Author: chris

Communications

The purpose of this paper is to offer a review of the most valuable communications’ topic as evidenced by the skills that I have acquired and how this has enhanced the communication process in my relationship. Within the communications class, various topics have been tackled including ambiance in relationships, confessions in relationships, according liability to one’s own feelings and responding to the same by according comprehensible messages, employing the adult vs. child/adult perspective, assertive vs. aggressive/reactive behavior, the art of persuasion and conflict identification and management. From a subjective perspective, “recognizing types of conflict and how to manage them” has been most significant especially to my family, my daughter, my peers, superiors and juniors within the learning and working environments.

During my growth period as a young child, I had a broken relationship with my father. My father worked as a humorist and commanded a significant level of artistry in the practice as evidenced by the number of shows and level of applause that he got in his performances. Every time I attended my dad’s shows, I felt proud of his performances especially with the fact that he always had a way with people that changed their somber faces into smiling ones. I also enjoyed the shows very much and wished that they could continue off the official performances as we headed home. However, this was always met with an unconcerned and angry performance, as dad would hurriedly bustle me out of the theater into his car as we headed home. Any form of conversations or questions I would ask him in the car would be met by an irritated tone and he acted very intolerable towards me.

This went on until my adult life and one day I gathered courage to question him with regard to his abhorrence which he clearly admitted that he did and that the justification given for his behavior was that my conception and birth was unplanned for and therefore infusing an element of clumsiness in his budding career. My dad blamed me for his inability to travel to far events or international performances just because of my mistimed delivery. The conflict was actually very hurting but I had the truth with me. Now as a single parent at an early age just like my father, I have always strived to avoid these types of conflicts between my daughter and me. Although the above given is a single example, I have come to realize that trying to manage parenthood, studies and work is quite hard and the stress attached to all factors I can easily divert to my daughter  because of her vulnerable nature. With the job being underpaying, I have often faced the same dilemma as my father as to whether my daughter came as a disguised blessing or forthrightly as a burden.

Being a fulltime mother, scholar and worker as a legal assistant is very demanding and at times by the time I get home all I feel I need is a good rest and not the several demands that my daughter maybe making like baking together, watching movies or helping her out with the homework. During this period, my mind is always lodged on other things that I accord high priority within the give setting like cooking and cleaning the utensils before another long day begins. Of course, to my daughter her demands tend to be what she has prioritized within the given situation and my lack of participation tends to affect her. I know this because I have been through the same situation with my father and as a parent, I have had the desire to offer a better growing environment to my daughter. Through the conflicts classes, I came to the realization that parent child conflicts are an unavoidable occurrence yet of most significant element lies in the management of the same.

Actually, the presence of conflicts is more preferable in relationships as in one way it reflects the communication of the colliding viewpoints as opposed to the pretentious stance, which is more unconstructive. I learned that the biggest inhibitor to parent and child communication was speculation where both parties tend to shut in their views and perspectives and focus on according their own perceptions with regard to the other according to their limited understanding. I have noted that I fall prey to this unhealthy observance perhaps due to the neglect I faced as I child where I only has room to speculate on the reasons as to why my father always acted annoyed towards me. Before an interaction with the course, I always endured that with my daughter, I would not offer explanations as to the reason for a given decision. However, I would assert my power as an adult on everything that she did. This was attributed to the fact that I always felt responsible for the various decisions in her life with the problem being I never accorded her the chance to express her views.

She would therefore become angry and hurl items in the house or in her bedroom and for such end up being grounded without any idea as to why the given decision was made. However, after the course, I leaned that I was forcing my daughter into the speculation practice that would lead her into making wrong conclusions that would inhibit the ability to learn from the process. Therefore, I always strive to ensure that I communicate the rationale behind a given decision in a manner that I own my feelings before letting my daughter do the same. This simple way of conflict solving has proven to be very helpful, as it has aided a mutual association that has helped me to learn the emotional needs of my daughter and her preferences which entirely is her personality. On the other hand, the same has been true to my daughter such that she knows what I like and dislike and therefore to prevent any form of confrontations, she would rather avoid the dislikes.

Another thing I learned from the course is that I was a catastrophizing parent by the fact that I always referred to my daughter’s past mistakes every time a repetition of the same occurred. This would hurt my daughter very much as I later learnt from her during a session in which we both communicated our feelings as she had come to brandish herself as a failure for not being able to correct her mistakes. Although I admit it is hard not to bring such elements during conflicts especially when I am angry, I have learned to ensure first that I am calm to attain an objective view of the issue before I can communicate well to my daughter. Work and schooling conflicts have been caused by instances where two or three of the given environments collide. For instance, my daughter may have a requirement of an academic day in school during a working day and thereby necessitating a divided share between the two issues.

Going to the school without my employer’s awareness or within a short time of notice has always sparked notable conflicts. Therefore, the communication class has taught me how to acquire a proactive approach into handling of the three associations for diminished cases of conflict. Planning is quite imperative in this area with a diary it has become easier in ensuring that each of the important activities is noted down such that I can have adequate time to notify the involved parties before the actual period. However, in instances where such conflicts tend to arise, I have learned that honesty and offering a succinct explanation for one’s actions is the best way of communication.

