The Life of the American Born

This paper examines the life of the American born, Tim O'Brien and affirms the way his life influenced his writing techniques. William Timothy, the first of three children, well known as Tim O'Brien is an American Veteran writer, born on October 1, 1946, in Austin, Minnesota, United States of America (Herzog 14). He grew up in Worthington, a small shielded community near the borders of Iowa and South Dakota. He described himself as a vivid reader when he was young and had a thrilling interest in books and magic trick were evident realities on his storytelling power. This can also be linked to his parents who were enthusiastic readers. In other words, O'Brien must have learned some reading secrets from his parents when he was young. Some of his short and electrifying stories include, â€Å"The things they carried† as well as other classic novels like the war novel, going after Cacciato produced in1978, which indeed made him known best for his writing experience about Vietnam War (Raymond 102). Worthington town similarly played a significant role in nurturing his thoughts while developing the artistic sensibility of his life as an author. He attended Macalester College in 1968 and awarded bachelor's degree in Political Science. During his time in the institution, he was elected and served as the president of the student's union in college. Contrary to his criticisms against war, Tim O'Brien was recruited into United States Army and then sent to Vietnam where he served for two years. Following his return from the military service, he resumed his studies and graduated from Harvard University. He then worked shortly as an intern, national affairs reporter at Washington Post up to May 1974. The war experience he gained from his two-year combat inspired his chief publication, titled If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me up and Ship Me Home. O'Brien's history clearly reveals the depression and misery wrecked on soldiers by the Vietnam War. His mythical work, the things they curried of 1990, (O'Brien 816) is a combination of memoirs and fictitious stories in which he used the philosophical concepts of truth to climax the distinctions between two realms of the facts and the fictions in a unique way (Conan 2010). He incorporated the metaphysical approach attribute in his writing that flavored the quality of his stories. In his story, he exposes the readers to the understanding about the distinction between the truth of a story, the truth of fiction and the happening truth, which is associated with the truth of facts. In confirming the same, he appreciates that a story truth is more associated with emotion, which are also connected with the feelings of the story of fiction. On that pedestal, he adds that the feelings would be more significant, and thus making the story more relevant. Additionally, O'Brien wrote numerous novels based on the war experience he obtained in the army of the United States. He was awarded the 1979 National Book Award for his works on Northern Lights published in1975 and Going after Cacciato of 1978. The novel discusses two brothers against one and another as foils where a brother joined the Vietnam war andanother failed (Raymond 99). Through this, the brothers learned to struggle and comprehend each one's values and motives. Following his extraordinary influence of Joseph Conrad's works, he modified Conrad's concepts of human aptitude for good and evil in his literary works. In his works, O'Brien propounded timeless matter of the subject and its thematic range. He believed in his introversive idea, that literary works not only focus on the current affairs but also anticipates what the future holds for humankind, (Smith 34). Nuclear Age, which was published in 1985 was the third O'Brien's novel of his literary works and describes much from his personal experience. His expertise in creating an amusing look at the thoughtful character, a young man who was raised under an atomic umbrella, and suffered severely from paranoia as a result of nuclear war. As the story continues, he finds solace in a hole he dug in his backyard attempting to overcome every thought and imagination, which made him uncomfortable. His creativity in writing approach of war blending fact and fiction is comparable to other technical war writers like Michael Herr and inspired eminent figures such as Truman Capote, Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe. However, key elements of his works encompass the categorization and fascination of emotional subject matters. Owing to this traits, his fictional works are therefore considered to have made an immense impact on the readers of his novels. Other O'Brien's electrifying works are The Nuclear Age, published in 1985, In the Lakes of The Woods of 1994, Tomcat in Love of 1998 and July, July that was published in 2000, which took the world of literature with a storm. In a span of two years, O'Brien's short stories The things they curried, received the 1987 National Magazine Award Fiction. The novel was then nominated for 1987, best American Short story. The lake of Woods forms another interesting novel written by O'Brien and published in 1994. It took O'Brien's works into greater heights by agitating much on guilt, culpability, complicity and the moral courage, (Bates 265). He invents his character John Wade, who is also a Vietnam veteran, aspiring to run for senate position. He later lost slightly as charges on his involvement in the Lai massacre became popular during his campaign trail. O'Brien raises larger inquiries about the fallouts of war and its effects, which was realized after the end of the war, more so when the veterans returned home. He wore James Fenimire Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was selected as the best novel of 1994 by Times Magazine.His most recent Novel, Tomcat in Love, O'Brien generated a Veteran Vietnam protagonist, Tom chippering through a love subject contrary to war. O'Brien describes this as a comic novel about a politically incorrect hero, who was sexy. He strongly believed that his lovers will love the book, and his fans, the so-called junkies, the people who appreciate his writings liked it. He alludes that this was his best book ever and it stole the hearts of many who could not do without reading the novel.In conclusion, O'Brien has won several prestigious awards in his many fictional works and worth being called a veteran in the writing field. His experience in writing the short story novels are highly acknowledged. He is a master of creative storytelling, a manipulator of literary form and one of the most challenging authors in his time with an ample content. His major contributions include the Nuclear Age, In the Lake of Woods, Tomcat in Love and July, July of 20000 More recently, he received $100,000 with the Pritxker Military Library Literature Award. Currently, he teaches at the Texas State University-San Marcos.

Report on Herbal Medicine Essay

1. Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind. Herbs had been used by all cultures throughout history, In 2735 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shen Nong wrote an authoritative treatise on herbs that is still in use today. 2. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion people, 80% of the world population, presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. indeed, about 25% of the prescription drugs dispensed in the United States contain at least one active ingredient derived from plant material. 3. Today, research confirms that the herb boosts the immune system by stimulating the production of disease-fighting white blood cells. 4. WHO notes that of 119 plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines, about 74% are used in modern medicine in ways that correlated directly with their traditional uses as plant medicines by native cultures. 5. Herbs take many forms like capsule, tablet, tea, tincture, bath, compress, poultice and ointment. 6. Li ke any kind of remedies Herbs have advantages and disadvantages you have to ask your Doctor before take any of it, Generally Herbs don’t have any serious dangerous on our health that’s the reason why millions of people use it around the world. Conclusion Scientific experts and users of the Herbs are divided about its benefits. However, Herbal medicine is considered to be safe. Recommendations 1. Any medicine – herbal or otherwise – has the potential to have a adverse effects (or side effects). 2. Herbal medicines can also interact with other medicines you are taking. This could result in reduced or enhanced effects of the other medicines, including side effects. If you are consulting your doctor or pharmacist about your health or are about to have surgery or an operation, always tell them about any herbal medicines you are taking. 3. As with all medicines, keep herbal medicines out of the sight and reach of children.

