The Current Great Recession - Who Is To Blame Essay

In the midst of the current economic downturn, dubbed the â€Å"Great Recession†, it is natural to look for one, singular entity or person to blame. Managers of large banks, professional investors and federal regulators have all been named as potential creators of the recession, with varying degrees of guilt. No matter who is to blame, the fallout from the mistakes that were made that led to the current crisis is clear. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current unemployment rate is 9.7%, with 9.3 million Americans out of work (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Compared to a normal economic rate of two or three percent, it is clear that the decisions of one group of people have had a profound affect on the lives of millions of†¦show more content†¦In the lead up to the current recession, when the real estate market began to fall, there were so many investors shorting stocks and securitized mortgage packages that were already falling, that the market simpl y fell further. There were no buyers at the bottom, and the professional investors made millions off of the losses of others. Beyond this, there was no real federal regulation for securitized mortgages, since there was no real way to gauge the mathematical risk of any given package. This allowed the investors to take advantage of the system and to short loans on real people’s homes. Once these securities were worthless, many of the homebuyer’s defaulted on their mortgages and were left penniless. No matter from which angle this crisis is looked at, the blame rests squarely with the managers who began the entire cycle, the ones who pursued the securitization of mortgages. Their incompetence not only led to the losses of Americans who have never invested in the stock market, but to losses for their shareholders. These losses necessitated governmental action in the financial markets. Companies such as Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns lost all of their stockâ€⠄¢s value and were forced into bankruptcy. This risk spread throughout the American banks, forcing the American government to step in and buy all of the securitized, troubled assets from the balance sheets ofShow MoreRelatedThe Great Depression Of The 1930 S1476 Words   |  6 Pagescontrast the great depression of the 1930’s and the great recession in the United State of America. First, I’ll make a general overview of each of these two different periods and then focus on certain specific aspects during these different times. This will include the causes to the economic recessions witnessed, impacts of the economic recessions and the solutions that were introduced. When talking about any topic regarding American history, it would be hard not to mention the 1930’s great depressionRead MoreThe Great Recession734 Words   |  3 PagesA variety of events led to the event that would be known as the Great Recession. 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Abortion The Mother Or The Child - 2032 Words

Abortion: The Mother or the Child The issue of abortion has always been a controversial one for citizens of the United States. Abortion is the â€Å"termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus† (Merriam Webster, 2015). A citizen’s stance on the largely debated issue categorizes them into one of two very different groups. On one side of the debate are individuals known as pro-life supporters who feel that a woman should not have an abortion. Coincidently, those who feel that a woman should have the right to choose abortion are known as pro-choice supporters. Pro-life supporters point to the practice of abortion as an immoral one. Supporters state abortion is immoral because it takes away the rights of the unborn fetus, since activists consider human life to begin at conception. Advocates for pro-choice believe that reproductive health care decisions should be made by a woman, not by politicians. The issue of abortion has been a l ong-standing social issue that has ardent support and opposition that has affected American society historically, socially, and legally. At the time of our country’s founding, there were no laws regarding abortion and contraception, until 1859 when the American Medical Association (AMA) condemned abortion except when medically necessary to preserve the life of the mother or child. (American Life League, 2015, para. 1). For nearly a century, women could not obtain an abortionShow MoreRelatedIn Class, We Discussed Three Different Possibilities Of1257 Words   |  6 PagesBrooks’s story â€Å"The Mother.† The first and most probable interpretation of this story is that it is narrated by a mother who has gone through a miscarriage and is trying to warn other mothers not to get abortions because they will regret it. This interpretation contains the greatest amount of solid evidence and makes the most sense. 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Establishing abortion as illegal onceRead MoreAbortion And Its Effects On The United States Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States â€Å"1.7% of women aged 15–44 have an abortion† (â€Å"Induced Abortion in the United States†). Twenty-one percent of all pregnancies end in abortion (â€Å"Induced Abortion in the United States†). Women most commonly have abortions before the end of her first trimester, twelve weeks into the pregnancy, however, abortions may also be performed after the first trimester. Abortions are quite common, but they also lead to numerous issues for the parents such as regret, depression, drug abuseRead MoreWhy Abortion Is Morally Wrong1559 Words   |  7 PagesIMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC: The morality of abortion is a topic that has long been discussed by both those for and against the act. Until 1972 when the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in all 50 states, the act of getting an abortion was illegal in many states. Both sides of the moral arguments explain the reasoning behind their arguments. The moral question is if the act of getting an abortion is the same as murdering another human being. YES ARGUMENT PATRICK LEE AND ROBERT PRead MoreShould Abortion Be Banned?1847 Words   |  7 Pages An abortion is an induced and sudden termination of pregnancy. There are two types of abortions, Medical and Surgical. The medical method involves taking two pills within 24 hours of each other thus killing the fetus, but this method is usually done during 3-7 weeks of pregnancy. The surgical method, on the other hand involves a doctor removing the inner lining of the womb, either manual vacuum aspiration or dilatation suction curettage. Both of these methods use a suction processRead MoreThe Responses That Briggs Et Al1743 Words   |  7 Pagessaid that influences from family or friends was a reason to seek an abortion. This included thinking that a baby would have a negative impact on their family or friends, not wanting others to know about the pregnancy and judge them, and/or peer pressure from friends and family. Briggs et al. (2013) also found women reported not wanting to have to put the baby up for adoption and/or not wanting the baby as a reason for seeking abortion, which was 4% of responses. Briggs et al. (2013) said women reportedRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal?1135 Words   |  5 PagesKelsi Hodgkin Composition 1 Professor Chipps 19 October 2015 Should Abortion Be Legal A common debate in the world today involves abortion, the deliberate end of human pregnancy, and whether or not it should be legalized. â€Å"Every year in the world there are an estimated 40-50 million abortions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day† (â€Å"Abortions Worldwide this Year†). On one side of the argument, people are not disturbed by this grotesque number, and on theRead MoreFacts about Adoption vs. Abortion733 Words   |  3 PagesFacts about Adoption vs. Abortion Outline Thesis: Information is distorted concerning womens rights concerning adoption and abortion. Facts: Adopted children who talk negative about adoption or talk about the natural mothers are considered to be selfish and inconsiderate. Many people feel the abortion rate would go up if the truth about adoption and its long term effects on mother and child were known. Adoption provides a divorce like situation on children between the natural family

