Global Warming Satire Essay Sample Essay Example

Global Warming Satire Essay Sample Paper All you hear these days on the topic of global warming is how bad it is and how we need to unite as a collective people and save our planet. Well I’ve taken a step back from the whole thing and thought about it quite seriously, and I’m here to tell you people, it’s time to put your fears and despairs about global warming to rest once and for all because honestly, global warming isn’t such a bad thing. The first reason why global warming is a good thing would be that the environment is getting hotter, followed by the ocean levels rising, and the amount of carbon dioxide increasing. You may be completely befuddled right now as to how this is a good thing at all but don’t worry, I’ll explain everything. The first reason global warming is a good thing is that as the world warms up, people won’t have to turn their furnaces on to heat their houses as much. There are many ways that this is beneficial to people living in this world these days. Not only will this save homeowners and businesses money, we will also be using less natural gas that can be saved for other things such as making fertilizer, and fuel for cars. Also, power plants will not have to produce as much electricity due to the fact that again, we won’t be using our furnaces to heat our houses nearly as much. This will also reduce the number of fossil fuels used by power plants that produce electricity. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Satire Essay Sample specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Satire Essay Sample specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Satire Essay Sample specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another reason this is a good thing is that with the temperatures on the rise the icebergs and polar ice caps will be melting. For those of you out there saying, Robbie! This is a terrible thing! Let me help you understand why this is so miraculous. For one, the coastline will go inland a couple hundred miles giving people who have property along the new coast an increase in property value due to their property now being right on the beach front, not to mention the amazing view that comes with the beachfront house. Also, fruits that grow close to the coastline such as citrus fruits would flourish close to the new coastline, which in turn would allow us to grow more of the exotic fruits such as oranges in more places, thus saving us money on shipping them in from other countries or across the United States. Now fruits are good on the local level, but what about the global level? What does it do for us there? Well, besides giving more people around the world beachfront property, with n o more icebergs or polar ice caps, naval passage will be much easier due to the fact that captains will not have to worry about running into any icebergs and recreating another Titanic experience. That alone sounds pretty nice to me, but just in case you’re not quite sold on it. Over-sea shipments and cruises will not take as long because the ships would not have to plan around and avoid icebergs thus for saving us even more money on a global level. Now onto my final reason as to why global warming is so great. One of the pieces of global warming that people fear the most is the fact that the atmosphere is heating up which makes the carbon dioxide levels in the air increase. I can’t help but see how this is a good thing though because, with the rise in carbon dioxide levels in the air, plant growth will also increase. Since plant growth will be on the rise, the price of fruits and vegetables will decrease yet again saving us money on a global level, and also be producing enough food to help end world hunger. Another thing that would happen due to the rise in plant growth would be the increase in jobs that it creates. Places like plant nurseries and flower shops would need more people to take care of the rise in plant growth, and landscaping and tree removal businesses would boom because with the more readily available plant stocks people are probably going to want to spiffy up their properties. Also on the matter of yard care, you know that guy down the street from you that has that perfect lawn that everybody on your block is jealous of year round? Well, now it’s time to fight back. Because of the increased levels of CO2, everybody’s yard will flourish and look extravagant, relieving the stress of having to worry about how your yard looks, removing the bragging rights of that guy down the street, and giving you more self-esteem because your yard makes you look like a pro. Global warming should be looked upon as a blessing rather than a burden, and it’s time for humankind to stop degrading global warming and start praising it. With everybody’s standard of living improving around the world, property values increasing, plant growth increasing, food prices decreasing, and world hunger finally on the decline, who wouldn’t want global warming? Kind of makes you wonder what hidden and secretive governmental goal they are trying to accomplish by uniting the world in the fight against global warming doesn’t it. Maybe they’re trying to achieve a one world government, maybe they’re trying to steal more of your money by making you buy â€Å"eco-friendly† products, or maybe, just MAYBE, everybody in the government is an idiot. But since the government is your friend buddy and ally, none of those things could be possible could they†¦or could they?

Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Essay Example

Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Essay Example Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Paper Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Essay Paper Pivotal Talent Pools and Role Challenges Davis Young provides a wide array of litigation support products and services. Its core business is tied to the insurance defense industry. The primary customer base includes regional and national insurance companies. The key strategic elements that the Firm uses for differentiation are superior customer service, high product quality, and a solid reputation (brand). I can only assume you have revamped your Deliverable 1 to support this part. I am a bit concerned that you have yet to get a handle on strategy ececution. They are owned by 13 practicing Senior Attorneys, all responsible for maintaining a full trial docket. Various subsets of this group provide strategic leadership, handle or lead large accounts, and act as management for the Firm. A large percentage of the daily work load falls to the eight Associate Attorneys. These Junior Attorneys cost less than the Senior Attorneys and are relied upon to provide a wide range of deliverables such as legal research, brief writing, and daily interaction with the clients (customers) with minimal supervision. Other administrative duties are handled by the support teams. This talent pool consists primarily of Legal Assistants, Paralegals, Office Administration and Accounting. From a value chain perspective, Let’s break this down to the components of the value chain primary and support activities. It is likely that with the size of the firm that each position will serve multiple roles. The Value Chain helps us to find the pivotal Talent pools. the Owners, Associate Attorneys, Office Manager, Paralegals, and Legal Assistants would primarily be classified as Operations. They are running the operation and creating the â€Å"product† on a daily basis. However, in small organizations such as this, parts of the team will multitask into other value chain components. For instance, the Owners will manage sales and marketing by continuous client maintenance, as well as searching out new clients and landing new accounts. The Office Administrator and Office Manager do an excellent job of handling the HR function. Technology is a support function that is wholly outsourced. Three talent pools are readily identified as critical to the strategy (service, quality, reputation); the Owners, the Associate Attorneys, and Support Staff. The question to be answered in identifying which of these three is most pivotal is as follows: â€Å"for a given investment in either training of or recruiting in the talent pool could be any component of the HCA but you are getting ahead of yourself. , which would yield the largest improvements in the strategic elements? † Figure 1 illustrates the findings. Figure [ 1 ] The Owners are all senior, experienced Attorneys. They have demonstrated the ability to be effective at building relationships with the clients, delivering quality product, and protecting the brand. As such, the performance versus strategic value curve is fairly flat (once you get to the acceptable threshold). The Associate Attorneys vary in experience. There are junior Attorneys here that can show significant improvement through hands-on training programs (internal), continuing legal education (outside training programs), and active mentoring. Also, consider that these Associate Attorneys are responsible for a significant percentage of the work and client interactions. This is where the product quality and service elements are visibly manifested. Consequently, an investment in this pool has a significant payback. This can be illustrated by the higher slope on the yield curve. The support function includes a wide range of specific positions but most of them have a much higher level of supervision, less interaction with the customer, and their final work is screened by one of the attorney groups. As such their yield curve is dampened. There is still significant potential, but it is much less than that of the Associate Attorneys. This analysis identifies the Associate Attorneys as the Pivotal Talent Pool. The positions within this pool are fairly standard so the pivotal position is that of â€Å"Associate Attorney. Would the performance of the firm as defined in the strategy execution and support of competitive advantage improve if a 20% increase in quant or qual? The Associate Attorneys are pivotal due to their significant amount of customer contact and their room for growth. To identify the pivotal role challenges, we must identify the strategic deliverables for the position. For superior ser vice, we have identified a number of elements including: responsiveness to client demands; developing personal relationships; positive attitude; and dependability (delivering on commitments). Are these critical outcomes to support strategy execution? Do you have these from Del #1? The Associate Attorneys work with the clients on a daily basis. This is a pivotal role challenge. How does this interaction go? Are the associates attentive and positive? Do they connect with the client on a personal basis such that they build durable relationships? Are they participating in social events designed to strengthen and build these relationships? Demonstrating these behaviors will be critical. The associate Attorneys can be developed and trained and certain metrics can be used for elements like responsiveness. Others such as relationship building and positive attitude will require work in recruiting the right people and assimilating the existing culture. Customer feedback mechanisms should also be developed and maintained. Some customers already provide individual and firm-wide â€Å"report cards. † In addition to the pivotal role challenge as it relates to customer interaction, another pivotal challenge exists with respect to Associate Attorney interaction within the legal community at large. It is the development of these relationships that ultimately serve as the underpinnings of the relationship between the Firm and its primary customers. This is also critical in maintaining the reputation of the Firm. Within this component, relationships with judges, court personnel, opposing attorneys, and competitors are critical. Metrics can be developed to monitor the Associate Attorneys’ development with respect to these other peer groups (by speaking with the judge, opposing counsel, other attorneys involved in a particular case during the course of or at the conclusion of a particular case. Most of these other peer groups are willing to share specific information concerning attorney development and this information can be analyzed to determine whether it conforms with existing reputation standards and Firm specific cultural norms. Table 1 provides a list of skills identified as critical to delivering product quality. Table 1: Attorney Skills critical to product quality| Reporting skills| | Interaction skills| | Specific skills| Writing| | Negotiating| | Mediation| Research| | Advocacy| | Trial| Analytical| | Persuasiveness| | Interrogation| | | Speaking| | | These really belong in Del #3 – performance drivers. All of these skills can be improved through targeted training. Many are best filled by good recruiting and hiring systems. The pivot role challenges occur when the product is delivered. Does it meet the Firm’s standards? These pivot role challenges can occur as the Associate Attorney is attending a pre-trial or in mediating, arbitrating or trying a case. It can happen when they are in front of a judge advocating a position on behalf of their customer. They can occur when a brief or report is being delivered to the customer. Product quality deliverables have some tangible elements that can be measured. Standards can be developed for brief writing and other report deliverables. Mediation, arbitration and trial protocols can be developed to set a standard. In summary, the Associate Attorney is identified as the pivotal position. Pivot Role Challenges center around; customer interactions in support of the Service and Reputation strategic elements, the interaction within the general legal community in support of the Reputation, and the state of the final product in support of the Product Quality strategic element.

Butterflies and Moths, Order Lepidoptera

Butterflies and Moths, Order Lepidoptera The name Lepidoptera means â€Å"scale wings.† Take a close look at the wings of these insects and you will see overlapping scales, like shingles on a roof. The order Lepidoptera includes butterflies and moths and is the second largest group in the insect world. Description The scaly wings of Lepidopteran insects come in two pairs and are often quite colorful. To identify a specific butterfly or moth, you will usually need to look at the colors and unique markings on the wings. Insects in this group have large compound eyes. Above each compound eye is a simple eye called an ocellus. Adult Lepidoptera has mouthparts formed into a sucking tube, or proboscis, which is used to drink nectar. The larvae, commonly called caterpillars, have chewing mouthparts and are herbivorous. Butterflies and moths can be differentiated by looking at the shape of their antennae. To find out more, read Differences Between Butterflies and Moths. Habitat and Distribution Butterflies and moths live in a variety of land habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Their distribution is dependent on their food source. Habitat must provide the appropriate host plants for the caterpillars, and good nectar sources for the adults. Major Families in the Order Nymphalidae - brush-footed butterfliesPapillionidae – swallowtailsHesperiidae – skippersSaturniidae - giant silk mothsLymantriidae - tussock mothsNoctuidae - loopers, owlet moths, and underwings Species of Interest Danaus plexippus, the monarch butterfly, is the only butterfly in the world to migrate in two directions.Ornithoptera alexandrae (Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing) is the world’s largest butterfly, with a wingspan of up to 12 inches.Bombyx mori is no longer found in the wild. The Silkworm moth has been bred in captivity for thousands of years.Actias luna, the Luna moth, is one of the most beautiful and colorful moths. It is a common moth in the eastern U.S.

