Problems With Chainsaws Made in China

Problems With Chainsaws Made in China Inexpensive chainsaws made in China have drawn great interest in the past few years, including brands such as Blue Max, Zomax, and Showbull. It is easy to find these and other cheaply made chainsaws on various internet sites, but its typically not worth the risk of a bad-performing saw just to save a few dollars. Dont Buy Over the Internet Consumers have reported problems with chainsaws they purchased on the internet. As one buyer noted: I recently purchased a saw on the internet. I have to report that the saw is very poorly made (with) obviously poor quality control. The saw I purchased was not properly packed nor did it come with a manufacturers manual or thorough safety instructions. This consumers experience illustrates the danger of buying any chainsaw on the internet. A few tips for avoiding problems: Never buy a chainsaw without being able to see, touch and inspect it personally.If you buy a chainsaw over the internet, ensure that you receive at least a 30-day warranty.Buy chainsaws from trusted and well-reviewed companies, such as  Husqvarna, Stihl, and Echo, which are all well-made with sturdy parts. These companies have service departments in nearly every community in North America.Buy your chainsaw from a dealer. Most chainsaw dealers will not service saws sold at department stores- or those sold over the internet. So the money you save buying an inexpensive chainsaw will be lost if the saw breaks, unless you are a mechanic and can fix the chainsaw yourself. Youll be hard-pressed to find a shop that will repair these saws. Educate Yourself The problem is not so much in buying a Chinese-made chainsaw; the issue is purchasing any machine sight unseen. If you buy a Chinese chainsaw on the internet, you have no way to verify its quality, generally, are left without a warranty and have little recourse to repair the machine if it breaks. Though some of the Chinese chainsaws may carry respected brand names, they are often produced by any number of subcontracting firms.   Instead, take the time to educate yourself about the parts of a chainsaw, maintenance requirements, what youll be using the chainsaw for and even your level of expertise. If youre a beginner, for example, youll want to look for specific requirements for your first chainsaw. Chainsaw Journal suggests you examine such issues as kickback, bar length, and safety features. You cant carefully review any of these things if you buy your chainsaw over the internet from a company with which you are unfamiliar. Take It for a Test Drive Chainsaw manufacturers are using newer and lighter materials to build more powerful but durable machines. One of the most important questions to ask yourself when buying the saw is: How does it feel? If the chainsaw is too bulky, it will be harder to use. Some of the best chainsaws are small and light. Here are a few tips: Look for a  non-kickback attachment  to ensure your safety.Examine the chainsaw parts.Try out both gas- and electric-powered saws.   The main thing is to examine the saw yourself before buying. Thats something you cant do over the internet. Put on some work gloves, visit a few dealers and spend an hour or two trying out chainsaws. Thats the best way to ensure you buy a quality chainsaw that will last years.

