Comparing and Contrasting Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two of the great political theorists of their time. They both provided wonderful philosophical texts on how our government should govern us. This paper will show the largest differences and some of the similarities between Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and John Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government. Although they do have some similarities, Hobbes and Locke have different views on most of their political arguments, and I will expand on their differences on the state of nature, government, and social contract. Hobbes’ view of the state of nature and Locke’s view of the state of nature offer remarkable differences. Hobbes believed people act on their own self-interest, and they would go to any extreme to help themselves. He believed we are always in competition with each other for the best food, shelter, money, and so on. Hobbes believed the best way to protect citizens would be to have a sovereign that is intimidating and all-powerful. The view Locke had on the state of nature is conceptually different. Locke’s view of the state of nature says that humans have limits as to what we should or should not do, but he believed that humans are generally nice to one another, and we will not bother one another. Therefore, in Locke’s state of nature, humans are peaceful. Hobbes, however, believes that humans live in a state of war and fight with each other constantly. Hobbes and Locke did not have many of the same views on government. Though it is not directly stated in his text, most historians believe Hobbes was a supporter of absolute monarchy. He believed the government should have absolute authority over all the citizens. He believed if such a government did not exist, we would live in a world of turmoil. The sovereign (government) has the obligation of keeping the peace and, when need be, national defense. The sovereign establishes all the laws, and has complete legislative, judicial, and executive authority. Locke’s view of government is very different from Hobbes’. Locke believes  people should have a say in government, and Hobbes would disagree with this statement. Hobbes believes that the sovereign should own all the land, but Locke believes that property is private–God gave us this property, and we should use and enjoy it. Locke is also a supporter of the market economy. He believes that when one invests his own labor, whatever he makes should become his own private property. Government is very much linked with Hobbes’ and Locke’s views on social contract. Social contract binds the people and the government together. Hobbes thinks that citizens should relinquish all of their rights to the sovereign, because the sovereign knows what is best for them. Theoretically, in Hobbes’ view, there actually is no contract, because the citizens have no rights. His view of social contract is more like a covenant. The only time the citizens can say â€Å"no† to a sovereign is when the sovereign threatens self-preservation. For example, citizens may be interrogated for a crime, but they do not have to confess. Locke’s view of social contract is fundamentally different from that of Hobbes–his view is not as well defined. Locke believes a social contract is an agreement made between citizens who institute a government to prevent people from occasionally violating the natural laws. Locke believes the contract between the people and the government should be conditional. For the government to have the obedience and loyalty of the citizens, the government must perform certain functions and act appropriately. Although they have several differences, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke do share some of the same beliefs. Both Hobbes and Locke were passionate about politics, and they both wanted to promote the common good. Both theorists believed in the state and laws of nature; they just had different interpretations of it. Also, both Hobbes and Locke both believed that people are free and equal in the state of nature. Hobbes and Locke both believed that the primary purpose of the government is to protect people. However, if the government does not protect the citizens, the citizens can revolt and go against or above the sovereign. The most important similarity between Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, however, is that their works were influential in  shaping people and government in regards to how a society should operate. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were the two most influential political theorists of their time. However, they had opposing views on almost every political issue. Their theories stem from their dissenting opinions about who should be the center of government: Hobbes believed there should be a monarch, while Locke supported Parliament. Examples of both men’s thoughts and opinions can be found throughout history. France and some other European countries sided with Hobbes and had absolute monarchies, while England and later the American Revolution used Locke’s thoughts in developing their governments. Hobbes and Locke wrote about and educated the citizens about the two extremes of running governments, and their opinions were so valuable that we still study them today, hence this paper.

Grading vs Marking Essay

Which is better, grades or marks? A chicken and egg question did you say? Not so much related, but definitely as difficult to answer. They say doing away with marks does away with stress, does away with the academic pressure students face. So now, the infamous rat-race has bleak chances of survival. The common complaint ,†He got just one mark more than me and got through to that prestigious college†¦Ã¢â‚¬  will no longer be heard. No more innocent lives lost because of some ridiculous cut-off marks. How wonderful. Awarding grades throughout the year to the student,they further say, takes care of the last-minute-before -exams-stress and eases pressure from the students’ minds. It does sound logical. An illness or an accident or some such unprecedented, unavoidable circumstance will not take away your chances of scoring good grades if you have been studying consistently throughout the year. But, wait a minute†¦. hat if you are one of those not so rare intelligent souls who would like to enjoy throughout the year educating themselves as it were, with lessons not so academic, and just at the last moment hit the well-trodden road with steely determination to finish the race at par with all the Chaturs of the world? My sympathies for you my friend. I am sadly aware of the powers invested to that demi-god called Teacher who wields her Grade Register ominously before your eyes everytime you are about to slip out of the clutches of Academic Righteousness to experience the normal pleasures of life. You must follow the dictum or be accursed with the lowliest grade imaginable. Surely our well-meaning educationists did not bargain for such a year-long stress-factor! The â€Å"Off with Exams† war-cry was hailed as a much-needed decision by many, including some intellectually-challenged individuals like yours truly. Now that the grading system has changed the lives of our children, we suddenly realise that just a landmark decision or a change in a system will not work wonders. It will take a long time to bring about actual change as what finally matters is the teacher-student relationship and how much education has been imparted and absorbed by the pair. Stress will only cease when our children will learn how to handle their emotions in a mature manner and be responsible for their own actions. The teacher, their guide, can only help them to learn how to best handle situations in life, which, irrespective of grades or marks, can wreak havoc or become a lesson in life, whatever they allow it to be.

Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Executive Summary - Essay Example SAP Business One is a fully integrated business management solution that boosts functionality across all departments. First, ProCons is a master value-added reseller of business solutions across the MENA region, which reinforces Al Jassim Group reputation. It is a global partner and a world leader in IT solutions with offices in Beirut, Dubai, KSA, Qatar, and Kuwait. ProCons consists of a team of experienced multi-lingual consultants that can swiftly implement the solution. Secondly, Karani Mohamed Farooq, group finance manager states that the group has been using an accounting system for years and that the upgrade of the powerful tool will support the group’s organic growth. In addition, the new system will support across boarder business as planned by the group. Thirdly, although the group had many options to choose from, they chose ProCons SAP Business One model because it promised data reliability, integrity, scalability, dependency, user friendliness, and back up support. I would evaluate my system and establish if it will enable the company to compete effectively with the beefed up competition form my competitors. I would establish specific areas that have a problem and compare different systems that can suit this area. This evaluation will also enable the company to determine if there is need for a complete change of the entire system or just part of the system. Consultations with an IT expert can help analyse the current position of the company’s competitive edge and the need for a new system. Later, the company will need to examine its current financial status to establish if it can afford a new system if there is need for one. If I were in charge of this change, I would make sure that the company is not just getting a reliable system but one with the customer in mind. That is, a survey needed to precede this implementation to accommodate most royal customer’s views. This may include a system that will allow them to make a saving for their

Strategic Analysis_ Gucci Group (Research Needed for Exam) Essay

Strategic Analysis_ Gucci Group (Research Needed for Exam) - Essay Example For example when they use raw materials for a particular collection of clothing, care should be taken to minimize the usage of materials such as animal fur that carry negative impact on nature. As the company uses leather and other animal skins as alligator, environmental damage which may be incurred by high usage of such raw material must be born in mind. With emission control laws setting out new and stringent standards in Europe and across the world, manufacturing facilities of Gucci will have to ensure compliance to new regulations. With the process of globalization, internet era and new industries such as ITC creating new avenues of wealth and wealthy individuals, the primary market segment of Gucci have expanded. A new segment of less affluent â€Å" Wannabees† aiming to emulate the Gucci’s traditional customer profile is offering new business opportunities. With the ageing population increasing in Europe, the market for fashionable luxury goods as Gucci will expand as it is the more mature people who can afford such exclusive luxuries. However in the long run this social trend can be detrimental as there would be a larger population that are seniors and supported by a fewer number of working population, creating low spending power in the economy. With the developments in IT, managing logistics, supply chain, retail outlet inventories and product development can all be upgraded to be on a networked system with real-time information. Such information integration is essential to support multi brand multi product business operations which are highly diversified and globally located. Internet is widely used and can be utilizes as a advertising tool to a greater extent, making available design and product information, as well as collection videos so that the reach of the communications are wider and cost effective. With the new developments in technology, new fabrics are being developed and Gucci as a forerunner in the fashion industry will be affected

As a health care administrator, it is important to be able to apply Research Paper

As a health care administrator, it is important to be able to apply risk management strategies in your organization to prevent o - Research Paper Example Oakpointe Villa Nursing Centre, previous steps have been taken to protect them. They must provide all residents with the reasonable care that their condition requires (Smith, 2005). Oakpointe Nursing Centre was liable for the death of their resident because they failed to provide her with safe sleeping arrangements. (Bryant v. Oakpoint Villa Nursing Centre). Bed rails have been known for several years to actually increase the risk to confused or uncontrolled movement patients, because add the obvious asphyxiation risk above as well as increasing the height of fall if a resident does manage to climb over them. Between 1985 and 2009, 480 patients have been reported as dying and 138 were seriously injured due to a hospital bed accident. From a strictly administrative standpoint, that represents 518 possible lawsuits. In 2006, the FDA published â€Å"Hospital Bed System Dimensional and Assessmment Guidance to Reduce Entrapment†, encouraging manufacturers and care facilities to rec onsider the design of their beds (FDA, 2009). Despite this, they are still in place for at least 10% of patients (Span, 2010). The Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 requires the reporting of all accidents invoving hospital equipment, including beds and bedrails. (Sleep Safe, 2010).

