Essay on Hiv

Home reading. As my qualification paper is devoted to the global health, I decided to analyze 4 newspaper articles from BBC, The Guardian and the NY Times concerning the cure for HIV/AIDS. In all the articles the topic of possible existence of the cure for HIV is discussed. They scientists from different world laboratories share their opinion on the right way of creation of this vaccine. It is extremely hard to find the appropriate therapy for patients, because the virus has a tendency to a very rapid mutation.So while the scientists are creating the drug for a patient according to his analyzes, the virus can change in a day and the treatment won’t be effective. Some scientists think that it’s necessary to create a cocktail of many steams of the HIV virus and then create one vaccine. But it will take a very long time and too much many. Moreover the reaction of the patient’s organism can be unpredictable. Other specialists presume that it’s important to pay attention to those patients who carry the neutralizing antibodies in their organisms.Because the cells that produce antibodies have to go through up to 100 mutations before they make neutralizing ones, Dr. Fauci said, a vaccine to induce that would require many shots, given month after month, to â€Å"push† the cells through those mutations. But the problem is that only 20 percent of the infected have the neutralizing antibodies in their organisms. There are two officially registrated cases when a patient didn’t have a virus in his blood after medical treatment.The first one was in Germany, when a patient with a destroyed immune system, induced by his cancer disease, was transplanted with a stem cell from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that resists HIV infection. The second case took place in the US with a new-born baby in a rural hospital, whose mother just received a positive HIV reaction. The treatment continued for 18 months from the first days of life of th is little baby-girl. After the treatment the scientists were astonished not to find the signs of the virus in her blood.But unfortunately not everything is so easy because this kind of treatment doesn’t suit to adults. The virus in the adult’s organism has already made a mutation and after several years of being infected the virus will infect all the cells in the body and then hides in the DNA, where it will be impossible to cure. On the other hand, 80 percent of all the infected live in the African countries where the possibilities to be cured and appropriate drugs are extremely poor. To conclude my essay I would like to say that an HIV pandemic has become a serious problem of our world.No one is safe enough not be infected by the virus. Nowadays there’s still no single way of treatment that can heal every patient. But the only thing that the scientists wanted us to remember that HIV virus is easier to prevent than to cure. Scientists use the most sophisticated technologies for eliminating this disease all over the world, but many people still don’t know usual requirements for protecting their health. It’s necessary to understand that your momentary pleasure can worth you a long-life HIV treatment. Internet resources: ) http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/health-21653463 – Analysis: A cure for HIV? By James Gallagher. 2) http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-us-canada-21651225 – US HIV baby ‘cured' by early drug treatment 3) http://www. nytimes. com/2013/04/04/health/aids-vaccine-path-suggested-by-study. html? ref=aids&_r=1& – Possible Path to Vaccine for AIDS Is Suggested. By DONALD G. Mcneil Jr. 4) http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2012/jul/19/hiv-infection-infectiousdiseases? INTCMP=SRCH – A cure for Aids?

Epics: Gilgamesh and Joseph

Archetypes in literature serve as basic models or ideal examples of the human thoughts, feelings, and reactions which underlie and determine a vast variety of human experiences (Kluger, 1991, p. 16). Both, the stories of Gilgamesh and Joseph, are pregnant with rich archetypal imagery. They allow us perspective on the universal human condition, while also providing personally applicable insight and exploration. Gilgamesh Through Gilgamesh’s adventures, timeless themes of heroism, providence, love, friendship, and immortality are presented in a story of character growth. Gilgamesh possesses a potential for greatness that is realized through his friendship with Enkidu and his quests for renown and immortality† (Chastain, 2004, pg. 286). His journey begins in Uruk, where he reigns as a selfish and tyrannical king but ultimately, his journey brings him home to Uruk as a wiser, nobler king. He is an archetype of flawed heroism – undeniably courageous, but also undeniabl y imperfect. Using his famed fighting skills, he exploits the men of his own country and takes their brides at whim. The people of Uruk become so outraged at this indecency that they implore the gods for help. Anu and the goddess Arurur answer their pleas in the form of a man named Enkidu, who is equipped to rival the strength of Gilgamesh. Ironically, what the people and gods fashion for Gilgamesh’s demise, becomes his salvation. The gods are, in fact, successful in checking the king’s unbecoming behavior, but in an unexpected means. This is archetypal providence at work in the divine. Epics 3 Endiku doesn’t rise up and defeat the mighty warrior-king in one fatal swoop, instead he ends up befriending him. Their first meeting typifies their relationship: Gilgamesh intends to enter a bride’s chamber to defile her, Endiku stands at the doorway to refuse his entrance. They wrestle fiercely, equally matched. Endiku manages to derail the king’s unseemly intentions and win his affection in the process. Through their relationship, love typifies itself as a powerful motivator for change. Both characters evolve and mature through their shared friendship. Endiku transitions from a wild man into a noble man, who enjoys royalty and battles bravely. Once, he socialized only with animals, but he soon developed into a devoted man willing to lay his life down for a fellow human being. Gilgamesh slows his lustful pursuit of women and realizes authentic love through friendship. His self-centeredness dissipates as he grieves heartily seven days and seven nights over the loss of his dear friend. The untimely demise of Enkidu causes him to face his own vulnerability. He remembers the horrors of the Underworld as relayed by his friend and suddenly experiences the archetypical fear of death, which leads him to the archetypical quest for immortality. His bereavement turns into a determined expedition for eternal life. After ordering the erection of a statue dedicated to his companion, his mission began. After several failed attempts, the story’s hero is unable to beat death; it is inevitable and approaching. Ultimately, he must learn to content himself with the legacy he’ll leave rather than the escape of an afterlife. However, all is not lost. Although, he does not return to Uruk with everlasting life for himself and his people, he does return as a much improved despot. Each journey he undertook shaped and evolved his character. Epic 4 Joseph Joseph’s story, according to the biblical Old Testament narrative, is powerfully inspiring. It is the record of one man’s ascension from pit to palace. He overcomes obstacles, injustice and hardship with grace and honor. Ultimately, every wrong is compensated with wildly unexpected success and wealth. Through it all, is the unmistakable mark of divine providence. There is a â€Å"behind-the-scenes presence of One whose Hand guides every event, small or large, from beginning to end† (Westermann, 1996, pg. iii). This sense of orchestration and heavenly aid lends insight to a very personally involved Deity. Another striking element in Joseph’s story is the relentless scope of his morality. He endures temptation after temptation with holy resolve. Although he suffers harm for the purity of his integrity, he remains loyal to decency nonetheless. Not only was Joseph moral, apparently, he w as likeable. He won the favor of many throughout his lifetime, beginning with his parents. He was the highly favored son of his father, Jacob, and this bias was not veiled from his brothers. Their jealousy escalated so remarkably that they sought to kill him. They threw him into a pit while callously eating their lunch and plotting his murder. However, through the intervention of an older brother, Reuben, they opted instead to sell him to traveling merchants. Through this cruel betrayal, Joseph landed in Egypt as slave to a wealthy official named Potiphar. He excelled in his environment and advanced quickly. â€Å"Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, Epics 5 nd he entrusted to his care everything he owned† (Genesis 39:4, New International Version). From the moment he was put in charge, God blessed Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. In the midst of favor and excellence, injustice reentered the scene in the form of Potiphar’s wife. Steadfast in his ethical obligation, Joseph refused the wife’s sexual allurement. This infuriated the jilted seductress and caused her to la sh out vindictively. She wrongfully accused Joseph of the very act he refused to commit. Once again, his life changed immediately in the heat of another’s scorn. He was promptly imprisoned. â€Å"But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden† (Genesis 37:19-20). Whether in a pit or in a prison, Joseph remained tethered to the bigger element of destiny. Providence used every scenario to nurture his latent aptitude in preparation for his eventual position of elevated authority. As in the preceding circumstances, Joseph proved himself trustworthy and was given a position of leadership within the prison. He was faithful and successful in all under his care. God blessed his labor. Joseph didn’t remain in the king’s dungeon long before divine purpose began drawing him out of injustice a second time. Trusting God, he interprets the dream of a prisoner under his care. He predicts that the man will soon be freed to return to the King’s palace as chief cupbearer. In return for such good news, Joseph asks that the cupbearer remember him and advocate his plight before the king. In gross negligence, the cupbearer forgets Joseph. It seems that he is the victim of inequality yet once again but two years later, Joseph is remembered. At the cupbearer’s insistence, Joseph is summoned to interpret the King’s dream. Giving God credit for any potential achievement, Joseph begins interpretation – a feat which no other man in Pharaoh’s court could manage. The king was so impressed by Joseph’s answer and demeanor that he immediately bestowed the young thirty-year-old with royal authority: Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. (Genesis 41:39-40) The cycle of discrimination, favor and blessing had repeated itself once again. The two constants in Joseph’s many surprising adventures were the hand of God and tenacious morality. Even at the pinnacle of his success and power, Joseph chose goodness over vengeful reciprication. A dire famine in the region set the stage for a climatic final confrontation between Joseph and the brothers who betrayed him so long ago. They came to him in Egypt, unknowingly, pleading for rations. Joseph’s position of command allowed him many possible reactions –anger, retaliation, intimidation- but he chose forgiveness and generosity. He reveals himself to his brothers through heavy tears and warm embraces. Their fateful reunion was complete in perfect absolution. Joseph’s journey from the pit to the palace, taught him dependence on God, the trustworthy, omniscient One. He remained dedicated to hope and faith and was not disappointed. In the end, he was able to see purpose in every trial and deific direction in every season. He was able to say: â€Å"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good† (Genesis 50:20, King James Version).

