Thursday, October 31, 2019

Tran Poem essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tran Poem - Essay Example The research took me to places I haven’t even imagined, and opened a whole new sphere of unexplored miseries of life I wasn’t even aware of. Writing this poem proved to be an enlightening and a life changing experience for me, and as I progressed through the development of the poem new doors kept opening for me giving a new perspective to my life each time I entered another phase of the poem. The poem is thus more than just expressive art for me, rather it`s a smaller part of a bigger evolution that I had gone through ever since. â€Å"Now when I look back†, was the perfect beginning for my poem as I`ve associated a versatile range of feelings and emotions with the bitter experiences, which compel me on looking back towards the hardest time of my life. There are two kinds of encounters that you can never get off your mind, the one which rejoices you to the fullest to the extent that it replenishes your energies and the second which are so hard to take that every second seem to pass like a lifetime. From the stare in people`s eyes to the glare in the children`s sight, everything seemed to rip off a part of my heart. I was the center of attention for every passerby, not in a good way though. There were mixed kinds of expressions that people were exhibiting towards me, which were very hard to explain. I had never in my life experiences the nature of expressive reactions that people were giving which made it even harder to interpret the messages. As I set my steps in the street to start off my day, I was mindful of the fact that I was indeed taking a very bold step which is completely unacceptable to the society. I thought I was ready, though I later realized I wasn’t. When everyone was staring at me, people turning back to have a second look at me and cars literally stopping by with the intent of publically abusing me, I tried to adjust to the changes by explaining myself that this process is necessary to understand the essence of the i ssue. Taking the reaction positively, I tried to continue the activity shifting the focus on my aim for the research instead of the harsh comments being thrown at me. All my efforts for trying to get comfortable were literally going to waste, as every moment was becoming even more difficult for me. While I was caught up in the adjustment phase, a very strange yet disturbing incident occurred to me. A boy almost my age came up to me and told me how I`m a disgrace to the society and how I should rather kill myself for the betterment of the society. I couldn’t take his comments anymore thus I retaliated though it wasn’t something that I was supposed to do during the course of the activity. I cross questioned the boy asking him how my identity was a disgrace to anyone, and how my individuality can be affecting anyone else. His answer was as disturbing as the harshest cut in my heart that only the sharpest knife could leave. He quoted some verse from a theological narration and told me how I had committed a sin in my former life, due to which God had punished me for my sin and I will skink the entire society with the disgust that I carry. I said nothing but walked away silently, and it was the first time in my life that I couldn’t stop my tears. The strength in me was fading away. This experience took my thoughts to many other perspectives of life. I`ve always understood the significance that one`s identity carries but I`ve never thought about those who are

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Ford vs Toyota Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ford vs Toyota - Essay Example rds protecting the environment Ford has often been categorized as one of the leaders in terms of innovating fuel efficient vehicles in the current automotive market Ford has expanded its business activities to several developing countries including the European, Asia Pacific, Middle-Eastern, African and American regions Weaknesses Ford has been noticed to significantly depend upon the automobile sector restricting itself from expanding to other segments. In this regard, it can be stated that Fords is likely to lack in diversification strategy The company has also been criticized on the basis of its efficiency in establishing sustainable markets for high end cars The company can be witnessed to face the limitation of continuously declining market share in its global market, especially in the Asia Pacific region owing to the increase in competition level Ford can be witnessed to consider defensive competitive strategies in most instances to cope up with the competition in the internati onal arena Financial stability of Ford is significantly impacted by the economic fluctuations of that particular region Opportunities Ford has introduced hybrid cars which runs on electrical energy and is forecasted to have great opportunity in the near future The demand for fuel efficient vehicles of Ford has been notably increasing opening up significant opportunities for its future growth The increasing sales revenue evidently depicts that Ford has been well accepted in the global market by its customers The automobile sector has been noticed to demonstrate a growing trend in the small and medium markets Introduction of fuel efficient cars, such as ‘Focus ECOnetic’ of Ford in the European market, are likely to have significant opportunities for the growth of the company in its future Threats The sales volume of cars has been noticed to decline to a certain extent in various places such as US, Canada and UK among others imposing a market risk to Ford The company has b een facing significant competition from the Japanese automotive companies operating within the Western regions The company faces difficulties as a result of the strict emission norms in certain nation such as US and Europe causing an obstruction on its marketing operations Ford has been facing a problem in capturing the Asian markets owing to the presence of automobile giants such as Toyota which in turn hampered the growth of the company in terms of its market share Economic fluctuations tend to impose a major threat to Ford’s financial stance in that particular region (Ford Motor Company, 2012; Richter, A. & Pahl, 2009) Toyota Motor Corporation Strengths Toyota is among the leading manufacturers of automobiles in terms of production capacity as well as sales volume Toyota is recognized as a company which is dedicated towards producing environmentally safe vehicles and technologies, since its inception Toyota is the manufacturer of world’s most excellent selling hybri d car, Prius which evidently rewarded the company a leading position in the inter

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The cultural belief of hegemonic masculinity

The cultural belief of hegemonic masculinity Hegemonic masculinity is a belief in existence of culturally normative ideal of male behavior that is characterized by tendency for male dominance. Proponents of hegemonic masculinity theory argue that hegemonic masculinity is not necessarily the most dominant form of expression in male although it is the most socially endorsed; always contributing to subordinate position of women. Connell (2005) notes that hegemonic masculinity is characterized by ambition, strength, drive and self reliance and argues that such characteristics are encouraged in males but not in females. In his opinion, Donaldson (1993) argues that hegemonic masculinity concerns the dread of and the flight from women; and views it as a culturally idealized form, a personal or collective project and a strategic strategy for men to subordinate women. It is violent, exclusive, anxiety provoking, internally and hierarchically differentiated. However, Donaldson (1993) highlights that not all men practice it, although many benefit from it. Furthermore, it constructs the most dangerous things that humanity must content with; it is resilient and incorporates its own critique, although unraveling. This essay discusses the concept of hegemonic masculinity in relation to gender and social change. Hegemonic Masculinity: Gender and Social Change The concept of hegemonic masculinity is criticized for being framed within hetero-normative conception of gender that essentializes male-female difference and ignores difference and exclusion within the gender categories (Trigiani 1999). The concept largely rests logically on dichotomization of sex, which is biological versus gender, which is cultural, thus marginalizing the body (Trigiani 1999). According to Cornnell (2005) hegemonic masculinity is constructed in relation to subordinated masculinities; especially women thus there is no feminist that is hegemonic in the sense that the dominant form of masculinity is hegemonic among men. Iacuone (2005) views hegemonic masculinity as the most common blueprint for gender in Western culture as it dictates how real men should behave and the goals they should aspire to attain through the masculinity practice. It is an imagined construct rather than a practical one, with only few people possessing all its traits, although majority hold the principle with highest esteem (Iacuone 2005). In line with hegemonic masculinity traits, the identity of heterosexual man depends on his dislike of subordinated gender constructs; hence Iacuone (2005) admits that hegemonic masculinity views women as objects, depicts them as servile and most appropriate for domestic duties; only being value to men in a sexual capacity. The dominant masculine culture influences attitudes of construction workers, whereby hegemonic masculinity prescribes that men should be tough, be courageous enough to face danger and to dominate over others. Such men only view social environment as a conducive place for ri sk taking, with most of them viewing women as sex objects who should be there to entertain them and even embrace sexual assault to women as acceptable (Iacuone 2005). However, a small portion of men try to resist the influences of hegemonic masculine culture in gender, especially in settings where men challenge traditional patriarchal relations with an aim of improving womens welfare (Iacuone 2005). Kimmel Amy (2008) view hegemonic masculinity as a social ideal of a real man, described by society as young, married, white, and protestant, urban, heterosexual, white of college education, good complexion, height, and weight and employed. They argue that any male who does not have any of the described character traits should consider himself as inferior or unworthy. Gender is an ever present force that defines daily behavior of human beings. Spade Valentine (2010) bring out the masculinity contrast between men and women as viewed by society. They argue that as women graduate from girlhood to womanhood and join mixed gender groups at work, in colleges or play, their voices are often ignored and subordinated; they have to monitor what they say, how they say it and how often they talk to ensure that they do not dominate because their gender limits their participation (Spade Valentine 2010). Gendered patterns of belief and behavior influence peoples way of life in daily intimate relationships, with family and friends. According to Spade Valentine (2010), studies shave revealed that girls who transgress into boys zone end up being eventually respected by their male playmates if they are good in conventionally male activities, while on the other hand, boys are harassed and teased when they try to participate in girls related activities thus dominance of hegemonic masculinity is maintained by denying boys access to girls activities. Furthermore, the dominance of masculinity is reinforced when boys are ridiculed because they do not comply with society expectations of hegemonic masculinity; hence they fail to be sufficiently dominant. In order to cope with pressure from the society, Spade Valentine (2010) note that most men have learned how to do the behaviors that maintain hegemonic masculinity, while at the same time suppressing feelings and behaviours that might make the m look feminine. This shows the extent of slavery, frustrations and fear experienced by men in order to maintain their hegemonic masculinity status in the society. Despite these frustrations, hegemonic masculinity comes with its benefits as it is maintained in a hierarchy that is realized by only few men, with every other person subordinated to them; including women, poor white men, men of colour, gay men and men from devalued ethnic and religious groups. This dominance may be institutionalized in the structure of the situation. Hegemonic masculinity is supported by sex role theory, which advocates for people to learn from societys institutions to behave in ways that are appropriate to their sex. According to Trigiani (1998), the sex role theory views men as aggressive, rational, dominant and objective while women are passive, intuitive, submissive and subjective. The theory further assumes that culture values characteristics of each sex equally and that these values complement each other in to bring out balance in the society; whereby women are just as esteemed for their passivity as men are for their aggressiveness (Trigiani 1998). However, Haenfler (2006) views hegemonic masculinity as a configuration of gender practice that only embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of legitimacy of patriarchy, taken to guarantee the dominant position of men and the subordinate position of women. Haenfler (2006) laments that since late 19th century, the social basis of masculinity has been undermined and men hardly understand what it means to be a man. Furthermore, modernization, rapid industrialization, urbanization and the rise of bureaucracy has separated boys from fathers and destabilized the male breadwinner role. In addition, feminists have challenged dominant notions of gender, making it a challenge for a young man to figure out how to be a man in modern days (Haenfler 2006). Haenfler (2006) observes that the young mens current fears and continued erosion of male breadwinner role might provide a historic opportunity for men, both collectively and individually to reject the destructive and narrow limiting definitions of masculinity and prefer to create more peaceful and egalitarian definitions of manhood. In a culture that glorifies masculine displays of confidence, sexual prowess, strength and power, men increasingly feel unsure, impotent, weak and powerless hence they have often responded to their confusion and feelings of inadequacy through self control, reactive exclusion and escape from reality (Haenfler 2006). Haenfler (2006) observes that men who feel like they are losing control over their work and relationships often exercise extreme control over their personal lives, fitness, alcohol consumption and sexual appetites; hence becoming objects of self control. They react to crisis of hegemonic masculinity by attempting to shut women out of positions of power and influence and escape womens influence by retreating to male only social behavior (Haenfler 2006). Haenfler (2006) laments that while hegemonic masculinity may have its benefits to men in terms of public status and masculine privileges, it comes with a price as men often pay with poor health, shorter live and emotionally swallow their relationships and suffer from mental distress. Other critics of hegemonic masculinity argue that hegemonic masculinities do not correspond to actual lives of men, thus the theory provides a vague and imprecise account of social psychological reproduction of male identities. Conclusion In conclusion, hegemonic masculinity embodies men as superior human beings and views women as inferior and submissive creatures, who should live at mercy of their male counterparts. It teaches men to undermine and mistreat women and fellow men who are perceived as inferior. It values competition of hierarchy, sexual prowess and physical toughness at the expense of human dignity, self respect and peace of mind. Hegemonic masculinities often suppress their true feelings to avoid looking feminine as they internally suffer from mental and emotional distress to please the society and live as expected. However, with increasing modernity and industrialization, hegemonic masculinity is slowly losing its meaning; with many women assuming the role of breadwinners and rising to leadership positions as many young men become more and more afraid of society defined masculine responsibilities associated with hegemonic masculinities.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Electrical Engineering :: essays research papers

