Animal Testing Is Morally Wrong

Testing on Animals is Morally Wrong In today’s world, large corporations seem to have decided that animal testing is an acceptable way to produce products that are safe for human use at the expense of innocent animals everywhere. Sadly, with large-scale corporations focused far more on money and profit than on the wellbeing of, safety and health of animals of all kinds. The Government has completed hundreds of tests through out the years, and there has been very dismal proof that conducting the animal testing is benefit to humans, even though morally it is unspeakably wrong.To better understand how humans started using animals to conduct product testing, it is important to look back into our history. In the past, animals were thought of as food and years later, we needed animals such as cattle and horses as a means of transportation by land and to help lighten the human workload. Years later it became possible to keep animals as pets and sources of entertainment. Now we have a nimals as companions and are thought of as members of our families: they are valuable and loved by many.Sadly, although the general population would never want to harm an animal, the corporate machine that functions all around the world runs on earning money based on the exploitation of people and animals. This goes against our current general outlook on the value of animal’s lives yet to mega corporations, these creatures have no legal voice or overpowering representation to save them from torture, abuse and death during product testing. There are two different kinds of animal testing. The first is animal experimentation, in which the laboratory animal may only have a minute or so of pain and discomfort.The second is called vivisection, which is the most inhumane form of animal testing. Vivisection is when an animal is tested on while not under any form of anesthesia to keep the animal from feeling pain. This form of testing is conducted when the animal is awake and feeling an incredible amount of pain. Both of these forms of animal testing are inhumane because even during the less horrific of the two testing processes, animals can sustain critical issues that come from the testing long after the tests are completed and the anesthesia has warn off.Although animals cannot speak for themselves, they desperately need human legal representation to act on their behalf as far as texting human products on animals that can threaten their wellbeing and lives. Due to the horrific animal abuses that happen in the US and abroad there are understandably many outraged animal rights activists that are involved organizations that work to stop animal testing. Since animals are obviously very different that humans it does morally makes sense to test products that are meant for human use and consumption.This can really hurt an animal and cause a lifetime of harm that we humans will never fully understand. There are many dangers to humans that are associated with animal t esting as well. If a product or drug is tested on animals with no known side effects that product can then be sold for human use but because animals and humans are so different a new drug coming straight from animal testing will undoubtedly have a slightly different effect on the human than on the animal and sometimes the effect is very serious.If illness or death occurs then tax dollars that Americans pay to companies that use animal testing for new drugs will be wasted on a product that undoubtedly harmed animals and also humans. At the same time, animals that react poorly to testing can cause medicine or other products that could benefit humans from being distributed simply because humans and animals will react differently to different things. There are many companies that have decided to stand up for animals and test many products on humans instead of abusing animals during the testing process.This is particularly common when testing makeup; skincare products and hair care produ cts. Companies that use natural ingredients especially, feel that they can safely test their products on humans. An entire market has been built upon the choice not to test on animals and people who care about animals will pay much more for products that were not tested on animals. It is my hope that more corporations especially will take a stand for animals and realize that their actions deeply harm animals and that money is ess important then the life of an animal. Research has proven that what works for them, does not necessarily work for us. I believe that it is a waste of American taxes to continue testing animals. Animals are a major part of our world and deserve more respect and care then they are currently given. It is my hope that we can stop cruel testing on animals and find new ways to test medicines and products that do not destroy the lives of animals.

Interactive Session

Interactive Session 1 INTERACTIVE SESSION: TECHNOLOGY UPS COMPETES GLOBALLY WITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY United Parcel Service (UPS), is the world's largest air and ground package-distribution company. It started out in 1907 in a closet-sized basement office. Jim Casey and Claude Ryan—two teenagers from Seattle with two bicycles and one phone—promised the â€Å"best service and lowest rates. † UPS has used this formula successfully for more than 90 years. Today UPS delivers more than 14. 1 million parcels and documents each day in the United States and more than 200 other countries and territories.The firm has been able to maintain leadership in small-package delivery services despite stiff competition from FedEx and Airborne Express by investing heavily in advanced information technology. During the past decade, UPS has poured billions of dollars into technology and systems to boost customer service while keeping costs low and streamlining its overall operations. Using a handheld computer called a Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD), a UPS driver can automatically capture customers' signatures along with pickup, delivery, and timecard information.The driver then places the DIAD into the UPS truck's vehicle adapter, an information-transmitting device that is connected to the cellular telephone network. Package tracking information is then transmitted to UPS's computer network for storage and processing by UPS's main computers in Mahwah, New Jersey, and Alpharetta, Georgia. From there, the information can be accessed worldwide to provide proof of delivery to customers or to respond to customer queries. Through its automated package tracking system, UPS can monitor packages throughout the delivery process.At various points along the route from sender to receiver, bar code devices scan shipping information on the package label; the information is then fed into the central computer. Customer service representatives can check the statu s of any package from desktop computers linked to the central computers and are able to respond immediately to inquiries from customers. UPS customers can also access this information from the company's Web site using their own computers or wireless devices, such as pagers and cell phones. Anyone with a package to hip can access the UPS Web site to track packages, check delivery routes, calculate shipping rates, determine time in transit, and schedule a pickup. Businesses can use the Web site to arrange UPS shipments and bill the shipments to the company's UPS account number or to a credit card. The data collected at the UPS Web site are transmitted to the UPS central computer and then back to the customer after processing. UPS also provides tools that enable customers, such Cisco Systems, to embed UPS functions, such as tracking and cost calculations, into their own Web sites so that they can track shipments without visiting the UPS site.Information technology has helped UPS reinve nt itself and keep growing. UPS implemented a suite of custom-built software that uses operations research and mapping technology to optimize the way packages are loaded and delivered. Because UPS delivers 14 million small packages each day, the resulting information is cutting the distance that delivery trucks travel by more than 100 million miles each year. UPS is now leveraging its decades of expertise managing its own global delivery network to manage logistics and supply-chain management for other companies.It created a UPS Supply Chain Solutions division that provides a complete bundle of standardized services to 1 subscribing companies at a fraction of what it would cost to build their own systems and infrastructure. These services include supply-chain design and management, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, mail services, multimodal transportation, and financial services, in addition to logistics services. Adidas America, based in Portland, Oregon, is one of many compan ies benefiting from these services. Every three months the company introduces as many as 10,000 new apparel items and 4,000 new footwear items.It must handle orders for many thousands of retailers for these orders, and many of these orders are priority requests that must be fulfilled within one or two days. UPS Supply Chain Solutions Consolidated what was previously handled by multiple third-party logistics providers into a single streamlined network outfitted with automated inventory and order fulfillment systems. By having UPS coordinate and manage distribution, Adidas America increased its order accuracy rate, boosted on-time deliveries, and improved customer service,Sources: â€Å"Adidas Goes for the Gold in Customer Service,† www. ups. com, accessed June 14, 2006; United Parcel Service, Round UPS, Winter 2006; and Dave Barnes, â€Å"Delivering Corporate Citizenship,† Optimize, September 2005. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. 2. 3. What are the inputs, processing, and outpu ts of UPS’s package tracking system? What technologies are used by UPS? How are these technologies related to UPS's business strategy? What problems do UPS's information systems solve. What would happen if these systems were not available? 2