American culture race and representation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

American culture race and representation - Essay Example However, the country is also commonly referred to as a ‘melting pot’ because of its habit of mixing people together who are of all nationalities and races. This concept is usually thought of when one is thinking of people from other nations who have come to America voluntarily, seeking a better lifestyle for themselves and their children. This mixing of people and cultures has not always been as easy or as smooth as it sounds, though. The blending of cultures implied in the phrase melting pot has often not been complete as immigrants of a given nation tended to settle in communities of their own kind and the best properties always seemed to go to the whites. It many instances, the mixing has involved a great deal of violence as these various communities battled for their rights to live the way they saw fit. Mixing has also often not been voluntary on either side. An investigation into the history of African Americans on this continent reveals some of heat that has occasi onally caused America’s ‘melting pot’ to boil and ultimately bring about a more even blending. In the initial phase of slavery in the New World (1519-1580), colonies were being formed on both the North and South American continents and the trade of slaves was somewhat limited. From 1580 to 1650, the slave trade from Africa soared because of massive Native American deaths due to disease, the growth of the economy in the colonies and the unification of the Portuguese and Spanish governments (Palmer, 1976). The early era of colonization in the New World was a time of enormous changes as â€Å"the native Indian populations were decimated by disease and increasingly dominated by the Spanish social and economic structure† (Meyer, 2003). However, slavery declined steadily during the years between 1650 and 1827. â€Å"From New England to Virginia to Jamaica, the English planters in seventeenth-century America developed the habit of

Strengths and Shortcomings of REBT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strengths and Shortcomings of REBT - Essay Example Human beings are dynamic beings and there does not seem to be a simple way they become emotionally disturbed, and there does not seem to be a simple way for them to be helped from feeling defeated (Ellis, n.d). The psychological issues which come up often arise from a client’s misperceptions, including his emotional underreactions or overreactions to unusual events or circumstances; and his dysfunctional patterns of behaviour also lead him towards repeating responses even if he knows he is behaving poorly (Ellis, n.d). The framework or model for the REBT is based on the ABC model where A=the activating event; B=the belief; and C=the consequent emotion which may include anxiety or depression (Philippe, 2010). The process may extend to include letters D and E which refer to disputing of irrational beliefs and effect (Stolear, n.d). REBT is based on the premise that our reactions are based on our unconscious interpretations and philosophies. We feel anxious or sad because we strongly believe that it is terrible for us to fail or be rejected (Ellis, n.d). We also feel hostile or angry towards other people because we believe that people behave unfairly towards us. For therapists in this field of practice, they often use the first few sessions with the client in order to place a finger on the main irrational philosophies which the client passionately adheres to. Afterwards, they attempt to show to the clients how these philosophies lead to emotional problems and inevitably, to clinical symptoms (Ellis, n.d). The goal of the therapist, in this case, is to uproot the client from such set philosophies and to try to replace them with more rational theories and hypotheses about themselves and the world around them; and eventually, to conceptualize how such rational theories can be used to understand the world and to de al with their issues (Ellis, n.d). There

Please discuss, in general terms, how Brazil might capitalise on this Essay

Please discuss, in general terms, how Brazil might capitalise on this opportunity to ensure success in the global market - Essay Example Although globalization has facilitated Brazil in this respect, the economy has to confront several issues, such as foreign direct investment and national differences among political economy, which can possibly influence the economic and commercial performance by the country. This report provides an overview of the position of Brazil as a major agricultural and fuel exporter in the world economy. It also provides insights on the issues that the economy has to handle and recommends on how Brazil can further capitalize on its position to ensure long term success in the international market. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Globalization and its effects 4 Globalization in Brazil 5 Production of ethanol in Brazil 7 Environmental and ethical issues faced by Brazil owing to ethanol production 8 Ethical issues 8 Foreign Direct Investment 9 National Differences in Political Economy 10 Exports and Imports situation 10 Conclusion and Recommendations 11 References 13 Appendix 15 Introductio n The Brazilian economy has been exhibiting high rates of economic growth, although the country is still plagued with various issues and imbalances. One of the primary reasons is that Brazil has a vast and strong domestic market that facilitates the development of a stable equilibrium of its demand and supply. This attribute of the economy imparts to it the confidence to maintain its growth rate. The support of the internal factors such as a strong domestic market builds up the ability of the economy to continue growing at this pace and ensures that it is protected from the vulnerabilities of the external competitive world. This leads to sustainable development of the country. However, in order to increase Brazil’s presence in the world market, the economy has to adhere to the policies and regulations and increase its focus on making innovations. Globalization and its effects The world economy is experiencing a major shift since the beginning of the 19th century. The 19th cen tury marked the beginning of a phenomenon known as globalization. Although globalization is believed by scholars to have a long history, the onset of ‘modern globalization’ is said to have been in the 19th century (O'Rourke and Williamson, 2000). The 19th century imperialism had made a huge contribution to shape the modern form of globalization when the European countries conquered many parts of the world, including the sub-Saharan Africa (Economic-geography, 2012). In the mid twentieth century, globalization was driven largely by the multinational corporations most of which were based in the United States. During this period the world saw a wide spread of the American culture. Two factors of the macro environment might be held responsible to lead the way towards globalization. Firstly, the barriers to the â€Å"free flow of goods, services, and capital† (Hill, 2011, p. 12) have been on the decline after the World War II ended. The second factor is the advent of disruptive technology that has brought swift and vast changes in the fields of communication, transfer of knowledge and information and processing of information. According to Hill, globalization is a shift in the economic and social functioning of the different economies towards an integrated and more interdependent economic system. This process can be broadly segmented into two facets; namely, globalization of the markets and globalization of the production process (Hill, 2011). There is a wide assortment of markets in the different countries, each of which has its own

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for Essay - 4

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions of the world - Essay Example Arid regions of the world, found mainly in Africa and Middle-East Asia, typically lack physically accessible, hygienic, and adequate water supply, necessary for multiple aspects such as domestic use, industry and agriculture. Due to this shortage, these regions face difficulties in not only economic development but also human resources development, with people living there facing numerous struggles. Thus focusing on the current tough situation in arid regions, and the resultant difficulties, this report will discuss about two different water provision techniques of desalination and water transfer, and how they can provide fresh water to those regions. Although, 70 percent of the Earth’s surface consists of water, only around 2.5 percent is fresh water, with the rest being salt water contained in the oceans. (â€Å"And not a drop to drink?†, n. d). Among the already minimal proportion of fresh water, just about 1 percent is easily accessible for the people to ‘tap’ and utilize, and that 1 percent is found mainly in rivers, lakes as well as some underground sources. â€Å"Only this amount is renewed regularly by rain and snowfall, and therefore available on a sustainable basis.† (â€Å"And not a drop to drink?†, n. d). However, the key issue here, this 1 percent is not evenly distributed throughout the world, with arid regions bereft of those natural fresh water sources. â€Å"The Amazon carries 16 percent of global river flow (or run-off). But arid zones, which cover 40 percent of the worlds landmass, have only 2 percent of run-off.† (â€Å"And not a drop to drink?†, n. d). Co nsidering these shortfalls, people living in these regions face drinking water shortage, deterioration of agricultural production as well as industrial activity. There are a variety of estimates concerning the amount of water humans need on a daily basis. Clarke

Music players Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Music players - Essay Example The very first iPod was introduced to the market as a player with a 5GB storage capacity capable of storing one thousand songs. This product got feedback from consumers, though a number of them complained of an exorbitant price of $400. Because the first versions of iPod proved fruitful in penetrating the music player industry, another hardware upgrade came in 2003, catapulting iPod into the third generation. This advanced hardware upgrade did not have mechanical dials. The function buttons were placed under the screen and resembled a scroll wheel. Their storage was enhanced from the previous 10GB to 40 GB. On order to remain competitive in the music player industry, apple introduced iPod mini in 2004. Unlike the original iPod, this version had five different colors: green, gold, silver, pink and blue. The iPod mini had smaller screens and enhanced storage than any other music player then. In February 2005, a new version of iPod was introduced with an improved chipset, longer battery life and even more enhanced storage capacity. The collaboration between Apple and HP in 2004 helped Apple to explore new markets that previously never stocked Apple’s products. In 2005, Apple introduced the iPod photo. This was similar to the iPod but was capable of browsing photo albums and had improved battery life. This made it a hit among the music player enthusiasts, with most music players in the same price range providing half its storage capacity. This made Apple’s profits to quadruple in 2005 as a result of sales of iPod. The iPod was followed by the introduction of the Nano. This version was made available in two variants, the 2GB and 4GB music players. The Nano made used of an improved scroll wheel from apple and was significantly smaller. Not long after the launch of the Nano, Apple released the fifth generation of its music players. These had the ability of playing both video and audio music files, and its launch was instrumental in the creation of the iTunes

Discrete and Episodic Violence among Families in Need Literature review

Discrete and Episodic Violence among Families in Need - Literature review Example â€Å"Domestic violence is a common complaint encountered by counseling psychologists and other mental health professionals. Common psychological treatment practices separate perpetrators and victims into individual intervention modalities. However, there is some research that has been emerging that suggests in some cases a couples treatment approach may be a useful adjunct to existing treatments† (Harris, 2008).   Stith et al. provide the framework for their study of domestic violence by writing an introduction which gets the point of the research across cogently.   Smith et al. provide an articulate and literate introduction that gives a good background to the research.An informative introduction is assumedly a way of classifying the introduction, and Stith et al.’s article meets this classification.   It is important for all research study introductions to be informative because they basically can tell one what the whole research is about.   An introduction c an tell the reader in a short amount of time what the basic framework of a study seeks to identify.   An indicative introduction like that used by Stith et al. does not give away the results of the study.   It suggests the research questions and gives everything else an introduction should give in terms of information to the reader, except for the results of the research.   An indicative introduction such as this is more like a set of clues about the research than an explanation that goes into very much detail about the results.   A good introduction should set up and give a good amount of background information about the research, which is something that Stith et al. achieve to great effect.   Their introduction shows the major trends in the areas of domestic violence and group counseling.  

