Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Homelessness, By John Grisham Essay - 1800 Words

In the landscape of today’s forever changing social environment, one thing there is without a doubt no lack of is controversial contemporary social issues. There are many topics that are considered to be taboo and one thing that has changed is that there is no lack of those that are willing to voice and share their beliefs and ideals on these controversial social topics. One of these topics that has received quite the spotlight recently is that of the levels of poverty and homelessness that plague our social infrastructure today. There are many different thoughts and ideals as to what is the major root cause of this systemic social issues. In Somewhere for Everyone the author John Grisham does not hold back on a very pungent social topic which is that of homelessness. In this story as well as other recent articles about homelessness there are many valid points and concerns for what the future of society may hold if there are no changes in how homelessness is not only viewed but is also looked at to change. In the article published in Newsweek back in February 9, 1998 John Grisham paints a very vivid and thought provoking article about the increasing issue of homelessness in the United States and how action must be taken or this issue will continue to escalate in dramatic fashion. The beginning of the article starts by reliving a time that John Grisham was harassed by a panhandler and how this made him feel. The article then discusses how this was somewhat of a chic issueShow MoreRelatedSomewhere For Everyone By John Grisham Essay1592 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Grisham â€Å"Somewhere for Everyone†: The Homeless issue in America Homelessness is referred to a person or a group of people without a permanent residence. They cannot meet or maintain adequate housing due to various reasons. According to Project Home; â€Å"Nearly one-quarter (23 percent or 127,787) of all homeless people were children, under the age of 18. Ten percent (or 52,973) were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 66 percent (or 383,948) were 25 years or older.† (2016) with many of theseRead MoreThe Distinct, Positive Impact Of A Good Dad And Somewhere For Everyone By John Grisham1652 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Grisham is the author of â€Å"Somewhere for Everyone†, it is about how society doesn’t talk about homelessness as an issue. Most conversation about homeless are geared towards it being a nuisance more than trying to find a way to solve the issue. Society also talks about another issue like fathers. These two may seem different but they are more similar than one thinks. In W. Bradford Wilcox’s article â €Å"The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad† and â€Å"Somewhere for Everyone† written by John GrishamRead More The Homeless – Mentally Ill, or Just Lazy? Essay1140 Words   |  5 PagesThe Homeless – Mentally Ill, or Just Lazy? What causes homelessness? Is homelessness the result of job loss? Does it result from drug and alcohol addiction? Just who are the homeless? The homeless are a mixture of people with many different problems. Many of them are mentally ill patients released from institutions. Some are single women with children. As John Grisham stated, 40% are substance abusers (Grisham 14). Some of the homeless want and need help, but to others being homeless is a consciousRead MoreThe Street Lawyer1515 Words   |  7 PagesRUNNING HEAD: THE STREET LAWYER The Street Lawyer Social Work 3040-01I Apr. 30, 2008 SUMMARY John Grisham’s The Street Lawyer tells the story of Michael Brock a married wealthy attorney who has it all. Michael, a graduate of Yale University, works at Drake Sweeny, one of the top and well respected firms in Washington D.C. While there he is making the money and rushing relentlessly to the top of Drake Sweeny. He is only one step away from an early partnership. Until one rainy winterRead MoreEssay on Let’s Put an End to Corporate Power and Greed666 Words   |  3 Pagestaking its toll on the common people. The rich got richer, while the poor became poorer. By this time the conditions had become so bad that the Money Magazine described Flint as the worst American city to live in. John Grisham (My Turn: Somewhere For Everyone) also agrees with how homelessness as a problem is now not going away. Relegated to minimum wage jobs these people have very little choices left. In ‘Pets or Meat: The return to Flint,’ Michael Moore continues his onslaught on corporate powersRead MorePost Modernism And Its Influence On Society1699 Words   |  7 Pagesbut also looks to the outside to find inspiration on life experiences. â€Å"Somewhere for Everyone† by John Grisham is completely outside the style of any of the previous authors. This work in particular, seemed to be something to raise awareness of homelessness. It talks about an experience he had in New York, but it also share statistics and had less of a personal feel to the story. Grisham is well known for legal thrillers, which is why this work makes more sense that it is not as personalized