Personal ethics inventory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal ethics inventory - Essay Example If one limits these two factors then this world would be uproar of disputes and war. Therefore, prudent choices and tolerance makes us survive and live with each other. My blind spot includes the fact that I cater to my own needs and prioritizes myself over others who are reliant on me, which is true as a person living independently free of responsibilities tends to adapt this behaviour which is commonly seen in the society. Although, my strength, free will enables me to pursue my aims and achieve my objectives as an independent soul. Though, I analyze racial differences and stereotype notions in the light of my experience, but consequently I do tend to incline to the idea which is usually profitable to all, either politically or materially. However, it is not always a fair and just decision. Through this ethnical inventory, I have learnt that intuition and sensibility are vital for reflective process, thus, it enables us to see what lens we use to judge others and simultaneously how others see us through their ethnical

Why I Want to Return to School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Why I Want to Return to School - Essay Example Having served as a manager in the corporate world, I feel the dire need of acquainting myself with the right management skills. I deem that essential for progressing in the corporate world. I currently work as a security consultant and am placed in the middle management in the organization structure. When I was originally hired for this job, my plus point that counted more than my skills was that I was a woman. The company wanted to see how including a woman in the team would impact the clients. So although I was not quite skilled in management, I was offered a chance to prove them. I am optimistic that this degree will acquaint me with the necessary skills to help me become a subject matter expert in the security career field in the near future. Taking this course of management would enable me to optimize on my skills so that I provide my company with a reason to offer me a place on behalf of my skills rather than for my gender. Till now, all I have been concentrating upon my professional career. I tried being part of the Air Force and then tried being a civilian. Although I love the added freedom that comes with being a civilian, yet it is equally important for the civilians to keep advancing in their careers in order to remain competitive. In order to pursue my degree, I would have to manage the job along with studies and yet give time to my family as well. This would require me to make certain changes in my lifestyle. The biggest challenge for me is to be in the right place at the right time. Since I am divorced and my daughter is with me, I assume full responsibility for her. What makes the challenge even bigger for me is the fact that my daughter is only six years old. She is a toddler and requires full-time attention and care. In order for me to devote myself wholeheartedly to my degree, it is imperative that I find some objective solution to this problem.

Prize Money in Tennis A Gender Perspective Essay

Prize Money in Tennis A Gender Perspective - Essay Example Their sporting skills, sadly take a backseat. Marxist theory equates the man as the bourgeoisie and the wife as the proletariat. He felt that the communist ideology will give space to women by bringing them into the public space. In communism, women can enter into public sphere of production and communalize the realm of private production. This then, becomes the program for emancipation of women. If we take the example of Cuba, which is a socialist dictatorship, structured along the Eastern European countries. Fidel Castro, after coming to power, brought about major changes in all aspects of Cuban society, including its sports. The other communist countries held up Cuba's success in sports as an example as a success of socialist experiment. $80 million is still invested in sport annually, which represents 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cuba. The Cuban government invests a disproportionate amount of its resources in its athletes - educating, feeding, clothing them, paying for equipment, and travel. Sports in Cuba is deeply integrated with politics and political ideology borrowed from Eastern Europe ideology Sports is an integral part of the political culture, and it is available to all. Castro established a strategy both to unite the population behind common sporting goals and establish a shared national identity through sport. The liberal feminist theory states that sports increases socialization among women. It develops confidence, decreases the gender imbalance. But a lot of discrimination exists in sports. This includes categorizing sports as feminine and masculine. Feminine sports being hockey, volleyball, handball, masculine being rugby, cricket, football. Women are also not represented in major sports organizations. They do not hold decision-making positions. In 2002, women held 17 per cent of executive director/general manager positions.Legal restrictions also reduce the chances of women holding important jobs. The sex discrimination Act, 1975, in UK does not include sports in its agenda. Private sports clubs remain outside the purview of equal opportunities legislation. Liberal feminism has included these issues on the agenda of sports organizations, clubs. Organizations such as Women Sports Foundation-WSF, Women's Sports International-WSI, have put pressure on these institutions and have managed to put issues like gender equality and equity becoming part of mainstream sports agenda. The liberal feminist theory says that biological constraints are not responsible for less participation of women in sports Inspite of all this, discrimination continues. There is another theory - radical feminism, which sees the male as oppressors and the female as suppressed. Unlike the liberal feminism, which only talks about equal opportunities for women, radical feminism mentions that women are encouraged to have an acceptable heterosexual feminity in sports. For example, in international women beach volleyball, bikini bottoms should not be deeper than 6 centimeters. This has less to do with appropriate dress codes and more of objectification of women's bodies. Radical feminism has also led to an understanding of

Engineering, and Construction of PBS &J Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 35

Engineering, and Construction of PBS &J - Essay Example PBS &J is a company owned by employees, and it provides engineering services, infrastructure planning, construction management architecture and environmental science. Moreover, the company does provide management services to both private and public clients. The company is rated to be among the best businesses in the world that provide consulting services. PBSJ employs Oracle E-business suite projects, mechanisms to carry out its activities in an organized manner. In the construction companies, project managers use interface applications for it provide quick and easy customer access. In addition, one can easily get the needed files for the project, budget, resources as well as forecast management. Updating of the progress and project reporting are also some of the activities conducted by the user interface applications. In engineering and construction companies, project managers to employ the UL-Apps to create and maintain the contracts and all other indirect projects. Managing transaction controls as well as defining and controlling budgets are some of the primary uses of interface applications in the engineering and construction company. In addition, project creation, and maintenance is quick and simple by use of UL-Apps.  

