Transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgery

Transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgery Free Online Research Papers With the help of modern medicine, many transsexuals throughout the country and globe are able to experience relief from the gender conflicts they experience. Becoming educated about transsexuals and the facts surrounding gender re-assignment surgery are key ingredients for tolerating and accepting this prevailing hamlet. According to the text, â€Å"medical estimates place transgenderism at about 1 in 30,000 for MTF and 1 in 100,000 for FTM. However, many gender activists claim that these figures vastly underestimate the true prevalence and are based on statistics of the number of sex reassignment surgeries performed rather than the overall number of people who are living transgender lives [and] prevalence may be at least 10 times higher† (Hock, p. 385). With numbers this great, and possibly greater, it is highly probable to cross paths with such a person in an educational, social or work setting, and some people may even â€Å"date, have sex with, and even marry a postop erative transsexual and be unaware of the person’s transgender status unless he or she† were to divulge the truth (Hock, p. 386). Ergo, tolerance and acceptance of transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgery is even more exigent. The first step to achieving a complete understanding of gender re-assignment surgery is briefly educating oneself on the history of transsexuals and gender re-assignment surgery. The concept of transsexuals has been referred to in classic literature by such authors as Herodotus and Shakespeare and â€Å"[w]ell known historical examples of psychosexual inversion span the time from the Roman emperor Caligula to the famous French diplomat Chevalier d’Eon† (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison). In 1830, â€Å"German author Friedreich first called attention to this syndrome in the medical literature†; in 1870, â€Å"Westphal was the first to give a clear and complete description† of transvestism; in 1949, Cauldwell was the first to coin the term transexualism (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison). Regarding the birth of gender re-assignment surgery, there are varying opinions. Some believe that early â€Å"examples relate to practices carried out in ancient cultures. Gender reassignment surgery (GRS) developed from reconstructive procedures for congenital abnormalities. Some surgery was disguised, techniques were not recorded, and operations were carried out in secret† (Goddard, Vickery, Terry). However, it is also argued that even though â€Å"castration has been used throughout recorded history, and penectomies have not been unknown, it is not always clear that people given these operations desired any change of sex† (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison). Therefore, the first documented case of GRS was reported in 1931 by Abraham. (Edgerton, Knorr and Callison) During the 1950s, Sir Harold Gillies and gynecologist Dr. Georges Burou developed the first of two methods for male-to-female gender re-assignment surgery, which â€Å"used invagination of the penile skin sheath to form a vagina†(Goddard, Vickery, Terry). Howard Jones from Johns Hopkins developed the second method of this avant garde concept, which used penile and scrotal skin flaps. Both methods serve as the basis for all male-to-female gender re-assignment surgeries performed today. While development of male-to-female GRS was in progress, Burou was also independently developing female-to-male gender re-assignment surgery in his Clinique du Parc in Casablanca. His method consisted of â€Å"the anteriorly pedicled penile skin flap inversion vaginoplasty† and this â€Å"technique was to become the gold standard of skin-lined vaginoplasty in transsexuals† (Hage, Karim, Laub). According to the text, gender re-assignment surgery has evolved into a multi step process that requires â€Å"psychological counseling, hormone therapy, and a pre-surgical transition period† before surgery can even take place. For both transitions, there are several surgeries that have â€Å"anatomically very realistic† results. A male-to-female gender re-assignment surgery may involve any or all of the following: penectomy (removal of the penis), uroplasty (rerouting of the urethra), orchiectomy (removal of the testicles), vaginoplasty (the use of penile skin to construct labia and a vagina), breast implants, chondrolaryngoplasty (reduces the size of the Adam’s apple) and phonosurgery (raises voice pitch). A female-to-male gender re-assignment surgery may involve any or all of the following: mastectomy (removal of breasts), hysterectomy (removal of uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries), metadioplasty (creation of small erectile phallus from the clitoris), pha lloplasty (formation of a penis from tissue taken from other areas of the body and transplanted using microsurgical techniques in the genital area; requires a penile implant for erection), uroplasty, scrotoplasty (reshaping and stretching of the labia to resemble a scrotum and the insertion of silicone prosthetic testicles). If performed in the United States, such surgeries can cost anywhere from $18,000 to $50,000 while other countries such as Thailand offer GRS costing anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000.(Hock, p. 386) The first gender re-assignment to receive media attention was the male-to-female re-assignment of Christine Jorgensen. Christine, born a man, lived as George Jorgensen until she had her gender re-assignment surgery in February of 1953. Christine grew up knowing that she was biologically a man but psychologically a woman and after her service in the military ended, she began hormone therapy consisting of the female hormone estradiol. Because of the nescience that enveloped the United States medical community concerning gender re-assignment surgery during the 1950s, Christine found it difficult to find a doctor willing to help her resolve her gender conflict and reach her goals. Eventually, a doctor in Denmark was able to perform surgery that consisted of a bilateral orchiectomy, removal of the scrotum and a penectomy. Several years after this initial surgery, Christine had cosmesis surgery to construct a vagina. As a result of the media coverage she received, Christine became â€Å"a spokesperson for transgender, gay, and lesbian causes† (Hock, p. 386). Sexual and physical health after gender re-assignment surgery is a major concern for candidates. One study conducted by the Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium states that â€Å"[t]actile and erogenous sensitivity in reconstructed genitals is one of the goals in sex reassignment surgery† (Selvaggi, Monstrey, Ceulemans, T’Sjoen, De Cuypere, Hoebeke). The study outlines â€Å"specific surgical tricks used to preserve genital and tactile sensitivity† that focus on the preservation of the clitoris, the inguinal nerve, two dorsal nerves of the clitoris for phalloplasty and preservation of the glans penis, the prepuce and the penile shaft for vaginoplasty. The study states that a â€Å"long-term sensitivity evaluation† was performed on the â€Å"27 reconstructed phalli and 30 clitorises† of the 105 total phalloplasties and 127 vaginoclitoridoplasties performed over a ten year period of time at the Ghent University H ospital. The study concludes that â€Å"all female-to-male and 85% of male-to-female patients reported orgasm† and the tactile sensitivity techniques that are practiced at the hospital are essential for achieving such results. (Selvaggi, Monstrey, Ceulemans, T’Sjoen, De Cuypere, Hoebeke) For obvious reasons, gender re-assignment surgery is a major medical procedure. Any surgery presents the possibility of adverse health effects and urogenital surgical procedures are no different. They can include a variety of issues from urinary tract problems to sensations of phantom genitals to Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus. One study in Japan suggests that through the course of their research, â€Å"several complications occurred such as partial flap necrosis, rectovaginal fistula formation and hypersensitivity of the neoclitoris† (Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata). Every person is different and while there are factors that contribute to such problems, it is difficult to predict what adverse effects, if any, someone who elects for these types of procedures will experience. In 2007, a research study based on the hypothesis that Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus can be induced by gender re-assignment surgery was published in the Journal of Rheumatology. The study highlights that the pathology of Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus is both intrinsic and extrinsic. It is stated that â€Å"[t]he intrinsic abnormalities are complicated, with diverse genetic polymorphisms described in different ethnic groups, strongly suggesting that the actual pathology underlying the immunologic disarray might not be the same for each patient† (Zandman-Goddard, Solomon, Barzilai, Shoenfeld). Extrinsic factors are outlined in the same study as the exposure to â€Å"drugs capable of modulating immune responses such as exogenous estrogens.† The study indicates that it is presenting information about â€Å"the first reported case of sex reassignment surgery and the subsequent development of cutaneous lupus† and that the purpose of the report is to â€Å"emphasize t hat environmental triggers including high doses of estrogens as part of sex reassignment surgery may lead to the development of lupus in a nonpredisposed individual.† One study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior , the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research, observed â€Å"preoperative preparations, complications and physical and functional outcomes of male-to-female sex reassignment surgery† on 232 patients. Each patient had penile-inversion vaginoplasty and sensate clitoroplasty which was performed by the same surgeon using the same technique on each patient. It is reported that almost all the patients stopped hormone therapy and received electrolysis to remove genital hair prior to the gender re-assignment surgery. While none of the patients â€Å"reported rectal-vaginal fistula or deep-vein thrombosis†, at least a third of the patients â€Å"reported urinary stream problems.† (Lawrence) Another problem linked with gender re-assignment surgery is reported episdoes of phantom genitals which is comparable to the phantom limb phenomenon. First described by Weir Mitchell in 1871, phantom limb is the â€Å"vivid sensation of still having a limb although it has been amputated† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). Since these episodes are not restricted to people with amputated limbs, it is reported to also occur â€Å"after amputation of the penis or a breast [and] 60% of men who have had to have their penis amputated for cancer will experience a phantom penis† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). The first documented case of â€Å"‘phantom penis’ was reported by Crone in 1951 (Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata). Recent studies have shown that phantom sensations may be a result of â€Å"‘cross’ activation between the de-afferented cortex and surrounding areas† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). Another contributing factor to phanto m limb is that â€Å"our body image is innately ‘hard-wired’ into our brains† and it is interesting to note that â€Å"congenitally limbless patients can still experience phantom sensations† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). In the aforementioned study, researchers hypothesized that â€Å"due to a dissociation during embryological development, the brains of transsexuals are ‘hard-wired’ in manner, which is opposite to that of their biological sex.† Proving or disproving this hypothesis will be essential to â€Å"showing the basis of transsexuality and provide farther evidence that we have a gender specific body image, with a strong innate component that is ‘hard-wired’ into our brains. This would furnish us with a better understanding the mechanism by which nature and nurture interact to link the brain-based internal body image with external sexual morphology† (Ramachandran, McGeoch). With an understanding that this phenomenon plagues a greater pool of people than once assumed, researchers from the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan observed and documented the sensations of phantom erectile penis in 14 male-to-female patients that they performed vaginoplasty surgery on during an almost seven year period. Their conclusions state that just after their gender re-assignment surgery â€Å"some patients feel that their penises still exist, but by several weeks postoperatively, this sensation has disappeared† but that there was one case where the â€Å"sensation of a phantom erectile penis persisted for much longer† (Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata). One 52 year old patient who underwent male-to-female re-assignment during this study reported â€Å"the feeling of a phantom erectile penis for over six months and was enhanced when the patient was standing.† After a second surgery, the phantom sensation disappeared. Since transsexuals seeking gender re-assignment surgery are trying to reach a goal that includes lifestyle satisfaction, research has been conducted to find out if gender re-assignment surgery will actually help transsexuals reach this goal. While there are possible adverse physical effects to gender re-assignment surgery, one study says that â€Å"[n]o single complication was significantly associated with regretting SRS. Satisfaction with most physical and functional outcomes of SRS was high; participants were least satisfied with vaginal lubrication, vaginal touch sensation, and vaginal erotic sensation† (Lawrence). Another study also reported on by Lawrence â€Å"examined factors associated with satisfaction or regret following sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in 232 male-to-female transsexuals operated on †over a six year period of time. A vast majority of the patients who participated in this study reported â€Å"that they were happy with their SRS results and t hat SRS had greatly improved the quality of their lives. None reported outright regret and only a few expressed even occasional regret.† While one may feel dissonance as a transsexual, gender re-assignment surgery patients have been proven to be â€Å"better adjusted in life† than those who continue their struggle â€Å"trapped† in the wrong body. (Hock, p. 386) A few issues rarely traversed in the medical field that are pertinent to the understanding and tolerance of transsexuals and gender re-assignment surgery are recommended for further study and observation. For example, there is limited research or published studies concerning transsexuals who have undergone GRS and their adjustment to society, or furthermore, society’s adjustment to them. It would be intriguing to learn if transsexuals feel as though society accepts them more before or after their surgery. Another issue that would be intriguing, is to learn about patients’ postoperative relationships. The text says that a transsexuals new genitals are so anatomically real that it is possible to meet, date, have sex with or even marry such a person without even realizing it. This deserves further study. While a transsexual manages their gender dissonance, gender re-assignment surgery has proven to be a feasible solution. With references in classic literature and well known historical figures, transexualism has been around for hundreds of years. Study and development of gender re-assignment surgeries are relatively new, but the field has many pioneers who are striving to help improve the quality of life for transsexuals across the globe. As with any surgery, gender re-assignment surgery poses several risks, most of them postoperative. Since gender re-assignment surgery is both physically serious and irreversible, and has possible adverse affects such as Lupus, urinary tract issues or even phantom genitalia, the decision to have such procedures is a long process. Beginning with intense psychological preparation, hormone therapy and a period of transition, gender re-assignment surgery can not be completed until all these steps are completed successfully. On a promising note, stu dies conducted on overall satisfaction of patients who receive GRS overwhelmingly show that patients now feel a greater quality of life and are satisfied with their decision of gender re-assignment. References Bullough, 1975. Transexualism in History, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 4(5). January 18, 2009. Edgerton, Knorr, Callison, 1970. The Surgical Treatment of Transsexual Patients, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 45(1). January 18, 2009. Goddard, Vickery, Terry, 2007. Development of Feminizing Genitoplasty for Gender Dysphoria, Journal of Sexual Medicine, 4(4). January 19, 2009. Hage, Karim, Laub, 2007. On the Origin of Pedicled Skin Inversion Vaginoplasty: Life and Work of Dr. Georges Burou of Casablanca, Annals of Plastic Surgery, 59(6). January 18, 2009. Lawrence, 2003. Factors Associated with Satisfaction or Regret Following Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32(4). January 19, 2009. Lawrence, 2006. Patient-Reported Complications and Functional Outcomes of Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery, Archives of Sexual Behavior. January 18, 2009. Namba, Sugiyama, Yamashita, Tokuyama, Hasegawa, Kimata, 2008. Phantom erectile penis after sex reassignment surgery, Acta Medica Okayama, 62(3). January 18, 2009. Ramachandran, McGeoch, 2007. Occurrence of phantom genitalia after gender reassignment surgery, Medical Hypotheses, 69(5). January 18, 2009. Selvaggi, Monstrey, Ceulemans, T’Sjoen, De Cuypere, Hoebeke, 2007. Genital Sensitivity after sex reassignment surgery in transsexual patients, Annals of Plastic Surgery, 58(4). January 18, 2009. Zandman-Goddard, Solomon, Barzilai, Shoenfeld, 2007. Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus Induced by Sex Reassignment Surgery, The Journal of Rheumatology, 34(9). January 19, 2009. Hock, 2007. Human Sexuality, Gender: Expectations, Roles, and Behaviors, 373-374 385-386. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Research Papers on Transsexuals and those who choose gender re-assignment surgeryInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesResearch Process Part OneMind TravelThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

