Bech Boys Essays - Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson

Bech Boys Essays - Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson Bech Boys The Beach Boys Beginning their career as the most popular surf band in the nation, the beach boys finally emerged by 1966 as Americas biggest pop group, the only one other group to challenge this was the Beatles. In 1961 debut with the popular hit Surfin, the three Wilson brothers, Brian, Denies, and Carl. Plus cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine constructed the most intricate, gorgeous harmonies ever heard from a pop band. With Brians studio proficiency growing by leaps and bounds during the mid-60s, the Beach Boys also proved to be one of the best produced groups of the 60s. Though Brians escalating drug use and obsessive desire to trump the Beatles, eventually led to a nervous breakdown after he heard Sgt. Peppers Lonely heart club band, the group soldiered on long into the 1970s and 80s, with Brian only an inconsistent participant. The bands post 1966 material is often maligned , but the truth is the Beach Boys continued to make great music well into the 70s. Displayed best on 1970s Sunflower, each member revealed individual talents that had never been fully developed during the mid-60s, but they still became Americas first, best rock band. Situated close to the pacific coast. The three sons of a part time song writer and occasionally abusive father, Brian, Denies and Carl grew up a few miles from the ocean, but only Denies had any interest in surfing. The three often harmonized together as youths, spurred on by Brians fascination with 50s vocal acts like the Four Freshmen and the Hi-Los. Their cousin Mike Love often joined in on the impromptu session, and the group gained a fifth with Brians high school football teammate, Al Jardine. His parents helped rent instruments, with Brian on bass, Carl on guitar, Denies on drums, and studio time to record Surfin, a novelty number written by Brian and Mike Love. The single, initially released in 1961 on candix and billed to the Pendletones, prompted a little national chart actions and gained the renamed Beach Boys a contract with capitol negotiated by the Wilsons father Murray, who took over as manager for the band. Finally, in mid 1962 the groups released their major-label debut, Surfin Safari. The single hit the top 20 and helped launch a surf-rock craze that blossomed around southern California and sparked artists like Dick Dale, Jane and Dean , the Chantays, and dozens more. A similarly theme follow up, Surfin USA, hit the top in early 1963 before Jardine returned from school and resumed his place in the group. By that time , the Beach Boys had recorded their first two albums. By the end of 1963, the Beach Boys had recorded three full LPs, hit the top ten as many times, and toured incessantly. Brian had begun to grow as a producer, and was acknowledged as such by their third LP, Surfer Girl. Though there were still plenty of surf songs on the album, Catch A Wave, In My Room, and the title track presented a leap in song writing, production and group harmony that was simply astonishing considering the brief length of time that the group had actually been recording artists. Inspired by Brians intense scrutiny of the wall of sound productions by Phil Specter, the song revealed a depth of musical knowledge that was intuitive and unerring. With the Beach Boys as his musical messengers to the world, Brian began working full time in the studio, writing songs and enlisting the cream of Los Angeles session players to record the instrumental backing tracks before Carl, Denies, Mike and Al returned to add vocals. The single Help Me, Rhonda became the Beach Boys second chart topper in the early 1965. The groups seventh studio LP, the Beach Boys today!, was the great leap forward that saw Brians production skills hit another level entirely. The rock eras first flirtation with extended album length statements, side two of the record presented a series of downtempo ballads, arranged into a suite that stretched the groups lyrical concerns beyond youthful infatuation and into more adult notions of love. In late 1965, the Beatles released rubber soule, and Brian was amazed at the consistently high quality of the songs on the

Distinguishing Between Hardwood and Softwood Trees

Distinguishing Between Hardwood and Softwood Trees The terms hardwood and softwood are widely used in the construction industry and among woodworkers to distinguish between species with wood regarded as hard and durable and those that are considered soft and easily shaped. And while this is generally true, it is not an absolute rule. Distinctions Between Hardwood and Softwood In reality, the technical distinction has to do with the reproductive biology of the species. Informally, trees categorized as hardwoods are usually deciduous - meaning they lose their leaves in the autumn. Softwoods are conifers, which have needles rather than traditional leaves  and retain them through the winter. And while generally speaking the average hardwood is a good deal harder and more durable than the average softwood, there are examples of deciduous hardwoods that are much softer than the hardest softwoods. An example is balsa, a hardwood that is quite soft when compared to the wood from yew trees, which is quite durable and hard. Really, though, the technical distinction between hardwoods and softwoods has to do with their methods for reproducing. Lets look at hardwoods and softwoods one at a time.   Hardwood Trees and Their Wood Definition and Taxonomy:  Hardwoods are woody-fleshed plant species that are angiosperms (the seeds are enclosed in ovary structures). This might be a fruit, such as an apple, or a hard shell, such as an acorn or  hickory nut.  These plants also are not monocots (the seeds have more than one rudimentary leaf as they sprout). The woody stems in hardwoods have vascular tubes that transport water through the wood; these appear as pores when wood is viewed under magnification in cross-section.  These same pores create a wood grain pattern, which increases the woods density and workability.Uses: Timber from hardwood species is most commonly used in furniture, flooring, wood moldings, and fine veneers.  Common species examples: Oak, maple, birch, walnut, beech, hickory, mahogany, balsa, teak, and alder.Density: Hardwoods are generally denser and heavier than softwoods.  Cost: Varies widely, but typically more expensive than softwoods.Growth rate: Varies, but all grow more slowl y than softwoods, a major reason why they are more expensive. Leaf structure: Most hardwoods have broad, flat leaves that shed over a period of time in the fall. Softwood Trees and Their Wood Definition and Taxonomy:  Softwoods, on the other hand, are  gymnosperms  (conifers) with naked seeds not contained by a fruit or nut. Pines,  firs, and spruces, which grow seeds in cones, fall into this category. In conifers, seeds are released into the wind once they mature. This spreads the plants seed over a wide area, which gives an early advantage over many hardwood species.Softwoods do not have pores but instead have linear tubes called tracheids that provide nutrients for growth. These tracheids do the same thing as hardwood pores - they transport water and produce sap that protects from pest invasion and provides the essential elements for tree growth.Uses: Softwoods are most often used in dimension lumber for construction framing, pulpwood for paper, and sheet goods, including particleboard,  plywood, and fiberboard.Species examples: Cedar, Douglas fir, juniper, pine, redwood, spruce, and yew.Density: Softwoods are typically lighter in weight and less dense than hardwoods.Cost: Most species are considerably less expensive than hardwoods, making them the clear favorite for any structural application where the wood will not be seen. Growth rate: Softwoods are fast-growing as compared to most hardwoods, one reason why they are less expensive.Leaf structure: With rare exceptions, softwoods are conifers with needle-like leaves that remain on the tree year-round, though they are gradually shed as they age. In most cases, a softwood conifer completes a changeover of all its needles every two years.

Environmental Laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental Laws - Research Paper Example National Environmental Policy Act was instituted by U.S. national policy to promote the enhancement of the environment. Furthermore, it established the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) of the president. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Introduction The economic has a big role in determining how many and the type of environmental laws to be passed. Environmental law is a general term that describes international treaties, regulations, statues and national legislation or common law that works to regulate interaction of humanity and natural environment. This is mainly so as to reduce impacts of human activity. There are a number of laws that are created by economic conditions: National Environmental policy Act, oil pollution Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Food Quality Protection Act, Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act among others. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of United States e nvironmental law. It was established in 1970; moreover, it was the first statues of the environment belonging to the modern era. Furthermore, The National Environmental Policy Act was established by U.S. ... The most significant effect of NEPA was to establish procedural requirements for all federal government agencies to prepare environmental assessments and environmental impact statements . Furthermore, EAs and EISs include statements of the effects of the proposed federal agency actions to the environment. Moreover, procedural requirements of NEPA procedural apply to all federal agencies in the executive branch. However, NEPA does not apply to the President, to Congress, or to the federal courts. NEPA has three sections: the proclamation of national environmental goals and policies, the instituting of provisions that are action-forcing for federal agencies to ensure observation of those policies and goals and lastly, the establishment of a Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in the president’s Executive Office. Furthermore, The NEPA process comprises of an evaluation of applicable environmental effects of a federal project task, including a series of relevant alternatives. M oreover, the NEPA process begins with developing a proposal by an agency to address a need to take an action. Once a decision on whether or not the actions proposed is covered under NEPA is made. In addition, there are three analysis levels that a federal agency may accomplish to comply with the law (Stern, et al, 2009). These three levels include: Categorical Exclusion preparation, preparation of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of number Significant Impact; or drafting and preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. 3 Furthermore, a major federal action has been increased in scope to include most things that a federal agency could regulate or prohibit. Moreover, in practice, a project is expected to meet guidelines of NEPA when a federal agency gives any part of the financing

