Saturday, August 31, 2019

Looking Back and Forward

Comfortable life In my younger years I had some pretty distorted views about the world around me thanks to my parents, mostly my mother, but as I have grown up and am now an adult those views have changed immensely and made me a better person. My name is Justine Fir and I grew up in a decent sized town called Fullerton, California. Let me backtrack a second. I was born in Dallas, Texas, but raised by my adopted parents in Southern California from age 3 months until 18 years old. Fullerton was your standard definition of a town for people who were of the upper middle class to the lower upper class income classifications.This paper is being written with the intent to describe to you how my upbringing at a very early age, my own secretly kept views, and later events in my adolescence has shaped me into who I am today. I am from a neighborhood of folks who are well off financially with decent sized houses and nice cars. My parents, Marinate and Robert Fir, were very well off. He was a Ca rdiovascular Surgeon, and she Just left a high end nursing Job to raise me and my younger sister Mary. Being the oldest of the two, although not by much, I got spoiled more and learned early on how to get what I wanted by keeping my mouth shut and staying on mom's good side.My dad was one of the sweetest, most level headed guys one would want to know unless mom was around and then it was like a complete transformation into someone unpleasant within minutes. My mom pretty was on the same level as the Rockefeller. Everything with her, from A-Z, had to be the very top of the line, brand labeled stuff. I pretty much grew up with a golden spoon in my mouth. Now one would think that this was the high life and a dream come true but let me tell you it was not all it was cracked up to be.I found out very early on that my mom's way of showing love was through the all time American symbol we all cherish and aspect called the Dollar. â€Å"Here is a hundred dollars now get out of my face and I will give you $300 for every A on your report card and $250 for every B as long as you keep up good grades and do not tarnish our reputation, she would say. † Then when I got the A I was told â€Å"What, you couldn't get an A+? † Don't get me wrong, I loved my mom, but she was the most hateful, snobbish person that people hated crossing paths with.If their friends or mine were not Caucasian, then they were bad people and she would make snide comments about them. So you can imagine how it sat with ere that my Dad's partner, and owner of the medical practice, was from Honk Kong and wealthier than we were. Her intolerance did not stop at race alone but branched out to people of different lifestyles or religions like the Gays or Muslims. The comments she would make like â€Å"All gays should be put on an Island and blown up† really made me uncomfortable in general especially since she did not care who heard her or where we were.This upbringing had me in a whirlwind. I was being taught that every person who was not white,catholic, and straight was an outcast but all the while struggling in my mind to fight this knowing that at age 9 1 was only interested romantically in guys. Needless to say this was something that I could not divulge to anyone until I was out of the house. My dad was nothing like this unless my mother was within ear shot. At first glance anyone would think this was a complete nightmare and all around bad situation but I will explain later why this was actually a blessing in disguise and made me who I am today.Erie Frontbencher alludes to the important people in our lives as being a part of our micro-system and I fully agree (Witt & Mossier, 2010). I bet you are wondering why I made that last comment about making me who I am today and also curious as to who among the most important people in my life back then was the top one. Surprise, the top one was my mom Marinate. It was through the way she treated people and looked at the world that I said to myself † There is no way, under any circumstances, that I will grow up being that snobby and that judgmental. I was determined to treat others equally and as I would want to be I can help people and make a difference. My dad was an amazing man. It was through watching him that I learned how to tolerate her. The simple answer to that was to ignore her or occasionally nod in agreement even though I was opposed to hat she had Just said or did. He also taught me that money was not everything and that treating people differently based on the size of their pocket books was wrong. I really looked up to him and valued his input more than he probably will ever know.My neighbors truly helped me through this tough time as they were all real people just being who they were naturally, not caring 100% what others thought or my mom. I was able to vent to them and relax my guard to them although still not on the fact that I was gay. Without them in my life I probably woul d have exploded. So you robbery saw in my outline that I listed the man at the ice rink as being an important influence in my life. I was between the ages of nine and twelve when my mom decided I should take up ice skating. She had always waived hi to this nice guy who drove the machine to clear and clean the ice.One day I decided to wave back. She fiercely started back at me and said † I do not want that AIDS infested fagged coming over here. † This both hurt and shocked me. When she was not around I would talk with him about his life and how he was doing. He confided in me about how he was in fact gay and had AIDS. He also told me how much Marinate dated him for that and could not understand why she did the phony waves and smiles. I looked up to him for having the courage to be himself and to not let the words or actions of others influence him.I was probably 15 when I last visited my grandma, Rose, in San Francisco with a friend of mine. We were there with my dad who was visiting his father in the hospital dying. Rose and I were discussing random things when out of the blue she said â€Å"Love is love and rare to find. † I was completely stunned and speechless at this comment. Not only had she then known he was more then a friend but was okay with t. It was at that moment that I knew once I made the decision to finally come out to my parents that I would never hide who I was meant to be. That people are people just trying to live the best life they can while on this earth.I read an article that goes along with what I have been writing about and it states that the foundation of who we are today is influenced by the people who have input of any kind in our life, I. E. Parents, caregivers, siblings, relatives, teachers, churches, sports teams, clubs, friends, employers, employees, work mates, and so on. How we choose to interpret hose experiences is unique to us (Essence Holistic, 2012). So as I kind of alluded to in the above paragraphs, I am determined one day to be in a position where I can help people from all walks of like and let them know someone cares and is looking out for their best interests.That is why I am choosing to go into the social science major and then further that with a counseling degree. My goal is to hold groups and help people with HIVE/AIDS which is something I have since I was around 10 years old I have been dreaming of my prince charming sweeping me off my feet and growing old together while having many adventures ND building a life together. A lot of people are Jaded on this idea but I think this fairy tale romance can and does exist. It is Just rare to find.Although I too am leery at this happening in this stage of my, I still hold onto that hope. I feel getting a stable career will further pave the way for this happening. In the end I Just want what most of us want and that is a stable place to lay our heads with a companion at our sides to share the good and bad times and Just be comfort able without too many stresses and worries. Looking back, due to my upbringing, I would never have dreamed that I'd be an openly, proud gay man with friends of all ages and from all walks of life whom I value equally.It was because of those times and the struggles once I left home over the last 15 plus years that has landed me here today realizing that a people oriented career is what I desire. I am looking forward to utilizing this knowledge and becoming an even better person driven to help others open their eyes. As mentioned above, I was exposed to many distorted views about society and the world around me due to the way my mother was. This was then of course furthered by my own realization of who I was. Although our support groups may throw off active vibes and may be self centered, it does not have to be a bad thing nor predetermine our own destiny.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Singing in the Rain

Singing in The Rain Brianna Walsh The Use of Singing and Dance in Singin’ In the Rain Singin’ In the Rain is a fantastic movie that shows the transition between silent films and â€Å"talkies. † This film, however, would have no impact what so ever if it were not a musical. The dancing in the movie gave it something different making the movie a classic, while the singing gave the premise of the movie. Lina Lamont would be the first problem with a normal film. If the movie did not have singing, the impact of how bad her voice really was would not be heard. The shocking shrill of her voice is really the premise of the whole movie.To really be appreciated, Lina waited a little before talking in the movie creating anticipation in the viewers. Her lack of dancing abilities just furthered her distance from the â€Å"talkies† and made the audience root against her. Kathy Selden really shined in this movie because of the singing and dancing. Her voice was fantasti c and her dancing, especially paired with Don Lockwood, was better than many audiences had ever seen before. Without these two aspects in place, Kathy would not have been as likeable and her position as the underdog would have affected how the audience viewed her.Don Lockwood swooned all the ladies in this film with his charming singing and amazing tap dancing. He was really the star, in my eyes, of both of the categories. He was impossible to look away from because of his complicated choreography with his co-stars. Don would be nothing in this film if not for the singing and dancing. His part in the film would lessen immensely and he wouldn’t have made such an impact with the viewers. This film is a classic in American history solely because of the singing and dancing scenes. If these two things were not included in the film, it would have been lost among other movies of the time.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Decision Making and Favorite Poem Essay

My absloute favorite poem we studied was â€Å"The stone† The way Wilfrid Wilson Gibson tells about the sorrow a woman goes through after the loss of her loved one is unmatched by anyone else. My third and final favorite poem was â€Å"Song† by Garcia Lorca. â€Å"Song† tells of â€Å"The girl of beautiful face† who â€Å"goes gathering olives†. The way Lorica paints a picture of content in the girl is what strikes me most about this poem. Many eligible men come by to take her away to their country. â€Å"Four ride’s†¦ on Andalusian ponies [say] come to Cordoba, lass†. But â€Å"the girl pays no heed†. Man after man comes to bring her home but she does not accept. This is because she is happy where she is, and she does not need anyone to make her feel content. I also liked the way the author uses personification, he writes â€Å"with gray arm of the wind encircling her waist†. Here he implies that the wind can grab the girls waist, when in fact that is not true. The author also uses free verse because there are no patterns in his writing. His writing sounds more like a paragraph then a poem to me. My second favorite poem was â€Å"Ordinance On lining Up† by Naomi Lazard. This is due to the message behind Lazard’s words. I believe that the author’s message in the poem is that people have to make many life altering changes in their life. Each decision, a metaphorical â€Å"path† they have to take, each have their perks and each have their downfalls. An example of this is â€Å"In joining the line to the right you ill end life as a beggar. If you decide on the line to the left everything you believe will become nonsense†. I also liked the use of metaphor in this poem. In fact, this whole poem is a metaphor. There are two lines, one on the right and one on the left. The author is saying you must make a decision, and comparing the decision to two lines. She uses free verse in her writing. This poem is written like a paragraph that has been cut at random places. There are sentences that end in the middle of lines, and there are sentences that go for more then two lines. The reason I liked this liked this poem is because I could relate to it closely. Every day I must make big decisions and small ones. Which ever way I choose, I will never know the outcome of the other one, but that is the risk we take getting out of bead in the morning. One of the biggest decisions I have had to make so far is whether go to go to Stuyvesant or go to the high school next to my house. They both had positives and negatives. Stuyvesant was farther away from my home, and is a much harder school that would require much more focus and work. The other school was ten minutes from my house and would not be as taxing on my brain. Although I could relate to this poem greatly, the message behind is was very obvious and did not require much thinking. Because of this it was only my second favorite poem out of the sixteen we studied. The poem which intrigued me the most was the first poem we studied, â€Å"The Stone† by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson. This poem was my favorite simply because of the use of language and visual imagery. An example of this is, â€Å"three days before, a splintered rock had struck her lover dead† this quote paints a picture of death in my mind that is unlike any other sentence I have read before. Another reason I loved this poem so much was the way Gibson shows you the lovers feeling of sorrow after the death of her loved one. The author states, â€Å"She did not sigh nor moan. His mother wept: She could not weep. Her lover slept: She could not sleep. Three days, three nights, She did not stir: Three days, three nights, Were one to her, Who never closed her eyes From sunset to sunrise, From dawn to evenfall, Her tearless, staring eyes,That, seeing naught, saw all. This shows how the heart reacts to devastating news. She was in such shock and sorrow that she could not even bring herself to cry. Among the other poetic devises used, I epically like the way the author uses personification, â€Å"The two of us were chiselling, Together, I and Death. † The author uses the word death so freely, it almost makes me feel like death is such a common thing. Through Gibsons use in language, visual imagery and overall feel of the poem, he has created a timeless masterpiece.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Quality Assurance Program for Moose Winooskis Restaurnat Essay

