Author: chris

Below is the first segment of Manufacturing Consent, thanks to YouTube! When the first segment ends, click on part two (2 of 9) and the remaining parts, until you finish the documentary. Why are you watching? Keeping the following questions in mind while you watch will help you focus your listening. Take notes, for you will be expected to hand in your answers.

1. What does “manufacturing consent” refer to?
2. Why is manufacturing consent important in a democratic society?
3. Whose consent is being manufactured?
4. What was Chomsky’s methodology in studying the manufacture of consent, and what are the examples he used to explain it?
5. Explain the significance of the news coverage of the genocide in East Timor as opposed to that of the atrocities in Cambodia.
6. Why does Professor Chomsky state that the media was complicit in the East Timor atrocity? What are the implications of such complicity? What is the responsibility of the media?
7. What distinction does Chomsky make between “conspiracy theory” and “institutional analysis”?
8. In part 8 of 9, Chomsky talks about the problem with the mainstream media requiring “concision.” What does he see as its effect?

After viewing the video of 24, explain why it can be considered a Utilitarian episode. How does this movie reflect Utilitarianism? Was the act that this episode culminated in a morally correct act?  Would you have performed this act if you were in Jack Bauer’s position?

1.  Santiago makes some terrible mistakes shortly into his journey.  Why does he make the mistakes that he does? How does he react to these mistakes after he has made them? Do you think Santiago will give up on his Personal Legend?  Have you ever felt like giving up on your dreams?  How did you react to obstacles and disappointments?

2. We are introduced to the Crystal Merchant in the last few pages of Part One.  How does he help Santiago?  What kind of person is the Crystal Merchant?  Have you ever had benevolent figures in your life? Have you ever helped others in need?  Explain those events and their effects on you

With the company expanding into several new markets in the coming months, Cable & Moore was anticipating a large increase in sales revenue. The future looked bright for this provider of television, telephone, and Internet services. However, management of Cable & Moore was well aware of the importance of customer service in new markets. If the public had problems with new service and could not quickly and efficiently have their problems solved, demand would quickly erode and it might take years to recover from the bad publicity. Therefore, management was adamant that there would be enough well-trained customer service representatives to handle the calls from new customers and from potential customers.

 

Based on experience in other markets, the anticipated number of phone calls to customer service was projected. Given the average call-length, the number of hours of customer-service time from April to August was projected and is shown below.

 

Month                   April         May          June           July           August

Hours needed        22,600       24,600       27,200       28,100       29,500

 

Through experience, management knew that training a new employee well was essential. Each new employee was put through a 1-month training program, and was assigned to an existing employee for an entire month. Normally an existing employee would work 160 hours per month. However, when an employee was assigned to perform training of a new-hire, the productive work hours for that employee dropped to 80 hours per month.

 

During the training period, the trainee was paid $2,000 for the month. At the end of that time, the monthly salary increases to the standard salary for a regular customer service representative which is $3,500 per month. In the past, the company lost about 5% of the trained customer service representatives per month due to attrition. While the company is looking to improve upon this, for the next several months it is anticipated that this will continue. There will be 170 trained employees at the beginning of April. Management of the company would like to develop a schedule of hiring new employees so that there are sufficient customer service representatives to meet the demand, but this is to be done at the lowest possible cost.

 

Discussion Questions

 

1. Develop a schedule for hiring new employees. What is the total cost of this schedule?
2. Discuss any limitations that exist for this solution.
3. How would the schedule change if the attrition rate could be lowered to 3% per month instead of 5%? What would be the impact on the cost?

 

Dr. Phillip Kotler is an internationally recognized leader in the field of Marketing.  Here is part of his official biography from his website, http://www.kotlermarketing.com/phil1.shtml:

“Dr. Philip Kotler is the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Chicago. He is hailed by Management Centre Europe as  ‘the world’s foremost expert on the strategic practice of marketing’.”

Watch the following video where Dr. Kotler gives a presentation on Marketing, and successful marketing strategies, at the Chicago Humanities Festival in late 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR-qL7QdVZQ

DISCUSSION TASK

Pick one of your favorite products and explain its marketing strategy using concepts from Dr. Kotler’s remarks and your reading for this week.  Be certain to discuss market segmentation, target marketing, and creating a brand.

Write your answers in several well-rounded paragraphs, and reply to three of your classmates’ posts.

What is the relationship between the future of technology and cybercrime? Provide specific examples.

