Thursday, January 30, 2020

Schedule Work Essay Example for Free

Schedule Work Essay Carter Cleaning Centers does not have a formal wage structure nor does it have rate ranges or use compensable factors. Wage rates are based mostly on those prevailing in the surrounding community and are tampered with an attempt on the part of Jack Carter to maintain some semblance of equity between what workers with different responsibilities in the stores are paid. Needless to say, carter does not make any formal surveys when determining what his company should pay. He peruses the want ads almost every day and conducts informal surveys among his friends in the local chapter of the Laundry and Cleaning Trade association. While Jack has taken a â€Å"seat – of – the pants† approach to paying employees, his salary schedule has been guided by several basic pay policies. While many of his colleagues adhere to a policy of paying absolutely minimum rates, Jack has always followed a policy of paying his employees about 10% above what he feels are the prevailing rates, a policy that he believes reduces turnover while fostering employee loyalty. Of some what more concern to Jennifer is her father’s informal policy of paying men about 20% more than women for same job. Her father’s explanation is, â€Å"They’re Stronger and can work harder for longer hours, and besides they all have families to support.†The New Pay Plan:The New Pay Plan:

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Ethical Judgement Essay -- genetic experiments, organs, donation

Who appoints ethical limits that prevail in our society? Is every individual responsible for their own actions even though their morals may be different from others? Ethical judgments are made for every individual separately and some of them are based on their own emotions or their own reason. There are many factors that influence ethical judgments in a society or culture. In my essay I will use reason and emotion as ways of knowing, because I believe that in order to make an ethical judgment in both the natural sciences and arts a person’s emotion and reason play a role. Discovering new knowledge in natural sciences is mostly done with controlled experiments, while artists can express their knowledge in a different way with pictures, sculptures, movies†¦ In both areas of knowledge ethics cannot be excluded. Art has more freedom to express without getting negative feedback from spectators or society, while a natural scientist must be aware of lots of ethical limits in ord er that their experiment would be ethically acceptable. My claim is that ethical judgments do limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in arts and natural sciences, but the limitations are stricter when it comes to conducting experiments than creating art works. Ideally an objective view should be considered when evaluating this claim but our emotions can be stumbling blocks to ethical judgments. Firstly it has to be considered that if there were no experiments done with modern medicine that achieved something that was previously unimaginable, there would not be as big progress in medicine. The experiments for creating, testing and improving that medicine were done in some ways that can be ethically questionable. Ethical limits were reached and ... ....html (Accessed: 12th February 2014). †¢ J.P. MORELAND (2009) Ethics Theories: Utilitarianism Vs. Deontological Ethics, Available at: http://www.equip.org/articles/ethics-theories-utilitarianism-vs-deontological-ethics/ (Accessed: 12 February 2014). †¢ RITA PUTATUNDA (2007) Ethical Issues of Cloning, Available at: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ethical-issues-of-cloning.html(Accessed: 12th February 2014). †¢ Ronald Bennett (n.d.) Medical Experiments of the Holocaust and Nazi Medicine, Available at: http://remember.org/educate/medexp.html (Accessed: 12th February 2014). †¢ University of Northern Colorado (2007) Ancient Greek Ethics, Available at:http://mcb.unco.edu/ced/perspectives/ancient-greek.cfm (Accessed: 12th February 2014). †¢ WIKIPEDIA (2014) List of banned films, Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_films (Accessed: 12th February 2014).

