Racial Profiling The Civil Rights Leader And Former...

As the Civil Rights Leader and former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Benjamin Todd Jealous, once said, â€Å"Racial profiling punishes innocent individuals for the past actions of those who look and sound like them. It misdirects crucial resources and undercuts the trust needed between law enforcement and the communities they serve. It has no place in our national discourse, and no place in our nation s police departments.† Racial profiling is the use of ethnicity as a basis for suspecting someone of having committed a criminal offense, which is both illegal and immoral. Police officers unjustifiably use their power to stop, frisk, and harass minorities based on their identity and appearance. According to statistics, Whites have the most arrests for serious and non-serious crimes yet African Americans and Hispanics are stopped far more frequently than any other race or ethnicity. Police officers need to be restrained from racial pr ofiling because it unfairly disadvantages innocent people due to their ethnicity. As stated by Law Enforcement officials, these stops are described as a â€Å"crime-fighting tool† however, are rather a racially oriented tool of harassment. It is essential for police officers to know the difference between racial profiling and criminal profiling to further prevent police brutality from occurring. Racial profiling has been one of the most controversial issues that almost every police department in the UnitedShow MoreRelatedThe Origin, Development and Significance of Human Rights10255 Words   |  42 PagesHUMAN RIGHTS INTRODUCTION Human Rights are rights that belong to an individual or group of individuals as a consequence of being human. They refer to a wide continuum of values or capabilities thought to enhance human agency and declared to be universal in character, in some sense equally claimed for all human beings. 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This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any formRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesHouse, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 200 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803 First published 1992 Second edition 1997 Reprinted 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 Third edition 2005 Copyright  © 1992, 1997, 2005, Richard M.S. Wilson and Colin Gilligan. All rights reserved The right of Richard M.S. Wilson and Colin Gilligan to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including

Evil and Sin Essay - 1624 Words

Compared to modern times, it seems the average person in the Middle Ages was much more concerned about God, particularly divine opinion of the individual in question. Perhaps this stems from the fact that, if ones life is spent worrying about marauding Vikings or the Black Plague, one places much more hope in attaining a pleasant afterlife while, if ones barcalounger is adjustable and ones TV larger than 32 inches, there seems to be little point in hoping for something better. A predictable but interesting side effect of this heavenly pondering is exploration of the paradox of sin. How can a world created by a supremely good God contain evil? What is sin and, if everything was created by God, where did it come from? Intellectuals in†¦show more content†¦Hence you can understand how love must be the seed bed where all virtuous deeds must grow, with every act that warrants punishment. ( Alighieri 185) Dante believes that all sin comes from the corruption of human love. By loving the wrong thing, or loving a good one too much or too little, humans sin. Purgatory was created to right our absent or misguided affections (Alighieri 187). Further on, Dante expounds on the concept of corrupted love. By sentencing various offenses to different punishments, he clarifies his hierarchy of sin. Those found the farthest from heaven are those whose love was directed towards something harmful - the proud, envious and wrathful (Alighieri 104, 136, 147). The slothful, those who failed to cultivate their love inhabit the next level (Alighieri 189-199), and finally the sins of avarice, gluttony, and lust, characterized by loving something good too strongly, are found near the top (Alighieri 203, 237, 266). It is clear that Dante did not yield to the simplistic view that all sin emanates from some evil power and is somehow beyond our control. Dante saw sin in our very nature – love. In canto seventeen he explains, â€Å"Not the Creator nor a single cre ature, as you know, ever existed without love, the souls love or the love that comes by nature†Show MoreRelatedThe Evil Of Evil And Commit Sin989 Words   |  4 Pagesforce people to do anything because He wants them to love Him ‘whole-heartedly’ (Matthew 22:37). This paper will explain why Lewis is right based on the possibilities to do evil and commit sin, and yet also be forgiven. This can be surprising to many other people such as non-believers. Sin is defined as an offense against God. The sin that Satan has taught human race is to be like God; to be their own masters and achieve their own happiness (Lewis 53). Humans try to find ways to achieve their own happinessRead MoreThe Lord of the Flies by William Golding776 Words   |  3 PagesThe novel Lord of the Flies presents the themes of evil and sin as an innate, inevitable and negative feature throughout the novel, similar to the play The Crucible. William Golding uses Lord of the Flies as an allegory to present evil and sin through different symbols within the novel, with boys being trapped on an island. Arthur Miller presents evil and sin through a contextual, Puritan society within various characters. Even though both writers present these themes, Golding presents it in theRead MoreWhat is the Meaning of Being Human?849 Words   |  3 PagesOriginal Sin and Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative are two separate methods for taking a gander at evil. Both philosophersâ⠂¬â„¢ theories are different to a certain extent, Kant actually chooses to reject Augustines Doctrine totally however there are still a few likenesses between the two. Where Augustine believes that humankind is evil in light of the issues of Adam and Eve, Kant accepts that in spite of the fact that we are evil by nature, we should first sidestep moral law to be evil, in thisRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter And Young Goodman Brown1206 Words   |  5 Pagesto the alienation of members of a society who have been judged as sinful, while also uncovering the hidden evil in everyone, including the most honorable of preachers. He accomplishes this by developing plot lines, which focus on interactions of ignorant but wicked religious characters with sinful but relatable protagonists. Throughout these two stories, the forest serves to represent evil and the unknown; however, it also represents truth, as it is the place where secrets come out and people expressRead MoreTaking a Look at the Original Sin1159 Words   |  5 PagesOriginal Sin In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ex nihilo (out of nothing). After God created the earth he made â€Å"the adam† out of the dust of the earth and by breathing into his nostrils made the man living. Everything God created was Good, the man was also good but only with woman was man complete. God created woman from the rib of Adam. Both Adam and his partner Eve were both placed in the Garden of Eden where they were to live and eat from, everything in the Garden exceptRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay879 Words   |  4 Pagesacknowledged the reality of evil. Hawthorne believed that every society needed to have a jail and grave yard, â€Å" The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison† (2331). He t hought that people are naturally evil and sin so a jail was needed to keep evil people and influence awayRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter: Themes Alive Today1689 Words   |  7 Pagesthemes of sin and what it can do to people and the different degrees of evil directly relate to today’s society and modern ideas. As it is known, Hester committed a sin in the novel with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale that the Puritans in her society thought to be one of the worst that could ever be committed: adultery. They conceived a child together, their daughter Pearl, which is a sin that takes a toll on both characters in many different ways. Beginning with Hester, the protagonist, the sin is somethingRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Paper1007 Words   |  5 PagesScarlet Letter Sin Debate In Nathanial Hawthorne’s famous standard of American literature, The Scarlett Letter, Hawthorne examines individual cases of sin occurring within society known for its intolerance of sin and strict religious principles, the Puritans. In The Scarlet Letter , each of the main characters, whether protagonist or antagonist, are guilty of a sin or form of â€Å"evil†. However, one character stands out from the rest. This character is guilty of the worst form of malice and evil in the entireRead More Puritan Hypocrisy Exposed in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1235 Words   |  5 PagesPuritanical views of sin and evil.   The Puritans are constantly displayed as believing that evil comes from an unyielding bond being formed between love and hate.   For such reasons they looked towards Hesters commitment of adultery as an action of pure, condemned evil.   However, through the use of light and dark imagery, Hawthorne displays who truly holds evil in their hea rts.   The one who is the embodiment of evil creates hypocrisy of Puritanical views towards sin and evil.   Hawthorne displaysRead MoreGreek Vrs Christian Views1283 Words   |  6 Pages The Christian view of evil and the Greek view of evil are complete opposites as depicted in Dante Alighieri’s play The Divine Comedy: Inferno compared to Euripides play Medea. The Christian view differs from the Greek account of evil by the belief in God. The Christian view has clear boundaries of good and bad behavior as shown in Inferno while the Greek belief is that nothing is inherently evil as seen in Medea. The Christian and Greek views differ on the punishment directly related or unrelated

