Saturday, August 31, 2019

Crisis intervention theory Essay

The crisis intervention theory was developed by Linder Mann and Gerald Caplan, this theory however was developed by a team of sociologist, social workers, doctors and counselors, the incident that led to the development of this theory was the coconut clove fire where 493 people perished in a night club in the US. The behavior and thought of people in crises change, they are usually confused, agitated in that they are easily angered, they feel helpless, they feel helpless and headaches. However the two scholars identified two types of crisis situations Developmental crisis- in this type of crises the situation is predictable example old age crisis. Situational crisis- this type of crisis is unpredictable and unexpected example natural disasters, fatal illnesses and rape. Techniques of crisis intervention according to this theory – Assessing the events that triggered the crisis. – Assessing the coping strength of the client under normal circumstances. – The human service worker should focus on the target area and give hope to a client. – The worker should have a plan of action with well planed specific tasks. – The worker should always keep the client in touch with reality and avoid asking question that may hinder the thinking of the client. – The worker should concentrate on obtaining the missing information and concentrate on the present situation and not much on the past. How this helps solve the client’s problem – This intervention strategy helps to give hope and encouragement to the client to coupe with the crisis. – It also helps to build the confidence of the person in crisis. – By concentrating on a specific task the client changes the way of thinking, feelings and actions. – The model emphasizes that the termination of the services should be done until the client overcomes the crisis. Contribution to crisis intervention This theory has contributed to crisis intervention strategies in that it emphasis that when dealing with a client it does not necessarily mean that the mechanisms that worked in the past can be used in the present situation. The theory also states that it is not easy to point out people with crises because people interpret crisis differently but the theory states that people make comments such as they cannot cope, they feel helpless and that they are failures, however this theory has contributed to crisis intervention in that it emphasis putting the needs of the clients first. Reference: Albert R. Roberts (2005) Crisis Intervention Handbook: assessment, treatment and research, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Friday, August 30, 2019

How I Stumbled Across Universal Literacy

I acquired, through being part of many discourses that, eventually, everything connects. I had always heard the same thing, â€Å"Graduate from a good college and find a cent living, and you'll be happy and successful. † Ha! What a capitalistic, factory- produced, fairy tale to tell impressionable children, I thought. Nope, I was smarter than that. I would be the one to take the road less traveled†to go against the grain and live my own life the way I wanted to. After barely graduating high school with a GEED (or a GEED equivalent actually†¦ ), I took off to LA to become a music-producer.I was going to be big. I learned the trade, worked inside multi- million dollar studios, and formed a band. I had It all figured out and I was going to how everybody that school was for fools. As with everything In life. This Intoxicating success did not last. I began to feel something was missing. Here I was, living the dream that I had imagined for myself, and yet, I didn't feel m uch fulfillment. Bills were stacking, the girlfriend was becoming distant, and the excitement of living on my own slowly began to degrade with each passing day.Soon, I could no longer make enough to afford living on my own. And so, I packed up and return home to the Bay Area. Life had defeated me, or so It felt, and I had to reevaluate what I wanted to do with mine. That's when the unexpected happened: I started going back to school again. I began taking courses seriously and I learned that, not only was I pretty good at most of the stuff, I really liked it. I found that an obscure subject like calculus, could be applied to something even more obscure like computer programming. I learned lessons in swimming that helped me learn how to socialize.Hell, if I took an extensive course on rock-paper-scissors, I could find a hidden lesson that could ring true In another study. I guess you could say I slowly realized how to learn, rather than what to learn. After all, James Paul Gee writes in his paper, Ð’Â «owing† is a matter of â€Å"knowing how to proceed† (â€Å"go on†) in specific social interactions† (Discourse and Coloratura Studies in Reading, 196). Once I realized that I had a plethora of knowledge and life-experiences up my sleeve already, navigating through new areas in life began to be much more comfortable and rewarding.An unexpected part of life had showed up In my life as well: religion. If you had the reasons wrong with the Bible and how there couldn't possibly be a God. Openness eased my stubbornness. I wanted to â€Å"hear out† what all these people in Christianity had to say. As I attended sermons, I checked all Judgments at the door and listened. I remember the words of a wise teacher I had in high school. He told us to empty our cups†to be ready to fill it with more knowledge. I found that what they preached in church was certainly applicable to somebody not religious at all.Instead of seeing the religion as a brain-washing cult, I began to understand it as a form of volunteer-work. These people were here for help, or to help. How could I speak negatively anymore about something that humans should be doing for each other? I kicked up a sense of humbleness from immersing myself in religious-discourse. It was not only Christianity that I researched. I started pouring my curiosities into Buddhism, Shamanism, and Islam. In all these religions, they teach a similar purpose: healing. Heal yourself, heal others, and heal the Universe.Within you, without you. We are all one, yet amazingly unique. All these â€Å"Faceable†-queues pseudo babble started to make sense to me! Trying new ideas had given me a fulfillment that I Just could not describe. I felt like a scientist, and that my field of study had now been shifted to understanding life. The doors that academic and religious discourse opened for me was like staring into a hallway that had even more interesting and unique doors to b e opened. That would never have been available to me had I not looked in their direction and remained open.James Paul Gee puts it very elegantly, â€Å"Analogously, one can deepen the insight by taking successively deeper views of what interpretation means† (Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics, 540). At times, I can still feel dejected, depressed, or Just plain lazy; after having been through these types of situations before, some many times worse, I learned that eventually, everything will urn out okay again†it has to. Physics proves this, religion speaks of this, and there are sayings I'm sure you've heard before like, â€Å"the dawn is darkest before the day. Recognizing this helps me deal with the inevitable problems that we all share, and how to stress out in a healthy way. A big part of life for me is music. I would not have traveled to LA with such reckless abandon, were it not for the passion and fuel that music provides me. I identified heavily with the punk- (counter)culture during my teenage years. I still do, but again, with a fresh perspective on the community. Punks look intimidating to a lot of people. They have messy hair, spikes in every direction on their clothing, and a penchant for destroying things.The irony is, these very people are often the ones who are insecure, bold, and most understanding. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and some punks are Just dicks, but being surrounded by a culture of misfits where the majority of members inside felt they were not right for the â€Å"mainstream discourse†, led me to take a look at the way things were established. I saw a lot of paranoia in the community, and I had to face my own. Let me explain. Paranoia, on one end of the spectrum, can lead people to believe things like, in 1969, America staged the whole moon landing.Or that the Pope is really a lizard. But on the other end of the spectrum, complete naivetà ©Ã‚ © can lead people to believe that banks have your b est interest in mind, or that marijuana causes death. Somewhere in between them is an inner-balance much like the yin and yang in Buddhism. I learned that I revealed when the people spreading an idea can learn to communicate well enough without offending another's ideas. We must listen to others as well, and learn to be dead to change our own ideas. How can we do this? How can I be sure that the color red looks the same to me, as it does to you?And more importantly, how can we find a .. That reading and writing cannot be separated from consensus? Gee argues, † speaking, listening, and interacting† (Reading as Situated Language: A Cognitively Perspective, 714). He makes a rather elegant point here in that it is not a matter of â€Å"street smarts† vs†¦ â€Å"Book smarts†, rather, it is a marriage of the two that is necessary for communication. â€Å"Eventually, everything connects† was said by Charles Names, a designer. An app on the phone called , â€Å"Dots, A Game About Connecting†, displays his quote prominently.Each time I play this game, I think about the many ways to accomplish one simple goal: connect the dots. There are ups and downs, lefts and rights. But there are also boxes and zigzags. The more unique ways you find to connect the dots, the easier and more fun the game becomes. Learning many tools from hands-on life- experiences greatly increases the fulfillment I feel for them. They boost my confidence, encourage me to eat healthier, to do well in school, and to live happier with family. You can say Vie stopped rebelling like I used to, and to that, I would have to agree.But I'm also rebelling against ignorance. I'm rebelling against preconceived molds society can place on us, and I'm rebelling against egoism. It's a never-ending pursuit, but it's much more preferable to never pursuing. James Paul Gee says, † . .The master discourse is not Just the sum of its parts, it is something also over and abo ve them† (Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics, 537). Perhaps once we've connected all the dots, we are still not done. We may never be done, and to me, that is an exciting thought.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Much Ado About Nothing †Theme of Deception Essay

Deception plays a huge role in the plot of Much Ado About Nothing, from the major dramas of Don John and Claudio’s love to the duping that led to the bringing together of Benedick and Beatrice. Although to many deceit has a negative connotation, in the play it all depends on the intentions of the trickers. The characters that misled Benedick and Beatrice, manipulating their arrogance and personality meant only to spread love and entertainment, which it certainly did – so that sort of deception was justified in the play. Ursula’s words when deceiving Beatrice, â€Å"Doth not the gentleman deserve as full as fortunate a bed as ever Beatrice shall couch upon† have a light-hearted tone and promoting happiness is really the only motive. Don John’s villainy, however, is an entirely different matter. His schemes to dismantle Claudio and Hero’s relationship led to disastrous consequences and the public humiliation of an innocent young woman during he r marriage ceremony. These wrongs could only be righted with another deception: Hero’s death. It was only with her symbolic death and resurrection that her purity could be reinstated – it would â€Å"change slander to remorse†, the friar said – and her relationship with Claudio reconciled. However, deceit in non-evil circumstances isn’t hallowed unquestionably in Much Ado About Nothing, because we are made to query the necessity of some of this incessant trickery like the conversations of Beatrice and also Don Pedro at the masked ball. All in all, there are mixed messages about different sorts of deception in the play, and really it’s up to the individual what to take of those messages.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Domestic versus Transnational Terrorism Assignment

Domestic versus Transnational Terrorism - Assignment Example Russian radicals in the 1870s explained that in modern times terrorism defines massive killings of humans through a statement issued politically by nongovernmental political actors. Pacific Tibetan Buddhists among the Chinese are vicious terrorists. Terrorism is the increasing conditions of war, murder, and torture of human beings. This paper will cover the causes of terrorism, terrorist groups, a comparison of the domestic terrorist group ISIS, their origins, goals, methodologies, tactics, and ideologies. Since the taking over of Mosul by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a state of confusion has increased in the whole world regarding its origin, goals, tactics, objectives, and their nature of attacks. These extreme terrorist attacks have posed a serious threat to peace and security in the whole world. Ongoing recruitments of the young people to these terror groups have threatened the growth and development of many nations (Idachaba, 2015). Terror groups are common in their attacks since they are involved in high jacking of airlines, bombing government buildings, taking over some communities, abducting and kidnapping school children, beheading people among other terror attacks. Terrorism occurs because of religious differences, oppression, grievances that are historical, disobeying international laws, and extreme deprivations of country’s resources resulting in poverty. Expressions of hate in the economic hegemony, profits, frightening, discrimination against the race of people, guilt from certain associations, high and increasing levels of mortality, and extreme anger also cause terrorism in a country (Imre, 2008). The above actions when practised by terror groups cause fear, trembling, panic, and mass deaths among victims. Nongovernmental political actors affect these terrorist practices on human beings.   Terrorist groups are divided into foreign terrorist organizations and domestic terrorist organizations. Examples of foreign terrorist groups include Abe Nidal Organisations, Al-Shabaab, Army of Islam, and Palestine Liberation Front among others. Domestic terrorist organizations include Alpha 66, Army of God, Greenpeace, Jamaal ul-Fuqra among others.     

