource of the company by offering them a better package External Factor Weight Rating Weighted Score Opportunities Entering International Markets 0.05 3 0.15 Expanding corporate clients 0.15 4 0.6 Technology 0.03 4 0.12 Government and industrial projects 0.13 4 0.52 utilizing by-products 0.07 3 0.21 Organic Sugar 0.14 3 0.42 Threats Seasonal Variation in sugar cane 0.14 4 0.56 Political Instability 0.09 3 0.27 Natural Calamities 0.07 3 0.21 location of factory 0.13 2 0.26 Total 1 3.32 Competitor Analysis The following are the main competitors of Almoiz Sugar mills Layyah Sugar Mills Layyah Chashma sugar Mills D. I. Khan Chashma Sugar Mill (D.I.Khan) The mill was set up by the sponsors of the Premier Group in 1991. Technical and other assistance is provided to the sugarcane growers, in addition to the development of 150,000 acres of land for the cane supply. The mill production stands at 18,000 tons per day, the largest in Pakistan.   In the financial year 2010, the Company was declared a subsidiary of The Premier Sugar Mills Distillery Company Limited, under the directions of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.  . The factory is located in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The company has the following strategic goals Providing Customer Satisfaction by serving with superior quality production of white sugar at lowest cost Ensuring Security and Accountability by creating an environment of security and accountability for employees, production facilities and products Expanding Customer Base by exploring new national and international markets and undertaking product research and development in sugar industry Ensuring Efficient Resource Management by managing human, financial, technical and infrastructural resources so as to support all our strategic goals and to ensure highest possible value addition to stakeholders. Products White Crystaline Sugar White Crystalline Sugar Molasses Molasses Bagasse Bagasse Layyah Sugar Mills (Layyah) Layyah Sugar Mills is a project of The Thal Industries Corporation Limited having its registered office at 23 Pir Khurshid Colony, Multan. The company was incorporated on September 07, 1953 under the companies Act 1913 (Now Companies Ordinance 1984) as Public Limited company limited by shares. Its shares are quoted on Karachi and Lahore stock exchanges in Pakistan. The company is engaged in production and sale of white refined sugar. Layyah Sugar Mills was set up by the Thal Development Authority (Defunct) with a capacity of 1200 TCD in 1954, which was enhanced, to 2000 TCD in 1979-80 and further to 2700 TCD in 1990-91. It was the first sugar mills installed and commissioned in Punjab after existence of Pakistan. After privatization the new management, by taking some drastic measures, enhanced the crushing capacity of sugar mills from 2700 TCD to 3500 TCD in year 2001. In 2002; Company undertook BMR Expansion to add new mills tandem of 4000 Tons Crushing/Day . In 2002-2003; Undertook second phase of  BMR Expansion to increase in crushing capacity and synchronize the process house with the mills house to 6700 Tons Crushed/Day (TCD),  successfully  completed during the crushing season 2002-2003. Due to which  capacity of sugar mills has been increased from 6,700 TCD to 9,300 TCD.   Financial Analysis Liquidity Ratios Year 2011 2010 2009 Almoiz Chashma Layyah Almoiz Chashma Layyah Almoiz Chashma Current Ratio 0.96 0.96 1.12 0.76 0.87 1.08 1.00 0.72 Quick Ratio 0.35 0.22 0.79 0.36 0.52 0.58 0.55 0.22 Inventory to Net working Capital -13.50 -19.63 2.81 -1.62 -2.69 6.08 213.06 -1.80 The  current ratio  is a  financial ratio  that measures whether or not a firm has enough resources to pay its debts over the next 12 months. It compares a firms  current assets  to its current liabilities. The current ratio is an indication of a firms  market liquidity  and ability to meet creditors demands. Acceptable current ratios vary from industry to industry and are generally between 1.5 and 3 for healthy businesses. If a companys current ratio is in this range, then it generally indicates good short-term financial strength. Almoiz has a current ratio of less than 1 for the year 2011 as well as the year 2010 where as in 2009 the current assets of Almoiz are slightly more than its current liabilities therefore the ratio is above 1 in 2009. Out of the three sugar mills the value of current ratio for Layyah sugar mill indicates good financial strength as compared to Chashma and Almoiz sugar mills. Quick Ratio is an indicator of a companys short-term liquidity.  The quick ratio  measures  a companys  ability to meet  its short-term obligations with  its most liquid assets. A higher quick ratio  indicates a  better position of the  company. In the years 2010 and 2011 Layyah sugar mills has a higher quick ratio where as in 2009 Almoiz has a higher quick ratio. Inventory to Net Working Capital measures  a firms  capability  to finance its  inventories  from its available cash. Layyah sugar mill has a better capability to finance its inventories from available cash as compared to Almoiz and Chashma sugar mills. Leverage Ratios 2011 2010 2009 Leverage Almoiz Chashma Layyah Almoiz Chashma Layyah Almoiz Chashma Debt to assets 0.70 0.71 0.81 0.65 0.68 0.80 0.65 0.82 Debt to equity 2.28 2.43 4.22 1.89 2.12 3.94 1.86 4.48 Long Term Debt to equity 1.34 0.83 1.47 1.38 1.35 1.96 1.45 2.30 TIE 1.08 1.37 1.65 0.12 2.16 1.82 0.02 0.68 Debt to Assets is A metric used to measure a companys financial risk by determining how much of the companys assets have been financed by debt. Layyah and Chashma sugar mill have a higher debt to assets ratio as compared to Almoiz sugar mill. Debt to Equity is a measure of a companys financial leverage calculated by dividing  its total liabilities  by  stockholders equity. It indicates what proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Almoiz sugar mill has a lesser debt to equity ratio as compared to Layyah and Chashma sugar mill. Long term debt to equity is a way to determine a companys  leverage. The ratio is calculated by taking the companys  long-term debt and dividing it by stockholders equity. The greater a companys leverage, the higher the ratio. Generally, companies with higher ratios are thought to be more risky  because they have more liabilities and less  equity. Overall for all the three years Layyah sugar mill has a higher debt to equity ratio as compared to Almoiz and Chasma sugar mill. Times Interest Earned (TIE) is a metric used to measure a companys ability to meet its debt obligations. It is calculated by taking a companys earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and dividing it by the total interest payable on bonds and other contractual debt. It is usually quoted as a ratio and indicates how many times a company can cover its interest charges on a pretax basis. Failing to meet these obligations could force a company into bankruptcy. In 2009 Almoiz has a very less TIE ratio Chashma and Layyah have higher TIE ratio than Almoiz sugar mill. Profitability Ratios Profitability 2011 2010 2009 Almoiz Chashma Layyah Almoiz Chashma Layyah Almoiz Chashma GPM 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.03 0.12 0.11 0.05 0.09 NPM 0.008 0.02 0.025 -0.022 0.05 0.018 -0.217 -0.05 OPM 0.106 0.10 0.11 0.013 0.10 0.08 0.005 0.08 ROA 0.006 0.025 0.046 -0.015 0.104 0.040 -0.072 -0.062 EPS 0.16 4.9 12.23 -0.35 10.78 7.9 -7.59 Gross Profit Margin is a financial metric used to assess  a firms financial health by revealing the  proportion of money left over from revenues after accounting for the cost of goods sold.  Gross profit margin serves as the  source for paying additional expenses and future savings. The GPM for Almoiz sugar mill has increased from 2009 to 2011 and in 2011 it is almost the same as Layyah and Chashma sugar mill however in between it dropped down to 0.03 in 2010. Net Profit Margin is very useful when comparing  companies in similar industries. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that  has better control over  its costs compared to  its competitors. Almoiz sugar mill has a negative NPM in 2010 and 2009 since it faced a net loss and in 2011 though it didnt face a loss but the NPM is still less than that of its competitors. Operating Profit Margin is a measurement of what proportion of a companys revenue is left over after paying for variable costs of production such as wages, raw materials, etc. A healthy operating margin is required for a company to be able to pay for its

