The Jungle Essays (1334 words) - Meat Packing Industry, The Jungle

The Jungle The book I read was The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. This story is both fact, and fiction. The true part about it is the meat packing part. The fiction part, I dont know, I dont know if Jurgis was real or not. The story opens with the feast at Jurgis and Onas wedding in America, but soon flashes back to the time before they left Lithuania. Jurgis met Ona at a horse fair, and fell in love with her. Unfortunately, they were too poor to have a wedding, since Onas father just died. In the hopes of finding freedom and fortune, they left for America, bringing many members of Onas family with them. After arriving in America, they are taken to Packingtown to find work. Packingtown is a section of Chicago where the meat packing industry is centralized. They take a tour of the plant, and see the unbelievable efficiency and speed at which hogs and cattle are butchered, cooked, packed, and shipped. In Packingtown, no part of the animal is wasted. The tour guide specifically says They use everything about the hog except the squeal, (The Jungle, page 38). Jurgiss brawny build quickly gets him a job on the cattle killing beds. The other members of the family soon find jobs, except for the children. They are put into school. At first, Jurgis is happy with his job and America, but he soon learns that America is plagued by corruption, dishonesty, and bribery. He is forced to work at high speeds for long hours with low pay, and so is the rest of the family. He is cheated out of his money several times. The children must leave school and go to work to help the family survive. This means they will never receive the education they need to rise above this. Ona is not permitted to take a holiday, even for her own wedding. After the birth of her first son, Antanas, Ona soon becomes pregnant again. She becomes very upset, but will not tell Jurgis why. After she fails to come home one night, Jurgis confronts her. She breaks into tears and tells Jurgis that a foreman named Connor has forced a sexual relationship on her. Jurgis curses her and runs off to find Connor. After beating Connor to a pulp, Jurgis is sent to jail for thirty days. The judge refuses to listen to Jurgiss story seriously. When Jurgis is released, he finds that his family has moved to an even poorer neighborhood, and Ona is in labor at that very moment. Neither the baby, nor Ona, who went into labor two months early, survive. Jurgis pulls himself together for the sake of Antanas and gets a job. When Antanas drowns in the mud-filled street, Jurgis gives up on Packingtown and his family. He hops aboard a passing train, and leaves Chicago. Jurgis enjoys a hobo life, wandering across the country. When winter comes, he is forced to return to Chicago. He gets into a fight in a bar and is sent to jail. In jail, he meets Jack Duane, an experienced criminal. After being freed from jail, Jurgis and Duane team up in a luxurious, but risky life of crime. Jurgis learns about the connections between criminals, police, politics, and big business. He becomes a member of this complex network and moves into politics. He runs into Connor again, and beats him to a pulp a second time. Connors political connections cause Jurgis to lose all his acquired profit. Jurgis is back to wandering the streets. To keep warm, Jurgis walks into a Socialist meeting. After the meeting, he is introduced to a man named Ostrinski, who teaches Jurgis about Socialism. Jurgis agrees completely with the political partys ideals, and becomes an active member. As the story ends, the results of an election are being received. The novel concludes on a positive note, showing that the Socialist party made significant progress all across the country. This book describes the horrors of the meat packing industry in great detail. People were forced to work from before sunrise to after sunset. In the meat preserving plants, the floors were never dry. The workers would catch horrible foot diseases, causing them to loose toes and eventually entire legs.

