Monday, September 30, 2019

Asking for Less Homework

ASKING FOR LESS HOMEWORK There are many important things in life but one of the most important things is education. Although education is really helpful, getting extra things to do like excessive homework makes it boring. Specific studies show that excessive homework makes students and parents hate school. People say that having more homework is good for students as it helps them get higher marks and be more responsible. They also say that more homework will make students revise a lot, so you remember explanations better.They prove that by doing more homework the parents would be able to get involved more with the student's educational life and be able to help them. Elders think that by giving students extra homework they will be able to be independent thinkers and know that they can learn things outside of school. However, I found that all these above findings are untrue. More homework won't make you revise more or get good marks, it will make you tired, sleepy and exhausted and lea ve no time to revise for quizzes or tests you have on the next day.Students don't want to be responsible now, in their future life they will be responsible. Parents would make it worse if they try to help their children to understand something as they might explain it in a different way and get the child confused. Students should have less homework. They need time to be with their family. They want to have a life for themselves and want to be active e. g going to the cinema to meet friends and play sports. We would enjoy simple things like having more sleep so we can go to school fresh the next day. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3Researchers have found that students finish their homework and stay up late at night so they can have some free time. In fact some teachers have found that more homework makes the student hate the subject. The student becomes pale and bored as he has been studying his whole life. Well, teachers should ask themselves if they want us to be active and do homework together, it will never work. Ask yourself : â€Å"Do you want your child to be constantly pale, sleepy and tired? â€Å",†Do you want to see your child so fat as he eats and eats and doesn’t have time to exercise? . Think of all the questions related to this and you will find the answer to none of them. In conclusion, I would like the school to think about students rights and having less homework is one of them. All principals should remember that teens and kids want to have fun, they don’t want to be responsible now and do hard work. They will be responsi ble later and will have to do extra study to get good marks but when they want not by forcing them and punishing them if they don’t do it. Think carefully and you will eventually agree with my beliefs.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Public and Private Language Essay

1. The author didn’t like the American words that children used to address their parents (Mother, Father) because those words didn’t have for him the special, tender sounds that his origin language of Spanish had. He hated those American words but also didn’t use the Spanish words- mama and papa- because they painfully reminded him of how much his life had changed after English became his primary language. 2. The real reason for the author’s continuous silence was the difficulty in expressing his words in the English language. He simply didn’t know how to speak in English. 3. According to the reading: Public language – the English language spoken by teachers and children in school, by the people in the author’s community, and within public society in general. Private language – the language at home between family members Public identity – certain kinds of characteristics shared among children in school, the membership of school society Private identity- certain kinds of characteristics shared among family members at home, which defined this group Summary In Public and Private Language, the author Richard Rodriguez talks about his experience with English, which was his secondary language, the obstacles he had to over come as a young boy, and the effect English language had on his life. Richard Rodriguez came from a Mexican-American family, where the only language they spoke at home was Spanish. The author talks about the problems he had with learning the English language once he became a student. Due to the difficulties he had with expressing his thoughts and ideas in a new language, he often was quiet and wasn’t active in school. The teachers were concerned about his education and decided to encourage his parents to get involved in solving this problem. After that the author realized the immediate change in his parents’ behavior. Everybody in the house started to talk in English more often. Rodriquez wasn’t necessarily happy with this change because his â€Å"private† language was replaced with the â€Å"public† language of los gringos, and he felt like the intimacy of his family wasn’t the same anymore. As his English improved over time, he couldn’t find the easing tenderness in English words like â€Å"Mother† and â€Å"Father† that he could find in Spanish words when he addressed his parents. Although there are many obstacles and dark sides of the English language, the author significantly improved his English over time.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

How and Why the Nazis Rose to Power

In this essay I will explain how and why the Nazis rose to power, elaborating on the circumstances of the great depression, the Weimar republic, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Hitler and the Nazis were not prosperous in gaining power from up to 1928, this is because people thought all Nazis were brutes and believed that Hitler was a big joke. Nobody was interested in the Nazi ideas or plans and plus, Germany wasn’t quite ready for them. But Hitler soon came into power in many different ways. He promised to undo the Versailles Treaty which Germany had to reparation to England and France.He also promised to restore hope and to deal with the depression. Hitler also blamed the Jews for inflicting tragedy to Germany. Everyone soon agreed to the Nazi plans for getting rid of democracy and started to follow his ways. In 1929, the American stock exchange collapsed and caused an economic depression. America called in all its foreign loans, which destroyed Weimar Germany. Unemployment in Germany rose to 6 million. The German companies collapsed, the unemployment rate was extremely high, everyone resulted to violence and farming was a crisis because of the low food prices.The government didn’t know what to do so in July 1930 the chancellor cut wages and unemployment pay which had to be the worst thing to do during the depression. The anger and bitterness helped the Nazis to gain more support; in 1928, the Nazis had only 12 seats in the Reichstag and by July 1932 they had 230 seats and were the largest party. The Weimar Republic was after WWI when Germany became a democratic republic after the Kaiser fled. German citizens were allowed to vote, hold meeting for trade unions and would only be arrested if they broke the law which was all fair.There were many problems with the Weimar Republic which was the high unemployment, hunger, poverty; hyperinflation and the leaders were blamed for signing the hated Treaty of Versailles. The Weimar Republic lasted until 1 945, when the German government was finally dissolved because of the Second World War. The main reason why he became chancellor was because of the great depression advantage he had but Hitler was also a great speaker, with the power to make people support him. The depression of 1929 created poverty and unemployment, which made people angry with the Weimar government.People lost confidence in the democratic system and turned towards the extremist political parties such as the Communists and Nazis during the depression. The SA also attacked the Nazis opponents. The Nazis were clearly all Fascists because they all had very extreme right wing views which were racist and nationalistic (e. g. getting rid of Jews/ perfect race). There are many reasons why Hitler had come to power. Germany had just been through a war and had lost. The Treaty of Versailles made a contract for Germany which made living in Germany very hard.The people of Germany were poor and where upset with the Treaty. They wanted someone to help them out of the hole they were in. So Hitler offered them everything they wanted, the people of Germany were brain washed with posters, radio, newspapers and leaflets. Hitler's speeches where strong and effective, the Germans liked the idea of having one strong leader. The Nazis were organised and smart, people liked that; in 1930 The Nazis pulled 6,500,000 votes. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg on 30th January 1933 which was 1/3 of the total votes an outstanding 13,500,000.

Friday, September 27, 2019

US National Security Policy and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

US National Security Policy and Analysis - Essay Example For a fact, these may be general American citizens, dignitaries, or even American soldiers. As such, the issue of national security is very significant in the US and falls under the mandate of the US president and the US National Security Council. The National Security Council (NSC) offers the US president a principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters (Snow, 2010). Indeed, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies where the president chairs all NSC meetings (National Security Council, 2012). The National Security Act of 1947 established the NSC in 1947. This paper will address the National Security Act of 1947 and the fault lines in relation to US national security policy. Under normal and geographical circumstances fault lines refer to ruptures of physical fault lines on the earth’s surface that are usually caused by earthquakes. However, in context of US National security, we will refer to fault lines as the representative of the traumatic events that have shaped the environment we inhabit today. Indeed, the events tend to alter the environment and require adjustment in the posttraumatic period (Snow, 2010). How these fault lines changed US national security policy Fault lines have changed the US national security in many ways. ... How the US has responded to those changes US have responded to these changes by forming the federal bureau investigation that investigates such fault lines, handles them, and draws the right preventive procedures. It is also working with nongovernmental organizations to minimize their effect (Snow, 2010). Reversibility of fault lines Indeed, fault lines are not reversible since they are natural and cultural occurring. As such, there is no way that the Federal US federal government can reverse fault lines. However, the government can initiate measures to combat these fault lines hence enhancing natural security in our environment (Snow, 2010). Predictability of fault lines In some cases, fault lines are predicable using detailed intelligence, and a lot of research. Indeed, where the government can see the faults via its agencies, it is always easy to show fault lines. However, where faults are not visible, it is equally hard to predict fault lines. Subject to the inability to predict the fault lines, it becomes challenging to denote the new fault lines the international system will encounter in the future. It requires professional knowhow and a lot of research to identifying â€Å"fault lines† when it comes to national security. At the same time, the identification of the fault lines may not be significant in matters of national security as by the time they become visible, national security is already at lapse (Snow, 2010). Summary of the National Security Act of 1947 The National Security Act of 1947 main aim was to mandate a major reorganization of the foreign policy and military establishments of the U.S. Government by formalizing the Department of Defense with Secretary of Defense who reports directly to the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