High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation - Essay Example air in a single breath is known as the "tidal volume." Conventional ventilators can have a harmful effect on infants because normal tidal volumes may overstretch the lungs. HFOV is a highly effective alternative, which uses high frequency (10 - 15 breaths per second) and smaller tidal volumes, which reduces the risk of lung damage. The development of the positive pressure mechanical ventilator in the 1950s marked a significant achievement in the care of patients with respiratory failure, and was a cornerstone in the establishment of the discipline of critical care medicine. Since then, although mechanical ventilation is often life saving, it can also be injurious, especially in patients suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is the prototypical disease of abnormal lung compliance, causing respiratory failure in both children and adults. ARDS refers to the syndrome of lung injury characterized by dyspnea, severe hypoxemia, decreased lung compliance, and diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltrates (Udobi & Childs, 1). It can also result in refractory hypoxemia, which can often stimulate attempting nonconventional ventilation strategies such as using nitric oxide, recruitment maneuvers, or prone positioning. High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation (HFOV) has emerged as one such rescue strategy for patients with ARDS. Moreover, given that it appears to injure the lung less than conventional modes of ventilation, it may also be ideally suited to use early in ARDS. HFOV utilizes oscillations generated by a piston pump or a diaphragm oscillator driven by a motor. It produces a sinusoidal or somewhat erratic pressure waveform that gives the expiratory phase its unique active characteristic. This component is created by the backward movement of the diaphragm or piston of the oscillator. A constant distending airway pressure is applied, over which small tidal volumes are superimposed at a high respiratory frequency (Bouchat, Godard and Claris,

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Education - Essay Example A child going to a wealthy, comparatively safe suburban school will receive an infinitely better education than one unlucky enough to be attending a poor inner-city school. The best and most experienced teachers tend to graduate towards the best schools, while inner city schools often have the most inexperienced educators. Together with the lack of resources and often poor teaching skills in low-income schools, there are also discipline problems. While violent incidents at suburban schools such as Columbine High School make headlines, there is a constant stream of violence occurring at many inner-city schools. The appearance of metal detectors, armed police officers patrolling the corridors and a general siege mentality is not conducive to a sound education. If a child is worried about her safety at school it is unlikely for her to learn very much. A cycle of poverty continues as many students in low-income school become parents and those children in turn continue with within the same system. In advanced Western countries, most notably the United States, adolescence is an ill-defined period between the freedoms of childhood and the responsibilities of adulthood. There is a slow development from dependency to independence, and from accepting the views of adults to establishing a personal point of view. (Lindsay, 1983). It must be noted that in the United States adolescence appears to be an invention of the last century. (Raphael, 1988) In most non-Western countries cultures use "puberty rites", which may be loosely termed initiation ceremonies, to formally mark and symbolize the transition from childhood to adulthood. But in Western countries, as they transformed from being agricultural based economies in which children had an important economic function within the family to industrial societies in which education far beyond puberty was necessary, the "adolescent" was born. Simply defined, an adolescent is a person who is going/has gone through puberty, but who has yet to take on the responsibilities of the adult world. An adolescent is, in the eyes of the world, a child trapped inside an adult's body. It is the contradiction between these two roles - adult and child - that has caused many scholars to characterize adolescence as a time of "storm and stress". The psychologist Erik Erikson, whose Childhood and Society (1950) has become something of a standard work on human development, identifies "Eight Stages of Development", of which 'Adolescence' is the sixth stage. Erikson argued that identity versus role confusion is the psychosocial crisis faced by the person at this time, and that the predominant social settings are peer groups and out-groups. The favorable outcome of this crisis and setting is that "the individual develops an ego identity - a coherent sense of self." (Erikson, 1950) This is a very useful model for the teacher to understand, as it covers the main problems and strengths of this age-group. Too much stress on the gloom of the former over the brightness of the latter leads many educators to see the pedagogy of this age-range as merely a matter of avoiding crisis rather than engendering positive development. During adolescence human beings are motivated strongly by the desire to initiate and maintain relationships on a group level. (Juvonen,

Chinese Women under the Communist Regime(1949-Now) Research Paper

Chinese Women under the Communist Regime(1949-Now) - Research Paper Example The demand to have only child in the family has often led to sex-selective abortion of females, female infanticide and consequently prostitution as there are not enough women to marry. When it comes to education, girls are mostly denied the chance to have education in preference for boys. This has implication on the workforce as women tend to occupy low paying jobs if ever they get a chance to enter the workforce and hardly occupy leadership roles in organizations. For example according to China National Bureau of Statistics, women represent 45% of the workforce but their salary is 74 % leass than men’s wage. However, not all is lost as women’s equality status has been improving since resumption to power of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on a platform of gender equality since 1949. Much has been done in terms of law formulations and other programs but much still needs to be done to liberate Chinese women. This essay will discuss and evaluate the progress of women in the workforce under the communist regime (1949-now). In order to understand the plight of women in the workforce during the communist regime, it is imperative to delve into the background of the problem. The stereotyping of women characteristic even in the labor laws today dates back to Chinese history of patrilineal distribution of wealth and marriage. Women in the past had no freedom to choose a husband as marriages were arranged and spouse was chosen based on family needs (Engel, 955-961). The role of the woman in this marriage was to bear a son to continue family lineage. There were also purchase marriages that turned a woman into property of the husband which he could sell at his discretion. Marrying second wives and keeping concubines was a prevalent practice and there was nothing women could do about it until 1950 when a marriage law was passed to prohibit

The Alamo 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Alamo 1877 - Essay Example The Alamo became a battlefield between the Texan volunteer forces and the Mexican army troops in 1836. Before that in 1835 the Mexican army after taking over the church, changed it into a fort but was defeated by immigrant settlers and natives of Texas. This historical war for independence was fought with exemplary bravery against odds of limited number of soldiers sacrificing their lives, fighting against a powerful Mexican army. William Barett Travis – the leading hero of the war fought a heroic battle against Santa Anna’s powerful Mexican army – made an appeal to his people in one of his letters from the Alamo in 1836 for support. â€Å"I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism, and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. ...† proclaiming â€Å"VICTORY OR DEATH† (Page 2 William Barrett Travis Letter from the Alamo, 1836). As no support reached at the site of battle, Santa Anna’s army attacked resulting in the death of the saviors of the Alamo. This historic fight took place on February 20, 1835. About 150 Texas fighters, under the command of William B. Travis got ready to save San Antonio fort – the Alamo – opposing Mexican General Santa Anna’s largely over-competitive army. Background: Since 1835, the Texans had been on a winning spree. Most of the Mexican army had left with the elimination of their garrison. As most of the volunteers of the war had returned back home thinking that war was over, the fight on the Alamo was still not over. There was lack of unity in the provisional government; as a result no fast supplies could be rushed to the Alamo. In this context, the message of the letter written by William B. Travis was important. There were only 100 fighters in January under the command of James C. Neil; about twenty five volunteers led by James Bowie joined later. William B. Travis reached the Alamo on February 3

A Description of the Sumerian Society Essay Example for Free

A Description of the Sumerian Society Essay ?Sumerian society migrated into the Middle East and settled in the Mesopotamian area around 4000 B. C. E. , resulting in the settlement of that civilization. Sumerians contributed the city-states concept, created an essential writing system, strengthened their connection to their religion, and also recorded the world’s oldest story. The addition to Sumer’s city-states idea had a booming affect in their political structure. They were more organized than most political systems in other civilizations. With this, the Sumerian society was able to regulate religion and enforce laws in a better manner. Their concept later became a tradition of regional rule, basically creating an early bureaucracy for other societies to adopt and learn from. After several centuries of Sumer’s settlement, writing, the most significant invention in millennia’s, was introduced into Sumerian society. See more:Â  Perseverance essay Although it was very sudden, the addition to such a revolutionary idea made their culture even more prosperous. Things led to another, and soon enough, the Sumerian society had an entire alphabet that was referred to as cuneiform, in the palm of their hands. They began to record their history and culture, later resulting in the world’s oldest story, the Epic of Gilgamesh and much more from their culture. Sumer’s introduction to cuneiform bloomed into an economical boost throughout their entire society. Their invention helped to promote trade and manufacturing. They were able to communicate much more flawlessly, leading to trades as far as India. Not only did it support the trading system, but it did wonders in recording much of Sumerian history. Sumer’s settlement meant many prosperous things. Their ideas and inventions of cuneiform, city-states, ziggurats, job specialization, etc. , led to great achievements that other civilizations adopted and duplicated.

Capital punishment is morally wrong

Capital punishment is morally wrong   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Among some of the most controversial issues of our lives today, no question pops up as frequently as the question of the ethics concerning the Death Penalty. Capital punishment according to the website legal-explanations.com is â€Å"the death sentence awarded for capital offences like crimes involving planned murder, multiple murders, repeated crimes, rape and murder etc where in the criminal provisions consider such persons as a gross danger to the existence of the society and provide death punishment.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With its origins in Latin ‘capitalis meaning ‘regarding the head, a capital crime was originally punished by severing of the head. The first death penalty laws were established as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. It was also a part of the 14th century B.C.s Hittie Code; in the Seventh Century B.C.s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes; and in the Fifth Century B.C.s Roman law of the Twelve Tablets. Death Sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. (Deathpenaltyinfo.org Part I: History of the Death Penalty)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many arguments both for and against the application of the death penalty. Many people in favor of the death penalty would argue that it serves as a strong deterrent to potential recipients of such a punishment and therefore helps maintain a safer society. While numerous such arguments exist on both sides, I will be discussing why the death penalty is morally, ethically and fundamentally wrong, and try to present counter-arguments to claims made by the advocates of the death penalty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One problem with the death penalty is that it is simply uncivilized. Most of Western Europe no longer retains the death penalty. On top of that, when Turkey recently made an application for admission to the European Union, the Unions committee made a recommendation against it, citing that â€Å"Turkey retains the barbaric practice of capital punishment.â€Å"American countries like Mexico and Canada have abandoned the death penalty. The parliament of Europe also passed a resolution ugring the United States to abandon the death penatly. A magazine, now in international circulation says, â€Å"Throughout Europe in particular, the death penalty is thought of as simply uncivilized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"That its practice is said to be problematic for a leading nation. German Justice minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin has argued, â€Å"The Americans do not hesitate, proud as they are of their democratic tradition, to reproach other countries over human rights violations.â€Å"I think that great cost is desensitizing us to death and to using violence as an instrument for civilized society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another one of the biggest ethical problems associated with the use of capital punishment is its irreversibility. Death penalty, unlike conventional punishments is absolutely final. When a person, innocent of his charges is awarded the death penalty and after he/she is executed, there is no going back if advances in medical/forensic technology provide solid evidence in favor of the condemneds innocence. The court or the executioner cannot give back a life, so why should they be able to take it? The researchers Radelet and Bedau (1992) affirm that, â€Å"no less than twenty-three people have been executed who did not commit the crime they were accused of† (Focus on the Death Penalty, 2001). The execution of an innocent is not a problem existing solely in the United States; it taints almost every region in the world which still use capital punishment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A death penalty advocate would argue that once a condemned person is deprived of his or her life, he or she is also stripped of the ability to harm or detriment the society further. If a person is deemed to pose threat to society, life in prison also guarantees no future crimes; and in some cases, is even more psychologically effective than the death penalty. Human beings are social creatures and the level of sensory and social deprivation experienced by some prison inmates is often enough to break them and their purpose to commit future crimes. Many would argue that life in prison would cost the tax-payer more than if the death penalty was carried out. Why should the tax-payer waste valuable resources in prolonging the life of an individual if he or she harbors naught but unfavorable wishes against him? Little do they know that in fact, executions cost almost four times as much! An average lifer would cost somewhere around $500,000 to the government (antideathpen alty.org/reasons) while an execution can cost as much as $ 2 million! Most of this money however is not diverted to the actual process of the execution itself; instead it takes the form of free counseling for defense, for appeals, maximum security on a separate death row wing. (antideathpenalty.org/reasons)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The application of the death penalty can often have a completely reverse effect among potential lawbreakers-it creates martyrs. Criminals are usually associated with a negative connotation in society. Most people are repulsed by the unconscionable, vile act they commit and are tremendously sympathetic for the victims of heinous crimes such as rape, murder etc. However, sometimes the death penalty can shift popular sympathy aside from the victims of the crime and to the criminals themselves. The 2005 execution of former gang leader â€Å"Tookie† Williams, said to have founded the notorious gang of the crips‘, which has an extensive history of assault, robbery and murder (http://www.tookie.com/abtook.html). This man was convicted with overwhelming evidence of the murder of four persons, some of whom he shot and mocked obscenely. A remorseless man, never one to apologize to the victims of afflicted families was, after being executed, idolized and sympathized by the public with events such as Candlelight vigils, websites like savetookie.org, protests and a media circus ensued trying to prevent the execution which took place 26 years after the crimes were committed(Balancedpolitics.org, sec. 12). This is just one of many cases, which make a mockery of the evil crimes, such degenerates commit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there really a need for the Death Penalty in the human society? Like the silver lining on the dark cloud, one can see, in an otherwise hopelessly misguided system, there exist, other viable alternatives. The sheer number of less controversial, more reasonable and efficient methods of dealing with atrocious crimes in our society question the very place and existence of the death penalty. Could it be as a means of channeling our collective hatred, confusion and anger; a central point for the darker side of humanity, which originates from the rigorous conditions of our lives? The victims of these barbaric actions are often made scapegoats for our social troubles; it is they, who are blamed, even if the fault is inherent in our social policies and practices. George Orwell, in his book nineteen eighty four, needed but a single Goldstein to sustain his tyrannicism; while some of the modern governments need millions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Given the overwhelming amount of arguments against death penalty, one can easily see that there is little purpose to it other than vengeance. Yet, looking at the number of nations still applying this barbaric and archaic form of punishment, it is hard not to see that our society has sunk to a level so low, that vengeance is acceptable to most. The State copies every disgusting quality of the heinous act of murder; a murder is often committed in anger and is therefore penalized with an execution carried out in resentment; a premeditated murder committed with satisfaction and pleasure is met with a likewise execution. The final result is the same and the feeling with which it is carried out is the same. There are several qualities of the death penalty which even go beyond the moral repugnance of a criminal act of murder. What then is the difference between a murder and an execution? Is it really possible for one form of murder to be correct while another be wrong? W ould the same deed, if carried out by two different persons, be at one time abhorrent and barbaric while the other righteous and divine? Most importantly, how can a morally wrongful deed promote the righteousness, let alone the comfortable survival, of the human society? Mutually assured punishment is simply not the solution. This outdated and barbaric eye-for-an-eye form of justice is a savage and eventually senseless way of going about the problem of societal crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why is law-objective and completely free from religious pressures based on such antiquated and savage principles of a God that is more malevolent than divine? Attempting to defeat violence with violence would merely catalyze the proliferation of circumstances, the subsistence of which we claim we are trying to terminate, within our actions and inside our minds. Have thoughtless practices such as these aided humanity in any way by solving any of its problems? What of serenity? Does this have to involve the loss of human life? If only humanity made a collective effort in finding out if we can end the problem instead of delving in delusions of believing that murder is the route to salvation. Such a route to peace does not necessarily have to be paved with blood and that peace bought with the price of murder is naught but an illusion peace, beneath which lies the silence of death. Works Cited Amnesty International. Singapore-The Death Penalty: A hidden toll of executions. January 2004. 18 November 2009 . Cauthan, Kenneth. Capital Punishment. 27 April 2004. 16 December 2008 . Department of Justice. Capital Punishment Statistics. 5 June 1988. 5 12 2008 . McCuen, A B Barbery. Does DNA Technology Warrant a Death Penalty Moratorium. May 2000. Patterson, Aaron. Amnesty.org. November 1998. 18 November 2009 Sorensen et.al â€Å"Capital punishment and deterrence: Examining the effect of executions on murder in Texas. †Crime and Deliquency 1999: 481-493. Sheppard, Joanna. Capital Punishment and Deterrence of Crime. April 2004. 19 November 2009 US .

Arab Women and Education :: Family Identity Essays

Arab Women and Education Whether it was the impoverished desert village, the war torn hills of Beirut, affluent Barqais, the jet set in London and Paris, or the enclosed lives of women in a harem in Morocco, the female characters in these novels all shared five common threads that dealt with the family and the search for identity. In my reading of five novels about Arab women from backgrounds and in situations as diverse as I thought possible, I was surprised to find this common thread running through every piece of literature. In this paper, I will analyze the role the women’s families have in the education of the women, the role of women and families in the literature in political support and times of war, women’s health and family planning, and most of all what these issues do to the emerging identity of the Arab woman. In a society that is so oriented around the extended family, and in which elderly parents are rarely if ever sent to nursing homes, the family’s opinion weighs heavily on what a woman can and cannot do with her life. The examination of the manner in which education is regarded in the families of these women is critical for a better understanding of the decisions they make. In a traditionally patriarchal society where the man is the breadwinner, the assessment of the subject of work outside the home is also interesting. In a region so riddled with almost constant political and military upheaval, there has been bound to have been a change in the roles women in the family play in support of these political and military actions. Finally, the issue of identity is much more prominent in the more modern novels and the issue of the modern family versus the individual and the rise of the individual from the modern family plays very prominently in â€Å"In the Eye of the Sun† and Dreams of Trespass†. The Arab family, as Magida Salman writes, is where â€Å"the fate of women is being decided and unfolds† (Salman 7). Therefore, it is nece ssary to understand the huge impact the family has on the identity of Arab women. Identity as a concept is valuable as a center for cross-cultural understandings of human experience because it begins with the individual, and issues of identity in a literary context can act as a mirror for what is happening in the real world.

Global Warming Essay -- Environment Global Warming Climate Change

Global Warming Global Warming is an important ecological issue and has many negative effects upon our environment. Global Warming, or what has been called the Greenhouse effect, is the result of a fourfold ecological process. 1-Sunlight radiates from the sun, through space, to Earth’s atmosphere. 2- The sunlight enters the atmosphere and hits Earth. Some of it turns into heat energy in the form of infrared light. The heat gets absorbed by surrounding air and land, which in turn makes it warm. 3- Infrared rays, that are remitted into the atmosphere are trapped by greenhouse gases. 4- The gas then absorbs the light and is remitted back to the Earth’s surface and warms it even more. Left on it's own this natural process keeps our planet warm enough for habitation, but with the increases in temperature, caused by modern industry, our current way of life could become threatened. Over the past 100 years the emissions of greenhouse gases have been increasing due to increases in technology and human developments. Modern factories and production plants have been responsible for d...

Quentins Passion and Desire in The Sound and the Fury Essay example --

Quentin's Passion and Desire in The Sound and the Fury    As Quentin Compson travels through the countryside with his college friends, the reality of the situation becomes terribly confused by memories and past feelings. After a little girl follows him for miles around town, his own sexuality reaches the forefront of his consciousness and transforms itself into disjointed memories of his sister Caddy. Quentin's constant obsession in William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, surrounds a defining sexual act with his sister. Though the physical act never appears in plain language, Quentin's apparent lapse into an inner monologue demonstrates his overwhelming fixation with Caddy as well as a textured representation of their relationship. Sexual language pervades his inner consciousness - scents, sounds and colors represent his passion and desire. Elements of nature, when associated with his sister, become erotic; the tiers of description, no matter how seemingly mundane, tend to be steeped in sexuality. Quentin's lapse into past events with Caddy begins in the midst of typical conversation with his friends as they drive through town. His attention to reality is shattered by an unconscious slip into thoughts of his sister. As the eyes of the little girl snap Quentin into a reverie of sexual exploration, his words wander haphazardly, even before the image of his sister, prone on the banks of the river, comes to mind. "If I tried to hard to stop it I'd be crying and I thought about how I'd thought about I could not be a virgin, with so many of them walking along in the shadows and whispering with their soft girlvoices lingering in the shadowy places and the words coming out and perfume and eyes you could f... ... environment to evoke such passion. Although Faulkner rarely refers to sexual acts directly, the use of language through Quentin's consciousness and internal monologue is so rampant with erotic metaphor and passionate depth, that a simple object, such as a pocket knife, transforms into the most vital of symbols. Works Cited and Consulted Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984. Harold, Brent. "The Volume and Limitations of Faulkner's Fictional Method." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 11, 1975. Hoffman, F. J. and Vickery, O. W.   William Faulkner:   Three Decades of Criticism.   New York, Harbinger, 1960. Irwin, John T. "A Speculative Reading of Faulkner" Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 14, 1975. Polk, N.   New Essays On:   The Sound and the Fury.   Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993.  

Convergence of IP-Based Networks Essay

In the early days of the Internet, the only way to connect to the Web was by using a modem in conjunction with a dial-up connection. The modems, which stand for modulator-demodulator, were devices that converted analog signals into digital signals. Early modems operated at 1200 bps or bit/s per second to 2400 bps. Data transfer was slow and often unreliable. Today the Internet and the means to access the Internet has changed radically from the days of the modem. We now use lightning fast networks that include broadband, T1, satellite and digital wireless connections. The modernization of network technology has enabled the invention of cell phones, and other devices that allow users to access the Web and other networks from almost anywhere in the world and beyond. The advancement in network technology has led to its share of security risks. Attacks against networks, user’s personal information and corporate information have changed how the world deals with network security. The idea of Network Security is no longer an afterthought but the driving force in all network designs. IT managers are now concerned with securing data, ensuring only authorized end users have access to resources, and protecting the integrity of hardware, software and devices. A converged network has many of the same risks and susceptibility to threats as you might find if you were dealing with two separate networks. Denial of Service attacks against banks data storage servers could cause a lot of harm and potentially cause the loss of millions of dollars, Identification theft or loss of confidence for the organization. Converged networks place more information and resources in line with each other than would be found in having separate networks for each network needed to operate a company. This just means IT managers have to place all safeguards in one place. Wireless or mobile technology has added another dimension to information technology and information technology security. With the advent of cell phones, tablets and other Smart devices, many new challenges have evolved in the IT community. The manufacturers of these devices, in order to stay competitive,  have to consider the devices capabilities, cost, and what I think to be the most important aspect is, the security of the device. Mobile devices offer many opportunities in the modern work force that a person would not have with a desktop computer. Mobile devices offer flexibility that allows a person to work from virtually anywhere. The only limitation is network connectivity, and with a satellite connection this means the workplace is almost endless. Many companies are now moving in the direction of mobile technology but as with most new technologies the cost is high. In order for a company to fully integrate mobile technology they will need to perform a cost-benefit analysis and determine if the investment is justified. Data security and authentication processes/standards have been put place and are continually being updated that make mobile computing safe and reliable. These standards have made it easier and more cost effective for companies to operate across multiple platforms while maintaining system integrity, security and usability.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Eleven

â€Å"Coffee, my dear?† Professor Campbel – James, Elena reminded herself – asked. At her nod, he bounced to his feet and bustled over to the tiny coffeemaker perched on top of a teetering stack of papers. He brought her a cup of coffee, creamed and sugared, and settled down happily in his chair, gazing across his crowded desk at her with an expression of innocent enjoyment. â€Å"I think I have some cookies,† he offered. â€Å"Not homemade, but they're reasonably tasty. No?† Elena shook her head politely and sipped her coffee. â€Å"It's very good,† she said, and smiled at him. It had been a few days since she had told Stefan and Damon she needed to take a break from them. After a much-needed sob session with Bonnie and Meredith, she had done her best to be normal – going to class, having lunch with her friends, keeping up a brave mask. Part of this attempt at normality was coming to James's office hours, so that she could hear more about her parents. Even though they couldn't be there to comfort her, talking about them offered some solace. â€Å"My God!† James cried out. â€Å"You have Elizabeth's face, and then, when you smile, Thomas's dimple comes right out. Just the same as his – on only one side. It gave him a certain raffish charm.† Elena wondered if she should thank James. He was complimenting her, in a way, but the compliments were real y directed toward her parents, and it felt a little presumptuous to be grateful for them. She settled for saying, â€Å"I'm glad you think I look like my parents. I remember thinking when I was little that they were very elegant.† She shrugged. â€Å"I guess al little kids think their parents are beautiful.† â€Å"Well, your mother certainly was,† James said. â€Å"But it's not just your looks. Your voice sounds like hers, and the comments you made in class this week reminded me of things your father would have said. He was very observant.† He delved into his desk drawers and, after a bit of rummaging, pul ed out a tin of butter cookies. â€Å"Sure you won't have one? Ah, Well.† He chose one for himself and took a bite. â€Å"Yes, as I was saying, Elizabeth was extremely lovely. I wouldn't have cal ed Thomas lovely, but he had charm. Maybe that's how he managed to win Elizabeth's heart in the end.† â€Å"Oh.† Elena stirred her coffee absently. â€Å"She dated other guys, then?† It was ridiculous, but she had kind of imagined her parents as always being together. James chuckled. â€Å"She was quite the heartbreaker. I imagine you are, too, dear.† Elena thought unhappily of Stefan's soft, dismayed green eyes. She had never wanted to hurt him. And Matt, who she had dated in high school and who had quietly gone on loving her. He hadn't fal en in love, or even been real y interested in, anyone else since then. Heartbreaker, yeah. James was watching her with bright, inquisitive eyes. â€Å"Not a happy heartbreaker, then?† he said softly. Elena glanced at him in surprise, and he set his coffee cup down with a little clink. He straightened up. â€Å"Elizabeth Morrow,† he said in a brisk businesslike voice, â€Å"was a freshman when I met her. She was always making things, particularly amazing sets and costumes she designed for the theater department. Your father and I were both sophomores at the time – we were in the same fraternity, and close friends – and he couldn't stop talking about this amazing girl. Once I got to know her, I was sucked into her orbit, too.† He smiled. â€Å"Thomas and I each had something special about us: I was academical y gifted, and Thomas could talk anyone into anything. But we were both cultural barbarians. Elizabeth taught us about art, about theater, about the world beyond the smal Southern towns where we'd grown up.† James ate another cookie, absentmindedly licking sugar off his fingers, then sighed deeply. â€Å"I thought we'd be friends forever,† he said. â€Å"But we went in different directions in the end.† â€Å"Why?† Elena asked. â€Å"Did something happen?† His bright eyes shifted away from hers. â€Å"Of course not,† he said dismissively. â€Å"Just life, I suppose. But whenever I walk down the third-floor corridor, I can't help stopping to look at the photograph of us.† He gave a self-conscious laugh, patting his stomach. â€Å"Mostly vanity, I suppose. I recognize my young self more easily than I do the fat old man I see in the mirror now.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† Elena asked, confused. â€Å"The third-floor corridor?† James's mouth made a round O of surprise. â€Å"Of course, you don't know al the col ege traditions yet. The long corridor on the third floor of this building has pictures from al the different periods of Dalcrest's history. Including a nice photo of your parents and yours truly.† â€Å"I'l have to check it out,† Elena said, feeling a little excited. She hadn't seen many pictures of her parents from before they were married. There was a tap on the door, and a smal girl with glasses peeked in. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry,† she said, and started to withdraw. â€Å"No, no, my dear,† James said jovial y, getting to his feet. â€Å"Elena and I were just chatting about old friends. You and I need to have a serious talk about your senior thesis as soon as possible. Come in, come in.† He gave Elena an absurd little half bow. â€Å"Elena, we'l have to continue this conversation later.† â€Å"Of course,† Elena said, and rose, shaking James's offered hand. â€Å"Speaking of old friends,† he said casual y as she turned to go, â€Å"I met a friend of yours, Dr. Celia Connor, just before the semester started. She mentioned that you were coming here.† Elena whipped back around, staring at him. He had met Celia? Images fil ed Elena's mind: Celia held in Stefan's arms as he traveled faster than any human, desperate to save her life; Celia fending off the phantom in a room ful of flames. How much did James know? What had Celia told him? James smiled blandly back at her. â€Å"But we'l talk later,† he said. After a moment, Elena nodded and stumbled out of his office, her mind racing. The girl who was waiting held the door open for her. In the hal outside, Elena leaned against the wal and took stock for a moment. Would Celia have told James about Stefan and Damon being vampires, or anything about Elena herself? Probably not. Celia had become a friend by the end of their battle with the phantom. She would have kept their secrets. Plus, Celia was a very savvy academic. She wouldn't have told her col eagues anything that might make them think she was crazy, including that she had met actual vampires. Elena shook off the unease she felt from the end of her conversation with James and thought instead of the picture he'd told her about. She climbed the stairs to the third floor to see if she could find it now. It turned out that the â€Å"third-floor corridor† was no problem to find. While the second floor was a maze of turning passageways and faculty offices subdivided from one another, when she stepped out of the stairWellon the third floor she discovered it was a long hal that ran from one end of the building to the other. In contrast to the chatter of people at work on the second floor, the third floor seemed abandoned, silent and dim. Closed doors sat at regular intervals along the hal . Elena peered through the glass on one door, only to see an empty room. Al down the hal , between the doors, hung large photographs. Near the stairWell, where she began looking, they seemed like they were from maybe the turn of the century: young men in side-combed hair and suits, smiling stiffly; girls in high-necked white blouses and long skirts with their hair pul ed up on top of their heads. In one, a row of girls carried garlands of flowers for some forgotten campus occasion. There were photos of boat races and picnics, couples dressed up for dances, team pictures. In one photo, the cast of some student play – maybe from the 1920s or '30s, the girls with shingled flapper cuts, the guys with funny covers over their shoes – laughed hilariously on stage, their mouths frozen open, their hands in the air. A little farther on, a group of young men in army uniforms gazed back at her seriously, jaws firmly set, eyes determined. As she moved on down the hal , the photos changed from black-and-white to color; the clothes got less formal; the hairstyles grew longer, then shorter; messier, then sleeker. Even though most of the people in the photographs looked happy, something about them made Elena feel sad. Maybe it was how fast time seemed to pass in them: al these people had been Elena's age, students like her, with their own fears and joys and heartbreaks, and now they were gone, grown older or even dead. She thought briefly of a bottle tucked deep in her closet at home, containing the water of eternal life she'd accidental y stolen from the Guardians. Was that the answer? She pushed the thought away. It wasn't the answer yet – she knew that – and she'd made the very clear choice not to think about that bottle, not to decide anything, not now. She had time, she had more life to live natural y before she'd want to ask herself that question. The picture James talked about was close to the far end of the hal . In it, her father, her mother, and James were sitting on the grass under a tree in the quad. Her parents were leaning forward in eager conversation, and James – a much thinner version, his face almost unrecognizable beneath a straggly beard – was sitting back and watching them, his expression sharp and amused. Her mother looked amazingly young, her face soft, her eyes wide, her smile big and bright, but she was also somehow exactly the mother Elena remembered. Elena's heart gave a painful but happy throb at the sight of her. Her father was gawkier than the distinguished dad Elena had known – and his pastel-patterned shirt was a fashion disaster of epic proportions – but there was an essential dadness to him that made Elena smile. She noticed the pin on his horrific pastel shirt first. She thought it was a smudge, but then, leaning forward, she made out the shape of a smal , dark blue V. Looking at the other figures, she realized her mother and James were wearing the same pins, her mother's half-obscured by a long golden curl fal ing across it. Weird. She tapped her finger slowly against the glass over the photograph, touching one V and then the others. She would ask James about the pins. Hadn't he mentioned that he and her dad had been in a fraternity? Maybe it had something to do with that. Didn't frat boys â€Å"pin† their girlfriends? Something nudged at the edges of her mind. She'd seen one of these pins somewhere. But she couldn't remember where, so she shrugged it off. Whatever it stood for, it was something she didn't know about her parents, another facet of their lives to be discovered here. She couldn't wait to learn more.

Macro Environmental Analysis

Melanie Verreault STMT-500 Strategic Management Analysis of Child and Family Services of Timmins and District Word Count: 2,494 November 8, 2009 Tracy Hillier Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 External Situation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Internal Situation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 Five Forces Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Competitor Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 12 3 Introduction In 2000, CFSTD became the second social servic es organization in Ontario to amalgamate Children’s Mental Health and Protection Services. An appreciation of CFSTD and its services can be obtained by visiting its website: http://www. timminschildfamily. org In order to gain a greater understanding of CFSTD, a strategic management analysis will be completed. This goal will be achieved by completing the following: 1. an analysis of CFSTD’s external and internal situation; 2. an evaluation of CFSTD by using Porter’s Five Forces model, and; 3. an analysis of CFSTD’s main competition. Based on this assessment, strategic objectives will be identified and recommended. External Situation As presented by Grant (2007), macroenvironmental factors are beyond a firm’s control. To adapt and remain competitive, a firm must understand how these external influences â€Å"affect the firm’s industry environment† (p. 66). The six factors impacting the endeavours of a firm are demographic, economic, political/legal, ecological, socio-cultural, and technology. Barney (2007) states an analysis of the external situation identifies a firm’s â€Å"critical threats and opportunities in its competitive environment† (p. 1) and â€Å"examines how competition in this environment is likely to evolve and what implications that evolution has for the threats and opportunities a firm is facing† (Ibid). The following outlines these factors and their level of influence on CFSTD. Demographic:High The population of the City of Timmins can best be described as aging with a decrease in birth rate. It is important to add that the population of Native People migrating to the Timmins area from the James Bay coast is increasing. Since CFSTD’s main reason for operating is to offer services exclusively to youth under the age of sixteen and their respective families, the demographic factor scores high. Without this, threats such as decrease in ministry funding and personnel layoffs can occur. To 4 adapt to the changing demographic environment, CFSTD can implement new and creative initiatives by collaborating with other service providers. Economic:High The current economic situation has impacted most if not all of the world. As a result, government funding to organisations has been affected. Due to current budget cuts, CFSTD is facing threats of potential downsizing in various services, capping travel and other expenditures and suspending relevant personnel training initiatives. To respond to the changing economic environment, CFSTD can explore amalgamating programs and services, developing new partnerships and increasing its capacity in the volunteer sector. Political:Medium Whenever a new government is elected, changes to the legislation can be anticipated. Amendments made to provincial legislation such as the Child and Family Services Act impact CFSTD’s operation. Threats CFSTD can face due to the changing political environment are mostly cost and time demanding: development of new operation and administrative procedures, staff training in these areas, to name a few. However, developing and implementing new initiatives can translate into opportunities for CFSTD with the influence of the political environment. Ecological:Low Although located in a city where extreme weather conditions are experienced such as harsh winters with abundant snowfalls, the ecological situation poses minimal impact on CFSTD’s service delivery. Fortunately, with the implementation of videoconferencing services, travel to various areas is reduced. Thus, programming continues to be offered to the client population. Social/Cultural:Medium CFSTD’s culture encompasses a unionized personnel, which is mostly female, with a diversity in educational backgrounds, expertise and work experience. In addition, some of the personnel are fast approaching retirement. This factor can pose threats such as a delay in services offered to clients due to union issues, potential work stoppage, and a wealth of knowledge and expertise lost when veteran personnel retire. Should this be the case, an opportunity that CFSTD could explore, as mentioned in an article by Dychtwald et al. (2004), is to â€Å"create a culture that honors experience† (p. 51), 5 that is, to offer flexible contracts to retiring staff who can â€Å"step in at a moment’s notice by filling gaps and help bringing the next generation of leaders up to speed† (p. 54). Technological:Low CFSTD ensures that new technological initiatives are implemented on a regular basis. Potential threats could be additional staff training and resistance to endorsing new technological initiatives. Technology creates many opportunities such as improving efficiency of work practices and reducing overall costs. In sum, the DEPEST analysis indicates that demographic and economic factors significantly impact CFSTD while technological and ecological factors are minor influences. The socio-cultural and political factors have a mid-level effect on the organization. The external analysis points out the possible threats and opportunities that CFSTD faces. To complement this external analysis, an internal assessment will follow. As noted by Barney (2007), â€Å"an internal analysis helps a firm identify its organizational strengths and weaknesses† (p. 11). Furthermore, it will illustrate â€Å"which of its resources and capabilities are likely to be sources of advantage and which of them are less likely to be sources of such advantages† (Ibid). CFSTD’s internal situation will be analyzed using the VRIO framework. Internal Situation Barney (2007) states the VRIO framework is a â€Å"structured in a series of four questions to be asked about the business activities in which a firm engages† (p. 138). In addition, the â€Å"answers to these questions determine whether a particular firm resource or capability is a strength or a weakness† (Ibid). The following table summarizes the VRIO questions as they apply to CFSTD. 6 TABLE 1: VRIO analysis of CFSTD RESOURCES| CAPABILITIES| VALUABLE| RARE| IMITABLE| ORGANIZATION| IMPORTANCE| Annual funding| Staff are remunerated for providing services; covers capital costs for overall agency functioning. Finances are ministry driven. | YES| NO| NO| YES| High| Technology| Records agency’s overall administrative tasks (i. e. reports). Communication vehicle for staff. Video-conferencing services are available. | YES| NO| YES| YES| Medium| Personnel| Certified employees providing expertise inservices to client population. | YES| YES| NO| YES| High| Quantitative and qualitative assurance measures| Data collected through client surveys and agency’s network enables the agency to identify the client needs, develop new programs and initiatives and ensures the client population is being adequately serviced. | YES| NO| YES| YES| Medium| Location| Where services are provided for clients. Programming occurs in these various locations. YES| NO| YES| YES| Medium| Services| Multi-disciplinary agency providing a wide range of services to meet client population needs. | YES| YES| NO| YES| High| The findings of the VRIO analysis indicate which resources and capabilities are of significant importance to CFSTD. Ministry funding, is extremely relevant. Although provided on a quarterly basis, funding can change based on data re garding client 7 volume. CFSTD is bound to a funding formula which is reviewed on an annual basis by the government. Despite its potential for fluctuation, funding is a strength for CFSTD. Technology is a pertinent vehicle of communication. Technology permits CFSTD to offer specialized services to clients that are not readily accessible in the North. CFSTD personnel present as a relevant resource. The diversity and expertise of the personnel is of great value, strength and rarity. Data is another noted strength. The gathered information, analyzed with evidenced-based qualitative and quantitative measures, enables CFSTD to assess the needs and pressure points and, in turn, develop proposals and implement new initiatives that will better serve the client population. Services are also a relevant resource. CFSTD is the largest social service organisation within the area offering more than twenty programs and services that are unique and valuable. Annually, service enhancements take place via the program review process. Furthermore, collaborative projects are occurring with other service providers to offer services that meet clientele needs. Currently, location resources are a weakness. CFSTD is facing a potential closure of one of its facilities due to the constant low number of young offenders coming into custody. CFSTD is communicating with the ministry at this time regarding next steps. Overall, the internal analysis of CFSTD clearly identifies areas of strength and weakness and those requiring improvement. It is important to analyze how and where CFSTD fits into the non-profit industry and determine the intensity of competition and profitability (in this industry, profit is viewed by client volume and ministry funding). In order to do so, an evaluation of CFSTD will be conducted using Porter’s Five Forces of Competition Framework. Five Forces Analysis Grant (2007) states â€Å"Porter’s five forces of competition framework views the profitability of an industry as determined by five sources of competitive pressure† (p. 71). The following table evaluates CFSTD with these five forces. 8 TABLE 2: Evaluation of CFSTD using Porter’s Five Forces FACTORS| INDUSTRY: Non-Profit Child and Family Social Services Organisations| Threat of New Entrants| New government policy and/or amendments to legislation directly impact licensing requirements and overall service operations in social services organisations. Thus, new procedures are developed and new criteria must be met to receive allocation of funds and subsidies for programs and initiatives. | Bargaining Power of Suppliers| Unionized organisations are threatened by disagreements on job descriptions, training and worker performance, thus creating significant delays in service delivery and having an impact on funding. There is a threat of the collective bargaining agreement review and negotiation turning into a strike thus halting service operations. | Bargaining Power of Buyers| Ministry allocated funds for program proposals regarding new initiatives that meet Ministry expectations. Other service providers looking to collaborate and develop new partnerships for Ministry driven initiatives in order to receive financial allocation. | Threat of Substitute Products or Services| Private firms offering similar services. New provincial initiative where psychiatric services in the north will be offered via video-conference instead of face-to-face thus, decreasing the wait-time and wait-list for clients. New legislation regarding young offenders indicates that youth involved with the law are kept out of custody and instead assisted in their local communities. Thus, the number of youth entering facilities has decreased to the point of facility closures. | Rivalry Among Existing Competitors| Similar firms within the industry are competing for Ministry funds. Some firms are collaborating and creating partnerships on some initiatives thus dividing Ministry funds among them. | The findings in this analysis reveal the most significant aspects of CFSTD’s competitive environment. In his article, Porter (2008) note the â€Å"strongest competitive force or forces determine the profitability of an industry and become the most important to strategy formulation† (p. 0). Threat of new entrants and bargaining power of buyers are significant forces for CFSTD. Interesting enough, these forces pertain to the same entity: government. More 9 specifically, government legislation and funding influence CFSTD’s course of action when it comes to service implementation and development. However, in the non-profit industry, there is dual influen ce occurring. Funding, for instance is service/client driven. Thus, if CFSTD’s client volume is high, funding forecasts are at a higher level. Another significant factor is the bargaining power of suppliers. In this case, it is the firm’s personnel. Similar to the government, staffing poses as a threat and/or opportunity. The vision of CFSTD is to offer services to clients in order to promote well-being and safety. This goal cannot be achieved without the expertise and efforts offered by CFSTD employees. Although Porter’s model is better served in the profit industry, it has validity in the non-profit sector. It identifies the fundamentals and constraints of CFSTD all the while permitting CFSTD to have a certain degree of flexibility and creativity in this prescribed environment. In sum, Porter’s model is good to predict changes of profitability. In the case of CFSTD, profitability is a combination of funding with client and service volume. How can CFSTD predict the competitive moves rivals are likely to initiate? One possibility is to conduct a competitor analysis. The following will examine how information regarding rivals can assist in predicting behaviour. Competitor Analysis Grant (2007) notes that competitor analysis is an intra-industry analysis involving a â€Å"systematic approach of information gathering that makes clear what information is required and for what purposes it will be used. The objective is to understand one’s rival† (p. 107). At present, there are social services firms offering similar services to CFSTD. This paper focuses on the competitor most similar to CFSTD: Kunuwanimano Child and Family Services (KCFS). More details about KCFS can be found at their website: http://www. kunuwanimano. com The tool selected to complete this analysis is Porter’s four-part framework for predicting competitive behaviour. The following table outlines these details. 10 TABLE 3: Analysis of KCFS Factor| Comments| Strategy| * KCFS focuses on delivering child welfare and mental health services to First Nations children within their catchment area and work collaboratively with the communities they service. * Children and families will be cared for by the community and inherit the skills, knowledge and cultural traditions that will be provided by community members (www. kunuwanimano. com) * Approaches to working with youth and families guided by the seven sacred teachings. | Objectives| * Develop a service model respecting the inherit authority for child protection matters. Develop policies and procedures and protocols with service providers and First Nations communities that will address decision-making regarding child protection matters. * Obtain Ministry designation to offer mandated services. | Assumptions| * All First Nations people want to obtain services from KCFS. * All First Nations people want to inherit and learn traditional, cultural skills, customs and knowledge. | Resources and Capa bilities| Strengths: * Culturally specific services offered by staff with Native ancestry. * Ability to service eleven Native communities. Weaknesses: * No child welfare designation. * Collaboration with service providers in order to develop protocols, policies and procedures. * Frequent changes in personnel. | Currently, KCFS is at a standstill in obtaining its designation due to their unwillingness to collaborate with similar community service providers. In order for a firm to obtain designation from the Ministry, supervision by a similar firm is required. KCFS refuses to have CFSTD as their supervisor. Based on the above-mentioned, CFSTD can predict the following: 11 KCFS will not obtain its designation for several years and thus will not take over CFSTD’s Native client population; * There is a probability that many of CFSTD’s Native clients will choose to remain as clients of CFSTD, and; * CFSTD will remain as the leading organisation in child welfare services for the Timmins area. It is important to note that CFSTD continues its efforts to work with KCFS, in most part, to no avail. This framework has enabled CFSTD to assess key components of KCFS in order to make future predictions. Objectives Based on the various analyses completed in this paper, recommended strategic objectives are for CFSTD to: * Develop and implement a performance appraisal tool that encompasses competency modelling and that is congruent with CFSTD’s strategic plan; * Develop a contingency plan with the Ministry in the possibility of the closure of one of CFSTD’s locations; * Research and identify a framework such as management innovation that can be applied agency wide and that is in alignment with CFSTD’s strategic plan, and; * Develop and implement a plan to recruit qualified Native professionals. Conclusion Overall, the analyses completed in this paper have allowed us to better understand CFSTD. Now, we can appreciate how CFSTD is doing, what is working well, what requires enhancing and what directions CFSTD plans on going into in the near future. 12 References Barney, J. B. (2007). Chapter 1: What is strategy? In Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage (3rd ed. , pp. 1-16). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Barney, J. B. (2007). Chapter 5: Evaluating firm strengths and weaknesses. In Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage (3rd ed. , pp. 127-169). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. Dychtwald, K. , Erickson, T. , & Morison, B. (2004). It's time to retire retirement. Harvard Business Review, 82(3), 48-57. http://library. athabascau. ca/mbadrr/STMT-500/ Chapter 5-Evaluating firm strengths and weaknesses. pdf Grant, R. M. (2007). Contemporary strategy analysis (6th ed. ). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Kunuwanimano Child and Family Services (2009). Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www. kunuwanimano. com . Porter, M. (2008). The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard Business Review, 86(1), 78-93. http://0-search. ebscohost. com. aupac. lib. athab ascau. ca/login. aspx? direct=true;AuthType=url, ip,uid;db=bth;AN=28000138;site=ehost-live

