Music Listening Report :: essays research papers

When I sat down to do a Listening report last night, I started thinking, "Who am I kidding?". I am never going to push myself to listen to 15 Jazz CD’s in a week and a half, so I am going to do the remainder of my listening reports on music that I like to listen to. You may think it defeats the purpose of listening reports, but that’s not true. What these guys play may sound like heavily distorted noise, and too much yelling played at way too high of volumes to the average adult, and honestly, it is. But there is music, and every day 1000’s of kids are trying to teach themselves their favorite headliners, and that’s how we learn to play our instruments in the first place. So, now that I’ve convinced you WHY I am doing this listening report, here is the actual thing: The song (the only one by this group) on the CD is New Skin by Incubus which is really cool, because to most people it sounds a lot like rap, but to me it is a really fast-paced alternative music song because of the actual instrument playing (not featured in the basic drum tracks of rap music) and the repeated chorus, which sounds really cool because the bassist and lead vocals play and sing on a perfect 4th. The second group on the tour is Orgy. Their biggest headliner is Blue Monday, which is a really kickass remake of the David Bowie Original. Its about some guy who hated Mondays, so he went out and shot a bunch people, mostly kids I think, at some convention WAY back in the day. Then David Bowie wrote a song about it, and it was under a lot of heat. But now, Orgy made the song HUGE. It is an amazing song. Orgy has a very unique sound. They are sort of an Electro-Punk band. They have some really hardcore guitar riffs, but they also got some sweet Synth tracks and stuff like that. The best thing about them, though, has got to be their Vocal Distortions. They got this cool echo-y noise added to their voice. Orgy also performs Dissention and Gender. The next group is Limp Bizkit. These guys co-starred the tour, and performed such songs as Faith, you’ve probably heard people singing this song. Its another remake, I have no idea who wrote the original or why, but it’s a cool song, "Wouldn’t it be nice, If I could touch your body . . . ." That’s the opening of the song. They also redid an old House of Pain song, "Jump Around".