Foundation of Bible Based-Christ-Free-Samples -Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Foundation of Bible Based-Christ Centered Worldview. Answer: The following paper succinctly elucidates the concept of comparative worldview- the Christian world view, based on Bible and the humanistic worldview. The plethora of conceptual difference fortifies stronger debate on the acceptance of supreme power- the Christ or the human being (Bereanbiblesociety.org. 2017). The following paper illustrates- in a reflective manner- the process of intelligibility of the Christian worldview model. The process of reflection has been structured in four major categories- Description of the model Analysis of the Model Evaluation of the Model My Standpoint on the Model Following is the modular interpretation of the worldview of Christianity: Fig: Christian World View Source: (Bereanbiblesociety.org 2017) The aforementioned diagram has the effective intelligibility towards the notion of worldview of creation, revelation, proclamation and creationism. Description: The model structured by Berean Bible Society succinctly illustrates the concept of creation and proclamation and the intervention of almighty into human life. The Christian worldview is often debated as the proclamation of the Popes who negates the human interpretation supremacy. Since this has been taken into certain consideration with the effective changes pertaining to the issues with the help of different understandings of the issues, the human supremacy is denuded and the supremacy of almighty is considered to be authentic in the bible worldview. Before comprehending the Christian worldview, we need to understand what worldview stands for (Deloria 2016). Worldview is the authentic and perspective framework from which the reality is viewed upon. Moreover, it also associates the concept of life and world based on some certain ideologies. In this case, the catholic ideology would be placed indeed. The model in fact, summarizes the conceptualization of life and reality I the world a nd the reality is interpreted on the basis of catholic understanding. Analysis: According to the Christian worldview, human being is submissive to Gods will that means that the decision made by human being is directed by the supreme power. In Christianity no human being can enjoy autonomy since there is no existence of such. God controls human fate and time thus directing him towards the tasks. On the other hand, human being ought to develop the desire to save others (Krasnov and Guzeeva 2014). A human being is structured by god and is expected to inherit the will to serve the other creatures and the creation of God. Human being, according to Christian belief is nothing but one mere creation of the almighty so there is no need to portray or demonstrate dominance. Human being, on his mistake needs to apologetic and there is a need for bold proclamation of Gospel thus incorporating the value of human task. The real meaning of life can only be viewed through Jesus Christ. The value of life is quantified through self- sacrifice, sanctity, responsibilities, family va lues, morality and absolute truth i.e. the demise. Mans need depends on the provision made by God. The concept of creationism is also taken into consideration. According to the ideology every living being in the world is created by the almighty (Esqueda 2014). The acknowledgement of mans knowledge depends upon the reading of scriptures. The main objective and fulfillment of human being comes through the acceptance and acknowledgement of God as the supreme creator. Evaluation: I found that the concept built in the model of Christian worldview has been quite helpful for me in developing the notion of how the creation and life is viewed upon. The concept of creationism has always remained debatable because of scientific hypothesis and inventions. However, it has helped me locate the value of human creation and the historical development of human concept. Me: I personally negate the Christian worldview since I have firm believe in humanistic worldview. Having studied the hypothetic observation of many of the scientists and observers, it can be stated that human being can hardly be acknowledged by the creation of God. Human being can hardly be submissive in terms of making bold decision References: Bereanbiblesociety.org. (2017).Humanistic Worldview vs. Biblical Worldview. [online] Available at: https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/humanistic-worldview-vs-biblical-worldview Deloria Jr, V., 2016.Evolution, creationism, and other modern myths: A critical inquiry. Fulcrum Publishing. Esqueda, O.J., 2014. Biblical worldview: The Christian higher education foundation for learning.Christian Higher Education,13(2), pp.91-100. Krasnov, M.A. and Guzeeva, S.V., 2014. CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW AND HUMAN RIGHTS.Lex Russica,97(12), pp.1511-1520.

