Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Business Ethics Tyco International Essay Example for Free
Business Ethics Tyco International Essay Description of Organization and Product Tyco International Ltd. is a corporation with official headquarters based in Pembroke, Bermuda but the company maintains operational headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey. Tyco has grown into a multi-billion dollar company (scattered in over 100 countries) with revenue of $41.0 billion USD (2006) to boast. Founded in 1960 by Arthur J. Rosenberg, Tyco was birthed when Rosenberg opened a laboratory intended for research and experimental works catered for government use. Incorporated by 1962 as Tyco Laboratories, it shifted its focus to developing scientific materials as well as energy conversion products, which now caters for the commercial sector. Tyco is a manufacturing and service conglomerate which is involved in a variety of products ranging from electronics, fire and security services, healthcare, aerospace, and some industrial products. For instance, its passive and active electronic components are found in computers, aerospace, automobiles, industrial machines, and household appliances among others. Under its fire protection and electronic security operations, it is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and installing products as well as providing services in these areas. Part of Tyco’s Healthcare business involves medical, pharmaceutical, surgical, imaging, and respiratory products. The company also manufactures industrial valves, and fire sprinklers thereby giving services in residential and industrial settings (â€Å"Tyco: Our Business†). It also provides services consultation on engineering and construction management, including operating services. Through one of its subsidies, the company also has an integrated system used for the tracking and controlling public transportation system, tunnels, and bridges. Furthermore, Tyco is involved in the monitoring of systems of burglar fire alarms, and on medical alert systems where 24-hour monitoring and response is necessary. Tyco is also engaged in buying steel and resin in the United States, as well as copper, gold, zinc, brass, paper, ink, cotton, wax, chemicals and additives. Other products purchased by the group are foil, copper clad materials, adhesives, and cloth. As of 2005, Tyco is responsible for employing about 247,900 people in its company (â€Å"Company Research: Tyco International Ltd.†). Tyco’s phenomenal growth can be traced back in the late 1980s when the company engaged in a number of acquisitions in some major companies such as ADT, Siemens Electrochemical Components, Thorn Security, and Mueller Company. But it was not until the 1990s and the subsequent years that Tyco became more aggressive in its acquisition strategy under Dennis Kozlowski as CEO. In a span of about eleven years (from 1991 to 2001), Tyco has reportedly acquired 1000 other companies. It was in 1997 that Tyco made the controversial shift of headquarters from Massachusetts to Bermuda, after the company’s acquisition of ADT.  ADT Limited has its origins which can be traced way back in the 1900s in the United Kingdom and by 1980s was restructured under the laws of Bermuda. Although part of the merger, since ADT was incorporated in Bermuda, it was still perceived as a shrewd move to avoid taxes. Shareholder and investors were later informed of this tax advantage. A partial list of Tyco’s products and its brands: AMP for its electronic components and cables RAYCHEM for circuit protection devices Ansul, Total Weather, Skum Sabo for fire fighting products Kendall, Monoject, Shiley for medical supplies Simplex Grinnell, Wormald for fire sprinklers OpenSky and EDACS for critical communications systems Violation / People Involved            During the 1990s, the company continued to show a stable and steady rise in income. But by 1999, rumors of accounting irregularities began to leak with charges directed against Tyco’s top executives: Dennis Kozlowski (former chairman and chief executive), Mark H. Swartz (former chief financial officer), and Mark Belnick (former general counsel). These accusations were vehemently denied by the company’s leadership.            It was not until January of 2002 that prosecutors found Kozlowski guilty of tax evasion for his art purchases. Investigators later followed a trail of lavish expenditures, thereby making Kozlowski’s tax evasion scheme a mere ‘tip of the iceberg’.            Eight months later, these three men were arrested and tried before the New York State Supreme Court. Kozlowski and Swartz were charged of robbing the company of about $600 million with the aid of Belnick. They were found guilty of treating Tyco as a personal bank account, stealing worth of $170 million through company loans and $430 million worth of fraudulent sales of securities without the company’s shareholders knowledge (â€Å"Three Tyco Execs Indicted for Fraud†). Kozlowski was found guilty of masterminding a series of ethical violations, by misusing corporate funds for relocation and executive loan programs. Since 1996 up to 2002, these two men awarded themselves hundreds of millions of dollars with low or no-interest loans usually from Tyco’s Key Employee Corporate Loan Program (KELP). The company explicitly defined the purpose of the program. Tyco’s KELP was designed to provide loan assistance for Tyco key employees to pay their taxes when investing upon Tyco’s common stock. Of the $270 million that Kozlowski took through KELP loans (from 1997 to 2002), about $29,000,000 only were used for taxes because of the result of the vesting of Tyco stock. The rest of the money were improperly used for self-serving interests such as acquiring luxury apartments and estates, expensive artworks, estate jewelry, a yacht, and spending about $100 million for a lavish party for his second wife. Also, Kozlowski is now notoriously known for owning a gold-laced shower curtain worth $6,000 a picture for his lavish lifestyle. He also used KELP funds to finance his own personal investments and other business ventures, deliberately violating the program’s purpose. Swartz