Monday, January 13, 2020

Geographic History of Henequen in Yucatan, Mexico Essay

In Yucatan, Mexico, one of the main considered exports has been henequen that can be obtained from the plant Agave Fourcroydes. The henequen fiber has become significant to the economic stand of Yucatan since this product has conceived intense demand by international importers, such as the United States, China, Europe, etc. According to Cook (1994), during 1990s, the production of henequen has surged to a total economic export of 150,000 tons annually. In fact, the main production of henequen originates mainly from the state of Yucatan Mexico (p. 29). The state of Yucatan, Mexico, has significantly obtained economic benefits from the exports made through these henequen fibers, such as rope, rigs, sacks, and raw forms. They are usually shipped within the proximity of Merida and other cores of henequen production (Patch, 1993 p. 206). The bloom of henequen during the nineteenth century has significantly boosted the economy of the state, especially considering that they are world’s main exported of this product. From the analysis of the blooms’ occurrence, significant characteristics that have been present in the topographical condition of the state caused this immense bloom and production. The geography and climate of Yucatan State have been considered unique and very much suitable to the growth of henequen. In addition, considering the trends of exports and demands during the early 1900s, the market needs have significantly affected the consumption of the product. However, as the late nineteenth century approaches, the decline in the henequen demand in the market due to various reasons, such as competition, discovery of alternative products and conversion of haciendas in Yucatan, has become significantly noticeable. In the study, the discussion gives emphasis on the chronological history of henequen exports from Yucatan, Mexico. The study starts with the analysis of henequen bloom during the early 1900s until its significant decline during the late 20th century. The study also provides important facts on henequen growth, export historical trends contribution of climate for its growth, and the history of its market decline. Discussion Geography of Yucatan The most evident characteristic of Yucatan Peninsula is the presence of limestone shelf from the eastern to western sections that surfaces above sea level. The limestone shelf of Yucatan is present even below the sea, which is very much evident in the eastern Caribbean side. The key to the growth of Yucatan henequen is the thin limestone soils present as one of the characteristics of their lands (Sauer, 1993 p. 178). The areas of Merida and Ticul comprise the flat plains of Yucatan abundant in limestone deposits. Viewing the areas 60 km south from Merida, vast plains of Yucatan limestone are very much evident and the river areas are flow under the soil. According to Greensfelder & Dogett (2006), the significant characteristic of limestone present in Yucatan is the porous feature, which enables storage of mineral deposits as well as water source. Such features are important in promoting the growth of henequen plants, since the limestone act as the primary nutrient banks of crop roots (p. 17). The borders of the Yucatan state involve the Campeche located in the southern portion, Quintana Roo in the southeastern portion, and the Gulf of Mexico in the north and western perspective. Throughout the peninsula, lakes called lagunas are very much evident and from here on, Yucatan has also utilized cenotes or the collapsed freshwater caverns in order to obtain their freshwater. Yucatan also has their limestone pools called chenes, which also acts as their freshwater storage since the water deposits are usually brought by the underground streams. From this variety of ecologic characteristics has aroused the vast variation of exotic flora and fauna that kept the survival of Mayan civilization present in the area (Perry, 2001 p. 9). Climatology of Yucatan The Yucatan climate entails humid temperatures from November to February, while the driest season progress from November to April. Yucatan climatology is usually tropical and hot temperature progresses in an annual scope. The average annual temperatures for the Mexican Caribbean is 78 degrees F or 25. 5 degrees C with significant deviations of 5 to 7 degrees F. During the day temperatures can push into the 80s and overnight temperatures can drop as low as the 50s and low 60s degree F. The coolest months in this region are the between December to February, where the average highs are from 74 to 76 degrees F (Page, 2005 p. 10). Analyzing one of the areas where henequen is prominently produced, Merida, which is tropical and humid, obtains the annual precipitation of about 1,050mm, which signifies to potential evapotransportation of 2,000 mm (Anton, 1996 p. 118). The climatic condition of wet and dry area has been beneficial to the industry of henequen growth since this plant tend to adapt to tropical and humid environment, which describes Yucatan peninsula as the perfect place. Added by Anton (1996), the precipitation rates present in the entire peninsula accounts to a variation of 500 mm near the northwestern shore to more than 1,300 mm in the northeastern (p. 118). The Yucatan climate has been viewed as one of the contributors for the plant’s intense growth. The Agave Fourcroydes (Henequen) The henequen plant is very similar to the usual African sisal; hence, it has acquired the name Yucatan Sisal. The Agave fourcroydes plant can be easily recognized through their leaves that have a prickly and grayish green color. The leaves are processed in the same fashion as sisal, while the strands are carefully cleansed and place under the sun to dry (Cook, 1984 p. 29). The henequen stalks can extend up to 2 meters long and 10 cm to 15 cm wide. The preferential disadvantage of this plant is the presence of thorns, which is also viewed as one of the primary reasons for the preference of consumer to African sisal since stalks their stalks are free from thorns. A cultivated henequen plant can yield about 25 leaves annually from the fifth to the 16th year after its planting. Most commonly, the henequen plant can survive and grow for seven years without intensive maintenance. In fact, with the favorable topographical condition of Yucatan, the henequen plant usually survives without being attended by farmers (Greensfelder and Doggett, 2003 p. 191). The process of extracting fiber from this plant involves the cutting of their leaves and, from the factories; they grind these until the fiber strands are revealed. The main use of henequen is for the binder twine in wheat harvesting. The advantage of henequen product over synthetic fibers is its resistance to marine life propagation, such as algae, barnacles, etc (Greensfelder and Doggett, 2003 p. 191).

