Saturday, November 30, 2019

Suppose One Accepts MacKinnon And Dworkins Suggested Essays

Suppose one accepts MacKinnon and Dworkin's suggested statutory definition of pornography. How does one who generally accepts MacKinnon and Dworkin's views on the pervasively harmful effect of pornography, and who accepts a need for legal redress of the harms perpetrated by pornography, deal with pornographic material? The ordinance proposed by MacKinnon and Dworkin would deal with such material by enacting legislation which gives people adversely affected by the works, which clearly fit their definition of pornography, a cause of action against the producers, vendors, exhibitors or distributors for "trafficking", or for an assault "directly caused by the specific work. I do not think liberals, or others for that matter, should have much problem with the clause dealing with assault, since a causal connection to specific works is demanded by it. However, s. 3.2(iii) which deals with trafficking would be very problematic for liberals and legal conservatives because it creates a cause of action for a person contrary to the traditional conception of a rights holder's cause of action. This subsection reads: Any woman has a claim hereunder as a woman acting against the subordination of women. Any man, child or transsexual who alleges injury by pornography in the way women are injured by it also has a claim. [emphasis added] My goal in this paper is to suggest that a slight modification to this subsection of the ordinance would make it very difficult for liberals and legal conservatives to object to it. This modification would restrict the cause of action to the same persons as the other sections of the ordinance, namely, the particular victim of the specified injury. I shall argue that such a modification would largely cohere with the conception of harm already at work in Ontario law, would afford only a minor reduction in the potential efficacy of such legislation in curbing the harm of pornography, and would offer to empower the feminist camp which is behind such an ordinance with a mechanism for social and political change if a sufficiently organized feminist "vanguard" took hold of the opportunity to empower women. Adrian Howe argues that the concept of social injury which may be suggested by the ordinance recognizes the differential harm felt by women from pornography. Howe suggests this social notion of harm may be a necessary feature of any successful law reform which is to address the huge social problem of male domination and female oppression. The liberal notion of an individuated human right fails to capture, for MacKinnon and Howe, "the specificity of the harm to women." Thus, an ordinance which did not create a cause of action "for women as women" would fail to address the root of the social problem of which pornography is a manifestation. This conception of social harm, and thus subsection 3.2(iii), may offend liberals or legal conservatives in two ways. First, the notion of non-individuated harm is antithetical to the liberal conception of a rights holder claiming a cause of action. Fundamental to a liberal conception of harm is the notion of the individual who is autonomous, separate and fundamentally worthy of respect. Rawls and Kant exemplify this view in their analyses when they posit the undifferentiated self, free of any particular qualities save that of being an agent worthy of a fundamental, inviolable respect. This notion of the individual worthy of equal concern and respect in the eyes of the state permeates liberal conceptions of rights. It is also a fundamental, if not exclusive, tenet of the common law of torts: In tort litigation, the courts must decide whether to shift the loss suffered by one person, the plaintiff, to the shoulders of another person [emphasis added]. Clearly, on its face this conception of harm precludes the notion of a harm suffered collectively which cannot be delineated individually. While class actions are possible, and claims may be made on behalf of groups such as company shareholders, this is only by virtue of the fact that a legally recognized individual has suffered an identifiable particular harm. Thus, the conventional liberal notion of harm is radically distinct from that outlined by Howe and MacKinnon. Since on the liberal conception rights holders are autonomous, individual selves who are essentially distinct, harm to one is distinct from harm to another. It may be that a liberal conception of a rights holder simply renders the concept of a social harm, and thus a cause of action "for women as women" incoherent. I do not wish to discuss whether it is possible to develop a complete liberal notion of social harm. It is sufficient to note that

