Murakami’s Norwegian Woods Essay Example

Murakami’s Norwegian Woods Essay Set in Tokyo in 1960s, Norwegian Wood explores the life of Toru Watanabe, an introverted and distressed young college student, as he struggles to find himself, to recuperate from the suicide of his best friend, and to choose between the two women he loves, Naoko and Midori. While it would seem logically therapeutic for Toru and Naoko to turn to each other for comfort in the face of such tragedy, Naoko is overwhelmed with her life’s pressures and lingering grief for Kizuki and therefore rejects Toru’s affection in favor of the solitude she finds within her own shrinking and isolated world. Also grieving for Kizuki while growing ever lonelier and more conflicted about his own identity, a rejected Toru reluctantly reaches out to Midori, an outspoken and sexually confident girl who is everything that Naoko cannot be. The sexual freedom of the 1960s underlies Toru’s struggle toward adulthood, and the numerous popular cultural inclusions in this novel produce a story m uch less exclusively Japanese and much more globally pertinent as a coming-of-age story which happens to feature Japanese characters. But more than just a coming-of-age story, Norwegian Woods also depicts a cultural phenomenon that is rising in Japan: suicide. As J. Sean Curtin points out, in an article entitled â€Å"Japan: Suicide also Rises in Land of Rising Sun,† appearing in Asia Times On-Line (28 July 2004 issue), the dreadful fact that â€Å"in todays Japan one is roughly five times as likely too die by ones own hand as to be killed in a traffic accident,† a social occurrence which he attributes to cultural factors: â€Å"lack of religious prohibition against suicide, reluctance to discuss mental health and stress-related problems, a literary tradition that romanticizes suicide, a view of suicide as an honorable act, a way of taking responsibility for failure †¦ the breakdown of the family and social networks and the increasing isolation of individuals.† This paper aims to exemplify this social incident using Murakami’s Norwegian Woods by examining in histo-cultural perspecti ve how Kizuki`s suicide is important for both Toru and Naoko and how it affects the lives of these two young individuals. We will write a custom essay sample on Murakami’s Norwegian Woods specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Murakami’s Norwegian Woods specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Murakami’s Norwegian Woods specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Norwegian Woods The plot of Norwegian Wood revolves upon two suicides. Its two major characters — the first-person narrator, Toru Watanabe, and a young woman named Naoko — are haunted by the memory of their friend, Kizuki. Kizuki had been an energetic and jovial boy in high school. He was Naokos first lover and Torus closest friend. But he had shocked them and his other intimates by gassing himself in his parents garage one evening. For Toru and Naoko, it is an incomprehensible but irrefutable and equally an agonizing fact that their best friend, leaving â€Å"no suicide note,† and with â€Å"no motive that anyone could think of,† had simply and suddenly decided to disappear from their lives by taking his own. The impacts of Kizukis death continue to spiral out and multiply in the story, affecting both of them intensely, marking their university days with difficult questions about mortality, youth, and love. The renewal of their friendship, however, does not help them to move forward. After a long separation following Kizukis death, Naoko and Toru meet again several years later. They feel connected by their mutual grief at Kizukis suicide and by their helplessness to recover from it. They become lovers in all respect but the actual physical act. However, Naokos mental health increasingly deteriorates, an event which Toru relates with her pain and sadness at Kizukis death, she enters a convalescent facility and then a hospital for the psychiatrically disturbed before finally killing herself, too. Although Toru struggles on in the rest of the story, one can sense that Kizukis suicide has proved somehow fatal for Toru as well. He confesses that when â€Å"it took the 17-year old Kizuki that night in May, death took me as well.In the midst of life, everything revolved around death† (Murakami 30). Suicides and Norwegian Woods Taking a quick glimpse at modern Japanese literature, a western reader may be struck by what might seem a curious obsession with death. Death, of course, takes many forms – natural death, death due to illnesses or old age and also â€Å"unnatural death† as caused by accident, murder or suicide. What is the implication of death and especially of suicide in Japanese society? Takao Tsuchiya in his article â€Å"Write in, Rub Out† says that â€Å"suicide is a special privilege of mankind. Other people have said suicide is the ultimate human freedom. But this right, this freedom, exerts tremendous effects on the people associated with the suicide.† And certainly, we have seen how Kizukis suicide wreaked incalculable devastation on the two people closest to him: on Naoko and Toru. The importance of suicide for the Japanese is not limited to their illusory interpretations of the world, but it occupies what some western people might regard as a lopsided prominence in real-life conditions in Japan. It connotes different meanings for the Japanese. For instance, it is believe to be a means of escaping from a condition perceived as intolerable. One instance of these situations is when Japanese junior high and high school students undergo the period of intensive testing known as â€Å"examination hell,† quite a number of these young students disgracefully find the stress and pressure of the situation so overpowering that they not only choose to be out of the system but out of life itself. Would this school pressures can be attributed to Kizukis suicide in Norwegian Wood? Murakami has given little or no hint at all apart from the fact that Kizuki commits suicide when he is seventeen, and thus is in his third year of high school, when he would be expected to undergo intensive testing to enter a good university, (just as a third-year undergraduate in a Japanese middle school must endeavor to pass stringent exams to enter a good high school). Another instance is the fame of so-called â€Å"love suicides† in Japan. It can also be seen to fall into the category of types of self-destruction which can be ascribed to the nations cultural mores. To elucidate, Masaki Kato in â€Å"Self-Destruction in Japan: A Cross-cultural Epidemiological Analysis of Suicide† includes findings that indicate that the phenomenon of â€Å"double suicide for love in Japan† is based on the nations â€Å"religious belief in the future life, on the low value placed on individual life from the bushido way of thinking, and on rigidly prizing womens chastity.† With social and familial pressure remaining a potent force in a country which, possibly, does not accord sufficient respect to the notion of individual liberty or right to personal privacy, in the face of familial or social opposition to their prospective marriages, some couples choose to express — ironically? — their undying love for each other in carefull y-orchestrated joint suicides. Just like in the Norwegian Woods, Naoko’s love for Kizuki plunges her into the notion that only by killing herself just like Kizuki will she attain freedom from the sufferings that Kizuki’s death has brought upon her and Toru. It might be seen as well as a means by which Naoko expresses her love for Kizuki. Suicide in Japan is also sometimes understood as an honorable means of accepting blame or of shouldering responsibility. It can also be regarded as a way of â€Å"solving† health and financial problems like in cases of â€Å"family suicides.† Failed businessmen or the parents of chronically or terminally ill children sometimes choose â€Å"family suicide† as a means of â€Å"ending† their problems. Suicide is seen, too, as a means of unambiguously or unmistakably making a statement or bearing witness for an ideal in Japan. It is particularly valued in this sense in a society whose language and customs discourage direct affirmations of beliefs. Conclusion Just as Norwegian Wood is a nostalgic novel that illustrates the aftermath of suicide, mental illness, and death, it is also a sharply scrutinized and often comical commentary on Japanese society and university life during a time of widespread student activism and protest. Most of all, it is a bittersweet meditation on friendship, memory, and the elusive, shifting nature of love. The topic of death resonates throughout the story as we have encountered two suicides – the death of Kizuki and eventually of Naoko. Historically and culturally, we have noted that there are religious and cultural reasons for the frequency of acts of self destruction, where suicide can present itself as the last resort for children who are bullied or who are undergoing the stress of exam hell, for disgraced politicians and businessmen unable to bear financial or social ruin, and for star-crossed lovers. It is perceived as a regrettable but culturally-sanctioned means of escaping the unbearable, of exp iating sin, of signifying remorse, of admitting culpable responsibility and, far less commonly in recent years, of signaling allegiance to country and emperor. In Norwegian Woods, Murakami, in two instances as discussed, was able to masterfully capture this social phenomenon that plagues Japanese society.