The History of Corinthian Columns

The History of Corinthian Columns The word Corinthian describes an ornate column style developed in ancient Greece and classified as one of the Classical Orders of Architecture. The Corinthian style is more complex and elaborate than the earlier Doric and Ionic Orders. The capital or top part of a Corinthian style column has lavish ornamentation carved to resemble leaves and flowers. Roman architect Vitruvius observed that the delicate Corinthian design was produced out of the two other orders. He described the Corinthian column as an imitation of the slenderness of a maiden; for the outlines and limbs of maidens, being more slender on account of their tender years, admit of prettier effects in the way of adornment. Because of their opulence, Corinthian columns are rarely used as common porch columns for the ordinary home. The style is more suited for Greek Revival mansions and public architecture such as government buildings, especially courthouses. Characteristics of Corinthian columns include: Fluted (grooved) shaftsCapitals (the tops of each shaft) decorated with  acanthus leaves and flowers and sometimes small scrollsCapital ornaments that flare outward like bells, suggesting a sense of heightProportion; Vitruvius tells us that the height of their capitals gives them proportionately a taller and more slender effect than Ionic columns Why Are They Called Corinthian Columns? In the worlds first architecture textbook, De architectura (30 B.C.), Vitruvius tells the story of a young girl from the city-state of Corinth. A free-born maiden of Corinth, just of marriageable age, was attacked by an illness and passed away, writes Vitruvius. She was buried with a basket of her favorite things atop her tomb, near the root of an acanthus tree. That spring, leaves and stalks grew up through the basket, creating a delicate explosion of natural beauty. The effect caught the eye of a passing sculptor named Callimachus, who began to incorporate the intricate design onto column capitals. Because the sculptor found this design in Corinth, the columns that bear it became known as Corinthian columns. West of Corinth in Greece is the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, thought to be the oldest surviving example of the Classical Corinthian column. This temple from about 425 B.C. is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Tholos (a round building) at Epidauros (c. 350 B.C.) is thought to be one of the first structures to use a colonnade of Corinthian columns. Archaeologists have determined the tholos to have 26 exterior Doric columns and 14 interior Corinthian columns. The Temple of Olympian Zeus (175 B.C.) in Athens is said to have had more than 100 Corinthian columns. Are All Corinthian Capitals the Same? No, not all Corinthian capitals are exactly alike, but they are characterized by their leafy flowers. The capitals of Corinthian columns are more ornamented and delicate than the tops of other column types. They can easily deteriorate over time, especially when they are used outdoors. Early Corinthian columns were used primarily for interiors spaces, and thus were protected from the elements. The Monument of Lysikrates (c. 335 B.C.) in Athens features some of the earliest examples of exterior Corinthian columns. Replacing deteriorated Corinthian capitals must be done by master craftsmen. During the 1945 bombing of Berlin, the royal palace was heavily damaged, and it was later demolished in the 1950s. With the reunification of East and West Berlin, the palace was reinvented. Sculptors used old photographs to recreate the architectural details in the new facade, in clay and in plaster, noting that not all of the Corinthian capitals were the same. Architectural Styles That Use Corinthian Columns The Corinthian column and the Corinthian Order were created in ancient Greece. Ancient Greek and Roman architecture is collectively known as Classical, and so Corinthian columns are found in Classical architecture. The Arch of Constantine (A.D. 315) in Rome and the Ancient Library of Celsus in Ephesus feature examples of Corinthian columns in Classical architecture. Classical architecture was reborn during the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later derivatives of Classical architecture include the Neoclassical, Greek Revival, and Neoclassical Revival architectures of the 19th century, and the Beaux Arts architecture of the American Gilded Age. Thomas Jefferson was influential in bringing the Neoclassical style to America, as seen in the Rotunda at The University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Corinthian-like designs can also be found in some Islamic architecture. The distinctive capital of the Corinthian column comes in many forms, but the acanthus leaf appears in most designs. Professor Talbot Hamlin suggests that Islamic architecture was influenced by the acanthus leaf design: Many mosques, like those at Kairouan and Cordova, used actual ancient Corinthian capitals; and later Moslem capitals were often based on the Corinthian scheme in general pattern, although the tendency toward abstraction gradually removed all remaining signs of realism from the carving of the leaves. Famous Buildings With Corinthian Columns In the United States, famous buildings with Corinthian columns include the U.S. Supreme Court Building, the U.S. Capitol, and the National Archives Building, all of which are in Washington, D.C. In New York City, buildings with these columns include the New York Stock Exchange Building on Broad Street in Lower Manhattan and the James A. Farley Building, which is across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. In Rome, check out the Pantheon and the Colosseum, where Doric columns are on the first level, Ionic columns on the second, and Corinthian columns on the third. Great Renaissance cathedrals throughout Europe are apt to show off their Corinthian columns, including St. Pauls Cathedral and St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Leadership - Research Paper Example Personal principles and skills acquired in development by a leader will determine the ability to show others the way. In most public sector administrations, the leaders take control of what the junior workers do in their jobs or even what the customers want. Some of them are full of corruption in making vial decisions (To Kill a Mocking Bird 01:41:03). Most of the leaders in this sector also consider their directive to be the best and employee should not in any way do the job in another way. Such practices have made junior employees to lose touch with the management hindering collaborative work design. There is always a barrier between management and junior employees in the workplaces. In addition, most of those finding themselves in the public areas are not motivated in doing their work. Most do the work because of the salary and economic security. This kind of practice cannot allow most of the employees in the public sector to become productive. It also affects the relationship between employees of different units and ranks. As Howard places it, a relationship in the work place is better than the profit. The public servants should also consider serving their customers betternot only by valuing the returns they get. In solution for these cultures in the public administration system, several leadership changes have to take place in the work place. Most of the changes might involve deviation from the current practices like the way Howard Behar changed the management of Starbucks. To change these practices top leaders in the public administration system should take initiative in leading as an example. Developing these leadership skills might seem easy but practicing them proves to be hard for most of the leaders. Working at the middle level management in a public service comes with many challenges. In reality,one person may give orders to some

Writing Consultation Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Consultation Assignment - Essay Example Because there are many ways to approach this topic, I had not completed an outline, and Jonny functioned as a sounding board off, of which to bounce my ideas for the paper as well as pointing me in the right direction to get more research about my topic (Bjork, 2003). The session was effective in unveiling to me possible points that could be included. There is a variety of bats on the market and one of my objectives for the session was to determine how this topic could be covered in a short, four-page paper. I was convinced on his well-versed knowledge on writing such research papers and more importantly his attention to details on how the paper should look like. This reshaped my perspective on the approach all together. This got me assured of a qualitative discussion once I embark on the actual writing. In the learning center, Jonny asked about my curiosity about the topic and what kinds of criteria would the best baseball bat have. I had not given much thought to the topic and I re alized that when it comes to choosing a baseball bat, so many things have to be in place. Jonny and I discussed those factors that ought to influence one’s choice. For instance, what material to choose, what size, what weight were some of the guiding question samples for my learning and consultation.

