Spent performing tasks Essay Example for Free

Spent performing tasks Essay Steven Johnson believes that the answer to this essay’s title is a resounding yes. Although a print writer and presumably an avid reader, Johnson argues that while the virtues of reading are immense, other forms of culture such as gaming have its own intellectual or cognitive virtues that could actually be comparable to the rewards of reading. He starts his argument by stating that video games are perceived rather negatively and viewed as a complete waste of time by the society in general, more specifically by educators, cultural authorities and parents. An explanation of this would be, the flaws and imperfections of this nonliterary culture are greatly highlighted because the criteria used in judging it are the same criteria applied in assessing novels and other forms of literature. The merits of gaming apparently lie elsewhere. Johnson argues that video gaming has become increasingly challenging – by the same standards used to measure reading’s cognitive benefits – over the past thirty years. Furthermore, video games sharpen a different but equally important set of mental abilities than the ones honed by reading. There also seems to be an experiential gap between gamers and those who have no experience whatsoever about gaming. The latter believes that games are just another culture that offers instant gratification. However, those who have at some point in their lives immersed themselves in video (or online) games know that an enormous amount of time is spent performing tasks that are absolutely not fun in order to receive a certain reward. Gratification is actually so delayed you wonder if it is going to appear at all. Interestingly, the same group of people who endure tedious tasks in virtual games are disinclined to perform chores in the real world. Even more remarkable is the fact that kids seem to soak in more information when delivered to them in game form. Gaming therefore provides a powerful learning experience where kids learn without actually being aware of it. Gaming and its Benefits 3 The neurotransmitter dopamine, having a large role in the reward circuitry of the brain, is pointed to as one of the reasons for such a phenomena. When expected rewards are not met, such as when a pack-a-day smoker misses his morning cigarette, the disappointment is triggered by low levels of dopamine. Consequently, lowered levels of dopamine set off a craving for that missed experience. The same principle can be applied to gaming. The brain craves for rewards that the virtual universe is teeming with. Unlike in the real world where rewards are abundant yet not well-defined, the rewards in games are more articulated such as more life, increased level, new equipment and new spells.

Children: The Innocent Victims of Polygamy Essay -- plural marriage, do

Many people would happily accept an opportunity to have their daily stress reduced by employing help with not only their children but also with daily household responsibilities of cooking and cleaning. Especially in this fragile economic state the average family living in America cannot afford the luxury of hiring a house cleaner, cook or nanny. However, there are polygamists families in America have the abilities of multiple adults contributing to the same household because of the lifestyle choice of having multiple spouses. The extra help comes at a price for woman, by having to share her husband with other woman and raising her children in the difficult and uncommon lifestyle. Polygamy takes a total acceptance and understanding of it by the mothers, in order for polygamy not to have a negative psychological impact on her children. Children are the innocent victims of polygamy; consequently, they grow up witnessing a tense environment filled with their mother’s insecurities and rivalries with the other wives, which sequentially end up harming the child in the end. Furthermore, polygamy can be psychologically damaging to children because of the increased rates of not only welfare fraud, domestic violence, and underage marriages but also child abuse and neglect. â€Å"Polygamy is defined as a marriage in which a spouse of either gender has more than one mate at the same time. Polygamy is considered a valid form of marriage in many countries and communities around the globe† (Al-Krenawi). However, polygamy is illegal in the United States. Those who practice polygamy in America can only be â€Å"legally† married to one spouse; therefore, the subsequent spouses in a polygamist relationship hold a â€Å"singl... ... Palestinian Case." International Journal Of Social Psychiatry 58.1 (2012): 79-95. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Kilbride, Phillipe Leroy, and Ãâ€"zer, Ali, Fatma Ãâ€"zlem Orhan, and Hasan Çetin Ekerbià §er. "Sociodemographic Variables And Depression In Turkish Women From Polygamous Versus Monogamous Families." Health Care For Women International 34.11 (2013): 1024-1034. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Page, Douglas. Plural Marriage for Our Times: A Reinvented Option. 2nd ed. California: Praeger, 2013. Print. Polygamy. Histats. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Polyggamy FAQs. Polygamy.org. TM, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. White, Ryan. â€Å"Two Sides Of Polygamy.† Utah Law Review 2009.2 (2009): 495-502. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Children: The Innocent Victims of Polygamy Essay -- plural marriage, do Many people would happily accept an opportunity to have their daily stress reduced by employing help with not only their children but also with daily household responsibilities of cooking and cleaning. Especially in this fragile economic state the average family living in America cannot afford the luxury of hiring a house cleaner, cook or nanny. However, there are polygamists families in America have the abilities of multiple adults contributing to the same household because of the lifestyle choice of having multiple spouses. The extra help comes at a price for woman, by having to share her husband with other woman and raising her children in the difficult and uncommon lifestyle. Polygamy takes a total acceptance and understanding of it by the mothers, in order for polygamy not to have a negative psychological impact on her children. Children are the innocent victims of polygamy; consequently, they grow up witnessing a tense environment filled with their mother’s insecurities and rivalries with the other wives, which sequentially end up harming the child in the end. Furthermore, polygamy can be psychologically damaging to children because of the increased rates of not only welfare fraud, domestic violence, and underage marriages but also child abuse and neglect. â€Å"Polygamy is defined as a marriage in which a spouse of either gender has more than one mate at the same time. Polygamy is considered a valid form of marriage in many countries and communities around the globe† (Al-Krenawi). However, polygamy is illegal in the United States. Those who practice polygamy in America can only be â€Å"legally† married to one spouse; therefore, the subsequent spouses in a polygamist relationship hold a â€Å"singl... ... Palestinian Case." International Journal Of Social Psychiatry 58.1 (2012): 79-95. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Kilbride, Phillipe Leroy, and Ãâ€"zer, Ali, Fatma Ãâ€"zlem Orhan, and Hasan Çetin Ekerbià §er. "Sociodemographic Variables And Depression In Turkish Women From Polygamous Versus Monogamous Families." Health Care For Women International 34.11 (2013): 1024-1034. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Page, Douglas. Plural Marriage for Our Times: A Reinvented Option. 2nd ed. California: Praeger, 2013. Print. Polygamy. Histats. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Polyggamy FAQs. Polygamy.org. TM, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. White, Ryan. â€Å"Two Sides Of Polygamy.† Utah Law Review 2009.2 (2009): 495-502. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

