Annotation of After You my Dear Alphonse by Shirley...

Annotation of After You my Dear Alphonse by Shirley Jackson The story that I have chosen to annotate is After you my dear Alphonse written by Shirley Jackson. Shirley Jackson was born in the year of 1919 and later died in 1965. She is best known for her stories and novels of horror and the occult, rendered more terrifying because they are set against realistic, common place backgrounds. After graduating from Syracuse University, Jackson married literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman. Life among the savages (1953) and Raising Demons (1957) are witty and humorous fictionalized memoirs about their life with their four children. Her most famous works include the short story collection The Lottery (1949), in which After you†¦show more content†¦has three themes but the main theme projected in the story is the theme of racial prejudice. The other two themes are the theme of narrow mindedness and stereotypes. The writer contrasts the children?s acceptance of each other in friendship and obliviousness to skin color, to Johnny?s mother, Mrs. Wilson?s prejudice nature and conditioned reflexes of racial differences. Mrs. Wilson?s reaction to Boyd comes of as superior due to her marginalized social conditioning. The title of the story itself, ?After you my dear Alphonse? is extremely symbolic and extremely important in the aid analyzing the text thoroughly and being able to identify the key themes portrayed throughout the story. Through the clever use of repetition throughout the text, Shirley Jackson has enabled the reader to recognize the thoughts that she has depicted in the story. Also the fact that Johnny and his African American friend Boyd keep repeating the phrase ?After you my dear Alphonse? and ?no after you my dear Alphonse? through out the text is seen as very symbolic to the theme of racial prejudice as the phrase ?after you my dear Alphonse ? originated with a comic strip that first appeared in 1905. Alphonse and Gaston were characters in the once popular gag for politeness, which appeared in the newspaper The New Journal. ?After you my dear Alphonse is an expression which is generally used when two people go back and forth, suggesting that the other go first as a way

Isolation And Being Abandoned By Edgar Allan Poe - 2203 Words

Isolation and being abandoned is a hard feeling to cope with. â€Å"Some people crave their alone time, but more often than we may like to admit, we get lonely† (Edmonds). There are people that say they enjoy being alone, but after being isolated for an extended period of time it changes your state of mind. When people are isolated they tend to over think and they can get irrational thoughts. They feel completely alone and feel as if nobody wants to be around them. There are four works that come to mind when I think of isolation, which would include The Raven, The Beast in the Cave, Alien, and Lusus Naturae. Isolation goes deeper than just the story. The authors of most of these pieces had very isolated lives that pushed them to write what they were feeling and let people know how it is to feel that way. The Raven is the best known work by Edgar Allan Poe (The Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe). This poem has copious amounts of isolation with in it. He is missing his deceased wife Len ore, and he locked himself in his house away from the outside world to grieve. This put a negative effect on the man, because he is not opening up to anybody and he is keeping to himself. This could make the man physically and mentally ill. Multiple of Edgar Allan Poe’s works had some source of isolation in them. Poe started to suffer from depression from an early age which helped him write his early stories (Dameron and Jacobs). He did not have a great childhood for numerous reasons. To start, his motherShow MoreRelated Edgar Allan Poe Essay1589 Words   |  7 Pages Edgar Allen Poe Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe’s contributions to American literature have become increasingly more prominent as the years have passed. As short fiction has become a more accepted genre in literary circles, Poe’s theories are studied with more passion. Although he lived a rather melancholy life, Poe did experience moments of joy, and desired to capture the beauty through poetic form. Indeed, what he left behind for the literary world was his gifted genus, revealed throughRead MoreWhat Makes A Conscience?1171 Words   |  5 Pagessuffering from mental illness. This imbalanced state can cause a separation between reality and social norms, resulting in a person overlooking actions and morals that are inappropriate. Largely the ability to ignore one’s conscience is an extension of being desensitized to society’s norms. A conscience and truth begin to have a lessened impact on humans if they sin frequently and only occasionally acknowledge their conscience by regret and remorse after the fact. Born ethical, humans need guidanceRead MoreThe Fall Of The House Of Usher By Edgar Allan Poe1570 Words   |  7 PagesImagine living in social isolation, where your only company is a half dead sister with the complexion of a ghost. Imagine not only being alone, but living in a period of time that does not understand the simplest of mental conditions; thinking that there is no one else like you, making you more than different and ostracized. Imagine living in a home that pushes on your already fragile mind; an old, worn down and abandoned mansion that has deteriorated along with you and your sister’s health. WouldRead MoreThe Use Of Symbols In The Masque Of The Red Death Essay1122 Words   |  5 PagesEveryone fears their own death, thus why some people will do anything to escape it. In Edgar Allan Poes short story, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, this fear is experienced by all. In the story, a prince named Prospero and his people try to elude the Red Death through seclusion and isolation in the princes abbey. However, no walls can stop death since it is unavoidable and inescapable. Throughout the story, Poe uses symbols such as the rooms, the masked figure, and the clock to convey the theme thatRead MoreAnalysing the Black Cat Using Labovs Narrative Structure5713 Words   |  23 Pages 1. produce a frequency chart according to the elements of Labov’s Narrative Structure 2. discuss the way Edgar Allen Poe structured his short story to form the elements of tragedy, mystery and terror as presented in the short story In completing the task, I will use Labov’s Narrative Theory to conduct narrative analysis of the short story, The Black Cat written by Edgar Allan Poe. The structure of this essay begins with the introduction to narrative and narrative analysis. The second partRead More`` Alone `` By Edgar Allan Poe1641 Words   |  7 PagesNineteenth-century American author Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his tales of terror and emotional poetry. Poe led a very tormented and isolated life full of rejection and loss of loved ones. His agony is revealed in his poem titled â€Å"Alone†, which was written in 1829 when he was 19 years old. Poe never meant for this poem to be seen by others; yet, in 1875, 26 years after Poe’s passing, the poem was published in Scribner’s Monthly with the added title of â€Å"Alone†. In â€Å"Alone†, Poe reveals he believes hisRead More Psycho-Sexual Reading of The Fall of the House of Usher Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pagesis a love story (1). Lawrence and Tate, however, mistakenly attempt to purge the love concerned of all physical meaning. What they see Usher wanting is possession not of Madelines body but her very being (Lawrence, p. 86). Theirs is essentially an anti-biological reading of the tale in which the Poe hero tries in self-love to turn the soul of the heroine into something like a physical object which can be known in direct cognition (fate, p. 115). But if The Fall of the House of Usher is a drama

(Pe) Physical Education (Essay, Sac) Training Diary free essay sample

I designed a training program that i carried out over a 6 week period which aimed at strengthening my upper body and core. I exercised for 60 minutes each day and after ever workout i collected the data and recorded it in a diary which described the exact exercise, number of sets, reps and duration. Before the training program i did a series of post tests which involved a 7 stage ab tests, 1RM bench press and a 1 minute push up test. For the ab test i got to stage 5 which meant i could do 1 sit up and touch my elbows to my knees, with the bench press i could lift a max of 92. kg and with push ups i could do 40 in a minute. After i had finished my program i once again conducted a series of post tests to see how much i had improved. With my ab test i got to stage 6 which meant I could do the same but with a 2. 5kg weight held behind my head, with the bench press i got to 100kgs which is an increase of 7. 5kg and my push up test i got to 47 in a minute. I found that my greatest weekness came from my natural weight tests, with my push ups and sit ups. I belive these were more difficult due to my large weight as i weighted in at 105kg. But after i had finished my program i had put on 3kg due to an increase of muscle mass and a loss of fat. The reason i choose these tests was because they were specific to the exercises i was about to undertake for example with a push up it focuses on the core and all upper body muscles. Before each work out i did a series of proprioceptive neuromuscular facioitation stretches which i held for 6 seconds each stretch and after each workout i did a series of static stretches to help prevent the risk of injury. When i started doing my exercises the energy systems that i used changed between the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. As i did exercises that invloved 10 reps, fast twitch fibres and a duration of less than 15 seconds i worked anaerobically but when i did my core intival training my body used interplay. As i started out my body was working anaerobically but as my heart rate rose to over 80% max heart rate and the workout went for longer than 2 minutes my body started working aerobically and used slow twitch fibre as well as when my exercise intensified to around 85% max HR the onset of hydrogen ions accumalated in certain muscles due to the inabillity to continue my workout and muscle pump in the active areas. After a couple of weeks of training aerobicaly my muscles got trained to be able to pospone the high accumalation of h+. The reason i choose the exercises i did was because each demonstrated a differnt muscular contraction or a mixture of each. flys, planks, sit-ups and push ups used isometric contractions, biceap curls, bench/chest and shoulder presses used concentric contractions and with pull downs and shoulder pull ups used eccentric contractions. All exercises were specific to the muscular area i was trying to improve, each day i worked on one part of the body for example on a Monday i would focus just on my chest and on a wendsday i would work on my biceps. The reason i choose to do my program like that was because it was easier to remember what area to work on and gave each muscle grouple a huge workout instead of doing 5 different areas each day. With reference to my diary each workout showed progresive overload either with an increase in weigth or frequency and after a day or two i explained how my body showed the signs of delayed onset muscular soreness due to the overload. The only issue i ran into with my workout was that some days i wouldnt have a spotter which made my workouts quiet difficult. After i had finished my six week trainig program my muscular strength had increased dramatically with my biceap strength increased 7. 5kg, chest strength increased 7. kg, core strenght increased 2. 5kg and i was able to dely the onset of hydrogen ions from 25 reps to 35+ reps, etc. The whole process was more than enjoyable. I learnt many different exercises from other experience weight lifters and many pointers to help improve my skills. The program has helped me outside of weight lifting, such as being able to pass and throw further while playing basketball. I might of improved my program by working with a friend to make the work out more enjoyable and to help assist me in lifting.

