Budget Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budget - Assignment Example It constructs, reconstructs, maintains, and snow and ice removal throughout the state. It also provides funding for rail, airport, bicycle, pedestrian, and canal programs as well as local government highway and bridge construction. MTA is one operator under DOT besides other more than one hundred and thirty operators running the transportation system. The budget provides funding for DOT capital program of over $3.5 billion to facilitate capital improvement of highways, rail, bridges, aviation infrastructure, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities. The first $150 million in the $750 million proposed above, for state and local bridge initiative to accelerate the rehabilitation of a hundred bridges serving critical freight, agricultural and commerce corridors. $477.8 million is set aside for funding local highway and bridge projects under Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and Marchiselli program. DOT will also invest $50 million to accelerate planned fleet upgrades such snow plows, up-fitting heavy pickups to assist in snow removal and installation of vehicle management systems (New York State, 2015). The main transit system will get $4.8 billion of transit operating aid for systems throughout the state broken down as $4.35 billion in new funding and $464 million for other transit systems. An extra $121.5 million is proposed from downstate taxes to fund capital expenses for MTA Downstate Transit Systems. Thruway Authority is to be funded with $1.285 billion for Thruway Stabilization Program for expenditures on NY Bridge, and statewide system. The authority will also continue receiving $85 million in overall support including $21.5 million via direct appropriation. Towards the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Executive proposed an all funds appropriation of $324.9 million with $199.2 million as capital funding while the rest are fees charged by various departments (New York State, 2015). The Senate agreed with a majority of the budget

Designers and performers Essay Example for Free

Designers and performers Essay After deciding that we was going to focus on the musical genre in the 1920s America period, we wrote down a list of films, musicals and music that could linked to our oncoming performance. For example, Chicago, Bugsy Malone and Christina Aguileras new album. We chose the films/musicals Chicago and Bugsy Malone because they were set at the same time period as our performance and we chose Christina Aguileras new album as she has sung all her songs in the style of the 1920-30s jazz era and thought it easily fitted into the style we were trying to create. I have seen the musical Chicago on stage and on film, and even though they are both based on the same storyline, contain the same characters, music etc, they are both different with the fact one is performed on stage and the other was filmed on a set. They have both influenced us, especially the stage version where limited space is used compared to the film as they use different locations, whereas a stage is very limited where the same space has to be used to create different locations. This helped us how to use the space effectively and use to our full advantage and still make the performance effective. The music within the musical Chicago gave us ideas of what sort of music and themes to focus on and research, as we didnt want to use the exact same music as Chicago because the music is fairly popular and we didnt want the audience to compare our performance to Chicago, which is why we included a major twist within our story, so people wouldnt compare both performances. We decided to use Chicago as a source to gather information within that time period, which meant costumes, characters, setting, lighting, colours for setting and lighting and music used within the performance. Even though we werent going to use their music we needed to get an idea of what style of music to look for and include. We were able to watch what the time period back in the 1920s was really like, rather than researching on the internet and reading about it in books, even though we did get help from these sources we found by watching the film more reliable and enjoyable. We could actually see what colours were popular for costumes and lighting used. For costumes we used a lot of bright colours, a part from the male characters who just wore a black and white suit, as this went with the time period. For the woman, black and red costumes were worn as this is worn a lot in Chicago and it looked and worked with the lighting colours we wanted to include as well. We found that black and red was really popular so we decided to use this for our lighting, as well as blackouts, spot light effects and using red lighting to show what scenes are serious or for the performance scene which is quite flirtatious. These colours worked well within our performance and worked well with every scene that we included this in. We took these ideas from Chicago and linked them into our own performance. The film Bugsy Malone also gave us ideas towards our performance. The character of Bugsy helped me develop my character as Jack Murray in our performance. Bugsy Malone is set in the same time period we were setting our piece and when thinking about how to play and portray my character as Jack Murray I automatically thought of Bugsy. He influenced me by the way he acted as the character of Bugsy seemed to always be up to something behind your back and you never quite knew if he was coming or going type of character. He influenced my character in that way as Jack Murray was up to something but the audience didnt quite know what. The character of Busy also seemed to be a bit of the jack the lad sort of person and I feel that this defiantly influenced me for my character and is shown well when playing Jack Murray. The characters of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey were influenced by the two real lives of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. We researched information about them both and found out that Ma Rainey use to be violent and bossy towards Bessie Smith and we created the characters from there. We found Christina Aguileras new album very relevant for our performance. Her music was inspired by the 1920-1930s style of music. We felt by using some of her music for our performance we are still including music relevant to the time period and at the same time people will recognise her music and still making our performance relevant to today. Instead of only focusing the music within our performance on Christinas music we also researched actual artists from the 1920s. We found music from famous artists such as Billy Holiday, Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong and we actually included one of his songs for one of our performance pieces but actually sung by one of the actors instead of it being a voice over like we had done so far for our singing performances. We thought this looked better in our piece as only one verse was being sung without any music, compared to the previous performance scene where most of the song we performed we thought it looked better if the two actors didnt actually sing the song. Music can influence a scene massively and an example of this is the detective scene. As the detective is trying to find out who really murdered Bessie Smith, we included flash backs about who could of murdered her. For the first flash back we decided to include Charleston themed music as people are really familiar with this tune and by using this music it became quite comical and thought this was brilliant as the next flash back would be the complete opposite. We found it very different difficult to find music for the next flash back because even though this didnt actually happen, at this point during the story the audience are meant to think Starlet did murder Ma Rainey and the music heavily influences that. When listening to music from Chicago we found the beginning of one song that fitted into the mood we was trying to create. We only wanted to use the beginning so we repeated this tune over and over again for this certain flash back and it gave the impression that Starlet really did murder Ma Rainey because compared to the previous flash back this one was much more serious and this is what we wanted to create. A lot of multi-rolling was used in our performance and we was influenced by John Godbers work. I was influenced by his playwrights, Teechers, Bouncers and Shakers where multi-rolling is used throughout these pieces. They was so effective and cleverly done and performed, for the use of multi-rolling within our play we looked at these plays and looked at how he made it look effective. Costume is one of the main concerns when multi-rolling, if you didnt change your costume the audience would think you were still playing the character you were playing when they last saw you on stage. We made sure an obvious change was made when changing characters, if it was as simple as a coat, walking stick or a wig. An obvious change had to be done and made noticeable to the audience. Godber also made sure there was a change in voice as this would also help show the audience that the actor is now playing a different character. Multi-rolling is shown effectively throughout our piece as we used this through most of our play. Example, when I change into my character as Jack Murray I deepen my voice slightly to show I am playing a man, and the read all about it scene where everybody is involved, we change into different characters buying a newspaper in a busy street, we put on a simple piece of costume each such as a hat, coat, scarf as well as changing our voices to show we are playing different characters. All the films/ musicians/ singers/ practitioners influenced our piece in many ways that I have already discussed. The musicians and singers helped us decide what style of music to include that would make our piece a success and would link in well with our story. The films influenced the development of some of our characters such as Jack Murray, and they also influenced our costumes, in what styles to go for and colours as well. The practitioner, John Godber helped us make multi-rolling really work within our performance by reading and looking at his other work and how to make multi-rolling a success within your performance, which I think made our piece really successful. We tried to make our performance very different to ones people would had seen before so we tried not to get too heavily influenced by other playwrights, directors, films and musicals. Especially with the storyline as this is what seemed too happened at first when deciding on a storyline. Instead we were only really looking for ideas to help us on the design side of the performance, and when researching characters and music for our performance.