Melting Point Vs. Freezing Point

Melting Point Vs. Freezing Point You may think the melting point and freezing point of a substance occur at the same temperature. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they dont. The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid phase and the  solid phase are equal and at equilibrium. If you increase the temperature, the solid will melt. If you decrease the temperature of a liquid past the same temperature, it may or may not freeze! This is supercooling and it occurs with many substances, including water. Unless there is a nucleus for crystallization, you can cool water well below its melting point and it wont turn to ice (freeze). You can demonstrate this effect by cooling very pure water in a freezer in a smooth container to as low as −42 degrees Celcius. Then if you disturb the water (shake it, pour it, or touch it), it will turn to ice as you watch. The freezing point of water and other liquids may be the same temperature as the melting point. It wont be higher, but it could easily be lower.

Effective Leadership Within An Organisational Context Essay

Effective Leadership Within An Organisational Context - Essay Example So, what is effective leadership? Before defining effective leadership, it is important to define leadership. According to Northouse (2010, p 9), leadership is defined as a process through which a person mobilize resources both material and human and influences group of people to achieve set of common goals. Effective leadership has diverse definitions that depend mostly on the context on which leadership is defined and point of view of the person defining it. Leadership effectiveness definition is highly multifaceted and complex. The following are the famous definitions of effective leadership. One, Nahavandi (2006, p 12) defines effective leadership as a process through which leadership achieves the organizations’ goals and objectives; leadership is based on the performance of the group. Two, Marturano and GOSLKING (2008, p 9) define effective leadership as the ability of leadership to help people in an organization to have more collaboration, innovation and communication. Three, effective leadership is the ability to enable other people within organization enhance their personal capabilities in order to fulfil their own ambitions and potentials and that of the group or organization as well (Vries 2006, p. 12- 13). In comparison, the three definitions indicate that effective lea dership aims at achieving certain goals after a given period of time. Secondly, all the definitions show that effective le