Princeton University Accepts 14.7% Of Its Early Applicant Pool for Class of 2022

Early admissions results are pouring in. Next up: Princeton University has accepted 799 students to its Class of 2022 through the single-choice early action program. Princeton University offered admission to 14.7% of this year’s early applicant pool of 5,402 students, the largest early application pool since 2011. Even just looking at year over year, there was an 8% increase in comparison to the early applicant pool for the Class of 2021. As such, the acceptance rate is also slightly lower compared with 15.4% from last year. The university has not yet offered a race or ethnic breakdown of their early admitted students. Princeton has reported that 44% of admitted students are U.S. students from diverse backgrounds and 11% are international students. Additionally, Princeton’s Class of 2022 early admits include 14% first-generation college students, and 17% legacy students. Princeton’s robust financial aid program offers financial assistance to all accepted students so they have the choice to attend if they want to. The university follows the need-blind and need-based application process for all students, including international applicants. Princeton’s single-choice early action program restricts applicants to apply early only to Princeton, but accepted students have until May to make their enrollment decision. The university did not reveal the number of deferred and rejected applicants. All candidates deferred during early admissions will be reconsidered regular admission. Regular decision applications are due on January 1st, and will receive admission notifications by late March. Congratulations to all students accepted to Princeton’s Class of 2022! Create a profile and upload your successful college application materials to inspire and help future applicants. Plus, earn some extra money while you’re at it.

gender on the internet essays

gender on the internet essays The World Wide Web is notorious for being able to disguise people, places, and things. I logged on to America Online at home through my sisters account. The results and differences I received as a male and a female were exactly what I expected. America Online was one of my favorite pastimes a few summers ago, so I was quite familiar with its setup and the way things happen online. Many aspects of online are nice, but so many of them are unappealing and not worth my time. Online experiences are somewhat the same as experiences in real life. Girls get hit on and boys do not, for the most part. When I am walking down the street, with my roommate, if we walk in front of a frat house we will get hit on; guys will yell out to us. Online females get hit on a great deal more than males, I observed this when I went online as both a male and a female. Online is very different, though, because you cannot see the person you are talking to. Therefore, a person can impersonate anyone they want. This could be a positive outlet for somebody who does not feel like they are accepted, but the Internet is not what many would call a nurturing environment. For example if a teenager is a minority by social class or race they can feel a lot more accepted online because their minority is not seen online. Also if a person thinks they might be homosexual they could talk to other males or females without worry. For the most part the Internet is a place where people can do what they want and say what they want and not suffer any repercussions for their actions. Some of this is liberating, while some of this is oppressive. The liberating part is being able to talk to many different cultures and being able to say what I please. The oppressive part is the fact that anyone can put me down whenever they want, and it does happen. I encountered many different comments as a female and as a male. As a female in the various chat ...

Critique Essay Write

Critique Essay Write Critique Essay Write Critique Essay Write: Useful Help If you have received a task to cope with critique essay write, you have to answer some definite questions in your critique essays writing in order o meet all the requirements you professor name you. If you exclude any of them from your critique essay write you are running the risk to get a lower grade than you have expected from your critique essay write. That is why it is recommended to be very attentive and not to miss a thing. However, all the answers you give should not be just simple common answers, which presuppose the answer of yes or no. All the answers you give in your critique essays should be of an extended character. Thus, here is a list of the questions you have to answer while your critique essay write assignment completing: whether the topic of the essay you have to discuss is an captivating one: whether the topic is relevant one whether the choice of the topic is well-grounded by the author whether the content and context coincides with the stated topic whether the essay is built up with the help of the existing structure whether the essay meet all the demands and requirements from it in whole whether it is evident or not whether it is furnished with some examples, anecdotes, proverbs, sayings, or quotes. whether the essay is cohesive and logically connected one All the above-mentioned questions are those to get the answers in the frames of your critique essay write. However, remember that all the answer should be built upon the rules of critic. If you manage to do it, you are going to win a prize, which is A+ grade. If you fail to do it, you will never get the grade you want to. Do You Need Professional Help? If you feel that you are in need of some additional critique essay write help, you are welcome to visit our custom essay writing service. There you are going to find everything you need in order to write successful critique essays, which are worth of the A+ grade. Just visit our site and all the questions you have will be professionally answered. We wish you good luck with your critique essay write and hope that the information we have presented in this very article is going to help you a great deal during the process of critique essays writing. Interesting posts: Writers of Term Papers Term Schools Papers about Gospel Music Term Papers Medieval Knights Term Papers Essays Term Paper Topics

Carry Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Carry Trade - Essay Example e all too apparent that in the globalised and networked economies, no country can consider itself safe, if there are adverse signals from one corner of the world. Carry trade is termed to be an important factor in such a scenario, which has led to cascading effects for majority of exporters and manufacturers of cars and electronic products. While on the one hand exports are down and production are down, on the other hand a large number of job losses is causing further slide in economy. This raises the curiosity about the importance of carry trade in this scenario. Carry trade, as the name suggests is the trading activity that one indulges by carrying forward the returns or losses of the holdings by an individual or a business entity. Yen has been a popular instrument amongst the trading community as an important tool for holding foreign exchange and dealing in financial transactions. Selling the Yen at lower interest rates and then using the funds for purchasing higher interest curre ncies like dollar or pounds would yield considerable profits. Such a carry trade prospered, with the hope of sustaining the higher swap ratio and lower interest rates on Yen. But, with western economies reeling under recession, the Yen has considerably become strong, resulting in some loss making propositions for Carry trades. This has brought the issue of carry trade in focus. This study is an effort towards analyzing the trends in Carry trade over the years and its impact on the economic conditions of different countries. An effort will also be made to foresee the futuristic trends while analysing and comparing the development of the markets. Economic activities, financial services, and banking have experienced quite a few changes in the last couple of decades. With the opening up of economies, the industrial activities saw an upsurge on global scale. The financial system around the world also saw need to have a matching regulatory mechanism. The exchange rates became more

SEE WROD Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SEE WROD - Assignment Example irst was conducted by a company introducing an online television service through the payment of per hour basis, where it sampled 218 undergraduates (Bagchi and Davis 65). The second research involved the use of 216 online personnel where they were required to choose the lowest set of per unit price from a variety of price presentations (Bagchi and Davis 67). The third research used 167 participants where they were to select a movie package price in relation to happiness and importance variables. In the first research, customers’ value-perceptions and trial like-hood are based on difficult calculations of the first item in the larger package. The second hypothesis was customers’ perceptions are influenced by certain conditions when evaluating complex calculations and large packages. The third hypothesis was customers perceive trial likelihoods based on dependent variables (Bagchi and Davis 70). In the first study, consumers purchase a product based on the first information of the large package and later adjust inadequately based on time constraint. The second study confirms that customers’ trial like-hoods are based on the unit price. The study indicates customers achieve trial like-hood in large packages during complex calculations, when the unit price appears before the item in presentation order (Bagchi and Davis