Alexander The Great Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander the Great Alexander the Great, was born in June, 356 BC, in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia. His parents were Philip II and Olympia. Some say that Zeus was his father but it is probably just a myth. Aristotle taught Alexander in his early teen years. He stimulated his interest in science, medicine, and philosophy. In the summer of 336 BC, Alexander's father was assassinated, and Alexander ascended to the Macedonian throne. He found himself surrounded by enemies at home and threatened by civilizations all over. But Alexander disposed of quickly of all his enemies by ordering their execution. Then he took off to Thessaly, where partisans of independence had gained ascendancy, and restored Macedonian rule. Before the end of the summer of 336 BC as general of the Greeks in a campaign against the Persians, originally planned by his father before he croaked, he carried out a successful campaign against the defecting Thracians, penetrating to the Danube River. On his return he crushed in a single week the threatening Illyrians and then again took of to Thebes, which had revolted. He took the city by storm and razed it, sparing only the temples of the gods and the house of the Greed lyric poet Pindar, and selling the surviving inhabi ¬ tants, about 8000 in number, into slavery. Alexander's promptness in crushing the revolt of The ¬ bes brought the other Greek states into instant submission.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexander began his war against Persia in th...

Dialectical Journals Fahrenheit 451 Essay

1. Quote : â€Å"we must build a mirror factory to take a long look at themselves† Device: Symbolism  this remark recalls Montag’s description of Clarisse as a mirror in â€Å"The Hearth and the Salamander.† Mirrors here are symbols of self-understanding, of seeing oneself clearly. 2. Quote: The Hearth and the Salamander Device: Symbolism This Demostrates symbolism because The Hearth and the Salamander, suggests two things having to do with fire, the hearth is a source of warmth and goodness, showing the positive, non-destructive side of fire. Whereas a salamander is a small lizard-like creature is known to come in contact with fire without getting burnt by it. The salamander is symbolizing the Guy Montag, who is being described as a salamander because he works with fire and believes that he can escape the fire and survive. 3. Quote: 451 fahrenheit Device : Foreshadowing Bradubury uses the title fahrenheit 451 as an foreshadowing technique. 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper ignites, which has to do with the act of bookburning. Bradbury uses that to hint the readers of paper (books) burning. 4. Quote: Device: Foreshawdowng Montag is down at the fire station and the firemen are playing with the new mechanical hound. That hound doesn’t seem to like Montag very much, suggesting that something bad might happen involving that hound. 5. Quote: â€Å"are youre the firemen† Device: Irony Montag is introduced to the reader as a fireman. As the reader we naturally think of firemen as people who put out fires. Bradbury has created the situational irony in this story by having Montag be a fireman who starts fires. He goes into people’s homes and burns their books. He is asked by Clarisse if firemen ever put fires out and he told her that was crazy and it was silly to think that way. Firemen were there to help control the population by burning books. 6. Quote: In our society kmowlegde is power.Everyone try to gain more knowlege and stand out not to conform. Device: Irony  In Montags society, the possesionof more knowlegr than someone else can lead to death. this conveys the theme and underlying message of knowlege vs ignorance.