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu, South African Activist

Albertina Sisulu (October 21, 1918–June 2, 2011) was a prominent leader in the African National Congress and the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. The wife of the well-known activist Walter Sisulu, she provided much-needed leadership during the years when most of the ANCs high command was either in prison or in exile. Fast Facts: Albertina Sisulu Known For: South African anti-apartheid activistAlso Known As: Ma Sisulu, Nontsikelelo Thethiwe, Mother of the NationBorn: October 21, 1918 in Camama,  Cape Province, South AfricaParents: Bonilizwe and Monikazi ThethiweDied: June 2, 2011 in Linden, Johannesburg, South AfricaEducation:  Johannesburgs Non-European Hospital, Mariazell CollegeAwards and Honors:  Honorary doctoral degree from the University of JohannesburgSpouse: Walter SisuluChildren: Max, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, Lindiwe, NonkululekoNotable Quote: Women are the people who are going to relieve us from all this oppression and depression. The rent  boycott  that is happening in  Soweto  now is alive because of the women. It is the women who are on the street committees educating the people to stand up and protect each other. Early Life Nontsikelelo Thethiwe was born in the village of Camama, Transkei, South Africa, on October 21, 1918, to Bonilizwe and Monica Thethiwe. Her father Bonilizwe arranged for the family to live in nearby Xolobe while he was working in the mines; he died when she was 11. She was given the European name of Albertina when she started at the local mission school. At home, she was known by the pet name Ntsiki. As the eldest daughter, Albertina was often required to look after her siblings. This resulted in her being held back for a couple of years at primary school, and initially cost her a scholarship for high school. After intervention by a local Catholic mission, she was eventually given a four-year scholarship to Mariazell College in the Eastern Cape (she had to work during the holidays to support herself since the scholarship only covered term time). Albertina converted to Catholicism while at college and decided that rather than get married, she would help support her family by getting a job. She was advised to pursue nursing (rather than her first choice of being a nun). In 1939 she was accepted as a trainee nurse at Johannesburg General, a non-European hospital, and began work there in January 1940. Life as a trainee nurse was difficult. Albertina was required to buy her own uniform out of a small wage and spent most of her time in the nurses hostel. She experienced the ingrained racism of the white-minority led country through the treatment of senior black nurses by more junior white nurses. She was also refused permission to return to Xolobe when her mother died in 1941. Meeting Walter Sisulu Two of Albertinas friends at the hospital were Barbie Sisulu and Evelyn Mase (Nelson Mandelas first wife-to-be). It was through them that she became acquainted with Walter Sisulu (Barbies brother) and began a career in politics. Walter took her to the inaugural conference of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League (formed by Walter, Nelson Mandela, and Oliver Tambo), at which Albertina was the only female delegate. It was only after 1943 that the ANC formally accepted women as members. In 1944, Albertina Thethiwe qualified as a nurse and, on July 15, she married Walter Sisulu in Cofimvaba, Transkei (her uncle had refused them permission to get married in Johannesburg). They held a second ceremony on their return to Johannesburg at the Bantu Mens Social Club, with Nelson Mandela as best man and his wife Evelyn as a bridesmaid. The newlyweds moved into 7372, Orlando Soweto, a house that belonged to Walter Sisulus family. The following year, Albertina gave birth to their first son, Max Vuysile. Starting a Life in Politics Prior to 1945, Walter was a trade union official but he was fired for organizing a strike. In 1945, Walter gave up his attempts to develop an estate agency to devote his time to the ANC. It was left to Albertina to support the family on her earnings as a nurse. In 1948, the ANC Womens League was formed and Albertina Sisulu joined immediately. The following year, she worked hard to support Walters election as the first full-time ANC secretary-general. The Defiance Campaign in 1952 was a defining moment for the anti-Apartheid struggle, with the ANC working in collaboration with the South African Indian Congress and the South