Abstract
This paper presents a description of Oakland County Government, description of Troy City Government and schools in Troy. They are compared to one another for their efficiency and successful forms of self-maintenance. The writer shows how each of these institutions are admired for leading the way in their field in administration and quality of service.

From the Paper
"We have seen that there is a big difference between the way that the city of Troy is run and the Oakland County. The Oakland County is one that has tried to develop itself through earnest efforts by the government. They are fairly advanced as compared to other counties. Other counties envy them because of their geospatial project.
The City of Troy is an organized one. It is because of being so well set up that they are so efficient, and this reflects in the way that the people take pride in talking about their city. They have designated different departments with different duties, and they are to concentrate on just those areas that they are told to. And for this they are given special instructions that they are supposed to act within. This avoids confusion so that no two departments can point fingers at each other."

Tags:school, education, administration, institution, progress, community, facility, service, public, workforce

Abstract
This paper begins by providing a history of Oakland Athletics. It explains how the stadium was forced to move locations for a number of reasons and discusses how this move impacted its popularity. The writer discusses the sports that are played in the stadium. A SWOT analysis of the stadium is also presented.

From the Paper
"The story of Oakland Athletics starts in 1901 as Philadelphia Athletics and the stadium then had a capacity of only 9,500 seats. The capacity increased to 13,600 seats by 1905. This led to the opening of the Shibe Park or Connie Mack Stadium in the same city in 1909. The stadium was further developed to start night games in 1939 and capacity increased from 20,000 to 33,000 in the meantime. The name of the stadium was after a famous baseball manufacturer and this was the first concrete and steel stadium in major league. The name was changed as mentioned in 1953 after the famous player and the stadium existed till 1970. In the meantime, the team had decided to move from Philadelphia to Kansas City in November1954. This necessitated a new stadium for them and this was built on the site of the Blues stadium and that was the home of Kansas City Blues and the Negro Leagues Kansas City Monarchs. The existence of many teams at the same stadium led to the adding of a roofed second tier and the name being changed to Municipal Stadium. This led to their move to Network Associate Coliseum and that has been from 1968 and the capacity has been around 50,000. (Ballparks: 1901 - Present)"

Tags:sports, SWOT

Abstract
Discussion of Jess Mowry's novel about Oakland, California gang members. Plot of rival ghetto gangs set up against each other. The major characters and their cultural conflicts. Themes of invisibility, acceptance of violence as a way of life, alienation of youth. Indifference of media and police toward young black kids.

From the Paper
"Jess Mowry's novel Way Past Cool focuses on young Oakland, California gang members with compassion and insight. It's a violent, compelling and sad picture of gang culture which depicts 12 and 13-year-old boys who are coming of age under the most dire circumstances. This paper will discuss the novel's major characters and their cultural conflicts as well as how invisibility is reinforced.
In Ralph Ellison's 1962 novel The Invisible Man, the author uses the title of his book to emphasize the struggle of African-Americans for identity in White America. The title of Ellison's book suggests that what the power structure sees in Blacks, especially poor Blacks, is what they want to see, and therefore Blacks are invisible because people refuse to see them. "When they approach me they see only my surroundings themselves, or ..."

Abstract
This paper begins by explaining what total quality management is and how the concept of quality is essential in today's business world. It defines quality and looks at the cost of quality. The paper looks at the evolution of TQM and one specific model thereof known as the Oakland method. An analysis of how TQM can be implemented into a business is included, as well as criticism of the method. The paper concludes with an examination of the future of TQM.

Total Quality Management (TQM)
Introduction
Definition of Quality
The Cost of Quality
The Evolution of Total Quality Management
Oakland's Model
Continuous Improvement
Implementing TQM into a Business
Criticism of TQM
The Future of TQM
References

From the Paper
"The only disadvantage is that almost all the cost reductions that are achieved because of the implementation of the TQM strategies will be seen within the first few years of its implementation, and the percentage of cost reductions that have been a result of the TQM will steadily decrease after the initial years, maybe because of the fact that there will be very little to change after those years. When a business wants to remain competitive, then it will not rely completely on the principles of TQM; it must be willing to use other methods of improvement as well as of cost reduction in conjunction with the TQM methods, and this will bring about greater benefits for the company. This in other words means that though TQM will be a major part of the organization, it will not be the only method being used. Though TQM addresses the operational processes within the organization, it does not touch the financial system as well as the business development system, and these must also be tackled in order to achieve the desired success. (Competitiveness of the future, Building on to the TQM Foundation)"

Tags:oakland, business, implementation

Abstract
This paper reviews R. Self's 2003 book "American Babylon." The book is an account of the development of black activism in Oakland, California, in response to the civil rights movement and urban decay. The paper discusses the author's experiences and relates to them in their historical contest.

From the Paper
"Taking as the point of departure ethnic and economic cleavages between poor, urban blacks and privileged whites in Oakland California, "American Babylon" develops the idea that politicization of urban blacks came about in a context of white flight on one hand and ghetto..."

Tags:Oakland, Black, Panthers, inner, cities

Abstract
This paper briefly overviews Michael Lewis' text, 'Moneyball', by examining three main questions. The writer looks at why the Oakland A's are successful despite their relative lack of funds. The writer examines whether the "A's approach" could be applied to other business models and how effective (or ineffective) Billy Beane's leadership style is. The writer demonstrates a picture of an organization that loves numbers - but has not yet been able to translate its off-field rationality into on-field success.

