A Framework for Sustainable Port Security Essay

This research was conducted to determine the best ways in which United States can protect its ports which are the main source of economic connection with the world from terrorist attacks. The research question that implies here is; How important ports are for the U. S economy? And what measures can be taken to protect ports from terrorist attacks without affecting the economic activities? Is there a hypothesis or thesis or central argument that is clearly stated or implied? If so, what is it? The central argument was clearly portrayed and it depicted that even though a port may be viewed as a collection of assets but the port actually is a complex system consisting of loosely coupled sub systems, Secondly importance of organizational interrelationships that must exist in order to avoid the acts of terrorism and difficulties in bringing together the private and public entities that have a stake in port security system and finally the negative impact on economy that might occur due to port security interventions must be understood and curtailed. Does the Author answer the â€Å"So what? † Were you convinced that the study was worth doing? The research provided a brief sketch of how terrorist threats should be dealt with and it demonstrated how set of security interventions can be classified in respect of how they will affect the economy. It also identified that the primary aim of terrorist is to hurt our economic viability of ports and maritime systems. So security measures should be designed in a way that they do not harm the economy. Is the study unique in any way? The study was unique in a way that it defined the weakness; differ in threat, type of attack and potential consequences of each subsection separately implying that risk reduction intervention should be different for each sub system. The system was divided into four sub systems which are as follows: †¢ Containerized cargo †¢ Petrochemical cargo †¢ Bulk cargo †¢ Ferry passengers The owners and operators of containers are reliable as they are established companies and follow a fix route and schedule; the threat comes from the lack of ability to identify what is inside the container as these containers are sealed. System interventions should be designed in a way that they identify, track and secure the contents of container. The threat to petrochemical subsystem is that fire/explosion can be caused by any attack on the vessel containing dangerous material or the hijacking and use of vessel as a weapon. The management should ensure that the vessels are operated by trusted operators and it should increase the marine and terminal fire fighting capabilities in order to deal with any hazardous consequences. Bulk cargos are not owned by reliable operators so measures should be taken to make the system of ownership more transparent the cargos should be inspected before arriving to the port and a trusted shipper program should be shaped in an attempt to deal with these uncertainties. Ferries are locally owned and operated by government authorities, the terrorist attacks on these ferries can cause mass destruction so the passengers and vehicles should be inspected properly and they require a mass casualty response which is not available in most ports. What are the main points of the article? Following are the main points of article †¢ The large part of US trade is dependent upon shipping (Ports and maritime systems) and it is the main source of economic connection with the world. †¢ The aim of terrorist attacks on US ports is to destroy the US economy †¢ Emphasis should be given to organizational interrelationships in order to avoid acts of terrorism †¢ The port security should involve a step by step procedure and the terrorist attacks should be looked as a chain starting from threat factors and ending at the delayed consequences that the attack will have. †¢ The current scenario of defense is poor because the accountable authorities are less likely to be informed about report of immediate threats, secondly the weaknesses associated with the complex economic system are not properly understood and the risks are not easier to anticipate accurately. †¢ A port consists of different sub systems and each sub system requires different security measures. †¢ Each port has different sub system, an important step in determining the vulnerability of a particular port is the information of which sub system is operating in that port. This information is also essential to design a consequence management strategy for each port. What kind of literature review is provided and/or what sources are cited? How well does it fulfill that purpose? Following are the major sources of information for the study †¢ Barriers to port security †¢ Perspectives on the use of risk assessment to address terrorism †¢ Terrorism as hazard; a new species of trouble †¢ Crisis and emergency management †¢ Organizing for homeland securities. The sources were perfectly in line with the purpose of study and were quite helpful in finding out the essential information which was needed for the study. The literature review provided was of both qualitative and quantitative nature which made the arguments more strong How well does the Author explain their method of collecting and analyzing data? Could you replicate the study based upon the article before you? The method of collecting and analyzing the data was not clearly mentioned in the study and it could have been better and much easier for the readers to make judgments if the author would have defined the methods of collecting and analyzing the data. Is there any discussion of variables? Is so, how? Does the Author look at alternative points of view? The author did not look at the alternative points of view which could have made the study more interesting and commendable; there was ambiguity regarding the discussion of variables, still the study was worth doing and appreciable. Do the studies findings support the authors Goals or Thesis? How valid are they? The study was in line with the thesis and it found out that how significant US ports are for the economy and how important it is to devise a separate security strategy for each port. The importance of organizational interrelationship was defined; and the author discussed the responsibilities of each state in order to strengthen the organizational interrelationships. The study supported the thesis by answering the negative impact that US economy will have if security interventions are not planned adequately. The figures that were given regarding the risk management approach, organizational interventions and responsibilities were also helpful in tracking the threats and tactics to deal with those threats. However, the main emphasis of the study was on the physical attributes of the port and the differentiation between each port. The study found out that different security models can be prepared by comparing the cost associated for applying the model versus its effectiveness, but the purpose is not to prepare a list of models but to find out the most cost effective model. Does the conclusion follow from the evidence provided? Are you persuaded by it? Why or Why Not? The conclusion followed the findings of the study and described the danger of terrorist threats to US ports and the reason behind these threats is to hurt the US economy. So the security measures should be taken in away that they don’t dent the economy. Does the Author address the implications of these results? If so, how comprehensively is this done? The author looked at the broader perspectives and pointed out the areas which are needed to be work upon but in depth analysis of each aspect was not done the author touched different issues which were necessary and essential to curtail the possibility of dangerous consequences and the adverse effects that terrorism might have on the economy. Do you notice other strengths and limitations of this study? The study was done in an organized manner and numerical figures and solid sources were used to make the article stronger; the usage of diagrams also made it unique and substantial. However, more up to date sources could have made the research more effective and worthy.

Chorographic Fusion between Contemporary Dance and Indigenous Movement in Bangarra Dance Theatre Essay

Chorographic Fusion between Contemporary Dance and Indigenous Movement in Bangarra Dance Theatre Stephen Page has been the Artistic director of Bangarra Dance Theatre since 1991. During this time he has choreographed many works, including his two major pieces Ochres and Fish. Ochres was first performed in Sydney in 1995 playing an essential part in traditional life and it explored the significance of ochres. Fish is also about the earth and the power of the elements, Fish focused on the waters of the earth and the wealth of life. Bangarra gets its inspiration from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and deals with the contemporary issues the Indigenous population face. Ochres is a work with four parts to it, Yellow, Black, Red and White,(colours representing Aboriginal culture and heritage) with each section representing the following: Yellow showing the female spirit, Black displaying the male energy, Red being about contemporary social issues and White takes inspiration from what has come and using it to create a new world. Using the ochres is a traditional ritual done before dancing on the earth, it welcomes the story to the earth and this is done at the start of Ochres. Djakapurra Munyarryun is Bangarras cultural consultant and is featured in Ochres to display the traditional paint up and preparation of cleansing the earth. This traditional element in Indigenous dance and is much more detailed than what is performed in Ochres. In the section Yellow, Page has used choreographic fusion between contemporary dance and indigenous movement. The dancers are imitating animal movement which is taken from traditional Indigenous dance. However most of the movement in Yellow is presented in an abstract contemporary way. Black starts with Munyarryun wiping the ochre across his forehead, this is a traditional element that is repeated in Black. The stick dance in Black is about men competing for hunting grounds and has a traditional meaning. Most of Ochres has traditional meanings that are displayed though contemporary dance. The fusion between the contemporary dance and the indigenous movement is clear in Black with a lot of animal imitation. Fish also has four sections to it, Fish, Swamp, Traps and Reef. They are all about the waters of the earth and the mysteries they contain. Both traditional movement and contemporary dance is shown in Fish and each section displays this in its own way. The contemporary expression of traditional parts of Indigenous culture in Fish is shown when the men are hunting for fish in the section  Traps. They have spears and are demonstrating how they traditionally caught fish. The choreographic intent of the hunting movement achieved the message of their traditional ways but told a whole story through the abstract contemporary outlook. Fish has many traditional elements that are expressed through contemporary dance; this includes things such as movement, music and costumes. The Music in Fish changes from their traditional music with instruments like the didgeridoo into a more techno and modern upbeat sound. Throughout Ochres the music has a combination of the traditional and contemporary music. Indigenous chanting in both pieces displays the relevance of the Indigenous culture in Ochres and Fish. The costumes in Fish look like creatures of the ocean, they have a scaly effect but are kept simple. Jeans are also used in Fish as costumes other than the traditional body paint that is still shown in other sections. In Ochres there is a section that has the woman dancing topless, this is done in low light and is very traditional and acceptable in this form of dancing. Page has also incorporated costumes that are very modern in contemporary dance in Ochres, in the section Red a lot of the items of clothing are beautiful and modern but still contain that Indigenous feel. Bangarra Dance Theatre is important to Australia because it has so much history behind every single dance that Page creates. It celebrates the communities and cultures of the indigenous people in a unique way. It’s living traditions go back at least 40,000 years with the Indigenous people of Australia and reflects the lives of Indigenous people today. Contemporary dance embraces traditional stories that admire the histories and identity of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. The culture, values and traditions of Indigenous Australians inspires movement in Bangarra Dance Theatre. This company tells a story about the history of the indigenous people to Australia to the world. It is important that the Indigenous culture is never forgotten and Bangarras artistically creative works make sure that they aren’t. Ochres and Fish have many parts that are traditional to Indigenous culture with animal imitation, the paint up and preparation with ochre and the representation of what the earth means to their culture. Bangarra Dance Theatre is important to Australia and to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Stephen Page has created many works with a fusion of contemporary dance and traditional movement. This is important because it’s apart of Australian heritage and our history. Bangarras distinctive choreography portrays stories and highlights important traditions through contemporary dance.