As a conclusion, in this paper I have discussed the benefits of the communications course dealing with conflict identification and solution and how this has enhanced my relationships especially with my daughter, and on the minor side with the work and school environments. One of the benefits has been putting and end to speculative instances in my relationship with my daughter and secondly in avoiding a catastrophizing attitude. The last benefit within the learning and working environments has been the ability to acquire a proactive approach in balancing the three interactive areas in my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child Obesity – Causes and Solutions

Causes

Child obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. In some cases, obesity can occur because of genetic disorders. The Prader-Willi syndrome is a form of obesity, which occurs because of abnormalities in some genes. Although genetics can contribute to children being overweight, it is often not the main cause of child obesity. Dietary changes and lack of physical activity are the main causes of child obesity. Several factors contribute to unhealthy eating. The economic situation in the country has forced many to reduce their expenses. Fast foods are generally more convenient and cheaper and more people are opting for this alternative. Fruits and vegetables, which are the healthy choices, are harder to acquire than the readily available processed foods. Processed foods have high quantities of sugar and unhealthy fats.

In schools, less emphasis is put on physical education. Fewer children walk or cycle to school and this has contributed to more children being overweight. Availability of vending machines in schools is also a cause of concern. These vending machines make it possible for children to have easy access to soft drinks, which are loaded with sugar. They are relatively cheap but they are full of calories. In the home, children prefer to spend their time indoors playing indoor games. This sedentary lifestyle has contributed to the increased rates of child obesity (McCann, 2005). Increased cases of crime and lack of security, especially in low-income areas means that most parents prefer their children to remain indoors. Children do not feel secure enough to play in the parks and other open areas and so they choose to stay indoors watching television and playing video games.

Parental influences can contribute to child obesity. Parental influences such as the food they prepare for their children, the length of time that they live their children unsupervised, and eating interactions greatly influence their children’s eating behavior. Studies have shown that children from single parent families are more likely to be obese than children from two parent families. This is because, with their busy life, single parents do not find the time to prepare nutritional meals for their children and will rely on fast processed foods. The children are left unsupervised most of the times when the parent is at work and they will make poor food choices when left unsupervised (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, n. d.). Parents who do not have knowledge concerning healthy lifestyle choices will not know how to direct their children and teach them good eating habits.

Solutions

People who have obesity can use several methods to reduce their weight. Exercise cannot be overstated and it is the most important and effective solutions. For people suffering from obesity, they should not start any physical activity without supervision from a qualified health specialist. Exercise decreases body fat thereby preventing further weight gain. Apart from exercise, there are other alternatives such as medication and surgery. Weight loss drugs are readily available in the United States. Prescription drugs include amphetamines, benzphetamine, phendiraetrazine, phentermine, diethylpropion, mazindol, sibatramine and orlistat. Orlistat works by impairing digestion and absorbing the dietary fat. Sibatramine makes a person to feel more satisfied with food and it increases the use of energy (Green & Tanz, 2004). Although the drugs work, one has to stay for a while before he or she sees the results. They also have side effects such as vomiting, nausea, anxiety and depression. The side effects of using orlistat include oily stools and deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins. Sibatramine causes hypertension, constipation, insomnia, increased heart rate and dry mouth (Green & Tanz, 2004).

Severely obese people with a body mass index of more than forty can choose to have surgery. The NIH has set guidelines for weight loss surgery. Only people with a high risk for obesity related morbidity and mortality, those who have failed medical therapy, have stable psychiatric status and those who are committed to lifestyle changes can undergo surgery. Surgical procedures include malabsorptive procedures such as duodenal switch, restrictive procedures such as adjustable gastric band and combined procedures such as the gastric by pass can be performed. Patients can experience complications such as bleeding (Feldman & Christensen, 2007). Other complications include wound infections, leakages, and anemia (Green & Tanz, 2004).

Various governmental and non-governmental agencies have intervened to make sure that cases of obesity are reduced. They have led various campaigns in homes, schools and other institutions, where they teach people about healthy lifestyles. Most of these campaigns place more emphasis on dietary changes. This is because poor dietary habits and availability of processed foods is the main cause of child obesity. School administrators and educators have realized the benefits of physical education and most of them have included it in the curriculum. The U. S. food and beverage industries have initiated various campaigns where they are urging manufactures to reduce the calories they use in their products by replacing sugar with calorie free artificial sweeteners. The US Food and Drug Administration have been at the forefront to ensure that processed foods have nutritional value. It has required that all foods should be correctly labeled so that the consumer is aware of what he or she is taking. Moreover, they have ensured that the school feeding program contains a healthy menu and they have limited the number unhealthy soft drinks in the school. in some states, restaurants have been authorized to indicate the calorie content of their foods.

References:

Feldman, D. M., & Christensen, F. J. (2007). Behavioral medicine: A guide for clinical practice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional

Green, T., & Tanz, R. R. (2004). Pediatrics: just the facts, Page 371. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional

McCann, B. (2005). Giving children better access to healthy choices. Active Living Research. Retrieved from www.activelivingresearch.org/files/childhoodobesity021105.pdf

1. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/child_obesity/

King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

The late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a celebrated member of the clergy, civil rights activist and a leader who championed for the just and equal representation and treatment of all different races that make up the United States of America. His efforts ended him in jail for taking part in what was termed as an illegitimate Birmingham campaign. Prior to his arrest, he had been serving as the individual in charge of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It was this position that made an Alabama rights’ advocacy group to put him into consideration and request for his involvement in what they termed as a “nonviolent direct-action program”. True to his cause and calling, he did not decline the offer but accepted it and showed up for the intended march. He arrived at the venue together with other faithful followers of the movement and together they joined ‘The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.’ The group’s systematically planned and carried out peaceful rallies aimed at objecting to the unjust and inhumane racial segregation that was evident in Birmingham, Alabama. The government did not however, recognize this peaceful protest as legal and therefore arrested and jailed all the men that took part in the rally including Dr. King and it in jail that he wrote a letter addressing specific issues.

