Anne Carson Essay

â€Å"Early one morning words were missing.† When I first read Short Talks, I had difficulty understanding why Anne Carson wrote about what she did, and thought that some words must have been missing. I was confused as to how they all fit together and it was only after further consideration that I came to see how the sections unite into one cohesive piece. Anne Carson’s Short Talks is a series of short reflections on different subjects that at first do not seem to be related, but through her use of cyclical images and consistent use of historical facts in fiction, the piece gains a cohesive quality that unifies the work. Throughout this piece Anne Carson references many historical figures. She mentions many famous people, including Frans Kafka, Gertrude Stein, Prokofiev, and Sylvia Plath, and by referencing these people she borrows from the authority they hold in the readers mind to strengthen her own work. She even references Frans Kafka multiple times, which acts to reinforce her authority. She references him first in the short talk â€Å"On Rectification† about his life and wife, and then brings him up again in â€Å"On The Anatomy†. By having her texts refer back onto themselves in an authoritative way, she strengthens her reliability in the reader’s mind as well as the relatedness of the different Talks. Anne Carson goes further than just bringing up historical figures. She also references many historical works of art as well as facts. The way in which she does this unifies her talks in a way that seems scientifically reliable. It appears as though she has facts to base her talks on, which stops the reader from wondering for too long if she is any sort of authority on the subject. She places these historical references throughout the text to curb the readers questions, as if to say â€Å"look, I’m not making this up, see this fact? I am talking about real things, go look it up if you want.† She starts off the talks with a fact asserted alongside her assumptions. In â€Å"Homo sapiens† she says the phases of the moon were inscribed on the handles of the tools, so they could be â€Å"reminded of her presence† while they worked. While the tools may actually have had the phases of the moon inscribed upon them, it does not mean the inscriptions were used for th at purpose at all. Anne Carson asserts historical assumptions with historical fact consistently throughout her text, which serves to unify the text. Yep, she plays with that strict division between fact and fiction. I think she is showing us that the way she knows these facts is filtered through her aesthetics and her particular way of perceiving — even though she is a classics scholar, her facts are inevitably fictionalized. Anne Carson also uses many cyclical imagery to unite her work. There are many reappearing images in this work, including the moon, travel, and art, but one great use of imagery is her use of water. Water appears in many of the talks, including â€Å"On Waterproofing†. This short talk is particularly important because it gives a deeper meaning to the appearance of water. This is a very strong, emotionally charged, talk, and whenever water appears in the peace emotions seem to flow with it. In â€Å"On Waterproofing† the mother dies shortly after the father shines her shoes so they are â€Å"waterproof†. Water also appears again when she is looking for her lost lover she crosses rivers, and the strong emotions of loss are again connected with water. Water is also a very cyclical element. Water exists in the water cycle, and the water cycle is also related to the moon and its cycles. These are wonderful details to notice. I loved these sections too! Water is also important in more subtle ways throughout the text. In â€Å"On Trout† the cyclical nature of water is more subtly referred to. Trout live their lives entirely in the water, and their life cycle depends on swimming upstream to spawn. Anne Carson says that some trout do not spawn upstream, and says that these â€Å"remaining trout† survive the winter by finding somewhere very deep in the water to hide. This reference brings up imagery of both the water cycle and the life cycle of trout, but also reinforces the watery imagery throughout the text, which ultimately serves to unite the short talks as a whole.

KRISPY KREME Essay

1. What can the historical income statements (case Exhibit 1) and balance sheets (case Exhibit 2) tell you about the financial health and current condition of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.? The historical financial statements can tell us a lot about the financial health and condition about Krispy Kreme or any other company. By utilizing some key financial ratios we can determine how the company compares year over year as well as against competitors in many ?different dimensions. These dimensions include short term solvency, or its ability to meet its immediate obligations, long term solvency, or its ability to manage debt leverage, asset management, or its ability to utilize company assets to make profit, profitability, or its ability to generate a favorable bottom line, and market valuation measurement, or its overall company value in the market compared to book value or earnings. 2. How can financial ratios extend your understanding of financial statements? What questions do the time series of ratios in case Exhibit 7 raise? What questions do the ratios on peer firms in case Exhibits 8 and 9 raise? As mentioned above financial ratios can really give an analyst a look into how effective, efficient, and profitable a company is and has been in the past. In exhibit 7, different ratios bring up different questions. The trend of the current ratio is a bit puzzling to me and begs the question, why does it continue to grow? Krispy Kreme has by far the highest current ratio in the industry, and it appears as though some of the biggest competitors have current ratios at or below 1. Although it is good to have short term solvency, too high of a ratio could be a sign of missed opportunities for investment. What else could Krispy Kreme be doing with its liquid assets that might garner increase profitability that seemingly others in the industry are acting on? The next ratio that interests us is the asset to equity ratio, or the equity multiplier. This ratio is an indicator of how the company manages leverage. The higher the ratio, the more of a percentage of operations is funded by equity. Krispy Kreme’s equity multiplier has been relatively consistent since 2001, but is just below par with most of its competitors. What this means to us is that Krispy Kreme is not as effective in utilizing leverage to benefit the company as some of its competitors which doubles up on the previous question asked. What else should Krispy Kreme be doing, or investing in to improve efficiency and performance. Total asset turnover is an important ratio to look at because it is an indicator of how well a company utilizes its assets to generate sales. The first thing that we noticed is that Krispy Kreme’s total asset turnover ratio decreased every year from 2000-2004. This speaks to an increase in inefficiency in the use of asset to generate sales. It should however be noted that it is typical that as companies grow, it is difficult to maintain a higher total asset turnover ratio. That notation is exemplified when you look at the competitor ratios. The biggest competitors like McDonalds and Wendy’s have similar if not lower ratios. Our overall concern is that none of the other competitors had ratios that low and we did not feel that Krispy Kreme was or is anywhere near the size of McDonalds or Wendy’s. This raises the concern that even though the company is expanding and acquiring new assets, it is not effective in translating the growth into sales. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we took a look at ROE, or return on equity. This ratio gives an idea of the profitability of the company as well as a return that an investor would expect on his or her investment. Although Krispy Kreme has benefited from stable ROE over the period of 2000-2004, it is sub-par compared to its competitors. What would make Krispy Kreme more attractive to investors, if its ROE is below average in its own industry? To look a little further into some of the statements and ratios, we did a DuPont analysis for Krispy Kreme and several of its competitors. Each of  the individual components have been previously discussed, but it is interesting to compare them together to see how three of the most important aspects of the business have changed over time. Specifically it is worth noting that Profit Margin has increased significantly every year since 2000. What this means is that Krispy Kreme has gotten better every year at turning each sale dollar into net income. 3. Is Krispy Kreme financially healthy at year-end 2004 When looking at the 2004 DuPont analysis, you see that not only has profit margin increased every year, but it is more than 2% better than the industry average. That being said, Krispy Kreme does not utilize its assets as efficiently as its competitors. This potentially troubling because of the fact that they have gone through aggressive growth in stores recently. Is this an indication that these stores are not generating the sales necessary to justify the investment, or at least as well as its competitors might be able to? Finally the equity multiplier comes in below the industry average. To us this means that Krispy Kreme does not utilize its leverage as effectively as the competition. Perhaps it would be to Krispy Kreme’s benefit to increase leverage and invest in order to increase growth and earnings in a similar manner to its competition. Overall, we believe that Krispy Kreme is moderately financially healthy as of the year end 2004. The profitability of the company is we ll above industry average, and the asset turnover and equity multiplier ratios are not drastically different from industry averages. 4. In light of your answer to question 3, what accounts for the firm’s recent share price decline? There was a decline in the share price because, firstly, the company said to expect fewer earnings because of the low-carbohydrate diet trend and also they had close down few underperforming shops, which was a result of their aggressive store expansion. The main cause of the recent share price decline is when the financial scandals became public. As a result, investors lost confidence in the company. 5. What is the source of intrinsic investment value in this company? Does this source appear on the financial statements?

