The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty / Novels / Review Essay Example

The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty / Novels / Review Paper Essay on The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty / Novels / Peter Handke one of the most significant writers of contemporary German literature  «The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty could give the impression detective that begins with Joseph Bloch a crime: the cashiers murder, but further narration devoid of any mystery, mysticism, as usual should be at. detecting criminal in detective stories, we can say that even the contrary, in the future about this crime does not say anything, just the constant fear Bloch shows the situation of tension. This work is quite unusual in terms of plot, on the one hand, the center of all events there is one protagonist Joseph Bloch, but on the other hand, it acts as an observer only occurring around events, not taking them a special participation. Step back a hero from the outside world, the author thus also presents us with Bloch as a part of something more holistic, separating the part that can not feel its involvement to a whole We will write a custom essay sample on The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty / Novels / Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty / Novels / Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Goalkeepers Fear of the Penalty / Novels / Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Goalkeeper -. A person who does not accept special participation in the game, but at the same time it carries a huge burden of responsibility throughout the match and is an indispensable and fundamental actor in a penalty, not for nothing that the work begins with the words: goalkeeper watched the ball crossed the line So saying, the author begins races kaz about psychologically difficult period in the life of the hero.  «Goalkeeper in a bright yellow pullover stood perfectly still, and the player who beat a penalty, sent the ball into his hands. This phrase is closed framework composition, thereby occurring in the story events are defined as one instant, an instant higher voltage, a moment before a penalty when the spotlight is directed only to shot, showing a mark the decisive moments of the game between the hero and fate, the outcome of which will determine the fatality reality or vice versa. fear of the worm, which destroys the whole man, as you know, fear of the unknown most painful, so caught the ball gives hope, as a hero, that and to the readers that is still possible to take up on himself, on his fear, over all the situation. It should be read by anyone is a fan of Camus, in particular his work Stranger.

Intersection of gender and race in the labor market essay

Intersection of gender and race in the labor market essay Intersection of gender and race in the labor market essay Intersection of gender and race in the labor market essayThe issue of income inequality has a significant impact on the functioning and well-being of the American society (Ryscavage, 1999). The presence of income inequality undermines the development of democracy (Noah, 2013), leads to the decrease of the overall level of health in the society (Mink OConnor, 2004) and leads to higher mortality rates (Gilbert, 2008). For example, Kawachi, Kennedy, Lochner Prothrow-Stith (1997) show that income inequality reduces social capital and social cohesion, contributes to the decline of social trust and is positively correlated with high mortality rates.Nowadays income inequality in the United States is increasing (Rezvani Pirouz, 2013). According to West Coast Poverty Center (2014), the results of ranking the U.S. population according to income and dividing it into five equally sized groups show that the richest group earned about 44% of total income in 1980s and 50% in 2010. These data cle arly illustrate that income inequality is growing.Key factors contributing to such tendency are globalization, demographic changes, changes in income composition and the weakening role of labor unions (Rezvani Pirouz, 2013). Furthermore, Kitov and Kitov (2013) determined that income inequality for the youngest age group (15-24) was increasing over time. Hence, studying income inequality and its impact on different social groups is a viable research topic. It is important to identify social groups which are most affected by income inequality and to assist these groups by the relevant legislation and social policies.Empirical evidenceThere is a notable increase of income inequality in the United States which is witnessed at least since 1970s (Walker, Spohn DeLone, 2011). Income inequality is most frequently measured by Gini coefficient which changed from 0.394 in 1970 to 0.403, 0.428 and 0.462 in 1980, 1990 and 2000 (Reardon Bischoff, 2011).Cotter, Hermsen Vanneman (1999) explore the probability for representatives of different social groups (combinations of race/ethnicity and gender) to earn an income higher than the income of the corresponding percentile of white men. The authors find that this probability is lower for all other social groups (women, African American men, Hispanic men, Asian men). In particular, the groups for which earning an income comparable with white men is most difficult are Hispanic women, African American women, Hispanic men and Asian women. Asian men and white women belong to the relatively successful groups, while African American men might have to work harder to earn a comparable income, but they still have a decent chance (Cotter, Hermsen Vanneman, 1999).Theoretical ArgumentAccording to the research of Banerjee Yakovenko (2010), the major cause of income inequality is the increase of income of the top earning households. Furthermore, Banerjee Yakovenko (2010) find analogies between the dynamics of income inequality and energ y consumption and argue that globalization contributes to the development of income inequality and inequality of energy consumption.Reardon Bischoff (2011) explore the patterns of income segregation for different social groups; the authors find that there is a significant relationship between income segregation (unequal geographic distribution of income) and income inequality, and such relationship is stronger for black households compared to white households.Svizzero and Tisdell (2003) explore the causes of within-group income inequality and find that the less evident causes of such inequality emerge due to the differences in innate abilities, to the changes of demand for particular skills and to the decentralization of wage system. According to the findings of Schneider (2013), within-group income inequality notably increased among white men, while for black and Hispanic workers the changes of within-group inequality were minor. Such findings allow to conclude that the major caus e of the inequality for minorities is primarily caused by group differences (gender and race/ethnicity) rather than by macro factors such as globalization.Statement of Hypotheses In this research, there are three major hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: Among U.S. working adults, differences in income level exist between genders. Hypothesis 2: Among U.S. working adults, differences in income level exist between different races/ethnicities. Hypothesis 3: Among U.S. adults, differences in income level exist between the different social locations created by race/ethnicity and gender.Basing on the preliminary analysis of sources devoted to studying income inequality, it is possible to assume that there exists gender-based income inequality and income inequality related to race/ethnicity. Therefore, the initial assumption is that both Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 2 are correct. Furthermore, it is assumed that there are specific social locations for which income level difference is statistically si gnificant, i.e. that Hypothesis 3 also holds. The analysis of gender and race/ethnicity inequality will help to identify social groups that are most vulnerable to income inequality.

