Saturday, August 31, 2019

Modernization Shakespeare

There have been, throughout time, countless new versions of William? s Shakespeare â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†: Nevertheless, Baz Lurhmann directed a very modern version of this famous play, replacing daggers by guns and horses by cars, and even more. The main reason and advantage of the modernization of certain scenes is to lead to a clearer meaning and a better understanding of the story. First, the director emphasized the situation or the feelings of the characters by using modern means such as fireworks for an intense party or guns or fire for hate.This is even more clearly shown in the elevator scene, where Romeo and Juliet go hide to kiss, the elevator symbolizing the fact that they want to be away from the others and forget about the world. Also, the costumes during the party give us a clearer idea of the characters? personalities and roles: Juliet, as an angel, is represented as innocent, virgin and pure; Romeo as a masked knight is hiding from the Capulets and is Juliet? s savior; Tybalt, disguised as a devil, is evil and full of anger, and finally, the prince is represented as a policeman throughout the whole movie, in order to emphasize his authority.Another modern way to express more clearly the character? s feelings, apart from Shakespeare? s dialogs, are the songs, which set rapidly the atmosphere of the scenes, because of its music, and its explicit lyrics. For example, the song â€Å"Kissing you† sets a romantic atmosphere. On the other side, some of the modernization takes away from the play, and I think Baz Lurhmann used to much vulgarism in his movie, which can make it look sometimes ridiculous and exaggerated, and made the spectator feel a little disappointed.For example, the presence of drugs, and shocking costumes or dances, such as Mercutio? disguise and performance during the party, was not necessary for the understanding of the story. Also, Friar Laurence doesn? t seem as wise or pious as in the play when he is sleeping in the middle of his plants, with a flowery shirt. Finally, the fact that Juliet shot herself in the head at the ending scene seems like a more violent, bloody and hard way to die than by the dagger in the play, which is a more â€Å" romantic† way to die. As a conclusion, the modernization of William? s Shakespeare play brings a lot to the story, but also takes away some of its original romanticism, which is replaced by vulgarity.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Reaction Paper Last Princess by Kara David Essay

Stories of princess were part of our childhood memories. We dream of becoming one during those times. But in Tumandok tribe in Tapaz, Capiz, Philippines, there were women, who were treated like a princess. They are known to be the binukot. Before seeing the documentary of Huling Prinsesa (Last Princess), I was really excited because who knew that a 3rd world country like the Philippines would afford to have a princess. Then I realized, Philippines was not a 3rd world country then. And I remember that during the pre-Hispanic period we used to have datus, babaylans, pandays so having a princess would not be far from reality. Philippines though colonized by foreigners, retained its rich culture and I think this is one of the proofs. The binukot was usually the prettiest daughter of the chief tribe. The term was derived from bukot which means â€Å"to keep†. Binukot was not allowed to go outside the house. That’s why her food was usually delivered in her room. She will be taught to memories and sing different epics. Going outside the house is not a simple task. The binukot needs to be carried on a cradle so that her feet will be kept clean. The tribe believed that the binukot has a supernatural power. During planting and harvesting time, she will be brought to the farm to perform, for them to have a bountiful harvest. At present there are still few binukot on some part of Panay Island. But the danger of losing this tradition is very high, for most women of Panay preferred to be an ordinary citizen instead of becoming a princess. Stories of princess were part of our childhood memories. We dream of becoming one during those times. But in Tumandok tribe in Tapaz, Capiz, Philippines, there were women, who were treated like a princess. They are known to be the binukot. The trip to the remote mountains of Capiz is tough — an hours-long motorcycle ride and several hours more of trekking across rivers and up and down rocky, slippery slopes. It is a challenging feat for anyone who wants to see and explore a mysterious tradition preserved for decades among some of the mountains isolated communities.The trip took some time and I thought it’s worth the wait just to see the ‘Last Princess’, from the trip alone, it made me really curious of what will princess look like. I-Witness travels to the Tapaz Mountain, considered the farthest in Capiz, located in the central Philippines island of Panay. The mountain people called the tumandoks live in Tapaz, and I-Witness searched for the tribe’s last remaining princesses called the binukots. Reporter Kara David reaches the community of Rizal Sur, a village that looks just like any other isolated community, where the tumandoks living in traditional huts and survive on whatever nature provides them. In the midst of this community, she meets one of the last remaining binukots, 73-year-old Lola (grandmother) Isiang. Lola Isiang lives in an old hut, just like everybody else in the community. However, she has stayed inside a room in the house ever since she was five years old, living in isolation as the family’s chosen binukot.