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 78-80 Free Essays

CHAPTER 78 Sophie felt a wild excitement as she cradled the cryptex and began dialing in the letters. An ancient word of wisdom frees this scroll.Langdon and Teabing seemed to have stopped breathing as they looked on. We will write a custom essay sample on The Da Vinci Code Chapter 78-80 or any similar topic only for you Order Now S†¦ O†¦ F†¦ â€Å"Carefully,† Teabing urged. â€Å"Ever so carefully.† †¦ I†¦ A. Sophie aligned the final dial. â€Å"Okay,† she whispered, glancing up at the others. â€Å"I’m going to pull it apart.† â€Å"Remember the vinegar,† Langdon whispered with fearful exhilaration. â€Å"Be careful.† Sophie knew that if this cryptex were like those she had opened in her youth, all she would need to do is grip the cylinder at both ends, just beyond the dials, and pull, applying slow, steady pressure in opposite directions. If the dials were properly aligned with the password, then one of the ends would slide off, much like a lens cap, and she could reach inside and remove the rolled papyrus document, which would be wrapped around the vial of vinegar. However, if the password they had entered were incorrect, Sophie’s outward force on the ends would be transferred to a hinged lever inside, which would pivot downward into the cavity and apply pressure to the glass vial, eventually shattering it if she pulled too hard. Pull gently, she told herself. Teabing and Langdon both leaned in as Sophie wrapped her palms around the ends of the cylinder. In the excitement of deciphering the code word, Sophie had almost forgotten what they expected to find inside. This is the Priory keystone.According to Teabing, it contained a map to the Holy Grail, unveiling the tomb of Mary Magdalene and the Sangreal treasure†¦ the ultimate treasure trove of secret truth. Now gripping the stone tube, Sophie double-checked that all of the letters were properly aligned with the indicator. Then, slowly, she pulled. Nothing happened. She applied a little more force. Suddenly, the stone slid apart like a well-crafted telescope. The heavy end piece detached in her hand. Langdon and Teabing almost jumped to their feet. Sophie’s heart rate climbed as she set the end cap on the table and tipped the cylinder to peer inside. A scroll! Peering down the hollow of the rolled paper, Sophie could see it had been wrapped around a cylindrical object – the vial of vinegar, she assumed. Strangely, though, the paper around the vinegar was not the customary delicate papyrus but rather, vellum. That’s odd, she thought, vinegar can’t dissolve a lambskin vellum.She looked again down the hollow of the scroll and realized the object in the center was not a vial of vinegar after all. It was something else entirely. â€Å"What’s wrong?† Teabing asked. â€Å"Pull out the scroll.† Frowning, Sophie grabbed the rolled vellum and the object around which it was wrapped, pulling them both out of the container. â€Å"That’s not papyrus,† Teabing said. â€Å"It’s too heavy.† â€Å"I know. It’s padding.† â€Å"For what? The vial of vinegar?† â€Å"No.† Sophie unrolled the scroll and revealed what was wrapped inside. â€Å"For this.† When Langdon saw the object inside the sheet of vellum, his heart sank. â€Å"God help us,† Teabing said, slumping. â€Å"Your grandfather was a pitiless architect.† Langdon stared in amazement. I see Sauniere has no intention of making this easy. On the table sat a second cryptex. Smaller. Made of black onyx. It had been nested within the first. Sauniere’s passion for dualism. Two cryptexes.Everything in pairs. Double entendres.Male female.Black nested within white.Langdon felt the web of symbolism stretching onward. White gives birthto black. Every man sprang from woman. White – female. Black – male. Reaching over, Langdon lifted the smaller cryptex. It looked identical to the first, except half the size and black. He heard the familiar gurgle. Apparently, the vial of vinegar they had heard earlier was inside this smaller cryptex. â€Å"Well, Robert,† Teabing said, sliding the page of vellum over to him. â€Å"You’ll be pleased to hear that at least we’re flying in the right direction.† Langdon examined the thick vellum sheet. Written in ornate penmanship was another four-line verse. Again, in iambic pentameter. The verse was cryptic, but Langdon needed to read only as far as the first line to realize that Teabing’s plan to come to Britain was going to pay off. IN LONDON LIES A KNIGHT A POPE INTERRED. The remainder of the poem clearly implied that the password for opening the second cryptex could be found by visiting this knight’s tomb, somewhere in the city. Langdon turned excitedly to Teabing. â€Å"Do you have any idea what knight this poem is referring to?† Teabing grinned. â€Å"Not the foggiest. But I know in precisely which crypt we should look.† At that moment, fifteen miles ahead of them, six Kent police cars streaked down rain-soaked streets toward Biggin Hill Executive Airport. CHAPTER 79 Lieutenant Collet helped himself to a Perrier from Teabing’s refrigerator and strode back out through the drawing room. Rather than accompanying Fache to London where the action was, he was now baby-sitting the PTS team that had spread out through Chateau Villette. So far, the evidence they had uncovered was unhelpful: a single bullet buried in the floor; a paper with several symbols scrawled on it along with the words blade and chalice; and a bloody spiked belt that PTS had told Collet was associated with the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, which had caused a stir recently when a news program exposed their aggressive recruiting practices in Paris. Collet sighed. Good luck making sense of this unlikely melange. Moving down a lavish hallway, Collet entered the vast ballroom study, where the chief PTS examiner was busy dusting for fingerprints. He was a corpulent man in suspenders. â€Å"Anything?† Collet asked, entering. The examiner shook his head. â€Å"Nothing new. Multiple sets matching those in the rest of the house.† â€Å"How about the prints on the cilice belt?† â€Å"Interpol is still working. I uploaded everything we found.† Collet motioned to two sealed evidence bags on the desk. â€Å"And this?† The man shrugged. â€Å"Force of habit. I bag anything peculiar.† Collet walked over. Peculiar? â€Å"This Brit’s a strange one,† the examiner said. â€Å"Have a look at this.† He sifted through the evidence bags and selected one, handing it to Collet. The photo showed the main entrance of a Gothic cathedral – the traditional, recessed archway, narrowing through multiple, ribbed layers to a small doorway. Collet studied the photo and turned. â€Å"This is peculiar?† â€Å"Turn it over.† On the back, Collet found notations scrawled in English, describing a cathedral’s long hollow nave as a secret pagan tribute to a woman’s womb. This was strange. The notation describing the cathedral’s doorway, however, was what startled him. â€Å"Hold on! He thinks a cathedral’s entrance represents a woman’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The examiner nodded. â€Å"Complete with receding labial ridges and a nice little cinquefoil clitoris above the doorway.† He sighed. â€Å"Kind of makes you want to go back to church.† Collet picked up the second evidence bag. Through the plastic, he could see a large glossy photograph of what appeared to be an old document. The heading at the top read: Les Dossiers Secrets – Number 4o lm1 249 â€Å"What’s this?† Collet asked. â€Å"No idea. He’s got copies of it all over the place, so I bagged it.† Collet studied the document. PRIEURE DE SIGN – LES NAUTONIERS/GRAND MASTERS JEAN DE GISORS 1188-1220 MARIE DE SAINT-CLAIR 1220-1266 GUILLAUME DE GlSORS 1266-1307 EDOUARD DE BAR 1307-1336 JEANNE DE BAR 1336-1351 JEAN DE SAINT-CLAIR 1351-1366 BLANCE D’EVREUX 1366-1398 NICOLAS FLAMEL 1398-1418 RENE D’ANJOU 1418-1480 IOLANDE DE BAR 1480-1483 SANDRO BOTTICELLI 1483-1510 LEONARDO DA VINCI 1510-1519 CONNETABLE DE BOURBON 1519-1527 FERDINAND DE GONZAQUE 1527-1575 LOUIS DE NEVERS 1575-1595 ROBERT FLUDD 1595-1637 J. VALENTIN ANDREA 1637-1654 ROBERT BOYLE 1654-1691 ISAAC NEWTON 1691-1727 CHARLES RADCLYFFE 1727-1746 CHARLES DE LORRAINE 1746-1780 MAXIMILIAN DE LORRAINE 1780-1801 CHARLES NODIER 1801-1844 VICTOR HUGO 1844-1885 CLAUDE DEBUSSY 1885-1918 JEAN COCTEAU 1918-1963 Prieure de Sion? Collet wondered. â€Å"Lieutenant?† Another agent stuck his head in. â€Å"The switchboard has an urgent call for Captain Fache, but they can’t reach him. Will you take it?† Collet returned to the kitchen and took the call. It was Andre Vernet. The banker’s refined accent did little to mask the tension in his voice. â€Å"I thought Captain Fache said he would call me, but I have not yet heard from him.† â€Å"The captain is quite busy,† Collet replied. â€Å"May I help you?† â€Å"I was assured I would be kept abreast of your progress tonight.† For a moment, Collet thought he recognized the timbre of the man’s voice, but he couldn’t quite place it. â€Å"Monsieur Vernet, I am currently in charge of the Paris investigation. My name is Lieutenant Collet.† There was a long pause on the line. â€Å"Lieutenant, I have another call coming in. Please excuse me. I will call you later.† He hung up. For several seconds, Collet held the receiver. Then it dawned on him. I knew I recognized that voice! The revelation made him gasp. The armored car driver.With the fake Rolex. Collet now understood why the banker had hung up so quickly. Vernet had remembered the name Lieutenant Collet – the officer he blatantly lied to earlier tonight. Collet pondered the implications of this bizarre development. Vernet is involved.Instinctively, he knew he should call Fache. Emotionally, he knew this lucky break was going to be his moment to shine. He immediately called Interpol and requested every shred of information they could find on the Depository Bank of Zurich and its president, Andre Vernet. CHAPTER 80 â€Å"Seat belts, please,† Teabing’s pilot announced as the Hawker 731 descended into a gloomy morning drizzle. â€Å"We’ll be landing in five minutes.† Teabing felt a joyous sense of homecoming when he saw the misty hills of Kent spreading wide beneath the descending plane. England was less than an hour from Paris, and yet a world away. This morning, the damp, spring green of his homeland looked particularly welcoming. My time in France is over.I am returning to England victorious.The keystone has been found.The question remained, of course, as to where the keystone would ultimately lead. Somewhere in the United Kingdom.Where exactly, Teabing had no idea, but he was already tasting the glory. As Langdon and Sophie looked on, Teabing got up and went to the far side of the cabin, then slid aside a wall panel to reveal a discreetly hidden wall safe. He dialed in the combination, opened the safe, and extracted two passports. â€Å"Documentation for Remy and myself.† He then removed a thick stack of fifty-pound notes. â€Å"And documentation for you two.† Sophie looked leery. â€Å"A bribe?† â€Å"Creative diplomacy. Executive airfields make certain allowances. A British customs official will greet us at my hangar and ask to board the plane. Rather than permitting him to come on, I’ll tell him I’m traveling with a French celebrity who prefers that nobody knows she is in England – press considerations, you know – and I’ll offer the official this generous tip as gratitude for his discretion.† Langdon looked amazed. â€Å"And the official will accept?† â€Å"Not from anyone, they won’t, but these people all know me. I’m not an arms dealer, for heaven’s sake. I was knighted.† Teabing smiled. â€Å"Membership has its privileges.† Remy approached up the aisle now, the Heckler Koch pistol cradled in his hand. â€Å"Sir, my agenda?† Teabing glanced at his servant. â€Å"I’m going to have you stay onboard with our guest until we return. We can’t very well drag him all over London with us.† Sophie looked wary. â€Å"Leigh, I was serious about the French police finding your plane before we return.† Teabing laughed. â€Å"Yes, imagine their surprise if they board and find Remy.† Sophie looked surprised by his cavalier attitude. â€Å"Leigh, you transported a bound hostage across international borders. This is serious.† â€Å"So are my lawyers.† He scowled toward the monk in the rear of the plane. â€Å"That animal broke into my home and almost killed me. That is a fact, and Remy will corroborate.† â€Å"But you tied him up and flew him to London!† Langdon said. Teabing held up his right hand and feigned a courtroom oath. â€Å"Your honor, forgive an eccentric old knight his foolish prejudice for the British court system. I realize I should have called the French authorities, but I’m a snob and do not trust those laissez-faire French to prosecute properly. This man almost murdered me. Yes, I made a rash decision forcing my manservant to help me bring him to England, but I was under great stress. Mea culpa. Mea culpa.† Langdon looked incredulous. â€Å"Coming from you, Leigh, that just might fly.† â€Å"Sir?† the pilot called back. â€Å"The tower just radioed. They’ve got some kind of maintenance problem out near your hangar, and they’re asking me to bring the plane directly to the terminal instead.† Teabing had been flying to Biggin Hill for over a decade, and this was a first. â€Å"Did they mention what the problem is?† â€Å"The controller was vague. Something about a gas leak at the pumping station? They asked me to park in front of the terminal and keep everyone onboard until further notice. Safety precaution. We’re not supposed to deplane until we get the all clear from airport authorities.† Teabing was skeptical. Must be one hell of a gas leak.The pumping station was a good half mile from his hangar. Remy also looked concerned. â€Å"Sir, this sounds highly irregular.† Teabing turned to Sophie and Langdon. â€Å"My friends, I have an unpleasant suspicion that we are about to be met by a welcoming committee.† Langdon gave a bleak sigh. â€Å"I guess Fache still thinks I’m his man.† â€Å"Either that,† Sophie said,† or he is too deep into this to admit his error. Teabing was not listening. Regardless of Fache’s mind-set, action needed to be taken fast. Don’tlose sight of the ultimate goal.The Grail.We’re so dose.Below them, the landing gear descended with a clunk. â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon said, sounding deeply remorseful,† I should turn myself in and sort this out legally. Leave you all out of it.† â€Å"Oh, heavens, Robert!† Teabing waved it off. â€Å"Do you really think they’re going to let the rest of us go? I just transported you illegally. Miss Neveu assisted in your escape from the Louvre, and we have a man tied up in the back of the plane. Really now! We’re all in this together.† â€Å"Maybe a different airport?† Sophie said. Teabing shook his head. â€Å"If we pull up now, by the time we get clearance anywhere else, our welcoming party will include army tanks.† Sophie slumped. Teabing sensed that if they were to have any chance of postponing confrontation with the British authorities long enough to find the Grail, bold action had to be taken. â€Å"Give me a minute,† he said, hobbling toward the cockpit. â€Å"What are you doing?† Langdon asked. â€Å"Sales meeting,† Teabing said, wondering how much it would cost him to persuade his pilot to perform one highly irregular maneuver. How to cite The Da Vinci Code Chapter 78-80, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Accounting Information System Accepted Principles of GAAP