Electrical Engineering Work Performed Electrical Engineers research, develop, design, and test electronic components, products, and systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military, and scientific applications (Cosgrove 749). They are concerned with devices that use small amounts of electricity that make up electronic components such as integrated circuits and microprocessors. By applying principles and techniques of electronic engineering they design, develop, and manufacture products such as computers, telephones, radios, and stereo systems (EGOE, 121). Electrical engineers touch everyone lives through the things they have designed or created. Electrical engineers have invented the lights in your house, the television, the stereo, the telephone, computers, and even your doctor’s blood pressure gauge (Stine 300). History The history of engineering goes back into the 19th century when Alexander Volta (1745-1827) made a remarkable discover regarding the nature of electricity (Cosgrove 749). He discovered that electrical current could be controlled and could flow from one point to another. By the time the mid-19th century came about the rules for electricity were being established. During this time electromagnetic induction was discovered by Michael Faraday who lived from 1791 to 1867 (749). Also during this time Samuel Morris invented the telegraph in 1837 which relies on the principles of electromagnetic induction (749). Alexander Graham Bell, who lived from 1847 to 1922, created the telephone which also uses electricity in order to operate (749). Through the success of the telephone, Bell Telephone Company was established. In 1878, the light bulb was finally invented by Thomas Edison who lived from 1847 to 1931 (749). Off the principles of Faraday’s electric motor from 1821, Nicholas Tesla inve nted a more efficient and powerful electric motor in 1888 (749). To make these inventions be more significant, effort was expended to make better motors and transformers and to enhance the power needed to make them function. Through these inventions during the middle 19th century, it led to the capability of lighting homes and cities through the use of electricity, and it also led to the creation of the telephone communication system (750).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Into The 20th Century By the time the 20th century arrived, vacuum tubes were invented that could transmit weak electrical signals which led to the formation of electromagnetic waves that led to the invention of the radio broadcast system (750). These vacuum tubes were discovered to be able to transmit currents through solid material, which led to the creation of transistors in the 1960’s (750).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Sociology Film Analysis over Tim Wise “White Like Me.”

â€Å"White like Me† The film, â€Å"White Like me† is presented by author Tim Wise. I believe Tim’s main purpose for this film is to explain how white privilege damages people of color more than society is lead to believe. Also how damaging it can be to white people as well and how racial privilege shapes the lives and outcome of most colored Americans when it comes to institutions such as education, employment, housing, criminal justice, and healthcare. When it comes to prejudices, discrimination and segregation of minority’s and blacks in the U. S. , I believe the cause is racial profiling.For example, Wise talks about how black and Latino males are three times more likely than white males to have their cars stopped and searched for drugs; even though white males are four and an half times more likely to actually have drugs on them when they are stopped by police officers. Wise also asked law enforcement officers â€Å"What’s the first thing you think when you see a young black or Latino male driving a nice car in your neighborhood? † the officers responded, â€Å"drug dealer. † Then Wise asks again, â€Å"What’s the first thing you think when you see a young white male driving the same type of car in the same neighborhood? and the officers responded, â€Å"Spoiled little rich kid, daddy probably bought him a car. † The fact that these officers base their decisions on an individual’s race or ethnicity in whether to engage in enforcement is racial profiling. Wise continues to talk about The Fair Housing Act, which was passed in 1968; but the highest number of discrimination complaints based on race was in 2006, 38 years later. Wise brings up a point about how the media often reports individual hate crimes but rarely do they report on ‘systematic and institutionalized injustice,’ for example, between 1991 and 2000, there were almost one million black people in the U.S. who died because of insufficient healthcare, but it never received any media coverage. When wise says â€Å"insufficient healthcare† he refers to colored people being moved to areas with bad incomes and living near harmful toxics and if they had only been white and living in a suburban area they would have not died. According to wise, the average white family in America has 12 times the accumulated net worth of the average African American family, and eight time the accumulated net worth of the average Latino family. I believe Tim Wise main idea for this film is to let America now that racism is still alive today and is not something of the past. It is an issue we should think about every day and not pretend that it doesn’t exist. Also that white denial is a very real term and whites are in fact in denial about being judgmental towards other races to a point where it can affect colored people’s lively hood. I personally thought the speech was very well-articulated and t hought-provoking. He showed examples of institutionalized racism such as housing inequalities and gives a bit of the history of what he called â€Å"White Privilege. I found it interesting how he showed the housing discrimination that occurs among minorities. Walking away from this film I feel like I’ve learned the importance of racial awareness and try to remember that racism is in fact still around today. Reference page Wise, Tim. â€Å"Why whites think blacks have no problems. † White Like Me. (2001): n. page. Web. 2 Apr. 2013. .

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Career Plan building Activity

My work culture results showed that I am well resourced, high powered, and teamwork centered. I noticed that these results were parallel with my interest profiler and competencies results. I was shocked by being considered as high powered. I have never really been a person who wants a lot of responsibility. I have been a lead person on a past Job experience. I had the opportunity to be the supervisor but I didn't apply for it due to fear of failure.I do on the other hand agree with the fact of high salaries, career advancement, and career development. It was revealed to me that some of my better strengths are adhering to values and coping with pressure. It was not hard for me to believe the part about adhering to my values. That is something I do believe in along with ethics. But I didn't think that coping with pressure would come out as a strength. I guess coping with pressure became a strength for me because I try my hardest to let something's go and not let people now that it may have bothered me.Within the teamwork centered portion of the work culture results, It showed that I work in a close knit team, have lots of Interdependence, and that I am friendly and supportive of colleagues. I agree with this whole heartedly. I try to be an overall helpful person. Anyone who knows me knows that I am all for the team, if there Is positivist involved. Within the well-resourced section it stated that I like safe places to work, well-designed and comfortable places to work.As for the career plan I was able to see different positions that may suite me according to the results. Some of the careers I never would imagine doing then on the other hand there are some that I would do. These things include being a lawyer, Judge, librarian, curator, archivists, material recording, and scheduling, dispatching and distributing workers. Now some of these careers I did all In one Job title when I was a Lead Phlebotomy's at a hospital I once worked at.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Los Boxers Analysis Professor Ramos Blog