Free Essays on The Cello

The Cello The violoncello, also known by it’s shortened name â€Å"cello† is a low-pitched stringed musical instrument of the violin family, that is held between the performers knees. It is really a bass violin played in an upright position. It has four strings tuned C G d a (C=two C’s below middle C; a-the A below middle C). The tuning pegs at the Peg box are used for tuning the Cello, but for real accuracy, the fine tuners are used. The f hole is used to increase the resonance of the Cellos body, thus making the sound produced louder. The four cello strings are thicker than those of the violin, and are better suited that way to give the cello its unique sound. Rubbing the bowstrings over the cello strings, both in left and right directions, plays the cello. Its range extends over more than four octaves. It is mostly used in string quartets and orchestras. The cello measures about 4 feet long and about 1  ½ feet across its widest part. It is supported by an endpi n. The endpin is a stick that is usually made of metal. It holds up the cello so one can play more comfortably. The cello is thought to have originated in northern Italy in the 1530’s. It was first used as a supporting bass instrument. The interest in the cello grew and in the late 1600’s, composers began writing music for the cello. The cello became prominent in chamber music groups and symphony orchestras in the 1700’s and 1800’s. The cello has come a long way from its starting point. It was made because composers were yearning for a lower toned instrument in their music. The love for the cello sound was immediate and appreciation for the instrument grew quickly. Especially the royal families from the 16th century, they loved the cello and many players started to evolve Weston 2 because of this. Composers also loved the cello. Composers such as Bach and Beethoven gave cello players a challenge in the music they composed for the instr... Free Essays on The Cello Free Essays on The Cello The Cello The violoncello, also known by it’s shortened name â€Å"cello† is a low-pitched stringed musical instrument of the violin family, that is held between the performers knees. It is really a bass violin played in an upright position. It has four strings tuned C G d a (C=two C’s below middle C; a-the A below middle C). The tuning pegs at the Peg box are used for tuning the Cello, but for real accuracy, the fine tuners are used. The f hole is used to increase the resonance of the Cellos body, thus making the sound produced louder. The four cello strings are thicker than those of the violin, and are better suited that way to give the cello its unique sound. Rubbing the bowstrings over the cello strings, both in left and right directions, plays the cello. Its range extends over more than four octaves. It is mostly used in string quartets and orchestras. The cello measures about 4 feet long and about 1  ½ feet across its widest part. It is supported by an endpi n. The endpin is a stick that is usually made of metal. It holds up the cello so one can play more comfortably. The cello is thought to have originated in northern Italy in the 1530’s. It was first used as a supporting bass instrument. The interest in the cello grew and in the late 1600’s, composers began writing music for the cello. The cello became prominent in chamber music groups and symphony orchestras in the 1700’s and 1800’s. The cello has come a long way from its starting point. It was made because composers were yearning for a lower toned instrument in their music. The love for the cello sound was immediate and appreciation for the instrument grew quickly. Especially the royal families from the 16th century, they loved the cello and many players started to evolve Weston 2 because of this. Composers also loved the cello. Composers such as Bach and Beethoven gave cello players a challenge in the music they composed for the instr...

MICROECONOMIC THEORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MICROECONOMIC THEORY - Essay Example 1-12). On the other hand, consumers will purchase expensive products whenever their income goes up and less expensive products when the income reduces. It is apparent that consumers normally make various choices with an aim of maximizing benefits they receive in return for the money they spend and the theory posits that consumers spend only the money they have without accounting for saved money as this writing explains. Dean (2009, p. 25-42) explains that the level of satisfaction that a consumer obtains from purchasing various products is based on utility function whose arguments affect consumer’s overall satisfaction level. There are trade-offs faced by the consumers while making consumption decisions and these can be explained with utility function. Diminishing marginal utility describes consumer’s preferences in a very significant way making some economic analysis to take it as a basic starting point. According to Levin & Milgrom (2004, pp. 5-15), consumer theory il lustrates that a consumer prefers a group of products packaged together called bundle and that a consumer would prefer a bundle and disregard the brand. The theory explains that consumers would rather base their purchase decision on the number of products in the bundle or the size of the bundle but not the product’s brand. Sassatelli (2007, pp. ... n bundle, if consumers decide to give up on one good, they would add more of another substitute as a way of maintaining their level of utility (Sassatelli 2007, pp. 57-60). Consumers normally substitute products for others even if the two goods are not the same and this describes most people’s preferences. Slope of an indifference curve shows the maximum number of units of a particular good a consumer is willing to substitute to acquire one unit of the other thus providing an economic way of understanding what the indifference curve really show. It is also worth noting that the slope of an indifference curve depends on the consumption bundle considered. The slope of an indifference curve represents the marginal rate of substitution between two products (Sirgy 1982, pp. 287-300). Summary of Simon Herbert Article Simon attempts to explain the link between psychology and economics by resting on a notion of economics as a science and a discipline (Simon 1959, pp. 253-260). He expl ains that economics as a science can be used in describing and predicting the behavior of various kinds of consumers and entrepreneurs. His research endeavor intended to understand the processes that participate in human decision making although despite his effort to investigate the issue he did not have a huge impact in the decision making (Zalega 2012, pp. 77-99). He rejected the assumption of perfect rationality made in the mainstream economics and he further emphasized the limitations of the cognitive processes. Simon (1959, pp. 255-265) points out that economics is widely preoccupied by normative economics while descriptive macroeconomics offers the scientific base for policy prescription. He explains how the theory of consumer demand was derived from indifference curve and considering of