Definition and Examples of Associative Meaning

Definition and Examples of Associative Meaning In semantics, associative meaning refers to the particular qualities or characteristics beyond the denotative meaning that people commonly think of (correctly or incorrectly) in relation to a word or phrase. Also known as  expressive meaning and stylistic meaning. In Semantics: The Study of Meaning (1974), British linguist Geoffrey Leech introduced the term associative meaning to refer to the various types of meaning that are distinct from denotation (or conceptual meaning): connotative, thematic, social, effective, reflective, and collocative. See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: Conceptual MeaningConnotationFigurative MeaningGlittering GeneralitiesMeaningPolysemyReflected MeaningSemanticsSemantic TransparencyStipulative DefinitionSubtextSynonymy Examples and Observations A good example of a common noun with an almost universal associative meaning is nurse. Most people automatically associate nurse with woman. This unconscious association is so widespread that the term male nurse has had to be coined to counteract its effect.(Sndor Hervey and Ian Higgins, Thinking French Translation: A Course in Translation Method, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2002)Cultural and Personal AssociationsA word can sweep by your ear and by its very sound suggest hidden meanings, preconscious association. Listen to these words: blood, tranquil, democracy. You know what they mean literally but you have associations with those words that are cultural, as well as your own personal associations.(Rita Mae Brown, Starting From Scratch. Bantam, 1988)Pig[W]hen some people hear the word pig they think of a particularly dirty and unhygienic animal. These associations are largely mistaken, at least in comparison with most other farm animals (although their association with various cultural tradi tions and related emotional responses are real enough), so we would probably not include these properties in the connotations of the word. But the associative meaning of a word often has very powerful communicative and argumentative consequences, so it is important to mention this aspect of meaning.(Jerome E. Bickenbach and Jacqueline M. Davies, Good Reasons for Better Arguments: An Introduction to the Skills and Values of Critical Thinking. Broadview Press, 1998) Conceptual Meaning and Associative MeaningWe can . . . make a broad distinction between conceptual meaning and associative meaning. Conceptual meaning covers those basic, essential components of meaning that are conveyed by the literal use of a word. It is the type of meaning that dictionaries are designed to describe. Some of the basic components of a word like needle in English might include thin, sharp, steel instrument. These components would be part of the conceptual meaning of needle. However, different people might have different associations or connotations attached to a word like needle. They might associate it with pain, or illness, or blood, or drugs, or thread, or knitting, or hard to find (especially in a haystack), and these associations may differ from one person to the next. These types of associations are not treated as part of the words conceptual meaning. . . .Poets, songwriters, novelists, literary critics, advertisers, and lovers may all be interested in how word s can evoke certain aspects of associative meaning, but in linguistic semantics, were more concerned with trying to analyze conceptual meaning.(George Yule, The Study of Language, 4th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2010) The Lighter Side of Associative MeaningMichael Bluth: What do you think of when you hear the word, Sudden Valley?George Michael Bluth: Salad dressing, I think. But for some reason, I dont want to eat it.Michael Bluth: Right. But Paradise Gardens?George Michael Bluth: Yeah. Okay, I can see marinating a chicken in that.(Jason Bateman and Michael Cera in Switch Hitter. Arrested Development, 2005)

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Leadership and Commitment 16 4.5. Application of Concepts 16 Figure 2: The Concept of TQM 16 16 4.6. Future of TQM 17 Section 5 – Implementation of TQM in the Operational Process of Chevrolet 18 5.1. Process/ Prevention 18 5.2. Training and Education 18 5.3. Empowerment/ Organisation 19 Figure 3: TQM Process of General Motors 19 Section 6 – Conclusion 20 20 References 21 Section 1 – Introduction With the increasing influence of globalisation, the business environment is becoming more complex and wider affecting almost every organisation irrespective of its organisational structure and operations. Consequently, the competition is also at a rise due to which the competitive firms are focussed on developing competitive strategies, such as differentiation strategies, diversification strategies among others. It is in this context that the organisations are also considering the aspect of Total Quality Management (TQM). From the managerial perspective, TQM refers to a p hilosophy and/or a paradigm which is emphasised on continuous improvements of products and/or services. It is often defined as a comprehensive management process which principally focuses on the aspect of continuous quality improvement. To be precise, the TQM approach intends to satisfy the customers’ and/or the owners’ needs with efficiency and is driven by the continuous improvement of the entire operation process (PHCC Educational Foundation, 1996). With this virtue, the objective of the paper is to study the TQM approach adapted by General Motors (GM) in order to provide quality services to the potential customers and/or owners of Chevrolet. Thereby, the discussion of the paper will intend to identify the various attributes of the operational process of GM. It shall also consider reviewing various literatures relevant to the topic in order to contextualise the findings comprehensively. Section 2 – Context: Company XYZ Logistics Chevrolet is a world renowned brand and is owned by GM, an American auto maker which is also recognised as one of the market leaders in the international automotive industry. Besides other brands owned by the company, Chevrolet happens to be one of the most popular and successful brands marketed by GM. It was first introduced in the market during early 1900s and since then it has gained a remarkable growth in the international platform. Notably, it is marketed in 130 different countries including UK and other major countries of the European region with average sales of 3.5 million vehicles annually (Chevrolet Europe, 2010). 2.1. Main Products, Services and Customers Chevrolet is a major brand manufactured and marketed under the policies of GM. There are also various sub-brands under the brand name of Chevrolet which are also marketed by GM. To be mentioned, the sub-brands of Chevrolet are Spark City, Cruze Sedan, Aveo, Captiva SUV, Epica, Corvette and others. Thus, it is quite apparent that the brand and its par ent company offer a wide range of products to its customers (Chevrolet Europe, 2010). The services rendered by the brand are also available at a wide range from marketing to after and before sales services. To be precise, the brand in Europe serves the customers to modify the design of the car according to their convenience as a before sales service. It also includes test drive services in the category of before sales services. On the other hand, as after sales services, the brand offers vehicle inspections by expert professionals and the

