Business proposal “Airasia” Essay

The company selected for this business proposal is AirAsia Berhad (hereafter referred as AirAsia) and both the business and financial performance of AirAsia would be analysed from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2011. â€Å"The company was incorporated in 2001, as a private limited liability company both incorporated and domiciled in Malaysia. AirAsia was converted into a public limited liability company on 8th June 2004 and became listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 22 November 2004. The principal activity of AirAsia is providing Air Transportation Services†. The vision of AirAsia has been â€Å"to be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connectivity and high fares†. AirAsia’s mission is to create a globally recognized brand in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and sustain profitability growth with the highest quality services and technological advancements. The philosophy of AirAsia is to make flying possible for everyone. Since 2001, AirAsia had swiftly broken travel norms across the globe, where it is a leading low-cost carrier that does not need further introduction in ASEAN. With the tagline â€Å"Now everyone can fly†, AirAsia ferried 135 million guests as at 31 December 2011. Furthermore during the past decade AirAsia established successful ventures with Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, AirAsia Philippines, AirAsia Japan and AirAsia X (primarily focused on long-haul segment), allowing AirAsia to take low-cost flying to a further level with a route network that spans over 20 countries.Reasons for doing this business proposal Prior knowledge The main reason for selecting this topic is to apply prior knowledge obtained from the business and financial modules previously covered in the ACCA syllabus. Moreover, financial analysis is crucial in interpreting results disclosed in the financial statements. Availability of information Also availability of annual reports and other business sources provided me with adequate information to analyse the performance of AirAsia that further encouraged in choosing this topic. The annual reports were readily available from the company website and no time was wasted on extraction of it. Reasons  for choosing AirAsiaExtensive growth of AirAsiaIn January 2002, AirAsia had only two airplanes that had been flying to six destinations within Malaysia. During the past decade AirAsia had significantly expanded to fly over 80 destinations with a fleet of 97 aircrafts as at 31 December 2011. Hence I was motivated to find out how AirAsia managed to achieve successful growth and a healthy bottom line. Famous in South East Asia (SEA) AirAsia is one of the largest and most popular low cost airlines in SEA, which had facilitated travelling at affordable prices; which is the main reason behind passengers preferring AirAsia for both domestic and international flights. Moreover the destinations flown by AirAsia covers more hubs compared to other airlines and passengers are presented with bundled travel package options, which include air ticket, hotel accommodation, travel services. In addition, AirAsia was chosen as the â€Å"World’s Best Low-Cost Airline† awarded by Skytrax World Airline for four consecutive years (from year 2009 to 2012). Moreover, in the year 2009 and 2011, AirAsia was awarded with â€Å"Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier† award by TTG Travel Awards. Project objectives and research questionsProject objectives To analyse and evaluate the financial performance of AirAsia over a 3 year period by comparing its performance against Tiger Airways Holdings Limited using relevant financial rat ios. To analyse and evaluate the business performance of AirAsia over a 3 year period using the remaining three perspectives of the Balance Scorecard technique To assess, with reasons whether AirAsia is a worthwhile investment opportunity Research questionsHow did AirAsia financially perform in comparison with its competitor Tiger Airways? How does AirAsia’s financial performance impact on its shareholders? How was AirAsia’s business performance within the 3 years? How does AirAsia manage to sustain its ‘no-frills’ strategy and position amidst the increasing competition? Sources of informationPrimary data sourcesPrimary data refers to new data collected by a researcher relating to the issues of the study. The methods used to collect primary data involve questionnaires, observations, surveys and interviews. The researcher who collects the data is referred as primary user(s). Primary data would not be used in this project as it is time consuming to collect such data and respective information is readily available. Therefore information available  from secondary sources will be used to meet the project objectives and research questions defined earlier. Secondary data sourcesSecondary data refers to data gathered by someone else and already used for their (primary users’) purpose. The pe rson undertaking the research is referred as the secondary user, who would undertake desk or library research for the said project. The main sources of secondary data used for project are: Textbooks Textbooks were used as the main source of information as they were complied by people who have vast knowledge in the subject area and tend to be more reliable and accurate compared to other sources. The main types of textbooks referred in this project for financial analysis are ACCA BPP study materials and academic reference books such as â€Å"Accounting Principles† by Weygandt, Kimmel and Kieso and â€Å"Financial and managerial accounting† by Horngren, Harrison and Oliver. To analyse the company’s business performance, â€Å"Alignment: using the balanced scorecard to create corporation synergies† by Kaplan, Roberts and Norton had been referred to. Electronic sources E-sources were used due to convenience and effectiveness. The main e-source used was AirAsia’s website to abstract the annual reports and all information regarding the company. Additionally, Internet had been used for further reading to enhance academic knowledge and obtain relevant newspaper articles and other information about the company.

Management Studies Essay

1. What steps should be taken by an organization that is committee to shattering the glass ceiling? I would use selection plans as a method to shatter the glass ceiling. Selection plans forces a company or organization to conduct a job analysis, establish career ladders and consider alternatives to the traditional ways used in promotion systems. Companies and HR should back away from the use of these traditional methods of assessment in ways consistent with the selection plan. Move away from casual methods such as supervisory recommendations, performance ratings, quick reviews of personnel files, and informal recommendations. Use a more formal, standardized, and job-related assessment method. The organization should pay attention to the types of KSAOs necessary for advancement, and begin training programs to teach these KSAOs to potential employees. Such programs could include: key job and committee assignments, participation in conferences and other networking opportunities, mentoring and coaching programs, and skill acquisition in formal training programs. 2. What guidelines do the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures offer to organizations when it comes to setting cutoff scores? The UGESP advises that cutoff scores be set so as to be reasonable and consistent with normal expectations of acceptable proficiency within the workforce. Applicants should be ranked on the basis of properly validated selection procedures. Applicants scoring below a higher cut-off have little or no chance of being selected for employment. Although the higher cut-off score may be appropriate the degree of adverse impact should also be considered. Companies should ensure their hiring standards are not so high that they create an adverse impact. 3. What are the steps an employer should take to develop and implement its policy regarding employment-at-will? Employment at will involves the right of either the employer or employee to terminate the employment at any time, for any legal reason. To enact a policy of employment at will, a company needs to ensure that job offers are for an indeterminate time period. The job offer should include a statement that the employment will be strictly at will. All written documents, such as employee handbooks and applications must affirm the at will relationship. 4. Discuss some potential problems with downsizing as an organization’s first response to a need to cut labor costs. While downsizing has an immediate impact on decreasing labor costs, too many companies downsize without considering alternatives. There are many problems that can occur based on using downsizing first. Companies initially make job cuts that are too deep. This results in a workforce which is understaffed and unable to function effectively. This affects the other employees who become demoralized, unmotivated, and unproductive. Many organizations that downsize immediately have discovered that they failed to achieve most of the business objectives associated with the downsizing to begin with and they rehire at least some of the staff that they let go. Essay Questions (15 pts each) – No more than 2 pages, double-spaced. 1. For this question you will refer to the Application entitled â€Å"Evaluating Staffing Process Results† found on pages 676-678 in your text. Read the application and answer questions 1&2 ONLY on the bottom of page 677. 1. Determine the yield ratios (offer receivers/applicants, new hires/applicants), time lapse or cycle times (days to offer, days to start), and retention rates associated with each recruitment source. The days to offer measures the average number of days it takes to make job offers to applicants. The days to start measures the average number of days it takes from the beginning of the entire staffing process to the time the new applicant is hired and begins their jobs. From highest to lowest effectiveness are employee referrals, newspaper ads and the employment agency. Employee referrals have the highest rate of return. The recruitment method from highest to lowest is employee referral, employment agency and newspaper ads. Specifically, employee referrals had the smallest days-to-offer and days-to-start figures. In terms of retention methods from highest to lowest are employee referrals, newspaper advertisements, and employment agency. 2. What is the relative effectiveness of the three sources in terms of yield ratios, cycle times, and retention rates differ in their relative effectiveness? Employee referrals were the most effective recruitment method based on yield ratios, time lapse, and retention rates. Current employees fully understand the company, its culture, and the basic job requirements. Due to this situation they are able to recommend people they know who might fit well with the job and the organization. This was the most effective recruitment method. This occurred because current employees did a good job prescreening individuals before they became candidates. The newspaper ads and employment agency did not do as well. These methods normally generate large numbers of applicants without any real screening taking place. You have just signed on as the Manager of Human Resources for a large manufacturing company in the Chicago area. Your company manufactures parts to the automotive industry such as air duct assemblies for various models of new vehicles as well as to the secondary market for these same parts. Upon conducting an audit of HR initiatives and trying to understand the challenges you want to tackle, you find that the overall turnover rate for this company is 37%. You have not worked in this specific industry but you feel at first glance that this number is high. Based on this limited information that you have, lay out a strategy for addressing turnover. You should include the following in your answer: a. a detailed explanation of what other information you must try to uncover to find out if the turnover is an issue that you must tackle b.assuming that you find that turnover is problematic, what strategies you might suggest to the CEO to address the issue, specifically addressing the possible causes of the high turnover in your answer. The 37% turnover rate is a major cause for concern. The turnover is high enough to warrant attention. It would be helpful to have some industry data to make a turnover comparison. Initially I would suggest that the CEO appoint a Senior Manager within HR to look at the backgrounds of the employees who left the in the last year. It would be helpful to know how long they were on the job before they quit and how they were performing in their position. It would extremely valuable to interview the workers who quit to learn more about why they decided to leave. The exit interview data is probably the single most valuable piece of information that can be used to deal with a retention problem. The costs of the turnover are massive. It is disruptive to the organization, it affects the time and resources used to process the departing employees, and require additional time and resources to recruit hire and train new employees. Other costs could include damage to the morale and productivity of other employees and an increased likelihood that some of these workers may quit. I would create a formal exit interview process to find out why workers are leaving the organization. The results of these interviews should be shared with the managers of the departing employees as well as human resources. I would task HR with conducting an annual employee survey to assess the work environment.