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

MBA 711 CVP Project Essay

MBA 711 CVP Project Essay MBA 711 CVP Project Essay 1. What are some examples of overhead costs that are incurred by Toll Brothers? Overhead costs can be anything that is that is not associated with direct materials or direct labor (Noreen-Brewer 2nd Ed, pg.176). As stated Toll Brothers, headquartered in Horsham, PA,. is in the business of designing, building, marketing, and arranging financing for single family detached and attached home in luxury residential communities (10K,pg.1). Some of these overhead costs would include operations of (10k, pg.2): Land development Architectural Engineering Mortgage Title Landscaping Security monitoring Lumbar distribution House component assembly Manufacturing They also develop, own and operate golf courses and country clubs associated with the master planned communities they work on and even invest in joint ventures to develop land for the sole use of the venture participants. All of the above will amount to overhead costs that must be covered under the company overhead. â€Å"We own a manufacturing facility of approximately 300,000 square feet located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a manufacturing facility of approximately 186,000 square feet located in Emporia, Virginia and a manufacturing facility of approximately 134,000 square feet in Knox, Indiana.†(10K,pg.17) Many of these costs are fixed and involved employment of supervisors and managers that work on salary which also add to the overhead costs. â€Å"We lease, from an unrelated third party, a facility of approximately 144,000 square feet located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. At these facilities, we manufacture open wall panels, roof and floor trusses, and certain interior and exterior millwork to supply a portion of our construction needs. These facilities supply components used in our North, Mid-Atlantic and South geographic segments. These operations also permit us to purchase wholesale lumber, plywood, windows, doors, certain other interior and exterior millwork and other building materials to supply to our communities. We believe that increased efficiencies, cost savings and productivity result from the operation of these plants and from the wholesale purchase of materials.†(10k,pg.17) The equipment used for the manufacturing, property taxes, factory insurance, depreciatio n of property value and utilities required to run the company will also contribute. Moreover, direct land acquisition, development, construction costs, costs with interest, real estate taxes and direct overhead related to development and construction are contributing factors to overhead. REFERENCES (1). Wikipedia, (n.d). Toll Brothers, Inc, retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll_Brothers (2) Noreen,Eric,et. al (2010). MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING FOR MANAGERS 2nd EDITION. McGraw-Hill. Week 3: Discussion Team 1 ______________________________________________ Managerial Accounting (MKTG711) September 13, 2013 Question #1: Would Toll Brothers be more likely to use process costing or job-order costing? Why? Process costing is utilized when a company produces many units of the same product, making one unit undistinguishable from the next. Because of this identical nature, the same average cost per unit can be assigned. Contrary to this technique, a job-order costing system is used when companies produce many different products or when they are â€Å"made to order†. Because each unit is unique, job costs must be assigned and traced to each specific job in order to determine the total cost of each unit. Based on this information, Toll Brothers would be more likely to use job-order costing. As stated in Toll Brother’s Form 10-K for 2010, â€Å"Each of our single-family detached-home communities offers several home plans, with the opportunity for home buyers to select various exterior styles. We design each community to fit existing land characteristics. We strive to achieve diversity among architectural styles within a community by offering

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Give and Receive Gifts in English