Field Marshal John French in World War I

Field Marshal John French in World War I John French - Early Life Career: Born September 28, 1852 at Ripple Vale, Kent, John French was son of Commander John Tracy William French and his wife Margaret. The son of a naval officer, French intended to follow in his fathers footsteps and sought training at Portsmouth after attending Harrow School. Appointed a midshipman in 1866, French soon found himself assigned to HMS Warrior. While aboard, he developed a debilitating fear of heights which forced him to abandon his naval career in 1869. After serving in the Suffolk Artillery Militia, French transferred to the British Army in February 1874. Initially serving with the 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars, he moved through a variety of cavalry regiments and achieved the rank of major in 1883. John French - In Africa: In 1884, French took part in the Sudan Expedition which moved up the Nile River with the goal of relieving Major General Charles Gordons forces which were besieged at Khartoum. En route, he saw action at Abu Klea on January 17, 1885. Though the campaign proved a failure, French was promoted to lieutenant colonel the following month. Returning to Britain, he received command of the 19th Hussars in 1888 before moving into various high-level staff posts. During the late 1890s, French led the 2nd Cavalry Brigade at Canterbury before assuming command of the 1st Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot. John French - Second Boer War: Returning to Africa in late 1899, French took command of the Cavalry Division in South Africa. He was thus in place when the Second Boer War commenced that October. After defeating General Johannes Kock at Elandslaagte on October 21, French took part in the larger relief of Kimberley. In February 1900, his horsemen played a key role in the triumph at Paardeberg. Promoted to the permanent rank of major general on October 2, French was also knighted. A trust subordinate of Lord Kitchener, the Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, he later served as Commander of Johannesburg and Cape Colony. With the end of the conflict in 1902, French was elevated to lieutenant general and appointed to the Order of St. Michael and St. George in recognition of his contributions. John French - Trusted General: Returning to Aldershot, French assumed command of 1st Army Corps in September 1902. Three years later he became the overall commander at Aldershot. Promoted to general in February 1907, he became Inspector-General of the Army that December. One of the British Armys stars, French received the honorary appointment of Aide-de-Camp General to the King on June 19, 1911. This was followed by an appointment as Chief of the Imperial General Staff the following March. Made field marshal in June 1913, he resigned his position on the Imperial General Staff in April 1914 after a disagreement with Prime Minister H. H. Asquiths government regarding the Curragh Mutiny. Though he resumed his post as Inspector-General of the Army on August 1, Frenchs tenure proved brief due to the outbreak of World War I. John French - To the Continent: With the British entry into the conflict, French was appointed to command the newly-formed British Expeditionary Force. Consisting of two corps and a cavalry division, the BEF began preparations to deploy to the Continent. As planning moved forward, French clashed with Kitchener, then serving as Secretary of State for War, over where the BEF should be placed. While Kitchener advocated a position near Amiens from which it could mount a counterattack against the Germans, French preferred Belgium where it would be supported by the Belgium Army and their fortresses. Backed by the Cabinet, French won the debate and began moving his men across the Channel. Reaching the front, the British commanders temper and prickly disposition soon led to difficulties in dealing with his French allies, namely General Charles Lanrezac who commanded the French Fifth Army on his right. Establishing a position at Mons, the BEF entered action on August 23 when it was attacked by the German First Army. Though mounting a tenacious defense, the BEF was forced to retreat as Kitchener had anticipated when advocating the Amiens position. As French fell back, he issued a confusing series of orders which were ignored by Lieutenant General Sir Horace Smith-Dorriens II Corps which fought a bloody defensive battle at Le Cateau on August 26. As the retreat continued, French began to lose confidence and became indecisive. Shaken by the high losses sustained, he became increasingly concerned about his mens welfare rather than aiding the French. John French - The Marne to Digging In: As French began contemplating withdrawing to the coast, Kitchener arrived on September 2 for an emergency meeting. Though angered by Kitcheners interference, the discussion convinced him to keep the BEF at the front and to take part in French Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Joffres counteroffensive along the Marne. Attacking during the First Battle of the Marne, Allied forces were able to halt the German advance. In the weeks after the battle, both sides began the Race to the Sea in an effort to outflank the other. Reaching Ypres, French and the BEF fought the bloody First Battle of Ypres in October and November. Holding the town, it became a point of contention for the rest of the war. As the front stabilized, both sides began constructing elaborate trench systems. In an effort to break the deadlock, French opened the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. Though some ground was gained, casualties were high and no breakthrough was attained. Following the setback, French blamed the failure on a lack of artillery shells which initiated the Shell Crisis of 1915. The following month, the Germans began the Second Battle of Ypres which saw them take and inflict substantial losses but fail to capture the town. In May, French returned to the offensive but was bloodily repulsed at Aubers Ridge. Reinforced, the BEF attacked again in September when it began the Battle of Loos. Little was gained in three weeks of fighting and French received criticism for his handling of British reserves during the battle. John French - Later Career: Having clashed repeatedly with Kitchener and having lost the confidence of the Cabinet, French was relieved in December 1915 and replaced by General Sir Douglas Haig. Appointed to command the Home Forces, he was elevated to Viscount French of Ypres in January 1916. In this new position, he oversaw the suppression of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland. Two years later, in May 1918, the Cabinet made French British Viceroy, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Supreme Commander of the British Army in Ireland. Fighting with various nationalist groups, he sought to destroy Sinn Fà ©in. As a result of these actions, he was the target of a failed assassination attempt in December 1919. Resigning his post on April 30, 1921, French moved into retirement. Made Earl of Ypres in June 1922, French also received a retirement grant of  £50,000 in recognition of his services. Contracting cancer of the bladder, he died on May 22, 1925, while at Deal Castle. Following a funeral, French was buried at St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard in Ripple,Kent. Selected Sources First World War: Field Marshal John FrenchTrenches on the Web: Field Marshal John French

See attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

See attachment - Essay Example H. L. , Goodall , S., Schiefelbein, J. 2010) . The article essentially seeks to establish a paradigm of behavior that can be attributed to the culturally homogeneous workers and then their response to the heterogeneous work place environment. While global communication processes in business environments have both a typology of characterization and cultural pluralism as pre-determinants, there is also a system of category constructs in an otherwise complex and dynamic situation mediated communication environments. Despite a lack of research in to information dissemination process and language as heuristics directly related to global business communication environments there is still a greater effort by serious researches to establish parameters of reference for meaningful category construct in dynamic culturally plural communication contexts. The article has invariably touched on how the workplace context determines almost virtual communication scenarios theoretical dimension apart the authors have delineated a host of cultural constructs including language and information as pre-determinants of an otherwise non cohesive and heterogeneous work environments. Despite this authors have persisted in constructing a more cohesive alternative approach to understanding work place dynamics in professional business communication processes. Their culture perspective is directly related to inter cultural communication as a dynamic relationship between and among fellow workers. The contextual influence and rational behavioral heuristics have not been ruled out by the authors either. In fact their argumentative posture on â€Å"culture-in-context† is supported by a number of other influential writers as a paradigm of professional communication in the work place context, though many such writers do not necessarily subscribe to t he idea of endogenous cultural influences riding roughshod over facilitative

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example They bring with them different cultures, values and religions. It is considered to be a good aspect by the sociologists and the educated groups but there is a different picture to it as well. Immigration serves to provide immigrants with an opportunity to move ahead but at the same time it is also disliked by many people and immigrants are often criticized and subjected to racist sentiments and discriminated against. Immigrants come with the hope of getting better opportunities in the more developed nations of the world like people move from Mexico and cross the border to the enter the United States or they may come from Asia or the Middle East to the U.S. The purpose may be to acquire better education, to lead a comfortable life, gain security, or to earn a good living. Most work hard to achieve their goals. Many universities in the United States have immigrants as students. Most work hard because they have to adapt to a new atmosphere and learn new ideas and things. The racism against Asians in particular Muslims is also an example to support the difficulties faced by this group in the United States. They face difficulties in universities where the nationals do not like mingling with them. The new environment is alien to them but still they try their best to adjust. They leave their culture and move to a totally different place. The immigrants also start working and they even take up blue coll ar jobs if they cant get the jobs of their choice. They hence serve as a workforce to fill in the gaps of jobs that nationals of the developed nations wouldnt do. For example, many Mexicans are seen working as laborers and farmers. Thus they bring about profits and revenue for the country where they migrate. It is also beneficial for the immigrants and their families because in this way they can also send back money to their homelands and support their families living over there. Another very important and interesting aspect of immigration

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Essay Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three men considered to be the quintessential basis of ancient Greek philosophy. Not only were they responsible for Greek enlightenment, but also foreshadowed the coming of Christ in there speculations. Plato, the protege of Socrates, became the first to document the philosophy of his teacher, which in turn is passed down to Aristotle. This process of mentoring aided ancient man in the intellectual evolution of politics and religion, known as the linear concept. Socrates, the Athenian native ex-hoplite and his successors more often than not focused on three main schools of thought, religion, politics, and the spiritual essence. Socrates was not a defender of the gods, and by no means an atheist, which he will later, in part, be put to death for. Through Socrates many years of philosophizing religion his most notable accomplishments were; mans existence on two planes and the immortal soul. He believed man existed on two planes, a physical plane, the human form in which people carry out their lives, and the spiritual form, the more concentrated immortal essence that is internal to all. Perhaps more significant is the spiritual form or soul, Socrates described as the seat of the mind and knowledge is closely related to it, and that only after death would the soul be released. Following the soul release, one could then have the opportunity to see truth more clearly then ever before. Socrates was the first to speculate in relation to the soul, and the first to deem it immortal exclusive of any ritual or practice. In terms of democracy Socrates faith slight, he had his doubts, primarily because he did not condone empowering the uneducated. He felt that some were not educated enough and were ignorant to political and social complexities, therefore should not have the equality of a greater mind in the matter. He was later tried and convicted for corrupting the youth and atheism, not before passed all his philosophy to his prized student Plato. Plato carried on Socrates unique approach to philosophy and extended it one step farther. He expanded largely on Socrates works on immortality of the soul, truth, the existence of man on two planes, and why, only after death, one could see truth more clearly in one of his most acclaimed works, the Doctrine of Pure Form and Ideas. The doctrine of pure form and ideas illustrated how man was deceived by his senses and that they masked the real truth. In fact, Plato argued that a man would see a horse for example, in a whole new light after death, because only then could he see the pure form after the mask of his mortal senses was lifted. Furthermore, he believed that a pure form, in other words an essence that can see all for its genuine truth created the world, which many consider the true beginning of monotheism. On the other end of the spectrum are his political contributions, whereby he took Socrates criticism of democracy to a new level. Plato considered democracy to be the worst form of government; moreover he thought people should be guided by a guardian class or group, much like the oligarchy of Sparta, which he idolized. In addition, Plato contemplated the removal of superior children from their specifically mated parents at birth, after which they would be raised by the state and all its citizens as children of the state as a whole. Lastly Plato was one of the first minds to encourage the integration of women in government, perhaps building the foundation for female suffrage. Lastly, Aristotle, a man of great virtue and notorious genius, the last piece of the ancient philosophy jigsaw puzzle, appends the studies of his ostentatious predecessors. Being the understudy of Plato, Aristotle found much ado in mans essence and politics. Aristotle took the thought of pure form and pure beings to its pinnacle by concluding that of all pure forms one is unquestionably the purest, and is therefore all good and is god. On the other hand, Aristotle did not always agree with Plato for example, Aristotle disputed Platos theory of human senses. He in turn felt strongly regarding the importance of the senses and argued they should not be denied; furthermore that change is not an illusion but rather an important phenomenon. Change, Aristotle felt, was the process all organisms experience toward a particular end, an end determined by the unmoved mover or the supreme cause of existence. Aristotle much like Plato also frowned upon democracy, suggesting it to be mob rule. However, he was no advocate of oligarchy or monarchy either; in fact he condemned Sparta for empowering women, and felt that government should be run by wealthy men who have been trained by philosophers. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are among the greatest philosophers of all time; their ideas have been passed through the ages and have been integrated within many modern day societies. As stated, the three men continually added toward the growth of religion, politics and the human soul in a process which is known ads the linear concept, constant changes and evolution toward the birth of many religions and political ideologies.

