Information systerm assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Information systerm assignment - Essay Example Though, geographically speaking, the world may actually be round and may consist of places thousands of miles apart but these distances have been bridged by the current prevalent technological advancements. This was exactly the basis of the thoughts expressed by renowned American columnist and writer Thomas Friedman who wrote a famous piece of work titles â€Å"It’s a flat world, After All†. Many a school of thoughts liked and appreciated the theories presented by Friedman and adhered to them but many other thought it wasn’t as practical as it posed itself to be. The present discussion is aimed at discussing the thoughts presented by Friedman and commenting upon them in line with some of the concepts we have gone through in our course of information systems. Generally speaking, since information systems have been the core theme of course being studied, the concept that has concretely been established is that information systems have assisted man since their incep tion in an irreplaceable manner. By taking raw data as input with respect to the organization’s requirements, information systems process it and produce the output required by the stakeholders of that organizational level. The perspective discussed by Friedman is narrated henceforth. Friedman emphasizes that the world of today is nothing but flat. How he comes to that conclusion is by his trip to India where he was amazed to find that local men knew so much the world out there that was not expected from a South Asian developing nation. He strongly advocates Globalization. He mentions that globalization has intermingled the world to such an enormous level that anything happening in one part of the world instantly gets transmitted across thousands of miles without anytime lapse. He accredits the advent of Netscape Navigator (First Internet Surfing Browser) as being a trigger in this age of globalization in which man lives today. Friedman got particularly enthralled when he saw that outsourcing was no more a problem due to the technological advancements. Designers and entrepreneurs from the western countries could easily interact with programmers in the south Asian countries at runtime via video conferencing and internet. This solved the relentless problem of outsourcing and that too at considerable rates without any compromises in quality. Along with outsourcing, Friedman mentioned Insourcing and Supply Chaining as two more of other factors that contributed to globalization. He was fascinated by the fact that as soon as an item would be sold in one of the U.S.A’s supermarkets like Wal-Mart their production setup thousands of miles away would instantly be told to produce another one of those units in order to replace that one that has just been sold. He termed this as supply chaining at its best. Friedman believed that it was long before the programmers in India and China would become the designers as well and there would be no preference to living in Boston to that over living in Bangalore, India. He makes a number of suggestions in his work as to what should companies and individuals do in order to cope up with the increasing rate of globalization. Overall it may be said that Friedman clearly brings out the benefit of globalization. With all the goodness narrated by Friedman with respect to the advancements in information and

Toyota Company Limited Essay Example for Free

Toyota Company Limited Essay BACKGROUND When we talk about company, we are talking of the world’s seventh largest corporation. On the car manufacture Industry, the company is the third ranked. Toyota is a Japan based motor company that manufacturers cars, vans, Lorries and tractors selling them to a wide variety of global markets. It is also a renowned manufacturer of tracks and motor car accessories. Toyota Company started in 1937 with the headquarters currently based in Japan. The very first car that the company manufactured was the Toyota AA in the early 1930s. Later, new brands emerged like the Luxuries, Lexus. These gave rise to more Luxurious brands like the Tundra, Camry, Scion and Prius. Currently, the company manufactures and sells millions of vehicles each year. In 2008 for instance, it plans to manufacturer more than ten million vehicles. The company has set up marketing bases in the UK and parts of Asia to help in the marketing of its vehicles. To-date, the company boasts of profits of up to $ 12 billion (made in 2006) accompanied with increased sales. To further boast its market share, the company has acquired stakes in other automobile companies like ISUZU Motors (6%) and in Fuji industries (8%). The company’s shares are traded publicly on the New York stock exchange. Products and Services offered Toyota produces the following Toyota type of cars: Hilax Surf, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Caldina and Auris. Other brands include Vitz and Lexus. Toyota also offers financial services such as giving credit in form of Loans to small and medium enterprises. The company offers these financial services to over twenty five countries across the globe. The Toyota subsidiaries operating these financial services are wholly owned by the parent Toyota Company. Started in Australia, the services are now offered Europe, USA and Asia. Besides, automobiles, the company also make robots and has even entered the textile industry. The company is best known in making computerized loans and sewing machines. Corporation culture and Management The company has development out of certain believes which the members of staff and top corporate directors hold. To them, management decisions are based on long-term developments rather than school-term objectives. There is a culture of consensus in decision-making as opposed to chest thumping and neglect. There is also the culture of people avoiding fixing of problems, instead of getting quality of work is advocated for. There is always the desire of using only high technology in the manufacturer of vehicles that would satisfy customers. The company doesn’t believe in wastages. By-products of processes are used as raw materials of other processes. Work is planned in such a way that there are no over-production unnecessary motions of medicines. Waiting costs are also kept at a minimum through thoroughly calculated machine operations. The company deals with its clients with the highest level of accountability. Every brand of vehicle truly represents what its descriptions are. The profit margins and mark-ups (of cost) are calculated without customer exploitation. Mission statement â€Å"To have a profitable growth through the provision of the best services to customers and support is the dealers. The company aims at becoming the best companies across the globe. Organizational structure Toyota has a flat organizational structure with the managing Director who doubles as the Chairman being at the top. Down the hierarchy is the General Manager and various managers who report to the General Manager. These are: Financial Manager, Marketing Manager, Commercial Manager, After-Sales Manager and the Administration Manager. The Commercial manager controls the retail sales, marketing, Fleet sales, Long-term rental, and daily rental. Under the financial manager are the internal control , accounting and the financial analysis departments. The After sales manager governs the Buying and Purchase shops, customer care and accessories. Departments under the admistrative manager are the human resources, financing, Information Technology, Purchasing and Quality control management. All these work towards realizing the overall goals of Toyota. Decision-making strategies In Toyota, everybody is brought into board as far as   decision making is concerned. However, the junior staff do not make decisions rather are given the chance to express their suggestions in a written platform. It is on the basis of these suggestions that policy is formulated by top management. SWOT analysis is greatly employed before decisions can be made on pertinent issues. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The management evaluates what their strengths are before a decision to embark on a new brand is reached and before making any new acquisitions among other several decisions. Other new opportunities are also rated against the company’s strengths. The company uses the knowledge of its weaknesses to seek for means of reducing them against the threats imposed by the environment The pros and cons of every aspect is also looked at before decisions are made. The direction the decision would take would then depend on the number of   merits and demerits if a given path is undertaken. In complex areas, the company applies scientific processes like linear programming and other stochastic models to make decisions. Motivational Strategies Top management get their goals executed through the employees. It is therefore important to ensure that employees are motivated for them to effectively carry out their daily chores. The management of Toyota has however ensured that its workforce is highly motivated to avoid problems associated with demotivation such as go-slows, sit-downs and strikes. One of the things that Toyota has done is to empower employees. Toyota comprises of very many departments each of which is occupied by persons qualified in that field. Every department has been left to make control its own activities whereby people are left to make their own decisions. There is little or no interference from the top management who feel that such an arrangement makes the employees to feel a sense of ownership of the company. To foster empowerment of employees, suggestion boxes are evenly distributed within the company premises. They use these boxes to air their grievances without fear or intimidation. This doesn’t end here because the management meets regularly with the employees to deliberate on the findings of their suggestions. Benefits Employees of Toyota get some rebates/discounts on the market price of the vehicles. This special concession has been in existent for quite some time. Workers also obtain gifts for better performance be it in the sales and marketing department or the assembly department. The gifts range from cash to even free motorcars. In this way they are motivated to perform even better in the season that would follow. The Toyota company’s employees also have a savings plan/ scheme to which they make annual savings. This gives them financial security even after their terms of services expire. They do not fall short of a healthy insurance Scheme that gives them a surety of compensation incase one gets ill or is injured while serving the company.

Landmines Essay examples -- Research Paper Violence Papers

Landmines On a beautiful, sunny morning in November 1994, an 11-year-old girl set out in search of firewood. Her grandmother had awakened her, warning that if she returned empty handed, there would be no food that day. Pausing under a shady tree, Amelia looked up and wondered if there was any way she could reach all those branches. Testing the possibility, she jumped. She missed the branches, but when she landed, there was a loud crack, like a lightning bolt. Amelia was immediately thrown back up into the air. She tumbled to the ground and passed out. It is very hard for Amelia to remember when she regained consciousness. People can usually remember the first face they see, but Amelia would never see again. She remembers feeling wet, drenched in her own blood, and hearing the voice of her grandmother -- praying between sobs. Most of all, she remembers the excruciating pain. Amelia lost her left leg, most of the fingers of her left hand and her eyesight. The account goes on to speak of her drive to live, but she cannot help wondering what is to become of her in a society that survives on physical labor. Despite her strong will, she knows she will always be a burden to her family, someone who eats but does not work. Amelia fell victim to an anti-personnel landmine, a silent killer hidden in the grass [1]. Amelia is by no means alone. Every month over 2,000 people are killed or maimed by mine explosions [2]. Most are civilians killed or injured long after hostilities have come to an end. The toll comes not only in human life, however. Also crippled by widespread use of landmines are the fragile economies of war-torn nations. The devastation continues for decades, long after all the battles have ended and all the soldiers h... ...pidemic of Landmine Injuries. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 5. Jody Williams. Landmines and Measures to Eliminate Them. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 6. International Committee of the Red Cross. Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross for the Review Conference of the 1980 United Nations Convention on Prohibition or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 7. Louise Doswald-Beck, Peter Herby, Johanne Dorais Slakmon. Basic Facts: The Human Cost of Landmines. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 8. Physicians for Human Rights. Landmines: A Deadly Legacy. (New York: Human Rights Watch, 1993). 9. United States Department of State. Hidden Killers: The Global Problem with Uncleared Landmines. (Washington DC: Department of State Publications, 1993).