Define and explain Orientalism Essay

Europeans used the term Orient to describe the peoples and places of Asia and the Middle East. While widely accepted prior to the late twentieth century, this term has aroused criticism among historians. The purpose of this essay is too define and explain Orientalism, and how the term Orientalist applies to Christian missionaries in the Far East. Two main examples of these missionaries are Matteo Ricci and Francis Xavier who served in China and Japan respectively. Both of these missionaries fall under the definition of Orientalists as defined by Edward Said. Edward Said defines Orientalism in multiple parts; the first of which is the academic1. Academic Orientalism is the study of the Orient for the purpose of understanding and learning. Modern historians view the term Orient to be too vague for an area as large as Asia, but it is still widely used throughout the world. Academic Orientalism attempts to study and understand the Orient from afar. Professors of Chinese language who have never spoken with a Chinese person are a common example of this detached intellectualism. Often in 18th Century Europe the Orientalist would study and judge the Orient based on second hand knowledge and conjecture. This view of understanding the Orient better than the Oriental without living it leads into the second part of Orientalism2. The second part of Orientalism as defined by Said is the justification of subjugation. Europeans believed that due to their better understanding of the history of a culture, and their superior culture they needed to dominate other cultures in order to improve them. Arthur James Balfour, a member of the British parliament once said in reference to Egypt; â€Å"We are in Egypt not merely for the sake of the Egyptians, though we are there for their sake; we are there also for the sake of Europe at large3.† Balfour meant by this that British occupation of Egypt was necessary for the protection of the Egyptians and for the benefit of all Europe. Balfour and other Orientalist believed that they understood Egypt better than the Egyptians themselves, and for this reason governed Egypt for the benefit of Egypt. This form of justification was used throughout the Orient. China, India, Philippines and others were all subjugated on the justification of the white mans burden. The idea of th e burden of the white race to civilize inferior races was a key part of Orientalism.4 One of the main points of Orientalism is the division of humanity into us and them. The Occidental and the Oriental, East and West, these are divisions created by Europeans in order to dominate the other. By separating the peoples an Orientalist can justify the subjugation and forced change of other races. Said’s overall point is that Orientalism was created by Europeans in order to justify the subjugation of the Orientals. Cultural and intellectual superiority and the separation of us and them led to three hundred years of European imperialism in the so called Orient.5 In order to understand how Orientalism affected Missionaries in China and Japan, one must first understand the Orientalist’s views of foreign religions. Most Orientalists were Christians and therefore believed all none Christians were destined for hell. â€Å"This, oddly enough, even applied to pre-Christians such as Aristotle and Abraham. In Dante’s Inferno both these men are in the first layer of Hell, even though Christianity did not exist during their lifetimes. So from this intolerant view one can see the basic attitude towards non-Christians. Muslims, Hindu and Buddhists were all considered heathen that needed the word of Jesus to save them from eternal damnation. â€Å"The Church’s commission to preach the gospel of Christ to ‘every creature’ also lays upon her the task of inviting all to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and to join his Church through baptism.6† With this belief in mind Christian Missionaries went to the Orient to â⠂¬Å"save† the heathens and convert them to the one true faith, whether they wanted too or not.7 One of the earliest Christian Missionaries Father Matteo Ricci of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, arrived in China in 1582 after a four month journey from Goa. He was a Roman Catholic priest who was trained the Rome in numerous subjects. The Jesuits were the most well educated order within the Catholic Church; for this reason they were particularly well suited for missionary work in Asia. The Jesuit tactic was too convert the social elites and then have their support in the conversion of the masses. This worked particularly well in Asia due to the strict social structures and relatively good education of the elites. Also the widespread belief in Confucianism fit well with Christianity. Ricci said in his work â€Å"The True Idea of God†, â€Å"the Confucian Classics contained allusions, albeit in an inchoate manner, to such Christian notions as God and a future life.8† Well educated bureaucrats in China respected Ricci’s education and intelligence, and were interested in the Western ideas he possessed9. Techniques such as Ricci’s Memory Palace interested the Chinese and often spawned further interest into the religion Ricci brought with him.10 Ricci’s view of the Chinese is full of contradictions. Many aspects of Chinese culture and government Ricci respected, such as their dress and level of education; the hygiene of the people and the relative order imposed by the Chinese bureaucracy11. At the same time that Ricci praised aspects of Chinese civilization, he abhorred a great deal of Chinese practices. Among these are the corruption rampant throughout China, the worship of heathen religions and their disrespect for human life. Ricci once remarked â€Å"This country is full of slaves. 12† Most importantly Ricci despised the widespread homosexuality within China13. There are two main reasons for describing Ricci as an Orientalist. The first is his reason for being in China. Ricci sought to convert all of China to Catholicism. He cared little for the established religions in China and sought to impose his Christian faith upon the peoples of China. Ricci once remarked â€Å"†¦Buddhism violated the very first of the Ten Commandments, and it had not raised moral standards in China despite its two thousand years during which it had been preached.14† Viewing his own faith as superior to any other and being so disdainful of all others, Ricci can be labeled an Orientalist. The second reason for labeling Ricci an Orientalist is his general disdain for all things Chinese. While he may admire certain attributes he generally views everything Western superior; for example his disgust with open prostitution in the streets of major Chinese cities. Ricci completely glosses over the fact that prostitution was legal within Rome itself. In fact prostitution within Rome was widespread. Montaigne on visiting Rome remarked, â€Å"Taking coach rides or strolling to view the prostitutes was a major Roman pastime.15† In his criticism of homosexuality, Ricci also ignores the previous acceptance of homosexuality in Europe. Montaigne remarked during his visit too Rome, â€Å"several marriages between Portuguese males had been celebrated in the church of St. John a few years before, and that the couples had went to bed and lived together for some time before being arrested and burned at the stake.16† This method of criticizing China while ignoring the fact that the same problems existed within Europe labels Ricci as an Orientalist. Ricci had additional goals beyond simply the conversion of the Chinese. Along with the conversion to Christianity Ricci hope to rebuild China along European lines. Ricci spent a great deal of time extolling the virtues of European civilization, and purity of the Catholic faith17. Ricci hoped to rid China of corruption, create a perfect Christian society, and cleanse China of heathen practices such as abstaining from meat year round and homosexuality18. These goals of changing Chinese society certainly label Ricci to be an Orientalist. Father Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus arrived in Japan in 1549 aboard a Chinese junk. Xavier had many initial difficulties in Japan; the first of which being his inability to speak Japanese, and later to understand it. His interpreter caused Xavier many troubles later on due to his using Buddhist names for Christian figures, and forever linking Buddhism to Christianity in the minds of the Japanese19. The other difficulty for Xavier was his misunderstanding of Japanese society. When Xavier first arrived he hoped to convert â€Å"the king of Japan†, by this he meant the Shogun20. But when Xavier met the Shogun he found him to be a man of little importance who could barely maintain his own territory, let alone the whole country. Japan was in the period of sengoku, or country at war, and was divided among many feudal lords all vying for power. This state of civil war later benefited the Christian missionaries greatly, but initially confused Xavier21. Xavier spent the majority of his time in Japan attempting to convert Japanese daimyo and kokujin to Christianity. He succeeded in a few cases largely due to his link with Portuguese trade ships. Daimyo within Japan were looking for a way to gain advantage over their enemies, and trade with the Portuguese greatly enriched many lords. The Japanese believed that converting to Christianity would give them more favorable trade with the Portuguese, and for this reason many converted22. Xavier can be labeled an Orientalist for two main reasons. The first is his overall goal of converting the heathen Japanese to Christianity. His total disdain for Buddhism is apparent when he refers to the religion of Dianichi, â€Å"an invention of the devil, as also were all the other sects of Japan.23† The second reason for labeling Xavier an Orientalist is for his views on homosexuality. Ricci’s beliefs on homosexuality among Asians stem from Xavier. When Xavier was the head of the Far East mission he declared that homosexuality was an evil to be combated in Asia24. For these reasons Xavier is clearly an Orientalist the same as Ricci. For all of their efforts to convert the peoples of China and Japan, neither Ricci nor Xavier succeeded in any significant way. The problems in China were numerous; deep seated beliefs in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism kept many from converting, also the lack of interest by the elite made any type of wide scale conversion impossible. In addition the basic fear of outsiders made the Chinese distrustful and angry towards the Christian missionaries25. In Japan the eventual consolidation of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate forced all Christians too abandon their faith. The Tokugawa did not want any opposition to their regime and barred any foreigners from entering Japan. Also deep seated religious beliefs and xenophobia as in China caused few too embrace Christianity. Neither Ricci nor Xavier succeeded in their goal of converting the Far East; the task they committed their lives too. One must wonder; if they had taken a more open, non Orientalist approach, would they have been more successful? 1 Said, Edward W. Orientalism. (New York: First Vintage Books Edition, October 1979.), 2. 2 Ibid, 3. 3 Ibid, 33. 4 Ibid, 33-36. 5 Ibid, 83. 6 Manikam, Rajah B. Christianity and the Asian Revolution. (New York: Friendship Press, 1954) 185. 7 Spence, 73-75. 8 Ching, Julia. Confucianism and Christianity. (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1977) 10. 9 Hellyer, Robert. Lecture. â€Å"The Jesuits in Asia.† Allegheny College. Meadville, Pa. 11 February 2002. 10 Spence, Jonathan D. The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci. (New York: Penguin Books, 1985.) 2-5 11 Ibid, 210. 12 Ibid, 219. 13 Ibid, 224. 14 Ibid, 252. 15 Ibid, 208. 16 Ibid, 226. 17 Ibid, 2-5. 18 Ibid, 217. 19 Elisonas, â€Å"Christianity and the Daimyo,† (Cambridge History of Japan, volume 4, 301-372.) 307-310. 20 Ibid, 311. 21 Ibid, 312. 22 Ibid, 323. 23 Ibid, 309. 24 Spence, 224.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

VoIP Vs Cell Phone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

VoIP Vs Cell Phone - Research Paper Example Further research is conducted on the impacts of the development of VoIP over the existing telecommunications industry focusing on the mobile and land phone operators. A comparison is also drawn on the parameter of benefit earned over the cost incurred with regards to both cell and VoIP phones. Finally the paper concludes by drawing a summary on the research made by providing fruitful suggestions thereof. Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3-4 Mechanism of working and quality of service†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4-6 The Impacts on business and the society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6-10 VoIP and smart phon es impacts over cell phone and telecom companies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10-19 Cost and Benefit analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19-20 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20-21 Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...21-22 Introduction Brief History of VoIP The development of VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is considered as a major breakthrough in the field of Internet communication technology. ... technological, economical and cultural. Technological history shows that VoIP process first came into existence after the innovation of ‘Internet Phone’ application by Vocaltec Incorporation in Israel during February 1995. Development of the internet phone application helped the users to communicate to each other through the integration of computer, internet and voice modulators. However, to make the VoIP process useful the existence of the ‘Internet Phone Software’ was needed at both ends i.e. the speaker and the receiver. However with the advent of 1998 the development of hardware technology spread the use of VoIP in computer to telephone and telephone-to-telephone networks. VoIP process in the context of modern period has totally revolutionized the field of communication technology in terms of voice clarity and economy of use. This present day notion of VoIP has brought a cultural modification in many companies shifting over to the use of the innovated pr ocess. Development and expanded use of VoIP technology caused many telecom companies to mushroom out to economically cater to their client’s call needs. The telecom market for the dearth of proper administrative regulations became populated with many such small telecom companies competing against each other. Telecom giants like Telco mostly managed these companies. (Hallock, 2004, pp.4-11; VoIP:  Voice Over Internet Protocol Architecture and Features, n.d., pp.14-15). Brief History of Cell phone The history of mobile or cellular technology goes far beyond than what has been recorded for. Use of mobile phones was restricted to the business and governmental societies during the period of the 1970s. Thus the common man had no notion about the cellular technology for being devoid of its access. The

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Progressive Reforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Progressive Reforms - Essay Example Some were simple superstitions, while others have resulted in more severe outcomes. Ancient medicine, for instance, was normally a mishmash of science, religion, and pagan. People suffering from the bubonic plague were instructed to atone or seek forgiveness for their transgressions (Christensen 2004). Apparently, this failed to get rid of the plague. Another case in point is the medieval doctors who assumed that majority of human maladies were the outcome of excessive volume of body fluid; hence, to ‘medicate’ the ill they practiced ‘venesection’, or the process of removing glut body fluid by extracting substantial amounts of blood from the body (Christensen 2004). But unfortunately, to no avail. In the contemporary period, these kinds of assumptions and beliefs continue to influence the field of medicine, especially, at this point, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has the instruments and legally sanctioned power to control the overall effect iveness and safety of drugs. The intricacies of reforming the drug approval procedure of the FDA are underlined by conflicts between private manufacturers of drugs and the FDA about the objectives and rationales that should dominate in carrying out the review procedure (Dohrman 2005).

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Leadership and Ethics in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership and Ethics in Business - Essay Example For example, Coca Cola forced to stop its operations in the southernmost state of India; Kerala because of strong public protests against underwater exploitation by Coke. In 1999, the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Atlanta based Coca-Cola company, established a plant in Plachimada, in the Palakkad district of Kerala, southern India. The Perumatty Village Council gave a licence to the company to commence production in 2000. Coca Cola drew around 510,000 litres of water each day from boreholes and open wells. For every 3.75 litres of water used by the plant, it produced one litre of product and a large amount of waste water. In April 2003, the Perumatty Grama Panchayat (Village Council) refused renewal of Coca-Cola’s licence to operate on the grounds that it was not in the public interest to renew the licence stating: â€Å"†¦the excessive exploitation of ground water by the Coca-Cola Company in Plachimada is causing acute drinking water scarcity in Perumatty Panchayat and nearby places†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Case against Coca-Cola Kerala State: India, n.d.) . Coke forced to stop its operations in Kerala because of the agitations by the public against underwater exploitation. It should be noted that Kerala public is the most educated people in India. They know the consequences of unsustainable business practices. CEO’s who are reluctant in implementing sustainable business practices should learn from the coke’s experience in Kerala. Even uneducated people are aware of their rights nowadays. Another example from India shows the awareness of uneducated people with respect to unsustainable development. â€Å"Villagers around the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu are intensifying their...In other words, business ethics is not a term which contains contradictory terms. The ethics followed in the business of one part of the world is applicable in other parts of the world as well. In fact business and ethics s hould go in parallel directions so that sustainable development becomes possible. Since all the decision making are done by the managers, they have the responsibility of taking ethical decisions. Managers should realize that â€Å"The economics should not be paramount to ethics in business; if anything, ethics should be paramount to economics† (Elm & Radin, 2012, p.314). Most of the newly appointed managers do not recognize the needs of ethics in business. One of the traditional beliefs about business is that profit making is the only objective of business. Managers should realize that such traditional beliefs and thoughts have no relevance in the modern business world. According to the modern business principles, ethics and sustainable business practices are the much needed qualities for a business to enjoy success in the current heavily competitive and globalized business world. Modern customers are more interested in rating the company’s image in terms of sustainable business practices before taking any purchasing decisions. Organizations with bad reputation in keeping ethical business habits may struggle to survive in the market. The Enron example is relevan t here.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Reflections on Federal Welfare Policy - Week 3 - Journal Coursework

