Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Use These 50th Wedding Anniversary Toast Quotes

Use These 50th Wedding Anniversary Toast Quotes Watching a young couple in love is joy, but watching an aging couple in love is bliss. When a couple has cherished their marriage for 50 years, it certainly calls for a special anniversary event. If youre the one giving the toast, youll want to plan your speech in advance. Its good to keep a celebratory toast under five minutes to keep the event light and fun. And focus on honoring the couple while shying away from embarrassing anecdotes that could make someone uncomfortable. Sprinkle in a toast  quote or two in your speech to help  you express your joy at the occasion and make it extra poignant, whether youre a child of the couple, the party host,  or one of the gold-anniversary  betrothed. Anonymous Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds  are the reasons that families work. â€Å"You are the parents that all kids hope to have; you are the couple that all lovers hope to be; and you both are the pillars of support that every family wishes it had.   Never laugh at your wife’s choices.  You are one of them.† Love is like an earthquake- unpredictable, a little scary, but when the hard part is over you realize how lucky you truly are. â€Å"You don’t marry someone you can live with. You marry the person who you cannot live without.† Moonlight and roses are bound to fade for every lover and every maid, but the bond that holds in any weather is learning how to laugh. A toast to love and laughter and happily ever after. Felix Adler Love is the expansion of two natures in such fashion that each includes as the other; each is enriched by the other. Pearl S. Buck A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love. Mahatma Gandhi â€Å"Where there is love there is life.† Erich Fromm Immature love says: I love you because I need you.  Mature love says, I need you because I love you. Greek Proverb The heart that loves is always young. Mignon McLaughlin A successful marriage requires falling in love  many times, always with the same person. Ricardo Montalban â€Å"True love doesn’t happen right away; it’s an ever-growing process. It develops after you’ve gone through many ups and downs, when you’ve suffered together, cried together, laughed together.† Rita Rudner In Hollywood, a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk. Its so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. Paul Sweeney A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. James Thurber Love is what youve been through with somebody. Themis Tolis â€Å"To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved, that’s everything.† Vincent van Gogh Love is something eternal- the aspect may change,  but not the essence.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Quotes by One Tree Hill Character Lucas Scott

Quotes by 'One Tree Hill' Character Lucas Scott It must be terrible to discover that your father has another family  and he has been denying your existence for years. This is what Lucas Scott has to deal with on the TV show One Tree Hill, which showcases Lucass emotions as he tries to create his own identity. If you have already watched episodes of One Tree Hill, these quotes from Lucas can help you better understand his character. Lucas Scott on Life Many people die with  music  still in them. Why is that so? Too often its because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, times run out. But I cant do it. And even worse, I dont know why I cant do it. You know, its like, no matter how confusing or screwed up life got, the game always made sense. It was mine, you know. And in a lot of ways, its who I am. But I cant be that person in their gym or in their uniforms or ... in their world. Ever wonder how long it takes to change your life? What measure of time is enough to be life-altering? Is it four years, like high school? One year? An eight-week walking tour? Can your life change in a month or a week or a single day? Were always in a hurry to grow up, to go places, to get ahead ... but when youre young, one hour can change everything. Katherine Anne Porter once said: There seems to be a kind of order in the universe ... in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the changing of the seasons. But human life is almost pure chaos. Everyone takes his stance, asserts his own right and feelings, mistaking the motives of others and his own. Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment ... every part of it ... will live on forever. Needing Help Sometimes, its easy to feel like youre the only one in the world whos struggling, whos frustrated, or unsatisfied or barely getting by. That feeling is a lie.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦ we all need a little help sometimes. Someone to help us hear the music in the world, to remind us that it won’t always be this way. That someone is out there. And that someone will find you.† Random Musings What are you, Keith? An angel? A bad dream? Did you ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many people have pictures of you. I was there but not to kill you. I saved your life, but I should have let you burn. Theyre afraid people might find out who they are before they find it out themselves. So Im confused. You want to be anonymous, and you let the world watch you on a web cam.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Human resource performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resource performance - Essay Example As coaching managers, they have to pay attention to the behaviors, values and skills that are linked to the desired outcomes by the organization. As the senior manager, I will emphasize on the need for listening as this aspect is counter-intuitive. For instance, I would ask the managers to meet with the employees or even the supervisors and managers so as they discuss the difficulties they encounter. Through sharing their points of view, these parties develop rapport; thus, accommodate each others point of view. Additionally, I will plan to focus on the behaviors that need to be changed. I will highlight these change areas in meetings. For instance, I will clearly highlight that use of unwanted language is unacceptable in the office, with specific examples that some employees or even supervisors used. Through explaining this out rightly to the employees will reduce chances of reoccurrence of the same as the particular individuals with these behaviors will know that have been identified from the crowd (Bacal 162). As the senior manager, I will focus on the need to explain the importance of interpersonal relationships in the workplace. As argued by Bacal, performance can only be attained in an organization only if another people’s interests are identified and respected (155). In this case, chances of verbal abuse will be minimal as the managers will instill the feeling of co-working in the entire workplace. None of the employees or supervisor will, therefore, take up a perfectionist role; thus, reduction of hostility and an increase in the employee relations (Weintraub & Hunt 112). In terms of increased turnover, I will train managers on the need to be more patient while hiring and not do it out of mere desperation. Gathering adequate information on an applicant is vital for the long term success of the company as the manager will hire the best person from the list of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Business Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Report - Term Paper Example The founder was Ms.CarrollCaire who acted as the director. Co-founders included Johnson. P. K and Katherine Powell. Initially Katherine was the secretary general while Johnson was the manager. The hotel has twenty two employees and has two locations in the city(Ford, 2008). The company has experienced tremendous growth since2014 due to the increasing number of tourists in the city. The profit increased by a profit