Question: Describe about the Accounting Information System for Accepted Principles of GAAP. Answer: Introduction The Accounting Information System (AIS) is defined as the process that collects, stores and processes both the financial and accounting data (Moghadam et al., 2013). These data are generally used by the internal users of an organization in order to report the particular data and information to the tax authorities, creditors and investors. An accounting information system is usually a computer-based process that helps to track all the accounting activities of a business of an organization in conjunction with the resources of information technology. It has been found that the accounting information system mainly unites the traditional practices of accounting like the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) with the modern resources of information technology (Prasad Green, 2015). AIS include various elements that play an important role in the accounting cycle. These elements include the information and data that are related to the expenses, revenue, employee information, tax in formation and customer information. The specific data involves sales orders along with analysts reports, invoices, purchase requisites, check resisters, inventory, ledger, payroll, financial statement information and trial balance. Thus, selection of proper AIS/ ERP system is a mandatory factor as it helps an organization to make decision regarding investment in accounting software, as it depends on the various types and size of business (Soudani, 2012). Therefore, in this report, the business process of B Bakery along with the business requirements have been analyzed in order to determine the required systems and also to select the accurate software and vendor for better running of the firm. The Process of Business A baker is defined as an individual who bakes cakes and breads and sell them in the market. The cakes and breads are baked by help of oven or other concerted heat sources. The workplace that is used by a baker to bake and make the products like cakes and breads is known as bakery (Du, Huddart Xue, 2015). It can also be said that a baker is a specialized person who is also known as Pastry Chef. Baker can be of various types like Commercial Baker, Retail Baker, Bread Maker, Bakery Chef and Baked Goods Producer (Hall, 2012). A baker is a person who mixes and bakes the ingredients as per the recipes in order to make different kinds of pastries, breads and other baked products. Generally, these baked food items are sold by the wholesalers, grocers, institutional food services and restaurants. It has been found that usually, a baker check the quality of all the ingredients that are required for making any baked products (Abbasi, 2014). These ingredients commonly vary along with the recip e of the food items. In addition to this, a baker prepares the equipments that are required for baking and these equipments also vary with the different food items. A baker also weights and measures the flour and the other ingredients and mixes the measured ingredients by the help of a blender or a mixer. Moreover, a baker is also responsible for kneading, rolling, cutting and shaping the dough (Romney Steinbart, 2015). Then, the baker places the dough in the pan, then molds on the sheets and places this on oven temperatures for baking the particular food item on grills and/ or in hot ovens. Lastly, a baker observes the color change of the baked food item and its state and applies icings, glazes or any other toppings on the baked final product by using brushes and/ or spatulas (Domeika, 2015). The Key Activities of the Business The key activities of the particular business that is the bakery firm include production of the bakery food products, distribution of the manufactured products to target customers and target markets, accounting of the operational activities of the firm manually and employment of the staffs (Dooley, 2015). In addition to these, the other activities of the particular bakery firm involve baking accurately in proper oven temperatures, to fulfill the personnel responsibilities and to maintain inventory of the firm. Moreover, budgeting and cleanliness and safety are also considered as the key activities of the bakery business. Production of the Bakery Food Products The particular organization B Bakery mainly highlights on the manufacturing of bread and other products of confectionary. This also puts spotlight on the health factors of all the food items (Reimers, 2014). Distribution of the Manufactured Products The specified firm B Bakery also sells its manufactured products by help of various distribution channels that involve many pub-chains and supermarkets. Manual Accounting of the Operational Activities It has been found that the specified firm maintains all its accounts of the business activities manually. Thus, the firm has employed an accountant to the business whose function is to record all the transactions of the business and its accounts and also to organize the financial statements of the firm for every year (Dillard Yuthas, 2013). Employment of Staffs As per the case study, the bakery firm B Bakery has employed about 70 employees in order to conduct the operations of the particular business. It has been found that the firm also maintains the salary accounts of its employees through the manual procedure (Zhou, Hou Zong, 2016). Thus, there is a high probability that the firm might make mistake regarding the method of payment and the salary accounts of its employees. Development of Business Requirements Implementation of Essential Business Processes For operating and regulating any business, a huge number of processes or activities are required in order to run the particular business successfully. However, among all, a few of the activities are considered as indispensable (Collier, 2015). For the B Bakery, the activities that can be considered as the most important processes for the operation and regulation of the firm include the identification of the cost of sales, periodical analysis and cost effective process for production. In addition to these, this also includes the proper structure for payroll, information analysis and preparation of financial statements and payment of tax (Meyssonnier Pourtier, 2013). As per the detailed analysis of the particular case study of B Bakery, it can be said that in the last year, the rate of turnover of the organization was quite impressive. The revenue of the firm for the last year was noted to be more than $ 13.5 million and the business was running for more than 50 years. It has been found that the firm employed around 70 staffs, thus, based on all these data, the specified organization can be classified as the medium scale business. Additionally, the organization is enjoying a continuous growth over a few years for some of its unique products. The matter that is concerned is the deficit of proper accounting and the system of recording data. The particular organization should incorporate the below mentioned processes of business in order to make the activities of the business more efficient (Christensen Feltham, 2012). Identification of Cost of Sales The particular organization belongs to the bakery industry, thus, it can be said that the activities of the firm deals with manufacturing. In addition to this, the organization manufactures different types of products that involve various processes and materials. Thus, the specified organization should incorporate an accurate system of accounting that can identify the manufacturing expenses of all the products accurately (Lim, 2013). Cost Effective Process for Production The system of producing various food items should be accounted in such a way that is able to control the expenses of the products and can also help in developing more production systems that will be cost efficient (Li Bai, 2014). Periodical Analysis The bakery is a FMCG manufacturer, thus, it should incorporate such processes that can easily analyze the financial condition of the organization for a short duration. An Accurate Structure for Payroll A proper system of accounting as well as a proper structure of payroll are necessary for paying the salary and the other contributions and are paid to the staffs of the firm (Fang Shu, 2016). Information Analysis It has been found that there are different types of information that are related to the activities of business and these should be analyzed and preserved accurately by help of implementation of appropriate techniques (Demski, 2013). Preparation of Financial Statement The particular firm prepares financial statement each year but there should be an accurate system through which the organization can prepare the crucial configuration of financial statements during any time of the year based on the financial information of the specified period (KneÃ…Â ¾eviĆ¡, StankoviĆ¡ Tepavac, 2012). Payment of Tax For any organization, tax is considered as an important debt. Thus, the organizations should uphold such methods that can make the process of tax return much easier. Required Outcomes for Achieving Business Objectives It has been found that the implementation of essential business processes is required as the proper outcomes or results are necessarily required for achieving the objectives of the organization. Therefore, in order to analyze the above mentioned procedures, the following outcomes can be delivered and these might help the organization to run profitably and successfully. Improved Pricing Strategy It has been noted that the cost of sales is considered as the basic structure for constructing the selling price of a product or a service. Thus, it is important for the management department of a firm to incorporate an accurate system of costing as thus will help the particular organization to identify the proper cost of sales (Tazik Mohamed, 2014). In addition to this, the strategy of implementing proper or accurate pricing method will guide the specified organization in order to identify the selling prices of the food products in a proper way. Moreover, the determination of the selling prices of the various food products will also help the firm to change, modify and implement the accurate strategy of pricing, whenever it is needed easily (Anandarajan, Anandarajan Srinivasan, 2012). Cost Effective System for Production As per the case study, the particular company B Bakery is a firm that belongs to bakery industry. Therefore, the activities of the firm can be considered as manufacturing. Thus, as per the manufacturing unit, it has been observed that within the particular organization, there are several indirect costs that generally increase due to ineffective consumption of labor or material (Codreanu et al., 2012). The system of cost control is capable to identify the factors that are responsible for ineffective utilization and it also helps the organization to abolish or to diminish these factors. Superior Control over the Financial Performances It has been found that according to the periodical analysis of the information and data that are related to the financial matters, the specified organization B Bakery will analyze its financial situation in detail. The reason behind this is that it will help the management department of the organization to understand the performances of the firm for short period of time (Hopwood, Leiner Young, 2012). Thus, it can be said that it will become easier for the management team to take various defensive measures. However, if the outcome of the analysis would become negative and identify some positive traits for the achievement of the firm for a short duration and can use the factors for long run. Increases the Profitability of the Firm The reduction or the elimination of the factors for excessive expenses and the improvement of the effectiveness of the production level and the other activities of the business helps to increase the profitability of the organization (Salehi Abdipour, 2013). In addition to these, the particular organization B Bakery is also capable to analyze the data and information that are associated with the present condition of the market and its competitors in order to set the strategies of marketing properly. Determination of the Requirements of Systems It has been found that any organization including the bakery firm needs proper accounting software that should possesses the following characteristics: Cost Analysis Particular software of accounting should possess some specific characteristics that might record the cost of production efficiently. In addition to this, the accounting software should also be capable in producing financial reports as per the demand or requirement (Iskandar, 2015). Moreover, the specified accounting software can represent the contrast between the different types of cost items for different time periods. Recording of Documentation A medium-sized business entity generally has 1000s of accounting transactions within a particular accounting year. It can be said from the view point of an accounting expert that all the accounting transactions are uniformly relevant and significant, especially for the financial statements of the organization. In addition to this, the financial statements of the prior fiscal time period are also needed in order to evaluate the business performance. Thus, the particular accounting software should possess the system of recording the information and data sporadically (Zhuang, 2014). The reason behind this is that this recording process will help to bring out the information whenever required and can be extracted from the software. Financial Structure (Basic) Accounting software facilitates the basic structure of financing. Thus, it should comprise of accurate systems in order to account the creditors, inventories and debtors. On the other hand, the payroll accounting system helps in recording the payment of