Vincent Zulo guys and pin stripes Essay Example For Students

Vincent Zulo: guys and pin stripes Essay Conventional wisdom says clothes make the man, but can they also make the show? Vincent Zulo is a tailor for the theatre who has left his imprint on hundreds of productions here and abroad, from Broadway extravaganzas to the Barnum and Bailey Circus to modest two-character plays. Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman and Alec Baldwin have passed through his fitting roomsits no exaggeration to call him the tailor to the stars. Anybody you can mention, theyve come through this shop, he says with a crinkly smile and the engaging inflections of his native Italy. Those who imagine a tailor as a bent little man sewing tiny stitches by hand alone in a dark garret might be surprised by Zulo and his shop. Hes well-dressed, cordial and energetic, and his tidy loft in the garment district of Manhattan is surrounded by windows and filled with modern equipment and a staff that ranges in size from 13 to 20. Zulo began his training in Italy at the age of eight, working after school in a tailoring shop to help support his large family. In 1966 he immigrated to New York, and went to work at Eves Costumes where in short order he was assigned to tailor Mata Hari, which he accurately describes as a big flop. The Edward Thomas-Martin Charnin musical starring Marisa Mell and Pernell Roberts closed after a disastrous Washington tryout involving collapsing scenery and a spotlight accidentally turned on a nearly-nude Mell as she changed costumes. Zulo, undeterred by this unauspicious beginning, was caught up in the excitement of the theatre and eventually opened his own shop in 1980. We will write a custom essay on Vincent Zulo: guys and pin stripes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Among Zulos favorite shows are Andrew Lloyd Webbers Phantom of the Operanot because of the famous falling chandelier, but because he had the chance to equal and sometimes improve on the original costumes tailored by talented craftsmen in Englandand the current Broadway mounting of Guys and Dolls. Working from William Ivey Longs award-winning designs, Zulo and his staff constructed all of the latter productions period menswearabout 75 percent of the shows 250 costumesnot only cutting and tailoring the suits, but also creating half of the fabric in the shop. In the eye of the viewer Zulo designed and soldered special sewing-machine feet to adapt his machines to do the difficult embroidery for Guys and Dolls. The staff started with a solid-colored fabric and, using over-stiching, embroidery and mock-weaving techniques, added stripes of various colors and sizesno painting, dyeing or applique was used. To understand the scope of this undertaking, imagine a pinstriped suit. Imagine sewing each of the hundreds of stripes onto the fabric by machine (keeping the lines straight!). Imagine enough fabric for about 90 suits. This time-consuming procedure was used to give Long the colors and shapes he needed without making the suits stiff, a challenge that makes this show memorable for Zulo. In a short time we produced so much work, he says. We worked all night, and then at the end when the show was so successful we felt really rewarded. But what difference does all this work make to the untutored eye? If you dont know much, a suit is a suit, Zulo shrugs. It can be 1930 or 1909 or 1960, it looks the same. Its pants and a jacket. True appreciation of the customers craft, he says, depends on the discriminating eye of the viewer. When people go see Guys and Dolls, theyre supposed to go there in the spirit of the 40s. I like it when people are critical, because satisfaction comes back because the audience knows what is there. .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .postImageUrl , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:hover , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:visited , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:active { border:0!important; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:active , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Naturalistic Theatre EssayGood tailoring for the theatre is more colorful and sharper in line than streetwear, Zulo says, and Long agrees. When a show verges on being a cartoonin the use of color and shapeit is extremely important that the tailoring is top-notch the designer says of Guys and Dolls. For example, in these suits, you can see someone onstage from the side and trace the stripe all the way from the shoulder to the pants. This is great tailoring. Zulo works with the designer from the beginning of a project, choosing shape and fabric to make the costume sketch come to life. Despite the collaborative nature of the job, he stays flexible and takes care not to overstep his bounds. To my eyestailoring eyesa suit looks better one way, Zulo explains. For the script he has to look like a bum, I want to make him look like a big shot. Okay, they dont go together. The future of Zulos kind of craftsmanship is uncertain. There is no adequate training program to pass on tailoring skills, which take years to learn. Zulo operates a union shop and cannot afford to pay union wages to trainees. The world will keep going around, Zulo says philosophically of the future, but they will have to struggle more to produce this kind of project. Zulo is clearly a man who loves his work. You can see that on his face and hear it in his voice as he talks about his craft: Whatever you do, if you dont do it with satisfaction, with the feelings, its not worth it. His dedication to the theatre has earned him respect from scores of costume designers. I never compromise, he says. I always say it has to be this way, it has to be good.

