Professional Development Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Professional Development Analysis - Assignment Example The researcher states that a professionally qualified engineer must possess all the necessary qualifications and the relevant experience in order to become a successful engineer. To assist in this, the government of U.K has allotted a separate body that deals with professional engineers. The levels of professional qualification differ from one university to another. The major reason for such changes is the current requirement of the industries and the changing trend in the field of engineering. All these factors contribute to the decrease in the number of students who opt for technical courses and courses related to science. Though the numbers of engineering courses are increasing, courses like mechanical and manufacturing engineering continue to draw a reasonable number of people. Since the level of qualification differs based on the field of engineering, the requirements also differ. The level of professional qualification certainly depend on the field of engineering and hence the students must make up their mind according to the current needs and make sure they select a field in which they can obtain the required level of qualification. The various levels of diploma, Pre University, vocational courses, graduate, and postgraduate courses help the students to obtain the highest level of qualification, so as to prepare themselves for a challenging career. Though the branches of engineering are similar to some extent, mechanical and manufacturing engineering are different in their technical aspects. Due to this reason, the students who prefer these streams must ensure that they get qualified and equally experienced to evolve into a professionally qualified engineer. Apart from these factors, the selection of courses depends on the university in which the student studies. As the numbers of colleges in the UK are increasing considerably, it is the responsibility of the students to select a university which best suits their needs. The field of mechanical and manufa cturing engineering offers a wide variety of choice to the students from which they can take up a course that specializes in this field. The levels of professional qualification include a diploma, a bachelor degree, and a post-graduate degree.

The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images Essay

The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images - Essay Example The essay "The use of cigarettes as an accessory in fashion images" discusses the use of cigarettes in the images of fashion. This was done through the clever slogans that were used such as â€Å"There are many reasons to smoke now,† â€Å"We make Virginia Slims especially for women because they are biologically superior to men† and â€Å"You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.† It was also done through the use of glamorous-looking women and Hollywood stars seen smoking in the advertisements and in newsreels or films. Women wanting to associate themselves with these ideas of desirability, independence or needed a means of gaining better control over their emotions would take to smoking because they were mimicking the activities of the famous people they see through these media representations. To see how this works, it is helpful to examine how cigarettes have appeared in non-cigarette-related advertising and reinforced these ideas. Cigarettes started appearing in a dvertisements early on as a means of emphasizing the self-reliance and desirability of the female individual. Several examples of this can be found in the images collected in Farid Chenoune’s collection of lingerie images Hidden Femininity. One such example is the following image taken in the early 1900s. This black and white vintage photograph depicts a curvaceous woman in a lacy black teddy with high-cut ‘French’ style legs and a low-cut front that blouses mostly open over her chest. This cut emphasizes the curve of her hips and suggests the curves of her breasts.

Shot answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shot answer - Essay Example Even invalid arguments can conclude something that is technically valid. If stated simply, all sound arguments are also valid arguments but not all the valid ones are sound. A sound argument comprises of reasons that are all valid and have true premises. However, a valid argument is simply a deductive analysis and may sometimes be based on invalid reasoning. John Wisdom believes the religion is more of a feeling related to the working of the universe while science is an explanation. He says that explanations can never be on the basis of what someone feels. Thus, he calls the two of them different. In contrast, Einstein believes the science and religion are interlinked and the religious attitude is the best motivation for people to carry on with the scientific research. That is why the best philosophers are the ones who understand the religion before they turn towards the field of science. Thus, he is of the opinion that the two can work together very well. There are three different kinds of arguments present. The first is the theism that says that there are enough evidences present around us to believe in existence of the gods. Secondly, there is atheism which says that there are countless evidences present for believing in the non-existence of god. Lastly, there is agnosticism which suggests that the evidences present are insufficient to support neither theism nor atheism. Anselm argues that he understands God to be a supreme being and that there is no possible force greater than God’s in this universe. However, he says that if the existence of God was only in the mind, then any being found in reality is surely to have greater power over the God who is only a figment of imagination. However, if we believe that there can be God is the greatest being then we must also believe that it exists as well. He objects that if Anselm’s argument is to be considered and accepted, then all other sound

Internal marketing Essay Example for Free

Internal marketing Essay Internal marketing is of much importance to an organization. For any organization to thrive, it must focus on the efficiency of the marketing plan. The internal marketing plan within a firm fosters the company’s employees and all its staff members to being customers of the products that they produce. When employees of an organization purchase the products that they produce, they attract external markets since the public out there will realize how important the products are to them, as much as to the employees. Members of staff are seen as both suppliers of the goods and also the customers of the products. This plan helps in strengthening the firm to employee relationship. When the firm management relates well with the employees, they are in a way motivated hence quality services will in turn be provided to the customers. Customers will be retained within the organization, thus enabling the company achieve a competitive advantage. It will be in a position to increase its sales according to the rampant growing demand. Also, the company will increase the process of profit making. In essence, efficiency in internal marketing allows for efficient external marketing efforts (Kotler Armstrong, 2009). A good internal marketing plan usually has distinctive features. For instance, it should create a culture that enables it to outstand over the vast competitive markets. It is achievable when workers are encouraged to be creative and innovative, responsible and accountable. Employees should be given a chance to exploit their abilities and also to act in capacity as accountable leaders. The plan should also articulate equity, fairness, recognition and motivation of outstanding performers. Employees should not be treated according to their rank position, race or gender. This has been a major setback to development hence it should be avoided by all means. It should also accommodate room for furthering the employees’ skills and knowledge. By fairness, an organization and its staff at large are encouraged to practice and embrace it. For example when someone close dies, support should be provided to his family. The organization can effectively deal with this issue through setting aside emergency funds (Ahmed Rafiq, 2002). Coca cola as a company has embraced the use of internal marketing plan within its organization, and this has seen it stand still and strong despite the competition offered by Pepsi company which is as well a manufacturer of soft drinks. The company has been strategically managed and thus its products have been wide spread, not only in the United States but also to the rest of the world. It has adopted the use of the 7ps of marketing. The 7ps involves Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. Product shows what the company produces and supplies to its vast markets. Examples of such products are sprite, coke and fanta, which mainly dominate the company’s markets. Place indicates the actual placement of the manufacturing firm. Currently, manufacture of coca cola products have been spread all over the world. Price is the most important aspect of marketing. The company is supposed to regulate the prices through the advice of senior sales representatives. It is the marked price that determines the number of customers an organization will have. Customers should be made aware of the recommended retail prices of the beverages produced. This is usually done so as to discourage the intermediaries from exploiting the customers. When goods are overpriced, the organizations competitors might take advantage of this to take away the customers. Coca Cola Company has taken an initiative of inscribing the products recommended prices in the bottle tops, thus preventing occurrence of inconveniences. In marketing, promotion enables the people to know the kind of products the company produces and also gives them a reason why they should purchase them. Promotion activities are crucial because it is the determining factor whether the business will stand or fall. Physical environment also plays an important role in marketing. The surrounding and the way people domiciling around where a company intends to establish its market agrees to allow the sales agent carry out its activities determines the business marketing future. People may be very hostile; hence the business may fail to establish its markets. The processes actually portray the channels a product passes through before being delivered to the end consumer. This may again involve how the consumer will handle the product. The employees of this company are given responsibility to manage brands through efficient marketing and also given priority to lay down achievable business strategies (Drake, Gulman Roberts, 2005). Managing directors of the company are spread all over the world and the company entrusts them to establish reliable distribution channels, the targeted consumers and the marketing tools that boosts the firms’ sales. To ensure that it earns huge profits, the company has increased its sales employees and surely this act has enabled it to be at the top rank in the annual ranking of the best brands in the world. Such sales agents of the company do put into consideration a good customer relationship. They have a sense of efficiency in responding to customers needs thus majority of the consumers are retained. To obtain its employees, the coca cola company carries out recruitments. For one to qualify as an employee, he/she must pass the exams administered to them by the company’s directors. Also, they are taken through series of interviews and questionnaires, and their competences checked against the requirements of the company. While interviewing, the managers poses questions related to risk management, time management, how to attend to problems and also issues that focuses on leadership skills. After the employees are hired by the company, they are fed with adequate information about the company. This includes how it carries out its day to day activities, its mission and vision. In addition, the organizations goals and objectives are clearly stated to them. This allows the firm management to work together as one with its employees with target of realizing the successful outcome of the company’s operations. Employees work output is usually measured in this company on yearly basis. They are rated according to how they have embraced the technology, how they have fostered a sense of leadership and also by how far they established a solid relationship with the consumers. In addition, their innovativeness is recognized and this is checked through analyzing how successful they have been in bringing the outsiders into the company. Their results in terms of making the company realize goals are normally detailed, and the outstanding performers motivated. This motivation can either take form of increasing their monthly pay, promoting them to higher ranks or even recognizing them by word of mouth. Employees who are deemed as less productive are taken through a probation training. After probation, they are again sent back to the field, and if by this time the company does not see any impact in their productivity, they are left with no option other than dismissing them (Palmer, et al. , 2006). Internal marketing has been of great benefits to the coca cola company. Despite encouraging its workers perform better, it has also allowed them to acquire knowledge on being responsible and accountable. The internal marketing has also enhanced better understanding of the organization in line with the business carried out. Employees have been motivated to offer goods of quality to their customers through appreciation of their outstanding performance. This plan has again increased the consumer retention capacity and also personal developments to its employees. Non marketers within the organization has also benefited since they have learned how to carry out their duties in manner-like marketing. To sum up, the internal marketing plan has linked the coca cola business culture, vision, mission and its stipulated strategies with the employees’ social needs (Varey, 2002). Behind every successful organization, their must be a chain of problems encountered by it. Depending on how the firm embraces and handles their problems, their success is determined. Not all the employees accept change. Some becomes rigid when it comes to embracing the changes in technology. Some employees have deemed the use of computerized systems as a way of narrowing employment opportunities. Such employees can be termed as being illiterate from the fact that computers helps much in keeping efficient and effective inventory of the company’s undertakings. The company has also been faced problems based on incompetence of managers, much emphasis being in the use of interpersonal, conceptual and technical skills. The rampant spread of social evils such as corruption all over the world has seen the company employ incompetent personnel who lack skills in management. To add, the employed persons within the organization have been portrayed as not only having a poor understanding of the concepts of internal marketing but also as ignoring the orders from the senior staff (Kurtz, 2008). This has been a major problem towards successful establishment of internal marketing plan. Conflicts among the employees and also within different departments have also been a problem. People usually fight over the promotion position have made the work of implementing an internal structure difficult. To the side of the organization, some subordinates ignore the employees and does not put into consideration their welfare. Because of this, employees have reacted to fight for their rights and thus this has been a hindering factor. The spirit of synergy has also been greatly compromised since some top members of the organization over protect important information against its workers. Since there is no trust, the organization is as well less likely to embrace the concept of internal marketing. To summarize, the organizations’ structure is in most instances rigid. It does not give room for frequent reviewing and thus this has affected the internal concept of marketing. As from the benefits discussed earlier on, it is unavoidably necessary to have an internal marketing plan. This is not only for the success of the business in its environs but also all over the world. Some of the tools that should be put into consideration in successfully implementing a good internal marketing plan involve encouraging employees to have frequent contacts with the human resource managers. The contact can be enhanced through use of e-mails, faxes, telephone services, newsletters and more reliably through physical contacts. This will encourage them to air their views about the welfare of the organization. Also, they will have a chance to openly air their grievances, more especially on the way they are handled as the company’s employees. This allows fast reaction and implementation of their needs in a proper channel. More field work should be encouraged between the employees and their manager. This will allow them to share views freely with their manager and also gain experience. Since managers are normally viewed as people with experience, fieldworks will allow the employees too mingle with their managers and in the process taking note of work should be carried out (Dunmore,2002). Meetings of all the members of staff should be scheduled within reasonable time duration, for instance a fortnight or a month. This enables the organization as a whole to see how far they have gone in accomplishing its goals and objectives. It also allows them, together with its employees to check on the possible areas that they might have gone wrong in its day to day operations. From here, possible solutions are discussed and carefully thought out strategies of implementation laid out. Changes in career paths are also deemed as a tool of successfully implementing the internal marketing. The employees get to rate themselves on how good they are in sales department. They can check their performance in conjunction with the efforts they put while at work. If they find that marketing is a little pit strenuous, they can pave way for other junior employees and opt for other jobs. Changes in positions should be provided for to those employees initially put on probation. This allows them to be motivated to take up new roles within the organization. In addition, this decreases instances of boredom since the employees are subject to transfers to various departments and place of work. This act boosts the employees’ morale because they will be in a position to see as being attached to the company than before (Beamish Ashford, 2007). Internal marketing workshops and also leadership concept seminars should be embraced by the organization. The firm should encourage its employees to attend such seminars as it enables them gain skills that prepares them for future managerial positions. Such seminars also encourage mutual relationship within the organization. Positioning of the employees should be in conformance with the required qualifications. Social evils such as corruption should be avoided within the organization as this may impact negatively to the company. Such people hired through crooked ways are the ones to collapse the same company since they have gotten used to their bad habits.