How Important is Discipline in Society? Essay

Among those who work in difficult or dangerous jobs, for example in coal mines, there is often a discipline that comes not from being subject to the will of any person, however rational and well-intentioned, but from the work itself. If it is to be done successfully and with the minimum danger and discomfort to all those engaged in it, certain procedures must be followed and safeguards observed. Since the workers can see that the nature of the work demands this, there is correspondingly less need for discipline to be imposed on them by some other agency. This is an ideal situation, as far as discipline is concerned: where the discipline is inherent in the work or activity, and where rules and procedures are followed because they are perceived as appropriate if the work is to be done. In the same kind of way it does happen, and fortunately not all that rarely, that a society appears collectively to embrace the idea that behaving within the legal confines is in the public’s interest, and that if they are to be law-abiding, then various routines, such as remaining content with earning one’s own keep and not committing fraud, have to be kept to. How can â€Å"discipline† be defined? Some would reserve the word for the following of rules because the rules are seen appropriate to the task in hand, and would apply the adjective â€Å"disciplined† to the abovementioned society but not to another one which has been brought to order by some external force such as the government’s threats of punishment. Others take a more holistic view of discipline in which it is perfectly proper to speak of one person or group of persons being â€Å"disciplined† by another’s imposition of authority. It would be pointless to stipulate that the word should be used in one way or another. However, I wish to stress that whatever words we use, there are clearly differences among the following three cases: one, where we follow rules willingly because we perceive them as right or appropriate; two, where we follow them under manipulative coercion, such as when we are persuaded that there is no alternative to the rules; and three, where we follow them under what may be called punitive coercion, being threatened with punishment or in general some unpleasant consequences if we do not. In a narrow view of things, many of mankind’s achievements in education,  economics, culture, athletics and science can be attributed to the persistence of disciplined, and often self-motivated, individuals. Sterling examples would include Archimedes, the great mathematician, who before being killed by a Roman soldier was drawing symbols in sand; Marie Curie who dedicated her widowed years in continuing research in radioactivity and eventually died of a radiation-triggered illness; and Siddhartha Gautama who exercised strict discipline over himself to mediate under the pipal tree and eventually achieved enlightenment. Even in Singapore, we see a most disciplined mountaineer in Mr. Khoo Swee Chiow who genuinely believes in his cause. However, discipline in the populace would assume greater significance if we consider its polar opposite: civil disobedience, or the taking of a token action in defiance of the law for the purpose of changing the law. Those who act in a civilly disobedient manner have no respect for law (whereas discipline is the manifestation of a respect for law). It is impossible to have a law that authorises individuals to violate it. Respect for law is essential for any system to function. An effective system of law is possible only when appeals cannot be made to principles outside the legal system. Civil disobedients determine for themselves what laws to obey and what laws to violate. Without law, there will only be chaos as each individual and group decides unilaterally what is right. The victims in such a lawless society will probably be many of the very same people who argue so adamantly for the right of civil disobedience, namely, the advocates of civil rights, social justice, and peace. If one group can decide for itself which laws to obey, so too will other groups. A system of law protects all groups in society. Without it, anarchy prevails, discussion ceases and violence begins. Therefore, discipline is a form of civilly responsible behaviour which helps maintain social order and contributes to the preservation, if not advancement, of collective interests of society at large. Having said that, a society whose members are too self-disciplined to ever become civilly disobedient is likely to be a stagnant one. On the other hand, civil disobedience may be good in the sense that a tolerance of it strengthens democracy. For a system to be democratic, it must have broad  support among diverse elements of society. The processes of a representative democracy (with a system of representative government based on free elections and a system of limitations on state activity) work slowly, and often groups become disenchanted with the slow responsiveness of government. Groups subjected to discrimination or injustice cannot be expected to rely exclusively on constitutional processes, while remedies take years to be instituted. Faced with the problems deeply felt by a group, its leaders must have an alternative to dissent or resistance. In the 1960s, for example, black people in America felt that the processes of change, particularly social and economic change, were moving too slowly to produce tangible benefits. Most of them rejected extremist solutions as unsuitable for democracy but saw in civil disobedience a remedy that would allow them to accept the legitimacy of the system. Hence Martin Luther King’s policy of direct action – the taking of non-violent measures like boycotts and sit-ins – which was based on the necessity of violating unjust laws. Here, acts of civil disobedience were justified because racial segregation by law is morally reprehensible. Another of the twentieth century’s great proponents of civil disobedience was Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Indian leader. His policy of satyagraha (literally â€Å"firmness in the truth†) was often equated with passive resistance. He urged his partisans to take peaceful acts, such as marches and boycotts to achieve the independence of India from British colonial rule. Gandhi became famous for his hunger strikes and for other acts of non-violence. One of his tactics was to have his followers lie down on railroad tracks, thus preventing trains from moving. By taking such peaceful acts of civil disobedience, Gandhi contributed to the movement – both in India and in Great Britain – for the independence of his country. Although not sanctified by law, civil disobedients can strengthen democratic institutions because they channel their energies in directions that a broader segment would ultimately accept – the abolition of slavery and segregation laws, the expression of civil rights, the establishment of nation independence, and the promotion of peace. They bring about positive  social changes. Returning to the three cases I highlighted in the second paragraph, it seems clear enough that the first case, whether or not we call it â€Å"discipline†, is what any government would prefer to find in its people. After all, it guarantees smooth implementation of even the most unpopular laws and in extreme cases, enables social engineering to be carried out. The question is what we are to do when this ideal breaks down or has no chance to develop. What course of action can governments take to bring about the order necessary for the smooth running of society, and indeed for civilised relationsh ips in general, to take place? More than often, governments ensure discipline in the people by instituting a legal system. Undoubtedly, a legal system is a specialised system of rules, distinct from moral rules, which at the least provides a framework in which individual behaviour can be in some sense regulated and an element in certainty guaranteed, and which at the very most may provide a comprehensive framework of regulations covering nearly all aspects of the individual’s life. To discuss the importance of discipline, or rather disciplinary action, in society, we would need to validate the existence of legal systems. It is true that some political philosophers have toyed with the idea of the possibility of social order without law: indeed, the first major work on this subject, Plato’s Republic, describes a lawless utopia in which the free play of the intelligence of the philosopher-kings is allowed to proceed untrammelled by legal restraints. Also, Karl Marx’s future classless society would be free from the restraints of civil and criminal law because those very factors that give rise to the need for law – the institution of money, the social division of labour and the system of private property – would have been removed. What unites all the differing â€Å"lawless† utopias is the requirement that these desirable states of affairs can only be brought about by a fundamental change in human nature. Marx, for instance, stresses that the abolition of the social division of labour associated with the bourgeois mode of production would entail a change in human nature. Yet the most elementary of human nature would make these interpretations fantastically optimistic because it seems to indicate the necessity for some rules, many of which are bound to be backed by organised sanctions (these will come to  be known as â€Å"laws†). Other political theorists, perhaps with a less elevated view of human potential, have argued that individuals have found the best form of protection in the existence of general rules of conduct binding on all. It is ironic that in his Laws, a much later work, Plato describes a society under the rule of law. Many commentators have understood this striking change in viewpoint as a capitulation to hard facts. If so, the facts may be no more compelling than that a wise ruler can be effective only through the promulgation of general regulations. No ruler of a large society could make every critical decision and transmit it rapidly through the populace. The best one can do is to define general limits within which individual citizens make their own decisions. Likewise, in practice, Communist regimes have maintained some sort of court system. Indeed, as the dream of a stateless, coercionless society faded, the notion of â€Å"legality† crept back into Soviet jurisprudence. Constitution law was revived and made consistent with socialism; and even some Western legal concepts and practices which would previously have been denounced as bourgeois reappeared in the later development of the Soviet legal system. Thus there was a legal order in the Soviet system. From these illustrations, it becomes more difficult to conceive of a society in which the people are not disciplined by laws. A system of law provides three qualities for social life: stability, uniformity and cooperation. The type of social stability that law provides is reliability of expectation. When established laws exist, citizens know what they can expect from their fellow citizens and government officials. Criminal law is a system of rules that provides means for the apprehension of individuals who break the law and that circumscribe the procedures that the government must follow in arrest and seizure. Civil law defines the procedures required for legal status with respect to property, contracts, marriages and many other relations among individuals and institutions. To a great extent, the more persuasive is law throughout a society, and the more are social relations regulated by it, the more stable is the society and the more reliable are expectations of members of the society as to how others will act if they respect the law. The greatest virtue of law is that it  achieves an explicitness frequently absent from other regions of social life, say custom, preventing arbitrariness and caprice and making clear what is demanded of individuals. Next, the fundamental and persuasive feature of law is its promulgation of a general rule binding equally on everyone who fits the conditions prescribed. The principle that everyone is equal before the law is inherent in all laws, not just in a democracy. Uniformity is important for stability, cooperation and fairness. It expresses the heart of the principle of equality before the law. A stable society requires uniform procedures for regulating activities and for rectifying imbalances. Citizens must be informed by formal legislation that activities are prescribed and proscribed. Where cooperation throughout large groups and regions is pursued, stable and reliable expectations are required. Vehicle drivers cooperate at road junctions through the laws that regulate left of way. Finally, the urge towards fairness shared by everyone, even those who reject some laws, requires implementation in laws if it is to be effective. Thirdly, a society can be beneficial to its members only where it achieves cooperation among them. If all activities were wholly individual within a society, the society would exact the usual price for social life from its members without compensating benefits. Law provides a necessary organisational and structural force in cooperative ventures. Exchange and possession of property could not be as smooth as they are in many countries without rules regulating the flow of money, procedures for the exchange of property and so forth. The most obvious characteristic of laws is that they are enforced, involving the police, courts of laws, punishments and penal institutions. I accept that the general justifying aim punishment is to secure greater obedience to laws and rules by deterring offenders, both potential repeat offenders and those who so far have not offended but might if not deterred. If this seems too obvious a statement to be worth making, I do so at this point because different opinions have been offered, such as that the general purpose of punishment is to reform offenders, or to visit retribution on them or to  reveal the moral order. Judicial punishment is incurred for an offence against laws or rules, which can be inspected in statute books. The connection is that when a person can know in advance, because rules have been published, what he is liable to be punished for, it is possible for him to exercise the choice and live in the security that are supposed to be the advantages of order being maintained through punishment rather than manipulation or sophisticated bullying. Thus punishment is supposed to have the merit of respecting the individual’s responsibility, of giving him the choice of whether to offend and to pay the price or observe the rule and preserve his freedom, so conferring the benefit that he is in charge, in this respect at least, of his own life and destiny. To insist that it is precisely where matters of importance are concerned that people must be given significant responsibility may seem strange in the context of punishment, for what we want to do is to prevent crimes and offences, not leave people with the choice of whether to commit them or not. Punishments are not simply a scheme of fines and restrictions designed to put a price on certain forms of conducts; it would be far better if the acts proscribed by penal statutes were never done. The point of punishment is that while it aims to prevent offences, it does this in a way that leaves room for other principles and goods that we value, which a more simple-minded, draconian system of preventing offences would not. More is at stake than the maintenance of laws at their most efficacious level: if that were all we wanted, we would behave very differently. We might, for example, take measures to isolate or even exterminate those sections or age groups of the population statistically most likely to commit crimes and would no doubt institute curfews. Yet we have reservations about measures such as these because as well as freedom from crimes, we value other things like freedom of speech, of movement and association. In this light, punishment as a means of discipline is important in society. At the same time, this importance can be diminished in the view of the adverse effects of law and punishment. The value of law is so great and the reverence for law becomes so overpowering that it may become self-stultifying and destructive. Laws can make a society become too stable  and inflexible, incapable of adapting to new conditions. The laws of a society may represent social relations long out of date, promoting oppression and invasion of privacy. Law may impose too great a uniformity upon society, stifling creativity, originality, human variation and cultural heterogeneity. When the faults of law intrude, people become desperate. When injustices prevail within the ruling system of injustice, when society becomes too uniform, inflexible and oppressive, law can be viewed as an intractable evil. When the prevailing legal system is held up as worthy because it is the law, no matter how oppressive and unjust, people lose their respect for law without knowing any alternative. The most pernicious danger is that respect for law may be imposed and not earned, and may be assumed even when the law is unjust. Then we have the hidden oppression of Kafka’s â€Å"The Trial†, in which a man suffers under a system of Law that accuses and trials him but never explains why. That system should not merit such respect and must instead be condemned. In conclusion, I view discipline exercised by and over the populace as important in society; however, it should co-exist with an active civil voice. Can discipline be maintained by means other than law and punishment? Liberal-rationalists distinguish rule-governed behaviour from habitual behaviour on the premise that the former involves â€Å"internalisation†. A rule is internalised when it is understood by the participants in a social practice as indicating a right and wrong way of doing things. Unlike the carefully trained animal in the zoo who follows the keeper’s instructions automatically, individuals who are guided by rules regard them as expressing meaningful standards of behaviour. Furthermore, rules entail the idea of choice for, unlike well-trained animals, humans may disobey rules. Sanctions are needed to cope with the minority of rule-breakers but this does not mean that sanctions can replace internalisation as the guarantor of regularised behaviour. This concept of â€Å"internalisation† is reminiscent of Confucius’ teachings: â€Å"Guide them by the edicts, keep them in line with punishments, and the  common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue, keep them in line with the rites, and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves.†

Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Operations management - Essay Example Nike is growing larger, and it is harder for competing corporations to keep up with the trend (Hill & Jones, 2011). This paper will examine the differentiation strategy, and how well it is working for the corporation. Distinctive marketing strategies are part of the corporation as they intensify their distribution in different regions. By sponsoring some of the world’s famous athletes with their merchandise, they are capitalizing on the available market. Scientific research in kinematics has pushed normal athletic wear to the limit. This is through finding out how to increase speed and agility among its users. All this is in the name of attracting more consumers, at the same time, retaining the loyal group. The different products offered work to ensure that more individuals are willing to spend their money on Nike products. This falls under product differentiation, which cannot be rivaled by any other group (Hill & Jones, 2011). In conclusion, the distinctive marketing and advertising techniques the corporation incorporates guarantees their stay at the top of the business market. The different approach to their products fosters a relationship between the corporation and its consumers. Individuals will always want more of the corporation’s products because they always have something new (Hill & Jones, 2011). As the business environment changes, it is wise for many organizations to also change. This is lest they get left behind and fail to catch up in this fast-paced, competitive business

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 17

Marketing - Essay Example This paper presents an insightful investigation of the effectiveness and contribution of advertising towards the success of a company’s sales. It manifests if at all the advertisement expenditures, exclusively lead to the sales elevation; or these efforts need to be blended with other suitable marketing activities so as to derive much better outcomes. It indicates the impact of advertising on company’s sales margin, while establishing facts from the theoretical material and draws out the potency of marketing activities in combination with proper advertisement towards the achievement of sales and profit targets. The effectiveness of advertising in precipitating a company’s sales success in relation to the other elements of marketing strategies happen to be matter of serious concern in today’s business domain. Corporations tend to squander millions on advertising along with other marketing activities in an anticipation to enhance their sales and profitability. If advertising alone can lead to the company to improved sales, new customer attainment and existing customer retention successfully, then it could subsequently save a lot of company’s funds and efforts exerted in conducting other marketing activities. Aaker (1991) states that the purpose of advertising is to distinguish a company’s product from others in the market hence establishing the product’s brand equity. The author signifies the concept of advertising with product differentiation and establishment of brand equity. Merino Srinivasan and Srivastava, (2006, p12) confirm this point as, â€Å"high brand equity firm may be able to differentiate themselves effectively in competitive environments, achieving both high prices and high customer loyalty increasing and stabilizing its sales revenues and profits†. Here also, high brand equity and product differentiation has

Company Background - Microsoft Corporation Essay

Company Background - Microsoft Corporation - Essay Example The essay "Company Background - Microsoft Corporation" discusses company background of Microsoft Corporation. In the 21st century the company has diversified into other business sectors such as the video game industry. The firm in 2001 released the X-Box and subsequently in 2005 created the X-Box 360 which has sold millions of units worldwide. Microsoft has grown a lot during the last 28 years. The firm has a global workforce of 94,000 employees and a market capitalization value of $266.2 billion. The firm’s common stocks are sold in the NASDAQ under the symbol MSFT. As of April 25, 2013 the price of Microsoft common stocks was $31.94. During fiscal year 2012 Microsoft generated total revenues of $73.72 billion. The net income of Microsoft during 2012 was $16.98 billion. I selected Microsoft because I have been a customer of the firm for over a decade. My preferred game console is the X-box 360 and I have Windows 8 installed in both my computers at home. This analysis will hel p me determine whether Microsoft would be a good investment option for my personal investment portfolio. The common stocks of Microsoft are considered blue chip stocks. A blue chip stock can be defined as a stock issued by a well-known company with an established record of making money and paying dividends. A ratio analysis of Microsoft is illustrated below Ratio Analysis. Accountants and business analysts can utilize ratio analysis to evaluate the financial performance of an enterprise. Ratio analysis uses the input from the common size. financial statements of a company in order to insert that data into financial formulas. The five major categories of ratio analysis are profitability, market value, liquidity, leverage, and efficiency. One of the benefits of using ratio analysis is that any person with basic math knowledge can use the formulas to calculate the ratios of a company. The financial statements that must be used to calculate ratios can be retrieved from the annual report of public firms. One of the limitations of ratio analysis is that its results are not forward looking since they focus on the historical performance of a company. This report will focus on three financial ratios: net margin, asset utilization, and return on assets (ROA). The results of Microsoft are going to be compared against one of its main competitors and against the industry. The competitor chosen for comparison purposes was Oracle. The liquidity position of the company will also be analyzed by calculating the free cash flow ratio and through analysis of the cash flow statement of the company. The net margin measures the profitability of a company. The formula to calculate net margin is net income divided by the total sales. Microsoft had a net income in 2012 of $16.98 billion and total sales of $73.72 billion. The net margin of Microsoft in 2012 was 23.03%. Microsoft’s net margin in 2011 was 33.10% which implies that the company’s profitability decreased by 10.0 7%. When compared to Oracle the net margin of Microsoft was 3.85% lower than Oracle’s 26.89% result. The industry standard net margin in the software industry is 4.50% (Dun & Bradstreet, 2012). The software industry is classified under SIC code 7372 (Prepackaged software). Microsoft’s profitability was superior to the industry by 18.53%. The asset utilization is a ratio that measures how effective the company has been at using its assets to generate sales. During 2012 Microsoft had an asset utilization of 1.65. The asset utilization of the company has declined by 0.09 since the previous fiscal year. Oracle had an

The Developing Person Through the Life Span Essay

The Developing Person Through the Life Span - Essay Example Joey was all the time thinking about the kindness, love and care of the husband and selfishness of the druggist. To him, morality was more than everything and he expected people to be good to each other. He was more concerned about the persons’ character and emotions toward each other which made me decide to put him in stage 3. Part 2 The adolescent was in stage 2 of identity foreclosure. What made me decide this was his reply: â€Å"My mother has always wanted me to become a doctor so I guess I am going to pursue this career. She says doctors make a lot of money and she so much wants me to get into medicine.† When a child prefers others’ choices for himself, he is in identity stage 2 (Berger). Joey did not seem to have explored all the career options nor was he very much acquainted with other career fields because he had always in his mind that he had to grow up to be a doctor as per his mother’s wishes. Joey was excited and satisfied about his career cho ice. Part 3 Joey’s parents exhibit an authoritative style of parenting. Joey replied, â€Å"Dad would say†¦look, staying out at late hours is not good†¦because Sammy (younger brother) would also do the same then. And mommy would say she was going to miss me.†

A comparative study of extreme Islamic terrorist groups Essay - 1

A comparative study of extreme Islamic terrorist groups - Essay Example People who carry out terrorist activities never formally do not identify themselves as opponents nor are they controlled by any political entity (Roy Long, 2004, pp. 1-4). Terrorism is categorized between ideological, national and religion. The reasons behind the terrorist attacks are political domination, religious fanaticism and divine revelation (Durmaz, 2007, p.209). The trauma of terror created by the terrorist has a huge impact on the United States. United States of America is known as a very powerful country in the world especially with respect to its military base. U.S.A has reacted very strongly against the act of terrorism and has taken all measures to prevent them. The United States faces homeland insecurity, owing to terrorism and its impact on American society. Terrorism was prevalent in the world from many decades but in a very small form. But the perception towards terrorism largely changed after the September 11 incident that occurred in United States in the year 2001. It shocked the entire world especially the people of America started suffering from homeland insecurity. United States took a drastic step in reforming laws and policies. Several government agencies were combined to build the Department of Homeland Security. Millions of dollars were spent for the formation of the U.S Patriot Act which helps in ferreting out prospective criminals and terrorist acts. Current anti terrorism laws which initiated around the world started after the September 11 incident. United States was attacked by the terrorist group called al-Qaeda. This group is mostly famous for its fanaticism and violent approach of terrorism. This group mostly acts on the basis of religious inspiration rather than political philosophy. The countries that have already ex perienced terrorism, mostly accuses individuals for criminal offence than politicized crime. Before 9/11, U.S.A had

