Nuclear Proliferation Essay

Nuclear Proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as â€Å"Nuclear Weapon States† by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons; also known as Nuclear Proliferation Treaty or NPT. The purpose of the treaty was to help avoid the spread of nuclear weapons to those countries that have not been recognized as nuclear weapons states. NPT has only been signed by 189 countries, not by countries that are believed to have nuclear weapons. The United States was the first and is the only country to have used a nuclear weapon in war. They used two bombs against Japan in August, 1945. Germany and Japan ceased to be involved in any nuclear weapon research. August, 1949, the USSR tested a nuclear weapon, as well as the United Kingdom in October, 1952, France developed one in 1960 and the People’s Republic of China detonated a nuclear weapon in 1964. India was next with exploding a nuclear device in 1974, and Pakistan tested a weapon in 1998. Finally, North Korea conducted a nuclear test in 2006. Pros and Cons Reasons for abolishing nuclear weapons are: †¢ The entire world would be more secure if the planet were free of nuclear weapons -Nuclear Weapons are the only weapons that have the ability to extinguish the entire human race and its entire species. †¢ The threat/use of nuclear weapons has been declared generally illegal by the World Court -On July 8th, 1996, the World Court stated that it is illegal to use or threat to use nuclear weapons †¢ Nuclear Weapons are morally at fault -nuclear Weapons are intolerable. Nuclear weapons can wipe out most if not all of the lives on Earth. †¢ Nuclear weapons don’t do what they’re supposed to do, which is prevent wars! -Nuclear weapons states have been involved in more wars than non nuclear weapon states †¢ Nuclear Weapons are extremely costly -The cost of research, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, and associated intelligence activities are combined, the price is heavy. Then you have the cost of damage to land, illness, and cancer deaths from pollution, and nuclear waste storage, the price becomes enormous. †¢ Some countries have already given up nuclear weapons, showing that it is possible for a nation to be stable without them -Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, became nuclear weapon free states voluntarily. They transferred their nuclear warheads to Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Reasons for nuclear weapons are: †¢ Nuclear Weapons cannot be uninvented -No human invention can be uninvented, but it also is not enough to abolish nuclear weapons †¢ No serious proponent of disarmament argues that the US should eliminate its nuclear arsenal unilaterally -As long as other states have nuclear weapons, the US should remain a credible restraint †¢ Steps toward zero by the US won’t cause Korea to disarm or Iran to drop its nuclear ambitions – The US would be seeking to gather the support of the other non-nuclear weapon states that are members of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, rather than seeking to influence North Korea, Iran or any other †¢ US shouldn’t ignore its allies -The United States working toward disarmament might lead some US allies to seek their own nuclear weapons †¢ US disarmament efforts should not be delinked from the wider security picture – US disarmament efforts should be probable upon improvements in the wider security movements Tactical vs. Strategic Nuclear Weapons There are two different types of nuclear weapons: tactical and strategic. Tactical means that it directly effects a tactical situation on a battlefield. It would be directly used on troops, tanks or ships. Tactical weapons were smaller and could be rocket, missile, air, or artillery launched. Strategic means it effected the environment, such as destroying a city to prevent production of military equipment for the entire war. Strategic weapons are larger and are missile, submarine, or air launched. Strategic weapons could be used for a tactical purpose and tactical weapons could be used for a strategic purpose. Threat of Terrorism and Nuclear Scare I think Terrorism has absolutely changed the way countries think about nuclear weapons. Before all countries had to worry about was whether or not their rival country was going to launch an attack on them. Now counties have to worry about other countries getting nuclear power including terrorist! Terrorist don’t think things through like other countries do. They will launch nuclear weapons on a country knowing that the country will get even. For this reason, a country simply acquiring nuclear weapons is not a restraint for them. In theory, terrorists might either seize an existing weapon or set up a secret organization to make one. In general, obtaining nuclear weapons by unauthorized individuals or groups seems unlikely because nuclear materials are difficult to acquire and to handle; but say for instance a terrorist organization was able to obtain nuclear weapons; they can become a threat to another part of the world and/or they would have to wage war endangering the lives o f the citizens in that country. Culture The legitimate language of North Korea is Korean. In North Korea, religion is inhibited. Religious activities have been nonexistent since 1945; Buddhism, Chongdogyo, and Christianity existed before but had influenced the country in a way that made them disapprove. According to CIA World Fact book, as of July, 2011, the population was 25.5 million and the growth rate about +0.42%. North Korea is bordered to the South of South Korea, to the east of the Sea of Japan, to the West of the Yellow Sea and to the North of Manchuria. Their agricultural products include rice, corn, barley, soy beans, potatoes, pig, cattle, pork, eggs and more. Nuclear Arsenal Analysis Their amount of their arsenal is unknown. But we do know that they seek to increase their nuclear arsenal. They believe North Korea continues to pursue a uranium enrichment capability drawing on the assistance it received from A.Q. Khan before his network was shutdown. North Korea continues to develop, produce, deploy, and sell ballistic missiles of increasing range and sophistication. They believe North Korea has active CW and BW programs and probably has chemical and possibly biological weapons ready for use. Why they’re a danger and to whom? North Korea is the biggest danger to South Korea. These two counties have been at war for years. For some reason North Korea continues to attempt to attack South Korea and it seems as though they won’t stop at any cost. North and South Korea has had different economic systems since the Korean War of 1950. South Korea operates under a market economy system and North Korea adapted central planning economy. Therefore, while North Korea faces chronic economic problems because of previous leader’s poor judgment, South Korea’s economy has achieved an incredible record of growth. Worst Case Scenario North Korea will challenge South Korea and a battle will occur, that will kill thousands. Culture The legitimate language of Japan is Japanese. In Japan, 83.9% is Shintoism, 71.4% is Buddhism, 2% is Christianity, and 7.8% are other. According to CIA World Fact book, as of July, 2011, the population was 126,475,664 and the growth rate is about -0.278%. Japan is in Eastern Asia, an island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. Japan’s ethnic groups are Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Japan’s agricultural goods are rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish. Nuclear Arsenal Analysis Culture The legitimate language of Pakistan is Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) Pashtu Urdu (official), Balochi, Hindko, Brahui, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and others. In Pakistan, Muslim (Sunni and Shia), other (includes Christian and Hindu). According to CIA World Fact book, as of July, 2011, the population was 187,342,721 and the growth rate is about 1.573%. Pakistan is in Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north. Agricultural goods in Pakistan are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs.