The language of arts Essay Example for Free

The language of arts Essay Labor, toil, travail, drudgery, and grind are listed as synonyms for work. Although these words depart from the conception that many non-artists have about art, it is common to hear artists talk about the drudgery and even boredom that is very often part of the process of making art. The antonym for work is play, a word that is probably more closely associated with art in the minds of many people that the idea that â€Å"art means work. † Although an attitude of flexibility or playfulness is an important aspect of creativity, the notion that art means play is not the best model for art educators to present to students or to the public. The notions that â€Å"art is fun,† â€Å"art is play,† â€Å"art is easy,† â€Å"anyone can do it,† â€Å"whatever is done is alright,† and an excessively long list of associated attitudes about art are not only damaging to the educational credibility of art as a mainstream subject in the school, but such notions are false without the balancing conception that art means work. The truth is that it is very rewarding to gain competency as an artist, but competency is not achieved without significant effort, all of which might not always be classified as fun. Everyone can make or do some kind of art at some level, but significant accomplishment is associated with high standards that usually require years of dedicated effort to achieve. Fortunately the path of learning and achieving in art can be exciting and rewarding to travel if the traveler’s expectations are sufficiently informed to anticipate the necessity and desirability of work (Kieran 2003). As a verb, work means â€Å"to fashion or create by expending labor or exertion upon something: the potter works the clay; the jeweler works the copper, silver or gold. Artists work art materials, but also work ideas or concepts, composing and altering until the desired results are achieved. When confronted with technical or expressive problems, artists apply their creative powers to work out solutions. But aside from these dictionary definitions, there is perhaps a more essential connotation for our slogan, art means work. There is something about the essence of art that stands for high quality work, for in the making of art care must be exercised or expanded. When workers in any occupation or profession perform in such an excellent manner, exhibiting high levels of skill, innovation, or quality, we apply the honorific â€Å"artist† to those persons. John Dewey described a work of art as â€Å"an object elaborated with every loving care of united thought and emotion. † Real art is not produced by uncaring individuals. The art produced by caring novices, children or adults, who apply their skills to the current limits of these capacities for artistic expression, is real art (Kieran 2003). Rather recently school people have incorporated the term â€Å"the language of arts† into their vocabularies, but they have not always realized the full meaning of the phrase. In considering the language arts, they have usually emphasized the language rather than the arts. A recent educational yearbook on the topic, for example, not only fails to develop the language arts as n integrated group of communication activities but makes practically no mention of the separate divisions of the group as real arts. The whole point of view in teaching the various fine arts has changed within the last generation, but the new approach has not yet affected the teaching of the language arts as arts. The language arts and the fine arts are closely related fields. One of Webster’s definitions of â€Å"art† is â€Å"application of skill and taste to production according to aesthetic principles. † The language arts, too, are concerned with various types â€Å"production,† such as speaking, writing, or dramatizing-all involving skills, taste, and aesthetic principles. In the past the language arts have been regarded as skills necessary for ordinary living, while production in the fine arts has been considered a rare, creative act. Today this distinction is hardly tenable. The modern view is that the child crudely modeling clay, the peasant woman weaving, and the man admiring a steam shovel at work-all may be having art experiences; art is the province of every human being. Similarly the language arts are now considered as involving not only certain mechanical skills but also certain types of art experiences (Kouwenhoven 1967). A small child’s reactions to a well-told story or an older child’s fashioning of the written account of a personal adventure may also be true art experiences. It seems worth while, therefore, to enlarge on the idea that the language arts and the fine arts have much in common in themselves and in the types of experience which they can provide for boys and girls.

The Effects of Dual Diagnosis on a Person’s Life Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Dual Diagnosis on a Person’s Life Essay