GRNS402 Carbon Farming Initiative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

GRNS402 Carbon Farming Initiative - Essay Example Carbon absorbed by plants is stored in plant tissues which are then consumed by animals (Cameron, 2011). Carbon in plant tissues can also be taken to the soil through decomposition when plants die. Carbon is stored in soils in the form of organic matter. This is a compound combination of compounds of carbon containing decomposed plant tissues and animal tissues and carbon that is associated to soil minerals Carbon dioxide that has currently led to change in climate are resulted from agricultural activities (Kimble, Lal & Follett, 2002). Carbon however can also be stored for a long term in the soil through the process of soil carbon sequestration. In carbon farming, the main aim is to remove carbon that is available in the air and convert them to plant material. The farming practice is successful when there is more gain of carbon from the atmosphere that results from enhancement in land management and conservation to exceed loses (Kimble, Lal & Follett, 2002). Conservation tillage is a process that can be used to minimize manipulation of the soil for production of crops. Practices included in this aspect are mulch tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation. Forests are also play an important role in sequestering carbon in the soil on farms (Bates, 2010). Carbon Farming Initiative enables farmers and those that manage firms to make recognitions of carbon through keeping carbon or reduction of gas released on land from greenhouse. The credits obtained credits can be traded to individuals and productions with the desire to balance their releases (Swingland, 2003). Rules governing carbon farming have changed. The changes in the sector have been integrated with Emission Reduction Fund. In the changes, there are activities that can be carried out in farming as brought out under the Carbon Farming initiative (Cameron, 2011). The activities fall

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Bereavement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Bereavement - Essay Example The mourner's history of losses, personality style, and pre-morbid mental health adjustment also impact the grief process (Rando, 1993). Clearly, the traumatic circumstances that surrounded the events of September 11th added an unprecedented degree of complexity to the grief of those who experienced losses that day. While it appears reasonable that issues related to the trauma itself must be resolved before there is sufficient intrapsychic energy to deal with the loss per se, parsing out the differences between the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and those of complicated grief can be challenging (Figley, Bride, & Mazza, 1997). Depressive symptoms may also be confusing and interfere with recognition of and response to the symptoms of complicated grief (Rando, 1993). Especially in the initial phases of recovery from a traumatic loss, individual interventions are an appropriate modality of treatment. The process of assessment for the variety of co-morbid risks that can accompany traumatic loss is facilitated in individual sessions. There is also the opportunity to provide support and problem solving that specifically address the challenges that have been generated by both the loss itself, the circumstances surrounding it, and its intrapsychic concomitants. But because of the sense of emotional isolation that commonly accompanies both trauma and the loss of a significant other, support groups are an excellent adjunct to individual treatment (Figley et al., 1997). Studies report the importance of the supplemental support system such groups provide, and the critical necessity for the normalizing discussions about reactions and difficulties that take place in group sessions (Yule & Udwin, 1991; Fitzgerald, 1994; Rando, 1988; Underwood & Dunne-Maxim, 1992). In later stages of recovery, group support can be essential to the process of going on with life. Immigrants and Cultural Minority Groups Given both the effect that culture has on grief and bereavement, and the disproportionate rates of infant death, particularly among Afro-Caribbean immigrants compared to European, Latin American, Mexico and those born in the United States, we sampled providers serving this community. The importance of cultural competence cannot be overstated. Cultural competence should include: providers being aware of their own cultural traditions and beliefs, learning about the cultural beliefs and customs of the community being served, genuine appreciation and respect for cultural diversity and being empathic, flexible and prepared to tailor the care to meet individual and family needs of those that have suffered a loss (ACOG). The Needs of People Experiencing Loss, Grief and Bereavement There was broad agreement that the needs of individuals in relation to loss, grief and bereavement are highly individualised. There is a wide range of grieving styles and experiences. However, the fundamental needs of bereaved individuals are for support and acceptance. This includes recognition and validation of their grief and grieving style, from family, friends, employers and the general community. Arguably, grief and bereave

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Things They Carried and Raising Victor Vargas Essay

The Things They Carried and Raising Victor Vargas - Essay Example These factors affect how men and women interact with each other both at the start of and throughout romantic relationships. In the modern world, romantic relationships are vastly different from what they once were. Cultural changes have impacted young lovers just as they have impacted so many other facets of life. Cultural changes which began in the 1960s (Williams) have, over the last few decades, significantly altered the way we live and think. Western society has become increasingly sexually permissive; young people are constantly bombarded with sexual imagery in advertising, television, film, and other entertainment media. The traditional romantic relationship which begins with dating, followed by marriage, sex, and children has turned into something very different. In the modern world casual sex is increasingly common and acceptable; having a sexual relationship does not automatically lead to marriage-it is no longer safe to assume that a couple who have sex will marry or even enter into a relationship. Religion is an influential factor in determining whether or not individuals have sex with one or more partners before marrying; interestingly a religious upbringing is more likely to impact upon women than on men in terms of whether or not they are sexually active before marrying. In the film "Raising Victor Vargas" (Sollett), the family has come from a Catholic background. Victor's grandmother is very religious, but this has had little impact on Victor's personal life-his peer relationships are much more influential. Victor and best friend Harold have similar attitudes towards women. They both see sexual activity as a way of increasing their importance in the neighborhood and enhancing their reputations with their peers.In the very first scene, Victor is portrayed as a sexual person, attempting to seduce "Fat Donna"-he is licking his lips and flexing his muscles, using his body as a tool for seduction. Like most teens, however, Victor is less a Romeo than he is a boy taking his fir st unsure steps in the adult world of sexual relationships. He has also made a mistake in choosing his target-"Fat Donna" is considered unattractive, and his seduction attempts only earn him the ridicule of his peers. After this encounter, Victor is determined to repair his reputation by setting his sights on the neighborhood beauty, Judy. Judy appears to come from a religious background just as Victor does-she wears the same type of gold cross worn by Victor's grandmother and brother. Unlike Victor, she does not feel the need to enhance her reputation by becoming sexually active; she has an almost opposite view. She sees boys as "dogs", as something that she does not need, and is only irritated by the neighborhood boys who fall at her feet. Judy has resolved to pretend she already has a boyfriend, so that she will not be bothered by other boys. Victor and Judy clearly have very different perceptions of love, sex, and relationships. To Victor they are tools to increase his standing with his peers, whereas Judy has no use for them. "The Things they Carried" (O'Brien) takes place against the background of the Vietnam War-not only the new age of Woodstock, hippie culture, and sex, drugs, and rock & roll, but also a politically turbulent era. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, a young man of this era, has probably been influenced by these cultural changes. As a young

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Data Mining Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Data Mining - Research Paper Example Data mining tools are vital because they have significantly reduced the time taken in answering business questions, which were traditionally too much time consuming to analyze. Currently, most organizations have adopted and implemented the existing data mining software and hardware platforms to improve the value of their stored data. These hardware platforms can be integrated with new products and system as technology advances. Integrating data mining hardware platforms with other parallel processing computers or high performance client/server improves the analysis of massive databases (Hoptroff & Hoptroff, 2001). Foundation of Data Mining Data mining techniques emerged as a result of product development and a long process of research. This idea was first developed when businesses began storing business information on computers. Significant improvements have been witnessed in data access and generated technologies, which allow users to search their data, in real time (Williams & Simo ff, 2006). Data mining software is currently available for use, in the business world, because of the three technologies that support it, and they include data mining algorithms, massive data collection, and powerful multiprocessor computers (Williams & Simoff, 2006). The amount of raw data stored in business databases is currently exploding. A database is measured in gigabytes and terabytes. In the current, competitive business environment, raw data alone does not provide enough information for studying and predicting the market environment. This has called for the need to convert these terabytes of raw data into other significant insights that easily provide a guide for their investment, marketing and management strategies (Prabhu, 2004). Data Warehouses Significant improvements in data transmission, data capture, storage capabilities, and processing power are enabling companies to consolidate their various databases into data warehouse (Prabhu, 2004). Data warehousing is the proc ess of centralizing data retrieval and data management. Data warehouses store large amounts of data based on certain categories that make data more easily to sort, retrieve, and interpret. They also enable managers and executives to manage a series of business transactions, and other information that help in making informed business decisions. Researchers have predicted that all companies shall have adopted and integrated data mining tools, in their business, by the year 2020 (Prabhu, 2004). Companies benefit from data mining when meaningful patterns and trends are extracted from the stored data. How Data Mining Works Data mining tools employ modeling as a technique for performing data analysis. Modeling involves the creation of a model in one situation that is known, and applying the results in another situation where the results are unknown (Kargupta, 2007). Computers are equipped with lots of information about a number of situations, whose answers are known. The data mining softw are, on the computer, runs through the data, and filters the aspects of data that match the designated model. Once the model is developed it can be applied in similar situations, whose answers are unknown. This technique has been in use over the past centuries, but it recently became applicable, in the business field, when communication and data storage capabilities required the collection and storage of huge amounts of data, and the ability to automate

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Financial Implications of Staff Morale problems Essay

Financial Implications of Staff Morale problems - Essay Example In a report made by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, most health care organizations have decided to reduce its employee number since the economic downturn. According to the survey that they have recently conducted, the top workforce issues faced by the local and state governments are â€Å"retaining staff needed for core services, reducing employee health care costs, and addressing employee morale and workload problems.† It was also reported that there were 62% pay freezes, 54% hiring freezes, and 41% layoffs. The CEO of Center for State and Local Government Excellence, Elizabeth Kellar, mentioned that "As they face hiring freezes, moral issues, layoffs, and accelerating retirements, more than 70 per cent of state and local governments say staff development is a priority issue." The American College of Health Executives reported that the effects of staff shortages due to layoffs are felt acutely by hospitals and other health care institutions. Now, the hea lth care industry is facing a new dilemma, they must fulfill their responsibility to provide high quality yet affordable patient care and of course addressing low morale problems among its employees. The American College of Health Executives took a stand that â€Å"healthcare executives have an ethical responsibility to address any shortages that exist within their organizations in such a way that patient care is not compromised, existing staff are not unduly burdened and financial costs do not become excessive.†