Reflections on Federal Welfare Policy - Week 3 - Journal - Coursework Example The federal government further governs the unemployment insurance, a program that provides unemployed individuals with a source of income for about 26 weeks. I believe the policies are effective in eradicating poverty thereby creating a desirable society for every American. Labor relations remain contentious issues with the country lacking a holistic federal policy to govern the compensation of workers. The unpredictable labor relations are likely to affect my social welfare when should I migrate from one state to another. Despite such, I believe that the governments are doing their best in providing the populace with a better living condition. Such policies as the No child left behind act and the Obama care have for example succeeded in reducing the costs of education and health care, two of the most important yet equally costly social requirements. This way, the public enjoys lower costs of living (Meier & Wood, 2004). Furthermore, the social security act safeguards the future of Americans after retirement thereby ensuring that every citizen enjoys a comfortable life. This week’s readings have exposed me to a number of policies thus reinforcing my belief that the government is doing enough to safeguard the social security of the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

How did Industrialization change America between 1860 and 1900 Essay - 1

How did Industrialization change America between 1860 and 1900 - Essay Example Among the greatest changes that took place in the United States with regard to industrialization is improved living standards. Industrialization brought with it numerous issues and one of the positive issues is that it created employment opportunities. With the increase in industries, there was a basic requirement of workers and these people came from the surrounding areas. These people worked tirelessly with the aim of achieving the most for their industries. The consequent result of this is that people gained more income from the industries and improved their living standards (Meyer 74). Another change that took place is an increase in population. Two major factors that led to this and it is important to review both of them. One of the reasons as to why population increased is because people got comfortable with their lives and decided to multiply. Another reason is the fact that the United States became attractive to many outsiders and thus many immigrants came in from different regions. The reason as to why they came into the country is to look for employment in the upcoming industries at the time. The transport system is another that faced many changes during that period. This happened because people required an elaborate transport system through which they would get to work. Another reason as to why the transport system improved is that entrepreneurs required a fast method through which they would transport their products. With the advent of industries, the food production increased and thus the market widened (Meyer 106). One of the political changes witnessed because of industrialization is the rise of taxation. Prior to industrialization, the concept of taxation was rare but with the increase in goods doing rounds in the market the government found a loophole. The government decided to start taxing traders and this would lead to its accumulation of funds. Thinking in the economic line,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Wonder of Art by Pablo Picasso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Wonder of Art by Pablo Picasso - Essay Example The essay "The Wonder of Art by Pablo Picasso" investigates the creator of Cubism, Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. As for his personal background, â€Å"Picasso, Pablo (Ruiz y) (1881-1973) Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century and the creator (with Georges Braque) of Cubism. For nearly 80 of his 91 years Picasso devoted himself to an artistic production that contributed significantly to and paralleled the whole development of modern art in the 20th century†. To observe the painting, it appears that Picasso used oil for this specific work, in that the color holds a different visual presence than that of acrylic, or watercolor. The image is of a dwelling of some sort, that is located in a garden. This observation can not only be garnered through reading the title of Picasso's work, but also looking deep into the canvas itself. By using different shades of green, Picass o seeks to show the deep variations of lush green landscape that lie within a garden. As for the house, that is alluded to by seeing the v-shaped structure and the presence of another structure above it, with this one having a roof on top of it. The lines within the artwork are curvy to show the distinct shape of the tree in the left hand side, the landscape below and the shrubs surrounding the house. To signify the house, the lines are more restricted and concise to show the continuity. The shapes that are to been seen would be of green leaves. ... The lighter bit of color in the top serves to show that the time of day would be dusk, close to sun down. The color of the sky is not bright, but rather tempered down to where it is not bright blue, but also not blackened by the night sky as of yet. There are complimentary colors used throughout the piece of artwork. Those colors are dark/light greens, browns, as well as black and cremes. The use of two different types of greens, is meant to show the changing variation that occurs within the garden and those things that live in it. The same bodes true for the differing shades of brown seen in the tree. The creme is shown to give a glimpse of, not just the sky itself at dusk, but also the structures within the garden. The black is meant to give differentiation between the structure itself and the roof that sits on top of it. It's also added to give a sense of shadowing to the domicile, further giving it dimension. The texture of the paint is applied very smoothly when it comes to showing the flow of the house, as well as what appears to be a fence below it. The paint application becomes more curved to show the shapes of the greenery surrounding the house and the tree inside the garden. The space of the work is very tightly held. The canvas is utilized completely by the artists rendering of a house that he saw within a garden. With size, the art looks to be used on a canvas that would have been approximately 16 inches x 20 inches in size. The placement of the house looks to be distorted in that its raised higher above the horizon line. This distortion is alluded to without seeing any form of ground below the structure itself. The emphasis is given to the richness of gardens and the things that reside

Friday, August 23, 2019

Chinese Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Film - Essay Example Not to mention the skills that Chinese are known for, such as the most popular martial arts. China as the leading country in terms of the highest population in the world is one great reason for people in the West to capture their market for greater profitability. Reports reveal that China is now the second film market in the world and projected to be the number one in the years to come. This most populous nation is expected to grow 17% in the year 2015. Potentially, China has around 1.34 Billion movie goers and this number is surely to affect the worldwide film market. Other countries, especially the US flock their investment in China to garner the Chinese population thereby assuring their projects and films to get the most profit (Guardian News, n. p.). There have been a lot of films that are made in China that toppled the worldwide cinema market. The latest hit that smashed the top charts is Ang Lee’s â€Å"Life of Pi†. This movie has generated approximately $570.9 mi llion revenue in the worldwide ticket sales. It has surpassed the other movies in the current film stream, such as â€Å"Les Miserables† and ‘Django. Unchained†. â€Å"Life of Pi† is expected to seize various awards as the movie is proven to be a global hit. It gained positive reviews with the most number of nominations, which reached about 11 Oscar nominations (Miller). â€Å"Life of Pi† is a two hour film derived from the best selling book of Yann Martel. Ang Lee is able to create a marvelous work of art out converting the narrative epic story into an awesome myriad of picturesque effects. The movie centers on Piscine â€Å"Pi† Patel who got stranded in a boat with a Bengal tiger named â€Å"Richard Parker† in the middle of Pacific ocean after their ship got shipwrecked in Marianas trench - the world’s deepest body of water. Pi is traveling along with his father, mother, and brother Ravi in a cargo ship bound for North America where they are supposed to sell their accompanied zoo animals. During the typhoon, Pi made it to a rescue boat along with a set of other supposed to survivors – one hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and Richard Parker. Due to the animal competitions in the boat, only Richard Parker lasted as the other survivor with Pi. As Pi and Richard Parker stayed for days in the boat, they have established their own territories. Along their trip, they encountered various marvels such as being flocked with a school of flying fish, being toppled over by a looming whale, a calm night ocean filled with luminous jellyfish, ravenous storms, intense heat and hunger, and the carnivorous island. These scenes were magnanimously portrayed with great effects that can leave any viewer open mouthed. The realistic and colorful effects, such as the sky reflection on the ocean, the clear marine activities passing through their boat, the shift from rain and sunny weather creates a tangible impact that anyone wo uld stick to the rest of the film. There is also the use of 3D effects which harnessed the result all the more. The movie creates an eerie feeling as the nature is made closer to the viewers. Pi and Parker made good companion to each other as they clamored towards survival. Parker, being a threat to the life of Pi, makes Pi alert all the time. As he said in the movie, his fear for his companion made him alert, thus making him survive. Pi shared his experiences where anyone would embrace their faith and believe in miracles and

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Plurality of Law in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Plurality of Law in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Both of these concepts of UK Parliamentary sovereignty are compromised by the UK’s accession to the EC.1 This fact together with the UK’s accession to international treaties and conventions and the application of common law ultimately means that the UK constitution is subject to two underlying and conflicting principles. These two conflicting principles are Parliamentary sovereignty and a plurality of sources of law in the UK. There is a concern and perhaps some measure of optimism that the plurality of sources of applicable law in the UK will eventually limit, if not eliminate the concept of Parliamentary sovereignty and that this would be progressive development. This paper argues, however, that the introduction of a plurality of laws in the UK is only made possible by the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. Just as parliamentary sovereignty permitted the introduction of a plurality of sources of law it can just as easily reverse this application of a plurality of sources of law. Therefore, while a plurality of sources of applicable laws might challenge the concept of parliamentary sovereignty in practice, theoretically, parliamentary sovereignty continues to provide for a reversal of this approach. A.V. Dicey’s description of the constitutional rule of law envisioned by the UK’s concept of Parliamentary sovereignty puts the strength and endurance of UK Parliamentary sovereignty in its proper perspective. Dicey maintains that the UK’s constitution is built around three significant principles. First, the rule of law renders the government accountable to the public. Secondly, the public is also accountable to the rule of law. Thirdly, the constitution sets out the framework by which the judiciary are made accountable for the administration of law.2 In describing the UK constitution, Dicey goes further to state that this constitutional framework is made possible by the fact that Parliament enjoys â€Å"total power†, and this is a basis of parliamentary sovereignty.

