Adoption Should not Be Promoted over Abortion Assignment

Adoption Should not Be Promoted over Abortion - Assignment Example A lot of the times when he brings up adoption, the author does not actually explain what's wrong with it.   He just states that it is wrong and then glosses over the explanation by using shock words. Even though I do not agree with her, the author does present sources for her data that back up her arguments. However, I have seen sources that argue just as convincingly for the opposing opinion. Although the author is arguing for her opinion, she prefers to do so through the presentation of study results and listing the possible consequences. She does not seem interested in using rhetorical devices to make her argument more effective. Yes. Even though the author does not cite articles, he represents several sides of the issue and does not just resort to scare or smear tactics to convince people that he is right and his opponents.  Appeal to Fear – Basically the entire speech.   The author consistently uses terms like â€Å"genocide,† â€Å"scourge,† â€Å"pl ague,† and even compares the issue to the use of gas chambers. Hasty Generalization – The author assumes that all white people are racist.  If a black child is adopted by white parents, he will not be able to cope with racism because his white parents will not know how to teach him it.  The teaching of sex education to children educates them about sex, meaning that they will be more likely to engage in sexual activity.

Relationship Between Strategic Management and Leadership

Relationship Between Strategic Management and Leadership The objective of this essay is to analyze the relationship between strategic management and leadership in an organization, to discuss its link as well as the impact and how leadership styles are adapted specifically in HM (Hennes and Mauritz). 1.1.1 The link between Management and Leadership Strategic management and good leadership play an important role in meeting the organisations objective. The management is linked to processes and structures of the organization while the leadership is to the vision and values of the organization. According to Buhler, (2001), leadership is more focused on revitalizing individuals performance. Management, on the other hand, is more absorbed on checking their performance levels. The keys of any successful organization are the quality of its management and leadership skills. In a fast changing world, organizations are increasingly dependent on good management and leadership style to improve their business which somehow supports organizational productivity. 1.1.2 Strategic Management As per Parthasarthy, (2007), strategic management is a series of long-term decisions and actions taken by managers in which they select and implement strategies with a purpose of building the firms strengths through market positioning and/or accumulation of internal resources that will give the firm an advantage over rivals. Strategic management is said to be an area in an organization which deals with the major intended and emergent initiatives taken by managers on behalf of policy makers. It is mostly about the processes. 1.1.3 Leadership Drucker, (1986), refers leadership as a lifting of peoples vision to a higher sight, the raising of their performance to a higher standard, the building of their personality beyond its normal limitations. As per Parthasarthy, (2007), leadership broadly refers to the ability of managers to conceive an inspiring vision, formulate goals, articulate them, and successfully guide a firm toward the envision future. 1.2 Case Study ( HM, Hennes and Mauritz) HM is well known as a successful and expansive Swedish fashion group. Today, it operates in 38 countries and has 76,000 employees throughout Europe, North America and Asia. The company offers a range of clothing, cosmetic, footwear and accessories for men, women, children and teenagers as stated in Ideas and Thoughts, (2009). The business runs by strong values as commercial mindset, simplicity, constant improvement, cost consciousness and entrepreneurship. The CEO of HM is Mr. Stefan Persson (born 4.10.1947), since 1982 Mr. Stefan has been the main shareholder of HM. In 2010, he is second richest person in Sweden and 13th richest person in the world. In 2009 his son Mr. Karl-Johan Persson took over as president and CEO of HM. The management strategy is linked with its leader, CEO of HM. So far the vision of leadership is implemented with certain strategies to increase 10-15% in the number of stores every year, which would be founded internally. The aim is to increase sales in existing stores, while focusing on quality and continued profitability, 1.2.1 The impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decision. The objective of HM is fashion and quality at the best price. As per stated by Ideas and Thoughts, (2009), HM focuses on three main aspects of business concept which are: Price Control, this means, the company is constraining the number of merchants purchasing in bulk, depending on the massive proficiency in the design, the company is also ensuring to obtain goods the best production markets, and being conscious of the cost at all times while preserving the best distribution manufacturers. Design Control, merchandise are designed within the company and manufacturing is totally contract out. Quality Control, the management is focused with the essentiality of the quality with wide-ranging testing and making sure of the least nature damage. As a leading company of fashion and retail business they always have to boost their business strategy among the competitors. The strategy of HM has been developing along with continuous business expansion, price competitiveness and profitability and reduction of lead time. In terms of expansion, the company has expanded largely around 2,000 stores in the recent years and they also extended in business like home wares and online shopping store. Talking about price competitiveness, HM do business with right merchandise from the right production markets, being cost-conscious at all levels and maintaining effective distribution producers. Hence, quality products are be sold in an affordable price that can always beat the competitors while making profit. Furthermore, HM is using IT system to control sales and the stocks, for the company to react quickly whenever new trends are identified and to avoid procurement of goods which are not appreciated by the market. Likewise, HM relies on effi cient and integrated systems for inventory management which have been able to reduce lead times while ensuring sufficient stock management. HM is leading the way in following a strategy of vertical integration with distribution network. This strategy has allowed the company to directly collect and fully exploit information about sales and customers in order to improve and accelerate response to the market. ((www.ebusinesswatch.org,2004) In my own understanding, management and leadership strategies play a vital role in reaching the vision of the organization. Without the effective implementation of those would make the company paralyzed and unproductive. 1.2.2 Adaptation of Leadership Styles on different situation HM management is performing a democratic leadership wherein staffs are encouraged to be involved in any activities pertaining to achieving a certain goal. In addition, open communication is present between the management and the staffs that would somehow break some grudges with one another. As part of it, meetings and trainings for both business and personal development with provided feedbacks for ones improvement are also practiced. HM is committed to providing a workplace environment that offers employees opportunities to express their initiative and ideas. Team work, communication, respect and sharing of the responsibilities make the workplace unique and empowering. (HM UK,2008) Through the business strategies of HM, the organization continues to grow up and leading as one of the top worldwide fashion and retail business. The management of HM is comprehensible and determined to achieve the objective which is to be a leader in fashion and retail world for long. 1.3 Conclusion Strategic Management and Leadership play an essential part of the organization. Having strategies without good leadership is worthless. I believe that strategies are formulated and be implemented by the management with good leadership to fulfil the vision of the organization and for the purpose of productivity that would somehow makes the organization liquid. With the vision of being the leader in fashion retail, HM always consider the values that they are keeping like, the fast pace constant improvement, common sense, initiative, believing in people, being straightforward, cost conscious and teamwork. These values served as a guideline for them to work harmoniously without forgetting how to be effective and efficient individuals. It is my recommendation that HM should continue to provide motivation and incentive packages to all the employees for them to have more spirit to work effectively for the benefit of the organization. Sources of references Printed sources HM(2008) Employee handbook UK , UK, HM. Online Sources Books.google.com(n.d.)Strategic Management[online].Retrieved from; http://books.google.com/books?id=hwbDM4HFFOECprintsec=frontcoverdq=strategic+managementhl=enei=HN_OTMLlGo2LswaJ1bWXCAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=8ved=0CFsQ6AEwBw#v=onepageqf=false[Accessed on 1 November 2010] Books.google.com(n.d.)Leadership Definition[online].Retrieved from; http://books.google.com/books?id=eB4rxmscLsCpg=PA62dq=leadership+definitionhl=enei=mbnpTJOSOpKShAfFuAPsa=Xoi=book_resultct=bookthumbnailresnum=8ved=0CFIQ6wEwBw#v=onepageq=leadership%20definitionf=true [Accessed on 22 November 2010] Megaessays.com(n.d.)Management and Leadership Essay[online].Retrieved from; http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/18722.html[Accessed on 22November2010] Ideasthoughts.erruppackal.com(2009)Hennes and Mauritz(HM),An HRM case study[online].Retrieved from; http://ideasthoughts.erruppackal.com/2009/09/hennes-mauritz-hm-an-hrm-case-study/[Accessed on 22 Nov 2010] Ebusinesswatch.com(2004)Hennes and Mauritz case study[online].Retrieved from;http://www.ebusinesswatch.org/studies/case_studies/documents/Case%20Studies%202004/CS_SR01_Textile_2-HM.pdf[Accessed on 22Nov2010]

Sensing Project :: Papers

Sensing Project Project brief A new greenhouse is being developed for gardeners who are concerned about overheating plants in their current greenhouses. The new greenhouse has been built with opening windows but occasionally the windows of the greenhouse slips fully open and allow all of the trapped heat in the greenhouse to escape quickly. This is a major concern for serious gardeners. The test is to develop a sensing circuit that will sense whether the windows are fully open, so a gardener can be alerted of the problem. Introduction ============ To begin we must know what a sensor is. A sensor is an electrical component, which produces a signal in response to alteration in its surroundings, this maybe an alteration in a physical variable or by movement of objects. The sensor planned for the sensing circuit ensuring the windows are not fully open is a rotary potentiometer. A rotary potentiometer is a component, which has three terminals. When the angle of rotation is changed on the component's arm then the potential difference (often called voltage) is also changed. Once the voltage reaches a specific point a separate circuit could activate an alarm showing that the window has slipped and is fully opened. The potential difference is the difference between potential energy between two separate points. Alternatively a different sensing circuit could be used. A circuit with a thermistor (a component sensing change in temperature) could be used. In normal situations when the window would be fully closed the temperature in the greenhouse would be high so the output voltage from this circuit would be low. However if the windows were to slip open fully then the temperature inside the greenhouse would decrease so the output voltage would increase. The circuit could be linked to an alarm of some type so as when the voltage increases past a certain point when the window is fully open, the alarm rings alerting the gardener to shut the windows again. A circuit containing a LDR (light dependant resistor) could also be

