Supply Chain Integration

Introduction United Parcel Service (UPS) is a delivery and logistics company based in Atlanta, Georgia. However, the company has operations in various parts of the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Supply Chain Integration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More UPS delivers an average of 13.6 million packages on each business day. It has more than 8 million global customers (Niemann, 2007). Although the company’s core business is in the delivery of documents and packages, over the years, this has evolved to include supply chain management. The company’s promise of guaranteed product delivery, coupled with a vast transportation infrastructure has given it a commanding position in the global supply chain industry. This is a very competitive industry and in order to remain in the market, UPS has had to integrate information technology into its existing global supply delivery and supply chain network. By embracing information technology, UPS has managed to make efficient deliveries to its customers while still maintaining its competitive prices. Organizational structure UPS’ business operations are conducted through several business units. UPS Air Cargo conducts airport-to-airport freight deliveries to more than 150 airports across the globe. UPS Capital Corporation is the financial arm of the company. It offers working capital to small businesses (Fleishmann, 2007). UPS Supply Chain Solutions enables customers to access the company’s portfolio of services. The supply chain solution has been developed in such a way that it meets the global supply chain needs of the company’s customers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More UPS Aviation Technologies provides products for corporate operators, general aviation, airlines, as well as air-traffic control. UPS Store s delivers personalized, convenient business solutions via a global network of independently operated and owned communication, shipping and business centers. On the other hand, UPS TeleServices offers a wide range of call center services to the over 13 million packages delivered every day (Fleishmann, 2007). Another unit, UPS Professional Services, provides strategic business solutions through expert financial analysis, leveraging on innovative technologies and time-proven logistics. Integrating information technology to the supply chain The adaption of modern technology has enabled UPS to revolutionaries its supply chain management (Decker, Engleman Petrucci, 1999). This has seen the company adopt freight, billing and wireless technology in a bid to grow its supply chain and shipping requirements. These technology solutions are mainly web-based and they will help the company to realize cost efficiency. As supply chain management becomes increasingly competitive, UPS has been force d to embrace modern technology in order to remain competitive in the international market. One such technology that the company is banking on to enhance its competitive edge in the international market is wireless technology. The adoption of this particular technology is aimed at augmenting the company’s value chain. The wireless technology that UPS has rolled out on a global scale includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, as well as various cellular systems (Fleishmann, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Supply Chain Integration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The above mentioned technologies have found use in the company’s sorting and packing centers. Here, a package sorter can example, easily and quickly scan bar codes to the various parcels using a Bluetooth finger ring. The scanned data is then transmitted to a Wi-Fi device worn by the package sorter around his/her belt. Deployment of technology has now become part of UPS’s global competitive advantage. Ever since UPS has realised embraced modern technology, it has benefited from an improved and flexible working environment for its employees, in addition to time savings (Fleishmann, 2007). Another technology that UPS has adopted in order to improve efficiency is the Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD). This particular device integrates Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Global Position System (SPS), and GSM networks. This device has proven very effective in enabling the company’s drivers to navigate customers’ sites. Data is transmitted to the company’s UPS centers via wireless LAN connectivity (Brewster Dalzell, 2007). This enables the management to monitor the transport infrastructure. In addition, DIAD also transmits delivery information to the company. This way, the company knows that the parcel or document has reached its intended destination. In addition, the system also enables UPS customers to obtain tracking and shipping information of their products using wireless solutions. Some of the benefits of this particular technology include accurate and timely delivery of information. This has led to satisfied customers. New technologies have given UPS a competitive edge in the market. In addition, UPS can also use its new technologies as a barrier to entry of new players in the market. It also acts as a form of product differentiation, thereby giving UPS a competitive advantage in the market (Boulton, 1999).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Embracing new technologies has also enabled UPS to enhance supply chain outsourcing, thereby saving on supply chain costs. UPS and Yahoo have also entered into a partnership that enables the company’s customers to open individual online stores, in effect benefiting from integrated shipping tools and discounted prices. Web-enabled shipping procedures and flexible shipping options mean that customers can now track goods from a single location. Embracing new technologies has also seen UPS adopt a more efficient billing solution. Bills are now delivered every week via U.S Mail. UPS also has a Billing Center where customers can view their import and export invoices online, and generate real-time information (Brewster Dalzell, 2007). The billing system has also enabled the company to develop online payment systems, reduce paperwork, enhance productivity, and streamline payment and invoice processes. Conclusion UPS has integrated information technology into its global supply chain. This has allowed the company to improve its efficiency and provide high quality services at an affordable cost. As a result, UPS has managed to gain a commanding lead over its competitors such as FedEx. Not just in the package delivery, but also in the logistics business. New technologies such as GPS and Wi-Fi have enabled UPS to differentiate its products from those of its competitors, and hence improve its competitive advantage. Reference List Boulton, W. R. (1999). United Parcel Service: Moving at the Speed of Business. Web. Brewster, M., Dalzell, F. (2007). Driving Change: The Ups Approach to Business. New York: Hyperion Books. Decker, K., Engleman, S., Petrucci, T., Robinson, S. (1999). United Parcel Service  and the Management of Change. Web. Fleishmann, G. (2007). UPS Starts Wireless Logistics Deployment in Europe. Web. Niemann, G. (2007). Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS. New York: John Wiley Sons. This essay on Supply Chain Integration was written and submitted by user Ashlyn Douglas to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Reasons Why Some Dont Get into Graduate School