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example It has about 337 stores in 41 territories including in the UK and overseas and employs over 78,000 people worldwide (M&S, 2012). The company which was established as a partnership firm by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer, in the year 1894, went on to become a public company by 1926 and ventured into international markets during early 1970s. The company first set shop in France during 1975 with the opening of its stores in Paris. However, although the venture proved to be significantly profitable in France, the rest of the company's operations in the rest of Western Europe failed to garner profitable returns. This fuelled the closure of its stores in France in March 2001, amidst wide scale protests against the corporate decision (BBC, 2001a). 2. Introduction The unprecedented success garnered by retail chains across the world in terms of profitability, particularly posts the globalization phenomenon has been very well documented in academic literature and scholarly researches alike. A lthough there is a certain degree of validity and authenticity to the hypothesis, that internalization of retail stores is bound to result in immense popularity and profitability; the recent cases of closures of huge multinational giants, such as the withdrawal of the clothing chain C&A from the UK markets in the year 2000 (BBC, 2000b); the closure of UK based retail giants Tesco and Boots and the France based Carrefour from the Japanese markets, as recent as 2011 (The Guardian, 2011), indicates otherwise. This study on the closure of Marks & Spencer stores in France, aims to highlight the various core issues related to the operations, functioning and performance of international retail stores overseas, and assess the manner in which M&S approached the closure of its stores in the country. 2.1. Organizational context of IHRM The business of retailing entails operating of firms in a global context and at the same time adjusting and adapting to the local needs. Over the years, various global retailers have invested in international ventures with varying degrees of outcomes in terms of profitability and success. As more and more companies join the quest of aggressively pursuing international expansion as a part of their core strategies, it is all the more vital for them to take into consideration various factors which may play a key role in shaping their success in the process (Kraft and Mantrala, 2010). This in turn requires IHRM to be organized and efficient in its functioning. The organizational structure is dependent on the HR strategies developed by the management which is often embedded as the company's corporate strategy and can be based on its international division structure (i.e. production, marketing, finance, personnel etc., see Figure 1 Appendix 1); or the Functional structure (See figure 2 Appendix 2); or the geographic location structure (see Figure 3, Appendix 1) or the product structure (See Figure 4, Appendix 1) (Aswathappa and Dash, 2007). 2.2. Cross border alliances: The new wave of globalization has brought along with a trend of accelerated investment in cross border alliances in varied forms ranging from conventional approaches such as international exports and foreign direct investments (FDI) to relatively more contemporary methods such as cross border acquisitions, mergers, and franchisee agreements (OECD, 2001; Markusen, 2002; Neary, 2004). The choice of entry strategy into foreign markets depends

The Strategic Implication of E Commerce for the Design and Essay

The Strategic Implication of E Commerce for the Design and Construction Industry Article Analysis - Essay Example The main research question which is being asked by the authors of the article by Johnson and his colleagues is if the AEC industry can benefit itself and integrate e-commerce platforms into the business plans and strategic objectives of the enterprise. If the construction industry and its participants can achieve greater integration of e-commerce it is able to raise overall profits in the industry by streamlining activities that used to take greater efforts which led to unnecessary expenses now become automated activities that provide added value services to the customers. The power of the e-commerce solution is based on the achieved growth in the utilization of the platform after the turn of the century. In 2001 e-commerce in the United States generated $7931 million in revenues (Plunkett Research, 2007). Six years later in the 1st quarter in 2007 the sales volume had grown to $27,092, an overall increase of 242% over a six-year span or an average yearly growth of 40% (Plunkett Rese arch, 2007). These figures clearly illustrate evidence of the worldwide tendency to increase e-commerce dependence by all companies around the globe. The article effectively described the industry in order to evaluate possibilities that are going to integrate e-commerce solutions to increase efficiency in the AEC industry. Various case studies of different participants of the  value-added supply chain that allowed the players in the industry to obtain efficiencies associated with economies of scope, integration of resources, technological advances, information technology and other competitive advantages. The literature provided a very clear and descriptive analysis of the construction industry. The construction industry is a mature fragmented industry which is closely held with less than 25 public trading companies and plenty of small and medium closed held private enterprises.  Ã‚  