Objective Function vs Constraints in Linear Programming Essay

Linear Programming Model in Operation Research study is usually mathematical type of model which contains set of equations that represent objective function and constraints. The keywords in this article are Objective Function and Constraints, according to Heizer & Render (2008) Objective Function are mathematical expression expressed in linear programming designed to maximizes or minimizes some quantity, for example profit can maximized while the cost might be reduced. The objective function is also called effectiveness function, it is the mathematical expression of the objectives which may be cost of operation or profit on operation (Kumar and Hira, 2008). Constraints which is also known as restrictions are mathematical expressions of the limitations that are involved in fulfilling the objectives; they are caused by scarce or limited resources which may include money, space, manpower, materials and so on. Heizer & Render (2008) defined constraints as restrictions which limit the ext ent to which a manager can pursue an objective The objective function is more important than the constraints in a linear programming model under the circumstances in which the controllable variables which is also called the decision variables forms the major components of the linear programming model. Controllable variables are the variables that are directly under the control of the operations analyst; their values are determined by the solution of the problem. Using the stock control or inventory as an example, the controllable variables are the order size and the interval between the placed orders (Kumar and Hira, 2008). On the other hand the constraints are more important than the objective function in linear program model when the models function depends largely on the uncontrollable variables of the model. They are variables that are the function of the external environment and over which the operations analyst has no control, such variables are known as state of nature. Using the transportation system as an example, the per unit transportation cost is known as uncontrollable variable because it is subjected to continuous, unceasing change. In conclusion, it is imperative to understand and analyses the situation carefully before applying one linear programming over the other in other to improve or optimize current operations (Heizer & Render, 2008). Furthermore, it is difficult to predict or choose without examining several samples, the more reason why it is important to define variables which represent the problem  from the real world, then based on the variable determine the most applicable method (Heizer & Render, 2008). References: Heizer, J. & Render, B. (2008) Operations Management and Principles of Operations Management. PowerPoint presentation, 7th Edition. Prentice Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J. 07458 Kumar, G.P. and Hira D.S. (2008). Operations Research, Revised Edition. Chand and Company Ltd., New Delhi.

Student Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Diversity - Essay Example Lowe and Cook (2003) contend that the shift from controlled environment of home to school or from school to university where the student is expected to accept personal responsibility for education as well as social aspects often creates anxiety and stress. Diversity is bound to increase as we see freer movement of people across the boundaries. Meacham et al (2003) have found out that increase in the racial and ethnic diversity in the USA was maximum in the 1980s. If we trace the timeline of globalization, we realize that it was during this decade that the phenomenon picked up in a big way. This fact is further strengthened by Meacham et al (2003) when they state, "In the 1990s, people of color, women, and immigrants constituted approximately 85% of the entrants into the workforce." This diversity is workforce was bound to be reflected amongst the student population. President Barak Obama is one of the finest example of how deep the impact of diversity has been in our society. Some years ago it would be impossible to imagine that a non-white, having roots outside USA believing in a different faith that Christianity could make it to the White House. But, true to the spirit of Marshal McLuhan's global village concept, this is a reality today. One of the leading democracies of the world preferred a non-white over a native white, to lend credence to the belief that American indeed respects diversity is all walks of life. Education is certainly no exception. The motto of Samuel S. Fels Cluster, the small school district in Philadelphia is, "We respect the culture in you". It is interesting to note that this school district is home to more than 80 ethnicities and 40-plus languages among the 9000 students of its eight schools (Blassingame, 2000). As the society become more diverse, it also affects our lifestyle and education with inputs coming up from all over and a well accepted amalgamations reaching out to different sections of the recipients in society. Colleges and university campuses not only help in providing the intended education, but the campuses also provide a platform for students to learn more about other's cultures, beliefs and way of life. In a study carried out by McClellan et al (2003) to analyze the impact of diversity prevailing in schools, about 18 percent of the students took note of the minority students in their classrooms, indicating that this segment of students did realize the importance of diversity in their classes. It has also been emphasized in the study that since the percentage of students realizing the importance of diversity was not much, it required sensitization efforts on the part of the school administration, NGOs or government authorities. The National Conference on Community and Justice is one such platform which has been providing training and assistance to the students about the importance of diversity and need to respect it. This type of training handles issues 'surrounding cultures, religions, class, gender, physical and mental abilities, size and age' and the student community is trained to handle the situation without resorting to bullying or violent behavior (Burroughs, 2007). It is worth mentioning here that such efforts seem to have borne fruit, if we look at the statistics of violent crimes in US schools over last decade. The

Research-Based Position as to the Gun Control and Gun Ban Research Paper

-Based Position as to the Gun Control and Gun Ban - Research Paper Example Apparently, the problem lies in agreeing what particular firearms should be included within the assault weapons definition that is being proposed by the federal government for a comprehensive ban. One hereby asserts that the federal government should first assume sole responsibility and jurisdiction for imposing a statewide assault weapons ban, in conjunction with stricter gun control laws to minimize gun-related deaths and injuries. Relevant Statistics and Literature Review In the statistical information presented by Alpers & Wilson (2013), the authors disclosed that there have been alarming increases in gun-related deaths since 2000, as shown in Figure 1. It could be seen that the total number of deaths in 2000 was noted at 28,663 and increased to 32,163 in 2011, representing a 12.21% increase. This number of gun-related deaths clearly happened during times when state-governed gun control legislations were being imposed. Likewise, there are good books that provide accurate informat ion regarding firearm laws in each of the state for the citizens’ awareness (Kappas, 2013). ...1). As such, there was a clear indication that there is a strong link that related higher or stricter gun control laws to the number of firearm-related fatalities. Figure 1: Total Number of Gun-Related Deaths in the United States Source: Alpers & Wilson, 2013 The chart shown below represents the mortality rates related to firearm, the computed strength scores according to the number of legislative laws and gun control enactments, as well as the total number of fire-arm related deaths from a four-year period commencing on 2007 up to 2010. It could be evaluated that the State of Ohio has been noted to have a legislative strength score of quartile 3: from 5 to 8 laws, a mortality rate of from 8.1 to 10.1 per 100,000 population, and a total of 4,431 in firearm-related deaths. The highest number of gun-related deaths were noted coming from the State of Louisiana at 3,318 for the 4-year p eriod and the least legislative strength score of 0 to 2 laws; as well as a mortality rate of 13.1 to 18.0% per 100,000 population (Fleegler, Lee, Monuteaux, Hemenway, & Mannix, 2013). Figure 2: Firearm-related mortality rates, legislative strength scores, and total firearm deaths in the United States, 2007 through 2010.  

Strategic Management, Analysis of the Strategic Situation of HTC and Essay

Strategic Management, Analysis of the Strategic Situation of HTC and Its Industry - Essay Example HTC was founded in the year 1997 and commenced its business with manufacturing and designing of mobile accessories. Since the year 2006, HTC has introduced many mobile phones with various portfolios like tablet, android and smartphones for the developing markets (HTC, 2012). The objective of this paper is to analyse about the strategic current situation of HTC in the smartphone industry. The analysis would take into consideration industry analysis by using Porter’s five forces model, industry lifecycle analysis and value chain analysis. The study would also endeavour to comprehend the scale and the scope for HTC in respect of the existing industry scenario in the upcoming future. Analysis of the Strategic Situation In the present market scenario, it is observed that a number of companies are manufacturing smartphone along with HTC like Apple, Samsung, Nokia and Sony Ericsson among others. Due to which, the competition among the companies is rising day-by-day in the mobile phon e market. As a result, many advanced technology smartphones have been launched in the market. A few companies have been recognised to have lost out somewhat in market competition due to facing a lack in terms of offered technology in their smartphones or other mobile devices (Hu & Meier, 2010). With due reference to the context, it can be observed that HTC has been facing quite a tough scenario in the smartphone market to sustain its position among the topmost brands. Since the year 2006, HTC had expanded its reach with its smartphone in a number of global markets. HTC was the first cellular manufacturing company to introduce android phone in the market. Subsequently, it was observed that from 2010 onwards HTC faced a downfall because of the vast developments with modern technologies among the competitors’ products. The leading competitors of HTC include Nokia, Samsung and Apple. These companies also started to offer competitive brands of smartphones which significantly affec ted the sales of HTC. Generally, HTC was affected due to the rapid growths of Samsung and Apple’s smarphones such as Galaxy line as well as iPhone respectively. Moreover, Sensation and Desire brands of HTC smartphone have also faced quite indifferent responses from the consumers. Thus, this aspect has also led towards the declining trend of HTC in the smartphone market (Hu & Meier, 2010). Source: (Dotmobi, 2012). The above depicted figure depicts the position of the smartphone manufacturing companies in the present scenario. Therefore, it can be avowed that HTC, in recent times, has considerably lacked behind as compared to its major competitors such as Samsung, Apple and Nokia among others. Thus, by considering the downfall, HTC needs to recognise certain strategies to improve its product and to fight back against its competitors. Key strategies that can be employed include making product modifications, changing to the fast-moving approach for unpredictable markets, creating enhanced brand awareness through positioning and targeting high end users (Hu & Meier, 201

