An investigation into operations management issues within the Essay

An investigation into operations management issues within the hospitality industry - Essay Example With improved productivity and operations, the cost decreases and quality is improved. Since the above mentioned activities are integrated with each other closely in a operations chain, it I important for any company to control and manage these activities to boost its performance and profits. This article will concentrate upon the productivity improvement concerns for a restaurant  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Good Foods Restaurant. Aim The various productivity concerns that the company faces in its daily operations and how these operations can be optimized to increase the production efficiency will the topic of study of this paper. Methodology    The preferred methodology in this case was to study a number of case studies in the hospitality sector that implement any kind of production improvement techniques and then study their previous conditions and the results after the recommendations were executed. Also other forms of literature available from books, online were studied. Company Introduction T he company is involved in the restaurant business to its customers across 17 outlets. Good Foods has been known in the market for its consistent quality of the food being served and a strong focus upon the business. With several dishes being served to its customers, and also catered in some cases, on a regular basis, the company has received the constant positive reviews from its clients. The hotel company was formed in the year 1975 and has built a strong tradition of hard work and faith. The hotel specializes mainly in the sauces, soups and flavor bases that are also marketed under a number of brand names by the hotel company. With more than 3 production units in the region, Good Foods Ltd. is trying hard to make higher margin profits for itself. In the food sector and hospitality service industry, it  is important that in order to remain competitive, Good Foods maintain efficient operations in production and marketing. At present the company own three plants which are not being operated in a desired optimized manner. Therefore, to achieve targets, the company decided to implement some operations management techniques to improve productivity and its hospitality services.    Current Production Phases  Ã‚      The operational methods that are being used by Good Foods to manufacture products that are marketed by the company are quite complex in nature and comprise of a number of multifaceted operations that are spread across the 3 production units. The initial phases that are a part of this operational chain at Good Food are the detailed  scheduling which is done by the management to decrease the down time for each of the three production units. The production scheduling is done manually by the company managers. The production scheduling phase is followed by the resource planning and procurement phase in which the managers decide the quality, quantity of resources that are to be allocated to each line and at what time. The quantity, quality and time o f resource procurement are very important at this point in order to maintain a steady flow of production and product quality. At many instances, the managers noticed that since the resources need to be often shared at many points and levels in the production chain, there existed some sharing concerns. There were variability and waste concerns that were pointed out by the managers. The last step of the production line consisted of cleaning and preparing the line for a new batch of production. It is to be noted here that due to the

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example Based on this research in the international perspective, human resource managers are required to understand the desires of the diverse cultures in the workplace. It is important to understand that different people have different talents which can form a strong workforce when utilized to the maximum. The managers have a difficult and essential task of managing diverse characteristics such as gender and racial differences. Political and economic aspects of the host nation are significant in the success of human resource management. Religious beliefs are also diverse and human resource practices may be affected by social aspects in the operating environment. Managers therefore have to be highly capable and informed individuals to cope with the demands of the workforce thereby maintaining effective employment relations. Hofstede defines culture as the values and beliefs that add up to the unique socio-psychological setting of a community. It represents how members of a particular society behave and relate to each other in their day to day activities as well as how the community as a unit relates to the external environment. Cultural issues are of major concern in successful human resource practices. The attitudes of employees in regard to the organizational operations are significant in promoting good relations between the employees and the managers. They largely depend on the cultural background of the population from which the employees are drawn. Australians have an individualistic culture rather than collective action and teamwork. This implies that teamwork may not increase labor productivity for an organization operating in