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Example for Free

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Shirley Jackson, The Lottery – Discussion and Analysis Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences on your own paper. Provide quotations (with page/line numbers) from the story to support your answers. 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense? Answers to Discussion Questions 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? By choosing common people, Jackson is attempting to have the general reader relate to the grotesque situation at hand. The dangers of blind allegiance to tradition become more â€Å"close to home† when an average, small-town American population is the center of the action. It becomes more general and all-applicable. (Lines 1-17) 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? The original purpose of the lottery seems to have been some twisted sort of rain dance ritual. As Old Man Warner explains, the old saying used to exclaim, â€Å"Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon† (line 122). It takes on an air of Aztec/ritualistic sacrifice, that by performing the blood ritual and sacrificing one, the needs of the majority will be met. If the ritual is not followed, society will collapse – or so the townsfolk believe. 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? The loss of the original ceremonial paraphernalia is significant, as it suggests that the original meaning and reasons for the lottery have been lost to time. It is a ritual with no true purpose, other than that of blind allegiance to tradition. Some villages presumably have matured beyond this ritual, but this one has not. 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? There are two ways to approach this question. 1) From an in-character perspective, Tessie is objecting to the fact that she is the subject of the sacrifice, having been the â€Å"winner† of the lottery. She doesn’t want to die, and is protesting merely the fact that she has to die, not that people die in general. 2) From an authorial / reader response perspective, Jackson challenges the reader to question the idea of conformity and blind allegiance to tradition. If we don’t know why we observe a specific tradition, perhaps we should question its usefulness. Besides, it’s good to question and analyze. 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? Tessie’s attempt to have her daughter draw with the family is a half-baked (and somewhat heartless) attempt to have a larger pool of â€Å"winners† (victims) to draw from. While reading, it sort of sounds like she wants an extra chance to win some money or something of that nature. In reality, she is trying to provide more of a buffer between herself and being murdered. 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) She is providing a symbol of societies such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, where great atrocities are committed under the indifferent watch of tradition-oriented conformists. She is trying to tell us that we should be  guided by our moral compass, not merely by the expectations of society. If something is unjust or wrong, we should stand up against it. 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? Effectively, the lottery is by definition a collective act of murder, regardless of the reason it is held. Its existence does, however, beg the question of whether tradition (and, by extension, moral relativism) supersedes any sort of universal morality. Is killing wrong no matter what, or does its intended purpose – prosperity for the many at the expense of the few – justified? Regardless of the answer, Jackson’s message is that doing anything simply because it’s â€Å"what always has been done† is not an acceptable approach to life. We should question and analyze our traditions, and understand why we continue to observe them. 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense?

The Changeable Nature of Life in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver E

The Changeable Nature of Life in The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Life is constantly changing, like clouds in the sky; always shifting and turning. People never really know which way life will turn next, bringing them fortune or failure. When you look at how things change it is best to compare it to something that you can relate it to. The changeable nature of life can be related to the novel 'The Bean Trees.' This is a book written almost entirely on dealing with changes in the characters lives. The Changeable nature of life affects us all somehow. Whether it be moving to a new city, having children, or losing people that we love, it can affect people in many different ways. For example, in the novel, the main character Taylor Greer changes her name from Marietta and moves...

Flat Panel Tv and the Global Economy

Q2. â€Å" Flat Panel Televisions and the Global Economy† Vizio is a U. S. company founded in 2002 by William Wang, Vizio CEO, with the idea that everyone deserves to own the latest technology. It is a producer of consumer electronics, primarily produces television sets. It grows fast despite a limited number of staff. Now, there are over 160 employees and it remains the first American brand in over a decade to lead in U. S. LCD HDTV sales. This passage has mentioned two main issues, which are related to what I have learnt in the lecture. They are globalization of production and the reasons for businesses to become international. 1) Globalization of production Vizio has achieved globalization of production. Globalization of production means sourcing of goods and services from locations around the world to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production, for example, land, labor, capital, and energy. Vizio sources the components of televisions around the world. It source panel, electronic components, and processors from South Korea, China, and United States respectively. Assembly of TV is in Mexico, while final product design, sales, and customer service are in California. The final products are sold in retailers, such as Circuit City or Wal-Mart. Globalization of production makes companies more competitive by improving their quality or volume, and lowering their costs. According to William Wang, Vizio CEO, he can undercut his competition because his overhead is low. The company has about 85 employees and they are mainly responsible for technical support or engineering. It outsources manufacturing to Asia because there are low-cost, for-hire factories. 1] Because of reduced cost and high quality TV, it allows Vizio to compete with it rivals, e. g. Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic more effectively. 2) Reason to become international – proactive & reactive There are some initiatives for Vizio to become international. The proactive reason why Vizio become international because it can generate greater profits by reducing costs of acquiring resources. B y souring the television components worldwide and lower cost in labor and factories in Mexico, Vizio gain advantages to reduce its total cost. From Vizio’s perspective, greatly reduced production cost cause it able to offer lower selling price of TV sets to customers. This becomes Vizio’s competitive advantage and allows it to beat its competitors- Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic. From customers’ perspective, they are benefited from falling price and improved living standard because they can enjoy high quality flat-panel TV. The reactive reason is because of the competitive pressure in domestic market. There are many competitors in the United States, for example, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic. In order to survive, Vizio has to Vizio has to enhance its competitive advantage. Therefore, it source suppliers of the components around the globe, which can offer low cost and high quality products. This makes Vizio’s TV become competitive and attract many customers to buy its products. Globalization also has its pros and cons. One of the advantage globalization is that competitions can increase the quality of products. Since Vizio now have to compete with rivals from worldwide, it has to provide customers with better flat panel TV than Sony, Samsung and Panasonic. Also, competitions force Vizio to create more innovative products so as to attract more customers to buy its products. Customers are thus benefited under globalization. On the other hand, globalization causes companies to lay off employees in home country. Since many manufacturing work are outsourced to China or Mexico, which can provide low cost labor and factories, employees in home countries are laid off because of their high labor cost or the factories in home country are closed down, causing unemployment. Q3bii As there is a trend towards globalization, many firms are involved in cross-broader trade and investment. Managing international business becomes not as easy as managing a purely domestic firm. Managers are now facing more difficulties related to globalization. The issues that managers have to grapple with are as follows. 1) Difference in culture The firms are doing business with many other firms or investing in other countries around the world. Since the countries are not the same, there are differences in cultures, political systems, economic systems, legal systems, and levels of economic development. Because of these differences, international businesses need to vary its practices country by country. Take General Electric as example, GE invest in China on infrastructure. Since China is a communist society, many businesses are still operated by the government although it has opened its market to outsiders to invest in China. Therefore, government is a large customer in China and GE needs to work closely with the bureaucrats. It is difficult for the outsiders, who are not familiar with Chinese culture, to gain cultural sensitivity. Even if they are exposed to Chinese environment, they still need time to learn Chinese Culture. For example, eastern and western people are different in expressing their anger. Western gives unhappy face when they are angry while eastern gives smiling face even they are angry. [2]Therefore, when GE do business with Chinese people, businessmen have to be careful with their conversation with bureaucrats because they may not know bureaucrats get angry or unhappy with them. Since eastern people may not adapt to this cultural difference or may not get used to it, they cannot do business successful with the Chinese. Besides, about punctuality, western are punctual while it is common for eastern to arrive a little earlier or late. When GE do business with the bureaucrats, it is better to come a little earlier. So the government bureaucrats need not wait for too long. Moreover, about confronting a problem, western faces the problem and think about prompt action to deal with the problems while eastern tends to avoid the problems. If eastern managers work in China to manage his subordinates, it is easy for them to have conflicts or argues because of different methods in handling the problems. Eastern managers may force its Chinese subordinates to give prompt action but the subordinates may not get used to it and may feel unhappy or pressure. Therefore, different culture leads to changing management skills and skills doing business. Country managers are often local internationals as they have deep understanding of local language. 2) Which foreign market to enter and which to avoid? It is suitable for the firm to choose economically and politically stable market to invest or cooperate with. Take General Electric as example. It chooses to invest in China because China is a emerging country. Since it is a developing country, it has high demand for infrastructure investments, such as airport and railways to facilitate trade. Without these infrastructures, products imported or exported to and from China become difficult. Globalization is then difficult to take place. Also, China is economically stable. It is the world's third-largest economy in 2007 and contributes more than 5. 5% of the world's GDP. [3] Besides, China is politically stable because there are no wars and riots rarely happen. It is not suitable for company to invest in politically unstable market, such as Iran and Iraq, because wars are usually happen. Otherwise, firms will suffer from political risk resulting in expropriation, confiscation, violence and conflict. Since China is politically stable, there is low possibility for GE suffering from political risk 3) Adaptation for global market When companies do business with countries around the world, it is important for them to beware of the difference in culture. Differences in culture require companies’ products to adapt to local environment for business success. There are some factors encouraging adaptation, for a example, differing use conditions, differing buyer behavior patterns, government regulatory influences. In the case of GE, GE Health Care makes MRI scanners that cost $1. 5 million, while Chinese research center is designing MRI scanners that only priced $500,000. If GE sold scanners that cost $1. 5 million in China, the sales may not be very good because China may not afford this expensive scanner. Even if Chinese companies can afford $1. 5 million, Chinese citizens, who are not rich enough, cannot afford the fee for using MRI scanners. Therefore, GE should seek ways to lower the cost of MRI scanners to better suit the needs of Chinese. GE Chinese research center can serve this purpose because it can easily gain more information about the consumption pattern of the Chinese and design a equipment that is more likely to gain sales. 4) Mode of entry When a company wants to enter a foreign market, managers need to decide which mode of entry is the best. Exporting, Turkey projects, licensing, franchising, joint venture, and wholly owned foreign direct investment are the six mode of entry. The six entry modes have their pros and cons. Besides, the higher the profit potential, the higher is the amount of firms’ financial commitment, risk and marketing control. Thus, firms have to seriously consider which global market entry strategy to use. GE use foreign direct investment strategy (FDI) to enter Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The pros of FDI are that GE can have total control over its foreign business. When there are strong interdependencies between headquarters and local operations, total coordination achieved through ownership will guarantee acceptable performance. On the other hand, the current international environment mat be hostile to full ownership by GE. It has to bear all the risk. Reference [1] Kessler K,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Vizio's unexpected flat-panel kin†, USA Today; 2007. [2] Yang L, Differences between Eastern and Western culture, [homepage on the Internet], 2008 [cited 2011 Feb 7], Available from: http://mountainrunner. us/2008/01/differences_between_eastern_an. html [3] Xin H. Hey, hey: Look how China's growing, [homepage on the Internet]. 2007 [cited 2011 Feb 10]. Available from: http://www. atimes. com/atimes/China_Business/II20Cb01. html