The Accidental Tourist Essay

Life just is. You have to flow with it. Give yourself to the moment. Let it happen. † -Jerry Brown If an individual allows changes to occur in one’s life, then love can be the wonderful result of that acceptance. The theme of reasons why we love and how we love different people is demonstrated throughout the book The Accidental Tourist, written by Anne Tyler. There are two main characters that undergo and accept the changes in their lives, and one character that stays static throughout the book, helping one of the characters to change.Macon Leary is first grounded by loneliness and comfort, then slowly opens himself up to what appears to be a whole new world for him. Then, there is Sarah Leary, who controls some of the changes in her life, and tries to make the best of the rest of them. The character that remains the same throughout the book is Muriel Pritchett—a dog-trainer who takes an interest in Macon and helps him to accept the changes in his life. Above all, the universal theme of this book is love—a surprising new journey for all the characters.In the beginning of the book, it is explained how Macon and Sarah Leary’s son is murdered and how their marriage suffers because of this. Sarah leaves Macon, which is the beginning stage of Macon’s renovated life, but one that does not start off happily: â€Å"He didn’t eat real meals anymore†¦His hair, which Sarah used to cut for him, jutted over his forehead like a shelf. Ande something had caused his lower lids to droop. He used to have narrow gray slits of eyes; now they were wide and startled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (14). Macon is not at all used to living alone.He wants to control everything and likes nothing to be left to chance—Sarah’s departure is not something he can control and he does not deal with it well. Macon begins to think that he cannot live without his wife, but soon realizes a few things that really make him think about the marriage: Hi s brain buzzed with little worries†¦The worries changed, grew deeper, he wondered what had gone wrong with his marriage. Sarah had been his first and only girlfriend; now he thought he should have practiced on someone else beforehand.During the twenty years of their marriage there’s been moments—there’s been months—when he didn’t feel they had really formed a unit the way couples were supposed to. No, the stayed two distinct people, and now always even friends. Sometimes they’d seemed more like rivals, elbowing each other, competing over who was the better style of person†¦ (15-16) Macon realizes that he and Sarah never actually became one person; they had always stayed as two separate people living in a stale, routine marriage. Finally, Macon comes to terms with the fact that Sarah is not coming home to him: â€Å"Well, of course she wasn’t there.He knew it the instant he stepped inside that house, when he smelled that sta le hot air and heard the muffled denseness of a place with every window shut. Really he’d known it all along. He’d been fooling himself. He’d been making up fairy tales† (41). Macon knew that when he got home from his business trip that Sarah would not be there waiting for him like she used to. Although he did not ask for this change in his life, and after living alone for a while, moves back with his sister and brothers—a comfortable change for him.This all begins to change when Macon meets an unusual woman working at the animal hospital where he takes his dog and becomes acquaintances with her. Muriel allows Macon to open up to her, and Macon shows his willingness to do so: ‘I lost my son,’ Macon said. ‘He was just†¦he went to a hamburger joint and then†¦someone came, a holdup man, and shot him. I can’t go to dinner with people! I can’t talk to their little boys! You have to stop asking me. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings but I’m just not up to this, do you hear? She took one of his wrists very gently and she drew him into the house, still not fully opening the door, so that he had a sense of slipping through something, of narrowly evading something. She closed the door behind him. She put her arms around him and hugged him. (189-190) At first, Macon does not give Muriel Pritchett a second thought, but before he knows it, he is dating her and soon living with Muriel and her young son. This shows a tremendous change for Macon, and a step forward in his life. Muriel helps Macon to see the world in a different way.She is the character that seems to know exactly what she is after in life, and therefore does not change during the course of this book. On the other hand, all Macon does throughout the book is change his life in extreme ways. Macon learns how to love and trust Muriel in a way that he never has with anyone. In an addition to Macon’s changing life, ther e is his wife, Sarah, who makes the decision to leave Macon a year after the death of their son. Sarah feels that Macon does not express his emotions as she would like him to, and that he does not provide her with the comfort she needs and has needed in the past.This frustrates Sarah greatly and she does not feel as if she can continue in the marriage: I said to you the other day, I said, ‘Macon, now that Ethan’s dead I sometimes wonder if there’s any point to life. ’ Do you remember what you answered? †¦ ’You said, ‘Honey, to tell the truth, it never seemed to me there was all that much point to begin with. ’ Those were your exact words†¦ ’You just go on your same old way like before. Your little routines and rituals, depressing habits, day after day. No comfort at all. ’†¦ ‘I just can’t live with you anymore,’ Sarah said. 3-4) Sarah is heart-broken with this decision, as is Macon, but s he is just not happy with her marriage. During Macon and Sarah’s separation, Sarah starts to move on and begins dating a man. Though she has an apartment of her own, which is what she wanted, Sarah realizes how much she truly loves and misses Macon, and makes a slight and almost unnoticeable attempt to get back together with him much later in the book during a conversation between her and Macon: ‘It [the rain] looks like strips that just fade away about halfway down from the sky. ’ ‘I wish I were there to watch it with you,’ Sarah said†¦ ‘Macon?Do you†¦What’s her name? The person you live with? ’ ‘Muriel,’ he said. Which he knew before she asked, he suspected. ‘Do you plan on staying with Muriel forever? ’ ‘I really couldn’t say,’ he said. (289-290) Sarah is now the one longing for Macon. Macon thinks that the only thing to do is go back to Sarah, since, after all, he had bee n longing to get her back for some time. Macon returns to his house with Sarah, leaving Muriel: â€Å"He rode on through the city, up Charles Street, into his old neighborhood. He parked and cut the engine and sat looking at the house.The downstairs windows were dark. The upstairs windows were softly glowing. Evidently, he had come home† (291). Macon is reluctant about coming home to Sarah, but in the back of his mind he still feels like he needs her because they shared so much of their lives together. Soon after, while Macon is on another business trip to Paris, his back goes out and Sarah flies in to take care of him. Things seem to be going well, but then Sarah sees Macon packing his things a few days later, which provides yet another change for Sarah, as well as Macon: Sarah said, ‘Macon? †¦ ‘What are you doing? ’ ‘I’m packing to leave. ’ ‘But what about your back? ’ she asked. ‘And I’ve got all those a ppointments! And we were going to take a second honeymoon! ’ ‘Sweetheart,’ he said. He lowered himself cautiously till he was sitting on the bed. He picked up her hand. It stayed lifeless while she watched his face. ‘You’re going back to that woman,’ she said. ‘Yes, I am,’ he said. ‘Why, Macon? ’ ‘I just decided, Sarah. I thought about it most of last night. It wasn’t easy. It’s not the easy way out, believe me. †¦ he saw now how such couples evolved. They were not, as he’d always supposed, the result of some ludicrous lack of perception, but had come together for reasons that the rest of the world would never guess. (339-340) Macon realizes that he is happier with Muriel, and although he does not want to cause Sarah pain, this time, it is Macon that is making a change that Sarah cannot help—instead of the other way around. Therefore, Sarah must accept these changes in her life, along with all the ups and downs.Finally, Muriel Pritchett is shown to be the one character that does not go through changes in the duration of the book, already having experienced major alterations in her earlier life. Muriel assures Macon of himself and makes Macon feel needed for the first time in a long time: â€Å"Macon presented himself in front of her, holding out the pizza. ‘Ta-da! ’ he whispered. She looked up at him and gave that perky smile of hers—an ornate, Victorian V. ‘Ma,’ she said, ‘I’m going now! Macon’s here! ’ It had been a long time since anyone made such an event of his arrival† (196).Macon shows that he is beginning to allow himself to care for Muriel, and to be happy with her and this change in his life—being needed. Later on, when Macon is at his sister’s house, he begins to actually miss Muriel: Macon laid the photos aside without looking at the rest of them. He knelt to pat Ed ward†¦Macon suddenly wished he were at Muriel’s. He wrapped his arms around Edward and imagined he smelled her sharp perfume deep in Edward's fur†¦ above all else he was an orderly man†¦ There was no room in his life for anyone as unpredictable as Muriel. Or as extreme.Or as†¦well, unlikable, sometimes†¦ Then he knew what mattered was the pattern of her life; that although he did not love her he loved the surprise of her, and also the surprise of himself when he was with her. (201) As much as Macon never thought he could care for Muriel, he finds himself almost loving her, and loving himself more whenever he is with her. He begins to enjoy his time with Muriel, and now moves with the flow of life, instead of life passing him by while he is still standing still. After Macon leaves Muriel to get back with Sarah, he finds that Muriel will not give up on him.She follows him to his business trip to Paris: â€Å"‘†¦why Muriel? Why are you doing this? ’ ‘Because I felt like it,’ she said. ‘You felt like spending five days alone in a Paris hotel? That’s what is will be, Muriel. ’ ‘You need to have me around,’ she said. ‘Need you! ’ ‘You were falling to pieces before you had me† (318). Muriel is very persistent—just like when she had been pursuing Macon; she refuses to give him up. In the end, Macon cannot refuse Muriel, and leaves Paris without Sarah. This shows Muriel to be a stagnant character in this book—with her unwillingness to give up and her belief in the goodness of people.In conclusion, Macon and Sarah prove to be the characters that undergo the most rapid changes, and Muriel remains static. Above all, Macon’s desire to control his own life in such a regimented way as packing for trips with a great notion of order is probably due to the fact that he does not trust other people. He feels that he cannot rely on others a nd instead can only trust himself. However, this all changes with the help of Muriel, who proves to be one of the most beneficial people to come into Macon’s life.Sarah learns the hard way that you cannot always go back to people and places in your life and try and fix things that are not worth fixing, or not capable of being salvaged. In this case, it was she and Macon’s marriage. Sometimes it is better to let go of the past and move on to the future. The main theme of this book is love, and it is substantiated by Macon’s capability to lose sight of his fear and love someone completely different from himself and all that he has known. All of this happened because of one individual’s acceptance of change and the flow of life. The