To Build or Not to Build Free Essays

In the summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina unleashed what resulted in a widespread devastation wreaked on the city of New Orleans. New Orleans—the colorful, zealous Mississippi Delta city, home to world-renowned restaurants, jazz and blues’ clubs, and universities, saw many of its neighborhoods flooded, even washed away by Katrina’s strong waters that breached the barrier of its levees. The extent of this catastrophe has triggered fierce debate over how the city should be rebuilt; taking into consideration the city’s population shift, economic emergency, and continued below sea-level vulnerability. We will write a custom essay sample on To Build or Not to Build or any similar topic only for you Order Now Actually, there are some who think that the potential for a similar disaster in the future begs the question whether the city should be rebuilt at all. I personally believe that New Orleans deserves to be rebuilt. As stated before, the continued below sea-level vulnerability is one of the major issues taken into consideration when debating whether or not to rebuild the city. Some may argue that the river that flooded New Orleans is a savage, untamable beast; aloof and unappeasable, with no heart except for its own task (Document A). However, the city has fought its mighty river for generations. The river is simply part of the New Orleans heritage, and is simply nothing new to its residents. This river is the same river that helped impregnate and vitalize the soil of early settlers. The austere beauty of the river itself is in fact too grand to be forgotten; and too awe striking to be completely omitted from New Orleans’ history and then categorized into a monster whose damage is underserving of man’s repair. Normally when tourists or first-time residents come to New Orleans, they have a difficult time understanding the city. Even a prolonged stay brings no easy recognition or familiarity. New Orleans history of different cultures, ethnicities and traditions that can help explain the city’s atmosphere. You can say that diversity is birthed out of this bustling city’s loins. From jazz to rock and roll, Creole cooking, Mardi Gras, or the architecture of the French Quarter, all play as elements of New Orleans (Document B). All of these elements possess an astounding liveliness that has spoken to people around the world and shaped much of the best of what we think of still as American culture. Though many may argue that it is nearly impossible to recreate traditions that have been deracinated by the unfortunate inevitable, it is safe to say that it is not the St. Louis Cathedral, nor Jackson Square, nor King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band that makes the city the landmark that it is. It is the spirit of vigor and robustness that lies in the city streets that drives the indescribable, potent energy its visitors and residents feel daily. The same spirit that the people had was present as they confronted Katrina. Peering into the eye of the storm, this spirit faced the storm unafraid; knowing the storm would potentially consume their past and future, New Orleans’ present spirit is stronger than the storm (Document D). To the people who possess this type of spirit, having faith is an understatement. New Orleans should be rebuilt because its culture is more than just for the â€Å"tourists’ eye†. The city represents antiquity. It represents some sort of security. It represents home. Not only does the city represent home for many, it also has a present national commercial value. Its ports are continuously a pulse-point for commerce in Iowa and the rest of the country. Many argue that the levee system is ineffective, and will not be intact for possibly another twenty years or so. Therefore, why rebuild a city when there is a chance that another disaster will strike again, and there is nothing in the government’s economic interest to help prevent future predicaments? Document C) Yes—the opposing side holds a nearly infallible argument. However, one must consider the billions of dollars’ worth of work put into these ports. Yes, economically New Orleans is suffering. But the future of the nation’s economy as a whole can be in grave jeopardy if commerce is discontinued. New Orleans must be rebuilt. Shortage of ideas on how to rebuild the city is no issue; but rather the dedication to get it done. In closing, urban recove ry is more than just putting bricks and cement together, mortar and asphalt, or bytes and electricity. It is about reconstructing the innumerable social relations entrenched in schools, workplaces, childcare, arrangements, shops, places of worship, and places of play and recreation. It is not about restoring New Orleans’ authenticity. It is about preparing an atmosphere that is welcoming and accommodated enthusiastically to former residents (Document E). New Orleans may never look exactly the same ever again. But its people deserve to feel the way they first felt about the city when they first encountered it; and how can you place a price upon falling in love? How to cite To Build or Not to Build, Papers

Nurse to Patient Ratios

Question: Write an essay onNurse to Patient Ratios. Answer: Introduction In the medical field, Nurse to patient ratios is increasingly becoming a topic of concern, as much as many people are demanding for government intervention. Presently, "minimum staffing laws" is enacted only in California, while other states are yet to implement in their workplaces. According to Laschinger et al., (2014) similar laws were purposed in other countries but in vain as its implementation are refused by the hospitals. Several hospitals consider that such laws will be an extra financial burden depriving them of their flexibility to make necessary staff related decisions (Bernabeo Holmboe, 2013). In this essay, the author will discuss the issues related to nurse staffing ratios. The author will compare and contrast the expected behavior of nursing leaders and managers, about the issue. Further, the author will discuss the roles of the leader versus manager. Lastly, the author will present the personal approach that best fits to solve the selected issue. The arguments in the essay will be supported by the literature review. Nursing unions argue that hospitals recruit less number of nurses but admit a higher number of patients (Shekelle, 2013). Consequently, job burnout and stress are increasing among nurses, also, hampering patient safety (Aiken