Responsibility Accounting Essay

It is impossible for top managers to make all the necessary decisions about everything except in very small organizations. Somehow at some point he has to delegate some decisions to those who are at the lower levels and are more knowledgeable to the everyday detail of the company’s operation. By empowering lower level managers to make decisions, decision-making authority is spread throughout the organization rather than being confined to a few top executives. Attached with this decentralized approach, are costs and decisions at each sub-level that managers have to be responsible for. Decentralized organizations need responsibility accounting systems to link the manager’s decision-making authority with accountability for the outcomes of those decisions and to make sure that they are in congruence with the organization’s goals. The term responsibility center is used in any part of the organization whose managers has control and is accountable for cost, profit or investment. An Organizational View of Responsibility Centers †¢The manager of an investment center has control over cost, revenue, and investments in operating assets. Investment centers are usually evaluated using return on investment (ROI) or residual income measures. †¢The manager of a profit center has control over both costs and revenue, but not over the use of investment funds. They are often evaluated by comparing actual profit to targeted or budgeted profit. †¢The manager of a cost center has control over costs, but not over revenue or the use of investment funds. Managers of cost centers are expected to minimize costs while providing the level of products and services demanded by other parts and stakeholders of the organization. For this decentralized structure to be effective, organizations need to employ responsibility accounting. Responsibility accounting refers to the various concepts and tools used by managerial accountants to measure the performance of people and departments to foster goal congruence. Below are some of the concepts and tools that managerial accountants used for responsibility accounting: 1.Segment Reporting – Income statements are generated from each part or activity of an organization (e.g. sales territories, individual stores, service centers, manufacturing plants, marketing departments, individual customers, and product lines). In utilizing this concept of reporting, managers have to identify traceable and common fixed costs and make use of activity-base costing if necessary. These segmented income statements are useful in analyzing the profitability of segments and in measuring the performance of segment managers. 2.Performance report of each responsibility centers – this shows the budgeted and actual amounts, and the variances between these amounts, of key financial results appropriate for the type of responsibility center involved. The data in a performance report help managers use management by exception either to control cost operations effectively, find ways to generate more profit or consider opportunities for investments. 3.Activity-based responsibility accounting – Under this approach, management is directed not only to the cost incurred in an activity but also to the activity itself. Questions like the following will be asked, â€Å"Is the activity necessary?† Does it add value to the organization’s product or service?† Can the activity be improved? By seeking answers to these questions, managers can eliminate non-value added activities and increase the cost effectiveness of the activities that do add value. 4.Customer Profitability Analysis – uses the concept of activity-based costing to determine how serving particular customers causes activities to be performed and costs to be incurred. This focus on major market segments, geographical regions, distribution channels or customers. This also helps managers gain insight into the factors that are driving the company’s performance. Goal congruence results when the managers of subunits throughout an organization strive to achieve the goals set by top management. Given the above concept and with proper implementation an organization is surely rising above its competitors. It is therefore recommended that while top management gave the subunit managers decision-making authority and responsibility accounting systems in place, it is still of utmost importance that both side will conduct regular dialogue and consultations for coordination and to keep each other expectations on the same level and to make sure that top management understands the concerns of the lower level managers and vice versa. Top management also must emphasize that the responsibility accounting systems main functions are information and not blame, make sure costs are distinguished properly between controllable and uncontrollable as this increases the effectiveness of cost management systems, and its usage is to motivate desired behavior that would be beneficial for both the company and the employees. So how does responsibility accounting fosters goal congruence? As companies adopt this concept, top level management can concentrate on bigger issues such as overall strategy of the company. This allows as well lower-level managers to respond more quickly to customers and to changes in the operating environment since layers of decisions makings and approvals have been eliminated, and lower managers are now given the chance to be trained for higher positions. Consequently, as lower level managers make decisions they are expected that their motivation for work and job satisfaction is increased because the decision-making authority empowers them. But the concept of responsibility accounting is not only limited to an organization’s structure. For any type of cost whether from an organization’s perspective or from your personal life, an important key to managing or controlling the cost is to make it someone’s responsibility. And whether we like it or not, decisions has to be made, the only difference is that if we are choosing to make the right decisions or the wrong ones.