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 15~19 Free Essays

15 The Navigator Out on the edge of the world, with no place to stay, no way to move on, no job, no life, no friends; hurt, confused, hot, thirsty, and irritated, Tuck was desperate. Desperate for just the momentary satisfaction that might come from attracting an attractive woman. No matter that he couldn’t do anything about the attraction. We will write a custom essay sample on Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 15~19 or any similar topic only for you Order Now What was she doing out here? Who cares? What a walk! He quickened his pace, his legs and shoulders protesting against the weight of his pack, and approached within a couple of steps of the blonde. â€Å"Excuse me,† he called. She turned. Tuck stopped and backed up a step. Something is wrong here. Very, very wrong. â€Å"Oh, baby,† she said, hand to her chest as if trying to catch her breath. â€Å"You scare little Kimi. Why you sneakin’ up like that?† Tuck was dumbfounded. She wasn’t a natural blonde. Her skin was dark and she had the high cheekbones and angular features of a Filipino. Long false eyelashes, bright red lipstick, but lines in the face that were a little too harsh, a jawline that was a little too square. The dress was tight around the chest and there was nothing there but muscle. She wore a huge black medallion at her throat that looked as if it was made of animal fur. She needed a shave. â€Å"I’m sorry,† Tuck said. â€Å"I thought you were something – er, someone else.† Then the medallion turned its head and looked at him. Tuck let out an involuntary scream and jumped back. The medallion was wearing tiny rhinestone sunglasses. It squeaked at Tucker. It was the biggest bat he had ever seen, hanging there upside down with its wings folded. â€Å"That’s a bat!† â€Å"Fruit bat, baby. Don’t be scared. This Roberto. He no like the light. He like you, though.† Roberto squeaked again. He had the face of a fox or perhaps a small dog – a shaven Pomeranian with wings. â€Å"I’m Kimi. What you name, baby?† Kimi extended his hand limply to shake or perhaps for a kiss. Tuck took two fingers, keeping his eye on the bat. â€Å"Tucker Case. Nice to meet you, Kimi.† He was horrified. Thirty seconds ago he’d been having lustful thoughts about a guy! A guy wearing a fruit bat! â€Å"You look like you need a date. Kimi love you good long time, twenny bucks. Whatever you need, Kimi can do.† â€Å"No, thanks. I don’t need a date. What I need is a boat.† â€Å"Kimi can get boat. You like it in boat? Kimi take you round the world in a boat?† He giggled and patted Roberto’s little upside-down head. â€Å"That funny, huh?† Tucker forced a smile. â€Å"No, I need a boat and someone who can pilot it out to an island.† â€Å"You need a boat, Kimi can get boat. Kimi can pilot too.† â€Å"Thanks anyway, but I really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Roberto shrieked. Tuck jumped back. Kimi said, â€Å"Roberto say he want to go on boat with you. How far is island?† Tucker couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. He hadn’t really decided he would go by boat. â€Å"It’s called Alualu. It’s about two hundred and fifty miles north of here.† â€Å"No problem,† Kimi said without hesitation. â€Å"My father was great navigator. He teach me everything. I take you to island and maybe we have party too. You have money?† Tuck nodded. â€Å"You wait over there in shade. We be right back.† Kimi turned and wiggled away. Tucker tried not to watch him walk. He was feeling sick to his stomach. He walked to a grove of palm trees that grew along the harbor and sat down to wait. Kimi piloted the eighteen-foot fiberglass skiff out of a shantytown built over the water, across the harbor, to a dock in front of the marina restaurant. Roberto had unfolded his wings and was crawl ing spiderlike over Kimi’s head and back, looking for a comfortable spot to get out of the light. Tucker walked to the dock and looked at the boat, then out past the harbor, where waves were crashing on the reef, then back at the little boat. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he was sure this wasn’t it. Something bigger, maybe a cabin cruiser, with twin diesels and a big wheelhouse with some radar stuff spinning on the top – a modest but well-stocked wet bar, perhaps. â€Å"I got you boat!† Kimi said. â€Å"You give me money now, I go get gas and look at map.† Tucker didn’t budge. The engine was a forty-horse Yamaha out-board. A rubber tube ran from the motor to a gas tank that took up nearly all the space between the two seats. Tuck guessed it would hold at least a hundred gallons of fuel, maybe more. â€Å"Are you sure this thing has the range to make it out there?† â€Å"No problem. Give me money for gas. Five hundred dollar.† â€Å"You’re insane!† â€Å"Gas very expensive here.† â€Å"You’re insane and your bat’s glasses are crooked.† â€Å"I have to pay man for boat. The rest is for pilot. You buy water, flashlight, and two mango, two papaya for Roberto, and two box Pop Tarts for Kimi. Strawberry.† Tucker felt he was being hustled. â€Å"For five hundred dollars you can get your own mangoes and Pop Tarts.† â€Å"Okay, bye-bye.† Kimi said. â€Å"Say bye-bye to cheap sweaty American, Roberto.† Kimi moved Roberto onto his shoulders and pulled the cord to start the engine. Tuck imagined himself stuck on Yap for another two weeks. â€Å"No, wait!† He unclipped the flap of his pack and dug inside. Kimi killed the outboard, turned, and grinned. There was lipstick on his teeth. â€Å"Money, please.† Tuck handed down a stack of bills. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t have a choice. Actually, not having a choice made it a little easier. â€Å"Are we going to leave right away?† â€Å"We go through reef before dark so we no smash up and drown. After that it better to go in dark. Go by stars.† Smash up? â€Å"Shouldn’t we call for weather?† Kimi laughed. â€Å"You smell storm? See storm in sky?† Tuck looked around. Except for a few mushroom-shaped clouds beyond the reef, it was clear. He smelled only tropical flowers on the breeze and something skunky rising up from his armpits. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Meet me here in half hour.† Kimi started the motor and putted off across the harbor toward a big tank with the Mobil logo stenciled on the side. Tuck walked to the store and bought the supplies, then found the telecom center a few doors down and sent a handwritten fax to the doctor on Alualu to let him know that his new pilot was on the way. He was waiting at the dock when Kimi returned in the skiff, his wig tied down with a red chiffon scarf. Roberto wore a smaller scarf with holes cut for his ears. Strangely, the scarf, in conjunction with the sunglasses, made Roberto look a little like Diana Ross. They say there is a finite number of faces in the world†¦ Tucker threw the heavy pack into the front of the boat, then climbed in and sat down in front of the enormous gas tank. Kimi threw the transmis-sion lever on the motor, twisted the hand grip, and piloted the skiff out into the harbor toward the reef. Kimi steered the boat out of the deep green of the harbor to the turquoise water of the channel. Tuck could see the reef, tan and red coral, just a few feet below the surface at the edge of the channel. He spotted small fish darting around great heads of brain coral. They were more like streaks of color than animals, and as one disappeared another appeared in the line of sight. A few long, slender trumpet fish, looking as if they had been forged from silver, swam adjacent to the boat, then turned and cruised into the reef. They passed the edge of the reef and into the open sea with only a slight bump into the first few swells. Kimi cranked up the motor and the skiff lifted and rode across the tops of the waves, bucking and dropping a gentle six inches, thumping out a drumbeat as counterpoint to the whining out-board. Tucker relaxed and leaned back as Kimi skirted the reef, traveling toward the setting sun until he cleared the island and could make the turn north to Alualu. For the first time since the crash, Tucker felt good, felt as if he was on his way to something better. He’d made a decision and acted on it and in eighteen hours he would be ready to start his new job. He’d be a pilot again, making good money, flying a great aircraft. And with some healing, he’d be a man again too. A quarter mile from Yap, Kimi made a gradual turn that put the sun at their left shoulders. Tuck watched the sun bubble into the ocean. Columns of vertical cumulus clouds turned to cones of pink cotton candy, then as the sun became a red wafer on the horizon, they turned candy-apple red, with purple rays reaching out of them like searchlights. The water was neon over wet asphalt, blood-spattered gunmetal – colors from the cover of a detective novel where heroes drink hard and beauty is always treacherous. Tucker searched the sky for cumulus clouds that looked like they might have aspirations to become thunderheads. How in the hell were you supposed to see weather from sea level? Just then a swell lifted the front of the boat and slammed it down. Tuck felt his tailbone bark on the edge of the seat and was just bracing himself when another swell bucked him to the floor of the boat and a sudden gust of wind soaked him with spray. 16 And Now, the Weather Report The High Priestess sat on the lanai watching the sunset, taking sips from a glass of chilled vodka between bites of a banana. The intercom beeped inside the house and she cocked an ear to the open window. â€Å"Beth, can you come down to my office? This is important.† The Sorcerer was in a panic. He’s always in a panic, she thought. She put her vodka down on the bamboo table and tossed the banana out into the sand. She padded across the teak deck, through the french doors to the intercom, and laid an elegant finger on the talk button. â€Å"I’m on my way,† she said. She started toward the back door of the house – a two-room bungalow fashioned from bamboo, teak, and thatch – and caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror. â€Å"Shit.