U07d1 HIPAA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U07d1 HIPAA - Essay Example The main attempt has been to adopt standards to help improve the effectiveness and the working of the nation health care systems in the use of electronic data (Beaver & Herold, 2003). In simple terms the main aim of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is to guide the development and maintenance of the patient information management. As mentioned earlier, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2010) explains, that â€Å"Title II of HIPPA required the Department of Health and Human Services to establish national standards for electronic health transactions and national identifiers for providers, health plans and employers† (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010). In an excellent article named, Integrating privacy and security: coordination benefits HIPAA compliance efforts, the author Alder explains, even after a number of years have passed for the deadline compliance with HIPPA, ‘By summer 2006, only 39 percent of respondents to an AHIMA survey reported that their facilities were in full compliance with the HIPAA privacy regulations’ (Adler, 2008). The author also highlights that, ‘There are a number of reasons why compliance has been difficult to achieve and maintain, but the most cited reason is a lack of resources’ (Adler, 2008). The rules for the HIPPA have been very long and intricate and the writing and implementation of the rules has taken a very long time. The process of the development of the transactions and the code sets, rules and also the national employer identity, took the government a high amount of time to complete. The process has been very time consuming making the process look like it took several years to write and for the implementation of the riles because of the high level of scrutiny and intricacies that were involved. The HIPPA intended to include the healthcare environment and also with the high levels of technological developments the process was long drawn and took several

Hospital Acquired Infections Essay Example for Free

Hospital Acquired Infections Essay The State of Illinois has several guidelines and activities in place as techniques to prevent nosocomial infections. In Illinois, Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), is charged with providing advice and guidance to the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services; the Director, CDC and the Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), regarding the practice of hospital infection control and strategies for surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated infections. Antimicrobial resistance and related events in settings where healthcare is provided, including hospitals, ambulatory, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies, (HCIPAC, 2008) There are certain guidelines that need to be followed when working as a nurse in the state of Illinois. There are guidelines to prevent nosocomial infections when it comes to things like, hand washing techniques, urinary catheterization insertion, and so many more practices and procedures. Performing hand hygiene immediately before and after any manipulation of the catheter device or site. Ensure that only properly trained persons (e.g., hospital personnel, family members, or patients themselves) who know the correct technique of aseptic catheter insertion and maintenance are given this responsibilities. In the acute care hospital setting, insert urinary catheters using aseptic technique and sterile equipment must be adhered to in order to prevent hospital acquired infections; (AM J Infect Control,1983) Hand washing is very important when working in healthcare in the hospital setting. When hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with percutaneous material, or are visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids, wash hands with either a non-antimicrobial soap and water or an antimicrobial soap and water,(Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol,1988). If hands are not visibly soiled, use an alcohol-based hand rub for routinely decontaminating hands. Alternatively, wash hands with an antimicrobial soap and water in all clinical situations. Wash hands before having direct contact with all patients.