et al., 2012). According to the president of Michigan Nurses Association, Hospitals tend to be business as they focus more on the short-term bottom line (Naylor, 2012). It is not known whether legal intervention to tackle a shortage of nurses is the right approach or not. However, the leadership and management approaches to resolving the issue of inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios may be helpful in improving the consequences. Nursing management is a complicated task. Mangers need to monitor the hospital operations and at the same time ensure that the nurses play their role in such operations (Bernabeo Holmboe, 2013). It is the duty of the managers to make sure that the nurses are accurate in delivering their services and perform well in their job (Aiken et al., 2012). Shortage of nurses increases the chance of errors, which affects the hospital management (Shekelle, 2013). Increase in death rate is the major outcome of medical errors (Laschinger et al., 2014). Shortage of nurses reduces the care services for patients. The reports of Shekelle, (2013) reveal that approximately 1.6 million preventable healthcare errors occurs each year in the US, signifying one medical error per day per patient. Also, shortage of nurses also leads to ineffective communication with patients and their families in decision-making (Pham et al., 2012). Naylor, (2012) believes that it leads to failure in maintaining the patients dignity and respect. Several incidences were reported where nurses administered medication at the wrong time, sometimes gave the overdose of medicines, failed to assist patients in managing pain and were unavailable in the emergency wards (Shekelle, 2013). Increasing the severity of illness and death is associated with inadequate nurses for patient s (You et al., 2013). Such incidences discourage nurses, as they are highly responsible for patients safety (Pham et al., 2012). Comparison of Leadership and Manager Approach to the Issue Therefore, it is imperative for the hospital management to develop strategies to ensure both "quality and safety of healthcare services." There are some approaches to tackle low nurse-to-patient ratios. Managers need to be strategic in determining the work environment and tactfully assign nurses for their work (You et al., 2013). Working schedule should be modified to decrease nurses burnout. Shekelle, (2013) recommends that to maintain the work efficiency; nurses must be provided with sufficient recovery time after attending a large number of patients and working longer shifts. It will ensure that the nurses are in a correct frame of mind before they enter into next shift. Leadership differs from management, and it plays a different role in health care setting. Any medical professional may have this quality irrespective of their position. Efficient leaders motivate people to accomplish both personal and organization's goals (Simons Leroy, 2013). They inspire others to stimulate them to work with full potential and bring out the best in them (Sherwood Zomorodi, 2014). Qualitative analysis was performed by Wong et al., (2013) and her associates, to determine the patient outcomes and its relation to nurses' motivation and nursing leadership models. To obtain reliable and valid results the researcher has performed the quality assessment of their methods also. Research findings showed a positive correlation between relational leadership style model and patient outcomes (Wong et al., 2013). Relational leadership is one of the approaches that can help leaders to resolve the issue of nurse staffing ratios (Naylor, 2012). This leadership is defined as process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good (Laschinger et al., 2014). This type of leadership is also called as inclusive type of leadership that has an additional quality to accept all viewpoints and backgrounds (Hutchinson Jackson, 2013). Nursing leaders can obtain feedback from nurses regarding their experiences due to nursing staff ratios using this approach. It can also include the involvement of nursing staff for better ideas to change the environment. Consequently, all the health personals are empowered to participate in a possible solution to obtain the common goal. My Personal Approach Given an opportunity, I would personally opt for Relational approach to solve this issue. As a leader, I would collaborate with everyone for decision making. In my past leadership experience, I had received successful results when I included other peoples ideas and opinions. I have always asked for feedback for self-evaluation. It encouraged me to correct my leadership direction. I never favored "authoritative leadership or micromanaging". In my approach to handling the issue of lower nursing staff, I will collect information about the areas that nurses enjoy in the organization. Based on the feedback, I would ensure that more patients and longer shifts in those areas are assigned to the nurses. On the other hand, less number of patients will be assigned to nurses in the areas they are uncomfortable with. To make the workplace more interesting for nurses, I will shuffle the schedules every alternate week. In any case, a nurse works for the longer shift due to an emergency, I will ens ure that he or she has sufficient recovery time before the start of next shift time. I am sure this will minimize and prevent the nurse's burnout. I believe that frustration in any work will never fetch positive results. The ultimate goal will be to maintain the work setting fun and joyous and keep up the nurses motivated and their spirit high up as motivated nurse makes a productive nurse." Conclusion When a large number of patients is assigned to the single nurse, it turns hectic for the nurses. Hospital environment with low nurse-to-patient ratios makes nurses more stressed. Also, patient's safety is highly compromised in a quest to fulfill the needs and demands of every patient. Therefore, managers and leaders in health care organizations often develop several strategies and approaches to ensure the quality and safety of care provided. However, the approaches vary from different management strategies and leadership styles. However, the best method to maintain working efficiency of nurses is by "keeping the environment interesting and motivating." It is necessary to involve nurses in decision-making because they are the ones who have a valuable perspective on the problem. Unfortunately, most hospitals fail to realize this aspect. References Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Sochalski, J., Silber, J. H. (2002). Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction.Jama,288(16), 1987-1993. Aiken, L. H., Sermeus, W., Van den Heede, K., Sloane, D. M., Busse, R., McKee, M., ... Tishelman, C. (2012). Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States.Bmj,344, e1717. Bernabeo, E., Holmboe, E. S. (2013). Patients, providers, and systems need to acquire a specific set of competencies to achieve truly patient-centered care.Health Affairs,32(2), 250-258. Hutchinson, M., Jackson, D. (2013). Relational leadership in nursing: towards a more critical interpretation.Nursing Inquiry,20(1), 11-22. Hutchinson, M., Jackson, D. (2013). Transformational leadership in nursing: towards a more critical interpretation.Nursing Inquiry,20(1), 11-22. Laschinger, H. K. S., Wong, C. A., Cummings, G. G., Grau, A. L. (2014). Resonant leadership and workplace empowerment: The value of positive organizational cultures in reducing workplace incivility.Nursing economics,32(1), 5. Naylor, M. D. (2012). Advancing high value transitional care: the central role of nursing and its leadership.Nursing administration quarterly,36(2), 115-126. Pham, J. C., Aswani, M. S., Rosen, M., Lee, H., Huddle, M., Weeks, K., Pronovost, P. J. (2012). Reducing medical errors and adverse events.Annual review of medicine,63, 447-463. Shekelle, P. G. (2013). Nursepatient ratios as a patient safety strategy: a systematic review.Annals of internal medicine,158(5_Part_2), 404-409. Sherwood, G., Zomorodi, M. (2014). A new mindset for quality and safety: The QSEN competencies redefine nurses roles in practice.Nephrology Nursing Journal,41(1), 15-22. Simons, T., Leroy, H. (2013). Issues in researching leadership in health care organizations.Leading in Health Care Organizations: Improving Safety, Satisfaction and Financial Performance (Advances in Health Care Management, Volume 14) Emerald Group Publishing Limited,14, 221-234. Wong, C. A., Cummings, G. G., Ducharme, L. (2013). The relationship between nursing leadership and patient outcomes: a systematic review update.Journal of nursing management,21(5), 709-724. You, L. M., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Liu, K., He, G. P., Hu, Y., ... Shang, S. M. (2013). Hospital nursing, care quality, and patient satisfaction: cross-sectional surveys of nurses and patients in hospitals in China and Europe.International journal of nursing studies,50(2), 154-161.

Frankenstein and Robert Walton free essay sample

Dangerous Knowledge—An Analytical Essay on â€Å"Frankenstein† The pursuit of discovery and knowledge are thrilling aspects of human achievement, but can also be very dangerous if not handled correctly. In Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein,† Shelley portrays these two aspects of accomplishment as dangerous, destructive, and even fateful. Shelley begins her novel with an ambitious seafarer named Robert Walton. Walton is determined to reach the North Pole, where he may â€Å"tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man† (6). During his journey, he writes constantly to his sister, Margaret Saville. Unfortunately, due to the laws of nature, sheets of impassable ice enclosing on their ship soon interrupt Walton’s mission. Trapped, Walton meets Victor Frankenstein, another ambitious man who has been traveling by a dog-drawn sledge across the ice. Frankenstein is emaciated and sick from the cold, and Walton takes him aboard ship. Walton helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the creature that Frankenstein created. We will write a custom essay sample on Frankenstein and Robert Walton or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Shelley’s novel â€Å"Frankenstein,† Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature are portrayed with parallels and contrasts regarding their ambition for intellectual pursuit and glory—performing acts of great destruction, selfishness, and conceit. Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein are portrayed with parallels concerning their ambitiousness while causing fatal consequences. To begin with, Walton and Frankenstein are lonely—longing for friendship. At the beginning of the novel, Walton is desperate for a friend. In one of his letters to his sister, Walton says that when he does bathe in the joy of success, â€Å"there will be none to participate my joy† (8). Walton longs for a man with â€Å"tastes [are] like my own† (8). Frankenstein longs for a friend by creating his creature, which he hopes will â€Å"bless [me] as his creator and source† (34). Frankenstein wants to create his creature not only for companionship, but also for glory and godliness. Second, they are both guilty of hubris, which is extreme arrogance. Walton states in his letter to his sister that one of his goals for traveling to the Arctic is so that he can bring glory to his name; Victor hopes for the same for himself while creating his creature. Both men, because of their hubris, put others lives in danger unnecessarily. Finally, both thirst for discovery and knowledge and want to be the first who discover their goals while defying the laws of nature. Walton attempts to surpass previous human explorations by endeavoring to reach the North Pole. When he goes out to sea, however, he gets caught in a situation that he cannot escape. He and his crew are stuck between impenetrable sheets of ice, that close in on his ship day by day. Likewise, Frankenstein has a somewhat similar experience. Frankenstein possesses the knowledge of bringing the dead back to life. However, when he becomes utterly obsessed with his discovery, he does not know what to do when his creation comes alive. He flees from his apartment—leaving his creature in isolation, feeling unloved and misunderstood. Be that as it may, Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein have contrasts regarding their ambition for discovery and knowledge. First, in the beginning of the novel, Walton feels irresolute about his journey, although he wishes to persist. In another one of his letters to his sister, Walton says that he â€Å"dare not expect such success† (10), yet he cannot even look on the â€Å"reverse of the picture† (10). Walton is even doubtful that he will receive his sister’s letters, yet he wants her to â€Å"write to [me] by every opportunity† (10). On the other hand, Frankenstein is not doubtful or vacillating about outcomes at all. Right when his interest is initiated, he forms a strong determination, and does not stop