Alfons_Victim_Essay Essays - Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, Free Essays

Alfons_Victim_Essay Essays - Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, Free Essays Sachan Shah Mrs. Kupchuck English 1d (3g) 17 October 2014 The Holocaust was the horrific mass killing of over 6 million Jews and 5 million other groups of people deemed undesirable by the Nazi party. Among the Nazis most fanatic group was the Hitler youth many who claimed after the war to be a victim rather than a to be a violator. The book Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer, Alfon Heck, and Helen Waterford describes the experiences of the Hitler youth through one young man named Alfon Heck. Towards the end of the book Alfon describes himself as a victim. Alfon heck was a victim of the Hitler youth because of Hitler's huge influence, and because of the fact that he did not know about the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler had a huge influence on Alfon Heck and he was greatly attracted to the power that Hitler had promised. For example, in the story it states "You are a superior race of people; it is natural that you should rule the world." (20). If one was to praise someone continually then they will think it is true, I think this caused much of the German youth to join. In addition those who were against Hitler's ideas had little or no power on the children. It was if the children of the Hitler youth were under a spell. In the book it states: "Parents who did not agree with the Hitler Youth leader's ideas found themselves powerless to change their children's mind. Alfons father was one who didn't agree. "Girls as well as boys were attracted by the power, glory, and the importance that the Hitler youth promised." (21) This symbolizes how Hitler had a huge influence on the German population. Alfon had not listened to his father to enroll in the Hitler youth. This also shows that the Hitler Youth persuaded both boys and girls into joining the Nazi cause. In conclusion, Hitler had a huge influence on kids and they were what seem like a spell. Those whom were in the Hitler youth had not known of many of the horrors of the Holocaust. "That is our life sentence for having been the enthusiastic followers of Adolf Hitler."(219) this shows that he was tricked and he was brainwashed. Alfon just thought that he was helping his country. "My goal is to share with others the lessons I learned at such a tremendous and painful cost... It is up to me to plant the seeds of this message in the minds of my readers and listeners. And I hope that they will believe me. Only then will I feel certain that my survival has had some meaning." (223). this shows that he had learned that at a tremendous cost and he had only learned after the war. Also in the text he says that the French hit him with the butts of their guns for not believing that the holocaust was real. He was only 16 and he had no clue that all these people were treated like this. This shows that he did not know of the holocaust and he was innocent. In conclusion Alfon was a child in the Hitler youth who was misled by Hitler's promised power and did not know about the holocaust. He was told that he was of a superior race and that he was entitled to lots of power. He might have acted differently if had known about the Holocaust. He now has to live with himself for being in the Hitler youth.

Definition and Examples of Conjuncts in English Grammar

Definition and Examples of Conjuncts in English Grammar In English grammar, a conjunct, from the Latin, join together, is a word, phrase, or clause linked to another word, phrase, or clause through coordination. For instance, two clauses connected by and (The clown laughed and the child cried) are conjuncts. It may also called a conjoin. The term conjunct can also refer to an adverbial(such as therefore, however, namely) that indicates the relationship in meaning between two independent clauses. The more traditional term for this kind of adverbial is conjunctive adverb. Examples (Definition #1) George and Martha dined alone at Mount Vernon.The back of my head and the head of the bat collided.The dogs barked furiously, and the cat scampered up the tree. Take, for instance, the following sentences from The Revolutionist, [one] of [Ernest] Hemingways short stories [from In Our Time]: He was very shy and quite young and the train men passed him on from one crew to another. He had no money, and they fed him behind the counter in railway eating houses.​​ (Jonathan Cape edn, p. 302) Even in the second sentence, the two clauses which form the conjunct are linked by and, and not, as one might expect in such a discourse context, by so or but. The suppression of complex connectivity in this way seems to have baffled some critics, with comments on the famous Hemingway and ranging from the vague to the nonsensical. (Paul Simpson, Language, Ideology and Point of View. Routledge, 1993) Coordinate Structure Constraint Although a wide variety of structures can be conjoined, not all coordinations are acceptable. One of the first generalizations regarding coordination is Rosss Coordinate Structure Constraint (1967). This constraint states that coordination does not allow for asymmetrical constructions. For example, the sentence This is the man whom Kim likes and Sandy hates Pat is unacceptable, because only the first conjunct is relativized. The sentence This is the man whom Kim likes and Sandy hates is acceptable, because both conjuncts are relativized. . . . Linguists are further concerned with which material is allowed as a conjunct in a coordinate construction. The second example showed conjoined sentences, but coordination is also possible for noun phrases as in the apples and the pears, verb phrases like run fast or jump high and adjectival phrases such as rich and very famous, etc. Both sentences and phrases intuitively form meaningful units within a sentence, called constituents. Subject and verb do not form a constituent in some frameworks of generative grammar. However, they can occur together as a conjunct in the sentence Kim bought, and Sandy sold, three paintings yesterday. (Petra Hendriks, Coordination. Encyclopedia of Linguistics, ed. by Philipp Strazny. Fitzroy Dearborn, 2005) Collective and Average Property Interpretations Consider sentences such as these: The American family used less water this year than last year. The small businessperson in Edmonton paid nearly $30 million in taxes but only made $43,000 in profits last year. The former sentence is ambiguous between the collective and average property interpretations. It could be true that the average American family used less water this year than last while the collective American family used more (due to more families); conversely, it could be true that the average family used more but the collective family used less. As to the latter sentence, which is admittedly somewhat strange (but might be used to further the political interests of Edmonton businesspeople), our world [knowledge] tells us that the first conjunct of the VP must be interpreted as a collective property, since certainly the average businessperson, even in wealthy Edmonton, does not pay $30 million in taxes; but our world knowledge also tells us that the second of the VP conjunctions is to be given an average property interpretation. (Manfred Krifka et al., Genericity: An Introduction. The Generic Book, ed. by Gregory N. Carlson and Francis Jeffry Pelletier. The University of Chicago Pre ss, 1995) Interpreting Naturally and Accidentally Coordinated Noun Phrases [Bernhard] Wlchli ([Co-compounds and Natural Coordination] 2005) discussed two types of coordination: natural and accidental. Natural coordination refers to cases where two conjuncts are semantically closely related (e.g. mum and dad, boys and girls) and are expected to co-occur. On the other hand, accidental coordination refers to cases where the two conjuncts are distant from each other (e.g. boys and chairs, apples and three babies) and are not expected to co-occur. If the two NPs form natural coordination, they tend to be interpreted as a whole. But, if they are accidentally put together, they are interpreted independently. (Jieun Kiaer, Pragmatic Syntax. Bloomsbury, 2014) Declaratives Interrogatives Interestingly, an interrogative main clause can be co-ordinated with a declarative main clause, as we see from sentences like (50) below: (50) [I am feeling thirsty], but [ should I save my last Coke till later]? In (50) we have two (bracketed) main clauses joined together by the co-ordinating conjunction but. The second (italicised) conjunct should I save my last Coke till later? is an interrogative CP [complementiser phrase] containing an inverted auxiliary in the head C position of CP. Given the traditional assumption that only constituents which belong to the same category can be co-ordinated, it follows that the first conjunct I am feeling thirsty must also be a CP; and since it contains no overt complementiser, it must be headed by a null complementiser . . .. (Andrew Radford, An Introduction to English Sentence Structure. Cambridge University Press, 2009) Related Grammar Definitions Compound SentenceConjunction and Coordinating ConjunctionCorrelative Conjunctions

