The Quiet American

The Quiet American In The Quiet American Grahm Green writes of a complex love triangle taking place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He chooses Thomas Fowler as the protagonist to tell the story from a biased point of view. From the beginning, Fowler proclaims that he is objective. As the story progresses he is eventually gives into the desire to take action and get involved. It is not until after this climax that Fowler finally realizes and admits to himself that he cannot simply remain aloof his entire life.Green’s use of Fowler as an unstable narrator effectively depicts the complexity of human motive and how difficult it is to be honest, even to oneself. Fowler is a British journalist who has been working in Vietnam for several years. Living in an extremely controversial era in the middle of all the action, Fowler insists on remaining â€Å"not involved† (20). Fowler is a â€Å"reporter,† as opposed to a â€Å"correspondent,† for he reports what he s ees and â€Å"[takes] no action† (20). He often likes to sit across the street form the milk-bar and just observe.Watching people of all shapes and colors go about their normal lives, Fowler does nothing himself, but simply watches. He even uses opium to achieve a state of complete impassiveness about the world and everything around him. Just a single pipe could make Fowler grow indifferent to the â€Å"presence or absence† of his lover (6); several more and he cannot decide whether his own death would be good or bad. Opium allows him to convince even himself that he really is indifferent to all that which goes on around him.He prides himself on remaining detached and not taking sides, saying it is â€Å"an article of [his] creed† (20). Based on his determination to be merely an observer, Fowler should make a fine narrator. Impartial and neutral, he would tell the story as is without even an opinions to cloud his mind, for â€Å"even an opinion is a kind of act ion† (20). Despite Fowler’s efforts, it soon becomes impossible for him to remain stagnant. When the opportunity is offered to him, he resolves to participate in a plot to murder Alden Pyle. He justifies his decision with the fact that Pyle has caused much trouble and disaster.He is so naive that he does not realize the extent of what he has done, and even with the death of so many people on his hands, â€Å"he’ll always be innocent, [and] you can’t blame the innocent†(155). Fowler convinces himself that Pyle as a threat to society and â€Å"all you can do is†¦ eliminate him. Innocence is a kind of insanity†(155). However, his reasoning is questionable, for there are personal motives involved as well. Fowler does not want Phuong to leave him and marry Pyle. His wife had already made it clear that she will not give him a divorce.Though he cannot marry her himself, he is selfish and wishes everything to stay the way it is. When Phuong and her sister find out that Fowler’s wife remains insistent on her refusal of his request for a divorce, things start to turn against him. Phuong moves out and plans to marry Pyle. Fowler, devastated, has increased reason to want Pyle dead. In fact, the two men talk of how Phuong is â€Å"the most important thing there is† right before Fowler makes up his mind to open the book at the window and call the whole plan to action (169).It is clear that Fowler does not make his decision based solely on political grounds. Slowly, as the story goes on, Fowler starts to realize that it is impossible to stay indifferent of everything around him. â€Å"Sooner or later, one has to take sides if one is to remain human† (166). After he decides to engage in the ploy to kill Pyle, he recognizes that â€Å"[he] had become as engaged as Pyle† (175). Fowler has assumed his role in the game. He can no longer hide behind his insistence that he is neutral and â€Å"no decision wo uld ever be simple again. Stubborn as he was before about not taking sides, Fowler realizes that he â€Å"had judged like a journalist†¦ and betrayed [his] own principles† (175); he is honest to himself when he finally crosses the line into partiality. After Pyle’s death Fowler tells Phuong that he is sorry. She does not catch the significance of his apology, but he says that though â€Å"everything had gone right for [him] since [Alden] had died†¦ [he] wished there existed someone to whom [he] could say that [he] was sorry†(180). Fowler sees clearly the magnitude of what he has done.He takes responsibility for his actions and feels remorse. The instability of Fowler’s narration depicts the extraordinary intricacy of individual drive. It is never clear the reasons that Fowler makes many of his decisions, often not even to himself. Does he kill Pyle out of political concern, or compassion for the Vietnamese people? Does he do it out of love for P huong, or is it simply lust? These questions, to some degree a mystery even to Fowler himself, are emphasized by his unreliable narration.Unclear intentions are not limited to just the narrator. When Pyle saves Fowler’s life, his motives are ambiguous as well. One may assume that based on Pyle’s simple personality, his purposes are most likely be pure and genuine. He probably saved Fowler because it was in his power and it was the right thing to do. But Fowler suspects Pyle to be more calculating, that he planned to emerge a hero from the ordeal and win Phuong over in that way. Human motives are quite often multi-layered and difficult to understand.Graham makes the peculiar choice of telling a story from the prejudiced point of view of someone whose personal life is tangled in the mess of the story. Fowler starts out determined to stay impartial as a reporter and a person in general. However, as events occur and his happiness is put on the line, he gets drawn in and ta kes action. Though he makes his decision to get involved, Fowler is unsure and doubtful the whole time and feels a great deal of remorse when it is all over. It is then that he must admit to himself, and the readers see, that he is not impartial after all, and it is, in fact, human nature to take a side.

Defining Beauty Through Lucy Grealy’s Autobiography of a Face

The Oxford Dictionary defines beauty as â€Å"a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form , that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight† (â€Å"beauty†). In â€Å"Autobiography of a Face,† Lucy Grealy expands this definition by exploring her own interpretation of beauty throughout the various stages of her life. As she examines life before her diagnosis, she mentions little about beauty as a factor in her development. She was a â€Å"tomboy par excellence†, more concerned with play than lusting after David Cassidy (15).While Grealy is subjected to extensive surgeries and chemotherapy she continues to be unconcerned with appearances, though she was â€Å"still keeping myself ignorant of the details of my appearance, of the specific logic of it †(104). She was aware of her looks from the taunts and teases of classmates, but remained intentionally unable to judge herself with the harsh eyes of post-pubescence. It wasn't until Grealy experienced her first Halloween that she realized just what an impact her association of beauty had on her.Under the concealment of her Eskimo costume, she realized â€Å"just how meek I'd become, how self-conscious I was about my face until now that it was obscured (120). † As time goes on, other people seem to compensate for Grealy's lack of concern with her odd appearance. Her mother purchases turtlenecks in an effort to alleviate attention from the scar. As puberty reached her peers, she accepted that she â€Å"would never have a boyfriend, that no one would ever be interested in me in that way (159). Grealy accepted ideal of beauty, throughout her adolescence, concerns only the opposite of what appearance she could hope to achieve. This is a feeling that can be echoed through the hallways of every high school across America, but strikes particular chord in Grealy's psyche. It is not until reaching college that she feels fully comfortable in her outward appearance . Sarah Lawrence was a campus where the students were wrapped up in asserting their own individuality and bizarre aesthetic, and Grealy thrived in this environment.Grealy's personal definition of beauty cemented itself in individuality, as she grew unconcerned with the frivolous nature of the physical aspect of it. She concludes this beautifully by writing that society â€Å"tells us again and again that we can most be ourselves by acting and looking like someone else, only to leave our original faces behind to turn into ghosts that will inevitably resent and haunt us. (222)† Word count: 414 Works Cited: Grealy, Lucy. Autobiography of a Face. New York: Perennial, 2003. Print. â€Å"Beauty. † Def. 1. Oxford Dictionary. 2012. Web.