margin of 12% since its foundation. In 2013 the hotel was among the best hotels in the city in the 2009-2010 financial years. The main services and products include catering and accommodation services. Recreational services such as swimming and gymnastics are also available to the clients at a fee. There are some fast food shops that sell artistic assets to the tourists at a cheap price(Begley, 2006). Business report is a form of assignment that serves to analyze a using application of business theories to produce a range of suggestions for improvement of the business of a given client or firm. This business plan will thus demonstrate my analytical, reasoning, and evaluation skills while identifying and weighing-up possible solutions and outcomes of the personalized customer service in Pacino Sky Fall Hotel. The business plan will also examine available and potential solutions to solve problematic situations or issue arising from customer’s feedback information desk(Taggart & Publications, 2009). In an attempt to make customers delightful a hotel company need to find out what makes their clients tick. There is a great need to monitor the service users and learn what they deem important by setting up metrics to measure their behavioral changes. The main agenda is to increase customer’s engagement and service fulfillment(Begley, 2006). Personalized customer service is a system that focuses on customer’s

Saturday, November 16, 2019

McCarthyism’s Connection to Crucible Essay Example for Free

McCarthyism’s Connection to Crucible Essay During the 1940s to the 1950s, McCarthyism took its way, ruining innocent people lives through false the accusations of being affiliated in Communism. The innocent people that were accused and not found guilty couldn’t return back to their normal lives. One of the people that were trialed was Arthur Miller, author of The Crucible. Miller didn’t take this lightly and felt that something had to be done, so he wrote The Crucible connecting the McCarthy trials with the Salem witch trials. There were numerous relations of the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism, but there were three that stood out the most. During the McCarthy trials and Salem witch trials, innocent people endured the scare factor which brought out strange behavior, the accused couldn’t go back to their regular lives, and the accused had to endure the harsh interrogations. In The Crucible and during McCarthyism, it was prudent to go by the expectations that society presented or one may run the risk of having their reputation flawed. In The Crucible, Abigail and few other girls were discovered dancing in the woods by Rev. Parris. When Rev. Parris discovered this he couldn’t let it go, because during those times if you had time to dance then you had time to read the Bible. Innocent U.S. Government officials lost their jobs to be suspected of being Communist by McCarthy so he may move up the political ladder. During McCarthyism and Salem witch trials, the smallest evidence was used to make their accusations. In The Crucible and McCarthy trials, both include the faulty accusations and harsh interrogations that were placed on innocent citizens. During the time of McCarthyism, people lives were monitored by the government to reveal any unusual behaviors that may be considered Communist. Much of the evidence that was used was pulled out of someone’s file that may have been ten years old. In The Crucible, Proctor was thought of being affiliated with witchery for not coming to church in a couple of weeks. Proctor didn’t come because of his wife’s illness, but even this excuse wasn’t enough to get him in the clear completely. The wild accusations of the McCarthy trials and in The Crucible, created a stir within both societies that caused people to alter their lifestyles in hopes of not being noticed. The Red Scare of McCarthyism was focused in the government system and it stood for such a long time with support from people due to the anxiety of Communists being in the U.S. In The Crucible, nearly  one hundred people were trialed and found guilty of witchery in on year. Giles Corey accused his wife because she was reading a book other than the Bible. The anxiety of the fear that his wife may be a witch brought him to the court to plea his belief. The fear factor, strict expectations of society, and reputations being ruined were factors that made living during McCarthyism and the Salem witch trials nearly impossible to not become involved. Everyone during those times, presented a fear of the witch hunts that caused them to accuse people they have known for years, which kept these trials stable. No one could escape the witch hunts, and those whom did were lucky to not have had their lives ruined and banned from any jobs and spending time with your family. Both periods of time share the regret and unfortunate events that innocent people had to endure.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Obe: The Restructuring Of American Society. :: essays research papers

OBE: The Restructuring Of American Society. There has been a concern for some time throughout America regarding the quality of public education. Students are graduating from highschool without adequate knowledge of the three R's. Universities are recruiting a multitude of incompetent pseudo-scholars. Employers don't understand why the new generation of workers do not possess the basic skills to perform the job. It would appear that American students are not learning as much as their parents did. And yet, teachers are still teaching, taxes are still being paid, and more funds than ever are being appropriated for public education. What's going on in America's classrooms? Up until the 1980's most schools used a standards based curriculum. In the traditional classroom setting, educators focused on the input side of education, teaching a specific body of knowledge. Students were graded against predefined standards and passed or failed based on their ability to meet those standards. This method of teaching produced a graduate with a well rounded education, and prepared him for further development of career skills. With the exception of those who did not apply themselves, the system worked. Today America's educators take a new approach in the classroom. The focus of education has moved to measuring what students can do, rather than what they understand. This is the core principle of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). An outcome, by definition, is something that follows as a result or consequence. So OBE then, is an approach to education where the end result is the most important factor. This is very important in understanding what OBE is, and what it intends to do. In the OBE classroom, every aspect of the curriculum is geared toward achieving a small group of specific goals. To gain an insight into OBE, it is necessary to learn something about its origins and those promoting it. B. F. Skinner, a psychologist and learning theorist, developed the techniques of learning (operant conditioning) based on conditioning phenomena first analyzed scientifically by Pavlov. Skinner called his technique his "teaching machine." Skinner thus developed the principles on which "Mastery Learning" was developed by Benjamin Bloom. Mastery Learning was the original name for the process known today as Outcome Based Education, also known as Performance Based Education, or Restructuring. Educational theories used in OBE are based on Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. A curriculum, according to Bloom, "...may be thought of as a plan for changing student behavior." (p 14 of Ron Sunseri's book OBE: Understanding the Truth about Education Reform, Questar Publishers, P.O. Box 1720, Sisters, OR 97759) Bloom called it "Mastery Learning." Techniques for his new style of education, based on Skinnerian behavioral psychology, focus on

Monday, November 11, 2019

Feminist Epistemology Essay