How to Give and Receive Gifts in English Every culture has its own customs for gift-giving, and there are special words and phrases for such occasions in every language, including English. Whether youre new to the language or are fairly proficient, you can learn what to say when youre giving or receiving a gift in just about any situation. Formal and Informal Situations In much of the English-speaking world, it is customary to strike the right tone when giving and receiving gifts. In informal situations, such as when youre with friends or family, gift-givers and their lucky recipients can both be casual or clever. Some people like to make a big fuss when they give presents; others are very modest. The important thing is to be sincere.  Speech tends to be more conservative in formal situations such as a wedding or a workplace or when giving or receiving a gift from someone you dont know well. Phrases for Giving Gifts Here are some common informal phrases you can use when youre giving a gift to a close friend, family member, or loved one: I got you something. I hope you like it.Look what I have for you!I thought you might like this for ...Happy Birthday! [Happy Anniversary!] Heres a little gift/present for you.[Handing present to someone] Enjoy!Its only something small, but I hope you like it.Heres a little present for you.Guess what I bought you! These are a few common phrases for gift-giving in formal settings, such as a wedding or business dinner: [Name] Id like to give you this present/gift.[Name], This is a present that I/we/staff/got you.  Id like to present you with this ... [very formal, used when giving an award or special present]In the name of [xyz], Id like to give you this present.  [also very formal]Here is a token of our appreciation. Phrases for Receiving Presents A sincere thank you spoken with a smile is the only English phrase you really need when someone gives you a gift. But if you want to expand your vocabulary, youll want to know some other phrases to use in different situations: Thank you so much!Thats so kind!You shouldnt have!Thank you! Its beautiful.I love it! Ill put it on / hang it up [etc.] immediately.That is so thoughtful of you. It matches my ... perfectly!How did you know Ive always wanted a ... to go with my...?Thank you. I really needed a ...Fantastic! Ive been thinking about getting a ...This is exactly what I needed. Now, I can ...How kind of you! Ive always wanted to see ... in concert / at the movies / at an exhibition.Wow! This is a dream come true! Tickets for ...Thank you so much! Ive hoped/wanted to travel to ... for a long time. Practice Dialogues Now that you know more about what to say when you give or receive a present, youll want to practice the statements to keep your skills sharp. The following two dialogues are a good place to start. The first one is an informal setting between two people who know each other. The second dialogue is what youd hear in a formal setting like an office.   Informal Friend 1: Tammy, I need to talk to you for a moment. Friend 2: Anna, hi! Its good to see you. Friend 1: I got you something. I hope you like it. Friend 2: Im sure I will. Let me open it! Friend 1: Its only something small. Friend 2: Come on. Thank you so much! Friend 1: ... Well, what do you think? Friend 2: I love it! It matches my sweater! Friend 1: I know. Thats why I bought it. Friend 2: How did you know Ive always wanted a broach to go with this sweater? Friend 1: Im glad you like it. Friend 2: Like it? I love it! Formal Colleague 1: Your attention, your attention! Tom, could you come over here? Colleague 2: Whats this? Colleague 1: Tom, in the name of everybody here, Id like to give you this token of our appreciation. Colleague 2: Thank you, Bob. This is an honor. Colleague 1: We thought you might be able to use this at home. Colleague 2: Lets see ... let me open it. Colleague 1: The suspense is killing us. Colleague 2: Youve wrapped it up tight! ... Oh, its beautiful. Colleague 1: What do you think? Colleague 2: Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed. Now I can get to work building that birdhouse. Colleague 1: We had a little help from your wife. She told us about your love of woodworking. Colleague 2: What a thoughtful gift. Ill put it to good use immediately. Colleague 1: Thank you, Tom, for all youve done for this company. Colleague 2: My pleasure, indeed. To Learn More Its also important to learn how to pay someone a compliment in English.  Both of these tasks require you to say thank you. This is known as a language function. Learning these important functional phrases can help you become more fluent in a wide variety of social situations.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Performance Appraisal Systems in Human Resource Management Research Paper - 1