After the arrests, a group comprising of eight church leaders from Alabama issued out a testimonial to the general public basically advising other black men from affiliating themselves with Dr. King and any other person that had been jailed during the Alabama protests. After the four clergymen had issued out their statement, Dr. King wrote a letter approximately four days later in response to the clergymen’s statement. His letter was aimed at making his ideas and point known to the clergymen in addition to other moderate whites. Furthermore, King wanted to explain the need for civil rights through the use of reason, principles, and sentiment. Dr. King creatively and intelligently uses language and rhetoric to criticize the eight clergymen and other white moderates who sided with the clergymen. The letter adorns reason and sentiment with the incorporation of imagery to efficiently bring out his views to the general public who can be inferred to be his audience.

Dr. King commences his message with sentiments directed towards the eight members of the church. He ironically criticizes their terming of his actions as being ‘unwise and untimely’ (King 1856).  He continues to address them by asserting that, “I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (King 1856). Dr. King gives a symbolism of his capture and imprisonment to that depicted in the bible of the apostles who were imprisoned due to their actions of trying to bring liberty to the captives using the word of God. This comparison shows that he was in the process of preaching deliverance and freedom to the entire world and helping Alabama overcome its segregation issues was just one of them.

He objects to what the clergy men were terming him as an outsider and was interfering with the natural way of life of Alabama. He defends himself by saying, “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds” (King 1857). He says that being a citizen of the United States of America, he is entitled to feel offended by whatever is happening in his country and has every right to react to it. He defended his involvement in Alabama claiming that his organization was a nationwide organization and was not restricted to a certain state.

In fact, it was the organization’s involvement with the Alabama Christian Leadership Conference that had brought him into the state of Alabama. He argued in the letter that the clergymen’s claims that he was causing trouble in the usually calm city instead of pursuing peaceful meant that such as negotiations were completely unfounded. This is because the Alabama Christian Leadership Conference had already pursued peaceful means such as trying to reach an amicable settlement with the city’s administration but to no avail. All the response that the organization received was mere fake and empty promises and yet no action was taken in regards to the demands.

This showed that the Alabama Christian Leadership Conference pursuance of dialogue as a peaceful means was utterly useless and that is why they resolved into street protests. King uses logic to highlight the fact that the clergymen were being prejudiced against the Alabama Christian Leadership Conference and were acting unjustly. They were not considering the facts from both sides of the divide. He justified the Alabama Christian Leadership Conference pursuance of non violent action through street protests by saying, “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever” (King 1858). This showed that when dialogue failed, other means had to be pursued as freedom from oppression was inevitable. King argued in his letter by using assertions founded on academic and spiritual logic that any layman would find hard to contest. He intelligently argues on same scholarly and religious level as the clergymen to show that they were being biased and disillusioned on the racial issues plaguing the state. Dr. King uses carefully crafted words and phrases in his argument with the clergymen and is able to close his argument with them and be able to appeal to the rest of the population.

He employs the use of imagery, symbolism and non-religious sentiments in order to communicate more easily to the inhabitants who are not necessarily Christians. This makes his appeal more appreciable as it relates to the rest of the population. In his letter, he becomes more philosophical in a secular sense by saying:

“Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood” (King 1860).

This reveals his intelligence in addressing his issues to peoples from different walks of life yet still remaining loyal to the same topic in focus.

He intelligently addresses the clergymen as he commences his letter but later progresses to address other people through the use of tonal and language changes. He explains the drawbacks that are brought about by racial segregation to both moderate whites and fellow black men in his poignant segments. He uses descriptive imagery to effectively paint clear the picture of the racial segregation to his audience who happen to be ignorant of the experiences of such forms of prejudice. He says,

“You have seen hate-filled police curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters…you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television…” (King 1862).

This is useful in painting a clear picture of racial prejudice especially to the white populace who generally have never had a first hand experience on racial segregation. He engages his audience by arousing their emotions through the use of strong words.

He engaged the congregation and made them identify with his predicament through his vivid imagery and loaded words in his description of his personal accounts by narrating to them stories that told on what he had underwent in the past. This helped paint a clear picture to the recipients of the letter and draw out their deepest emotions. He engages the WASP community through his effective utilization of reason by reminding them of their protests and rebellion against the inhuman and unfair oppression that they received under the British and the Nazi regimes. This enables the WASP community to understand where he was coming from and the reasons for his activism by identifying with his predicaments as they had also experienced the same.

 

 

Works Cited

King, Martin Luther, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1854-1866. Print.

Wolfgang Mozart

Wolfing Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 to his father Leopold and his mother Anna Maria Pertl Mozart at Getreidegasse in Salzburg capital of Archbishopric of Salzburg (currently known as Australia). He was baptized one day after his birth and named Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart (Classical Net, 2011). He was named after his grandfather on his mother’s side, Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Additionally, he was named after the saint on his date of birth, Johannes Chrysostomus (Classical Net, 2011). He was the first composer whose operas have never left the scenes of performances in the current days.

His father Leopold Mozart (1719-1787) was a German violinist, a composer and a concertmaster at the archiepiscopal court. At around 1763, he was appointed as the vice Kapellmeister at the Salzburg court. Additionally, his father was already a musician by the time Mozart was being born (Classical Net, 2011). He greatly contributed to Mozart’s life as a musician because at the early ages of Mozart’s life, he was his teacher. He used to teach Mozart the art of composing several operas and playing the violin. In addition, after noticing Mozart’s talent at the age of five, he took him all over Europe so that he could expose him to the world of music and meet other composers in his life. This made the career of Mozart to grow for he met some of the renowned musicians who contributed to the growth of his music throughout his life and his musical career as musician.