Pfizer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pfizer - Research Paper Example The company was an instant success and by the start of the 20th century, the sales had peaked more than 3 billion dollars (Rodengen, 1999). The drugs of the company reach to almost every country of the world. Currently, the company employs more than 0.1 million people worldwide (Mennen, 2010). During the First World War, the company played an important role in supplying drugs, specially, penicillin for the Allied forces. However, towards the 1940s, penicillin, which was the prime product of the company, became a common drug and its prices went down, therefore, Pfizer decided to search for alternative drugs. During this time, the company decided to maintain a harmony between its manufacturing and research operations. It was during the 1950s and beyond that, the company focused on international expansions quickly moving to attractive markets such as Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Turkey, United Kingdom, and others (Rodengen, 1999). Feldene (piroxicam) became the first medicine of Pfizer, which was able to hit the 1 billion sales mark in the United States. Despite the fact that the company has suffered from four legal claims from the US Department of Justice, which have created fines, which remain largest for any health care company in the United States, the company still appears to be in good financial shape and sufficient liquidity as well (Mennen, 2010). â€Å"Lipitor Lyrica, Celebrex, Norvasc, Viagra, Xalatan/Xalacom, Detrol/Detrol LA, Zyvox, Geodon/Zeldox, Sutent, and Genotropin are the highest revenue generating drugs for the company† (Pfizer, 2011). Currently, Ian Read, who serves as the President and the Chief Executive Officer of the company at the same time, is leading the company. For the last year of 2010, Pfizer has a gross profit margin of 76.81 percent and a net profit margin of 12.56 percent. With more than 7.9 billion shares outstanding, it has a market capitalization of 165.29 billion US dollars (Pfizer, 2011). Currently, as of the last financial r eports of 2010, the company appears to be in good financial shape when the market place is suffering from a financial crunch. Towards the end of the year 2010, the company declared that it would pay a dividend of 20 cent per common stock for the first quarter of 2011 (Msn Money, 2011). This is an 11 percent increase from last year and would be the 289th consecutive dividend payout, which is a manifestation of the company’s commitment with its shareholders and earning them a decent return on their investment (Sander, 2010). Another poof of company’s good financial health is the recent wave of merges and acquisitions, which would definitely improve the industry structure by decreasing the rivalry and making the company an even bigger giant. In January 2009, Pfizer acquired Wyeth, a strong rival for around sixty-eight billion US dollars (Sander, 2010). This remains the second biggest merger in the corporate history and makes Pfizer the largest pharmaceutical company on th e globe. Pfizer also agreed to buy â€Å"King Pharmaceuticals in the fall of 2010 for 3.6 billion US dollars, which is nearly 40 percent premium considering the last share price† (Pfizer, 2011). Pfizer was the only company in the year 2009 to introduce 14 new blockbuster products and according to the reports of 2010,

