Good Night Motel Case Free Essays

When making his decision, McGregor should consider seriously the negative consequences that his business will experience if he refuses Alward’s offer to fill the motel for the two weekend nights in October, at half the room rate. If McGregor refuses, during that weekend his motel will be at his usual capacity of less than quarter full. With the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! In addition, if he refuses, McGregor’s reputation in the community will suffer, and he will also lose all future business from Alward’s group and other church groups, at regular price. We will write a custom essay sample on Good Night Motel Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Consequently, Justin McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. The quantitative factors involved dictate that McGregor should accept Alward’s offer for accommodations for his church group, at half the room rate, for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27. According to the facts of the case, pre-2008, from October 16 to May 14, the motel was rarely more than a quarter full at any time while post-2008, the motel’s occupancy rates fell 7 to 15 percent year round. In other words, if McGregor refuses Alward’s offer, during that weekend, the motel will be at its usual capacity of less than quarter full. However, with the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! Half-full is better than less than a quarter full, so logic dictates that McGregor must accept Alward’s offer. There will be more guests occupying all rooms at half the rate than if there were regular guests paying the regular price and filling fewer than a quarter of the motel’s rooms. However, this fact means that service costs and maintenance cost will be higher with Alward’s group than with regular customers. In other words, with the motel being at full capacity, McGregor’s maintenance and cleaning staff will be a lot busier than usual, servicing a motel at full capacity. Paying for the maintenance and cleaning of all rooms at the motel will further decrease the amount of money that McGregor will make from Alward’s group. In other words, in strict quantitative terms, Alward’s offer is a bad idea for McGregor. However, in the small resort community where the motel is located, quantitative factors are not everything. McGregor will suffer all sorts of negative consequences from church groups and other members of the community if he refuses Alward’s offer. Therefore, the prudent thing to do is to accept Alward’s offer with two conditions. The opportunity cost In fact, McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. Considering that McGregor and his wife run the motel, which is their source of livelihood, these two conditions are reasonable. In addition, McGregor should make sure to ask Alward to impress upon his church group that the fact they are paying half the regular motel price means that the church group will receive half the regular service! This means that the church group guests must be clean and tidy, and they must not depend on the motel’s maintenance people. In theory, none of this should be a problem, especially with a group of church people, who are supposed to be kind, understanding, cooperative, and so on. In any case, the fact that the church group will stay for only two days means that they most likely won’t make huge messes, so McGregor will not have to pay his cleaning crew to repair. In addition, the church group guests will probably spend most of their time during the day at the church and go to the motel mostly to sleep. All these facts are only fair to McGregor, whose livelihood depends on that motel, at a time of a weak national economy. Being â€Å"a good man† (p. 3), Alward must surely understand all these facts. As a result, if I were McGregor, I would respectfully explain all these facts to Alward, appeal to his sense of fairness, and ask for his cooperation. The qualitative factors that McGregor should consider have to do with Grand Bend, which is a small resort community. Refusing to accommodate a church group would bring negative publicity to the Good Night Motel. As a result, McGregor will lose all future business (at regular prices) from Alward’s church group and most likely from other church groups, too. In fact, besides being a good man, Alward is â€Å"well respected in the community† (p. 3). This fact means that McGregor should do all he can to develop a good working relationship with Alward, who will bring more church groups in the future. If Alward asks for the half-price rate again in the future, McGregor will be in a much better position to refuse. The community people will not be as critical then (in the future, if Alward asks for the half-price deal again) as if they will be if McGregor refuses Alward’s first request. In other words, the resort community is too small for McGregor to decide solely based on the numbers. Reputation is very important in such communities, especially when church people are concerned. They tend to travel and spread the news about which businesses are customer-centered and which are money-centered, to put the matter simply. In general, when making a decision, managers need to consider the opportunity cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the sacrifice of the best alternative for a given action. An (accounting) expense is a cost incurred to generate a revenue† (p. 24). Since this is a small town, and