Estate Planning Paper Essay Example for Free

Estate Planning Paper Essay Last year, November 2011. The world lost Andy Rooney. Andy Rooney, the 60 Minutes commentator known to generations for his wry and humorous television essays died Friday in a hospital in New York City of complications following minor surgery. He was 92. A will for Rooney has been filed in surrogate court in New York City. The will leaves the entire estate, which is comprised of $8 million in stocks, bonds and cash and $1 million in real estate, to Mr. Rooneys four children, Brian Rooney of Los Angeles, identical twins Emily Rooney of Boston and Martha Fishel of Chevy Chase, MD, and Ellen Rooney of London. Mr. Rooneys wife, Marguerite Margie Rooney, died in 2004. They had been married for 62 years. Based on a statement from Mr. Rooney’s son Brian, apparently Mr. Rooney did not do any estate tax planning other than the will. In her article Julie Garber (Julie Ann Garber, Esq. is an experienced estate planning attorney a co-author of the book Estate Planning Strategies, Collective Wisdom, Proven Techniques Wealth Builders Press, (2009) state that, â€Å"Assuming that Mr. Rooney did not have many liabilities and no assets passed outside of his probate estate, then this means that his estate will owe approximately $1.4 million in federal estate taxes and $916,000 in New York estate taxes, leaving about $6.68 million for his children to split† The home Andy Rooney has gone on the market in the Rowayton section of Norwalk. The 2,474-square-foot, four-bedroom, one-bath Tudor-style home was built in 1882 and is situated atop a hill, within walking distance of the village and train station. Rooney held on to the house while also having an  apartment in New York It is currently listed by Prudential Connecticut Realty for $749,500. The Beginning In the first chapter of our reading on wills and estates we find that the law of wills are technical and differs from state to state it is risky to right a will because a layperson are usually not aware of legal terminology and could wind up risking the loss of valuables and money. Here Andy Rooney’s son states in the article by Julie Garber â€Å"When asked about his fathers estate, Brian Rooney said that his father lived frugally and wasnt into fancy estate planning. The aforementioned quote would probably denote that since Mr. Rooney was frugal and not into FANCY estate planning he probably did the will himself. While leaving a great deal of money he probably would have been able to leave substantially more than his children would have received had he perhaps done a better job at estate planning and consulted with an attorney. Estate Planning Andy Rooney had several homes according to the article 2 in NY and one in Conn. Rooney however was domiciled in NY as this is where he worked and was his main residence. In addition Mr. Rooney passed away In NY the probate court would then be the NY court with jurisdiction to administer the decedent’s estate. Rooney’s Wife had passed away leaving only the children as beneficiaries. It is more likely than not, that Rooney had not just probate property but also non-probate property to which his children are beneficiaries. Non-probate property would have been Mr. Rooney’s pension plan, Life insurance and IRA’s. There are no issues that involve the intestacy as Mr. Rooney died with a valid will. Mr. Rooney had no illegitimate children. Because the will was delivered and processed by the probate court in NY there were no witness, age, signature or revoking of the will issues. At the time of this article there the will has not been provided to the public. Therefore Payment of debts, clause are not made available the family will hold a private funeral service this week, with a CBS memorial at a later date, Emily said. Mr. Rooney will be buried in the family plot in Rensselaerville, N.Y., near his native Albany. Marguerite ‘Margie’ Rooney, his wife of 62 years, is also buried there. We assume that these were his funeral arraignments but not sure if these are covered in the will. Family Allowance Often the state will provide for the immediate support of the family when a breadwinner dies, state law generally contains a mechanism for immediate access to money from the decedents estate known as family allowance. In this instance Rooney has 4 children that survive him it is not clear that any of these children were being supported by their father to fall under the designation of breadwinner. Emily is the twin of Martha. Emily Rooney born 1950 is an American journalist, TV talk show and radio host and former news producer. Since 1997, Rooney has been the host, executive editor and creator of Greater Boston and the weekly Beat the Press on WGBH-TV, which are also later rebroadcast on the Boston-based WGBH radio station. As of 2010, she hosts the Emily Rooney Show on WGBH radio. She has an identical twin sister, Martha, who is Chief of the Public Services Division at the United States National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. Her brother Brian Rooney is a correspondent for ABC News. Rooney has one daughter, Alexis. Rooneys husband, WCVB-TV reporter Kirby Perkins, died suddenly of heart failure July 1997. Here it is not likely that a family allowance will be necessary. Exempt property New York Law grants the family of a decedent the right to exempt certain property from the decedents estate. The purpose is to award essential necessities for continuing the family unit. Since the purpose is to assist the surviving spouse and children under 21. Here this does not apply to any of the Rooney children since all of his children were born in the 1950’s. Trust Trust are special arraignments laid out by settlor to the trustee for keeping  to be disbursed to a beneficiary based on the terms of the trust agreement. The wording of the article didn’t specify the type of instructions of the will, however the words of the son â€Å" His father was not a stickler for fancy estate planning† gives up a picture that there was simply a will and not anything more like a trust. Personal representative Since the will is not yet available to the public knowing who the personal representative is however we do know that his duties are to collect and preserves the assets of the estate pay the debts taxes and the expenses of the administration. He/ she must inform the heirs and devisees of the of the appointment within 30 days file inventory of the weate within three months, take possession and control of the decedents property for protection and management. Probation of the will The will was filed with the probate court in the allotted time to the NY surrogate court. The personal representative then waits to hear from the court to the accuracy and official recognition of the will. Once the personal representative hear back from the court if the will checks out the court will give the appointment to the personal representative gives him the legal authority to collect and preserve the assets. One of the most important duties of the personal representative is to pay the taxes of the estate here is where the crux of the inheritance to the beneficiary is absorb as well. The personal representative must notify the internal revenue service, receive an EIN and then file the decedent final tax return. Mr. Rooney did create any more than a will so his assets are all taxable. This is why his son stated that if his father had been more careful with his estate planning that they would have had more money. The estate will have to pay out 1.4 million in federal taxes and $916,000 in New York estate taxes. Real estate According to the article Rooney left behind 3 different properties homes in  New York City, Rensselaerville, N.Y. and Rowayton, Conn. The article states that the property totals 1 million dollars. The article listed that the estate taxes would equal out to 916,000 however the property is being sold for $749,500 because there was no previous estate planning minus the will the estate will still need the property on the tax return. Stocks and bond The article says that Mr. Rooney had 8 million dollars in stocks and bonds all of these stocks individually will be reported on the federal return under a schedule B form. The stocks must be listed in detail including price per share and anything concerning that stock including the CUSIP number for identification. The fair market value of the stock and bonds must be listed. Mr. Rooney’s estate will have to pay taxes for the 8 million dollars in stocks and bonds due to improper estate planning. Taxes A federal tax return for Mr. Rooney must be filed within nine months after the date of his death if the gross estate is more than the amount prescribed for that year. The gross estate includes individually owned property. The taxable estate is the gross estate minus the obligations of Mr. Rooney. The net estate tax is computed by deducting the following from the gross estate tax: an applicable credit amount, state death taxes up to a certain limit, gift taxes paid before 1976 taxes paid on certain prior transfers and foreign death taxes. Conclusion: Mr. was a frugal man that lived thru the depression and was very careful how he made and spent his money. He loved his children very much and was a very simple man and very simple in his planning for the future although he amassed a small fortune for his heirs, his poor planning has allowed the government to come down and swoop in and take a nice percentage that could have been sheltered through trust or special tax shelters that shield his assets that he worked so hard for. If have learned anything is one that a will is vital to the communication of assets after death and that proper estate planning can protect your assets from being squander, lost or  misdirected. Bibliography Daily News Andy Rooney’s kids to split $9 million estate Monday, March 05, 2012, http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-05/news/31122336_1_andy-rooney-martha-fishel-million-estate Norwalk Citizen, Tuesday, July 31, 2012 – http://www.norwalkcitizenonline.com/news/article/Rooney-s-house-goes-on-market-3469747.php#photo-2797363 Gordon Brown (2009). Administration of Wills, Trusts, and Estates. (Fourth). Thomson/Delmar Learning.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Four Forms of Participant Observation: Ethical Issues