Enviromental impact assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Enviromental impact assessment - Essay Example In line with sustainable development and to avoid future conflicts, the project has incorporated environmental concerns at every stage and has conducted a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment and prepared a feasible Environmental Management Plan that addresses environmental concerns, land use conflicts as well as environmental conservation and protection measures. Need for the project The project was initiated to exploit the economic potential of the growing population of West Midlands through the provision of business premises that would promote commerce and trade while at the same time providing the residents with jobs and giving them a whole new shopping experience. It was also motivated by the need to provide environmentally friendly, flexible, modern and cost effective public buildings and business premises. As had been established by a previous survey sponsored by the proponent eight years ago, the project is long overdue. Shirley town in West Midlands has a shortage o f adequate and spacious retail outlets, business and residential premises to serve the demands of the growing population and booming economy. Parkgate retail and residential project will be constructed in Shirley town centre in West Midlands. ... There will also be landscaped gardens and a drive way, guard house situated next to the main gate, water reticulation system with a water pump, and overhead tanks, toilets, storm water drainage system, sewage drainage system, and electricity supply systems. All units fully serviced. The selected property is in a fast developing area within West Midlands. Legal framework The project and the Environmental Impact Assessment takes into account the procedure for conducting EIA as set out in Council Directive 85/337/EEC 1985 as amended by council directive 97/11/EC 1997 and are currently being implemented throughout the United Kingdom through the town and county planning (Environmental Impact Assessment )Regulations 1999. In line with the existing legislations, this Environmental Impact Assessment gives a detailed plan on the following aspects of construction projects: The expected environmental impacts of the project and the interventions to be taken during and after the project. A compre hensive plan to ensure health and safety of the workers, the neighbouring community and those who access the site as well as a framework for the prevention and management of accidents. The economic and sociocultural impacts of the project to the local community and the nation at large. The location of the project and the physical area that may be affected by project activities. The materials to be used, the products and the by products as well as waste to be generated and the methods of disposal. Apart from local legislation, the project will also take into account the ILO Conventions ratified by the UK government include the safety and health recommendation of 1988, minimum age conventions of 1973, the recruitment of

Discuss Nurse Practice Act related to abandonment Essay

Discuss Nurse Practice Act related to abandonment - Essay Example Every state in America has its own version of NPA and there may be differences in the application and interpretation of a law for a specific Nursing Board. However, it is important to note every state does not include the patient abandonment in its version of NPA. Patient abandonment is usually safeguarded through Business and Professions Code, disciplinary actions, Common Law practices and administrative legislation prevalent is a state or country. â€Å"On the other hand, not all laws governing the practice of nursing are found in "the Act" or its' regulations. Legal obligations common to various licensed healthcare professionals will apply to nurses.† (Erickson, p. 1, 2006). There is no concrete definition of abandonment because it can take forms and shapes, which are required to be interpreted within an available legal framework. In some cases, it may occur in denial of extra shift duty or an assigned task. However, nursing is a serious obligation either it is a normal shi ft duty or an extra one. â€Å"Once a nurse has accepted a patient assignment, he or she is accountable for providing competent care to the assigned patients.† (Lewis, p. 118, 2001).

'Effective Finance Management in Small Business Restaurant in Ireland' Dissertation

'Effective Finance Management in Small Business Restaurant in Ireland' - Dissertation Example The literature review section reveals a comprehensive discussion on financial management and its role in small restaurant business. The role of The Restaurant Association of Ireland has been also included in order to several its contribution in context of financial management. The research methodology section has evaluated the ways of data collection for this study. For this research, questionnaire survey and focus group discussion has been used for collecting primary data from the financial managers in the chosen restaurants of Ireland and restaurant owners. It was found that these restaurants do maintain systematic accounting statements and the restaurant owners closely monitor the financial statements, transaction records, and inventory that remains in the restaurant. Due to fewer funds, the owners forecast sales per unit and cost and accordingly allocate their funds. Though it was found that the small restaurant owners in Ireland do follow financial management approaches to make the business a success, but it was recommended that yearly audit is done through external auditor to maintain transparent financial records and also involve the employees while taking financial management decisions, which affects all the other departments in the restaurant. ... The problem statement of this research study is related to the financial management framework of small restaurant during this financial crunch. 13 1.4 Rationale of the Study 13 Restaurant segment like the other sectors is a lucrative area of revenue generation for Ireland, where around â‚ ¬6 billion is spends by people annually in eating out (Kumar, and Subramaniam, 1997). However, during the financial crisis the profits have diminished considerably because of increasing level of unemployment in the country. It has been noticed that the small restaurants in Ireland were successful in reaping steady profits compared to the multinational food chains. This was an issue to be curious about, and research could be conducted on this aspect (Munro, 1997; Crick, 1997). It has been seen that in case of small businesses such as small restaurants, financial management framework is not so strong like that of big businesses such as big hotels or restaurant chains. 13 However, financial manageme nt binds every other segment in small businesses, unlike bigger ventures. In bigger ventures financial management is equally important like several other aspects, so the financial management approaches of small restaurant businesses of Ireland should be explore (Kumar, and Subramaniam, 1997). Efficiency of financial management in small business can be identified through comprehensive analysis of their financial management framework and strategies. This is the reason why focus has been made towards financial management of small restaurants as it forms the core of the business strategies in small strategies. 13 1.5 Research Question 14 1.6 Research Objective 14 1.7 Outline of the Study 14 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW 15 2.1 Introduction 15

What were the causes of the Global Financial Crisis which began in Essay

What were the causes of the Global Financial Crisis which began in 2008 - Essay Example Mortgage capital expansion based policy that took upon the local industries such as housing, small to medium scale business activities led to an unprecedented environment and accumulation of artificial bubble. It was early in 2007 when the high risk mortgages saw an unusual trend in the market existence in the form of defaulting initiation to the business activity set the market on negative trends and footings leading on to massive economic strangulation in next year or so. Initial normalcy and relatively lower interest rates were another contributing factor that resulted in the upward pressure on the industry as well as the private lending agencies and entities being forced to increase the rates of interest subject to the external market and negative values by that time towards mid 2008. Mortgage backed security (M.B.S) was another mechanism and aiding element which lead to the stiffening of the market and overall mood. The second factor that contributed to the global recession was the element of securitization of the mortgages. It has been termed as the contributing factor which led to reduced certainty within the market trends and increased trends of risk. Introduction of concepts and policies such as Corporate loan securitization led to an initial let off to the investors and banking sector businesses that were initially indebted in small scale values, yet the long term impacts would show up in times ahead which did so in the most frightening form in span of less than five years from after 2002-2003. The fact that the American government had been following a relatively non consistent trend and pattern of loan handling made the picture relatively further murky. The practices such as collateralized loan obligation(C-L-O), was one similar practice of the United States government and banking policies which lead to increased debt values. The values initially were limited to less than 25 billion dollars, in less than five

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet Essay Nowadays, the Internet is growing rapidly. Many people open Internet because it assists a lot of benefits to humans. However, many people become victims after accessing the internet. In this essay, I will discuss the benefits and dangers of the internet. The internet has many benefits. One of these benefits of Internet is it is the medium of communication. There are many facilities on the internet helps us to communicate such as E-mail, Facebook, Twitter and others. All these facilities enable people to communicate with other people from different countries in the world so that it can explore other cultures of different ethnicity. Also, Internet is a medium of information. Today, a lot of people need the information from the internet. Because every second on the internet, updates the information required by humans. For instance, Google and Yahoo are search engine information on the internet that provide all kinds of topics the information we need. Furthermore, Internet is a medium of entertainment. Internet becomes successful because it provides a lot of entertainment that humans need. For example, today many people are watching or downloading free entertainment on the internet, and many people are playing on-line games. In contrary, the internet has a lot of disadvantages. The fact of the matter is that the internet has thousands of porn sites. This is the greatest threat to human life, especially the children. There have been many people who became victims of pornographic sites on the internet. For example, now in Indonesia, many teenage girls do not have virgin. That is because porn sites affect their lifestyle so that they eliminate the virgin with boyfriend easily. Also, the Internet sends viruses to your computer. When your computer connects to the internet it is often the case that a virus attacks your computer hard disk. In addition, many people steal personal information on the internet. The case is often occurring in today’s world, when people save personal information such as name, address, credit card number, and others, so many criminals will access the data. Therefore, beware of internet because he has a lot of harm to human life. In conclusion, I believe that the Internet helps people in the communications, information and entertainment. However, the Internet also has much negative side. Therefore, use the internet for positive things so that we get a lot of benefits.

Artificial Sweeteners Are Really Bad Essay Example for Free

Artificial Sweeteners Are Really Bad Essay Artificial sweeteners are chemicals or natural compounds that replace the sweetness of sugar, without all of the calories. But sometimes the label sugar-free masks calories present in the food or drink. Aspartame, which is in Equal is a common chemical sweetener with crazy possible side effects. Effects include hallucinations to seizures and brain tumors; it is hardly worth consuming for the sake of saved calories in my opinion. Then you also have Sucralose, which is known as Splenda. Recent research suggests that Splenda can enlarge both the liver and kidneys and shrink the thymus glands. Splenda reportedly can cause skin rashes, panic, diarrhea, headaches, bladder issues, stomach pain, and those side effects dont even sum it up. In addition to all of this, consider the waste involved in the industry of artificially sweetening. Ever stepped into a coffee shop and noticed a mound of sugar substitute packets building on the counter or in the trash? Weve been wasting one of our most precious resources for the sake of a sweetener that can harm our bodies and prevent weight loss. So what you can do instead to get your sugar fix? Turn to natural sweeteners for your drinks and food alike. Honey, agave nector, organic maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and stevia are just a few natural sweeteners you can turn to. Not only will they wreak your body less, but your support of these sweeteners instead will, eventually, help to slow the production of toxic artificial sweeteners. I am interested in this topic because so many people that I know use artificial sugar. My mom however, has never let us use things like sweet and low or splenda because she was always aware of the bad things that happen in your body because of these artificial sugars. I want to be able to answer the question â€Å"well why is it bad?† when people ask me why they shouldn’t use splenda and sweet and low. I will approach this as an informative paper, letting the audience know why it is bad, but also trying to convince people not to use it at the end.

Entrepreneurship Evolved From Economic Theory Business Essay

Entrepreneurship Evolved From Economic Theory Business Essay The creation of a countrys wealth and dynamism depends upon the competitiveness of its firms and this, in turn, relies fundamentally on the capabilities of its entrepreneurs and managers. The essence of the modern firm lies in the specialization of functions. The businessmen that manage economic activity are, in the strictest sense, both managers and entrepreneurs, the latter in a double sense: the individual businessman (independent) and the corporate entrepreneur who, without participating significantly in terms of capital, controls the firm. Studying offers of business capabilities requires the differentiation between the functions of entrepreneur, manager and capitalist, although in many cases, the same person may perform all three which can be described as follows; Entrepreneurs, managers and capitalists Managers Capitalist Characterized By Discovers and exploits opportunities A creator who initiates and motivates the process of change Capital owner: shareholders Controlling shareholder Passive shareholder Administrates and manages resources An administrator Behavior Accepts risks Uses intuition, is alert, explores new business Leadership, initiates new ways of acting Identifies business opportunities Creation of new Enterprise Aversion to risk taking Assesses alternatives Choice of venture assets Aversion to risk taking Rational decision-maker. Explotes business Creates and maintains competitive advantage Creates trust to enhance cooperation Supervision of the administrative process Dimension of Entrepreneurship:- The entrepreneurial function implies the discovery, assessment and exploitation of opportunities, in other words, new products, services or production processes; new strategies and organizational forms and new markets for products and inputs that did not previously exist. The entrepreneurial opportunity is an unexpected and as yet unvalued economic opportunity. Entrepreneurial opportunities exist because different agents have differing ideas on the relative value of resources or when resources are turned from inputs into outputs. The theory of the entrepreneur focuses on the heterogeneity of beliefs about the value of resources. Entrepreneurship -the entrepreneurial function- can be conceptualized as the discovery of opportunities and the subsequent creation of new economic activity, often via the creation of a new organization. Due to the fact that there is no market for opportunities, the entrepreneur must exploit them, meaning that he or she must develop his or her capabilities to obtain resources, as well as organize and exploit opportunities. The downside to the market of ideas or opportunities lies in the difficulty involved in protecting ownership rights of ideas that are not associated with patents or copyrights of the different expectations held by entrepreneurs and investors on the economic value of ideas and business opportunities, and of the entrepreneurs need to withhold information that may affect the value of the project. Entrepreneurship is often discussed under the title of the entrepreneurial factor, the entrepreneurial function, entrepreneurial initiative, and entrepreneurial behavior and is even referred to as the entrepreneurial spirit. The entrepreneurial factor is understood to be a new factor in production that is different to the classic ideas of earth, work and capital, which must be explained via remuneration through income for the entrepreneur along with the shortage of people with entrepreneurial capabilities. Its consideration as an entrepreneurial function refers to the discovery and exploitation of opportunities or to the creation of enterprise. Entrepreneurial behavior is seen as behavior that manages to combine innovation, risk-taking and pro-activeness. Entrepreneurial initiative covers the concepts of creation, risk-taking, renewal or innovation inside or outside an existing organization. Lastly, the entrepreneurial spirit emphasizes exploration, search and innovation, as opposed to the exploitation of business opportunities pertaining to managers. Entrepreneurship is an essential element for economic progress as it manifests its fundamental importance in different ways: a) By identifying, assessing and exploiting business opportunities; b) By creating new firms and/or renewing existing ones by making them more dynamic; c) By driving the economy forward through innovation, competence, job creation- and by generally improving the well being of society. Entrepreneurship affects all organizations regardless of size, or age, whether they are considered a private or public body, and independently of their objectives. Its importance for the economy is reflected in its visible growth as a subject of interest for the economic press and in academic literature. For this reason, it is a matter of interest to academics, businessmen and governments the world over. Q2.Explain how entrepreneurship has influenced economic development and productivity in recent years? A. The entrepreneur who is a business leader looks for ideas and puts them into effect in fostering economic growth and development. Entrepreneurship is one of the most important inputs in the economic development of a country. The entrepreneur acts as a trigger head to give spark to economic activities by his entrepreneurial decisions. He plays a pivotal role not only in the development of industrial sector of a country but also in the development of farm and service sector. The major roles played by an entrepreneur in the economic development of an economy are discussed in a systematic and orderly manner as follows. (1) Promotes Capital Formation: Entrepreneurs promote capital formation by mobilizing the idle savings of public. They employ their own as well as borrowed resources for setting up their enterprises. Such type of entrepreneurial activities leads to value addition and creation of wealth, which is very essential for the industrial and economic development of the country. (2) Creates Large-Scale Employment Opportunities: Entrepreneurs provide immediate large-scale employment to the unemployed which is a chronic problem of underdeveloped nations. With the setting up.of more and more units by entrepreneurs, both on small and large-scale numerous job opportunities are created for others. As time passes, these enterprises grow, providing direct and indirect employment opportunities to many more. In this way, entrepreneurs play an effective role in reducing the problem of unemployment in the country which in turn clears the path towards economic development of the nation. (3) Promotes Balanced Regional Development: Entrepreneurs help to remove regional disparities through setting up of industries in less developed and backward areas. The growth of industries and business in these areas lead to a large number of public benefits like road transport, health, education, entertainment, etc. Setting up of more industries leads to more development of backward regions and thereby promotes balanced regional development. (4) Reduces Concentration of Economic Power: Economic power is the natural outcome of industrial and business activity. Industrial development normally leads to concentration of economic power in the hands of a few individuals which results in the growth of monopolies. In order to redress this problem a large number of entrepreneurs need to be developed, which will help reduce the concentration of economic power amongst the population. (5) Wealth Creation and Distribution: It stimulates equitable redistribution of wealth and income in the interest of the country to more people and geographic areas, thus giving benefit to larger sections of the society. Entrepreneurial activities also generate more activities and give a multiplier effect in the economy. (6) Increasing Gross National Product and Per Capita Income: Entrepreneurs are always on the look out for opportunities. They explore and exploit opportunities,, encourage effective resource mobilization of capital and skill, bring in new products and services and develops markets for growth of the economy. In this way, they help increasing gross national product as well as per capita income of the people in a country. Increase in gross national product and per capita income of the people in a country, is a sign of economic growth. (7) Improvement in the Standard of Living: Increase in the standard of living of the people is a characteristic feature of economic development of the country. Entrepreneurs play a key role in increasing the standard of living of the people by adopting latest innovations in the production of wide variety of goods and services in large scale that too at a lower cost. This enables the people to avail better quality goods at lower prices which results in the improvement of their standard of living. (8) Promotes Countrys Export Trade: Entrepreneurs help in promoting a countrys export-trade, which is an important ingredient of economic development. They produce goods and services in large scale for the purpose earning huge amount of foreign exchange from export in order to combat the import dues requirement. Hence import substitution and export promotion ensure economic independence and development. (9) Induces Backward and Forward Linkages: Entrepreneurs like to work in an environment of change and try to maximise profits by innovation. When an enterprise is established in accordance with the changing technology, it induces backward and forward linkages which stimulate the process of economic development in the country. (10) Facilitates Overall Development: Entrepreneurs act as catalytic agent for change which results in chain reaction. Once an enterprise is established, the process of industrialization is set in motion. This unit will generate demand for various types of units required by it and there will be so many other units which require the output of this unit. This leads to overall development of an area due to increase in demand and setting up of more and more units. In this way, the entrepreneurs multiply their entrepreneurial activities, thus creating an environment of enthusiasm and conveying an impetus for overall development of the area. Q3.Explain the concepts of Windows and Corridors for new ventures ? Describe the main factors that lead to success for new ventures. A. Window and Corridor Principle is the theory that for every new business that is begun, new opportunities will arise as a result. It states that an entrepreneurial venture might find that it has significantly changed its focus from the initial concept of the venture as it has continually responded and adapted to its market and the desire to optimize profitability potential. This is a simple concept that always seems to ring true for entrepreneurs and those considering the move. The corridor principle simply suggests that there are open doors you can only see when you are walking down the corridorthey are not visible from your starting point at the end of the hall. Dont expend too much energy planning for and waiting on perfection. You simply cant do it from where you are standing. Small business truly is about the journey. As I have referenced in previous posts, simply taking the first step in the general direction of your goals puts you further ahead than where you started. Compared to the world of corporate recruiting and headhunters, small business is a dynamic and less predictable space. Headhunters shuffle players between roles and companies that are often more similar than many would like to admit. Small business affords the opportunity to try a myriad of roles across a variety of industries. And once you are in that game, opportunities will find you rather than a set of indistinguishable roles. Part of my rationale in painting sometimes extreme pictures of Corporate America is to get you to think beyond the surface of what you have versus what you can do. Not many folks will truly encourage that, and many are afraid to look. Push yourself to consider the differences for yourself. Success of New Venture Entrepreneurs who launch successful new ventures are usually very knowledgeable about their market. This type of knowledge can come from first-hand information and experience or it can come from diligent research. Other factors include finding the proper niche and being well-funded. Even a promising market opportunity requires an effective business manager who is well-financed. Sound Market Analysis Market analysis looks at the potential opportunities and the pitfalls that your business will face. These opportunities and pitfalls must be realistically assessed in light of the strengths and weaknesses of your business plan. Factors usually considered in market analysis are the market size, its growth rate, the markets profitability and its cost structure and distribution channels. Be aware of trends, whether favorable or unfavorable. The more informed you are about the market, the more reliable your decision-making basis will be. Sufficient Financing Sufficient financing for a new business venture is critical to success. Insufficient financing is one of the main reasons that new businesses fail. A new business does not have a steady, ongoing clientele and its brand will not be recognizable in the marketplace. Very often a new business is financed by the savings of the founders and loans from family members. While there is nothing wrong with this strategy, you should thoroughly investigate all the costs involved so that your business is able to withstand a period of time with little to no profits. Be sure to have a realistic expectation of sales and revenue based on research. Finding the Proper Niche A new venture should create its own niche in the market or industry. The niche selected should play into the strengths of the business and, if possible, minimize its weaknesses. One way to identify a niche market is to break down the demography of the market into small categories. Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each market segment. Take into account factors such as the best method of reaching potential customers via marketing and the competition you may face. Consider how your service or product can be made unique in serving your niche. Many new ventures make the mistake of selecting the largest possible market segment and end up overwhelmed by the costs of marketing and the sheer number of competitors. Workable Marketing Plan A key contributor to business success is a viable marketing plan tailored to the ventures niche. A marketing plan sets goals for the organization and gives it direction and purpose. The plan contains information about your company, its products and the ventures objectives and strategies. The plan should budget the expenditures of your marketing efforts for at least one year. You should also devise a method to measure the success of the ventures marketing activities. The marketing plan should assess your products features and benefits in light of the niche markets characteristics and buying habits. Other Factors Timing In some cases you have control over business timing, and in other cases you do not. If you were to open a VHS movie rental business as DVDs were becoming popular, then your business timing may be suspect. Analyze the marketplace and pay attention to consumer trends before deciding on what kind of business to open. If you can create a business that is on the cutting edge of consumer needs, then that can contribute significantly to the success of your business. Location If you place your trucking business several miles away from the major highways, airport and train depot, then your business location can hamper success. Moving your business closer to those key locations can cut down costs, and make you one of the companies closest to where your customers. Location can be critical in the success of a business. According Houston Business, the Houston theater community is second in total seating capacity in the country with 13,000. Only New York City has more theater seats than Houston. If you were considering opening a business that catered to live theater, such as a printing business for programs or a stage production company, then you could find success by placing your business in Houston. Cost Control Controlling the costs of your business means keeping all of your overhead costs under control, including manufacturing, advertising and location operations. By continually working to reduce costs, you can free up financial resources to be applied toward expanding your product line or increasing your marketing efforts.