Performance Appraisal Systems in Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example The beauty and challenge of managing organisations are achieving unity in diversity towards a collective goal. In this context, control becomes inevitable in the organisation because without it, the organisation will forfeit itself, as the organisation is a pre-determined social order collectively working towards one goal achieved through controlled performance (Buchanan & Huczynski 1997, quoted ‘What is an organisation?’ n.d: 1). With employees at the centre of the organisation, productivity can only be achieved if and only if employees perform efficiently and effectively. In this context, human resources mean â€Å"the traits that people bring to the workplace [organisation] – intelligence, aptitude, commitment, tacit knowledge and skills, and ability to learn† (Javed 2009: 3). And one of the many old ways management achieves this is through performance appraisal. Performance appraisal can be historically traced back to Fredrick Winslow Taylor’s pioneering studies of Time and Motion, but as a system management tool for evaluating employees’ performance, it really dates back to World War II (Steel Authority of India Ltd. 2008: 3), yet, it has become an integral part of the life of organisation, that has continually evolved until today trying to respond to the rapidly changing times and needs. Having a strong impact on employees’ working lives, performance appraisal has become not only an issue dividing management and employees into two contending sides but also a favourite topic of debate among theorists and practitioners.  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Legal Writing And Taking Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Writing And Taking Question - Essay Example There are a few issued involved. First: There was no paper contract. All agreements were verbal. Second: Does Don's offer to have Peter's father move in constitute an offer? Did Peter's last statement constitute a counter-offer? An enforceable contract has the following elements: Competent parties, legal subject matter, offer, acceptance and consideration (O'Brien et al, 2005). Both parties here were legally competent. The underlying subject matter, purchasing nursing home assistance, is wholly legal. It is the last three that might be problematic. An offer is simply a proposal to make a deal. There are the offerer and the offeree: Don and Peter, respectively. Any counter-offer made by the other party rescinds this. Acceptance is a communication of desire to accept the offer. Consideration is, effectively, payment, either of money or of services rendered. Finally, verbal contracts have the force of law. However, if a contract is verbal, it has the risk of being difficult to enforce d ue to disagreement as to underlying fact, and some verbal contracts fall under fraud laws, specifically, if they involve more than a certain amount of money and cannot be performed within a given time. Verbal contracts tend to be enforceable when concrete steps were taken to comply with them.  Following the conversation closely, the last statement Don makes is an offer. Effectively, Don offered Peter two weeks to move his father in, after Peter spoke with his sister.  

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Embryonic Stem Cell Essay Example for Free

