National Fabricators Essays

National Fabricators Essays National Fabricators Essay National Fabricators Essay Key Events/Case Synopsis National Fabricators Inc. is a company that specializes in the manufacturing of lockers, school furniture, toilet partitions, steel shelving, and is now currently owned by Tom Kruger after buying out $75,000 of shares from shareholders in 1992. The industry is very competitive as costs are rising and prices being cut while the economy declines at the same time. As the president of National Fabricators, Tom Kruger needs to bring the company back on its feet in order to generate profits and reduce its losses of $480,315 and outstanding bank loans of $784,000. Tom Kruger also predicts that sales would fall as much as 10% during the 1994 fiscal year due to government cutbacks on medical and educational spending as well as a sluggish level of consumer confidence. Tom Kruger is now faced with trying to get a 60 day extension for his temporary line of credit in order to get the company to start making profits again. Problem Statement and Objectives To save the company, Tom Kruger needs to get an extension of 60 days on his temporary line of credit so that he can keep losses to a minimum and start generating more profits. At the same time, the economy is declining, competitors are setting low prices, and the government is cutting back on educational spending. Tom Kruger realizes that his plant is not being utilized at full capacity and most of the operations were being primarily financed on bank credit due to insufficient cash at hand. To address these problems, Tom Kruger is now planning on developing a new plant layout for efficiency as well as requesting a line of credit extension in order to finance debt. Situation Analysis Porters As we can see from the case, the metal industry is not an attractive industry because of high competition with low bids, unstable economy, high bargaining power of buyers, and high start up costs. Since the buyers have very little suppliers to choose from to do business with, it can be concluded that suppliers have bargaining power in this industry. Buyers on the other hand only have power when they are specialized at what they do and offer a very low price. Substitution is quite limited due to different specifications offered by the major companies. Barriers to entry on the other hand are very high due to the huge amount of capital needed to get a foot in to the industry. All in all competition is very high in this industry and one must bid aggressively in order to gain a contract. However, this is hard when everyone is giving their lowest bid. SWOT Analysis Overall, for National Fabricators the weaknesses outweigh the strengths for due to its failure towards managing both finance and operations for approximately 10 years. The threats also outweigh the opportunities mostly due the intense competition whcih provides a negative trend towards profits for National Fabricators within the industry. Strengths: The company has kept all of their old employees at the management level and this will allow them to keep stability while the company is under new ownership. With a strong sales team being compenstated on a commission basis, this will isnpire each employ to work harder to make and close sales; which in the long run will increase company profits. National Fabricator has contracts from purchaser who are very unlikely to default on their payables, because majority of them come from the government. Mr. Kruger, is well experienced for this position mostly due to his education and qualifications Weaknesses: The company lacks in a sufficient inventory management and cost management system, which impacts profits. With a deficiency of cash flow it forced the company to purchase materials from more costly war ehouses other than Steelmills which is cheaper, which inreturn had increased manufacturing cost. Inproper scheduling and status reporting for work in progress caused a major ineffectiveness on plant capacity use, which had openly increased operating cost and reduced net profits. Opportunities: Buying from the Steelmills will result in an increase of operating profit while costs are being decreased. The company has the opportunity to grow in various markets and aquire new customers such as malls, hotels, offices, and motels not only in Canada but as well as the United States. Threats: Tremendous price and wage competition in a recurring industry will lead to additional losses in profits. The highest risk for National Fabricators is the three companies which are dominating the industry that have the investment ability to control industry standards and requirements, which could lead to a decrease in profits. Due to the long term contracts from the government it is impacting the com pany’s cash flow in a negative trend. Historical Financial Analysis Sales fluctuate due to the frequently cyclic nature of the industry but they aim to remain above 3 million annually. In 1993 cost of goods sold being 90% of sales and 9. 6% gross profit of sales. Company’s lack of ability to manage inventory and lack of cash forced them to order from more expensive (12-15%more) warehouse than steel mills. Net profit margin has been negative and no major patterns over the 9 year period on net profit since the trend of the industry is based mostly on economic factors, and whether or not they secure contracts. Due to high percentage of COGS they are only left with a net profit of $980 or 0. 024% of sales in 1993. As a result, if the company lower the material cost, the profit margin will improve drastically. In 1984 current ratio went from 2. 07 to 1. 2 in 1993 which still is at an acceptable level, mainly due to the fact that operations were losing money in the past few years and there was a large cash drain on the company which resulted in the lowering of the current ratio. Operations were being financed by National Fabricators bank credit which resulted in outstanding bank loans of $784,000; this could cause serious problems on thei r credit rating from the local bank due to the worse intereage coverage ratio. Their average age of receivables in days is 78. 79 which had been steady around that number except in 1993 with 101 days mainly due to the holdback on large accounts. Since it is taking longer for them to convert accounts receivable into cash, the liquidity ability for the company is getting worse. | |1993 |1992 |1991 |1990 | |Liquidity | | | | | |Current Ratio |1. 12 |1. 34 |1. 32 |1. 58 | |Quick Ratio |0. 70 |0. 4 |0. 81 |0. 81 | |Profitability | | | | | |%Sales Growth |25. 7% |(17. 6%) |14. 4% | | |Gross Margin |9. 6% |10. 7% |7. 0% |7. 0% | |Net Margin |0. 02% |(1. 8%) |(5. 6%) |(6. %) | |Expenses/Sales |10. 0% |13. 3% |12. 8% |14. 1% | |ROE |0. 2% |(11. 4%) |(37. 8%) |(26. 3%) | |ROA |0. 04% |(4. 1%) |(12. 8%) |(11. 9%) | | | | | | | |Debt/Assets |75. % |64. 2% |66. 1% |54. 7% | |Debt/Equity |310. 4% |179. 4% |195. 0% |121. 2% | Recommendation and Analysis We have chosen to recommend alternative #1, which will focus on improving their profits because they will be reducing the cost of materials from purchasing directly from Steel Mills rather than buying from the warehouses. By doing so this will help them convince Confederation Bank. Purchasing from producers rather than the warehouses will significantly save us an approximate 12-15%. This can help drastically with their profits being made. Another way to improve profit is by increasing profit margins and to do so they need to cut the cost of materials, which will be approximately 68%. By having cut material cost by 13. 5% National Fabricators will have $314,600, which is the amount they saved from the materials and it would increase their gross profits by that amount. Having laid out this plan everything looks very convincing but there are a couple set backs, which need to be worked out. Delivery is three months once purchased from the producers directly rather than one-day delivery from the warehouses, this may cause problems for daily operations. National Fabricators now has to pay off their suppliers in 30 days payments. It used to be 60-90 days but the change requires the need for more cash on hand. Nationals Fabricators will require the financial support of Confederation Bank in order to solve these set backs that will take place if they dont receive the help financial help they require. Being able to execute this plan we believe that National Fabricators would be able to convince the bank to extend the loan. This will benefit the company because not doing so will increase the financial problems. The reason being we didnt choose alternative 2 was because it was just too risky and way too costly especially with the risk at hand. Yes it was to better their sales but factor in that their attempts to migrate in the U. S. market also have the risk of not being successful. Also the number of other companies already settled their will give a great competitive market and putting all this together would just show that there is much more risk at hand than reward. Exhibits and Analysis: Attached on next page