Functionalist perspective of family Essay

Functionalists believe that society is based on a set of shared values and norms; this is known as a value consensus. These norms and values socialize its members, which enables them to cooperate with each other so society’s needs are met, this creates social order. It offers a structural and macro view of the family which is top down. Functionalists see society as being similar to a biological organism for example the human body. This is called the organic analogy. The human body is made up of various different parts that function together, each part is necessary for the normal functioning of the whole body. Society is made up of various institutions (for example education or family), Functionalists believe that these institutions rely on each other each other which helps maintain social order. If one institution is quickly modified or fails to work with other institutions, society would be dysfunctional and would end up in anarchy. Functionalists compare this with the human body because if one component is unable to work, this often affects other components in the body, which could result in death. Functionalists believe that a family is a vital institution, which contributes to maintaining social order because it meets the needs of other institutions such as the education system, which enables society to functio n in a unified manner. Functionalists believes that the nuclear family fits society’s needs, however several alternative theories such as Feminism contradict Functionalist ideology. Murdock believes that the nuclear family performs four essential functions for society and its members however he acknowledges that other institutions can perform these functions. He claims that he found evidence of a nuclear family in 250 different societies so he argues that a nuclear family is universal as it fulfills societies needs. The first function is sexual, Murdock believes that sexual intercourse with the same marital partner can prevent social disruption and can strengthen the tie between husband and wife. The second function is reproduction; this allows new members of society to be born which is essential for society because if reproduction did not continue then society would cease to exist. The third function is  economical so the family can provide for its members e.g food and shelter. The final function is the education system, this enables the young to be socialized and educated into society’s norms and values, and this suggests the family is a positive feat ure of society. However Murdock’s research is limited because he ignores diversity. His research is based on a nuclear family, yet in modern society there are many different family types, for example homosexual couples/lone parents. The postmodernist view believes that the nuclear family is no longer the norm and therefore the functionalist theory is not relevant to today’s society. Another criticism would be that Functionalists do not consider the validity of other family structures such as the Nayar or the Kibbutz who can also perform the four functions. On the other hand, a strength of Murdock’s work is it provides an insight of the families’ importance to society, because they examine how a family functions in society. Another positive to Murdock’s interpretations of family life would be that Murdock could generalize his research because he has studied 250 different societies, which demonstrates how a nuclear family can fit societal needs around the world. Another Functionalists explanation of the family comes from Parsons who believes that the functions a family has to perform, will affect its ‘shape’ or ‘structure’. Parson’s identifies two types of family structure: the nuclear family, which fits the needs of modern industrial society and the extended family, which fits the needs of pre-industrial society. Parson’s argues that the extended family was multi-functional so it was a unit of consumption and production whilst the nuclear family fits the key needs of modern industrial society: geographically mobile workforce and the socially mobile workforce. The geographical mobility industries often required people to move to where the jobs were, Parson’s argued that a nuclear family (two generations) would find it more straightforward to move than an extended family (three generations) so the nuclear family is better fitted to the needs of modern industrial society. The social mobile workforce implied that modern society is constantly changing with technology and science also individual status is often achieved (using their own  efforts) rather than ascribed (fixed from birth) e.g. the son may ascribe their own status and move away from home and create their own nuclear family in which they are structurally isolated from other members so Parson’s argues that the nuclear family is better equipped that than the extended family to meet societies needs. Parson’s argues that the nuclear family ‘fits’ (fit thesis) modern society yet he also notices that the changing functions of the family are socially advanced so the family have to fulfill fewer functions for its members, Parson’s argues that the nuclear family specializes in two functions: the primary socialization of children which educates the next generation with basic skills and society’s values. The stabilization of adult personalities is the second function, this enables adults to release tensions so they can return to their place of work and perform their roles efficiently. Parson’s identifies segregated conjugal roles between a husband and wife. The husband has the instrumental role so he is expected to provide for his family whilst the wife has the expressive role and is expected to nurture her children. There are many negatives with Parson’s ideology for instance he idealizes the nuclear family and ignores diversity, as there is more than just the nuclear and extended family in modern society. Another criticism would be that Peter Laslett studied the pre-industrial society and concluded that in this society, the common family was nuclear and not extended as Parson claimed. This was because many families decided to have their children when they were older and short life expectancy conveyed that grandparents were not alive when their first grandchild was born. . However there are some positives about Parson’s research, the first would be that Parson’s identifies how families change in society, another reason would be that Parson’s research shows how families can adapt to meet societies needs so a more stable society is created and he argues that family life ‘fits’ and benefits society e.g. reproduction allows new members of society to be create d so society’s norms and values are passed on to the next generation, which helps create a stable society and social order. More broadly, some feminists such as Oakley argues that Murdock and other functionalists neglects conflict and exploitation in a family (e.g. domestic violence), many feminists also believe that within the family, women are serving the needs of men and they are oppressed, this suggest the family is not functional for women as argued by the functionalists. Marxist’s have a similar conflict point of view as they believe that Murdock ignore the negatives in a family life, as Murdock has an extremely positive view on family life. Marxists ( Engels and Zaretsky)however argue that the family meets the needs of capitalism and not those of family members or society in general, which conflicts with Murdock’s ideology. Furthermore The radical psychiatrists such as Laing argues that the family is dysfunctional as it damages the individual and can lead to mental illness, they argue that the nuclear family is not productive to its members. The New right however supports the functionalist’s view of the nuclear family and suggests they help society to function, however they are an extreme view and have themselves been criticized. To conclude, Functionalists all agree that the nuclear family is the best to fit societies needs, it offers a positive consensus view, however it ignores women’s positions and ignore how the family feeds capitalism, they also ignore family diversity. To understand the family unit, one must look at all theoretical views as functionalism on its own is too limited a view.

Three Reasons Companies Move Jobs Either to or from the USA Assignment

Three Reasons Companies Move Jobs Either to or from the USA - Assignment Example The USA, being the world’s biggest economy, does not operate in isolation and effectively companies have moved jobs out and into the country. Conversely, there are different reasons for companies to move jobs out and into the country. While the key reasons for companies moving jobs out of the USA range from labor arbitrage and avoidance bureaucratic regulations, companies moving jobs into the country cite high inflation on wages as the main reason of moving their plants and operations back to the country. This expose therefore elucidates three reasons companies move jobs either from or to the USA. One of the reasons that companies move their jobs overseas, especially the manufacturing processes, is to take advantage of lower wages abroad especially in poor countries. Labor arbitrage is the process of taking advantage of lower wages in any type of business operation (â€Å"Moving back to America†). China is one of the countries that offer cheap labor and essentially companies from the USA move their manufacturing plants to the country in order to lower the cost of production and improve their profit margins. A study conducted in 2002 to determine the manufacturing industry’s compensation of workers in China, showed that factories in China labor compensated their employees 64 cents an hour. In comparison, the same study found out that a similar compensation in the USA job market stood at $21.11. In this case, companies with manufacturing plants in the USA would want to take advantage of the low labor wages in China and in other countries offering cheap labor. It is crucial to note that companies expect to have a high return on investment (ROI). In effect, one way to ensure that they achieved this objective is through a reduction in the cost of operation. Therefore, cheap labor ensured that the cost of operation remained low and therefore companies achieved the objective of having a high return on investment. However, the USA job market does not offer cheap labor, as most companies would like. While the study only covered the hourly-wages only, a further study with scanty data available in China indicated that this figure of 64 cents rose to $1.06 when considering other benefits and insurance (â€Å"Just How Cheap is Chinese Labor?†). This figure is still relatively low in comparison to the USA labor and explained company’s preference for the Chinese labor marke t. Labor arbitrage might be the main reason that American based companies cut their workforce in the country in order to expand abroad in the 2000s. In this regard, the Chinese job market witnessed 260% additional jobs by America based companies that translated into 943,900 jobs since 1999 to 2009 (Wessel). In this case, it is imperative to point out that cheap labor might be the key reason that attracted these multinationals to the Chinese job market. To prove this point, these US based multinationals decreased their job levels in Germany by 2% while jobs in the UK and France labor markets increased by 8% and 2% respectively (Wessel). It is crucial to note that, the same study that showed the average labor wages for china as $1.03 showed that he same wages paid to a factory worker in these three countries averaged $14.22 (â€Å"Just How Cheap Is Chinese Labor Market?†). The availability of cheap labor is not the only reason that makes USA based

My Inspirational Designers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My Inspirational Designers - Essay Example During these days he commercialized his skills by creating different types of products like combs, power tools, televisions, ceramics etc. he designed modern toilets for companies under influence from marine biology books. Jonathan was fascinated with the activity of constructing objects as well as taking them apart right from his childhood. He is remembered for his products that he has created at Apple computers particularly the I-pod and the I-phone. Now he is based in California and pursues the art and activity of making very interesting electronic models. Frustrated with working as an external consultant, in 1992, he moved to California to join Apple computers. He joined the design team as a full time member. During his entry into Apple, the company was in a low profile. Steve Jobs was out and there was a legal battle going on over patent rights with Windows. Apple was fast losing its ground to Windows and also was unprofitable. In the year 1997, Steve Jobs returned and Jonathan was appointed senior vice president, design of Apple. Under the new job, he began a period characterized with unrivalled creativity as well as innovations. The company launched the iMac G3 under the influence of Jonathan. This launch is widely regarded as the rebirth of Apple. From this model onwards nothing could stop both Jonathan and Apple in launching new and improved products in the market with great effect. They launched the iBook as well as the power book within a short span of time. The various designs of Jonathan always bring refreshing plainness as well as stylishness. Many of Jonathan’s products are simple in nature and are influenced by natural objects. For example, the iMac G4 was influenced by the sun flower. The Pro mouse was inspired by droplet of water. He reduces the use of plastics in his products and uses more eco friendly metals. He is a modest and shy person who is reluctant to come into the limelight. On his work, Jonathan

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 7

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The site was primarily created to help the fans to have their say and share with the rest of Taylor and these popular events. Most people are an admirer of the talented singer Taylor Swift, and it is the reason a group of artist made the effort to create a community fan page. The author of this website gives narrations of Taylor Swift achievements and popular events such as concerts the pop star is expecting or has performed. The media in this community website includes both print, photos of Taylor Swift and videos of some of her songs and concerts performances. Rather than being interactive, the media gives a brief overview of Taylor Swift illustrious music career. I love Taylor Swift is a group that keeps Taylor’s fan posted on issue happening in her life. In particular, the administrator added beautiful photos of Taylor Swift on May 15th, the Rock In Rio, Las Vegas performance. There is a lot of information about Taylor’s songs. One specific song that Taylor in the message board is the about her Video, Bad Blood and the reception it had to the rest of the world. Most of the people who commented and made reviews of the video such as amazing and see a growing talent in 25 years old pop star. In another particular section, there is more news on Taylor’s upcoming event on Taylor and Ed Sheeran planned Las Vegas party after the music awards. The party is expected to be attended by the host of music stars and millions of fans who will come celebrate their favorite pop artists arguably living in this era. Taylor also gives her views about her life. She discloses her circles of friends such Karlie, Lena and Selena who understand her life keep her going in life. The site has plentiful Taylors photo and print about the happenings in her life. For those fans who like Taylor in India, they have a website where they engage on the latest happening around the Taylors Swift world. On late May 2015, Forbes listed Taylor