Redesign project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Redesign project - Essay Example Mixing such pertinent equipment as nails and reverting materials among others may compromise the safety of the installation process. For a safer installation process, only an experienced professional and not any other person who may obtain the manual must do the installation. Warning/ Caution Never, stand or walk on the glass panel. Such actions may result in the instantaneous breakage of the panel thereby jeopardizing the equipment besides potential risk it presents to the installer. Protect the sheathing from any source of wetness at all costs. Failure of such during the installation process may cause leaks therefore do not work during stormy weather. Do not cut or attempt to modify the mounting systems. Ensure the use of the equipment provided by the company and replacing damaged equipment. The modification of such important equipment may compromise the safety of the work environment. Points to consider when selecting the installation position The point of location is one of the m ost critical contributors to the effectiveness of the solar system. The installer must therefore consider several factors that contribute to both the effectiveness and the safety of the installation process as listed below: Do not locate the systems near salt-water locations. The installer must maintain a 0.3 meters radius from such locations. Salt water corrodes the surface thus reducing the use of the systems. Inspection of the roof support system is vital and the installer must ensure that the roof is strong enough to endure the weight of the panel. In inspecting the roof support system, the installer must check to ensure that the support is durable and will therefore last as long as the panel lasts. Inspection of the roof is equally important and the installer must ensure that the roof is capable not only of supporting the panel but also expose the panel to adequate sunlight. The condition of the roof should promise the longevity of the panel any repairs to the roof must take pl ace before the installation as subsequent repairs may disrupt the use of the panel. More importantly, the roof must prove the ability to support the weight of the panel and provide ease of wiring. Please note: Install the panels at approximately twelve inches from the ridges of the roof. Additionally to ensure the effective usability of the panels, do not install the solar panels in either windy or stormy regions as such are not the best weather conditions for the use of the panels and may also pose serious risks during the installation process. PV Modules Wiring is essential during the installation process and presents potential risks to both the installer and the users of the solar panels. The installer must therefore ensure that: The wiring process is in accordance to the dictates of the National Electrical Code. In this, the government outlines the quality of wires to use and the equipment to use during wiring. Failure to comply with the provisions is a criminal offense. Note th at the solar panels produce electric current with any minimal exposure to direct sunlight at any time and thus presents potential shock risks to both the installer and anybody else. The installer must prevent any contact with naked wires during the wiring process and discourage the presence of anybody not

Intelligence Community Organization Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intelligence Community Organization - Coursework Example errorism Prevention Act of 2004 that lead in the creation of the office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) influencing in the birth of the current structure of the Intelligence. The U.S. Intelligence Community consists of 17 agencies that encompass the Intelligence Community itself. The paper describes the structure of the U.S. Intelligence Community and further illustrates whether its meeting its primary purpose. The structure of the U.S Intelligence Community consists of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) at the top, headed by the director of national intelligence (DNI); who is the principal intelligence adviser to the president. In addition, he guides other senior personnel such as the National Security Council (NSC), the Homeland Security Council (HSC) as well as leading the other 16 agencies that includes Intelligence Community (IC). According to Aldrich & Rawnsley(2013), the main agenda of the IC involves directing and coordinating the National foreign intelligence activities of the U.S. government. The principal deputy director is the second in command after the DNI then followed by four deputy directors that are responsible for the leadership in their specialized areas: office of the Deputy Director for Policy, Plans and Representatives, Office of the Deputy Director for Collection, Deputy Director for Analysis and Deputy Director for Future Capabilities (Freedman, 2014). The ODNI serves as the central Intelligence Community but all the other bodies are interconnected with the ODNI and with each other at different levels. Logan (2010) illustrates that each agency has been entitled to work independently at its own capacities and focus on area of duty but together as a unit to protect the national security. Other agencies include the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); it is an independent agency known as the America’s spy Agency, involved in collection, analyzes and disseminates intelligences about foreign nations. The Federal