BMW Mini(Case Study) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BMW Mini(Case Study) - Coursework Example Research has shown that the most efficient the operational management of the firm, the more industrious and productive a firm becomes. This report aims at analyzing the operations of the final assembly line at the Mini Oxford Plant at Cowley, and this will be achieved through evaluation of the applicability of various operational management theories and the managerial approaches used in the firm. Being an international organization, Mimi Oxford Plant needs to have defined operational processes and managerial strategies that enable organizations in meeting the needs of the targeted groups. To arrive at an evidence-based conclusion regarding the operations at the firm, various themes will be integrated to explain some theories that are significant in understanding the operational process of the organization. The delivery lead time will be assessed in the report, and this will allow for concrete conclusions and recommendations to be fostered to aid in the improvement of the operational processes of the firm. The recommendations made are based on the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities realized in the comp any with a focus on enhancing the performance of the firm. Mini Oxford Plant is owned and managed by the BMW that is a UK based Manufacturing Limited, and the major activities involved are manufacture of motor vehicle and motor spares. It is part of the Plant Hams Hall which is responsible for the production of engines, and Plant Swindon that is responsible for body pressing and where sub-assemblies are constructed. There are various models that are produced by the firm, and these are with inclusion of Morris Marina, Austin Ambassador and Austin Maxi among other models like Rover 75. The quality of the motors manufactured by the industry is great, contributing to its consideration as one of the most recognized motor manufacturing companies in the automobile industry along Toyota Company

Written critique power point presentation Essay

Written critique power point presentation - Essay Example The effectiveness of a presentation depends on the strength of the topic and also on the usability of the subject in the daily life of the people. The current presentation is done by a Community Resource Division Administrator which increases the credibility and authenticity of the written articulation. A presentation performed by an authoritative person brings about true facts and information related to the specific subject. The effectiveness of the presentation lies in the fact that , there is a brief introduction and also a statistical data coverage about housing ,which enhances the informative potentiality of the presentation. The presentation also reveals statistics and minute details regarding housing facts and homelessness, which allow the readers to understand about housing on a local and national level. The presentation primarily elaborates on the actions and programs delivered by housing authority in order to stabilize public life, and this highlights the purpose of presentation. The presentation clearly reflects the authority of the organization and also effortlessly projects the strength and contribution of them to the society, which makes it more very effective to the readers. Brevity is the correct usage of words and phrases in writing which enlarges the outlook and uniqueness of a presentation. This presentation has words which are very effective, simple and understandable. The phrases used projects the right meaning intended by the writer and the presenter has used the words in a calculative way to communicate the subject and message of the presentation .The points in the presentation about housing is precise and concise and the words and grammatical representation is up to the point. The flow of words is consistent and the meaning is directly absorbable by the readers. However, more of simplicity in language, words and phrases can underestimate the richness and communicative ability of the writer or the presentation

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Morrisons future growth for the last few years and whats predicted for Essay

Morrisons future growth for the last few years and whats predicted for the next few years . Dalton Philips - Essay Example The Optimization Plan launched in 2006, ended up creating greater sales growth and profits higher than the market. However, more recently the December 2010 sales growth reveals only 1% increase in the sales on the occasion of Christmas which attracts far higher sales. This increase of 1% is much smaller than its rivals and point towards an alarming future of the organization (Heraldscotland, 2011). The future targets of Morrison are to expand the space of its supermarket stores up to 1.5m square feet in the coming years till January 2013. The company is spending much capital on extending its space which may be a hurdle for the future growth. The profits increased from 655m pounds in 2009 to 858m pounds in 2010 (Steiner, 2010). The profit before tax of the company has increased by 21% in 2010. The earnings per share also increased accordingly by 23% in 2010. The cash flow situation of the company is also strong if we analyze its past activities. However, the increased capital expendit ure may be questioned for the appropriateness and efficiency of such large investments. In 2009/10 the company spent 906m pounds in order to develop a new regional distribution centre and opened 45 new stores. The increased capital expenditure resulted in increased debt of the company.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Impact of technology on today's life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Impact of technology on today's life - Essay Example Even though the great strides in technology have offered technologies and increased opportunities, it has also impacted society to where there have been consequences as well. In particular, the use and development of technology has most impacted the fields of education, medicine, communication, and the environment. Traditional educations in early history were the explicatory nature of academics that were passed through the word of mouth. With the development of written language, knowledge could be stored, harnessed, and taught through the use of books. As technology has been developed, it has opened new avenues into the way teaching is conducted. The Internet, in particular, has become a widely used utility. It allows for a great amount of flexibility in learning. The vast amount of resources that can be brought into the classroom gives educators access to supplementary material that can enhance lectures. Classes can now be taken at a distance, which gives adult and non-traditional s tudents access to education and can take courses at their own pace. This has become a common way in which classes occur in higher education. New technologies such as smartboards and computers are used to teach students in new ways. However, there are also cons to the use of technology in education. Because students have access to a whole new set of resources, plagiarism has become more commonplace and has had to become a strictly enforced academic area. In addition, technology can also hinder educational development as educators and students are now dependent on the need for technology in the classroom through computers and electronic books. The field of medicine has also been influenced by technology. The first movements in the field of medicine consisted of apocrethary and other herbal treatments. As the early scientists became aware of the properties of these herbs, they started learning how to harness and process these chemicals in pure form. This necessitated the development of new devices and procedures by which these compounds could be synthesized. In order to help treat conditions such as bone degeneration, breaking, etc., metallic and polymer alloys have been synthesized to serve as a replacement for these parts. As neural anatomy and the complex thought processes of sensation and perception have been unlocked, more and more advanced prosthetics has been developed to help substitute the replacement of functional limbs. Greater detection devices such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (X-ray computed tomography), etc. have served to help detect injuries, diseases, and abnormalities rather than through the use of exploratory surgery. Laser and computer assisted surgeries have helped increase the successes of surgeries as well as help make complex surgeries easier for medical staff to handle. There are some faults to the use of technology in medicine. An important part of the healing process is the therapeutic relationship between the patient and th e doctor. The overuse of technology can hinder this process, which affects the healing process. The use of technology and medicine is also often times untested or is known to have adverse side effects. As a result, in the case of patients that have illnesses, the use of experimental technology and medication can lead to further complications that accompany the condition. In this field, the use

Monday, September 23, 2019

An audit on the appropriate completion of the venous thromboembolism Dissertation

An audit on the appropriate completion of the venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment and adequate thromboprophylaxis durin - Dissertation Example Certain patient subsets display VTE pathologies of idiopathic causes, with no apparent identifiable risk factors. Therapeutic anticoagulation is the cornerstone of management in all patients with VTE, in many cases, standard anticoagulants such as heparin are included as therapeutic options in normal practice. (Schulman et al 2009) Adjunctive treatments, such as thrombolysis and the use of vena cava filters, are prescribed in certain cases. Pregnancy is among several risk factors for deep venous thrombosis, in addition to minor injuries and surgery. (Van Stralen et al. 2008) But those with a familial history of thrombophilia-related blood conditions are at an increased risk. (American College of Obstetricians 2000) Most physicians do not recommend general screening for the patient population at large, and several studies attest to the need for a regimen of targeted testing for VTE conditions only when a battery of predisposing factors is extant. ( Robertson et al. 2006) (Osinbowale e t al. 2010) Of particular instance in this case is the degree to which proper screening is conducted for pregnant women, both upon admittance to Maternity, and postpartum. SCREENING Diagnostic testing for inherited or acquired thrombophilic conditions is advisable in the presence of personal or family history indicating heightened risk factors. The Factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A mutations are the most common genetic thrombophilic disorders, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is the most clinically significant acquired defect. Venous thromboembolism often results from the interplay between a series of risk factors. 50% of pregnant women with also exhibit thrombophilia. (Nelson-Piercey 2004) (Zotz et al. 2003) Understanding these VTE risks increases the probability of timely prevention and diagnosis. Virchow’s triad refers to 3 abnormalities that promote thrombogenesis: hypercoagulability, stasis, and endothelial dysfunction or injury. (Van Stralen et al. 2008) (Os inbowale et al. 2010) Several predisposing factors alter ? 1 components of Virchow’s triad. In a systematic analysis of 1231 consecutive patients treated for VTE, 96% exhibited > 1 recognized risk factor. Venous thromboembolism risk factors as may be hereditary or acquired. (Osinbowale et al. 2010) (Dresang et al. 2008) Osinbowale et al. 2010 Provides a ranking of predisposing risks from to lowest to highest in terms of probability: 1.) Obesity LOW 2.) Elderly 3.) Varicose veins (Varicosity) 4.) Laparoscopy 5.) Stasis (Immobility, due to long-term bed rest) 6.) CV catheterization 7.) Any other medical condition requiring hospitalization 8.) Previous VTE states 9.) Paralytic stroke 10.) Hormone Replacement Therapy 11.) Oral contraceptives, and pregnancy itself 12.) Arthroscopic knee surgery 13.) Malignancy and chemotherapy 14.) Spinal Cord injury 15.) Multiple traumas 16.) Major general surgery 17.) Major orthopedic surgery 18.) Long bone fractures, or fractures of hips and pe lvis. HIGH Clinical examinations may prove unreliable, therefore decisions in terms of treatment and/or screening tests must be based upon signs, symptoms, and preexisting risk factors. In this manner, patients are grouped into low, moderate, or high clinical probability of risk. (Sandler et al. 1984) Clinical symptoms of VTE disorders may be subtle and difficult to distinguish from gestational edema, though pain, warmth,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Duties and Responsibilities Essay Example for Free