the church group will stay for only two days, the opportunity cost will bring more customers for the future. In addition, managers must consider the marginal cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the cost of producing one more unit† (p.28). In terms of cleaning the pool, it will not have an effect since most of the time people will spend in the church, and the only time they will spend in the Good Night Motel is night time only for sleeping purposes. As a result, the only additional cost to accommodate the guess is the cleaning service of the rooms. In addition, McGregor must consider his fixed cost, which is a cost that does not change with an increase or decrease in the amount of goods or services produced. In the final analysis, the fact that Alward is a good man who enjoys the community’s respect and the fact that he works with churches (a central institution in small communities) mean that McGregor can’t afford to refuse to work with Alward. Even if McGregor breaks even, he should still accommodate the church group. If he doesn’t accommodate it, he will suffer all sorts of negative consequences: loss of future business from church groups at regular price, bad publicity in a small resort community, and so on. In other words, the big picture (quantitative factors) is more important in this case. How to cite Good Night Motel Case, Papers

Good Night Motel Case Free Essays

When making his decision, McGregor should consider seriously the negative consequences that his business will experience if he refuses Alward’s offer to fill the motel for the two weekend nights in October, at half the room rate. If McGregor refuses, during that weekend his motel will be at his usual capacity of less than quarter full. With the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! In addition, if he refuses, McGregor’s reputation in the community will suffer, and he will also lose all future business from Alward’s group and other church groups, at regular price. We will write a custom essay sample on Good Night Motel Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Consequently, Justin McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. The quantitative factors involved dictate that McGregor should accept Alward’s offer for accommodations for his church group, at half the room rate, for Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27. According to the facts of the case, pre-2008, from October 16 to May 14, the motel was rarely more than a quarter full at any time while post-2008, the motel’s occupancy rates fell 7 to 15 percent year round. In other words, if McGregor refuses Alward’s offer, during that weekend, the motel will be at its usual capacity of less than quarter full. However, with the church group there, paying half the rate, it will be as if the motel were half-full! Half-full is better than less than a quarter full, so logic dictates that McGregor must accept Alward’s offer. There will be more guests occupying all rooms at half the rate than if there were regular guests paying the regular price and filling fewer than a quarter of the motel’s rooms. However, this fact means that service costs and maintenance cost will be higher with Alward’s group than with regular customers. In other words, with the motel being at full capacity, McGregor’s maintenance and cleaning staff will be a lot busier than usual, servicing a motel at full capacity. Paying for the maintenance and cleaning of all rooms at the motel will further decrease the amount of money that McGregor will make from Alward’s group. In other words, in strict quantitative terms, Alward’s offer is a bad idea for McGregor. However, in the small resort community where the motel is located, quantitative factors are not everything. McGregor will suffer all sorts of negative consequences from church groups and other members of the community if he refuses Alward’s offer. Therefore, the prudent thing to do is to accept Alward’s offer with two conditions. The opportunity cost In fact, McGregor should accept Alward’s offer but under the following two conditions: one, guest service will be limited so that McGregor can lower his costs; two, this is a special one-time deal that will never happen again for Alward or anyone else. Considering that McGregor and his wife run the motel, which is their source of livelihood, these two conditions are reasonable. In addition, McGregor should make sure to ask Alward to impress upon his church group that the fact they are paying half the regular motel price means that the church group will receive half the regular service! This means that the church group guests must be clean and tidy, and they must not depend on the motel’s maintenance people. In theory, none of this should be a problem, especially with a group of church people, who are supposed to be kind, understanding, cooperative, and so on. In any case, the fact that the church group will stay for only two days means that they most likely won’t make huge messes, so McGregor will not have to pay his cleaning crew to repair. In addition, the church group guests will probably spend most of their time during the day at the church and go to the motel mostly to sleep. All these facts are only fair to McGregor, whose livelihood depends on that motel, at a time of a weak national economy. Being â€Å"a good man† (p. 3), Alward must surely understand all these facts. As a result, if I were McGregor, I would respectfully explain all these