Josephus, the jewish wars (c. 100CE) Term Paper

Josephus, the jewish wars (c. 100CE) - Term Paper Example Josephus and other Greek historians are not an exemption. An analysis of various classical historians literary works on the Jewish war McLaren in his book the† turbulent times† emphasizes on the need to differentiate between the Josephus narrative of his actual events, as well as the interpreting such events. According to him, he views Josephus bias life as the jest of his text instead of trying to know the extent of Judea turmoil in a more different way (Josephus and Whiston 12). Perhaps, by inquiring how Judea was run in the first century. The only way to ensure that happens is by establishing what led to its transformation from the stability to its downfall. All the same, it might be for a reason that the ideal method should actually be determined by the Jewish attitude in response to the Roman rule. For instance, being fully qualified is the only way to achieve the criteria for describing various incidents based on an individual. Some even insist that even if McLaren would appreciate that, his book end with such sentiments, it would still not be that negative (Mclaren 425). However, the positive side of his literary works is where he suggests that his case study calls for three main pillars that include the identification and isolation of the required investigation. In his view, there is a need to examine each incident based on the individual grounds. In light with this, he calls for assembling all pieces of relevant details regarding every incident that happened in Judea. As much as such issues have been raised, it is very evident too that, most of the valuable information is not only from the chronological events of the Josephus, but comes also from other sources such as the Philo, which has not been widely used in his book (McLaren 426). McLaren argues that, in order to appreciate the chronological events that took place in the Jewish war, it is necessary to keenly observe the long and short term causes of the war (Mclaren 425). He is also ve ry skeptical in regards to Josephus works as a historian as the Romans too had their own stories to say in their favor. That is the reasons why he has always attacked the Greeks for printing unreliable sources of references. According to the biblical times, the Jews came to significance due to the establishment of a Jewish center in Palestine. Josephus claims that judges were appointed from the Jews themselves. After a while, the Jews flourished giving them the best position to control the administration. This caused an alarm in the government, hence leading to the violence that erupted. Consequently, this led to the Jewish persecution in Damascus, a city that had a large population of Greeks. A total of 10,500 Jews were killed (McLaren 427). Furthermore, the Jews in Syria could not occupy prestigious positions in Arab countries. Jews are known for being notorious in surrendering to the Arabs. For four years, Syria was considered as the platform for the struggle between different ra ces, Jews being part of the struggle Josephus as a source of military history of the Jews war However, it is indispensable to note that, Josephus works is still accredited for, due to the support of the church leaders. This in itself tries to prove that the documents are reliable (Bloom 222). Despite this, there are still some doubts concerning the rebuilding of the Roman campaign in Judea. This is because he has employed the Greco-Roman records to prove some of his arguments (Bloom

Expository on Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Expository on Critical Thinking - Essay Example She said, "Almost 60 percent of the online population under age 17 uses instant messaging, according to Nielson/Net Ratings. In addition to cellphone text messaging, Weblogs, and e-mail, it has become a popular means of flirting, setting up dates, asking for help with homework and keeping in contact with distant friends. Lee also said, "Some teachers see the creeping abbreviations as part of a continuing assault on technology on formal written English. We see and use these types of writing on a daily basis and it doesn’t confuse many people due to the fact that the way our brains process the information we see and read. In â€Å"How to Mark a Book† by Mortimer J. Adler it ties in with critical thinking while reading by showing that a book is never really read until it is written in and notes are taken to make sure that you really understand what you have read. Adler says, â€Å"You know you have to read â€Å"between the lines† to get the most out of anything.† That is just like critical thinking in reading and writing all day long. The more thinking critical that is done the better work will improve over time. Thinking critical can also do wonders in helping you stay alert in writing and reading because the brain is constantly at work processing information that was just read. Adler backs this up by saying, â€Å"First, it keeps you awake. (And I don’t mean merely conscious; I mean awake.) In the second place; reading, if it is active, is thinking, and thinking tends to express itself in words, spoken or written.† The things that Adler and Lee are both talking about are forms of critical thinking in reading and writing. â€Å"The Markers Eye† by Donald Murray is also a form of critical thinking in reading and riding by showing that writers are always looking more into their work the more they write. Murray says, â€Å"When beginning writers complete their first draft, they usually read it through to correct

The Place of a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession Essay

The Place of a Code of Ethics in the Practice of a Profession - Essay Example The paper further strives to comprehend whether engineering can be regarded as a profession or not. Moreover, the paper will also identify the role of ethical responsibilities during the functioning of engineers. IS ENGINEERING A PROFESSION? DO ENGINEERS HAVE SPECIAL ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES? Engineering can be concerned with the work and practices that are carried from the part of an engineer. Engineering basically deals with that particular branch of science and technology which is mainly concerned with the use of machines, engines, designing and building large structures. Engineering is a practice that involves skillful work and requires very deep intellectual knowledge regarding the construction of large structures. They are responsible for planning and designing proper layouts that are widely implemented in construction activities. Nonetheless, the concerning part of this case would be to analyses, whether engineering can be considered to be a profession or not? Engineering can definitely be considered as a profession. Contextually, it can be argued that engineering is a profession which demands greater responsibility and considerable competencies in order to render the service as a proficient engineer. Besides, it is considered to be as one of the most profitable professions in the current context that generates a large number of profits. It is true that the concept of engineering is defined with broad ethics and principles but the activities concerned with this concept are large enough to generate value for the engineers. It is considered to be a prodigious profession. At the same time, engineering can be considered to be a very challenging profession owing to the reason that the liability of an engineer is relatively high as compared to other professions. An engineer cannot hide his/her mistakes. Any mistake from his/her part tends to get reflected in his work. For example, if he/she constructs a building that is not up to the mark as per the designed l ayout an engineer will be held responsible for this poor design.

