Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Analysis of Jumanji

In the title sequence, the music forebodes something eerie is about to happen. The instruments create a sound similar to a wolf howling. The drum beats whenever the camera focuses on the game or when the game is near. The music imitates many animal sounds. French horns are like elephants. From 1:37:50-1:35:40 (digging out the past soundtrack) the drums beat, then stop, then beat again. Then the leitmotif of French horns to French horns. The drums beat faster as he gets closer.Ritualistic rum sounds from 1:19:35 (mention the meter of the drum beats – triple meter), when the drums suddenly stop when they find the game. The drum beats arouse our curiosity about what Is about to happen. It also makes us anxious, apprehensive because of the suspense that It creates. To young children, this may create fear In them, Flutes come In (leitmotif scalar to that of horns). Dissonance, Lots of It. The music gets very dissonant (tremolo? ) when he opens the game set. Drums pound. This drums pounding motif.It gets louder, crescendo, foreboding omitting ominous. Drums abruptly stop when the game Is found. Cymbals when mosquitoes come, and the French horn leitmotif keeps repeating. Violins violins and harp, consonant sounds, signifying a home feeling, feeling of comfort, The film was an adaptation of a â€Å"1981 children's book of the same name†. Thus, some of the music may have been used with kids in mind. Search analysis of James Hornier music http:†vindictiveness.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

They Are Made Out of Meat

They’re Made Out of Meat is a short story by Terry Bisson. It consists entirely of dialogue between two characters. The beginning of this dialogue seems to be rather strange and incomprehensible; the characters are speaking about meat and it is difficult to understand what this â€Å"meat† means in this particular context. But gradually the reader begins to tune in, and soon he finds out that they use the word â€Å"meat† to imply human beings. And these two creatures themselves are aliens, sentient beings that are capable of travelling faster than light and their mission is to meet with human beings, to welcome them and to set contacts with them. The fact that they use such words as Orfolei, Weddilei, C space, G445 zone proves that they come from a different planet (from outer space). The speech of the creatures is rather informal. There are a lot of contracted forms, colloquial words and elliptical sentences in their conversation (â€Å"They’re made out of meat. †; â€Å"That’s impossible. †; â€Å"†¦they’re like†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ; †¦crackpots†¦, â€Å"A dream to meat! †). This fact proves that they know each other well and besides they are absorbed in the topic of their conversation and do not pay much attention to their speech. Judging by the dialogue, it is obvious that one of the creatures is better aware of the way people are organized (â€Å"I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they’re made out of meat. †). And he tries to explain it to the other one who is skeptical and incredulous (â€Å"That’s impossible. †; â€Å"That’s ridiculous. †; Thinking meat! You’re asking me to believe in thinking meat! †). The situation is really incredible and at first the second creature does not believe in the story, but a bit later accept this theory as true (â€Å"Omigod. You’re serious then. They’re made out of meat. † â€Å"Finally, Yes. †). The story represents a critical glance from outside at humans’ behaviour. The aliens consider human beings to be curious and predictable (â€Å"†¦they’ve been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of their years. †; â€Å"First it wants to talk to us. Then†¦to explore the universe, contact other sentients, swap ideas and information. The usual. â€Å"). Besides people are viewed as inferior creatures (â€Å"†¦but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. â€Å"; â€Å"It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat? â€Å"). So, taking into accounts all these points, the aliens decide not to fulfill their initial mission. They come to a conclusion that it is better to ignore â€Å"meat†, erase all the records and mark this sector unoccupied. The thing is that they are sure that they know a lot about humans, but in fact they do not know anything. They consider themselves to be much more superior, they feel themselves to be the centre of gravity. But actually, they are biased and hostile towards human beings just because humans are different. The whole story rolls around the concept of meat. First of all the repetition of this word sets the rhythm. Besides the meat is personified and it makes the story funny and humorous. (â€Å"†¦thinking meat, conscious meat, loving meat, dreaming meat†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The fact that these creatures are talking like humans also provides humorous effect. (â€Å"Omigod.  Singing meat. This is altogether too much! †). At first it may even seem that they are scientists or researchers, who are discussing a recent experiment or discovery in the sphere of astronomy. The topic of the story is the relation between different creatures, nationalities and civilizations. The author is mocking these two characters because of their hostile and stereotypical attitude towards other creatures and civilizations; and wants to show that it is important to be patient, clarify controversial things and not to be too presumptuous.