Change Management Process And Basic Needs Management Essay

Change Management Process And Basic Needs Management Essay Change as we call it is quite inevitable and it is very necessary in todays fast changing environment and competition. Organizational change management is focused at when big changes need to take place. There are numerous change management models that can be used by companies today in order to successfully implement the change and meet its objectives. The Kurt Lewin Model is an old model still used today. Change management aims at bringing better results than those currently experienced. In change management one understands that there are better ways of performing a particular task in an effective and efficient manner while meeting all the customers expectations and standards of performance. So we can use the ADKAR model here to manage change. Change management theory has 5 principles based upon it like: At first we see that people display and show different reactions to change as each individual is different and unique in their own way. Secondly people strive to meet their basic needs regardless of their stature, occupation or living standards. Thirdly for each of the change to take place the person has to loose something initially to help make the implementation of the change successful. All the people put in varied amounts of efforts for the change as per their perception so the change activity needs to be realistic in nature. Change brings with it fear and a feeling of mistrust so change management can only take place if these people face their fears. These five principles need to be implemented properly by the company to actually make the change process feasible and successful. Change management requires acceptability from all the concerned stakeholders as it cannot succeed by acceptance of one but by only a collective effort of many. (Change Management 100 Success Secrets) A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player Change Management (2008) Literature Review Kurt Lewin Change Management Model In 1947 Kurt Lewin proposed a three stage theory of Change which is very relevant till date and most newer models are quite based on this model. The three stages are: Unfreeze This is the most critical stage as it involves preparing oneself before a change is implemented. It involves understanding that a change needs to take place and the employees need to get out of the comfort zone. A deadline needs to there to which some reward/punishment is linked to motivate the people to go for the change and accept it. So unfreezing one-self and seeing the inherent advantages outweighing the disadvantages lead to a successful change. This refers to another Kurt Lewins theory called the Force Field Analysis. So as per the Force Field Analysis if the pros outweigh the cons then change can take place smoothly as it acts as a pushing factor but if not then there is resistance which can be detrimental to the objective and purpose of the change. We can actually take a practical example to illustrate the above diagram in a better position in the case of Tata motors in the Analysis section. Change So the next stage is the transition stage where the change actually happens. Here we see people have inhibitions as they are unsure of the results or consequences from the change process are taking place within the organization. Certain factors like training, guides and mentors can be used to make the learning process easier and faster as it helps the people to adapt and understand the objective and rationale for the change activity. Through self involvement and proper communication one can encourage the change to take place in an easier fashion. Freeze This stage is also called the refreezing stage as it involves if there is stability after the change has actually occurred. People now tend to adapt and accept the change and it becomes a part of their daily routine. Change is a continuous process and soon after the implementation of the change the next change process starts off at any point and can finish at any point of time. (Kurt Lewin Change Management Model (1947)) ADKAR: Simple, Powerful, Action Oriented Model for Change This model was developed by Jeff Hiatt, CEO of Prosci Change Management and it was first published in 2003. This model tells us that organizational change can succeed when each of the individual members of the organization transition through the change management process. There are five steps in this model: Awareness of the need for change This involves understanding why a particular change is necessary is the primary aspect of a successful change. We here find out the rationale and need behind the change. So the employee will fully understand why change is necessary. Desire to participate in and support the change Here the employee needs to make a personal decision to support the change and participate in the change. Only when the person is confident and convinced that the change is essential then only will he participate in the change activity. Proper incentives need to be formulated in order to motivate the person not to deter from the path of change. Knowledge on how to change This is the third stage of the model in which knowledge about the change can be imparted through training, mentorship and other educational methods. Two types of knowledge needs to be addressed: knowledge on how to change (things to be done during the transition or the time during which the change is being implemented) and knowledge on how to perform after the change activity is implemented. Ability to implement required skills and behaviors In this part of the building block Ability is referred to the difference between theory and practice. Once knowledge on how to change is in place then this is the theory being referred to and then comes the practical aspect which is the actual performance of the individual. This is a time conduming process and can be successfully implemented through practice, coaching and feedback. Reinforcement to sustain the change In the final stage of the model there is an essential component in which efforts made by the individual to sustain the change are pressed upon. Here it is ensured that changes made stay in place and that the employee does not slip back to his old ways which can be ensured through positive feedback, rewards, recognition, measuring performance and taking corrective actions. ADKAR Model of Change (2003) Kotters 8 steps for Leading Change Dr. John Kotter developed the 8 steps to change which can help organizations to avoid failure and be proactive to change. They are: Acting with Urgency It refers to identification of the problem and crisis areas in regards to the company, market and the competitive forces. Developing the Guiding Coalition Form a team of employees who would be responsible to handle the change efforts in a collective manner. Developing a Change Vision This step involves creating a vision and formulating the strategies to achieve the vision. Communicating the Vision buy-in There needs to be clear communication between the employees and the vision and the means to achieve it both need to be known by all the employees while keeping the team as the source of example. Empowering broad based action Use varied risky ideas, non-traditional means and other techniques not in the book to remove all the obstacles to the change. Generating short term wins Visible improvements need to be planned and all the incumbents should be duly rewarded for their efforts. Do not let up To change all the systems, structures and policies new employees maybe needed to be recruited, old ones removed and other promoted to meet the vision by also putting in new projects, ideas, work patterns, etc. Make change stick Use the leaders in the organization to show its employees the benefits of the change activity in both qualitative and quantitative terms so that people do not digress from the change activity. Kotters 8 steps of change (2005) Beckhard Harris Change Formulae In 1987 Beckhard and Harris developed the Change equation which helps the organization to identify all the possibilities to change. The change equation propounded is: D x V x F > R = Dissatisfaction x Vision x First steps > Resistance to Change All the three components must be present in congruence in order to overcome resistance to change. Dissatisfaction with the current happenings, Vision of what is to come in the near future, and the way/direction/First steps to reach or achieve this vision should all be there to repel the resistance to the change activity. Beckhard and Harriss Change Equation (1987) CASE STUDY Tata Motors Jaguar Cars Limited and Land Rover, based in the UK, are one of the key global auto majors companies that are engaged in manufacturing luxury sports saloons and sports cars that cater to the premium end of the market. On June 22, 2008; Tata Motors, Indias largest automobile company, acquired the Jaguar Land Rover businesses from Ford Motor Company for a net consideration of US $2.3 billion. (Press Release: 2nd June, 2008) But just immediately after the acquisition; the global financial sector collapsed and squeezed out global liquidity. The consequent lack of access to credit and working capital, along with the meteoric rise in commodities and fossil fuel prices, has an unprecedentedly devastating effect on the global automotive sector. All the automobile companies, hard hit by the crisis, posted major operating losses. Two of the three major U.S. car makers, General Motors and Chrysler, filed for bankruptcy. Jaguar Land Rover was hit hard in the second half of the year ended 31st March 2009. In the U.S, Europe and Japan, sales of new cars have declined by 16% in the second half of the year. Stimulus packages designed to rekindle demand were only partially successful. The volumes at JLR over the 10 months post acquisition reduced by 32% as compared to the comparable period in the previous year resulting in a Loss before tax of GB  £ 281 million. Europe was in doldrums. This was a major concern for the Tatas since it is a big market for Jaguar Land Rover. By the end of January 2009, Tata Motors had US$ 2 billion outstanding as regards the bridge loan. Moreover, JLR required additional investments, that too quickly, in order to sustain its operations that were burning cash at that juncture. Terming the acquisition as irrationally exuberant , critics started questioning the rationale for the companys move To compound the companys woes, the commercial launch of Tata Motors small car Nano required much more time than anticipated. The Nano was always more than just a car. It was Tata group supremo Ratan Tatas dream project to bring an affordable transportation solution within reach of the masses. The promise of a small car priced at Rs. 1 lakh had fired the imagination of an entire nation and the global automotive industry (Forbes) Faced with the altered dynamics of the new business environment, the company adapted its productive model as well as profit strategy to respond to the need of the hour. Prompt action was taken to reduce inventory, improve working capital, reduce investments and payroll costs including more than 2000 job losses. Transition initiatives were undertaken in marketing, customer financing support, IT and related infrastructure. The company appointed KPMG International and also Roland Berger Strategy Consultants to suggest appropriate action plans to reduce costs at the two brands. It retrenched 2,200 employees of JLR since it took over the management of JLR. The move was in sharp contrast to the well entrenched business practices followed by the Tata Group where no employees are retrenched. The company to secure flexible arrangements with the workforce in the UK. Tata Motors had Rs 191 crore in employee separation costs at JLR during the year ended 31st March 2009 The company finalized guarantee arrangements to access a  £340 million loan approved by the European Investment Bank. These funds will be used to develop new technologies for JLR. The Company prepaid part of the said facility out of proceeds of a Rights Issue and certain divestments and the balance outstanding as on March 31, 2009 was US$ 2.02 billion. For repayment of the said amount, the Company in May 2009 raised resources through further divestments and issued Secured Non-Convertible Credit Enhanced Rupee Debentures in four tranches, having tenors upto 7 years, aggregating Rs.4,200 crores on a private placement basis. The balance facility of US$ 1 billion was rolled over and guaranteed by the Company, by extending the final maturity upto December 2010. New launches were planned. Range Rover Evoque is to be launched in summer of 2011. With a view to capitalize on the growing demand for luxury cars in China, the company gave a major thrust to strategy for China and also explored possible assembly in India Tata Motors non-executive vice chairman Ravi Kant was quoted as saying: A lot of restructuring has happened at JLR but these are early days. We will continue with the cost reduction measures. (Press Meet, November 2010) Tata Motors Group CEO and Managing Director Carl-Peter Forster said, We are focussing on reducing costs and selective hiring for JLR. (Hindu) While sales of JLR, along with that of the Indian commercial vehicle segment significantly reduced in 2008-09 during the global meltdown, resulting in a consolidated loss for the company, all these segments registered an impressive recovery in 2009-10, an event that vindicated the sound fundamentals of the Companys longer-term strategies. The revival of Jaguar Land Rover was significant in April 2010 with global unit sales of the two British brands growing 61 percent, compared with the same month the year before. (Automotive News Europe) Source: Tata Motors Press Meet The efforts bore fruit when Tata Motors Limited posted a more than 100-fold gain in profit for the second-quarter ended 30th September 2010. Group net income, including Jaguar Land Rover, reached 22.2 billion rupees ($502 million) in the three months through September, compared with 218 million rupees a year earlier. This was attributable to global economic recovery, growing Chinese and US demand. (India Watch) Jaguar Land Rover reported a profit after tax of  £238 mn for the quarter ending Sept 2010. In a time span of eighteen months after the takeover, Tata Motors was able to turnaround the JLR story, adopting a strategy of cost-cutting and pushing sales. (MSN News) While JLR turnaround has been achieved, the declining sales of the Nano, the worlds cheapest car, continue to a major challenge for Tata Motors. For Nano, again, flexible to change, the company has initiated a pan-India campaign in order to promote and market the car. The strategy is to reach out to that class of buyers who were the original target base of the company. Senior executives at Tata Motors are closely following pro-active measures to reach out to customers. These include ensuring better coordination between banks and customers, facilitating tie-ups with regional finance institutions and opening newer channels to reach out to the end-consumer, among several others. However these efforts are yet to bear fruition. (Rediff) ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION We can see how the Force Field Analysis can be used in the analysis of the Tata Mators case: Eliminates Errors 1 Managers unhappy with clerical work 2 Faster execution of administrative work 1 Requires trained people 2 Online documentation eliminates the use of paper 4 Some of the activity costs shift to high paid staff 2 Reduces need for clerical staff 3 Cost of eliminating clerical staff 1 Increase Control and audit capabilities 1 Start up costs 1 Total 10 Total 8 From the above example we can clearly see that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages thus change can me possibly be implemented. Successful implementation of change is achieved by either making the driving forces strong or by making the preventive forces weak. After all these theories we can also look into some of the facts stated in regards to change management by research scholars in their papers. As per the findings of the paper Nobody in charge: Distributed Change agency in Healthcare we can clearly see that the authors that in complex organizations where a formal structure and environment is not present a more of a distributed change agency can be established where small teams and groups are formed. These teams have a wider scope of roles with distributed responsibility among all the stakeholders which was possible due to the change goals. Here nobody was watching over the other thus change was a lot voluntary. This is a good approach for such organizations to tackle with change. This concept could have been used by Tata Motors also to help in involving all the levels of management to get the due turnaround strategy in a faster and better manner. Nobody in charge: Distributed change agency in healthcare (2009) Another paper on change management in a dynamic business process tells us that we can make the execution of any business process flexible and adaptable to any situation through the change management technique. Run time change management softwares are used to make all the business processes in a company flexible and dynamic thus helping cope up with the demand for changes even after the new process has been implemented. Change Management in Dynamic Business Process (2010) Prof. Robert E. Ledez in his paper has shown change in a totally different picture. According to him employees perceive change with a very negative connotation and often relate it to downsizing, paycuts, layoffs and relocation. So the employees need to alter their mindset and enable change to take place as in this competitive and ever changing world change needs to take place in all forms like new technology, new ideas, innovations, structural changes and others. Change Management: Getting A Tuned Up Organization Kaizen means continuous improvement of productivity and quality which depends on the participation level of the entire workforce. This is a low-cost approach to productivity and quality improvement. Kaizen is applicable not only to the manufacturing sector but also to the service sector, public organizations, and non-profit organizations. Kaizen is one of most critical components of Japanese industrial support in developing countries. Introducing Kaizen (2009) In the review article of Asian Journal of Management Research it has explained change management as one that incorporates the tools of the company which can be utilized to help individuals to make winning personal evolutions resulting in the adoption and realization of change. The concept of change is not new to Indians, because change management programmes were conducted for Ministers in the Indian government and civil service officers during the 1980s. Change should be implemented smoothly while adapting all concerned stakeholders through planning, idea generation, sharing of information, preparation, evaluation, and reinforcing. There has to be the human resource as the backbone of this change. Implanting Change (2010) In the research paper Getting Organizational Change Right in Public Services: the Case of European Higher Education has thrown light towards the need or requirement of organizational change and the way to manage this change. Change for the sake of change can be detrimental to the organization so we can use the Bys model developed in 2007 called the conscious V/s unconscious change management theory which brings in successful organizational change. The rationale for the model is that most employees will realize that change initiatives are put forward and drilled into by personal interests, self preservation, indecision, lack of knowledge and incompetence rather than by requirement, knowledge, choice, competence, awareness and what is in the best interest of the sector and its stakeholders. Journal of Change Mangement (2008) Conclusion Actually in Kaizen (kai means change) and (zen mean for good) which is very relevant for all organizations today. The participative attitude of all the employees in any hierarchy can be used to find out different varied suggestions with regards to change in all the areas of the business. Change Management is a very evoking area and its necessity increases as the current economic and global climate demands constant evolution and change if companies want to prosper and grow. The technological innvovations, products and rising global competition will only enable the change that will be needed in order to compete. One cannot manage the past but can sure take charge of the future. In a book on managing change we see that organizations of today need to identify the skill set required to control, plan and manage the change activity. The employees need to determine the objectives, scope, and the direction of change and then formulate a structured implementation plan to cope with all the changes in the competitive environment. Managing Change (1991) In this book we see that today externally we find ourselves in an unpredictable economy with turbulent markets, self eclipsing technology and dramatic demographic trends which makes change imperative. It says that there needs to be a process of change in which there are Inputs are seen then strategy formulated, Transformation process and then Output is derived for the change activity. Through a proper strategic intent can change be formulated. Managing change (2004) Strategic Intent (1989) This book talks a lot about change and time period for change. It tells that organizations should focus on certain things for success like: Dont Delay the change activity as time and tide wait for no man. Change Today and not Tomorrow as there may be no tomorrow if the problem escalates. Do not let Bureaucracy hinder change. Change is for the good and is possible through proper communication. Change is simple but needs to be adapted well for results. By Reinventing and Repositioning the organization one can deal with all the oppositions to change. If we monitor the market and the environment we can anticipate and forecast change easily. Harvard Business School (2007)

