Love Song Of Prufrock Essays (1369 words) - Chapbooks,

Love Song Of Prufrock The ironic character of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," an early poem by T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) in the form of a dramatic monologue, is introduced in its title. Eliot is talking, through his speaker, about the absence of love, and the poem, so far from being a "song," is a meditation on the failure of romance. The opening image of evening (traditionally the time of love making) is disquieting, rather than consoling or seductive, and the evening "becomes a patient" (Spender 160): "When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table" (2-3). According to Berryman, with this line begins modern poetry (197). The urban location of the poem is confrontational instead of being alluring. Eliot, as a Modernist, sets his poem in a decayed cityscape, " a drab neighborhood of cheap hotels and restaurants, where Prufrock lives in solitary gloom" (Harlan 265). The experience of Prufrock is set against that of unnamed "women" (13), collectively representing womankind. Their unattainable status is represented by their constant movement- they "come and go"- and their "polite chitchat about Michelangelo, who was a man of great creative energy, unlike Prufrock" (Harlan 265). We cannot imagine that they would listen to any love song by Prufrock, any more than they would find his name or his person attractive. "A man named J. Alfred Prufrock could hardly be expected to sing a love song; he sounds too well dressed" (Berryman 197)."J. Alfred Prufrock" indicates his formality, and his surname, in particular, indicates prudery. The powerful metaphor, a visual image of the "yellow fog" (15) in the fourth stanza, represents the jaundiced environment of the modern city, or Eliot's "infernal version of the forest of Arden" (Cervo 227). The image is ambiguous, however, because Eliot also makes it curiously attractive in the precision he uses in comparing the fog's motions to that of a cat who "[l]icked its tongue into the corners of the evening" (17). We also hear the fog, disquietingly, in that image, in the onomatopoeia of "licked." Repetition of "time", in the following stanza, shows how the world of Prufrock's being is bound to temporality. "Prufrock speaks to his listeners as if they had come to visit him in some circle of unchanging hell where time has stopped and all action has become theoretical" (Miller 183). "Time" is repeated, several times, but it is not only its inescapable presence that Eliot is emphasizing, but also the triviality of the ways in which we use it; "the taking of a toast and tea" (34). The melancholy of Prufrock's situation begins to emerge when he speaks of his experience of failures in love and life. The initial vitality of his invitation to go out into the evening is now replaced by images of the many evenings he has known, with their same disappointing conclusions. This meditation expands to include "mornings, afternoons" (50) - all of his life, in other words - which, in a famous image, he has "measured out with coffee spoons" (51). The emphasis on "I" in the poem, which we would expect in a dramatic monologue, is also typical of Romanticism, with its celebration of the ego. Again, in this poem, Eliot is pointedly unromantic, as the "I" that is revealed is fit not for celebration but for ridicule, especially when Prufrock shows that he has been repeatedly diminished, even reduced to a laboratory specimen, by others' evaluation of him. It is little wonder that his self-confidence, the essential quality of a successful lover, has been shattered. It is women, of course, who have delivered this judgement on Prufrock. He finds them powerfully attractive, with "[a]rms that are braceleted and white and bare" (63), but we notice that this image - like the eyes, earlier, that "fix you in a formulated phrase" (56) - does not indicate a whole person, but rather a fragment of a human being, almost lifeless, like "[a]rms that lie along the table" (67). We may be critical of Prufrock, but the objects of his desire are scarcely more desirable. The criticism broadens to encompass a society, even civilization, and Prufrock becomes a type of human being - modern urban man, perhaps - not merely himself. The poem is haunted by the refrain referring to the women. Prufrock is taking himself and us on a quest in pursuit of them, "Let us go then, you and I" (1). It is a Romantic image, but Prufrock's quest is frustrated by the modern setting and by his unheroic qualities. Prufrock's