His mother Anna Maria Pertl (1720-1778) was a German woman married to Leopold Mozart at around 1747. She played a very influential part in Mozart’s life because she and her family traveled all over Europe to nature the talent of Mozart and her daughter, Maria Anna Mozart. This shows that she was supportive of Mozart’s musical career and she could do anything to nature the talent. Additionally, when Mozart went for a tour with his father leaving his mother and his sister, his mother was very angry because he wanted to be there to support her son.

As a young child, Mozart was being home schooled by his father with his sister. He was being taught how to compose his music. At first, he was taught how to play the keyboard by his father and at around five years, he surprised his father with the ability to play the violin on his own (Classical Net, 2011). Throughout his life, Mozart was being taught to play and compose his music by his father but he got a few tips from other famous composers that he met on his different tours that he went all over Europe (Classical Net, 2011). Additionally, his sister also helped him in learning some of the instruments like the piano because he used to watch his sister play and later put into practice.

The instruments that Mozart used to play were the keyboard, harpsichord, organ, and the violin (Classical Net, 2011). He learned all these instruments at a very tender age of five years. It was through his father and the observations that he made while watching his elder sister play. By the time he was a young man, he had perfected the art of playing these instruments and he had started to be known as a violinist but his switch to play the keyboard in his songs was referred to as the pick in his musical life. In his music, Mozart used the voice, self-baritone while singing the songs. Mostly the voice changed from time to time in accordance with the texture of the song.

According to Mozart’s range of life and years of musical work, he belonged to the traditional period in which classical music was being produced. The period ranges from 1750 to 1830. According to the life of Mozart, he was born in 1756 and died in 1791 therefore; he belonged to the classical era of music. This kind of music has been widely appreciated even in concerts today. Therefore, it can be concluded that the era of traditional music in which Mozart belonged to was the era of classical music. This was the time, which classical musical was being discovered by the different composers and musicians.

In his career, different people influenced him to shape the musical career of his life. The first people who influenced him in shaping his musical career were his family members. His father was the one who taught him how to become a musician and play several instruments as a young child. In addition, his elder sister was the one who motivated him while they were being taught by their father at very young age. He used to watch his sister play different instruments and he became fascinated by them. Another family member in his life that motivated his musical career was his mother who all through encouraged him and she had the opportunity to take him all over Europe to explore his talent (Classical Net, 2011). In addition, other people who were not family members motivated Mozart in his musical career. The musician, Johann Christian Bach was very influential in Mozart’s musical career and in some instances, Mozart used to visit him for guidance.

All throughout his musical lifetime Mozart used to compose the opera type of music. He sang these operas throughout his life. In his compositions, he used the gallant type of music, which was very new at that time. The gallant type of music was the new type, which had started to evolve (Mozart, Pack, Lelash, and Da Ponte 29). Therefore, Mozart used the opera and gallant types of music in composing, and singing of the different songs throughout his career as a musician and composer.

Mozart has contributed very much in the history of music as a musician. Although he died at a very young age, he left his legacy behind (Classical Net, 2011). In the history of classical music, his compositions are still heard all over the world in different concerts. Additionally, his music is also being used in the sound production of different movies and television programs like the cartoons (Porter, 2006). This shows that, despite his demise at a very young age, his music has left a legacy to be remembered not only in these years but also in many more years to come. In conjunction to this, Mozart has left a legacy in the classical music, which many students and musicians are using as part of their studies. Therefore, in the history of classical music, Mozart has contributed a lot and he will be remembered as the father of the classical music.

The musician died on 5 December 1791, at a young age of thirty-five years old. He fell ill at the premiere of his opera in the 1791 (Classical Net, 2011). Despite the illness, he continued to perform the operas until November 20 when his sickness intensified. In his final illness, he was bed ridden and nursed by his wife Constanze and his younger sister Sophie. All through this time, he was being attended by their family doctor. At around 1.00am on December 5, 1791 Mozart died (Classical Net, 2011). He died a penniless man with many debts despite the great achievements he had made as a musician and a composer. In addition, his grave remains unmarked, his bones cannot be located, and yet he is supposed to be recognized.

In the life of Mozart, there was an interesting story, which was very amusing. When he was through with his teenage life, Mozart met a young woman, Aloysia whom he fell in love with. She was a very talented singer as a girl. However, when he wrote a letter to his father to inform him of this, his father saw it as a catastrophe. He persuaded him out of the idea and eventually stopped seeing the young woman. When he came home, Mozart had a fight with his father and went away to the family of Aloysia, only to find that she was already married. He tried to plead with her but she told him that his love to him was no more. After several years of staying with the family of Aloysia, Mozart fell in love with Aloysia’s younger sister Constanze. The mother of Aloysia convinced Mozart to marry her and they later signed a marriage contract of intent. The most amusing thing is the dilemma of, first falling in love with Aloysia, then later he fell in love with Constanze and finally, the mother of the two daughters convinced him to marry Constanze.

Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata (The Marriage of Figaro, or the Day of Madness)

It is a comical kind of opera, which was first composed by Mozart. He composed it at around 1786 (Snowman 2011). Mozart later collaborated with Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte. The song is based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, which was first composed in 1784 (Mozart, 32). However, the play was banned because of its satirical, which was considered dangerous to the society before the French revolution (Mozart et al. 29). The opera later became to be known as one of the most successful works of Mozart in his musical career.

The music can be characterized as an opera type of music, which is very fast. At first, the music is like an acapella and later it is joined by the piano. Its rhythm varies with the different section of the song. The opera has a very comic melody, which is very rough (Mozart et al. 29). Therefore, the harmony of the music can be said to be a very rough harmony because in some parts, there are places where it contains very high tones while there are other parts where it contains very low tones.