Quality Assurance Program for Moose Winooskis Restaurnat - Essay Example However, merely philosophizing about the importance of strategy or publishing statements of management's support of the notion is not enough. Moose Winooski's has introduced quality assurance programs aimed to improve service quality, sustain strong brand image and leading position of the market. In Moose Winooski's, Quality Assurance (QA) programs involve all departments and employees. What is required is a business process to aid organizations in focusing their total quality efforts on issues that most directly support strategy. By focusing on the quality strategy, Moose Winooski's makes significant progress toward the overall goal of increasing customer satisfaction. Organizationally, QA can be seen as a new philosophy of business and a part of culture (Goetsch and Davis 2003). A proper balance of these actions results in working more effectively together toward increasing overall quality. Moose Winooski's there is a need to adopt quality as a business strategy whereby workers would enjoy the working environment and be proud of the resulting products or services. Part of achieving this result is encouraging and managing the participation of these workers in their day-to-day jobs (Goetsch and Davis 2003). For instance, the standards of the company are based three keys: 'pe rformance, support and innovation' (Moose Tracks 2007). At the organizational level, QA programs are determined by careful planning, control and feedback mechanisms. Personally, QA means commitment and high level of responsibilities, sense of belonging and support for success, effective teamwork and positive culture. Moose Winooski's states that: "our goals, passions, and values are the foundation of Moose Winooski's, and the source of six principles that guide out behavior and the conduct of our business: hospitality, respect, fairness, fun, sharing, and courage" (Moose Tracks 2007). There are no differences in view points because in Moose Winooski's, management provides leadership and direction to each level of the organization. The key is to provide each function with a clear understanding of its specific role in implementing organizational strategy. Each member of Moose Winooski's is then in a position to offer and implement suggestions and process improvements specifically designed to support the strategy (Goetsch and Davis 2003). With a shared understanding of the strategy and quality assurance management more effectively and efficiently manage organizational efforts. Managers are responsible for providing active leadership to the organization. This includes providing feedback, encouragement, constructive criticism, and discipline so that a pervasive, well-understood success paradigm exists and all team members know their expected role. Employees in Moose Winooski's are responsible for fully participating in the strategy development process. They then embrac e the resulting plans and do their part to implement them fully. Finally, they should approach their day-to-day job in a way that supports the organization's goals (Marath and Turnbull, 1998). QA programs are designed to link with organization's goals and strategies, vision and aims. In general, QA programs are based on four main functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. There are very clear and distinct roles for both managers and employees

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Quebec before and after the Quiet Revolution Research Paper

Quebec before and after the Quiet Revolution - Research Paper Example The origin of the Quite Revolution years was the Duplessis regime characterized by social conservation, isolation and generally negative autonomist stands3. The hopes and energies unleashed during the period of Quite Revolution shook the very foundation of Canada and the impact is still being felt up to date. In his reign as the Prime Minister of Quebec and the leader behind the Quite Revolution, Lesage introduced a slogan known as "Maitres chez nous" (Masters in our own house) which best represented his years as the leader of Quebec. The fundamental belief in Quebec, during the period of Quite Revolution, was that the French Canadians should not be contented with playing a second class responsibility in political, social and economical matters and that the fundamental aspect of the community development rested in the utilization of the distinct tool which was collectively controlled by the French Canadians: the state of Quebec, and hence in the denunciation of the anti-statism of th e past. In this regard the government of Lesage became the tool and the symbol of a whole people on the road to self-assertion. The Duplessis regime is largely challenged by many social scientists today. However, there is no doubt that the end of Duplessis regime and the succeeding election of Jean Lesage as the leader of Liberal party, introduced a period of massive changes and activities, which later amounted to a Revolution. Quebec Before 1960 Prior to the 1960s, Quebec was governed by Maurice Duplessis. Duplessis was a conservative and the leader of Union National Party. During his tenure as the government controller, election fraud and corruption was eminent and common practices in Quebec. Even though he was not supported Catholic Church as a whole as some Catholic clergies and Unions criticized him, Duplessis enjoyed enormous support from small towns and rural clergies sometimes even quoting the Union dominant Slogan â€Å"Le ciel est bleu† (the sky/ heaven is blue), â €Å"l'enfer est rouge† (hell is red) - which referred to Union National colors (red) and the Liberals (red)4. The liberals were accused of being pro-communist by the Union. The newspaper Le Devoir, Radio Canada and political journal Cite’ Libre were intellectual forum for Duplessis critics5. Prior to the Quite Revolution, Quebec’s natural resources were mainly developed by foreign investors. For example iron mining was done by Iron Company of Canada which was based in U.S. in 1949 a group of asbestos miners engaged in a three month strike. The strike led to the formation of Quebecer miners united which opposes the foreign corporation nationalists system and the Catholic Clergies who backed the American company (l 1998). The voice of the miners did not go unnoticed and they received support from Monsignor Charbonneau, Bishop of Montreal, group of intellectual individuals, Quebecois nationalist newspaper and many other groups and individuals who were mainly oppose d to the Duplessis system of governance. Until the mid 20th century, quite a number of Francophone Quebec workers lived below poverty line and did not have an opportunity to join the executive class of businessmen in their province6. For some reasons, the death of Duplessis in 1959, followed by the death of Paul Sauve, his successor, elicited the start of the Quite Revolut

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Passion Food Catering Parties Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Passion Food Catering Parties - Lab Report Example In the events and parties that will be organized by this business, the serving of items will be carried out under strict supervision to ensure that the clients get the best services from the service provider. Passion Food will rent space for the office and kitchen in the same region where it will be located. Renting the kitchen and the offices will be done in the industrial areas of the town. This is done to ensure that the cost of the rent is kept as low as possible. Due to the fact that space will be used to prepare and store food, there is no need of having a store that is aesthetically pleasing or stores that are in a classy or nice neighborhood. Passion Food d projected to generate annual revenue of about $ 100000.This revenue is expected to rise after the first three years of operation after the business is able to cut a niche for itself in the catering industry. For every business that wants to get into the markets and succeed, it is very important that a market research is carried outlaw market research entails studying and evaluating the current market in order to fully understand the dynamics of the market. Market research provides the business with the much need information that it will require in order to be able to operate efficiently and to be able to match and even outdoor the competitors in the market. It is due to this reason that a market research is required before the Food Passion business is rolled out. The market research, in this case, is done for three major goals and reasons. First of all, the market research is will be carried out in order to understand the dynamics of the catering industry. With this understanding, the business will be able to determine the best-operating ways that will enhance its efficiency and profitability.  

Academic Inflation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Academic Inflation - Research Paper Example The educational authorities have raised the minimum education level requirements in the educational institutions and organizations which have created a significant problem in the business world. It has been reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that the graduates completing their education lack the skills and qualifications required for filling a job as they have not been given proper training in their institutions (Lan & Winters, 2011). The cost of education has risen at an accelerating rate as compared to the increase in the financial aids that are provided by the federal agencies. According to SHEEO (2011), as people have insufficient funds available for covering the costs of college education, the number of graduates completing it has declined in the last few years. All of these factors have raised questions regarding the academic inflation that how lack of federal aids, increase in college/tuition fees, decline in wage increments and rising inflation rate are impacting the quality of college education. Academic Inflation is described as the process by which the higher education degrees’ value gets inflated; it is the point at which the minimum level of education is required when the level of employment rises. In fact, there is no real need for highly skilled or trained employees for various jobs in the firms (Odland, 2012). As a result of the academic inflation process, the bachelor’s degree value has reached a level where the graduates face difficulty in finding a suitable position in the professional world and they have to acquire degrees of much higher level such as Master’s degrees and PhDs. The primary reason for such a robust growth in the academic field for higher level degrees is an accelerating rate of competition among the peers (Singell & Stone, 2007). Along with increase in the demand of higher level degrees, the cost of acquiring them has

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Summary report on a research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Summary report on a research project - Essay Example Historically, dietary monitoring methods have focused on collecting samples which duplicate the diet consumed during a monitoring period by the individual. Such an approach for residential-based exposure measurements and evaluating dietary intake is justified for the following reasons: it includes the contribution of residue contaminants added inadvertently during food preparation in the residence (i.e. bug spray, lead based paint, etc.), and it represents a reasonable measure of daily dietary intake of the individual during the monitoring period (4). Duplicate-diet collection is considered the "gold standard" for estimating dietary exposure to contaminants (5). Additionally, duplicate-diet collection can provide a more accurate picture of nutrient composition of an individual's dietary intake than food diary records. However, duplicate-diet methodology has also been shown to have certain shortcomings (6). For example, the variability in what people eat and the non-uniform distribution of chemical residues in foods over a period of time, duplicate-diet monitoring over a short time period (up to 4 days) provides data that adequately characterize exposure of the population as a whole, but not the individual being monitored. In addition, diet samples collected during short-term field studies may not be representative of long-term dietary intakes. Reports indicate that duplicate diet collections are burdensome and collection and analysis too costly. In addition, there is a social awkwardness of collecting, storing, and transporting additional portions of food, and some situations are simply not appropriate for duplicate diet food collections, such as a picnic) (7). Furthermore, the established indirect methods of assessing dietary intakes (market basket surveys) do not capture the important contribut ions of storage, preparation, and consumption in the residence, or handling by a child. As an alternative to the duplicate diet protocol, the community food item collection methodology was tested. Two focus groups were conducted to pilot test the study protocol. Focus group interviews are a way to obtain qualitative data (8). The group environment promoted purposeful interaction to generate feedback on the proposed research (9). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the community food item collection method as an alternative to the duplicate diet food collection as a valid way to measure the level of exposure to toxins in pregnant women and young children. Specific aims were to: 1) determine whether 60% of the subjects enrolled in the study would provide at least one food item; and 2) to estimate staff effort, cost, and resources necessary to recruit 50 mothers of children 15-24 months to the study. METHODS Study Design Mothers (n = 45) of toddlers 15 - 24 months old were enrolled in a prospective observational study testing the Community Food Collection Potential participants were screened by telephone to determine if eligibility requirements were met. Approximately 87% (n=53) of prospective subjects met eligibility criteria and were mailed consent forms. Overall, 45 mothers provided informed, written consent and were enrolled in the study, and 44 completed the study in its entirety. Eligible mothers were mailed a consent form, a child dietary habits survey, and a child food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The Institutional Review Board of the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Years of My Birth By Louise Erdrich Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Years of My Birth By Louise Erdrich - Essay Example At that time she was too young to be even admitted to a state run institution. Tuffy and her brother referred to as the doppelganger shared a very ethereal and unique relationship. Tuffy’s birth circumstances, her deformities and the fact the she was left stranded in the nursing home was an effect of her brother’s presence. After Mrs. Lasher’s, the mother’s delivery of the twins, Tuffy never saw any of them ever again. It was only during her mid-adulthood that she chanced upon when a phone call came to her residence. Tuffy never saw her brother, her doppelganger, and was not aware of his looks, his name, his whereabouts, or any information related to his brother whatsoever. Quite frequently she used to feel the presence of a comforting soul, a sympathetic hand, and a warm presence of an invisible person around her, beside her. She used to have the same feeling when taking ling walks, as if someone was accompanying her just beyond the corner of her eye. She felt this for years, right from the time she was abandoned till her years of womanhood. While Tuffy was still a child growing up at the Wishkob household, amidst the love, care and affection of the Wishkob couple: Betty and Albert, she began to have a growing attachment towards them and their children, Sheryl and Cedric. She didn’t hold her birth mother or her bother in high regard, rather she was indifferent to their whereabouts, and didn’t want to go to them. Her relationship with her doppelganger in the beginning was quite different. She bore agony and resentment in her heart for the inhuman treatment that was metted out to her during her birth. The incident has such a deep engraving in her mind that she bore a feeling of indifference toward the Lasher family. She remembered her birth mother Nancy Lasher with a lot of pain and discontent in her heart. All her life she tried avoiding pain and the prime cause of a raw and aching nerve inside her was her own birth fam ily. Such being the case, she didn’t care and even though she worked in the reservation post office, she didn’t bother, for years, to get the address of her birth mother and contact her. It was only on the night when Tuffy (Linda Wishkob) was contacted by her birth mother, under extraordinary circumstances and quite unannounced that the trail of her life and her feelings took a turn. After Tuffy was abandoned by her parents in the local nursery and she started growing up with the Wishkobs there were times when she was taken away from Betty and Albert by welfare officers with the duty to find a better home for her. During on such incident when she was driven off to an unknown place by the visiting welfare officer, and found herself waking up in a white room, she felt the presence of someone. She felt as if someone was with her, comforting her, holding her hand, crying and grieving with her. She never had this experience before, but thereafter continued to experience it on several occasions throughout her life under varying circumstances. She had a strange and peculiar feeling in her heart as if someone was around her and was in dire need of help. It was as if a person was holding on to life and depending on Tuffy’