Type I vs. Type II Errors in Hypothesis Testing

Type I vs. Type II Errors in Hypothesis Testing The statistical practice of hypothesis testing is widespread not only in statistics but also throughout the natural and social sciences. When we conduct a hypothesis test there a couple of things that could go wrong. There are two kinds of errors, which by design cannot be avoided, and we must be aware that these errors exist. The errors are given the quite pedestrian names of type I and type II errors. What are type I and type II errors, and how we distinguish between them?  Briefly: Type I errors happen when we reject a true null hypothesisType II errors happen when we fail to reject a false null hypothesis We will explore more background behind these types of errors with the goal of understanding these statements. Hypothesis Testing The process of hypothesis testing can seem to be quite varied with a multitude of test statistics. But the general process is the same. Hypothesis testing involves the statement of a null hypothesis and the selection of a level of significance. The null hypothesis is either true or false and represents the default claim for a treatment or procedure. For example, when examining the effectiveness of a drug, the null hypothesis would be that the drug has no effect on a disease. After formulating the null hypothesis and choosing a level of significance, we acquire data through observation. Statistical calculations tell us whether or not we should reject the null hypothesis. In an ideal world, we would always reject the null hypothesis when it is false, and we would not reject the null hypothesis when it is indeed true. But there are two other scenarios that are possible, each of which will result in an error. Type I Error The first kind of error that is possible involves the rejection of a null hypothesis that is actually true. This kind of error is called a type I error and is sometimes called an error of the first kind. Type I errors are equivalent to false positives. Let’s go back to the example of a drug being used to treat a disease. If we reject the null hypothesis in this situation, then our claim is that the drug does, in fact, have some effect on a disease. But if the null hypothesis is true, then, in reality, the drug does not combat the disease at all. The drug is falsely claimed to have a positive effect on a disease. Type I errors can be controlled. The value of alpha, which is related to the level of significance that we selected has a direct bearing on type I errors. Alpha is the maximum probability that we have a type I error. For a 95% confidence level, the value of alpha is 0.05. This means that there is a 5% probability that we will reject a true null hypothesis. In the long run, one out of every twenty hypothesis tests that we perform at this level will result in a type I error. Type II Error The other kind of error that is possible occurs when we do not reject a null hypothesis that is false. This sort of error is called a type II error and is also referred to as an error of the second kind. Type II errors are equivalent to false negatives. If we think back again to the scenario in which we are testing a drug, what would a type II error look like? A type II error would occur if we accepted that the drug had no effect on a disease, but in reality, it did. The probability of a type II error is given by the Greek letter beta. This number is related to the power or sensitivity of the hypothesis test, denoted by 1 – beta. How to Avoid Errors Type I and type II errors are part of the process of hypothesis testing. Although the errors cannot be completely eliminated, we can minimize one type of error. Typically when we try to decrease the probability one type of error, the probability for the other type increases. We could decrease the value of alpha from 0.05 to 0.01, corresponding to a 99% level of confidence. However, if everything else remains the same, then the probability of a type II error will nearly always increase. Many times the real world application of our hypothesis test will determine if we are more accepting of type I or type II errors. This will then be used when we design our statistical experiment.

Term Paper 15 Pages

Term Paper 15 Pages Term Paper 15 Pages Term Paper 15 Pages is a legal site offering help with term paper writing.   Firstly, our free term paper writing blog consists of numerous term paper samples.   Secondly, our professional writers are always online to write a custom term paper for you from scratch.   Below is an excellent sample of term paper on abortion. Term Paper Sample Abortion is still prohibited except for medical emergencies in nearly two-thirds of the world, including the Western hemisphere, most of southern and western Europe, Africa and most of Asia. The exceptions are Britain and Scandinavia, which comprise 2 percent of the world's population, and Japan, China and most countries of eastern Europe, accounting for the remaining third of the world's population. Denmark and Sweden liberalized their laws in the 1930's and Britain enacted a liberal law in 1967 which has made it one of the freest countries anywhere in the world for abortions. Britain allows an abortion on the certification of two physicians stating that pregnancy will cause risk to life or the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman, even if the risk is slight. It is also permitted if the birth would imperil the physical or mental health of the woman's existing children, or if there is a risk that the child will be born defective. This law has become, in effect, abortion on demand. The United States is one of the countries in which abortion, as of 1971, is still restricted. In 32 states it is prohibited except in order to save the life of the mother. In Mississippi it is allowed also in cases of rape. The remaining 17 states and the District of Columbia are more permissive. (Every year more states join those who have passed liberalized laws.) As of early 1971, there were 17 states which had passed some form of abortion law based on the model code suggested by the American Law Institute. This code recommended in 1962 that abortion be permitted under the following circumstances: if the mother's physical or mental health will be impaired; if the child will be born with serious mental or physical defects; or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. States that have adopted this legislation are: Arkansas, California, Colorado (the first to do so in 1967), Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vir ginia, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii and New York. The last three states have gone beyond the suggested code allowing abortion for all reasons. The New York abortion-on-demand law passed in April 1970 is the most liberal with virtually no restrictions other than that the abortion must be performed by a licensed physician within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. In Hawaii and Alaska there are residency requirements and the abortion must be performed in a hospital. Term Paper Help Online If you want to get a custom term paper written from scratch, you should order custom term paper writing service at our site.   Our term paper writers are responsible while our term paper writing services are affordable for all students!