Abstract In this paper I analyze the potential of Allison Jaggar’s suggestion that emotions in general, and outlaw emotions in particular, be incorporated into feminist epistemology. Jaggar advocates a standpoint theory of emotions, and suggests that the emotions of the oppressed in particular are helpful rather than inimical to acquiring knowledge. I argue that although there are some potential problems with Jaggar’s approach, these problems are common to standpoint theories and can be addressed by applying the solutions offered by other feminist theorists. One common criticism made by feminist epistemologists[i] is the critique of traditional epistemology’s notions of objectivity and neutrality. As Naomi Scheman puts it, in traditional epistemology â€Å"[t]hose who are taken to be in the best position to know are those who are believed to be objective, distanced, dispassionate, independent, and nonemotionally rational† (3-4). [ii] According to Allison Jaggar, the result of this conception of the knower in modern epistemology is a sharp distinction between reason and emotion where reason is privileged because emotions are viewed as involuntary responses that distort our rational observations of the world, which in turn distort the knowledge we can gain from these observations (1992). She further argues that this distinction contributes to the denial of women’s epistemic authority since women are associated with emotions and men with reason, and so men became the standard by which epistemic authority is judged. This is just one of many concerns feminist epistemologists share. However, there are many dissimilarities between feminists as to how to deal with the problems in traditional epistemology. [iii] One approach that I will focus on in this paper is feminist standpoint theory, particularly the standpoint theory offered by Jaggar in â€Å"Love and Knowledge: Emotions in Feminist Epistemology. † What Jaggar aims to accomplish in her paper is to â€Å"begin bridging the gap [between emotion and knowledge] through the suggestion that emotions may be helpful and even necessary rather than inimical to the construction of knowledge† (1992, 146). The bridge she wants to build includes a methodology for identifying biases of the dominant group that leads to false appraisals of the world. This methodology relies on the notion that perspective can be altered by the way one is situated in the world, particularly how one’s situatedness can affect one’s emotional perspective and response. I will explain the concept of emotional perspective and response in a moment, but I want to first note that the type of emotions she thinks are important to feminist epistemologists are outlaw emotions—which are emotional responses that do not follow or support the values and norms we have been taught to accept. Because outlaw emotions are usually a negative response to norms and values, they can help us identify which biases are causing errors in our methods of seeking knowledge. The point that Jaggar wants to make clear is that impartiality in our epistemic methods is impossible, therefore, we should give up on the notion of impartiality and work towards identifying biases that will better guide our epistemic endeavors. There is much debate between feminists over the potential of feminist standpoint epistemologies, yet, I think that Jaggar’s methodology warrants some consideration. [iv] However, because she offers just a sketch of how emotions might be incorporated into epistemology, there are some aspects of her theory that are problematic. The first problem is that standpoint theories seem to neglect the differing experiences of particular individuals within groups by trying to speak about the experiences of these groups in general. The second problem is that Jaggar needs to address how to distinguish which outlaw emotions could potentially further feminist interests from the other emotions, outlaw or otherwise. The general aim of this paper, then, is to initiate an investigation into whether Jaggar’s proposal will be a fruitful endeavor for feminist epistemologists. The more specific aim of this paper is to point out some of the potential problems that arise from her theory, as a feminist theory, and to offer some potential solutions for these problems, some of which are solutions that feminists have previously used to answer similar problems in other feminist theories. 1. Jaggar’s View Jaggar argues that theories that make the distinction between reason and emotion as it pertains to knowledge are mistaken in that they falsely assume emotions are involuntary responses that can be separated from reason. Jaggar contends that most emotions are socially constructed, intentional, and can influence our perceptions of the world. For example, when someone feels anger at a slight from a friend, this anger arises not as an involuntary response, but rather there is a judgment being made about the way friends ought to behave and the response of anger is the appropriate emotion that corresponds with one’s expectations being disappointed. We form beliefs about what constitutes a slight by a friend at the same time as we learn what our society values as appropriate friendship behavior and appropriate responses to different experiences—say affection as a response to respect from one’s friends and anger to disrespect. The idea that emotions are constructed suggests that socialization influences our appraisals of the world and the judgments we make are often emotional responses to observations that reflect the norms and values of our society. For example, when someone tells a joke the expected response is for a person to be amused. However, my being amused by a joke presupposes a number of social conditions. For instance, when we hear something like ‘a priest, a rabbi, and a duck walk into a bar’ we immediately feel an anticipatory amusement, since we recognize this as a joke formula. [v] If I do not recognize this formula then my lack of understanding could cause me to not share the same social experience as the other people who are hearing the same joke. Second, in order to find the joke amusing I must not only understand the language in which the joke is told, but also the content of the joke. I must share the same appraisal of the world in order to actually be amused by the punch line. Third, emotional responses are neither automatic nor passive in the sense that we have no control over them. I may be amused and laugh at a joke of this type. However, I may not laugh if I find the joke to be in bad taste even though not laughing when amusement is anticipated often creates moments of social tension and discomfort. The important thing to note here is that in both cases whether or not I am amused can be a deliberate conscious decision. From this example, we can see why Jaggar suggests that, â€Å"every emotion presupposes an evaluation of some aspect of the environment while, and conversely, every evaluation or appraisal of the situation implies that those who share the evaluation will share, ceteris paribus, a predictable emotional response to the situation† (1992, 153). Just as I would have to share a similar appraisal of the world in order to understand the punch line of a joke, I am also influenced by those preconceived notions to think the joke is funny. At the very least, I am conditioned to some extent to recognize a joke when I hear one and laugh when I think laughter is the expected response. Jaggar thinks it is important to recognize that emotions play a role in how we seek knowledge, given that if we maintain the distinction between emotion and reason in epistemology, then this distinction will influence whom we think are good epistemic agents: namely, dispassionate investigators who can keep their emotions from interfering with their observations. Ironically, because the notion of a dispassionate investigator is considered the ideal, we are biased in our assessment of who is a good investigator and who is not. Note that Jaggar is not saying we are not