Shamanism :: Spirit Spiritualism Korea Korean Essays

Shamanism A Shaman is a member of a tribal society who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events. Shamanism is the oldest folk belief of the Korean people in which every natural object in the world has a soul. In order to connect with the power of the supernatural the Shaman is taken over by a spirit by liberating their mind from natural limitation. This process is achieved through the use of drugs such as tobacco or soma, spinning or dancing, drumming, or singing of deep tones (Haines Brown). Early Shamanistic clans mainly served two different purposes, to invoke supernatural spirits and to carry out priestly and military leadership functions. â€Å"Korean Shamanism regarded three gods with special reverence and importance: the Mountain God, Sanshin (who is usually depicted as an old man with a tiger at his feet), the Toksong, or recluse, and Ch'ilsong (the god of the seven stars, the Big Dipper)† (Buddhapia). These roles began to branch out early in the second millennium B.C. Some of these clans began branching out into confederations headed by Shaman kings early in the first millennium A.D. As more and more religions began to arise such as Buddhism and Tonghak, many Koreans continued practicing the traditional ways of Shamanism. More recently one of the emphasized characteristics of Shamanism is the belief that the souls of the dead are always present. â€Å"Only the spirits of ancestors and people who died harboring grudges and deep resentment and those who died untimely deaths are honored in worship, however†, explains Kim Yol-kyu. Ones who have died young or who were murdered are believed to be able to cause great misfortune to the living or even cause diseases. The way to get rid of these diseases or misfortunes is by performing a ritual known as a gut in Korean. A Shaman who performs these ceremonies is often referred to as a mudang and must be a highly talented performer in order to conduct the ceremonies properly.

A Diary of a Woman from the Middle Ages

The light is low but I know I should write this down. I have some parchment left and some ink. The feelings were overwhelming. I have to let it all out. I hope I had some brushes and paint with me instead, so I can really show how I feel. This was my first day in the castle as an assistant cook for the Baron. I am but a peasant who learned to read and write upon my insistence, with the help of the parish priest.The Baron was able to taste my cooking when he visited the little pub I worked for with his men. His visits became frequent, and every time he asked for my special pork stew. It came to a point when I though that my recipes could not have been that good for him to be addicted to it. Apparantly, he was. One night, as he merrily cheered with his men, he whispered to me that he would like to hire me as a cook in the castle.Back then, I thought the Baron desired me. To be his mistress? I do not believe I could fathom that. He appeared to be happy with his family. I did not see any reason for him to simply wander to loose skirts. Not that my skirts ever came loose. As tradition, I married at an early age. However, as fate would have me, it will not let me live a long life with my husband, who died of an illness. God, bless his soul.Looking at the faà §ade of the castle, I have often wondered how it was inside. Upon that first step, I prayed to God to bless the Baron for finding my stew such a gift. At first, I came with him because I thought that there were no where else for commoners to go to. So I grasped the opportunity even though I was unsure of when I agreed myself into.The inside of the castle was definitely a dream for me. The carvings and the high ceilings got me dreamy eyed as I watched the meticulously crafted creations dance in the afternoon sunlight.I also learned today, that the Baron was truly kind, and he wanted to have my stew on my first night in the household. The tapestries, furniture and the people working and living within the walls of this building were quite a surprise. Who would have thought that this day and age would have created such amiable people?When given the chance to be more than one of the castle cooks, I shall ask one of the friends I made today to show me around. The Baron himself offered. He is such an unusual fellow. I denied it, of course, reasoning that I should have myself settled first for his dinner. By the jest alone, I believe he already anticipated the taste and the aroma. Really unusual.Second Entry:One of the Baron’s daughters, I learned, had a passion for painting pictures as well. But as far as I am aware of, painting is one of those crafts considered to be a menial job. I did not think that the Baron would allow his daughter to exert such effort for something they can order another to do. What are commoners for?But when I stand by to observe my lady, I noticed that she enjoyed painting pictures, and her technique adorned the walls of the castle. So she was the artist behind all these. I have painted a few of my ideas, but being the commoner that I was, with rough clothes for daily wear, I did not dream of ever being the painter I can imagine myself as.Third Entry:My lady caught me looking at her canvasses stored in her make shift studio. The moment she walked in, I felt the blood drain from my face. I knelt down on both knees and hung my head for forgiveness. She did not say anything but walked to me until I could see the toes of her shoes right in front of my face. I really thought she would punish me. I had no right being in her studio in the first place.But she gently placed her palm on top of my head and asked if I would like to try to paint a picture. I immediately told her that I am not deserving of ever touching their property. I said that I should be punished instead. But my lady bent to touch my rough and embarrassing hands and led me to a blank canvas. A paint brush was placed between my fingers and she motioned my to dip its tip on some paint s he had redied. With her soft hand over mine, she motioned the brush to simply slide a soft slope down a canvas.I almost felt how such a simple stroke across an empty space could change a lot in me. I used to paint by using the most inexpensive supplies because there was little money to even compensate food. But in the castle, no body was deprived of food. My lady even gave permission to use it. Eureka!Fourth Entry:Few days passed since my lady allowed me to use her brushes for the first time. I became more greatful to God who allowed my path to cross with the kind hearted Baron. To note my feelings, I painted a little piece for God. It was a token I thought that would please my Creator. I was not inspired but thankful. That was my driving force.The Baron’s daughter praised my piece and I blushed. I never imagined that a noble person could have praised such a commoner as myself. Their family was definitely an odd combination of heart, spirit and brains. I thought nothing else could have surprised me.  But there was! It seemed like a jest to me when she suddenly gained interest of my past. She asked if I had a family. There wasn’t much that I could remember. I was born to a poor family, and my parents died because of too much hard work and little food. I don’t know why my lady asked for details that I assume she would have known from the start.Then she looked at me with such sad eyes, and I realized that her eyes weren’t that open to reality yet. I immediately tried to comfort her, when it seemed it should have been the other way around. She wiped her tears with a piece of linen square and asked me to continue with the story. With a whisper of pain at the reminder of beloved, I told her some of the things about my marriage. Like most of the girls of this period of time got married at such an early age. But I learned to love my husband anyway.My lady shed more of her tears and I almost laughed at her face. She didn’t have to, really. She didn’t have to pity my story. But with the assistance of the linen square, she looked up at me with clear eyes and said that she thought as much when she looked at my drafts and little masterpieces.She insisted that I painted with her by the gardens when she did. It made her feel assured that there are still those who shared her passion. At the end of every session, we would look at each others’ work and comment about the job done. Who would have thought that a commoner would ever experience the feeling of being equal with the noble families of this country? This family is definitely unusually kind.