Argumental essay on Virginia Woolf Shakespeares Sister

Argumental on Virginia Woolf Shakespeares Sister - Essay Example Woolf points out that the basis of cultural identity and social expectations is what depicts one’s genius and outcome, as opposed to the ability to develop as an individual independently shows the main identity which one holds. The first way in which Woolf shows the difference in social status and identity as the outcome is through the definition of Judith as Shakespeare’s sister [argument by definition]. The concept is one which is related to the definition of what it means to be a woman. Woolf shows how Shakespeare easily could have gone into social circles, schooling and other areas because of the time frame and what had occurred. Woolf states: â€Å"Meanwhile his extraordinary gifted sister, let us suppose, remained at home. She was adventurous, as imaginative, as agog to see the world as he was. But she was not sent to school. She had no chance of learning grammar and logic, let alone of reading Horace and Virgil† (Woolf, 56). This excerpt defines how the di fference between men and women in the same family is dependent on social status. The identity comes from the definition of what it means to be a woman within society and how this is what sets one’s destiny. The definition of Shakespeare as well as his sister both shows how the very definition of gender is what creates the alternatives for the destiny which each reaches. The second concept which is used by Woolf is the comparison of Judith and Shakespeare [comparison]. The comparison which is made is one which is defined by the gender difference which offers opportunity. The concept is based first on how Shakespeare is the â€Å"apple of her father’s eye† (56) because of his theater and acting skills. This allowed him to walk through open doors which then sets his career in pace for writing some of the best features in theater. However, when comparing this to Judith, that had the same amount of talent, a different outcome was created. â€Å"She stood at the stag e door; she wanted to act, she said. Men laughed in her face. The manager – a fat, looselipped man – guaffawed. He bellowed something about poodles dancing and women acting – no woman, he said, could possibly be an actress† (Woolf, 57). Both genders are noted to have the same upbringing and opportunity; however, the lack of schooling and the definition of gender stop Judith from being able to go forward. However, there is a comparison between the two and what opportunities should be available. The comparison is one which becomes based on gender as women don’t have the ability to act while men have open doors to acting. This is another example of the differences in gender and how it leads to a change in identity and expectations of what should happen to the individual during their life time because of social standards. Opportunities and how this changes destiny is furthered with the expectations that are given to Judith’s life because of her g ender. [example] The example is one which shows how the changes in destiny and life path are altered according to gender. Shakespeare is immediately able to go to London to study while Judith is expected to be married and to not oppose her position in life. â€Å"But then her parents came home and told her to mend the stockings and mind the stew and not moon about with books and papers†¦. She cried out that marriage was hateful to her, and for that she was severely beaten by her father† (Woolf, 57). Woolf sets the example of what it means to be a woman and

Nov -30 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nov -30 - Essay Example Of course our daddies were out â€Å"hunting with the boys†; which really amounted to making and selling bootleg liquor, or exchanging news about Klan activities. Our sainted mothers, on the other hand, had a social position to keep that was essential to survival because it guaranteed employment, a safe place to live, and social acceptance. We all went to segregated schools and churches, and shopped on â€Å"this† not â€Å"that† side of the railroad tracks; that’s just the way it was, fear of change mandated it. When I look at Okaloosa County, Florida today, I see not much has changed. Only sixteen percent of the residents are identified as â€Å"non-white†, with nine percent of that group comprising African-Americans. The good ole boys: white, republican, church going, terrified of change in any form, backwoods men ensure that their little haven is safe from change. The women know their places, and none of them make enough money to be a threat of any kind to the man’s world there. This is the same kind of thinking that gave birth to the terrorism we are experiencing today at the hands of Al Qaeda. Fear of change, fear of progress, fear of diversity; the greatest enemy of mankind is fear. Where there is fear, there is no room for love or progress of any