Marketing Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Marketing Planning - Essay Example At this point, it is essential to note that customer satisfaction and sustained marketing of a product could still alter the life of a product in the market by extending its relevance. When marketing planning is considered in terms of the product life cycle aspect, there are two things that come into play and these are theories as well as practices regarding the marketing phenomenon and the characteristics of how viable the product may be regarded to be (Drummond & Ensor, 2001, pp.112-118). The whole argument is based on the fact that products generically do show a number of elements that are both abstract and concrete which do define the claims that a user has over the product, expectations on use, and the degree at which he or she is satisfied. This paper takes a look at marketing planning through the model of product life cycle. The organization in practice is Samsung. Analysis In marketing planning, product life cycle consist of five major phases. ... roducing a new product into the market because the product life cycle directly affects the sales volumes or performance (Hata, et al., 2000, pp.34-39). Samsung does take its product marketing planning through the above phases and when a product reaches the decline phase, it is re-engineered through R&D to extend its life cycle (Westkamper, 2000, pp.501–522). Figure 1: Product Life Cycle Product development phase This starts with the company finding and developing a new idea about a product. At this stage different aspects of information regarding a product are translated and incorporated into a single or unified product that is considered new. The product is taken through various changes that demand more time and money at this development phase and this must be done before exposing the product to ultimate consumers through pilot projects (Rose & Ishii, 1999, pp.41-51). When a product does successfully go through the test market, it is introduced into the actual marketplace and this does initiate the introduction stage for the product where marketing activities pick up intensively. This product development phase exhibits zero sales as well as negative revenues are experienced, marking a period of absolute spending without any form of monetary returns. In the case of Samsung, the product development process is very intense with a lot of consumer consultation in order to incorporate all or most of the specifications needed by the customer where possible (Olhager, 2003, pp.319-329). Introduction phase Introduction of the product into the market is done after the development phase. At this point, Samsung’s electronic products normally will exhibit low sales volumes because the customers are not well aware of the product’s existence in the market while some are not

The Importance of Art Education Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Art Education Essay Manifold, M., Zimmerman, E. (2011). Everyone Needs an Art Education: Developing Leadership Through Positive Attitudes Toward Art Methods Courses. Art Education, 64(6), 33-39. This article reports on a study that was conducted to see if positive leadership, when it comes to art education in the K-6 classroom, would lead to positive responses from students who previously held a negative view to art-related classes. The article also addresses the importance of art education being integrated into the general curriculum, thereby developing students who will be future advocates and role models, with positive attitudes toward the arts. This article is considered scholarly because it is peer-reviewed. The source of academic authority is the peer-review process. Bohannon, R., McDowell, C. (2010). Art, Music, and Movement Connections for Elementary Education Teacher Candidates. General Music Today, 24(1), 27-31. The article discusses a lesson plan using the connection between the visual arts, movement, and music, and introducing the concept of line and contour. Through the use of art, the teacher was able to incorporate the concept of line and contours in match, science, reading, and social studies. The article details how teachers expose their students to art, and then help them make the connection to other subjects. The article is considered scholarly because it is peer reviewed. The source of academic authority is the peer-review process. Diket, R. M. (2003). The Arts Contribution to Adolescent Learning. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 39(4), 173-177. The Arts provide a â€Å"unique core of understanding, and enhancements for learning through other school subjects† (Diket, 174). The article details the importance of art, and it’s incorporation into other subject matters. The article discusses the impact of the â€Å"No Child† Legislature, and the importance of teachers recogni zing the value of art in their lesson plans. The article is peer review and considered scholarly. The source of academic authority is the peer-review process.

