Gap Analysis - 1369 Words

SWOT and competition analysis Brand identity and position Target market Core/target consumer Product and price categories Distribution How the brand adapt from its origin to the Chinese marketing and how did the company leverage its brand equity SWOT analysis Strength 1. Strong marketing team and mature digital marketing Internet stores connect well with stores, you can change your clothes in stores no matter which way you buy it(internet or go to the store) 2. American casual style and has abundant products which is suitable for all age. 3. Humanism service such as help customer modifies the size, only UNIQLO and gap produce this service. 4. Good reputation When we talked about gap, most of Chinese always think that is a fashion†¦show more content†¦GAP Marketing Department Manager said that gap wants to use simple style to create different styles belong to different people. The style of GAP is fresh and relax, although in recent years gap misses a lot of consumers, they still won a lot of loyal consumers because of simple design, high quality fabric and all-match Version (especially the pants). Compared with other fast fashion brands, we could find a lot of problems which will restrict the development of gap, such as long lead time, quantity of stores and the price. Luckily, We can find similar with UNIQLO, most of products in gap are very basic, so they don’t have to be as fast as ZARA or Hamp;M. Whereas, UNIQLO did much better than gap in China. UNIQLO came into China in 2002, 8 years longer than gap and has 335 stores. Another important thing is the price UNIQLO, Hamp;M, ZARA and other fast fashion brands are growing so fast, influenced by these brands, consumers’ demand for lower price are increasing. Generally, It’s difficult for gap to compare with other brand Products and price Categories T-shirt 120-150 Gap’s branding is the jeans at first relax, free, humanism, youthful, spirit, simple 2.Show MoreRelatedGap Analysis : Gap Inc.2629 Words   |  11 PagesIntroduction The Gap, Inc. or just Gap inc. was incorporated on the fifteenth of april 1988. Gap may be a +multinational company that deals principally in attire retail. aside from attire the corporate offers a good array of each accessories, and private care merchandise for men, girls and kids of all ages beneath the names Gap, country, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta, and mingle brands. The Company’s brands ar distributed through multiple channels and geographies within the international retail marketplaceRead MoreGap Analysis : Gap And Gap Essay875 Words   |  4 PagesSales Associate within the Gap organisation. Donald and Doris Fisher established ‘The Gap’ in 1969. 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Now, 46 years later there are 3700 stores and more than 150,000 stores, even with stores open in China and Italy. GAP was founded on the principles of creativity, delivering results, doing what’s right and always thinking of customers first (Gap Inc., n.d.). 46 years later, GAP stillRead MoreGap Case Analysis Essay4624 Words   |  19 PagesMKT 460 Gap Inc. Marketing Plan INTROUDUCTION: Problem Component Business Description As this implicit case indicated, Gap Inc, a idolize apparel band that represents affordable style for everyone, was founded basing on San Francisco blue jeans retailer in 1969 by its two founders—Doris and Don Fisher. 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William Clifford s Ethics Of Belief Essay - 1451 Words

Born in 1845, William Clifford was a mathematician and philosopher famed for his philosophy of science and quest for answering ethical questions through scientific evidence (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). Clifford recognized several difficulties in Emmanuel Kant’s argument related to philosophy, which inspired him to begin a search for answers related to innate belief, personal responsibility of guilt, and overall creation. In the Ethics of Belief, Clifford asserts that it is always wrong to believe based on insufficient evidence, a theme that would follow his opinion on every issue he chose to tackle. William James was an American psychiatrist and philosopher, born in 1842 and touted as the leader of the philosophical movement of Pragmatism and of the psychological movement of functionalism (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). James’ rebuttal to the Clifford’s Ethics of Believe, was the famed Will to Believe. James’ and Clifford’s differing opinions in the belief debate has created the foundation for current theological arguments, always being considered the reference for religious philosophy. Since the 19th century, William Clifford and William James have been the foremost philosophers; arguing the basis of belief and validity. Each theorist has attempted to answer significant creation and theological mysteries, but none with one hundred percent certainty or defense. Nonetheless, Clifford and James have varying views on the belief debate, each formulating a rationalShow MoreRelatedSummary Of Blaise Pascal s The Wager 1286 Words   |  6 PagesPascal’s famous work, â€Å"the Wager,† utilizes about the concept of pragmatic justification in the terms of deciding whether or not to believe in God. In response to this, William Clifford publishes â€Å"The Ethics of Belief† countering Pascal’s view. Neither Pascal or Clifford’s views are perfect, but they are both worth examining. 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Shareholder Claims of KWM

Question: Discuss about the Shareholder Claims of KWM. Answer: Introduction: In the case of bankruptcy filed by a firm, the equity shareholders stand to lose the most as only rarely is any money recovered considering that liquidation proceeds are grossly insufficient to meet the claims of the lenders as well as the suppliers (Iwata, 2007). However, it is possible for the shareholders to initiate class action against the management if there has been misrepresentation in the financial statements with the objective of manipulating the stock price or breach of duties by the directors which have been outlined as per Corporations Act 2001. With regards to HIH, after the collapse of the company, 1200 shareholders came together and filed a claim to the extent of $ 70 million against the company on the grounds that the company has misled the investors (plaintiffs) into making incorrect decision and hence the aggrieved shareholders need to be compensated. This was despite the fact that the shareholders may not have actually replied on the incorrect financial statements in order to reach the decision of making investment in the company at the first place (Platford et. al., 2016). However, the court upheld the indirect market causation in the verdict delivered in the HIH Insurance Limited (In Liquidation) and others[2016] NSWSC 482 and therefore the shareholders were granted compensation. However, it is noteworthy that this was only a very small fraction (6 to12.5%) of the money invested that the court considered they overpaid for the company on account of misrepresentation (Saville et. al., 2016). The option of class action is brought about only by shareholders having some substantial exposure which takes a lot of time and legal costs to recover only a small amount. Besides, there are no other avenues for recovery of money by the shareholders. Hence, in HIH Insurance bankruptcy, the losses to the investors has not been recouped as the current options remain limited (Iwata, 2007). References Iwata, E. 2007, Securities-fraud suits go global, ABC News, [Online] Available at https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=3763355page=1 [Accessed April 17, 2017] Platford, C., Brady, S., Lynch, C. and Hard, C. 2016, Class actions have the floodgates just opened?, Gilbert Tobin, [Online] Available at https://www.gtlaw.com.au/class-actions-%E2%80%93-have-floodgates-just-opened [Accessed April 17, 2017] Saville, M., Forbes, R., Matthews, P. and Stockdale, L. 2016, Australian Court allows indirect causation for shareholder claims, KWM Website, [Online] Available at https://www.kwm.com/en/au/knowledge/insights/australia-court-allows-indirect-causation-shareholder-claims-20160426 [Accessed April 17, 2017]

Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong Essay Example

Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? Essay Should same-sex matrimony be legalized in Hong Kong? Content Introduction p.3-4 Title and Description Title Description 1.2 Background We will write a custom essay sample on Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Should same-sex marriage be legalized in Hong Kong? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 1.3 Research Objective 1.4 Focus Question 2.Research methodological analysis p.5 2.1 Questionnaire 2.2 Interview 2.3 Restrictions 2.3.1 Restrictions on questionnaire 3.Findings p.6-11 3.1 Findingss 3.1.1 People’s understanding towards the issue 3.1.2 People’s stance 3.1.3 Impacts on citizens and the society 3.1.4 Other suggestions 3.2 Interview sum-up 3.2.1 Interview 1 3.2.2 Interview2 4. Analysis p.12-14 4.1 People’s understanding towards the issue 4.2 People’s stance 4.3 Impacts on citizens and the society 4.4 Other suggestions 4.5 Restrictions 4.Conclusion p.15 5.Reflection p. 16 6.Bibliography P.17 7.Appendix p.18-25 1. Introduction 1.1title and description 1.1.1Title Should same-sex matrimony be legalized in Hong Kong? 1.1.2 Description Same-sex matrimony is a ceremonial brotherhood of two people of the same sex [ 1 ] , a matrimony or a marrige-like relationship between two work forces or two adult females. Through this undertaking, I would wish to happen out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong. Besides, to happen out other possible things that we can make to assist the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. 1.2 Background In recent old ages, same-sex matrimony has been legalized in different parts of the universe. More and more people support and talk out for the LGBT twosomes. It is such a hot and argumentative subject that it drew my attending and my involvements in happening out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong. What impacts will same-sex matrimony bring to the society? Is the legalisation of same-sex matrimony executable in Hong Kong? Different parts of the universe are transporting out different policies protecting the rights of the LGBT twosomes. Until now, 18 states, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the United States and certain sub-national legal powers, including parts of Mexico allow same-sex twosomes to get married [ 2 ] . While in Hong Kong, what has the authorities done protecting the rights of the LGBT twosomes? Harmonizing to the information collected, the Hong Kong authorities has merely set up a ‘discrimination ordinance’ so far for protecting the LGBT twosomes from being discriminated and treated below the belt, which is non plenty for protecting the LGBT twosomes, and this affect the individuality of the LGBT citizens and their quality of life. In add-on to different related issues that raised, such as a transsexual lady contending for matrimony in Hong Kong. I decided to utilize this subject as the rubric of my independent question survey. 1.3 Research aims From the background information, we know that the Hong Kong authorities has merely set up a ‘discrimination ordinance’ so far for protecting the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong from being discriminate, which is really limited. Due to this, I wanted to happen out ways for assisting the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. The aims of the independent question survey are as follow: -to happen out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong ; -to happen out how the quality of life of Hong Kong would be citizens affected if same-sex matrimony is legalized ; -to happen out how the legalisation of same-sex matrimony would alter towards the societal individuality of Hong Kong citizens ; -to find out other possible ways to assist protect the rights and battle for equality for the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. 1.4 Focus Questions -What has the Hong Kong authorities done so far for assisting or profiting LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong? -What jobs or troubles are LGBT twosomes confronting in Hong Kong? -What are the positive or negative impacts on societal facets on general populace? -What are the positive or negative impacts on societal facets on LGBT twosomes? -Other than legalising same-sex matrimony, can we/the authorities do any other things to assist the LGBT twosomes? 2. Research methodological analysis 2.1 Questionnaire The questionnaire consists of 14 MCs, the mark interviewee aged between 0-65. A entire no. of 337 samples have been collected and most of them aged between 10-18. In the questionnaire, it includes inquiries like ‘what negative or positive impacts will the legalisation of same-sex matrimony be brought to the society? ‘ , ‘do you think that same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong? ’ , etc. Through the questionnaire, I can happen out the positions of Hong Kong citizens towards this issue, how much they understand and support the issue. 2.2 Interview Two interviews with representatives from Blessed Minority Christian Fellowship ( BMCF ) and the Equal Opportunities Commission have been conducted. The representative of the BMFC mentioned that they do back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, this is because God creates everyone and all people should be treated every bit. Whereas the representative of the Equal Opportunities Commission mentioned that they besides support same-sex matrimony, they think that there should be suited Torahs protecting the rights of people with different sexual orientations. 2.3 Restrictions 2.3.1limitations on questionnaire The sampling size is non big plenty, it can’t stand for the position of the general populace. Apart from this, the sampling size is non broad plenty, as most of the respondents are female respondents and most of them aged between 10-18. Due to the above restrictions, the truth and the representativeness of the survey is therefore affected. 3. Findingss 3.1 Questionnaire 3.1.1People’s understanding towards the issue In fig3.1, it shows whether the respondents know that same-sex matrimony has been legalized in 17 states. The figure shows that 51 % of the respondents didn’t whereas 49 % of they did. In fig3.2, it shows whether the respondents know that the authorities has merely set up a ‘discrimination ordinance’ for protecting the rights of LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. The figure shows that 58 % of the respondents knew that whereas 42 % of they didn’t. 3.1.2People’s stance From fig. 3.3, when respondents were asked whether they think that same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong, 78 % of them respond that they think that it should whereas 22 % of them think that it shouldn’t. From fig3.4, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony should be legalized as everyone is equal, some people thinks that it’s because of human rights, some thinks that Hong kong should be more unfastened, and a few people think of other grounds, such as love has no boundaries. From fig3.5, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony should non be legalized as it will take to tonss of argument, some people thinks that it affects moral and traditional value, the fewest respondents thinks that it’s because of reiligous ground. 3.1.3 Impacts on citizens and the society From fig3.6, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony will let Hong Kong citizens to hold a stronger sense of belonging, some of them thinks that it can better the populating criterion of Hong Kong citizens, can assist advance Hong Kong’s Economic development and a few respondents thinks that it can increase the freedom of HongKongers. From fig3.7, it shows that most of the answering thinks that same-sex matrimony will impact teenagers’ values towards matrimony, and a few of the respondents thinks that it will take down the quality of life of the Hong Kong citizens and that they will hold a lower sense of belonging. A few of them besides thinks that it will impact the population of the city.. 3.1.4 Other Suggestions From fig3.8, it shows that apart from legalising the same-sex matrimony, respondents thinks that the authorities should put up Torahs to protect the rights of the LGBT twosomes, set up non-profit organisation or cooperate with NGOs to assist the LGBT twosomes that are in demand. 3.2 Interview Summary 3.2.1 Interview 1 The first interview was carried out with the representative of the Equal Opportunities Commission. In the interview, the interviewee mentioned that their organisation support that the authorities should make something like puting up the SODO in order to assist the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. But they have no stance towards the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. Despite the fact that they don’t have a stance towards the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, I can see that they tend to back up it as they mentioned that they don’t see any disadvantages that may be brought approximately by the legalisation of same-sex matrimony and they think that the legalisation make the society more equal. 3.2.2 Interview 2 The 2nd interview was carried out with the representative of the BMCF. In the interview, the interviewee mentioned that their organisation back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. However, as there are still many voices and different sentiments, they think that the authorities can foremost put up Torahs like the SODO or advance the civil brotherhood, and take farther actions like legalising same-sex matrimony in the hereafter. 4.Analysis of findings 4.1People’s understanding towards the issue From the information collected, it is shows that merely around half of the respondents know what have the authorities done so far for protecting the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong and that same-sex matrimony has legalized in 17 states. This reflects that Hong Kong citizens by and large don’t have a really clear apprehension on the issue on same-sex matrimony and the state of affairs of LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. 4.2People’s stance Despite the fact that the information collected shows that a minority of citizens do non back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony in Hong Kong, as they think that the legalisation can take to tonss of argument which is non executable. It is still shown that most of the respondents back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, as they think that everyone is equal and that they should bask the same rights. Furthermore, from the interviews conducted, it is known that the BMCF and some other related organisations support the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. Apart from this, the Equal Opportunities Commission tend to back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, as they mentioned that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony cause no injury to the society and that everyone, no affair what their sexual orientation are, should be treated every bit under the jurisprudence. Apart from the questionnaires and interviews, from a study conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, it’s shown that people with higher instruction degree have higher credence towards homosexual. As the society develops, people in Hong Kong are more educated and the degree of credence towards homosexual will be higher, the degree of acceptancy towards the legalisation is therefore higher and it shows that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony if executable. The above reflects that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony is executable, as most respondents back up it. Apart from this, Hong Kong citizens by and large have a high acceptancy towards the LGBT twosomes and that everyone in the society should be treated every bit. 4.3Impacts on citizens and the society For the positive impacts, it’s shown from the questionnaire that most respondents think that after the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, Hong Kong citizens will hold a stronger sense of properties. This is because they by and large thinks that after the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, the LGBT twosomes can bask the rights that normal twosomes do and they can be treated more every bit comparing with the current state of affairs, which improve their quality of life. The societal will be more harmoniousness as struggles between LGBT twosomes, citizens and the authorities will diminish, and this addition the sense of belonging of Hong Kong Citizens. For the negative impacts, it’s shown from the questionnaire that most respondents think that after same-sex matrimony is legalized, the values of adolescents towards matrimony will be affected. This is because, at present, matrimony is known as a relationship between a adult male and a adult female, but when same-sex matrimony is legalized, they may get down to believe that matrimony can be a relationship between two work forces or two adult females alternatively of one adult male and one adult female. This can hence impact the traditional value. From the interview conducted with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the interviewee mentioned that in the traditional value of Chinese civilization, a adult male should get married with a adult female and reproduce their following coevalss, nevertheless, after the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, two people of the same sex may acquire marry and they won’t be able to reproduce to their following coevalss which affects the t raditional value. From the interview, it’s besides reflected that people who support and those who don’t have a really different ideas towards the impacts that will be brought approximately by the legalisation of same-sex matrimony. It’s mentioned that people who support the issue thinks that the legalisation of same-sex matrimony can do the society more just and equal as the LGBT twosomes can bask rights that normal twosomes do. Whereas, those who do non back up the issue thinks that the legalisation will take to unfairness as they may hold to portion their benefits and rights will the LGBT twosomes after the legalisation. 4.4 Other Suggestions From the findings, it’s shown that most respondents think that the authorities should put up Torahs to protect the rights of the LGBT twosomes. In the interviews conducted, both the BMCF and the Equal Opportunities Commission mentioned that they hope that the authorities can put up Torahs, for illustration the sexual orientation favoritism regulation, in order to protect the rights of the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. Apart from this, they besides think that the authorities can follow other states to transport out civil brotherhood, supplying more freedom and rights for the LGBT twosomes. 4.5Limitations Some of the secondary informations used is excessively old and is non updated, this may impact the truth of the analysis. 5.Conclusion The subject of my independent question survey is whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong. Through this survey, I would wish to happen out whether same-sex matrimony should be legalized in Hong Kong ; how the quality of life of Hong Kong would be citizens affected if same-sex matrimony is legalized ; how the legalisation of same-sex matrimony would alter towards the societal individuality of Hong Kong citizens and other possible ways to assist protect the rights and battle for equality for the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong. Besides, I would wish to happen out replies for my focal point inquiries. From the survey, I can see that most of the respondents back up the same-sex matrimony should be legalized. Although most people are back uping the issue, there are still many different voices and statements towards it. Some people do back up that same-sex matrimony should be legalized, as they think that under the jurisprudence, everyone is equal and that the LGBT twosomes should be treated every bit and should hold the chances to bask the same rights as normal twosomes do. However, there are still some people who do non back up the legalisation of same-sex matrimony, as they think that it can impact moral value, traditional value and the value towards matrimony of the following coevalss. As there are still many different voices and sentiments, it’s known that same-sex matrimony can non be legalize in short term. But for the clip being, I think that the authorities can still take actions supplying aid for the LGBT twosomes in Hong Kong, for illustration puting up Torahs like the sexual orientation favoritism regulation or advancing the civil brotherhood. 6.Reflection Through this survey, apart from cognizing more about what same-sex matrimony is, what difficulties the LGBT twosomes are confronting in Hong Kong, I besides learnt how to believe from multiperspective. For illustration, when I am analysing the information collected, I will seek to walk in the places of different stakeholders and think from their point of position and attempt to explicate why they have such an sentiment. Personally, I support the legalisation of same-sex matrimony and I do trust that it can be legalized every bit shortly as possible. But as I know that there are still many different voices and sentiments on the issue, same-sex matrimony can non be legalized in short term. So at the clip being, I hope that the authorities can pass on with and roll up thoughts from the general populace foremost and take farther actions like advancing the civil brotherhood or puting up Torahs for assisting the LGBT twosomes every bit shortly as possible so as to let the LGBT twosomes to hold a better life. Last, if I am making similar sorts of surveies once more, I will seek to roll up a larger sample size with wider distribution, so that I can hold a more accurate and dependable consequence for my findings. 7.Bibliography 1.Same-sex Marriage Law A ; Legal Definition, USLegal, 2014, lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //definitions.uslegal.com/s/same-sex-marriage/ gt ; ( 16 November 2014 ) 2. Same-sex matrimony, Wikipedia, 2015, lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage gt ; ( 2July 2015 ) 3.e ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢a? ­?-†¡a ¤Ã‚ §a ­? ea†º?eâ„ ¢?eˆse ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢e‚?c §Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ GEU4011M – a °?ee?Ze «- lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //ucgeu.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/GEU/images/2009/GEU200910120.pdf gt ; ( 1July2015 ) 4. My3q, online quesionnaire lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //my3q.com/research/yuichingcheung/59291.phtml gt ; ( 1July2015 ) 1