Accidental Tourist Essay Life just is. You have to flow with it. Give yourself to the moment. Let it happen. † -Jerry Brown If an individual allows changes to occur in one’s life, then love can be the wonderful result of that acceptance. The theme of reasons why we love and how we love different people is demonstrated throughout the book The Accidental Tourist, written by Anne Tyler. There are two main characters that undergo and accept the changes in their lives, and one character that stays static throughout the book, helping one of the characters to change.Macon Leary is first grounded by loneliness and comfort, then slowly opens himself up to what appears to be a whole new world for him. Then, there is Sarah Leary, who controls some of the changes in her life, and tries to make the best of the rest of them. The character that remains the same throughout the book is Muriel Pritchett—a dog-trainer who takes an interest in Macon and helps him to accept the changes in his life. Above all, the universal theme of this book is love—a surprising new journey for all the characters.In the beginning of the book, it is explained how Macon and Sarah Leary’s son is murdered and how their marriage suffers because of this. Sarah leaves Macon, which is the beginning stage of Macon’s renovated life, but one that does not start off happily: â€Å"He didn’t eat real meals anymore†¦His hair, which Sarah used to cut for him, jutted over his forehead like a shelf. Ande something had caused his lower lids to droop. He used to have narrow gray slits of eyes; now they were wide and startled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (14). Macon is not at all used to living alone.He wants to control everything and likes nothing to be left to chance—Sarah’s departure is not something he can control and he does not deal with it well. Macon begins to think that he cannot live without his wife, but soon realizes a few things that really make him think about the marriage: Hi s brain buzzed with little worries†¦The worries changed, grew deeper, he wondered what had gone wrong with his marriage. Sarah had been his first and only girlfriend; now he thought he should have practiced on someone else beforehand.During the twenty years of their marriage there’s been moments—there’s been months—when he didn’t feel they had really formed a unit the way couples were supposed to. No, the stayed two distinct people, and now always even friends. Sometimes they’d seemed more like rivals, elbowing each other, competing over who was the better style of person†¦ (15-16) Macon realizes that he and Sarah never actually became one person; they had always stayed as two separate people living in a stale, routine marriage. Finally, Macon comes to terms with the fact that Sarah is not coming home to him: â€Å"Well, of course she wasn’t there.He knew it the instant he stepped inside that house, when he smelled that sta le hot air and heard the muffled denseness of a place with every window shut. Really he’d known it all along. He’d been fooling himself. He’d been making up fairy tales† (41). Macon knew that when he got home from his business trip that Sarah would not be there waiting for him like she used to. Although he did not ask for this change in his life, and after living alone for a while, moves back with his sister and brothers—a comfortable change for him.This all begins to change when Macon meets an unusual woman working at the animal hospital where he takes his dog and becomes acquaintances with her. Muriel allows Macon to open up to her, and Macon shows his willingness to do so: ‘I lost my son,’ Macon said. ‘He was just†¦he went to a hamburger joint and then†¦someone came, a holdup man, and shot him. I can’t go to dinner with people! I can’t talk to their little boys! You have to stop asking me. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings but I’m just not up to this, do you hear? She took one of his wrists very gently and she drew him into the house, still not fully opening the door, so that he had a sense of slipping through something, of narrowly evading something. She closed the door behind him. She put her arms around him and hugged him. (189-190) At first, Macon does not give Muriel Pritchett a second thought, but before he knows it, he is dating her and soon living with Muriel and her young son. This shows a tremendous change for Macon, and a step forward in his life. Muriel helps Macon to see the world in a different way.She is the character that seems to know exactly what she is after in life, and therefore does not change during the course of this book. On the other hand, all Macon does throughout the book is change his life in extreme ways. Macon learns how to love and trust Muriel in a way that he never has with anyone. In an addition to Macon’s changing life, ther e is his wife, Sarah, who makes the decision to leave Macon a year after the death of their son. Sarah feels that Macon does not express his emotions as she would like him to, and that he does not provide her with the comfort she needs and has needed in the past.This frustrates Sarah greatly and she does not feel as if she can continue in the marriage: I said to you the other day, I said, ‘Macon, now that Ethan’s dead I sometimes wonder if there’s any point to life. ’ Do you remember what you answered? †¦ ’You said, ‘Honey, to tell the truth, it never seemed to me there was all that much point to begin with. ’ Those were your exact words†¦ ’You just go on your same old way like before. Your little routines and rituals, depressing habits, day after day. No comfort at all. ’†¦ ‘I just can’t live with you anymore,’ Sarah said. 3-4) Sarah is heart-broken with this decision, as is Macon, but s he is just not happy with her marriage. During Macon and Sarah’s separation, Sarah starts to move on and begins dating a man. Though she has an apartment of her own, which is what she wanted, Sarah realizes how much she truly loves and misses Macon, and makes a slight and almost unnoticeable attempt to get back together with him much later in the book during a conversation between her and Macon: ‘It [the rain] looks like strips that just fade away about halfway down from the sky. ’ ‘I wish I were there to watch it with you,’ Sarah said†¦ ‘Macon?Do you†¦What’s her name? The person you live with? ’ ‘Muriel,’ he said. Which he knew before she asked, he suspected. ‘Do you plan on staying with Muriel forever? ’ ‘I really couldn’t say,’ he said. (289-290) Sarah is now the one longing for Macon. Macon thinks that the only thing to do is go back to Sarah, since, after all, he had bee n longing to get her back for some time. Macon returns to his house with Sarah, leaving Muriel: â€Å"He rode on through the city, up Charles Street, into his old neighborhood. He parked and cut the engine and sat looking at the house.The downstairs windows were dark. The upstairs windows were softly glowing. Evidently, he had come home† (291). Macon is reluctant about coming home to Sarah, but in the back of his mind he still feels like he needs her because they shared so much of their lives together. Soon after, while Macon is on another business trip to Paris, his back goes out and Sarah flies in to take care of him. Things seem to be going well, but then Sarah sees Macon packing his things a few days later, which provides yet another change for Sarah, as well as Macon: Sarah said, ‘Macon? †¦ ‘What are you doing? ’ ‘I’m packing to leave. ’ ‘But what about your back? ’ she asked. ‘And I’ve got all those a ppointments! And we were going to take a second honeymoon! ’ ‘Sweetheart,’ he said. He lowered himself cautiously till he was sitting on the bed. He picked up her hand. It stayed lifeless while she watched his face. ‘You’re going back to that woman,’ she said. ‘Yes, I am,’ he said. ‘Why, Macon? ’ ‘I just decided, Sarah. I thought about it most of last night. It wasn’t easy. It’s not the easy way out, believe me. †¦ he saw now how such couples evolved. They were not, as he’d always supposed, the result of some ludicrous lack of perception, but had come together for reasons that the rest of the world would never guess. (339-340) Macon realizes that he is happier with Muriel, and although he does not want to cause Sarah pain, this time, it is Macon that is making a change that Sarah cannot help—instead of the other way around. Therefore, Sarah must accept these changes in her life, along with all the ups and downs.Finally, Muriel Pritchett is shown to be the one character that does not go through changes in the duration of the book, already having experienced major alterations in her earlier life. Muriel assures Macon of himself and makes Macon feel needed for the first time in a long time: â€Å"Macon presented himself in front of her, holding out the pizza. ‘Ta-da! ’ he whispered. She looked up at him and gave that perky smile of hers—an ornate, Victorian V. ‘Ma,’ she said, ‘I’m going now! Macon’s here! ’ It had been a long time since anyone made such an event of his arrival† (196).Macon shows that he is beginning to allow himself to care for Muriel, and to be happy with her and this change in his life—being needed. Later on, when Macon is at his sister’s house, he begins to actually miss Muriel: Macon laid the photos aside without looking at the rest of them. He knelt to pat Ed ward†¦Macon suddenly wished he were at Muriel’s. He wrapped his arms around Edward and imagined he smelled her sharp perfume deep in Edward's fur†¦ above all else he was an orderly man†¦ There was no room in his life for anyone as unpredictable as Muriel. Or as extreme.Or as†¦well, unlikable, sometimes†¦ Then he knew what mattered was the pattern of her life; that although he did not love her he loved the surprise of her, and also the surprise of himself when he was with her. (201) As much as Macon never thought he could care for Muriel, he finds himself almost loving her, and loving himself more whenever he is with her. He begins to enjoy his time with Muriel, and now moves with the flow of life, instead of life passing him by while he is still standing still. After Macon leaves Muriel to get back with Sarah, he finds that Muriel will not give up on him.She follows him to his business trip to Paris: â€Å"‘†¦why Muriel? Why are you doing this? ’ ‘Because I felt like it,’ she said. ‘You felt like spending five days alone in a Paris hotel? That’s what is will be, Muriel. ’ ‘You need to have me around,’ she said. ‘Need you! ’ ‘You were falling to pieces before you had me† (318). Muriel is very persistent—just like when she had been pursuing Macon; she refuses to give him up. In the end, Macon cannot refuse Muriel, and leaves Paris without Sarah. This shows Muriel to be a stagnant character in this book—with her unwillingness to give up and her belief in the goodness of people.In conclusion, Macon and Sarah prove to be the characters that undergo the most rapid changes, and Muriel remains static. Above all, Macon’s desire to control his own life in such a regimented way as packing for trips with a great notion of order is probably due to the fact that he does not trust other people. He feels that he cannot rely on others a nd instead can only trust himself. However, this all changes with the help of Muriel, who proves to be one of the most beneficial people to come into Macon’s life.Sarah learns the hard way that you cannot always go back to people and places in your life and try and fix things that are not worth fixing, or not capable of being salvaged. In this case, it was she and Macon’s marriage. Sometimes it is better to let go of the past and move on to the future. The main theme of this book is love, and it is substantiated by Macon’s capability to lose sight of his fear and love someone completely different from himself and all that he has known. All of this happened because of one individual’s acceptance of change and the flow of life.