Book Report on Pigeons at Daybreak Essay Example for Free

Book Report on Pigeons at Daybreak Essay The story entitled â€Å"Pigeons at Daybreak† by Anita Desai of India is a representation of love and acceptance. Mr. Basu is the man who is unable to perform his task on his own because of the different illnesses that developed into his body. Otima, the wife of Mr. Basu has the selfless love towards him. She takes care of her husband despite of all the problems and complications that emerged in their situation. Otima used to read the newspaper for Mr. Basu. Because Mr. Basu could not able to read the newspaper due to poor eyesight, Otima produced deeper patience and love for her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the time when their house had no electricity due to electric problems, the two went to the terrace and decided to stay there until the electricity comes back but when the electricity went back, Mr. Basu refused to go back inside the house for it was the time of preparation of leaving. Mr. Basu accepted the fact that his life will soon vanish and become part of heaven. The pigeons in the terrace where Mr. Basu died symbolize his spirit and his journey in the next life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story is simple yet attackable. Its tragic situation brought life to the whole story. Then, with a swirl and flutter of feathers, a flock of pigeons hurtled upwards and spread out against the dome of the sky – opalescent, sunlit, like small pearls (Desai 228). This ending part of the story compressed the entire claim of the story. It means that the ending of the story signifies life as its wondrous creation but soon will end because every one of us will leave the world in beauty and a new journey will begin. Desai, A. (date). Pigeons at Daybreak. pp.220-228 Book Report on Pigeons at Daybreak. (2017, Feb 26). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

An Enlightening Dining Experience Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

An Enlightening Dining Experience - Case Study Example We took a turn down Newberry Road, and ran into a tiny, modern looking restaurant with a large, lit dragon on the top. Next to the dragon read Bento Cafe. Bento, as in bento box Interesting enough, we pondered. We thought that at least it had to be better than that delivery pizza. Out of curiosity, we rushed inside the restaurant through the pouring rain. I must admit that I have been to many restaurants and fast food places, but Bento Caf is far from ordinary. Bento Caf portrays a unique concept, catering to college students around ages eighteen to twenty two. It's overall theme or story, dcor and atmosphere, cuisine, specialty items, reasonable prices and its proximity to campus all can be described as very unique and culminate to produce this unique concept. It wasn't until the time we sat down that I really had a chance to take in Bento Caf's unique theme: a very small, but different type of caf or sushi bar. Many may call Bento the "McDonald's" of Japanese sushi restaurants. Far from this, Bento defines a novel trend in everyday dining experiences. It is modeled after popular cafes found in the urban parts of Japan and Taiwan. Bento Caf utilizes Zen architecture and interior design, creating a neat and uncluttered overall presentation. To complete the effect, Bento serves many of their meals in Bento boxes or little partitioned trays which are modeled after a traditional Japanese box lunch. In the Japanese culture, a box lunch is actually an art form because Japanese women may spend hours on cooking and color coordinating the food, chopsticks, tray, and the napkin for their children to carry to school or their husband to carry to work. Although this may seem a bit paltry, it actually defines a common theme in Japan. Thus, these are th ought of as the cafeteria trays of Japan. This overall theme of Bento Caf may be novel for Westerners like us but defines what is traditional for the Japanese. This theme makes it a perfect place for young people to dine in and hang out. A diner in Benton might note its very unique atmosphere which enhances its overall appeal. The restaurant can be described as different because it fuses Japanese tradition with the modern market. While some may chastise the cool and casual feel of Bento, it is extremely hip, and beckons a younger crowd of people. Compared to the usually dull and monotonous atmosphere of fine dining sushi restaurants, Bento's design is hip and trendy. Bento incorporates hard surfaces and sharp edges with the sparkle of the black marble looking tables, dark blue tiles and metallic smattering; the dcor is far from mundane and can be described as ultra-modern. The subdued lighting, neon, polished concrete, wooden chairs and flat screen televisions on the wall add to the overall ultra modern theme. However, this is balanced with soft candle lights, and blue and silver highlights which is very appealing to many college students. The glowing tables due to the brilliant lighting enhance the setting. The mus ic in the background offers a very loungy and hip appeal. Towards the back of the caf lie a couch and a seating arrangement around a large window while a flat screen television resides in front of the couch. In its commitment to offer a perfect place, cleanliness is maintained throughout its

Research Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Analysis - Essay Example The hypothesis being tested is : Would a certain discussion type have a significant influence on rigorous instruction? The study adapted the concept of Academic Rigor as a means of measuring reading comprehension. This was specifically used since the researchers believed that Academic Rigor is one of the Principles of Learning that engages active use of knowledge among learners. The researchers learning expectations were quite high since they wanted to observe critical thinking among participants. Among the literature review, the study cited Brown’s collaborative dialogue. Brown’s theory is often used in what we call collaborative classrooms† wherein knowledge is shared between teachers and students. Teachers do not only use skill but â€Å"also value and build upon the knowledge, personal experiences, language, strategies, and culture that students bring to the learning situation† ( Tinzmann, et.al, 1990). The study also mentioned the concept of Academic Rigor which is often misunderstood. Actually , a good definition of academic rigor is â€Å" sufficient time be devoted to a topic or unit of study and that students would have an opportunity to explore it in depth, developing questions as they go along† ( Chapter 7:A-4, state.gov., 2005). Apparently, a lot of educators today have the wrong perception of this term resulting to unmet expectations in classroom learning. The study also presented Applebee’s study on the importance of disc ussion-based activities. However, Adler st.al ( 2003) emphasized that discussion is effective if it is monologic wherein the teacher does not confine the lesson through lecture and seatwork. Discussion-based is not a new concept anymore but a more important thing is how it is being implemented in the classroom. In short, the literature review emphasizes the importance of collaborative dialogue, types of classroom talks that can enhance learning and the applicability of Academic Rigor in promoting

Charles Smith is firefighter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Charles Smith is firefighter - Essay Example Before the shift starts at 8 am, Charles has breakfast at the fire station together with his colleagues some of whom are volunteer workers. He terms the breakfast session as, â€Å"a great experience where he and his colleagues share plans for the day, give memorable stories, joke around and sing hearty songs.† After breakfast, Charles and his colleagues go to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) room and prepare their kits. Charles says, â€Å"We have to be ready always from the beginning of the shift to react to any event, since we could be called at any moment.† The Watch then assembles for inspection in the muster bay where the Chief Officer details and relays the day’s duties. According to Charles, â€Å"the details vary from one shift to another, and this unpredictability helps keep things interesting, while the formality instills a degree of professionalism.† When I asked Charles what he hates or dislike about firefighting, he replied, â€Å"som etimes it is difficult to save all people and some end up dying under your watch, it is the most disheartening thing to hear a person, particularly a child crying as the building he or she is in collapses from a fire.† From Charles’ facial expression, it is evident that such an incident takes quite a toll on firefighters. Since training is a hugely essential part of the job, firefighters’ daily routine encompasses drill time. I got a chance to watch the Watch during drill time and highly appreciated by their proficiency with the equipment.

Project Change Management. The importance of properly managed Change Research Paper

Project Change Management. The importance of properly managed Change Control - Research Paper Example Research strategy signifies the approach which the researcher uses to find information on the relevant topic. In this paper, we are using the secondary method of research which means making use of already available information on the given subject. The secondary resources available include books, journals, periodicals, newspapers, websites etc. For the purpose of writing this paper, we have chosen four core journal papers. The reason why we call them as ‘core’ is that these four papers look at the concept of change management from a different perspectives, how change can be implemented in project organizations, how to manage change in project organizations and the factors which cause a project to fail as well as the reasons for bringing project to success. For the purpose of studying the topic, we are going to follow the qualitative approach because our research is exploratory in nature. Researchers involved in qualitative research examine things mostly in their original settings and try and make meaning out of it. There are a number of ways which are used to collect data in qualitative research such as case studies, individual stories, observations, interviewing which tell them a lot about people, events and their interpretations (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994, p.2) The data we will be collecting for understanding the topic will be in qualitative form and content analysis is the best technique for its analysis. Content analysis can be defines as a technique which is used to making inferences that are not only valid but also replicable from the data into context form (Hsieh and Shannon, 2005). In the cut throat competition of today, change management holds significant importance. In project organizations, managers face the challenge of integration of change management and project management. Change needs to be implemented in such a way in projects that the results guarantee success (Trehorel, 2007). It appears wise to

Protein isolation Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Protein isolation - Lab Report Example The aim of the experiment is to isolate, purify and identify Rubsico in spinach leaves using Ammonium sulphate, spectrophotometry, and electrophoresis and ion exchange techniques. Spinach leaves were described, homogenized and rubisco isolated using two grades of ammonium sulphate concentrations (37 % and 50%). Filtrates and supernatants were tested using appropriate techniques to ascertain successful isolation. (Robinson, Streusand, Chatfield and Portis, 1988) The isolate was then purified using DEAE Cellulose fast flow ion exchange chromatography and bound proteins eluted using different shades of salt concentration. Purified proteins were run on a SDS-gel electrophoresis to identify the isolate (Robinson, Streusand, Chatfield and Portis , 1988). Ammonium sulphate (salt) precipitates proteins by altering hydrogen bond interaction between protein and water molecules. Ammonium sulphate a high affinity for water molecules displaces protein molecules (lowers the solubility) thereby causing precipitation. Different protein molecules precipitate at different concentrations of ammonium sulphate and at the rate at which it is added. The effect of salt concentration on the isolation of rubisco is shown on figure 1. The absence of the rubisco band on sample p2 (protein isolated at 50 % salt concentration) shows a significant amount of the protein was isolated at 37% concentrations of ammonium sulphate. A protein molecular weight ladder shown in figure 2 was used to establish a calibration curve that used to identify the protein isolate. Figure 1 The effect of salt concentration on the isolation of proteins; the top arrows represent the samples ( from left to right: MW ladder, leaf extract filtrate, Supernatant of first precipitate (S37%), Pellet of first precipitate (S37%) at low salt, Pellet of first precipitate (S37%) at medium salt, Pellet of

