Is China in an asset bubble Yes or no Why or why not (Particularly Assignment

Is China in an asset bubble Yes or no Why or why not (Particularly real estate bubble) - Assignment Example Fan Gang joined the regional officials in expressing their concern over the surging prices of assets (Leung & Wong Para 1). According to Forsythe and Hamlin, there is a sprout of empty buildings across the nation as firms with access to 1.4 trillion dollars- given in new loans in 2008- build skyscrapers. This has led to the Chinese property’s market bubble. James Chano, the hedge fund manager, says that there is a monumental asset and fixed asset, including real assets, bubble in China right now. He adds that deflating such an issue will be quite difficult at best (Forsythe & Hamlin Para 4). The Chinese government, since October 2010, has increased asset bubbles three times. This suggests fears of a shaping asset bubble and high inflation. China is highly dependent on oil and her growth rate is higher than that of Japan. If the worldwide prices of oil continue rising, China could be in some serious trouble. Moreover, there are numerous IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) in China with ample foreign investors wanting to invest in them. This move could only be fueling the growth of asset bubbles (Zhou 79). Conclusively, a serious market bubble is looming in China if the government does not take effective measures to contain it. Since 2006, economists and analysts have predicted a large asset bubble and this has increased with time. Forsythe, Michael and Hamlin, Kevin. China’s Real Estate Bubble Causing Growing Concern. Bloomberg News. 14 February 2010. Web 27 April 2012, Leung, Sophie and Wong, Chia-Peck. China Faces Asset-Bubble Risk, PBOC Adviser Fan Says (Update 2). Bloomberg. 18 November 2009. Web 27 April 2012,

Quitting is not an option Essay Example for Free

Quitting is not an option Essay Quitting Is Not An Option As a little girl I always dreamt of becoming my own boss at a young age. The thought of following other people rules bothered me; I did know that in order to get where I wanted to be in life I had to start somewhere. So I told myself that after high school I had to go to college, and work and save. I decide to pursue my degrees in Business Management and Accounting, because, I enjoy using money, working with others, helping people solve their money issues and helping them getting back on the right the track, as well as making people happy. I see it as if I have the knowledge and the education of what Im doing, I dont have to worry about anyone using me or stealing from me; Ill be able to take care of my own finances. Having a B.A. in Business Management will impact my life in a positive way, by giving me a hands up in my dreams of becoming my own boss at an young age, as well as living my life comfortably. Due to my dreams in life, and where I want to be I chose not to give up even when things are stressful at times. Giving up on my educational goals is not an option because, I know that if I dont have a degree, my life will not go anywhere, and I will just work at dead-end jobs. Not only do I want to want to go college and get a B.A. but I want to get excellent grades, and become an honor student. Im committed to sticking with my degree and working with Monroe College to help me succeed and graduate. Having a lot of money, and time invested in my success, I cant allow quitting to be an option. Looking forward to having a great experience and continue to grow in my career while attending Monroe College. Having great support from my professors, when struggling with an assignment, I feel I should be able to email or talk on the phone with them without feeling embarrassed. If i found out that my future self was trying to quit due to an stressful situation, I will let her know that life gets hard but giving up makes it even harder, and if you give up you will be stuck living life struggling, and living pay check to pay check with no relief to the stress. Living and learning is part of life, but quitting wont allow you to learn or live the  life that you want for yourself and your future family.

My First Experience of Camp - Original Writing Essay -- Papers

My First Experience of Camp - Original Writing "AHHHHHHHHHH!" The cry of my fellow companion echoed throughout the musty wooden cabin. "A massive spider!" was the next shout from the top bunk of my bed. Disorientated, and still half asleep, I asked what the matter was. I fumbled for the compulsory torch we had been issued with and switched it on. There was no electricity in the cabin; the torch light cast weird shadows and created an eerie atmosphere. I got out of my sleeping bag to check on him. My friend was quite agitated and clearly scared. He looked at me, with fear etched into his face. He was holding his pillow as if it was something that would make it all go away, but I knew it could not. His whole body was shaking. I sympathised with him and told him he could sleep in my bed. On hearing this, he leapt down without hesitating. I was now faced with the prospect of having to sleep on the floor. I looked down and all I could see was dirty floorboards, laden with lumps of dried mud. I knew this was going to be a rough couple of days. The sun shone brightly in the morning and beamed over the whole of the camp. This was meant to be 'something that you can take a lot out of', but, now, I saw it differently. When we were told that we would be going, as a class, to a camp, I immediately smiled. I had always wanted to experience what camp life would be like and how much I would enjoy it. At the time, to a ten year old, it seemed like Christmas had come early. However, the night before as I lay on the cold, hard floorboards of the cabin everything had changed. Now, to a deflated ten year old, it seemed like hell. The only thing I had ... ...ingers were crossed and I was praying that it was our poster that won. The winning poster was held up and it was not ours. My heart sank and my face dropped. I felt sick. I turned to my friends and they did not seem bothered; that made me feel worse. The next two days were action packed. In the mornings, we went orienteering, and the evenings were spent round the campfire drinking sweet hot chocolate from the plastic mugs we had brought from home. By this time, everyone had got used to camp life and needless to say I had put the two unfortunate incidents (getting lost and losing the poster competition) behind me. It was going to be sad leaving the camp, but I was looking forward to going back to the comforts of home. The sleeping bag on the hard, wooden floor was beginning to hurt my back - my warm soft bed beckoned.

Debts of Good Will and Interpersonal Justice :: Sociology Sociological Papers

Debts of Good Will and Interpersonal Justice ABSTRACT: A debt of good will (utang na loob in Filipino) is incurred when a person becomes the beneficiary of significant assistance or favor given by another. Usually, the beneficiary is in acute need of the assistance given or favor granted. This provides an opportunity for the giving of help to serve as a vehicle for the expression of sympathy or concern. The debt could then be appreciated as one of good will because, by catering to another person's pressing need, the benefactor is able to express positive dispositions towards the beneficiary. It is not merely the receipt of the assistance or favor that puts the recipient in a position of indebtedness. The indebtedness is created by the benefactor's kagandahang loob (good will). An act can be considered to convey kagandahang loob only if it is done out of kusang loob (roughly, free will); and can only be considered to have been done out of kusang loob if the agent (1) is not acting under external compulsion, (2) is motivated by p ositive feelings (e.g. charity, love or sympathy) towards the beneficiary, and (3) is not motivated by the anticipation of reward. These conditions entail debt-of-good-will relationships where the benefactor has no right to demand reciprocity but the beneficiary has a "self-imposed" obligation to repay kagandahang loob with kagandahang loob. Debts of good will are about some forms of justice. But we should not reduce all talk about debts of good will to talk about justice. Debts of gratitude are, in general, incurred by people who receive help or favors from others. But to say that a person has a debt of gratitude is not merely to say that he should be thankful for the assistance given. The indebtedness concerned is not confined to actual benefits received. In recognizing a debt of gratitude, one also recognizes the good will manifested by the benefactor in providing assistance or granting a favor. For this reason, this paper refers to "debts of good will" instead of "debts of gratitude." The contention is that the former terminology focuses attention on important features of the concept that the words "debt of gratitude" fail to capture. Another reason for the use of the preferred term in this paper is that the equivalent of "good will" in the Filipino language – kagandahang loob – has an important significance in related ethical theory.

Single Mom and Going Back to School

Single Mom and Going Back To School I am in my mid-thirties and going back to school. I would have to say that my children are the primary reason behind this decision. I am their role model and teacher and I intend to be the best one possible. I want to show my children the endless possibilities of hard honest work. I want to send them to college and live comfortably. Throughout my personal experience, I have learned that anything is possible even while I am balancing a family, multi jobs and school. Once I left high school in 1992, I attended the Sawyer School for Business.With class to finish, I found out that I was pregnant and having problems. Because of my pregnancy problems, I had to leave school. I didn’t graduate because I was not able to complete that one class. After, that I had no motivation to go back to school; a decision I always regretted. A few years later, I got married and had a beautiful baby girl named Dominique. Now, she is eighteen and graduated high scho ol. I got divorced and went from working at a factory making curtains to being a security guard at the Convention center in Providence.At this time of my life, I thought to myself, â€Å"I could afford to go back and my kids need me†. Then, I met my boyfriend and two and a half years later, I was pregnant with my second daughter Selena; and she is now twelve and in the sixth grade in middle school. After having Selena, I went from driving a school bus to being a police dispatcher for the Bristol Police Department. After working there for two years, I thought to myself, â€Å"I can’t work the third shift and working as a police dispatcher was a very stressful job†.So, I applied at the main office for the school department to become a secretary, although they were only hiring a sub-secretary. I immediately took the job; I wasn’t even considering school. Then, a few months passed and I was pregnant again with a beautiful baby boy named Dennis. Dennis is now six years old and in kindergarten. When he was born, I really did not have a job in mind, so I decided to start my own business by cleaning houses. This was the perfect job for me at the time because having a newborn, a six year old, and a twelve year old was a lot of work.It was very convenient for me to start house cleaning because I chose my hours. I was working two to three hours a day and was still available for my kids. At this point of my life that I still couldn’t go back to school. One day, I decided to apply for a job on the third shift because I needed the extra money and it would be convenient for my kids and I. Working at Atria in Portsmouth required me to tend to elderly people. The most important thing to me is caring for the residence.I enjoyed working there so much and it made me think that I could go back to school to become a CNA, or even become a nurse. During the summer of 2012, I thought, â€Å"What am I doing with my life? † I was cleaning houses and taking care of the elderly. I suddenly realized that my girls were older and my son was in kindergarten; it’s the perfect opportunity for me to accomplish my dream. So, I figured out my schedule so I would have plenty of time for work, school and my two youngest children.Finally, I thought to myself that I can go to school, get a degree, and maybe take my kids on vacation. Advice from one single mom to another single mom anything is possible if you have the heart and mind set. First, you need to decide what you want to do for a career. Second, find out where you can get help financially. Third, find a safe place for your children. Therefore, I know it makes me feel good that I am showing my kids that anything is possible if you put your heart and mind into it.

Dr Jekell and Mr Hyde essays

Dr Jekell and Mr Hyde essays The term Jekyll and Hyde, now a part of our common language, can be found in most dictionaries. Random dictionary definitions of Jekyll and Hyde include: 1) One who has quasi-schizophrenic, alternating phases of pleasantness an unpleasantness. 2) A person having a split personality, one side of which is good and the other evil. 3) This phrase refers to a person who alternates between charming demeanor and extremely unpleasant behavior. This concept revolves around the experience of Dr. Jekyll, enabled by drinking a potion, into living as his own living side, whom he names Hyde. Stevenson intended Jekylls character to be pronounced Je (French word for I) Kill (Je-Kill = I kill), as an indication that the doctor wanted to isolate the evil portion of himself, appropriately named Hyde, meaning low and vulgar hide or flesh which must hide from civilization. When Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he portrayed mans evil nature as a portion of his total makeup, and showed that the evil portion will often express itself more forcefully and powerfully than do the other aspects. Throughout life, a person can develop a sense of the conflict that actually involves ones good and evil natures. Often a persons current actions reflect their childhood experiences. Jekyll, described by Stevenson, born wealthy, grew up handsome, honorable, and distinguished. Yet, throughout much of his life, he commits secret acts which he thoroughly regrets. Early in Jekylls development, Stevenson had him recognize a profound duplicity of life...so profound a double dealer and that man is not truly one, but truly two. Intellectually, he evaluates the differences between his private life and his public life and, ultimately, he becomes obsessed with the idea th ...