Violence in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watchin

Violence in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watching God Several scenes from Seraph on the Suwanee parallel scenes from Their Eyes Were Watching God. The scene beginning â€Å"The gun came up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  on page 183 of Their Eyes Were Watching God and ending â€Å"†¦pried the dead Tea Cake’s teeth from her arm† on page 184 echoes the scene in Seraph on the Suwanee beginning â€Å"She flung her hands up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  on page 145 and ending â€Å" ‘†¦just as fast as you can’† on page 146. The premise for each scene is identical. The prime female character is forced to defend herself from a close male family member who has gone mad and is threatening her life. Even in the face of death, she is primarily concerned with his well-being and becomes the only person to set him free. The beginnings of both scenes are strikingly similar. In Their Eyes†¦, â€Å"The gun came up unsteadily but quickly and leveled at Janie’s breast.† In Seraph†¦, upon becoming aware of the axe in Earl’s hand, Arvay â€Å"flung her hands up to her breast.† Right away, the focus of violence is drawn to the female form, symbolized by the breast. However, the first thought to cross Janie’s mind with a gun to her chest is â€Å"even in [Tea Cake’s] delirium he took good aim.† She finds praise for him no matter what he does. Even while he is threatening her life, she automatically compliments him, then excuses his actions—â€Å"Maybe he would point to scare her, that was all.† It is obvious that the women are in positions where they must escape in order to survive. The phrase â€Å"for dear life† appears in Seraph as â€Å"fear for her life† appears in Their Eyes. Arvay must turn the lights off â€Å"so that she could not be so easily seen and make her escape† while â€Å"instinctively Janie’s hand flew behind her on the ri... ...ive if Tea Cake were to kill Janie and it is the same with Earl and Arvay. Both men must be stopped, and death, not the women’s adoration or forgiveness, becomes the only way. Hurston’s view of a very male-centered, almost male-worshipping society, is highly reflected in Janie’s and Arvay’s relationships with and attitudes towards Tea Cake and Earl. Everything the women do seems to be for the men and they push their own needs completely aside. The men’s utter disregard and total evil and violence towards the women starkly contrast the women’s undying devotion and love for the men. Up to the point of being killed by the men, the women stand strong by them, in support of them, and in order to help them, when it is exactly the opposite of what the men are doing for the women. The repetition of the violence scene in Their Eyes and Seraph reinforces Hurston’s view. Violence in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watchin Violence in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee and Their Eyes Were Watching God Several scenes from Seraph on the Suwanee parallel scenes from Their Eyes Were Watching God. The scene beginning â€Å"The gun came up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  on page 183 of Their Eyes Were Watching God and ending â€Å"†¦pried the dead Tea Cake’s teeth from her arm† on page 184 echoes the scene in Seraph on the Suwanee beginning â€Å"She flung her hands up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  on page 145 and ending â€Å" ‘†¦just as fast as you can’† on page 146. The premise for each scene is identical. The prime female character is forced to defend herself from a close male family member who has gone mad and is threatening her life. Even in the face of death, she is primarily concerned with his well-being and becomes the only person to set him free. The beginnings of both scenes are strikingly similar. In Their Eyes†¦, â€Å"The gun came up unsteadily but quickly and leveled at Janie’s breast.† In Seraph†¦, upon becoming aware of the axe in Earl’s hand, Arvay â€Å"flung her hands up to her breast.† Right away, the focus of violence is drawn to the female form, symbolized by the breast. However, the first thought to cross Janie’s mind with a gun to her chest is â€Å"even in [Tea Cake’s] delirium he took good aim.† She finds praise for him no matter what he does. Even while he is threatening her life, she automatically compliments him, then excuses his actions—â€Å"Maybe he would point to scare her, that was all.† It is obvious that the women are in positions where they must escape in order to survive. The phrase â€Å"for dear life† appears in Seraph as â€Å"fear for her life† appears in Their Eyes. Arvay must turn the lights off â€Å"so that she could not be so easily seen and make her escape† while â€Å"instinctively Janie’s hand flew behind her on the ri... ...ive if Tea Cake were to kill Janie and it is the same with Earl and Arvay. Both men must be stopped, and death, not the women’s adoration or forgiveness, becomes the only way. Hurston’s view of a very male-centered, almost male-worshipping society, is highly reflected in Janie’s and Arvay’s relationships with and attitudes towards Tea Cake and Earl. Everything the women do seems to be for the men and they push their own needs completely aside. The men’s utter disregard and total evil and violence towards the women starkly contrast the women’s undying devotion and love for the men. Up to the point of being killed by the men, the women stand strong by them, in support of them, and in order to help them, when it is exactly the opposite of what the men are doing for the women. The repetition of the violence scene in Their Eyes and Seraph reinforces Hurston’s view.

Cryptography :: essays research papers

Cryptography is one way you can keep information secure. A person who does not know the method used to change the information to keep it secure cannot copy the method used or reverse the change. The basic components of cryptographic systems are used to encipher (scramble) information so that it is difficult to determine the meaning without the appropriate key or key(s) to decipher (unscramble) the information. The components include cryptographic algorithms (mathematical functions) for enciphering or deciphering information and keys. Symmetric and asymmetric are two examples of cryptographic systems. Symmetric systems use the same key to encipher and decipher. Asymmetric systems generate and use different keys to encipher and decipher a secure key pair. With this key pair, consisting of a public key and a private key, only one key can decipher what the other enciphers. Merely knowing one key does not make it very likely that someone will be able to figure out the other key. Asymmetric key pairs are used in creating digital signatures and transporting symmetric keys. In the past, most encryption systems only used symmetric cryptography. The problem with symmetric cryptography though, is the difficulty encountered in distributing keys to certain people. Since symmetric cryptography uses the same key for enciphering and deciphering, a person has to use creative and difficult means to prevent someone from intercepting the key. If a third party were to intercept the key, they could use it to decipher anything it was used to encipher. A solution to this problem is public key cryptography which uses asymmetric cryptography to transport symmetric keys.

