Thursday, December 26, 2019

About the U.S. Department of Labor

The United States Department of Labor is a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government headed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor as appointed by the President of the United States with the consent of the U.S. Senate. The Department of Labor is responsible for workplace safety and health, wage and hour standards, racial diversity, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and maintenance of key labor-related economic statistics. As a regulatory department, the Department of Labor has the power to create federal regulations deemed necessary to implement and enforce labor-related laws and policies enacted by Congress. Department of Labor Fast Facts The United States Department of Labor is a cabinet-level, regulatory department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government. The Department of Labor is headed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor as appointed by the President of the United States with the approval of the Senate.The Department of Labor is primarily responsible for the implementation and enforcement of laws and regulations relating to workplace safety and health, wage and hour standards, racial diversity, unemployment benefits, and re-employment services. The purpose of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment. In carrying out this mission, the Department administers a variety of federal labor laws guaranteeing workers rights to safe and healthful working conditions, a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, freedom from employment discrimination, unemployment insurance, and workers compensation. The Department also protects workers pension rights; provides for job training programs; helps workers find jobs; works to strengthen free collective bargaining; and keeps track of changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. As the Department seeks to assist all Americans who need and want to work, special efforts are made to meet the unique job market problems of older workers, youths, minority group members, women, the handicapped, and other groups. In July 2013, then-Secretary of Labor Tom Perez summarized the purpose of the Department of Labor in stating, â€Å"Boiled down to its essence, the Department of Labor is the department of opportunity.† Brief History of the Department of Labor First established by Congress as the Bureau of Labor under the Department of the Interior in 1884, the Department of Labor became an independent agency in 1888. In 1903, it was reassigned as a bureau of the newly-created cabinet-level Department of Commerce and Labor. Finally, in 1913, President William Howard Taft signed a law establishing the Department of Labor and the Department of Commerce as separate cabinet-level agencies as they remain today. On March 5, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson appointed William B. Wilson as the first Secretary of Labor. In October 1919, the International Labour Organization chose Secretary Wilson to chair its first meeting, even though the United States had not yet become a member nation. On March 4, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Frances Perkins to be Secretary of Labor. As the first female cabinet member, Perkins served for 12 years, becoming the longest-serving Secretary of Labor. Following the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the Department of Labor made the government’s first concerted effort to promote racial diversity in the hiring practices of labor unions. In 1969, Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz imposed the Philadelphia Plan requiring Pennsylvania construction unions, which had previously refused to accept black members, to admit a certain number of blacks by an enforced deadline. The move marked the first imposition of racial quotas by the U.S. federal government.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Texas Is A State Of The Wild Frontier - 1605 Words

Texas Texas is a state that is dearly loved by its inhabitants, and even some who do not live there. Despite how many people love it, there are a lot of people who dislike Texas and the pride Texans have for it. Texas fought for independence from a country much larger than itself, and then chose to become a part of the United States, while still reserving the right to secede. Many people do not take into accord the reasons why Texans are so proud. Perhaps the most famous Texans are men who weren’t even born in the state. David â€Å"Davy† Crockett won himself the nickname â€Å"King of the Wild Frontier† after many adventures and fighting many battles. It was said he weighed at least one-hundred-and-eighty-pounds and stood over six feet tall, and†¦show more content†¦Crockett knew of a few of President Jackson’s corrupt ways, and after calling him out on these things, President Jackson, nicknamed â€Å"Old Hickory† used his powers to keep D avy Crockett from serving a third term in Congress. Angered by this, Crockett said, â€Å"If I’m not permitted to serve my own country any longer, my constituents can go to hell, and I will go where people need me, that place being Texas† (Kubiak 87-88). This is a quote that became very popular among modern Texans after being shortened to â€Å"You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.† When he arrived in Texas in January of 1836 with twelve other men, he read the oath of Texas allegiance. He turned down a position of command, and stated that he wanted to defend the most defenseless part of the Alamo (Kubiak 102, 90). The first shot fired at the Battle of the Alamo was by Davy Crockett, which caused the first blood to fall. It was reported that Davy Crockett hit his target at least 300 feet away. After the Texan soldiers had been destroyed, Santa Anna sent in his men to find the leaders of the Texans. They found David Crockett amidst a room full of dead Me xican soldiers (Kubiak 91). David Crockett has since been named a hero to all Texans. Alongside Davy Crockett, there were two other men who were seen as leaders of the Texas Revolution: William B. Travis and Jim Bowie. All three of them died together during the Battle of the Alamo. Bowie, who had contracted pneumonia and typhoid, and had no

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Victorian England in the opening of Oliver Twist Essay Example For Students