Radiography Dissertation Topic Samples and How to Write an Introduction

Radiography Dissertation Topic Samples and How to Write an Introduction Radiography Dissertation: Topic Samples and How to Write an Introduction Selecting a topic for a Radiography dissertation is one of the most difficult steps in the academic career. The topic should cover 2 tasks: on the one hand, it should be interesting to you, on the other hand it should be significant for the general research of the field. This article contains a few pieces of advice on how to come up with good ideas, choose the best topic and start writing the Radiology dissertation. Radiology Dissertation Topics In the past, radiology mainly involved X-Rays, but today, there are many forms of radiology. The following are the directions in which you can find a really interesting and unusual dissertation. As you can see, these topics discuss new technology, their relevance, and their pros and cons. History of Radiology Definition of Radiology Forms of Radiology Radiography Angiography Tomography by Using Modern Technology Magnetic Resonance Imaging Nuclear Treatment Pros of Radiology Introduction to Radiology Choose your own direction, dig into it, and you are sure to come up with an engaging topic. Key Points on the Introduction for a Radiology Dissertation An introduction provides for a clear foundation for your topics, thesis and later, your research project. A draft of the introduction for a Radiology dissertation should be written early enough. This should be done when you hand over your research proposal. A proposal aims to tell the readers your extensive outline of ideas, why you seek to look into this subject and what you expect to find and establish. An introduction should be updated as many times as possible as your ideas evolve throughout paper writing. An updated preface will ensure that the dissertation remains on the right track. An excellent preface contains a statement of the research question and what you aim to find in your research. It should introduce and partly review the literature that is listed in your dissertation topic. This helps in highlighting what is known and explaining its framework. If your research is an argument, then the start is the best place for a researcher to give his or her own opinion. The introduction is supposed to show how your dissertation will enhance the theory behind your topic. The Proposal The introduction of your thesis will mostly come from your research proposal. The introduction should set the framework for the work to do later and highlight your point of views and research that was done before yours. It is supposed to emphasize why you decided to look into the area, what is expected to be found in the literature and what you hope to find out. Since you have now completed all the work at this stage, your introduction should be crystal clear by showing what you chose to investigate and your scope of practice. Some of the ideas that will help you in creating a strong dissertation introduction should include the following. Firstly, you should have a series of capturing sentences that grabs readers’ attention; Secondly, do not try to highlight broadly your whole dissertation in your introduction. Only outline the specific aspects of your thesis and points of view; Third, only promise what you are sure you have delivered; And lastly, keep your language simple and straightforward. It is essential to do this in your introduction and throughout the research.

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life - An Overview

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life - An Overview The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life is a book that was published in the U.S. in 1959, written by sociologist  Erving Goffman. In it, Goffman uses the imagery of theater in order to portray the nuances and significance of face-to-face social interaction. Goffman puts forth a theory of social interaction that he refers to as the dramaturgical model of social life. According to Goffman, social interaction may be likened to a theater, and people in everyday life to actors on a stage, each playing a variety of roles. The audience consists of other individuals who observe the role-playing and react to the performances. In social interaction, like in theatrical performances, there is  a front stage region where the actors are on stage  before  an audience, and their consciousness of that audience and the audiences expectations for the role they should play influence the actors behavior. There is also a back region, or backstage, where individuals can relax, be themselves, and the role or identity that they play when they are in front of others. Central to the book and Goffmans theory is the idea that people, as they interact together in social settings, are constantly engaged in the process of impression management, wherein each tries to present themselves and behave in a way that will prevent the  embarrassment of themselves or others. This is primarily done by each person that is part of the interaction working to ensure that all parties have the same definition of the situation, meaning that all understand what is meant to happen in that situation, what to expect from the others involved, and thus how they themselves should behave. Though written over half a century ago,  The Presentation of Self in Everday Life  remains one of the most famous and widely taught sociology books, which was listed as the 10th most important sociology book of the twentieth century by the International Sociological Association in 1998. Performance Goffman uses the term ‘performance’ to refer to all the activity of an individual in front of a particular set of observers, or audience. Through this performance, the individual, or actor, gives meaning to themselves, to others, and to their situation. These performances deliver impressions to others, which communicates  information that confirms the identity of the actor in that situation. The actor may or may not be aware of their performance or have an objective for their performance, however, the audience is constantly attributing meaning to it and to the actor. Setting The setting for the performance includes the scenery, props, and location in which the interaction takes place. Different settings will have different audiences and will thus require the actor to alter his performances for each setting. Appearance Appearance functions to portray to the audience the performer’s social statuses. Appearance also tells us of the individual’s temporary social state or role, for example, whether he is engaging in work (by wearing a uniform), informal recreation, or a formal social activity. Here, dress and props serve to communicate things that have socially ascribed meaning, like gender, status, occupation, age, and personal commitments. Manner Manner refers to how the individual plays the role and functions to warn the audience of how the performer will act or seek to act in a  role (for example, dominant, aggressive, receptive, etc.). Inconsistency and contradiction between appearance and manner may occur and will confuse and upset an audience. This can happen, for example, when one does not present himself or behave in accordance with his perceived social status or position. Front The actor’s front, as labeled by Goffman, is the part of the individual’s performance which functions to define the situation for the audience. It is the image or impression he or she gives off to the audience. A social front can also be thought of like a script. Certain social scripts tend to become institutionalized in terms of the stereotyped expectations it contains. Certain situations or scenarios have social scripts that suggest how the actor should behave or interact in that situation. If the individual takes on a task or role that is new to him, he or she may find that there are already several well-established fronts among which he must choose. According to Goffman, when a task is given a new front or script, we rarely find that the script itself is completely new. Individuals commonly use pre-established scripts to follow for new situations, even if it is not completely appropriate or desired for that situation. Front Stage, Back Stage, and Off Stage In stage drama, as in everyday interactions, according to Goffman, there are three regions, each with different effects on an individual’s performance: front stage, backstage, and off-stage. The front stage is where the actor formally performs and adheres to conventions that have particular  meaning for the audience. The actor knows he or she is being watched and acts accordingly. When in the backstage  region, the actor may behave differently than when in front of the audience on the front stage. This is where the individual truly gets to be herself and get rid of the roles that she plays when she is in front of other people. Finally, the off-stage region is where individual actors meet the audience members independently of the team performance on the front stage. Specific performances may be given when the audience is segmented as such.

The importance of Rossi work to understanding the city Essay

The importance of Rossi work to understanding the city - Essay Example The development of a city in relation to these manmade features is what makes up the city’s nature and morphology and from this reference Rossi is able to define urbanism. The city’s nature can be examined using massive structures, engineering works, and structures that are characteristic to their own history. Failure of connecting these two shows the sophisticated reality that has to be addressed for the future of the city. The history is the very important for the city’s development. Its favorable character and good moments of life, is very necessary in the city life. The man made features is work of art while the city is viewed as a human achievement and these achievements have the biggest contribution for the overall individuality of the city. Rossi believes that only the historian can give the complete picture of a city because they are the only ones who are totally concerned with defining the urban manmade features and their gradual development in different eras. History provides to urban science making it very important. This statement is related to the theory of remaining unchanged. The city is an object that is manmade and we will always feel the past and it will give meaning to the state of being permanent. This permanence can be felt in nature’s existence and the way towards which the city is headed. Rossi defines urban manmade features as the main elements because they have provided for the cultural and morphological of the city’s evolution. A good example is the changing of the amphitheatre at Nimes was changed in a fortress to become a little functional city of inhabitants of around two thousand. Outside the wall, it grew with a shape of amphitheatre as the main element. A city is a collection of the memory of those who belong there and the same with memory, it has to be associated with places and objects. It is a point of memories that are collected. Locus and citizenry

Manufacturing and Urbanization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Manufacturing and Urbanization - Essay Example Because of the rise of industrialism in the nineteenth century, United States became an industrialized society. This change was sped up by transportation revolution as well as immigration. Urbanization, along with the need for a market economy, also contributed America’s industrialization. Industrialization changed the lives of everyone. The farmers had become workers in factories and mills. Agriculture became mechanized, and with technology, the food production increased. Coupled with fast production and mechanization, the farmers worked faster. Since the transportation network was also quite effective, goods were also transported throughout America, boosting commerce and industry throughout the regions. Urbanization also went hand in hand with industrialization as with the expansion of farming. The mechanization of the textile industry was not until mid-nineteenth century when the likes of Lowell Mills (in Massachusetts) sprouted. In fact, Lowell Mills was the most profitabl e mill in Massachusetts. In 1814, the Boston Manufacturing Company was established and it built a mill near the Charles River. It became the first integrated mill in the United States: it was the first mill to have had carding, spinning and weaving. For several years, the town of Lowell in Massachusetts became the default place for putting up mills in America as ten textile corporations opened more than thirty mills in Lowell. The city became world famous as the â€Å"center of efficient industry†. These mills had eight thousand workers, women between ages 16 to 35 as their workers and they were promised high wages by men who told them that these jobs were available to all social classes, since being a mill girl is considered being degrading. The Lowell Mills had a large-scale mechanization with the goal of improving the stature the women in the workforce. The mills usually hired employees for a year and they were renewed every year (the average employee lasts for four years) . The new ones had a fixed wage while the older employees were paid by the piece. The workers usually worked for fourteen hours each day and their work averages for seventy three hours each week. The workers were overseen by two male managers. The rooms are hot with eighty workers to a room, and the windows are closed to maintain thread count and thread work. The workers were also housed in boarding houses that were provided by the company, with six workers in a bedroom. Because of the economic depression of the 1830s, the board of directors of the mills proposed a reduction in the women’s wages and the employees had strikes. The women lost and the employees left town, and this was seen as a â€Å"betrayal of femininity†. In 1845, the Lowell women started the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association. It demanded a ten hour work for the women of Lowell Mills. The movement became unsuccessful then but in 1847, their work hours were reduced by 30 minutes. In New Hampshire, however, the State Board passed a law for a ten hour workday. This development in the industrialization of America brought forth inequality in the working class, particularly in the lives of female white workers as exemplified by the working women of Lowell Mills. The inequality was not only sexist as it only affected women. Then inequality stretched to the point where the capitalists have used the term â€Å"more wages† as they hired women, on the premise of them providing better lives, with these women not knowing that they will be in for more

