Identify the two basic decisions addressed by inventory management and discuss why the responses to these decisions differ for continuous and...

Inventory management is used to make decisions about (1) when to order new stock and (2) how much stock to order.

Periodic and continuous inventory systems address these two basic decisions in different ways. 

In a periodic inventory system, the amount of stock on hand is assessed periodically (i.e., every week or month or some other fixed-time interval). The amount to order is then determined based on the amount on hand and expected demand. Thus, all the orders are placed in one batch per period.

In a continuous inventory system, the inventory is always known (a record is kept at all times). When the amount of stock on hand drops below a set amount (called the reorder point) an order is placed for a pre-determined quantity which is calculated to keep inventory costs low. Thus, an order can be placed at any time.

To summarize, with respect to decisions (1) and (2):

A periodic inventory system places orders (1) at fixed intervals for a (2) quantity calculated based on the amount currently on hand.

A continuous inventory system places orders (1) when the reorder point is reached for a (2) pre-determined, fixed quantity.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why is the line "Jem was a born hero" ironic?

The quote "Jem was a born hero" is found in chapter four when Jem, Dill, and Scout are playing out the story of Boo Radley's life. Since Jem is the oldest, he tends to take control of everything that the children play and how they play it. Therefore Jem is the one who divvies out the parts to the other kids, which Scout begrudgingly accepts.

"I was Mrs. Radley, and all I had to do was come out and sweep the porch. Dill was old Mr. Radley: he walked up and down the sidewalk and coughed when Jem spoke to him. Jem, naturally was Boo: he went under the front steps and shrieked and howled from time to time" (39).

Since Scout is the only girl, then, she has to play Mrs. Radley and ends up with little to do but sweep and scream. Dill, on the other hand, "was a villain's villain" (39) and gets to play Mr. Radley. Therefore Jem gets to play the hero in all of their games, so his assigned role is Boo.

The irony of all this is that Boo is considered the hero and not the villain. With all of the superstitious talk about Boo, and the gossip and the fear of him around town, it would seem logical that Boo is the villain of the story. Mr. Radley should be considered the victim because he gets attacked by Boo with scissors, but in the children's story, Mr. Radley is the villain because he locks Boo away from the world. As a result, Jem, being a born hero, must play the hero; so, Boo becomes the unlikely and ironic hero of the story.

In Wole Soyinka's The Lion and the Jewel, what happens in the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace?

In the morning following Sidi's visit to Baroka's palace, Lakunle is cursing at Sadiku for sharing the Bale's secret, when Sidi runs onto the stage and throws herself on the ground. Sadiku asks her what is wrong, and Sidi pushes her away. Lakunle then attempts to console Sidi, but Sidi also pushes him away. Lakunle immediately thinks that Baroka physically assaulted Sidi and swears to kill the Bale. Sidi calls him a fool and tells both Lakunle and Sadiku that Baroka lied. Sidi says that Baroka lied about being impotent and gloated about his cunning trick after he had taken her virginity. Sidi then admits that she hates Baroka and wishes to kill him. Lakunle and Sadiku both want to know if Sidi is still a "maid," and Sidi shakes her head. Lakunle is shocked, but Sadiku is rather optimistic and tells Sidi to cheer up. Lakunle initially laments before mentioning that he shouldn't have to pay the bride-price now that Sidi has lost her virginity. Sidi seems rather surprised that Lakunle still considers marrying her, then runs off of the stage. Sadiku then tells Lakunle that Sidi is packing her things and preparing to get married. Lakunle goes crazy because he didn't expect Sidi to be ready to marry immediately. Amusingly, Lakunle misinterprets Sidi's actions and Sidi ends up marrying Baroka, but only after she mocks Lakunle for his lack of masculinity.

What are examples of modern drama?

Modern Drama refers to plays written in the 19th and 20th centuries whereas contemporary drama refers to plays written today. Modern dramatists include such playwrights as Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, and Henrik Ibsen. Here are a few quintessential examples of modern drama:

A DOLL'S HOUSE by Henrik Ibsen
One of the best-known modern plays is A Doll's House. In a rich, naturalistic style, Ibsen examined the struggle against the unyielding constraints of social conformity, particularly as they are applied to women in their marriages. Nora, the protagonist, ultimately rejects the marriage that would smother her, something that genuinely shocked audiences around the world when the play first premiered in the late 1800s.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE by Tennessee Williams
This much-beloved play tells the story of faded beauty Blanche DuBois and her enticing, if primitive, brother in law Stanley Kowalski. The play took home the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and is widely regarded to be just as powerful today as it was when it first premiered over half a century ago.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde
This hilarious restoration comedy tells the story of philanderer Algernon and his friend Jack who is caught up in Algernon's web of lies -- as well as his own -- as he proceeds to woo the beautiful Gwendolyn. This is the perfect example of the well-made play, and is constantly revived.

What is the person versus self conflict in The Hunger Games?

Katniss’s main internal conflict is how far she will go to try to win the game and survive, such as pretending to love Peeta.

A person versus self conflict is an internal conflict.  It is a struggle a person has with herself.  It often involves decisions that are hard to make, fears, or worries.