Shouldice Hospital Case Essay Example

Shouldice Hospital Case Essay Example Shouldice Hospital Case Essay Shouldice Hospital Case Essay â€Å"Shouldice hospital, the house that hernias built, is a converted country estate which gives the hospital ‘a country club’ appeal. † A quote from American Medical News Shouldice Hospital in Canada is widely known for one thing-hernia repair! In fact, that is the only operation it performs, and it performs a great many of them. Over the past two decades this small 90-bed hospital has averaged 7,000 operations annually. Last year, it had a record year and performed nearly 7,500 operations. Patients’ ties to Shouldice do not end when they leave the hospital. Every year the gala Hernia Reunion dinner (with  complimentary hernia inspection) draws in excess of 1,000 former patients, some of whom have been attending the event for over 30 years. A number of notable features in Shouldice’s service delivery system contribute to its success. (1) Shouldice accepts only patients with the uncomplicated external hernias, and it uses a superior technique developed for this type of hernia by Dr. Shouldice during World War II. (2) Patients are subject to early ambulation, which promotes healing. (Patients literally walk off the operating table and engage in light exercise throughout  their stay, which lasts only three days) (3) † (p. 8) -â€Å"We don’t have an organization chart. A chart tends to make people think they’re boxed into jobs. † (p. 9) â€Å"The hospital relied entirely on word-of-mouth advertising [†¦]† (p. 10) Shouldice Hospital is focused on good working conditions. It tries to meet people’s needs and makes the hospital as good of a place to work as possible; not only for the patients, but also for the members of the hospital staff: For example surgeons, assistants and nurses were rotated every few days or weeks that they get as much experience as possible. Furthermore each secretary is trained to do another’s work and in an emergency is able to switch to another function immediately. In spite of the fact that the pay scale for the staff is higher than the union scale for comparable jobs, there is also a high bonus pool and profit-sharing plan for all of the employees. The hospital also provides some free services for parents, who accompany their children and also provides free annual checkups for past patients. As a conclusion, Shouldice Hospital is doing well in capacity, service, quality, efficiency and performance. What performance exactly means and how you account performance will be answered in the next question. 2. How do you account for its performance? To answer this question we looked at the literature of performance management and tried to relate the theoretical background with the information provided in the â€Å"Shouldice Hospital Limited† case material. In business literature several different approaches to performance exist. In organizational development, performance can be thought of as actual results vs. desired results. Any discrepancy, where actual is less than desired, could constitute the performance improvement zone. Performance management and improvement can be thought of as a cycle: 1. Performance planning where goals and objectives are established. 2. Performance coaching where a manager intervenes to give feedback and adjust performance. 3. Performance appraisal where individual performance is formally documented and feedback delivered. A performance problem is any gap between desired results and actual results. Performance improvement is any effort targeted at closing the gap between actual results and desired results. Other organizational development definitions are slightly different. The US Governments Office of Personnel Management indicates that performance management consists of a system or process whereby: 1. Work is planned and expectations are set, 2. Performance of work is monitored, 3. Staff ability to perform is developed and enhanced, 4. Performance is rated or measured and the ratings summarized and 5. Top performance is rewarded. In Business performance management literature, performance is described as a set of processes that help businesses discover efficient use of their business units, financial, human and material resources. The definition of  performance in Operational performance management literature focuses on creating methodical and predictable ways to improve business results, or performance, across organizations. The answer to question 1 of our paper focuses on actual performance of the Shouldice hospital and the answers to questions 4, 5 concentrate on ways to improve hospital’s capacity, which covers the operational management approach to performance. Since the case material is short on data as far as desired results are concerned, we will take historical and comparative approach in order to account the performance of Shouldice Hospital. Since the number of operations is considered by us as the most important measure of performance, from historical perspective we can see that performance on this measure has been increasing steadily since year 1982. â€Å"[†¦] the volume of activity continued to increase, reaching a total of 6,850 operations in the 1982 calendar year. † The average number of operations per year reached 7750 (please see question 4 for reference) at the time of interview. Increased number of operations indicates the higher number of patients, which could also indicate a high customer satisfaction level. Since the hospital in not using any marketing strategy to attract clients, and â€Å"relied entirely on word of mouth advertising† , we could presume that satisfaction reached desired results and increased the number of new