Friday, August 23, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing - Essay Example The particular product selected for the research was nothing but a big-name energy drink ‘Red Bull’. To study this impact, the research approach used was ‘experimental’ and subjects were ‘personally’ contacted by the experimenter. In the experiment, the subjects were made to play a car racing video game where each was assigned a racecar which was functionally identical yet differing in terms of brand logos and color schemes including the logos of Guinness, Tropicana, Coca Cola, and Red Bull. The different brands were actually reflecting different brand identities. This experimental research found that the players racing the Red bull car competed with speed, recklessness, power, and aggressiveness – attributes that have been identified with the brand throughout its marketing programs. The players raced either inspiringly by winning or horribly by crashing, reflecting the associated extreme dimensions confined in the brand’s attribut es. In this way, the performance of Red Bull car racers was revealing the brand’s attributes among the racers even this impact was unknown to them. This finding can also be generalized to the behavioral influence of other energy drinks on consumer behavior or even to brands having an established, prominent personality.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Trader Joes Case Essay Example for Free

Trader Joes Case Essay Trader Joe’s is an up and rising supermarket that is upbeat and even has employees wear Hawaiian shirt. This gives it a more relaxed and enjoyable shopping environment. The company selects small stores and only keeps about 4000 stock-keeping units. Eighty percent of those units contain the Trader Joe’s brand. This initiates a quick turnover over rate. Trader Joe’s usual customers are college educated people living in urban areas and also college kids. The company makes it easier for these customers to buy different variety of items buy not having too much diversity that would cause shopping paralysis. With lower variety, Trader Joe’s can control quality much more effectively then it would with more options. Their product line has similar popular products that other supermarkets have but it is under the Trader Joe’s brand. The company also looks to find new interesting foods that I can add to the supermarket rather than following trends it tries to set the trends. It has options from basic organic fruits to exotic food like Belgian butter waffle cookies. When it comes to distribution; Trader Joe’s purchases directly from the manufacturers and then ships the products right to Trader Joe’s distribution centers. Trader Joes doesn’t charge its suppliers for advertising, couponing or slotting shelves. In exchange for this benefit, Trader Joe’s has asked suppliers to operate with Trader Joe’s in secrecy. The vendors cannot publicize the business relationship with Trader Joe’s in any matter. This strategy is to help prevent both consumers and competitors from gaining knowledge as to who produces the food that the store sells. Suppliers also do not like having the idea that that one store offers a lower cost version and not at the other. The pay offered at Trader Joe’s is also generous which helps produce a more enthusiastic crowd of employees. The company also contributes 15. 4% of an employee’s Gross income towards a tax deferred retirement fund. Many workers though feel that the company is losing its mom and pop shop type feel, and that the company is becoming more corporate. This is going to be an issue in the future as the company slowly grows. The company definitely doesn’t want to lose the touch which makes it stand out from different supermarkets.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Individual Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Individual Responsibility Essay So this is the deal: society today frowns on giving the individual responsibility. We are governed by a set of rules that limits the ability of any individual to make a choice, because we believe that the individual will make the wrong choice, for either himself, others, or both. For example, take traffic rules. Rules such as stopping at stop signs and not running red lights should be entirely optional. A cop should not have jurisdiction or the responsibility to enforce such rules; they should merely be considered as social recommendations. You are recommended to stop here, but you may proceed without stopping at your own risk. Sitting at a red light when no traffic is coming makes one feel like a fool and a cog. Why do we sit there, comfortable in our upholstered seats, staring at a red light waiting for the green when we can obviously see that there is no cross-traffic and that it is safe to cross? Because we are scared that we will get a ticket. Why are we scared that we will get a ticket? Because we are scared of what others may think when they find out that we got a ticket for running a red light. Because we will be ostracized by our peers, and considered an unsafe driver. Because we are scared that it will go on the infamous, anonymous record and that we will be scarred for life as if with a scarlet letter. Why do we respect the record? Why do we place such value in not even making a single mistake if we can help it? Because society values its existence as a whole over the existence of individuals. Individuals are valued only so far as how they can contribute to the creation and maintenance of a society, and beyond that, all their individual needs must be satisfied on their own. We choose to restrict the choices that individuals can make because we dont believe that they will make the right choice, whatever that may be. As a result, we feel demeaned and stupid, sitting at a red light at 2am, waiting to cross as the city sleeps. In New York they apparently run red lights en masse, even in the presence of cops, but Ive never experienced this directly so I dont know for sure. In any case, it is time for individuals to take responsibility for their own actions, and for society to risk losing a few more individuals for the sake of maintaining individual identity. And without individual identity, the individual will no longer wish to be a part of a society that treats him like a suckling child. How can you expect to have any self-respect if you work everyday in a job where you dont make decisions, but decisions are made for you by a few words in a manual? Where people value not what you believe and say, but what happens to be written? I guess talk is cheap, but whos to say that writing isnt? When employers watch their employees with video cameras, when employers cannot even trust their employees to not steal from a cash register that they are operating, something must be wrong. Either the employee isnt getting paid enough to work, or the job shouldnt exist in the first place. By not showing trust, youre only asking for an even more disgruntled worker to rob you. And look at the options that an individual has in society today. You have two basic options. Option One: Spend your life in school educating yourself for a job that you dont really want to buy the stuff you dont really need to pass the time until you retire to pass the time until you die. Uh-huh. Tell that to a kid when theyre growing up, and theyll call you crazy. And we think the people who opt-out, such as homeless people, constitute societys insane. But wait, there is hope. Option Two: Understanding this sad fate, you instead sue a large corporation, such as McDonalds, for causing your child to be fat or for causing your own heart disease. You threaten to file a class-action lawsuit that will rival the Big Tobacco suit, costing McDonalds billions of dollars if you win or millions in lawyer fees if you dont. But you also give them the option to settle quietly out of court for an undisclosed sum worth several million. Being a financially-focused business, McDonalds will of course choose to settle. In effect, by threatening to sue and destroy McDonalds reputation, you have earned yourself a living that, if well-managed, could last you a lifetime. And you feel little guilt because McDonalds is not your neighbor whom you see everyday but some faceless corporation consisting of thousands of employees that would rather work elsewhere. Even though what youve done amounts to extortion, blackmail. And McDonalds has chosen business over ethics, without missing a beat. If youre smart, you choose option two. If youre ethical, you choose option one. If youre smart and ethical, you choose a third option, yet to be conceived. But right now, option two seems like the definite way to go. In fact, society recommends it, because of course your childs obesity or your heart disease could not have been in any way under your control as your responsibility, because you, the consumer, are not to be trusted with something as important as RESPONSIBILITY. Who knows, you just might hurt someone. And thus, we have a cycle of lack of responsibility that is self-perpetuating. Society doesnt think we can take care of ourselves, we begin to believe this, and then we act on it to benefit ourselves. Because we really can take care of ourselves, no matter what restrictions society places on us. Our most recent outlet has been litigation; in fact, if you want to get a safe job today, become a lawyer. Just dont expect to succeed if you actually have morals and care about the cases you fight. Just be a shrewd businessman. And dont feel bad when you do the wrong thing, knowing full well that the right thing is going to cost you. After all, you can work for the plaintiff for free; just be sure to ask for a 30% cut of whatever McDonalds gives them. Why do we make a society where doing the right thing is expensive? Who designed this damn thing anyway? Its design by committee, and hence the design sucks

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Conventional Sensors and Optical Fiber Sensors