Reasons Why Some Don't Get into Graduate School Youve spent years preparing to apply to graduate school: taking the right courses, studying for good grades, and seeking appropriate experiences. Youve taken the time to prepare a solid application: GRE scores, admissions essays, recommendation letters, and transcripts. Yet sometimes it doesnt work out. You dont get in. The most qualified of students can do everything right and still sometimes not get admitted to graduate school. Unfortunately, the quality of your graduate school application isnt the only thing that determines whether you get into graduate school. There are other factors that have nothing to do with you that influence your acceptance. Just as in dating, sometimes Its not you, its me. Really. Sometimes a rejection letter is more about the graduate programs capacity and needs than about the quality of your application. Funding A loss of funding at the institutional, school, or department level can reduce the number of applicants they can support and accept.Fewer funds for Teaching and research assistantships can mean accepting fewer studentsMany students are admitted to work with particular faculty and are supported by faculty members grants. A change in grant funding means that some qualified students will not be admitted.You dont have control over any of these factors, but the availability of funding has a huge impact on the likelihood that you will be admitted to a graduate program. Faculty Availability Whether faculty are available and able to take on students influences the number of students who are accepted in any given year.Faculty are sometimes away on sabbaticals or leaves. Any students who would be accepted to work with them are often out of luck.Sometimes faculty are overloaded and do not have space in their lab for another student. Good applicants are turned away. Space and Resources Some graduate programs require that students have access to laboratory space and specialized equipment. These resources can accommodate only so many students.Other programs include internships and other applied experiences. If there are not enough slots, then well-prepared students do not get admitted to the graduate program. If you are rejected from your preferred graduate program, recognize that the reasons may not lie with you. Often there are factors are beyond your control that influence whether you are accepted to graduate school. That said, keep in mind that rejection is often due to applicant error or, more commonly, the poor fit between the applicants stated interests and the program. Pay attention to your admissions essay to ensure that your interests fit those of the faculty and program.

Street Slang For Scriptwriting

Street Slang For Scriptwriting Street Slang For Scriptwriting Street Slang For Scriptwriting By Sharon If youre writing a script, one way that you can bring it to life is to let your characters speak in current street slang. Thats the advice from the creators of Raindance, which promotes independent film in the UK. They have suggested a number of current slang phrases to give your characters some street cred. Here are some that caught my eye: Seagull manager A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves. SITCOMs Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids or start a home business. 404 Someone whos clueless. From the World Wide Web error message 404 Not Found meaning that the requested document could not be located. There are lots more fun phrases to see. A full list is here. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. Further8 Types of Parenthetical PhrasesJanuary 1 Doesn't Need an "st"

Swift's Gulliver's Travels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Swift's Gulliver's Travels - Essay Example he most powerful nation in the world at that time was held a prisoner by only 6inches tall Lilliputians by which Swift aims to explain why English people should consider the pride of their own country and reassess if the colonies controlled by them could get powerful enough one day to overthrow the English kingdom. At the time Gulliver’s Travels was written, search for new lands to control thrived in England and in this process the English people used to come across many new civilizations, an example of which is given in the travels by Swift in the form of Lilliputians. This voyage to Lilliput can also be seen as a conflict between opposing ideas and characters through which Swift wants to explain the obstacles experienced by the English at that time when meeting new people in their lands. According to another idea, â€Å"the effect of reducing the scale of life in Lilliput is to strip human affairs of their self-imposed grandeur† (Eddy, cited in Galloway, 1994). In contrast to Lilliput, everything about Brobdingnag appears to be gigantic and much more powerful than Gulliver himself. He realizes that even the grass is about 20ft tall there and each step taken by the giants who live there is about 10yards long in contrast to Lilliputians. Overcome by despair and fright, he begins to think of himself as a Lilliputian would if surrounded by normal humans. There too, Gulliver is taken to the court where he is bought by the queen. Later he shares his views about English politics with the king which appear humorous to him and make him remark that English people are well below the Brobdingnagians in context of wisdom and power. The king dismisses the English people as members of a low society through which Swift aims to explain the general ignorance of other nations in the world at that time which refused to embrace modernity. The trip to this island called Brobdingnag helps Gulliver to meet very big people after meeting very small people in Lillip ut. This stark change