Sport and media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Sport and media - Essay Example article, the features associated with athletes and the tone used in sports coverage and reports varies according to the ethnicity and race of an athlete. The researchers were guided by four hypotheses that were developed using previous knowledge on ethnicity and racial minorities in the news. Media exposure using race-related messages can provide advantages in terms of identity to whites or majority consumers. They are offered intergroup messages, which support White positive distinctiveness and self-concept. The first hypothesis is that minority athletes are usually overrepresented as criminals when compared to Whites. The second hypothesis is that minority athletes are usually characterized unfavorably than White athletes in the coverage of crime related sports news. The third hypothesis is that crimes associated with minority athletes will be characterized with negative consequences. The fourth hypothesis is that the presentation of crime related sports news varies according to the race of an athlete (Mastro, Bleacha & Seate, 2011). These researchers show that the manner in which athletes are portrayed in crime related news varies according to race. In this case, minority athletes, particularly Black athletes were overly represented as criminals. The researchers used a social identify framework in order to analyze the content in the newspapers systematically. Mastro, D., Bleacha, E., & Seate, A. (2011). Characterization of Criminal Athletes: A Systematic Examination of Sports News Depictions of Race and Crime. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 55, (4)

Can the preparation of non-christian parents for infant baptism be Essay

Can the preparation of non-christian parents for infant baptism be used as a tool of mission engagement - Essay Example as a possible tool for mission engagement, depending on how it is used and how the religious leaders can utilize its potential for spreading God’s word. This paper shall consider the question: can the preparation on non-Christian parents for infant baptism be used as a tool of mission engagement? It shall assess and evaluate this question from the point of view of a student placing himself in a position of a Methodist student minister on placement. An unchurched couple approached this student Methodist minister for the infant baptism of their child. The couple did not come to the church, but they approached the local Methodist minister for the baptism of their child. The task now is to determine how baptism can be used as a tool for mission engagement. The preparation of non-Christian parents for infant baptism can be used as a tool of mission engagement because the principles and the concepts behind baptism can be used to make the unchurched couple understand about Christianity and its teachings. As a Methodist minister, I can explain the process and the teachings behind baptism. In the process of explaining baptism – its teachings and purposes – it is possible to engage the couple into participating more in church activities and in living by the teachings of Christ. First and foremost, I can explain the basis of baptism to the couple. Infant baptism, based on several Christian sects proclaims that â€Å"both believers and their children are included in God’s covenant love. Children of believers are to be baptized without undue delay, but without undue haste† (Presbyterian, n.d). It is important for me, as a Methodist minister to express to the unchurched couple that Baptism is a sacrament which expres ses the truth about God’s infinite and unconditional love; and a sacrament which already embraces people even before they respond in faith. It is also vital for me to emphasize to the unchurched couple that as parents bring their babies to

AMOURETTE SPOTLIGHT Hipster Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

AMOURETTE SPOTLIGHT Hipster - Assignment Example A lot of governing bodies have made companies responsible towards emission norms and set standards for declaration of their environmental compliances. Importance of corporate social responsibility is also reflected in the gaining momentum of mergers and acquisition dealings considering investments in socially responsible activities. Despite such rise in the value of CSR, the question remains as to why the companies find it important to engage and socially responsible behaviour when it actually does not add any financially visible value to the firm. Also, it is questionable whether these firms actually believe in acting socially or is it simply a means to gaining stakeholder support and shareholder (Font et al., 2012). The business world is plagued with multitude of problems ranging from accounting frauds, environmental issues and social concerns to corporate irregularities. In this scenario, importance of CSR reporting cannot be eliminated. This paper aims to examine whether the issu ing such CSR reports actually engage in socially responsible behaviour or merely try to convince stakeholders and gain investor support. It therefore highlights the role of business ethics and highlights the importance of CSR reporting. CSR for Increased profitability It is undoubted that companies operate in an environment where existence is subject to free play of competition between major players within any industry. In such unregulated attempt towards achieving greater market share, it is essential that government and media become aware of their role to act as controllers of social consequence of these activities. Their role has become significant and influential in today’s times. These groups of people have high power to put extreme pressure of major companies to adhere to environmental and social standards. This has resulted in the fact that CSR has emerged to be one of the inescapable priorities of businesses. Research has also shown that when managers and directors ta ke concern for employees and consumer welfare, they gain better support of their work staff in terms of productivity and loyalty than firms who have no consideration apart from earning profits. CSR in contemporary organizations There has been a sharp rise in CSR reporting in the recent decade. KPMG international has reported that about 95% of the largest 250 companies in the world issue standalone CSR reports as of 2011 data (Mahoney, 2012). This calls for a need to assess as to why companies have started reporting for CSR activities in such large numbers over their issues and sustainability efforts. The prime reason observed behind such rise in voluntary CSR reporting is the increasing pressure from various internal as well as external stakeholders on companies to emerge as good corporate citizens. It is known that engagement in CSR initiative has costs associated with it which might tax its competitive market position. Alternatively, the firm can benefit from the profits that accr ue to companies for being responsible corporate citizens like retention of employees, positive consumer behaviour and investments and higher profits. CSR reports are issued with a view that such information apart from other information that is available to stakeholders, shall act towards the benefit of the company. The major benefit arising out of this is believed to be good company reputation. KPMG reported that the major reason behind CSR reporting is brand building and reputation enhancement. It is also likely that

Can the preparation of non-christian parents for infant baptism be Essay

Can the preparation of non-christian parents for infant baptism be used as a tool of mission engagement - Essay Example as a possible tool for mission engagement, depending on how it is used and how the religious leaders can utilize its potential for spreading God’s word. This paper shall consider the question: can the preparation on non-Christian parents for infant baptism be used as a tool of mission engagement? It shall assess and evaluate this question from the point of view of a student placing himself in a position of a Methodist student minister on placement. An unchurched couple approached this student Methodist minister for the infant baptism of their child. The couple did not come to the church, but they approached the local Methodist minister for the baptism of their child. The task now is to determine how baptism can be used as a tool for mission engagement. The preparation of non-Christian parents for infant baptism can be used as a tool of mission engagement because the principles and the concepts behind baptism can be used to make the unchurched couple understand about Christianity and its teachings. As a Methodist minister, I can explain the process and the teachings behind baptism. In the process of explaining baptism – its teachings and purposes – it is possible to engage the couple into participating more in church activities and in living by the teachings of Christ. First and foremost, I can explain the basis of baptism to the couple. Infant baptism, based on several Christian sects proclaims that â€Å"both believers and their children are included in God’s covenant love. Children of believers are to be baptized without undue delay, but without undue haste† (Presbyterian, n.d). It is important for me, as a Methodist minister to express to the unchurched couple that Baptism is a sacrament which expres ses the truth about God’s infinite and unconditional love; and a sacrament which already embraces people even before they respond in faith. It is also vital for me to emphasize to the unchurched couple that as parents bring their babies to

Rewrite Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Rewrite - Essay Example Coming into contact with feces of an infected person is one way through which hepatitis A can be acquired or transmitted from one person to the other. Moreover, if a person fails to wash their hands appropriately after using bathroom, they can get infected (Gallagher 9); furthermore, hepatitis A can be transmitted to those individuals engaging in oral or anal sex especially with those that are infected as well as through blood transfusion, although this situation happens occasionally (Mushahwar 2). In addition, transmission of HAV though the consumption of contaminated food and water can be associated with increased outbreaks of this disease globally. Normally, the incubation period of hepatitis A is between 14 and 28 days (WHO), but everyone’s body responds to it differently and exhibit different symptoms of the disease. Some individuals may not show any sign at all but they are infected with this virus; for instance, individuals with subclinical hepatitis have neither sympto ms nor jaundice (Mushahwar 8). Moreover, signs and symptoms of Hepatitis B are more predominant in adults than in children since children have more mild reaction to Hepatitis A as opposed to adults. Symptoms of hepatitis A are jaundice, dark urine, extreme fatigue, vomiting, nausea, colored stool among others (Davis 3), but jaundice occurs in more than 70 % HAV infection cases (WHO). Hepatitis A virus has been known to be one of the oldest diseases affecting humankind, and it was discovered by Steven Feinstone in early 1990’s. The recommended diagnosis of hepatitis A is â€Å"testing the patients’ sera for the presence of certain anti-viral antibodies† (Mushahwar 1), whereby a positive test for anti-HAV is an indication that a person has been exposed to this virus before or is infected. Moreover, this virus can be diagnosed through determining HAV antibody in the feces (Mushahwar 9). Arguably, people who are susceptible to HAV infection are those that not vaccin ated against hepatitis A, travelers exploring places where the virus is endemic, men having sex with men, and people with chronic liver disease (WHO). Additionally, injecting drug users with unsterilized needles and medical personnel in hospitals are also at risk of HAV infection (Mushahwar 13). However, hepatitis A can be avoided by washing hands and engaging in safe sexual activities and by doing this, this endemic disease can be eradicated easily. In most cases, hepatitis is a treatable disease, but leads to death on rare occasion especially when diagnosed late or not treated (Gallagher 8). There are low infection rates the United States and other wealthy states since they are aware of proper hygiene (Gallagher 10); nevertheless, research shows that people aged five to forty are the most vulnerable to HAV infection. According to WHO, about 33, 288 people were infected in 1976, but when the vaccine was administered, this number reduced to seven, 653. This is a clear indication tha t the use of vaccine in preventing HAV is effective and can help in reducing this infection. Moreover, proper hygiene should be individual’s main concern since worldwide outbreaks and localized infections are very common in areas with poor sanitation. Some of the places that are at a higher risk of HAV infection are Africa, Southeast Asia, Middle East as well as some parts of South America. In these places, HAV infection is mainly spread through person-to-person contact by the fecal oral route,