Duties and Responsibilities Essay As everybody know, to be responsible and accomplish with your duties, is one of the most important things around the world in the labor area. Without being responsible and do whatever you are supposed to do, practically, you are out of your job. As and future officer of the United States Army, we must know which ones are our duties and responsibilities in order to accomplish them and make our team look sharp and right. Due to constants changes in the army, we never know which position we or our fellow soldier are going to occupy. Thus, here you will see the duties and responsibilities of leadership positions from company commander to squad leader in order to make the reader understand why is so important to know what, when, where and why is your position so important. The company commander or CO is one of the most important positions in a company. The CO is responsible for everything the company does or fails to do, as an all. The CO is responsible for the training, discipline, administration and welfare of the soldier/ cadets in the company. He or she is the one who will receive the warning order (WARNO), formulates operation order (OPORD), creates plan and time line for every activity to do, supervise all trainings and coordinates with the cadre for detailed instructions. The CO leads by personal example and influence others to accomplish their duties and responsibilities. The executive office or XO is the second in command in a company. He or she primary role is to assist the commander in mission planning and accomplishment. The XO frees the company commander from routine details and passes pertinent data, information and insight to the commander and ensures suspenses are met by the platoon leaders. In addition to that the XO is responsible for the safety and risk assessment of all company events, thus, prepare OPORDs safety paragraph. The XO performs all other duties as assigned by the company commander. The first Sargent or 1SG, just like the company commander is the responsible for everything the company does or fails to do. Usually is the most experienced soldier/ cadet in the company. The 1SG is the commanders primary tactical advisor and expert on individual and NCO skills. The 1SG helps the commander plan, coordinate and supervise all activities that support the company or unit mission. He or she writes and presents paragraph IV (Service and Support) of the company OPORD, makes necessary announcements at PT and at lab, responsible for gathering all accountability and sending it up the chain of command, keeps company training running according to the time line, makes sure all information is disseminated to the PSGs and has accountability at all times and supervises PSGs and SLs. The platoon leader or PL is the responsible for the entire platoon does or fails to do. In the conduct of duties, consults platoon Sargent in all matters related to the platoon. The PL leads platoon in supporting higher headquarters missions, looks ahead to the next move for the platoon, requests and controls supporting assets and issues accurate and timely reports. In addition to that the PL places self where most needed to accomplish the mission and understands the mission and commanders intent two levels up. The platoon sergeant or PSG is usually a senior NCO in the platoon and second in command. The PSG sets the example in everything and is the responsible for the care of personnel, weapons and equipment in platoon. As second in command, the PSG assumes duties as assigned by the PL. In addition to that, ensures platoon is prepared to accomplish mission, prepares to assume the role and responsibilities of PL, acts where best needed to help mission command the engagement, organize platoon formations and control movement of the platoon. The squad leader or SL is the responsible for all the squad does or fails to do, directs team leaders and leads by personal example. The SL has authority over subordinates and overall responsibility for those subordinates actions and is responsible for the care of personnel. In addition to that, the SL ensure the squad is in proper uniform with proper equipment for training,  lead a supervise the squad, personally prepare and inspect the squad for all missions, keep squad accountability and report to the PSG, control movement of the squad, prepare and submit reports and prepare and issue the squad OPORD. In conclusion, it does not matter what position we are going to occupy, we need to make that our fellow soldiers are doing what they have to do. The duties and responsibilities of every single leadership position is based on take into consideration that a leader is supposed to know and understand their people. He or she knows their strengths and weaknesses as well as what motivates and frustrates them. So, in order to be successful and accomplish all our obligations, first, we need assume our position, always seeking for the welfare of our team.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Value Chain At Siemens Wind Power Commerce Essay