the country (Brewster et al. 2004). Adler (2002) argues that cultural differences affect the manner in which people relate with each other and it is not different in the workplace. On the other hand, cultural diversity is a critical issue that may affect the success of human resource practices as the different cultures make efforts to esta blish self identity. When one culture is esteemed than others in the workplace, workplace relations deteriorate. For example, Indigenous Australians contribute 92% of the workforce, Asians 7% while Aboriginals are merely 1% of the country’s workforce (Walker & Hamilton, 2011). There is therefore a tendency to uphold the original culture in the workplace while compelling the minority cultures to adapt to the mainstream culture. This predisposition may lower the morale of employees belonging to the minority cultures. However, strategic human resource practices call for organizations to appreciate both the mainstream and minority cultures in their operations (Scullion & Lineham, 2005). Political Aspects The Australian government plays a significant influence on human resource practices and is recognized by many employers in their employment relations. The labour law has a strong influence on employment contracts and the behaviour of employers in regards to their relationship wit h employees. The government, being the sole institution mandated to develop employment laws, has the capacity to determine how the

Memo of Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Memo of Marketing Strategy Essay Like water to fish, the basic reasons that determine the development of a company is called general environment, which includes: demographic reasons, cultural trends, economic climate, legal and political condition, specific international events, and technological change. General environment can be a threat or opportunity for companies, it depends on how deeply companies understand and make use of it. When companies can know the general environment they are facing, they will change their products and services in accordance with the culture they are facing. If companies do not understand the environment very well, they will lose a large sum of money. From my perspective, the three dimensions below are most vital. As for demographic reasons, it contains the attributes of individuals in terms of age, sex, marital status, income, ethnicity and other personal characteristics that may affect consuming patterns. In order to make money, knowing the demographic features of the areas are crucial. Since the new entrant Wall Street Deli is opening a few blocks away, it is necessary for us to keep our business information as a secret. Our advantage is that we have been in this area a long time, we know exactly what our customers’ attributes. Besides, economic climate has a remarkable influence on the business. American economy is in recession now, so Hometown Deli has to think of some ways to stimulate consuming. They can do some discounts like dinner specials or buy two and get one free. Next, the technology can be beneficial to firms but also creates threats, as technological changes force the restaurant to think of new technological strategies. When people are waiting in line, the restaurant can provide some services like upgrading customers’ electronic devices system. They can also provide some competitions for customers to play games in case they got bored. The Porter’s Five Forces Model indicates five most common threats faced by the firms in their local competitive environments. These are threat of entry, threat of rivalry, threat of buyers, threat of substitutes and threat of suppliers. Wall Street Deli is a threat of entry to Hometown Deli, the former may reduce the profits of the latter. In addition, when Hometown Deli cannot keep their competitive advantage and satisfy customers, Wall street Deli provides superior services, the former will lose as soon as possible. The rivalry influences Hometown Deli by fierce competitions and will reduce their profits. Plus, when the supplier Hometown Deli fails to satisfy buyers, customers will not consume and fire it. If the substitute Wall Street Deli offers approximately same or superior services and products than Hometown Deli, the former will not acquire their customers and profits. For Porter’s performance, Hometown Deli manages to use the cost of leadership strategy by gaining more market share in the price war. The firm sells their product either at average prices or lower prices than their rivals. They also use efficient distribution channels or mature services and products to make more profits. Another one is differentiation strategy. By creating unique products and services, the firms can attract more customers. They should be a leader of the scientific research, have a highly creative and skilled product development team, strong sales ability and influential reputation for innovation and quality. What is more, the strategy concentrates on achieving cost advantage and differentiation by developing their strengths and occupying narrow markets. By the way, it is not rational to exploit the three strategies at the same time, since no business can do everything well. Based on the markets and environment, firms should adopt different strategies. For Hometown Deli, it is essential to keep their recipe as a secret and provide same or even better services than they used to have.