Business Plan For A Handicraft Business In UK Marketing Essay

Business Plan For A Handicraft Business In UK Marketing Essay INTRODUCTION The objective of this report is to study and prepare the business plan for a handicraft business in UK. This business plan deals with the feasibility analysis, idea generation, and industry analysis at both the local and global level to understand the market and business factors. The market analysis is also done, primarily through the secondary sources to capture the potential demand of handicrafts in the UK market and the trends which the customer are looking for in this industry. After analyzing the demand, the technical analysis was done for the business. For the success of any business, it is necessary that the idea or the basis of the plan should be strong. But it is also imperative that the plan should take into account a true picture of financials to have a strong foundation on which the business can be built upon. Therefore in the report, a detailed preparation of cash flow analysis, profitability analysis and the expected expenditure in the business has been taken care of. The report has taken into consideration the risk factor also which the business needs to consider before commencing on the work. Handicraft is a business which needs not only financial capital but also human capital and it is necessary that skilled labour is available in plenty. The attrition rate is low in this industry provided they are provided with adequate support and wages. In the report I have tried to touch upon that issue as well. Also the manner in which the products would be sold and promoted in the market would be taken care of. We would not be opening our own stores for now and would be selling on to other retailers. However the idea of opening the stores is not discarded as whole for now and would be seen as an option at a later stage in the life of the business. Heavy spending is planned to promote the products in the initial phase of the business and various media vehicles would be tried upon to promote the products well in the market. The business as of now focusing primarily on the UK market and later on in the later stage, the business can be expanded further. Contents Introduction Handicraft Industry The handicraft industry is one of the most productive sectors in the economy. The reason being that this sector not only uses the raw materials but also give employment opportunities to a number of people. Thus not only financial capital and raw material is employed but also a lot of human capital is also used in this business (Garrison, 2008). According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Symposium on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crafts and the International Market: Trade and customs codificationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Manila, Philippines, October 1997. Handicrafts can be defined as products which are produced either completely by hand or with the help of tools. Mechanical tools may be used as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product. Handicrafts are made from the raw materials and can be produced in unlimited numbers. Such products can be utilitarian, aesthetic, cultural, artistic and may have a social, religious and symbolic significance (Robertson, 2002). Industry Analysis UK has been a country with a rich and diverse culture. Lot of migrant population also resides in various parts of the country. It is because of this that handicraft industry has played an important role in this country. The industry provides economic advantage much because of the demand from various strata of the population (Mathias, 2001). Handicrafts have always attracted people much because of their cultural importance and it crosses barriers too. The customers in any market look for handicrafts from not only the local market but also from the other countries (Barlow, 1991). Therefore both the cultural and financial values are attached to this industry. This industry by its mass and production scale lies in the middle class as not much finance and manufacturing facilities are needed in this business. The industry is decentralized and is labour intensive. Not many players fight in this market and only small players operate in this area. The sector employs a lot of people and thus acts as a medium of employment for lot of people. The sector has seen an increase in growth much due to the fact that people have been more open to the culture of other countries and are accepting it more often. The era of globalization has helped in the revival of this industry not only in the UK market but also in other markets too (Andrews , 2009). Classification of Handicrafts Industry Handicraft products can be distinguished into the following: Metal ware Wood ware Hand printed textiles Embroidered and crocheted goods Shawls Carpets Embroidered goods Bamboo products Zari goods Earthenware and jute products Miscellaneous handicrafts SWOT Analysis of Handicraft Industry Strengths Market is diversified and has huge potential Presence of large product variety because of various cultures Low capital investment Flexibility in production of goods as per market demand Low barriers to the entry of new players Products sold are high value ones and have diversified usage Weakness Lack of coordination between government bodies and companies Inadequate information on the current market trends Lack of skilled labour Opportunities Development of domestic tourism sector which helps in boosting sales. Usage of internet and other technologies in boosting the market potential Rising demand because of people becoming more open to cultures Threats Lack of branding opportunities in this sector Threats from the developing countries like India and China in terms of resources Business Proposition We would be dealing in the limited set of handicraft industry as many products come under its purview. Our company would serve the needs of the customers in only the wooden handicrafts market. The reason for choosing this is that in UK market these products are used almost in every home. Products like decorative chairs, desks, beds, sofas which are made by hand are seen as high value products in the market as customers look for something different. Particularly for the UK customer, they need products which not only serve their functional purpose but also add something extra. It is with this that we plan to enter in this industry with this specific set of products. Wooden handicrafts refer to a wide range of wooden items carrying utilitarian and artistic value that are made by hand o with the use of simple tools. They are made by unmatched workmanship, have fine designs and have subtle elegance. The products require low capital investment to manufacture. The wooden handicraft sector provides a high ratio of value addition and has emerged as one of the major sources of foreign exchange in the country too. (Sumption, 2010) Market Analysis Majority of the current players in the market deal in almost all the product categories in the wooden handicraft industry. (Macleod, 2006) Retailing is not done by them and they deal in mostly the production part. They have retailing contracts with other partners which help them sell the products Monthly production units are majorly in the range of thousands of units for all the products combined Wooden and glass handicrafts are majorly in demand in the UK market. (John, 2006) Inventories are usually kept low as these products are sold and produced in lower units in the market. Almost all the players in the market hire the labor at a contractual basis rather than on a permanent basis. Many of the players take the route of exhibition to promote their products to the customers. (Mathias, 2001) These products are high margin products as they are mainly value based ones. Hence high margin and medium volume is generally the trend in the industry Competition The following players currently operate in the market and sell wooden handicrafts in the market. World Art and Crafts Ltd. Java Art Elements Ltd. Demand Analysis and Forecasting During our study we also analysed the demand pattern for the various products in the wooden handicraft market and it came to around 50000 units per month on approximation. There is a demand supply gap in the market as according to our supply the current players in the market are able to provide close to 30000 units only. Hence we consider a huge potential to be catch up in the market.(Boseley,2009) The market is growing closely at an annual rate of 15%. Hence it is decided that the capacity would be initially 60% for the first year and then it will grow accordingly. Marketing Channel As mentioned before, our business involves only manufacturing the products. Therefore we would use a network of retailers called partners to sell our products in the market. These would be mainly big retailers like WalMart, Tesco etc. Strategic Marketing Plan Wooden handicraft particularly the furniture part is an unbranded commodity and hence manufacturers generally do not have to spend too much on the promotional part. It is better for them to increase the margin given to the retailers so that they push the company product more in front of the customers. However in order to differentiate our offering and to capture the customer base, it is necessary to have a basic strategic marketing plan. The following would be the strategies used by us: Steady supply with timely delivery to fulfill the demand in the market thereby providing products with high quality Products would be given emphasis on the design front. Designs would be based on several themes Orders would also be taken online from the customers apart from being available in the retail The company plans to both manufactures the products locally in the UK market as well as import some of it from the Indian market. Indians play a vital role in UK both in terms of trade and demographics and thus there is a market to serve the Indian community. The other reasons to source the products from India are: The demand for Indian wooden handicrafts is evergreen. It is both difficult for the labour in UK to produce these handicrafts as the design in Indian art work is quite intricate. Hence it is decided that some portion of our products would be sourced directly from the Indian producers, mainly based in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Indian being a developing country, both the labour and raw materials are quite cheap as compared to other developed countries. Hence it makes sense to outsource some of the production work. Indian artisans are well known around the world. British make a major portion of the people visiting India every year and hence they come in contact with Indian art and culture too. Thus getting products from market like India helps in understanding the customer taste and keep the product portfolio up to date. Some of the Indian players which have been shortlisted and considered for sourcing of the products are as follows: Khan Arts India Madnik International Goyal India Indus Trade Handmade Crafts Antiquity Handicrafts All the products in the portfolio would be sourced from these six major exporters in India. These players have been selected after thorough search of their business and their financials. They enjoy good reputation in the Indian market and also export to other players in different countries. It is decided to have business with six players as it will help us diversify our risk and help us maintain a steady flow of products from India. These players are from different parts of the country and thus the products served by them would have different designs as India being a vast country has many sub cultures which attract many people worldwide. Technical Analysis Wood carving is a time consuming process as craftsmen take time to make every piece. The process may take a week to months depending upon the level of intricacy in the design. The process use a lot of different tools also like saw, lathes, drills, chain saws etc. Machinery Involved The following machinery would be used by the workers in the business: Chemical treatment plant Seasoning plant Surface planner Grinder Driller Gaze machine Sanding machine Structure and Civil Work Sr.No. Particulars Area (Sq. feet) Amount (British Pounds) 1 Factory shed 1800 6000 2 2 stock room 360 1050 3 Guard room 80 250 4 Power room 80 250 5 Boundary wall 3200 6 Washroom 48 150 5 labour quarters 7 Rooms 120 18000 8 Wash rooms 48 700 9 Office rooms 180 550 10 Fire fittings 600 Total 30750 Labour Requirements Handicraft is a labour intensive product and thus a lot depends on the kind of labour employed. Employees Number Annual Salary (British pounds) Production supervisor 1 25000 Accountant 1 25000 Skilled workers 5 20000 Semi skilled workers 8 16000 Unskilled workers 3 13000 Peon 1 10000 Guard 1 10000 Total 20 119000 Financial Analysis Particulars Land and site development Building Plant and Machinery Other fixed assets Preoperative expenses Preliminary expenses Provision for contigency WC Margin Total Means of Finance Particulars Promoterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capital Long/Medium term loan from banks Total Basic Assumptions underlying the financial projections The construction period will last one year The company would work 365 days a year The expected capacity utilization will be 60% in first year, 65% in second year and the increment based on past performance. The term loan would be re-paid in 14 equal half-yearly installments. The interest rate on the outstanding term loan would be 12% The bank finance for working capital will cost interest rate 12% The depreciation rates for company law purpose would be Building 3.34% Plant and Machinery 8% Misc fixed assets 5% The suppliers for raw material would provide credit for 15 days The salvage value is assumed to be 5% of fixed assets. Sales Forecast Sales Forecast (units) Year 2010 2011 Units 9500 12000 Conclusion The business plan has been prepared keeping in mind all the factors and taking financials to the best of the present picture. It is therefore expected that the actual outcome would represent the true picture of this outlined plan. Finally, my personal interest in this field will lead to establish my own business. These will result in successful and sustainable business. References Andrews, J.(2009).Handel allinglese, Playbill,. Accessed from: http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/4236.html (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Barlow, I.( (1991) Metropolitan Government. Accessed from: http:// www.new.wales.co.uk (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Boseley, S (2009). The question: Whats behind the baby boom? The Guardian. Accessed from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jul/14/familyandrelationships.women (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Garrison, Webb B. (2008).Why You Say It. Accessed from: http://www.readbooksonline.net (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) MacLeod, Donald (2006). Britain second in world research rankings. The Guardian. Accessed from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/mar/21/highereducation.uk4 (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Mathias.P (2001). The First Industrial Nation: the Economic History of Britain. Accessed from: http://www.johnbirchall-economist.com (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010) Mathias.P (2001).The First Industrial Nation: the Economic History of Britain. Published by: Routledge, ed.2, pp. 56-58 Mensah. J (2006). British culture on a high rise. Robertson, Kirsty (2006), How to Knit an Academic Paper. Queens University, 30 March 2006 Sumption, M.(2010). The UKs new Europeans: Progress and challenges five years after accession. Equality and Human Rights Commission. Accessed from: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com (Last Accessed: 5th March 2010)