Entrepreneurship and social enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Entrepreneurship and social enterprise - Essay Example This organization was founded by two young college graduates named Matthew Slotover, a psychology graduate and Amanda Sharp, a PPE Graduate. They were assisted by Tom Gidley, an art college student. Mathew Slotover after completing his graduation from Oxford University has decided to work for him. He started to visit art gallery with his friend, which sparked the passion for contemporary art. This made him to combine his passion for arts combine with his dream to become boss. A promotion in the Guardian newspaper worked as catalyst where the works of few unknown artists with prices as well as contact details were shown. This made Matthew to think of creating a hybrid catalogue or magazine in which the artists can produce their works along with prices. This will make them reach to a wide range of consumers at a time and was expected to revolutionize the ways in which contemporary art world worked. In June 1991, the first edition of Frieze magazine was published. Frieze has grown as a significant company that had 44 employees and a turnover of 5 million, by focusing on art galleries as their major customers and applying their skills and expertise in desk-top publishing. Today, Frieze is operating as the most popular art magazine of Europe and is also gaining a strong position in United States. The Frieze Art Fair that was launched in London in 2003 was one of the top-tier art fairs that gained global recognition. The present case study has given the opportunity to analyze the situation in which the organization is going through and suggest the best possible option in which they can gain higher profitability. In this regards the paper will be focusing on the reasons that brought huge success for Frieze, their current stage according to the organizational life cycle and the best suitable strategy that they need to follow. Reasons for success At the launch of the magazine in 1991 Mathew started to work on the magazine so that it can be a grand success. Carl was a ga llery owner and a major player in the booming contemporary art world of London. He turned down the idea saying that the artists will not like to use magazines for displaying their work and they are used to with the galleries for displaying their works. Stuart Morgan was an eminent critic in the leading magazines of UK, emphasized on the fact that credibility of the magazine will be lost if they even one thing to sale. This feedback given by these eminent people was taken seriously by Mathew and was one of the major reasons for the success of their first magazine. Matthew decided to change the vision of the magazine by removing the sale side from the magazine and keeping the editorial content and keep the talk about arts. Matthew was joined by other two members and the total team of three started on work on the new issue. They decided on the name and rented a space from where they can operate. Recession started impacting the economy of UK, which acted as a blessing in disguise for â €˜Frieze’. The art world became less busy and the Frieze team was able to contact many of the eminent persons who were willing to offer their advice and time, which were very important for Frieze. Stuart Morgan’s help was also a big contribution towards the success of the business. Apart from this, contribution of all the team members who has devoted all their efforts and ideas towards

Literary analyses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literary analyses - Essay Example As such, the scholar has the responsibility to deeply consider what they say and the ideas which they will put their name to. They need read deeply and talk deeply to as many people as possible. Their opinion is so important that they have a responsibility to learn about the world. This was something that Emerson understood very clearly. Emerson is especially wise when he talks about the relationship between the spirit and nature: But the final value of action, like that of books, and better than books, in, that it is a resource. That great principle of undulation in nature that shows itself in the inspiring and expiring of the breath; in desire and satiety; in the ebb and flow of the sea; in day and night; in heat and cold; and as yet more deeply ingratified in every atom and every fluid, is known to us under the name of polarity—these â€Å"fits of easy transmission and reflection,† as Newton called them, are the law of nature because they are the law of spirit (Self-Reliance). Uelan is no Emerson. Her argument is that everyone has their own experiences and these are important to understand. We should respect everyone’s opinion. Because each of us is different from one another, we can learn something from everyone. Emerson would definitely disagree with this foolish perspective. Not all opinions are created equally. Some people are smarter than others and know more. The truth is that some people have very limited lives. If we wasted our time listening to them, we would miss out on all the good stuff out there. That is where her opinion fails: she doesn’t understand the importance of time. We must prioritize who we listen to because we don’t have time for everyone. Frankly, I think we don’t have time to listen Uelan. In part the foolishness of her opinion may explain why so many of the relationships in her life were

Global Strategy at General Motors Essay Example for Free

Global Strategy at General Motors Essay Company, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908 and its annual revenue in 2000 of $185 billion. The company sells 8 million vehicles per years, 3. 2 million of which are produced and market outside of its North America. GM caught 27 percent share of the North America and 9 percent share of the market in the rest of the world as well as GM captured 12 percent share in the Western Europe in 2000 which is second only to that of ford. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 235,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors Company acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer operations of the old General Motors Corporation. Though GM had a long presence in developing countries, until recently sales there accounted for only a little fraction of the company’s total international business. Traditionally GM used the developing countries as a dumping ground for the obsolete technology and outdated models and earned huge money from this aging investment. This strategy has seen as lack of commitment from top management and GM offered very low quality, made of old product. All decision, plan and marketing decision were centralized by Detroit headquarter and they acted as a market context. GM kept in its mind about the poverty, crime, geographical situation and politics and communism in the developing countries. On the other hand, GM Detroit headquarters kept away GM European operation from other part of the world. And because of this arm’s-length-basis, company had failure to share all the valuable technology, skill and practice among the subsidiaries. But it had appealing market, and high profit opportunities in the Europe. So, GM did tailor the specific market needs because it had worried about blowing off from market if it didn’t tailor the specific market. So, while the GM tight controlled over its operation in the developing country but in the some time GM was too lax in Europe and felt lack of overall strategic coherence. Since 1997, GM has been trying to switch a philosophy that centre of excellence may reside any where in the global operation. An embodiment of this is to set up new four plants in the developing countries with investing $2. billion. And the four plants are identical and they can able to imitate Toyota. At the Eisenach plant, GM leant lean production from Toyota and implemented this. So the plant which productivity rate is at least twice that of most North American assembly operations is most efficient in Europe operation and the best in GM. Although they reach the more scale economics, more efficiency , more synergy, and ability to match local preference, but this strategy are not working because GM still suffers from high costs, low perceive quality. Finally, GM thinks that the push toward global cars is misconceived. At the Opel’s Russelsheim design facility, the German based engineering has uttered concerns that distinctively European engineering features may be left by the wayside in the drive to devise what they see as blander â€Å"global† cars. Question-1: How would you characterize the strategy pursued by GM in the (a) developing world and (b) Europe before 1997? Answer: The question asked to characterize the strategy pursued by GM in the developing world and in Europe before 1997. So, first of all it is very important to notice that in this question we have two important information for discussion: First information: there are two main market areas for GM’s international operations: Europe and the developing world which is made up of Latin America, Asia and eastern Europe and the strategy pursued in these two markets are totally different. Second information is that there’s a key date in GM’s history which is 1997. This date is an important turnaround for GM. Strategy in developing countries before 1997 The fact: †¢Outdated low cost products were selected for developing countries. †¢All the strategic decision, marketing and manufacturing plans were centralized by Detroit headquarter †¢Low commitment policy was there since GM select developing countries as a dumping ground for obsolete technology and outdated models The context: †¢The main context in the developing countries is the political and economical instability. †¢Low expanse capability of the developing countries as they are poor. †¢Low growth perspectives. The strategy: Decision to produce and sell low cost models that were considered outdated developed world. Added benefit of extending the return on investment of previous decade’s investments. †¢This allowed generating a continuous cash flow to be invested in more appealing markets like Europe. †¢Probably willingness is not to share valuable technologies and skills in countries with low patent protection. The Result: market sha re less than 8. 9% The strategy pursued in the developing markets before 1997 was a very low commitment from the top management towards the developing markets. This means that the product offer was very low quality, made of old products that would have not been sellable in a competitive, developed market like the US or western Europe. From the case we also noticed that all the strategic, planning and marketing decisions were centralized in the Detroit headquarter. So, this means that the top management didn’t consider important to have a direct contact with those markets and didn’t want â€Å"trust† local subsidiaries to manage on their own. They thought they could manage the developing market from their desks in Detroit. Lack of initiative or just plain Yankee arrogance weren’t the main reasons. We think the GM management acted accordingly to the market context. In fact to understand their strategy, we must keep in mind that the geopolitical situation before the nineties in South America had instability both in politics and economy, poverty, crime and sometimes civil wars. In Eastern Europe and Asia: communism was also known as not favorable to American capitalists. The choice of a low profile strategy was the only chance at these conditions and there were low risk, low investment, low commitment but also low return. The market share of GM’s vehicles in these markets was very little but, considering the amount of resources invested, it’s not bad at all. After all, this low-cost strategy allowed GM to extend the life of obsolete products without risking to loose valuable resources in risky states. And most important, generating some cash to be invested in more appealing markets like Europe. Strategy in Europe before 1997 The context: †¢Strong local competitors †¢Strong cultural identity †¢Differences in preferences compared to US †¢Tight urban space The pursued strategy: †¢Need to totally design, produce and sell different models( compared to US) †¢Huge investment. Allowed to produce state of the art vehicles featuring the ultimate technology and design tailored to the local customers. †¢Loose control by Detroit headquarter and wide freedom to regional and national subsidiaries( strategy planning, designing of cars and facilities were managed on their own) The Result: †¢11. 3% market share second only to Ford †¢Lack of an overall strategic coherence. Inability to leverage synergies And here we go with the second part of the question: strategy in Europe before 1997. Here everything is different. We have an appealing market, high profit opportunities, demanding customers and strong competitors. In Europe you can’t even imagine to sell the same cars you sell in America. First of all because there’s not enough space: streets are smaller, plain and simple. Second, because people have very different preferences compared to US and third because if you don’t tailor the cars to the specific market needs, local competitors will blow you off in a minute. And you’ll be out of the game. So here’s how GM managed the European operations: They gave local subsidiaries freedom to design, produce and sell new models. Impact of pre 1997 strategy In developing countries: †¢Inability to respond to market needs †¢Mediocre from a competitive point of view but decent from a financial point of view In Europe: †¢Good response to market needs †¢High costs †¢Good from a competitive point of view but very expensive and not much efficient To summarize Pressure for cost reduction was high in developing countries not because of competitors but mainly because of poverty. In Europe, compared to developing countries, customers have a high expenditure capability so if a pressure for cost reduction exists, it’s due to competition but still it’s not comparable to that in the developing world. That’s why we’ve put it in the lower end of the axis. Question-3: How would you characterize the strategy that GM has been pursuing since 1997? How should this strategy affect GM’s ability to create value in the global automobile market?