Analyze Role Of Mentor Developing And Delivering Teaching Nursing Essay

Analyze Role Of Mentor Developing And Delivering Teaching Nursing Essay The role of the mentor in nursing is a crucial one and should not be undertaken lightly, it is a privilege with much responsibility, as the mentor is accountable for their own and their mentorees performance. It is a privilege as a professional nurse mentor to be able to help a student realize their potential and rewarding to see them putting the theory they have learned into practice and helping them get the most out of their placement. The role of the mentor cannot be over-emphasized; learning experience in the clinical setting ensures that the nurses and midwives of the future are fit to practice (RCN, 2007) and in this way the role is central to patient safety. Most registered nurses in the NHS will be expected to assume the role of mentor and with 50% of pre-registration nursing programs embedded in practice (RCN, 2007), with resources becoming less and less and the NHS becoming busier and busier, practice learning and mentoring play an increasingly important role. Mentorees nee d to be able to rely on the consistency, competency and superior knowledge and professionalism of the mentor to guide their learning, assess their competence and thus effectively act as gate keepers to the profession (Duffy, 2004) and as such is an extremely important role. The following essay will draw upon types of leadership to enhance the skills of the mentor and improve the relationship between the mentor and mentoree. The first question that needs addressing, is what is a mentor?. There exists many definitions, and the term mentoring has been used interchangeably with, preceptor, coach, supervisor and teacher (Morton-Cooper Palmer, 2000). Price (2004) defined it as an experienced professional friend, charged with the teaching, guidance and assessment of a learner in practice. The NMC considered it as, a mandatory requirement for pre-registration nursing and midwifery students (NMC, 2006a). Some have defined mentoring as essentially an evidence-based intervention that inspires confidence and innovation, and encourages continuous professional development, (Jakubic, 2004). In addition mentoring can be both informal and formal; informal mentoring is often used as an adjunct to the more formal process of supervision and is based on a agreed plan of action to help the mentor achieve realistic goals or address specific problem areas. Whereas formal mentoring involves a structured and time managed proces s with clearly set objectives to be realised in a timely manner (Tourigny Pilich, 2005). The role of the mentor primarily is to enable the student to understand the theory and its application in in the clinical context; the mentoree must learn to put theory and knowledge and be able to apply what they have learned to clinical practice. This process involves among others, assessing, evaluating and providing constructive feedback. It also involves assisting the mentoree in developing the ability to constructively reflect upon their practice and experiences and importantly be able to learn from this reflection (Schon, 1983). It is important to note that in order to facilitate reflection the mentor themselves must be able to self-reflect. The mentor must also have adequate knowledge and skills in order to integrate theory and practice effectively, (Eraut, 2004). The RCN (2007) in their toolkit for mentors draw attention to the obvious but crucial need for the mentors to be fit for effe ctive practice themselves and to have the depth and breadth of learning to be awarded a diploma or degree (RCN, 2007). The RCN also states that, a mentor is a role model and as such should be aware of their own practice and how it impacts the mentorees; the imitation of bad habits is not desirable. The mentor should be able to encourage, motivate and help the mentoree to improve skills and practice thereby increasing their confidence. It is also important that the mentor has the confidence in their own practice and knowledge in order for them to instill confidence in the mentorees. Mentors also need to have the experience and knowledge to identify learning points in practice, for example where something could have been done in a more productive manner or where an important mistake has been made; which is partly the reason for mentors being required to have at least one year experience post-registration. This can only really be achieved if the mentor has the interpersonal and communi cation skills required to build a professional relationship in which honest, objective and constructive feedback is received and given. It is also crucial for effective practice learning, that mentorees need time and attention from their mentors (the RCN, 2007, state that 40% of the time should be spent with the mentoree).Turner (2001) describes the pressures on clinical staff and the impact of high patient turnover resulting in little time to devote to the supervision of students; an issue that is exacerbated by the increasing demands on the available practice placements (Bennett 2003). This however is not set in stone as different people have different rates and styles of learning; what works for one does not necessarily work for all. The competent mentor should be able to discern the appropriate approach for each mentorees learning style and should not impose theire preferred way of learning and mentoring on the mentoree. Learning styles include; activists, those that are very active in their learning, reflectors, those that stand back and think over what they do and what others do, the theorists, they approach le arning from an almost empirical standpoint, they reject everything that does not have evidence and do not like subjectivity (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). The fourth style of learning (according to Honey Mumford, 2000) is that of the pragmatist; the pragmatist likes solving problems , likes to learn through trying new approaches and getting feedback, (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). Therefore if the mentoree has been identified as largely an activist then emphasis could be placed on learning through action, giving them new challenges often enough ensuring they do not get bored whilst making sure they learn and retain that learning, from each challenge and experience. It is down to the skills and competence of the mentor to detect the mentorees learning style and then tailor their learning plans, structures/ strategies to meet the needs of the mentoree. As well as interpersonal and professional leadership styles the mentor (and the mentoree) must both keep thorough records of the mentorees progress. Research has shown that innovation was taking place in practice based learning but it was not recognized because there was a lack of formal documentation (Aston et al, 2005). Effective and comprehensive records have to be completed so that the mentor can see how the mentoree is progressing and what they still need to work on. Similarly it is also important that the mentoree keeps thorough notes of what they should be doing, what they have found difficult and what they are still to do. A corollary to the need for thorough, comprehensive records is that of assessment which the mentor has to carry out; they must ensure that essential clinical skills are completed. To carry out a thorough assessment the mentor has to be sure what they want to measure and how measurement can be done, for example the mentor cannot asses most clinical skills by verbal communication alone, the mentoree must be observed in practice (perhaps asking patients if they thought their care was good). To be an effective mentor one must be able to evaluate which involves a number of skills, including observation, communication, confidence in ones own professional ability and knowledge. In the evaluation process the mentor must be able to identify problem areas partly by observing the mentorees practice and also by the mentorees self reports and assessment. It is also incumbent on the mentoree to identify failing students; this is crucial as patient safety could potentially be at risk if the mentor fails to spot a failing mentoree (RCN, 2007). There are a number of actions that a mentor can take to identify a struggling student; for example if a mentoree does not respond to constructive feedback and fails to incorporate improvements suggested by the mentor, if they are inconsistent in the clinical practice, high absence rate, or is unable to organize or plan their time adequately (Maloney et al., 1997). Duffy (2004), in her study of nurses in Scotland, found that all mentors highlighted the need for the topic of failing nurses to be addressed in mentorship programs. Duffy goes on and state that; the literature supports the view that mentors feel ill prepared for their role and given that mentors are ill prepared for their role in failing students it is recommended that mentorship programs address the issue of accountability (Duffy, 2004). The next section draws upon leadership styles to help the mentor. Any individual mentor will also have their own particular approach, Bayley et al (2004) list them as; authoritarian, as the name suggests, democratic, developmental, and task-orientated. The task-orientated approach, again as the name suggests, may be the most appropriate for a mentoree who has been identified largely as a pragmatist. The mentor should be able to understand and identify different learning styles and must adapt their own approach to mentoring to suit the needs of the mentoree. Moreover, the more contemporary styles from the leadership literature of transformative and transactional leadership styles can be applied to mentoring. The transformational leader (mentor) does not always lead from the front but tends to delegate responsibility amongst their team, they spend much of their time communicating and are highly visible and accessible (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). This leader tends to focus more on the needs of the members and their wants; they try to involve all members to work together. The transformational leader is quite similar to the democratic style as both leaders value fellow team members and focus on empowering nurses (Bayley, Chamber Donovan, 2004). Transformational leaders are inspirational and easily motivate those under their leadership (Aarons, 2006); they go above and beyond exchanges and rewards which are inherent in transactional leadership styles (see below). The transformational leadership style is said by some to be best suited to close supervisory relationships, compared with more distant relationships (Aarons, 2006) and this close relationship may be typical of a supervisor-supervisee relationship and is also captured in the notion of first-level leaders (Priestland, 2005). Mentors can be thought of as first level leaders as they are functionally close to the mentoree, in the organizational setting and because of that are vitally important, (Aarons, 2006). Mentors work closely with their mentoree, the RCN (2007) in t heir guidance for mentoring stipulates spending 40% of the time working and observing the mentoring. This leadership style would be good for the mentor mentoree relationship as the mentor is inspirational, positive and innovative; inspiring new, creative ideas and fosters an open honest learning relationship. This is a type of leadership that allows a person to step away from their comfort zone, promotes a high level of openness and innovation, is externally open in the hope of developing a high level of discovery and competence; they embrace deep change in order to obtain meaning, purpose and vision. The transformational leader (mentor) according to Aarons (2006) is a leader that works towards a goal in order for both members to benefit (Aarons, 2006). This style although appropriate for the needs of the mentor-mentored context perhaps could benefit from the some of the principles from the transactional leadership style outlined below. The transactional leadership is orientated towards satisfying subordinates self interest through suitable transactions in the work environment, (Aarons, 2006 ). There is a clear structure with this leadership style and Aarons (2006) comments on it as being a give and take technique. Rewards are given for work that is done, the work is set for the members and recognition is given when the task is completed; in this way it would be applicable to the mentor-mentored as mentoring should have a clear structure and achievement should be rewarded, however failure should not be punished but recognized and learned from . The transformational leader is similar to the autocratic style as there are clear set tasks within set time frames, the task is order to be done by the leader and the members will follow orders in assurance they will be rewarded. Aspects of the transactional leadership coupled with the innovative and open transformational style may be the most appropriate style; providing bot h motivation, inspiration and structure and security. The new nurse has just stepped from a secure environment of university and now has to be able to control what is happening within their new clinical setting. Whilst structure and security are important for the mentoree it is also important that they feel they are able to speak freely, honestly and openly to their mentor; for example the mentor should encourage the student to ask questions and speak openly and honestly about their views on the progress, and the mentor should give praise where it is due, as suggested in the RCN Toolkit (2007).The new or student, nurse need to feel secure within the ward; they are new to the role within the team and have a need to be perceived as confident in what they are doing. The mentor is also responsible for the professional socialization of a new nurse in the clinical setting (Bulman Schultz, 2008). The need to fit in must be balanced with the need to perform. Professional socialization is s een to be a process in which a person acquires a professional identity, and thereby is accepted by others in the profession (Bulman Schultz, 2008). Having support from their mentor is vitally important when making the transition from student to qualified nurse; their experiences can help to set aside any worries and issues that are felt by the new nurse. The mentoree is on a journey with a steep learning curve and it is the role of the mentor to help the them navigate the problems and challenges and help transform them into learning experiences, therefore the mentor should be able to identify learning opportunities which step from student to staff nurse is a journey that involves many problems and uncomfortable situations, though these problems are what help the student to learn and develop. The mentor is an integral part of the learning and orientating process of the new nurse, not only do they explicitly teach and inform but they also play a large part in the implicit learning process; for example positive role modeling and practice under supervision of the mentor helps the mentoree to develop the processes of integrating the knowledge with the conditions under which that knowledge applies and the culture in which that knowledge is used. A key skill required of students is that they learn to integrate into the culture and communiti es of practice (Eraut 2003). Mentoring, in an increasingly stretched national health service, is becoming more and more important; if done effectively it can instill confidence and competence it can also ensure that the mentored are comfortable with their identities and competencies leading to the retention of good nurses who contribute in the effort and emphasis of maintaining nursing excellence in practice (Godfrey, Nelson, Purdy, 2004).