Jazz Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Jazz - Research Proposal Example It was only associated to music around 1915 when it was constantly played in Chicago and then it was indelibly called JAZZ music. Throughout the 19th century, there was a growing interaction between black and white people in the United States. This meeting of cultures led to the merging of two musical ethnicities, and the combination of which inspired the development of JAZZ. This type of musical genus was born in America. During the time African slaves were brought to the United States, these slaves preserved much of their culture. The city of New Orleans in Louisiana had a â€Å"population of white settlers, black slaves, and mixed race, most notably the descendants of French and Spanish settlers and blacks known as the Creoles.† (The Story of Music Vol. 5 1) Plantation slaves meet at the Congo Square were they dance to African drumming. Even after the time slavery was abolished during the Civil War, the Congo Square remained to be the favorite meeting venue to perform African rhythm which was soon picked up by other local bands. â€Å"They were black bands made up of freed slaves and house servants throughout the South.† (The Story of Music Vol. 5 2) New Orleans then became the birthplace of jazz being the most prolific ground for the expression of black music. One facet is their musical culture, including rhythms, songs and dances, wherein African Americans were introduced to the European and white popular music. Likewise, European Americans were introduced to the â€Å"off-beat† rhythms and various pitches used in the African melody. For that reason, the development of jazz which became the most important music genres of the 20th century came into being. Jazz is said to be America’s greatest contribution to music. Its impact on American society has been massive and its influence on world culture has been far reaching. â€Å"Its message has been direct, vital, and immediate, enabling it to hurdle cultural,

Risk management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Risk management - Assignment Example This is because organizations that perform risk assessment effectively operate more efficiently and have a better understanding of their industries. Risk assessment is used in determining the type and level of risks involved in business operations and processes. It is also used to determine the degree of risk that can be incurred without negative ramifications (Tarsus, 2014). Businesses use internal or external risk management professionals to determine the risks involved in different organizational plans and how they can be managed. Before carrying out risk assessment, specific processes must be initiated to facilitate the whole exercise from start to finish. These include pre-planning, which involves setting the scope and breadth of the exercise, selecting individuals to carry out the exercise and budgeting (Moss, 2014). There is no set time for carrying out risk assessment. It can always be scheduled depending on an organization’s needs and activities. Some organizations like to plan them to coincide with other assessments while others prefer to conduct them exclusively (Aven, Baraldi, Zio, & Flage, 2014). Risk assessment is also done when projects are being commissioned, and the organization needs to understand what it is up against in terms of possible losses and difficulties. Aven, T., Baraldi, P., Zio, E., & Flage, R. (2014). Uncertainty in risk assessment: The representation and treatment of uncertainties by probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods (Illustrated ed.). New York: John Wiley &

Synchronization Of Federal And Dod Procurement Policies And Ethical Standards Essay Example for Free