Death of a Salesman1 essays

Death of a Salesman1 essays Do we have the ability to control our destiny? The truth is this, one can set their goals and try to attain them and one can dreams their dreams and try to live them but the difference must be known. The character Willy Loman, in the play Death of A Salesman, seems to be a person who is not aware of the difference in reality and dreams. Willys choices throughout his life undeniably lead to his own demise. Willy Loman is a tragic hero. His fear is that he wants to be viewed as a good, decent human being. He wants to believe that hes a well-liked, decent person who doesnt make mistakes. The truth is that he makes mistakes, many that haunt him, and that he is human. Willy does not consider this normal and severely regrets such failures such as raising his children poorly, as he sees it, not doing well in business, though he wishes he were, and cheating on his wife Linda, showing her to be a commodity of which he takes advantage. Linda has a true, pure love for her husband. Linda stands behind him through it all, through his dreams and broken promises, she still believes in him. "The quality in such plays that does shake us... derives from the underlying fear of being displaced, the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in the world" (Miller, "Tragedy..."). Willys "underlying fear of being displaced" is the real tragedy. He wants to do things right, but the fact is he has many incidences that haunt him. Consistently throughout the play, Willy drifts in and out of a dream. He is constantly haunted by memories of his dead brother Ben who struck it rich the jungle. He also has flashbacks of incidents that haunt him in other areas. For example, the sequence in which Biff catches Willy with a woman other than Linda. This haunts Willy because he sees it as part of why Biff does not love him. "Tragedy then is the consequence of a mans total compulsi...

How a Top Startup Consultant Turned a Blog into his Debut Book

How a Top Startup Consultant Turned a Blog into his Debut Book How a Top Startup Consultant Turned his Blog into his Debut Book In the first season of Reedsy’s podcast, Bestseller, host Casimir Stone followed a single author’s journey from idea to publication. In the coming months, Stone will be releasing a series of one-off episodes (or addendums, to keep with the publishing theme). The first of these episodes has just dropped, and it features Bretton Putter: a London-based expert on â€Å"startup and high-growth company culture.† A great listen for all aspiring non-fiction writers, Putter’s story also contains a lot of the lessons we’ve gathered from other authors over the years. Namely, the value of writing a book to boost your professional authority, and the benefits (and pitfalls) of turning a blog into a book.And if you haven’t had the change to listen to the full first season of Bestseller, now’s your chance. Enjoy the show!If you have any suggestions for the kinds of authors we should be featuring in these one-off podcast episodes, just leave them in the comments below.

The Separation of the Church and the State In the United States of Research Paper

The Separation of the Church and the State In the United States of America - Research Paper Example However, it could be noticed that the impending procedure of the law and how the church usually meddles with the procedures of the state in implementing the law in several occasions make this particular aim of separating both factors of the society somewhat unreal at several points of consideration (Boston, 2005, 18). This is the primary reason why this particular study is being commenced. The examination of the situation is indeed an important discussion as it directly affects the entire society and how religion and the law could be balanced as they are exercised in society. The issue being discussed in this paper is primarily based on the basic idea of the need of separating the responsibilities as well as the power of church and the state. This is primarily because of the separate aims of both sectors that make them particularly different from each other. Mixing both sectors of social function certainly brings about different conflicts within the systems of both sectors of the soc iety. (Mc Whirter, 1994, 16) The demarcation line between the state and the church begins with the educational amendments of the American practice in assisting the students gain knowledge about the Divinity of Religion towards the political involvement of the church within the different occasions that the government intend to decide on several issues that concern the society (Owen, 2000, 32). Because of the believed guidance that the church receives from the Grand Creator of all Things, some people tend to derive decisions from the church rather than simply relying on the law. (Hamburger, 2002, 47) Certain Protestant clergymen of the United States give much lip service to the principle of the separation of church and state. They loudly denounce any breaching of that wall by others, such as former President Truman's proposal to send an ambassador to the Vatican. But do they respect that wall of separation between church and state when it conflicts with their own interests to do so They do not (Owen, 2000, 43). Th e "Released Time" program by which school children are released from public schools so that they can take religious instructions elsewhere is a case in point. This program breaches the wall of separation in that it uses the state's compulsory school machinery to supply classes for religious organizations (Awake! 1989, 24).     