Cargills Quality

It is a public listed subsidiary company under Cargills Quality foods which is fully owned subsidiary of Cargills PLC since 2010. Kotmale is a leading brand in the dairy sector in Sri Lanka. Under the â€Å"Kotmale† brand milk packets, chees, curd, yogurt and milk powder are produced. Kotmale Holdings PLC is named as Cargills Quality Dairies (Pvt) Ltd since 2010. In this report, Cargills Food City Retail Supply Chain is discussed by considering the product brand Kotmale Milk Packets. ? Retail Supply chain Above figure shows the retail supply chain of Cargills Food City regarding product â€Å"Kotmale UHT milk packets†. Stakeholders of this retail supply chain Milk Farmers who live in Upper country Sri Lanka Flavors suppliers Packaging supplier – Tetra Pak, Colombo Cargills Quality Dairies(Pvt)Ltd Cargills warehouse Cargills Food City Marketing and distribution operator – Millers Customers Final Consumer Milk Farmers When consider about this retail supply chain, milk farmers are the 2ndtier supplier. Mostly Cargills buy fresh milks from upper country milk farmers. This retail supply chain has about 15000 small scale milk farmers. For the better link with these milk farmers, Cargills has introduced HNB farmer insurance schemes free of charge. Cargills directly connect with these suppliers without having intermediaries. It is an advantage of this retail supply chain. Tetra Pak Another 1sttier supplier is Tetra Pak branch which is situated in Colombo. Tetra Pak is a multinational food packaging company. Cargills Quality Dairies The second tier supplier of the retail supply chain is Cargills Quality Dairies (Pvt) Ltd. It is the manufacturing and processing plant of Kotmale UHT milk packets. In this report we consider about manufacturing plant which is situated in upper Kotmale. Cargills Warehouse Cargills warehouse is the distribution center. It keeps the stock of milk packets and distributes one delivery per one week per each retail outlets. This is the largest warehouse in Sri Lanka. It handles over 50000 items. Cargills Food City The retailer of this retail supply chain is Cargills Food City. It is the most valuable retail brand in Sri Lanka. The largest retail chain consist the Cargills food cities all over the country. It has the motto â€Å"On your way home†. Mostly Cargills Food City focuses everyday busy customers. Cargills food city outlets have the mass customization strategy. There are around 232 outlets which a spreader in 23 districts. Millers The distribution and marketing operator of this retail supply chain is Millers. It is also a subsidiary company of Cargills Ceylon. â€Å"Millers† is the national distributor for all the Cargills manufactured and branded products. â€Å"Millers† links the raw material suppliers with manufacturing plant, manufacturing plant with warehouse and warehouse with Cargills food city outlets. †Millers† makes the Cargills retail supply chain unique by being the one and only distributor. Customer Customer may or may not be the final consumer. He is the person who purchases the product from retailer. In this supply chain, father who buys the Kotmale milk packet will be the customer. Retailer also is a customer of Cargills warehouse. Cargills warehouse is a customer of Cargills Quality Diaries and that manufacturing plant is a supplier of raw material suppliers. Customer buys these milk packets because of the influence of final consumer. Final Consumer Final consumer is the person who uses the products. In this supply chain, a small kid who drinks that milk packet will be the final consumer. ? Key Performance Measures Key Performance Indicators measures the organizational performance which is most critical for the success of the business. They should measure frequently. KPIs significantly affect the behavior of an organization. And also KPIs show the capabilities of managers, staff and the individuals. Let’s consider following framework to analyze the key performance of Cargills Food City retail supply chain. Business Strategy Supply chain strategy Supply chain objectives Operational Metrics Customer service Metrics Financial Metrics Current, Cargills use a competitive strategy of business strategy alignment in supply chain. It has aligned the supply chain strategy to the core business strategy. And Cargills has a strategy of lower retail price for customers. â€Å"On your way home† is the slogan of Cargills food city for everyday customers who live busy lives. Cargills Food city has a unique backward integration with suppliers. Operational metrics In operational metrics Cargills Food city, measures the internal performance of the supply chain and the business. Operational metrics are derived from processes, decisions and actions taken internally to meet or exceed the customer expectations. The goals of Cargills to measure operational metrics are waste reduction, inventory management, evaluate supplier performance, unit cost reduction and time compression. Interface: Cargills Food City Cargills has a Made to Stock order fulfillment strategy regarding Kotmale UHT milk packets. Cargiils food city keep a finished products inventory of Kotmale milk packets. So, it is vital to measure following key performance indicators under operational metrics. Invrntory turn over= (Cost of goods sold)/(Inventory investments) Inventory Holding days= 365/(Inventory turnover) Cargills food city has about 9. 125 inventory turnover value and the Inventory holding days is about 40 days. Interface: Cargills Warehouse/Cargills Food city interface Key performance indicator of this interface is stock holding day. Minimum stock holding days of Cargills warehouse is 15days. Interface: Suppliers Cargills retail supply chain regarding Kotmale has vertical integrated supply chain. Further it is a backward integration. In supplier interface, Cargills measures daily volume of collected milks from milk farmers in upper country. Present daily milk collection is about 60000-70000 liters. And also under waste reduction, Cargills measure KPIs regarding water consumption and energy consumption of manufacturing plant, Cargills Quality Dairies (pvt) Ltd. It measures in terms of cost per kilo. Interface: Distributor Rather than having third party distributor, Cargills retail supply chain has own distributor, Millers. In this interface, Cargills measure the delivery time of products and the transportation cost as key performance measures. Customer service metrics Customer service metrics are indications of a company’s ability to satisfy the needs of customers by meeting customer needs on timely basis and creating exceptional value to the customers. The ultimate output of this sector is satisfied customer. Through this performance measures, Cargills ensures about customer satisfaction, response time and delivery performance whether that the right product is available at right time in right place to the right customer. Cargills retail supply chain measures case fill rate, customer profitability, delivery time for customer and average response time. Interface: Cargills food city and manufacturing plant/customer interface In these interfaces, case fill rate is measured as a key performance indicator. Case fill rate=((No of cases customer received)/(No of cases in the customer order))*100 When consider about the responsive time, Cargills Food city has higher responsiveness. Another key performance indicator of Cargills Food city is time period of handling customer complaints. They handle those complaints within minimum time periods. They have a customer relation officer to handle those complaints within the premises. Cargills Food City measures four specific key performance measurements. They are customer retention, average purchase value, sales per square foot and sales increment. Customer retention rate gives the idea about customer loyalty towards the Cargills food city regarding product Kotmale Milk packet. And also it is a good indicator to evaluate the customer service level of the retail outlets. Customer Retention Rate=(((No of customers at the end of the period)-(No of new customers within that period))/((No of customers at the start of the period) ))*100 Besides customer retention rate, Cargills use Customer satisfaction metric to identify the customer perception towards the company. According to customer satisfaction rate, Cargills can decide whether the customers spread the good name or the bad name of the company. According to survey done by Cargills at the point of purchases, they have identified that a customer share the positive experience within Cargill outlets with another 2 or 3 people. But the negative experience is shared with the 8 to 10 people. So it is very important to measure this key performance indicator. The average purchase amount measures the value that gets per purchase order. Average purchase amount= (Total Revenue in a given period)/((No of purchase orders in that period)) Interface: Distribution- Millers When consider about product Kotmale UHT milk packets, Cargills supply chain has customers all over the country. They have divided country into regions and assign a day to deliver products. They have a schedule for it. That schedule goes with a route plan. In this interface Cargills’ key performance indicator is â€Å"Adherence to the route plan†. Millers do one delivery per one week per one branch with full loaded truck. Financial Metrics Financial metrics indicate whether the company’s strategy, implementation and execution are creating value for the shareholder by contributing bottom line improvements. Cargills measures the economic value as a key performance indicator. It describes about generation of wealth and the distribution within stakeholders. The direct economic value generated by Cargills group in 2013 is Rs. 10. 3 Bn. Besides that Cargills measure the return on assets, return on equity and profit margins to measure profitability of the business and the wealth generated from assets. Return On Assets=(Profit/(Total Assets))*100 Return On Equity=(Profit/(Shareholders equity))*100 Cargills measure PE ratio to identify the share value. PE Ratio= price/Earnings This PE ratio gives an image about the company portion towards the share. Higher PE ratio attracts more and more investors to the Cargills retail supply chain. Current PE ratio of the Cargills is about 50. SWOT Analysis and Recommendations SWOT analysis The competitive strategy of Cargills is business strategy alignment. Strengths Vertical integrated supply chain. The stakeholders of this supply chain, Cargills quality dairies (pvt) Ltd, Cargills warehouse and Cargills Food city are owned by one owner. That is Cargills Ceylon PLC. So it integrates supply chain partners properly. And also it reduces the transaction costs and uncertainty of the supply chain. Because of this vertical integrated supply chain, Cargills can keep a strong position in the market against international market partners. Low retail price for Kotmale UHT milk packets and high volume of sales. Cargills Food City’s slogan is â€Å"On your way home†. It mostly focuses the busy everyday consuming customers. Cargills Food city is the ease of one stop shop that gives the shopper convenience of purchasing groceries. So, customers attract to these retail outlets and buy more. Only one distributor along the whole retail supply chain. Cargills retail supply chain has only one distributor, Millers. So, the transportation cost is low. Has the largest retail outlets chain Most valuable retail brand in Sri Lanka This attracts more and more customers to the retail outlets. And Kotmale milk packet’s brand name also is more popular. Clear direction and coordination of top management It is strength of having a good coordination within supply chain. Coordination in collaborative manner improves the performance of supply chain. High technical advanced communication system Cargills has the largest IPVPN wide area network in Sri Lanka. It consist hundreds of router and network links. Through this communication tunnels, Cargills provide lot of value added services to the customers. Belongs the largest warehouse in the Sri Lanka Strong relationship with suppliers Direct link to milk farmers and rural areas Direct link with milk farmers improve the trust within suppliers and manufacturing plant. This trust is vital for long term success of the supply chain. Foe get quality raw milk, the trust is important. Long successful history Cargills retail supply chain has a long history. With an experience, they can clearly identify the obstacles in the supply chain and take action for them. Weaknesses Poor leadership in store level and operation level Storage issues at outlets, Cargills food cities Delay of payments for small scale milk suppliers Inadequate maintenance response time Manpower shortage Opportunities Capability of expanding supermarket chain After the war, market opportunities have been increased. Every successful business tends to start a business branch in Northern part of the country. So as a leading retail company, Cargills has a huge opportunity to start retail out lets and milk manufacturing plants in those areas. High demand for UHT milk packets. Rapid development in the supporting infrastructure and information technology in the world. Today the technology regarding supply chain increases without stopping. Adopting those technologies without delaying will be a competitive strategy for the retail supply chain. Adding more and more value added services Developing closer rural network and emerging markets to rural areas. Now the rural areas are also developing with high accessibility towards the market. There are better road network too. So, starting retail out lets in those areas will improve the quality of life of people and also will increase the market share. Highways. The development of road network reduces the transportation cost and travel time. Higher increase of population. The current trend of people is consuming products like Kotmale milk packets. Increase of population leads to increase of demand for these kinds of products. It is an opportunity for Cargills retail supply chain. Threats Force of competitors like keels super and Lak Sathosa. Keels super compete with Cargills Food city in terms of quality, price and customization. And also Lak Sathosa provides products at low prices. It attracts middle class and poor people highly because they concern about price rather than quality. Highly increasing inflation rate Pressure of international markets Recommendations for the improvement of supply chain The ultimate goal of any supply chain is satisfied customer. So it is important to keep existing customers while attracting new customers. When consider about profit, 80% of profits comes from the existing customers. So, Cargills should take action to retain the existing customers. For that except for having gift cards and senior citizens card systems, customer loyalty card system is highly recommended. Now, there is an increase of customer complaints towards the Cargills Food city. To handle those customer complaints efficiently and effectively, a better customer relationship management system is recommended. Cargills retail supply chain has the largest warehouse in the Sri Lanka. To improve the performance of this warehouse, RFID tracking system will be very useful. For better replenishment process, a good vendor management system is vital. For better coordination in collaborative manner within the retail supply chain of Cargills regarding Kotmale milk packets, starting a call center is vital. If Cargills can expand this retail supply chain out of the country, new markets can be achieved. Online shopping system which gives real time information will be a great an opportunity increase the market share. Today, customers’ lives are complex. They have busy schedules. So they like to do online shopping mostly. Rather than having supplier centered supply chain, it is good to have customer centered supply chain. Although it has a huge inventory in Cargills warehouse, it is a cost for the supply chain. It does not gain any revenue. So if the supply chain makes more visible to the supply chain partners, it will reduce the bullwhip effect while reducing inventory cost.