Four Forms of Participant Observation: Ethical Issues Introduction I have no great quickness of apprehension or witmy power to follow a long and purely abstract of thought is very limited (but) I am superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and in observing them carefully Charles Darwin, Preface to The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals Participant observation (PO) is one of the more fruitful methodological approaches to studying crowd behavior in the normal society. Obviously, PO includes two main parts, there are participating and observing. Form the first moment people was born, it already been used. People use observation to watch the world around them and try to participant in it, in other words, people grow up in company with participating and observing. There are two main aspects in this assignment as well. The first aspect is to explain the context and identification of Participant Observation; in second aspect, I will focus on the ethics and reactivity of the four forms which is outlined in Norris work. In this part, I will combine the fourfold categorisation which developed by Gill and Johnson (2002) with the four roles mentioned in Norris work, and then conclude my own ideas about the ethics and reactivity in PO research. What is Participant Observation? Participant Observation is a qualitative method with the roots in traditional ethnographic research. PO is the researcher attempts to participate fully in the lives and activities of subjects and thus become a member of their group, organization or community. This enables researchers to share their experiences by not merely observing what is happening but also feeing it (Gill and Johnson 2002:144). Form this identification, it is not difficult to find out that PO is not only a sample data collection as questionnaire; it is also an insider. When researchers doing their task, as Delbridge and Kirkpatrick (1994:37) notes that PO means immersion in the research setting, with the objective of sharing in peoples lives while attempting to learn their symbolic world. The mean process of Participant Observation is to understand and feel peoples subtle behavior in normal lives and attempt to learn their symbolic world. So just making sense about some basic role of human behavior or observing those behaviors is not the key point of PO, PO process include more than just observe, it also has data collection and note-taking and so on. To be honest, according to Bryman (1989): many definitions of ethnography and participant observation are difficult to distinguish form each other. Speaking in theory, Ethnography is a holistic research. MaCall and Simmons define ethnography as:some amount of genuine social interaction in the field with the subjects of study, some direct observation of relevant event, some formal and a great deal of informal interviewing, some systematic counting, some collection of documents and artefacts; and open-endedness in the direction the study takes. So that is why I said that PO is a qualitative method with the roots in traditional ethnographic research in the beginning. In other words, PO is included in ethnography research. Ethnography literally means a portrait a people. An ethnography is a written descriptions of particular culture - the customs, beliefs, and behavior based on information gathered through fieldwork (Marvin Harris and Orna Johnson, 2000). So the ethnography is a multidi sciplinary research including intensive language and culture learning, intensive study of a single field or domain, and a blend of historical, observational, and interview methods. The four forms of PO outlined in Norris work Norris work considered to some ethical considerations on Field-Work in the context of his own research on police culture. Covert research vs. Overt research Cover research takes place in the situation that public are not aware of the people as a researcher and the researcher process, the researchers conceal themselves to the public. On the contrary, overt research take place in the situation that researchers reveal the true identity of themselves to the public and let the experimenters know the process and purpose of research even let them know the potential risk of research. However, the distinction between overt and covert research is not evident. There is a case provided by Glucksman (1994), who in the 1970s left her academic post to work on a factory assembly line to explore the reasons why feminism appeared not to be relevant to working-class women. In a sense, she was a covert observer, but her motives for the research were primarily political and she says that, at the time she was undertaking the research, she had no intention of writing the book that subsequently appeared and that was published under a pseudonym (Cavendish 1982). After the books publication, it was treated as an example of ethnographic research. Every research method has the merit and demerit, so the cover and overt research are not exception. The merits and demerits of both forms conclude three main points: reactivity, ethics and access. For covert research, one of the merit aspects is the reactivity is not a problem, using the covert research could reduce the reactivity of experiments, because they are not aware of being researched. The less reactivity research got, the more validity core data gathered. The other merit aspect of covert research is easy to access. Because of the stealth of PO practice, people do not know the person conducting the study is a researcher. Therefore, they are less likely to adjust their behavior because of the researchers presence. (Alan Bryman and Emma Bell, 2003:320). The demerit of covert research is the ethical problems. The process of research is undercover; some researches focus on some privacy of peoples behavior, so research gathered data without the experiment granted during the research. The experimenters do not get the right of informed consent as well, the ethical problems such as violation of the principle of privacy happened inevitably. For the overt research, ethics is a prominent merit compared with covert research. Using overt research could give the experiment sufficient right to understanding the purpose and process of the study and the potential risk they possibly faced with. But the demerit of overt research also very obvious. The access can be arduous and timely even may not be granted; the high degree of reactivity to the research is not good to the validity of data collection. Characteristics of Four Forms of PO According to Norris work, Van Mannen divided the PO process into four parts, there are SPY, VOYEUR, FAN, MEMBER. The divide of those four forms depend on two dimensions, there are active and passive. Actually, those four roles in Norris work developed by Van Mannen on PO research is the some thing as Gill and Johnsons fourfold categorization of PO, there are complete participant, complete observer, observer as participant and participant as observer. SPY is identified by Van Mannen as active and covert type. It is the same meaning as complete participant in Gill and Johnsons fourfold categorization. The complete participant role sees you as the researcher attempting to become a member of the group in which you are performing research (Saunders, M. et al., 2008). The research concealed their true identity and purpose of research to public. During the research process, researcher will participant in the group and gain trust from he or her colleagues and make friend with experimenters. Doing like that could reduce the researchers access without too many problems of gather core data and take notes more easily. As Norris said: when observer excused himself to the toilet, hurriedly to scribble down notes, he felt like the Spy. VOYEUR is a covert and passive type which is mentioned in Norris work, it is a complete observer role as well. Norris said in his work: When observer deliberately placed in a position to overhear private conversations between officers, observer would feel like a Voyeur. The complete observer is the role that researcher have any communication with people. For example, one observer wants to research the proportion of green bag using when people shooing in the supermarket. What he or she would do is just one thing: having a seat near the exit of the supermarket or check-out counter, gather the number of people who was carrying a green bag in hand when they finished shopping , and then written a recorddown on the notebook. In this observing process, no participant taken by the researchers and no reactivity reflected by the customers. FAN is an overt and passive type defined by Van Mannen, Gill and Johnson called this type as observer as participant role. In this role, the researchers seems like an interviewer. As Norris said: When observer was attending incidents on the street, passively listening and watching, he was the Fan. this role has less participant and more observation. The researchers reveal themselves to public; people are not remained under cover. MEMBER is identified by Van Mannen as active and overt type. It was called participant as observer in Gill and Johnsons findings. The participant as observer is similar as complete participant, just the complete participant is the cover role, and MEMBER is the overt role. In this role the person reveals his or her purpose as a researcher. So in this process, the researchers should make more efforts on gaining trust form their colleagues and take part in the group actively. In Norris work, when I was left guarding a prisoner, introduced as a fellow police officer, or helped in the arrest of a violent and disturbed drug-user, I was, to all intents and purpose, cast in the role of a police officer. This role may be leads to another advantage which concluded in Robsons study: this is that key informants are likely to adopts a perspective of analytic reflection on the processes in which they are involved. (Robson, 2002) According to the analysis of those four roles outlined in Norris work, I concluded that it has no clear boundary among those four roles. The distinction of those four roles depends on the degree of participating and observing. So it is more likely to a subjective method that could be inflected by some factors such as the individuals willing or extent of reactivity and so on. Reactivity Principles in four forms It has different degree of reactivity in different roles. SPY type and VOYEUR type both are the cover research, so it has low extent of reactivity in those two types. In another side as well as the overt research role- MEMBER and FAN, the high degree of reactivity took place. As it is mentioned before, the low degree of reactivity took place, the high validity of core data gathered. Reactivity presents a threat to the internal and external validity of PO research. In the covert research, the experimenters are unaware of the research process, so their behavior which researchers want to observe is the unvarnished behavior; this is a key point of gather validity data by the researchers. In the overt research, this advantage which in the cover research is disappeared. When the experimenters know the researchers true identity and process of research, they will raise the level of alertness on the researcher and then make decision. Even if the experiment grants to participant, their behavior will not be the same as the unvarnished behavior. Ethical principles in four forms There are a number of ethical problems should to be considered during the process of one research. Every research methods will meet the ethical problems including the PO. In Norris work, three main principle of ethics of the research role outlined: informed consent, the invasion of privacy and the trust and deceit. Informed Consent The doctrine of informed consent is the general principle has been used to justify taking an ethical view of the behavior of social research. Informed consent is a legal right which given to the person who was invited to participate in social research activities. The right include the experimenters should be told by the researcher about a clear appreciation and understanding of the facts, implications and future consequences of the research, including the potential risks within this research. After they know the whole thing, they also have the right to decide whether they will cooperate or participant. The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person concerned should have legal captivity to give consent, should be so situated as to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any elements of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overteaching or any other ulterior form of constraint or conversion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. (Homan, 1991:69; see also Katz et al., 1972:292-306). For instance, the informed consent always be used in the medical experiments. Before a surgery or other kinds of medical treatments to be taken, the signed consent form is required. the patients must understand the potential risks of the treatment an decide whether they will grant or not. The invasion of privacy Bulmer has written: To insinuate oneself into a particular setting on false pretences in order to gather material for research violates the rights of the individual to be let alone, to control his personal space, and information about himself (1982:219). People have the right of protecting their own privacies; infringing peoples privacy is an unethical act. But using covert research in the process of PO, the invasion of privacy is not so easy to be avoided. For example, if a researcher want to investigate peoples anomaly behaviors in normal lives, using covert research is necessary. Because peoples abnormal behaviors usually is private, covert thing. No one would like to share and discuss their anomaly behaviors in public. And we couldnt design an experiment to let people show their anomaly behaviors, so the researcher must use the covert research to observe this object. In this process, the people who was observed by researcher is in the situation that his or her privacy were being infringed. But we also have the measures to reduce this ethical problem. Because of the definition of privacy is depended on individuals, someones mind is not open enough to share their privacy to others, but someone not. In other words, in modern society, the privacy becomes a commodity which could be sold and bought. This ethical also could be reduced by changing the covert situation to the overt situation as well. Researcher should make friends with the experiment and gain their trust, and then tell them about the researchers true identity and purpose of the research and get their permit. Although it is likely to be a little time consuming, but it is a good way to access in the settings and practice PO research without guilty. The trust and deceit In theory, trust and deceit is the opposite side in social activities, but they are not the absolutive opposite side in social research, especially in PO research. Although the researchers have the obligation to tell the unvarnished truth to the experiment, but think about this question: Do doctors tell the truth to dying patients? Sometimes the truth-telling has not benefits to the healthy and safety in terms of experimenters rather than access and data collection in terms of researchers. Conclusion Participant Observation as a qualitative method plays an important role in society. Since crowd behavior takes place in a context of social activities, PO may involve having to take sides to gather data. In this assignment, the distinction of ethnography and PO research is not distinctness. They have a closed relationship between each other. After introduction of ethnography and PO, the next session in this assignment as well as the main part focuses on the four roles outlined in Norris work. Norris analyses some ethical considerations on field- work with police by using the four forms of PO research. The roles divided according to the covert and overt research, covert research and overt research are the basic approaches in PO. So as to explaining the four roles more comprehensive, the Gill and Johnsons findings are used as well. In the second session, the reactivity and ethics as the main two aspects are anglicized in detail by several points from different angles. Participant Observation perhaps is the earliest method in the world. However, the participant observation was not lost its own glory because of its ancient. Although the modern technology and research methodology develop in a high speed, Participant Observation is still the most basic commonly method which could continue being used in the future. References: Bryman, A. (1989) Research Methods and Organisation Studies. London: Unwin Hyman. Bryman, A. and E. Bell (2003) Business Research Methods, Oxford : Oxford University Press. Darwin, Charles (1872) The expression of the emotions in man and animals, London: John Murray, pp.374 Delbrige, R. and Kirkpatrick, I. (1994) Theory and practice of participant observation, in V.Wass and P.Wells (eds) Principles and Practice in Business and Management Research, Aldershot: Dartmouth, pp.35-62 Ditton, J. (1977), Part-Time Crime: An Ethnography of Fiddling and Pilferage (London: Macmillan). Gill, J. and Johnson, P. (2002) Research Methods for Managers (3rd edn). London: Sage Gilbert, N. (1993) Researching Social Life (3rd edn). London: Sage. Harris, M. Johnson, O. (2000). Cultural Anthropology, (5th ed.), Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Homan, R. (1991) The Ethical of Social Research. London: Pearson Education. Saunders, M. et al. (2008) Research Methods for Business Students (5th ed.) Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers (2nd edn). Oxford: Blackwell. Norris, C. (1993) Some ethical considerations on field-work with the police, in Hobbs, D. and May, T. (1993) Interpreting the field : accounts of ethnography.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Consumer Markets Across Industries