Application of Critical Management Studies for Organisational Analysis

Application of Critical Management Studies for Organisational Analysis This report aims to use Critical Management Studies (CMS) concepts and ideas to explore specific aspects of organisational working and analyse the working of a specific business firm. CMS provides a variety of alternatives to conventional management theory that offer radically diverse perspectives and aim to transform traditional management approaches. It is essentially rooted in strong scepticism on the moral defensibility and standing, as well as on the ecological and social sustainability, of prevalent types of organisational and management structures (Adler, 2006, p 1). CMS, it is important to understand, does not focus either on the inadequate or poor management practices of specific business firms or on the personal feelings of individual organisational executives and managers (Adler, 2006, p 1). It essentially deals with the widespread social injustice and the extreme environmental negativity of mainstream economic and social structures and systems that are served and replica ted by traditional managers and conventional business organisations (Adler, 2006, p 1). In the contemporary context, CMS deals with a broad range of management issues like strategy, accounting, marketing, international relations, information systems and international business (Lazonick & Sullivan, 2000, p 13). Whilst its approach is based in broad scepticism of existing management theories, practices and structures, it focuses on pivotal, rather than marginal issues. It aims to illustrate how conventional management beliefs and practices are not just nourished by, but also serve to support and sustain disruptive, troublesome, conflict ridden, and essentially destructive contemporary structures and patterns (Sim & Van Loon, 2005, p 9). It goes on to provide alternative solutions and illustrates that the replication of such systems is not inevitable, necessary or unavoidable, but is actually dependent upon managerial thoughts and processes and therefore essentially changeable (Sim & V an Loon, 2005, p 9). Influenced by the work of numerous thinkers like Weber, Hegel and Foucault, CMS has also been shaped by a number of contemporary developments that stretch beyond the realm of academic theory and philosophical or social thought (Adler, 2006, p 5) Many established critiques of the essential aspects of modern day capitalism have been marginalised by the fall and disintegration of the left from the 1970s (Hassard, et al, 2001, p 339). The growth and development of fresh social movements has provided different critical perspectives on the function of modern day business enterprise (Alvarez, et al, 1998, p 17). The growth of the European community and the astonishing rise of China and India, as well as other emerging economies, have helped in placing dominant Anglo-American business values and models in relative positions for purposes of comparison and assessment (Ibarra-Colado, 2006, p 463). CMS is a very broad area of thought, theory and practice. The report takes u p (a) the application of CMS to a Call Centre in India, (b) Weber’s exposition of bureaucracy and (c) Transformational Leadership, with reference to Weber’s work on leadership, for study and analysis. 2.0. Application of CMS to Indian Call Centre The phenomenon of workplace bullying has for long attracted significant attention in mainstream management literature and is looked upon with concern by HR managers and organisational experts. This report deals with the application of CMS to the case study on Indian Call Centres, prepared by D’Cruz and Noronha in 2010. The two researchers conducted a phenomenological inquiry of working experiences of employees in international call centres in Bangalore and Mumbai in India and uncovered new ground in organisational etiological roles in workplace bullying. The case is considered as read and is thus not described in greater detail here.

Beethovens Hair Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beethovens Hair - Research Paper Example Along with these theories of Beethoven’s music composition style, number of theories are being put forward and even tested by the researchers on what exactly caused deafness in him. It was around 1800s, by the age of 26, when Beethoven began lose hearing in both his ears. Initially, he suffered from a serious form of ear disease called Tinnitus, because of which he mainly heard ‘ringing’ sound in his ears, thereby making it difficult for him to hear the music. Then, over time, mainly around early 1820s, his hearing loss became more intense, with Beethoven not able to even acknowledge the tumultuous applause, which he received from a huge crowd at a concert, as he was not facing the crowd and mainly because he was not able to hear it. (Colles and Grove). Although, he gave up conducting public concerts, he continued to compose and that resulted in many of his celebrated works. The exact cause of his deafness is unknown, but based on the study of old literature and importantly on the current researches being conducted by prestigious institutions, certain probable causes are being put forward. In addition, the recovery of Beethoven’s hair and advanced testing of it including Forensic testing have unlocked details about various facets of his life, particularly the physical as well as social factors, which could have contributed to his deafness. â€Å"Scientists tested a lock of Beethovens hair in hopes that, at last, the world would have explanation for the composers deafness.† (Martin and Nibley 30). Before this testing was done, various causes was attributed to his hearing loss and that included otosclerosis or abnormal growth of bone in his inner ear, typhus, syphilis and lead poisoning. Among these four causes, the first two were discounted earlier or could not be proved, with the later two being discussed through current researches. Otoscl erosis is a disease which happens when there is â€Å"new bone formation either in the area of

Forign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Forign Policy - Essay Example In it, the study text will formulate the US foreign policy in the 21st century, which is a fast changing world. The US foreign policy is perceived of as highly liberalist, and this will be elaborated on, in addition to how the modern world makes it hard for the US to dominate the world, and why it is too late for it to withdraw from the system of world interaction. Finally, the study text will in it incorporate failures and milestones in the US foreign policies and from the emerging trend forecast the future of the US foreign policies. In Stepak & Whitlark (45-66) view, the role of the United States in the foreign policy context is fetched from the ancient eras of world politics, and particularly the days of Woodrow Wilson; that is in the period after World War II and the Cold War. Most foreign policy activists attest to it that following the events after the fall of the Soviet Union, especially those oriented to human rights, the order of world governance evolved, and America’s role in manning the system emerged, and with it expanded its obligations to the international community. Concisely, the norms of non-intervention and state sovereignty weakened with the virility of liberal interventionism, which was being largely campaigned for by the United Nations. By definition, liberal internationalism is the doctrine of foreign policy, which supports that liberal states have the mandate of intervening in other sovereign nationalities in pursuance of liberal objectives (Pugh 2). The liberal objectives in this case can refer to any form of freedom and equality. In the light of this, the liberal internationalism policy mode of intervention may be either military or humanitarian aid. This definition that would, however fit best at the onset of the twentieth century since in the contemporary definition as forced by issues, liberal internationalism is varying. According to Ikenberry (74-80), these changes can

The theory of Financial Repression and its Application in Economies of Essay

The theory of Financial Repression and its Application in Economies of Different Countries - Essay Example This essay describes the concept of financial repression, and illustrate the mechanism of its action, using the cases of different countries. The studies conducted by experts confirm that the restrictions imposed on the financial sectors of these two countries have indeed negatively impact on their respective economies giving credence to the McKinnon-Shaw hypothesis. Financial repression must have been fundamentally influenced by Keynesian economics as well as provoked by the instability of the early 20th century events. Financial repression is underpinned by the theory that the state should intervene in financial matters to ensure lesser demand for money that should be channeled instead to the capital/labour sector. It was McKinnon and Shaw, who called attention of the world to the negative effects of such practices. Their hypothesis recommended the liberalisation of the financial sectors from such restrictions to stop stagnation and initiate economic growth. They asserted that financial repression causes economic stagnation and that countries must therefore liberalise their financial sectors. This assertion is confirmed by other studies and models as well. Nonetheless, a number of cases exists that point to a contrary finding such as the cases of Korea and Malaysia that were both placed under financial repression in the 1980s to avert financial collapse. This paper presented the cases of India and China, both of which are considered emerging global super economies, where the provisions of the theory proved to be accurate. ... The existence of financial repression can be deduced from the presence of the following factors: unsystematic distortions in financial prices such as interest and exchange rates; interest rates with ceiling caps and nominal interest at fixed rates, which lead to low or even negative real interest rates; high reserve ratios; guided credit programmes, and; ineffective credit rationing (Bhole 16). Gupta (2004), however, narrowed down the elements of financial repression into interest rate ceilings, high reserve requirements and compulsory credit allocation. The consequences of these intermediary measures are: the implementation of high reserve and liquidity ratio for the purpose of easing budget deficits forcing banks to hold government bonds and money; private bond and equity markets remain undeveloped because of the difficulty of getting government money from private securities, and; government measures adopted to discourage private financial entities from competing with the public se ctor and to spur low-cost investment characterise the banking sector with interest rate caps (2). Financial repression is an economic tool usually employed by developing countries and was popular before the last quarter of the 20th century. It was said to be a knee-jerk reaction to the events of the first half of that century. History shows that the first half of the 20th century was blighted by two financial catastrophic events: the Wall Street Crash in 1929, and; the Great Depression, which was instigated by the Crash. These two events were themselves thought to be two of the underpinning reasons for the outbreak of WWII. The lesson that these events brought was that command economies were more stable and that the state can take the