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 34

Reading response - Essay Example The 913 people who died in the town were all members of the religious movement. However, two of those who died were killed by poison known as cyanide. The massacre event was named the revolutionary suicide event by Jones and several members of the religious group (Moore & Rebecca 314). The death of this members extended to appoint the act was seen as mass suicide even by the government of the United States. This story is fascinating because of the event that happened in Jonestown. The story talks about murder and suicide of many people who are the members of the religious group. The most interesting part in the story is the fact that the deaths of this people could not be justified and also the causes of their deaths were not valid. The death of many people at a time and from the same place could also attract attention to the story. Interestingly, the diseased die without knowing the reasons of their deaths. Another interesting part of the story is the way people died from cyanide, there are several symptoms that are observed when a person is poisoned using cyanide. Those who were said to have died from cyanide, should have displayed the signs and the symptoms appropriately. On religious tradition, the article talks about the religious movement and the visit of its members to the divine. According to the article, the members of the religious group often went to the divine for the religious activities. Jones’ speech attracted more members to the group, he delivered sermons that relieved the members and gave many people the feeling of freedom. From the religion activities explored in the article, it is clear that the traditions of religion depends on the belief of the individual. However, the sermon and the speech given by the religious leaders appear to attract and influence most of the non-believers into joining a certain religion movement (Moore & Rebecca 317). For

Collaboration and conflict management within groups and teams Essay

Collaboration and conflict management within groups and teams - Essay Example In line with this, the purpose of this study is to discuss the importance of collaboration and conflict management within groups and teams and explore how a business organization can promote effective work collaboration among a diverse group of employees. Companies that enter into a cross-border alliance and merger and acquisition often face organizational conflict because of their differences in organizational culture and the way business is managed. Through effective collaboration, diverse group of employees coming from two different companies can share their tacit and explicit knowledge with regard to running the business and share their knowledge and expertise with regard to the use of technology (Mintzberg et al., 2003, p. 268). It takes an effective leader to promote work collaboration and implement conflict management strategies within a business organization successfully (Yukl, 2010, p. 365). To promote effective collaboration at work, Mintzberg et al. (2003, p. 268) suggests that managers should consider the idea of personnel rotation between the parent company and its alliance. By doing so, the act of sharing of tacit and explicit knowledge from two different groups of An effective communication is necessary not only in preventing internal conflicts but also in developing a significant interpersonal relationship among each of the team member (Katz & Lawyer, 1992, p. 11). According to Robbins and Judge (2011, p. 455), internal conflict may arise because of lack of openness, trust, and two-way communication among a diverse group of employees. Therefore, implementing a strong organizational culture that practices voluntary team participation and collaboration among the employees could help avoid organizational conflict. Likewise, it is equally important for managers to develop a two-way communication line between the top management and the entire workforce because