facts to Alward, appeal to his sense of fairness, and ask for his cooperation. The qualitative factors that McGregor should consider have to do with Grand Bend, which is a small resort community. Refusing to accommodate a church group would bring negative publicity to the Good Night Motel. As a result, McGregor will lose all future business (at regular prices) from Alward’s church group and most likely from other church groups, too. In fact, besides being a good man, Alward is â€Å"well respected in the community† (p. 3). This fact means that McGregor should do all he can to develop a good working relationship with Alward, who will bring more church groups in the future. If Alward asks for the half-price rate again in the future, McGregor will be in a much better position to refuse. The community people will not be as critical then (in the future, if Alward asks for the half-price deal again) as if they will be if McGregor refuses Alward’s first request. In other words, the resort community is too small for McGregor to decide solely based on the numbers. Reputation is very important in such communities, especially when church people are concerned. They tend to travel and spread the news about which businesses are customer-centered and which are money-centered, to put the matter simply. In general, when making a decision, managers need to consider the opportunity cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the sacrifice of the best alternative for a given action. An (accounting) expense is a cost incurred to generate a revenue† (p. 24). Since this is a small town, and the church group will stay for only two days, the opportunity cost will bring more customers for the future. In addition, managers must consider the marginal cost, which according to our textbook â€Å"is the cost of producing one more unit† (p.28). In terms of cleaning the pool, it will not have an effect since most of the time people will spend in the church, and the only time they will spend in the Good Night Motel is night time only for sleeping purposes. As a result, the only additional cost to accommodate the guess is the cleaning service of the rooms. In addition, McGregor must consider his fixed cost, which is a cost that does not change with an increase or decrease in the amount of goods or services produced. In the final analysis, the fact that Alward is a good man who enjoys the community’s respect and the fact that he works with churches (a central institution in small communities) mean that McGregor can’t afford to refuse to work with Alward. Even if McGregor breaks even, he should still accommodate the church group. If he doesn’t accommodate it, he will suffer all sorts of negative consequences: loss of future business from church groups at regular price, bad publicity in a small resort community, and so on. In other words, the big picture (quantitative factors) is more important in this case. How to cite Good Night Motel Case, Papers

The Unity of the Twelve Minor Prophets free essay sample

The Book of the twelve Minor Prophets is more than a collection of miscellaneous prophetic materials. The twelve books of the Minor Prophets function as a unified literary work. The trend in modern biblical scholarship is to treat the Book of the Twelve as twelve distinct prophetic compositions that have relatively little to do with each other apart from having been placed in the same collection. Despite these claims, the literary work of the twelve Minor Prophets remains a multifaceted composition that functions in concert in all Jewish and Christian versions of the Bible. The unity of the book plays out simultaneously as a single prophetic book and as a collection of twelve individual prophetic books revealing overriding elements of unity that if carefully examined would lead to a better understanding of the Old Testament. The Book of the Twelve is counted as one book in the Hebrew canon. Some scholars say, â€Å"The purpose of placing all of this material in one scroll is to make a balance in the Hebrew prophetic canon between the four books of the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings), and the four books of the latter prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve). We will write a custom essay sample on The Unity of the Twelve Minor Prophets or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † People need balance in their lives but there is a much larger message throughout the grand narrative of scripture that regardless of the balancing of material must find its way into the communities of Yahweh’s people and that message finds its way regardless of the arrangement of books. Many others knew of the book of the Twelve as one book. In the Jewish tradition the Book of the Twelve was identified as tere asar, Aramaic for â€Å"The Twelve,† and in Christian tradition as oi dodeka prohetai, or ton dodekaprophton, Greek for the â€Å"Twelve Prophets. † The apocryphal Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach, â€Å"Ecclesiasticus† in the 2nd century B. C. E refers in Sir 49:10 to â€Å"the bones of the twelve prophets,† suggesting that ben Sirach knew of the Twelve as one book. Flavius Joseph, a 1st century C. E. Jewish historian also considered the Twelve to be one book. Similarly, 4 Ezra 14:41 counts the Twelve among the twenty-four holy books transcribed by Ezra. Origen, the second-third century Church father counts twenty-two Jewish books of the Old Testament but names only twenty-one