Historiography Of The Civil Rights Movement

Historiography Of The Civil Rights Movement Who was the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) lawyer who successfully argued the NAACPs Brown v. Board of Education? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Name several people who were involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Answer: Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Question: Who was the first President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Who organized the famous March on Washington? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Who started the sit-in movement of the 1960s? Answer: Martin Luther King. (Armstrong 2002) Does the preceding list of questions and answers sound familiar? If you teach high school history, the answer is probably yes. However, this does not tell the whole story. In reality, Martin Luther King was just one member of the larger Civil Rights Movement sweeping the country. In order to illuminate the larger picture to our students, alternative strategies need to be considered. One such strategy is presented here. This lesson plan tackles the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of nonviolent direct action. I am not arguing that King is not an important historical figure of the Civil Rights Movement, because he certainly is. The problem, however, is that since the early 1970s, the struggle for civil rights has been taught almost solely in relationship to King and his life. Students graduate from high school viewing the civil rights movement synonymously with Martin Luther King Jr. Such connections are understandable, if grossly uninformed. Students are denied the opportunity to immerse themselves in the complicated and varied histories of the civil rights movement. (Armstrong 2002) According to Armstrong, in the past, most high school history teachers relied on textbooks to help them convey the civil rights movement to their students. Unfortunately, the vast majority of textbooks present a narrative of the civil rights movement of King as the embodiment of the Civil Rights Movement. As a result, textbooks typically begin the movement in 1954 and 1955 with the Brown v. Board decision and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and end in 1968 with the assassination of King. (Armstrong 2002, 6) However, this is only a narrow view of what many historians consider a much longer struggle for racial civil rights. One way to open up this narrative is to provide students with access to primary documents. This lesson incorporates three primary documents one from each of the leading groups that advocated nonviolent action during the civil rights movement. This methodology not only presents students with alternative perspectives, but it also exposes students to a core tool used by historians. (Armstrong 2002) In any history course, whether it is second grade, high school, or graduate level, aspects of the story will be left out. History is a vast and ever-expanding field, and it is impossible to include everything in one course. However, by showing our students how to think and act like historians, we can give them the opportunity to explore these topics further in the future. National Standards The National Standards for United States History: Era 9 Postwar United States, Standard 4 requires students to understand the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil liberties. (National Center for History in the Schools 2005) Time This lesson should be divided into three class sessions of approximately one hour. Student Objectives To analyze primary source material. To analyze the role of nonviolent direct action in combating racism. To analyze the role of different organizations combating racism in the Civil Rights Movement. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Background Nonviolent Action According to Gene Sharp, Nonviolent action refers to those methods of protest, resistance and intervention without physical violence in which the members of the nonviolent group do or refuse to do certain things. (Sharp 1969) These methods can be divided into three basic groups: nonviolent protest, noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention. Each group contains different examples of nonviolent actions. Nonviolent protest includes such actions as parades, marches, and picketing. Noncooperation includes such actions as walkouts, strikes, and boycotts. And nonviolent intervention, the most militant forms of nonviolence typically refers to sit-ins. (Wirmark 1974) Each of these methods of nonviolent action was employed during the Civil Rights Movement. Three of the leading organizations which advocated the use of nonviolent action were the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) CORE was founded in 1943, and specialized in nonviolent action to combat racial discrimination. Its first focus was on sit-in demonstrations with the goal that public places, such as restaurants, would become desegregated. (Wirmark 1974) As the Civil Rights Movement evolved, so too did the goals of CORE, who began to sponsor freedom rides during the early 1960s. [See Figure 1] (Woodward 1966) From 1962-1964, CORE concentrated on voter registration drives throughout the South. It was also responsible for sponsoring direct action protests against unfair housing measures and other types of discrimination against African Americans in the North. Though all three organizations (CORE, SNCC, and SCLC) employed nonviolent techniques in their quest for equality, it