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Essay Example for Free

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Essay â€Å"A pure natural friendship uncorrupted by social prejudice† In light if this comment discuss the relationship of Huck and Jim. Huckleberry Finn is a novel of the pastoral genre written by Mark Twain in 1885, a time when slavery was rampant. The novel follows the journey of the protagonist, a white boy named Huck Finn who coincidently begins a journey with a run-away slave Jim, filled with trials and tribulations. Although this may be a coincident the pair slowly form a relationship described as a friendship and others even go to the extent of describing it as father-son relationship. One of the many ways in which the friendship can be viewed is the fact that it is a pure and natural friendship as shown by Huck who claims he wouldn’t want to be â€Å"nowhere else but here† hence displaying the satisfaction and content he feels with the situation of being friends. However other aspects of the novel allow the reader to describe the friendship as corrupt rather than pure due to the way in which Huck refers to Jim by the use of the term â€Å"nigger†, an offensive term used by society to belittle black people. One of the central issues outlined by Twain in the novel is â€Å"Racism†. White people believed that they were superior and combined with superstition believed that black people were evil as a result black people were given very little rights. Huck holds these similar values which are presented when he refers to Jim as a â€Å"nigger† numerous times. In addition, the way in which Huck’s attitude and behaviour presented, consist of various elements of prejudice in which Huck feels he is far more intelligent and superior than Jim. Huck says â€Å"you can’t learn a nigger to argue.† The use of irony allows the reader to understand the view that white people held and how foolish the view was because in reality the argument presented by Jim in the first place is indeed stronger however due to society’s corrupt views Huck is influenced therefore he is unable to recognise the fact that Jim has a strong argument. Look more:  satire in huckleberry finn essay However, it has to be considered that Huck is still a young boy who has been brought up by the society which holds the view that white people a superior consequently, Huck has been socialised to act the way he is and referring to Jim as a â€Å"nigger† may just be the norm and not at all used in a criticising manner. Although Huck takes time to accept Jim, Twain constantly shows how Jim encourages the friendship and praises Huck by referring to him as a â€Å"de ole true Huck; the only white gentlemen.† Although Huck is a boy Jim refers to him as a gentleman, a description which increases Huck’s confidence and displays a relationship developing between the two. The fact that Jim is encouraging the friendship shows how he is emerging from society’s conventions as the norm would be to indeed act like a slave and not even considering pursuing any other sort of relationship apart from the known slave-master relationship. Huck’s attitude towards Jim is v ery similar to Pap’s. At the beginning of the novel Pap says â€Å"why looky here there’s a free nigger from Ohio- a mulatter, must as white as a white man† Pap refers to Jim as though he is an object of very low status or a meaningless object rather than actual human being. He considers himself to be of a very high status despite his drunkard and abusive nature. The way in which Twain represents Hucks tone of voice and attitude displays how he holds a similar ideology of the fact that white people are superior. He says â€Å"it was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go humble myself to a nigger† his tone of voice signifies his disappointment and half-heartedness in accepting the fact that he was wrong. He refers to Jim as â€Å"a nigger† which in itself shows how he feels regarding Jim. He refers to Jim as though he is an inanimate object who has no feelings and to be â€Å"humble† towards a nigger was a disgrace hence displaying the social prejudice that existed between the pair. However, due to the bildungsroman form of the novel, Huck undergoes a not just a physical journey but also a psychological journey in which he learns the true importance of friendship. Throughout the novel Huck is constantly facing an internal struggle another important focus of the novel. He is struggling to make a decision regarding Jim. Should he hand Jim over or go against societies conventions and protect and help his new friend. In the climax of the novel Huck is finally forced to make a choice and has to â€Å"decide, forever† and in the end decides to go against societies views of social prejudice and the extent of the decision he made is presented through his inner thoughts and ironically he feels that he will be shunned by his community accepts the fact that he’ll â€Å"go to hell† just for protecting Jim and accepting Jim as his friend. The catalyst for Huck’s decision was the sale of Jim back into slavery and as a result Hucks internal struggle finally meets an end and his search for his conscience ends therefore allowing the reader to understand that although their relationship may not have started out as a pure natural friendship, through the various adventures they faced finally come to an end. His decision to recognise Jim’s humanity is not shared by the rest of society. In conclusion, the relationship of Huck and Jim can be described as not an entirely pure natural friendship uncorrupted by society prejudices as Huck takes a physical and psychological journey consisting of many events all adding up to one big adventure that allows him to gain insight on the true meaning of friendship and loyalty.

How the Role of Women in Haudenosaunee Culture Inspired the Early Feminist Movement :: Essays Papers

How the Role of Women in Haudenosaunee Culture Inspired the Early Feminist Movement The United States has had a long relationship with the Haudenosaunee people. When Europeans invaded North America, beginning in the end of the 15th century, they found a land already inhabited by a large group of people, who they called Indians. Although their subsequent relationship was plagued by disease, wars and fights for domination, there was, inevitably, some exchange of goods, like crops, and ideas between the two peoples. Most notably, even the â€Å"Founding Fathers† of the U.S. were influenced by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s ideas about democracy and government. One aspect of the relationship, however, is rarely mentioned: the impact that Haudenosaunee women had on early feminists in the U.S. The two groups of women interacted very closely during the 19th century, and prominent feminist voices in the U.S., like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Lucretia Mott, were heavily influenced by the native women’s many freedoms. The contrast between the two groups of women was tremendous. Haudenosaunee women held prominent, decision-making positions in their matriarchal political system. They had the power to choose their clan’s chief, and their authority as clan mothers was respected by Haudenosaunee law. Spiritually, these women were viewed as being connected to Mother Earth and were responsible for leading various religious ceremonies, alongside of men. Haudenosaunee women also shared agricultural work with men, dealing with the work load on a communal basis. Not only did they have control of their own property, but women also had authority over their own bodies, including the responsibility of childbearing. This authority was developed in the Haudenosaunee matriarchal system of family in which children were considered members of the mother’s clan and husbands were brought into the wife’s longhouse upon marriage. Women had final domestic control; violence against women and children wa s not tolerated because wives had the power to kick their husbands out, ordering them to â€Å"pick up [their] blanket and budge† (Wagner, p. 47). On the other hand, women in the U.S., the land of the free, experienced a severe limitation of rights in comparison. Unlike the Haudenosaunee, white women were considered completely subordinate to men, and had to rely completely on their husbands for economic support and political influence. Not only were these women not in positions of political power, but they could not vote, control their own property, make decisions about their own body, or claim their own children.

The Effects of teenage drug abuse

Drugs had a terrible effect on teenagers. It is a bad habit because they don’t know the consequences. When teenagers use drugs, the negative effects can be seen in family relationships, academic performance, and even criminal. Drugs use often leads to a breakdown in family relationships. First of all, teens on drugs often stop communicating with parents such as they don’t want to go anywhere with their parents because they want to stay at home and use drugs. Second, teens may lie or begin acting strangely at home to protect their drug use. For example, they don’t want anyone come inside to the room because they think the people can stolen his drugs. Finally, teens may begin to be violence. Specifically, they can hit you if you don’t give money when they ask you for more money to buy more drugs. Also Drugs affected their school. Teens may begin irresponsible in the school. First, students stop caring about schoolwork such as they don’t do their homework. Second, they may start bothering other kids at school. One consequence of drugs is they feel power for do everything. Related essay: How Teenagers Spend Their Time Essay Finally, they often skip school to be with their friends who do drugs. In particular, they think is better spending all the time with their friends who do drugs than go to school since they use drugs. If teens become addicted o drugs, they will do almost anything; sometimes even commit crimes, to get drugs. First, drugs are expensive, so teens usually run out of money to buy them such as they spend all their money they have to get more drugs. Next, they might begin stealing from their parents. One effect of drugs is they don’t have more money, for this they begin to stealing. Then they may begin to kill people such as if you don’t give money when they ask you they can kill you to get the money for buy more drugs. In conclusion, Drug is the result of bad habit and makes everyone crazy especially teenagers because drug use often leads to a breakdown in family relationships, teens may begin irresponsible in the school, and they will do almost anything like commit crimes.