Raising My Voice by Malalai Joya

The book I studied is â€Å"Raising my voice† by Malalai Joya. This is the extraordinary story of the award winning Afghan woman who dares to speak out. She was born in Western Afghanistan. Three days after she was born, a soviet-backed coup changed her life forever. Within a year, Afghanistan was an occupied country, and she says â€Å"since then war is all we Afghans have known. † (p. 7, 2009) Her childhood was spent in refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan. Her family were forced to leave Afghanistan to avoid the war. This was not a welcoming experience. â€Å"Afghans were seen as second-class humans by the Iranian government. (p. 19, 2009) Her father who was a Doctor was forced to do difficult jobs for very low wages, simply because he was an Afghan and not Iranian. Her family spent four years living in terrible conditions as exiles in Iran. â€Å"About 85,000 Afghans were squeezed into filthy, over-crowded camps. We were neglected and forgotten, where we baked in the heat of the day and shivered at night. † (p. 20, 2009) Malalai’s father believed so strongly in the value of education, even for girls, so to him, what was even worse than these living conditions were the fact that there were no schools in these camps. Afghan children were not allowed to attend Iranian schools and for this reason, her family decided to leave Iran and move to Pakistan. It was in Pakistan, that Malalai first attended a school. The school was the only school that allowed Afghan female refugees to attend. Malalai really enjoyed her classes and immediately valued the importance of education. In 1992, when Malalai was fourteen, her family moved back to Afghanistan. However, it wasn’t long before she would move back to Pakistan because it was far too unsafe to live in Afghanistan. â€Å"Young girls were being abducted, raped and killed by roaming gangs. (p. 30, 2009) â€Å"At night, armed fighters of criminal mujahideen groups would often walk right into people’s homes. All the children were locked in a bedroom with the light off and told to remain silent. We were terrified, but we could not cry out as we listened to these men yelling and turning things upside down around the house, taking whatever they pleased. † (p. 31, 2009) Malalai used to listen to the radio with her father. There were regular reports about the intifada in Palestine, and how their children were bravely fighting against the aggression of Israeli troops. She asked her father, â€Å"Why are we not from Palestine, where the children are so brave? † He replied â€Å"If that’s the way you feel, why don’t you think about becoming like a Palestinian in your own country? † (p. 39, 2009) I think this was what made Malalai go into politics and fight for her country. â€Å"This had a deep impact on me. I thought about what he said for days. I wanted to work to end what was going on in Afghanistan, and perhaps my father was showing me the way. † (p. 30, 2009) In 1998, Malalai joined the Organisation for Promoting Afghan Women’s Capabilities (OPAWC) as a full-time social activist. After living in exile for sixteen years, she returned to Afghanistan for her job to teach girls in defiance of the Taliban. This job came with a risk. However Malalai accepted the risk involved and adopted the surname Joya to protect her family’s identity. â€Å"Teaching at an underground girls’ school was a dangerous job, but I never considered giving it up. I felt it was a great injustice that Afghan girls were being denied an education. The Taliban wanted to keep them in the dark, because any time a group is denied education it is harder for them to know their rights and to fight for them. (p. 56, 2009) Upon Malalai’s return to Afghanistan, she had to learn to wear the burqa as this was a requirement from the Taliban. â€Å"I didn’t like it. Not one bit. It’s not only oppressive but it’s more difficult than you might think. You have no peripheral vision because of the netting in front of your eyes. And it’s hot and suffocating under there. The only useful thing about those long blue robes was that they could be used to hide school books and other forbidden objects. † (p. 44, 2009) Men had to grow thick beards as long as a â€Å"clenched fist†. (p. 3, 2009) according to the rules of male grooming. Books other than the Quran were forbidden. Television, movies, and recorded music were also illegal. The Taliban considered practising any other religion un-Islamic so they made it a crime. They would blow up or scrape off the faces of any other religious statues, paintings or photographs. In the Summer of 2001, Malalai was named the director of OPAWC in Western Afghanistan so she had to move back to where she was born. â€Å"We were just getting re-established when, on the night of September 11th, the radio broadcast some horrifying news. Within days everyone knew that there would be a war. † (p. 57, 2009) America started dropping bombs on Afghanistan daily, killing the lives of innocent people. The Taliban was replaced by the Northern Alliance. In 2003, the OPAWC opened a health clinic which was run by Malalai, again her safety was at risk as this was illegal. This health clinic soon expanded into an orphanage. Throughout the history of Afghanistan, whenever the country faced important reforms or changes in government, tribal elders and other leaders have assembled in a traditional gathering called a Loya Jirga. In 2003, the United Nations was called in to oversee elections to a Loya Jirga. At the age of twenty-five, Malalai decided to get involved in the new political process in Afghanistan. â€Å"I had come to know first-hand their extreme suffering-especially that of women. I felt that our people needed their voices to be heard. † (p. 71, 2009) â€Å"I was determined to help put an end to the rule of the warlords and fundamentalists, and I knew the great majority of Afghan men and women shared this aim. I did not understand at the time how this decision would change my life forever. † (p. 2, 2009) Malalai was the winner of this Loya Jirga. The second Loya Jirga Malalai attended; she was shocked and appalled to see warlords and other well known war criminals there that had made Afghanistan the war ridden country that it is. So in her speech she spoke of this. â€Å"My criticism of all my compatriots is why you are allowing the legitimacy and legality of this Loya Jirga to come into question due to the presence of those criminals who have brought our country to this state. Why would you allow criminals to be present here? They are responsible for our situation now! † (p. 3, 2009) During her speech, she was asked to stop and she was escorted out of the Loya Jirga. That night, men came to a place where they thought Malalai would be staying to rape and kill her. Luckily, she was not there. Even though Malalai did not return to the second day at the Loya Jirga, her name was making headlines around the world. In 2005, at the age of twenty-seven, she was the youngest person to be elected to the new Parliament. Since then, she survived numerous assassination attempts and continued to press the cause of those who elected her. Whenever Malalai spoke in Parliament, her microphone would be cut off. My days in Parliament were always stressful and lonely because I was constantly being attacked and insulted. Sometimes I would raise the red card on my desk in protest, or even walk out in disgust. † (p. 153, 2009) In 2007, in a television interview, Malalai criticised the criminals and warlords in Parliament, â€Å"If the Afghan Parliament continued on its current path, people would soon call it a zoo or a stable. † (p. 170, 2009) However, Malalai specified that this comment was intended for the criminals and warlords and were not intended for the MPs who were real representatives. This part of her statement was left out when it was aired on television and it made her sound like she was criticising the whole Parliament which in turn is the nation because the Parliament is the ‘house of the nation. ’ â€Å"This programme ended up defaming me in the eyes of the Afghan people while giving my enemies in Parliament ammunition to use against me. † (p. 171, 2009) Malalai was suspended from Parliament for ‘insulting the institution of Parliament. ’ Protests and rallies were held worldwide to get Malalai back into Paliament. The support Malalai received was astonishing. Even some of my fellow parliamentarians have approached me to discreetly tell me that they support me, but they cannot do so publicly. † (p. 178, 2009) However, Malalai’s banishment from Parliament has meant her message has been spread worldwide. â€Å"Although I am no longer able to stand up in Parliament and raise my voice for justice, my enemies have accidently given me a gift. Because now my message is being carried further than ever before, and the cause of my people is heard all over the world. † (p. 188, 2009) The war is still continuing in Afghanistan to this day. She is not confident about this changing since Obama has been elected. He and his foreign policy advisors do not appear to have learned from the past seven years-the course they are pursuing will only push the region into a wider war and more destruction. † (p. 249, 2009) â€Å"Today we live under the shadow of the gun, and with the most corrupt and unpopular government in the world. † (p. 253, 2009) Malalai has done a lot for her country and people and has no regrets. â€Å"I would never want to take back any of the speeches I have made, nor any of the statements I have issued denouncing the corrupt and violent men and women who use and abuse their power to keep Afghanistan in their grip. (p. 267, 2009) I truly believe Malalai has made an unforgettable mark in her country and she believes this also. â€Å"You can kill me, but you can never kill my spirit. † (p. 270, 2009) I think Malalai diagnoses what is wrong with the strategic decisions being made by society throughout her life very accurately and very bravely. All her life, she has gone against what the rulings of Afghanistan have suggested is correct in order to fight for what she personally believes is correct. Malalai leads the reader to consider new strategic directions not just for the individual but also for society as a whole. The majority of the people in Afghanistan especially women are just followers, even if they do not agree with something. Malalai was brave enough to go against this from a very young age. She was fortunate to be part of a family who treated boys and girls the same and luckily her father knew the value of education so made sure she went to school. Without education she would not have the knowledge or power to be the woman she is today. She wanted to give this opportunity to other Afghan girls, so she went against the Taliban to do this through her teaching with the OPAWC. She also went against the Taliban by opening a health clinic and an orphanage. This showed what a genuinely caring person Malalai was and that she was willing to risk her life to help strangers. Malalai is the first person not to mention first woman to stand up in the Loya Jirga and speak about the warlords and criminals the way she did. In her 2007 television interview, I think she is very brave for saying the things she said, however, I feel that maybe the words she used were not correct. She maybe should have been more professional as she should have remembered her role as a parliamentarian; however I think she spoke that way because she was so passionate about this subject and I do not believe these comments should have led her to be banished from Parliament, if anything she should have just been suspended. Through reading the whole book, speaking the way she did may have been the best route to take as all her other efforts seem to be unnoticed and although it resulted in her being banished from Parliament, she gained international recognition so that she can spread her views further than just Afghanistan. I do find Malalai’s arguments and story convincing, because I think Afghanistan is a much oppressed country and a sexist country. I agree that the way the warlords have run the country have led it to destruction and war. It is wrong that women are forced to wear the burqa. Nobody should be denied of an education and anyone who can justify raping and killing young girls should not be ruling a country. In my own personal strategy in life, I believe in standing up for what I believe is right. You can achieve your goals if you have the right knowledge, strategy and will power to do so-as long as you know you are right.