Discrimination toward the Black People in Ernest J Gaines :: social issues

Discrimination toward the Black People in Ernest J Gaines CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Charles Johnson states that actually there had been no â€Å"Black problem† until the Civil War. It is because before the Blacks had only been chattels. The War happened because the Blacks want their freedom in education, employment, the vote, regularized marriage and even the acquisition of a surname (Butcher: 243). The Congress in 1875 adopted a statue which allowed the equality of facilities and accommodation for every race and color, but the famous Plessy-Ferguson Decision in 1896 gave legal discrimination and segregation by virtue of its â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine. This doctrine arouse the discrimination and segregation toward the Black people (Gordon: 108) The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman which is written by Ernest J Gaines consists the life of Blacks in America who are discriminated by the White Americans. This issue inside Gaines’ novel attracts me to analyze the topic of discrimination toward the Blacks in America. The analysis applies interdisciplinary approach to find the aspect of social, history and morality inside the novel discussed. The method of research of this paper uses the library research. The primary source of this paper is Ernest J Gaines’ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and the second sources are the information which is taken from the library books and the Internet. CHAPTER II THE DISCRIMINATION OF THE BLACK PEOPLE This chapter discusses about the discrimination toward the Black people in America which is reflected by Gaines in his novel. Gaines tells about the discrimination which is experienced by Jane Pittman and her race. Jane Pitman has been lived for one hundred and ten years. Therefore, through his novel, Gaines explains about Pittman’s live from her childhood until her old age which happens during the civil war up to the civil right movement < E:Teen Voices Volume 3 Book Review The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.htm> The civil war that happened in America did not end both the slavery and the discrimination toward the Black Americans. The discrimination toward them is still continued in which it causes the Civil Right Movement. The first prove about the discrimination toward the Blacks is the slave names which are given to the Blacks. It means that the slaves are given the names which are different from the White’s names. They are for example Ticey, Buck and Big Laura The names are given by their masters (Gaines:17). Any slaves who are dares to owe the names like the White’s names will be punished by their masters.

Is It Okay to Cry at Work

What factors do you think make some organizations ineffective at managing emotions? Firstly, I think that the complex human thinking is one of the factors that make the organizations hard to manage the emotions. Every person has his or her own emotions. Although in a same situation, they may not act in the same way. Thus, the organizations face difficulties when they are dealing with their employees. This problem is even becoming worse when the organisation is very large and contains many employees from different background.Furthermore, the authority of an organisation sometimes finds out they themselves cannot control their own emotions as well. Besides, due to the business culture and etiquette which are still remain poorly in some of the organisations, it becomes a problem for the organisations to manage the emotions effectively. Some of the organisations have not practised the suitable business culture. For example, they will yell and shout at the employees when things go wrong j ust like the second case mentioned.This shows that some of the organisations still do not concern to manage the emotions effectively. Moreover, emotions are automatic physiological responses to the environment. It will be very hard for one to control his or her emotions by hiding their true feelings within their heart. It revealed automatically. Even people that are trying to cover their true emotions can be discovered from their facial expression. Thus, this is not the fault that the organisations cannot manage the emotions effectively.This is because it is not an easy work to control the emotions of whole organisations. 2. Do you think the strategic use and display of emotions serve to protect employees, or does covering your true emotions at work lead to more problems than it solves? By covering one’s emotions can sometimes ensure a work to be done perfectly. However, people that are always covering their own emotions will always find themselves in a stressful situation an d they are very hard to communicate with others.Consequently, that kind of people can be easily frustrated and lose their confidence in their jobs. Problems such as unsatisfied towards the jobs, depression, low job performance and so on will then arise. At the end, it creates more problems than what it wants to solve at first. Through the strategic use and display of emotions, the employees can express their emotions in a manner way. They have to know the ways to control their emotions even though they are working in a nasty situation. After that, they can voice up the problems that they are facing to the higher authority.In my opinion, this is even better than hiding the true emotion because the whole organisations can look into the problems deeply and try to come out with a solution. 3. Have you ever worked where emotions were used as part of a management style? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this approach in your experience. Yes, in order to finish the task given, e motions are always being used as part of a management style. For example, as a primary teacher, he or she has to pretend to be angry when the students do not listen to the instructions even though the teacher may not be really losing the temper.Besides, as salesperson, they still have to put on their smiling mask even though the customers will always criticise their products. It is unavoidable to use emotions as part of a management style. The advantages are the goals or objectives of the work can be done smoothly and without any obstacles. Besides, the emotions that used as a management style can sometimes create conflicts which are not necessary bad things. Employees can share their problems and opinions with each others. However, these conflicts have to be solved in a short time before they become more destructive.The disadvantages are by using this method is the employees’ emotion fluctuates from time to time can create variation in job performance. Sometimes, they may no t control their emotion very well and thus affect their job. Moreover, the negatives and positives emotions can distract workers and then reduce their job performance. They are not too focusing on their jobs due to the reasons of facing emotional dilemma. 4. Research shows that acts of co-workers (37%) and management (22%) cause more negative emotions for employees than do acts of customers (7%).What can Laura’s company do to change its emotional climate? Laura’s company can try to arrange training and interaction programmes for their employees. Thus, the employees are able to interact with each others and learn to know the suitable ways to express their emotions. Communications among the co-workers are very important. The company must allow the criticism from the employees and the employees must take the initiatives to voice up their opinions without hiding their true feelings.One of the ways is by allowing the employees to write anonymous letter or notes to each othe r. They can express their positive and negative feelings to the other co-workers. However, the employees must use suitable sentences in the letter so that it does not sound mean. The managers can also improve the employees’ moods by rewarding the employees for work well done. Positive individuals can also be selected to transmit positive moods to another colleagues in an organisations just like what the text has mentioned.