Free Essays on A Sunrise On The Veld

A Sunrise on the Veld Review this essay In "A Sunrise On The Veld" by Doris Lessing, the protagonist gains a greater consciousness through the exposure of a new reality and truth of which he was not previously aware. It was impossible for them to ignore the new realities, which they both came to understand. The new found awareness was so powerful that it changed each boy’s entire outlook and they both began to see the world through new eyes. The type of initiation both characters had was a distressing journey from innocence to knowledge and experience. The protagonist of A Sunrise On The Veld accepted his experience of initiation . The boy’s attitude was stoical: "...this is how life goes one, by living things dying in anguish." 2 His feelings were of acceptance. In the beginning, the boy felt in control of himself in every way, and came to feel in control of the world in which he lived. This attitude changed completely after his encounter with the dying buck. He accepted the fact that there was nothing he co uld do to help and that some things were not in his power and were beyond his ability to control. He came to an awareness of his own limitations and accepted the inevitable. The character suffered however and felt anger, but also he was satisfied with what he realized about the cruelty of nature and life. The protagonist was male and young in age. He was overcome and enthusiastic towards his feelings of delight and becomes aware of the negative side to joy. The characters held an appreciation for beauty. The type of beauty the boys appreciated differed. The boy in A Sunrise On The Veld felt a love for nature. Both characters experienced an impatience and eagerness towards their obsessions. The boy in A Sunrise On The Veld was eager to wake up and go into the vast fields of nature. He felt a oneness with nature. They tried to breakdown the boundaries of their isolation. Both passions brought them out of their aloneness and lon... Free Essays on A Sunrise On The Veld Free Essays on A Sunrise On The Veld A Sunrise on the Veld Review this essay In "A Sunrise On The Veld" by Doris Lessing, the protagonist gains a greater consciousness through the exposure of a new reality and truth of which he was not previously aware. It was impossible for them to ignore the new realities, which they both came to understand. The new found awareness was so powerful that it changed each boy’s entire outlook and they both began to see the world through new eyes. The type of initiation both characters had was a distressing journey from innocence to knowledge and experience. The protagonist of A Sunrise On The Veld accepted his experience of initiation . The boy’s attitude was stoical: "...this is how life goes one, by living things dying in anguish." 2 His feelings were of acceptance. In the beginning, the boy felt in control of himself in every way, and came to feel in control of the world in which he lived. This attitude changed completely after his encounter with the dying buck. He accepted the fact that there was nothing he co uld do to help and that some things were not in his power and were beyond his ability to control. He came to an awareness of his own limitations and accepted the inevitable. The character suffered however and felt anger, but also he was satisfied with what he realized about the cruelty of nature and life. The protagonist was male and young in age. He was overcome and enthusiastic towards his feelings of delight and becomes aware of the negative side to joy. The characters held an appreciation for beauty. The type of beauty the boys appreciated differed. The boy in A Sunrise On The Veld felt a love for nature. Both characters experienced an impatience and eagerness towards their obsessions. The boy in A Sunrise On The Veld was eager to wake up and go into the vast fields of nature. He felt a oneness with nature. They tried to breakdown the boundaries of their isolation. Both passions brought them out of their aloneness and lon...