Synchronization Of Federal And Dod Procurement Policies And Ethical Standards Essay The United States is not just admired of its technological advancement, its economic status and its military power but also of its sound and tight laws including its internal rules and regulations covering government agencies. In the case of the Department of Defense, Federal Laws and rules were kept updated as much as possible in the sense that revisions of internal policies were carried out. New versions of rules and regulations kept on coming in with reference to new laws or executive orders being approved and released. The biggest problem however, as it has also been with other agencies is that there is indeed a lack of strict implementation of such rules and regulations. This problem is proven by the increasing number of fraud cases in the procurement transactions undergone by the DOD. In order for us to find the flaw on the implementation system, let us evaluate the performance of the agencies wherein policy implementation on DOD were being delegated and entrusted. These agencies were not merely responsible for the implementation of the policies and procedures, specifically on procurement process but also for its monitoring. Let us closely look into the Office of the Government Ethics which is, according to Executive Order 12731, will be responsible for the administration of Principles Of Ethical Conduct For Government Officers And Employees. Specifically, EO 12731 (Section 201) should be administered by: (a) Promulgating, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Office of Personnel Management, regulations that establish a single, comprehensive, and clear set of executive-branch standards of conduct that shall be objective, reasonable, and enforceable. b) Developing, disseminating, and periodically updating an ethics manual for employees of the executive branch describing the applicable statutes, rules, decisions, and policies. (c) Promulgating, with the concurrence of the Attorney General, regulations interpreting the provisions of the post-employment statute, section 207 of title 18, United States Code; the general conflict-of-interest statute, section 208 of title 18, United States Code; and the statute prohibiting supplementation of salaries, section 209 of title 18, United States Code. d) Promulgating, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Office of Personnel Management, the regulations establishing a system of nonpublic (confidential) financial disclosure by executive branch employees to complement the system of public disclosure under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Such regulations shall include criteria to guide agencies in determining which employees shall submit these reports. (e) Ensuring that any implementing regulations issued by agencies under this order are consistent with and promulgated in accordance with this order.  The main point of determining the responsibilities of the Office of the Government Ethics is to have a clear basis of determining who is supposed to be overseeing the ethical policies and the implementation thereof. Since this office has been specially designated for such a responsibility, it is expected that it should have specially designed delegation and communication tools of coordinating such policies to other agencies under it. The methods are clear: promulgation, delegation, consultation and dissemination of the policies and procedures with other agencies and of course DOD is not an exemption. It is therefore but fair to conclude that communication tools and the power to use them are available at anytime for the Office of the Government of Ethics to use for synchronizing policies throughout all agencies. Section 301 of Executive Order 12731 specifies how synchronization of ethical policies and standards should be done through the specifications of the responsibilities of the Office of the Government of Ethics. This section directs the agency to : a) Supplement, as necessary and appropriate, the comprehensive executive branch-wide regulations of the Office of Government Ethics, with regulations of special applicability to the particular functions and activities of that agency. Any supplementary agency regulations shall be prepared as addenda to the branch-wide regulations and promulgated jointly with the Office of Government Ethics, at the agencys expense, for inclusion in Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (b) Ensure the review by all employees of this order and regulations promulgated pursuant to the order. c) Coordinate with the Office of Government Ethics in developing annual agency ethics training plans. Such training shall include mandatory annual briefings on ethics and standards of conduct for all employees appointed by the President, all employees in the Executive Office of the President, all officials required to file public or nonpublic financial disclosure reports, all employees who are contracting officers and procurement officials, and any other employees designated by the agency head. d) Where practicable, consult formally or informally with the Office of Government Ethics prior to granting any exemption under section 208 of title 18, United States Code, and provide the Director of the Office of Government Ethics a copy of any exemption granted. (e) Ensure that the rank, responsibilities, authority, staffing, and resources of the Designated Agency Ethics Official are sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of the agency ethics program. Support should include the provision of a separate budget line item for ethics activities, where practicable. The enumeration of such responsibilities appears to be just a matter of written rules for federal agencies. This is especially in the procurement process where more and more people are getting involved in procurement fraud. Every year, millions and millions of dollars are being recovered by the Department of Justice for running after the contractors and DOD personnel who acted in bad faith. Looking at the brighter side of things however, it can be stipulated that such events can be considered an indicator that these policies and rules on ethical standards are now being implemented quite well. Either way, we cannot consider each effort to be successful not until we have the occurrences of fraud lessen to a considerable amount. What should always be the goal is zero tolerance of any type of fraud. The synchronization efforts of the federal government must go beyond the circle of agencies. It is always recommended that the lawmakers be vigilant enough in evaluating every policy and laws governing the federal procurement process. It is their job to look into the flaws in the laws and recommend better and more efficient laws to be implemented. To be fair with enforcement agencies, policies are now in the process of strict implementation as more and more efforts are being done to revise and tighten procurement rules especially in contracting data. The government’s central repository of contracting data has long been criticized for being incomplete and inaccurate. Last year, the Office of Management and Budget launched an effort to clean up what gets fed into the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) by directing agencies to sample their data for accuracy. The Defense Department is still working on validating its data. Depending on the agency, data is accurately entered into FPDS between 85 percent and 100 percent of the time. Automated reporting has made it easier for agencies to load data into the system and reduced the errors associated with manual entry under the old system. But the volume of contracts has grown, making the issue of validating data more important and more challenging. While the quality of the data in the database is improving, there are still problems, say some critics who use FPDS regularly. Even with automated reporting and validation steps, people entering data still make mistakes the current software can’t catch. The rate the accuracy of the data is a seven out of 10. The new certification requirement has raised the importance of data accuracy to the highest levels of management. Agencies are much more focused on getting data right than they have been in the past. With more than $400 billion spent through procurements each year, the data is critical to managing functions and determining the type of staffing needed, OMB procurement policy chief, in a March memo to agencies. The launch of the federal spending Web site, USASpending. gov, in December has given new insight into the accuracy concerns with FPDS. As of Jan. 31, 6 percent, or $23 billion, of the 2007 contract dollars reported in the system had an unknown level of competition, which means a box in FPDS didn’t get checked. The inaccuracies found in FPDS come from the push to be current, which meant GSA had to relax some of the verification rules. The government had the option of waiting months for perfect data or entering data as contracts were awarded to provide transparency. GSA is seeking smarter validation technologies when it upgrades to the next generation of FPDS in 2010. Instead of simply telling users which fields in their system are missing, GSA hopes to create a system where fields can be compared to make sure the data makes sense, Fornecker said. For example, the system would be able to flag a $6 billion award to a small business or question conflicting information, such as when a contract award is labeled as â€Å"not competed† even though two or more bids were received. The Defense Department won’t have an assessment of the accuracy of its data until spring, said Shay Assad, the department’s procurement policy chief. Software bugs and missing data fields in FPDS were causing some inaccuracies, and those are being fixed, Assad said. The biggest cause for inaccurate data is human error, but system errors also play a role. For example, the Energy Department reported that between 8 percent and 17 percent of its errors came from how FPDS interpreted the data sent by its contract writing system. The remaining errors were human errors, according to the Energy report. The ever-popular multiple-award contracts — long praised by acquisition professionals and contractors as a speedy way to get competitively priced goods and services without threat of protest — are about to get a makeover. The conference report for the Defense authorization bill includes a new rule that would give contractors who are eligible to bid on a multiple-award contract order the right to protest an order worth more than $10 million. The White House and industry have opposed this provision, claiming it would promote unnecessary litigation. Contracting officers would also be prohibited from awarding a task order worth more than $100 million to a single contractor without written justification, further limiting how the contracts are used. The conference report also includes another controversial provision that would require agencies to report all critical inspector general audit findings, including questioned costs, to