The Problem of Animal Consciousness Essay Example for Free

The Problem of Animal Consciousness Essay Do Horses Gallop in Their Sleep? By Matt Cartmill Let me propose a thought experiment. Imagine, if you will, that theres a certain clump of nerve cells in the brain thats essential for conscious awareness. Now suppose that a certain drug suppresses neural activity in just this nucleus, with no effect on the rest of the brain. Subjects who take this drug do things as usual, but they experience nothing. The drug converts them into sleepwalkers. Finally, imagine that Ive developed a new form of this drug, which has permanent effects. It abolishes consciousness forever, with no effect on behavior. I want to test it on you. How much will you charge to take it? I think the question answers itself. Spending your life as a sleepwalker is equivalent to being dead, and so you will charge me whatever price you would charge to commit suicide. I offer this thought experiment to dispel the notion that conscious awareness is too metaphysical and subjective a phenomenon for science to concern itself with. The phenomenon of consciousness is the source of all value in our lives. As such, it should be at the top of the scientiï ¬ c agenda. Yet despite its fundamental importance, consciousness is a subject that most scientists are reluctant to deal with. We know practically nothing about either its mechanisms or its evolution. In fact, many distinguished scientists and philosophers believe that consciousness has no evolutionary history, because they think that human beings are the only creatures that have it. Although most scientists will admit in private that our close animal relatives probably have mental lives something like ours (because, after all, they have bodies and brains and behavior that resemble ours), a lot of scientists are reluctant to say so plainly and publicly; and those who do can count on being accused of sentimentality and anthropomorphism. If you have a dog, you have probably had the experience of seeing your dog search out a favorite toy and bring it to you in hopes of getting you to play with him. Its hard even to describe these familiar experiences without saying things like, The dog was trying to ï ¬ nd his ball, or The dog wanted me to play with him. But scientists arent supposed to say things like that, at least when we have our lab coats on. If we discuss such things at all, we prefer to do so in some way that doesnt involve attributing intentions or any other mental states to the dog. There are at least two ways we can do this. First, we can use clumsy behavioral circumlocutions for mental language. Instead of saying, The dog looked for his ball until he found it, we can say something like, The dog exhibited repeated bouts of investigative behavior, which ceased after he contacted the ball. This somehow manages to suggest that the dog wasnt thinking about the ball while he was looking for it, and that he didnt perceive anything when he got it in his mouth. Second, if we ï ¬ nd these circumlocutions silly and tedious, we can adopt some variant of what is sometimes called logical behaviorism, in which the mental words are still used but they are redeï ¬ ned in terms of the probabilities of certain behaviors. In this view, a dogs intentions and desires and beliefs turn out, when properly understood, not to be something inside the dog, but theoretical constructs pinned on the dog by a human observer. Therefore, the human observer can know whether the dog has intentions and desires and beliefs, but the dog cant.

The Conflict Between Manmade Law And Natural Law Philosophy Essay

The Conflict Between Manmade Law And Natural Law Philosophy Essay When Agamemnon is forced to return Chryseis back to her father, he gives an ultimatum declaring that he would only do so if he gets Briseis in exchange. This infuriates the mighty Achilles beyond control (hence the above quote) who then goes on to confront Agamemnon. This where the whole issue of manmade law vs. natural law comes into play, because in book I, Agamemnon is described as a powerful man who lords it over all the Argives, one the Achaeans must obey A mighty king, Achilles on the other hand, is expressed as the matchless runner. This shows us that even though by the law of nature, Achilles should be the one who is in control, but by the right of birth, Agamemnon is the one in complete power. When trying to explain the difference in manmade law vs. natural law, the distinction is very straightforward. There are certain rules in society that we have to abide by in order for harmonious living. These are basic norms and values that are drilled into us from childhood through va rious forms of socialization such as school, family etc. These include various regulations such as respect, love and to value those who are near and dear to us. In school we have various sanctions imposed on us if we break any of the set norms such as cheating or skiving class for no apparent reason. For more serious offences such as murder, fraud or theft, various agents of social control can rein in these unnatural desires by putting us into remand homes or jail. Furthermore, within a country we are given certain human rights which we can exercise on a daily basis such as freedom of speech, right to equal protection under the law etc. When new rules and regulations are set up within a society, we say that these rules are manmade, as these do not comes naturally to us. Natural law is that unwritten law that is more or less the same for everyone everywhere. To be more exact, natural law is the concept of a body of moral principles that is common to all humankind and, as generally posited, is recognizable by human reason alone. Natural law is therefore distinguished from-and provides a standard for- manmade law, the formal legal enactments of a particular society. Since laws are made for a reason; natural law is used to dictate human reason. In fact, it is law discovered by human reason. Our normal and natural grasp of the natural law is affected by reason, that is, by the thinking mind, and in this service reason is sometimes called conscience. We, in all our human acts, inevitably see them in their relation to the natural law, and we mentally pronounce upon their agreement or disagreement with the natural law. Such a pronouncement may be called a judgment of conscience. The norm of morality is the natural law as applied by conscience. Lastly, we ca n say that the natural law is the disposition of things as known by our human reason and to which we must conform ourselves if we are to realize our proper end or good as human beings. So in a more concise form, we can say that natural law is that by human beings can rationally guide themselves to their good. The origins of natural law theory lie in Ancient Greece. Many Greek philosophers discussed and codified the concept of natural law, and it played an important role in Greek government. Later philosophers such as St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke built on the work of the Greeks in natural law theory treatises of their own. Many of these philosophers used natural law as a framework for criticizing and reforming manmade laws, arguing that manmade laws which are unjust under the principles of natural law are legally wanting. Some theorists argue that humans may give up certain rights to live in society, for the better human good. However, the basic tenets of equality and a desire to do good still remain. Some people also integrate religious beliefs into natural law theory, while others refer more generally to basic moral laws which may or may not be guided by religious faith. To actually understand the basis of the natural law theory, we have to go back in time, as Aristo tle was the pioneer in coming up with this theory. In ancient Greece, the emphasis on the difference between nature (physis, ) and law, custom, or convention (nomos, ) was made obvious from the start. It basically meant that even though the law of the land may vary from place to place, but by nature they should be the same everywhere. Against the conventionalism that the distinction between nature and custom could create, Socrates and his philosophic heirs, Plato and Aristotle, put forward the existence of natural justice or natural right. Going back to explaining natural law and manmade law in the Iliad, we can clearly see the disproportion in the ranks within the army. Achilles, who is the son of the goddess Thetis, is made the leader of the Achaeans whereas Agamemnon is the commander-in-chief and is a mere mortal. Furthermore, we note that Achilles is self-less and noble, while Agamemnon is self-centered and egotistical. Proof of this is evident when Achilles is made to give up his prize (Briseis) because Agamemnon demands it in return for sending back Chryseis. Achilles is enraged by the request and argues that the plunder has already been distributed and a good man does not take back what he has given. Agamemnon and Achilles argue, each man insulting the other. Agamemnon threatens to take a prize if one is not given to him, and Achilles reminds him that all of the Achaeans are fighting against foes who have only wronged Menelaus. For the sake of the two royal brothers, the Argives bloody their hands against men wh o have done them no wrong. Achilles also complains that though he bears the heaviest burden in battle, it is the king who is always greedy for prizes. Achilles refuses to fight anymore as he will go home to Phthia. Because of this dishonor, anger seizes Achilles and he strides toward Agamemnon to kill him. Hera sends the goddess Athena to stop him. Only Achilles can see Athena, who tells him not to kill the king. She promises that Achilles will be justly compensated for this great dishonor and Achilles obeys her. This is itself is a trait to be noted, even though Achilles is seething with rage and a passion to destroy Agamemnon there and then, he restraints himself just because he is instructed by a goddess and shown that even though he may be stronger and more virtuous of the two, Agamemnon is still the king and thus he must be obeyed unconditionally. Manmade law is made for the betterment of mankind. Man knows this law, makes this law, and therefore has the ability to break this law, or amend it, or delete it. In the Iliad, we can see that Agamemnon not only twists and turns the law to his advantage but even tries to test his army, just so he can be confident that his army still pays him the kind of respect demanded by a king, unquestionable and undeniable. This is seen when Thetis, pleads with Zeus to intervene and bring the battle between the two mighty warriors to an end. Zeus then comes to Agamemnon in his dream, but Agamemnon manipulates it to his advantage. We also observe the obvious difference between Achilles and Agamemnon, when Nestor, oldest of the Achaean kings, rises and tells the two men that they must listen to him, because he is old and has lived and fought with warriors greater than any now living. He asks Agamemnon not to take Briseis, Achilles fairly won prize, and he tells Achilles that he must respect Agamemn ons position as commander-in-chief. His words are lost on the two men. Achilles returns to his ships with his companion Patroclus. The Achaeans send the ships to make the sacrifice, with Odysseus in charge of the expedition. Meanwhile, Agamemnon sends men to fetch Briseis, who is given up without a fight Achilles does not resist because the girl was a gift distributed by Agamemnon and the great warrior feels it is not his place to refuse the king. This clearly shows that if Achilles wanted, he could have struck down Agamemnon without any effort and still has his army, but he choose to obey the law of the land and conform to the rule of obeying ones king. Agamemnon on the other hand, misused and abused his power and took what was not his and behaved in a way not fitting for a ruler. As per positivists like Rousseau (1754), there is no law unless we create it, which is true in the sense that there are no social consequences of our actions unless society has agreed to implement such consequences. The concept of natural law suggests that there are forces acting upon man that are beyond change. Although there are obvious examples of scientific natural law, such as the law of gravity, there are more subtle examples such as the law that stealing from your neighbor will cause hardship on you and others. According to Dentreves (1954) Natural Law is binding beyond the will of any material being, man included. What this is trying to imply is that natural law exists even without the existence of man, and indeed as history shows us, natural law did exist well before man, and even life in general. Manmade laws are culturally and psychologically defined, in no way can they be confused with natural law. The line between natural and manmade law must be drawn between those laws which were consciously created and those which exist somewhat by default. Yves R. Simon says that natural law cannot be broken. Moral sentiments seem to be natural law because our morality leads us to think egocentrically about it. Manmade law is also known as positive law in many contexts, the reason this is so is because they are typically imposed on the citizens of a particular area. There are many arguments that point towards the fact that positive law is always religious in nature, for example The Ten Commandments of Christianity; Christians might consider the Ten Commandments valid not only because they are rooted in moral principles, but also because they may have been etched in stone by God. This view is supported by the fact that positivists believe that in order for a law to be obeyed, it must be endorsed by an individual in authority. Ethics are sometimes woven into positive law, but behaving in an unethical way is not necessarily considered a violation of the law. For ex ample, it may be considered unethical for a corporation to minimize profits for its own gain; however, if this behavior is performed under the applicable positive law, it may not be illegal. Besides, another theory that comes through by many sociologists such as Novak stated that man made law has actually stemmed from natural law. The example he gave for this is that of traffic rules, what could be the purpose of looking both ways before crossing a street? The answer was simple he argued, every human being has the natural instinct of staying alive and will try to avoid any situation is which their life is in danger. Behaving in any other way, would result in altruistic behavior, i.e. in order to motivate oneself, behaving in a manner that is selfless and detrimental. Going back to analyzing the implications of the conflict between manmade law and natural law in Book I of the Iliad, we can now look into it with a more educated point of view. Achilles behaved in an honorable way because one reason may be that he may want to remain true to his personal code of ethics or second he may be doing so, so that he still commands the same sort of respect from his subordinates as be fore. We should note however, that even though Achilles rage is legendary, one word from Athena calmed him enough to restrain himself. The saying your freedom ends where my nose begins can be aptly applied to this particular situation. This is because even though Agamemnon openly slighted Achilles in front of the entire army and showed him who was in charge, Achilles ignored it. Adler, in his works, once said that natural law means principles of human conduct, not the laws of nature discovered by the physical sciences. According to him, the natural law as applied to physical things or animals is sacred; stars and atoms never disobey the laws of their nature. But man often violates the moral rules which constitute the law of his specific human nature. For e.g. Plato calls it justice and applies it to the human soul and human conduct. The first precept of natural law is to seek the good and avoid evil. It is often put as follows: Do good unto others, injure no one, and render to every man his own. Now, of course, such a general principle is useless for organized society unless we can use it to specify various types of rights and wrongs. That is precisely what man-made, or positive, law tries to do. Thus, the natural law tells us only that stealing is wrong because it inflicts injury, but the positive law of larceny defines the various kinds and degrees of thef t and prescribes the punishments. Such particular determinations may differ in various times and places without affecting the principles of natural law. Neither Aquinas nor Aristotle thinks that particular rules of laws should be the same in different times, places, and conditions. In the Iliad, the implications of pitting man made law versus natural law can be countless. Achilles refused to fight in the war against the Trojans, because his pride was wounded during his personal battle against Agamemnon. He vowed that he would not fight Hector, greatest warrior of the Trojans, and thus avenge his hurt when he sees Agamemnon fall dismally to the ground. If Agamemnon had not exercised his right as the supreme ruler, this would not have happened and he, with the help of mighty Achilles, would have continued his victorious streak against Troy. In conclusion, it is easy to see that because of the various rules drawn out for us in society, expressing our true sentiments can be tricky. Even Achilles, the matchless runner, had to curb his fury because going with his instinct would bring embarrassment and shame to himself. Finally, in my opinion, the affect of manmade laws in society is far greater than that of natural laws. We see it in everyday life even, we can always look to people in power e.g. politicians and see that its not always the smartest or most virtuous person who is elected to power, more times than not, the people responsible for our life are those who are already moneyed or have enough financial stability to fund their next three generations. Hence the laws that are put into effect only benefit them and their allies. The Iliad was used as a guidance manual for generations and people still look to it for moral lessons, this is because even though it took place centuries ago, the fundamental message is still well founded for todays modern society. Natural Law Vs. Manmade Law 3

