Monday, January 20, 2020

Thoughts on Jack Finneys Novel Time and Again :: essays research papers

Time and Again A novel by Jack Finney Despite the fact Time and Again is fictional, it makes one wistful, thinking of how incredible it would be to be in Simon Morley’s place. To be able to see the world exactly as if a day had not passed in the time of 1882, to converse, to touch, to just breathe the air of the past – is merely dreaming. Author Jack Finney describes how such a thing would come to pass – travelling back in time – and for a moment or more, I could believe every word. However far-fetched or seemingly plausible the novel was, it was told brilliantly, and the sketches helped one immerse themselves more and more into the tale. The novel had the similar effect of Dan Brown’s novels (The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, Deception Point) with meticulous research and facts, coupled with smart and abstract characters, and a theory or two, making for a convincing novel. But unlike Dan Brown’s novels, told with much suspense, heroism, and a distinctive hard-edged writing style, Time and Again was spun enthrallingly, but with a softer side, in the way character Simon Morley addressed the reader, almost in a conversational way. At some point in the story, most major characters had a moment where I felt as if it was truly summing up the character or their feelings, a moment where I truly felt as if I was seeing a depth in the character that was unknown before. Such as Jake Pickering, Julia Huff’s supposed husband-to-be, and his very unanticipated tattooing of JULIA across his chest – in defiance of Simon’s interference and his assertion of ‘owning’ Julia and her love, a very desperate act by a desperate man. Julia herself had many of these defining moments, but what I felt to be the most striking was her initial reaction the present as Simon took her back into his time. Julia’s alien-like wonder at such things as television, and the shortness the skirt Simon bought for her (knee-high). But it is how easily Julia adjusts to the newness all around her, and her innocence and horror at the violence we tolerate that truly made it a very prominent scene. It was a moment to reflect upon how we (North America especially) so easily accept the violence around us. As for Simon, he had many moments with much depth as well, but I found myself feeling very compassionate towards him when he returned back to 1882 for around the third or fourth time.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Functional Areas of Business Essay