Congress. Industry groups have opposed this provision saying it could misrepresent routine audit questions and misunderstandings as major contracting irregularities. Other contracting provisions in the bill include: new associate administrator position within the Office of Management and Budget’s procurement policy office that will be dedicated to acquisition work force programs, permanent acquisition work force training fund, and contingency contracting training for people outside the acquisition profession including whistleblower rights for contractor employees. One more thing to reconsider in the policies synchronization is training needs. A yet-unreleased survey of government acquisition employees shows the work force needs more training in contract negotiations, program management and performance-based contracting, a White House official said today. OMB is working with Federal Acquisition Institute and the Defense Acquisition Institute to craft training that targets these and other areas identified in the survey, he said. OMB has approached Congress to renew procurement offices’ direct hire authority, which expired on Sept. 30, to allow agencies to quickly fill these critical positions, he said. OMB is also encouraging agencies to rehire retirees to train and mentor new workers and fill openings. Apart from training rules synchronization, the Department of Defense is also accused of discrimination is hiring or employment procedures including contract awarding against minorities and women. Still, this issue is an important consideration in ethical rules and standards set by the Federal Government. There are critics in an online publication that pinpoints the following areas of improvement in relation to ethical rules synchronization: Reorganization: Some observers emphasize the need to rationalize and coordinate the web of federal programs serving minority- and women-owned firms. For example, in 1992 the U. S. Commission on Minority Business recommended the creation within the Commerce Department of an Administration for the Development of Historically Underutilized Businesses which would assume SBAs responsibilities. Graduation: The program now requires graduation after nine years, and has phased requirements of non-8(a) and non-federal business mix designed to wean firms from sheltered competition and dependency on federal contracting. In February 1995, of the 1,038 firms in the fifth through ninth year of  §8(a) participation, nearly two-thirds met or exceeded the minimum non-8(a) business levels. Some observers have emphasized the need for analogous graduation and business-mix requirements in the DOD and DOT programs. Regional/Sectoral Concentration: Our analysis found SDB contracts and limited competition concentrated in certain industries and regions, which is undesirable for minority and non-minority firms alike. For example, while DODs overall goal for SDBs was only 5 percent, more than 35 percent of all DOD construction awards went to SDBs, and more than two-thirds of these were awarded under sheltered competition. Moreover, in ten States, more than 40 percent of all construction contracts awarded to small business was awarded to SDBs. This concentration occurs at particular sites as well, where in rare instances virtually all small business contracting is with SDBs. On the other hand, some degree of sectoral concentration in SDB procurements is inevitable to balance the many sites and sub-industries with virtually no SDB participation, and huge procurements for weapons systems and the like, for which no SDBs are available as prime contractors, and still too few as major subcontractors. Additional efforts are clearly needed to expand SDB opportunities more broadly. Self-Certification: Because DODs program is based on self-certification by SDBs, it may be prone to abuse, particularly through front companies. For example, DODs IG investigated Tyco Manufacturing and referred the case to the US Attorney. The companys owner pled guilty to charges that he falsely represented his firm as Hispanic-owned and controlled. Top officials of Automated Data Management, Inc. were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government for concealing the firms ownership structure to participate in the  §8(a) program. Self-certification has obvious advantages in terms of reduced administrative expense and regulatory intrusion. Nevertheless, this must be balanced with the importance of ensuring that affirmative action measures are fair, which means as free of abuses as can reasonably be achieved. Subcontracting: In FY 1993, the most recent data available, small businesses received about $63 billion of federal contract dollars, out of roughly $180 billion in total. About one-third of that amount was from subcontracting. SDBs, on the other hand, received a little over $13 billion in federal contract dollars, but only one-sixth of that was through subcontracting. These figures are consistent with the widely held view that SDBs face greater obstacles to subcontracting participation than do other small firms. The SBA and other agencies believe that expanding the use of SDBs in subcontracting is both feasible and desirable as a strategy for creating more SDB opportunities. Other Program Changes: Several earlier analyses by the GAO, the SBA Inspector General and commentators have raised criticisms of the  §8(a) program, several of which SBA is moving to address by aggressively implementing recent statutory amendments which had languished under the prior Administration. These are reviewed more specifically immediately below. Past criticisms are that too many  §8(a) contracts were awarded on a sole-source basis, i. e. , without competition of any kind. This criticism has largely been addressed by recent and pending reforms. The 1988 law reforming the  §8(a) program requires that companies in the program compete among themselves for contracts valued at $3 million or more. (There is a higher competition threshold of $5 million for manufactured goods. Currently, however, many of the larger  §8(a) contracts are open-ended agreements that started out as small contracts and grew well beyond the competition threshold when a contracting officer renewed the order. To increase the number of contracts available for competition, SBA has proposed regulations to change this procedure so that an estimated value will be set on these open-ended contracts, which probably will be higher than the initial value. This means more  §8(a) contracts will be subject to competitive bidding among participating firms. In all these cases, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy must now especially tighten its implementation techniques. This office does have around $350 billion annual spending (Office of the Federal Procurement Policy, Whitehouse, 2008). According to their website, The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) in the Office of Management and Budget â€Å"plays a central role in shaping the policies and practices federal agencies use to acquire the goods and services they need to carry out their responsibilities. Established by Congress in 1974, OFPP is designed to provide overall direction for government-wide procurement policies, regulations and procedures. Given special authority for the procurement policy administration and implementation, OFPP is expected to find the means of having such procurement policies implemented in accordance with the Federal Ethical Standards. OFPP’s statutory authorities and responsibilities are set forth in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, 41 U. S. C. 401, et seq. OFPP’s primary responsibilities. First, it is appointed to oversee the development of acquisition regulations. The Office’s primary focus is on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the government-wide regulation governing agency acquisitions of goods and services. OFPP staffs are to review and coordinate such changes with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. It is also its responsibility to formulate and coordinate acquisition legislation. OFPP oversees the formulation of the executive branch position on all legislation relating to procurement. In close consultation with the major procuring agencies, OFPP develops legislative proposals for the Administration and formulates positions on congressional bills addressing acquisition issues. OFPP staff works with OMB’s Legislative Reference Division, Office of Legislative Affairs, and congressional committees to explain and refine legislation as it proceeds through hearings, markups and conference to final passage. Apart from this, OFPP is required to lead the activities of the Chief Acquisition Officers Council (CAOC). The OFPP Administrator leads the Council’s activities on behalf of OMB’s Deputy Director for Management, who officially serves as the Chair. OFPP staff provides support to each of the Council’s working groups, which currently are focusing on competitive sourcing, contracting with small businesses, human capital, electronic government, performance management, and contingency contracting. The office also is responsible for collecting, developing, and disseminating procurement data. This responsibility is accomplished through several government-wide data collection tools, the most significant being the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). OFPP directs the Federal Acquisition Institute to improve the caliber and professionalism of the acquisition workforce. For example, FAI provides core acquisition training and workforce support to the civilian acquisition community and actively partners with the Defense Acquisition University to leverage workforce development opportunities. In 2004, OFPP chartered a Board of Directors, which reports to the OFPP Administrator, and ensures that FAI’s focus is synchronized with government-wide policy priorities. OFPP is responsible for developing policies, in consultation with SBA, that promote maximum participation of small businesses in government contracts. Lastly, it serves as Chair of the Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB), an independent board which has exclusive authority to establish standards for use by contractors and subcontractors to achieve uniformity and consistency in the measurement, assignment and allocation of costs to government contracts. The CASB’s cost accounting standards are promulgated as regulations. OFPP provides staff support to the CASB. It is now but fair enough to say that Federal Laws on Ethical Standards relative to procurement policies are well defined, clear and tight enough. The problem arises on the implementation of such rules. It is therefore a strong recommendation to begin the strict implementation of such policies as soon as possible. The step can rightfully begins with appointing or hiring able, dedicated people to oversee the agency and those people whose morality and principle cannot be bought by material things, especially with money where the Federal government and the Department of Defense are undeniably abundant of.