Monday, July 29, 2019

The Psychological and Medical Effects of Plastic Surgery Term Paper

The Psychological and Medical Effects of Plastic Surgery - Term Paper Example In light of our culture that overly deifies skinny and C-cup breasted women, people who are not satisfied with their appearance reckon that undergoing plastic surgery will do miracles for their popularity or boost their self-esteem. To some degree, this may be a rational expectation considering the studies conducted on patients who have availed of cosmetic procedures. These studies show that most patients posted positive feedback on the procedure and are pleased with the outcome as their self-worth have been significantly enhanced. These patients assert that plastic surgery has helped them overcome distress and shyness and improved the quality of their lives. (Castle, Honigman & Phillips) However, despite these optimistic results, people should not be misled to believe that cosmetic surgery is the magic potion for their problems. Specialists noted that some customers have unrealistic expectations of cosmetic procedures because of what they see on television, hear from friends and dishonest doctors. Such behavior is said to result in great dissatisfaction and may lead to depression, adjustment problems, family problems and anger towards surgeon. There have also been studies linking dissatisfaction with plastic surgery to suicide but this is still subject to further assessment since findings are not conclusive. (Dittmann) Medical Effects Although cosmetic procedures are deemed generally safe, some surgeons assert that a number of patients are not aware or tend to disregard the possible medical effects of plastic surgery. These people fail to perceive that plastic surgery is indeed a form of surgery that has medical implications. For instance, a cosmetic procedure may cause rupturing and permanent scarring. Aside from these, there may also be a need for periodic operations to replace or remove the implanted device. In addition, specifically for those who wish to undergo breast implants, there may be potential interference with breastfeeding and mammography that may delay cancer diagnosis. (Boodman)  Ã‚  

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Should all hacking be banned(Persuasive Paper) Research Paper

Should all hacking be banned(Persuasive ) - Research Paper Example Advancement in technology has made available new communication tools, which enable communication over long distance. The internet is regarded as a source of entertainment, information and communication with activities, which include e-mail, web surfing, shopping and reading news. Internet connections allow easy transfer of a variety of media from one location to another, thus enhancing sharing and building relations among people. It is the increased dependency on computers and internet that fuels cybercrime, which poses an enormous risk to infrastructure that, is dependent on such utilities. The United States ranks first in a list of ten countries known for hacking tendencies as indicated by the table below. Adopted from http://i.huffpost.com/gen/609514/thumbs/o-GLOBAL-HACKING-TOP-TEN-570.jpg?4 Presently, most internet crimes have led to loss of personal information, which is stolen leaving a trail of suffering people. Such heavy damages are usually attributed to hackers or hacker gr oups who derive their gains from gathered information within a short period. Adopted from http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/0426-password-chart/7780968-1-eng-US/0426-password-chart_full_600.jpg?nav=268203-csm_article-leftColRelated It is for such reasons that software companies regularly update their products, which serves to keep the level of vulnerability at all-time low. Moreover, owing to the risks involved, the public is of the opinion that hacking should be banned forgetting the benefits derived from ethical or controlled hacking. Therefore, most people think that hacking is unconditional malicious and are of the opinion that all hacking should be banned. The benefits derived from controlled hacking are critical to national security as well as in maintaining a high standard in electronic products. It is for this reasons that some level of hacking should be permitted while maintaining surveillance on hackers or hacker groups that are deemed ma licious. This paper seeks to highlight positive aspects associated with hacking and how they serve the society. Common beliefs about hacking illustrate hacking as simple operations that involve a sequence of commands, which on the contrary, is a skill. The United States legal definition describes computer hacking as the deliberate access of computer systems without authority or exceeding authorised access. Hacking is the practice of manipulating computer systems and software to perform contrary to what they were initially created for. As such, a hacker presents as a skilful computer programmer or user who uses his ability to gain unauthorised access to data and information. On the other hand, cracking relates to the modifying software with the aim of removing features they deem as limitations to the software’s potential. The targeted features of the software usually include copy protection, date checks, serial numbers and product keys (Negi, 2011).In essence, crackers seek to disable or remove safety measures that often compel computer users to buy original software and products. Crackers often prey on all computer packages ranging from operating systems to games. The crackers then distribute the modified products as pirated versions without charge, which proves to be a headache for software companies due to losses incurred. It is for this reason that software cracking is illegal owing to its malicious nature of their activities. The terms hacker and cracker are often used interchangeably,