patients. We could also look at the performance from financial perspective in terms of employees’ salaries â€Å"we try to maintain a pay scale higher than the union scale for comparable jobs in the area† . Ability to pay above average market salaries indicates reaching target revenues and non-existent or minimal gap between desired results and actual results for financial performance. From the facts in Shouldice hospital case material, high involvement of experienced surgeons in coaching and giving feedback in order to maintain high quality of operations could be also observed. â€Å"Training in the Shouldice technique was important because the procedure could not be varied. It was accomplished through direct supervision by one or more of the senior surgeons. The rotation of teams and frequent consultation allowed for an ongoing opportunity to appraise performance and take corrective action. † The above example of training program gives us insight on personnel management at Shouldice hospital. Here we can refer to The US Governments Office of Personnel Management approach to performance. Holistic approach to personnel performance management including planning, monitoring, development, performance evaluation and reward system (â€Å"bonuses to doctors were voted by the board of directors twice a year, depending on profit and performance† ) are integral parts of this approach and all of them, according to data from case material, exist (and are of great importance to Shouldice hospital’s management. We looked at different performance measures and approaches from comparative and historic perspective in order to answer this question. With the data given in the case and the facts outlined in the answer to question 1, we can conclude that in all discussed fields, i. e. customer satisfaction, capacity, financial performance and personnel management Shouldice Hospital is performing with no gap between actual results and desired results. 3. Develop a process flow chart for Shouldice Hospital. In this answer, we will provide a process flow chart for patients, who have had their hernias repaired at Shouldice Hospital. A process flow chart deals with a schematic diagram for describing a process. From our point of view, the real process starts when the patient arrives at Shouldice Hospital. That’s the reason why we do not have the previous steps (filling out questionnaires (1), patients getting their operation dates (2), information logged into the computer (3), patients sent their confirmation cards (4), patients contacted by phone (5)) in our process flow chart. Our process flow chart starts at 1:00-3:00 P. M. , when the patient arrives at Shouldice Hospital with 30 to 34 other patients. As you can see from the process flow chart, after four days, a patient is ready for discharge. This multi-stage process flow chart also includes a lot of buffers , where the patient has to wait till the next step in the process flow chart can be processed. As you can see on the last slide of the process flow chart, there is only limited information available about the third and fourth day. Finally, patients can leave Shouldice Hospital after four days. 4. What is Shouldice Hospital’s capacity? First of all, to make more clear how we interpreted this question, we will give a definition of capacity: â€Å"Capacity means the number/throughput of  units a facility can hold or produce in a period of time. † If we adjust this explanation to the Shouldice case, we assume that the capacity of the hospital is the maximum number of patients who can have an operation during one year. Referring to the case, the peak activity occurs in September when as many as 165 operations per week might be performed. Each year has 52 weeks, however according to the text: â€Å"For many of the same reasons, the hospital closed for two weeks late in December each year,† this means to a total of 50 work weeks each year. Using this information we can assume that the weekly capacity would be 165 patients and the yearly capacity being 8,250 operations. Alternatively, using an average figure of 155 weekly operations performed, this will result in a yearly average capacity of 7,750 operations. Also the capacity could be the number of beds, â€Å"Initially, a 36-bed capacity was create in Thornhill, but after some years of planning, a large wing was added to the house to provide a total capacity of 89-beds. † 5. As Dr. Shouldice, what actions, if any, would you take to expand the hospital’s capacity? In order to create further opportunities to expand the hospital’s capacity, and secure future growth, Dr. Shouldice should expand the hospital’s facilities into the U. S. This notion supported by the case, which states, â€Å"Approximately 42% of all Shouldice patients came from the United States† (p. 3). As of now, these patients are forced to pay â€Å"roughly $200 to $600† (p. 10) to travel to Toronto and patients from the U. S. must now have passports when travelling to Canada. Having a hospital in the U. S.  could reduce some of the costs of travelling for these patients, decrease some of the anxiety of travelling to a foreign country, and make the facilities more accessible for potential patients. Additionally, it would be in the best interest of the hospital to diversify its practice and pursue â€Å"opportunities such as eye surgery, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids† (p. 11). An expansion to the U. S. is an enormous undertaking and since opening a facility in the U. S. is akin to starting anew this is an opportune time for Shouldice Hospital to diversify their opportunities. Based upon Exhibit 4 in the case study, â€Å"it is quite clear that others are trying to emulate