leaving many to conclude that he considered the Twelve to be a single book. As well, the Talmudic tradition considers the Twelve to be one book. In the Christian tradition, most always the Twelve Prophets are grouped together, but counted as twelve individually authored books among thirty-nine other books of the Old Testament. The first century C. E. Bishop Melito of Sardis refers to the Twelve as ton dodeka en monobibioi, â€Å"The Twelve in one book,† (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History iv. 26). The term â€Å"Minor Prophets,† Prohetae minors in Latin, first appears in Latin Christian Patristic sources, such as the work of Augustine (City of God 18:29), and refers to the relative length of the individual works of the Twelve prophets when compared to the larger books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Apparently the term refers to the Twelve as both a collection and as individual works. † â€Å"No common material binds the twelve together; they simply stand according to the order presupposed by the version of the Bible in which they appear, but they invariably function together as one book. Within the various versions of the Book of the Twelve a great deal of fluidity is revealed in the arrangement of the individual books. According to the Masoretic Text, the Jewish version of the Book of the Twelve, each of the twelve individual books- Hosea; Joel; Amos; Obadiah; Jonah; Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Haggai; Zechariah; and Malachi begin with their own authorization or narrative introduction identifying the prophet and usually provides details toward the historical setting, literary characteristics, or the overall interests of the book. In this way, individual books are clearly distinguished from the others in the overall framework of the Twelve. The book of the twelve prophets deviates from the normal literary compositions of everyday read versions of the Bible. The Greek Septuagint (LXX) has represented the basis for the Old Testament canon from the earliest times of the Church. The earliest manuscripts of the LXX, Codex Vaticanus, and Codex Sinaiticus dating to the fourth century, along with later LXX manuscripts appear to have the same order for the Twelve. The scrolls of the Twelve found in the Judean Wilderness, those from Qumran cave 4, and later Christian versions of the Bible display the Twelve Prophets in the same order as the MT. Only after the destruction of the second Temple were variations of the Twelve Prophets beginning to surface, however there is no evidence that these represent an authoritative sequence from antiquity. The issue of dealing with the Twelve Prophets as one book is as much a mystery as it is a rare subject of study. My argument will now proceed from the Book of the Twelve as a single prophetic book to the elements that reveal an overall unity of the message and themes. It is instructive to note how prophecy has been treated in the past so questions can arise about future interpretation. In this way the old can inform the new. † Scholarship from the last century dealing with prophecy has taught that all types of criticism recognize the historical fact of the form of the twelve. They also note that the twelve were considered a single book by the ancient Church, and pose that the date of the books and catchwords in the books explain in some ways the present arrangement. Unfortunately for these scholars no convincing theory exists of how, or if, the twelve books function as one unified, canonical construction. After a broad sweep of comparisons, form critics and rhetorical analysis offers some hope to one searching for unity of the Twelve Prophets because both methods assume the importance of the written text. Predominantly studies on the twelve have focused on their diversity rather than their unity. Much stress has been placed on the many elements that combined to give us the canonical text that we posses instead of the canonical text itself. Two other methodologies offer hope for discovering unity in the twelve first, canonical criticism because it asks the right questions to discover unity. The second, literary criticism, provides the actual means of uncovering unity. After much research it would appear that the work done on the prophets has been quite exhaustive. The unity of the Twelve Prophets remains an unsolved critical question, perhaps because it remains unexplored. If we could better understand the unifying message of the prophets we could explain how the community of faith dealt with prophecy and how it affected them. We would discover the Twelve to be not-so Minor Prophets after all thereby improving the academy and the Church. â€Å"Having been treated to the wealth of the preaching material in The Twelve, however I realized there was still more to say. Indeed the riches of the word of God to be found in the Minor Prophets’ writings are almost inexhaustible. † There common themes that are weaved throughout The Book of the Twelve as revealed in both the MT and the LXX that serve to reveal the unifying message of the â€Å"Minor† Prophets. Neither the LXX nor the MT version of the Book of the Twelve is clearly arranged in chronological order. Both sequences, nevertheless, appear to represent concerns with the punishment of both Israel and Judah during the monarchic period and with the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple in the post exilic period. It is important to note that