Why women are enthusiastic about Birkin bag by Hermes Research Paper - 1

Why women are enthusiastic about Birkin bag by Hermes - Research Paper Example It is included in Forbes magazine’s Most Extravagant Handbags list. Bag prices range from US$6,000 to US$120,000 depending on the materials used and the craftsmanship that goes with it (Prabhakar, 2007). So, why do women go gaga over a Birkin bag? What strategy does Hermes adopt making it very successful all these years despite tough competition and the worldwide financial crisis? Where lies the â€Å"mystery† of the Hermes Birkin? According to Hermes CEO, Patrick Thomas, â€Å"Hermes has no desire to become a â€Å"masstige† (a mass producer of prestige goods) (Wright, 2009). Our strategy will be a strategy of value, not a strategy of volume; we are not in the mass luxury† (Agathe, Imadec-Bentata & Zimmerman, 2009, p. 8). They say no to short-term profit; thus, even in times of recession, few discounts are offered (Xie, n.d.) They cannot compromise the quality and the finishing of the product just to increase their sales (Wright, 2009). Hermes strategy is centered on the respect of the legacy of the luxury brand’s history, its heritage. (Xie, n.d.) Their mission is the pursuit of excellence. They adopt a model of scarcity to preserve its prestige and integrity. They do not change their strategy according to the state of the economy (Wright, 2009). They stick to the rule of luxury, that is, even in the worst financial crisis; the world will still have rich people who would like to hold on to exclusive items that can hold value such as a Birkin bag (Xie, n.d.). A purchase of a Birkin bag is viewed not an expense but an investment that could last for 40 years and whose price could go up to more than double as the years go by (Wright, 2009). One of the marketing techniques employed by Hermes is to keep a waiting list with high-profile customers such as Hollywood stars. They also put a â€Å"Reserved† sign on their display bag and they limit the number of Birkin sold to each customer for every purchase

Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Paper Essay

Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Paper - Essay Example Racial disparity in sentencing has become a problematic issue. There are many people who believe that this disparity does not exist. But there is substantial proof to prove that it does exist. According to Marc Mauer, there has been an "unprecedented rise in the prison population over the past three decades a six fold increase, leading to the incarceration of nearly two million Americans† and that â€Å"One of every eight black males in the 25-34 age groups is locked up on any given day and 32% of black males born today can expect to spend time in a state or federal prisons if the current trends continue." (Mauer 2004) Racial disparity in sentencing in courtrooms today is a very real issue and needs be addressed with measures that will fundamentally change the judicial system and the structure of sentencing in such a way that racial disparity in sentencing can be eliminated. According to The Sentencing Project (2000) â€Å"Racial disparity in the criminal justice system exists when â€Å"the proportion of a racial/ethnic group within the control of the system is greater than the proportion of such groups in the general population† and that â€Å"Illegitimate or unwarranted racial disparity results from the dissimilar treatment by the criminal justice system of similarly situated people based on race. In some instances this may involve overt racial bias, while in others it may reflect the influence of factors that are only indirectly associated with race. † (The Sentencing Project, 2000, p. 2) The general consensus is that disparity is seen in all stages of the judicial process. This includes biases in policing, prosecution and sentencing. Studies have shown that racial disparity is a growing problem. especially so in cases of arrests or sentencing in connection with drugs .The minorities that includes African Americans , Native Americans and Hispanics, when they are arrested or sentenced for a drug crime have far more to fear from

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 27

English - Essay Example The author carefully creates a controversial issue in this story where it can be seen that the storm is brewing in an otherwise happy family. The author tries to evoke the feelings of the readers to sympathise with Holly who is trapped in a difficult situation which has resulted in clashes of interests. For instance, she has to answer the phone call from Owen while at the same time attending to the needs and interests of the family such as preparing dinner for them. Therefore, Holly is supposed to balance between the needs of two separate but very important groups of people in her life. She cannot ignore her brother while at the same time she should also cater for the needs of her family as the mother. The author uses imagery to make the story more authentic. In order to show that Steven is not impressed by the behaviour of Owen he says, â€Å"He can’t sleep at night. Sometimes he sleeps during the day so it’s night for day for him† (160). The author tries to show how Steven is frustrated by these incessant calls which apparently are made between six and seven every day when wholly is supposed to be concentrating on family chores such as preparing dinner for them. Through the use of the above statement, the author tries to show that Owen wants his problem to belong to everyone. In Steven’s view, such calls should be made during the day when Holly is not very busy with family chores. Oats also uses imagery when Steven says to her wife, â€Å"He is eating you up alive,† (160). The readers are forced to imagine such a situation where a person is ‘eaten’ alive. Though unimaginable, the author tries to make the story vivid so that the rea ders can be in a position to imagine the dire situation Holly is in. Holly’s love for her brother is now jeopardizing her marriage since this is now creating unprecedented problems between her and the husband. Holly’s commitment to her brother Owen

My Personal Philosophy of Aging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

My Personal Philosophy of Aging - Essay Example Never in my life had I imagined that old age could be interesting and fan. The video clip however, proved that this was possible and that there are old people out there who are really enjoying being old. These people can dance, keep healthy and fit, party and widely socialize with one another. It is through this moment that, I completely shunned my previous view of old age as being boring, frustrating, sickly and of it being only a step away from death. Seeing this video has made me realize that, aging is unique to every person and it only depends on how one wants it to impact on his or her life. I have learnt that, I am the one to determine the kind of life to have as an older person. This has also taught me to treat each elderly person individually, identify their needs and respond to those needs separately without generalization. This will also be an effective way of ensuring that the treatment and care I give during practice is in line with the assessment done on an individual and specific problem and needs identified (Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, 1997). I have also realized that being old is just a continuation of a person’s life and that it should not stop one from living his or her life as before. Health is of value even during this age and maintaining it in terms of exercise, diet and positively enjoying oneself should be a priority for all (Wilmoth & Ferraro, 2004). Other than this, the old equally want to be loved, taken care of, have company and be respected just like everyone else. Caring for the older people during my practice should therefore ensure that my patients not only feel, respected, loved and cared for as brought about by Grinspun, et al. (2001-2002), but that they also feel like their transition into old age is normal and that it can be exciting as well. My role in taking care of them will include teaching them how to enjoy their life. The defining moment during this course has taught me

Write a journal assignment (Have you been bullied, bullied someone

Write a journal (Have you been bullied, bullied someone else or stood by while someone was bullied ) - Assignment Example When the victim passed by, the bully looked at him with hatred and the boy almost immediately hung his head to avoid his intimidator’s gaze. Suddenly, the bully sprung on the victim, boxed him on the head twice and kicked his side then, he hurriedly run away. The attack was abrupt and unexpected that the victim had nothing else to do but lift himself up and cry quietly. Surprised myself, I did not know what to do. I just watched the victim with a pathetic heart as he slowly walked home with his head bent with embarrassment, perhaps trying to hide his tears. Remembering this event, I think that if the incident did not happen so fast, I still might not have done anything to stop the bully. He was a big person and he could have easily harmed whoever went against his will. Moreover, he was the son of a well-known person and I do not think that I could have the guts to fight against a prominent person’s

Developing the Self and Employability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Developing the Self and Employability - Essay Example To understand the employability skills, it is imperative to assess the job of an officer in the Human Resource Department of an organization. A human resource officer undertakes duties such as the evaluation of jobs, planning of the organization, planning of the manpower available, selection and recruitment of new employees, employee services, development and training of the current employees and termination of employment. The academic requirements for this job entail the applicant possessing a Bachelors’ Degree in a relevant field. Some organizations require a person to be a holder of any degree. However, having a degree in Psychology, Law, Management or having any other business-related degree increases the chances of someone getting a job in the human resource department. In some organizations, a person who applies for a job as an officer in the Human Resource Department may need to have some experience in either a technical or a scientific field. This depends on the nature of operations that the organization undertakes (Inkson et al, 2012, p. 325). Employability skills are a set of skills that an individual seeking a job needs to possess so that an organization may employ them (Briscoe, Hall & Frautschydemuth, 2006, p. 31). These skills support the subject knowledge and the good understanding of the technicalities that the job requires, and employers look out for them when they interview potential employees. Employability skills are those skills that will equip a worker so that they are able to carry out the specific roles that their employers have assigned to them to their best (Hall, 2004, p. 7). I undertook an MBTI test. An MBTI test is an essential tool for assessing whether a person is suited for a specific job or career and it is among the most widely used personality assessment tests.  