salary and other benefits of the staffs (financial). Additionally, the software should comprise of certain features that will help to trace the cash transactions on a daily basis and should also provide information in a summarized manner regarding the financial statements (Iskandar, 2015). Moreover, the software should be regulated by using internal network of the business and security should also be implemented, such that only the selected individuals can get access to important information and data. Selection of Software Accounting Software Package Vendors According to the above stated requirements, there are mainly three vendors for accounting package that have been chosen and its details regarding the individual accounting software packages have been gone through from various websites. The key vendors are MYOB, DacEasy and SAP. Selection of Type of Accounting Software According to Zare et al. (2013), there are different types of accounting software accessible in the present market. However, the particular firm B Bakery has an only option to choose the most accurate one among all the different types of accounting software based on the structure of the specified business and its system of accounting. Opined to Ahmad (2013), the accounting software can be characterized into three segments, these include low-end software, medium-end software and high-end software. Low-end Software for Accounting It has been found that the low-end software for accounting is appropriate for those firms that are very small in size and are regulated by the individual professionals, such as doctors, advocates and many more. This particular type of software has been structured on the basis of the single accounting system. Medium-end Software for Accounting Wu, Yuan Ren, (2012) stated that the medium-end software for accounting has been mainly structured on the basis of the double entry system. This particular software also covers the basic features of accounting for a business venture. In addition to this, it has been found that the medium-end software for accounting is capable to fulfill the key requirements of the firms that are considered as profit-earning business. High-end Software for Accounting It has been noted that the high-end software for accounting is also considered as the highly progressive technology that generally acts as an efficient factor for the advanced system of accounting (Du, Huddart Xue, 2015). This network system of the firm should be improved for superior implementation of the particular software. Therefore, it can be said that the particular firm B Bakery should choose the medium-end software of accounting for running the operations of the business venture. This will help the firm to serve its purpose effectively and efficiently. However, the implementation of the high-end software of accounting would become much expensive for this medium-sized firm and it will also need a long period of time for incorporating the particular software. Selection of Vendor Comparison between the Features of Accounting Software Packages According to Fang Shu (2016), it can be said that the two software packages for accounting that are suitable or appropriate for the small and medium sized businesses include MYOB and DacEasy. From the detailed analysis, it can be said that both the mentioned software that is MYOB and DacEasy are composed of four sections, these are creditors, debtors, stock and pay structure. It has been found that the financial reports of the business are generally prepared in a several numbers of ways. However, the software analysis can be done based on various grounds like ease in utilization of the software, helps in documentation, alternatives of reporting and its scalability. Supporting in Documentation It can be said that both the printed and online documents can be prepared by utilizing both the mentioned software systems. The DacEasy software helps an organization to find a correct location within the index. From the detailed analysis, it has been noted that there are different alternatives, which helps the management department to search by using the help button that is located on the screen (Anandarajan, Anandarajan Srinivasan, 2012). On the other hand, in case of MOB, the button is present on each screen and thus the information and data can be generated quickly. Structure of Payment The DacEasy software helps to set up direct deposits. In addition to this, DacEasy software generally characterizes the tax deposits, quarter, employees, yearend and month with the aim to construct the structure of payment. In case of MYOB, the structure of payment can be managed by utilizing many alternatives; however, the status of the staffs cannot be individualized. Expenses and Scalability The difference between the strategy or pattern of pricing of both the software DacEasy software and MYOB cannot be specified. The version of single use of both systems have been sold, however, the version of multiple user are networked. Simplicity in Using the Particular Software System The structure of the MYOB is comparatively simpler and is also convenient for using. Thus it helps the beginners of the financial management to map the accounting tasks. Additionally, the process of installation of MYOB is also very easy and any part of this program is accessible by using the navigation bar (Reimers, 2014). On the contrary, DacEasy software is able to operate easily and the consumer has an alternative of navigation by screen from one section to another. The tool bars design is not suitable for the consumers as the structure is not designed accurately. Time Scheduling DacEasy software provides the option of time billing; however the section of payroll can be filled with the data of time billing (Prasad Green, 2015). Thus, the billing report is obtained at time, whereas, for MYOB, the billing time along with reference can be set for respective terms of credit. Alternatives of Reporting The flexibility of DacEasy to generate the report is lower and it is able to create fifty different kinds of reports. On the contrary, MYOB can produce more than 190 kinds of reports and this might help to capture and present the data regarding employees, vendors, customers and company. Creditors In DacEasy, the vendor section is composed of many accounts payable, like managing vendors, printing cheques, purchase order and quotes (Du, Huddart Xue, 2015). On the contrary, MYOB supports e-payment and quotes, purchase orders and tax forms can be printed easily. Additionally, it has been noted that through this software, credit memos cannot be developed for the vendors. Debtors DacEasy helps to characterize the details of customers like banking, sales, invoices and many more. The products to be transported cannot be anticipated and the invoices through email cannot be sent by utilizing the particular system (Soudani, 2012). On the contrary, MYOB can easily manage the accounts receivable. Moreover, calculations of incomes, customer charges and different charges that are associated with finance can be perform simply. However, the shipping costs and shipping cannot be estimated and traced respectively, as this particular software does not offer shipment instrument. Selection of the Most Suitable Vendor It can be said that implementation of MYOB is appropriate for the bakery business as it guides to produce various financial reports and is much user-friendly. There is no significance between the differences of costs as the cost of both the packages is similar to each other. The structure as well as the process of installation is relatively simpler for MYOB than DacEasy (Domeika, 2015). MYOB provides two way facility of transfer, however, it is absent in case of DacEasy. It can be said that MYOB is much flexible than DacEasy, thus it provides the facility of billing time which is not provided by DacEasy. Moreover, in case of MYOB, inventory cost can be calculated with the help of both FIFO and LIFO, standard and average costs (Hall, 2012). Additionally, the beginners in the sector of financial management also use MYOB for its simplicity and easy process of installation. Therefore, a medium sized firm like B Bakery can run its operations by implementation of MYOB accounting software. This also offers opportunity to print even the financial charges that are associated with customers. Conclusion Therefore, it can be concluded that for the medium-sized bakery business B Bakery, implementation of MYOB accounting software is the most appropriate one. The reason behind this is that it serves facility to print, even the financial charges like purchase order, tax forms and invoices that are related to the firms customers. Moreover, MYOB supports multiple users in the level of security that helps to transmit the data over the firm or internet. Additionally, MYOB is simple to use and install and is also cheap. References Abbasi, H. (2014). Role of Management Accounting Information System in Organizations.Journal of Business and Technovation,2(1), 96-102. Ahmad, M. A. (2013). Effect of E-Commerce on Accounting Information System, Computerization Process and Cost Productivity.American Journal of Computer Technology and Application,1(1), 01-06. Anandarajan, M., Anandarajan, A., Srinivasan, C. A. (Eds.). (2012).Business intelligence techniques: a perspective from accounting and finance. Springer Science Business Media. Christensen, P. O., Feltham, G. (2012).Economics of Accounting: Information in markets(Vol. 1). Springer. Codreanu, D. E., Parpandel, D. E., Popa, I., Tenovici, C. O. (2012). FINANCIAL-ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMSRATIO BETWEEN ACCOUNTING ORGANISATION SYSTEM AND INFORMATIC APPROACH.Anale. Seria Ã…Å ¾tiinÃ…Â £e Economice. TimiÃ…Å ¸oara, (XVIII), 580-584. Collier, P. M. (2015).Accounting for managers: Interpreting accounting information for decision making. John Wiley Sons. Demski, J. (2013).Managerial uses of accounting information. Springer Science Business Media. Dillard, J., Yuthas, K. (2013). Critical dialogics, agonistic pluralism, and accounting information systems.International Journal of Accounting Information Systems,14(2), 113-119. Domeika, P. (2015). Creation of the Information System of Enterprise Fixed Asset Accounting.Engineering Economics,60(5). Dooley, D. A. (2015).U.S. Patent Application No. 14/593,438. Du, K., Huddart, S., Xue, L. (2015). Accounting Information Systems and Asset Prices. Fang, J., Shu, L. (2016). Modern Accounting Information System Security (AISS) Research Based on IT Technology. Hall, J. A. (2012).Accounting information systems. Cengage Learning. Hopwood, W. S., Leiner, J. J., Young, D. G. R. (2012).Forensic accounting and fraud examination. McGraw-Hill. Iskandar, D. (2015). Analysis of factors affecting the success of the application of accounting information system.International Journal of scientific Technology research,4(2). KneÃ…Â ¾eviĆ¡, S., StankoviĆ¡, A., Tepavac, R. (2012). Accounting Information System as a Platform for Business and Financial Decision-Making in the Company.Management (1820-0222), (65). Li, Z. W., Bai, D. (2014). Research on accounting decision support system based on data warehouse and data mining. InAdvanced Materials Research(Vol. 989, pp. 4819-4822). Trans Tech Publications. Lim, F. P. C. (2013). Impact of Information Technology on Accounting Systems.Asia-PasificJornal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities and Socialgy,3(2), 93-106. Meyssonnier, F., Pourtier, F. (2013). Scope of Consolidation and Area of Control-Reflection on the Accounting Information System of Groups.Comptabilite Controle Audit,19(3), 117-146. Moghadam, H. M., Akhavansaffar, M., Bakhshaei, Z., MirHosseini, S. Y. (2013). Effect of investment in information technology system on providing desired services of accounting information system.Elixir International Journal A,55, 13268-13273. Prasad, A., Green, P. (2015). Organizational competencies and dynamic accounting information system capability: impact on AIS processes and firm performance.Journal of Information Systems,29(3), 123-149. Reimers, J. L. (2014).Financial Accounting: Business Process Approach. Pearson Higher Ed. Romney, M. B., Steinbart, P. J. (2015). Accounting Information System Thirteen Edition. Salehi, M., Abdipour, A. (2013). Accounting information system's barriers: Case of an emerging economy.African Journal of Business Management,7(5), 298. Soudani, S. N. (2012). The usefulness of an accounting information system for effective organizational performance.International Journal of Economics and Finance,4(5), 136. Tazik, H., Mohamed, Z. M. (2014, February). Accounting Information System Effectiveness, Foreign Ownership and Timeliness of Corporate Financial Report. InProceeding of 5 th Asia-Pasific Business Research Conference. Wu, P. F., Yuan, J. T., Ren, H. R. (2012). The Construction and Performance Evaluation of Internal Control under Network Accounting Information System. InApplied Mechanics and Materials(Vol. 220, pp. 187-192). Trans Tech Publications. Zare, I., Nekounam, J., Pirzad, A., Sedaghatjoo, F., Mosavimoyahar, S. (2013). Role of accounting information systems on relevance of accounting information.Life Science Journal,10(3s). Zhou, Y., Hou, S. J., Zong, K. (2016). Ecological Accounting: Current Situation, Problems and Thinking This work is supported by the National Social Science Fund Project Regional Ecological Economic Benefit Evaluation Method Based on Multi-statistical analysis combining space(13BJY026) and the Ministry of Education humanities and Social Sciences project,Ecoefficiency evaluation of coal mining areas(14YJCZH236). Zhuang, Z. S. (2014). Research on the Security Model Design of Accounting Information System Based on the B/S Model. InApplied Mechanics and Materials(Vol. 687, pp. 1840-1843). Trans Tech Publications.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Sdlc for Food Ordering System Essay Example