us,† which means that Shouldice Hospital is the premier hernia care provider. Now that they have mastered the hernia care and procedures, they must now transfer that knowledge of patient care to other areas of medicine. A staggering 86% of the attendees of the 1983 Shouldice Hospital Annual Reunion responded that Shouldice Hospital most definitely cared for them as a person (Exhibit 3, p. 16). With numbers like these and given Shouldice’s record of accomplishments, it is time for Shouldice to move forward and expand their opportunities. Furthermore, it would be in the best interest of the hospital to patent its world-renowned hernia procedure. Currently the procedure is available to all hospitals who, â€Å"may copy our technique and misapply it or misinform their patients about the use of it. This can result in failure, and we are concerned that the technique will be blamed for the recurrences. † (p. 11). Occurrences such as these can denounce the Shouldice name and can hinder potential patients from looking into Shouldice’s procedures. Shouldice should also look into advertising its procedures in order to increase its capacity. Presently, Shouldice is â€Å"afraid to send out this new brochure [they’ve] put together for fear it will generate too much demand† (p. 11). Advertising, in correlation with the expansion into the U. S. , would greatly increase the awareness of Shouldice because â€Å"the hospital relied entirely on word-of-mouth advertising† (p. 10). With the expansion into the U. S. Shouldice would be able to support the extra demand generated by an advertising campaign. The main types of advertising Shouldice should consider are direct mailings, magazine/newspaper ads, and infomercials. The atmosphere at Shouldice in Toronto is definitely one of a kind. The patients, nurses, and surgeons all have a special bond rarely seen in a hospital, which greatly contributes to the success of Shouldice. In such a quaint working environment, it is important to consider the needs of everyone involved when contemplating facility expansions and work schedule changes. With this in mind, and seeing that there are only a small number of workers, all of whom do not agree on a work schedule change to add Saturdays, Shouldice should continue its present work schedule and not add Saturday operations. Additionally, adding a floor to the current facility would greatly change the working dynamics of the hospital and the quaint environment in which the patients and staff thrive. Adding a new floor and Saturday operations may add revenue but it would take away from all that Shouldice stands for. As the case states, â€Å"‘I’d hate to see the practice split over the issue’† (p. 12). Finally, Shouldice should look into updating and digitalizing its computer systems. This will not only expedite the administrative process but would also lower patients’ waiting time and reduce the stress attributed to masses of paperwork. Patients should be able to fill out all the necessary paperwork one time on a computer and then not be bothered until the procedure. In addition, digitalizing Shouldice’s system would make the brochure sent out to patients (Exhibit 1) a more fluid process. If the form was available on the Internet then there would be faster response times and fewer mistakes. 6. How would you implement changes you propose? Based upon the information provided in the case, it seems as though Dr. Shouldice already has a few places in the U. S. in mind for the hospital (p. 11). We would encourage him to do further research to determine where the best geographic region is according to demand for hernia operations as well as the other opportunities mentioned (eye surgery, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids). Dr. Shouldice must also consider the cost of building a new facility and future revenues derived from greater capacity. In order to protect the surgery that has made the hospital so famous, Dr. Shouldice would need to apply for patents through the provincial government. Moreover, it would be wise for Dr. Shouldice to apply for patents in the U.S. as well before he begins operations there. Taking the necessary steps to obtain a patent would secure Shouldice’s unique surgical procedure and their future success. Although Shouldice currently handles all of their own operations, it is necessary for them to hire an advertising agency to launch a new campaign. An advertising agency has much more experience and knowledge about best practices and with the guidance of the administrative staff they could work together to achieve the desired outcome. Shouldice should consider advertising for their U. S. facility as soon as an expansion plan is completed and for their Toronto facility as soon as the U. S. facility is open. This would promote awareness among U. S. patients prior to the opening of the facility and give the Toronto facility enough time to phase out some existing U. S. patients. A test period of six months should be implemented and if the advertising proves successful then further implementation and changes can be made. The first step Shouldice should take to implement a new computer system is to find a company who provides the services they are looking for. Then the two sides would need to work together to develop computer software that fits the specific needs of Shouldice. Next, employee training would be required to familiarize all necessary parties with the new system. Then, a test period would be needed to ensure that the computer software was working properly and that all employees knew how it worked. Finally, the old system Shouldice currently uses would cease to exist and the new system would be fully implemented.