Discuss the History of Korea and Its Impact on Korea Essay Example for Free

Discuss the History of Korea and Its Impact on Korea Essay Topic: Discuss the history of Korea and its impact on Koreas culture, politics and business. Korea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Korean civilization is one of the oldest ancient civilizations in world history, and Korea has the oldest history in East Asia. * GoJoseon (National foundation in BC 2333) The first Korean kingdom GoJoseon was established on a flourishing bronze culture in BC 2333 by Dangun who was the legendary founder of Go]eseon and people believed he was the grandson of heaven (Edward 2005). It was centered in the basins of Liao China) and Northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Politics and economy In Korean history, GoJoseon was the first state to unify its political and religious functions within one governing system and legal system as represented by its Eight Prohibitions (Edward 2005). Society It is believed that GoJoseon had achieved the status of a kingdom with a class-based society. * Three Kingdoms penod ( BC 18 AD 676) Town-states gradually united into tribal leagues with complex political structures which eventually grew into kingdoms. Koguryo (BC 37 AD 668) Koguryo was the first to mature into a kingdom. Koguryds aggressive troops onquered neighboring tribes one after another, and in 313, they even occupied Chinas Lolang outposts (Qiancheng 2009). paekje (BC 18 AD 660) PaekJe, which grew out of a town-state located south of the Han River in the surroundings of present-day Seoul(Capital city of South Korea), was another contederate kingdom similar to Koguryo deane 2 Shilla (BC 57 AD 935) Shilla was the weakest and most underdeveloped among three kingdoms at the beginning. However, because it was geographically removed from Chinese influence, it was more open to non-Chinese practices and ideas. The society was built on an advanced Buddhist in Shilla (Edward 2005). unified Shilla (676-918) By the mid-sixth century, the Shilla kingdom had brought under its control all of surrounding town-states within the Gaya confederation. Through an alliance with China, Shilla finally unified the Korean peninsula in 668 and saw the peak of its power and prosperity in the mid-eighth century. It attempted to build an ideal Buddhist country during Unified Shilla but Buddhist social order started to deteriorate as the nobility indulged in increasing luxury (Kim 2005). Hwarang-do (Flower-knight art) in Unified Shilla It is culturally important to Korea and Taekwondo which is well known Korean martial arts in the world. It was a military academy for young, aristocratic youth in Unified Shilla. They intimated with nature and studied poetry, art, literature and song, as well as martial arts. Confucianism and Taoism also were very influential to Hwarang-do. The Hwarang-dds ethics and legends of this knighthood helped form the ethical background of taekwondo (Theodore 2005). * Koryo penod ( 918 1392) Internal dissensions and external problems of Shilla between the king and regional leaders led to the disruption of Shilla. The name Koryo derives from Koguryd and it is the root of the modern name of Korea. The Koryo period from 935 to 1392 was arked by periodic internal disharmony and external wars (mostly defensive) with China and Japan. And also Koryo was invaded by the Mongols in 1231 and Mongols nearly destroyed Koryo. However, there were also great achievements which are flowering of culture that led to great advances in art and scholarship, particularly in the ceramics industry, which developed the unique grey-green celadon stoneware for which Korea is well-known today (Thomas 2003). * Chosun Dynasty (1392 1910) In 1392, a general Yi Seong-gye founded a new dynasty Chosun. In the early Chosun period, Confucianism was highly supported as the guideline of philosophy. And then, this Confucianism transformed into Neo-confucianism incorporating Taoist and Buddhist elements with and adaptation of Confucianism. Neo-confucianism is what people know as Korean culture and tradition today (Thomas 2 From 1418 to 1450, by Chosuns fourth monarch king SeJong, Korea had an unprecedented flowering of art and culture. The greatest achievement of king SeJong was invention of the Korean alphabet Hangeul. Before he invented the Korean alphabet, Korean used Chinese character (Theodore 2005). In 1 592, Toyotomi Hideyosi, who united Japan, wanted to conquer the Korean Peninsula and use it the way for its incursion into China. However, Japan was defeated by Admiral Yi sun-sin, one of the most respected fgures in Korean history. They invaded again in 1597 but they withdrew in 1598. The new religion, Catholicism, slowly spread in Korea since 18th century by Dutch Jesuit priest. In the 19th century of Chosun, they adopted an isolationist policy by the prince Taewongun because he was afraid that Chosun would be infected by western ideas. Therefore, he tried to prevent the opening of the country to foreign trade by closing the borders (Edward 2005). * Korea under Japanese Rule (1910†1945) During Japanese occupation, the first thing they did was construction of Koreas nfrastructure especially street and railroad system to control all over Korea easily and supply food for Japanese military properly. Japanese ruled with iron hand and tried to root out all elements of Korean culture from society.

Effects Of Digital Technology On Identity

Effects Of Digital Technology On Identity Identity is described as a sense of self, as being a consistent and unique person. (Fernald, 1997) Defining individual identity involves being aware of and understanding an individuals experiences, perceptions, feelings, sensations, images and memories. Ones understanding and explanation of them, the choices and decisions a person makes, and the action they take in responding to changing conditions, needs, demands and challenges is another important aspect of identity. Beyond their mental and physical constitution, human beings consist of personal experiences, perceptions, feelings, images and memories (Dorscht, 1998). As digital technology is a vast area to cover, I will primarily focus on the internet and peoples ability to connect with others. Paul Magnarella, of the University of Florida proposes that, as societies become more complex and differentiated, due to technological developments, more specialists are needed, and social integration is becoming based on the interdependence of specialized functions (Magnarella, 1997). Modern humanity is adjusting to life within the global community. This has far reaching impact in how personal, social and cultural identities are formed and maintained. As the technology of the twenty-first century speeds up and expands access to information and virtual environments, constraints upon individuals to exclusively rely upon, and respond to their local physical environment is diminished (Jones, 1997). The availability of information and technology has affected the development of individual and group identity. It is only very recently in the time line of human evolution, that individuals and members of society have been exposed to cultures, attitudes and ways of thinking that are not insulated. There has been a great deal of attention paid to the development of self in this technological society. The volume and variety of relationships now available to the average person, through the Internet, at an interpersonal level, enables the individual an opportunity to construct a new self or identity for every occasion, with very little is expected in return (Eyck, 1998). Sociology is the study of human behaviour in groups, and focuses on the influences of social relationships on attitudes and behaviour. In the Sociological Research Online Journal, Schroeder examines the social aspects of multi-user virtual reality. He states that there is stratification in cyber-space communities, with insiders and outsiders with different behaviours, roles, and statuses. Schroeder regards the possibilities for extending new opportunities and experiences in both the natural and social worlds as sociologically relevant (Schroeder, 1997). The way in which individuals perceive themselves and their place in the world, is fundamental to the topic of identity. Researchers have described control as an individuals belief that they could cause good or bad events. (Shapiro et al.) The schema theory is described as facts or experiences that are clustered around topics, which provide a frame of reference for individuals to draw upon when making judgments (Wresch, 1996). When an individual combines this schema with the way they selectively value the limited information allowed into their consciousness, it further defines ones sense of identity. One point proposed is, that by role-playing or testing scenarios in cyber-space, some people are better prepared to function in similar real life situations. Another issue is that of gender switching on the web. Anthropologists describe gender as the cultural elaboration and meaning assigned to the biological differentiation between the sexes (Haviland, 1997), in the sense that ones sex is biologically determined, but ones sexual identity is culturally assigned. In sociological terms, gender roles are expectations, regarding the proper behavior and activities, and attitudes of males and females. (Schaefer Lamm, 1997: 37) In cyber-space you can assume multiple identities, change gender and explore different facets of your personality. Turkle quotes Jung, saying Jung believed that for each of us, it is potentially most liberating to become acquainted with our dark side, as well as the other-gendered self, called anima in men and animus in women (Turkle, 1995). In role-playing and gaming, such as the online fantasy game, Second Life. It may be seen as an exercise in fantasy, and a way to create and gain mastery over a persona the individual is in control of. Second Life is a free 3D virtual world where users can socialize, connect and create using free voice and text chat. One definition of society is a fairly large number of people who live in the same territory, are relatively independent of people outside it, and participate in a common culture (Schaefer Lamm, 1997). In cyber-space, people are forming virtual societies. A sense of familiarity and belonging is created, through interaction and virtual proximity. Participants in Second Life refer to their virtual communities as cultures. Culture by definition is, A set of rules or standards, shared by members of a society, which when acted on by the members produce behaviour that falls within a range of variation the members consider proper and acceptable (Haviland, 1997). To deviate from the rules can result in punishment or expulsion from the culture. There are both IC, in character, guidelines for behavior, and OC or out of character codes to be followed. These people feel that they know each other. They interact both in and out of character and, in some cases have arranged meetings in the Real Wor ld. Sherry Turkle (Turkle, 1995) puts forward the idea that computer mediated communications have saturated society with both alien and local cultures. Turkle points out that through such widespread social contact, we are adjusting to and assimilating other cultures beliefs and norms to such an extent that we as a society are being deprived of traditional social structures and norms. In this information age, one may locate diverse friends, create an alternate identity and explore avenues of study and areas of culture that were never an option a generation ago (Turkle, 1995). Culture lag is defined as a period of maladjustment during which the non-material culture adapts to the material culture and foreign ideas are often viewed as threatening. (Schaefer Lamm, 1997) This definition could be paraphrased by stating that some individuals suffer from a period of confusion while the previously non-technical culture is adapting to new technology. This techno-culture lag appears to be more problematic to those who have not had as much experience with the technical and Internet related fields, than for example, the average secondary school student. The modern teenager sees the Internet in much the same way the children of the 1960s took television for granted. From a sociological view our individual culture provides us with a predisposed way of thinking and behaving when communicating. Our vocabulary is affected by our culture, in that we tend to have more words or ways of expressing ourselves, relative to the degree of importance we attach to a given subject. (Haviland, 1997) The way in which we communicate also guides our thinking and behaviour. This can be a potential source of problems when communicating outside our own culture. Phrases and words that are intended to convey a particular meaning may be misinterpreted and cause embarrassment or offense to a person of a different culture. The absence of body language and gestures when communicating by computer, whether through email or chats, seems to be guiding communication to a more generic form and adding a whole new vocabulary of technological terminology. Modern humanity is part of a networked society, whether directly or indirectly. Its views of the world, its cultures and individual identity are all being reshaped through the impact of the Internet in our lives. People have become cyber-chameleons, adjusting to whoever they are communicating with. This flexibility is characteristic of contemporary society. One generation ago, it was common for a person to be born, live, and die in one community, while being married to the same person and working in the same job. In todays society it is not unusual to change jobs, and move, remarry and adapt multiple times. Societies suffer a cultural loss when they homogenize and streamline their identities in order to communicate and interact globally (Featherstone Burrows, 1995). The modern self is bombarded with instantaneous images of far off peoples, events and cultures and distant happenings. This places the producers of this information in the position of becoming manufacturers of reality (Eyck, 1998). It is more important than ever that the individual become aware of how to distinguish fantasy from reality and evaluate the information that is being served up to them (Balsalmo, 1996). The distribution of knowledge and power has made it more difficult for powerful social institutions to wield the power they once did. Knowledge is power, so perhaps to spread knowledge is to distribute power. Ones awareness of choices and decisions, of action and responses, and understanding of what they indicate, and how they interact and relate is what finally comprises an image of oneself, an identity.