Does It Pay Off

Compare/ assess HSBC and Citi-corps IT strategies. Do they invest in IT primarily as a way of cutting costs and improving their operational efficiencies, or do they invest strategically with a view to entrench their competitive positions? As noted in the conclusion of the article written by the Asia Case Research Center and the University of Hong Kong HCBC and Citigroup have both developed into global financial institutions.Both organizations have heavily invested in Information Technology and, as is self-reported in both companies’ financial statements, both are committed to using IT to gain a competitive advantage. That is where the similarities end. When we examine the details it is obvious that although both firms have heavily invested in IT advancements the types of projects and overall approach are very different. Let us first look at HSBC. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was founded by Thomas Southerland in 1865 with branches in London Shanghai, and San F rancisco.By the year 2007 the company had grown to have 9500 offices, 200,000 shareholders, 310,000 employees and over 125 million customers spanning 76 countries. HSBC built their business based on the philosophy of managing for value from 1998 through 2003 with the objective of providing a satisfactory return on shareholder capital. One of the primary ways HSBC attempted to accomplish this strategy was through its approach to leveraging technology.An example of the company’s technology strategy is found in a statement which was part of the company’s 1996 annual report. In this report the company described its IT policy as a strategy based on harnessing the power of new technology to provide new and better services for their customers while simultaneously improving the banks operational efficiencies. Then stated the challenge they saw as a global financial services organization factored highly around their ability to link different parts of the group more closely toge ther.As one progress’s further into the details of HSBC’s information technology approach numerous examples of this 1996 strategy are apparent in the organizations approach to the use of information technology. HSBC’s history appears dotted with instances of the development of ground breaking Independent systems, outsourcing to save costs, and acquisitions of emerging technologies. Despite the hefty price tag the company remained focused on providing innovate value added products and services to both current and prospective customers. Outsourcing is one key to the operational efficiency approach mentioned in its 1996 annual report.HSBC opened its first offshore processing center in China in 1996 and by 2007 had more than 18,000 employees across Asia spanning ten (10) Asian countries. HSBC estimated that by transferring its back office processing to India and China it saved the organization approximately 30 million U. S dollars annually. Further savings were real ized in 2003 when the bank merged and consolidated HSBC and HSBC Finance’s technology service teams later leading to the offshoring of the HSBC Group Service Center creating another 67 million in annual savings.In total HSBC claims that offshoring provides the bank an estimated cost savings of over 100 million U. S dollars annually. Meanwhile HSBC took on more IT staff to support service improvement projects and online banking. Heavily investing in platforms and applications designed to extend or streamline the online process HSBC fully embraced ecommerce. Beginning in 1998 with their successful Y2K testing and implementation HSBC heavily invested in the internet as a means of reaching new customers and deepening current customer relationships.Some of the projects were internally innovated however, most were a product of strategic acquisitions and/or partnerships with other organizations HSBC is very focused on innovation the company has used its innovative focus to successfu lly leverage the power of the internet to reach customers around the world. To create the world’s most inclusive efficient internet portal the company has worked with several different organizations that could assist in furthering its digital capabilities Some examples of these partnerships are:.Working with Compaq to design an internet payment gateway, partnering with HTK to enable merchants to set up online store fronts, working with MasterCard to develop and launch Asia’s first electronic wallet, cooperating with IBM to develop multichannel banking services, teaming up with Sky digital satellite to launch the UK’s first television banking system, and finally a joint venture with Merrill Lynch to introduce online brokerage services. At the same time the bank was partnering with multiple organizations developing several technology offerings things were also being innovated internally.HSBC developed and delivered many value added products and services like launc hing mobile banking and secure net payments for merchants in 1999, the creation of Ibusinesscorporation. com and HSBC. com. HSBC. com which was designed to create a common presentation of all HSBC’s services at any time anywhere to any of its customers was the crown jewel of the technology strategy. Overall the company dedicated a large percentage of its IT budget time and focus on the development, expansion, functionality and inclusiveness of creating a comprehensive online presence.HSBC spent 164 million dollars on the website hsbc. com in 2001 alone. The internet strategy seemed to pay off for HSBC creating large gains in number of customers and transactions. Overall gains were seen in commercial and consumer banking with increases in customer numbers in both divisions. Overall the bank saw its customer number increase 24% with online transactions increasing a whopping 116%. however this massive push online left the company with 26 websites and over 1. 1 billion dollars in expenses.In contrast to the HSBC’s strategies for utilization of IT recourses Citicorp followed the diversified financial services model built on the belief that different financial service products should be conglomerated to balance earnings and to create less earnings volatility. The company believed it was more cost effective to cross sell financial products in one go than to sell them separately. Different than the wide corporate structure found within HSBC Citicorp only consists of three major business groups all primarily supported by standard corporate infrastructure. While both banks focused on lobal growth HSBC focused on innovation and leveraging the internet to reach current and potential customers Citi corps approach was that of growth, commonality, and local control. Unlike HSBC, Citigroup took an integrated approach to its IT governance worldwide. By using a combination of packaged and customized software to develop group wide platforms Citigroup enhanced the s trength of its extensive international branch network to facilitate knowledge exchange across borders. Since IT projects at Citi were often initiated with a local business unit typically they were designed with local solutions in mind.The only truly global requirement placed on the innovating branch were that the local system be capable of effectively and efficiently being linked with Citi groups existing system and that security arrangements could be made. The key for Citi was the consistent platform and the ability to share knowledge across space not necessarily that it was internet driven and deployable to the whole world. Also in stark contrast to the HSBC strategy of cost savings through outsourcing, Citigroup pursued IT outsourcing only in a very limited way and not for strategic initiatives.While HSBC was building strategic initiatives with numerous external companies Citigroup took on projects like the 750 million dollar project in the 90’s to integrate the banks 60,0 00 personal computer and 2,000 LAN’s worldwide into a common global network and system infrastructure. The power of its integrated technology platform would later be demonstrated by the rapid integration of the 750 branch CitiFinancial system By 2000 Citigroup had leveraged its strong common technology platform and its international branch presence to launch its own online presence, Citi on the net.Directly related to their standard technology and growth platforms by the end of the year 2000 Citigroup had over 800 million online accounts in an effort to deliver convenience and value to its clients. Citigroup created new internet units including e-commerce, e-business, and e-capital markets to empower the existing business lines while simultaneously creating an internet operating group to drive the corporate internet strategy and again use it to coordinate efforts across divisions. By 2002 Citi on the net had been replaced by â€Å"my citi. om† providing the platform ne cessary to allow the bank the ability to make online banking available in over 90 countries ultimately leading to processing over 39 million transactions around the world in rout to being named â€Å"best of the web 2003† The banking giants internally driven internet strategy seemed to culminate with the launch of Citibank direct in 2006 and nearly 10 billion dollars in deposits. Overall in my perception of the IT strategies of both Citi and HSBC their direction of IT investment does not appear to fit into one black or white strategy however appears more likely to exist on a continuum.I believe there are examples of both HSBC and CITI investing in IT as a way of cutting costs and improving their operational efficiencies. With HSBC one example of this is outsourcing. With regard to Citi one example is the focus on standard systems providing local solutions. Additionally, I believe both organizations also used technology effectively as strategies to entrench their competitive p ositions. HSBC as a platform to cost effectively expand its global reach without the costly build-out of constructing an extensive global brick and mortar branch network through the use of the internet.In contrast, for CITI to be able to provide local solutions by leveraging its global knowledge, services, and offerings to provide value added products and services to current and prospective clients. In closing not addressed directly in the article but appears to be relevant as I look at the different IT approaches taken by both Citi and HSBC is where they started. Both companies come from different backgrounds created in different environments for the purpose of serving different clients.Although eventually their worlds collided their roots seems quite different. I can’t help but wonder, to what degree were the different approach to types and amounts of investment in IT between the two global banking giants has to be attributed to (1) Different business strategy’s with each company recognizing its own path of least resistance to accomplish their organizations goals. (2) The best way to leverage the current asset base of each individual organization. 2. In your assessment, which one of the companies do you think was cleverer in its IT investments?Both organizations appear to have shown the ability to differentiate one’s organization through the use of technology when technology that can complement their overall business strategy comes available. For Citibank this availability arose through an increase in recourses by the organization; conversely, for HSBC through technological advancements made in the market place. My perception is that both companies utilized IT investments like a vehicle, to get from where they were to where they wanted to be.The numbers provided in the back of this report show the companies are strikingly similar in many ways despite their very different beginnings and historical decisions regarding investment in IT. Fiv e factors compared n the report are compiled below that both demonstrate their striking similarity but also provide clues to who at least for now is winning the battle for global banking clients. Category(2006)| Citi-Bank| HSBC| Leader| #of Employees| 325,000| 312,000| Citi-Bank| IT expenditures| 3762| 4810| Citibank| Net-Profit| 21538| 16358| Citi-Bank| Total Assets| 1,884,318| 1,712,627| Citi-Bank|Market Capitalization| 269. 1| 212| Citi-Bank| | ROA| 1. 14%| 0. 96%| By doing some basic calculations using the numbers above it is easy to see that as of the time of this report the company with the best history of performance was clearly Citi-Bank. Although total assets and number of employees are strikingly similar the difference in the organizations is clearly found in three areas. Net profit, IT expenditure’s, and market capitalization. ROA for HSBC is . 96% which signifies it is destroying shareholder capital by losing 4 cents for every dollar invested.Conversely, Citi-Bank with an ROA of 1. 14% is creating value by transforming every 1$ invested in the company into 1. 14 cents providing a 14% return annually. Another metric not common in finance but appears pertinent here would be an employee to IT expenditure’s ratio where HSBC spent $15,416. 67 per employee and Citi-Bank spent $11,575. 38. The second ratio that appears to point to an adjusted IT strategy for HSBC is a total asset to IT expenditure ratio in which again HSBC spends 28% of its total assets on. IT where Citibank again has a better ratio at 20% of its total assets.Neither of these last two ratios is very common but both appear to be where HSBC could attempt to close the Gap in financial performance between the two companies. Finally of note needs to be the difference in market cap Assuming both companies have a fairly equal amount of issued common equity the fact that Citi-Banks market cap is 57 billion dollars higher that HSBC demonstrates to me that when the marginal investor c ompares the perceived future performance comparing both companies current business plan investors believe with more confidence that Citi-Bank will generate I higher return on investment and stronger cash flows than will HSBC.Despite HSBC’s efforts to cut costs be on the forefront of banking innovation Citicorp clearly was able to leverage its vast global network of fixed assets in a standardized approach more successfully than HSBC was able to leverage the internet to increase its profitability through global expansion. In closing I again wonder if part of the increased performance Citicorp sees beyond that which is seen by HSBC is related to cultural bias Simple current consumer preference in the majority of the cultures in which both firms operate.In conclusion, the writer would like to briefly mention potential factors that came to mind while reading this article. Thinking outside the numbers part of me believes that although trends are less prevalent than they have been f or generations past, several groups of people, are particularly fond of being able to bank at a physical location. Some don’t believe in banking at all. Like the trail that amazon is blazing in the online retail market place online banking platforms are different than most people are used to.Change is often strange and sometimes difficult but if HSBC’s IT strategy is ever to pay off it must hope like amazon that as time passes if more people become comfortable with the idea of online banking their model may thrive. However, until that time unless it were to drastically change its business model and begin to invest in a global network of physical bank branches HSBC’s best strategy may be to stay the course of investing in driving customers more towards the feeling of convenience than perceived safety.