working towards his goal or doubt himself until he reaches it. No matter how much he isolates and shuns his family, friends, and surroundings, a â€Å"resistless and almost frantic impulse† (35) urges him forward. Second, at the end of the novel, Frankenstein’s â€Å"fate is nearly fulfilled† (17), while Walton’s journey is only beginning. Frankenstein fulfilled his destiny and made his creation despite his suffering and misfortunes. However, his influence on Walton is paradoxical. One moment, Frankenstein exhorts Walton’s almost-mutinous men to not stray from their path courageously, regardless of danger. The next, he serves as an abject example of the dangers of heedless scientific ambition. Walton serves as a foil to Victor, either not obsessive enough to risk almost-certain death or not courageous enough to allow his passion to drive him. Walton ultimately draws back from his treacherous mission and returns to England, having learned from Victor’s example how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be. Finally, Robert Walton and the creature are portrayed with parallels that regard their ambition for discovery and knowledge—eventually leading to destruction. Both feel that they do not fit into society, and therefore feel that they have to change something in order to fit in. In the opening letters, Walton doubts himself in finding a real friend, even among â€Å"merchants and seamen† (9). Therefore, he makes an effort to be accepted. Walton voluntarily endures â€Å"cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep† (7) while devoting his nights to the â€Å"study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and†¦physical science† (7). Although Walton is appointed a high position in his ship by the captain, he is still in longing for a true friend. Likewise, the creature is not able to fit into society. With his eight-foot-tall presence, â€Å"watery eyes, †¦[his] shriveled complexion, and straight black lips† (37), he is outcast from society and shunned. Therefore, he tries to make himself fit by learning the French language, observing the culture of â€Å"humans†, and reading great novels such as Paradise Lost and the Lives of Plutarch. However, after reading and studying, he is rejected by society simply because of his appearance.

Exploring Racial Segregation in Holly Hills

Exploring Racial Segregation in Holly Hills Free Online Research Papers De facto racial segregation is a common practice in the United States today. The civil right movement fought to abolish this practice. Winning its first of many legal victories in 1952 with the Brown vs. Board of Education Case, the Supreme Court’s ruling required the segregation of schools to be phased out â€Å"with all deliberate speed†. (Desmond, Emirbayer, 2010) This Vague suggestion allowed public schools to take their time carrying out the court order. This in turn caused a backlash that can still be felt today. Due to property covenants and the discriminatory practice of redlining minority populations are currently severely concentrated in almost every city in America. According to the King county census (http://www5.kingcounty.gov/KCCensus/), Washington state is home to 5,894,121 people, 1,737,034 of those people live in King County and 75.7% are Caucasian, only 5.5% of those people are of Hispanic/Latino descent. I have gone looking for them and found the largest concentration of our Hispanic population in census tract 218.0.The block group that contains tract 218.0 consists of a 36.1% to 41.5% Hispanic population. Tract 218.0 runs along the king county/Snohomish county border, between NE Bothell and NW Woodinville. In the middle of this tract is a neighborhood named Holly Hills. I will explore this neighborhood and as a comparison I will explore a neighborhood that the 2000 census finds to contain a pradomately Caucasian population but first let’s explore Holly hills. As I walked through the Holly Hills community I quickly realized it was a neighborhood that consisted of entirely manufactured homes. I started my expedition at the community club house. This was a modest building in the center of the neighborhood that the residents, or anyone for that matter, could rent out for events and the homeowners association used it for events, like the pot luck they are going to be having next week. On one side of the club house is a gated pool and on the other is a large grass field and a diminutive playground with mix matched play systems. You could tell some of the structures where recently upgraded while others were relatively older. The playground was occupied by what appeared to be a family, possibly a biracial couple, playing with their children. Aside from than this family, I saw about twenty other people, of many different races, on my walk through this neighborhood on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. The residents that I did see seemed to be m iddle class, although on the lower end of the middle class, economic spectrum. I would say seven of the twenty people I saw appeared to be of Hispanic descent, about 8 were Caucasian, three were Asian, and one was native American and semmed friendly and some even waved as I strolled through their neighborhood taking pictures. While walking a snaking route through this community’s pot hole riddled streets I noticed that there were a lot of homes for sale, at least one on each block. This is one of the few manufactured home communities where you own the land as well as the home. The median price of homes here is $202,375 and the average home is 1393 sq. ft. that is a cost of $124 per sq. ft. (Reed A. May 16, 2010) As far as I can tell this area appears to be in the process of gentrification, wealthier individuals are beginning to move in to this neighborhood that was previously only inhabited by lower income families (Desmond, Emirbayer, 2010), with this abundance of homes for sale at such reasonable prices I wonder what this neighborhood will look like in a year from now. The closest school to this neighborhood is the K-6 school, Woodin Elementary. Woodin is in the Northshore School District and is the only school in the district that offers a bilingual educational program. According to Jill Crivello, the principal at Woodin elementary, the dual language program is open to both native English speaking students and native Spanish speaking students. This program is beneficial to both types of students in three ways. First, it helps develop cognitive abilities due to the fact that bilingual students execute