being impartial enough in our assessment of investigators; rather she is saying our bias in favour of the dispassionate is inhibiting because emotion is an essential part of knowledge. Moreover, the distinction between emotion and reason is problematic, as Jaggar points out, because â€Å"reason has been associated with members of dominant political, social, and cultural groups and emotion with members of subordinate groups†, like â€Å"people of color†¦and women† (1992, 157). The result of the false distinction between emotion and reason is that it produces a myth about investigators that functions in a circular pattern where the myth reinforces the oppression of those who are perceived as emotional, while the oppression reinforces the myth that it is bad to be emotional. In order to give a full account of what it means to be a good investigator, then, we should acknowledge how emotions function to produce passionate investigators who are reliable observers. The first point Jaggar thinks a full account should include is that in many ways emotions are socially constructed in a way that reflects the norms and values of our society, and that this emotional construction influences our evaluations and observations of the world. The second aspect of the social construction of our emotional constitution she wants to point out is that our emotional construction is not complete in the sense that there are people who do not always respond to or evaluate particular situations in a manner that reflects social norms and values. Jaggar calls these unconventional emotional responses and evaluations â€Å"outlaw† emotions, and states that they are usually experienced by â€Å"subordinated individuals who pay a disproportionately high price for maintaining the status quo† (1992, 160). However, when the distinction between emotion and reason is maintained biases against emotional responses in general and unconventional emotional responses in particular, are disregarded. For example, a woman may feel anger or fear when a sexist joke is made, but when she tries to voice her opinion she is told either that she did not understand the joke or that she has no sense of humour. Thus, when the distinction is maintained it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to realize that the joke is not funny because it is based on a negative stereotype. That is to say, it is not acknowledge that the stereotype and the expected emotional response is dictated by the current norms and values. Furthermore, because a woman, who may already be identified as a bad observer, is pointing out that there may be a mistake in our way of thinking, her response is disregarded as emotional and unreliable, and the oppressive norms and values go unquestioned. 2. Jaggar’s Methodology and Potential Problems The benefit of ridding ourselves of epistemologies that do not acknowledge the role of emotions, both conventional and unconventional, is that we can begin to recognize which norms and values are causing harmful biases and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, Jaggar claims that feminist outlaw emotions—which are outlaw emotions that â€Å"incorporate feminist perceptions and values†Ã¢â‚¬â€are particularly useful in feminist epistemology because they â€Å"can help in developing alternatives to prevailing reality by motivating new investigations†¦Feminist emotions provide a political motivation for investigation and so help determine the selection of problems as well as the method by which they are investigated† (1992, 161). Although Jaggar meant to offer a rough sketch of some of the changes that need to be made to our epistemic theories and practices, I think there are  some potential problems that need to be addressed. For one, I think she needs to say more about how we should determine which emotions will lead to fruitful norms and values, and which emotions we should reject. To her credit, it seems that Jaggar recognizes this is a question that needs to be addressed given that she tries to give reasons for why â€Å"certain alternative perceptions of the world, perceptions informed by outlaw emotions, are to be preferred to perceptions informed by conventional norms† (1992, 161). She claims the reason women’s outlaw emotions should be given consideration is because women are not members of the group that conventional beliefs about emotions privilege. Given that women experience the consequences of not being privileged, they are not as likely to adhere to these norms without question. Hence, they are better able to articulate the negative aspects of their experiences because they do not fear that this questioning of norms will threaten their privileged status. The problem with this response is that it does not seem to fully answer the question, because some outlaw emotions will not provide reliable guides to identifying biases, and so the difficulty will be distinguishing which emotions are reliable from those that are not. In order to give a more robust argument for why we should give special consideration to the emotions of oppressed people she needs to first address the fact that the â€Å"oppressed† do not share one perspective. As pointed out by Marilyn Frye, one problem with making claims about the standpoint of women’s emotional perspectives is that such claims seem to presuppose there are universal types of emotions—outlaw or otherwise—that are consistent throughout the emotions experienced by women. Frye notes that this is a mistake often made by feminists given that it is common for epistemological theories to espouse that â€Å"all knowers are essentially alike, that is, are essentially like oneself: one thinks that one speaks not just as oneself, but as a human being† (35). What happens in feminist theorizing as a response to this attitude is feminists become convinced they need to speak as â€Å"Women† in order to be taken seriously. As Frye points out, feminists often face the difficult task of trying to articulate â€Å"the circumstances, experience and perception of those who are historically, materially, culturally constructed by or through the concept women. But the differences among women across cultures, locales and generations make it clear that although all female humans may live lives shaped by the concepts of Woman, they are not all shaped by the same concept of Woman† (36). [vi] The point I want to stress from this passage is that not all women will experience the same emotions in the same contexts because we are formed by different concepts of â€Å"Woman† even though women in general face oppression in one form or another. In response to the problem of women’s differing experiences, Frye suggests feminists approach epistemology with a different methodology. That is, a methodology that will allow women to give meaning to their own experiences even though they are not experiences that are shared by all women. Part of this project entails that feminists give up the notion of a universal women’s experience. Another part is that they listen to many different women’s experiences and look for patterns of similarity. Frye suggests this methodology will result in the following: The experiences of each woman and of the women collectively generate a new web of meaning. Our process has been one of discovering, recognizing, and creating patterns—patterns within which experience made a new kind of sense, or in instances, for the first time made any sense at all. Instead of bringing a phase of enquiry to closure by summing up what is known, as other ways of generalizing do, pattern recognition/constructions opens fields of meaning and generates new interpretive possibilities. Instead of drawing conclusions from observations, it generates observations. (39) I think this methodology will be helpful in pointing out the outlaw emotions that can offer guidance as to which of our norms and values are questionable, and opens a dialogue over potential ways to change them. The methodology Frye advocates can be further developed