Saudi Aramcos Supply Chain

Introduction Saudi Arabia ARAMCO Company is an international producer, marketer and distributor of oil and gas products. Competing in the global markets, ARAMCO Company is one of the leading companies in the industry however, along with its competitors; the firm faces various challenges of rising costs brought about by the high demand for quality, rapid evolution of production industries to conserve the environment and rising market division.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Saudi Aramco’s Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A highly contested but promising E-market segment was in place through the recent system’s automation. Firm management strategies highly depend on resources and facilities as a measure towards economical expansion. Supply chain management consequently depends on progressive and efficient production and distribution. Brief History of ARAMCO Arguably, Saudi Arabia ARAMCO Company has the most heavily traded oil products and gas in the world. Production and trade of the commodities is critical due to their value in the market. Saudi ARAMCO is a world-leading producer of the two manufactured goods with a production of approximately ten million barrels per day to satisfy only 10% of the world consumers (Lambert, 42). Saudi ARAMCO Company is concern with processing, refining and distribution of the resources across the extensive international network. The company owns an array of crude oil and gas auxiliary branches and joint ventures across the globe for enhanced supplies. It has a connection to the world’s leading convoy of greatest oil-transporter tankers to deliver crude oil and refined oil products or gas across its worldwide customer base. The firms has a extensive impact on the global economy due to quantity of oil products it handles and therefore the need for an engagement that runs far beyond the need for management of a large, successfu l and profitable business. Saudi Arabia ARAMCO Company faced various challenges connected to management of employees, production and supply activities as well as organization procedures. This was an urgent call for automation of the systems to enhance management and incorporate all its expansion programs, which were growing at an alarming rate in 1990s. The performance was well but the system faced a common weak point of lacking a proper mechanism to share information across the branches. Today, the ARAMCO company has an interconnected system among all its myriad organizations such as â€Å"Geo-steering Centre, Hydrocarbon Supply Chain management, Aviation, Medical Services and Project Management† (Lambert, 42).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Analysis of the industry’s performance The oil and gas manufactory industry is among the highly advancing firms with re gard to the economy. The economic growth indicates that such companies are a big support to the other production and retailing companies. ARAMCO experiences a huge and persistent growth in the production and supply industry concerning consumer base, however growth of demand increases the need for the firm to undertake effective promotional strategies, specifically concerning the recent global economic challenges that restrain industrial developments. The 2007 financial crisis resulted in a change of supplies in various countries. The international fight against global warming activities and misuse of non-renewable resources has also had an impact in the industry. Saudi ARAMCO has nevertheless managed to improve its financial performance. The increased regulation within the industry by government or non-governmental organizations such as regulations on various environmental issues relevant to the industry has seen the industry enhance compliance with the set regulations and various t ax policies. Considering the population growth rate, estimated at 10 billion by 2070, there are huge expectations on increases in oil and gas production due to demands. There as been a steady increase on demand, with an average yearly increase of 1.7% within the past several years as reported by International Energy Agency (7), the trend is speculated to continue with gas demand increasing from approximately 91 (2010) to 118 (by 2030) million barrels daily consumption and the gas will increase in a similar pattern. Global Energy Demand In a position of securing the supply needs, Saudi ARAMCO puts in a strategy over budgeting. According to analysis, the company plans over the recent past rounds off to 45 billion dollars for the material needs. They have to ensure quality as per the consumer demands and the urgency. ARAMCO has to ensure supply of defect-free raw products that promote the quality and timely delivery within the budget. This is achievable through proper supply of requir ements for production and distribution. The table below indicates the estimates on material demanded by Saudi ARAMCO.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Saudi Aramco’s Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Saudi ARAMCO Material Demand The presentation of the company’s material suppliers indicates more reliance from Europe and America while little is from Middle East. The total numbers of approved suppliers are 1540 according to company statistics. Saudi ARAMCO Suppliers Future Trends Economic trends The future for ARAMCO is bright, considering the fact that the global economy is improving from the economic recession. The economic recuperation will also result in recovery of the other sectors, such as the firm’s financial sector. There is a guarantee that the firm has a global reach especially considering its ever-increasing supply chains in the aim of increasing market size, competiti on and widen the market share. To certify the global accomplishment, the automation strategy set out by a Germany automation company; ‘SAP’ will enhance performance of the firms supply chains within the domestic market. Through the acquisition of a computerized system, the firm stands great-fuelled growth rate (Kurtz and MacKenzie, 19). The recovery of the financial sector will enable the management to accomplish its global expansion goals, because of easy in accessing the financial institutions. The economic recovery will also lower the interest rates and the firm will be able to finance its activities effectively because of low financial costs. Consumer trends By integrating technology into the operation of the firm’s supply chains especially marketing sector through electronic marketing, the company will be able to have easy in introduction of new products or marketing of the old ones. Incorporation of technology aims at improvement of the firm marketing strat egy as well as operational efficiency (Coyle and Langley, 72).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Electronic marketing entails strategies for soliciting and facilitating online transfer of products and services. The electronic transfers also enables the firm to provide the customers with the product information they are looking for effectively essentially to assist them in their decision making process (Coyle and Langley, 72). With the growth in technology, there is a change in attitude among the consumers. This is because the consumers are integrating technology in their buying process, such as through online buying. Various technology products such as cable TVs, telemarketing, website marketing, talking ads, fax mails, video brochures, virtual market groups as well as interactivity are emerging and consumers warmly embrace them. This translates to an elevation of the online sales. Through online buying, the consumers will be able to make orders and purchases more cost-effectively. This means that the firm has to engage an automated system to increase its volume of production a nd shipment and hence the level of profits. There is also a change in the consumer’s lifestyle that results from the elevation in the rate of globalization. Some of these notable changes include the competitive strategies for future developments, achievable through rational gain to information access. In line with Wisner (8), the elevation also entails the global distribution of current information, qualitative shifts of global prices and consumer capacity management. Political trends Most governments have a commitment to improvement of the international trade in an effort to improve the economic growth rate. They enhance international trade by ensuring fair trade and compliance with international trade laws and regulations. The governments also support industries such as Saudi ARAMCO to develop sufficiently in the international markets in the aim of meeting growing demands. In the recent past, most countries are implementing policies that enhance an increase in the volume of trade with other countries, through incorporating international free trade agreements. Companies are therefore able to venture into the foreign market through foreign and direct investments because such trading blocs results in elimination of international trade tariffs and other trade restrictions among countries. In some cases, firms intending to undertake foreign direct investment are required to form partnerships with other private or public firms in the host countries (Wisner, 10). This limits the operational efficiency of the firm. Formation of free trade agreements eliminates barriers related to foreign direct investment. Supply chain concepts Saudi ARAMCO has an integration of the logistics required for the formation of a link between productions, distribution and warehousing to work as a single entity for the oil and gas products. The concept of a whole supply chain is evident in the company, which makes it agile enough to be in a position of meeting demands, the growing c ompetition and the dynamism in the industry (Chopra and Meindl 237). The company faces wide expansion procedures due to its range/categories of products, and the oil markets are more volatile and unpredictable due to the changes on the products or demands in support of environmental friendly products. The concepts of the supply chain stores are evident from the procurement procedures, production, storage and distribution of oil products internationally. The company also faces the modern logistics of supply chains known as leanness, where the stock ought not to be more than demand. This calls for automation of process in the aim of eliminating procedures or assets that may delay response time and thus increase production and delivery costs. The lean and agility are two concepts visible in the current setting of ARAMCO in offering sufficient services for the growing demands. SWOT Analysis Strengths Good reputation among customers: most ARAMCO franchises have an upper hand in Customer loyalty across the globe. By having multiple brands, the company is able to reach more market niches. Competition: with other prospective entrants in place, ARAMCO has been able to remain comparatively on the competitive edge, by ensuring that their products are up-to-date and are enhanced with the latest technology, their intellectual property also enhance the embracement of the current consumer expectations. Weakness Customer Certification: with independent of upcoming developers and suppliers of the same product, there are varieties of substitutes that pose a threat to the company. High cost structure: ARAMCO have remained competitive in the oil market giving other producers and distributors to seek alternative means of lowering their pricing structure. Low prices on similar products in the market leave ARAMCO on edge of losses in the fight of the competitors. Distribution Channel: Distributed channels that lack proper and synchronous automated interaction may mislead custome r to product specification requirements. This may be viewed more of lack of access to key distribution mechanisms. Tarcy (6) simplified Strategies planning by stating that, â€Å"weakness may be the flip side of the strength†. Analysis of both strengths and weaknesses shows that ARAMCO has greater weakness causing challenges but comparatively the flip side are the strengths and opportunities that includes well established market, easy networked channels and advanced technology. Opportunities for ARAMCO supply chains Market segmentation In order to remain competitive, the Saudi ARAMCO company has to tailor its operations to meet the needs of the different customer categories. This strategy will enable the firm to meet the product needs of a particular target audience effectively. The company also has to consider market segmentation strategy, which refers to the process of identifying the various portions of the entire market that are unique from others. Through segmentation, there are probabilities of attain higher levels of customer satisfaction. In subdividing the different customer categories, the company is also able to discover cosmopolitan nature of its international markets as an effective approach to penetration of the different foreign markets. Value addition To ensure that the strategy succeeds, the management ought to invest in research and development. A research and development department ensures continual value addition to the firm’s products. The department involvement is on conducting customer market research on a repetitive basis. This enables the management to identify the changes in consumer tastes and preferences. Through customer market research, the management will be able to undertake value addition more effectively since the changes should integrate in the products. The firm will be able to attain a competitive edge by supplying products that integrate changes in tastes and preferences (Tarcy, 7). Product differentiation T o attain a competitive advantage, there is urgent need to differentiate oil products clearly. Effective differentiation of its products to meet different customer priorities creates a positive appeal to various market niches. Competitive Strengths For competition, the strategies ARAMCO requires to implement entails: Offering the free trials or price friendly products as demos or prototypes before the release of new products The company has to allow the customers a chance to preview and order upcoming products through the internet at affordable and considerable fees. This enhances the marketing strategies because prior approaches allow consumer approvals through pre-views of upcoming products. This also enables the company to overcome the need for marketing the manufactured products. Besides lowering the marketing costs and strategic needs, the prototypes is an excellent test for the future expectations and opportunity to shape products. Threats Competition is a key issue the compa ny has to face. The company need strategies of expanding in the markets and enhancing the technology in improvement of products. Potential loss The fast rate of innovation is increasing the degree of global complexity. The scientific innovations are equally increasing at a rapid rate and solar engines are taking over. People have understood the importance of enhanced global safety and are thus insisting on renewable resources and global friendly oil products. This poses a threat to the operation of Saudi ARAMCO because it has to meet the set standards of production and supplies, to avoid low market shares and thus low financial returns. The consumers are also very dynamic; most people are embracing technological advancement and consequently the possibility of reduced usage of the polluting oil products. This means that the change in consumer attitude and the growth in technology present a risk to the firm’s competitive strategy. SWOT Analysis summary STRENGTH WEAKNESS O PPORTUNITY S-O( MAX-MAX) W-O (MIN-MAX) THREATS S-T (MAX-MIN) W-T (MIN-MIN) S-O, the company should pursue opportunities that are within their strength. W-O, the company need to minimize on any of their internal weakness and try to utilize external opportunity coming their way S-T, ARAMCO has to maximize on the available strengths and avoids threats from the external environment W-T, these are external environment factors that should fully be minimized to enable the growth of the company SWOT Analysis chart Feedback and Suggestions to Improve ARAMCO Supply Chain There is urgent need for the company to ensure proper integration of the company’s units/departments such as the productions, scheduling, operational, finance, supply, planning, sales and marketing departments. This move will improve the decision-making procedures and thus increase productions and supplies. There is need for a single source of information across the supply chain since it is more reliable due to consistency. When the source of information is from a single point, the delivery across the relevant departments is more effective and therefore there is improvement on performance especially on the production, transactions and shipping. Integration of vital production information to a single point, especially a main automated system to act as the server to the other departments increases performance. Then the planning of the hydrocarbons is from a single point of the integrated system, the supply and productions are equally and easily find better alignment to meet the market demands. Automation of the production and supply units eliminates paper works and manual systems thus enhancing performance. A good system has to have mechanisms that promotes flexibility and enables quick responses to the ever-dynamic and growing markets. High technological supply chain also means that there are better chances for future expansion and engagement of upcoming or advanced supply technological ski lls. Highlight of the supply chain Possible consequences if the management does not adopt the strategy Lack of focus on individual customer categories can lower market shares. This is on the basis that ARAMCO will not be in a position to identify and satisfy the different customer categories and eventually build sufficient competitive advantage to other producers and suppliers. Not appreciating the diversity of consumers in the domestic and foreign markets also means that the firm will have a small customer base. This is for the reason that the firm will not have established customer and loyalty. In most cases, a firm with a small customer base does not have strong financial performance. Conclusion On the aspect of suppler power, the firm need to focus on the impact of their products to the consumer especially in terms of cost, availability and customer’s ability to differentiate them. The suppliers have influence over the manufacturing industries especially for the costs of raw materials. There is also a focus on the presence of substitute inputs and threats on the expansion plans. The threat of entry analyzes the inputs, government policies, economy of scale, the required capital, identification of brands and accessibility. These are all aspects that influence the probability of Saudi ARAMCO Company’s expansion in the oil and gas manufactory industry. Works Cited Chopra, Sunil and Meindl, Peter. â€Å"Supply chain management: strategy, planning, and operation.† New York, NY: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007 Coyle, John. J., Langley, John. C., Bardi, Edward. J. â€Å"Supply chain management: a logistics perspective.† Kentucky, KY: Cengage Learning Press. 2009 International Energy Agency, â€Å"The International Energy Agency: International Organization reports† International Energy Agency publishers, 1977 Kurtz, David. L. MacKenzie, H. F. Snow, Kim, â€Å"Contemporary Marketing† Kentucky, KY: Cengage Learning Press. 2009 Lambert, Douglas. M. â€Å"Supply chain management: Processes, Partnerships, Performance† California, CA: Supply Chain Management Inst Press. 2008 Tarcy, Brian. â€Å"Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople,† New York, NY: Simon Schuster Publishers. 1996. Print Wisner, Joel D., Tan, Keah-Choon., Leong, Keong. G. â€Å"Principles of Supply Chain Management.† Kentucky, KY: Cengage Learning Press. 2008 This essay on Saudi Aramco’s Supply Chain was written and submitted by user Tucker Barnes to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Policy Brief for Reducing Irregular Labor Migrants in Switzerland

Indium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Indium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Indium  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 49 Symbol: In Atomic Weight: 114.818 Discovery: Ferdinand Reich and T. Richter 1863 (Germany) Electron Configuration: [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p1 Word Origin: Latin indicum. Indium is named for the brilliant indigo line in the spectrum. Isotopes: Twenty-three isotopes of indium are known. Only one stable isotope, In-127, occurs naturally. Properties: The melting point of indium is 156.61  °C, boiling point is 2080  °C, specific gravity is 7.31 (20  °C), with a valence of 1, 2, or 3. Indium is a very soft, silvery-white metal. The metal has a brilliant luster and emits a high pitched sound when bent. Indium wets glass. Indium may be toxic, but further research is required to assess its effects. Uses: Indium is used in low melting point alloys, making bearing alloys, transistors, thermistors, photoconductors, and rectifiers. When plated or evaporated onto glass, it forms a mirror as good as that formed by silver, but with superior resistance to atmospheric corrosion. Sources: Indium often is associated with zinc materials. It is also found in iron, lead, and copper ores. Element Classification: Metal Indium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 7.31 Melting Point (K): 429.32 Boiling Point (K): 2353 Appearance: very soft, silvery-white metal Atomic Radius (pm): 166 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 15.7 Covalent Radius (pm): 144 Ionic Radius: 81 (3e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.234 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 3.24 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 225.1 Debye Temperature (K): 129.00 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.78 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 558.0 Oxidation States: 3 Lattice Structure: Tetragonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 4.590    References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.)    Return to the Periodic Table Chemistry Encyclopedia