Consumer Markets Across Industries Sudane Atkinson AC 1.3 Evaluate the relevance of consumer markets in the industry Consumer markets is defined by businessdictionary.com (2016) as Markets dominated by products and services designed for the general consumer, Consumer markets are typically split into four primary categories: consumer products, food and beverage products, retail products, and transportation products. With that said the relevance of consumer markets in the hospitality industry will be identified and evaluated, this include long-term relationships, value and satisfaction, consumer orientation, and value chain then a conclusion will be drawn about the significance of consumer markets in the hospitality industry. Listed below are the research findings on relevance of consumer markets in the hospitality industry: Long-term relationship create strong, even emotional, customer connections to a brand that can lead to ongoing business (SearchCRM, 2016) Value and satisfaction- this create customer rather than just consumer because giving value for money and exceeding expectation is what customer look for. Consumer orientation is a key to achieve business goals. A firm can achieve marketing goals by concentrating on customer satisfaction through staff (cross, 2016) Value chain is to deliver maximum value for the least possible total cost and create a competitive advantage (Investopedia.com,2016) Decision making is very important as it depends on the type of investment and what the customer wants. (Bhasin, 2016) Customer culture it is said by LaPlante (2016) that you are likely to be influenced by advertising that appeal to your particular culture Consumer market is very important in the hospitality industry as it is the structure that allows us to make purchases of goods and services. In consumer market decisions are based upon how involved the customers are (Bhasin, 2016). There are three decision making process extensive, limited and routine decision making process. Extensive decision making process is used when the product is a very high involvement product, possible a high investment product as well example buying a house. Limited decision making process is used when limited decision is needed because you have some experience with the product .example buying a radio or a television and last the routine decision making a day to day life decision but in this case the customer isÂÂ   unlikely to switch to different brands because he wants to invest minimum time in routine decision making(Bhasin,2016).The decision process may vary from time to time ,this also depend of the type of customer and the investment made. Long-t erm relationship create strong, even emotional, customer connections to a brand that can lead to ongoing business (SearchCRM, 2016), instead of focusing on one time sale, marketer focusing on getting loyal customers. In order to achieve a long-term relationship, the customer value and satisfaction much be met, but not only met but exceeded, exceeding customer value and satisfaction also helps to save money because is cheaper to retain customer than getting new ones (Beard, 2016).This brings us to the value chain which increases profits by creating value at each of the five product touch points so the value exceeds the cost associated with the product states (Investopedia.com,2016) .The culture of the customers is important to the consumer market as customer are likely to purchase a product with some or same cultural similarity as the targeted customer according to (LaPlante ,2016). The importance of customer orientation is that it focuses on the customer core needs and wants ,by exc eeding the expectations and retaining customers through the staff. Conclusion In conclusion, customer markets are vital to the hospitality as it helps to make the industry strive with the impeccable strategies that it holds and we practice. all the above contributes to profits and gaining loyal customers with the relationship strategies that we practice turning regular consumers into loyal customer, decision making is vital as well as it put into perspective what the customer wants and how to build on getting exactly that. Customer value and satisfaction is also important as it this is what the customer yarn for in a product value for money and satisfaction, giving them this will surly end positively. When marketing, we must keep inconsideration that there I a diversity of people with different culture so or marketing strategy must appeal to the culture of the target market. Customer orientation aid in developing a quality product appreciate by consumers businessdictionary.com (2016) stated. All the about consumer markets are all important in their own way to help promote and market the product with the customer satisfaction in the midst of consideration.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Applications of G.I.S. in Agriculture and Ecology :: Agricultural Environment Farm Essays Papers

Applications of G.I.S. in Agriculture and Ecology Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.) is one of the fastest growing technologies today. This field covers anything and everything that can be mapped, anything from weeds to urban sprawl, if it can be mapped, G.I.S. can be used. G.I.S. uses computers to store, analyze, and show data collected about a given topic(Kennedy 1), (Zimmerman 5-9, 73-91). G.I.S. basically turns a computer into an atlas(Kennedy 1). With all this information available, how can it help the field of agriculture? G.I.S. has been used to track the spread of noxious weeds, grasshoppers, soil types, and various other factors, which help in agriculture. First off, we can cover some G.I.S. basics. The information that is put into G.I.S. is collected from remote sensing, which can consist of aerial photography, satellite imagery, or raw G.P.S. data. G.I.S. has two main categories: raster and vector(Johnston 1-77). Raster G.I.S. uses cells and numbers to represent real objects in the world(Johnston 1-77), (Zimmerman 5-9, 73-91). These cells are assigned numerical values to represent objects in the real world. For example a certain cell could be numbered 353, and could represent a swamp, mountain, river bed, or any other physical feature found on the earth, or whatever the G.I.S. is being applied to. Vector G.I.S. represents the world by using a series of lines, shapes, and points. This G.I.S. presents physical features, or whatever the G.I.S. applies to in realistic shapes(Zimmerman 5-9, 73-91). Both of these types of G.I.S. would be applicable in agricultural systems, the vector type being more visual oriented and the raster looking m ore like a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet(Zimmerman 5-9, 73-91). It just depends on what you are studying, for example the terrain analysis for a new field would probably be best suited to a vector G.I.S., whereas a raster G.I.S. would be more applicable in following the movement of grasshoppers across the state of Wyoming(Zimmerman 5-9, 73-91). G.I.S. applications are currently being used to track weed invasion in the Jack Morrow Hills area of northern Sweetwater County and southwestern Fremont County(Gillham 1-68). This is done through the remote sensing application of aerial photography. The mapping of weeds is very important to the agriculturist. They can use the information that has been collected to put forth preventative measures to keep out certain invasive species. This plays a huge role near the Jack Morrow Hills, the nearby communities of Farson and Eden both rely mainly on hay and alfalfa crops as a source of income, and with G.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Anomie Essay -- essays research papers

Although America was a confident and optimistic nation in 1917 before the introduction of the two major World Wars and the Vietnam War, this no longer is the case today. Wars have reshaped American history, politically, economically, socially and culturally. Throughout the course of time religious structures have been falling, events such the Great Depression have caused unemployment, divorce and crime rates have skyrocketed and suicide coupled with violence has gained much popularity and acceptance in the news. Many of the rigorous norms once established and followed have been disintegrating, thus providing an avenue for ever increasing chaos with an apparent state of anomie where there are no clear rules to firmly guide society. Inflations and unemployment in America have been great sources of chaos. The fact that wealth has never been evenly distributed has always caused the rebellion and in some cases retreatism posed by sociologist Robert Merton. Today Bush’s presidency has caused the jobs of many people. About 113,000 workers have been cut from payrolls since September of last year. In numerous occasions Bush has said, â€Å"The slowdown is real and is affecting too many lives. I want the American people to know we're deeply concerned about the unemployment rates and we intend to do something about it.", yet he has not developed any new plan to stop unemployment or at most decrease it. This presidential attitude in turn has led many to reject the story that society c...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Blackrock by Nick Enright Essay