Conventional Sensors and Optical Fiber Sensors ABSTRACT This study deals with the comparison of the two types of sensors which are widely used in civil engineering, namely, conventional sensors and optical fiber sensors. Temperature and displacement are the two principal parameters which are measured with the aid of Fiber optic sensors. Bragg Grating, Interferometric, Intensity Sensors, and optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) are some of the techniques which are used for sensing. In this study, various case studies have been undertaken and have been analyzed. With the aid of these case studies, a detailed analysis and comparison of the sensors is carried out. Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION In the last two decades, the world has witnessed a revolution in the sectors of optoelectronics and fiber optic communications. Various products such as laser printers and bar code scanners which have become a part of our daily usage, are a result of this technical revolution only. The reasons for the phenomenal growth of the fiber optics are many. The most conspicuous reason being the ability of the fiber optics to provide high performance and highly reliable communication links and that too at a very low bandwidth cost. As we see that optoelectronic and fiber communications industry has progressed a lot, and along with these industries fiber optic sensors have also benefited a lot from these developments. Due to the mass production in these industries, availability of fiber optic sensors at a low cost has been made possible in recent years. With their availability at affordable costs, fiber optic sensors have been able to enter the domain which was otherwise being ruled by the trad itional sensors. In recent years, the demand for the development of new materials to strengthen, upgrade and retrofit existing aged and deteriorated concrete structures has increased rapidly. The continuing deterioration and functional deficiency of existing civil infrastructure elements represents one of the most significance challenges facing the worlds construction and civil engineers. Deficiencies in existing concrete structures caused by initial flawed design due to insufficient detailing at the time of construction, aggressive chemical attacks and ageing of structural elements enhance an urgent need of finding an effective means to improve the performance of these structures without additionally increasing the overall weight, maintenance cost and time. In the last 50 years, a large number of civil concrete structures have been built; many of these structures, particularly in off-shore regions have now deteriorated and require repair in a short period of time. Moreover, the increase of traffic volume and population in many developing countries is causing the demand to upgrade existing concrete structures to increase. The damage of reinforced concrete (RC) structures through reinforcement corrosion and residual capacity are the most important issues that concern engineers. These problems occur not only in constructed concrete structures but also in structures strengthened by externally bonded steel reinforcements. In the past, the external steel plate bonding method has been used to improve strength in the tensile region of concrete structures with an epoxy adhesive and has proved to be successful over a period of 20 years. However, the use of steel reinforced plates and bars has its disadvantages including high corrosion rates, which could adversely affect the bond strength and cause surface spalling of the concrete, due to volumetric change in the corroded steel reinforcements. Since the early 1980s, fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials have been used as a replacement for conventional steel materials for concrete strengthening applications. In recent years, the interest in utilizing FRP materials in the civil concrete industry in forms of rods, plates, grid and jacket has grown increasingly. When an FRP plate with high tensile strength properties bonds on the concrete surface, it can strengthen the structure with minimum changes to its weight and dimensions. FRP offers substantial improvement in solving many practical problems that conventional materials cannot solve to provide a satisfactory service life of the structure. Unlike the conventional steel materials, FRP is corrosion resistant. The beneficial characteristics of using the FRP in concrete construction include its high strength-to-weight ratio, low labour requirement, ease of application, reduced traffic interruption during repair, cost reductions in both transportation and in situ maintenance for a long-term strategy. Its high damping characteristic also attracts more structural engineers to use these materials for seismic retrofitting. Due to the increasing use of FRP-plate bonding techniques in strengthening civil concrete structures, the interest in finding a suitable means of monitoring the structural health conditions of these strengthened structures has therefore increased substantially. Since strengthened structures are covered by the FRP plates, the mechani cal properties of the concrete may not be measured or detected easily through conventional nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods, such as strain measurements using surface mounted strain gauges or extensometers, radiography, thermography and acoustic emission methods, particularly in areas with microcracks and debonds underneath the externally-bonded plate. Besides, these structural inspection technologies, in certain cases, require special surface preparations or a high degree of flatness in the concrete surface. These requirements may be hard to achieve, particularly for an area that is exposed to a harsh environment. During the 1990s, a multi-disciplinary field of engineering known as Smart Structures has developed as one of the most important research topics in the field.The structure is formed by a marriage of engineering materials with structurally-integrated sensor systems. The system is capable of assessing damage and warning of impending weakness in the structural integrity of the structure. Fibre-optic sensor technology is a most attractive device currently used in the aerospace and aircraft industry for on-line monitoring of large-scale FRP structures. The development of distributed fibreoptic sensors, which provides information on a large number of continuously distribution parameters such as strain and temperature is of great interest in most engineering applications.11,12 The sensors are embedded into a structure to form a novel self-strainmonitoring system, i.e. the system can self-detect its health status and send response signals to operators during any marginal situation during service. The embedding sensor, due to its extremely small physical size, can provide the information to a high accuracy and resolution without influencing the dimension and mechanical properties of the structure. Fibre-optic sensors present a number of advantages over the conventional strain measuring devices: (a) providing an absolute measurement that is sensitive to fluctuation in irradiance of the illuminating source; (b) enabling the measurement of the strain in different locations in only one single optical fibre by using multiplexing techniques;(c) having a low manufacturing cost for mass production; and (d) its ability to be embedded inside a structure without influencing the mechanical properties of the host material. A new development of Smart materials and structures was driven by a strong demand for high performance over recent years. A system integrated into structures and being able to monitor its hosts physical and mechanical properties such as temperature and strain, during service is appreciated as a Smart structural health monitoring system. The term smart material and structure is widely used to describe the unique marriage of material and structural engineering by using fibre-optic sensors and actuation control technology. The smart structure is constructed of materials that can continuously monitor their own mechanical and physical properties, and thereby, be capable of assessing damage and warning of impending weakness in structural integrity. This design concept results in improved safety and economic concerns regarding the weight saving and avoidance of over-designing of the structure in the long run. In Fig. 1, a schematic illustration of the structures possibilities created by the confluence of the four disciplines is shown. In the figure, a structure invested with actuating, sensing and neutral networking systems to form a new class of adaptive structures is shown. A structure with integrated sensor or actuator systems is able to provide a self-structural health monitoring or actuating response, respectively. If both systems are integrated together into a structure, the sensor and actuators can act as nervous and muscular systems, like a human body, to sense the conditions such as mechanical strain and temperature of the structure (a smart structure) and to provide control of such changes of stiffness, shape and vibration mode (a controlled structure). The combination of these two systems into one structure is called a Smart adaptive structure. This structure with a built-in neural networking system, like a brain, is then able to self evaluate the conditions, which are based on changes of structural parameters, thermal conditions and ambient environments to give an appropriate mechanical adjustment. This structure is commonly called an Intelligent adaptive structure. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY There has been an unprecedented development in the fields of optoelectronics and fiber optic communications. This in turn, has brought about a revolution in the sectors of telecommunication and various other industries. This has been made possible with the aid of high performance and reliable telecommunication links which have low bandwidth cost. Optical fibers have numerous advantages and some disadvantages. The advantages include their small size, resistance to electromagnetic interference and high sensitivity. On the other hand, some of its disadvantages are their high cost and unfamiliarity to the end user. But its great advantages completely overshadow its minor disadvantages. So, in this study an attempt is being made to compare the modern age fiber optic sensors with the conventional sensors. Also, with the aid of the case studies, the impact of fiber optic sensor technology on monitoring of civil structures is studied (McKinley and Boswell 2002). 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT In the past various kinds of sensors have been used in civil engineering for measuring temperature, pressure, stress, strain etc. And as the optical fiber sensors spread their wings, the civil engineering is bound to gain a lot from these modern sensors. Presently, there exist a number of problems with the existing civil infrastructures. These civil infrastructures such as bridges etc. have a pretty long service period which may amount to several decades or maybe even hundred years. Thus, during this time period, these structures suffer from corrosion, fatigue and extreme loading. Since concrete is used mostly in these civil infrastructures, it degradation is a major issue all over the world. The amount of degradation and the time when the degradation starts depends on various factors and is inevitable and unavoidable. Thus, in order to keep these civil structures in good condition, it becomes necessary that their condition be monitored and adequate steps be taken. Thus, we need sensors which can monitor these structures throughout the life of these structures. Thus, in this study the impact of fiber optic sensors is studied on civil structures. 1.3 OBJECTIVES There are a few objectives that are planned to be achieved at the end of this project, these are: A general discussion on the present state of structural monitoring and the need of fiber optic sensors in this field A general study on Comparison between Conventional Sensors and Optical Fiber Sensors Review of Case Studies on Fiber Optic Sensors application in Civil Engineering Structures 1.4 WORK PLAN Discussion, reading and observation Problem identification through reading, discussion and observation of the area studied Understand and identify the background of problem Studying feasibility and needs to carry out the investigation Identification of the Title for the project Identify the aim, objective and scope of the project Literature Review Understanding the background of the problem Understanding the history of the sensor technology in structural monitoring Carrying out literature survey on generic technologies of sensors for concrete structures Identify the types of sensor involved in monitoring the structural in civil engineering Identify the technique used and the working principle for each type of sensors (in particular optical fiber sensors) Case Study Choose the relevant and related case study for discussion Describe important aspects of case study Analyze the use of sensors in the case study Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations Discuss the similarities and differences Discuss the technical facets of sensor application Draw the overall conclusion for this project Give some recommendation for future Chapter 2: APPLICATIONS These days the fiber optic sensors are being used for a variety of applications, the most prominent of them being: Measurement of rotation and acceleration of bodies Measurement of electric and magnetic fields Measurement of temperature and pressure of bodies Measurement of acoustics and vibrations of various bodies Measurement of strain, viscosity and chemical properties of materials Measurement of surface condition and tactile sensing Measurement of sound , speed and proximity of bodies Determination of color and weight of different objects Measurement of linear and angular positions and this is widely utilized in civil engineering structures 2.1 ADVANTAGES OF FIBER OPTIC SENSORS Like with any other technology, there are both advantages and disadvantages using fiber optic sensors. The prominent advantages being: Fiber optic sensors are lightweight and this is of great importance in case of engineered structures Fiber optic sensors are of smaller size as compared to the traditional sensors Also, fiber optic sensors consume less power as compared to the traditional sensors Along with this, these sensors show high resistance to electromagnetic interference as compared to the traditional sensors On top of this, fiber optic sensors have enjoy high bandwidth and high sensitivity as compared to their traditional counterparts Fiber optic sensors are usually embedded in objects and due to this, these sensors can gain access to areas which till date remain inaccessible with the aid of traditional sensors Also, these sensors are accurate over a greater dynamic range as compared to the traditional sensors Fiber optic sensors are also capable of being multiplexed which again is a further advantage over their traditional counterparts Also, fiber optic sensors are capable of distributed measurements which gives them an edge over and above the traditional sensors Last but not the least, they also show greater environmental ruggedness as compared to the traditional sensors 2.2 DISADVANTAGES OF FIBER OPTIC SENSORS But all this is just one side of the coin. Though on seeing these advantages, it might appear that fiber optic sensors are way too advanced as compared to the traditional ones, but it is not exactly true. These fiber optic sensors also have some disadvantages due to which their advancement in todays world has been somewhat curtailed. The major disadvantages of fiber optic sensors are: Fiber optic sensors are quite costly as compared to the traditional sensors. Due to this, many people still consider traditional sensors to be a better option in cases where cost is a major consideration. Secondly, these sensors have come into prominence only in the last two decades. Due to this, people appear to be somewhat less educated regarding their usage and operations. And this unfamiliarity with the usage of these sensors, has proved to be a major hurdle in being able to capture the whole market. Also, these sensors are considered to be more fragile as compared to the traditional sensors which raises a question over their adaptability in extreme conditions Also with the fiber optic sensors there exists the inherit ingress/egress difficulty Fiber optic sensors usually have a non-linear output which is a cause for concern in some applications From the above discussion, we can see that as is the case with any other new technology, there are both merits and demerits of fiber optic sensors. But, what is worth considering here is that the advantages of this technology are much more than its disadvantages and are able to outweigh them. Also, from the demerits which are mentioned here, it is clear that these demerits are bound to wither away as this technology develops and gains more prominence. 2.3 APPLICATIONS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING Now we come to the discussion of the need and applications of the fiber optic sensors in the field of civil engineering structures. The monitoring of civil structures has a great significance in todays world. Today, we not only need to construct reliable and strong civil structures, but we also need to monitor these structures in order to ensure their proper functioning and their safety. Also, with the aid of the monitoring of various parameters of the structures, we can get knowledge about state of the building and by using this data, we can in turn plan the maintenance schedule for the structure (Mckinley, 2000). Also, this data can give us an insight into the real behavior of the structure and can thus take make important decisions regarding the optimization of similar structures which are to b e constructed in future. The maintenance of the structures can be approached in one of the two ways, namely: Material point of view- In this approach, monitoring is concentrated on local properties of the materials which are used in the construction. In this approach, we observe the behavior of the construction materials under the conditions of load, temperature etc. In this approach, short base length sensors are usually utilized. Also, it is possible to get the information about the whole structure with the aid of extrapolation of the data obtained from these sensors. Structural point of view- In this approach of measurement, the structure is viewed from a geometrical point of view. In this approach, long gauge length sensors appear to be the ideal choice. In this approach, we will be able to detect material degradation only if this material degradation has an impact on the form of the structure. In the recent years most of the research work which has been carried out in field of optic sensors has been in the field of material monitoring rather than structural monitoring. It is also worth mentioning here that, more sensors are required in the case of material monitoring as compared to structural monitoring. We know that civil engineering requires sensors that can be embedded in the concrete, mortars, steel, rocks, soil, road pavements etc. and can measure various parameters reliably. Also what should be taken into account is that these sensors should be easy to install and should not hamper the construction work or the properties of the structure in any derogatory manner. Also, it is common knowledge that at the sites of civil engineering, there exist the unavoidable conditions of dust, pollution, electromagnetic disturbances and of unskilled labor. Thus, the sensors to be used in these cases need to be rugged, should be inert to harsh environment conditions and should be easy to install and their installation could be carried out by unskilled labor. Along with all these things, it is imperative that these sensors are able to survive a period of at least ten years so that they can allow for a constant monitoring of the aging of the structure. Thus, we see that the fiber optic sensors ca n prove to be quite handful in civil engineering applications and structures. In the past various kinds of sensors have been used in civil engineering for measuring temperature, pressure, stress, strain etc. And as the optical fiber sensors spread their wings, the civil engineering is bound to gain a lot from these modern sensors (Vurpillot et al., 1998). Chapter 3: LITERATURE REVIEW ON FIBER OPTIC SENSORS Fiber optic sensors are of many kinds, but they can be broadly classified into two types, namely, extrinsic fiber optic sensors and intrinsic fiber optic sensors. There is a great deal of difference between these two types of fiber optic sensors and this difference is discussed in detail below. 3.1 EXTRINSIC FIBER OPTIC SENSORS This type of fiber optic sensor is also known as hybrid fiber optic sensor. As we can see in the figure above that there is a black box and an input fiber enters into this black box. And from this input fiber, information is impressed upon light beam. There can be various ways by which the information can be impressed upon. Usually this information is impressed upon the light beam in terms of frequency or polarization. This light which then posses the information is carried away by the optical fiber. The optical fiber now goes to an electronic processor. (Vurpillot et al., 1998) Here, in the electronic processor the information which is brought along by the fiber is processed. Though we can have separate input fiber and output fiber, but in some cases it is preferred to have the same fiber as the input fiber and the output fiber. 3.2 INTRINSIC FIBER OPTIC SENSORS Intrinsic fiber optic sensors Extrinsic fiber optic sensors In this sensor, the fiber itself acts as the sensor medium In this sensor, the fiber does not act as the sensor medium. It merely acts as a light delivery and collection system In this fiber optic sensor, the light never leaves the medium and always stays inside the medium In this fiber optic sensor, the light leaves the medium, then it is altered in some way and is collected by another fiber. 3.3 INTENSITY BASED FIBER OPTIC SENSORS While there exist various kinds of fiber optic sensors today, but the most common of these sensors is the hybrid type fiber optic sensor which depends upon intensity modulation in order to carry out the measurements (Zako et al., 1995) The functioning of this fiber optic sensor is quite simple. In this fiber optic sensor, light enters from one side. And when this light exits from the other side, it exits in the form of a cone and the angle of this cone depends on two parameters. The two parameters upon which the angle of this cone depends are: Firstly, it depends on the index of refraction of the core Secondly, it depends on the cladding of the optical fiber Also, the amount of light captured by the second optic fiber depends on a number of factors. The prominent factors on which the amount of light captured depend are: It depends on the acceptance angle It also depends on the distance d between the optical fibers Another type of fiber optic sensor is the flexible mounted mirror sensor. The important characteristics of this sensor are: In this case, a mirror is mounted which is used to respond to external parameters such as pressure. The modulation in intensity is caused the shifts in the mirror position. These sensors are used in a variety of applications such as door closures. In a door closure, a reflective strip is used. These sensors are used to measure small variations and displacements 3.4 LINEAR POSITION SENSORS In todays world, linear position sensors have become widely applicable. They are being used for various purposes (Zako et al., 1995). In many of the linear positioning sensors, wavelength division multiplexing is used. An illustration of the linear position sensor is shown in the figure below. The various components of this linear position sensor are: It consists of a broadband light source It consists of various detectors as shown in the figure above It also consists of wavelength division multiplexing element which acts as the principal component of this instrument. It also consists of an encoder card In the example above, a broadband light source is utilized. The light from this broadband source is carried to a wavelength division multiplexing system with the aid of a single optic fiber. The wavelength division multiplexing system is used to determine the linear position. Another linear motion sensing method which is very widely used today and is quite similar to the method discussed above is known as the time division multiplexing method. In this method instead of a broadband light source a light pulse is used. Here, the combination of the returned signals takes place. As a result of this combination of the returned signals, the net signal which is produced moves onto the position of the encoder card. The main areas in which these intensity based fiber optic sensors have found application are: In commercial aircrafts In military aircrafts In these applications these modern sensors have performed quite well and are at par with the performance of the conventional sensors. But, because of the various advantages these sensors enjoy over and above the conventional sensors, these modern sensors are bound to replace the conventional sensors in the years to come. 3.5 LIQUID LEVEL SENSORS This is another type of intensity based fiber optic sensor. In the functioning of this sensor, the principle of total internal reflection is utilized. Thus, in these sensors the refraction index of the glass and the fiber occupy the pivotal role. These sensors can be utilized for a variety of purposes. The most prominent of its applications are: Measurement of pressure changes in gels Measurement of pressure changes in various liquids Measurement of refractive index changes in gels Measurement of refractive index changes in different types of liquids Measurement of the level of a liquid in a vessel and this application is utilized in various industries to measure liquid levels These sensors have an accuracy of about 5 percent and are gaining importance in various industries for their usefulness. 3.6 SOFO SENSORS These are fiber optic sensors which are utilized for strain measurement. These sensors have become quite popular owing to their innate merits. Out of all the fiber optic sensors, these sensors are the ones which are being used most extensively today. These sensors are being used to measure curvature and various other parameters in giant civil structures. These sensors form a part of the interferometric system (Vurpillot et al., 1998). Also, these sensors have the ability of measuring the parameters in an absolute manner using low-coherent light. The important properties of these sensors are: These fiber optic sensors enjoy a high resolution. The resolution of these sensors is 2 Â µm These sensors can be of varied lengths. Their length can be as small as 0.2m or can be as large as 20m. Also, these sensors have the property of being temperature compensated The SOFO system setup consists of a number of equipments. The main components of the SOFO system setup are: It consists of a fiber optic sensor which forms the crux of this monitoring system. It is the most important component of the monitoring system. It consists of a sensor chain with partial reflectors. One terminal of this sensor is connected to the coupler Another terminal of the sensor chain with partial reflectors is connected to the LED. The coupler in turn is connected to the photo diode and a mobile mirror. This whole portable reading unit is connected to portable computer terminal. This ensures that that the whole monitoring system can be taken to the location and can be directly used at site. These sensors can be utilized in two ways. They can either be embedded in the structure at the time of the construction of the structure. Or, they can used to measure the various parameters externally. Though in both the cases, that is, in case of embedding or in the case of external anchoring, the performance of the sensors remains the same, but still, in modern smart structures, embedding is preferred (Perez 2001). .This is because, in the case of embedded sensors, the sensors continuously measure the parameters and are easy to manage. Whereas in the older structures, where embedding is not preferred, external anchoring is used. Chapter 4: CASE STUDIES Case study 1: Monitoring of San Giorgio pier San Giorgio pier is a massive concrete structure. Its length is about 400metres. It is very essential to carry out its monitoring in order to know about its deformation. This in turn, is very useful in determining the safety of this pier. At this pier, it was earlier proposed to use the conventional methods to monitor the deformation. This involved the use of conventional sensors for measurement. But, the problem with this method was that in the case of conventional sensors, we could get the data of the various parameters of the pier for only a short period. And, as we know that in order to determine anything conclusively about such large concrete structures we need data for a very long period. But, here as it was the case with the conventional sensors, we could get data only for short periods. Thus, with the aid of the conventional methods which were employing conventional sensors, we could not say anything conclusively. (Andrea Del Grosso et al.) Thus, there existed the need to emp loy fiber optic sensors in order to determine the deformation of this massive pier. It was possible to measure the deformation of this pier with the aid of the fiber optic sensors because of the following advantages which the fiber optic sensors enjoy over and above the conventional sensors: Fiber optic sensors are long base strain sensors and this property of the fiber optic sensors was very important in this case. This was because, as the pier was a massive concrete structure, therefore, measurement of