† She was naked, of course, and she’d have to cut across the compound to get to the Sorcerer’s office. Life had become a lot more complicated since they had hired the guards. She stormed into the bedroom and grabbed an oversized 49ers jersey with the sleeves cut off out of her closet, then stepped into some sandals and headed out the back door. She wasn’t really dressed, but it might keep the Sorcerer off her back and the ninjas off her front. The compound consisted of half a dozen buildings spread over a three-acre clearing covered with white coral gravel and concrete and surrounded by a twelve-foot chain-link fence topped with razor wire. At the front of the compound was a pier and a small beach that led to the only channel through the reef. At the back a new Learjet sat on a concrete pad, just inside the fence. Outside of the fence, the concrete runway bisected the island. Past the runway lay the jungles, the taro patches, the villages, and the beaches of the Shark People. The office was a low concrete building with steel doors and a roof covered in solar electric panels that shone red in the setting sunlight. She nodded to the guard by the door, who didn’t move until she passed, then tried to get a glimpse in the side of her jersey. She slammed the door behind her. â€Å"What’s up? You almost done with the satellite dish? My shows are coming on.† He turned from a computer screen, a piece of fax paper crumpled in his hand. â€Å"We’ve hired an idiot.† â€Å"Do you want to be specific or should I assume that one of the ninjas has distinguished himself above the others?† â€Å"The pilot, Beth. He missed the Micro Trader on Yap.† â€Å"Shit!† â€Å"It’s worse.† He held out the fax to her. â€Å"It’s from him. He’s chartered a small boat. He says he’ll be here tomorrow.† She looked over the fax, confused. â€Å"That’s sooner than he was going to get here. What’s the problem?† â€Å"This.† The Sorcerer pushed back in his chair and pointed to the computer screen. The image looked like a blender full of green and black paint. â€Å"It looks like a blender full of green paint,† she said. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"That, my dear, is Marie.† â€Å"Sebastian, you’ve been out here too long. I know you like abstract art and all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It’s a satellite picture of typhoon Marie. And she’s a big one.† He pointed to a dot to one side of the screen. â€Å"That’s Alualu.† â€Å"So it’s going to miss us.† â€Å"We’ll catch the edge of it. We’ll have to put the jet in the hangar, tie everything down, but it shouldn’t be too bad. The problem is that the eye will pass right over where our pilot is going to be. I can’t believe he went to sea without checking the weather.† She shrugged. â€Å"So we have to get a new pilot. Tucker Case, meet Marie.† She smiled and her eyes shone like desolate stars. Too bad, she thought. The pilot would have been fun. 17 Foul-Weather Friend Tuck was amazed by what the human body could achieve when pressed to its limits: lift tractors, trek a hundred miles through the tundra after being partially eviscerated by a Kodiak bear, live for months on grubs and water sucked from soak holes, and in this particular case, vomit for two hours straight after having ingested nothing but alcohol and airline peanuts for two days. The stuff coming out of him was pure bile, burning acrid and sour, and with the bull rider pitching of the boat, half of it always ended up down the front of him. And between heaves there was no respite, just constant motion and soaking spray. His stomach muscles twisted into knots. It started with the swells rising, first a few feet, then to ten. Kimi piloted the boat up the face of each as if climbing a hill; they were dashed by the whitecap, then a sled ride down into a trough where they were faced with the next black wall of water. Roberto climbed down into Kimi’s dress and clung there like a furry tumor. The navigator cried out each time the spray washed over him as Roberto’s wing claws dug into his ribs. â€Å"Tie down you pack. Tie you belt to the boat,† Kimi shouted. Tuck found a coil of nylon rope and a folding knife in his pack and tied himself and the pack to the front seat. He noticed that the space under the seat was filled with dense Styrofoam. The boat was, theoretically, unsink-able. Good, someone would find their beaten, shark-eaten bodies. He threw a length of rope to Kimi, who secured it around his own waist. The wind came up as if someone had spooled up a jet engine, going from ten to sixty knots in an instant, dumping gallons of water into the boat with each wave, drowning out the sound of the outboard. Kimi screamed an order to Tuck, but it was lost in the wind. Tuck caught one word: â€Å"Bail!† Riding down the face of a wave, he took the time to look around the boat for a container, but found only the gallon of drinking water. He took the folding knife from his pocket and slashed the top off of the jug. He dumped the fresh water, then, with his feet braced against the inside of the bow and his spine against the seat, he began bailing between his legs, taking a full gallon with each scoop, throwing it with the wind. He bailed as if in a â€Å"run for your life† sprint and he was winded and aching after only a minute, but he couldn’t seem to get ahead of the storm. The boat was riding lower in the water. He ventured a glance back to Kimi and saw the navigator had found a coffee can and was braced between the seat and the gas tank, bailing with one hand while steering with the other. His scarf and fallen around his neck and was trailing the blonde wig behind him in the wind. The motor was cranked full-out, and Kimi was trying to keep the boat steered into the waves. If one caught them from the side, they would roll and continue to roll until the storm consumed them. Tuck slowed his pace and tried to fall into some kind of sustainable rhythm. It began to rain, the drops coming in almost horizontal, and as they topped the next wave Tuck realized that half of the sky had disap-peared. They were only at the edge of the storm. The navigator was screaming at him. The sea, the sky, the boat faded to black. One second he was squinting saltwater out of his eyes and staring at an obsidian wall ahead of the bow, then everything went black. Total sensory overload, total sensory deprivation. He looked around for the stars, the moon, a highlight or shadow somewhere, but there was nothing but wind and wet and cold and ache. He shivered and nearly curled into the fetal position in the bow to wait for death. The navigator’s screaming gave him a bearing. â€Å"We need light!† Tuck braced himself, then dug into the saturated pack until he came out with two waterproof flashlights. Bless you, Jake Skye. He hit the sealed switches. Light. Enough to see that Kimi was steering them parallel to an ominous wall of water. They would be swamped. The navigator slammed the outboard to one side and gunned it. The little boat whipped around just in time to meet the oncoming wave, ride up and over it. Tucker clung to the boat like a newborn monkey to its mother. Tuck lashed the lights to the anchor pulley at the bow, one pointed forward, one into the boat, then he resumed bailing. A monster wave rose up thirty feet and slammed down over them. When Tuck blinked the salt out of his eyes, he saw that the boat was all but a foot full of water. Another wave like that would swamp the motor. Without the motor to steer, they were lost. Bailing wasn’t enough. We’re going to die, he thought. Then the noise of the storm was gone. â€Å"No, you’re not,† came the voice, â€Å"you fuckin’ mook.† The roar of the wind and the screams of the navigator were gone. There was only the voice. â€Å"There’s a tarpaulin in your pack. Lash it over the boat so you don’t take on any more water. Then move to the stern and bail.† Now there was a picture in Tuck’s mind of what he was to do. There were eyelets on the outside of the gunwales to accommodate the line around the edges of the tarp. He needed only to hook the line around the boat and tie it off back by Kimi, leaving just enough of the boat open for the navigator to steer and him to bail water. â€Å"You got it, ace?† Tuck could see it and he knew he could do it. â€Å"Thanks,† he said. Forget questioning where the voice was coming from. He nodded. The storm roared back over him. Five minutes later the boat was covered and began to rise in the water as Tuck sat next to the navigator and bailed. â€Å"You steer!† Kimi screamed. Tucker took the tiller as the navigator let go and tried to rub his hand out of a cramped claw. Tuck took the boat up the face of a monster wave and the skiff went airborne. With no resistance on the propeller, the motor shrieked and Tuck dumped the throttle to keep it from blowing up. The bow tilted skyward and Kimi grabbed the gunwale just in time to avoid being dumped off the stern. They landed hard and the motor nearly went under. The motor sputtered. Tuck worked the throttle to bring it back to life. They were already going up the face of another wave, steeper than the last. If the wind caught them at the top, they would flip. Tuck suddenly remembered a surfing move from his youth. The cut back. There was no way they could continue into the wind and into the waves. Halfway up the face of the wave, he twisted the throttle and threw the motor sideways. It coughed as if expelling a hairball, then roared, sending them across the face of the wave. â€Å"What you doing?