The Role of Management and the Union in an Organization Essay Example for Free

The Role of Management and the Union in an Organization Essay Corporations are important members of the society as they are responsible for providing substantial input in terms of goods and services as well as adding to the growth of the country as a whole. The employees of a company are the only assets which do not have a monetary figure assigned to them yet the benefit accruing from the continued use of the employees is substantial. In a wide range of industries, the employees are members of trade unions which regulate the way in which organizations hire, fire and deal with employees including workplace conditions and wage rates etc. It is imperative that the organizations and the unions are aware of their roles and responsibilities because a lag by either one would lead to inefficiencies with respect to corporate functioning which would have a negative impact on the economy. The paper also seeks to explore various strategies which could be implemented by both the management and the unions which would allow them to regulate themselves properly as well as encourage the effective functioning of a relationship between the management and the union. The Role of Management in an Organization  As per the agency principle, the management of the company is charged with the role of managing the affairs of the company in a way which is beneficial to the interests of the shareholders. Therefore, in order fulfill the aforementioned requirement; the management is required to exercise various roles and responsibilities. According to Mintzberg, managers within a company exercise a range of roles which can be broken down into three main categories including: Interpersonal Roles As the name suggests, managers within a company need to be good with interpersonal skills and sharing of ideas and information. The roles described under this ambit include: i. Figurehead: A manager must be inspirational in his conduct and should have the characteristics of a leader i. e. charismatic and influential so that people are able to relate to him and abide by his instructions (â€Å"Mintzberg’s Management,† n. d. ). ii. Leader: Building on the above mentioned concept, managers are to act as leaders in their capacity i. e. the same concept applies to lower level managers and to the executives who set a tone of how the organization will operate in the future (â€Å"Mintzberg’s Management,† n. . ). iii. Liaison: A company is not a closed entity i. e. the company constantly has to interact with individuals and entities inside and outside the company; therefore it is the responsibility of the manager to ensure that effective and working relations exist between all major internal and external stakeholders of the company (â€Å"Mintzberg’s Management,† n. d. ). Informational Roles The managers also responsible for ensuring that adequate information is available and is flowing throughout all relevant sections of the organization. i.  Monitor: The corporate environment today is constantly evolving largely due to changes like globalization and the ever so strict financial constraints. In such a competitive environment, it is imperative for managers to keep a track of all changes to allow effective strategy formulation. It is also important for managers to seek out patterns in internal performance and report regularly to the concerned individuals for prompt action (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Disseminator: The managers are required not only to track information but to disseminate the same to all the concerned people in a timely manner (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Spokesperson: Lastly, it is important for managers to realize that they represent a brand name therefore, it is important for them to act in the same capacity i. e. they should be able to comm unicate the corporate values and beliefs to the outside world in an effective and influential manner (Cieslinska, 2007). Decisional Roles Not only is it important for managers to track and communicate information but it is even more important to make proper use of the information to make informed decisions. i.  Entrepreneur: Within the employment capacity, it is the job of every manager to manage a certain unit responsible for adding value to the overall corporation. Therefore. it is important for managers to have skills to resolve issues, generate innovative new ideas and assist in the effective implementation of the same (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Disturbance Handler: It is impossible that an organization would run smoothly indefinitely i. e. there are bound to be obstacles and it is the responsibility of the manager to facilitate effective corporate functioning during these times (Cieslinska, 2007). ii. Resource Allocator: The resources that an organization has access to are always scarce, be it material or labor etc. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that the resources ar e allocated efficiently (Cieslinska, 2007). iv. Negotiator: Lastly, based on the information that a manager possesses, it is important for the manager to negotiate favorable deals for the company with both internal and external stakeholders (Cieslinska, 2007). The Role of a Union in an Organization  Since employees are probably the most important asset of the company, trade or labor unions are formed in order to safeguard the interests of the same. The primary reasons why labor unions exist is to ensure that equal opportunities for employment exist throughout the company, that the employees operate in a healthy and safe working environment and that the employees are remunerated fairly for their efforts. Among the various responsibilities of labor unions, some of the important ones are as under: Wages All employees work for money and in return the employer extracts benefits through their services. It is important for organizations to realize the fact that the wages they pay should be proportional to the value they extract from the employees. It is the responsibility of labor unions to ensure that wage rates are adequate considering the environmental conditions like inflation and the consumer buying power, the time value of money i. e. $1 now will not be equal to $1 after a year; the labor unions today also take account of international trends with respect to labor wages in a particular industry and their negotiations are based on the results of the said analysis (Lacoma). Adequate Structure While the trade unions fight for the rights of their union members, it is important for the union itself to be structured properly i. e. the individuals who are the decisions makers and negotiators should be from among the workers, should have had an experience with how the industry operates. In addition, these members should be completely impartial from the company i. e. there should not exist any conflict of interest because the existence of the same would lead to decisions being made which would be in the best interests of either the industry or the employees (Lenin, 1922). A minimum of two (2) strategies/actions an organization can implement to create and maintain a conducive working relationship with unions Employee voice: In order to maintain good relations with unions, it is important that there exists an effective employee voice in the company. The meaning of employee voice in this context is the fact that all decisions made by a company should take into account the interests of the employees. If the companies make an effort from the start, they limit themselves to negative criticism from the union itself and in fact motivate the employees to work for the company. The main reason behind the implementation of the strategy follows the premise that â€Å"prevention is better than remedy† i. e. it would be much more effective if the organizations took initiatives on their own as opposed to responding to claims presented by the unions which might be hostile and might cause a rift between the organization and the unions. It is absolutely imperative that the management maintain trust and confidence with the union so that no animosity exists. It is important for the management to realize that the unions are highly influential in most industries and therefore it would be in the best interests of the company to act in a manner which is acceptable to the union heads (Lenin, 1922). Labor Management Committees: Another effective strategy which can be implemented by the company is the formation of Labor Management Committees. These committees would contain members from both the management and the labor unions. The committee would be required to meet on a periodic basis and all issues which are sensitive to either the management or the union would be discussed in the meetings. The findings discussed in the meeting should be documented and communicated to all members concerned within the management as well as within the union. This would promote integration and encourage effective communication between the two groups. The involvement of labor union members in corporate decision making would also be held in high regard y the employees as they would perceive that the organization actually cares about their needs and wants and as a result considers the observations of the unions regularly (Cain). A minimum of two (2) strategies/actions a union can implement to create and maintain a conducive working relationship with management The above mentioned strategies deal with the initiatives the management can take however it is also important to consider the initiatives which can be implemented by the union itself. Frequent Appraisals of Union Heads: Within the labor unions there should be regular appraisals and evaluations of the union heads. It is important that this activity is carried out because if the unions are headed by individuals who are corrupt or are involved in collusive arrangements with the management, it would hamper the effective functioning of the union which would not only lead to the loss of confidence of the members on the functioning and credibility of the union, but would also lead to an inefficient employee employer relationship which could be devastating for the entire industry. New people should be given the opportunity to represent the union and there should be triggers in place within the union to highlight if a potential conflict of interest is likely to take place. The results of these appraisals should be communicated to the management on a timely manner so that there is a unanimously accepted practice that the unions are subject to appraisal and the individuals dealing on behalf of the union are credible and impartial individuals. Frequent Appraisals of Union Members: Another effective strategy which could be implemented by trade unions is conducting an appraisal of its members working for the company and should put in place measures to combat malpractice and unethical conduct. It is important to note that the policies enacted by the management and the practices put in place by the unions are both directed to achieve a perfect tradeoff between employee efforts and the employee remuneration. While the unions are concerned with the level and adequacy of remuneration, they should also ensure that the performance of the employees is up to the mark and that they are actually adding value to the organization rather than merely being a liability. This is important because it would help create harmony between unions and the management because the management would perceive that the unions actually investigate instances where the employees are at fault and their malpractices and misconduct are dealt with in a timely and effective anner. As an extreme resort, the unions might even provide recommendations to the management in case they believe that an employee is not up to the mark to ensure that the skills mix within the company is as per the complexity and requirements of the concerned corporation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the management need to ensure that the voice of the employees is heard especially during strategic planning so that strategies are formulated effectively. In addition, employers also should formulate committees designed specifically to address the concerns of labor unions so that an effective working relation is created. On the flip side, the labor unions can also seek to establish strategies including conducting appraisals of both the unit heads and the members of the union to ensure that there exists no conflict of interest at the head of the union and that any misconducts by the employees are dealt with a manner which is effective and prohibits future instances. These strategies can only function properly if the management and the union are aware of their responsibilities. It is important for both parties to realize that they are important members of the corporate world and an effective working relation between the two would help promote harmony at the corporate level which would be in the best interests of the overall economy.

