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Overcoming Prejudice and Racism in the South: Ann Moody’s Struggle for Equality

When Ann was in high school, she started getting the attention of the boys and the men in their community. Moody (1968) pointed out that she wore jeans when she outgrew her  school uniform dresses, which her family was unable to afford  to replace for her even when they grew tight. Her popularity with the boys increased in that in her eighth grade, she was elected the home coming queen. Moreover, her father, Diddly, provided her with a beautiful dress. This made her homecoming parade in high school one of the few moments of joy in her young life. Her mother was not even able to recognize her in the new dress until she waved.

 

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The experiences of Ann Moody in the book are shown of her struggle to overcome the post war era of racism and gender in the South America. The experiences of the author elaborate how it was like in the i1950’s and 1960’s for the young African Americans (Moody, 1968). The recollections of the author of her childhood and even adult acquaintances who were murdered by the KuKlux Klan, and the harsh experiences where she had to hide in high grass at night to avoid the Klan

Moody (1968) indicated that she grew up when the civil rights movements were thick, and therefore she had to deal with racism and prejudices from both whites and the blacks. Furthermore, the author had to struggle through the hardships because her family was poor. From her experiences in the parade, the author creates a picture of a hero being borne from her struggles. She was poor, she was black, but through her struggles she was able to struggle through and be elected the homecoming queen. She uses her strong will and heroism to make things happen. The feelings and the experiences of a black girl is therefore conveyed through the reflections of the author.

When Anne began her high school, she started to hate the different kinds of prejudices the Negros were given. She hated everyone from the white people who bore the responsibility of murdering many people. Similarly, she hated the blacks for not doing something and standing up against the committed murders (Moody, 1968p.129). this acted as a trigger and she started questioning the kind of treatment she received, and this saw her searching for what according to her was right.

Anne also experiences the prejudices of the whites against blacks, and the light skinned blacks towards the dark skinned blacks. Moreover, the people with money also had prejudices towards the poor people. The author is at great pain since she received all the kinds of prejudices of her time and this prejudice the author against the wealthy, the light skinned blacks and the whites.

Similarly, the gradation of the skin color amongst the blacks themselves brings out the racial discrimination during that era. The author refers to the blacks who are light skinned as “yellow” or “mulatto,” and they often curved out for themselves a higher social status, despite the fact that in no any way they were better off compared to the blacks or the whites legally (Moody, 1968). This according to Ann was at disunity among the blacks. The social construction of the racial distinctions had no real basis in the physical reality. But the prejudice made the author suspicious of the light skinned blacks, and that shows how prejudice can be destructive.

In conclusion, Ann Moody’s memoir provides a poignant and eye-opening account of the challenges faced by African Americans during the tumultuous civil rights era in the South. Her experiences highlight the deep-rooted racism and prejudice that permeated society, affecting not only relations between whites and blacks but also within the black community itself. Through her resilience and determination, Moody emerges as a symbol of hope and empowerment, defying societal expectations and fighting for equality. Her story serves as a reminder of the enduring struggle for civil rights and the importance of standing up against injustice. Ann Moody’s narrative is a testament to the power of one individual’s voice in challenging systemic racism and inspiring change.

References

Moody, A. (1968). Coming of age in Mississippi. New York: Dial Press.

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Exploring Social Relations in “Open City” and “Do the Right Thing”

Introduction

The book “open city” by Teju Cole and the film “Do the Right Thing” are some comparable and contrastable literary works. The book has its setting in New York, and the film with its setting in Bedford, a black African neighborhood in Brooklyn. The article will develop, compare and contrast the theme of social relations in the book “Open City” and the film. However, before discussing both, a better understanding of the storyline of the book and the film is important.

According to Cole (12), the book Open City by Teju Cole brings out the narration on wandering. Julius, a flaneur, is both a participant and an observer in the city life, basically in New York and Brussels, as highlighted in the novel’s first chapters. Julius, an American training psychiatrist in Manhattan of Nigerian and German extraction, has no roots in New York. Julius, entranced in the city, is anxious but not about his outsider status, which is a fetishist. Furthermore, he is on the rebound of the relationship. His mind connects with many walks he makes across the urban grid, now aimlessly and for purpose.

 

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Furthermore, the book Open City has a lot of profound reflections on these walk descriptions and cultural forms. It praises the city as a power, community, and dedesiredenue. Breaking through the anonymous crowd, Julius encounters strangers, friends, and acquaintances, among them Moji (Cole, 23-76).

The book is more about conversation than strolling in the city streets because Julius engages in conversations constantly with everyone he meets. The conversation is how Julius participates in city life; his conversations are more than just chit-chat. However, they are the type of conversations crucial to true cosmopolitanism. The book’s initial pages are sebaldian intensely, and the narrator tells of how he began to go for a walk in the evening “last falls” (Cole, 26) and found the neighborhoods. These walks lengthened steadily, taking me farther and farther to the field every time, so that I found myself often at quite a distance late at night from home, and was to return home after being compelled by subway” (Cole, 28).

“Do The Right Thing,” on the other hand, is an American drama film written, directed, and produced by spike Lee. The movie brings out a story of a simmering neighborhood racial tension that degenerates and culminates into a tragedy on the summer’s hottest day.

A young black man, Mookie, resides in Bedford Stuyvesant, an African American neighborhood, together with her sister, Jade. Mookie delivers pizza in the neighboring pizzeria, and Jade wants him out of her apartment because he is ambitionless. However, he works to support Tina, his girlfriend, and Hector, their son. Salvator, an Italian American owner of the pizzeria, has a son called Pino, who hold racial contempt for the black and detest the working place. Vito, the younger son of Sal, is a friend of Mookie, but Pino is out to make life of Mookie miserable. Lee pointed out that within the strict location and temporal confines of the film “Do the Right Thing” lies the concerned work tackling America’s enormous themes. That is liberty, violence, economics, urban survival, ambition, and race relations on a micro-scale. With its unorthodox and thrilling blend of Black artificiality and Aristotelian unity, it gives the location of the big among the small and, finally, the national in the local.

The theme of social relations is seen in many instances in the book. To begin with, social integration as part of social relations in the book will be discussed. The theme of social integration in “Open City” comes out where people must learn how to talk with others to learn and understand how to reside with others. Therefore, there should be a series of conversations whereby an individual carefully listens to what other people are saying with the willingness to change their minds on something important if they realize the partner they were conversing with has a better idea or thinking ways than them. Cole (45) asserts that human beings are fallible and should constantly be on the lookout for better mechanisms and ways to make corrections on errors in their thinking modes of behavior or to improve them.

In both the book “Open City” and the film “Do the Right Thing,” the theme of social relations is also portrayed in how the characters forget about their differences and hold truce to improve their social relations. The notion that cities and neighborhoods are just historical sites having many layers is brought out vividly. The cities have had large populations for a very long time; therefore, many people have lived and died throughout the history course. Lee pointed out that some of these tragic happenings have been forgotten. The metropolitans and bustling metropolis are often seen as Broadway shows of skyscrapers with the inhabitant’s stories being neglected or falling by the wayside. The main character in the book “Open City” is described as wandering in the city and documenting whatever he sets his eyes upon. Forgetfulness and remorse for improving social relations are revealed at the end of the film “Do the Right Thing.” There is an element of truce between Mookie and Sal. Both are aware of their previous night’s violent and reckless actions and wish they could have just moved on without the ingrained societies’ racial suspicions and stereotypes. However, for them to speak that way means it is unrealistic socially but also hurts the provocative ambiguity of the ending.

In contrasting the movie “Do the Right Thing” and the book “Open City” to bring out the prevailing themes, the settings of the book embrace the cosmopolitan conversation, unlike the film, which does not. Julius reproduces conversations frequently that later produce an opportunity for him and the other points of view of other people in the stories at length. These conversations sometimes relate to how he improves his social relations with the members of the public. For instance, in the conversation scenario of Bootblack and Julius observed by Cole (62), Julius does not even comment on what he has just heard. This lets the readers, and the audience at large make judgments for themselves. However, the conversations later prove to be having some resonance kind. In the film “Do the Right Thing,” the conversation element is not embraced by the parties. Racial animosity, hatred boundaries in the small town, and violence inhibit people from embracing conversation, jeopardizing social relations.

The theme of social relations in the book and film also comes into the limelight from the racial tension in the film “Do the Right Thing.” To begin, no one is a racist, including Sal and Buggin, but racial tension exists as the stereotype scenario portrays. Lee inserts the white guy who is obnoxious and whose car gets ruined by the black youths. Lee further pointed out that probably everyone expected the police would chase the black youths, but that did not happen; they side with the black youths. This shows that racism does not exist and social relation is at their best.

As elaborated by Lee in the film, racial tension exists in the film, which tries to jeopardize social relations in the city. However, in the book “Open City,” pure racism is portrayed, affecting social relations in the city. Apart from other related themes in the book, such as colonialism, exploitation, and immigration, racism is common. Julius, a Nigerian man, studying in the land of America, is discussed from the African man’s perspective. He was later accused of rape by another woman while living in Lagos. The narrator recalls that at Madison, he was a medical student and recalls an uncomfortable experience at a dinner when a Ugandan-Indian doctor, who was forced to flee the country by Idi Amin, announced to his guests openly that “when I think of Africans, I want to spit” (Cole, 112). The reaction of the narrator has described next “the bitterness was startling. It was anger that I could not help feeling, was directed at me partly, the only African in the room, my background detail, that I was from Nigeria, did not make any difference, because Dr. Gupta had talked of Africans” (Cole, 112). This shows how the narrator faced racism, which drove him to bitterness and anger and consequently affected his social relations with other people.

Social relations in the film are also under attack. The happenings tend to ruin the good social relations in the neighborhood. Buggin is in a problem by giving shit to a white man just by stepping on his shoes. Furthermore, he is angry because an Italian America is giving honor to his Italian heritage. Everybody around knows that he is in trouble, and when he gets escorted out, Mookie gets annoyed by him. In fact, according to Lee, everybody is annoyed and does not understand why an Italian American should not be proud of being an Italian. On the hand, Sal is suspicious and not racist. Although Mookie is uncomfortable with him after he goes for his sister, he is a nice person who loves the neighborhoods for giving support.

The theme of social relations in the film and book is also seen in the love and hate of the characters involved. There is a contradiction in Radio Raheem, and love and hate exist in the film “Do the Right Thing.” Raheem describes himself, and he is also intimidating. He roams around, blasting loud music, and does not interact with anybody. Therefore, he is neutral. He does not build any social relations and seems like a lone ranger. Hate comes in when he gets angry at Sal and finally gets killed because of his actions to show the consequences of hate. Raheem and the police were consumed excessively with hatred, and Mookie threw the trash can aftermath. Lee pointed out that the play’s title derived its name from “Do the Right Thing” because Mookie was angry and did whatever he could. However, that cannot mean he did the right thing. Similarly, in the book “Open City,” social relations are affected by the hatred seen by the narrator when the Indian Ugandan doctor openly declares his hatred for Africans because Idi Amin evicted him from Uganda. The narrator also hates the doctor because he detests all Africans and has contempt for them, yet he is an African.

The theme of social relations is ironed out and strengthened from the relationships in the film and the book “Open City.” The novel reveals and shows that even the individuals that form particular cultural or ethnic groups have a certain social relationship with one another. The members of particular ethnic or racial affiliations or that have common interests tend or can flock together because they can identify with others just like them. Cole (97) pointed out that professional relationships of Julius included interacting with his colleagues. Furthermore, it is a relationship of the patient to the doctor that he forms with the patient as a psychologist. In the film “Do the Right Thing,” the theme of relationships is also portrayed along racial lines. Sal is brought out as an American Italian in the neighborhood. However, on the wall of his restaurants, Lee pointed out that he only sticks the picture of his racial people.

Furthermore, the black youth are seen as reacting to what may seem like racial violence. The violence erupts between two racial affiliations. This shows that relations between the people of the same racial identity affiliate themselves.

The societal social problems in the book “Open City “and the film “Do the Right Thing “also affect social relations.  In the city of New York and the Bedford neighborhoods in Brooklyn, structure continuity exists and remedies people come up with for the known city life. Cities are where thousands or millions of people reside together in a small place, so the need to look into social problems like security, transportation, electricity, and water supply. For instance, in the film, Mookie is about to be evicted by her sister from her apartments, and therefore, he will lack housing. Furthermore, insecurity is seen in the neighborhood from the street violence of the black youths and the violence experienced in the streets. All these social problems affecting the people affect their social relations,

Similarly, in the book an open city, the author talks of a neighbor Julius, who lives near other people. Moreover, Cole (143) explains that in the neighborhood, something major can occur in their life without anyone being aware of its existence. He elaborates that “you can live with someone closely and nearby but know very little about the happenings in their life” (Cole, 152). That is something which, according to Cole (152), anyone residing in the city is related to. As elaborated by Cole, this scenario shows the city’s poor state of social relations and is in sharp contrast with the film. People value their privacy and rarely interact with their neighbors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both the book “Open City” and the film “Do the Right Thing” are written and scripted in different settings. However, many of the themes are shared and come out clearly in the two literary works. The theme of social relations has been extensively discussed as Lee has portrayed it in the film and the book “Open City.” Social relations integrate social interaction and other factors that affect it.

Work Cited

Cole, Teju. Open City: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2011. Print.

Lee, Spike, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Joie S. Lee, John Savage, Samuel L. Jackson, Ernest R. Dickerson, Barry A. Brown, and Bill Lee. Do the Right Thing. Universal City, CA: Universal City Studios, 2001.

 

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Pregnancy in Prison: The Raw Truth of Olivia Hamilton’s Experience

Introduction

Olivia Hamilton tells her story with people by displaying to them how she was handled and how she felt about it. She does this by displaying her viewers the raw truth, obviously not holding anything back.  Olivia Hamilton knowledgeable childhood years complete with children activities. She had a beginning maternity and was misused in jail. By studying this story, the viewers gets to know how mothers-to-be are handled in jails. I will definitely agree with the fact I will totally agree that when a woman gets to a certain age in her life, there is a lot pressure to the woman to do things that they may not want to do. A very brief summary of this reading is it’s about this lady who developed some bad options in her way of lifestyle had to go to jail for a little while. She was expecting in jail and described all the battles she had and defeated because of being expectant. She regarded she was handled badly and recommended to let the readers know her story so they could understand to create sensible options in the way of lifestyle and not find themselves in position as she was.

 

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Nowadays it is very typical for workers in financial problems to get the type the organizations or areas where they perform to pay. Similarly, Hill et al (1990) described that some of the workers also consider embezzling of resources, store improve or even con their organizations. This is also just like the situation of Olivia. When she completed higher education she developed an error due to money problems and later regretted it, being sentenced for a year in prison. Olivia was caught providing products away to her buddy and embezzling from her work station at Pep-boys and Kmart. She exposed that she developed an error and repent it. She is sincere and uses the actual locations that she conducted and kinds of individuals she interacted with to connect with her visitors as well as an upsetting overall tone to highlight that she repent the activity (Hamilton et al, 1992).

It is very typical these days to hear on in the news or in the group where a boy comes for the kid from the mother after being borne. This is mainly seen in circumstances where the boy considers the woman to be irresponsible and cannot deal with the kid. Therefore, they usually declare for paternity liability. This is also exposed in Olivia oral story. Her kid was taken from her and handed over to her boy friend, and she was locked up. Around two days after giving birth, the kid was taken home by her fiancée, making Olivia to be remaining in an infirmary, divided and frustrated. Eggers et al (2012) observed that once she was finally out of the infirmary someone picket u a fight with her, leading to them both getting put into locked up.  Olivia involved her ideas, leading to her readers to experience link with her. Her appreciation could be experienced when her mother sent her some of her things, she got to contact her grandmother, and when she discovered out she was going home her joy could be experienced.

The understanding from this tale is very eye opening. These days there are cases of females getting pregnant or expecting in jails and they usually get bad therapies. The physicians in the jails do not issue about the fate of the women prisoners. From the oral tale of Olivia, Obviously I have never been in prison and never want to have that encounter. I was a little bit amazed by how poorly she was handled while in prison and yet pregnant. She was compelled to have a c-section because it did not look as her kid was going to be borne by the due date expected, so they pressured her into labor (Hamilton, 1992). They did not offer her with any prenatal proper care while she was in prison, so the kid could have been developed with several birth defects. No one cared if she was expecting. According to Eggers et al (2012), during her remain at city prison, she was not let have a system junk unless described by a physician, despite being clearly expecting, however someone was awesome enough to make a trade with her. She had no way for proper nourishment or vitamins. Olivia was continually “shackled”.  She indicated her emotions about the “degrading” encounter. Also, Olivia used a humiliated tone explaining the way the visit to her child went out.  She was handled just like any other prisoner and verbal too ignorantly. She approached her near close relatives, but saw no element in trying to get them accepted for visitation rights privileges. Olivia’s overall tone reveals her visitors how alone and puzzled she was about the way she was being handled. Despite not displaying any symptoms of developing the labor pain, she was administered with Pitocin by the authorities. Her whole body was not ready to go into any form of labor so they pressured her to undergo the C-section when all the time she was inside. Furthermore, Olivia’s loyalty and enunciation, such as “fortunate”, display the lack of energy she had in this scenario and how alone she was (Hill et al, 1990).

This lady was in a very complex scenario. She already had two kids and got herself expecting with her first at a very younger age. For some individuals this is the simple reality of their way of lifestyle. They create choices that are wrong and later have to pay the consequences. Maybe not quite as serious as the ones Olivia had to deal with but they pay for it in some way. Studying this made me to recognize how essential it is to obtain best education, so you can get an excellent job and pay your expenses (Eggers et al, 2012). A young girl should not get herself pregnant at the tender age where they cannot get assistance as kids definitely. All this is aspects noticed and was certified all the way of lifestyle, but it really improved the concept the parents always recommend and put it into the viewpoint of how bad it can be if you are not amazing a create excellent choices enhancing up. Hill et al (1990) pointed out that Olivia’s kid years were complicated after being sent to remain with her grandmother, finishing from the university with a kid, and struggling with Natural disaster of hurricane Katrina. In a bid to get her mother’s interest Olivia offered out, getting in problems. When she was sent to teenager juvenile prisons, Olivia noticed that she should not get in problems for interest and got her act together. She got expectant at 17 yet was still lucky to graduate student higher education with a 3.8 GPA (Hamilton et al, 1992). She tried to remain with her mother but it did not perform out so she had to shift returning to Louisiana and began higher education. When Natural disaster hurricane Katrina struck, she was living in Georgia and very much jobless. She gradually got to remain with her mother and got a job at McDonalds. Illustrative terminology was used to show her emotions. A very pleased overall tone was used to explain the purpose she was able to graduate student higher education student and a condescending overall tone when creating referrals to doing out for interest (Eggers et al, 2012).

In many circumstances, one may think that there way of lifestyle has been in a mess. However, after recollection and close family emotional support, a person tends to recollect and start again. After Olivia going all through the problems, the narrative portrays her as one who reconciles herself and has changed. Everything had personalized once she got out of prison, but she is a more impressive individual in the end. When she got out the residence was in a mess, her cash was gone, and the children were divided (Hill et al, 1990). She was made and observed that she dreadful by having to keep, but she got a job and got her near close relatives and the way of lifestyle returning together again. Olivia reveals on her current failing to discover a job and that she problems about placing the indictment on programs. She is using her actions to help notify other individuals about what one anxious error can do to your way of lifestyle. Olivia’s overall tone reveals that she is sincere and is trying her toughest to shift on from the occurrence, however, she knows that it’ll adhere to her through her the whole way of lifestyle (Hamilton et al, 1992).

References

Hamilton, A., & Serres, O. W. (1992). Secret history of the court of England, from the accession of George the Third to the death of George the Fourth: Including, among other important matters, full particulars of the mysterious death of the Princess Charlotte. London: W.H. Stevenson.

Eggers, D., & Bradbury, R. (2012). The best American nonrequired reading 2012. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Hill, R. E., & Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. (1990). The Black women oral history project. Westport: Meckler.

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The Evolution of Computer Mouse: Design, Market Needs, and Manufacturing Process

A mouse is a computer hardware input device that controls cursor movements on the screen of a computer (Price, 2011). It is a tiny object that is rolled along a flat and hard surface to control the pointer on the screen. The name was derived from its size since it resembles a mouse and it has also a long tiny wire that resembles the tail of a mouse. The computer mouse moves the cursor on the screen in the same direction to which the user moves it. Mice composed of at least one button and at most three buttons each with dissimilar functions depending on the program it runs. The advanced mice also have a wheel that is used for scroll the pages up and down in the documents (Burnett-Stuart & Taylor, 2001).

Bardini (2000) indicated that Douglas Engelbart, a researcher in the Stanford Research Center invented the first mice in 1963 and was later pioneered by Xerox in 1970s. The three basics types of mice include; mechanical which hasa metal ball or a rubber underneath that roll at 360 degrees. It is fitted with mechanical sensors that automatically detect the direction of the ball and in turn move the cursor as directed by the user. Secondly, the optomechanical mouse resembles the mechanical mouse but detect the direction of the cursor by use of optical sensors. Lastly, there is the optical mouse that detects the direction of the cursor using laser. Unlike others, the optical mouse has got no mechanical moving parts and they are quicker than the opto-mechanical and mechanical mice (Price, 2011).

 

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Market need and Product Design Specification.

The market need of the computer mouse is very dynamic with the bulging technology. However, before a consumer makes a purchase, there are various factors to consider. Firstly, it is comparative to consider the item’s price, condition and the purchasing purposes. There are variety of options that a client can chose from incase of a purchase is to be made. In the old days, before the GUI, computer was operated through text commands. Therefore, to use a computer by then, one needed to have a computer programmer. The Apple GUI discovery allowed the user to enjoy the unparalleled productivity improvements. Currently, the new interface provides the user with easy time and fewer sills to work with a computer (McCarthy & Perreault, 1990).

However, the market demands of the mouse are on the rise with the advancements on the technology. According to the report by XXX and YYYY, there is a 41% rise in computer mouse unit sales from the month of May 1998 to May 1999. It indicates that more than 3.2 million mice were bought separately exclusive of those fixed with the new computer systems. This represented over $60 million dollars. Presently, Microsoft enjoys 22.8 % of the mouse in the market while Logitech and Kensington having 21.3 % and 6.6 % respectively (Cusumano & Selby, 2005). The rest is controlled by other manufactures worldwide.

The Product Design Specification can be categorized into two broad characteristics.

Operational and Physical Characteristics

Performance requirements- the device must permit the user to access the computer fully at least 8 hours daily. It must also require least movements of the parts. The input device and thearm support must both function efficiently without unnecessary adjustments.

Safety- both the arm support and the input device should not irritate the user’s skin.

Accuracy and reliability-the cursor must move to where the client directs it while displaying extreme sensitivity.

Ergonomics- the device for arm support must have height than gets adjustable.

Size and weight -the mouse must fit the hands of the client proportionally and the weight must not strain the user for at least 8 hours daily.

Product Characteristics

Quantity– only one device is needed.

Cost of production- efficient budget of one unit is sufficient.

The mouse systems are currently improving with new products being manufactured. The use of the mouse is normal and fairly simple. When the mouse is powered, it runs through the calibrator.

Connection of the mouse to the computer.

The mouse is connected through the plug inn port that already exists in the computer or into the RS-232 interface box. To connect, the user must plug the 25-pin connector to the computer and the other end plugged into the interface box.

Mouse use.

The mouse works best when aligned within 45 degrees from the normal orientation. However, most users place their wrist on the surface of the mouse and grasp it using their little and thumb finger. The mouse is potable and can be lifted and its position changed. Therefore, the cursor on the screen can always appear anywhere on the computer screen even without moving the wrist (Mouse (Computer, 2012).

DIP switches.

The deep switches of a mouse use various tools, for example, the paper clip. The orientation of the pad can be adjusted on the desk space and fit accordingly. At 90 degrees, the mouse is hardly sensitive compared to its original position.

Opening the mouse.

The device must always be opened to change the DIP settings of the switch. To open, one removes the twin screws bellow the mouse when on the table and finally the top is removed. The mouse consists of four parts namely; two lenses, rubber light shield and a PC board. The LEDs and the mirror are extremely fragile and should not be touched. The LEDs are positioned funnily to illuminate the paper efficiently (Burnett-Stuart & Taylor, 2001).

Power-cycling the mouse.

To power cycle the mouse, its advisable to take at least 5 seconds before plugging it back. This will permit adequate duration for the micro compressor to reset the capacitor and discharge it.

Calibration sequence.

Bardini (2000) pointed out that the circuit and the micro compressor are verified anytime the mouse is powered. The mouse the attempts to calibrate each lead in sequence through selection of the internal DIP switch. The calibrated LEDs are then turned on and since the IR LEDs cannot be seen, when the button is pressed both the red LEDs to function. This shows that the mouse is powered and calibration goes on.However, any button should not be pressed when the mouse is still calibrating.

Moreover, the mouse must always be moved constantly with comfortable speed for proper calibration of the LEDs. The IR LEDs are responsible for detecting the crossing green lines while the red LEDs detect the blue lines crossing over. Additionally, it is advisable to move the mouse with wide circles to complete the calibrations. Otherwise, the mouse only calibrates on high contrast ratio surfaces like the mouse pad. When the one LED is on it shows that the calibration process has been finalized and there exists no difference when the button switch is pressed and the cursor on the screen of the computer will start moving. On non-rotatable mode, the mouse only shows one red LED on while in rotatable, both LEDs are on (Price, 2011).

Advanced surface material

Most recent mice use infrared imaging to locate specific points where the hand meets the surface of the mouse. Advanced materials are applied to each zone to improve the durability and comfort. Additionally, to take care of heat and moisture that is built up, durable hydrophobic coating is added in the area around the palm. In case of heavy zones of contact, coating that are fingerprint-resistant are put on the bottom of the mouse.

Light weight design.

The mice are designed with lightest weight possible. This allows the user to hold and rotate the mouse more comfortably without using much energy. Ideally, the mouse should be used for at least eight hours daily without causing fatigue to the user.

Manufacturing of the mouse parts.

To manufacture a mouse, various procedures have to be followed simultaneously to make the units of the mouse. Firstly, the printed circuit board gets cut from the material and prepared. This is a resin-coated, flat sheet of considerable amount of surface. The surface-mount version has to be assembled by the machine (McCarthy & Perreault, 1990). Thereafter, the computer controlled sequencer which is always automatic is used to place the ­­­­­­­­­­­electrical components on the board in a proper manner depending on the pattern.

Furthermore, the encoder mechanism is assembled in a separate unit. Plastic parts are manufactured through injection-molding considering the specific model required. Then, the unit gets assembled, fastened to the PCB by use of screw. At this stage the board is completely assembled and therefore goes to the electronic tests of quality control (Mouse (Computer), 2012).

The tail of the mouse is manufactured using electrical wires, rubber cover and shielding. It has strain relieve devices that assists in the prevention of the cable from detaching from either the mouse or the plugging port.

Additionally, the outer shell is inspected by electrical experts after molding, surface treatment and trimming just before the assembly. The outer covering is assembled in four stages: PCB and encoder are inserted at the shell bottom and finally put together using automatic screw drivers (Brown, 2002).

Final performance and electronic inspection is done when the assembly is complete afterwhich rubber is pre applied on the added side of the mouse.

The process of manufacturing a mouse is short but requires competence of high level to achieve. Scholars have foreseen that advanced mice is yet to be produced with manufacturing firms currently working on it.

References

Bardini, T. (2000). Bootstrapping: Douglas Engelbart, coevolution, and the origins of personal computing. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press.

Brown, D. E. (2002). Inventing modern America: From the microwave to the mouse. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Burnett-Stuart, N., & Taylor, L. (2001). The Magic computer mouse. Genoa: Black Cat Pub.

Cusumano, M. A., & Selby, R. W. (2005). Microsoft secrets: How the world’s most powerful software company creates technology, shapes markets, and manages people. New York: Free Press.

McCarthy, E. J., & Perreault, W. D. (1990). Basic marketing: A managerial approach. Homewood, IL: Irwin.

Mouse (Computer). (2012).

Price, M. (2011). Computer basics. Southam, U.K: Easy Steps Limited.

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Transforming New York General Hospital: A Cultural Shift for Organizational Change

Introduction

The journey of transformational change in New York General Hospital started when the hospital was the center piece of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) disaster. According to Hayden & Denison (2008), SARS brought trauma and tragedy to the New York General Hospital community. On the other hand, it brought the need and opportunity for the renewal and revival of the institution. In response, Colling and York (201) pointed out that New York General Hospital invested significant  energy and time in building up an organizational culture where all the staff members of the institution understood that initiatives of change  are created at the health care systems front lines, where the staffs collective wisdom drives the required changes, and where all members of staff in an institution feel safe in learning their mistakes, and understand well their part in maintaining, inspiring and implementing the momentum. The essay will discuss how New York General Hospital used cultural transformation, as a change management framework in bringing transformational change. Cultural transformation change in New York General Hospital has seen the organization collaboration, teamwork, leadership and efficiency.

 

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SARS epidemic in New York General Hospital

According to Canada & Federal-Provincial Advisory Committee on Institutional and Medical Services (2014), about three years ago, the journey of transformation of New York General Hospital began when SARS catastrophe struck. SARS is a lethal virus that is unknown. The catastrophe hit hospitals in Toronto, attacking patients, staffs, members of their families and physicians, and this impacted so much on many staffs and even some lost their lives. Oandasan & Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. (2010) pointed out that the chief executive officer of New York General Hospital, Bonnie Adamson even said that during the SARS disaster, they saw the best out of human beings and also the outcome when trust is eroded. SARS left their staffs feeling disengaged, unhappy, lacking trusts, and unsafe in the organization.

New leadership platform

Tyshenko  et al (2010) pointed out that despite New York General Hospital being hit by the SARS catastrophe, the leaders of the institution came to learn that their members of staff were true heroes  and very brilliant. They learn that the ordinary people can perform extra ordinary things if given the necessity or the opportunity to do so and that their staff had the ability under pressure to self reorganize themselves. Moreover, they came to learn that perceptions of safety and quality can be influenced by relationships, and that the old thinking ways and behaviors needed to be changed.

The top leadership brass saw the time as an opportunity for fundamental transformation, rebirth and growth. The entire organization needed to make an investment in building their internal capacity, improve trusts levels, and become more resilient across the organization. The New York General Hospital embarked on a journey that would see them transform and rebuild the organization in cooperation with the front line staff, formal leaders, the board, and the physicians, the safest possible environment for highest quality of health care and for the patients (Marshall, 2011).

Phase one:  cultural leadership transformation (change driven strategy)

After listening for many hours to the New York General Hospital managing directors, staffs, patients, community members and families, the top level team was able to make a description of the current reality of the institution, their future state desired and the existing gaps that needed attention. Based on the two way feedback and the input, New York General Hospital came up with an organizational strategy. A workable plan was designed with four themes in a balanced score card that is driven strategically with quadrants of cause and effect. The team then came up with leveraged actions to address the gap, besides both quantitative and qualitative indicators to monitor their progress (Boonstra, 2013).

According to Colling and York (2010), the team felt that the execution of the strategy depended on change driven strategy of cultural leadership transformation. Epicenter of the transformation was a decisive plan move away from their current state to the future state that is desired. To realize that, the organization concentrated on shifting from the blame culture to accountability, from bosses to being coaches, from control and command  to stewardship, from silos to systems, and from individuals to teams. This shift can only take place with a steady leadership that is aligned with the strategy and direction of the organization. Moreover, Canada et al (2014) observed that the institution recognized that their leaders and managers needed new skills and capacities to reach their vision. Therefore, working sessions and leadership development   for their leaders became significant. The CEO led the in- house sessions, and regular meetings for all the leaders and their 120 managers of the organization. Furthermore, through regular learning sessions and dialogue, the senior leaders provided input for the 120 leaders of the institution (Oandasan et al, 2010).

Tyshenko et al (2010) observed that with the new thinking way, cross functional and new skills management infrastructure, a commitment to change of culture, strategy design and execution became the new method of doing business. The organization newly empowered and energized embarked on a journey to develop several improvement initiatives.

Marshall (2010) indicated that regardless of priority or project, it is a challenge to sustain change for a long time. Quick address to problems are generally accomplished  by adding skills or resources, but results of quick fix cannot be sustained ad maintained until the organizations culture including  values, norms, thinking and behaviors, language, shifts truly to continuous improvement culture. The leadership of New York General Hospitals acknowledged that meaningful and sustainable changes could not occur and be sustained in any part of the organization without over bending old culture transformation and support of the broad organization. They made the transformation culture a top priority.

Placing culture as the foundation, New York General Hospital was able to execute the change that is strategy driven. Each and every change could be observed through the strategic model of alignment, which aligns structures and skills with culture and strategy. Boonstra (2013) pointed out that one of the seventeen transformation process was the ED/GIM project in the organization, and it showed how crucial the organizational cultures for the sustainability of the success. The ED/GIM is an example that shows the cultural transformation efforts of New York General Hospital led to improvements in the institutions internal general medicine and emergency department. Colling and York (2010) asserted that because the process transformed team development and dynamics, the organization believes the model of transformation will enable the introduced changes persists for a long time.