both version begin with Hosea, wich metaphorically portrays YHWH as a husband who divorces His bride Israel to demonstrate the interruption of their relationship as Israel is destroyed by the Assyrians in the eight century B.C. E. Both versions end with Malachi, who states that YHWH hates divorce and calls upon His people to hold firm to the covenant as YHWH’s messenger approaches. The theme Day of YHWH as a day of punishment for both Israel/Judah and the nations when YHWH’s sovereignty is manifested at Zion permeates the books of Twelve Prophets in each version as well. Some scholars raise questions concerning the diachronic formations pointing to the differences in hermeneutical and sequencing perspectives in the two versions. The Masoretic version of the Book of the Twelve arranges the individual books in a sequence that emphasizes reflection on the fate of Jerusalem from the latter half of the monarchic period when the Assyrian empire began to threaten the region, and finally through the time of the Persian period restoration. To a certain degree the Book of the Twelve engage in debate with Isaiah, which offers a similar reflection. Isaiah envisions one particular fate for Israel and the Book of the Twelve envisions another position. Such differing opinions point to the fundamental role of dialogue among the various prophetic books, namely the prophets do not speak with a monolithic voice. Instead, they express a variety of viewpoints in their attempts to discern divine purpose in the world of human experiences. † The Twelve Minor Prophets are arranged as a unified literary work. If one possess at least a basic understanding of the prophetic genre then the pieces that make a literary piece a coherent construction- the structure, plot, characterization, and narration of The Twelve clearly reveal an operative nity. The structure and plot present the story the characters give that story life, and the narrative framework provides an audience of which the story was intended. The Twelve Prophets didn’t choose their messages by chance or as a matter of convenience. The prophets declare an urgent message of sin, judgment, and restoration in a unique way. Some of the Minor Prophets have all of these themes in their messages while others display one or more but not all. In The Twelve Prophets those that portray some but not all the traits combine with other books to reveal the prophetic warnings and promises. The way the Twelve Prophets use imitation or narration for example displays conscious effort to deliver a specific message. The evident unity in literary design of the twelve books reveals a high possibility that unity exists in other spheres as well, such as the structure, and plot. None of the books vary from the accepted notions of prophecy, whether notions from neither major nor minor prophets, nor do any of the Twelve Prophets depart significantly from the basic literary form. The unity within the Book of the Twelve that has been argued for comes from the oft neglected â€Å"Minor† prophets. These Prophets are God’s narrator agents who have captured for their readers the intentions of the Lord, the author behind the whole book. Our task is to pay close attention the words spoken. â€Å"Through the words of his historians and prophets, psalmist and wisdom teachers, priests and lawgivers, God has formed our faith, instructed our piety in proper reverence and awe, awakened our expectations of his working, and bent our wills to his desires and goals.

Film Review on Kimjongilia

Film Review on Kimjongilia Kimjongilia is a documentary film directed by Heikin which features the stories of escapees and survivors of prison camps in North Korean during the dictatorship regime led by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-iI.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Film Review on Kimjongilia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is based on various interviews taken from residents of North Korea, people of all ages and status, who had survived the Kim’s leadership era in North Korea and was forced to leave their country due to difficult, repressive conditions there and settle in nearby states, such as China and South Korea. The escapees included prostitutes, a North Korean military, a piano performer, and a woman dancer. The film is mainly a story generated from interviews of residents who escaped dictatorship regime in North Korea between 1992 and 2006. Actually, the term ‘Kimjongilia’ is a flower which was created by a botanis t in Japan and named after the former ruler, Kim Jong-iI, to commemorate Japanese-Korean comradeship. The flower that is frequently referred to in the film symbolizes peace, justice, love, and wisdom. The documentary film focuses on the cruelty of the North Korean despotism and the hopeless status which the residents of North Korea, the people who experienced oppression and starvation every day, had. The movie also interviewed a victim and defector of the Kim era, Shin Dong-hyuk, who was born in camp 14 and narrates the tales of his unfavorable experiences at this maximum security camp established by Kim government. Most people who existed in this regime, like Shin’s parents, were killed in the camp, but Shin was lucky to survive long enough to break away eventually from this camp and settled in the neighboring country.