Friday, August 23, 2019

Global value chain and domestic value chain Coursework

Global value chain and domestic value chain - Coursework Example The challenge of the diversity of preference among customers facing a manager in a domestic value chain is minimal compared to that of a global value chain). However, there is a high feasibility of competition by external investors. Thus, aspects such as pricing strategies are necessary. The most prevalent ways of resolving these issues including conducting a reconnaissance on the market before starting the operations. Alternatively, better marketing strategies ought to be instituted to facilitate successful decisions. The marketing and sales element of the global value chain starts by assessing and seeking authorization before starting to operate, especially in foreign countries. After production of the services, the value chain is conducted or manned considering the market status in particular nations in which it has invested. For instance, Coca-Cola Company operates and markets products in countries after complying with the market rules. Similarly, Toyota Company manages to invest in countries after it complies with the trade restrictions and regulations. Alternatively, the value chain the domestic value chain does not face a series of obstructions and necessities before and after instituting the services in the domestic market. For instance, Coca-Cola Company freely operates in the mother country and faces the challenge of market completion only. The same case applies to Toyota Company of Japan. Thus, the costs and revenue associated with these value chains also differ accordingly.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Phaedrus as a Discourse on Rhetoric Essay Example for Free

Phaedrus as a Discourse on Rhetoric Essay Plato’s dialogue Phaedrus is primarily about rhetoric. It initially shows rhetoric through speeches about love, (230e-234d, 237a-241d)1 but in the second half, Socrates broadens the discussion, detailing the nature and proper practice of love and rhetoric, bringing the two topics together, and showing how each is necessary for the practice and mastery of the art. (243e-257b) The first major speech, by Phaedrus, parodies the style of Lysias, a popular rhetorician, deals with the relationship between youths and their older male admirers, lovers and non-lovers. In reply, Socrates accepts the basic topic, but develops and deepens several themes. Socrates follows this with a great recantation speech, filled with beautiful and powerful images. It is an allegorical myth, touching on the subject of true love and of the souls journeys, and reaching genuinely poetic heights. (237a-241d) Phaedrus is unlike other dialogues in that it is not a retelling of a days events. It is the direct exchange of Socrates and Phaedrus, with no other interlocutors. The reader sees this exchange first hand, as if witnessing the events themselves. Further, like natural conversation, the dialogue does not limit itself to a single subject. It glides from one topic to another. Phaedrus: The Dialogue versus the Limits of a Treatise: Phaedrus is a dialogue about rhetoric. It is a dialogue about love. It is also about the relationship between Socrates and Phaedrus, shifting conversationally from one subject to another, often moving through innuendoes and multiple entendres along the way. It is a human piece, as well as a study in different but interrelated topics. Using the dialogue form, Plato can intersperse themes in a ways unthinkable in a treatise. One key issues that he interjects is pederasty, love of a man for a youth. In a treatise on rhetoric, almost any such reference would be awkward; here, it becomes an added layer, highlighting much that is said. Lysias’ speech is expressly about pederastic relationships. (230e-234d) In his great speech, Socrates details the impact of pederastic relationship on the evolution of the soul. Discussion of pederastic love and ideals. (250a-258b) Throughout the dialogue, double entendres and sexual innuendo is abundant. Phaedrus flirts with Socrates as he encourages him to make his first speech. 235b, 236b-d) Phaedrus remarks that at noon-time that Socrates should not leave as the heat has not passed and it is straight-up, as they say. (242a) Socrates wishes to know what Phaedrus is holding under his cloak. (228d) And yet, role reversals between lover and beloved are constant. Socrates exhorts Phaedrus to lead the way at various times, (229b) and the dialogue ends with Socrates and Phaedrus leaving as friends, equals, not lover and beloved. (279b-c) They sit under a â€Å"chaste† tree (229a, 236e) often known as monks pepper, used to decrease sexual urges and believed to be an antaphrodisiac. Notably, Socrates sees the ideal relationship as asexual: the relationship is a form of divine madness, helping both lover and beloved to grow and reach the divine. (242a, 243a-b) Another, less notable topic that the dialogue keeps in play is the natural setting. After originally remarking that landscapes and trees have nothing to teach me, only people do, (230d) Socrates make several references drawing on the natural setting. (229b, 242a, 242b, 251b) He repeatedly invokes the presence and action of gods and nymphs. 230b, 241e, 278b) In a treatise, Plato could not make such references. This is clearly a work in which Plato knew how to use the dialogue form, and he used it thoroughly. To have presented this as a treatise would have been to give up much of the strength of this work. Phaedrus as an Ideal Conversation: Part of the effectiveness of Phaedrus lies in its sequence. It moves from Phaedrus’ reading of Lysias’ speech (228a-e) dealing with a foolish paradox of why it is better for a boy to give his favor to an older non-lover rather than to a lover, listing a range of reasons. 231-234c) Phaedrus is captivated with the beauty of this piece. Socrates fawns admiration, but when Phaedrus asks him not to joke, (234d-e) Socrates admits that he thought the speech poor: repetitious, uninterested in its subject, and pretentious. He can do better, (235a, 235c) and he does, not simply listing reasons, but developing an argument. All men desire beauty, but some are in love and some are not. Men are ruled by two principles: the inborn desire for pleasure, and an acquired judgment to pursue the best. 237d-238) Following different desires leads to different things, the most selfish being the uncontrolled enjoyment of personal beauty. One caught in this desire will want to turn his youthful beloved into whatever is most pleasing to himself, not what is best for the youth. (238c-240a) As wolves love lambs so lovers love their loves. (241d) At some point, right-minded reason will finally overcome the madness of love. (241a) By contrast, a non-lover, ruled by judgment, will focus more on what is good for the youth. (241e) The second half of the Dialogue is a critique of the first. Socrates assails rhetorical practice on various grounds, the key being the confusion of preliminary knowledge with creative power. No attainments will provide the speaker with genius; and the sort of attainments which can alone be of any value are the higher philosophy and the power of psychological analysis, which is given by dialectic, but not by the rules of the rhetoricians. (273d-e) Phaedrus and Proper Rhetoric Phaedrus claims that a good speechmaker does not need to know the truth of what he is speaking on, only how to persuade, (260a) persuasion being the purpose of oration. Socrates first objects that an orator who does not know bad from good will harvest a crop of really poor quality. (260d) Socrates says of speaking that even someone knowing the truth cannot convince people unless he knows the art of persuasion; (260d) but mastery of the art of speaking requires knowing the truth. (260e) Rhetoric, the art of persuasion, encompasses all speaking. (261e) To persuade an audience one must approach them by using similarities. To do this, one must know what things are similar and different. A person lacking this knowledge, cannot make proper comparisons. (262a-c) To master the art of rhetoric, one must recognize the division between objective subjects (iron, silver), and emotive subjects (love). (263b) Lysias failed to make this distinction, and accordingly, failed to even define what love itself is in the beginning; the rest of his speech appears random, and is poorly constructed. (263e-264b) Socrates then goes on to say, every speech must be put together like a living creature, all parts fitting together as a whole work. (264c) By contrast to Lysias’ failed effort, Socrates’ great speech starts with a thesis and proceeds to divine love, and setting it out as the greatest of goods. He shows how a true rhetorician must determine the nature of the hearer’s soul, just as medicine must determine the nature of the body. The skilled rhetorician must know the different types of souls and how they are moved. (271a-272b) The truly skilled speaker chooses a proper soul and sows within it discourse capable of helping itself as well as a the man who planted it, which produces a seed from which more discourse grows in the character of others. Such discourse makes the seed forever immortal and renders the man who has it happy as any human being can be. (276e-277a) To be a good rhetorician, then, one must know the truth of what he is speaking and how to analyze it to something indivisible. One must understand the nature of the soul and what sort of speech is proper to each soul. Only with all these points mastered will he be able to use speech artfully, to teach or to persuade. This is the point of the argument they have been making. 277c-278b) The Failure of Rhetoric in Athens and in Modern Life  Having set forth the requirements of true rhetoric, Socrates says, the truth is of no import in a law court, but rather the convincing; rhetoric, people claim, consists of cleaving towards the likely and should leave the truth aside. However, as it has already been determined that only people that know the truth can properly use the art of the likely, this popular opinion is decided to be clearly wrong. (273d) Similarly, he decries the growing dependence on writing. Socrates doubts the value of writing. It cannot teach, but can only remind those that already know what writing is about. (275d-e) Furthermore, writings are silent; they cannot speak, answer questions, or come to their own defense. (275e) By contrast, the best rhetoric is a dialectic process, a living, breathing discourse of one who knows, of which the written word can only be called an image. (277b-c) The one who knows uses the art of dialectic rather than writing. Plato offered these criticisms about the misuse of rhetoric more than 2,000 years ago. How much more forceful are they in the modern day and age?

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Coffee Shop Essay Example for Free