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Experiment #1 North Circumpolar Motion of Stars Lab Report

Experiment #1 North Circumpolar Motion of Stars - Lab Report Example Yes, in addition to the obvious motion that brings about change of location, they also change the orientation. The stars seem to exhibit two kinds of motions that is one from the central position and its orientation It is common knowledge that the earth moves from east, north, west and south. However, such motion is similar to the stars because they appear to move from the north toward the west, comparison of the stars location reveals that those observed in the first experiment appeared far from the west than those observed later on. Yes, stars move across the space, in fact all stars move across the space from one location to another (Craig, 1). The only difference between the motions of the stars with that of the earth is that direction depends on the individual star. As a result, there is no universal direction for the stars’ movement. Different stars move in the different direction either toward or from each other. For instance, if the stars were fixed we would expect the movement of the earth to portray the stars to simulate motion in the opposite direction. As such one would think that the stars move from the north to east and south. However given that both the earth and the stars move in the same direction, it is evident to seek stars changing position. Movement of the stars does not depend on either the seasonal motion of the earth or the daily seasons. Their motion is independent of these parameters. In fact, stars move independently in space. Motions of different stars do not take defined direction as many would expect but rather may move in any direction in the space. Craig, Brown.. The Little Dipper and the Earth’s Tilt and  Rotation, 2012. Retrieved from https://craigssenseofwonder.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/the-little-dipper-and-the-earths-tilt-and-rotation/

Friday, July 26, 2019

Outline and critically discuss the statutory and common law examples Essay

Outline and critically discuss the statutory and common law examples of 'lifting the veil' on corporate personality - Essay Example There are several statutory examples in which the courts are prepared to lift the veil of the corporation. For example under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, in which the court can make a confiscation order against a convicted criminal has been used to lift the corporate veil.3 Guidelines have been established setting forth the limitations for which confiscation orders can be made that lift the corporate veil. It was held in R v Seager by Aikens LJ that under the criminal law there are three circumstances in which the corporate shield may be lifted. Firstly, if it is established that the convicted criminal attempted to hide his criminal activities and the proceeds of those activities behind the corporation’s separate legal personality, the veil may be lifted.4 Secondly, the corporate veil may be lifted in cases where the convicted criminal committed crimes constituting the criminal offence for which he/she is convicted. Finally, the shield may be lifted where the â€Å"transaction or business structures constitute a ‘device’, ‘cloak’, or ‘sham’, i.e. an attempt to disguise the true nature of the transaction†.5 In other words, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, will be used in instances where it is clear that the company was used as an instrument in crime for either evading criminal liability or for hiding the proceeds of crime.6 There are several other statutes, particularly revenue statutes where the corporate veil is lifted for the collection of taxes. Moreover, the corporate veil can also be lifted under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and Trading with the Enemy Act 1939.7 Both statutes are used to determine whether or not the individual and the company are so intricately tied that it is difficult to distinguish between the two.8 The statutes considered here are the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Companies Act 2006. There are four examples under the Insolvency Act 1986 in which the corporate veil may be lifted. Under Section 122(1)(g),