Government Budget chapter 1 Essay

Budgeting is the cornerstone of the management control process in nearly all organizations including government agencies. Practitioners express concerns about using budgets for planning and performance evaluation. The practitioners argue that budgets impede the allocation of organizational resources to their best uses and encourage myopic decision making and other dysfunctional budget games. They attribute these problems, in part, to traditional budgeting’s financial, top-down, command and control orientation as embedded in annual budget planning and performance evaluation processes (as cited in Hansen, Van der Stede & Otley, 2008 pp. 95) A government budget is the financial plan of a government for a given period, usually for a fiscal year. The budget is the government’s key instrument in promoting its socio-economic objectives. The use of government funds is based on Article VI, section 29 of the 1987 constitution that â€Å"No money shall be paid by the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law.† (Domingo, Liz, & Ruado, 2013) Funds are used by the government for public interest in which it has the sovereignty, but in general, budgets can differ from the actual expenditures. These differences should be justified and presented to the Congress and Senate for the approval of the next annual budget. Background of the Study The Philippines’ Department of Energy (Filipino: Kagawaran ng Enerhiya), abbreviated as DOE is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for preparing, integrating, coordinating, supervising and controlling all plans, programs, projects and activities of the Government relative to energy exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation. It was created by President Marcos as he issued Presidential Decree No. 1206 which created the Ministry of Energy and attached the National Power Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company to this new agency. The Ministry was abolished during the Regime of Corazon Aquino. During the Regime of President Fidel V. Ramos, that Department was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 7638 otherwise known as the Department of Energy Act of 1992. The Department was vested additional powers and functions under pertinent energy and power related legislations, such as Republic Act No. 9136 or the â€Å"Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001†, Republic Act No. 9367 or â€Å"Biofuels Act of 2006†, and Republic Act No. 9513 or â€Å"Renewable Energy Act of 2008.† In this study, the interviewees are the officers in the budgeting and accounting department. They are given the chance to evaluate themselves whether they have formulate their budgets in compliance with the guidelines included in the Budget Call that DBM issues every year. These guidelines are essential for the formulation of the budget of every government agency because it sets the ceiling that each of them may expend and contains required documents they need to submit. Each government agency receives Budget Call that is similar with the other government agency and this Budget Call is what each of the government agency considers as their bible since all that is written in the Budget Call must be complied; otherwise, they will be subject for further questioning which may have a positive or a negative result. They can also evaluate the controls adopted so as to determine if the present controls are sufficient to guarantee an effective implementation of the approved budget and to assure that the actual expenditures are not exceeding the allotted amounts for that type of expense. Furthermore, the researchers would be able to determine how the government agencies make sure that their budgets will be sufficient, to see how government units justify their budgeted expenditures if those expenditures were above the ceiling that is set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), and to familiarize themselves with the Budget Process that a government agency undertakes. Theoretical Framework The budgeting process is an essential component of management control systems and has been an effective system by which management can successfully plan, coordinate, and control. The process involves the creation and implementation of the broad objectives of an organization, the detailed objectives, and a short-term and long-term financial plan. There exist a variety of techniques for establishing budgets. Some of the most common techniques include, Incremental budgeting, Program budgeting, Zero-Based budgeting, and Site-Based budgeting. But this study focuses more on the Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB approach) because the time on which the researchers conducted the study was under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III who vowed to shift from the old â€Å"incremental† system of budgeting to the ZBB approach on his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2010. The philosophies and procedures used to implement zero-based budgeting in industry and government settings are quite similar, but somewhat different with the mechanics to fit the specific needs of each organization. The basic process of zero-based budgeting is to justify budget requests in every budgeting cycle, regardless of prior period budgets. (http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Zero-Based-Budgeting.html#b. Retrieved August 4, 2013) ZBB approach is a technique that sets all budgets to nil at the beginning of the year or period and requires from the departments that they justify all of their expenditures, not just those exceeding the budget. Money is allocated to the departments based on merit and not based on the previous year budget plus or minus some percentage such as in many traditional budgeting systems. It is also a technique of planning and decision-making which reverses the working process of traditional budgeting. In traditional incremental budgeting, departmental managers justify only increases over the previous year budget and what has been already spent is automatically sanctioned. No reference is made to the previous level of expenditure. By contrast, in ZBB, every department function is reviewed comprehensively and all expenditures must be approved, rather than only increases. It requires the budget request be justified in complete detail by each division manager starting from the zero-base. The zero- base is indifferent to whether the total budget is increasing or decreasing. It also refers to the identification of a task or tasks and then funding resources to complete the task independent of current resourcing. An important element of this budgeting procedure is that it forces prioritization of government programs and activities. With the prospect of insufficient revenue for matching the demand of spending, it is useful for the government to have a ranking of programs and activities based on proven effectiveness as well as suggested alternatives to expensive or ineffective programs. There are two steps in the process of zero based budgeting. The first step is to develop what is called as â€Å"decision packages† which includes an analysis of cost, purpose, alternative courses of action, measures of performance, consequences of not performing the activity, and the benefits. The second is to rank the decision packages. The decision package is a document that identifies and explains the specific and goals and objectives, measurement of performance, costs, benefits and alternative courses of action. Ranking of decision packages is then accomplished at each management level until a comprehensive agency wide ranking is obtained. Conceptually, zero-based budgeting is a systemic logical approach to allocating resources where they will do the most good. ZBB is often encouraged by fiscal watchdog groups as a way to ensure against unnecessary spending. It is used, or some modified version of it, in the private- and public sectors for decades. Peter Phyrr used ZBB successfully at Texas Instruments in the 1960s and authored an influential 1970 article in Harvard Business Review but only in 1977 the concept of ZBB gained notoriety because President Jimmy Carter announced to implement a ZBB system at a federal level thus spread more rapidly. The impact of budgeting on organizations was probably first studied by Argyris in the 1950s. These studies show some of the behavioral effects resulting from the way budgets are used in organizations. The results of his research showed that the particular process used could cause dysfunctional behavior in subordinates, regardless of the degree of technical refinement of the budgetary system. In the 1970s, Hopwood’s studies inquired into the effects of budgets on human behavior. These studies showed that the use by a superior of a budget-constrained style of evaluation gave rise to significant levels of job-related tension; had adverse effects on peer and subordinate-superior relationships, and was implicated in manipulative behavior on subordinates. A long line of studies have been performed since then to uncover an array of variables that govern the effects of reliance on budgets on behavioral outcomes, including managerial performance. Examples of these variables include budgetary participation, task uncertainty, environmental uncertainty, strategy, and culture. It may require an extensive amount of time, money, and paper work; but it does provide a systematic method of addressing an organization’s financial concerns, in turn enabling an organization to better allocate its resources. (http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Zero-Based-Budgeting.html#b. Retrieved August 4, 2013) The aforementioned theory have supported the study for better understanding of the budgeting process and the people’s state of mind involved in describing the overall cycle of the budget process of DOE as well as the valuation of controls applied. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework discussed the flow of the study to be taken. The study used the systems approach. The system of three (3) frames is composed of input whish went through the process and emerged as the output. The input contains the leading variables regarding the budget of the DOE. It includes the phases of the budget process. It discusses in detail the activities conducted in the first phase of the process which is the budget preparation. Next is about the activities conducted in the second phase which is the budget legislation. Then, discussions about the budget implementation phase. And the last phase of the budget process which is the budget accountability. As inputs, problems encountered by the agency and also the possible solutions they adopt are included. The second frame contains methods and procedures used to describe those variables by making observations, research and conducting an interview and statistical analysis The third frame is the output. It contains recommendations in conducting trainings and seminars of the employees about controlling their funds. Recommendations in monitoring the controls are also addressed. Statement of Problem This research is aimed to describe the budget formulation and implementation of the Department of Energy (DOE). Moreover, the budget made by the DOE is also compared to the actual operations of the department to know whether the budget is being conformed to and if such differences are being justified well. Specifically, the study endeavored to answer the following: 1.0 What are phases of the budgeting process in DOE? 2.0 What are the activities conducted in the budget preparation phase of the budgeting process in regard with the following: 2.1 The determination and valuation of the items in the budget proposals; 2.2 Identifying the functions of some government agencies in the budget cycle; 2.3 Identifying the expenditure priorities of the agency; and, 2.4 Identifying the external parties involved in the budget proposals and deliberation? 3.0 What are the activities conducted in the budget legislation phase of the budgeting process regarding the following: 3.1 Budget Deliberation/Review; and, 3.2 As to the importance in conducting deliberation/review in different offices of the national government? 4.0 What are the activities conducted in the budget implementation phase of the budget process regarding the following: 4.1 Guidelines on implementation of the budget; 4.2 Controls the agency uses to monitor the implementation of the approved budget; 4.3 The treatment on the variance between the budgeted amounts and the actual results; and, 5.0 What are the activities conducted in the budget accountability phase of the budget process? 6.0 What are the problems encountered by the agency and the possible solutions they adopt? Scope and Limitations This study will look into the budget formulation and implementation of the Department of Energy based on the rules and regulation issued by the National Government to all government units. This was done to have an understanding on the actual budgeting process of a government unit. The respondents of the study were the OIC financial services director- Araceli Soluta, chief of the budget division- Elisa Morales and the OIC – Chief Accountant – Arturo M. Cudia. The interview was administered in July 24, 2013. The interview questions were made by the researchers based on what they need to know. Significance of the Study This study was anticipated to contribute additional information to serve the following individuals and organizations. Department of Energy. The Department of Energy (DOE) will benefit from this study as they will be able to evaluate the controls adopted by the DOE in valuing the items in the budget proposal and in monitoring the items approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Thus, the controls can be improved as needed. This can also serve as evidence that the DOE is complying with the guidelines set by the DBM. Department of Budget and Management. This study can help the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in assuring that the DOE was able to comply with the guidelines set by them. They can also evaluate the controls that they implement and improve it so as to guarantee the compliance of each government agency in every step of the process. Students. This study will contribute to students to gain basic knowledge about the budgeting process of government agency. This is applicable to students required to gain an understanding on how the budget process took place and the justifications required in each line item in the government agency’s budget proposal. Although not all students need to know this study, it will be beneficial for them to have an idea about it. General Public. This study can give the general public some basic information that can be easily understood for them to have an idea on how the government funds are allocated and what projects are being prioritized by the President. They are not forced to learn this issue but understanding this would be useful for them. Taxpayers. This study will be advantageous for the taxpayers because it discusses the budgeting process that a government agency undertakes. The taxpayers will be assured that the government funds, which mostly came from the taxes paid by the public, are used for the projects or programs that could help the residents of this country and the country itself. Other Researchers. This study will be an effective tool and reference for the subsequent researchers who would want to conduct further study about the budgeting process undertaken by each of the government agency and the justifications required on each item included in their budget. Definition of Terms For better understanding and interpretation of this study, the following terms are operationally defined. Allocation. This refers to the allotment or assignment of funds to be used by the government agencies to different projects and programs and to the operation of the agency itself in accordance with the rules promulgated by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Budget. This is the allocated funds for the implementation of various government programs or projects and for the operation of the government agency that is set by the agency for approval by the DBM. Budget Call. This is issued by the DBM that defines the budget framework, sets the economic and fiscal targets, subscribe the priority thrusts and budget level and spells out the guidelines and procedures and timetable for budget preparation. Budget Ceiling. The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) sets a budget ceiling for expenditures that the government agencies may obligate themselves which gives an allowance of about 10% from previous budget. Funds allocated in a project or program in excess of the budget ceiling must be justified. Budget Authorization. This involves reviews/deliberations and a separate deliberations conducted by the Congress and the Senate. Once approved, the President signs the bill into law. Budget Deliberation/Review. It is a process were the Congress or the Senate or both question the budget proposals of the government agency before submitting it to the President. Budget Formulation. This is the first step in the budget process in which the government agency prepares its budget proposals that will be submitted to the DBM who holds hearings for the agencies to justify their budget proposal. Budget Implementation. This is the phase where the approved budget is being executed. The DBM will issue and release allotment and notice of cash allocation to government agencies. Budget Monitoring. This is the last phase that involves evaluation of the financial reports and performances by management. The Commission on Audit (COA) will also evaluate the agencies financial reports and performances through audit. Budget Process. It is the systematic, repetitive procedures that every government agency must follow. Budget Proposal. It is the budget being prepared by DOE which subject to review and justification. Compliance. It is making decisions in accordance with the rules and guidelines

