Accounting writing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting writing assignment - Essay Example Another merger completed in 1985 saw the name change to Chevron. From 2002 to 2007 Chevron invested an estimated $72 billion to bring improved energy supplies to market. The company adopted name Chevron Corporation in 2005, and later acquired Unocal Corp. (Chevron) enhancing its position as the World’s leader in energy provision. Chevron has over the years demonstrated expertise in deep-water oil exploration. Sales and additional operating revenues decreased from 2012’s $230590 million to $220156 million. Net income profits declined by 18.2% in 2013 from 2012’s $ 26,179 million to $21,423 million. Their dividends per share were $3.90 million, and each share attracted a $1 return. Total assets rose to $253753 million in 2013 from 2012’s $232982 million, followed by a subsequent rise in total liabilities from $95150 million to $103326 million. Chevron’s total stockholders’ equity rose in 2013 to $ 149113 from 2012’s $ 136524 million (Chevron). The Board of Directors of Chevron comprises of an Audit Committee who are not under employment with the firm. This committee has regular meeting with the Management and auditors, both internal and external auditors to ensure conformity with the internal controls and the International Financial Reporting matters. Chevron’s operations have been affected by the altering economic, regulatory and Political environments in the various geographical areas of operations. Some governments have from time to time tried to renegotiate terms of contracts which has led to significant additional costs to the company. Management keenly follows developments in the money markets, the global economic trends and their impact on the enterprise’s fluctuations in oil and Natural gases. In the last quarter of 2011, a development well in the Frade field off the coast of Brazil caused an unforeseen pressure spike resulting in a migration

The Person That I Love the Most Essay Example for Free

The Person That I Love the Most Essay Man is a social animal, we love to live in society and found comfort in our family. It gives us ease and mental satisfaction to live among people to whom we know. It is our nature like or dislike people among whom we live. There are lots of people to whom we love or hate. I categorized three types of people to whom normally a person can love. The first type of persons are whom we love because of our natural relationship with them for instance our mother, father, daughter, son, wife, brother etc. The second type of peoples is those to whom we like because of their qualities for example we may like our mentor because the way he teaches us, we like the leader because the way he leads the nation in difficult situations, we like the scientist because the way his invention contribution to the society and so on. The third type of person to whom we love is the opposite gender. Yes this is the most widespread type of love that we can see nowadays present in most of the people. There is no age limit for having this sort of love we can see it from youngster to older ones. I will discuss here the person to I love most or I like most. This is the person whose work or invention has reshaped our lives. This is the man for whom American President Mr. Obama appraised as â€Å"Bold enough to think differently, brave enough to believe that he could change the world and talented enough to do that†. Yes, you could easily recognize him that was deceased Steve Jobs – The former Chief Executive Officer of the Apple Corporation. His nature, vision and enthusiasm have reshaped our life. Most of us are using computers, touch screen smart phones, and touch screen tablets. We are very familiar with the computer by the advent of Graphical User Interface, easily recognize computer file in the shape of icons, maven at using computer mouse; these all things have his fingerprints. He was the man behind this entire thing, this was his vision that now peoples are frenzy in using touchscreen smartphones, listening music using an Ipod. His invention of Iphone and iPod now set the standard of many things in the industry. In conclusion, I would like to state that without him we could not see the exciting things which we are now addicted to. Truly he is the man who not only made his Company the world largest in terms of market capitalization but also gave the customer more than their expectations.

Bio-diesel: Alternative Fuel Source Essay -- Petroleum Environment Eco

Bio-diesel: Alternative Fuel Source Introduction Currently today more than 99% of all fuel consumed is petroleum (3). In the year 2025 the world’s reserves of petroleum will be a dry source (7). Other than the shortage of petroleum, the burning of petroleum also causes many problems such as global warming. In this case, engineers and scientists need to come up with an alternative energy source for gasoline not only because of the shortage, but because of the environmental problems gasoline and other fossil fuels cause for the environment. Out of all forms of alternative fuels for vehicles bio-diesel seems to be the next alternative source of fuel, but more research needs to prove this assumption. In this report bio-diesel will be studied in more depth. The history of other sources of fuel will be looked at, along with the history of research being accomplished. The research stating the benefits of bio-diesel will be compared to the research on the negatives of this new fuel source. After the report one will be able to conclude if they believe that bio-diesel is the answer to the shortage of gasoline and the next choice as an alternative fuel. History of Fuels Engineers have been doing research for years on alternative fuels for gasoline. Research has included hydrogen cells, gas-to-liquid diesel fuel, and ethanol among many other different fuels. One of the most recent discoveries for an alternative fuel is bio-diesel. At this current time, Bio-diesel is considered one of the most promising new technologies for an alternative fuel source to gasoline. Bio-diesel may be defined as a group of esterified vegetable oils produced from different oil-containing crops. These crops include but at not limi... ...I 1999, no 76 pp1-88. (3) Understanding Biodiesel Fuel Quality and Performances. Weiksner JM Sr P.E, Crump Stephen L. PhD, and White Thomas L. PhD. 2003 December 12 #5 Journal Article Savannah River Site pp 1-6. (4) National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Evaluation of Biodiesel Fuel in an EMD GP38-2 Locomotive. Fritz S.G. Report# DOE/GO-102004-1872. 2004 May. pp 1-21. (5) National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Impacts of Biodiesel Fuels on Air Quality and Human Health: Task 2 Report; The Impact of Biodiesel Fuels on Ozone Concentrations. Morris R.E., Mansell G.E., Jia Y. and Wilson G. Report # DOE NREL/SR-540-33795. 2003 May. pp 1-150. (6) Hofman Vern, Extension Agriculture Engineer. North Dakota University. Biodiesel Fuel. 2003 Feburary. pp 1-4. (7) Rifkin, Jeremy. The Hydrogen Economy. New York: Jeremy Tarcher/Penguin. 2002.