Essay --

Sena Jeter Naslund’s life and her success as an author. Mrs. Naslund was born Sena Kathryn Jeter was born and raised in Birmingham Alabama. While growing up Naslund was captivated by books. These books sparked her to start creative writing on her own. She was expected into one of the most prestigious creative writing programs in the nation. There she earned masters and Ph.D. in creative writing and literature. Naslund served as the director of the university for twelve years and has been a visiting professor at several other colleges thought the years. The first publication of her work was publicized in nineteen-seventy two, the book â€Å"Julius Geissler†. She later published five novels and two short stories. Sena Kathryn Jeter was born June twenty eight nineteen forty- two. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Sena Jeter attended Phillips High School. She begins writing at the young age of nine. Her first short story was published in her school newspaper. However, writing is not but one of her many talents, she also played the cello in Birmingham Youth and Alabama pops orchestras. The University of Alabama offered her scholarships for music. Sena declined there offer because she felt writing was her true talent. After declining the University of Alabama she applied to the Birmingham Southern College. Sena accomplished a bachelor’s degree, while attending Birmingham-Southern College. To further her education as a grad student Sena applied to the University of Iowa’s Iowa Writers Workshop. This being one of the nation’s most prestigious creative writing programs. During her stay at the University of Iowa Sena Earned a Masters and a PH.D in creative writing and literature in nineteen seventy-one. Sena Jeter had a few... ...imate and epic. Being from the south widely influences the way that Naslund writes. Some of her other writings include† Abundance† A novel of Marie Antoinette written in two thousand six and Adam and Eve written in two thousand ten. Naslund now lives in Louisiana with her husband John C. Morrison. However she keeps close ties to her home state of Alabama. She was recognized by the Alabama State Council of Arts, who presented her with the Governor’s Arts Award in two thousand eleven. Naslund is currently professor and writer at the University of Louisville and the Director of Spalding University master of the fine arts program in creative writing. She also continues to work for the Louisville Review and the Fleur-de-Lis-Press. Sena Jeter Naslund defiantly has an all-around passion for writing. Maybe that is the reason her novels are all most impossible to put down. Essay -- Sena Jeter Naslund’s life and her success as an author. Mrs. Naslund was born Sena Kathryn Jeter was born and raised in Birmingham Alabama. While growing up Naslund was captivated by books. These books sparked her to start creative writing on her own. She was expected into one of the most prestigious creative writing programs in the nation. There she earned masters and Ph.D. in creative writing and literature. Naslund served as the director of the university for twelve years and has been a visiting professor at several other colleges thought the years. The first publication of her work was publicized in nineteen-seventy two, the book â€Å"Julius Geissler†. She later published five novels and two short stories. Sena Kathryn Jeter was born June twenty eight nineteen forty- two. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Sena Jeter attended Phillips High School. She begins writing at the young age of nine. Her first short story was published in her school newspaper. However, writing is not but one of her many talents, she also played the cello in Birmingham Youth and Alabama pops orchestras. The University of Alabama offered her scholarships for music. Sena declined there offer because she felt writing was her true talent. After declining the University of Alabama she applied to the Birmingham Southern College. Sena accomplished a bachelor’s degree, while attending Birmingham-Southern College. To further her education as a grad student Sena applied to the University of Iowa’s Iowa Writers Workshop. This being one of the nation’s most prestigious creative writing programs. During her stay at the University of Iowa Sena Earned a Masters and a PH.D in creative writing and literature in nineteen seventy-one. Sena Jeter had a few... ...imate and epic. Being from the south widely influences the way that Naslund writes. Some of her other writings include† Abundance† A novel of Marie Antoinette written in two thousand six and Adam and Eve written in two thousand ten. Naslund now lives in Louisiana with her husband John C. Morrison. However she keeps close ties to her home state of Alabama. She was recognized by the Alabama State Council of Arts, who presented her with the Governor’s Arts Award in two thousand eleven. Naslund is currently professor and writer at the University of Louisville and the Director of Spalding University master of the fine arts program in creative writing. She also continues to work for the Louisville Review and the Fleur-de-Lis-Press. Sena Jeter Naslund defiantly has an all-around passion for writing. Maybe that is the reason her novels are all most impossible to put down.

The Scarlet Letter: My Experience Essay -- Literary Analysis, Nathani

As a child of the age of hyper-information, I am usually introduced to concepts in their rawest possible form. Concepts that are streamlined so that they may glide their way elegantly into my understanding like the 2001: A Space Odyssey union of shuttle and station, backed by strains of the lilting Blue Danube [1]. Digesting Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ultra-dense Scarlet Letter, therefore, felt more properly compared to a Surgeon’s retrieval of his Rolex from the open chest cavity of an ill-fated patient, perhaps to a score of pounding, rapid, multi-tiered baroque fugues. Yes, the ideas and connections were there, and they were fascinating and orchestrated beautifully. But I often found my head aching as I labored through the mounds of florid language and dated syntax they were buried so deeply under, and often found myself making estimates as to the number of Word-A-Day calendars Hawthorne must have owned [2]. It’s tragic though, really, because it is not Hawthorne’s fault that his novel has become the bane of so many high school English students’ existence. The times have a-chang’d, and along with them attention spans have decreased, and many systems for information extraction and condensation have been developed to accommodate them. Just as a surgeon presented the option of retrieving his lost wristwatch from either, A) a hinged jewel box, or B), the innards of a living human being would most likely check the box marked â€Å"A† with much gusto and not so much rumination, a student with the option to circumvent the pain of actually reading Hawthorn’s masterpiece, choosing instead to receive the concepts from the novel in the form of easy-to-digest Sparknotes tidbits, would likely do so [3]. The subject matter of the novel has al... ...f needs [12] and my ability to act upon it and endure far lesser consequences. But the oppression is still there. However, the positives remain as well. The prolific nature of the American college system can be attributed in large part to the Puritan’s value of knowledge and education. Reading The Scarlet Letter was a slog. But it never felt frivolous. The themes have become less groundbreaking and weighty but are still pertinent, and the writing style has been greatly dulled by time, but not to the point of being impenetrable. If nothing else, it expanded my mental lexicon, and gave me a new understanding for why someone would ever be compelled to endeavor in so self torturous an activity as running a marathon. I felt, at the novel’s conclusion, a euphoria of relief akin to that described by sweat drenched long distance runners. And I lost 20 pounds to boot.