Toyota’s Accelerator and Public Relations Crisis Essay Example for Free

Toyota’s Accelerator and Public Relations Crisis Essay One of the world’s top automakers, Toyota was once one of the leaders in automobile and business improvement and manufacturing. However, in 2009 the top builder of reliable and high quality cars went through one of the largest recalls in the history of the United States. Consumers had considered Toyota one of the top in the race for automobile and automobile selling among car manufacturers. They have always had a reputation as being a leader of quality and efficiency in terms of their production and manufacturing standards. Since the recall Toyota has taken a tremendous blow to its reputation and its loyal customer basis. Consumers are questioning whether Toyota was hiding the truth from the public regarding their well know accelerator issues and why they were trying to fix the problems after the issue became serious and not immediately. Some may question if this incident will permanently affect Toyota’s reputation or if Toyota handled this situation properly. In this paper we will discuss these questions as well as the cause of the problem. Several different Toyota and Lexus models were reported to have gotten in accidents regarding acceleration issues. The accelerator’s in some of the Toyota models were getting stuck, which did not allow the drivers of these vehicles to slow down or stop in time to prevent an accident. When this issue was originally brought to light Toyota claimed that â€Å"faulty floor mat placement† was to blame and that the gas pedal would get stuck behind the floor mats which would cause the inability to slow down or stop. According to Bob Carter, general manager of the Toyota-brand division of Toyota Motor Sales USA â€Å" The risk of the accelerator getting jammed is strictly a problem of unintended loose or ill fitting floor mats ( Niedermeyer)†. â€Å"Toyota refuted speculation in the press that other defects might be causing its vehicles to accelerate uncontrollable, citing its own and federal safety studies (Niedermeyer)†. After further investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the actual problem may not have anything to do with â€Å"faulty floor mat placement† but with several model’s accelerator  mechanism. They found that â€Å"the design of the accelerator pedal (â€Å"one-piece, nonarticulating†) allowed it to become easily entrapped in the groove of the rubber all-weather floor mat if the rubber mat was not properly secured with at least of the two retaining hooks (Jensen)†. Toyota finally issued a consumer safety advisory to all Toyota and Lexus owners at the end of September 2009 and at the end of October 2009 mailed certain Toyota owners safety notices to alert them of the potential problems. It is still unknown the exact date that Toyota knew their models were faulty but it is known that reports of the faulty vehicles began arising as early as 1999. The initial problem was not made public until problems persisted over the next 10 years. Even then it took the death of 4 individuals in California driving a Lexus with a stuck accelerator to final discuss Toyota’s accelerator issues. Toyota then announced they would be recalling millions of models of Toyota Vehicles. There were several Toyota models effected which include the company’s three best sellers- the Camry, Corolla, and Rav4 SUV. â€Å"Between them, they accounted for more than half of the Toyota brand’s U.S. sales in 2009 (Isidore)†. Although Toyota should have taken this situation more seriously years ago when the problem first happened, are they really to blame? When the accelerator problem happened to only a few vehicles throughout the years it’s hard to say that Toyota is to blame. I think the fact of the matter is that they tried to pass the buck blaming the floor mat placement instead of really investigating the issue. Had they investigated the issue more carefully consumer’s confidence in Toyota may not have been tarnished. People are not buying a Toyota for just their looks, they are buying the Toyota brand because of the fact they are known to be a reliable and safe vehicle that can last â€Å"forever†. Chris Isidore says it best when he says† For years, Toyota Motor was the automaker that could do no wrong. Now it’s made a major mistake likely to have a lasting impact on the company (Isidore)†. Not only did the recall effect some of Toyota’s best selling vehicles it caused five North American plants to halt production which affected about 14,000 employees. To halt production to its vehicles is tough in an economy where there is strict competition. Erich Merkle, president of Autoconomy.com, an industry analysis  firm says â€Å"American rivals like General Motors and Ford Motor have similar vehicles to the ones recalled by Toyota, which are far more competitive than they’ve been previously. Loyal Toyota customers who decide to look at other offering are more likely to find something they like than they might have been in the past. Toyota fending off those rivals was going to be enough of a challenge without the safety issues.† Toyota does realize the negative impact this recall has is definitely not positive but they are determined to restore consumer’s confidence in their products. Many experts think that â€Å"the damage to the Toyota brand and the company’s sales may already have been done (Isidore)†. Toyota’s stock prices have gone downhill ever since the news of the recalls went public. Although the company is trying to resolve the issue with their floor mats and accelerator issues the media and customer dissatisfaction have put the company in a tight spot to respond to its troubles. This has cause competitors like Ford and Hyundai to react quickly and offer Toyotas customers incentives to trade in their Toyota’s for one of the competitor’s models. Some are even offering incentives of $1,000 and 0 percent financing to attract Toyota’s customer base. Every brand has its strengths and weakness. Toyota focused on a sub branch approach, in which most of its cars are linked to a single corporate brand. For Toyota that means that a problem with any vehicle at Toyota will not only affect sales of the effected model in question but to its entire inventory of vehicles. Therefore it comes as no big surprise that several of their vehicles were included in there recall. Audi was another car manufacturer that went through a very similar recall issue with accelerator problems. The overall impact this had on Audi was crucial. The resale value of the Audi 5000, which had been involve in a number of fatal accelerator accidents declined significantly as a result of the recall. This also had a snowball effect on other Audi vehicles such as a the Audi 4000, which lost significant resale value, and to a lesser extent also effected the Audi Quattro all due to the fact that they were a part of the same company. Any technical hitch with one car can als o mean problems with others when the auto world in known for using shared parts and technologies across multiple models. Another recall that that was notorious in history was with the Ford Pinto. This was definitely not one of the largest recalls because it only  affected about 1.5 million vehicles but some considered it the most dangerous. With this recall a driver could be subject to an exploding gas tank in the event of an accident. Initially Ford didn’t even want to recall these vehicles and would have rather dealt with lawsuits, which sparked a huge public outcry. In 1995 Honda another car manufacturer that is know for its reliability also had a recall on the Honda Accord and several other Honda and Acura models. This recall affected about 3.7 million vehicles. The main cause of the recall was the seat belt chassis, which had become either broken or unreliable in many cars. Chevy, Ford, and GM have also had their fair share of significant recalls throughout the years. These recalls affected millions as well. Most people realize that at one point or another something is going to wrong with their car. Repairs are to be expected and for the most part most cars and trucks will at some point have a recall. Recalls address safety problems, whether they are minor or major. Toyota’s recall was not so much a part had to be recalled but more of the fact they tried to blame it on the placement of a floor mat. When companies try to bush issues under the rug that’s when people remember. Although at this time the recall may affect Toyota negatively overall I think its customer’s will remain loyal. When bad things tend to happen, companies need the right strategy for talking their way out of a mess and avoiding a tarnished reputation. Choosing the best way to respond is not always easy but can make a difference towards the company’s survival. Toyota was aware there were issues with the accelerators and waited until they were in a crisis to resolve this issue. Toyota response to the recall not only affected its consumer base in the US but may have had the same negative impact with its Chinese consumers. One report indicated that â€Å"the large majority of Chinese car consumers (74 percent) are aware of Toyota’s present difficulties. Almost every two out of three of these consumers acknowledge that their confidence in the Japanese car maker has been affected (62 percent) and that the current recall practice degrades their image perception of Toyota. Among the owners, the impact is much less important though, as only a little less than one in every seven Toyota cus tomers strongly agree on a degraded image perception and decrease in trust (15 percent), compared with one out of  every four car owners of competitor brands (27 percent and 25 percent respectively) (WPP)†. The real question is did Toyota handle this situation correctly? The most important thing Toyota did was keep their customers informed, even if it was what some considered a delayed response. They issued recalls on all affected vehicles and they stopped production on their vehicles which shows consumers they are willing to correct the problem. They are also not willing to restart production or release any affected vehicles before the problem is correct. They have been working with dealers to manage the process of the recall as best as possible to limit customer dissatisfaction. With all of these positive approaches Toyota is trying to make, the concerns consumers still have are the overall reliability of Toyota and the potential effect this recall may have on the resale value of their vehicles. Several people have commented on their feelings towards Toyota after the recall. The majorities have been loyal Toyota customers that have owned one or more Toyota vehicle and the others have never owned a Toyota. Many of the Toyota customers felt that the media made a monster out of this recall and caused fear and panic in consumers. They also felt that the media created this perception that Toyota’s were no longer a reliable vehicle. Other people who never owned a Toyota feel that the Toyota name will be tarnished and that these problems were to be expected. If people really looked at the whole picture they may find these comments to be true. For several years car manufacturers have been sending out recalls. This is not the first one in history to happen and it will surely not be the last. Most industries anticipate for supply and demand. Toyota sales may have gone down since the recall but that is to be expected. Car industry forecasters do not anticipate that Toyota’s loss will cause a drop in overall demand. As long as Toyota continues to make new cars, people will buy them. May reports have indicated that people who initially thought about purchasing a Toyota before this major crisis would still purchase one. They realize that this recall is no different then other recalls that have happened through out history, with maybe the exception that Toyota did not act as quickly as the media and some consumers expected they should have. Toyota is a well known company. They will bounce back from this crisis eventually and may even try to offer its  customer’s incentives to purchase vehicles through one of their dealers that other car dealers may not be able to offer right now. Overall this recall just like anything else will pass and Toyota’s sales will be among the top again. People realize that the perception the media creates can sometimes have a long lasting impact, but then something else bigger will happen and things will return right back to normal for Toyota. It is a vicious cycle that we all live in. What people may lose now in resale value is really nothing major. People can actually benefit from this by purchasing a used Toyota at a lower price than what they would have had to pay years ago. Overall Toyota has a long history of loyal customer. This and the fact that Toyota is know for being a good quality car will allow it to bounce back from some mistakes they have made during this recall. Although its reputation may have been tarnished to some extent, they still have several loyal customers that will continue to purchase their vehicles through Toyota. This is just another obstacle they will get through. They will be able to use this incident to improve on their vehicle production and rebuild the Toyota brand and image. Works Cited 1. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/toyota-floor-mat-problem-was-known-two-years-ago/ 2. http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/27/news/companies/toyota_sales_halt/index.htm?postversion=2010012718 3. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009/11/toyota-fllor-mats-absolutely-positively-100-certainly-the-problem/ 4. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/opinion/09wed2.html1?_r=1 5. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national.2010/01/29/106990.htm