History of Electronic Media Essay Example for Free

History of Electronic Media Essay The history of providing information has been shaped by innovations and innovators. This paper attempts to chronicle the different factors and events that led to the media landscape of today. 1) Congress and the FCC began deregulating broadcast and cable television in the late 1970s. Describe the ideologies which motivated these deregulations. What changes in the television industry occurred as a result of these deregulations? Include two of the following in your discussion: Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, Telecommunications Act of 1996, media ownership debates in the 2000s and intellectual property regulations in the 2000s. The Financial and Syndication Rules, or more popularly known as Fib-Syn, were implemented by the Federal Communications Commission in 1970 with the objective of increasing programming diversity thus breaking the monopoly of the three major TV networks in the United States: CBS, ABC and NBC. Its rationale was to democratize UHF airwaves making it easier for independent television producers to penetrate the television market. The rules primarily targeted two areas to disempower the big networks: freeing television programs from the ownership of the networks after its first run and the introduction of in-house syndication arms in the major networks. The idea was to discourage the networks monopoly on tv programs and restricting the networks part in syndication. These steps would substantially reduce production incentive and lead to the separation of production and distribution practices in the big networks. The FCC justified the implementation of Fin-Syn as beneficial for independent television producers since it gave them the larger part of production profits and allowing them a foothold in the business of syndication. The democratization of syndication would lead to a wider distribution of shows and prevented the networks from its exclusive use in their affiliated stations. Supporters of the rule envisioned a television industry where innovative and   much more diverse programs would be available to the viewers ( McAllister , www.museum.tv). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was promulgated by the FCC to address issues regarding the rapid development of telecommunication technologies in the United States. It contained new rules and regulations regarding TV, Radio, Cable, Telephone and Internet services. President Clinton, when he signed it into legislation, proclaimed that the act would â€Å"stimulate investment, promote competition, provide open access for all citizens to the Information Superhighway† (Clinton, White House press release 1996). Upon closer inspection, the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was the final step in disassembling the provisions of Fin-Syn Rule. The act loosened rules on media ownership in traditional media forms such as TV and radio, thus empowering them to compete with emerging media technologies such as cable and the Internet allowing for the development of new and innovative services. However, the implementation of both the Financial and Syndication Rules of the FCC and the telecommunications Act of 1996 met harsh criticisms once they were fully implemented. The introduction of Fin-Syn bred more problems than solutions. Most critics pointed out that instead of empowering independent TV producers, it just shifted the competition from one Goliath to another. Instead of   competing with the big networks, the independent TV producers where now pitted against large production organization such as Disney/ABC and   Warner. In the end, it was these larger TV production companies that benefited financially from producing television shows with independent companies opting to produce cheaper productions such as talk shows and game shows. Thus, it produced more conventional shows rather than innovating the television industry. Eventually, television groups especially television distributors called for a change in the implementation of Fin-Syn which eventually led to FCC totally removing the rule in 1995. Studies showed that although there were periods of diversity on TV programs from 1970s to the 1990s, the general conclusion was that there was no significant changes in the programs in the implementation of the FCC rule (Einstein, p. 5). With the disappearance of the rule, productions and distribution companies started to merge especially in the big three networks. This culminated in the emergence of FOX Network and its merger with Paramount and Warner Bros., a step followed by Disney when they bought and merged with ABC Network. The deregulation that resulted from the implementation of the 1996 Telecommunications Act fueled much debate on media ownership and responsibility. Questions arose on whether the the Act did deliver its promise of innovative media services from increased competition and serve the public interest with increased diversity in media programs and information. Critics cite that the only ones who benefited from the Act were media moguls who were able to merge with other media corporations and in essence creating media monopolies that could have the power to control information. William Melody reveals that media entrepreneurs will always look for profit and economic efficiency leading to media monopolies which threaten freedom of speech (Melody, p. 32). Concerned groups have also reasoned that public interest have always been the core value of media regulation and not profit, and to diminish government control on ownership would mean violating public inters. Deregulating media ownership can only lead to a monopoly of information resulting in less diversity, Neumann noted that the creation of media conglomerates have led to the mass media having similar â€Å"content and world-view† (Neumann, p.130). On the other hand, those who were in favor of the Act identified it as a much needed move in revolutionizing media. By allowing media corporations to merge, it has led to a more comprehensive and cohesive delivery of information. Supporters also point out that instead of eliminating diversity, viewers have had much more program options with th emergence of 24 hours news channels such as CNN and FOX News and specialized channels such as Discovery and History (Compaine, www.reason.com). In fact, Adam Thierer revealed that instead of the lack of diversity of programs, audiences are actually experiencing â€Å"information overload† due to explosion of media options. He pointed out that todays media environment is â€Å"diverse and characterized by information abundance† (Thierer, p.2). The issue, as FCC concluded in revising the Telecommunication Act, â€Å"was whether media companies will be able to dominate the distribution of news and information in any market, but whet her they will be able to be heard at all among the cacophony of voices vying for the attention of the Americans (FCC proceedings, p.149) 2) The three broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC did not face a broadcast network competitor until Fox emerged in the 1980s and the WB, UPN and Univision grew in the 1990s. Why did these networks emerge when they did? What regulatory changes aided their growth? How did they differ from the other networks in terms of their relationships with their affiliates? What audiences did they target and what types of programs did they use to do so? How did they change as they grew? You may choose one or more network(s) to illustrate your points. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the big three networks dominated the American airwaves. Independent and local television networks would occasionally penetrate the national airwaves but most of these did not survive due to financial constraints. It was in 1986 however that the first rival to the big three emerged with the establishment of   FOX Network.It started out dabbling in TV business by producing and distributing shows for the three big networks. In 1985, Rupert Murdoch bought 50% shares in the 20th Century Fox   movie and television studios. When Murdoch finally achieved full ownership of the studios, he proceeded to buy television stations owned by Metromedia which gave Murdoch a foothold in the major U.S. cities such as New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Chicago (www.teletronic.co.uk). This move would spur Murdoch to create a â€Å"fourth network†. In a brilliant move, the new Fox network labeled their new venture as a â€Å"satellite-delivered programming service†(www.teletronic.co.uk). This enabled Murdoch, who was not a citizen, to bypass FCC rules such as foreign-ownership and the definition of FCC of a â€Å"network† as â€Å"airing more than 20 hours of programming per week†. These enabled Fox to operate unhindered by the FCC rules on networks, thus being able to still distribute its TV productions to other networks but only airing 2 hours of primetime shows as opposed to the 3 hours of the big Networks. When it was launched in October 1986, almost 96 stations were connected to Fox enabling it to reach 80% of American audiences. Before making it big, Fox had to start from scratch in expanding its audience share. The network first major release was the â€Å"Late Show† with Joan Rivers. They hoped to capture the 11:30pm late-night slot and targeting young audiences. This strategy however failed as ratings fell with viewers switching back to their previous stations. Despite these failures, Fox continued to lure the younger to middle -aged viewers with shows such as â€Å"Tracy Ulman† which won the station its first Emmy, â€Å"Marriedwith   Children† which would be its first biggest hit and â€Å"21 Jump Street† which was its first drama. These shows were some of the first forays of the network into the Sunday prime-time slot. Although they were received lukewarmly at first, these shows would gain momentum in the coming years. The success of Fox would lead to FCC relaxing the Fin-Syn rule and redefining their concept of â€Å"network†, which would finally result in the elim ination of the Fin-Syn Rule in 1995. (www.museum.tv) The success of its first primetime shows would lead to Fox introducing documentary-style shows such as â€Å"Americas Most Wanted† and â€Å"Cops†. But their biggest success would come in when Fox reintroduced animation to the primetime slot with â€Å"The Simpsons†. The animated show would penetrate the top 30 primetime ratings and would then become the longest running comedy show on television (www.teletronic.co.uk). Soon, Fox found its niche by veering away from conventional shows, like game shows and   talk shows, by introducing reality-based shows and shows that targeted the young viewers. Fox owner Rupert Murdoch would change the media landscape when it snatched exclusive rights to air the National Football League in 1993 (Kimmel, p.162). This move would cement Foxs role in the ratings game. As of today, Foxs main draw is its reality-based shows such as American Idol that have dominated airwaves since its release in 2002, capturing much of the 18-49 viewer demographic (tvbythenumbers.com). With success comes controversy. Such was the case of the Fox news network as critics accused it of being biased towards the U.S. Republican Party (Greenwald, p.4). Despite these, Fox shows and its affiliated cable channels still rake in much of the ratings with Fox News attracting 2.4 million viewers in the first quarter of 2009 (Gold, www.latimesblogs.latimes.com)

The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay Example for Free

The Importance Of Being Earnest Essay Rather than respecting the society of the situation, Oscar Wilde mocks Victorian attitudes towards death within Act 2. How far do you agree with this view? In this coursework I will be focusing on act 2 of the play an importance of being earnest. The play consists of a mixture of several themes, one of them being death. During act 2 there are many different situations were Oscar Wide mocks Victorian attitudes towards death. This is shown in several of ways which I will discus thought this coursework. From the start of Act 2 we are able to judge the traits of the characters in much more detail and see what their character is like. During the very first conversation in the play (between Algernon and Jack) we are able to realise that the characters in the play are careless in their actions and views. This theme continues throughout the entire play, evident in the ridiculously comical and odd comments made by the characters, their odd and reserved mannerisms and their general air. The Importance of Being Earnest may seem to the audience to be a play that’s pretty much meaningless and trivialities. To follow this, the author himself described the play to be ‘a trivial comedy for several people’. More the less the comedy does contain satire which is delicate enough that most of the audience fail to recognise them. This could be seen as a weakness of the play as satire is a way that writers tend to use in order to bring a change whether in life or society. Death is acknowledged on several of occasions throughout the complete play. It is one of the main themes of the play. The way in which death is continuously presented by the characters is by their dismissive comments and spontaneous joke. The initial thought that could develop in the audience whilst realising the occurrence of death being mentioned in the play is to give it dimension as well as some dark humour encouraging death which could be considered offensive and shocking to the readers. However none the less the play also highlights and compliments the light-hearted and jokey theme that is apparent during the whole play. Bunbury is a character created by Algernon. This allows Algernon to escape social engagement. Bunbury as a whole is a person who provokes most conversations about ‘death’. This is the fictional character of Bunbury, a sickly, invalid friend. It creates conflicts between Algernon and Lady Bracknell conversations as, she seems rather offended by the fact that he keeps living, even with an illness and seems, convinced he should die out of courtesy to others. This is clearly vivid at one point when Algernon rejects to a dinner invitation in a polite manner in order to visit unwell Bunbury. During this act Lady Bracknell states, I must say, Algernon, that I think it is high time that Mr Bunbury made up his mind whether he was going to live or to die. This shilly-shallying with the question is absurd (Act 1, part 2). This is rather comical as most of the characters discuss death being something an individual has control over, not seeing that death is a final decision which has no coming back neither any sort of control. This is proven by the quote stated above said by Lady Bracknell. Subsequently the characters in The Importance of Being Earnest do not act in a manner that is appropriate or socially acceptable in modern time. The reason being is that their view on death as a group is extremely unsympathetic. The characters see death as an insignificant matter and they often misuse it in the play to avoid on the spot situations mainly involving interrogations. To the characters in the play death is shown less serious than other issues for example the consumption of cucumber sandwiches versus buttered bread which represented the theme homosexuality. They fail to see that death is a situation to show sorrow and sympathy for those who have happened to pass on, it is treated as no more importance and is given no value compared to the other themes in the play. There are numerous occasions where Oscar Wilde shows death being a mockery by the disvaluing attitudes of the characters. Another instance during the play which relates back to death is when Jack is asking Lady Bracknell for Gwendolens hand in marriage and she interrogates him on his past and certain aspects of his personality, this is when she asks him who his parents are and he describes to her that he was an orphan, found in a handbag in the cloakroom of Victoria Station. On hearing this statement Lady Bracknell gets very offended that a person who doesn’t know of his parents and has no clear background has come to ask her for her daughters hand in marriage. Lady Bracknell states ‘to lose both (parents) looks like carelessness, (Act one, part 2) blaming Jack himself for having been abandoned. This shows that Lady Bracknell doesn’t sympathize with the fact that he has late parents and is an orphan however is more offended due to the fact that he has come to ask for her daughter’s without a having any background status or knowledge. Overall thought the importance of Being Earnest, I believe that Oscar Wilde mainly emphasises on the act of dying being a comical theme. He clearly indicates the Victorian attitudes being very unsympathetic and mocking upon death rather than respecting the values and sobriety of the situation. The main message shown in this comedy is that people who are ill are better out of the way, and those who are orphaned are unfortunate but probably deserved it. There is no need for grieving or memorials, for those who have passed on and in fact hold no importance. This as a whole indicates that such immoral behaviour shown by someone is considered to be mentally unstable therefore it reflects on the mentalities of the characters of the play. Oscar Wilde shows a group of individuals view to be very cold and light hearted as they portray ‘death’ being just a black comedy, whereas in actual fact death is one of the most heart breaking life events.