John Henry Newman’s Changing Attitude to Infallibility Essay -- Religio

Examine John Henry Newman’s changing attitude to Infallibility, between the end of Vatican 1 in 1870 and Gladstone’s attack in 1875. In this essay I propose to analyse Newman’s attitude to Infallibility during the period outlined above. I will examine his letters in particular to note the range of correspondents and the approaches taken. I will attempt to see a pattern in relation to his views expressed to mere enquirers writing to him, to national and professional writers seeking information or debating points and to family and friends in connection with the doctrine of Infallibility. Over this five-year period I will deduce from mainly primary sources, his views expressed on Infallibility and his developed reasoning and then present conclusions. Firstly a short historical background to Victorian Britain will set the context. Mid-Victorian Britain saw political reform as a main agenda. There was an established order of churches, characterised by denomination but more telling, by social class, and a defined place in society. The plight of the poor and the devastating effects of industrialisation were not uppermost in the church’s role. These views were being challenged with an increasing secularisation of society, by movements set up to reform and give more people a voice in government, and questioning the relevance of the church. The church played a role in e.g. the Christian Socialist Movement, set up as much to control and limit reform as it was to assist the poor. This was a time of expansion by the Catholic Church, since the re-establishment of the hierarch in 1850. Popular liberal attitudes questioned the loyalty of Catholics to the state and since the 1850’s newspapers and periodicals characterised this view as ... ...ring 1982), pp. 86–88. Rahner, K. ‘A Critique of Hans Kung’. Homiletic and Pastoral Review 71, May 1971, pp.10 – 26. Schatz, K. Papal Supremacy: From its Origins to the Present. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1996, pp.151-162. Strange, Roderick. John Henry Newman: A Mind Alive. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2008. Sugg, J. ed. A Packet of Letters: a selection of correspondence of John Henry Newman. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983. Tierney, B. Origins of Papal infallibility 1150 – 1350. (‘Studies in the History of Christian Thought’).Leiden: EJ Brill, 1972. Ward, W. William George Ward and the Catholic Revival. London: Longmans Green andCo.1893, p.274. Accessed 9 March 2014: https://archive.org/details/riwilliamgeorgeward. Wolfe, J. Religion in Victorian Britain: Culture and Empire. Manchester: The Open University Press, 1997.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Scientific Revolution: A New View of the World :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Scientific Revolution: A New View of the World Herbert Butterfield stated that, "Since the Scientific Revolution overturned the authority in science not only of the middle ages but of the ancient world...it outshines everything since the rise of Christianity." During the scientific revolution Nicholas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton all voiced their opinions that contradicted the views of the church. Before the Scientific Revolution, the Bible or Greek philosophers such as Aristotle or astronomers like Claudius Ptolemy, whose ideas were sanctioned by the church, answered any questions regarding the natural world. In the bible it writes, "Mankind is the most important of God's creations and occupies the centre of his universe." Astronomers therefore stated that, "The earth is at the centre of the universe. The sun, the moon and the stars all move around the earth." Nicholas Copernicus, (1473-1543) a Polish monk and astronomer trained in medicine, law and mathematics, believed that the sun, not the earth, was at the centre of the universe. He believed this to be true because mathematics fit in nowhere with the explanation of how our world came to be. He formulated mathematical calculations that provided the basis for a new view on the world. He constructed a model of the universe to show this. His theory contrasted with the beliefs and views of the church therefore it was denounced in 1543. Galileo Galilei, (1564-1642) an Italian mathematician and astronomer, won the respect and admiration of many people of his time because of his inventions. He constructed a military compass, an instrument for measuring the expansion of liquids, and one of the early telescopes with which he discovered Jupiter's satellites, irregularities on the surface of the moon, star clusters in the milky way and spots on the surface of the sun. He was initially skeptical of Copernicus' theory however his observations and experiments affirmed his diagram of the universe. Critics attacked Galilei's findings. They said that his "discoveries" were ridiculous to believe and that it was only is imagination or dreams. Galilei wrote a letter to Dowager Grand Duchess trying to reconcile his astronomical observations with the Bible. Isaac Newton, (1642-1727) was an English scientist and statesman. Although his views were thought to contradict the bible he was the only man of these three which proved his views to be true. He discovered gravity and the laws of motion. He stated that, 'every particle in the universe is attracted to every other particle by a force that is directly related to the product of their masses and inversely related to the squares of the distance between them.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Dream Of A Long Fur Coat; Judg :: essays research papers

Judgment on a Past Time In reading the selection Dream of a Long Fur Coat, by Barbra Drews, I noticed that not all people view the world the same way. In this selection the author feels that animals that are trapped or raised in pins are being wrongly killed for the use of their fur. She justifies her reasons for feeling this way by over exaggerating the events that lead to the processing of fur. Barbra Drews clearly explains how iron traps, the most common traps used by trappers, do their part in killing the animal. The author shows this by explaning that live animals caught in traps suffer greatly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author draws support to her case by using quotations from famous people such as Cleveland Amory. Amory is quoted in the selection to say “until the leghold trap is outlawed, any woman who wears a fur has on her back 150 hours of torture.'; This is an opinion that has no factual evidence to back it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drews also feels that it is immoral to raise fur bearing animals because they are prevented from carrying on their life as the would in nature. However, she fails to mention that common animals such as cattle, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, and sheep have been domesticated to live in pins the same ways that animals being used for fur are being domesticated. She also forgets to tell her audience that these animals were once wild animals captured and bred for food and clothing in the same way the fur bearing animal are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drew also states “as high as 95% of all animals trapped are non-target animals.'; Trapping is like playing a hand of blackjack. The intent when playing blackjack is to get a blackjack every time. This is unrealistic because many times a person can win with something other than that. The same goes for trapping. Just because the trap was set for a certain type of animal, it does not mean that the animal that it catches will be discarded. Often the animal caught in the trap is just as valuable as the intended animal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my opinion, I feel that trapping has been a way of life for people of the past and should continue to be part of the lives of people today. Many trappers are 3rd and 4th generation trappers who’s trades were passed down from one generation to the next.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Extreme Sports Essay