Value Chain At Siemens Wind Power Commerce Essay Siemens is a world-class service provider with over 30 years of experience in providing high quality services with superior safety principles. Based on this significant knowledge, a flexible range of service solutions have been designed for both onshore and offshore projects, to optimize the output of wind turbines throughout their lifetime. The purpose of the Service Department is to repair damaged main shafts of the wind mills. The range of operations in the service department can be divided into two main categories: On-site repairmen and substitutions of the damaged or broken main shafts. At Siemens Wind Power the service department in many cases is prioritized down in the organization because it is costing the company money, and not really generating any money. The service department it just building up inventory, and havent run since January 2009. So we decided to take a look and make a analysis of their value chain to have a overview of the current situation and to see if there are any problems which need solving. A value chain is a chain of activities for a firm operating in a specific industry. A value chain typically consists of inbound distribution or logistics, manufacturing operations, outbound distribution or logistics, marketing and selling, and after-sales service. These activities are supported by purchasing or procurement, research and development, human resource development, and corporate infrastructure. We used the Value Chain framework of Michael Porter from the strategic management book because it breaks down the activities of the organisation into its many parts. Contribution of each part can be analysed for its contribution to the total value added by the organisation. Afterwards this can be used to see where to put in the effort and make improvements. The goal of these activities is to offer the customer a level of value that exceeds the cost of the activities, thereby resulting in a profit margin. Primary Activities: Inbound Logistics : Includes receiving, storing , inventory control , transportation scheduling They have a safety stock in Denmark in Tinglev that consist 5 pieces of each component and in USA they have the safety stock in Huston and consists 10 pieces of each component. The safety stocks are enough to cover demand of 35 days according to their forecast. Production capacity is 30 turbines a week of the 2.3 and 4 a week of 3.6 and they have 60.000 components. Process when a part is broken: Demounting the defect shaft and then can be transported directly to Brande, or through the regional Headquarter and then mount it. Then it is send back to Fabriksvej and repaired and then to Tinglev, where it fills up a container, which consists of 2 main shafts. Lead time of one year of main bearings from the assembly department. Operations: Includes machining, assembly, equipment maintenance. The Costumers have to make the foundation, electricity and have the infrastructure. They are only buying turbines, costumers has to know for themselves the weather conditions etc. A wind mill costs approx. 18 mio. DKK for turbine without SLA. Siemens promises in the SLA that the windmill is running 95 % of the time. But it is actually running 97% of the time. Siemens fulfill the customers service contracts through the SLA (service level agreements) which is made in corporation with the customers. They have a Monitoring department that can see if the main bearing gets too hot and then switch it off and in the UK have their own monitoring departments but sometimes it brakes when it is turned on again. Siemens can monitor the costumer without the SLA, but dont, because they didnt pay for the service. Only if the customers want it later, they can start monitoring them. Outbound Logistics The activities required to get the finished product to the customers: warehousing, order fulfillment, transportation, distribution management In the past Siemens faced a problems with higher demand than expected and couldnt deliver spare parts to the customer because of low safety stock levels there were a demand for 10 in UK because they were broken down, but Siemens only have the safety stock of 5, which is not sufficient but also keeping a high level of safety stock is also not good because it takes lots of money to keep components in the stock. Siemens is not prioritizing the service department regarding the suppliers when they need to share capacity on old components, broken components or new components. When it is new components, the service department forecast a year ahead, to meet the demand. Siemens in order to reduce variability in demand and increase flexibility in order to meet the demand they try to build a corporation with the service regions; USA, Germany Uk to get a forecast from them at least 4 months ahead. Further they ask the regions to have service materials on stock, so they dont get to many urgent orders. There is also a safety-stock in USA, which covers the demand for 35 days. From this they are making forecasts to their suppliers, for them to be able to plan their capacity, they use Delta forecasting and using Delphi method compared with failure rates. The forecasts are updated every month by the demand management department. Marketing and Sales: The activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product. The Siemens service headquarters is located in Brande, Denmark for both onshore and offshore services. In order to optimize knowledge transfer and customer value globally,  regional service centers have been established. These  main offices are  located in: The United States of America Singapore and Germany. In an effort to stay close to the customer in the  complex European region, the heart of the wind industry, smaller offices  are also  set up  in: The United Kingdom Spain, Germany and Denmark. They get the most revenue of selling turbines .The markets are Europe, USA and Asia Pacific . Onshore is not growing in Europe, but in the USA and New Zealand it is expanding. Siemens are the best wind turbine manufacturers they offer high quality and good service for the ones who are willing to pay for it. Their windmills are running 97% of the time, compared with Vestas ´ windmills, which are running under 95 % of the time. Brand name Siemens and with the history of bonus they are adding value to their product. The service department crew is adding value when there is a problem with the customers windmills. The service department has a monitoring department which monitors the windmills all the time. Service The activities that maintain and enhance the products value, including customer support, repair services, installation, training, spare parts management. The Costumers have to make the foundation, electricity and have the infrastructure. They are only buying turbines, costumers has to know for themselves the weather conditions etc. A wind mill costs approx. 18 mio. DKK, for turbine without SLA. Siemens promises in the SLA that the windmill is running 95 % of the time. But it is actually running 97% of the time. Siemens fulfill the customers service contracts through the SLA (service level agreements) which is made in corporation with the customers. They have different types of SLA ´s to meet the costumers needs. When a windmill breaks down, Siemens takes the part back and replaces it with a new one. Siemens Service department repairs the broken part, and then sell it again to another customer, 40 % of the sights (customers) are buying the long term SLA. Only in the service department; the costumers who pay more for SLA, get service first. 70 % want service, only pays 40 % for the quick lead time. 30 % dont want service, but can buy spare parts. In the service department there are two main categories of operations: The first type of repairment is taking place on-site by service teams, send out by the service department in Brande, or by one of the regional headquarters in Houston, Germany or in the UK. On-site repairmens are taking place when the detected problem is a minor damage that can be fixed without removing the main shaft, and when the repairment can be done within the scope of the service level agreement. This means that the turbine has to be up and running again within one week. The second type of repairment is when Siemens is facing a more serious damage that cannot be fixed on-site then the service department calls for a repaired main shaft from the safety stock, to use as a substitute for the operating and damaged main shaft. The regional headquarters are responsible for planning and execution of the arrangements needed to do a successful changeover of the main shaft. The teams which are send are trained especially for this operation, and the dissembled shafts are then transported to Denmark, where the repairment is taking place. Technicians and monitor regions are responsible for telling if they have the new shafts. They communicate to the service department to supply new parts. When it comes to repairing the wind mills Siemens has to face a seasonality. In the winter is not possible to fix any problems in the field thats why Siemens is trying to fix as much mills as they can before winter in October and November. The second pick period is after the winter when mills not repaired before winter need to be fixes as soon as possible in March and April. Support Activities. Procurement Procurement of raw materials, servicing, spare parts, buildings, machines. When a part breaks down within the 2 years; first it is sent from supplier to Siemens in Tinglev, and sold, then to the suppliers when it is broken, where it is renovated, then back to Tinglev and then to the new costumer who buys it. First when it goes to the supplier it is seen if it is better to scrap or renovate. After two years, you evaluate if it should be send to suppliers or renovate it yourself? They sell them as renovated parts for 80 % of the price.The supplier is out of the corporation with Siemens after 6 months if there are problems with the supplier. They have good suppliers which are flexible. At least 2 suppliers on each part. Suppliers have to pay if the turbine is down, if it is their fault. Many suppliers are owned by Siemens, on the main parts. Blades, gearboxes etc. They have stock in USA and in Tinglev, to supply with a new component, when broken down. Suppliers: Spain for main bearing. Normark are for shafts. Stockgos Germany, bearing houses Most parts from Europe are from suppliers but they dont have that many suppliers in the USA. So have to build up a supplier network. Siemens has the most expensive turbines and best quality. They are selling service in the US and they have a service facility but no repair.If the parts are under guaranty the supplier will supply a new part or a renovated part. The hours the technicians use will be paid by the supplier. For the most parts Siemens are able to renovate themselves. Technology Development Includes technology development to support the value chain activities, such as Research and Development, Process automation, design and redesign. Thanks to process technology developed by Dr. Gerald Hohenbichler (44), steel manufacturers can now save energy by processing metal in continuous strands. Hohenbichlers groundbreaking solution enables molten raw steel to be rolled immediately after casting, reducing a mills energy requirements by as much as 45 percent. Siemens Energy has installed the first prototype of a newly designed direct-drive wind turbine. The new SWT-3.0-101 DD is a gearless turbine with a power rating of three megawatts (MW). Its rotor has a diameter of 101 meters. The prototype was installed near the Danish town of Brande, where Siemens Wind Power headquarters is located. The intelligent, straightforward design of the turbine makes gearboxes unnecessary. The new turbine will officially be launched in 2010. Human Resource Management The activities associated with recruiting, development (education), retention and compensation of employees and managers. They have a new strategy; they are now finding the costumers themselves, because of the financial crisis. Siemens has already fired 400 workers in Brande and 200 in Ã…lborg. Siemens training centers offer thorough training programs to ensure that all service personnel are trained to our stringent safety and quality standards. Training centers are located in: Brande, Denmark Bremen, Germany Newcastle, UK Houston, United States. Firm Infrastructure Includes general management, planning management, legal, finance, accounting, public affairs, quality management, etc. Peter Là ¶scher, President and CEO of Siemens AG. The firms margin or profit then depends on its effectiveness in performing these activities efficiently, so that the amount that the customer is willing to pay for the products exceeds the cost of the activities in the value chain. It is in these activities that a firm has the opportunity to generate superior value. A competitive advantage may be achieved by reconfiguring the value chain to provide lower cost or better differentiation. Now that we have an overview of Siemens Supply chain we observe that they are facing some problems. We have received information regarding the possibility of investing into a new regional service department in the states which in our opinion might prove to be a very good answer to the problems that they are facing now and since the USA market is expanding for Siemens, a local risk hedging service department may indeed benefit the company. A service department who would communicate with the current service regions and the new found production plant in the USA. Having a repair department in the U.S would cut down the transportation and handling lead times and costs. The profitability for the service department and Siemens as a whole would be to reduction of inventory costs, because the inventory will be reduced in the service department of broken shafts, when it starts running again. There would be a reduction in transportation costs; severely if they implement a service department in the US, and namely if they optimize the flow in Denmark. It will also reduce the capital bindings in defect components which are in the service departments inventory. Also a good idea would be built up a supplier network in the USA because most of the parts come from the European suppliers. Choosing the right supply chain strategy Once the production plant and service department are build they need to have a right supply chain strategy which prepares them for the new business challenges and opportunities. A simple but powerful way to characterize a product when seeking to devise the right supply chain strategy are the two key uncertainties faced by the product which are demand and supply. Demand uncertainty is linked to the predictability of the demand for the product. In order for Siemens to choose the right strategy they have to follow some steps in order to understand what is going on with their supply chain. A first step would be to figure out what time of product are they selling functional products or innovative products .Functional products are ones that have long product life cycles and there for stable demand, while innovative products are products that have short life cycles with high innovation and fashion contents as we can see clearly, different supply chain strategies are required for functional versus innovative products. Functional products tend to have less product variety than innovative products, where variety is introduced due to the fashion-oriented nature of the product or the rapid introduction of new product options due to product technology advancements. Demand for functional products is much easier to forecast, while demand for innovative products is highly unpredictable due to the differences in product life cycle and the nature of the product, functional products tend to have lower product profit margins, but the cost of obsolescence is low; whereas innovative pro ducts tend to have higher product profit margins, but the cost of obsolescence is high. A second step would be to choose their supply chain characteristics. A stable supply process is one where the manufacturing process and the underlying technology are mature and the supply base is well established. An evolving supply process is where the manufacturing process and the underlying technology are still under early development and are rapidly changing, and as a result the supply base may be limited in both size and experience. In a stable supply process, manufacturing complexity tends to be low or manageable. Stable manufacturing processes tend to be highly automated, and long-term supply contracts are prevalent. In an evolving supply process, the manufacturing process requires a lot of fine-tuning and is often subject to breakdowns and uncertain yields. The supply base may not be as reliable, as the suppliers themselves are going through process innovations. While functional products tend to have more mature and stable supply process, that is not always the case. There ar e also innovative products with a stable supply process. Demand Uncertainty Reduction Strategies Only through information sharing and tight coordination can one regain control of supply chain efficiency. Sharing of demand information and synchronized planning across the supply chain are crucial for this purpose. Supply Uncertainty Reduction Strategies Free exchanges of information starting with the product development stage and continuing with the mature and end-of-life phases of the product life cycle has been found to be highly effective in reducing the risks of supplier failure. So a good idea for Siemens would be to form a supplier hub in the USA operated by a third-party logistics company which would manage the replenishment and inbound logistics of the parts and materials to a warehouse (known as the supplier hub) which would be in close proximity to the Siemens plant. The inventory at the hub would be owned by the suppliers. The use of the hub will allow the suppliers to have much better information about Siemens needs and consumption patterns of their parts as well as about the inventory in transit. This will result in a more effective management of inventory replenishment and inbound logistics by the suppliers thereby reducing the supply uncertainties for Siemens. Supply Chain Strategies Some uncertainty characteristics require supply chain strategies with initiatives and innovations that can provide a competitive edge to companies. These strategies can be classified into four types: Efficient Supply Chains: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at creating the highest cost efficiencies in the supply chain. For such efficiencies to be achieved, non-value-added activities should be eliminated, scale economies should be pursued, optimization techniques should be deployed to get the best capacity utilization in production and distribution, and information linkages should be established to ensure the most efficient, accurate, and cost-effective transmission of information across the supply chain. The role of the Internet in this case is that it enables the supply chain to have tight and effortless information integration, as well as enabling production and distribution schedules to be optimized once the demand, inventory, and capacity information throughout the supply chain are made transparent. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk-Hedging Supply Chains: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at pooling and sharing resources in a supply chain so that the risks in supply disruption can also be shared. It is therefore a risk-hedging strategy. A single entity in a supply chain can be vulnerable to supply disruptions, but if there is more than one supply source or if alternative supply resources are available, then the risk of disruption would be reduced. A company may want to increase the safety stock of its key component to hedge against the risk of supply disruption, and by sharing the safety stock with other companies who also need this key component, the cost of maintaining this safety stock can be shared. Such inventory pooling strategies are quite common in retailing, where different retail stores or dealerships share inventory. The Internet plays a key role in providing information transparency among the members of the supply chain that are sharing inventory. Having real time information on inventory and demand allows the most cost-effective transshipment of goods from one site (with excess inventory) to another site (in need). Responsive Supply Chains: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at being responsive and flexible to the changing and diverse needs of the customers. To be responsive, companies use build-to-order and mass customization processes as a means to meet the specific requirements of customers. The customization processes are designed to be flexible. Order accuracy (i.e., accurate specification of customer requirements) is the key to the success of mass customization. Again, the Internet has enabled very accurate and timely capturing of highly personalized requirements of customers as well as fast transfer of order information to the factory or customization centers for the final configuration of the product. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agile Supply Chain: these are supply chains that utilize strategies aimed at being responsive and flexible to customer needs, while the risks of supply shortages or disruptions are hedged by pooling inventory or other capacity resources. These supply chains essentially have strategies in place that combine the strengths of hedged and responsive supply chains. They are agile because they have the capability to be responsive to the changing, diverse, and unpredictable demands of customers on the front end, while minimizing the back-end risks of supply disruptions. Given the different nature of demand and supply uncertainties of different products, different supply chain strategies are needed for different products. The Right Supply Chain Strategy Innovative Products with Evolving Supply Processes Companies with innovative products and evolving and unstable supply processes have to utilize the combination of risk-hedging and responsive strategies. The appropriate strategy here is to establish agile supply chains. Demand and supply uncertainties can be used as a framework to devise the right supply chain strategy. Innovative products with unpredictable demand and an evolving supply process face a major challenge. Because of shorter and shorter product life cycles, the pressure for dynamically adjusting and adapting a companys supply chain strategy is mounting. Using the Internet to develop agile supply chains with information sharing, coordination, and postponement has enabled companies to compete successfully in their market places. The challenges are great, but so are the opportunities. To be continued today