Induction Theory Essay

Karl popper made his contribution on the induction theory in Vienna during the period of Logical Positivism despite the fact that he was not a Positivist. Before Popper’s contribution, Hume, another philosopher had already critised the theory of induction saying that the theory could not provide rational support for their conclusion (Karl, Raimund P. , 2002). His argument was based on assumption that induction assumes unobserved events which follow the pattern of observed events and ultimately it could not be logically justified whether it was deductible or in-deductible(Nelson, 1992). Hume justified that the theory of induction does not hold since it’s not logically true (Marc, 2000). Later Karl Popper supported Hume’s opinion on induction theory by fact that it could not give amicable solution but disagreed with Hume’s suggestion that science yield no knowledge of the nature of the world. On Popper’s side, he strongly felt that induction theory can be replaced by the principle of conjecture and refutation. On the experimentation of conjecture, it’s not possible to give positive inductive reasons for thinking that they are true while we can give justification of thinking that they are false. To experiment this scenario we take Poppers deductive method of conjecture and refutation principle together with induction principle to test scientific hypothesis. We can determine the expected results if the hypothesis is true, we can say the hypothesis is inductively confirmed if our observation agrees with our expectation while using induction theory. Such criteria of reasoning is not deductively correct, hence as an inductive argument, it faces the problem of induction. It therefore provides a convectional justification that ‘H’ is true. And, given this and the truth of the first premise, ‘0’ would follow. But ‘0’contradicts ‘not 0’which is asserted by second premise. From the hypothesis we can conclude that its not possible for premises to be true and conclusion be false. Popper’s method of conjecture and refutation provide us with the global knowledge to avoid the problem of induction. Karl Popper also asserted that there is no rational method that can be used to evaluate scientist’s justification about the hypothesis, further, there is no sufficient and appropriate evidence that can inductively confirm the hypothesis, that it can give us a positive reason to think that our hypothesis are true. Popper Karl contributed too in improving the meaning theory by providing an alternative solution to positivist verification which sorted out the demarcation issues (Nelson, 1992). Before the invention of Positivist verification there was a major problem in differeciating legitimate scientific inquiry from aspects such as religion and pseudo science. His methodology of conjecture and refutation still provides another basis for distinguishing ‘science’ from ‘non science’ since it enables us to take a hypothesis to be scientifically investigated if and only it’s falsifiable (Karl, Raimund P. 2002). For a hypothesis to be false we only highlight any likelihood observable conditions under which one can judge to ascertain to be false. To justify that it is false that all crows are black, we must state some realistic observable situations. By so doing we can categorically be certain that it is surely false, in case we observed a white crow. So, the assertion that all crows are black can be scientifically investigated. Also for a claim that opium makes sleep since it has normative virtue. This is a pseudo-scientific explanation since it’s not possible to state any observation for us to ascertain it is false. It will not be realistic and permissible to assume for instance, that the total population in Texas is 50 people (in millions) while in actual sense its 45 million people. The presumption would only be having some degree of truth which could be realistically correct to around 0. 9 percentage of the total population which can be inherited with questionable justice. If for instance to say that Jack is ‘borderline tall’ so that ‘Jack is tall’ is assigned the value 0. , then there could be a necessarily falsehood that ‘Jack is tall but not very tall’ to get a value of 0. 5. The most definite disadvantage for relying on such logistics is that they do not dispense with any sharp transition for they only accommodate very gradual heap to non heap at the very expense of exposing a sharp transition from heap to borderline, and from bounder line to non-heap (Catherine, 1997). This can be illustrated by the problem of higher-order vagueness as below   Its shows from the above scenario that we avoid assigning more precise numerical figures as degree of truth since such assignment will not have any substance either (Karl, Raimund P. , 2002). This is because true statements ought to be somehow differeciated from true statements or to treat them as neither true nor false, and categorize them as those which could become true or false (Marc, 2000). Goodman was for the idea that no answers which neither nor justifies limitations of induction. This is because we can satisfactorily distinguish between deductive and in-deductive. This is what made Goodman make tremendous efforts towards formulating canons off inductive interference which had to emphasize on ‘Emerald1 is green and Emerald 2 is green’. Goodman’s new riddle approach on induction indicates that this is a false step since not all instances are confirmed by their instances. This pioneered the invention of the predicate ‘grue’which is defined as; an object is grue only and if only the object is (1) green, and has been observed before now,or (2),blue, and has been observed before. Such definition gives a clear definition by the condition on when the word ‘grue ‘applies to an object, nevertheless it creates a problem when used inductive argument. If experiment 2000 green emeralds it provides sufficient evidence of believing that both the next emerald to be experimented will definite be green after observation, and that it will be blue, but this is absurd, to this assumption will worsen the scenario because inductive theory has weakness with the word grue and possibly with inductive arguments involving green Grue, if in the first instance presumed to be illegitimate for it makes reference to a particular time and it’s defined by the outcome color of an observation if observed at the moment. This makes it appear to be artificial while in actual sense it natural which makes its use an illegitimate inductive arguments. By defining grue in of two more other predicates that is green and blue which are not very simple and elaborative makes it unusual. Goodman has also highlighted that differences between properties of being grue and green which is dependent for them to be restricted to properties. In analyzing evaluation techniques in Goodman‘s New Riddle of induction he ascertained that the bold techniques are most likely to attain the goal of reliably arriving at the most right answer, while the most skeptical technique does not at all mean that in skeptic there is violation of canon of rationality or may be false to recognize nature uniformity. The theoretic learning analysis wholly concedes to be skeptic regardless the many ravens observed in the past, the next one could be white(Catherine, 1997). The rationality of this is that if all observed ravens are generally black, the skeptic doesn’t answer the question that all ravens will be black. In generalization of emeralds where green and blue colors were used Nelson puzzled about new riddle induction by performing the following experiment: supposing that all the examined emeralds before a particular time y are green, our evidence statements indicates that emerald n is green and so on†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦examining another spices which is less familiar than green it is the predicate ‘blue’ and this could mean that it applies to all items which were examined before y just incase they were green but to other things just incase they are blue. In such scenario the challenge is to we should conjecture that all emeralds are green rather than that all emeralds are grue when we obtain a sample of green emeralds examined before. We can still analyze induction theory in making projections, for instance a natural projection rule which conjectures that all emeralds are green as long as only green emeralds are found, and grue, some rule which keeps projecting the next grue predicate consistency with available evidence (Peter, 2003). The theory of meaning from philosophers’ analysis has been difficult to come up with a very clear definition of meaning theory this has been generally because meaning can only be specified by its wording and syntax. This is because only words or marks put on a paper can generate a meaning. Sentence is a composition of prepositions which indicate satisfactory conditions to make each sentence correct. Aspects such as beliefs, hopes and intention which explain speaker’s nervous system are found in the context of language.

Kim’s TimeLine Essay

There was a time when textbooks, a chalkboard, a set of encyclopedias, and a map of the world were considered teaching aids; boy how times have changed.   Today all we have to do is flip on a computer, and the world comes to us in a matter of seconds.   In today’s modern world teachers have access to an almost infinite amount of information.   There are so many websites out there that cater strictly to educators, and their students. For example, one website that seems to be getting a lot of attention from teachers and their students, is one that a teacher created herself; her name is Kim.   I will explore her website, along with other teaching aid websites, and see how they rate against hers.   First of all let’s start with a basic outline of my research paper, and in what manner we are going to address the following questions: Explain the method of Kim’s TimeLine? Give a critique of Kim’s ideas, and how they relate to the TimeLine? List the advantages of Kim’s Time Line, from a student’s point of view? List the disadvantages of Kim’s TimeLine, from a student’s point of view. Introduce other teaching aid websites, along with journal articles, and how they measure up to Kim’s TimeLine? Give an objective conclusion of the researched material?   The purpose of this research paper is to focus on these six questions. Explain the method of Kim’s TimeLine?   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you click onto Kim’s TimeLine, a picture of a chalkboard, and an idiom: Kim’s Korner for Teacher Talk, along with a yellow sun, pops onto your computer screen.   Then in large black letters the following slogan grabs your attention: IDEAS FOR TEACHING THE WRITING PROCESS.   Kim then introduces five steps of her writing process: Prewriting, Writing, Revising, Editing, Proofreading, and Publishing.   The webpage also includes General Ideas For Teaching the Writing Process, such as: Writing Process Timeline, The Writing Process, Implementing the Writing Process, Sample Listing of Specific Writing Strategies (for each step), Ten Ways to Emphasize the Writing Process.   (Writing Process 2006) Give a Critique of Kim’s Ideas and How They Relate to the TimeLine?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be honest with you, I really enjoyed browsing over Kim’s TimeLine website, and     found it to be non-threatening.   The information was laid out in an extremely simplistic manner, and I could actually picture students, along with their instructors, using and benefiting from the information that this teaching aid provides. List the Advantages of Kim’s TimeLine, From a Students Point of View?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As I already mentioned, the TimeLine is incredibly easy to operate.   If you view the TimeLine through a student’s eyes, you will appreciate how the website makes you feel totally comfortable, and non-intimidated, in regards to the information that the TimeLine is trying to convey to you as a student. Before I began this research paper, I have to admit that I was filled with a certain amount of anxiety, and stress; I wondered if I’d do a satisfactory job.   But then to my delight, I noticed that Kim’s TimeLine had a section that dealt with apprehension, and worry.   Her coping strategies with writing anxiety goes as follows: Focus your energy by rehearsing the task in your head. Consciously stop the non-productive comments running through your head by replacing them with productive ones. If you have some â€Å"rituals† for writing success, use them. (Kim’s TimeLine 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So stepping into a student’s shoes, I put her coping tactics to the test; and guess what?   They actually worked.   I honestly thought that the TimeLine, like the majority of website based teachers’ aids was going to be extremely hard to understand.   Either that, or it was going to be some archaic method of teaching.   Without sounding like some cheesy infomercial, I’m glad that I was wrong, and would strongly recommend the TimeLine to both students, and their teachers. List the Disadvantages of Kim’s TimeLine, From a Students Point of View?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once again I put my feet into a student’s shoes, and tried especially hard to find the tiniest amount of a blemish with Kim’s web-sight, but was unsuccessful in my efforts.   The only flaw I could find, didn’t involve the content of her TimeLine, but instead, how long her website address is: address: http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/general/timeline.html Introduce Other Teaching Aid Websites, Along With Journal Articles, And How They Measure Up To Kim’s TimeLine?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As this assignment mentions in its instructions, the internet provides you with so much information that you must develop a discriminating taste when it comes to the value of a website.   I totally concur with this assertion, and acknowledge that there is an endless amount of   facts and figures over the internet.   But how does this relate to Kim’s TimeLine?   Well in accordance to the assignment’s instructions I have chosen five teachers’ aids websites, and will evaluate them.   I will also distinguish how these websites measure up to Kim’s TimeLine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first website is called â€Å"Free TeachingAids.com.†Ã‚   I found this website to be formless and vague, kind of like a big budget movie with a plot that goes nowhere.   (freeteachingaids.com 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second website was simply titled, â€Å"Teachers’ Aids†.   This website was similar to Kim’s TimeLine.   It was non-intimidating, and from a student’s perspective, they will appreciate the fact that it is straightforward, and to the point.   But nevertheless, as far as a writing tool goes, I would still have to put Kim’s TimeLine above this one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third website I chose was Java Applets for Teaching of AstroPhysics.   Demonstrating the contrast between Kim’s TimeLine, and this website, would be like comparing apples and oranges; they’re entirely diverse.   Astrophysics is not my cup of tea, however, if it was, I would urge those who plan a career in this field to definitely click onto this website.   It has an easy to follow table of contents, along with an uncomplicated simple to follow outline.   Key words are highlighted, and accompanied with a unproblematic definition.   (JK’s Applets for Teaching Astrophysics 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fourth website is called â€Å"Classic Teaching Resources†, and deals with mnemonics, and other little tricks of the trade to help you as a student, memorize course material.   It focuses on: grammar, music, dates and other numbers, and association and other subjects.   The site was started by David Parsons, he articulates: â€Å"As a former teacher of Latin, Greek and Classical Civilization for nearly 25 years I have accumulated much teaching material to share, and also know what I would have liked readily available.   This site is a small contribution to the teaching of classical subjects.†Ã‚   (Classic Latin Greek Teaching Aids 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fifth, and last website I will compare to Kim’s TimeLine is termed Parliament : Teachers’ centre.   Like the first website, â€Å"Free TeachingAids.com†, I found it to be unclear, and for lack of a better term, some what indistinct.   It offers an index of topics, so that you can select a subject that is to your liking; but that’s about it.   It was designed to educate would be British citizens in attaining their British citizenship credentials.   (Teaching Citizenship Resource Centre and British Citizenship Teaching Aids 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teaching aids aren’t only getting noticed on the internet, they’re also getting acknowledgment in the mass media, such as magazine articles.   In an influential article, written by Greifner, she reports: â€Å"To help teachers discuss the most current events.   Weekly Reader is also launching electronic Classroom News Breaks this fall.   The e-mailed lesson plans will offer age-appropriate information, reproducible pages, and the web links about significant world news within 24 hours of the event’s occurrence.†Ã‚   (Education week 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another article gives teachers’ an internet â€Å"Book Study† guide: Gary Paulsen: webenglishteacher.com/paulsen.html This rich resource has lesson plans and activities for all ages.   Plans include an integrated unit and a PowerPoint guide for creating a survival kit. Teacher Cyber guide – Hatchet sdco-k12.ca.us/score/hatch/hatchettg.htm This lesson plan contains language arts content standards, student activities and web resources for a study of the book. Hatchet, mce.k12tn.net/survival/hatchet/hatchet.htm A well-organized resource divided by book chapter.   Each chapter category has online (and printable) questions for your book study, activities that tie into the chapter themes, writing lessons and vocabulary activities.   (Teaching Prek-8 2006)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The web isn’t the only electronic medium that today’s teachers are using in the classroom.   Video games have made it into our scholarly institutions, as this article declares: Video games teach deductive reasoning, memory, strategies, and often, content area knowledge.   Teachers like Bill Mackenty, a computer specialist at the Edgartown School on Martha’s Vineyard, give praise to Playstation.   It states that with teacher involvement and guidance, video games can be a powerful classroom learning tool.   (Instructor 2006) Objective Conclusion of the Researched Material   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this thesis I have presented you with both facts, and opinions.   In order for me to remain free of any bias, I must end this research paper by equally supporting, and expressing the disadvantages of Kim’s Timeline, and teaching aids like it.   To sum things up I concur that Kim’s TimeLine, and websites like hers are needed in today’s schools; however, like the instructions of this assignment states, â€Å"There is so much information over the internet, that you must develop a discriminating taste, when it comes to the value of a website.† References Greifner.   L.   (2006.   September 27)   .   Weekly Reader Gets New Look.   Education Week  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26 Mitchell.   K.   (2006.   September )   .   Getting to the Heart of a Story.   Teaching PreK-8   66-66. Instructor.   (2006).   Playing To Learn.   Instructor   116.   22-22 Classic Teaching Resources.   (October 25, 2006).   Classic Latin Greek Teaching Aids.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved October 25, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.parsonsd.co.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   uk/teaching-aids.php Free TeachingAids.com.   (October 25, 2006).   Educators Progress Service, Inc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved October 25, 2006 from the World Wide Web:http://www.freeteaching   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   aids. Com Java Applets for Teaching of AstroPhysics.   (October 25, 2006).   JK’s Applets for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teaching Astrophysics.   Retrieved October 25, 2006 from the World Wide Web:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://astro.u-strasbg.fr~koppen/apindex.html Kim’s Korner for Teacher Talk.   (October 25, 2006).   Writing Process.   Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   October 25, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   /handouts/gl_anxiety.html Parliament : Teachers’ centre.   (October 25, 2006).   Teaching Citizenship Resource   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Centre and British Citizenship Teaching Aids.   Retrieved October 25, 2006 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the World Wide Web: http://www.explore.parliament.uk/parliament.aspx?id=17 Teacher’s Aids.   (October 25, 2006).   MFL 195: Teachers’ Aids.   Retrieved October 25,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2006 from the World Wide Web: http://facweb.furman.edu/~pecoy/mf195/aides.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   html