The Plastic Pink Flamingo :: Literary Analysis, Jennifer Price

Since the 1930's, plastic pink flamingos have been a trendy statement piece at hotels and in yards across the country. Jennifer Price, the author of "The Plastic Pink Flamingo: A Natural History", uses tone, satire, and diction to show her view on United States culture. Price's view is that United States culture is flashy, cocky, and that Americans tend to try and stand out to get attention. "The pink flamingo splashed into the fifties market, it staked" (Price lines 1-2). Plastic flamingos are unable to splash like real flamingos, therefore Price is demonstrating satire. Also, the plastic flamingos are staked into the ground. "Americans had been flocking to Florida" (Price line 4) is humorous because the Americans flocking to the southern east coast like flamingos. The plastic pink flamingo became "synonymous with wealth and pizzazz"(Price line7-8). After the Great depression and the war, Americans had a lot of pride for their country, and this was one way of showing it. "This was a little ironic, since Americans had hunted flamingos to extinction in Florida" (Price lines 13-14). Price may be putting down American because Americans tend to follow the crowd and copy what everyone else is doing. The flamingo could be a metaphor of how Americans are followers and do not come up with their own ideas. The plastic pink flamingo gave an "extra fillip of boldness" (Price line 20). The flamingo was a way for Americans to stand out in the crowd and be noticed. Americans were flashy, cocky, and maybe even a little bit conceited. "And the Flamingo was pink- a second and commensurate claim to boldness" (Price lines 30-31). American culture is very flashy and bold. By being bold and flashy, it makes Americans stand out from the crowd and be noticed. Pink was the thing to have, it showed wealth and status. "The hues were forward-looking rather than old-fashioned" (Price lines 36-37). The pink flamingos were a way for the Americans to show pride after World War II. The plastic flamingos were the Americans' way of coming back out after the Depression and the war. They are the symbol that marks the beginning of a new era. "Even a real flamingo is brighter that anything else around it" (Price lines 48-49). The Americans wanted to be recognized after the war and show their pride for their country. The flamingo was a symbol of status and power.

Why People Want to Study in My University

Why people want to study at FMI Plovdiv University Essay People study in Plovdiv University for many different reasons. I think the most important reason is to gain more knowledge and develop their skills in an area. Of course, there are also many other reasons that people study in the university such as to get more friends. These days, most jobs require people who are educated and have good job skills. Therefore, the people who want a good job have to study hard and at least graduate with a high education.I think that Plovdiv University is the right place to acquire an increased knowledge, especially professional knowledge for a particular job. The new, valuable experiences people get while studying at Plovdiv University are another good reason. Going to the university is so much different from high school, it’s like living in a new environment. For many students away from their home and family, the university is the new home where they’ll have an independent life.This is where they get’ll get to know new people, experience new things and prepare for the life in the future. So, besides the knowledge, people want to study here because they want to see what it’s like living in the real world. Plovdiv, as a big city, offers lots of new experiences and opportunities, especially for people coming from small cities. People want to study in Plovdiv university because of the variety of courses they can choose from, the quality of education they get, and the opportunities the big city (Plovdiv) offers after graduation.