What Aquatic Insects Tell Us About Water Quality

What Aquatic Insects Tell Us About Water Quality The types of insects and other invertebrates living in the worlds lakes, rivers or oceans can tell us if that water source has very high or very little water pollutants. There are a number of ways that the scientific community and environmental agencies measure water quality, such as taking the temperature of the water, testing the pH and water clarity, measuring the level of dissolved oxygen, as well as determining the levels of nutrients and toxic substances. It seems looking at insect life in the water might be the easiest and perhaps most cost-effective method especially if the surveyor can tell the difference from one invertebrate to the next upon visual examination. It can eliminate the need for frequent, costly chemical tests. Bioindicators, which are sort of like a canary in a coalmine- are living organisms that indicate the quality of their environment by their presence or absence, according to Hannah Foster, postdoctoral researcher in bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The main reason to use bioindicators is that chemical analysis of water provides only a snapshot of the quality of a body of water. Importance of Water Quality Monitoring Adverse changes to the water quality of one stream can impact all the bodies of water it touches. When water quality degrades, changes to plant, insect and fish communities may occur and can affect the entire food chain. Through water quality monitoring, communities can assess the health of their streams and rivers over time. Once baseline data on the health of a stream is collected, subsequent monitoring can help identify when and where pollution incidents occur. Using Bioindicators for Water Sampling Doing a survey of bioindicators, or biological water quality monitoring involves collecting samples of aquatic macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates live in water for at least part of their life cycle. Macroinvertebrates are organisms without backbones, which are visible to the eye without the aid of a microscope. Aquatic macroinvertebrates live on, under and around rocks and sediment on the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and streams. Aquatic macroinvertebrates include species of insects, worms, snails, mussels, leeches, and crayfish. For example, sampling macroinvertebrate life in a stream when monitoring water quality is useful because these organisms are easy to collect and identify, and tend to stay in one area unless environmental conditions change. Simply put, some macroinvertebrates are highly sensitive to pollution, while others tolerate it. Certain types of macroinvertebrates found thriving in a body of water can tell you if that water is clean or polluted. Highly Sensitive to Pollution When found in high numbers, macroinvertebrates like adult riffle beetles and gilled snails can serve as bioindicators of good water quality. These creatures are usually highly sensitive to pollution. These organisms tend to require highly dissolved oxygen levels. If these organisms were once abundant, but subsequent sampling shows a decline in numbers, it may indicate that a pollution incident occurred. Other organisms that are highly sensitive to pollution include: Mayflies (nymphs)Caddisflies (larvae)Stoneflies (nymphs)Water PenniesHellgrammites (dobsonfly larvae) Somewhat Tolerant of Pollution If there is an abundance of a certain type of macroinvertebrates, like clams, mussels,  crayfish, and sowbugs, that can indicate that the water is in fair to good condition. Other macroinvertebrates that are somewhat tolerant of pollutants include: Alderflies (larvae)Dragonflies and Damselflies (nymphs)Whirligig Beetles (larvae)Riffle Beetles (larvae)Fishflies (larvae)Scuds Pollution Tolerant Certain macroinvertebrates, like leeches and aquatic worms, thrive in poor quality water. An abundance of these organisms suggests environmental conditions in a body of water have deteriorated. Some of these invertebrates use snorkels to access oxygen at the waters surface  and are less dependent on dissolved oxygen to breathe. Other pollution-tolerant macroinvertebrates include: Black Flies (larvae)Midge Flies (larvae)Lunged Snails

J ainbury Plc marketing reearch and information need Research Paper

J ainbury Plc marketing reearch and information need - Research Paper Example ThÐ µ aim of thiÃ'• Ã'•tudy iÃ'• to explore thÐ µ orgÐ °niÃ'•ation'Ã'• approach to thÐ µ collection of environmental data Ð °nd market intelligence Ð °nd thÐ µ orgÐ °niÃ'•ation Ã'•elected iÃ'• J Ð…ainÃ'•bury Plc. Brief critical appraiÃ'•al will be done for J Ð…ainÃ'•bury, recommendationÃ'• for improvementÃ'• will be provided.A marketing oriented firm (alÃ'•o called the marketing concept, or conÃ'•umer focuÃ'•, or cuÃ'•tomer focuÃ'•) iÃ'• one that allowÃ'• the wantÃ'• and needÃ'• of cuÃ'•tomerÃ'• and potential cuÃ'•tomerÃ'• to drive all the firm'Ã'• Ã'•trategic deciÃ'•ionÃ'•. The firm'Ã'• corporate culture iÃ'• Ã'•yÃ'•tematically committed to creating cuÃ'•tomer value. The rationale iÃ'• that the more a company underÃ'•tandÃ'• and meetÃ'• the real needÃ'• of itÃ'• conÃ'•umerÃ'•, the more likely it iÃ'• to have happy cuÃ'•tomerÃ'• who come back for more, and tell their friendÃ'•. ThiÃ'• proceÃ'•Ã'• can entail the foÃ'•tering of long term relationÃ'•hipÃ'• with cuÃ'•tomerÃ'•. In order to determine cuÃ'•tomer wantÃ'•, the company uÃ'•ually needÃ'• to conduct Ã'•ome form of marketing reÃ'•earch. Overall, the marketer expectÃ'• that becoming marketing oriented, if done correctly, will provide the company with a Ã'•uÃ'•tainable competitive advantage.The concept of marketing orientation waÃ'• developed in the late 1960Ã'• and early 1970Ã'• at Harvard UniverÃ'•ity and at a handful of forward thinking companieÃ'•. It replaced the previouÃ'• Ã'•aleÃ'• orientation that waÃ'• prevalent between the mid 1950Ã'• and the early 1970Ã'•, and the production orientation that predominated prior to the mid 1950Ã'•.. ince the concept wa firt introduced in the late 1960, it ha been modified, repackaged, and renamed a "cutomer focu", "the marketing philoophy", "market driven", "cutomer intimacy", "conumer focu", "cutomer dr iven", and "the marketing concept". The market orientation that a firm adopt varie depending on the product life cycle, the level of competition within the market, and external factor uch a the economic environment. Companie are likely to modify their market orientation over the life cycle of a particular product, and it i common for a ingle company to have different product with different orientation. There i no one orientation that i appropriate for all product, and the changing environment and global market in which today' companie operate mean that orientation are likely to undergo rapid change. Depite the importance that market orientation