The Concept Of Youth So Difficult To Define Sociology Essay

The Concept Of Youth So Difficult To Define Sociology Essay The concept of youth could be seen as difficult to define, as it covers such a diverse area, Pierre Bourdieu (1978)(In Jones 2010) suggested that youth is just a word and that it has been an evolving concept which has developed over the centurys into a social construction. Youth could also be defined by some, especially in western societies as the life stages between childhood and adulthood and becoming independent from dependent (Kehily 2007). Some favour biological markers, in which youth is the period between puberty and parenthood, while others define youth in terms of cultural markers a distinct social status with specific roles, rituals, and relationships (USAID/CMM 2005). Definitions of youth by age vary drastically across different institutions; the UN has defined youth as person from 15 to 24 years of age, whereas the National Youth Policy of Nepal defines youth as persons from 16 to 40 years of age. Therefore in understanding the difficulties in defining youth, it is impor tant to look at the many different ways , as to why age from the earliest of ages, industrialisation, cultures and the biological concept, to identify some of the key issues as to why the concept of youth is so difficult to define as it has such a diverse range of ideas and notions. The term youth is defined by sociologists as a transition between childhood and adulthood (Roche et al 2004) the alternative is the term adolescence which is often: Used within psychology to describe the common biological, psychological, emotional and sexual maturation phases associated with the onset of puberty and the teenage years From this notion it appears that some perceive youth as a sociological category rather than a biological one (Frith 2005, in kehily 2007) in that youth is a social construct rather than a biological and psychological concept as G Hall (1904) (In Kehily 2007p.57) noted that the biological side changes can have an effect on different people at different times in their lifes through hormonal and psychological changes from which they are not in control over and can have effect over their feeling and behaviour. However the sociologist Margret Mead1972 disregarded Halls concept that adolescence was brought on by biological changes which hall suggests occurs during puberty, from her own study concluded that this period in a young persons life was the effect of sexual repression in society and of societys handling of young people (kehily 2007). However as these studys by Hall and Mead were carried out in a specific area of Samoa, this study maybe relevant to this area but it cannot be genera lised to the rest of the world. Social anthropologists on the other hand try and understand the concept of youth from a cultural perspective for instance rather than seeing it from biological view, they study their behaviour, cultural beliefs, family lives, social, political organisations and their relationships with each other (kehily 2007, p.47) although it must be noted that most cultural studies are based upon non-western and traditional societies (keily 2007). Van Gennep 1960 (in kehily 2007 p.62) studies the rites of passage, and states there are three stages: the leaving behind of the familiar, living away from the community and thirdly reintegration, he backs this up with the study of Nelson Mandelas ignition of becoming a man, Gennep 1960 re-enforces this idea with the ritual of circumcism as some countries carry out rituals in order to publicly show the transition from one stage of a life to another (kehily 2007, p.63). although rites of passage can be observed in western countries it can be interpreted i n different ways, for instance, celebrating a birthday, leaving school, going on to university and getting married can be seen as an initiation process into either the passage to youth or the transition into adulthood as Gennep notes rites of passage were similar in structure and function wherever they occurred in the world. Aries (1962) (In kassem et al 2010) suggested that the concept of youth did not exist in the middle ages and that it has been socially constructed over the centuries, as Aries states, in medieval society the idea of childhood did not exist, and that from the age of 7 a child would be classed as an adult, as Heywood (2001 p.11) noted that the transition into adulthood took place when a child no longer needed their mother and could survive without them, which was somewhere between the ages of 5 and 7, he states they were launched into the great community of men, although some would argue with this concept, as kassem et al (2010) suggests that Aries work is only based upon the ideas of childhood and not children themselves. Pollock (1983) (In kassem et al 2010) also criticises Aries and suggests that from studying first hand accounts from diaries and autobiographies that this was not the case and that families in the 1500s did acknowledge childhood as kassem (2010) notes that Pollock q uotes numerous examples of grief at infant death, from mothers and fathers and that Aries work in only based upon secondary sources rather than actual accounts. Although some researches would agree with Aries that the term childhood has only arisen from the 1700s due to it being something which has been constructed (kassem et al 2010,p.3) from the growth of the middle class and the Industrial Revolution (Stone 1977 in kassem et al 2010) as this conctrucuralism could be seen as to arise after the era of industrialisation, for instance from the early age of around 6 years old children were working , which was reported by the Royal Commission on the Employment of children (1843) that children began work at around the age of 6 (Heywood 2001,p.130). By the late eighteenth century it was emerging that children needed a childhood as it was noted by Hendrick (in Heywood 2001 p.142) that it was emerging that the young was in need of a childhood and that we needed to start taking note of this , as Hendrick noted that children were now being seen as innocent, ignorant, dependent, and vulnerable. However some may only define youth, especially by age as they can be seen to have a vested interest for their own personal gain, their motivations may be different as the media for instance may have an interest to inform, whereas connection service see youth at the age of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as they have an interest in improving the lives of youth by ways of empowering them into looking for work or improving their educational needs to enable them to work, wheras the high street stores such as newlook, topshop/topman aim their establishments at youth as for private gain in making money from them. In conclusion as to why youth is so difficult to define, as it is quite diverse and complex and there are numerous reasoning behind the concept of youth from nature v nurture to cultural and sociological explanations it also varies globally as their values and beliefs differ from others therefor as jones notes (2010) when youth is taken to mean age, then it really is just a word. Therefore the concept of youth will always be difficult to define as there is no neutral definition and we all define the concept of youth in many different ways. Word count:References Social and Human Sciences http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/youth/ the concept of youth http://www.allenandunwin.com/publicsociology/files/ch6RETHINK.pdf Heywood, C. (2001) A history of childhood, Cambridge: polity press. Kehily M.J. (2007) Understanding Youth: Perspectives, Identities and Practices. Milton Keynes:Open University Press. Roche, J, et al. (2004) youth in society, 2nd ed, London: sage publications. Kessem, D, et al (2010) Key issues in childhood and youth studies. Oxon: Routledge. Jones, G. (2009) Key concepts: youth. Cambridge: polity press.

Essay --

Immanuel Williams ... ...d an impact in my life because it has made me more responsible, more focused and more determined to accomplish my goals also putting forth my best effort. This will help me more for practical purposes relate, while also increasing my learning potential because I can learn from other individuals. I believe that knowledge truly is power, and the more I obtain, and the more I can learn from myself and other people, the better off I will be. Bissinger B. James L. Shooting Stars (2009) Eisele R.Hurricane Season (2009) Hogan B. Belman K. More Than a Game (2009) www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public

King Henry I :: essays papers

King Henry I The death of King Henry I in 1135 put Henry II on the path to the throne of England. Henry II lavish youth kept him sheltered from society only allowing him to have a couple friends. One of his life long friends soon became a burden because of differences in opinions about religion. Henry's intelligence and persistency from birth led him to be crowned King of England. The appointment of Thomas Becket to Archbishop by Henry II started the trend of conflict between the two over the separation of church and state. Henry II, the first of the Plantagents was the son of Geoffrey Plantagent and Matilda, daughter of Henry I. In 1152 Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine, the ex-wife of Louis VII of France. With this marriage, Henry gained considerable amounts of land in France. In 1153 Henry returned to England after his stay in France and forced Stephens to name him the heir of the throne. Henry immediately appointed his long-term friend Thomas Becket, English Chancellor, to be Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket accepted the job of Archbishop in 1162 but he did it with some reluctance. Becket's unkind heart soon became a thorn in Henry's side.(Hay 107) By 1163, Becket had already defied Henry in one of his decisions. He challenged his former friend in his vehement to dismantle the ecclesiastical courts. Becket became an ardent defender of the interests of the church. Becket's hard-nosed attitude towards defending the Church of England showed just how important the church was to England. "The affairs between Henry and Becket became a highly colored by their personal relationships."("Henry II") Their life long friendship was the only thing that kept the two on the same side. Another strong disagreement came between the two on the status of "criminous clerics." These were members of the clergy who had committed civil crimes. The crimes ranged from theft to assault and even murder. This became a total embarrassment to the church. Henry sought to have the members tried in the royal court, as would others who committed such crimes. Becket insisted that they only be tried in the clerical courts. The disagreement became a heated battle between the two. Becket stood firm on his belief that the matter should not be brought to a higher court.