The Value of Possessions Examined in Guy de Maupassants The Necklace E

The Value of Possessions Examined in Guy de Maupassant's Short Story, "The Necklace" The late Irish poet Oscar Wilde once stated, "In the world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it" (qtd. in The Quotations Page). This quote accurately describes human nature to the extent that man is never fully satisfied with his current possessions. In fact, most people who rely on materialistic items for happiness are typically desolated and miserable. Guy de Maupassant enlivens these assertions in his short story, "The Necklace." Maupassant reveals his ingenious style through a portrayal of a battle with morality, in which the central character, Mathilde Loisel, struggles with excessive wants that ultimately doom her to perpetual despair. In the beginning of "The Necklace," the reader can clearly distinguish Madame Loisel's immense need for luxurious items. Maupassant describes Madame Loisel as somewhat miserable due to her ordinary standard of living: "She was simple since she could not be adorned; but she was unhappy as though kept out of her own class...She suffered intensely, feeling herself born for every delicacy and every luxury" (Par. 3). Madame Loisel complains about her husband and his common profession, feeling as though she should be "married by a man rich and distinguished" (Par. 1). She knows that her husband can not provide the luxuries which she so desperately desires. These lingering feelings cause Madame Loisel to undervalue the nonmaterial importance of life. All the while, the reader must consider the significant aspect of Madame Loisel's misleading view about her social class. Although Madame Loisel feels unfit and tortured to be of her econom... ...han before, she and her husband own nothing at all. At this point of the story, the reader assumes that Madame Loisel has suffered intensely enough to understand the underlying value of materialistic items. Unfortunately, Madame Loisel does not take the suffering as a learning experience. Even still, she continues to daydream of owning luxury items, accepting admiration from the higher class, and living the life of a dream. Consequently, Madame Loisel will also continue to live in misery due to her endless dissatisfaction. Perhaps, one may assert that Madame Loisel is the type of person that will never quite be satisfied enough, no matter how much or how little she may have. Works Cited Wilde, Oscar. "Cole's Quotables." 2004. The Quotations Page. Ed. M. Shawn Cole and Michael Moncur. 05 March 2006. de Maupaussant, Guy. "The Necklace."

Finance Case

CASESTUDY: Goodweek Tires, Inc. After extensive research and development, Goodweek Tires,Inc. , has recently developed a new tire, the SuperTread, and must decide whether to make the investment necessary to produce and market the SuperTread. The tire would be ideal for drivers doing a large amount of wet weather and off-road driving in addition to its normal freeway usage. The research and development costs so far total about $10 million. The SuperTread would be put on the market beginning this year and Goodweek expects it to stay on the market for a total of four years.Test marketing costing $5 mil-lion shows that there is a significant market for a SuperTread-type tire. As a financial analyst at Goodweek Tires, you are asked by your CFO, Mr. Adam Smith, to evaluate the SuperTread project and provide a recommendation on whether to go ahead with the investment. You are informed that all previous investments in the SuperTread are sunk costs and only future cash flows should be conside red . Except for the initial investment which will occur immediately; assume all cash flows will occur at year-end.Goodweek must initially invest $120 million in production equipment to make the SuperTread. The equipment is expected to have a seven-year useful life. This equipment can be sold for $51,428,571at the end of four years. Goodweek intends to sell the SuperTread to two distinct markets: 1. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Market The OEM market consists primarily of the large automobile companies (e. g. , General Motors) who buy tires for new cars. In the OEM market, the SuperTread is expected to sell for $36 per tire. The variable cost to produce each tire is $18. 2.The Replacement Market The replacement market consists of all tires purchased after the auto-mobile has left the factory. This market allows higher margins and Goodweek expects to sell the SuperTread for $59 per tire there. Variable costs are the same as in the OEM market. Goodweek Tires intends to rai se prices at 1 percent above the inflation rate. Variable costs will also increase 1 percent above the inflation rate. In addition, the SuperTread project will incur $25 mil-lion in marketing and general administration costs the first year (this figure is expected to increase at the inflation rate in the subsequent years).Goodweek’s corporate tax rate is 40 percent. Annual inflation is expected to remain constant at 3. 25 percent. The company uses a 15. 9 percent discount rate to evaluate new product decisions. The tire market Automotive industry analysts expect automobile manufacturers to produce 2 million new cars this year and production to grow at 2. 5 percent per year thereafter. Each new car needs four tires (the spare tires are undersized and are in a different category). Goodweek Tires expects the SuperTread to capture 11 percent of the OEM market.Industry analysts estimate that the replacement tire market size will be 14 million tires this year and that it will grow at 2 percent annually. Goodweek expects the SuperTread to capture an 8 per-cent market share. You decide to use the MACRS depreciation schedule (seven-year property class). You also decide to consider net working capital (NWC) requirements in this scenario. The immediate initial working capital requirement is $11 million, and thereafter the net working capital requirements will be 15 percent of sales. What will be the NPV, payback period, discounted payback period, AAR, IRR, and PI on this project?