Explain your view of the role of television Essay

Explain your view of the role of television - Essay Example The primary purpose of television is entertainment and amusement. For many people, television replaces reading and theatre, movie and other forms of entertainment. The introduction of television into society seems to have an important effect on frequent hobbies and activities, according to research done in Great Britain in the early 1990s as television was being introduced into that country. An initial decrease in all activities, but most infrequent activities tended to "rebound" after the novelty of television wore off. Television has yet a different meaning to teenagers as its role is limited (Charlton 2001). Most adults watch television for entertainment and information -- and as a means of "unwinding" from a long day of work. The effect television has on adults is different than the effect it has on children, however, not only because they watch different kinds of programs but also because they have a different understanding of the world. Television has become our most powerful a nd pervasive mass medium. Virtually no home is without a TV, even if there is no telephone. Families watch television an average of seven hours a day. Television has rapidly permeated both our public and private spaces; as TV sets have multiplied inside the home, they have also moved into hospitals, train stations, airplanes, restaurants, and even parks and beaches. For instance, reality shows and soap operas are the main forms of home entertainment for millions of people (Signorielli & Bacue 1999). The most popular are the Castaway, Celebrity Wrestling, The Experiment, Hells Kitchen. Watching these programs, people rely on television for much of their information about the world. It has surpassed newspapers as the primary source of news for most UK viewers In national emergencies, TV is where people turn for information and reassurance. This dependency on television endows it with considerable power—to focus national attention on a single event, to make or

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Synthesis of Tris Pyrazolylborate Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Synthesis of Tris Pyrazolylborate - Lab Report Example Trispyrazolylborate (Tp) is an organic anionic tetradentate or tripodal ligand that has the chemical formula [HB (C3N2H3)3]. Trispyrazolylborate specifically refers to the derivatives substituted on the pyrazolyl rings. In the resonance structures of this compound, the nitrogen centers that are not bonded to boron are basic (Topaloglu-Sozuer et al., 2005). These centers bond to three adjacent sites of a metal such that the simple adducts have C3v symmetry. The bonding mode is similar to that of cyclopentadienyl ligands though the ligand field stabilization energy of Tp- is weaker as indicated by the fact that Fe (Tp)2 is a spin crossover complex while ferrocene is low spin (Yong Heng, Aoki, & Feng Ying, 2004). The Tp ligands are prepared in the laboratory by reacting pyrazole with potassium borohydride according to the equation:KBH4 + 3C3H3N2H → K [HB (C3N2H3)3] +3H2The intermediate compounds include the monopyrazolylborate ([H3B (C3N2H2)2]- and the bispyrazolylborate ([H2B(C3 N2H2)2]-. The potassium Trispyrazolylborate is a colorless solid that is soluble in polar solvents and has a melting point of 188-1890C (Maldonado, & Vahrenkamp, 2006).When 3-substituted pyrazoles are condensed with borohydride, the corresponding substituent Trispyrazolylborate derivatives are formed. The substituent formed pushes boron the less hindered nitrogen center and hence 3-phenylpyrazole gives [HB (C3N2H2Ph) 3]- whereas the phenyl substituents project away from the metal.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Ethical issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical issue - Essay Example The two sides of the ethical issue facing this accountant are either to report him to the company’s authorities or not report him (Mizzoni 35). The accountant can report the supervisor to the company’s higher authorities, assuming that he has a duty to be honest and accountable to the company. This would mean that the accountant is using deontological ethics in which people act to fulfill a duty, regardless of whether the action pleases or does not please people. Using deontological ethics would influence the accountant’s perception to the effects that the supervisor was not justified in taking the $ 500 but that the money should have been used in developing the company. The ethics of moral duty would make him think that covering up the case would make him an accomplice and that he would be haunted for not reporting the case (Mizzoni 36). However, the decision to report his supervisor to higher authorities in the company would have both positive and negative implications. The company’s higher authorities might investigate the case, find that it is true, and discipline the supervisor. This would justify the accountant’s action, with or without the praise of the higher authorities. Another likely event is that the higher authorities might doubt the accountant, thinking that he is trying to implicate the supervisor and trying to settle a score with him, or that he is trying to report him after their deal to steal the company money went sour. This can cause his dismissal and if he is retained, there will be conflict between him and the supervisor (Mizzoni 36). The accountant could decide not to report the supervisor believing that it would have undesirable outcomes for the supervisor and for him. If he made the decision not to report his supervisor because of its outcomes, he would be led by utilitarian ethics. According to utilitarian ethics, outcomes of an act define its morality. Applying this ethics, the accountant could believe that both