The Antitrust Laws

The American government has engaged in the development of creating and enforcing legislation as the course of action for everyone to follow when dealing with labor issues and the workforce. In my research I found several pieces of legislation such as the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Act (Federal Trade Commission, n.d.), and per text the Wagner Act of 1935, and the Taft-Hartley Act (DeCenzo, 2016). Congress passed these legislation as the determining element in how much control that management and/or unions would have in protecting the rights of the workers and the organizations.The US government has been tangled in the development of acting as a intermediary among the corporations and unions with labor clashes. In the 1800's, there wasn't many laws that would govern how unions would operate within the organization. So in the early stages of unions organizations thought that the unions were illegal and that they would interfere with the progress of the organization.The Sherman Antitrust Act was the initial legislation implemented that shaped labor unions. This act was critical to the corporation because it prevented any â€Å"restraint of commerce across state lines and the courts ruled that union strikes or boycotts would be covered by the law†. There are two additional act of the Sherman Act, they are the Federal Trade Commission Act the prohibit bias procedures concerning competition and misleading forms of practice, the Clayton Act focuses on certain issues such as mergers and joining boards members . A main strike between the Pullman Palace Car Company and the American Railway Union, where workers walked off of the job, because wages was cut by as much as forty percent. At that time the organization was able to obtain an ruling that prevented both the walk-out and boycott. And because of this labor unions discovered that it would be harder to organize successfully (Shmoop, 2018).The National Labor Relation Act of 1935, which is also known as the Wagner Act was endorsed to protect both employers, and employees, it is the main key for union rights. The Wagner Act distinctively insist that employers should bargain in excellent confidence on issues such as wages, hours, and employment environments. This gave unions control over bias labor habits. Therefore, the Wagner Act empowered unions to be able to grow and advance, plus to establish unions permitting them to protect and bargain together, which means the workforce has the right to come as one to make their demands known even without a union (DeCenzo, 2016) (Shmoop, 2018). Because the Wagner Act sheltered the unions it led to the Taft-Hartley Act which is known as the Labor-Management Act (DeCenzo, 2016). This act covered the concerns of the employer in preventing bias practices of the unions. It prohibited closed stops by declaring them illegal and empowering the states to pass laws that would decrease mandatory union representation. It also, disallowed secondary boycotts by giving the president authority whenever differences may influence national security. Both parties must bargain in â€Å"good faith† by coming to the table intending to reach an agreement. But if they don't reach one the Taft-Hartley developed the FMCS to help in the talks (DeCenzo, 2016). All of these laws are very important to the corporations and unions since they're the source of the relationship that is among the workforce and the employer. While the NLRA has changed over time it is very important because it includes how both should work together throughout the bargaining process. And how the Taft-Hartley manages the length of the relationship. But they safeguard that everyone should work collectively throughout the conditions of the association. As a result unionized workers through combined efforts of both the union and organizations cooperative bargaining have produced better wages, benefits , safe environment, and health conditions for the workforce. They have also included better opportunities for the non-unionized workers (Walters, 2003).ReferencesDeCenzo, D. A. (2016).Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 12th Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons Inc.Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.).Retrieved from The Antitrust Laws: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/antitrust-lawsShmoop. (2018).Retrieved from History of Labor Unions: https://www.shmoop.com/history-labor-unions/law.htmlWalters, M. a. (2003, 8 26). Economic Policy Institute.Retrieved from How unions help all workers: https://www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_bp143/..