The Invisible Hand of The Market

The Invisible Hand of The Market Invisible hand is the term first introduced by Adam Smith and it refers to the balancing force that creates mutually beneficial exchange for everyone. The invisible hand is a term attributed to the 18th-century economist Adam Smith and appears in his landmark 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations. The term developed from Smith’s study of another classical economist, Richard Cantillon, and was used metaphorically by Smith to describe the â€Å"natural forces† that drive free markets, a kind of product the human nature of people interacting in the market. The term only appears twice in Smith’s book (he had used it in an earlier work in 1759, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, but in a philosophical rather than economic context), but has grown to be cited, and often misinterpreted, as one of Smith’s most important concepts. What is the Invisible Hand? In a free, unregulated market, competition for scarce resources encourages market participants to act to maximize their self-interest. â€Å"Maximizing self-interest† is a typical economic textbook term that is often not clearly explained, probably because it sounds a little more dignified than â€Å"seeking to purchase resources at the lowest or most efficient costs, and seeking to sell goods, services, or assets for the highest obtainable profit.† Even though no one is acting for the benefit of anyone else, the self-interests balance each other, creating a mutually beneficial exchange for everyone. This â€Å"balancing force† is what Adam Smith metaphorically called the â€Å"invisible hand†. WHAT IS FIAT MONEY? In simple terms, if consumers and producers are both free to look out for the own interests, an equilibrium will be created. Consumers generate demand for goods, and producers respond by developing efficient production and distribution methods to meet the demand at the lowest possible cost; prices are regulated by competition, which is in turn created by the consumer demand. Society benefits as a whole, because as prices decrease due to competitive pressure and greater efficiency, volume increases; this obliges producers to pay more for labor to keep up with demand, which increases costs and prices, which are canceled out by the higher purchasing power of the now better-paid worker/consumers. Everyone gets what they want in increasing amounts, and no one has to worry about anything other than their own needs and desires. Misinterpretation and Controversy The idea of the â€Å"invisible hand† is popular with Objectivists and adherents of the Ayn Rand philosophy of â€Å"every man for himself†, but interestingly, the term in modern usage is applied to a section of Smith’s Wealth of Nations where it does not even appear. The idea that self-interested competition leads to larger social benefits appears early in the book, in Book I, Chapter 7, but the actual phrase â€Å"invisible hand† does not appear until Book IV, Chapter 4 in the following passage: â€Å"By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.† The idea that Smith expresses – that individual ambition has greater benefits – is a common theme throughout The Wealth of Nations, but the way Smith uses the metaphor of the â€Å"invisible hand† specifically refers to domestic versus foreign industry. Because the metaphor is consistent with Smith’s philosophical theme, it has been used to underpin the entire philosophy of neoclassical economics; George Stigler, a key leader of the Chicago School of Economics and close friend of Milton Friedman, once famously greeted a symposium on Smith’s work by saying, â€Å"I bring you greetings from Chicago, where Adam Smith is alive and well.† Much of the confusion about what Smith actually said and intended in his own work and the apparent source of the neoclassical application of the metaphor is the 1948 book Economics by Paul Samuelson, in which he quotes Smith’s â€Å"invisible hand† passage in a way that combines a bit of Smithâ€⠄¢s explanation of self-interest among market participants with the original quotation, thus linking the metaphor – perhaps inaccurately, perhaps not – to Smith’s entire economic philosophy. Despite Dr. Stigler’s amusing greeting, Adam Smith is not, in fact, alive and well to add further insight to the argument over what he really meant, so the safest interpretation is an analysis of what he actually wrote. The market participant prefers domestic industry to foreign industry, and we can infer reasons why this might be so; costs of production and transportation are lower, the goods produced are more suitable to the local market because of more available and complete information, and as a consequence of all that, prices for the goods that are produced are lower. Because the domestic industries are preferred for those reasons alone, the domestic society benefits through the need for labor to produce goods and raw materials – a positive, unintended consequence of the market participants’ pure self-interest. Thus social benefit is created as if guided by an â€Å"invisible hand†. Criticism of the â€Å"Invisible Hand† The strongest argument against the validity of the metaphor, and its consequential idea that markets should be allowed to regulate themselves, comes from the Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who wrote in his book The Roaring Nineties that, â€Å"the reason that the invisible hand often seems invisible is that it is often not there.† Free markets have certain limitations, according to Stiglitz, one of the most important being their inability to manage â€Å"externalities†. Stiglitz holds that the idea of unintended benefits being allowed to happen without some sort of accounting is irrational; if a person’s actions create a benefit for someone else for which he is not compensated, or if a person benefits from another’s actions without cost to himself, that person will adjust his activities accordingly – either reduce his activity to prevent â€Å"giving something away for free,† or reduce his activity to avoid paying for more tha n he needs, since he is receiving some of it at no cost. MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND Stiglitz argues that any time there is imperfect information and some degree of risk uncertainty in markets – which is always – these â€Å"externalities†, which we can understand as â€Å"forces other than the supposed invisible hand and conceptual equilibrium of an efficient market†, are always present and make the market less efficient because market participants â€Å"hold back† a little. That is why, he says, that some of the most important developments in modern civilization, such as the telegraph, genetic advances in food production, and the internet, did not develop in markets but were supported by governments. In other words, some degree, hopefully, a balanced degree, of government intervention in markets is necessary, first to â€Å"take up the slack† in progress towards efficiency that is not happening in markets, and second to reduce risk uncertainty in ways such as enforcing contracts and protecting property rights.