Detecting Counter Arguments To Defend An Argument Coursework

Detecting Counter Arguments To Defend An Argument Coursework Detecting Counter Arguments To Defend An Argument – Coursework Example Detecting Counter Arguments to Defend an Argument Detecting Counter Arguments to Defend an Argument There are a number of opposing views to my thesis that the media has contributed to the rising cases of early pregnancy among teens. Although nearly everyone agrees that teenage pregnancy is currently a serious major social problem in the contemporary society, there seems to be a divided opinion regarding whether the media is beneficial or detrimental to the fight against early pregnancy among teens (Thompson, 2007). One of the main opposing arguments is that the view that the Media particularly through reality shows such as MTVs â€Å"16 and pregnant† and â€Å"Teen Mom† are actually contributing to the fight against early pregnancy among teenagers by demonstrating the hardships and difficulties of teenage pregnancy to the viewers thereby acting as a cautionary tale to the vast majority of teens (NCPTUP, 2010). According to NCPTUP (2010), the media is one of the greatest tools available for fighting early pregnancy among teens and programs such as â€Å"16 and pregnant† have resulted in a noticeable reduction of the teenage pregnancy rates across the United States by up to 5.7 percent as at the year 2010. The authors attribute this to the perceived role of the media in demonstrating the hardships of being a young parent and fostering the conversation of how teenagers might end up in such circumstances as well as the available mitigation measures. However, contrary to the views contained in these opposing arguments, it is worth noting that the media has in most cases tended to glamorize teenage parenthood by depicting many of the teenage mothers as celebrities. In my view, this is a potential factor to the rising cases of early pregnancy among teensReferencesNational Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (2010). Evaluating the Impact of MTV’s  16 and Pregnant  on Teen Viewers’ Attitudes about Teen Pregnancy.  Sc ience Says 45.Thompson, S. P..(2007). Teens pregnancy: Opposing viewpoints. Greenhaven Press.

20 Narrative Essay Topics on Arranged Marriages in India

20 Narrative Essay Topics on Arranged Marriages in India If you are tasked with writing a narrative essay on arranged marriages in India, then you might be looking for a prompt, or topic, that you can use to make your writing piece the best piece possible. If so, there are twenty useful topics below on the idea of arranged marriages: Why Divorce Rates Are Lower Among Contractual Marriages in India How Loving Indian Parents Should Evaluate Potential Matches In a Marriage A Time When You Had to Fulfill Your Parents Wishes And You Found That In Doing So You Were Much Happier A Personal Story Which Exemplifies How Respect and Trust You Had For Someone Else Transformed Into Love A Time When You Realized the Foundation for Love Was Not Just Feelings It Takes a Lifetime to Learn How to Love Someone in Indian Arranged Marriages Explain Why Brides Need a Dowry in India The Theme of Commitment Involved in Arranged Marriages in India A Time You Made a True Commitment to Something, With No Visible Exit Strategy A Story About a Time You Challenged What Your Parents Wanted For You An Event in Your Life Where You Were Considered an Embarrassment in Your Social Circles For Choosing Something A Time In Your Life Where You Made a Decision Based on a Commitment and Not on Feelings A Time When You Were Encouraged By Individuals or Society to Seek the Approval of A Potential Mate Above All Else A Time When Your Parents Were Responsible for Making a Large Life Decision For You, Similar to An Arranged Marriage in Terms of the Life Impact It Has A Special Celebration or Tradition In Your Family Where Blessings Are Bestowed Upon the People for Whom the Party is Thrown A Time When You Were Asked to Make a Life Altering Decision But You Learned New Information About The Decision After It Was Made An Event Where You Witnessed Real Love Growing or Dying Between Two People What Traits You Were Taught Were Important In Order for You To Become a Successful Adult, Taught When You Were a Child A Time When You Felt Forced to Make a Decision You Did Not Want A Time or Event In Your Life Where You Learned Something New About Someone You Had Lukewarm Feelings For Sample Narrative Essay on the Foundation for Love I never realized. How was I so blind? Steven was there, always there. I was foolish, young, and full of the spirit of adventure. Not wanting to sit still, and certainly not wanting to listen to my parents, I let my young whims and desires run away with me, so to speak. I had my best friend nearby, sure, but he was there to lend a hand in picking up the pieces after I had been broken, or to fill in the dead air when no other plans were made. I was not yet cognizant of the unfairness with which he was treated, or that I had viewed him incorrectly the entire time. To me, love was a silly notion, something that was used as an excuse for people who had religion on their side to get in between the sheets without the fiery wrath of their god or their parents. But I understand and appreciated many of the Greek words for love, such that they presented delineation between the love we feel for family members, for friends, and for those with whom we are intimately involved. I appreciated this thought, as it offered an explanation for the different feelings I had for different people in my life, rather than lumping them all together under one title. Broken, yet again, and sitting alone, there was no second thought about who to call. There was only one person I could stand to see and that one person was the perfect mixture of support, structure, and mutual trust. I was able to rely upon the one person to make me laugh. He never had to ask if I was not feeling well, or if something was wrong. He always knew how to make me laugh. He would say the perfect thing no matter the situation. Suddenly I was quite sick. I was taken over by a serious infection, something the doctors couldn’t diagnose. Multiple hospital visits, countless needles and blood, and restless days spent in bed were only made better by the regular, unasked for visits by my best friend. Never was I only subjected to hospital pillows and food, for he brought me both. Soon enough, a feeling of appreciation developed. I was appreciative for his kind acts. His refusal to leave the bedside, and to always care for me thereafter turned into something stronger. He stood up for what he believed in one day, against all manner of harassment, not backing down from his religion or his love of books. Witnessing this turned my feelings of appreciation into respect. I respected him for his convictions. This level of respect, over the course of many years converted itself into adoration and liking him. I liked him, wanted to be near him, and never wanted to be apart. But with time, this feeling too converted i tself into love. But this love was much stronger than any other love felt before and was unique in its foundation. It had taken me years, multiple years of trials and tribulations before I realized that there were feelings there which were much more important and significant than what many people foolishly considered â€Å"love†. Searching for that one person to make everything right, searching for that one person who was there without even being asked.

Definition of Embodiment in Patents

Definition of Embodiment in Patents Embodiment by definition is a manner in which an invention can be made, used, practiced or expressed. Embodiment in Patent Applications The phrase embodiment will be in your patent application, as part of the legalese used. In a patent application, the specification will include descriptions of the preferred embodiments. If you read a patent you will often see a section headlined DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT. You will often refer to some aspect of your invention as an embodiment in descriptions. Looking at examples of how the word is used should make what it means and how to use the word clearer. Examples The following examples are more fully described in the first link box below. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTFIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a Halloween mask with a flash device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1 is a front pictorial perspective view of a wireless telephone constructed in accordance with an embodiment the present invention;