Arsenal Football Club Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Arsenal Football Club - Coursework Example Historical Record of Arsenal Football Club The financial performance of Arsenal Football Club was quite strong in the year 2010 and the club has also experienced significant drop of debt. From the historical viewpoint, the earnings of Arsenal Football Club have fluctuated. In the year 2001, the club had a profit of almost 24.3 million Pounds but in the subsequent year the club experienced loss of 20.5 million Pounds. The reason of loss in that financial year was rise in wages due to growth in the number of players (London Business School, 2009). Since initiation the club’s group turnover has progressed gradually. In the year 2005, the group turnover of Arsenal Football club was almost 138.4 million Pounds which had become more than double by 2010 to almost 379.9 million Pounds. The club also experienced growth of operating profit in that period. The low sales in the property development business were the main reason for decreasing operating profit in 2006. Arsenal Football Club operates in two prominent segments which are football and property development. Since the operating loss in the year 2006, the football segment has shown increased growth. In the year 2007, the turnover of football segment was almost 207.7 million Euros which had become 229.9 million Euros in 2009. The increase was generally motivated by new television series. In the year 2010, almost nineteen â€Å"Barclays Premier League†, 4 â€Å"UEFA Champion League†, 3 â€Å"FA Cup† and 2 â€Å"Carling Cup† matches were telecasted. The revenue of football segment mostly comes from the sales of tickets. The Emirates Stadium of Arsenal Football Club also hosted two international friendly matches (Arsenal Holdings PLC, 2007; Arsenal Holdings PLC, 2010). ... Arsenal Football Club operates in two prominent segments which are football and property development. Since the operating loss in the year 2006, the football segment has shown increased growth. In the year 2007, the turnover of football segment was almost 207.7 million Euros which had become 229.9 million Euros in 2009. The increase was generally motivated by new television series. In the year 2010, almost nineteen â€Å"Barclays Premier League†, 4 â€Å"UEFA Champion League†, 3 â€Å"FA Cup† and 2 â€Å"Carling Cup† matches were telecasted. The revenue of football segment mostly comes from the sales of tickets. The Emirates Stadium of Arsenal Football Club also hosted two international friendly matches (Arsenal Holdings PLC, 2007; Arsenal Holdings PLC, 2010). Source: (Arsenal Holdings PLC, 2005; Arsenal Holdings PLC, 2010) Property development is the other section from which Arsenal Football Club generates profits. In the year 2005, the company experience d low activity in property development business. The total turnover during the year was 23.3 million Pounds which was 44% lesser compared to 2004. In 2006, the turnover of property development business had increased to 23.8 million Pounds which was 4.6 times more compared to previous year. The reason for this increase in turnover was due to sale of ‘Drayton Park’, one of the expansion sites of Arsenal Football Club. In the year 2008, the returns of property development business had again reduced to 15.3 million Pounds, because the sales activity was restricted by the yielding leasehold interests and constricting operations within the communal housing component. In 2009–2010, Arsenal Football Club had seen extreme

Valu of Time Essay Example for Free

Valu of Time Essay â€Å"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why its called the present† . Gifts of God to Human being. Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have so spend it wisely†. Time is like an ice cream -use it before it melts. Time is very important in our life; it helps us to plan our daily lives and activities, so that we can live more organized, productive lives. We all are just dependent on time. With out time we are nothing. Time applies in our every walk of life. From womb to tomb life is a journey in the lap of time. Time never wait for any one. We have to move with the time. Everybody has 24 hours in whole day. Its our duty to manage the whole time. If we are not managing our time table or working in a proper schedule, we will face the problem in the end. So time management is very important. Luck always knocks the door of that person who realizes the value of time. Try to be punctual in every thing. Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it. God has created this world for a reason and if we closely observe the nature, we would find plenty of things that come on time. The sun, moon, stars and planets continue their motion in specific orbits and in fixed times. Sun rises from east at fixed time on every day and then sets in the west. Similarly a child is born in this world and dies at its time. If we follow the principles of God we will be successful. The time is the most important factor of all. If we abide by it, we can never be penalized. Take an example of our daily life. Our whole day activity if performed at time will be fruitful and results will be magnificent. Our name will be called in the School Annual Function Day. We must attend our school, in time to make the most out of it. If we take our breakfast, lunch and dinner in time, we shall have good health. If you reach your goal in time, you will be rewarded. If you sleep and get up in time, it will enhance your ability to work effectively. Your punctuality is the key of your success. The person who follows the principles of nature does always feel satisfied, content and above all victorious. Time is a key of success. If you do not give the importance of time than time will not importance to you. Time is something we do not realise when it is with us but when we realise it is very late as it has fled away. Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. † Time waits for none and time once lost cannot be re-created so it is important for everyone to make the best use of the present time. What we do today, determines where we will stand tomorrow and the person who makes the best use of time today gets the best of life in the future. Time has created kings as well as beggars. Riches turn into rags and rags to riches over a matter of time. Every wok that we do requires time and time cannot be negotiated or replaced. The best use of time will most likely give you the best in life. Realizing the value of time is perhaps one of the primary things which all successful people in the world stress on. They know how important contribution the right use of time has attributed to their success in life. You know what is the difference between Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Bill Gates, Kalpana Chawla, Sunita William, Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa with any common people; why they made a great achievement in their life while some of others make average. The answer is time; those great people know the importance of time management for their life achievement. Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn. Time is important because Time is limited. The time can not be stopped. The time is irreversible. The time is abstract. You should know the importance of time management since time is the resource that you cannot see, you can not hear, you cannot touch, you can not store it in a place nor you can secure it as you wish. But its existence is real, have no time means you do not have life. The time is precious. The time is a gift from god to every one free. That is why; many people did not realize its preciousness for their life until they missed many precious things in their life due to lack of time. Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life. Lost wealth may be replaced by industry, lost knowledge by study, lost health by medicine, but lost time is gone forever. When a work is delayed, definitely somewhere time is wasted. Time once lost is lost forever. Many cases of poverty which are due to lost opportunities and deferred tasks. Sometimes we have to pay a heavy price for the time we wasted. For example delay in the treatment of a disease may lead to something very serious. The student who keeps postponing his studies will regret at the eleventh hour. Rather than burning the midnight oil, we must make proper use of the time. Slow and steady wins the race, Story of Tortoise and Hare is known to every body. It will avoid mental strain during exam time. There a few similar proverbs which indicate the value of time such as â€Å"make hay while the sun shines† â€Å"strike when the iron is hot† and â€Å"a stitch in time saves nine†. Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves. It is always said never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. If man takes care of his minutes then the hours and days will take care of themselves. Time is more precious than money. Time is universal and eternal. We all grow in time, live in time and ultimately perish in time. Time may not be defined exactly, but we all know what it is and how valuable. We all want fame, success, happiness, and prosperity but only a few are able to achieve this because only they make the best use of their time. Time and tide wait for none. They cannot be commanded. They are to be used in the best possible manner. We should be prepared to make the best use of an opportunity when offered. Time once lost can never be recovered. â€Å"Trust no Future, how’re pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act, act in the living Present! Heart within and God overhead! † Be like the clock. Always keep on ticking by involving yourself in various things and learning new things. These small knowledge and experience modules will perhaps one day take us to our bigger goal. Make use of time for positive, social, innovative work. Live for others as â€Å"they alone live who live for others, rests are dead than alive. † They say Time and Tide waits for no man. If so, now stop brooding over past and utilize your time effectively! Take the time to work, for it is the price of success. Take the time to think, it is the source of strength. Take the time to play, it is the secret of youth. Take the time to read, it is the seed of wisdom. Take the time to be friendly, for it brings happiness. Take the time to dream, for it will carry you to the stars. Take the time to love; it is the joy of life. Take the time to be content, it is the music of the soul. Prepared By –Prarthana Das IX A, Sacred Heart School, Jamshedpur..