Person centred approaches in adult social care settings Essay

Assignment composition Assignment overview In this assignment you will demonstrate your knowledge of person-centred care. You will explore what is meant by the term ‘consent’, define person-centred values, and consider how active participation can be used to best effect. You will consider how risk assessments can support informed choices and examine the factors that contribute to the well being of individuals using the service. see more:why person centred values are important and how they influence social care work Tasks There are three tasks to this assignment. A Information leaflet B Short answer questions C Case studies Task B Short answer questions Bi- Describe two ways of finding out about the history, preferences, wishes and needs of an individual using the service. If the resident is unable to talk about themselves and what they want then a good way of finding out is to talk to family and friends. They will have important information about the resident that may help you communicate with that person. If the service user can speak for themselves then the staff can sit down and talk to find out more about their needs, preferences and their history. Bii- Describe two ways of making sure that the history, preferences, wishes and needs of an individual using the service are recognised in support or care plans. The service user could write down their wishes and needs, if they are able to read and write. With the help of the staff the service user could add extras like favourite music, colour, type of outfit, favourite food, activity and so on. Biii- Explain how a care plan helps social care workers to work in a person centred way. Whoever carry’s out the service users care plan should have complete understanding of the plan themselves. The care plan is the most important thing to have knowledge about as this is the most valuable piece of information with the service users needs, wishes and preferences. Biv- Define what is meant by the term â€Å"active participation†. 1. Promoting there independence 2. Enjoy day to day life without any struggle 3. To help the service user with whatever they ask as you are the only help they may have. Bv- Give two examples of active participation, explaining how the individual using the service may benefit from being fully involved. Getting them to plan a day out themselves, this will help a service feel more independent and happy. To help them promote there independence this will help the service user get to know what is happening where they live and get more social. Bvi- Using the table below, describe three examples of barriers to active participation and how each can be overcome. Barrier How it can be overcome Lack of understanding Speak loud and clear Hearing aid Interpreter Lack of teamwork Staff to report of concerns Social workers, docs, nurses or/and staff to discuss any issues with the service user Meetings to be made to keep up to date with service user Feeling excluded Service user to help create care plan Conversations with the service user about anything Service user to attend the staff meetings to be more involved Bvii- Describe two ways of encouraging active participation. Collecting leaflets and showing them to the service user to try and get them involved in activities in the community. Take the service user to volunteer in a shop or event. Bviii- Explain how the identity of an individual using the service is linked to their well being. Moving into a care home is a big thing and a service user could be very alone and afraid of what it may be like so staff should always make any service user feel loved and unforgotten to protect them from losing there identity. Bix- Explain how the self esteem of an individual using the service is linked to their well being. Every service user should be treated for respect and confidence, if you do this then that persons self esteem will be very good and this will help the person feel welcome and able to speak to any of the staff about any problems, fears, wishes and preferences. Bx Describe two attitudes or approaches which could promote the well being of an individual using the service. Service users should all be given the right to choose what they want and how they want it. Just like you or I would like a hot cop of tea with 2 sugars, you wouldn’t forget your own sugar so you shouldn’t forget theirs. Staff should be up to date with their training so they can see and learn the service users wishes and preferences. Bx Describe two attitudes or approaches which could promote the well being of an individual using the service. Staff need to understand the service users way of life. Whether that is its religion, choice of food, type of clothing. To understand all this it is vital that the staff read the service users care plan. Bxi Identify two ways of making sure an individual’s physical environment promotes their well being. When it is time for a meal the staff should know how that service user would like there meal. Some could be a vegan or a vegetarian. Some may just not like a kind of meat, veg, or fruit. Involving the service user in making the meal is also a great way in  promoting the service users well being as this will make them feel involved in something and know what they are putting in there mouths. Bxii Identify two ways of working that promote an individual’s social and emotional well being. All staff should understand the users support plan. This is so the staff can understand what the user needs. Example- What kind of communication or if they need assistance with eating. Task C Case study one Marcus Thompson is 18 and has learning disabilities. He is moving from children’s social care to adult social care and has to decide whether he wants to remain at home with his family or move to supported housing. You are his support worker and think he would be better off living away from his family who sometimes try to do too much for him. Ci Identify ways of helping Marcus to make an informed choice. You could propose to Marcus if he would like to visit the support housing to see if it is the kind of thing he would prefer. He could stay a night or just spend the day. You could also bring Marcus to speak to some of the other service users and ask questions about the support housing. Cii Explain why it is important that you do not let your own view influence Marcus’ final decision. It is important because it is not he going into support housing it is someone else. Marcus could maybe love being looked after by his family and want to be around them. But he may want a bit more independence. This is why it is important to make sure Marcus knows that it is completely up to him, its his decision. Case study two Mr Mistry has recently been discharged from hospital after a serious fall. He wants to continue living at home, but there is some pressure on him from his family to move to live with them, or to move to a supported environment.  They believe they have the support of the medical profession in this. Ciii Explain how a thorough risk assessment might help Mr Mistry make up his mind about what he wants. If a thorough risk assessment is carried out and explained deeply to Mr Mistry, then he may then realise that he does need more help than he thinks and may consider help. Some people don’t like to admit they need extra help, which is why it is important the whole situation is explained so the user knows what could happen. Civ Explain why Mr Mistry may choose to take a risk and live alone in his home. Mr Mistry may choose to live at home because he likes his independence and making his own decisions. He has probably lived their his whole life, moving away to get looked after by your family or care staff may be sound scary to some who has done everything themselves. Cv Describe ways of helping Mr Mistry question or challenge decisions made by his family or other professionals with which he does not agree. Staff should set up a meeting for professionals, family and of course Mr Mistry to attend and discuss what he wants. Mr Mistry can still make his own decisions.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 13