Air Pollution in London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Air Pollution in London - Essay Example Concentrations ofsix pollutants reduced between 2007 and 2008. Between 1998 and 2008 concentrations of eight pollutants have reduced. The substances that cause air pollution are called pollutants. If they are pumped into our atmosphere and directly pollute the air are called primary pollutants. Carbon monoxide from car exhausts, sulphur dioxide from the combustion of coal is example for primary pollutants. If primary pollutants in the atmosphere undergo chemical reaction, and further cause pollution, they are secondary pollutants. Photochemical smog is an example for secondary pollutant. Air pollutants mainly occur as a result of gaseous discharges from industry and motor vehicles. There are also natural sources such as wind-blown dust and smoke from fires. With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, more pollution has been added to the air by industrial, commercial and domestic sources. When these concentrated gases like Co, Co2, So2, No2, Ozone, and Pm10 exceed safe limits, we have a pollution problem. Air pollution, particularly in cities, is not a new problem. Back in the middle ages the use of coal in cities such as London was beginning to escalate. In UK the industrial revolution during the 18th and 19th centuries was based on the use of coal. Urban air pollution levels often reached very high levels due to the burning of coal in industries, as well as in homes for domestic heat. During foggy conditions, pollution levels escalated and urban smogs (smoke and fog) were formed. These often brought cities to a halt while disrupting traffic, and may also cause deaths. Effects of air pollution on buildings and vegetation also became obvious. Effects Inhaling So2 in excess amount would lead to cough, tightening of chest, and irritation of lungs. NO2 results in irritation and inflammation of lungs. PM10 may cause inflammation of lungs, linkage of long term exposure to coronary heart disease and lung cancer. Intake of carbon monoxide in excess amount would leads to prevention of normal transport of oxygen by blood, resulting in the reduction of oxygen supply to the heart. Ozone causes pain on deep breathing, cough, irritation and inflammation of lungs. Benzene and 1, 3-butadiene leads to cancer. Lead is responsible for linkage of exposure to impaired mental function and neurological damage in children. In the great 'smog disaster' in London in 1952, nearly 4,000 people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution. Air pollution in London is decreasing Year Moderate High Year Moderate High Year Moderate High 2000 218 7 2003 480 32 2006 396 26 2001 275 24 2004 225 3 2007 200 12 2002 175 7 2005 230 5 2008 130 6 1. Days of moderate-high, and very high air pollution at selected urban sites across London during 2000-2008 (Source: Defra). 2. Relative annual mean concentrations of SO2, PM10, Nox and NO2 monitored at several sites across London. (Source: London Air Quality Network, King's college London). According to the data, there has been a downward trend in the annual mean concentration of SO2. Since 2000 it had fallen significantly. By the spring of 2009 it had fallen by 80% since November 1996. Annual mean concentration of PM10 has decreased by nearly 26 % between November 1996 and late 2008. The concentration of NO2 has fallen since 2000, and now appears to

Skills I Learned in High School Essay Example for Free

Skills I Learned in High School Essay My Skills From High School Learning to read and write in college is a situation parallel to Issac Newton’s quote, â€Å"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.† This is because Newton was able to advance the knowledge of science because he simply advanced the research of other great scientists. The skills that will be attained here in college are simply the sharpening of the skills I have already learned in high school. My freshman English teacher taught me to sit down and just read a book and enjoy it. She also helped me expand my vocabulary by showing me the Latin roots in words. Mr. Cicoletti was my English teacher for grades 10th-12th . He was a kind man who had us look at the philosophical side of literature. Existentialism is a great example of this because it deals with you creating your own reality and deciding to make a positive change or a negative one on this â€Å"nonsensical† world. Albert Camus’ novel â€Å"The Stranger† is one of the existentialism books I read. I learned a little Greek mythology and was able to understand the definition of a tragic hero. Joseph Conrad’s novel â€Å"Heart of Darkness† was filled with symbolism and imagery and was fun to analyze because it had so much content. It’s true that it was hard to read but by using literary devices, I was able to break down the density of the book and realize that the Congo represented darkness and the further man went into it the wilder man became. That novel helped me see how man is primarily evil and society’s boundaries and structure us overcome our lower nature. My English teacher also had us read a book that had to do with African culture called, â€Å"Things Fall Apart,† and a book called, â€Å"Night,† which had to do with the Holocaust. We read these books because my teacher  said they helped us understand other people’s cultures and see how other people think. I liked how he showed us that by reading literature you can understand different parts of the world without even going there. I also learned a lot more about writing when I was introduced to literary devices. I learned about research papers. That included learning how to cite your resources and use the MLA format. We also learned how to write argument papers, analysis reports, and compare and contrast essays. I was also able to take the AP Language and Writing Composition Exam my junior year, where I wrote three Essays in a limited amount of time. I felt proud of myself because I am usually a slow writer but I was able to think of topics Samuelson 2  quickly and write down my main points in a standard formatted essay. My senior year AP exam was not as successful because I didn’t understand the second writing prompt very well and so I wrote down a poorly constructed essay that didn’t make much sense but I was still able to finish the test. My teacher showed us that by being able to write well meant we would be able to communicate easier with many people and get substantial jobs by writing goo d resumes. Mr. Cicoletti taught me a lot of literary devices which includes, Alliteration, the repeated sound of one letter. I learned that this is used a lot in poetry to make the words fit together better, such as the nursery rhyme, â€Å"She sells sea shells by the sea shore.† Setting, the location and time era of a literary piece, is a very important element for every story because it helps the reader understand the background pf the story better. Metaphors, saying something is something else, are used a lot in stories because they help you understand a concept better such as â€Å"The woman was a snake.† This helps you understand that â€Å"The woman† is untrustworthy and not safe to be around. Symbolism, a concrete object representing an abstract idea, is a very important concept that I learned that was used a lot in â€Å"the Heart of Darkness†. One of the symbols in that novel was the ivory which represented the white pilgrims’ greed and lust for wealth. Similes, saying something is like something, is a common device used in everyday  writing, such as a diary where someone might write, â€Å"My heart was like a bouncy ball when I bumped into Cody Johnson this morning.† Personification, describing a lifeless object as if it had human characteristics, is a literary device used in â€Å"The Heart of Darkness† because Marlow describes the jungle as being alive and waiting to swallow him and his crew up even though it’s obvious that a forest can’t really swallow human beings. Hyperbole, exaggeration, is something used in tall tales. Verbal irony is the speaker saying the opposite of what he is feeling; Dramatic irony is the reader of a book knowing something a character in the book doesn’t; Cosmic irony is forces that negatively influence somebody’s life that are beyond that person’s control. Shakespeare uses a lot of dramatic irony in his play â€Å"Macbeth†. Sonnets are poems that are written in three quatrains and one couplet, making up a total of fourteen lines. Ballads are poems that tell a story. Haikus are poems that have three lines with seven in the first line, five in the second, and seven in the last. Poetry was a big focus my senior year and I was able to research the famous children’s author A.A. Milne who was an extremely talented poet and I enjoyed reading his works! By accumulating all these skills in high school, I hope to develop even better writing and reading skills in college. I trust that my teachers have done their best to prepare me for this new chapter in my life but I know I will still be learning a lot!

God and Man in Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Dante’s Inferno Essa

God and Man in Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Dante’s Inferno The truest of man’s goals is to create art. Art is a by-product of the gift of man over the animals, creativity. Truly, creativity is a replication of God in man and a very possible interpretation of the Genesis 1:27 phrase â€Å"in his own image,† along with others—the possession of an immortal soul or the ability to speak. And creativity’s ultimate end product is art. And art more often than not in the history of man has led man to pay homage to his creator. Three of the classic literary artistic works of mankind, Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Dante’s Inferno, feature—if not focus—on the deity or deities of the respective authors and their relation to the characters of the story in the interaction between the two and the worship practices of the characters. Although religion in general can and does serve simply as background material in a work, in most if not all literary works the inclusion of a divine being as a character is so that he or she can interact with the other, non-divine, characters. A story where Apollo is present but unimportant is not traditional at all (that is to say, it is foreseeably possible, but difficult and therefore not likely, especially in a non-modern work). In the Iliad, Homer presents some of the Greek pantheon—Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Thetis, et al—and their purpose is interaction with the human characters—Achilles, Hector, and others—but this is expected and obvious to any reader. The notability of the relations is the ease of them. Thetis is the mother of Achilles, she a god, he mortal. Athena is on the side of Achilles, and fools Hector in he and Achilles’ final battle (Il. 22). But these are common in the world of the Iliad;... ...ity. New York: Columbia UP, 1974. Grayson, Cecil, ed. The World of Dante. London: Oxford, 1982. Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. Ed. Maynard Mack, Bernard M. W. Knox, John C. McGalliard, P. M. Pasinetti, Howard E. Hugo, Patricia Meyer Spacks, Renà © Wellek, Kenneth Douglas, Sarah Lawall. New York: Norton, 1992. 98-208. Jebb, R. C. Homer: An Introduction to the Iliad and the Odyssey. Port Washington, Slatkin, Laura M. The Power of Thetis. Berkeley: U of California P, 1995. Virgil. The Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. Ed. Maynard Mack, Bernard M. W. Knox, John C. McGalliard, P. M. Pasinetti, Howard E. Hugo, Patricia Meyer Spacks, Renà © Wellek, Kenneth Douglas, Sarah Lawall. New York: Norton, 1992. 98-208. NY: Kennikat Press, 1969.