Assessing Reservation Procedures In Sri Petaling Hotel Tourism Essay Example

Assessing Reservation Procedures In Sri Petaling Hotel Tourism Essay Example Assessing Reservation Procedures In Sri Petaling Hotel Tourism Essay Assessing Reservation Procedures In Sri Petaling Hotel Tourism Essay This paper is traveling to depict three manner of reserve besides process of reserve, advantage, disadvantage of reserve by these manner and besides impact in Sri Petaling hotel in Kuala Lumpur. First manner that people can reserve room in this hotel is by on line engagement, which is became a popular method for reserve in resent twelvemonth. Another manner of reserve is, modesty room by agent, reserve through cyberspace is non easy manner for all client, normally those people prefer a travel bureau arrange their adjustment for their trip. Last manner of reserve which is conceder in this undertaking is reservation by walk this is a manner for traveller who does nt hold clip to reserve room before their travel. Another portion is, advantages and disadvantages of information engineering in the work topographic point, how information engineering became indispensable is in respects to charge? Why information engineering necessity for reserve system? How it can do a good trade for invitee s? How it can better hotel s services and merchandises? How hotel can maintain in touch with regular clients? What sort of jobs could look during utilizing calculating and web in hotel industry? Annually 1000s of people travel to Malaysia from all over the universe for different intent. This is obvious most of these people who travel to Malaysia should remain in a hotel. There are so many hotels in Malaysia they can take. One of these hotels they can take is Seri Petaling hotel. Sri Ptaling hotel is an international 3 star hotel which is located in Sri Petaling aria. This hotel is a concern, tourist category hotel. Depend on blasts requirement they provide room for their client so they will happen spacious adjustment. Peoples who chose Sri Petaling hotel to remain in Kula Lumpur have different ways to reserve room. It depend which manner is more convenience for them. Generally reservation manner and besides process of reserve in hotels are same. To reserve room in Sri Petaling hotel traveller can bespeak in one of following manner: First manner that people can reserve room in Sri Petaling hotel is by On Line Booking . Online booking hotel are going a really popular method for rider to reserve room. Passenger can book suites from place by utilizing cyberspace, without any trader. They can look into fiscal information, installation and position of the hotel or their room through the cyberspace. Sri Petaling hotel besides has website, by this web site WWW.Sripetalinghotel.com.my rider are able to look into all information they want to cognize about Sri Petaling hotel, for illustration what type of hotel is that or look into term of room, installation, and so on. Besides they are able to reserve room through their web site. For on-line reserve users should see website www.sripetaling.com.my, and so choose modesty now and so fallow the nexus, click reaching day of the month and so choose adjustment type, users should make full the signifier and imperativeness continue, so on-line application will look, all th e information are required in this signifier , and so imperativeness confirm reserve. Passenger s recognition card will be charged MYR 60 as sedimentation. Once booking complete Traveler will corroborate, the verification verifier will be sent to consumer s Email reference. Once passenger arrive to Sri Petaling hotel by demoing a soft transcript of the Email rider can easy have their room in this hotel. This is exact application signifier that user should make full through the cyberspace for modesty room in Sri Petaling hotel. Second manner of reserve for Sri Petaling hotel is by agent. This manner is another manner that people can take to reserve hotel. Marketing ego booking through Web is non easy manner for some travellers, those people prefer a travel bureau arrange their adjustment for their trip. Procedure of reserve by agent is non hard. The lone thing that traveller should make is traveling to a travel bureau and inquire them to reserve room in this hotel for them. In the age of cyberspace, travel bureaus are able to reserve room for the client through cyberspace, these people often send many clients to different hotel in any clip of twelvemonth one of this hotel is Sri Petaling hotel, they have trades with this hotel, so travel bureaus can reserve room in Sri Petaling hotel for client with lower monetary value. Passenger should pay for the hotel straight to a travel bureau it can be by hard currency or by recognition menu. Then make full a signifier and Wright the of import points of their trip, s uch as clip they arrive, what type of room they want, how many individual they are, how long they are traveling to remain in this hotel and this list goes on. Just like signifier comes in below By holding this information travel bureau fills the reserve signifier which is available in their web site and applies for the Sri Petaling hotel and so submits it. After 24 hr hotel confirm reserve and direct verification electronic mail for the company. Travel bureau will do a transcript signifier verification electronic mail and give it to the client. Customer should demo it to the hotel response upon look intoing into traveller s room. Last manner of reserve which is conceder it, is Reservation by Walk. Sometimes arrange for adjustment before travel is non possible for traveller because of different ground. Some hotels in Malaysia merely accept rider who reserve room in progress before their travel. However Sri Petaling hotel accept all rider, although these people does nt hold eBook reserve. Once passenger arrive and inquire for room response will demo the location of the room to client, if it accepted by the client, one of most of import thing that response demand is personal designation of each rider. For the following measure response will give signifier to rider and client should make full this signifier and give the personal information besides type of room they want and sign the signifier, so go through it to the response. Traveler should pay the measure straight to the hotel rider can pay for measure at the terminal of their stay, with recognition card or in hard currency. These are all stairss, that rider should make to Reserve Room by Walk in Sri Petaling hotel.

The eNotes Blog 14 Apropos Words That Lack an EnglishEquivalent

14 Apropos Words That Lack an EnglishEquivalent Though English is generally considered to contain the most words of any language in the world, appropriating vocabulary from all over, there are times when those many words simply fail us. Like having no single word to describe the intense vicarious embarrassment you feel when watching an episode of Girls. If only we were Finnishthered be a term for that. Below is that word plus 13 others that lack an English equivalent. Now if only we could pronounce them all, then we could take them for our own like the entitled English speakers we are! Unless of course you can think up your own alternate names for these situations. If youre that creative, please do share with us in a comment! 1. Shemomedjamo (Georgian) You know when youre really full, but your meal is just so delicious, you cant stop eating it? The Georgians feel your pain. This word means, I accidentally ate the whole thing. 2. Pelinti (Buli, Ghana) Your friend bites into a piece of piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort of tilts his head around while making an aaaarrrahh noise. The Ghanaians have a word for that. More specifically, it means to move hot food around in your mouth. 3. Layogenic (Tagalog) Remember in  Clueless  when Cher describes someone as a full-on Monet from far away, its OK, but up close its a big old mess? Thats exactly what this word means. 4. Rhwe (Tsonga, South Africa) College kids, relax. Theres actually a word for to sleep on the floor without a mat, while drunk and naked. 5. Zeg (Georgian) It means the day after tomorrow. Seriously, why dont we have a word for that in English? 6. Pà ¥legg (Norweigian) Sandwich Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything - ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it - you might consider putting into a sandwich. 7. Lagom (Swedish) Maybe Goldilocks was Swedish? This slippery little word is hard to define, but means something like, Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right. 8. Tartle (Scots) The nearly onomatopoeic word for that panicky hesitation just before you have to introduce someone whose name you cant quite remember. 9. Koi No Yokan (Japanese) The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love. 10. Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego) This word captures that special look shared between two people, when both are wishing that the other would do something that they both want, but neither want to do. 11. Fremdschmen (German); Myà ¶thpe (Finnish) The kinder, gentler cousins of Schadenfreude, both these words mean something akin to vicarious embarrassment. Or, in other words, that-feeling-you-get-when-you-watch-Meet the Parents. 12. Cafune (Brazilian Portuguese) Leave it to the Brazilians to come up with a word for tenderly running your fingers through your lovers hair. 13. Greng-jai (Thai) That feeling you get when you dont want someone to do something for you because it would be a pain for them. 14. Kaelling (Danish) You know that woman who stands on her doorstep (or in line at the supermarket, or at the park, or in a restaurant) cursing at her children? The Danes know her, too. Source: mental floss