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Multicultural Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Multicultural Film - Essay Example A good definition of film noir was given by Borde and Chaumeton (1955), who refer to film noir as a purely affective phenomenon in the sense that it disturbs viewers, disorients them and produces a profound uneasiness. And it does this by whatever means possible. The historical nature of film noir derives, in large part, from its attempts to disturb. Film noir succeeded in creating a malaise in its audiences by refusing the stylistic and thematic conventions of classical Hollywood cinema. That is, noir arose in the 1940s as a response to and rejection of 1930s Hollywood cinema. In certain films, this refusal of 1930s cinema takes the form of a single scene or shot that violates the norm, such as the tight close-up of an unidentified hand firing a gun at Sam Spade's partner, Archer, near the beginning of The Maltese Falcon movie in 1941 (Belton, 2005). The majority of those who explored the darker reaches of the noir experience were American, born and bred. The source material for the bulk of noir narratives came from the underworld of American pulp fiction. Nearly twenty per cent of the film noirs made between 1941 and 1948 were adaptations of hard-boiled novels written by American authors. Film noir deals with a uniquely American experience of wartime and post-war despair and alienation as a disoriented America readjust to a new social and political reality. Film noir was discovered and christened in postwar France. In 1945, after the Allies liberated Paris, France, an enormous backlog of American films, which had been made during the war but had not been seen in Nazi-controlled territories like France due to the ban made by Germans, reached French screens. A succession of extremely downbeat films is shown in France. This cycle began with a Hammett detective film entitled Maltese Falcon (Huston, 1941). It was an observed that in this cycle of films has subversive strain of behavioral deviance in American films, which at this time became dominated by crime, corruption, cruelty, and an apparent unhealthy interest in the erotic. The French believed then that American film had suddenly turned grimmer, bleaker, and blacker. II. Analysis of the Movies "Maltese Falcon" and "Basic Instinct 2" as Film Noirs The adjective "noir" aptly conveys not only the films' antecedents in the "romans noirs" or black novels but also the essential nature of experience that audiences have in watching the films. These films unsettled audiences. Through their violation of the traditional narrative and stylistic practices of classical Hollywood cinema that oriented and stabilized spectators, these films created an uncomfortable and disturbing malaise or anxiety in their viewers. Film noir is a specific emotional reaction produced by certain films in an audience. In the "Maltese Falcon" and "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction", film noirs can be seen as a purely affective phenomenon such that it produces some emotional responses in people. Not every film noir needs to be noir from start to finish. It needs only to be noir for a moment or two. It requires only a single character, situation or scene that is noir to produce the disturbance or the disorientation that is necessary to give the audience an unsettling twist or distressing jolt. In