Policies and legislation affecting Early Years Practitioners

Policies and legislation affecting Early Years Practitioners This module will explore the changing features of different Early Years settings, working with other professional and the skills and the core skills of those workers. It will look at the policies and legislation affecting Early Years Practitioners and the beliefs and values that ensure quality childcare. It will also include observations and problems created by working within the current guidelines. Historically homes had no appliances so a womans occupation was chores and childcare, other family members lived locally and helped. With increasing school leaving age and new appliances women could fill freed time with jobs and increased income meant more appliances. Government policy supported women working; they had careers, luxuries became necessities, families dispersed moving to the work and alternative childcare was sought. This led to more childcare requirements providing parental peace of mind rather than education and preparation for life. The quality provided was diverse and various programmes were introduced through law, policy and consultation to meet the growing needs of parents and their children. The Children Act 1989 provided legislation for under-eights, introducing quality standards for all childrens services using a registration and an annual inspection (reports to be made available to parents) system maintained by local authorities. In addition they had to carry out checks on over eighteen year olds who came into contact with children, ensure that the premises used were suitable and set staff : child ratios. Children had to be helped to get the most from planned activities. The Acts failings were that it did not allow access to at risk children, provided insufficient emergency protection, allowed inappropriate Care Orders so that a child could be taken into care unchallenged. It did allow children and their families to be heard but this was seen a problem removing Local Authorities autonomy. The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (1994) was the first that defined the roll of the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) appointed for each setting. In 1997 the Labour Government stated in their manifesto: Previously there had been no measurable standards and establishments worked alone. Investment in the National Childcare Strategy (1998) provided more affordable, quality childcare places so parents could work satisfied that their children were safe and well looked after. More training was made available and to accommodate free childcare places for three year olds childminders could become accredited. Early Learning Goals replaced Desirable Outcomes within the Foundation Stage. Sure Start Local Programmes were an initiative started in 1997 to give every child the best start to achieved their full potential, initially 250 centres were opened to support parents, in disadvantaged areas, with early education (from birth to four), childcare and health. In 2004 Sure Start Local Programmes and Neighbourhood Nurseries became Sure Start Childrens Centres and are now accessible to every district. They are now meant to be self-maintained but this has not happened and funding has been cut. They advertise themselves as: The social expectation is that parents should return to work and the care given will provide children with the best start possible implying that wrap around childcare is best but ignores possible developmental problems such as not providing secure attachment, although a key worker is provided, the hours that the centres are open means that they work shifts. More importantly they have failed in their original remit as their qualities are recognised by the middle classes. The Laming Report resulted in the green paper, Every Child Matters (ECM) (2003), highlighting poor communication and lack of information sharing between agencies particularly health and education, when protecting children. It focused on five outcomes: Childrens Act 2004 provided the legislation enforcing local authorities and central government to meet some requirements of ECM particularly regarding multi-disciplinary working. Public outcry to the anti-smacking clause resulted inclusion of a definition of smacking. The Childrens Commissioner lacked power and this continues to cause concern. One agency had to be in overall control; Local Authorities were appointed but other agencies felt marginalised. There was valid concern about data sharing as there have been several occasions when data has been made visible on the internet. After consultation ECM: The Next Step (2004) stated that aged five children should completed the foundation stage so be ready for school narrowing the gap in the 20% most disadvantaged. ECM: Change for Children covered inclusion for special needs. Although the Childcare Act 2006 states that local authorities have to provide information, advice and help for children up to 20 years, it was also given a duty to provide childcare providers information, advice and training, to ensure sufficient childcare to meet parental demand and be duty bound to improve the ECM outcomes. It merged Birth to Three, the Foundation Stage and National Standards for Under Eights Day Care and Childminding into the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with the expectation of providing high standards of early education from birth to five and recognising over fives need different care. Childcare providers in Hampshire work within their authoritys interpretation of the act. EYFS advocated supporting each child in reaching developmental goals, none being left behind, by focusing on the same five outcomes as ECM. The Statutory Framework for the Foundation Stage (May 2008) aims to EYFS does not embrace diversity particularly in culture or make allowance for special needs. Experiences should be child led so right for each child but they are still kept with peer groups maybe should be more flexible only allow so far behind then special school The anti-EYFS petition stated that as it is mandatory for all childcare and education to follow the same format removing parental choice. Children can no longer be prepared for school so the problems with transition are addressed in school. Multi-agency consultation is pivotal ECM but practitioners continued to rely upon previous assessments and each practitioner assessed the child within their particular remit, no-one looked at the child as a whole, leading to multiple assessments resulting in wasted money and frustration for all parties; this was corrected with Common Assessment Framework (CAF) (2007). The current government agree that every child should fulfil their potential but feel that the key is parental background. They acknowledge that without good quality childcare this is less likely to be met. They cite that However, when their education ends the economy needs to meet the expectations of these children A report commissioned from Leon Feinstein which illustrated that early intervention was needed citing information as much as 40 years old ignoring the impact modern practice. They intend funding early learning and childcare for 20,000 most disadvantage two year olds and extend free childcare (EYE). Most of the 5% that do not currently access EYE come from disadvantaged families; Sure Start Health Visitors remit will be to attract these families. Although the changes in law and policy since 1989 were needed it would have been better if they had been proactive or put into place after consultation with end users (practitioners, parents and children) not just experts and not fixing problems as they occur. Funding has given choices to the poorest and means all practitioners have access to training both required and of choice. Policy continues to change; Education.gov.uk EYFS is under review to extend tests 5 year olds. As result of a child abuse case part of the Serious Case Review report summary states It would be easier to use personal camera memory in a settings phone so more thought is needed before implication. Childcare workers need to have . Additionally they must enjoy being with children, care about them, encourage, listen, stimulate and extend imagination, helping them learn as individuals and watch and record their growth. Many workers bad life experience, repressed not want children to do same and cope with it not end up like me.

Frege on Truth, Beauty and Goodness Essay -- Friedrich Ludwig Gottlob

Frege on Truth, Beauty and Goodness Scholars of Frege have spent a good deal of energy in discussing his views about truth, logic, and the relation between them. To one set of clues, however, scant attention has been paid. Repeatedly throughout his career, Frege attempted to illuminate the relation between logic and truth by comparing it to the relations between ethics and the good and aesthetics and the beautiful. Truth, beauty and goodness, of course, have had a long history in platonic philosophy. By the beginning of Frege’s career, they were also coming to play a prominent role in neo-Kantian thought, particularly that of Wilhelm Windelband. It is plausible to conjecture that Frege was inspired to look at ethics and aesthetics to understand the link between logic and truth by their connection in the work of Windelband or other neo-Kantians, though I know of no direct evidence that he was. But whatever the sources of Frege’s use of the analogy, it is to his own writing that we must look for its meaning . In the following, I shall look at the comparisons in detail in order to see exactly what Frege intended in likening the relation of logic to truth to that of ethics to the good and aesthetics to the beautiful. It will turn out that, although the language of the various comparisons is superficially similar, Frege actually makes four different points by means of the analogy. Furthermore, only one of these comparisons says something that both a) is about logic and truth and b) could not be better said by a comparison of logic to, for example, physics. I draw two general conclusions from this. First, Frege was struggling over how to understand the relation of logic to truth. (Perhaps this is obvious anyway.) If he had not bee... ...c and Thought†. Frege, Gottlob. (1967) The Basic Laws of Arithmetic, trans. M. Furth (Berkeley: University of California Press). ---------- (1977) Logical Investigations, trans. P. Geach and R. Stoothoff (New Haven: Yale University Press). ---------- (1979) Posthumous Writings, trans. P. Long and R. White (Oxford: Blackwell). Gabriel, Gottfried. (1984) â€Å"Fregean Connection: Bedeutung, Value and Truth-Value†, Philosophical Quarterly, 34, 372-6. -------------- (1986) â€Å"Frege als Neukantianer†, Kant-Studien, 77, 84-101. Goldfarb, Warren. (2001) â€Å"Frege’s Conception of Logic†, in Future Pasts: The Analytic Tradition in Twentieth Century Philosophy, eds. J. Floyd and S. Shieh (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Ricketts, Thomas. (1996) â€Å"Logic and Truth in Frege†, in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume, 70, 121-40.

Why Our President Has To Leave :: essays research papers

This is an essay about why I think Bill Clinton should resign, and also why I think he won't. You see, Bill Clinton is a man without morals. Well, actually that's not quite true. He does appear to have morals; he just sacrifices them to expediency whenever the opportunity arises. If absolute selflessness with respect to one's values were a virtue, Bill Clinton would be the most virtuous president the United States has ever had. Fortunately, most people do not hold this view of morality or ethics (I hope!). The majority of people still seem to hold integrity in some esteem. If they do, and I am right about Clinton's complete lack of principles, then hopefully this short essay will find a few receptive minds. Firstly, let me review the evidence for my contention that Clinton should resign or be impeached. Now, to like-minded people, that must sound like an almost interminable proposition. Don't worry though, I will limit it to just the "bare" facts of the Lewinsky affair. 1. Bill Clinton had sex with an intern in the White House. 2. He lied under oath in a deposition to a grand jury. 3. He lied to the American people. 4. He attempted to cover up his illicit affair, and obstruct an investigation. Do these offences merit his impeachment or resignation? The primary defense of his actions has been the argument that what he does in his private life does not affect the fulfillment of his public duties as President. It's not hard to knock this contention on the head. Clinton is a public employee. Consider what would happen to any employee caught having sex with one of his staff in his office, during work hours. You'd get very short odds on whether he'd last the rest of the day. Being President of the United States of America is probably the most important job in the world. It carries enormous power, influence and prestige. It consequently necessitates a commensurate level of responsibility and gravity. And here we have a President conducting a year long affair with an intern less than half his age. Yes, the President is entitled to have a private life. But, no President is entitled to put his private life ahead of the interests of the nation. And Bill Clinton was clearly more interested in attending to Miss Lewinsky than to the affairs of the nation. So, whether or not you think Presidents are elected to show moral as well as political leadership, one cannot escape the fact that Clinton subjugated his public responsibilities to his private interests.

Ethics †Morality Essay

5. FAIRNESS. Ethical executives strive to be fair and just in all dealings. They do not exercise power arbitrarily nor do they use overreaching or indecent means to gain or maintain any advantage nor take undue advantage of another’s mistakes or difficulties. Ethical executives manifest a commitment to justice, the equal treatment of individuals, tolerance for and acceptance of diversity. They are open-minded; willing to admit they are wrong and, where appropriate, change their positions and beliefs. A person who is caring exhibits the following behaviors: * Expresses gratitude to others * Forgives others * Helps people in need * Is compassionate A person who is fair exhibits the following behaviors: * Is open-minded and listens to others * Takes turns and shares * Does not lay the blame on others needlessly * Is equitable and impartia A person who is trustworthy exhibits the following behaviors: * Acts with integrity * Is honest and does not deceive * Keeps his/ her promises * Is consistent * Is loyal to those that are not present * Is reliable * Is credible * Has a good reputation . FAIRNESS Fairness is a tricky concept. Disagreeing parties tend to maintain that there is only one fair position – their own. But while some situations and decisions are clearly unfair, fairness usually refers to a range of morally justifiable outcomes rather than discovery of one fair answer. Process A fair person uses open and unbiased processes for gathering and evaluating information necessary to make decisions. Fair people do not wait for the truth to come to them; they seek out relevant information and conflicting perspectives before making important decisions. Impartiality Decisions should be unbiased without favouritism or prejudice. Equity It is important not to take advantage of the weakness, disadvantage or ignorance of others. Fairness requires that an individual, company, or society correct mistakes, promptly and voluntarily. 5. CARING Caring is the heart of ethics. It is scarcely possible to be truly ethical and not genuinely concerned with the welfare others. That is because ethics is ultimately about our responsibilities toward other people. Sometimes we must hurt those we care for and some decisions, while quite ethical, do cause pain. But one should consciously cause no more harm than is reasonably necessary. Charity Generosity toward others or toward humani heerfulness The quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom Generosity Liberality in giving or willingness to give Helpfulness The property of providing useful assistance or friendliness evidence by a kindly and helpful disposition PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Another basic customer right involves our taking personal honesty and responsibility for the products and services that we offer. There’s probably no issue that will more seriously affect our reputation than a failure of responsibility. Many ethical disasters have started out as small problems that mushroomed. Especially in service businesses, where the ‘‘products’’ are delivered by individuals to other individuals, personal responsibility is a critical issue.