5 Peculiarities of the German Alphabet

5 Peculiarities of the German Alphabet The following are five peculiarities of the German alphabet and its pronunciation that every beginner German student should know about. Additional Letters in the German Alphabet There are more than twenty-six letters in the German alphabet. Technically speaking the German alphabet has only one additional letter that is different- the eszett. It looks like a capital letter B with a tail hanging from it: ß However, there is also something that Germans call â€Å"der Umlaut.† This is when two dots are placed above a letter. In German, this happens only above the vowels a, o and u. The umlaut placed upon these vowels makes the following sound shifts: similar to the short e in bed; à ¶, similar to the u sound in further, and à ¼. similar to the French u sound. Unfortunately,  there is no English equivalent for the sound à ¼. To pronounce the à ¼ sound, you need to say u while your lips are in a puckering position. The ß, on the other hand, is simply like an over-pronounced s. It is rightly called in German ein scharfes s (a sharp s). In fact, when people don’t have access to the German keyboard, they often will substitute a double s for the ß. However, in German, there are further rules about when it is correct to write either ss or ß. (See article German s, ss or ß) The only way to avoid the ß Â  is to move to Switzerland since Swiss Germans don’t use the ß at all. V Is W and Sounds Like F The standard name of the letter V, as it is in many languages, is actually the letter name of W in German. This means that if you were singing the alphabet in German, the section TUVW, would sound as follows (Tà ©/Fau/Và ©). Yes, this confuses a lot of beginners! But wait, there’s more: the letter V in German sounds like F! For instance, the word der Vogel you would pronounce as Fogel (with a hard g). As for the letter W in German? This peculiarity at least makes the most sense: the letter W in German, which is named like a V sounds like a V. The Spitting Combo Now for a little humor that actually helps you remember! The pronunciation spitting combo helps students remember the peculiarities of these three very common German sounds: ch – sch – sp. Say them quickly one after another and it sounds like, first - the preparation for the spit ch/ch, the start of the spit – sch (like sh in English), and finally the actual ejaculation of the spit – sp. Beginners tend at first to over vocalize the ch sound and forget the sh sound in sp. Better practice some pronunciation spitting then! The K Reigns Even though the letter C is in the German alphabet, by itself it plays only a minor role, since most German words that start with the letter C followed by a vowel, stem from foreign words. For example,  der Caddie, die Camouflage, das Cello. It is only in these types of words where you’ll find the soft c or hard c sound. Otherwise, the letter c is actually only popular in German consonant combinations, such as sch and ch, as stated in the preceding paragraph. You will find the German version of the hard â€Å"c† sound in the letter K. Consequently, you will often see words that start with a hard c sound in English spelled with a K in German: Kanada, der Kaffee, die Konstruktion, der Konjunktiv, die Kamera, das Kalzium. Position Is Everything At least when it comes to the letters B, D, and G. When you place these letters either at the end of a word or before a consonant, then the sound transformation is usually as follows: das Grab/ the grave (the b sounds like a soft p), die Hand/ hand (the d sounds like a soft t) beliebig/ any (the sounds like a soft k). Of course, this is expected in Hochdeutsch (standard German) only, it might be different when speaking German dialects or with accents of different German regions. Since these letter shifts sound very subtle when speaking, it is more important to pay attention to their correctness when writing them.

Effects of the Global Recession on the Event Management Market Essay

Effects of the Global Recession on the Event Management Market - Essay Example Two primary data collection instruments were used to comprise the research design for this research. The design was carried out in two parts, the first part of the design utilized a cross-sectional survey to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The second part employed semi-structured interviews to explicate on the survey data that was initially collected. The usage of this research design can be described as a mixed quantitative-qualitative model that blends explanatory mixed method and triangulation designs . Triangulation method is very beneficial since weaknesses of the qualitative are offset by the strengths of the quantitative data, and vice versa. Explanatory method design is very useful since elaborations and interpretations of the previously collected data are analysed. Using these mixed methods in this research will give a comprehensive and completely integrated method in this study’s research design. Data collected in this study used two primary instrumen ts, a partly structured interviews and a cross-sectional survey. Cross-sectional surveys are defines as the single surveys that that are capable of gathering a broad-ranging data from a sample at a single point in time. Cross-sectional survey is very insightful since it helps the researcher to grasp and comprehend attitudes, opinions and beliefs of a population quickly. The interviews were used because they have a capability of exploring the concerns that are related to global recessions on the event management market in London.

Economics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economics - Coursework Example The GDP deflator for the base year is always equal to 100% by definition. Because of this the Nominal GDP and the Real GDP for the base year are always equal. In this case, the Real GDP for 2002= Nominal GDP for 2002= 1.02 Billion Dimmens since it is the base year. In determining the size of the economy, we look at the nominal GDP between the two years. The year 2002 has a nominal GDP of 1.02 billion dimmens while 2003 has a nominal GDP of 1.08 billion dimmens. Thus the economy has grown in the year 2003. 3. You have been hired by the government as an economic statistician and given the job of calculating the CPI (the chili price index, not the consumer price index). According to the government’s official recipe, the ingredients for a batch of chili are: 3 pounds of hamburger, 2 pounds of tomatoes, and  ½ pound of onions. The base year calculating the CPI is 1996. The prices of the ingredients for chili are determined by an extensive nationwide survey. The current and 1996 prices for the ingredients

Socrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Socrates - Essay Example It is however not well known how Socrates supported himself. Whereas some contemporaries point out that he got paid for teaching philosophy, others like Plato points out Socrates did not accept any payment, citing his poor status as a proof of lack of payment. During his late adulthood, Socrates married a young woman Xanthippe and together had three sons Lamprocles, Sophroniscus and Menexenus. Socrates however had little to do with the upbringing of his sons and more with the intellectual and philosophical development of the Athens youth. He also served as an Athenian soldier and participated in three military campaigns one in which he personally saved the life of a popular Athenian general (Cohen, 30). Socrates’ philosophy was greatly preoccupied with the notion of the good and evil of the society. His aim was to bring about an ethical society that depended on the inner need to live ethically rather than being guided by theological or other perspectives (Abel, 430). Socrates work therefore founded a basis for the development of theories of ethics and republic that were coined by later philosophers. First, Socrates believed that the true value of life is in the pursuit of true knowledge. From his perspective, â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living† (Cohen, 46). To stress on ethics as a concept to die for, he does not accept exile when convicted and chooses to remain in Athens and face death in an environment where he could cross-examine people as he wished. Although he feels that he is the one wronged by the state and those who brought him to trial ( Abel, 11). In the light of the ethics, he proposed, Socrates explained further the notion of soul and the body. The soul and the body exist separately. â€Å"An orderly soul will, therefore, be able to rule over bodily desires†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and lead the thoughts towards what is ethical and true (Cohen, 46). After the accusations and ultimate conviction,

General Motors - Business Model and Direction Research Paper

General Motors - Business Model and Direction - Research Paper Example GM has been operating for over 100 years and has produced about 450 million vehicles globally, and operates in nearly every nation worldwide. Research has demonstrated that a firm, such as, GM adopts an internationalization strategy to gain access to new customers, attain lower costs via economies of scale and increased purchasing power, further exploit its competencies, to gain access to the capabilities and resources located in international markets, and spread its business risks across a wider market base. In the next five years, GM is focusing on restructuring its brands whilst focusing on its core business with Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick remaining at the core of the business. A corporate strategy, as found out by Abraham (2012), is carried out at the corporate head office and defines the scope of the business in relation to the markets and industries that it competes. It consists of new ventures, vertical integration, decisions about diversification, acquisitions, and allocation of scarce resources between units. At the corporate level, GM aims at maintaining its customers as long as possible. GM’s goals shape the manner in which it invests in brands across the globe to inspire loyalty and passion. The corporate level strategy also entails translating breakthrough technologies into experiences as well as automobiles that customers like. Proceeding further, the corporate strategy motivates GM’s entire team to serve and enhance the society where it operates worldwide. In conclusion, the corporate strategy is geared towards building the General Motors into the globes most valued car manufacturing firm (General Motors, 2015b). The firm’s corporate level executives attend to the overall performance of the company. They also pursue opportunities to leverage cross-business value chain relationships together with strategic fit into competitive advantage. In this regard, GM has a competitive value

The Marijuana Policy in California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Marijuana Policy in California - Essay Example According to the California Health & Safety Code 11018, the definition of marijuana is all the parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether it is grown or not; its seeds, the resin gotten from the plant, and any compound derived or manufactured from the plant. However, it does not include the plant’s mature stalks or any substance manufactured or derived from the stalk. Concentrated cannabis is used to mean the separated resin extracted from marijuana, irrespective of whether it is in purified or crude form. In spite of the fact that the laws for simple possession and the medical marijuana laws in California are among the country’s most progressive, adults who are seemingly responsible are still being arrested or harassed for its possession at an alarming rate. This is for a drug that has been scientifically proved to be safer than both tobacco and alcohol. According to Weintraub & Wood (44), the arrest rates in California for crimes related to marijuana in 2003 stood at 173 for every 100,000 people, and by 2007, the rate had risen to 203 per 100,000. In 2010, preposition 19 received a narrow defeat of 16% to 54%. It was a vote whose aim was to bring to an end the draconian policy of the arrest and prosecution of adults who were caught using marijuana, a substance proven to have less unpleasant effects than alcohol and cigarettes. This was to be achieved through the removal of criminal penalties for offenses related to marijuana as well as allowing local authorities to tax and reg ulate its growth and distribution. Despite its loss, it had the highest percentage of any marijuana legalization initiative that has ever been voted for (Weintraub & Wood 44). California State is ranked number 46 in the country in terms of the total severity of the maximum jail sentences that its residents receive for being in possession of marijuana, this being on a basis of penalties issued for first offenders. When looking at the penalties issued for just less than 1 once of the drug, the state is ranked number 12 together with 10 other states, since due to similarities in the states there are only 12 rankings within this category (McCollum 37).In 2007, arrested related to the possession of marijuana accounted for about 80% of all arrests related to the drug in California. Additionally, arrests related to the drug also accounted for 25% of all arrests related to drugs in the same year (McCollum 37). In recent years, the cultivation of marijuana has been on the increase dramatical ly. DCESP (Domestic Cannabis Eradication suppression Program), a program sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, collects data that does not include all the marijuana plants seized within the state; but these data give an accurate indication of the actual cultivation rates of the drug. As much as getting estimates of how much from the total amounts of the drug cultivated is seized by the authorities, such as the local, state and federal ones is difficult, the overall trend is clear. The total seizures of the pant in California have increased for a period

General Motors - Business Model and Direction Research Paper

General Motors - Business Model and Direction - Research Paper Example GM has been operating for over 100 years and has produced about 450 million vehicles globally, and operates in nearly every nation worldwide. Research has demonstrated that a firm, such as, GM adopts an internationalization strategy to gain access to new customers, attain lower costs via economies of scale and increased purchasing power, further exploit its competencies, to gain access to the capabilities and resources located in international markets, and spread its business risks across a wider market base. In the next five years, GM is focusing on restructuring its brands whilst focusing on its core business with Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick remaining at the core of the business. A corporate strategy, as found out by Abraham (2012), is carried out at the corporate head office and defines the scope of the business in relation to the markets and industries that it competes. It consists of new ventures, vertical integration, decisions about diversification, acquisitions, and allocation of scarce resources between units. At the corporate level, GM aims at maintaining its customers as long as possible. GM’s goals shape the manner in which it invests in brands across the globe to inspire loyalty and passion. The corporate level strategy also entails translating breakthrough technologies into experiences as well as automobiles that customers like. Proceeding further, the corporate strategy motivates GM’s entire team to serve and enhance the society where it operates worldwide. In conclusion, the corporate strategy is geared towards building the General Motors into the globes most valued car manufacturing firm (General Motors, 2015b). The firm’s corporate level executives attend to the overall performance of the company. They also pursue opportunities to leverage cross-business value chain relationships together with strategic fit into competitive advantage. In this regard, GM has a competitive value