Maya Angelou, Writer and Civil Rights Activist

Maya Angelou, Writer and Civil Rights Activist Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928–May 28, 2014) was a celebrated poet, memoirist, singer, dancer, actor, and civil rights activist. Her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a bestseller published in 1969 and nominated for the National Book Award, revealed her experiences growing up as an African-American during the Jim Crow Era. The book was one of the first written by an African-American woman to appeal to a mainstream readership. Fast Facts: Maya Angelou Known For: Poet, memoirist, singer, dancer, actor, and civil rights activistAlso Known As: Marguerite Annie JohnsonBorn: April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, MissouriParents: Bailey Johnson, Vivian Baxter JohnsonDied: May 28, 2014 in Winston-Salem, North CarolinaPublished Works: ï » ¿I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in My Name, The Heart of a Womanï » ¿Awards and Honors: National Medal of Arts,  Presidential Medal of FreedomSpouse(s): Tosh Angelos, Paul du FeuChild: Guy JohnsonNotable Quote: My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. Early Life Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father Bailey Johnson was a doorman and navy dietitian. Her mother Vivian Baxter Johnson was a nurse. Angelou received her nickname from her older brother Bailey Jr., who couldnt pronounce her name so he called her Maya, which he derived from my sister. Angelous parents divorced when she was 3. She and her brother were sent to live with their paternal grandmother Anne Henderson in Stamps, Arkansas. Within four years, Angelou and her brother were taken to live with their mother in St. Louis. While living there, Angelou was raped before she turned 8 years old by her mother’s boyfriend. After she told her brother, the man was arrested and, upon his release, was killed, probably by Angelous uncles. His murder and the trauma surrounding it caused Angelou to be almost completely mute for five years. When Angelou was 14, she moved with her mother to San Francisco, California. She took lessons in dance and drama on a scholarship to the California Labor School and  graduated from George Washington High School. That same year, at the age of 17, she gave birth to her son Guy. She worked to support herself and her child as a cocktail waitress, cook, and dancer. Arts Career Begins In 1951, Angelou moved to New York City with her son and her husband Tosh Angelos so that she could study African dance with Pearl Primus. She also took modern dance classes. She returned to California and teamed with dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey to perform at African-American fraternal organizations as â€Å"Al and Rita† throughout San Francisco. In 1954, Angelou’s marriage ended but she continued dancing. While performing at San Franciscos Purple Onion, Angelou decided to use the name Maya Angelou because it was distinctive. She combined the nickname her brother had given her with a new last name she derived from her former husbands surname. In 1959, Angelou became acquainted with novelist James O. Killens, who encouraged her to hone her skills as a writer. Moving back to New York City, Angelou joined the Harlem Writer’s Guild and began to publish her work. About the same time, Angelou landed a role in a State Department-sponsored production of George Gershwin’s folk opera  Porgy and Bess and toured 22 countries in Europe and Africa. She also studied dance with  Martha Graham.  Ã‚   Civil Rights The following year, Angelou met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and she and Killens organized the Cabaret for Freedom benefit to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Angelou was appointed the SCLC’s northern coordinator.  Continuing her performance career, in 1961 she appeared in  Jean Genet’s play  The Blacks. Angelou became romantically involved with South African activist Vusumzi Make and moved to Cairo, where she worked as an associate editor for the Arab Observer. In 1962, Angelou moved to Accra, Ghana, where she worked at the University of Ghana and continued to hone her craft as a writer, working as a feature editor for The African Review, a freelancer for the Ghanaian Times, and a radio personality for Radio Ghana. While living in Ghana, Angelou became an active member of the African-American expatriate community, meeting and becoming a close friend of Malcolm X. When she returned to the United States in 1965, Angelou helped Malcolm X develop the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Before the organization could really begin working, however, he was assassinated. In 1968, while she was helping King organize a march, he, too, was assassinated. The death of these leaders inspired Angelou to write, produce, and narrate a 10-part documentary titled â€Å"Blacks, Blues, Black!† The following year, her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was published by Random House to international acclaim. Four years later, Angelou published Gather Together in My Name, which told about her life as a single mother and budding performer. In 1976, Singin and Swingin and Gettin Merry Like Christmas was published. The Heart of a Woman followed in 1981. Sequels All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002), and Mom Me Mom (2013) came later. Other Highlights   In addition to publishing her autobiographical series, Angelou produced the film Georgia, Georgia in 1972.  The following year she  was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Look Away. In 1977, Angelou played a supporting role in the Golden Globes-winning TV mini-series Roots. In 1981, Angelou was appointed the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Then, in 1993, Angelou was chosen to recite her poem â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning† at President Bill Clintons inauguration. In 2010, Angelou donated her personal papers and other items from her career to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The following year, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. Death Maya Angelou had been having health issues for many years and was suffering from heart problems when she died on May 28, 2014. She was found by her caretaker at her home in Winston-Salem, where she had taught for a number of years at Wake Forest University. She was 86. Legacy Maya Angelou was a trailblazer in achieving success in so many fields as an African-American woman. Immediate respondents to her passing indicated the breadth of her influence. They included singer  Mary J. Blige, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, and President  Barack Obama. In addition to the National Medal of Arts presented by President Clinton and the  Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by President Obama, she was given the Literarian Award, an honorary National Book Award for contributions to the literary community. Before her death, Angelou had been awarded more than 50 honorary degrees. Sources Maya Angelou Biography. Biography.com.Maya Angelou: American Poet, Memorist, and Actress. Encyclopedia Britannica.Poet Maya Angelou. Poets.org.Maya Angelou. Poetryfoundation.org.

The Meaning and Origin of the Surname Rodriguez

The Meaning and Origin of the Surname Rodriguez The name Rodriguez is of Spanish origin. It patronymic in nature (taken from the paternal line) and means son of Rodrigo. The ez or es added to the root signifies descendant of. The given name Rodrigo is the Spanish form of Roderick, meaning famous power or powerful ruler, which comes from the Germanic elements hrod, meaning fame and ric, meaning power. Where Do People With the Rodriguez Surname Live? Overall, Rodriguez is the 60th most common surname in the world. According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, the Rodriguez surname is extremely popular in Spain. Its most commonly found in the region of Islas Canarias, followed by Galicia, Asturias,  Castilla y Leà ³n, and Extremadura. The name is also popular in Argentina and is distributed fairly evenly throughout the country. The genealogy site Forebears ranks Rodriguez as the number one surname in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, and Uraguay. It ranks second in Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Panama and third in Spain, Peru, and Honduras. Fast Facts About the Name Rodriguez Ninth Most Common Name in America: According to the 2000 census, Rodriguez ranked the ninth most common surname in the United States, likely the first time a non-Anglo name ranked among the top 10 (at #8 the Hispanic surname Garcia also cracked the top 10).Famous People Named Rodriguez: Luis Rodriguez, contemporary poet; Michelle Rodriguez, American actress; Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees third basemanAlternate Surname Spellings:  Rodrigue, Rodriques, Roderick, Rodiger, Rhodriquez, Rhodriguez, Rodrigues (Portuguese) Genealogy Resources for the Surname Rodriguez Contrary to what you may have heard, theres no such thing as a Rodriguez family crest or coat of arms.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals- not families- and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   To learn more about the origins of common Hispanic surnames and their meanings, a good place to start is with the information taken from the 2000 U.S. census about the 100 most common U.S. surnames and their meanings. The following is a list of other helpful resources for learning more about the Rodriguez surname: The Rodriguez DNA Project: This Y-DNA project is open to all males with the Rodriguez surname (or its variations) interested in working together to use DNA testing and traditional family history research to identify common Rodriguez ancestors.Rodriguez Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum to find others who may also be researching your ancestors, or post your own Rodriguez query.FamilySearch- Rodriguez Genealogy: Access over 12 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Rodriguez surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Rodriquez Surname Family Mailing Lists: RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers. You can also search or browse the list archives to view Rodriquez surname queries and posts going back for over a decade.DistantCousin.com- Rodriquez Genealogy Family History: Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Rodriguez. The Rodriguez Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Rodriguez surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia.  Bergenfield, NJ:  Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings.  Chicago:  Polish Genealogical Society, 1993.Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow.  Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Problems faced by Grandiose Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Problems faced by Grandiose Motors - Essay Example Being proactive in his approach, the CEO wants to make sure that the planning for inventory management is done in advance so that the company can remain efficient. A major factor, which Felix Fabulous has extracted out, which could cause problems to the company is the inventory management system of the spare parts which are used in after sales service, one of the most important reasons why customers prefer Grandiose Motors over its competitors. In order to maintain the reputation of the company as an excellent provider of after sales service, the CEO wants to make sure that the purchasing and inventory management of the service parts should remain as efficient as possible and the company must be able to provide all the necessary spare parts without delaying customer wait time and at the same time reduce the cost of inventory holding and other operations in order to provide customers with low priced after sales service car repairs.. That is why he wants the purchasing department to de vise strategies for improved purchasing and warehousing of spare parts and other materials. A car dealership is a business in which profitability depends on per square foot of floor space and as vehicles occupy a lot of space, it is important that any car dealership must allocate maximum space to accommodate the placement of vehicles. In order to do so, it must utilize a much lesser space for other operations such as keeping and warehousing inventory. In light of this, Grandiose Motors faces the following problems related to space availability and inventory management: All the parts had different levels of demand and different suppliers; hence the company had to deal with many suppliers at the same time. This prohibited the company to achieve cost cutting as they could not purchase bulk quantity from a single supplier at a discount.