Network Marketing

The simplest explanation of network marketing is that it is a method of marketing that depends on independent representatives to reach potential customers that a company otherwise would not reach with traditional online or offline marketing methods. In order to accomplish this, network marketing companies and their associates recruit individuals I. E. â€Å"their sales force,† How often have you seen ads on television that use the term, â€Å"Independent Insurance Agent or Associate? † Yet, as we watch these advertisements we naturally assume they are employees of the company, when in reality they are independent business owners! No doubt you have noticed as you have driven through your neighborhood many of these small businesses, they have signs and other advertisements designed to draw your attention to them. Yet, you will rarely see advertising from the approximately 13 million people who are either involved with direct selling, or in the network marketing industry according to figures by the Direct Selling Association (DSA). There is distinct difference between us and them, in most cases they are assigned an exclusive territory and therefore cannot market outside of their assigned territory. Where as in network marketing in most cases, you can market just about anywhere your company is established! Why are companies willing to pay you to market for them†¦ †¦Why don’t they just utilize the internet or other traditional marketing methods? It’s quite simple, they want access to your network, that is your network of friends and family members! Today there are hundreds of companies offering products and services. Many of these products and services you recognize by their brand name! The products and services you can market today cover everything from Communication Services, Internet Access, Nutritional Products, Weight Loss Programs, Water Filtration Systems, Financial Programs, Electrical Power, Solar Power, just to name a few. So why do they need us? Traditional marketing methods have companies spending millions of dollars each year to market their products and services. They know that word-of-mouth marketing is a far more powerful and effective method of marketing, especially, when that message comes from those whom we know and trust! And these companies are more than willing to pay you, to communicate this message to your network of friends and family. It is extremely important to understand that this method of marketing is not about bugging your friends and family members, as many would love for you to believe. It is about your ability and skill to determine from those individuals within your circle of influence who would be interested in the products or services that your company has to offer†¦ †¦ That information alone is one of the critical elements that separates those who fail, from those who go on to become very successful! And occasionally you might uncover a few individuals, who also want to start a business! If you want to call your own shots in life, if you’re willing to get the education you will need to run a small business, if you enjoy working with people, then network marketing just might be right kind of business for you. If on the other hand, you’re only in it for the money or you just don’t like dealing with people well then†¦ †¦ You’ll most likely end up failing! network marketing business will give you a deeper appreciation of what your employer has to deal with on a daily basis. You will also become a far better communicator, someone who really listens and address the wants and needs of others! With the economy the way it is today, working from home makes more sense then acquiring a second job in order to make ends meet. And thats if you can find one! HOW DOES IT WORK ? Today there are millions of people around the world building using network marketing. The DSA reports that there are over 13 million people in the U. S involved in direct selling. You do not see them but they are everywhere, some probably right in your own neighborhood. It is a business in which common people can invest a small sum of money and rise to staggering levels of financial reward and personal freedom. In Network Marketing we help and assist others in building their business. We are also leveraging their time, with each of us is gathering customers along the way. Hence the name Network. We get paid for this because we are assisting, coaching and helping them to establish their business. Helping them to reach their goals for their financial future. So Its only right that we also get paid for our time? Lets take a look at a typical employer in a service industry with 100 or more employees. That has a labor rate of 60 dollars per hour. The goal of our employer is to keep each employee active and busy for each hour paid. Out of this once all the costs of doing business are factored in such as wages paid, health insurance, unemployment insurance, federal taxes, state taxes, fica taxes, permits, maintenance, housekeeping, the list just goes on and on. The employer may get to keep 5 to 10 dollars per hour of that labor rate. In Network Marketing, we have our initial start up costs anywhere from just a few dollars to several hundred dollars. Where most network marketers fail is they feel that they don’t need a marketing budget for advertising, they don’t seek out the education required to succeed. One of the important things to remember is, you are in a real business, you no longer have a boss holding you accountable. Your network marketing success or failure is dependent upon you and your actions. Your primary task will be to gathering customers for your products or services. To help and assist others get started in their own business partnered with you. You are looking at a business model that will take 3 to 5 years to produce the kind of results you’re looking for. So don’t give up your day job just yet. It will require 5 to 20 hours of consistent time and effort each week to build a successful Network Marketing Business. It will require a marketing budget, most people do not even consider this. This is a real business, this is your business, not a get rich quick overnight program, although it has been hyped by a great many naive marketers and web sites. Network marketing is based on word of mouth advertising which is the most effective form of advertising. Think about it when you go out, watch a great movie, you will go out and tell people about it. When Sam’s club or Costco moved to your area, you joined their buying club and started telling everyone how much you saved. This is the power of word of mouth advertising. Major advertising agencies and companies count on this. This is one of the things that we do as network marketers. The major difference is that we get paid for our word of mouth advertising. One of the most often asked questions is, will I have to sell products and services? The answer is of course yes. Think about it, no one likes to have a salesman or woman come to the door and sell them products right. We hate to go to the automobile dealers, where we are swarmed with 5 different sales people all trying to get you to buy from them right! So how are we as a network marketer different? We recommend products or services that we like and personally use. If we know it’s good and personally use it, recommending it to our friends and family is very easy.

Economics Internal Assessment Essay

The article discusses the effects of a severe flood in the areas of Thailand to the rice production. The rice production falls to 22 from 23 million metric tons. Supply is quantity of goods and services that producers are willing and able to produce at a given price and time period. The decrease in supply of rice in Thailand is shown by the following graph: The graph above shows that the effect of flood in Thailand decreased the rice crop’s supply. The supply curve shifted to the left from S1 to S2, moving the equilibrium point from point E1 to point E2. The equilibrium price then rises from P1 to P2 and the equilibirum quantity moves to the left by 1 million metric ton. The increase in the price of rice brought advantages to the country. One of it is the increase in the total revenue of rice producers. Rice is a commodity good where the price elasticity demand is inelastic. Price elasticity demand is the responsiveness of quantity demand to the change of price. Inelastic refers the condition where the quantity demanded is less responsive to the change in price. The following graph shows an inelastic demand curve of rice market. As the total of producer’s gain is greater than the total number of loss, the producer receives an advantage of higher revenue from the tragedy in Thailand. Total revenue is the result of the multiplication of the quantity sold to the price of the product. Despite the advantage, the rise in price of rice has brought disadvantage to the customers. As the quantity supplied of rice is decreased, therefore they are unable to buy a larger quantity of rice and as its price goes up it increases their portion of real income spent on rice, as it is a staple food. Thus, it results to the opportunity cost of decreased remaining real income that could be spent on other goods. Opportunity cost is the cost of the best alternative good sacrificed when a choice is made. Due to opportunity cost, the producers of non-commodity products would then be harmed as the quantity demanded for their product falls and therefore their total revenue decreases. To survive, producers will raise the price and thus harm the consumers. Thus, a solution shall be made to avoid further loss of customers. One of them is to apply a maximum price of rice in the country. Maximum price is the price set up by the government below the equilibrium price in order to help the customers, due to the high prices of certain commodity products. As seen on the graph, the maximum price is set at Pmax, below the equilibrium price of Pe. With the imposition of the policy, the customers are able to purchase rice at low price. However, with rice supplied at the maximum price, customers are demanding rice at point QD, while the quantity supplied is at Qe, which leads to a shortage. Shortage is the excess demand of goods and services. In consequence, to satisfy the demand of customers, black market might arise. Black market is a situation where the product is sold illegally at a higher price than Pmax. The seller of the rice might also apply unfair practices to customers such as rationing, where the amount of product is shared equally among customers, creating limitation of consumption. Another solution to avoid shortage is to import the supply of rice from overseas. Import is when a country purchase goods and services overseas. The supply curve then shifts to the right and Pmax becomes the new equilibrium price, thus black market and rationing would not arise. Though it would still bring disadvantage to the domestic producers of rice. The imported rice would be a new substitute good to the high-priced domestic rice. The quantity demanded for locally produced rice will decrease and thus the total revenue of the local producer decreases. Another disadvantage is the occurrence of trade deficit, because the country’s import increases and we assume the export remains constant. Trade deficit is the negative balance where the country’s import is greater than it’s export. Looking at the advantage given by maximum price solution, it is more beneficial for Thailand to increase the producer’s revenue rather than to prevent illegal practices. Thus, implying maximum price as a solution is more effective compared to importing supply of rice.