Victorian England in the opening of Oliver Twist Essay During Charles Dickens life he wrote many books, although they are different, but they reflect each other in many ways. I believe the biggest similarity in his collection of books is with Oliver Twist a story of a young boy who lives in an orphanage and Great Expectations which is a story of a young orphan named Phillip Pirrip, or Pip as he is more commonly known.  Both books are semi-autobiographical as they hint upon Dickens life as he grew up in a workhouse and was horrified by the social conditions of Victorian Britain. He used his work to help reform the class system. Few among the social classes recognised or cared about the conditions suffered by children in the workhouses. Some children turned to crime or, worse, died of starvation. Dickens had gone through the anguish of being pulled out of school and put to work in a shoe-polish factory. His father had been sent to a well known debtors prison called Marshalsea and there was no money for Dickens education. To his embarrassment, Dickens was moved to a window at the front of the factory for bystanders to see him as he glued labels on to tubs of shoe polish. The encounter that would leave a lifelong mark on him and played a major part in his inspiration for writing Oliver Twist. Oliver Twist, which was serialised monthly between 1837 and 1839, caused a sensation when it highlighted the troubles of the deprived young and their often horrendous experiences in the foul workhouses, and it begins with a narrator instantly saying things like which I need not trouble myself to repeat and for a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all. This is showing that Oliver is immediately unimportant to everyone and this is shown especially well when Olivers mum has just given birth to him and the line reads the surgeon deposited it in her arms. I think the choice of words are very good here because the use of the word deposited shows the baby is not very well handled and the choice of the word it shows that the baby isnt considered important because she didnt say him or her. Olivers mum looks up and instantly talks about dying and straight away the surgeon says oh, you must not talk about dying yet with fears of being left with the baby, and while the mother has been giving birth the nurse has been drinking in the corner to an evident satisfaction and just after the mother dies the surgeon says dont send up for me if the baby cries, nurse and with great deliberation he adds Its likely it will be troublesome, give it a little gruel if it is. This shows that the surgeon is only bothered about his own job and his own happiness, we also have the repetition of it again. After Olivers mum dies he is immediately branded as the poorest of the poor based on his mums clothes and the fact that she wasnt married so he was dressed in old yellow calico robes, badged and ticketed after the surgeon says ahh the old story, no wedding ring. This shows that he thinks he has got her figured out just by the fact that she has no wedding ring, even though the list is endless as to why she might not be married. I think there is a quote in this chapter, which really sums up the first part of Olivers life despised by all, and pitied by none meagrely .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 , .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .postImageUrl , .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 , .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:hover , .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:visited , .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:active { border:0!important; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:active , .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50 .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud31977a8de2b0a84b827dabf2a912b50:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Assignment on 'To Kill a Mockingbird' EssayOliver is covered for under the Poor Law, and spends the first eight years of his life at a baby farm in the care of a woman named Mrs. Mann the boss of the infantile workhouse where Oliver is raised. Along with other offenders against this law,they are also abused and half-starved in her care. Mrs Mann is two-faced as she abuses people lower than her and sucks up to the people above her e.g. she abuses Oliver and sucks up to Mr Bumble. Mr Bumble (also know as The Beadle) likes power, and he uses it to its full. Mr Bumble has a few abiding qualities. Oliver tells Mr Bumble everything on the way to Mr. Sowerberrys, and says, I feel as if I had been cut here, sir, and it was all bleeding away; and Oliver puts his hand to his heart, and looked into Mr Bumbles face with tears of real agony. When Oliver does this Mr Bumble is moved but the problem is that he doesnt act on the fact that he feels sorry for Oliver He does is so he doesnt look like he is a weak man. He seems to think that he wont be respected if he shows pity to anyone. This is one of the examples in which Dickens wants us to see Mr. Bumble as a nice character, and not just a one-sided man. Mr Bumble also gets to wear a special cocked hat that is his pride and joy the hat has three tiers, which I believe represent the class system in place in the Victorian era, Lower class, Middle class, and Upper class. I think this is ironic that Mr Bumble treasures it because he isnt that far up in the class system.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The gas industry