Additionally, the music can be said to contain high pitches to stress the climax of the song and to bring about the message in which the song is trying to talk about. The song has the best notes, which can be used in the study of music due to its different parts, which have different tone variations and pitch (Mozart et al. 29). Additionally, the song is usually characterized by its high pitch, which the singer usually sings when he is at the point of climax.

 

Works Cited

Books

Mozart, Wolfgang, Amadeus. Mozart: The Man and the Artist, as Revealed in His Own Words. Echo, OR: Echo Library, 2007. Print.

The author of the book is trying to show some of the works by Mozart’s and he has included the letters that Mozart wrote in his different journeys in Europe.

Mozart, Wolfgang, Amadeus, Pack, Robert, Lelash, Marjorie and Da Ponte, Lorenzo. Three Mozart Libretti: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte. Stockton, CA: Courier Dover Publications, 1993. Print.

The authors of this book are describing the three most famous of Mozart. They are describing when and where the music was first composed and sung.

Journals/Articles

Porter, Andrew. “Arts – Cosi Fan Tutte – Wolfgang Amade Mozart (glyndebourne).” Tls, the Times Literary Supplement. (2006): 18. Print.

The author of this article is talking about the works of arts of Mozart and how he used to portray his music in concerts.

Rosenthal, Julia & Maud Rosenthal. “Catalogue 41: Wolfgang Amadé Mozart and His World: a Prodigy’s Progress.” Otto Haas, 2006. Print.

In this article, the author has given a chronological account of events in which Mozart went through his musical career.

Online web sources

Classical Net. “Wolfgang Amade Mozart.” Classical Net. 12 April 12, 2011. Web. 12 April 12, 2011.

            The author of this article has used written a detailed account of all the events that Mozart went through his life since he was born.

Snowman, Daniel. “A short history of opera.” Royal Opera House. 12 April 2011. Web. 12 April 12, 2011.

In this article, the author is talking about the history of opera. In addition, the author has talked about the different operas by Mozart.

MSC 337 Operations Management

Spring 2011 – Problem Set 6

 

Team Nr ___ Team Leader _________________ Team Member ________________

 

 

Instructions:  This Problem Set is open-book and open-notes.  All work must be entirely done by you and your partner. You may not receive help from any other person nor may you give help to any other person. This Problem Set has been posted on Blackboard on April 11^th and will be due on April 14^th.  You and your partner will turn in a single completed paper that you have agreed upon.  Make sure to place both of your names on the paper, the number of your team and the word “FINAL”.  Leave each of the four questions that are in italics just as they were when you downloaded the problem set.  Enter your answers immediately below each question, using Times New Roman, regular, 12 point font.  Do ALL of your work on this document.  Submit your completed Problem Set in the File Exchange folder for your own group.  I will retrieve it from this folder. If you are late in submitting the completed Problem Set, your team will be assessed a significant point penalty.

 

Each of the four questions is worth a maximum of 25 points for a total of 100 point

Lesson Eleven – A. State three reasons why it might be a good idea for a company to pursue vertical integration and three reasons why it might not. [Hint:  an appropriate length would be 150 to 200 words]

 

There are several advantages to the incorporation of vertical integration. These include the fact that the company incurs very low transaction costs. The cuts in the transaction costs are because of inter transactions between subsidiary companies. This is mainly because they tend to share a central management and a central communication system. Another advantage is that the products and services offered are of very high quality. This comes about by the dual quality control systems of the subsidiary companies. There is also the advantage of being able to monopolize the market.

However, there are certain disadvantages that include the fact that the subsidiary companies incur higher monetary and organizational costs. This is due to the presence of giant organizational structures. Another disadvantage is that the company is faced by capacity balancing issues. An additional drawback is that the company experiences decreased flexibility due to previous upstream or downstream investments.

 

Lesson Eleven – B   Read the case study titled “Dell’s Value Chain” at the end of Chapter 11 in your text. Give a one or two sentence answer to each of the following five discussion questions at the end of the case.

 

1. How has Dell use its direct sales and build-to-order model to develop an exceptional supply chain?

 

The company has enabled its consumers to plan their own design patterns and place orders directly with the company. This is done through telephone or internet.

 

1. How has Dell exploited the direct sales model to improve operations performance?

 

The company improves its performance by virtually marketing and selling its own products via telephone and internet. The company also sources its parts and services from other companies.

 

1. What are the main disadvantages of Dell’s direct sales model?

 

The support side is adversely affected as dell has to meet all related support costs, from handling information requests before the sale to taking and tracking orders to handling service inquiries after the sale.

 

1. How does Dell compete with a retailer who already has a stock?

 

The direct sales model ensures that the company sells its products at very low prices that other sellers cannot meet.

 

1. How does Dell’s supply chain deal with the Bullwhip Effect?

 

Lesson Twelve – A   Harrison Electronics Parts Supply company makes microprocessor circuitry for a company that incorporates microprocessors into refrigerators and other home appliances. One of the components has an annual demand of 250 units, and this is constant throughout the year.  The carrying cost is estimated to be $1 per unit per year and the ordering cost is $20 per order.

 

1. To minimize cost, how many units should be ordered each time an order is placed?

 

100 units

 

1. How many orders per year are needed with the optimal policy?

 

Three orders

 

1. What is the average inventory?

 

125 units

 

1. Suppose that the ordering cost is not $20, and Harrison has been ordering 150 units each time an order is placed. For this order policy (of Q = 150) to be optimal, determine what the ordering cost would have to be.