A Dog’s Death Analysis Essay

The reason why I chose to write about of A Dog’s Death, is because it reminds me of a dog that I had growing up. Whenever the dog got sick my brothers, sisters and I would always think the worst about what happened to him when he got sick. Since we lived in the country on farm land there was always the possibility that he may have gotten hit by a car, bitten by a snake, or poisoned by neighbors that didn’t like him. In John Updike’s poem, â€Å"Dog’s Death†, the dog who dies in the poem and her owner expresses a sense of abandonment which illustrates the mourning of one who loses their dog. I think the approach for analyzing this poem will best fit for reflecting the imagination, tone, image, and similarly designed to reveal the tone I observed in the poem. The theme of â€Å"Dog’s Death† is based on the life and death of a family dog. When the author, John Updike starts at the beginning explaining how the dog might have gotten the fatal injury. This short paper will discuss the dog’s death as a theme for this short story. The beginning talks of the fatal injury that might have brought this family pet to her demise. The family thinks that she must have been kicked unseen or brushed by a car (Updike, Clugston, 2010). Imagination comes into play by speaking of the dog learning to use the potty on the newspaper, and then again it could also be that the paper was put down on the floor because the dog was suffering from diarrhea and didn’t have a chance to go on the newspaper either. It gives the reader a chance to think of a pet they once had and empathize with the writer about his dog dying (Clugston, 2010). The plot of the story is very similar to the theme of the story. The plot discusses the manner in which the dog dies, or the circumstances surrounding the dog’s death. The family continues to play and go on as if nothing is wrong with her. As the children went to school that Monday morning, the dog went under the bed. As the children went off to school in their minds she was ok until they see her underneath the youngest child’s bed lying in a heap. Holding the dog in his lap on the in car, he was stroking and rubbing her warm fur. One can see the image in their mind of the writer touching and looking at his pet using all of his senses of the dog lying in his lap dying (Clugston, 2010 pg. 2. 5). When the wife called out to her husband in tears one can feel the pain in the reading of the poem, especially one that has lost a pet. In an attempt to show a sign of life, the dog attempts to bite the hand of the owner that is caring for and holding the dog on the way to the vet’s office, but instead the dog dies. â€Å"In the poem, a young unnamed dog is just learning to be â€Å"good,† which the Speaker associates in particular with being house-trained: â€Å"She was beginning to learn/ to use the newspapers spread on the kitchen floor and to win, wetting there, the words,† Good dog! Good dog! The â€Å"shy malaise† that the speaker initially attributes to a shot reaction but turns out to be a ruptured liver is characterized as â€Å"her heart learning to lie down forever. † This last command is from nature rather than culture, however, and the poem frames the final moment of the dog’s death as the final contest between these two forces: the dog is ultimately disobedient, showing her untamed side by biting the speaker and by failing to heed the â€Å"imperious,† commanding tone of the speaker’s wife, who tries to call the dog back as she is dying, slipping from the realm of culture into that of nature. † The beginning of this story seems to be telling you about the dog learning to use the newspaper to go to the bathroom, but the actual message is the dog’s death. The very last part of the story talks of the dog not making it to the newspaper when the dog was nearing her death. In my criticism of the poem, this story could have given the reader more background of the story. What we do know is that she could have been kicked or brushed by a car is not enough information to really tell us what really happened to her. Besides the fact she had a ruptured liver. How did this happen? It could have been much more personal if the dog had a name in the story, as the only thing that brings the dog to reality is the fact that we are given the fact that she is a girl, there were children in the home, and the wife comforted her on the way to the vet.

How the Rising Cost of Fuel Has Affected the Quality of Life

Petroleum well-known as fuel is very useful to our lives. According to Department of Energy, the world consumes nearly 85 million barrels of oil per day. It is completely shows that everybody needs fuel. We use them to fuel cars, airplanes, heater to our home, and to make products like medicines, plastics and materials. The first fuel prices crisis began in 1973, which there was a heavy transfer from the industrialized nations to the oil-exporting nations (Coleman & Cressey, 1990). While in 2004, fuel prices were starting to rise and everything correlated with people and goods has changed. Many factors affect it, such as changes of unfinished oil prices, the transparency of oil markets and rules that affect prices of gasoline (FRES, 2004). In reality, the price of oil has raised would be because of strong contribution by OPEC country, which is Middle-east countries, like Iraq. Whereat, Iraq is one of the fourth highest countries that produce oil to the world. It directly changed the quality to people lives in all over the world. Because fuel is one of natural resources and very important to fulfill people needs. Its effect of gaining will spread in all sectors of countries natural environment. The largest negative influenced part of the rising cost is economy sector. Several industries or companies could not compete without approaching qualified products, because they require lots of energy, raw materials and transportation fees which have strong relationship with fuel. Therefore, those companies planned to raise their product prices so they still can achieve more profits from it and raising the inflation rise. It will also affect the most to some developmental countries. For example, Indonesia as net country importer oil will have negative influences to many industries sectors (Indonesia: Data and Forecasts). Briefly, the raising cost of fuel will eventually influences the economy activity, to the profit or the production of a company and inflation. At last it will affect financial market, exchange rate, country’s finance and the worst is increasing of unemployment. In addition, the raising of fuel means increasing tariff of air transportations, land transportations and water transportations. As reported in some news, British Airways, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic airplanes are planning to raise their fare tickets in response of the fuel prices. In fact, transportations are one of the most effected aspects of fuel prices. Every company needs to transport their products to another place, so it will affect to raise the products prices because it cost more for them to delivered products to another place. On the contrary, the high prices of fuel could also stimulate companies to produce more oil. Moreover, when oil price rise, oil companies get even richer which mean they have more weight to trade in. Furthermore in public society, most of citizens have their own cars and fuel become their primary needs. Many people decided to preserve their money on gas since the cost of fuel is increasing. They assumed that if gas prices get higher, they might avoid spending money on other goods and services. Even as some families have a routine, like going to some places on vacation they usually use their cars for long trips and it requires more gas. As a result of the fuel prices, they might prefer to stay at home than to spend money on an expensive fuel. Besides, the increasing of gas prices will affect the prices of their everyday stuff, such as groceries and home appliances. In some way, it is changed people’s lifestyles. As the price of gas goes up, so does the price of a new home. Because, petroleum is the based product for building materials and house equipments, so anything dealing with petroleum is on the rise. Even though the price of gas may change, but they keep build their home. It is a basic need for human being, so they will not get distract of the prices (Mansalle, 2006). Another effect of the changing fuel prices is electricity. Since its raising, people make up their minds to use the electricity less than they usually consume. Several researches reported that a small amount of people feel grateful of the increasing cost of gasoline. They prefer to walk than drive cars with expensive gas prices. Furthermore, it is healthier and avoids people to dependence on personal cars. The rising of fuel prices have forced some students, to change their driving habits. Especially for students who lives far away from their schools, colleges or universities. Meanwhile some students have turned to get on a bus in order to save their money on an expensive fuel. Although the prices of public transportations are rising, but it will still be cheaper. Teenagers are also part of citizens who have affected on the fuel prices. It is going up outrageous and terrifying. They feel dissatisfied and disappointed because it will change their pocket money indirectly. In order to deal with the increasing of fuel, there are some suggestions that might be worthy for government to handle the situation. It is better if government invest in energy alternatives, such as pampetro cars, hybrid vehicles, petrofree cars and ethanol (Madslien, 2006). Pampetro cars only use petroleum. Hybrid vehicle uses petroleum and other sources. While Petrofree cars do not use petroleum, it is 100% electric cars. Ethanol is a type of fuel made from corn hunks which relatively cheap and gives better efficiency. This way, would help keep our environment clean from pollution and help preserve our natural resources. This would also help to increase the production of corn. I think this is the perfect time for people to use public transportations. At the beginning, Government provides public transportations for citizens but people yet still using their own cars. Using public transportations will also help government to generate revenue. Actually, there are some thoughts that might be useful for people to save their money on gas. First, try to drive slower than we usually are. Because drive faster than the speed limit will uses more gas. Second, keep cars in good shape and take good care of it. Last thought, find a car that has the best gas mileage when planning to buy one (Nwazota, 2004). Maybe those opinions will offer some improvements to change people’s bad habits. Indirectly, it will help us to save more money on gasoline.