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One excitin g story which is encountered in the movie was the way a former North Korean Army commander waited for around 10 years planning to run away from Kim regime due to the manner in which Kim regime was doing to his country. The commander eventually ran away through sailing a small boat 300 miles to Incheon as he avoids the government’s patrol which was guarding the sea. He was accompanied by his family members because he was worried that they may become separated if they attempt to defect through China. His effort to escape was successful and he is an honest detractor of the Kim government. He stated that when the Kim system ends, he would be prepared to return to North Korea immediately to support restructure his country. Through the information, assistance, interviews, and informative dance of North Korean outlandish representatives, which are provided by the film, the viewers are informed about the facts which they are already aware of. They are told that Kim Jong-iI, the dicta tor with black bouffant, was among the world cruelest dictators who were on the loose. He seemed to be insane and acquired a reputation of being a ruthless tyrant which will be passed on to the next generations. The director, Heikin, reflects her vision of the ‘Dear Leader’ in a creative and passionate way that changes unhappy facts into an entirely important realm. The film narrates about a woman who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in China and tells also about a boy who was taken to a camp at the age of nine since his grandfather had been found guilty for political crime. A woman who died due to fever was taken into China by her brother who was afterward murdered attempting to return to North Korea to provide food for his parents due to severe hunger which most people were experiencing in Kim regime.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Film Review on Kimjongilia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The fi lm also tells about a pianist who stated that he was forced to perform common tasks and surrender his music. The film exposed how Kim regime would target the whole family of defectors and penalize at least one member of that family at a time, including brothers, sisters, and at times more distant relatives. The film also talks about the way Kim Il-sung acquired the leadership in North Korea and inheritance of the power by his son Kim Jong-iI. The movie narrates an appealing story of humans heartbreaking and the way the entire country started suffering from almost every event and activities taken by the dictator. North Korea requested for international support because its citizens were experiencing severe hunger due to poor leadership. As North Koreans are experiencing unthinkably great sufferings, China barely obtains a status of state abiding human rights because of the way it handles escapees entering into the country. The movie shows that North Korean women are sold regularly int o white slavery and all the refugees face brutal torture. For example, Kim Cheol-woong talks about hours of torments to which Chinese officers subjected him. Some scenes are actually more frightening than some horror films ones. It is unbearable to watch huge population participating on a parade, raising the flags, singing and glorifying the leader whom nobody likes and everybody fears, but still keeps on praising. These scenes portray fear and horror which North Koreans are experiencing, and this is really scary to appear in such a situation. The shocking story from the documentary film does not only portray the expected horror of sufferings, killings, malnutrition and torture, but also shows the regular brainwashing which formed a superhuman personality cult of the country’s rulers and keeps the whole country ignorant of the situation in the outside world. This is the situation which Heikin strengthens through the addition of alternative archival material, mainly the films of propaganda and recordings of the citizenship pageantry in the country.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The moviemaker provides several recordings of the interviews, but very little archival data of the North Korea itself. The viewers are left to figure out the conditions of the country, apart from the interviews which are represented in the film. Performance art reveals the emotions and reactions on the things narrated by the escapees and survivors in their stories. It was a very imaginative solution to this issue, and I admire the manner in which Heikin covers the identities of the victims of the North Korean regime. Some interviewees are frightened that the government may recognize them when talking about the conditions in the country and testifying against its leaders. The director uses effective methods to cover their identities. The extreme close-ups are applied throughout the film, thus tearful eyes, gasping mouth, and moving hands appear on the screen during their interviews. This approach is very effective in protecting identities of the subjects. The movie depicts a clear ca se of how people of the same nation and culture can have different views and behaviors and these bring about overwhelming outcomes. Some interviewees comment that if these conditions carry on for another ten years, the entire nation might collapse. I agree with their opinion because the situation in North Korea is really disastrous. Emphasized by Heikin’s devices, the horrors of life of both the survivors of the North Korean prison camps and the escapees prove this statement.