better divergent thinking, pattern recognition, and problem solving skills. It also benefits the students in a socio-cultural aspect since adeptness in two languages allows students to widen their world views by interacting with peers who are fluent in the â€Å"target† language, and students are exposed to apposite social convections of language. Lastly this program opens up economic opportunities as bilingual individuals are in a higher deman d in the employment arena. (Crivello J. 2010 May 14) This program was also the reason that Northshore School District won the 2005 Diversity award during the WSSDA annual conference in Seattle. (http://wssda.org/wssda/WebForms/ EnUs/News /2005/20051122_divawards.asp) This elementary school is the only school in this district with a large enough Hispanic population to execute the dual language program properly. As a comparison I also researched another school in this district, Hollywood Hill elementary, this schools population is predominantly, 84.4%, Caucasian, and located in the affluent neighborhood where the school gets its name from, Hollywood Hills. When comparing schools there is not much of a difference in WASL test scores yet poignant differences can be seen on almost every other aspect of the schools dynamics. Hollywood Hill elementary has a much smaller student base, resulting in a smaller teacher/student ratio and 64.4% of the teachers hold a master’s degree. (http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/SideBySide.aspx?schoolId=1631Org Typed=4reportLevel=SchoolorgLinkId=) As I explored the surrounding Neighborhood I noticed obvious differences between this neighborhood and the Holly Hills neighborhood. Let me elaborate, The Hollywood Hills neighborhood is in census tract 323.2 and the residents here are 92.6% Caucasian. (http://www5.kingcounty.gov/KCCensus/), Unlike the previous neighborhood I could not walk around to explore Hollywood Hills due to the fact that the houses in this neighborhood are on extremely large lots of land surrounded by woods and there were few sidewalks and no safe way to walk on the street. The houses where very large and the yards where meticulously landscaped. I noticed a few houses that were for sale and discovered that the median price of a home in this area is $875,492 with the average sq. footage of a home being 3,282, that equals out to $235.84 per Sq. ft. (Reed A. May 16, 2010) I did not see any people on the street, walking around, or any children playing on the playground. I cannot say for sure if their where no chi ldren present at, what appeared to be, the community park, I was unable to tell due to the fact that the park was behind a locked iron fence and the play equipment was far enough from the street that recognizing individuals was nearly impossible. During a time when most families would be home eating dinner I noticed an absence of cars in driveways or on the streets. Everything seemed very sterile, devoid of all neighborly interaction, and to be completely honest I was extremely uncomfortable driving around this community. On the outskirts of this neighborhood I did come across an equestrian center that was offering riding lessons to the public. The individuals present in front of the welcoming center where friendly and cordial. They were willing to talk to me about the neighborhood and described it as a pleasant place to live, where everyone minded their own business. As I wandered through out the two neighborhoods I noticed divergences, other than the exceedingly obvious economic differences. Disparate from the Holly Hills neighborhood, Hollywood Hills showed no displays promoting community events and was lacking the appearance of what I would consider social interactions. I also noticed that the Holly Hills neighborhood had access to public transit, King County Metro stops where prevalent, where the Hollywood Hills neighborhood lacked any form of public transportation. This can be explained by the need for public transit if one was to assume that the residents in Hollywood Hills probably do not need to take the bus. In both neighborhoods I observed vehicles driving on the residential roads and noticed a minor difference in the quality of personal transportation. In Holly Hills the vehicles were slightly older, less expensive models that where considerably more economically friendly like Honda, Toyota, and Mitsubishi. Whereas in Hollywood Hills they were newer luxury models like Porsche, Lexus, and Mercedes they were also predominately SUV’s and therefore less eco-friendly. As I look back on my exploration into racial segregation I am left with many questions. I don’t understand why anyone would chose to live in a neighborhood that was entirely lacking any sense of community. With wealth do you also acquire a taste for social isolation? If so, I don’t think I will aspire to obtain the title of affluent. I enjoy the friendly relations I have with my neighbors and if given the choice would rather have that then a huge home and an overabundance of resources any day. The Hollywood Hills housing development is an unequivocal example of how racial segregation makes close-knit communities and any true sense of humanity impossible. The residents in the Holly Hills community seemed to have achieved a reasonable form of racial integration, a melding of separate cultural elements into a balanced community. America’s racial segregation is still exceedingly prevalent, however I am hopeful that one day will overcome the misery that racial dominat ion perpetuates, it is an unnecessary wall put up between neighbors and the loss of a piece of our humanity. Resources Crivello, J. (2010 May 14) Personal Interview. Principal of Woodin Elementary Desmond, M, Emirbayer, M. (2010) Racial domination, racial progress: the sociology of race in America. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. King County (2000) King County Census Data: Tracts and Blocks. Retrieved May 15, 2010, from http://www5.kingcounty.gov/KCCensus/ OSPI (2009) Office of superintendent of public instruction Washington state report card. Retrieved May 18, 2010 from http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/SideBySide.aspx? schoolId=1631OrgTypeId=4reportLevel=SchoolorgLinkId= Reed, A. (2010, May 16) Personal Interview. Windermere real estate agent of Redmond. WSSDA (2010) Northshore and Shelton school districts receive WSSDA Diversity Awards. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from http://wssda.org/wssda/WebForms/En-Us/News/2005/20051122_divawards.asp Research Papers on Exploring Racial Segregation in Holly HillsComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHip-Hop is ArtPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesQuebec and CanadaTrailblazing by Eric Anderson