A Guide to the Origins and Celebration of Kwanzaa

A Guide to the Origins and Celebration of Kwanzaa Unlike Christmas, Ramadan, or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is unaffiliated with a major religion. One of the newer American holidays, Kwanzaa originated in the turbulent 1960s to instill racial pride and unity in the black community. Now, fully recognized in mainstream America, Kwanzaa is widely celebrated. The U.S. Postal Service debuted its first Kwanzaa stamp in 1997, releasing a second commemorative stamp in 2004. In addition, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush recognized the day while in office. But Kwanzaa has its share of critics, despite its mainstream status. Are you considering celebrating Kwanzaa this year? Discover the arguments for and against it, whether all blacks (and any non-blacks) celebrate it and the impact of Kwanzaa on American culture. What Is Kwanzaa? Established in 1966 by the African-American professor, activist and author Ron Karenga (or Maulana Karenga), Kwanzaa aims to reconnect black Americans to their African roots and recognize their struggles as a people by building community. It is observed every year between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1. Derived from the Swahili term, â€Å"matunda ya kwanza,† which means â€Å"first-fruits,† Kwanzaa is based on African harvest celebrations such as the seven-day Umkhost of Zululand. According to the official Kwanzaa website, â€Å"Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in black people’s [lives] is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives.† Just as many African harvest celebrations run for seven days, Kwanzaa has seven principles known as the Nguzo Saba. They are: umoja (unity); kujichagulia (self-determination); ujima (collective work and responsibility); ujamaa (cooperative economics); nia (purpose); kuumba (creativity); and imani (faith). Celebrating Kwanzaa During Kwanzaa celebrations, a mkeka (straw mat) rests on a table covered by kente cloth, or another African fabric. On top of the mkeka sits a kinara (candleholder) in which the mishumaa saba (seven candles) go. The colors of Kwanzaa are black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle, according to the official Kwanzaa website. Mazao (crops) and the kikombe cha umoja (the unity cup) also sit on the mkeka. The unity cup is used to pour tambiko (libation) in remembrance of ancestors. Lastly, African art objects and books about the life and culture of African people sit on the mat to symbolize commitment to heritage and learning. Do All Blacks Observe Kwanzaa? Although Kwanzaa celebrates African roots and culture, the National Retail Foundation found that just 13 percent of African Americans observe the holiday, or approximately 4.7 million. Some blacks have made a conscious decision to avoid the day because of religious beliefs, the origins of the day and the history of Kwanzaa’s founder (all of which will be covered later). If you’re curious about whether a black person in your life observes Kwanzaa because you want to get him or her a related card, gift, or another item, simply ask. Don’t make assumptions. Can Non-Blacks Celebrate Kwanzaa? While Kwanzaa focuses on the black community and African Diaspora, people from other racial groups may join in the celebration. Just as people from a range of backgrounds partake in cultural celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year or Native American powwows, those who aren’t of African descent may celebrate Kwanzaa. As the Kwanzaa Web site explains, â€Å"The principles of Kwanzaa and the message of Kwanzaa has a universal message for all people of good will. It is rooted in African culture, and we speak as Africans must speak, not just to ourselves, but to the world.† New York Times  reporter Sewell Chan grew up celebrating the day. â€Å"As a child growing up in Queens, I remember attending Kwanzaa celebrations at the American Museum of Natural History with relatives and friends who, like me, were Chinese-American,† he  said. â€Å"The holiday seemed fun and inclusive (and, I admit, a bit exotic), and I eagerly committed to memory the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Check local newspaper listings, black churches, cultural centers or museums to find out where to celebrate Kwanzaa in your community. If an acquaintance of yours celebrates Kwanzaa, ask for permission to attend a celebration with her. However, it would be offensive to go as a voyeur who doesn’t care about the day itself but is curious to see what it’s about. Go because you agree with the principles of the day and are committed to implementing them in your own life and community. After all, Kwanzaa is a day of tremendous significance for millions of people. Objections to Kwanzaa Who opposes Kwanzaa? Certain Christian groups who regard the holiday as pagan, individuals who question its authenticity and those who object to founder Ron Karenga’s personal history. A group called the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND), for one, labeled the holiday as racist and anti-Christian. In an article in the self-avowed right-wing anti-muslim magazine FrontPage, BOND founder the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson takes issue with the trend of preachers incorporating Kwanzaa into their messages, calling the move â€Å"a horrible mistake† which distances blacks from Christmas. â€Å"First of all, as we’ve seen, the whole holiday is made up,† Peterson argues. â€Å"Christians who celebrate or incorporate Kwanzaa are moving their attention away from Christmas, the birth of our Savior, and the simple message of salvation: love for God through his Son.† The Kwanzaa Web site explains that Kwanzaa isn’t religious or designed to replace religious holidays. â€Å"Africans of all faiths can and do celebrate Kwanzaa, i.e., Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists†¦,† the site says. â€Å"For what Kwanzaa offers is not an alternative to their religion or faith but a common ground of African culture which they all share and cherish.† African Roots? and a Troubled Founder Even those who don’t oppose Kwanzaa on religious grounds may take issue with it because Kwanzaa is not an actual holiday in Africa and, furthermore, the customs founder Ron Karenga based the holiday on roots in Eastern Africa. During the  transatlantic slave trade, however, blacks were taken from Western Africa, meaning that Kwanzaa and its  Swahili  terminology aren’t part of most African Americans’ heritage. Another reason people choose not to observe Kwanzaa is the background of Ron Karenga. In the 1970s, Karenga was  convicted  of felony assault and false imprisonment. Two black women from the Organization Us, a black nationalist group with which he’s still affiliated, were reportedly victimized during the attack. Critics question how Karenga can be an advocate for unity within the black community when he himself was allegedly involved in an attack on black women. Wrapping Up While Kwanzaa and its founder are sometimes subject to criticism, journalists such as Afi-Odelia E. Scruggs celebrate the holiday because they believe in the principles it espouses. In particular, the values Kwanzaa gives to children and to the black community at large are why Scruggs observes the day. Initially, Scruggs thought Kwanzaa was contrived, but seeing its principles at work changed her mind. In a  Washington Post  column, she wrote, â€Å"I’ve seen Kwanzaa’s ethical principles work in many little ways. When I remind the fifth-graders I teach that they aren’t practicing ‘umoja’ when they disturb their friends, they quiet down. †¦When I see neighbors turning vacant lots into community gardens, I’m watching a practical application of both ‘nia’ and ‘kuumba.’† In short, while Kwanzaa has inconsistencies and its founder a troubled history, the holiday aims to unify and uplift those who observe it. Like other holidays, Kwanzaa can be used as a positive force in the community. Some believe this outweighs any concerns about authenticity.

Solidification Definition and Examples

Solidification Definition and Examples Solidification, also known as freezing, is a phase change of matter that results in the production of a solid. Generally, this occurs when the temperature of a liquid is lowered below its freezing point. Although the freezing point and melting point of most materials are the same temperature, this is not the case for all substances, so freezing point and melting point are not necessarily interchangeable terms. For example, agar (a chemical used in food and the laboratory)  melts at 85 C (185 F) yet solidifies from 31 C to 40 C (89.6 F to 104 F). Solidification is nearly always an exothermic process, meaning heat is released when a liquid changes into a solid. The only known exception to this rule is the solidification of low-temperature helium. Energy (heat) must be added to helium-3 and helium-4 for freezing to take place. Solidification and Supercooling Under certain conditions, a liquid may be cooled below its freezing point, yet not transition into a solid. This is known as supercooling  and it happens because most liquids crystallize to freeze. Supercooling may be readily observed by carefully freezing water. The phenomenon can occur when there is a lack of good nucleation sites from which solidification can proceed. Nucleation is when molecules from organized clusters. Once nucleation occurs, crystallization progresses until solidification happens. Solidification Examples Several examples of solidification may be found in everyday life, including: Freezing of water to form ice in an ice cube trayFormation of snowCongealing of bacon grease as it coolsSolidification of melted candle waxLava hardening into solid rock