Resource and Capabilities of Huawei Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Resource and Capabilities of Huawei - Essay Example Global telecom market has gone through systematic changes wherein from a fragmented industry, it becomes more like a centralized industry with the focus on developing core competencies through the centralization of manufacturing and production facilities. With the changes in the technology, however, there occurred a systematic shift in the way organizations in the industry attempted to dominate the market. Â  However, there still remains a big question mark as to whether the firm will be able to climb the technology ladder and start offering high-end technology products in the international market. It is also critical to note whether the firm will be able to challenge CISCO-one of the leading providers of networking and communication equipment in the international market. If it can what resources and capabilities it may require to successfully challenging the CISCO. Â  The resource-based view of the strategic management indicates as to how firms can develop their internal resources and capabilities in order to perform better than their competitors. Resource-based view also indicates that a firm must deploy its resources in most efficient and optimal level so as to maximize the returns for shareholders. Development of strategic capabilities is, therefore, one of the most critical aspects of strategic management which a firm needs to perform. The acquisition of various resources and competencies, therefore, offer a firm a great opportunity to develop its competitive advantage and successfully meet the competitive challenges. (Cromb,2006). Â  The resource capabilities can either be specific to the organization as well as generic capabilities that allow firms to focus on their customer needs and requirements to deliver value. Various studies indicate that the high performing firms which focus on delivering value to a greater extent basically distinguish such firms from the low performing firms.(O’Regan & Ghobadian, 2004).

If I Was Given a Gift as Money Essay Example for Free

If I Was Given a Gift as Money Essay If I were given money as a gift and had a choice between buying a piece of jewelry that I like or tickets to a concert that I want to attend, I would most likely choose the concert tickets. It actually depends on what kind of concert it is but if it was about music, for example a live performance of a famous musician, I would probably choose the concert tickets. This is because the jewelry can be bought any time when you can afford it but attending a concert has a much more rare chance. Eventually I would probably choose to attend the concert I wanted. Most of all, a piece of jewelry can be pretty and you might feel good when you wear it, but music is a lifelong interest that I will continue to have throughout my life. Going to a live concert can be a wonderful experience that I will remember for a long time, but when I buy a piece of jewelry, the good feeling I get from buying it will last only a short time. The gift of going to a concert can keep on giving even after the concert is over. If I enjoy the concert, I can buy the music that I saw live on a CD and listen to it many times over or record it by video tape and relive the experience. Each time I listen to the music, I might find a new detail that I did not notice before, but a piece of jewelry will be always the same. In addition, having a jewelry will not be able to share the feeling; your friends will be jealous of you instead, where as you might be able to attend the concert with your friends. It is always nice to listen to music, but it is made even more enjoyable when it is seen live with friends. By going to a concert together we would be able to strengthen our relationship. Over all I would prefer to attend a concert using the gift of money. In conclusion, even though having a new piece of jewelry is nice, I would prefer to buy tickets for a concert if I were given money as a gift. The reasons why I would choose the concert tickets over a piece of jewelry are that going to a concert can be a wonderful and lifelong experience, and that I can improve relations with my friends by attending a concert.

Students Should be Required to Wear Uniforms to School Essay -- Public

Students Should be Required to Wear Uniforms to School   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do you always ask yourself why do students wear those horrible uniforms? Well, 99% of the students do, some find that unnecessary, some find them obsolete, and others just hate those unexciting colors. Nonetheless, they are wrong when they think that uniforms are not necessary, since they are. Because the teachers need to see students as equal, plus, clothes always distract other people, and as proved on a survey, 78% of the students prefer clothes that are inappropriate for school and for some people these clothes might be impolite.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you meet somebody, what is the first thing that you look at? As humans, we always take a first impression about people, and all the times criticize them depending of the clothe that they wear, their appearance, and their manifestation in front of people, and we do not do it because we are mean or terrible, everybody does, it is unavoidable. That is one of the uniform’s function, maintain students as equal for the teachers, and that way evading that teachers judge them, uniforms are an obligation, it is not their choice. Teachers need to grade students, and this way they will do it about the students’ manners, not by their clothes. And students need to have the same level and conditions on the class, because they need to be equal to a teacher this way we can evade unfairness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aren’t colors and nice textures ...