Police Interrogation and Due Process Research Paper

Police Interrogation and Due Process - Research Paper Example The above principles which are contained in the 5th amendment are very important to an individual accused of a crime. Although the amendment is viewed to contain various provisions, four elements widely protects an individual accused of a crime are right of protection against double jeopardy, right to due process, a right to what is known as grand jury and finally, right against self incrimination (Tomkovicz, 2002). Within courts in the United States, whenever questions arise in criminal trials whether a confession is incompetent because it is not viewed to be voluntary; this issue is mainly controlled by the 5th amendment commanding that specific individual shall at any given time be compelled in a criminal case to be a witness against himself. Self incrimination indicates that no person accused of a particular crime may be compelled to be a witness against her/himself. Supreme Court ruled that this specific action is only available not only police interrogation but also the trial. Further, this same rule may only apply to custodial interrogation where police interrogates an individual while in custody. Grand jury is defined as a group of individuals who decide whether there is enough evidence to charge a particular suspect. However, the US Supreme Court has not ruled on this requirement to apply to the states. Double jeopardy implies that individuals may not be punished and tried twice for the same crime. This area is complex such that even Supreme Court struggle with it. Finally, based on the due process, the 5th amendment indicates that no one should at any time be deprived property, life and liberty without due process of the law. The two types of due process are substantive and procedural. Procedural type focuses on fundamental fairness whereas substantive widely extend beyond the context of criminal prosecutions (Sonneborn, 2004). 4th Amendment Clearly, it is the legal responsibility for any government to provide each and every defiant in any criminal ac tion with legal representation which must be viewed to be effective. This is explained by the 6th amendment to the U.S that states â€Å"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to have the assistance of counsel for his defense†. This clause gives all defendants the right to communicate with an attorney from the specific moment the defendant was taken into police custody. Decision by U.S Supreme Court to have constructed this clause was to ensure that any defiant enjoyed the constitutional right especially during critical stages in a criminal proceeding. These critical stages are namely; preliminary hearings, custodial interrogation, trial, post indictment, first appeal conviction and sentencing (Chemerinsky, 2002). This same clause was mainly to react against English practice where assistant from an attorney was denied even in very serious criminal cases. Here, defendants required

Contemporary issues in management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary issues in management - Essay Example Thus developments in telecommunications and transportation infrastructure comprising the emergence of the telegraph together with its posterity and recently the rise of the internet are key aspects of globalization, producing more interdependence of cultural and economic activities (Ritzer, 2011). According to scholars, globalisation can be traced long before the European advent in voyages and discovery of New World. There are even those that trace its origins to the 3rd millennium BCE Nevertheless, the cultures and economies of the world grew very fast as the 19th century came to an end and 20th century began. The phrase globalisation has been used increasingly since 1980s and particularly in the mid-1990s.Thus the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2000 identified 4 primary features of globalisation; transactions, trade, investment and capital movements, movement and migration of people as well as the distribution of knowledge. Moreover, environmental challenges like cross-boundary air pollution and water, over-fishing and climate change are all associated with globalisation. Various globalisation processes are affected and do affect business as well as work organization, socio-cultural resources, economics together with natural environment. Globalisation has also stimulated innovation. Thus American companies can for instance transfer technology to countries such as China. Thus, Apple’s iPad and iPhones were all prototyped and designed in California but their production is done in China. Thus China’s manufacturing competition is progressively more taking low-skill production while at the same time nurturing highly skilled innovations and inventions (Jones, 2010). In addition, around 15% of technological transformation in Europe previously can be directly accredited to Chinese imports competition, a yearly benefit of nearly 10 billion Euros to European economies. Thus, companies have reacted to China’s imports threat by adopting

Nurses Role in Communication of Health Promotion Initiative Assignment

Nurses Role in Communication of Health Promotion Initiative - Assignment Example Also, studies have proved that even though most nurses agree that obesity is a diagnosis that needs intervention, they do not pursue matter with overweight patients (Birse, 1998). Since obese people do not feel free to got the hospital to seek medical intervention and nurses are not fully committed to assist them when they encounter them at the hospital, what could be advocated is a social website that will educate the obese people on how to lose weight. People today tend to express their feeling at the social sites, which are gaining fast recognition (McCarthy, 2009). Hence, having a hospital social site that seeks to assist obese people share their feeling will, without doubt, work. The social site could also mean that nurses will stop worrying about countering obese people in reality and only face them when the matter is critical. It also acts as a cheaper alternative to actual medical

Effective communication Case study Analysis Essay

Effective communication Case study Analysis - Essay Example Some convenience stores like Sheetz with more than 250 stores had to withdraw more that sixteen Diet Pepsi bottles from their shelves following a case in West Virginia where a man found a syringe in his drink. Convenience stores and grocers from Oklahoma to Iowa also closed down. The third public was the employees of the company to whom the communication impacted very negatively, they were thought to be the one involved in the syringes scandal, lastly there was local Pepsi - cola bottlers as the last public. They were believed to be the one behind the needles and syringes found in the Pepsi cola cans. The used communication impacted negatively to all the four publics a better way of doing it was for the first compliant to contact the company's management instead of reporting to a lawyer who made it aired in twenty four states. The company applied good methods in managing communication between them and the publics so as to manage, build and sustain a good image. To win back customers loyalty the company incorporated Alpac (the local bottler) in its investigation jointly with food and drinks administration and local head officials the investigation cleared Alpac. The media was allowed to visit the plant owner with the quality assurance manager and the plant owner being made available for them. The coordinator of crisis organized a group of six specialists in media relationship to provide devel

Cross cultural issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross cultural issues - Essay Example Cultural diversity exists between the United States and Europe. Citizens of the two countries differ in culture, beliefs, faith practices and economic inclination. These differences make business management practices in various parts and organizations different. U.S’s proven management systems and practices may not work appropriately in Europe. For instance, a U.S based Multinational Corporation; the effectiveness of her management control system and practices would evidently differ from one country to another or even from one branch with diverse cultural inclination to another in the same country. Therefore, our study intends to compare cultural inclinations of the two countries; the U.S and Europe and understand the implications of the differences to the expansion of a U.S based organization intending to establish a branch in Europe by purchasing an already existing firm in the same line of production. Global trade has tremendously increased in the recent past. This has probed the multinational corporations or individuals who intend to venture into the international trade to learn about international business. Therefore, it is very important to learn and understand the different cultures of the world before enrolling in doing business in foreign countries. This would reduce the risks involved in business transactions. Understanding other countries’ negotiation tactics, greetings, communication styles, body language, meeting and dress, and social events are keys to have good business relationships with other partner countries. For instance, the United States and Europe are nations that regularly interact in business relations. Although they share similarities, the two countries share a lot of differences. In the United States, the first impression matters a lot and is basic to the success of every business relationship. The Americans appreciate eye contacts and a firm hand shake with business partners (Bowie, n.d, p.1-12). As a matter of

Factors influencing the volatility of agricultural commodity prices Essay

Factors influencing the volatility of agricultural commodity prices and mechanisms to manage these price movements - Essay Example Discussion Economists agree that commodities experience substantial volatility in prices resulting to uncertainty and risks in products supply, buying decisions and investment, (Clapp, 2009, p.78). Even though, prices of commodities in 2008 achieve historic heights, for instance, over the long run producers of a commodity (such as miners and farmers) have experienced deteriorating trade terms (decline in imports quantity they could purchase from their commodity exports). This shift is attributable to high supply (technological advancement) and low demand (mainly through substitute products, such as natural rubber replaced with synthetic rubber). Key drivers outlined behind the high price volatility includes shift in agricultural production and trade attributed to physical aspects of the production affecting the supply aspects, second, shifts in microeconomic conditions and their impacts affecting demand and supply aspects. Thirdly, trade policies and agricultural policies as well as, multiple policy responses affecting mainly, supply and have considerable effects on demand aspects, (Britto, 2005, p.9). Similarly, experts agree that some other structural factors such as growth in demand of global commodities can have some effects on the agricultural commodity price volatility. Reasons behind current prices increases are complex and have been echoed on various contexts. For instance, a combination of significantly heightened demand and reduced supply or shortfalls in production, and intensified by temporary policy and economic aspects. Such factors are mainly cyclical and structural in nature and their contribution and collaboration differs depending on the agricultural sector, ((Du, Yu and Hayes, 2011, p.26). For instance, high prices of wheat are mainly attributed to supply limited by climatic conditions (weather), whereas demand factors play a crucial function in the sector of oilseeds and maize. Even though, fluctuation in price is a feature for commodities e xhibiting seasonality, for various products current increased exceeds explained levels by approved market essentials. Similarly, volatility emerges from undifferentiated commodities nature and demand and supply interactions, the supply and demand responsiveness to shift in prices – products may show elasticity in price or demand and supply elasticity. Agricultural commodity prices may be attributable to continued increased in prices of commodities due to commodities super cycle because of high demand from developing economies, (Clapp, 2009, p.80). With production mainly intense in a few numbers of exporting nations, minimal shifts in patterns of production can have crucial effects. The principle underpinning agricultural production and trade indicate that there exists periods of increasingly high and reduced volatility in agricultural commodity prices, even though the underpinning unconditional volatility remains constant. These changes may be witnessed in goods prices behavi or, (Britto, 2005, p.17). For example, in trends farmers may experience permanent declines or increases in the series volatility. These are explained by variable in trends that describeunpredictability. In addition, as commodities’ stock level decline, it follows that the prices volatility increased. If the stock levels are low,

Cross cultural issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cross cultural issues - Essay Example Cultural diversity exists between the United States and Europe. Citizens of the two countries differ in culture, beliefs, faith practices and economic inclination. These differences make business management practices in various parts and organizations different. U.S’s proven management systems and practices may not work appropriately in Europe. For instance, a U.S based Multinational Corporation; the effectiveness of her management control system and practices would evidently differ from one country to another or even from one branch with diverse cultural inclination to another in the same country. Therefore, our study intends to compare cultural inclinations of the two countries; the U.S and Europe and understand the implications of the differences to the expansion of a U.S based organization intending to establish a branch in Europe by purchasing an already existing firm in the same line of production. Global trade has tremendously increased in the recent past. This has probed the multinational corporations or individuals who intend to venture into the international trade to learn about international business. Therefore, it is very important to learn and understand the different cultures of the world before enrolling in doing business in foreign countries. This would reduce the risks involved in business transactions. Understanding other countries’ negotiation tactics, greetings, communication styles, body language, meeting and dress, and social events are keys to have good business relationships with other partner countries. For instance, the United States and Europe are nations that regularly interact in business relations. Although they share similarities, the two countries share a lot of differences. In the United States, the first impression matters a lot and is basic to the success of every business relationship. The Americans appreciate eye contacts and a firm hand shake with business partners (Bowie, n.d, p.1-12). As a matter of