was CORE who initiated the practice. (Meier and Rudwick 1973) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) On February 1, 1960, a group of young African American students were refused to be served in a coffee shop in North Carolina. In protest, the students sat in silence in the shop. This type of protest, known as a sit-in, rapidly spread throughout the country, bringing many young college students into the civil rights cause. [See Figure 2] (Woodward 1966) The SNCC, the youngest and most militant of the organized groups, came out of the sit-in movement. Students who had participated in sit-ins wanted to control student demonstrations, and thus founded the SNCC in 1960. (Wirmark 1974) By 1966, the SNCC had gained national attention with its use of the slogan Black Power. Some of the most important leaders of the SNCC were Bob Moses of Mississippi, Charles Sherrod of Georgia, and Bill Hansen of Arkansas. These men were most effective because they truly believed in the morality of their cause. They were courageous in the face of adversity and influenced others to not give up hope. (Stoper 1977) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) After the successful Montgomery bus boycott, Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the SCLC to bring together the church leaders who had been organizing the boycott. [See Figure 3] Inspired by the actions of CORE, King wanted to apply nonviolent action on a large scale. (Wirmark 1974) Unlike the other two organizations, the SCLC acted as an umbrella organization. It brought together various civil rights groups across the South and the rest of the nation. It also differed from other civil rights groups because it was primarily made up of religious groups. Charles Morgan, a member of the SCLC board of directors said of the group, SCLC is not an organization, its a church. (Fairclough 1987, 1) King was certainly a significant force behind the SCLC, but its successes cannot be accredited solely to his larger-than-life personality. The SCLC was extremely effective in combating racial discrimination and segregation, and this was due partially to King, partially to its belief in a higher moral ca use, and partially to its commitment to nonviolent action. (Fairclough 1987) Procedures Day One Briefly discuss the main events of the Civil Rights Movement with students, providing them with a timeline for reference. Have students look up the definitions for segregation, non-violence, and direct action. Provide students with a background on different types of nonviolent direct action protests. Allow students to brainstorm ways to combat racism through nonviolent direct action. Day Two Provide students with a background on the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Divide the students into three groups and assign one organization to each group. Groups should make a short presentation to the class on the background and history of their assigned organization. Day Three Have students compare and contrast the three civil rights organizations in a 1-2 page in-class essay. Students should work individually, but allow them the opportunity to use reference materials, as well as discuss their questions with you. Discussion Questions How do you define segregation? Provide two different examples of racial segregation. What is nonviolence? Direct action? How can the two be used to combat racial segregation? What were the goals of CORE? Of SNCC? Of SCLC? Compare and contrast the three organizations. In what ways does studying them deviate from what you have learned about the civil rights movement in the past? Further Reading Armstrong, Julie Buckner. Teaching the American Civil Rights Movement: Freedoms Bittersweet Song. New York: Routledge, 2002. Carson, Clayborne. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Charismatic Leadership in a Mass Struggle. The Journal of American History, Vol. 74, No. 2 (Sep., 1987): 448-454. Fairclough, Adam. To Redeem the Soul of America: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Martin Luther King, Jr. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1987. Meier, August, and Elliott Rudwick. CORE: A Study in the Civil Rights Movement 1942-1968. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. National Center for History in the Schools. History Standards for Grades 5-12 United States. National Standards for History Basic Edition. 2005. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/ (accessed November 11, 2010). OBrien, Michael. Old Myths / New Insights: History and Dr. King. The History Teacher, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Nov. 1988): 49-65. Steinkraus, Warren E. Martin Luther Kings Personalism and Non-Violence. Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Jan. Mar., 1973): 97 111. Stoper, Emily. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee: Rise and Fall of a Redemptive Organization. Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1977: 13-34. Wirmark, Bo. Nonviolent Methods and the American Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965. Journal of Peace Research. Vol. 11. No. 2, 1974: 115-132. Woodward, C. Vann. The Strange Career of Jim Crow. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966. Day One Handout Name ____________________________________ Definitions: Look up each of the following words and write out the definition. Segregation: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Non-violence: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Direct action: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Non-Violent Direct Action Protests: Read the following list of non-violent direct actions and discuss in your groups. Sit-ins (restaurants, lunch counters) Kneel-ins (churches) Stand-ins (theaters, swimming pools, libraries) Marches Mass meetings Picketing Vigils Prayer meetings Jail-ins (attempt to overcrowd jails) Fasting Nonviolent obstruction (streets, vehicles) Boycotts Rent strikes Voter registration drives Day Two Handout -Page 1 CORE Rules for Action Guarantees of the Individual to the Group A CORE member will investigate the facts carefully before determining whether or not racial injustice exists in a given situation. A CORE member will seek at all times to understand both the attitude of the person responsible for a policy of racial discrimination, and the social situation which engendered the attitude. The CORE member will be flexible and creative, showing a willingness to participate in experiments which seem constructive, but being careful not to compromise CORE principles. A CORE member will make a sincere effort to avoid malice and hatred toward any group or individual. A CORE member will never use malicious slogans or labels to discredit any opponent. A CORE member will be willing to admit mistakes. He will meet the anger of an individual or group in the spirit of good will and creative reconciliation; he will submit to assault and will not retaliate in kind either by act or word. A member will never engage in any action in the name of the group except when authorized by the group or one of its action units. When in an action project a CORE member will obey the orders issued by the authorized leader or spokesman of the project, whether these orders please him or not. If he does not approve of such orders, he shall later refer the criticism back to the group or to the committee which as the source of the project plan. No member, after once accepting the discipline of the group for a particular action project, shall have the right of withdrawing. However, should a participant feel that under further pressure he will no longer be able to adhere to the Rules for Action, he shall then withdraw from the project and leave the scene immediately after notifying the project leader. Only a person who is a recognized member of the group leader in a particular project shall be permitted to take part in that group action. Guarantees from the Local Group to the Individual Each member has the right to dissent from any group decision and, if dissenting, need not participate in the specific action planned. Each member shall understand that all decisions on general policy shall be arrived at only through democratic group discussion. A CORE member shall receive the uncompromising support of his CORE group as he faces any difficulties resulting from his authorized CORE activities. Day Two Handout -Page 2 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Statement of Purpose We affirm the philosophical or religious ideal of nonviolence as the foundation of our purpose, the presupposition of our faith, and the manner of our action. Nonviolence as it grows from the Judeo-Christian tradition seeks a social order of justice permeated by love. Integration of human endeavor represents the crucial first step towards such a society. Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overcomes injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality. Love is the central motif of nonviolence. Love is the force by which God binds man to himself and man to man. Such love goes to the extreme; it remains loving and forgiving even in the midst of hostility. It matches the capacity of evil to inflict suffering with an even more enduring capacity to absorb evil, all the while persisting in love. By appealing to conscience and standing on the moral nature of human existence, nonviolence nurtures the atmosphere in which reconciliation and justice become actual possibilities. Day Two Handout -Page 3 Southern Christian Leadership Conference: This is SCLC Aims and Purposes of SCLC The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has the basic aim of achieving full citizenship rights, equality and the integration of the Negro in all aspects of American life. SCLC is a service agency to facilitate coordinated action of local community groups within the frame of their indigenous organizations and natural leadership. SCLC activity revolves around two main focal points: the use of nonviolent philosophy as a means of creative protest; and securing the right of the ballot for every citizen. Philosophy of SCLC The basic tenets of Hebraic-Christian tradition coupled with the Gandhian concept of satyagraha truth force is at the heart of SCLCs philosophy. Christian nonviolence actively resists evil in any form. It never seeks to humiliate the opponent, only to win him. Suffering is accepted without retaliation. Internal violence of the spirit is as much to be rejected as external physical violence. At the center of nonviolence is redemptive love. Creatively used, the philosophy of nonviolence can restore the broken community in America. SCLC is convinced that nonviolence is the most potent force available to an oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and dignity. SCLC and Nonviolent Mass Direct Action SCLC believes that the American dilemma in race relations can best and most quickly be resolved through the action of thousands of people, committed to the philosophy of nonviolence, who will physically identify themselves in a just and moral struggle. It is not