Aerobics class in london Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aerobics class in london - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to find out opportunities provided for the community to engage in sporting activities and which groups of people the sport activities target. This paper will reveal research findings and results after visiting a community sports leisure center. Activities carried out in the center will be mentioned as well as the targeted groups and benefits of the mentioned activities. To receive accurate data, an arranged permitted interview will be conducted so as to learn more about the center. Observation and other mode of primary data collection will be discussed as well as the collection of secondary data. The center under study is central YMCA club. This club is a component of a charity organization; this makes this fitness center only one of its kind in the health and fitness sector. This club offers a center for the community members to interact in a social perspective. This therefore leads to its welcoming, friendly and warm environment as it leads to a feeling of belonging and enables members to achieve fitness and health through a wide range of activities offered. (Prasad, 6). The mission of this club: To advance the wellbeing and health of the community via the providence of fitness, sport and art- based programs. Such programs will include: positive health, older adults, performing arts, creative arts, mind and body, exercise nutrition, Y active kids, healthy living, and pre and post natal. However, the program under focus is mind and body. Under this program several concepts are practiced. The area of concern in this report is Tai Chi. This is an aerobic exercise which develops a healthy mind and body; it includes meditation as well as slow aerobic sessions. (Tucker, 7) 2. Methodology My initial visit at the Central YMCA was on 19-03-2013. I collected brochures and fliers concerning the organization at the reception desk. I walked around the facility and observed the activities taking place. I also met with the assistant coordinator and discussed my intentions as well as handed him my letter of introduction. We arranged my next visit to the center as well as the activities I was to undertake so as to facilitate the findings of my report paper. I collected more relevant information concerning the fitness facility in their website. My next visit was on 22-03-2013. I met with the assistant facilitator discussed my report paper and I was given a go ahead as well as the date and venue to collect my data. I then walked around the facility and observed the activities. On 26-03-2013, 30 random members of Central YMCA were selected by I and a group interview was conducted. This was done with permission from the management of the organization. The venue was at the board room, time 2:00- 4:00 pm. I asked the participants each question as I recorded the results. Each member answered individually. Questions asked to each member included: a. Why do you attend Central YMCA? b. Do you like the aerobic programs? c. How many att end Tai Chi? Reason for attendance? Two aerobic instructors of Central YMCA were also interviewed. The management of the organization was informed and the employees permitted to give concerned information. This took place on the 26- 03- 2013, at the boardroom, 11:30 am -12:15 pm and 6:00- 5:45 pm. Questions asked included: a. What are the opportunities provided for people to participate in aerobic fitness activities? b. What is the target group? c. Which aerobic program comprises of a majority of people? Why? d. How does the community benefit from the organization? e. How many attend Tai Chi? Reason for attendance? 3. Findings i. Primary data collected Data collected from the members was

Art Consumption in Ghana by African Americans Research Paper

Art Consumption in Ghana by African Americans - Research Paper Example The exploration of patterns of consumption is one which can lead those associated with the art of Ghana to have more connections for the indigenous expressions. Consumption of Art of Ghana The African art that is in various regions of the world is known to associate directly with the identity of culture and social status. The consumption which occurs with the Ghana art is one which directly links to the identity of the African culture. The exploration of this is based on a creation of African art that creates a direct link to the roots of African – Americans. The circuits that are known to identify through the art from Ghana directly associates with the anthropology of the region. Those that have the art are directly linking to a space of African art that links to the roots of culture and society. This is furthered with the understanding that the African – American link to Ghana is directly associated with the perception of art that is a part of the heritage of those in the United States (Stoller, 2003). Not only is the consumption based on the anthropological links to social and cultural identity. ... The art form of culture that is associated with this attracts African – Americans that recognize the philosophies and functions that are a part of the cultural ideologies. The consumption then becomes linked to a variety of dimensions, including the philosophical, traditional, cultural, social and belief systems that are a part of the heritage and roots of all Africans. It is noted that the continuous growth of consumption of art from Ghana is attributed to the link to the heritage of the area (Adjaye 2003). Growing Interest in Artifacts The basis of consumption that is associated with the culture of Ghana is one which is continuing to grow with the philosophies of African – Americans that link to this. The African – American identity is continuing to grow toward recognizing the beliefs and philosophies through the artwork, combined with the ideologies of meaning of culture. As the culture is emerged and recognized among African – Americans are other ideol ogies which attract individuals to the artwork. Many believe that by consuming more of the work, knowledge of the heritage and history is available. This combines with the information which is readily available about the indigenous cultures and which links to African - American heritage. As these links continue to emerge into society, a stronger sense of consumption emerges as a recognized identity from African – Americans. It is expected that the knowledge will allow the links to history to continue to build the amount of consumption by African – Americans (Rovine, 2001). The growing consumption is not only identified with more knowledge about the heritage and traditions that African – Americans claim as their own. There is also an

How the Rising Cost of Fuel Has Affected Air Travel Research Paper

How the Rising Cost of Fuel Has Affected Air Travel - Research Paper Example This is in the form of efficiency, cutting costs and passing on the costs to travellers. Introduction The rising cost of fuel prices has significant effects on the air travel industry in multiple ways affecting airlines, travellers and other allied sectors. In most ways, the industry has experienced numerous negative impacts as compared to positive impacts. This is to the extent of having some airlines pulling out of certain markets altogether or even quitting the industry altogether. This paper seeks to discuss the impacts of high fuel costs on air travel and its effects to the industry. Recent studies in the airline industry have seen the cost of fuel rise as a result of trends in the world oil prices. As a result, airlines have experienced increased operating costs due to issues of efficiency in fuel consumption and environmental taxes, as well as caps. This way, airlines have sustained increased costs of operation that have affected air travel significantly in regard to the aircr aft acquired and expansion programmes (Cranfield University, n.d). In regard to the acquisition of new aircraft to be used in air travel, the high fuel costs have resulted in improved fuel efficiency. This is in the form of having airplanes with fuel-efficient engines that bring down the amount consumed over a given distance (Cranfield University, n.d). ... Moreover, another field affected in air travel, in reference to the increase in fuel prices, is the expansion of long haul and decline of short haul services (Cranfield University, n.d.). This is following frequent upgrade to aircrafts that have better fuel efficiency as compared to older fleets. Due to the high costs of fuel, the industry is able to adapt accordingly to bring down the costs of operation; and keep up with the ever-rising fuel prices and allowing air travel to cover greater distances with more capacity, and with lesser fuel consumption. Thus, due to high fuel prices, airlines have opted to focus on revenue management strategies to cut all costs of operation. In this case, the high fuel costs have been placed on the traveller to shoulder the burden, in the fare; they pay for the usage of air transport. However, some, instead of passing the cost of fuel directly on to the passengers, they have chosen to have value added services that are optional for the traveller (US B ureau of Labour Statistics, 2012). The services could be in the form of meals offered on board and are gladly accepted and paid for accordingly. In addition, services and costs that cater for fuel are in the form of the service that the passenger would like, such as flying business or economy class and all fees charged for reservation and cancellation of tickets (US Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2012). Thus, the cost of travel has gone high as a result of the levies that are passed on to the traveller. Still on high fares, travellers have, in recent times following high fuel prices, had to pay more for the cost of their luggage. This contributes to the overall cost of travelling by air through charges for hand luggage, overweight luggage and oversize baggage. In

Case Study - Xerox Essay Example for Free

Case Study Xerox Essay This case describes the visioning process at Xerox Canada. The chairman, CEO and president of Xerox Canada have been meeting with her leadership team since eight oclock in the morning to craft the organizations new vision statement. Three and a half hours into the meeting the team hits a road block. With 30 minutes left in the session, the CEO must decide whether and how to proceed. First let us list what McGarry has done correctly prior to the visioning process meeting: 1. Understanding of the old vision/culture: Here we can say that McGarry has a good insight of the old culture prevailing within the Xerox Canada through her coast to coast traveling in order to meet and learn the concerns of the Xerox Canada employees, during the restructuring period. Her knowledge of the old culture has eased her task of educating the employees about the upcoming new system or culture. (Refer to Mc Garry’s arrival in Canada section) 2. Encourage innovative employees: During the restructuring period McGarry continued to encourage innovative employees and encourage them to impart their ideas to the other members of the group in order to bring out new ideas that would bring changes for the betterment of the Xerox Canada. (Refer to Employees-Inspired-Initiatives section last paragraph). 3. Properly identify the need to call for a visioning process at Xerox? McGarry’s careful evaluation of the situation and her coming to the conclusion that it was necessary to synthesize a vision statement (that would coordinate all of the concepts, initiatives and activities of Xerox Canada) was, I my opinion, a good call. (Refer to The Visioning Process section). 4. Understanding the value of the visioning process and not to impose unilaterally a new vision: McGarry understood the importance of not imposing a new vision. And she went on to gain a common consensus of the group (pre-visioning process meeting activities) before making any changes to the vision of the organization. (Refer to The Visioning Process section). Now let us talk about what, to my point of view McGarry, could have done differently: The half day session McGarry called on June 14, 1994 to craft the organization’s new mission statement, should have been panned over a two day session. In my opinion McGarry definitely under estimated the tasks ahead. As we all know the purpose of identifying the preferred future vision is to gather the strategic planners within the organization (here Mc Garry’s leadership team) around a collective future vision, some of whom (leadership team) will be the core collaborative group and some of whom will be additional stakeholders. The main objective of visioning activity and its process steps is to gather the strategic planning participants (leadership team) around a preferred future vision to help energize them, get their creative juices flowing, get them talking and interacting, and set the tone strategic plan development – a new vision. This was well done during the first three hours. However half a day is insufficient to complete such an activity which is about building a successfully bridge between Xerox’s current state and their preferred future. I strongly believe that this visioning process activity could have been broken into the following sub activities and carried out over the entire day. This activity should have been broken down into the following sequence i) Have participants worked individually or in small group to discuss the Current State of the organization and envisage the Ideal State of the organization. ii) Keeping in mind the first exercise they have completed, have these same groups brainstormed on their preferred future vision. iii) Regroup all teams in order to share the ideas the teams have separately produced during the brainstorming session. The second day should have been broken in the following steps: iv) Discuss with the participants (teams) their insights from what have been shared collectively the previous day. Record any implications for the upcoming vision statement on flip chart and keep these records visible and accessible to the participants as they continue their debriefing session. v) Allow participants, if necessary, to regroup in order to modify/re-align their ideas which resulted from the brainstorming session (previous day). vi) Regroup in order to share any new ideas from the re-alignment session. vii) Select as a team the final vision statement. Here, to my point of view, the key ingredient was time. McGarry should have not expected the visioning process to be completed in such a short time. The old culture is a set of strong beliefs and norms which cannot be altered quickly; McGarry had to be patient in order for the mindset change to take effect within the visioning process.