Design, Drawing and Practical Skills Assignment

Design, Drawing and Practical Skills - Assignment Example This shows that design specification is important for design process. Its aim is to make sure that the succeeding design and development of a device meets the requirements of the end-user. A design specification ought to consist of all essential drawings, environmental factors, dimensions, aesthetic factors, ergonomic factors, cost and maintenance required, safety, quality, description and documentation. It also gives specific instances of the manner the design of the device should be implemented, assisting designers work efficiently. It is approved and reviewed by system owner, developer, and quality assurance. Quality Assurance symbols to guarantee that the document conforms to appropriate policy and that all demands were effectively addressed; however, they do not need to evaluate technical data. The design document must be broad enough for the developer to initiate work. The specification does not have to give details ‘how’ it is to be implemented rather ‘whatà ¢â‚¬â„¢ ought to be executed (Villar 2003). This is essential for the concept selection since it aid the developers on making appropriate choices of what must be done. Concept selection denotes the process of assessing concepts in reverence to client needs and other assessment mechanism, comparing comparative strengths and flaws of concepts, and choosing one or more ideas for further study and testing, or design process (Bell and Bell 1997). A structured technique for concept selection assists to sustain objectivity during the concept stage of product production and controls the product development group via a critical, hard and emotional procedure; this is attainable through well-written design specification (Bell and Bell 1997). Project management as an administration regulation underpins much economic responsibility. It is the driving might behind any

Importance of Strng Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of Strng Communication - Essay Example This is because it may help to boast the confidence of the audience (Gillis & International Association of Business Communicators, 2011). The points presented should be clear to avoid creating confusion among the audience. Additionally, eyes contacts are vital because they help the audience to feel that they are part of communication process (Gillis & International Association of Business Communicators, 2011). Connectively, Simple language should be used so that audience can understand the message (Gillis & International Association of Business Communicators, 2011). Many scientist tend to miss a point at this juncture because they use scientific jargon that ordinary audience can not comprehend (Motluk, 2011).This makes audience not comprehend the message being communicated, making communication process to be ineffective (Motluk, 2011).Therefore, the article tries to show whether strong communication skills are necessary in every type of organization. I believe that strong communication skills are vital in every type of organization and even in non academic world (Motluk, 2011). This is because failures to have effective communication in place it become difficult to deal with vendors, customer’s employees, employers and other stakeholders in an organization. For instance failure to listen keenly to customer’s needs may make an organization to incur substantial losses by producing goods and services that customers are unwilling to buy. Additionally, strong communication skills are vital in conducting marketing research. This is because for a research to be effective and efficient, researchers should posses’ strong communication skills that can convince the respondents to give out the required information (Guffey & Loewy, 2010). Additionally, effective communication helps the researchers to analyze and interpret the research findings in a manner that the intended audience can understand (Motluk, 2011). Research

Tariffs Used At Chittagong Port Economics Essay

Tariffs Used At Chittagong Port Economics Essay Chittagong Port is a principal port of Bangladesh and one of the emerging container ports of South Asian regions. At present, about 92% of import and export in volume are handled through this port and the growth of handling is ranging from 12% to 14% (CPA Year Book, 2008). This port is selected to present the current pricing system and to assess the demand and competition level and cost structure of this port. Further, this paper will try to provide recommendations to increase the attractiveness and the profit of the port by changing the current pricing system. Current pricing system: The present pricing system of this port is cost based. The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is a basic service provider and its objective focuses mainly on providing necessary services and facilities to the port users efficiently and effectively at competitive prices. The CPA has been following the cost based tariff system since 1987. To harmonize the objectives of CPA and port users the port introduced cost based tariff system in 1987 and had started collection of revenues on the basis of cost based tariff system since that year. Under cost based tariff, all variable, fixed, mixed, and step costs on a particular date were considered. There were also consideration of the growth rate of the cargo, container, and other activities for certain period. Total activities of CPA, to determine the tariff for a particular cargo or container or on any activity or movement, were divided into operational and non-operational (other service departments) departments. All variable and traceable costs relating to a particular department were directly assigned. Then all non-traceable cost and indirect costs were apportioned to all departments on some basis. After having a total costs for each department, all cost of non-operational departments re-apportioned to the operational departments on the basis of weights. Then total cost of a particular operational department was divided by certain number of activity or cargo or container to have a unit cost or tariff. Since the tariff is cost based and there is no provision for profit in the tariff, it was essential for the CPA to increase