DNA Extraction Essay

Much can be learned from studying an organisms DNA. The first step to doing this is extracting DNA from cells. In this experiment, you will isolate DNA from the cells of fruit. Materials (1) 10 mL Graduated Cylinder(2) 100 mL Beakers15 cm Cheesecloth1 Resealable Bag1 Rubber Band (Large. Contains latex pleasewear gloves when handling if you have a latex allergy).Standing Test TubeWooden Stir StickFresh, Soft Fruit (e.g., Grapes, Strawberries, Banana, etc.) ScissorsDNA Extraction SolutionIce Cold EthanolYou Must ProvideContains sodium chloride, detergent and waterFor ice cold ethanol, store in the freezer 60 minutes before use. Procedure If you have not done so, prepare the ethanol by placing it in a freezer for approximately 60 minutes. Put pieces of a soft fruit into a plastic zipper bag and mash with your fist. The amount of food should be equal to the size of approximately five grapes. Use the 10 mL graduated cylinder to measure 10 mL of the DNA Extraction Solution. Transfer the solution from the cylinder to the bag with the fruit it in. Seal the bag completely. Mix well by kneading the bag for two minutes. Create a filter by placing the center of the cheesecloth over the mouth of the standing test tube, pushing it into the tube about two inches, and securing the cheesecloth with a rubber band around the top of the test tube. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag and filter your extraction by pouring it into the cheesecloth. You will need to keep the filtered solution which passes through the cheese cloth into the standing test tube. Rinse the 10 mL graduated cylinder, and measure five mL of ice-cold ethanol. Then, while holding the standing test tube at a 45 angle, slowly transfer the ethanol into the standing test tube with the filtered solution. The color has been enhanced by dying the fruit with a substance that glows under black light.DNA will precipitate (come out of solution) after the ethanol has been added to the solution. Let the test tube sit undisturbed for 2 – 5 minutes. You should begin to see air bubbles form at the boundary line between the ethanol and the filtered fruit solution. Bubbles will form near the top, and you will eventually see the DNA float to the top of the ethanol. Gently insert the stir stick into the test tube. Slowly raise and lower the tip several times to spool and collect the DNA. If there is an insufficient  amount of DNA available, it may not float to the top of the solution in a form that can be easily spooled or removed from the tube. However, the DNA will still be visible as white/clear clusters by gently stirring the solution and pushing the clusters around the top. Post-Lab Questions What is the texture and consistency of the DNA DNA is viscous and greasy. Why did we use a sa lt in the extraction solution High salt makes DNA less soluble in water. In order to dissolve, the water needs to interact with the DNA. Since DNA is quite large, it needs to interact with lots of water for this purpose. When you add salt, the water preferentially interacts with the salt (its small, and can move around in solution easier than the DNA can). This makes it so there is less water available to interact with the DNA and it becomes less soluble. Is the DNA soluble in the aqueous solution or alcohol DNA is less soluble in an alcohol such as isopropanol than it is in water. This is because alcohols are non-polar, whereas water is polar. The polar water molecule is much better at distributing the negative charge on DNA, causing it to remain in solution. However, since alcohol is non-polar, the negatively charged molecules of DNA tend to group together, forming clumps, which precipitate out of the alcohol solution. What else might be in the ethanol/aqueous interface How could you eliminate this When you precipitate the solution with cold ethanol 70 you would have a mix of DNA, RNA and some soluble salts. You should be able to centrifuge again so the DNA/RNA forms a pellet and drain the liquid out. Which DNA bases pair with each other How many hydrogen bonds are shared by each pair How is information to make proteins passed on through generations Watch the following Virtual Lab demonstrating DNA Extraction. In this experiment, how do the Lysis Solution and the Salt Solution vary by function Identify one step which was included in the Virtual Lab which was not required in the hands-on experiment. Then, identify one step which was included in the hands-on experiment, but not the virtual lab.