Horizontal Violence in the Workplace Research Paper

Horizontal Violence in the Workplace - Research Paper Example Conclusion A. Analytical summary B. Thesis statement reworded C. Concluding statement Horizontal Violence Definition: Horizontal violence is defined as the antagonistic behavior by an individual or people towards another individual or a group of people. It is can be classified as an act of bullying, which is today reported to be extensive among the nurses and health care professionals. According to Yildirim (2009), it is an unacceptable endemic present in the workplace culture. Yildirim’s view is that all members in organizations should address this issue as a group in order to eliminate this detrimental behavior. Additionally, it can be viewed as an inter-group conflict at work which may be manifested in concealed or unconcealed hostile behavior. When the term â€Å"horizontal violence† is applied in the nursing profession, it thereby defines a nurse to nurse aggression. This violence may be in the form of nonverbal or verbal behavior. Vartia (2001) states that it refe rs to situations where an individual is subjected to a recurrent and long-lasting hostile act which is oppressing. Those who are targeted have low self confidence as compared to those who are not targets. Thesis statement: From a principled outlook, tolerating bullying behavior is wrong and it violates the basic oath of keeping patients safety. Workplace Perception of Bullying There are numerous views that exist at work regarding why some workers are bullied and why people bully others. The perceived notion at work is that those who bully do it because it promotes their individual feelings. Bullies perceive that they can use their positions, for those in power, over those who may be weak. The perceived control of the bully over the victim may be the key to this act. An individual perceived by other people to be different may be exposed to some form of bullying acts. In cases where an organization or certain individuals perceive others as a threat, there are increased chances of bull ying. Additionally, perceptions of bullying or horizontal violence at work may also be under the influence of the culture in the organization. When an organization’s culture is positive, workers adopt proper behavior. However, when the culture in the firm is negative, workers’ attitudes towards new and different individuals are inappropriate. Signs of Work Place Bullying The detrimental effects of psychological cruelty may begin to appear as a result of collective injuries that may progressively build up in an individual, in this case a nurse. These are signs that bullying is taking place at work, among the health professionals. Among the nurses, signs of bullying range from nurses finding their tasks extremely difficult, low self esteem, to nurses with poor goals (Vartia, 2001). According to Yildirim (2009), signs of a bullied worker or nurse include: reduced motivation at work, low productivity, reduced concentration span, poor commitment to work and their relationsh ips with the managers, colleagues and patients are extremely poor. If these signs are not identified earlier, they are most likely to spill over to other nurses at work, thereby corroding a peaceful workplace environment for all health-care professionals. The anger that a nurse may feel towards a colleague who bullies may be channeled to actions that are not constructive. Thomas (2009) states that fatigue, depression and physical health problems are some of the signs depicted. Through his research, he also found that among

Runaway Girl by Carissa Phelps Essay Example for Free

Runaway Girl by Carissa Phelps Essay In Runaway Girl by Carissa Phelps the reader knows from the beginning that the main character, Carissa, cant stand discipline and runs away when authority steps in her way. Nevertheless, she creates friendships with people she thinks she can trust, but only ends up getting hurt by their dishonesty and greediness. Carissa is a rebellious, stubborn, independent child who grows into something amazing after all the dramatic tragedies that took part in her life. Carissa is rebellious from the start. She transitions from being scared to go to school on the first day, to yelling a few weeks later, â€Å"Fuck you†, to a substitute teacher. Not to mention Carissas hormones are kicking in and shes crushing on this kid Fernando on the football team and, ends up staying out all night just to come home to getting yelled at and getting grounded. Carissa doesnt agree with such punishment so in turn , she ends up running away. The worst of Carissas deception is her plan on figuring out wheres shes going to stay, what shes going to eat, her struggle of fighting to stay alive, and more importantly what the cops have to say about her running away. As a child Carissa had poor judgment on the real world. When she was on her own, she thought that she was invincible and nothing bad could ever happen to her until, she met Icey. He changed Carissas life in less than a heart beat. Carissa went from being the boss of herself while being a runaway to being a black mans prostitute at the age of 12. Carissa wasnt in control of her own well-being anymore, Icey was. Carissa merely followed Iceys instructions especially because she despised him so greatly, but she thought that he cared about her because he fed her and bought her things and talked to her ever so sweetly, compared to the other girls. All of this was stopped when the people Carissa despised ,for busting her every time she ran away, came to her rescue when Icey screwed up by stealing a car. She soon learned that authority was just there to help her and free her of Iceys control. At juvenile hall Carissa met someone that helped change her life forever. His name was Ron. He was the counselor at Wakefield and just by handing a spiral notebook over to Carissa and telling her to write in it and â€Å"tell her story†, Carissas life was soon on its way to a new beginning.

GMS Contract :: essays research papers

The new GMS contract PCTs should consider how community pharmacists can be better engaged to help general practice meet the targets in the GMS quality framework and as an alternative provider of enhanced GMS services. In some cases, the core services proposed as part of the new pharmacy contract will actually ensure GP practices meet certain quality standards. The National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA) resource pack ‘A quick reference guide to the Quality Indicators in the new GMS contract’ describes the key quality indicators, what services community pharmacy can offer to support GP practices and examples of the published evidence base. This is available in the NPA section of DrugInfoZone at . The new pharmacy contractThe DH, the NHS Confederation and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) are currently negotiating a new pharmacy contract which will be implemented during 2004 .The proposed framework for the new pharmacy contract is as follows:Essen tial servicesEssential services will form the core of the pharmacy contract and be provided by all pharmacies. These services include:DispensingFind out morewww.druginfozone.nhs.uk/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 3 Vision’ contains clear signposts on the future direction of community pharmacy service development. For example it states that â€Å"Pharmacy is an integral part of the NHS family. We want to see pharmacists strengthening their contribution to the provision of high quality, patient centred NHS services.† ‘The Vision’particularly emphasises the role for community pharmacists in the public health agenda and medicines management, and stresses the importance of having a pharmacist on the PEC.‘A Vision for Pharmacy in the new NHS’ is available at . Full responses from the national pharmacy bodies are available at their respective websites atand A summary of responses to ‘The Vision’ is available at Proposals to reform and modernise the NHS (pharmaceutical services) regulations 1992 The Government is currently developing proposals for changes in the control of entry regulations.The key changes that PCTs need to be aware of (within the cu rrent DH consultation) are:Secondary legislation may introduce the concepts of â€Å"consumer choice and competition† within the definitions of necessary and desirable, which are used to judge pharmacy contract applications.Exemptions for pharmacies in shopping developments of over 15,000 square metres, those planning to open 100 hours per week and those who are â€Å"part of consortium to develop new one stop centres† may be given. However in relation to exemptions, an exemption may only be given if the pharmacy is going to provide a â€Å"full and prescribed range of services, appropriate to local needs, as determined by the PCT†.