Human Factors in aircraft operations in unfamiliar airfields Research Paper

Human Factors in aircraft operations in unfamiliar airfields - Research Paper Example As per a study, about 80% of the aircraft accidents happen during either landing or take-off of jets, and, thus, such accidents occur at close proximaty to an airport. Pilots may resort to unsafe acts, which may culminate into aircraft accidents due to human errors and violations of standard norms. This research essay will focus on the human factors witnessed by the aircrew in unfamiliar airfields and suggest ways and means to avoid and overcome fallacies that may lead to aircraft accidents. Introduction Some of the deadliest aircraft accidents happened not in the air but on the runways of airports. About 583 air passengers were killed in 1977 in the Canary Islands, when two jumbo jets crashed on a runway. A runway incursion accident in Chicago’s Midway airport in 1991 killed 34 air passengers. Unfamiliar braking system resulted in an accident in Chicago’s midway airport in December 2005. When a pilot took a wrong runway for takeoff in Lexington airstrip, about 49 air p assengers were killed in August 2006. When the captain was not able to manage for a gusty and strong cross wind during takeoff, the aircraft departed to the side of the runway in December 2008 at Denver International Airport. (NTSB 2012). Airport plays a pivotal role as it is the place where the aircraft is landing, taking off, parking, and taxing. According to ICAO (International Civil Aeronautics Organization), an aviation accident is one, which is happening of a fatal event during the operation of an aircraft. An accident in an airport may involve the following impacts namely as the accident in an airport during landing may involve severe damage to the atmosphere which includes the loss of property or life, and it may also create an acute social affliction. Further, airport accident while landing in a new location may emanate from various environmental factors like failure of equipment, human error and other associated risk elements. (Czerny, 2010, p.4-3). This research essay wil l conduct analysis about the issues faced by the pilots while landing at unfamiliar airfields and will make suggestion how to overcome the same. Issues Faced by the Pilots in Unfamiliar Airfields while Landing or Takeoff The ultimate safety of the aircraft and passengers are entrusted to the captain of the flight. There is a need on the part of the captain to understand strengths and Achilles' heel of each of the crew members and should be able to assign actions whenever it is needed. Under the Crew Resource Management (CRM), flight crew security is covered. In resolution of any probable security incident, captain is needed to treat and respect all crew members equally and properly. Proper training should be given to crew members to develop a strong state of mental ability for handling any critical situation. Each and every crew member should build up the buoyancy to be aware what is to be done in an emergency scenario and to react suitably when an incident occurs. (Williams & Wallt rip, 2004, p354). As per a study, about 80% of the jet aircraft accidents happen during either landing or take-off of flights, and thus such accidents are occurring at the proximate of an airport. Hence, there is a heightened peril of serious injury or death both to passengers and to the nearby communities residing close to the airport. If we analyze the happening of an accident during landing or take –off, one can find many reasons like the type of aircraft involved, the airport infrastructures, human factors and metrological conditions. Wong et