if we consider potential ways in which women can express their experiences such that patterns can be recognized. One approach that I find particularly convincing is offered by Morwenna Griffiths. Griffiths suggests that feminist epistemologists can employ autobiographical accounts of women’s experiences as a means of articulating the differences between women’s experiences. Like Frye, Griffiths also notes that there is no one experience common to all women. However, Griffiths further claims that, â€Å"[i]ndividuals are not entirely of one group or another. On the contrary, individuals are fragments of an uncertain number of groups† (62). The conclusion she draws from this point is that it is an oversimplification to limit the types of knowledge humans can acquire into categories like women’s knowledge. One person can experience oppression from the perspective of more than one position. To name a few, one may experience oppressions from the perspectives of a particular race, class, gender, or sexual orientation, and intersections of these. For example, the oppression experienced by a native woman is not the same as that experienced by a native man or that experienced by a white woman. Hence, Griffiths suggests that one’s positions in the world at different times can contribute to her understanding of the world, which in turn will influence the knowledge she can acquire about the world. Noting the different positions from which an individual can have experiences and acquire knowledge is important because it suggests that there can be similarities between the positions we occupy and the individual experiences we have. This potential to have similar experiences of the world further suggests that similarities in experience make it the case that we are not completely denied access to other people’s understanding of the world. The reason Griffiths thinks autobiographical accounts are a crucial feature of feminist epistemology is because the way in which individuals come to find similarities in experiences is through language. To further clarify her point, she argues that, language has a considerable power to determine what we see and do, but this power is not absolute. We also create new language, by working on the languages in which we live. Individual experience can be used in creation knowledge in combinations with the experiences of others. Groups can develop languages of their own if they share particular psychosocial, social and linguistic experiences. Thus women in society, for instance, who share particular positions within it can develop a way of talking about this. (66) In short, Griffiths suggests that language is key to feminist epistemology because it points out how women with different experiences can nonetheless come to some consensuses on the oppressions they experience and the knowledge developed from these experiences. 3. Conclusion I think that if we incorporate Griffiths’ and Frye’s approach on Jaggar’s theory what we will find is a more tenable response to questions about which outlaw emotions can be regarded as being particular to women: namely, patterns of outlaw emotions that feminists have recognized through the expression of different women’s autobiographical accounts. And once we can start pointing out the commonalities between the different perspectives that arise from the standpoint of different women, we can begin show that there is something about women’s reality that makes it the case that they are experiencing the world differently than men. I have not even scratched the surface with respect to giving a detailed explanation of exactly how Jaggar thinks a fully functional theory of outlaw emotions might look. However, I am assuming that once theorists start admitting that emotion is an integral part of epistemology the intricate details of how to identify fruitful outlaw emotions will be worked out. For instance, we might be able to start identifying patterns of emotions that could be considered outlaw emotions and which norms and values that they are a response to. And this recognition will further our abilities to start questioning the norms and values that guide our epistemic practices. I think this is the sort of thing Jaggar had in mind when she states that the benefit of bridging the gap between emotion and knowledge is that our emotions, when properly accessed, â€Å"may contribute to the development of knowledge, so the growth of knowledge may contribute to the development of appropriate emotions† (1992,163). The development of this project may be slow and arduous, but given the problems that exist in traditional epistemology I think Jaggar’s project seems worthy of consideration as a potential contributor to a solution. NOTES ———————– [i] For the purposes of this paper I will equate feminist epistemologists with feminists philosophers of science given that there are many overlapping interests between the two. [ii] For similar arguments, particularly with respect to how positivism had contributed to the notion of the ideal objective knower, see Jaggar (1992) and (1983), especially pp. 355-358; Code (1993). [iii] As noted by Louise Antony, â€Å"For discussions of epistemological frameworks available to feminists, see Sandra Harding, The Science Question in Feminism, (Ithaca, N. Y. : Cornell University Press, 1986), especially pp. 24-29; Mary Hawkesworth, â€Å"Feminist Epistemology: A Survey of the Field,† Women and Politics 7 (1987): 112-124; and Hilary Rose, â€Å"Hand, Brain, and Heart: A feminist Epistemology for the Natural Sciences,† Signs 9, 11 (1983): 73-90. † (Antony 2002, Note 3). [iv] For discussion of Feminist Standpoint Theory, see Bar On (1993); Harding (1993); Longino (1993). For a more general analysis of essentialism in feminist theorizing, see Spelman (1988). [v] Thanks to Elizabeth Brake for clarifying the distinction between the emotion of amusement and the behavior of laughter, as well as supplying me with an example of amusement anticipation. [vi] Jaggar does mention that she is speaking â€Å"very generally of people and their emotions, as though everyone experienced similar emotions and dealt with them in similar ways† (Jaggar 1992, 157). And she further notes that â€Å"it is an axiom of feminist theory†¦that all generalizations about ‘people’ are suspect† (Jaggar 1992, 157). So she does, at the very least, seem to recognize that she may fall prey to Frye’s criticism. However, she goes on to argue that making generalizations about the emotionality of women is part of how the epistemic authority of men is perpetuated, and she does not address the issue of how she should deal with the problem as it applies to standpoint theory. I find this particularly odd given that in another work she claims that part of the project of feminist ethics entails that feminists be sensitive to the fact that all women are not similarly situated in such a way that universal claims can be made about them even though there are commonalities between women’s situatedness at times. (Jaggar 1991). So, although I am uncertain as to why she does not deal with problems that might arise from this issue as it applies to standpoint theory, I gather that she would welcome rather than reject feminist theories that could aid her in avoiding this problem as it would apply to feminist epistemology. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alcoff, Linda, and Elizabeth Potter. 1993. Feminist epistemologies. New York: Routledge. Antony, Louise. 2002. Quine as a feminist: the radical import of naturalized epistemology. In A mind of one’s own 2nd edition, ed. Louise M. Antony and Charlotte E. Witt. Colorado: Westview Press. Bar On, Bat-Ami. 1993. Marginality and epistemic privilege. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Code, Lorraine. 1993. Taking subjectivity into account. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Frye, Marilyn. 1996. The possibility of feminist theory. In Women, knowledge and reality 2nd edition. ed. Ann Garry and Marilyn Pearsall. New York: Routledge. Griffiths, Morwenna. 1995. Feminisms and the self. New York: Routledge. Harding, Sandra. 1993. Rethinking standpoint epistemology: â€Å"what is strong objectivity†?. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Jaggar, Alison M. 1992. Love and knowledge: emotions in feminist epistemology. In Gender/body/knowledge. ed. Alison M. Jaggar and Susan R. Bordo. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. ——. 1991. Feminist ethics: projects, problems, prospects. In Feminist ethics. ed. Claudia Card. Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ——. 1983. Feminist politics and human nature. New Jersey: Rowman & Allanheld Publishers. Longino, Helen E. 1993. Subjects, power and knowledge: description and prescription in feminist philosophies of science. In Feminist epistemologies. See Alcoff and Potter 1993. Scheman, Naomi. 1993. Engenderings: constructions of knowledge, authority, and privilege. New York: Routledge. Spelman, Elizabeth V. 1988. Inessential women: problems of exclusion in feminist thought Boston: Beacon Press.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Gillette Essay