Philosophy on Guidance and Classroom Management Essay

My philosophy on guidance and classroom management includes the ideas that as an educator I am responsible for providing an environment that allows each child to explore their own innate curiosity. NAEYC Standards states in regard to promote child development and learning an educator must be knowledgeable and understanding the multiple influences on early development and learning. Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children in which I will provide an environment that exhibits compassion, that is secure, caring, and a stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. I will allow children to become responsible members of the community by using strategies such as positive discipline and democratic principles. I will demonstrate to the children how to become responsible for themselves as well as their own learning. I will present curriculum that i nvolves the interests of the children and make learning relevant to life. This will be operated through thematic units, projects, small group activities as well as hands on activities and individual assignments in order to make the children active learners. STANDARD 2: BUILDING FAMILY AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS It is my responsibility to ensure parents that the classroom will promote a positive learning experience; they will receive a handbook that will provide detailed information on policies and procedures. I will provide a curriculum that demonstrates meaningful experiences that respond to the children’s strengths, interests and needs. I will provide access to information (such as a class website) and newsletter rather than acting as the primary source of information. Students and parents will be provided with access to hands on activities that will allow adequate time and space to use materials that reinforce the lesson being studied for an opportunity for individual discover and construction of knowledge to occur. Parents will have an opportunity to schedule conferences for face to face interaction three times within the school year. Based on NAEYC second standard, which states to build family and community relationships, Based on NAEYC second standard, which states to build fam ily and community relationships, there will be an open door policy that will allow parents to interact with his/her child during the course of the day as well as special pop in visits. This will not only allow the parents to feel a part of the educational program but will also show their children their interest in their learning. In order to promote the most supportive classroom for children’s healthy development I would incorporate three components which would help to ensure continuity in children’s development: developmentally appropriate curricula, parents and school collaboration, and community support and services provided by social service agencies building supportive relationships with parents will influence these three components, this will help parents understand and sanction what is being taught. It is important that a well functioning classroom be aligned with the NAEYC standards. A classroom teacher has an ethical responsibility to the children. The teacher must recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities and potential of each child. It is imperative that support is given to each child allowing them to play and learn in an inclusive environment, one that meets the needs of children with and without disabilities. Teachers also have a responsibility to the parents. Teachers should develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families that are being provided and educational service. Teachers should always make every effort to communicate effectively with all families in a language that they understand. As well as inform families about the nature and purpose of all assessments that are used with their children. In regard to providing information about injuries and accidents, as well as risks of exposures to communicable diseases that might result in infection, the teacher will notify parents in a timely manner through verbal communication, flyers, and classroom postings. A classroom that is built on a solid foundation has dynamic classroom management techniques, showers their children with an abundance of love, as well as respect for families is a classroom that also follows Developmentally Appropriate Practices outlined by the National Association of Education for Young Children (NAEYC). Based on the Developmentally Appropriate Practices set forth by NAEYC, in regards to educators within the preschool-primary spectrum the goal is not for children to learn primary grade skills at an earlier age; it is for their teachers to take the first steps together to ensure that young children develop and learn, to be able to acquire such skills and understandings as they progress in school. References: Lombardi, J. (1992). Beyond transition: Ensuring continuity in5 early childhood services. ERIC Digest. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education NAEYC.org