Sdlc for Food Ordering System Paper Introduction Generally, as it was mentioned in our first assignment, we supposed to choose any organization and try to develop an accurate system for it. We chose â€Å"Taktaz Restaurant† which serves Iranian traditional foods as our target and decided to develop an â€Å"online food ordering system† for it. We use Structured Analysis Method, which is time-tested and easy to understand method, as our system developing technique. Structured Analysis uses a series of phases, called the system development life cycle (SDLC), to plan, analyze, design, implement, and support an information system. In the first assignment we asked to concentrate on the first two phases of SDLC, planning and analyzing. In this assignment we are going to do last three phases, which are design, implement and support. The most important parts of these three phases that we are supposed to do in this assignment are as following: a. Output and user interface design b. Data design – ER Diagram c. System architecture d. System implementation (system prototype) – specify the hardware, software and platform used. e. System support maintenance Output Design Types of output In the system design phase, we will create the actual forms, reports, documents and other types of output. During this process we must consider the format and how it will be delivered, stored and retrieved. 1. Internet-Base Information Delivery Output In our information system we used internet-base information delivery as the output type. To support our online food ordering system, we have provided user-friendly screen interfaces that display output and accept input from customers. Customers visiting the site can check available food items and their prices in our menu, then can register for online ordering. 2. Screen Report Output We will write a custom essay sample on Sdlc for Food Ordering System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sdlc for Food Ordering System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sdlc for Food Ordering System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Our information system also provides daily reports for Taktaz manager. To be useful, a report must include the information that a user need. Our system provides daily detailed reports in two categories: i. Total amount of daily orders ii. Total number of daily orders grouped by different customers’ name The examples of our system detailed report are shown in following. Total amount of daily orders Total number of daily orders grouped by different customers’ name As you can see, our system detailed report provides total for numeric fields. It also adds tax percentage to total selling amount for giving better estimation. The report also have auto incremental control field to controls output. User Interface Design Although output design involves a separate set of physical design issues, it is a part of the user interface (UI). User interface describes how users interact with a computer system and consists of all the hardware, software, screens, menus, functions, output and features that affect two-way communications between the user and the computer. Our customers through the website will work with a varied mix of input, output and, indirectly, date queries as they perform ordering process. Because all those tasks require interaction with the computer system, the user interface is a vital element in the systems design phase. It is important to design a user interface that is easy to use, attractive and efficient. To achieve these goals we have used following rules: 1. Focusing on basic objectives According to this rule, we tried to create a simple design that is easy to learn and understand. We aimed to design a logical and attractive layout as well. 2. Building an interface that is easy to learn and use. Based on this rule, we only used images that users can understand easily, to dentify icons. We also made it easy to return to any level in our menu structure system. 3. Minimizing input data problems We provided data validation checks and event-driven message and reminders as you can see in below sample from our system screen shot. 4. Providing feedback to users According to this rule, we made all of our feedback messages specific, understandable and professional. We a lso displayed messages on top of the screen and follow consistency every time. 5. Designing an attractive layout To satisfy this rule we tried to fulfill following guidelines in layouts of our system. Use appropriate colors to highlight different areas of the screen. †¢Use hyperlink that allows user to jump to related topics. †¢Group related objects and information by using similarity and proximity principles of Gestalt Theory. †¢When the user enters data that completely files the field, don’t move automatically to the next field. We asked users to confirm the entries by pressing ok icon and tab key at the end of every fill-in field. User Interface Controls We include many control features, such as: †¢menu bar or †¢command button †¢text box †¢drop-down list box Date design Basic understanding of data design concepts includes data structure and the characteristics of file processing and database system which including web-based database design, will help the system analyst to come out with good and fulfilled information system. A data structure is a framework for organizing and storing data in an information system. Typically it contains files or tables that are linked in various ways. These files or table is data all about people, places, things or events that interact with the information system. A file processing system or more known as a file-oriented system, stores and manages data in one or more separate files. While, a database system consists of linked tables that form one overall data structure which offers great flexibility and efficiency in processing data. Database Management System (DBMS) is a collection of tools, features and interfaces that enable users to add, update, manage access and analyze the contents of a set of data. Data manipulation language is one of DBMS component which controls database operations, including storing, retrieving, updating and deleting data. Moreover, the complete definition of a database together with descriptions of all fields, tables and relationship, is called a schema. A subschema is a view of the database used by one or more systems or users and typically classifies only those portions of the database that a particular system or user needs or is allowed to access. Data dictionary †¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœempprofile’ Table This table supposed to store information about the staff of Taktaz. If the value for â€Å"active† column of this table become ‘a’, then the proposed staff can log in as an administrator. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœfoodmnu’ Table This table stores data of available foods in the food menu. ‘order’ Table This table contains data of the ordered items. †¢ ‘userprofile’ Table This table stores information of registered customers. Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) An entity-relationship (ER) diagram is a specialized graphic that illustrates the interrelationships between entities in a database. To design a system it is necessary to uses these models during the requirements analysis to describe information needs or the type of information that is to be stored in a database The entities for our system would be customers, order, bill, inventory and kitchen. The relations the attributes are shown in the following ERD diagram. Use Case Diagram Use case diagram is a type of behavioral diagram defined by and created from a Use-case analysis. Its purpose is to present a graphical overview of the functionality provided by a system in terms of actors, their goals (represented as use cases), and any dependencies between those use cases. The users of our system are customers, manager, kitchen staffs IT supporters. According to our systems point of view we can implement a use case diagram as given below. System Architecture System architecture is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and more views of a system. The system architecture includes seven issues which are as follow: 1. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) 2. Initial and total cost of ownership (TCO) 3. Scalability 4. Web Integration 5. Legacy system interface requirements 6. Processing options 7. Security issues The Taktaz Restaurant had no online reservation or ordering system for customers, so to have such a system, we are required to design completely a new online system (or a website). The first step was to analyze the system which the restaurant was working for. Everything in Taktaz, buying the ingredients , preparation ,ordering and delivery process, was done manually. We needed to have the owner’s idea about the old system and the expectation of the new system. By knowing a clear idea of the future system, we started to design an online food ordering system that fulfilled the restaurant requirement and expectations. Developing a new system has its own cost and we, as designer should have deal with it. The desire system and design must be cost-effective to the owner and also to us to design, operate and perform the system. Also the maintenance cost should be noticed in the designing stage. The new system should be flexible enough so that the users (restaurant’s owner and staff) can easily work with it and if needed, make some changes in it, expand, change or even downsize to meet the changing needs of the business. We tried to consider all of the above mentioned issues in the designing the system. However, some of them needed and took much more time than the others. For instance, to perform scalability or the last mentioned issue, we must interview with the owner and staff of the restaurant to get their idea and expectation of the oncoming system and then, we could interpolate those ideas to the system. As a designer, we should consider many more issues in the developing of the system. First of all, we should notice how user friendly the website will be. In a project, especially in online ordering, it is extremely important that how user deal with the website, whether the user can use and access the different section of the website in the first attempts or not. It was one of our main concerns. The administrator section also was one of our concerns. This section, which is the management section, must be designed in a way that the manager (or website controller) can easily work and modify the system. The website should be as simple as possible so that the first time users can easily understand how to work with it. Also it must be as easy to use as possible for administrator to manage the ordering website. We should design a system with a minimum number of errors. To achieve it, we should first accurately analyze the requirements and expectations of the restaurant’s owner and after gathering all different information, and then we start to design a website. Designing of the website needed to be looked from two perspectives: as administrator and as customer. Obviously a website with many errors is not a comfortable website for neither of both users. From the password protection to billing the order, security threats and defenses were a major concern to us. As analysts and designers, we should consider and determine how the business (restaurant) will deal with the security threats. Users (usually customers), they put their personal information and details in the system. So they must do it trustfully and have no doubt about the security of the system. Our System Architecture Diagram is coming in below. System Architecture Diagram System Implementation Prototyping produces an early, rapidly constructed working version of the proposed information system. Prototyping, which involves a repetitive sequence of analysis, design, modeling and testing is a common technique that we used to design our system. Our system is being run on windows as its Platform. In addition, since it is based on the internet connections, the Network Card must be installed and used. A KEY must be defined and generated for security purposes and boot strap to prevent entering any unauthorized parties and any viruses and worms. We used PHP and our IDE is Dreamviwer. For our database we use MySQL. System Support Maintenance System support maintenance is the modification of the system. We have to correct faults, improve system’s performance and adapt the system to environment and requirements changes. The objective of our maintenance is to keep our system always running at an acceptable level. Corrective maintenance diagnoses and corrects errors operational levels. In this type of maintenance we will try to correct Design errors, Coding errors and Logic errors. Applying the Corrective maintenance can be helpful to avoid probable bugs and to fix logic errors. . In our project, which is Online Food Ordering System, the first step of support maintenance is to ensure that the issues related to programming and coding are correctly run. Debugging and troubleshooting can be the second step. The coding is the most important part to check especially when you are dealing with financial issues related to ordering. Therefore, we must be sure about the correctness of all functions and modules in our coding and proper connection with database to store and retrieve data. In addition to the software hard ware must also be checked regularly. Adaptive maintenance adds enhancements to an operational system and makes the system easier to use. Adaptive maintenance entails changes related to our applications operating environment. These modifications cam consist of Incorporating new operating systems, Hardware configuration changes, Regulations Localizations alterations and Changes in data format. As our system goes on we need to enhance our system with new features, capability and functions in response to new technology. Adaptive maintenance in our system is related to update new features. For example, adding new meals or recipes to the current menu, can ensure the capability of our system. Also when we need to upgrade or add new functions to the system we need to apply the adaptive maintenance. Perfective maintenance involves changing an operational system to make it more efficient, reliable or maintainable. Perfective maintenance can improve maintainability and performance. It involves computer programmers who work to improve the way software program functions or how quickly it processes requests. For example to change our menu layouts, command interfaces for some functions or changing the number of daily orders. The other maintenance type which is useful for our system is preventative maintenance. In this kind of maintenance we try to predict and avoid probable problems before occurring . For example, to ensure that our system is scalable to have more customers in the future, we must check if our system is able to handle high data loading and other stressful operations without problem or we need to limit the number of daily orders to avoid problems. Installing antivirus software to protect our system from attacks, having a regular backup schedule to use it when something wrong goes with the system, are also examples of preventative maintenance that we can apply simply for our system. Appendix Perform research on the Internet to learn more about Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and develop a TCO checklist that includes the five most important elements of TCO. Relate your answers to your Assignment 2. (Please put this analysis as appendices in Assignment 2 report). Total cost of ownership (TCO) generally includes ongoing support and maintenance costs, as well as acquisition costs. TCO totally formed from two different types of cost, which are Direct and indirect costs. Direct costs can be measured in dollars. These costs result from a decrease in expenses, an increase in revenues or both. If we want to list the most important elements of direct costs for an information system, the list would be as following: 1. Hardware and software (capital and lease expenses) In our project, because we do it in-house and we didn’t pay for hardware or software, this part didn’t add any cost to our TCO. 2. Support ( maintenance, training, travel etc) In this project, our group members have done all SDLC phases based on their knowledge gain from SAD course and have used their background knowledge for programming parts. Therefore, we didn’t pay for training. But, there are some costs for transportation and traveling to and from Taktaz restaurant which is placed in Serdang. 3. Development Because we did the whole project in-house with our group members, we didn’t pay any extra fees for labors or out-sourcing. 4. Communication fees The biggest part of our project costs, was communication fees which we paid to contact our group members in each phase of SDLC. Indirect costs are difficult to measure in dollars but are important and need to consider as a part of TCO. The most important indirect costs in our project are indicating in below. 1. User time User time cost is the cost of users supporting themselves and each other instead of out-sourcing costs. Costs for user formal training, casual learning, and self-studies are included in user time cost. We needed to learn some issues mostly related to programming part by ourselves during the project. 2. Opportunity cost The highest valued alternative that we need to forego when we are doing our project is part of opportunity cost or downtime cost . lost wages can be a measurement for this kind of costs.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Art of Technology essays