Moving to Another Country Essay

Tradition is existing knowledge. A tradition is a group of related ideas that have lasted for a long time. In some cases people have spent that time trying to improve the ideas. We’ll call that a dynamic tradition because it changes over time. In other cases, the focus has been on keeping the tradition exactly the same over time. We’ll call that a static tradition because it does not change. Although these approaches are contradictory, some traditions are mixed. Dynamic traditions are important because they contain some of our best knowledge. Today, they contain only the best ideas any participants have thought of in the whole history of the tradition. I don’t mean they are perfect, but if they missed a good idea, it was despite people’s efforts, not intentional. They do a pretty good job of gathering the best ideas, and keeping those around, and discarding ideas that are discovered to be mistaken. The reason dynamic traditions are especially valuable is the sheer amount of thought, criticism and error correction that has gone into them from many people. Just because traditions contain valuable knowledge doesn’t mean they are always right. Sometimes they aren’t. I shouldn’t defer to traditions just because a lot of smart people didn’t see any way to improve them further. I should defer if I don’t see any way to improve them further. If I make up a new idea, and I don’t see any way to improve it further (in 20 minutes of thought), then it’s not particularly reliable. I could easily have missed something. With a tradition, perhaps thousands of people put in twenty minutes of thought, and some others put in years, so even if I don’t see any way to improve things, and even if I don’t know much about the subject, it has an advantage over just making something up myself. All the knowledge in traditions can be intimidating . And no one has time to carefully and critically go through all the details of all the traditional knowledge they use. That’s OK. But one should bear in mind two things. First, if something goes wrong — if there seems to be a problem — then relying on tradition isn’t good enough. It’s not working, and you’ll need to tweak something or find another tradition. And second, a thoughtful person should critically evaluate some traditions. It’s your choice which, but everyone ought to be good at something and have the experience of trying to improve some knowledge. Everyone should put some serious thought into some area. There isn’t much point to life if I don’t seriously think about some parts of it. In the case of a disagreement, an  appeal to tradition is invalid. The tradition might be wrong and someone thinks it is. To address that disagreement, I have to consider their criticism of the tradition, any alternative ideas they have, and any arguments in favor of the traditional idea, and then try to work out what is true. Traditions containing people’s best ideas of the past won’t always be the best ideas anyone thinks of in the future. The biggest value of traditions is they can often give useful ideas that are not controversial, or starting points which partially solve problems. In a disagreement, although we can’t say, â€Å"This is true because a lot of smart people didn’t see anything wrong with it, and who are you to say they missed something?† the fact that something is a tradition is not irrelevant either. Dynamic traditions have, over the years, faced a lot of criticism. They often already include explanations of why common criticisms of the tradition are mistaken. Major traditions have existing literature that provides arguments and ideas on the subject. This literature can answer many disagreements, which are often made in ignorance. When we find something wrong with a tradition, if at all possible we should improve the tradition, not abandon it. We should seek a way to modify the tradition but also retain existing knowledge. To keep the most existing knowledge, our change should be as small as possible to solve the problem. If we were to start over from scratch, we may avoid the flaw we found, but we’re not perfect and our new ideas will contain other flaws. And new ideas won’t have the benefit of decades or centuries of people trying to find and correct flaws. We should consequently be respectful of tradition even as we find errors in it, and try to improve it with new ideas of our own. Static traditions are different. Although they’ve been around a long time, no one has been trying to find mistakes in them, so they aren’t very useful. Nor are they innocuous. Consider: why does the static tradition still exist? Why didn’t it disappear after its original advocates died? With a dynamic tradition, it’s passed on to the next generation because people find it useful, and teach it. A static tradition, too, must have some mechanism for being passed on. But it canâ€⠄¢t be that people voluntarily learn it due to its usefulness. Because it never changes, and never corrects errors, it’s not very useful. Instead, people must in some way be tricked or fooled into it, or indoctrinated, or forced, or brainwashed. Often they are pressured, and made  to feel bad, sinful or guilty if they do not follow the tradition. But controlling people’s emotions is difficult. Because people are creative and will try to defend themselves, it takes a lot of knowledge to reliably control or manipulate them. Where does that knowledge come from? Static traditions are not actually entirely static. The main ideas, doctrine or dogma is kept constant. But the way of passing it on changes. The more people try to preserve the tradition unchanged, and make sure it will last forever, the more creativity they put into mechanisms for transmitting the tradition to the next generation. All traditions face a selection effect. For a tradition to last, it has to be passed on from older people to younger people. But only so many ideas can be taught to the next generation. Children are only in school, and in their parents’ home, for so many years. The amount of ideas is large, but it’s limited. Only a certain amount of tradition can fit. Only the ones that are better at being passed on will make the cutoff. D ynamic traditions compete by being as useful as possible. Thus the selection effect pushes them to be better and better. They try to be true, and people like the truest ones so much that they teach them to children. Static traditions compete differently. They can’t compete with good ideas directly, so they use other approaches such as manipulating or controlling people. In short, in some way they disable the person’s creativity so he doesn’t realize the tradition is low on useful truth content, and doesn’t think of alternative ideas against which a static tradition can’t compete. The selection effect for static traditions makes them worse, not better. Any static tradition that fails to create a permanent blind spot in the person runs a serious risk that one day he’ll realize it’s not a great tradition and doesn’t have a lot of useful knowledge. And if he realizes that, whether he ever changes his mind or improves himself, what he won’t want to do is teach it to his kids. There will never come a time when his children have some problem or qu estion, and he thinks if he teaches them this tradition it will help them, since he knows it is not useful. Traditions are important because they contain our best knowledge collected over the years. But they can also be dangerous. Static traditions that induce blind spots in people and are useless at everything except getting themselves taught to children. It is up to us to consider which traditions are which.