also misappropriated about $85,000,000 dollars from the company’s KELP loans during these same periods. Following from Kozlowski’s example, he too appropriated only about $13,000,000 dollars to cover taxes as a result from the vesting of Tyco stock. Swartz misappropriated the remaining $72,000,000 dollars for self-serving purposes such as financing his own business investments, and the purchasing of real estate holdings and trusts. Kozlowski and Swartz were also guilty of deceitful acts by deliberately failing to disclose in their annual Director Officer Questionnaire (â€Å"DO Questionnaire†), which are given to Tyco’s senior executives, the information of these loans much less the manner of which how these KELP loans were used. Tyco’s shareholders were deceived by Kozlowski and Swartz’s failure to reveal these important facts on the company’s Form 10-K and proxy statements. The company also has a relocation loan program since 1995, to give assistance to its employees who were affected when it moved its offices to New York City from New Hampshire and later to Florida. Kozlowski and Swartz also enriched themselves by availing of relocation loans and spending it for purposes not covered by the program. Of the $46,000,000 dollars which Kozlowski amassed from the relocation loan, $18,000,000 was spent to buy a waterfront compound in Boca Raton and an estimated $7,000,000 Park Avenue apartment for his previous wife. Swartz spent $6,500,000 to purchase an apartment on New York City’s Upper East Side; $17 M for a waterfront compound also in Boca Raton; and the rest of the funds were used in purposes not authorized by the program. They were also accountable for repeatedly classifying and reclassifying their debts to the company, and even moving on to authorizing transactions by which their millions of dollars of KELP and relocation loans were forgiven and written off the company’s books. They also instructed others to falsify the company’s books and records in order to conceal these violations. Swartz also enriched himself by selling his New Hampshire real estate to a Tyco subsidiary for $305,000, but in which the Tyco subsidiary sold it at a far lower price about two years later from its purchase. Swartz purposely did not disclose this transaction from Tyco’s investors. Both Kozlowski and Swartz abused company perquisites from Tyco such as causing the company to purchase luxurious apartments and stay in it rent-free and made use of Tyco corporate aircraft in purposes unrelated to the company’s business. The former CEO also misused Tyco’s funds by releasing large amounts of charitable donations in his own name, and all the while failed to disclose and report these facts to investors, as mandated by the federal securities laws. While possessing material information, Swartz engaged in fraudulent sales of Tyco stocks through family business partnerships. Both men lied to Tyco’s auditors by signing management representation letters which avowed the absence of fraudulent acts from significant employees involved in Tyco’s internal control. Belnick, Tyco’s former chief legal officer, amassed millions of dollars from Tyco through similar violations committed by Kozlowski and Swartz (T Newkirk, J Coffman, R Kaplan, D Frohlich, and J Weiner. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission). Explanation of the Outcome            The two former top Tyco executives received 8 1/3 to 25 years of prison-sentence after being tried before a New York state court, after it’s first resulted in a mistrial. They were found guilty of siphoning and misappropriating company funds during their stint as Tyco’s top executives. This was considered as one of the biggest ethical violations in a series of white-collar crimes that has tainted and eroded public confidence in the US corporate landscape. As a result, Kozlowski and Swartz served their terms in New York state prison, a case which differs greatly from other convicted corporate executives.            Other convicted corporate executives such as Adelphia’s John Rigas, or Martha Stewart served their prison sentences in a federal prison. Often dubbed as â€Å"Club Feds†or â€Å"Camp Cupcake†, federal prison conditions could appear like a ‘boarding school’ - there are no bars and some are even offering facilities like tennis courts.            In stark contrast, state prison do not offer such ‘luxuries’ and the gravest issue could boil down even to the inmate’s safety. It usually houses criminals convicted of rape, murder and other violent offenses - one reason which explains its unsafe condition and which makes tight security a necessity.            While others may see this conviction too harsh for a white-collar crime, Kozlowski and Swartz cannot escape their fate since their case began as a state investigation for trying to evade about $1,000,000 dollars worth of tax payment for acquiring expensive artworks by Renoir, Monet and other celebrated painters.            Also, this has come upon the government’s stand of placing stricter measures on its effort of cracking down corruption in the corporate scene (K. Crawford. â€Å"For Kozlowski, An Especially Grim Future†).            According to a former SEC prosecutor, the sentences for white-collar criminals are getting tougher and judges’ former tendency to give them milder treatment is fast disappearing. While Kozlowski is credited for building up Tyco’s multi-billion dollar industrial empire, which used to give an impressive and illustrious career rising from being an ordinary employee to become Tyco’s chief executive officer, his crime is also credited as the grandest (so far) in scale and amount of thievery in corporate history.            While some would protest about the usefulness of long prison sentences given to white-collar criminals, especially when they are towards the age of retirement. However, there is an inescapable trend among state and federal courts to give longer years of prison-conviction. Whereas in the early 1990s, when such crimes were new and few, a certain convicted salesman received eight years reduction in his 10-year term, an equivalent of 22 months in jail (L. Lazaroff. â€Å"Ex-Tyco Executives Get Up To 25 Years: Kozlowski, Swartz also to pay millions in restitution, fines†). Kozlowski is serving his prison sentence at Midstate Correctional Facility in Marcy, N.Y., located outside of Syracuse of N.Y.            