Katniss has many internal conflicts in the book, but most of them revolve around what she is willing to do in order to participate in the spectacle of the games.  She knows what people want her to do, and realizes that the longer that she plays along the more likely she is to survive.

Although being ready and willing to kill is difficult, Katniss’s main internal conflict regarding the game has to do with Peeta.  Peeta surprises her when he announces to the world that he loves Katniss during his interview with Caesar.

Peeta sighs. "Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping." (Ch. 9)

Katniss has to decide whether or not she can pretend to love Peeta.  If she does, then she will get valuable public support.  It could mean the difference between living and dying.  This becomes clear to her when she receives help from Haymitch.

Haymitch couldn’t be sending me a clearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth. I can almost hear his snarl. “You’re supposed to be in love, sweetheart. The boy’s dying. Give me something I can work with!” (Ch. 19)

Katniss knows that Haymitch will be able to get donations from sponsors if it looks like she is in love with Peeta.  She kisses him, and plays along pretending she is in love, in order to help them both survive.

The whole thing went to the next level when it is announced that two winners can come from the same district.  That was when Katniss determined that she could help Peeta without endangering her own life.  As the game went on, she had to decide whether to eat the berries and kill herself to prevent having to kill him.  Again, the star-crossed lovers gimmick worked, and both of them were announced winners.  Despite the political implications, their lives were spared for the moment.

Katniss has complicated feelings for Peeta.  She has a close friend, and possible love interest, at home: Gale.  Gale is nothing like Peeta, and more like Katniss.  Katniss feels like she is betraying Gale by pretending to love Peeta.  At the same time, she does care about Peeta.  This causes Katniss constant inner turmoil.  To survive, she has to do things she never thought she would do—kill other kids, and pretend to love Peeta.

Is there good research evidence which supports the usefulness of criminal profiling?

Criminal profiling is a method that uses statistical probabilities as well as professional insights from criminal psychologists and criminologists to paint a picture of the traits that a criminal might have or what a criminal might do based on data from the crime. The usefulness of criminal profiling is limited to how closely to average for a certain set of statistics the criminal's behavior falls.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) claims that profiling has been helpful in solving 84% of the cases where profilers were called in. They also admit that it has hindered 24% of investigations. Profiles are supposed to be guidelines used in tandem with the other evidence in a case. They become hinderances when suspects are assumed to be innocent or guilty based solely on the profile. These profiles may include items such as intelligence, organization, approximate age, career and mental status as well as give a general idea about the type life or lifestyle the suspect leads. 

One of the most well known and controversial methods of criminal profiling is racial profiling. This is when someone is stopped and becomes a suspect (sometimes for a crime that is unspecified) based on his or her race. This happens predominantly with people of African-American or Middle Eastern decent. Supporters of racial profiling claim that statistically certain crimes are more likely to be perpetrated by a certain race while opponents claim that it is a form of discrimination.

Criminal profiling is not only useful to law enforcement, but a valuable asset if used correctly. Strict adherence to the profile may cause investigators to ignore leads that do not fit. When used as a guide to filter through to the most likely set of suspects or circumstances, it can mean the difference between finding a new lead based and letting a crime go unsolved. 

Describe the character of the narrator in "The Black Cat."

One word sums up the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Black Cat": sociopath. A sociopath doesn't respect laws or social rules, disregards others' rights, displays emotional and violent behavior, and fails to feel remorse or guilt for wrong actions. The narrator in this story is a middle-aged man whose behavior deteriorates to the point of murder. We only have the narrator's words by which to judge him, and he tells us from the beginning he is not a trustworthy narrator, for he says in the first sentence, "I neither expect nor solicit belief." Not only does this reveal his untrustworthy nature, but it also indicates that this man spurns approval or acceptance by others--he is anti-social. In the second paragraph, he makes sure we know that the "docility and humanity of my disposition" was remarkable from the time he was a baby. This statement we take with a huge grain of salt. The likelier scenario is that, as a child, he was a terror, but he saw himself as peaceful and loving. 

An example he gives of what a kind person he was is that he took in many pets as a child. However, reading between the lines here, we can guess that he didn't like people and they didn't like him, and that's what led him to embrace the company of animals. His estrangement from people could well have been caused by his lack of respect for social rules. 

Nevertheless, the man does marry, and his wife takes in pets. Perhaps this is because she is not getting her companionship needs met by her husband. As the years go by, the man turns to alcohol, and to this he attributes the fact that he "grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others." This shows other characteristics of a sociopath: emotional, violent, and heedless of others' rights. Indeed, he verbally abuses and beats his wife. He cuts out Pluto's eye with his pen knife, and he eventually murders the cat.

Through all these episodes, the narrator cannot feel true remorse. The level of remorse he feels is "a feeble and equivocal feeling, and the soul remained untouched." Although in the first part of the story he blames his actions on his "disease" of alcoholism, in the second part he has dropped that excuse and the second black cat becomes the thing that causes him to act the way he does. He never fully takes responsibility for his actions. Even in the process of writing his confession, he can never quite confess, for in the penultimate sentence he attributes his actions to the "hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder."

In this story, Poe has given us the portrait of a sociopath.