Case Analysis for Gillette: Product and Marketing Innovation 9/11/2012 Abstract Gillette is seeking means to retain dominance in market share they have lead for the last century. Along with sustaining market share Gillette has continued focus on expanding worldwide into less saturated markets. In this analysis multiple alternatives will be explored in order to make a recommendation on steps that would favor Gillette’s organization in meeting their aspirations. Situation Analysis Product quality and efficient marketing are the core value propositions that set the pace for Gillette’s success. With continued innovation in both product development and marketing strategies Gillette has been able to retain a commanding worldwide market share in a highly competitive, but mature, razor and blade market. Strong market share allowed Gillette to sustain profits even through economic droughts in recent years. On the flip side, Gillette’s innovation success also posed challenges. In order to maintain their market share, a dependency on continuous product improvement formed over time. Now Gillette will need to determine how to balance investment in research and development along with other areas of the organization. At times their own innovation of new product lines impacted their leading product lines in the market. During the 1990s Gillette found themselves cannibalizing their own successful products when trying to out due the competition. Even though internal competition shifted sales from one product line to another, Gillette’s sales were able to re-coop development costs. Expanding market share around the world also revealed challenges with varying religious and culture beliefs. Western influences have started to generate growth with European woman as younger generations watch American movies and television that depict women with sleek underarms and legs. Gillette’s latest innovation, the Fusion 5(+1) blade, was back in 2006. Since then Schick, Gillette’s leading competitor has not responded with their own break through. Gillette should be wondering what Schick might do next. Problem As the market Gillette has lead for so long became mature, their growth ultimately declined due to market saturation and increase competition. Fluctuations occurred only when newer, more innovative products were introduced. This put more pressure on development advancements and marketing tactics. Many analysts believe that Gillette and Schick, leaders in razors and blades, have reached the end of meaningful product innovation [1]. In 2006 when the Fusion 5(+1) blade was introduced, it exploded off the shelves. Gillette sold more than 4 billion Fusion razors with in the first two months. The Fusion’s initial success was quickly fleeting as sales reports showed that razors were outselling the cartridge refills. This was very concerning to Gillette as it is well-known that razor manufacturers earn most of their profits from refills, not the initial razor purchase. Critics also questioned why five blades were needed to get the best shave when Gillette had touted its three-bladed Mach3 as †the best a man can get. † â€Å"Consumer reports conclude that there were no additional performance benefits provided by the five-bladed Fusion, especially when compared to the Mach3† [1 pg391]. Economic recession also impacted sales as Gillette’s products went up in price due to a need to re-coop development costs. How can Gillette continue to maintain or grow market share in a mature market and keep future strategies aligned with customer wants? Alternatives Continue product line and marketing without major change. No additional research and development costs would need to be spent, which in return reduces the need to raise prices for maintaining their profit margin. However the risk looming would be competitor innovation impacting current market share. Schick may produce a new innovative product that would sway consumers from purchasing Gillette’s products. As stated in the case Gillette must find new ways to innovatively out-produce or out-market the competition. Investing in research and development to create new product line or enhance current products adds considerable expenses. Development costs will need to be re-cooped. This will keep competitors in check, but will be challenging to keep pricing competitive. Compliment current leading product lines that keep consumers happy. Promoting Christmas, Father’s day and Mother’s day gift grooming kits that meets more of the consumer’s needs will also introduce consumers to other product lines Gillette has to offer. Focus marketing potential growth opportunities globally by challenging resistance in product awareness and interests. As a Gillette razor consumer, I have encountered an inconvenience that I think can be solved and build customer loyalty. I’ve been using Mach 3 razors for over fifteen years, and when purchasing refills I have found it difficult to find blades that are compatible with the razor handle that I own. Thinking out of the box, what if Gillette were to make razor handles that are compatible with any of Gillette’s product line of refills? This would then provide consumers the freedom to purchase from a variety of Gillette’s product lines without having to spend extra money on a handle that works with the particular product refill. Owning a Gillette universal handle would also encourage customers to stay with Gillette refills as converting to another brand would cost more with the initial required handle purchase. Implementation From the case I would assume Gillette will continue to â€Å"innovatively out-produce or out-market the competition† [1]. I believe moving forward with developing a universal handle with Gillette refills would accomplish this. This would require investment into developing a new handle and rollout of the product. Here is an approximate timeline to complete.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Principles of Possessives