Cosmetic Surgery on Teenagers

Cosmetic surgery on teenagers Both texts, Valerie Ulene, â€Å"Plastic surgery for teens†, an article from Los Angeles Times website, January 12, 2009 and Camille Sweeney, â€Å"Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery†, an article from New York Times website, January 15, 2009, agree on the view on cosmetic surgery and query the idea of increased self-esteem to a certain point. Text 1, â€Å"Plastic surgery for teens†, focuses more on the surgery itself whereas text 2, Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery†, focuses more on the psychological part of cosmetic surgery.Even though they show two different sides of plastic surgery they still share some of the same statements of problems such as: which consequences surgery can lead to and which image issues teenagers’ face today. The fact that Diana Zuckerman, The president of the National Research center for Women and Families, appears in both articles makes them look alike in some cases, due to the similar chos en subjects. In text 1 Valerie Ulene emphasizes the issues of the modern world’s view on beauty and unrealistic ideals.These are some the primary problems that she discusses. In her discussion she actually refers to a study that shows no evidence of improved self-esteem after undergoing surgery. Valerie Ulene questions the surgeons, and that is where Dr. John Canedy, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, comes in. Dr. John Canedy himself seems to have a critical view on cosmetic procedures among teens as well. He doesn’t exclude improved self-esteem, but he thinks that the surgeons should select the patients carefully and after long consideration.As I mentioned before text 2, â€Å"Seeking Self-Esteem Through Surgery†, focuses a lot on the beauty and psychological issues such as: celebrity obsession and makeover TV shows. Another person who shares some of the same views is Jean Kilbourne, the co-author of â€Å"So Sexy, So Soon†. He talks about the impossibilities of meeting the standards and values of beauty. Ann Kearney-Cooke, likes to characterize this phenomena as â€Å"an epidemic of low self-esteem among girls†.Diana Zuckerman, which appears in both articles, says that teens often forget or ignore the fact that they aren’t guaranteed a better life afterwards and that’s a big problem. Valerie Ulene engages the readers in several ways. One of the methods she uses in the text is to personalize it by referring to herself and her beauty problems, more specifically her nose. This is something that appears throughout the text. She even mentions her teen daughter: â€Å"With a 14-year-old daughter of my own, I recognize how difficult it can be†.By this she also refers to parents banning teen plastic surgery, and that engages the readers personally. Most people could probably relate to most of the problems Valerie Ulene talks about and has experienced. By choosing such a big issue she gets a lot of readers who are more likely to find the article interesting. Another method of engaging the readers is to strengthen the reliability. She does this by including several experts, who uses facts and creates different views: â€Å"there is really no data to suggest that it improves their overall body image or self-esteem†, as Diana Zuckerman comments.The data doesn’t only support the experts but it also supports the importance of these issues. The debate of banning plastic surgery for teens is an all time debate that keeps reappearing, maybe not much here in Denmark, but other places like Brazil, USA, UK etc. The arguments are mostly the same when it comes to issues like this: on one side banning it would be necessary in some cases; on the other side we live in a modern world where people can be held responsible for their actions.This is also the general view in this case. On one side we’ve got the Australian state of Queensland which finds it necessary to ban plastic surgeries for teens, like Dr. Pete Constantino says: â€Å"If they aren’t old enough to sign their own surgical consent for a medically necessary procedure, then they shouldn’t be able to induce their parent to do for cosmetic surgery†. Teenagers are incapable of making such a big decision at that age.On the other side: is that limiting teenagers’ needs both psychologically and physically? The question is whether the government should decide which values, morals and norms are correct. In this case the best thing is to bane cosmetic surgeries for teenagers. Your body is still developing, and most teenagers aren’t responsible enough to make such big decisions. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Page 3, line 58. [ 2 ]. Page 2, line 26-17. [ 3 ]. Page 6, line 23-24.