 

Joe Smith operates a chemical supply company that supplies liquid soap to a car dealership. The soap is supplied in 30 gallon barrels. Over a 3 month period of time, the dealership generally buys 10 barrels of soap. Joe Smith needs to increase his sales of liquid soap and comes up with a rather clever way of doing so. Over the next 3 months, the car dealership triples its liquid soap consumption and buys 30 barrels of soap; however, the dealership is still washing the same number of cars.Without any alterations to either the quality or quantity of the soap in each barrel, how do you think Joe increased his sales of liquid soap to the dealership?

 

How might the Internet be used by future cybercriminals? Provide specific examples.

Discuss the relationship between the future of technology and cybercrime.

In this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem. You will also investigate how ecosystems recover from disturbance naturally and through human restoration.

Choose 1 of the following ecosystems:

• Tropical rainforest
• Grassland
• Coral reef
• Estuary
• Desert

You will write an APA-style research paper about your choice of ecosystem, including the following elements:

• Describe where this type of ecosystem might be located. Name 1 specific example.
• Describe the structure of the ecosystem.
  • List at least 3 specific examples of both abiotic components and biotic components for the ecosystem type selected.
• Describe the function of the ecosystem
  • In your own words, explain or define biogeochemical cycle.
  • Describe the steps in the carbon cycle as an example of one biogeochemical cycle.
• Describe disturbance and recovery
  • Describe 1 natural and 1 human-caused disturbance to the ecosystem that you have chosen.
  • Describe the damage to the ecosystem for each example, including how the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the ecosystem changed.
• Provide 2 examples of natural resources provided by the ecosystem that you have selected.
  • How can these be sustained into the future?
  • How can humans act as good stewards to assist ecosystem recovery? Provide 1 example specific to the ecosystem that you have chosen

1. Prepare the end of the period closing entries for Hernandez Shoe Repair. You may omit journal entry explanations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. How much is the ending balance of Retained Earnings to be reported in Statement of Retained Earnings?

12)   Todd, age 28, would like to save money for a comfortable retirement. He is considering purchasing a cash-value life insurance policy that has the following characteristics:

 

 

 

â–    The premiums are invested in separate investment accounts selected by the policyholder.

 

â–    Interest income and capital gains are not currently taxable to the policyholder .

 

â–    The frequency and amount of premium payments can be changed as financial circumstances change.

 

â–    A mortality and expense (M&E) charge is periodically deducted from the cash value account.

 

 

 

Based on the above characteristics, what type of life insurance is Todd considering purchasing? Explain your answer.

 

 

 

13)   Jeff currently earns $3000 per month. He has an individual disability-income policy that will pay

 

$2000 monthly if he is totally disabled. Disability is defined in terms of the worker’s own occupation.

 

The policy has a 30-day elimination period and also provides residual disability benefits. Benefits are

 

payable until age 65.

 

 

 

1. If Jeff is severely injured in an auto accident and cannot work for four months, how much will he

 

collect under his policy?

 

1. Assume Jeff returns to work but can only work part-time until he recovers completely. If he earns

 

$1500 monthly, what is the amount, if any, that Jeff can collect under his policy? Explain your answer.

 

 

 

14) Whirlwind Mowers manufactures and sells power lawn mowers to the public and distributes the products through its own dealers. Andrew is a homeowner who has purchased a power mower from an authorized dealer on the basis of the dealer’s recommendation that “the mower is the best one available to do the job.” Andrew was cutting his lawn when the mower blade flew off and seriously injured his leg.

 

1. Andrew sues Whirlwind Mowers and asks for damages based on negligence in producing the power mower. Is Whirlwind Mowers guilty of negligence? Explain your answer.

 

1. The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur can often be applied to cases of this type. Show how this doctrine can be applied to this case. Your answer must include a definition of res ipsa loquitur .

 

1. Explain the various types of damages that Andrew might receive if Whirlwind Mowers is found guilty of negligence.

 

 

 

15) Karen is the named insured under a PAP that provides coverage for bodily injury and property damage liability, medical payments, and uninsured motorists coverage. For each of the following situations, briefly explain whether the claim is covered by Karen’s PAP.

 

1. Karen ran into a telephone pole and submitted a medical expense claim for Jason, a passenger in

 

Karen’s car at the time of the accident.

 

1. Karen allowed Scott to use her car. While operating Karen’s car, Scott damaged Gray’s car in an accident caused by Scott’s negligence. Karen is sued by Gray for damages.

 

1. Karen’s husband ran over a bicycle while driving a friend’s car. The owner of the bicycle demands that Karen’s husband pay for the damage.

 

1. In a fit of anger, Karen deliberately ran over the wagon of a neighbor’s child that had been left in

 

Karen’s driveway after repeated requests that the wagon be left elsewhere. The child’s parents seek

 

reimbursement.