Federal Employees and USERRA

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) regularly fields inquiries regarding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) from service members employed by the Federal Government and from the Federal Government about a service member employee. A vast majority of these questions relate to the application of certain USERRA requirements at the Federal workplace. To add to the complexity of USERRA’s application in the Federal workplace, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulation provides additional, non-USERRA required benefits to service member employees when performing certain types of military service. Discussion: Primarily six (concerns/issues) are regularly raised by service member employees and federal government employers regarding USERRA. ESGR does not have the full view associated with USERRA claims because service members have multiple redress avenues for their USERRA issues or concerns. However, ESGR believes that targeted education and training focused on the six areas below will greatly reduce USERRA cases in the federal government by service member employees. Mandatory USERRA training that specifically includes OPM’s military leave benefits, monitored and tracked similar to the Information Assurance or government Ethics, or Sexual Harassment training would reduce federal USERRA cases. Frequent Concerns of Service member employees and Federal employer: Issue 1: Service members feel that they are not properly reinstated to the appropriate position upon completion of military service * Federal agencies fail to reinstate returning service member due to position being filled or position being cut * Service members are not considered for promotional opportunities, miss interviews, face closed application periods upon return from military service * Recommended training focus: 20 CFR 1002. 191-199 and 5 CRF 353. 207 to understand reinstatement position requirements * 20 CFR 1002. 193 (b) and 5 CFR 353. 106 (c) regarding promotional opportunities Issue 2: Request for orders with service member’s name/documentation to prove attendance in advance of service or following service lasting less than 30 days * USERRA does not require documentation to perform service in a leave without pay status * This issue relates to OPM’s paid military leave benefit. In order to receive paid leave, the agency must have documentation of service and the service must be for the purpose of active duty or active duty training * Service members do not always receive documentation in advance, or have been advised that documentation cannot be required from an employer in advance of service by law * Employers assume that since documentation is required to receive paid military leave, it should be required at all times for consistency * Recommended training focus: * Highlight 20 CFR 1002. 85, 1002. 121-123 Coordinate with OPM regarding paid time off and requirements to take advantage of benefit * Understand LWOP and LWOP US requirements and that penalty cannot come to SM with advanced verbal/written notice in any format Issue 3: Service members feel discriminated against due to past, present or future military service * Service members report that with knowledge of upcoming service, they are harassed, denied opportunities (i. e. training, consideration for advancement), and treated differently from their peers * Federal agencies must instill in managers and supervisors that discrimination is unlawful * Recommended training focus: 20 CFR 1002. 18-23 and 353. 202 defining anti-discrimination under USERRA Issue 4: Both service members and federal employer have questions about what is / is not exempt from five year service limit * Most but not all orders will indicate exemptions from the five year service limit * Much of service performed in the last ten years in support of the Global War on Terror is considered exempt service * Service members are not aware that retirement from military service can disqualify service member from reinstatement due to â€Å"career status† with military * Recommended training focus: 20 CFR 1002. 99-103 and Secretary memos * Educate SM regarding â€Å"career service† retirements and the potential issues when returning to work Issue 5: Federal Employers misunderstand timelines to report back to work * Federal employers have stated confusion regarding ‘application’ for reemployment as defined by law. Since he service member was never separated, some agencies feel that the member does not need additional time to reapply * Concerned agencies wonder what status the service member should be held in during this time * Both Federal employers and the service m embers have confusion about the relation of their return to work date and the five days paid administrative leave for contingency operations. * Recommended training focus: * 20 CFR 1002. 115-1002. 119 and 5 CFR 353. 05 to understand the definitions of ‘application’ and ‘reemployment’ * Coordinate with OPM regarding status to determine if the service member maintain LWOP-US status until returned to work * Coordinate with OPM regarding five days of leave administrative leave and it’s coordination with return to work dates Issue 6: Health benefits are not properly stopped, restarted with military service absences * Federal employers will continue health benefits when performing certain contingency missions, but sometimes fail to terminate benefits without affirmative action from the service member * Reinstatement of benefits can be delayed Suspension of and reinstatement of vision / dental FEBH benefits must be done separately from health benefits, but are still covered by the law. * Recommended training focus: * 20 CFR 1002. 163-171 pertaining to stopping/starting benefits * Coordination with OPM regarding what type of orders are eligible for continuation of benefits