Sloboat Case Study

Sloboat Case Study March 7, 2013 Capstone Seminar Sean McNamara, Matthew Sylvia, Michael Regghetio Analysis of Sloboat Case Study In this case we take on the role of Rick Craner, the financial accountant for Sloboat Shipping Inc. Rick is faced with compiling, organizing, and evaluating the company’s financial activity for the 2012 fiscal year. We are provided with several notes on Sloboat financial transactions, and we are tasked with sorting through these transactions to provide a suitable evaluation and presentation of Sloboat’s financial standings at the end of the 2012 fiscal year.It is important to look at all of the transactions described in the case study before moving forward. The case study broke down these transactions into â€Å"financing† and â€Å"investing†. The following are transactions that occurred under â€Å"financing†: * 7% bonds payable issued on November 1, 2010 * Bonds pay interest semi-annually on May 1st and November 1st * Market interest rate on the date of issuance had been 8% * SSI decided to retire 50% of the 7% bonds on August 1, 2011 * Additional 30,000 common shares issued on June 14, 2011 * Common dividend of $0. 5 per common share on December 1, 2011 with date of record of December 5th and distribution on December 20th The following are transactions that occurred under â€Å"investing†: * SSI owned 250, 7. 5% bonds of â€Å"OnCap Financial†, purchased in late fiscal 2011, bonds paid interest on March 1st and September 1st and set to mature on March 1, 2014. On January 31, 2012, the market decreased to 5% and SSI sold all the outstanding bonds. * SSI owned 20,000 shares in Lowland Resources. On October 2, 2011 SSI received a 5% stock dividend. Each share was trading at $22. 62. On December 15, 2011 SSI decided to sell 60% of its holdings (12,000 stocks).SSI paid a $400 brokerage fee. On February 29, 2012, the remaining shares were trading at Statement of Financial Position| As at February 28, 2011| | | | | | ASSETS| | | | | Current Assets:| | | | | Cash| $| 12,736 | | Bond Investing Recievable| | 9,375 | | Trading Investment-Stocks| | 468,600 | | Trading Investments-Bonds| | 260,156 | | Inventory| | 47,987 |   | | | | | 798,854 | Property, Plant, and Equipment| | 742,108 |   | | | | | 742,108 | Total Assets| | | | 1,540,962 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Liablities & Shareholder's Equity| | | | Liabilities| | | | | Current liabilities:| | | | |Bond interest payable| $| 23,333 | | Dividends payable| | 11,250 |   | | | | | 34,583 | | | | | | Long-term liabilities:| | | | | 7% Bonds Payable(1,000 bonds; mautres 11/1/15)| | 961,694 |   | | | | | 961,694 | Total Liabilities| | | | 996,277 | | | | | | | | | | | Shareholders' equity| | | | | $2. 25 cumlative, non-convertible preferred stock| | 37,500 | | 150,000 authorized; 5,000 outstanding| | | | Common stock| | 253,000 | | 500,000 authorized; 20,000 outstanding| | | | Stock dividend to be distributed| | 15,430 | | Retained earnings| | 238,755 |   | Total Shareholders' equity| | | 544,685 | | | | | |Total liabilities and Shareholders' equity | | | $1,540,962 | | | | | | Cash Reciepts and Disbursements| For Fiscal 2012| | | | | | Cash Reciepts| | | | | Common Shares| $| 610,500 | | Bond Investment| | 18,750 | | | | | | Trading investing – Bonds| | 272,331 | | Trading investing – Stocks| | 268,610 | | Total| | $| 1,170,191 | | | | | | | | | | | | Cash Disbursements| | | | | 7% Bonds Payable| $| 528,517 | | Bond interest| | 52,500 | | Dividends| | 30,150 | | Total| | $| 611,167 | | * $19. 45 (8,000 stocks). Statement of Financial Position| As at February 28, 2012| | | | | | ASSETS| | | | | Current Assets:| | | | |Cash| $| (468,111)| | Bond Investing Recievable| | 9,375 | | Trading Investment-Stocks| | 468,600 | | Trading Investments-Bonds| | 310,644 | | Inventory| | 47,987 |   | | | | | 368,495 | Property, Plant, and Equipment| | 742,108 |   | | | | | 742,108 | To tal Assets| | | | 1,110,603 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Liablities & Shareholder's Equity| | | | Liabilities| | | | | Current liabilities:| | | | | Bond interest payable| $| 73,821 | | Dividends payable| | 11,250 |   | | | | | 85,071 | | | | | | Long-term liabilities:| | | | 7% Bonds Payable(1,000 bonds; mautres 11/1/15)| | 480,847 |   | | | | | 480,847 |Total Liabilities| | | | 565,918 | | | | | | | | | | | Shareholders' equity| | | | $2. 25 cumlative, non-convertible preferred stock| | 37,500 | | 150,000 authorized; 5,000 outstanding| | | | Common stock| | 253,000 | | 500,000 authorized; 20,000 outstanding| | | | Stock dividend to be distributed| | 15,430 | | Retained earnings| | 238,755 |   | Total Shareholders' equity| | | 544,685 | | | | | | Total liabilities and Shareholders' equity | | | $1,110,603 | | | | | | Cash Reciepts and Disbursements| For Fiscal 2013| | | | | | Cash Reciepts| | | | | Common Shares| $| 610,500 | | Bond Investment| | 18,750 | | | | | Trading i nvesting – Bonds| | 272,331 | | Trading investing – Stocks| | 268,610 | | Total| | $| 1,170,191 | | | | | | | | | | | | Cash Disbursements| | | | 7% Bonds Payable| $| 528,517 | | Bond interest| | 52,500 | | Dividends| | 30,150 | | Total| | $| 611,167 | | Bond Interest Payable $33659. 29 Bonds Payable $480847 Bond Interest Payable $16829. 50 Bond Interest Payable $33659. 29 Bonds Payable $480847 Bond Interest Payable $16829. 50 Trading Investments bonds $33659. 29 Cash $480847 Trading Investment Bond $16829. 50 Trading Investments bonds $33659. 29 Cash $480847 Trading Investment Bond $16829. 50 Debit Credit

My Choice for My Future Career

Name: My NGUYEN Instructor: Mr. Voeller Class: ESOL 0051 Date: April 3rd, 2012. Final draft My choice for my future career Today the economic crisis continuously affects the life of everyone in the United States, especially young adults who have just graduated from high school and prepared for independent life. So the most important question for every youngster is which career he or she wants to do with his or her life. It is important because if our choices are wrong, we will waste our money, our time, and maybe our mental and physical health.However, we might not know if the path we chose will be the correct one until later in life. Right now I am confident in my decision of becoming a pharmacist for the three reasons below. First and foremost, we must have a passion for and an interest in our career because we will work in our field every day. In this case, as a pharmacist, we must have a strong interest in health care, science and especially chemistry (Bolster, Brynildssen, Cohen , and co-writers 676). My interest in chemistry began when I was in tenth grade, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and my school held a Chemistry Exam for all of students in my grade.My classmates and I studied and prepared a lot for this exam because we heard that the awards would be a scholarship to study abroad in Australia. However, when studying for the exam, I was actually interested in chemistry myself. So, although for this exam I only got the bronze medal but the knowledge that I gained from this experience was priceless. When I did the research for this exam, I realized that many discoveries in chemistry would be used in medicine to prevent or to cure human diseases. For example, I respected Marie Curie, the female scientist who discovered the element radium.That element is used in X-Ray to diagnose diseases; in Radiotherapy, a treatment method using in Oncology; and in Radiopharmacy, â€Å"the use of radioactive drugs for diagnostic or therapeutic purpose† (B olster, Brynildssen, Cohen, and co-writers 674). At that time I hoped that I would have many chances in the future to study more about chemistry and how it is applied in health care. In this Chemistry exam, I had a lab session so my friends and I had some hours to practice in lab with our instructor. I was excited with every lecture and lab session. I liked to practice in lab, and see the chemical reactions.I had some memorable experience in chemistry lab, such as creating a small explosion when combining some chemicals together; and burning my hand when pouring a liquid too fast. My chemistry teacher said that if I liked to study chemistry and find information about this field then I would become a chemist or a pharmacist. â€Å"Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, Pharmacist† indicated that compounding or mixing of chemical ingredients to form medications is a part of a pharmacist’s practice. This is another reason why pharmacist is a best choice for my future career.Second, my future career choice is right because I realize that I have some qualifications that are suitable for a pharmacist. For example, from an experience of my childhood time, I knew that to become a pharmacist I must be a kind person. Furthermore, as any other health care career, I had to care for my patients as for members in my family, and to communicate well to interact with patients and co-workers. When I was six years old, I was weak and sick all the time. One time when I was hospitalized because of high fever and shortness of breath, and the medical staff in the Children Hospital influenced my dream career.They were my nurse, my doctor and my pharmacist. They did their best to help me get better. They talked to me and my parents about my disease and how to cure it. They made me feel more confident in my recovery. I cannot forger my pharmacist. She talked to me like my mother: â€Å"Honey, try to take your pills and drink more milk. You will get better and become a beautiful girl. You must be strong to study well and help any kids like you right now. † Since then, I have always thought about how and what I could do to help ill people.When playing with my sibling and my friends, I liked to play a role as a doctor. Every time my parents were ill, I was worried. I wanted to study clearly every disease that my parents had and to take care of them more closely. Whenever my school planned any field trip to nursing home, I was always the first one to raise a hand up to participate. Last but not least, I know my choice for my future career is right because I have a role model who is a pharmacist. She is a successful woman in her career and in life and is respected by almost all of my neighbors.She is Tran, a pharmacist and a professor of the College of Pharmacy in my city. I have known Mrs. Tran since I was a child, my mother used to take me to her pharmacy store together to buy medicine. One time, my father had an accident and suffered a severe back pain. This symptom became chronic and attacked my father when he worked long hours. I went to Mrs. Tran’s pharmacy with my father and I got information about a pharmacist’s job. She consulted my father how to use these drugs safely and effectively. Besides using drugs, she gave more advice and useful information to my father to relieve the pain.She talked about the right working positions to avoid backache, and also exercises like swimming and riding bicycle would be helpful for back muscles to become stronger to prevent back pain. In addition, she said that some drugs might cause stomach discomfort and should be taken with full stomach. My father got better after a few weeks using these medicines and also took her advice on trying to do these exercises. He recovered almost totally so that my father and my family appreciated Mrs. Tran a lot. Furthermore, I knew that Mrs. Tran has helped many patients in my neighbor like my father.She has held group educa tion every weekend at our community center to provide information and free medicine for poor residents. She was not only my family pharmacist but also my older friend. When I had any questions about health or medicines, she always explained clearly by an easy way and showed me how and where to get information when she was as my age. Since then, I have respected her a lot, and promised myself to study hard to become a good pharmacist like her. As time went by, when I graduated high school and prepared to choose major in college, I met her and we discussed some points about career outlooks.I was encouraged to get my dream career. Every career has its own obstacle but when I worked hard and attempt my dream career which could help people by myself, it would be worthy. Furthermore, â€Å"Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, Pharmacist† showed that employment in my career was expected to increase faster than the average. All of these things made me decide more confide ntly. In conclusion, right now I am walking on my path to my future step by step and I am self-confident with my job because my awareness of my life goal. In a session I have attended about how to become a successful student in my College, professor Hermes T.Cervantes said, â€Å"Life was choices and you must be responsible with your choices. And to be successful in life a student should choose â€Å"the sure way† in order to â€Å"the fast way† when you got decision in any problem, especially choosing your career. † Works Cited Bolster, Carole et al: Exploring Health Care Careers. Chicago: Ferguson Publising Company, 2002. Print. Jordan, David: â€Å"Careers with the Pharmaceutical Industry†. London: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2003. Print. U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: â€Å"Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Pharmacists†. Web http://data. bls. gov/cgi-bin/print. pl/oco/ocos079. htm. March 6, 2012.

Reduction of Food Wastages in Restaurants in the UK Coursework

Reduction of Food Wastages in Restaurants in the UK - Coursework Example Food wastages are problems encountered not by the U.K alone but by the United States and Europe as well. Food wastes is an ongoing problem as the food that goes to the bins could have saved billions of malnourished children in the world, create environmental problems and generate unnecessary costs on the part of businesses. This concern leads us to formulate a social marketing plan to change the scenario of food wastes. We plan to engage the cooperation of the government, the business owners, and consumers to participate in the program. To implement this plan, we will engage in partnership with a non-profitable environmental organization in the UK. We figure out that this will redound to the benefit of the community and the benefits the community will reap outweigh their efforts and costs. Budgets, implementing plans are still under discussions, but we plan to start in 2015. The target of the program is to get the participation of 20% of UK hospitality sectors in the UK by 2016, incr easing in percentage yearly thereafter. Â  We will also use the same marketing techniques but will implement it using social marketing procedures that is more in behavior change. What we strive to accomplish is to change the behavior of businesses and households in seeking ways to reduce food wastages thru social marketing. Â  The problem of wastes every year is a threatening problem to the government as inefficient use of resources costs businesses (restaurants) and households’ money, and environmental damage. As such, food wastages are seen as a problem globally. Â  This issue is significant as the amount of food wasted by the UK, the US, and Europe is enough to feed nearly one billion malnourished children in the world. (Tristan Stuart, 2009).