Movie Review the Return of the Titans

JC Life of Pi: A Movie Review The movie â€Å"Life of Pi† is a story of survival. In order to survive, the protagonist, â€Å"Pi†, draws his inner strength from his spirituality and practicality. A scientist once said, [i]â€Å"A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with. A man is what he makes himself. † As Pi tried to survive in the ocean, he became a soldier in his own right. What Pi’s character portrayed is very similar to what a good soldier should be. On Military Professionalism At the beginning of the story, the pureness, innocence and compassion of Pi’s heart became the foundation of how his character and values were molded.Just like any soldier, very evident to Pi is his portrayal of the standards of loyalty, competence, ethics and morals. Pi has a high standard of loyalty. Pi expressed in words and in deeds his strong support to his family especially to his father. He knew that his father as the head of the family ha s the authority to lead the family. Even though it is against his will to sail to the Pacific and leave India, he knew who has authority and who demands obedience. There is competence as Pi possesses the knowledge, skills, physical attributes and character traits that are necessary in order to survive.From childhood, his quest for information, logic and eagerness to know how things should be done harnessed his whole being through the years. Pi has ethics. He knew how to observe and conform to the accepted principles of right conduct being part of not just his family, but also his family as part of the whole community. His ethics governed his behavior towards the tiger even in a most undesirable situation of being cast away. He is honest, just, truthful and very much concerned about the things that surround him. What differs Pi, from the tiger named Richard Parker, is his being a rational being.It means Pi has morals because of his discernment from knowing what is right from wrong. H is transparency in his acts and openness with his feelings dictated his morals and his morals defined him as a person. On AFP Core Values/Philosophy/Creed At the end of the story, Pi’s total character is revealed. For one who strived to survive, it was inevitable for him to have lived with the same Core Values of a soldier. These values are the love of country, honor, loyalty, valor, duty, and solidarity. His love of country becomes evident with the way he talked about India.He even argued with his father about leaving India when Christopher Columbus sailed the Pacific to find India. He also talked about the cultures and traditions of India with pride and respect. It is respect in the sense that though some traditions and customs (for him) are questionable, he respects it anyway. His honor is equated with his integrity. Growing up in a family who valued honor, with great reputation and credibility, it became easy for him to aspire to live a decent life. His loyalty was displa yed when he acknowledged who the ‘boss’ is or who should demand his obedience.This loyalty enhanced his dedication to establish communication with the tiger. It was tedious and difficult but Pi never stopped trying. So when he won the cooperation of tiger he then showed his sincere concern for the well being of that ‘Richard Parker’. Taming Richard Parker and surviving alone in the Pacific for 221 days is seemingly impossible, but for Pi, he was able to survive. There is valor because he had the ability to overcome his fears and he endured all kinds of pain and hardship just to accomplish his bold will to survive.But what is more glaring is the spiritual side of valor that is shown by his composure, calmness and presence of mind. Even in times of danger, he tried and fought so hard not to be taken by surprise. Despite the difficult moments and the danger of storms, Pi’s values, obedience and discipline remained intact. He took it as a responsibility to survive, so he can take care of Richard Parker. He rendered service by hunting for food and saving rain water to keep the tiger alive. That willingness to sacrifice for others even if it means giving up his life in the process was not just simply courage, but being true to his duty as well.Lastly, solidarity is not just about being bound together. It is also the sustainment of that bind, considering the presence of the one who leads and the ones being led. In the movie, sometimes the tiger is the leader because he has the control over the situation, and sometimes it is Pi. The leadership that is within defines their solidarity. Thoughts on Correlation There is a saying that, [ii]â€Å"From a pure heart, anything can be accomplished. If you ask what the universe is doing, it is eavesdropping on your every desire†.The difference between a civilian and a citizen is that a citizen has the courage to make the safety of his community a personal responsibility. Pi, is not just an ordinary civilian, he is a citizen. As to the difference between a citizen and a soldier, it is more of a question of understanding how the individual's heart, intent and focus are aligned. If one will look into the verbs used in the roles of Army Core Values, it is â€Å"as protectors of†¦, guardians of†¦, and dynamic proponents for development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . These contexts are all geared towards doing good for others.May it be a soldier or a warrior, a civilian or a citizen, as individuals, the values, creeds and philosophies are applicable to everyone. In everyday life, it all depends on where a person learns these values from, how he enhances them, when to apply them, why he exercises them and to whom are they for. But these values are always best use for the protection of what he or she finds important and worth protecting. [iii] â€Å"Ethical conduct is not just about uniforms. It is about taking personal responsibility. † ————â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [i] Alexander Graham Bell [ii] Deepak Chopra [iii] Anonymous

Posthuman Figures Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Posthuman Figures - Movie Review Example 2). Posthumanism views the human body as a prosthesis that humans learn to manipulate and replaces it with other prostheses, which is a continuation of a process. Likewise, the posthuman view looks at the human body as something that can be seamlessly articulated with intelligent machines through configuration (Hayles, 1999, p. 3). In the posthuman, absolute demarcation or even essential differences do not exist between bodily existence and computer simulation. The analysis of possessive individualism by C. B. Macpherson is significant of underlying assumption about subjectivity signaled by the posthuman. This analysis posits that the posthuman possessive quality is found in how it conceives the individual as the essential proprietor of his own person or capacities, in which he owes nothing to society. There are convenient points of departure for measuring the distance between the human and the posthuman, exemplified by this notion of "owing nothing to society" (Hayles, 1999). Hobbes and Locke have initially claimed that humans in a 'state of nature' owe nothing to society before the emergence of market relations. It is argued that a foundation upon which those market relations can be built, such as selling one's labour for wages, since ownership of oneself is viewed to predate market relations (Hayles, 1999). Posthumanism and Cultural Identity One of the most frequent criticisms made of cybernetics is that apart from being a new science it is merely an extended analogy between men and machines. It was argued by Michael Foucault that man is a historical construction whose era is about to end (Hollinger and Gordon, 2002). Posthuman has then become a subject in cultural studies and the discourse about the body signals the emergence of the posthuman subject. There is the recognition of masculinist cyberpunk narratives of the possibilities of the elimination of the boundaries between human and machine. However, dualistic gender identity in the interactions between material bodies and technological devices has failed to dislodge (Hollinger and Gordon, 2002, p. 77). It may be furthered that a denaturalisation of the relationship between the body and cultural identity is facilitated by the multiple entanglements of the body with technology. This in turn is said to destabilise the structure and modes of reproduction of Western iden tity, alongside nature of culture (ibid). It is however noteworthy to mention that pertaining to cultural identity, the posthuman view supports the perspective that the wired body is perfect because the technoid life enables the human being to crack out from the dead shell of human culture (Hollinger and Gordon, 2002). The formulation of the technoid life form through the cyborg undermines the knowledge that the human body has a productive and inscriptive capacity of its own, functioning through historical, social, and cultural practices. Culturally constituted bodies do not only experience and live, but are also gendered bodies that define their environments as much as they are defined by them. Information is the defining environment for the contemporary technological body. Thus, the posthuman context must inevitably address the complex and shifting relationship

Critique on Movie The Last King of Scotland Review

Critique on The Last King of Scotland - Movie Review Example For most, the journey is hopeless; there is no where to hide or destination to run to in Uganda. It is through characterization, plot, and themes that viewers are lead and eventually dragged violently into the deprived paranoid world of General Idi Amin. There are three profound characters: General Idi Amin, Nicholas Garrigan, and Kay Amin. Forest Whitaker's betrayal of Idi Amin starts to build the psychological drama with the introduction of General Idi Amin. Whitaker the actor is a presence at 6 feet, and, in his portrayal of the dictator, closely resembled him. He has a film history of playing powerful big men. As an actor Whitaker has charisma on screen. The film viewers want to trust and feel safe with him. This adds to the believability of the character, because General Idi Amin is also very charismatic. The magnetic connection that Nicholas Garrigan has to General Idi Amin is compelling. The actor James McAvoy is a compliment to Whitaker's character. He has the power to evoke curiosity, frailty, strength, and manliness in his characters. He showed this same talent when portraying Mr. Tumnus in the screen version of the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The combination of the larger than life Whitake r and the frail but manly McAvoy opens the movie with undeniable and effective chemistry.The young Scottish doctor although accomplished academically is very idealist and care free. He shows little forward knowledge of the consequences of his actions. This is a sharp contrast to General Idi Amin who examines, judges, and harshly punishes the action of everyone around him. Nicholas Garrigan came to Uganda to escape from what he views as a boring life. He has the same outlook as young men joining the Army with the promise of adventures and the opportunity to seek a new land vastly different from their home. Like General Idi Amin, he insensitively toys with others. He is womanizer. Nicholas Garrison is enthralled and seductively enticed by the benefits of being in General Idi Amin's inner circle. He has no idea of the consequences or power being a personal physician to a dictator brings. The relationship in the beginning is one of infatuation between General Idi Amin and Nicholas Garrison. General Idi Amin admires the young doctor, because he is Scottish and decisive. He is bold enough without permission to use General Idi Amin's gun to shoot a cow. Again Nicholas Garrigan shows his blindness from consequences of his actions. It is through the plot of the movie that both characters of General Idi Amin and Nicholas Garrigan evolve to where the General's character is fully revealed to Garrigan. He wakes up one day to realize that he loves a monster and has been part of his ghoulish dealings. Garrigan finally realizes that consequences can be deadly. Kay Amin's role is the anchor in the plot. She forces Garrigan to acknowledge the horror that he has created in Uganda, and his role in it. Her relationship, death, and wrongly stitched together body put on public display shocks Garrison. It forces him to conspire with the British. Kay Amin, portrayed by Kerry Washington, catalyst Nicholas Garrigan's epiphany. Without her death, Nicholas could not have understood and felt the full horror or General Idi Amin. Although General