I’m Going! a Comedy in One Act

I’m Going! A Comedy in One Act Keshalla Mabry ENG 125 : Introduction to Literature Andrea Moak February 25, 2013 Literature can be expressive. It can be expressed in many different ways. Some use writing, some use pictures and print, or even dramatic and musical works of art. In this essay I will be using the Reader-Response Approach to analyze a piece of literature. I have chosen the short play I’m Going! A Comedy in One Act, by dramatist Tristan Bernard. I will include why the literary work captured my interest, how it made me feel, and how it has formed or change my connection with literature.Firstly, let me describe the approach I will be taking towards this piece of literature. The Reader-Response approach I can’t just rely on feelings and opinions, I must read and make connections and respond on those connections. With that being said I will start with what captured my interest. While going through the first couple of lines in the dialogue I began to paint a picture of Henri and Jeanne. Henri came across to me as a stubborn old scrooge who wants things his way or no way.He is very persistent about the races and his wife not attending. As they continue to converse he brings up all the reasons why she shouldn’t accompany him to the races. He complains about having to get a special carriage if she goes, and how he would have to buy her a ladies ticket. Basically, he is trying to think of anything possible to keep his wife at home. He would rather be alone at the races so he can â€Å"have a good time†, because according the dialogue he can only accomplish this goal if he goes alone.The wife on the other hand tries to reason with him and let him know that she is willing to have a good time and she would rather be out with him than to be home alone and neglected. I for one can sympathize with Jeanne. She is a woman who has a regular Sunday routine and it goes on unchanged. I too have a Sunday routine that is consistent. She w ould like to get out of the house for once and attend the races with her husband, who feels as if she present it will spoil his goodtime. My fiance is the same way. Every other Friday he and his friends go out to the bar.Sometimes the friends bring a date and other times they don’t. Well, one Friday I decided I wanted to go with. He (my fiance) kept making excuses for me not to go. He would say, â€Å"Oh love, the boys and I are just going to have some beers†. Or he would let me know ahead of time they were just going to hang out and watch ESPN. He made sure that I knew there was no room for me in his boys’ night out. So I can definitely feel Jeanne's pain. A little farther in the conversation Henri tells Jeanne that he is off to the races, as he does she says that she will be alone and neglected.He insists that the weather was too bad for her to attend and that she should stay home. After some debate about changing clothes and some sulking from both parties Jea nne eventually decided that she will allow her husband to leave and amuse himself with the races because she wants to go visit with a friend of hers. Once Henri hears this and at first all he can think about is the fact that he can go to the races alone. Once he sees that Jeanne is content and easy going about him leaving he begins to have second thoughts about going.He sees that Jeanne is not acting mad or sad and he thinks that something must be fishy and he asks to see the telegram that she is sending to her friend. This seems to me as if Henri may have a trust issue with Jeanne. She shows him the telegram and he insists that this was a signal so that Jeanne could meet some other man. After reading this far, I came to the conclusion that Henri must have had some kind of infidelity and he was afraid that his wife was taking his decision to go to the races as an opportunity to get even so to speak.This is just insecurities and guilt catching up with him. He doesn’t want her at the races, he doesn’t want her visiting friends, he wants her at home alone and neglected. This way he knows where she is and can pop up on her at any time. Eventually Jeanne decided to stay at home while Henri attended the races. After reading this short play I began to wonder if this type of trickery goes on in other relationships. It seems to me that Henri has some trust issues, possibly from something he has done in the past and he is scared that it may catch up to him.But should the man or woman in the relationship be made to feel unhappy, sad, mad, alone, and neglected while the other party does as he or she pleases? Henri had no sympathy for his wife’s feelings or concerns. The only thing on his mind was him going to the races while she stayed at home alone and social deprived. Relationships take two people to give and take considerably and evenly, no one person should dictate the relationship or benefit more than the other. I have also run across other work of literature that shows the female as the subordinate to the husband or vice versa.I’m beginning to enjoy this course now more than ever, I can see the connections and feel where the characters and authors are coming from so to speak. With all the literary terms and works or literature that I’ve covered so far, they have me expressing my thoughts, feelings, and interpretations already and we are just scratching the surface. Bibliography Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Litlang Ltda. (2007). Types of literary criticism. Retrieved from http://www. textetc. com/criticism. html I’m Going! a Comedy in One Act I’m Going! A Comedy in One Act Keshalla Mabry ENG 125 : Introduction to Literature Andrea Moak February 25, 2013 Literature can be expressive. It can be expressed in many different ways. Some use writing, some use pictures and print, or even dramatic and musical works of art. In this essay I will be using the Reader-Response Approach to analyze a piece of literature. I have chosen the short play I’m Going! A Comedy in One Act, by dramatist Tristan Bernard. I will include why the literary work captured my interest, how it made me feel, and how it has formed or change my connection with literature.Firstly, let me describe the approach I will be taking towards this piece of literature. The Reader-Response approach I can’t just rely on feelings and opinions, I must read and make connections and respond on those connections. With that being said I will start with what captured my interest. While going through the first couple of lines in the dialogue I began to paint a picture of Henri and Jeanne. Henri came across to me as a stubborn old scrooge who wants things his way or no way.He is very persistent about the races and his wife not attending. As they continue to converse he brings up all the reasons why she shouldn’t accompany him to the races. He complains about having to get a special carriage if she goes, and how he would have to buy her a ladies ticket. Basically, he is trying to think of anything possible to keep his wife at home. He would rather be alone at the races so he can â€Å"have a good time†, because according the dialogue he can only accomplish this goal if he goes alone.The wife on the other hand tries to reason with him and let him know that she is willing to have a good time and she would rather be out with him than to be home alone and neglected. I for one can sympathize with Jeanne. She is a woman who has a regular Sunday routine and it goes on unchanged. I too have a Sunday routine that is consistent. She w ould like to get out of the house for once and attend the races with her husband, who feels as if she present it will spoil his goodtime. My fiance is the same way. Every other Friday he and his friends go out to the bar.Sometimes the friends bring a date and other times they don’t. Well, one Friday I decided I wanted to go with. He (my fiance) kept making excuses for me not to go. He would say, â€Å"Oh love, the boys and I are just going to have some beers†. Or he would let me know ahead of time they were just going to hang out and watch ESPN. He made sure that I knew there was no room for me in his boys’ night out. So I can definitely feel Jeanne's pain. A little farther in the conversation Henri tells Jeanne that he is off to the races, as he does she says that she will be alone and neglected.He insists that the weather was too bad for her to attend and that she should stay home. After some debate about changing clothes and some sulking from both parties Jea nne eventually decided that she will allow her husband to leave and amuse himself with the races because she wants to go visit with a friend of hers. Once Henri hears this and at first all he can think about is the fact that he can go to the races alone. Once he sees that Jeanne is content and easy going about him leaving he begins to have second thoughts about going.He sees that Jeanne is not acting mad or sad and he thinks that something must be fishy and he asks to see the telegram that she is sending to her friend. This seems to me as if Henri may have a trust issue with Jeanne. She shows him the telegram and he insists that this was a signal so that Jeanne could meet some other man. After reading this far, I came to the conclusion that Henri must have had some kind of infidelity and he was afraid that his wife was taking his decision to go to the races as an opportunity to get even so to speak.This is just insecurities and guilt catching up with him. He doesn’t want her at the races, he doesn’t want her visiting friends, he wants her at home alone and neglected. This way he knows where she is and can pop up on her at any time. Eventually Jeanne decided to stay at home while Henri attended the races. After reading this short play I began to wonder if this type of trickery goes on in other relationships. It seems to me that Henri has some trust issues, possibly from something he has done in the past and he is scared that it may catch up to him.But should the man or woman in the relationship be made to feel unhappy, sad, mad, alone, and neglected while the other party does as he or she pleases? Henri had no sympathy for his wife’s feelings or concerns. The only thing on his mind was him going to the races while she stayed at home alone and social deprived. Relationships take two people to give and take considerably and evenly, no one person should dictate the relationship or benefit more than the other. I have also run across other work of literature that shows the female as the subordinate to the husband or vice versa.I’m beginning to enjoy this course now more than ever, I can see the connections and feel where the characters and authors are coming from so to speak. With all the literary terms and works or literature that I’ve covered so far, they have me expressing my thoughts, feelings, and interpretations already and we are just scratching the surface. Bibliography Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Litlang Ltda. (2007). Types of literary criticism. Retrieved from http://www. textetc. com/criticism. html