An Enigma; the Sleeper; a Raven: Edgar “Allan” Poe

Dark, depressing, morbid, or simply unusual†¦ a single name can bind all these words together. That name belongs to Edgar Allan Poe. For English students, scholars around the world, and the common dark, poetic romanticist, that name means a lot more. â€Å"Poe† is an icon, a person that the aforementioned people aspire to, or just a mysterious person whom will never be understood past his death. The name â€Å"Poe† to these people refers to a disturbing poet, a previously run-down short story writer, a hated critic, and an unappreciated author of several volumes of novels.If someone mentions â€Å"Poe†, they would immediately think of Edgar Allan Poe. As mentioned before, Poe was a very mysterious person whom many researchers still try to figure out to this day. The reason to his eerie works is thought to be due to the numerous failures and losses he’s faced in his lifetime. Whether it was because of innumerable losses, inopportune death, or if he was just simply ill in the head, Edgar Allan Poe did a great deal for scholars around the world, and English literature today. On January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, actress Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins gave birth to a healthy boy; his father, David Poe Jr. ave him his name Edgar Poe after himself. However, the young Edgar was only together with his biological parents for a short time, as they broke up in 1810 due to David Poe leaving the family (Edgar Allan Poe Biography). A year after, his mother died from pulmonary tuberculosis, a bacterial infection within the lungs. A few days after his mother’s death, Edgar was informed of his father’s sudden death from an unknown cause. After going through these inopportune deaths, toddler Edgar was adopted unofficially by Frances and John Allan, a couple of wealthy merchants in Richmond, Virginia.In 1815, the awkward family moved to England, and Edgar was schooled at Chelsea (Edgar Allan Poe Biography). There in England, Edgar was first introduced to gothic fiction. At the time, gothic fiction was slowly declining in popularity as a favorable literature genre, being replaced throughout the years by historical romance with works from authors such as, Sir Walter Scott. However, the casual reader and many literature critics now think that they had severely overlooked many should-be famous works and that gothic fiction had just begun to mature into its most creative period (Gothic fiction).From 1816 to 1820, Poe often moved between schools across England and lived with his adoptive family, even shortly after his registration documents have been collected. In 1826, Poe was given a sizeable sum of money from his foster father and was schooled at the University of Virginia. Though he was academically superior, Poe was removed of his registration after merely three semesters due to unpaid debts from his drinking binges and gambling (Polito). In 1827, Poe enlisted in the U. S. Army under the name â€Å"Edgar A. Perry† and published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, from the pay he received there.However, it received little attention and received no critiques (Quinn 129). While serving in the military, Poe’s foster mother, Frances Allan, died. After only serving two years in his enlisted five in the U. S. Army, Poe was discharged after serving only two of five of his enlisted years and visited Richmond the day after her burial. Soon after, he moved to his aunt’s home in Baltimore and stayed there with her children (Polito). In December 1829, Poe wrote yet another book, Al Araaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems. This book was also unrecognized (Quinn 165).Poe enlisted into West Point Academy in March 1830, but stood for merely half a year. He dismissed himself through an intentional court martial in February 1831, but released a third collection of poems, simply titled Poems. The volume was dedicated as thank you to many cadets at West Point for helping fund 75 cents e ach for the publication of his book (Quinn 174-176). Soon after leaving the military, Poe started in his publishing career. In 1835, he became an editor and critic for the Richmond newspaper, Southern Literary Messenger.He brought 12-year old cousin Virginia Clemm, whom he married in 1836, and his aunt along with him (Edgar Allan Poe). His popularity as a writer began to grow over the ten years spent as an assistant editor for the Messenger. Poe is known for editing literary journals such as Philadelphia-based Gentleman’s Magazine, Graham’s Magazine, and New York-based Broadway Journal (Polito). Though receiving a tremendous work load, Poe was financially unstable, yet he was able to continue writing and his works garnered praise and built his reputation even further (Edgar Allan Poe).During this time, Poe had published some of his most well-known works such as â€Å"The Raven†, â€Å"The Tale Tell Heart†, and â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† (Polito). In 1842, Poe’s wife, Virginia Clemm showed symptoms of tuberculosis. Under stress from his wife’s ailment, Poe was induced with heavy drinking and extreme depression. When Broadway Journal disbanded in 1846, Poe and his wife relocated to The Bronx, New York, where Virginia soon died on January 30, 1847 (Edgar Allan Poe Biography). Poe’s demise is still mysterious and under conjecture even to this day.The only thing known about his death is that he was found on the streets of Baltimore in early October of 1949, delirious, and in a drunken rage. He received treatment at Washington College Hospital on the third, but died merely four days later. Edgar’s last words were, â€Å"God help my poor soul! † (Quinn 639-640) Edgar Allan Poe’s literary prowess and works left a memorable impact on English literature, specifically in the detective fiction and horror genres (Polito). Poe is credited for â€Å"crafting† the modern short story . Art for art’s sake† came from the editor Poe, stemming from his vigilance in critiquing the style and structure of literary works placed in front of him (Polito). His works were recognized internationally, where even Charles Baudclaire had begun to translate Poe’s works into French, which is why the French culture holds a place for Edgar Allan Poe. He was certainly one of the first American authors to have become more honored and known in Europe, than in the United States where he settled (Edgar Allan Poe Biography). The beloved book character, C.Auguste Dupin from Poe’s early detective fiction works such as â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue† became the character model of future fictitious detectives. As quoted by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, â€Å"Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed†¦ Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it? † (Long) To this day, Poeà ¢â‚¬â„¢s works are still introduced in modern classrooms. Not because his writing is famous, but because his writing points something new out to every reader. Though famous for writing foreboding, depressing, or lain confusing, he’s always published numerous works depicting hope, passion, and happiness (Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore) Edgar Allan Poe’s mastery of technique and poetic diction appeals to every one of his readers. Every time someone reads Poe’s works, the reader is able to immerse themselves in his stories, and they leave, learning something new about them, something they had never known before. Works Cited Long, Karen R. â€Å"On Eve of 200th Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe Still Chills Leaders. † The Plain Dealer. 18 Jan. 2009. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. ;http://www. leveland. com/books/index. ssf/2009/01/on_eve_of_200th_birthday_edgar. html; â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore – General Topics – Edgar Allan Poe’s Endu ring Fame. † Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore – The Life and Writings of Edgar Allan Poe. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. eapoe. org/geninfo/poesfame. htm; â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe Biography. † Encyclop? dia Britannica, Inc. Bio. com. A;E Networks Television. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. ;http://www. biography. com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160; â€Å"Gothic fiction. † New World Encyclopedia, . 9 Aug. 2008. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. ;http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/p/index. php? title=Gothic_fiction;oldid=794623; â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe. † Mystery Net. com: Online mysteries, mystery games, mystery books. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Feb. 2012 ;http://www. mysterynet. com/edgar-allan-poe/; Polito, Robert. â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe- Poets. org – Poetry, Poems, Bios ; More. † Poets. org – Poetry, Poems, Bios ; More. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe, a critical biography, . New York: D. Appleton-Century Co. , 1941. Print