Analyzing the functional areas of Management In all types of businesses (big or small), managers play a key role in the efficiency, profitability, and functionality of how the business meets its goals and successes. The purpose of managers are to oversee and coordinate the work of others. As managers, it is important that ensure that the business’ greatest resource, which are its employees, are used effectively. There are several functional areas within business that managers play a role in one way or another. These functional areas are business law, human resource management, leadership, accounting, finance, economics, research and statistics, marketing, operations management, and strategic management. Each of these functional areas are like a piece of the pie, in where when they are assembled, represent the business as a whole cohesive unit. In business law, the manager ensures that the operations of a business are legally sound and that the business is compliant with any state, federal, or international codes and regulations. Many businesses use the services or products of other businesses, which requires the use of contracts. Managers must have an understanding of contracts to ensure they are current, fair, and meet the needs of the company. Managers also use business law to ensure all intellectual property is safeguarded such as patents. Human resources management is a key function in all businesses because it directly involves the development of personnel within a business. All managers play a role in the life cycle of their employees to include hiring, training, promotion, and disciplinary actions. The role of human resources managers is constantly evolving and many organizat ions have added the responsibilities of retirement benefits, and payroll accounting to their scope of practices. The leadership of managers involves the way in which managers influence employees to meet the company’s goals. Managers use leadership to motivate and inspire their employees to get the job done, and done well. Managers who are good leaders can to use their leadership skills to handle and  resolve conflict that may arise, and solicit cooperation through organizational change. Management and leadership are skills that go hand in hand. As a manager, one must organize the work of personnel not just to maximize efficiency, but lead them by nurturing skills to develop talent and inspire results (Murray, 2009). Accounting is a critical function in management. Whether a for profit business or nonprofit business, both need and use money to survive and succeed. It is important that managers understand the fiscal competencies within their area of responsibility to be good stewards of the funds or profits they are accountable for. There are two components to accounting financial and managerial. Managers in financial accounting create financial documents, such as balance sheets and income statements through the tracking of expenses and profits within a business. Managers in managerial accounting use these statements created by financial managers to in their decision-making processes to make efficient use of funds and control costs. Finance is a function of business that concentrates on the fiscal properties of a business, such as revenue, loans, grants, and subsidies. Like accounting, finance is critical to any business if it wants to succeed in a competitive business word. Managers must be able to identify how and when financing is needed to maintain current business operations as well as obtaining new capital or ventures. The function of economics in business provides an avenue of how well a business is doing in the business market locally or globally. Managers use economics to increase profits within their market conditions by studying the consumption, production, and distribution of their service or product. Economics can also provide valuable information to managers when economies become unstable or are experiencing a recession, or when seeking to venture into a new market. Research and statistics are valuable resources for a business. To stay competitive and profitable, businesses continually must conduct research to meet consumer demand. Research is also vital for a business who wants to expand its services or products. The raw data gathered from the research can be interpreted using a variety of statistical methods. The information extracted from the research and statistical data assist managers in deciding what business processes are useful and maintaining goals, and what processes may need to be modified or dismissed. The manager’s role in operations management is to ensure that the goods or  service are getting to the customer efficiently and cost effectively. It is important the supply chain runs effortlessly to meet the customer demand changes. Managers must also be able to anticipate and forecast demand changes in profits to determine when new equipment or facilities are necessary to maintain or increase profits and customer satisfaction. All businesses use some type of marketing tool to grow their business. It can be a million dollar television add or word of mouth from recent customers. In marketing, managers must understand customers who would use their product or service and what would make them happy enough to come back or tell someone else. Through research and statistics, managers can gain insight into how to advertise to their consumer bases and discover what their consumer’s needs are. Marketing can also assist managers of new businesses to develop a brand and image th at is eye catching but relevant to the goods or service it provides. Strategic planning is a manager’s planning tool to help implement plans and changes that will help the business achieve its organizational goals. Strategic planning provides a roadmap for managers throughout the organization so that all functional areas though specific in responsibilities, can achieve success to obtaining the strategic goals of the organization. The link between planning and performance is widely connected because of the ever-changing business climate in globalization, technology advancement, deregulation, and emerging new markets (Meers & Robertson, 2007). Each functional area of business is considered a building block with a specific purpose or specialty that it is accountable for. When those building blocks are formed together, they provide the foundation and structure upon which the business operates as an entity. Managers are the â€Å"glue† that bind each of these functional areas into an integrated seamless structure. References Meers, K. A., & Robertson, C. (2007). Strategic planning practices in profitable small firms in the United States. The Business Review, Cambridge, 7(1), 302-307. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/197300272?accountid=458 Murray, A. (2009, April 7). What is the difference between management and leadership. Retrieved from

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Controversy Over Legislations Passed in the wake of the...

The government of the United States takes the security of its Citizens very serious and this explains why security of USA Citizens home and abroad is their first line of duty. In the wake of 9/11 terrorism attack, the citizens were left questioning whether indeed the government was doing enough to protect them. On the same note, the Bush administration was shaken to the core that terrorist could advance that much into their soil. This formed the basis of various legislations and formation of special units with special powers to fight terrorism in and out of USA. However, some of these laws have brewed controversy among the Citizens it is supposed to protect. Some civil rights groups and liberal lawmakers are questioning the ability of these laws to be applied without hurting the Americans it is supposed to protect. The Patriot Act is such laws, which is causing discomfort among the liberal citizens and lawmakers and civil rights groups. They content that some of the provisions of the surveillance laws are open to abuse by intelligence bodies. It is against this background that they have put up fight against extension of some clauses, which are supposed to expire. They claim that these provisions have already been abused by federal bureau of investigations to confiscate personal information such as bank statements and credit card information. The provisions of patriot Act grant law enforcement and intelligence bodies powers in the following ways (Doyle Library ofShow MoreRelatedThe Patriot Act Is A Sweeping Piece Of Legislation1840 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract The Patriot Act is a sweeping piece of legislation. Created in the wake of 9/11; it remains controversial. Opinions on the necessity of the Act are intense and vary widely. A better understanding of its applicability, strengths, and weaknesses will aid future opinion and legislation. The Patriot Act affects all citizens, immigrants, and especially minority groups. 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