Adoph Hitler :: essays research papers

The young years: Adoph Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 and lived in south Austria. He left for high school at the age of twelve and did poorly and never did finish. In 1903, his father died when Hitler was only fourteen years old. In 1907, Hitler decided to leave for Vienna to attend the Academy School of Fine Arts. Due to his unsatisfactory drawings, Hitler failed to be accepted. Soon after that, he received a letter from his sister informing him of his mother’s illness, cancer. Hitler headed back home to stay with his mother until the end. His mother died in the year of 1907, and Hitler tried again at the Academy School of Fine Arts. He was, again, rejected due to severe competition of acceptance. Hitler sold his paintings on the streets in order to survive. In August 1914, Hitler volunteered for the army. Later in his army career he received two of the most honorable awards, the first class iron cross. A man told Hitler of a rumor stating the Bavarian government is going to break away from Germany and join Austria. Outraged, Hitler gave many persuasive speeches on why the government shouldn’t break away. Later Hitler took over a group and renaming it NSADAP, which is infamously known as the Nazi party. Hitler tried taking over the Bavarian government by force. This invasion caused his imprisonment of five years, but he happened to be released after about six months. While in prison, he began writing his book Mein Kamph (My Struggle). When Hitler was released from prison, he quickly found out that the Nazi party membership has fallen drastically. The party was no longer allowed to have private and public meetings and Hitler could no longer speak in public. Hitler was determined to bring the Nazi party back together. The party began to grow slowly and in secret, and after the stock market crash hundreds and soon thousands joined each month due to the public rallies produced by Hitler. With his popularity growing at an outrageous speed, Hitler decided to take over the whole country. Before the elections, he launched a major propaganda campaign. He soon won a seat in the Reichstag, German congress. Hitler had a chance at becoming Chancellor, but was beat out by the previous Chancellor, Charles Bruning. Now the Nazi was official the second largest party in the country, next to the Communist.

Assess some of the ways in which Third World Debt might be reduced. Ess

Assess some of the ways in which Third World Debt might be reduced. Despite the overwhelming number of statistics and indicators, global poverty is as hard to measure as it is to conceptualize. One fact is undeniable: someone is going to have to pay for past debts. It could be the people in debtor countries, or the banks, or the people in advanced industrial countries. Most likely it will be some combination of these three groups. In the last ten years, there have been a variety of proposals which, unfortunately, usually reflect only the special interests of the groups proposing them. Generally speaking, these solutions fall into three categories: repudiation, minor adjustments in repayments, or reduction. A report â€Å"Relief Works: African proposals for debt cancellation - and why debt relief works† examines public spending in 10 African countries which have benefited from debt cancellation. It reveals that total spending on education in these countries has increased, and is now twice the amount that is being paid to foreign creditors. The story is similar with spending on health, which has risen by 70 per cent since before debt relief, and is now one third higher than spending on debt repayments. And contrary to the views of sceptics, debt relief is not being used to fuel military expenditure. The report presents these clear indications of the positive difference that debt cancellation can make as the strongest argument there is in favour of further debt relief for the world's poorest countries. However, various G8 Summits have seen promises of billions in debt-write off, but almost hardly are carried out, or contain a lot of spin. For example, a lot of debt relief promised may include moneys previously annouced for such purposes, thus creating an impression of enormous write-offs. Bilateral debt relief also does not typically release actual money to be used for other purposes. Multilateral debt relief, however, could. Debt repudiation, in the sense of a unilateral cessation of repayment, occurred in a number of countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. With the exception of the Peruvian cessation, however, most of these actions have been taken with assurances that the stoppages were only temporary. Peru announced that it was unilaterally limiting its ... ... and abysmal poverty as a normal condition. This need not, and should not, be the case. The developed countries have a responsibility to create conditions whereby the poorer countries can interact more productively in international economic activities: their single most important contribution to this end might be in the area of reducing trade restrictions on the products of poorer countries. Similarly, the developing countries have a responsibility to see that money is more effectively utilized within their own borders. The obscene personal profits accumulated by such leaders as Marcos of the Philippines and Mobutu of Zaire should not be fostered by the strategic interests of other countries. The banks should also face up to the fact that their single-minded pursuit of profits almost led them to the brink of bankruptcy. The lesson to be learned from this experience is that for economic growth to be sustained, close attention must be paid to the mutual interests of all parties involved. Only after sustained economic growth returns to the heavily indebted countries can the international community even begin to determine manageable rates and methods of debt repayment.