Production Management Of Movies

Production Management Of Movies Producers have overall control on every aspect of a films production, bringing together the Screenwriters, Director, cast, finances and production team. Their primary responsibility is to foster an environment in which the creative talents of the cast and crew can flourish Producers are therefore ultimately accountable for the success of the finished film. Producers many responsibilities span all four phases of production: Â · Development Producers are often responsible for coming up with the underlying premise of a production, or for selecting the screenplay. Producers secure the necessary rights, select the screenwriter and story editing team, raise the development financing, and supervise the development process. Â · Pre-production Producers typically bring together the key members of the creative team, including the Director, Cinematographer and principal cast. They assist the Executive Producers to raise finance for the production. Once this is in place, they select other key personnel, such as the Line Producer, Associate Producer and Production Manager, as well as the remaining Heads of Departments, such as Production Designer, Editor and Composer. Producers also participate in location scouting, and approve the final shooting script, production schedule and budget. Â · Production Producers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the producing team, though many practical functions are delegated to the Line Producer and any Associate Producers. Producers are also in constant communication and consultation with the Director, and with other key creative personnel, on and off set. Producers approve all script changes and cost reports, and continue to serve as the primary point of contact for all production partners, investors and Distributors. Â · Post-production and marketing Producers are expected to liaise personally with post-production personnel, including the Editor, Composer, and Visual Effects staff. They then consult with all creative and financial personnel on the production of the answer (or final) print, and they are usually involved with the financial and distribution entities in planning the marketing and distribution of the finished film. It is rare to find one Producer who has the expertise and vision to exercise personal decision-making authority across all four phases of production. Producers normally delegate some of these functions to Executive Producers, Co-producers, Line Producers and Associate Producers. However, the Producer is responsible for the majority of the producing functions throughout all the processes of the film. Executive Producer The traditional role of the Executive Producer is to supervise the work of the Producer on behalf of the studio, the financiers or the distributors, and to ensure that the film is completed on time, and within budget, to agreed artistic and technical standards. The term often applies to a producer who has raised a significant proportion of a films finance, or who has secured the underlying rights to the project. Typically, Executive Producers are not involved in the technical aspects of the filmmaking process, but have played a crucial financial or creative role in ensuring that the project goes into production. Responsibilities As there may be several Executive Producers on a film, it is difficult to define their exact responsibilities. However, they usually fall into one or more of the following categories: Â · Development the Executive Producer secures the rights to a story and develops the screenplay, but then hands over to the lead Producer, and has no direct involvement in the physical production of the film. Â · Packaging the Executive Producer authorises and supervises the packaging of the film. Â · Financing the Executive Producer raises a significant proportion of funding for the film, assists with presales, or helps to secure distribution agreements. On smaller independent films, a well-known Producer, Director or star may also be accorded this title because their association with the project helps to facilitate contacts with financiers and Distributors. Â · Production the Executive Producer acts as a mentor to the Producer and supervises production for the financiers. This type of Executive Producer is almost always involved in short film production schemes, where they typically co-ordinate the films production from initial financing through to final distribution. Associate Producer or Assistant Producer Associate Producers carry out significant functions in the production or post-production process, which would otherwise be performed by the Producer, Executive Producer or Co-Producer. These responsibilities may range from helping to raise production finance at the beginning of the production process, to supervising the final stages of post-production. Associate Producers in Film are usually individuals within production companies who have played a particularly significant role in the development of the script or screenplay, or in the packaging process, or who have contributed important creative ideas to the production. They may be another producer; or a senior Script Editor who helps to shape the direction of the final drafts of the screenplay, and without whom the film may not be financed; or the Producers Assistant who supervises development or post production for the Producer in their absence. The term Associate Producer is also sometimes used to describe a Producer from a smalle r production company which is co-producing the film, who has typically raised a small amount of funding for the project, but not enough to warrant an Executive Producer or Co-Producer credit. Responsibilities Associate Producers contribute significantly to the production process, as they are responsible for specific elements delegated to them by the Producer. This diverse role may encompass development, packaging, raising production finance, supervising the production design team (sets, costumes, etc.), supervising post-production, or co-ordinating the work of the various visual effects companies. In fact, they may carry out any production work that the Producer is too busy to supervise personally, and which is not covered by one of the other production roles (e.g. Executive Producer, Co-producer, Line Producer). Whatever their exact role, Associate Producers must be able to troubleshoot any production difficulties or problems that come within their area of responsibility. Line Producer The Line Producer is one of the first people to be employed on a films production by the Producer and Executive Producers. Line Producers are rarely involved in the development of the project, but often play a crucial role in costing the production in order to provide investors with the confidence to invest in the project. As soon as the finance has been raised, the Line Producer supervises the preparation of the films budget, and the day-to-day planning and running of the production. Line Producers are usually employed on a freelance basis. They must expect to work long hours, though the role can be financially very rewarding. Career advancement is based on their experience and reputation. Where a Line Producer has a creative input to the production, he or she is often credited as a Co-producer. Responsibilities Line Producers are in charge of all the business aspects of the physical production of films. They are called Line Producers because they cannot start work until they know what the line is between the above-the-line costs, which relate to writers, producers, directors and cast, and the below-the-line costs which include everything else, e.g., crew salaries, equipment rentals, development costs, locations, set design and construction, insurance, etc. Line Producers are usually recruited onto the production team during the later stages of development. They are given the script and asked to assess the likely below the line cost of the production which involves breaking down the screenplay into a schedule a timetable for the film shoot that shows how long it will take to shoot each scene. From this schedule the Line Producer can accurately estimate the cost of each days shooting, and produce a provisional budget estimating the total amount of funding required. Once the Producer and Exec utive Producers have raised the required finance, the film can go into pre-production. During pre-production, Line Producers work closely with the Director, Production Manager, First Assistant Director, Art Director and other Heads of Department to prepare the production schedule and budget, and to set the shoot date. Line Producers oversee all other pre-production activities, including hiring the production team, setting up the production office, location scouting, ensuring compliance with regulations and codes of practice, sourcing equipment and suppliers, selecting crew, engaging supporting artistes and contributors, and monitoring the progress of the art department and other production departments. During production, Line Producers hand over control of the final budget to the Production Accountant, and delegate the day-to-day operation of the production office to the Production Manager and Production Co-ordinator. However, Line Producers are ultimately responsible for overseeing all activities, and for ensuring that the production is completed on time and within budget. This requires setting up and implementing financial monitoring systems, controlling production expenditure, controlling production materials, and monitoring and controlling the progress of productions. Line Producers usually allow a 10% contingency in the budget to cater for unforeseen circumstances, and spend much of their time juggling figures and resources. Line Producers are responsible for certain Health and Safety procedures, and for sorting out any insurance claims. At the end of the shoot, the Line Producer oversees the wrap, or winding down, of the production. Assistant Production Co-ordinator The Assistant Production Co-ordinator acts as a general assistant to the Production Co-ordinator, performing duties relating to the preparation, distribution and filing of paperwork, both within the production office and on set. Assistant Production Co-ordinators are almost always self-employed, and must be prepared to work long hours, particularly during the final week of pre-production. Most UK films employ one Assistant Production Co-ordinator; however, larger productions may employ two or more. Responsibilities Assistant Production Co-ordinators work under the direct supervision of a Production Co-ordinator. Their duties vary according to the production phase, and the daily requirements of the production office. Responsibilities may be spread across a number of related areas, including: Â · Production Office setting up, maintaining and closing down the Production Office, for example, ordering furniture, equipment and supplies. Â · Travel Accommodation helping to co-ordinate travel, accommodation, work permits, visas, medical examinations and any immunisations for principal crew and cast to conform with insurance and foreign travel requirements. Â · General production duties including typing, filing, answering the telephone, and other related office duties. Â · Transportation helping to organise the pick-up and delivery of equipment and personnel by the Unit Drivers. Â · Production paperwork assisting the Production Co-ordinator to prepare and distribute shooting schedules, crew and cast lists, call sheets, production reports, movement orders, scripts and script revisions. Production Runner or Production Assistant Production Runners are the foot soldiers of the production team, performing small but important tasks in the office, around the set and on location. Their duties may involve anything from office administration to crowd control, and from public relations to cleaning up locations. Production Runners are usually employed on a freelance basis, are not very well paid, and their hours are long and irregular. However, the work is usually extremely varied and provides a good entry-level role into the film industry. What is the job? Production Runners are deployed by the Producer and by other production staff, such as the Production Co-ordinator, to assist wherever they are needed on productions. Their responsibilities vary considerably depending on where Production Runners are assigned. In the Production Office duties typically include: assisting with answering telephones, filing paperwork and data entry, arranging lunches, dinners, and transportation reservations, photocopying, general office administration, and distributing production paperwork. On-set duties typically include: acting as a courier, helping to keep the set clean and tidy and distributing call sheets, Health and Safety notices, and other paperwork. On location shoots, Production Runners may also be required to help to co-ordinate the extras, and to perform crowd control duties, except where this work is dangerous, or performed by police officers or other official personnel. Co-producer A Co-producer is typically a Line Producer who has also performed a substantial portion of the creative producing function. Alternatively, they may be the lead Producer from another production company that is co-producing the film, or a partner or corporate officer from the production entity producing the film. In rare cases, a Co-producer may also be the person who optioned, developed or packaged the project. In all instances, Co-producers are subordinate to the Producer. Occasionally, the title Co-producer is accorded to a producer who finds, options, develops, or packages the project, but does not own the rights, and who plays a less significant role in the physical production of the film. For example, Co-producers may be relatively new Producers who need to work with a more senior Producer in order to package, finance and deliver the finished film. It should be noted that if a project has more than one Producer, it does not mean that these individuals are Co-producers in the tech nical sense of the term. Responsibilities Co-producers responsibilities vary enormously depending on which type of Co-producer they are. However, they always have less responsibility than the Producer for the completion of the film. Â · Where the Co-producer is also the Line Producer, he or she is responsible for all the business and logistical aspects during the main phase of film production. The key difference between this type of Co-producer and the Line Producer is that he or she also performs a significant part of the creative producing function, whether it be helping with casting, recruiting the Director, or hiring other key Heads of Department. Â · Where the Co-producer is a partner or corporate officer of the production entity producing the film, he or she plays a key role in the development of the film project, assists with the physical production, or supervises post-production to enable the Producer to move on to another production. Â · Where the Co-producer is the lead Producer from another production entity that is producing the film as part of an international co-production, he or she will usually raise a significant portion of the budget for the film, but have less creative input than the lead Producer. In some cases Co-producers choose to be credited as Co-producer rather than as Executive Producer, in order to indicate that they played an important part in the physical production of the film.

TH :: essays research papers

Needs completing The Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, through its subsidiaries, designs, sources and markets men's and women's, and children’s clothing under the Tommy Hilfiger trademarks. The Tommy Hilfiger Corporations major product is clothing which is broken into two major product categories men’s and women’s clothing. Tommy Hilfiger has an aggressive market development strategy with diversifying and pursuing markets that are already carried by the company. The company has taken their success in the U.S and found comparable markets overseas with a great deal of success. The company is strongest in the US because of sheer volumes. They are the fastest growing in Europe. They are also the No 1 designer brand in Central America, South America and Canada. The company holds steady in the top ten in Japan with lots of competition. The business is also strong in South-East Asian markets like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore. Tommy Hilfiger is currently setting up all over China and considers India its new horizon. The company’s market development is strong and growing with each quarterly report. They offer new products to existing target markets worldwide and are also exploring the involvement in products without the Tommy Hilfiger namesake. Through a range of strategic licensing agreements, the Company offers a broad array of related apparel, accessories, footwear, fragrance and home furnishings. The Company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Japan, Hong Kong and other countries in the Far East, as well as the Company's own network of specialty and outlet stores in the United States, Canada and Europe. www.tommyhilfiger.com   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tommy Hilfiger has a competitive advantage compared to its competitors. There product mix is what gives them the advantage on competitors like Sean John, Phat Pharm, Ecko and Enyce. With other competitors like Nautica and Polo, they compete on similar grounds, but lead them with the shear diversity of their product mix. Both Polo and Ralph Lauren are legendary brands, but Tommy Hilfiger has done and outstanding job with micromarketing and appealing to the core of fashion buyers. Tommy Hilfiger leaves his urban competition behind with his strong International markets and the ability to open new markets where fashion has not been a top sale. Within the volatile industry of fashion, Tommy Hilfiger is seen as a much more stable brand. Their product appeals to a larger segment of the U.