Paris Is Burning Case Study Essay Example for Free

Paris Is Burning Case Study Essay 1.I would argue that the group of poor gay minorities, like the people in the ball, is a subculture in itself. This group is a subculture of the gay culture. The distinguishing aspects of the group are that they are poor, gay, and minorities. Another distinguishing aspect is that members of this subculture are typically outcasts. They have been rejected by family members, friends, and American society as a whole. â€Å"It’s hard to imagine a more outcast group in American society than black and Hispanic homosexuals,† (Levy). I identified this group of poor, gay, minority men who participate in balls as a microculture. This microculture’s distinguishing aspects are that these men all seem to live for balls, with dreams of fame and fortune, â€Å"The balls are our fantasies of being superstars,† (Pepper Labeija). This group also has an extreme love for, and competitive drive to be successful at vogeuing. Another trait this group shares is a love for fashion. They use fashion and style in order to appear â€Å"real.† This subculture wants to appear to be authentically white, straight, and female (Levy). This is depicted throughout the film Paris is Burning. Another microculture that I identified in the film is the transvestite microculture. This microculture defines itself by dressing up like the opposite sex, in this case men dressing as women, but who do not wish to become women. They could be considered androgynous, (Solomon, 186). While they do not identify with females, they wish to look female. The third microculture I identified in the film is the transvestite microculture. This group’s ideal self (Solomon, 177) is female. They identify with females and wish to eventually become female. 2.The goal of this subculture is to become a â€Å"real† female, if not to transform completely, to at least look like a real female. They are motivated by the celebrities they see in magazines and on TV. Straight, white, females are this group’s comparative influence, (Solomon, 409). There are a few gay masculine men in this film; their goal would be to look authentically masculine and straight. The whole point of the balls is for members of this group to act out their fantasies. Nearly everyone in the film was pretending to be someone that they were not. Competing in the balls was â€Å"achieving in fantasy what the world had denied in [their] reality,† (Green). Acting out this fantasy allows the people in this film to compensate for dissatisfaction with their actual selves, (Solomon, 172). They desire to look like the beautiful celebrities in the magazines, (Venus Xtravaganza), so this group is doing whatever it can to make themselves more like these women. Sadly, usually the most they can do is pretend, by dressing and acting like these women. This subculture does not â€Å"wish to replace dominant culture, they long to be members of the society they imitate,† (Levy). Part of achieving their goal is purchasing clothing, make-up, shoes, even hormones and female body parts to look the part of a â€Å"real woman†. Without the possibility of consumption, it would not be possible for this group of people to achieve their goals and dreams. They wake up in the mornings as men, and leave their house in the afternoons as women because of the products they consume. They look at their reference group, (Solomon, 404) of straight females, and strive to look like them by purchasing the same products that these women use. To achieve their desired social identity they are acting out the symbolic self-completion theory, (Solomon, 176) by acquiring the clothes, hair, softer features, etc. that they see on women who are their ideals of beauty (Solomon, 196). In my opinion this is very similar to the actions of mainstream culture. â€Å"The movie is a successful attempt by outsiders to dramatize how success and status in the world often depend on props you can buy, or steal, almost anywhere – assuming you have the style to know how to use them,† (Ebert). I have observed that the common belief in mainstream culture seems to be that a person has to look a certain way to be successful. The more fashionable and beautiful a person looks, the more successful and therefore desirable they are perceived to be. Mainstream culture consumers spend millions every year attempting to make themselves look more successful and beautiful than everyone else around them. This is similar to the drag queen subculture portrayed in the movie in many ways. Both groups are trying to appear one way by purchasing clothing, plastic surgery, make-up, nice homes, etc. Both groups are desperate to be accepted by mainstream culture and both groups use style and purchasing power to try to achieve this dream they have of popularity and acceptance. There is a huge difference though. Main stream culture is constantly consuming goods and services in an attempt to fit in with each other. Drag queen subcultures are consuming these same goods to try to fit in with main stream culture. They dream of the fame and fortune that comes with being a beautiful, straight, stylish woman. â€Å"Livingston blames the advertisements they see in the media for fostering their unrealistic yearnings,† (Levy). They are competing with a completely different group of people. Not only is their competition different, it is nearly impossible to compete with. â€Å"The models compete to see who could pass in worlds that are almost completely closed to gays and blacks especially, gay blacks,† (Ebert). The balls are this group’s opportunity to flaunt their consumptions, and practice for the â€Å"real world.† The winners are those who exhibit the most style, and often those who can afford to spend the most on their costumes, (Dorian Corey). Sadly, this group is competing with â€Å"members of a society that will never accept them,† (Levy). 3.Not surprisingly, this subculture faces many conflicts in their daily lives. These conflicts include dealing primarily with prejudices, money shortages, and abandonment. Conflicts are handled in many different ways. Prejudice is a problem all over the world and will probably never cease to be a problem. It is not depicted much in the film how this group of people handles this problem except to ignore it for the most part since there is really nothing that can be done about it. â€Å"I am white so I have the ability to write those grants and push my little body through whatever door I need to get it through. If [drag queens] wanted to make a film about themselves they would not be able, I wish that weren’t so, but that’s the way society is structured,† (Green). This subculture has very little, if any, power with anyone but themselves because of prejudices. This problem causes the other main conflicts they are faced with, money shortages and abandonment. Many of the people in this subculture have no other way to make money but to become â€Å"hussies†. They will use their physical tools to get what they want and need. â€Å"Hes taking me out for dinner later this evening, or for cocktails after midnight. I know hell give me some money just for me to maybe buy some shoes and a nice dress, so that the next time he sees me, hell see me looking more and more beautiful, the way he wants to see me. But I dont have to go to bed with him, or anything like that. At times they do expect sexual favors, but that is between myself and them, so I dont want to talk about that any further,† (Venus Xtravaganza). It is later discovered that Venus was found dead in a motel. She always did what she wanted to get what she wanted, such as getting into cars with men. Sadly, that is the life of a transsexual living in New York City, (Angie Xtravaganza). Money shortages give this group a risky shift, (Solomon, 267), distinguishing aspect of resorting to dangerous alternatives to make money, such as becoming prostitutes. This group also steals to get food as well as acquire props and clothing for their ball competitions. â€Å"Faggots,† or gay young men, are the best at â€Å"playing pranks† or stealing, (Freddie Pendavis). Many of the drag queens featured in this film have been abandoned by their families because they are homosexuals. To resolve this, this subgroup has formed its own families, or â€Å"houses,† as they are referenced to in the movie. Each house has a mother and a father. While these are not literal houses, it is a small community that offers support to its members. Family members assist each other with ball competitions, stealing, and encouraging each other when times are tough. 4.This subculture is very similar to mainstream culture. Both groups of people have a longing to be accepted. Both groups put a huge emphasis on how stylish a person is. The big difference is that the drag queen subculture is daring to be different to be who they want to be and fit in with whom they want to fit in. They could easily live in New York as straight men. They could live everyday pretending to be someone they were not and living a life they were not happy with to avoid the hardships that come along with being drag queens. â€Å"Beatings, violence and rejection are daily realities for men who want to pass as women, and so there is a certain courage exhibited by their choice,† (Ebert). Mainstream culture, however, is not so brave. Many people who are considered â€Å"mainstream† most likely have interests and tastes that are not considered the norms, (Solomon, 429). Some examples are a boy who enjoys dancing rather than football, or a female teacher who enjoys listening to metal rather than mainstream music. Both examples go against the stereotypes. While I personally believe many Americans, if they let their true selves show, would have personality traits that go against the stereotype that is associated with them, they will not let these traits show. They are not brave enough to go against mainstream culture and be the people they truly want to be. This drag queen subculture has dared to step out of the norm and try to become the people they really want to be. In most cases, this dream they have will be impossible to achieve. Mainstream culture influences this drag queen group completely. The drag queen subculture is striving to actually become part of the mainstream culture. Members of this group want to be like mainstream culture in every way. This is why they are pretending to be this mainstream group of people who will never accept them, (Ebert). Mainstream culture affects how this subculture looks, dresses and lives; nearly every aspect of their lives is determined by what mainstream culture does. However, the drag queen subculture has very little impact on mainstream culture. The only part mainstream culture has plucked from the drag queen subculture is â€Å"voguing.† Popular celebrities like Madonna got voguing into mainstream culture. Ironically, while mainstream culture was learning how to â€Å"vogue† it â€Å"began to copy a subculture that was copying it,† (Green). This is a very small influence that the drag queen subculture had on the mainstream culture, however, compared to the impact mainstream culture has on their lives. 5.Mainstream culture is the trends, attitudes, living styles, etc. that are made popular by the media. I do not think it is a collection of subcultures. I think that the media can pick certain aspects from subcultures and make them become mainstream culture, but I truly believe it is the media that affects what we call mainstream culture. The media controls trends by having celebrities endorse certain products. I think that we look at celebrities, see their beauty and/or success and assume they must know what the best product is. We want to be lovely and successful like them, so we try to imitate them. This catches on because everyone in mainstream culture wants to be accepted, and since what is considered acceptable and desirable is what the celebrities are endorsing, which is what we all do and buy. We also have the need to be accepted by our mainstream peers. If our peers believe what the celebrities are endorsing is what is most desirable, we will come to think it is desirable, in order to be accepted and desired.