Coffee Shop Essay In this RFP the following definitions shall apply: â€Å"City† means the City of Surrey; â€Å"City Representative† has the meaning set out in section 1. 8; â€Å"City Website† means www. surrey. ca; â€Å"Closing Time† has the meaning set out in section 1. 3; â€Å"Contract† means a formal written contract between the City and a Preferred Proponent to undertake the Services, the preferred form of which is attached as Schedule B; â€Å"Evaluation Team† means the team appointed by the City; â€Å"Information Meeting† has the meaning set out in section 1. 4; â€Å"Preferred Proponent(s)† means the Proponent(s) selected by the Evaluation Team to enter into negotiations for a Contract; â€Å"Proponent† means an entity that submits a Proposal; â€Å"Proposal† means a proposal submitted in response to this RFP; â€Å"RFP† means this Request for Proposals; â€Å"Services† has the meaning set out in Schedule A; â€Å"Site† means the place or places where the Services are to be performed; and â€Å"Statement of Departures† means Schedule C-1 to the form of Proposal attached as Schedule C. Instructions To Proponents 2 Closing Time and Address for Proposal Delivery. Proposals must be received by the office of the: Kam Grewal, BBA, CMA Acting Purchasing AP Manager Address:6645 – 148 Street Surrey, BC V3S 3C7 on or before the following date and time (the â€Å"Closing Time†): Time: 3:00 pm local time Date: Monday, July 5, 2010 Submissions by fax [or email] will not be accepted. There will be no extension to the Closing Time for the submission of proposals. 3 Information Meeting An information meeting may be hosted by the City Representative to discuss the City’s requirements under this RFP (the â€Å"Information Meeting†). While attendance is at the discretion of Proponents, Proponents who do not attend will be deemed to have attended the Information Meeting and to have received all of the information given at the Information Meeting. At the time of issuance of this RFP a meeting has not been scheduled. 4 Number of Copies Proponents should submit the original plus 5 hard copies (6 in total) of their Proposals. 5 Late Proposals Proposals received after the Closing Time will not be accepted or considered. Delays caused by any delivery, courier or mail service(s) will not be grounds for an extension of the Closing Time. 7 Amendments to Proposals Proposals may be revised by written amendment, delivered to the location set out above, at any time before the Closing Time but not after. An amendment must be signed by an authorized signatory of the Proponent in the same manner as provided by section 2. 3. Fax amendments are permitted, but such fax may show only the change to the proposal price(s) and in no event disclose the actual proposal price(s). A Proponent bears all risk that the City’s fax equipment functions properly so as to facilitate timely delivery of any fax amendment. 8 Inquiries All inquiries related to this RFP should be directed in writing to the person named below (the â€Å"City Representative†). Information obtained from any person or source other than the City Representative may not be relied upon. Kam Grewal, BBA, CMA Acting Purchasing AP Manager Address:City of Surrey – Purchasing 6645 – 148 Street Surrey, BC V3S 3C7 Phone: 604-590-7274 Fax:604-599-0956 Email:[emailprotected] ca Inquiries should be made no later than 7 days before Closing Time. The City reserves the right not to respond to inquiries made within 7 days of the Closing Time. Inquiries and responses will be recorded and may be distributed to all Proponents at the discretion of the City. Proponents finding discrepancies or omissions in the Contract or RFP, or having doubts as to the meaning or intent of any provision, should immediately notify the City Representative. If the City determines that an amendment is required to this RFP, the City Representative will issue an addendum in accordance with section 1. 9. No oral conversation will affect or modify the terms of this RFP or may be relied upon by any Proponent. 9 Addenda If the City determines that an amendment is required to this RFP, the City will post a written addendum on the City website at www. surrey. ca (the City Website) and upon posting will be deemed to form part of this RFP. Upon submitting a Proposal, Proponents will be deemed to have received notice of all addenda that are posted on the City Website. 10 Examination of Contract Documents and Site. Proponents will be deemed to have carefully examined the RFP, including all attached Schedules, the Contract and the Site (as applicable) prior to preparing and submitting a Proposal with respect to any and all facts which may influence a Proposal. 11 Opening of Proposals The City intends to open Proposals in private but reserves the right to open Proposals in public at its sole discretion. 12 Status Inquiries All inquiries related to the status of this RFP, including whether or not a Contract has been awarded, should be directed to the City Website and not to the City Representative. Proposal Submission FORM AND contents 2 Package Proposals should be in a sealed package, marked on the outside with the Proponents name, title of the Project and reference number. 3 Form of Proposal Proponents should complete the form of Proposal attached as Schedule C, including Schedules C-1 to C-4. Proponents are encouraged to respond to the items listed in Schedules C-1 to C-4 in the order listed. Proponents are encouraged to use the forms provided and attach additional pages as necessary. 4 Signature. The legal name of the person or firm submitting the Proposal should be inserted in Schedule C. The Proposal should be signed by a person authorized to sign on behalf of the Proponent. 1 If the Proponent is a corporation then the full name of the corporation should be included, together with the names of authorized signatories. The Proposal should be executed by all of the authorized signatories or by one or more of them provided that a copy of the corporate resolution authorizing those persons to execute the Proposal on behalf of the corporation is submitted. 2 If the Proponent is a partnership or joint venture then the name of the partnership or joint venture and the name of each partner or joint venturer should be included, and each partner or joint venturer should sign personally (or, if one or more person(s) have signing authority for the partnership or joint venture, the partnership or joint venture should provide evidence to the satisfaction of the City that the person(s) signing have signing authority for the partnership or joint venture). If a partner or joint venturer is a corporation then such corporation should sign as indicated in subsection (a) above. 3 If the Proponent is an individual, including a sole proprietorship, the name of the individual should be included. evaluation and Selection 2 Evaluation Team The evaluation of Proposals will be undertaken on behalf of the City by the Evaluation Team. The Evaluation Team may consult with others including City staff members, third party consultants and references, as the Evaluation Team may in its discretion decide is required. The Evaluation Team will give a written recommendation for the selection of a Preferred Proponent or Preferred Proponents to the City. 3 Evaluation Criteria The Evaluation Team will compare and evaluate all Proposals to determine the Proponents strength and ability to provide the Services in order to determine the Proposal which is most advantageous to the City, using the following criteria: 1 Experience, Reputation and Resources The Evaluation Team will consider the Proponents responses to items in C-2 of Schedule C including supplementary information. 3 Technical The Evaluation Team will consider the Proponents responses to items (i) to (vii) in C-3 of Schedule C. 5 Financial The Evaluation Team will consider the Proponents response to C-4 of Schedule C. (d)Statement of Departures The Evaluation Team will consider the Proponents response to C-1 of Schedule C. The Evaluation Team will not be limited to the criteria referred to above, and the Evaluation Team may consider other criteria that the team identifies as relevant during the evaluation process. The Evaluation Team may apply the evaluation criteria on a comparative basis, evaluating the Proposals by comparing one Proponents Proposal to another Proponents Proposal. All criteria considered will be applied evenly and fairly to all Proposals. 4 Discrepancies in Proponents Financial Proposal If there are any obvious discrepancies, errors or omissions in C-4 of a Proposal (Proponents Financial Proposal), then the City shall be entitled to make obvious corrections, but only if, and to the extent, the corrections are apparent from the Proposal as submitted, and in particular: (a)if there is a discrepancy between a unit price and the extended total, then the unit prices shall be deemed to be correct, and corresponding corrections will be made to the extended totals; (b)if a unit price has been given but the corresponding extended total has been omitted, then the extended total will be calculated from the unit price and the estimated quantity; (c)if an extended total has been given but the corresponding unit price has been omitted, then the unit price will be calculated from the extended total and the estimated quantity. 6 Litigation In addition to any other provision of this RFP, the City may, in its absolute discretion, reject a Proposal if the Proponent, or any officer or director of the Proponent submitting the Proposal, is or has been engaged directly or indirectly in a legal action against the City, its elected or appointed officers, representatives or employees in relation to any matter. In determining whether or not to reject a Proposal under this section, the City will consider whether the litigation is likely to affect the Proponent’s ability to work with the City, its consultants and representatives and whether the City’s experience with the Proponent indicates that there is a risk the City will incur increased staff and legal costs in the administration of the Contract if it is awarded to the Proponent. 8 Additional Information The Evaluation Team may, at its discretion, request clarifications or additional information from a Proponent with respect to any Proposal, and the Evaluation Team may make such requests only to selected Proponents. The Evaluation Team may consider such clarifications or additional information in evaluating a Proposal. 10 Interviews The Evaluation Team may, at its discretion, may invite some or all of the Proponents to appear before the Evaluation Team to provide clarifications of their Proposals. In such event, the Evaluation Team will be entitled to consider the answers received in evaluating Proposals. 12 Multiple Preferred Proponents and Changes to the Proponent Team The City reserves the right and discretion to divide up the Services, either by scope, geographic area, or other basis as the City may decide, and to select one or more Preferred Proponents to enter into discussions with the City for one or more Contracts to perform a portion or portions of the Services. If the City exercises its discretion to divide up the Services, the City will do so reasonably having regard for the RFP and the basis of Proposals. Likewise, the City reserves the right to ask for changes in the member/s comprising the Proponent Team as it deems beneficial to the overall composition of the Team and without any obligation to justify its preference. In addition to any other provision of this RFP, Proposals may be evaluated on the basis of advantages and disadvantages to the City that might result or be achieved from the City dividing up the Services and entering into one or more Contracts with one or more Proponents. NOT APPLICABLE 14 Negotiation of Contract and Award If the City selects a Preferred Proponent, then it may: (a)enter into a Contract with the Preferred Proponent; or (b)enter into discussions with the Preferred Proponent to clarify any outstanding issues and attempt to finalize the terms of the Contract, including financial terms. If discussions are successful, the City and the Preferred Proponent will finalize the Contract; or. (c)if at any time the City reasonably forms the opinion that a mutually acceptable agreement is not likely to be reached within a reasonable time, give the Preferred Proponent written notice to terminate discussions, in which event the City may then either open discussions with another Proponent or terminate this RFP and retain or obtain the Services in some other manner. General Conditions 2 No City Obligation. This RFP is not a tender and does not commit the City in any way to select a Preferred Proponent, or to proceed to negotiations for a Contract, or to award any Contract, and the City reserves the complete right to at any time reject all Proposals, and to terminate this RFP process. 4 Proponent’s Expenses Proponents are solely responsible for their own expenses in preparing, and submitting Proposals, and for any meetings, negotiations or discussions with the City or its representatives and consultants, relating to or arising from this RFP. The City and its representatives, agents, consultants and advisors will not be liable to any Proponent for any claims, whether for costs, expenses, losses or damages, or loss of anticipated profits, or for any other matter whatsoever, incurred by the Proponent in preparing and submitting a Proposal, or participating in negotiations for a Contract, or other activity related to or arising out of this RFP. 6 No Contract. By submitting a Proposal and participating in the process as outlined in this RFP, Proponents expressly agree that no contract of any kind is formed under, or arises from, this RFP, prior to the signing of a formal written Contract. 7 Conflict of Interest A Proponent shall disclose in its Proposal any actual or potential conflicts of interest and existing business relationships it may have with the City, its elected or appointed officials or employees. The City may rely on such disclosure. 8 Solicitation of Council Members and City Staff. Proponents and their agents will not contact any member of the City Council or City staff with respect to this RFP, other than the City Representative named in section 1. 8, at any time prior to the award of a contract or the termination of this RFP. 10 Confidentiality All submissions become the property of the City and will not be returned to the Proponent. All submissions will be held in confidence by the City unless otherwise required by law. Proponents should be aware the City is a â€Å"public body† defined by and subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of British Columbia. Schedule A SERVICES 1. GENERAL This RFP is inviting potential Proponents to submit Proposals to act as the tenant and sole vendor for a proposed coffee shop (the â€Å"Coffee Shop†) at the Surrey City Centre Library (the â€Å"Library†), currently being constructed at 10350 University Drive, Surrey, BC. The successful Proponent will be responsible for the managing and daily service of the Coffee Shop located on the ground floor of the Library. There will be an opportunity for the successful Proponent to provide catering for meetings and other similar functions, although it is not mandatory for the client to use the Coffee Shop for catering. 