Hitlers Rise To Power essays

Hitler's Rise To Power essays President Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor of Germany on January 30th 1933, having successfully campaigned to make the Nazis the most popular party. He had been legally elected and chosen to form a government. Why was he able to capture the hearts and minds of the German people in his rise to power? In this essay, I will explore whether Hitlers image accounted for his appointment to the top job or whether there were other reasons. Hitler used his image to look powerful. He had a loud, harsh, monotonous, dulcet voice. When the people of Germany heard this voice they felt commanded, as if he was someone who was angry about the state of their country but could do something about it. His voice made him sound like someone who had a great deal of power. Not only did his voice help him appear powerful, but even his clothes, haircut, facial expressions, logos, and mannerisms played a part, too. He wore very military clothes, like a uniform, nothing rich, no bright colours. I think that made him very appealing to the lower classes, for it was as if he was one of them, as if he did not come from a very upper class background. It made him seem more worthy to be a leader if he had experienced the poverty that most of Germany was going through. His haircut also followed through with the idea that he had a poor and military background. A simple style made millions follow him. He used fierce facial expressions, which gave people hope that he could be the saviour and leader that Germany had been longing for. Hitler had memorable logos, the main one being the swastika. The symbol itself actually derives from Paganism, but, when interpreted from its peaceful meaning by the Nazis, Pagans shortly abandoned it. The swastika was used on banners, uniforms, and posters... in fact, anywhere that they could think of displaying it. It helped to spread awareness of the Nazis, and when wearing an armband with the logo on it, people fe ...

Teen prevention of sex summary of past paper Essay

Teen prevention of sex summary of past paper - Essay Example The students were divided into two groups with one group participating in the sex prevention program and the other group merely exposed to traditional sex education. A questionnaire was distributed to the participants two years after completion of the program and following the conclusion of the sex education lessons at school. The results of the study indicated that the patterns of sexual conduct was vastly the same as between students of the different groups. The only difference in sexual conduct was observed between students who had subsequently dropped out of school and those who had not. In this regard, students who left school engaged in more risky sexual behavior than those who remained in school. The second journal article reviews was written by Sellars, McGraw and McKinlay (1994). In this article, the authors reported on a study in which the assumption that free access to condoms increased sexual promiscuity among teens was tested. The study was conducted with 536 Latinos between the ages of 14 and 20. The subjects were divided into two groups: one group had liberal access to condoms and the other group had normal access to condoms. The research study began by obtaining baseline information from the subjects with a follow-up interview three months later. The study conducted by Sellars (1994) revealed that 80% of all participants reported sexual contact after providing the baseline information. Sexual activities among females in both groups showed no appreciable differences, although frequency was higher for females in the group with normal access to condoms. Sexual activities among females in the group with liberal access to condoms revealed a larger propensity for multiple sex partners. Males reported less sexual contact among boys in the group with liberal access to condoms. Males in the group with liberal access to condoms also reported a higher risk of having

Tuskegee syphilis experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tuskegee syphilis experiment - Essay Example Search the internet for a site that you find useful and provide the link to your classmates. Along with the link, give a brief synopsis of why you chose this site (i.e., what it contains, why it's useful). One of the most important and highly useful websites in the field of immunology is www.iuisonline.org. It contains the information on activities of International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) related to the research and basic information on immunology. IUIS is the umbrella organization for many of the regional and national societies of immunology through out the world. This site is useful in providing information on organizing international cooperation on immunology, and in providing communication between immunology and its allied branches. It also helps in coordinating various societies of the world working in the area of immunology. 1. What was the Tuskegee Syphilis Study What was the original study aim What did the study end up being about How many people were enrolled How many were alive at the end What were the major ethical issues surrounding this study The Tuskegee syphilis study was a medical clin... The main aim of this study was to study the treatment, natural history, response and biological changes exhibited by patients suffering from syphilis disease with out intimating them the original reason of study. The patients were intentionally not given the treatment for curing syphilis. The study ended in 1972 after 40 years with the reporting of responses of patients suffering from syphilis. However it became controversial with the report of New York Times in 1972 regarding unethical issues and because of which the study was stopped. 600 black men (African American sharecroppers) were enrolled under this study out of which 400 people were suffering from syphilis and 200 people were free from syphilis. It was reported that only 74 of the test subjects survived, and others died and the disease was spread to their wives and children. The main ethical issues surrounding the study are as follows: (a) The patients were not given information on the original purpose of medical study and their consent was not taken. (b) There was a forceful non-treatment for syphilis even though pencillin was invented in 1940s which is very effective against syphilis. (c) The wives and children of black men were also affected, even then the truth was not disclosed. 2. What is the name of the virus that causes AIDS In relatively general terms, how does that virus cause AIDS The name of the virus causing AIDS is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It has 2 forms i.e. HIV1 and HIV2 out of which HIV1 is more virulent and pandemic strain of HIV. Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) is considered to be the origin of HIV. SIVcpz is the form SIV present in chimpanzee. It is reported that the