Dhat Syndrome: Sexual Behaviour and Psychiatric Comorbidity

Dhat Syndrome: Sexual Behaviour and Psychiatric Comorbidity Original Research Article Title: Dhat syndrome and its association with sexual behavior and pyschiatric comorbidities in Indian males Sahu R.N, MD (Psychiatry), Head and Professor, Co- Authors: Sharma V K, MD, WHO Fellow (USA), Head and Professor, Department of Medicine Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Ashutosh Kumar, Lecturer, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Chintan Bavishi, Lecturer, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India Balaji More, Assistant Professor, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad, Maharashtra Title: Dhat syndrome and its association with symptoms, sexual behavior and comorbidities in Indian male patients Abstract: The Context (Background): Dhat syndrome is often taken as culture bound syndrome of Indian subcontinent. There are many misconceptions which form base of symptoms and comorbidities. Aims: Dhat syndrome is reported on basis of self diagnosis. The study aims to study associated symptoms, sexual behavior and comorbidities in Indian population. Methods and Material: This cross-sectional and case-control study, was carried with help of trained local interviewers at Department of Psychiatry and Medicine, Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Associated Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, India. Cases were compared to healthy matched controls. The study was conducted using clinical interview, physical examination and other necessary investigations like urine analysis and microscopy. Results: Of the 50 cases and control, each, age group was 21 to 25 years (48%) and education upto12th class (60%). 20% cases reported history of Masturbation. Extramarital or premarital sexual contact was found to have little significance on the syndrome. 76% of the patients met DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Anxiety and 56% patients met for Depression. 23 patients (46.3%) were having a co-morbid somatic complains like bodyache, weakness and fatigue. Erectile dysfunction by 34% Premature ejaculation by 8% was reported. In Urine routine analysis and microscope no oxalates or phosphates were noted. Conclusions: Dhat syndrome is more common among low educated young population. Laboratory evidence of any pathological cause was not found. Contrary to popular belief, it had no direct correlation with masturbation and pre and extra marital sexual contact. Key Words: Dhat Syndrome, Semen, Sexual behavior, Somatic symptoms, Erectile Dysfunction Introduction Dhat syndrome is a Culture bound syndrome.1 But it has been mentioned in medical history and reported by population worldwide. The culture has profound impact on the mental status of an individual. According to International Classification of Diseases (ICD) – 10 had classified Dhat syndrome had been classified in both neurotic disorder (F48.8) and into culture specific disorder caused by ‘undue concern about the debilitating effects of the passage of semen.’ The cases are always self reported and they often report a set of symptoms. These vague somatic symptoms are fatigue / bodily weakness, headache, depression3, anxiety, loss of appetite, palpitation / tachycardia, guilt, poor concentration, forgetfulness.2 Due to existing belief it is often associated as a result of masturbation and being sexually active outside marriage. The comorbidities include erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and impotence. Patients reported semen loss in urine or involuntarily outside (spontaneously; while sleeping; during defecation; or while showering) of sexual relations.4 A typical profile of Dhat Syndrome patient either is a young man, unmarried or recently married, less educated, and the one who holds strong traditional beliefs.5 This category of disease involves mixed disorders of behavior, beliefs, and emotions which are of uncertain etiology and nosological status and which occur with particular frequency in certain cultures. The cultural belief and pattern associated with Dhat syndrome make it different from delusional disorder. 6, 7 Material and Methods: The study is a case-control cross sectional study, aimed to evaluate the symptoms, beliefs and comorbidities related to Dhat syndrome. The study and control group of 50 each was assessed. The study was conducted at Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Associated Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, India. Study group of 50 subjects was selected who had Dhat syndrome without any other organic disorder at OPD of Psychiatry Department. The control group of 50 patients was shortlisted from the Medicine Department. They were not diagnosed for Dhat syndrome and were matched with the case group in most aspects. Both groups were interviewed based on a structured interview. Inclusion criteria: Case group: Complain of whitish discharge in the urine and associating it with symptoms and comorbidities Fulfilled DSM-IV TR criteria apart Consenting to clinical interview Control group: Inpatients who were not suffering from Dhat syndrome though they were suffering from other medical ailments Matched in other aspects with the case group Consenting to clinical interview Exclusion criteria: Presence of Genitourinary disorder Testicular tumor Varicocele Organic sexual dysfunction Pelvic inflammatory disease Endocrine disorders Spinal cord trauma Ethics: Institutional review board and ethical committee approval was taken from GMC, Bhopal, India. All periodic adverse event reports were reported to them and appropriate guidance was taken. All interviewers were careful about ethical and legal considerations. All identification information including names, initials and hospital numbers were avoided to keep the patient details in anonymity. Written information consent after the details of the project were fully explained was obtained from all participants. There were no minors involved and hence no paternal consent involved in this study. Statistics: The data was analyzed by using statistical tests of mean and standard deviation. (P>0.005) Results: Dhat syndrome is prevalent in younger age group. Anxiety is most prevalent followed by depression. They are related to sexual symptoms as ejaculatory dysfunction, premature ejaculation and impotence. (Fig. 1) Patients associated Dhat syndrome as a direct result of excessive indulgence in sexual activity or masturbation or to nocturnal emissions. (Fig. 2) Dhat syndrome was prevalent in class of lower education, below class 12. Routine biochemical and urine laboratory evaluation was conducted for all 100 participants.Other necessary investigations were carried out as per the requirement of the subjects to exclude organicity ( Sonography and Hormone Assay). None of the reports showed presence of oxalates or phosphates. A semen analysis founded out only 1 patient had azoospermia and 2 were having oligospermia. Figure 1: Co-morbid conditions associated with patients in study group and control group Figure 2: Sexual history of patients in study group and control group Discussion As a Culture bound syndrome, Dhat syndrome has been discussed for long time. Epidemiology and prevalence is noted in history of medicine all over the world.1, 8 The Dhat syndrome is not limited to Indian subcontinent. The origin of its name had a strong relationship with Indian culture, history and mythology.9, 10 Dhat Syndrome forms an important health problem and the magnitude is also very high. In view of this it needs a proper attention and sensitization amongst the healthcare providers for the proper treatment, counseling of these patients and referring them to related specialty. The patient presenting with Dhat syndrome is typically more likely to be recently married; of average or low socio-economic status (student, laborer or farmer by occupation), came from a rural area and belonged to a family with conservative attitudes towards sex.11 The exact pathophysiology of ‘Dhat syndrome’ is not known. The study demonstrated various other symptoms and morbidities being involved along with Dhat syndrome. The prevalence in relatively younger age group can be attributed to hormonal rush.12 Majority of these individuals visited self-claimed sex specialists and traditional faith healers. The contact with these health providers not only strengthen their misconception and false beliefs, but also compel the patients to pay huge cost of investigations and drugs which are not only non-effective but also hazardous. 5 Among other studies the relationship between marital status or sexual contact outside marriage and Dhat syndrome is not discussed. This study establish contrary to the popular belief that no such cause-effect relationship exists. Dhat syndrome was most common among illiterate patients and less educated patients. There is a need for patient education and sex education in the eradication of syndrome. 13, 14 The spread of disease in all age groups indicate towards the need of patient education about the disease in India. In many cases the syndrome is under diagnosed. In general, the deep-rooted misconceptions associated with anatomical and physiological aspects of sexuality are difficult to be correct with general counseling sessions. The further work in this field is required to know: Whether Dhat is a Culture bound syndrome only in India? What is the pathophysiology behind it? Is there any relationship of it with depression, anxiety or other mental health disorder? Whether there is any relationship between puberty and Dhat syndrome. Acknowledgement: We are thankful to all the interviewers who conducted data collection. References Sumathipala A, Siribaddana SH, Bhugra D. Culture-bound syndromes: the story of Dhat syndrome. Br J Psychiatry. 2004; 184: 200-9. Bhatia M.S, Jhanjee A, Kumar P. Culture bound syndromes- a cross-sectional study from India. European Psychiatry. 2011; 26:448 Dhikav V, Aggarwal N, Anand KS. Is Dhat syndrome, a culturally appropriate manifestation of depression? Med Hypotheses. 2007; 69 (3): 698. Mehta V, De A, Balachandran C. Dhat syndrome: a reappraisal. Indian J Dermatol. 2009; 54(1): 89-90. El Hamad I, Scarcella C, Pezzoli MC, Bergamaschi V, Castelli F; Migration Health Committee of the International Society of Travel Medicine. Forty meals for a drop of blood. J Travel Med. 2009; 16(1): 64-5. Behere PB, Natraj GS. Dhat syndrome: the phenomenology of a culture bound sex neurosis of the orient. Indian J Psychiatry. 1984; 26(1): 76-8. World Health Organization (1992) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Geneva: WHO. De Silva P, Dissanayake SAW. The use of semen syndrome in Sri Lanka: A clinical study. Sex Marital Ther. 1989; 4:195-204. Malhotra HK, Wig NN. Dhat syndrome: a culture-bound sex neurosis of the orient. Arch Sex Behav. 1975; 4(5): 519-28. Angst J, Gamma A, Gastpar M, et al. Depression Research in European Society Study. Gender differences in depression. Epidemiological findings from the European DEPRES I and II studies. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2002; 252(5): 201-9. Singh G. Dhat syndrome revisited. April 1985;27(2):119-122 Carroll BJ. Adolescents with depression. JAMA. 2004 Dec 1;292(21):2578 Tiwari SC, Katiyar M, Sethi BB. Culture and mental disorders. An overview. J Social Psychiatry 1986; 2:403-25 Avasthi A, Jhirwal OP. The concept and epidemiology of Dhat syndrome. J Pak Psychiatry Soc. 2005; 2: 6–8.