Los Boxers Analysis Colorful underpants set. Female and male pants. The average household does about eight loads of laundry a week (Leverette). Thats about a load of laundry a day, and doing laundry is so common that even author Sandra Cisneros wrote a short story about a person doing laundry after a tragic loss. The main character, who is genderless and nameless, is in the process of doing laundry at a local laundry mat. And as the main character is doing laundry they seem to be talking to themselves, as well as having the occasional conversation with another laundry patron. They seem to be talking about how their spouse that is no longer around, and about the different tasks their partner used to do for them around the house. Almost in a you dont know what you have till its gone sort of way. Los Boxers was one of the shorter stories we read from Sandra Cisneros’ book of short stories Women Hollering Creek. But that does not mean that it dose not have one of the more important lessons that we can learn from the readings. While it may seem odd that the main character is doing laundry and talking to them self, it is the over all message that makes this story stick out so much to me. You dont know what youve got till its gone, and sometimes we need ice cubes to help us get the stains out of our own lives, so we can start clean again.   The main character is both nameless, and genderless. This leaves the story up to interpretation, about who the main character has lost. When I first read the story I assumed that the main character was male, and had lost a female character. However, the reader never really gets to know who the main character is, or how they lost their significant other. We do find out that the main character is missing a female significant other, and uou can really just fell how sad the main character is, and how much this loss is effecting them. As the main character is doing their laundry, they seem to talking to them self about the laundry, and some of the other chores that they were used to them doing while they used to be around. I think that the main character is using the laundry as a way of coping. I think that it is important for the main character to continue to do some of the things that make their life more normal. And if doing laundry makes them think of their significant other in a pos itive light, then I think that it is important for them to continue to do things that make them happy. One of the main scenes that really stuck out to me, was the ice cube scene. This scene, to me, is in a way the main character cleaning up their own life. In the story the main character uses an ice cube to get out a set in stain, and states that their lost loved one used to use ice cubes to help get out statins just like the one he is trying to get out. This is a metaphor for cleaning up their life after the death of his significant other. If they are able to use the ice cube to get out stains, just like the lose of their loved one, then maybe they will be able to get out stains that are keeping them from living their best life after this lose. I think that the main character has always known how to do laundry, but they are just now being faced with the fact at they actually need to be doing the laundry. And in actually doing the laundry, and using the ice cube trick, they are slowly learning how to live their life without their significant other. When the main character is done with the actual washing of the clothes, he goes into ironing the clothes that need to be ironed. The main character states â€Å"Starched and ironed everything.† â€Å"Even ironed los boxers† (Cisneros 132). The main character seems to be laughing at this statement, but then gets more serious when he says â€Å"But now that she’s dead, well, that’s just how life is† (Cisneros 132). This last sentience of the story is really powerful. It really leaves the ending for the reader to decide how they think the story ends. The reader could put their own spin on how the laundry ends, or how the main character feels. When I finished this story, I like to think that the main character is now okay. That the main character will get through this hard time. I hope that the main character will look fondly on all the different cleaning technics that used to drive them crazy when their significant other was around. The age old saying goes you dont always know what you have till its gone. This is a pretty common saying, and Ive heard it mostly said around the concept of relationships. Los Boxers is a short story that gives this phrase new meaning. When our main character loses their female significant other, they are stuck with doing many of the chorus their loved one used to do for them. While doing laundry the main character thinks on some found memories, and also some memories that they used to think were kind of crazy. Id like to think the main character will now look back on their significant other’s ice cube trick as a found memory, and will be able to smile whenever they do laundry from now on. Works Citied Cisneros , Sandra. Women Hollering Creek. 1991 Leverette, Mary Marlowe. â€Å"Amaze Your Friends and Family Even Complete Strangers With Laundry Trivia.† The Spruce, The Spruce, 3 Oct. 2018, www.thespruce.com/interesting-laundry-facts-and-trivia-2146486.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Three Wars essays

Three Wars essays There were many battles fought to make the United States what it is today. Many men sacrificed their lives, homes, and families to make America what we call our home sweet home. Three very important wars that made an impact of the future of this country were the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II. The outcomes of all of these wars defined the beliefs of our people and inspired the future directions of our country. The War that started it all was the Revolutionary War, which is also known as the American Revolution and the seven years war. It was the war in which the Americans gained their independence from Britain. Conflicts arose when the STAMP ACT, passed by Parliament roused a violent colonial outcry as an act of taxation with out representation. The TOWNSHED ACTS led to such events as the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. The actual fighting started on April19, 1775, and ended in 1781. George Washington, who later became the first president of the United States, led the forces into battle. A tactic used in the battlefield was Guerilla Warfare. This is where men would not fight in the traditional style of standing in a line and waiting for their opponent to do the same and shoot, but to hide and ambush the enemy. The tactic was a great help in the victory of the Americans. In 1783 the Treaty of Paris was signed and officially ended the Revolutionary War. The independence of th e United States was finally clearly declared. Another war that also made a big impact on America was the Civil War. The Civil War was fought between northern and southern states from 1861 to 1865. The northern states were known as the Union and the Southern states were known as the Confederacy. The war grew because of economic and social differences between the North and the South, mostly over the issue of slavery. The fighting began with the attack of the Confederates on Fort Sumpter. Most of the battles took pl ...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

BORDER DISPUTES BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA

BORDER DISPUTES BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . BORDER DISPUTES BETWEEN NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA The case deals with boundary disputes, it is therefore essential to list treaties which deal with boundary disputes and it is also important for the court to interpret the provisions of a treaty in the present case and this can only be done in terms of customary international law on the subject matter as reflected in Articles 31 and 32 of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties because it has various means of developing peaceful cooperation among nations regardless of their constitutional and social systems. Article 2(1) of the Vienna Convention[1969] established the definition of a treaty; it went ahead to state that â€Å"treaty† means an international agreement concluded between States in written form and governed by international law, whether embodied in a single instrument or in two or more related instruments and whatever its particular designation; LIST OF TREATIES ON BOUNDARY DISPUTES Boundary Waters Treaty   [ 1 ]   (Treaty Between the United States and Great Britain Relating to Boundary Waters between the United States and Canada; 36 Stat. 2448; T.S. 548) — The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C.on January 11, 1909, The purpose of this treaty is to prevent disputes regarding the use of boundary waters and settle all questions pending or that may arise between the United States and Canada involving the rights, obligations, and interests of both nations along their common frontier. The treaty establishes the International Joint Commission, with three members appointed by each country, to review and make recommendations on disputes and other issues involving U.S./Canada boundary waters. The Treaty of Asurar   [ 2 ]   Ali- This treaty was signed on February of 1639 between the Mughal commander Allah Yar Khan and the Ahom commander Momai Tamuli Borbarua, According to the treaty, the boundary between the Mughals and Ahoms was fixed on the Barnadi River in the northern bank [ utarkul] of the Brahmaputra River and the Asurar Ali [Ali is causeway in Assamese] in the southern bank [dakhinkul]. The Ahom king recognized the supremacy of the Mughals in Kamrup, and the Mughal fauzdar agreed not to interfere in the Ahom kingdom. Trade and commerce between the two regions was permitted afterwards. The Treaty of Tartu   [ 3 ]   -This treaty was made between Finland and Soviet Russia was signed on 14 October 1920 after negotiations that lasted for four months. The treaty confirmed the border between Finland and Soviet Russia after the Finnish civil war and Finnish volunteer expeditions in Russian East Karelia. Ratifications of the treaty were exchanged in Moscow on December 31, 1920. The treaty was registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series on March 5, 1921. HISTORY PROCEEDINGS ON THE CASE CANAZ TREATY(1858) The border between the Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans is defined by the course of the San Juan River which flows to the east and the Caribbean. The bo rder was established in 1858 by the Canas-Jerez Treaty, negotiated between Costa Rica and Nicaragua at the conclusion of a military conflict which finally ended the possibility of a trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in this region of Central America. According to the terms of the treaty the south bank represents the start of Costa Rican territory; however Nicaragua maintains sovereignty over the river itself. Costa Rica has the right to navigation for commerce.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Critical Theory of International Relations and Neorealism Essay

Critical Theory of International Relations and Neorealism - Essay Example Neorealism show the triumph of social control and structure in defining international relations. The international structure provides a constraint on state actions and although essentially the international structure is decentralised and anarchic, states strive for survival, security and balance of power (Dougherty 2001). Neorealism thus emphasises structural constraints over social perceptions and collective motivations and is more constrained in its explanations of IR. On the other hand, critical theories of international relations would focus on a critical study of IR which would emphasise on origin, development and nature of historical structures of IR. Critical theories of international relations are oriented to critiquing and changing society considering wide perspectives derived from Kantian and Marxian traditions which aim to consider historical and social perspectives within a theory. According to Marxist theories, capital accumulation and explanation of international systems on the basis of such integrated capiatlist approaches is at the focus of socialist concerns. Marxist theories see colonialism as a method of capital accummulation as captive markets show new forms of dependence on more developed countries. Marxist theories suggest that developed countries penetrate developing countries with missionaries, military power, multinational companies and political advisors to integrate these economies into a larger capitalist system. Within the context of developing societies being exploited considering their markets, natural resoruces and raw materials, Marxist theories also use the concept of social class with individuals comprising of the higher class of society being exploitative of the lower class using the sole aim of capital accumulation (Linklater 1990, Burchill 1996). Another critical theory would be social constructivism which gives an epistemological dimension to postpositivist theories and lies in between positivist and postpositivist perspectives. Social constructivism focuses not on the economic aspects, unlike Marxism but on the theory of social ideas or perception showing that international structure constitutes identities and interests of state. The focus of social constructivism is on the state and actions of the state and as constructvism suggests that views and ideas are constructed, social constructivism deals with human experience and social perception. Social constructivism is of the contention that all knowledge of reality including race and gender are actively created by social relationships and interactions and that all meaning are derived from social structures (Brown, 2001, Taylor 1978). The emphasis is thus on society, social meaning and social activity giving meaning to social interactions and reality. Critical constructivism would argue that all proof or fact as seen in empirical research as in natural sciences could be considered as a social or

Important Changes in European Societies that Influence Politics in Essay

Important Changes in European Societies that Influence Politics in Europe - Essay Example This essay offers a comprehensive review of major changes in European societies in different fields of human life. Their summing impact on change of politics of the EU is assessed in the paper. A new political union was developed by the countries of Western Europe. Europe is made up made up of regions with varying historical backgrounds. The nations making up Europe have different cultural backgrounds too. Various factors have led to division of Europe into autonomous entities, the economic factors, the religion factors and the political factors. The cultural unity that has put European nations together has not yet disappeared despite of the registered transformations. Europe especially the western side has experience increases in immigration cases. Most of the people come from the less developed part of the world especially North Africa due its close proximity to Europe. More people are also moving from central and Eastern Europe towards the western side of Europe. The role of men and women has continued to change in the European society. Initially, male education was considered more superior than educating women. Gender is considered as one of the new cleavage in the current societies. It has been found out that more women are currently employed in the highly paying jobs. However, their earning is considered lower compared to the men’s salaries. Unity has continued to exist among the countries that make up the European Union. Europe remains home to most of the industries in the world.