The X Games is one of the more popular sporting events, where people gather to watch athletes compete in extreme sports. Some of these sports include skateboarding, mountain biking and motorcycle racing. The community around extreme sports can sometimes be seen as exclusive and particular when it comes to defining what an extreme sport is and who is a true extremist. Originally, I believe the extreme sport community created this division of athletics because they thought their sports did not fit in at a standard sporting event. Part of the reason some the extreme athletes participate in their sport is because they see it as a way of defying the boundaries of what is seen as a typical sport. Most extreme sports are about pushing limits. Extreme sports are not conventional in the sense that practicing isn’t really necessary, a coach isn’t necessary, and the sports are very individualistic. Some of the extreme sport athletes do it for the adrenaline rush. They do it purely for themselves. Their reasoning contrasts to some of the other sports where lots of practice and coaching is essential for success. A lot of the athletes that compete in non extreme sports are focused on getting sponsors or when you’re younger, getting recruited for college. For the extreme sport community this is considered to be feeding into the capitalist society/culture. Part of extreme sports is about taking risks and not having anything to fall back on. The X games have put a strain on the extreme sports community because some seem to think that the event has altered the true goal of the sport, which is to take risks and to go against the mainstream culture. Some people seem to believe that it has become like the other sporting events, in the sense that there are now big sponsors and judges. They argue that the extreme athletes are no longer taking risks because they want to make sure they can land the trick. The goal is no longer to try new tricks and push the bar, but its more about doing what you know will please the judges. This goes against what extremist originally wanted for the sport. It takes the risk  out of it and you no longer do it for yourself but for the judges. The fact that there are sponsors is also a cause for controversy because some people see it as the athletes being sellouts. For example, Tony Hawk is famous skate boarder. He has a lot of sponsors, video games, and ads. Some say he is no longer a true extremist because of it. At the same time, what makes the sports in the X games more extreme than say diving or gymnastics? Both sports are very individualistic and there is a lot of a risk, yet they are not seen as extreme sports. I think the extreme sports community has tried to make their community too exclusive and extreme sports benefit from the X games and the sponsors and judges it brings. The event does bring aspects that were not originally a part of the sport, but the extreme sports community will grow now. Extremist can still continue to push limits and do the sport for themselves despite what others may think.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Market Orientation Assessment Essay

1.Customer Orientation Information about customer needs and requirements is collected regularly. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no statement in the article indicates that Psion has collected information about customer needs and requirements regularly. Our corporate objective and policies are aimed directly at creating satisfied customers. DON’T KNOW (0) Since there is no clear statement in the article whether Psion has collected information about customer needs and requirements regularly, the corporate objective and policies are also not clear if it aimed directly at creating satisfied customer. Levels of customer satisfaction are regularly assessed and action is taken to improve matters where necessary. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no statement in the article indicates that Psion regularly assess level of customer satisfaction and take action to improve matters where necessary. We put major effort into building stronger relationships with key customers and customer group. DON’T KNOW (0) The article did not indicate that Psion put major effort into building stronger relationship with their key customers and customer group. We recognize the existence of distinct groups or segments in our markets with different needs and we adapt our offering accordingly. AGREE (4) Psion saw that high-end organizer market was being invaded by new generation of smart-phones, those are phones with organizer capabilities built-in. Psion saw this as a market for integrated devices. Psion knew that their product as standalone organizer had a finite lifespan, thus Psion will create a connected device by did a strategic deal with Motorola to penetrate the market for integrated devices. It shows that Psion recognize the existence of distinct segment in the market with different needs and they create the connected devices to enter it. Total score for customer orientation: 4 Psion has questioned its future as a maker of handheld electronic organizers due to handheld market has changed too much by a new smart phone products which have functionality as organizer and a phone and also by cheaper organizers. However it seems there is no indication that Psion take any action to collect information from customer about current needs and requirements and put some effort to build stronger relationship with their major customers. Psion did read the signal of changes in the market through recent advertisement, instead. 2.Competitor Orientation Information about competitor activities is collected regularly. AGREE (4) Psion knows information about current activities of their competitors such as new products and excess capacity of the rivals. We conduct regular benchmarking against major competitor offerings. AGREE (4) Psion did evaluation about major competitor offering. There is rapid response to major’s competitor actions. AGREE (4) Psion apply strategic thrust to response the major’s competitor actions even it have fell through, and spent the last five months going through every option to see what other ways there were to preserve the strategic thrust. When Palm and Handspring done wrote off about $ 300m and make prices dived, Psion decide to pull out and will stop making handheld organizer but still continue to sell existing products. It shows Psion’s rapid response to what have done by the major competitors. We put major emphasis on differentiating ourselves from the competition on factors important to customers. DISAGREE (2) Psion do not put major emphasis on differentiating themselves from the competition on factors important to customers, described by Psion decision to stop making handheld and keep sell existing products. Total score for competitor orientation: 14 Psion knows information about current activities of their competitors, did evaluation about major competitor offering and response to major’s competitor’s action rapidly. However Psion do not put major emphasize on differentiation. 3.Long-Term Perspectives We place greater priority on long-term market share gain than short-run profit. DISAGREE (2) Psion still struggling to keep their existence and it makes them decide to put priority on making money. We put greater emphasis on improving our market performance than on improving internal efficiencies. DISAGREE (2) Psion decided to pull out and stop making handheld organizers even though they intend to keep exploiting the intellectual property it has gleaned from more than 20 years. Decisions are guided by long-term considerations rather than short-run expediency. AGREE (4) Psion decision to retain its 28 percent stake in Symbian and by the acquisition of Teklogix to move to the enterprise wireless market as a less risky market is clearly based on long-term consideration. Total score for long-term perspectives: 8 Due to currently struggling to keep their existence, Psion decided to put priority on making money compare than put priority on long-term market share and improving market performance. However decisions are guided by long-term consideration by move to les risky market. 4.Interfunctional Coordination Information about customer is widely circulated and communicated throughout the organization. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no indication about this matter in the article. The different department in the organization work effectively together to serve customer needs. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no indication about this matter in the article. Tension and rivalries between departments are not allowed to get in the way of serving customers effectively. AGREE (4) The article do not indicates clearly about tension and rivalries between department of Psion, but the article mentioned that there is provisional revenues from the combined enterprise division between Psion and Teklogix which shows that combined enterprise division expected to work closely without tension and rivalries each other to serve customers effectively and meet the expectation of revenues. Our organization is flexible to enable opportunities to be seized affectively rather than hierarchically constrained. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no indication about this matter in the article. Total score for interfunctional coordination: 4 5.Organizational Culture All employees recognize their role in helping to create satisfied end customers. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no indication about this matter in the article. Reward structures are closely related to external market performance and customer satisfaction. DON’T KNOW (0) There is no indication about this matter in the article. Senior management in all functional areas give top importance to creating satisfied customers. DON’T KNOW (0) Senior management meetings give high priority to discussing issues that affect customer satisfaction. DISAGREE (2) From the article, the most important issue is about strategic management to survive and keep the existence of the company, thus we conclude that  management meetings give high priority to discussing these issues instead of issued that affect customer satisfaction. Total score for organizational culture: 2 Total Score: 32 The highlight is on the struggle and effort made by company to stay alive, it tried to find new cooperation with other company to win over new market, decided to abandon the old market and focus on the less risk market In overall, they have lack market orientation that enables them to keep performing well in the respective market. It focused on the competitors instead on their customers, Psion saw the situation as failing without any hope, which maybe correct but maybe if they have taken another path , we may see the market of handheld product differently today