John Paul Vann

John Paul Vann is the central character of Sheehan's book, the character around whom the whole Vietnam War seems to turn. Fearless, misguided, Vann appears to stand for America itself. American ambassador and commanding general were informing the Kennedy administration that everything was going well and that the victory was theirs. Vann saw Vietnam War otherwise. In the end Vann was killed when his helicopter crashed and burned in rain and fog in the mountains of Vietnam's Central Highlands, leaving behind a most extraordinary legend.He succeeded in imposing himself as the real commander of a whole region in Vietnam, and the Pentagon, in an unprecedented move, gave him authority over all U. S. military forces in his area. He commanded as many troops as a major general. Vann never hesitated to use whatever level of force was necessary to achieve his ends, but considered it morally wrong and stupid to wreak violence on the innocent (another reason for his popularity with the anti-war p eople). The influence he wielded both within the U. S.civil-military bureaucracy and the Saigon government made him, by general agreement, the most important American in Vietnam after our ambassador and commanding general, a position recognized at his Arlington funeral, attended by the entire Washington military establishment. Neil Sheehan's book is now popular with both critics and public, and Hollywood would even think of making a film portraying an American military hero from the Vietnam War with such sympathy. DEVELOPMENT OF THEME Both John Paul Vann and Neil Sheehan went to Vietnam in the early 1960s, Vann as a military advisor, Sheehan as a reporter for United Press International (UPI).As the months passed, Vann’s disillusionment with the war’s progress eventually led him to share his frustrations with Sheehan and other reporters, and the advisor became one of the correspondents’ most valuable sources of information on the true dynamics of the situation ou t in the countryside. In the mid-1960s Sheehan left Vietnam for assignments in the United States, but Vann remained and, after assuming a civilian position, rose to become one of the most powerful Americans in the country.In 1972, a short time after Vann’s death in a helicopter crash, Sheehan began work on a biography of the soldier. Sixteen long years later, the book was finally published to a chorus of critical praise. John Paul Vann went to Vietnam in March 1962 at age thirty-seven. A lieutenant colonel in the U. S. Army, he served as senior advisor to the South Vietnamese Army’s 7th Infantry Division, which was headquartered at My Tho in the Mekong Delta south of Saigon. An intelligent, fearless man possessed of terrific stamina and a deeply held belief in the legitimacy of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, Vann was an ideal advisor in many respects. Sheehan wrote in A Bright Shining Lie that the military man’s character and education had ‘‘combined t o produce a mind that could be totally possessed by the immediate task and at the same time sufficiently detached to discern the root elements of the problem. He manifested the faith and the optimism of post–World War II America that any challenge could be overcome by will and by the disciplined application of intellect, technology, money, and, when necessary, armed force. (134)’’But as the months passed and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops that he was advising continued to flounder, Vann’s frustration grew. South Vietnamese commanders proved reluctant to commit troops to confrontations because of political concerns back in Saigon and their own instinct for self-preservation, and the rosy forecasts of American policymakers troubled him as well. Moreover, Vann felt that both the South Vietnamese government and U. S. officials did not appreciate the significance of the social problems plaguing the country, and he argued that U. S.bombing po licies and the Strategic Hamlets program (in which peasants were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in group encampments) were eroding already tenuous support for the Diem regime out in the countryside. By the end of his first year in Vietnam, wrote Sheehan, ‘‘Vann saw that the war was being lost. The ambassador and the commanding general in South Vietnam were telling the Kennedy administration that everything was going well and that the war was being won. Vann believed then and never ceased to believe that the war could be won if it was fought with sound tactics and strategy† (102).Sheehan and the other members of the Saigon press corps bucked attempts by U. S. and Vietnamese officials to spoon-feed the media information on the war’s progress, and relations between the camps quickly deteriorated. Within a matter of months, however, the adventurous UPI reporter had developed an effective network of independent sources and established a productive p artnership with David Halberstam of the New York Times. One of the correspondents’ best sources in the U. S. military was John Paul Vann.Writing in A Bright Shining Lie, Sheehan described the relationship between Vann and the reporters in similar terms: ‘‘Vann taught us the most, and one can truly say that without him our reporting would not have been the same†¦. He gave us an expertise we lacked, a certitude that brought a qualitative change in what we wrote. He enabled us to attack the official optimism with gradual but steadily increasing detail and thoroughness’’ (254). Sheehan noted that he and most of the other correspondents initially supported America’s presence in Vietnam.‘‘We believed in what our government said it was trying to accomplish in Vietnam, and we wanted our country to win this war just as passionately as Vann and his captains did,’’ (211) Sheehan said. But the reports of Vann and other sourc es, coupled with their own firsthand observations out in the field, convinced the press corps that the U. S. prosecution of the war was fundamentally flawed. While attending the funeral for John Paul Vann in 1972, Sheehan was struck by the stature of those in attendance (from General William Westmoreland, who served as a pallbearer, to Ellsberg, who had been one of Vann’s closest friends).Upon returning home, Sheehan secured a two-year leave of absence from the New York Times, along with a contract from a publisher, and began work on a biography of Vann. The writer felt that by studying Vann’s life, he would also be able to examine America’s role in Vietnam. As he wrote in A Bright Shining Lie, ‘‘The intensity and distinctiveness of his character and the courage and drama of his life had seemed to sum up so many of the qualities Americans admired in themselves as a people. By an obsession, by an unyielding dedication to the war, he had come to person ify the American endeavor in Vietnam.He had exemplified it in his illusions, in his good intentions gone awry, in his pride, in his will to win† (325). As the 1970s blurred into the early 1980s, Sheehan’s obsession with Vann’s story grew. Month after month passed by as the writer tried to reconcile Vann’s dark secrets (a troubled childhood, a sexual appetite that doomed his army career) with the honorable soldier he had known in the Mekong Delta. And over it all lay the shadow of the war itself, the contradictions of which Sheehan continued to see encapsulated in Vann. Sheehan fell into a reclusive routine in which his waking hours were dominated by the book.In August 1986 Sheehan finally completed the manuscript for A Bright Shining Lie. Over the course of the next year, the author pared the book down to 360,000 words, still a massive work. In 1988—sixteen years after Sheehan began work on the Vann biography—A Bright Shining Lie was finally published. Paralyzed by our own Newtonian paradigm, we defeated ourselves by persistently viewing the Vietcong as being different from us in degree, when in fact they were different in kind. Underestimating them as being different only in degree, the U. S.military often contemptuously referred to them as â€Å"those raggedy-assed little bastards† (205). To Americans, the Vietcong simply had less technology to fight with; but the Vietcong knew they had a different kind of technology – the land, and they used it to great advantage against U. S. technology. In his A Bright Shining Lie, Sheehan relates a story that perfectly expresses how the Vietcong used nature in concert with their kind of technology. A Captain James Drummond is told by a prisoner that â€Å"the most important Vietcong training camp in the northern Delta is located in clumps of woods above a hamlet.When he gets there, Drummond finds . . . four thatched-hut classrooms furnished with blackboards under th e trees . . . † (88). The very idea that â€Å"blackboards under the trees† – a virtual oxymoron in American thinking -could be used to defeat the United States, is, once again, â€Å"unthinkable. † It represents what psychiatrist Charles J. Levy calls â€Å"inverted warfare,† which Gibson explains as â€Å"the sense in which American common sense on how the world operates was reversed or inverted in Vietnam†.A Bright Shining Lie confirms, that the core of the U. S. news operation in Vietnam during the