Attitudes Toward Sex Education Essay -- Sociology Sexual Education

Sex is huge, sex is important; everyone cares and has something to say about sex. Sex sells. Sex is an immense part of life for almost everyone in the nation and the world, including youth. Teens hear about sex from their friends, from the shows they watch on television, from the music they listen to, and sometimes, once in a while, they hear about it as discussed by their parents and teachers in an educational context. In a Center For Disease Control (CDC) report from the year 2000, about 65% of 19 year-old teens were currently sexually active, with another 20% unsure if they would chose to be active or not in the near future, and only the remaining 15% choosing to be abstinent from sex at this age. Obviously the majority of teens are engaging in some nature of sexual activity at a relatively early age, and therefore it is important that they learn about the consequences associated with sex and about safe sexual practices, like using protection and being informed about sexual transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. It was reported by the Alan Guttmacher Institute that approximately 4 in 10 young women in the U.S. become pregnant at least once before turning 20 years old. It was also reported that in the U.S., one in four sexually active teens become infected with an STD every year. With alarming statistics such as these, it is a given that these teens must be well informed before making a decision that could very well alter their lives. The overwhelming majority of parents and other adults surveyed believe that some form of sex education should be taught in schools today. When asked "Would you be for or against sex education in the public schools?" in 2004 by the General Social Survey (GSS) over 90% o... ...rds to the research question. Overall however, I believe this was a good start to performing a study on this interesting and important topic. Sources Boseley, Sarah. Europeans reject abstinence message in split with US on Aids. The Guardian. December 1, 2005. Colby, Edward B. Schooled. Columbia Journalism Review. September 1, 2005, Vol. 44 Issue 3. Feldman, Sally. Why I'm Glad My Daughter Had Underage Sex. Humanist. Nov/Dec 2004, Vol. 64 Issue 6. Jayson, Sharon. Teens Define Sex in New Ways. USA TODAY. October 19, 2005. Ubell, E. Sex-education programs that work-and some that don't. Parade Magazine. February 12, 1995. Walter, HJ & Vaugh RD. AIDS risk reduction among a multi-ethnic sample of urban high school students. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1993. New England Primer Website http://neprimer.com NPR website www.npr.org