7-11 Supply Operations Management

7-11 SOM Study – Final Group 1 LRSP – 433 March 3, 2010 Pledged 3/3/2010 Table of Contents Background2-3 Problem Statement4 Scope5 Service Design and Characteristics6 Service Analysis and Selection7-8 Sales Production & Forecasting9-11 Breakeven Analysis12-13 Capacity Management (includes Decision Tree)14-15 Inventory Management and Materials Requirements16 Logistics and Supply Chain Management17 Quality Management and Implementation18-19 Prototype Design20-21 Conclusions & Recommendations22 References23 Appendices – Tables/Figures/Graphs24 Background Extensive research into 7 Eleven’s history and current status finds there is no evidence 7-Eleven has ever had one of their stores provide a drive through service. The company that pioneered the convenience store concept was founded during 1927 in Dallas, Texas and the concept was developed during their first five years of operation. The company was initially an ice company and its retail outlets began selling milk, bread and eggs as a convenience to local customers. Almost 20 years later (1946) the name 7-Eleven originated in when stores adjusted their hours of operation to 7 a. m. to 11 p. m. (7-Eleven About Us, 2010). 7-Eleven, Inc. has become the world’s largest operator, franchisor and licensor of convenience stores. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company operates, franchises and licenses more than 6,970 stores in the U. S. and Canada. The company operates and franchises more than 5,900 (4,550 franchised) stores in the United States and they serve approximately seven million customers each day. Store count exceeded 36,000 worldwide in April 2009. Internationally, 7-Eleven operates, licenses and affiliates convenience stores in countries including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). 7-Eleven marketing strategy focuses the needs of convenience oriented customers by providing a broad selection of fresh, high quality products and services at everyday fair prices, and speedy transactions. Each store's selection of about 2,500 different products and services is tailored to meet the needs and preferences of local customers. Stores typically vary in size from 2,400 to 3,000 square feet and are most often located on corners for great visibility and easy access. 7-Eleven’s food service offers a proprietary line of prepared-fresh-daily and daily delivered deli sandwiches, wraps, breakfast sandwiches and a wide assortment of baked goods. Well known 7-Eleven proprietary products are; Big Gulp fountain soft drink, Big Bite grill items, the Slurpee beverage and fresh-brewed Cafe Select coffee. 7-Eleven is also one of the nation's largest independent gasoline retailers. In addition to the food and gasoline service, 7-Eleven offers patrons a number of convenient services designed to meet the specific needs of individual neighborhoods, including automated money orders, copiers, fax machines, automatic teller machines, phone cards and, where available, lottery tickets. Key Milestones * 7-Eleven, Inc. is privately held and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan Co. , Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, and its affiliates on Nov. 9, 2005. * Company launched its private-label brand, 7-Select, in 2008 and introduced 32 new products to stores. 7-Eleven introduced Yosemite Road Wines to their stores * In 2009, 7-Eleven began offering a Hot Foods Menu – includes pizza, chicken tenders, chicken wings, breakfast sausage, egg and cheese quesadillas and hash-brown potatoes. 7-Eleven has become much more innovative since the mid 1990's. They have evolved from a decentralized retail organization, with most store support functions handled in each geographic ally organized division by a local management team to the proprietary Retail Information System (RIS). In 1994 The University of 7-Eleven (USE) was born out of the Merchandising Personnel Expo, a store show and sampling event held once a year and intended to train field merchandising. USE was expanded to include field consultants and market managers and today it gives franchisees, store managers and employees a chance to see and taste new products for upcoming seasons that are intended to address the changing preferences of customers. The merchandising plan for seasonal and high-potential new products is also shared. The centerpiece of the USE is the virtual 7-Eleven store, actual size 7-Eleven floor plans are built to show how seasonal products are assimilated into the standard store mix (7-Eleven About Us, 2010). For future reference, this capability should be the tool whereby the adjustments necessary to accommodate a drive thru capability are visualized and ultimately realized. For perspective, as of January 2010, 7-Eleven, Inc. had earned the No. 3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine annual Franchise 500, which ranks top franchise opportunities in the U. S. An obviously healthy organization, this is 7-Eleven's 17th year to break into the top 10 (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). Problem Statement A major element of 7-11’s success is its focus on convenience. By staying open 24 hours a day and offering quick and easy pre-made food items, customers are able to make a speedy stop at the store at any point during the day. 7-11 continues to add to its selection of food items to better compete with fast food restaurants and other convenience stores. However, while 7-11 does compete very well with other convenience stores, the store has a significant disadvantage competing with fast food chains due to the ack of a drive-thru. Customers may choose to visit a McDonald’s or a Burger King over 7-11 for their beverages and sandwiches, simply due to the fact that they do not have to get out of the car. Therefore, 7-11 would benefit significantly from a strategy that allows them to be competitive with the fast food chains while simultaneously captur ing a market niche that other convenience stores have no capability in. For that reason, this report analyzes the financial benefit of adding a drive-thru window to already existing 7-11 stores. Scope This study analyzes the challenges and benefits of adding a drive-thru window service to existing 7-11 service designs and subsequently offers a prototype solution for the drive thru service option. Analysis includes detailed service design or redesign of current 7-11 service systems along with examining processes and physical layouts of stores. Sales forecasting will be used to support decision tree modeling intended to examine strengths and weaknesses of the drive thru service as an alternative to current 7-11 service (based upon costs and revenues). The break-even point of adding this service is also considered along with numbers required to make a profit. Other stores with successful drive-thru services will be examined for purposes of potentially adopting similar methods in specific service areas. This project provides analysis for an efficient queuing system for the drive thru customer and establishing a smooth process for the 7-11 employees to complete the customer orders. This study also examines why 7-11 stores should select specific products for sale through the drive thru window that are intended to encourage customers to choose 7-11 over competitors. Service Design and Characteristics The 7-Eleven franchise locations across the nation offer the convenience of access to gasoline and groceries. Historically the onus was on the client to retrieve the products desired, and then purchase the items. The current structure of the 7-Eleven queuing system is the simplest form of single channel, single phase (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). In that the client enters the store and selects the product, waits in line, and then purchases the item. Depending on the store location, and the ability for paying staff, there are either one or two cashiers. The service of 7-Eleven’s convenience is hampered by fluctuations of population arrival rates during specific events, and times of day. The exponential distribution of clients assists in ordering products, but it does not repair the service failings when there are long lines, especially compared to the competitor Wawa, Inc. Wawa has twice the amount of gasoline stalls, and cashier capabilities. Customers are able to still walk in select product, and gasoline, but do not have to wait as long, because the flow and layout of the Wawa store is set up to handle periods of higher traffic. The set up of the 7-Eleven store is such that they are still servicing smaller populations, and are not retrofit to handle higher amounts of traffic; therefore 7-Eleven is missing out on opportunities from the clientele that are in need of a quicker sales process. The correction of this lies in altering the service design of the franchise stores. The addition of a drive-thru window would dramatically increase the service capabilities of the franchise locations. This would shift the service flow to a multi-channel single phase process. The addition of a separate external line would benefit the current queuing system the 7-Eleven offers, of just one or two cashiers servicing all clientele. The ability to handle the clientele who are simply purchasing the convenience items, foods, and beverages has the potential to firm the positioning of the organization. Cars passing through a drive-thru would be able to purchase simple items such as coffee, quick 7-Eleven brand foods, Slurpees, and tobacco products. As exampled in the costs analysis the alteration of the retrofit to include a drive-thru window, would require a store owner to incur a significant loan to complete the product, but the break-even point would be relatively quick considering the size of investment, and the future return on investment has the potential to increase store sales significantly. The new flow decreases the inside traffic, which reduces the amount of irritation a person feels when trying to purchase the signature 7-Eleven items (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). Service Analysis and Selection Service Process Flowchart Service Analysis: The Queuing System The 7-Eleven Drive-Thru queue system will be a simple first come, first served system. This will simplify queue system discipline. The line structure will be a single channel, single phase; the simplest type of waiting line structure. We will make the following assumptions for our drive-thru model: * An arrival rate of sixteen cars (customers) per hour * A customer service rate of three* minutes per unit or twenty per hour * Poisson arrivals and exponential service We can now determine the following: * Utilization of the drive-thru operator(s) * Average number waiting in line Average number in the system * Average waiting time in line * Average waiting time in the system, including service * Average utilization of the drive-thru operator(s) is 80%. The average number in the waiting line is 3. 2 cars. The average number in the system is 4 cars. The average waiting time in line is 12 minutes. The average waiting time in the system is 15 minutes. Our new store layout provides limited sp ace availability and we want to keep our customers safe and provide acceptable service. We would like to ensure, with 95% certainty that no more than 4 cars will be in the system at any time. The present level of service for the four car limit is 67. 2%. Therefore, the probability of having more than four cars in the system is 32. 8 %. The operator(s) must attain a service level of 29 cars per hour to provide a 95% confidence that no more than four cars will be in the system. The current operator rate is 20 per hour; the rate will improve because we will provide a limited selection of items for our drive-thru customers and acceptance of electronic payment will increase efficiency also. *Approximately three minutes per customer is the drive-thru national average ime for customer service (Baker, 2009). Sales and Production Forecasting Sales and Production Forecasting (cont) Sales and Production Forecasting (cont) Individual Product Sales Changes due to Drive-Thru Window Breakeven Analysis As the store stands, the breakeven point of current sales is 23,809. The table below assumes a monthly fixed cost of $42,618 with no addition to the store, with an average unit variable co st of $1. 21 per unit and an average selling price of $3. 00 per unit. If the lease holder decides to add the drive through window, the estimated cost of construction will run $400,000. As the store does not have this amount of cash, a loan will need to be taken to cover costs. Fortunately, the store is able to gain a loan for 5 years at 6% interest. Due to the increased size of the building and additional employees and infrastructure, the fixed costs increase from $42,618 to $66,025 or an increase of 55%. However, because of the drive through window the store will be selling higher profit margin goods such as coffee, fountain drinks, bottle drinks and cigarettes in greater volume, the variable cost per transaction will decrease from 1. 21 to $0. 91 and the average selling price will also decrease to $2. 65. These values hold the required profit margin percentage relatively constant while increasing profits through increased unit sales. The chart below assumes a monthly fixed cost of $66,025 plus $400,000 loan (Financed 5 years, 6% Int = $7,773/month), an average variable cost of $0. 91 per unit and an average selling price of $2. 65. The difference between break even points is reduced from 23,809 additional units sold to 20,847 cover the cost of the loan amount. Therefore, if the store can obtain finiancing for the $400,000 loan, then the investment will be profitable both in the short and long term periods. Capacity Management Capacity planning for our 7-Eleven drive thru was mostly completed in the Service Analysis section where the service rate was calculated. Based on our customer service rate of three minutes per customer (vehicle), the maximum capacity of our drive thru is twenty cars per hour or theoretically, 174,720 vehicles per year. However, demand will not dictate that the drive thru operate at sustained maximum capacity at all times. Jacobs and Chase determines that the best operating point for a service is near 70 percent of the maximum capacity for the best balance between rate of service utilization and service quality (Jacobs & Chase, 2009). In our present queuing model, the operator utilization rate is 80 percent. The zone between 70% and 100% of capacity is the critical zone where customers will get processed through the line but service quality will decline. Above 100% capacity, the line will back up and many customers will probably not be served at all. We can safely lower the projected customer arrival rate from 16 vehicles per hour to 15 vehicles per hour which will calculate to an operator utilization rate of 75 percent; while still maintaining a customer service rate of three minutes or less. The queuing system will now be revised: * Average utilization of drive thru operator(s) is 70% * Average number of customers waiting in line is 2. 25 * Average number of customers in the system is 3 * Average waiting time in line is 9 minutes * Average waiting time in the system is 12 minutes The remainder of the queuing system data remains unchanged because we will still operate at a 95% certainty that no more than 4 cars will be in the system at any time. At 75% capacity the customers can be served quickly and accurately. The remaining 25% unused capacity can be utilized in valued added operations such as facility clean-up and maintenance, refilling refreshment tables or shelf stocking. Considering the volatility of customer demand throughout the daily cycle, this is a good balance. The breakeven analysis determined that an addition 20,847 units need be sold monthly to cover the cost of the loan amount for the drive thru addition. At 75% operator utilization rate, the drive thru has the capacity to serve 10,920 vehicles per month. Capacity Management – Decision Tree Analysis 1) Build drive-thru addition to existing store at a cost of $400,000. 