The Art of Technology essays hello, today ime going to give you a short presentation on the subject of computers. computers consist of three main components, a hard disk, a basic input output system, more comonly known as a bios, and some random access memory, more comonly termed as RAM. a hard disk or hard drive is what all your documents and files are saved on to when you save them, example when you are writing a word document and decide to save it the document is saved on to the hard disk ready for you to retrieve later, there is much more i could tell you about hard drives but there is not much time. a bios is the chip inside your computer that controlls all your inputs and outputs, example, when you first set up your computer you have to conect your mouse, this mouse is plugged into your computer via a port, when you conect your mouse your bios scans your ports for new hardware, in this case the mouse, and then send a message to your computer telling it to install the mouse, and that is how your bios works. your RAM is a type of memory that is Randomly accessed when you open a file or document, it is called random access memory bec ause your computer allocates a random slice of RAM to a file when you access it, if you have sixty four megabytes of ram inside your computer then you can open sixty four megabytes of data at anyone time, example when you open a document say that document is four megabytes then when you open it four megabytes of RAM is taken up and you can open only sixty more megabytes of data, when you close a file the RAM it took up is wiped clean for you to use again. so that is the basics of computers i hope you enjoyed it. ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

The 3 Best Extracurricular Activities for Your College App

The 3 Best Extracurricular Activities for Your College App SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Extracurricular activities are an important part of your college application. The things that you choose to do outside of the classroom help college admission officers understand your personality in a way that your grades and test scores can’t show. With so many activities to choose from, how do you know which ones are going to make the biggest impact on your application? Do colleges prefer students with traditional activities like sports and student council, or are you better off if you have something unconventional on your activity list? If you're unsure about how to strategize a list of activities that will make an impact on your application, read on to see the three best extracurricular activities that will really get you noticed. What Are the BestExtracurricular Activities to Have on YourCollege Applications? Many students worry that they have to play a sport to get into a good college, or that there are some specific extracurricular activities that college admission advisors consider an automatic admissions ticket. If you have suspected that this kind of activity bias exists, I have good news: colleges do not really care which specific activities you choose to do. However,they are hoping to understand certain things about you through your activities. Your extracurricular activities show colleges aspects of your personality that your grades and test scores can’t. Though admissions officerscan also get to know about your â€Å"intangible† qualities through your essays and letters of recommendation, extracurriculars are important because they show that you walk the walk. Think you have leadership skills? Well, your extracurricularsare where you prove it. There are a few specific things that colleges are always hoping to see in their students’ activities. They include: Passion. Your activities are supposed to be a reflection of you and what you care about. Admissions officers can usually tell when you're just doing activities to pad out your resume. Colleges love students who are passionate because, more often than not, they are the ones who will stick with something through thick and thin and go on to change the world. You can show passion by focusing on a couple activities and dedicating a significant amount of time to them. Leadership. Leaders are the people who will be at the forefront of change and the first to take on new challenges. Since colleges are looking to educate and shape the leaders of tomorrow, they love to see students who are taking initiative to be leaders through their extracurricular activities. You can do this by leading a group or activity, being in charge of a project, or otherwise motivating or directing other students. Impact. How have you changed your activity for the better? Have you expanded membership or the amount of activities your extracurricular does? If you saw a problem, did you fix it? Once again, colleges are looking for the people who are going to change the world someday. In your activities, you can show them that you're the type of person who takes something and leaves it better than you found it. If you need some inspiration to help find a great extracurricular, we have a list of hundreds of activities that you can try. With commitment, over time you could show the above qualities in any of the activities on the list. But if you'd like more guidance, there is a surefire combination of activities you can pursue in high school that will show off a range of your best traits. In fact, as long as you have thesethree types of activities, you won’t have to worry nearly as much about what else you choose to do with your free time during high school! The Perfect Extracurricular Activity Combination For students who are unsure about what types of activities to pursue in high school, you can easily impress admissions officers by making sure that you have the following three kinds of activities on your list. They are: The Academic Activity The Community Service Activity The Personality Activity Colleges are out to find students whoare mature, have a good sense of direction and purpose, and have a strong sense of self. Students like this know what their passions are, are willing to put in the time and effort to make an impact in their chosen extracurriculars, and are more likely to be leaders. Though there are many valid combinations of extracurriculars out there and you will not be penalized if you do not follow the above structure, this combination of activities allows you to show off your personality and talents while also showing an awareness of and concern for the larger world. To show why this is the perfect combination, let's examine each activity in a bit more detail and discuss why it impresses admission officers. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. The Academic Activity The first key type of extracurricular activity is the academic activity.This is an activitythat is somehow related to what you're hoping to study in college. What Are Some Examples? For example, if you want to get a degree in journalism, you could be working foryour school newspaper. A math major could participate in Math Bowl or some other competitive form of the subject. A future medical student may have volunteered at the local hospital. Why Should You Do It? There's no better way to provethat you're really interested in your chosen field of study than to show admissions officers that you live and breathe it already on a daily basis. Remember that old saying that work isn’t work as long as you’re doing what you love? By doing an extracurricular related to your studies, you're showing that you have real passion for the topic and know what you're getting yourself into. Why Do Colleges Love It? Colleges want to admitstudents who are hard-working, passionate, and who will potentially be innovators in that field in the future. This is a great way to show that your studies are also your passion. You aren’t just pursuing that engineering degree because it’s going to make you money someday; you’re pursuing it because if you didn’t you wouldn’t be the person that you need to be. Students who are actively and passionately involved in their studies through an extracurricular are much more likely to make a difference in the field and potentially change the world. The Community Service Activity This activity is an extracurricularthat allows you to volunteer your time to work with people or for a cause in your community. What Are Some Examples? There are hundreds of ways to do community service. It’s important to choose something that is related to a cause you actually care about and that you'll be able to commit to long enough to make an impact. Examples range from volunteering at a senior center, to tutoring students after school, to working in wildlife conservation. If you need more examples, check out our guide tothe nine best places to do community service. Why Should You Do It? There are a lot of benefits for high school students who are ready to put time and effort into community service. Service learning can be a great way to reinforce ideas that you've learned in the classroom. You can develop skills that will be necessary forcollege, such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Many students say that they experience personal development through community serviceand become more responsible andempathetic. Studies have also shown that people who volunteer reap health benefits because they feel better about themselves. See more about the benefits of community service for high school students here. Why Do Colleges Love It? Community service is a great extracurricular that can show that you're a concerned citizen and aspiring leader. Keep in mind that colleges are always looking for students who are going to be making a difference in the world. Community service shows that you have already taken the first step to do that. By showing that you cantake charge when you see an issue in your community and are willing to put in the time and effort needed to make a change, you're showing initiative, dedication, and perseverance. These are all traits that will help you be a successful student in college and an impactful human being well after you graduate. The Personality Activity This is an activity that showcases something special about youand your interests. What makes you tick? What's your secret passion? What Are Some Examples? Any activity that you do solely because you love it counts as a personality extracurricular. This is your chance to show colleges what you're passionate about. These activities may be surprising at first because they don't necessarily have anything to do with what you want to pursue academically or professionally. While an aspiring engineer may list her love of building robots as her personality activity, it's equally true that an aspiring astronomy major may have a passion for working backstage in theater productions. As long as it's an extracurricular you love doing, it can be used as a personality activity. Why Should You Do It? Personality activities are a chance for you to do something that's important to you and that you really love. There’s more to you than just what you intend to study. Everyone is moved by different things, and it’s important to pursue these passions. These activities are all about you and allow you to develop confidence and a sense of self that you might not get in the other activities. Why Do Colleges Love It? Colleges want to see the person behind the application, and this is where the personality activity comes in. Collegesare also concerned about creatingvibrant campus communities, and one way of doing this is admitting students with a lot of different interests who will be able to participate and contribute toareas beyond just what they're studying. They will appreciate that you have taken the time to develop these side passions and see you as a motivated and interesting person. The Bottom Line These three types of activities are a good place to start if you're stumped by how to make an impressive resume for college. But keep in mind that any combination of activities is just as valid - as long as you remember tomake a commitment, show leadership, and havean impact! What's Next? If you want a more basic grounding in what extracurriculars are, check out our explanation of why you need to have extracurricular activities. Need some more inspiration for activities? See our complete list of extracurricular activities. Got your activities under control, but worried about how the application works? See our guide to writing about extracurriculars on the Common App. Struggling to write about extracurriculars on your college application?Check out our in-depth guide to crafting a compelling narrative about your extracurriculars. Read it for free now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Diversity Management as a Tool For Eliminating Discrimination Literature review