He doesn't understand,† Poppy said softly as Jamesunlocked the door to his apartment. â€Å"He just hasn'tgrasped that you're risking your life, too.† The apartment was very bare and utilitarian. Highceilings and spacious rooms announced that it wasexpensive, but there wasn't much furniture. In theliving room there was a low, square couch, a desk with a computer, and a couple of Oriental-lookingpictures on the wall. And books. Cardboard boxes of books stacked in the corners. Poppy turned to face James directly. â€Å"Jamie †¦ Iunderstand.† James smiled at her. He was sweaty and dirty andtired-looking. But his expression said Poppy made it all worthwhile. â€Å"Don't blamePhil,†he said, with a gesture of dismissal. â€Å"He's actually handling things pretty well. I've never broken cover to a human before, but I think most of them would run screaming and never come back. He's trying to cope, at least.† Poppy nodded and dropped the subject. James wastired, which meant they should go to sleep. Shepicked up the duffel bag that Phil had packed withher clothes and headed for the bathroom. She didn't change right away, though. She was toofascinated by her own reflection in the mirror. So this was what a vampire Poppy looked like. She was prettier, she noted with absent satisfaction. The four freckles on her nose were gone. Herskin was creamy-pale, like an advertisement for facecream. Her eyes were green as jewels. Her hair was wind-blown into riotous curls, metallic-copper. I don'tlooklike something that sits on a buttercupanymore, she thought. I look wild and dangerous andexotic. Like a model. Like a rock star. Like James. She leaned forward to examine her teeth, pokingat the canines to make them grow. Then she jerkedback, gasping. Her eyes. She hadn't realized. Oh, God, no wonderPhil had been scared. When she did that, when herteeth extended, her eyes went silvery-green, uncanny. Like the eyes of a hunting cat. All at once she was overcome by terror. She hadto cling to the sink to stay on her feet. I don't want it, I don't wantit†¦. Oh,dealwith it, girl. Stop whining. So what did you expect to look like, Shirley Temple? You're a hunter now. And your eyes go silver and blood tastes like cherry preserves. And that's all there is to it, andthe other choice was resting in peace. Sodeal. Gradually her breathing slowed. In the next few minutes something happened inside her;shediddeal.She found †¦ acceptance. It felt like something giving way in her throat and her stomach. She wasn'tweird and dreamy now, as she'd been when she hadfirst awakened in the cemetery; she could thinkdearly about her situation. And she could accept it. And I did it without running to James, she thought suddenly, startled. I don't need him to comfort meor tell me it's okay. I canmake it okay, myself. Maybe that was what happened when you faced the very worst thing in the world. She'd lost herfamily and her old life and maybe even her childhood, but she'd found herself. And that would have to do. She pulled the white dress over her head andchanged into a T-shirt and sweatpants. Then shewalked out to James, head high. He was in the bedroom, lying on a full-sized bedmade up with light brown sheets. He was still wearing his dirty clothes, and he had one arm crooked over his eyes. When Poppy came in, he stirred. â€Å"I'll go sleep on the couch,† he said. â€Å"No, you won't,† Poppy said firmly. She flopped on the bed beside him. â€Å"You're dead tired. And Iknow I'm safe with you.† James grinned without moving his arm. â€Å"Because I'm dead tired?† â€Å"Because I've always been safe with you.† Sheknew that. Even when she'd been a human and herblood must have tempted him, she'd been safe. She looked at him as he lay there, brown hair ruffled, body lax, Adidas unlaced and caked with soil.She found his elbows endearing. â€Å"Iforgot to mention something before,† she said.†I onlyrealizedI forgot when I was . . .going tosleep. I forgot to mention that I love you.† James sat up. â€Å"You only forgot to say it withwords.† Poppy felt a smile tugging at her lips. That was theamazing thing, the only purely good thing about what had happened to her. She and James had cometogether. Their relationship had changed-but it still had everything she'd valued in their old relationship.The understanding, the camaraderie. Now on top ofthat was the new excitement of discovering each other as more than best friends. And she'd found the part of him that she hadnever been able to reach before. She knew his secrets, knew him inside out. Humans could never know each other that way. They could never really get into another person's head. All the talking in theworld couldn't even prove that you and the otherperson both saw the same color red. And if she and James never merged like two dropsof water again, she would always be able to touchhis mind. A little shy, she leaned against him, resting on hisshoulder. In all the times they'd been dose, they'dnever kissed or been romantic. For now, just sitting here like this was enough, just feeling James breathe and hearing his heart and absorbing his warmth. Andhis arm around her shoulders was almosttoo much, almost too intense to bear, but at the same time it was safe and peaceful. It was like a song, one of those sweet, wrenchingsongs that makes the hair on your arms stand up.That makes you want to throw yourself on the floorand just bawl. Or fall backward and surrender to the music utterly. One ofthosesongs. James cupped her hand, brought it to his lips, andkissed the palm. I told you. You don't love somebody because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them becausethey sing a song that nobody but you can understand. Poppy's heart swelled until it hurt. Aloud she said, â€Å"We always understood the samesong, even when we were little.† â€Å"In the Night World there's this idea called thesoulmate principle. It says that every person has onesoulmate out there, just one. And that person is perfect for you and is your destiny. The problem beingthat almost nobody everfindstheir soulmate, just because of, distance. So most people go through theirwhole lives feeling not complete.† â€Å"I think it's the truth. Ialwaysknew you wereperfect for me.† â€Å"Not always.† â€Å"Oh, yes. Since I was five. I knew.† â€Å"I'd have known you were perfect for me-exceptthat everything I'd been taught said it was hopeless.† He cleared his throat and added, â€Å"That iswhy I wentout With Michaela and those other girls, you know.I didn't care about them. I could get dose to themwithout breaking the law.† â€Å"I know,† Poppy said. â€Å"I mean-I think I alwaysknew it was something like that, underneath.† Sheadded, â€Å"James? What am I now?† Some things shecould tell instinctively; she could feel them in herblood. But she wanted to know more, and she knewJames understood why. This was her life now. She had to learn the rules. â€Å"Well.† He settled against the headboard, head tilted back as she rested under his chin. â€Å"You're pretty much like me. Except for not being able to ageor havefamilies,made vampires are basically like thelamia.†He shifted. â€Å"Let's see. You already knowabout being able to see and hear better than humans.And you're a whiz at reading minds.† â€Å"Not everybody's mind.† â€Å"No vampire can read everybody's mind. Lots oftimes all I get is a sort of general feeling for whatpeople arethinking.The only certain way to make aconnection is to-† James opened his mouth andclicked his teeth. Poppy giggled as the sound traveled through her skull. â€Å"And how often do I haveto-?† She clicked herown teeth. â€Å"Feed.† She felt James getting serious. â€Å"Aboutonce a day on average. Otherwise you'll go into thebloodlust. You can eat human food if you want, but there's no nutrition in it. Blood is everything for us.† â€Å"And the more blood, the more power.† â€Å"Basically, yes.† â€Å"Tell me about power. Can we-well, what canwe do?† â€Å"We have more control over our bodies than humans. We can heal from almost any kind of injuryexcept from wood. Wood can hurt us, even kill us.† He snorted. â€Å"So there's one thing the movies haveright-a wooden stake through the heart will, in fact, kill a vampire. So will burning.† â€Å"Can we change into animals?† â€Å"I've never met any vampire that powerful. Buttheoretically it's possible for us, and shapeshifters andwerewolves do it all the time.† â€Å"Change into mist?† â€Å"I've never even met a shapeshifter who coulddo that.† Poppy thumped the bed with her heel. â€Å"And obviously we don't have to sleep in coffins.† â€Å"No, and we don't need native earth, either. Myself, I prefer a Sealy Posturepedic, but if you'd likesome dirt †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Poppy elbowed him. â€Å"Urn, can we cross runningwater?† â€Å"Sure. And we can walk into people's homes with out being invited, and roll in garlic if we don't mindlosing friends. Anything else?† â€Å"Yes. Tell me about the Night World.† It was herhome now. â€Å"Did I tell you about the dubs? We have clubs inevery big city. In a lot of small ones, too.†Ã¢â‚¬ What kind of dubs?† â€Å"Well, some are just dives, and some are like cafes,and some are like nightclubs, and some are likelodges-those are mostly for adults. I know one for kids that's just a big old warehouse with skate rampsbuilt in. You can hang out and skateboard. And there are poetry slams every week at the Black Iris.† Blackiris,Poppy thought. That reminded her of something. Something unpleasant †¦ What she said was, â€Å"That's a funny name.† â€Å"All the dubs are named for flowers. Black flowersare the symbols of the Night People.† He rotated hiswrist to show her his watch. An analog watch, witha black iris in the center of the face. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Yeah. You know, I noticed that black thing, but Inever really looked at it before. I think I assumed itwas Mickey Mouse.† He rapped her lightly on the nose in reproof. â€Å"Thisis serious business, kid. One of these will identify youto other Night People-even if they're as stupid as a werewolf.'I :You don't like werewolves?† â€Å"They're great if you like double-digit IQs.† â€Å"But you let them in the dubs.† â€Å"Some dubs. Night People may not marry out oftheir own kind, but they all mix:lamia,made vam pires, werewolves, both kinds of witches †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Poppy, who had been playing at intertwining theirfingers in different ways, shifted curiously. â€Å"What'sboth kinds of witches?† â€Å"Oh. . .there's the kind that know about theirheritage and have been trained, and the kind that don't. That second kind are what humans call psychics. Sometimes they just have latent powers, andsome of them aren't even psychic enough to findtheNight World, so they don't get in.† Poppy nodded. â€Å"Okay. Got it. But what if a human walks into one of those dubs?† â€Å"Nobody would let them. The dubs aren't whatyou'dcallconspicuous, and they're always guarded.† â€Å"But if they did†¦Ã¢â‚¬  James shrugged. His voice was suddenly bleak. â€Å"They'd be killed. Unless somebody wanted to pickthem up as a toy or pawn. That means a humanwho's basically brainwashed-who lives with vampires but doesn't know it because of the mind control.Sort of like a sleepwalker. I had a nanny once†¦Ã¢â‚¬ His voice trailed off, and Poppy could feel his distress. â€Å"You can tell me about it later.† She didn't wanthim ever to be hurt again. â€Å"M'm.†He sounded sleepy. Poppy settled herselfmore comfortably against him. It was amazing, considering her last experiencegoing to sleep, that she could even shut her eyes. But she could. She was with her soulmate, so whatcould go wrong? Nothing could hurt her here. Phil was having trouble shutting his eyes. Every time he did, he saw Poppy. Poppy asleep inthe casket, Poppy watching him with a hungry cat'sgaze. Poppy lifting her head from that guy's throat toshow a mouth stained as if she'd been eating berries. She wasn't human anymore. And just because he'd known all along that shewouldn't be didn't make it any easier to accept. He couldn't-he couldn't–condonejumping on people and tearing up their throats for dinner. Andhe wasn't sure that it was any better to charm people and bite them and then hypnotize them to forget it. The whole system was scary on some deeplevel. Maybe James had been righthumans justcouldn't deal with the idea that there was somebodyhigher on the food chain. They'd lost touch with their caveman ancestors, who knew what it was liketo be hunted. They thought all that primal stuff wasbehind them. Could Phillip tell them a thing or two. The bottom line was that he couldn't accept, andPoppy couldn't change. And the only thing that madeit bearable was that somehow he loved her anyway. Poppy woke in thedim, curtained bedroom the next day to find the other half of the bed empty. Shewasn't alarmed, though. Instinctively she reached out with her mind, and . . . there. James was in the kitchenette. She felt†¦ energetic. Like a puppy straining to belet loose in a field. But as soon as she walked intotheliving room, she felt that her powers were weaker. And her eyes hurt. She squinted toward the painful brightness of a window. â€Å"It's the sun,† James said. â€Å"Inhibits all vampirepowers, remember?† He went over to the windowand dosed the curtains-they were the blackout type, like the ones in the bedroom. The midafternoon sunshine was cut off. â€Å"That should help a little-butyou'd better stay inside today until it gets dark. Newvampires are more sensitive.† Poppy caught something behind his words. â€Å"You'regoing out?† â€Å"I have to.† He grimaced. â€Å"There's something I forgot my cousin Ash is supposed to show up thisweek. I've got to get my parents to head him off.† â€Å"I didn't know you had a cousin.† He winced again. â€Å"I've got lots, actually. They'reback East in a safe town-a whole town that's controlled by the Night World. Most of them are okay, but not Ash.† â€Å"What's wrong with him?† â€Å"He's crazy. Also cold-blooded, ruthless-â€Å" â€Å"You sound like Phil describing you.† â€Å"No, Ash is the real thing. The ultimate vampire.He doesn't care about anybody but himself, and heloves to make trouble.† Poppy was prepared to love all James's cousins forhis sake, but shad to agree that Ash soundeddangerous. â€Å"I wouldn't trust anyone to know about you justnow,† James said, â€Å"and Ash is out of the question. I'm going to tell my parents he can't come here,that's all.† And then what do we do? Poppy thought. She couldn't stay hidden forever. She belonged to theNight World-but the Night World wouldn't accepther. There had to be some solution-and she could onlyhope that she and James would find it. â€Å"Don't be gone too long,† she said, and he kissedher on the forehead, which was nice. As if it wasgetting to be a habit. When he was gone, she took a shower and puton dean clothes. Good old Phil-he'd slipped in herfavorite jeans. Then she made herself putter aroundthe apartment, because she didn't want to sit and think.Nobody should have to think on the day after their own funeral. The phone sat beside the square couch and mockedher. She found herself resisting the impulse to pickit up so often that her arm ached. But who could she call? Nobody. Not even Phil,because what if somebody overheard him? What ifher mother answered? No, no, don't think about Mom, you idiot. But it was too late. She was overwhelmed suddenly, by a desperate need to hear her mother's voice.Just to hear a â€Å"hello.† She knew she couldn't sayanything herself. She just needed to establish that her mom still existed. She punched the phone number in without givingherself time to think. She counted rings. One, two,three †¦ â€Å"Hello?† It was her mother's voice. And it was already over,and it wasn't enough. Poppy sat trying to breathe, with tears running down her face. She hung there,wringing the phone cord, listening to the faint buzz on the other end. Like a prisoner in court waiting to hear her sentence. â€Å"Hello? Hello.† Her mother's voice was flat andtired. Not acerbic. Prank phone calls were no big dealwhen you'd just lost your daughter. Then a click signaled disconnection. Poppy clutched the earpiece to her chest and cried, rocking slightly. At last she put it back on the cradle. Well, she wouldn't do that again. It was worse thannot being able to hear her mother at all. And it didn't help her with reality, either. It gave her a dizzy Twilight Zone feeling to think that her mom was athome, and everybody was at home, and Poppy wasn't there.Life was going on in that house, but she wasn'tpart of it anymore. She couldn't just walk in, any more than she could walk into some strange family's house. You're really a glutton for punishment, aren't you? Why don't you stop thinking about this and dosomething distracting? She was snooping through James's file cabinetwhen the apartment door opened. Because she heard the metallic jingle of a key, sheassumed it was James. But then, even before sheturned, she knew it wasn't James. It wasn't James's mind. She turned and saw a boy with ash blond hair. He was very good looking, built about like James,but a little taller, and maybe a year older. His hairwas longish. His face had a nice shape, clean-cut fea tures, and wicked slightly tilted eyes. But that wasn't why she was staring at him. He gave her a flashing smile. â€Å"I'm Ash,† he said.†Hi.† Poppy was still staring. â€Å"You were in my dream,† she said.. â€Å"You said, ‘Bad magic happens.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ â€Å"So you're a psychic?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Your dreams come true?† â€Å"Not usually.† Poppy suddenly got hold of herself.†Listen, um, I don't know how you got in-â€Å" He jingled a key ring at her. â€Å"Aunt Maddy gaveme these. James told you to keep me out, I bet.† Poppy decided that the best defense was a goodoffense. â€Å"Now, why would he tell me that?† she said,and folded her arms over her chest. He gave her a wicked, laughing glance. His eyeslooked hazel inthislight, almost golden. â€Å"I'm bad,†he said simply. Poppy tried to plaster a look of righteous disapproval-like Phil's-on her face. It didn't work verywell. â€Å"Does James know you're here? Where is he?† â€Å"I have no idea. Aunt Maddy gave me the keysat lunch, and then she went out on some interiordecorating job. What did you dream about?† poppy just shook her head. She was trying tothink.presumably, James was wandering around in search ofhis mother right now. Once he found her he'd findout that Ash was over here, and then he'd come backfast.Which meant †¦well,Poppy supposed it meantshe should keep Ash occupied until James arrived. But how? She'd never really practiced being winsome and adorable with guys. And she was worriedabout talking too much. She might give herself awayas a new vampire. Oh, well. When in doubt, shut your eyes and jump right in. â€Å"Know any good werewolf jokes?† she said. He laughed. He had a nice laugh, and his eyes weren't hazel after all. They were gray, like James's. â€Å"You haven't told me your name yet, little dreamer,† he said. â€Å"Poppy,† Poppy said and immediately wished shehadn't. What if Mrs. Rasmussen had mentioned thatone of James's little friends called Poppy had justdied? To conceal her nervousness, she got up to dose the door. â€Å"Good lamianame,† he said. â€Å"I don't like thisyuppy thing of taking on human names, do you? I've got three sisters, and they all have regular oldfashioned names. Rowan, Kestrel, Jade. My dad would burst a blood vessel if one of them suddenlywanted to call herself ‘Susan.' â€Å" â€Å"Or ‘Maddy?' â€Å"Poppy asked, intrigued despiteherself. â€Å"Huh? It's short for Madder.† Poppy wasn't sure what madder was. A plant,she thought. â€Å"Of course I'm not saying anything against James,†Ash said, and it was perfectly dear from his voicethat he wassaying something against James. â€Å"Things are different for you guys in California. You have to mix more with humans; you have to be more careful.So ifnamingyourself after vermin makes it easier †¦ â€Å"He shrugged. â€Å"Oh, yeah, they're vermin all right,† Poppy said atrandom. She was thinking, he's playing with me. Isn't he playing with me? She had the sinking feeling that he knew everything. Agitation made her need to move. She headedfor James's stereo center. â€Å"So you like any vermin music?† she said.†Techno? Acid jazz? Trip-hop? Jungle?† She waveda vinyl record at him. â€Å"This is some serious jump-up jungle.† He blinked. â€Å"Oh, and this is great industrialnoise. And this is a real good acid house stomperwith a sort of madcore edge to it†¦.† She had him on the defensive now. Nobody couldstop Poppy when she got going like this. She widenedher eyes at him and blathered on, looking as fey asshe knew how. â€Å"And I say freestyle's coming back.Completely underground, so far, but on the rise.Now, Euro-dance,on the other hand †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ash was sitting on the square couch, long legsstretched out in front of him. His eyes were deepblue and slightly glazed. â€Å"Sweetheart,† he said finally, â€Å"I hate to interrupt.But you and I need to talk.† Poppy was too clever to ask him what about.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦these sort of eternal void keys and troll groaningsounds that make you want to ask, ‘Is anybody outthere?' â€Å"shefinishedand then she had to breathe.Ash jumped in. â€Å"We reallyhave to talk,† he said. â€Å"Before Jamesgets back.† There was no way to evade him now. Poppy'smouth was dry. He leaned forward, his eyes a dear blue-green like tropical waters. And, yes, they really dochange color, Poppy thought. â€Å"It's not your fault,† he said. â€Å"What?† It's not yourfault. That you can't shield your mind. You'll learn how to do it, he said, andPoppy only realized halfway through that he wasn't saying it out loud. Oh. . . spit. She should have thought of that.Should have been concentrating on veiling her thoughts.She tried to do it now. â€Å"Listen, don't bother. I know that you're notlamia. You're made, and you're illegal. James hasbeen a bad boy.† Since there was no point in denying it, Poppy liftedher chin and narrowed her eyes at him. â€Å"So youknow. So what are you going to do about it?† â€Å"That depends.† â€Å"On what?† He smiled. â€Å"On you.†