Education in the United States Essay

Education in the United States of America is governed by the Department of Education. There are three different levels of control and funding for public education: federal, state, and local. In the United States school is mandatory from Kindergarten through High School, consisting of thirteen different grade levels. Students can obtain an education by attending a public school, a private school, or a home school. In order to ensure that all students obtain the academic knowledge needed to progress through the grade levels, standardized tests are given regardless of where a student obtains an education (United States Department of Education, 2005). Education in the United States is governed and funded mainly by local jurisdictions, with the state and federal governments supervising educational activities and ensuring that all local jurisdictions are administering standardized tests and obtaining the funding needed to operate adequate educational facilities. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that all powers that are not assigned to the federal government by the United States Constitution are reserved to the people or the individual states. As per the Tenth Amendment, the individual states control public education. Most states are divided into local jurisdictions that have elected school boards that oversee the individual school districts within its jurisdiction. The local school districts own and operate the public schools within its boundaries and are responsible for obtaining funding for each of the public schools they control (United States Constitution, Tenth Amendment, 1787). The majority of the funding for public education in the United States is obtained from local taxes and state governments. The federal government only provides 8. 5% of the funds for public education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008). There has been some controversy over the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001 which allows the federal government to withhold funding if a state or local school district is not complying with the standards set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act. However, the funding withheld for non-compliance is not a significant amount (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001). There is a larger controversy over the local school districts obtaining funding primarily from local taxes. Local jurisdictions can impose many different types of taxes on its citizens. In the commonwealth of Massachusetts there has been controversy over the imposition of excise taxes and corporate taxes. Excise taxes are taxes that are not property taxes or taxes that are imposed based on statutory law. Corporate taxes are imposed on corporations within a certain jurisdiction that are paid to the local government. These taxes are in addition to any federal or state taxes that the corporation is responsible for. Businesses in the commonwealth of Massachusetts are required to pay quarterly excise taxes on an accelerated basis due 15 days prior to the end of each quarter. The first quarter payment is 40% of the required annual excise tax, the second and third payments are 25% each, and the fourth payment is 10% of the excise tax. The minimum amount of corporate excise tax required of all corporations operating within the commonwealth of Massachusetts is $456 per year regardless of whether or not the corporation made a profit that year (The National Federation of Independent Business, 2007). Chapter 70 Part 1, Title XII, Chapter 70 of the General Laws of Massachusetts regulates the financial disbursements awarded to each public school district throughout the commonwealth. The legislative intent of Chapter 70 is to assure fair and adequate minimum per student funding for public schools in the commonwealth by defining a foundation budget and a standard of local funding effort applicable to every city and town in the commonwealth (Chapter 70). Chapter 70 sets up rules on how to allocate the money. These rules set standards on how the money will be distributed if it is below a base amount or higher than a base amount. For example, in Section 13, Part B, the law states that â€Å"if the amount appropriated is more than the base amount, funds shall first be allocated to ensure that the state school aid for each municipality equals the base amount† (Chapter 70). This part tries to ensure that an equal distribution is set to each school. Although this is only occurs when more money is available, it still sets the standard that each school will at least get its base amount before other funds are distributed. In the event that there are not enough funds to cover the base, a formula has been established to attempt to make the distribution fair. The amount is reduced by a constant amount per student. The rate is found by the difference between the base amount and the actual amount divided by the total enrollment of the state (Chapter 70). Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge, Massachusetts is a city right outside Boston, Massachusetts. Cambridge is famous for its two prominent universities: Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The public school system in Cambridge is controlled by the Cambridge Public School District which consists of twelve elementary schools, of which eleven extend through eighth grade. There is only one high school in the Cambridge Public School District, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. The Cambridge Public School District educates over 5,500 students every year with a project enrollment of 5,790 students for the 2008-2009 school year. The Cambridge Public School District has a proposed budget of $130,704,170. 00 for the 2008-2009 school year. This proposed budget has increased 2. 36% from the previous year. 75% of this proposed budget will be allocated to the individual schools within the district. The remaining 25% of this budget will be spent on administrative costs such as maintenance and security. The Cambridge Public School District is funded through a variety of sources in addition to local taxes. The Cambridge Public School District receives funds from thirteen federal grants awarded by the commonwealth of Massachusetts, eleven private grants, eleven revolving funds, ten state grants, two district federal grants, and one state-circuit breaker reimbursement. These grants account for $13,714,499 of the total funds needed to operate the schools within the Cambridge Public School District. The Cambridge Public School District also receives an average of $1,076 per student from Chapter 70 financial aid each year (Action Public Schools, 2006). Newton, Massachusetts Newton, Massachusetts is a suburb of Boston that consists of thirteen small villages. The Newton Public School District controls the fifteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools that are located in Newton, Massachusetts. The Newton Public School District educates an average of over 11,000 students each year throughout its twenty two public schools (Newton Public School District, 2008). The Newton Public School District has a proposed budget of $171,377,580 for the 2008-2009 school year. This proposed budget has increased 10. 5% from the previous year. According to this budget, the Newton Public School District spends $14,743 per student every year (Newton Public School District, 2008). The Newton Public School District is funded through a variety of sources in addition to local taxes. The Newton Public School District receives 55% of the revenue generated by the City of Newton. The Newton Public School District also receives over $8. 6 million dollars from federal, state, and private grants. Over $3 million dollars of the Newton Public School District budget is received from a program called Circuit Breaker which allocates special funds to school districts for additional special education courses. Federal, state, and private grants and the Circuit Breaker program account for almost $12 million dollars of the annual budget (Newton Public School District, 2006). The Newton Public School District also receives an average of $846 per student from Chapter 70 financial aid each year (Action Public Schools, 2006). Conclusions Allocating funds for public education in the United States is a complex process. Wealth and more funds do not necessarily lead to greater achievement by the students enrolled in the school district. Federal, state, and local jurisdictions must determine the most beneficial methods for allocating the educational funds available. These allocations are not equal and usually result in the more industrious neighborhoods receiving less funding from these sources, and incurring higher corporate taxes. The Newton Public School District receives less funding from external sources, and its businesses pay more corporate taxes. The allocated budget in the Newton Public School District is higher than the budget in Cambridge due to the fact that although the populations are similar, Newton operates twice as many educational facilities. . The Newton Public School District does not need the extra funds from external sources in order to reach its budget. Although the dollar amounts indicate an unfair advantage for the residents of Cambridge, both school districts are able to meet their budgets and educate their students adequately. Although the corporate tax system and excise tax system in Massachusetts may seem unfair to its businesses and residents, the public school districts within Massachusetts (including Newton and Cambridge) are able to meet the budget requirements due to the Chapter 70 allocations. The purpose of Chapter 70 is to create equality amongst the school districts and ensure that the cities that receive less corporate and excise tax are still able to operate successful public school districts so that every child within the commonwealth of Massachusetts has the opportunity to receive a quality education. REFERENCES The United States Census Bureau (2006). American FactFinder. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://factfinder. census. gov/ Action Public Schools (2006). Chapter 70 Aid Per Student High to Low. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://ab. mec. edu/about/Chapter70Aid/CH70PerStudentFY06. pdf Newton, Massachusetts (2008). 2008 Property Tax Rates. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. ci. newton. ma. us/Assessor/taxrate. htm Cambridge Massachusetts (2008). 2008 Property tax Rates. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. cambridgema. gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/FY2008_Property_Tax_Update_Newsletter. pdf Newton Public School District (2008). General Information. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. newton. k12. ma. us Cambridge Public School District (2008). General Information. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. cpsd. us/index. cfm

You and i

Martha Cecilia, which was taken after her daughter's name, is one of – if not the most popular Tagalog romance pocketbook writer of today. Most of her written works became best-sellers and her very popular Kristine pocketbook series which consists of a total of 54 books was even turn into a TV series by one of the largest broadcasting network in the country.She is best known for writing love stories with happy endings and she has released over 00 books under her current company, Precious Heart Romance. 9. Carlo]. Caparas He was the man responsible for the creation of the undying story of Ang Panday (The Blacksmith). In addition to that, he also created other great stories who later turned to movies and/or TV series such as Gagambino, Bakekang, Totoy Bato, and Joaquin Bordado to name a few. Caparas was originally a comic strip writer who later ventured in to film directing and producing.In July 2009, he was proclaimed as a National Artist of the Philippines in the category of V isual Arts and Film. 8. Mars Ravelo Like Caparas, Mars Ravelo is also a comic strip writer and creator who rose to popularity because of his works such as Darna (a local version of America's wonderwoman), Dysabel (a mermaid whose fate is a little similar to Ariel of â€Å"The Little Mermaid†), and Captain Barbel (a local version of Superman) to name a few. As you may have observed, Ravelo's works are so much alike to some American fictional stories.This is because he was born at the time when Philippines was still an American Territory. Thus, it's understandable that his writing is heavily influenced by the American literature. Ravelo started out as a cartoonist who worked his way up until he became an editor-in-chief for several publications and film companies before establishing his own company. During his time, he was the highest paid comic writer.