The impact of difference that is revealed in nick Enright’s text ‘Blackrock’ and Ed Fischer’s ‘go to the closet’ is that gender difference and those who are of different belief can majorly impact a group/individual severely. In particular being a female in a young male’s society, or having the belief that homosexuality is acceptable in society. The play ‘Blackrock’ portrays gender difference within the community where women are discriminated against and don’t have ample opportunities in which the males almost always have. The male characters have a close bond and an adequate amount of respect for each, due to being a male. Whilst treating females with little respect. The males expect that the females have to listen and do what is asked of them, objectifying them sexually. Then using derogatory language towards them. Scott- â€Å"piss off, you old slag. † When not living up to their standards. In a number of scenes, the treatment of the males to females is shown significantly. When ricko asks jarred to cover up for him and lie to the police, jarred feels obligated to protect his ‘bro’ instead of assisting in justice for one of the girls. At the party the girls are yet again expected to act a certain way and according to the boys they should act flirty as well as ‘put out’. As the girls explore their sexuality, as requested by the boys they get sworn at as well as abused. Scott-â€Å"she’s been through ricko already. Now its Gary. Now she’s a fucken band mole. † Towards the end of the play the males show no remorse for their behaviour against Tracey, and suggest that Tracey was acting a certain way for them to pursue in sexual relations, claiming that she consented. As a consequence of their actions Tracey was left alone and vulnerable, leaving ricko the chance to take advantage of the state Tracey was in. However in defending toby, Stewart expresses apprehension of what would happen to toby if he was convicted of his crimes, and once imprisoned as a young male would then possibly become a victim of sexual assault within the prison walls of grown men. Rachel points out that gender difference in the matter of everyone being contemptuous about Tracey’s assault and the fact of matter that the behaviour being excused and unaccounted for. The girls stick to together before, during and after the party. Scott- â€Å"couple of lezzos, are you. † Additionally the text ‘go to the closet’ also depicts discrimination due to sexuality differences. In this cartoon facial expressions and hand gestures by the puritans who look disgusted and intolerant of the homosexual couple, pointing them towards the closet. This suggests that society does not tolerate homosexuality because it is different. Ed Fischer’s is persuading the audience about difference of same sex marriage, and his opinion on the puritans, as well as the wrongful treatment that some people receive is intolerable, it is wrong and to not discriminate against people with different sexual reference. In addition to both the text and cartoon, difference in gender or sexuality can effect an individual/group in such a harmful way, whether it be traceys death, or the 2 homosexuals being ‘sent back into the closet’. Not only women but other different pinioned people should always be accepted and recognize the facts that it is acceptable in today’s society.

Made In Chelsea Analysis of an episode Essay

From the episode of Made In Chelsea I watched, I can say that the representations we have of upwardly mobile young city dwellers are that they are social-oriented, whose lives seem to be some care-free that they can cavort around various places in London—and the world—without any problems. We also only see characters of a certain age range—none are, we assume, above the age of thirty—of which the majority have no jobs or business, leading us to believe that they come from families of ‘old money’, and so having a job themselves would seem rather pointless. Saying that, there are a few characters who do possess their own business or thereabouts. However, our perceptions of the characters are very one sided, as we are constricted to seeing only one side of that character—the one that fits their current storyline the best. This prevents us from seeing, per se, the kind heartedness of a character that has just cheated on their partner. The words ‘characters’ and ‘storylines’ fit well with my next point; the conversations and the events that take place throughout the episode seem far too rehearsed and coincidental for them to be actual ‘reality’. Location shots are used of London sights and attractions to establish the setting of the scene. They also are only of Central London attractions, and the shops and restaurants et al all seem to highlight the wealth of the individuals who shop there, eat there etc. Reactions, for the majority of the show, are shown using over-the-shoulder shots to portray the reaction of the person who is being told something. There is also usage of eye line matching shots that show you what the character may have been looking at from their angle. The episode seems to comprise of short segments that have then been edited in post production so that they can seek out the most entertaining of segments. This is obvious as the episode transitions from one group of people at a restaurant to a boxing arena and then back to the restaurant again. Tzvetan Torodov’s narrative theory that conventional narratives are structured into five stages; Equilibrium—disruption—recognition—repair—reinstatement, could be present within the episode, as you can apply it to the situation between Louis, Spencer and Jamie (the love triangle storyline). The fact that it fits so well with Torodov’s theory does support the question â€Å"How much of Made In Chelsea is actually reality?†

Friday, August 16, 2019

Starbucks Financial Analysis

Starbucks is a strong competitor in the service sector and a leader in the gourmet coffee industry. With a continued growth rate in store openings and maintaining successful profitability of its operations, Starbucks has demonstrated its ability to sustain a reliable and steady growth. Starbucks’ ability to contend with the vulnerability to current financial threats such as economic recession, higher interest rates, and global competition, is constantly proven by its incomparable brand image, its continual product innovations, and its exceptional customer service. This also proves to be its strongest investment strategy.One strategic way to evaluate the vulnerability of Starbucks to current financial threats is to execute a SWOT Analysis. A SWOT analysis is a situation analysis in which the strengths and weaknesses of an organization, and external opportunities and threats it faces are examined to chart a strategy (Business Dictionary, 2012).SWOT is the acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to assess what an organization can and cannot do in addition to evaluating the potential opportunities and any financial and economical threats it may face.Over the years, Starbucks have developed much successful strengths. Here are a few of the most recognizable strengths: The quality of their coffee is considered the highest in the world. They engage with customers and the communities to provide better business.Starbucks has over 17,000 stores globally in convenient locations to attract more customers. Starbucks have expanded their product line to sandwiches, pastries, and natural tea-blend drinks. Starbucks have loyal employees who are valued, motivated, and hard-working and are provided a pleasant working environment.They have exceptional relationships with all suppliers which helps them exceed as industry market leaders. Over the past several years, Starbucks has received several award and recognitions such as â€Å"No. 1 Best Coffee† and â€Å"No. 1 Most Popular Quick Refreshment Chain† by Zagat’s Survey of National Chain Restaurants, one of â€Å"The Best 100 Companies to Work For† by Fortune Magazine, one of the â€Å"World’s Most Ethical Compamies† by Ethisphere, and one of the â€Å"World’s 50 most Innovative Companies† by Fast Company. With all companies, where there are strengths there are weaknesses.Starbucks have noted and viable strengths, but they have weaknesses that could overshadow the success of these strengths placing them a step or two behind their competitors. Here are some of their weaknesses: The size of the company is larger than most of their competitors, lack of internal focus because much focus is on expansion and not on the diversification of other sectors, product pricing is overstated because of their premium brand coffee, which demands premium pricing, and excessive dependency on coffee-alone produ cts.Starbucks have willed many opportunities to become the most valuable gourmet coffee leader in the world. They have already succeeded in expanding their product line by introducing the world to cold coffee beverages, flavored herbal drinks, and hot sandwiches and salads for lunch.So, now they have the opportunity to continue to expand in their development overseas, continue their innovation and commitment to product development, and possibly co-brand with other manufacturers of food and drinks to help expand their product line.The competition in gourmet coffee in general has proved to be more advanced than one would imagine. So, it’s no surprise that the competition would be one the most highly doable threats. With coffee sellers ranging from coffee houses to restaurants and fast-food carry-outs such as McDonald’s, Starbucks has to contend with ensuring that they maintain their perfection in coffee and customer service to avoid such threats. Another major threat is the economy. The state of the economy today, particularly in the future depends especially on consumer spending.This would play a key role in Starbucks’ sales growth and profits. Factors such as increased debt service levels resulting from interest rate changes, downturn in the housing market, and the increase in oil and gas prices would affect optional spending.Now that the assessment of the SWOT analysis has been completed, it’s time to determine the financial performance of Starbucks over the past three years and predict how it will perform in the future by using financial ratio analysis. This will be determined by examining the Income Statement and Balance Sheet as of FY 2011.Consolidated Statements Of Earnings (USD $)12 Months EndedIn Millions, except Per Share data Oct. 02, 2011 Oct. 03, 2010 Sep. 27, 2009 Net revenues: Company-operated stores $ 9,632.4 $ 8,963.5 $ 8,180.1 Licensed stores 1,007.50875.2795 CPG, foodservice and other 1,060.50868.7799.5 Total net re venues 11,700.4010,707.409,774.60 Cost of sales including occupancy costs 4,949.304,458.604,324.90 Store operating expenses 3,665.103,551.403,425.10 Other operating expenses 402293.2264.4 Depreciation and amortization expenses 523.3510.4534.7 General and administrative expenses 636.1569.5453 Restructuring charges 053332.4 Total operating expenses 10,175.809,436.109,334.50 Gain on sale of properties 30.200 Income from equity investees 173.7148.1121.9 Operating income 1,728.501,419.40562 Interest income and other, net 115.950.337 Interest expense 33.3-32.7-39.1 Earnings before income taxes 1,811.101,437559.9 Income taxes 563.1488.7168.4 Net earnings including noncontrolling interests 1,248948.3391.5 Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 2.32.70.7 Net earnings attributable to Starbucks $ 1,245.7 $ 945.6 $ 390.8 Earnings per share – basic $ 1.66 $ 1.27 $ 0.53 Earnings per share – diluted $ 1.62 $ 1.24 $ 0.52 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 748.3744.4738.7 Diluted 769.7764.2745.9 Cash dividends declared per share $ 0.56 $ 0.36 $ 0In reviewing the Income Statement for Starbucks from 2009 to 2011, it is evident that the company has successfully increased its profitability through performance each year by almost 10%. Its income from operation has almost tripled from 2009. Based on Starbucks’ continued plan of expansion, this financial progression depicts a continuous trend.As noted in the financial statement above and pictured in the chart below, Starbucks obtains the majority of its revenue from its company-operated stores. This proves that if Starbucks continues its expansion of retail stores, the revenue from these sales will continue to rise as it has in the past 10 years. The company’s share earnings have also spiked in the last three years by almost doubling between 2009 and 2010 and up 31% in 2011.The financial ratio analysis will provide an assessment of the stability and profitability of Starbucks and allow investors and shareholders to determine the probability of a profitable future. Below is a chart of different financial ratios used to describe the different criteria for Starbucks and to evaluate the past three years. Profitability – Revenue201120102009Gross Profit 57.7%   58.4%   55.8% EBIT Ratio 15.5%   13.4%   5.7%The first set of ratios measures the profitability of Starbucks. These ratios measure the effectiveness of Starbucks capital. A high profitability could be attributed to effective competency. This chart shows that Starbucks have maintained an elevated profit margin, which indicates its ability to manage its largest assets costs.The other ratio, EBIT measures the overall operating efficiency. The next chart shows the liquidity ratios of the firm which indicates how efficient Starbucks handles its short-term obligations. Short-term liquidity includes items that are to be received or paid in cash within a year.A ratio of 2 is the ideal rate for a good standing company using the current ratio. This indicates that the company can pay its creditors and that it has more current assets than current liabilities. A current ratio below 1 signifies trouble for the company and that they may have problems meeting their creditor obligations. The difference between the current ratio and quick ratio is the use of inventory.Financial Condition 2011-2010Debt/Equity Ratio 20%   25% Current Ratio 1.831.55 Quick Ratio 0.190.17The below chart illustrates what kind of return Starbucks receives on its investments. These ratios give investors a clear mind of how well the investments are performing. The ROE ratio illustrates the returns that stockholders are earning on their investments in Starbucks. In prior years, Starbucks have consistently increased this ratio percentage and continues to rise. The ROA ratio tells investors how much profit Starbucks generated for every dollar in assets.Investment Returns % 2011-2010Return on Equity 28.4% 25.7% Return on Assets 18.1% 13.8%Based on the ratios above, it appears that Starbucks is continuing to progress successfully in profits and its ability to increase leverage and maintain a reasonably stable trend in the future. Starbucks can increase leverage by repurchasing outstanding stock and increasing debt financing. Based on the recent benchmarks over a 12 month period, Starbucks is still in line with the industry. â€Å">