Netscape IPO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Netscape IPO - Essay Example That Netscape would now be in the dustbin of history, having been demolished by Microsoft during the browser war when it buckled under the killer strategy of Bill Gates’ bundled Windows operating system with the its browser, Internet Explorer and having bought by AOL in March 1999 – many questions still abound on what went wrong, and what could have been avoided. The company was led by both the talented (Marc Andreessen and the experienced manager (Jim Clark) and had the backing of the well-known venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. No less than Morgan Stanley would be the lead underwriters for its IPO. In the end, the dilemma faced by the board of directors of whether to give in its Wall Street underwriters’ proposal of raising the initial stock price form $14 to $28 and increasing the number of shares to 5 million due to favorable response to the investment roadshow or risk a public verdict of opportunism for doing so (Backstrand 7)– was rendered moot and academic. Netscape opened to an overwhelming response from investors who took the stock price to as much as $75 after a delayed opening of $71 per share. On the other hand, the question of whether the investors made a good decision in paying so much for the stock an untested company had to place it in the context of the condition of the industry, Netscape’s company strategy and how IPOs in general fare as investments. ... Condition of the industry: In the mid-nineties, the Internet industry was at the start of its boom period. There were no clear indicators where it would be headed - a condition that had been comparably described when the PC was thought of in the early 1980s when the IPO of Apple Computers mirrored the wildly exuberant public reception of Netscape's IPO (Blodget n.p.). There were various theories of what the Internet would be - some thought that it would be like glamorized surfing of TV shows and those who would be winners in the era would those sites that would offer great design and content (Blodget n.p.). Fast forward to a decade later - the winners would be a search engine called Google, a book seller now an around retailer, Amazon.com and an on-line community of buyers and sellers called ebay.com. Netscape was proclaimed a winner too soon in the game, like Apple was. Though Apple Computers remains as a company today, the big winners of the IPO era of the PC industry were those who entered it later in the phase - as could be seen in Microsoft IPO in 1986 and Dell in 1988 (Blodget n.p.). The Internet community more than ten years ago was miniscule (57 million users according to the International Data Corporation) compared to what it is today, but even by then, it was growing by leaps and bounds. The web browser market in 1994 was dominated by the Mosaic web browser program that was created by Netscape co-founder, the 23-year old Marc Andreessen (Backstrand 3). When Andreesen teamed up with middle-aged Jim Clark, the founder of Silicon Graphics, Netscape successfully set a new industry standard through its Netscape Navigator program and wrestled market leadership from Mosaic. Netscape's share of the market by 2005 was at 75% while Mosaic,