The Batek of Malaysia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Batek of Malaysia - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the Batek of Malaysia are a kinship-based society, which means that it emphasizes nurturing and sharing. Batek parents spend a lot of time playing with their children of either sex and they also spend this time holding, cuddling and talking to them. Batek parents also do not use harsh disciplinary methods when scolding their children, as their vernacular term sakel, which means hit also means the same as kill, thus the idea of even hitting their children disgusts them. Moreover, Batek parents raise their children in the spirit of respect, care and affection, and the whole camp even shares their own time in order to facilitate care for the child and to feed them. Lastly, as the Batek children are growing up, they are usually made to engage in active play but not in an aggressive or competitive manner, as competition is simply outside of the Batek system of belief. The kinship system of the Batek, just like many of the contemporary foraging aboriginal groups of Southeast Asia, follows the kinship classification of the Inuit, where parents are different from uncles and aunts. The Batek society has the conjugal family as its basic unit, and this conjugal family is politically independent and economically self-sufficient. These conjugal families, which mostly consist of eight or more children each, live in a camp that in turn consists of two to fifteen families related by blood. These camps are classified by the Batek themselves as belonging to one of the three â€Å"river valley groups,† who, although practically indistinguishable, occupy the Aring, upper Lebir or lower Lebir watersheds. (Endicott, 1988). Generally, the Batek society fosters equality between husband and wife, and the married couple is always expected to show affection to each other (â€Å"The Batek De,† 2010). Political Organization The political organization of the Batek is relatively simple since the society is highly egalitarian. A closely-knit settled gr oup of Batek may be assigned a headman, who is tasked to represent the group and to act as its spokesperson in matters where the Batek have to deal with the non-Batek (â€Å"The Taman Negara,† 2010). The headman, who is called penghulu in the native Malay language, is usually chosen because he is believed to possess â€Å"charisma, extroversion, and a familiarity with the Malay language† (â€Å"The Taman Negara,† 2010; Endicott, 1988). The headman is usually appointed by the Malaysian government through the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in order to have a spokesman for the group of Batek and for the group to have someone to relay to them the sentiments or wishes of the non-Batek (Endicott, 1988). Moreover, the headman is expected to possess an in-depth knowledge of the traditions of the Batek community, and may at times, because of such knowledge, assume the title of â€Å"Tok Batin† or â€Å"Spiritual Elder† (Ahmad, 2009). Nevertheless, the hea dman can only act as a persuasive leader and not an authoritative one (â€Å"Batek,† 2011). On the whole, the Batek society exemplifies political equality and the basis of this is most probably the fact that the Batek do not foster the practice of imposing their will upon their fellowmen, and except for

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Business Strategy Evaluation and Proposal Essay

Business Strategy Evaluation and Proposal - Essay Example ("Thomson Financial Worldwide† 15) Currently the company has weathered the past years of financial instability in the markets and now needs a aggressively market itself with new trends and outcomes of this market. The sustainability trend is now a permanent component of any corporation and the NASDAQ-OMX Group now needs to align itself with that element. The NASDAQ-OMX Group had run a series of soft-sell ads that helped it enter into an environmentally friendly stance as well as associate it with the companies that have a green intitiatve and are also members of their exchange. The ad campaign was run in 2008 and consisted of several 15-second TV spots that aired on broadcast and Cable channels. While having the twin benefit of supporting the companies it does business with, the actual impact of the ads for either partner was minimal. The ads themselves were both short and somewhat esoteric so that the viewer may not only have missed the companies associated with it but completely misunderstood the message intended. They have also marketed the NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability 50 Index which is one of the more green initiatives in the stock markets at the moment. The campaign would have worked better with more direct association. During the past two years the economic crisis has been felt by all sectors, but especially in the financial reporting and indices markets. However, while 2008 was a critical year your company certainly held its own and showed less of a percentage downturn than most other reporting indices. The following graph illustrates a stable stock price from October 2008 to January 2010. This is the indication of an extremely stable company that had pulled in the reigns and was able to get through the storm. However, as you can see by the following chart showing net profit for the past four years, the boom in 2007 has tapered off to a holding pattern in 2008 and 2009. Samples of the

Claudio and Hero may be the young lovers but Beatrice and Benedick are Essay

Claudio and Hero may be the young lovers but Beatrice and Benedick are much more appealing. Say how far you agree or disagree with this statement - Essay Example The comedy displays acts of affection between Claudio and Hero. When Claudio comes back from the battle, he rekindles his love for Hero. The comedy depicts sweet love full of warmth to each other and later plan to engage in marriage (Shakespeare, 2005:18). However, Benedick on the other hand engages in an argument with Beatrice. They both vow never to engage in marriage in their lives. In deed, scholars view Claudio and Hero as two young lovers due to their outward feelings for each other. Although Benedick and Beatrice despise each other and end up in arguments, they seem more appealing since they inwardly have affection for each other despite the persistent competition in outwit, outsmart, and out-insult with each other. When they encounter a trick that leads to their falling in love, they fall for the trick, and later they end up declaring their love for each other. Though Claudio and Hero appear as young lovers in the comedy, their love to some extent lacks genuineness and trust. When a trick plotted against them takes its course, Claudio fails to consider his trust and love for Hero and ends up despising her in front of the congregation on their wedding day thus cancelling their wedding (Shakespeare, 2003:198). Benedict and Beatrice are more appealing since they declare their love for each other though both of them had vowed never to engage in marriage. They portray a strong sense of will. When Claudio mistreats Hero who is Beatrice’s cousin, Beatrice confronts him protesting for equality. After their love declaration for each other, Beatrice asks Benedick to seek revenge on Claudio but Benedick hesitates depicting that he never acts on impromptu (Shakespeare, 2005:64). After revelation of the deception that took place, Claudio feels sorry and pleads for forgiveness. He even promises to marry Beatrice as a substitute for Hero but finds the substitute to be Hero herself. In conclusion,

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Batek of Malaysia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Batek of Malaysia - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the Batek of Malaysia are a kinship-based society, which means that it emphasizes nurturing and sharing. Batek parents spend a lot of time playing with their children of either sex and they also spend this time holding, cuddling and talking to them. Batek parents also do not use harsh disciplinary methods when scolding their children, as their vernacular term sakel, which means hit also means the same as kill, thus the idea of even hitting their children disgusts them. Moreover, Batek parents raise their children in the spirit of respect, care and affection, and the whole camp even shares their own time in order to facilitate care for the child and to feed them. Lastly, as the Batek children are growing up, they are usually made to engage in active play but not in an aggressive or competitive manner, as competition is simply outside of the Batek system of belief. The kinship system of the Batek, just like many of the contemporary foraging aboriginal groups of Southeast Asia, follows the kinship classification of the Inuit, where parents are different from uncles and aunts. The Batek society has the conjugal family as its basic unit, and this conjugal family is politically independent and economically self-sufficient. These conjugal families, which mostly consist of eight or more children each, live in a camp that in turn consists of two to fifteen families related by blood. These camps are classified by the Batek themselves as belonging to one of the three â€Å"river valley groups,† who, although practically indistinguishable, occupy the Aring, upper Lebir or lower Lebir watersheds. (Endicott, 1988). Generally, the Batek society fosters equality between husband and wife, and the married couple is always expected to show affection to each other (â€Å"The Batek De,† 2010). Political Organization The political organization of the Batek is relatively simple since the society is highly egalitarian. A closely-knit settled gr oup of Batek may be assigned a headman, who is tasked to represent the group and to act as its spokesperson in matters where the Batek have to deal with the non-Batek (â€Å"The Taman Negara,† 2010). The headman, who is called penghulu in the native Malay language, is usually chosen because he is believed to possess â€Å"charisma, extroversion, and a familiarity with the Malay language† (â€Å"The Taman Negara,† 2010; Endicott, 1988). The headman is usually appointed by the Malaysian government through the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in order to have a spokesman for the group of Batek and for the group to have someone to relay to them the sentiments or wishes of the non-Batek (Endicott, 1988). Moreover, the headman is expected to possess an in-depth knowledge of the traditions of the Batek community, and may at times, because of such knowledge, assume the title of â€Å"Tok Batin† or â€Å"Spiritual Elder† (Ahmad, 2009). Nevertheless, the hea dman can only act as a persuasive leader and not an authoritative one (â€Å"Batek,† 2011). On the whole, the Batek society exemplifies political equality and the basis of this is most probably the fact that the Batek do not foster the practice of imposing their will upon their fellowmen, and except for