Masculinity in “A View from the Bridge” Essay

Arthur Miller wrote this play in 1955. He has written many other plays including All My Sons, which was a success at Broadway. Miller was born in 1915, in New York City, but both his parent had emigrated to the US. This play revolves around emigration, so Miller has had a lot of personal experience. This play is based in the late 1940’s, just after the Second World War, when many people were emigrating to the US, looking for a better life. In the play, which is located in Brooklyn, which is a community full of dockworkers, we have a picture of Eddie, Beatrice and Catherine’s lives when Rodolfo and Marco illegally emigrate to the US from Italy. When Catherine (Eddie’s niece) falls in love with Rodolfo, Eddie loses his cool, and reports Marco and Rodolfo to immigration. The drama ends with the death of Eddie, as he tried to kill Marco; Marco turned the knife, and stabbed Eddie. There are three leading male characters in the play; Eddie, Rodolfo and Marco, and each of them play different roles and have different types of roles. The first of these men we meet is Eddie. The first impression of any character is very important, and the first impression we get of Eddie is that he is a real family person. He talks very complimentarily towards Catherine, â€Å"Beautiful! Turn, around, lemme see in the back. Oh if your mother was alive to see you now! She wouldn’t believe it.† This gives the reader the impression that he is a family person, who is close to his niece. Then when he hears that Beatrice (his wife) is cousins have arrived he tells her â€Å"Don’t worry about it B., there’s nothin’ to it. Couple of hours and they’ll be here.† This gives us the impression that he is also very caring towards B’s family, even though they come in illegally. This also enhances the impression that he is a family man. We are made to believe generally that he’s a good man, who values his family very high. When we hear that Catherine has got a job, she wanted to ask Eddie if it was all right with him if she took it. This shows us that he has a lot of status in the house. If he hadn’t any status, Catherine would have gone  behind his back, and wouldn’t have asked permission. Eddie then replied by saying â€Å"Sure she’s the best.† This shows us that he cares for his family and wants the best for his niece. A little later we hear from a lawyer called Alfieri. We are believed to trust him because of his wisdom, and position in the community. He is the voice of the community. He then tells his thoughts towards Eddie. â€Å"He was a good man as he had to be in a life that was hard and even.† The important word here is â€Å"was†, this shows us that Eddie’s personality is on the verge of changing. When we are introduced to Rodolfo and Marco, there is a huge difference between them, first there is their appearance. The impression that we get of Marco is that he’s a strong man, and is focused, because Miller describes him as â€Å"Square-built peasant of thirty-two, suspicious, tender and quiet voiced.† when he is first introduced. This gives us the impression that he is a very quiet person, but his awareness is very good, he is very alert of what’s around him. During the first scene where he’s introduced, when he talks it’s usually very short answers, e.g. â€Å"Thank you† and â€Å"Are you my cousin?† On the other hand, Rodolfo’s manliness is totally different to Eddie’s and Marco’s. Rodolfo is an extremely attractive young man, who is very sensitive. Where Eddie and Marco are much more macho than Rodolfo, unlike Eddie and Marco, Rodolfo sees sewing, cooking and singing as manly. We are made to believe that Rodolfo is quiet intelligent, because the language he uses is very flowery, â€Å"The horses in our town are skinnier than goats.† One of the most notable features that Rodolfo has is his â€Å"so blond† hair. Immediately Eddie goes on the defence, and say’s that is hair is like a â€Å"chorus girl or sump’m.† Then Eddie goes on to imply that he dyes his hair, which in Eddie’s eyes is unacceptable. Without ever saying it, Eddie’s implying that Rodolfo is gay. Another factor that goes against Rodolfo is that he is a very keen singer, and we hear his version of â€Å"Paper Doll†, and in Eddie’s eyes, only homosexuals sing. Due to the difference in physique between both characters, it was inevitable that they wouldn’t be able to work effectively. Marco is full of muscle, so he is adapted very well to work in a shipyard, but because of his slight physique, Rodolfo is not as well adapted. In my view, he would have been much better in the entertainment business, because he is a natural joke teller. However, Eddie tells Rodolfo that â€Å"But as long as you owe them money, they’ll get you plenty of work† that tells us that there are plenty of work in the docks, and Rodolfo is very clever and takes the work just to get some money in. This shows us that Rodolfo has a good brain, and is more concerned so he can get some money in to establish himself as an American. After coming home from work, Eddie goes on the attack, and undermines Rodolfo’s work rate, because he hasn’t taken at all to Rodolfo, He doesn’t see things like sewing, cooking and singing as manly. First of all he complains that â€Å"he sings.† Eddie is very embarrassed of this, because many of his friend e.g. Louis work there, and knowing that Eddie gives a roof to the â€Å"Canary† might under mind his street cred, because it’s like Rodolfo’s giving out â€Å"regular free shows†. Even at home Rodolfo sings, and this really goes under Eddie’s skin, as he says â€Å"if you came in the house and you didn’t †¦ know who was singin’, you wouldn’t be lookin for him you be lookin’ for her.† This shows us that Rodolfo isn’t shy about singing. He wants to make the most of his magical voice. Nevertheless, Eddie realises if someone was to come to the house, to ask, â€Å"who was singing?† he would be extremely embarrassed to say it was a man’s voice. This is extremely ironic, because most of the famous Italian singers are tenors. Although by now a man singing tenor is totally acceptable, back in the time that this play was written, people were less sophisticated, and in my opinion much more prepared to stereotype people. Although Eddie isn’t the biggest fan of Rodolfo, we learn at the end of the first act that Rodolfo is the kind of man that Beatrice and Catherine are looking for. When Marco says that â€Å"everybody gets fat† when Rodolfo’s cooking, Eddie tries to make this count against Rodolfo, but the girls see  through this. Catherine then goes on to glorify the fact that he could cook, and say’s that â€Å"all the big hotels (chefs) are men†. This shows that she thinks that there’s different ways to be a man, either through cooking or dancing. Straight afterwards, in my opinion Eddie feels very vulnerable because two men have arrived, and he’s afraid he would be toppled as king of the castle. So Eddie goes out to win some honour back, and tries to humiliate Rodolfo and Marco. His first target was Rodolfo. He went for one of Rodolfo’s weaknesses, in his opinion his manliness; he isn’t strong enough in Eddie’s view so he decides to teach Rodolfo how to box. Eddie encouraged Rodolfo to â€Å"put sump’m behind it, you can’t hurt me.† and â€Å"Come on show me! What’re you gonna be? Show me!† In my view, Eddie is trying to show that he’s a better and stronger man than Rodolfo; he wants to prove to Beatrice and Catherine, that Rodolfo isn’t the man they think he is. Just to rub the salt into the wound, Eddie â€Å"feints with his right and lands with his right.† Afterwards he asks Rodolfo â€Å"Did I hurt you?† In my opinion, Eddie is waiting for Rodolfo to reply â€Å"Yes†, so Catherine and Beatrice sees such a weak person he is, but Rodolfo replies â€Å"No, no.† This shows the toughness that belongs to Rodolfo that we haven’t seen before in the play. This shows the reader that Eddie hasn’t succeeded in humiliating Rodolfo, but rather he succeeded to humiliate himself. Just to make the situation worse for Eddie, Rodolfo and Catherine continue with their lives and go to dance, they didn’t dwindle on the situation. After seeing his younger brother being treated so horrid by Eddie, Marco decides to challenge Eddie’s masculinity, and bring him back down to earth with a bang. All Marco asked is â€Å"can you lift this chair?† It sounds like a pretty easy thing to do. When Eddie went down on his knees to pick it up, he fails. â€Å"He tries again, and again fails.† Then when Marco goes down to pick it up, he â€Å"raises the chair over his head.† He raised the chair as it was a weapon, and as a word of warning to Eddie. This shows us that Marco is looking after his close family, and wants to make sure that nobody gets the better of them. This lift was more of a warning to Eddie not to mess with Rodolfo, than anything else in my opinion. He did this as his felt  quite a strong responsibility towards Rodolfo. This is a clear sign that Marco is looking for justice, and he isn’t as quiet a character as Miller first portrays him. This is a clear similarity between Marco and Eddie, because both want to protect their families. Although Mike does portray him as a â€Å"regular bull†, that shows that Marco’s strength has been seen through out the community. Catherine is extremely important to the whole plot of the drama, because it’s because of her that the entire feud between Eddie and Rodolfo has erupted. At the beginning of the play we get the idea that Eddie’s extremely protective towards Catherine because he says â€Å"I promised your mother in her deathbed. I’m responsible for you.† At this point we get the idea that Eddie’s like any other caring uncle, but as the drama unfolds, we are made to think that Eddie’s is becoming overly attached to Catherine. When Eddie learns that Rodolfo has extremely strong feelings towards Catherine, he quickly tries to distance Catherine away from him, by saying that â€Å"He don’t respect you.† This is a cry of a desperate man, it’s as if he doesn’t want her to grow up, this is a very strong weakness of Eddies. We learn earlier on in the play that Eddie isn’t a good husband, because Beatrice asks, â€Å"When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?† I think that Eddie is confused with the state of his relationship with Catherine as she’s growing up, and because of this it’s stopping him from completing his duties with Beatrice. When Rodolfo sing or dances with Catherine, the song â€Å"Paper Doll† is often used e.g. When Rodolfo tells Catherine to â€Å"Dance† the phonograph â€Å"plays ‘Paper Doll’†. In my opinion this is a very clever use of song because it describes the nature of Rodolfo, he like a news paper. First of all Rodolfo isn’t extremely strong, nor is paper. One of the similarities between Marco and Eddie’s that they’re both very strong. Also you can read Rodolfo’s thoughts by looking at his face, just as if you’re reading a newspaper. One of the differences between Eddie and Marco is that Marco cares for his wife. In my opinion, to be a good man you must look after your wife. Where Eddie forgets to do his duties in bed, Marco sends some of the money he has  won back to his family in Italy, so they can have a better life. As I’ve said, both men want to look after their families, but both do this is different ways. Marco is prepared to leave his family to earn money, whereas Eddie hangs on to his family too tight in my opinion. One of the turning points is the drama, is when Eddie goes around kissing everybody. When Eddie sees Rodolfo and Catherine together, Eddie â€Å"suddenly, draws her to him, and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the lips.† This is Eddie getting what he wants, that is Catherine, because we know that Eddie doesn’t want Beatrice. Although Eddie gets Catherine in a very brutal way, it shows his dominance in the house. Not just content with this, â€Å"Eddie pins (Rodolfo’s) arms, laughing, and suddenly kisses him.† This is a rather odd gesture, because many times during the play Eddie describes Rodolfo as â€Å"The guy ain’t right.† He uses it many times either because he feels that this is true, or even because he is trying to convince himself that this is right. This kiss doesn’t follow with Eddie’s behaviour during the rest of the play, because by kissing him, he brings himself down to the same masculinity as gays. During the end we learn a lot about the characters real thoughts and feelings, and what sort of men they really are. There is a lot of discussion during the play, asking is Rodolfo just looking after himself, by wanting to marry an American. This is thrown more into doubt when Catherine asks him telling him â€Å"Suppose I wanted to live in Italy. At first he tries to push away the idea by replying â€Å"Forever?† At this point you start to believe that he’s a selfish little Italian that just wants to be an American. But then he goes on and says that â€Å"there’s nothing†¦I would be a criminal stealing your face†. This tells us that he’s as caring as Marco, he only wants the best for Catherine, and that all of Eddie’s doubts seem wrong. As the plot unfolds, Eddie’s masculinity seems to grow weaker and weaker. He has finally cracked when he â€Å"wants to report something†. Illegal immigrants. Two of them.† This shows us that Eddie has finally gone for  the big one. He isn’t enough of a man to throw Rodolpho and Marco on to the street; he phones to get others to do his dirty work. This is a sign of a coward. Although he thinks it’s the right thing to do, because he is protecting Catherine. After two officials catch the illegal immigrants, â€Å"Marco suddenly breaks from the group and dashes into the room and faces Eddie†. This shows us that Marco is a growing threat during this play. He’s becoming more and more important as the plot unfolds. By standing up to Eddie it shows that he’s ready to match him. But instead of attacking him verbally or physically, he â€Å"spits into Eddie’s face†. This is the point where Eddie loses all his dignity and manliness. The Italian community in Brooklyn is extremely close together, and they watch out for each other, and having one of their own betraying them is a sin, so Eddie will be looked down at now by the rest of the community. Not even Louis, one of Eddie’s close friends turn around to look at him when Eddie shouts, â€Å"Louis! Louis!† Even Catherine his own niece says that â€Å"he bites people when they sleep!† This shows us now that nobody will ever be able to trust him again, not even his own family. Just to rub the salt into the wound, Marco shouts, â€Å"That one! He killed my children! That one stole the food from my children!† This shows that the relationship between Eddie and Marco has hit an all time low. This also throws away the scraps of dignity that Eddie had left. It also enhances the fact that Marco is a loving father, who’s desperate to help his family back in Italy. In the very last scene, we start by seeing Catherine one again stealing his manliness away from him, by saying that â€Å"he’s a rat! He belongs in the sewers!† This shows us by now, not even his closest family can bear to be close to him after the unforgivable sin that he’s done. Only one character keeps faith in Eddie, and that’s Beatrice. She ironically stands by him all the time. But when Eddie sees Marco, he loses his mind, and starts to attack him verbally and physically. Eddie is blind to the fact that he is wrong, he isn’t enough of a man to face up to the fact, so he Marco to tell the people  that â€Å"what a liar you are!† This shows that Eddie is confident that he can have one successful blow at Marco, but he is wrong. Marco attacks back by calling Eddie an â€Å"†Animal! You go on your knees to me!†!† And he does this twice. This is one of the worst insults that a man in that time could call another. It shows us that Eddie is below the level of dignity shown by human beings, and is down there in the dumps, and by going on his knees shows that he’s at the same level as animals. Then both of them get ready to fight. Eddie at this point has nothing to lose, so he takes out a knife and at this point and â€Å"Louis (Eddie’s friend) halts and steps back from trying to stop the fight. This shows the power and status Eddie has just won by cheating. But in the end, Eddie had no chance of beating Marco, due to his strength. Marco managed to turn the blade around and stabbed Eddie. Eddie died, as a cheat, but he regains some dignity as he dies in Beatrice’s arms. This shows although all the horrid remarks and actions Eddie has made, Beatrice is there until the very end. Marco’s manliness during the play just grows and grows until this climax. Without a doubt, Miller has many different views on masculinity. You have Eddie and Marco, who are two extremely strong men, and you have Rodolfo, who is extremely keen on more feminine activates. In my opinion, there isn’t a lot of difference between these. All three are men in their different ways, but one thing in my view is a must is respect. And Eddie had lost it, all of it by the end. He used to be the king of the household before Marco and Rodolfo came along, and during that time, he was losing his respect due to the treatment he gave them, an example of this is when Eddie phoned the immigration office. In my opinion, Eddie knew he was losing respect from Beatrice because he demanded her â€Å"I want my respect, Beatrice.† This shows us that he worries what people think of him.