The Policy of Fair Chance in Organ Transplant

The Policy of Fair Chance in Organ Transplant Since human organs are very expensive and scarce, the circumstances surrounding successful organ transplant that does not follow an ethical criteria raises more questions than answers. Since the organs are very few and expensive, it is obvious that not many people in need will be able to acquire them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Policy of â€Å"Fair Chance† in Organ Transplant specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, if finding an organ for transplant were determined by the patient, then only the rich would benefit from organ transplant. To avoid biasness, the United Network for Organ Sharing unified lists of surgery patients and suggested allocation criteria. Another alternative is for each transplant centre to keep its own wait list based on UNOS criteria. From the case study, it is vivid that Krimptiz’s quest for and eventual success in getting a liver transplant is unethical since it violat es UNOS allocation criteria. This essay reflects on this situation and illustrates how this procedure failed to meet expectations. The UNOS selection criteria recommend the use of a list of organ transplant patients according to the urgency of the transplant needed. The criteria also requires that â€Å"one gets a quick transplant only if there are no other patients near that transplant centre in a more urgent situation† (Moon, 2002). Krampitz and his wife avoided the criteria because he knew that there are more urgent cases than his. The case reports that there were 17000 patients requiring similar transplant, of which more than a thousand came from his place. He therefore used media to get a willing liver donor. Reflecting on this issue, one can justifiably conclude that Kramptitz’s transplant was unethical since it ignored the plight of other patients who were probably in a worse condition than his. Prior to the transplant, Krampitz’s case did not make any ur gency considerations. It reveals that even though he genuinely needed a liver transplant, his case was not as serious as others’. Some patients in a similar condition were near to death than he really was. Besides, it is evident that his cancerous state was so serious that making a transplant work for him was impossible (Caplan, 2004). In other words there was a high likelihood that the kidney transplant would fail. Knowing well that there were so many other patients out there whose transplant had no fatal complications like his, it was quite unethical for Krampitz’s doctor making the liver transplant.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Knowing that UNOS criteria would delay his quest for an immediate surgery, Krampitz decides to use non medical criteria to get a liver for his transplant. He uses ads, television and other means to inform the public about his conditio n and invite any well wisher to donate their liver (Caplan, 2004). One could argue that through ads, they could convince more people to donate and help other patients in a similar condition but this is not true. Their primary goal was to convince a family to donate a liver directly to Krampitz instead of a transplant center. Based on this, one can justifiably conclude that this move was unethical since it was based on personal interest. In addition, it neglected the policy of â€Å"fair chance† in getting a liver for transplant. Krampitz’s quest and eventual success in getting a liver transplant is unethical. It neglects the UNOS organ allocation criteria by cutting the line. It is also egocentric because it is based on personal interest and neglects other patients in a more critical condition. Munson (2002, 56), states that for organ distributive justice to prevail, people should follow the UNOS allocation criteria or use non medical criteria beneficial to all patient s in a similar condition. References Caplan, A. (2004). Cutting in line for Organ Transplants. Web. Moon, L. (2002). Organ Allocation. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Policy of â€Å"Fair Chance† in Organ Transplant specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Munson, R. (2002). Raising the Dead. New York: Oxford University Press.