Military Grave Markers and Tombstones

Military Grave Markers and Tombstones For many, the first introduction to an ancestors military service is at the cemetery when they discover a flag or military marker next to their ancestors grave, or an unknown acronym or image carved on the stone. Common Military Abbreviations United States - Military Abbreviations - Ranks, Units AwardsAustralia - Military Abbreviations TerminologyCanada - Military Abbreviations, Terms and MeaningsGermany - Glossary of Germany military terms and abbreviations Tombstone Symbols May Indicate Military Service Flag - liberty and loyalty. Often seen on military markers.Stars Stripes around an Eagle - Eternal vigilance and liberty. Often seen on U.S. military markers.Sword - often indicates military service. When found on the base of the stone might indicate infantry.Crossed swords - May indicate a military person of high rank or a life lost in battle.Horse - May indicate calvalry.Eagle - courage, faith and generosity. May indicate military service.Shield - Strength and courage. May indicate military service.Rifle - often indicates military service.Cannon - generally indicates military service. When found on the base of the stone it may indicate artillery. Acronyms for Military Groups Veterans Organizations CSA - Confederate States of AmericaDAR - Daughters of the American RevolutionGAR - Grand Army of the RepublicSAR - Sons of the American RevolutionSCV - Sons of Confederate VeteransSSAWV - Sons of Spanish American War VeteransUDC - United Daughters of the ConfederacyUSD 1812 - Daughters of the War of 1812USWV - United Spanish War VeteransVFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars

Journal Entry #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal Entry #3 - Essay Example That is the reason why we have the law, a set of principles, duties and obligations articulated by the peoples’ representatives. Because people are essentially different, not everybody agrees with the law; but for the law to work, everybody must abide by it. Yes, it is true that in this great country of ours, each person is free to abide by the dictates of his conscience; but this has a limit, and the limit is fixed by law. If people were excused from following the law because they did not believe in it, then the law would be useless, and anarchy would result. The latin maxim, Dura lex sed lex, is thus highly appropriate in this regard; it means, â€Å"The law may be harsh; but it is the law.† When a country is made up of people of the same race, religion, cultural background, and other such attributes, then the conflict among them would fall along personal traits. But where differences in race, religion, cultural background, and other such attributes exist, then there is added basis by which to perceive imagined injustices. The affirmative action law, however, is different in that it makes the differences in racial, cultural, or even gender attributes the basis for making a favourable decision on employment. No longer is it just to state that â€Å"no distinction must be made,† bit that a distinction should be made precisely on that basis, except where the distinction used to be negative because of prejudice, it is now mandated to be positive by force of law. This is where injustice is alleged. In the bigger picture, however, it appears that at least for now, we do need affirmative action. Even today, our managers in multinational corporations still harbor, sometimes unintentionally, stereotypical images of people who differ in race, creed or nationality (Egan & Benedick, 2008, p. 388). The hardwiring of centuries of cultural programming have ingrained in the privileged

Fiscal Policy Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fiscal Policy Paper - Essay Example The taxpayers are adversely affected by the increases in the tax imposition. Recently owing to the high fiscal deficit there has been increase in the various taxes on the employers, manufacturers, wage suppression on the employees and so on. There has been a problem of inter temporal budget and the huge deficits are actually burdening the current generation as well as the future generation. One of the analysts in New York Times stated that, â€Å"taxpayers will end up paying the costs of today’s deficits tomorrow† (Ackerman, 2004). But in this situation tax regime has to be tightened for bringing dynamic stability to the US economy and sacrifice has to be made now. Future Social Security and Medicare users Owing to the huge fiscal deficit, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted by the current President Obama directs towards access of equality, affordable health care and transformation within the health care system necessary to contain costs. The budget o ffice of the congress determined that the act will allow coverage to more than around 94% of the Americans staying within a limit of $900 billion bending the health cost curve and reducing the deficit over the next decade. The social security administration forecasts that by the next four decades from now on the trust fund of social security will be utilized in either borrowing, increasing revenue or that of diminishing profits (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2012). University of Phoenix student With the American fiscal deficit reaching lowest levels recently hit the for -profit University of Phoenix with higher costs and tremendously declining overall enrollment. As a coping strategy the University has planned to close down around 115 locations affecting the careers of around 13000 students. The University currently has about 328,000 students declined from a peak of more than 400,000. The closure of the branches will leave around 112 locations in 36 states of Unite d States, the District of Columbia as well as Puerto Rico. Although the President of the University has assured that the affected students will be shifted to online courses but it will leave a sense of moral degradation among the students for sure (Veiga, 2012). The United State’s financial reputation on an international level The trade deficit of United States of America has widened in the month of August 2012 with exports falling to the lowest levels in the last six months indicating a sign of worry indicating that the global economy has reduced the demand for the US goods. The chamber of commerce declared that the deficit increased to a level of $44.2 billion in August which is biggest gap since May. In the global front the American made cars as well as farm goods have declined. The imports reduced but with a slight 0.1 percent to $225.5 billion as purchases of foreign-made autos, aircraft and heavy machinery fell. The cost of oil also fell significantly. A significant gro wth in the trade deficit imparts a negative vibe as it signifies that the US is earning less on an overseas scale with respect to its domestic products. The manufacturers of US have been also hampered by slumping economies in countries like Europe, China and other key export markets which accounts for at least one-fifth of U.S. exports. The economic growth also declined to an annual rate of only 1.3% in the quarter of April-June (Crutsinger, 2012). Unemployed individuals Unemployment is a serious problem which requires particular attention.