Marketing channel article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marketing channel article - Essay Example The competition is reacting accordingly in order to ensure Amazon does not steal market share away from them. â€Å"Companies like Walmart, Best Buy and Toys â€Å"R† Us have already announced that they will not be undersold and will match any competitors’ prices in a printed flyer or website† (Loeb). The use of a matching pricing strategy can help retailers retain market share, but it does so at the expense of lowering profitability. The pricing strategies that are being used by major retailers are benefiting the customers who are going to be able to obtain bargain prices on many products. Best Buy plans to match competitors prices as well, but this firm believes that they have a competitive advantage over Amazon because they are able to physically show its customers the products they want to buy in their showrooms, while at the same time offering great prices though its website. For other retailers such as Toys R Us Christmas season is more important to them since most of their yearly sales are dependent on the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas. A matching pricing strategy was an obvious move for them due to their dependency on Christmas sales. Amazon is leading the pack this Christmas season by offering daily sales on a high variety of items. The pricing strategy of Amazon intends to increase its market share as much as possible. It all starts on Black Friday for Amazon with deals on popular items such as sm artphones, diamond rings, and Wrangler jeans. After Black Friday the company intends on adding deals each day on different items in order to motivate buyers to make purchases. Last year Amazon lead the industry with 2,840 prices changes on Black Friday. Most of the prices changes were down, but some went up in order to offset the loss of profitability of reducing prices. This article showed that pricing is a critical factor that affects the buying behavior of consumers. Companies competing for market shares

Is human evolution over Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is human evolution over - Essay Example The creature referred to as the pre-hominoid primate was of the primate species; the same category of mammals as monkeys, apes and humans. It had a canning semblance with the animals that are today known as monkeys, but was neither a monkey nor an ape. Scientists have over the years endeavoured to provide evidence that these higher order primates are the species that in a gradual process developed into humankind. In retrospect, this theory poses the important question of whether human evolution continues to date or not. This paper seeks to shed light on this matter, through a detailed analysis of various literatures. Keywords: Theory of evolution, human evolution, species, primate. Introduction Evolution refers to the process of a string of natural modifications that result in a species of a population of organisms and the process that causes the species to develop, adjust to their surroundings, and eventually die out of becoming extinct (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural Histor y, n.d.). All species including humans have developed through the process of biological evolution. In species such as humans and other organisms that undergo sexual reproduction, the term species is used in the description and identification of a cluster whose mature members frequently reproduce bringing about fertile offspring. These offspring also have the ability to reproduce (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, n.d.). Evolution follows when the genetic material that makes up an organism and is received from parents changes; that is, the chemical molecule known as the DNA. Genes are the portion of the DNA that is responsible for the production of proteins (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, n.d.). Information borne in the DNA changes through a process of mutation, and as a result of this mutation, there is influence on particular genes in the body or the conduct of an organism. As a result of this, the survival and reproduction of an organism is influence d by its genetic make-up and its genetically acquired attributes (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, n.d.). Human evolution refers to the drawn-out progression of change, which facilitated the development of people from apelike progenitors. Scientific evidence has revealed that the physical and developmental attributes shared by the entire human species originated from apelike predecessors and evolved over a period of time (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, n.d.). According to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), the first affiliates of the human species began the evolution process in Africa, roughly six or seven million years ago (n.d.). This species was known as the Hominidae. Their behaviour and way of life was similar to that of the primates from which the species of gorillas and chimpanzees evolved. They could often be found on trees but were different from their primate counterparts due to their ability to facilely walk on two feet rather t han on fours, like the other primates (American Museum of Natural History, n.d.). This is a characteristic that researchers on human evolution distinctively associate with the human species. Today’s species of humans to which we belong is known as the Homo sapiens and is an evidence of the vivid evolutionary history that the human species has undergone over a period of more than 150,000 years, since

Selective Incorporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Selective Incorporation - Essay Example Selective incorporation has been applied in numerous instances to protect and uphold human rights especially in a criminal proceeding. This was done during the tenure of chief justice Earl Warren when the rights enjoyed by the criminal defendants were expanded. For example, in the case of Gideon v Wainwright, the defendant was accused of breaking into bay harbor pool hall and stealing cigarette change from the vending machines.Though Gideon requested a lawyer to be appointed by the states, the state of Florida declined, stating that this can only be done in capital offenses. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment allowed all defendants to access the services of an attorney. This right, as stated in the sixth amendment of the constitution was meant to protect the rights of the accused and ensure the provision of free trails. The Miranda v Arizona established the principle of equal access to legal representation during a trial and the determination was based on select ive incorporation. Failure to inform a suspect of his right during arrest constitutes legal subjugation of their legal rights as contained in the first 8 amendments and the 14th amendment of the United States Constitution. The 5th amendment of the united states indicates that a suspect has a right to remain silent during arrest as any pronouncement made can be used against them in the determination of the case.The sixth amendment indicates that a legal counsel must represent suspects during the determination of their cases.

Steroids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Steroids - Essay Example Steroids are not magic pills that produce the desired effects instantly. The truth is that they work only when the user observes certain lifestyles such as consistent physical exercise, healthy diet, and effective sleep schedules (Sterngass 32). Another common misconception is that injection steroids are safer than oral steroids. Safety is an important issue with all classes and types of steroids. Injection steroids do have side effects such as hair loss and acne that are also found in oral steroids. There are many who believe that women do not use steroids. On the contrary, there have been studies that have observed significant numbers of women who use steroids. Skewed body image, self-defense, bodybuilding, and athletics are all reasons that cause women to use steroids. However, there is strong evidence that more men use steroids than women do (Sterngass 33). Anabolic steroids are one commonly known type of steroids. Primarily, anabolic steroids are meant to reduce the breakdown of testosterone and maximize its ability to build tissues. Clenbuterol is an example of anabolic steroids commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes. This anabolic steroid helps in the shedding of body fats and weight loss. Anabolic steroids can be taken either through intramuscular injection or orally. Commentators observe that beginners in steroid use are the ones who prefer to take steroids orally. Oral intake of anabolic steroids has higher chances of side effects than injection (Sterngass 34). There are growth hormone steroids such as hGH (Human growth hormone) that imitates a hormone produced in the brain. Growth hormone steroids have been used to accelerate height growth in short children and increase the strength of the elderly. Most growth hormone steroids increase muscle mass, fat breakdown for energy and enhance musculoskeletal injury healing. Another type of steroids is erythropoietin that helps athletics endure the impact and improve performance. An example of

Cross cultural management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cross cultural management - Assignment Example It is Mr. A’s first experience of staying away from his hometown (India). Following presents the interview findings (see appendix-I for the interview questions) along with the quotes from the interviewee to present his views on his experiences of staying and working in a culture different from his hometown. When the interviewee was asked to share his experience from leaving his hometown to his very first assignment in Singapore he told the interviewer that â€Å"leaving home and going to a completely new place was not an easy job especially when I have never been to any new country†. Mr. A highlighted that going as a visitor and going as an employee are two completely different things. In the words of Mr. A â€Å"it was a sort of cultural shock which was aggravated due to high expectations of the employer leaving lesser time for adjustment; I was expected to get to work immediately and produce results which was not an easy task as I was still in the phase of understanding my surroundings and adjusting to it.† Mr. A told the interviewer that his first assignment was to close a deal with a client and he found it very difficult to set the meeting and meet the client in person. Mr. A says â€Å"though I have good product knowledge and prior experience of selling goods and cl osing deals in India but meeting the person of a new culture and convincing him to use the services of our company is something needs experience of selling in the same culture.† Then the interviewer asked Mr. A how he has prepared for the immersion in a new culture to which Mr. A replied â€Å"I have learned about the culture of Singapore from the internet sites and a few friends of mine who have been to Singapore but experiencing a culture in person is totally a new experience.† Continuing the conversation the interviewer asked Mr. A about his feelings upon knowing that he will be going to Singapore and about his first few days in