Examining The Understanding Social Disorganization Theory Criminology Essay

Examining The Understanding Social Disorganization Theory Criminology Essay Social Disorganization means the disruption or breakdown of the structure of social relations and values resulting in the loss of social controls over individual and group behavior, the development of social isolation and conflict, and a sense of estrangement or alienation from the mainstream of ones culture; the  condition or state of anomie (dictionary). Social Disorganization Theory is a theory that is less than one hundred years old. The founders of this theory are Shaw and McKay. Social disorganization theory was developed in the early 1900s in Chicago, Illinois, based upon the fact that the founders of this theory had been researching juvenile court records for more than one decade (Pratt, Gau, and Franklin 43). The theory suggested that there were high rates of crime in certain neighborhoods; particularly rather poor neighborhoods. Once Shaw and Kay discovered these findings, they figured that crime was no longer based on the individual alone, but more so the structure of th e neighborhood and what the neighborhood consisted of socially; neighbors level of interaction with one another, along with their ability to regulate the youth of their community (Pratt, Gau, and Franklin 44). There are several factors that can help determine social disorganization within a community. A few of these factors include: low socioeconomic status, high rates of residential mobility, increased diversity within the community and single-parent households (Pratt et al. 44, Barton et al. 247, and Kingston et al. 54). However, one of the main factors frequently used to determine social disorganization is residential mobility. Residential mobility is the frequent Childress 2 change of residence, either in the same city or town, or between cities, states or communities (dictionary). Residential mobility has the ability to socially disorganize any community. Neighbors packing up and moving more frequently than not, puts a strain on the ability for people to bond with one another and form a friendship with other residents who also reside in their community. Another factor that is often used to determine social disorganization is the socioeconomic status of a particular neighborhood. Poor neighborhoods with low income usually contain single-parent residencies. Single-parent households with young children living in them, have a hard time controlling the youth of their households, let alone the youth of their communities. Lack of discipline to the youth and improper social skills with their peers causes them to get involved in certain activities that are not only harmful to the community but harmful to themselves as well. According to the authors of the articl e A Test of Social Disorganization Theory in High-Risk Urban Neighborhoods, Structurally disadvantaged neighborhoods that lack the resources to effectively monitor children (such as: summer camps, music lessons, sports training, home computers, and special tutoring) and provide few sanctions for inappropriate behavior are likely to have a higher number of delinquent peer groups available to youthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Poorly monitored youth are more likely to socialize with deviant peers and to engage in misconduct (Kingston et al. 58-59). As stated before, social disorganization occurs mainly in poor neighborhoods with high residential mobility lack of socializing between the neighbors throughout the community. These factors allow the crime in these communities to grow exponentially. Social exclusion and isolation from one another has a negative effect on the community because it creates a gateway for crime to occur. With no one from the community willing to step up and organize groups like The Neighborhood Watch or etc., it creates opportunities for crime to occur at any given time throughout the community. With no control over the youth living in the community, crime tends Childress 3 to rise. With lack of control over the youth, gangs have a high risk of developing. When gangs develop, there are a number of negative things that can occur. Some of the negative activities that can stem from gangs are burglaries, vandalism, drug-dealing, and violence, just to name a few (Mares, 41). The number of gangs began to rapidly increase in America during the 20th century. Without warning, gangs began showing up and developing in suburban, rural and urban communities (Mares, 41). This could have been prevented somehow if there had been more unity within the communities and if neighbors had been more willing to socialize with one another while agreeing to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior with their community. However, it is safe to say that gang violence and homicides has the ability to destroy neighborhoods and put fear into people while causing isolation throughout the community (Mares, 42). So, if people within a community are afraid of the area that they are living in, it makes it harder for them to call the police and report a crime; and if they do report a crime, the chances of them cooperating with the police and stepping up as a public witness is not high, because they may feel threatened by the local gang members of the community, as well as scared for their lives. When this occurs, crime increases within the community because local gang members feel as if theyre invincible and as if they can get away with any crime they commit, no matter how large or small the crime may be (Mares 43). Social Disorganization started off as a theory fit for urban, rural and suburban neighborhoods. However, throughout the years, social disorganization has progressed from slum neighborhoods to college campuses. With the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University shootings, campus crime seems pretty evident in these areas (Barton et al. 245). According to the authors of the article Social disorganization theory and the college campus, four-year college universities reported 44 murders, 2,491 forcible rapes, 1,386 robberies, 2,130 aggravated assaults, 25,978 burglaries, and 3,410 motor vehicle thefts back in 2007 in the United States Childress 4 (Barton et al. 245). Residential mobility is an obvious factor of social disorganization on college campuses because most colleges do not require their student to live on campus. Students living in nearby towns tend to commute back and forth to school everyday. Theres also the case where students get to pick a new room during the room reservation process towards the end of every academic school year. The percentage of students remaining in the same dorm room year after year is not very high. All of these factors regarding residential mobility on college campuses make it very hard for neighboring students in the dormitories to form a lasting bond with one another, since students usually get a new neighbor at the beginning of every academic school year once they move back onto campus. Then you have the college students who decide to pledge for a Greek organization on campus. These organizations take up the majority of a students time. Those students who live on campus but are dedicated to a Greek organization are hardly ever in their dorm rooms, thus, making it that much easier for crimes, such as burglaries, to occur on the college campus, particularly in the dormitories. Despite the positive things that Greek organizations do for the community, crime is very much capable of happening at their events, particularly their parties. Certain crimes such as under-age drinking, illegal drug use and vandalism are, very much so, capable of happening at a Greek organizations college party (Barton et al. 248). However, according to authors of the article Social disorganization theory and the college campus, Stronger community organizations provide more opportunities for positive social interaction, improve formal social control by increasing the chances that neighbors will observe neighborhood activity and intervene when they see potential problems, and thereby decrease the chance of crime occurring (Barton et al. 248). The dynamics of a community determine whether or not there will be social disorganization. Of course openness and communication within the community enhances the Childress 5 chances of gaining more control over the youth residing in nearby homes of their neighbors, including the homes of their own (if they have any). Coming together and unifying to form protection groups such as The Neighborhood Watch, will give people within the community a feeling of safety and protection. So, if someone from The Neighborhood Watch witnesses a crime taking place with their community, they may feel more confident and safe about calling the police to report it, since they will have the support of the The Neighborhood Watch within the community to fall back on. Aside from unity and proper communication amongst the residents of a community, the quality of the schools within the community have a strong ability to decrease social disorganization. Schools within a community that are not overcrowded or lacking basic needs such as teaching supplies and up-to-date text books, makes the students who are attending that particular institution more guaranteed to gain a quality education (Kingston et al. 58). This will give them more of an interest in pursuing a higher education, such as college, which will give them motivation to focus more on school by getting good grades and becoming more involved with extracurricular activities, instead of getting into trouble out in the streets of their community. According to the text book Key Ideas in Criminology and Criminal Justice, the authors conclude at the end of chapter four that levels of social disorganization may affect informal control and criminal opportunity mechanism, which, in turn, directly influence neighborhood crime rates (Pratt et al. 50). Childress 6