Colonialism in Jackie Chan Films Essay -- Movie Film Essays

Colonialism in Jackie Chan Films    For over 20 years Jackie Chan has been the biggest action star in most of the world. First becoming popular in his native Hong Kong in the early 80s, his popularity slowly spread across the globe, and finally hit the U.S. with the 1996 release of Rumble In The Bronx (1994.) Since then Chan has made three highly successful films with American studois and several more with the Hong Kong studio Golden Harvest. He is easily one of the most recognizable Asian movie stars or all-time. Jackie Chan’s movies are famous for their over-the-top stunts and hilarious-but-amazing fight scenes, so much so that the actual plots of the films are sometimes forgotten. However, if one looks past the all the fights and laughs present in almost all of Jackie Chan’s films and just examines the stories behind them, an odd set of recurring themes soon make themselves present. Many of Chan’s best and most well-known works are attacks on colonialism and racism, not just in Hong Kong, but al so across the world. At the same time Chan is making these rather blatant anti-colonial films, other films of his seem to be defending colonialism while reinforcing negative stereotypes about the Chinese people and even other races. Some of his films even seem to do both, attack and defend colonialism, at the same time. It is my goal to show that the majority of Jackie’s films, especially his more recent work, all deal heavily with themes of colonialism and racism, whether it is good or bad, and that this has to do greatly with Hong Kong’s relationship with Europe and America. I will also attempt to show, that while Jackie has begun to make films in America, his anti-colonialism, and to some extent his anti-European and anti-American vi... ..., the most obvious being that Britain no longer has control of Hong Kong, China does. Whether this will translate into more anti-Chinese films to be made is unknown, but it is likely that Jackie Chan will continue to find complex message about race and colonialism in his films, regardless of where they are made, even if they may not be as strong as they were in the past.    Works Cited Logan, Bey. Hong Kong Action Cinema. New York: Overlook, 1996. Hsiao-peng Lu, Sheldon, ed. Transnational Chinese Cinemas. Hawaii: University Of Hawaii Press, 1997. Chan, Jack and Jeffy Yang. I Am Jackie Chan. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999. Fore, Steve"Life Imitates Entertainment: Home and Dislocation in the Films of Jackie Chan." In Esther Yau, ed., At Full Speed: Hong Kong Cinema in a Borderless World. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001, 115-42.      

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Breifing

It is very important to comprehend how government accounting works in comparison to for profit accounting. Government accounting’s foundation is fund accounting, where the government has different funds, which are mostly mandated by federal and state laws, in order to trace the flow of capital used on a day to day basis (Copley, P. A. 2011). Every fund generally has a required budget that it must work within the limits of. This capital is then detailed on comprehensive annual financial report also known as the CAFR which describes the whole government entity. One of the major differences between government and for-profit accounting is how the accumulate revenue and expenses (Copley, P. A. 2011). With for-profit accounting they make a profit from the sale of products and services. For-profit accounting utilizes what is called the matching concept when it comes to documenting and computing profitability. The use of this type of concept identifies capital when it is made and spent when it happens. The use of fund accounting, as a government entity calculates the flow of present profitability. Income is the inflow and expenses are the outflows of the government’s present state of economic resources. This type of accounting is known as the modified-accrual basis of accounting (Copley, P. A. 2011). The CAFR is the official annual report of the city of Chicago which is a government agency. Taking a look at the management discussion and analysis also known as the MD&A we will explore all the different things that could be found in the CAFR and how they are generally reported. Looking at the MD&A city of Chicago has government funds that come from different types of income and business activities that are the result of services provided to the community. Revenue that the city of Chicago reports fall into two categories one being programs revenue and the other general. Under the program category they have, Licenses, Permits, Fines and charges for services, operating grants and contributions, and capital grants and contributions. In the general revenue category you will find, property tax, and other taxes, non restricted grants and contributions and other (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). To offset these revenues they have expenses such as; general government, public safety, streets and sanitation, transportation, health, cultural and recreational, interest and long term debt, water, sewer, midway international airport, Chicago O’Hare international airport, and Chicago skyway (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). Government-Wide Financial Statements are set up on the accrual basis, where they calculate the flow of all of the city of Chicago’s financial income as a whole on both a long term and a short term basis (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). The services that fall under governmental activities are all the things listed under the city’s revenue and expense. Majority of the cities incomes comes from taxes, the grants they city receives differ each year depending on the amount of spending can be done in the program. Public safety was the biggest expense which increased due to the increase in wages and benefits. As of 2010 the city was governmental activity deficit was at about 3300 million dollars (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). The services that fall under proprietary funds also known as enterprise activities are, water, sewer, midway international airport, Chicago O’Hare international airport, and Chicago skyway. The proprietary funds unlike government funds are funds supported by charges paid by users based on the amount of the service they use. This also uses an accrual basis to report that provided the same type of information but in better detail. These funds created an increase for the city of Chicago of about 250 million dollars because of the price increase of services and rent. According to the cities CAFR they use their general fund income and expenses at the end of 2010 had a balance of about 81 million in unreserved which happen to be an increase of about 78 million from prior year (Ahmad, Emanual, & Scott, 2010). Once more, each fund is independently accountable for its budget of income and expenses and the CAFR reports this accountability. According to GASB the financial reporting objective’s public accountability is believe to be the foundation that all other financial reporting objectives are built upon. In the MD&A we were able to view the management’s opinion of all the information and different aspect of the entity provided in the comprehensive annual financial report. With this we were provided great detail about the city of Chicago and how they budget, what they find important, where their resources come from, and where the fall in reporting. REFERENCES Ahmad, A. Emanual, R. , & Scott, L. ( 2010). City of Chicago Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Chicago: http://www. cityofchicago. org/content/dam/city/depts/fin/supp_info/CAFR/2010/CAFR2010. pdf. Copley, P. A. (2011). Overview of Financial for State and Local Government. In Essentials of Accounting for Governmental and Not-For-Profit Organizations, 10e https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/DownloadList. aspx? assetMetaId= a89920bb-8e04-4cd3-bb43-6fc9358dbce9&assetDataId=b8792931-36bf-44f8-8666-81ede819e563.

The Importance of Benchmarking in Strategic Management

The Fortune's list of 100 best companies to work for is a source of prestige to companies that are nominated by their employees as the best companies to work for. The Container Store which is a Dallas-based retail store emerged number 32 in the recently released 2009 Fortune list. One department to reckon with at Container Store is the human resource management which earned the company a position in the Fortune 100 best companies to work for in America. But just what is Container Store's approach to human resource management?This paper seeks to answer this question and offers conclusions about the human resource management approach used by the company. Analysis Container Store makes use of a flexible human resource structure. Their rules on employees are simple and flexible and the concept of a rulebook or manual for employees is not their way of managing people (Laabs, 2001). The company is interested in people's ability to be straight forward and eager to counter different situatio ns with flexibility and creativity.Unlike in the traditional HR system, Container Store makes use of managers and supervisors to promote motivation and staff retention since they are more closer to the employees (Laabs, 2001). There is great interaction between employees and managers in order to create freedom of expression. Even the founders Kip and Garret still frequent the store to interact with employees and help them out (Container Store, 2009).The company's employee development philosophy focuses on employee's talents and not titles letting employees make the best use of their abilities to benefit themselves and the company. Container Store puts great value on employees describing them as the greatest assets in the organization. Motivation and an enthusiastic environment are the factors that give its employees the desire to stay with the company for years (Container Store, 2009). Career development and training ensure well qualified staff for the company which is very keen on customer care.For motivation, great benefits for their employees including exceptional training, job security and attractive pay package are provided. A 40% discount on the company's merchandise, 401(k) retirement benefits, medical and dental plans for employees both full-time and part-time provide even more benefits for the employees (Container Store, 2009). From the above analysis, we can conclude that the human resource management at Container Store is employee oriented. It allows flexibility and is democratic in nature.More so it values success and the management recognizes that the employees are key to achieving this. Container Store is also keen on its employee's welfare and health. This kind of management style brings in positive outcomes in a company since the employees will often feel as contributors to the business growth. According to the vice president of operations, Beth Barret, flexibility gives employees a chance to participate in company decision making (Laabs, 2001) .This gives a sense of responsibility and is better off than using autocratic kind of management system. Allowing employees to be flexible rather than follow a certain set of laws is a motivating factor and plays a big role in defining productivity of employees. Container Store's dedication to employee motivation is a good quality in the human resource management which is aimed at encouraging employee commitment to the company. Employee benefits are a good way of not only retaining employees but also motivation which promotes productivity. ConclusionFlexibility and staff involvement in the business activities are emphasized as the key contributors of Container Store's success. The qualities of the human resource management approach used by Container Store gives a justification for why the employees nominated it as the best company to work with. Word Count: 606 References Container Store (2009). Careers for Great People. Retrieved on April 27, 2009 from www. containerstore. com Laabs , J. K. (2001). Thinking Outside the Box at The Container Store – Human Resource Management Awards. Workforce, March Issue.

Online Resources for Cinderella Fairy Tales

Online Resources for Cinderella Fairy Tales What is it about the fairy tale Cinderella that is so appealing that there are versions in numerous cultures, and children beg their parents to read or tell the story just one more time? Depending on where and when you were brought up, your idea of Cinderella may be the Disney movie, the fairy tale in Grimms Fairy Tales, the classic fairy tale by Charles Perrault, upon which the Disney movie is based, or one of the other versions of Cinderella. To further confuse matters, calling a story a Cinderella story does not mean that the heroine is named Cinderella. While the names Ashpet, Tattercoats, and Catskins may be somewhat familiar to you, there seem to be as many different names for the main protagonist as there are different versions of the story. Elements of a Cinderella Story What exactly makes a story a Cinderella story? While there seem to be several interpretations of this, there also seems to be general agreement that you will usually find certain elements in a Cinderella story. The main character is generally, but not always, a girl who is badly treated by her family. Cinderella is a good and kind person, and her goodness is rewarded with magical assistance. She is recognized for her worth by something she has left behind (for example, a golden slipper). She is elevated in position by a royal person, who loves her for her good qualities. Story Variations As early as the late nineteenth century, variations of the story were being collected for publication. In 1891 The Folk-Lore Society in London published Marian Roalfe Coxs Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-Five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap 0 Rushes, Abstracted and Tabulated, with a Discussion of Medieval Analogues and Notes. Professor Russell Pecks online Cinderella Bibliography will give you an idea of just how very many versions there are. The bibliography, which includes summaries for many of the stories, includes basic European texts, modern childrens editions and adaptations, including versions of the Cinderella story from around the world, as well as a great deal of other information. The Cinderella Project If youd like to compare some versions yourself, visit The Cinderella Project. It is a text and image archive, which contains a dozen English versions of Cinderella. According to the sites introduction, The Cinderellas presented here represent some of the more common varieties of the tale from the English-speaking world in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Materials to construct this archive were drawn from the de Grummond Childrens Literature Research Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi. Another resource from the de Grummond Childrens Literature Research Collection is the table of Cinderella: Variations Multicultural Versions, which includes information about a great many versions from a variety of countries. More Cinderella Resources Cinderella Stories, from The Childrens Literature Web Guide, provides an excellent list of reference books, articles, picture books, and online resources. One of the most comprehensive childrens books Ive found is Judy Sierras Cinderella, which is part of The Oryx Multicultural Folktale Series. The books contain one- to nine-page versions of 25 Cinderella stories from different countries. The stories are good for reading aloud; there are no illustrations of the action, so your children will have to use their imaginations. The stories also work well in the classroom, and the author has included several pages of activities for children nine to fourteen years old. There is also a glossary and a bibliography as well as background information. The Cinderella page on the Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts site contains the texts of folktales and related stories from a variety of different countries about persecuted heroines. Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper is an online version of the classic tale by Charles Perrault. If your kids or teens like fairy tale retelling with a twist, often humorous, see  Modern Fairy Tales for Teen Girls.

A Study Of Change Management At Mcdonalds Commerce Essay

A Study Of Change Management At Mcdonalds Commerce Essay McDonald’s  is one of the biggest food organisation in the world, and  has  established it’s own operating restaurants and it’s franchises   which is  about  28,700  selling points  in 110 countries.  Another most important aspect is  Food business is  much interested  among  young adults,  children  and  adolescents.  Therefore,  The Company  provides an enjoyable environment to their customers which is very secure and safe  where  all of their customers spend to  joyfully and they can get less expensive  food in a clean installation  as well as the food company offers a unique interior  designs and its own inner clown  (Debre, 2005).  Furthermore,  McDonald’s  put tremendous  efforts to  maintain  healthy  relationships with its  suppliers and  franchisees.  The organisation continuously enhancing their services, supporting timely management and it’s capital operations to the ir partners. Therefore, this makes  its  suppliers and  the franchisees  loyalty  I think, this kind of strategies will make their partners involve more effectively in work to achieve the organisation goals  (Aswathappa, 2006).  However, the food corporation  continuously  works with innovative  ideas  towards the needs and  to grow during the operation without problems (Russell and  Gubman,  2006).  In this research paper, I  am determined to find out  key strengths and challenges of  managing change  at Mc Donald’s and will present a comprehensive documentation by discussing an important areas with examples about How this food company managed  to survive  competitively  in the  global  business environment. The most surprising news is that from over 110 countries everyday approximately about 53 million customers eat at McDonald’s. Although McDonald’s  has huge private  franchisees to its chain of  restauran ts. However I think, the core management  functions  play a vital role to determine the success of the any organisation.  Therefore, i would like to take an opportunity to  discuss how  the core functions influencing the organisational management with the impact of  globalization  such as  controlling, directing, organising and  planning. McDonald is constantly leading as a present and future leader in the global food business environment.  At the same time, it is very important that the company must have to focus on international and local investment and trade as this food corporation working more than in 100 countries. Moreover,  the company should keep utilizing creative and new technologies to enhance  the business and to promote  new solutions and products to sustain  its  position as a global business leader in food business.  Furthermore, McDonald’s should look at  its  common goal and also, take care of  publicity and  Customers   satisfaction. The demands McDonald, McDonald strongly urge for what he strongly component McDonald should win for that diversity with McDonald’s is thinking about the meet. With a daily reach of every culture daily scope McDonald McDonald’s just about access to almost all cultures, which many operations ambiguous / moral issues is clearly working. To solve more complex than the wider dissemination of a culture growing demand for spreading culture and morality. In this letter, we will examine how / external / internal factors impact the McDonalds impact of globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, one of four work ethics affect management.

Macroeconomics HW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Macroeconomics HW - Essay Example Government loses revenue, there is consumer surplus as the market becomes more attractive for foreign imports (goods made overseas and shipped to the U.S.). Because domestic supply increases when a tariff is in place, lowering the tariff would be less financially beneficial to the domestic producers. Yes, the economy has been made better off by trade. Understanding that tariffs increase government revenues and also increase domestic supply, it prevents many foreign-made products from flooding the U.S. market. When the government is in a better financial position, these investments can be made in stimulus or other beneficial financial programs to spark growth. The government maintains even more control with the import quota, which further stimulates growth in domestic sales, but also gives consumers more product options. Losses in manufacturing are offset by growth in other industries, which still provide workers with quality jobs just with less focus on production facilities. Trade can stimulate a need for better training to consumers for jobs such as technology, thus providing a competitive advantage with other nations despite the trade situation. The first argument about national security is not justified as it relates to agriculture. The United States maintains very high agricultural output and thus foreign agriculture would not be considered critical to sustaining the well-being and health of Americans. Except for items like coffee that have no substitutes, shifts in supply of foreign produced agriculture are not a security risk. The second argument about job creation, however, is justified by the argument for trade protection. If too many agricultural products are imported into the U.S., it could affect domestic production and thus create job losses for farmers, canners, or other jobs related to food supply. The last argument, about infant industries, is not really relevant to the U.S. This