Steroids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Steroids - Essay Example Steroids are not magic pills that produce the desired effects instantly. The truth is that they work only when the user observes certain lifestyles such as consistent physical exercise, healthy diet, and effective sleep schedules (Sterngass 32). Another common misconception is that injection steroids are safer than oral steroids. Safety is an important issue with all classes and types of steroids. Injection steroids do have side effects such as hair loss and acne that are also found in oral steroids. There are many who believe that women do not use steroids. On the contrary, there have been studies that have observed significant numbers of women who use steroids. Skewed body image, self-defense, bodybuilding, and athletics are all reasons that cause women to use steroids. However, there is strong evidence that more men use steroids than women do (Sterngass 33). Anabolic steroids are one commonly known type of steroids. Primarily, anabolic steroids are meant to reduce the breakdown of testosterone and maximize its ability to build tissues. Clenbuterol is an example of anabolic steroids commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes. This anabolic steroid helps in the shedding of body fats and weight loss. Anabolic steroids can be taken either through intramuscular injection or orally. Commentators observe that beginners in steroid use are the ones who prefer to take steroids orally. Oral intake of anabolic steroids has higher chances of side effects than injection (Sterngass 34). There are growth hormone steroids such as hGH (Human growth hormone) that imitates a hormone produced in the brain. Growth hormone steroids have been used to accelerate height growth in short children and increase the strength of the elderly. Most growth hormone steroids increase muscle mass, fat breakdown for energy and enhance musculoskeletal injury healing. Another type of steroids is erythropoietin that helps athletics endure the impact and improve performance. An example of

Critique about how a newspaper, news magazine, website or essay

Critique about how a newspaper, news magazine, website or reports or discusses a mental health issue - Essay Example According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, (DSM-IV) the diagnostic features of Asperger’s Disorder include challenges with social interaction, and â€Å"the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities† (p. 75). There must also be â€Å"clinically significant† impairment in â€Å"social, occupational or other important areas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 77). Although the information is not totally certain about Asberger’s Disorder, the DSM-IV states that it â€Å"appears to be† (p. 76) more attributed to males. Freckelton and List (2009) state that Asberger’s Disorder is often called â€Å"high functioning autism† (p. 17) and that most of the children or adults with this disorder â€Å"do not show their emotions through facial expressions† (p. 17). There are often sensory problems and gross motor problems (Freckelton & List, 2009). Freckelton and List (2 009) also state that males are more apt to have the disorder than females and 20 percent of fathers and only five percent of mothers may have the disease, thus making it hereditary. The basic issue raised in this articles was that this young boy was killed by the police on purpose. The initial gunshot was in the child’s arm and it seemed that two other officers who responded to the call panicked, and shot the boy in the head. The mother states, â€Å"they murdered my boy†¦they didn’t have to kill him† (Fox Chicago News, 2012, para. 5). The news reporters attempted to report the facts of the case as they knew it but there were two sides of the situation. The police said that the boy was lunging at them with a knife and they had no other choice but to shoot him. The mother and father state that the boy had a butter knife and that the officers could have shot him in the leg again or something, but that they did not have to kill him. Of course, an