Media representations and the palestinian experience of the intifadas, Research Proposal

Media representations and the palestinian experience of the intifadas, an oslo accords - Research Proposal Example The force with which the Intifada started and carried on for the last eight years shocked not only Israel, but indeed, all countries of the world. One of the consequences of this first Intifada was the international conference in Madrid. No matter how regularly the negotiators conversed in Washington and elsewhere throughout this time, Israel did not attempt to fulfill the fundamental requirements for peace. United Nations resolutions 242 and 338 were unexpectedly not suitable for Israel, not to mention Resolution 194, which demands for the right of refugees to come back. The Madrid Conference served to redirect the increasing public consciousness of Israel as an occupying authority with an aggressive, tyrannical, expansionist, colonialist, and racially prejudiced character. Two years later, the world was taken by shock at the declaration of the Oslo Accord, signed in September 1993. Whereas the world was deceived by "peace myth," the reality was something rather different. The main intention of Oslo was to kill the Intifada and to guarantee that Israel acquired as many political benefits as likely, all the while changing its identity into that of a peace-making country. Israel did not withdraw from the taken territories, as it had been decided upon at Oslo. Hebron was separated. An immense span of land was confiscated. Jerusalemites were strained to give up their residency rights. Settlements augmented at breakneck speed, which constructed the notion of Israeli pulling out almost impracticable. Lastly, Palestinian lands were divided into areas A, B, and C, constructing easily- controllable and easily-suppressible bantustans. Provided with all the confusion, the majority of Palestinians were waiting tolerantly for Oslo to bring back their national freedom which was lost over three decades ago. They were waiting for Oslo to carry peace as well as prosperity. They were expecting to see how they could at last move without restraint within and outside the

Article Review (Shopping for Privacy on the Internet) Coursework

Article Review (Shopping for Privacy on the Internet) - Coursework Example He emphasized the fact that consumers would not be handed privacy on a silver platter but rather they must become vigilant in their demand for Web site operators to adhere to their demand for privacy. Professors Pitt and Watson (2007) respond to Nehf’s (2007) article by utilizing an ‘ecosystem approach’ to explore the various elements of privacy. Not only do they examine relations amongst the three main participants in the privacy interactions, namely, ‘citizen/consumer/investor, government and corporation’ but also the reasons for the lack of success of the market system to protect the privacy of all stakeholders. Nehf (2007) commences his article by emphasizing that the brunt of the responsibility of protecting consumer privacy is in the hands of the individual. The individual is the one who has to attempt to reduce the risks involved in submitting personal information to any public site. Particularly, on the World Wide Web the customer’s personal information may be used by unscrupulous Web site organizers. Although ‘federal (and a few state) laws’ limit the utilization of some personal information, these restrictions are full of exceptions and many of the internet transactions are not even ‘subject to state or federal privacy laws’(Nehf 2007, p.351- 352). Interestingly, Nehf (2007) highlighted the superficial form of concern that online businesses appear to have in protecting the privacy of their consumers. These businesses profess to collect a minute amount of data on the customer which will be kept safe from predators vandalizing this data. Consistent with this apparent concern for the protection of consumers’ privacy by online businesses, consumers also are genuinely concerned with ‘identity theft’ and the possible humiliation of having their private affairs published for all and sundry to peruse. Thus, consumers attempt to protect themselves by submitting as little information as possible to these

Pancreatitis and Peptic Ulcer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pancreatitis and Peptic Ulcer - Essay Example Pancreatitis is caused by autoimmune problems, damage to the pancreas, blockage of the pancreatic ducts, hypertriglyceridemia, certain medications, complications of certain diseases and viral infections. The symptoms of pancreatitis include upper or middle abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, sweating, weight loss, jaundice and clay-colored stools. Pancreatitis complications include kidney failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pacreatitis cysts, heart failure and low blood pressure. Pancreatitis is treated through fasting, intravenous fluids, pain medication, removal of blockages and gallstones, draining of fluid in pancreas and diet regulation. (PubMed Health). A peptic ulcer is an open sore in the lining of the stomach (gastric ulcer), the duodenum (duodenal ulcer), or sometimes in the oesophagus (esophageal ulcer). When the mucuos membrane which protects the alimentary canal from digestive juices and acids is damaged, stomach acids penetrate the sensitive lining underneath, causing an ulcer. Peptic ulcer is caused by the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and spreads through contact witth the stool, vomit and saliva of infected persons. Petic ulcers are also caused by the long-term use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and stomach tumors. The symptoms of peptic ulcers are abdominal pain, loss of weight and appetite, and vomiting. Complications include peritonitis, internal bleeding and blockage of the alimentary canal. Treatment of peptic ulcers consists of antibiotics to eradicate H. pylori and acid reducing medicines.

Management in Multinational Corporations (MNC)

Management in Multinational Corporations (MNC) The internationalization of business activity is getting progressively essential and inevitable. Of considerably significance is thus also the  globalization of human resource management. Nowadays, an  increasing and sufficient flexibility of companies is required as well as  the ability to react to local circumstances and market constraints. Hence, in order to facilitate the process of adaptation to global developments in corporations, and especially in the Human Resource  vicinity, a set of typologies/approaches have been developed for  Multinational Corporations (MNCs). In that case, the approaches can  be used to illustrate the strategic intent and the situation in which the  MNC is in (Hollinshead, 2010, p. 51). Accordingly, there are different  approaches to IHRM developed by several theorists. This paper  examines four approaches, which have been developed by the US  management theorist Howard Perlmutter (1969) and by Adler and  Ghadar, with the purpose of giving an understanding to the association  between the multinational parent in the country of origin and the  subsidiary located elsewhere. The four approaches build up in  succession by describing a trend from immature dependency of  international subsidiaries towards mature autonomy (Hollinshead,  2010, p. 52). These approaches have b een created to be applied to  managing and staffing the subsidiaries and constitute certain policies  and attitudes in managing IHRM activities. Consequently, are there any  similarities and differences between these four approaches? Discussion MNCs have to decide upon one approach to apply to the HR  activities. The best suited one can be chosen among the ethnocentric,  polycentric, regiocentric, and geocentric style. Before starting to  outline parallels and divergences, it is key to get a short overview of  the characteristics of each approach. Firstly, the ethnocentric (also  called domestic) method has its focus on home market and export. Approved management techniques from the country of origin are  transferred to the operating international subsidiaries. The aim here is  to maintain the power in the home country; thus a centralized  managerial authority comes into its own (Hollinshead, 2010, p. 52). Another trait is that cultural factors do not play a role; the foreign  cultural influence is totally ignored. As outlined by Adler and Ghadar  ( 1990:242) it is more a matter of We allow you to buy our products  (Hollinshead, 2010, p. 55). Consequently, routine activities are carried  out by recruited host country nationals (HCNs), while parent country  nationals (PCNs) are in charge for the management of the subsidiary  (Hollinshead, 2010, p.52). In polycentric (international) oriented  companies, the focus lies on local receptiveness and transfer of  learning. The overseas subsidiaries are regarded as self-governing  business units, which are controlled and managed by HCNs, whereas  key decision making (e.g. financial investments, etc.) is still in the  responsibility of PCNs (Hollinshead, 2010, p. 54). The third method is  the regiocentric (multinational) approach, where the focal point is the  global strategy, low cost and price competition. This metho d is a  midway between the culture and the global profile. In this case, the  most effective managers get recruited regardless of their country of  origin, thus a sharing of common organizational culture across distinct  managerial alliances take place (Hollinshead, 2010, p.54-56). The last  approach is a geocentric (global) cultural sensitive one, where it is  concentrated on both local responsiveness and global integration. The  aim is to establish a collaboration between the parent and the  subsidiary and again between subsidiaries (Hollinshead, 2010, p. 54-56). Eventually, these approaches, when comparing, have similarities  and divergences in some aspects. In the polycentric method the  primary orientation is the market and in the geocentric one the  strategy, whereas ethnocentrism concentrates on the product or  service itself and regiocentrism on the price factor. Concerning the  worldwide strategy, the ethnocentric/domestic style permits overseas  clients to purchase the product/service, the polycentric/international  method focuses on augmenting the market internationally and to  transfer the technology abroad, whereas the regiocentric/ multinational  approach is looking forward to supply, market and produce the goods  globally, and the geocentric/global approach wants to gain global  strategic competitive advantage. Regarding the staffing of expatriates,  the international and global approach assigns many expatriates, while  the multinational method only allocates a few expatriates and the  domestic one even none. There are also differences referring to whom  gets send. In the domestic phase it doesnt matter whom to send to  the subsidiaries (regarding the fact that almost no one is sent abroad),  in contrast the international approach assembles OK performers and sales people, whilst multinational and global approaches give attention  to employ only very good performers as well as high potential managers and top executives. The aspect purpose varies again for the four approaches: the domestic one rewards employees when expatriating, the international approach regards expatriates as people who get the job done, in the multinational method a project and career development takes place and in the global approach a career and organizational development occurs. Furthermore, with referenc e to the career impact, in the domestic attitude, there is a negative career impact for expatriates, the international method states a deficient impact for the domestic career, which is in contrast to the multinational and global approach, where it is considered important for the global career and essential for the executive suit. For the matter of a professional re-entry, the domestic and international approaches aggravate this particular process to a great extent, whereas in the multinational and global methods it is less difficult to re-entry even professionally easy. Another facet, is the training and development (language and cross-cultural management) one, where in the domestic method no training is required and in the international approach only a time-span of one week. Quite the opposite is necessary for the  multinational and global ones, where training and development can be carried out throughout the career. Expatriates need also certain necessary skills. The ethnocentr ic approach requires technical and managerial skills, the polycentric one the same as the ethnocentric one plus cultural adaptation, the multinational one plus recognizing cultural differences and the global one plus cross cultural interaction, influence and synergy (Scullion Linehan, 2005, p. 28-29).To conclude, the four approaches can be splitted up to two blocks of approaches, by putting the domestic and international ones together in one block and the multinational and global approaches to the other block, with regard to similarities and differences. Eventually, it gets obvious that the multinational and global approaches are best suited for the globalizing market, because a change in business activities require also a change in HR policies and activities to be most efficient and effective.