2. BACKGROUND As part of the Surrey City Centre plan review and update, the Surrey City Council has approved the construction of a new 5-level library. While the project is currently in the design phase, construction has commenced due to the fast track nature of the project. Currently excavation is complete on the basement and the ground floor slab and reinforcement is being set. It will be poured by Friday June 18, 2010. The Library is conveniently located near bus loops, transit and SkyTrain. The Library will eventually become part of a plaza where community celebrations will take place. Once completed it will be Surrey’s largest library at 75,000 square feet. The City’s new Library will be a unique state of the art environmentally friendly landmark that provides access to the broadest range of information, learning opportunities, and diverse cultural experiences. The new Library will be: The centrepiece for Surrey’s City Centre; adorned in architectural excellence for the 21st century, the library will contribute to the vitality of the city and put Surrey in a class with other great cities. A foundation for the City’s future success by boosting economic and cultural activity and attracting visitors from all parts of the country. A source of pride and a great public space, where the community gathers to celebrate, reflect, connect and share information, knowledge and culture. 3. PROJECT GOAL The goal of this project is to identify a coffee and related food services operator for the Library. 4. THE COFFEE SHOP An exciting opportunity exists on the ground floor to operate a commercial Coffee Shop. The Coffee Shop is located in a high traffic area, between the two main entrances, elevators and new book display. The licence awarded to the successful Proponent would also include a seating area where customers can sit. The consumption of food within the Library itself is allowed. There are several meeting rooms and a large room which can host community events, along with teen areas, study areas, children’s areas and much more. It is also expected that the Library will be utilised by SFU students on a constant basis. 5. LIBRARY HOURS Library opening hours are: Monday to Friday9:30am – 9:00pm Saturday10:00am – 5:00pm Sunday 1:00pm – 5:00pm 6.2009 PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC The following figures represent the estimated visits at all the public library branches for 2009. |BRANCH |VISITORS | |Cloverdale | 163,605 | |Fleetwood | 262,717 | |Guildford | 582,361 | |Newton | 357,045 | |Ocean Park | 193,167 | |Port Kells | 7,410 | |Semiahmoo | 305,162 | |Strawberry Hill | 357,166 | |Whalley | 276,406 | It is estimated that traffic for the Library will mirror that of the Whalley branch, and is expected to increase due to the development taking place in the area. 7. EXPECTATIONS OF THE SUCCESSFUL PROPONENT. The City would require the successful Proponent to offer a variety of food and beverage choices that include healthy and nutritious options for all customers, many of whom are school-aged children. The Surrey Public Library Board has approved the policy (policy 3. 8 Healthy Food Options) that the Library provides a healthy food option for programs, special events and contests. No alcohol is to be allowed. There is to be no food smell generation if preparation is required and there is to be no electric grinding (e. g. coffee beans) on the Coffee Shop floor due to noise levels. All grinding can be done in the storage room, manually or prior to Library opening hours. Loading of stock for the Coffee Shop can be done via the west entrance of the ground floor or via the elevators from the underground parkade. Persons meeting in the conference rooms are permitted to cater from external companies although there is the opportunity for the successful Proponent to cater these functions if prior arrangements are made between the two parties. The opening date for the Coffee Shop is yet to be determined, however, it is expected to be up and running by early Summer of 2011. The Coffee Shop is expected to be operational during Library opening hours. Opening times for the Coffee Shop are to be from the Library’s opening time to half an hour prior to the Library’s closing. The successful Proponent would be able to enter the building half an hour prior to the Library’s opening time. The successful Proponent is to supply any equipment needed for the Coffee Shop to function including, but not limited to, coffee machines, refrigerator, signage, counter cooler case, etc. All business licences and food permits are the responsibility of the Proponent. 8. SUCCESSFUL PROPONENT’S WORK RESPONSIBILITIES a) Should there be any structural changes which have been reviewed and approved by the City prior to the execution of such changes, the tenant is to supply all tenant improvement plans signed and sealed by professional engineers or architects to be approved by the City. b) The tenant is to provide evidence of insurance for the City`s approval as specified in the License Agreement (refer to Schedule B – License Agreement). c) The tenant is expected to supply all equipment needed to sufficiently run the coffee shop including, but not limited to, coffee machines and espresso equipment, undercounter refrigerators, shelving in the storage room, display cooler case, paper towel dispenser, milk cooler, microwave, cash register and trash bins. 9. COLD DRINK BEVERAGES The City has an agreement with The Pepsi Bottling Group (Canada), Co. (â€Å"Pepsi†), for the exclusive supply of cold drink beverages for all City facilities, including the Library. Therefore, the successful Proponent is to work directly with Pepsi for the supply of cold drink beverages, including: †¢ Carbonated soft drinks †¢ Teas other than fresh brewed †¢ Juices. †¢ Juice-based products †¢ Lemonade †¢ Isotonics †¢ Sports drinks †¢ Energy drinks †¢ Bottled water Excluded Beverages: †¢ Milk †¢ Flavoured milk †¢ Cold coffee †¢ Branded or unbranded fresh brewed coffee or tea †¢ Hot chocolate †¢ Unbranded fresh squeezed juices †¢ Smoothies and milkshakes The agreement with Pepsi is to expire in 2011. 10. SNACK FOODS The City has an agreement with Ryan Company Ltd. (â€Å"Ryan Vending†), for the exclusive supply of a healthier snack foods program and vending services for all City facilities, including the Library. Therefore, the successful Proponent is to work directly with Ryan Vending for the supply of snack foods. 11. CITY’ RESPONSIBILITIES The City is to complete the Licence Area, as set out in Schedule B, in a good and workmanlike manner, at the City’s cost, using new materials and to the following extent: a) Interior wall taped and sanded drywall to code, painted white; b) Ceiling is to be painted concrete; c) The floor will be finished with a rubber covering; d) Counter tops on the horizontal front counter is to be a white laminate; e) The vertical section of the counters shall be an East Coast maple; f) The counter at the back of the shop floor containing the sink, and the backsplash, is to be white Corian; g) There will be an apple ply edging where the vertical edge of the counters meets the horizontal at the front counter; h) There is to be recessed lighting fixtures above the back counter, surface mounted fixture on painted concrete ceiling to light signage and menu and pendant fixtures at the front counter; i) All signage, including Menu board, must be approved by the City and the design team (Bing Thom Architects). The preferred signage for the Coffee Shop is electric flat screens, however, the design team is open to ideas regarding electronic signage from Proponents. This will have no impact on the evaluation of the Proponent’ Proposal; j) The City will provide the main sink and handwash sink located in the back counter; k) A 25mm domestic hot and cold water line with backflow preventor will be installed for refrigerator and coffee machine; and l) A 20mm domestic hot and cold water pipe and a 40mm sanitary drain will be installed for each of the two (2) sinks. term The Proponent will provide the Services set out in this Schedule A and A-1 for a term not to exceed five years (including renewal) commencing in the early Summer of 2011 (the Term). Schedule A-1 DIAGRAMS [pic] Proposed coffee shop layout plan [pic] Proposed coffee shop elevation view [pic] Proposed Coffee Shop Section [pic] Proposed Coffee Shop overall plan [pic] Proposed Coffee Shop seating area Schedule B CONTRACT (DRAFT) [pic] LICENSE AGREEMENT Title:SURREY CITY CENTRE LIBRARY COFFEE SHOP Reference No. :1220-30-22-10 THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT dated this ____________ day of __________ 2010. BETWEEN: CITY OF SURREY 14245 – 56 Avenue Surrey, B. C. V3X 3A2 (the Licensor) OF THE FIRST PART AND:   (the Licensee). OF THE SECOND PART WHEREAS: A. The Licensor is the owner of those lands and premises located at 10350 University Blvd within the City of Surrey, Province of British Columbia, and more particularly known and described as: Parcel Identifier: 028-179-951 Parcel 1 Section 27 Block 5 N Range 2 West New Westminster District Plan BCP44240 (the Lands) on which is located theCity Centre Library. B. The Licensee wishes to obtain from the Licensor a licence to use those portions of the building located on the Lands as follows: 1. Area A Concession and Storage Room (Licence Area A) which area is approximately 141. 9 sq. ft. and shown on the plan attached hereto as Schedule A; and 2. Area B Seating Area (Licence Area B) as shown on the plan attached hereto as Schedule A (collectively the Licence Area) C. The Licensee intends to use the Licence Area for the retail sale of coffee, tea, and other products as outlined in this Licence. D. Licence Area A shall be for the exclusive use of the Licensee, and Licence Area B shall be for the non-exclusive use of the Licensee. NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the sum of ONE DOLLAR paid by each of the parties to each other and other good and valuable consideration (the receipt and sufficiency of which each party hereby acknowledges) the parties hereby covenant and agree as follows: 1. In this License the parties agree that: (a)Additional Rental means the moneys payable hereunder, together with all other sums of money, whether or not designated as Additional Rental, to be paid by the Licensee whether to the Licensor or otherwise under this License save and except Minimum Rental and Percentage Rental; (b)Commencement Date of Term means ______________, 2011; (c)Gross Revenue means the entire amount of the sales price, whether wholesale or retail, for cash, credit, or otherwise of all sales of merchandise and services, and all other receipts and receivables whatsoever of all business conducted at, in, upon, or from the Licence Area, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, receipts and receivables in respect of any sale effected by the Licensee using any computer, electronic, telephone, internet, or like system, where the Product is sent via the Licence. Area or by the Licensee directly to a consumer, orders taken at or received at the Licence Area, although such orders may be filled elsewhere by the Licensee, deposits not refunded to customers, the selling price of gift certificates, charges to customers in the nature of interest or carrying or financing charges, sums, and credits received, and settlement of claims for loss of or damage to goods. No deductions shall be allowed for uncollected or uncollectible credit accounts. There shall not be included in Gross Revenue: (i)any sums shown separately from the price and collected and paid out for any direct retail sales tax imposed by any duly constituted governmental authority; (ii)the exchange of goods and merchandise between the stores of the Licensee, if any, where such exchange of goods or merchandise is made solely for the convenient operation of the business of the Licensee and not for the purpose of consummating a sale which has previously been made or agreed to be made at, in, from, or upon the Licence Area or for the purpose of depriving the Licensor of the benefit of a sale which otherwise would be made at, in, from, or upon the Licence Area; (iii)the Licensee’s original cost of returns to suppliers or to manufacturers; (iv)the amount of merchandise sold when such merchandise is thereafter returned by the purchaser and accepted by the Licensee, and a complete credit is given to the purchaser; and (v)the selling price of gift or merchandise certificates or coupons sold other than from the Licence Area, provided that such gift or merchandise certificates or coupons shall be included in the calculation of Gross Revenue at the time of their redemption. (vi)Each sale upon an installment or credit basis shall be treated as a sale for the full price in the month in which that sale is made regardless of the time when the Licensee receives payment, whether full or partial, from its customer; (d)Lands means as hereinbefore defined in recital A; (e)Licence Year means a 12-month period commencing with the first day of January in one calendar year and ending on the last day of December of that year, providing that the first Licence Year shall commence on the Commencement Date of Term and end on the last day of December next following and the last Licence Year shall end on the last day of the Term and commence on the first day of January preceding that date; (f)Licence Area means Licence Area A and Licence Area B; (g)Licence Area A means those portions of the building located on the Lands shown highlighted in pink and marked as Area A. Concession and Area A Storage room, which area is approximately 141. 9 sq. ft. ; (h)Licence Area B means those portions of the building located on the Lands shown highlighted in yellow and marked as Area B. Seating Area; (i)Minimum Rental means the minimum annual rental reserved hereunder payable by the Licensee; (j)Product means coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, pastries, sandwiches and related items as specified in the menu attached as Schedule C which menu may be amended from time to time with the agreement of the Licensor and the Licensee; (k)Percentage Rental means the percentage rental reserved hereunder and payable by the Licensee; (l)Real Property Taxes means all taxes, rates and assessments, whether general or specially levied or assessed for municipal, school, general or any other purposes by any lawful government authority payable by the Landlord in respect of the Demised Premises and shall include any other taxes payable by the Landlord which in the future are levied in lieu of or in addition to such taxes, rates and assessments the whole as finally determined for each calendar year as a result of assessment, appeal or judicial review, and shall include any legal fees, or appraisers fees incurred by the Landlord in respect of such final determination. (m)Rental means Additional Rental, Percentage Rental, if any, and Minimum Rental; and (n)Term means _______ (__) years commencing on the Commencement Date of the Term and ending on the _____ day of ________, 20__. 2. The Licensor hereby grants to the Licensee a licence to occupy and use Licence Area A on an exclusive basis and Licence Area B on a non-exclusive basis commencing on the Commencement Date of Term for Term unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided. 3. To use Licence Area for the retail sale of the Products and to use Licence Area B to provide a seating area for the benefit of visitors to and staff of the City Centre Library and for no other purpose during the Term. 4. The Licensor covenants and agrees to pay to the Licensor, in lawful money of Canada, on the days and at the times hereinafter specified, Rental which shall include the aggregate of the sums required to be paid: (a)Minimum Rental and Percentage Rental: The Tenant shall pay the greater of: (i)Minimum Rental of $________ per month commencing on the Commencement Date of Term and the 1st day of each and every month thereafter throughout the Term; or (ii)the Percentage Rental which shall be ___% of Gross Revenue per Licence Year; (b). Additional Rental Any sums, costs, expenses or other amounts from time to time due and payable by the Tenant to the Landlord or to any third persons under the provisions of this Licence, including, without limitation, all amounts payable under Section 4. 3 and Article 5 and all amounts payable by the Tenant by way of indemnity, whether expressed in this Licence to be Basic Rent or Additional Rent or not shall be treated and deemed to be Rent and the Lan.