French Architecture Not to Be Missed

French Architecture Not to Be Missed Touring France is like time traveling through the history of western Civilization. You wont be able to see all the architectural wonders  on your first visit, so youll want to return again and again. Follow this guide for an overview of the most significant buildings in France and a look at historic architecture you wont want to miss.   French Architecture and Its Importance From medieval times to modern days, France has been at the forefront of architectural innovation.  In Medieval times, Romanesque designs signaled pilgrimage churches, and the radical new Gothic style found its beginnings in France. During the Renaissance, the French borrowed from Italian ideas to create lavish Chateaux. In the 1600s, the French brought exuberance to the elaborate Baroque style. Neoclassism was popular in France until about 1840, followed by a revival of Gothic ideas. The Neoclassical architecture of public buildings in Washington, D.C. and throughout capital cities across the U.S. is in large part because of Thomas Jefferson in France. After the American Revolution, Jefferson served as Minister to France from 1784 to 1789, a time when he studied French and Roman architecture and brought them back to the new American nation. From 1885 until about 1820, the hot new French trend was Beaux Arts - an elaborate, highly decorated fashion inspired by many ideas from the past. Art Nouveau originated in France in the 1880s. Art Deco was born in Paris in 1925 before the style moved to Rockefeller Center in New York City. Then came the various modern movements, with France solidly in the lead. France is a Disney World of Western architecture. For centuries, students of architecture have made a point of traveling to France to learn historic design and construction techniques. Even today, the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris is considered the best architecture school in the world. But French architecture began even before France. Prehistoric Cave paintings have been stumbled upon throughout the world, and France is no exception. One of the most popular sites is Caverne du Pont d’Arc, a replica of the Chauvet Cave in the southern France area known as Vallon-Pont-dArc. The real cave is off limits to the casual traveler, but Caverne du Pont dArc is open for business. Also in southwestern France is the Và ©zà ¨re valley, a UNESCO Heritage area containing over 20 prehistoric painted caves. The most famous is the Grotte de Lascaux near Montignac, France. Roman Remains The Western Roman Empire in the 4th Century A.D. included what we now call France. Any countrys rulers will leave their architecture behind, and so did the Romans after its collapse. Most of the ancient Roman structures are, indeed, ruins, but some are not to be missed. Nà ®mes, on the southern coast of France, was called Nemausus thousands of years ago when Romans lived there. It was an important and well-known Roman city, and, so, many of the Roman ruins have been maintained, such as the Maison Carrà ©e and Les Arà ¨nes, The Amphitheater of Nà ®mes built around 70 A.D. The most spectacular example of Roman architecture, however, is the Pont du Gard, near Nimes. The famous aqueduct carried springwater to the city from the mountains about 20 miles away. Within two degrees latitude of  Nà ®mes is Vienne near Lyons and another area rich in Roman ruins. In addition to the 15 B.C. Grand Roman Theatre of Lyon, the Roman theater in Vienne is just one of many Roman ruins in a city once occupied by Julius Caesar. The Temple d’Auguste et de Livie and the Roman Pyramide in Vienne have been more recently joined by the newly discovered little Pompei a couple of miles across the Rhone River. As excavation for new housing was underway, intact mosaic floors were unearthed, which The Guardian described as remarkably preserved remains of luxury homes and public buildings. Of all the Roman ruins that remain, the amphitheatre may be the most prolific. The Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre Antique in Orange is particularly well-preserved in southern France. And, of all the French villages that have so much to offer, the cities of Vaison-la-Romaine in southern France and  Saintes or Mà ©diolanum Santonum on the west coast will lead you through time from Roman ruins to Medieval walls. The cities themselves are architectural destinations. In and Around Paris La Ville-Lumià ¨re or the City of Light has long influenced the world, as a center of the Enlightenment and a canvas for western art and architecture. One of the most famous triumphal arches anywhere in the world is the Arc de Triomphe de lÉtoile. The 19th century Neoclassical structure is one of the largest Roman-inspired arches in the world. The spiral of streets emanating from this famous rotary is the Avenue des Champs-Élysà ©es, the road that leads to one of the most magnificent museums in the world, The Louvre, and the 1989 Louvre Pyramid designed by Pritzker Laureate I.M. Pei. Outside but near Paris is Versailles, whose popular garden and chateau are rich in history and architecture. Also just outside Paris is the Basilica Cathedral of Saint Denis, the church that moved Medieval architecture to something more Gothic. Further afield is Chartres Cathedral, also called Cathà ©drale Notre-Dame, that takes Gothic sacred architecture to new heights. The cathedral in Chartres, a day trip from Paris, should not be confused with the Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown Paris. The Eiffel Tower, a New Seven Wonders of the World finalist, can be seen down the river from the gargoyles of Notre Dame. Paris is filled with modern architecture, too. The Center Pompidou designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano revolutionized museum design in the 1970s. Quai Branly Museum by Jean Nouvel and Louis Vuitton Foundation Museum by Frank Gehry continued the modernization of Paris. Paris is also known for its theaters, most notably the Paris Opà ©ra by Charles Garnier. Integrated within the Beaux-Arts-Baroque-Revival  Palais Garnier is LOpà ©ra Restaurant by the modern French architect Odile Decq. Pilgrimage Churches of France A pilgrimage church can be a destination in itself, such as the pilgrimage church of Wieskirche in Bavaria and Tournus Abbey in France, or it can be a church along the route pilgrims take. After the Edict of Milan legitimized Christianity, the most popular pilgrimage for European Christians was to a place in northern Spain. The Camino de Santiago, also called the Way of St. James, is the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, where the remains of Saint James, Apostle of Jesus Christ, is said to be. For European Christians who could not travel to Jerusalem during the Middle Ages, Galicia was wildly popular. To get to Spain, however, most travelers had to move through France. Camino Francà ©s or the French Way are the four pathways through France that lead to the final Spanish route to Santiago de Compostela. The Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France are historic, with historic architecture created to accommodate the REAL Middle Age tourist! These routes became part of the   UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998. Look for preserved, historic buildings and monuments along these routes. The symbolic use of the shell (an item given to pilgrims who completed the journey to Spains coast)   will be found everywhere. The architecture along these routes does not attract the large crowds of modern tourists, yet much of the historic significance is similar to more touristy structures.. Architecture Beyond Paris France has not stopped growing. Ancient Roman structures may stand near 21st century modern architecture. France may be for lovers, but the country also is for time travelers. Sarlat-la-Canà ©da en Dordogne, La Cite, the castle city of Carcassonne, Popes Palace in Avignon, Chà ¢teau du Clos Lucà ©, near Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last days - all have stories to tell. The work of 21st century architects abound throughout up-and-coming French cities: Lille Grand Palais (Congrexpo), Rem Koolhaas in Lille; Maison Bordeaux, Rem Koolhaas in Bordeaux; Millau Viaduct, Norman Foster in Southern France; FRAC Bretagne, Odile Decq in Rennes; and Pierres Vives, Zaha Hadid in Montpellier. Famous French Architects The writings of Eugà ¨ne Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) are well-known to the student of architecture, but his restoration of Medieval buildings throughout France  - most notably Notre Dame in Paris  - are better known to the tourist. Other architects with French roots include Charles Garnier (1825-1898); Le Corbusier (Swiss born in 1887, but educated in Paris, died in France 1965); Jean Nouvel; Odile Decq; Christian de Portzamparc; Dominique Perrault; and Gustave Eiffel. Sources France: archaeologists uncover little Pompeii south of Lyon, The Guardian, August 1, 2017,  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/france-archaeologists-uncover-little-pompeii-south-of-lyon [accessed October 29, 2017]