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Organization design - Assignment Example The aspect of capitalizing on and responding to change was exhibited by the ancient Athens who faced agricultural setbacks. The Athens recognized their problem as a potential challenge and decided to respond effectively to the cultivation of olives that have the capacity to obtain water from the deeper water tables. Modern businesses should adopt such an approach in the contemporary business world. The response adopted by businesses towards change determines the level of success (Bridges, 2009). In a world defined by change, it is irrational for businesses to focus on the competition because they will be easily blinded to a level where they cannot recognize the challenge. However, capitalizing on change allows businesses to tackle the challenges and respond effectively. All individual sat different levels in a business have a responsibility of developing appropriate responses to change. Whereas business leaders determine when to launch new products or to pursue a new category of customers, upper-level managers focus on redefining the different departments to suit the new organizational goals. Middle managers have to respond effectively by reorganizing all the efforts from different departments and encouraging supervisors to define new responses at the new level. Every individual in the organization must contribute positively so that organizations can effectively capitalize on change (p.

Claudius has been presented in the theatre as a worthy King Essay Example for Free

Claudius has been presented in the theatre as a worthy King Essay Claudius has been presented in the theatre as a worthy King and Polonius as an amiable and sensible father. What is your response to the ways in which Shakespeare presents one of these characters? It is hard to judge the character of Polonius in Shakespeares Hamlet, due to the fact Shakespeare presents many of the events not only through Hamlets eyes, but the eyes of Polonius children and the King, and through these different people he is presented in different ways. However, there is a great deal more to this multi-faceted character in the play, as his presence and actions in the play is of great importance, before and after his death. Polonius is presented in different ways in various stage productions; usually, he is presented as a wise man, and one with great influence upon his son and daughter, Laertes and Ophelia, and of a man highly respected by King Claudius, Queen Gertrude and the people of Denmark. Despite this, he can become a rather comic character, if the company wishes Hamlet to be presented more positively. As Polonius is presented through different productions in different ways, it is difficult to evaluate his true nature. As the play is largely presented through Hamlets eyes, it is from him we draw many of our opinions. It is eventually Hamlet that kills Polonius, stabbing him through the arras, and Hamlet who sends him off with such harsh words as a foolish, prating knave; it can be said that he encompasses aspects of this statement, as we see in different parts of the play. However, to be deeply cynical of Polonius is somewhat hard to do. Polonius, in the eyes of Claudius, the Queen, the words and actions of Laertes, Ophelia and the Danish people, and the obediency of Reynaldo give us a more reasoned insight into Polonius. Polonius can be seen as foolish mainly when talking to his servant, Reynaldo, wherein he directs Reynaldo as to how to spy on Laertes. During his speech, Polonius gets wrapped up in his own words, and seems to lose the points he is trying to get across; And then, sir, does a this he does what was I about to say? By the mass I was about to say something. Where did I leave?; Shakespeare also transfers from blank verse into prose, accentuating Polonius loss of grip. However, this may actually be cleverly checking if Reynaldo is listening; the fact he quotes him directly back At closes in the consequence, at friend or so, / and, gentlemen' suggests many positive factors. For one, it is a reflection on Polonius authority and importance that Reynaldo remains attentive and quotes him back perfectly. Also, if this is a trick, Polonius may feel the matter is so important to his sons welfare that he needs to test Reynaldo to see if he really is listening so that the surveillance can be perfectly executed. Polonius may be seen to lose his grip in his bouts of prating to the King and Queen in parts of the play too. His speech to Claudius and Gertrude concerning Hamlets madness is a prime example of Polonius prattling, as we see in his long-winded build up to his conclusion, that Hamlet is mad; Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,  And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,  I will be brief. Your noble son is mad..