Global Procurement and Supply

GlaxoSmithKline:Sourcing Complex Professional Services Erin Edwards Global Procurement & Supply April 22, 2018IntroductionGlaxoSmithKline also known as GSK is currently losing millions of the dollars annually in legal process. Normally, GSK always billed the law firms on hourly basis but this was not practical for the company. The team not had to research and innovate new ways to cut the spending through a new procurement process. GSK, GlaxoSmithKline uses an innovative approach to procure outside counsel by trading relationship based selection of law firms to an online reverse auction. However, the quality of the work, and selecting the right the law firm was a challenging hurdle to jump. GSK was willing to take up the challenge to come up with a better process of handling their spend.GSK is hit with a devastating suit and only has a certain number of days to hire a firm in time to respond. Their managing attorney Sophia Keating grapples with GSK approach to selecting suppliers. GSK employees ensured Sophia that this approach drives down cost and improves the quality of work submitted by the lawyers. Still skeptical about the process, she still runs process by comparing the competing firms and their bids. Furthermore, it was the decision by Harlow to outsource the services. GSK made strides to come up with the suitable options, and options to meet the criteria of less cost, and quality work. However, there were other concerns that could be discussed more broadly to avoid the pitfalls during the process. This case also describes the process in which this process was made and adopted beyond the implications for law firms and other service providers. Many processes seemed to only be adopted by selecting vendors for a variety of supplies and products but can be used for services also. This procurement process can be incredibly beneficial, especially streamline purchasing and tracking spend. This process can ensure a company pays the best price for goods or services, save time by choosing the most reputable vendors, and minimize order delays and mistakes. After getting early endorsement from the general counsel, Marty Harlow worked with GSK's global external legal relations team (GELRT) in legal to develop a matter-specific, mini-RFP tool that enables in-house counsel to assess firms' specific qualifications for a particular representation. The other main component of the OCSI is the electronic reverse auction which encourages fee competition among qualified law firms instead of hourly rates. GSK's preferred firm roster work with procurement to draw up a shortlist of firms to invite to an OCSI event. GSK lawyers use a form-driven process to state as much detail about the matter as possible and these are passed to Harlow's team for submission to firms. This case is very useful in talking about institutional change and how the procurement process can be adopted to many fields and services.Main IssuesUncontrollable SpendingThe company was spending millions of dollars annually on the spending on the legal matters. It was identified that there was also extra unnecessary cost incurred that could have been avoided through a better process that was more centralized. â€Å"More than a quarter of companies in the U.S. and UK spent over $5 million annually on litigation costs in 2012, and among healthcare companies that proportion was estimated to be 30%– 40%. Because legal fees had become a prominent line item in company overheads, top management in many companies pressured their general counsel (GC), the chief lawyer of a legal department, to rein in legal spending† (Gardner and Silverstein 2)There were some moments when the company even did not know about the spending on the legal matters, and legal department exceeded the budget sometimes. This was an issue many companies were being affected by, not just GSK. However, GSK noticed the high costs and need to be able to have a better centralized process. Therefore, it was challenging for the company to manage the spending on the legal matters and find another solid process that could not only cost less, but also provide quality services since quality is very important in the legal work. Relationship Vs. QualityGSK is engaged with the same law firms that they have had long relationships with. â€Å"One involved consolidating the number of firms with which their company regularly worked—sometimes ending long-standing relationships.† (Gardner and Silverstein 3) Relationship management is very key is long lasting business relationships, which has allowed GSK to be very successful with prior legal matters. However, through this process, the company would incur extra cost on the legal matters, because there is no cap on spend since it was tracked hourly. Since there was no centralized system to track the work and spend, GSK had no idea about the urgent matters and problems of the company. It is very important the firms that are selecting ensure that quality work is being completed without overspending. Cost does not always mean quality. GSK should have to risk quality during their cost for the best legal pursuits. Even though supplier relationship management is great, but it becomes challenges when spend is starting to become uncontrollable and unmanageable. Building closer relations with your strategic partners will minimize supply chain risks. Having strategic partners whose goals are aligned with business objectives are highly valuable and important to long term success.KPIsThere was not performance management in place to determine how the firm is performing. GSK did not have a quantifiable measure that is used to track and assess the status of the firm process. Every area of business especially complex professional services should have specific metrics that should be monitored. Having metrics will focus more on big picture financial metrics, which was an issue for GSK without the procurement process. The case does not mention how performance of the firms will be tracked. â€Å"GELRT leveraged technology to obtain?the information it needed to optimize financial performance and strengthen strategic planning. Matter management, electronic billing, and reporting systems were already in place within the legal department.† (Gardner and Silverstein 6) There is a lot of information about how GELRT uses technology to acquire information. The system is able to track spending, but there is no system in place to track KPIs.AnalysisThe process of sourcing involves the company to select suppliers for a product or service. The complete an evaluation of the supplier and finally contract with the supplier to deliver the required products or services. While procurement refers to the activity of getting the deliveries from the supplier identified and ensuring that the payments to the supplier are made. GSK adopting procurement process has helped make changes within their spend. â€Å"By 2006–2007, procurement had become heavily involved in the sourcing of many ancillary services. Harlow's tough stance in negotiations saved GSK an estimated $23 million: $19 million from Legal Staffing/eDiscovery, $1 million from Court Reporting, and $3 million from Medical Records.† (Gardner and Silverstein 4) By taking the right initiatives in sourcing and procurement, GSK is able to see the benefits. Having a process in place will save the company time; ensure that one is getting the right solution to meet business needs. A procurement process will ensure you pay the right price and avoid overlooking vital steps that may come back to haunt the firm later. Procurement policies and procedures allow a business to arrange its buying strategy to its long-term goals and objectives. Procurement helps with a better chance to meet business goals. â€Å"This system reminds me of buying office supplies or landscaping services. Can it really be applied to a complex legal case like this one†¦.?