† Kimi shouted. Tuck didn’t answer. He was looking for the pocket, the place where the face of the wave would stay the same. If only the motor could maintain speed. The wave was creeping up on them, looming above their backs, but then they were high enough for the wind to catch them. Just enough boost. Just enough speed. The boat flattened out on the face of the wave. They were surfing, a thirty-foot wall of water waiting to crush them from behind should Tuck lose the pocket. Strangely, Tuck felt elated. It was a small victory, maybe even a temporary one, but they were running with the storm and he was in control of something for the first time since the plane crash. He watched the angle of the boat on the face of the wave, gauged its speed, its steepness, and made the adjustments that would keep them alive. The black water seemed to eat up the flashlight beams, but he could see the wave becoming steeper and rising higher as it climbed the ocean shelf toward the hungry reef. 18 Land Ho The island was little more than a coral cupcake with a guano frosting. Not a hundred yards wide at its widest point and only five feet above sea level at its highest, it served as a resting place for seabirds, a nesting place for turtles, and purchase for forty-eight coconut palms. The foliage and coconuts had all been torn from the palms, and the storm-driven waves breaking on the surrounding reef frothed over the island, beating against the trunks and washing away the precious topsoil. Heavy as they were, some of the palms were being undermined by the sea and would soon wash away. Of the three travelers, only Roberto knew the island was there. As a young bat, he had stopped there to rest after leaving Guam, his birthplace, on his way to someplace where the mangoes were sweet and the natives did not consider fruit bat a delicacy. But right now he was too busy hiding inside Kimi’s dress, screeching and clawing and generally trying to keep warm, to mention to the navigator that the reason they were suddenly riding the face of an increasingly steep fifty-foot wave was because they were about to crash over a reef. By the time Tucker Case realized what was happening, they were inside an immense tube of water, surfing inside of the curl of the wave. The flashlights refracted off the green water, illuminating the tube, making it appear as if they were inside a giant seething Coke bottle. Tuck tried to keep the boat pointed toward the narrow circle of blackness where the bottle cap would go, where they would have to go to escape. He’d seen films of surfers shooting the curl on the North Shore of Hawaii. It could be done. He clung to that vision, even as the wave passed over the reef and collapsed upon them. The boat rolled once, twice, three times, then tossed end over end and spun just under the surface as the wave frothed over the island. Kimi and Tuck were wound against the boat by their lifelines, beaten against the trunks of the palms, tossed and battered against the boat. For Tucker there was no up, no down, no way to know when he might take a breath of life-giving air or suck seawater and die. He held his breath until he felt as if he would explode, then was slammed between the boat and a tree and he let go. Roberto’s wing claws cut deep furrows into Kimi’s ribs as he scrambled for air. The navigator had taken a glancing blow across the forehead as the boat rolled over him and was knocked unconscious. Tuck felt himself pulled away from the boat, spun for a moment, then the pressure of the lifeline around his waist. He could see the lights attached to the boat, still shining, the only visual input in the sensory chaos. The boat had caught on something and he was trailing out behind it. Something bumped against his ribs and he reached for it instinctively, catching a handful of Kimi’s dress. Roberto was clinging to Kimi’s head, growling into the wind. They had passed through the island and come out on the other side. The boat had caught on the last palm tree before they were swept out to sea again. Tuck caught his lifeline with one hand, then wrapped his other arm around Kimi’s chest. Slowly, working against the streaming current, more like a river now that the waves had been broken by the reef and the island, he pulled them back to the boat. The boat was afloat, but barely, held up by the Styrofoam underseats and the air trapped in the gas tank. Only an inch or two of gunwale showed above the water. Tuck crawled in, took one deep breath, then dragged the lifeless navigator in after him. Roberto scrambled on Kimi’s head to escape the sea and was almost taken by the wind. Tucker caught the giant bat by the throat and lifted him from Kimi’s head to his own back, wincing as Roberto’s claws penetrated his shirt. Then he hung the navigator over the side and began pumping the water out of his lungs. After a few seconds, he flipped him again and administered mouth-tomouth until Kimi coughed and vomited up a stream of seawater. Tuck held his head. â€Å"You okay?† Kimi nodded as he sucked in painful lungfuls of air. Once he had his breath, he said, â€Å"Roberto?† Tuck pointed to the little dog face that was looking over his shoulder. Kimi managed a smile. â€Å"Roberto! Come.† He took the bat from Tuck’s back and held him to his chest. They were safe, relatively; sheltered by the island from the monster swells, they had only the wind and the rain to deal with. The tarpaulin was gone. The boat was full of water, but it was afloat. Miraculously, the flashlights were still attached. Tucker could see the tree that had caught them. He fell back into the bow, hooking his armpits over the gunwales, then slipped into a state of exhausted unconsciousness that could almost be called sleep. 19 Water, Water At first light the coconut palm that had saved them finally gave up and tipped over, releasing the boat to the sea. The outgoing tide carried the skiff and its sleeping passengers through a break in the reef to the open ocean. Tuck, sitting chest deep in seawater in the bow, was dreaming of being lost in the desert when a flying fish smacked him in the side of the head. Startled, he reached up instinctively, as one might slap at a biting mosquito, and caught the fish in his right hand. He opened his eyes. In his mind he was still in the desert, dying of thirst, and the fact that he was now holding on to something that looked like a trout with wings seemed a cruel surrealist joke. He looked around, saw the boat, Kimi slumped in the back, ocean and sky, and nothing else – there was no land in sight. He threw the fish at Kimi. It bounced off the navigator’s forehead and into the sea. Kimi screamed and sat up abruptly. Roberto – sunglasses akimbo – poked his head out the neck of Kimi’s dress and screeched at Tucker. â€Å"What you do that for?† Kimi said. â€Å"Nice piece of navigation,† Tuck said. Then he mocked Kimi’s broken English. â€Å"You smell storm? You see storm in sky?† â€Å"Oh, you big-time pilot. Why you not check weather? What kind of dumb fuck American try to go two hundred miles in outboard, huh?† â€Å"You told me it was no problem.† â€Å"You paying Kimi big money. Not a problem.† â€Å"Well, it’s a fucking problem now, isn’t it?† Kimi stroked Roberto’s head to calm him. â€Å"Stop yelling. You scare Roberto.† â€Å"I don’t care about Roberto. We’re half-sunk in the middle of the Pacific and we don’t have a motor. I’d say we have a problem.† Kimi stopped ministering to Roberto and looked up. â€Å"No motor?† He turned and looked back at the empty motor board. There were marks where the clamps had raked across it as the motor pulled off in the tumble. He turned back to Tuck and grinned sheepishly. â€Å"Whoops.† â€Å"We’re dead,† Tuck said. Kimi looked back again where the motor should have been, just to make sure that it was still gone. â€Å"I ask that man, ‘Is motor on good?’ He say, ‘Oh yes, is clamp on very tight.’ I pay him good money and he lie. Oh, Kimi is very mad.† Roberto barked in agreement. â€Å"Stop it!† Tucker shouted. Roberto ducked into Kimi’s dress again. â€Å"We’ve got to get some of this water out of here. We have no motor. We can’t go anywhere. We’re adrift, lost†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Alive,† Kimi interrupted. â€Å"I get you out of typhoon alive and you just yell and say bad things. I quit. You get new navigator. Roberto say you mean, nasty, Chevy-driving, milk-drinking, American dog fucker.† â€Å"I don’t drink milk,† Tuck said. Ha! Won that round. â€Å"That what he say.† â€Å"Roberto does not talk!† â€Å"Not to you, dog fucker. You no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kimi paused in mid-rant and retrieved the coffee can, which had been tied to the boat with a string, and started furiously scooping water out of the boat. â€Å"You right. Now we bail.† â€Å"What?† Tuck looked up to see Kimi was looking, wide-eyed, out to sea. Tuck followed his gaze to a spot twenty yards in front of the boat where a triangular fin was describing slow arcs in the swells. â€Å"Hurry,† Kimi shouted. â€Å"He coming in.† Tucker reached for his pack, causing the bow to dip under the water by a foot. Before he could adjust his weight to counterbalance the boat, the shark came over the gunwale, snapping its jaws like a man-eating puppet. Tuck stood up to escape the jaws and the bow lurched deeper underwater. The shark slid into the boat as Tuck went backward over the side. Fear bolted through his body as if the water had been electrified. He wanted to move in all directions at once. He kicked hard and came up a few feet from the boat to see the shark slide back into the water. â€Å"Get in boat!† Kimi screamed. He was standing with his feet wide, trying to keep the boat from capsizing. Tuck kicked so hard that he raised out of the water to the waist, then he fell toward the boat, catching the gunwale with one hand. Kimi shifted his weight to counterbalance and Tuck pulled himself in just as something hit his foot. He jerked his foot so hard he nearly went out of the boat on the opposite side, then he twisted in time to see the shark sliding down into the water with his shoe in its mouth. â€Å"Behind you!† Kimi screamed. Another shark rose up at Tuck’s back. He swung around and punched it on the snout as hard as he could, taking the skin off of his knuckles on the shark’s sandpaper skin. The shark slid away. The motion in the bow caused the stern to dip underwater and the next attack came at Kimi. He tossed Roberto into the air as the shark came into the boat. Roberto spread his wings and soared into the sky. Kimi reached down and came up with the rubber fuel line. Tucker looked for anything they could use as a weapon, then remembered the folding knife he had put in his pocket the night before. It was still there. Kimi was slapping the shark with the rubber hose and backing his way up onto the huge gas tank that made up the midsection of the boat. Tuck opened the knife, then lunged forward at the navigator. â€Å"Kimi!† Kimi reached back and Tuck fit the handle of the knife into his hand. The shark had worked half of its nine-foot body into the boat. Its tail thrashed at the water to power the shark up onto the gas tank. Kimi scrambled backward. Roberto swooped and screeched in the air above. Kimi’s right foot found purchase on the screw cap of the gas tank and he sat up. Tuck thought he was going to strike the shark with the knife, but instead he cut the gas line and squirted a stream of gas into the shark’s gaping mouth. The shark thrashed and slid off the side of the boat. Kimi brandished the knife in the air. â€Å"Yeah, fuckface, you run away. That not taste so sweet as Kimi, huh?† He fell back onto the gas tank and took a deep breath. â€Å"We show that shark who the boss.† Tuck said, â€Å"Kimi, there’s more.† He pointed to set of fins approaching from the stern. How to cite Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 15~19, Essay examples