Introduction to Quantitative Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Introduction to Quantitative Management - Essay Example at in deed the company can be able to utilise its un used crude oil to meet up the needs of the new contract which promises to be buying the Hi-Grade petrol and one which happens to be the most profitable. This means that maximising on the Hi-grade petrol which has the largest profit margin would that the company would be able to make the largest profit margin. The new contract on the other hand promises $1,336,500 from just making 14850 barrels of Hi-Grade petrol. This is at a slightly higher profit per barrel for the new contact with is standing at $90 as opposed to the $85.98average per barrel for the first contract meaning that the company should continue with the new contract. To determine the cost of a barrel of each grade of the petrol produced, this is done by determining cost of the component barrel. For example standard grade of petrol is produced by mixing 14% of crude type A. this means that14% of the standard petrol grade consist of type A crude. This is equal to 14% of one barrel of a type A which is cost14% of the cost of 93.5.this results to the following figures With a total expect profit margin of $2.3456 million, then the company can go ahead and initiate the project since there are positive expected cash flows from the projects. Building a medium park of 180 units however, remains to be the best contributor to the positive expected cash flows from the project. This means that were the projections determined to be true and fair then setting out such a plan would be best option. This would thus mean if the company decided not to purchase perfect information from the market experts at the cost of $200,000 then going as per P2 would be the better option. So if the company for its own reason decided not to commission the expert market research, its best bet to the contribution on the expected returns would be the plan P2 which has the highest expected returns’ contribution which stands at $ 1.0336 million. This is almost half of the total