 

$45

 

Lesson Twelve – B. The Mount Vernon Industrial Plumbing Supply Company is considering using ABC analysis to focus attention on its most critical inventory items.  A random sample of 20 items out of the more than 1000 items the company stocks has been taken, and the dollar usages have been calculated as shown for these items. 

 

Item	Dollar Usage	Item	Dollar Usage
A	$12,200	L	$16,400
B	11450	M	1,340
C	39,400	N	10,800
D	26,100	P	12340
E	2,100	Q	740
F	300	R	140
G	48,000	S	1,400
H	810	T	7,600
J	1000	U	4,950
K	290	V	190

 

1. Rank the items and assign them to an A, B, or C class. 

 

Class A=GCDLPAB

Class B=NTU

Class C=EMSJHQFKVR

 

1. Show the percentage in each class assuming that an 80-15-5 target has been established. 

 

A=80%

B=15%

C=5%

Divorce Debate 1860 National Woman’s Rights Convention

The national women rights convention was aimed at reforming marriage issues due to the difficultness that had been reported earlier. In this convention, women rights were highlighted to enable them to divorce husbands who show signs of drunkenness. In addition, those men who showed other signs of insanity or cruelty were also included in the list of divorcees. This issue faced a lot of opposition nearly to be defeated due to heated debate on the matter that conflicted the measures. Furthermore, the voting right of women was also emphasized through amendment in the congressional constitution. This constitutional affair was to be enhanced through specific constitutional location. The working conditions and the remunerations of the women were also advocated.

In this debate, there was a concession in the portion of providing women a place in the society; this was aimed at fighting for equal representation of the women in the society matters. Through this activity, women where to be involved in the development plans in the society thus enabling them to air their opinion in the community development. They were also to continue participating in the women chores that entailed in providing for their husband and through helping in the household chores. Providing for good women environment was a factor that was to be enhanced through giving women rights to vote and vie for position in the leadership in the country or area in which they are residing. In addition, women rights to peaceful coexistence in the family were also emphasized in order to provide cohesion in the family. This strongly gave the women rights to experience peace in their family through relating to their husband in a peaceful way without threats or violence. Failure to observe this right by the husbands, the women were allowed to give out divorce proposal thus enhancing their peace. In other words, it was important to have satisfaction in life without barriers that were associated with violence. Thus, the only advice that was advocated for men was to refrain from involving in themselves in domestic violence.

The other area that their speech attained common view involved the drinking habits of the alleged husband. In this way, it was discussed that many men were involved in the drinking habit that halted their rightful behavior hence making them behave inhumane to their wives and the entire family. The action of drinking was associated with domestic violence and hence women rights were violated by men. It was also supposed that, the cruelty associated with drinking was intentional because drinking was a deliberate action by men. Thus, this exploit was avoidable by the affected for which it would bring peace in the family. During this period, many domestic violence’s were associated with families that men were drunk addicts hence it was emphasized that every woman had the right to have a peaceful life in the marriage life.

The working conditions of the women were also advocated in order to enable women to be self-reliant. This was to ensure that incase of any resolution to divorce due to men’s poor behavior,  women would be capable of being financially stable and thus having good living conditions. In this way, the slave trade was abolished though the contributed effort of Elizabeth and Antoinette. In this also, women were allowed to occupy higher positions in the working system according to their education level. Consequently, better education was advocated in order to improve the level of education of women thus enabling them to be employed and have a better salary. The working conditions for women were made equal among the men and the women thus giving each equal contribution to the marriage and family matters. Therefore, the abolition of slave trade and education awareness made the living conditions for women more improved thus they were able to divorce without problems. This is because many men had a tendency of assuming women could not apply for divorce because they were financially unstable. Sequentially, this assumption made men to continue mistreating their wives because they were sure they would not leave them.

The area of contrast in divorce that Elizabeth and Antoinette brought forward was associated with the chores of women in the household. Antoinette opposed the idea that divorce was a way of evading or easing the marital restrictions. In this proposal, many women were encouraged to apply for divorce in order to leave their marital requirements and chore the marriage life. This stroke faced a lot of opposition because it was not applicable for it brought breaking of many marriages. Therefore, this action was unacceptable for it brought instability in the social life. Marriage life was thought to be very demanding and full of commitments by the parties involved and especially to the women. Thus, many women were campaigning for this proposal in order to ease those chores in the family. This was not a fair decision due to the numerous negatives that were associated with it. In addition, she proposed that, single life was much better than marriage life because one could experience the freedom that she desired. Hence she discouraged divorce for it would leave children with a lot of confusion and problems that could affect their future life, therefore it was better not to engage in marriage issues.

In their speech, Antoinette was very firm in defending her involvement in religion, which was a core factor in enabling her serve rightly in the action of fighting for women rights. Therefore, she encouraged women to participate more in religious activities in order to be assisted in fighting the oppression that they faced. This action of religious involvement was in opposition to other women ideas who were actively involved in the fight against the oppression of women. Religion was perceived to be important in “teaching good ethics of marriage” (Murphy, 2010). Therefore, Antoinette was convinced that religion played a vital role in reforming marriage. Sequentially, the biblical teaching discouraged divorce because it was alleged to be a sin. Hence, Christianity was encouraged for it catered for many domestic matters that were not dealt with by the law.

 

The other area of contrast arises with the view that divorce was used as a source of financial support for women. This brought a lot of controversy because men were obliged to support their family even after the divorce. This idea was in conjunction with the point of evading marital responsibility according to Antoinette. Therefore, in this issue many women developed a beneficial thinking about marriage. This was a malicious intention of proposing divorce thus it faced a lot of criticism by many human rights activists. However, Elizabeth was for the idea and this was a very big blow that caused drift in the women organization. This issue was associated with the tendency of women not engaging themselves in income generating activities hence making them lazy.