New York MTA

Traditional market structure suggests that all market decisions should be based on utilitarian theory. We often witness market decisions which neglect other important aspects of the market activity. As a result, we appear under the impact of one-side unbalanced decisions which ultimately neglect the principles of morality and moral theology of the marketplace.Rising fares and tolls by MTA  Ã¢â‚¬Å"After an unusually vigorous and spirited debate, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to raise fares on subways, buses and commuter railroads and tolls on bridges and tunnels† (Chan, 2007a). Why is it so surprising that not all members of the MTA board wanted to turn into the proponents of fares and tolls’ increase? Does this mean that more and more political and business players realize the importance of morality in taking market decisions?Evidently, the situation is much worse than one may imagine. One may initially think that increasing the fares wil l lead to less traffic congestion, and will urge more people to use public transport; yet, the public transport fares are being raised, too. From the viewpoint of those who vote for raising fares and tolls in New York, this decision is the first step towards â€Å"fiscal responsibility. The authority had for long applied windfalls and real estate taxes hoping that someone would bail us out and turning a blind eye to our responsibility to put this MTA on a firm future monetary structure† (Chan, 2007a).Simultaneously, from the viewpoint of morality and theology of the marketplace, commercial activity is not limited by rational market decisions, but also â€Å"confronts us with the moral predicaments† (Gregg, 2004). The major concern within this situation is that the decision to raise fares has completely neglected the position of those whom we traditionally consider to be vulnerable populations. The representative of Working Families Party is confident that raising fares will seriously hit working people (Benjamin, 2007). â€Å"Today, once again middle class New Yorkers and those struggling to make it, are bearing the cost†, Rep. Anthony Weiner said (Benjamin, 2007).â€Å"A fare hike now is the wrong choice for New York. It would hit many people who are struggling hard to make ends meet and hurt the region's economy. [†¦] This fare hike will hit 86 percent of the riding public who use fare discounts. These include pay-per-ride bonus MetroCards and 7- and 30-day unlimited-ride passes. It's also a double whammy for most L.I.R.R. and Metro-North commuters whose railroad fares would go up!† (Chan, 2007b)The discussed fare hike will also cause the bonuses' decrease for riders (from 20 to 15 percent), and the discounted fare will cost $1.74 instead of $1.67 (Chan, 2007b). The problem is that New Yorkers pay more than they have to for the transport they use. â€Å"In 2005, riders paid 55 percent of the costs of running the subways and buses† (Chan, 2007b). Objectively, this is much higher that the riders in other cities pay: those in Boston do not compensate more than 29 percent of the discussed costs, and those in Philadelphia pay no more than 37 percent (Chan, 2007b).As the M.T.A reports $140 million reductions, does this mean that they will make the riders pay this amount through higher fares and tolls? Doubtlessly, the suggested fares and tolls increase will help compensate the under-financing of the MTA by the state Government, but if the decision framework remains unchanged, this compensation will actually take place for the account of the already mentioned vulnerable populations. â€Å"To rely upon utilitarianism as the moral – philosophical foundation of the case for the market creates tremendous difficulties for Catholics† (Gregg, 2004).The utilitarian desire to find the greatest good and to satisfy the masses does not meet the ethical and moral criteria of religion. Those who were ta king the decision to raise the fares and tolls in New York have neglected one essential aspect in their decision making: when one looks for the means to produce the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people, one has to perform numerous calculations and to produce the decision which satisfies everyone. From the viewpoint of moral theology, such calculations in market decision-making are simply impossible. â€Å"No person can make such an assessment without admitting a tremendous degree of ignorance about all the possible effects that might proceed from a freely chosen act† (Gregg, 2004).The MTA governors have evidently gone beyond their reasonable abilities, trying to persuade us that that the future with raised fares and tolls for everyone was better than other possible alternatives. The MTA board members view the increased tolls and fares as the means to close the gaps in MTA’s budget and to provide safe and reliable system of transportation for the New York ’s citizens. However, it is not the ultimate goal for those who use public transport and belong to vulnerable layers of the city population.ConclusionThe moral theology of marketplace rejects any uniform measures in defining the goals of decision making. This is why the governors should have considered the financial opportunities of those who cannot afford paying more for using public transport. The diversified structure of prices would resolve all moral and ethical issues, and would not create serious obstacles on the way towards better functioning of the city’s transportation systems.ReferencesBenjamin, E. (2007). MTA fare hike reactions (updated). Daily News. Retrieved February 17,2008 from http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2007/12/mta-fare-hike-reactions.htmlChan, S. (2007a). Board approves subway and bus fare increase. The New York Times.Retrieved February 17, 2008 from http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/mta-board-approves-fare-and-toll-incr eases/index.html?hpChan, S. (2007b). Hundreds stranded online by botched M.T.A. â€Å"Webinar†. The New YorkTimes. Retrieved February 17, 2008 from http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/mixed-reaction-to-new-mta-fare-plan/?hpGregg, S. (2004). Ethics and the market economy: Insights from Catholic moral theology.IEA Economic Affairs, June, pp. 4-10.