Islamic, Ancient Egyptian, and Ancient Greek Art Essay

Elisabeth Siddiqui has written: â€Å"Art is the mirror of a culture and its world view. There is no case to which this statement more directly applies than to the art of the Islamic world. † Seeing that Muslims are believers in only one true God of the universe, they have been advised by Prophet Muhammad not to make pictures of human beings, for these pictures may often turn out to become idols for people, thereby turning them away from the Lord of the universe. Hence, Islamic art has focused on anything other than the human form. Muslims have used Arabic calligraphy to express their creativity in countless art works. â€Å"Arabic script lends itself wonderfully to decorative use,† writes Siddiqui. It is the language of the Qur’an, even if it is used to write something other than the Qur’anic verse. The choices are limitless. Thus we find a beautiful piece of calligraphic art as an inscription on a carved wood panel from a door that was made in the late medieval Islamic period (See Appendix). The inscription on the panel consists of the signature of its maker. The script is monumental, with large and rounded proportions. The seven words of the inscription are deeply carved in three horizontal registers. These are set against a scrolling leaf background (Late Medieval Period, 2004). Contrary to the believers in the unseen God, the ancient Egyptians were Pharaoh worshippers. The king of ancient Egypt was the Pharaoh, who appeared larger than life in the art works of the period. Ti Hunting the Hippopotamus is a wonderful depiction of the subject (See Appendix). Carved on a surface of a stone, this is a relief using the typical ancient Egyptian style of frontalism, in which the head is drawn in profile while the body is seen from the front. In this ISLAMIC, ANCIENT EGYPTIAN, AND ANCIENT GREEK ART Page # 2 picture, Ti is enormous as compared to his slaves as well as the animals. He is the god of both slaves and animals, and is therefore shown as a higher being as compared to the lesser beings. The slaves in the picture are relaxed. So are the animals. Moreover, the animals shown are more realistic than all humans, perhaps because of the ambivalence felt by the artist toward both the â€Å"higher† and the â€Å"lower beings† within humans (Kremen, 1996). Lastly, the ancient Greeks, who also had plenty of gods and goddesses, downplayed the divine aspects of their gods, unlike the Egyptians, by giving their gods a typically human form. There did not have to be higher or lower beings in ancient Greek art. Instead, the most perfect of figures created were recognized as gods naturally. The ancient Greek civilization enjoyed the beauty of the human form, including the naked human form which was admired for its harmonious proportions. The Torso of Apollo is one of the most perfect examples of this art (See Appendix). Made in 2nd century AD, the torso of marble shows young Apollo, the Greek god of light, music, archery, healing, atonement, prophecy and flocks and herds. The figure was popular with both Greeks and ancient Romans. It is an unclothed manifestation of splendor and courage, only expected to be shown of Apollo, who wears a belt over one shoulder to which a quiver of arrows were attached at his back (Torso of Apollo). By showing the god as distinctly human, the artist inspires into viewers the spirit to take Apollo for a courageous model and turn into heroes themselves. Thus all art appears as a mirror of its culture and the worldview. References 1. Kremen, Lisa. (1996, December). â€Å"Understanding Egyptian Art. † Egyptian Art. Retrieved from http://www. bergen. org/AAST/Projects/Egypt/egyptian_art. html. (10 February 2007). 2. â€Å"Late Medieval Period. † (2004). Islamic Art. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www. lacma. org/islamic_art/intro. htm. (10 February 2007). 3. Siddiqui, Elisabeth. â€Å"Islamic Art. † MSA. Retrieved from http://www.colostate. edu/orgs/MSA/index. html. (10 February 2007). 4. â€Å"Torso of Apollo. † DIA Galleries Ancient Art. Retrieved from http://www. dia. org/collections/Ancient/ancient. html. (10 February 2007). ISLAMIC, ANCIENT EGYPTIAN, AND ANCIENT GREEK ART Page # 4 Appendix Islamic Art Ancient Egyptian Art ISLAMIC, ANCIENT EGYPTIAN, AND ANCIENT GREEK ART Page # 5 Ancient Greek Art.

Cases on Contract Essay

The defendant made the highest bid for the plaintiff’s goods at an auction sale, but he withdrew his bid before the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer. It was held that the defendant was not bound to purchase the goods. His bid amounted to an offer which he was entitled to withdraw at any time before the auctioneer signified acceptance by knocking down the hammer. Note: The common law rule laid down in this case has now been codified in s57(2) Sale of Goods Act 1979. Fisher v Bell (1960) A shopkeeper displayed a flick knife with a price tag in the window. The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 made it an offence to ‘offer for sale’ a ‘flick knife’. The shopkeeper was prosecuted in the magistrates’ court but the Justices declined to convict on the basis that the knife had not, in law, been ‘offered for sale’. This decision was upheld by the Queen’s Bench Divisional Court. Lord Parker CJ stated: â€Å"It is perfectly clear that according to the ordinary law of contract the display of an article with a price on it in a shop window is merely an invitation to treat. It is in no sense an offer for sale the acceptance of which constitutes a contract.† PSGB v Boots (1953) The defendants’ shop was adapted to the â€Å"self-service† system. The question for the Court of Appeal was whether the sales of certain drugs were effected by or under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. The question was answered in the affirmative. Somervell LJ stated that â€Å"in the case of an ordinary shop, although goods are displayed and it is intended that customers should go and choose what they want, the contract is not completed until, the customer having indicated the articles which he needs, the shopkeeper, or someone on his behalf, accepts that offer. Then the contract is completed.† Partridge v Crittenden (1968) It was an offence to offer for sale certain wild birds. The defendant had advertised in a periodical ‘Quality Bramblefinch cocks, Bramblefinch hens, 25s each’. His conviction was quashed by the High Court. Lord Parker CJ stated that when one is dealing with advertisements and circulars, unless they indeed come from manufacturers, there is business sense in their being construed as invitations to treat and not offers for sale. In a very different context Lord Herschell in Grainger v Gough (Surveyor of Taxes) [1896] AC 325, said this in dealing with a price list: â€Å"The transmission of such a price list does not amount to an offer to supply an unlimited quantity of the wine described at the price named, so that as soon as an order is given there is a binding contract to supply that quantity. If it were so, the merchant might find himself involved in any number of contractual obligations to supply wine of a particular description which he would be quite unable to carry out, his stock of wine of that description being necessarily limited.† Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1893) An advert was placed for ‘smoke balls’ to prevent influenza. The advert offered to pay  £100 if anyone contracted influenza after using the ball. The company deposited  £1,000 with the Alliance Bank to show their sincerity in the matter. The plaintiff bought one of the balls but contracted influenza. It was held that she was entitled to recover the  £100. The Court of Appeal held that: (a) the deposit of money showed an intention to be bound, therefore the advert was an offer; (b) it was possible to make an offer to the world at large, which is accepted by anyone who buys a smokeball; (c) the offer of protection would cover the period of use; and (d) the buying and using of the smokeball amounted to acceptance. Harvey v Facey (1893) The plaintiffs sent a telegram to the defendant, â€Å"Will you sell Bumper Hall Pen? Telegraph lowest cash price†. The defendants reply was â€Å"Lowest price  £900†. The plaintiffs telegraphed â€Å"We agree to buy †¦ for  £900 asked by you†. It was held by the Privy Council that the defendants telegram was not an offer but simply an indication of the minimum price the defendants would want, if they decided to sell. The plaintiffs second telegram could not be an acceptance. Gibson v MCC (1979) The council sent to tenants details of a scheme for the sale of council houses. The plaintiff immediately replied, paying the  £3 administration fee. The council replied: â€Å"The corporation may be prepared to sell the house to you at the purchase price of  £2,725 less 20 per cent.  £2,180 (freehold).† The letter gave details about a mortgage and went on â€Å"This letter should not be regarded as a firm offer of a mortgage. If you would like to make a formal application to buy your council house, please complete the enclosed application form and return it to me as soon as possible.† G filled in and returned the form. Labour took control of the council from the Conservatives and instructed their officers not to sell council houses unless they were legally bound to do so. The council declined to sell to G. In the House of Lords, Lord Diplock stated that words italicised seem to make it quite impossible to construe this letter as a contractual offer capable of being converted into a legally enforceable open contract for the sale of land by G’s written acceptance of it. It was a letter setting out the financial terms on which it may be the council would be prepared to consider a sale and purchase in due course. Harvela v Royal Trust (1985) Royal Trust invited offers by sealed tender for shares in a company and undertook to accept the highest offer. Harvela bid $2,175,000 and Sir Leonard Outerbridge bid $2,100,000 or $100,000 in excess of any other offer. Royal Trust accepted Sir Leonard’s offer. The trial judge gave judgment for Harvela. In the House of Lords, Lord Templeman stated: â€Å"To constitute a fixed bidding sale all that was necessary was that the vendors should invite confidential offers and should undertake to accept the highest offer. Such was the form of the invitation. It follows that the invitation upon its true construction created a fixed bidding sale and that Sir Leonard was not entitled to submit and the vendors were not entitled to accept a referential bid.† Blackpool Aero Club v Blackpool Borough Council (1990) BBC invited tenders to operate an airport, to be submitted by noon on a fixed date. The plaintiffs tender was delivered by hand and put in the Town Hall letter box at 11am. However, the tender was recorded as having been received late and was not considered. The club sued for breach of an alleged warranty that a tender received by the deadline would be considered. The judge awarded damages for breach of contract and negligence. The council’s appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. ACCEPTANCE Brogden v MRC (1877) B supplied coal to MRC for many years without an agreement. MRC sent a draft agreement to B who filled in the name of an arbitrator, signed it and returned it to MRC’s agent who put it in his desk. Coal was ordered and supplied in accordance with the agreement but after a dispute arose B said there was no binding agreement. It was held that B’s returning of the amended document was not an acceptance but a counter-offer which could be regarded as accepted either when MRC ordered coal or when B actually supplied. By their conduct the parties had indicated their approval of the agreement.