Pardee Lowe Father and Glorious Descendent :: Essays Papers

Pardee Lowe Father and Glorious Descendent Pardee Lowe penned his autobiography, Father and Glorious Descendent, in 1943. In the book, Lowe tells his story of growing up in the home of first generation Chinese immigrants. Throughout the book he relates the trials and tribulations endured by himself and his family in California, ranging from major events like the Great San Francisco earthquake at the beginning of the century to everyday occurrences like dealing with widespread racism in the white majority. In the end, the author relates his success in attending Stanford College and later attending one of our nations most prestigious business schools. In doing so, he presents an Asian-American success story that serves as a tribute to the spirit and culture of a people. During the time when the field of Asian-American studies began to emerge, many scholars looked back upon Asian works from the past to try and build a library of books to convey the experiences of early Asian immigrants. Father and Glorious Descendent was dismissed by many in the field as a â€Å"document of self contempt† and a â€Å"humiliating book† to the Chinese and thus it was dismissed in most academic circles. Lowe begins his book with the statement â€Å"I strongly suspect that my father’s life is a fraud,† but he does not mean this as a derogatory statement. Instead it is a subtle compliment to his father’s ability to amalgamate into a foreign culture and become successful. This mirrors the fact that the rest of the book is a tribute to the ability of a people to adapt to a foreign land without losing themselves or their culture. It is for this reason that I believe Father and Glorious Descendent deserves to be studied by today’s scholars and students. First, Pardee Lowe’s book is a compliment to the Chinese because it continually paints the first generation of immigrants in a very favorable light. This story is filled with numerous success stories of immigrants building large businesses and becoming reasonably successful. There are families that own laundries and others, like Lowe’s, that own large dry goods stores. The author never refers to these businessmen in a derogatory way and often he speaks of his childhood amazement at the wealth of some of these people. At no point does he attribute this wealth to a shedding of traditional Chinese ways or to a complete adoption of American attitudes either.

McDonalds Corporation Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursewor

McDonalds Corporation McDonald’s is the undisputed king of burgers. This has been the trend in the fast-food industry from their creation in the 1960’s to their massive growth in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and now the new millennium. Over the past forty years, McDonald’s has fully taken advantage of their strengths but because of maturity in the fast food industry, more focus will have to be put on opportunities, weaknesses, and threats. Strengths. The first strength of McDonald’s has been their product strategy. Throughout the past three decades they have simply been a hamburger and fries Restaurant. Growing customer wants and needs along with increased competition has forced them to alter and improve their menu to better fit the environment. Factors such as growing competition and consumers becoming more health conscious have forced them to make these changes. Today McDonald’s offers a wide variety of products that consist of 26 items. Breakfast items include biscuit sandwiches, Egg McMuffin, hotcakes and sausage, sausage McMuffin with egg, and scrambled eggs. Sandwiches include the Big Mac, cheeseburger, Crispy Chicken Deluxe, Filet-O-Fish, Grilled Chicken Deluxe, Grilled Chicken Salad Deluxe, hamburger, Quarter Pounder, and the Quarter Pounder with cheese. Dessert items include baked apple pies, chocolate chip cookie, hot fudge sundae, ice cream cone, McFlurry, and milkshakes. Other items on the menu include the apple-bran muffin, Chicken McNuggets, French fries, Garden Salad, Happy Meals, soft drinks, and other beverages. Promotion has also been a strength for McDonald’s. They have always focused promotion around good food, friendly folks, and fun. They have also spent a considerable amount of money on promotional programs such as Monopoly, Happy Meals, and the Big Mac. In addition to these promotions, McDonald’s signed a ten-year contract with Disney combining promotions for food items with Disney movies. They also continue the successful Beanie Baby promotion that is credited as the company’s most successful promotion ever. On October 25 they introduced the American Trio Collection of Beanie Babies that celebrate the American Political Process. In addition to promotion, McDonald’s has also been successful at placing restaurants in every available position. The increase of outlets per year has re... ...ket. These restaurants have the ability to be expanded throughout the United States and provide a large amount of sales domestically. This will be growingly important as sales in current McDonald’s restaurants flatten. These restaurant chains may also have the ability to be expanded internationally depending on their success in the U.S. An opportunity that McDonald’s has not been taking advantage of is their environmental concerns. Recently McDonald’s was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their conservation and recycling efforts. The EPA cited McDonald’s as the industry leader because of its continual review and evaluation of packaging materials. This is something that could be used in a promotional effort to better their image in consumers’ minds. It could be positioned directly against competitors to show that McDonald’s does care about the environment. McDonald’s has done well with establishing a plan for future growth and expansion. As long as they continue to build awareness for their other brands, expand internationally, and better manage product introduction in existing McDonald’s restaurants, they will continue to be number one.

The Amateur Scientist :: essays research papers

I was on my way to work, when I started to read this interesting story and I don't deny that I was a little sceptical in the beginning. But the more I read, the more I wanted to know about this man and his unique ways to define Science. I finished reading it in about 15 minutes, it literally sucked me in. This is an attempt to analyze and explain to the "audience," what my personal point of view is regarding this great genius, great mind, great scientist Richard Feynman. Defined by his colleagues as the "The brightest mind since Einstein," he explains how he used everyday tools to make scientific discoveries. How he describes his methods in a simple way makes science enjoyable and understandable, even to the average reader. I enjoyed reading the essay entitled "The Amateur Scientist," by Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988). I found it to be very interesting and felt that Mr. Feynman was very thoughtful. Rather than explain in technical detail about his work in physics, Feynman instead related interesting anecdotes throughout his life, as a college student and graduate student at Princeton University, that gave to the reader an understanding of his work as a scientist. The writing won my attention because his stories about his youth and his days at Princeton fascinated me. He was always exploring his environment to learn new things about science, especially how things worked. Feynman's thirst for clever things to do and clever ways to do ordinary things were remarkable. One of the best anecdotes that illustrate this point, was his experience at Princeton detailing ants' behavior. Feynman was constantly searching for the connection between hypothesis and truth, so one day at Princeton he started to observe the ants' that were coming out on his windowsill. The experiment with the ants is a reflection of this man's mind, always in search for an answer. In this anecdote Feynman explains how, with only a bit of sugar, and a couple of pieces of paper, he was able to find out many things about ants' behaviors. Feynman compares his study on the ants with the same kind of "experiment" he performed in Brazil, observing leaf-cutting ants. The author pointed out that, although the Brazilian ants seemed to be smarter, there are still some affinities with domestic ants. It is remarkable how Feynman discovered that ants have no sense of "geometry," the goal of his experiment was to determine whether or not ants have some kind of communication a nd if they have the ability to find their way back where the "food" was.

The play “A Doll House” Essay

A Doll House Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the play, A doll house, it is clear that there is imbalance of power between Nora and her husband Helmer. The husband goes to work and earns for the family while the wife is left at home to do the chores. This brings about the theme of gender inequality. It is also clear that the writer puts more emphasis on the looks of Nora than those of her husband; this shows how the society views men and women differently. The husband is also displayed as being questionable about how the wife is spending the money on gifts even without considering that its Christmas time and they can now afford it from the salary he is getting. If Nora had not been that beautiful, may be Helmer would not have married her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The writer of this book emphasizes much on gender inequality, there is also the aspect of the very many lies that couple keep in their marriages in order to keep them alive which in most of the cases end up being the reason for the separation. There is also the aspect of man eat man society, Krogstad uses Nora in order to retain his job threatening her for a favor he had done a long time ago. At the end of the play, Nora feels her husband had taken her like a doll only to be admired for its beauty and that he did not trust her and therefore she left.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The economic factors have really affected the society in a doll house especially the women to an extent of their ideas and choices about their marriages.  Nora illegally borrowed money for the trip that she and Torvald took to Italy; she told Torvald that the money had come from her father. For years, Nora reveals, she has worked and saved in secret, slowly repaying the debt, and soon it will be fully repaid. This money was borrowed through Krogstad’s help and when Helmer wanted to sack him,he asks Nora to use her influence to ensure that his position remains secure. When she refuses, Krogstad points out that he has in his possession a contract that contains Nora’s forgery of her father’s signature. Their conversation reveals that the two had been once deeply in love, but Mrs. Linde left Krogstad for a wealthier man who would enable her to support her family. She tells Krogstad that now that she is free of her own fa milial obligations and wishes to be with Krogstad and care for his children. References Ibsen, Henrik, Rolf Fjelde, CalistaFlockhart, Tony Abatemarco, Tim DeKay, Jeannie Elias, Gregory Itzin, JoBeth Williams, Rosalind Ayres, and Susan A. Loewenberg.  A Doll House. Venice, Calif.: L.A. Theatre Works, 2012. Internet resource. Source document