Diversity Management as a Tool For Eliminating Discrimination - Literature review Example This paper shows that what are the positive points of diversity management and how diversity management enhances the performance of the individuals as well as the organization. It will develop the skills which are essential to managing a workforce team. In this article, we will study how a diversified work team enhances the productivity of an organization and how we can mitigate the hazards of diversity.  Organizations are formed with a major aim to earn profits but to earn profits, dedication and hard work is required, apart from compelling the employees to do the work. Management or the managers are supposed to manage their employees and their work in a professional manner which is ethical and appreciable as well. Proper management will ultimately increase the performance and motivate the employees because according to Steven Kopin self-motivated employees are more productive and dedicated rather than the unmotivated ones. The most important human activity is managing. Ever since people began forming groups to accomplish aims they could not achieve as individuals, managing has been essential to ensure the coordination of individual efforts. As society has come to rely increasingly on group effort, and as many organized groups have become large, the task of managers has been rising in importance. The aim of all managers is the same: "to create a surplus". Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working together in groups, efficiently accomplish selected items. Management is essential for any organization for creating its value in the long run. Managers are charged with the responsibility of taking actions that will enable individuals to make their best contribution to groups' objectives. Management thus applies to small and large organizations, to profit and for a not-for-profit enterprise to manufacture as well as service industries. The term enterprise refers to a business, government agency, hospital, un iversity, and any other type of organization.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Operating systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operating systems - Essay Example This program is in the complicity level three since it is able to create a batch file to run the automatic back up process. The interaction takes place through a dialogue in a command line mode. It will also be able to operate in a work schedule such that it can run repeatedly. It will run in a multiple back up operation for moving many files in the same session. The backup system will present the menu in command line forms through the same dialogue system. However, the naming system will be a dynamic naming system depending on the user’s discretion, where the system will allow the user to specify the naming protocol, either by use of incremental alphabetical and numerical characters and perhaps linked to the day’s date. The changes in the codes of the batch file will alter the way the file runs. It checks the availability of the source of the files to be backed up as well as the destination directories which are in existence. Simple Source code @echo off :: variables s et drive = C:\Backup set folder = %date:~7,2% set backupcmd = xcopy /s /c /d /e /h /i /r /k /y @pause echo ### Backing up directory... %backupcommand% "C:\Program Files\dir1" "%dirve%\%folder1%" @pause echo The file Backup process Completed successfully @pause @pause @pause We save the file as backup.bat and we see the icon below On running the file the output below appears Result Press any key to continue . .. ### Backing up directory†¦ '"C:\Program Files\dir1"' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. Press any key to continue . . . The file Backup process Completed successfully Press any key to continue . . . Advanced Source code @echo off :: Declaring source code variables set drive = C:\BatchBackup set bapcmd = xcopy /s /c /d /e /h /i /r  /y @pause @pause echo ### Program for backing up the Documents... %bapcmd% "%USERPROFILE%\My Documents" "%D%\My Documents" echo ### Backing up the Favorites... %bapcmd% "%USERPROFILE%\Site" " %C%\ bapcmd " @pause @pause echo ### The system is Backing up all the Em and address book. %bapcmd% "%USERPROFILE%\Applic Data Files\Microsoft\AddBk" "%C%\ My Address Book" %bapcmd% "%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\ Applic Data\Identities" "%C%\Outlook Express" @pause @pause echo ### System is Backing up all Ems and Em contacts in MS Outlook express %bapcmd% "%USERPROFILE%\s\ Applic Data\MS Outlook" "%C%\Outlook" @pause @pause echo ### System Backing up Registry********* if not exist "%C%\Registry" mkdir "%D%\Registry" if exist "%C%\Registry\regbackup.reg" del "%D%\Registry\regbackup.reg" regedit /e "%D%\Registry\regbackup.reg" @pause @pause ::Registry Backup Completed Successfully :: use below syntax to backup other directories... :: %bapcmd% "C" "%drive%\ % "D" "%drive% echo System successfully completes Backup Process! @pause @pause @pause Result Press any key to continue . . . Press any key to continue . . . ### Program for backing up the Documents... '"C:\Users\COLOO\My Documents" ' is not recognized as an internal or external com mand, operable program or batch file. ### Backing up the Favorites... '"C:\Users\COLOO\Site"' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. Press any key to continue . . . Press any key to continue . . . ### The system is Backing up all the Em and address book. The system cannot find the path specified. The system canno

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Essay Example for Free

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Essay Children are normally difficult to deal with and could be very challenging sometimes. They usually have mood swings and tantrums that are sometimes hard to control and deal with. On the other hand if the child or an individual is observed with relentless pattern of tantrums, arguing and have disruptive behaviors to their parents or other people then there is a possibility that the person have oppositional defiant disorder. Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a kind of disorder that is being characterized by a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient and hostile behavior towards authority figures such as parents and teachers and the elders and it usually occurs and happens for at least 6 months. Teenagers and children with ODD shows a consistent symptom pattern of refusing commands, orders or request coming from adults and they may manifest great annoyance, irritability and stubbornness to people that are older to them. ODD is usually normal in early childhood and adolescence stage (Sadock, Kaplan, Sadock, 2007). Symptoms Having a defiant behavior is usually common among children most especially if they are in the transition of 2 to 3 years or when they reach the teenage years. At this age children normally act with defiance so that they can affirm themselves and check their limits. There are a lot of symptoms that may indicate that a child or a teenager has ODD. Symptoms of ODD are: if an individual always loses his or her temper, often argues with adults, deliberately annoys people, blames other people for his or her mistakes, misbehavior, often annoyed or angry, academic problems, often spiteful and defies obeying with adults’ rules and requests. It is an oppositional defiant disorder if four or more symptoms are present in a person’s behavior and lasts for at least six months (Sadock, Sadock Levin, 2007). Furthermore, children with ODD are usually moody and they get easily frustrated with things and they can also have a very low self-esteem. There is also a possibility that they will abuse the use of drugs, other substances and alcohol (Webmd, 2008). Etiology There is still no clear cause behind the oppositional defiant disorder. The etiology of ODD is believed to come from different factors such as environmental and genetic or combined. A child who has ODD is more likely to have a history in his or her family of some behavior disorders, anxiety disorder, personality disorder, and mood disorders. In addition, if the parents of the child are alcoholic or have problems with the behavior such as being always into trouble the child can adapt the behavior and may develop into having ODD later on (Tynan, 2008). Diagnosis/ Assessment It is difficult to determine and diagnose different kinds of mental health conditions in a person because some of the symptoms of a certain disorder may also be present in another mental disorder. Furthermore, it makes also difficult to diagnose a child whether he or she has ODD because it is normal for children to have the different behaviors that ODD characterized. In diagnosing ODD, there are no medical tests such as blood test that can determine whether a child or a teenager has ODD or another type of disorder. Some disorders such as ADHD, conduct disorder, bipolar disorder and other mood or behavioral disorders can overlap the signs and symptoms of ODD, therefore it is very important to have a thorough check up and observation to see and diagnose a child suspected with ODD (Rapoport Ismond). Moreover, in diagnosing ODD different types of medical tests may be given to the person to be bale to rule out physical illness or medication side effects like X-rays and blood tests. Only mental health professionals like the psychiatrist or psychologist can determine different kinds of mental illnesses such as ODD in an individual. By looking at the child’s family and health history experts will be able to find it easier to diagnose a child with ODD (Chandler, 2008). Prevalence Oppositional defiant disorder is said to be more common in boys rather than in girls and in children or adolescents. This disorder can usually be seen and observed when a child reaches the age of 8. It is said in some research that there are about 2 to 16% of the US population both male and female have ODD and about 25 % of the population with ODD develops conduct disorder and about 10% of the population have antisocial personality disorder and mostly are already adults (Videbeck, 2007). ODD is more prevalent in males than females before they reach the puberty stage. However after they reach the puberty stage or adolescence, the ratio of both genders already become equal due to the reason that females tend to be involved with antisocial males as partners (Corcoran Walsh, 2006). Risk Factors Oppositional defiant disorder usually comes with other behavior disorders or mental disorders. There are about 50% to 65% of children with ODD usually have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ome form of affective disorder may also be present among 35% of children with ODD, 20% with mood disorders like anxiety disorder or bipolar disorder and 15% develop some personality disorder (Kane, 2008). Other risk factors that may be present to children with ODD are; being abused or neglected, lack of supervision from parents, poor relationship with one or both parents and other family members, family instability such as incident of divorce, financial problems in the family, exposure to violence and abusing substance like drugs and alcohol (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007). Treatment Psychotherapy There are many options for treating oppositional defiant disorder in an individual. Different treatments depends on the age and the severity of the condition and its symptoms and the person should be willing or aware so that he or she will be able to participate and cooperate well in the treatment process of ODD though it is usually complicated and difficult especially if the individual is a child. First and common treatment being used with patient with ODD is psychotherapy. In psychotherapy the process is juts like counseling. The goal of this kind of treatment is to help and assist the child in developing ways on controlling his or her anger and other defiant behaviors. Cognitive behavioral therapy is another way of therapy that can help a child or a person with ODD. It is a kind of technique or approach that intends to influence bad behaviors and cognitions through a goal-oriented process. This kind of therapy has been proven to be effective on most mood disorders, behavioral disorders, personality disorders and other mental diseases. In addition, family therapy can also serve as a great help for treating ODD. This can help family interactions and communications not only to the child with ODD and parent but to rest of the members of the family as well. There is also a new therapy that has been introduced that can help treating ODD and it is called parent management training (PMT). This approach teaches the parents different techniques to positively modify or change their children’s behavior (Webmd, 2008). Medications Medications or drugs can also help in the process of treating oppositional defiant disorder in a child. There was a study made to see whether a certain drug called Ritalin can be effective in treating children with ODD. The research’s result found out that there were about 90% of children with ODD who were treated by Ritalin do not have ODD anymore when they finish the study. Another drug called Strattera did also help and got treated for some children with oppositional defiant disorder. Mood stabilizers can also help in the process of treating ODD using medications to be bale to control the behavior of the person with ODD. Lastly, other alternative treatments but has not been proven by studies that is suspected to help in the treatment of ODD. It is said that Omega-3 oils and Vitamin E helps lessen the behavioral problem of a child with oppositional defiant disorder (Kane, 2008). Prognosis Treating oppositional defiant disorder usually takes time to treat. It requires long term commitment to the person and most especially to the parents. If the individual did not receive proper treatment there will be a higher risk that the child will develop a conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, 2007). Prevention Good parenting can prevent the prevalence of oppositional defiant disorder. It is very important that parents should treat their children fairly and should be consistent with their rules and consequences inside the home. Proper communication is also needed between children and parents to avoid such problem to occur. Abusing and neglecting children should be also avoided; hence it is one factor that triggers ODD to occur in an individual. If parents can already observe different or unusual behavior in their children they should ask for help or seek advice to experts to know if there is something wrong with their children. If ODD is detected earlier then it will be easier also to treat and the person will no longer have to suffer and experience this kind of disorder that can disrupt their lives (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, 2007). Conclusion In conclusion, becoming aware and knowing all the information that lies ahead in oppositional defiant disorder is very important. One should be attentive most especially the parents of all the necessary repercussions that it can bring to a person particularly children and adolescence to be able to stop the increasing number of ODD and so that children and other people will be able to live normally and function well in the society.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Medieval world reflected in Japanese literature: examples of changes an