Agony And The Ecstacy :: essays research papers

The Agony and the Ecstacy depicts Michelangelo’s struggle to become the embodiment of Renaissance humanism. In the course of the novel Michelangelo must overcome the interference of his family, religious dogma, political intrigue, papal patronage, military campaigns, and artistic jealousy to realize his artistic ambition. Despite his father’s opposition, twelve-year-old Michelangelo becomes an apprentice, first to painter Ghirlandaio and then to Bertoldo, a sculptor, who directs a school financed by Lorenzo de’ Medici, patron of Florentine art. Michelangelo quickly wins Lorenzo’s esteem, meets his children (among Them two future popes, Giulio and Giovanni, and Contessina, his first love), suffers the first of several attacks by jealous colleagues (his nose is broken by Trrigiani, whose later appearances always threaten Michelangelo), and through forbidden dissection learns the anatomy and physiology he needs. Eventually Savonarola, a reform priest, comes to power, and his crusading zeal threatens Lorenzo de’ Medici’s family and the Florentine art world. When Savonarola gains political, as well as religious control, Michelangelo flees Florence and travels to Bologna, where he meets the sensuous Clarissa Saffi and carves the Bambino that attracts the attention of Leo Baglioni. In Rome for the first time, Michelangelo meets Jacopo Galli, a banker, who commissions a sculpture; Giuliano Sangallo, an architect; and Bramante, another architect and an adversary. In Rome, Michelangelo carves the Pieta, learns about the whims of religious patrons, and becomes interested in St. Peter’s – the building of the new St. Peter’s will embroil him in controversy and ultimately consume his last years. Michelangelo return to Florence, where he carves â€Å"the Giant,† a sculpture of David which becomes the symbol of Florence. There he meets Leonardo da Vinci, his principal rival, and Raphael, the painter – the three become the triumvirate of Renaissance Italian art. Jealous of Leonardo Michelangelo competes with him as the two artists paint frescoes for the rulers of Florence. Word of Michelangelo’s work reaches Pope Julius, who forces Michelangelo to work in bronze, rather than his beloved marble, and to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. It is Julius who resolves to build a new St. Peter’s. Julius is followed by two Medici popes who only add to Michelangelo’s problems: Giovanni, by forcing him to work with marble from Pietrasanta, an almost inaccessible region, thereby making Michelangelo an engineer, and Giulio, against whose forces Michelangelo must use his engineering talents to fortify the city of Florence. The Medici popes are followed by Pope Paul III, who commissions Michelangelo to paint the Last Judgment and who, after bitter disputes about the ongoing building of St.

The Theme of Carpe Diem in Francis Macomber and Capital Of The World Es

The Theme of Carpe Diem in Francis Macomber and Capital Of The World  Ã‚   The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber and The Capital Of The World  Ã‚     A lot of Hemingway’s stories deal with life and death. Death even found it’s way into some of the titles we have read so far. However, in discussing death, we first have to look at life or rather how a life was lived, to truly understand what death meant in the particular instance. Both short stories, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, and The Capital Of The World deal with lives cut short by a chance and accidental encounter with death, while the soon to be deceased seem to gamble and court death. Both also seem to have secondary characters that serve as guides of sorts into this journey. However only one of these characters seems satisfied when cut down, and that is what Hemingway thinks makes all the difference.   For example, in The Capital Of The World, were are introduced to the character of Paco. Early in the story, Hemingway writes, â€Å"Madrid is full of boys named Paco†(29). And, as stated in class, Francis, from The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, to bears a rather unusual name. While â€Å"Paco† is told to be common, we recognize â€Å"Francis† as being an odd name for a man. The names are different, but the effect seems to be the same. Hemingway named his characters to give us a picture of who they are. With â€Å"Paco†, we see just another faceless boy, and with Francis we assume a poor example of a â€Å"Hemingway man†. Both of these are then set up to be unremarkable characters that may have to prove their worth. And that is what drives each particular story.   Both stories also have characters that drive each respective protagonist into his... ...;The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber ends with Wilson saying, â€Å" ‘I’m though now†, he said,’I was a little angry. I’d begun to like your husband’†(28). What Hemingway is telling us plainly is that Macomber was able to achieve something. His death, although tragic, is not as tragic as Paco’s. As we have said many times in class, Hemingway knows death does indeed come for everyone. From short stories like The Killers to novels like For Whom The Bell Tolls, death can almost even be described as a reoccurring character in Hemingway’s work. However death impact is weighed by comparing it to life. For Macomber, death came at his highest point. He went down like man. Paco however, lost his life before he could lose his innocence. He was not even given the chance to live. And that is what Hemingway thinks is all the more tragic. To die not like a man, but a boy.   

Moyers vs. Frontline :: essays research papers

Moyers Vs. Frontline   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The difference between the Frontline video and the Moyers video is mainly that the Moyers video deals with normative ethics and the Frontline video deals with discriptive ethics. The Frontline video frightenly describes how George Walker bush came to develope the principles and values which guide his policy making. The Moyers video, on the other hand, dealt with how Sister Joan felt about the president's policies, and what she hoped the conservative Christian right would do to become more succinct with gospel teachings. Both sides have elements of both normative and discriptive ethics, but for the most part, they are polar in motivation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Moyers video gives a rather surprising account of the Bush policies from the perspective of a very politically active Catholic nun. Sister Joan criticizes the president for everything from his policies on Iraq to the conservative view on abortion. Sister Joan poigniantly displays Bush as an egotistical, confused absolutist who's own agenda is the only one he relies on. Not that Sister Joan is wrong, but the Moyers video paints him not as coniving, but as misguided. At the end of the Moyers video, one has a sense that he truly believes what he's doing is right. When he makes the comment as governor, that God wants him to be president, I think he really believes it. To make a statement like that isn't just meglomania, it's political suicide...unless you actually believe it and happen to be a member of a faith that believes God does things like pick presidents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The president's interest in faith-based initiatives, is perhaps best contrasted against Sister Joan's response to the Conservative pro-life argument. Bush went against the constitution to allow religious institutions to recieve federal aid for community service programs, without being subjected to federal regulations. Nowhere, however, did he mention what faith would get the most funding. Bush had stated earlier that he didn't believe you were going to heaven without Jesus. He then showed an obvious favortism towards Christianity when speaking about the new programs in the public forum. If this continues, he will no doubt use his faith over the constitution to begin taking away the rightsof citizens. One of the areas in jeapardy is the women's right to privacy. Sister Joan uses the best response I've heard to the conservative argument I've heard in a

The Key Factors on the Development of Outdoor Adventure.