Chemistry Diploma Paper Essay

1. Attempt any ten of the following : a) Why is an atom electrically neutral ? b) Differentiate between isotopes and isobars. c) Define conductor and nonconductor. d) State Faraday’s second law of electrolysis. e) Define cell. Give its classification. f) Explain the terms mineral and ore. g) Define alloys with suitable example. h) What is nickel silver ? Write its composition. i) Give composition of glass-wool. j) Name the types of plastics with examples of each. k) Define COD of sewage. l) Define Air-pollution. Give its magnitude. 2. Attempt any four of the following : 16 a) Give the comparison of electron, proton and neutron w.r.to their symbol, change, mass and location within an atom. b) Give four points of distinction between orbit and orbital. c) Write orbital electronic configuration of the following elements 24 39 20 N14 , Mg 12 , K 19 , Ne10 7 d) Describe the formation of NaCl molecule with diagram and name the type of bonding. e) Explain electrovalency and covalency with example. f) State and explain Faraday’s first law of electrolysis. P.T.O. 12002 *12002* MARKS 3. Attempt any four of the following : 16 a) Draw diagram and explain the construction working of lead-acid storage cell. b) A given quantity of electricity is passed through two cells containing copper sulphate and silver nitrate respectively. If 0.99 gms of silver and 0.29 gms of copper are deposited, find equivalent weight of silver when that of copper is 31.6. c) Explain the mechanism of electrolysis of fused sodium-chloride by using carbon electrodes. d) Why copper is electro-refined ? Describe the process of electro-refining of copper. e) Explain construction working and application of dry-cell. f) Define metallurgy. Outline the general principle of metallurgy. 4. Attempt any four of the following : 16 a) Define the terms : flux, slag, malleability and toughness. b) Write composition, properties and applications of Alnico and Woods metal. c) Explain with diagram the gravity separation used for concentration of iron-ore. d) Differentiate – calcination and roasting. e) Write any four purposes of making alloys. f) Explain the fusion method for manufacture of alloys. 5. Attempt any four of the following : 16 a) State four properties of plastics and write the uses based on each of given properties. b) What is thermocole ? Give its properties and applications. c) What is rubber ? What is the difference between natural and synthetic rubber ? d) What is green-house-effect ? State the measure to control it. e) Explain the causes of water pollution. f) What is bio-medical-waste ? Give two techniques for its disposal. 6. Attempt any four of the following : a) Write properties and application of glass-wool. b) Explain any four major sources causing air-pollution. c) Write any four methods to control water pollution. d) What is preventive environmental management ? Give one example. e) Distinguish between air-pollution due to vehicle and industries. f) Write short note on effect of E-waste. ————— 16

Costco Wholesale Case Study

Stakeholders invest money with the intent to gain return in the future. It is important for stakeholders to gain access to information and evaluate the firm’s performance before they put money in it. On the other hand, it is the firm’s management team job to make decisions that would maximize the long term value of the firm’s common stock. The intent of this paper is to analyze Costco Wholesale Corporation’s financial performance and to assess how efficient the business has been over a five year period as well as to provide recommendation for financial management strategy. The problem identified in this paper is the low margins in the industry. Because margins are low, the profitability of individual companies depends on high volume sales and efficient operations. Costco Wholesale Corporation is high-growth Retail Company. The company has experienced significant growth from 1997 to 2001, which has caught the attention of the competition. However, the numbers are decreasing because return on assets, return on equity, and asset turnover ratios have declined within the same time frame. Costco Wholesale Corporation has been a major player in the retail industry. It is the largest wholesale club operator in the US. â€Å"The company operates about 555 membership warehouse stores serving more than 53 million cardholders in some 40 US states and Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and the UK, primarily under the Costco Wholesale name. † (Hoover's, Inc, 2010) Costco’s strategy is low prices strategy. The management team has been able to pass savings to customers, keep low prices and maintain healthy margins at the same time. This has been a result of the company’s ability to become more efficient over time. The company saves on operation costs in order to provide low price while still keeping high quality products for customers. It has been constructing warehouses with inexpensive concrete floors. Selling items in bulk has allowed for operating efficiencies. Also, carrying less variety of products than other competitors has contributed to keeping inventory costs down. High sales volume and rapid inventory turnover are very important for a firm’s financial performance. Therefore, they should not be overlooked by investors. Costco’s inventory turnover ratio of 11. 7% in 2001 is the highest compared to its competitors. It is a result of operating principle that allows Costco to improve its working capital and operate much more efficiently than its competitors. For instance, Costco buys directly from manufacturers and routes purchases directly to customers in less than 24 hours. â€Å"Cross-docks never stored inventory, so all of the items delivered were reloaded and shipped that same day. † (Case study, p. 6) This has increased efficiency by ensuring the trucks are operating at full capacity. It also has allowed Costco to receive cash in hand before it has to pay for the original merchandise from the manufacturer. This has resulted in a very high operating cash flow for the business. Cash is important to any company’s financial performance. It allows the company to pay its bills and invest in the business without having to use debt. According to Torres’s Common Size Financial statement Interest expense has decreased from – 0. 35% in 1997 to – 0. 09% in 2001. This has demonstrated Costco’s ability to reduce its overall amount of debt during these years. For example, the fact that short-term debts have increased from 0. 46% in 1997 to 1. 93% in 2001 and long-term debt have decreased from 16. 74% of sales in 1997 to 8. 2% in 2001, relates back to the decrease in Costco’s interest expense. This is a representation of the management’s team decision turn on to short-term and move away from long-term debts. In addition, the decrease in long-term debt has helped reducing total liabilities from 53. 32% of total assets in 1997 to 50. 46% in 2001. Costcoâ €™s current ration in 2001 is 0. 94, which is below its competitors. This could be a sign for weak liquidity position. However, the high inventory turnover ratio analyzed earlier in this paper in combination with the low current ratio is an indicator for efficient assets management. The competitors’ higher current ratio might also be a sign for too much inventory that might have to be written-off or too many old accounts receivables that could turn into bad debts. Sears and Walmart’s account receivables are a way higher than Costco and BJs, confirming that there is no significant reason for considering Costco’s current ratio a weakness. Costco’s gross margin has been well maintained over the five year period. Their gross margin of 10. 4% is much lower than Sears’ of 26. 6% and Wal-Mart’s of 21. 5%. Only BJ’s has a lower gross margin of 9. 2%. Costco’s 2001 gross margin suggests ability to remain profitable and very competitive at the same time. The company has been able to provide goods to customers at a very low mark-up and at a lower per unit cost. According to the case study Costco’s management team has decided to reinvest net income back into the company instead of paying dividends. This decision has resulted in earnings retention ratio of 100% as shown on Torres’s sustainable growth model. Absence of dividends could lead to some investor dissatisfaction in the short term. The return on equity (ROE) also has been decreasing during the five year period. It has dropped from 18. 6% in 1998 to 14. 2% in 2001, which could also lead to investor dissatisfaction. ROE tells how well stockholders are doing in term of return on their money. Costco’s 14. 2% return in 2001 is consistent with the current average industry ROE is 11. 5%[1]. Costco’s ratio is consistent with the industry average, but appears to be on the decline. A look at Costco’s ROE since 1997 shows a steady decline. Consistent reinvestment into the company has occurred in the form of new store construction and efficient modifications of old stores during these years. Such capital investments would take time to generate profits. Even though Costco’s ROE in 2001 is lower than in 1997 it still remains a large positive figure. As long as Costco’s management team continues demonstrates ability to successfully reinvest and improve efficiencies, stock price would most likely increase in the future and stockholder would be satisfied with long term returns on their investment. Economic factors should be considered when determining the future of the retail business. Economic factors include the economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate. Economic downturns have forced customers to cut back on expenses. . Any significant decrease to consumer spending has to be considered as a threat. In 2000/ 2001 tough economic environment Costco has shown the ability to persevere and continue growing their business. Passing cost savings to customers is even more important in times of economic slowdowns when businesses and individuals are trying to do more with less. Economic constraints play a major role in wholesale business by forcing companies to be more creative and come up with higher efficiencies in order to provide lower prices. On the other hand, economic growth provides opportunities not only to Costco but to other rivalry as well. Social factors influencing the retail industry include culture, population growth, age distribution, and importance of safety. Costco warehouses are located further away from residential areas such as cities and older suburban areas. This creates inconvenience for customers as they would have to drive further to shop at Costco than a local grocery store. Costco has overcome this with a much better customer environment, larger discounts on bulk purchases and various incentives through their membership programs. Ecological factors include ecological and environmental aspects. For instance, Costco has been offering boxes to customers instead of plastic bags. Such green initiatives are necessary to address environmental concerns. They could also contribute to increased market share. Other factors that should be considered are customer demand, cultural changes, and technology. Today’s advanced technology provides opportunities for higher efficiencies as well as cultural changes. For instance, the internet has been a great shopping resource lately. It gives retailers the ability to offer lower prices and customers the convenience of shopping from their own homes. Costco’s management team should continue to work closely with customers in order to identify their needs and behavior. Costco’s mission is â€Å"To continually provide our members with quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. † (Costco, 2010). The management team should ensure that systems and processes are in place to carry on the mission. Ensure open communication channels between employees and management. Employees should be considered when the strategy is being implemented because successful strategy implementation requires motivation. The company should clearly communicate its vision and mission to all levels throughout the organization. Communicating the company’s vision and employees involvement in the decision making process would give them a stronger sense of job satisfaction. That would increase motivation and contribute to creativity enforce. Also to increase motivation the executive team should review management’s compensation and rewards. As part of trategy implementation the leadership team should develop support among stakeholders. One aspect of that is to establish global network of strong suppliers and ensure availability of strong partners who share technology, development cost, and speed to market Costco’s goal is to â€Å"Reward our shareholders. † (Costco, 2010) This analysis proves that Costco remains one of the industry’s leading players and there seems to be no reason for Torres to sell her shares. References Brigham, Eugene, & Houston, Joel. (2008). Fundamentals of financial management. South-Western Pub. Brigham, & Houston, 2008) Carpenter, M. A. , & Sanders, Wm. G. (2009). New Jersey, NY: Pearson Education, Inc. Costco wholesale corporation . (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. hoovers. com/company/Costco_Wholesale_Corporation/rkfjif-1. html Costco, Initials. (2010). Costco wholesale corporation. Retrieved from http://www. csrglobe. com/login/companies/costco_wholesale_corporation. html Jun, J. (2009, January 19). Taking stock in costco. Retrieved from http://www. oldschoolvalue. com/featured/taking-stock-in-costco/ ———————– [1] Data collected from Google Finance