crucial years from 1961 to 1963, came under the influence of a mid-level U. S. Army adviser, Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann, who was convinced that he had solved the riddle of how to galvanize what was essentially a fifteenth-century South Vietnamese army into a twentieth-century fighting force: Get rid of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, and have the United States take over the war, in toto.On January 2, 1963, the ARVN 7th Infantry Division, which was under the command of General Huynh Van Cao, carried out orders to destroy a Vietcong radio transmitter located in the hamlet of Tan Thoi in the Mekong Delta. Acting on intelligence that indicated that the transmitter was protected by a force of about one hundred Vietcong in nearby Ap Bac, Vann and his staff settled on a plan of attack that featured his usual precise calculations. ‘‘Vann saw an opportunity to use the ARVN’s advantages in mobility, firepower, and armor to destroy a Viet Cong unit,’’ noted Harry G.Summers, Jr. in the Historical Atlas of the Vietnam War. But instead of wreaking havoc on the guerrillas (whose hit-and-run tactics had frustrated the American advisors over the preceding months), the operation proved disastrous for Cao’s troops. Larger-than-expected Vietcong forces at Ap Bac and Tan Thoi were ready for the attack, having intercepted radio messages concerning the upcoming operation. When the raidâ⠂¬â„¢s first helicopters arrived, they were met with withering ground fire, and three of the H-21 helicopters and one Huey (UH-1) gunship were promptly downed.The first few minutes of the battle set the pattern for the rest of the clash. As the hours dragged by, ARVN forces committed a series of strategic blunders—some over the objections of Vann and his staff—that served to further deteriorate their position. Finally, Vann felt that Cao’s forces showed little appetite for battle, a factor that further contributed to the debacle. By the next morning the Vietcong guerrillas had slipped away, leaving behind eighty ARVN dead and another one hundred wounded. Significantly, three Americans had been killed as well.Later in the morning, Cao ordered a fraudulent air strike on the area, nearly killing Sheehan and two other Americans who were surveying the long-abandoned battlefield. In the battle’s aftermath, U. S. and South Vietnamese officials tried to call the clash at Ap Bac a victory, but Vann and his staff quickly disabused the press corps of any such notions. Enraged by the whole operation, Vann called the ARVN effort ‘‘a miserable damn performance,’’ and even though correspondents who used the quote did not reveal his identity, U. S. officials familiar with Vann knew whose voice it was.‘‘As a battle it did not amount to much, but Ap Bac would have profound consequences for the later prosecution of the war,’’ wrote Summers. ‘‘Prior to Ap Bac,’’ Sheehan pointed out, ‘‘the Kennedy administration had succeeded in preventing the American public from being more than vaguely conscious that the country was involved in a war in a place called Vietnam†¦. Ap Bac was putting Vietnam on the front pages and on the television evening news shows with a drama that no other event had yet achieved’’ (421). Vann retired from the army several mont hs later.When those who knew him learned of his departure, many assumed that he had selflessly sacrificed his military career so that he could comment on the war with greater freedom, and his reputation was further enhanced. His admirers were unaware that Vann’s myriad sexual indiscretions (including a valid statutory rape charge that he ultimately beat) had permanently scarred his record, effectively limiting his advancement anyway. In 1965 Vann returned to Vietnam as a civilian, serving as a provincial pacification representative for AID (the Agency for International Development).As American involvement in the war expanded, Vann’s authority increased, even though he continued to be an outspoken critic of some aspects of the war’s prosecution. ‘‘His leadership qualities and his dedication to the war had assisted his promotion, as had a realization by those in power in Saigon and Washington that his dissent over tactics or strategy was always meant t o further the war effort, not hinder it,’’ wrote Sheehan (436). In May 1971 Vann was promoted to an advisory position that gave him authority over all U. S. military forces in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and adjacent provinces along the central coastline.The unprecedented arrangement gave Vann more power than he could have ever wielded had he stayed in the army. By this point, some people who knew Vann felt that the years of involvement in the war had changed the man, and not for the better. They noted that Vann had adopted a much more lenient philosophy about appropriate methodologies for winning the bitter war. Those who recalled his harsh criticisms of bombing strategies earlier in the conflict for the toll that they exacted on civilians found that he had become an enthusiastic proponent of intensive bombing campaigns.Sheehan wrote about an exchange between Vann and Washington Post reporter Larry Stern that dramatically reflected Vann’s change of heart : ‘‘Anytime the wind is blowing from the north where the B-52 strikes are turning the terrain into a moonscape, you can tell from the battlefield stench that the strikes are effective,’’ (365) Vann reportedly told Stern. In March 1972, North Vietnamese forces launched the three-pronged Easter Offensive, a bold effort to overwhelm South Vietnam by attacks on three strategic regions.All three thrusts were ultimately turned back, however, as the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) was handed a major setback. Vann was widely credited with being a key figure in the defense of An Loc, a site seventy-five miles north of Saigon that had been one of the NVA’s primary targets in the offensive. In June of that year, however, Vann was killed in an air crash when his helicopter, flying low over an otherwise treeless valley at night, hit a small group of trees standing over a primitive Montagnard cemetery (Montagnards are aboriginal tribespeople who make their homes in so me of Vietnam’s more mountainous areas).EVALUATION OF THE THEME AND BOOK PRESENTATION As the months passed, and disastrous events such as the Ap Bac debacle and the Buddhist uprising erupted, Sheehan emerged as one of the war’s finest—and most controversial—correspondents. He did so despite struggling with an almost paralyzing certainty that death would claim him when he went out into the field. When he first arrived in Vietnam, Sheehan had been exhilarated by violent, dangerous excursions out in the countryside, but the events at Ap Bac changed his attitude in dramatic fashion.While surveying the scene of the battle, Sheehan and two others (reporter Nick Turner and Brigadier General Robert York) had nearly been blown apart by General Cao’s fraudulent attack against the abandoned Vietcong positions in the area. In June 1964 Sheehan left UPI for the New York Times. A year later he returned to Saigon, where he stayed until 1966, when he was transferr ed to Washington, D. C. That same year he wrote an article, ‘‘Not a Dove, but No Longer a Hawk,’’ that reflected his growing disillusionment with America’s involvement in Vietnam. In the late 1960s he served as the newspaper’s Pentagon and White House correspondent.By 1971 Sheehan had come full circle; he emerged as a critic of the war. In 1971 Ellsberg’s disenchantment with U. S. policies led him to give Sheehan a massive collection of confidential government memorandums and reports on the war that came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. To opponents of the war, the records in this archive—commissioned by Defense Secretary McNamara back in 1967, they included reports dating back to the 1940s—provided stark evidence that U. S. involvement in Southeast Asia had too often been characterized by deceit, misjudgments, and bureaucratic arrogance.Sheehan’s massive tome garnered many awards (Pulitzer Prize, National Book A ward for nonfiction, Columbia Journalism Award, Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, and others) and laudatory reviews in the months following its publication. Boosted by the recognition, the book became a best-seller. Reviewers were almost unanimous in their praise for Sheehan’s work (the harshest dissent with the critical consensus appeared in the National Review). New York Times Book Review critic Ronald Steel commented that if there is one book that captures the Vietnam War in the sheer Homeric scale of its passion and folly, this book is it.Indeed, reviewers recognized that the book worked in large measure because of its choice of subject matter. Critics felt that, in John Paul Vann, Sheehan had found a larger-than-life figure whose experiences in Vietnam offered valuable insights into the character and nature of American involvement in the conflict. Making more sense of what happened in the conflict than most books, this is a thoughtful, well-made work. References Sheehan, Nei l. (1988). A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. New York: Random House.