Ethical Conflicts in International Business

Ethical Conflicts in International Business 2. Background: Some of authors have been said about Cross Cultural intelligence and Ethical Conflicts. E.g. David C. Thomas and Kerr Inkson defined cultural intelligence: People work for the Global Work place is a representative sample of publications concerning Cultural Intelligence. Scholl hammer (1977) discussed the need for international codes of conduct to govern cross-cultural activities. When expatriate managers return before the official completion of there overseas assignments the stress and low job satisfaction resulting from culture shock is often blamed (Newman et al., 1978). Due to drastic growth of globalisation expatriates managers commonly are seen in many of the multinational organisations. The vital aspect in the segment should be focused on cultural adjustments between different nationality managers. This can be supported by saying that different nations have different cultural aspects. The diverse cultural aspects are the main causes for the confronting situations. The business organisations are in action across different borders of the world. The international organisations consider whether a particular issue is right or wrong due to the bridging gap between the different countries. Cultural relativity is a very waste theory in different countries perceptions. What may be considered right in one culture turned out to be unethical in another. Some argue that the country in which the business is that culture is the one to be followed. All the countries vary in many different aspects like economical, environmental, cultural, ethical values, linguistical and so on. Thus all these barriers which are mentioned make the cultural conflicts. The right business manager is the one who balances between the barriers and the flawless business operations. This entirely depends upon the managerial capabilities. These can be successed by different alternative strategies though one cannot particularly describe a single strategy which is suitable for everyone. One of the valid and required method is to make greater in the cross cultural solutions to international business is communication and interaction with in company and between companies, between organisations and clients and between co-workers. Now days cross cultural consultancies have been participating to solve the conflicts and risks in the cultural organisations. Cross cultural consultancies therefore concentrate their efforts on interpersonal communication. Diversity of cultures and cultural backgrounds between a highly various staff base leads with it difficulties and risks. Cross cultural differences reveal general areas such as in behaviour, etiquette, norms, values, expressions, group mechanics and non-verbal communication. These cross cultural differences then follow on through to high level areas such as management styles, corporate culture, marketing, HR and PR. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Cross-Cultural-Solutions-for-International-Businessid=482) In order to overcome these conflicts, every company need to have specialist concentration is required in the form of a cross cultural professional. One example like an accountant to examine finances, in that way a cross cultural expert know-how to reduce cultural conflicts and provide better solutions to interpersonal cultural differences. Within organisations there are many angles in which cultural differences manifest. Some of organisation areas which cross cultural specialists deal with include, but are not exclusive to, the following: Human Resource Department: HR will take care of employees recruitment process, employees transfers, overseas projects, employees salary decisions and training sessions. These are all covers a wide range of business critical areas that need cross cultural analysis. Group-Building: Every company would like to perform very well. So for that if the cross cultural specialist provide advices and procedures to improve staff integration, minimize cross cultural conflicts and create team spirit. Knowledge or awareness Training: When we are working with different cultural background customers or clients, every company will face problems. So for that company should conduct the awareness training programmes on values, customs, country and religion. As a result we can minimize the cultural misunderstandings and mistakes. Training for Expat: Sometimes company staff required to travel abroad to gain the knowledge about host country history, culture, customs, beliefs, business methods social formalities. Which are promote to reduce the impact of culture conflicts. Public Relation Department: Public relation cover the company brand name, image and advertising campaigns and all areas of organisations should be alert. Because the brand name, image and advertising campaigns which are acceptable to target country cultures. Language and communication skills programme: One of the main cause is to lead the cross cultural conflicts in the business is language and communication skills problem in the staff. By providing the linguistic and communication skills knowledge to staff, we can bridge cultural gaps. Above all the key solutions are currently have been following by business organisations to decrease the cultural conflicts. 3. Research Objectives: The aim of the proposed research is to: * Develop an attractive environment in the multi cultural organisations. * Develop the solutions to bridge the cultural conflicts gaps in the international business. * The actual response of satisfaction from the employees in the multi cultural organisation. 4. Research Method: The main aim of the research method is how you express about accomplish your research goals. Mainly the research method divided into two parts. Those are Research design and Data collection. Here in my proposal I am going to take a part of research design. 4.1. Research design: It contains where you would like to implement the research. And the research is a single organisation or else a part of a division of organisation. In this part we need to explain what kind of way you intend to bring out the research. E.g. On a questionnaire, interviews, case studies etc. And we need to explain which divisions, why you select these divisions as well as we need to explain the identity of our research people e.g. managers, workers and officials. And why we choose this people. The study undertaken to access the problems of conflict management in a cross cultural settings and get the feedback regarding their experiences from the existing employees in the multi cultural organisations and as a result of them we need to minimize their conflicts from their existing employees. Conduct a review of the literatures on employee involvement and the diversity of cultures in order to improve research hypothesis. Carry out primary research in three American owned IT companies in India to judge the opinions of Indian employees and their managers towards values underpinning employee involvement. An IT companies are chosen because the occupations carried out in these organisations are likely to be similar. Thus ensuring that any cultural differences are a function of Indian culture rather than of occupational culture. Research procedure: The questionnaire is uniquely designed to aid the research method in order to come to a conclusion. It contains various types of questions having different characteristics from cognitive nature, so as to obtain a multiple opinion in the given study. So below mentioned are few of those question samples: 1. What were the key issues which are observed during each overseas project? 2. Which are the cultural differences you faced most challenging? 3. What kind of training did was given from your organisations? 4. Which personal strengths did you find most helpful during your overseas assignments? The questions in the questionnaire will seek to test these hypothesis. The questionnaire will be distributed to a sample of employees and of managers across all three Companies. Sources of Data: A classification of data is very important procedure in this concept. The collected data can be classified into two types. 1. Primary data 2. Secondary data Primary Data: The primary data is very important source for to make suggestions to the title obtained. This data can be collected in various methods like survey, interviewing, feedback, i.e. Group Discussion etc., for collection of primary data the survey method is used, which involved predetermined questions. The structured questionnaire contained a form list of question framed so as to get the facts. But it involves high risk and huge expensive method to get the facts. Secondary Data: Collection of secondary data is very easy compared with primary data. But this data is also very important for the growth of an organization; Secondary data is collected from the company journals, magazines, broachers websites. Sample universe: The survey will give the complete picture of the area of the research. Sample frame/unit: professionals, business people, employees etc, who are working in the multi cultural organisations. Sample size: the total sample size is 100 only. Sample method: The information is planned to be collected by sample method, the sample method followed is random sampling method. The probability random sampling method is stratified random sampling. The reasons for selecting simple random method are accurate and easily accessible, if we have sufficient time better to go for face to face interview, if the sample size is large its cost is high. 5. Time scale: 6. Conclusion: It is clear that in any multinational companies ethics are more important which plays a vital role in any organization. By understanding these aspects we have come across many issues where every company is facing different type of cross-cultural ethics. In my literature review of cross-cultural conflicts in international business I have found how managers have to face ethical issues in cross-culture business environment. So however all these issues in cross-cultural business environment are being pointed out by every managers when they are doing host country projects, and many issues were researched by many authors and scholars and they try to make them better by bringing them into the real world. 7. Resources: I have been used the resources from saunders book, journals and articles.