Respond To Colleagues Post - Socializing New Employees Coursework

Respond To Colleagues Post - Socializing New Employees Coursework Respond To Colleagues Post Socializing new employees Socializing new employees I agree with terry’s posting on the mentorship programs and the first thirty day plan. The mentorship program is okay since the employee is socialized in the course of the daily activities of an organization. However, the first thirty day plan may be time-consuming and expensive. Other employees might be too busy to attend the one-on-one meetings or others might find them completely unnecessary. Despite this, it is important for companies to ensure that they make time to socialize their employees. They should make it part of their organizational culture. It is ironical for some employees who have worked in an organization to act all busy when needed to socialize new employees. Such employees forget that they were once socialized when they joined the organization for the first time. Thus, an organization should have a meeting with all its employees to come up with a decision on how to conduct the socialization process of thei r new employees (Anne, 2011). They should look at all the possible alternatives together with their pros and cons and choose from them. Organizations should even go overboard and come up with their own creative socialization process that can work for their new employees. Having fresh talent in an organization is important. However, if this talent is not well socialized and made aware of the organization culture, then it becomes less helpful for an organization. That is why socialization is important to ensure that the new employees are aligned with the organizational goals and objectives together with the required norms and code of conduct.ReferencesAnne, H. (2011, May 2011). On-boarding New Employees. Retrieved from www.kenexa.com/

Bruce Dawe

The poet’s role is to challenge the world the see around them. ’ How far is this true for the poetry of Bruce Dawe? How (ie through what techniques) Does Dawe achieve this? Discuss a maximum of 2 poems. Bruce Dawe is one of the most inspirational and truthful poets of our time. Born in 1930, in Geelong, most of Dawe’s poetry concerns the common person – his poems are a recollection on the world and issues around him. The statement ‘The poet’s role is to challenge the world they see around them. Is very true for Bruce Dawe, as his main purpose in his poetry was to depict the unspoken social issues concerning the common Australian suburban resident. His genuine concern for these issues is evident through his mocking approach to the issues he presents in two of his longer poems, ‘Enter without so much as Knocking’ and ‘Life-cycle’. Both poems have a similar theme the cycle of life, the mass-production and lack of unique ness. ‘Enter without so much as Knocking’ shows how consumerism has a negative impact on society. The poem depicts the life of a typical man, living in the suburbs. It starts off with the birth of a child. The sentences are intentionally made short and clear. As the baby begins to conceive the world he has been brought into, he sees signs, commands and expectations. Dawe stresses the point that the first thing that the baby heard was a voice of consumerism on television, as opposed to the voices of his family. The baby has been brought into a materialistic world – a world where such an important event has just occurred, a new member of the family has been born, and yet the television is on and Bobby Dazzler is preaching his false cliches to the household. Hello, hello, hello all you lucky people† Followed by a comment highlighting the innocence of the child – Bobby Dazzler’s false heartiness and slogans do not influence the child. ‘and he really was lucky because it didnt mean a thing to him then’ Dawe believes that the child is lucky because he knows nothing of this repetitive deceit of civilisation. The theme really starts to come through here – these people are brainwashed by television so much so that consumerism is a religion for them. He is ferociously denouncing suburban life and the fact that people worship the television set. In the next stanza his family is described. The household is described with terms that we see as marketing slogans – â€Å"Well-equipped, smoothly-run, economy-size† These terms give the feeling of mass production – just as well-equipped, smoothly-run, economy-size cars, these sorts of households must have been very common. Again the fact that these people lack individuality is being focused on and it is disputed whether this is correct. The rest of the family are presented as stereotypes. â€Å"one economy sized Mum, one Anthony Squires- Coolstream – Summerweight Dad, along with two other kids, Straight off the Junior Department rack. Every aspect of this family is described in a sexist, impersonal, monotonous manner. His siblings aren’t described by their sex or age – they are just summarised as children who wear the same clothes as everyone else. and regulations imposed upon him everywhere he goes. The purpose of this stanza was to show that the car journey described in it is a fairly accurate representation of this boy’s life. The first sign of any emotion in the poem is â€Å"He enjoyed†, the child’s opinion, in the fourth stanza. He is challenging this world of people with iced-over emotions. The child is still innocent in this stage of his life – he is enthralled by nature, uninfluenced by material things, and not staring into the screen watching people make â€Å"incomprehensible and monstrous love† as all of the adults are. Children are innocent until we pollute their minds with the filth of society is what Dawe is saying. Owen describes the sky as â€Å"Littered with stars†, ironically, as the stars are pure and not soiled with the filth of mankind. Thus by saying the sky is littered with stars, he is taking the point of view of society – the fact that they would want to bring order and conformity to everything. These stars are scattered across the sky in an unorderly fashion, and â€Å"no one had got around to fixing [them] up yet†. He is highlighting that society takes beautiful, unadulterated natural things and pollutes them with their rules and regulations. Moving from childhood to the middle ages in but a few lines, highlighting that it’s not worth entioning the rest of his childhood, as it was all had too much of a resemblance to what has already been said. There is a quick and noticeable change of tone as the man is described as a â€Å"money-hungry†, â€Å"back stabbing† and â€Å"miserable†, no longer the image of innocence as he was portrayed in the first 4 stanzas. Not guarded by adolescence any more, he enters the real world and is instantly polluted with the filth of society. He says goodbye to the stars – their natural splendour no longer interests him, he is now a part of the materialistic world. He will no longer show any emotion, and he is now ‘realistic’, in other words, fake. The following dialogue is a symbol of the man’s beliefs, what he has been taught and what he now accepts morally. â€Å"I’m telling you straight, Jim, it’s Number One every time for this chicken, hit wherever you see a head and kick whoever’s down† The basic message behind this dialog is the fact that you have to get your own way in life – thinking of no-one else but yourself. Use people, backstab, kick them when they’re down – everything is justified as long as you end up on top. Bruce Dawe notices that a large percentage of the population live by these morals, and he is showing through the example of this man how futile such a materialistic life really is. An abrupt change in the dialog and we hear the words of the man thanking a woman, Clare, for a lovely evening. The readers hold their breath, thinking that maybe there still is some humanity left in this man who has just said such harsh words. But in the sixth stanza it is revealed that he was merely being two-faced and fake. He is in the car with his wife. There are no signs of affection, his wife is just like another possession to him. I’ve had enough for one night, with that Clare Jessup,† Here he reveals the truth – a total opposite of what he told Clare herself. Or perhaps this too is not the truth, and he is also lying to his wife in order to gain sympathy. At the end of the paragraph Dawe abruptly stops the man in mid sentence and leaves only a dash, showing how quickly and sudde nly one can lose ones life. In the seventh paragraph the true extent of people’s brainwash is underlined. Such a tragic event has just occurred, and the funeral guests pay attention to only the materialist aspects of his death. They notice that he looks very good, tanned, healthy. This could also be a paradox for the fact that what people look like on the outside can be the opposite of what they are – the insincerity in society. The unsympathetic guests are emotionless and fake, just like he was. Dawe then describes the place the man goes after death as an underground metropolis – underground hinting that due to his dishonest nature and lack of morals he went to hell. â€Å"permanent residentials, no parking tickets, no taximeters ticking, no Bobby Dazzlers here, no down payments, nobody grieving over halitosis† It is a place with none of the materialistic beliefs that litter this world. It is imposed that people in our world grieve over halitosis, or bad breath, but as we saw at the funeral, do not grieve over death. He’s six feet down and nobody’s interested – they’re all too busy going about their own selfish, self-centred lives. â€Å"Blink, Blink. . Silence. † The last word is not done in block letters, as all of the other signs – because it is not a sign. There is silence in the cemetery already, and there is no-one to hush up there. â€Å"Momento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A definition of this epigraph is very important to the moral of this poem. Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return. † This ties in with the theme of this man’s whole life going past, and having no impact on the world. Having lost his individuality, he fitted in with society only when he gave into mass-conformity and consumerism. The futile cycle of human lives in a materiali stic world is portrayed in this poem, underlining all of the shallowness and facades in society. It is clear that Bruce Dawe’s purpose in writing this poem was to challenge this cycle that he observed, and to show people, through only a few moments in a person’s life, the extreme of this problem. Blinded by materialistic things this man sacrificed his morals and ethics, no longer caring for his fellow humans, or for nature. And neither did those around him. Dawe is showing us how lonely and emotionless a person’s life can really be. The other poem, ‘Life-cycle’, is one of his well-known poems that deals with how Victorians are influenced by football. It ridicules the fact that football for people has become like a religion. Not speaking of a specific event as in ‘Enter without so Much as Knocking’, this poem describes the general cycle of life of a resident of Victoria. From birth people are encouraged to barrack for their teams, and build a life around football. This ‘religion’ is implied on the ‘innocent monsters’ by their parents and surroundings. â€Å"they are wrapped in the club-colours, laid in beribboned cots, having already begun a lifetime’s barracking† Dawe is showing that this will be the purpose of the child’s life. He will grow up living breathing football, and worshipping it without giving a second thought to the true purpose of life. Using simple structure and simple language, he is able to best convey his morals to the common people that it affects. Gently mocking people with his vibrant expression of the game, with Christian symbolism he compares it to the bible – highlighting that it is, but shouldn’t be regarded of the same importance as Christianity. â€Å"They will forswear the Demons, cling to the saints and behold their team going up the ladder into Heaven† Dawe describes the actual important things in life – marriage, proposals, as just a sidetrack to football, done quickly in between games. Football is the focus of these people’s lives – anything else is merely a diversion to football and should be taken care of quickly so that they can get back to the game. the reckless proposal after the one-point win, the wedding and the honeymoon after the grand-final†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We almost begin to pity these poor people, to whom living their lives has taken second place in importance to football. By using triumphant words such as ‘behold’ ‘passion’ and ‘em pyrean’ Dawe is showing great sarcasm, as he did with the Christian symbolism. It is like he is asking the readers why football is now as important to the Victorians as their religion, and highlighting the fact that it is not supposed to be like this. having seen in the six-foot recruit from Eaglehawk their hope of salvation† Bruce Dawe purposefully makes the last word of the poem salvation. This word, generally associated with heaven, and the fact that living a good, Christian life will lead to our salvation and we will go to heaven, not hell. But it is not from God that these people gain their salvation – they see salvation in the recruit, the strong football player who has come to play for their team and could bring the team victory. With that Dawe makes obvious the skewed priorities of these people, and how futile and pointless their existence is. Carn, carn’ they cry, from birth unto death, never knowing anything else, never living. We can see by Dawe’s techniques and words in both of these poems that his main purpose was to open the public’s eyes to the mishaps of society. He challenges society, pointing out all of the injustices and hardships that ordinary people face every day. He shows us how we can become selfish and materialistic, and how we can become so involved in something that we no longer recognise the beauties of life and nature. He makes these morals accessible to all people through his simple poetry, communicating his ideas and ethics accurately.