Introduction This project involved calculation of the annual average data of gas prices in US cities. The data was for years 1982 to 2011. The scatter diagram shows the exact movement of the prices since 1982.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The gas industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the prices have fluctuation both upwards and downwards, the clear pattern is that these prices have been on upward trend overtime. Although the most recent prices are yet to reach the historic high that was recorded in 2008, there is a clear indication that the prices will never drop to the low range of 1990’s. The linear regression analysis shows that the prices are on a positive trend, and they will continue to increase in the next 10 years. Since 1989, the prices of the gas have been increasing steadily. This could perhaps have resulted from tight demand and supply balance, which exposes gas market to tremen dous price swings when unforeseen adjustments takes place in the market – these includes supply constraints resulting from natural disasters and spike in demand that results from weather changes. This report focuses the effects of higher gas prices on our distribution company in the next 10 years. The gas industry is operating under a challenging and a dynamic global marketplace characterized by persistent price surges. Over the recent years, oil price fluctuation has become the order of the day. In spite of this, our delivery company has a challenging task of ensuring it focus on the medium to long-term conditions, if it is to make credible decisions and achieve its growth targets. Investing in people, technology and RD are critical to ensuring a lasting competitive edge (Dybvig Stephen, 1985).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When the prices of natural gas increase, all the end-use consuming sectors are affected significantly. Although the observed trend may be a suitable market reaction to the existing supply and demand, the adjustments to higher prices impacts on both suppliers and consumers of gas. Higher gas prices renders distributors to higher risks. This problem is made even worse by defaults of payments and reduced markets as a result of higher consumption efficiencies and conservation that results from economic or political factors. The reduction in market volumes will force the distributors to adopt cost recovery strategies. Consequently, the financial returns as a result of the potential impact of the market developments will be substantial. Supposing the increased prices of gas will reduce the consumption by the customers, this will cause a lot of problems since the distributors have designed their systems to meet the demand especially on peak seasons. If the consumption fails to recover soon, then this may grind down cost recovery slowly and result into a serious negative effect on the potential for our market growth. Although a delivery company can result to new rates that matches the lower expenditure per customer, this course can be costly and length. The constant price surges since 1989 have worsened problems that results from our distribution market. This surge draws a parallel relationship with the defaults by the customers and increase in late payments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The gas industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This in turn results to increased costs to the distributors and it may eventually result in bad debts when the efforts to collect the bills fail to bear fruits. Therefore, the distribution companies may result to changing their rates in an attempt to alleviate some of the impacts of reduced volumes of delivery. Although prices may reduce from the historically high of 2008, they appear to have moved to a range considerably higher than that of the 1990’s. If the higher prices will carry on, the problems of reduction in gas consumption per customer, reduction in gas markets, and payments issues are expected to persist in the next ten years. Furthermore, since the prices have gone up, the scale of price fluctuations that occurs daily will perhaps scale up, which will exacerbate the price risk faced by our delivery company (Squires, 1995). Our company has to contend with the mounting uncertainty that is particularly typical of the recent decades. With tighter regulations and new policies to adhere to, long-term planning and strategy are very critical, given the uncertain environment. In a bid to balance the mounting demand and price surge with sustainable and sufficient energy, our company will have to adopt new technologies. As the market continues to become more competitive albeit increased prices, industry analysts have continued to forecast a positive trend in gas demand. Besides demand, there are several other positive trends, including improvements in refining and improved GDP. However, these positive signals cannot be so impressive considering the 2008 economic crisis, which left the industry in tatters.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As such, there is a significant upward pressure on the prices of oil and gas. This is contributed by the geopolitical turbulence that has hit Islamic countries, from Middle East to North Africa, as well as a general speculation of an upsurge in commodities market (Bodie, Kane Marcus, 2009). If the gas prices will continue with the upward trend, then mending up of the economy may come under a threat, which will affect gas demand in the next ten years. This problem will be exacerbated by the fact that the markets are fundamentally oversupplied. As already discussed, the uncertainty that has gripped the industry is constraining unrestrained optimism, which is marked in all sectors, but more pronounced in the downstream sector. In this sector, the uncertainty emanated from the so called refinery ‘golden age’, which took a high toll in 2006 when refiners were enjoying high profit margins as a result of increased oil demand. Therefore, the refining market is still finding a way of avoiding recurrence of such conditions in the future. This incidence left a market full of persistent overcapacity in OECD nations. In spite of the grim prospects, the industry can draw some optimism from adapted tactics for the uncertain market circumstances. Strategizing a business, which is flexible enough to capitalize on the changing market dynamics will be critical to any promising prospects in this industry, in the coming years (Christopherson, Wayne Andrew, 1999). In the analysis, I have predicted that the gas prices will increase to $13.67 in the next ten years. Although there are considerable errors associated with this analysis, this forecast may turn out to be true considering the drastic fluctuation that have been experienced in recent years, in addition to the disturbance that is likely to come from the political and economical factors that have reigned the oil producing giants from the middle east (Banerjee, 1990) Conclusion The analysis shows a clear indicati on that the gas price surge will persist in the next ten years. Certainly, this situation will have a significant impact on the operation of the delivery companies. Mostly importantly, the customers will experience more problems repaying their debts hence imposing extra costs their operations, and also affect their cash flows negatively. In addition, the delivery companies will result to price reductions in response the shrinking demand – this will significantly reduce their profit margins. Albeit the multiple risks associated with prices surges, analysis have predicted that the demand for this commodity will continue to increase in the future, but the delivery companies may continue to suffer because the competition in the market is intensifying. References Banerjee, B. (1990). Financial Policy and Management Accounting. London: PHI Learning Pvt. Bodie, Z., Kane, A., Marcus, J. (2009). Essentials of Investments. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Christopherson, J. A., Wayne, E.F ., Andrew, L. (1999). Performance Evaluation Using Conditional Alphas and Betas. Journal of Portfolio Management, 26(1), 59–72. Dybvig, P.H., Stephen A.R. (1985). The Analytics of Performance Measurement. Journal of Finance, 40(2), 2-56. Squires, J. (1995). Performance Evaluation, Benchmarks, and Attribution Analysis. Charlottesville: Management and Research Association. This essay on The gas industry was written and submitted by user Kason W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.