Clarifying Personal Values

In my personal opinion a moral dilemma is one having to choose between what is right and what is wrong. This could be taken in several different ways, and might not be what others view as the right definition however this definition is in my own words. Moral. 2013. In Merriam-Webster. com. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/moral, the meaning of moral is â€Å"of or relating to principals of right or wrong in behavior. † When looking at this specific definition you are unable to complete your assessment without also including the definition of dilemma.Dilemma. 2013. In Merriam-Webster. com. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/dilemma, a dilemma is â€Å"an argument presenting two or more equally conclusive alternatives against an opponent, in other words a usually undesirable or unpleasant choice. † An example of a moral dilemma that I personally have experienced was choosing whether or not i t would be acceptable to call the police and have my sister arrested for theft and possession of prescription medications which she stole from our mother.I had battled along-side my sister for 15 years with her drug addiction and I had finally come to my limit. I decided that it would be in her and her children’s best interest if she was forced into a rehabilitation situation and become the person that I knew she could be and also be capable of raising her children with the right morals and in the right type of environment. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life, but I believe it was what was best for her. That was in October of 2009 and she has remained drug free ever since and her children are growing and thriving!While ethical dilemmas are similar to moral dilemmas, it seems that there is a generous amount of definitions. Upon researching and synthesizing 38 different definitions, Lewis (1985) defines business ethics as comprising the r ules, standards, principles, or codes giving guidelines for morally right behavior and truthfulness in specific situations. This tells me that an individual must make the right decision based on the best interest of themselves and/or the company regarding any ethical dilemmas that arise. An example of an ethical dilemma that my husband has recently had to make a ecision on is co-workers cutting corners on their job details and causing machinery to be pushed back for repairs prior to approval of shipment. I am unable to reveal the name of the company, however I can tell you that it is a multi-million dollar company that is international and if a machine went to a customer with parts not working correctly, it would not just be the customer that suffers. This would affect the customer, their state, and possibly more territories. My husband had to make the choice to speak to his supervisor privately and anonymously to get this situation taken care of.Not only could the machine not work correctly, there could also have been injuries to the other workers in the plant as well as potential injuries to the customer. Appendix C Clarifying Personal Values Each of you will be faced with numerous moral and ethical dilemmas throughout your career. To be prepared to make these ethical decisions, it is helpful to clarify your personal values, and morals before you are faced with an ethical dilemma. Review the following list of values and create a list of the five values most important to you in making decisions. acceptance accomplishment adventure ambition ssertiveness beauty bravery compassion competence conformity creativity customer satisfaction discipline diversity equality fairness flexibility freedom honor humility loyalty obedience order power promise keeping respect responsibility risk taking service success teamwork tradition trust understanding winning | | |List of Five Important Values | |1. | | |Competence | |2. | | | |Diversity | |3. | | | |Respect | |4. | | |Teamwork | |5. | | | |Trust | I think that my personal decision-making process is based on each situation that arises. I would have to say that I usually go with the moral dilemma way of thinking and choose what is right versus what is wrong. When it comes to an employment situation, I have had to make a few tough decisions on the ethical side of things.I’ve witnessed fellow employees being called nasty names by upper management, customers being treated rudely because of their race or religious beliefs, and individuals with mental disabilities treated with no respect and treated no better than a bee buzzing around someone’s head. It’s not easy to make a decision that can affect so many individuals, but in my eyes, as well as with the morals that my parents raised me with, doing what is right is always the best way to go. I think that when I look at the list that I chose, that I have given myself a pretty close-nit grouping.I find that when working in any type of industry, it is pertinent to have employees that are competent within their positions. Having a diverse group of employees allows for a larger opinion base and also shows that individuals that are very different in their own personal lives are able to work well together, thus showing the teamwork. Without teamwork, most businesses would fail miserably. It may take several different types of individuals to make a whole, and each of these people have a specific position within the company, but as a whole they ARE the company.I think that respect is a major factor when looking at business ethics. I do not believe that it matters where you stand within the company. I feel that each person deserves the respect of their fellow employees as well as management, owners, customers, etc. Once all of these factors are met then you have built a trust within the company base that allows for each individual department to depend on the others to carry out their roles so that all the puzzle piec es fit. I personally think that my own values are the reason that I choose right versus wrong. Sometimes it might not be the â€Å"best† decision, but morally nd ethically I choose to be open and honest about things that I see or find that are not in the best interest of a company, or even in my own personal life. Making the decision to have my sister arrested for her drug addiction was morally right but it was devastating to her children, my parents, and my own individual family. I chose the moral route of right, but in my mind it felt so wrong. Taking my niece and nephews’ mother away from them was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The decision-making process that I had to go through took a total of 15 minutes (the time it took for me to drive from my home to my parents’ home. I knew that I HAD to make her own up to her mistakes and get the children out of that environment. Just because I did what was morally right, doesn’t make it any differe nt in my heart. I personally don’t think that my personal values differ from that of an organization. I feel that I would make the right choice no matter what the situation. If I knew that a fellow employee was stealing from the company I would turn them in, but I would also hope that because I came forward regarding the situation that the management would not punish me or look at me any differently.I would not be coming forward because of a dislike for the other person, I would be coming forward because what they were doing would be wrong and the company would suffer from it. I would report any discrimination, theft, or inappropriate behaviors by others if need be. It would not only affect the company, but it would also affect me personally. This assignment has made me look closely at my background and see that I have had to make a lot of tough decisions, as have some individuals very close to me, however I believe that doing what is right will always trump choosing to eithe r ignore it or choosing the wrong way to go.Looking at the list above, I believe that all of these things are important for any one individual. Without having a lot of these traits, a person might not be the best fit for a company, nor would they be one of those individuals that I would allow in my life, let alone my children’s lives. If I am unable to trust, rely, or respect a person because of their choices, then that person is not somebody who needs to be involved with me or the company that I am working for.References Trevino, L. , & Nelson, K. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (5th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Malpas, J. , â€Å"Donald Davidson†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), URL = . Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary copyright  © 2013 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Lewis, P. V: 1985, ‘Defining â€Å"Business Ethics†: Like Nailing Jello to a Wall', Journal of Business Ethics 4(5), 377-383.