Embryonic Stem Cell Essay The destruction of human embryos is required for obtaining stem cells. Alleviating human suffering costs human life and this gives rise to the ethical issue of taking human life. Some people have opined that destroying human life is immoral and should not be pardoned. Nevertheless, the fact remains that embryonic stem cells provide advanced medical treatment for terminal diseases (Oz). The ethicists propose alternative options such as the use of adult stem cells instead of embryonic stem cells. From this one can conclude that the major cause for debate on the issue of using stem cells derives from divergent opinions on the definition of life and not from a rejection of the principle which claims that the end does not justify the means or lack of faith in the latent possibilities of this technology (Oz). Scientists are trying to develop a system, wherein stem cells can be produced without destroying the embryo and which enables the embryo to develop normally. This method would provide an alternative to using human embryos for making stem cells. However, research projects in this area have been kept in abeyance since August 2001, due to the lack of federal funding by the government of the US. Moreover, the White House has adopted the stance that it requires further information to support such research and President Bush stated that he was desirous of perusing some more reports about such research (Stem-cell breakthrough: much heat, little light). The Catholic Church was vehemently opposed to such research as it stated that none of the embryos used for such research had survived. These church authorities made veiled hints that details about the nature of such research were not being fully divulged. The White House stated categorically that any use of human embryo for research purposes would be viewed seriously (Stem-cell breakthrough: much heat, little light). The most vehement critic of such research was Richard Doerflinger of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, who accused the researchers in this field of committing acts of falsehood, because of the fact that none of the embryos used in the study had survived. In this research a total of sixteen embryos had been used and all of them, without exception, had been destroyed during the course of these experiments. Moreover, he accused the researchers of having utilized a number of cells from each embryo instead of using just a couple of cells for that purpose, because while implanting embryos in genetic diagnosis, one or two stem cells are normally used (Stem-cell breakthrough: much heat, little light). In the United States there are nearly three hundred and sixty fertility clinics, which conduct in vitro fertilization procedures for infertile couples. The clinics extract twenty four ova from each female client. Subsequently, these ova are fertilized with the sperm of male donors’, usually the husband. Afterwards, either two or four embryos, obtained by this fertilization process are selected and implanted in the womb of the female client, with the expectation that at least one of these will develop and survive a pregnancy to term. The remaining embryos are then discarded by some of the clinics. However, some clinics use the excess embryos for imparting medical training. Most of these clinics deep freeze the excess embryos in liquid nitrogen and some clinics use the excess embryos as an alternative if no pregnancy is realized. Such clinics administer a repeated impregnation to woman clients, who failed to become pregnant by previous implantations of embryos. In addition, some couples donate their own embryos to other infertile couples; however, donating embryos is a rare event because clients generally do not prefer to see their child in some other family. Eventually, most of the excess embryos remain as spare, frozen embryos, which are never used. President George W. Bush for the second time refused to accord his consent for a piece of legislation that would permit federally funded research on embryonic stem cells. The proposed legislation would have repealed the present restrictions on research in the field of embryonic stem cells. The advocates of such research made a number of concerted attempts to override the veto of the President but all their efforts were in vain. They were unable to realize the two – thirds votes, which are essential for overriding the presidential veto (Minkel and Stein). The proposed legislation would have permitted research on cells extracted from excessive and unneeded embryos at fertility clinics. In a survey conducted by Science, it was revealed that more than sixty percent of patients who had excess embryos in the fertility clinics had come forward to donate their embryos for research on stem cells and only twenty percent of patients had stated that they would donate their excess embryos to other infertile couples (Minkel and Stein). During the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics, US researchers reported that stem cells taken from amniotic fluid had proved to be extremely effective in repairing defective tracheas of lamb fetuses. In that research study, scientists isolated mesenchymal stem cells in the samples of amniotic fluid taken from pregnant sheep. Subsequently, these cells were grown in a culture and afterwards they were transferred to biodegradable tubes in order to form cartilage. After the transplantation of these tissues into the fetuses of sheep, it was found that the tissue had effectively mended defective tracheas in seven lamb fetuses. Moreover, the new born lambs did not display any respiratory problems (Stem success). Human embryonic stem cells act as master cells that develop any cell in the human body. The pace of the stem cell research was significantly accelerated in the year 1998. Researchers in the University of Wisconsin succeeded in isolating cells from the inner cell clusters of the early human embryo. These early human embryos are termed as blastocysts. These scientists developed the first embryonic stem cell lines (Stalcup). Stem cells represent a major breakthrough in medical therapy because they can be used either in the treatment of terminal diseases or for the purpose of assuaging diseases. Stem cells generate replacement tissues for defective or non functioning cells or organs in the human body. Researchers are extremely sanguine in using this therapy in spinal cord injuries due to accidents, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes (Stalcup). Scientists in this field of research hope to utilize specialized cells to replace defective cells in the brain, spinal cord, pancreas and other vital organs of the body. Stem cells exist in one week old embryos or blastocysts. They are created through the process of in – vitro fertilization or IVF and are present in five to nine week old embryos, embryos created through IVF for research purposes, embryos made through cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer or SCNT, and the adult tissues available in umbilical cord blood and bone marrow (Stalcup). Widespread criticism has been aimed at the making of stem cells from human embryos and fetuses. Extracting stem cells from the embryo invariably results in the destruction of the embryo. Embryonic stem cells in the earlier stage of development are called totipotent cells. Totipotent cells have the capability to develop into a complete organism and produce an embryo and tissues to support it in the uterus. Subsequently, these stem cells reach the development stage and at this stage they are called pluripotent embryonic stem cells (Stalcup). Pluripotent embryonic stem cells can exist and develop into any type of cell in the body. However, unlike totipotent cells, pluripotent cells cannot produce supporting tissues. Thus the stem cells found in the early stage embryos potentially possess the ability to transform into any type of body cells, whereas adult stem cells do not have such capability (Stalcup). The extant thinking amongst the world wide scientific community is that human embryos are principally human beings. Such thinking has been engendered by the fact that human embryos are biologically human beings; moreover, life begins at fertilization and embryos grow and develop into complete human beings. In the 1970s and 1980s, embryologists termed the human embryo in its first week as a pre embryo. They claimed that this pre embryo was not a human being. They also believed that due to development they gradually gained the status of human beings. However, the scientific community desisted from using the term pre embryo due to the fact that such a description was incorrect. Furthermore, the Human Embryo Research Panel and the National Bioethics Advisory Commission also rejected use of the term and declared that the human embryo from its very inception was a living organism and developing form of human life. According to the 1995 Ramsey Colloquium statement, an embryo is a human being in its developmental stage and it cannot be referred to as any object or animal (Stalcup). The general consensus is that the forced sacrifice of some human beings for the benefit of other human beings is not correct from an ethical point of view. Hence research on human embryonic stem cells that are obtained by destroying human embryos is to be prohibited on grounds of general morality (Stalcup).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Occupational Stress Essay -- essays research papers fc