Procurement Strategies Review

Competition is fierce in today’s world and a business must work smarter versus harder. Many big name chain stores have achieved success but none like that of Wal-Mart. The following is a review of the Wal-Mart customer and his or her expectations of its procurement process. An additional review of how these expectations affect Wal-Mart’s strategies, policies, and procedures at both the domestic and global level is also included. Customers Internal An internal customer is anyone you count on or rely upon to complete a task or a function or to provide you with information so that you can get your job done†¦ and anyone who counts on you to complete a task or function or to provide them with information so that they can get their job done† (Earl, 2004, para. 3). In Wal-Mart’s distribution centers, the individual stores are the internal customer. Each department within a store counts on store management to make certain orders are places and received timely. Store management counts on the employees to keep the individual department in order for the external customers. Wal-Mart’s external customers are almost exclusively the public. Through Wal-Mart’s three operating branches, Wal-Mart stores, Sam’s Club, and Wal-Mart International, the organization focuses on supplying its customers with merchandise ranging from produce to tires at a bargain price. This is the expectation of the customer, to receive the best product at the lowest possible price. Wal-Mart is capable of procuring material at reduced costs and passing these savings to its customers. Wal-Mart’s unique ability to force concessions from suppliers further reduces costs and delivers the demands of their customers, more products for less cost. Procurement expectations Wal-Mart’s procurement expectations from suppliers are some of the strictest among retailers. The Global Procurement division was created to manage Wal-Mart’s global suppliers by creating supplier partnerships, sourcing new products, and managing the supply chain. As Wal-Mart continues to grow, the sustainability of the company and the environmental issues are important to the current and future criteria suppliers must follow. Suppliers are expected to follow Wal-Mart’s move in reducing waste and potential harmful products on the environment. Suppliers are also expected to be knowledgeable of their industry to meet customer quality and price expectations. Influence on strategies and policies Domestic The customers are the biggest influence Wal-Mart faces when developing its strategies, policies, and procedures domestically. Wal-Mart brings these low prices to customers in two main ways. If a supplier cannot meet Wal-Mart’s expectations, Wal-Mart then finds another supplier that will. The second method Wal-Mart uses to keep its prices low is through the low wages of its employees. When Wal-Mart opened its doors in the 1970s, 70% of its workforce was made up of women (Kaufman, 2009). Wal-Mart knew loyalty of its employees was important to the longevity of the organization. To reach that loyalty Wal-Mart replaced benefits such as health care, pensions, and higher wages for fancy titles like associate and broadcasted an open door policy (Kaufman, 2009). Global The retailing giant has declared its desire to give the customer products at the lowest cost possible, with the fastest lead times, and best quality. Wal-Mart has not wavered in its determination to do exactly what it envisioned. The company is using the Global Merchandising Centers (GMC) to promote sourcing of Wal-Mart brands, and aligning of merchandising efficiencies. â€Å"By realigning our resources, leveraging our scale and restructuring our relationship with suppliers, we will enable our businesses around the world to offer even more competitive pricing on merchandise and to provide our customers a clear and compelling assortment of better quality products at lower prices† (Purchasing b2b, 2010, para. 5). Wal-Mart’s process Wal-Mart has a very large procurement operation as the leading retailer in the world. Wal-Mart had a contract with a third party procurement firm in Asia. The firm used suppliers that would mark-up merchandise and resell that merchandise to Wal-Mart. The company has reduced costs, lead times, and eliminated the middleman mark-ups. In 2002, Wal-Mart began to buy directly from the manufacturer to procure a better price. According to Stundza, (2006), â€Å" Wal-Mart has global procurement and supplier alignment teams responsible for identifying new suppliers, sourcing new products, building partnerships with existing suppliers, and managing the global supply chain of Wal-Mart’s direct imports. Figure 1: Wal-Mart’s Procurement Process Conclusion Wal-Mart is the leader in its industry and continues to grow in popularity among the consumer. The reason for its growth in popularity is its promise to deliver quality products at low prices. Wal-Mart can influence its suppliers in a way that ensures a low price on the products it sells. Wal-Mart expects its suppli ers to follow its lead in giving the customer what he or she expects and will continue to grow in consumer popularity as a result. References Earl, D., (2004). What is internal customer service? Donna Earl Training, Retrieved from http://www.donnaearltraining.com/Articles/internalCustomerService Kaufman, L. (2009, August 11). Wal-Mart's Backward Business Revolution. Forbes.com. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/10/wal-mart-business-strategy-labor-opinions-book-review-wal-mart.html Purchasing B2B (2010). Walmart revamps global sourcing strategy. Retrieved March 13, 2010, from http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/purchasingb2b/news/industrynews/article.jsp?content=20100201_085202_9480 Stundza, T., (2006, Nov). Wal-Mart goes green BIG TIME. Purchasing. Retrieved on March 13, 2010 from http://www.purchasing.com/article/218384-Wal_Mart_goes_green_BIG_TIME.php