† (Gardner and Silberstein 1) This is what Sophia Keating thought to herself when the idea of a reverse auction process was presented to her. The vendor selection process initially starts as part of a company's strategy. A procurement process can measure the direct costs and the team timesaving achieved through better management. For example, GSK was very focus on their legal spend, which in turns means you need to select firms that would be able to handle the request in the right budget. The nice thing they had a selection of firms who meet their cost, quality and service requirements needs, but also add some firms who were new. After they shortlisted their firms, GSK was able to use OCSI for their quotes, terms and minimum service levels. Finally, review their proposals from the reverse auctions and reward the firm with the lowest number. Procurement increases an organization's productivity by providing visibility into transactions.Benchmarking is the process of paralleling what companies are doing with what the best performing company in your industry is doing. In textbook, Purchasing & Supply Chain Management describes bench making as, â€Å"Benchmarking is the continuous measuring of products, services, processes, activities, and practices against a firm's best competitors or those companies recognized as industry or functional leaders.† (770) In Exhibit 3 of the case, you able to see how GSK compares with the other Law Firms Self-Assessment. Unfortunately, GSK managing attorney assessment does under perform in a couple areas like understanding business objectives, involvement of diverse team members, and reactiveness and creativeness. One of three types of benchmarking, process benchmarking compares operational processes. Performance benchmarking compares product or services, marketing and sales to determine how to increase profits. Short term benchmarking goals, produce quick results. But it is the long-term goals that help with the direction and strategies of the company that will make it more competitive in the market. Performance management is a performance controlling style that has grown increasingly popular with a variety of companies. Performance management is the process in which it challenges the company's overall performance and abilities. It challenges them to bring their best foot and work forward. Performance manage usually involve setting goals, then evaluating their progress or work with a reward or penalty depending on how the firm or vendor performs. RecommendationsRun Reverse AuctionsA reverse auction is best used to obtain the best rate by embracing competition among firms bidding on price. GSK using this method will allow the law firms to compete with their best idea to win the business and also be within budget. The idea of reverse because during the auction makes sure the price drops. Price was definitely an issue for GSK previously because there was no way to track the spending. Using the method of reverse auction has a number of advantages. Some of the benefits of reverse auction is the amount of time it takes to make a decision. Before something that could takes months, can now be shortened into weeks or even days. Also, the bidders are able to see who their competition and how they compare to them. There is a lot more transparency when it comes reverse auctions. Law firms would calculate their preliminary prices and confirm the very lowest price they would go to secure the business. II. Conduct Routine Performance ReviewsPerformance management is a mutual agreement about how companies or individuals contribute to an organization's goals. This is what OCSI can do for GSK. OCSI can act as a process of performance management and appraisals focusing on aligning GSK's workforce, building capabilities, improving employee performance and development, and influencing better business results. GSK should complete annual performance reviews to evaluate the firms' performance. This entails gathering feedback from co-workers and clients into consideration and observations by management. These assessments can be very detailed and elongated to include a review of the previous years' evaluation and an assessment of services. Many firms may have the company complete an evaluation of their own performance that is then discussed during the evaluation and compared to the official evaluation. Monitoring gives the company an opportunity to make a course correction or adjust a timeline if it is needed so that the vendor will produce the desired outcome of successfully achieving goals. If GSK concludes the vendor has unacceptable performance, monitoring performance enables them to identify the problem early and get an opportunity to rectify before being evaluated incorrectly.III. Implementing a Performance-Based IncentiveThese systems are designed to retain top-performing vendors, motivate the desired performance, and control costs. If a company wants to pay for performance, it must define performance in very specific, objective, quantifiable terms, measure it and track it. Introducing a performance based incentive program with help firm collective help GSK reach their business goals and legal objectives. This r eally entices firms to align their work with the business goals. Having a reward for exceptional performance and penalties for poor performance really ensure that money is not being wasted but invested properly. IV. Routinely Fresh Preferred SuppliersIt is healthy to refresh suppliers and firms from time to time. If you consolidate your supplier base, it will allow better visibility over the billing process. It will be easier to track payments leaving the business and going to the suppliers, so any errors will be identified more rapidly. When you deal with less suppliers and vendors, there is less administration and paperwork to handle. This allows more time to focus on other areas of the business. When it comes to decreasing the number of suppliers GSK uses, it is best to control what's best for the business. Above all, GSK needs to find the best overall fit so that there's a steadiness between the time it takes to achieve their supplier base and the profitability of the business.Conclusion Procurement is should be viewed strategic function working to improve the organization's cost-effectiveness. Procurement helps streamline processes, reduce service prices and costs, and identifying better firms to do services. It is essential to any business that purchases anything such as products or services. Since GSK buys services like other companies, then the better its procurement function works, the more money it can make. Typically, businesses buy products or services from multiple vendors. Procurement handles the details of procuring these purchases at optimal prices. Combining your strengths with stakeholder' helps find new progressive solutions to remain successful in business and stay ahead of the competition. To maintain sustainable supply chain, procurement management has a profitable impact on a company's processes. It helps avoid supply chain risks by better collaborating with vital partners and providing added value to diverse business practices. The bottom line: Performance management is an ongoing practice, not a yearly task. The success of an organization, if aligned to your organizational goals, will drive business results.ReferencesCapko, Judy. â€Å"Five Steps to a Performance Evaluation System.† Family Practice Management, 1 Mar. 2003, www.aafp.org/fpm/2003/0300/p43.html.Gardner, Heidi K, and Silvia Hodges Silverstein.â€Å"GlaxoSmithKline: Sourcing Complex Professional Services.†Ã‚  Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 16, hbr.org/product/glaxosmithkline-sourcing-complex-professional-services/414003-PDF-ENG.Accessed 18 Apr. 2018.Markgraf, Bert. â€Å"How to Evaluate a Company's Performance.†Ã‚  Small Business – Chron.com, Chron.com, 5 Feb. 2018, www.smallbusiness.chron.com/evaluate-companys-performance-67095.html.Monczka, Robert M., et al.  Purchasing and Supply Chain Management. South-Western, 2011.Wincel, Jeffrey P.  Lean Supply Chain Management: a Handbook for Strategic Procurement. Productivity Press, 2008.