System Design and Analysis for Management - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theSystem Design and Analysis for Information Management. Answer: Introduction Information management is critical a component of the success of businesses today, this outcome is as a result of the benefits of knowledge management in the processes of decision-making. Furthermore, modern organizations demand more than the conventional information systems (IS) for the management role where real-time systems are incorporated to supplement the processes of collecting and analyzing data. Similarly, the Headspace project holds similar objectives where the existing IS infrastructure is to be advanced to include virtualized technologies. In essence, the organization has many patients who produce a lot of information through their personal stories (MIS, 2015). These stories aid medical practitioners in making decisions for their treatments. Therefore, adequate storage facilities that are readily available are needed to support all the practitioners roles. Now, this report highlights this element of information management, where cloud-based resources are to be combined wi th developed in-house IS. Moreover, the report outlines other supplementary features of the systems i.e. the non-functional requirements. Systems non-functional requirements These are the elements that determine the users judgment on the functionalities of the systems, they will, therefore, outline the end users reactions after using the proposed system. Non-functional requirements stem from the interaction of the users with the developed system (Rackspace, 2017). Moreover, they are a consequence of the collaboration of the different parameters of the systems including the merging of the systems functionalities. System qualities These are the characteristics or attributes that will facilitate the systems objectives which in this case are extended accessibility and availability(Lowey, 2017). In this case, they are: Maximum performance the proposed system must perform all its service regardless of their complexities or development platform. Reliability the system also must be robust and offer consistent functionalities across all application environments. Security protecting the data and ownership of the contents of the system. Systems usability the users should also feel satisfied with the systems functionalities due to the practicality of the systems elements(Rahman, Safadi, Basaula, 2015). System interface and user interface (UI) While the data management roles may occur within the background functionalities, the system will most often be judged by its visual displays. These include elements such as colour, icons and images. Therefore, the following requirements are necessary: Seamless availability and accessibility the GUI (graphical user interface) should be easily accessed based on the placement of the system parameters such as icons and input data boxes. Aesthetic appeal the colour schematics and images should interact in a manner that engages the user by continuously drawing their attention to the system. Dynamic by enhancing the system's practicality through different preferences, the users are able to adjust the system based on their individual requirements e.g. colour and images (Hassan, 2015). System constraints Several factors will hinder the requirements and objectives of the system stated above, they are: Time limitation as the organization will continue to operate regardless of the systems development progress. Deployment platform because of the variations in the users application environments. Cloud-based solutions Cloud-based resources are the most popular virtualization technologies that are rapidly taking over the digital world through their operational conveniences. In essence, cloud-based solutions offer users IT resources through online platforms which eliminate the need to establish and maintain the operational infrastructure. Moreover, these resources improve the availability and accessibility of services as physical connections are not always needed for the overall operations. In addition to this, specialized service providers (CSP) establish and maintain cloud resources which eliminates a lot of background functionalities from the end users who are left with only the front end functionalities(Primault, 2016). However, at the same time, these resources require the users to surrender their data to third-party members which raise serious concerns about data security and privacy. Strengths of cloud-based solutions Readily available with cloud solutions, the users can access and apply their resources at any given time and location so long as they have an internet connection. This benefit would also improve the outcomes of the Headspace project which requires high levels of system availability. Cost savings the service providers implements and maintain the foundational elements of the cloud resources which is always an added cost for the user that is now eliminated. Redundancy programs furthermore, because the service provider stores the resources in multiple locations, they offer multiple backup options(Levelcloud, 2017). Weaknesses Data security and privacy first, as stated in the proposal, cloud facilities may not be covered by the Australian legal stipulations. Moreover, data is handled by a third party member who uses unknown systems and locations for their services. Therefore, the lines of data ownership can be blurred which necessitates the need to implement proper security measures such as encryption and authentication. Furthermore, the project should also ensure they establish proper service agreements with the service provider particularly on the roles of maintaining and controlling the data, the key components of data ownership. System control another drawback of cloud-based solutions as the user is unable to adequately control their resources when hosted online. In all, the users cannot physically locate the resources used which eliminates some level of control(Primault, 2016). System development life cycle (SDLC) SDLC outlines a procedure for developing systems where all the stages of implementation are critically defined based on the systems requirements. Now, as already highlighted by the extensive non-functional requirements, modern information systems are characterized by complex functionalities and attributes. SDLC facilitates these functionalities by executing the development process while considering the objectives at hand(Stoica, Mircea, Micu, 2013). Moreover, since systems vary in functionalities and attributes, there are different types of development procedures i.e. SDLC approach, the focus of this sections report. Predictive SDLC A conventional and logical approach that uses traditional procedures to develop systems that have minimal requirements. Furthermore, as the name suggests, the process uses a predictable outline that sequentially implements each element of the system operation. In all, the predictive SDLC will start by identifying the overall system requirements such as functionalities, attributes and user preferences. These elements are then assessed to enact a logical implementation procedure that follows a sequential outline i.e. each stage is implemented one after the other without any overlap or concurrent execution(Okoli Carillo, 2010). Now, because of this operation principle, the approach does not adapt to changes and instead maintains a rigid operational structure. Pros of the approach Minimal resource requirements predictive approach uses predictable procedures that identify system resources before the implementation process. This enables the developer to budget for all the resources needed. Accountability to maintain the predictable approach, the method uses a stringent documentation process which improves the accountability of the system. Simple and easy to use all the elements of the implementation process are known and well defined which makes it easier to develop the final system(MSB, 2011). Cons Time-consuming the approach will require the developers to implement all the stages of development sequentially without any form of overlap. This outcome increases the time of development. Rigid deployment the approach does not respond to any system changes(MIS, 2015). Adaptive approach A modern outlook into systems' design that applies agile and flexible procedures in the development process. In essence, the approach will define the system requirements based on an ever-changing operation principle. Therefore, any variations in system requirements are adequately incorporated into the system design. In all, the procedure will start by identifying the system requirements, similar to the predictive process(MSB, 2011). Thereafter, the approach will split the implementation process into several stages which are run concurrently before the assembly of the final solution. Therefore, different experts are needed to implement each development stage an outcome that increases the expertise requirements of the method. Finally, iterative techniques are used to assemble the final solution which improves the quality of the systems. Pros Flexible and agile - any changes in the development process are adequately accommodated by the approach. Time efficient secondly, the simultaneous execution of the implementation stages reduces the time of development. Quality system furthermore, a user-centred approach characterizes the approach which improves the quality of the systems developed(Stoica, Mircea, Micu, 2013). Cons Resource intensive - the approach requires a lot of expertise which increases the resource requirements. Headspace recommendation The project at hand requires an agile solution that is able to adapt to the different changes of operation. Moreover, the system will be integrated with cloud solutions which also requires a lot of resilience and adaptability. Now, while the predictive approach may be cost-effective and accountable, it does not favour the attributes of the proposed system(MSB, 2011). Furthermore, it would require a lot of time to establish, a limitation that cannot be accommodated by the system. Therefore, the adaptive approach is suitable as it maximizes the qualities of the proposed system which are adequately discussed in this report. Conclusion Through this report, the different system considerations for the Headspace project have been highlighted including the non-functional requirement which dictates the interaction between the users and the system. Moreover, the report has outlined cloud solutions and their suitability in the system because of the benefits they offer including the high availability of resources. Finally, the report has discussed the different approaches to system development i.e. predictive and adaptive SDLC where the adaptive approach is highlighted as the method of choice. In all, this report has given an all-inclusive analysis of the development process of the Headspace project which is characterized by a modern outlook owing to its proposed agile features. References Hassan, A. (2015). Software Architecture. CISC 322, Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://research.cs.queensu.ca/~ahmed/home/teaching/CISC322/F09/slides/CISC322_02_Requirements.pdf. Levelcloud. (2017). Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing. Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://www.levelcloud.net/why-levelcloud/cloud-education-center/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-computing/. Lowey, R. (2017). Non-functional requirements. Scaled agile framework, Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://www.scaledagileframework.com/nonfunctional-requirements. MIS. (2015). The System Development Life Cycle. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1166782/files/38198507/download. MSB, M. s. (2011). The System Development Life Cycle. Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1166782/files/38198507/download. Okoli, C., Carillo, K. (2010). The best of adaptive and predictive methodologies: Open source software development, a balance between agility and discipline. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://chitu.okoli.org/media/pro/research/pubs/OkoliCarillo2010IJAESD.pdf. Primault, C. (2016). Cloud Computing for Small Business Success. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://getapp.ulitzer.com/. Rackspace. (2017). Understanding the Cloud Computing Stack: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS. Support networking, Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://support.rackspace.com/white-paper/understanding-the-cloud-computing-stack-saas-paas-iaas/. Rahman, R., Safadi, W., Basaula, A. (2015). Functional And Non-Functional Requirements. Retrieved 28 September, 2017, from: https://ami-2015.github.io/MyGuide/d2-final.pdf. Stoica, M., Mircea, M., Micu, G. (2013). Software Development: Agile vs. Traditional. Informatica Economic?, Retrieved 29 September, 2017, from: https://www.revistaie.ase.ro/content/68/06%20-%20Stoica,%20Mircea,%20Ghilic.pdf.