Clearly, there has been a great shift of change. Opinion of the Outcome            In the aftermath of the Enron, Adelphia, Tyco and other high profile business scandals which prove that ethical violations can pose a serious and costly risk for a business entity’s ability to grow or thrive. As demonstrated by Kozlowski, Swartz and Belnick - the collapse of integrity could cost hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars for its company to cover extra expenses such as litigation, fines, damage of company reputation, subsequent loss of client’s trust, decline in sales, and the process for damage-control.            While this indictment against Kozlowski and his accomplices seem severe when it received as much punishment as those who commit violent crimes, but given the substantial amount stolen, the consequent loss of wealth due to erosion of public trust, and costly lawsuits the benefits of giving such harsh convictions would serve as a deterrent for future losses. It is also the government’s responsibility to restore confidence among investors towards corporate entities in order for these institutions to survive.            Kozlowski’s shot for â€Å"dizzying success†(even using fraudulent and criminal means) was fed in part by Wall Street’s hero worship of ‘rock star’ CEOs. However, in light of a string of corporate scandals, leaders must be emulated for their ability to ‘shepherd’ their company and provide examples of living up to ethical standards themselves.            This outcome also brings the much needed transformation on government (such as the Sarbeans-Oxley Act) and company policies pertaining to how business is conducted by those who serve them. While most of the focus is on the violators, the rippling effects of such crimes could threaten the financial security of millions of the company’s employees and their families.            Companies, in lieu of the scandal, have now placed greater importance of training its employees to make ethical decisions which would cultivate a corporate culture founded on trust and integrity.            This case also helped to strengthen greater consciousness for the need to fight corruption in a global scale. The United Nations signed a new treaty in its bid to fight corruption worldwide. This covers not only government officials but is applied to the private sector as well (â€Å"United Nations Convention Against Corruption†). The Organization Today            Rebounding from the moral crises that swept its top executives, along with other companies, there has been greater commitment for transparency among the new management performers in Tyco and other companies. These are corporate leaders who have built a track record of excellent performance and who have been practicing high ethical standards. All efforts are geared toward rebuilding the company’s reputation, public and investor’s trust.            When Edward D. Breen became Tyco’s new CEO in July 2002, he took a bold step in his sweeping reform to re-establish credibility and faith to the company, which included firing the Board of Directors that hired him. Of the 500 employees in Tyco’s Princeton, N.J. headquarters, as much as 480 are newly hired since Breen breezed in to Tyco’s management scene.            Although at first, Breen found the company in confusion, low morale among its employees, and about to face a cash shortage because of an $11 billion debt due a year after, Tyco has a good foundation due to Tyco’s acquisition of a number of stable businesses (S. Lohr. â€Å"New Strategies Changing Face of Corporate Scandal†). This separates Tyco from much of the companies who suffered the same fate from dishonest dealings by its top executives most of which filed for bankruptcy. Tyco was able to recover from the crisis.            According to a public announcement made last January 13, 2006, Tyco International is divided into three business segments: Tyco Healthcare, Tyco Electronics, and Tyco Fire Security, and Tyco Engineered Products Services (TFS/TEPS). Each has operations separate from each other and possesses their own set of board of directors, executives, and financial structure. By February 6, 2007, Tyco has revenue of $41 billion and currently employing about 250,000 people in different countries.            Despite being in the process of splitting into three major companies, Tyco International Ltd. still saw an increase of net earnings of up to 43 % or a profit rise of about $793 million due to great demand especially for its electronics and security devices. Company profit taken from continuing operations is up on 37 cents per share – a performance which proved better than Wall’s Street’s forecasts.            Among Tyco’s four divisions, three reported an increase in sales and better operating profits for the first quarter of this year; with its heal-care the only segment which handed in a lower yield in profit due to the company’s restructuring measures.            Tyco is preparing to push on its health-care and electronics divisions by the second quarter. It is gearing up for more aggressive measures as it sees a favorable global economic environment for this year, being optimistic to avail a rise of 6 to 7 percent in sales.            Tyco’s shares have even achieved more than 30% over the previous year, twice than the rise of Standard Poor’s 500 index. Another measure of its success- Tyco’s stock price rose to $33.21 on the New York Stock Exchange from its $8 value just right after the scandal (â€Å"Tyco’s Net Earnings Jump 43%†). References:  â€Å"Tyco: Our Business†. http://www.tyco.com/ â€Å"Company Research: Tyco International Ltd.†. The New York Times. February 16, 2007. http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp?MW=http://marketwatch.nytimes.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.aspsymb=TYCsid=42806#compinfo â€Å"Three Tyco Execs Indicted for Fraud†. CNN.com/BUSINESS. http://edition.cnn.com/2002/BUSINESS/asia/09/12/us.tyco/ Newkirk T, Coffman J, Kaplan R, Frohlich D, Weiner J. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. http://www.sec.gov/litigation/complaint/complr 17722.htm Crawford, K. â€Å"For Kozlowski, An Especially Grim Future†. CNNMoney.com    http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/21/news/newsmakers/prisons_state/ Lazaroff, Leon. â€Å"Ex-Tyco Executives Get Up To 25 Years: Kozlowski, Swartz also to pay millions in restitution, fines. Chicago Tribune. September 20, 2005. â€Å"United Nations Convention Against Corruption†.    http://untreaty.un.org/English/notpubl/Corruption_E.pdf Lohr, S. â€Å"New Strategies Changing Face of Corporate Scandal†. New York Times News Service. June 4, 2005.    http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050604/news_1b4scandals.html â€Å"Tyco’s Net Earnings Jump 43%†. February 6, 2007.    http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/06/news/companies/bc.tyco.results.reut/index.htm
Monday, January 20, 2020
The Death Penalty Is Dead Wrong :: Capital Punishment
Why the Death Penalty is Dead Wrong Most people argue that the death penalty is not a form of cruel and unusual punishment. However, this is extremely inaccurate. Electric chair victims can take up to 14 minutes to die, maintaining full consciousness as their flesh begins to scorch and burn off. During lethal injection, "even a slight error in dosage or administration can leave a prisoner conscious but paralyzed with pain, serving as a witness for his own demise." The following is an eye witness account of an Arizona gas chamber execution given by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: "When the fumes enveloped Don's head he took a quick breath. A few seconds later, he looked again in my direction. His face was red and contorted as if he were attempting to fight through tremendous pain. His mouth was pursed shut and his jaw was clenched tight. Don then took several more quick gulps of the fumes. His body started convulsing violently and his skin turned a deep red...the viens in his temple and neck began to bulge until I thought they might explode. After about a minute, Don's face leaned partially forward, but he was still very conscious. He was shuddering uncontrollably and his body was racked with spasms. His head continued to snap back. His fists were clenched tightly. After several more minutes, the most violent of the convulsions subsided. At this time, the muscles along Don's left arm and back began twitching in a wavelike motion under his skin. Spittle drooled from his mouth. Don Harling took exactly ten minutes and 31 seconds to die. Approximately three months later, he was found innocent." And it wasn't the first time. Amnesty International sites that "from 1900 to 1985 over 350 people sentenced to death were later found to be innocent of the crimes charged. Some excaped execution by only minutes, but 23 were actually executed. Within the last 20 years, 54 Americans under sentence of death have been released because of evidence of their innocence." Unlike a life imprisonment, death offers no second chance. If new evidence surfaces after the person has been executed, it's too late to do anything about it. The death penalty doesn't save tax payers any money, either. Many people have the misconception that criminals should not be allowed to "rot in jail" wasting tax payers money. However, a study conducted by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) concludes that tax payers pay an average of $3.2 million dollars per each death penalty case -- enough to sentence someone to 120 years in a maximum security facility. The death penalty is also not a detterent to crime.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Supply and Demand and Price Elasticity
Apple I-PHONES – Elasticity of supply and demand ABSTRACT I-PHONE' ELASTICITY OF DEMAND What determines price elasticity of Iphones demand? Demand for Iphones – It seems like Iphone sales are above expectation and Apple can't meet current demand. People all over the world are enthralled and want to hold one of the advanced and sexiest products in the market. The degree of necessity or whether the good is a luxury – goods deemed by consumers to be necessities tend to have an inelastic demand whereas luxuries will tend to have a more elastic demand because consumers can make do without luxuries when their budgets are stretched. It's likely to assume that Iphone considered as a luxury and in an economic recession customers can cut their spending on Iphones. The cost of switching between different phones – there may be difficulties involved in switching between different phones. In this case, using Iphone, with its unique applications and software might involve with issues of transferring data from one phone to another. This also imply when moving from using another phone to Iphone. I consider this part for some extent as an insignificant. Summarizing, Iphone is a very unique product, differentiated but have some competitors. Price elasticity of demand is definitely not inelastic but not perfectly elastic. If prices go up significantly, there's no doubt that quantity demanded declines. I-PHONE' ELASTICITY OF SUPPLY Price elasticity also affects supply. Products with an inelastic supply usually have a long lead time, with little power over the quantity produced. Hotel rooms are one example, because if there's a price change, hotel owners can't decide halfway through the growing season to provide more or less of rooms. On the other hand, products with a high elasticity of supply tend to come from industries that can change their production levels more quickly – for example, milk and dairy products. If we examine Iphone elasticity of supply we should consider Apple manufactures for being able to adapt to high demand. From past publications, we could learn that Apple had some issues with facing demand, and that it couldn't meet demand. From my perspective Apple incorrectly predicated its sales, and that was the basis for the shortage. Iphone supply should be more elastic than inelastic at the end of the day.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
PHL 320 Critical Thinking Week 2 Argumentative Essay Paper...