Cast Away Movie Essays

Cast Away Movie Essays Cast Away Movie Paper Cast Away Movie Paper In the film Cast Away, I was interested in Chucks transition between his communication process from before he was stranded on the island and his communication skills when he got back. Being stranded on an island for four years, having no one but a volleyball to talk to would of course have some effects on how anyone would present themselves when they returned. I noticed that in the beginning of the film, Chuck had sufficient communication competence and was able to connect well with people from his own culture and with those of other cultures because his Job had him traveling often. However, when he returned, he was unsure and withdrawn while he was around his family and friends, not really sure what to do around so many people at once. Before someone has communication competence, they have to be able to practice communicating by sending messages and using the five step listening process; though he sent out many messages, he couldnt receive anything back. From the reflect and relate textbook, (page 164) it explains that these are needed to form and maintain competent listening skills so your able to adapt youre listening purpose for different situations and encounters. He was already a competent communicator before, however, he was limited to the knowledge that he had once he was on the island and he wasnt able to progress in his communication skills. Without being able to know how to respond, it made it more difficult when his friends were interacting with him; he wasnt so sure how to respond. Another part of listening is receiving feedback and learning whats appropriate in your culture. When you communicate with others, you get negative or positive feedback that you need so you can learn how to use the feedback constructively to dapt your own listening skills to your culture; For Chuck in Cast Away, he was limited to whatever he imagined Wilsons response to be and he couldnt receive any feedback to help him build his listening skills. The reason that its so important to have constant feedback is not only for practice, but also for you to understand how all communication is changing. For example, using the word sick means being affected by physical illness, but it can now also be used to express something thats crazy or cool. While he wasnt able to fully communicate for the four years that he was on the sland, he had some other trouble with learning how to deal with grief. He was feeling lonely and isolated on the island and couldnt fgure out how to properly deal with emotional management. In the text, (page 129) it tells us that emotional management is one of the most important factors for effective interpersonal communication. It affects our emotional expression and how we experience things. Because he felt that he needed to manage some of the loss he was feeling from his wife and other family, he created Wilson; someone that he could express his inner thoughts to and to not feel so lonely on the island. In the text it also expresses the importance of emotions and how they have been developed in text only environments. We share and communicate our emotional experiences by emotion-snaring. Because emotion-snaring is so important, when Chuck felt isolated on the island and wasnt able to share his emotions, he created a person that he could talk to. In the beginning of the movie, it shows him consoling his friend whose wife is very sick. He obviously has had those types of relationships where he could share his emotions before he was stranded. When he gets back at he end of the movie it shows him again sharing in his friends grief and apologizing for not being able to be there for him. He had those kind of problem himself while on the Island feeling lonely and isolated, he felt grief for the loss of his girlfriend and back home. Along with his inability to fully interact, he was unable to take part in social comparison (explained on page 40 in the text). Where were able to watch and recognize our own actions and compare them with others. This has an important effect on ourselves and how we interact with people, seeing people we want to be like and following their examples. Obviously Wilson didnt react back to him and he wasnt able to discern what is socially acceptable in a normal environment. Because of this when he was brought back and was at his welcome home party, he wasnt sure how to act around other people and instead Just stayed mostly silent. Because of his competent interpersonal skills from before, he had a lot of important relationships and symbols. Symbols are used many times in the movie, objects that have meaning to him while hes on the island and ones that he finds back home. The watch that Kelly gave him is used constantly throughout the movie. It was important to him to keep it on the same time zone back home, even though it broke on island, and the picture it held of his girlfriend, which he would look at while he fell asleep in the caves. It was an important symbol that represented the loss he felt for a loved one and I felt like it was one of the things that kept him going while he was on the island. The package was another symbol used in the film, he painted the drawing it had on his raft and he didnt open it throughout the four years he was there. He even saved the box and finally got it to where it was supposed to be shipped. There are other symbolic things throughout the movie like Chucks car and the keys that still held his pocketknife; which symbolized how much Kelly cared for him and how important their relationship was. Without being able to engage in social comparison, it could have negative effects on his self-concept and his self-esteem. Self-concept is built based off of social comparison, like when you feel good about how well you communicate with others or if youre compared favorably with others. Your self- concept can be based on different things like media, family, or friends. Because he wasnt around any of these things, he was stuck trying to remember how he used to be. He may see himself as the person that he used before, but on the island he had changed so much and in page 42 of the text, it describes how its hard for us to change the way we believe ourselves to be. All of his interactions for those four years were one-way, being able to send out messages but never getting anything back, he wasnt able to understand how he was changing in self-concept. As for his girlfriend Kelly, she was experiencing loss and she wasnt even sure if Chuck was alive or not, she had to move on from their relationship. Just maintaining a relationship with someone whos constantly around you can be difficult and there are many relationship strategies that have to take place in order to maintain a healthy relations ip n . Ot course Chuck woul d nave to be actually present in the relationship at all to really maintain it. Though they clearly had a good relationship when he left and Kelly still loved him when he was brought back, they had been separated for so long that she had developed other relationships when he was gone. She had gotten arried and had a daughter. Chuck on the other hand had only her in mind as a romantic partner, but thats because he knew she was alive and he hadnt been able to develop any other relationships while he had been alone on the island. As for his other relationships that he had throughout the movie with his friends he wasnt really able to build or maintain relationships with his friends either. As I mentioned before he had a close relationship with his friend whos wife was sick. While Chuck was gone his friend lost his wife and he wasnt able to be there for him while he grieved. Theres a scene in the beginning of the film that shows Chuck at a Christmas dinner with family and friends where hes interacting with them and making Jokes. Its good comparison to the dinner he has with his friends when he gets back. Before, when he was around his family, he knew how to interact with them and he had close personal relationships. At the other dinner it shows him standing quietly while everyone interacts around him. It makes it very clear that theres now space between him and everyone else. Watching this film I noticed how his communication competence deteriorated rom the moment he was stranded on the island and how it affected his life once he got back. Without the constant practice and use of our communication skills we cant maintain our skills or progress with them. Progression in communication is important because things are always changing and we need to learn how to change and adapt to listening and building relationships. You have to have a two-way communication to fully understand not only others, but your own communication as well. The movie demonstrated proper communication and showed the importance of relationships and maintaining your communication competence.