Australian Poet Kenneth Slessor essays

Australian Poet Kenneth Slessor essays Focus Question: Using a few of his poems as examples, how effective are Kenneth Slessor's poems in revealing his identity as a man and a poet? It was once said that poems, though brief and whatever quality, serve as a look into the eyes of the poet. They are expressions of the poets emotions and thoughts through purpose, subject matter, themes, tone, messages and style. The poems of Australian Kenneth Slessor are powerful in illustrating his identity not just superficially as a poet, but also as a normal man with his own concerns, living his everyday life a civilian. Firstly they are effective because they are of his own style and interests, illustrating Slessor as an individual poet and person. Secondly, through manipulation of their components, Slessors poems reveal much detail of his personality and mentality as a normal man. In addition, they reflect the influences in his civilian life such as family, education and associates. Lastly, the actual efficiency of Slessors manipulations fundamentally reflects his skill and therefore identity as a poet. Slessors poems are unlike the traditional ballads of Patterson and Lawson favoured in Australian society during his day. Slessor steers clear of common bush and stockmen themes. His poems focuses instead on issues of personal interest and that affect his immediate environment. The inspiration of Captain Dobbin, about the retirement of sea captain, is from living near Sydney Harbour and an acquaintance with a Captain Bayldon. Since his concerns are different, there is subsequently no need to abide by customary rhythmic ballad form and style. Slessor experiments with different types such as the lyric form of the elegy Beach Burial. The almost prose-like form of Captain Dobbin showcases both his journalistic technique of extensive description and imagery laden poetic technique. Slessor is characterised...

7 Research-Based Learning Tricks for Lefties

7 Research-Based Learning Tricks for Lefties As a left-handed person, you’ve probably got used to the many annoyances that living in a right-handed world has created for you. You are used to bumping elbows at dinner, smudging your writing, and awkwardly using scissors that don’t quite work. But, did you know that your unique brain also means that you learn in a different way? In fact, there are several tricks that you can learn now that will give you an advantage in your college setting. Focus on Location In a 2010 study in Pediatrics, researchers found that those with mixed-handedness or left-handedness are more likely to suffer from ADHD or dyslexia. And, even if you are not diagnosed with either of these, your brains ability to quickly shift from brain hemisphere allows for attention gaps that could make it harder to focus. Be proactive by choosing seats at the front of the class where you’re less likely to be distracted by other students. Also, you can choose a study area that is free from additional distractors like music, or side conversations. Manage Your Fear The research by Queen Margaret’s University described in an article by Jennifer Hong showed left-handed individuals are more mentally compromised by fearful or highly stressful situations. Participants were asked to watch a terrifying video and recall their experience. Left-handed participants misremembered details twice as often as their right-handed counterparts. What that means for you is that being afraid of your first days at college might make it much more difficult for you to keep up with your new classes. In order to mitigate your fear, take a few minutes at the beginning of each day (especially before big tests) to do some relaxation exercises. You’ll feel better and have a better chance of remembering important information. Use Your Creativity In a study by the Georgetown University Medical Center, left-handed learners were shown to be able to hear and understand rapid speech more distinctly than right-handers. Because of this ability, sitting in lecture halls with a slow-talking professor might make you bored and tuned out. Instead of randomly doodling during your classes, take this time to creatively organize new information. You might write a song about what your teacher shares in class, making sure to highlight the most important points. Or, take notes graphically, drawing pictures of the concepts, ideas, and vocabulary you will need to know later. This keeps you engaged in class and uses your natural left-handed inclination towards creativity. Grab Memories In a left-handed person’s brain, the right side of the brain encodes new memories, while the left side of the brain reactivates those memories. In the article for TIME Maia Szalavitz mentions the interesting research study by Montclair State University, which proves that clenching your fist while learning a new fact allows you to better â€Å"grab† the information. Then, clenching your right fist activates your left brain, making it easier to recall the information you previously â€Å"grabbed.† Make Connections One thing that lefties are incredibly good at is making unique connections. Studies from the University of Michigan show that, while right-handed students’ brains are more likely to specialize or compartmentalize information, left-handed students’ brains easily shift from logical to creative. This means that when you’re learning new information, your brain is much more likely to make random connections that might help you to learn and remember. In order to maximize this natural gift, don’t just write down the notes from your classes, write down the unique connections that your brain makes with that new information. You’ll be much more likely to remember how the information impacted you, which makes it easier to recall for a test. Get Enough Sleep Although you may not know it, you need more rest than a right-handed person. As published in Chronobiol, a study was conducted that showed left-handed people slept an average of 30 minutes longer than right-handers. What this means for you is that rest is a vital part of your brain makeup. In order to do the best on your exams, you need to wake refreshed and with your brain in good working order. Plan on getting a good eight hours of sleep in order to be at your mental peak. Color Coding Scientists from the University of Abertay found that lefties are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Although this was a broad finding, lead researcher Lynn Wright also found several study techniques that helped these individuals make good choices. She said, â€Å"They [left-handers] like to color-code things, they like to write lists. It’s almost a way to alleviate their stress.† So, if you’re feeling stressed out about a particular class or study topic, create a color-coding system to help you organize your material. Or, write a list of the things you need to know that you can easily check off as you study. You’ll feel more in control and be more focused on success.

Ethical Dilemma Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ethical Dilemma - Assignment Example Personally, I would feel very conflicted about telling Jose about Johnsons debt for work reasons, but I would also feel very conflicted about not telling him, since he is a close friend. The principle elements in this situation are Johnsons apparently poor credit, Franks relationship with Jose, and Franks employment. The stakeholders are Johnson, Jose, Frank, and also the Ford and Toyota dealership Frank works for. Johnson would obviously be harmed by having his private financial information shared, as he would not get the land he wants and maybe needs to buy. Jose, on the other hand, may be harmed if Frank does not tell him about Johnsons credit history, as he may lose out on money owed. Less obviously, the dealership Frank works for might lose credibility with its customers, or even get sued, if Frank shared confidential customer information. There are several alternatives. One would be to tell Jose about Johnsons credit history. However, this would likely be unethical, since how Frank learned that is confidential. Another would be to keep quiet, but this, while more ethical, would probably be unsatisfying, and Jose might get angry later. A good middle ground solution, which would still be ethical, would be to recommend Jose general advice on what steps are good to take when selling land to somebody. Frank might even recommend a neutral third party, who he knows will be fair to both parties, and will not have any conflicts of interest. This would allow him to still give good advice to his friend without violating the privacy rights of

Answer these questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer these questions - Essay Example In the campaigning groups, for instance, Protestants who are morally upright will discourage rivalry. This creates political sanity in the country, enabling smooth flow of the political realm. It also develops convenient answers to complicated questions, therefore cubing fears while guaranteeing reassurance for the future. According to Islamic religion, the Muslims need to, not only do good to the public, but also influence and impact the public to do good. This is stated in the holy quran 12:55-56. The Muslims join the politics in order to influence the governments to do good. They believe they may not be heard while they are outside the political arena. In an example, Prophet Yusuf, living in a non Muslim country, was asked to be appointed to head the national treasury, he said â€Å"Set me over the store-houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge† This is according to the Qur’an. Muslims also believe that they are known to revenge on any any offence against them. The implication of this is that they will always cause chaos wherever they go. To change this perspective in the minds of people, they have to be elected to the national dockets so as to reach the public and change the negative image they have in the public. Practices associated with religion, for example, Literature, arts, music, and traditions are obvious for they have brought many people together enhancing unity among people of different interests. They develop a specific culture, in which the common people have shared practices. The stories within the Bible, like the story of King David and how he became a leader of Israel, have teachings that can be drawn by the modern leaders to shape their moral behavior. An example is when King David became remorseful when he killed Uriah and lay with his wife. From this context, men can always reconcile with people they have wronged while they are in

Take-Home Exam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Take-Home Exam - Term Paper Example In other words, shots must record what is in a scene for a successful video production to take place. For instance, the short scenes below are taken for the movie gossip girl. Establishing shot – when an action is to take place in a hall, every area or point that would be used in the process of video production are covered first before the exact shooting begins. For instance, there is random aerial coverage of a city of investigation in the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) Productions. Wide shot – a boy standing leaning on the wall, and the shot reveals his feet almost close to the bottom of the frame and his head close to the top of the frame. The boy’s height appears to consume almost the whole of the width of the shot. Medium shot- a girl standing next to a window, her head can be seen, part of her arms, a small part of the window and that of the wall around. Her gestures can be seen though not clearly. More attention of the shot is on the girl more than the surrounding environment or the setting. Medium close-up – the girl standing next to the window is brought out through a slightly sharp attention. The camera brings her out more clearly but still section of her arms, head and belly still visible. I would prefer to produce an action movie but with romantic scenes. The sources of my ideas would be the professionals in the movie production industry, newspapers and magazines, a collection of movies may be in a movie store. The available resources would also contribute significantly in determining the type of movie to produce. This is because it is important to match the depth of the available resources with the requirement of a particular genre of a movie. There are movies that are expensive to produce since they require many resources (Aronson, 2006). It involves the planning of the movie project in terms of creating