Adam Cully PHL/320 Globalization Argumentative Paper For some people, globalization is so feared it is synonymous with world destruction. In the end, for all we know, maybe this will be proven before it is over. In reality however, there are many good things that have resulted from globalization(1, Premise). Let’s for a moment focus on the economy, even though there are many other advantages that have been brought forward that will also be discussed. Many Americans do not appreciate how efficient our markets are, in this case efficiency in reference to supply and demand is number one. These efficient markets allow economies to grow. As many have learned in a global world, when one economy grows, it spurs growth in all the other economies†¦show more content†¦Globalization allows important processes to occur and be maintained more efficiently and important ideas to become reality in an environment where they otherwise may not be. There is a certain irony involved in this however that must be mentioned. For example, globa lization is going to allow the world to work together to hopefully solve our apocalyptic environmental predicament in a best case scenario. Of course however, this predicament is a result of globalization(1, Conclusion). Still, it allows the human race to push forward, which at this point we must recognize as a necessity of our species in a time where progress of the human race is growing rapidly. In my opinion this is a progress is written in our DNA, and globalization has allowed us to accomplish truly incredible things(2, Conclusion). Inductive Reasoning I think one of the best examples of Inductive Reasoning I used was the explanation of how efficient markets spur the growth and expansion of economic growth and how that is tied into globalization. As stated above, â€Å"Many Americans do not appreciate how efficient our markets are, in this case efficiency in reference to supply and demand is number one. These efficient markets allow economies to grow. As many have learned in a global world, when one economy grows, it spurs growth in
Friday, December 27, 2019
Writing a Pearl Harbor Essay Hows and Whys
Pearl Harbor is one of the most painful and defining moments of American history – there is hardly any other episode that would be just as tragic, with the possible exception of 9/11. It is possibly the most crushing military defeat the United States has suffered in the entire history of the country – and that is why it is a fitting object of study, because one should always pay attention to learning from the mistakes of the past. When writing a Pearl Harbor essay you should keep that in mind, and not simply recount the facts, but in addition to that define what the ultimate results of the battle were, how it influenced the outcome of the war, what geopolitical consequences it bore, what the American military did to avoid similar tragedies in future and so on. How to Write an Essay on Pearl Harbor Attack First of all, decide what exactly you are going to write about. You have a variety of choices: The attack itself. Its strategic implementation. Its importance as a part of the World War II. The reasons that drove the Japanese High Command. The reasons why it was such an overwhelming success for the Japanese. The influence it had on the overall development of warfare in the United States and other countries of the world. Or something completely unrelated. When writing an essay on Pearl Harbor attack you should understand that it is a complex topic which cannot be characterized in its entirety within the confines of one essay. After all, an essay is a rather small written form, and it won’t be physically possible to write simply â€Å"about Pearl Harbor†. Choose a narrower topic. Then stick to it. How Can I Get Information on Pearl Harbor As one of the most well-known episodes in the American history, Pearl Harbor attack has thousands of books, articles and research texts of all kinds dedicated to it, expressing every possible point of view on every possible aspect. You wont have any problems finding information on Pearl Harbor. You are far more likely to encounter problems in sifting through all the information in search of something you haven’t already read, or something brand new, or something dependable. Try to stick to more well-known writers, to the ones that come highly recommended by other specialists, and you will succeed. Tips on Writing an Essay on Pearl Harbor As it has already been said, choose your topic wisely (preferably it should be something that you know at least a little bit about), and stick to it. Don’t wander about, don’t try to encompass the subjects that don’t belong to the topic you have chosen, even if you think that it will help you to draw a better overall picture. The secret of a good essay on Pearl Harbor and, in reality, of any good essay, is for it to be to a point, precise, without any ambiguities. The reader should know what he is reading about from the very first moment – don’t betray his expectations.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Critical Path Method - 803 Words
CRITICAL PATH METHOD (CEE 320 – VDC SEMINAR) 4 February 2009 Jesse Santiago Desirae Magallon Overview Background History CPM Defined The CPM approach Definitions Class Exercise Background History Developed in the 1950s by the US Navy Originally, the critical path method considered only logical dependencies between terminal elements Since then, it has been expanded to allow for the inclusion of resources related to each activity, through processes called activity-based resource assignments and resource leveling. Critical Path Method for the construction industry Non-computer approach John Fondahl John Fondahl Stanford CE Professor Emeritus – 35 years Passed away last September 13th, 2008 US Marine Corps Sergeant in†¦show more content†¦Critical activity – activity with zero float Resource leveling – iterative process of assigning crews to activities in order to calculate their duration Definitions Activity Identity box Early Start (ES) Early Finish (EF) Activity ID Late Start (LS) Late Finish (LF) Duration Class Exercise A STAR T C G H B D F Activity ID A B C D E F G H Duration 7 3 6 3 3 2 3 2 A B D,F B C E,G Dependency E Class Exercise 0 A 0 7 7 7 7 7 C 6 13 13 13 13 G 3 16 16 H 16 0 B 7 3 10 10 3 3 D 3 13 13 6 6 E 3 16 9 2 18 18 16 3 F 11 5 2 13 Class Exercise Gantt Chart Summary Critical Path Analysis is an effective and powerful method of assessing: Tasks which must be carried out Where parallel activity can be carried out The shortest time in which a project can be completed Resources needed to achieve a project The sequence of activities, scheduling, and timings involved Task priorities References Fondahl, John W., â€Å"Non-Computer Approach