Ms Project Essay Example for Free

Ms Project Essay In the previous lesson, the initial resource assignments were made for our project. But we need to learn how to make adjustments to how those resources are used. It is important that you read every part of this lab carefully, if not twice. Working with Effort-Driven Scheduling How a task reacts to the addition and removal of resources is defined by the scheduling method and the task type settings. In MS Project, the default scheduling method is effort-driven scheduling. Effort-driven scheduling extends or shortens the duration of a task to accommodate changes to resources but doesnt change the total work for the task. Work is the amount of effort, or number of hours, resources put into a task. The total work for a task is determined by the duration estimate for the task and the initial resource assignment using the following formula: Work = Duration * Units For example, say you give a task the duration of one day (or eight hours based upon a normal working day). If the initial resource assignment is two units (200%) of a particular resource, the total work for the task will be 16 hours. 16 hours = 1 Day (8 hours) * 200% As resources are added or removed after the initial assignment, the amount of work is not recalculated, but redistributed among the resources. In other words, the duration is recalculated, not the work: Duration = Work / Units So if you assign two more units of the previous resource or two different resources, the total work remains 16 hours; however, the 16 hours is now redistributed among the four resources (16 hours divided by 4 units equals 4 hours of work per resource). The duration is now . 5 days (4 hours). .5 Day (4 hours) = 16 hours / 400% Effort-driven scheduling assumes that the more (or fewer) resources you assign to a task will decrease (or increase) the duration of a task. If I can use more people, I can get done faster. The key to effort-driven scheduling is when you make that first assignment (when you press assign or press enter when entering resource assignments), that is when the amount of work is calculated and never changes when you make additional assignments or subtract resources. This effect is very important to understand! Lets demonstrate this effect. 1. Log onto Windows. 2. Open your completed file MyLab2_XXX. mpp. (or use the MyLab2_XXX. mpp file from Doc Sharing) Check the addendum at the end of this lesson to make sure your beginning file is correct. 3. Save as MyLab3_XXX. mpp, where XXX are your initials. 4. Make sure you are in Gantt chart view and your table is the task entry table. 5. From the View tab and the Task Views group, click Other Views and then More Views. 6. The More Views dialog box appears (figure 1). Select Task Entry and then press Apply. Figure 1 7. You will notice that your screen splits into two separate windows or panes again. 8. The top window or pane is your Gantt chart view with the entry table. The bottom pane is known as the task form window and contains many different formats. The default format you are looking at is known as the resources and predecessors detail view. We will use different detail formats in this window in coming labs. For now, remember this is the task form window. 9. In the top pane, click on task #3, Inventory Current Equipment. Notice in the lower pane, the resource assignment you made from the previous lab, Systems Administrator. Remember that you initially assigned two units of this resource. The duration you gave this task was 3 days (or 24 hours). When you made the assignment, the initial scheduling then calculated the work. Given the formula, work equals duration times units, 24 hours times 2 units equals 48 hours of work and that is what is in the work column for that resource. 10. Also notice the box Effort driven (next to the Previous button) is checked. That means that this task is using effort-driven scheduling. Also notice the textbox below it labeled Task Type and the phrase Fixed Units. We will be returning to this box shortly. 11. Again, making sure you have clicked on task #3, open the Assign Resources dialog box from the Resource tab (the one with the faces). 12. Change the number of units of the resource Systems Administrator to 300%. (Either type in 300 or use the up arrow and then press enter). (Figure 2). Figure 2 13. Notice in the lower pane the units of the resource changed to 300% and the work remained at 48 hours, but notice the duration of the task: it changed to 2 days. Why? Taking our formula that work equals duration times units, when we make any change after the initial calculation of work, work is not recalculated, but the duration is! Therefore (using our algebraic knowledge), duration is equal to work divided by units, or 48 hours divided by 3 units equals 16 hours or 2 days. Got it? Also remember the 48 hours is the cumulative amount of work for the three units. 14. But what happens if we now subtract some of the units? In your Assign Resources dialog box, change the units of Systems Administrator to 100%. What happened? Your work is still 48 hours, but since there is only one resource the duration is recalculated for 6 days (48 hours divided by 1 unit equals 48 hours or 6 days). 15. Change the units of resource for Systems Administrator back to the original 200%. Your duration should return to the original 3 days. 16. Since this was the same resource, what would happen if we added a different resource? 17. Click on Systems Analyst and make an assignment of 100%. (Click Assign button or Press Enter). 18. You should now see in the task form the name of Systems Analyst appear and in the work column the 48 hours of work is now distributed evenly among the three resources (2 Systems Administrators and one Systems Analyst), but it still totals 48 hours. The duration is now 2 days, because each unit will be working 16 hours or 2 days. 19. Close the Assign Resource and Keep this assignment of the Systems Analyst to this task. (Duration for project is now 40 days). Effort-driven scheduling can be turned off for individual tasks (or all tasks when you first created a project in the Tools Options Schedule). When effort-driven scheduling is turned off, total work increases (or decreases) when units of different resources are added (or subtracted) from the task. To see this effect: 1. Click on task #4, Assess Current Department Needs. In the lower pane (in the task form), make sure the Effort driven box is unchecked. . Press the OK button to effect the change. (You must do this! ) 3. Making sure youve clicked in the task #4 in the upper pane. 4. In the lower pane, add one unit (100%) of the Systems Analyst and one unit (100%) of the Systems Manager to this task and press OK. 5. Notice the duration remains at two days, but each of the units is assigned the same amount of work (16 hours). You would do this if you know each of your resources is doing different work within the tasks duration and they are a different resource. (See figure 3). Figure 3 6. Keep these assignments for this task. . But what if we turn off effort-driven scheduling, but add additional units of the same resource? What happens? Here is where it can get confusing and you must reflect on what is happening behind the scenes and the effect task type has on scheduling. 8. Click on task #7, Research Products and Services. Your task form should show the resource Systems Analyst, 50% under the Units column and 28 hours of work (50% of 7 days/56 hours, is 28 hours). 9. Make sure the Effort driven box in is Unchecked the task form and click on OK. 10. Change the 50% to 100%, and click OK. What happened? Notice the work stayed at 28 hours (in other words, work was not recalculated), but the duration changed to 3. 5 days! We would have expected that work should have been recalculated to 56 hours and the duration to stay the same. 11. Keep this assignment. The task type setting also has an effect on how tasks are scheduled. There are three task types: Fixed Units, Fixed Duration and Fixed Work. Using one of these types, any variable in the standard equation of Work = Duration * Units can be controlled. When Fixed Units task type is used (and it is the default), the duration of the task is affected. Fixed Unit tasks are also called Resource-driven tasks. Assigning additional units of the same resource will decrease the schedule, not the work! Therefore, work remains at 28 hours, but duration is recalculated by dividing the work by the new number of units (28 hours divided by 1 equals 28 hours or 3. 5 days). To help you, here is a table to explain the effect of effort-driven with fixed unit task type: Example: Task X has a duration of 2 weeks, and initial resource assignment of one unit of Resource A, and therefore an initial total work of 80 hours. Fixed Unit With Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 1 week| 200% of Resource A| 40 hours each 80 hours total| Add one unit of different resource (B)| 1 week| 100% of Resource A 100% of Resource B| 40 hours 40 hours 80 hours total| Fixed Unit Without Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 1 week| 200% of Resource A| 40 hours each 80 hours total| Add one unit of diff erent resource (B)| 2 weeks| 100% of Resource A 100% of Resource B| 80 hours 80 hours 160 hours total| At this point, this all seems very confusing I assure you. Actually, fixed units sounds like a bad term for this task type. But if you notice from the table, the key is really effort driven. If a task is effort-driven, the philosophy says that the more resources, regardless of being the same resource or a different resource, work remains the same, but the duration will be affected. If a task is not effort-driven, but a fixed unit or resource-driven task, duration will only be affected if you add or subtract the number of units of the same resource! But what if you want to ensure that the duration of a task never changes? You can control that by changing the task type to Fixed Duration. Lets see that effect: 1. Keep the assignment you just made on Task #7 (100% of Systems Analyst), and now click on task #9, Issue RFPs. The resource assignment is the Project Manager. The duration is 7 days therefore work has been calculated as 56 hours of work based upon 1 unit (100%). 2. In the task form in the bottom pane, change the task type to fixed duration by choosing from the pull-down men, and check the effort-driven box). (Figure 4) Figure 4 3. Press OK to effect the change. 4. Add the Financial Officer (100%) to this task and press the OK button. What happened? Figure 5 The Project Manager and Financial Officer are both assigned 28 hours worth of work over 7 days. If a task has the task type Fixed Duration, the duration of the task remains the same (fixed) when resources are added or removed; however work for each resource could be allocated differently depending on whether it is the same resource or a different resource. Here is a chart of how effort-driven scheduling could affect the workload of a resource (but not the task duration) when designating a task type of Fixed Duration: Example: Task X has a duration of 2 weeks, and initial resource assignment of one unit of Resource A, and therefore an initial total work of 80 hours. | Fixed Duration With Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 2 weeks| 200% of Resource A| 80 hours each 160 hours total| Add one unit of different resource (B)| 2 weeks| 50% of Resource A 50% of Resource B| 40 hours 40 hours 80 hours total| Fixed Duration Without Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 2 weeks| 200% of Resource A| 80 hours each 160 hours total| Add one unit of different resource (B)| 2 weeks| 100% of Resource A 100% of Resource B| 80 hours 80 hours 160 hours total| Lets try this table to see if we can predict the effect of our scheduling: 1. Make sure task #9 (Issue RFPs) is selected in the upper pane. 2. In the lower pane, Select the Financial Officer and press the delete key to remove the Financial Officer. Press OK. 3. The task form should show the Project Manager back to 100% assignment and 56 hours of work. 4. In the task form, uncheck the effort-driven box and press OK. 5. Making sure you are still on task #9 again. Add the Financial Officer and assign him back to the task (100%). What happened? 6. According to the above chart, if effort-driven is turned off and the task type is Fixed Duration, adding one unit of a different resource will not change the duration (it is still 7 days), but each resource will be assigned the same amount of work, 56 hours. (Keep this assignment as is). The last task type is Fixed Work. Fixed work means the total work for the task will remain the same when resources are added or subtracted. Only the duration and units are affected in a Fixed Work type task, but inversely. A Fixed Work task can only be effort-driven. To see this effect: 1. Click on task #10, Evaluate Bids. Notice that the Project Manager was initially assigned to this task for 100% or 40 hours of total work. 2. Change the task type to Fixed Work in the task form and Press OK. (Notice the effort-driven checkbox is grayed out). 3. Assign one unit (100%) of Financial Officer to this task. What happened? Notice the work stayed at 40 hours, but the work was distributed between the two resources and the duration was changed to 2. 5 days. Why is the duration 2. 5 days or 20 hours? Keep this assignment change). 4. Click on the task #13, Purchase Equipment. Notice we have assigned . 5 (or 50%) of the Financial Officer to this task. Since the initial duration was given as 4 days, 50% of 4 days is 2 days or 16 hours. 5. Change the task type of this task to Fixed Work. Press OK. 6. Change the percentage of the Financial Officer from 50% to 100%. What happened? Why did duration of the task change t o 2 days? 7. Change the percentage of the Financial Officer back to 50%. (Very important for the next section). Duration changed back to 4 days. Why? (Keep this ssignment as is). (Your project should now be at a total duration of 37. 25 days; if not, check previous instructions). 8. If it appears that Fixed Work is similar to effort-driven, you are not far off the mark. Again, all this is very confusing, I assure you, but hopefully it encourages you to think about your initial assignments and what affect adding or subtracting resources has on your schedule and workload. Another chart you can use to determine what changes in MS Project when you change task types and what is recalculated is: | | And you change†¦| †¦thenMS Project Recalculates this| If your Task Type is†¦| | Duration| Units| Work| | | Fixed Duration| Work| Work| Units| | | Fixed Units| Work| Duration| Duration| | | Fixed Work| Units| Duration| Duration| | Perhaps the best advice is the following: 1. Leave all tasks as effort-driven, fixed units unless the duration absolutely needs to remain fixed. Fixed durations are rare. Tasks such as waiting 1 hour after swimming may seem like a fixed duration, but can be best handled by using lag times. (Actually the above is really not a task). A better example of a fixed duration task would be driving a truck. If we estimate that to drive a truck from Seattle to Spokane will take about 4 1/2 hours, it does not matter how many drivers we assign to the task, it will still take 4 1/2 hours. 2. If you want to assign two resources (or people) to a task and each is doing different work, it is best to split the task into two tasks. For example, in the current project, we have assigned the Project Manager and the Financial Officer to the same task, Issue RFPs. If the Project Manager is working on the technical section of the RFP and the Financial Office is working on the financing requirements of the RFP, hen it is best to split Issue RFPs into two different tasks (such as Write Technical Requirements and Write Financial Requirements) and assign each resource to the task they are responsible. Resource Contours One other assumption made by MS Project when you assign a resource to a task: that work is evenly distributed throughout the duration of the task. For example, in our previous task, Purchase Equipment, we said that the Financial Officer would be devoting 16 hours over 4 days to complete the task. Those 16 hours are then evenly distributed over the 4 days (or 4 hours per day). This is known as a flat contour. A contour defines how scheduled work is distributed over the duration of a task. You can change this distribution or use several preset contours to a resource. To see this contour: 1. From the Task tab and in the Properties group, click on Details twice to remove the split. 2. You should now have just the Gantt chart view on your screen. 3. From the View tab and the Task Views group, select Task Usage. Your screen should look similar to figure 6. (You may need to use the vertical and horizontal scroll bars to get to the top of the table and to see the appropriate dates on the right). Figure 6 4. On the left you will see your tasks and under each task are the names of the resources assigned to the task. On the right are the work details in calendar form. 5. Move the divider between the left and right panes to the right of the Duration column. Expand the task name column so that you can see all of the information. 6. Using the right scroll bar, scroll down to the task, Purchase Equipment and click on it to highlight it. 7. Click on Financial Officer directly below. 8. On the Task tab and on the far right in the Editing group, click on the Scroll to Task button. 9. To the right, you will see the 16 hours evenly distributed over four days (4 hours per day). (Figure 7 ). However we can change that distribution manually. Figure 7 10. In the first cell that says four hours (make sure you stay in the same row as the Financial Officer, change the first day to 6 hours, the second day to 5 hours and the third day to 1 hour. (Figure 8) The fourth day we will not change. Figure 8 What we have done is created a custom contour, and while MS Project has preset contours, I recommend that you do these manually. Keep in mind, however, that your duration may change based upon the task type. At this point, return to the Gantt chart view. Save your file and print out the following reports: (use proper header/footer information) 1. Project Summary Report. 2. A Task Usage Report (under Workload category). 3. A Resource Usage Report (under Workload category). When submitting required printouts, if you are not bringing them to class, from the Print Preview Page, take a screen shot (in Windows lt;ALTgt;lt;Prt Scrgt;) of the report and paste the screen shot to a MS Word Document. Make sure to crop the screen to show only the report. After cropping, resize the image appropriately. If the printout is on more than 1 page, paste each page individually. Save the Word document containing printouts as Week_3_Printouts_XXX. docx (where XXX are your initials) and submit this file to the Weekly iLab Dropbox. Checkpoint (From Project Information Statistics) Addendum Task Information for the Beginning of Lesson 3 Project Information Statistics at the Beginning of Lesson 3 When you have completed this lesson please save it as MyLab3_xxx. mpp and submit the file to the Weekly iLab Dropbox. Also complete the following page and submit the Review Question sheet to the Weekly iLab Dropbox. Review Questions Name ____________________________ Answer the following questions (use MS Project help if necessary): 1) Define effort-driven? 2) Under what circumstances would you turn off effort driven scheduling? 3) Use a real-world example of when you would make a task as a Fixed Duration type task? 4) What is the formula for calculating duration? 5) What are the eight preset work contours (hint: In the Task Usage view right click on a resource name an open the assignment information box) and what are the procedures in applying them to a resource on a task? Turn in this sheet with your MS Project file to the Week 3 iLab Dropbox.

The Reconstruction Era in the US (1865 to 1877)

The Reconstruction Era in the US (1865 to 1877) Can the period be evaluated as both a success and a failure? The Reconstruction Era occurred from around 1868 to 1877. Preceding the Civil War, the Souths industry and infrastructure was virtually left in ruins. It was in great need of help, and had to rely on the government that they had tried to stray away from. The Reconstruction can be evaluated as both a success and a failure of ideals chiefly because of the bills and laws that were passed, as well as the failures and step backs that were encountered. The restoration of all 11 ex-Confederate states to the Union, the Radical Republicans, and the Reconstruction Acts that were passed are all examples of accomplishments made during the time. The Black Codes, the belief in white supremacy, and the corruption in business and in government are among the many failures of the Reconstruction. Overall, the period was a time of corruption, greed, and discrimination. To begin with, one of the greatest accomplishments of the Reconstruction was the restoration of all 11 ex-Confederate states to the Union. This was accomplished during the Lincoln and Johnson administrations. By 1868, they were successful in the readmission of South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee into the Union; and by 1877 the readmission of Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia (Doc H). Another accomplishment would be the creation of a new agency called the Freedmens Bureau. The Freedmens Bureau offered shelter, food, and medical attention to anybody in need of it after the war. Many criticized the agency and accused it of keep[ing] the negro in idleness at the expenses of the white man (Doc D). Under General Oliver Howard, it was successful in the establishment of some 3,000 schools for freed blacks, which included several black colleges. Soon after, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were passed. The Fourteenth Amendment st ated that the first section prohibits the states from abridging the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States, or unlawfully depriving them of life, liberty, or property, or denying to any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (Doc C). Thaddeus Stevens, a Radical Republican, declared that the amendment allows Congress to correct the unjust legislation of the States, so far that the law operated upon one man shall operate equally upon all (Doc C). The supporters of the rights for freed blacks were called Radical Republicans. Among this group was a man named Benjamin Wade who endorsed the rights of women, northern blacks, and labor unions. African Americans were adjusting to their new freedom and branching out to do new things. Many joined Negro Baptist and African American Episcopal churches, and some migrated from the South to form new communities. A popular place they went was Kansas (Doc F). They also created colleges, like Howard and F isk, which trained black ministers and teachers. At the same time, many things were going wrong in the country. Sharecropping became very popular among freed African Americans trying to fulfill their dreams of owning their own farm and providing for their families. Unfortunately, the corrupt style in which these farms were run kept them in an unending cycle of debt. It was almost a new form of slavery. Meanwhile, Republican politicians in the South were beginning to take advantage of the kickbacks they received and took bribes. This illustrated a decline in peoples morals. Black Codes were another failure of the Reconstruction. They were created to restrict the rights of freed blacks. One code stated, Every laborer shall not be allowed to leave his place of employment until the fulfillment of his contract (Doc B). They restricted every right and movement of the freed blacks and subjected them to even more discrimination. Particularly corrupt was the idea of white supremacy that was growing in the South. Many men organized groups of secret societies to intimidate the freed African Americans and white reformers. One group in particular, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), were especially famous for their burning of blacks buildings and the murder of many freedmen to keep them from voting. Simultaneously, there was the corruption in business and government that was distracting the North from the issues in the South. Spoilsmen, such as Conklin and Blaine, were politicians who unfairly displayed patronage on their supporters. The Credit Mobilier scandal was brought to the attention of the government. They had been giving stock to members of Congress so that they wouldnt investigate the profit they were making from government funding for the transcontinental railroad they were building. Another scandal involved Jay Gould and James Blaine who along with Grants brother-in-law attempted to corner the gold market. They were discovered but Blaine had already gotten away with his own profits. The Whiskey Ring involved federal agents conspiring with liquor companies to take millions of taxes from the government. One man, William Tweed, may have profited the most from the money he stole from taxpayers. He was the one behind many plans to help himself to large quantities of graft. He was successful until a cartoonist from the New York Times, Thomas Nast, exposed him and led to his arrest. In time, the new president, Rutherford B. Hayes, agreed to a compromise. The Compromise of 1877 was mainly to end the support for Republicans in the South and to build a transcontinental railroad. Eventually Hayes withdrew the troops that were protecting the freedmen, and the Supreme Court repealed the Reconstruction laws that protected the blacks from being discriminated against. In essence, the period can be evaluated as both a success and a failure of ideals. It just depends on how it is viewed. They did make many accomplishes in the rights for African Americans. They freed them, provided education for them, and allowed them to form black communities. On the whole, the Reconstruction was not a good thing. It was a failure, in a sense. Everything that had been accomplished were basically forgotten or taken back with the Compromise of 1877. It was a period of corruption in business, government, and in ethics. In the long run, the only thing that was a living accomplishment was the freedom of African Americans. More innovations were yet to come.