Friday, September 20, 2019

Was Karl Marx a Determinist?

Was Karl Marx a Determinist? The aim of this essay is to address to what extent Karl Marx could be considered a determinist. In doing so it will consider: (a) what constitutes determinism; (b) Marx’s theories on history; and (c) whether these theories are compatible with the notion of determinism. Precedence is given to section (b) due to the sheer volume of existing literature in this field. Analysis is limited to Marx’s personal theories on history as opposed to Marxist theory on history, as the latter is largely tangential to the issue in question.[1] (a) Determinism Determinism has many facets. In the broad sense it can be summarised as the philosophical proposition that every historical event is causally determined by an unbroken or predetermined chain of prior events. In rudimentary terms, therefore, determinism is the antithesis of free will – the notion that there is no predestined fate for mankind except that which it determines for itself. Determinism should not be confused with fatalism, which dictates that all future events are already predetermined and will definitely occur. Rather determinism is associated with and depends upon the concepts of materialism and causality. More specifically, it is economic determinism with which, rightly or wrongly, Marx has become associated. Economic determinism can be defined as a form of determinism which explains social structure and culture as a product of the social and technical organisation of economic life.[2] It essentially lends primacy to economics over politics in the development of human history. It has been interpreted as the belief that economic laws determine the course of history, in much the same way as Auguste Comte considered that laws governed society.[3] On a more elementary level, Fleischer writes that as self-preservation is the supreme instinct in man, therefore the entire pattern of human conduct must always have been governed by the fundamental laws governing survival – a dialectical process between man and nature. This reasoning gives rise to the conclusion that all elements of historical consequence result from economic determinism, or man’s instinctive effort to survive.[4] In order for us to understand Marx’s association with economic determinism, an analysis of his theories on history is essential. (b) Marx’s theories on history Jon Elster writes that Marx had ‘both an empirical theory of history and a speculative philosophy of history.’[5] It is the former, better known as historical materialism, which concerns us. Historical materialism as an explanatory system has been expanded and refined by many academic studies since Marx’s death in 1883, despite no formal exposition of the concept ever having been published by Marx himself.[6] It looks for the causes of developments and changes in human societies in the way in which humans collectively make the means to life, thus giving an emphasis, through economic analysis, to everything that co-exists with the economic base of society, such as social classes, political structures and ideologies. While Marx claimed only to be proposing a guideline to historical research, by the twentieth century the concept of historical materialism had become a keystone of modern Communist doctrine. An understanding of the origins of Marx’s attachment to materialism is essential in appreciating its concept. These origins can largely be attributed to his research on the philosophy of Epicurus and his reading of Adam Smith and other political economists. Historical materialism builds upon the idea that became current in philosophy from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries that the development of human society has moved through a series of stages, from hunting and gathering, through pastoralism and cultivation, to commercial society. Marx argued that the history of Western society had progressed though the following stages or ‘modes of production.’ Each mode of production had its own economic system which gave rise to a system of class division based around ownership of the means of production: (i) primitive communism (ii) slave society (iii)feudalism (iv)capitalism Marxists say that society moves from one stage to the next when the dominant class is displaced by a new emerging class. The final stage in the chain, communism (as we know it today), would eventually supplant capitalism on a global scale, and would therefore represent both the intended target and end result of social history. The fundamental theory of historical materialism stems from the fact that people must procure or produce the necessities by which they can survive and reproduce themselves. Human beings are producers, and their production consists of two distinct aspects: the material and the social. The material refers to the physical necessities of life. In producing physical necessities, human beings create the social form, within which they produce. The social form of production is a social process by which people cooperate (through a division of labour in more complex social forms) to produce the things they need. This aspect always involves the social relations of those involved. These relations crucially concern the control of the process of production and the distribution of its products. The material aspect of production implies a certain organisation of production, possession of the appropriate tools, and knowledge. This material aspect of production is known as the ‘productive forces .’ The social form in which people produce is called the ‘relations of production.’ Together, the forces and relations of production make up the ‘mode of production.’ The next stage in the argument is more controversial. Initially, the interacting factors in the productive system of a class-based economy, including the forces and relations of production, are in a state of relative equilibrium. The forces of production determine and limit or at least correspond to the relations of production. Let us consider an example to help make this relationship more transparent. The earliest humans reproduced themselves by hunting animals and producing simple crops. Such a society could not produce cars, computers or engage in the mass production we have today. They lacked the tools and knowledge to do so. Knowledge and tools are part of the productive forces, which constrain the nature of the relations of production. This material limitation on what earlier societies could produce also constrained the types of relationships that existed between people. However, at some point the expanding forces of production clash with the contracting relations of production . In mankind’s harnessing of technology, the forces develop more rapidly, and in a direction incompatible with the relations of production. As the capacity to produce expands, the ownership of the means of production contracts. Consequently, the forces of production can no longer freely develop within the confines of the class structure. This conflict between the forces and relations of production intensifies until, by means of revolution, the social relations are reorganised so as to harmonise with the productive forces. It is anticipated that mankind will ultimately establish control over the material powers of the economy.[7] Historians such as Jon Elster and David McLellan have scoured Marx’s writings for evidence of his rationale on historical materialism. Elster points to Das Kapital, Marx’s preface in A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, and what he refers to as ‘rambling, disconnected passages’ in The German Ideology as key sources.[8] He explains: Historical materialism is not simply a theory that accords a privileged place to economic factors. It is, more specifically, a form of technological determinism. The rise and fall of successive property regimes are explained by their tendency to promote or fetter technical change.[9] On Marx’s writings on the historical modes of production, Elster argues that Marx ‘does not provide applications and clarifications of the general theory.’[10] According to Elster, there is no suggestion that each of the three precapitalist modes of production (primitive communism, slave society and feudalism) divides into a progressive stage (in which the relations of production correspond to the forces of production) and a regressive stage (in which the correspondence becomes a contradiction). On the contrary, Marx consistently claims that technology was essentially unchanging from antiquity to the early modern period (with the exception of the invention of gunpowder, the printing press and the compass), and that the destabilising element in the ancient world was not the development of the forces of production but population growth. Elster is also critical of Marx’s account of the (then) impending transition from capitalism to communism. He argues that as Marx insisted that technical change in capitalism was accelerating rather than slowing down, he could not claim that capitalism was moribund in its stagnation. Rather, Elster insists, Marx would have to argue that the proletariat would be motivated by the prospect of a communist society which would benefit from technical change at an even more accelerated pace. This in itself is an unlikely motivation as people revolt when conditions deteriorate or when their expectations of improvement are not fulfilled, rather than when there is an abstract possibility of a society in which conditions could be even better than they are already. McLellan is less critical, appearing to methodically signpost the scholar through the confused abstracts. While he does not specifically mention determinism, he points to it by highlighting the inevitability of worldwide communist revolution above all else. He draws the reader’s attention to the following Marx quotations: Things have come to the point where individuals must appropriate the existing totality of productive forces not merely to achieve self-activity but to secure their very existence. In all appropriations up to now a mass of individuals remained subservient to a single instrument of production. In the appropriation by the proletarians, a mass of instruments of production must be subservient to each individual and the property of all. The only way for individuals to control modern universal interaction is to make it subject to the control of all. Communism is not [†¦] a state of affairs still to be established, not an ideal to which reality will have to adjust. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of affairs. [11] The salient point here is that McLellan draws on these passages to illustrate that socialism for Marx was an economic reality rather than an ethical ideal. This represents a paradigm of determinism in Marx’s writing. The fundamental assumptions of historical materialism as viewed by Marx, irrespective of any period of history, can therefore be summarised as follows: humans are social animals who live in a complex society; human society consists of humans collectively working on nature to make the means to life; human society develops a complex division of labour; over time humans advance their harnessing of nature through the development of science and technology; human beings have the ability to reflect on their society and interaction with nature, but their thinking and organisation are always preconditioned by and dependent on the state of development of their society and of the power structures in their society. Let us now consider whether these assumptions are compatible with the concept of economic determinism. (c) Marxist theory and economic determinism As discussed in section (b), according to Marx, each social mode of production produces the material conditions of its reproduction, that is ideology (which encompasses all the political, law and cultural spheres). Thus ideology permits the mode of production to reproduce itself. Marx also believed that in the event of a revolutionary force changing the mode of production, the dominant class would immediately set out to create a new society to protect this new economic order. In the nineteenth century, Marx felt as if the bourgeoisie had essentially accomplished the establishment of a new societal and economic order, instinctively creating a society protective of their capitalist interests. This prompted Marx (and Engels) to direct this statement from the Communist Manifesto at the bourgeoisie: Your very ideas are but the outgrowth of conditions of your bourgeois production and bourgeois property, just as your jurisprudence is but the will of your class, made into law for all, a will whose essential character and direction are determined by the economic conditions of the existence of your class.[12] From this, it is argued that Marx and Engels did not believe men could arbitrarily choose any one of several forms of society, but only that one which promotes the prevailing mode of production. The very nature of man’s materialistic constitution requires that he do this. Marx hence criticised man’s alienation, a concept which he latter replaced by the critique of commodity fetishism. ‘Vulgar Marxism’ has considered that the relation between the economical infrastructure and the ideological superstructure was an unicausal one, and thus believed in economic determinism. This has been criticised by Marxist theorists such as Helmut Fleischer, who dismissed it as a form of economism or economic reductionism. He claimed the relationship is much more reciprocal and complex than unilateral determinism would have it. There are also scholars who reject this view. Fleischer highlights those who objected that economic determinism is a meaningless generality, and that any serious historical explanation of economic realities must also refer to non-economic realities. This becomes a more conspicuous problem when it is unclear which branch of determinism is implied. In this respect, when Marx writes of the ‘economic base’ and the ‘ideological superstructure’ of society, he was making a generalisation about the broad sweep of history, to the effect that people ultimately will follow their material self-interests, whatever else they may imagine about their motivations. However, according to Marx, the dynamics of history were shaped precisely by the clash of those interests (class struggle), and that clash could not be understood simply in terms of economic self-interest, because it also involved human traditions and values. The end result of economic determinism in this view is b oth economism (a narrow focus on how people earn their livelihood) and economic reductionism (the attempt to reduce a complex social reality to one factor – i.e. the economic – such that this one factor causes all other aspects of society). This plays directly into the hands of the business class, and ultimately ended in an anti-working class position, whereby the allegiance of the working class is merely a ‘tool’ to be used by the political class to modernise an economy, with the aid of forced labour if need be.[13] Taking the above points into account, it could be argued that Marx considered economic determinism as the creative force in human evolution. He clearly advocated a change in economic structure as the only feasible means by which to effect social change and to refine the intellectual make-up of humanity. His advocacy of the inevitability of worldwide socialist revolution and communist society could certainly be described as deterministic in outlook. At the same time it should be remembered that Marx was fully aware that the economic aspects of life did not constitute the sum total of mankind’s preoccupation and social make-up. On this basis, therefore, it would appear that Marx’s historical materialism is compatible with the specific notion of economic determinism, rather than falling under the broader category of determinism as a whole. Bibliography Berlin, Isaiah, ‘Historical Materialism’ in Tom Bottomore (ed.), Karl Marx (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1973) Easton, Loyd D. Guddat, Kurt H. (trans. ed.), Writings of the young Marx on philosophy and society (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1967) Elster, Jon, An Introduction to Karl Marx (Cambridge: CUP, 1986) Fleischer, Helmut, Marxism and History (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1973) McLellan, David, The Thought of Karl Marx: An Introduction (London: Macmillan, 1971) Rader, Melvin, Marx’s Interpretation of History (New York: OUP, 1979) Web references Economic determinism, Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences, maintained by Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada (http://bitbucket.icaap.org) Karl Marx Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, Australian National University (www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.html) 1 Footnotes [1] It is almost impossible to discuss Marx’s theories on history without referring to Friedrich Engels, Marx’s lifelong friend, fellow philosopher and co-author of many works. The influence of Engels has been intentionally minimalised for the purposes of this essay as the issue in question refers to Marx alone. [2] Economic determinism, Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences, maintained by Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada (http://bitbucket.icaap.org, accessed July 28, 2006). [3] Helmut Fleischer, Marxism and History (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1973), passim. [4] ibid. [5] Jon Elster, An Introduction to Karl Marx (Cambridge: CUP, 1986), p. 103. [6] Isaiah Berlin, ‘Historical Materialism’ in Tom Bottomore (ed.), Karl Marx (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1973), p. 56. [7] Isaiah Berlin, ‘Historical Materialism’ in Tom Bottomore, op. cit., pp. 58-60; Melvin Rader, Marx’s Interpretation of History (New York: OUP, 1979), pp. 12-14. [8] Jon Elster, op. cit., p. 104. Marx published A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy in London in 1859. Marx and Engles co-wrote The German Ideology during the spring of 1845. It was published posthumously by the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow in 1932. [9] Jon Elster, op. cit., pp. 104-105. [10] ibid, pp. 106-108. [11] Loyd D. Easton Kurt H. Guddat (trans. ed.), Writings of the young Marx on philosophy and society (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1967), pp. 426, 467 et seq, reproduced in David McLellan, The Thought of Karl Marx: An Introduction (London: Macmillan, 1971), p. 36. [12] Karl Marx Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (first published 1848), accessed online at the Australian National University website (http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/ marx/classics/manifesto.html, July 30, 2006). [13] Helmut Fleischer, op. cit., pp. 45 et seq.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Great C.S. Lewis :: biographies bio biography