Formation Of Groups Example

Formation Of Groups Example Formation Of Groups – Coursework Example Formation of Groups Within the organization, formal and informal groups are both formed to foster communication and cooperation. However, the main difference between two groups is the nature of its formation. Formal groups are formed through the framework of formal organizational structure. According to Inigo & Dahan (2010), formal groups are created by the management which displays the company structure and groupings in organizational charts. For instance, in a firm, employees are divided into different departments to perform systematic and formally defined tasks for the company.On the other hand, informal groups are formed spontaneously by members of organization who share common characteristics and interests. Having no formal mandate from the company, members of informal groups interact based on personal relationship rather than work relationship. According to Yousaf (2008), informal group structures exist because individuals join the organization with different motives, interests , and personalities. As such, it is only natural for individuals to seek for membership in a group that satisfies his need for belongingness. While formal groups ensure the efficient functioning of the organization, it is also important that managers pay attention to informal groups for organizational productivity. There is, for one thing, a very fast communication channel that exists in formal groups. If the manager makes use of this informal communication channel, then the flow information is guaranteed to be efficiently circulated within the company. Also, informal groups increase the cohesiveness within the organization because members support and encourage the manager to act out a mutually shared plan for the company. For a manager, a member of informal group can help him overcome his weaknesses by providing insights on management. Lastly, informal groups are necessary because it bridges the gap between management and employee. The manager can always tap informal group leaders to communicate and foster understanding with its members. Because of the increasing importance of informal groups within organizations, managers should maintain a positive relationship of informal groups within the company. Alongside with formal organizational structure, informal groups support and create a workable system to achieve company objectives.Inigo, Maria R. & Jahan, Firdouse. (2010). How Important are Informal Groups in Organization. Retrieved from: http://drrmariainigo.articlesbase.com/management-articles/how-important-are-informal-groups-in-organization-2641061.htmlYousaf, Nadeem (2008). Relationship Between Formal and Informal Structures. Retrieved from http://management.corporatemanagementsolution.com/structurerelationship.htm