Critically discuss the ways in which technology has made globalization Essay

Critically discuss the ways in which technology has made globalization possible - Essay Example Therefore we can integration perspective to define globalization as a process of integration, which can take international form depending with the stakeholders and the purpose of integration, which arises from interchange and/or exchange of ideas, views and aspects of culture and socialization, products and the holistic human development in relation to the external world (Boudreaux, 2008, 2). Technology on the other hand can be defined as implementation of an idea, thought or invention in the process of making, modifying and using of techniques in relation to knowledge of tools and machines in order to solve a prevailing problem or condition. Technology seeks to improve existing tools, crafts or machines to a new set of efficient ones; systematically analyse the methods of organization to achieve a certain predefined goal, and/ or evaluate an applied input/ output model relations in order to perform a specific function (Macintosh, 2011, 4). The diversity of human knowledge and the ne ed to solve emerging issues in daily activities has necessitated techno-progressivism, a stance of active support for the convergence of technological change in a bid to merge it with socio-economic changes. In addition the need by the human species to convert natural resources into simple tools and applications was followed by the innovations and critical thinking that was necessitated by the need for â€Å"leisure class† and to control the environment that one is in. From this we can deduce that globalization has been propagated by the need to human species to understand; control, comprehend, integrate and to some point analyse the external environment with an aim of being part of it. In this paper we shall critically analyse the ways in which inventions, innovations and technological/industrial revolutions have made globalization possible; evaluation of its impacts on cultures and cultural exchange, international trade, health, and global workforce, and evaluate drawbacks of technology. Innovations and Industrial Revolution Industrial revolution in this sense can be viewed in form of rate at which innovations in science and technology have helped in transition to new manufacturing processes; mechanization of traditional methods of production from manual to machinery, the effects of global output as a result of this increased productivity, and the analysis of major turning points in our daily activities. For instance, innovations to improved efficiency of water power and new chemical manufacturing in industries have improved textile production, improved economies of scale in blast furnaces in smelting and production of iron related commodities through substitution of coke by coal which is cheaper and more effective, and advancement from steam engines to petro-driven and atomic energy sources that have revolutionized industrial operations. This has led to increase in output due to economies of scale, increased profitability and expansion of firms which has necessitated international trade; a prerequisite for integration and globalization through exchange of ideas, goods and skills across nations. Technology and Communication As discussed earlier, globalization involves exchange of ideas,

How Internet Affects Life Essay Example for Free

How Internet Affects Life Essay Nowadays, the use of Internet is increasing especially among adolescence or more accurately, students. The Internet issue is discussed by the adults and parents. Most of them are worried that the use of Internet is dangerous to their kids. Some others said that Internet may bring benefits to their children especially to those who will be sitting for an examination. On my opinion, Internet has both benefits and drawbacks. First of all, let me talk about the benefits first. As we know, Internet is mostly used by students. By surfing internet, students can visit various websites to assist their studies. The examples of popular websites are tutortv.com , unicliq.com , and tutor.com.my. They can visit the websites and revise their studies in more exciting way. Some of them are free. Students can visit it anytime they want. The websites also provide useful notes and exercises. At the same time, students can get additional information that they cannot find it in books. For instance, they can go to Google or Yahoo search engines to search for more ideas to write an essay. In short, Internet provides vast informations and knowledge which is very beneficial for the students. Next, Internet also provides lots of social networks such as Facebook , Twitter, MySpace and many other. Through these social networks, we can add more friends and make new friends. We can also know friends from other country as these social networks are used internationally. Other than adding friends, we can also strengthen our relationship with our friends and family who are staying far away from us using Skype. We can see them in front of our eyes eventhough they are actually far away from us through web camera. Besides, Internet also offers entertainment. We canwatch videos of our favourite artists by just one click through Youtube website. We can also watch favourite movies without paying. Plus, there are many artists born from Youtube. So, fans can know more about the artists from Youtube. Meanwhile, 4shared.com provides tracks, videos and files that can be  downloaded for free! Internet users can enjoy themselves at anytime watching their favourite artists performance for free. Internet doen not only offersbenefits for students but also to those who want to gain more money. It also provides business opportunities. As for example, mudah.my gives a wide room for surfers to promote anything they want to sell. Through this, people with no job can gain money and support their lives by doing the online business. However, as I said earlier, Internet also brings bad effects to its users. Firstly, it can encourage cyber crimes. Besides that, students who spend too much time on Internet may neglect their studies and do not finish their homework. This should be avoided as studies are important especially to teenagers. Although Internet can add more friends to our list, yet, it still can develop anti-social behaviour. Not all of the users use Internet to make friends, someof them only play video games or just sit down wayching videos on Youtube. They will only sit and ignore what is happening around them. The worst thing is, they may not realise that there is an earthquake out there! This anti-social behaviour may leads to health problems. The users will just stay at home and sit in front of computer and this will cause them to be lazy couch potatoes. It will also lead to obesity. Next, most students will not attracted to surf knowledgeable websites, but wasting their time on other non-beneficial things. Wasting timeon Internet can cause students to neglect their studies. Not only time is wasted but also money. With the uses of more electricity non-stop, utility bills may increase dramatically. We just not pay for the electric bills but also internet monthly bills. The conclusion is, everything has its own benefits and drawbacks. However, it depends on how we are using it. If we spend more time using it for benefits, we will get positive effects. But if we use it more to non-beneficial things, we will get negative effects. So, it depends on you.