Pulp Fiction and religon essays

Pulp Fiction and religon essays Throughout the movie Pulp Fiction runs many ties to the Bible. Jules recites and later analyzes a passage from the Bible and which portion each person would represent. There is a character, Lance, who shares a strong likeness with Jesus. Lance is Vincents dealer that Vincent can get is euphoric feeling from, and later helps him to resurrect Mia Wallace. The stories themselves within the move also share similarities to those in the Bible . A strong theme throughout the instances with Jules and Vincent is the acknowledgement of God and his presence. In one of the most intense scenes in the movie, Jules and Vincent go to an apartment to retrieve a briefcase for Marcellus. What Jules and Vincent are picking up at the apartment is a briefcase for Marcellus. The camera never shows what is inside the briefcase, but is supposed to be the most beautiful thing everyone has seen. Any person who ends up looking at its contents becomes momentarily entranced by what they see, it is Marcellus soul. The briefcase must be unlocked with the code 666, which is the number of the beast (devil). The briefcase emits a glow as a soul would if it were materialized. In the Bible, when the devil takes a soul, he takes it from the back of a persons head. When we first see Marcellus in the movie, all that is shown is the back of his head with a large Band-Aid on it. Later we see that at the end of this scene, a person that was hiding in the bathroom comes out firing a hand cannon at Jules and Vincent. They look at the wall behind them and there are bullet-holes behind where they are standing. Vincent plays off the incident as though it werent a big deal, but Jules sees it as divine intervention. It is possible that God spared these two due to the fact that they are saving and holding onto a persons soul, just reason for divine intervention. ...

How to Become a Speech Language Pathologist

How to Become a Speech Language Pathologist Speech-language pathologists, also known as speech therapists, play a huge part in diagnosing, treating, and managing communication disorders (which include recovery from strokes, brain injuries, hearing loss, developmental disabilities, and autism). The speech-language pathologist career at a glance:The Day-to-DaySpeech-language pathologists can be found in a variety of medical and educational settings: hospitals, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, health clinics, and private practice offices. They typically work a 9-to-5-type schedule in an office, seeing patients on an appointment basis. Speech-language may specialize in treating communication disorders in particular age groups, from children (including autism spectrum communication issues and developmental delays) to adults (including stroke recovery and degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s). This position also often includes research and study of speech disorders and treatment in addition to wo rking directly with patients.The RequirementsSpeech-language pathologists typically have a master’s degree in the field, plus licensing and clinical training. Licensing requirements vary by state, so be sure to check on your own state’s regulations for speech therapists.The SkillsSpeech-language pathologists require a number of special skills and knowledge bases, including:Healthcare management and administrationHuman communication processesProblem solvingCurrent medical technology and methodsPatient care and communicationHuman behavioral patternsThe PayPer the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary of speech-language pathologists is $71,550.The OutlookThis area is a fast-growing area of Allied Health, with the BLS predicting robust 21% growth.Interested?  Apply Here

How the accounting function should support their organisation in adopting and implementing a strategic approach to sustainability. The WritePass Journal