Two Requirements of Mental State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Two Requirements of Mental State - Essay Example In order to understand such concepts, this paper will use the case of a friend who was recently involved in an accident and cannot be allowed to leave hospital since the doctors are unsure of the student’s mental state. Doctors claim that her brain is not normal whereas she has a clear memory of the accident and behaves in the same way as before. In my opinion of whether the hospitalized friend ha mental states or not, I believe that one can have a mental state even without an organic brain. Moreover, behaving like a human being does not prove that one has a mental state. The hospitalized friend does not show a normal range of mental states, but she shows some mental states. All the doctors in the cases have different perspectives on mental state. Their arguments represent different philosophical theories. The first doctor claims that mental states are type-identical to states of the human brain and since the patient in our case lacks a normal brain, he cannot have mental states. Doctor two said that the patient had some mental states since he could behave exactly like others but insisted that the patient did not have all of mental states. Thus in doctor two’s view, right behavior is only a necessary condition of mental states. Doctor three believes that mental states required a Cartesian soul. Dr. four disagrees and claims that same behavior is sufficient for mental states. Dr. Five rejected that human brain is necessary for mental states. In addition, he claims that if what in the patient’s head is a digital computer, then he cannot have mental states. All doctors are represent some philosophical theories. Dr. #1 is an identity theorist, #2 believes functionalism and Dr. #3 is a Cartesian. Dr. #4 is behaviorist and #5 represents parts of John Searle’s view that against machine can possibly think. This paper will focus on discuss Dr #1 and Dr #5. It is important to understand what a mental

Case study of the hydropower development in Argentina Essay Example for Free

Case study of the hydropower development in Argentina Essay In this paper I would also discuss one more case of the hydropower regulation and assessment. The next country to be discussed is Argentina. This country also possesses considerable hydropower potential. It has been estimated that the country has the potential of production of 169,000 GWh/year . Argentina relies in its future development on hydropower as a source of energy. That’s why its scientists resort to close examination of various aspects of hydropower development and impact on environment and society. Great emphasis is also placed on the financial aspect of hydropower development and legal regulation of hydroelectric plants and dams construction. Therefore, Argentina greatly relies on sustainable development, which can be defined as â€Å"the process which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† . Sustainable development of the hydropower potential of the country requires deep consideration and cooperation of three basic components economic growth, environmental security and social justice . There are several acts, which serve the legal basis of the hydropower development in Argentina. One of the most important of them is The Electricity Regulatory Framework Law, which implemented the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (ENRE). ENRE is an independent item, which operates within the framework of the Secretariat of State for Energy. The latter in its turn creates the regulations, which control the work of the electricity industry . The Energy Secretariat (SENER) is the legislative component, which is responsible for the energy policy implementation. Within its frame this legislative body has one more component, the National Electricity Regulator (ENRE), which is responsible for actual application of the regulatory framework stated in the Law 26,046 of 1991 . ENRE is responsible for regulation and supervision of whole energy sector under federal control, while the other utilities are regulated by provincial regulators. The other important regulatory body of the energy sector is CAMMESA (Compania Administradora del Mercado Mayorista Electrico), which supervises whole wholesale electricity market through establishing the price of electricity, operating the electricity system and the controlling the commercial transactions in the electricity market Very important role in the energy sector of Argentina is given to the Electric Power Federal Council (CFEE), which was established in 1960 and currently plays the role of the administrator of the Funds, which given to special electricity operations. CFEF also performs consulting function of the National and the Provincial Governments regarding the power industry, new projects and researches, public and private energy services, and electricity tariffs and prices as well as changes in the legislative base of the power industry The National Promotion Direction (DNPROM) within the Energy Secretariat (SENER) regulates creation and implementation of programs concerning renewable energies and energy efficiency. The Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) is in charge of the questions concerning environmental policy. The legal basis of Argentina concerning the energy is Law 25,019 from 1998 and Law 26,190, from 2007. Changes to this law, made in 2007, focus on the national interest in renewable energy sources in regard with the public services. The law states that within the next ten years the consumption of the energy, produced from the renewable sources, will grow up to 8 %. The other main point is that law establishes a Trust Fund, which promotes the development of the renewable energy. Hydropower is recently viewed in Argentina as a potential key source of energy. On the one hand its advantages are clearly visible: it has less negative impact on the climate change as compared with fossil fuels, it’s relatively clean and environmentally-friendly, low-cost and renewable. However, not all the researchers are so optimistic. Many of them claim that hydropower plants have a negative influence on surrounding area and society. As one more proof they point at additional expenses in case of shortfalls . Sometimes, these disadvantages are even overemphasized, which presents hydropower in the negative light, or even present it as potentially dangerous. In the process of the research I found a very interesting fact, showing that such claims for the most part come from the most unexpected source – NGOs, the primary intention of which is conservation. However, in this process they seem to completely disregard such important aspects of the country development as poverty alleviation, obtaining a valuable source of cheap energy and promotion of the safe water environment, which can be provided by hydropower plants . Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of the hydropower plants in Argentina is based on the Sustainable Guidelines of the International Hydropower Association, which focus on environmental, social and economic aspects of the hydropower plant construction and operation . In order to develop new hydropower projects in accordance with the newest ecological and social requirements, Argentina greatly relies on five key areas characterized by Dr. Kofi Annan on the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. These five key areas include: water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity . Conclusions. So, in this paper I investigated the role of the hydropower as an alternative source of environment, associated expenses and benefits to the society. I also made a review of the history of the hydropower as a source of energy and compared it with the other sources. I made an overview of the legislative base of two countries – China and Argentina concerning hydropower energy and their potential of development of the hydropower as an alternative source of energy. References ADB, Summary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment: Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Manila: Asian Development Bank, 2004. Online. Available at: http://www. adb. org/Documents/Environment/LAO/lao-nam-theun2. pdf 30 September 2007. Advantages of Hydropower. Online. Available from: http:///www. corpsresults. us/hydro 30 September 2007. Atkins, W. , Hydropower: Impacts and Trends. Online. Available from: http:///www. waterencyclopedia. com 30 September 2007. Buckley, L. Hydropower in China: Public Participation and Energy Diversity, Online. Available from: http://www. worldwatch. org/node/5037. 30 September 2007 Becker, H. A. Social impact assessment: method and experience in Europe, North America and the developing world, London, UCL Press, 1997. BP Annual Report, 2006, Online. Available from: http:///www. bp. com 30 September 2007. Burdge, R. J. , A Community Guide to Social Impact Assessment, Middleton, USA, Social Ecology Press, 2004. China Passes Renewable Energy Law, Online. Available from: http:///www. renewableenergyaccess. com 2005. Coordinacion de Energias Renovables, Potencial de los aprovechamientos energeticos en la Republica Argentina, 2006. Devoto, A. , Hydroelectric power and development in Argentina, ENTE Nacional Regulador de la Electicidad, 2005. Graham, I. , Water Power, Austin, TX, Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1999. Hydropower, Online. Available from: http://inhabitat. com/2006/12/01/rediscovered-wood-the-triton-sawfish/#more-1973 30 September 2007. Interorganizational Committee on Principles and Guidelines for Social Impact Assessment , 2003. Integrated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Guidelines. Tunis: African Development Bank, 2003. Online. Available at: http://www. afdb. org/pls/portal. docs/PAGE/ADB_ADMIN_PG/DOCUMENTS/ENVIRONMENTALANDSOCIALASSESSMENTS/IESIA. PDF International Association for Impact Assessment, Online. Available from: http://www. iaia.org 30 September 2007. Kellert, S. R. , Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Environment, vol. 3. New York, Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1997. Learn about Hydroelectric Power Alternative Energy Source, Online. Available from: http://www. beyondfossilfuel. com/hydroelectric/ 30 September 2007. Petts, J. Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment, Blackwell, Oxford, 2005. Renewabables Global Status Report. Online. Available from: http:///www. ren21. net/globalreport 30 September 2007. Rosso, A. La construccion como herramienta del crecimiento continuado. Sector electrico. Evaluacion de las inversiones necesarias para el sector electrico nacional en el mediano plazo. Camara Argentina de la Construccion, 2006. Rules of land compensation and people resettlement in medium and large hydraulic and hydroelectricity projects. State Council, 1991. Ryan, V. Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydropower, Online. Available from: http://www. technologystudent. com/energy1/hydr2. htm 30 September 2007. Summer of International dissent against Heavy Industry, Saving Iceland. Online. Available from: http:///www. savingisland. org 30 September 2007 Sadler, B. , Verocai, I. Frank Vanclay. Environmental and Social Impact. Assessment for Large Scale Dams. Middleton, WI: The Social Ecology Press, 2000 Taylor CN, Bryan CH, Goodrich CG. Social Assessment: theory, process and techniques. Middleton, WI, The Social Ecology Press, 2004. The Historic Mechanicville Hydroelectric Station, IEEE Industry Applications Magazine, Jan/Feb. 2007 Tremblay, V. , Roehm and Garneau, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fluxes and Processes, Springer, 2005. Xiaogang, Yu Jia Jiguo. An Overview of Participatory Social Impact Assessment for Manwan Hydropower Station in Lancang River. Asian Science and Technology Institute, 2000.