China vs. the World: Whose Technology Is It?

China vs. The world: Whose technology is it? Executive summary China, the country with incredible fast-growing speed of development, now is becoming more attractive to Western investing companies than ever. China governments know that and they try to take advantage over that point by forcing the multinational companies to share technology in the exchange of future investing opportunities. This strategy has created a lot of argument and discontent between China government and foreign companies. China government recognized the importance of technologies and investment in R&D in the processing of becoming the world’s top five economies.They developed three-pronged plans to solve this problem, mainly by investing in certain industries, by learning and generating economics scale, and by receiving technologies from foreign partners. Chinese government also know that it is possible to lose their foreign partners’ investment to other emerging countries while they still depend m uch on technology of Western and developed countries( Japan, Korea). Many strategies are processed by government to limit the control of the foreign companies over the domestic market and to support their own players.For instance, multinational companies only could hold 49% of the equity stake of new company or 70% of each system had to be locally. In the software industries, government decreases tax for domestic companies, they require the foreign software has to disclose their source and requires the software version for China. Local banks even give loans with below-market rate to domestic companies. However some certain industries of China are still unable to compete with strong and competitive foreign companies. The conflicts between China and the U. S. have been raised due to China’s policies.The author mentioned that the main reason is because of the basic difference of policy and culture: China focuses on saving for future and U. S. cares about current consumptions. Ho wever in the bright side both of them are pragmatic, operate at the top and both of them want to enhance the trade flow between two countries. Among the interaction between China and the U. S. the multinational companies have to find their own ways to adjust and overcome that tension. For most foreign companies that want to succeed in China market, teaming up the Chinese executive and making themselves indispensible to the Chinese government is essential.Once they have something that China wants and no one else has, they are able to win the bargain with Chinese government. However it is rare exception, mostly they are still learning to protect their intellectual property in China. Personal arguments The article brought up the very interesting topic of China and its role in global economy in the 21st century. It helps us to understand how China government is heading for and how they use their policies to fight in the global market.If China succeeds in these policies to promote the hi gh-technology, we would likely to see a boom technological boom in some years since the market became more competitive, both China and developed countries would be pressed to gain new innovation with faster speed or else they would be able to lose the market share to their competitors. After all, the one who get benefits most is consumers because now we can easily purchase high-tech products with affordable price, it changed the high-tech products from niche product to become mass product.Besides, it looks like Chinese government is trying to learn the lesson from Japan in the past. After the post-war, Japan was successful in buying technology from the west. It started developing high- tech products and production facilities. Lastly, from China’s point of view, China’s current policy is very helpful to meet the urgent requirement of development. However for the long-term, Chinese government need to gain their own resource of technology and innovation. Otherwise in some situation they will lose in bargaining with their foreign partners because they can always shift to other emerging countries.

An Indie Authors Checklist for Self-Publishing on Amazon

An Indie Authors Checklist for Self-Publishing on Amazon Comic book, cook book, travel guide, childrens book, educational text, memoir, manga, or the next great novel †¦ youve decided to publish your book yourself and market it on Amazon, the worlds largest bookstore.In so doing, you will maintain creative control of your work and own your copyright. Print-on-demand means no minimum orders and your book will never be out of stock, as Amazon presents it to readers throughout a behemoth international distribution network.Since its owned by Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is a likely choice for many indie authors. Publishing eBooks since 2009, KDP took over from CreateSpace last year as Amazons paperback self-publishing platform. Books published on KDP link directly to Amazon and earn up to 60% royalties on the set list price (minus printing costs), and 70% for eBooks.To make a self-publishing income stream a reality, you will wear a lot of hats and need to accomplish the 32 tasks listed below. Decide which jobs you can do yoursel f and which you will contract out. Use every business and artistic decision as an opportunity to reinforce your author brand.Write the book. Rewrite. Submit it to your critique group. Rewrite. Submit it to your beta readers. Rewrite. Hire an editor. Rewrite. Polish the final manuscript to a glossy sheen. This is the Body of the book.Decide how you want your book to physically look and feel. Stack up books you admire and study them. Educate yourself to the particular trim sizes, fonts and other characteristics that are conventional for different genres. Notice, for example, that young adult fiction doesnt have the same layout as narrative non-fiction.Hire an artist or graphic designer for illustrations, tables, maps or chapter heading designs. Or master Photoshop and do this yourself, ensuring all images are at least 300 dpi.Prepare the Front Matter (some of which is optional): the frontispiece, title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph, table of contents, foreword or preface, prologue or introduction. You will print the books ISBN on the copyright page, so you need to acquire that and type the 13-digit number on the copyright page before saving the manuscript as a PDF file.Prepare the Back Matter (again, much is optional): epilogue or conclusion, appendix or addendum, chronology or endnotes, bibliography and references, list of contributors, endnotes, copyright permissions and acknowledgments, glossary, authors note (including contact invitation), teaser for the next installment in the series.Link the Front Matter, the Body and the Back Matter- thats your book!Design the book or hire a book designer. This is a centuries-old art form, not pages slapped between a cover. Every element from font type to chapter headings and scene-separating symbols is an opportunity to reinforce your story and your author brand.Format the book or hire a book formatter. Microsoft Word is capable of formatting many projects, though for multiple or complex manuscripts, its wor th learning Adobe InDesign. Formatting is a focused, detail-oriented task involving running headers, pagination, beginning chapters on a right-facing page, and banishing widows, orphans and unintentional blank space. Be thorough and consistent. Dont be intimidated by terms like recto, verso, kerning and leading. Youre an author- master the language! KDP Tools and Resources has a step-by-step formatting guide. You can format an eBook and a paperback with simple layout working off your Word document and templates from Kindle Create, a free desktop app.Turn your formatted book into a single PDF.Design the cover or hire a cover designer. Write the back cover copy. You will not know the precise width of the spine, until you have uploaded the interior of the book. Also, you will later obtain a bar code with a specific ISBN number and (optional) pricing information. The bar code will be printed on the back cover. So you will complete the cover design step later. KDP offers Cover Creator, a free tool to design a simple cover that meets Kindles specifications. Whatever your design method, choose simple elements so your cover will read well and stand out among Amazons thumbnail images.Plan the book launch campaign. Should your release date dovetail with Latvias Centennial Celebration, or something significant to your subject matter? Plan to get face-to-face with readers during the excitement of your new book release by planning a calendar of bookstore and library signings now. Write a press release and set up who will receive it and when. Prepare a list of reviewers who will receive advance copies of your opus.Amazon rankings are influenced by a flurry of sales activity in a short period of time, so take advantage of the initial hoopla to affect a spike in sales.Build or maintain your author platform. You want your book to arrive hot-off-the-press to fanfare! Dont let your social media presence lapse just because you are in formatting purgatory. Schedule six months of p osts in advance.Print bookmarks, display posters and flyers. Practice performing readings before an audience.Use your e-mail list to keep fans and readers in the loop, let them count down with you to the release date, and invite them to events.Make sure your browser is updated.Congratulations! If you have completed the above 16 steps, youve accomplished the work of a team of publishing professionals.At this point, you may choose from many print-on-demand providers. If your heart is set on a hardcover, for example, Ingram Spark would be a better fit than KDP. You can utilize both or several platforms to achieve your objectives. Research your options thoroughly for the best fit before committing your time and money or signing any agreements. Authors who select Amazons KDP will find the process to be straightforward and user-friendly. Onward!Set up your KDP account. Then, go to your Bookshelf and Create A New Title. Most of the info required is obvious, but Book Description, Keywords a nd Price should be carefully considered.Your 4000-character Book Description will appear on Amazon, and must catch a readers interest and motivate a purchase.Provide 7 keywords or short phrases that will make your book discoverable.Set the price.KDP offers authors the option to use their own ISBN (International Standard Book Number), purchase discounted Bowker ISBNs, or obtain free ISBNs with KDP Print as the imprint.Select trim size, page color, and cover finish, as prompted.Upload the PDF file containing your paperbacks manuscript, aka the interior.Complete the Cover Design (step #10 above) with the precise, required dimensions (front, back and spine) and bar code. Now that you know the books page count, ISBN, and pricing, KDPs Cover Template Generator will give you the covers exact dimensions and unique bar code.Upload the cover PDF file.Launch the Previewer. Any problems that will impact printing will be reported. Some errors will have to be corrected. Others may be ignored if y ou want to risk a suboptimal outcome. You may inspect a digital proof by downloading the Print Previewer, or order a physical proof, or both.Approve the proof and submit the files for a Manual Check. After your book passes, it is available for sale on Amazon.Kindle Create will format the manuscript file for an eBook, which is similarly uploaded, proofed, submitted, reviewed and published.Your KDP Bookshelf will show that your books are Live and Available for Purchase on Amazon! Purchase a quantity for your promotional needs. Savor holding your book in your hands and the effort it represents.Go to Amazons AuthorCentral.com and set up your Author Page- an important and potentially juicy component of your platform. Through this portal, add editorial reviews for your book, track book sales, see and respond to reader reviews, chat with your readers and fix issues with your book listings.Create your Amazon.com Author Page.Dont forget to create a direct link from your website to your books detail page on Amazon. Post this link on your social media sites.Get reviews! Potential readers may ignore a book that has zero reviews.Promote! Move up Amazon rankings with flights of intense promotional activity in a short period of time. Drop the price of your book for 5 – 7 days. Or invent a giveaway, hoping that many of the winner-readers will return a favorable review. Do a virtual book or blog tour. Learn more on KDP Select and Kindlepreneur.Deposit royalties. KDP pays royalties every month, approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which they were earned.Follow this checklist to self-publish on Amazon. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels.Remember, as an indie author, you are the ultimate and only source for your book. If youre new to this, you may make mistakes. Correct them. You are not Simon Schuster. You offer an artisanal product, according to a savvy business model that maintains 60% royalties. Put forth your best effort and build ethical, personal re lationships with your readers and publishing associates.Further help: K-boards and the KDP Community.