Organizational Structure and Culture Essay Example for Free

Organizational Structure and Culture Essay Knowledge – Mastery of facts, range of information in subject matter area. Skills – Proficiency, expertise, or competence in given area; e.g., science, art, crafts. Abilities – Demonstrated performance to use knowledge and skills when needed. KSA Definitions Interpersonal Skill Is aware of, responds to, and considers the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others. Deals with conflicts, confrontations, disagreements in a positive manner, which minimizes personal impact, to include controlling one’s feelings and reactions. Deals effectively with others in both favorable and unfavorable situations regardless of status of position. Accepts interpersonal and cultural diversity. Team Skill Establishes effective working relationships among team members. Participates in solving problems and making decisions. Communications Presents and expresses ideas and information clearly and concisely in a manner appropriate to the audience, whether oral or written. Actively listens to what others are saying to achieve understanding. Shares information with others and facilitates the open exchange of ideas and information. Is open, honest, and straightforward with others. Planning and Organizing Establishes courses of action for self to accomplish specific goals [e.g., establishes action plans]. Identifies need, arranges for, and obtains resources needed to accomplish own goals and objectives. Develops and uses tracking systems for monitoring own work progress. Effectively uses resources such as time and information. Organizational Knowledge and Competence Acquires accurate information concerning the agency components, the mission[s] of each relevant organizational unit, and the principal programs in the agency. Interprets and utilizes information about the formal and informal organization, including the organizational structure, functioning, and relationships among units. Correctly identifies and draws upon source[s] of information for support. Problem Solving and Analytical Ability Identifies existing and potential problems/issues. Obtains relevant information about the problem/issue, including recognizing whether or not more information is needed. Objectively evaluates relevant information about the problem/issue. Identifies the specific cause of the problem/issue. Develops recommendations, develops and evaluates alternative course of action, selects courses of action, and follows up. Judgment Makes well reasoned and timely decisions based on careful, objective review and informed analysis of available considerations and factors. Supports decisions or recommendations with accurate information or reasoning. Direction and Motivation Sets a good example of how to do the job; demonstrates personal integrity, responsibility, and accountability. Provides advice and assistance to help others accomplish their work. Directs/motivates self. Decisiveness Identifies when immediate action is needed, is willing to make decisions, render judgments, and take action. Accepts responsibility for the decision, including sustaining effort in spite of obstacles. Self-Development Accurately evaluates own performance and identifies skills and abilities as  targets of training and development activities related to current and future job requirements. Analyzes present career status. Sets goals [short and/or long term]. Identifies available resources and methods for self-improvement. Sets realistic time frames for goals and follows up. Flexibility Modifies own behavior and work activities in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Views issues/problems from different perspectives. Considers a wide range of alternatives, including innovative or creative approaches. Strives to take actions that are acceptable to others having differing views. Leadership Ability to make right decisions based on perceptive and analytical processes. Practices good judgment in gray areas. Acts decisively. KSA Definitions {General Supervisory/Manager Competencies} Problem Solving and Analytical Ability Identifies existing and potential problems; notes, understands, and includes the critical elements of problem situations; obtains and evaluates relevant information; demonstrates awareness that new and/or additional information sources are required; notes interrelationships among elements; identifies possible causes of the problems; recognizes the need to shift to an alternative course of action including innovative or creative approaches; and appropriately terminates information collection and evaluation activities. Planning and Organizing Identifies requirements; allocates, and effectively uses information, personnel, time, and other resources necessary for mission accomplishment; establishes appropriate courses of action for self and/or others to accomplish specific goals; develops evaluation criteria and tracking systems for monitoring goal progress and accomplishment; and specifies objectives, schedules, and priorities. Decisiveness Makes decisions, renders judgments, and takes action on difficult or unpleasant tasks in a timely fashion, to include the appropriate communication of both negative and positive information and decisions. Judgment Develops and evaluates alternative courses of action; makes decisions based on correct assumptions concerning resources and guidelines; supports decisions or recommendations with data or reasoning; defines and implements solutions to problems; and recognizes when no action is required. Communication Skill Presents and expresses ideas and information effectively and concisely in an oral and/or written mode; listens to and comprehends what others are saying; shares information with others and facilitates the open exchange of ideas and information; is open, honest, and straightforward with others; provides a complete and timely explanation of issues and decisions in a manner appropriate for the audience; and presents information and material in a manner that gains the agreement of others. Interpersonal Skill Is aware of, responds to, and considers the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others; deals effectively with others in favorable and unfavorable situations regardless of their status or position; accepts interpersonal and cultural differences; manages conflict/confrontations/ disagreements in a positive manner that minimizes personal impact, to include controlling one’s own feelings and reactions; and provides appropriate support to others. Direction and Motivation Motivates and provides direction in the activities of others to accomplish goals; gains the respect and confidence of others; appropriately assigns work and authority to others in the accomplishment of goals; provides advice and assistance as required. Supervisory role Performance Displays knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and duties of supervisors and managers; accurately assesses the impact upon others of role performance; and supports and promotes organizational decisions, policies, programs, and initiatives such as EEO and Affirmative Action. Specialty Competence Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies; maintains credibility with others on specialty matters; uses appropriate procedures or systems in the operation and/or staff environment as the position requires. Organizational Knowledge Demonstrates knowledge of the department’s or agency’s organizational components, the mission[s] of each relevant organizational unit, and the principal programs in the organization. Leadership Establishes work standards and expectations for self and others. Appropriately assigns/delegates work and authority to others in the accomplishment of goals. Keeps goals and objectives in sight at all times, monitors progress toward goals, and works to overcome barriers and obstacles. Provides coaching, advice, and assistance as required; e.g., helps subordinates overcome obstacles and deal with problems. Appropriately assesses contributions and p performance of employees; provides appropriate recognition, and deals with problems as they arise. Instills in others a sense of pride in the job at hand. Executive Core Competencies [ECC] ECC #1Leading Change ECC #2Leading People ECC #3Results Driven ECC #4Business Acumen ECC #5Building Coalitions/Communications ECC #1 Leading Change This core qualification encompasses the ability to develop and implement an organizational vision which integrates key national and program goals, priorities, values, and other factors. Inherent to it is the ability to balance change and continuity – to continually strive to improve customer service and program performance within the basic government framework, to create a work environment that encourages creative thinking, and to maintain focus, intensity and persistence, even under adversity. Key Characteristics: 1. Exercising leadership and motivating managers to incorporate vision, strategic planning, and elements of quality management into the full range of the organization’s activities; encouraging creative thinking and innovation; influencing others toward a spirit of service; designing and implementing new or cutting edge programs/processes. 2. Identifying and integrating key issues affecting the organization, including political, economic, social, technological, and administrative factors. 3. Understanding the roles and relationships of the components of the state or regional policy making and implementation process, including the Governor, legislature, the judiciary, local governments, and interest groups; and formulating effective strategies to balance those interests consistent with the business of the organization. 4. Being open to change and new information; tolerating ambiguity; adapting behavior and work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles; adjusting rapidly to new situations warranting attention and resolution. 5. Dealing effectively with pressure; maintaining focus and intensity and remaining persistent, even under adversity; recovering quickly from setbacks. 6. Displaying a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment to public service; being proactive and achievement-oriented; being self-motivated; pursuing self-development; seeking feedback from others and opportunities to master new knowledge. Leadership Competencies Creativity and Innovation – Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative solutions to make organizational improvements; creates a work environment that encourages creative thinking and innovation; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes. Resilience – Deals effectively with pressure; maintains focus and intensity and remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Effectively balances personal life and work. Continual Learning – Grasps the essence of new information; masters new technical and business knowledge; recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues self-development; seeks feedback from others and opportunities to master new knowledge. Service Motivation – Creates and sustains an organizational culture which encourages others to provide the quality of service essential to high performance. Enables others to acquire the tools and support they need to perform well. Shows a commitment to public service. Influence others toward a spirit of service and meaningful contributions to mission accomplishment. External Awareness – Identifies and keeps up to date on key national and international policies and economic, political, and social trends that affect the organization. Understands near-term and long-range plans and determines how best to be positioned to achieve a competitive business advantage. Strategic Thinking – Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities. Flexibility – Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior and wok methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Adjust rapidly to new situations warranting attention and resolution. Vision – Takes a long-term view and acts as a catalyst for organizational change; builds a shared vision with others. Influences others to translate vision into action. ECC #2 Leading People This core competency involves the ability to design and implement strategies which maximize employee potential and foster high ethical standards in meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. Key Characteristics: 1. Providing leadership in setting the workforce’s expected performance levels commensurate with the organization’s strategic objectives; inspiring, motivating, and guiding others toward total accomplishment; empowering people by sharing power and authority. 2. Promoting quality through effective use of the organization’s performance management system [e.g., establishing performance standards, appraising staff accomplishments using the developed standards, and taking action to reward, counsel, or remove employees, as appropriate]. 3. Valuing cultural diversity and other differences; fostering an environment where people who are culturally diverse can work together cooperatively and effectively in achieving organizational goals. 4. Assessing employees’ unique developmental needs and providing developmental opportunities which maximize employees’ capabilities and contribute to the achievement of organizational goals; developing leadership in others through coaching and mentoring. 5. Fostering commitment, team spirit, pride, trust, and group identity; taking steps to prevent situations what could result in unpleasant confrontations. 6. R3solving conflicts in a positive and constructive manner; this includes promoting labor/management partnerships and dealing effectively with employee relations matters, attending to morale and organizational climate issues, handling administrative, labor management, and EEO issues, and taking disciplinary actions when others means have not been successful. Leadership Competencies Conflict Management – Identifies and takes steps to prevent potential situations that could result in unpleasant confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative impact. Integrity/Honesty – Instills mutual trust and confidence; creates a culture that fosters high standards of ethics; behaves in a fair and ethical manner toward others, and demonstrates a sense of corporate responsibility and commitment to public service. Cultural Aw3areness – Initiates and manages cultural change within the organization to impact organizational effectiveness. Values cultural diversity and other individual differences in the workforce. Ensures that the organization builds on these differences and that employees are treated in a fair and equitable manner. Team Building – Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goal accomplishments. Consistently develops and sustains cooperative working relationships. Encourages and facilitates cooperation within the organization and with customer groups; fosters commitment, team spirit, pride, trust. Develops leadership in others through coaching, mentoring, rewarding, and guiding employees. ECC #3 Results Driven This core competency stresses accountability and continuous improvement. It includes the ability to make timely and effective decisions and produce results through strategic planning and the implementation and evaluation of programs and policies. Key Characteristics: 1. Understanding and appropriately applying procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise; understanding linkages between administrative competencies and mission needs; keeping current on issues, practices, and procedures in technical areas. 2. Stressing results by formulating strategic program plans which assess policy/program feasibility and include realistic short and long-term goals and objectives. 3. Exercising good judgment in structuring and organizing work an setting priorities; balancing the interests of clients and readily readjusting priorities to respond to customer demands. 4. Anticipating and identifying, diagnosing, and consulting on potential or actual problem areas relating to program implementation and goal achievement; selecting from alternative courses of corrective action, and taking action from developed contingency plans. 5. Setting program standards; holding self and others accountable for achieving these standards; acting decisively to modify them to promote customer service and/or quality of programs and policies. 6. Identifying opportunities to develop and market new products and services with or outside of the organization; taking risks to pursue a recognized benefit or advantage. Leadership competencies Accountability Assures that effective controls are developed and maintained to ensure the integrity of the organization. Holds self and others accountable for rules and responsibilities. Can be relied upon to ensure that projects within areas of specific responsibility are completed in a timely manner and within budget. Monitors and evaluates plans; focuses on results and measuring attainment of outcomes. Entrepreneurship – Identifies opportunities to develop and market new products and services within or outside of the organization. Is willing to take risks; initiates actions that involve a deliberate risk to achieve a recognized benefit or advantage. Customer Service – Balancing interests of a variety of clients; readily readjust priorities to respond to pressing and changing client demands. Anticipates and meets the need of clients; achieves quality end-products; is committed to continuous improvement of services. Problem Solving – Identifies and analyzes problems; distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical decisions; provides solutions to individual and organizational problems. Decisiveness – Exercises good judgment by making sound and well-informed decision; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; makes effective and timely decisions, even when data is limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; is proactive and achievement oriented. Technical Credibility – Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise. Is able to make sound hiring and capital resource decisions and to address training and development needs. Understand linkages between administrative competencies and mission needs. ECC #4 Business Acumen This core competency involves the ability to acquire and administer human, financial, material, and information resources in a manner which instills public trust and accomplishes the organization’s mission, and to use new technology to enhance decision making. Key Characteristics 1. Assessing current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals and budget realities. Applying sound human resource principles to develop, select, and manage a diverse workforce. 2. Overseeing the allocation of financial resources; identifying cost-effective approaches; establishing and assuring the use of internal controls for financial systems. 3. Managing the budgetary process, including preparing and justifying a budget and operating the budget under organizational and legislative procedures; understanding the marketing expertise necessary to ensure appropriate funding levels. 4. Overseeing procurement and contracting procedures and processes. 5. Integrating and coordinating logistical operations. 6. Ensuring the efficient and cost-effective development and utilization of management information systems and other technological resources that meet the organization’s needs; understanding the impact of technological changes on the organization. Leadership Competencies Financial Management – Demonstrates broad understanding of principles of financial management and marketing expertise necessary to ensure appropriate funding levels. Prepares, justifies, and/or administers the budget for the program area; uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities; monitors expenditures in support of programs and policies, Identifies cost-effective approaches. Manages procurement and contracting. Technological Management – Uses efficient and cost-effective approaches to integrate technology into the workplace and improve program effectiveness. Develops strategies using new technology to enhance decision making. Understands the impact of technological changes on the organization. Human Resource Management – Assesses current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals and budget realities. Using merit principles, ensure staff are appropriately selected, developed, utilized, appraised, and rewarded; takes corrective action. ECC #5 Building Coalitions/Communication This core competency involves the ability to explain, advocate and express facts and ideas in a convincing manner, and negotiate wit5h individuals and groups internally and externally. It also involves the ability to develop an expansive professional network with other organizations, and to identify the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Key Characteristics 1. Representing and speaking for the organizational unit and its work [e.g., presenting, explaining, selling, defining, and negotiating] to those within and outside the office [e.g., agency heads and other government executives; corporate executives; Department of Administrative Services budget officials; legislative members and staff; the media; governor’s office; clientele and professional groups]; making clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals and groups; listening effectively and clarifying information; facilitating an open exchange of ideas. 2. Establishing and maintaining working relationships with internal organizational units [e.g., other program areas and staff support functions]; approaching each problem situation with a clear perception of organizational and political reality; using contacts to build and strengthen internal support bases; getting understanding and support from higher level management. 3. Developing and enhancing alliances with external groups [e.g., other agencies or firms, state and local governments, legislature, and clientele groups]; engaging in cross-functional activities; finding common ground with a widening range of stakeholders. 4. Working in groups and teams; conducting briefings and othe45r meetings; gaining cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; facilitating â€Å"win-win† situations. 5. Considering and responding appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations is tactful and treats others with respect. 6. Seeing that reports, memoranda, and other documents reflect the position and work of the organization in a clear, convincing, and organized manner. Leadership Competencies Influencing/Negotiating – Persuades others; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals; facilitates â€Å"win-win† situations. Partnering – Develops networks and builds alliances, engages in cross-functional activities; collaborates across boundaries, and finds common ground with a widening range of stakeholders. Utilizes contacts to build and strengthen internal support bases. Interpersonal Skills – Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations; is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats others with respect. Political Savvy – Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Approaches each problem situation with a clear perception of organizational and political reality; recognizes the impact of alternative courses of action. Oral Communication – Makes clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; facilitates an open exchange of ideas and fosters an atmosphere of open communication. Written Communication – Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a clear, convincing and organized manner.