The Principles of Possessives The Principles of Possessives The Principles of Possessives By Mark Nichol The rules about forming possessives can seem confusing, especially because forms differs according to which style manual a publication is following. But the primary styles are relatively simple. In this post, I will refer only to the two prevalent styles in mainstream publishing: that of the Associated Press Stylebook, the resource of record for American newspaper publishing, as well as some magazines, many websites, and various other forms of written communication, and The Chicago Manual of Style, the bible of American book publishing, as well as many general-circulation periodicals. Guides for certain academic and scholarly subjects may differ. AP Style Newspaper style is simple and minimalist: To form a possessive construction from a singular common noun, add an apostrophe and the letter s: â€Å"The girl’s hair is red.† However, if the noun ends in the letter s and the following noun begins with an s, add an apostrophe only: â€Å"The waitress’ smile was infectious.† Treat a proper noun the same as a singular common noun: â€Å"Jim’s car ran out of gas.† But if a proper noun ends in s, add an apostrophe only: â€Å"Lewis’ training regimen is impressive.† If a plural noun ends in s, use an apostrophe only: â€Å"Cats’ claws are retractable.† If the plural does not end in s, use an apostrophe and an s: â€Å"The men’s room is to the right.† If the possession applies jointly to two singular nouns, apply the apostrophe and s only to the latter noun: â€Å"Green eggs and ham’s popularity has declined.† (In this sense, â€Å"green eggs† is plural in construction but singular in meaning; it’s a menu item, not a grouping of eggs.) But if the two nouns are distinct, apply the appropriate possessive form for each noun to that noun: â€Å"My hat’s color and my shoes’ color match.† Chicago Style Book style is simultaneously more complex and more consistent: No exception is made depending on whether singular nouns preceding and following the apostrophe end and start with s, respectively: â€Å"The waitress’s smile was infectious.† (However, all plural nouns are treated the same as in AP style.) Some ambiguity occurs, though, with traditional expressions following the â€Å"for (blank) sake† form: When the noun ends in an s, an apostrophe alone is employed (â€Å"For goodness’ sake, put on some clothes!†), while expressions with singular nouns follow the normal style: â€Å"For expedience’s sake, I faxed the form.† Better yet, in this case, relax the expression: â€Å"For the sake of expedience, I faxed the form.† The primary difference in style between the two resources is that singular proper nouns are always followed by an apostrophe and an s, even if they end in s (or x or z). For plural forms of proper names, however, if the name ends in one of these letters, add an es and an apostrophe: â€Å"We saw the Thomases’ house.† Otherwise, add an s and an apostrophe only: â€Å"We found the Smiths’ cat.† In the most recent edition of the manual, the style for two special cases has changed: Words ending in an unpronounced s are treated the same as words with a normal s sound (â€Å"Dubois’s translation is better†), as are words ending in an -eez sound (â€Å"Xerxes’s defeat was definitive†). However, common nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take an apostrophe only: â€Å"Economics’ complexities are daunting.† The same is true of proper names: â€Å"The Rocky Mountains’ discovery by European explorers prompted exploitation of mineral and other natural resources.† However, many writers find these constructions awkward, and prefer to relax the constructions: â€Å"The complexities of economics complexities are daunting†; â€Å"The discovery of the Rocky Mountains by European explorers prompted exploitation of mineral and other natural resources.† The distinction in AP style between joint possession and separate possession (see the last paragraph in the previous section) also applies to Chicago style. Some other special cases include possessives with the genitive form (â€Å"Three hours’ delay made all the difference†); a possessive form of a phrase that appears attributive (â€Å"The farmers’ market has a wide selection of tomatoes,† but â€Å"I have a Diners Club card†); and plurals of publication and composition titles. In the case of such titles, if it is italicized, add an apostrophe and an s (â€Å"I read the New Yorker’s article about it,† but, because the following title ends in an s, â€Å"The New York Times’ editorial supports the bill.†) If quotation marks are called for, relax the construction: â€Å"The first line of ‘My Life in Verse’ appropriately describes her birth,† rather than â€Å"‘My Life in Verse’’s first line appropriately describes her birth.†) Possessives followed by a gerund a present participle (a type of verb ending in -ing) acting as a noun should use an apostrophe and an s if singular (â€Å"The doctor’s telling of the story was interrupted†) and an apostrophe alone if plural (â€Å"Doctors’ taking on of more responsibility are a factor†). It might be better, however, to revise the sentence in such cases: â€Å"The doctor’s account of the story was interrupted†; â€Å"Quality of care is affected when doctors take on more responsibility.† Also, this grammatical structure should not be confused with the similar participle form, which is not possessive: â€Å"Doctors taking on more responsibility are likely to offer a lower quality of care.† The apostrophe is optional when a noun (or a pronoun) follows a preposition: â€Å"They thought of their friends moving away as a personal affront† could also be rendered â€Å"They thought of their friends’ moving away as a personal affront,† where moving refers to an act of moving that â€Å"belongs† to their friends. 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:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases15 Types of DocumentsPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Hugo Chavez Biography and Dictatorship

Hugo Chavez Biography and Dictatorship Hugo Chavez (1954 - 2013) was a former Army Lieutenant Colonel and President of Venezuela. A populist, Chvez instituted what he calls a â€Å"Bolivarian Revolution† in Venezuela, where key industries were nationalized and oil revenues were used in social programs for the poor. Hugo Chvez was a vocal critic of the United States of America and, in particular, former President George W. Bush, who he once famously and publicly called a â€Å"donkey.† He was very popular with poor Venezuelans, who in February of 2009 voted to abolish term limits, allowing him to run for re-election indefinitely. Early Life of Hugo Chavez Hugo Rafael Chvez Frà ­as was born on July 28, 1954, to a poor family in the town of Sabaneta in the province of Barinas. His father was a schoolteacher and opportunities for young Hugo were limited: he joined the military at the age of seventeen. He graduated from the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences when he was 21 and was commissioned as an officer. He attended college while in the military but did not get a degree. After his studies, he was assigned to a counter-insurgency unit, the start of a long and noteworthy military career. He also served as head of a paratrooper unit. Chvez in the ​Military Chvez was a skilled officer, moving up in the ranks quickly and earning several commendations. He eventually reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He spent some time as an instructor in his old school, the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences. During his time in the military, he came up with â€Å"Bolivarianism,† named for the liberator of northern South America, Venezuelan Simà ³n Bolà ­var. Chvez even went so far as to form a secret society within the army, the Movimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario 200, or the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement 200. Chvez has long been an admirer of Simà ³n Bolà ­var. The Coup of 1992 Chvez was only one of many Venezuelans and army officers who were disgusted by corrupt Venezuelan politics, exemplified by President Carlos Pà ©rez. Along with some fellow officers, Chvez decided to forcibly oust Pà ©rez. In the morning of February 4, 1992, Chvez led five squads of loyal soldiers into Caracas, where they were to seize control of important targets including the Presidential Palace, the airport, the Defense Ministry and the military museum. All around the country, sympathetic officers seized control of other cities. Chvez and his men failed to secure Caracas, however, and the coup was quickly put down. Prison and Entry Into Politics Chvez was allowed to go on television to explain his actions, and the poor people of Venezuela identified with him. He was sent to prison but vindicated the following year when President Pà ©rez was convicted in a massive corruption scandal. Chvez was pardoned by President Rafael Caldera in 1994 and soon entered politics. He turned his MBR 200 society into a legitimate political party, the Fifth Republic Movement (abbreviated as MVR) and in 1998 ran for president. President Chvez was elected in a landslide at the end of 1998, racking up 56% of the vote. Taking office in February 1999, he quickly began implementing aspects of his â€Å"Bolivarian† brand of socialism. Clinics were set up for the poor, construction projects were approved and social programs were added. Chvez wanted a new constitution and the people approved first the assembly and then the constitution itself. Among other things, the new constitution officially changed the name of the country to the â€Å"Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.