Wine studies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wine studies - Research Paper Example Aromas are imparted through transferring wines into oak barrels for maturing process. Australia ranks among the top ten wine exporting and producing countries globally. The Hunter Valley remains one of the globally recognised wine producing regions in Australia. The Hunter Valley Semillon remains the globally recognised iconic wine from the region. The Hunter Valley region remains extensively covered by vineyards for producing wine grapes utilised in processing of wine. The region is naturally flat and irrigated by the Hunter River and its tributaries, which flow through the region. The Hunter Valley wine industry is significantly boosted by the proximity to Sydney, which provides market form the produced wines (Schamel & Anderson, 2003). Trading links between the valley and the city have existed since the nineteenth century. The streaming number of individuals from the city into the valley continues to drive the Hunter Valley economy through the wine and tourism industries. The Hunter Valley has been the largest wine producing region in the entire Australia. The region has utilised this global recognition in marketing itself as tourist destination to many tourists visiting the country. The proximity to the city of Sydney further provides essential support to the tourism and wine industry within the valley. The region consists of beautiful scenery, adorned by hectares of large vineyards producing wine grapes. The globally acclaimed wineries and vineyards within the valley remain the fundamental features, which tourists anticipate to see. The Hunter Valley continues to gain international acclamation with increased growth in the wine production industry. The region has been extensively marketed as a perfect destination for an extremely unique tourism element – wine tourism. Wine tourism involves the process where individuals

Time to Begin and Sustain Progress Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Time to Begin and Sustain Progress - Coursework Example The teachers currently handle many English as second Language (ESL) students; in both the urban and the rural areas. Multicultural education enhances critical thinking and decision making; and also encourages the movement towards the cultural pluralism of the USA society (Banks, 1997). I would like to concur with Richard Rothstein for claiming that the children for the European immigrants performed better than those of the Africans. This was caused by lots of factors which essentially favored them as compared to their black counterparts. However, it does not mean that they were lesser brilliant. There were certain education factors in the USA that prevented or minimized the good academic performance of the immigrant children. Many immigrant children, both from Pulaski County Special School District, Arkansas and the whole country, experienced language barriers in school. These children faced problems when communicating with their teachers or fellow students. They also majorly live in neighborhoods which were isolated linguistically; hence they developed weak command of the English language. The other reason for the disparity in the performance of the children of the European and African children is that they were taken to different schools. As this scholar exclaims, these children were taken to different schools. There was a high level of racial segregation which was manifested in nearly all sectors of life. In such a society, children would be segregated depending on their social status. Whereas the black children were taken to poor schools, their counterparts from the prestigious and ‘superior’ white families were taken to high cost schools in which they would receive high quality education. I would like to point out that this myth might still persist in the contemporary society. Although the government has introduced

Managing People and Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing People and Organisations - Essay Example It can change, it can grow and it can develop into something which is larger than the organisation itself. The literature on company cultures as well as other examples from companies such as GE and Apple shows us that having a strong culture is a good thing only if the culture is positive and leads to the objectives of the company being met. In a situation where the culture is strongly negative the environment can become toxic and the symptoms mentioned in the case certainly point towards that happening in Gillman Autos. Things such as shiftitus, covering ass and passing the buck are perfect signs of a negative culture and the stronger it is the worse off a company would be. For the company itself, it seems that the culture is certainly a result of the 2x4 management style. As per the literature on company culture, the formation of the culture depends on the leadership of the company (Gardner, 1995) and the present situation as described for Gillman Autos is simply a result of their ineffective management system. The controls which should have been in place to prevent this from happening seem to have been ignored altogether. Without effective control, a company will end up with bad leadership and a bad leader will not only bring down his/her own output but also of those who fulfil the role of subordinates (Armstrong, 1999). Culture, social responsibility, ethics and the work environment all flow from the leadership of a company. This was realised by GE when the company saw high turnover in their international communications department and even though the department was not one of the primary departments of the company, significant junior level turnover caused the senior managers to get worried. After making some inquires and revaluations of exit interviews, the company discovered that a line manager was causing problems for others by creating a negative culture within the department. The department could not be made productive until that manager

The role of humans in the global warming Term Paper

The role of humans in the global warming - Term Paper Example A war that is now fought with scientific data as the baseline, the rifts between the two opposing sides continues to widen with rising global temperatures, evidently, becoming grossly enjoined in the controversy. From the observed instrumental temperature records, the rising sea levels, to the disappearing glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere relative to the increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, the indication that the present environmental state of affairs is massively man-made is beyond any reasonable doubt (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate (b) Change chapter 2). Indeed, from a sketchy â€Å"greenhouse† effect warning as a result of heat-trapping emissions due to global, heavy reliance on fossil fuels over the last two decades to the recent conviction of an increasing impact on the Earth's climate, coupled with deforestation, but to a lesser extent, the absolute certainty of man’s contribution to global warming has become even clearer. While scie ntific experts have fallen short of determining the precise amounts of warming attributable to human activities, recent measurements of the temperature increases of the world’s oceans relative to the expected amounts of warming from greenhouse gases, strengthen the IPPC consensus (Hansen 1433). Without a doubt, the observed dramatic increases in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the advent of modern civilization, buoyed in part by industrial revolution, have been higher than at any other time in history (IPCC (a) chapter 12). As alluded above, the principal greenhouse gases [carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and the halocarbons (such as fluorine, chlorine and bromine)], each of which absorbs outgoing infrared radiation in the atmosphere, ultimately warming the planet, are all attributable to human activities. Increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere have not only resulted from the use of fossil fuel s in transportation, cooling and the manufacture of cement and other goods, but have also emanated from decaying plants occasioned by deforestation (IPCC (b) 19-20). The alterations of natural land cover around the world, principally for crop production since the industrial era, have all negatively impacted global climate. Available evidence indicates that industrial activities over the past 150 years increased the level of Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million (IPPC (b) 54). Agriculture related activities and man’s increasing need of landfills have contributed more than stuffed Methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. The use of fertilizers has also done a fair share in the emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). Industrial use of halocarbons on the other hand has had irrefutable effects in stratospheric ozone depletion. A number of aerosols, now massively preset in the atmosphere, are the result of biomass burning and surface mining among other industrial processes (IPCC (b) chapter 8). The above human activities, in addition to many more similar activities, have all contributed to significant radioactive forcing in one way or another, consequently altering the earth’s surface temperatures over time. Accordingly, the 2013 revised, integrated scientific review of climate change by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (7) has

The Social Network Compare and Contrast Essay Example for Free

The Social Network Compare and Contrast Essay They are similar and different in the way that Eduardo is social and Mark is not, Mark can be naive and Eduardo is cautious, they both are emotional people, and they both defend each other. To begin with, Eduardo and Mark are different because Eduardo is not a very social person and Eduardo is a social person. Mark can be rude and blunt about what he has to say, he doesnt lie. The very beginning of the movie is a perfect example of his lack of social skills. In the beginning of the movie he has a girlfriend and they are talking about how he wants to get into a final club at his school. She talks to him about which one is the easiest to get into and right away he becomes offended as if shes implying that he cant get into a more difficult one. He begins to insult her and her intelligence basically telling her that she isnt as smart as he is. Another example is after he insults her she breaks up with him and leaves him at the bar to go home. He rushes home and starts blogging about all the things that are wrong about her. He calls her mean names, makes fun of her, and revels embarrassing details about her. This shows just how much his social skills are lacking. Eduardo on the other hand is a very social and likeable person. Eduardo makes friends easier than Mark does. One example is Eduardo got accepted into the Phoenix Club which is the one Mark wanted to get into. Those clubs consist of many social events and getting to know a lot of people. For Eduardo thats easy because during the first steps of getting into the club he knows all of his facts and sort of impresses the leader. In addition to, they are also different because Mark can be gullible and impulsive while Eduardo can be cautious and considers the consequences. Mark can be gullible because in one of the scenes he totally falls for Sean Parkers charm. In the scene where they first meet Sean Parker its easy to see that Mark believes every word he says and is also willing to do whatever he says. In that same scene Eduardo questions everything he says and doesnt want to give into what Sean Parker has to say. Its easy to tell that Eduardo is doubting him and pointing out all the things that have gone wrong with what hes done so far. An example of Mark being impulsive is when he hacks the school and sets up the face match up page. He doesnt even think about what the outcome and the consequences while hes doing that, he doesnt even really seem to care either. Also in the same scene again, Eduardo shows he does think of the outcomes and consequences when he asks Mark if he really wants to do the face match up page. He thinks about what people will think and how they will react to the page they are creating. Moreover, Mark and Eduardo are also similar to each other because they are both emotional people. They both show their feelings openly and its clearly shown when In the scene where Erika breaks up with Mark his emotional side shows up when he goes home and blogs about her. He doesnt think about how much he will hurt Erikas feeling because hes so angry at the moment. Another example of is when Eduardo freezes up the bank account and Mark doesnt like that at all. When Eduardo does that Mark cuts Eduardos share and basically takes him off as the co founder of Facebook. An example of Eduardos emotional side is when he goes to California to help Mark with Facebook and sees Sean Parker and the things they were doing. When Eduardo walks into that he gets really angry, tells Mark that he doesnt trust Sean, and goes to the bank to freeze his account so that they no longer have access the money. Last, they both defend each other and they have a real true friendship with each other. No matter the circumstances they always stand up for each other, even when they fight and during the law suit. In one scene during the movie Mark is in a lawsuit with Eduardo the lawyers accuse Mark of something and Eduardo stands up for him. Later when Marks lawyer talks about how Eduardo was accused to animal cruelty Eduardo gets so angry at Mark for telling his lawyers about that. Afterward, when Eduardo is done being shocked Marks lawyer points out that when he brought it up Mark actually stood up for Eduardo. They have an honest friendship and even when they are fighting they still try to protect each other. When in the lawsuit with the Winklevoss Brothers their lawyer brings up Marks lawsuit with Eduardo and Mark talks about how Eduardo is his best friend. They are in a way still friends even though they are fighting with each other. Furthermore, having to choose which character is more admirable it would have to be Edurado Saverin. Mark Zuckerburg really cares about Facebook and did everything he could for it but Eduardo is still more admirable. He had good judgment for the most part in the movie and only slipped up once when he signed that contract but he always doubted Sean Parker. He put forth so much money and effort into Facebook. He would go to meet with people to talk about Facebook to make it better. He actually cared about what other people thought and considered peoples feelings. It wasnt difficult to tell that being apart of Facebook actually made him very happy. He was made out to seem not as important as Mark but hes actually just as important because without his money it really wouldnt have happened. Mark and Eduardo are similar yet different and thats what makes them best friends.