Quiz Show Essay -- essays research papers

Charles Van Doren has a life that many people would be envious of. He is a member of one of the country’s most intellectual and well respected families. His uncle, Carl, is a noted historian and his father, Mark, is a distinguished professor at Columbia University as well as Pulitzer-prize winning poet. Even his mother, Dorothy, is a well known author with several highly recognized pieces of literature. Charles is following in his father’s footsteps as he works as an instructor at Columbia preparing to take over for his father once he retires. Unfortunately for Van Doren, he feels that he lacks an identity in this family of overachievers. At this point in his life, he believes that he should have accomplished enough that people don’t have to refer to him as â€Å"the son† but rather address him by his name. Clearly Van Doren doesn’t realize how fortunate he is and that compared to nearly all the men in America, he is still more of a success than an y of them will ever be. This insecurity and tragic flaw will ultimately lead to his demise over the course of the film. The question becomes not whether or not this tragic hero will do anything to gain the spotlight that his relatives have gained but rather to what extent will he be willing to compromise his values in the process. The second scene of the film displays the seemingly secure process in which the questions for the show are taken to the studio. They are taken from a vault at the bank by police officers and there is a large procession that hand delivers the questions to the studio. It makes the viewer think that the whole quiz show thing is completely fraud-free. The camera then shows how such shows have captivated audiences around the country. Everyone wants to be a part of the phenomenon of quiz shows even if it means simply watching the show on television from their home. The audience ranges from couples to families to even nuns. Yet the corruption is shown very early in the show as an executive makes a phone call to inform a producer that they want to get rid of the current winner on the show, Herbert Stempel, because he is getting tired of him. Stempel, who is a working class Jewish man from Queens, NY, has had an amazing run on the quiz show â€Å"Twenty-One†. He has won a great deal of money and is milking the glory for all it’s worth. When he returns to his modest neighborhood, he is treated like a king;... ...es almost shocked, saying that, â€Å"I wanted to get television; the truth is television is going to get us†. Goodwin is quite vague and leaves this line for the viewer to interpret. Perhaps he means that television holds the power to ruin lives of even those who are the least likely to be morally seduced by it. Charles Van Doren’s life is completely tragic as in his attempt to better his life he ends up making it worse than when he started â€Å"Twenty-One†. The money he made and the fame that he achieved could have been accomplished through hard work and determination like his father. He was driven by the opportunity to practically do nothing and be credited as a hero. In a way though, Van Doren is successful, as his ultimate goal is to be more than his father’s son, but unfortunately he obtained notoriety rather than honored distinction. Dick Goodwin is the antithesis of Charlie, a man who could look temptation in the eye and simply turn away, knowing that simply giving in is completely wrong. Who knows what Charles Van Doren’s life could have been if he had stayed on the path that he was on rather than succumbing to the temptations of easy fortune and fame that came with â€Å"Twenty-One†.