C.S. Lewis, the great author, wrote all kinds of reading material: poetry, novels, and even children's fiction. He even wrote at a young age. He would draw his own pictures. People during his time loved his books, and today people still love to read his books. This author was also intelligent, joyful, and charitable. C.S. Lewis was a very intelligent man. He proved this in many ways during his lifetime. The way he lived is a very good example. When Lewis became a Christian, as J.I. Packer and Jerry Root write in their article, "Mind in Motion," His habits of mind also continued unchanged. He was already thinking how he thought a Christian should. He also shows his intelligence during his teen tears at Oxford, when he excelled as a student. He was also intelligent as a tutor. Kenneth Tynan, Lewis’s former pupil, tells in Bruce L. Edwards’s magazine article “Literary Time Travel,” “The great thing about him as a teacher of literature was that he could take you into the medieval mind and the mind of a classical writer. He could make you understand that classicism and medievalism were really vivid and alive-that it was not the business to be ‘relevant’ to us, but our business to be ‘relevant’ to it. It was not a matter of dead books covered in dust on our shelves. He could make you see the world through the eyes of a medieval poet as no other teacher could do. You felt that you had been inside Chaucer’s mind after talking to him.” It is instances like these that show just how intelligent C.S. Lewis really was. C.S. Lewis was a very joyful man, and his joyfulness shone through in all he did. He would assign nicknames to his family members and friends, like Robert E. Havard “the useless Quack” or as he called his walking companion A.C. Harwood, “the Lord of the Walks.” Another glimpse of his joyful spirit is when he finished his first day at Oxford and wrote to his dad, “The place has surpassed my wildest dreams. I never saw anything so beautiful.” Finally, we see his joy when he wrote to one of his friends right after his marriage, “It’s funny having at 59 the sort of happiness most men have at their twenties… ‘Thou hast kept the good wine till now.’” C.S. Lewis was a very joyful man from whom people could learn a lot.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Kelly Larson The Glass Castle Book Review The Glass Castle, written by Jeannette Walls, is a fiction, memoir, usually recommended for young adults. It’s based on a true story, from the viewpoint of a young girl about the struggles of her childhood. Just like the book Half Broke Horse, it describes the hardships they faced as children, and how they beat the odds of following in their parents’ footsteps knowing that just because they had a bad childhood, didn’t mean they were going to have a bad life. The book starts off displaying that the parents show little interest in their kid’s safety and exposure to the world. They moved from town to town for as long as their Dad could hold a job. They lived anywhere from the dessert grounds, to abandon houses, and when they were really desperate, the Grandparents house. Their dad was a brilliant man who taught them everything from physics, math, and astronomy, to capturing their imagination and teaching them to live without fear. But, from his own childhood experiences, he had become an alcoholic and was hardly ever home. When they moved on ...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Ownership Essay