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study Example The investigations carried out on her husband’s semen did in fact reveal no anomalies. The patient has been offered some antibiotics to improve on her situation prior to a myomectomy being carried out. The couple have been advised to consent to a hysterectomy to solve the problem but have declined since they will be requiring their own children in future. The lady has been found to have a permanent condition on her uterus which can cause relentless bleeding and pain. This condition could also be easily responsible for the lady’s infertility problem. The patient could not be informed of the above conditions since she was under anesthesia. Her husband however consented to the operation despite his spouses disapproval. The consent given by the woman’s husband tends to contravene the ethics of medicine regarding the issues of justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence and autonomy of a patient undergoing such a procedure. The doctor has also been unethical by infringing on his patient’s autonomy and beneficence by disclosing her condition to her spouse without consent . He is however justified in disclosing the condition since the condition may affect their marriage and future. Both the doctor and the husband may also infringe on the principle of non-maleficence since the operation could do more harm than good to the woman despite her not consenting to the procedure. This could end up bringing injustices to the woman and her future in their marriage. Finally, the doctor contravenes the principle of beneficence which suggests that he should act in the best interests of his patient. The doctor will be infringing on his patients right of deciding whether or not she should undergo the operation . A nurse at the hospital has raised concerns regarding the consent given by the husband allowing the doctor to proceed on the operation on his wife. The nurse objects to the operation

Fire Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fire Protection - Essay Example After mixing with water, the fluid is poured where hydration hardens the concrete within the desired shape. It is used in constructing roads, pavements, foundations, poles, blocks walls, structures, parking, bridges, underpass, etc. In either mode of construction, the most important aspect to keep in mind is fire resistance as after setting on fire the whole building can collapse. The best way is to keep the building airy and using non-combustible material (tiles of clay or slate, cement and concrete mixture, etc) in ceilings/roofs (Avillo, 2002). For windows smaller pane and double or tempered pane glass is preferred while skylights must not be made of flaming material. Firewalls, rated wall to resist fire, can be constructed to avoid the spread of fire. It slow downs the movement of fire from one side to another by separating the building into different fire areas. Constructing a project on large scale involves a number of tasks. Mixture of cement and concrete can be used to reinforce the infrastructure to increase its durability where inflammable material must be avoided for walls and roofs. There should be fire exits and firewalls to keep the burning area separate from the safe compartments.