Free and Open Elections Are the Cornerstone to Any Democracy Essay

Free and open elections are the cornerstone to any democracy. The citizens of the United States have fought for years to increase this right to everyone, but also keep each vote as strong as the next. However, it has become obvious to many that their voting power is being shortened each election cycle. Money and influence from powerful, wealthy interest groups and corporations have made their way into politicians’ coffers in the form of major campaign contributions. This system has resulted in voters calling for further campaign finance reform including more regulation of election funding and a higher level of transparency. When it comes to financing presidential campaigns, an entirely new playbook is being written. The traditional yardstick, the money raised by individual candidates, may countless this time. Instead hundreds of millions of dollars may come from a relatively new political animal, the Super PAC. This financing vehicle sprang up in the wake of a 2010 Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, which wiped away limits on corporate and labor union campaign spending (1). Super PAC is a term to describe the new independent-expenditure-only committees that form to fund issues and specific canidates. Basically, the Citizens United decision said that labor unions and corporations could spend unlimited amounts of money independently of candidates to convince voters to vote for or against someone. There is a lot of money that can be raised and spent on independent advertising along with other things. A very important point is this can all be done without coordinating with the candidates (1). A candidate’s ability to raise money on his or her own does still count for a lot. Financial reports released this weekend show Texas Gov. Rick Perry outpacing his Republican rivals, hauling in more than $17 million for the third quarter. With $15 million in the bank, he put away half-a-million dollars more than former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who pulled in $14 million during the same period 2). No other major GOP contenders raised as much. Ron Paul was next with more than $8 million, but the rest raised substantially less and also had far less cash on hand 2). As for the man they all hope to replace, President Obama brought in nearly $43 million last quarter. And by the end of September, the incumbent Democrat had $61 million in the bank, more than all the Republicans combined 2). Some of that will likely be spent responding to attack ads from the new super PACs, like this one from the conservative group American Crossroads airing in North Carolina and Virginia (2). In just the last three months, according to the filings, the Obama campaign has spent more on payroll, more than $4 million, than several of the Republican candidates have raised 3). Fundraising in a post Citizen United world is characterized by a system of public secrecy and private disclosure 5). There are no current laws that prohibit any organization from spending large sums of money supporting a candidate and remaining private, while keeping the public in the dark. The most significant innovation is the rise of so-called Super Pacs, which can solicit unlimited contributions. These Super-Pacs would have happened without Citizens United. The organizational entrepreneurs that pioneered the Super Pac form, Speech Now, came up with this idea in 2007 and pursued this strategy long before Citizens United (1). A majority of the candidates campaigning in Iowa for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination are associated with at least one super PAC — one candidate had seven at last count 4). They are expected to pump hundreds of thousands — possibly millions — of dollars into political advertising leading up to Iowa’s Jan. 3 Republican Party caucuses and through other presidential primary contests continuing into next year 4). Fundraising numbers are important because they help generate buzz and excitement, and because in politics, money makes more money. It is unclear what problem, increased corporate disclosure is designed to solve, and given the past track record of campaign finance reform, there is good reason to be skeptical that disclosure will improve the political process at all. Research shows that campaign finance reform typically fails at achieving its intended ends 4). To give just one example, â€Å"clean elections† laws, under which candidates receive government subsidies in exchange for forgoing private contributions, did not change politics in states like Maine and Arizona, and earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled that the most popular version of these laws to be unconstitutional (1). It has been said that to evaluate the political effects of Citizens United (CU) by itself is a fool’s errand. It was the latest (and not the last) in a series of libertarian campaign finance cases from the Roberts Court (1). Much of the alleged consequences of that case are activities (such as unlimited spending by corporations on candidate related ads that shied away from specific messages of endorsement) these ads were also legal the day before the Court decided that case. Though certain activities by corporations may have been allowed even before CU, the extent of the decision has made such activities more likely (1). These ads are now sanctioned as core First Amendment activity. This decision points the definition of corruption away from inconsistent access and toward bribery. This seems to remove the appearance of corruption as a compelling target of campaign finance reform (1). The Court’s post-CU decision in the Arizona Free Enterprise v. Bennett struck down a public campaign funding scheme that also showed the broader implications of this ruling. Those cases have will have consequences beyond campaign finance because they raise important questions as to how and when laws burden on speech (1). The firestorm of public criticism that followed CU was unique. Campaign finance decisions do not usually rise to a level where the public pays attention to such cases (let alone to have a case mentioned in a State of the Union address) (1). One of the effects that the Citizens United decision had on politics worth mentioning is the almost flawless transition of â€Å"good government† groups from advocating for more direct limits on speech (1). Large, publicly traded corporations might be less likely to get involved in election financing than many people tend to assume – particularly if that involvement must be publicly disclosed (1). A recent study concludes that sixty percent of companies in the S & P 100 Index have already responded to CU by prohibiting spending corporate money on politics or disclosing their direct polit ical spending (1). Such spending could alienate potential customers; it could also trigger a shareholder backlash. Privately-held companies or those controlled by a single shareholder, are probably more likely to engage in election spending. On the other side, those who favor the status quo argue that tighter rules on these funds constitute a clear violation of First Amendment rights. The one good thing about this law is Justice Anthony Kennedy, reading from his majority opinion, emphasized that â€Å"Congress may not censor or regulate political speech, whether it is a person doing the talking or a corporation or union.† â€Å"At the core of the First Amendment,† Kennedy said, â€Å"and laws banning speech, infringe those basic constitutional protections.† Kennedy also pointed out that â€Å"under those laws,† â€Å"Congress also could diminish the voice of the media business if it chose.† â€Å"Government,† he said, â€Å"may not suppress political speech based on a speaker’s identity† 7). One group that supports Texas Governor Rick Perry, known as Make Us Great Again Inc., started the flow last week, buying nine days of advertising spots on local television to introduce the governor to Iowa Republicans 4). Des Moines television stations WHO, KCCI and WOI sold advertising slots that began Nov. 2 and ran through Friday for a combined $60,000 4). The Des Moines purchase was part of an overall $200,000 spent to air the 30-second spot in television markets across the stat. Meanwhile, the 9-9-9 Fund, a Super PAC aligned with former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, reported last week to the Federal Elections Commission that it had spent $5,000 for Internet advertising in Iowa and another $20,000 for contact calling to Iowa voters(4). And it isn’t just the Republican presidential candidates getting support from super PACs. Priorities USA Action, a committee formed by supporters of President Barack Obama, raised $3.1 million in its first six months and has spent $1.3 million. That super PAC recently began airing advertising on the Internet that is highly critical of Mitt Romney (4). Super PACs have much more muscle than other types of political action committees they have unlimited money-raising potential. Presidential campaigns can raise no more than $5,000 from an individual donor — $2,500 each for the primary and general elections, under federal election rules (4). Super PACs don’t have such restrictions, allowing them to raise and spend significantly more money. Obama campaign officials say their goal is to raise a combined $60 million in contributions to the campaign and the Democratic National Committee (3).That figure will likely top all of the Republican candidates combined. While they are courting large donors, campaign officials also are hoping to show that Obama has the same kind of broad appeal he did in 2008, when a record four million people donated to his campaign. President Obama is using his early lead in campaign fund-raising to bankroll a grass-roots organization and information technology system that is critical in general election battlegrounds. He is doing so even as the Republican candidates conserve cash and jockey for position in what could become a drawn-out nominating battle(3). Since the beginning of the year, Mr. Obama and the Democratic National Committee, for which the president is helping raise money to finance his party’s grass-roots efforts, have spent close to $87 million in operating costs, according to a New York Times analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (3). That amount is about as much as all the current Republican candidates together have raised so far in this campaign. In recent months, that money has helped open campaign offices in at least 15 states. In contrast, the best-financed Republican candidates, Mitt Romney and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, have physical presences in just a handful of early primary states like New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida (5). Mr. Obama has spent millions of dollars investing in social media and information technology, applying a savvy and brute technological force to raising small-dollar donations. This same system is also firing up volunteers and building an infrastructure to sustain his re-election campaign for the next year (5). Mr. Obama brings unmatched financial resources to the campaign trail, and a team that is knowledgeable of where and how to deploy money, people and technology. Though the Republican National Committee has enjoyed strong fund-raising in recent months, it is also still paying down large debts incurred during the 2008 cycle. At the end of September, the committee was still $14.5 million in debt, according to campaign reports (3). Independent spending on negative or positive advertising has proven effective in making some races more competitive. Traditional fundraising by political parties has helped develop the traditional grass-roots organizing essential to winning elections. The United States does not have the kind of disclosure system that would inform the public about exactly who provided for the ads, but existing law do require each sponsor of such ads to disclose how much was spent. The movement for more reform has taken a sudden and drastic turn back due to the recent Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee ruling. This ruling has thrown decades of reform out the window, and opened the door for a flood of election money this country has not yet witnessed. Also, the lack of oversight into nonprofit organizations has hampered the transparency in elections. This decision will ultimately hurt the U.S. economy, allow greater corporate and non-profit political influence, and cause increased political indifference within an already weary general public (6). Because of corporate money funding campaigns, it is nearly impossible for an unknown to run in any major election. With all the money donated to front-runners, someone from the general public doesn’t stand a chance. In addition to the amount of money spent, it has become increasingly difficult to trace its origins due to non-profit organizations not having to disclose who their donors are. It is imperative that we as voters be informed.