Ethics Final

Humans decided to start categorizing, and grouping humans based on various things. Research shows that man is of but one kind, and not like an animal of several species (Schaefer, R, T. (2006).. Humans have assumed that because people with different skin color, different cultural beliefs, or different ways of thinking that they must be of a different biological race (Schaefer, R, T. (2006). Society has created everything from what foods to eat, what music to listen to, to what they teach their children and true generations about acceptance of each other and passing on racial beliefs.Politicians and people of wealth have been notorious for labeling groups and racial profiling to get the higher up so to speak, or to create justification in the community. Race began simply a categorization of physical biological characteristics such as hair type, shape of the eyes and nose, and skin color (Schaefer, R, T. (2006). White was white, and black was black; then came the categorizing of additi onal attributes such as afro-textured hair and large noses on African Americans, or olive skin, slanted yes, and shiny Jet black hair in Asians.Biologically speaking there is nothing as simple as black and white. For many, many years people have relocated or traveled all over the world and mingled and procreated with other races which has now mixed traits, and been passed down generation after generation. It seems virtually Impossible to truly Identify a person's race, because I find It hard to believe there would be any â€Å"purebreds† during this day and age. 2. How has the media contributed to prejudice and discrimination against Asian Americans? How might these problems be remedied?The media has contributed to the prejudice and discrimination against Asian American in several ways that demonstrate insensitivity and biased reporting. According to our textbook, the media has had a negative Impact on the views of Aslant Americans by using Inappropriate clicks, mistaken Iden tity, personalization, using ethnic slurs, biased and inflammatory reporting, bashing their native Japan, media Invisibility, and even model minority which sets the positive standards of Aslant Americans too high (Schaefer, R, T. (2006).Stereotyping them as a â€Å"model minority† creases tenet chances AT acceptance when It comes to social programs, employment, and other social ills (Schaefer, R, T. (2006). Asian Americans are often times viewed as well-educated and successful. Little does society notice that these Asian Americans do not normally hold high corporate positions, rather they are running their small own business and employ their family, taking care of one another as best they can. The media and even entertainment honchos never embrace Asian Americans as athletes or potential celebrities with mainstream roles. AsianAmericans are never heard and asked for their input when the media is addressing problems in their community, as well when it comes to issues regarding Asia (Schaefer, R, T. (2006). These problems of negative portrayal against Asian Americans held by the media can be remedied by first of all overcoming the idea that they are a â€Å"model minority' and realize that they work hard, love their families, sought the United States to live the â€Å"American Dream† and try to escape poverty. The media can choose their words wisely refraining from any slur words or phrases such as â€Å"Asian Invasion† or â€Å"OrientExpress†. The media should also express the increased population in areas of heavy Asian descent I also believe the media should tell or write stories of influence such as Asian Americans striving in America, working 7 days a week to make ends meet. I think the media should exploit the poverty side of the Asian American community to help decrease the model minority views so they may be eligible for more minority programs. References Schaefer, R, T. (2006). Racial and ethnic groups (10th deed. ). Upper S addle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

How do I know anything?

The Film The Matrix was a Box Office hit due to the idea it presented to the audience. Even though Descartes' Meditations inspired the film, the idea of living in a computer simulated environment was an interesting, original concept that had been created recently. It opened up a question, how do I know anything? It is possible that we may be living in a computer-simulated environment, or in a big dream of some sort. We are unable to prove any of this at the moment, which could then possibly lead to scepticism about this theory. The only real argument to support the theory is to use the fact that our government keeps information confidential from the public, for a number of reasons. This demonstrates that there are things that we do not know; therefore, we should not totally doubt what we do not know, and that we may be living in a simulated environment. There is also the problem of perception. It is easy for us to perceive something to be different to what it really is. Magicians use optical illusions to fool us. If we are living in a simulated environment, then how can we break ourselves away from the perception that we are in, to separate ourselves from the simulation, and find out what the other reality is like? The closest technology has come to simulating environments is virtual reality. The environment is simulated, allowing humans to interact, although they may be elsewhere. The graphics within virtual reality are still basic, and this is one of the reasons why we are able to recognise virtual reality as being different to reality. Another reason is that virtual reality does not cause you to feel pain. Whether Virtual Reality is comparable to the neural-simulated environment in The Matrix, VR is the closest thing we have to relate to the theory. However, VR could be as real as reality if it had realistic models of physics (e.g. feather and coin fall at the same rate in a vacuum), better graphics, and the ability to stimulate the body into experiencing physical feelings of pain, heat and cold, etc. Another problem with doing this is having a computer powerful enough to process all this information via calculations. IBM have developed a supercomputer that can calculate the force of nuclear explosions. Does a computer exist powerful enough to simulate the reality we live in exactly? If it does, then the theory proposed by the film could be right. Another concern brought up by the film was about A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). In the film, A.I. developments created intelligent, living computers. Machines are physically better than man in many ways. They do not excrete, need tea breaks at work, sleep, be lazy, require wages, things that humans do. They are more efficient than humans. However, Humans have consciences, imaginations, and the ability to think. Computers do not have this. If computers did have this, they may be worth more than human life. Once recognising their status and power, it is possible that they may consider the human race to be inefficient, and may then start to eliminate humanity, like in The Matrix and The Terminator. This is something we have to be wary about when we decide to improve A.I., whether it be in industrial machines, home appliances, or computer games. If AI started to have a mind of its own, would anyone be willing to corrupt it, and turn it against others? It could be something terrorists would do to disrupt the activities of Governments around the globe? It may not be possible for machines to be a living, independent-thinking species. Computers work by calculations. Let us take an example. Home appliance in the future; greets person as they get in the door. A sensor will detect that the door is opening. It activates another smart sensor to identify that person. It is the house-owner. It greets with ‘hello'. The house-owner says ‘hello' back. The appliance uses a sensor to detect the reply, and assesses it not only for vocal identification, but to determine what mood the person is in. It will then choose a speech passage suited to the mood of the person. E.g. the person has a cold, so the computer tells the person that they are making a warm glass of Lemon and Honey for them, and ordering for a prescription of medicine to the doctor. Another sensor in the house will scan the person and send the details of the cold to the doctor, allowing the doctor to prescribe the right medication. The person will say ‘thanks', and the appliance will say ‘your welcome'. All this could happen just by entering the door and saying hello. The computer can display signs of compassion, but will not actually feel them. This will be a major mountain to conquer in the development of Artificial Intelligent Life. Commercially, Artificial Intelligence is still under development, and will take some time before it can resemble anything human. Overall, Technology will get better, and maybe we will discover if the simulated neural environment theory is right.

Bridgeton Industries Essay Example for Free

Bridgeton Industries Essay 1. Describe the competitive environment for Bridgeton as well as the cost accounting system currently in use. When foreign competition and scarce, expensive gasoline began to play an important role in the market, Bridgeton began to lose domestic market share. The ACF Bridgeton plant faced new challenges in their production that led them to serious cutbacks like the closing of the ACF plant for manufacture of fuel-efficient diesel engines. By 1987, they classified their products in terms of â€Å"world class† competitive position and potential. With four criteria (quality, customer service, technical capability and competitive cost position) they classified their products in Class I (remain), II (observe) and III (outsource). The classification allowed Bridgeton to take decisions on how to better manage their products performance compared to their competitors. The cost accounting system was product costing, a mixed between job costing and process costing. 2. Explain why manifolds moved from Class II to Class III after oil pans and muffler-exhaust systems had been outsourced from the ACF. Despite improvements in the production process manifolds were downgraded from Class II to III. The results were not sufficient, even though they increased the uptime from an average of 30% to 65% they were behind their Japanese competitors that reached a â€Å"world class† goal of 80% uptime. In addition, as seen in Exhibit 2, the direct material costs for manifolds (based on stainless steel) is extremely high as a percentage of sales (around 40%) compared to the other products manufactured at ACF and at a better Class level. However, there was a doubt on this move due to the possibility of new market requirements for lighter weight (more efficient manifolds). This represented a good opportunity for ACF because as they manufactured manifolds with stainless steel, demand could increase and therefore selling price too. Bridgeton Industries. (2017, Feb 11).

In what ways has Japan succeeded in shaping international politics in Essay

In what ways has Japan succeeded in shaping international politics in the Asia-Pacific without reviving memories of its past aggression - Essay Example Since the end of the Second World War, Japan withdrew from international politics, mostly because of measures imposed by the United States and by its Asian neighbours who suffered Japan’s aggression during the Second World War. And now after more than half a century of withdrawal from international politics, Japan is now slowly becoming a major player in the international scene. This paper shall discuss Japan’s re-entry into international politics, particularly focusing on Japan’s role in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan has been successful in playing a major role in international politics, especially in the Asia-Pacific region through its adoption of its multi-tiered approach. This multi-tiered approach which has been adopted to improve international cooperation among the Asia-Pacific nations is a new policy perspective which â€Å"packages different types of coordination among region states, including bilateral, multilateral, and minilateral or subregional, in a layered hierarchical manner† (Ashizawa, 2003, p. 361). Through this approach Japan has managed to maintain its enthusiasm for multilateral agreements even with countless criticisms on its significance and effectiveness. Through the multi-tiered approach, Japan has managed to maintain its security arrangements with the United States (Ashizawa, 2003, p. 361). And in applying such arrangements, Japan was able to form more connections with Asia-Pacific nations. With the adoption of new changes in its regional security order, the s elf-recognition of its status as a major power, and through its imposed constitutional constraints, Japan has managed to apply the multi-tiered approach as an effective approach in shaping its security policy and international relations 50 years after the Second World War (Ashizawa, 2003, p. 361). As far as its Asian neighbours are concerned, Japan has been trying