I own the idea that I eve this other human. For instance, love my family and they love me. There isn't a mastermind programming us to love each Other, we own the idea that this is our family and we love us. When I was a little boy, would steal from our candy jar and one day I got this yucky feeling in my belly that I was doing something naughty. So went to my dad and after he explained what was doing was wrong and then it clicked that my actions were wrong so apologized. What I did was realizing that my actions were wrong and so I owned up to them. We own our actions whether we want to or not.Actions take a split-second for us to decide to act on what we saw and if so, positively or negatively. No one else telling me what to do, it's just me and my thoughts. So what are thoughts? The literal definition of thought is â€Å"An idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind. † The literal people would say that the brain is the most powerful thing in the wo rld. But what makes the brain so special is not that it controls our body, but that it controls our thoughts. Whenever we listen to a good song the brain tells the body that it likes it so we get that little tune tuck in our head.Whenever get test back that I didn't do well on, I get that sinking feeling and I get sad. Then the next time a test is coming up, I study and try to get a better grade. My thoughts reminded me of how bad it felt to get a bad grade and to do better next time. Both scenarios are my own thoughts; it's just me doing what my brain tells me is right and putting my actions to it. Love, our actions, and our thoughts are all examples of things that, even if we don't want to, own. These are all intangible things that we cannot see nor can we keep.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay

Throughout the entire novel of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, everyone is inquiring or investigating about something. The characters are either meddling in someone else’s business or they become curious about something scientific. Because of this curiosity, different people get in trouble in some way. In the first chapter, Mr. Utterson’s friend Mr. Enfield says, â€Å"You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird (the last you would have thought of) is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name. No sir, I make it a rule of mine: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask.† (35). This is an important epigraph for the entire novella because when Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Utterson, and Mr. Lanyon become curious, someone gets in trouble. The most important example of someone being inquisitive is in the Case of Dr. Jekyll. He questions whether man can be split in two; one half would be the evil half and the other half would be strictly a good-intentioned gentleman. (79) Dr. Jekyll does this experiment on himself but something goes wrong and he becomes strictly his evil side. This transformation allows him to have a separate persona, a separate life. He thrives of off the power he feels when he becomes Mr. Hyde. (81) This leads to his ultimate downfall. He finds it so hard to keep his old self. This constant changing back and forth leads him to eventually kill himself because he has lost hope. His original curiosity of trying to make him self solely good is what leads to his demise in the end. (93) Mr. Utterson’s curiosity about his close friend, Dr. Jekyll, adds to Jekyll’s final, suicidal decision. His investigation of the mysteriousness around the door and Dr. Jekyll begins when he reads Dr. Jekyll’s will. As a lawyer, he should not question the motives behind Jekyll’s peculiar will but instead he tries to pry into his friend’s life to ensure that nothing ‘sketchy’ is going on. This is a question that should not be asked because it is not any of his business but he still tries to figure it out. (37) This leads to another curiosity for Utterson. He feels as though he needs to see Hyde’s face. He waits at the door simply to see his face, to be able to place his finger on why people are so disturbed by him. This is not a necessary question to be asked and it causes more skepticism about the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde. (40) The unclearness of the relationship puts pressure on Jekyll, leading to his breakdown. Finally, Lanyon’s curiosity-downfall spiral is the most obvious. Jekyll goes to Lanyon first, asking him to retrieve a drawer from his laboratory and give it to Hyde. When Hyde asks if he wants to see the transformation, Lanyon being nosy says yes. (55) His starting of a question ‘starts the stone’ and it leads to his death. He is so shocked about seeing his friend transform that he eventually dies. This never would have happened if did not agree to seeing Jekyll and Hyde. (57) Overall, the characters in this book show a lot of curiousity about Jekyll and Hyde. As the quote says, â€Å"You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone.† (35). The characters start a questions and â€Å"presently some bland old bird is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name.† These questions have been about Jekyll and Hyde and so ultimately someone ends up getting hurt of getting in trouble. This is a theme throughout the whole novel which is why this quote serves as a good epigraph for the novella.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Eth125 R8 Wk2 Stereotypes Prejudice Essay

Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet. Part I Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: ?Race ?Ethnicity ?Religion ?Gender ?Sexual orientation ?Age ?Disability Category Stereotype 1 Stereotype 2 Stereotype 3 Race All African Americans are good at basketball. All Middle Easterners hate America. White people are all racist. White people don’t have rhythm. All Asians are geniuses. Hispanics don’t speak English very well. Gender Women are unstable and irrational. Men are the financial provider. Men are smarter than women. Sexual Orientation All Gay men are promiscuous. Lesbians are â€Å"butch† and gay men are â€Å"fem†. Gays and lesbians hit on everyone. Bisexual people are greedy and just want everyone. Part II Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. ?What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any? It is hard to imagine that there could be any advantage to stereotypes since they are essentially believing things about people that are not necessarily true. However, stereotypes could benefit a person to react quickly based on similar past experiences. The use of stereotypes reduces the amount of thinking we have to do when we meet a person for the first time because we already have a basic preconceived notion of them. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Stereotypes. Retrieved from http://www. simplypsychology. org/katz-braly. html Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet ETH/125 Version 8 2 ?What are the negative aspects of stereotypes? Stereotypes tend to make us forget to consider a person’s individuality and can cause us to judge a person prematurely. The things that we think based on stereotypes could very well be completely untrue. I also believe that because of the nature of stereotypes they can easily lead to prejudice toward an entire group of people. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Stereotypes. Retrieved from http://www. simplypsychology. org/katz-braly. html Part III Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. ?Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences. Stereotypes are unreliable generalizations about all members of a certain group or class that do not take into consideration a person’s individuality. Prejudice is having a negative attitude toward a person based solely on the fact that they belong to a certain class or race. An example of a stereotype might be that all African Americans are good at basketball. A prejudice would be that a person does not like a certain individual because they are African American. Schaefer, R. T. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups (13th ed. ) ?What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? I believe that stereotyping can lead to prejudice. If a person has a stereotype that people of Middle Eastern descent hate America, that might then lead them to have a negative attitude toward all people of Middle Eastern descent. Another example could be that if someone has the stereotype that all white people are racist, that might then lead them to be prejudice against all white people. ?What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring? I think that in order to prevent prejudice from occurring each group must have complete equality in rights, opportunity, and power. I think that kids from a young age need to be taught to interact will all different races and classes of people so that they learn that everyone is equal and they can work together to reach golas instead of working against each other. Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet ETH/125 Version 8 3 Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

How does Shakespeare present the role of Feste in Twelfth Night?