Service Value Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Service Value Assessment - Essay Example Authors who carried out studies concerning service  value  indicated their interest in the aspects and techniques used to determine the value of service in hotels. Moreover, there was recognition of the natural characters of services like heterogeneity, concurrently, expiring and indefinable, on the hospitality business, and other features such as seasonal requirements and  inaccurate  values.  This discovery led to some difficulties in defining and measuring the value of service (Salazar, Costa & Rita 383). For instance, assessment of  quality  values such as being good,  caring  and  courteous  may have  diverse  analysis  depending on the client. It can as well be a  demanding  activity, involving the development of an organizational tradition, which involves  daring  people to  perform  better than they already are, and acknowledging and rewarding when they do so. According to these writers, listening is one of the features that are  fund amental  to  service  value improvement. Furthermore, there is a  climax  phase  of  time  where  order  is higher, like depart or  high  period, which makes yet more complex, to  convey  a  reliable  level  of value. Spending money in a manner that will not  develop  the  service  is one of the most  regular  mistakes industries  make. ... Research from clients displays the strengths and limitations of a firm. Researches from non-clients  inform  us about rivals’ performance, and this can be utilized as a set of assessment (Salazar, Costa & Rita 384). Anticipations  better  fulfilled by rivals  signify  the  way  of action to  follow. An  outstanding  service is a  beneficial  policy, since it will  involve  more customers, extra  business  with real clients, fewer customers lost, a bigger  separation  from rivals’ prices and fewer errors resulting in conveying once more the  service. Advantages that  occur  from value include customer fulfillment. Better value reinforces the  business’ competitiveness by  better  status, more recurring  business  and few  invisible  customers lost. Another advantage is efficiency and profitability. Reduction of wasted resources as a result of lack of  value  will enable the  business  to  spare  expenses and improvements in operations. Human resources whereby members of staff that  give  expert  services will have a  constructive  approach toward work  atmosphere  and better presentations. One author disagrees that segregation through value guards the  company  from rivals by improving loyalty, reducing their responsiveness to price and evading other competitive powers that  decrease  price/cost borders. This study took place in three parts: in the first phase, two forms  were experimented  in the Portuguese hospitality  division- SERVQUAL having  straight  formulation and SERVPERF. A  reliable  model  was utilized, and 532 questionnaires  were gathered  in thirty two hotels. The  evaluation  was determined  using the  fortitude  coefficient from the weakening form that connected

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Research Paper Example Among the main concerns that are raised concerning the move are: what is the main motive of India launching mars orbiter especially with increased space exploration across the globe, and, is there a rivalry in competition between China and India concerning space exploration? Therefore, this discussion aims at establishing reasons why India’s space exploration is such an esteemed undertaking amidst complains on increased poverty levels and substantiate on claims that India invests in space exploration to counter China’s supremacy in space exploration within the Asian region. Discussion In a recent article by MacAskill and Nagarajan (2013), India, have plans underway to launch a space ship ‘Mars Orbiter’ towards Mars as race for space power intensifies between the country and China. The two countries are the recent entrants into the race with US, Russia as well as Europe having already launched space explorers into the mars orbit in the past. It is however wo rth noting that in spite of the open contest between India and China in space supremacy, few or none of the officials in India would not admit this. â€Å"India is clearly concerned about China’s recent rise in space prestige and wants to minimize that damage† (MacAskill and Nagarajan, 2013) as is reported by the report and this illustrates the tag existing between the Asian countries. There have been ongoing debates and research studies aimed at establishing the truth in the postulation that India’s increased zeal to launch the mars orbiter is for competition with China as a rival in Asia as against being propelled by reason of gathering scientific knowledge on existence of life on Mars or even to showcase technology advancement of the country. This study therefore identifies the problem in justifying the motives of space exploration by India and sets forth to substantiate the claim. This therefore makes the question of ‘what exactly is the aim to the gre at exploration investments?’ paramount to the discussion. Besides the main goal of this essay as being to investigate the above posed question, this study envisions to contribute towards bridging the previously identified gap in literature concerning the motives of India launch of the mars orbiter. This study will also guide in future studies in the same theme where the findings will be instrumental in revealing the direction to be taken by future researchers of Asian space exploration in the 21st century. Indian government and the space exploration mission is not based on race towards space exploration supremacy as argued by many. On the contrary, Indian mars exploration is meant to gather scientific information and displaying Indian technology in space exploration. Depending on various literatures available on the topic, there is justifiable evidence to support the postulation above. Technological development as well as social development is necessities for economic growth and development within any nation. India is seen to have increasingly invested in space exploration in the recent past, a phenomenon that sparks heated debates on the intentions while majority of the population in the country still live in absolute poverty. Among many other missions, that India continues to undertake in space exploration in the launch of mars orbiter is a major one. However, with claims circulating that India is determined

Role of DHS to Enhance Special Operations Force Structure Essay

Role of DHS to Enhance Special Operations Force Structure - Essay Example Deconfliction is an important aspect to be careful about especially in areas of overlapping responsibility to prevent law enforcing agencies from mistakably disrupting operations. Components of DHS also included joint operations as a means to integrate federal border security efforts. The 9/11 commission has extensively stressed on the intensive collaboration with international partners, also increasing enforcement though joint efforts in the state, local and federal affairs. DHS components developed joint operations for time related surge operations in air, maritime and land border security. In order to check vulnerabilities related to insufficient staff, the officials have issued a three year grant to tribal nations/states and also the local governments have also been included to augment Border patrolling personnel and resources to offer security which benefited all sectors. For example, the joint operation outlook for the purpose of border security has resulted in the better under standing of partner capabilities. In 2007, in the Blaine sector with the joint operation, eight illegal aliens attempting to enter the United States were detained. The partners involved in the operation were DHS components including Border Patroling and ICE, while others included DoD, state and local law enforcement entities (Stana, 2011, p 15-20). Similarities between force structure of Israel, Great Britain and the United States Counter-terrorism has been designated USSCOM’s primary core task which involves the reducing the probable features of a successful terrorist attack (Groover, 2004, p12; SOF Reference Manual, 1999).The influence of the diplomatic efforts of treaties and policies will be evaluated in the light of on how the ability of land forces has defined to fulfill the nation’s global challenges. Naval and air power have historically played an important role mainly in the defense policies of Great Britain in the past and the United States at present. Resear ch suggests that Great Britain’s experience have been used by the United States to quantify historical significance on this aspect of the study (Sevcik, 2001, p2). Israel Defense Forces (IDF) similarly demonstrates the conventional military capability, coupled with nuclear weapons that are likely to deter any state to launch conventional campaign against them. Therefore, the most striking similarity in the structural features of the military forces between Israel, Great Britain and the USA is the use of high-intensity war equipments. Predicting the mode of future warfare is incredibly a difficult task but the general themes from the past and the present can definitely contribute to its theoretical content on the aspect of warfare relevance in the future. The future for all the three nations, namely Britain, Israel and the United States encompasses conventional wars of high-intensity. Predictions for the future war will mean nothing at all if the force structure of the concern ed state is not able to deal with the specialized needs of conflict (Martson, n.d. pp.1-4). Unique characteristics of SOF and Counter terror forces as compared to conventional mili

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Research Paper Example Among the main concerns that are raised concerning the move are: what is the main motive of India launching mars orbiter especially with increased space exploration across the globe, and, is there a rivalry in competition between China and India concerning space exploration? Therefore, this discussion aims at establishing reasons why India’s space exploration is such an esteemed undertaking amidst complains on increased poverty levels and substantiate on claims that India invests in space exploration to counter China’s supremacy in space exploration within the Asian region. Discussion In a recent article by MacAskill and Nagarajan (2013), India, have plans underway to launch a space ship ‘Mars Orbiter’ towards Mars as race for space power intensifies between the country and China. The two countries are the recent entrants into the race with US, Russia as well as Europe having already launched space explorers into the mars orbit in the past. It is however wo rth noting that in spite of the open contest between India and China in space supremacy, few or none of the officials in India would not admit this. â€Å"India is clearly concerned about China’s recent rise in space prestige and wants to minimize that damage† (MacAskill and Nagarajan, 2013) as is reported by the report and this illustrates the tag existing between the Asian countries. There have been ongoing debates and research studies aimed at establishing the truth in the postulation that India’s increased zeal to launch the mars orbiter is for competition with China as a rival in Asia as against being propelled by reason of gathering scientific knowledge on existence of life on Mars or even to showcase technology advancement of the country. This study therefore identifies the problem in justifying the motives of space exploration by India and sets forth to substantiate the claim. This therefore makes the question of ‘what exactly is the aim to the gre at exploration investments?’ paramount to the discussion. Besides the main goal of this essay as being to investigate the above posed question, this study envisions to contribute towards bridging the previously identified gap in literature concerning the motives of India launch of the mars orbiter. This study will also guide in future studies in the same theme where the findings will be instrumental in revealing the direction to be taken by future researchers of Asian space exploration in the 21st century. Indian government and the space exploration mission is not based on race towards space exploration supremacy as argued by many. On the contrary, Indian mars exploration is meant to gather scientific information and displaying Indian technology in space exploration. Depending on various literatures available on the topic, there is justifiable evidence to support the postulation above. Technological development as well as social development is necessities for economic growth and development within any nation. India is seen to have increasingly invested in space exploration in the recent past, a phenomenon that sparks heated debates on the intentions while majority of the population in the country still live in absolute poverty. Among many other missions, that India continues to undertake in space exploration in the launch of mars orbiter is a major one. However, with claims circulating that India is determined