Andy Warhol Essay -- Biography

Hailed as the founding father of the Pop Art movement in the late 1950's and early 1960's, Andy Warhol, through his endeavors, brought forward society's obsession with mass culture and allowed it to become the subject of his art. He produced works that defied and challenged the popular notion of what art should be by disputing the "traditional conventions pertaining to the uniqueness, authenticity, and authorship" of art (Faerna 28). However, it is an injustice to say that Warhol's goals primarily included the desire to create such a ground-breaking and salient style of American art or to entertain the public by making his own artistic contributions. Rather, Andy Warhol's interests were more entwined in his own self-interest and greed. Although a fraction of Andy Warhol's inspiration resided in his ambition to create a "unique" and exotic style of American art, his main motivation was purely materialistic and involved acquiring large sums of money and publicity to fuel his obsession with wealth and fame. Andy Warhol's experiences throughout his difficult and poverty-stricken early life are one among many possible explanations for Warhol's addiction to materialism later on in his life. Born on August 6, 1928 into the slums of Pittsburgh, Andy Warhol was the fourth child of working-class Slovakian immigrant parents who barely spoke English. As a child, Warhol developed chorea, an illness which causes abnormal involuntary movements. Consequently, this contributed to his isolation as a child as he was often bed-ridden and thus became an outcast at school (Gale American Decades). During his early years, he also developed a fascination for fame and recognition as he would constantly amass pictures of celebrities and movie sta... ...sted in the chemical processes that went into forming Oxidation Painting; rather, he was more concerned with converting these bodily fluids into something precious and valuable. Oxidation Painting was an attempt by Warhol to project his persona into the media in order to garner publicity and attention. Furthermore, Oxidation Painting remains as Warhol’s most economically valuable work. Now, twenty-three years after Warhol’s death, his face and art are on T-shirts, iPods, blue jeans, sunglasses, Christmas cards, handbags, skateboards and wallpaper. His reputation and popularity are both endless and his works of art continue to fetch enormous sums of money. Even with his death, Warhol’s name continues to be met with both publicity and infamy. Ultimately, Andy Warhol’s legacy lies with his outlandish and exotic style of art and his lust for materialism and wealth.

“No One’s a Mystery”

Jessica Ulrich Essay 2 Intro to Literature The story I am completing and analyzing is â€Å"No One's a Mystery† by Elizabeth Tallent. â€Å"No One's a Mystery† is a brief, sharply detailed distillation of a doomed relationship between two people of contrasting personalities. The question I ask is who the characters are, and what parts of the story lead me to deem and back up my feelings about that certain character. To start off I feel that Jack is a hard one to analyze while reading it in a critical way.This is what I picked up on him Jack being a very cynical man who drinks heavily, doesn't clean his truck, and has no obvious respect for women (Mexomorph). Jack and his young lover not only come to terms with their relationship but also illuminate aspects of their own characters of which they themselves are not fully aware. The story is more of a character sketch than a traditional tale containing a beginning, middle, and an end. The sequence of events is less importan t than the specific detail and the dialogue between the couple. Esch, 2009) He is currently cheating on his wife with a barely-legal girl he has been having an affair with since she was sixteen. I think he is a man who doesn’t know what he wants. In the story when she is talking about marrying him and having his children down the road, he doesn’t seem to be much for it at least not as much as her. I think he really feels bad for what he is doing but he is caught up in the moment of the relationship and how easy it is, but doesn’t think through the consequences.I think he drinks so much to forget about what he is doing to his wife and he knows it is wrong, so drinking helps him cope with the last 2 years of having an affair, and soon to be a divorce that he states at the end of the story. He also seems to very demeaning towards women and it seems as if again he is not happy with his life he has lead on. Another thing is when he talks about his wife feeling safer when the lights are on when he's not home makes me think he still cares for her and is fine talking about her with his secret relationship in which she has no problem with him talking about.So again Jack is a hard one to understand but I think I got the gist of it. Aside from these generalities, he makes no judgments and demands no commitment, even mocking the narrator's version of their future together. His remark that the sky is empty carries a double meaning: In the context of the dialogue, Jack is referring to the absence of aircraft monitoring the speed of traffic, but in the light of his own character, it is a statement of unbelief, of detachment from social, emotional, and moral values.The young narrator, by contrast, has already acquired a set of values that make her a more sympathetic character. Her sharp eye for detail, her specific observations, lend her a solidity, a steadiness of purpose that is missing in Jack's life With all of this information I have gathered on the next character I would like to analyze would be the eighteen year old girl who is dating Jack. This eighteen year old girl seems to be very in love with Jack. She is planning their lives together with marriage and children.I feel that her character is an unsure about herself, or she hasn’t felt real love before and that’s why dating a married man and have it feel ok for her. Even though it doesn’t state much about their feelings on the relationships in the story I think it comes out the words they use within their conversation. The narrator counters to the contrary she will always love Jack. This exchange has some hidden meanings. The author is trying to show the reader that Jack knows they will not be together a year from then.The author is also trying to show the innocence and naivete of the girl in comparison to the knowledge of Jack. This diary encounter again brings out an emotional response in the reader by its imagery. When Jack mentions about how his wif e leaves the light on in the house because it helps her feel safer, it seems as if it doesn’t bother her talking about his wife, or having her duck in the truck when his wife passes alongside the road just so they don’t get caught. You think that would bug her with having to consistently hide from her especially since she is wanting and fantasizing about marrying him at age eighteen.I think she is deprived from having a relationship that can go to movies, dinner, hold hands in public, and been seen and known as a couple, and I think she feels some hurt due to the fact she knows it will never happen because when she talks about a year from now writing in her diary † I wonder what I really saw in Jack†, † I wonder why I spend so many day just riding in his truck†, or writing â€Å"I wonder what that old guys name was†. She states that she writes that but she will write â€Å"I love Jack and this diary is my birthday present from him. †Å"I can't imagine anybody loving anybody more than I love Jack. † So she goes back and forth of what she is feeling and what can happen in the future. She talks about not knowing Jack in a year but then also talks about having his kid and waiting for him to come home to make love to him. It was a very confusing ending with her and her feelings, very hard to read and interpret. I did get thought that both of them are caught up in the moment. That is what I felt the characters where, and what parts of the story lead me to deem and back up my feelings about that certain character.The visual and verbal images of this work are the key elements. The characters are not round characters but rather flat and stereotypical as the title No One's A Mystery suggests (Esch, 2009). But the way the characters are used, the straightforwardness of language and setting are meant to bring the reader to an emotional edge. The filthiness of the truck, the youth of the narrator and the exchange betwe en Jack and the girl over the diary help to reinforce the negative emotional response that the author was looking for.I wish this story was a little bit longer so it could help explain things that I thought had double meaning, but I like making up my own real end to the story and how I want to think of how those two ended up in a year. Works Cited Esch, J. (2009, Dec 4). Notearama. Retrieved from Notearama: http://notearama. blogspot. com/2009/12/on-no-ones-mystery-by-elizabeth-tallent. html Mexomorph. (n. d. ). Write Work. Retrieved from Write Work: http://www. writework. com/essay/no-one-s-mystery-elizabeth-tallent-english-1302-literature

Hunger games Essay

Over the long hot summer I read an interesting book written by Suzanne Collins called The Hunger Games. It is an inspirational book about a small district in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Hunger Games is an annual lottery in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts are selected to compete in a live televised battle to the death. This is an underdog story of Katniss Everdeen who is from district 12 a coal-mining district that is the poorest and least populated district. She is able to come out victorious and find her love Peeta Mellark who is also from district 12. This story shows people our age that even through adversity if you work hard enough you can do anything you want to. Katniss faced much adversity in her life from her father dying in a mine accident, her having to find food so her and her sister did not starve, and her taking the place of her sister when she is picked to take place in the hunger games. This relates to a lot of people because we face challenges in everyday life, but like Katniss we must be able to overcome these challenges and make the best of it. Katniss also showed a lot of bravery by taking the places of her sister in The Hunger Games this act of bravery is something that many people would not do. If you want to be brave in your life you must be able to sacrifice yourself for another person this is another reason why I believe this book related to so many people. I personally enjoyed this underdog story. The fact that the least likely winner of the games came out the winner makes the story great to me. I admire the bravery of Katniss for putting her life in danger to save her sister who I believe would have not survived the games. Another reason I like this book is because of the action and the fact that you must kill someone that might be your friend. It shows the desperation of people and how they fight to survive. As I read the book my opinion of Peeta change by at first I thought he said he loved Katniss in the beginning to add publicity and to get Katniss to trust him, and then he would kill her. I was wrong and it turns out that he did love her and they would both win the games because they refused to kill each other. This proves that you cannot judge some by there words but by there actions. In conclusion The Hunger Games is a book about love, bravery, and trust. With out theses Katniss and Peeta would not have been able to survive. It is also a story of how underdogs can win no matter what the chances are. It is an inspirational story that I believe everyone should get the chances to read. These are the reasons why I enjoyed and would recommended this book to people my age.