King Tutankhamun Essay example -- Egyptian History

King Tutankhamun King Tutankhamun lived over 3,300 years ago during a period known as the New Kingdom. This period of time was called the New Kingdom because it was when the pharaohs united upper and lower Egypt into one kingdom with the capital being Memphis near current day Cairo. The reason I chose to write a research paper on King Tut is because he is one of the most well known pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun is most well known only by the discovery of his intact tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. King Tut was born in 1343 B.C. into the 18th Dynasty. Early in his life Tutankaten meaning the "Living Image of the Aten" changed his name to the well-known Tutankamun meaning "Living Image of Amun". Tutankhamun began his education at the young age of four learning first to read then to write. He was probably often found himself playing the ancient board game of Senet. The young pharaoh was involved in many sports such as swimming, fishing, and hunting. His passion was in hunting waterfowl, hare, gazelle, ibex, antelope, and ostrich. By the time of his death he had acquired forty-six bows the largest of which measured six feet in length. King Tutankamun became the pharaoh at the young age of nine years old. He ruled over a troubled country that was in chaos because previous dynasties had alienated their gods. The people loved and adored their young king. Since he was so young he had powerful and experienced advisers mainly Ay and Horemheb the commander-in-chief of the army. During King Tut's reign he and his powerful advisors propriatated the gods and restored the religion and traditional art styles of the early pharaohs as well as rebuild the temples of Amun. King Tut also moved the capitol to Memphis near modern-day Cairo. Being the king of the most large and powerful empire in the ancient world also came with some perks. The dressing of Tutankhamun was a ritual event carried out in front of expert courtiers. Some items that were found in his tomb were sandals, necklaces, jewels, kilts, and some undershirts with embroidery around the collar area. Such simple garments would take up to 3,000 hours to hand craft by some estimates. The wearing of gloves by the Egyptians was very rare and reserved for the upper class. Tut had 27 pairs of gloves some of which bore stitching that wasn't reinvented until the 18th century. This ama... ...paintings as well as the coffin of King Tutankhamun. Before the opening of the tomb novelist Mari Corelli gave a public warning that there would be dire consequences for anyone who entered the sealed tomb. Then just seven weeks after the official opening of the tomb "Tutankhamun's Curse" struck. On April 5th, 1923 Lord Carnarvon died and all sorts of links were found such as all the lights in Cairo went out at the same time of his death and also back in England his dog was said to have howled and died at the same time as his owner's death. King Tutankhamun has always been and will always be the first pharaoh that I think about when I think about ancient Egypt. His tomb and its treasures symbolize Egypt's greatness and multiple centuries of prosperity. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books: Egypt: Land of the Pharaohs By the Editors of Time-Life Books Published By: The Time Inc. Book Company Copyright 1992 Ancient Civilizations By: Christopher Scarre & Brian M. Fagan Published By: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Copyright 1997 Websites: www.homepage.powerup.com.au/~ancient/ www.kent.wednet.edu/curriculum/soc_studies/Egypt/ www.geocities.com/TheTropics/2815/tut.html

The Legality of Child Pornography Essay -- Child Pornography Debate Es

The Legality of Child Pornography Child pornography is an ongoing issue as technology progresses in today’s world. Now there are ways to produce child pornography without actually using a real child. While there are acts and laws to protect the children, there are still many unsatisfied people on each side of the issue. There are people who believe the adult entertainment companies, who produce the child pornography; they believe that their First Amendment rights are being violated with current acts and laws against it. There are also people who think that the current laws are not strict enough and that they need to outlaw all types of child pornography. It is necessary for all sides of the issue to be considered and for the appropriate people to take suitable actions to determine the outcome and final decision concerning child pornography. While the First Amendment protects many things, one thing it does not protect is any form of child pornography. That is, any content that shows children, under the age of sixteen, engaged in any form of sexual activity. The question of the legality of child pornography first appeared in 1982, in the case of New York vs. Ferber. It was decided that the creation, promotion and distribution of child pornography was illegal. Also, it is illegal to falsely persuade children into performing sexual acts. There are some images still that are protected by the First Amendment that could still be considered child pornography, depending on their use. For instance, images of child genitalia are legal in medical books, but if these same images are put on an adult website, the courts would most likely rule them illegal (AdultWebLaw, 2002). In any case, child pornography is an ongoing cont... ...rosecute the adult entertainment companies because they are not breaking any laws. Until the Supreme Court rules that any form of child pornography is illegal, there will be no changes in the current standing of this issue. Child pornography, not involving children at the age of sixteen and under, is legal and exercises the adult entertainment industry’s right to free speech. Works Cited: Baase, Sara. (2003). A Gift of Fire: Social, legal, and ethical issues for computers and the Internet. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Child Pornography. (1998-2002). AdultWebLaw. Retrieved May 21, 2004 from http://www.adultweblaw.com/laws/childporn.htm Child Pornography Prevention Act. (2001, February 6). Evanston, IL: Jean Goodwin. Retrieved May 21, 2004 from http://faculty-web.at.nwu.edu/commstud/freespeech/cont/cases/morphed.html

Christianity and Evangelism in Jane Eyre Essay -- Religion Religious B

Christianity and Evangelism in Jane Eyre There were great changes in the religious arena during the time of Victorian England. John Wesley had his warm heart experience, India had been opened to missionizing, and a Utilitarian and Evangelical shift had occurred. Charlotte Brontà « would have felt the effects of these things, being a daughter of the clergy, and by simply being a daughter of the Victorian era. Her novel, Jane Eyre, serves as a reaction to Utilitarianism, and the protagonist Jane emerges as an Evangelical figure. By using this novel as a tool for Evangelism itself, Brontà « has a platform to fulfill moral obligations, and to have a discourse with the socially held views of her time. Beyond this, it also addresses the intrinsic struggle between Paganism and Christianity. The original position of the East India Company and the English Parliament was, the resistance against allowing missionary work in India, and that the clergy would be commissioned to serve only the European population there. They took this stance, because they felt the inhabitants would feel threatened and cause problems for those who had financial interests in the area. In 1813, with the passing of a new Charter Act, India was opened to missionary activity, and many jumped at the opportunity to sacrifice all for the sake of â€Å"heathen† souls. (Viswanathan 36) The very personification of this ideal comes in the form of Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s character, St. John Rivers, Jane Eyre’s cousin and almost fiancà ©. He expounds on this when he explains: After a season of darkness and struggling, light broke and relief fell; my cramped existence all at once spread out to a plain without bounds-my powers heard a call from heaven to rise, g... ... the great religious impact it is meant to have. Christ, should and will, win out in the end – as the last line of the novel says, â€Å"Amen; even so come, Lord Jesus!† Works Cited â€Å"Brigit.† Encarta Encyclopedia Online. 2004. http://encarta.msn.com Brontà «, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2001. â€Å"Evangelism.† Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. 2004. http://www.m-w.com Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. Viswanathan, Gauri. â€Å"The Beginnings of English Literary Study.† Masks of Conquest: Literary Study and British Rule in India. New York: Columbia University Press, 1989. Weber, Max. â€Å"Luther’s Conception of the Calling.† The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Trans. Talcott Parsons. New York, Dover Publications Inc.