How the accounting function should support their organisation in adopting and implementing a strategic approach to sustainability. Introduction How the accounting function should support their organisation in adopting and implementing a strategic approach to sustainability. IntroductionAccounting FunctionRetail Sustainability, UKM S Sustainability Approach   Sustainability ManagementGovernment Policy on SustainabilityCreating Sustainable ValueHow Effective are Sustainability measures?ConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction Our planet is constantly changing and most of the changes that are occurring are as a result of our actions. The use of limited resources by different types of organisations all over the world to create products and services without much thought of what happens in the long run. Some important questions that need answers to are; will resources run out if not properly managed? Will there be resources for future generations? How can the limited resources be managed to ensure environmental catastrophes do not happen? And how to make organisations more accountable by involving accountants in the sustainability process?   Our environment may become severely affected if strategic discussions, objectives, goals and targets are not fully integrated within governance, accountability arrangements, reporting and the organisation’s way of governing overall risk management. Since sustainability is one of the key drivers for business in current years,the accountants should be able to support their organisation in adopting and implementing a strategic approach to sustainability. Accounting Function Accounting is defined by the American Institute of Certified accountants (AICPA) as ‘the art of recording, classifying, and summarising in a significant manner and in terms of money, transactions and events which are, in part at least, of financial character, and interpreting the results thereof’. An Accountant’s main purpose up until the 90’s was reporting financial   accounts in terms of monetary values and profits however, the accounting profession needs to embrace the issue of sustainability to be able to maintain its integrity as a profession. Accountants should consider achieving wider transparency with non-financial Reporting against a broader set of stakeholder expectations. Such as separate, sustainability or corporate social responsibility reports that may be based on de facto standards, such as those from the Global Reporting Initiative.   This perspective also includes sustainability assurance, to help to improve credibility and trust, and m ight be of interest to those professional accountants in public practice. Retail Sustainability, UK Sustainability has three important dimensions for all organisations including the retail sector; Economic viability Social responsibility Environmental responsibility. The challenges of sustainable development require innovative approaches that inspire, and call businesses, governments and people to action. The retail sector can make a huge contribution to sustainability through their own operations, through their supply chains and through their relationships with their customers. The recognition governments and many organisations have given in to sustainability and sustainable developments are changing business culture and society. The global challenge is to ensure that retail organisations embrace sustainable development practices; Reverse the previous erosion of natural resources; Improve their environmental, social, and economic performance. This requires radical changes in the way we do business and the way we live our lives. M S Sustainability Approach Marks and Spencer claim to become the most sustainable retailer in the world. Retail organisation like marks Spencer have already let the public know some of the goals of the company which will help them to achieve sustainability. MS engaging customer with Plan A, the aim of this plan A is to encourages shoppers to give ideas for environmental change. Through suggestions from shoppers they have been able to introduce the ‘charging for plastic bags scheme’ and this has significantly reduced the use of plastic bags at their stores by more than 70%. Marks and Spencer is in   partnerships with WWF which help them to address environmental issues associated with sourcing cotton, wood and fish and they are helping them to fund vital orang-utan conservation in the Heart of Borneo; Oxfam helped them   to encourage clothing recycling whilst also raising money for their vital work. They have also worked with a range of partners for over three years to run their Marks Start work experience programme for disadvantaged   group which has helped over 800 people get back into work in the UK. ‘’Producing and harvesting raw materials can cause significant harm to the environment. Becoming more sustainable means making better use of the materials already available to us and at the same time making sure that key raw materials are sourced in ways that allow them to be naturally replenished’’   Sustainability Management Sustainability Management will help Accountants to Introduce sustainability measures, and environmental accounting as an extension of existing Accounting/information systems to accommodate organisational plans for sustainable development and enhancing performance evaluation and measurement. Accountants can advice on how organisations can relatively improve energy efficiency and reduce waste; this, in turn, can help them improve environmental performance while reducing their costs, all in a relatively short time frame. MS claims it saved  £50m in 2009-10 as a result of Plan A, which was launched in 2007 and Between April 2007 and May 2008, they   managed to save 12%, or 1402 tonnes of packaging. Accountants should consider achieving wider transparency with non-financial Reporting against a broader set of stakeholder expectations. Such as separate sustainability or corporate social responsibility reports that may be based on de facto standards, such as those from the Global Reporting Initiative. Included is advice on reporting on climate change issues and emissions in a way that demonstrates the existence of a structured system and approach to managing climate change impact and risks Government Policy on Sustainability National strategy The UK and devolved governments have separate strategies, each including further priorities and supported by further measures and indicators, based on their different responsibilities, needs and views. Our estate The Government is committed to leading by example on sustainable operations and procurement. Sustainable Operations of the Government Estate sets targets for all Government departments, agencies and bodies. Local and regional Local and regional solutions are needed to address locally identified problems. Sustainable communities, in both urban and rural areas, can stimulate the delivery of sustainable development. International The UK actively promotes multilateral and sustainable solutions to today’s most pressing environmental, economic and social problems. More prosperous nations have an obligation to put their own house in order, and to support other countries in the transition towards a more equitable and sustainable world. There are a couple of thousand accountants in Johnson Johnson and not many of them are even familiar with the term sustainability Michael J. Foley, Assistant Corporate Controller, Johnson Johnson, USA Creating Sustainable Value The new Sustainability Framework, developed by the Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), highlights the issues that organisations must address to make sustainability part of their business model. It offers guidance on how to inject sustainability leadership into the management cycle, from making and executing strategic decisions to reporting on performance to stakeholders. Framework allows professional accountants to easily navigate those sustainability issues that are most important to their immediate roles. How Effective are Sustainability measures? Evaluating whether sustainability is only there in theory and not in practice is difficult. Most retail organisations claim to have the right and practicable sustainability measure in place because they have incorporated corporate social responsibility into their main business objective but   there are reasons that suggest they in fact portray themselves as socially responsible when this might not be the case in reality. The initiative by retail organisations to encourage customers to use less plastic bags   have not worked on all customers as people tend   to forget them and buy new ones   each time they go shopping. Nevertheless, more retailers are conscious of their impact on people and the planet, and some are becoming sustainability leaders. But is this concern genuine or simply crass marketing, or even â€Å"greenwashing?† Conclusion Enhancing the role of professional accountants in developing sustainable business can benefit retail employers and the public. Accountants’ professional background and orientation has equipped them with the necessary qualities to support their contribution namely, wide business understanding, numeracy and knowledge of measurement, and objectivity and integrity. Applying these skills to sustainability issues can help organisations to embrace sustainable development, and to incorporate it into strategic planning, execution and reporting. References www.ifac.org/sustainability-framework/overview#box-1 www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/sustainable-retail Can’t see the wood for trees, Can’t see the trees for the numbers? Accounting education, Sustainability and the Public Interest. ROB GRAY* AND DAVID COLLISON†  defra.gov.uk triplepundit.com http://corporate.marksandspencer.com The plan A [Accessed 20th January 2011] http://plana.marksandspencer.com/we-are-doing/sustainable-raw-materials Marks Spencer sustainability pledge is flawed [Accessed 9th February] guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/m-s-sustainability-pledge Marks Spencer sets out its sustainable stall [Accessed 11th February] independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/marksspencer-sets-out-its-sustainable-stall-1914358.htm

Tort Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tort Law - Coursework Example Before this case, if a professional person made a statement to another, and the other person relied upon this statement, the only remedy for this would be a remedy in contract, not in tort.2 Hedley Byrne changed this basic rule, and now parties may recover for purely economic loss, even if there is not a contractual relationship. The facts in Hedley are similar to the case at bar. In Hedley, Hedley Byrne was a firm of advertising agents with a customer, Easipower Ltd., who put in a large order. Hedley carried out this large order, but not before it got a report from the Heller & Partners Ltd. Bank regarding Easipower’s creditworthiness. The bank replied that Easipower was creditworthy, Hedley relied upon this statement, gave Easipower its orders, Easipower went out of business, and Hedley Byrne lost  £17,000 on the deal. Hedley Byrne sued Heller & Partners for their statement. Heller replied that there was not a duty of care, and that liability was excluded. What the Hedley court found was that there was a special relationship between the parties, and the court found that the special relationship was formed because the defendant reasonably should have known that the plaintiff would rely upon the statements that they gave to them. This foreseeable reliance creates a special relationship. Since the decision in Hedley, the UK courts have expanded upon the definition of special relationship and what would give rise to an action in negligence, with regards to people who are professionals. For instance, 3expanded upon the Hedley principle, and stated that if something is common practice, then it is not unreasonable to rely upon the word of that professional, as opposed to being expected to get a second opinion. Moreover, the Smith case expanded the Hedley principle to third parties. However, the Hedley principle is not absolute. For instance, in Caparo Industries plc. V. Dickman4 , a company who was pursuing a takeover relied upon an auditor’s statements