Sociological Imagniation essays

Sociological Imagniation essays What is Sociology? Sociology enables us to understand the structure and dynamics of society, and their intricate connections to patterns of human behavior and individual life changes. It examines the ways in which the forms of social structure - groups, organizations, communities, social categories such as class, sex, age, or race, and various social institutions such as economic, political, or religious affect human attitudes, actions, and opportunities. Sociology also explores how both individuals and collectivities construct, maintain, and alter social organization in various ways. Sociology asks about the sources and consequences of change in social arrangements and institutions, and about the satisfactions and difficulties of planning, accomplishing, and adapting to such change. Sociological imagination is a special way to engage the world. To think sociologically is to realize that what we experience as personal problems are often widely shared by others like us. Many of our personal problems are actually social issues. What is the difference between trouble and issue? Troubles: Within the character of the individual and within the range of his or her immediate relationship with others. They have to deal with self and within those limited areas of social life of which he or she is directly and personally aware of. Issue: It has to do with matters that transcend the local or immediate relationships of the individual. They have to deal with different kind of environments that overlap and penetrate each other to form the larger structure of social and historic life. The difference between two is a critical issue for sociological imagination and a feature of all classic work in social science. Most issues cant be defined in terms of everyday environments of common men. Issues involve a crisis in institutional arrangements and often involve contradictions or opposition. The sociological imagination helps ...