For the first time

Time consumption also to be considered with these factors, being efficient is what all catering services needed and that would only be provided to us by our own technology. The significance of this proposal aims to give as alternative and replacement to the manual system that Belle's Catering Services is currently using. We know that all catering services are a big part of events. This proposal gives a computerized system to be able to have faster, easier and more convenient and more efficiency to the information system.This proposal also aims answer and makes the Belle's catering services mission and vision completely. Online Infringement's of Belle's Catering Services our system,delimitation systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of reward and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data. The study bridges business and computer science using the theoretical foundations of information and computation to study variou s business models and related algorithmic processes within a computer science discipline.Computer Information System(s) (SIS) is a field studying computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their software and hardware designs, their applications, and their impact on society while IS emphasizes functionality over design. [Walk 2013] Our system focuses in Catering Services. It is the business of providing foddering at a remote site or a site like a hotel, public house and other various locations. This is a food or service that is catered to you, in other words,you pay them to bring you their services, most likely a food Joint. Online Infringement's for Belle's Catering Services 1. Background of the Study Maria Plainclothes started as an employee of a catering service. While her husband Leo Apaches is a set-up crew for the same catering service. When a friend suggest that they should start a small business in 2005. At first, they have a few customer who always orde r for them, then suddenly they have been recommended by a customer to have their own catering services, â€Å"The Belle's Catering Services†. The project titled Online Information System is a Catering Characteristic gives information about the services of Belle's Catering Services.The project â€Å"Online Information System† is developed in HTML using Adobe Dreamier CSS. 5 , which focuses on giving information, suggestions, and mainly catering events â€Å"Online Information System† is a web-based application that runs in any web browsers, designed to help users choose the catering services they want for their events. Recruiters is easy to use for both beginners and advanced users. It features a familiar well thought-out, an attractive user interface, combined with strong searching, and reporting capabilities.The report generation facility of information system's to get a good idea of which is the best package suitable for the person that is having their events. Problem 1. 1. 1 General Problem Statement of the How the proponents will develop an online information system that will provide efficiency in processing information and a module to update the customer's needs for the catering service events. . 1. 2 Specific Problem How the proponents will help the user to decide on the package that they will afford.This problem will specify on the decision support system that the proponents will use according to their money and according on how many persons are coming to the event. How the proponents will develop a module for the decision support system. This problem will specify on how will the proponents develop an easy and efficient decision support system 1. 2 Statement of Objectives 1. 2. 1 General Objectives To be able to develop a web-based application for Belle's Catering Services improve the processing of information and capability of a module to update the customers needs for the catering service events. . 2. 2 Specific Objectives To be a ble to help the user to decide on the package that they will afford . The system uses a Decision Support System (ADS) that will create an information and manipulate the user's choice of package. To be able to develop a module for the decision support system . Focuses on the condition of demonstrations needed by the users to identify the package for their given events. Study 1. 3 Significance of the Catering Services is a business that focuses between the caterer and the customer.It is transaction on what will be the request of the customer for them to satisfy their needs and to give an accurate information about the services of the caterer. The main objective of our group is to make the proposed system exist to help Belle's Catering Services to makeshift business automated. So that the process of the transaction will be more efficiently and faster. Students To improve their analytical thinking and to unproven their programming skills in the field of online information system. Benefi ciary To provided a well-defined proposed system in order to support their business in renovations between the customers.Customers To provide an information for them to know the choices that they want for their events,and for the suggestions they can say to the caterer in order for them to have a harmonium flow of the event. 1. 4 Scope and Limitation of the Study Scope of the Study The impact of technology has greatly expanded the scope and capacity of the average catering service. This is an on-going and developing relationship between the customer and the caterer as the computer's full capabilities are gradually explored and applied to the online information system.Without internet, advertising catering services is difficult to manage, as well as publishing of the proposed system. It is also time consuming for the transactions and will do much more delay for the events. Scope of the System 2. 0 Methodology of the Study This chapter starts on the discussion about the project resear ch disintermediation. The second part presents the development of the system . Project Development Spiral model The spiral model is a software development process combining elements of both design and prototyping-in-stages, in an effort to combine advantages of top-down and bottom-up concepts.Also known as the spiral lifestyle model (or spiral development), it is a systems development method (SAD) used in information technology (IT). This model of development combines the features of the prototyping and the waterfall model. The spiral model is intended for large, expensive and complicated projects. Figure 1. 0 6 Phases of Spiral Model The spiral model's divided into a number of frame work activities, also called task region. The figure 1. 0 illustrates spiral model containing 6 task regions: Customer Communication Task required to established effective communication between developer and customer.Planning Task required to define resources , timeliness ,and other project related info rmation . Risk Analysis Task required to asses both technical and management risk. Engineering Task required to build 1 or more representation of the application. Construction and release Task required to construct , test, install, and provide user support. Customer Evaluation Task required to obtained customer feedback based on evaluation of the software representation created during the engineering stage and environmental during the installation stage. 3. 0 Data Gathering, Procedures and OutputMany online information systems are operated manually by group of people. In such situations many people involved in the process of managing the catering such a way that inform the user regarding the information of the catering service, the decision support system of the catering, and help the customer to decide on how to choose their own affordable cater for their events. On the other hand keeping large amount of maintenance workers may cost a lot & it will not be efficient for a catering s ystem. Manual process in the transaction of the catering is not a reliable method.On the mint of view, in manual system the user can't find the suitable information for his or her events. We interview Mrs.. Beeline Apaches on how their catering services works and the required information in their business. We found out that their is a package in every events in their catering. For example, in wedding they have full package which cost IIOP,OHO up to IPPP,OHO. In that package they have a complete catering service with set-up, a place to have the venue, the amenities and miscellaneous, and other needs they can get by renting in other rental services (egg. Hairs and tables). We also visit their faceable account to gather some information to use in our proposed system . In their faceable account there are pictures of the events that in low resolution settings so we didn't use their own image as the picture of events in their catering services. There are also foods and beverages that have also low resolution so in order to improve the quality of the design of our proposed system we provide the detailed picture of Belle's Catering Online Information System.We decided that we will create two systems which is the back and front end. The front end is for the customer to vive the information about the services that Belle's Catering services offered. , while the back end is for the admit in controlling the data in the front end. In the process of our system, the customers will find the information in our system, their needs and suggestion will be provide by our Decision Support System (ADS), and other things that can be say to the caterer in the used of telephone/cellophane number or use as reference. The Existing System They have no existing system so that's why the proponents choose the Belle's Catering Services in order to make for them an existing online information system. . 1 Company Background Belle's Catering Services in Banana Mycenaean City, Vulcan is a public c atering service. The name Belle's Catering comes from the name of the owner Mrs.. Beeline Apaches. Maria Plainclothes started as an employee of a catering service. While her husband Leo Apaches is a set-up crew for the same catering service.When a friend suggest that they should start a small business in 2005. At first, they have a few 4. 2 Description of the System By using the present manual system, work is done manually. So, each and every transaction takes much time to complete. Whenever user requires any information, the decision and update process also takes more time and it is difficult to find particular information. As the transactions of the catering increases there is more information to be processed and stored.

American Qualities essays

American Qualities essays American is freedom. We have many freedoms that many other countries are not as fortunate to have. As the melting pot of many races and religions, we are responsible for keeping the opportunities available that were promised by our forefathers when they founded this country: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. America was built on multiple cultural backgrounds fleeing persecution, poverty and lives without simple freedoms. An American quality that is seen in various works of literature stemming from our freedoms is individuality. Individuality allows us to express our inner most feelings. In the poem, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost, is an insightful and idealistic attempt to illustrate the paradox of free will. In the first line, Frost uses the metaphor, Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, to establish not only the hard decision a traveler must make in the poem, but in life itself. Life is like those woods because no one can clearly see or predict what will happen in the future, only hope to choose a path that will lead, one to good fortune and happiness. The freedom of choice allows us to be individuals. Many have a desire to be adventurous, yet we fear possibilities of failing if we are different from others. In Frosts poem, the road he decides to take is wanted wear. This road is not a well traveled path, and no one has taken it before. This shows that the speaker may not want to be like everyone else, a follower, but instead, chose a different path and be himself, a leader. The ce ntral idea of this poem is individuality. Frost shows that being his own person is the more difficult path. Frost shows that we should all express our feelings and be our own person, even if no one else will follow. We can see, therefore, that American qualities do imitate the essential thoughts of the American mind. Most American pe ...