The key factors on the development of outdoor adventure. 1932 – The mass trespass On Sunday 24th April 1932 around five hundred ramblers trespassed in on Kinder Scout, this led to legislation in 1949 to establish the National Parks and to walkers' rights over open country and common land in 2000. The reason there was a mass trespass was because gamekeepers that owned the land that the ramblers wanted to walk on said they couldn’t, and because of the lack of progress that had been made by the official ramblers’ federations for the ‘Right to Roam’ the mass trespass was organised. The idea was to protest about the lack of access. The land was bad farming land and was used to graze sheep or to keep game birds and was only worked on around 12 days a year, the rest of the time it would have been deserted but walkers weren’t allowed on it. The mass trespassers demanded change, they wanted the land to be opened so when it wasn’t being worked on people could walk on it. Of the 150,000 acres of land in the Peak District only 1,200 acres, had public access and there were only 12 ‘legal' paths to choose from, this meant that with the growing popularity of walking the paths were often crowded. If any of the walkers wandered off the paths (which many did, to find somewhere quieter) it was trespassing and they were chased off the land. Many walkers believed it wasn’t right that people should have land as private and access should be available to everyone. So people set out on the mass trespass as a protest against land owners, nothing other than arrests happened immediately, but 17 years later the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 legislation came in. And if it wasn’t for the mass trespass we may not have had access to the countryside this would have made it hard for outdoor education to take place. As access would be restricted and wandering off paths wouldn’t be allowed, going to a crag to climb wouldn’t be allowed, setting up a tent wouldn’t be allowed, mountain biking wouldn’t be allowed (off paths), the list goes on, but if not for the 400 – 500 trespassers we may not have had as many opportunities as we do today. The main influence the mass trespass had on the outdoor education world was access which provides opportunities and gave people something cheap to do in their leisure time. It also increased media which increased knowledge. It reduced fear as with the legislation in place people can wander off paths and not be chased off the land. 1907 – Robert Baden started the scouts and 2009 – Bear Grylls becomes chief scout Robert Baden’s many experiences as a boy and as a soldier played a great part in him starting the scouting movement. When he was a boy he spent his holidays camping, hiking and sailing, Robert also used to sneak off into the woods during school and there he learned how to hide his tracks, climb trees and freeze to escape attention if any of the school teachers entered the woods. As a boy he also learnt skills such as how to pitch a tent, use a map and compass, and cook on a wood-fire. When Robert was in the British army, he taught his soldiers how to live in the wood. He taught them how to use maps and compasses, how to tell directions from the stars, and how to read tracks and trail signs. He called his soldiers Scouts. In 1900, Robert and his soldiers were defending a town during a war in South Africa. Robert taught the boys of the town to do important jobs the soldiers usually did. He learned that boys could be taught to do important things and do their best at it. All this led to him taking 20 teenage boys on 1st – 9th August 1907 to Brownsea Island to camp, he taught them scouting. This then led to him writing a book in 1908, a book called Scouting for boys, from this he only intended to provide a method of training boys which existing organisations could use, but to his surprise many boys grouped together and created their own ‘scouts’ groups. And by 1909, there were 11,000 Boy Scouts. Scouting spread from Britain America, and all over the world. Thanks to Lord Robert Baden-Powell, there are now millions of people joined together in the worldwide community of Scouting. The war in 1914 could have caused the collapse of the scouts, but the training provided proved its worth. When adult leaders volunteered for active service patrol leaders took over. Scouts contributed to the war effort in many ways including the Sea Scouts who took the place of regular coast-guardsmen, which freed them for service afloat. On 17th May 2009 Bear Grylls became chief scout becoming the youngest ever chief scout Bear says â€Å"this is his proudest post, standing up for young people from so many different cultures and countries, helping them realize their dreams, explore the world, help in crisis countries, and benefit from being part of a worldwide family. It is all about encouraging life values, outdoor skills and a sense of pride, belonging and camaraderie through adventure. † His website states â€Å"Bear Grylls is a worldwide icon for the great outdoors and the ultimate in adventure. † And â€Å"Bear Grylls has become known around the world as one of the most recognized faces of survival and outdoor adventure. † Because he is in the media and on TV a lot he is a celebrity role model that can impact people on wanting to join the scouts and gain knowledge. If Robert hadn’t set up the scouts then 1- Bear wouldn’t be scout leader and may not have had as much impact on people that he does, and 2- many people wouldn’t have joined and learned about the outdoors and many wouldn’t have an interest in outdoor adventure. 1990’s – The 7 Stanes set up The 7stanes are seven mountain biking sites in the south of Scotland. It is a partnership project which was started in 2001 and recently finished its third phase (2011). They are set on Forestry Commission land and they are seen as the way by which further trails in the UK should be developed. They are known as the 7stanes because each venue features a ‘stane' (Scottish name for stone) along each of the forest trails. The 7stanes are set in: * Forest of Ae * Dalbeattie * Glentrool * Kirroughtree, near Newton Stewart * Mabie * Newcastleton * Tweed Valley – Glentress and Innerleithen The trails on each site are different, and are set different difficulties by Trail Grades which are: * Green – Easy (relatively flat; suitable for beginners) Blue – Moderate (may be single-track and include minor obstacles; suitable for cyclists with basic off-road skills) * Red – Difficult (mostly single-track, many obstacles; suitable for proficient mountain bikers) * Black – Severe (similar to red routes, with more obstacles and large challenging area; suitable for expert riders only) * Bike Park (Orange)- Extreme (highly challen ging, includes downhill sections and unavoidable jumps; suitable for expert riders only) The Forestry Commission as established in 1919 and is responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is â€Å"to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment. † In October 2010, the Government introduced the Public Bodies Bill, which would have enabled the Secretary of State to sell or lease public forests in England. This could have ment that the land was sold and possibly changed but an online petition was set up opposing the sale and it received more than 537,000 people signed it. Then in February 2011, after a campaign of protest by groups like the Ramblers and Hands off our Forest, the government announced it had abandoned its plans and would remove the forestry clauses from the Public Bodies Bill. Also an independent panel was set up to advice on the future directions of forestry policies, and on the role of the Forestry Commission. If the 7 stains weren’t there many outdoor centers in the south Scotland would not have the opportunity to take their groups mountain biking, also many shops may not sell as much mountain bike equipment and this would effect the increase in new and better equipment. So because the 7 Stanes is there is an increased availability, and accessibility. Also the advertising has increased knowledge and interest in mountain biking. Bibliography http://www. beargrylls. com http://www. scout. org http://www. kindertrespass. com/ http://www. forestry. gov. uk http://7stanesmountainbiking. com

Fighting Against Prejudice Essay

The Pirates of the Caribbean, set in the Caribbean Sea in the 17th century is a good example of negative prejudice. Gore Verbinski, the film director, highlights the negative prejudice using different techniques. There are two types of prejudice, negative and positive. Negative prejudice is prejudging someone in a wrong way based on their appearance or behavior. For instance, Commodore Norington from the French Military government just presumed that pirates are evil, lying, deceitful thieves who drink all day and just linger around anywhere. However, in the movie it was established that not all pirates are the same. As an example, Captain Jack Sparrow, pirate and captain of The Black Pearl sailing ship, seemed strange and ridiculous, but in fact he is a very honorable man. Furthermore, Jack helped young William Turner rescue Lady Swan from an evil band of pirates which were also the former crew of Jack Sparrow. Prejudging pirates based on stories told about them, is erroneous and neg ative. The movie director used numerous techniques to emphasize the theme of prejudice. One of the techniques used is montage through editing. This type of montage indicates that the camera films a particular scene through diverse angles using a variation of movements including panning and traveling. Panning means that there is a stationary camera which rotates horizontally and a traveling camera moves itself horizontally. For instance, in the quarrelling scene between Jack and William, this is effective since the audience is given both perspectives, from each of the people fighting and highlights William’s feeling towards pirates. Another technique that was used to emphasize prejudice is the tone and attitude of a scene. These two techniques were made possible by using a combination of close shot selection, medium camera angle and increasingly suspenseful music. Through these filming methods, the dueling scene conveys a strong prejudice feeling and a suspenseful mood. Close shot selection indicates that the camera was filming at a very close range to the subjects, which gives the audience the feeling that they are actually inside the action. Therefore, in the fighting action, the viewer feels that they are in the same room where Jack and William are fighting. When the camera is filming the scene at eye level, this is called medium camera angle. This helps underline a point because the audience is feeling that the characters from the movie are actually speaking to them. When William and Jack were dueling, they also talked to each other. Whenever one of them said something, the camera was using medium angle filming and it resulted in giving the viewer the sensation that one of the characters are talking to them. Moreover, in this type of scene there is increasingly suspenseful music which means that the music keeps the audience engrossed in the film and the music makes the viewer eager to find out what is going to happen next in the scene. Also, the music assists in dramatizing prejudice by keeping the audience in suspense. There is also another technique which is sometimes used to realize a point in a film; rate of film movement. This technique uses different types of frame motions, stop, slow, normal and fast motion. In the quarrelling scene, normal motion was used because this rate of film is as fast as real life motion and the audience has a richer experience with the negative prejudice that is projected in the fighting between Jack and William. These series of techniques articulate prejudice in the fighting scene between Jack and William because the eye level filming provides the audience with the ability to understand what each character is feeling about the other one. In the beginning scene, William Turner wanted to kill Jack Sparrow only based on the fact that he is a pirate. In this scene, there is a high camera angle as it is looking down at the scene and the camera was traveling and craning around the two characters. Furthermore, while William and Jack were skirmishing, the camera lenses were zoomed in especially when the swords were clashing and the music became intense and suspenseful to emphasize how much William was driven by negative prejudice against pirates. Besides the camera and music, there is potential montage -conflict of light: light vs. dark, which resulted in an overall darker picture since most of the light seeped into the blacksmith setting through the cracks in the wood. This technique stresses the dark side of the pirate, as perceived through William’s eyes. Moreover, after Jack Sparrow was defeated, William gave him a chance to escape from jail conditional – to save Lady Swan from the evil pirates of The Black Pearl. Hence, after fighting one another and learning more about each other, Jack Sparrow and William Turner formed a perceptive team. Despite the fact that Jack Sparrow is a pirate, it was proven that a friendship can be built between two people that belong to different worlds. Another example of negative prejudice is that no matter that the pirates saved a person’s life they are still judged and prosecuted as bad people. For instance, when the Governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swan fainted and fell into the sea from a few hundred feet above, the two guards patrolling the docks were unable to save her because they were arguing which one to save her. However, Jack Sparrow without conditions dove into the sea to save Lady Swan. This scene was filmed at close range amid the docks and the camera was panning throughout the frames. These techniques were used to make the audience feel that they are actually helping to save Lady Swan. Another factor that made the scene look very realistic was the use of natural lighting and older English dialogue used by the characters. Even though Jack Sparrow rescued Elizabeth, the Governor and Commodore Norington saw the markings of a pirate on his left forearm, immediately they ordered to hang Jack Sparrow. In this scene, the camera filmed at a very close shot selection and there was a moment of silence, indicating that Jack Sparrow, the savior of Lady Swan, was indeed a pirate. As a result, this is yet another example of negative prejudice against pirates. Jack Sparrow had proven himself a noble man by saving the Governor’s daughter and was still sentenced because of what he was. In the Pirates of the Caribbean, numerous film techniques were used to emphasize and develop the theme of prejudice such as montage, camera movement, angle, and traveling camera. Whilst prejudice means â€Å"prejudgment,† there seems to be a moment where the facts are overwhelming the prejudgments. Therefore, in the ending scene of the movie, the Commodore and General accepted the reality and they spared Jack Sparrow’s life by a day. Prejudging a group of people only based on someone experience is wrong. Each individual might have qualities or defects, positive or negative characteristics.