Not Enough Drinking Water Essay

Pop culture has recently become obsessed with trying to provide clean drinking water to those who do not have it. This is a pathetic issue to choose to fix. These poor people are a waste of space and need to learn how to fix their own problems instead of turning to the reach to fix them. Do you think the rich got rich by relying on other people? No. They found easy solutions to their difficult problems. People have wasted tons of money on giving these people clean water supplies when there are cheap solutions to get the job done. For one these people should just drink their own urine. It is full of vitamins and nutrients that at the time the body doesn’t need but will at a later date. It also would make an endless cycle and the people would always have a supply of it. Drinking urine would be almost completely free, all that would be needed would be some kind of bottle to collect and contain it in until it was needed again. With this solution every person would have their very own source of water and people would never have to fight over it or share supplies again. It would also teach people to become much more self-sufficient because they are supplying their own source of life. Another easy solution is to make the people of these very poor areas used to not having any water by contaminating the little supply they have and forcing them to become assimilated to their new way of life. This is a perfect example of natural selection, the most fit will survive and be able to reproduce while the rest will die off. This will cause future generations of people to be well adapted to having little water and let them live much longer. This would be completely cost free; the only thing that would need to be done is some mud will need to be thrown into the large sources of drinking water. Some people feel that giving these pathetic people drinking water or drilling wells will fix the problems but they won’t this will only make the problem worse by showing these people that they can always rely on other people. Giving them other ways to get safe water is a complete waste of time and money. The world needs to see this fact and ban together to follow cheaper easier and faster ways of helping these poor pathetic people.

Economic And Social Essay

In a century of modernisation, the memorable decades shoot the stars of one decade so bright and called the sixties. It was definitely unlike others. It screamed for its entity of liberty, knowledge, power, wealth, thrill, wanted to see a generation through Purple Haze. Taking communication beyond the realm of any hesitation with television and movies; ‘60s are back’. Civil rights marches, urban riot, soldier fighting at Vietnam and citizen protesting back home, students taking over college campuses, hippies in their unconventional dresses with flowers in their wiery hair, rolling on drug and rock music, rock and rolling on spirit of free love. It was a revolution in the air for the social deconstruction through the social and political activism of ‘the movement’ of the left wing leaving a collective memory of the contrasts that ever any decade has seen, of its Economic and Social changes, like America of 60s and beyond saw (Whitfield 2004). The materials of this web site of Duke University Press are reflecting the issues of the race, labour market and social disorder of the twentieth century America through its journal of Social Science History. It introduces the rise of the African Americans in the central cities from 10% approx. , in contrast to the post 60s reading clocks nearly at 60%, far than that of whites. But the site is also arguing on the discriminations and poverty rising due to various economic factors, kinds of markets, social systems, policies and movements. In the United State’s social history the site contributes the connection of the historic redistribution of the Black population. The site is recommendable for the research as it has the relevant concern for the subject matter and has eventually gone deeper into the subject, projecting the post 60s U. S. economy and society. More over the web site is a typical research oriented one that provides social journals with a vision, ‘Today’s Research. Tomorrow’s Inspiration’ that holds the emblem of the Registration of Project Muse. The whole effort is produced by ‘The Johns Hopkins University Press’ with an extended academic support of ‘The Milton S. Eisenhower Library’. Thus, it goes for the motion that the site can be employed for the research for its viability and genuineness of the academic and literary interpretations (Collins 1971). The site of Lone Star College – Kingwood is describing the American cultural history from 1960 to 69 precisely. Apart from the general review of the decade, it also has the facts and the figures of the same. From art, architecture to books and fashion, from events and technology to music and war, from people and sports to television and politics, the site has cover roughly everything of the decade, in a very briefly manner. But, since it is brief; it does not convey the message that it can not support a research. The said is the only pen picture of the homepage, which again has number of links to get access to great deal of details. The site has extra links of library and research guide, which makes it more suitable for research purpose. It is a college library site with a dot command of education, proving it to be an educational site and can be employed for the research (Lone Star College 2008). Since the topic about post 60s America, here it draws a sharp contrast by sifting the focus to South America. Growth and structural change in Latin America since 1960 analyses the economic and trade effect on the society. It comparing the effect since 1930s and what happened in 70s and 80s. economic slowdown, import substitute, export and reliance on foreign debts have the economy of the region and have not been engaged in creative response anymore. Though it has a slow starting but has argued the growth considering the emerging power later. The site is absolutely perfect for the research. Firstly, the article is developed by Harvard Institute for International Development and Bar Ilan University, Israel and got the patent of the ‘The University of Chicago’. Again it has the patent of the Jestor community, which is served and supported by the community of the scholars and exclusively an academic site. Thus, it is high employable (Syrquin. 1986). This site is about the sustainable development of America through its history of environmental politics, policies and common good. The site has explained the millennium ecosystem assessment from now till post 60s era. But the site can not be used in the research as it is much of a blog than a site. It has the option to post comment. The open domain nature of this site has made it prone to bias feedbacks and confusing conclusion (Environmental Economics & Sustainable Development 2006). The American Scene describes the age of abundance, which includes the American politics, movie, culture, etc. that happened as the baby boomers grew up, and once who saw the war in their childhood. But the site shares the same problem like the previous one. It is kind of blog and has got the place to leave replies there is no academic support and viability to have faith on the articles (The American Scene 2008). Fertility change in Utah: 1960-1975 has discussed the fertility rate of the area and it social and economic contribution that started from 1800 and continued till the post 60s period. But it is futile to discuss on this site as the site is lacking in genuineness. It appears to be a word document with certain links to connect for further information. Even the source cited is also absurd up to a great extent (Fertility change in Utah: 1960-1975 2008). Reference Andrews, Richard N. L. 2006. Learning from History: U. S. Environmental Politics, Policies, and the Common Good. Environmental Economics & Sustainable Development. http://environmental-economics. blogspot. com/2007/08/sustainable- development-21st-century. html (accessed October 30, 2008). Collins, William J. 1971. Race, Labor Markets, and Social Disorder in Twentieth- Century America: An Introduction. Social Science History 29, No. 2: 235-239. http://muse. jhu. edu/login? uri=/journals/social_science_history/v029/29. 2collins. h tml (accessed October 29, 2008). Goodwin, Susan. and Bradley, Becky. 2008. American Cultural History 1960 – 1969. Lone Star College – Kingwood. http://kclibrary. lonestar. edu/decade60. html (accessed October 29, 2008). Syrquin, Moshe. 1986. Growth and Structural Change in Latin America since 1960: A Comparative Analysis. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 34, no. 3: pp. 433-454. http://www. jstor. org/pss/1154048 (accessed October 29, 2008). Spicer, J. L. 2008. Fertility change in Utah: 1960-1975. POPLINE Document Number: 015540. http://www. popline. org/docs/0576/015540. html (accessed October 30, 2008). Tim Lee 2008. The Age of Abundance. The American Scene. http://www. theamericanscene. com/2008/06/27/the-age-of-abundance (accessed October 30, 2008). Whitfield, Stephen J. 2004. A Companion to 20th-century America. Blackwell Publishing.