0. Offer a limited assortment of targeted items to drive-thru selection. Sales of 401400 (33,450 x 12) units per year for 5 years at average unit cost of $2. 63 is $1,055. 682. 00. Probability is 80% for $4. 88 million in revenue . 20% for $2. 77 million in revenue. 2) Build drive -thru addition to existing store at a cost of $400,000. 00. Discontinue wal k-in service, provide limited assortment of items. Sales of 240,000 (20,000 x 12) units per year for 5 years at average cost of $2. 63 is $631,200. 00. Probability is 80% for $2. 76 million in revenue, 20% for $1. 49 million in revenue. ) Do nothing. Sales of 300,000 (25,000 x 12) units per year at an average unit cost of $3. 00 is $900,000. Probability is 80% for $4. 5 million in revenue, 20% for $2. 7 million in revenue. Inventory Management and Material Requirements 7-11 has already implemented an effective inventory management system. The Retail Information System (RIS) was developed in the early 1990’s to maintain store inventory and manage product ordering. Initially created as an accounting system, the RIS has been developed to track sales information and determine the success of each product. Therefore, the RIS enables store operators to â€Å"stay in stock, order best-selling and delete slow-moving items,† (Store, 2010). The RIS uses a bar code scanner and touch screen point-of-sale registers to scan products and track when they are being sold. This system allows store operators to easily obtain current stock quantities and determine which products are selling well. As the stock decreases, managers use Mobile Ordering Terminals to reorder items that are moving and delete items that are not selling (Store, 2010). Since 7-11’s RIS has been successfully established as an effective form of product management, this report does not recommend implementing any additional inventory systems to maintain the stock. While the inventory system would not have to change, there would be a few new material requirements for adding a drive-thru service to 7-11. The stores may require additional registers and counter space to account for the new layout designed around the window. Furthermore, stores may need to order more stands and coolers to display the food products closer to the counter so that they are in a convenient location for the employees running the window. Finally, the 7-11 will need to create the drive-thru menu for customers to view before they order. Logistics and Supply Chain Management Location Selection The current requirements for the selection of optimum locations depend on the traffic of the area, and design of the store. The urban locations have a high foot-traffic requirement, and thus would not be an optimal choice for this conversion. The free standing stores in strip-mall locations would not be a desirable location either, due to the fact that the structure is not owned by 7-Eleven. The prime locations for the 7-Eleven with the drive-thru would be the locations that are free standing, with fuel capabilities; these stores have the option of being retro-fit or built-to-suit. The traffic requirements for these locations are as listed: 1. Trade area demographics—(a) Heavy density within ? mile radius – 5,000 or more residents/workers per square mile in the trade area; (b) Lack of low priced gas brands within ? mile 2. Traffic—(a) 25,000 vehicles per day passing the site 3. Activity Generators—(a) Mixture of residential, commercial, office, Industrial; (b) Freeway orientation preferred; (c) Complimentary 24 hour uses 4. Site Characteristics—(a) Corner location with traffic signal or shopping center pad location; (b) 25,000 to 50,000 sq. ft. space preferred; (c) High visibility and excellent accessibility with typical gas station access – far corner and no road medians preferred; (d) 2,000 to 3,000 sq. ft store size – min. 1,800 sq. ft selling space; (e) Spacious and convenient ingress, egress, and in-lot maneuverability; (f) Ability to sell beer and wine preferred; (g) 24 hour operation required There would still need to be a high density of population, and traffic for the new sites. Traffic and activity generators would also be the same. The primary alteration would be the need to select a site that can support the new feature. The square foot space preferred would need to be altered to include the drive-thru space of the store, and extra pavement outside. Traffic flow would also have to be managed in a way that would make the inside of the store as accessible as before, in addition to allowing the gasoline purchase to still be maintained. This would necessitate an additional 10,000 sq. ft. for the pavement, in addition to the extra 500 to 1,000 sq. ft. of space added to the store (Store RIS, 2010). Supply Chain Management The current supply method for 7-Eleven is a Just-In-Time (JIT) method, and it begins with the Retail Information System (RIS). The store owner will be able to order the extra inventory needed to stock the drive-thru in addition to the regular interior sales, with the click of a button on this system. Supplies currently are delivered throughout the day, depending on the items needed and the supplier’s schedules. The alteration of the select stores utilizing the drive-thru window increase of supplies needed, and subsequently would require an increase of deliveries to the store. The alteration would impact each segment of the supply chain, beginning with the centrally located distribution center, and filtering out to the distributors. This impact would also increase of demand from suppliers in each link; similar to the economic concept of a money multiplier. There would not be an extreme alteration of supply chain management, considering only select stores will have this option (Store RIS, 2010). Quality Management and Implementation The breadth and depth of current 7-Eleven systems and processes should allow for an uncomplicated implementation of a new Drive-Thru service. To support this position the following analysis and discussion is offered. 7-Eleven is not an ISO-9000 company however it is a very innovative and well managed company. And though 7-Eleven is not ISO 9000 certified their most important business processes align with the management principles of the ISO standards and Total Quality Management objectives. There is nothing in the 7-Eleven archives that clearly states they have a Quality Management System however several of their internal systems and processes equate to a Quality Management System because of the functional areas they control (Jacobs & Chase, 2009). A recent 7-Eleven corporate job opening announcement for a Continuous Improvement Manager (CI) stipulated Six Sigma certification was a desired qualification. A CI Manager would be expected to participate with division level managers in corporate process improvement events at various facilities. The CI Manager would also be responsible for executing process overhaul, and upgrading programs for the organization at local levels. In addition, the CI Manager would be responsible for coaching, functional training, communications, and identifying and transferring best practices externally and internally (Jobs in DFW, 2010). Thus, 7-Eleven does recognize and embrace the benefits of Six Sigma certification. Foremost in importance to quality management and process improvement for any organization is its IT infrastructure. Accordingly, 7-Eleven commissioned Hewlett Packard (HP) to assist in analyzing their IT requirements and then developing an IT infrastructure that supported all of 7-Eleven's needs. The 7-Eleven CIO ultimately approved the HP Adaptive Enterprise Strategy as the company IT solution. The AE Strategy enhances system wide agility and improves productivity and service. -Eleven management views the AE Strategy as differentiating their company from other organizations in the way they run their stores, select and distribute products, work with suppliers, serve customers and communicate to key stakeholders. Other key 7-Eleven systems identified and analyzed in this report leverage the overarching AE infrastructure to perform their varied processes (7-Eleven Inc, 2010). The Retail Information Syste ms (RIS) uses AE infrastructure servers, switches, printers, and monitors to drive all of their system processes on a 4/7 basis. As noted earlier in the background section 7-Eleven is one of the nation's largest independent gasoline retailers and tied into the AE infrastructure is the FuelQuest Fuel Management System (FMS) that 7-Eleven uses to remotely monitor tank inventories, forecast fuel replenishment, manage fuel-supplier contracts, perform best-buy, fuel-pricing analysis, ensure environmental compliance and to dispatch and receive fuel deliveries (7-Eleven Inc, 2004). The University of 7-Eleven (USE) could arguably be the key component in 7-Eleven's quality management processes and essential to the successful implementation of a new Drive-Thru service. The USE was discussed in some detail during the background section so just a few key attributes that could be leveraged to facilitate implementation of a new Drive-Thru service will be highlighted here. The USE is a great tool for examination and quality implementation of change. 7-Eleven senior management employs the USE to introduce new ideas and to start standardization of product selections, merchandising and operations. They involve all levels of management, marketing, field consultants, franchisees, and employees in the USE, providing everyone an opportunity to see and taste new products, and review recommended merchandising plans for seasonal and high-potential new products. The centerpiece of the USE, and possibly most beneficial to supporting the Drive-Thru concept is the Virtual 7-Eleven store – an actual size 7-Eleven floor plan designed to show how products are assimilated into the standard store mix (7-Eleven About Us, 2010). This capability should be leveraged as the means through which the new Drive-Thru service is modeled. Physical structure of a facility with a Drive-Thru service could easily be modeled, thereby allowing for examination of internal re-design or process changes/improvements necessary for the new concept. Although 7-Eleven does not â€Å"fly† a TQM flag above their corporate headquarters, their key management systems and processes indicate they adhere to an organization wide commitment to continuous work improvement and meeting customers' needs, with continuous effort to improve quality whenever and wherever possible – an approach that defines the basic tenets of TQM. A benefit from this should be a successful implementation of a new Drive-Thru service. Prototype Design Current 7-Eleven Store Layout & Design New 7-Eleven Drive-Thru Prototype Layout & Design Conclusions and Recommendations The option to expand an individual 7-Eleven store with a Drive-Thu window will not only develop a more profitable scenario for the individual lease holder, it may also stand as a positive example for implementing profitable innovations through the 7-Elenve convenience store network and company structure. Based on preliminary financial analysis a $400,000 investment in a drive through window will greatly increase fixed costs, will dramatically increase profits through increased average transaction sales and a reduction in variable costs due to availability of products offered. The main sections of the 7-Eleven store will remain the same, but the drive-thru window will provide customers specific goods such as coffee, soft drinks and cigarettes which represent the stores highest volume and highest marginal profit items. The profits generated from the addition will provide customers a greater value by offering them the benefits of remaining in their car to obtain most of the same goods and services typically available in the store. If the venture is successful, it is very likely corporate support will be granted resulting in additional Drive-Thru locations throughout the country. To properly implement these changes, additional training and support structures already exist within The University of 7-Eleven (USE). The USE is the principal â€Å"change management† tool for 7-Eleven and therefore should be the centerpiece for managing implementation of the Drive-Thru Service. The company currently uses the USE  to introduce new products and processes, they educate and involve employees, managers, and suppliers in the USE, and the Virtual Store is precisely what should be used to model our Drive-Thru Service & Prototype. Proper training is the first step for educating current store lease holders to achieve success. To further incentivize and expand national 7-Eleven sales, corporate financing should be made available to encourage private lease holders to expand their businesses with the Drive-Thru service. In addition, 7-Eleven can assist individual lease holder by providing common construction plans, operations managers and breakeven data from similar sized and market stores to paint a better picture of the profitability of expansion. These trends will provide customers higher value while creating better profits for individual store as well as the organization as a whole. References 7 Eleven – About Us. (2010). Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www. 7-eleven. com/AboutUs/tabid/73/Default. aspx 7-Eleven Inc. Climbs to No. 3 Spot. (2010). Retrieved February 11, 2010, from http://www. 7-eleven. com/NewsRoom/7ElevenIncClimbstoNo3Spot/tabid/360/Default. aspx. 7-Eleven, Inc. , Selects FuelQuest/PDI for Gasoline Inventory Management and Accounting System; PR Newswire. (2004). Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www. highbeam. com/doc/1G1-123232449. html Baker, B. (2009). Chic-fil-A wins 6th drive-thru title. QSR Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2010 from www. qsrmagazine. com/reports/drive-thru_time_study/ Franchise Opportunities Mall. (2010). Retrieved February 11, 2010, from 7-Eleven: http://www. franchiseopportunitiesmall. com/Best_Franchise_Opportunities. asp? ID=2682 Gillespie, E. M. (2005). Starbucks sees growing demand for drive-thru coffee. Retrieved February 20, 2010 from Web site: http://www. usatoday. com/money/ industries/food/2005-12-24-starbucksdrivethru_x. htm. Jacobs, R. F. & Chase, R. B. (2009). Operations and supply management: The core. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Jobs in DFW LocalHelpWanted-Continuous Improvement Manager Help Wanted ads-Continuous Improvement Manager Local Help Wanted-Continuous Improvement Manager Jobs-Continuous Improvement Manager Careers. (2010). Retrieved February 21, 2010, from http://www. localhelpwanted. net/dfw/job/Continuous-Improvement-Manager-Dallas-TX-75219-USA/lhw-e0-3741966/ Real Estate Require ments. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010, from http://www. 7-eleven. om/RealEstate/RealEstateRequirements/tabid/181/Default. aspx. Store retail information system. (2010). Retrieved February 23, 2010 from Web site: http://www. 7-eleven. com/NewsRoom/BackgroundInformation/ StoreRetailInformationSystem/tabid/159/Default. aspx. Appendices Service Process Flowchart7 Sales and Production Forecasting9-11 Individual Product Sales Changes due to Drive-Thru Window11 Breakeven Analysis Graphs12-13 Capacity Management – Decision Tree15 7-Eleven Current Store Layout20 7-Eleven Drive-Thru Prototype Design21