The Crisis in Darfur

The Crisis in Darfur Maddie Palmer The War in Darfur, a region in Sudan, has been the reason for mass slaughter and rape of Darfur men, women, and children. The U.S. named it The Genocide.Powersearch The war in Darfur has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of the century and its effects are still seen today. The UN wanted to help so the UN Security Council visited the President to try to get approval. The Crisis in Darfur is a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan due to the Sudanese burning villages murdering, raping, and more. The UN Security Council visited the President wanting approval to end human rights violations taking place in Darfur. Muslim festivals are timed to local sightings of various phases of the moon. Revolution day in Sudan is a national holiday, that commemorates the bloodless coup of 1989. Revolution day is on June 30. The African nation in Sudan is a country with strong Islamic and Christian influences. Partially ruled by Islamic law, the type of clothes worn in Sudan is similar to those worn in the surrounding nations of Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. The climate also usually affects how the dress. The UN has warned that violent attacks on international peacekeepers and civilians in Sudans conflict-torn Darfur region have been increasing, forcing tens of thousands of people out of their homes. Darfur has been turmoil since 2003, when ethnic Africans revolted accusing the Arab domination Sudanese government of discrimination. Hassan Hamid Hassan, Sudans deputy UN ambassador, told the Security Council that the violence and displacements were mainly due to tribal clashes and attacks by rebels, not government forces. In the past twenty years, Darfur has been in a disastrous famine. Darfur is affected by poor rainfall, resulting in sudden market fluctuation, livelihood changes and displacement. The May 2010, West Darfur Food Security Monitoring Survey reported that the cost of a minimum health food basket has increased 14% between February and May of 2011. In recent years, the percent of food insecure households has decreased but it was still a staggering 45% in 2008. Access to clean water in 2007 stood at 76%, while 3 million conflict-affected people had access to basic health services. The Bush administration invested heavily in negotiating an end to the north-south was, and the signing earlier this year to a formal peace agreement-however limited and flawed-must be recognized as a major foreign policy achievement. But precisely because of the administrations investment in a north-south agreement, including the appointment Senator John Danforth as a special envoy to Sudan, there was a widespread reluctant within the State Department to hold Khartoum accountable for the genocide that was clearly unfolding in early 2004, when north-south negotiations had entered their final phase. The thinking by U.S. officials involved in the negotiations, and their British and Norwegian counterparts, was that pressing the National Islamic Front regime too hard on Darfur would undermine the chances of consummating the north-south agreement. But this diplomatic strategy was of course transparent to Khartoum and thus perversely provided an incentive for the regime to extend negotiations as long as possible-always promising a light at the end of the diplomatic tunnel.(People Involved) The last issue of substance between Khartoum and the southern Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement was resolved in a protocol signed by all parties in late May 2004. Two weeks later, following months of terrifying reports from human rights groups, the State Department announced that it would begin an investigation to determine whether Khartoum was guilty of genocide in Darfur. The close sequence of dates was not a coincidence. But a tremendous amount of the violent destruction in Darfur had already been accomplished by June 2004; indeed, this marks the approximate point in the conflict at which deaths from malnutrition and disease began to exceed those from violence. Moreover, Khartoum continued to use the north-south peace agreement as a threat, declaring with brazen confidence that if it were pushed too hard on Darfur, the negotiated agreement might be endangered. The agreements final signing ceremony occurred in Nairobi on January 9, 2005; the inauguration of a new government took place six months later, on July 9, 2005; the killing in Darfur, of course, continues. The AU began to deploy a small number of monitors to Darfur following a ceasefire signed in April 2004 in NDjamena, Chad. A commitment in late summer 2004 to increase the monitoring force to approximately 3,500 went unfulfilled for over half a year, and during this time the AU was unable to secure from Khartoum a mandate for civilian protection-only a mandate to monitor the largely nonexistent ceasefire. Recently, the AU has said it will increase its force to 7,700 by September, and possibly 12,000 by spring 2006.(The AU deployed) As many have recognized, the AU is quite unable to deploy to this force-level with its own resources and NATO, as a consequence, has very recently agreed to provide logistics and transport capacity. The bigger problem, however, is that even with NATOs help, the nascent AU Peace and Security Commission is simply not up to this mission if the goal for Darfur is adequate protection for civilians and humanitarian operations.(NATOs help) Works Cited Darfur Crisis: Death Estimates Demonstrates Severity of Crisis, but Their Accuracy and Credibility Could Be Enhanced: GAO-07-24. GAO Reports (2006): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 7 Feb. 2017. Darfur. Britannica School, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 15 Jun. 2015. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/28769. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017. Jumbert, Maria Gabrielsen. Third World Quarterly 35.2 (2014): 284-99. History Reference Center. Web. United Nations Childrens Fund. Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. N.p.: World Book, 2016. 1p. 1. Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 7 Feb. 2017. Van De Walle, Nicolas. Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership, and Genocide in Modern Africa/From War to Genocide: Criminal Politics in Rwanda, 1990-1994. Foreign Affairs 95.3 (2016): 189. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Awakening Essay -- essays research papers

The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, tells the story of a woman, Edna Pontellier, who transforms herself from an obedient housewife to a person who, is alive with strength of character and emotions which she no longer has to repress. Playing the role of a wealthy New Orleans housewife, Edna searches for fulfillment in her customary 19th century life, where the Creole society had high expectations of their women. Even with children, a generous husband, and financial stability, Edna finds herself wanting more from life. In the novel, two women friends of Edna, Adele Ratignole and Mademoiselle Reitz signify her awakening and the consequences of her new found self. 	Edna was attracted to both women for their prospective connection to the two existences within which Edna struggles to find herself. Adele Ratignolle is Edna's close friend and confidante, but the two women are nothing alike. Adele is the perfect housewife and mother; she is the epitome of what a Creole woman and mother ought to be. She lives her life for her children, always being sure that they are properly cared for, clothed, and educated. Unlike Adele whose life is fulfilled through loving and caring for her children, Edna is "fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way" (Chopin, p. 18). They are not enough to justify her life. Adele could not understand how Edna could say that she "would never sacrifice herself for her children, or for anyone" (Chopin, p. 47). Edna's being is ...

Monday, August 19, 2019

Preparing for Death While Embracing Life Essay -- essays research pape

The process of dying begins at birth. Each of us know that someday we will die, but we don't generally like to think or talk about it. The topic of death is often taboo in our society. Because of this, we are often unprepared when we are faced with the final stages of the dying process with someone we love. Attitudes and concepts about death and dying vary greatly. Death refers to the actual physical ending of life, while dying refers to the process of coming to that end. Most people do not simply stop breathing. It is often a slow, lingering, unwinding process that can take days, weeks, or months. Even the actively dying process can occur over a period of hours or days. Observing this process can be extremely difficult for loved ones. Some people experience the symptoms of being close to death and then, for some unexplained reason their condition may begin to improve a little. The family's hopes soar, only to be dashed again, as the loved one's condition deteriorates. These roller-coaster changes can be emotionally and physically exhausting for caregivers. Most of the fear of death is really fear of the unknown. Education and open discussion about the events that will occur can relieve much of the fear patients and families experience. Each death is different, a touching and special drama, just as each birth is. And usually the act of dying requires some assistance, just as the act of giving birth does. Because each person's death is unique, it is difficult to state exactly what will happen in each situation. This particular period of time is one of the most difficult times you and your family will experience. Some people believe that preparing for a death is the most difficult part of losing a loved one. Friends and family members may feel helpless as their loved one comes closer to death. Fear of the inevitable, sorrow, and anticipating the grief to come are common and can be completely exhausting. Many people who have a serious illness may anticipate their own passing and experience a range of emotions as well. A grief counselor can help an ill person work to resolve issues and, perhaps, achieve a level of peace with the inevitable. On a more practical note, there are issues that can be resolved during the period of physical decline that may lead to greater peace of mind. The person's will should be drawn up or updated and any other personal matter... ...son whom you have named as "successor Trustee" takes over your Trust. This person is in charge of taking care of the property under the Trust or of distributing the property to the beneficiaries you specified within the Trust. Remember, before you take the legal action of creating a trust, it is almost always in your best interest to consult a lawyer for more information and guidance. So as you can see, there are many ways to deal with death while one is still alive. It is important that one realizes that these means are not there to â€Å"rattle Death’s cage† as some people have put it, but for more practical means, such as taking care of the one’s left behind. Bibliography Ø Mannino, Davis J. Grieving Days, Healing Days. Allyn and Bacon Ø Kubler-Ross, E. On Death and Dying. Simon and Schuster Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/guardianship/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/living_wills/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/power_of_attor/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/wills/default.htm Ø http://www2.seniorcareweb.com/senior/legal/assets_and_tru/default.htm

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Eric Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development Essay -- Erikson’s Ei