enough to be intellectually dissatisfied with an evil system. The true nonviolent resister presents his physical body as an instrument to defeat the system. Through nonviolent mass direct action, the evil system is creatively dramatized in order that the conscience of the community may grapple with the rightness or wrongness of the issue at hand. Supplementary Materials Visual Aids These photographs can be used to supplement this lesson plan. Pass them out to the class or incorporate them into your classroom presentation. More visual aids can be found at: www.loc.gov/rr/print/. Figure 3: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of SCLC Headquarters in Atlanta. Figure 1: Background Map: 1961 Freedom Rides [New York]: Associated Press News Feature. ca. 1962 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/s84.6p1.jpg http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/SCLC_King.jpg Figure 2: Tottle House Occupied during a Sit-in by some of Americas most effective organizers. Atlanta, Georgia, ca. 1963 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc84.1b.jpg Civil Rights Timeline *Adapted from http://www.africanaonline.com/2010/08/civil-rights-timeline/* 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education: U.S. Supreme Court bans segregation in public schools. 1955 Bus boycott launched in Montgomery, Ala., after an African-American woman, Rosa Parks, is arrested December 1 for refusing to give up her seat to a white person. 1956 December 21 After more than a year of boycotting the buses and a legal fight, the Montgomery buses desegregate. 1957 At previously all-white Central High in Little Rock, Ark., 1,000 paratroopers are called by President Eisenhower to restore order and escort nine black students. 1960 The sit-in protest movement begins in February at a Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. and spreads across the nation. 1961 Freedom rides begin from Washington, D.C: Groups of black and white people ride buses through the South to challenge segregation. 1963 Police arrest King and other ministers demonstrating in Birmingham, Ala., then turn fire hoses and police dogs on the marchers. Medgar Evers, NAACP leader, is murdered June 12 as he enters his home in Jackson, Miss. Four girls killed Sept. 15 in bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. 1964 July 2 President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 1965 Malcolm X is murdered Feb. 21, 1965. Three men are convicted of his murder. August 6. President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act, which King sought, authorized federal examiners to register qualified voters and suspended devices such as literacy tests that aimed to prevent African Americans from voting. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., unleashing violence in more than 100 cities. In response to Kings death, Seattle residents hurled firebombs, broke windows, and pelted motorists with rocks. Ten thousand people also marched to Seattle Center for a rally in his memory. 1992 The first racially based riots in years erupt in Los Angeles and other cities after a jury acquits L.A. police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an African American.

Antiquated Schmantiquated †Keep the Records Coming :: Personal Narrative Writing

Antiquated Schmantiquated – Keep the Records Coming I get by because of the people who make a special effort to shop here Saturdays†¦young men who seem to spend a disproportionate amount of their time looking for deleted Smiths singles and â€Å"ORIGINAL NOT RERELEASED† underlined Frank Zappa albums. ~Nick Hornby, High Fidelity As I walked into Second Coming Records in Cambridge, Massachusetts on a cloudy, humid June afternoon I was thrilled to find that one of the guys behind the counter had put on an album by the Vibrators, a band I adore. I excitedly told my older brother Jeff, whom I was visiting, about how they had played in State College twice, how I had been in the front row at both shows, and especially how I got to hang out with the band at a party after the second show. Jeff didn’t seem to really appreciate the fact that I’d hung out with a band that had shared a stage with the Sex Pistols. Nevertheless, I was inspired to see what Second Coming’s Vibrators section contained. I still had some cash left from my very recent twenty-first birthday and I was ready to spend it. I located the white plastic separator in the V section with â€Å"The Vibrators† handwritten on it and began to flip through the records, each protected by a clear plastic sleeve. I was surprised to come upon a copy of Pure Mania, their first LP. I had been looking for a good vinyl copy of this for about a year. The price sticker was marked $19.99 and I wondered why a used record was priced so high. I carefully removed the record itself from its sleeve and angled the black shiny vinyl so that the inadequate overhead lighting fell at just the right angle across the disk. Etched into the vinyl on the border of the label I found what I was looking for: 1A (records are marked with different codes to identify each successive pressing). An original, first-pressing Pure Mania! This was more than I had hoped for. Still, twenty bucks was something to think about. I examined the surface of the record, checking for any scratches or warping that would infringe on the playing. It appeared nearly perfect. I ended up buying that record, and that day I spent over six hours and two hundred dollars shopping for records. I’m considered to be a lightweight by many.

The Language of The Neuromancer Essay examples -- Neuromancer Essays

The Language of The Neuromancer      According to A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, formalistic approach represents "an approach with methodology, with a history, with practitioners and with some detractors" (73). "When all the words, phrases, metaphors, images, and symbols and examined in terms of each other and of the whole, any literary text worth our efforts will display its own internal logic" (75). However, peculiarity of language use remains one of the most prevalent aspects of the formalistic approach in literature.    "The sky above the port was the color of television tuned into a dead channel" (3).    Opening the novel with the use of such extravagant language, the author sets an ambiance for an intriguing and intricate proceeding plot. Using surrealistic language that starts with heavy-duty terminology and bizarre coding, to names of places that have dubious and ambiguous meaning, to characters' names that Gibson uses in his cyberpunk novel, the author exposes the reader to a number of different nationalities and words derived from foreign languages that pertain to events of the modern world. Gibson talks about the Russian military prosthesis, the East European steel teeth of Ratz's, the Chinese "nerve splicing," the Japanese "Sarariman" or the English slang for "suit," the Australian bellowing, the French "flechettes," the Jamaican Rustafarian culture, the Turkish settings, which proceeds in an on-going concoction of terminology. This concept leads to the perception that incorporation and interrelation of mixed and diverse cultures through the use of different languages represen ts a stronghold for the creation of the entire world as one big cosmopolitan society.    Describing... ...ce, and 'mancer' stands for a magician and romance. Yet, "Neuromancer" might be Gibson's mere speculation about Case's "quality" as a computer "hacker" who disrupts the social order by throwing virus programs into society, thus causing chaos in the world. Nonetheless, using the "neuromancer" as a pun, the author could be alluding to the "Necromancer" in Goethe's "Faust," which means a magician dealing in evil spirits and death. Apparently, peculiarity and the use of surrealistic language determine the conceit and revelation of the novel's plot. However, contemplating about the future of science fiction and cyberpunk literature, it is probable that humans will not be capable of deciphering the language without the use of additional help sources. Rather, science fiction's predisposition of becoming an unintelligible puzzle of words increases on a daily basis.   

Socrates Arguments Crito

The Platonic ‘Death of Socrates Dialogues', are a quartet of important and influential conversations written by Plato, but told through the eyes of his mentor Socrates. Written in 386BC, they tell the story surrounding the Socrates being charged by the state for piety and corruption of the youth. They are conversations between Socrates, his friends, and his censors, the rulers of Athens. Socrates has found guilty of these crimes and after failing to convince the Athenian statesmen that he had been wrongfully accused, and sentenced to death. The third story from the quartet is ‘Crito' where Socrates chats with his wealthy friend Crito, who after bribing a guard, offers to help Socrates escape his sentence. Socrates refuses, and the dialogue throws up a few moral arguments where he explains his reasons to Crito, Socrates argues that it is necessary for the state to punish him as he has not acted within the laws that govern Athens. After all, he has faced the serious charge of worshipping false gods, and by passing these views on to his young followers, further charge with corrupting them. As he is a ighly respected citizen within Athens, he thinks that he should lead by example and take his punishment. After all, he knew the laws and more than likely and knew what punishment he would incur if caught. No one is above the law. The laws are set by the state in order for citizens to follow a code of behaviour. Failure to adhere to such laws could lead to destruction of the state and it is right that the government made and example of him. He thinks that if laws are broken, then the ruling class should have the powers to deal with the lawbreakers, otherwise what is the point having he laws, or indeed the state who police the laws in place. He also argued that he has been privileged to be part of the state of Athens and had received all the benefits that come with being a citizen of such an institution. Although the benefits are available to all Athenians, on the premise that you obey its laws. The state that had been so good to him over his 71 years of life, and the laws there provided him and his family with sanctuary. The state provided security for his parents to marry and to bring him up safely. The state also provided him with the ducation of which made him the man he was. He was using this education against the state by teaching youths to think differently about the gods that the Athenians worshipped. He uses the analogy that the relationship between he, or indeed