African Communist Party. Walter Sisulu was one of 20 people arrested under the Suppression of Communism Act. He was sentenced to nine months of hard labor and suspended for two years for his part in the campaign. The ANC Womens League also evolved during the defiance campaign, and on April 17, 1954, several women leaders founded the non-racial Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW). FEDSAW was to fight for liberation, as well as on issues of gender inequality within South Africa. In 1954, Albertina Sisulu obtained her midwife qualification and began working for Johannesburgs City Health Department. Unlike their white counterparts, black midwives had to travel on public transport and carry all their equipment in a suitcase. Boycotting Bantu Education Albertina, through the ANC Womens League and FEDSAW, was involved in the boycott of Bantu Education. The Sisulus withdrew their children from the local government-run school in 1955 and Albertina opened her home as an alternative school. The Apartheid government soon cracked down on such practice and, rather than return their children to the Bantu education system, the Sisulus sent them to a private school in Swaziland run by Seventh Day Adventists. On August 9, 1956, Albertina was involved in the womens anti-pass protest, helping the 20,000 prospective demonstrators avoid police stops. During the march, the women sang a freedom song: Wathint abafazi, Strijdom! In 1958, Albertina was jailed for taking part in a protest against the Sophiatown removals. She was one of around 2,000 protestors who spent three weeks in detention. Albertina was represented in court by Nelson Mandela; all of the protesters were eventually acquitted. Targeted by the Apartheid Regime Following the  Sharpeville Massacre  in 1960, Walter Sisulu,  Nelson  Mandela, and  several others formed  Umkonto we Sizwe  (MK, the Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the ANC. Over the next two years, Walter Sisulu was arrested six times (though only convicted once) and Albertina Sisulu was targeted by the Apartheid government for her membership of the ANC Womens League and FEDSAW. Walter Sisulu Is Arrested and Imprisoned In April 1963 Walter, who had been released on bail pending a  six-year  prison sentence, decided to go underground and join up with the MK. Unable to discover the whereabouts of her husband, the SA authorities arrested Albertina. She was the first woman in South Africa to be detained under the  General Law Amendment Act No. 37 of 1963. She was initially placed in solitary confinement for two months, and then under dusk-till-dawn house arrest and banned for the first time. During her time in solitary, Lilliesleaf Farm (Rivonia) was raided and Walter Sisulu was arrested. Walter was sentenced to life imprisonment for planning acts of sabotage and sent to Robben Island on June 12, 1964 (he was released in 1989). The Aftermath  of the Soweto Student Uprising In 1974, the banning order against Albertina Sisulu was renewed. The requirement for partial house arrest was removed, but Albertina still needed to apply for special permits to leave Orlando, the township in which she lived. In June 1976 Nkuli, Albertinas youngest child and  second daughter, was caught in the periphery of the  Soweto student uprising. Two days before, Albertinas eldest daughter Lindiwe had been taken into custody and held at  a detention  center at John  Voster  square (where  Steve Biko  would die the following year). Lindiwe was involved with the  Black Peoples Convention  and  Black Consciousness Movement  (BCM). The BCM had a more militant attitude toward South African whites than the ANC. Lindiwe was detained for almost a year, after which she left for Mozambique and Swaziland.​ In 1979, Albertinas banning order was again renewed, though this time for only two years. The Sisulu family continued to be targeted by the authorities. In 1980 Nkuli, who was by then studying at Fort Hare  University, was detained and beaten by the police. She returned to Johannesburg to live with Albertina rather continue her studies. At the end of the year, Albertinas son  Zwelakhe was placed under a banning order that effectively curtailed his career as a journalist because he was prohibited from any involvement in the media. Zwelakhe was president of the Writers Association of South Africa at that time. Since Zwelakhe and his wife lived in the same house as Albertina, their respective  bans  had the curious result that they were not allowed to be in the same room as each other or talk to each other