That Elusive Will o the Wisp

That Elusive Will o the Wisp That Elusive Will o the Wisp That Elusive Will o the Wisp By Maeve Maddox A quaint, but still useful term of interest to writers is the expression will o the wisp. The literal sense of will o the wisp is a phosphorescent light that occurs over marshy ground. It flits about and, according to observers, seems to retreat as one approaches it. The Latin term for this mysterious, elusive light is ignis fatuus [Ä ­gnÄ ­s fÄÆ'chÃ… «-É™s], foolish light. The will in will o the wisp is from a personal name: Will (William) of the wisp (like Jack olantern). The wisp is a lighted bunch of straw. Various legends have sprung up to explain the phenomenon. A common story is that a very wicked man (Will or Jack) was so bad that, not only was he rejected by Heaven, the Devil didnt want him in Hell, but did give him a coal from the eternal flames that he could carry about with him as he wandered the earth. Because the will o the wisp constantly retreats from anyone who tries to catch it, it has acquired the figurative meaning of something that misleads or deludes; an illusion. Here are some uses of the expression in different contexts: The hunt for the Great American Drama continues. It might be well for some of those who are still in pursuit of this will-o-the-wisp to pause long enough to discover the Great English Drama, the Great French Drama, the Great Spanish Drama, the Great Italian Drama, or even among the moderns the Great Norwegian or German Drama. NY TImes, Oct. 14, 1906 Global warming: Chasing a â€Å"Will o’ the Wisp† while ignoring a real monster in the sky headline, BrookesNews.com Aug. 27, 2007 Rather than jettisoning the New Economy in a will-o-the-wisp search for another magic formula, we ought to treasure what it does well. LA Times, July 3, 2001   Do you see that absolutely gorgeous creature over there with half the room surrounding them in awe-struck admiration? That is the local Will-O-the-Wisp (WOW) charming the pants off of everyone while delivering almost nothing. (The Will-O-the-Wisp Abnormal Personality) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for Money"Owing to" vs "Due to"5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation

A Reflection on the Welfare Provisions

A Reflection on the Welfare Provisions Welfare is the provision of necessary supports- be it monetary, social, or otherwise, for people who lack the current means to support their basic needs. The main goal of welfare is to aid those who do not have the ability to meet these needs with the income that they are currently earning. This welfare is usually provided by the government and takes form in different programs and policies. The social welfare system mainly addresses the social problems of poverty, disability, and the economic disparity that is found between the middle and upper classes and the lower class population. Economic welfare impacts the poor in many different ways by aiming to close the gap between where an individual is currently living financially and the level needed to support basic human needs. Programs such as TANF, food stamps, and housing and childcare vouchers are mainly aimed to help those living in poverty as they are need based programs. In order for an individual or family to be able to participate in these programs, they need to meet certain criterion that are based on poverty and financial aid. One issue directly stemming from this is that these programs are not available for those families deemed to be living above poverty. For those just above the need requirements for welfare programs, they may still be struggling to make ends meet but are not able to receive any governmental aid. This brings about the question of how we define poverty and the poverty line. Should those living above poverty but still struggling be able to receive financial aid? Does this require a shi ft in how we define the poverty line? Social welfare programs to aim to lessen the percentage of people living in poverty, but it’s important to consider just how successful different programs are. Social welfare is defined mainly as â€Å"direct public provision of cash and in-kind benefits to individuals and families, free or at below market cost† (Abramovitz). This system is often thought of as only serving to help poor people, but what many don’t realize is that its reach goes far beyond that. There are many social welfare programs that benefit middle and upper class people, and these programs are often seen to receive more federal funding and less stipulations than those that serve the lower class. Middle class and wealthy families do benefit from welfare in many ways. In 2000, the government spent more than 3 times as much funding on programs that do not require poverty or other need as a specification in order to receive aid than on the programs that did directly affect those living in poverty. There are many reasons for the disparity in funding- one main one being that there is a larger number of people living above the poverty line than those living at or below it. This difference also stems from the fact that program requirements for inclusion are normally less restrictive for those programs that benefit the middle and upper classes. These differences are highlighted in the U.S. House Committee on Way and Means’s comparison of disparities in average monthly cash benefits of individuals in welfare programs. This report looked at social security and public assistance as the two main categories of welfare programs, then focusing in on benefits per person. Retired worke rs received about $800 per month from social security while a family of 3 received $420 per month from TANF. This is just one disparity that helps us to see where society places its values. Historically, US policies and programs have treated those in the working class as more deserving of aid than people without jobs and single mothers. There’s a severe discrepancy in how we view those with and without jobs- often including an assumption that people without jobs are simply lazy and that single mothers are undeserving recipients because of their marital status. Social insurances are based on an individual’s prior earnings and â€Å"payroll contributions† (Marx) while public assistance is based on financial need. Social insurances such as social security are universal programs because they do not have a need-based criterion in order to participate. The latter is what is most commonly referred to as welfare, with much of the general public not recognizing that prog rams such as social security are also social welfare programs. Welfare benefits people of all classes in a multitude of ways. Society has, historically, looked down on welfare because it is seen as serving only those living in poverty. This fails to realize that the middle and upper classes also benefit from welfare programs, and that these programs are usually better funded than those serving the poor population. The social welfare system is expansive and aims to help people of all different financial levels.

Qualitative and quantitative research styles of nursing research Essay

Qualitative and quantitative research styles of nursing research - Essay Example The term Nursing Research refers to the application of scientific inquiry to phenomena of concern to nursing. The systematic investigation of patients and their health experience is the primary concern of nursing. Nursing Research seeks to find new knowledge that can eventually be applied in providing nursing care to patients. It includes both Qualitative and Quantitative methodologies. The distinction between qualitative and quantitative research in nursing is representative of a complex issue which will be simplified for the purposes of clarity and brevity. Qualitative researchers collect their data in real world, naturalistic settings. And, whereas a quantitative researcher usually strives to collect data in one type of setting to maintain constancy of conditions, qualitative researchers may deliberately strive to study their phenomena in a variety of natural contexts. Qualitative research reports are written in a more inviting and conversational style than quantitative ones, whic h are more impersonal and include information on statistical tests. Qualitative nursing researchers also strive to share their findings with others at conference and in journal articles. Qualitative findings because of their depth and richness, also lend themselves more readily to book-length manuscripts than do quantitative findings.Regardless of researchers’ position about when a literature review should be conducted, they usually include a summary of prior research in their reports as a means of providing context for the study.... Although this rate is somewhat better than rates reported elsewhere, it still concern that control of pain for dying patients is simply not good enough. Interestingly, families had more complaints about the management of pain for decedents who died at home, even though they did not report higher levels of pain. Perhaps this is because in the home setting, family members are more aware of pain management problems and bear more responsibility for direct care of such needs. Research reports tell a story. The style in which many research reports are written- especially reports in quantitative style, makes it difficult for beginning research consumers to become interested in the story. To unaccustomed audiences, research reports may seem stuffy, pedantic, and bewildering. Four factors contribute to this impression: -> Compactness. Journal space is limited, so authors try to compress many ideas and concepts into a short space. Interestingly, personalized aspects of the investigation often cannot be reported. And, in qualitative style, only a handful of supporting quotes can be included. ->Jargon. The authors of both quantitative and qualitative reports use research terms that are assumed to be part of readers' vocabulary, but they may seem esoteric. ->Objectivity. Quantitative researchers normally avoid any impression of subjectivity and thus research stories are told in a way that makes them sound impersonal. For example, most quantitative research reports are written in the passive voice. Use of the passive voice tends to make a report less inviting and lively than the use of the active voice, and it tends to give the