Success Essay -- essays research papers

The most important thing in life is thought to be happiness. In order to achieve success you must adjust to every situation with ease. When we use the term successful it does not mean the same as the conventional definition. The definition we are referring to is to be able to overcome hardships, nothing relating to business. Today the world is something of a giant melting pot of people. Communities everywhere are interblended with people from different places and of different backgrounds. Inside these communities there are also many different mental/physical/physiological disorders and/or many people with family problems and work problems. Needless to say today’s society is one that requires a great many different and specialized doctors and therapists to help with the variety of problems which people face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We are not going to go into every problem facing people today, however we will discuss some of the major problems that are faced by the many instead of disorders that affect the few. The first problem that affects everyone at times is stress. Many people do not know that there is good and bad kinds of stress. Good stress is referred to eustress. A very good example of this is when you get a promotion at work. You are happy that you got the better job, however with the job comes new stress, because of the new duties you have to fulfill for that position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The type of stress, which is bad stress, is referred to as distress. People experience this more often then they experience eustress. A good example of distress is when someone you love passes dies. The stress, which you experience, is bad for you. Stress causes many unhealthy effects on the body, such as high blood pressure, increased likelihood of stroke and/or a heart attack.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyday stress is a big problem for many. Most people believe that a little bit of stress daily would be better then a lot of stress all at once. They are very wrong. Little bits of stress everyday build up and end up hurting people much worse than people who experience a lot of stress at once. The only way to describe this would be to use an analogy. If someone was to leave their laundry outside during a storm for one day it would probably be ok when they went back to get it, but if they left their laundry outside more then two weeks the w... ...n this situation will most likely never tell anyone about their plan to do away with themselves. The one’s that are seriously going to commit suicide wont tell anyone for fear that their plan will be foiled and they will still be trapped in their own personal world of hell. It’s an unfortunate thing but you cannot know what another person is thinking if you could you would be able to save many lives but since you cannot you have to look for warning signs. Once you are aware of the warning signs you will be able to adjust to the situation and deal with it rationally. When people are able to improve their coping skills and learn what resources are available to help them feel better emotional and physically depending on the problem. People need to realize that good mental health is a necessity for a person to be successful at other aspects of their lives. There are many disorders that affect people, which prevent them from doing normal things. It would be necessary for some people to see a professional to help them to overcome their disorder and lead them on their way to better mental health and it will help them to be successful throughout their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness - A Modernist Novel :: Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness - A Modernist Novel Modernism began as a movement in that late 19th, early 20th centuries. Artists started to feel restricted by the styles and conventions of the Renaissance period. Thusly came the dawn of Modernism in many different forms, ranging from Impressionism to Cubism. In order to explore new venues of creativity Modernists tinkered with the perception of reality. During the Renaissance, the depiction of a subject was very straight forward. A painting had to look like what it represented. The truth was absolute and right and wrong were clearly defined. For Modernists, the world is much more obscure. In Impressionist paintings, lines are not definite and things tend to blur together. Faces usually do not differentiate one person from another. Cubism takes the opposite route for the same effect. Solid lines are drawn, but the painting itself is usually more abstract (as with Picasso). At times it can be difficult to discern what some paintings are supposed to represent. Bright, vivid colors infuse the pieces with more passion. The contrast between those not well defined objects and the punch of emotion gives cubism its personality and vitality. Many believed that Modernist works were not â€Å"art† because they did not always look like real life. But what is â€Å"real life†? A new outlook on reality was taken by Modernists. What is true for one person at one time is not true for another person at a different time. Experimentation with perspective and truth was not confined to the canvas; it influenced literary circles as well. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a great example of a Modernist novel because of its general obscurity. The language is thick and opaque. The novel is littered with words such as: inconceivable, inscrutable, gloom. Rather than defining characters in black and white terms, like good and bad, they entire novel is in different shades of gray. The unfolding of events takes the reader between many a foggy bank; the action in the book and not just the language echoes tones of gray. In Modernist literature, much like painting, there is experimentation with form: narration style, tone, plot line. Instead of having Kurtz tell his story, or Marlow recite the tale of his journey, the actual narrator in the Heart of Darkness is an unknown passenger on the Nellie. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness - A Modernist Novel :: Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness - A Modernist Novel Modernism began as a movement in that late 19th, early 20th centuries. Artists started to feel restricted by the styles and conventions of the Renaissance period. Thusly came the dawn of Modernism in many different forms, ranging from Impressionism to Cubism. In order to explore new venues of creativity Modernists tinkered with the perception of reality. During the Renaissance, the depiction of a subject was very straight forward. A painting had to look like what it represented. The truth was absolute and right and wrong were clearly defined. For Modernists, the world is much more obscure. In Impressionist paintings, lines are not definite and things tend to blur together. Faces usually do not differentiate one person from another. Cubism takes the opposite route for the same effect. Solid lines are drawn, but the painting itself is usually more abstract (as with Picasso). At times it can be difficult to discern what some paintings are supposed to represent. Bright, vivid colors infuse the pieces with more passion. The contrast between those not well defined objects and the punch of emotion gives cubism its personality and vitality. Many believed that Modernist works were not â€Å"art† because they did not always look like real life. But what is â€Å"real life†? A new outlook on reality was taken by Modernists. What is true for one person at one time is not true for another person at a different time. Experimentation with perspective and truth was not confined to the canvas; it influenced literary circles as well. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a great example of a Modernist novel because of its general obscurity. The language is thick and opaque. The novel is littered with words such as: inconceivable, inscrutable, gloom. Rather than defining characters in black and white terms, like good and bad, they entire novel is in different shades of gray. The unfolding of events takes the reader between many a foggy bank; the action in the book and not just the language echoes tones of gray. In Modernist literature, much like painting, there is experimentation with form: narration style, tone, plot line. Instead of having Kurtz tell his story, or Marlow recite the tale of his journey, the actual narrator in the Heart of Darkness is an unknown passenger on the Nellie.