about politics. When Albertinas banning order ended in 1981, it was not renewed. She had been banned for a total of 18 years, the longest  anyone  had been banned in South Africa at that point. Being released from the ban meant that she could now pursue her work with FEDSAW, speak at meetings, and even be quoted in newspapers. Opposing the Tricameral Parliament In the early  1980s,  Albertina campaigned against the introduction of the Tricameral Parliament, which gave limited rights to Indians and Coloureds. Albertina, who was once again under a banning order, was unable to attend a critical conference at which the Reverend Alan Boesak proposed a united front against the Apartheid government plans. She indicated her support through FEDSAW and the Womens League. In 1983, she was elected president of FEDSAW. Mother of the Nation In August 1983, she was arrested and charged under the  Suppression of Communism Act  for allegedly furthering the aims of the ANC. Eight months earlier she had, with others, attended the funeral of Rose Mbele and draped an ANC flag over the coffin. It was also alleged that she delivered a pro-ANC tribute to the FEDSAW and ANC Womens League stalwart at the funeral. Albertina was elected, in absentia, president of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and for the first time she was referred to in print as the Mother of the Nation. The UDF was an umbrella group of hundreds of organizations opposed to Apartheid, which united both black and white  activists  and provided a legal front for the ANC and other banned groups. Albertina was detained in Diepkloof prison until her trial in October 1983, during which she was defended by George Bizos. In February 1984, she was sentenced to four years, two years suspended. At the last minute, she was given the right to appeal and was released on bail. The appeal was finally granted in 1987 and the case was dismissed. Arrested for Treason In 1985,  PW Botha  imposed  a state  of emergency. Black youths were rioting in the townships, and the Apartheid government responded by flattening Crossroads township, near Cape Town. Albertina was arrested again, and she and 15 other leaders of the UDF were charged with treason and instigating revolution. Albertina was eventually released on bail, but the conditions of the bail meant she could no longer participate in FEDWAS, UDF, and ANC Womens League events. The treason trial began in October but collapsed when a key witness admitted he could have been mistaken. Charges were dropped against most of the accused, including Albertina, in December. In February 1988, the UDF was banned under further State of Emergency restrictions. Leading an Overseas Delegation In 1989 Albertina was asked as the patroness of the principal black opposition group in  South Africa (the wording of the official invitation) to meet with U.S. president George W Bush, former president Jimmy Carter, and UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Both countries had resisted economic action against South Africa. She was given a special dispensation to leave the country and provided with a passport. Albertina gave many interviews while overseas, detailing the severe conditions for blacks within South Africa and commenting on what she saw as the Wests responsibilities in maintaining sanctions against the Apartheid regime. Parliament and Retirement Walter Sisulu was released from prison in October 1989. The ANC was un-banned the following year, and the Sisulus worked hard to re-establish its position in South African politics. Walter was elected deputy president of the ANC and Albertina was elected deputy president of the ANC Womens League. Death Both Albertina and Walter became members of parliament under the new transitional government in 1994. They retired from parliament and politics in 1999. Walter died after a long period of illness in May 2003. Albertina Sisulu died peacefully on June 2, 2011, at her home in Linden, Johannesburg. Legacy Albertina Sisulu was a major figure in the anti-apartheid movement and a symbol of hope for thousands of South Africans. Sisulu holds a special place in the hearts of South Africans, in part because of the persecution she experienced and in part because of her unflinching dedication to the cause of a liberated nation. Sources Albertina Sisulus Legacy. Southafrica.co.za.â€Å"Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu.†Ã‚  South African History Online, 25 Oct. 2018.Shepherd, Melinda C. â€Å"Albertina Sisulu.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 17 Oct. 2018.