Oliver Twist Essay

Dickens never stops criticising the workhouse and the way they treated orphans in the first chapter. The first chapter closes with ‘Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church wardens and overseers, perhaps he would cried the louder. ‘ This last statement leaves us feeling sympathetic towards Oliver. Oliver after eight to ten months was sent off to a baby farm. This is yet another aspect of society, which was not a pleasant experience, another institution where children were malnourished and brought up by hand, similar to the parish workhouse but the actual purpose of the baby farm, was different. ‘Where twenty or thirty other juvenile offenders against the poor-laws rolled about the floor all day, without the inconvenience of to much food or clothing,’ When Dickens says that the children are offenders against the poor laws he is was once again using sarcasm. He uses sarcasm here to make the children sound like criminals which is what the higher class people saw the children as, as they have no parents and no money. Under the parental superintendence of an elderly woman implies that the children are neglected and left to his of her own company with no particular care or affection. However it was very unlikely that a woman of Mrs Mann’s age, the elderly woman watching over the children, was going to actually give the children what money they were given. Mrs Mann never gave the children all the money they were given to be able to lead a health life. She only gave the children enough money to buy what she thought was a suitable diet. She deprives the children of their rights and uses the money for her own luxuries. It was of no surprise that this system of farming would leave no child fit and healthy, and Dickens outlines this by Oliver’s physical appearance. ‘Oliver Twists ninth birthday found him a pale thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature and decidedly small in circumference. ‘ Nourishment wasn’t the only thing that Mrs Mann’s system lacked. Responsibility and awareness wasn’t some of her strongest qualities along with many of the other women who worked in baby farms in Dickens day. Many deaths occurred in farms and they were down to sheer carelessness. ‘It did perversely happen in eight and a half cases out of ten, either that sickened from want and cold, or fell into the fire from neglect, or got half smothered by accident; in any one of which cases, the miserable little being was usually summoned into another world, and there gathered to the fathers it had never known in this. ‘ There were an unusual high number of suspicious deaths in the baby farms. However Mr Bumble and the board regularly covered for up these deaths to keep the Parish Officials in the dark to what really went on. Mrs Mann said she gave the children gin when they were ill so they didn’t moan from the pain and disturb her peace. ‘Why, its what I’m obliged to keep a little in the house, to put into the blessed infants’ Daffy, when they aint well, Mr Bumble’ At least this is what she says, I personally think that she kept the gin in the house so when the children were ill and were crying with pain she could drink the gin and drown out the noise the children made. Oliver stayed with Mrs Mann until he was nine years old. After Mr Bumble had arrived Oliver was already upstairs being washed and made presentable enough and then brought down to the Beadle. ‘Having by this time as much of the outer coat of dirt, which encrusted his face and hands, removed, as could be scrubbed off in one washing was led into the room by his benevolent protectress. ‘ Notice in the quotation how Oliver was led this further demonstrates that Oliver is a passive character. He does not lead himself but is led by others. This consistently proceeds to happen throughout the novel as he led by Mr Bumble and many other characters of the story. Oliver is always referred to as being little, small, poor little Oliver Twist. This is to try and gain the readers sympathy. In the 1830’s, Victorian times, the Victorians would engross themselves in stories and novels which involved sad and sympathetic characters. They enjoyed reading ‘tear jerking’ novels and Dickens tries to capture and involve the reader in the novel by always referring Oliver as small, little and poor. Oliver was now nine years old and was scheduled to stand before the board, which was made up of eight to ten men. They were going to decide where to send Oliver as he was too old to still live in the farm with Mrs Mann. The board were stern and strict. One of the men in a white waistcoat called Oliver a fool. ‘Which was a capital way raising his spirits and putting him quite at ease’ Dickens here is being facetious in the way that the man which called Oliver a fool did not help him relax in front of the board. The board started interrogating little Oliver asking him questions to what he did not know the answers. They asked if he was aware he was an orphan, if he prayed at night for those who fed him and cared for him and yet he did not know what praying was. He had not been educated in such things by anyone and by which means was he suppose to know he had to. The board told Oliver that he was to learn a new and useful trade. This was to pick oakum. ‘So you’ll begin to pick oakum tomorrow morning at six o’clock’ added the surely one in the white waistcoat’ Oliver was not involved in the decisions made only told and this was no way to treat someone, especially not a child just because he was an orphan. ‘The members of the board were very sage, deep, philosophical man, and when they came to turn their attention to the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks would never have discovered – the poor people liked it’ Once again Dickens uses sarcasm and irony to mock the board and criticise their intelligence. Rules and regulations were put into order, to try and make the workhouses run smoothly. Separating the men and women and children, having routines for breakfast, dinner, tea and super. Having small meals of thin gruel that barely filled an inch of the workers stomach; and yet the board thought this was decent of them, decent of them to have given the poor an option to starve slowly and painfully or to starve them quickly. Oliver throughout the novel is a passive character, at this point in the novel Oliver acts for the first time. After a little encouragement from his friends sat having the little bit of gruel for dinner he gets up and asks the master for some more. ‘Please, sir, I want some more. ‘ Now the master was a fat and healthy man. Oliver in the novel is always seen alongside with fat, well fed, healthy men and women. This produces a lot of imagery for the reader. Oliver is continually described as little, thin, small and we because Dickens always puts Oliver alongside people in a contrasting body appearance it makes the audience feel even more sympathy towards Oliver because Dickens reiterates how small Oliver is and adds to this effect by putting him with people who are of a healthy manner. The master’s reaction to Oliver asking for more leaves a lot to be desired for Oliver Twist. The master did not just go along with Oliver and place more food into Oliver’s bowl, like he should have done as Oliver worked very hard and deserved the food that he needed to keep him on his feet but was shocked and hesitated in dismay before hitting him over the head with the ladle he had in hand. He then grabbed the young Oliver twist and shrieked for the Beadle, Mr Bumble. Dickens exaggerates the way in which the Beadle, the master and board would have reacted at an event such as a young boy, in a workhouse, asking for more food, but it does draw attention to Dickens strong opinion about, how the food was distributed. When Mr Bumble ran into the room where the men of the board sat he was in a rather excitable state. When Mr bumble tells the board of what Oliver Twist had ‘offended’ there was a great deal of horror amongst the board.

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908 At 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908, a giant explosion shook central Siberia. Witnesses close to the event described seeing a fireball in the sky, as bright and hot as another sun. Millions of trees fell and the ground shook. Although a number of scientists investigated, it is still a mystery as to what caused the explosion. The Blast The explosion is estimated to have created the effects of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake, causing buildings to shake, windows to break, and people to be knocked off their feet even at 40 miles away. The blast, centered in a desolate and forested area near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, is estimated to have been a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The explosion leveled an estimated 80 million trees over an 830 square-mile area in a radial pattern from the blast zone. Dust from the explosion hovered over Europe, reflecting light that was bright enough for Londoners to read at night by it. While many animals were killed in the blast, including hundreds of local reindeer, it is believed that no humans lost their lives in the blast.   Examining the Blast Area The blast zones remote location and the intrusion of worldly affairs (World War I and the Russian Revolution) meant that it wasnt until 1927 19 years after the event that the first scientific expedition was able to examine the blast area. Assuming that the blast had been caused by a falling meteor, the expedition expected to find a huge crater as well as pieces of the meteorite. They found neither. Later expeditions were also unable to find credible evidence to prove the blast was caused by a falling meteor. Cause Of the Explosion In the decades since this huge explosion, scientists and others have attempted to explain the cause of the mysterious Tunguska Event. The most commonly accepted scientific explanation is that either a meteor or a comet entered the Earths atmosphere and exploded a couple of miles above the ground (this explains the lack of impact crater). To cause such a large blast, some scientists determined that the meteor would have weighed around 220 million pounds (110,000 tons) and traveled approximately 33,500 miles per hour before disintegrating. Other scientists say that the meteor would have been much larger, while still others say much smaller. Additional explanations have ranged from the possible to the ludicrous, including a natural gas leak escaped from the ground and exploded, a UFO spaceship crashed, the effects of a meteor destroyed by a UFOs laser in an attempt to save Earth, a black hole that touched Earth, and an explosion caused by scientific tests done by Nikola Tesla. Still a Mystery Over a hundred years later, the Tunguska Event remains a mystery and its causes continue to be debated. The possibility that the blast was caused by a comet or meteor entering the Earths atmosphere creates additional worry. If one meteor could cause this much damage, then there is a serious possibility that in the future, a similar meteor could enter Earths atmosphere and rather than landing in remote Siberia, land on a populated area. The result would be catastrophic.