Benefits Of Scenario Planning And Systems Thinking Business Essay

Benefits Of Scenario Planning And Systems Thinking Business Essay Scenario Planning Introduction Today, organizations are increasingly affected by the growing uncertainty from the macro-environment.. In recent years, it is very common to see some organizations suddenly get into a recession or even fall into crisis because of some changes of external factors. These companies have one thing in common, that is, they all fail to take into account the future. And now a powerful tool which used largely by businesses to solve this problem Scenario planning. It is a tool which can help organizations think about the future , grasp the trend to look for new profit growth in an uncertain future, help decision makers reshape the mental models and find the correct direction of the future.( Bill and Ian , 2008 ) In order to make us have a better understanding of scenario planning, the following issues will be discussed: Benefits of Scenario Planning, difficulties of implementing scenario planning, PEST Analysis over the period to 2030, risks and opportunities organisations will face and the action plans. Benefits of Scenario Planning Scenario planning is a tool of strategic decision-making that does not focus on accurately predicting the future, but is a process that creates a number of possible futures that are credible yet uncertain (Schoemaker, 1995). There is no doubt that companies can gain benefit from scenario planning, and here are the several strengths of scenario planning. Systems thinking By using the scenario planning manager can have a systems thinking. Like smart chess players always think clearly and have a variety of possible scenarios in the next steps , the scenario planning can provide manager a preventive mechanism , before problems occur, manager can deduction the possible scenarios based on a series of logic and empirical facts through the business acumen and the immediate perception, seeing trends in the evolution of things ,shape and the impact of changing trends in the structure. (Mbalib,2007) In addition,through scenario planning, managers can use systems thinking, take into account the various factors which they think will influence the decision to make a overall well-depth analysis, and to avoid narrow personal bias. The optimal allocation of resources Using the scenario planning , companies can predict the possible future scenarios, so that managers can be more aware of the external environment and their companys status and future directions therefore they can match internal resources to external environment to allocate the resources more effective and rational. Risk Reduction: Scenario planning help us understand today better by imagining tomorrow , it is good to help organizations deal with the future uncertainties by aware of the weak signals and let them get better prepare to handle new situations to keep business alive and flourishing. Difficulties of implementing Scenario planning Scenario planning as a business tool which is aim to help organizations make right decisions, reduce risk, save time and maximum profit. Though the aims of organisations who adopt the scenario planning are the same, there are many inherent difficulties for organisations of differing sizes in implementing Scenario Planning for the first time. Usually, all the company will faced with these difficulties: Cost The costs of scenario planning really depends on the numerous variables such as the organization size, timeframe of the scenarios, teams and those partnering in the strategic planning process and methods of analysis and data collection involved in the planning process Time To make an accurate predictions of scenario is very time-consuming. Usually, scenario planning could take around 6 to 12 months for some organizations engaging in depth, multi scenario planning. Data and information from different sources have to be collected and interpreted which makes scenario building even more time-consuming. Resources Scenario planning need to use various resources, in addition to money, with the propose of forming a scenario management team it need the external experts to cooperate with internal staff, whats more, it also need the companys data resources from different departments. Small companies For a small business, such as self-employed and partnerships, they generally just have a short-term plan with the goal of maximum profits, and usually make decisions relatively easy just simply focus on cost, price and output decisions. As for a small business, they has few competitors and the external business environment is relatively stable and certain which has little effect on their business. Since the first time implementing scenario planning, companies may not well aware of the real needs of the company, though they do not need a complex scenario planning, do not need to have such high sensitivity of external influences, do not need such resources, technical staff they may still spend too much time and money on it which will increase the costs of company and may not take advantage from scenario planning. Large, multinational companies With the turbulent external business environment and the increasing competition it is necessary for large, multinational companies to adopt Scenario Planning in order to survive and prosper. Although large companies have abundant resources or access to the necessary resources in terms of expertise, time and money, there are still many inherent difficulties for organisations in implementing Scenario Planning for the first time. How far ahead should organizations predict The time horizon for scenarios must be short enough to create scenarios that are probable, but long enough for us to imagine that important changes with an impact on the future business can take place. (Lindgren, M. and Bandhold, H. (2003))How long should organizations take into consider ,it is a vital issue. With the accelerated pace of world change, the further predict, the more complex. More aspect need to consider, and the predictions are less accurate. However, if the prediction of the time too close it will not achieve any effect. How many scenarios For a company it is not necessary to say that the more scenario planning the better future of the company and of course, it make no sense of the company development if company has too little scenario planning. All the scenario planning need to prepare action plans and corresponding measures, have too much scenario planning not only take times and waste money but also may increase the operational costs of the company, however, if with few scenario planning it cannot help company predict the future to avoiding the risks PEST Analysis over the period to 2030 Today, due to increasing concern for sustainable development, global economic competition and technological advances ,change is happening faster than before which increased the business uncertainty . For this reason, scenario planning has been unprecedented attention. In order to make the correct prediction of what might happen in the business environment over the period to 2030 , it is important to have an understanding of what are the key drivers of external change .The best way to do this is to monitor and analyze trends and scan the current environment. There is a particularly useful tool -PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis can help organization to identify the different forces. http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/tools/scenario-planning/trend-analysis Political: BRICK adding new memberSouth Africa. BRICK expanded five-member bloc known as the BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China, and, for the first time, South Africa. (Mainichi,2011) The expansion of the BRICS have a great impact in the western business environment over the period to 2030. Since BRIC countries are facing a great historical opportunity for development, their development will bring a significant impact on the global economy and global structure .According to the global economic report of Goldman Sachs: (Dreaming with BRICs: The Path to 2050), BRICs will guide the world economy in 2050 coquettish. And BRIC has been trying to expand its influence which make the western countries have to be careful to look at the next step plans of these emerging economies . In addition, more and more international investors are divide their asset allocation according to the BRIC. And ONeill, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, said the BRIC will catch-up G6 in the next 20 years. Economic Globalization It can be said that the developed countries led economic globalization as they master the worlds most advanced productivity and technology. However, according to the annual World Economic Report which published by The World Bank reported that by 2030, the global economy will grow from 35 trillion U.S. dollars in 2005 to expand to 72 trillion dollars, the share of total global output of developing countries will from the current 1 / 5 to nearly 1 / 3 and the share of the global purchasing power will occupy more than 1 / 2. Report also highlighted a general underlying trend: in the next 25 years, developing countries will be a major force in global economic growth. (Sujingxiang,2006) Over the period to 2030, with the spread of new technologies such as the Internet, developing countries will go from the periphery to the center of the world economy, and gradually grow into an important engine for global growth, however , the developed countries, the influence on globalization is weakening , some organization and workers of developed countries were impact by the developing countries, particularly in emerging economies competition. Manufacturing and other traditional industries were in trouble which increased unemployment and the downward pressure on wages.(Haoran, 2009) Social Change in consumer behavior pattern As technology developed, people gradually changed their consumption habits, staying at home, online shopping has become a way of life that are interested by Internet users. The eMarketer estimates that over 68% of UK web users ages 14 and older will buy online at least once per month in 2011-a total of more than 27 million people. It estimated that between 2009 and 2014 he size of the UK online shoppers will continues to grow, penetration rate of online shopping users in 2014 will reach 71.1%. And the UK online shoppers will continue to increase in the future. http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000779 Since more and more people prefer online shopping and the number of people seems keep increasing, it can be said the online shopping represent the future direction of business. Face with this huge online consumer groups, organizations should seize the opportunity to develop the online shopping channels. However, The online shopping will change the business environment over the period to 2030. It will change the competitive basis and competitive approach among the organizations. E-commerce is information-based, the level of the access to information determine the market competitiveness of organizations . Technological Web 4.0 is transforming the Internet landscape according to Spivaks predictions, by the year of 2031 the next generation of internetWeb 4.0 will appear which further convergence of the online and physical world http://www.zmogo.com/web/web-40trip-down-the-rabbit-hole-or-brave-new-world/ Technology innovation will also influence the business environment during the period of now to 2030, With Web 4.0 which increase speeds and bandwidth, coupled with high-speed wireless access will enable information exchange on an unprecedented level. Risks Competition: The expansion of the BRICS and the increasing globalization will lead to more competitors from developing countries such as China and India. Similarly, with the increasing number of Internet users and network development, e-commerce appears which changes the business environment, reducing the trade entry barriers, blurred industry boundaries and expanding the scope for competition. Information management The improvement of network technology will allows us to enter an information age, as the network is free and open which will make the global information more transparent, everyone can master the competitors product information and marketing dynamics. Opportunities E-commerce E-commerce can significantly reduce inventory costs. Compared with the traditional commerce, E-commerce with high speed and fewer links, whats more, it does not have pressure on inventory, a well-run electronic store can even be zero inventory, no bear any pressure on the stock which will save a considerable costs. Internet Over the past 20 years the revolution of Internet has changed business model, and similarly, in the next 20 years, the networks development will bring new opportunities to the organization. With increasing speeds and bandwidth, coupled with high-speed wireless access will enable information exchange on an unprecedented level organizations can use business information effectively to fully serve their customers and attract more customers. Whats more, they can also open up international markets and change production environment in order to gain more profits. Action plans Since We have listed the key factors of the changes of macro environment in the next 20 years and also found out the opportunities and risks which company may experience in the future .In order to survive and make the company prosperous, companies should make some corresponding countermeasures. Improve management systems With the next generation of internetWeb 4.0 appears and the increasing online shoppers , organizations should improve their management systems in order to catch the pace of business. Organization can adopt the commodity cloud computing and during the production process , using the computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD / CAM) based on the management information systems (MIS) to establish the computer integrated manufacturing system (CIMS).Using these new manage methods to combine the production technology and information technology together and to upgrade the traditional mode of management system. (Shizhenxi,2010) Focus on global strategy It can be said that with the economic globalization, the increasing integration of world economy is becoming an unstoppable trend, the world is entering an era of borderless competition. Only focus on the domestic market is not enough, organization should develop foreign markets. Organization should develop and allocate resources in global in order to survive and prosper in the future.Organization can gradually develop and allocate the capital, labor, technology, resource from domestic to global. Distribute the capital according to different regions to reduce financial risks, establish appropriate technology development centre in different regions to gain the local advantage in order to enhance their technology competitiveness . Conclusion Lindgren, M. and Bandhold, H. (2003) Scenario Planning; The Link Between Future and Strategy. Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan. (pg53) Scenario Planning Handbook Bill Ralston)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã…  Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ ©Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…  (Ian Wilson2008 http://product.china-pub.com/826843ref=browse 2007, http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/%E6%83%85%E6%99%AF%E8%A7%84%E5%88%92 http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/tools/scenario-planning/trend-analysis (Mainichi,2011) http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/news/20110414p2g00m0bu044000c.html (Sujingxiang,2006) http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2006-12/22/content_5518332.htm (Haoran, 2009) http://www.zh09.com/lunwen/jjx/gjjj/200912/373158.html (à ¥Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ »Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã†â€™Ãƒ ¥Ã…’-à §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™) 14 Web 4.0,Trip Down the Rabbit Hole or Brave New World?, zmogo.com: http://www.zmogo.com/web/web-40trip-down-the-rabbit-hole-or-brave-new-world. Accessed 7th June 2009. 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