If only God had made Adam & Steve, instead of Adam & Eve

In â€Å"Let Gays Marry,† Andrew Sullivan responds to conservative objections to same-sex marriages, by arguing that allowing such unions would actually promote traditional values, such as fidelity, monogamy, and love. It should logically appeal to straight conservatives, who deplore gay male promiscuity, that the declaration of Supreme Court: â€Å"A state cannot deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws,† now assigns equal rights to gays and lesbians. Andrew Sullivan is a senior editor at The New Republic, a magazine he edited from 1991 to 1996, and the U. S. columnist for the Sunday Times of London. He has a B. A. in modern history and modern languages from Oxford University and a Ph. D. in political science from Harvard University. He lives in Washington, D. C. The real problem is that there are really only three arguments against gay marriage: One is rooted in entirely God's preferences, the second cites inconclusive research on its negative effects on children, and third, the integrity of a marriage as a legal document. Sullivan effectively presents his case in a very logical fashion, calmly displaying his points, and using a statement declared by the United States Supreme Court, under which no gay men or lesbians will be considered strangers in America. They (Gays) are human beings just like you and I, â€Å"the sons and daughters of countless mothers and 2 fathers,† and should have the same opportunities to pursue happiness by marrying the one that they love. A natural process, where two people fall in love and decide to get married, is not any different for gay people. Therefore legalizing gay marriages does not provide gays with any special rights or place in America, but instead people will consider them to be an equal part of the society. The main idea is homosexuals should have the right to get married legally. Sullivan does not want churches to make any change in their practice, but to allow everyone to be who he/she is, a principle that the United States was created on. Plus, the concept of marriage has changed within the past one hundred years. The inter-caste and the inter-religion marriages which were once prohibited or forbidden between couples, has now become socially acceptable. Gay marriages do not change anyone else's rights or marriages in any way. Marriage is not just about raising children because the fact that many notable â€Å"childless heterosexual couples† exist in today's society, such as Bob Dole and his wife Elizabeth Dole, etc. Sullivan concludes by telling the general public to accept homosexual marriages and the fact that they will not be the turning point for the downfall of all society. Although I agree with Sullivan when he says, legalizing gay unions would not change anyone's right to marriage, I find Bennett's view more powerful, that it would weaken the institution of marriage, and contradict natural, moral, religious, and sexual realities. After reading Sullivan's article, I question his credibility, as he didn't provide enough evidence to get his point through. His approach toward his readers is with a lot of pathos, rather than logos. For example, when he states â€Å"And what we 3 seek is not a special place in America†¦ o give back to our society,† it is not clear as to what he means by giving back. When he argues about the definition of marriage, Sullivan fails to see the change, which was brought about for the welfare of the people (inter-caste marriages, inter-religion marriages, etc. ), consisted of a â€Å"man† and a â€Å"woman†, not two men, or two women. I would have agreed to the assertion, â€Å"the most simple, the most natural, and the most human instinct,† if it was used to prove the relationship between a male and a female. But using it to persuade about the same sex marriage doesn't cheer me up. To answer the question of whether gay and lesbian couples should have the right to marry, the question of why the institution of marriage is valued so dearly in society today must be answered. To do this, the meaning of the word marriage must be found, remembering that there are different levels in which marriage can be interpreted and/or evaluated. As with many other issues, when one tries to define the word marriage and its repercussions in society, several fundamental questions arise that must be answered in order to get a better understanding of the issue in question. Questions like: What is marriage defined as? In Webster's Dictionary, marriage is defined as â€Å"The institution whereby men and women are joined in special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family. † This concept seems to have been perpetuated throughout history, one man and one woman joined â€Å"till death do them part. † Keeping the above points in view, same sex marriages defy the laws of Christianity, and it is immoral in the eyes of society. Homosexuality in almost all countries has been looked down upon, and sometimes condemned. This opposition stems from the Holy 4 Bible. The couple in the Garden of Eden was a man and a woman, not two men or two women. If God intended two men or two women to be together, he would have put them in the Garden of Eden, giving them both the ability to have children. But that didn't happen. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, for the procreation of life. God wanted man and woman to reproduce with one another in order for the human race to continue. Today, adoption has taken a turn for the worse; Gay and Lesbian couples who cannot have their own children are adopting kids. I see this as one of the concerned problems. What kind of message are these kids getting? That homosexuality is all right. Moreover, the impact of this move can be devastating on the children as they grow up. For example, they might have to face a lot of challenges, like people taunting them, name calling, making fun, etc. Homosexuality is rejected by all major religions around the globe, but Andrew Sullivan still believes that promiscuity in homosexual relationships can show heterosexual couples that adultery doesn't have to end their marriage. The Bible states, â€Å"Leviticus 20:13: If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. † Thus, a 4000 year old book had an answer to the question being asked today. i. e. = Same Sex Marriage– Ethical or Unethical?