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons Government healthcare refers to government funding of healthcare services via direct payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers. In U.S. government healthcare, doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals are not employed by the government. Instead, they provide medical and health services, as normal, and are reimbursed by the government, just as insurance companies reimburse them for services. An example of a successful U.S. government healthcare program is Medicare, established in 1965 to provide health insurance for people aged 65 and over, or who meet other criteria such as disability. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world, democratic or non-democratic, without universal healthcare for all citizens provided by government-funded coverage. 50 Million Uninsured Americans in 2009 In mid-2009, Congress is working to reform U.S. healthcare insurance coverage which presently leaves more than 50 million men, women and children uninsured and without access to adequate medical and health services. All healthcare coverage, except for some low-income children and those covered by Medicare, is now provided only by insurance companies and other private-sector corporations. Private company insurers, though, have proven quite ineffective at controlling costs, and actively work to exclude healthcare coverage whenever feasible. Explains Ezra Klein at the Washington Post: The private insurance market is a mess. Its supposed to cover the sick and instead competes to insure the well. It employs platoons of adjusters whose sole job is to get out of paying for needed health care services that members thought were covered. In fact, multi-million bonuses are awarded annually to top healthcare executives as incentive to deny coverage to policy holders. As a result, in the United States today: Over a third of families living below the poverty line are uninsured. Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely to be uninsured as white Americans while 21% of black Americans have no health insurance.More than 9 million children lack health insurance in America.Eighteen thousand people die each year because they are uninsured. Slate.com reported in 2007: The current system is increasingly inaccessible to many poor and lower-middle-class people... those lucky enough to have coverage are paying steadily more and/or receiving steadily fewer benefits. Latest Developments In mid-2009, several coalitions of Congressional Democrats are heatedly crafting competing healthcare insurance reform legislation. Republicans have generally not offered substantive healthcare reform legislation in 2009. President Obama has voiced support for universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which would be provided by selecting among various coverage options, including an option for government-funded healthcare (aka a public plan option or public option). However, the President has stayed safely on the political sidelines, thus far, forcing Congressional clashes, confusion, and setbacks in delivering on his campaign promise to make available a new national health plan to all Americans. Healthcare Packages Under Consideration Most Democrats in Congress support universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which offers various options for insurance providers, and includes a low-cost, government-funded healthcare option. Under the multi-option scenario, Americans satisfied with their present insurance can opt to keep their coverage. Americans dissatisfied, or without coverage, can opt for government-funded coverage. Republicans complain that the free-market competition offered by a lower-cost public-sector plan would cause private-sector insurance companies to cut their services, lose customers, would inhibit profitability, or go entirely out of business. Many progressive liberals and other Democrats believe strongly that the only fair, just U.S. healthcare delivery system would be a single payer system, such as Medicare, in which only low-cost government-funded healthcare coverage is provided to all Americans on an equal basis. Americans Favor Public Plan Option Per the Huffington Post about a June 2009 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll: ... 76 percent of respondents said it was either extremely or quite important to give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance. Likewise, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan - something like Medicare for those under 65 - that would compete for customers with private insurers. Twenty percent said they were opposed. Background Democrat Harry Truman was the first U.S. President to urge Congress to legislate government healthcare coverage for all Americans. Per Healthcare Reform in America by Michael Kronenfield, President Franklin Roosevelt intended for Social Security to also incorporate healthcare coverage for seniors, but shied away for fear of alienating the American Medical Association. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Medicare program, which is a single payer, government healthcare plan. After signing the bill, President Johnson issued the first Medicare card to former President Harry Truman. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed his wife, well-versed attorney, Hillary Clinton, to head a commission charged with forging a massive reform of U.S. healthcare. After major political missteps by the Clintons and an effective, fear-mongering campaign by Republicans, the Clinton healthcare reform package was dead by Fall 1994. The Clinton administration never tried again to overhaul healthcare, and Republican President George Bush was ideologically opposed to all forms of government-funded social services. Healthcare reform was a top campaign issue among 2008 Democratic presidential candidates. Presidential candidate Barack Obama promised that he will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. See the entirety at Obama Campaign Promises: Health Care.    Pros of Government Healthcare Iconic American consumer advocate  Ralph Nader sums up the positives of government-funded healthcare  from the patients perspective: Free choice of doctor and hospital;No bills, no co-pays, no deductibles;No exclusions for  pre-existing conditions; you are insured from the day you are born;No bankruptcies due to  medical bills;No deaths due to lack of health insurance;Cheaper. Simpler. More affordable;Everybody in. Nobody out;Save taxpayers billions a year in bloated corporate administrative and executive compensation costs. Other important positives of government-funded healthcare include: 47 millions Americans lacked  healthcare insurance  coverage as of the 2008 presidential campaign season. Soaring unemployment since then have caused the the ranks of the uninsured to swell past 50 million in mid-2009.Mercifully, government-funded healthcare would provide access to  medical services  for all uninsured. And lower costs of government healthcare will cause insurance coverage to be significantly more accessible to millions of individuals and businesses.Doctors and other medical professionals can focus  on patient care, and no longer need to spend hundreds of wasted hours annually dealing with insurance companies.Patients, too, under government healthcare would never need to fritter inordinate amounts of frustrating time haggling with insurance companies. Cons of Government Healthcare Conservatives and libertarians oppose U.S. government healthcare mainly because they dont believe that its a proper role of government to provide social services to private citizens. Instead, conservatives believe that  healthcare coverage  should continue to be provided solely by private-sector for-profit insurance corporations or possibly by non-profit entities. In 2009, a handful of Congressional Republicans have suggested that perhaps the uninsured could obtain limited medical services via a  voucher system and tax credits for low-income families. Conservatives also contend that lower-cost government healthcare would impose too great of a  competitive advantage  against for-profit insurers. The  Wall Street Journal argues: In reality, equal competition between a public plan and private plans would be impossible. The public plan would inexorably crowd out private plans, leading to a single-payer system. From the patients perspective, negatives of government-funded healthcare could include: A decrease in flexibility for patients to freely choose from among the vast cornucopia of drugs,  treatment options, and surgical procedures offered today by higher-priced doctors and hospitals.Existing patient confidentiality standards, which would likely be diluted by centralized government info that would necessarily be maintained.Less potential doctors may opt to enter the medical profession due to decreased opportunities for highly compensated positions. Less doctors coupled with skyrocketing demand for doctors could lead to a shortage of medical professionals, and to longer waiting periods for appointments. Where It Stands As of late June 2009, the struggle to shape healthcare reform has only begun. The final form of successful healthcare reform legislation is anyones guess. The American Medical Association, which represents 29% of U.S. doctors, opposes any government insurance plan mainly because doctors  reimbursement rates  will be less than those from most private sector plans. Not all doctors oppose government-funded healthcare, though. Political Leaders on  Healthcare Reform On June 18, 2009, Speaker of the House  Nancy Pelosi told the press I have every confidence that we will have a public option coming out of the  House of Representatives  - that will be one that is actuarially sound, administratively self-sufficient, one that contributes as to competition, does not eliminate competition. Senate Finance Committee Chair  Max Baucus, a centrist Democrat, admitted to the press: I think a bill that passes the Senate will have some version of a public option. Moderate Blue Dog Democrats of the House say the public plan should occur only as a fallback, triggered if private insurers arent doing a good enough job on access and costs, per  Rob Kall at OpEd News. In contrast, Republican strategist and Bush advisor  Karl Rove recently penned a harshly dire  Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he warned that ... the public option is just phony. Its a bait-and-switch tactic... Defeating the public option should be a top priority for the GOP this year. Otherwise, our nation will be changed in damaging ways almost impossible to reverse. The  New York Times wisely summed up the debate  in a June 21, 2009 editorial: The debate is really over whether to open the door a crack for a new public plan to compete with the private plans. Most Democrats see this as an important element in any  health care reform, and so do we.