Therefore, the national women rights convention was important in reforming marriage issues that brought difficulties in marriage due to the difficulties. In this convention, divorce was only encouraged to the areas where there were continual evil practices by men .In addition, it also advocated for equality of men and women even in the legislation. Sequentially, women were allowed to vote and vie for positions in the government. The working conditions of women were improved and hence the abolishment of the slave labor. However, divorce was discouraged because it was abused by many women who wanted to take advantage of financial status of their husbands. This was discouraged because many women would take this as the cause of enriching themselves and thus refraining from working to earn their own income. The other issue that was emphasized regarded Christianity, which was essential in enhancing harmony in the marriage life. Sequentially, it was advisable to for women to involve themselves in Christianity because it taught them values and ethics of marriage. Elizabeth and Antoinette were key activists in bringing out the controversial issue about marriage and divorce in the present days. This gave them a clear explanation regarding the pending issues that surrounded divorce.

 

References

Murphy, J. (2010). Marriage and Divorce. Philadelphia, PA: Xlibris Corporation.
 

Online Dating

Just like any other societal practice, online dating has faced a level of stigmatization accorded to the morality of the practice. It has only been with the advent of the twenty first century that online dating has gained acceptance among a wider populace. In the past periods, individuals that employed online dating where considered as losers that were unable to accord and maintain a natural form of relation. The practice of online dating had been initially condemned with regard to the hazards that were attached to the practice. Masquerading was the most notable hazard facing online daters with a majority of the individuals releasing fictitious information concerning them only for their counterparts to realize later about the betrayal. Most of these cases were accorded over the internet for criminal purposes where upon the initial meeting case like rape, abduction, property and identity theft amongst others would be conducted. Additionally, surveys indicated that internet dating led to the enhancement of social vices like promiscuity among the married and single individuals leading to collapse of social institutions like marriages.

Child abuse was even more worrying to parents and guardians with the revelation that a number of adults would pose as young individuals online with the aim of targeting innocent youngsters into unethical practices. However, this should not be confused to mean that online dating never accorded any form of benefits. Various testimonials have been given by individuals that have employed online dating to meet their significant counterparts and interestingly, a huge number of the relationships have materialized into marriage. The benefits attached to online dating being less than the hazards, it therefore seems wise to reject the practice due to the elevated level of costs attached to it. However, rejecting the practice has proved that the solution only offers protection from criminal tendencies yet a considerable weakness still persists with regard to acquisition of dating partners. A commendable practice and rather superior strategy has been introduced within the latter period of the 1990s towards offering a dual solution to dating and safety measures on the internet.

One fine example of this is related to religious dating like Christian dating practices that have focused on according quality and safe dating solutions to interested members. To ensure effectual supervision through a manageable number of participants, such sites have introduced rules that have eliminated the possibility of masqueraders or jokers by at least seventy-five percent. For instance, participants have to be serious Christians with the sole objective of meeting marriage partners. Additionally, to enhance the safeguard of its members, each participant has to be approved into the site through a manual choosing application; testimonials of credible individuals are used to ensure that the information accorded is precise. This approach and other safe ones bear a significant impact on the positive attitude that is currently associated with online dating. Dating agencies should thereby apply such creative an innovative approaches into the institution of online dating as the practice seems to be unrelenting in nature.

Innovation, Professionalism, Pride

The communication assessment results accorded a score of 1 for the introvert quality and 7 for being an extrovert. Strengths attached to my extrovert personality are majorly founded on the sociability trait that enhances ease of interactions with various individuals. Consequently, with the ability to share and express various ideas with the other workers creates a high level of belonging to the organization for enhanced loyalty and retention (Metz, 2011). This is highly attributed to the participative form of leadership nurturing innovative practices within the followers and thereby personal development. However, as an extrovert, I make very speedy decisions and these acts both as strength and a limitation since it may inhibit proper listing with regard to ideas shared by other individuals (Ng, 2008). To address this domineering attitude, I have to acquire active attention approach in all decisions to ensure a holistic form of development both to me as the leader, and to the followers.

With regard to preparedness, the assessment accorded a score of 1 and a score of 7 for assertiveness. The inference accorded here is that I am a reactive leader who does not anticipate uncertainties that are attached to business practices (Smith, 2002). This weakness reflects lack of innovation and proficiency in the leadership position. Consequently, this undermines the strength of assertiveness which is a prerequisite to success. My assertiveness has imparted the value of quality within the services offered yet with lack of preparedness and the costs attached to the vice, it offsets the gains acquired and the results become highly negative (Manktelow, et al., 2005). To overcome this, I intend to become a proactive leader by utilizing forecasting approaches towards uncertainties and thereby the preventive measures towards the same. This strategy will rely on the research element and consultations before the implementation of the optimal decisions.

References

Manktelow, J., Felix, B., & Namita, A. (2005).How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You. Mentor, OH: Mind Tools Ltd.

Metz, R. F. (2011). Coaching in the Library: A Management Strategy for Achieving Excellence. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.

Ng, J. (2008). Dim sum leadership: tips for busy executives. Henderson Road, Singapore: Armour Publishing Pte Ltd.

Smith, P. M. (2002). Rules and tools for leaders. New York, NY: Penguin.