The Corporate Social Responsibility of Motorola

The Corporate Social Responsibility of Motorola Corporate Social Responsibility also referred to as CSR can be defined as the notion that corporations have an obligation to society to take into account not just their economic impact but also their social and environmental impact. Motorola defines corporate social responsibility as a means of harnessing the power of our global business to benefit people.It means doing the right thing in all aspects of our business, including how we treat the environment, our employees, our customers,our partners and our communities. ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCAIL RESPONSIBILITY In recent years Corporate Social Responsibility is being linked to Business Ethics. Ethics? There are rules that indicate the difference between right and wrong. Ethics encourages the business to do what is right there by conforming the organization to ethical behaviour. CSR has brought about Code Of Ethics , a document that organisations write to set out standards of behaviour that is expected by a set of stakeholders. Some code of ethics include principles such as honesty, integrity, loyalty, fairness, trustworthiness, law abiding, leadership, accountability, values, morales and respect and concern for others. These incorporate characteristics and behaviour of principles that are expected by organizations. Many companies previously viewed Corporate Socail Responsibility in terms of a form of administrative compliance with standards that are legal and in keeping with rules and regulation internal to the company. It must be noted that this have since changed and for businesses to survive in todays global world companies must pay attention to earning trust, confidence and respect of their customers. In todays global world businesses are being demanded to practice ethical behaviour. It can then be said that CSR is interested with ways an organisation exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulations and corporate governance. It takes into consideration as to how demands of different stakeholders can be reconciled. CSR should improve corporate operations as it relates to human rights, environmental protection, sponsorship to local communities and diversity among others in the work place. HISTORY OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY It has been argued that social responsibility movement came about during the 1960s or 1970s, the public consciousness was increased about the role of business, helping to grow and maintain highly ethical practices in society and particularly in the natural environment. GROWTH OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY In most recent years CSR have become very popular globally and the contributing factors include public awareness and technology. The public have now become aware through technological mechanisium such as the internet, sattalite viewing, mobile phones and the ability to communicate through the use of programmes such as skype and video conferencing. The ability to get information on a real time bases has allowed the public to be informed of global issues. Issues such as bribery and corruption in other countries and how this have impacted on their citizens. The public is also able to get information about businesses around the world and in most cases the business that make headlines are the ones that is not seeking the welfare of the natural environment and human resources alike. Business that may have had incidences of harm to natural environment or to human resources have caused some NGOs to be born. The strikes and pickets and bad publicity the the business may receive would have serious long term consequences on the exsistance and survival of the business. BRIBERY AND CORUPTION Sue Hawley (2000) stated that some businesses pay massive amounts of money to gain contracts or concessions they would not have otherwise won. She estimated that about US$80billion a year is paid and that this amount is about the amount that is needed by the UN. The UN believes that this amount would be needed to eradicate world poverty. These bribes and the cost attached to it falls mainly on the poor,whether it is through the diversion of aid money into corrupt officials pockets or through hiking up prices when the cost of bribes is passed on in raised prices to consumers. Bribery and corruption undermine the proper workings of a market economy which can seriously reduce GDP in the poorest countries. It reflects false price and cost considerations so that sources of wealth or resources are not used efficiently. Decisions are being made based on who pays the biggest bribes rather than quality, price, innovation and service. Causing prices to rise for everyone the impact is felt by the poor. It can be noted that resources are frequently diverted away from smaller projects that assist in development of a country but rather placed in big projects that are said to be high profile, where there is more scope for improper payments and practices. This impacts on the poor who are denied basic vital public services. Being involved in corruption is ethically wrong, here power is misused or abused undermining the intergrity of all concerned. Corruptions however undermines the democratic process as well the rule of law. Government must earn its licience to operate just as any other business that operates. Government officials and politicians all lose their legitimacy in a climate of corruption.Againwith the poor being affected the most. Environmental issues are likely to suffer in an regime that corruption is predominant, environmental legislations usually is lacking as corrupt officials is paid for turning a blind eye. Business are also at risk when there is bribery and corruption in a country. There are legal implications and risk, this type of behaviour id illegal where ever it occurs but even if it were not, because of international pressure example the UN convention against corruption it is becoming increasingly illegal to engage in these type of practices in many countries. Accusations of corruption whether proven or not can cause reputations to be lost or tarnished and the risk of a falling business is very possible. Example Nike where accused of using children to work in sweat shops to produce high end products that were very costly to cunsumers. Nike have since spent millions of dollars to rebuild its reputation as losses started to be realised. As a business that may be cheating, it may encourage other businesses to cheat to have a competitive advantage or simply to survive. This makes doing business much more difficult. There is added substantability to the cost of doing business. There can be loss of trust by all stakeholders involved employess, suppliers and customers. Transparency International every year produces the Corruption Perception Index. This Index ranks one hundred and seventy eight countries according to the level of corruption perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. A score indicating zero means that the country is highly corrupt and a score of ten indicates highly clean. The following diagram is the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. RANK COUNTRY/ TERRITORY SCORE RANK COUNTRY/ TERRITORY SCORE RANK COUNTRY/ TERRITORY SCORE 1 Denmark 9.3 30 Spain 6.1 59 Tunisia 4.3 1 New Zealand 9.3 32 Portugal 6.0 62 Croatia 4.1 1 Singapore 9.3 33 Botswana 5.8 62 FYR Macedonia 4.1 4 Finland 9.2 33 Puerto Rico 5.8 62 Ghana 4.1 4 Sweden 9.2 33 Taiwan 5.8 62 Samoa 4.1 6 Canada 8.9 36 Bhutan 5.7 66 Rwanda 4.0 7 Netherlands 8.8 37 Malta 5.6 67 Italy 3.9 8 Australia 8.7 38 Brunel 5.5 68 Georgia 3.8 8 Switzerland 8.7 39 Korea (South) 5.4 69 Brazil 3.7 10 Norway 8.6 39 Mauritius 5.4 69 Cuba 3.7 11 Iceland 8.5 41 Costa Rica 5.3 69 Montenegro 3.7 11 Luxembourg 8.5 41 Oman 5.3 69 Romania 3.7 13 Hong Kong 8.4 41 Poland 5.3 73 Bulgaria 3.6 14 Ireland 8.0 44 Dominica 5.2 73 El Salvador 3.6 15 Austria 7.9 45 Cape Verde 5.1 73 Panama 3.6 15 Germany 7.9 46 Lithuania 5.0 73 Trinidad and Tobago 3.6 17 Barbados 7.8 46 Macau 5.0 73 Vanuatu 3.6 17 Japan 7.8 48 Bahrain 4.9 78 China 3.5 19 Qatar 7.7 49 Seychelles 4.8 78 Colombia 3.5 20 United Kingdom 7.6 50 Hungary 4.7 78 Greece 3.5 21 Chile 7.2 50 Jordan 4.7 78 Lesotho 3.5 22 Belgium 7.1 50 Saudi Arabia 4.7 78 Peru 3.5 22 United States 7.1 53 Czech Republic 4.6 78 Serbia 3.5 24 Uruguay 6.9 54 Kuwait 4.5 78 Thailand 3.5 25 France 6.8 54 South Africa 4.5 85 Malawi 3.4 26 Estonia 6.5 56 Malaysia 4.4 85 Morocco 3.4 27 Slovenia 6.4 56 Namibia 4.4 87 Albania 3.3 28 Cyprus 6.3 56 Turkey 4.4 87 India 3.3 28 United Arab Emirates 6.3 59 Latvia 4.3 87 Jamaica 3.3 30 Israel 6.1 59 Slovakia 4.3 87 Liberia 3.3 RANK COUNTRY/ TERRITORY SCORE RANK COUNTRY/ TERRITORY SCORE RANK COUNTRY/ TERRITORY SCORE 91 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.2 116 Tanzania 2.7 146 Nepal 2.2 91 Djibouti 3.2 116 Vietnam 2.7 146 Paraguay 2.2 91 Gambia 3.2 123 Armenia 2.6 146 Yemen 2.2 91 Guatemala 3.2 123 Eritrea 2.6 154 Cambodia 2.1 91 Kiribati 3.2 123 Madagascar 2.6 154 Central African Republic 2.1 91 Sri Lanka 3.2 123 Niger 2.6 154 Comoros 2.1 91 Swaziland 3.2 127 Belarus 2.5 154 Congo-Brazzaville 2.1 98 Burkina Faso 3.1 127 Ecuador 2.5 154 Guinea-Bissau 2.1 98 Egypt 3.1 127 Lebanon 2.5 154 Kenya 2.1 98 Mexico 3.1 127 Nicaragua 2.5 154 Laos 2.1 101 Dominican Republic 3.0 127 Syria 2.5 154 Papua New Guinea 2.1 101 Sao Tome Principle 3.0 127 Timor-Leste 2.5 154 Russia 2.1 101 Tonga 3.0 127 Uganda 2.5 154 Tajikistan 2.1 101 Zambia 3.0 134 Azerbaijan 2.4 164 Democratic Republic of the Congo 2.0 105 Algeria 2.9 134 Bangladesh 2.4 164 Guinea 2.0 105 Argentina 2.9 134 Honduras 2.4 164 Kyrgyzstan 2.0 105 Kazakhstan 2.9 134 Nigeria 2.4 164 Venezuela 2.0 105 Moldova 2.9 134 Philippines 2.4 168 Angola 1.9 105 Senegal 2.9 134 Sierra Leone 2.4 168 Equatorial Guinea 1.9 110 Benin 2.8 134 Togo 2.4 170 Burundi 1.8 110 Bolivia 2.8 134 Ukraine 2.4 171 Chad 1.7 110 Gabon 2.8 134 Zimbabwe 2.4 172 Sudan 1.6 110 Indonesia 2.8 143 Maldives 2.3 172 Turkmenistan 1.6 110 Kosovo 2.8 143 Mauritania 2.3 172 Uzbekistan 1.6 110 Solomon Islands 2.8 143 Pakistan 2.3 175 Iraq 1.5 116 Ethiopia 2.7 146 Cameroon 2.2 176 Afghanistan 1.4 116 Guyana 2.7 146 Cote dlvoire 2.2 176 Myanmar 1.4 116 Mali 2.7 146 Haiti 2.2 178 Somalia 1.1 116 Mongolia 2.7 146 Iran 2.2 116 Mozambique 2.7 146 Libya 2.2 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. (Nearly three quarter of the 178 countries in the index score below five, on a scale from ten to zero. These results indicate a serious corruption problem in the world.) THE HISTORY OF ALCOA Aluminium was considered to be a semi-precious metal, this metal was so scarce that silver was much more popular during the middle of the1880s. Charles Martin Hall was a chemistry student at Oberlin College in Ohio, here he meet Professor Frank Jewett whom introduced his students to a small piece of aluminium and informed them that anyone producing this metal in an economical way would become rich. Halls passion for experimenting with minerals continued after his graduation, and he learnt how to produce alumina, aluminium oxide and created his own carbon crucible. On a February day in 1886 he discovered pure aluminium, for Hall to continue to produce this on a large scale he needed financial assistance. He gained assistance through a group of six industrialist led by Alfred Hunt. A company called Pittsburgh Reduction company was formed as part of the venture, and a small plant was built. In 1888 on Thanksgiving day Hall and Arthur Vining Davis, Halls first employee produced the first commercial aluminium using Halls technology. The company had out grown its name as it grew to include bauxite mines, a refinery and three aluminium smelters. The companies names was then changed by its owners to what they felt were more appropriate; Aluminum Company of America. As the company grew and became more global its name changed again and is currently called Alcoa Inc. Alcoa see itself as the worlds leading producer and manager of primary aluminium, alumina facilities and fabricated aluminium. Some of the industries that Alcoa Servers include aerospace,automotive, building, construction, packaging, commercial transportation,engineering and Alcoa also promotes brands such as Reynolds Wrap (foil and plastic). Alcoa presently have approximately 123,000 employees in 44 countries in the world. Alcoa has been named by the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland as one of the top sustainable corporations in the world.