The Alienation in Urban Taipei in Tsai Ming-liang's Film Essay

The Alienation in Urban Taipei in Tsai Ming-liang's Film - Essay Example (Rivire, 1999, p 81) As he moved to Taiwan at the age of 20 years and chose film direction as profession his filmmaking style-both in terms of the plots and portrayal of characters-largely reflected the sense of alienation experienced by him in youth days as emigrants in Malaysia and the initial and subsequent impressions about the microcosmic and paced worlds of large urban centers rushing headlong toward emotionless and cruel uniformity. Reality probing was a favorite with Tsai from these early years. "I think European films are closer to me because they are about modern life and ordinary, modern men," Tsai told Nanouk Leopold. "And I have the idea they are more realistic, true to life." (Nanouk, 2002) Tsai began with TV dramas (1989-'91) and went to make a TV documentary, about AIDS (My New Friends, 1995), and some features, notable and well known among them being: Rebels of the Neon God (1992), Vive l'Amour (1994), The River (1996), and The Hole (1998). All of these features are set in backdrop of modern day Taipei and have remarkable branding with the primary issue of metropolitan loneliness and isolation. These exceptional and highly critically acclaimed films whose constant refrain reverberate with the reality of emptiness and nothingness in today's urban lives as central theme, invariably leave characters isolated in lonely madness pursuing routine without making much meaning of the numerous developments happening around them in fast paced metropolitan worlds. His above films set in clearly that the protagonists are mesmerised and confused by half grafted Western values in the pursuit of a modern capitalist lives, in fast paced transformation facing their societies which are now torn with occidental and oriental contradictions. The apparent conflicts between age-old Eastern values and traditions and the fast paced West aping civilization and the telling impact of such conflicts on urban dweller of today in term of heightening alienation has been portray ed with startling clarity in these films. This paper examines in detail the sense of alienation portrayed in the above mentioned films of Tsai Ming-liang's. Alienation in The HoleThe Hole catches action in the events that are supposed to have taken place in penultimate days of the year 1999, when an unexplained and mysterious end-of-the-millennium virus affliction with which causes people to behave like cockroaches has compelled the government to quarantine (and stop servicing) large sections of Taipei metropolis. Two characters - played by Lee Kang-sheng and Yang Kuei-mei - live in one apartment complex on flats located on successive floors, and a plumber's fault instead on mending a leak results in a gaping hole between the flats which is the main cause of concern and distress for theses two central actors. The film's landscape is writ with urban desolation and commences in a ramshackle movie theater exhibiting a non decrepit show with little attendance. The backdrop is equally desolate in that it is night and raining hard with not a soul on deserted streets of Taipei. All these i.e... the

Data Warehouse Design and Implementation Research Paper

Data Warehouse Design and Implementation - Research Paper Example Additionally, the online analytical processing systems offer a technique to produce ad-hoc queries beside the data-warehouse in an attempt to respond to significant business questions. In the same way, data mining offers a wide variety of techniques and algorithms for finding knowledge in a huge bulk of corporate data. In addition, in order to develop a data warehouse system, we need to put into operation a reliable technology structure where corporate operational data can be managed effectively with real and enterprise-wide aspects and to get into reorganization of a handful application policies to offer a high quality system. However, the implementation and design of a data warehouse system has occasionally been a very big challenge in theory as well as in practice (Charles, 2010; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005; Olamendy, 2010). This paper discusses some of the important aspects related to the design and implementation of a data warehouse system. The basic purpose of thi s research is to investigate some of the important aspects such as theories, initiatives, models and techniques for better and improved data warehouse system design and implementations. Introduction A data warehouse is normally recognized as an integrated and time-varying set of information and data that is basically used for strategic decision making through OLAP (online analytical processing) methods. ... this perspective, however hardly any technique exists to date for applying similar methods from an operational database (Charles, 2010; Husemann, Lechtenborger, & Vossen, 2000; Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Inmon, 2002). Without a doubt, there are many standards and methods to implement and design a relational data model for a business system which are flexible to design and implement data warehouse technology based modeling, however they cannot be employed as a natural method, consequently data warehouse development modeling is novel regulation that is improving with the passage of time. Basically, the starting point for the design and development of the data-warehouse environment is the data model. In absence data model, the implementation of a data warehouse is almost impossible. In this scenario, the data model works like a roadmap for technology based system development (Charles, 2010; Husemann, Lechtenborger, & Vossen, 2000; Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Inmon, 2002). Moreover, in order to d evelop a data warehouse system, we need to form a reliable technology based environment where organization’s operational data will be maintained effectively in an enterprise and integrated view and to get into recognition a handful accomplishment policy to offer a high quality system. However, the implementation and design of a data warehouse system frequently is a very complex issue in theory as well as practice (Charles, 2010). This paper will present a detailed analysis of data warehouse design and implementation. This research will cover some of the major aspects that need to be considered while designing implementing models of the data warehouse. Data Warehouse Design This section discusses some of the approaches and methods those can be adopted for the data warehouse design which

How does Japan benefit from the export of its media products Essay

How does Japan benefit from the export of its media products - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that animation industry in Japan is gaining due spotlight within the country and as well as from overseas. The use of modern technologies in making animation films has attracted producers and directors from all over the globe to import Japanese animation film features. Media industries from the western countries have shown interests in making 3 dimensional (3D) movies. 3D movies have proved to offer viewers a lifetime experience in watching movies. In 2010, a survey conducted by the Japanese government found out that 127.08 million people are residing in and around Japan. Among them, 65.7 million belong to the labor force. Furthermore, the unemployment rate surveyed in the same year showed that it has the lowest unemployed people among the G7 nations. The aging population of Japan has been a concern for the government. 22.9 percent of the total population is beyond 65 years of age. Thus, the survey shows that though Japan has the lowest une mployment rate, the aging population might hurt the production of successful animation films, leading to low exports and revenue. Though Japan is considered to have the latest technological equipment, most of the country’s infrastructure has been destroyed by the natural calamities, such as earthquakes in 2011. It has been estimated that India may overtake Japan as the third biggest economy in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The recent earthquake in 2011 has affected the animation industry which accumulates approximately USD 2.5 billion each year. Thus, it has been noted that the American animators have grown interests in working with Japanese animation companies which are generally viewed as the leader in this industry. Moreover, the contribution from different sectors is evident for making the animation industry the best in the world. The animation industry of Japan exports its media products throughout the world. Data provided by the member companies th at combine the Association of Japanese Animation shows that income from exporting media products was nearly 16.2 billion Yen. Furthermore, big anime companies that are not a member of the association, generate profits of around 1 billion Yen to about 4 billion Yen through overseas sales. Thus, the country’s estimated revenue through media products can be almost 18 to 20 billion Yen.