 

 

 

 

 

New Jersey City University Application

I am a sixteen year old and I live with both my parents. Am a hardworking person and I love to explore. It is always in my nature to be eager to learn new things, which I do not know. Additionally, being humble, patient and ready to listen to what am being told by his seniors has been one of my characteristic. My main aspirations and motivations for attending New Jersey City University relate to my goals and ambitions in life. Moreover, my parents attended New Jersey City University and came out to be people of good character, who have qualified in accomplishing their goals.

My hard work nature relates from when I was young. My parents noticed this when they used to give me different chores in the house and yet I was a small child at that time. I used to work not just because of I wanted to finish my chores but I worked to obtain perfection in my work. Since that time and all through my high school life, teachers have been referring to me as a hardworking student who is able to accomplish anything in life.

I am always eager to learn new things and ready to listen to my seniors. When I was a small child, we used to play with my friends a lot. Usually my friends liked to play inside the house with toys but mostly I always wanted to go outside and explore new toys to play with. I used to create my own toys with available materials that I had found outside. I remember one day, I created a toy car from an empty box of cereals to pay with. I was about three and half years old at that time. My parents were very surprised and they referred to me as the most inventive child who could explore anything and make something out of nothing.

I am very humble and patient, and always ready to listen to instructions of what I am being told. When I was in high school, my friends noticed that I was never interested in fighting or arguing with them. They told me that I am always patient and I do not get angry easily when any of my friends offend me. Additionally, the teachers noticed that despite of me being actively involved in class work, I have always been humble and most of the times I patiently wait to listen for my instruction before I act. This has made me think of myself as a humble and patient person.

My main goals and ambitions in life are to become a professional accountant like my father. As an accountant, I will be able to plan my money and my activities as a family person and as an investor. My father went through New Jersey City University and went on to become a very successful accountant in life. He always tells me that it is through New Jersey City University that he is where he is today. He tells me that the staff and the students are very helpful in assisting people to attain their goals and they make sure that they always give the best in life. This has made me to be motivated and aspire to join New Jersey City University because I believe with the kind of hard work and determination I have, I will get the best from the university.

Another thing that has inspired me to join the University is that the students are highly disciplined and very intelligent. The university has a great reputation of producing students of great quality and high integrity. Since I want to become a person of high integrity with value and quality in life, I believe that the university will mould me and make me to be that kind of a person in my life. Therefore, with the kind of integrity and opportunities the university offers to the students, I do not think that I never want to miss this opportunity of a lifetime in making my life for the future. In conjunction to this, I believe that the university can bring the best out of me.

Japanese Garden Metaphor

Wa and Shikata

The Japanese word ‘Wa’ literally translates to harmony while ‘Shikata’ means the accuracy of conducting an activity. ‘Wa’ is used within the Japanese community to reflect a harmonious form of human associations. This view was developed from the garden setting in which various forms of nature like water, sunlight and warmth interact in a constructive manner to evidence new plant growth. The harmony created in such elements is believed to surpass the garden constituents into the human world such that individuals can form meaningful dealings with the nature. ‘Wa’ is thereby a replication of the communal aspect within the Japanese culture as opposed to individualism practiced in various modernistic nations.

The Japanese have formed very well built interracial associations amongst themselves yet with regard to foreigners, they accord a high level of reservations. A foreigner is viewed as an unnatural element in the garden whose main objective is to break the accord evidenced in the garden elements. Therefore, the reservation is accorded in a bid to ensure a preservation of the existing ‘Wa’, which upon foreign inclusion is disturbed and requires balancing for normalcy to be attained. With foreigners being viewed as threats, the ‘Shikata’ steps in to shape the expected rightful treatment accorded to them. Therefore, businesses amongst the Japanese natives it treated with utmost harmony in the level of trust and unity created within the society but with the inclusion of foreigners, a level of caution is included.

This ensures that precise caution in terms of research is accorded to the foreigner to ascertain the credibility and motives of the trade dealing before a business relation commences that would lead to surprising costs attributed to carelessness. Additionally, the ‘Shikata’ ensures that the Japanese accord right treatment to the foreigners prior to a comprehension of their motives. This is evidenced in proper business mannerisms polite greetings and exchange of business cards.

Seishin Training

The term ‘Seishin’ literally means spirit with regard to the virtues of individual discipline and commitment towards ones roles. The Japanese believe that the main objective of training is to impart discipline in a given role as it enhances the individual’s capabilities and subsequently a superior form of subject mastery and personal development. Hardship is termed as a prerequisite element in the acquisition of the ‘Seishin’ as it builds the internal strength mandated for the good decision making with the arising of unanticipated risks or tragedies. The principles of ‘Seishin’ training are believed to have emanated from Zen Buddhism that amplifies the role of suffering in four summations; distress is unavoidable and it occurs in one’s life due to egocentric practices. However, distress can be overcome by learning truthful principles to overcome the problem once it arises. The latter description is a reflection of the Japanese mastery premise whose impetus if individual discipline.

Applying this to the business world emphasizes the role of quality execution of roles with the inflexible application of trading standards acquired from the various training sessions for a mutual benefit to the business organization and to the employee in terms of personal growth. Group activities are highly appreciated and this explains the reason why Japanese business offices do not have partitions and individuals work collectively.

Combining Droplets or Energies

Combining droplets is an emphasis of group activities in what can be viewed as synergy. The relationship acting between mothers and their children is a close one for training purposes until a ripe age of seven is attained. Mothers therefore act as mentors (senpai) to their children with the young ones being the mentees (kohai). Within the workforce, the Japanese encourage employees to have their senpai and act as mentors to others. In this manner, the various energies are combined for the overall development of the organization and its workers. This acts as a long-term preservative of the business culture within the Japanese setting.