to the Critical Path Method for the Construction Industry†, Report #9, Stanford University, 1961 Fondahl, John W. â€Å"The History of Modern Project Management – Precedence Diagramming Methods: Origins and Early Development†. Project Management Journal. Volume XVIII. No. 2. June 1987. Hendrickson, Chris Au, Tung, Project Management for Construction, Prentice Hall, 1989 Weber, Sandra C., Scheduling ConstructionShow MoreRelatedThe Critical Path Method ( Cpm )1023 Words  | 5 Pagesbusiness, project management is critically important. The critical path method (CPM) will provide a timeline for the project manager for when tasks should be completed. In addition, providing a deadline and the negative effects it will have on the following successors if not completed on time. These many task are interdepended. Therefore, the CPM provides the start and finishes times of the tasks, and identifies the few tasks on the crit ical path that the project manager should observe to determine whichRead MoreApplying Pert And Critical Path Method1181 Words  | 5 PagesAPPLYING PERT AND CRITICAL PATH METHOD IN EVENT MANAGEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ABSTRACT 2. INTRODUCTION 3. METHODOLOGY 4. FIGURES 5. METHODOLOGY 6. CONCLUSION 7. 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By following a path route among the project tasks that isRead MoreThe Critical Path Method ( Cpm )1113 Words  | 5 PagesJuly 6, 2015 MGT645: Project Management Essentials Professor James Marion Briefly describe â€Å"critical path.†Be sure to include in your description how critical path is determined, and why it is important. The critical path method (CPM) is a step-by-step project management technique for process orchestrating that defines critical and non-critical tasks with the goal of averting time-frame quandaries and process bottlenecks. The CPM is ideally suited to projects consistingRead MoreNetwork Diagram, And Critical Path Method1313 Words  | 6 Pagespoor quality. Accordingly, a project manager should consider the work space as one of the important factor during a construction. According to Chau et al. 2004, Mallasi 2006, and Wang et al. 2004, although the grant chart, network diagram, and critical path method are some existing construction planning techniques, they have some limitations to demonstrate the three-dimensional features of activities. In addition, it is difficult even for expert project managers to manage work-space problems and theirRead MoreCPM or Critical Path Method for Healthcare1099 Words  | 4 Pagesdeliverables. Further analysis process has four pages: creation of a model of how we will perform the work, secondly an estimation of activity durations, timing calculation of the activities and forth the presenting of the results. A more appropriate path is to follow a â€Å"start-to-finish†dependency. First a questionnaire must take place and then send it to the involved departments in our subsidiaries, duration of this task is about 2 weeks including replies. In the mean time starts the procedure ofRead MoreThree Point Technique to Estimate Task Duration, Es-Ef, Ls-Lf Procedure to Indentify Critical Path.1261 Words  | 6 Pagesduration serially would give us 70 weeks. But some tasks within some activities can be done in parallel sequence or simultaneously, which would significantly reduce the construction project completion time using the critical path method (CPM). In this method the longest path is the critical path which runs through one of the route in the project network diagram from start to finish. This project network diagram is illustrated on the printed assignment page, we have 10 tasks listed from A to J. Below is
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Labyrinth by Fleshgod Apocalypse free essay sample
Fleshgod Apocalypse Labyrinth Release Date: 16 August 2013 Origin: Italy Genre: Symphonic Technical Death Metal Rating: 9.8/10. As Good As: Decapitated Nihility, Ignominious Incarceration Of Winter Born, and Obscura Cosmogenesis. Not As Good As: Decrepit Birth Diminishing Between Worlds, Hour of Penance The Vile Conception, and Death Human. Hailing from Italy and leading the scene of Italian Technical Death Metal, second to only Hour of Penance (which a member of Fleshgod Apocalypse is also a member of) , Fleshgod Apocalypse has released their third full length album, entitled Labyrinth on the sixteenth of August this year. A more fitting title has never been placed on an album, in my opinion, for this album is littered with multiple twists and turns that at one point, you’ll have to stop and consider is you are trapped in a never ending maze or not. Fleshgod Apocalypse brings back its unique symphonic sound to the scene of death metal this year and stretches the boundaries of production while maximizing on their physical capabilities with their instruments. Labyrinth is the first album released by Fleshgod Apocalypse on their contract with the always promising Nuclear Blast Records and being a large fan of Fleshgod, you could expect that I was more than anxious to get this album in my hands, and on first listen, this album could very well be a landmark in the likes of all metal. Technical Death Metal is not a genre taken likely in the Death Metal Community and for Fleshgod, a name that most promoters of the genre are well aware of, it is second nature to play this music. This album is a conceptual album, following the tile, Labyrinth. The album follows multiple Greek myths , most notable, the stories of the Minotaur, Icarus, and Daedalus. The first track clocks in at six minutes long which, in this genre of music is quite long and unorthodox. The first minute of the intro is riddled with heavy breathing coming from a man, breathes that could only be interpreted to mean that he just finished doing work, or rather, he is panicking. The b reathes are then accompanied by the sounds of a shutting door, likely the door of the Labyrinth that the title is named after. Low Opera cries soon join the heaving and footsteps, getting louder and louder and finally at the 1:20 mark, the guitar joins in with a bone chilling chug. As the choir’s voices increase in volume, the remarkable double kick bass drum joins in, building up behind the bass and electric guitars, turning this into a familiar death metal sound. The demonic low growls of the vocalist chime in as the bass drum increases and speed and , thanks to a heavy amount of production, we’re given high shrieks from a woman in the background as the guitar continues to sweep, filling the listener with suspense as the vocal takes us through these twists and turns of the Labyrinth leading to the trademark of tech death; the guitar solo. Lasting roughly a minute, the guitarist makes use of his capabilities and