UK Food Waste Management following the European Union (EU) Directives The WritePass Journal

UK Food Waste Management following the European Union (EU) Directives Introduction UK Food Waste Management following the European Union (EU) Directives IntroductionWhat is food waste?Sources of food wasteEffects of food waste to the environmentNew EU directives on food wasteThe Waste Hierarchy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Least preferred management method   FIG 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ORDER OF WASTE MANAGEMENTConclusion  REFERENCESRelated Introduction Global warming is a well known problem facing our society today however, food waste which contributes about 30-31% of global warming is not largely recognised (EIPRO) Environmental Impact of Product. Food waste, a biodegradable waste is largely disposed in landfill due to unawareness of its effect on the environment. Methane gas is released during the degradation process of food waste and this leads to depletion of the ozone layer and eventually global warming. Food waste also leads to waste of fresh water, fuel for transport, soil nutrient and finance Humpries (2010). European Union  Ã‚   ( EU) knowing the effect of food waste to the environment and life in general has established laws and made targets to reduce food waste. What is food waste? Waste and Resource Action Programme (2009) defines food waste as waste made up of raw food materials or cooked materials such as vegetables, spoiled food, meat trimmings and leftovers. It can also be defined as agricultural products unused, worthless or unwanted. Examples of food waste are leftovers from our homes and food service sectors, bones, spoilt food and food that have exceeded their shelf life. Sources of food waste The sources of food waste have been grouped into three major sectors by Waste and Resources Action Programme (2009) Manufacturing and Processing: In this sector food waste is unavoidable particularly with products such as meat. Bones and animal organs which may not be consumed are examples of unavoidable waste in this sector. Legislative restriction on outsize production of fruit and vegetables is another unavoidable means of food waste Commission Regulation NO 1221/2008. Retail Sector: The sector includes all sales outlets, wholesale and retail. Food waste in this sector is generated due to overstocking of food products with short shelf lives without matching of demand, Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) (2002). Marketing strategies (two for one deal) is used by retailers to reduce food waste from their sector however, ends up shifting the waste to household where is to enough time to consume these products. Household and food service sector: This sector was analysed in UK by Waste Resources Action Programme (2009) as of one the major sources of food waste. It further states that almost half of food waste is generated at this sector. In disagreement with Waste Resources Action Programme, Laura and Jon (2008) argues that the percentage of food waste contributed by household and food service sector is less than half with constant development of food industries and supermarket in the UK. European Commission (2008) reveals that unawareness of the effect of food waste to the environment, finance and percentage of waste produced by this sector to total food waste accumulated yearly as one of the major causes of food waste in this sector. Effects of food waste to the environment Environmental Impact of Product (EIPRO) points out that for proper analyses of the effect of food waste on the environment, research should be carried out on the general life cycle or stages of food (production, distribution transport) before and after it becomes waste. According to Kassem (2010) food been biodegradable has lead to increase level of food waste in land fill leading to increased emission of methane gas and further depletion of the ozone layer causing global warming.   Similarly, Kassem (2010) and Vidal (2002) agreed that food production consumes 70% of the world’s fresh water. The work of United Nations Environmental Programme (2009) reveals that most of the food produced ends up as waste thus leading to wastage of fresh water. In reference to Jodie Humpries (2010) other resources wasted as a result of food waste includes soil nutrient, energy put in during agricultural process and fuel for transport. New EU directives on food waste The European Union is a body that controls or Legislates environmental issues. Food waste, an environmental issue is under control by some binding laws. The new EU Directives on food wastes 2008/98/European Commission simplifies how food waste should be controlled or managed. The Waste Hierarchy Preferred Option   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Least preferred management method    FIG 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ORDER OF WASTE MANAGEMENT Fig 1 illustrates the New EU Waste Directive Hierarchy (2008) which directs member state (MS) on the path to follow for effective management of food waste. This waste hierarchy gives high priority to waste prevention and very low priority to landfill. However unavoidable food waste can either be re-used, recycled or use for energy recovery Article 22 of Revived Waste Framework requires member states to set up separate collection of bio- waste, treat bio- waste in ways that is friendly to the environment and use   materials produced from recycled from bio- waste that are safe. The Directive also instructed member states (MS) to recycle 50% of waste from household by 2020. Salmon (2009) points out that the fundamental laws outlined in the food waste directives (prevention, re- use, recycling, energy recovery and landfill for last resort) are been practically employed in the UK. Conclusion Proper management of food in UK following the European Union (EU) Directives (prevention, re-use, recycling, energy recovery and landfill for last resort) will reduce food waste disposed in landfill and eventually methane gas and global warming.   REFERENCES Commission Regulation (EC) no 1221/2008 0f 5 December 2008: eur-lex.europa.eu/Lexuriserv/Lexurisev.do?uri=oj:l:336:0001:0080:EN:PDF EC   (2008). Green paper on the management of bio-waste in the European Union, Brussels, Belgium. Jodie.H.(2010). The impact of domestic food waste on climate change. Retrieved March 10, 2011 from nextgeneration food.com/news/looking-at-food-waste/ John. V (August, 2002). Earth’s liquid asset. The Guardian, p.6. Laura.B and Jon.H (2008). How to break the habit of wasting food. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/08/food.ethicalliving?INTCMp=SRCH Norem. K. (2010). How to reduce food waste waste .Retrieved March 8, 2011 from suite101.com/content/how-to-reduce-food-waste-a212264. OECD (2002). Environmental Impacts and Policy Responses.Retrieved March 10, 2011 from oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34331_1_1_1_1_1,00.html Salmon.B (2009).The waste frame work directive explained. Retrieved March 10, from hg.org/law-firms/USA-Environmental -and-Natural-References.html. United Nations Environmental Programme. (2009). environment’s role in averting food crisis. United Nations Environment Programme:GRID-Arendal Waste and Resources Action Programme (2009). Household and drink waste in the UK.Retrieved March 8,2011 from wrap.org.uk/retail_chain/grocery/food/index.html