A study of Relationship Among Visitor's Experience, Travelling Dissertation

A study of Relationship Among Visitor's Experience, Travelling Motivation, Destination Image, Service Quality, Satisfaction an - Dissertation Example Hence, it has become a great concern for parents to spend quality time with their children and undertake meaningful cooperative activities. In addition, proper leisure time management and conveniences of air and sea transport, family tours have become more popular in recent times. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, WTTC, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and APEC data, tourism travelling encompasses activities such as restaurants, leisure entertainment, transportation, accommodation and travelling service, implying that tourism is indeed made up of big enterprises, which bring about a lot of economic effects (Kotler & Keller, 2011) Evidently, in modern times, people spend quite huge portions of their income and time traveling to destination and undertake activities such as sightseeing with their preschool age children, whose parents always take to theme parks around the world. According to World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2013 Annual Statistical Repost on Tou rism, the average number of trips per person during the year 2012 was 5.12, an increase of 0.66 trips from the 4.46 average of 2011 and 2012 respectively (Kotler & Keller, 2011 ). ... inment, education, unanticipated and happy whole-family experiences for children, parents and grandparents, which make entire families to have a good time at the park. In addition, Janfusun Fancyworld’s establishment, history, environment and activities therein also offer unique services for each person and for each special festival such as Halloween, Christmas, New Year, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter Day among other holidays and occasions. These are some of the reasons parents, preschool children and other members of families opt for Janfusun Fancyworld as their first-choice destination. In addition to these factors, the rapid increase in internet accessibility and use and emerging marketing concepts and applications have, consumer-oriented and customer-centered markets have also worked in favour Janfusun Fancyworld. To this effect, Janfusun Fancyworld, places emphasis on customer experience, customer value and satisfaction and high quality in its market ing strategies. Janfusun Fancyworld has also exploited the current advances in information technology to improve on creativity, aesthetics, sensibility, intellectuality and participative entertainment and recreational activities. Like other tourism destinations, Janfusun Fancyworld must prioritise strategies to establish and retain consumer satisfaction through quality and diverse services since a thorough understanding of customer service provision and satisfaction have profound effects on consumers’ perceptions on quality, value and satisfaction level is rather integral to modern tourism. Customers’ satisfaction and their intention to revisit are perhaps the most important cornerstones in the tourism industry that any tourist destination intending to remain viable ought not to overlook (Peppers &

Computer-Based information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computer-Based information system - Essay Example The paper will also discuss the computer-based information system of AT&T were misused by employees. The cloud-based data store is one of the recent information systems that was developed by AT&T Telecommunication Company. An article that was published by computer world indicated that the system is designed to help enterprise-based developers in the usage of (IoT) Internet of Things apps, as well as services. The system is designed to allow collection and the analysis of data more comfortable from various remote devices that are interconnected to large businesses (Hamblen, 2015). AT&T Company has also developed Monitoring systems for organizations. Currently, organization performance has been the primary focus for most organizations. Managers have been struggling on how they can improve the performance of their organizations by increasing performance by increasing supervision with a slight budget line. Monitoring systems have played a significant role in improving performance of various organizations (Computerworld, 1983). Computer based information system of AT&T has significantly reduced the cost of operations to most organizations. For instance, the development of cloud data stores played a significant role in cutting down the cost of hiring employees for a considerable number of organizations (AT&T Tech, 2012). Initially, most computer-based information systems of AT&T were predestined to improve the performance of the organization by either cutting down the cost of resources or improving the quality of services. Conversely, most information based system has been misused by employees for their personal gain. For instance, monitoring systems are designed to either monitor the performance of employees by the supervisors. A great part of monitoring systems is a computerized collection, analysis, storage as well as reporting

Medictest Laboratories Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Medictest Laboratories - Case Study Example This means eliminating some of their best supervisors they have worked with for many years. The decision is final and the only way to settle this issue is through having the right communication process. A formal general meeting with the supervisors together with their chosen staffs should be conducted. In line with this, the information regarding some external factors may be well explained. Furthermore, the reason why there is a need to cut off and absorbed employees will be clearly discussed in detail. This has to be done by the Human Resources department to be backed up with the head office. In order to remarkably consider employees’ morale, productivity and motivation, it is good that the company will start informing the employees with their performance and appreciating them of a job well done if necessary. Furthermore, the company should continue enhance technical and leadership skills of the chosen supervisors as a way of empowering them and as a way to cope with the new company system structure. Problem Statement The case talks about the need to streamline the operation of Medictest Laboratories, a group of testing centers with satellite branches in Sarnia, Ontario under the supervision of a regional manager Jean Kelly. ... Problems/Subproblems/Issues Jean wanted to create a plan that would consider employees’ morale, productivity and motivation. Thus, the heart of the said issue significantly concerns the following specific questions stated in the case: 1. How should the changes be conveyed to the supervisors leaving, to those who are staying, and to the staff? 2. Where should the discussion be held? 3. Who should communicate the decisions? 4. In what sequence? 5. What should be the physical set up? 6. How should head office be involved? Analysis The case of Medictest Laboratories in Sarnia, Ontario is a remarkable proof that the external environment has significant impact on an organization’s success. The budget cut that has to be implemented by the government is a significant external force that eventually would affect Medictest’s system structure. Although it is an integral part of its success, this is beyond the control of a business firm and it has nothing to do about it. What it can actually do with this is to consider its internal environment where it has substantial influence and this remarkably includes its human resource. The human resource is something that Medictest can influence in the midst of some impacts brought about by its external environment (Berger 2). The only way to influence the human resource is to create some changes within the firm and in the case of Medictest, its essential point would be to streamline its operation and move forward to empowerment of its personnel. This is the very core of the challenge that the said company must face. At this very point, the firm must choose the best among the best and it has specific

Rhetoric Criticism Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rhetoric Criticism - Article Example entitled What it Means to be Colored in the Capital of the U.S. at the United Women’s Club, expressing her views about what was happening then. In this speech, Terrell used Aristotelian forensic rhetoric to present her version of injustice towards colored people in order to increase awareness to their rights and to acquire them. According to Aristotle, forensic rhetoric uses facts to attack or defend, making the audience a judge of what has been done in the past. In Terrell’s speech, she talks about various challenges she has been through as a colored woman and the experiences of others as well in order to show the injustices committed against colored men. She begins with the instances that happened to her or those which she observed and considered to be most possible in her condition as a Black woman. She mentions that there is no other race treated as the Blacks, who may walk the streets to the White House without being fed or accepted in a house, hotel or restaurant. She exposes that even if one has money to buy food or pay for a decent room to stay for the night, if that person is Black, he would not be entertained at all. In a rather ironic tone, Terell points out that even if she were to enter the house of God where color and culture should not be a problem or where love and equality should be most evident, she, as a colored person, would not be given a welcoming reception as expected. This shows that even the very persons who proclaim equality and love, can be void of what they preach when it comes to colored people and the speaker considers this as an injustice. Concerning work, America has always been perceived as a land of promise because of its vast lands and various opportunities. However, to the Blacks, it is not so. According to Terell, there are many able and qualified Black men and women who are highly qualified to do white collar jobs. Nevertheless, color seems to be a hindrance to them. The writer speaks further about this issue by presenting the experience of a young woman who was a rising literary star. She applied to work as stenographer at a company and proving herself to be the best candidate for the job; she was invited in for the interview. Contrary to what the young Black woman expected, she was not given the job because of her color and instead, she was advised to do menial work as that is what the society expects from colored people. Such are the facts Terrell knew about a colored man’s life which she expressed in a compelling manner. â€Å"Her speech isn't as long as others, but it is effective in getting her message across, that there is an abundance of prejudice in America† (Johnston, 2001). She did not merely state examples of injustices that happened to her or a handful of her people but includes the whole community of Black people regardless of their economic status, religion, education and views. Terell used the Association theory by expounding on a specific experience of one person before proceeding to include others in her discussion. For instance, after mentioning the highly qualified applicant who was not given the job of a stenographer, she goes on to speak on a general note, including all the colored women in her discussion of employment opportunities. She says that Black women are not given the fair chance to get employment

Chapter 1 Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 1 Summary - Essay Example 2), people who argue in favor of heterosexual and homosexual cohabitate relations tend to define marriage as a mere â€Å"union between people† whether it is legally recognized or not. A family is understood as a group of people ‘related by blood, marriage or adoption†; however, most of the Americans tend to accept the broader definition of family where cohabitation also is accepted (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 3). The types of families in America vary from family of orientation, family of procreation, nuclear family to extended or multigenerational family. Racially and ethnically mixed families, lesbian and gay families and foster families do exist in America. The authors argue that factors such as race, class, ethnicity and gender have caused large amount of social, political and economic inequalities among families in the nation and as a result many families feel themselves as inferior. The social functions that families serve include â€Å"regulation of sexual behaviour, reproduction, social placement, socialization, economic cooperation and the provision of care, protection and intimacy for family members† (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 5). There exists contradiction between the traditional family values and those propagated by educational systems. The breakdown of families and moral decay would result in most contemporary social ills such as HIV/AIDS, divorce, drug abuse and violence and the growing number of divorces, lesbian gay relations, unmarried mothers and incest add to these contrasting views on marriage. Studies and researches have shown that the concept of family life in America is very much clouded by myths. According to the authors, these myths, though they sound to be ‘dysfunctional or dangerous’, are ‘middle-class myths’ that are propagated by the mass media (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 9). The major four debunking myths are discussed below: The concept of universal nuclear family found wide acceptance in the 1950s and 1960s. The