The Savage Beast†Man’s Inherent Primitivism as Shown in Lord of the Flies

Ray Penman Oct 3, 2010 The Savage Beast— Man’s Inherent Primitivism as Shown in Lord of the Flies A running theme in Lord of the Flies is that man is savage at heart, always ultimately reverting back to an evil and primitive nature. The cycle of man's rise to power, or righteousness, and his inevitable fall from grace is an important point that book proves again and again, often comparing man with characters from the Bible to give a more vivid picture of his descent.Lord of the Flies symbolizes this fall in different manners, ranging from the illustration of the mentality of actual primitive man to the reflections of a corrupt seaman in purgatory. The novel is the story of a group of boys of different backgrounds who are marooned on an unknown island when their plane crashes. As the boys try to organize and formulate a plan to get rescued, they begin to separate and as a result of the dissension a band of savage tribal hunters is formed. Eventually the boys lose all sen se of home and civilization. â€Å"The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. (Golding, Ch 5) When the confusion finally leads to a manhunt, the reader realizes that despite the strong sense of British character and civility that has been instilled in the youth throughout their lives, the boys have backpedalled and shown the underlying savage side existent in all humans The novel shows the reader how easy it is to revert back to the evil nature inherent in man: if a group of well-conditioned school boys can ultimately wind up committing various extreme travesties, one can imagine what adults, leaders of society, are capable of doing under the pressures of trying to maintain world relations.Lord of the Flies’ apprehension of evil is such that it touches the nerve of contemporary horror as no English novel of its time has done; it takes us, through symbolism, into a world of active, proliferating evil which is seen, one feels, as the natural condition of man and which is bound to remind the reader of the vilest manifestations of Nazi regression. In the novel, Simon is a peaceful lad who tries to show the boys that there is no monster on the island except the fears that the boys have. Simon tries to state the truth: â€Å"Maybe there is a beast†¦What I mean is†¦ maybe it's only us. † (Golding, Ch 5) When he makes this revelation, he is ridiculed. This is an uncanny parallel to the misunderstanding that Christ had to deal with throughout his life. Later in the story, the savage hunters are chasing a pig. Once they kill the pig, they put its head on a stick and Simon experiences an epiphany. As Simon rushes to the campfire to tell the boys of his discovery, he is hit in the side with a spear, his prophecy rejected and the word he wished to spread ignored.Simon falls to the ground dead and is described as beautiful and pure. The description of his death, the manner in which he died, and the cause for which he died ar e remarkably similar to the circumstances of Christ's life and ultimate demise. The major difference is that Christ died on the cross, while Simon was speared. However, a reader familiar with the Bible recalls that Christ was stabbed in the side with a spear before his crucifixion. When Piggy, the largest advocate of the law, is killed near the end of the book, the conch is broken.Until that point, the conch had been a way to control and pacify the crowd— only someone holding the conch may speak. When Jack and the boys have had enough of Ralph’s laws, the boys kill Piggy and shatter the conch. The law ceases to exist, though when the boys are rescued, the â€Å"game† ends and they are once again just bedraggled boys smeared in mud and blood on the shore. William Golding discusses man's capacity for fear and cowardice. In the novel, the boys on the island first encounter a natural fear of being stranded on an uncharted island without the counsel of adults.Once th e boys begin to organize and begin to feel more adult-like themselves, the fear of monsters takes over. It is understandable that boys ranging in ages from toddlers to young teenagers would have fears of monsters, especially when it is taken into consideration that the children are stranded on the island. The author wishes to show, however, that fear is an emotion that is instinctive and active in humans from the very beginnings of their lives.This revelation uncovers another weakness in man, supporting the idea or belief that man is pathetic and savage at the very core of his existence. Throughout the novel, there is a struggle for power between two groups. This struggle illustrates man's fear of losing control, which is another example of his selfishness and weakness. The fear of monsters is natural; the fear of losing power is inherited. The author uses these vices to prove the point that any type of uncontrolled fear contributes to man's instability and will ultimately lead to h is demise spiritually and perhaps even physically.The author chooses to use an island as the setting for the majority of the story. The island is an important symbol in Lord of the Flies. It suggests the isolation of man in a frightening and mysterious cosmos. The island in the novel is an actual island, but it’s more than just that. It is a microcosm of life itself, the adult world, and the human struggle with his own loneliness. Man grows more savage at heart as he evolves because of his cowardice and his quest for power.The novel proves this by throwing together opposing forces into a situation that dowses them with power struggles and frightening situations. By comparing mankind in general to Biblical characters in similar scenarios, the novel provides images of the darker side of man. This darker side of man's nature inevitably wins and man is proven to be a pathetic race that refuses to accept responsibility for its shortcomings.Bibliography: Golding, William. Lord of t he Flies. 1952. 13. 3 (1952): 1-248. Print.

Marketing Mix at Dell Inc

Marketing can be viewed as a set of functions that include product development, packaging, pricing, advertising, selling, distribution and customer service.  Marketing tactics are referred to as the â€Å"4Ps†: product,  place, promotion, and price. (Kotler, 2003). The marketing mix is probably the most famous phrase in marketing. It was James Culliton, who coined the expression Marketing Mix and it was Jerome McCarthy, who described the variables of marketing mix in terms of the four Ps. The product variables include: 1. Product line and range, 2. Design, quality, features, models, style, size and warranty, 3. Packaging, type, materials, label, 4. Branding and trade mark, 5. Service, pre-sale and after-sale, 6. New Products. The place variables are: 1. Channels of distributions, types of intermediaries, channel policy and design, location of outlets, channel remuneration, and dealer-principal relations, 2. Physical distribution, transportation, warehousing, inventory, order processing, etc. The price variables are: 1. Pricing policies, levels of prices, levels of margins, discounts and rebates, 2. Terms of delivery, payment terms, credit terms and installment facilities, 3. Resale price maintenance. Promotion variables are: 1. Personal selling, objectives, quality of sales force, cost level, level of motivation, and level of effort, 2. Advertising, media mix, budgets, allocations, and programs, 3. Sales promotional efforts, display, contests, trade promotions, 4. Publicity and public relations. The application of marketing mix in the case of Dell Inc. can be illustrated as follows: About Dell: Dell Inc. supplies PCs to business and domestic customers across the globe using direct marketing approach. In addition, Dell supplies a range of IT products and services to businesses, including powerful servers, storage, workstations, notebooks, and desktops. Dell employs approximately 47,800 people worldwide. Total sales currently exceed $43.5bn per annum. Product: Dell places product quality as one of the main criteria. Recently Dell voluntarily recalled certain Dell-branded batteries with cells manufactured by Sony and offered free replacements for these batteries.   This is because it has been found that under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose a risk of fire. This measure shows how much importance Dell places on product quality. The main part of Dell’s success is its strategy of offering consumers ‘choice and control’ when it comes to product purchase. Buyers can click through Dell and assemble computer system piece by piece, choosing components like hard drive size and processor speed based on their budgets and needs.   This direct contact with consumers gives Dell a competitive advantage. Dell's approach to innovation is customer driven. Moreover, Dell has returned to one year standard warranties on all its products. Dell builds computers on a just-in-time (JIT), build-to-order (BTO) basis. Therefore, if a new technology emerges it can be included immediately. Promotion: By catering to customers across nations from the internet and through regional centers, Dell has acquired the location strategy advantage. From 1999, Dell has engaged in extensive marketing campaigns. The â€Å"Be Direct† promotion campaign has changed the way consumer view Dell. The campaign focus on consumer benefits of new technology rather than comparing its products with other rival products or company. Dell advertises in the national newspapers, computer magazines, on the Internet and TV and by placing inserts in newspapers and magazines. Dell's advertising campaigns are designed with one central objective – to get a potential customer to ring up or go online and order a computer. Dell measures the impact of each individual marketing campaign by assessing the volume of calls to sales representatives and the number of clicks to the Dell website. The company also uses direct mail. Dell publishes various 24-page monthly catalogues, describing available product ranges. Different catalogues are geared to separate Dell markets – one for the small businesses and the other for domestic customers. This is sent to a selected group of customers who are on Dell's mailing lists. The Internet offers many advantages to a direct marketing company. Products can be shown and described in detail on a website. Customers can browse at their leisure without leaving their home or office (Business2000, 2005). Dell has long been using rebates and discounts as part of its promotion campaign. This helped it to survive competition in the industry. Dell often used to offer brief promotions such as extra memory or a free flat-panel display that might not have remained available if a consumer took a day or two to make a purchasing decision. Rebates have long been popular with electronics retailers, because they allow for higher list prices and because many customers never bother filling out the forms. Price: Dell is able to offer competitive pricing mainly because it uses the JIT – Just in time inventory model. The JIT/BTO approach means that Dell does not have to keep stocks of components or readymade computers. At Dell Inc. usually no component is in the factory for more than three days (Business2000, 2005). Stock, which is also called inventory, costs money. Dell does not have these costs and, therefore, can sell to the customer at a lower price. Further, by having regionalized production centers, Dell has diversified the risk of concentration of labor, production costs, and transportation costs. When production and transportation costs are cut down, the pricing can be competitive. For example basing plants in Xiamen, China Dell has been able to provide products and services at the local prices. By following a business model that allows a consumer to design his own computer cost of carrying inventory is minimized. This allows the company to offer its products at competitive rates. Place: The company manufactures its computer systems in six locations: Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Eldorado do Sul, Brazil (Americas); Limerick, Ireland (Europe, Middle East and Africa); Penang, Malaysia (Asia Pacific and Japan) and Xiamen, China (China). Dell sells its products and services worldwide†¦ By catering to customers across nations from the internet and through regional centers, Dell has acquired the location strategy advantage. The company's strategy of selling over the Internet — with no retail outlets and no middleman — has been as discussed, admired and imitated as any e-commerce model.   Dell's e-commerce website, www.dell.com, is one of the busiest in the world. The site is distributed across 86 countries, using 28 languages or dialects and 29 different currencies (Business2000, 2005). On the website, customers can review, configure, and price computer systems for themselves. They can place an order online and then track the order from the manufacturing stage to actual delivery. This gives greater market reach to the company. Conclusion: Dell is one of the most successful companies in the world. Though we may study the marketing mix in order to understand the success of Dell Inc., it must be mentioned that the Dell combination of direct marketing and just-in-time, build-to-order manufacturing brings the benefits of low cost and high quality to each and every customer. It is this focus on customer value that is truly responsible for Dell's market leadership position. Bibliography: Annual Report, Dell Inc., 2005 Official Website, Dell Inc., 2006, http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/background/en/facts?c=us&l=en&s=corp&~section=000 Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2003. Business2000 (2005). Dell- Directly from Dell to the Customer. http://www.business2000.ie/cases/cases_8th/case1.htm   