Change Essay -- essays research papers

Change is something that is constantly occurring in our lives. Not a single moment goes by when everything in our lives will remain consistent. Indeed, it has become apparent to us that the only thing which in fact survives change, is change itself. Time and experience allows change to eventually reform and alter everything from the way it originally was. From ourselves physically, to those around us emotionally, to the way in which we perceive the entirety of the world everything it eventually changes. Most of the time we are not even explicitly aware of such changes occurring, but none-the-less they are indeed occurring. Change is a natural process that cannot be easily stopped or controlled. When we think of the things we valued at the age of, five, ten and even fifteen, the constant abundance of change in our lives become apparent. However, it is due to the unpredictability that change promotes in our life, that has made many perceive the ideology of change to be something which should be viewed as a negative in our lives today. However, we should passionately revolt against this notion. It is change which has bought about some of the greatest events in history. Had their not have been change in our past, there would never have been an industrial revolution and we would not be able to live in the liberalist country in which we do today, where we can voice our opinions without being under threat of persecution. This embracement of change which we sh... Change Essay -- essays research papers Change is something that is constantly occurring in our lives. Not a single moment goes by when everything in our lives will remain consistent. Indeed, it has become apparent to us that the only thing which in fact survives change, is change itself. Time and experience allows change to eventually reform and alter everything from the way it originally was. From ourselves physically, to those around us emotionally, to the way in which we perceive the entirety of the world everything it eventually changes. Most of the time we are not even explicitly aware of such changes occurring, but none-the-less they are indeed occurring. Change is a natural process that cannot be easily stopped or controlled. When we think of the things we valued at the age of, five, ten and even fifteen, the constant abundance of change in our lives become apparent. However, it is due to the unpredictability that change promotes in our life, that has made many perceive the ideology of change to be something which should be viewed as a negative in our lives today. However, we should passionately revolt against this notion. It is change which has bought about some of the greatest events in history. Had their not have been change in our past, there would never have been an industrial revolution and we would not be able to live in the liberalist country in which we do today, where we can voice our opinions without being under threat of persecution. This embracement of change which we sh...

Wwii: the Good War?

US History: Surv Since 1877 The Good War? Many Historians call World War II â€Å"The Good War. † The Second World war consumed every corner of the globe, pitting the world’s biggest powers against each other. There were two sides the Axis powers and the Allied Powers. The Axis included many Germany, Japan, and Italy. The Allied powers included the Soviet Union, United States, British Empire, China, and France to name a few. World War II was caused by several things. One was the Treaty of Versailles which Germany could not afford to pay.In turn they empowered a man who vowed to rip up the treaty. Two other reason were the failure of appeasement and the failure of the league of Nations. There are many reasons why people think that World War II was â€Å"The Good War,† Paul Fussell gives a good account on the subject. A Good War, A Just War, A Moral: Fussell's accounts simply show that these terms are simply not possible for the teenage kid being shipped off to fig ht in the war at the tender ages of 18, 19, 20, or even 17. For American troops, the first unpleasant act in their active and dangerous participation in what has been misleadingly termed the Good War was throwing up in the transport conveying them to the United Kingdom (Fussell pg. 15). † Fussell references to how the war is misnamed â€Å"The Good War† here. He suggests how can the war be good when we are putting these young boys in situations were they are throwing up out of fear. The fear is not the only problem, the men ate terrible food twice a day standing up while the officers ate at white linen tables with nice cutlery and better food.This was not the firs blow to his morale though. In training, many draftees were greeted with the letters R. T. C. which the draftee quickly learned meant replacement training center (pg. 95). Many thoughts would enter the draftees head after reading those letters, â€Å"Why, he wondered, were so many hundred of thousands of draft ed boys needed as replacements? For whom or what? Was the army expecting that many deaths or incapacitating wounds (Fussell pg. 95). † He soon learned that the answer was yes which as you can imagination was quite demoralizing and does not condescend to â€Å"The Good War† idea.Another Concept that Fussel used to support his motion that World War II wasn’t the good war everyone was talking about; was disproving the idea that only the germans spared innocent life's. He talks about the measures that the Allied forces used to protect the german assumption that the FUSAG was going to attack at Pas De Calais (Fussell pg. 32). â€Å"To move troops and reserves quickly to this fancied battlefield, Hitler would have to use railways, railway stations, and alas, railway towns, where many French civilians were killed (Fussell pg. 32). The allies bombed many french railroad structures and in the process killed many innocent citizens. The innocent killing of civilians could not relate to World War II being called the â€Å"The Good War. † If World War II, was â€Å"The Good War† then why was there so much desertion. Relating back to one of the problems I mentioned earlier, one of the main causes of desertion was fear. â€Å"Many GIs were so scared that they required special attention. Says an American woman who worked with the Red Cross, â€Å"Just before they went across to France, belts and ties were removed from some of these young men.They were very, very young (Fussell pg. 108). † Fussell tells of a battle in france, where a fresh battalion arrived to relive a unit that was battered from fighting and many of the men had been killed. Their bodies not yet been removed, but were laid out neatly just behind the foxholes and decently covered with pine boughs (Fussell pg. 107). When the reinforcements say this, they instantly disappeared only to show up many months later. How can World War II be â€Å"The Good War† when youn g men are disbanding out of pure fear.World War II may be being fought for a just reason. Hitler is clearly an uncontrollable menace who needs to be put down. On the other hand, World War II cant be â€Å"The Good War† that many historians claim it to be. Just as Fussell suggests a war can’t be good when we are sending our teenage young men in extreme situations which cause them to vomit out of fear. Also how can a war be good when we are taking the lives of innocent civilians. In the end, World War is not â€Å"The Good War† that many suggest it to be.