Medictest Laboratories Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Medictest Laboratories - Case Study Example This means eliminating some of their best supervisors they have worked with for many years. The decision is final and the only way to settle this issue is through having the right communication process. A formal general meeting with the supervisors together with their chosen staffs should be conducted. In line with this, the information regarding some external factors may be well explained. Furthermore, the reason why there is a need to cut off and absorbed employees will be clearly discussed in detail. This has to be done by the Human Resources department to be backed up with the head office. In order to remarkably consider employees’ morale, productivity and motivation, it is good that the company will start informing the employees with their performance and appreciating them of a job well done if necessary. Furthermore, the company should continue enhance technical and leadership skills of the chosen supervisors as a way of empowering them and as a way to cope with the new company system structure. Problem Statement The case talks about the need to streamline the operation of Medictest Laboratories, a group of testing centers with satellite branches in Sarnia, Ontario under the supervision of a regional manager Jean Kelly. ... Problems/Subproblems/Issues Jean wanted to create a plan that would consider employees’ morale, productivity and motivation. Thus, the heart of the said issue significantly concerns the following specific questions stated in the case: 1. How should the changes be conveyed to the supervisors leaving, to those who are staying, and to the staff? 2. Where should the discussion be held? 3. Who should communicate the decisions? 4. In what sequence? 5. What should be the physical set up? 6. How should head office be involved? Analysis The case of Medictest Laboratories in Sarnia, Ontario is a remarkable proof that the external environment has significant impact on an organization’s success. The budget cut that has to be implemented by the government is a significant external force that eventually would affect Medictest’s system structure. Although it is an integral part of its success, this is beyond the control of a business firm and it has nothing to do about it. What it can actually do with this is to consider its internal environment where it has substantial influence and this remarkably includes its human resource. The human resource is something that Medictest can influence in the midst of some impacts brought about by its external environment (Berger 2). The only way to influence the human resource is to create some changes within the firm and in the case of Medictest, its essential point would be to streamline its operation and move forward to empowerment of its personnel. This is the very core of the challenge that the said company must face. At this very point, the firm must choose the best among the best and it has specific

Chapter 1 Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 1 Summary - Essay Example 2), people who argue in favor of heterosexual and homosexual cohabitate relations tend to define marriage as a mere â€Å"union between people† whether it is legally recognized or not. A family is understood as a group of people ‘related by blood, marriage or adoption†; however, most of the Americans tend to accept the broader definition of family where cohabitation also is accepted (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 3). The types of families in America vary from family of orientation, family of procreation, nuclear family to extended or multigenerational family. Racially and ethnically mixed families, lesbian and gay families and foster families do exist in America. The authors argue that factors such as race, class, ethnicity and gender have caused large amount of social, political and economic inequalities among families in the nation and as a result many families feel themselves as inferior. The social functions that families serve include â€Å"regulation of sexual behaviour, reproduction, social placement, socialization, economic cooperation and the provision of care, protection and intimacy for family members† (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 5). There exists contradiction between the traditional family values and those propagated by educational systems. The breakdown of families and moral decay would result in most contemporary social ills such as HIV/AIDS, divorce, drug abuse and violence and the growing number of divorces, lesbian gay relations, unmarried mothers and incest add to these contrasting views on marriage. Studies and researches have shown that the concept of family life in America is very much clouded by myths. According to the authors, these myths, though they sound to be ‘dysfunctional or dangerous’, are ‘middle-class myths’ that are propagated by the mass media (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 9). The major four debunking myths are discussed below: The concept of universal nuclear family found wide acceptance in the 1950s and 1960s. The

Bureaucracy Notes Essay Example for Free

Bureaucracy Notes Essay The Nature of Bureaucracy A bureaucracy is the name given to a large organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific functions. They are generally characterized by an organization chart. Public bureaucracies are basically any organization. They do not have a single set of leaders; they serve the citizenry. Private bureaucracies are those that have a single set of leaders-it’s board of directors. Government bureaucracies are not organized to make a profit. The Weberian Model of the modern bureaucracy which was developed by the German sociologist Max Weber, who viewed bureaucracies as rational, hierarchical organizations in which decisions are based on logical reasoning. The Acquisitive Model of bureaucracy that views top-level bureaucrats as seeking to expand the size of their budgets and staffs to gain greater power. Â  The Monopolistic Model is a model of bureaucracy that compares bureaucracies to monopolistic business firms. Lack of competition in either circumstance leads to inefficient and costly operations. Administrative Agencies are a federal, state, or local government unit established to perform a specific function. Administrative agencies are created and authorized by legislative bodies to administer and enforce specific laws. The Size of the Bureaucracy Excluding the military, the federal bureaucracy includes approximately 2.7 government employees. Since the 1970’s the growth of bureaucracy has been mainly at the and local levels. The Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy The executive branch, which employs most of of the government’s staff, has four major types of structures: Cabinet Departments One of the 15 departments of the executive branch (State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Energy, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs). They are the major organizations of the federal government. Each department is headed by a Secretary and has several levels of undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and so on. President’s theoretically have considerable control over these departments, however, sometimes they fail to follow the President’s wishes. Independent Executive Agencies are bureaucratic organizations that are not located within a department but report directly to the president, who appoints their chief officials. Independent Regulatory Agencies are typically responsible for a specific type of public pol icy. Their function is to make and implement rules and regulations in a particular sphere of action to protect the public interest. It is an agency outside the major executive departments charged with making and implementing rules and regulations. Members of regulatory agency boards are appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate. The President can influence them by appointing people of their own parties or individuals who share their political views when vacancies occur., in particular when the chair is vacant. Government Corporation an agency of government that administers a quasi-business enterprise. These corporations are used when activities are primarily commercial. It differs from public and private corporations. Private corporations have shareholders who elect a board of directors, who in turn choose the corporate officers, such as the president and vice president. When it makes a provide, it has to pay taxes. A government corporation has a board of directors and managers but not stockholders. We cannot buy shares of stock under this. Profits remain in within the corporation under the government corporation. Capture is the act by which an industry being regulated by a government agency gains direct or indirect control over agency personnel and decision makers. Challenges to the Bureaucracy The federal bureaucracy is both complex and very specialized. Every department has it’s own goals, missions, and constituents. Some of these problems that occur within each department require more than one agency, causing overlapping jurisdictions to cause confusion and problems that no one has the authority to potentially solve. Terrorism was a challenge because it needed to be organized in order to stop it. The main problem with this was integrating agencies whose missions were very different.. Another was dealing with natural disasters. Natural Disasters leave people without power and without a home, and potentially causing many deaths. So many agencies and levels of government must be coordinated that sometimes responses are delayed and aid does not get to the victims in a timely way. It’s the struggle of the citizens themselves. Staffing the Bureaucracy Two categories of bureaucrats: Political Appointees The president can make political appointments to most of the top jobs in the federal bureaucracy. Civil Servants The president can also appoint ambassadors to foreign posts. The rest of the national governments’ employees belong to the civil service and obtain their jobs through a much more formal process. Civil Service Act of 1883 The size of the bureaucracy increased by 300 percent between 1851 and 1881, the cry for civil service reform became louder. Spoils System is an application of the principle that to the victor belong the spoils. It’s the awarding of government jobs to political supporters and friends. Pendleton Act (Civil Service Reform Act) was passed placing the first limits on the spoils system. It is an act that established the principle of employment on the basis of merit and created the Civil Service Commission to administer the personnel service. Merit System is the selection, retention, and promotion of government employees on the basis of competitive examinations. Civil Service Commission is the initial central personnel agency of the national government, created in 1883. Modern Attempts at Bureaucratic Reform The most important actual and proposed reforms in the last several decades include: Sunshine Laws The Government in the Sunshine Act is a law that requires all committee directed federal agencies to conduct their business regularly in public session. Sunshine laws, today, exist at all levels of government. Sunset Laws The Sunset Legislation are laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended as a result of these reviews. It places government programs on a definite schedule for Congressional consideration. This idea was originally suggested by Franklin D. Roosevelt, however his proposal was never adopted. Privatization is the replacement of government services with services provided by private films. It occurs when government services are replaced by services from the private sector. Some people believe that they could be provided more efficiently. It is most successful at the local level. Incentives for Efficiency to make things better, state governments focus on maximizing the efficiency and productivity of government workers by providing incentives for improved performance. More Protection for so-called Whistleblowers Whistleblowers are people who bring public attention gross governmental inefficiency or an illegal action. They may be clerical workers, managers, or even specialists, like scientists. Some state and federal laws encourage employees to blow the whistle on their employers’ wrongful actions by providing monetary incentives to the whistleblowers. Bureaucrats as Political and Policy Makers Because Congress is unable to oversee the day-to-day administration of its programs, it must delegate certain powers to administrative agencies. Enabling Legislation is a statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative agency and specifies the name, purpose, composition, functions, and powers of the agency being created. The agencies should put into effect laws passed by Congress. They provide relatively little guidance to agency administrators as to how the laws should be implemented; meaning that the agencies must decide how best to carry out the wishes of Congress. In the rule making environment EXAMPLE: Suppose that Congress passes a new air pollution law. The Environmental Protection Agency might decide to implement the new law through a technical regulation on factory emission. This proposed regulation would be published in the Federal Register, a daily government publication, so that interested parties would have an opportunity to comment on it. Individuals and companies that opposed the rule might then try to convince the EPA to revise it. Some parties might try to persuade the agency to withdraw the legislation. There is a 60-day waiting period before the rule can be enforced. Bureaucrats are policy makers. The Iron triangle is the three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests. Issue Network is a group of individuals or organizations which may consist of legislators and legislative staff members, interest group leaders, bureaucrats, the media, scholars, and other experts that supports a particular policy position on a given issue. It describes the policy making process. Members of a particular issue network work together to influence the president, member of Congress, administrative agencies, and the courts to affect public policy on a specific issue. Each policy issue may involve conflicting positions taken by two or more issue networks. Congressional Control of the Bureaucracy Congress has the power of the purse and theoretically could refuse to authorize or appropriate funds for a particular agency. Congress has the legal authority to decide whether to fund or not to fund administrative agencies and can exercise oversight over agencies through investigations and hearings. Congressional Committees conduct investigations and hold hearings to oversee an agency’s actions, reviewing them to ensure compliance with congressional intentions. The agency’s officers and employees can be ordered to testify before a committee about the details of an action. Through these oversight activities, especially int eh questions and comments of member of the House of Representatives or the Senate during the hearings, Congress indicates its positions on specific programs and issues. One theory of Congressional control over the bureaucracy suggests that Congress cannot possibly oversee all of the bureaucracy. Two possible approaches police control and the fire alarm approach. The fire alarm approach is more likely to discover gross inadequacies in a bureaucracy’s job performance. Congress and its committees react to scandal, citizen disappointment, and massive negative publicity by launching a full-scale investigation into whatever agency is suspected of wrongdoing.