† With a new constitution in place, Chvez had to run for re-election: he won easily. Coup Venezuela’s poor loved Chvez, but the middle and upper classed despised him. On April 11, 2002, a demonstration in support of the national oil company’s management (recently fired by Chvez) turned into a riot when the demonstrators marched on the presidential palace, where they clashed with pro-Chavez forces and supporters. Chvez briefly resigned and the United States was quick to recognize the replacement government. When pro-Chavez demonstrations broke out all over the country, he returned and resumed his presidency on April 13. Chvez always believed that the United States was behind the attempted coup. Political Survivor Chvez proved to be a tough and charismatic leader. His administration survived a recall vote in 2004 and used the results as a mandate to expand social programs. He emerged as a leader in the new Latin American leftist movement and had close ties with leaders such as Bolivia’s Evo Morales, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa, Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo. His administration even survived a 2008 incident when laptops seized from Colombian Marxist rebels seemed to indicate that Chvez was funding them in their struggle against the Colombian government. In 2012 he easily won re-election in spite of repeated concerns over his health and his ongoing battle with cancer. Chvez and the US Much like his mentor Fidel Castro, Chvez gained much politically from his open antagonism with the United States. Many Latin Americans see the United States as an economic and political bully who dictates trade terms to weaker nations: this was particularly true during the George W. Bush administration. After the coup, Chvez went out of his way to defy the United States, establishing close ties to Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua and other nations recently unfriendly towards the US. He often went out of his way to rail against US imperialism, even once famously calling Bush a â€Å"donkey.† Administration and Legacy Hugo Chavez died on March 5, 2013, after a long battle with cancer. The final months of his life were full of drama, as he disappeared from public view not long after the 2012 elections. He was treated mainly in Cuba and rumors swirled as early as December 2012 that he had died. He returned to Venezuela in February of 2013 to continue his treatment there, but his illness eventually proved too much for his iron will. Chvez was a complicated political figure who did much for Venezuela, both good and bad. Venezuelas oil reserves are among the largest in the world, and he used much of the profits to benefit the poorest Venezuelans. He improved infrastructure, education, health, literacy and other social ills from which his people suffered. Under his guidance, Venezuela emerged as a leader in Latin America for those who do not necessarily think that the United States is always the best model to follow. Chavezs concern for Venezuelas poor was genuine. The lower socioeconomic classes rewarded Chvez with their unwavering support: they supported the new constitution and in early 2009 approved a referendum to abolish term limits on elected officials, essentially allowing him to run indefinitely. Not everyone thought the world of Chvez, however. Middle and upper-class Venezuelans despised him for nationalizing some of their lands and industries and were behind the numerous attempts to oust him. Many of them feared that Chvez was building dictatorial powers, and it is true that he had a dictatorial streak in him: he temporarily suspended Congress more than once and his 2009 referendum victory essentially allowed him to be President as long as the people kept electing him. The admiration of the people for Chavez carried over at least long enough for his hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, to win a close presidential election a month after his mentors death. He cracked down on the press, greatly increasing restrictions as well as punishments for slander. He drove through a change in how the Supreme Court is structured, which allowed him to stack it with loyalists. He was widely reviled in the United States for his willingness to deal with rogue nations such as Iran: conservative televangelist Pat Robertson once famously called for his assassination in 2005. His hatred for the United States government occasionally seemed often to approach the paranoid: he accused the USA of being behind any number of plots to remove or assassinate him. This irrational hatred sometimes drove him to pursue counter-productive strategies, such as supporting Colombian rebels, publicly denouncing Israel (resulting in hate crimes against Venezuelan Jews) and spending enormous sums on Russian-built weapons and aircraft. Hugo Chavez was the sort of charismatic politician who comes along only once a generation. The closest comparison to Hugo Chavez is probably Argentinas Juan Domingo Peron, another ex-military man turned populist strongman. Perons shadow still looms over Argentine politics, and only time will tell how long Chavez will continue to influence his homeland.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Buddhism - Essay Example It has also stayed conservative because aboriginalphilosophies of the nations it went to never really influenced it. Conversely, the Mahayana belief bases itself on culture, for instance, the Bon and Tibetan Buddhism. Theravada’s philosophy is straightforward. All worldly phenomena possess three traits, which are transient, impermanent, unsatisfactory and no one owns them. Elements that are compound contain both the material and non-material part. Further, they contain nothing but five compounds such as the material quality and non-material qualities such as consciousness, sensations, mental formatives, and perception (Duiker 225). The Theravada belief has remained intact since inception by the elders who heeded to the customof the abbots of the initial Buddha council. Theravada exhibits no hierarchical authority framework. However, the Sangha respects seniority, and the Pali canon, Sanskrit’s Tripitaka and Pali’s Tipitakaare the authoritative scripture, which contains the entire teachings of the Buddha (Saibaba 122). Based on understanding, it is the best thing to venerate Buddha and obey his teachings devoid of biastowards any tradition. This may prove intricate depending on a person’s culture. However, the pronounced teachers from all civilizations avoid any possible bias. The Theravada routeis captivating because it sticks to the fundaments. It is a live tradition with an uninterruptedancestry, which traces back to the ancient Buddha. Theravada Buddhism is the chief religion in the South East Asian dispensations such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand. Mahayana Buddhism depicts much of the teachings by Buddha’s,but it is churned with additional philosophical conceptions so that it appears to have a different view and leading to a dissimilarobjective. Both Mahayana and Theravada traditions honor and follow ShakyamuniBuddha. Theravada followers do not venerate the various celestial gods and Buddha as