Claudio and Hero may be the young lovers but Beatrice and Benedick are Essay

Claudio and Hero may be the young lovers but Beatrice and Benedick are much more appealing. Say how far you agree or disagree with this statement - Essay Example The comedy displays acts of affection between Claudio and Hero. When Claudio comes back from the battle, he rekindles his love for Hero. The comedy depicts sweet love full of warmth to each other and later plan to engage in marriage (Shakespeare, 2005:18). However, Benedick on the other hand engages in an argument with Beatrice. They both vow never to engage in marriage in their lives. In deed, scholars view Claudio and Hero as two young lovers due to their outward feelings for each other. Although Benedick and Beatrice despise each other and end up in arguments, they seem more appealing since they inwardly have affection for each other despite the persistent competition in outwit, outsmart, and out-insult with each other. When they encounter a trick that leads to their falling in love, they fall for the trick, and later they end up declaring their love for each other. Though Claudio and Hero appear as young lovers in the comedy, their love to some extent lacks genuineness and trust. When a trick plotted against them takes its course, Claudio fails to consider his trust and love for Hero and ends up despising her in front of the congregation on their wedding day thus cancelling their wedding (Shakespeare, 2003:198). Benedict and Beatrice are more appealing since they declare their love for each other though both of them had vowed never to engage in marriage. They portray a strong sense of will. When Claudio mistreats Hero who is Beatrice’s cousin, Beatrice confronts him protesting for equality. After their love declaration for each other, Beatrice asks Benedick to seek revenge on Claudio but Benedick hesitates depicting that he never acts on impromptu (Shakespeare, 2005:64). After revelation of the deception that took place, Claudio feels sorry and pleads for forgiveness. He even promises to marry Beatrice as a substitute for Hero but finds the substitute to be Hero herself. In conclusion,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Description of job Essay Example for Free

Description of job Essay We obtain more insight on the thoughts of the Pardoner through the description of his method of telling tales to trick people. We see this when he says For lewed peple loven tales olde;/ Swiche thinges kan they wel reporte and holde. From these two lines, we get the impression that the Pardoner holds himself in high regard because he sees other people as ignorant and simple-minded. This idea of self-importance is again emphasised in the later lines when he says For I wol preche and begge in sondry landes;/ I wol nat do no labour with mine handes,/ Ne make baskettes, and live therby,/ By cause I wol nat beggen idelly and That I wol live in poverte wilfully? / Nay, nay, I thoghte it nevere, trewely! . His refusal to even think about living in poverty and his unwillingness to put himself down and do manual jobs reflects on how he thinks he is of high social status. This is ironic because by gaining wealth through such unscrupulous means of tricking people, he is the one who is truly of lower moral character. We also gain insight on his character from his description of his job. He says that he would still want to enjoy the monetary gains from all his trickery even if Al were it yeven of the povereste page,/ Or of the povereste widwe in a village,/ Al sholde hir children sterve for famine. This three lines really show the extent of the evil side of the Pardoner that he almost seems inhuman and unfeeling because he shows no sign of discomfort in enjoying even at the expense of another persons life. We can gain another insight on the methods that the Pardoner uses when he says, Now hoold youre pees! My tale I wol biginne. Over here, the Pardoner is telling everyone to keep quiet and listen to his story. This is quite dramatic and we are reminded of the theme of performance because it seems as if he is acting for the other pilgrims. In conclusion, we are already able to see the various themes of The Pardoners Tale through the concerns and methods used by the Pardoner in the Prologue. Furthermore, this also contributes to providing us with a better characterisation of the Pardoner. This better understanding of the Pardoner is useful in comprehending the tale which he goes on to tell.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Role of Derivatives on Financial Products