Pain Clinical Observation Paper

Alyssa Martin Fall 2012 Observation Experience Summary: Pain Clinic The mission and scope of the setting is to provide diagnosis and treatment of acute, chronic and cancer pain. Patients present to the pain clinic for relief and treatment for a variety of painful medical ailments which do not typically respond to conventional therapy (â€Å"Pain management center,† 2012). Those in charge at the pain clinic are the two board-certified pain management physicians, Dr. Dwarakanath and Dr.Henkle. There is also a team of nurses, physical therapists, and other professionals specially trained in a variety of techniques to manage pain. There are a number of techniques the pain clinic is able to perform, but there are two procedures that were the most widely used; the first being an Epidural Steroid Injection. This procedure is the number one pain management technique used in the clinic. It is specifically for radiating pain that is in the back/leg area or neck/arm area.The procedure es sentially includes corticosteroids being injected into the epidural space in the spine and decreases the inflammation and swelling in the nerves that are irritated, causing relief. Pre-procedure teaching mainly includes explanation of the sensations patient will feel, which include a small pin stick as local anesthetic is used. In addition, they are instructed to have a light meal before coming in, but if they are requesting to receive IV sedation, they are instructed to not eat at all 6 hours prior to the procedure (â€Å"Pain management center,† 2012).If they are diabetic or on blood thinners, it is important to know so that special considerations need to be made for that patient. The patient is also told that the procedure is performed with little discomfort and only takes about 5 to 10 minutes. After the injection, the patient may feel warmth or numbness in their legs or arms for about an hour due to the anesthetic. Because of this reason, patients are observed while they recover and are then sent home with a friend or family member, since they are advised not to drive due to possible residual weakness for a few hours.Post-procedure teaching includes information regarding the first few days after injection, where it is usual to feel increased back pain or discomfort from the needle being inserted. A second common procedure done is the Facet Joint Injection, which is usually done for non-radiating pain. This technique also reduces the inflammation or swelling of the tissue in the joint space (â€Å"Pain management center,† 2012). Pre-procedure teaching includes a lot of the same things as an ESI; the procedure only takes a few minutes, local anesthetic is given, and the steroid medication is injected.Post-procedure teaching involves letting the patient knows that they should not drive upon discharge and will feel the same increase of pain before relief as seen in ESI. They will be able to return to work and other normal daily activities the ne xt day. Potential complications of these procedures mainly include incorrect placement of the needle by the doctor. Because it is a delicate and difficult task to position the needle in an exact position, sometimes the physician accidently pinches a patient’s nerve and they feel a sudden rush of radiating pain in legs or arms, depending on where the needle is inserted.Additionally, sterile technique is extremely important during these procedures because the needles are entering directly into patients’ spines and joints, so potential infection in these areas could prove to be highly detrimental and dangerous. Overall, the experience in the Pain Clinic was an informative one. It was interesting to see the procedures done first-hand because it was done extremely quickly but is something that needs so much precision and expertise.The physicians made the techniques look easy, but not once did they falter with mandatory legalities such as the â€Å"time-out†, where ev eryone in the procedure room stops and verifies the patient, procedure, etc. that is to be performed. The staff nurses seemed in good spirits and verbalized enjoyment and passion for their roles, and that is what I found most valuable this time around. References Bare, B. , Cheever, K. , Hinkle, J. , & Smeltzer, S. (2010). Textbook of medical surgical nursing . (12th ed. ). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams &Wilkins. Pain management center. (2012). Retrieved from