According to Eric Erikson, there are eight different social stages a person must go through as they mature. Each stage has a positive characteristic and a negative characteristic. If positive characteristics are fulfilled then their future will look good. So to what extent can the lack of reinforcement to the positive characteristics of Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development effect you? The effects can be quite horrifying. Especially if all of the stages the only characteristics fulfilled are the negative aspects. Erikson’s first stage was trust verses mistrust and it occurred from zero to 18 months of age. The point of this stage is to establish trust. Erikson believed this was the most important period in a person’s life. Since a baby depends entirely on his/her parents, the care giving plays an important role in the shaping of this stage (Cherry, 2011). If the child successfully develops trust then the child will feel safe and secure in the world, but the lack can lead to thoughts of an inconsistent and unpredictable world (Cherry, 2011). In the business world, the lack of trust can create a whole new problem. The lack of trust can lead to the â€Å"†¦unseen cost in life and business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as said by Stephen Covey (2006). Lack of trust creates â€Å"†¦hidden agendas and a guarded communication, which slows the decision-making process† (Covey, 2006). When there isn’t trust in a situation, it hinders productivity, innovation (Covey, 2006). The second stage is autonomy verses shame and doubt. This occurs from about 18 months of age to 3 years old. The basic virtue of this stage is will; can they do things on their own or do they require the help of others? Erikson believed that children around this age wanted to develop a greater sense... ...r past with little or no regrets and will be satisfied overall. If a person is unsuccessful in this phase they will feel that they wasted their life and they will only think of regrets. They will feel despair (Cherry, 2011). Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development were complex, but simple. It is something everyone will go through and experiences will always be different. The lack of reinforcement to the positive aspects of his stages can lead to quite a disaster. Surprisingly, previous stages are highly influential to the proceeding stage. The lack of reinforcement to the positive aspects of his psychosocial stages can have a very devastating effect on a person. This is because the effects built up rather than taking the place of one another. The effects are quite horrifying, but with the right environment, experiences and beliefs, everything can go well.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Paret the Boxer

â€Å"Paret died on his feet. As he took those eighteen punches something happened to everyone who was in psychic range of the event. Some part of his death reached out to us.† The passage has a sympathetic effect. The writer is sad that Paret the Boxer is dead, and in the passage the writer uses diction, imagery, and similes to show the sympathetic effect. The writer uses diction to show that he thought the fight was animalistic. â€Å"But in the last two years, over fifteen round fights, he had started to take some bad maulings.† The writer's use of the word maulings suggest that his attack was like an animal attack. â€Å"Griffith making a pent-up whimpering sound all the while he attacked.† The writer's use of the words â€Å"whimpering† and â€Å"attacked† make Griffith sound like an animal attacking his prey. The writer has sympathy for Paret because he is the prey. â€Å"He hit him eighteen times in a row, an act which took perhaps three or four seconds†¦Over the referee's face came a look of woe as if some spasm had passed its way through him.† The writer also uses imagery to produce the sympathetic effect. The way the writer paints a picture of thw punches and the look on tje ref's face show that the punches were very painful, and it was not an easy thing to watch. The writer's use of imagery also produces a sympathetic effect. â€Å"The right hand whipping like a piston rod which has broken through the crankcase, or like a baseball bat demolishing a pumpkin.† The similes that the writer uses to show how bad the punches make it very hard not to sympathize with Paret. Even when Paret died the writer uses similes to show that everyone was. Everyone was not ready for Paret to die, and neither was Paret. â€Å"As he went down, the sound of Griffith's punches echoed in the mind like a heavy ax in the distance chopping into a wet log. In conclusion, the sympathetic effect that the passage has is due to the writer’s use of animalistic imagery, diction, and similes. â€Å"And Paret? Paret died on his feet.†The death of Paret was devastating to the spectators and the writer.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Literacy Narrative Essay

Over the years, my interest and awareness regarding reading and writing have varied from time to time. I remember my mother reading bedtime stories to me as a child and actually painting my personal pictures to what she was saying. Once I was old enough to read the stories myself, I would go back and compare my mental pictures with those that were in the book. During my elementary days, I found the novice level of reading and writing to still be interesting. Everything from transferring imaginary stories I had thought of onto a sheet of paper to tell the entire class about my church league team winning the basketball championship the previous Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed writing and felt I had a personal connection to it. There were a stack of old books in the corner of my school library that caught my attention due to bold book cover. I picked the book up and read The Hardy Boys, The Tower Treasure. It was something about the cover that stuck with me. Before I even opened the book, the fact that the two boys on the cover seem like they were close to my age gave me some added interest in the book. I became a huge fan of the book series after I read that first book, and was the only books I really read around this time. For some reason, the articles in sports magazine kept my attention more than books that were considered appropriate for my age. Due to my Father’s excessive interest in sports, I was able to grasp on to the vocabulary associated with most sports at a younger age than most. I feel my desire and interest in writing grew dim once I reached middle school and had to write about stories and novels I did not find interesting, causing me not to actively read these books in the first place. That feeling of being distant from the material covered in my middle school classes carried over into high school and it did not help that I had the same strict English teacher for all four years of high school. Mrs. McCullough was the toughest teacher I have ever had. Not only because she was teaching the subject I found the hardest, but because she made sure she was going to get one hundred percent out of all of her students. I can remember the numerous times I turned in a paper that was simply not the best she thought I could do and she made sure that I knew that. I ended up doing pretty good in these English classes, which goes back to how Mrs. McCullough ran her class. While I may have had a struggle with literary reading and writing for some time, I have had a serious interest in math and truly  enjoyed understanding the language associated with it. Math has always been my strongest subject and throughout the years I have been able to understand the terms associated with it. There were times in my AP Statistics class where when some of my fellow classmates and I were trying to solve a problem, and the sentence would not have been comprehended by someone who was not in that class. That has always been a topic where I could fluently speak on whatever issue was a concern. At the high school I attended, every senior is required to write a senior exit paper where they state their stance regarding abortion, with an explanation of their stance. This paper was worth over forty percent of the final grade and was the first serious paper I ever had to type. All papers previous to this one I would be able to sort of breeze through them depending on the length and topic of the paper, but this one required some serious work. This paper was for the same English teacher I mentioned earlier, who made this paper an annual piece of work for seniors. Having graded many papers regarding this topic over the years, she knew what each paper must contain to receive a certain grade. I struggled for weeks and weeks trying to figure out how things were going to work out regarding this paper. Working on that paper my senior helped me make my personal work more personal. Before that paper, I would just zoom through my papers because most of the time the objective of the paper was straightforward. Having to really put forth the effort to receive a good grade helped me to express what I felt personally on paper more effectively. This process is the main thing that helps me when the constant struggle of composing college papers. There are times where I know what I want to say, just do not have the proper way of putting on the paper. I feel that struggle in itself speaks excessively about the world of literacy. There are people in this world who are experts in their specific field of work that could show you how things work using their own adaptive terminology compared to if you were to read up on it on your own. Literacy is something that has been around before it was given a name and will always be as long as there is a need for living beings to communicate on this planet.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Adolesence Psychology Essay

The most critical stage in a life of a person is in the period of adolesence.   It is a specifically turbulent as well as a dynamic period of any person’s life. It is also a period of â€Å"strorm and stress† characterized by moodiness, inner tormoil and rebellion.   This is a period of transision from childhood to adulthood.   This transition involves biological,   social, and psychological changes, though the biological ones are the easiest to measure objectively.†Adolescence† is a modern cultural and social phenomenon and therefore its endpoints are not easily tied to physical milestones . The time is identified with dramatic changes in the body, along with developments in a person’s psychology and academic career. In the onset of adolescence, children usually complete elementary school and enter secondary education, such as middle school or high school. During this period, the young develops to sexual maturity and establishes an identity as an individual.   Their   sense   of identity develops gradually out of the various identification of childhood. The adolescent is newly concerned with how they appear to others. Ego identity is the accrued confidence that the inner sameness and continuity prepared in the past are matched by the sameness and continuity of one’s meaning for others, as evidenced in the promise of a career. The inability to settle on a school or occupational identity is disturbing. A major task confronting the adolescent is to develop a sense of individual identity, to find answers to the questions â€Å"Who am I† and â€Å"where am I going† .   The process also involves feelings about self-worth and competence.   Although development   of sel-concept starts in early childhood and continues throughout the lifespan. Searching of the unique identity is one of the problems that adolesence often face.   Some, but not all, teenager often challenge the authority or the rules as a way to establish their individuality.   There is also a probability of drugs and alcohol use, or mental health disorder, eating disorders and depression. Historically this stage of development began much later, sometime between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, which allowed the child to mentally and emotionally mature more and brought them closer to the age of consent before reaching this physical and emotionally challenging Physical maturation resulting from puberty leads to an interest in sexual activities  Ã‚   sometimes leading to teenage pregnancy.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since teens may not be emotionally or mentally mature enough or financially able to support children, sexual activity among adolescents is problematic. Given the emotional immaturity of adolescents, many countries consider those under a certain age to be too young to engage in and other sexual activities, even if they are physiologically capable. Family conflict is more common during adolesence than during other period of development.   Puberty appears to play a central role in initiating this conflict.   Adolesence of both sexes have significantly more conflicts with their mothers than with their fathers.   Probably because mothers are more involve in regulating the everyday details of family life.   Parents are often torn between the necessity of maintaining the family system and allowing their child increasing jurisdiction over his or her behavior.   Childhood even with intact families is never troubled free.   The fact that the most important emotionla structure in the childhood’s life is the parents’ marriage.   Ends in failure becomes forever embeded in that child’s history. It can not be denied that fathers are very important in the family.   Without a father there is no family.   The absence of the father maybe associated with some undesirable behavior of the children.   Among wihich are poor school performance,poor relationships with peer, problems with impulse control, rebellious and other adjustment difficulties. It is like the case of a 16 year old girl whose parents are divorce.   She displayed undesirable behavior like rebellious, trouble in school and she desires male attention.   Adolesence are in the process of affirming up their identity.   They need both parents   to affirm them in developing womanliness and how to relate to other people of the opposite sex. Childhood, even with intact families is never troubled-free.   The fact that the most important emotional structure in the child’s life is the parents’ marriage – ends in failure becomes forever embeded in that child’s history.   Being a child of devorce,   there is a need of several therapy.   A joint therapy of parents is also needed to understand the need to work together for the children. In order to pass from childhood to adulthood the adolesence must solve a number of problems.   He must develop heterosexual interest, become free from home supervision, make new emotional and social adjustments to reality.   They should evolve a philosophy of life, achieve economic and intellectual independence and learn how to use their leisure time profitably.   If they fail of these any achievements, he fails to gain full maturity.   Because adolesence are caught between two worlds, one of the dependence, the other of the responsibility.   They would like the power to decide for themselves, but are not certain they want to increased responsibility that accompanies adulthood.

Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation

INTRODUCTION:Lean synchronisation is an emerging practice that seeks to streamline the ‘flow of products and services’ in order to eliminate waste (Slack et al. 2012 p. 352).The aim of this paper is to identify the strategic operational issues in relation to A&B Partners (a law firm referred to as â€Å"A&B†), more specifically with the process of signing out mail, which is referred to in Figure 1.1 below.The paper has three sections. Firstly, the definition of lean synchronisation (referred to herein as â€Å"LS†) will be defined, especially within the service industry, followed by outlining the current process of signing out mail at A&B. By analysing the existing procedure in the context of lean synchronisation, the paper will highlight the delays and imperfections of the existing procedure, as well as provide recommendations to improve the process in order to improve the five performance objectives.WHAT IS LEAN SYNCHRONISATION?LS is a process of producti on with the ‘aim of achieving a flow of products and services that always delivers exactly what customers want, in exact quantities, exactly when needed, exactly when required, and at the lowest possible cost’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It has successfully been implemented in such corporations as Toyota and the Bolton Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Both examples aim ‘to achieve perfect synchronisation through smooth and even flow’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It is important to note that LS cannot be achieved overnight, but it is a continuous process and should serve as an objective that managers should incessantly strive for (Slack et al. 2012 p. 353).Given that LS requires the co-operation of everyone involved in the process and the supply network, there needs to be transparency and communication between everyone involved, especially those involved with the operational components of the process and/or supply network (Jullien & Tjahono 2009 p. 32 5). The goal of LS is to open up the work process and abolish the usual hierarchies of traditional management to provide ‘smooth, uninterrupted flow without delay, waste or imperfection of any kind’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 359).Whilst the idea of LS is well established in the manufacturing sector, the benefits of implementing the philosophy to the service industry can achieve equally valuable results. (Jullien & Tjahono 2009 p. 321). Pixar Animation Studios adopted Toyota’s approach to management and it has resulted in being a leader of computer graphics in filmmaking (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373).The encouragement of continuous advice and criticism from its creative teams, brings problems to the surface before it becomes and crises and affects the overall operation (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373). By encouraging open communication during LS the responsibility for solving the problem is now shared with everyone, ‘improving the chances of the problem being solved†™ in the most efficient and cost-effective manner in order to reply to the customer’s needs and demands (Slack et al. 2012 p. 355).  A & B PARTNERSA & B Partners (â€Å"A&B†) is a specialised insurance and commercial litigation law firm. The objectives of the business are to be the leader in the area of  insurance law, more specifically motor vehicle insurance, public liability and home insurance. The firm acts for various insurance companies and there is often a panel of law firms acting for these insurance companies.Whilst in most law firms there is only one client, in insurance litigation there are various stake holder interests to weigh up. There is the insurance company (â€Å"Client†) who insures the insured (â€Å"IO†) or the insured’s company, motor vehicle or home, the shareholders of the Client and upholding the Client’s obligations to the Insurance Commission Board, to which it is a signatory to. Weighing up these interests is sometimes a difficult and, often, a contradictory juggling act, which is made even more difficult with the solicitor’s obligation to the firm, his/her budget, the impact of settling one file affecting another file with the same opposition, complying with one’s obligations with the Legal Services Board and a solicitor’s primary duty to the court as an officer of the court, which overrides every other obligation.In insurance litigation, more specifically, in motor vehicle insurance, there are often the same law firms within the â€Å"game†. However, occasionally the other driver involved in the accident (â€Å"TPD†) chooses not to go through their insurance company and either goes through another law firm or a recovery agent law firm who specialises in issuing against insurance companies or choses to be unrepresented. Therefore, you often have more multiple matters against any one firm at the one time and, hence, how you interact with that firm on one matter will most likely influence how settlement negotiations will be dictated in another.Because of the contract A&B has with the client, all new files must be actioned within 48 hours. This is high volume, low variety work which often sees a solicitor handling 100- 115 files. The main principles are: – provide concise, practical and commercially focused advice – proactively manage all disputes– resolve disputes at the earliest possible opportunity – build long term client relationship – deliver value for moneyBecause A&B is often part of a panel of firms that continuously have to re-submit tenders every 5-7 years, it is competing with other firms to provide the best service. This is measured but to key performance indicators: 1. Total days it took to resolve the matter; and2. Recovery/Settlement rate (how much the client spent on legal costs compared to how much was recovered or how much was paid out to the TPD).MAIL SIGNINGGiven the main KP I’s are total days turnover and recover/settlement rates, speed and accuracy of advice is important. Law is often a game of chess. Even though most matters follow the same formula there is often one detail that can change the solicitor’s strategic approach to the whole matter and anticipating the other solicitor’s move will determine your next action. Because A&B is well regarded nationally as being one of the foremost leaders in its field, ensuring every document that leaves the firm from all 20 plus solicitors are consistent and align with the objectives of the firm, the client and the insured is important. This has resulted in a policy that all outgoing mail/documents must be signed off by a Partner.There are two Partners that are in charge of the motor vehicle team which consists of twelve Solicitors. Throughout the day solicitors place their completed correspondence in a designated pile in the respective partner’s office. Because each solicitor handl es files from more than one jurisdiction, often the solicitors have to drop off correspondence in both partner’s office. At approximately 3pm the process of mail signing and discussing any issues or problems with files commences. This is often a long and arduous process, eating into valuable billing time of the solicitors and partners, who also have 100 plus files of their own they are running.A minor mistake in a letter, for example an incorrect spelling of someone’s name, will result in the mail not being signed out and having it be  forwarded back to the solicitor’s secretary for amending. By the time it returns to the solicitor to give back to the partner, it is the end of the business day, mail people have gone home or worse, the designated partner has left for the day and the letter must be re-amended to change the date to the next business day. What may be a simple task of forwarding documents to another party in the proceedings has taken more than two days to complete. Figure 1.1 is a process flow map of the procedure.PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT SYSTEMThe aspects of the current mail signing procedure do not comply with all of the performance objectives of A&B.QualityThe quality of work is high as most letters are of similar standard and style. Whilst most of the documents conform to some type of readymade precedent on the system, many do not. Furthermore, the precedents are often out of date and do not correspond with costs allowed by the court. Additionally, numerous new cases have been handed down, which contradict the precedent letters regarding advice on liability and apportionment of costs. Even though the decisions in these cases are not upheld strictly in the local court and the courts of similar jurisdiction in other states and territories, it does add to the persuasiveness of one’s argument.SpeedAs previously stated one of the KPI’s is the total amount of days the matte was open with the firm and h ow long it took to resolve the matter Therefore, timing is crucial. It is generally a rule that all matters be issued or actioned within 48 hours of the files being received by the firm. However, one to two days are lost at the beginning with the claims department printing the file, and forwarding the said file to a partner who then allocates it to a solicitor. If, in the unlikelihood, the file contains all the documents needed to be actioned, it will still take a further two days at best to send out the first letter due to the backlog of dictation waiting to be typed up by the secretaries (at this stage, the ratio of secretaries to solicitors is 1:2.5), checked by the partner and ready to be sent out on  the first attempt. Within the first week of receiving the file, the file is sitting idle in a partner’s office or in a dictation line for at least half of the time.DependabilityWhilst every attempt is made to respond to a client’s request within 48 hours, it is diff icult with the amount of file load a solicitor has and the amount of â€Å"urgent† matters that need to be actioned that very day. As every solicitor’s schedule is difference, (i.e time or hearings and amount of hearings) it is difficult to provide a guaranteed response time across the whole firm.FlexibilityA&B values its relationship with its clients. Ensuring that we are able to provide general advice that we do not bill for, whilst performing the billable work is essential in ensuring A&B maintain client relationships as contracts must be re-tendered every 3-5 years. It is this â€Å"extra-value service† that sets A&B apart from the competition. Often it involves dropping whatever billable task is being performed and providing the client with a comprehensive researched advice based on current law and trends in a particular jurisdiction by the close of business that day or the next morning.CostDue to the highly competitive nature of the market, A&B have been t he leaders in introducing a fixed fee pricing framework. If a matter only gets to a certain stage, A&B will only charge a pre-determined amount no matter how many phone calls/letters were drafted or how much work was required. This has reduced the time solicitors spend on costing a file and it also forces the solicitor to adopt lean processes to ensure maximum results with minimum effort.Discounts are provided if the matter has not been finalised within a required time and if the settlement/recovery rate is not achieved. Conversely, solicitors are entitled to charge an uplift if matters are finalised within  the agreed time frame and the recovery/settlement rate is achieved. The days of putting certain files in the â€Å"too hard† basket and waiting for schedules to slow down are gone due to this new pricing framework.LEAN SYNCHRONISATIONThe rigidity of conforming to a certain style of writing affects the dependability, speed and, ultimately, the cost of the performance obj ectives of A&B. Not enough training is provided to new solicitors as to the â€Å"A&B way† of drafting and negotiating. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience of the partners are vital to the solicitor’s application of the law to current files. Seeing each solicitor individually and having to wait until mail signing time to request guidance does not assist with the firm’s objective of providing quick and efficient legal solution as it adds to the waste of irregular flow (Slack et al. 2012 p. 360).Given the new pricing framework, the importance of lean synchronisation has never been more important. The goal for all solicitors is to provide advice that will ensure an excellent recovery/settlement rate and quick resolution of the matter. With difficult files that do not fit the established precedent letters, advice from the partner’s is essential. However, as stated above, waiting until mail signing time is not ideal as there are often other solicitors ne eding their mail signed out and often there will be corrections that need to be made.Often making an appointment the next available business day is required to go into depth the theory behind certain legal principles as well as formulating a response that â€Å"fits† the intended audience as writing to a client differs greatly to writing to other firms and there is even a difference in the style of writing depending on who the law firm is.Often the Partner’s do not understand why things have taken as long as it has due to non-transparency and non-communication between the different processes; 1. The amount of dictating the secretaries have to type; 2. The file load of the solicitor; 3. The amount of extra research the solicitor is doing that is unable to be billed; 4. The insufficient claims documents  being supplied by the Client and, therefore, the amount of time spent chasing the client or IO for additional information; and 5. The amount of time wasted whilst bein g on hold with the Client to seek further instructions. All of the above factors contribute to waste on a file that is simple and straight forward. Files that are complex are expected to take longer as it often needs to be explained to the Client and IO in more detail.RECOMMENDATIONS Given the word limit only two recommendations will be outlined briefly.DECREASE FILE LOAD OF THE PARTNERS Within the legal field imparting one’s experience of a certain judge, opposition or client is just as important as one’s knowledge of the principles of the law. Knowing the credibility of your own client will be a major deciding factor of any case. The wisdom and experience of a partner is vital. Therefore, the Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers.In time this knowledge can be passed on to the Senior Associates who can then share the responsibilities of signing out mail of the other solicitor, as well as aiding the solicitors with any queries. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities.REGULAR SOLICITORS MEETINGS Conducting regular solicitors meetings of 4-5 solicitors where each solicitor raises any problems they have with a file or a particular process (i.e secretarial support is spread to thin) can serve two purposes; 1.It communicates any processes to senior management that is not working on an operational level; and 2.It encourages solicitors to work together to resolve â€Å"problem files† whilst allowing greater access to knowledge from other solicitor’s successful (not so successful) negotiating techniques, approaches, legal strategy etc†¦ In time the solicitors will have confidence  in their ability to provide correct legal advice that the inefficient process of mail signing will be eradicated for experienced solicitors.7. CON CLUSIONBased on the analysis above, we can conclude the current mail signing process is time consuming and involves unnecessary processes that can eradicated completely or modified to increase the time available the solicitors can bill the client for. Eventually, the aim of adopting LS processes should be to increase access to information, whether that is recent trends in specific courts to theoretical knowledge of the legal principles so as to avoid the current bottleneck system. Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities