Saturday, December 28, 2019

Biography of John Ford, Oscar-Winning Film Director

John Ford (February 1, 1894 - August 31, 1973) was one of the greatest film directors of all time. He won four Best Director Academy Awards, more than any other director. He is best known for his Westerns, but multiple of his novel adaptations stand among the best films of all time. Fast Facts: John Ford Full Name: Sean Aloysius FeeneyOccupation: Film directorBorn: February 1, 1894 in Cape Elizabeth, MaineDied: August 31, 1973 in Palm Desert, CaliforniaSpouse: Mary McBride SmithSelected Films: Stagecoach (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), The Searchers (1956)Key Achievements: 4 Academy Awards for Best Director and the Presidential Medal of FreedomNotable Quote: It is easier to get an actor to be a cowboy than to get a cowboy to be an actor. Early Life and Education Born into an Irish immigrant family in Maine, John Ford (born Sean Aloysius Feeney) grew up in a moderately prosperous environment. His father owned saloons in Portland, Maines largest city. Ford was one of eleven children. Many of John Fords subsequent film projects related to his Irish heritage. The young John Ford played football in high school. He earned the nickname Bull for his habit of lowering his helmet as he charged the line. Fords older brother, Francis, left Portland to seek a career in New York in the theater around the year 1900. He was successful and took the stage name Francis Ford. By 1910, Francis moved to California to seek a movie career. After high school graduation, in 1914, Francis younger brother, John, moved to California with the hope of launching his own career. Silent Films John Ford got his start in Hollywood as an assistant in the production of his older brothers movies. He served as a stuntman, handyman, double for his brother, and occasional actor. Despite a contentious relationship between the two, within three years, John was his brothers primary assistant and often operated the camera. By the time John Ford made his debut as a director in 1917, Francis Fords career was on the decline. Between 1917 and 1928, the younger Ford worked on more than 60 silent films. However, only ten of them survive fully intact. For his entire career, John Ford was one of the busiest directors in Hollywood, but the silent years were unusually productive even by his standard. The Lottery Man (1919). Corbis Historical / Getty Images John Ford had his first significant success as a director with the 1924 epic The Iron Horse, about the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad. He filmed it on location in the Sierra Nevada mountains with 5,000 extras, 2,000 horses, and a cavalry regiment. Among the props used were an original stagecoach used by newspaper publisher Horace Greeley and Wild Bill Hickoks pistol. The movie earned an estimated $2 million on a budget of $280,000. Westerns John Ford is best remembered for his Westerns. From the 1930s through the 1960s, he helped design the look and feel of classic Western film. One of his favorite actors, John Wayne, appeared in more than 20 of his films as a featured actor. Wayne was in countless more projects near the beginning of his career performing as an extra. Stagecoach (1939). Moviepix / Getty Images Despite his early success with The Iron Horse, Ford didnt direct any Westerns between 1926 and 1939. However, when he once again returned to the frontier, Ford created what many critics consider one of the best films of all time. Stagecoach appeared in 1939, and the story of mismatched strangers thrown together in the vast emptiness of the West while riding through dangerous Apache territory thrilled audiences. It earned seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Thomas Mitchell won for Best Supporting Actor. Orson Welles reportedly studied Stagecoach in his preparations for making Citizen Kane. During World War II, John Ford served in the U.S. Navy Reserve creating wartime documentaries. He won Oscars for two of his films. He was with the U.S. military on D-Day and filmed the beach landing. He was recognized for his bravery during the war after suffering injuries while documenting attacks. American film director John Ford (1894 - 1973) in uniform as a Rear Admiral in the United States Naval Reserve, circa, 1957. Â  Pictorial Parade / Getty Images John Fords first movie after his service in World War II was 1946s My Darling Clementine, a Western featuring another of the directors favorite actors, Henry Fonda. He followed it with the so-called cavalry trilogy of movies starring John Wayne. They included 1948s Fort Apache, 1949s She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and 1950s Rio Grande. Fords next Western didnt appear until 1956. Starring Jeffrey Hunter and rising star Natalie Wood, The Searchers quickly became a classic. In 2008, the American Film Institute named it the Greatest Western of All Time. In 1962, John Ford released The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance starring James Stewart and John Wayne. Many observers consider it the last great Ford film. It was a major success and one of the top 20 moneymaking films of the year. Cheyenne Autumn, the final John Ford Western, appeared in 1964. Unfortunately, it was not a success at the box office and was the most expensive film of the legendary directors career. John Ford directing My Darling Clementine (1946). Bettmann / Getty Images Classic Novel Adaptations Despite his association with Westerns, John Ford didnt win any of his Best Picture Oscars for them. Three of the four awards came with novel adaptations. The fourth wove the feature-length film The Quiet Man out of a short story. The first John Ford film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture was the 1931 adaptation of Sinclair Lewiss novel Arrowsmith. Ford won his first Oscar for Best Director adapting Liam OFlahertys The Informer in 1935, a tale of the Irish War of Independence. In 1940, Ford took on John Steinbecks Great Depression novel The Grapes of Wrath. It was the directors third consecutive film working with the young actor Henry Fonda. Coming shortly after the end of the Great Depression, the movie was a huge success. It earned Ford his second Best Picture Oscar, and The Grapes of Wrath is often included on lists of the best films of all time. John Fords third Best Director Oscar came a year later with his adaptation of the Welsh mining saga How Green Was My Valley. It famously beat out Citizen Kane for the 1941 Best Picture Academy Award. The movie is a classic working-class drama in the spirit of Fords previous Oscar-winning efforts. How Green Was My Valley (1941). Corbis Historical / Getty Images Fords final Academy Award for Best Director came with a film that his movie company didnt want to make. With pressure from Ford, they funded 1952s The Quiet Man, a short story adaptation set in Ireland starring John Wayne. The worry was unfounded. In addition to winning John Ford an unprecedented fourth Best Director nod, it was one of the top ten moneymaking films of the year. Later Career Despite being dogged by ill health and declining eyesight, John Ford worked well into the 1960s. He completed Donovans Reef, his last film with John Wayne, in 1963. It was Fords final major commercial success, earning over $3 million at the box office. His last feature film, 7 Women, appeared in 1966. It was a story about missionary women in China trying to protect themselves from a Mongolian warlord. Unfortunately, the movie was a commercial flop. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Corbis Historical / Getty Images John Fords final completed project was a documentary on the most decorated U.S. marine titled Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend. It featured narration by John Wayne. Though filmed in 1970, it wasnt released until 1976. Ford died in August 1973. Legacy John Ford continues to hold the record for the most Best Director Academy Awards won with four. He also earned Oscars for two wartime documentaries. In 1973, he was the first recipient of the American Film Institutes Life Achievement Award. In the same year, Ford received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He wasnt the only person winning awards for his films. John Ford directed a total of four Academy Award-winning acting performances, and ten appearances in his movies earned nominations. Source Eyman, Scott. Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford. Simon Schuster, 2012.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Supply Chain Risk Management Plan - 1299 Words

Uta Jà ¼ttner, (2005),Supply chain risk management, The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 16 Iss 1 pp. 120 - 141. â€Å"Supply chain risk management is the process of identifying, assessing and controlling threats to an organization s capital and earnings that are caused by the organization s Supply Chain. Companies with supply chain risk management plans in place typically place a chief risk office(CRO) in charge of overseeing the effectiveness of the organization s supply chain management strategy. An effective plan reduces supply chain risk whenever possible and anticipates how the organization could swiftly respond to supply chain disruptions. Supply chain risk management plans should address the many different†¦show more content†¦The issues of Supply chain risk management are derived and structured along three conceptual levels of â€Å"philosophy†,† principles† and â€Å"processes†. The methodology used in the paper is rather still on its conceptual level. The assumptions made in the paper are based on the research that was followed by statistical review of 8 companies that they researched to actualize their assumptions. The paper will be critically evaluated on the basis of methodology, research methods, findings and analysis and the data used to statistically prove the findings. This is a perspective based journal article which revolves around the understanding of business requirements. The journal article basically formulates the research with mixed method research, which means the author has used both qualitative and quantitative research methods to conclude its findings. The findings show a survey to back the assumptions of the author, but still the concept is in vague understanding leaving the researcher difficult to analyze. The paper has an integrated approach to SCRM which could still create research and have further findings on this vast topic. â€Å"Supply chain management (SCM) is the oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer.† The literature review used in this paper is focused on supply chain management and risk management though the business side of the

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Analyses The Authorship Of The Research †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analyses Authorship Of The Research. Answer: Introduction Nurses are expected to demonstrate the competency of reflecting on different health scenarios and critically evaluating best available evidence pertaining to significant clinical questions emerging from practice. For delivering high quality care, nurse is to make judgements about research quality of evidence-based literature through a critical analysis that later on forms the basis for their practice. Critical analysis is to be done on the basis of a framework that mainly analyses the authorship of the research, research aims, research design, applicability of research findings and most importantly the strengths and limitations of the study (Parahoo, 2014). The present paper aims to reflect on a particular health scenario and undertake an inquiry in healthcare research. The PICO question that is considered for the present research is Do stimulants increase academic performance in university students?. The paper would critically analyse two peer-reviewed articles for this purpose and judge the credibility of each. Barriers for the application of this evidence in practice would be highlighted. In addition, Alignment of the research studies with the PICO question would also be analysed. Authorship The research paper under assessment has been jointly written by three authors, Elisabeth Hildt, Klaus Lieb and Andreas Gunter Franke. While Franke and Lieb are from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Mainz, Germany, Hildt is from the Department of Philosophy. Lieb is the head of the concerned department and Hildt is an expert in Neuroethics. The authors of the research paper declared that there was no competing conflict of interest related to the study findings. Research Aims The research question was does the use of stimulant drugs enhance the cognitive functioning of individuals in relation to achieving better academic or workplace results as well as other purposes? The aim of the research was to understand whether the use of stimulant has an impact on the users life inside the universe as well as outside the university in a positive manner. The researchers, however, did not come up with any hypothesis that was tested through the paper. The researchers were successful in justifying the need for the present study. According to them, there was a dearth of high quality qualitative research that explained some aspects of the reason for some students to use stimulants in context of academics, the impact of the same on users, the advantages brought about and the side effects experienced. The researchers further highlighted that there was an absence of empirical data on the real-life impacts and contextual factors of stimulant use. Design The study had a qualitative methodology and considered an extensive semi-structured interview as the research method. Face-to-face interviews were carried out with the participants. A psychologist along with three interviewers was trained for the research. Each participant was considered for the interview by two individuals. Tape recording of the interview was done. For avoiding loss of information one interviewer was responsible for asking questions while the other noted down the responses to close-ended questions. Transcribing the records verbatim was the analysis process. The transcriptions were analysed in a systematic process with the help of the qualitative approach of inductive category development. Qualitative research methodology helps in extracting valuable information from participants wherein the experiences and feelings can be highlighted. The research aimed at understanding the perceptions of the respondents in response to use of stimulant drugs and thus a face-to-face interview was suitable. Through face-to-face interviews data, the interviewers can assess nonverbal cues given by the respondents and also guide and support them for responding to the questions (Holloway Galvin, 2016). However, close-ended questions restrict data collection since respondents are not given a chance to provide complete ideas and thoughts. Misinterpretation of a question might be unnoticed (Parahoo, 2014). The inductive approach in data analysis is helpful in condensing raw information and establishing subsequent connections between the research objectives and study findings. The participants were 18 healthy University of Mainz students, without any psychiatric disorder, who reported the non-medical use of illicit stimulants for academic performance enhancement purposes. Findings a.Based on the transcript of the study, six categories pertaining to the life context of use of stimulant for academic enhancement purpose were highlighted: Context of stimulant use beyond academic performance enhancement, Subjective experience of enhancement, Timing of consumption, Objective academic results, Side effects, Pressure to perform. The study revealed that enhancement of academic performance with the use of stimulant is not a segregated phenomena aiming solely at the enhancement of cognitive ability for better academic results. Multidimensional life contexts ar associated with it that is of much relevance. Strengths and weaknesses The study is valuable in providing valuable information on the utilisation of stimulant drugs by university students. Limitations of the study include participant bias leading to the study being not representative for the complete student population. Further, spontaneous answers were received during the interview. Lastly, no particular conclusion was drawn regarding the impact of the intake of stimulant in healthy individuals. Authorship The research article has been penned down by four researchers whose expertise have been mentioned in the paper; however, their qualifications and affiliations have not been mentioned. The authors declared the absence of conflicts of interest throughout the research. Research Aims The research question addressed by the study was what is the relationship between nonmedical use of prescription stimulants, executive functioning and academic outcomes among college students?. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship existing between nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS), and executive functioning (EF) and academic outcomes among a population of college students from five different regions of the United States. The two hypothesis for the study were as follows- Students reporting deficits in EF when measured with the Barkley Deficits Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS) show more chances of reporting nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in contrast to students reporting average EF skills. NMUPS alters the association between academic performance and EF in a positive manner. The researchers highlighted that previous research had pointed out the relationship between individuals with EF deficiencies and intake of prescription stimulants. Research was also present that indicated that a considerable proportion of college students in the US were nonmedically using prescription stimulants. However, there was no significant study that considered carrying out an investigation of the association between NMUPS and EF among the college student population. Design The research considered a quantitative research methodology wherein three measures were addressed. These were the Stimulant Survey Questionnaire (SSQ), Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS for Adults) and Grade Point Average (GPA). Each participant was required to complete a demographics questionnaire in addition to it. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. For testing the first hypothesis, an independent samples t-test was carried out which had one dichotomous independent variable and one continuous dependent variable. For testing the second hypothesis, the researchers conducted ANOVA test in which two dichotomous independent variables were included along with one continuous dependent variable. For measuring effect size, Cohens d was used. The quantitative methodology considered for the study was justified in alignment with the purpose of establishing the relationship existing between nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) and executive functioning. As opined by Nieswiadomy and Bailey (2017) quantitative research study enables a broader examination of the research topic. In addition, it permits greater accuracy of results and enhanced objectivity. A correlational study design was chosen that has the drawback that it is only effective in uncovering a relationship between the variables and not in coming up with a conclusive reason for the same (Richardson-Tench et al., 2016). The participants were 308 undergraduate students from six different public of diverse regions of the United States. 73.4% of the participants were female. Findings About 18% of the respondents reported that they nonmedically used prescription stimulants, while the rates were similar between that of male and female. The major reasons for NMUPS had a relationship with academics. Moreover, participants reported knowing other individuals engaging in NMUPS for academic purposes. The study proved the hypothesis that students with a considerable level of EF deficit showed more chances of taking NMUPS. Students with EF deficits had lower GPAs than those having normal EF. Strengths and weaknesses The main strength of the study was a large sample population that enhanced the generalisation of the study. However, there were some limitations to it such as convenience sampling technique and gender bias. Further, since there was voluntary participation, the sample might not have been a true representation of the population under scrutiny. Lastly, no causal inferences on the relationship between the variables of interest could be established. Barriers for the application of evidence in practice- In the present case, Wasim is a 29-year-old male university student who has knowledge about the use of stimulant drugs that his peers are known to take for enhancement of academic purposes. His decision is to be guided by the evidence gathered by undertaking the research on the concerned topic. The primary finding from the above pool of evidence is that use of stimulant drugs has no precise impact on the relationship between executive functioning and academic performance. Though the studies have been successful in highlighting that an association exists between intake of a stimulant drug and academic performance, the causal effect had not been established. The study by Hildt et al., (2014) concluded that there lies a substantial amount of discrepancy between objective academic results and subjective experiences of the students in relation to intake of stimulant drugs. The research by Munro et al., (2016) inferred that the intake o f prescription stimulants have no ability to alter the connection between executive functioning and academic performance. The study findings are not to be considered as supreme, and thus the applicability to the present scenario is not justified. Further research is needed for establishing the relationship between stimulant drug intake, cognitive and executive functioning deficiency and academic outcomes. These studies need to be longitudinal is design, and a larger population would be beneficial for generating results that are applicable to the wider population. In addition, further studies must consider data on academic performance gathered from reliable sources and not those that are self-reported. Alignment of research studies with the PICO question- The PICO question being addressed in the present paper is Do stimulants increase academic performance in university students? The first research paper did not address the PICO question appropriately since it only highlighted the existence of multidimensional factors that guided an individual to intake such stimulants in life context. The second study addressed the PICO question appropriately. The research indicated that use of stimulants did not necessarily enhance academic performance in university students. Conclusion It is important to understand the applicability of the research findings in relation to a clinical scenario so that translation of research from theory to practice is prominent. The above critical analysis of evidence was beneficial for adjudging their applicability to real life scenarios. The analysis helped in gaining insights into how research findings are to be considered for application in practice. The present research and critical analysis of articles gave a broader view of the impact of stimulant drugs on lives of university and college students as well as the primary context in which this population consider taking these drugs. Both the studies pointed out the fact that students perceive intake of these drugs for their academic betterment. However, there was no indication of the extent to which these drugs influence academic performance in colleges and universities. The lack of objective data is the drawback. Further research is warranted to establish the truthfulness of the clinical question under evaluation. References Hildt, E., Lieb, K., Franke, A. G. (2014). Life context of pharmacological academic performance enhancement among university students - a qualitative approach. BMC Medical Ethics, 15(1), 23-23. doi:10.1186/1472-6939-15-23 Holloway, I., Galvin, K. (2016).Qualitative research innursing and healthcare. John Wiley Sons. Munro, B. A., Weyandt, L. L., Marraccini, M. E., Oster, D. R. (2017). The relationship between nonmedical use of prescription stimulants, executive functioning and academic outcomes. Addictive Behaviors, 65, 250-257. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.08.023 Nieswiadomy, R. M., Bailey, C. (2017).Foundations of nursing research. Pearson. Parahoo, K. (2014).Nursing research: principles, process and issues. Palgrave Macmillan. Richardson-Tench, M., Taylor, B., Kermode, S., Roberts, K. (2016). Inquiry in health care (5th [ACU] ed.). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Cost and Overhead Costs free essay sample

Colorscope 1. Why would any customer, let alone large advertising agencies and departmental stores, go to Colorscope rather than go to large printers listed in Exhibit 3? Before desktop publishing became popular, Colorscope had a competitive advantage through its expensive proprietary computer equipment that could produce complicated print special effects. Colorscope had also been able to build strong relationships with valuable customers through the years and had a good reputation for providing high quality work in its field. Another reason why Colorscope could compete with the large printers was the high fragmentation of the pre-press industry. This was due to the fact that most pre-press companies focused on just a few print products (e. g. catalogs, newspapers or coupons) and had strong specialized expertise in these. Because of that, Colorscope could provide higher quality than the large printers in the fields where it had specialized. Before the dawn of desktop publishing, which led to commoditization of the services, competition was more based on quality than on price. We will write a custom essay sample on Cost and Overhead Costs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As a small agency, it is also probable that Colorscope could be more flexible in meeting specific demand and provide more tailored services to the few customers it served, compared to the large printers which would have a bigger and more bureaucratic organization. 3. What you have done above is a â€Å"full-cost† analysis. This is in contrast to a â€Å"direct-cost† analysis that ignores overhead costs. Is full cost the right metric for job profitability and customer profitability? What assumptions are we making about the variability of overhead costs when we do a â€Å"full-cost† analysis? By allocating the overhead costs to jobs and customers there is an implicit assumption that these are variable with the cost driver. In reality, some of the overhead costs are fixed, at least in the short run. One benefit of using full cost is that the price charged for jobs needs to recover all costs in order for Colorscope to be profitable in the long run. As overhead costs are incurred to support customer/job activities there is also a benefits received relationship. Finally, revealing the full overhead costs can motivate job representatives to examine how overhead costs are planned and controlled. Even though these costs are fixed in the short run, it is likely that they can be managed in the long run.