its efficiency in operation and effectiveness in use of assets so as to ensure early recovery of the fixed cost and reach the break-even- point. After break even point every amount of contribution margin has been considered as profit and considering that CPA redesigned its operational activity and flow of operation. CPA also made profit by handling more cargo, containers, and ships than the expected handling which meant CPAs operational growth rate was more than the required growth. As CPAs per unit operational cost was increased as per expectation, its contribution margin per unit was also remained in same level. Moreover, CPAs tariff is on foreign currency (US Dollar) basis which ha further increased CPAs income by devaluating of Bangladesh Taka. Cost Structure: The cost structure of the actual revenue and capital expenditure of CPA for the year 2007-2008 is presented in Table 1 and is shown in Annex-1. The Table 1 shows that actual operating and maintenance expense for the year 2007-08 was Taka 35,137.31 lac which includes a depreciation of Taka 8848.54 lac. Consequently, variable operating and maintenance cost was Taka 26,288.77 lac which is 29.53% of total cost. However, total fixed cost like depreciation and administrative staff salaries were Taka 10,773.64 lac which is 12.10% of the total cost. It is very alarming that financing cost and taxes were Taka 27,568.66 lac which was 30.97% of the total cost. CPA has to accept the proposal of the World Bank and ADB which have been offered through Bangladesh Government for various projects as CPA was not in a position to implement all of its development projects by using only its own fund. Therefore, CPA has to pay a huge amount of interest for those loans. Port competition level: The Chittagong Port is selected in this paper for assessing the intra port competition level and competition level within the region (inter port competition). Intra Port Competition level of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA): The Chittagong Port Authority is an autonomous and a service organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping of Bangladesh Government. According to the World Bank (2007), the port of Chittagong is a tool port where port authority owns, develops, and maintains the port infrastructure as well as the superstructure, including cargo handling equipment. CPA still has some entry barriers such as not to allow the foreign terminal operators in a tender process for operating a terminal or any investment in developing and operating a terminal of CPA due to labour unions objection and in monopolistic situation without any competition. Assessment of Inter-port competition level of CPA in Bangladesh: Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Mongla Port Authority (MPA) are two seaports of Bangladesh, which handled 32.72 million metric tons cargo (CPA Year Book, 2008 MPA website) during the fiscal year 2007-2008. Out of 32.72 million tons of total seaborne trade CPA handled 32.02 million tons and the rest is handled by MPA. The competition level of CPA with MPA can be assessed by analyzing location, yearly throughput and market share, market concentration, comparison of tariff including its hinterland facilities. To assess the market share only container traffic will be considered. Location: Chittagong Port is situated on the south eastern part of Bangladesh at a distance of about 9 nautical miles from the shore line of the Bay of Bengal. The maximum permissible LOA of vessel is 186 meters with the maximum permissible draught ranges from 8.50m to 9.20m (CPA Year Book, 2008). On the other hand, MPA is situated on the south western part of Bangladesh at a distance 71 nautical miles upstream from the Bay of Bengal and the permissible  maximum length of vessel is 225 m with the maximum 7m draught (MPA website). Throughput and Market share: The throughput, of the years 2004 to 2008, in TEUs and market share are presented in the Table 2 and is shown in Annex-2. From the Table 2, it is clear that the CPA is controlling the container market in Bangladesh without any competition. Market concentration: The Herfindhal index (H) is calculated to assess the container market concentration of two ports based on the years 2004 and 2008 in Table 3 and is shown in Annex-3. According to the Herfindhal index (H), if H = 1 or H = 0.5 or H = 1/n (n = number of firms), the concentration of market is monopoly or duopoly or equal in market shares respectively (Cariou, 2010). In the Table 3 the Herfindhal index (H), in both years, are almost close to 1 (one) which indicates that the container market is monopolistic. Comparison of tariff of both ports: The both ports, Chittagong and Mongla are autonomous and service organizations under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping. Both ports pricing system is cost based. The comparison of some costs related to container handling of both ports is presented in the Table 4 and is shown in annex-4. The Table 4 indicates that both the ports have same pricing structure for container handling and container vessels except the Lift on / Lift off charge on account of empty containers which is about 33.33% less in CPA compared to MPA. Hinterland market access: The Chittagong Port is connected with the hinterland by road, rail, air and river. The major containerized import and export commodity of Bangladesh is garments accessories and readymade garments respectively. The major factories of garments are located in Chittagong and Dhaka. The Export Processing Zones are located 3-4 kilometers away from Chittagong port. The most of the business activities including industrialization and foreign investment are oriented with the region of Dhaka and Chittagong of Bangladesh. The road distance from Chittagong port to Dhaka is around 245km. Mongla Port Authority (MPA) is situated on the south western part and serves the entire western part of Bangladesh. The road distance between MPA and Dhaka is can be around 185km, nearer to Dhaka compared to Chittagong Port. For many years, majority of all import and export cargo of MPA is moved by inland water way. Unavailability of railway connection and the road connection under present lay out remains unattractive for cargo transport from the port to Dhaka due to cost and time increases than going by road to Chittagong. The communication system of Chittagong Port through road, rail, and air is stronger than the Mongla port which indicates that Chittagong port is comparatively in competitive position than