sweeps away. A repeat of the chorus which is a duet betw een the main vocalist and a woman Opera singer takes place right after this solo and allows the audience to calm down only for a split second as the second solo of the song infiltrates the rhythm. As titled, â€Å"Kingborn ,†shows us Fleshgod’s new birth as kings of their genre. Next is the album, â€Å"Minotaur (Wrath of Poseidon) â€Å"which takes no break to bring in the audience, but instead hops directly into the sound that Fleshgod promised in their first track. More symphonic than the last, bringing in violins alongside the keyboard and high opera vocals alongside the growls of Tommaso Riccardi who is holds a voice only a god of metal could ever hope to obtain. Fleshgod’s evolution is apparent in this track as we’re strung along by continuous blasting of the bass drum and Trionfera’s lightning sweeping. The track is still part of the beginning of the album and acts as a suspense builder itself alongside â€Å"Kingborn†in order to build an overall suspense for the inevitable climax of the album. At this point of the album, the wait for the climax is becoming more and more unbearable, especially as â€Å"Elegy†sweeps in with a string collection that was followed by a blood curdling bass drop, only in the beginning of the song. For those not aware, a bass drop is most commonly when a single note of the bass drum is strung out and distorted, but only for a second. Imagine a the noise of a nuclear bomb exploding, and that is what Fleshgod has created. Elegy brings back the high skreiks heard in â€Å" Kingborn†alongside Riccardi’s vocals, and out of the previous tracks, the best guitar solo so far is found in â€Å"Elegy†when Trionfera follows the second repeat of the chorus with a riff, easily mimicked and not on a stellar level, however, alongside the beautiful production of this album, the solo fits right in, nice and snug. Snug? I meant brutal. And that’s precisely what this album is. Brutal. Beautifully brutal. While writing this review, I believe this is my fifth play through of the album and incidentally, out of the beginning of this 11 track list, Elegy’s chorus sticks out the most to me. Nonetheless, the album’s concept is easily seen in the next track â€Å"Towards the Sun†which could only be lyrically themed around the loss of Icarus to the blaze of the sun, however, in a metaphorically manner, I am forced to take this as a saying by Fleshgod. Honestly, this album can only be viewed as amazing, and since their first demo, Mafia, and first album Oracles, Fleshgod has been an above average death metal band, however, falling in the shadows to the likes of Decrepit Birth, Hour of Penance, and even some prominent names in the deathcore genre, Infant Annihilator and Signal the Firing Squad to name a few, have won over many death metal fans for its dormancy. â€Å"Towards the Sun†is the track title that shows that Tec h Death is the best Death and that the only other direction for it is up, and mates†¦ It’s as blazing path their taking. Due to Technical Death Metal’s unrivalled complexity, many fans of Death Metal find it hard to relate to and heavy on the ears, however, those , like myself, that have listened to tech death even during early years know that Technical Death Metal is supposed to be that way. The more complex, the more we like it. The more of the double bass that pounds away, the better the mosh pit, the more of the sweeping and riffing of the likes of Muhammed Suicmez ( Necrophagist ) and in this case, Trionfera, the better the head banging and the more bass guitar, the better the rhythm. Fleshgod capitalizes on the things that their fans ask for and then throws in a violin. Of course, to the unaccustomed ear, this may sound like a headache. Constant smashing of drums, kicking away at the bass, stroking of the guitars, and low guttural vocals that sound like demo ns have taken flesh†¦ Perhaps to some, but these guys just make it beautiful. I say all of this to emphasize Fleshgod’s jump in the right direction. I can’t say this was a leap because, after this, I doubt that there’s a trump car over it. I’d call it a leap if Fleshgod had just eased their way into this playing field, however, Fleshgod has been here since 2008, and they’ve been on this path for five years. Labyrinth was a landmark and still is, never to be moved. It’s not simply a transitional album that many bands have to go through to ease their way into a genre * cough cough * Decapitated * cough *.And don’t get me wrong. Transitional albums are needed in many cases but Nuclear Blast just gave way to an entirely different breed with Fleshgod’s signing. I’ve gotten off track but â€Å" Towards the Sun’s â€Å" metaphorical meaning is clearly relevant and for a single track to say all of this, I find it h ighly impressive which is why Fleshgod will always be a favorite of mine ( Until Necrophagist releases their new album. For those of you not clear, Necrophagist is a Technical Death Metal band from Germany, and are deemed by most listeners of this genre as one of the greatest bands to exist, however, the band hasn’t released an album since 2004 and fans constantly joke about their next album, yet to be announced. ) The track begins with the normal rapid blasting of the kick drums , however, the rhythm shifts a couple of times, unseen by modern technical death metal bands. Instead of leading with low gutturals as usual, we’re given low vocals likely from guitarist Rossi or drummer Paoli. After the first verse, another bass drop fills the air and low growls are brought back to our hearts to lift us out of our seats again. No other strings are heard in this song besides the rapid riffing of the guitar, which is even trampled over by Paoli’s ability with his feet, s mashing away at the double bass. The keyboard in the background is simultaneously increasing in pace beside the drums and guitars up until a solo which plays unlike a technical death metal solo, showing Fleshgod’s abilities to stretch this genre. The solo matches one that you would expect from the likes of Dreamshade or Amon Amarth more that Fleshgod, but its beauty annihilates normal thinking and one is forced to agree with its placement. This concludes the track and leads into â€Å"Warpledge†which begins with high shrieking riffs and the fasts double bass I’ve heard out of the entire album†¦ So far. The track starts off seeming as if it will be a discombobulated mess until the vocals spill in, and the speed tones down, and by tone down I mean, goes from 500 bpm to 499 bpm. The chorus comes in, yet again, with the opera voice that seems to be prominent throughout this album and fits so very well alongside the main vocalist and here, Fleshgod lies out a d ouble bass at mind boggling speeds. After