W.L. Gore Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W.L. Gore - Assignment Example In this regard, the company manufactures lifesaving cardiovascular equipment and guitar strings. The manufacturing operations of the company are spread across China, Scotland, Germany and Japan. The company is renowned for its innovative fabric known as GORE-TEX that has led to its achievement of over 2,000 patents globally. Its brand is visible in jackets, head ware, boots, gloves, guitar strings and NASA astronauts’ space suites (Gore, 2008). The work ethic of employees is based on lattices that promote direct interaction between associates. Thus the employees transcend to leaders subject to their attributes in attracting followers and gaining the respect of their colleagues (Gore, 2008). Furthermore, each manufacturing plant is allocated a minimum number of associates since it maximizes returns and synergies as well as contributing to the improvement of quality. In addition, the company continuously constructs new manufacturing plants within its area of operations. For example, there are 18 manufacturing plants within a radius of 30 miles in Delaware OF United States (Gore, 2008). In this regard, the employees of Gore have exhibited a positive attitude in their wo rk and increased quality of output. This has led to the company’s success in which it has consistently been listed as among the top 100 companies to work in as an employee. The company is renowned for a structure that goes against the conventional business leadership model in that it employees a structure that is hierarchy free. In this regard, the company has no managers, job titles or descriptions (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2011). The only structure is composed leaders and associates. The company equally does not have any union representation or defined Human Resource procedures or policies. In this regard, the company is not aligned with the standard or conventional Human Resource structure. In addition, the company promotes the philosophy of ‘natural leadership’ in that

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

Kodak - Case Study Example Besides, the Company has been creating differentiated value offerings in new growth markets, waiting to be revolutionized. The Company’s four selected growth products include consumer inkjet in CDG division, and commercial inkjet, workflow software and services, and packaging solutions in GCG division (Kodak Annual Report, 2010). The Company’s business strategy is aligned with performance-Based compensation. The component of compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers’ yearly target overall direct compensation is variable and based on performance and equity price rise, which can go to the limit of 69% to 87% (162) (Kodak Annual Report, 2010). Market competition has been one of the big pressures, creating risky situations on Kodak’s income, total profits, and its market share as well. Market is quite powerful and highly competitive. Market for new products lacks the leverage that old players have from the scale of distributors. Besides, Kodak faces price competition on global front, affecting Kodak’s functional and financial position from product pricing and across the industry pricing pressures. Therefore, Kodak is highly under pressure to reduce prices to remain in the market although it is affecting the company’s overall profit levels and income (Kodak Annual Report, 2010). Kodak business model in 2010 was focused on primary growth strategy, which was negatively impacted because of competitive pricing and increasing commodity costs in relatively mature product categories, such as Prepress Solutions, Digital Capture and Devices, and Entertainment Imaging. Goals for 2011 were aimed at Kodak business model in 2010 was focused on primary growth strategy, which was negatively impacted because of competitive pricing and increasing commodity costs in relatively mature product categories, such as Prepress Solutions, Digital Capture and Devices, and Entertainment Imaging. Goals for 2011 were aimed at The Company has