Mongla port in terms of hinterland access. Assessment of Inter-port competition level of CPA with Kolkata Port Trust (KOPT), India: Recent decision of the government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh to allow the transit of the cargo of northeastern states of India has increased the competition level of CPA with the KOPT. The competition level of CPA with KOPT is assessed by considering the geographical location, throughput, market share, market concentration, pricing structure, and hinterland market access. Geographical location: Chittagong port is strategically located in competitive location (Annex-5) for the seven northeastern states of India and these states currently depend on KOPT for export and import trade by passing comparatively long distance and incurring more cost. KOPT and CPA, both are regional sea ports of India and Bangladesh respectively. Due to geographical location and present decision of both countries for transit facilities CPA as regional hub will compete with KOPT. Throughput of CPA and KOPT: Average yearly growth and total throughput of the years 2004 to 2008 is presented in Table 5 for assessing the competition level of two ports and is shown in Annex-6. The Table 5 indicates that both ports between the years 2004 and 2008 had positive growth rate in container trade and the total average yearly growth is 22.27%. Market share of Chittagong port and Kolkata port: The market share of both ports are calculated and presented in the Table 6 and is shown in Annex-7. From the Table 6, it is clear that CPA has a lion share of container market. On the other hand, both ports have almost steady market share over the mentioned years. Market concentration: The level of container market concentration of both ports is calculated for the years 2004 and 2008 by using Herfindhal Index (H) and presented in Table 7 and is shown in Annex-8. The Table 7 shows that the Herfindhal Indices (H) is 0.58 and 0.59 for the years 2004 and 2008 respectively and close to 0.5. From this value it indicates that both the years the market was duopoly because of the different natural and political hinterland. Comparison of Tariff: The tariffs in some important particular fields related to container trade of both ports are presented in Table 8 and is shown in Annex-9. By comparing the tariff in some important particular fields of both Table 8 shows that except port dues and Lift on/Lift off charges for empty containers (20 and 40) other port charges are higher of CPA than KOPT. Hinterland connection: At present, the container trades of northeastern states of India depends on KOPT which is costly and time consuming as the port is situated far away from these states. Distance by road of northeastern states from Kolkata and Chittagong is presented in Table 9 and is shown in Annex-10. From the Table 9, it is evident that Chittagong port has competitive advantage in hinterland access over Kolkata port. Conclusion and recommendations: This paper aimed to present the current pricing system for Chittagong port and assesses the demand, competition level, and cost structure of the port. Firstly, it is observed that the pricing system of CPA is cost based and the port is mainly service oriented organization acting as a tool port. Secondly, it is observed that the container market is monopolistic in CPA due to absence of private operator. The inter port competition level of CPA with MPA also monopolistic and concentration of container market is in favour of CPA due to some bottlenecks of MPA. In addition, the competition level of CPA is assessed with nearby Indian port, KOPT. Here, duopolistic market concentration is observed as both ports, at present, are using different hinterland without international competition. However, the competition level of both ports will be increased in near future as Bangladesh and Indian governments have agreed for transit facilities for northeastern Indian states. In this case, it is furt her observed that due to strategic location of CPA the port has competitive advantage over KOPT. Furthermore, the comparison of tariff of both ports shows that in some particular important fields for container trade, the tariff of CPA is higher. From the above scenarios, it is evident that the degree of market concentration of CPA is monopolistic and current pricing system is controlled by regulations. However, according to UNCTAD (1995), in various parts of the world many ports are facing increased competition because of technological change in shipping, ports and land transport which may require a relaxation of government control on port charges. This report further mentioned that, competition has forced tariff levels to become more flexible. On the other hand, the CPA will not be able to hold its monopolistic situation as trade facilitation and competitive environment are increasing in the south-Asian region. Therefore, to increase the attractiveness and the profit of the port, it is recommended that the CPA has to revise its tariff by taking some infrastructural development for its natural hinterland access, competitive hinterland access as well as by increasing the efficiency of operational activities. In summary, cost based tariff can contribute to develop its attractiveness and its profit by the following ways: Rearranging operational activities to ensure efficient operation and economic use of operational assets. 2. Maintaining operational cost at a minimum level by reducing fixed cost and taking outsourcing benefit. 3. Achieving more growth in operation than required level of growth. For example: It was assumed that Total 3 million containers will be handled in 20 years with a growth rate 5% per year. On the other hand, CPA is now handling more than 1 million per year with 12% growth rate. So after 3 million, each amount of contribution margin (CM) is profit. Moreover, up to the recovery of 3 million, 7% of growth was also contribution margin, used to recover the fixed cost. 4. Devaluation of Bangladeshi taka against dollar will also help to increase profit in nominal term. Revising tariff time to time with present cost can be a more effective way to increase profit. Moreover, to increase the attractiveness and profit of the CPA, concession may be given on account of discharging or loading charges to importer/exporter who handles certain number of containers determined by port in single call of a vessel. Furthermore, it can provide rebates on vessels introducing green award discount like Port of Rotterdam Authority.