American Superconductor Case

American Superconductor offer electric power infra structure from its generation to distribution. AMSC is the leader in alternate energy. The company has two main business units: AMSC power systems and AMSC Superconductors. AMSC Superconductors American Superconductor has spent nearly 18 years as public limited company developing transmission wires of high quality in order to generate and deliver power. The Company has been posting continuous losses and mostly dwindling on cash.It has however posted recently its first ever profit for the quarter ended 31st March 2009 by earning a profit of $1. 3 million or 3 cents per share. (MSN Money) Debt Verses Equity Financing Equity and debt financing both have their advantages and disadvantages explaining why most big companies select an optimal capital structure which is a mix of debt and equity. Theoretically having a higher ratio of debt in the capital structure maximizes the return on equity. The interest payments on debt are tax deductibl e and usually the cost of debt is much lower than the cost of equity.With debt financing a company pays a fixed interest payment irrespective of the amount of profit or growth it has achieved i. e. it does not have to share its profits with its creditors. For a profitable company requiring extra capital, â€Å"debt financing† is the best option because with debt financing it does not have to share its profits or the ownership of the business with others. Equity injection however results in further dilution of earnings and management control. With the above argument one may feel that debt financing is the best option.Debt financing is a good option as long as the company has huge profits and liquid assets to support it. For a business that is facing losses, debt payments can be a huge burden in the form of interest payments. The creditors will have to be paid while the stockholders on the other hand will not get any dividends since the company is only making a loss. We can the refore say that equity financing puts less of a burden on a company’s financials when profitability is depleting or business is posting a loss.Higher equity percentage in the capital structure impacts the financial ratios of the company positively. Restructuring to 100% Equity It all started after the 2003 black out which occurred due to the over load of power grids and American Superconductors stocks surged by nearly 42% as an expectation that the quality wires manufactured by American Superconductors could be used to relieve congestion on the power grids. The company took this situation as an opportunity and the managers and board of directors decided to forgo debt financing of $50 million and adopt an equity financing strategy.The company raised $51. 1 million by selling shares which helped strengthen the balance sheet and enhanced the liquidity condition of the company. American Superconductors however continued making losses, but conversion of capital structure to 100% e quity allowed the company to reduce its interest expense significantly. Since higher leverages magnifies return on equity of a profitable business but also maximizes the loss by putting additional pressure on the profit and loss account of a company.AMSC after converting to 100% equity capital structure saved millions of dollars every year in terms of interest expense. Recently AMSC has posted its first profit since the capital restructuring in 2003. If AMSC had not converted to equity financing it would have had a major problem financing its cash needs and credit worthiness would have gotten worse. The Debt to Equity ratio would have increased and debt would have gotten more and more expensive for the company thus increasing the interest expense of the company and it may have never became profitable.Long term debt continues to be zero whereas the number of outstanding shares can be seen increasing from 19. 7 million shares to 41. 5 million shares. Conclusion American Superconductor being a technology company had to face many challenges such as failed projects, higher cost of business and ever changing environment. Board of Directors in my opinion took a very good decision by not using long term debt in their capital structure. AMSC has been a subject of criticism but it has finally posted a profit and if it stays profitable they might want to rethink their optimal capital structure.

Reaction to Dante’s Inferno Essay

Reading Dante’s Inferno has been a challenge for me, especially at first when I didn’t understand some of the main themes Dante was trying to get across. My values are so different than those of Dante when it comes to the afterlife, it can be hard to read something that is so contradictory of my own beliefs. Once I understood that Dante was not being literal about the things he wrote in the Inferno it became a lot clearer to me that his main theme was that of controlling our own fate based on the choice we make to do the right thing or wrong thing. After I knew this, I realized that we really weren’t that different after all, because that idea appeals to me greatly. I first had to struggle to get past some of the obvious differences I feel about the afterlife, like the fact that I don’t believe in hell, in order for me to really appreciate the Inferno. Probably the main thing that happened to me that shaped my views about Christianity in general was when my cousin tried to scare me into becoming a Christian when I was about 8 years old. He convinced me that unless I started being an obedient Christian who prayed and went to church and read the bible regulary, I was going to be sentenced to a existence of burning in hell for eternity by God. That’s a lot to try deal with as a kid, especially if the person telling you this is someone that you look up to and have love and respect for. The older I got the more I resented not only my cousin for this, but that spread to all Christians in general. His approach was to make me believe in God as a sort of insurance policy so that I wouldn’t go to hell. After this experience I decided for myself that hell was quite possibly something that was made up by people to scare other people into believing what they wanted them to believe. I could not imagine that God would really want people to practice a religion out of fear, the idea just seemed a little out there for me. All my cousin accomplished in the end with me was to make me suspicious of any person who is Christian and anything that has to do with hell, and I don’t think that was his intention at all. I have since learned that not all Christians are like my cousin in their views and I’m generally quite accepting of anyone and their faith, as long  as they don’t try to pressure me into believing what they do. But to this day I still feel a little uneasy about anything that has to do with being punished by hell, so you can perhaps understand why it may have been a little hard for me to look past that in the Inferno. At first glance, the Inferno can just look like its just about people being punished cruely for the sins they have commited. But after a deeper look, it can be said that there is much more to it than just that. What really helped me be able to understand the Inferno a lot better was to understand that what Dante wrote about was not meant to be a literal interpretation of how he felt the afterlife was. He understood that it would be quite presumptuous of him to think that he could really know that. Whats important is to realize that Dante uses hell in this poem as a vehicle for expressing his views about the choices people make to either do good or do bad, and being liable for those choices. I definitely feel it is healthy to read things that vary from one’s own personal beliefs because it may bring up issues and ideas you hadn’t thought of before, possibly expanding your understanding of what you know thought you knew. It can help you learn and grow and not be stuck with certain views. Even if your values are not some how changed, I think it is still important to beable to go into something with an open mind and respect the difference of opinion. I do feel that after reading Dante’s Inferno that I have been given a new way to look at the decisions we make for ourselves in this life. Whether I believe in hell or not, I can completely appreciate this new perspective, and it makes me grateful that I was given the opportunity to read Dante’s Inferno.

Berlin Art and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Berlin Art and Culture - Essay Example Baroque style and art forms can be understood by going through its historical context. The first modern age began in the 17th century. In the early 17th century, the Catholic Church of Rome in Italy adopted Counter-Reformation style. Later it spread to all the Roman Catholic countries throughout all the countries of Europe. Baroque is considered as an era of artistic style, which made the most use of the motion, exaggerated, and drama was produced with the clear and easy to interpreted details. Paintings, sculptures, architecture, literature, dance and music were given rise in this era. The catholic Churches helped in promoting the Baroque style as they decided that the art should be connected to the religious themes. In this era, there can be seen a drastic change in the architecture and art. The Baroque art’s characteristics consist of a sense of movement, tension and energy (Norberg-Schulz 19). The International Style in architecture emerged in Baroque period. In the Baroqu e period the artists attempted to rid the art of its complications as they brought the principles of clarity, balance and monumentality in the art forms by avoiding the asymmetry and distortion trends. The artists such as Annibale Carracci and Michelangelo Merisi took the art forms towards simplification. The Baroque approach always exhibited the dramatic intensity, massiveness, theatrical adventure and combination of colors. The new form included the art, integrating literature, music, drama and paintings, etc.

Range of semiconductor devices and circuits Coursework

Range of semiconductor devices and circuits - Coursework Example A good diode should posses forward to reverse resistance ratio of 10:1 with others with the ratio up to 100:1. If a diode is open, it will show infinite resistance in both directions. On the other hand, a shorted resistance will show low resistance in both directions. The procedure for testing the diode using an ohmmeter only is as illustrated in the following steps. 1. The Ohmmeter is configured to measure on the lowest range. If it’s a digital ohmmeter, a 2-kohm range or the nearest equivalent is used. 2. The ohmmeter leads are connected across the diode with the positive red probe on the P-material and the negative black probe on the N- material as shown in the diagram below. 3. The measured resistance of the diode is measured; Rf is recorded after which the setup is disconnected. 4. After the disconnection, the leads of the ohmmeter are reversed and connected in the reverse direction i.e. the positive red probe is connected to the N – material on the diode and the n egative black probe is connected to the P – material on the diode as indicated in the figure below. 5. The measured reverse resistance RR (reverse resistance is recorded) 6. The forward and the reverse resistance ratio is calculated as RR/RF 7. If the reverse resistance ratio is equal to one or very close to one, then the diode is faulty. In the same way the polarity of the diode can be identified. When the diode shows infinite resistance the material connecting to the positive red probe of the ohmmeter is the P – material of the diode. On the contrary, the part connected to the Negative black probe of the ohmmeter is the N – material of the Diode. Question3 VRMS = Vm*0.7071 = 100*0.7071 =70.71 Question 4 a) Ripple factor = Vrms/Vdc Capacitance = 50micro Farad 50*80*10-6 =4000*10-6 4*10-3 (4*10-3)*2500 10 10*2 = 20 20* v3 = 34.64 34.64*4 = 138.56 1/138.56 = 0.0072 Ripple factor = 0.0072*100% = 0.72% b) 50*100*10-6 5*10-3 (5*10-3)*12000 60,000*10-3 =60 60*2 = 120 120* v3= 207.84 207.84*4 = 831.38 1/831.38 = 0.0012 Ripple factor = 0.0012*100% = 0.12% Question 5 Block diagram of a complete power supply Analyze the operation of different types of amplifier Summing up amplifier This type of amplifier is used to add two voltages. The output voltage is equivalent to the sum of the input voltages. With summing up amplifiers, the output voltage cannot be greater than the power supply in case of exceeding the power supply, the amplifier is damaged. Summing up amplifiers are of twp types, Non – inverting and inverting amplifiers. Non – inverting amplifiers does not have an effect on the polarity of t