Business Organizations In A Global Context Commerce Essay

Business Organizations In A Global Context Commerce Essay What is a business organization? A business organization can be defined as one or more business, which has in common the person or group of people controlling it. An organization may have more than one business but a business is limited to one organization. Business organization uses a systematic approach to achieve goals. Its people, the process in place and the policies are used to ensure that the organizations mission is realised. Within the structure of the organization is its culture which is essential to the success of the organization as it hinges on the workforce working together towards a shared goal Section 1 The Key Difference Between Global Business Operations Businesses are started for any number of reasons. And there are endless types of business due to the very fact that they are all started up by different people with different personalities and goals. There are three main sectors in the business world: private, public and voluntary. The private sector is made up of organizations that are privately or independently owned and not part of the government. This sector includes corporations (profit and non-profit), partnerships and charities. Retail stores, credit unions and local business operate in the private sector. The main objectives of businesses in this sector revolve around maximum sales and market growth. Examples of Private Sector Organizations are McDonalds, Tesco and Apple. The public sector is usually composed of organizations that are owned and operated by the government. They are established to achieve different objectives of society. The public sector operates on the taxes collected. Within the public sector lie public corporations. These have been set up by Acts of Parliament to run an industry or service. Examples of such corporations are Bank of England, BBC and the Royal Mint. Voluntary groups are set up by ordinary people and they aim to help others in the local community. Although they are not owned by any one individual, someone is elected to take responsibility of setting targets, budgets and day to day running of the group. In the recent past, businesses have seen a change in the economic setting. The domestic market is no longer able to meet the demands of the globalised people. Businesses have developed to ensure it thrives in the age of globalization. This development has made many domestic businesses become a household name worldwide. Besides globalization, an improved communication technology has also been a key factor in the success of these globally operating organizations. This allows efficient communication and swift access to global markets. One other strategy employed by global organizations is market research. This will help organizations pin point profitable areas for marketing. The internet and world-wide web has made available databases which enable organizations to access relevant information at a reasonable cost Section 2 The Impact of External Factors on Organization A number of factors are taken into consideration when measuring how the performance of a national economy impacts the activities of business organizations. Output effect: this is a measure profits generated by businesses in the UK Income effect: this is a measure of total income generated by businesses in the UK Employment effect: this is a measure of the number of jobs created by a businesses in the UK Further to this the direct, indirect and induced impacts of the categories above are generated using the IMPLAN methodology where the effects of the aforementioned are combined to reflect the total economic impact on the activities of business organizations. Direct impact: represents the purchase of goods and services by business owners from other businesses in the UK Indirect impact: represents business- business transactions, where the suppliers of the business owners purchase goods and services from other suppliers in the country Induced impact: The employees of the business owners and the employees of the indirectly affected businesses purchase goods and services in the UK. The second wave of economic impacts known more commonly as the induced effect is created b these purchases. The government has taken numerous steps to influence businesses. In some regions their influence is great but in most parts of the world they are kept at bay by capitalist leanings. Among the measures taken by governments is positive discrimination, also known as affirmative action. The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in  Executive Order 10925  and was signed by President  John F. Kennedy  on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. Itrequires government employers to take affirmative action to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. This law forces businesses to hire staff they might not have considered to hire in the past. Section 3 The Impact of Global Factors on Business Organizations How businesses are run differ country to country. A combination of a number of factors such as marketing, sales and technical skills are required to increase the productivity of a business. What makes a business successful relies a lot on the staff and the world experience they bring to the business. This varied background is what brings fresh insights to solving old problems as issues are seen from different viewpoints. Global integration is a challenge faced by all organizations. The environment in which the business is in prescribes changes in the structure of the organization. In addition to this there is also language, culture and regulations to deal with. In this instance it is essential that the organization does its best to foresee complications that may arise and put in place actions to overcome them. International trade has both good and bad effects on domestic products and services. International trade pumps money into local economies, which helps produce more goods for the local markets. It helps expand the local markets because the money derived from it goes into other business ventures. On the negative side, international trade shrinks local markets because some imports are far much cheaper than local manufactured goods. This results in people shunning local goods for the cheaper imports. The global economy has had an amazing impact on the way companies do business. In addition to the tremendous opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets that it brings, it also leads to interesting and unique challenges, as have been mentioned in the earlier paragraph. When contemplating expanding internationally organizations should consider a number of factors in order for it to be successful. Being strategic about the countries chosen to expand in Having a local presence in the country Taking into careful consideration the people, the culture and business environment Ensure all employees who are not local be given cultural awareness training Financial stability Developments in technology have made communications swifter and more efficient. Information Communication Technology has had a very positive impact on global economy. It can be said that ICT is one of