Early History of African American Inventors

Early History of African American Inventors Thomas Jennings, born in 1791, is believed to have been the first African American  inventor to receive a patent for an invention. He was 30 years old when he was granted a patent for a dry-cleaning process. Jennings was a free tradesman and operated a dry-cleaning business in New York City. His income went mostly to his abolitionist activities. In 1831, he became assistant secretary for the First Annual Convention of the People of Color in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Slaves were prohibited from receiving patents on their inventions. Although free African American  inventors were legally able to receive patents, most did not. Some feared that recognition and most likely the prejudice that would come with it would destroy their livelihoods. African American Inventors George Washington Murray was a teacher, farmer  and U.S. congressman from South Carolina from 1893 to 1897. From his seat in the House of Representatives, Murray was in a unique position to bring into focus the achievements of a people recently emancipated. Speaking on behalf of proposed legislation for a Cotton States Exhibition to publicize the South’s technological process since the Civil War, Murray urged that a separate space be reserved to display some of the achievements of Southern African Americans. He explained the reasons why they  should participate in regional and national expositions, saying: Mr. Speaker, the colored people of this country want an opportunity to show that the progress, that the civilization which is now admired the world over, that the civilization which is now leading the world, that the civilization which all nations of the world look up to and imitatethe colored people, I say, want an opportunity to show that they, too, are part and parcel of that great civilization. He  proceeded to read the names and inventions of 92 African American  inventors into the Congressional Record. Henry Baker What we know about early African American innovators comes mostly from the work of Henry Baker. He was an assistant patent examiner at the U.S. Patent Office who was dedicated to uncovering and publicizing the contributions of African American inventors. Around 1900, the Patent Office conducted a survey to gather information about these  inventors and their inventions. Letters were sent to patent attorneys, company presidents, newspaper editors and prominent African Americans. Henry Baker recorded the replies and followed up on leads. Baker’s research also provided the information used to select those inventions exhibited at the Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, the World’s Fair in Chicago and the Southern Exposition in Atlanta. By the time of his death, Henry Baker had compiled four massive volumes. First African American Woman to Patent Judy W. Reed may not have been able to write her name, but she patented a hand-operated machine for kneading and rolling dough. She is probably the first African American woman to obtain a patent. Sarah E. Goode is believed to have been the second African American woman to receive a patent. Race Identification Henry Blair was the only person to be identified in the Patent Office records as a colored man. Blair was the second African American inventor issued a patent. Blair was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, around 1807. He received a patent on October 14, 1834, for a seed planter, and a patent in 1836 for a cotton planter. Lewis Latimer Lewis Howard Latimer  was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in 1848. He enlisted in the Union Navy at the age of 15, and upon completion of his military service he returned to Massachusetts and was employed by a patent solicitor where he began the study of drafting. His talent for drafting and his creative genius led him to invent a method of making carbon filaments for the Maxim electric incandescent lamp. In 1881, he supervised the installation of electric lights in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Latimer was the original draftsman for Thomas Edison and as such was the star witness in Edison’s infringement suits. Latimer had many interests. He was a draftsman, engineer, author, poet, musician and, at the same time, a devoted family man and philanthropist. Granville T. Woods Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1856,  Granville T. Woods  dedicated his life to developing a variety of inventions relating to the railroad industry. To some, he was known as the Black Edison. Woods invented more than a dozen devices to improve electric railway cars and much more for controlling the flow of electricity. His most noted invention was a system for letting the engineer of a train know how close his train was to others. This device helped cut down accidents and collisions between trains. Alexander Graham Bell’s company purchased the rights to Woods’ telegraphony, enabling him to become a full-time inventor. Among his other top inventions were a steam boiler furnace and an automatic air brake used to slow or stop trains. Wood’s electric car was powered by overhead wires. It was the third rail system to keep cars running on the right track. Success led to lawsuits filed by Thomas Edison. Woods eventually won, but Edison didn’t give up easily when he wanted something. Trying to win Woods over, and his inventions, Edison offered Woods a prominent position in the engineering department of Edison Electric Light Company in New York. Woods, preferring his independence, declined. George Washington Carver When you can do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.   George Washington Carver. He could have added fortune to fame, but, caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world. George Washington Carver’s epitaph sums up a lifetime of innovative discovery. Born into slavery, freed as a child and  curious throughout life, Carver profoundly affected the lives of people throughout the nation. He successfully shifted Southern farming away from risky cotton, which depletes the soil of its nutrients, to nitrate-producing crops such as peanuts, peas, sweet potatoes, pecans, and soybeans. Farmers began rotating crops of cotton one year with peanuts the next. Carver spent his early childhood with a German couple who encouraged his education and early interest in plants. He received his early education in Missouri and Kansas. He was accepted into Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, in 1877, and in 1891 he transferred to Iowa Agricultural College (now Iowa State University) where he earned a bachelor of science in 1894 and a masters in science in 1897. Later that year, Booker T. Washingtonfounder of the Tuskegee Instituteconvinced Carver to serve as the school’s director of agriculture. From his laboratory at Tuskegee, Carver developed 325 different uses for peanutsuntil then considered lowly food fit for hogsand 118 products from the sweet potato. Other Carver innovations include synthetic marble from sawdust, plastics from woodshavings and writing paper from wisteria vines. Carver only patented three of his many discoveries. God gave them to me, he said, How can I sell them to someone else? Upon his death, Carver contributed his life savings to establish a research institute at Tuskegee. His birthplace was declared a national monument in 1953, and he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990. Elijah McCoy So  you want the real McCoy? That means you want the real thing- what you know to be of the highest quality, not an inferior imitation. The saying may refer to a famous African American inventor named  Elijah McCoy. He earned more than 50 patents, but the most famous one was for a metal or glass cup that fed oil to bearings through a smallbore tube. Machinists and engineers who wanted genuine McCoy lubricators may have originated the term the real McCoy. McCoy was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1843the son of slaves who had fled Kentucky. Educated in Scotland, he returned to the United States to pursue a position in his field of mechanical engineering. The only job available to him was that of a locomotive fireman/oilman for the Michigan Central Railroad. Because of his training, he was able to identify and solve the problems of engine lubrication and overheating. Railroad and shipping lines began using McCoy’s new lubricators, and Michigan Central promoted him to an instructor in the use of his new inventions. Later, McCoy moved to Detroit where he became a consultant to the railroad industry on patent matters. Unfortunately, success slipped away from McCoy, and he died in an infirmary after suffering a financial, mental and physical breakdown. Jan Matzeliger Jan Matzeliger  was born in Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana, in 1852. He immigrated to the United States at age 18 and went to work in a shoe factory in Philadelphia. Shoes then were handmade, a slow tedious process. Matzeliger helped revolutionize the shoe industry by developing a  machine that would attach the sole to the shoe in one minute. Matzeligers shoe lasting machine adjusts the shoe leather upper snugly over the mold, arranges the leather under the sole and pins it in place with nails, while the sole is stitched to the leather upper. Matzeliger died poor, but his stock in the machine was quite valuable. He left it to his friends and to the First Church of Christ in Lynn, Massachusetts. Garrett Morgan Garrett Morgan  was born in Paris, Kentucky, in 1877. As a self-educated man, he went on to make an explosive entry into the field of technology. He invented a gas inhalator when he, his brother and some volunteers were rescuing a group of men caught by an explosion in a smoke-filled tunnel under Lake Erie. Although this rescue earned Morgan a gold medal from the City of Cleveland and the Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New York, he was unable to market his gas inhalator because of racial prejudice. However, the U.S. Army used his device as gas masks for combat troops during World War I. Today, firefighters can save lives because  by wearing a similar breathing device they are able to enter burning buildings without harm from smoke or fumes. Morgan used his gas inhalator fame to sell his patented traffic signal with a flag-type signal to the General Electric Company for use at street intersections to control the flow of traffic. Madame Walker Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker, better known as  Madame Walker, together with  Marjorie Joyner  improved the hair-care and cosmetics industry early in the 20th century. Madame Walker was born in 1867 in poverty-stricken rural Louisiana. Walker was the daughter of former slaves, orphaned at the age of 7  and widowed by 20. After her husband’s death, the young widow migrated to St. Louis, Missouri, seeking a better way of life for herself and her child. She supplemented her income as a wash woman by selling her homemade beauty products door-to-door. Eventually, Walker’s products formed the basis of a thriving national corporation employing at one point over 3,000 people. Her Walker System, which included a broad offering of cosmetics, licensed Walker Agents, and Walker Schools offered meaningful employment and personal growth to thousands of African American women. Madame Walker’s aggressive marketing strategy combined with relentless ambition led her to be labeled as the first known African American woman to become a self-made millionaire. An employee of Madame Walker’s empire, Marjorie Joyner, invented a permanent wave machine. This device, patented in 1928, curled or permed women’s hair for a relatively lengthy period of time. The wave machine was popular among women white and black allowing for longer-lasting wavy hairstyles. Joyner went on to become a prominent figure in Madame Walker’s industry, though she never profited directly from her invention, for it was the assigned property of the Walker Company. Patricia Bath Dr.  