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Legal Writing

555 P. 2d 696 Supreme Court of New Mexico. Zelma M. MITCHELL, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. LOVINGTON GOOD SAMARITAN CENTER, INC. , Defendant-Appellant. No. 10847. Oct. 27, 1976. Appeal was taken from an order of the District Court, Bernalillo County, Richard B. Traub, D. J. , reversing a decision of the Unemployment Security Commission and awarding benefits to discharged employee. The Supreme Court, Sosa, J. , held that employee’s insubordination, improper attire, name calling and other conduct evidencing wilful disregard of employer’s interests constituted ‘misconduct’ disqualifying her from receiving certain unemployment benefits. Reversed. Attorneys and Law Firms *576 **697 Heidel, Samberson, Gallini & Williams, Jerry L. Williams, Lovington, for defendant-appellant. Gary J. Martone, J. Richard Baumgartner, Joseph Goldberg, Albuquerque, for plaintiff-appellee. OPINION SOSA, Justice. This case presents the issue of whether petitioner’s actions constituted misconduct so as to disqualify her from certain unemployment compensation benefits. On June 4, 1974, petitioner-appellee Zelma Mitchell was terminated for alleged misconduct from the Lovington Good Samaritan Center, Inc. On June 12, 1974, Mrs. Mitchell applied for unemployment compensation benefits. Finding that Mrs. Mitchell’s acts constituted misconduct, a deputy of the Unemployment Security Commission disqualified Mrs. Mitchell from seven weeks of benefits pursuant to s 59-9-6(B), N. M. S. A. 1953. On July 24, 1974, Mrs. Mitchell filed an appeal. The referee of the Appeal Tribunal reversed the deputy’s decision and reinstated these benefits to Mrs. Mitchell on August 28, 1974. On September 13, 1974, the Center appealed the decision of the Appeal Tribunal to the whole Commission pursuant to s 59-9-6(E), N. M. S. A. 1953. The Commission overruled the Appeal Tribunal and reinstated the seven week disqualification period. Mrs. Mitchell then applied for and was granted certiorari from the decision of the Commission to the District Court of Bernalillo County pursuant to s 59-96(K), N. M. S. A. 1953. On January 16, 1976, the District Court reversed the Commission’s decision and ordered it to reinstate the benefits to Mrs. Mitchell. From the judgment of the District Court, the Center appeals. The issue before us is whether Mrs. Mitchell’s actions constituted misconduct under s 59-9-5(b), N. M. S. A. 1953. Mrs. Mitchell started work at the Center in Lovington on July 4, 1972 as a nurse’s aide. After approximately one year on the job in addition to her normal duties she also served as a relief medications nurse two days per week. On June 4, 1974, she was terminated. The testimony concerning the events leading up to her termination that day is somewhat contradictory but basically is the following. Mrs. Mitchell arrived punctually to work at three p. m. The director of the Center, Mr. Smith, questioned her about why she was already filling in her time card. Mrs. Mitchell answered that she filled in eight hours, which she would work that day as long as she did not ‘break a leg or die. ’ Mr. Smith replied, ‘Well, I’m not so sure about that. ’ Mrs. Mitchell then became defensive and stated that she had supported him when the Director of Nurses, Mrs. Mary Stroope, sought to have him fired as director. Mrs. Stroope, in the vicinity, overheard this comment, denied it, and called Mrs. Mitchell a liar. At various times during this exchange Mrs. Mitchell referred to Mr. Smith, Mrs. Stroope, and others as ‘birdbrains. This occurred in a crowded area where the Center’s employees were checking in and out, so Mr. Smith told both to go into his office. There, Mrs. Stroope apologized to Mrs. Mitchell for calling her a liar and Mrs. Mitchell apologized for saying that Mrs. Stroope had circulated a petition to replace Mr. Smith. However, tempers soon flared again and Mr. Smith resolved to fire Mrs. Mitchell. Mrs. Mitchell then demanded her check. Mr. Smith paid her for that day, a week’s vacation, and another week’s salary for being terminated, which he was not required to do since Mrs. Mitchell failed to give him two weeks’ notice. 577 **698 Appellee Mitchell argues that the events of June 4, 1974, do not constitute misconduct within the meaning of s 59-9-5(b), supra. Appellant Center argues that these events were the last of a series of acts of misconduct, and the ‘birdbrain’ incident should be considered the ‘last straw’ resulting in her termination. Mitchell counters that the prior acts of misconduct should not be considered. The alleged acts of prior misconduct are the following. On April 2, 1974, Mrs. Mitchell went to work at the Center out of uniform (she wore gold pants rather than navy blue). On that day the Federal Regulation Inspectors visited the Center. Mrs. Mitchell stated that she did not know that the federal inspectors would be there that particular day. The Director of Nurses reprimanded her and told her to go home and to change into the proper attire, which Mrs. Mitchell refused to do. The following day Mrs. Mitchell again came to work out of uniform but this time she was directed to go and did go home to change. On May 24, 1974, Mrs. Mitchell was switched from medications to the floor routine. Angered, Mrs. Mitchell refused to give medications, even though the charge nurse and Mrs. Stroope explained to her that the reason for the switch was that she was familiar with both jobs whereas the replacement nurse, Carol Skurlock, was unfamiliar with the floor routine. Mrs. Mitchell stated that she did not like being replaced by a ‘white’ nurse’s aide (Carol Skurlock). Mrs. Mitchell considered herself and Carol to be just ‘birdbrain against birdbrain,’ apparently because neither she nor Carol was a licensed nurse. From May 24 to June 4 Mrs. Mitchell refused to perform her duties as a relief medications aide. On May 15, 1974, and other days, Mrs. Mitchell sang while counting medications and was not very co-operative, which caused Betty Clarke, R. N. , to complain that Mrs. Mitchell’s actions were unethical and time-consuming. The term ‘misconduct’ is not defined in the Unemployment Compensation Law. The Wisconsin Supreme Court in Boynton Cab Co. v. Neubeck, 237 Wis. 249, 259-60, 296 N. W. 636, 640 (1941) examined the misconduct subsection of its unemployment compensation act, found no statutory definition of misconduct, and formulated the following definition: . . ‘misconduct’ . . . is limited to conduct evincing such wilful or wanton disregard of an employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect of his employee, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest equal culpability, wrongful intent or evil design or to show an intenti onal and substantial disregard of the employer’s interests or of the employee’s duties and obligations to his employer. On the other hand mere inefficiency, unsatisfactory conduct, failure in good performance as the result of inability or incapacity, inadvertencies or ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good faith errors in judgment or discretion are not to be deemed ‘misconduct’ within the meaning of the statute. We adopt this definition. Applying this definition of misconduct to the facts of the case before us, we hold that Mrs. Mitchell’s acts constituted misconduct. *578 **699 Mrs. Mitchell’s insubordination, improper attire, name calling, and other conduct evinced a wilful disregard of the interests of the Center. Although each separate incident may not have been sufficient in itself to constitute misconduct, taken in totality Mrs. Mitchell’s conduct deviated sufficiently to classify it as misconduct under the above test. Appellee’s argument that the ‘last straw’ doctrine should not be used is hereby rejected. The district court is reversed and the decision of the Commission is reinstated. McMANUS and EASLEY, JJ. , concur. 764 P. 2d 1316 Supreme Court of New Mexico. Billie J. RODMAN, Petitioner–Appellant, v. NEW MEXICO EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT and Presbyterian Hospital, Respondents– Appellees. No. 17721. Nov. 30, 1988. The District Court, Bernalillo County, Ross C. Sanchez, D. J. , upheld administrative decision denying unemployment compensation to claimant. Claimant appealed. The Supreme Court, Ransom, J. , held that incident precipitating claimant’s termination demonstrated willful disregard for her employer’s interests. Affirmed. Stowers, J. , specially concurred and filed opinion. Attorneys and Law Firms **1317 *759 Juan A. Gonzalez, Legal Aid Society of Albuquerque, Inc. , Albuquerque, for petitioner-appellant. Connie Reischman, New Mexico Employment Sec. Dept. , Albuquerque, for respondents-appellees. OPINION RANSOM, Justice. An administrative decision of the New Mexico Employment Security Department denying unemployment compensation to Billie J. Rodman was reviewed on certiorari by the district court. Rodman now appeals to this Court from the order of the district court affirming the administrative decision. Rodman had been employed by Presbyterian Hospital as a unit secretary for nearly eight years when, on February 17, 1987, she was terminated under hospital personnel policies following a â€Å"third corrective action† notice. Prior restrictions had been placed on Rodman’s conduct due to personal problems adversely impacting upon her place of work. At issue is whether the misconduct which warranted termination from employment rose to the level of misconduct which would warrant denial of unemployment compensation under NMSA 1978, Section 51–1–7 of the Unemployment Compensation Law. The Department reasonably summarizes the substantial evidence as follows: Rodman was reprimanded in June of 1986 for receiving an inordinate number of personal telephone calls and visitors at her work station, which was disruptive to her own work and to her co-workers. The formal reprimand set forth conditions to prevent further corrective action. Rodman was to have no personal telephone calls during work hours outside of a designated break or dinner time, in which event they were to occur in an area not visible to patients, physicians, or other department staff. When leaving the department for dinner, Rodman was to report to her immediate supervisor and was not to leave the hospital. Rodman was to make every effort to resolve the matters in her personal life that were causing problems at work. Nevertheless, according to the testimony of her supervisor, extremely disruptive telephone calls continued. The doctors were beginning to comment on it. The staff was getting more distressed. According to her supervisor, â€Å"[A]gain we talked about the visits, the behavior at the desk. When it got pretty bad with the phone calls, Billie would slam charts, push chairs and be a little abrupt with the people she worked with. † Another written reprimand in November of 1986 warned Rodman that her job was in jeopardy if the disruptive behavior continued. The supervisor established restrictions prohibiting the claimant from having visitors at the department and instructed her to notify security if there was a potential problem. On February 15, 1987, Rodman began work at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon. She had spoken to her boyfriend’s mother earlier in the day to tell her that she did not want him to use her car as she had broken off their relationship. The boyfriend’s mother called her at work and told her the boyfriend had her car keys. Rodman told the mother to have the boyfriend call her at work. When he did, she informed him that she could not talk to him at her duty station, and he hung up on her. He called her back and left a number where he could be reached. She left the work area and went to the break room to call him. After returning to her duty station, Rodman got another telephone call from her boyfriend who told her to go downstairs to the lobby to meet him and pick up the keys. When she refused, he told her that if she did not come down he would come up to her department. Claimant eft the department to confront her boyfriend, and, because her supervisor was at lunch in the hospital cafeteria, Rodman notified a co-worker, a registered nurse, that she was leaving. Rodman testified, â€Å"I didn’t want any kind of confrontation at the desk, so I went downstairs. † Before she left her desk, Rodman called the employer’s security guard and asked him to meet her in the lobby because she anticipated that a problem could develop. When Rodman got to the l obby, her boyfriend started yelling and forced her outside. In doing so, he tore her shirt. At this point the security guard arrived and observed them arguing. Rodman was in the passenger seat of her car. The security guard instructed the boyfriend to return the keys, but the boyfriend jumped into the driver’s seat, locked the doors and drove off. About thirty-five minutes later, Rodman returned to her work station, after having changed her torn shirt. She resumed working, but, as the shift progressed, more telephone calls were received for her in the department. The supervisor became frustrated with the volume of calls and the behavior of Rodman. It was determined that Rodman should be sent home. Thereafter she was terminated. The Appeals Tribunal of the Department of Employment Security found on the basis of the evidence that the appellant had proven unwilling to restrict her personal contacts while at work, as requested by her employer. The hearing officer dismissed as without **1319 *761 merit Rodman’s contention that she could not stop her acquaintances from calling or visiting her at work. The hearing officer concluded that Ms. Rodman’s behavior was unreasonable, had caused many problems for her work section, and constituted misconduct connected with work under Section 51–1–7(B). The Meaning of â€Å"Misconduct† in New Mexico’s Unemployment Compensation Law. Given the remedial purpose of the Unemployment Compensation Law, New Mexico courts, like most jurisdictions, interpret the provisions of the law liberally, to provide sustenance to those who are unemployed through no fault of their own, and who are willing to work if given the opportunity. Wilson v. Employment Sec. Comm’n, 74 N. M. 3, 14, 389 P. 2d 855, 862–63 (1963); Parsons v. Employment Security Comm’n, 71 N. M. 405, 409, 379 P. 2d 57, 60 (1963). Like most states, New Mexico also provides that an employee who is determined to have been discharged for â€Å"misconduct† is ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits. 51–1–7(B). Two purposes are served by this statutory bar: first, it prevents the dissipation of funds for other workers; second, it denies benefits to those who bring about their own unemployment by conducting themselves with such callousness, and deliberate or wanton misbehavior that they have given up any reasonable expe ctation of receiving unemployment benefits. Given the remedial purpose of the statute, and the rule of statutory construction that its provisions are to be interpreted liberally, the statutory term â€Å"misconduct† should not be given too broad a definition. Accordingly, in adopting the majority definition of the term, this Court wrote in Mitchell v. Lovington Good Samaritan Center, Inc. , 89 N. M. 575, 577, 555 P. 2d 696, 698 (1976): â€Å"[M]isconduct† * * * is limited to conduct evincing such wilful or wanton disregard of an employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect of his employee, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest equal culpability * * *. M]ere inefficiency, unsatisfactory conduct, failure in good performance as the result of inability or incapacity, inadvertencies or ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good faith errors in judgment or discretion are not to be deemed â€Å"misconduct† within the meaning of the statute. Where an employee has not acted with the requisite degree of â€Å"fault† under Mitchell, he or she has not sacrificed a reasonable expectati on in continued financial security such as may be afforded by accrued unemployment compensation benefits. It is therefore possible for an employee