Monday, July 22, 2019

Human Resources Code of Ethics Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Code of Ethics Essay Message I am thrilled to join Company X’s management team. My colleagues have been stellar in providing me support and helping me accilmate to the organizational culture, which is different from what I am accustomed to. I have encountered my first challenge, a challenge that is incumbent that I bring to your attention along with three detailed solutions, inclusive of attractive and detractive aspects of each. It is also important that I share with you the methodology I employed to arrive at these conclusions, since it is reasonable for you to have access to and test the methodology employed to engender these solutions. I will also recommend to you an appropriate course of action. Separately, I will present a report, which will report the findings of an analysis that I conducted on our company’s ethical decision-making process. This report will include strategies to mitigate against concerns I will have raised in the memorandum. I will also discuss the process of creating a code of ethics that will provide for employee growth through ethical decision making and continued company revenue growth. Production Concern Company X is the leader in the production of toy whistles for children the world over. Our principal production plant is located within the United States and, naturally, is under the purview of production guidelines set forth by the U.S. government. The quality-assurance department recently informed me of a production issue that has arisen. Toy whistles that have been manufactured and are on schedule for shipment undergo an arduous testing process to ensure that the  constitution of each toy meets federal regulations. Toy whistles that will be shipped to South American countries have, unfortunately, failed lead-level requirements; they are slightly higher in lead than what is legally tolerable. Our company has decisions to make about how we address this considerable concern. After analysis, collaboration with team members, and sufficient reflection, I have developed three solutions to address this concern. Each solution has attractive and detractive aspects, both of which I will discuss. Ethical, legal, and financial considerations must be made with all solutions. Solution 1: Cease shipment; Re-produce Toy Whistles At current lead levels, the toy whistle would not be shipped to customers. The entire production process would re-apply, which includes re-securing the raw materials necessary to make replacement whistles, re-producing those whistles through the production process, and commissioning the quality-assurance department to verify that the whistles meet all federal guidelines for selling and consumption. It will also be important that the quality-assurance department provide a quality verification of its own processes. Such a verification will be necessary, since antecedent quality processes failed to identify the higher-than-normal lead levels of our toy whistles. Solution 1: Explanation of Method Used to Select Solution A combination of brainstorming and SWOT analysis were employed to determine three solutions for our company’s quandary. The brainstorming process involved three team members who reviewed the situation and offered ideas—any ideas—as solutions. Each team member produced two ideas, totaling six possible solutions. The following is a breakdown of submissions by team members: Bob Jones| Celine Jiles| Patti Durant| Stop Production; Adjust Lead Levels| Continue Production; Bribe Foreign and  Domestic Government| Stop Production; Offer Different Product| Stop Production; Make Plastic Whistles| Continue Production; Ignore Lead Levels| Stop Production; Close Business| A SWOT analysis was performed on each decision alternative to test its integrity. SWOT is an acronym for â€Å"Strengths,† â€Å"Weaknesses,† â€Å"Opportunities,† and â€Å"Threats† (Bradford, Duncan, Tarcy, 2000). The goal is to reduce the possible responses to those that require attention. Bob Jones Solution A Strengths: Legal and ethical approach to doing business. Promotes high levels of customer service. Holds all parties accountable for their actions due to process review and refinement. Weaknesses: Delayed production. Poor customer-satisfaction surveys in the short term. Costly to hold up production. Opportunities: Favorable contract renegotiation if determined process failure with supplier. Possible acquisition of new customers if mitigative steps made known. Threats: Possible government intervention if lead levels are exposed. Possible customer revolt if mitigative steps to lead levels not perceived correctly. Customer churn—possibly to competitor—due to production delay. Board of directors overhaul of C-level management Based on these considerations, Solution A is a viable candidate for resolution. Bob Jones Solution B Strengths: No delay in production. Customer satisfaction not harmed. Foreign government receptive to bribes. No disruption to revenue. Weaknesses: Domestic government not receptive to bribing. Massive costs due to bribing. No consideration for customer health. Short-term solution. Socially irresponsible course of action. Opportunities: Short-term customer growth. Relationship-building with foreign government. Threats: Considerable legal actions from both domestic and foreign government if not receptive bribes. Possible legal threats from customers. The costs associated with Solution A indicate that it is not a viable solution. Celine Jiles Solution A Strengths: Legal and ethical approach to doing business. Promotes high levels of customer service due to considering customers’ health. Holds all parties accountable for their actions due to process review and refinement. Weaknesses: Massive delays in production. Abrogation of contract with current supplier. Extensive training costs for new products. Extensive project-management costs to deploy new product. Substantial increase in customer churn due to offering different product. Possible negative press in foreign market. Possible domestic layoffs due to change in product. Opportunities: New streams of revenue due to new product. New streams of customers due to new-product demand. New, lower cost contracts with new suppliers. Possible employment of foreign workers to replace costly domestic workers. Threats: Legal threats from current employees subject layoff. Possible customer revolt if competitor unable to make up for our departure from whistle market. Increased regulatory scrutiny possible based