Minimum Wage: Exploitation through a Subsistent Wage

Minimum Wage: Exploitation through a Subsistent Wage The Raising of the Minimum Wage: Exploitation through a Subsistent Wage I. Introduction For many years in the United States the minimum wage has not aligned with the cost of living. Low wage workers typically earn the minimum wage and cannot sustain themselves due to the constant rise of housing, food, and health care. The bourgeoisie manipulates the proletariat through exploitation with a subsistent wage that rarely increases. In this essay, I aim to demonstrate that the elite cause a class conflict to keep the bourgeoisie in power to maintain a hegemony over the lower class. II. The Elite Perspective In a New York Times article titled, Higher Minimum Wage May Have Losers, Noam Scheiber highlights that many cities and states are considering raising the minimum wage, but some economists and business owners warn that a raise may be problematic for business owners and current low wage workers. At the annual American Economic Association, Economics professor John Horton Of New York University delivered an essay concerning an experiment he did regarding raising the minimum wage. Using an online platform, employees post jobs anonymously. Workers then submit an hourly wage competing for them. Scheiber states: Mr. Horton, working with the platform, was able to impose a minimum wage random on one-quarter of about 160,000 jobs posted over roughly a month and a half in 2013. If a worker proposed an hourly wage that was below the minimum, the platforms software asked him or her to raise the bid until it cleared the threshold. (cite) At prima facie, the experiment demonstrated that when the minimum wage increased there was little if no decline in hiring. However, the hours a worker spent on a job fell for the jobs that were lower wage before the study. In addition, Horton claimed that employers were hiring more productive works to compensate for the lost earnings from the adjusted higher wage. Consequently, the lower wage workers were less productive, according to Horton, and thus lost their jobs. He concluded that raising the minimum wage could cost low-skilled workers their jobs, as employers replace them with higher productive individuals. Additionally, some economists claim that the more productive workers that do not take the jobs from the low skilled workers will also need a pay raise, which may cause more economic issues. Furthermore, others such as Zane Tankel, chief executive of Applebees restaurant infers that higher wages will accelerate automation, which will offset costs and leave may workers jobless .[1] III. A Sociological Critique Hortons data is tailored to benefit the bourgeoisie and highlights how the individuals in elite position help maintain a hegemony over the lower class. Consequently, the proletariat is given a subsistent wage and is exploited for their labor. Marx claimed that the worker is given just enough pay to survive and have a family and children so that when the worker falters, the children can take over the subsistent wage.[2] Hortons experiment highlights how the worker is exploited with a subsistent wage. In addition, his data demonstrates that low wage workers will lose their jobs to the high output workers. This conflict between the two workers causes what Marx termed alienation. Marx defined it as: the breakdown of, the separation, from, the natural interconnection between people and their productive activities, the products they produce, the fellow workers with whom they produce those things, and with what they are potentially capable of becoming.[3] This alienation keeps individuals from achieving their full potential and keeps them in a subservient state. Scheibers article contains a comment from Applebees executive who states that forced higher wages will accelerate automation, thus more employees will lose their jobs. The inference that workers will be replaced faster by automation demonstrates that the bourgeoisie does not value the labor that the proletariat loses for a meager wage. Marxist theory states that all value comes from the labor and is therefore traceable, in capitalism, to the proletariat.[4] The bourgeoisie does not recognize this value and further exploitation of the surplus value that is extracted from the worker. Scheibers article demonstrates that Horton neglects the conflict between classes and actually helps the elite in a bias fashion. IV. Solution One may contemplate if the worker and capitalist comprehend the magnitude of the conflict between them. Marx would assume that, both the proletariat and the capitalists [bourgeoisie] have an inaccurate sense of themselves, their relationship to one another, and the way in which capitalism operates.[5] While this may be true that the average individual or business owner is unaware of this conflict and holds false consciousness, it is unlikely that Professor Horton is ignorant of these conflicts. While some are aware and have false consciousness, it is crucial that the majority of both capitalists and workers become aware or have class consciousness-the ability of a class, in particular the proletariat, to overcome false consciousness and attain an accurate understanding of the capitalist system.[6] Additionally, once this consciousness is achieved, then the workers must engage in what Marx termed praxis, or the idea that people, especially the proletariat, must take concrete action in order to overcome capitalism. This solution of praxis is extreme and workers can most likely keep some form of capitalism but demand a proper wage. The consciousness compounded with praxis can even out the conflict between the classes and articles concerning the debate over low wages would be nonexistent. V. Conclusion The article Higher Minimum Wage May Have Losers, highlights the conflict that individuals such as Horton create between the workers and capitalists. The conflict between the two creates what Marx claimed to be a loss of human potential through exploitation, alienation of surplus value, and the fact that workers work and live under a subsistent wage. The solution is class consciousness and praxis that results in change. Bibliography [1] Cite article [2] Pg 26 [3] Pg 24 [4] 26 [5] 27 [6] 28