Gay and Lesbian Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gay and Lesbian Marriage - Essay Example This is clearly a situation where, while actions are happening on the micro level of society, the response is being created by the macro level of society. Gidden's Theory of Structuration looks in detail at how all levels of society interact and help to create the responses of the other levels. Gidden's suggests that no social structure is permanent; rather it is built upon the actions of those who reside inside of it. While society can not be explained from the macro level, it can also not be explained without it. By reviewing the concept of gay/lesbian marriage from through Gidden's theory, a clearer view of society emerges. Gidden's argues that there is a duality to social structure. While it is created by those who live in it, they are also bound to follow its' rules (Fuchs 1). While it is clearly ever changing, there are also certain areas which remain static, based upon the culture that is being reviewed. Gay/lesbian marriage is an issue that is currently affecting all cultures, causing slow changes to the status quo. In European nations, gay marriage is slowly gaining in acceptance. However, it still meets with strong disapproval in the United States. A key difference between the two societies is the religious factor. While most European countries claim Christianity as their religion, there is also a certain lax feature about religion. It is accepted that a person may or may not be religious, and that therefore not all people should be bound by religious ideals. At the same time, the United States claims

Hume's analysis of the process by which we make causal judgments Essay - 1

Hume's analysis of the process by which we make causal judgments - Essay Example This paper is going to discuss Hume’s analysis of the process by which we make causal judgments. Causality can be defined as the relationship between an object and a fact; it is among the most recognized ideas that we have. Causality is involved in almost all undertakings or human way of thinking; it is assumed in every argument and sensible actions. It is considered a beneficial idea in all areas of philosophy including philosophy science from the time of ancient Greeks to present. Hume as a philosopher, he defines causality as something that clinches things together. Knowing what causes are assists us to know how minds might or might not relate to bodies, how bodies might approach to create changes in other bodies, how thoughts might or might not influence deeds and how free they might or might not work. Therefore, all human beings are naturally attributed to certain occurrences of causal actions upon others. This means that whenever there is change in something, there is a quality that disappears, and another one appears, and the source of these changes is cause. In other wo rds, for every quality produced as a result of change, there is a cause for that. Many changes occur due to the relation between change and cause. Hence, this natural acknowledgement of the association between cause and effect to occurrences is at the forefront of all the philosophical declaration and analysis. There are characteristics that help to differentiate the causal relations in the universe, which include non- anthropomorphic, uniformity and determinism. Non – anthropomorphic, causal relation means a name given to change, and that in causal correlation wishes, purpose and desires are never mentioned. Uniformity describes causal relations as unchanging habits between facts, on the other hand, determinism characteristics emphasize that there is a connection between a cause and an effect. Meaning causality is prejudiced by the presence of other

Case Analysis of CUP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case Analysis of CUP - Essay Example As an advisor to Derrick Westmuller, I would gladly advice him to use the CCC or Customer Care Center. A company won’t be able to function once the flow of the customer is not good. So it is just to protect the interest, satisfaction and happiness of the customer. With this great idea, many issues will be settled and would be very helpful for the company. Though at the start, this may be tough for every branch to adopt with, the expected result is very profitable for them. In fact there will be less work for the agent and the name of company will receive good feed backs. Remember that it is not the name of the Manager, members of the board or the agents, names that are on stake but the name of the company. It is true that most clients inquire on the same issues commonly normal issues. The price or fee that people pay in acquiring contacts from the insurance company is already expected or predicted but certain matters like not being contented with the service given by the agent and not giving immediate action to complains are very critical for the company. There may be a lot of negative speculations that may come from other employees of the firm but the focus must still be in the whole company and for its good. It may be that it can create undesirable misunderstanding between the duties of the agents and the call center employees if there would be specification of work.

Life Savers Soda - Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9750 words

Life Savers Soda - Marketing Plan - Essay Example The process entails hiring several food experts and a select few to criticize and offer suggestions that will improve the taste of the company’s beverage product. Price. The company will sell the Life Savers Soda products at reasonable prices (Gitman 295). The reasonable price does not necessarily mean the lowest price. The company will sell the prices at $ 1.0 lower than the top selling brand in the market. The low price will ensure easy encroachment into the competitor’s current market share. Place. The company will sell the products at a place that current and future customers can easily reach (Jooste 4). The products will be sold at grocery stores and other retail outlets. Initially, the products will be pilot-tested in the grocery stores and malls in Los Angeles, California. With the high population, the there is a projected high demand for the company’s life savers’ Soda products. Promotion. The company will advertise the products in the four media outlets. The company will advertise the many health invigorating benefits of drinking one Life Savers Soda a day. Likewise, the company will advertise the advantages of drinking the product’s vitamins and mineral increases. The company will advertise the product’s benefits in one radio station. The company will also advertise the health uses of the product in one television spot. The Company will send its promo sales persons to distribute leaflets or flyers to people visiting the mall and grocery entrance doors. The company will set up a website, www.lifesaverssoda.com or one of similar importance, to generate online revenues. After the three month Los Angeles pilot project, the company will replicate the same marketing plan within the California state. When the product sales figure is high enough to generate enough profits, the company will sell the product to all 50 states of our nation. Sports Promotion. The company

Choose one example of a real protectionist policy that has been Essay

Choose one example of a real protectionist policy that has been implemented by the government of some country and discuss the is - Essay Example Under non-automatic licensing requirements importers need to approach authority for the pre-registration and pre-approval of all imports into the country (USTR, 2012). Over time, rather than eliminating these measures, Argentina brought almost 600 items that include textiles, consumer electronics, bicycle parts, glass, metallurgical products and many more under the ambit of non-automatic import licensing procedures from February 1, 2012. The new requirement served two purposes: firstly, discouraging importers with lengthy and expensive customs procedures and secondly, strengthening domestic economy by supporting local producers. This has impacted many countries worldwide including European Union, the US, Japan, Mexico for they will not be able to export goods to Argentina. Arguments for Setting Such Policy It is important to note that Argentina, apart from being a WTO member, is also a member country of the Mercosur Customs Union and cannot arbitrarily change its tariffs. That is why it has resorted to a novel practice of imposing non-automatic import licensing system for all goods precisely to circumvent WTO and Mercosur free trade rules (Bendini, 2012). Mercopress (2012), a south Atlantic News Agency, reports that Argentina has imposed new restriction on imports in the garb of non-automatic import policy to safeguard domestic producers of the country. European Union Substantially Impacted The European Commission is of the view that licensing procedures adopted by Argentina are cumbersome, lengthy taking more than six months or longer (WTO prescribes 60 days) to complete. It also lacks transparency. Even goods that are not subjected to non-automatic import licensing procedure need to pass through a long and tiresome preapproval import procedure. In 2011, European Union export to Argentina was valued at EUR8.3 billion. Obviously, EU has been impacted significantly due to this protectionist policy of Argentina to curb imports (Bendini, 2012). According to Europe an trade commissioner, Karel De Gucht, the Argentine restrictions on imports have impacted a wide range of European exports of products such as mobile phone, laptops, cars and household appliances. De Gucht argued that as many as 19 WTO members have raised concerns against protectionist policies of Argentina and they would initiate a consultative process to solve the issue and if not resolved, then the EU would approach WTO to establish a panel of arbitrators to decide on the legality of Argentine action (Moss, 2012). Several Other Countries also Affected It is pertaining to note that Mexico, Japan, and the US have filed their separate complaints with the global trade arbiter regarding Argentina's new import policies (ICTSD (2012). In April 2012, at the Import Licensing Committee Meeting of WTO, several member countries that included Japan, Australia, the EU, Turkey, Thailand, Norway, the US, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Colombia, Peru, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Canada and Switzerland comp lained that their exports to Argentina had gone down due to Argentina's licensing requirements. They further complained that Argentinean government had put almost 600 products under a list that required individual approval for import (WTO, 2013). In 2012, similar

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

SWOT Analysis - Research Paper Example The airline is known for embracing inventive technology to advance the client experience. The company traces its origins back to 1932; an amalgamation with Star Air service in the year 1934 established the biggest airline in Alaska, which ultimately became Alaska Airlines. Contrasting the rest of the economy, Alaska has been experiencing increasing important revenues from oil dealings and tourism. Air travel is Alaska’s largest type of transportation due to the natural features of the region and weather. Alaska has above one thousand airports along with 3000 avenues of landing. The airline immensely contributes to the state’s economy through air travel because Alaskan travels constitute a large percentage of overall air travelers in the United States. Alaska Airlines is committed towards offering convenient, quality and affordable air transport services to its clients as well as service to the state, nation and vast society. Values of commitment, ethics, integrity and q uality govern the operations of the airline company and are the reasons behind its huge successes. II. Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses Alaska Airlines has a strong and reliable customer base in Alaska State, where it is a dominant player. This is among the strengths that the airline company has in the sense that the company can rely on its vast customer base to expand and introduce new products, which will be readily acceptable in the market (Gates, 2006). A strong customer base is a distinctive strength because it positions a corporation so that it can operate in the market better. Customers are the essence of any company, and a reliable pool of customers who are loyal to a company is good for the firm. Therefore, Alaska airlines can benefit from its large customer base by expanding its operation to serve other regions and countries as well as introducing new services and products. In fact, the most credible significance of this strength is that Alaska airlines can utilize customer feedback to launch its strategies and products. Alaska Airlines is a huge contributor to the economy of Alaska State – this could be another major strength of the company in the sense that it endears the airline company to the government. As a result, the airline can obtain better services. It can be considered a distinctively competent strength because it can propel the company to greater heights in the market. For instance, the airline can benefit from government support in line with its great contribution to the economy. Alaska airline has several weaknesses, which ought to be addressed to avoid any inconveniences in the process of its business operations. The airline relies so much on the geographical and climate conditions, and a majority of its customers hail from the state of Alaska. This is considered as a weakness because should other airline companies venture into Alaska, the company may lose its market share, which is primarily based in Alaska. The organiz ation can minimize this weakness by expanding into other states and countries (Ritcher & Pahl, 2009). The strategy of Alaska Airlines is targeting the passenger traffic as an indicator of its corporate success. This is considered a weakness because it could trigger an organizational failure due to lack of broader strategic planning. In essence, passenger traffic is not