Critique of Zip Bam Pow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique of Zip Bam Pow - Essay Example There exists a generic and specific arrangement within the continuum that depends on the degree of affinity. The originality of the forms of these components, however, cannot be altered. The arrangements programmed in a manner that makes them look good or right from a human perspective. The appearance is false but Rizzo hold that embracing them is a necessity (Rizzo 2014). Rizzo did not aim his argument at changing the forms of predicates to make them sensible but rather appeared to express the reality in the US. Rizzo puts to the fold what he calls particulars through his experience by identifying and instantiating nature. Robinson disagrees with Rizzo’s views on universal ideas in his article Zip! Bam! Pow! He refutes claims by Rizzo that the way to goodness is by understanding the universe and differentiating the form of its components from the real status of its particulars (Rizzo 2014).Robinson posits that the highest outward appearance of existence is the life of the logical being. The lower forms of the same life in turn serve this. In his explanation, he supports slavery because by following his path, the barbarians were lesser rational beings compared to the Greeks. This was the offshoot of his varying views regarding the econo,mic situation of the US at the time. Robinson claims that all the components of the US with life posses’ inherent potentialities. Therefore, it is upon them to develop the said potential to the maximum. This means that the most satisfying form of human nature is that a person has to use his rational abilities to the fullest. Robinson was much younger than Rizzo was. However, he differed in a ferocious manner him. Robinson’s writing was very different in both style and content. The two only strike a common ground on various matters, which shows that they spend quite a considerable amount of time together. The two great philosophers agree that the life of

Robert Frost And Nature Themes

Robert Frost And Nature Themes Robert Frost was one of the few leading poets of the 20th-century and won the Pulitzer Prize four times. Frost was a poet from rural New England, but his poems could be related to any part of the world. After college Robert Frost moved to England and published a few poems while there. He closely observed rural life and in his poetry endowed it with universal, even metaphysical, meaning, using colloquial language, familiar rhythms, and common symbols to express both its pastoral ideals and its dark complexities (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia 1). Nature is an everyday detail that people infrequently take time to appreciate and sometimes take it for granted; its what makes the world beautiful. In several of Robert Frosts poems like The Road Not Taken, Fire and Ice, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening they reflect nature, he recognizes the beauty and disaster of it. In the poem The Road Not Taken nature comes into play when Robert Frost introduces to the reader to a traveler that comes to a sudden halt at the site of a crossroad in yellow woods. The traveler of Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken is left to think about which path to travel on. Robert P. Ellis states On more than one occasion the poet claimed that this poem was about his friend Edward Thomas, a man inclined to indecisiveness out of a strong-and, as Frost thought, amusing-habit of dwelling on the irrevocability of decisions. After cautiously looking at of both routes, the traveler comes to the conclusion that both paths present a more interesting venture ahead. The traveler tells the reader that the woods are yellow which mean it could possibly be autumn. And looked down one as far as I could/To where it bent in the undergrowth (lines 4-5), this could mean the wood are thick and the road disappears in the undergrowth. The undergrowth would represent the travelers future that is uncle ar by which road he takes. Of the two means of travel, the traveler states that the passing there/Had worn them really about the same (lines 9-10) and both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black (11-12). There is a contradiction that one path is less worn than the other. These lines show us that the leaves have just fallen, and they cover which path was more or less traveled the day before. This line points out that there are times when you cant decide which decision is better. Without a clear solution to the problem, the character is left to think of any future consequences that could occur based on a decision of taken. As a result, the character comes to terms that the final destination is based only by chance and choice, but there are some regrets out the certain rode taken. Frosts work shows the general uncertainty of supposing a different result if another road was taken. The title suggests this feeling of doubt, where the road not taken is mentioned with greater standard than the actual course of travel. Missing the chance to travel both/ And be one traveler (2-3), one path must function as the chosen way and the other the other way, both with no indication of which is the better to travel. As a result, once the picked road is traveled, the other way holds a lingering reminder of what may have been lost just by chance. After a predictable self-evaluation of the travelers life, trying to figure out if he took full advantage of the available opportunities perceived as a frightening challenge for there will always be an ambiguity lingering around the other path. The traveler uneasily comes to terms with reality, and eventually determines the pointlessness on matters of the imagination. So, with a sigh (16), the traveler states that he took advantage of t he opportunities as they were given to him. Taking the chosen path has made all the difference (20). The decision determined the travelers overall course in life to the result that the other road couldve pointed the speaker to go in the complete opposite direction of his destination. This was the first Robert Frost poem I have ever read. The first time I read it I could easily relate to it. I do believe that this is one poem where anyone that reads it will be able to relate to it. I have been met with numerous decisions in like that are life changing. From which college I wanted to go to, to what major I want to study, and to fall or not to fall to peer pressure. All together, I enjoyed reading this poem. I like how Robert Frost compares a fork in the road to everyday life decisions we make. In the poem Fire and Ice Robert Frost compares two elements of nature fire and ice. Fire and Ice is straightforward in its message that emotions become destructive when they are too extreme, destructive enough even to end the world (Explanation of: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost). In the first two lines Some say the world will end in fire/Some say in ice (Lines1-2) the poem he presents the option to end of the world by fire or ice. He then talks about fire in the next two lines and compares fire to desire From what Ive tasted of desire/ I hold with those who favor fire (3-4). The comparison states that Frost sees desire as something that takes over and brings devastation. In the next stanza Frost then compares ice to hate. This comparison relates to the reader a view of hate as something that causes people to be unyielding, lifeless and cold. Ice also has the tendency to take in things and cause them to crack and break. The final line of the poem asserts that these two vicious forces a re evenly great. Fire consumes and destroys quickly, leaving ashes. In The overview Explanation of: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost it talk about how two opposites like fire and ice or passion and hatred can easily be linked together. While ice or hatred, destroys much slower. It causes objects to become so lifeless that they crack from the pressure created. Frost imagines that the end of the world could be caused by people becoming too strict, lifeless, and set in their way of life and beliefs that the world breaks apart into pieces. Stopping by Woods is a much stranger poem than may appear at first. From the opening lines, we know that the story is being told from the speakers point of view (Whose woods these are I think I know), but we may never bother to consider whom the man is addressing.(Monte). Robert Frosts love of nature is expressed through out the poem with the setting. His perfect description of the woods brings clear images to the readers head. The woods are lovely, dark and deep (line 13) the way Frost describes the wood would make the reader seem like they were there. The feel of Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is set by the only other sounds the sweep / of easy wind and downy flake (11-12). The first line in the poem talks about the woods. In the poem Frost says that the narrator enjoyed sitting and watching the snow and that he is also a nature lover. In the second stanza Frost refers back to the woods. The depth and darkness of the woods make the woods gloomier. The snow elimi nates the limits and boundaries of things and of his own being is, the function here of some secret desire toward destruction. The setting of the poem is in the woods. John T. Ogilvie explains the peace of the woods by stating The artfulness of Stopping by Woods consists in the way the two worlds are established and balanced. The poet is aware that the woods by which he is stopping belong to someone in the village; they are owned by the world of men. The traveler sees something in the woods that attracts him making the woods a special place. It appears that speaker has connected the woods with his paradise. The tranquility, dimness, and silence are what make it paradise. The traveler knows that he is not able stay put in this paradise, But I have promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep (14-15).The traveler doesnt want to leave the peaceful woods, but he has made other promises that he must keep. Frost repeats the last two lines and miles to go before I sleep (15-16), this co uld stress the importance of this promise that was made, and to give the traveler a reason to leave. Further, Frost repeated the last two lines of the poem partially as a matter of form: What it [the repetend or repeated lines] does is save me from a third line promising another stanza . . . . I considered for a moment four of a kind in the last stanza but that would have made five including the third in the stanza before it. I considered for a moment winding up with a three line stanza. The repetend was the only logical way to end such a poem. (Hochman) Nature has its own way of relaxing the mind and body. Frost may have believed the same. Frosts use of colorful imagery helps other readers appreciate the serenity of nature. Stopping by Woods is an excellent poem uses symbolism and setting perfectly. I enjoyed this poem and I also like the meaning. This poem is telling you to stop and smell the roses and enjoys life. During winter is a time when most people are lone in solitude. Being isolated can be miserable, but it could all so be a time to collect thoughts without any annoyance of the outside world coming down on you. Nature is something that can bring about personal reflection in anyone. In many of Robert Frosts poems he tends to reflect on nature, and he recognizes the beauty and disaster of it.Robert Frost is an amazing poet. His ideas and the way he uses nature are perfect and are valued by many. Frost uses nature to put across his views as well as to make his poetry more interesting than it already is. His poems make it easy to imagine the setting in your mind through the detail he provides.