Nike's Dilemma Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nike's Dilemma - Case Study Example The on-going recession poses a serious threat to expansion of sports businesses. The only option left is to increase their advertising and improving the quality of the service they give to their customers. Titleist and other competing companies dealing with golf products could have taken advantage of this by raising promotions targeting clubs currently buying from Nike. As quoted on the Wall Street journal, â€Å"in 2009, sales of clubs and other support tools fell in by 11.9 %, which is three quarters of total golf sales Bustillo† (web). However, two other Nike golfers won two crucial matches in the same year helping Nike to regain the lost credibility. The drop in the golf sales and the recessionary period may hinder Nike to venture into new golf products, but this is advisable. Nike needs to work hard in rebranding Woods. This is one of the best ways of securing sales in golfing market since Woods is still influential despite the presently tainted image. The idea of introduction of new golf balls, t-shirts, and shoes that do not bear the old names that Woods used. They â€Å"Have you learnt anything?† Commercials by Nike helped in gathering people’s views on the scandal after engaging them to respond. Nike was supporting Woods to rejoin his family and achieve both corporate and personal penance. This approach by Nike was not much of a help since the companies sales still went down. According to National Golf Foundation, there is a decrease in golf sports. Since 2000, the number of those involved in this sport fell from 26 million to 30 million. Additionally, the persons who played this sport for 25 times a year fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000 (Vitello