Natural born cyborgs

Natural born cyborgs – of course one may ask or wonder what the term means. Well, the term was invented by Andy Clark, a professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex, UK and chair in Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. So what does he mean by natural born cyborgs? The term denotes us, humans. For him humans are very much cyborgs as Robocop, Eve 8 among many others. Now, what made him think so? Clark made use of a term called cognitive hybridization, which in turn denotes the tendency of our brain to mix with the technology or to put simply, our dependency towards technology. According to Clark we don’t need wires for the term cyborgs to be applied to us. In his exact words he said â€Å"†¦we shall be cyborgs†¦in the more profound sense of being human-technology symbionts: thinking and reasoning systems whose minds and selves are spread across biological brain and non-biological circuitry.† At first glance one might say that Clark’s interest is primarily on technology but the truth of the matter is he is more interested in understanding humans, and the nature of human mind. Clark gave certain interest upon discussing the terms â€Å"transparent† and â€Å"opaque† technology. According to Clark, the technologies we are living with today are slowly becoming a part of us. From there on he went on to define what he meant by â€Å"transparent† and â€Å"opaque† technology. According to him transparent technology â€Å"are technology that is†¦integrated with, our own lives†¦as to become invisible in use.† Having defined what transparent technology is, let us now move on to understanding what Clark meant by opaque technology. By opaque technology he means â€Å"one that†¦requires skills and capacities that do not come naturally to the biological organism, and thus remains the focus of attention.† By this one may go on to conclude that opaque technology is one which is hard to use and thus requires skills if one aims to use it successfully. Let us take the wristwatch as an example of a transparent technology. If we look back to our ancestors we can say that their way of checking the time is kind of primitive. They made use of checking the position of the sun or listening for the chime of the bell, which indicates the time. However, as time moved on time slowly became a part of us. New technology had been invented and checking the time now is not as hard as it had been before. In this sense, it may not be dangerous to say that wristwatch may now be considered a part us, and thus a transparent technology. If one is familiar with Heidegger he/she might even see the similarity of Clark’s conception of transparent and opaque technology with that of Heidegger’s ready-to-hand and present-at-hand concept. To better understand what I mean I will give a brief description of what Heidegger have in mind with the terms stated above. By present-at-hand Heidegger meant an attitude the same to that of a scientist or a theorist. Like a scientist or a theorist one will be interested in something only because of the facts the object has to offer which they could later on use to theorize about something. We often view things which are present-at-hand in a secondary mode as in the case of a broken fan which lost its usefulness, such as a watch who happened to stop working. Thus, we can see a connection between Clark’s idea of opaque technology and Heidegger’s present-at-hand. On the other hand, ready-to-hand is something more like Clark’s transparent technology. We use things without theorizing about that things, hammer or wristwatch for example. In this regard, one can clearly see the similarity between Clark’s concept of transparent and opaque technology with that of Heidegger’s concept of present-at-hand and ready-to-hand. I remember making the claim in class that these are both essentially phenomenological treatments of technology. By this I mean to say that we seek to understand what technology is. If we can experience what is meant by technology, first hand, the better. The way the mind works is very complex. Humans never cease to be content. Technology came into being because of our inability to be content. As humans seek to understand more things, to make life easier, technology blooms faster. And now, we are living in a technological world and there are people among our race who’s still not content with the way things are and thus they seek to better understand things. Clark, on his work, Natural Cyborgs, tried to show how humans became so caught up with technology that human lives became intertwined with technology itself. I remember reading something about him wishing to understand how the mind works and if he is to do that then he must understand what technology is all about. Phenomenology as a method is very useful. By exploring a certain phenomena in order to understand a higher truth behind the phenomena is something great. Phenomenology might be useful in understanding technology and in this I have no doubt. However, by saying that phenomenology can help to better understand technology I am not saying that this can open all the gates of our understanding towards technology because I strongly believe that no method, not even phenomenology itself can open our minds to everything there is to know about technology or anything in particular. As we are humans there would always be room for ignorance. We cannot understand things fully no matter how hard we try because I believe that there would always be room for questions and for doubts. In this regard, I cannot offer another alternative should phenomenology fails to make us understand everything there is to know about technology. Dualism is the belief that the body is distinct from that of the soul. In this paper I would make use of Cartesian dualism. It is in the belief of Descartes that though the body and the soul are of different entities both can still interact with one another. It is from Descartes where the term interactionism originated. In his interactionism he said that the body is the one who receives sense perceptions wherein the soul is the one who is responsible for our awareness. According to Descartes the seat of interaction lies in the pineal gland. In his belief the soul houses the body and if the body is acted upon by the soul then their point of interaction happens in the pineal gland. I talked about Cartesian dualism because if one is to look closely Clark’s idea of technology becoming one with us or a part of us is almost the same to Descartes idea of dualism. Both seem to see the body merely as a house. The difference however, is that for Descartes the body is the house of the soul wherein for Clark the body is the house of technology or something to that effect.   Clark believes that the use of technology is essential in understanding how the mind operates because men nowadays are so caught up with technology that we are completely dependent towards technology. Technology became an important part of us and it seems to solve most of the problems of our world thus Clark concluded, for the same reason that technology may be useful in understanding human mind. However, I don’t think that it really solved the mind-body problem present in Cartesian dualism because somehow I can still see flaws on Clark’s idea. Technology for one, though reliable on most time, is still prone to failure. Somehow, failure may occur or accidents of some sorts because technology is not really that perfect, it’s got its flaws. I also don’t believe that Clark can avoid radical skepticism because no matter what he does there would always be people out there who would go on to criticize his beliefs. One can’t really please everyone and I’m pretty sure that there are still people, purists for one, who would certainly doubt the power technology has. Thus, on my conclusion I say that even though Clark opened our minds to some ideas and although most of what he said holds true, I don’t really believe that his idea is perfect enough to avoid skepticisms. Reference: Clark, Andy. Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intelligence. Oxford University Press, USA; 2003

How did the Prohibition Change USA Essay

The word restraint as stated in the globe Book encyclopaedia refers to honors that are designed to prevent the drinking of alcoholic beverages. The performment of the Volstead cause in the unify States of America (USA) motto the nationwide beginning of the banning on the 16th of January 1920. The inhibition brought ab out a change in office for the hatful of the get together States (USA). It caused an extreme gambol off in criminal offense encouraging everyday mickle to perturbation the faithfulness and increase the measuring rod of pot likker that was consumed nationwide. overall this law was a failure because a law fundament non be en agonistic on a classless society with out the support of a majority. The effect of this fault (prohibition) lingered on American (USA) society for some age to exist. ahead the obstruction the sight of the linked States of America had high object lesson standards, were to a greater extent conservative and in some(pr enominal) ways experienced less liberty both socially and economically. Before the banning period the aversion rate was relatively low compared with pre prohibition figures. There was a 78 percent increase in offensive activity from those offensive activity rates that were put dget before the banishment. alcoholic beverage uptake in pre prohibition in age had begun to make since 1910, however this may have been repayable to the fact that between 1880 and the beginning initiation War cardinal in 1914 some states had adoptedstate wide Prohibition.Before Prohibition occurred nationwide, the economic boom of the 1920s (also known as the prospering Twenties) had non yet taken place, in that locationfore the changes in attitude amongst the pile of the linked states were non yet established, consequently pre prohibition familys were times of less social liberty, more(prenominal) conservatism and some would argue higher(prenominal) virtuous standards. referable to these higher moral standards some groups look atd Prohibition was a indispensable measure in the creation of a society free from evils and less plunder in the old ways centre a society where crime rates, poverty, and expiration rates would be considerably reduced, the musical theme was that this in turn would improve the delivery and quality of life for the batch of the United States of America.The Prohibition caused an extreme rise in crime and in numerous typefaces it advance everyday lot to come upon the law. As moral standards within society declined and tabu alcohol consumption change magnitude crime rateswithin society arise considerably. This was because in order for alcoholic need to be met, everyday mint were forced to break the law, going against the honesty and freedom erstwhile shared by the parliamentary nation. Crime rates within the United States of America rise a swell deal during the Prohibition years, criminal action rose to 78 percent to a higher place that of pre-prohibition rates as more and more throng broke the law, whilst serious crimes such(prenominal)(prenominal) as murder and assault rose to nearly 13 percent to a higher place what it had once been. With the Volstead recreate running its railway line a new market was created for corrupt politicians and gangsters to give the public what they demanded -alcohol and plenty of it. star of the main reasons for the increase in crime rates was due to lack of enforcement this was because there werent enough Prohibition agents to enforce the laws which were creation broken on such a large scale. It was assumed that Americans would follow the requirements of the new Prohibition law and so only 1520 Prohibition agents were employed in 1920 the number climbing to 2836 in 1930. This rise in the amount of Prohibition agents did not really help matters very oft as people continued to uprise against the enforcement of the Prohibition and continued to break the l aw, determination more creative measures to get outdoor(a) with their violation of the Volstead Act, some people hid their pot likker in hip flasks, false books, drudge canes, and anything else they could find. nationally liquor consumption increased during Prohibition years. In order for people who wanted to fulfil their alcoholic call for to do so they were forced to break the law. Alcohol consumption considerably increased within the first couple of years of nationwide Prohibition in the United States (USA). The drinking of alcoholic beverages became an act of revolt against authority from the beginning of Prohibition, especially among university students and flappers. Alcohol consumption did increase over Prohibition years, $40 million of liquor had been smuggle into the United States in 1924 alone and that did not include the amount of alcohol which people make illegally in their own homes, which was most likely consumed that same year as well.There was a return in the consumption of beer, because it had to be raptureed in large quantities, which made the substance voiceless to hide, as a result prices of beer and separate alcoholic substances which had to be transported in such large quantities skyrocketed.Once this had happened people began to turn to the more concentrated forms of alcohol or hard liquors, which were a lot easier to transport and as a consequence they were cheaper. Due to the increase in consumption of more concentrated forms of alcohol, people got drunk oftentimes faster than in pre prohibition years. hence there were more alcohol related deaths during the Prohibition, due to a rise in alcohol consumption, as people were being poisoned by alcohol that was highly concentrated and or poisoned. Deaths from poisoned liquor rose from 1,064 in 1920 to 4,154 in 1925.There are many views as to why the Prohibition failed. One of the main reasons was due to the fact that a law can not be enforced on a democratic society without th e support of a majority. During the prohibition there were many people who fence the alcoholic limitations placed on their lives, as a result of the Prohibition, with many individuals trace this way more and more people began to rebel against the restrictions which had a hold on them, they began breaking the law in avouch to the Volstead Act.Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was think to solve. The results of the Prohibition are clear organized crime grew into an empire disrespect for the law grew and the per capita consumption of the prohibited substance increased dramatically the prohibition had been a failure. Some believe that perhaps if the Prohibition had have been break organised and powerfully imposed whence the Prohibition of the USA would have been more of a success. However this was not the case and due to the mistake made by with(predicate) the enforcement of the Prohibition the moral standards of society were changed fo rever.Nationwide Prohibition ended on the fifth of December 1933. However the effect of this mistake (Prohibition) lingered on American (USA) society for many years to follow. It was hoped that Prohibition would eliminate modify influences in society instead, Prohibition itself became a major source of putrefaction. aft(prenominal) the Prohibition had ended many people had changed their attitude towards the government, as they believed that the government had become also involved in the personal lives of individuals through their enforcement of the Volstead Act of January 1920. The United States of America would neer be the same again, the nation neer returned to the waythings had been in the years front to Prohibition.During the time of Prohibition the great decennary of change occurred, which was known as The Roaring Twenties with it came Prohibition, one of the gravest mistakes ever made by an American (USA) government, this mistake byword society change in more ways tha n one. As a hale moral standards declined, disrespect for the law became apparent and faith in government policies decreased. After the Prohibition there was a western crime wave in 1934 where, gangsters robbed hundreds of banks, kidnapped and kill scores of people. Due to these criminal offences by 1940 people became untrusting of immigrants and under the metalworker Act immigrants were to be fingerprinted as people feared that these people may have been gangsters.Prohibition was a grave mistake which changed the United States. During the Prohibition years the mistake of the Volstead Act caused an extreme rise in crime encouraging everyday people to break the law and increased the amount of liquor that was consumed nationwide. Within Society moral standards began to drop, people began rebelling against the laws put in place, and breaking the law was no longer regarded as such a heinous act. The dishonesty and corruption that grew with prohibition made US people lose their res pect for the law and for the people who were supposed to enforce it. American (USA) society has never really aged from the effects of Prohibition, it has never returned to the moral standards once held as a nation. On a whole the Prohibition was one of the greatest mistakes made in the USA during the 1920s. Overall the Prohibition was a failure that should not have been enforced at all, let alone in a go The Roaring Twenties where rapid change was fetching place on its own.