Occupational Stress Opening Statement: This paper will examine some causes and some of the effects of stress on individuals in the work environment. Role overload will be discussed as a major agent of stress at both work and home. Role Underload, Role Conflict, Role Ambiguity will be discussed briefly for comparison. Examples of stress in the work place will be used to illustrate the broad ramifications of stress in the occupational setting. Examples of Electromyography (EMG) will be given as a means of biologically diagnosing occupational and personnal stress cases as opposed to occupational soft muscle tissue diseases. Finally, interventions such as stress management programs will also be explored, as well as the benefits such programs can deliver to an organization. What is Stress?: "Stress - The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire to choke the hell out of someone who so desperately deserves it" (Author unknown). There are many biologic al, engineering and physiological definitions of stress but, the definition above is the most simplified and applicable in today's fast moving business world. More classical "engineering" definition cited by R. Kahn (1992) use during the 18th and 19th centuries described stress as "A force or pressure exerted upon a material object, or person". Stress as defined by Quick, Horn and Quick (1987) "is a naturally occurring experience essential to our growth, change development both at work and at home. Depending on the way stress is handled it may have a detrimental effect on our health and well-being or it may have a beneficial effect". In order to have stress there must be a stressor, or a physical or physiological stimulus to encourage the onset of stress response. A physical stressor in a manufacturing setting may be noise, heat, dust, mist, fumes, poor lighting etc (Evans, Cohen 1987). Psychological stressors could be items such as conflicting views wi th your manager or, seemingly unattainable deadlines. Problems at home may compound these issues when they are presented in an occupational situation. Stress may be caused by many different situations in the various environments that we are a part of each day. Some social stress factors may be measured by Life Crisis Units (LCU) (Holmes and Rahe, 1967). This scale is used to aid in evaluation of, but n... ...ournal of Organizational Behavior Jan vol 12, 39-53 Golembiewski, Robert & Munzenrider Robert (1991) Burnout and Mental Health: A Pilot Study Organizational Development Journal, Sum Vol 9, 51-57 Heirch, Max (1989) Making Stress Management Relevant to worksite wellness Advances Spr Vol 6, 36-40 Hendrix William H; Steel Robert P & Schultz Sherryl A (1987) Job Stress and Life Stress Journal of Social Behavior & Personality Aug Vol 2, 291-302 Klintzman Susan; House James s; Israel Barbara A & Mero Richard P (1990) Work Stress, Non-work Stress & Health Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Jun Vol 13, 221-243 Murphy L R; Dubois David & Hurrel, Joseph (1986) Accident Reduction Through Stress Management Journal of Business and Psychology Fall Volume 1, 5-18 Newsweek Publication Business Section (1988) Newsweek April 25, 42-45 Penton Publication Workers' Comp Update (1992) Occupational Hazards, Oct, 173-178 Quick, Jonathan D; Hoin Rebecca S & Quick, James (1986) Hea lth Consequences of Stress Journal of Organizational Behavior Management Fal-Win Vol 8, 19-36 Electronic Media National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. Available http://www.ncci.com/html/ncfoj2.htm