Role of Derivatives on Financial Products Title: Derivatives are now a well established part of every financial institutions financially engineered products. Discuss, in depth, the role that derivatives are playing in financial products/portfolios and the risks that they remove (and create) Introduction Past three decades have witnessed an expansion in global trade and continuing technological developments. This has resulted in an increase in market volatility and enlargement of business and financial risks and has led to an increase in demand for risk management products. The types of risks faced by corporations today have not changed; rather, they have become more complex and interrelated. The increase in demand for risk management products and the complexity of risks is reflected in the growth of spectrum of financial contracts called derivatives. Derivatives are now a well established part of every financial institution’s financially engineered products. Derivatives have become an integral part of the financial markets because they can serve several economic functions. Though there has been an incredible growth in the derivative market, there has also been an increase in reports of major losses associated with derivative products. For example, derivatives led to a collapse of Barings Bank (the Queen of England’s primary bank), bankruptcy of Orange County California and also had a role in the fall of Enron. All this has resulted in a great deal of confusion about effectiveness of derivatives in risk management. What are Derivatives? Derivatives are complex instruments that have become increasingly important to the overall risk profile and profitability of organisations throughout the world. Broadly defined, derivatives are contracts that primarily derive their value from the performance of underlying assets. Derivatives contracts are entered into throughout the world on organised exchanges and through over-the-counter (OTC) arrangements. Types of Derivatives Derivatives come in various shapes and forms such as futures1, forwards2, swaps3, options4, structured debt obligations and deposits, and various combinations thereof. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1Futures are contracts to buy or sell specific quantities of a commodity or financial instrument at a specified price at a specified time in the future. 2A forward contract obligates one party to buy the underlying at a fixed price at a certain future date from a counterparty, who is obligated to sell the underlying at that fixed price. (Source: Demystifying Financial derivatives, Rene A Stulz) 3A swap is a contract to exchange cash flows over a specific period. 4An option can be a call option or a put option. A call option on a stock gives its holder the right to buy a fixed number of shares at a given price by some future date, while a put option gives its holder the right to sell a fixed number of shares on the same terms. Benefits of Derivatives Derivatives are put to three key uses: Hedging by entering into derivatives transactions for offsetting existing risks. The existing risks could be an investment portfolio, price changes of a commodity or perhaps investments in a foreign country. Derivatives make it possible to hedge risks that otherwise would be not be possible to hedge. Speculating through hedge funds to generate profits with only a insignificant investment, essentially by putting money on the movement of an asset. Exploiting Arbitrage opportunities throughout the world markets. Thus, risk management is one of the primary purposes of derivatives. Role of Derivatives in Risk Management As indicated above, derivatives are important tools that can help organisations meet their specific risk-management objectives. Derivatives allow organisations to break up their risks and distribute them around the financial system through secondary markets. Thus, derivatives help organisations in risk management. Risk management is not about the removal of risk but is about its management. An organisation can manage its risks by selectively choosing those risks it is comfortable with and minimising those that it does not want. Through derivatives, risks from traditional instruments can be effectively unpackaged and managed independently. If managed properly derivatives can help businesses save costs and increase returns. In addition, derivatives make underlying markets more efficient. Derivative markets produce information which at time is the only reliable information available to base critical business decisions on. For example, reliable information about long-term interest rates can be obtained from swaps, because the swap market may be more liquid and more active than the bond market. Using Derivatives Many organisations use derivatives conservatively to counterbalance risks from fluctuating currency and interest rates. Individuals and firms use derivatives to achieve payoffs that they would not be able to achieve without derivatives, or could only achieve at greater cost. Derivatives are used by both financial and non-financial institutions and organisations. Financial organisations use derivatives both as risk management tools and also as a source of revenue. From a risk management perspective, derivatives allow financial institutions to identify, segregate and manage separately the market risks in financial instruments and commodities. Cautious use of derivatives provides managers with effective risk reducing opportunities through hedging. Derivatives may also be used to reduce financing costs and to increase the yield of certain assets. In addition, derivatives are a direct source of revenue through market-making functions, position taking and risk arbitrage to most of the financial organizations (source: http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbsc211.pdf). Derivatives are used by non-financial organisations for hedging and for minimising earnings volatility. For example, derivatives are used to hedgeinterest-rate risks. If the company strongly believes that interest rates will drop between now and a future date, it could purchase a futures contract. By doing so, the company is effectively locking in the future interest rate. Similarly, companies that depend heavily on raw-material inputs or commodities are sensitive, sometimes significantly, to the price change of the inputs. For example, most airlines use derivatives for hedging against crude-oil price. Some firms use derivatives to reduce tax liability and at times to speculate. Risks Associated with Derivatives Although derivatives are legitimate and valuable tools for hedging risks, like all financial instruments they create risks that must be managed. Warren Buffett, one of the worlds most wise investors, states that â€Å"derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction, carrying dangers that, while now latent, are potentially lethal.† (Source: Gabriel Kolko, Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction) On one hand derivatives neutralise risks while on the other hand they create risks. In fact there are certain risks inherent in derivatives. Derivatives can be dangerous if not managed properly. Numerous financial disasters such as Enron can be related to the mismanagement of derivatives. In the 1990s, Procter Gamble lost $157 million in a currency speculation involving dollars and German Marks, Gibson Greetings lost $20 million and Long-Term Capital Management, a hedge fund, lost $4 billion with currency and interest-rate derivatives (Source: Ludger Hentschel and Clifford W. Smith, Jr., Risks in Derivative Markets) . It is key to consider that it has not been the use of derivatives as a tool which has led to the downfall of these companies but the misuse of such instruments. The kinds of risks associated with derivatives are no different from those associated with traditional financial instruments, although they can be far more complex. Different derivatives have different risk profiles. For some derivatives though the risk may be limited, the profit potential may be unlimited. For example, the risk of loss with a derivative contract which grants a right to buy a particular asset at a particular price is limited to the amount paid to hold that right. However, profit potential is unlimited. On the other hand there are certain other derivatives that exhibit risk characteristics in which while potential gain is limited, the losses associated with the derivative is unlimited. For example, a derivative contract which grants the right to buy a particular asset at a particular price may have the associated potential profit limited to the amount received for giving that right, but because the asset has to be delivered to the counterparty at expiry of the contrac t, the potential loss may be unlimited. Most of the risk of derivatives is due to the complexity of the structure of the derivative instruments. Apart from the structure of the instrument itself, the source of a lot of the risk associated with derivative contracts arises from the fact that they are leveraged contracts. Derivative products are ‘leveraged’ because only a proportion of their total market exposure needs to be paid to open and maintain a position. Thus, the market exposure with derivative contracts can be several times the cash placed on deposit as margin for the trade, or paid in the form of a premium. Derivative contracts also have the ability to create artificial wealth and this creates additional risk. The artificial wealth skews the values of underlying assets considerably. Fundamentally, risks from derivatives originate with the customer and are a function of the timing and variability of cash flows. Types of Risks Associated with Derivatives In general, the risks associated with derivatives can be classified as credit risk, market risk, price risk, liquidity risk, operations risk, legal or compliance risk, foreign exchange rate risk, interest rate risk, and transaction risk. These categories are not mutually exclusive. Credit risk Derivatives are subject to credit risk or the risk to earnings or capital due to obligor’s failure to meet the terms of a contract. Credit risk arises from all activities that can only be accomplished on counterparty, issuer, or borrower’s performance. Credit risk in derivative products comes in the form of pre-settlement risk and settlement risk. Derivatives are exposed to pre-settlement credit risk or loss due to failure to pay on a contract during the life of a transaction by the counterparty. This credit risk exposure consists of both the replacement cost of the derivative transaction or its market value and an estimate of the future replacement cost of the derivative. Even out-of-the-money derivative contracts have potential pre-settlement credit risk. Derivatives are also subject to settlement risk or loss exposure arising when an organisation meets its obligation under a contract before the counterparty meets its obligation. Settlement risk generally exists for one to two days from the time an outgoing payment instruction can no longer be cancelled unilaterally until the time the final incoming payment is received and reconciled. This risk is due to the fact that it is almost impractical to arrange simultaneous payment and delivery in the ordinary course of business. In the case of international transactions settlement risk may arise because of time zone differences. This risk is usually greater than pre-settlement risk on any given transaction. Market risk Derivatives are also subject to market risk Market risk or risk due to unfavorable movements in the level or volatility of market prices. Market risk results from exposures to changes in the price of the underlying cash instrument and to changes in interest rates. Though market risk can be created or hedged by derivatives such as future or swap in a clear-cut manner, it is not so simple in the case of options. This is because the value of an option is also affected by other factors, including the volatility of the price of the underlying instrument and the passage of time. In addition, all trading activities are affected by market liquidity and by local or world political and economic events. Price Risk Price risk is an extension of the market risk. Price risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from changes in the value of portfolios of financial instruments. The degree of price risk of derivatives depends on the price sensitivity of the derivative instrument and the time it takes to liquidate or offset the position. Price sensitivity is generally greater for instruments with leverage, longer maturities, or option features. Price Risk can result from adverse change in equity prices or commodity prices or basis risk. The exposure from an adverse change in equity prices can be either systematic or unsystematic risk. As equity markets can be more volatile than other financial markets equity derivatives can experience larger price fluctuations than other derivatives. Commodity derivatives usually expose an institution to higher levels of price risk because of the price volatility associated with uncertainties about supply and demand and the concentration of market participants in the underlying cash markets. Price risk may take the form of basis risk or the risk that the correlation between two prices may change. Liquidity risk All organisations involved in derivatives face liquidity risks. Liquidity risk is the risk to earnings or capital from an organisation’s inability to meet its obligations when they are due, without incurring unacceptable losses. This risk includes the inability to manage unplanned decreases or changes in funding sources. An organisation involved in derivatives faces two types of liquidity risk in its derivatives activities: one related to specific products or markets or market liquidity risk and the other related to the general funding of the institution’s derivatives activities or funding risk. Market Liquidity Risk Market liquidity risk is the risk that an organisation may not be able to exit or offset positions easily at a reasonable price at or near the previous market price because of inadequate market depth or because of disruptions in the marketplace. In dealer markets, market depth is indicated by the size of the bid/ask spread that the financial instrument provides. Similarly, market disruptions may be created by a sudden and extreme imbalance in the supply and demand for products. Market liquidity risk may also result from the difficulties faced by the organisation in accessing markets because of its own or counterparty’s real or perceived credit or reputation problems. In addition, this risk also involves the odds that large derivative transactions may have a significant effect on the transaction price. Funding Liquidity Risk Funding liquidity risk is the possibility that the organisation may be unable to meet funding requirements at a reasonable cost. Such funding requirements arise each day from cash flow mismatches in swap books, the exercise of options, and the implementation of dynamic hedging strategies. The rapid growth of derivatives in recent years has focused increasing attention on the cash flow impact of such instruments. Operations risk Like other financial instruments, derivatives are also subject to operations risk or risks due to deficiencies in information systems or internal controls. The risk is associated with human error, system failures and inadequate procedures and controls. In the case of certain derivatives, operations risk may get aggravated due to complexity of derivative transactions, payment structures and calculation of their values. . Legal or compliance risk Derivative transactions face risk to earnings or capital due to violations, or nonconformance with laws, rules, regulations, prescribed practices, or ethical standards. The risk also arises when the laws or rules governing certain derivative instruments may be ambiguous. Compliance risk exposes an organisation involved in derivatives to fines, civil money penalties, payment of damages, and the voiding of contracts. Besides, legal and compliance risk may adversely affect reputation, business opportunities and expansion potential of the organisation. Foreign Exchange Rates Risk Derivatives traded in the international markets are also exposed to risk of adverse changes in foreign exchange rates. Foreign exchange rates are very volatile. Foreign exchange risk is also known as translation risk. Foreign exchange rates risk in derivatives is the risk to earnings arising from movement of foreign exchange rates. This risk is a function of spot foreign exchange rates and domestic and foreign interest rates. It arises from holding foreign-currency-denominated derivatives such as structured notes, synthetic investments, structured deposits, and off-balance-sheet derivatives used to hedge accrual exposures. Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from movements in interest rates. The magnitude of interest rate risk faced by derivatives from an adverse change in interest rates depends on the sensitivity of the derivative to changes in interest rates as well as the absolute change in interest rates. The evaluation of interest rate risk must consider the impact of complex illiquid hedging strategies or products, and also the potential impact on fee income that is sensitive to changes in interest rates. When trading is separately managed, this impact is on structural positions rather than trading portfolios. Financial organisations are exposed to interest rate risk through their structural balance sheet positions. Transaction risk Another risk associated with derivatives is transaction risk. In fact transaction risk exists in all products and services. Transaction risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from problems with service or product delivery. This risk is a function of internal controls, information systems, employee integrity, and operating processes. Derivative activities can pose challenging operational risks because of their complexity and continual evolution. Thus, derivatives are subject to various technical risks. The problems surrounding the use of derivatives in recent years have primarily been due to difficulty in understanding these risks and thus using appropriate derivatives for risk management purposes. Derivative use is sometimes misunderstood because, depending on the terms of derivative it may be used to increase, modify, or decrease risk. In addition to the technical risks highlighted herein, there may also be a fundamental risk that the use of these products may be inconsistent with entity-wide objectives. Conclusion Derivatives will continue to be an important business tool for managing an organisation’s risk management. In fact the significance of derivatives is expected to increase with the development of new derivative products that refine and improve the ability to achieve risk management and other objectives. However, it is important that organisation’s using derivatives for risk management completely understand the nature and risks of derivatives. This requires effective control is critical to any well-managed derivative operation. References: Aristotle, Politics, trans. Benjamin Jowett, vol. 2, The Great Books of the Western World, ed. Robert Maynard Hutchins (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1952), book 1, chap. 11, p. 453. Bodie, Cane and Marcus (2005), Investments (6th Edition), McGraw Hill. Bodie, Cane and Marcus (2005), Investments (6th Edition), www. highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072861789/student_view0 [Accessed 30 December 2006] Corporate Use of Derivatives for Hedging http://www.investopedia.com/articles/stocks/04/122204.asp [Accessed 30 December 2006] Frank A. Sortino Stephen E. Satchell, Managing downside risk in financial markets: Theory, Practice and Implementation Gabriel Kolko, Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction, http://mondediplo.com/2006/10/02finance [Accessed 31 December 2006] Internal Control Issues in Derivatives Usage www.coso.org/publications/executive_summary_derivatives_usage.htm [Accessed 31 December, 2006] Kenneth A. Froot, David S. Scharfstein, and Jeremy C. Stein, A Framework for Risk Management, Harvard Business Review, November-December 1994, pp. 91-102. Ludger Hentschel and Clifford W. Smith, Jr., Risks in Derivative Markets, http://fic.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/papers/96/9624.pdf [Accessed 30 December 2006] Market Risk Derivatives, Hedge Funds Challenge Financial Regulators, http://www.ieca.net/news/story.cfm?id=13754 [Accessed 30 December 2006] Rene A Stulz, Demystifying Financial Derivatives, www.cornerstone.com/pdfs/Cornerstone_Research_Demystifying_Financial_Derivatives.pdf Risk Management Guidelines for Derivatives, http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbsc211.pdf [Accessed 31 December 2006] Thomas F. Siems, Financial Derivatives: Are New Regulations Warranted? Financial Industry Studies, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, August 1994, pp. 1-13. Thomas F. Siems, Derivatives: In the Wake of Disaster, Financial Industry Issues, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (1995): 2-3 Brief 191916Page 1 of 9

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Contradictions of Character in George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion Essay