Organizational Behavior – Mid Term

ASSIGNMENT FRONT COVER | | | |Module name: Class # 790 – Organizational Behavior | |Assignment title: Midterm Exam | |Assignment deadline: November 12th 2012 | |Effective number of words used: 1471 | |Table of Contents Question 1: Understanding Human Behavior is critical to organizations – discuss the benefits of self evaluation/self assessment as it relates to leaders today . †¦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 Question 2: Prejudice can be hurtful and destructive – discuss how you can personally reduce prejudice in your workplace – please provide an example †¦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‚¬ ¦. 5 References and Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦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‚¬ ¦ 6 Question 1: Understanding Human Behavior is critical to organizations – discuss the benefits of self evaluation/self assessment as it relates to leaders todayIn today’s ever changing environment, organizations need to continuously adapt and transform, not only in order to succeed but even just to survive. While it takes a capable manager to efficiently run a business in steady-state, it takes a leader to successfully drive an organization through change (Kotter in Robbins and Judge, 2009: 385). Dealing with technology, economic and legislation changes isn’t new for organizations. The speed of change has however substantially increased in the last few decades as has the disruptive nature of these changes.Leaders today are faced with challenges such as globalization and instant communication that were not present until recently. The words and actions of leaders are broadcasted across the globe within seconds and are heard and seen by individuals who will perceive and interpret them through the filter of their own values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations. In this accelerated environment, effective leaders need to be able to swiftly read trends and anticipate change, adapt to new situations, fine-tune their actions and continuously inspire others towards the pursuit of a compelling vision.In order to do so, they need to be perceptive of the environment around them and detect when discrepancies between their assumptions and reality arise (Clawson, 2001: 14). An example of business failure due to the mismatch between leader’s assumptions and environmental reality is Polaroid. When in 1977 Polaroid launched its instant-video product Polavision (an innovative instant movie camera that used an additive process to generate color), it experienced the first of several product fail ures that eventually forced the company into bankruptcy.The mistake that Polaroid’s Leader Edwin H. Land made was to assume that the market-follows-technology approach that had been successful for the previous 40 years was unchangeably valid (Lefler, 2010), despite the skepticism expressed by many within the company. Simpler and cheaper videocassette based alternatives were released at the same time by Kodak and other competitors. These â€Å"non-instant† products responded to markets’ trends better than Polaroid’s ground breaking instant-video solution, condemning Polavision to irrelevance and Polaroid to massive losses (Giambarba, 1977).I think Polavision is the story of a self awareness lacking leader, failing to identify his blind spots and driving the organization to failure. In my opinion Mr. Land failed to question his assumption in a changing marketplace and to openly listen to others, consequently ignoring precious feedback. Had Mr. Land listened to the concerns expressed by others around him, including Polaroid’s president Bill McCune, things could have possibly gone differently. Self evaluation is what allows individuals to identify those blind spots and weaknesses and to put measures in place to compensate them (Musselwhite, C. 2007). Through self evaluation, self awareness is achieved. The benefits of self evaluation and self awareness for a leader in today’s organizations are significant. By understanding your strengths, efforts can be focused on them, hence developing a greater potential for success (Roberts at all, 2005: 1). By recognizing your weaknesses you are in a better position to accept them and deal with them effectively. In the case of Polavision, Mr Land’s product and technology strengths were overshadowed by his marketing weakness. For his leadership to be effective, Mr.Land should have commissioned a market research to validate his assumption that the public was ready and willing to c onsume the product he was developing. Self awareness is the basis of self management and social awareness (Goleman, 2000; 80). The ability to read and manage your emotions, reactions and feelings, helps seeing yourself and the world under a different light. This in turns enables you to shift your point of view and identify opportunities and solutions that were otherwise impossible to imagine (Covey, 1989: 86). In the case of Polaroid a more socially aware Mr.Land would have valued the input of the Polavision skeptics and maybe redirected his creativity towards developing a product more in line with current market trends. Moreover, acknowledging your limits and not hiding them induces trust. You are perceived as human and people relate to you better. When trusted, you become a more effective leader as people feel safe when they follow your direction. Your behavior remains consistent in different situations and the influence of the environment on your actions is weakened. You develop charisma. You become authentic (George, B. et all, 2007: 7).Self evaluation implies asking for feedback and actively listening to what you hear. As you learn from asking questions, people around you also feel more comfortable doing so. This ignites a virtuous learning circle that drives personal growth. The biggest asset of organizations is their human capital. An engaged, motivated and virtuous human capital is the engine behind organizations’ success. In particular, by developing an environment where it is OK to ask questions, to challenge status-quo, to try new things and to make mistakes, innovation forces are unleashed (Musselwhite, C. , 2007).Conclusion Self Evaluation develops self awareness. Self awareness promotes personal growth and enables behaviors that are associated with charismatic leadership. Charisma is what inspires others to follow the leader. They trust her, share her vision and feel empowered and motivated to work towards a common goal. Charisma is a cruc ial element of effective leadership, but it is often not sufficient to drive organizations, particularly large ones, to sustainable success (Nadler and Tushman, 1990: 85). Self awareness developed through self evaluation, allows a leader to also understand and address this.By recognizing her limits, a self aware leader will develop an organizational structure that complements her strengths and, through alignment, effectively works towards the set vision. The most prominent benefits of self assessment for leaders today in my opinion are therefore the enablement of charismatic and institutional leadership, both of which are necessary to effectively guide an organization. Question 2: Prejudice can be hurtful and destructive – discuss how you can personally reduce prejudice in your workplace – please provide an examplePrejudice (prior judgment[1]) implies forming an opinion about the personality traits, expected behavior, skills and capability of a person, without that opi nion being backed by empirical evidence. These pre-formed opinions are often very strong, deriving from values and beliefs that are deeply embedded in our psyche. As such they are hard to remove. We may even unconsciously reject evidence negating the pre-judgment in a self affirming effort to confirm our assumptions. The end result is a diminished ability to appreciate the full range of qualities and the potential of the impacted individual.Prejudice and the corresponding discriminatory behavior, including institutional prejudice, are major issues for organizations today. Increasing cultural diversity in the workforce and the global reach of markets require organizations to actively strive for integration rather than assimilation or differentiation (Thomas & Ely, 1996: 1). In my opinion, the onus of promoting an effort in that direction lies mostly on managers. As a manager I have a moral and professional duty to address prejudice in my organization and I have taken specific steps i n that sense.I started with doing introspection to identify my own prejudices. I focused on my upbringing: who were the most influential figures in my childhood? What messaging did I receive from them and from the environment around me? What stereotypes derived from this? Being of white, catholic and Italian origin, I could immediately identify how anything outside of that archetype, was subject to some degree of prejudice, even if involuntarily. The good news is that â€Å"Prejudice is externally sourced† and â€Å"since it s learned, it can be unlearned† (Clawson, J.G. & Smith, B. , 1990: 5-6). I then realized that most likely everyone in my work environment have similar preconceptions. For example, some people talk to me with the typical Italian-American mafia accent from The Sopranos[2] probably thinking it is hilarious. It doesn’t bother me, but I can definitely see how it could be bothersome to other Italians. I made treasure of these realizations and dete rmined that these are ignorance-based preconceptions that can be resolved by increasing inter-cultural knowledge.I therefore resolved to take steps to encourage people from different backgrounds and cultures to interact with each other. For example, recently I included two international team members (Bryan the reporting manager who is Chinese and Manish the systems analyst who is Indian) in a 4 person project team based in the US Midwest, dealing with the integration of systems and processes from our Company’s latest acquisition. I personally facilitated the first few meetings and encouraged open participation by listening to and publicly valuing everyone’s contribution.I then assigned tasks in a way that required interaction and cooperation. The effort paid off and the team succeeded. The system and process integration was completed in record time, with wide consensus and to the smallest details. References and Bibliography Books Robbins, S. P. & Judge, T. A. (2009). Organizational Behavior. 13th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. USA: Free Press. Internet Resources Lefler, P. (2010). Polavision – Polaroid's disruptive innovation failure. [Webpage]Available from: http://www. spruancegroup. com/blog/bid/32860/Polavision-Polaroid-s-disruptive-innovation-failure [Accessed on Wednesday, November 7th 2012]. Giambarba, P. (1977). [Webpage] Available from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polavision [Accessed on Wednesday, November 7th 2012]. Musselwhite, C. (2007). Self Awareness and the Effective Leader. [Webpage] Available from: http://www. inc. com/resources/leadership/articles/20071001/musselwhite. html [Accessed on Wednesday, November 7th 2012]. The Online Etymology Dictionary, word search: prejudice. [Webpage]Available from: http://www. etymonline. com/index. php? term=prejudice [Accessed on Thursday, November 8th 2012]. Wikipedia, word search: the sopranos. [Webpage] Av ailable from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Sopranos [Accessed on Friday, November 9th 2012]. Journal Articles and Written Course Material Roberts, L. M. , Spreitzer, G. , Dutton, J. , Quinn, R. , Heaphy, E. , and Barker, B. (2005), â€Å"How to Play to Your Strenghts†, Harvard Business Review, January 2005. Goleman, D, (2000), â€Å"Leadership that gets results†, Harvard Business Review, March-April 2000. Clawson, J. G. 2001) UVA-OB-0652 Leadership and Intelligence, Charlottesville: University of Virginia Darden School Foundation. George, B. , Sims, P. , McLean, A. N. , and Mayer, D. (2007), â€Å"Discovering Your Authentic Leadership†, Harvard Business Review, February 2007. Nadler, D. A. , Tushman, M. L. , (1990) CMR-024 Beyond the Charismatic Leader: Leadership and Organizational Change, California Management Review, Harvard Business School Publishing. Clawson, J. G. & Smith, B. (1990) UVA-OB-0381 Prejudice in Organizations, Charlottesville: University of Virginia Darden School Foundation. Thomas, D. A. Ely, R. J. (1996), â€Å"Making Differences Matter†, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1996. ———————– [1] See the â€Å"Online Etymology Dictionary† (http://www. etymonline. com/index. php? term=prejudice) [2] From Wikipedia (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Sopranos): The Sopranos is an American television drama created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads.