the precursors to the success of global economy. Emails and internet ready mobile phones has allowed globalization to take place. The internet is also key to the achievements in banking, production of capitalism and globalization. ICT has made the banking industry the economic mover of the world. The adoption of ICT in banks has improved customer services, facilitated accurate records, provides forHome and Office Banking services, ensures convenient business hour, prompt and fair attention, and enhances fasterservices.ICT directlyaffects how managers decide and plan and what products and services are offered in thebanking industry. It has continued to change the way banks and their corporate relationships areorganized worldwide and the variety of innovative devices available to enhance the speed and qualityof service delivery. Not only has ICT impacted the globalization of banking, it had also impacted productivity. Productivity is one of the driving forces of economic progress. ICT has impacted economic progress in two ways. Firstly it has made it possible for an organization to spread itself around the globe, i.e. headquarters in London, design facilities in California and manufacture in China. The second way in which ICT has affected productivity lie in the ways in which companies are producing. Lines in the manufacturing industry which used to rely heavily on manpower have been replaced by computerised robotic production lines leading to faster, more efficient and better quality products. Section 4 A Review of the Current Issues Impacting On Business Activities After the recession of 2010, the global financial system remained fragile but this did not last for very long as economies started moving toward recovery and growth. Some economies, especially those from the emerging markets, continued to grow rapidly. There are six broad, long-term developments that shape the business world: Emerging markets increase their global power Clean-tech becomes a competitive advantage Global banking seeks recovery through transformation Governments enhance ties with the private sector Rapid technology innovation creates a smart, mobile world Demographic shifts transform the global workforce Global economies are strongly unified that companies, governments and industries will find that they are forced to cooperate in ways they did not imagine a few years ago. Ernst  Ã‚  Young believe the six trends are themselves connected by three underlying drivers that have helped establish each trend and perpetuate it. Demographic shifts that see population growth, increased urbanization, a widening divide between countries with youthful and quickly aging populations and a rapidly growing middle class are reshaping not only the business world, but also society as a whole. Reshaped global power structure. The balance of global power between the public and private sector has shifted quickly as the world recovers from the worst recession in decades. Disruptive innovation.  Improvements in technology continue to have massive effects on business and society. Emerging markets have become sourcesof innovation, especially in its efforts to reach the growing middle class and low-income consumers around the globe. As these trends change the ways in which businesses operate, grow and compete, winners and losers inevitably will emerge. The winners will be easy to identify. These are the organizations that will monitor trends in the environment, look for talent everywhere and embrace technology. They look outwards in their attempt to adapt to local environments and create global workforces. They are looking in to ways in which Clean-tech can fit into their growth plans and making it part of their global strategy. It is essential for organizations to develop strategies that will help expand the business in the environment it is set in. These strategies should address the issues that affect the business. A deep knowledge of the culture of the environment is key to success. Understanding the values and beliefs will promote the business as this makes the locals feel that the organization respects its interests and needs. Many times language can be a barrier. If effective communication does not take place business activities will slow down and in some instances come to a halt. Employees will need to be able to communicate verbally at a basic level, with on-going training to develop their language skills. It may be necessary in this instance to hire an interpreter or hire locals to do the job. The regulations of the country may also form another inhibitor. Each country comes with its own laws and regulations that apply to all businesses. A highly skilled and experienced specialist with experience in global integration would be the ideal choice. Such a person would help the company not only resolve and regulatory problems but also iron out problems where language and culture are concerned. Conclusion As businesses and governments move forward they will need to think deeply about the opportunities and risks that are presented by changing trends and the forces behind them. The mindset of organizations needs to undergo a transformation so that it can re-imagine what is possible, discover what they can do that is new and how to do it. With a different mindset, they can re-imagine what is possible, discovering what they can do that is new, and how best to do it. The dynamics of the global market is changing. Emerging markets are coming out strong and as they rise so do their companies. Many companies that had previously posed no competitive threat to multinational corporations now do so.These emerging market leaders represent a major shift in the global competitive landscape a trend that will only strengthen as they grow in size, establish dominance and seek new opportunities beyond their traditional domestic and near-shore markets.Those that succeed may find themselves not just navi gating tomorrows global trends, but actually shaping them.

Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay -- Chaucer Canterbury Tales Essay

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales While the majority of literary classics today do well at engaging the reader and allowing them a vicarious understanding of a fictitious character’s life, Chaucer found a way to engage more than just the reader and the character. In his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer masterfully links together himself as the author, himself as a character in the story, the other characters, and then finally the readers. Chaucer’s â€Å"narrative flow† forms a type of giant sphere, where connections can be made from both characters and real people to characters connecting with other characters. Starting with Chaucer-the man, it is apparent that he is looking at his characters, the pilgrims on their journey. As he is writing their stories and descriptions, Chaucer is creating them to emulate people he has found in real life. Chaucer watches his own created characters to see how they react and therefore expresses his personal views of certain classes of people. Chaucer-the man also sees Chaucer-the pilgrim. Like his created pilgrims in the story, Chaucer has found a way to put ...