The Real Monster Underneath False Cause Professor Ramos Blog

The Real Monster Underneath False Cause â€Å"Another Radical Muslim Attack Claims American Lives† An example of the news headlines following the Orlando Pulse massacre on June 12, 2016 in which an American-born man, Omar Mateen, went on a mass shooting in a gay nightclub that would end with 49 lives taken. Every Time we have a gruesome crime, or mass murder we go through the same process. We are shocked, we mourn for the victims, we sympathize for the families, and we condemn the monster who did it. There is rarely a moment where we dissect what lead to the person’s transition into a monster. Today we have villainized the Muslim community due to radical religion in the form of extremist terrorist groups like ISIS so that has become our go-to in labeling Mateen a monster. However from just a little research into Mateen’s history and background we can look at the multiple causes that lead to the creation of the monster he became. Instead of highlighting things like mental health, internalized homophobia , and religions that condemn homosexuality, we immediately use the radical islamic terrorist card. Unfortunately I believe that American-born Mateen wasn’t just a radical islamic terrorist. I believe that he is a monster that we as a society created because of various cultural issues.          A cause that many people have come forward and validated is Mateen’s struggles with his sexuality. The radical religion terrorism has overshadowed this part of Omar Mateen’s story. Although Mateen was married there are many reports that say the truth to his sexuality was different than what was portrayed. A former classmate of Mateen’s came forward to the Palm Beach Post and told a story of how Omar tried to pick him up in a gay bar in 2016. â€Å"He said, ‘Well if you were gay, you would be my type.† He then goes on to explain that everyone in their circle at the time had believe Mateen was gay but not open about it. â€Å"He just wanted to fit in and no one liked him,† the friend explained. In addition to these stories from old friends, multiple regulars at Pulse have come forward and mentioned that they had seen Mateen at the club multiple times of the years leading up to the event. Some could argue that Mateen was just plann ing out his attack however there are multiple reports of witnesses who saw him pursuing men. Outside of the nightclub, Mateen had also had a past with a male co-worker in 2007. Mateen was allegedly obsessed with the male coworker, Daniel Gilroy, and pursued him so aggressively that Gilroy ended up leaving the security job that they worked at together(Mower 2016).   Looking beyond in person witnesses, there have been multiple men who have come forward with information regarding Mateen’s use of gay dating apps. Monster thesis four explains that the monster dwells at the gates of difference. A prime example of this is in modern day is homosexuality vs. heterosexuality(Cohen). To put it simply, a huge part of Mateen becoming a monster was simply the fact that he was different. Mateen may have had an idea that these differences were negative and unacceptable as many others do. Research on Internalized Homophobia, or self-hatred due to one’s sexual orientation, show that a person who is not out suffers from higher levels of IHP which can lead to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and anger issues(Meyer 1998). Coming from a strong religious and cultural background seeing sexuality as such a negative is enough to drive someone to become a monster to themselves and in this case, to many others.          The easiest reason that the media seems to draw on everytime there is a crime involving a person of Muslim religion is terrorism linked to radical religion. However the facts as it pertains to Omar Mateen’s religious involvement dont quite add up. To examine this we will start from what we know and work our way through Mateen’s past. Between 2:35am and 3:25am on June 6, 2016   Mateen spoke with police through a series of calls while inside Pulse nightclub. What we know is that at some point during these calls Mateen swore allegiance to the Islamic State and expressed he felt the â€Å"pain of the people getting killed in Syria and Iraq.†(Bowen, 2017) Of course this coming directly from Mateen led the media to label this as a terrorist attack due to Radical Muslim teachings. When we look further into Mateen’s religious background or lack there of, it doesnt quite add up.          Statements from Mateen’s ex wife have concluded with Mateen never actually being religious at all. She mentions that he may have had private beliefs that he kept to himself but he was never a practicing Muslim. Mateen was reported to be firm in his faith leading up to the attack. From my analysis it is my belief that Mateen’s struggle with faith and sexuality was perhaps the straw that broke the camels back. He is said to have attended Mosques weekly and pray three to four times throughout the week. Syed Rahman, a man who attended the same church and knew Mateen since he was a child reports that the closer Mateen got to his religion, the more troubled he came to be. Just four months before the Pulse shooting, an Islamic preacher visiting the church gave a speech calling for the death and punishment of all homosexuals. Is it possible that Mateen, struggled with conflicting views of his faith and his sexuality? Could it be that he was tormented by the idea that what he was went completely against the religion he was brought up in? Perhaps he had a similar journey to many gay men of various religions that condemn homosexuality. This has been shown to significantly increase Internalized Homophobia levels(Meyer,1998).   Being raised in a religion that condemns you based on something you can not change can really affect your mental well being. Perhaps Mateen felt denied by his religion and cast out, for this he may have decided that his only shot at â€Å"salvation† was an act of radicalism that eliminated the very thing that he couldnt accept within himself. What is interesting about Mateen’s pledge to the Islamic State is that there has never been any direct links discovered. FBI Director James Comey explains that the inconsistency â€Å"adds a little bit to the confusion about his motives.†(Bowen, 2017) In monster thesis seven, the monster stands at the threshold of becoming, a key factor in defining the monster is explained in which the monster asks us to reevaluate cultural assumptions on race, gender, sexuality, and perception toward differences and tolerance toward its expression(Cohen). Many religions are now attempting to be more inclusive when it comes to perception and acceptance of homosexuality, however many religions still continue to condemn this. Clearly Mateen belonged to a congregation that condemned these differences and it is not until he become the monster and committed his monstrous crime that we can sit back and question the various causes that lead to this for reevaluation of how we view differences. A condemning faith, although distant from the incident is still closely related as a remote cause to the creation of the monster. All of these inaccuracy in Mateen’s faith   lead me to believe that perhaps this was just Mateen’s last effort in ensuring that he was right by his religion amidst the battle he had with his own demons. He saw no light in the cond emnation, so he chose a radical path in hopes of peace and salvation.          In addition to Mateen’s struggles with religion and sexuality it is also believed that he was mentally unstable and possibly even mentally ill which in my opinion, is the most sufficient factor in the creation of this malevolent monster. Sitora Yusifiy who is Mateen’s ex wife spoke to reporters in Boulder, Colorado and explained her volatile marriage with him. She claimed that Mateen was bipolar and had a history of steroid abuse(Alter, 2016).   Research on internalized homophobia has shown us that men who suffer from IHP often struggle with their self-image as it pertains to masculinity(Ian, 2000). Perhaps Mateen had an issue with steroids due to wanting to overcompensate his masculinity. Yusifiy goes on to explain that Mateen beat her regularly and made her cut ties with all of her family and friends. She would later have to be physically ripped from Mateen’s arms when her family decided to rescue her from the situation. There are other people in Mateen’s life such as his second wife who have refused to comment on his mental stability. Mental instability and alleged disorders like bipolar and anger management gone untreated would have lead Mateen to eventually commit some sort of monstrous act be it, harming his wife, himself, or unfortunately something larger like the Pulse incident.          The Pulse incident is a heartbreaking and tragic event that I believe was caused by the creation of a monster rather than the act of Islamic Terrorism. Mateen battled a number of demons from mental illness, to internalized homophobia caused by a condemning religion and societal views. I am in no way a monster sympathizer and I do not belief there is any excuse for the blood shed and lives lost at Mateen’s hands however this monster was created. Just like monster thesis number six, this monster will return. Since Orlando Pulse, we as a society have shown little change in acceptance, condemning religions, and mental health in LGBTQ members. Because we have not changed as a culture we continue to breed these monsters. Mateen’s story and motives have been signed off as radical islamic terrorism when in fact there are multiple causes that lead to him becoming a monster and unfortunately we have refused to acknowledge those factors. Even though Mateen is dead, unfortunately, the monster still lives unaddressed and shadowed in false cause. Annotated Bibliography Cohen, J Jeffrey. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Thesis) Monster Theory: Reading Culture, 1996 pp. 3-20 This is the source of the monster thesis which I will be incorporating to analyze and evaluate Omar Mateen. Iain R. Williamson; Internalized homophobia and health issues affecting lesbians and gay men , Health Education Research, Volume 15, Issue 1, 1 February 2000, Pages 97–107. This articles main purpose is to help define and promote discussion around the concept of internalized homophobia and its effect on health. The concept of internalized homophobia, or self hatred, is still a fairly new one that is not recognized as an actual condition yet. In this study the author helps define, validate, and offer new ways of assessing internalized homophobia. This source will be my main resource because of the facts, definitions, and sources that the author cited. I will use this to help describe the IHP levels that Omar Mateen may have suffered from. Meyer, I. H., Dean, L. (1998). Internalized homophobia, intimacy, and sexual behavior among gay and bisexual men. Psychological perspectives on lesbian and gay issues, 4, 160-186. This source explores the various causes of IHP and emphasizes the impact of minority stress as a contributor to IHP. This study concludes in showing that the high levels of stress lead to high levels of distress within gay men due to being a minority because of their sexual orientation. The author breaks down the â€Å"normal† man’s life verses the gay man’s life. I will use this in my paper to explain factors in religion that may have caused IHP in Omar Mateen   Mower, Lawrence. â€Å"Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen Was Gay, Former Classmate Says.† Palmbeachpost, Palmbeachpost.com, 13 Aug. 2016, www.palmbeachpost.com/news/orlando-shooter-omar-mateen-was-gay-former-classmate-says/Trnefc7HQatgNsr3uZenXI/. This is a newspaper article in which former classmates and coworkers of Omar Mateen came out with statements regarding his sexuality. I will be using this in my paper to argue his questionable sexuality and its various effects on IHP. This is a news article with first person responses so I believe it is credible. Alter, Charlotte. â€Å"Sitora Yusufiy: Omar Mateen Was Gay, Hiding from Parents.† Time, Time, 15 June 2016, time.com/4369577/orlando-shooting-sitora-yusufiy-omar-mateen-gay/ This is an article in Time magazine in which more evidence is presented about Mateen’s sexuality. I will be using this in my paper to argue his questionable sexuality and its various effects on IHP. This is a news article with first person responses so I believe it is credible. Bowen, John R. Religions in practice: An approach to the anthropology of religion. Routledge, 2017. This is a journal that explains the relationship and involvement of radical religion and terrorism. They talk directly about Omar Mateen and his involvement in radical religion. This is a scholar journal so I believe it is a credible source.