Julius Caesar Conqueror, General, Builder, Dictator for Life

Julius Caesar, an important figure in Roman history, lived during the end of the Roman Republic. His actions would shape the world around him forever. He was an important figure because he grew the Roman Empire, he brought about the end of the Roman Republic , and was able to grow his status within his lifetime and become dictator for life. Julius Caesar was born on July 12 , 100 BC and died on March 15, 44 BC. Caesar was born into a patrician family. This meant that they were noble and were wealthier than the plebeians, who were the common people. (Julius Caesar -- Britannica School) â€Å"H is family traced their lineage back to the goddess Venus.† (Julius Caesar -- Britannica School) His uncles and cousins were all consuls and†¦show more content†¦(Julius Caesar: roman-empire.net) The people that stabbed him were the senators, including Caesar’s friend Brutus. (Julius Caesar -- Britannica School) This action stole away one of the most influential Romans that ever lived. The fact that Caesar grew the Roman Empire in size is significant because the Roman Empire became this huge empire circling the Mediterranean Sea. Caesar conquered areas because he wanted to rule the whole world. (Julius Caesar Biography -- ancient-rome.biz) By conquering so much land he set an example for the emperors who would follow in his footsteps and would continue to conquer as he did. The fact that he brought about the end of the Roman Republic is important because this changed the government of Rome forever. Instead of having the senate make all of the important governmental decisions, he was one leader who had immense power. The senate simply acted as an advisor. â€Å"With this began an era, the rule of Rome being held by men who successively held the name Caesar, by birth or adoption.† (Gaius Julius Caesar -- roman-empire.net) His impact did not end when he died. He impacted the rest of the Roman Empire and the rest of the world around him. Juli us Caesar brought about the end of the Roman Republic by his actions in his later career. When he crossed the Rubicon, he brought about a civil war, and at the end of that civil war, he, as a single ruler, had conquered Rome. He could have brought back the â€Å"old, corrupt system of the lateShow MoreRelatedTransition Period : The Roman Republic1198 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Roman Republic but only centuries later in Imperial Rome did the power fall to only one man. The transition from the Roman Republic to Imperial Rome is known to have many different causes but the sum of them led to war, war then led to conquerors and conquerors seized all of Rome’s power. The Roman Republic highlights Rome’s initial plan for prosperity but corruption quickly leads to chaos. Amidst the chaos leaders become evident and with followers they grow to be supreme rulers. Republican RomeRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire2740 Words   |  11 Pagesemperor’s reign. The society and life of Romans were also affected by the empire’s rule. What led to the empire’s rise can also be seen in what led to the fall of the greatest empire in history. The rise of the Roman Empire began with the refusal of the senate to deal with reforms of the Grachi (Drinkwater, 20). Julius Caesar who was a general at this time over threw this government. Julius Caesar was never an emperor of Rome. In 46 BC, he made himself a dictator (Drinkwater, 20). He ruled high