Postmodern Cultural Studies Essay

Cultural Studies and the Academy 1. Cultural studies in the academies of the advanced capitalist countries has transformed the object of studies in the humanities. In particular, in English departments, cultural studies has challenged the predominance of the governing categories of literary studies (the â€Å"canon,† the homogeneous â€Å"period,† the formal properties of genre, the literary object as autonomous and self-contained) in the interest of producing â€Å"readings† of all texts of culture and inquiring into the reproduction of subjectivities. To this end, pressure has been placed on disciplinary boundaries, the methods which police these boundaries, and modes of interpretation and critique have been developed which bring, for example, â€Å"economics† and â€Å"politics† to bear on the formal properties of texts. In addition, the lines between â€Å"high culture† and â€Å"mass culture† have been relativized, making it possible to address texts in terms of their social effectivity rather than their â€Å"inherent† literary, philosophical or other values. 2. The two most significant categories which have supported these institutional changes have been â€Å"ideology† and â€Å"theory. † Althusserian and post-althusserian understandings of ideology, which defined ideology not in terms of a system of ideas or â€Å"world view† but in terms of the production of subjects who recognize the existing social world as the only possible and â€Å"reasonable† one, made possible the reading of texts in terms of the ways in which the workings of ideology determined their structure and uses. Marxist and post-structuralist theories, meanwhile, focused critical attention on the conditions of possibility of discourses, and upon the exclusions and inclusions which enable their articulation. In both cases, critique becomes possible insofar as reading is directed at uncovering the â€Å"invisible† possibilities of understanding which are suppressed as a condition of the text’s intelligibility. 3. I support these efforts to transform the humanities into a site of ultural critique. I will argue that what is at stake in these changes is the uses of pedagogical institutions and practices in late capitalist society. If pedagogy is understood, as I would argue it should be, as the intervention into the reproduction of subjectivities, then the outcome of struggles over â€Å"culture† and â€Å"cultural studies† will determine whether or not the Humanities will become a site at which the production of oppositional subjectivities is made possible. Historically, the Humanities has been a site at which the contradictions of the subjectivities required by late capitalist culture have been addressed and â€Å"managed. † For example, the central concepts of post-World War Two literary criticism, such as â€Å"irony,† have the function of reducing contradictions to the â€Å"complexity† and â€Å"irrationality† of â€Å"reality,† thereby reconciling subjects to those contradictions. 4. However, these recent changes in the academy have been very partial and contradictory. They have been partial in the sense that much of the older or â€Å"traditional† modes of literary studies have remained untouched by these developments, or have only made some slight â€Å"accommodations† to them. They have also been contradictory in the sense that cultural studies has accommodated itself to existing practices, by producing new modes of fetishizing texts and preserving conservative modes of subjectivity. In this way, cultural studies continues to advance the ideological function of the modern Humanities in a changed social environment. . The right wing attacks these changes, charging–as in the ongoing â€Å"PC† scare–that the Humanities are abandoning their commitment to objectivity and the universal values of Western culture. My argument is that these commitments and values have been undermined by social developments which have socialized subjects in new ways while concentrating global socio-economic power within an ever-shrinking number of transnational corporations. The intellectual and political tendencies coordinated by cultural studies, then, are responding to these transformations by allowing academic business to go on as usual, and providing updated and therefore more useful modes of legitimation for capitalist society. 6. The contradictions of these changes in the mode of knowledge production need to be understood within the framework of the needs of the late capitalist social order. The emergence of â€Å"theory† and (post)Althusserian understandings of ideology reflected and contributed strongly to the undermining of liberal humanism (in both its â€Å"classical† and social-democratic versions) as the legitimating ideology of capitalism. The discrediting of liberal humanism, first under the pressures of anti-colonialist revolts and then as a result of the anti-hegemonic struggles in the advanced capitalist â€Å"heartlands,† revealed a deep crisis in authority and hegemony in late capitalist society. This discrediting also revealed the need for new ideologies of legitimation, free from what could now be seen as the â€Å"naivete† of liberal humanist universalism, now widely viewed as a cover for racist, sexist and anti-democratic institutions. 7. The institutional tendencies which have produced the constellation of practices which can be termed â€Å"cultural studies† have, then, participated both in the attack on liberal understandings and in the development of new discourses of legitimation. The liberal humanism predominant in the academy has increasingly been seen as illegitimate because it depends upon an outmoded notion of private individuality-that is, the modern notion of the immediacy with which the privileged text is apprehended by the knowing subject. In this understanding, literature is understood in opposition to science and technology, as a site where what is essential to our â€Å"human nature† can be preserved or recovered in the face of a social reality where this â€Å"human essence† (â€Å"freedom†) is perpetually at risk. However, the more â€Å"scientific† methods (like semiology) which have undermined the hegemony of â€Å"new criticism† in the American academy, largely through the use of modes of analysis borrowed from structuralist anthropology and linguistics, have themselves been discredited by postmodern theories as largely conservative discourses interested in resecuring disciplinary boundaries (for example, through the classification of genres) and protecting an empiricist notion of textuality. 8. Cultural studies, then, is the result of the combination of the introduction of â€Å"theory† and the â€Å"politicization† of theory enabled by these social and institutional changes. However, the postmodern assault on â€Å"master narratives† (â€Å"theory†) has responded to the discrediting of both structuralism and Marxism in a conservative political environment by redefining â€Å"politics† to mean the resistance of the individual subject to modes of domination located in the discursive and disciplinary forms which constitute the subject. This has opened up the possibility of a new line of development for cultural studies: one in which the local supplants the global as the framework of analysis and description or â€Å"redescription† replaces explanation as the purpose of theoretical investigations. I will argue that the set of discourses which have â€Å"congealed† into what I

Comparison Between Jesus In Christianity And Mohammed In Islam Essay

Comparison Between Jesus In Christianity And Mohammed In Islam - Essay Example He was born in "Bethlehem" in Palestine (Knight, 2009a). Jesus was the son of "Mary". She gave birth to him without having a sexual relationship with any man ("Jesus and Mohammed", 2006). Jesus' message was to believe in God and to be peaceful with people. In order to deliver this message, he "performed miracles which include turning water into wine, walking on water, cursing a fig tree, healing the sick, multiplying a small meal to feed a large crowd, casting demons out of people, and raising the dead back to life". Also, Jesus was teaching people by telling stories (or "parables"). His message puts God's mercy before his punishment. Jesus started to gain followers. The Jews didn't like Jesus for 2 reasons: 1. The parables told by Jesus "condemned the pride and hypocrisy of Jewish leaders". 2. His message became popular because it focused on God's mercy ("Jesus and Mohammed", 2006). At the "Last Supper", Jesus expected that he will be betrayed and killed. "Judas Iscariot" was one of the people who believed in Jesus' message. He turned against him and cooperated with the Jews. The Jews decided to execute Jesus. They executed him by "crucifixion, which is a slow and painful death by asphyxiation". Jesus was 30 ("Jesus and Mohammed", 2006). Mohammed was born in 570 in "Mecca" in Arabia (Davidmann, 2003). He was "was born to the Quraish tribe. His father Abdulla died before he was born" (Boyce, 2003). His mother died when he was six years old. His grandfather, "Abd al-Muttalib" became responsible for him. Mohammad lived with his grandfather until he died when he was eight. After that, his uncle, "Abu Talib", decided to take care of him. With the help of Abu Talib, Mohammed had the chance to work for a woman called "Khadija". He worked with her caravan. Khadija was a rich woman. She also had a husband but he died. Soon after that, Mohammed married Khadija. Mohammed was 25 and Khadija was 40 (Gottheil, Montgomery, & Grimme, 2002). The first revelation came to Mohamm ed when was forty. He "received a call from the Angel Gabriel, and thus began his active career as the prophet of Allah and the apostle of Arabia" (Knight, 2009b). Mohammed told his wife, Khadija, what happened to him. She believed him. Mohammed started to preach about Islam, but not too many people believed him in the early days of his message (Davidmann, 2003). Early believers included "Mohammed's friend Abu Bakr, his cousin Ali, and Mohammed's slave Zaid" (Boyce, 2003). Mohammed began to preach about his message in Mecca.

The Punjab Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Punjab Conflict - Essay Example These have a history of resisting central control, and with historical ties to the territories, they occupy (Chenoweth and Lawrence 222). The problems experienced in Punjab mainly root from aspects that are associated with religion in the area. These attempted to separate the Shikhs from other ethnic communities in the area, for political gain. In the 20th Century, conflicts erupted when various new ideologies were developed among the Sikhs. These therefore, had required that the central government meets their demands, which were both religious and political. When the central government failed to meet their demands, tension built up in the 1980’s among Sikhs in Punjab and those in New Delhi. The Shikhs had sought a greater autonomy; for fear that, they were being assimilated into the greater cultural Indian and Hindu (Chenoweth and Lawrence 226). This led to massive violence, with detention of some Shikh leaders, as well as hundreds of the Sikhs. More than 3,000 civilians were killed, including troops, priests, and pilgrims. Sacred buildings were destroyed and political assassinations increased. The killing of Indira Gandhi by the Shikhs led to massive killings in New Delhi, claiming more than 2,000 lives. However, in 1985, a peace agreement was reached between the Indian government and the Shikhs. There followed a dismissal of the state government, and Punjab was put under president’s rule, which lasted up to 1992, when Beant Singh won the elections (Chenoweth and Lawrence 230). The Punjab violence of the 1990’s began when approximately 80 people were killed in two incidences of train bombings in 1991. In addition, the assassination of Beant Singh, the senior... This paper stresses that in the 1990’s during the new governance, the level of participation in conventional politics increased remarkably. The voter turnout for the municipal elections in September 1992 increased by 50 percent. In addition, voter turnout also was also high for gram panchayats in January 1993, and exceeded 70 percent. Generally, violence in Punjab declined during the years that followed. This report makes a conclusion that the government plays a critical role in different types of violence in a country. The involvement of the government in a conflict might result in either positive or negative consequences. The outcome of government intervention can only be positive, if it aims at ensuring fairness and equality of the involved parties. If fairness and justice is denied to either party, it is probable that the violence will escalate. In the case of Punjab conflict, there are two instances, where the government intervened differently. In the 1980’s conflict, violence was high because the central government denied the Sikhs their political rights. The government then resorted to an inappropriate way of solving the issue by killing the Sikhs, with some of their leaders. This led to increased violence. However, in the 1990’s when a new government took office, people were allowed to vote, unlike the 1980’s. In addition, the political participation of p eople was increased in various ways. Although elements of unfairness toward the Sikhs were still present, this could not compare to the 1980’s. Therefore, this quite fair involvement by the central government in the 1990’s led the level of violence to decrease in Punjab.

Answer these questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer these questions - Essay Example In the campaigning groups, for instance, Protestants who are morally upright will discourage rivalry. This creates political sanity in the country, enabling smooth flow of the political realm. It also develops convenient answers to complicated questions, therefore cubing fears while guaranteeing reassurance for the future. According to Islamic religion, the Muslims need to, not only do good to the public, but also influence and impact the public to do good. This is stated in the holy quran 12:55-56. The Muslims join the politics in order to influence the governments to do good. They believe they may not be heard while they are outside the political arena. In an example, Prophet Yusuf, living in a non Muslim country, was asked to be appointed to head the national treasury, he said â€Å"Set me over the store-houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge† This is according to the Qur’an. Muslims also believe that they are known to revenge on any any offence against them. The implication of this is that they will always cause chaos wherever they go. To change this perspective in the minds of people, they have to be elected to the national dockets so as to reach the public and change the negative image they have in the public. Practices associated with religion, for example, Literature, arts, music, and traditions are obvious for they have brought many people together enhancing unity among people of different interests. They develop a specific culture, in which the common people have shared practices. The stories within the Bible, like the story of King David and how he became a leader of Israel, have teachings that can be drawn by the modern leaders to shape their moral behavior. An example is when King David became remorseful when he killed Uriah and lay with his wife. From this context, men can always reconcile with people they have wronged while they are in