The flexible use of information technology

Introduction Advancement in technology and the flexible use of information technology (IT) are the great motives towards an integrated service approach in various facilities. This integration is a great enabler of efficient service offering, swift responses and quality functions within the institutions.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The flexible use of information technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As these qualities reflect the needs of a medical facility, it can be confirmed that IT is pertinent to services offered to patients. In developed nations, acquisition of technology is much easier and also a requirement for its use in service provision. This motive is behind the establishment of the following proposed project. There is a dire need to ensure that IT is adopted in all facilities that offer services and especially the vital ones like medical centers. Addressing non-functional requirements When addressing non-functional requirements, an evaluation of their impacts is necessary. The extent of the impacts can be used as a guide to address the requirements. Apparently, security and privacy considerations are of paramount importance to both the users of the system and regulators. These will be addressed by communicating the measures that are in place to the affected parties before the implementation starts. About legal considerations, the project team will seek recommendation from the relevant regulatory bodies prior to implementation. To address IT compliance issues, the project must involve proficient individuals in various areas affected by the system right from the start and ensure that they are working together towards the same goal. Addressing environment sustainability requirements compels the team to adopt environmental protection strategies and use environmental friendly materials where applicable. Other special requirements will be addressed through stakeholder involvement in the implementation process.Advertising Looking for case study on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Constraints and assumptions Constraints The effort depends on voluntary participation by many agencies There is no defined budget for this project The project will take on within the limits of prioritized functional requirements Once approved, the next milestone will be actual implementation Assumptions The projects is approved by the necessary bodies Participants will proceed to support team involvement More specific team obligation levels will be described in the project plan Cost benefit analysis Benefits Amount ($000) Increased quality of services 35 Increased output from employees 20 More patients 25 Low number of employees 2 Others 5 Total benefits 87 Costs Amount ($000) Hardware purchase 10 Software purchases 5 Internet 0.5 Staff training 5 Maintenance 1 Total costs 21. 5 Development release schedule Net benefits = Total benefits – total costs = $87,000 – $21,500 = $65,500 IT system August 1 Professional briefing on the project September 1 Commissioning of the system implementation processes September 10 Specifying the hardware and software requirements October 1 Purchasing the system requirements October 20 Assigning tasks and activities to team members November 1 Hardware installation November 15 Software installation December 1 Internet installation January 1 System testing January 15 Developing this pilot into a software package Conclusion The IT system pilot project is motivated by the need to integrate technology in service institutions. The system is a patient centered IT system with composite care plans that can increase the efficiency of the services provided to patient. The integrated system involves functional and non-function requirements with respective measures to address them. Despite severa l constraints and assumptions, our recommendation is for future development of solutions to meet the requirements identified in the pilot study as a way of reducing the risks associated with a project having a wider scope. This case study on The flexible use of information technology was written and submitted by user Soft Deer to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Riordan Human Resource System

Riordan Human Resource System Free Online Research Papers Riordan Manufacturing was founded in 1991 by Michael Riordan with an initial focus on the licensing of existing patents, research and development. Today they are looked at as a leader in the plastic injection field. They have received international acclaim in for their works. As a Fortune 1000 enterprise they offer state of the art plastic design through its facilities. They currently are head quartered in San Jose with additional plants in Albany, Pontiac and Hangzhou. (Apollo, 2006) Riordan currently uses HRIS for its HR duties, which is part of their financial package. HRIS has the ability to keep track of pay rates, personal information, exemptions, hire date, organizational information and vacation hours. Currently, all changes must be submitted by the employees in writing on special forms and entered by the payroll clerk located at the corporate headquarters. Currently, the system is complicated and disconnected. Training and development are kept in a excel spreadsheet by the training specialist. This method is not only cumbersome, but non-secure. Additionally, each recruiter keeps maintains their own applicant information in a central non-digital storage along with tracking applicants in an excel spread sheet. Information regarding grievances and harassment complaints are kept locked in the employee relations specialists offices. Riordan is in need of a system that will pull all of the facets of HR into one central location. This should be a secure system requiring a secured login to protect sensitive information that is currently being manually stored and locked. Once the new system is in place, these assistants will be able to focus on up keeping and entering information freeing the managers to focus on the employees themselves. To resolve these inefficiencies, it will be important that as much information as possible is gathered. A review of the current organizational charts would give an understanding of how separate departments function as well as giving an idea of key individuals that will need to be interviewed. Additionally, a review would be made of the documentation of the current system. This gives a better understanding of how the current system is meant to function. Since most of the functions are currently done manually, it is expected much of the forms and documentations will not be up to date. Gathering this information will help in the decision of which forms should be modified and which eliminated. The forms also serve as an important tool when conducting interviews. As one of the primary means of gaining information, interviews would begin with key personnel in each of the locations to gain a better understanding of the individual requirements of each location. Additional interviews with end users will take place to gain an idea of operations and to highlight ways improvements can be made to their job. It will be important to also conduct follow-up interviews with stakeholders to ensure continued success of the project. Conducting end user surveys is an additional way to gather information regarding concerns and requirements not previously addressed. These questionnaires have the added benefit of allowing the gathering of information from many people who may be scattered across the company’s various geographic locations. These surveys will be given key users directly involved with the new system to get a better picture of what the workers feel will streamline their department and increase productivity. By also conducting additional surv eys with other employees, information can be gained on what features they feel would make their jobs easier and what information they would like to have accessible to them through the new system. Observation of the current system and process will be an important part of the fact finding phase. Watching the system in action will give an additional view point and understanding of the current system procedures. This also gives the opportunity to verify statements given in interviews and ensure everything is as described. Observation of the systems and its workers is vital to understanding what occurs in the current process. A prototype of the proposed system will allow all involved to get the look and the feel of the new system. The prototype will be focused and easily modified. JAD sessions will be another important part of information gathering. This will allow all the important stakeholders to be present with the opportunity to contribute and make decisions. Actual participants would vary by sessions. Riordan is a very large organization, with four facilities, one of them being overseas. This can make it a challenge to gather information correctly and quickly. This also adds the additional challenge of putting information and resources into a central location. The scope is to implement this central system and implement it into a unified process while increasing efficiency and reducing costs. It is the desire of Riordan to â€Å"take advantage of a more sophisticated, state-of-the art, information systems technology in our Human Resources department† (Apollo, 2006). The integrated more sophis ticated system will reduce labor costs and provide a more user friendly environment which will reduce errors. The data would be in a shared environment so only authorized personal have access, which means a big step up for the company security wise. The automation of routine reports and functions will also save the company time and money and allow management to have instant automated access to important information needed to make companywide decisions. A scope management plan will need to be developed. This document will include the work required to complete the project and will be communicated to the project team. Currently, the systems across the plants are not compatible and revisions of the system are a priority. The investigation into the feasibility of the project has proven this is a necessary and feasible undertaking. The project constraints consist of project completion by the second quarter of next year. The allocated budget for the project is $150,000. Reviews will be utilized to ensure successful rollout throughout the process. Equally important to data integration and the building of the new system are the financial benefits to Riordan. The elimination of unnecessary labor reduces labor costs as well as the reduction in errors. The project feasibility is further strengthened by the current lack of security of sensitive data. An integrated system will provide a greater overall benefit to the organization. This integrated system will result in less redundant data entry, improved data integrity and less overall job training costs. In designing the architecture of the system, it will be important to address the system functionality, ensure that it is secure and protects both the application and the business, that it is stable, manageable and maintainable. In designing the system, it will be very important to also consider the requirements: high performance, scalable and expandable, consistent, easy integration with other systems and minimal resource usage. The plan would be to design the system using a distributed architecture. This design would include all the elements that would be required to develop a more centralized system. The corporate office would be the best location for the centralized system. A windows based system would be the recommended option as it is compatible, tested and has the proper support. This software would also include an automated backup system. A human resources management system should be considered that will meet the requirements. Microsoft Dynamics is an all in one solution with proven support that would meet all of Riordan’s needs. It will provide a centralized solution for viewing and managing personnel data such as pay stubs, training histories. It will automate organizing human resource processes, eliminate many time consuming clerical tasks and will provide human resources with powerful tools for employee management. Microsoft Dynamics will also give the employees many options. They will now have the ability to access information regarding their accrued time off, benefits, payroll and more. Some of the other important solutions it will deliver are; payroll, benefits, training, compliance and reporting and analysis. It also has the ability to include other solutions in the future if needed easily, such as customer relations. A wireless network will be setup in each location with the servers located in the main office. This will allow the networking of the main office and other facilities. An important part of the upgrade will be a central database. Automation will be needed rather than relying on input from individuals while also increasing efficiency and productivity. The installation of a wireless connection will be worth the costs as workers will become far more efficient. Communications will be much easier company wide as workers have more efficient access to electronic communications. Additionally, steps should be taken to better link the existing networks. Using a ring system would allow them to share resources throughout the network, reduce Internet connection costs, improve data connections, and allow not only for cross site data access, but printing as well. The development of the company intranet will also allow for better ease of company resources. The intranet will be secured, not only through software to protect it from outside intrusions, but also through the use of individual passwords. When logging in to the intranet with their specific password, users will only have access to information relevant to them, a much more secure system then the filing cabinets currently in place which are unsecure and easily assessable. The intranet will allow for different levels of accessibility and put all necessary information in one place while also reducing materials costs and waste. Employees will be able to easily update personal information, access training materials, view procedural handbooks, communicate, and submit information to other departments right from the company Intranet. The company Intranet will not only make human resource tasks more efficient but it will also improve the efficiencies of other departments. The current company intranet is useful, but to reach its full potential updates should be made. Only basic information is available to users and there is no interactivity. By including modules available through the new human resources software, Riordan will be able to give users the ability to not only read available materials but contribute as well. The addition of forms and interactive trainings will keep the intranet basic and easy to use while vastly increasing overall company efficienc y and security. Currently, Riordan maintains an HR system that already includes some employee information as well as manually maintained Excel documents. This till make the transition of data much easier. Adding to it the ease of transition is Excel is a widely used program compatible with most platforms making the data contained in the spread sheets easily transferrable. Data will be stored in the new data base and easily accessible from employee workstations. For example, human resource personnel from each site will be able to enter information directly from their workstation to the payroll module. The data will be secured and some parts password protected for added security to sensitive information. Employees will be able to login to the system through the company intranet using their password and access relevant data such as pay rate, benefits, accrued vacation time and performance reviews. They will also have interactive forms allowing them to change their personal information, request vacation time or even request help desk services. The results from the design phase will now be passed to the next phase, implementation. During this phase we have a number of activities to perform before the system is deployed. Among these activities are; program coding, testing, installation, documentation and training. After deployment we will also be doing system support. The first step in this implementation phase is coding. During this phase the software will be installed and then the installation of specific modules for benefits and administration and human resource management. Because of the existence of multiple sub systems which all need integration, there will be multiple developers working on the system at the same time. Once this is completed managers and human resource professionals will need to enter the necessary data. Although time consuming, the entering of the information is vital for system success. Once this has taken place, the systems will be brought online. Top down development will be used, meaning we will start at the top of the system with the highest level of functionality and work our way down. Integration testing will begin and allow for the testing of how all the multiple modules work together. If any compatibility issues are found between the modules they can be corrected at this point. Once this has been completed, system testing can begin. Developers can check the system for bugs and ensure the system meets user requirements. QA personnel will perform performance tests to validate system response and throughout requirements. Performance will be looked at during each stage to determine any performance issues which may need to be addressed. Installation will take place in phases. The primary component is the database that will include personnel and department information. Independent subsystems will be added one at a time after initial installation. After the entire system is up and testing has been completed the old system will be taken down. The procedures that have been performed along with results from testing, flow charts created and other required documents will be retained for inclusion in the final system documentation. These will be converted to PDF format and stored for access on the company intranet. This will assist in future maintenance as well as helping future developers in design change and upgrade. Some user documentation is included with Microsoft Dynamics and will be reviewed and further developed for completeness. End user guides will also be developed and be accessible through the company intranet. FAQs will be developed along with common procedure instructions. As system updates are made documentation will be upgraded accordingly. Clear and complete user end documentation and tools will minimize the amount of training and support for the system. Even though these documents will be provided, training for the new system will need to be provided. This will give users a better understanding of the new system and allow them to work more efficiently. Documentation for the new system will be provided to users, primarily the HR department and the users that currently maintain the excel spreadsheets. Site seminars will take place along with hands on training that will give them a chance to use the system in a test environment while also allowing for user feedback. All employments will receive information on how they may now update their information on the new system as well as how to use the system to view important information. Simple instructions will be provided to employees who may visit with HR personal that attended the seminars if they need additional help using the new system. Current help desk and technical personnel will be trained for the ongoing support of the system. This training will include system installation, configuration, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting tips. User will be able to contact the help desk through a support ticket request on the company intranet should end user problems arise. The activities of the implementation phase are considered part of a defined and repeatable process. Defining the successful project for development and documenting the process allows you to repeat the process and gives a structured approach to design management. Having a defined and repeatable process will assist the project managers by having defined activities taking place at defined times during the process. This helps to ensure no steps are skipped. Research Papers on Riordan Human Resource SystemRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalStandardized TestingThree Concepts of PsychodynamicGenetic Engineering