Free Essays on What Is Transference

WHAT IS TRANSFERENCE? Transference, as defines by our book â€Å"Theories of Personality†, is the â€Å"strong, undeserved feelings that the patient develops toward the analyst during the course of treatment. These feelings may be either sexual or hostile, but they stem from the patient’s earlier experiences with the parents†. Meaning patients treat the analyst the same way they had treated their parents in the past. Transference can be positive or negative or counter. Positive transference is the projection of positive, good feelings from the patient to the analyst. According to Freud as long as there was positive transference in a therapy session, transference does not interfere with the healing process. Positive transference lets the patient relive childhood experiences in a non-threatening environment. Talking about these experiences gets the patient to realize what the problem is and they are able to control it or eventually cure themselves. Negative transference is the projection of negative feelings and thoughts from the patient to the analyst. Negative transference means that the patient is resisting the treatment. They will have to get over the fact that they are they and that they need help. â€Å"Resistance can be a positive sign because it indicates that therapy has advanced beyond superficial material†. Countertransference is projection of feelings from the analyst to the patient, whether positive or negative. Carl Jung was the first to see and understand countertransference. Countertransference can be a help or a hindrance to a session depending on whether it leads to a better therapist-patient relationship. Sigmund Freud was the first person to realize that transference is necessary for a complete and successful therapy session. Transference is used to make what is unconscious conscious. In several sessions Freud started to see that patients would often react to him as though he were their mom or d... Free Essays on What Is Transference Free Essays on What Is Transference WHAT IS TRANSFERENCE? Transference, as defines by our book â€Å"Theories of Personality†, is the â€Å"strong, undeserved feelings that the patient develops toward the analyst during the course of treatment. These feelings may be either sexual or hostile, but they stem from the patient’s earlier experiences with the parents†. Meaning patients treat the analyst the same way they had treated their parents in the past. Transference can be positive or negative or counter. Positive transference is the projection of positive, good feelings from the patient to the analyst. According to Freud as long as there was positive transference in a therapy session, transference does not interfere with the healing process. Positive transference lets the patient relive childhood experiences in a non-threatening environment. Talking about these experiences gets the patient to realize what the problem is and they are able to control it or eventually cure themselves. Negative transference is the projection of negative feelings and thoughts from the patient to the analyst. Negative transference means that the patient is resisting the treatment. They will have to get over the fact that they are they and that they need help. â€Å"Resistance can be a positive sign because it indicates that therapy has advanced beyond superficial material†. Countertransference is projection of feelings from the analyst to the patient, whether positive or negative. Carl Jung was the first to see and understand countertransference. Countertransference can be a help or a hindrance to a session depending on whether it leads to a better therapist-patient relationship. Sigmund Freud was the first person to realize that transference is necessary for a complete and successful therapy session. Transference is used to make what is unconscious conscious. In several sessions Freud started to see that patients would often react to him as though he were their mom or d...

Personal and Personally

Personal and Personally Personal and Personally Personal and Personally By Maeve Maddox Among the most popular words in common discourse these days are personal and personally. A web search for personal brings up more than 900 million hits. Overused crazy, with 274 million, doesn’t come close. Bloggers and commenters use personal and personally with abandon: In my personal opinion, the reading comprehension section is the most difficult to study for and to succeed in. I personally don’t know why she went out with him in the first place. I personally find myself to be quite hilarious. This is just my own personal opinion so I am sorry if I offended you. Various businesses offer customers â€Å"personal diets,† â€Å"personal checks,† and â€Å"personal financial plans.† Experts of this and that encourage people to develop â€Å"personal strengths† and â€Å"personal styles.† So, when are the words personal and personally called for, and when are they redundant or incorrect? 1. Personally is used correctly when a person does something that ordinarily would be done by a minion: Eric Holder Personally Signed warrant to search James Rosen’s emails. Danny Zarka is first in line to collect his PS3 in Sydney, which was handed to him personally by Sonys local managing director. 2. Personally is redundant when used to modify an action that requires the presence of the person doing it: My son shook hands personally with Tony Danza. (The speaker’s son had to be present to shake hands.) 3. The expressions â€Å"my personal opinion† and â€Å"I personally think† are not only redundant, they weaken whatever statement they relate to and do nothing to mitigate the person’s responsibility for the opinion. Note: The only time â€Å"I personally† makes sense is when the speaker has acted in contradiction of his own views. For example, â€Å"I voted to permit drilling, but I personally believe that fracking causes dangerous earth disturbances.† 4. The phrase â€Å"my own personal opinion† piles redundancy upon redundancy. The adjective personal means â€Å"individual, private, one’s own.† The adjective own means â€Å"possessed or owned by the person or thing indicated by the preceding noun, pronoun, or possessive adjective.† It is sufficient to say â€Å"in my opinion.† 5. Personal is sometimes used where the word personalized would be more appropriate. A â€Å"personal trainer† makes sense. In the context of â€Å"personal trainer,† â€Å"personal assistant,† or â€Å"personal maid,† the personal designates an employee attached to someone in a close or exclusive subordinate capacity. In the case of â€Å"personal diets,† â€Å"personal checks,† and â€Å"personal financial plans,† however, the sense is that the diets, checks, and financial plans will be designed to meet individual requirements, hence personalized: â€Å"Identifiable as belonging to a particular person or organization, especially by being marked with a name or set of initials. Also: designed or produced to meet individual requirements; customized. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingLetter Writing 101

Viable Research Topic Assessment And Information Source Evaluation Paper

Viable Topic Assessment And Information Source Evaluation - Research Paper Example ach my Research Proposal as a business plan of Payday Loan services to convenience stores, this are institutions providing credit services among other business functions. This topic is of great value as most people run out of cash from time to time during shopping; from the business point of view they are considered as potential target customers for the business (Miller, 2012). The business plan shall focus on the essential areas that make up a good and successful startup business. This information can be of great importance to the student thus useful for future endeavors. There are enough resources that will help during development of such a plan (Brooks & Dunn., 2009). With some guidance from other people the information can be helpful to present and future employers for reference, the same information can be obtained from libraries and other government resource centers online. With substantial information one is able to understand how to write a business plan of a professional sta ndard, by knowing the common elements of business plans. With a number of samples at hand one is enabled to write a professional plan (Harold & Heinz, 2008). The plan shall include the business structure of the company both in size and complexity. It shall also focus on the sources of funding for the business, the company description that is for this case it shall be lending institution that will more different from the banks, that is faster services and cheaper to the customers in terms of interest charges (Ireland, Hitt, & Hoskisson, 2009). The plan shall include the rules governing the services, the ways to earn income and also the procedures of hiring employees to the company. Licensing and other legal guidelines in the industry as set by the government shall be also an essential component of business plan (Braswell, R.McCarthy, & McCarthy, 2012). The main benefits of the payday loan services to customers is to save time used to process loans in banks, save money through the