to have been properly discharged without having acted with such willful or wanton disregard for an employer’s interests as would justify denial of benefits. This Court recognized in Alonzo v. New Mexico Employment Security Department, 101 N. M. 770, 689 P. 2d 286 (1984), that even an act of willful disobedience which leads to termination will not always rise to the level of â€Å"misconduct† when the act is an isolated incident in an otherwise favorable employment history and the incident does not cause a significant disruption of the employer’s legitimate interests. Trujillo v. Employment Sec. Dep’t, 105 N. M. 467, 472, 734 P. 2d 245, 250 (Ct. App. 1987) (where employment contract gave employer the right to draft employees to work overtime in emergency situations significantly affecting the employer’s interests, it was â€Å"misconduct† for appellees to have refused to report for overtime work). Alonzo and Trujillo demonstrate that there are two components to the concept of misconduct sufficient to justify denial of benefits. One is the notion that the employee has acted with willful or wanton disregard for the employer’s interests; the other is that this act significantly infringed on legitimate employer expectations. *1320 *762 Totality of circumstances and the â€Å"last straw† doctrine. Often, the courts have been confronted with a series of minor infractions by the employee, where each incident showed a willful disregard of the employer’s interests, but no single incident was serious enough to justify denial of benefits. In su ch cases, courts have applied a â€Å"totality of circumstances† or â€Å"last straw† test to determine whether, taken together, this series of incidents constitutes misconduct sufficient to disqualify the claimant from receiving benefits. Mitchell v. Lovington Good Samaritan Center, Inc. 89 N. M. 575, 555 P. 2d 696 (1976). Rodman recognizes the â€Å"last straw† doctrine, but contends that the district court erred in applying the rule in this case because her infractions of February 15 were the result of acts of third parties over whom she had no physical or legal control. Appellant contends that she may not be denied unemployment benefits where the â€Å"last straw† which led to her termination was not willful or intentional, especially where, under the employer’s personnel policy, she could not have been discharged at all before this final incident. The Department contends that it is immaterial whether the precipitating act was a willful or intentional violation of the employer’s rules, where the record indicates that the claimant had a history of previous acts which demonstrate a willful or wanton disregard for the employer’s interests, and the employer discharged the employee for the accumulation of events, including the precipitating event. Fort Myers Pump & Supply v. Florida Dep’t of Labor, 373 So. 2d 429 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1979). Although Fort Myers does offer support for the appellee’s position, we believe termination for a series of incidents which, taken together, may constitute â€Å"misconduct† is distinguishable from termination for a single incident following one or more corrective action notices. In the latter event, as here, we hold that the â€Å"last straw† must demonstrate a willful or wanton disregard for the employer’s interests for unemployment benefits to be denied. If substantial evidence existed that Rodman’s conduct on February 15, considered in light of the totality of ircumstances including her previous history of personal phone calls and unauthorized visitors, showed a willful or wanton disregard for her employer’s interests, then Rodman’s benefits were properly denied. Although the evidence in this case is amenable to more than one reasonable interpretation, we conclude that there was a substantial basis for the district court to decide t hat Rodman’s actions on February 15, when considered in light of the restrictions which had been placed upon her and her previous failure to comply with those restrictions, demonstrated a willful disregard for her employer’s interests. Therefore, the decision of the district court is affirmed. IT IS SO ORDERED. WALTERS, J. , concurs. STOWERS, J. , specially concurs. 769 P. 2d 88 Supreme Court of New Mexico. In re Claim of Lucy APODACA. IT’S BURGER TIME, INC. , Petitioner–Appellee, v. NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT, BOARD OF REVIEW and Lucy Apodaca, Respondents–Appellants. No. 17952. Feb. 22, 1989. Employer filed writ of certiorari to challenge Employment Security Department’s award of unemployment compensation to fast-food restaurant employee who refused to retint her purple hair. The District Court, Dona Ana County, Lalo Garza, D. J. reversed award of benefits. Employee appealed. The Supreme Court, Ransom, J. , held that evidence supported Department’s award of benefits. Reversed and remanded. Attorneys and Law Firms **89 *176 Jose R. Coronado, Southern New Mexico Legal Services, Inc. , Las Cruces, Connie Reischman, New Mexico Dept. of Labor, Albuqu erque, for respondents-appellants. Kelly P. Albers, Lloyd O. Bates, Jr. , Las Cruces, for petitioner-appellee. OPINION RANSOM, Justice. A determination by the Board of Review of the New Mexico Employment Security Department awarding unemployment compensation to Lucy Apodaca was reversed by the district court on certiorari. Apodaca appeals the district court decision, arguing that the court erred in finding the administrative determination was unsupported by substantial evidence and was contrary to law. We conclude substantial evidence supports the Board of Review decision that the conduct leading to Apodaca’s termination did not constitute misconduct warranting denial of unemployment compensation under Section 51–1–7(B) of the Unemployment Compensation Law. Accordingly, we reverse the district court. Apodaca was employed as a counter helper from August 1986 to August 1987 with It’s Burger Time, Inc. Apodaca’s supervisors had no complaints concerning the performance of her work. Several times during the summer of 1987, Apodaca approached the store manager, John Pena, to ask how the owner, Kevin McGrath, would react if she were to dye her hair purple. Pena did not at first take the question seriously. When Apodaca persisted, Pena told her that he would have to ask McGrath. Apparently, he never did so. After several weeks, Apodaca went ahead and dyed her hair. McGrath saw Apodaca’s tinted hair for the first time at work two days later. He instructed Pena to give Apodaca a week to decide whether she wanted to retain her new hair color or her job. In a letter to the Board of Review, McGrath wrote that he had a good sense for community standards and believed he could not afford to wait until â€Å"this incident [took] it’s [sic] toll on my business. † Apodaca had signed the company handbook upon being hired, which instructed employees about acceptable hygiene and appearance. The handbook said nothing specific about hair color. Pena relayed McGrath’s message to Apodaca and suggested she make up her mind quickly so he could find someone to replace her if necessary. Two days later, Apodaca told Pena she had decided to keep her hair the way it was. She was then terminated and applied for unemployment benefits. The Department initially determined that Apodaca was ineligible for compensation because she had been terminated â€Å"for refusing to conform to the standards of personal grooming compatible with the * * * work [she was] performing. † The claims officer concluded this constituted misconduct under Section 51–1–7(B). Apodaca appealed to the Appeals Tribunal, which affirmed the denial of her benefits after a hearing. She appealed the Tribunal’s decision **90 *177 to the Department’s Board of Review. After reviewing the record of the hearing, the Board concluded that the employer failed to show how the color of Apodaca’s hair affected its business; therefore, her refusal to return her hair to its original color did not rise to the level of â€Å"misconduct† required for denial of her benefits. For review of the Board’s decision, the employer filed a writ of certiorari with the Dona Ana County District Court. The district court determined Burger Time’s request to Apodaca to change the color of her air was reasonable and enforceable and Apodaca’s refusal of that request was misconduct. The court concluded that the Board of Review’s decision was not supported by substantial evidence and was contrary to the law and reversed the decision granting Apodaca her benefits. This appeal followed. In reviewing the district court decision, we look first to see whether the court erred in concluding that the Department’s decision was unsupported by substantial evidence. Because we conclude that the court erred in this determination, it is unnecessary for us to examine the findings and conclusions adopted by the court. Misconduct and the employer’s interest. Both Apodaca and Burger Time agree that the definition of â€Å"misconduct† as used in Section 51–1–7(B) is to be found in this Court’s opinion in Mitchell v. Lovington Good Samaritan Center, Inc. , 89 N. M. 575, 577, 555 P. 2d 696, 698 (1976): â€Å"[M]isconduct† * * * is limited to conduct evincing such wilful or wanton disregard of an employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect of his employee, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest equal culpability. * * [M]ere inefficiency, unsatisfactory conduct, failure in good performance as the result of inability or incapacity, inadvertencies or ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good faith errors in judgment or discretion are not to be deemed â€Å"misconduct† within the meaning of the statute. Apodaca d oes not deny that her refusal to redye her hair was an intentional and deliberate act. At issue in this case is whether an employee who refuses to alter her personal appearance in conformity with the employer’s personal beliefs about acceptable community standards has engaged in misconduct. The employer argues, and the district court apparently agreed, that so long as the request is reasonable and the employee is given adequate time to comply, refusal amounts to â€Å"insubordination and misconduct. † We disagree. In Alonzo v. New Mexico Employment Security Department, 101 N. M. 770, 772, 689 P. 2d 286, 288 (1984), we recognized that termination for an isolated incident which does not â€Å"significantly affect[ ] the employer’s business† may not form the basis for denial of benefits on the grounds of misconduct. In Alonzo, an employee was terminated after refusing to wear a smock when working at the cash register as required by company policy. Id. at 771, 689 P. 2d at 287. As here, the employee’s previous work history was completely satisfactory, and there was no evidence that the employer’s business interests had been affected. Alonzo should be compared with Trujillo v. Employment Security Department, 105 N. M. 467, 471–72, 734 P. 2d 245, 249–50 (Ct. App. 987), which held that failure to report for overtime work pursuant to an employment contract provision allowing the employer to draft employees in emergency situations constituted misconduct, when the evidence demonstrated that the orders directing employees to report early to work were explicit and not confusing. In Trujillo, unlike Alonzo, failure to comply with the employer’s request was recognized as having significantly affected the employer’s interest. See also Thornton v. Dep’t of Hum an Resources Dev. , 32 Cal. App. 3d 180, 107 Cal. Rptr. 92 (1973) (refusal of restaurant employee to shave beard immediately or be terminated was not misconduct when employer failed to show that beard was unsanitary or otherwise detrimental to business); cf. Lattanzio v. Unemployment Comp. Bd. of Rev. , 461 Pa. 392, 336 A. 2d 595 (1975) (claimant’s refusal to report back to work was for good cause when employer demanded he shave beard but no evidence supported contention that requested alteration in appearance was essential to performance of duties other than employer’s vague assertion that claimant’s â€Å"modish† appearance might reflect unfavorably on business). In this case, there is absolutely no evidence that the color of Apodaca’s hair significantly affected Burger Time’s business. McGrath and Pena both testified they received no customer complaints regarding the color of Apodaca’s hair. Apodaca’s immediate supervisor, testifying in her behalf, reported that the only comments she heard were compliments and that Burger Time’s customers had readily registered complaints in the past when they found something amiss. Under these circumstances, the Board of Review could properly decide that Apodaca’s refusal to retint her hair did not rise to the level of misconduct. Burger Time argues that none of our previous cases require an employer to demonstrate its business was affected by an employee’s refusal to comply with a request from the employer. However, it is well established in New Mexico that the party seeking to establish the existence of a fact bears the burden of proof. See Newcum v. Lawson, 101 N. M. 48, 684 P. 2d 534 (Ct. App. 1984); Carter v. Burn Constr. Co. , 85 N. M. 27, 508 P. 2d 1324 (Ct. App. ), cert. denied, 85 N. M. 5, 508 P. 2d 1302 (1973); Wallace v. Wanek, 81 N. M. 478, 468 P. 2d 879 (Ct. App. 1970); cf. Moya v. Employment Sec. Comm’n, 80 N. M. 39, 450 P. 2d 925 (1969) (when claimant sought to establish that he ought not be disqualified from receiving benefits because the position for which he refused to interview was not suitable employment, he bore burden of proof on this issue). In this case, pursuant to Department regulations requiring an employer to report why a claimant was fired or have that claimant’s benefits charged against the employer’s account, Burger Time submitted a letter stating that Apodaca refused to comply with company grooming standards. At each subsequent stage of the administrative process and before the district court, Burger Time sought to establish that Apodaca was terminated for misconduct. It therefore fell upon Burger Time to show that Apodaca’s refusal to change the color of her hair amounted to misconduct under the standard considered in Alonzo and Trujillo. This, Burger Time failed to do and thus failed to meet its burden of proof. Moreover, Apodaca presented uncontroverted testimony that no customers complained, and some complimented her for her hair. We do not question Burger Time’s right to establish a grooming code for its employees, to revise its rules in **92 *179 response to unanticipated situations, and to make its hiring and firing decisions in conformity with this policy. However, as we noted in Rodman, â€Å"It is * * * possible for an employee to have been properly discharged without having acted [in a manner] as would justify denial of benefits. † 107 N. M. at 761, 764 P. 2d at 1319. 2 Definition of misconduct and the right to terminate. Although not directly presented on appeal in this case, we note that in their decision letters both the Appeals Tribunal and the Board of Review used the following definition: â€Å"The term ‘misconduct’ connotes a material breach of the contract of employment or conduct reflecting a willful disregard of the employer’s best interests. (Emphasis added. ) We rejected this definition in Rodman, 107 N. M. at 763, 764 P. 2d at 1321, as inconsistent with the Mitchell standard requiring a willful or wanton disregard of the employer’s interests. The use of the term â€Å"or† implies that any breach of the employment contract sufficient to warrant discharge of the employee serves as adequate grounds for denial of benefits, whether or not the employee acted in a willful or wanton manner. Where an employee has not acted with the requisite degree of ‘fault’ under Mitchell, he or she has not sacrificed a reasonable expectation in continued financial security such as may be afforded by accrued unemployment compensation benefits. † Id. at 761, 764 P. 2d at 1319. The decision of the trial court is reversed, and this case is remanded for entry of judgment consistent with the decision of the Board of Review. IT IS SO ORDERED.