Definition and Examples of Linguistic Variation

Definition and Examples of Linguistic Variation The term linguistic variation (or simply variation) refers to regional, social, or contextual differences in the ways that a particular language is used. Variation between languages, dialects, and speakers is known as interspeaker variation. Variation within the language of a single speaker is called intraspeaker variation. Since the rise of sociolinguistics in the 1960s, interest in linguistic variation (also called linguistic variability)  has developed rapidly. R.L. Trask notes that variation, far from being peripheral and inconsequential, is a vital part of ordinary linguistic behavior (Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics, 2007). The formal study of variation is known as variationist (socio)linguistics. All aspects of language (including phonemes, morphemes, syntactic structures, and meanings) are subject to variation. Examples and Observations Linguistic variation is central to the study of language use. In fact it is impossible to study the language forms used in natural texts without being confronted with the issue of linguistic variability. Variability is inherent in human language: a single speaker will use different linguistic forms on different occasions, and different speakers of a language will express the same meanings using different forms. Most of this variation is highly systematic: speakers of a language make choices in pronunciation, morphology, word choice, and grammar depending on a number of non-linguistic factors. These factors include the speakers purpose in communication, the relationship between speaker and hearer, the production circumstances, and various demographic affiliations that a speaker can have.(Randi Reppen et al., Using Corpora to Explore Linguistic Variation. John Benjamins, 2002)Linguistic Variation and Sociolinguistic VariationThere are  two types of language variation: linguistic and sociolinguistic. With linguistic variation, the alternation between elements is categorically constrained by the linguistic context in which they occur. With sociolinguistic variation, speakers  can choose between elements in the same linguistic context and, hence the alternation is probabilistic. Furthermore, the probability of one form  being chosen over another is also affected in a probabilistic way by a range of extra-linguistic factors [e.g. the degree of (in)formality of the topic under discussion, the social status of the speaker and of the interlocutor, the setting in which communication takes place, etc.](Raymond Mougeon et al.,  The Sociolinguistic Competence of Immersion Students. Multilingual Matters, 2010) Dialectal VariationA dialect is variation in grammar and vocabulary in addition to sound variations. For example, if one person utters the sentence John is a farmer and another says the same thing except pronounces the word farmer as fahmuh, then the difference is one of accent. But if one person says something like You should not do that and another says Ya hadnt oughta do that, then this is a dialect difference because the variation is greater. The extent of dialect differences is a continuum. Some dialects are extremely different and others less so.(Donald G. Ellis, From Language to Communication. Routledge, 1999)Types of Variation[R]egional variation is only one of many possible types of differences among speakers of the same language. For example, there are occupational dialects (the word bugs means something quite different to a computer programmer and an exterminator), sexual dialects (women are far more likely than men to call a new house adorable), and educational dialects ( the more education people have, the less likely they are to use double negatives). There are dialects of age (teenagers have their own slang, and even the phonology of older speakers is likely to differ from that of young speakers in the same geographical region) and dialects of social context (we do not talk the same way to our intimate friends as we do to new acquaintances, to the paperboy, or to our employer). . . . [R]egional dialects are only one of many types of linguistic variation.(C. M. Millward and Mary Hayes, A Biography of the English Language, 3rd ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Linguistic Variables- [T]he introduction of the quantitative approach to language description has revealed important  patterns of linguistic behaviour which were previously invisible. The concept of a sociolinguistic variable has become central to the  description of speech. A variable is some point of usage for which two or more competing forms are available in a community, with speakers showing interesting and significant differences in the frequency with which they use one or another of these competing forms.Furthermore, it has been discovered that variation is typically the vehicle of language change.(R.L. Trask,  Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics. Routledge, 1999/2005)- Lexical variables are fairly straightforward, as long as we can show that the two variantssuch as the choice between soda and pop for a carbonated beverage in American Englishrefer to the same entity. Thus, in the case of soda and pop, we need to take into account that for many U.S. southerners, Coke (when used to refer to a beverage and not the steel-making fuel or the illicit narcotic) has the same referent as soda, whereas in other parts of the U.S., Coke refers to a single brand/flavour of the beverage . . ..(Scott F. Kiesling,  Linguistic Variation and Change. Edinburgh University Press, 2011)