Planning and Recruitment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning and Recruitment - Coursework Example This would obviously keep the organization abreast of the changes that are happening globally and which are important to comprehend. The importance of effective planning is that it keeps everything in order and allows one to understand the proper nuances of staffing and recruitment that come within the aegis of an organization in this day and age. The future of any organization is quite dependent on how staffing aspects shape up and what these will bring within its people to people contact within it in the long run. This shall mean a great deal of significance for the employees who get recruited within it for one reason or the other. Q 2: Construct a Job Advertisement of Human Resources Manager vacancy taking into consideration the below fields: Attention, Interest, Desire & Action As far as attention is concerned, there should be a proper heading in place which gains the much needed concentration of the intended audience. This will solve the issue of breaking through the clutter and reaching out to the end reader in a clear cut way. It will be very precise and to the point. Interest is gained with a proper visual in place which is provided the necessary cover through the body copy that is mentioned in the advertisement. It will make sure that the exact message is conveyed here which would be very crisp and interesting in its entirety. This will ask the reader to be a part of the advertisement even more. The desire aspect comes in when the audience long to be a part of the human resources manager vacancy which is given significance by what he is asked to do and what he must carry out in order to be a part of the organization that by now he is willing to recruit within. The action phase is made apparent when the prospective applicant is asked to either contact the person who has been mentioned through e-mail or a mailing address. This is the part where the applicant would contact the organization and thus get in line with the company that he wishes to be a part of. Q 3: Explain the internal and external Recruiting Strategies. Internal recruiting strategy is when the organization wishes to fill up a vacancy from inside its entirety. On the other hand, external recruiting strategy is applied when the business seeks a new applicant from other sources that are outside the business domains. The recruiting strategy that is best utilized by the organization is the one that seeks the best talent for the said position under consideration and is less costly in terms of the amount spent. This would mean that some organizations would like to use a combination of both of these recruiting strategies from time to time while others stick to one of the two. It entirely depends on what kind of understanding the organization has with its own labor force and what it wants to achieve from the people that are working under its aegis. The internal recruiting strategy is usually fast-tracked because an employee would only need to change his position within the of fice. The external recruiting strategy is different and more cumbersome, as it demands more vigilance and extra controls to be implemented within its fore. This would mean that the external recruiting strategy is usually costly and requires hard work on the part of the human resources management realms. Q 4: Discuss the importance of Code of

Currency Exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Currency Exchange - Essay Example Around 1967 the GBP was devalued by 14 per cent, a major economic policy decision. Since then, the Sterling, on average has either depreciated or appreciated by 14 per cent every two years. The figure below shows how the exchange rate between the Sterling and the United States dollar has performed over a 5 year period. Around the mid 2008 shows a sharp drop in the exchange rate from around 2.0 to a low of 1.4. The significant change in the movement is attributed to the financial recession of the 2008. Sterling/US dollar exchange rate over the last one year For the past one year, the Sterling has been weak against the USD making the USD an expensive and valuable asset. This means that the clients needing to buys the currency are paying more and more. The reason for this slide may be due to the steps forward by Europe and the US. For instance the situation in Italy may be the key factor for the change in exchange rates which could go on for the next couple of weeks. Also, with a furthe r round of Quantitative Easing expected in the UK, the Sterling has been losing ground against the USD. Rates have dropped and whilst many expect this trend to continue should QE be confirmed, this in my view is being priced by the investors. Notably, the pound is not only losing ground against the USD but against other major currencies and the recent drop against the Euro and the Australian Dollar are no coincidence. It is floating around 1.50 against the USD and at an all-time low against the AUD. The following figures give the performance of the Sterling against the USD for a the last 12 months, narrowing down to 6 months and 3 months respectively. Key factors affecting the Sterling Being the sixth largest economy in the world and the third largest economy in Europe, the United Kingdom has a lot to boast about. For instance, the United Kingdom is able to produce over 60 per cent of its food with less than 2 per cent of the labour force. The United Kingdom also has numerous resour ces at its disposal, for instance oil, natural gas and coal. However the country was hit hard the financial crisis with growths rates going down to 0.3 per cent in Quarter 1 of 2010 and 0.4 per cent growth in Quarter 4 of 2009. The UK has a capitalist economy that is highly productive with a strong financial services industry. On a global basis the British Sterling Pound is undervalue. For instance, the purchase price parity shows that the Sterling should fall in value over time, but high investment flow potential means the opposite is what will happen, that is the Sterling will increase in value. According the United Kingdom’s Value Investor Survey, which reflects short term investment, the economic environment is very favourable for long term economic growth because of high scores on the government transparency, economic diversity and economic freedom. An undervalued currency, a favourable business environment and a moderate investment flow potential leads to a positive out look for the United Kingdom investments. Factors that have positively affected the British Sterling Pound are lower rates of unemployment and the foreign students. The UK, the US and Australia are the leading centres in attracting foreign students to study in their countries. These students obviously provide many social and monetary benefits that propel the economic activities of the host countries. Some factors that have negatively affected th

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 20

Business Law - Essay Example This is quite apart from the enormous waste of a valuable resource such as oil, which the world can ill afford during a time of fuel scarcity. The incident invokes environmental law, because BP is a British organization whilst the major part of the environmental damage has been caused to the United States. With increasing globalization, international trade levels have also increased and the broad objectives of the GATT – General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade- have been to foster trade among countries and to reduce the restrictions that are imposed by individual nations in order to protect their own, narrow, regional interests. Multilateral agreements on the environment are those agreements made between various countries with the objective of preserving and protecting the environment. They may comprise two kinds of agreements: (a) agreements on the preservation of the environment through measures like preventing global warming, ozone depletion, rise in sea levels or other measures related to the environment and (b) agreements that link trade and the environment, wherein certain measures are included to discourage tr ading in those commodities that may be linked to unsound environmental practices or where the materials produced may be hazardous.2 Recent trends for the formulation of multi-lateral agreements to restrict trade in the interest of protection of the environment3 have received a mixed reaction from developing countries. While on the one hand, these agreements are welcomed because they help to protect the fragile environment, some developing countries also perceive these agreements as barriers to trade, which will hinder their competitiveness because they are already handicapped in their access to finance, technology and information.4 In the case of oil exploitation in particular, the potential threat to the environment

Discuss the benefits to a retailer of operating multiple formats Essay

Discuss the benefits to a retailer of operating multiple formats. Illustrate your answer with three examples from the UK retail - Essay Example Sainsbury’s, for example, has introduced a credit card that enables a customer to earn loyalty points whenever they shop at the supermarket. Tesco, on the other hand, is working on an application on Facebook, which will enable customers to gain double Club Card points by sharing or liking the facts about the products they buy from the supermarket. The Blackberry Company, on the other hand, uses TV and Billboards to launch new products. It also uses sales promotions to obtain advance payments in the short term sales (Chadwick, Doherty, Anastasakis, 2006). The Benefits of Using Multiple Formats to a Retailer The use of multiple formats has proved to be of immense importance to retailers because multiple formats normally offer unique opportunities for retailers to use services such as geo-location to market their products. This is applicable when using formats like social media. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, used by Tesco tend to be hyper social platforms (Varley, 2 005). Multiple formats also tend to benefit organizations in that; some of the formats used by retailers tend to influence the consumers. For example, in that case of Sainsbury’s, where a consumer uses their credit card to shop, and eventually earns points. The use of advertisements by companies such as Tesco is also a format that can be used by a retailer to attract more customers and obtain more profits. For instance, Tesco has normally used flyers and websites to increase awareness among customers in the UK (Varley, 2005). Theory of Social Media as a multiple format used by retailers Berman and Evans (2004) discuss ways in which social media assists as a multiple format when it comes to skills that help retail marketing. Ellis-Chadwick, Doherty and Anastasakis (2006) reveal that social media helps its users view themselves in other ways by using their fresh data and presenting it in a manner that is planned. Using social media leads to increased consumer engagement and may result in quick sales in case a company has offers for consumers at a given time. Using such social media, retailers are in a position to create brand awareness, therefore, attracting more customers. The use of social media results in increased product awareness among consumers. Provision of consumers with information, such as price of products and location of the stores, where such products can be found, increases sales for the retailers (Healey and Baker, 1997). Porter’s five forces theory Porter’s five forces theory is a format that helps retailers to understand their positions in the competitive market. The retailers can normally use competition to evaluate their weaknesses. It enhances retailers with the ability to evaluate whether the goods and services offered are profitable. Retailers may use this format to evaluate their buyer power, the capabilities of their competitors, their supplier power, the threats accompanied by substitution, and the threats they may face in case they make a new entry into the market (Porter, 2008). An examination of the Mintel report reveals that; if a company manages to analyze the other companies in the market, the company can be in a position to track its competitors, and this leads to the identity