Thursday, August 15, 2019

History and Song Essay

Amazing Grace is one of the most poignant song that was ever written whose appeal goes beyond its religious origins to encompass the human struggle and has evolved together with history. The song is based on I Chronicles 17:16 on the words of the Hebrew King David regarding his wonder at the selection of his house with God’s favor. Though there are significant theological content the song, its core themes of deliverance and fortitude have extended its appeal to the military, freedom movements, and social justice. The lyrics of the song are attributed to John Newton, a former slave trader who eventually became a minister in the United Kingdom in the 18th century. According to Newton’s accounts, he wrote the song during a violent storm at sea, he advertantly cried out â€Å"Lord, have mercy upon us† (Rogers). Upon reflection later on in his cabin Newton, who barely knew about religion, reflected upon the episode and realized how faith can be a core in an individual without that person being aware of it at all. It became a very popular hymn in Newton’s preaching work but was only published as Amazing Grace in an 1831 hymnal called Virginia Harmony (â€Å"Amazing Grace†). It had been included in the Olney Hymns used by Newton but had various titles given to it if any (Rogers). There were several tunes used for the hymn before it became popularized in the tune we know today. Some speculation regarding the original tune for the hymns have attributed it to African slave chants which Newton may have been familiar with because of his history with the slave trade. Others have cited that its pentatonic meter suggests that it may have had a melody played with bagpipes or Celtic music (â€Å"Amazing Grace†). There is also some suggestion that the modern version of the melody of the song, particularly in its dramatic qualities, can be traced back in the Cherokee adaptation of the song during the Native American removal (â€Å"Words to Amazing Grace†). The harsh trek to the West allowed little opportunity for them to follow traditional burial rights and the song was used instead because of its commonality with Native American theologies on death (â€Å"Trail of Tears†). The song has had several versions and has even become part of popular music with artists such as Judy Collins giving their own interpretation of the song. The song is often performed with one instrument or one type of instruments. The most popular renditions have been with wind instruments particularly bugle, horns, flute and the bagpipe. The instruments may have been chosen because of the ethereal quality of the melody and its message. Most performance of the song generally starts with a light melody that grows in strength and color as the song progresses. In the UK, the song is often played on bagpipes for military salutes that also has been adapted in America particularly for those who have Celtic ancestry (Rogers). The use of the bagpipes however, is actually a recent trend and was popularized through the 1969 film Alice’s Restaurant by Arthur Penn which in turn allowed it to figure in the counter culture issues. (â€Å"Amazing Grace†). During the American Civil War, the song was both used for military right by Union and confederate soldiers. The song’s popularity then was based on its support of the Protestant theology of â€Å"divine grace†. Many American presidents also The identification of the song with freedom and social justice began with its adoption as the Cherokee National Anthem to commemorate the Trail of Tears during the Native American removal. The song became also popular during both World Wars when allied soldiers with sing the song during the services for fallen soldiers. The popularity of the song during the sixties as social justice movements developed from their foundations in gospel movements. From being a song for memoriam, the use became to highlight the suffering from social injustice and became particularly popular with the Black Power Movement. Similar to the Native American use of the song, many black empowerment movements used the song as a thematic representation of the issues concerning social rights and equality. It was used both to express the motivations of the movement as well as provide its moral and religious basis. Some also attribute its significance to the Black Power Movement because of the association to the African Slave Trade through Newton and his subsequent abolitionist stands (â€Å"Amazing Grace†) The song can be expected to continue in its popularity because of its universal themes. The interpretation of the song ranges from deliverance to self-realization. These components allowed it to be adopted into active action as well as in devotional settings. The song has deep sense on enlightenment which is the reason it became popular with social movements. The line, â€Å"Was blind, but now, I see† is a popular theme in many human rights speeches that called fro social action and reform. The song repeatedly shows a dichotomy to how which affects a person. In saying that, â€Å"T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved,† the song is has a message that it is in recognizing our fears that one is truly delivered from them. Thus, it had an appeal to the military, the oppressed and the marginalized for the connotation of valor and courage. The song’s long popularity and various uses attest to its ability to resonate core human desires fro freedom, salvation and justice. The song’s greatest meaning lies not in its religious aspects but in its belief in the triumph of the human spirit. Works Cited â€Å"Amazing Grace†. Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia.14 March 2007. 15 March 2007. â€Å"Amazing Grace Lyrics†. Gospel Hut. 14 June 2006. 15 March 2007. â€Å"Trail of Tears†. Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia. 13 March 2007. 15 March 2007. Rogers, Al. Amazing Grace: The Story of John Newton. 1996. 15 March 2007. â€Å"Words to Amazing Grace†. Littleleaf. 14 March 2007. 15 March 2007. http://www. littleleaf. com/amazinggrace. htm

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Bis Corporation Essay

Prepare a written report with the results organized in tables. Submit your project to me via email by the deadline. In your email should include your written report in pdf format and your Excel implementation. Attach the two documents to your email separately, do not compress the two into an archive file, e.g. zip, rar, 7z. This can be undertaken as a group project or you may choose to work individually. You may work as a team of maximum of 4 students. Significant points will be deducted if you fail to follow the above instructions, submit only an Excel document, or submit the work of someone else. Bis Corporation Recall the Bis Corporation example covered in class. SKUs are aggregated into 3 groups. Customers are aggregated into 25 groups. Project data is uploaded as an Excel workbook. In this workbook SKU groups value, volume and weight data are given. Monthly demand AVG and STD values for each customer group are given in SKUs. Highway distances between all Turkish cities are given. The distances in the diagonal of the matrix corresponds to the average distance of two points (e.g. factory-warehouse or warehouse-customer) within the same city. There are two factories: Kocaeli plant produces S01 and S02 groups only, Adana plant produces S03 group only. Warehouse parameters and annual fixed costs are given. Inbound transportation is carried out on semi-trailer trucks, outbound transportation on regular trucks. There two alternatives to be compared: A1 with 2 warehouses and A2 with 5 warehouses. a) Calculate and present in a table inbound and outbound unit cost of transportation of each SKU group. For each SKU group and truck type first find whether the truck capacity (number of SKUs that can be loaded) is limited by volume or weight. Then use the load factor to calculate how many SKUs can be loaded on average. Then calculate the cost of transporting one SKU to a distance of 100km. b) For alternative A1 calculate monthly costs. Calculate the monthly outbound transportation costs for each customer group and SKU group. Calculate the monthly inbound cost of transporting SKUs from factories warehouses. Calculate the average inventory levels at each warehouse by volume and value. Calculate the required warehouse capacities and then which warehouse choice will be made. Then find the corresponding warehouse fixed cost (convert it into a monthly cost). Calculate the monthly holding costs and handling costs at each warehouse. Finally calculate the monthly total cost as the sum of all costs. c) Repeat part (b) for alternative A2.