In William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night the character of Feste is a solitary wit surrounded by fools. His occupation is that of Olivia's paid fool, which she inherited from her father, ‘Feste the jester†¦ a fool that the Lady Olivia's father took much pleasure in. ‘ This long standing relationship may be the reason he seems to have a status higher than that of a servant within the household, and appears to leave and return at will without fear of punishment, ‘Tell me where thou hast been or my lady will hang thee†¦ Let her hang me. This may also be because of Elizabethan attitudes towards allowed fools, who had gained popularity due to their presence in many royal courts. Feste`s palpable intelligence is an integral part of his role, as he uses it to communicate the subtext of Shakespeare`s complicated plot to both the other characters and the audience. It is therefore ironic that the fool is so frequently said to be dishonest, ‘Y`are a dry fool: I`ll take no more of you. Besides, you grow dishonest,' as throughout the play he does nothing but divulge truths. His cleverness is immediately apparent upon his first appearance for several different reasons. If he were not a fool then he would have no other way of making money, thus his decision to ingratiate himself once more into Olivia's good graces is a wise one, ‘To be turned away, is that not as good as a hanging to you? ‘ It would also be essential for him to be intelligent to play the role of fool, as he is paid for his acute observation disguised as witty remarks. The most obvious testament to Feste`s intelligence however is his ability to manipulate words. This ensures he keeps his job in Olivia's household, as when she asks for the fool to be taken away because he is dry, Feste twists her words around and returns them in the form of a pun, ‘Give the dry fool a drink, then is the fool not dry? ‘ His craftiness amuses Olivia, who allows him to stay. His way with words also allows him to voice his opinions on other characters without fear of retribution. Whilst engaged in idle banter Feste shares his observation of Malvolio and Sir Toby, ‘Sir Toby will be sworn that I am no fox, but he will not pass his word for twopence that you are no fool. This shows that although Toby is foolish as he cannot perceive Feste`s intellect, Malvolio`s idiocy is so apparent that even a fool such as Toby can see it. Feste later reaffirms his belief that Sir Toby is a fool and also shares his view of Sir Andrew. He greets the pair with the line, ‘Did you never see the picture of We Three? ‘ The painting shows only two fools whilst implying that the viewer is the third, and this comparison suggests he perceives Toby and Andrew to be fools as well as himself. It is in this way that he contributes to the underlying theme of deception that runs through the play. He deliberately presents himself to others as a mere fool, and despite the fact he is obviously much more than that, he is so proficient at this ruse that the only character to see through it is Viola, ‘This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, And to do that well, craves a kind of wit. ‘ It may be because he not only accepts his role as a fool but uses it to his advantage, accordingly gaining perspective from this self knowledge, that he can differ from the other characters and deceive others instead of himself. Perhaps it is because Feste`s intellect is so bountiful that he is taken beyond the role of simply a character. Through it he acquires the role of a somewhat omniscient narrator, infesting both the audience and the other characters with a heightened awareness of what is happening around and within them. This is shown during a conversation with Viola, where as thanks for a coin Feste states, ‘Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard. ‘ This shows his awareness of her disguise, both to the audience and to Viola herself. It also shows he must at least be extremely discerning, to deduce such a thing from simply observing the meetings between Orsino and Viola and Olivia and Viola. The primary way he communicates his cryptic messages however is through song. The clown sings no fewer than seven songs throughout the play, and although the other characters see them as nothing more than a convenient source of entertainment, many have an underlying foresight far beyond the grasp of a mere jester. Feste sings his first song upon Sir Toby and Sir Andrews requests for a love song. The first verse appears to be about Olivia, and demonstrates Feste`s keen perception of the other characters and his uncanny knowledge of future events, ‘O mistress mine, where are you roaming? ‘ This shows Feste`s knowledge of Olivia's roaming heart, searching for its true love. ‘O stay and hear, your true loves coming. ‘ This line perfectly foreshadows future events, as Olivia finds love not whilst searching for it, but by it finding her in the form of Sebastian. Feste then proceeds to encapsulate the plays plot within one line of his song, ‘Journeys end in lovers meeting. This suggests that he may be ubiquitous, as his knowledge is not only of the future, but of the past events as well. It could however just be referring to the metaphorical journeys the characters have been on in their search for love, not the literal journey Viola and Sebastian have undertaken to Illyria. The second verse of his song appears to be addressed to Sir Toby, regarding his thus far secret love for Maria. It shows Feste`s knowledge of their hesitance towards love, ‘What's to come is still unsure. Entwined with the advice Feste appears to have also interwoven a philosophy for life, ‘Present mirth hath present laughter,' can be interpreted as carpe diem, fitting counsel for Sir Toby who needs to act upon his love before it is too late, ‘Youth`s a stuff will not endure. ‘ Another of Feste`s songs that has more to it than what appears at first glance is that which he sings at the Duke`s court for Orsino and Viola. Feste tells the sad tale of a boy that died for love, ‘I am slain be a fair cruel maid. ‘ It is a song that Viola and Orsino, both suffering from the pain of unrequited love, can relate to. The songs ‘fair cruel maid' for Orsino is Olivia, who knows of his love but does not return it. Viola`s ‘cruel maid' is Orsino himself, who cannot return her love as he does not know of it and believes her to be a man. The one event that does not concur with the omniscient portrayal of Feste is the arrival of Sebastian. Feste appears to truly believe that Sebastian is Cesario, to the extent that he becomes frustrated and resorts to sarcasm as a defence,' your name is not Master Cesario; nor this is not my nose either. This scene suggests that Feste is not as all knowing as he can appear, and is perhaps only a highly perceptive individual, a trait born of his considerable intelligence. Feste is presented as one of the more developed characters in the play, and his multifaceted personality shows in his tormenting of Malvolio. Prior to this Feste`s purpose has been to traverse between the main plot and the subplot (the only character to do so) and though he has passively inf luenced the events, he has remained very much an observer rather than an actual participant. The exception to this is his imitating Sir Topas to distress Malvolio, ‘I prithee put on this gown, and this beard; make him believe thou art Sir Topas the curate,' although his reasons for agreeing to Maria`s request are not entirely clear. He may have done it simply because he is clever enough to know nothing bad will happen to him because of it. He would probably also have recognized that Malvolio is not popular currently with Olivia, ‘O, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite,' and hence making him suffer would put Feste in a favourable position within the household. It may also be because he is clearly used to his abilities as a fool endearing him to others, and although the other characters do become annoyed and tired of him at times, Malvolio is the only one that appears to actively dislike him, ‘I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal. ‘ Whatever his reasons are this scene illustrates the more unsavoury aspects of Feste`s personality, but at the same time it also offers a contrast between how Feste and Malvolio are presented. Due to Malvolio`s self concerned and unpleasant behaviour it seems justifiable that he should be a rather one dimensional character, hampered by his own contemptible qualities. It is for this reason Feste`s superior attitude and actions towards him are understandable, and instead of serving to make the reader dislike Feste, it causes them to empathise with him as it shows his more human side that had previously been hidden beneath his sharp wit. In the style of a true narrator the last word (or indeed words) of Twelfth Night belong to Feste, who merges his dual roles, and delivers them in song format. It appears to be a rather dismal song for a clown, as it suggests that every day brings misery, ‘For the rain it raineth every day. ‘ This may be because the other characters have gone, leaving him alone with the audience, to whom he can deliver a last message. Feste`s final lesson appears to suggest that life is plagued with misery, therefore, like the characters in Twelfth Night, you should embrace happiness in whatever form it takes because it may not last. Shakespeare presents the role of Feste as a paradox: the wisest character of the play is the paid fool. Throughout Twelfth Night Feste directs, entertains and criticizes the other characters through his revealing songs and witty wordplay, and at the same time makes them reflect on their current circumstances. This is a similar relationship that Shakespeare, as a playwright, would have had with his audience, and it creates a parallel between the writer and his creation.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The strategic plan for my future vision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The strategic plan for my future vision - Essay Example Social assessment shows that my social domain has been steady till present. In the future Scenario 1 shows possibilities of it increasing with events such as marriage and children whereas Scenario 2 shows that it may remain steady if no such events occur. 13 The diagram above displays my transportation domain which has gradually increased over time. Scenario 1 shows possibility of it increasing further if my goals are met, where as Scenario 2 shows how it may remain the same over the period of time. 14 Although it is not possible to spell out the exact map of the future, there are always ways to develop a viable vision (Kenichi, 2003). This report describes the strategic plan for my future vision. It is based on concepts from the article titled "Personal Futuring: A step-by-step guide" by Verene Wheelwright. Since personal assessment begins with vision (Brott, 2009), therefore this report assesses my current stage in life and uses various information to develop scenarios for the subsequently stages of my life. It further goes to analyze the life trends and forces which impact our lives as humans, and describes the role various foreknown forces play in motivation of actions. Strategic planning helps provide professional vision (Morrissey, 1992, 2) so finally all the information is developed into strategic plans for achieving my future vision. Life Stage According to Wheelwright the phases in our life can be divided into tens stages, namely Infant, Child, Adolescent, Young Adult, Adult, Middle Age, Independent Elder, Vulnerable elder, Dependant elder and End of Life. Each stage differs significantly from the one before it even though transition from one stage of life to another is gradual. Current Life Stage The stage of life I am currently occupying is the Young Adult stage. I am in fact an Early Young Adult at the age of twenty-two. I am presently enrolled in a master's program in university and in the process of completing my education, working part time as I plan for my long term career. Due to my current financial situation I am under some degree of financial pressure. Future Vision Life Stage Future vision is essential for every stage in an individual's life, since each stage is distinct and requires a distinct set of plans. However, I feel that the stage in my life which is the most critical for planning is the Middle Age. This stage is most appropriate to construct a future vision for because concentrating on this phase will not only allow me to meet goals I plan for that time period, but also to work

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Cyber Journalism (See detail) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cyber Journalism (See detail) - Research Paper Example The only difference today is that the cyberjournalist answers directly to their audience, rather than to a publisher who traditionally held journalists responsible for reporting ethically. Yet, there is no consensus among publishers as to what is ethical. In the end, ethics are the responsibility of the cyberjournalist and the audience. You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving†¦Screen The original phrase, from a book by Howard Zinn, was â€Å"You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train.† Cyberjournalism is like a high-speed rail that moves so fast and is so personal that it isn’t possible to be neutral. The bigger question is whether we should even try, in spite of the fact that western society often assumes that all journalists are bound to neutrality when, nearly a century ago, Henry Luce, founder of Time magazine insisted that very concept objectivity was foolish (Ward, 2006). He contended that the public needed the media to explain and interpret the impact of events on their lives. Yet, we insist that it is true and to be expected of the press, regardless of medium. With the speed of cyberspace, it is difficult, if not impossible to be neutral. By the time the 1960’s arrived, Americans had become distrustful of such clarifications on their behalf adding a twist to Luce’s view: that no one can be objective. They public wanted to see the bare facts and decide for themselves what they meant (Ward). Youth no longer trusted the media with full-disclosure, even in supposedly free countries. When Chicagoan Justin Hall began blogging in 2004, many of the new blogging generation embraced the concept of taking news into their own hands –after all, they were the children and grandchildren of the children of the 1960’s generation. America was ready. Evolution–Or More of the Same? Beyond the big cities that claim the largest share of the journalism world, the rest of the United States already knew what citizen journ alism was long before cyberjournalism. For more than a century and a half—long before Time magazine hit the newsstands—local citizens had been writing columns about who had dinner at whose house last Sunday night, or which church was gearing up for the next ice cream social. That was citizen journalism. Even back then, reporters often wrote under a pseudonym like â€Å"Gomper’s Corner’s Gertie,† a precursor to the userids of bloggers like Duncan Bowen Black who blogs at Atrios on at Eschatonblog.com. Like any citizen journalist, Atrios is a citizen of the world he writes about: economics. Over the years, we have come to assume that reporters are somehow sanctioned by having earned a degree from a school of journalism. Neither â€Å"Gomper’s Corner’s Gertie† nor Atrios have a degree in journalis