8 Quick Tips for Writing Under Pressure

8 Quick Tips for Writing Under Pressure You have 25 minutes to compose an SAT essay, two hours to write a final exam paper, less than half a day to finish a project proposal for your boss. Heres a little secret: both in college and beyond, most writing is done under pressure. Composition theorist Linda Flower reminds us that some degree of pressure can be a good source of motivation. But when worry or the desire to perform well is too great, it creates an additional task of coping with anxiety (Problem-Solving Strategies for Writing, 2003). So learn to cope. Its remarkable how much writing you can produce when youre up against a strict deadline. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by a writing task, consider adopting these eight (admittedly not-so-simple) strategies. Slow down.  Resist the urge to jump into a writing project before youve thought about your topic and your purpose for writing. If youre taking an exam, read the instructions carefully and skim all the questions. If youre writing a report for work, think about who will be reading the report and what they expect to get out of it.Define your task.  If youre responding to an essay prompt or a question on an exam, make sure youre actually answering the question. (In other words, dont dramatically alter a topic to suit your interests.) If youre writing a report, identify your primary purpose in as few words as possible, and make sure you dont stray far from that purpose.Divide your task.  Break down your writing task into a series of manageable smaller steps (a process called chunking), and then focus on each step in turn. The prospect of completing an entire project (whether its a dissertation or a progress report) may be overwhelming. But you should always be able to come up with a few sentences or paragraphs without panicking. Budget and monitor your time.  Calculate how much time is available to complete each step, setting aside a few minutes for editing at the end. Then stick to your timetable. If you hit a trouble spot, skip ahead to the next step. (When you come back to a trouble spot later on, you may find out you can eliminate that step altogether.)Relax.  If you tend to freeze up under pressure, try a relaxation technique such as deep breathing, freewriting, or an imagery exercise. But unless youve had your deadline extended by a day or two, resist the temptation to take a nap. (In fact, research shows that using a relaxation technique can be even more refreshing than sleep.)Get it down.  As humorist James Thurber once advised, Dont get it right, just get it written. Concern yourself with getting the words down, even though you know you could do better if you had more time. (Fussing over every word can actually heighten your anxiety, distract you from your purpose, and get in the way of a larg er goal: completing the project on time.) Review.  In the final minutes, quickly review your work to make sure that all your key ideas are on the page, not just in your head. Dont hesitate to make last-minute additions or deletions.Edit.  Novelist Joyce Cary had a habit of omitting vowels when writing under pressure. In your remaining seconds, restore the vowels (or whatever you tend to leave out when writing quickly). In most cases its a myth that making last-minute corrections does more harm than good. Finally, the best way to learn how to write under pressure is . . . to write under pressureover and over again. So stay calm and keep practicing.

Employment contract law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Employment contract law - Coursework Example In the Agreement of Services signed by Mr. Tanton, particularly, Clause 3.3, negates the existence of an employer-employee relationship due to the existence of the provision to the effect that â€Å"In the event that the he is unable or unwilling to perform the services personally as required under such agreement, he shall arrange at his own expense entirely for another suitable person to perform the services. In addition, paragraph 13 of the schedule, stated that: â€Å"In the event that the contractor provides a relief driver, the contractor must satisfy the company that such a relief driver is trained and is suitable to undertake the services†. Therefore, the element of control on the part of the employer on the employee was not present since Mr. Tanton can easily find his own replacement or substitute, who shall take his place to render the service in the event that he is unable to perform his personal obligation to the employer. Hence, the fact that Mr. Tanton has the po wer to send his substitute means that the contract of employment does not exist, making him self-employed contractor. 5. Express and Echo Publications Ltd. is only required to retain one driver to perform the functions of pick-up newspapers and deliver them at various points in Devon on a fixed run in a particular order dictated by the company. In the case at bar, the reason for the termination of Mr. Tanton was due to redundancy. Hence, another person has already been performing the same functions done by Mr. Tanton which justified his dismissal from his position as a contractor. 6. The sources of English Law are case law or common law, and legislation or statutory laws. In the case at bar, several cases where cited which served as precedent to justify the decision rendered by the justices, where, â€Å"a statement of law made by a judge in a case can become binding on later judges and can in this way become the law for everyone to follow, or otherwise known as the â€Å"Doctrine of Precedent†