â€Å"Manners are the happy way of doing things† according to Ralph Waldo Emerson.   According to Emerson people use manners as a front to make themselves look better.   Inherently, this will lead to a contradiction of the front and the reality.   One such man who is most concerned with manners is the protagonist of Shaw’s Pygmalion, Professor Henry Higgins.   Higgins is a man who displays contradictions within his character.   He is in the business of teaching proper manners, although lacks them himself.   In addition, Higgins is an intelligent man, and yet he is ignorant of the feelings of those around him.   Another apparent contradiction is that Higgins’ outer charm serves to hide his bullying nature. He manipulates Eliza and others around him to serve his own purposes, without any regard for her feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Higgins, a teacher of proprietary manners, lacks those very manners which others pay to learn from him.   Ironically, Higgins believes that he is the greatest teacher of manners.   He announces that in â€Å"three months [he] could pass [Eliza] off as a duchess.†Ã‚   Higgins thinks that he can take any lower class girl and pass her off as a duchess.   He truly believes that he is capable of transforming Eliza.   Once the teaching begins, Higgins shows no respect for others in his life.   When he goes to see his mother, she reminds him that â€Å"[he] promised not to come on† her days when she is having guests.   He ignores this promise to his mother because he believes that his newest experiment is more important than his mother’s insignificant visitors are.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This behavior continues throughout the ... ...ulative experiments on life.   Higgins tries to use his charm to manipulate people into giving him what he wants, but when this tactic fails he resorts to brute force and abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is amazing that a man with such great qualities and characteristics can also have the bad qualities that are opposite of those great ones.   How these traits can coexist in one person does not make sense.   One of the traits must be a false front.   This is the nature of the world.   When two opposites come together in the same place and do not alter each other, then one of them is kept up as a faà §ade.   At any moment in time this faà §ade can move or crack and the true nature of the person will come to light.   People who display too many contradictions in character are usually true hypocrites.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Count of Monte Cristo :: The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo    The Count of Monte Cristo is an interesting tale about a sailor named Dantes who changes his whole persona in order to get back at his enemies. Dantes becomes a number of different people in order to carry out his plans. The changes Dantes went through made his different stages as a sailor and later as a mastermind of vengeance seem like day and night. Although Dantes seems very naà ¯ve at the beginning of the story, he becomes very sharp during his stay in jail. By the amount of detail and preciseness in his plans, Dantes as the Count can be looked as a mastermind. Much of Dantes’ knowledge comes from the old, thought to be crazy, priest named Faria that taught him in prison. Faria was also responsible for much of Dantes character change due to his great power of reasoning. Because Faria had given him a treasure and a hunger for vengeance, Dantes was willing and had enough money and power to carry out revenge on his enemies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Faria is the first person that opens up Dantes’ eyes so that he can see who his enemies really are. When Dantes first meets Faria, he is overjoyed because he hasn’t seen another person, other than the guard, for years. Faria reaches Dantes by means of a tunnel that took him 3 years to dig with his makeshift tools. Even though he had limited resources, Faria made matches, a lantern, a ladder, and a knife. Faria hid all these tools behind two separate rocks in his cell. All of these things show how smart Faria really was.   Faria’s intelligence is what helps Dantes make his transformation. â€Å"There is a maxim of jurisprudence which says,   ‘If you wish to discover the guilty person, first find out to whom the crime might be useful.’ To whom might your disappearance be useful?† This quote makes it apparent to Dantes that it wasn’t just a big accident that he went to jail. When Dantes foun d this out, you could see an immediate change in his character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After Dantes gets the treasure that Faria gave him, he starts to put his plot for revenge into action. The first thing Dantes does after he gets the treasure is to change into the Count of Monte Cristo.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Robert Frost Selected Poems – ‘The Road Not Taken’ and ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening’ – Analysis and Appreciation

Robert Frost was born in San Francisco on the 26th March 1874 and died on the 29th January 1963 in Boston. He was one of America's leading twentieth century poets and won many awards and honours, including four Pulitzer Prizes. When Frost was eleven, he moved to New England, where his interest in poetry came during his high school years at Lawrence, Massachusetts. He studied at Harvard from 1897 to 1899, although he did not get a formal degree. During his life, he went through many occupations such as working as a teacher and cobbler. He also managed a farm that his grandfather had bought him, but when this failed he decided to sell it and used the money to take his family to England, where he could devote his time to writing poetry. By the time he returned to the United States in 1915, he had written and published a number of collections and became one of America's most celebrated poets. With each new book – including ‘Mountain Interval' (1916), ‘New Hampshire' (1923) and ‘Steeple Bush' (1947) – fame and publicity amplified. I do not read much poetry, although I particularly favour the writings of Robert Frost. Many of his poems including ‘The Road Not Taken' and ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening' focus on images and descriptions of the natural world. However, they mainly concentrate on conveying a much deeper, more intense message. The teachings of Robert Frost are often very emotional. I very much enjoy reading his poems and trying to interpret their true meanings. I found that writing this essay made me understand the poems that I had already read many times even more clearly. ‘The Road Not Taken' is a very thoughtful and meaningful poem. The traditional but experimental and unique verses attract readers to the poem, as they are different from other poems. When first read, ‘The Road Not Taken' comes across as a simple poem based on intricacies of nature. It is clear from the first stanza that it is a poem that aims to paint a detailed picture of a peaceful road that leads into a yellow wood. However, with further readings and analysis, one can easily see that there is a much stronger, deeper meaning behind the smoothly woven words, common in many of Frost's poems. The poem's appeal lies in the extended metaphor and extended imagery, devices used very strongly to convey an important message about the twists and turns of life. ‘The Road Not Taken' is Frost's portrayal of the challenging choices that one is forced to make in life. I believe that every reader can relate to the poem and although the message is very strong, it is quite easy to interpret as it's readers can compare the poem to their own experiences. As the narrator is walking, he encounters a fork in the road. Both the roads ahead diverge â€Å"in a yellow wood†. The uninvited predicament causes him to pause and carefully ponder over his choices – â€Å"long I stood†. He has no desire to quickly rush into a decision and wants to be sure as to which road he takes. He â€Å"looked down one as far as† he could, to help him make his decision as to which road he will take, but both bend away into the undergrowth. If the reader compares this stanza to real life, they can see that the narrator has come to a point in his life when he has to make a very important decision. He has two choices in front of him that, at a glance seem very much alike (both diverge in a yellow wood). He calmly gathers his previous experiences and resources, showing that he is very much a perfectionist. However, he is unable to find any help that will give him an insight into the future. In life, we try to determine the outcome of ou r choices but it is very unlikely that we will be able to say exactly what will happen to us – we can only depend on assumptions based on our previous experiences and any insight we may have on other people's experiences. After looking down the second road and finding that it was â€Å"just as fair†, the narrator decides to travel through it because it was â€Å"grassy and wanted wear†. Once he had taken the road and begun travelling, he realised that the â€Å"passing there had worn them really about the same.† Taking the road less travelled by describes his personality. He seems to be an individualist and does not wish to take the more commonly used path and be influenced by other travellers' experiences. By taking the less commonly used road, the traveller sums himself up as being adventurous and daring, he is not afraid to try new things and likes to take risks and gambles. However, when he realised that other people had also been bold enough to take the less-travelled road, he may have felt a bit let down. Every reader can relate to this sort of situation. We all want to be unique, and want to boast about being brave enough to try something new. However, most probably there w ill be someone who has tried it before us. In stanza 3, it is clear that both roads â€Å"equally lay† and that there was not a less-trodden road. However, the man tries to convince himself that there is a difference in the two roads. He wavers slightly as he realises that his initial interpretation of the two roads was somewhat inaccurate, but retrieves his confidence by saying that he will return to the fork sometime in the future – â€Å"Oh, I kept the first for another day† – to see where the first road will lead him. At this point, the reader is introduced to the traveller's ego as he shoos away the truth that he could be wrong, by saying that it doesn't matter†¦he can always come back if things do not go to plan. â€Å"Yet knowing how way leads on to way/I doubted if I should ever come back†. Here, he acknowledges the harsh realities of life, which do not allow one to trace their footsteps back to the origin. All people when making a choice, say that they can always try the other option later on if need be. Frost teaches in lines 14 and 15 that, in life and the journey through the woods, there will be many other forks where new choices will have to be made. There will almost certainly never be time to return to the same spot again. The narrator is walking through ‘the road not taken' and looks into the future â€Å"with a sigh†. He wonders what it will bring – will he be successful and reach his destination or not? There is an element of doubt in his mind – what if? What if he had taken the more common road, what would have happened? When people make choices in life, they always question the future. They hope that what they are doing will result in victory. If one succeeds in their goals, the chances are that they will never look back. On the other hand, if one does not attain their goal, they remember the other options they had and wish that they had chosen one of those, even though that may have also not worked. The traveller continues to think about the future as he walks and meets other forks (challenges), and considers what he will tell people about his choice†¦ â€Å"Two roads diverged in to a yellow wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference† ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening' comes across as very pensive and serene, describing, as many of Frost's poems do, tranquil images of nature. Although the poem does not have any direct metaphors and similes, there is a clear use of extended imagery which is the main poetic device in the poem although it takes a couple of reads before one can see it, unlike the subject of nature which can be seen in the first few lines. It is a beautiful poem with a very strong message about life and how it forces people to work and strive away until there is nothing left to fight for. The first stanza enlightens the reader of the setting and mood of the poem. A man is travelling through woods when he stops to observe the natural world around him. He knows the person â€Å"whose woods these are† and knows that â€Å"his house is in the village†. The poet's tone and mood appears dismal as he states that the person in the village â€Å"will not see me stopping here/To watch his woods fill up with snow†, although he does not hint why this could be. From this verse, the reader can gather that the narrator is trying to reach a destination, his tone and mood suggesting that maybe he does not wish to go there. The woods are obviously special to him as it causes him to pause at such a desolate place on a snowy evening. The line, â€Å"His house is in the village, though†, indicates that the woods are away from the village and any civilisation. The woods are lovely and peaceful, but they are isolated too. In stanza 2, the reader can identify some examples of extended imagery. The coldness of the night (â€Å"frozen lake†) and description of it being â€Å"the darkest evening of the year† may describe the way he feels as well as his surroundings. â€Å"My little horse may think it queer/To stop without a farmhouse near† indicates that the poet is aware that he does not have time to stop and stare at the woods filled with snow, even though he does not want to leave. In life, people are always busy doing things. They often wish to stop and reflect, yet the demanding circumstances around them forbid them to do this, and they are forced to battle away with the day-to-day chores. ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening' seems to give this sort of message. In stanza 3, the man has still not moved on and his horse is becoming more and more confused as to where they are. He â€Å"gives his harness bells a shake/To ask if there is some mistake†. The horse keeps hurrying Frost by shaking his bells, upsetting the narrator's thoughts and short break. Even in such a beautiful, soothing place, where the â€Å"only other sound's the sweep/Of easy wind and downy flake†, the traveller is not free from interruption and disturbance. One can easily relate to this – when people try to relax for a little while, away from all the work, others around them seem to think that he or she is being lazy and hurry them along. In the same way, the horse cannot understand as to why Frost is not doing anything, even though it is so cold and dark. The traveller conveys his feelings towards the woods, saying that they are â€Å"lovely, dark and deep†. However, he sadly sighs, admitting that he cannot stay as he has â€Å"promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep†. Maybe the journey that the traveller is travelling through is the journey of life, the one common journey that all human beings have to travel. He has made many promises and has many goals that he wants to achieve in life. Frost implies that it will be a long time before he sleeps, sleep maybe being a metaphor for death as this is really the only time when one is free from the daily circle of work and unrest. In ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening' the description of the night being cold and dark emphasises the fact that even in the most impossible situation, one has to struggle on and on until the end. The poem shows that even an animal like the traveller's horse will hurry you if the work is not done. Also, the choices that one makes in life have to be achieved if success is to be met. No matter what happens, humans have to keep on fighting all the problems and distractions until everything is done. In life, people find rest and freedom very late in life. By the time they have finished all the work and attained all their goals, they are very old and probably cannot enjoy the good things life has to offer. True happiness and rest comes only with death. I think that Frost tries to convey all these messages through the profound images in the poem. I like ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening' very much, as the multi-layered and poignant messages, in my mind, hold a lot of tru th. The emotional and passion-arousing teachings give the poem a very strong identity and cause me to stop and reflect, while comparing them to my own experiences. When comparing ‘The Road Not Taken' and ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening', I find that they are very similar in a number of ways. In both the poems, the woods encountered are travelled into unintentionally. For example, in ‘The Road Not Taken' the man is walking when he suddenly faces a fork in the road that leads into yellow woods. In ‘Stopping By Woods†¦' the traveller is travelling on horseback on a snowy, dark evening as he passes peaceful, wild woods that belong to someone in the village. This could be a metaphor for unknown, unfamiliar circumstances. Even though one would think that the narrator is a different person each time, both travellers seem very similar. The traveller that takes ‘the road not taken' is different from others. He seems to be a cool, level-headed, unbiased man who likes to take risks and try new challenges. The man who encounters the woods on a snowy evening is also different from others. Despite the cold and darkness, he insists on staying in the woods for some time. He loves the sense of desertion and loneliness and wants a break from the hustle and bustle of work. The dark and deep woods seem to reflect on him, revealing his dark emotion and depth of character. Both men are peculiar in their actions and views when compared with the majority of people, their deep thinking much the opposite to most of the impulsive minds of today. Both of the poems written by Frost have the use of extended imagery, giving them the ‘Robert Frost's poetry' stamp straight away. Although the poems themselves are simplistic, plain and candid, they have very deep, significant and emotional messages, which teach readers the harsh realities of life. The poems provoke and challenge one's existence, bringing the true meaning of his words home to the reader, making them so beautiful and unique in their way.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Case Write Up Barbara Wilson Essay