Beware of Whom

Beware of Whom Beware of Whom Beware of Whom By Maeve Maddox I just read a mystery by Sue Grafton in which her character Kinsey Millhone mentally corrects a maid who responds to her phone call by asking Who may I say is calling? The Millhone character thinks Whom, sweetheart, Whom shall I say is calling This passage illustrates the fact that even an excellent writer can have trouble with when to use who and when to use whom. In this case, the maid was right and the detective was wrong. If you want to know why, read on. Like most pronouns, who has two forms: a subject form, who, and an object form, whom. To understand the use of pronoun pairs such as who/whom, he/him, she/her, I/me, they/them, and we/us when used with a verb, one must recognize whether the word is being used as the subject of the verb or as its object. Every verb has a subject. The subject is the doer of an action: I sing. We shop in town. Who knows the secret? Some verbs have objects. The object receives the action: The ball hit me. Dont forget us. Whom do you like best? Most of the time we have little trouble recognizing subject and verb because the subject usually comes before the verb and the object comes after it. The difficulty with who/whom arises from the fact that in a question, word order is reversed. We say Where are you going? and not You are going where?, Whom do you like best? and not You do like whom best? Things get really sticky when a sentence contains more than one clause (i.e., more than one set of subject and verb). The maids response is made up of two clauses. That is, it has two verbs: shall say and is calling. The subject of shall say is I. The subject of is calling is who. The clauses can be constructed in various ways: Who is calling, shall I say? Shall I say who is calling? Who shall I say is calling? The irony of Graftons criticism of the maids use of who is that elsewhere in the novel, Millhone doesnt always use whom when it would be appropriate. Conclusion The use of whom as the object form of who is on its way out of the language. More and more educated speakers and writers use who as both subject and object. There doesnt seem to be any reason not to. Who do you want? has become acceptable. Indeed, to the American ear, Whom do you want? sounds excessively proper. Personally, I like to observe the difference between who and whom in my writing, but I rarely do in speaking. Whatever you do, dont use whom as a subject! Ive seen it done, further proof that this particular point of grammar has lost its significance. If you arent sure whether to use who or whom, go with who. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesAt Your Disposal

Globalization and chronic poverty and health Essay

Globalization and chronic poverty and health - Essay Example ement of people and resources thus results into child labor, loss of middle class jobs, capitalism, destruction of environment, and obliteration of indigenous cultures thereby leading to increased inequality (Milanovic, 667). In this respect, the poor continue to remain poor while the rich continue to accumulate wealth. Persistent inequality results into a vicious cycle of poverty in which the poor cannot take their children to school hence their children will not get better jobs due to increased competition in the job market and will continue with a generation of chronic poverty. Chronic poverty can be defined as a situation in which individuals are experiencing significant incapability deprivations for a longer period of time often more than five years (Hulme and Andrew, 403). Chronic poverty is closely linked to health standards. Research has shown that where there is high poverty index, the health standards are likely to be compromised. This is because individuals are not able to meet the basic nutritional, sanitation and hygienic standards. In this regard, they are left more susceptible to both communicable and non communicable diseases including nutritional deficiencies. Trends in globalization have therefore resulted into increased income inequality therefore leading to persistent chronic poverty and deteriorating health status among the poor. Forces of globalization play a key role in shaping political, economical and social policies that are adopted by governments. In the face of globalization, many poor countries do not gain from the increased interconnectedness because of increased competition hence even domestic policies in poor countries trend to favor developed countries. This inequality results into social injustice for the chronically poor population. Milanovic (669), views social justice as a matter of life and death since it affects the way people live, their consequent chance of illness and their risk of premature death. This is the reason why