Political Allegory In The Book Animal Farm :: Animal Farm Essays

Political Allegory In The Book Animal Farm "Ideas play a part in any revolution, conflicting ideas is main reason why Revolutions happens. " This is the platform that George Orwell used in his book " Animal Farm". The political allegory in the story is mocking the Revolution that changed "Russia" into the "USSR". This was the workings of Karl Marx. Marx was known for being politically inspired by one idea. Marx wanted it to be that one class, the working class, and against another class, the rich or higher class. The Revolution was started by men who believed with Karl Marx's theory that the history of the world was the history of a struggle between classes between oppressors and oppressed. This happened in the book "Animal Farm by George Orwell" Orwell uses this example to base his book on. He makes the characters personify the major players in the Russian Revolution. Orwell uses this to form a well written piece of literature. In "Animal Farm" The Democratic society led by Mr. Jones the original leader of Manor Farm was overthrown by a policy called Animalism. Animalism was a theory concocted by the Old Major a Pig. In "Animal Farm" the pigs were personified as the smartest and the best among animals. The Pigs take control of the farm. The two major idealists Snowball and Napoleon have conflicting ideas. These ideas break snowball away from the rest of the group and make him leave Animal Farm. This lets Napoleon have total control. They set up a set of rules called the seven commandments. In the beginning everyone followed these rules such as no animal may kill another animal, no animal is better than another animal. This makes the leader Napoleon want to break the rules so he makes him and his fellow pigs more special, eating all the good food, wearing clothes, living in the farmhouse, and not working. As for the other animals big or small get the same rations of food, are not allowed to wear clothes, had to live in the barn, and were overworked. Marx, like other socialist thinkers of the 19th century, denounced the cruel injustices of industrial capitalist society as he saw it. He had a vision of ending "the exploitation of man by man" and establishing a classless society, in which all people would be equal. The only means to this end, he thought, was a revolution of the exploited (the proletariat) against the exploiters (the bourgeoisie), so that workers would own the means of production, such as the factories and machinery. This revolution would set up a

A Comparison of the Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem Es

A Dream Deferred in A Raisin in the Sun and Harlem In Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun, the author reveals a hard-working, honest African-American family struggling to make their dreams come true. Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem," illustrates what could happen if those dreams never came to fruition. Together, both Hansberry and Hughes show the effects on human beings when a long-awaited dream is thwarted by economic and social hardships. Each of the characters in A Raisin in the Sun has a dream for which they base their whole happiness and livelihood on attaining. However, the character of Lena Younger, or Mama, differs from the other members of her family. Time after time, Mama postpones her dream of owning a house and garden to perpetuate the dreams of her family members. Finally, when Mama receives the $10,000 insurance check, she feels that her dream can become reality, and purchases a house in Clybourned Park. Her dream "drys up like a raisin in the sun" when she learns that Walter gave the money to Willy Harris, who mysteriously disappears. Mama does not shatter simply because her dream has not been fulfilled. "Lena Younger's strength of character has come from the steadfast endurance of hardship and a refusal to be conquered by it" (Phillips 51). Mama's economic hardships may have killed her dream, but she has not allowed it to kill her. The social inequality which the Younger's encounter also does not hinder Mama's compassion. Mr. Lindner temporarily shatters Mama's dream of owning a home when he comes to the Youngers prepared to give them money to move from Clybourne Park. The derogatory use of "you people" by Mr. Lindner has little to no effect on Mama's steadfast decision to move to Clybo... ... beings react when a dream dies. Edward J. Mullen notes that Hughes' poem represents the idea that, "the inhabitants of this 1951 Harlem seem to be seeking feverishly and forlornly for some simple yet apparently unattainable satisfaction in life" (142). Both Hansberry's play and Hughes' poem establish a powerful and human reaction to the death of a dream. Works Cited Hansberry Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. [1959] Literature. 5th ed. Eds. James N. N. Pickering and Jeffery D. Hoeper. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, O. 1700-57. Hughes, Langston. "Harlem." [1951] Literature. 5th ed. Eds. James H. Pickering and Jeffery D. Hoeper. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1027-28. Mullen, Edward J. Critical Essays on Langston Hughes. Boston: G. K. Hall, 142. Phillips, Elizabeth C. The Works of Lorraine Hansberry. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973. 48-62.

Censorship and Media

Censorship and the Media The media provide our access to news and information. The citizens of a nation need to stay informed and thus come to trust the media that brings the news and information they desire without fear that it is a lie, an agency of an evil foreign power or in any other way not the closest to the truth possible. Censoring the media is tantamount to mind control of the citizenry. This issue is everyone's problem. Thailand is in many ways a free country. However, a nation that has always tolerated a remarkable amount of censorship, and spawned dismaying numbers of self-appointed guardians of taste and morality.Since governments almost always have an interest in controlling the free flow of information, official censorship is something that must be constantly guarded against. In our society, large corporations are a more common source of censorship than governments: Media outlets killing stories because they undermine corporate interests; advertisers using their finan cial clout to kill negative reports; powerful businesses using the threat of expensive lawsuits to discourage legitimate investigations.The most frequent form of censorship is self-censorship: Journalists deciding not to pursue certain stories that they know will be unpopular with the boss. In contrast to state censorship, which is usually easy to recognize, self-censorship by journalists tends to be obscured. It is particularly murky and dangerous in the emerging media environment, with routine pressures to defer to employers that have massive industry clout and global reach. In some parts of the world, the media are controlled by the government.This means that no one can broadcast or publish anything that the government considers to be immoral or harmful, or that threatens the country's stability (i. e. , the government's own power base). This is what we usually think of when we hear the word censorship. Democratic countries, on the other hand, take pride in upholding the principl e of freedom of speech. People are free to speak and write whatever they wish, with some carefully defined exceptions. But there is another controlling power at work in a market economy – the power of money.For example, in North America most mainstream publications depend on two income sources: subscriptions and advertisers. Both influence decisions about content. Readers must find the content relevant, interesting, tasteful, and entertaining or they will drop their subscription. Advertisers will cancel their accounts if they consider the content to undermine or challenge their message about the product they sell. For instance, the tobacco industry has enormous advertising power in the U. S. , with annual expenditures of over $5 billion (or $75 for every adult smoker).Since cigarette advertising was banned on radio and TV in 1970, most of this money has been spent on expensive ads in the print media. Some will argue that censorship is unconstitutional. In the first Amendment to the American Constitution, all people are guaranteed the right to freedom of speech. For example, censoring of albums and V-chip technology, it does not technically violate the Constitution, it does violate the spirit of the Constitution. The First Amendment in the American Constitution suggests that all people also have the right to have their opinions heard in their original form.It does not say anything about whether or not a person has the right to censor that which offends them, as many attempts at censorship are. If these violations of Constitutional rights continue, dire consequences could result. The censorship of media is helping to sterilize music, television, and books. If this trend continues, we will soon be seeing only one kind of entertainment, light, romantic, insubstantial. All of the daring that has driven all of the great human artistic achievements through history will be lost as promising young artists are squashed by efforts to censor their work.However, tod ay's parents are too busy to do anything more than set down their children in front of a TV set or stereo and leave the parenting to the media. Education is the key to â€Å"protecting† children, and those who don’t know any better. Some people grew up watching violent movies and reading Stephen King novels, and they have never done anything extremely violent in their lives. At first the use of filtering software may seem like a simple, reasonable solution, free from any threat to the freedom of expression of adults.Once one examines this proposal more thoroughly, serious problems arise when filtering/blocking software providers select the sites and program the categories to be blocked, since this constitutes permitting a private company to make censorial decisions for the public. The frequently proposed alternative solution is to have the filtering/blocking software block sites on the basis of self-classification — what the industry has dubbed self-labeling â⠂¬â€ by each individual who operates a web site, bulletin board.As residents in a nation, and inhabitants of a global megalopolis, there are questions which the control of content on the Internet forces us to confront regarding the issue of how far we are willing to have freedom of expression and communication in an adult world governed by a standard designed to protect the possible, but apparently indemonstrable harm that might be done to children or other adults: do we really wish to control freedom of access of intelligent teenagers, much less some adults who have access only to public, filtered terminals, from participating in small discussions between a group of interested adult individuals; do we condone restricting in any way access to the online equivalent of libraries, museums, universities, and agencies disseminating news; do we wish to inhibit a multitude of other useful services becoming available on the Internet, to such a standard? That's why the Internet makes a lot of people very nervous. Because it can't be effectively, and efficiently, controlled. It is wrong to assume that the Internet has no rules, and is friendly to the exchange of objectionable materials. In fact the Internet is a `virtual community' of users with a distinct culture incorporating diverse views but finding consensus in opposition to censorship and access control. There is also strong opposition to the exploitation of children; in fact, many Internet users have cooperated in attempts to identify those who create and distribute child pornography.But, consider these possible analogies to the Internet: — The Internet is a vast mail system, like a post office. Would you favor a law that required postal authorities to open each piece of mail and evaluate its acceptability? — The Internet is a huge library system. Would you favor a law that would restrict information a library can provide? — The Internet is a collection of virtual communities. Would you favo r a law that required routine searches of your community? I do, however, believe in such â€Å"censorship† techniques as movie ratings and album advisory labels. These, in actuality, are not censorship, but actually help the artist to exercise creative freedom.These warnings help parents to decide if a work is appropriate for them or for their children. Consequently, more is acceptable artistically. For example, an album such as rapper â€Å"Ludacris† would never have been able to be released before the advent of the warning label. So, in that sense, warning techniques help to protect artists' freedoms, as well as the innocence of children. Bibliography: Johnson, Lorraine ed. Suggestive Poses: Artists and Critics Respond to Censorship (Toronto: Toronto Photographers Workshop and the Riverbank Press 1997) Marotte, Bertrand â€Å"Censorship Hot Topic at Conference† Southam News Background in Depth, February 13, 1996. http://www. southam. com/mmc/waves/depth/tech/c ensor0213. tml Samson, Gareth â€Å"Illegal and Offensive Content on the Information Highway† Http://insight. mcmaster. ca/org/efc/pages/doc/offensive. html Shallitt, J. â€Å"The Real Meaning of Free Speech in Cyberspace. The Internet: Beyond the Year 2000,† http://insight. mcmaster. ca/org/efc/pages/doc/b2000. html Sterling, Bruce: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February 1993 http://www. magnet. gr/internet/guides/bruce. html Theall, Donald: Beyond the Word: Reconstructing Sense in the Joyce Era of Technology, Culture and Communication (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995) 91-109 Wisebrod, Dov: Controlling the Uncontrollable:Regulating the Internet (1995) http://www. Catalaw. com/dov/docs/dw-inet. htm