What You Can Learn About Life, Communication and Death from Reality TV

What You Can Learn About Life, Communication and Death from Reality TV I have a confession to make: I am a communication junkie. And it gets worse: I have been following the reality show The Bachelorette (with bachelorette Andi Dorfman), entranced by the ins and outs of communication between the show’s participants. I admit that I am susceptible to getting swept up in the drama of these shows, especially when something happens that strikes a chord in my own life. â€Å"Reality† TV, after all, is about real people. Real things happen on the show, as well as to people after they leave. Real communication happens constantly. This season, about a month after Andi sent one of the men, adventurer Eric Hill, home, he was killed in a paragliding accident. Their last conversation, the one that drove him off the set permanently, was not exactly a positive one. I was frankly shocked by how it went. The following is excerpted from their conversation: Eric: I feel like you’re not being â€Å"the† Andi with me. I’ve seen little glimpses of you. Like the real you†¦ And that’s the Andi I like. When we were building the kite. When we were building the sand castle. When you were just gripping leather when we took off in the helicopter. I came on this to meet a person, not a TV actress. Andi: You think I’m a TV actress? Eric: I see two different sides of Andi. Andi: What do you think you see every day though? Eric: Poker face. Andi: Really? Eric: And I understand. You do need to be fair and diplomatic around the other guys. But this is our one-on-one time. This is where you can show me†¦ Andi: You’re sitting here looking me in the eye and telling me I have a poker face on. Eric: Not now. Andi: But before? Eric: Yes. When we would talk, I was having such a hard time reading you. Andi: I’ve asked everybody to be open and this is what this is about and you have every right to be open and I respect you being open, I really do, even though it hurts. But I’m very taken aback by that. Eric: This is the real Andi I’m talking about†¦ Do you feel like you’ve been comfortable and natural all the time? Andi: †¦ Not a chance. But do I work my ass off and stay up late so that everyone knows that I’m here for them? Yeah I do. You have no idea what it takes. You have no idea how exhausted I am. You have no clue how it is to look people in the face and send them home. You have no idea. So for you to sit here and tell me I have a poker face is so offensive to me†¦ Eric: Andi, I’ve seen you smile, and I know that when the cameras aren’t here, there’s been a different side of Andi. Andi: You’re continuously calling me fake though†¦ Do I not realize that there are cameras everywhere? Do I not realize there are guys there? YES I do. But you’re seriously still insulting me. What if I sat here and was insulting you? Can I just be honest? This is so far past healthy, this is so far past what needs to be happening. I want you to have come here and have had a good experience†¦ I†¦ Eric: You’re so upset with me†¦ I’m sorry. I just, I want you to be totally comfortable with me. Andi: I’m not gonna sit here and pretend to just be okay with that. But I think at this point you and I both know this is not gonna work†¦ I cannot fight for somebody who doesn’t believe in me and I don’t think you do. Eric: If you don’t think I believe in you it won’t ever work. Andi: I don’t think you do. †¦ Am I missing something here? Eric gave Andi some genuine feedback on how much he liked her when she was able to relax and be herself. He tried to tell her he wanted more of that. He tried to tell her, while she was expressing her anger and pain, that he was now seeing the true Andi, the one he wanted to see. Yet all she could hear were the negatives and â€Å"insults† that, in my opinion, were not even there. She latched on to â€Å"poker face† and â€Å"actress† and refused to let go. If I had been Andi, I would have been more, not less, interested in Eric after this conversation. I want a relationship partner who challenges me to show my true self, whether playful or hurt or angry. And I wonder, if Andi had known that Eric would die shortly after their conversation, if perhaps she would have responded with a bit more receptivity. Perhaps she would have appreciated Eric for his honesty. Perhaps she would have taken his coaching. Perhaps she could have seen, instead of a man who was insulting her, a man who was 100% on her side and wanting to be with her most open and genuine self. Instead, they left it like this: Eric: I do think you’re reading the way I feel a little bit heavy. And I’m gonna be thinking about how it all ended. Andi: Me too, me too. Now the entire reality-TV-watching world is thinking about how it ended. I hope others, like me, are reflecting on what’s important in communication and in life.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

English - Essay Example Professional friends are those individuals who I interact with either at work or at school, but don’t usually see outside of these environments. â€Å"At the beginning of the relationship, most of the conversations are about topics of mutual interest in specific professions, and then it can gradually take a more personal turn† (Ghosh, 2008). While we talk about things happening in other areas of our lives during lunch breaks or study sessions, these friends are pretty much limited to just these settings. Because I don’t usually see them in a social setting, I usually only think of them in terms of the activities we do together – work or study. We may gather for occasional social events, like class parties or office picnics, but these are very rare occasions and almost everyone seems slightly uncomfortable with the unfamiliar setting. Some of these people, though, begin to show up at the same parties and other social events that I attend. As we start to talk a little more and keep up on other mutual activities, these people begin to cross into what I would call my social friends. Guo (2007) describes these as Type 3 friends. â€Å"These are people whom you know fairly well but would not be interested in having lunch or dinner with them alone and chatting one-on-one† (Guo, 2007). Because they are more involved in my life and because we share many similar interests, I consider these friends closer, but I am usually not comfortable just sharing anything with them. Jan Yager, the author of When Friendship Hurts (2002), indicates that the reason we are hesitant to make social friends close friends is because of the difficulty we have in distinguishing between those individuals who will hurt us and those who will turn out to be a positive influence in our lives. Like most people, I only have two friends who I would