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 206

Essay Example Besides, if emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere continue, we would experience even more serve climate changes in the next millennium or longer (Solomon et al., 2008)Impact of climate change on the world Adverse carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere in coming years will lead to drastic climate changes that will exist on short and longer scale. However, these changes are bound to be irreversible (Solomon e al 2008).The various climate changes caused by anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have a great impact to the world in general. Some of these changes occur promptly in association with warming while other changes buildup under sustained warming due to the time lags of the involved process (Solomon et al. 2008). Some of these impacts by climate change are Arctic sea ice retreat, a major increase in heavy rainfall and flooding, permafrost melts (Solomon et al. 2008). Other impacts of climate change in the world are increased intensity of hurricanes, loss of glaciers and snowpack with attendant changes in water supply (Oreskes, 2005).Solomon also states in his article that these climate changes will cause adverse increase in sea levels that will eventually lead to unav oidable inundation of many small islands and low-lying coastal areas. Increase in emission of carbon dioxide in the environment will lead to irreversible sea level rise (Solomon et al 2008). According to Solomon, the latter occurrences can be understood via various phenomena take place. For instance, warming causes the ocean to expand thus leading to rise of sea level. In addition, loss of land ice also contributes majorly to sea level rise as the world warms. According to study, using current ice discharge data suggests that ice sheet contributes close to 1-2 m to sea level in the next century (Solomon et al 2008). There are several measures that ought

CAUSES OF RENT ARREARS IN SOCIAL HOUSING -- (A LITERATURE REVIEW) review

CAUSES OF RENT ARREARS IN SOCIAL HOUSING -- (A ) - Literature review Example This is usually due to the low income that the renter is on, but there are other reasons which will be discussed in this essay. The causes of rent arrears in social housing is important because knowing the causes can help show why people have problems, if social housing rental prices need to be lowered, and how the agencies involved can help social housing tenants. Reducing the causes of rent arrears could lower the amount of rent arrears, causing less stress for the tenants and less financial burden on the government or supplying agency. Rent arrears might also lead to homelessness in cases when people have no other option, and this is something that needs to be avoided. The information is also interesting because it will help illustrate some social problems that these people have and this could be used in a wider context to understand social housing and perhaps rent arrears in general. The literature used in this review will be mainly found in housing journals, but some information will be found from other journals if they contain relevant information. Using this information, the essay will uncover the main reasons why people go into arrears on their rent in social housing by finding the key themes in the literature. This review is limited to research since the year 2000 because the most recent research is usually the most relevant to the situation, and the 21st century is interesting in many ways. Key Themes in the Literature One of the main themes in the literature is that rent arrears are a really important reason for many peoples homelessness. Crane (2000) suggests that 7% of all homeless men are homeless because they were evicted for rent arrears from social housing and a 29% more of these were in arrears to other companies. This suggests that many people struggle with financial management in social housing and this one of the main reasons why people get into rent arrears in social housing. There are suggestions that the government should sponsor some ed ucation for financial management (Collier, 2005) because this would help reduce one of the main causes of rent arrears. Research by Anderson & Christian (2003) also suggests that a number of people are homeless because they had gotten into rent arrears and often this was in social housing, although it does not give the specific causes of the rent arrears. A related theme is that some people in social housing may just not be able to afford it. Although the government or another agency does subsidise the cost of the rent, it may still be too expensive for some people. These people may have several children, no benefits, no job or many other things. This topic is found in the work of Milligan (2003) who suggests that the problems in Australia with rent arrears are mainly due to these factors and that work needs to be done on providing the housing at an even lower cost if possible. This will be the only way that rent arrears will be less common. This problem was also found in the United Kingdom and talked about by Hills (2007), who again suggested that the costs need to be lowered to make rent arrears less common in the UK. Priemus & Dieleman (2002) show that rent arrears due to the high cost of social housing are found throughout Europe and that prices are rising. More evidence from Yates & Wulff (2000) suggests that the amount of low cost social housing is being reduced meaning that more people are forced to take on housing which is too expensive for them and this

Consumer protection in QATAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer protection in QATAR - Essay Example This is because these individuals cannot protect themselves. The laws protect consumer rights since they are government regulations (Howells and Stephen 86). Consumer protection is usually linked to ideas concerning consumer rights as well as other consumer organizations that assist consumers to make good choices while in the market place and also helps them in accordance to their complaints. A consumer is a person who buys services and goods for direct ownership or use. The intentions of a consumer are, usually, not to use the goods and services for manufacturing and production. Also, the consumer does not resale the goods. There are other organizations which also support consumer protection. They include self-regulating business organizations and government organizations (American Bar Association 138). Examples of self-regulating business organizations include ombudsmen, Federal Trade Commission, consumer protection organizations and agencies and Better Business Bureaus. Consumer protection leads to the development of a fair trading in the marketplace. Additionally, the laws protect the on-going businesses as well as the specific rights of consumers. These laws are also responsible for licensing, selling, buying and renting homes. They are, however, not involved in the profit legislation. The laws ensure that all products sold to consumers have the standard mark of quality (Jackson and Alison 219). The reason for insisting on high standard goods is to reduce the risk of consumers getting negative health effects from the goods and services. In order to be subjected to the mandatory standards, the product must meet the required degree of safety criteria. In case the products fail to meet the specified safety criteria, they are banned from sale. Consumer protection gives buyers the right to a refund in case an unsafe product is sold to them. The laws also issue a safety warning to the public to warn them about services and goods that pose safety risks to the

Benefits of RFID Tags Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benefits of RFID Tags - Essay Example Because of this, a piece of clothing can be tracked to a specific location. Some critics of the new electronic system claim that criminals will be able to determine what products someone has bought recently, which may lead to an increase in crime. Additionally, some people are concerned that retail stores will be able to scan people when they walk through the front door. A new form of ID card contains radio-frequency tags. The new system may be used to match a customers license with their credit card, making it easy to tell when they enter and exit the store. C. In order to clam the concerns of customers, it may be possible to attach the electronic tags to hang tags, which of course are removed once the customer has made the purchase. This provides the perfect compromise because customers are able to keep their identities yet the store can track each item that is sold. A. For American companies, globalization provides them with cheaper labor costs, which in turn result in higher revenues. Overseas workers are willing to work for less than the average American worker. Many Asian countries, such as China and Vietnam, have large populations where the economy relies on manual labor work. B. The potential threats that American companies are facing because of globalization are lower wages and cheap materials. Third world countries have access to vast amounts of materials and for cheaper prices than found in America. C. Apple was one of the last American companies to begin sending jobs overseas. While labor costs are often identified as the reason for outsourcing, Apple admitted that the cheap parts available for its products in Asia were the biggest motivation to shift jobs away from America.  

Hindu worship or wedding ceremony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hindu worship or wedding ceremony - Essay Example The purpose of worship in Hinduism is to truly to embrace the idea of deity and eternity that centers around the ever-lasting circle of life. Since Hinduism is more focused on sacrifice, the focus of sacrificing animals is prevalent in Hinduism. The name of the God here is Karma. In Hinduism, Karma has become the true essence of the Hindu creed itself. Karma is another focal point that differentiates the two religions. Hindus believe that Gods can only achieve salvation which is clearly depicted in the video. For Hindus, one must undergo a series of events in order to purify himself to achieve salvation. For instance, Hindus worship bhakti-marg, which is the path of surrender and peace. One cannot achieve karma without being in peace with oneself and devoting one’s spirit towards worship. Karma is an eternal aura of enlightenment that is presented in all aspects of life and is a crucial aspect that dictates the lives of all individuals. Another regular yet a powerful ritual th at Hindus practice is the Namaste. The namaste embodies a form of greeting in which modesty and humbleness is portrayed by bringing together the palms. This greeting is very emotional because it is a sign of submission and humility which is what Hindus strive to achieve. These are ritual correlate to the beliefs of the Hinduism religion and are prevalent practiced in India and other