evilmac Macbeths Evil Aspect Essay -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth's Evil Aspect      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth by William Shakespeare rrepresents unrelenting evil from beginning to end. Who is th emost evil? What motivates the evil intentions and actions? This paper intends to answer these questions.    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare explains the impact of evil as seen in Macbeth's initial murder:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call him to murder Duncan, - when we no longer read it in a book, when we have given up that vantage-ground of abstraction which reading possesses over seeing, and come to see a man in his bodily shape before our eyes actually preparing to commit a murder, if the acting be true and impressive as I have witnessed it in Mr. K's performance of that part, the painful anxiety about the act, the natural longing to prevent it while it yet seems unperpetrated, the too close pressing semblance of reality, give   a pain and an uneasiness [. . .]. (134)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" specifies the particular species of evil present within the play:    Macbeth defines a particular kind of evil - the evil that results from a lust for power. The defining, as in all the tragedies, is in strictly poetic and dramatic terms. It is certainly not an abstract formulation, but lies rather in the drawing out of necessary consequences and implications of that lust both in the external and the spiritual worlds. Its meaning, therefore, is revealed in the expansion and unfolding of what lies within the initial evil, in terms of direct human experience. (93)    ... ...acbeth." The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Lamb, Charles. On the Tragedies of Shakespeare. N.p.: n.p.. 1811. Rpt in Shakespearean Tragedy. Bratchell, D. F. New York, NY: Routledge, 1990.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Warren, Roger. Shakespeare Survey 30.   N.p.: n.p., 1977. Pp. 177-78. Rpt. in Shakespeare in the Theatre: An Anthology of Criticism. Stanley Wells, ed. England: Oxford University Press, 2000.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.   

Impact of Whiteness on Blacks in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye Essay

The Impact of Whiteness on Blacks in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye   Ã‚      Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye does not focus on direct white oppression of a black community, but rather how whiteness is ingrained in the minds of the black community and serves as a destructive force. There are few white characters introduced in the book, but whiteness and the culturally accepted ideal of whiteness as an indication or measure of beauty is ever present. Morrison's first page, The Dick and Jane story, is a clean, simple and perfect example of whiteness. Mother, Father, Dick and Jane are the family and they live in a pretty house with a cat and dog. This is whiteness. Whiteness is nice, clean, happy and simple. Turning the page we soon discover that perfect simplistic whiteness can turn chaotic and destructive. This first shocking introduction to whiteness not only foreshadows the end of the book, but is also the first of many direct examples of whiteness and its potential to consume the mind and destroy the spirit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the first few pages of the book we find Shirley Temple and a white baby doll, both pretty with their blue eyes and creamy skin. That both of these symbols of whiteness are young and introduced to little black children is very significant. Whiteness is known and begins to warp around and take hold of them from the beginning. They are never allowed to entertain or contemplate their own beauty because they are shown early on symbols of pretty and they will never measure up. White baby dolls are loved and Shirley Temple is adored while their black skin, wool like hair and brown eyes are merely tolerated. We learn from Claudia's example that the only way to keep the whiteness from destroying y... ...whiteness is potentially damaging. It is also effective because is demonstrates how black communities self imploded if they internalized the white ideal. This is very powerful. That notion that whites did not need to by physically present but merely symbolically represented in order to undermine the stability and self-image of a black community. Whiteness then did, and does, have the power to destroy if it is internalized and accepted as the ideal--an ideal that is unobtainable and therefor all the more damaging. Works Cited and Consulted: Davis, Cynthia. "Self, Society, and Myth in Toni Morrison's Fiction." Draper 222. Draper, James P., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. "Toni Morrison." Michigan: Gale Research Inc., 1994. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York, New York: Plume, 1994. Steiner, Wendy. "The Clearest Eye." Draper 239.

Research, Writing & Civil Litigation Assignment 1 Essay

For the first assignment, try these short questions involving legal research: 1. Please enter the correct citation for the Supreme Court case of Lamb against California, which was decided on January 7, 1963 and is recorded on page 234 of volume 371 in the United States Reporter. Lamb V. California, 371 U. S. 234 (1963). 2. Please list all of the courts whose decisions are binding upon the federal district court for the District of Massachusetts. Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the U.S. Supreme. 3. From the following sources of law within our legal system, list them in the order of most binding to least binding (assume all involved laws are valid) and explain why that order exists. a. state constitution; b. federal constitution; c. state legislation; d. federal legislation; Constitution The ultimate document that gives governments their authority; also serves to limit governmental authority, to protect civil rights, etc. Other laws, judicial decisions and executive actions must be consistent with the applicable constitution or it falls to the courts to strike down (law, decision or action). Statutes Law written by federal and state legislatures. They become effective upon signature of the president (federal) or governor (state). Statues of limitations Federal and state laws prescribing the maximum period of time during which various types of civil actions nd criminal prosecutions can be brought after the occurrence of the injury or offense. Supremacy Clause A clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution that declares federal laws to have jurisdictional authority over state laws in the event there is conflict between laws established by two governing bodies. 4. In what types of cases and/or memos would you be most likely to cite case  law that is not mandatory authority? Determining when a court’s decision is mandatory or persuasive can be tricky, given the multiple jurisdictions throughout the country and the layers of courts within each jurisdiction. Our court systems are founded on the belief that there should be fairness, consistency, and predictability in judicial decision making. The doctrine that expresses this concept is labeled stare decisis. In essence, stare decisis considers mandatory, or binding, an existing decision from any court that exercises appellate jurisdiction over another court, unless the lower court can show that the decision is clearly wrong or is distinguishable from the case at hand. Courts frequently consider the larger context when choosing among persuasive decisions. A typical situation in which decisions from one state may be highly persuasive on another is where both states share a specific doctrine. For example, Texas courts may find decisions of Wisconsin courts in marital property cases quite persuasive because both states adhere to community property law. Rarely would either state consult its neighboring states on marital property law; both have neighbors that are common-law marital property states. In most other situations, however, Texas courts might find Oklahoma or Arkansas decisions more persuasive than those of Minnesota or Illinois (Wisconsin’s neighbors), because demographic, geographic, or historic similarities may have led to the development of similar legal doctrines among neighboring states. Similarly, whether a state has adopted a particular uniform law can affect the persuasiveness of its decisions. Federal courts, too, look at the larger context when choosing among the range of persuasive decisions to consult. And†¦ For good measure, to save the hardest for last: 5. Give an example of a case where the U.S. Supreme Court would be deciding an issue of STATE law. The Justices must exercise considerable discretion in deciding which cases to hear, since more than 10,000 civil and criminal cases are filed in the  Supreme Court each year from the various state and federal courts. The Supreme Court also has â€Å"original jurisdiction† in a very small number of cases arising out of disputes between States or between a State and the Federal Government. Bintliff, B. â€Å"MANDATORY V. PERSUASIVE CASES.† West Group; Retrieved 2001 from http://faculty.law.lsu.edu/toddbruno/mandatory_v__persuasive.htm McWay, D. (2008).†Workings of the American Legal System.† Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Information Management (third edition). 2008 Delmar Cengage learning.