Interview with a Social Service Manager Essay -- Interview Essays

It is Friday afternoon and I am walking from the bus station towards Dunkin Donuts to meet Regina Borden, the program coordinator of healthy family services of the Catholic Charity. I see white Toyota pulling up in front of me. Behind the steering wheel I see women in her fifties waiving her hand on me very warmly. I new it is her, Regina Borden, the person I am waiting for. Quite short, thin lady with a blond curly hair got out of the car. She walks towards me and shakes my hand. " I could have invited you to my office, but actually I manage three organizations, so I have three offices, and I exactly didn't know in which one I would be this afternoon, so I thought it would be the best just to meet you here. Is that ok?" said Borden. We walked into Dunkin Donuts and ordered two cups of tea. Borden seemed very indecisive in picking up the table where to sit. She seemed to look for the right one, the one with the right energy, the most comfortable one for both of us. As soon as we set down she apologizes for wearing such a casual dress with an explanation that she mostly works on the road, so she tries to stay comfortable at all the time. After her first, elegant sip of tea Borden told me about two other organizations she manages. Except working as a program coordinator of healthy family services, she is also a coordinator for a home based parenting literacy program as well as a yoga instructor in a healthy club. Borden, who has a master in psychology says. "I have always known what I want to do already at the university, where I was involved in many activities like assisting professors with a psychology researches, or assisting private psychologists in the hospitals" She characterizes herself a... ... After she says more seriously that she would like to see more money for the program and have better resources. She is also planning to have her own program with her own alternative ways. At the end I was curious how she reveals all the stress that she has to deal with many times. Borden looked at me with her deep eyes and says with her calming quiet voice. "I practice yoga and I also reveal my stress throughout the art therapy, which I also practice at home with my children as well." It is 9 pm and Borden is ready to go for another meeting. She gently throws away her empty cup from tea and holds the door for me to get outside. We shake our hands and Borden is slowly walking back towards her car. Before she opens the car door she turns and with an honest smile on her face says: " If you want to I would give you a ride back to the bus station."

Niccolò Machiavelli and Desiderius Erasmus Essay

Machiavelli and Erasmus were both humanists, but had very different points of view. Machiavelli whose writing was from the Italian humanist’s view, when Erasmus wrote from the points of view of Christian humanist in Europe may be one of reasons for huge differences in Machiavelli’s and Erasmus’ thoughts. However, these two styles of humanism provided us means to â€Å"generalize about the meaning of the Renaissance.†(303). According to Lawrence in his book Culture and Values A Survey of the Humanities, Machiavelli â€Å"sees Christianity’s role in politics as a disaster that destroys the power of the state to govern.†(302). In other words, the Church interfered deeply in everything, especially in state management. A good example of this is Henry VIII, who ruled England from 1509 to 1547 and remains one of English most famous and controversial king because of his divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII wanted to divorce from Catherine that followed by marriage to Anne Boleyn. But, the Church of Rome did not allow him to do what he had wanted for so long, about six years. In 1534, Henry VIII broke with the Church of Rome over his divorce, found his own church and made himself Head of the Church of England. Clearly, Henry VIII who was a king of England, had no ability of divorcing his wife without the Church of Rome’s sanction unless he cut off all the connections from Rome. That is to say that the Church had an immense large religious influence on much of the power of a state to govern, in other words, politics. From Machiavelli’s point of view, â€Å"the state needs to restrict the power of the Church, allowing it to exercise is office only in the spiritual realm.†(302). I strongly agree with Machiavelli that there are always so much conflicts between the politics and the church that these two powerful influences can not share power and influence. In the Christian’s view, Erasmus â€Å"felt that learning from the past could be wedded to the Christian tradition to create an instrument for social reform.†(303). He realized the religious corruption, and piercingly taunted the barrenness of scholarship provided by the Church and excessively superstitious manners. Erasmus’s ideal which was combining religion and politics seems to be impossible at that time, even at the present. On the other hand, Machiavelli theory does not concern about morality and is cruel. The prince, a favorite Machiavelli’s illustration, demonstrated clearly his point of view:† The prince must be as sly as the fox and as brutal as the lion.† and † cruelty or hypocrisy is permissible; judicious cruelty consolidates power and discourages revolution.†(302). These two typically statements explains why Machiavelli’s reputation is very bad toward the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, Machiavelli’s pragmatism has a strong attraction to lots of politicians such as Napoleon and Catherine the Great of Russia. In brief, although there are reverse attitudes between Machiavelli and Erasmus, both men’s views brought us glimpses towards the meaning of the Renaissance and the general understanding of the evolution of a culture. Works Cited Lawrence Cunningham and John Reich, Culture and Values A Survey of the Humanities, Thomson Wadsworth, 2002.

A Day Without a Phone

Over this past weekend, when given the challenge to shut off my phone for 24 hours, I didn’t believe I could make it. My phone is probably involved in almost every activity I do throughout the day. Weather its taking notes down for my classes or tweeting my latest pointless thought. It guides me when its dark, tells me when its going to rain, and even notifies me when I get poked on Facebook. I can honestly admit to being one of those people who are completely dependent on their phones.Knowing this about myself I had to factor in three important variables; what day, what am I going to do, & of course how will I notify people of my whereabouts! Being the weekend and all, its kind of hard not being on the phone making plans for the night. How will I go about organizing a little get together with the close friends? So I thought to myself, Friday and Saturday are too important to be out of the loop. I finally made my decision that Sunday is perfect! I mean, who cares about Sunday? It’s a day of relaxation so I thought it would be perfect! Now I had to plan, what am I going to do. Earlier this weekend a friend of mine who was actually visiting from Florida had called me wanting to meet and catch up. Right before turning my phone off late Saturday I gave him a call explaining the situation, he laughed and told me to come pick him up from his aunts at 12 AM and to just simply get out of my car, walk to the front door, and knock. (Obviously texting a simple â€Å"here. † Would have been simpler).Besides that I thought I would just wing it and see where the day takes me. Now I just had one last issue, I got to hide it! Knowing myself pretty well, I knew it was a bad idea to have the phone around me, if I planned to actually commit to this. I decided to simply leave it in my mother’s possession for safekeeping. With these three issues resolved I’m now ready to, â€Å"slide to power off†. So Sunday begins. I woke up at around 11AM (kind of late due to the fact I couldn’t set the alarm on my phone).I got out of bed rushed out to the kitchen and looked at the oven for the time! I quickly proceeded to shower and get ready. At 12AM I arrived at my friends aunts house to pick him up, knocked on the door and he came right out (no big deal after all). We then went to lunch and spent a few hours talking and playing some call of duty on my Xbox. Without noticing, it was almost 6 at night! Wow! I was impressed. By this time I probably would have had to plug my phone in for the second charge of the day!Now it was time to go to the gym, I usually use my phone to play music but I had to bust out my little mp3 from back in the day. At the gym I’m rarely on the phone so this hour and a half went by swiftly has well. When I returned home I showered and started preparations to begin on my homework. It being 8PM now I thought the worse was over! So I read my 20 pages of Feed and did some of my history assignment and probably finished at around 9:30PM. At this point of the day I didn’t even remember I didn’t have my phone glued to my side.I realize now that having all those cool features and apps on my phone only makes me waist my time and procrastinate on the important things I should be doing. The last few hours till midnight I simply watched a few episodes of The Walking Dead to pass the time. It really wasn’t much of a challenge after all; it was actually very relieving not being involved in any social media and texting throughout the day. Perhaps I will make this an event for every Sunday!