Atticus confesses that he sometimes thinks of himself as a complete failure as a parent Essay Example

Atticus confesses that he sometimes thinks of himself as a complete failure as a parent Essay Example Atticus confesses that he sometimes thinks of himself as a complete failure as a parent Paper Atticus confesses that he sometimes thinks of himself as a complete failure as a parent Paper Essay Topic: Literature Atticus Finch is nearly fifty years of age and is a well-known and established lawyer in Maycomb County. Atticus has two children named Jeremy Finch and Jean Louise Finch, better known as Jem and Scout. Atticus is an only parent as Jem and Scouts mother died when Scout was two from a sudden heart attack and Scout therefore expresses in the book that she never really felt her absence. My personal view is that Harper Lee intentionally creates Atticus as having to raise both Jem and Scout by himself as he has much more responsibility as a father to fulfill all the parental duties on his own and this may give Atticus a reason to doubt himself as he does at certain points in the novel. Different characters and different incidents throughout the novel portray varied views, thoughts and ideas to the reader about Atticus as a parent, some bad, some good but each tell us a substantial amount about this character as a whole. An example may be chapter one when Scout expresses her own and her brothers views about Atticus as father, Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment. The reader can learn a lot from individual character opinions about Atticus such as the one above, however it is my belief that we as readers learn much more from the way in which Atticus handles situations which arise throughout the book and very much by the way in which he deals and explains these incidents to his children. There are countless incidents in the novel which demonstrate to the reader just how good Atticus really is as a father and I feel that one of the writers main intentions was to make us as readers recognise Atticus ability to relate to his children with such understanding and honesty. Our first example of this is in chapter two when Scout learns one of her very first lessons from Atticus. Scouts first day at school does not prove to be a very successful one and Atticus soon realises that something is wrong. Having explained to Atticus about the days misfortunes Atticus tries to make Scout see the day at school from Miss Carolines point of view. Scout learns a lesson from Atticus as he explains, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, youll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. The need to look at circumstances from the other persons point of view is a strong theme in the book. It is the chief lesson Atticus teaches his children and reflects upon Atticus main philosophy of life and these are the main reasons as to why Harper Lee includes this incident at this very early stage in the novel. Atticus then goes on to explain the meaning of compromise to Scout and the two of them agree that if Scout continues going to school, they could continue reading every night. Atticus talks to Scout intelligently and this is shown when he describes compromise to her as an agreement reached by mutual concessions, which most would regard as quite a complex definition unusually used when explaining to a child and especially one of her age. In chapter four, we begin to see Atticus fairness as a father. Even though he suspects that the childrens game is to do with the Radleys, because they deny it and he has no proof, he lets it go I believe that this behavior may be more representative of a lawyer than most parents. I certainly feel that the quality of fairness in Atticus is intentionally shown by the writer to the reader in this incident as this same quality is shown again in later stages of the book, however under more extreme and important circumstances. Atticus does eventually find out about the childrens games regarding the Radleys in chapter five and is disappointed in the children. Nevertheless, Atticus explains to the children that what Mr Radley [does] is his own business and goes on to teach the children valuable lessons of acceptance and tolerance. Again he asks the children to think in the other persons point of view asking the children how they would like it if he barged in on [them] without knocking, when [they] were in their rooms at night. Atticus does not only tell the children to stop doing it but also gives them reasons as to why it was wrong and also speaks to the children in an intelligent manner, in this particular incident but also generally throughout the book. This contrasts very much to the way that other adults treat the children, which are portrayed later on in the novel. Another quality of Atticus, which is reinforced throughout the book, is Atticus ability to always remain truthful and honest even in the most difficult circumstances. This is shown very well in chapter twenty three, when Atticus explains to his children the realities of the world they live in. he tells them honestly and truthfully that in our courts, when it is a white mans word against a black mans word, the white man always wins. Atticus words to Jem about the trial are strong, his outrage is revealed. It is difficult for Atticus to explain the societies prejudice to the children, however Atticus does so remaining truthful. Yet another example of Atticus brilliance in explaining situations and incidents to his children is shown in chapter nine. Chapter nine begins with Scout ready to fight a boy named Cecil Jacobs as he had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finchs daddy defended niggers. Scout does not understand the full meaning of what Cecil has said and turns on Atticus yet again to explain. Scout questions her father as to why he was defending Tom if he shouldnt be defended the opinion of most of Maycomb. Atticus says he is doing it for a number of reasons and that the main one is, if [he] didnt [he] couldnt hold his head up in town, [he couldnt represent this county in the legislature, [he] couldnt even tell [Scout] or Jem not to do something again. In my opinion, the case of Tom Robinson is a matter of honour for Atticus. He knows he cannot win, but he must take it on or lose his self-respect, the respect of his children and the respect of those townsfolk whose opinions he values. When Scout asks Atticus if they were going to win the case, Atticus replies no as he knows exactly what the status of the Negro is in the south. Even in court they are not equal and this is why Atticus is so sure of failure. Atticus tries to explain all this to Scout and is rather successful in doing so as the next day, Scout remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped [her] fists and walked away. We are told that this was the first time that Scout had ever walked away from a fight and this is very important as it shows the extent of understanding and respect Scout has for Atticus and also shows just how well Atticus explained the complicated situation to Scout the night before. Scout is beginning to remember to be reasonable and this is a definite sign of her growing up. Scouts tolerance can only last a day or two however as towards the end of chapter nine, Scout gets into another fight when they go to Finchs Landing for Christmas with a boy named Francis when he accuses Atticus of letting [them] run around with stray dogs and also of being a nigger-lover. This is a very significant incident in the novel and the writers intention was to enable Scout to express her opinion of Atticus as she does on p92 when she tells uncle Jack that [he] aint fair. She explains to him that when Jem and [her] fuss Atticus doesnt ever just listen to Jems side of it, he hears [her] side too. The way in which Atticus handles the children contrasts very much with the way in which Uncle Jack handles them in this incident and really emphasises and highlights to the reader Atticus fairness as a father, which the writer also demonstrated earlier in the novel. There is also a certain sense of humor and irony that comes from the way Scout seems to be telling her Uncle off. Scou t asks her Uncle what a whore-lady is and being put in this uncomfortable position, Jack completely avoids the question by plunging into a long tale about an old Prime Minister. Again, we as readers are able to compare the way in which Uncle Jack handles this sort of situation to the way in which Atticus does and I think that this is one of the writers main intentions. Atticus is given a chance to express both to the reader and to Uncle Jack about the way he feels adults should handle situations such as this and the reader realises the major differences between Atticus and the majority of other parents who would have probably acted as Uncle Jack had done. Atticus seems to understand and relate to children much better as he explains to Uncle Jack that children are children but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and an evasion quickly muddlesem We really begin to like and admire Atticus when we find out that Atticus has never laid a hand on [Scout] and Atticus also explains that Scout tries her best and that is all that matters. In chapter ten, we find out about Atticus dislike and uninterest in guns and rifles and he reminds Jem that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, an important lesson which Atticus knows will be needed later. Chapter ten also gives us Miss Maudies opinion of Atticus as the children complain to her about Atticus old age. Miss Maudie tell them hes the best chequer-player in his town and that he can play a Jews harp. The fact that the children find all of these things extremely boring and are rather ashamed of their father at this point is in my opinion Harper Lees intention. I believe it is her intention because when the children find out about their father being the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time this comes as much, much more of a shock to both the reader and the children. Scout and Jem learn something new about their father and their respect for him increases. It is a most crucial time for Atticus to have gained the childrens respect just before the trial days begin. During chapter eleven, Atticus is able to teach both Jem and Scout yet another very important and valuable lesson. Jem loses his temper with the outspoken, cantankerous old neighbor, Mrs. Dubose. In retaliation for the names she calls Atticus, Jem knocks off the heads of her camellias. Atticus is angry at Jems behavior and as a punishment Jem has to read to her everyday for a month. This gives the writer another chance to allow Atticus to teach the children another valuable lesson of allowing people to be entitled to their own opinions using the example of Mrs Dubose. The children also learn an important lesson of courage and by the time of her death, they realise it is wrong to judge others too quickly or too superficially. The reason as to why Harper Lee introduces the character of Aunt Alexandra into the novel is illustrated very well in chapter fourteen. Her views contrast very much to those of Atticus and as readers we are able to see the differences in the way Aunt Alex treats the children to the way Atticus does. An example of this is shown in chapter fourteen when Aunt Alex wants to get rid of Calpurnia. Atticus refuses however, as he has high regards for the cook and the arrival of his sister does not change that. We see how Aunt Alex always thinks of her narrow-minded prejudices before thinking of the children. This incident also shows us how quick Aunt Alexandra is to impose her own views on her brothers household. This demonstrates the extent of her own prejudice and intolerance contrasting to Atticus fair, understanding, honest opinions and views. Although Atticus has a huge amount of good points as a father which are portrayed throughout the novel by individual characters or by the way in which Atticus handles certain situations, Atticus has a number of bad points also revealed at times in the book. Some may believe that these bad points show that Atticus is in fact a bad parent, however my belief is that the writer intentionally included many of these points to reinforce the fact that Atticus, as heroic as he may seem is in fact only human and can therefore make mistakes also. Many of Atticus bad points are reflected upon at certain points in the book. A good example of this is in the beginning of chapter ten. I quote, Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty. He was much older than the parents of our school contemporaries Scout also expresses to the reader Jems love for football and how Atticus was never to tired to play keep-away, but when Jem wanted to tackle him Atticus would say, Im too old for that, son. Scout then continues by talking about Atticus job and how Atticus did not do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone. At this early stage in the book, it is typical of Scout to make this sort of judgement about Atticus, however we can certainly see that as she evolves and grows up throughout the course of the novel, her attitude also changes from that of the above to one of much more respect and admiration for her father. I think that one of the writers main intentions here was for Scout to grow up through the book and learn more about Atticus as a person and also more about his character, opinions and views which she comes to recognise and admire by the end of the book. As Scout does so, we as readers also learn more about Atticus and this is one of the important ways in which we do so. Chapter thirteen shows us that Atticus in a sense may not be as brave as we have seen in other points in the novel. Atticus is a lawyer as we know and he is ineffective at putting his heart into saying something that he does not believe in. We can tell this by the way Atticus says your Aunt has asked me to implying that he himself does not actually believe in what he is saying and the children realise this very quickly. I think that when we as readers read this particular part of the book, we wonder why Atticus doesnt stand up to her sister instead of doing as she says unwillingly. This may be a weakness of Atticus which can be seen also at other times in the novel. There are three main instances throughout the course of the book in which Atticus appears to be very wrong in his views and opinions which, for a character like Atticus who plays such an heroic role in this book and to the reader is extremely rare. The first instance which Atticus is proven to be very wrong about is during chapter three when the children hear about Bob Ewells threaten to get [Atticus] if it took [him] the rest of his life. Atticus tells Jem and Scout, we dont have anything to fear from Bob Ewell, he got it all out of his system that morning. As readers, I feel that we do trust Atticus judgements very much as he so rarely makes any mistakes, however it seems here that Atticus almost has too much faith in mankind and Bob Ewell does in fact gain his revenge. The second instance is also in chapter twenty three when we learn from Scout that Atticus assured [them] that nothing would happen to Tom Robin son until the higher court reviewed his case, and that Tom had a good chance of going free. Again, the readers are lulled into a false sense of security, putting full faith in Atticus and his judgement. We do find out however, in chapter 24 that in fact Tom himself had no faith in Atticus and did not believe that he would be released and this may be what caused him to try and runaway which subsequently lead to his death. The last instance in which Atticus proves again to be very wrong in his beliefs is during chapter fifteenwhen he explains to Jem and Scout that we dont have mobs and that nonsense in Maycomb. We soon find out later in the very same chapter that in reality, Maycomb does have mobs and Atticus idealism backfires at him during this particular scene. It seems, knowing the above, that the author has included imperfections in the character of Atticus, idealism and having too much faith in mankind, some examples. My personal belief is that by including such examples of imperfections in Atticus character, makes him seem much more human like and more believable for the reader, rather than a faultless hero which we know is humanly impossible. I would like to briefly conclude this essay by saying that overall, I strongly do not agree with Atticus view that he is a complete failure as a father. My reasons for believing so are as stated earlier in this essay however I also believe that by simply making a few honest and unintentional mistakes, most of which I have stated above, does not make him any less of a good father. On the contrary, I strongly believe that the author intentionally illustrates imperfections in his character to make the readers recognise both Atticus strengths and weaknesses and realise that ultimately, nobody is perfect.