Abacus Business Solution Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Abacus Business Solution - Case Study Example Industry Definition Point of Sale is the checkout place where a transaction is completed. In other words, it is the point where customers make payments for the goods or services they have purchased. POS systems are usually used by retail industry and restaurant industry. However, in this context, the study will focus only on the restaurant industry. According to David Gilbert, COO of the National Restaurant Association, POS systems are one of the most essential tools for a restaurant as it helps to make their business operation secure, fast and reliable. POS systems are simply the synthesis of hardware and software and business model of the companies belonging to POS industry is also simple. In general, the supply chain model of the POS industry includes POS manufacturers and developers, POS distributors, POS VARs and business owners. Figure 1 –POS Supply Chain Model Some of the major players of POS industry are Micros Systems, Inc., Restaurant Data Concepts and NCR among others. The industry is characterised by variety in product features, services and prices. According to the reports published by IBIS World, the industry reached a value of $1.2 billion in the year 2012. The industry growth rate is 1.8 % annually, but it is expected that, the growth rate will be 2% for the next five years. The major customers of this industry include hospitality sector, retail sectors, and foodservices sector. The share of revenues of POS industry is presented below. Figure 2 – Share of Revenue in POS Industry

Treating Students Fairly Essay Example for Free

Treating Students Fairly Essay I think it makes much more sense to treat all learners differently. I think of it as a parent. If I have 4 children it is my responsibility to address each child’s needs. You can raise all children in the same home and they will all 4 walk away with a different experience and interpretation of what went on. I see the classroom the same way. A relationship should be built from the beginning. This way the students know that everyone in the classroom has different needs and I will do my best to meet them all. There is no favoritism just fairness. This has to be explained and revisited throughout the school year. There is a definite overrepresentation of African Americans in special education. I think the contributing factors are their environment, some not all are coming from single parent households and the value of education has to be examined. I think it is a sad state of affairs. Children who misbehave are not necessarily behavior problems. I think the genetics are different from African Americans and their counterparts. The diet is different as is the influences around them. More needs to be done to stop this but it won’t be easy. To start with a culturally responsive classroom I think there should be some ground rules set. Different cultures should be explored and discussed as a class. That would be best practice. In addition there should be pictures that reflect diversity around the classroom. Behavior and motivation will follow suit if addressed early. I think the students will see how the teacher responds and in turn respond the same way.

Miltons Mosaic Law and Law of Grace Comparison :: Milton Religion Religious Law Moses Essays

Milton's Mosaic Law and Law of Grace Comparison Certainly anyone who has been involved with Sunday school at church, has taken a religion class, or has any knowledge of the Christian religion has heard of Moses, the man who carried a big stick, parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites out of slavery into the â€Å"Promised Land.† However, there is more to Moses’ story than a forty-year excursion through the desert. Besides his role in freeing his people, Moses also served as a vessel for the Word of God. The events that this man was so instrumental in have been referenced throughout history, and the Law of Moses provides the basis of John Milton’s discussion of divorce in his 1644 treatise Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce. In his exposition, Milton compares the approaches on divorce put forth by the Mosaic Law and that proclaimed by the Law of Grace, and uses them to support his own beliefs on the issue. As Milton argues his case for divorce, it becomes clear that he manipulates Scripture to support his points. To understand how Milton’s use of Mosaic Law, it is crucial to understand what it is. After Moses led the Hebrews through the desert, he was enlisted by God to act as a mediator between the Him and His people. Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai and received from God â€Å"multifarious enactments, by the observance of which Israel [was] to be moulded into a theocratic nation,† thus the installment of Mosaic Legislation on the Israelites. (Moses) Starting with the Ten Commandments, the Law of Moses is â€Å"the laws that God gave to the Israelites through Moses; it includes many rules of religious observances given in the first five books of the Old Testament.† (Mosaic Law) Among the guidelines set forth by God through Moses were guidelines regarding diet (Leviticus 11:3), the consecration of priests (Exodus 29:5-9) and marriage (Exodus 22:16). While the Hebrews were expected to abide by the laws laid out in the Old Testament by Moses, the coming and crucifixion of Jesus negated many of these laws, as the Law of Grace took precedence over everything prior. In his Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, Milton uses scripture from both the Old and New Testaments and argues that the Law of Moses was more lenient than that of Grace, and therefore makes more sense.

Fathers Attitude of Love Towards Sinners. Essay -- Religion Religious

Fathers Attitude of Love Towards Sinners The Parable of the Prodigal Son reveals both Gods love for those who are ready to accept it, which in this case is the prodigal son who returns to his father, and his rejection of the self-centered righteousness. Repentance and forgiveness are essential to everyday life. In the book of Luke, the parable of the prodigal son is told. The father in the parable represents God. The prodigal son is symbolic of one who is living in sin, repents, and returns to fellowship with God. The prodigal son decided he had enough under his father and wanted to be on his own. Not only did he want to leave, but he also wanted to take his share of the inheritance that he was not supposed to get until his fathers death. The father granted his sons request. Though he gives a portion of his money to his son, the father still is wealthy. The father was not really concerned about what he gave his son, but concerned with his sons personal safety and return to the family. God does not lose anything by our decis ion to live in rebellion. Humans are the only ones who lose everything. The son left for a far off country and threw away his inheritance with wild living. The sons careless behavior was simply a symptom of the deep desire to be his own master, to live independently, to do as he pleased. The spiritual meaning behind the parable shows mans rebellion against God. God does not oppose ones choice in choosing how to live. We as humans use all that God has granted us not for serving Him in obedience, but against His will. According to the teachings in the Bible, God allows humans the freedom to make decisions in life. Some choices or decisions will lead either to true peace and freedom or to destruction. Many peo... ...o matter how badly one screws up, God is always there waiting to forgive. We as humans need to make the decision to repent and ask for forgiveness with a meek spirit. We all at one point in our lives are the prodigal son. Works Cited 1. Kennedy, X.J., Gioia, Dana. The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Literature: An Introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. New York: Longman, 2002. 232-33. 2. Kennedy, X.J., Gioia, Dana. Prodigal Son. Literature: An Introduction to fiction, poetry, and drama. New York: Longman, 2002. 1361-66. 3. Jeremias, Joachim. The parable of the Prodigal Son. The Parables of Jesus. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1963. 4. Hunter, Archibald. Prodigal Son. Interpreting the Parables. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960. 5. Buttrick, George. Luke 15:11-32. The Interpreters Bible. New York: Abingdon=Cokesbury Press, 1952.

How to Write an APA Style Paper Summary

APA is a abbreviation for American Psychological Association. The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA was founded 1933 in Tacoma, Washington as the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. Any APA style paper should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8. 5†³ x 11†³) with 1†³ margins on all sides. You have to have a page header which is known as â€Å"running head† at the top of every page. The running head should be a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot be over 50 characters including spacing and punctuation. If you are wondering about a footnote , APA dose not recommend you using a footnote because they are often expensive for publishers to reproduce. However, if explanatory notes still prove necessary to your document, APA details the use of two types of footnotes: content and copyright. Your essay should have four major sections: the Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and References. The title page should include a title of the paper, the author's name, and the institutional affiliation. Next you should include your abstract witch should include summary of the key points of your research. (Do not indent. ) Your abstract should contain at least your research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. Next is the Main Body should include the key points about your essay. Then finally, the Reference page, the page itself should include internet sites that you got most of your info from. Remember the copy rights rule, if you have copied more than 500 words then you have violated the copy rights law. If you need to use an authors words make sure you remember to ask for permission. Follow the same formatting rules as with Content Notes for noting copyright permissions. Then attach a copy of the permission letter to the document.

Cja 314 Week 2

Prison Term Police Recommendation Proposal CJA/314 April 8, 2013 Paula Rutkowski Armed robbery is considered to be a serious offense in the United States and I would imagine that being robbed at gunpoint or with a big sharp knife would be a terrible experience for anyone to have to endure. In an effort to reduce the amount of armed robberies each year it is important to research different methods that would aid in the reduction of violent crimes that take place each year. As a criminologist advisor to a member of the state legislation, it is important that any recommendation be extremely solid.In my opinion, an extremely solid recommendation is not based solely on popularity; it is based primarily on statistics. Armed robbery is a violent offense that can have a devastating effect on a person’s life. These crimes are detrimental to the growth of society, which means that society needs to do as much as possible to decrease these acts of violence. It would be nearly impossible t o eliminate armed robberies completely but that does not mean that it should not be attempted.After careful consideration and tedious research it is my recommendation that anyone convicted without reasonable doubt by their peers in a court of law of armed robbery should have to serve double the maximum prison term. This type of deterrence, I believe, will prove to have successful results. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Unified Crime Report, guns were used to commit armed robberies a majority of the time. The Unified Crime Report recorded that guns were used in 42. 6 percent of all reported armed robberies, knives were used 7. 7 percent of the time, dangerous weapons were reportedly used 8. percent of the time, and the remaining 41. 1 percent of robberies were by brute force or strong arm tactics. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines armed robbery as â€Å"taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear† (FBI, 2010). Deterrence has been around for ages and has proven to be successful, to an extent, in most cases. Deterrence is used to prevent the criminal from performing a criminal act. For example, the driving under the influence DUI) law in Arizona has proven to be a great deterrent. Every person that is arrested in Arizona for driving under the influence must serve mandatory time in jail. If you live in Phoenix, Arizona then you are more than likely going to spend time in what is known as â€Å"Tent City†. The Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpio, partially owes his fame to the tents that he ordered constructed in the middle of the scorching hot desert to house his inmates. In the summer, temperatures can reach 120 degrees. This punishment, which is a major deterrent for people that would normally choose to drink and drive, has proven to be successful.Another deterrent that Sheriff Joe Arpio has implemented would be pink underwear. All inmates must wear pink underwear while they are in his desert facility. Fortunately for those busted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation pink underwear and jail cells out in the scorching hot desert are not anything that they must endure. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shows in their Unified Crime Report that in 2009 there were 408,217 robberies reported nationwide. This is an 8. 8 percent decrease when compared to convictions one year earlier in 2008 (FBI, 2010).I believe that this decrease in crime, robberies to be specific, is mainly due to a crackdown nationwide on this type of violent crimes. People are sick of being victimized and or having a loved one be victimized by a person with a deadly weapon. This type of violent act is unacceptable and can have a devastating effect on a person. Imagine having your personal belongings taken from you while staring down the barrel of a gun. It would be a terrible experi ence that can change a person’s life forever. People often suffer from post-traumatic stress, which has an effect on our great economy.A person that suffers from this sort of stress is often times missing work, which results in missed wages and lower production. Also, the person that is suffering from post-traumatic stress is often times receiving some sort of treatment, such as personalized therapy, at the tax payers’ expense. I do agree that this therapy is in most cases warranted due to the fact that the victim underwent a life altering experience. However, if something can be done to prevent the crime from happening in the first place, which in return will save the victim, the tax payer, and the economy, then it is important that this law be implemented right away.Doubling the mandatory sentence for each and every criminal that is convicted of armed robbery will, in my opinion, greatly reduce the amount of armed robberies that take place in this country each year. If the criminal decides that they are still going to commit the robbery but decides to leave the weapon at home due to the consequences they must face if caught then passing the bill that will double the sentence for armed robbery will prove to be a great achievement for our great country. Deterrence will have then proven to be effective in the fight against this type of violent crime.The â€Å"would be† victim does not become a victim, which in return benefits our communities, our states, our great country, and the world. The recommendation to double the sentence imposed for armed robbery will prove to be a great success if you take my advice and pass this bill. Reference Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2009). Robbery. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://www2. fbi. gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/violent_crime/robbery. html Supreme Court of the United States. (2000). Carter v. United States. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/99-5716. ZS. htm l