Challenges And Constraints Of Solar Energy Environmental Sciences Essay

Challenges And Constraints Of Solar Energy Environmental Sciences Essay The biggest challenge that Solar Energy faces today is the alternative conventional energy sources that are cheaper in terms of consumption measures (Rupees per KWh).Electricity generated from Solar Energy is costlier compared to that produced from coal-fired power plants. Government and enterprises are working on producing cheaper solar cells to reduce cost of usage. Although the price of Solar Photovoltaic technology has decreased in the last years, it is still not a feasible solution for large scale power generation purposes. In India, the average cost of Photovoltaic modules is around Rs. 2 lc/KWh and the cost of electricity generation of electricity from Solar Photovoltaic and Solar thermal route is in the range of Rs. 12 -20 per kWh and Rs. 10 15 per kWh respectively. The electricity produced this way is four-five times costlier from that produced from conventional sources. Advancement in technology is required to reduce this gap. The manufacturing process needs to be more cost- effective since the Solar Photovoltaic conversion of electricity is a high-technology process demanding high level of skills and expertise. Companies are allocating special funds for research and development in the industry to encourage innovations to improve the process. Since the field is a relatively new one with less knowledge in the field, new companies face challenges in coping up with the existing players in the field. India is suitably located to receive sufficient sunlight all round the year. However there are a few places which do not receive enough solar energy throughout the year, which affects the cost of production. Areas which receive huge amounts of rainfall and are clouded for most parts of the year, automatically get ruled out as prospective sites for Solar Energy generation. Another major challenge that solar energy faces is storage of the generated power. Electricity from Photovolatic cells cannot be generated during the night and during cloudy days and hence suitable measures have to be adopted to store the energy produced during the other times of the day. Another major disadvantage is that access on a short term basis cannot be predicted. Since India is located near to the equator the incoming radiation fluctuate a little every year, it is however difficult to predict the incoming radiations on a day to day basis. Apart of this there are seasonal variations which cause the supply and demand to grow out of phase. It is thus imperative that Solar Energy cannot be relied upon as the only source of electricity for potential uses like space heating, till proper storage measures are invented. It is also difficult to store energy since it also increases the cost of production and installation. Only once this issue gets resolved can solar energy actually com pete with other existent sources of energy. ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS Due to absence of proper government regulation ,local government and individuals are skeptical about the effect that setting up of big solar power plants will have on the individuals and environment. A large scale solar power plant typically requires approximately one square kilometer for every 20-60MW generated. RAW MATERIAL AND WASTE PRODUCTS Some of the materials ( like Cadmium) used for producing Solar PV cells are hazardous and other raw materials like plastics used for the packaging of the cells are non-biodegradable, thereby impacting the environment. Although some of the waste generated during the manufacturing process is recyclable (silicon), not all other materials are recyclable and disposal of the same is a challenging process. AESTHETICS AND DESIGN Another barrier to wider adoption of solar cell and solar module products and systems among commercial and residential consumers is aesthetics and design. Consumers have resisted solar products for aesthetic reasons. Established solar products are heavy, rigid, fragile and non-modular. Solar cell and solar module manufacturers can improve aesthetics by developing products that can be more attractively integrated into building structures, and that are lighter, flexible and modular and hence more feasible. Growth in future and driving factors Concentrated Solar Vs Photovoltaic Solar Solar energy utilization technologies can be broadly classified into two categories as Concentrated Solar Technology Photovoltaic Solar Technology In Concentrated Solar Technology the solar energy converts heat liquids into steam, which is then used to drive turbines to produce electricity, heating and cooling purposes, providing hot water etc. In PV Solar, solar panels are used to produce electricity. The Concentrated Solar technology provides a good alternative to PV solar, one that is less expensive and more versatile. Benefits of concentrated solar technology are: It uses existing resources like generators, piping and mirrors. Due to which the production costs are much lower than PV solar In producing solar energy no hazardous materials are used. Thus it is free from production hassles that could arise due to future government laws or policies. It can also store the heat that is generated during the day, and use it at a later time when the electricity is needed. Storing heat is much more efficient than most forms of storing electricity, and does not require expensive equipment or large tracks of land. Due to the aforementioned benefits Concentrated Solar Technology is currently a more sought after method. But the potential for PV Solar Technology is higher and is being worked over across all countries. Government incentives Major percentage of the solar energy production has been backed by the government world over. Few of the government incentives in the following ways are: FIT (mainly in europe) Direct Subsidy on panels Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS, in US) ITC (Investment tax credits, in US) Some of the goals with respect to solar energy of different countries driven by government initiatives are: The  European Union  has linked goals to get 20% of its energy from clean sources by 2012. Chinas Renewable Energy Law aims to raise the total percentage of renewable energy used in the country to 15% by 2020. The U.S. Stimulus Bill of February of 2009 included $60 billion in loan guarantees for companies building solar and wind plants with the goal of doubling renewable energy production from 2009 to 2012. In June of 2008, Germany approved a law cutting its solar subsidies by 10%. Further, under the law subsidies will fall another 8%-10% each year for the next three years. The Spanish Government cut its solar subsidies by 30%. Renewable energy demand Shifts in renewable energy demand are a major driver for the solar market. Two major drivers of this shift are climate change  and  peak oil. Climate Change With more people than ever being aware of global warming and its potential effects, and fear of the repercussions of a carbon-based energy scheme is driving consumer demand for alternatives like solar. With increasing number of people being aware of global warming and its harmful effects, rising fear caused due to carbon based energy production, the demand for alternative energy resources are in demand. The number of awareness campaigns to promote the use of alternative resources has increased tremendously over the past few years and will continue to rise in the future. Wind and Solar energy are the first potential step taken into consideration. Peak Oil and Energy Independence The ever rising oil prices and the scarcity of finding the mines and oil reserves are a growing concern. It is predicted that the oil resources will dwindle to such an extent that the growth of any country will be a standstill if measures are not taken today to curtail the dependence. Furthermore, a large part of the world oil supply can be found in politically turbulent countries; with OPEC having dominant control over world oil supply (and, therefore, prices), many countries desire energy alternatives in order to break dependence on geopolitically unstable nations. Technology and Silicon Supply Silicon was previously used extensively by the semiconductor industry. But, with the advent of solar power and its rapid growth the demand for them has increased exponentially, resulting in an under-supply of silicon unable to meet the current demand. Thus the higher prices in silicon mean higher production costs for solar companies and lower margins. For a sustainable growth and control in costs of production in the future the demand-supply equilibrium must be in check. In recent years the technical advancements in the field of solar power has been rapid and tremendous. Everyone across the value chain, manufacturers and suppliers are working towards producing more solar energy out of the existing solar equipment. Advancements have included increasing cell energy efficiency, using thinner wafers, and increasing generating power in low-light (generation of energy even on a cloudy day). The advancement in two new manufacturing processes namely string-ribbon technology and thin-film technology, designed to drastically reduce the  silicon  required to make PV cells, could dramatically decrease the cost of new PV cells. The use of a new nanotechnology based approach using Tetrapod Quantum Dots (TQ-Dots) is being considered. It is an economical alternative to replace the silicon wafer based solar cells with flexible TQ-Dot solar cells and has the advantage of generating electricity from UV and infrared wavelengths allowing generation 24/7. Government Regulation As the solar industry continues to grow at 25% per annum, the government is faced with the challenge to regulate the industry to allow for equitable distribution of the industry benefits. The Union Ministry has set up a separate Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources later renamed as Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The government is trying hard to bring India to the number 1 level by introducing grid based incentives and providing concession at various levels of manufacturing and distribution in its recent budget 2010-11. Effect on the Environment: There is an ongoing debate on how Concentrated Solar Plants especially inare affecting the environment. There is a concern how the use of vast amounts of public land for Solar Energy development will affect local inhabitants. Local Government and Environmental bodies have raised concern for reliable regulatory measures to be setup to understand the affect on the operations of such large plants on the environment. It is expected that the government will frame certain special energy zones, where concentrated solar plants will be setup. Permitting: The permit fees to set up Solar Plants varies in different areas in the countries, which causes variations in the setup price causing a dilemma in the minds of prospective investors.The cost of Solar Installation in a city varies from Rs.15,000 to Rs. 50,000.Many countries that used to face such issues are now migrating to a uniform permit fees system to encourage investment in this field. Regulating Solar Energy Providers: As part of JNNSM, government has dedicated NTPC VidyutVyapar Nigam, for the purchase of Solar Energy by independent solar plants, the prices of which are fixed by the Central Regulatory Electricity Commission for a given period of time. The power distribution companies will purchase the power generated from these plants at the prices set by the regulator.They would also follow the below mentioned norms: CERC has announced tariff of Rs. 18.44 per unit for solar PV power and Rs. 13.45 per unit for solar thermal power for 25 years; Zero or concessional duty to be applied on import of some specific items; Zero Excise duty on manufacture of many solar energy devices within the country; NTPC VVN will purchase solar power for a period of 25 years at fixed tariff announced by CERC; CERC will review the costs every year and fix tariff accordingly for new projects. Union Budget 2010-11: Government has announced an allocation of $10bn for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The budget also provides incentives to private solar companies by reducing customs duty on solar panel by 5% and exempting excise duty on photovoltaic panels.