The main challenge of Barbara Wilson as a Regional Sales Manager is to deal with the drop in growth of sales and earnings of the Food Mix Company. She is supposed to provide some ideas to increase the growth of sales. Here for she needs the help of the District Sales Manager and the Sales Representatives, but unfortunately she just got vague answers from them and didn’t receive valuable feedback. That’s why Barbara is not able to keep up or increase sales in her area. One of the main reasons for her problem is the communication between Barbara and her team. The team doesn’t trust her, they don’t see her as one of them, that’s one of the reasons, why they don’t try to help her with providing ideas for the sales growth by sharing their knowledge. Another cause for the problem of Barbara is the structure of the Food Mix Company (FMC). Employees, who have a long work experience (for example 18 or even 36 years) on the same job at FMC don’t get promoted, instead they have managers, like Barbara, who are much younger and well-trained, with few years of work experience and little knowledge about market characteristics and field work. This is frustrating for the employees and doesn’t support a good relation between them and their managers. Another reason for Barbara’s problem lies is the motivational system at FMC. The reward in the form of a bonus is always paid at the end of the year and depends on completing the yearly target, which is defined by the top of the performance from last year. The sales team is not motivated for an outstanding good performance, because this will raise the target for the next year. That’s why, they try to keep the information about the new market segment (older people) as a secret and hide this important strategic information from the top management. They don’t realize the importance of this information for helping to find a solution for decreasing sales. One option for Barbara to handle these problems is the improvement of the communication between her and the team. She should try to build trust by showing interest in the work and problems of the sales representatives and show them, that she is one of them, for example by spending time with the sales representatives on team meetings, workshops or joining them in the field. By spending more time with her team, Barbara would recognize the existing problems and could try to solve them by talking to the top management and find a better way for the motivation system. Another benefit of improving the communication between Barbara and her team is the chance in improving the intelligibility of the team for the strategies and problems of the FMC, so they would understand the importance of sharing their knowledge.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

First Amendment Is the Cornerstone of the United States Essay

On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed freeing the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain, creating what would become the most powerful democratic country in history. The United States of America’s path to success is filled with trial, error, and countless sacrifices. The founding fathers envisioned a nation that was governed by the people not by a tyrannical king. On December 15, 1791 a very significant document was added to the Constitution of the United States known as the Bill of Rights. Most Americans are vaguely familiar with the Amendments that construct the Bill of Rights. Nonetheless, the Amendments were created to protect the â€Å"people† from future government tyranny. This Bill of Rights, like the Constitution, is a fluid document that was meant to always be adapted to the times of the country. The Bill of Rights included the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. I believe the ever evolving First Amendment to be the most important because it protects our freedom of speech and the press, religion, the right to assemble or petition the government. These individual rights are the cornerstone of our country and facilitate a nation free of oppression. Read more: How does the constitution prevent tyranny essay Freedom of speech defined as the right to speak without censorship or restraint by the government.[1] Even though United States is considered to be a successful democratic nation, however there are moments in our history that defined us through freedom of speech. There are several examples throughout history where the use of freedom of speech allowed our nation to evolve socially. August 1963, Martin Luther King on the footsteps on Lincoln Memorial gave one of the most important speeches of the 20th century, â€Å"I have a dream†. It is considered by many scholars to be responsible for pressuring President John F Kennedy to continue his fight for civil rights, which led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under President Lyndon B. Johnson[2]. Without freedom of speech I believe that our nation would have slipped into a socialistic style government long ago. What has caused the majority of conflicts throughout the world in history? The most prevalent reason for conflicts throughout history is religion. In many countries around the world, religion is influential and plays a vital role in the political system. However, in the United States be free of religious establishment and having religious diversity have not allowed for religious conflicts to escalate. I would have to imagine if the founding forefathers had not included the freedom of religion in the first amendment that our nation would have not survived. The right to assemble is defined as the right to hold public meetings and form associations without interference by the government[3]. The right to assemble covers a variety of venues that most Americans take for granted. The right to assemble allows us to meet in public to discuss a variety of topics, take part in protest, belong to groups or associations, and practice religion openly in public. There are multiple examples throughout our nations young history were the right to assemble has accomplished positive and negative advances in our society. Without the right to assemble African Americans would not been able to protest prompting the Civil Rights Act, employees would not have been able to protest unsafe working conditions and unfair wages, and more recently the tea party forming to bring to light political concerns. However, there are instances of negative assembles such as the Ku Klux Klan which was against the civil rights; more recently the Westboro Baptist Church who protest funerals of military veterans and are anti-homosexuality rights. Even though there are negative with the right to assemble the positive will always outshine the negative. The right to petition the government for a redress of grievances gives citizens the right to lobbying, letter-writing, e-mail campaigns, testifying before tribunals, filing lawsuits, supporting referenda, collecting signatures for ballot initiatives, peaceful protests and picketing: all public articulation of issues, complaints and interests designed to spur government action qualifies[4]. The right to petition to me is one of the main reasons the colonies went to war with England. The colonies felt oppressed and had no say in what direction the country was headed. The forefathers wanted to ensure that the people had the right to check an over grasping government. The right to petition allows the people to have a voice in choosing what direction our nation takes. I believe First Amendment to be the most important because it protects our freedom of speech and the press, religion, the right to assemble or petition the government. We as American citizens often take these individual rights for granted. We are born into a free democratic nation and have never experienced socialistic or communist oppression. Without the First Amendment, our nation would have not survived, and I believe that we would have conformed into the exact thing that we were fighting against in the Revolutionary War. In order for our nation to continue to be prosperous, the First Amendment must be protected and never taken for granted. Bibliography C.Herman, Jacob,†Famous Speeches That Changed the Nation†. Voice Nation Going Beyond the Call. 2009. http://www.voicenation.com/resources/article-library/famous-speeches-that-changed-the-nation.shtml (accessed January 1, 2013). Newton, Adam, and â€Å"Petition† Ronald K.L Collins. The Five Freedoms Project. 2012. http://www.fivefreedoms.org/5freedoms/peition (accessed January 1, 2013). The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. Dictionary.com. 2005. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/freedom of speech (accessed December 31, 2012).