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Ethics - Essay Example This level of ethical expectation extends to a great litany of different areas and portends a high level of expectation for the individual educator. As such, the article that will be analyzed â€Å"teaching to the test† reveals the way in which rigid state and federal standards have encouraged many struggling school districts, and individual teachers, to attempt the unethical approach of teaching to the test as a means of passing whatever requirement might exist at the given time. Naturally, this practice in and of itself is troublesome; however, when one considers it from both the standpoint of the utility that the student gains and the ethical ramifications for how the educational process takes shape, a nuanced understanding of the impact of such an approach is able to be understood. The core ethical issue that must be understood is the fact that the educators themselves are encouraging a level of unethical behavior that is both unfair to the educational process as well as u nfair to the end student. In order to understand this unethical behavior, it is necessary to delve in to the motivating factors that encourage it take place initially. Ultimately, the educational system, as it exists today, as both state and federal standards that must be met at multiple times throughout any given school year. As such, teachers are not only required to transmit the information that they are responsible for providing to the students, they must also take a sizable chunk of their time to instruct and prepare the students for taking standardized tests that will not only rank the student as compared to the rest of the students within the state, school system, or nation, they also have a profound impact upon the overall level of school ranking and funding levels that are received in subsequent periods. As such, the overall importance of these standardized tests cannot be understated. Unfortunately, even thus far in my own professional and student development, I have seen this take place. The first time that it was evidenced to me was with regards to taking the PSATs in high school. Rather than using this opportunity to fill in the gaps of any education that the students might have missed out on, the teacher merely hurried to provide a way of what can only be described as â€Å"educated guessing†. The second time this practice was noted it was in an 8th grade classroom that I was observing. The teacher, although highly qualified spent the bulk of her time going through a standardized test and pointing out how to delineate the correct answer; rather than teaching the material and explaining what the rationale behind it was. The third time that this took place was in my final year of high school as state standards of educational attainment from K-12 were being measured. Although the senior year of high school is normally at a slower pace than the other years, the educators cut short much of the information that would otherwise have been presente d as a means of focusing on the standardized test that was of more importance to the local district and the funding levels that the educators would have to divvy up than it was to the individual students. Accordingly, as the article notes, a highly unethical practice has emerged within many of the more troubled school districts throughout the nation. In addition to not spending enough time on the subject at hand, educators throughout the system have been teaching to the test instead of

THE IMPACT OF IOM REPORT ON NURSING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

THE IMPACT OF IOM REPORT ON NURSING - Assignment Example The recommendation of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the future of nursing has been viewed by nearly 64 million people within the first year of its publication, undoubtedly indicating that it is one of the most inspiring pieces of medical literature of the 21st century, not only having an enduring influence on healthcare but most importantly creating a pioneering route ahead for the nursing profession. The fast changing dynamics of nurses’ practice in the last decade has made it necessary for the health industry to bring about important changes in nursing practice. In an endeavor to sustain and enhance the potential of nursing and progression in healthcare, the Institute of Medicine and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWIF) produced an action oriented blueprint ‘The Future of Nursing: Leading change and advancing health’. With the dawn of the 21st century, our nation is encountering a lot of new trends and challenges in healthcare, most importantly, as the population of elderly people is escalating with the approaching decades and concern being changing to a graver and broader diversity of chronic ailments. For this reason, the IOM report has recommended providing nurses with an enhanced system of education that helps them accomplish higher levels of education and training as well as endorses flawless academic progression (IOM, 2011, p. 163). Moreover, according to IOM it is also important to direct the educational systems for preparing nurses towards community settings like primary care, long-term care and public health. The IOM committee further suggested that the nursing curriculum in schools should be reassessed, renewed, and made adequately adaptive in science, technology, research, and rich fundamental theories as it will augment their decision making skills concerning dynamic clinical situation s in all settings and thereby, meet the continual changing requirements in health care. Another recommendation stated that the entrance level qualification for nursing practice should be upgraded to acquisition of a baccalaureate degree rather than simply a diploma or associate degree in nursing. The impact of this will be that nurses shall become better equipped with competencies to participate in configuration of health policies, financial decision-making, leadership, and quality enhancements. In fact, nurses will be imparted with additional critical thinking aptitudes which will enable them to provide more effective and enhanced quality of care to the patient (IOM, 2011, p. 169-170). The IOM suggested that by 2020 the percentage of nurses who attain a Baccalaureate in the Science of Nursing (BSN) should be augmented to 80%, among which minimum 10% of BSN nurses should be persuaded to enter a master or doctoral program, to help twofold the number of nurses who take up doctoral deg rees in future (IOM, 2011, p. 163).. This recommendation is paramount as this will produce more nurses at Master’s and Doctoral levels who will be able to serve as primary care providers, researchers, and become part of the faculty team which is huge requirement in this profession currently (IOM, 2011, p. 163). Another arena which the IOM pinpointed which needs to be improvised was the ongoing crisis of nurses with the right skills. This crisis is due to the high turnover rates primarily caused by the hurdles confronted by new graduates when transferring skills into practice. For this, the IOM suggested initiation of nurse residency programs as this will assist in delivering complete knowledge and