Phase two: multiple changes implementation

Other efforts of transformation were directed at management infrastructure development that was essential to momentum rejuvenation while translating, executing, engaging and motivating the staff using the bottom-up model. As the leadership, culture and strategy became aligned, the newly energized and empowered organization got on a journey to launch many improvement initiatives for the organizational process.

Before engaging in many activities for improvement, Canada et al (2014) pointed out that the institution was on its way well towards realizing the leadership cultural transformation successes. Oandasan et al (2010) observed that the third annual New York General Hospital culture survey showed sustained improvement in consecutive year in all areas of culture of the organization including innovation, learning, leadership and management styles, contribution, recognition and team work.

Execution of strategy focused on engaging the whole organization in the adoption of continuous learning philosophy, cross unit alignment and daily improvement. This culture then led to multiple process transformation adoption using a Rapid Improved Events referred to as Kaizens, and Lean Toyota. In the ED/GIM area, an analysis of eight value stream, 3 vertical value streams, 20 kaizen events, and 3 causes and effect event analysis have been conducted since 2006 October. Tyshenko et al (2010) indicated some of the successes of ED/GIM and they include:

  1. 49% increase in patients number
  2. 52% time reduction from when a patient leaves from a bed and to when it is available and ready for the next patient
  3. 27% reduction in length of stay of a patient for sub- acute patients
  4. 86% time reduction from the assignment of a abed from a leaving patient to the next.
  5. 73% time reduction in bed assignment to when the patient gets on the bed
  6. 19% time reduction from patient arrival to discharge at the emergency department.

Marshall (2011) asserted that the staffs, who build on their current skills and knowledge, were translated and adopted easily for other initiatives, hence increasing the organizations internal capacity. Boonstra (2013) indicated that throughout phase two, New York General Hospital has used projects like the improvement efforts of ED/GIM in promotion of organizational learning and strategic alignment. One of the strengths of efforts of transformation has been the dedication of the informal and the formal leaders at all organizations levels. Every member of the organization from top to bottom has been empowered as a vehicle and leader for change and action.

Through common language and framework dedication, participants in every level are able to see how the values, mission and vision of the organization can be translated from the ideas in boardroom to realities. Furthermore, the improvement events also provide opportunities for capacity building in the organization

Although the organization has introduced right mechanics, many transformational changes have failed because they have not put the right people in their right roles, and given them right tools. The physicians at New York General Hospital have played a key role in development and execution of organizational change and transformation (Colling & York, 2010).

Phase three: sustaining changes

New York General Hospital has plans to deploy many approaches to sustain improvements in the whole organization. These include different sustainable management infrastructure elements, including using the strategic management system and balanced scorecard, expanding usage of Kaizen and methodologies of value stream across the organization, in addition to building of new skills in intuition, leadership and decision making (Canada et al, 2014).

From the onset, New York General Hospital believed balanced scorecard ensures sustained improvement and strategy execution. It is important in tracking right metric set and in cascading dialogue in an organization. The four themes of the score card include; family and patient driven care, clinical and operation excellence, responsiveness, and partnering and leading in system transformation. This forms the accountability basis for all leaders and all the efforts of transformation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, through application cultural transformational framework, New York General Hospital has transformed over time in the face of SARS catastrophe. The leadership, efficiency, team work and collaboration the organization displayed saw them recollect themselves in the face of a disaster to transform into a new organization. The change was realized because of the wise stewardship of the leaders, staffs learning from their mistakes and playing their role in inspiring and implementing the change momentum

References

Boonstra, J. J. (2013). Cultural change and leadership in organizations: A practical guide to successful organizational change.

Canada., & Federal-Provincial Advisory Committee on Institutional and Medical Services (Canada). (2014). Addiction services in hospitals: Guidelines for establishing standards for special services in hospitals, report of the Sub-Committee on Special Services in Hospitals. Ottawa: Health Services Directorate, Health Services and Promotion Branch.

Colling, R. L., York, T. W., & Colling, R. L. (2010). Hospital and healthcare security. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Hayden, F. G., & Denison, M. R. (January 01, 2008). Antiviral Agents for SARS. 184-202.

Marshall, E. S., & Marshall, E. S. (2011). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader. New York, NY: Springer.

Oandasan, I., & Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. (2010). Teamwork in healthcare: Promoting effective teamwork in healthcare in Canada : policy synthesis and recommendations. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian Health Services Research Foundation.

Tyshenko, M. G., Paterson, C., & Canadian Electronic Library (Firm). (2010). SARS unmasked: Risk communication of pandemics and influenza in Canada. Montreal [Que.: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

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