As with most societies, as time progresses there will always be many changes. Likewise, as Japan moved into the medieval period there would be changes, specifically in some noticeable changes that are found in the literature. In looking at how prose and poetry was affected during this time, it should be noted that in many ways the literature of the period was made as a method of honoring the old literature and building beyond it. An example can be seen in the poems of ShinkokinshÃ… «, and in drawing from KokinshÃ… «, Shinkokin waka shÃ… « is a â€Å"New Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern† (Handout 10). That being said, ShinkokinshÃ… « was compiled exactly 300 years after KokinshÃ… « was originally compiled, therefore making ShinkokinshÃ… « an anniversary collection that would also be inspired by the original works. ShinkokinshÃ… « shows within it there are parts that draw a lot from the past, while there are also works from the modern time period. As for prose, there have been some changes in language that can be seen between some examples. Descriptions of residencies and everyday life will always vary from person to person, as it is seen in The Pillow Book by Sei ShÃ… nagon with its decriptions of life in the Imperial court and the very different An Account of My Hut by Kamo no ChÃ… mei and its description of a very different world as seen by the humble Buddhist monk. The two accounts were also written about 200 years apart, which allows for there to be some significant societal changes to be seen between the writings, in addition to the difference in the lifestyles of the of the respective authors. These examples are just a small representation of the changes that occurred in Japanese literature, particularly poetry and prose during the medieval period, ... ...s that both have as they build upon the previous works from earlier times. The very obvious example is KokinshÃ… « and ShinkokinshÃ… « and their connections. There are many aspects of the works that are similar, and quite possibly the same, but there are the innovations and changes that are very noticeable in these works as there is progression through time. The most notable innovation, which is also seen in the zuhitsus, is the changes in structure. The best examples are the use of the x-no-y-no-z pattern and taigendome as found in ShinkokinshÃ… « as they stand out very clearly and the coherent and broken into groups and sections in the structure between the two zuhitsus. With all art forms, there will be changes and innovations as they evolve. While they eventually not resemble their predecessors, they will represent the survival of the art and honor it in its own way.

Monday, November 11, 2019

American Popular Culture In Australia Essay

The 1950s and 1960s were times of unprecedented change, and Australian society was influenced greatly by American popular culture, through various mediums, such as: music, film, television and fashion. This especially affected teenagers. It will be explained how Australian society was impacted by American popular culture, and also why American popular culture had such an affect. Australian developed its own responses to these influences, and the extent of this will also be explored. The 1950s meant the emergence of the teenager; it also brought peace and prosperity to many. And during the fifties there were far more American films released in Australia, and they became more popular than many Australian films. Films were of great influence to the youth of the 1960s, films such as The Wild One and Rebel Without A Cause showed a new type of teenager, one who was not only different, but was rebellious. This new view of what a teenager could be gave birth to the idea of â€Å"bodgies† and â€Å"widgies† which is what many teenagers became known as during the fifties. These â€Å"bodgies† and â€Å"widgies† were greatly influenced by the culture of rock-‘n’-roll music. The term â€Å"Rock-‘n’-Roll† was invented in the mid 1950s for a new and exciting music. This type of music was to become popular beyond belief, it not only began to dominate the tastes of America’s youth, and it soon became the popular music of choice for youths throughout Australia, too. Popular artists such as Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the comets were among the top entertainers influencing Australia’s impressionistic youth. The lifestyle trends of Australia were also, to a great extent, impacted by the trends of America. During the 1950s the lifestyle of a typical American was very different to that of a person during the forties. The lifestyle was more laidback, mainly due to the end of the war; people believed that they were entering a new age, where anything was possible. Australia followed Americas lead, and many of their lifestyles changed with the Americans. By the late 1950s, television was the most important form of mass entertainment and culture; it had become an important part of many people’s lives. Through television Australia saw the American life, and then modelled (to a certain  extent), parts of their lives on what they saw of the American lifestyle. During the 1960s, Australian society remained hugely affected by American popular culture. And although the culture of the youth was no where near as strong or powerful as it was in America, Australia was, to a great extent influenced by what was happening in America at the time. What happened in America was almost always mirrored by Australian teens (although to a smaller extent). Fashion-wise, the sixties saw the flowering of the Hippie Movement. All of a sudden the tight black pants, bright socks and hair grease of the fifties were gone, and in came the mini-skirt, velvet pants and paisley shirts. As American teenagers began to grow their hair longer and longer, it seemed Australian teenagers opted to follow this new trend. Films took on a new genre; the films of the sixties began to portray the story much more realistically. Blockbusters such as Easy Rider were on the scene. In the film industry in the sixties Britain tended to lead, but America adjusted, and Australian society continued to follow. Of course, there is one aspect of the sixties, which will remain in everybody’s mind forever: Psychedelia. A style like no other. It was a period like no other, a world of hallucinogenic drugs, swirling shaped and luminous colours. It was LSD, which provided the mental and visual stimulus behind psychedelia. Psychedelic patterns and colours quickly found their way in to mass-produced fabrics and clothes. Psychedelia also influenced the music industry significantly, with great bands such as the Beatles producing songs such as Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds with thinly disguised references to drugs. The Beatles were hugely popular in Australia as well, and it was the Beatles tour of Australia in 1964, which proved just how much this American pop group influenced these Australian citizens. During the tour parents and police were ignored, and Australian teenagers were lapping it up, the overseas excitement was finally there for then to fully be a part of. But the psychedelic styles of the sixties were so strong and unsympathetic to  other styles that it was inevitable that Psychedelia departed as quickly as it arrived. The fifties and sixties were completely different in so many ways; the times had changed a lot in the transition of decades. The types of music, for one, were in great contrast. By the sixties the rock-‘n’-roll and pelvic thrusting of the fifties had transformed into the pop, rock and folk music of the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Teenagers changed a lot over the two decades a lot, too. The tight pant, leather jacket bodgies, with their greased hair, and the widgies, with their rope petticoats and flared dresses, were replaced by the teenagers of the Psychedelic era. These teenagers preferred the swirled shapes and bright colours, with their newly found mini-skirts, and for the guys it was paisley shirts. Although the two decades were different in themselves, there is still a parallel running between the two. Both were times of change, with popular culture culminated for the newly recognised youth, each decade had their own brand of pop music, and their own brand of teenagers. However, the teenagers of the sixties, despite the overuse of drugs, remained a lot more politically minded, by holding many war protests, for example. The fifties played home to a time where the brand teenager was first recognised, and the sixties were a carry on from this, an expansion where teenagers gained more and more out of life and the world. We have seen how Australian society was influenced by American popular culture in the fifties, now the question is why. There were many factors that contributed to this sudden change in ideals. One of the main factors involved was the end of WWII, WWII had brought America to Australia, it became one of Australia’s major trading partners, and our major investor. Economically and culturally we identified with America. Also, following the war communications around the world had been significantly improved, thus giving Australia greater opportunities to be connected with America, and therefore see and â€Å"copy† (in a way), just what they were doing. Another  factor of significant importance is the impact that television had on society overall. With the intervention of television Australian’s had a clear and self-evident view of America, as many of the programs shown on Australian television were in fact American. With more and more people seeing these programs the excitement grew and the popular culture of American society grew in Australia. Through the passage of time Australian culture absorbs these aspects of American culture and they become linked with our identity. The reasons for why Australia was impacted so greatly in the sixties can be traced back through the fifties. As the fifties went on America seemed to continue to dominate more and more. And by the time it reached the sixties there was an abundance of America programming on Australian television and radio, which influenced many young, impressionably minds. Another main factor was that Australia’s economy had substantially increased by the sixties, due significantly to such Government programs as the Assisted Immigration Scheme. With more money to spend, many Australian youths put their money to items, which then enforced pop culture, such as CDs and popular fashions of the time. But it all came down to the fact that America sells its culture and products to the world and teenagers in the western world are vulnerable to advertising. And perhaps the most important factor in all this was the Vietnam War. Many soldiers spent their R&R time in Australia. This impacted greatly upon the youth of Australia because many servicemen brought with them their own music and style which influenced the society that they brought it to. Of course, Australia didn’t just sit back and watch the excitement unfold, Australian society had their own responses to the latest trends. The culture, of course, in Australia was no where near as strong as that in America at the time. But still, in many ways Australia decided to copy the popular trends of the time, but in many other ways they had their own. Young Australians formed their own gangs, made up of â€Å"bodgies† who wore tight black pants and greased their hair and their female counterparts â€Å"widgies† who wore rope petticoats and flared dresses, throughout the fifties these groups became increasingly violent. These groups were in response to such  American hits as Rebel Without A Cause and The Wild One. The way that media targeted teenagers and advertising gave them a larger opportunity to get involved with the latest popular trends. Because teenagers got more money they had the means to respond to this advertising in the sixties. They had the means to be a part of Psychedelia (to a small extent). We can see from all this that the fifties were a big turning point for Australian society. This was the time were American had first been brought to Australia, until the 1950s Australia had not had as much contact with America. But through means of television and improved communications American popular culture influenced Australian society a great amount, in music, film, lifestyle and fashion. This same thing worked through the sixties, Australian society remaining significantly impacted upon by American popular culture, and we can see that still today we are affected to a certain extent, by American Popular culture.