Free Essays on Aristophanes’ Speech on Love

In this paper I will discuss Aristophanes’ speech on love found in Plato’s Symposium. I will summarize his speech and explain the characteristics of love as Aristophanes thinks of it. I will also explain Aristophanes’ definition of love, and whether or not love is an admirable or good thing. And finally, I will critically discuss the plausibility and implausibility of Aristophanes’ view of love. Aristophanes, being a comic poet, offers an engaging and mythological perspective on the topic of love. Aristophanes’ speech begins by explaining the nature of man and what has become of it. Aristophanes suggests that long ago, the nature of the original human being was very much different from what it is today. He proposes that human beings once were comprised of two halves; that is to say, they were twice the people they are today. According to Aristophanes, this original primeval man had a round body, his back and sides formed into a circle from which two pairs of arms and legs protruded, he had two faces, and most importantly, two sets of genitalia. Aristophanes goes on to say that there were three different kinds of these original human beings, all of which were differentiated by their gender. Not only were there a female and a male, but a third, a unified androgynous creature that possessed both female and male genitalia. Symbolically, these beings were said to be the children of the sun, earth and the moon. The male was the child of the sun, the female of the earth, and the unified androgynous creature was a child of the moon. These beings were extremely powerful, so powerful that at one point they even decided to challenge the gods. The Gods fought back, but fearing that a total annihilation of these beings would leave the world barren with no one to worship them, instead, decided to sever these creatures in half with a bold of lightning. Upon being severed, these beings became obsessed with unifying themselves into their ... Free Essays on Aristophanes’ Speech on Love Free Essays on Aristophanes’ Speech on Love In this paper I will discuss Aristophanes’ speech on love found in Plato’s Symposium. I will summarize his speech and explain the characteristics of love as Aristophanes thinks of it. I will also explain Aristophanes’ definition of love, and whether or not love is an admirable or good thing. And finally, I will critically discuss the plausibility and implausibility of Aristophanes’ view of love. Aristophanes, being a comic poet, offers an engaging and mythological perspective on the topic of love. Aristophanes’ speech begins by explaining the nature of man and what has become of it. Aristophanes suggests that long ago, the nature of the original human being was very much different from what it is today. He proposes that human beings once were comprised of two halves; that is to say, they were twice the people they are today. According to Aristophanes, this original primeval man had a round body, his back and sides formed into a circle from which two pairs of arms and legs protruded, he had two faces, and most importantly, two sets of genitalia. Aristophanes goes on to say that there were three different kinds of these original human beings, all of which were differentiated by their gender. Not only were there a female and a male, but a third, a unified androgynous creature that possessed both female and male genitalia. Symbolically, these beings were said to be the children of the sun, earth and the moon. The male was the child of the sun, the female of the earth, and the unified androgynous creature was a child of the moon. These beings were extremely powerful, so powerful that at one point they even decided to challenge the gods. The Gods fought back, but fearing that a total annihilation of these beings would leave the world barren with no one to worship them, instead, decided to sever these creatures in half with a bold of lightning. Upon being severed, these beings became obsessed with unifying themselves into their ...

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

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The Broadway Cafe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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