Project Management of Marks&Spencer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Management of Marks&Spencer - Case Study Example Project Management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time and quality and participation satisfaction. In order to meet the organizational objective of providing increased satisfaction to the customers by offering products of superior quality and an efficient service in more attractive surroundings that are comfortable to the customers a continuous stores development programme on the part of Marks & Spencer is the most important factor to decide on the expansion and modernization of their stores locations. Apart from the customer satisfaction from the commercial angle also when there is an opportunity for increased profitability resulting from such relocation the company would as well take it up to get the advantage. In the instant case the new location Kendal being a busy market town as well as a popular tourist area in Cumbria offered excellent prospects of increased sales activity. Existing sales performances, proposed selling space available, local customer profile, size of the catchment of the population and local competition are some of the other deciding factors that will infl uence the decision about the project. The major obstacle was the climatic factor as the n... The initial preparation of the site by the contractor may also pose an issue though not a major one. It was necessary to get all the statutory clearances by giving notices abiding by the requirements of public notice periods so that if there are any objections from the public. Another issue in the way of the progress of the project was the important building regulations approval required was for the changes in the elevation involving design changes and relocation of entrances. One of the major obstacles faced was in the issue of the opening dates so that the sales during the festive season were not missed. However the project team did not want to rush up and end in doing wrong things. Discussion and Evaluation: As outlined earlier the organizational objective of Marks & Spencer in improving customer satisfaction and thereby achieving enhanced profitability was aimed to be achieved through this relocation project. The major deciding factor in favour of the project is the location of the new site which is a business town as well as a tourist spot which offers a twin advantage for improving the sales of the company. Moreover the geographical location also went in favour of the decision to relocate. As explained by the Stores Planner the customer satisfaction can be improved not only by offering quality products to the customers but also by providing an attractive and comfortable stores environment. When both these factors are combined in any retail store relocation, the project is bound to result a remarkable success. Moreover efficient stores design also result in an effective cost minimisation. A lot of inputs in the form of studying the existing

Vanley Burk and the authentic Birmingham experience Essay

Vanley Burk and the authentic Birmingham experience - Essay Example Burke has been the part of the community which was struggling for better living conditions, better education and better life. On the basis of Norman Fairclough’s frame work the work of Burke has been analysed and explained. Vanely Burke on the other hand developed his skills and sensitivity towards authentic photography to present human life and emotions. He emphasised more on the human aspects of images than the material aspects. His presentations indicates that the authentic presentations of photography does not require an individual to belong to the particular community rather it requires the sensitivity in the presentations towards the subject matter. The paper is based on the qualitative analysis of Vanley Burk and the authentic Birmingham experience on the basis of Norman Fairclough’s work. The interview of Vanley Burke has been utilised as a source of analysis. The African and Caribbean community have come to Britain due to various reasons. Some have been brought as slaves while others have been invited to fill the gap of demand and supply of labour class. This community had come for better perspective of life. These communities have their own cultural identity and social structures where they had norms, values and social relations. The identity they had in their native country and the identity they have been receiving in Britain was different. The British media had presented the negative images of this community. This led to build up negative perceptions among the mass about these people. The identity of any section of society can build up or tarnished on the way they are presented by media. The language, images, conte xt and the timings of the appearance of particular news or information is crucial in the image building process. Apart from that lack of knowledge about the culture and the living of one community can be the other factor of believing in what is

Why Americans should embrace Alternative fuel vehicles Term Paper

Why Americans should embrace Alternative fuel vehicles - Term Paper Example If this trend is to continue in the future, then very shortly the phenomenon of 'peak oil' would be triggered and global competition of remaining oil will escalate the prices beyond affordability. Moreover, there is the persuasive argument from environment preservation angle. If current energy usage patterns continue for a few more decades then the ecosystems and environments across the world would be damaged beyond repair, putting at risk the long-term survival of our species. (Borowitz, 1999, p.255) The rest of this essay will elaborate on these points and present the reasons why Americans should embrace alternative fuel vehicles. Beyond concerns about peak-oil and issues of sustaining conventional oil supplies, there is the danger posed by environmental pollution. While manufacturing industries play their part in polluting air, water and soil, the chief contributors are motor vehicles. For example, 90% of the carbon monoxide, 50% of the volatile organic compounds, and 40% of the o zone in metropolitan areas come from motor vehicles. (Meotti, 1995, p.27) With car ownership per-capita in America being one of the highest among advanced economies, there is a urgent need for alternative fuels. There is also the option of attempting to reduce car sales and car usage. But since this outcome is highly unlikely, finding substitute fuels for petroleum-based ones is the more plausible option going forward. Soybean oil is another alternative fuel that holds a lot of promise. When oil prices spiked during the first Gulf War in 1991, American farmers put to use the huge surplus of soybean oil stored in tanks across the country. They said that Soybean oil can be refined into bio-diesel, which can be used by vehicles. Already, by this time, bio-diesel was being manufactured in Europe using rapeseed oil. And by following the same procedure, Soybean oil could also be converted into bio-diesel, which would prove to be a cleaner and eco-friendly energy alternative. (Schmidt, 200 7, p.87) Experts and business people have now identified bio-diesel as a key player in the alternative fuels market. It also has the advantage of being produced by both small-scale manufacturers as well as large industries. While bio-diesel cannot completely substitute for petroleum products, it has the capacity to power a wide variety of vehicles. At present 95% of passenger vehicles in America run on gasoline. Bio-diesel can significantly help reduce this percentage. (Schmidt, 2007, p.87) Promoters of bio-diesel also feel that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages. It is not only a sustainable energy option, but also an eco-friendly one. For example, â€Å"Numerous studies show that compared to petrodiesel, B20 emits at least 10% less particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and total hydrocarbons. The relevant data are summarized in a 2006 NREL report titled Effects of Biodiesel Blends on Vehicle Emissions. Unlike fossil fuels--which contain carbon from underground sources--biod iesel contains carbon from plants that were recently alive and drawing carbon from the atmosphere. For that reason, burning it doesn't add more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than what was already there. What's more, biodiesel contains 11% oxygen by weight, which enhances fuel combustion, and reduces the amount of carcinogenic soot that diesel engines spew into the air.† (Schmidt, 2007, p.87) Diesel-run vehicles, on the other hand, are decisively more polluting. They release a lot of sulphur into the atmosphere, which in turn creates sulfate-based particulates, which in turn