the chorus lets out and a quick guitar solo, the bass guitar FINALLY makes a solo appearance and boy†¦ did my knees cripple. I couldn’t help but cower in a corner once the next track â€Å"Pathfinder†came in. â€Å"Pathfinder†strums into the ears of the listener as Technical Death Metal should and due to my love of classical tech death such as, Decrepit Birth, this track is definitely my favorite, or at least, my favorite so far in this album. Pathfinder is the loudest and most abrasive song on this album. A blast beat fills the rhythm and fuels Fleshgod’s undeniable power. A chanting choir joins in occasionally and sometimes clearer high vocals join in but overall, the vocals are over taken by low growls and a familiar guitar plays in the background against the never ending blasting of the double bass drum. This track does one thing, and that one thing is, it shows that F;eshgod has mastered the art of com plexity and that they are masters and pioneers of their genre. The track ends by giving the listener a break in order to brace ourselves for the eargasm coming from the next song. It’s as if Fleshgod is laughing at us with this song. After a few yearsof thinking that Fleshgod had lost it, they burst out the masterpiece of â€Å"Pathfinder†and shave off a minute littering the track with strings. I must say, I’ve never cried better tears of joy. Upon listening to the following track â€Å"The Fall of Asterion†it’s clear that Fleshgod has returned to the roots of tech death. The guitar becomes entirely too technical to remain in the genre of symphonic tech death, but the keyboard that is added into this track holds on to that name. Even though, crippled by a piano, Fleshgod bares its fangs and runs through your ears with the lowest vocals so far in this album and the most complex guitar work yet. With four more songs, I’m cringing in agony. * Wink *( Agony is the title of Fleshgod’s second album. ) Fleshgod has shown us that they are pioneers and shown us that they are a force to be feared, no longer just a memory. The next two tracks are entitled â€Å"Prologue†and â€Å"Epilogue†. At first, these two tracks grabbed my attention and I have been waiting patiently to talk about them. First, because of their placement and second because of their genius. This takes care of four of the remaining songs, however†¦ Why was â€Å"Prologue†not at the beginning of the album and why is â€Å"Epilogue†not at the beginning? Well, because these two songs are the prologue and epilogue of their own song. â€Å"Prologue†is the intro to this song. A guitar and piano instrumental that ends after only a minute and nine seconds, spilling into â€Å"Epilogue†which explodes in musical talent. The song is not an average technical death metal song, and that’s not we expect from t his inhuman band. The song mixes together melodies so beautifully that I don’t think they’ll ever lose their place in symphonic. The song begins with this female singer, singing her heart out in a high voice and is later joined by the growls of Fleshgod. The song slows for a moment and low vocals are heard in the background opening the song up to yet another explosion of sound. Epilogue is not a song that can be explained. The song is capable of twisting emotions by mixing together complex riffs, extreme blast drumming of which, the double bass does not stop†¦ I had to take a break from the album at this point because of how easily the song manipulated my emotions. This song takes best song of this album. Hands down. Just when you think the song has ended, Fleshgod draws you back in with riffs unmatchable. I couldn’t help but cry and head bang at the same time. â€Å"Epilogue†finally comes to an end with a quick chant from the opera vocals and doesn ’t quit attacking with the other instruments. I’m regretting nearing the end of this review, for I am listening to the album as we speak and at this point I don’t ever want it to end. Number 10 on the track list is â€Å"Under Black Sails†. The song comes in at 7 minutes long, the longest song on the album the most interesting. The song begins with a heavy drumming, full of snares, and bass, typical of a band outside of this genre. However, seconds into the song, a guitar strums in and removes the thought of this track being anything close to mediocre. The guitar is anything but forgiving in this track and shreds with more notes and complexity than any other track on this album. The instrument is the heaviest and most notable in the song up until the drums get faster and their volume increased a fourth of the way through. With this album, there is an expectancy of repetitiveness; however, Fleshgod’s writing is just so complex that they were completely able to avoid repeating riffs or style all throug hout this album, unlike many other death metal bands who attempt conceptual albums. This track shouldn’t have followed the pairing of â€Å"Prologue†and â€Å"Epilogue†because in comparison to these two songs, this one looks brutal but is darkened by the light of â€Å"Epilogue†. It’s still a very good song, and perhaps the most unforgiving song on the album, meaning the listener will need to take a deep breath after hearing this song, especially once the end comes and the orchestra and guitar join each other harmoniously alongside low talking. The track ends with the sound of waves crashing against a mountain face, heavily, which gives us a moment to take a deep breath before the album titled track comes in. â€Å"Labyrinth†is a Symphonic Technical Death Metal track in the purest form and is a song that I could never get tired of listening to. The track begins with a piano that sounds reminiscent of Beethoven and gets louder as the track continues. No other instruments join this piano which is the epitome of beautiful. After two minutes, the choir joins in with low humming and is followed by the strings we’ve become accustomed to. At this point, the track seems to be seen as Fleshgod’s ascension track. It’s the end of their glorious triumph and they deserve their payment and we, their sheep, will give it to them. Labyrinth shows us that technical death metal fans that brutality can be beautiful and when it is, it’s the greatest thing we could hope for in death metal. If listened to by the outside world, the first thing they’ll learn is that his genre of music is extreme and it will not be suppressed. Ultimately, I cannot put this album down and I do not want to. Total, I give this album a 9.8, falling only to Decrepit Birth in its complexity, and for the reason of the high choir vocals that chime in sometimes at the wrong moment, taking away from the overall suspense that the album tries to obtain but not enough to nullify this album’s aggressiveness.
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