Patricia Bath’s  passionate dedication to the treatment and prevention of blindness led her to develop the Cataract Laserphaco Probe. The probe, patented in 1988, is designed to use the power of a laser to quickly and painlessly vaporize cataracts from patients’ eyes, replacing the more common method of using a grinding, drill-like device to remove the afflictions. With another invention, Bath was able to restore sight to people who had been blind for over 30 years. Bath also holds patents for her invention in Japan, Canada, and Europe. Patricia Bath graduated from the Howard University School of Medicine in 1968 and completed specialty training in ophthalmology and corneal transplant at both New York University and Columbia University. In 1975, Bath became the first African American woman surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center and the first woman to be on the faculty of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute. She is the founder and first president of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Patricia Bath was elected to Hunter College Hall of Fame in 1988 and elected as Howard University Pioneer in Academic Medicine in 1993. Charles Drew - The Blood Bank Charles Drew- a Washington, D.C., native- excelled in academics and sports during his graduate studies at Amherst College in Massachusetts. He was also an honor student at McGill University Medical School in Montreal, where he specialized in physiological anatomy. It was during his work at Columbia University in New York City where he made his discoveries relating to the preservation of blood. By separating the liquid red blood cells from the near solid plasma and freezing the two separately, he found that blood could be preserved and reconstituted at a later date. The British military used his process extensively during World War II, establishing mobile blood banks to aid in the treatment of wounded soldiers at the front lines. After the war, Drew was appointed the first director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank. He received the Spingarn Medal in 1944 for his contributions. He died at the early age of 46 from injuries suffered in a car accident in North Carolina. Percy Julian - Synthesis of Cortisone Physostigmine Percy Julian  synthesized physostigmine for treatment of glaucoma and cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. He is also noted for a fire-extinguishing foam for gasoline and oil fires. Born in Montgomery, Alabama,  Julian had little schooling because Montgomery provided limited public education for African Americans. However, he entered DePauw University as a sub-freshman and graduated in 1920 as class valedictorian. He then taught chemistry at Fisk University, and in 1923 he earned a master’s degree from Harvard University. In 1931, Julian received his Ph.D. from the University of Vienna. Julian returned to DePauw University, where his reputation was established in 1935 by synthesizing physostigmine from the calabar bean. Julian went on to become director of research at the Glidden Company, a paint and varnish manufacturer. He developed a process for isolating and preparing soybean protein, which could be used to coat and size paper, create cold water paints and size textiles. During World War II, Julian used a soy protein to produce AeroFoam, which suffocates gasoline and oil fires. Julian was noted most for his synthesis of cortisone from soybeans, used in treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. His synthesis reduced the price of cortisone. Percy Julian was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990. Meredith Groudine Dr. Meredith Groudine was born in New Jersey in 1929 and grew up in the streets of Harlem and Brooklyn. He attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and received a Ph.D. in engineering science from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Groudine built a multimillion dollar corporation that is based on his ideas in the field of electrogasdynamics (EGD). Using the principles of EGD, Groudine successfully converted natural gas to electricity for everyday use. Applications of EGD include refrigeration, desalination of seawater and reducing the pollutants in smoke. He holds more than 40 patents for various inventions. In 1964, he served on the President’s Panel on Energy. Henry Green Parks Jr. The aroma of sausage and scrapple cooking in kitchens along the east coast of America  has made it a little easier for kids to get up in the morning. With quickened steps to the breakfast table, families enjoy the fruits of the diligence and hard work of Henry Green Parks  Jr. He started the Parks Sausage Company in 1951 using distinctive, tasty Southern recipes he developed for sausage and other products. Parks registered several trademarks, but the radio and television commercial featuring a child’s voice demanding More Parks Sausages, mom is probably the most famous. After consumer complaints about the youngster’s perceived disrespect, Parks added the word please to his slogan. The company, with meager beginnings in an abandoned dairy plant in Baltimore, Maryland, and two employees, grew into a multimillion-dollar operation with more than 240 employees and annual sales exceeding $14 million. Black Enterprise continually cited H.G. Parks, Inc., as one of the top 100 African American firms in the country. Parks sold his interest in the company for $1.58 million in 1977, but he remained on the board of directors until 1980. He also served on the corporate boards of Magnavox, First Penn Corp., Warner Lambert Co. and W.R. Grace Co., and was a trustee of Goucher College of Baltimore. He died on April 14, 1989, at the age of 72. Mark Dean Mark Dean and his co-inventor, Dennis Moeller, created a microcomputer system with bus control means for peripheral processing devices. Their invention paved the way for the growth in the information technology industry, allowing us to plug into our computers peripherals like disk drives, video gear, speakers, and scanners. Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on March 2, 1957. He received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, his MSEE from Florida Atlantic University and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Early in his career at IBM, Dean was a chief engineer working with IBM personal computers. The IBM PS/2 Models 70 and 80 and the Color Graphics Adapter are among his early work. He holds three of IBM’s original nine PC patents. Serving as vice president of performance for the RS/6000 Division, Dean was named an IBM fellow in 1996, and in 1997 he received the Black Engineer of the Year President’s Award. Dean holds more than 20 patents and  was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997. James West Dr.  James West  is a Bell Laboratories Fellow at Lucent Technologies where he specializes in electro, physical  and architectural acoustics. His research in the early 1960s led to the development of foil-electret transducers for sound recording and voice communication that is used in 90% of all microphones built today and at the heart of most new telephones being manufactured. West holds 47 U.S. and more than 200 foreign patents on microphones and techniques for making polymer foil-electrets. He has authored more than 100 papers and contributed to books on acoustics, solid state physics, and material science. West has received numerous awards including the Golden Torch Award in 1998 sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers, the Lewis Howard Latimer Light Switch and Socket Award in 1989, and was chosen New Jersey Inventor of the Year for 1995. Dennis Weatherby While employed by Procter Gamble, Dennis Weatherby developed and received a patent for the automatic dishwasher detergent known by the trade name Cascade. He received his master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton in 1984. Cascade is a registered trademark of the Procter Gamble Company. Frank Crossley Dr. Frank Crossley is a pioneer in the field of titanium metallurgy. He began his work in metals at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago after receiving his graduate degrees in metallurgical engineering. In the 1950s, few African Americans were visible in the engineering fields, but Crossley excelled in his field. He received seven patents- five in titanium base alloys that greatly improved the aircraft and aerospace industry. Michel Molaire Originally from Haiti, Michel Molaire became  a research associate at the Office Imaging Research and Development Group of Eastman Kodak. You can thank him for some of your most treasured Kodak moments. Molaire received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry, a masters of science degree in chemical engineering and M.B.A. from the University of Rochester. He has been with Kodak since 1974. After receiving more than 20 patents, Molaire was inducted into Eastman Kodak’s Distinguished Inventor’s Gallery in 1994. Valerie Thomas In addition to a long, distinguished career at NASA, Valerie Thomas is also the inventor of and holds a patent for an illusion transmitter. Thomas’ invention transmits by cable or electromagnetic means a three-dimensional, real-time imageNASA adopted the technology. She  received several NASA awards, including the Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit and the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal.