The Organisational Culture At Enron Corporation Commerce Essay

The Organisational Culture At Enron Corporation Commerce Essay This paper analyses the Enron organisation culture and the key issues that eventually led to the Enron Corporate debacle and why it is so vital that top level management is the main proponent of this culture shaping lower level employees behaviour of moral reasoning. Moreover, as there is a need to understand how the different types of cultures may effortlessly help business to perform, this essay will identify the type of Enrons corporate culture through applying the assessment instruments developed by Cameron and Quinn (1998). In todays business environment the culture has huge impact on organizations performance. It is widely recognized by the managers, that the adoption of organisational culture as an effective control tool, gives the opportunity to affect on what people think, believe and value (Ray, 1986). It is commonly known that different organisations have typical cultures. The culture of a group can be defined as: A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems ( Schein, 1993: pp373-374). Organisations develop their own culture through history and structure that gives a sense of identity. Therefore, every culture possesses its own traditions, knowledge, art, moral issues, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by individual as a member of society (Tylor, 1970).It ascertains, through the beliefs, values and norms the way how things are done around here (Mullins, 2002: p802). Organization theory scholars distinguish that organizational cultures associate to the concept of an organization. However, Huczynsk i Buchanan (2001: p627) argue that the facade symptom of culture are its most visible and most accessible forms, which are the visible and audible behaviour patterns and objects. In the case of Enron, the analysis for the companys downfall moved well beyond financial and economic debate as the corporate culture was shown to be a main reason and contributing issue (Rapoport Dharan, 2004). The society got a shockwave when it came to that Enron was seen to be an example of corporate citizenship and ethics previous to its fall down (Sims Brinkmann, 2003) while in reality the company was cheering a culture for back-biting management possessed with exhibiting short-term profits and inflating the companys stock value. Sims and Brinkmann (2003) point out that this difference between the culture shown to the public and investors and the values being enacted within the organisation is an example of the conflict that can be found between levels of culture within an organisation as suggested by Schein (1985). Conducting the further analysis of the Enrons downfall it is vital to identify the organizational culture that the company could be identified with. Hence, in accordance to Cameron and Quinn (1998) and their developed marking criteria, there are four types of organisational cultures identified which include collaborate (clan), create (adhocracy), control (hierarchy) and compete (market) cultures. After close research and analyse of the types of organisational cultures and relating the criteria to the case study it shows that Enron applied a compete culture, which to some extent, brought the company to downfall.  Compete (market) organizations are focused on relationships- in particular, transactions-with suppliers, customers, contractors, legislators, consultants, regulators, etc. Through efficient external dealings they feel that they can best achieve suc ­cess. Compete (market) organizations are concerned about competitiveness and efficiency through accent o n partnerships and positioning (Cameron and Quinn, 1998). Enron executives spent more time distressing about reputation and getting ahead than trading with the everyday business processes needed to prolong the company.  The top managers believed Enron had to be the best at everything it did. When there existed failures and losses in their business performance, what they did was covering up their losses in order to protect their reputations instead of trying to do something to make it correct. In the case of Enron, the mutual goal of winning that is frequently anxious in compete culture organizations, did not translate past rough business deals and unethical business practices. In Enrons case, its corporate culture played an important role of its collapse. It was culture of greed and moneymaking In Enron, greed was good and money was God. There was a little regard for ethics or the law. Such attitudes infused the whole company from the top down to individual workers. Organisational culture supported unethical practises- corruption, cheating, and fake practices were widespread. Many executives and managers knew that the company was following some illegal and unethical practices, but the executives and the board of directors did not know how to make the ethical decisions and corporate ethical culture. Creative accounting and misleading profit reports were a matter of everyday procedure. Denial and reputation management enabled them carry on their unethical and often illegal activities. In addition, if the company makes huge profits in unethical way then individual who joins the organisation would also have to practice unethical things to survive in the compa ny. The management was blinded by greed and ambition, their decisions became seriously flawed. Thus company fell back and managers had to pay in the form of fines and imprisonment. Thus, disregard to organisational culture and mismanagement in huge proportions and, mainly, greed is among the key factors that brought the Enron the most innovative company to downfall. Enron was looking into the ways of getting bigger, greater and more progressive than the other companies at that time. And it seemed to be really well on the way to that target. However, the analysis of Enrons organisational structure reveals that top managers of any organisation at all times must be responsible of everything that happens in their company. Hence, the Enrons top manager (Kenneth Lay) did not have his objectives, right interest and mission in the organisation. But the success of the business depends on the executives abilities to leadership, influence on others and how the real interests and goals are foll owed by. K. Lays position as a chairman was just a title for the company and as evidence of that is the action of passing along the responsibilities to the Jeff Skilling. That could be seen as the countdown of the organisational structure breakdown which is related as the key issue to all the businesses. A wise decision-making abilities and achievement of organisational objectives truly correlates with the companys organisational structure. In Enron case, people responsible for making such wise and important decisions were obviously those from the top of the management; however they did not really possess any of the productive objectives in their minds. The final decision-making was left for the chief financial and chief operating officers whose ability, in the other hand, excluded any sense of any kind of the responsibility for the consequences could occurred. The basic interest, as it seems from the case study analysis, was the financial profit- money. Thus, decision-making was easily blinded with the quantity of the business deals made and money seen, without any of the consideration of the future problems of the organisation, such behaviour could cause. According to Reh (2002), It is the leaders job to provide the vision for the group. A good executive must have a dream and the ability to get the company to support that dream. But it is not enough to merely have the dream. The leader must also provide the framework by which the people in that organization can help achieve the dream. This is called company culture (p.1). Generally, corporate culture refers to the prevailing implicit values, attitudes and ways of doing things in a company. It often reflects the personality, philosophy and the ethnic-cultural background of the founder or the leader. Corporate culture dictates how the company is run and how people are promoted (Wong, 2005, p.185). The leadership of the Enron could not cope with providing the guidance to help the business to survive. Hence, that is the clear evidence that Jeff Skilling proclaimed the Enrons corporate culture- the culture of greed, corruption and deception. He wanted profits at all cost, in addition the hiring practices became obsessed with finding aggressive, greedy, unethical employees who could deliver on the organisations demand for short term profits. There is a direct connection between the way a business and its people conduct themselves and the leadership within it. There was no respect or responsible decision-making in the Enron. The management of the organization was totally broken down by the companys executives, who displaced their responsibilities to unprofessional staff and there was no rigorous standart of the performance for their business. The senior management failed to maintain a relationship of openness and trust with employees. Staff members who questioned the wisdom of some of Enrons decisions and practices were either ignored or silenced. Senior management cared more about self-enrichment than the needs of employees. They showed little regard for meaning and ethics beyond the bottom line (Wong, 2005, p.185).And when the top managers turned a blind eye on the legal aspects when performing financial operations, the clear message of the tolerance of the illegal practices was sent. After analysing the case study I suggest that the most important lesson is that corporate culture matters it can either bring prosperity or disaster to the organization. A company needs to promote an organisational culture with moral way of thinking as Peters Waterman (1982: p75) points out that without exception, the dominance and coherence of culture proved to be an essential quality of the excellent companies. This culture should be top level management as they are key figures, which employees will follow. If executives of a company consider the short term bottom line to be the most important factor to success then lower level employees will soon get the message and acquire the game rules. This environment is exposed to the actions such as intentionally breaking the rules, if results cannot be achieved within the legal framework. From studying the Enron case it is seen that collapse was brought on by a lack of respect, lack of concern of management and real goals. To point out that the enormous amount of losses of the company destroyed the lives of the Enrons employees and the investors who trusted and heavily invested in the business. After all taking on to account that organisational culture is able to bring an enormous difference and guide the organisation to success and prolong reasonable rewards (Hoecklin, 1995) by possessing effective management (Miroshnik, 2002), the Enrons example demonstrates that when there is unhealthy corporate culture in the company which lacks the true leadership, true interests, true goals, wise decision-making and the main issue is greed for money, then such a business is exposed to become the bankrupt.