Child Labor Since the Industrial Revolution Essay

Child labor has changed dramatically since the time of the industrial revolution. Teens everywhere can now have part time jobs that aren’t hazardous to their health and follow strict child labor laws. Although pretty much all our ancestors weren’t so lucky. During n the Industrial Revolution there were no child labor laws. The factory owners just saw it as jobs that could be done by anyone, and grown men would not stand for such low pay so who better than children who are just as happy with pennies and nickels. Children working in factories didn’t just have to deal with low income they also had horrid working conditions, health hazards, low wages, long hours worked per day, and almost every day worked per week. Child Labor had existed long before the Industrial Revolution; children were usually forced to work in family farms or as servants. But it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that children were forced into factories with horrid working conditions. These kids would often work 10-12 hours a day, and also had to deal with constant abuse from superiors who demanded faster production. Children as young as four were employed to work in coal mines. Conditions were dangerous very dangerous in the coal mines, many children developed lung cancer and other diseases and died before the age of 25, while others died from gas explosions. Some children were employed as â€Å"scavengers† by cotton mills, their jobs would be to climb under machinery to pick up cotton, some died from being crushed under the machines, and some lost hands or even limbs. After reports of these atrocities became widespread politicians and the government tried to limit child labor by law, but factory owners resisted; some felt that they were aiding the poor by giving their children money to buy food to avoid starvation, and others simply welcomed the cheap labor. The English governments’ efforts only led to the limit of 10 hours of work per day for children but working conditions were still atrocious. In the 21st century there are many regulations that have drastically improved safety and limits on child workers in the U.  S. The minimum age for â€Å"Non-Hazardous† work is 14, and for agricultural work that age is dropped to 10-11 years old with parental consent on farms not regulated by minimum wage requirements, and 12-13 years old just with parental consent. The laws on today’s limit on hours of employment are as follows: No work during school hours, on school days: 3 hours/day, 18 hours/week maximum, when school is out of session: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week with at least 30 minute s of break time included each day. These laws helped to keep hours of work limited to ensure more time for school and other activities. There have also been laws for minimum wage that a teen can receive for work. Federal Minimum is $7. 25 per hour as of 7/24/09 youth minimum is $4. 25 per hour for employees under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer. In today’s working world hazards teens will face while working are limited to just slipping on wet floors, minor burns, and small cuts. Granted this is if most safety precautions are carried out and it was accidental. So far no child worker has been exposed to any harmful diseases while working, during the 21st century. The managers overseeing children working are very helpful and are punished by law if they harass or physically injure any employees. Since the Industrial revolution the ages of child workers have changed from as young as 4 to, at the very least, 10. Child workers today are no longer allowed to work 12 or 14 hours a day, instead there are strict laws that allow for a thirty minute break everyday and no more than 18 hours of work per week. Minimum wage has been changed from pennies and nickels to $7. 25 since the Industrial Revolution. Teems working nowadays are ensured by workers compensation and serious injuries are rare because of safety precautions taken; as opposed to frequent diseases, serious injuries, and even death that were reported in the Industrial Revolution. Thankfully many changes have ensured the health and safety of child workers today. I am personally thankful for these laws and regulations because as of next week I will be working at Panera Bread and it is nice to know that I am safe as a working teen.

An Unfor Gottable Event in My Life

The last trip was a very long and interesting one, it was a trip to the United States of America. The first thing to be said about is the choice of the country. It wasn’t that the United States was a country of my dreams like it is for some people. There were a lot of countries which I wanted to see more than America, but I was given an opportunity to work there for some time and this is how I went overseas. I worked there and traveled as well. During this trip I had visited a lot of places, but I decided to write only about one city which impressed me the most. It is the New York. City. When I first arrived to this city I had never seen anything like that before. When you come from such a small country like Lithuania you are shocked how big the city is. It left a great impression to me, I just loved the buildings of it: new ones, old ones, small ones and especially big ones. There is so much of everything: huge and tiny shops, restaurants, cafes, night clubs, museums, galleries, etc. It seems that it would take at least few years to see everything only in one city, not mentioning the whole country. Another interesting and important thing about New York, as well as the whole United states, is a mixture of cultures. I met so many people from so many different countries. I think America is the only country which has so many cultures mixed with that of their own. This is a very interesting and at the same time strange thing to discover for someone who is not familiar with such thing. The last words which I want to say about this trip, it taught me a lot of things about life and people. In the States people are very different but one thing is common to the majority of them, it is money. Visiting this country I discovered how great the power of money is, how it changes the world, people and their lives. I guess it was the only disappointing thing about this country because the rest of it was very exciting. To conclude, I would like to say that it is quite hard to write everything on one sheet of paper as there is so much of interesting to say, but it takes a lot of space. Summing up, I could say that this trip, in some way, changed my life and outlook to the world, that is why I have chosen it on the most memorable event in my life. An Unfor Gottable Event in My Life The last trip was a very long and interesting one, it was a trip to the United States of America. The first thing to be said about is the choice of the country. It wasn’t that the United States was a country of my dreams like it is for some people. There were a lot of countries which I wanted to see more than America, but I was given an opportunity to work there for some time and this is how I went overseas. I worked there and traveled as well. During this trip I had visited a lot of places, but I decided to write only about one city which impressed me the most. It is the New York. City. When I first arrived to this city I had never seen anything like that before. When you come from such a small country like Lithuania you are shocked how big the city is. It left a great impression to me, I just loved the buildings of it: new ones, old ones, small ones and especially big ones. There is so much of everything: huge and tiny shops, restaurants, cafes, night clubs, museums, galleries, etc. It seems that it would take at least few years to see everything only in one city, not mentioning the whole country. Another interesting and important thing about New York, as well as the whole United states, is a mixture of cultures. I met so many people from so many different countries. I think America is the only country which has so many cultures mixed with that of their own. This is a very interesting and at the same time strange thing to discover for someone who is not familiar with such thing. The last words which I want to say about this trip, it taught me a lot of things about life and people. In the States people are very different but one thing is common to the majority of them, it is money. Visiting this country I discovered how great the power of money is, how it changes the world, people and their lives. I guess it was the only disappointing thing about this country because the rest of it was very exciting. To conclude, I would like to say that it is quite hard to write everything on one sheet of paper as there is so much of interesting to say, but it takes a lot of space. Summing up, I could say that this trip, in some way, changed my life and outlook to the world, that is why I have chosen it on the most memorable event in my life.

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Finance - Essay Example In addition, the company operates its hospitality business from Fremantle, Healesville and Melbourne. The company has some subsidiaries as well such as Little Creatures Breweries Pvt. Ltd., which is a popular name in Australia. Another subsidiary assisting the group in its packaging and hospitality vertical is Fremantle Harbour Properties Pvt. Ltd., as recorded last on June 30, 2006 (Reuters, 2011). The present paper aims to assess the credibility of the company during 2009 and 2010, based on which it might be appraised to the position of a suitable borrower. Credibility of a company could be decided through an evaluation of its financial performance over the years. Financial evaluation on the other hand, could be made on the basis of the four groups of ratios namely, Liquidity, Efficiency, Activity and Profitability. In case that the company is found to fare well in terms of the above factors, it might be regarded as a suitable borrower. In addition, an assessment of the economic en vironment in which the bank is functioning also needs to be assessed for the purpose. Economic Environment Strengths The economic environment of Little World Beverages Group might be regarded as having improved from the records of financial year 2008 to that in the financial year 2009. It experienced growth in terms of total operating revenues as well as net profit ratios by 18% and 51% respectively over the years. These improvements had essentially been due to expansions in the company’s base of operations over the years. It had moved on to international frontiers as well so that the company started experiencing economies of large scale operations (Little World Beverages Limited, 2009-10). Weaknesses The company is recently found to have withdrawn much of its outstanding shares from the secondary market which has taken a toll over its financial leverage quotient. Moreover this very fact has proved to be quite taxing in its profitability aspect as well which is the reason why the company might be at the verge of losing its loyal base of investors. Financial Status As mentioned earlier, the financial evaluation of a company would be made on the basis of four groups of financial ratios each of which will be examining one particular aspect of the company’s profile. Information based on which these assessments are to be made will be available on the company annual reports. Liquidity Liquidity of a company decides the extent to which a company is capable to meet its short run obligations. In other words, how far a company is able to tackle its short run liabilities given its volume of assets is something that is conceptualized by the term short term solvency. It draws a comparison between the company liabilities and the volume of liquid assets possessed by the company. In case that the proportion of liquid assets is greater than the liabilities surmounting the company, it might be regarded as solvent over the short run (Wild, Subramanyam & Halsey, 200 6). There are three ratios to determine short term solvency of a company, namely – Current Ratio – It decides the units of current asset that a company possesses in comparison with the current liabilities of the same. Ideally, current ratio must be greater than 1 in order to establish a company’s solvent position. In case that it is rising over time as well, short term liquidity of the company might be regarded as a robust one. Quick Ratio – It implies the ratio of quick assets to current liabilitie