Potential Role(s) of HR And HR Professionals In Contemporary Essay

Potential Role(s) of HR And HR Professionals In Contemporary Organisations - Essay Example After receiving applications from the prospective candidates, HRD will only sort out those applications and importantly will come up with various selection processes, according to the job description. Some of the selection processes that are normally followed in contemporary organisations include written exams, objective type exams, personality judgment tests, assessment centres, personal interviews, etc. (Robertson and Smith 2001; Armstrong, 2006). Through, these processes, the three main aspects of skill level, knowledge and even experience levels, will be analysed and judged by the HR professionals in relation with the management team. â€Å"Skills, experience, and knowledge have economic value to organisations because they enable to be productive and adaptable† (Jackson and Schuler 2003). Thus, recruited optimal employees will have adequate skill and knowledge, which can be aptly tapped by the organisation, leading to better performance. In essence, if HR professionals imp lement a specified set of employment as well as work practices, it is going to lead to better performance. (Boxall and Purcell 2008). When one focuses on Southwest Airlines HRD’s recruitment processes, it exhibits apt qualities. HR professionals inside SW Airlines conducts the recruitment process in such a foolproof manner that only one out of four applicants would be personally interviewed, after going through various process, and importantly less than 3% would actually be hired. (Hunter 2006). During the recruitment process, apart from focusing on their academic qualifications and skill levels, HR professionals in SW looks for key subtle human assets... This paper approves that HRD will bring expert coaches from outside, who will focus more on human resource element than on the technical aspects, thereby facilitating wholesome development of the employees. In the computer chip manufacturing company, Intel, a mentoring program has been in place for many years and it showing more than expected results. Experienced employees who have agreed to play the role of mentors complete an on-line questionnaire in which they list any of their two dozen top skills, based on which the struggling employees will be paired as mentee. As this program, facilitated by HR professionals, gives importance to not only sharing information but also sharing of skills sets and practical experience, it benefits the employees, thereby making them organisation or â€Å"work-ready†. Another key role of HR professionals, which can lead to effective employee management, is conducting the appraisal process and then aptly rewarding the correct employees. This report makes a conclusion that it is clear that HR or HR professionals form an indispensable part of organisational functioning starting from recruitment till rewarding. It seems HR aspect or HR professionals get involved during all the important organisational processes and decisions, which determines the performance as well as success of the organisation at large. Their maximum involvement and their employee-centric focus leads to effective employee management, which in turn makes them contribute optimally to the organisation, thereby placing the organisation on the path of success.

Embryo Gene Activation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Embryo Gene Activation - Essay Example Embryonic genes, which are active prior to the 4-cell stage, are small in number and they code for proteins used in controlling and stabilizing maternal mRNA and proteins. Parental proteins regulated at the post-translational glassy by adjusting the proteins phosphorylation form. Alternatively, these protein states created by the embryonic kinases can stimulate the activities of proteins and change their cell location. For embryo development, change and degradation of maternal mRNA proteins are crucial just before the embryo gene activation. This paper discusses embryo gene activation, DNA repair and the pathways involved in the processes (Lauritzen 240). During the 4-cell phase of embryo gene activation, remodeling of chromatin, which allows transcription of the embryo, and hence synthesizing the translation machinery. The genome of embryos becomes active and starts transcription of metabolic, apoptosis and cell cycle protein regulation (Khanna &Yosef 119). The proteins for maternal mRNAs continuously reduce in the early phases of the 4-cell phase. Signaling pathways for embryonic gene activation example is the hedgehog signaling. The signaling pathway that transfers information to embryonic cells helps for right development. Each part of the embryo can contain different concentrations of these signaling proteins. Not only in embryonic cell development, this kind of pathway has a bigger role in adults and malfunction can cause diseases like, basal cell carcinoma. This signaling pathway is a focus regulator in most animals’ growth (Song & Lee 48). In some other animals, lack of this pathway can lead to poor development of the brain, lungs, and the skeleton. Hedgehog signaling is crucial in regulating the maintenance and regeneration of most adult cells and tissues. Pharmaceutical companies have associated this pathway as a cause of cancer and developed drugs to cure the signaling causing diseases (Polin, William, & Steven 58). Breast cancer susceptibilit y gene 1 (BRCA1) and BRCA2 are genes which suppress tumor and the mutant phenotypes that predispose to both ovarian and breast cancers. These proteins are involved in most cellular processes and contribute DNA repair and regulation in response to the damage of DNA (Ensley 113). BRCA proteins protect the genome from damage by providing maintenance of the stability of chromosomes. The big number of cellular proteins, which interact with the BCRA, propels most functions of the BRCA proteins and their functions linked to different phosphorylation events. Reasons why these proteins cause both ovarian and breast cancer are unknown today (Knobil, Jimmy & Neill 69). These proteins are present in breast cells where they help repair the damaged DNA or destroy the cells in cases where the DNA is unrepaired body (Alpi, Pasierbek, Gartner & Loidl 16). Damaging the BRCA1 by any chance causes the damaged DNA not repaired and this may increase the chances of cancer. Most mammals have complex mechan isms to monitor damage of DNA and the required responses to maintain their integrity and repair. Some of the mechanisms for detection, repair, and cell cycle arrest to prevent damage from gametes or embryo cells (Gordon 670). The repair of the DNA in these newly formed embryos relies on the mRNA proteins from prior ovulation. These repair genes developed in the early stages of the animal development need to be enough to equip the embryo with the maternal products for the gene expression to start at the right