From the Paper
"Michael Lewis' 'MoneyBall' is a fascinating book about the inner workings of Major League Baseball. The following paper reviews Lewis' text by answering three broad questions: Firstly, why are the Oakland Athletics, a fairly impecunious organization, able to put together a successful organization despite their budgetary constraints? As an addendum, what are the drawbacks to this system that keep other franchises from adopting the A's system? Secondly, from a business perspective, could the A's approach be applied in other workplaces? Finally, what is it about Billy Beane's leadership style that makes him that effective? Or, conversely, is he that effective? In the end, this paper examines the Oakland Athletics and MoneyBall in much the same way as grizzled scouts have always examined raw baseball recruits. Beane's basic objective, when it came to the business of baseball, was to bring `reason' to baseball's front offices."

Tags:lewis, reason, baseball

Abstract
This paper explains that, in Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", a story based on her life, the two things which propelled young Maya into adolescence were her thirst for learning and her love of reading. The author tells of several aspects of Angelou's life including her attending college at the age of fourteen and the birth of a baby boy out of wedlock. The paper concludes that, even today, Maya Angelou, who is a product of Stamps and Oakland and of the disdain and hatred of pre-Civil Rights Negroes, seeks freedom for all people, black and white, so that they are not a caged bird.

From the Paper
"Maya also became somewhat of a dreamer, especially when thoughts of her mother, Vivian Baxter, arose from time to time. It seems that a movie star of that period, Kay Francis, was supposed to look like their mother, and the two would go to the movies- the colored balcony, of course, every time a Kay Francis movie would be shown at the local theatre. Slowly, there was a need for mother and daughter to reunite. But, still the heart and soul of Maya was her education. "I had met and loved the Bronte sisters, and had replaced Kipling's 'If' with 'Invictus'.""

Tags:family, son, drama, freedom, california

Abstract
In December 1996, the Oakland School Board decided that it was going to accept and recognize Ebonics, or what is known as African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), as a valid dialect and would use it in teaching African-American children. This paper examines the linguistic controversy surrounding this decision, showing the pros of using AAVE in schools across the United States.

From the Paper
"AAVE is a fact of life and it is creating a linguistic and cultural disunity in the United States by allowing teachers to stereotype black students and by ensuring that black students do not acquire Standard English fluency. The introduction of AAVE as a tool language of instruction simply means accepting that fact of life and using it to correct current problems facing African Americans in the educational system." Educational psychologists, such as William Labov, have determined that the primary obstacle to academic progress for most African American students is their inability to fully understand what is communicated to them or, in turn, communicate what they are thinking in a dialect that teachers can comprehend (10)."

Tags:intelligence, dialect, ethnic

Abstract
This paper provides a biography of the novelist Amy Tan born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland, California, to Chinese parents. It examines how her novel, "The Joy Luck Club", is, in many ways, a biography of Tan's life. It discusses how like the main character, Tan did not learn that she had half-sisters from her mother's previous marriage until she was older. It evaluates many other parallels between her life and the book such as how she describes her pain from her father and brother's deaths, through Suyuan Woo's loss of her twin daughters and her death. It also shows how like the main character of "The Joy Luck Club", Tan resented her mother when she was younger for being so controlling.

Outline
Introduction
A Biography
The Joy Luck Club
Generation Gaps in the Joy Luck Club
Cultural Differences
Chinese American Life
Conclusion

From the Paper
"One of the major themes in Tan's " The Joy Luck Club" is a constant quest for identity. Tan's eight main characters all face the challenge of defining themselves while they are undergoing some sort of personal conflict. Lindo Jong's early marriage into an unreceptive family caused her to become a stronger woman and made her vow to never forget her roots. Ying-ying St. Clair became a sort of "ghost" as the result of betrayal and loss in her life. Rose Hsu Jordan repeatedly tried to get her self-confidence back to standup to husband. June Woo narrates much of the story, telling of her quest to China, which was orchestrated by her Joy Luck Club aunties. June tries to understand her mother's tragic past, while realizing her own personal and ethnic identity. "

Tags:china, culture, identity, suyuan, woo

Abstract
The paper shows that in 1996, the Oakland School Board in California passed the "Ebonics Resolution" - a plan to accept African-American language, termed Ebonics, as the primary language of African-American students and to implement a system to teach them in their primary language as a means of assisting them to learn standard American English. The paper discusses the debate that followed involving the public and the media. It shows that while the linguistic experts in the field were in support of the Ebonics Resolution, the Resolution had a significant social impact. By comparing the meaning of the issue from a sociological and a linguistic perspective, the paper shows the real issues involved in their entirety.

From the Paper
"In the Ebonics debate the part of culture involved is language, a very basic component of our society. Language is something that is taken for granted, with the belief of the general population being that the accepted language is the correct one. The social rejection of Ebonics and the rejection of accepting it as a primary language can be seen as a form of the majority group of society asserting their own belief in their superiority. This is not necessarily representing that the majority group do not want to accept others. Instead it reflects the basic principle of society assuming that the majority group is correct."

Tags:LSA, dialect, communication, AAVE, ethnic, groups