on new product. Intractable board of directors. Based on these considerations, Solution A is a viable candidate for resolution. Celine Jiles Solution B Strengths: Minimal delay in production. Avoid lead-level requirements. Safter products for customers, thereby increasing customer satisfaction. Avoid legal issues from foreign and domestic governments. Contract abrogation with supplier if process failure due to supplier. Socially responsible course of action. Weaknesses: Contract abrogation with existing supplier if Company X process failure. Short-term customer dissatisfaction due to minimal production delay. Training for production of new whistles. Costly process refinements. Opportunities: Possible acquisition of new customers. Long-term customer growth. Possibly reduced prices with contract negotiations for new suppliers. If process adjustments made public, possible acquisition of customers in other countries. Threats: Minimal threat of legal action from domestic or foreign governments due to initlal lead-level failures. Minimal threat of substantial customer churn. The strengths of Solution B indicate that is viable enough to be considered. Patti Durant Solution A Strengths: Reduced production costs. Short-term customer satisfaction due to on-time delivery. Possible increased customer acquisition. Weaknesses: Very short-term solution. Disregard for long-term customer health. Disregard for domestic legal mandates. Socially irreponsible course of action. Long-term profit loss. High customer churn in long term. Opportunities: Short-term increase in streams of revenue. Threats: Extensive legal threats from public and private sector. Abrogation of current contracts iminent. Long-term erosion of shareholder confidence. Solution A should not be further considered due to the blantant disregard for customer safety. Patti Durant Solution B Strengths: Regard for customer health. Weaknesses: Total loss of all revenue and profit. Opportunities: No known opportunities. Threats: Possible legal action from suppliers, employees, customers, and governments due to abrogation of contracts, inability to pay out on employee pensions, or willfully missed customer demand. Solution B is unquestionably not worthy of further consideration. Solution 1: Advantages and Disadvantages The important advantage this solution offers is that our toy whistles’ lead levels will not detrimentally influence the health of our customers. Our identification of this issue will allow our company to take mitigative actions before the whistles are in the hands of our consumers. Another advantage of this solution is that our customers will be unaware that there could have been an issue with the whistles. Our consumers’ ignorance allows our company to avoid a public-relations concern or public excoriation of our product and company brand. There are no government mandates that our company must disclose these sorts of issues if they are discovered before being delivered to our customers. An important disadvantage to this solution is that the investigative process and resultant process refinements will prove costly and timely. It is evident that a production and service failure has occurred, since our whistles’ lead levels currently contravene United States legislative mandates; however, we are not certain where in the supply chain this failure has occurred. Unnecessary people-power must be devoted to resolving this issue sufficiently to prevent issues in the similitude of this one. Another disadvantage to this solution is the effect it will have on employee morale. To be specific, the judgment of the managers of these processes is dubious and will have to be investigated. It is unquestionable that coaching and development, inclusive of corrective action, will have to be meted to all parties involved in this situation. And because of the cost of resolving this matter, some managers and their employees may have to have their employment terminated. No matter how delicately the corrective action will be handled, other employees will inevitable respond negatively. This situation may encourage discussions of unionization. It may engender unnecessary employee churn. Or for those who have their employment terminated as a result of our investigation, it may very well involve contending against ex-employee litigation for perceived wrongful termination, which will involve government agencies and their investigations. Solution 1: Ethical Considerations This solution is an ethically viable option. The reason is that the lead levels prescribed by the federal government are ostensibly predicated on customer saftey and, if more stringent, supersede lead-level requirements of the target country. Providing customers, especially young children, with high-lead toys is immediately unethical and demonstrates a disconnection from social responsibility. Solution 1: Financial Considerations This solution, however, is the most costly and will make profit from these sales impossible unless we increase the price of the toy whistles. The  following are cost considerations of this solution: 1. Vetting Raw-Material Supplier: It is possible that the raw materials that we obtain from our supplier do not possess the integrity that we expect, which would cause products to fail quality verfifcations. An audit would be required of the supplier. This audit would entail the following costs: a. On-site inspections: $10,000, inclusive of labor costs and travel expenditures b. Report of findings: $5,000, inclusive of labor costs of presenting the findings c. Negative findings: $10,000, inclusive of replacing and contracting with a different raw-materials supplier. d. Positive findings: $15,000, inclusive of sunk costs of on-site inspections and reporting of findings (since no issue would have been with the supplier) 2. Vetting Production Processes: There may be deficiencies in the production process that cause higher levels of lead to result in our products. Here are the costs associated with this vetting: e. Departmental inspections: $7,000, inclusive of labor costs f. Report of findings: $5,000, inclusive of labor costs of presenting the findings g. Negative findings: $50,000, inclusive of making process adjustments, training on new processes, and follow-up labor costs h. Positive findings: $12,000, inclusive of sunk costs of inspections and reporting of findings. As easily noted, the costs of making process changes are considerable. However, the costs of these changes should not, by themselves, be an impetus to continue to produce high-lead toy whistles.