Austria Essays - States Of Austria, Salzburg, Austria, Alps

Austria Essays - States Of Austria, Salzburg, Austria, Alps Austria Austria Austria is the republic in central Europe. It is about 360 miles long and has an area of about 32,378 square miles. Vienna is the countrys capital and largest city. Austria is predominantly a mountainous country, with an average elevation of about 3000 feet. Most of the land falls within the eastern part of the Alps. In general the major mountain ranges of Austria run in an eastern-western direction and are separated from one another by large valleys. The northernmost line of ranges includes the North Tirol Alps and the Salzburg Alps. Among the central range is the Hohe Tauern, which tops in the Grossglockner, the highest elevation in the country. The Pasterze Glacier, one of Europes largest, descends from the Grossglockner peak. The southernmost ranges include the tztal Alps, the Zillertaler Alps, the Carnic Alps, and the Karawanken Mountains. Besides these eastern-western ranges, several series of mountain extend in a northern-southern direction. The mountain barriers of Austria are broken in many places by passes, including the Brenner Pass and the Semmering Pass. The principal river is the Danube, which enters Austria at Passau on the German border. Austrian tributaries of the Danube include the Inn, Traun, Enns, and Ybbs rivers. In the south, important rivers are the Mur and the Mrz. In addition to the rivers, the hydrographic system of the country includes numerous lakes, Bodensee, and Neusiedler Lake in Burgenland. The lake is the countrys lowest elevation point. The Austrian climate varies with altitude. Mountainous regions are subject to moderate Atlantic conditions and experience more precipitation than the eastern lowlands. Spring and fall are usually mild throughout the country. Summers are short with moderate temperatures. Cold and often severe winters last about three months in the valleys. The foehn is important to Austrias agricultural production, allowing for early cultivation of the southern valleys. Average annual temperatures range between about 44 and 48 F throughout the country. Average annual rainfall is about 26 inches in Vienna and about 34 inches in Innsbruck. In some interior valleys, the average annual rainfall is between about 60 and 80 inches. Austria has large deposits of iron ore, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, and natural gas and is a prime world agent of high-grade graphite. Some small deposits of bituminous coal have been mined, as well as lead, zinc, copper, kaolin, gypsum, mica, quartz, salt, bauxite, antimony, and talc. Deciduous trees, mainly beech, oak, and birch, are predominant in the lower altitudes. Spruce, fir, larch, Austrian black pine, and stone pine extend to the timberline. The higher altitudes have a very brief season during which alpine plants, including edelweiss, gentians, primroses, buttercups, and monkshoods, come into brilliant flower. Wildlife is generally scarce in Austria. Chamois, deer, and marmot are still represented; bear, which were once abundant, are now almost completely absent. Hunting is strictly regulated to protect the remaining species. The Austrian people are German-speaking, but the country has a varied ethnic mixturea legacy from the time of the multinational Habsburg Austria. About 96 percent of the population is ethnic Austrian. Minority groups include Croats and Hungarians, Slovenes,Czechs, as well as small numbers of Italians, Serbs, and Romanians. A large amount of refugees in the years following World War II increased their numbers, and new groups, such as the Turks, were added. According to the 1991 census, Austria had a population of 7,795,786. The 1996 estimated population was about 8,023,244, giving the country an overall population density of about 248 people per square mile. About 61 percent of the population is urban, with more than one-quarter of the people living in the five largest cities: Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. Austria is divided into nine federal provinces: Burgenland, Krnten, Niedersterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark , Tirol, Obersterreich, Vienna, and Vorarlberg. Roman Catholicism is the religion of about 78 percent of the population of Austria. Reformed Lutherans and various other Christian denominations account for 8 percent, and Muslims make up 2 percent. Those without a religion or whose faith is unknown constitute 12 percent of the population. German is the official language of Austria. About 2 percent of the population speak languages other than German, mainly Croatian, Slovenian, Czech, and Turkish. The basis of the Austrian educational system is the national law that requires school attendance for all youths between the ages of 6 and 15. Austrias long tradition of free education dates from the Educational Reform Act of 1774, instituted by the Empress Maria Theresa. This law, which was expanded in 1867 and again in 1962, largely accounts for the fact that virtually all

Women in the Military Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in the Military - Essay Example The reason for the exclusion of women in the military is as a result of their smaller physical body, and Fenner & DeYoung (2001 p 145) reports that women have 50 percent strength of the strength men have. According to Barno (2014), ‘in January 2014 fifty percent of women in the US marine failed to pass a physical standard test’, a test similar to the one offered to their male counterparts. The cry for greater women representation for women to serve in more diverse roles is louder than ever, in fact, the defense secretary reiterated the desire, by stating that, ‘combat positions will be more open to women’ †¦.Indeed, the civil talk of gender equality has breached the gate of the military service. The genuine need for a military service in which both men and women have equal opportunities has been thwarted by nature. Women are born naturally physically weaker than men. Debate on the roles of women in the military is as strong as ever, with the gender activist calling for standardization of the processes so that the women take positions in ground

Derrick Bell - the Founder of Critical Race Theory Case Study

Derrick Bell - the Founder of Critical Race Theory - Case Study Example The objective of this paper is to extensively examine the life and revolutionary work of Derrick Bell. Derrick had success at law school just like a number of his white colleagues at a time when a race was still a fundamental issue in the United States. Still, he was not able to find a job at any of those big firms in the country due to his race. This never deterred derrick who immediately embarked on a different path. This formed the commencement of a life of service to people who underwent tough social times due to their lives as minority groups and for those who believed in liberty and social justice (Bell 1). Years down the line, beneficiaries of this path that he took today are countless and continue to enjoy these liberties in an environment where those who were considered minorities can now prosper (Bell). As one of those who led the way as civil rights lawyers operating on the vanguard of Civil Rights Movement, this exceptional man oversaw more than three hundred school desegregation cases. At this point, he was also working together with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. While flourishing in these previous services to the people, he realized his true calling teaching law. Described by many as their mentor and best professor including the current President of America, President Barrack Obama, it is essential also to mention that he was the first Harvard Law School Professor of the African-American origin. In this part of his career, he also made history by renouncing this position in protest of the institution’s resistance to absorb women of colour. He argued that the need for faculty diversity was essential without discrimination of any single group (Dewart 2). He also briefly served at the Oregon Law School that was dominated by white staff. Here, he became the firs t person of colour to hold a deanship position in the history of America. At this institution too, he bowed out of his position after an incident where the institution exhibited reluctance to hire an exceedingly competent Asian-American woman (Dewart 2).  

Buddhism 'psychological' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buddhism 'psychological' - Essay Example Buddhism is typically an Eastern religion for it focuses on human suffering and offers practical solutions to counter it. Rather than dealing with the paranormal and the supernatural, it is a practical philosophy toward life. In other words, Buddhism can be seen as offering psychological insights into the workings of the human mind, an understanding of which will benefit the individual subject. Both Buddhism and psychology can be seen as systems of philosophy. The idea of detachment is a central Buddhist doctrine, which has strong resonance in modern psychoanalysis. Since much of human suffering arises from the loss of an attached object (which could be material, personal or emotional), Buddhism advices the practice of detaching oneself from such objects as a way of preventing hurt and loss. This idea is also expressed as the achievement of a state of lack of desire. But therein lies an important contradiction. If an individual sets a goal of attaining a state of lack of desire, then he/she is getting attached to the goal. This paradox also has parallels in psychology, where it is referred to as neurosis. Just as desire is what brings about most human suffering, so does neurosis the cause of most psychological disturbances such as anxiety, panic, depression, obsessive behavior, etc. In this way there are strong similarities between Buddhism and psychology. Buddhism can be considered psychological in that it recognizes the importance of the psyche in perceiving and ascertaining the material world. It says that by controlling ones mind and shaping ones thoughts a great deal of personal tranquility can be achieved. Therapeutic techniques in psychology also attempt to do the same. The only difference is that while Buddhism uses the revelatory knowledge of Gautam Buddha in teaching these techniques, modern psychology employs quasi-scientific theories about cognition and mental conditioning as part of the treatment. To the extent that prevailing