Cloning Devices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cloning Devices - Research Paper Example In this scenario, IBM compatible computers can be considered as an excellent example of computer cloning for the reason that they are a clones of IBM's original machines. In addition, the Compaq portable is known as the first IBM clone (TechTerms, 2013; Computer Hope, 2013). The history of the "cloning" can be traced back to mid-1980s when it was first used to define Windows-based or DOS (disk operating system) computers developed by organizations other than IBM. In this scenario, the machines developed by the third parties were referred to as "IBM compatible" or "IBM clones," computers. The reason for using the term clone to describe these computers was that these computers worked accurately in the same way as the ones developed by IBM Corporation. In fact, these machines ran the same software and used the same hardware as was used in their original versions. Additionally, PC clones are still useful and are built frequently. In addition, now the trend of making clones has attained t o an extensive growth and more than dozens of development firms have already working in this domain. For instance, some of the well-known firms such as Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony and Compaq as well as many other manufacturers all make Windows-based computers. In fact, the trend of using clones has also increased to a huge extent. For instance, PCs (personal computers) are actually used to refer to the IBM clones. Up till now, the concept of cloning was used in the context of hardware however the term "clone" can also be utilized to express software that is built for the same purpose as another more typical software program. In fact, the term cloning can be used for a variety of types such as electronic devices excluding computers that work similar to other electronics (TechTerms, 2013; The SCO Group, Inc., 2004). The research has shown that the development of a clone provides a variety of advantages. Some of the common uses of cloning are outlined below: Reinstatement of computer after a crash Without a doubt, a clone of boot drive is believed to be a critical tool for retrieval from a state that occurs due to a system crash or failure. If a person or a company does not develop a clone, then the recovery from a system crash or failure can take a lot of time (i.e. from a few hours to a few weeks), even though they have implemented a proper back up plan. Basically, the development of a bootable clone allows the company to clone a variety of bootable files which encompass programs (normally), system operating system, user settings, and a variety of updates, software customizations, passwords, and many more. Even though an organization has made sure that all its applications and programs are available on readily-available optical disc, they can still take days to load again, configure and update everything. On the other hand, if the firm or an individual has developed a latest bootable clone, it will require you only a few minutes to get your business or routine acti vities back on the track. Repair of previous operating system or programs after a failed upgrade There are many cases when an individual or an organization attempts to upgrade their operating system or major functions of some critical application and they go extremely off-center, and their computer may fail to perform critical operations. In many cases it happens due to inefficiency of a hardware component that is required to support an upgraded component

Do Natural Disasters lead to internal conflict within a country Essay

Do Natural Disasters lead to internal conflict within a country - Essay Example The fact that natural disasters can have serious impact on the society and the people suggests that these need to be managed in a proper way (Shaw, 2011). If this does not happen, there would be immense problems for the entire civilization and the one that comes about as a result of the natural disasters and calamities existing within the region. The natural disasters are deemed as some of the most significant problems that have come about with the passage of time within this day and age. This is because they can come about suddenly and their drastic effects are something to get worried about (Perry, 2007). What is even more worsening is the fact that the natural disasters lead to an anarchic state and the people feel juxtaposed in terms of loss of property and even the loss of lives within their families and friends. The internal conflict can arise within a country because people might feel that since they have already lost their family members and their homes and property, they might as well claim control upon the property remains intact of others. It gives them the leeway to do whatsoever they feel like and thus exert their influence in more ways than one (Dyi, 2009). The internal conflicts do come about because the people have been hard done by. They have no other means to make both ends meet and the aid and help seem to be a far gone conclusion. What they can think best under these times is to seek refuge somewhere and this is only possible when they can play havoc with the system that exists within the country at that point in time. Similarly, they are also aware that they can create anarchy and mess by loot and plundering at that time because they might get back on their feet but they would not be able to become as rich as the well-off individuals of the society and it is best for them to e xploit the ways and means of the people who have seen good days within their lives (Stevens, 2008). Thus loot and plundering becomes the buzzword within such settings and for a number of different reasons, not all of which are based on problematic issues and concerns. The conflicts within a country can also come about in the wake of natural disasters if the select group of people is bent upon finding out where they can gain something or the other, and at any point in time within their lives. They are always waiting for an opportunity that they cash upon, and once they come to know of such concerns that emit from the aegis of the natural disasters, they seem to grab it with both hands, thinking less of the people who are already suffering or will suffer due to the calamity or catastrophe which has hit them (Mulligan, 2011). The earthquakes of Turkey, Haiti, Chile, Indonesia and Pakistan are some of the examples where contrasting features of conflict came about. The catastrophes that took place in these nations shook the basis of the people and their governments came in with drastic steps to take care of the local populace. The conflicts came in when the people realized that they would have to get their respective house in order so that sanity could prevail within their ranks (Rosowsky, 2011). These individuals create anarchy because they want to ransack the property and incur loses on the part of the government, partly in line with the shortcomings that the organizations and institutions, and basically the government has had in the dealing with the masses of the society. The underdeveloped countries are the worst hit – mainly because they have fewer avenues of proper infrastructure and

Paper #1 (Economic) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper #1 (Economic) - Essay Example The price elasticity of demands demonstrates how the demand for a product is affected by a change in its price. A simple mathematical formula which expressed the relationship and provides a way to calculate price elasticity is (% change in quantity / % change in price). There are several factors that can affect demand elasticity. These are availability of substitutes, amount of income available to spend on a good, and time (Investopedia, 2007). A substitute product is an item that might not compete directly with a particular product, but has similar characteristics and can replace the consumption for the original product. For example Pam spray is a substitute product for corn oil. A substitute product is the factor that influences elasticity the most. The higher the amount of substitute products available in the market that can replace a product, the more price sensitive a product becomes. A product with few substitute products that the consumer needs is considered to be in inelastic because changes in the price of the product will not affect the demand for the product that much. â€Å"Caffeine is an inelastic product because it lacks substitutes† (Investopedia, 2007). The level of income a person has is another factor that affects elasticity. A person might want a particular item, but if his economic reality does not allow him to afford the item then he is not considered in the demand equation of a product. The way income affects demand the most can be seen by a person’s consumption of a product he regularly purchases, for example soft drinks. If a person’s income decreases by half the most likely scenario is that this individual will lower his consumption of soft drinks, thus lowering the overall demand for the product. Time can convert an inelastic product such as tobacco into elastic if a person begins to lower his purchase frequency by reducing his consumption of the item over

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 23

Marketing - Essay Example In the past, the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion) of marketing strategy were highly relevant mainly because of the three main reasons. They were lack of variety within the products, people were exposed to limited means of publicity and lastly promotional activities were more localised. The strategy therefore, was viable in the given restrained parameters and yielded results that satisfied both the customers and the retailers of the time (Shultz, 2001). Unilever had realized early that technological advancements have brought forth an explosion of information that is easily accessible to public through the internet and other media like television, radio, mobile phones etc. The internet has made it easy for the customers to become aware of the product details including its availability at competitive prices which has precipitated the need to develop a whole new perspective for a new marketing technique. One needs to be more open when Shultz say that it is the end-users who now control the markets rather than the marketers. Unilever understood the compulsions of the contemporary times and has adopted innovative and mix market strategy for its Axe products to meet the challenges from its rival companies in the global market. It is true that increased awareness among the customers has put more pressure on the marketers. Even though the customer base is increasing, it is becoming difficult not only to attract more customers but also to retain them. So, one need to add something ‘more’ on the existing products to make it more attractive without compromising much on the price. In fact, the more innovative the product and fancier the promotional techniques, the higher are its chances of capturing market space. Thereby, asserting that brands, advertising, and promotional techniques are very important tools of marketing. The Axe products have incorporated this marketing mantra in their strategy and maintained an edge over their

Freedom movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Freedom movement - Essay Example It also marked an important moment for the Black American society who continuously fought for equal rights within the American society (Smith & Wynn, 2009. The act ended the application of the Jim Crow laws that upheld segregation under the principles of â€Å"separate but equal.† It is important to note that prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, African-Americans faced serious discrimination in nearly all important sectors of the economy including employment, transport, property ownership, education and even politics. The passage of the law has since shaped the American society and that is still undergoing transformation. The consequences of the passage of the Civil Rights Act 1964 have seen significant diversity in the employment sector in America. Currently, Blacks face limited if any discrimination in employment. This has seen significant growth of the American economy as every individual struggles to involve in any income generating activity. Since the pas sage of the Act that led to increase in employment of the African-Americans, the economy of the USA has witnessed significant stability considering fair distribution of income and reduced overreliance of the economy on the White population. Additional consequence of passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 relates to significant integration of people from different races, religion and ethnicity, which is working to liquidate some of the native culture of the various American communities. In politics, the passage of the act has seen significant involvement of Blacks in the daily politics of USA. It is due to the strict provisions of the Act that America is currently under the Presidency of Barrack Obama who is a Black American. Furthermore, it is due to the Act that African-Americans like Condoleezza Rice managed to occupy powerful government office during administration of President George Bush. Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956) The cause of the boycott related to the arrest of Rose Parka who was a civil rights activist for failing to empty a bus seat in Montgomery. The Black community responded to the arrest by boycotting transport by bus until in 1956 when court overruled the segregation laws in Montgomery as unconstitutional. This even revolutionized social structure and has led to free interaction between Whites and the Blacks (Phibbs, 2009). The law has seen free movement of people across the states by same transport means. This has worked to alienate fears of discrimination alongside enhancing trade and economic development in the USA. The event and the accompanying ruling transformed the political policies created by states and local governments. Currently, many states abide by the principles of equality and fairness that has help in political stability in America. Role of Black women in the Freedom Movement Despite being subject to gender discrimination within their own race, Black women proved an essential part of the whole Freedom Movement. Black wom en assumed the roles of bridge leaders to support their male counterparts in advancing their fight for freedom. The women assumed the roles of bridge leaders because it was only area that they could occupy since men held the formal leadership positions. In that line, the Black women practiced four main types of bridge leadership that included mainstream, community, indigenous and