The Role of Faith in Field of Dreams :: Faith

Faith is an important aspect in everybody. It helps us see God, and believe in him. Our faith is always tested when there is a hard theological decision to make or somebody else trying to break your bold with God. The movie Field of Dreams, is a great example of how staying true to your faith can sometimes be hard. In this movie, the main character Ray Kinsella shows his faith in what he believes he should do. In the beginning of the movie Roy hears a voice from the corn saying, â€Å"If you build it he will come.† At this point Roy has no idea who is talking to him or what about. He tells his wife Annie and his young daughter Karen. He eventually realizes that the voices are telling him to build a baseball field so â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson and his teammates can play ball. Our group thought that the voices are coming from Ray’s conscience. We thought the message the voice is trying to get across is that if he builds the baseball field his father will come. We thought this because throughout the movie Ray discusses his relationship with his father and how it wasn’t the greatest. Another example of why we thought the voice was his conscience is when the voice says, â€Å"Ease his Pain.† Ray thought that he should have eased the writer Terence Mann’s p ain, but we thought the voice was saying ease the pain from the relationship with his father. The Kinsella family showed great faith throughout the movie, but Ray definitely proved his the best. By listening to the voices, he built an expensive baseball field, traveled across the country with Terence Mann to find Archibald Graham. He could have quit at any time and just forgot about the voices, but he continued to stay strong to his faith and follow his dreams. Though Ray did end up realizing why he was being told to do these things, his faith and willpower was tested throughout the movie. Faith was a major part in the movie, and ran parallel to the storyline for almost the entire duration. In many scenes faith was challenged. For example, when Ray and Annie are contemplating building the baseball field, when they have no funds and could lose their farm Ray’s faith was tested. Also when he was argues with his wife about whether to visit Terence Mann or not.

How does Bennett present different teaching styles in ‘The History Boys’?

Bennett presents three contrasting teaching styles in the History Boys through the characters of Hector, Mrs Lintott, and Irwin. All three of the characters have their own unique attitude towards the boys' impending Oxbridge examinations, putting the boys in the difficult position of having to keep a reasonable balance between teaching and learning styles whilst making every effort to maintain the good-humoured relationships they have with each of their teachers, as well as striving to achieve well in their examinations. Whilst Hector brands the boys' Oxbridge aspirations as ‘silliness', he has a dedication and love for knowledge which he imparts during his lessons, and generally, to his students. While on the subject of General Studies, he quotes ‘All knowledge is precious whether or not it serves the slightest human use', which encapsulates, in one phrase, how highly he values any kind of knowledge as well as how he tries to teach the boys. It shows that Hector sees knowledge as precious- he has an unconventional kind of teaching style which he sees as vital to the boys' education of life in general, and of particular importance is that the boys are aware of this. As Timms says, ‘Mr. Hector's stuff's not meant for the exam, sir. It's to make us more rounded human beings. ‘ when the boys are questioned by Irwin on Hector's teaching style. Furthermore, Hector believes in giving the boys the ability to defy the education they have been given- ‘You give them an education. I give them the wherewithal to resist it' he says, in conversation with factual Mrs. Lintott. Hector's teaching style is lively and compassionate, teaching the boys to love what they do. In contrast, Irwin, who is hired to prepare the boys for their exams, is totally centered on exam techniques. When reflecting on the essays he has just marked, he remarks that the other boys and girls who ‘have been to Rome and Venice, Florence and Perugia' will ‘know when they come to do an essay like this on the Church on the eve of the Reformation that some silly nonsense on the foreskins of Christ will come in handy. And doing so he advises the boys to make their essays controversial so they stand out, regardless of what is true or what is considered correct or disciplined- in fact, Irwin approaches History in a rebellious and oppositional way to spark questioning. Iriwn's bold stance on education is summed up when he says that ‘truth is no more at issue in an examination that thirst at a wine-tasting or fashion at a strip tease'- yet again reinforcing the idea that if the boys want to get in to Oxford and Cambridge, they need to make their essays contentious and different rather than ‘Dull. Read also History Quizzes Dull. Abysmally Dull. ‘ His idea that ‘silly nonsense' will catch the examiner's eye comes into conflict with Hector's teaching style and the ‘token' of Hector's trust when Irwin finds out that the boys have acquired countless ‘gobbets' from Hector's lessons that he believes would be useful for the exams- ‘Don't tell me that's useless knowledge', he says, pointing out that any piece of knowledge or quote or ‘gobbet' could help them get through their exams. Hector's compassionate teaching is at complete odds with Irwin's edgy style, and even though he disagrees wholeheartedly with the way Irwin approaches learning- ‘call them what you like, but do not call them ‘gobbets'- he is willing to help Irwin do his job- ‘However, if you think it will help, I will speak to them. ‘ Mrs Lintott, the boys' history teacher, has a very factual and straightforward approach to teaching which sees the boys through their A levels- ‘Their A levels are very good. And that is thanks to you, Dorothy. She is more concerned with facts than anything else, and her belief is that ‘Plainly stated and properly organised facts need no presentation, surely. ‘ But the headmaster of the school is looking for something different, rather like Irwin- ‘Think charm. Think polish. Think Renaissance Man. ‘ Mrs Lintott is frustrated by the need for ‘presentation' and the fact that the dons fall for the tactics employed by people like Irwin, however, and compares it to ‘A sprig of parsley, you mean? Or an umbrella in the cocktail? outlining her dry, sarcastic, cynical humour, and showing her disrespect for jazzing up facts to be acknowledged and noticed, as Irwin does. As Rudge puts it, when speaking to Mrs Lintott about Irwin, ‘You've force-fed us the facts; now we're in the process of running around acquiring flavour. ‘ In conclusion, Bennett presents three different teaching styles in the play by showing the audience not just the teachers' lessons but by giving the audience an idea of what the teachers' personalities and outlooks on life are, showing that teaching and learning involve so much more than exam res ults.

International Journal of Water Resources Development Essay

This paper investigates the use of inland waterways on three continents-Asia, Europe, and North America with an in-depth focus on the transportation of agricultural, industrial and energy products. It is found that there are great variations on the use of inland waterways in their importance from one country to another. This variation in use of inland waterways depends on economic, technical, social and political considerations. Certain considerations like cost-effectiveness or technical feasibility are universal. Additionally, this discrepancy can be explained to a certain extent by geographical conditions, but lack of realization of the potential benefits to the national economies also plays an important role. Some countries – especially the oil-importing developing countries – are now making determined efforts to expand and modernize their waterways transportation systems, but generally there is a lack of national master plans for transportation, including inland waterways, so their development is still taking place on a piecemeal basis. There are many major considerations for using inland waterways, and some of these issues are interrelated. Five major considerations are: (i) economic efficiency; (ii) employment potential; (iii) energy use; (iv) environmental factors; and (v) socioeconomic requirements. As might be expected, the recent rates of growth of inland water transport in different parts of the world have not been uniform. The growth rates have not been similar even within a specific region. For example, in Asia, cargo handled by inland waterways increased by 12% in China in 1982, and by 9. 1% in Burma during 1982-83. In contrast, cargo handled in Bangladesh declined by 4% during 1982-83. Asia. Inland waterways are an important means of transportation and communication for a significant percentage of people in Asia, especially those living in river basins and deltaic areas. Countries like Bangladesh and Thailand have always relied on transportation through their rivers which cover almost the entire length of the countries from north to south. Europe. No uniform pattern of inland water transportation (IWT) emerges in the various countries of Europe. If the West European countries are considered, in general the total tonnage of goods carried has declined over the past decade. The reduction can to some extent be attributed to the decline in economic activities. North America. For Canada – water transport has historically played a dominant role in the Canadian economy because of the nation’s size, geography and presence of a large number of water bodies. Among the major constraints for IWT in Canada are the shortness of the season due to the freezing of waterways, the relative inflexibility of capacity in some areas and vulnerability to major variations in water levels in different river sections at different times during the year. For the USA there are three different systems can be identified geographically: Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast waterways and the Mississippi river-Gulf Intercoastal system. There is no inland connection between these three systems. An analysis of the situation with respect to inland waterways transportation clearly indicates the great variations in their importance and use from one country to another. While geographical conditions can explain this anomaly to a certain extent, lack of realization of the potential impact of IWT on national economies continues to be an important factor. The expansion of IWT in developing countries has more potential than in developed countries, where this mode of transportation is more mature. Without a national transportation policy, development of IWT can proceed only on an ad hoc, piecemeal basis.