Religious Service Essay Example for Free

Religious Service Essay For my last response paper, I decided that I wanted to attend a Jewish service. Since I had missed the pre arranged field trip to go with the school, I decided that I would grab a friend, and make a day out of driving up to Park City to go to the Temple Har Shalom. We set off on our forty minute drive, and finally came upon the Temple. The temple itself was very intriguing to the eye, it was a mix of brick and what looked like maple wood, the architecture was interesting and had a very modern feel to it. The inside was beautiful, and very spacious. There were chairs set up and tables, and fire places, of course there were Israeli flags hanging from different locations. When we first got in, we first just walked around and marveled at how modern and clean the temple felt. People were starting to come in, and greet each other. It was obvious that the community was very close; everyone seemed to know one another. My friend and I were immediately picked out as being visitors, and so some people came to us and wanted to know who we were, and what we were doing there. Upon hearing my reason for being at the temple, a man kindly offered to first explain to us a little about what was going on. First of all he began to tell us that every synagogue must have three things in order for it to be considered holy. One of these things is the Ark, the cabinet where the Torah scrolls are kept. The second thing is a â€Å"sanctuary lamp† or an altar lamp; a light that shall burn continuously. The third thing he mentioned was a 7 branched candelabrum, or menorah. We walked into where the service was being held, and considering that this specific temple is one of the largest in the state, the room was huge. I was told that the congregation was made of over 300 Jewish families, and there was room for everyone to be comfortable. The pews were set up, and they were all blue behind the rows of pews, blue single chairs were set up. The chairs were all set up to face the ark, which was surrounded by beautiful, white blue and grey brick looking stain glass. Again the building is very new and modern, so the lights where very interesting shaped, they reminded me of tire wheels. The wall on the side of the room had slits of the same stain glass that surrounded near the front of the room where the arc resided. The Star of David and a menorah were also present on the walls. The ceiling was very interesting; it was wood pleats and reminded me of an olden wooden sleigh. The Rabbi who was conducting the service was Rabbi Joshua Aaronson. He was a little younger than I was expecting, I would put him maybe around 35 or so. He was wearing a full length white robe with a Tallit around his shoulders, which was a more yellowish collar, and had what looked like leaves to be on it. He was also wearing a Yamaka. He greeted the congregation by saying â€Å"Shalom† which means welcome. I noticed that there was different books all around, there were prayer books, called â€Å"Siddur† which contained Hebrew, and English translations, there was also the â€Å"Chumash† which is the book that has the torah readings in it, each week a different part of the Torah is read, starting in Genesis and going through to Deuteronomy, once the torah has been read all the way through, it starts over again in Genesis. Rabbi Aaronson spoke to the congregation and told some stories about his wife and family, the whole congregation seemed to enjoy him, and he wa s quite funny. Rabbi Aaronson’s sermon was about happiness, he talked about how he had never really thought about the idea of happiness and Judaism going together, of course he was happy, and had studied the religion for many years, the persecution of the Jews, the nature of God, Faith in God, the rules, the laws, he joked that through all the movies he had seen about Judaism he had never left in a happy mood, with Fiddler on the Roof being the exception. He talked about how he realized that happiness was actually found many places in Judaism, the first of which would be the Tanakh or Jewish bible, one of the sons of Jacob is named Asher, meaning happy. He talks about how the word happy is found most often in Psalms and Proverbs, and mentions that the very first word in the very first Psalms is happy, he then repeats the first Psalm, first in Hebrew and then in English. He explains the Psalms which basically says that a person is happy when he or she has a strong moral compass, and is not persuaded by liars and cheaters. He mentions Psalms 84 and mentions that the Psalms is so important that it is the first phrase in one of the most important prayers of the Shabbat, the prayer in English roughly means â€Å"The Happy Prayer†. The point to his message was that being close to God, and more so being religious and studying God and religion brings people happiness. He talks about a poll that was done with 600,000 Americans which showed that people who considered themselves religious or very religious said they were much happier than those who said they were moderately religious or not religious at all. My favorite part of the service was when the Torah was read. The reading of the Torah was done in the middle of the service, Rabbi Aaronson opened the Ark, and it is custom for everyone to stand when the Ark is opened, to show respect. Everyone rose and chanted a verse from the Torah, which I was told again shows their recognition of the importance of the Torah. The different Torahs were all neatly placed in the Ark, which beautiful covers on them, while the Rabbi took them out, I noticed he carried them to the altar almost like a new born baby, which makes sense considering how sacred the Torah is in the religion. He took off the coverings and there were two other people around him who were the â€Å"Torah checkers† they make sure that whoever is doing the reading is not making any mistakes and is there to correct if a mistake is made reading the torah. They carried the torah around the room and people bowed when it came near them, I was told that I did not have to bow if I did not feel comfortable, but felt I wouldn’t get the full experience if I didn’t. There was a whole intriguing ritual in reading the torah, a man went up to do an â€Å"Aliyah† which is Hebrew for going up, this is like a blessing on the torah before the reader read’s that weeks passage. I had never heard Hebrew spoken before attending this service, let alone heard another language in a church so that was very interesting. I had also never seen a book that was so sacred, of course Christians have the bible but it is not transported around the room, while people bow to it. I thought that showed a lot of tradition and strength in the religion. It is clearly a religion that is very important to those who follow it. I would go into more detail about the torah reading, but I left my notes and my program on the pew when I left and didn’t realize until much too late. The book that allowed us to follow along the torah reading was very great, and I was pleasantly surprised that they did the reading in English as well as in Hebrew. The service ended and people came up to me and shook my hand and of course as always, wanted to know what I thought about it. I have to admit this was one of the most intriguing church experiences I have ever had. The sermon was interesting, the people were great, and there was such a feeling of being close, close to one another and close to God and to a religion that I was very overwhelmed with positive emotion. I am very glad that I attended this service, and am glad this class has allowed me to open my mind to different religions.

Fa Mu Lan: Equal Rights for Women in China Essay -- Asian History

Despite the oppression women were subjected to in China, they still occasionally overcame it and accomplished something extraordinary. Some worked, and helped to earn the family living, some were extremely honorable in their efforts to uphold their chastity or their family's honor, and some accomplished even more influential feats. Fa Mu Lan trained for fifteen years in order to become a woman warrior. She became as strong as a man, but swifter and more graceful. After saving her father from the draft by dressing up as a man, she assembled an army. Her army never lost, because Kuan Kung, the god of war and literature, would always ride before her into battle. Interestingly enough, another of the more extraordinary feats was that of women writing and studying literature, also apparently under the god, Kuan Kung. Writing women worked around the rules. Men thought that women had no real use for writing, and so writing to the detriment of the household duties was greatly frowned upon, a problem easily solved. Both woman warriors and writers were amazing achievements, but one had some benefits the other did not. In the case of the woman warrior, Fa Mu Lan overcame many disadvantages of women. Biologically, women are disadvantaged from the start when it comes to physical strength and limits. Men are built more for hunting and killing than women. Male hormones force the growth of more muscle than female hormones do, and due to this women are often weaker. This is one of the great many barriers Fa Mu Lan overcame on her way to becoming a warrior. She trained hard enough that she was just as strong as a man. Mann says, "Through reading and writing, elite women developed new spheres of influence," which empowered wome... ...ving it all to your elders, which just serves to perpetuate the mistreatment of women, with the justification of Confusion thought. The pleasantries of the tales of Fa Mu Lan are quite interesting and fun to read, but they lack much significance. The lives of women in China were not improved through the tellings and re-tellings of folk lore. It is for the women writers unto whom the real respect can be given, as not only did they receive the same education as men at that time, but they excelled with the knowledge they gleaned from it. Women writers embraced their femininity and used it to their full advantage, creating better works of art and literature than their male counterparts. Works Cited Kingston, Maxine Hong. Woman Warrior. (1975), New York: Vintage International. Mann, Susan. Precious Records. (1997), Stanford: Stanford University Press.

“Murder in the Cathedral” by T. S. Eliot Essay

Murder in the Cathedral is a verse drama by T. S. Eliot that portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, first performed in 1935. Eliot drew heavily on the writing of Edward Grim, a clerk who was an eyewitness to the event. The play, dealing with an individual’s opposition to authority, was written at the time of rising Fascism in Central Europe, and can be taken as a protest to individuals in affected countries to oppose the Nazi regime’s subversion of the ideals of the Christian Church.[1] Some material that the producer asked Eliot to remove or replace during the writing was transformed into the poem â€Å"Burnt Norton†.[2] The action occurs between December 2 and December 29, 1170, chronicling the days leading up to the martyrdom of Thomas Becket following his absence of seven years in France. Becket’s internal struggle is the main focus of the play. The book is divided into two parts. Part one takes place in the Archbishop Thomas Becket’s hall on December 2, 1170. The play begins with a Chorus singing, foreshadowing the coming violence. The Chorus is a key part of the drama, with its voice changing and developing during the play, offering comments about the action and providing a link between the audience and the characters and action, as in Greek drama. Three priests are present, and they reflect on the absence of Becket and the rise of temporal power. A herald announces Becket’s arrival. Becket is immediately reflective about his coming martyrdom, which he embraces, and which is understood to be a sign of his own selfishness—his fatal weakness. The tempters arrive, three of whom parallel the Temptations of Christ. The first tempter offers the prospect of physical safety. Take a friend’s advice. Leave well alone, Or your goose may be cooked and eaten to the bone. The second offers power, riches and fame in serving the King. To set down the great, protect the poor, Beneath the throne of God can man do more? The third tempter suggests a coalition with the barons and a chance to resist the King. For us, Church favour would be an advantage, Blessing of Pope powerful protection In the fight for liberty. You, my Lord, In being with us, would fight a good stroke Finally, a fourth tempter urges him to seek the glory of martyrdom. You hold the keys of heaven and hell. Power to bind and loose : bind, Thomas, bind, King and bishop under your heel. King, emperor, bishop, baron, king: Becket responds to all of the tempters and specifically addresses the immoral suggestions of the fourth tempter at the end of the first act: Now is my way clear, now is the meaning plain: Temptation shall not come in this kind again. The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason. The Interlude of the play is a sermon given by Becket on Christmas morning 1170. It is about the strange contradiction that Christmas is a day both of mourning and rejoicing, which Christians also do for martyrs. He announces at the end of his sermon, â€Å"it is possible that in a short time you may have yet another martyr†. We see in the sermon something of Becket’s ultimate peace of mind, as he elects not to seek sainthood, but to accept his death as inevitable and part of a better whole. Part II of the play takes place in the Archbishop’s Hall and in the Cathedral, December 29, 1170. Four knights arrive with â€Å"Urgent business† from the king. These knights had heard the king speak of his frustration with Becket, and had interpreted this as an order to kill Becket. They accuse him of betrayal, and he claims to be loyal. He tells them to accuse him in public, and they make to attack him, but priests intervene. The priests insist that he leave and protect himself, but he refuses. The knights leave and Becket again says he is ready to die. The chorus sings that they knew this conflict was coming, that it had long been in the fabric of their lives, both temporal and spiritual. The chorus again reflects on the coming devastation. Thomas is taken to the Cathedral, where the knights break in and kill him. The chorus laments: â€Å"Clean the air! Clean the sky!†, and â€Å"The land is foul, the water is foul, our beasts and ourselves defiled with blood.† At the close of the play, the knights step up, address the audience, and defend their actions. The murder was all right and for the best: it was in the right spirit, sober, and justified so that the church’s power would not undermine stability and state power.