Are Americans Getting Over On Our Welfare System Essay

Are Americans Getting Over On Our Welfare System - Essay Example Even Devilma admits that, if it were not for her son and the recent expiry of her cash aid, she would rather live on welfare than take an entry-level job at McDonald’s, which she considers unsuited to her level of education (economist.com). Thus poses the question, â€Å"Are Americans Getting over on Our Welfare System?† If given the opportunity to have a job which would bring in a source of income so that one would not be solely dependent on federal aid, which in turn would free funds for those who do not have employment opportunities, why not take advantage of it to better your situation? It is in no way equal or fair that some people must work for a living while others sit back and be catered for by other persons’ tax dollars. Seeing things such as this is what persuaded me to really analyze the qualifications, surveys, and federal websites to see if taxpayer’s funds are being taken advantage of (Ramsey, 2010). The research involved analyzing the amount that the low-income earners earn in the US and the amount that people get from the welfare state (Levin, 2011). From my analysis, I realized that most of the people who depend on the welfare state are more comfortable with what they get because they do not work the only receive money for doing nothing (Hewitt, 2012). This is opposed to the people who work hard and only earn a small amount of money that cannot sustain their families. From the analysis, I also found out that most of the people who do not rely on the welfare state are not happy with the initiative. The project was started with an aim of helping the needy. However, with time, the welfare has been exploited and most able people are taking advantage of it. That means that people who have the ability to work do not look for jobs because the welfare state is providing for them some income that they can use to survive. According to a research carried out by Forbes, when the war on poverty began, the poverty levels fell to 1 2.1% (Moore, 2001) However, the poverty level rose to 14.3% in 2009 and it is currently at 16.1%. That means that poverty won the war that was aimed against it. That happened because after the initiative, the poor stopped working so that they can depend on the money from the welfare state. That means that the initiative is currently not helping the poor but rather making them lazy and the poverty levels are rising. Recommendations on the welfare state It would be advisable for the law dealing with the welfare state to be changed. The law should state that only the physically disabled persons should benefit from the money. That will help the able persons to look for jobs. Working to earn a living will make them to be motivated and they will strive to ensure that they satisfy their needs. That will also make them more motivated and that will help them want to achieve more. Since not all people are able to earn white-collar jobs, the government can start up a program that will forward loans to people so that they can start up their own businesses. That means that all the people will be independent. The loans can be formulated in such a way that the financial institutions give the people a grace period of around 6 months before they start repaying the loan. The grace period will help ensure that the business that has been put up is

European business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

European business - Essay Example In addition, reforms are being made in the government policies to allow free trade with various foreign countries that would serve beneficial for the economic growth of the EU countries. Nevertheless, these policies have its negative effects as well if concerned with the sovereignty of the individual member states of the EU. In this paper, the discussion has been focused on critical evaluation of such encouraging and disadvantageous factors related with the free trade network followed within the EU. International trade plays a major role in the economic growth and development of a country. Today, almost every country in the world follows an open economy framework, through which they can import and export goods and services with various foreign countries, to which, UK is also not any exception. International trade in the UK allows the country to gain economic strengths as well as help in their progress to the global competitive environment. Even though international trade helps in the development of the UK economy, although, it has resulted in the loss of local jobs due to higher dependency on various foreign markets. However, the introduction of international trade in the country has helped the organizations and industries of the UK to operate effectively and gain competitive advantages (Crown, 2011). This is fundamentally owing to the efficient manpower, technology and machineries those can be imported from other foreign countries as per the requirements. Moreover, the open ma rket has also augmented facilities to outsource commodities to other countries those have helped it to attain cost effectiveness as well as efficiency in the manufacturing process of industries. The UK is one of the top players in producing palm oil, which has become a profitable business in the country. As per the given case scenario, it can be also be asserted that there is a high demand for palm oil in