Human Resource Management Contribution To Organisational Success

Human Resource Management Contribution To Organisational Success The aim of SHRM is to ensure that an organisation has the skilled, committed and motivated employees it needs to achieve sustained competitive advantage. A number of strategies to achieve this objective have been developed. One strategy follows the resource-based theory which emphasises that investment in people adds to the value of the company by achieving a strategic fit between resource and opportunities to effectively deploy those resources to obtain added value. Another approach is the high-performance management one, whereby processes are developed in areas such as productivity, quality, customer service, growth and profitability through the peoples skills and enthusiasm within the organisation. Another model is the one of high-commitment, where there is a reduction in layers of management, increased flexibility of job descriptions, and a reliance on team working and disseminating information, leading to primarily self-regulated behaviour of the employees. There is also the hig h-involvement approach which engages employees views as partners in the organisation aiming to create a mutual understanding of what is to be achieved and managing people to ensure it is achieved (Armstrong 2006). Holbeche (2009) in discussing SHRM theory states that it has evolved from two distinct conceptions of the link between employee motivation and behaviour and company-level performance outcomes. Researchers distinguish between hard traditional HRM and soft, committeemen-focussed HRM. Hard HRM reflects a contingency approach based on the assessment of the best way to manage people in order to achieve business goals in the light of contextual factors. This approach is founded on HRM seeking to improve efficiency by enforcing employee compliance by, for example, basing employee rewards on some measurable criteria. This approach suggests that for any particular organisational strategy there will be a matching HR strategy. In contrast, soft HRM focuses on a high-commitment-high-performance approach to the management of people. Commitment approaches to HRM aim to shape attitudes by forging a psychological link between organisational and employee goals, emphasising the need for management to recognise employees as significant stakeholders in the company. Increasingly, businesses are moving away from basic product manufacture and service and into more elaborate and complex activities which require the extensive use of information or knowledge. Strategic responses to the new knowledge economy require new forms of training and learning and development is a core business of SHRM. The advent of electronic or e-learning has become increasingly relevant in a context where more and more workplaces are dominated to computer technology, improving the development of knowledge which can be applied to benefit the employee, customer and the organisation. BP offers a blend of e-learning and structured knowledge sharing services allowing individuals to self-manage their learning either on a self-initiated means of web-based training, with fully supported online learning, or informal e-learning through communication, information retrieval and peer cooperation (Harrison 2005). SHRM has a role to play in ensuring that business planning and the planning of suitable employees match. Bohlander and Snell (2009) argue that strategic planning involves a set of procedures for making decisions about the organisations long-term goals and strategies. Human resource planning, by comparison is the process of anticipating and providing for the movement of people into, within, and out of an organisation. Overall its purpose is to help managers deploy their human resources as effectively as possible, where and when they are needed, in order to accomplish the organisations goals. SHRM combines strategy planning and HR planning and plays a leading role in human resources deployments and activities that enable an organisation to achieve its strategic goals. There are cost benefits for an organisation which has strategic focus on human resource planning. Sims (2002) relates that SHRM planning can provide a number of direct and indirect benefits for an organisation. Benefits of SHRM planning include the fact that HRM costs may be lower because management can anticipate imbalances before they become unmanageable and expensive. More time is available to locate talent because needs are anticipated and identified before the actual staffing is required. Development of potential managers can be better planned. Suitable HR policy development can aid the competitive position of a company. An organisations mission and values through their desired competitive strategy and can be supported by a set of SHRM policies and practices which drive the required employee behaviours in alignment with the business goals. This is illustrated by Southwest Airlines who utilise their organisational culture to competitive advantage. This involves an extensive selection process for hiring flight attendants whose profile fits. This includes casting type exercises where applicants are examined against a psychological profile that distinguishes outstanding flight attendants with a focus on customer satisfaction (Beardwell et al 2004). Strategic involvement a forward-looking view of employee development and career planning is a time focussed approach. SHRM which focuses on organisational practices that lead to knowledge transfer and the creation of future solutions as opposed to practices which merely correct past errors. As an example a software development company is entirely reliant on its human capital, their knowledge and skills to generate profits. The SHRM strategy which focuses on how to recruit suitable staff, and enrich and share their knowledge base to meet clients requirements will have a positive business impact (Swart et al 2005). According to Torrington et al (2008), three theoretical approaches to SHRM can be identified. The first is based on the concept of the one best way of managing human resources to improve business performance. The second focuses on the need to align employment policies and practices with those of business strategy so that the business will be successful. This approach is based on an assumption that different business strategies will require different types of HR strategies. A more recent approach is based on the perceived value of human capital. This focuses on the quality of human resources available to the organisation and their ability to learn and adapt more quickly than their competitors. The perceived importance of people as a business asset was emphasised by Barclays Group who were keen to demonstrate that their financial results were related to their people strategies ad improvements in staff satisfaction. This focus on human capital and competitive advantage is not applicable in all forms of employment, for example it is of little relevance for organisations in the public sector. There are detractors who view the HR function as lacking in the necessary business knowledge to be accepted as a strategic partner. Many do not fully accept the involvement of SHRM in contributing to business success. Loosemore et al (2003) despite numerous studies into the nature of HRM and what it represents, it still remains a widely criticised and ambiguous concept. Most importantly, its contribution to organisational performance remains unclear and is not well understood. Critics allege that rather than adding value to the business through its strategic integration with managerial objectives, the reality is that SHRM can remain a disappointingly mechanistic function. They suggest that the theory of SHRM represents a false and unobtainable image for personnel managers to aspire to, because aligning so many competing needs within a single approach is bound to be problematic. Brewster and Larsen (2000) argue that the central theme of SHRM is the link between organisational strategies and the HR function. The focus is on the place HRM has or does not have in the overall process of strategic decision making in the organisation. SHRM points towards a strategic orientation of the HR function and functional areas themselves. Here the focus is on the existence of HR strategies and on the strategic direction of core functional areas such as recruitment and selection, training and development, appraisal and compensation. Direct integration of SHRM requires the immediate participation of members of the HR department and /or HR issues in the formal or informal decision process at the strategic organisational level. Indirect integration emphasises that goal-oriented influencing of organisational decision makers that can shape the strategy processes. In European countries, personnel or HR specialists rarely reach the very highest positions in employing organisations which would enable them to make such a directly influencing contribution. SHRM has a lack or metrics which could provide a meaningful record of their strategic contribution. Price (2007) questions the effectiveness of the human resources function as a strategic partner, citing the measurement of HR success as potentially faulty. One common approach is the use of the balanced scorecard which includes a range of HR measures as well as the traditional financial and other metrics such as time to hire, cost per hire, and percentage of appraisals completed. These metrics, while important are not the role of strategic partnership and reinforce the view of HR as an administrative function. SHRM is not universally accepted in all cultures and this affects international firms in particular. Contractor (2002) discusses the joint venture experience of western companies in Japan. He relates that HR practice and competitive strategy of multinational companies in Japan showed clearly that the execution of a winning strategy in the Japanese market was often severely handicapped by the deficiencies in the human resource system. The capability gap between strategic requirements of the business and the support provided by the HRM system was evident independently of the products and industries where joint ventures were involved. Dubrin (2008) argues that while business strategy addresses the financial priorities of the organisation by identifying what business the company should be in, product direction, profit targets and others, human resource planning addresses the question of what skills are needed for success of the business. Planning helps to identify the gaps between current employee competencies and behaviour and the competencies and behaviour needed in the organisations future. SHRM planning contributes by estimating how many people and with what abilities the company will need to create in the foreseeable future, for future turnover and those likely to remain long term. In addition SHRM plans the recruitment, selection and retirement or redundancy of employees, and once hired, the training and development needs to ensure a continued supply of people with the right skill sets. SHRM can contribute to business success by focussing their efforts on development of people in line with a strategic analysis of the key influences on the present and future success of the organisation, the influence of threats and opportunities in the business environment and the competencies and strengths of the organisation. Strategic HR development (SHRD) in this situation includes analysis of current skill levels available within and external to the organisation which might affect current and future business goals. SHRD would consider the core competencies of the organisation in terms of human capabilities in existence or which might be developed, and how these might be deployed. Choice of strategic options open to the organisation in terms of products or services could be assessed against the ability of SHRD to recruit staff and train them to meet the requirements of the strategic options selected. (Wilson 2005). An agile SHRM function which is in tune with the changing business environment is an asset to a company. Jackson et al (2008) argue that understanding the nature of the organisational and external environments is core to managing human resources strategically. To recruit the right people with the right competencies and to keep these people motivated to do their best work, managers and HR professionals alike need to understand the demands and nature of the business. A computer company that competes by continually offering innovative products and services is likely to manage people differently than a retailer that competes by offering low-cost goods or a manufacturer that competes by offering the best quality possible. Furthermore, each of these companies may change is approach to managing human resources as economic and social conditions change. An SHRM function which can deliver such flexibility can contribute especially in times of business change. Armstrong (2000) relates that the concept of sustainable competitive advantage as formulated by Porter (1985) arises when a company creates value for its customers, selects markets in which it can excel and presents a moving target to its competitors by continually improving its position. According to Porter, three of the most important factors are innovation, quality and cost leadership. The ability to gain and retain competitive advantage is crucial to a businesss growth and profitability. However, Porter recognises that all these depend on the quality of an organisations human resources. An organisations HR strategies, policies and practices are a unique blend of processes, procedures, personalities, styles, capabilities and organisational culture. One of the keys to competitive advantage is the ability to differentiate what the business supplies to its customers from those supplied by its competitors. Such differentiation can be achieved by having higher-quality people than those competitors, by developing a nurturing the intellectual capital possessed by the business and by functioning as a learning organisation. The SHRM approach of focussing on changing attitudes and behaviour of employees in pursuit of competitive advantage successfully is borne out by a quote from the National Westminster Bank who stated that in strategic terms our fundamental reason for being in this position is that in a competitive world it is acknowledged that products do not differentiate you and its easy to buy technology. What actually gives the bank the competitive edge is the people that serve the customers. Kew and Stredwick (2005) discuss the role of the HR function in company ethics. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly a differentiating factor in some customers relationship with companies. The theory on ethics and CSR suggests that the ethical policy can only be meaningful if it permeates all the activities of the organisation, and if everyone within the organisation internalises it, rather than pay lip service to it. This suggests that HR in its role of helping to identify the values of the organisation has a clear contribution to make. HR has the experience with values, and is well placed to canvass opinions across a wide range of stakeholders to enable it to draw up a code of ethics. This ethical behaviour extends to the concept of the psychological contract (CIPD 2003b, pp18-19). This defines the implicit deal between employer and employees, as distinct from the formal deal contained in the contract of employment. Conclusions The contribution of SHRM to the success of an organisation is effective in a number of areas such as the newer knowledge industries where the concept of people as a business asset is foremost. However, there is little evidence that SHRM is effective at the basic level of actively participating in strategic formulation at board level. It is more involved in the implementation of strategic business decisions. There are sceptics as to the effectiveness of SHRM as a concept and as to the functions ability to be a business partner. The rapidly changing business conditions means that types of employees required and their skills in aspects such as knowledge management has placed more emphasis on a strategic HR function. Successful SHRM is agile, has the ability to forward plan, recruit strategically, manage the balance of employees and develop by training and reward the competencies necessary for the modern business environment.