Keystone Pipeline Issue on U.S. Economic and Environmental Annotated Bibliography

Keystone Pipeline Issue on U.S. Economic and Environmental perspectives - Annotated Bibliography Example According to Blakey, the Keystone XL pipeline polarizes parties from either side of the construction conflict. The article states that, in a typical enmity between liberals and traditionalists, both parties face a deeper disadvantage in their argument. If ecologists believe oil is not worth the jobs creation, then liberals will consider profit to be the prime key to the United States’ energy security (Blakey 335). Blanchard and Jacobson provide an ecological perception reflecting the provided carbon-concentration of tar-sands creation. Even though conservatives believe that that operation of the Alberta tar sands would merely come to a stop, demand for hydrocarbon-based energy is extremely high. In addition, the journal says that the Ogallala aquifer is acutely sensitive, but its vulnerability is more valuable than the likely damage to British Columbia’s rain forest. The last leading problem discussed in the journal is the likelihood of the construction of the Northern Gateway. The Northern Gateway may be a fallback approach for the ecologists (Blanchard and Jacobson 2011). Daugherty states that the president destroyed tens of thousands of employment opportunities when he denied Keystone the opportunity to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Many of the jobs would have been provided in Houston, Texas. Further than that, the government’s decision to halt the pipeline is considered complete irrational. The article says that the Obama administration is illogic from an economic perspective. This is because of an overpowering goal of national security supposed to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign energy sources (Daugherty 2012). Hargreaves says that the Obama administration refused an offer to develop the contentious Keystone oil sands pipeline. The article says that the government defended its choice by saying that the deadline enforced by the congress did not leave adequate time to carry out the essential review. The pipeline might not be

Dracula By Bram Stoker English Literature Essay

Dracula By Bram Stoker English Literature Essay Very famous for introducing Count Dracula and the novel tell the story of Count Dracula a vampire that have been seeking his dead love for hundred years but he finally found it In a young woman named Mina Murray that live in London that takes him to seek her but at the same time a group of men and the famous Van Helsing want to kill count Dracula they unleashes a battle between Dracula and Van helsing Dracula has been assigned to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. Characters Details: Primary Characters- Count Dracula: A centuries-old vampire and Transylvanian nobleman, Count Dracula inhabits a crumbling castle in the Carpathian Mountains. He can assume the form of an animal, control the weather, and he is stronger than twenty men. His powers are limited, however for instance, he cannot enter a victims home unless invited, cannot cross water unless carried, and is rendered powerless by daylight. Abraham Van Helsing: A Dutch professor, his pupil is Dr. Seward. Called upon to cure the ailing Lucy Westenra, Van Helsings contributions are essential in the fight against Dracula. Unlike his comrades, Van Helsing is not blinded by the limitations of Western medicine: he knows that he faces a force that cannot be treated with traditional science and reason. Knowledgeable about vampire folklore, Van Helsing becomes Draculas chief antagonist and the leader of the group that hunts Dracula down and destroys him. Jonathan Harker A lawyer, whose firm sends him to Transylvania to conclude a real estate transaction with Dracula. Harker quickly finds himself a prisoner in the castle and barely escapes with his life. He demonstrates a fierce curiosity to discover the true nature of his captor and a strong will to escape. He help Van Helsing defeating Dracula Mina Murray: Jonathan Harkers fiancà ©e. Mina is a practical young beautiful woman who works as a schoolmistress. Eventually victimized by Dracula herself and the best friend of the Lucy Westenra who is the first victim of Dracula Lucy Westenra: Beautiful young woman, every man who meets her wants to marry her or save her life, or both. Lucy chooses Arthur to be his wife, but is Draculas first victim and she became in a vampire that eats the blood of the children but later she is killed by Van Helsing group in her tomb. John Seward: A talented young doctor he is Van Helsings pupil. Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Draculas English home and the first to see Lucy Westenra after she was injured by Dracula. Sewer notes are better than the other because I took the story through the eyes of Seward Arthur Holmwood: The one that Lucy choose to marry with, he is a sensitive man an is in the moment when they have to kill Lucy in her tomb he also lose his family in a short period he also finances the vampire hunt and lets everyone use his title to gain access to information about Dracula. Quincey P. Morris: Quincey is from Texas. He is an old friend of Arthur Holmwoods and John Sewards. He also wants to be helpful whenever he can. It is his seeming lack of importance that shows his personality Quincey ultimately sacrifices his life in order to rid the world of Draculas influence. Second Characters- Renfield: An inmate in Dr. Sewards insane asylum. He is seduced by Dracula, who he hails as his Master. When he is at his best, he is polite and intelligent and he tries to do the right thing. When he is at his worst, he eats insects for their souls and is completely vulnerable to Draculas will. It is he who allows the Count into Sewards home he is some kind of servant to Dracula Peter Hawkins: Jonathans boss and mentor. He is very generous and has great faith in Jonathan, both as a solicitor and as a person. Plot This story begins with the journal of a man named Jonathan Harker who has travelled to Transylvania to give some documents about the new property in London to count Dracula, when Jonathan arrives to the castle and meet count Dracula he describes Dracula like a pale thin old man and finds strange the castle of count Dracula and have bad feelings about it, then he start to feel dark presence and hearing noises , when he tried to escape from the castle Count Dracula trap him on the castle with other three women vampires, Dracula prepared a ship to go to London . Jonathan has a fiancà ©e, her name is Mina Murray who is waiting for the return of Jonathan, meanwhile she went to the wedding of her friend Lucy Westenra and Arthur Holmwood ,next in the night Mina see that Lucy was in the courtyard and she was attacked by a dark form of monster but when she went to help Lucy she only find her injured and nothing more, then her husband Arthur called the doctor John Seward who Is the one that g ive the treatment to Lucy that consist of giving her a lot of blood transfusions but is seems to have any good results so Seward decides to call his mentor Van Helsing who come from Amsterdam, when he arrives he checked Lucy and he tell them that Lucy cannot be saved them she die. Jonathan has escaped an returned to London thinking about nothing happened in that castle was real when suddenly his boss Peter Hawkins died and leave a great fortune to Jonathan , then he marries Mina. One day Jonathan see Dracula but he cant remember because Dracula has recovered his youth because the blood of his victims then Jonathan went unconscious and that allow mina to read his journal and know what happenen in the castle. Soon there is a rumor of a monster in London that sucks blood from people ,that take Van Helsing to gather Mina, Jonathan, Arthur, Quincey, Seward and to seek Lucys tomb and watch how Lucy wake up in vampire form and they killed her by cutting off her head , Van helsing prepare Mina, Jonathan, Arthur, Quincey and Seward to kill Dracula, but in the search Van helsing realized that Mina was on danger so Helsing and sewer went into Minas room and found Jonathan unconscious and mina in the arms of Dracula drinking blood from him, next Dracula disappear. When th ey think that all is lost Van Helsing tell them that if they kill Dracula after the next day Mina would return back to normal then they use Mina to led them to Draculas place and when they arrive to Transylvania they found the box that have the body of the count but it was protected by some gypsies but they won the battle an kill count Dracula and that make Mina back to normal but Sewer got bad injured and sadly he die, but at least Mina and Jonathan live happily thats the end of the novel Personal Evaluation and conclusion- Book strengths: in this book is written like in journals and letters , and give the point of view of almost all the characters that helps to get in their thoughts and to near feel as they feel in the novel, I liked that so much because this novel dont have only one narration Book Weakness: It can be very heavy for some people because it is divided in journals and different points of view so it can be hard for some people to relate and to follow the story but it has its benefits Sources: Dracula by Bram stoker book in Pdf Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula Horror novels review- http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/horror/dracula/bookreviews/bramstokersdracula.html Dracula Characters- http://www.bookrags.com/notes/dra/CHR.html