Analysis of Act 1 Essay

A form of love expressed within ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is the â€Å"love at first sight† that Romeo feels upon seeing Juliet for the first time. In Shakespearean times, platonic love was prominent and this is clear in Romeo’s soliloquy. â€Å"Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear† implies Juliet is angelic, demonstrating Romeo’s instant affection for her. Angel is within the semantic field of religion, a very important factor in the time with which the play is set and therefore illustrates not only Romeo’s apparent need to shower her with praise and affection, but also how serious his feelings actually are. Religious imagery is used again in stating â€Å"and touching hers, make blessed my rude hand† yet again suggesting that Juliet is a saint and that by touching her Romeo would become â€Å"blessed†. This, however, portrays Romeo’s beliefs within love. As mentioned, platonic love was the general way in which relationships at the time were, so by Romeo stating that he should touch her shows his forwardness and his almost childlike, selfish tendencies proving his obsession with love. Later within Act 1, Scene 5, however, Romeo and Juliet share a sonnet upon first meeting. The sonnet is the ultimate display of love and by speaking it together, Shakespeare allows the audience to understand that the two are not only seriously in love, but also share a very pure and unadulterated love- one that is beyond all other love. Shakespeare also displays how, now after seeing Juliet, Romeo has completely dismissed Rosaline, who he was irrevocably in love with not long before hand. â€Å"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night† emphasises this by stating both the beauty of Juliet to be above all others and states that the beauty he believed Rosaline to have was not indeed so, quite ironically as four scenes previously he stated that she was â€Å"fair† and â€Å"exquisite†, yet again exposes Romeo’s fickle behaviour in terms of love. Romeo also declares â€Å"so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows† showing his dismissal of what he felt for Rosaline. The sentence is antithesis, demonstrating Romeo’s opinion that Juliet is exemplary again, â€Å"crows† being opposed to doves but also connoting death, expressing the extremity of Romeo’s statement. Romeo’s love for Juliet does appear as though genuine. The first few lines of the soliloquy mostly contain monosyllabic words and are very simple in both style of speech and and the intelligence of the vocabulary. This shows the sincerity of his love as it is completely opposed to when he was speaking of Rosaline. Where his speech then was organised and intentionally melancholy and philosophical, this is his first and genuine opinion of Juliet and her beauty. The soliloquy also consists of five rhyming couplets conveying the speech as romantic, as rhyming couplets are a poetic technique which in turn is considered romantic.

Would Apple, Inc. Stockholders be Better Financially if They Received Research Paper

Would Apple, Inc. Stockholders be Better Financially if They Received Dividends Annually - Research Paper Example Investors invest their money on the assumption that though dividends may not be paid for considerable period of time, the capital appreciation due to growth will significantly justify the non-payment of dividends. The overall direction set up by Steve Jobs for Apple was based upon not paying the dividends and to accumulate a hoard of cash which can be subsequently utilized in terms of making investments into innovation. As a result of this policy, Apple went on to accumulate a large quantity of cash, the returns on which were relatively low and was considered as a drag on the returns on equity for the shareholders of Apple. One of the key reasons as to why Steve Jobs consistently pursued this policy of not paying the dividends is also based upon the fact that Apple barely avoided bankruptcy in 1997 thus Jobs was focused upon maintaining a large pile of cash which can potential avert any possibility of bankruptcy in future. (Shontell, 2011) Apple Inc, however took a new turn and annou nced that it will be sharing billions of dollars in dividends to the shareholders. This move has been considered by many as a radical shift from Job’s legacy. ... In order to avoid any such mishap in future, Jobs therefore focused upon piling up cash and neglecting paying the dividends to shareholders. Apple declared its first ever quarterly dividend in 1987 amounting to $ .12 per share however, at the same time, Apple also announced a 2 for 1 stock split too. Subsequently, however, Apple experienced losses and it became a less competitive player in the market. Due to this sliding, Apple gradually reduced paying the dividends and finally stopped to pay the same to its investors despite making a promising start in the early years of its establishment as a leading PC maker in the world. Recent Announcement of Dividends After the lapse of many years, Apple recently announced that it will start paying a quarterly dividend and will spend $45 billions in the next three years in terms of dividends as well as share buy backs. The recent announcement to pay quarterly dividend however also came with the offer of stock buy back thus signaling that Apple Inc might focus on reducing its outstanding shares in the market. (Satariano, 2012) Over the period of time, the cash pile up accumulated by Apple Inc was attracting low interest rates. In an economic environment where interest rates are relatively low thus keeping cash reserves as high as over $100 billions was considered as an imprudent financing decision. Investors therefore were of the view that hoarding such large amount of cash was actually a drag on the return on equity of the shareholders. The recent announcement therefore seems to be an effort towards listening to shareholders and provide them some sort of return in terms of dividends. However, the cash used for the share buy-back as well as dividends

Fashion Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion Portfolio - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Portfolio" focuses on the fashion design portfolio. Once I am familiar with the type of fashion industry companies I want to design for, I will then think about what they want to see from me. The research methodology of my paper will include publications, surveys and other techniques in which events like trade shows, forecasting, publications, and cultural events will be visited to gather relevant information. The processes intricate in designing fresh ranges and collections usually begin with researching and gathering information. Fashion designers have inadequate training in research methods and rarely carry out studies thus resulting in intuitive and subjective judgements. Contributing to such problems is the inadequate amount of time existing to do the research and heavy costs of designers gathering information. As a result, research methods which can be used by fashion designers include trade shows, forecasting, publications, and cultural events. In essence, d esigners require drawing upon a varied range of information so as to inform their decision-making in the process of planning and development of design portfolio. In trade shows, I expected to gain knowledge of fashion products and fabrics such as garments. These fashion shows are prearranged by garment and textile fashion companies to present new garment or fabric ranges and the aim is to sell out their products to the fashion designers and buyers. The advantages of appearing in trade shows seemed to be connected to networking.

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

Economics 2 - Essay Example The stark contrasts in these unemployment figures reveal causative features in these two diverse European economies. The UK has a rich tradition of work culture resulting in high economic activities and thereby yielding low unemployment figures. The activities comprising employment turnover in UK is generally well coordinated ensuring better chances of employment for the unemployed while moving from one job to another in short period of time within the financial year. The job market is upbeat with healthy prospects for part time and contract employments. The availability of employment, however, does not per se serve as criteria for better quality economy. The parameters for economic excellence extend beyond the precincts of the employment factor. Advancing technologies, changing business practices, communication and information systems, globalization, etc. require adequate qualified and trained manpower. The lack of adequate education and training among significant number of job seekers in UK to meet the growing demands of the industries is the mitigating factor in UK's economy. This factor is problematic for employers on the lookout for candidates possessing the right educational qualification and skills. Nonetheless, organizations such as Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs) have taken up the responsibility of providing ways and means for continually educating young adults over 16 years of age and also providing them with job-specific training. One of the major causes for unemployment in the UK can be attributed to the insufficient availability of prospective candidates possessing the right educational qualifications and skills. Other reasons may comprise job seekers' lack of motivation or disproportionate expectations. Still, other factors may relate to the job market situation of the day necessitating lay off, etc. Also, changing or leaving jobs for better prospects could leave some people without employment for some time. Advancing technologies is another reason for unemployment. Technologies and communication systems are changing the way we work the world over. Job competition in such situation causes employers to seek out hard working, efficient candidates for various posts leaving less efficient or motivated individuals jobless. (Tim Miller) Unemployment in Italy The unemployment scenario in Italy is spread unevenly along the lines of region, gender and age. Unemployment among the female workforce is approximately 14.4%. It is 8% for the male working population. Given the fact that Italy espouses conservative social values, many female young adults choose to stay home if safe and secure jobs are not available. Unemployment among