anyone else and the state of Athens was like that of parent and child. Children should obey their parents, therefore citizens should obey the state. By escaping prison, this would not be obeying the state so he chooses to stay put. He argues that the state is in fact more important than parents or ancestors, because it is the state that enables its itizens to nurture. This argument is probably not very sound. To say that parents are similar to the state is not accurate. You are born to parents and are expected to comply with state procedure while living there. Occasionally within family life, there can be systematic physical abuse from parents which often goes unreported. Generally you do not get physically abused by the state, unless of course you are unlucky to live in somewhere that shy away from democracy. By being born into a family, rules are not set as stone, and as a child you are expected in a way not always to act to these rules. Usually there is more leniency within the family when it comes to rule breaking than if you break a state law. He also argues that anyone born into the state and benefiting from the laws of the state has a duty to not to do anything that may help destroy the state, and by escaping this would have a detrimental effect on the state and it laws. He argues that although he was born in Athens, there were no laws stopping him from leaving. Simply by choosing to live there all his live, he unwittingly enters an implied contract and must adhere to the laws of the state, otherwise face the punishment. He chose ot to live in Sparta or Crete, he chose to live in Athens, so must have satisfaction for the the state, therefore its laws. If he did not agree with the laws, then he would have to prove to the rulers of Athens that they were unjust. Although he tried to convince the the judges that his conviction was unjust, it is within the interests of the state for them to overlook his thoughts and label him a corrupter of the state. To avoid corrupting the state further, he chose to take his punishment of death by hemlock and not take up Crito's offer of help to escape as that would be doing something unjust, hile his sentence in his eyes was unjust. In other words, two wrongs do not make a right. It could be said that Socrates thinks being born into state and reaping the benefits of being a citizen. If this was the case, he could be expected to do anything the state asks him to do as he lives there, and is by living there he has a social contract bestowed on him. There are many moral instances where it is probable that he may not adhere to this tacit agreement, for example, doing wrong by his family. Socrates had the opportunity to except banishment from the state of Athens but chose not to. After all Athens was his home and although he is a respected figure within the state, he was unsure if he would be happy in another state. They would know of his conviction, which basically is a charge saying he did not adhere to state laws, and brandished a trouble maker. This could make things uncomfortable for him to settle down as he may not be accepted or respected in the manner that he had been in Athens. However, he decided to stand up for himself and try to convince the judges that his views are correct but fail, so accepts his punishment. Even although he thinks the sentence is njust he sees no advantage in escaping. His reputation would be in tatters and would be remembered as a coward who instead of taking his punishment, chose to run away and live a life of obscurity. Even although he thinks he is being victimised, eluding his punishment he would also be breaking the laws of the state and is still under social contract to obey these laws. By becoming political martyr, he is making a stand against the state while adhering to the laws of the state. Socrates believed his argument to the jury that convicted him was enough to prove the charges were unjust. However when convicted he did not plead to be spared the death sentence as this would have meant that he would have been acting unjust, by accepting that he had wronged. He argues that there would be no advantage escaping prison. He would be acting unjustly after being convicted unjustly. Those helping him escape would be endangering their lives in doing so. He had lived in Athens all his life, so the thought of living somewhere less civilised was not appealing. He would be seen by his many followers as a man not true to himself and would be deemed a coward. As a man of virtue, he accepted his fate by drinking the poison hemlock thus osthumously ensuring his family and friends would not be harmed and that his reputation as an honourable man was intact. Socrates puts forward the first instance of social contract theory known. Law makers since have used social contracts to curtail and nurture human behaviour, which many people find unjust. Although in some instances these contracts have been challenged successfully, a couple of examples being the abolition of slavery and women having the same rights as men. Whilst Socrates was unsuccessful in his challenge against he died a man who stood up for his morals and beliefs and possibly the worlds first political martyr.