Intra-Racial Discrimination

Krystal LopezPage 1 10/23/11 Latinos Vs. Hispanics Inter-racial inconsistency Me actually Ameri furtherts suppose that racial dissimilitude is no longer disputable in todays hostel. Situations of interracial disparity argon precise much cited, but this does non to take into account that in that location is much conflict within the bucket along as well. This misconception stems from the fact that diversity amongst the racial groups is often overlooked. Intra-racial discrimination is when a someone or group of plenty of the same race use factors including, but non limited to, socioeconomic background, appearance, and kin color. Social or workplace hierarchies often develop under racial influence. Hostilities and tensions put forward reside in every race of minority, but it is highly appargonnt in the Hispanic community. Intra-racial discrimination has far reaching effects on not only the individual minority, but on the race as a whole. The pressure of this geek of di scrimination affects how Hispanics collaborate within a society of the Statesn superiority. For instance, plurality of Hispanic descent who do not speak Spanish are often mis case-hardened by people of their own, ethnical background. These people might be found ulturally neglecting and inured differently from those that speak the language. The differences within a precise race are nothing to a greater extent than that. They are purely genetic or ethnic, and do not hold any value. It becomes a matter of pagan perception of what is expected rather than an actual cultural lack. Typically among Hispanics and other ethnic minorities, discrimination is an increase actuality witnessed even in the workplace. With the Hispanic population growing rapidly, along with their increasing numbers of employ custodyt, it is becoming more than apparent that inter and intra-racial iscrimination will target them as both victims and perpetrators. A hierarchy, or pecking order in the midst of r aces and within races, and biased management are both(prenominal) of prime examples of workplace inequalities. Situations like these occur because of the lack of peoples understanding of diversity. Page 2 Discrimination is likewise prevalent within a race as seen in how some weigh that varying peel off tones is cause for racial disparity. With a wide host of fur tones, Hispanics believe they are easily targeted for mock and mistreatment. Even within their own race, some believe that spark skin tones rovide them much more opportunities, and can help them to be more successful in a face cloth dominated community. More opportunities were provided for those with lighter skin. Not only do Hispanics in America face more discrimination in regards to their outside appearance, they also deal with the constant battle of cosmos accused that they are not being ethnic enough, or being too Americanized and not tutelage their culture and traditions alive. Part of the Hispanic populatio n across the Mexican border feel that American Hispanics are traitors to their thnicity because they have denied themselves their rich, historical culture and thus habituated their roots. Some Non-White Hispanics discriminate against their own race, not because of any physical differences, but because of the similarities they share. Some identify with clean-livingnesss to much(prenominal) an extent, that they believe they are etiolated themselves. Ultimately, being discriminated against can lead to the shameful denial of ones self and their heritage, in hopes of becoming a more easily real member of a predominantly White America. Their appetite is to assimilate into the culture and to fit in.In the article, Raising the Status of the sever, Agius and Lee report on their findings while observing the interaction between Hispanic cashiers born in another country and their white customers. The results of their three month long observations and their twenty interviews, was very s urprising. La Canasta is an ethnic market cater to the Hispanic population in the area. When it was originally proposed for that area, local communities tried to stop it from being put in. The employees are all Hispanic and the cashiers are all Hispanic females that were born in another country and do not speak Page 3English. cod to the fact that this store caters to the Hispanic population, it was interesting to hold back that over a period of time, the white customer base actually jumped dramatically. What the investigateers found even more interesting was the fact that the Hispanic cashiers actually treated the white customers better than the Hispanic ones. The cashiers thanked the white customers on an average three times compared to one on the Hispanic customers. They spent more time and lingered on the sale with the white customer. The Hispanic cashiers tended to be more friendly and s international mile with the white customers.These findings went against the findings of previous research under McCormick and Kinloch (1986). This research indicated that it was more about the racial situation between whites and Hispanics rather than the race of the cashier. This was not the case at La Canasta. It appeared that the cashiers went the extra mile for their white guests. Even though, it was impossible to verbally communicate, the cashiers would put-on with the white customers more than the Hispanic ones. When asked why they went to this unique(predicate) store, the white guests indicated that they liked being the only hite person in the store and receiving personalized attention. When the cashiers were asked about the diverse background visiting the store, they all indicated that in that respect was a fair percentage of white people. When asking the white customers, they all indicated that they were the only white people in the store even if there were other white people in the store at that very time. La Canasta shows that their can be discrimination within the same race. The cashiers do not envy their White customers and accept their place in the companionable hierarchy (Agius & Lee, 214).It appears that the cashiers felt that there was a emersion in brotherly status by component the white customers. Thus, consciously or subconsciously, they treated the white customers better than their own nationality. The cashiers believe that their presence all raises their status (Agius & Lee, 215). They are not just cashiers, but cashiers that serve white customers. Page 4 Discrimination has been around for thousands of years. It seeps into all societies and often changes rational men to irrational. It is not just between two races it knows no bounds or restrictions.Within a culture, there can be discrimination. It can be establish upon the slight shade in a skin tone, to the perception that ones race may elevate social status. It covers all facets of a culture from customs to disquisition the language. Diversity within the Hispani c culture provides umpteen outlets for discrimination of all kinds. It is just as erosive intra-racially as it is inter-racially. Works Cited Jody A. Agius and Jennifer Lee, Raising the Status of the Cashier Latina-White Interactions in an Ethnic Market, 18/10/201 27 pages, Springer

Long-Range Career Objectives Essay

beguile endure a program line offlining your flying educational and long-range public life objectives in recounting to your elect field. If on that point is a token competency fragment with whom you destiny to claim, occupy discontinue that psyches scream and apologise w presentfore you neediness to larn with that person. You whitethorn in addition paying attention to each(prenominal)ow in early(a) learning, such(prenominal) as any(prenominal) undergraduate investigate friendship, confineships, or different experiences you may gift had to history your facility for ripe(p) muse in your chosen field. My hereafter course of test is to bring home the bacon the certified public accountant of the States and stool in a famous person invoice warm or in the finance segment of companies. I withdraw by discipline in your domesticate fundament let up me a breach venture converge my prospective lord development. Whats more, by erudite ness tax income and score for ii age in my ingest country, I positive a personalised vex in those fields. I c solely told up the Statess observation tower and tenet of accountancy is genuinely anomalous and efficient. In ordering to drive a erupt arrangement of this thought I would handle to study at your school. here(predicate) I want to constituent my interneship experience with you.I was aureate to be chosen as an intern in the tax segment of Deloitte molecule Tohmatsu. My stock here is to go to the higher-ranking manger to do more or less chase and memorial rewrite clear. running(a) here non scarce bounds me a founder savvy roughly my victor knowledge however my future move development. It as well gives me a chance to keep out how a fortunate all(prenominal)iance operates and what straighten outs a compeer supply for that company. The DTT has truly spatiotemporal and good information communion and colloquy system. In whi ch it leave ramp up sure enough all round phallus has user-friendly get at for use. For instance, I was solely an intern there, plainly I screw reduce all net crop alternative and install documents in all the DTTs firms in China. In addition, I arouse make a address talk to my co-workers, including the retainer of the company, instantly if needed.The significance of these systems not entirely let us do our work expeditiously and quickly, however as well as pass around messages to all its workers that we expect dominance on your master ethics and we ar produce to take cargon to your advises all the time. The legitimate function is DTT forever and a day friendship all its stave fragments as a subroutine of the company, I ph 1 that is why employees ar knockout running(a) on a occasional basis. I imagine the close chief(prenominal) causa of a dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane employee is beginning(a). Compared to wait for a cheat naming , we should be fervent for a work chance and invent something to do when we are not occupied. This internship taught me that I should rise my readiness and my willingness to my tune at the equivalent time. Although I am no yearner work in DTT China, I am the one equal member of initiative that seeks throw out study opportunity in your university. I anticipate this subdivision of piece of writing could give you a relegate arrest of my temper to bet my application.