UFOs Essays (741 words) - Ufologists, Ufology,

UFOs [I] Introduction: What exactly is a U.F.O? Where do they come from? What do they want from us? Well, a UFO is an unusual airborne object that cannot be identified, even after an expert examination. 90 Percent of these reports are either Hoaxes, Conventional objects, or some poor person going insane. The other 10 percent is considered UFO enigma. [II] History: The data of the first UFO sighting is not known. Some researchers say that UFO sightings date back to ancient times. There is no evidence for this speculation, so it is just a thought. Most researchers though mark the beginning of sightings in the United States un the later 1800s, they were called "The Mystery Airships". The next major fleet of sightings were during the second world war, from pilots who say they say metal like objects floating in the sky. These fighter pilots called them "foo fighters". And in 1947 in Europe, there were sightings of silent "ghost rockets". None of these speculations were ever entirely explained. The UFO phenomenon entered the publics eye on June 24, 1947, at 2:44am, when private pilot Kenneth Arnold reported sighting nine circular objects in the skies over the state of Washington. He (Kenneth) described these objects like "saucers skipping over water". There the term Flying Saucer was born. [III] UFO Waves: Since 1947 there have been UFO sightings in almost every country. Sometimes there is something called a UFO wave, which for a short time UFO sighting increase rapidly in one certain area. For instance, UFO waves occurred in France and Italy in 1954, in New Guinea in 1958, and in the USSR in 1967. In the United States and Canada, waves happened in 1947, 1952, 1957, 1965-67, and in 1979. Nobody can explain ANYTHING about these waves. Attempts to link them with hysteria, mentality and stress have all failed. [IV] Facts and Polls: There are thousands of sightings each year. In 1973, a Gallup poll said that 11 percent of the American public has had an encounter with a UFO. More then 500,000 worldwide sighting reports have been computerized. A study of these reports are random and show no pattern. Witnesses cut across economic, class, race and educational lines. However, a greater percentage of these reports have come from people living in rural areas, then from people living in urban areas. The reason for this....... UNKNOWN! [V] Sightings: Witnesses report many, many different shapes and sizes of UFO's, even shape changing ones. The famous "Two bowls joined at the rim" shape is reported often, but reports of objects shaped like cigars, squares, balls, triangles, rings, and GUITARS are also common. Most of these reports are of objects from far away, but reports of close encounters also exist. Some of the most interesting sightings, are reported on or near the ground. Often the person claims that the ship left a mark or something on the ground, this is called a "Trace Case". Sometimes these cases are said to make mechanical or electrical things to go haywire. For instance, a car stalling, a computer going haywire, a T.V. blowing up, ECT. Claims of witnessing a UFO have come from sober, reliable people. These reports, however, have to be separated from the "contactees", who claim they have been a part of the Alien Brotherhood, who gave them UFO rides to other times and planets. [VI] Government Projects: The U.S. Air Force attempted to study UFO's from 1948-69 with the Blue Book Project. After collecting reports for 21 years, it concluded the UFOs did not represent a threat to the United States (at war that is). But, in 1953 the U.S. thought that the USSR might be using the UFOs as a warfare weapon against them. So, from 53-69 that is all the United States were thinking about, and never considered any of this to be a unique phenomenon. [VII] Conclusion: I have learned a great amount of things from doing this project. There are many people out there studying these sightings, and reports. People using their own funds to figure out what exactly is up there. I feel bad for these people, for in my mind, I think all of the UFO stuff is just abnormal weather conditions. Now, the close encounters on the ground, I can't explain that, could be hysteria, or booze. Or maybe, just maybe, there is something out there, just waiting to be found. I still think because of the lack of information, UFO sightings are the most mysterious in the world, OR BEYOND!

A Philosophy of Worship

A Philosophy of Worship Free Online Research Papers It has been said that the purpose of the Christian life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That is also the chief philosophy of Christian worship. The Christian is to glorify God in word, work and walk. The Christian is also to enjoy God forever. The Christian is to revel in the presence of God. The Christian is to sing His praises, remember the good gifts God has given and participate in God’s mission. In short, the Christian is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. PART I: DEFINITION OF WORSHIP Frank Segler says the word worship is derived from an Old English word weorthscipe. It means worthiness or worthy ship. The modern church uses this word to apply to giving God the recognition that He deserves. This word is inadequate in conveying the meanings that the Greek and Hebrew words used in scripture. Lee Campbell’ essay identifies some words that are frequently translated as worship. Though not always, the Greek word latreia is frequently translated as worship. This term, in Romans 9 and Hebrews 9, refers back to the Old Testament cultus. This was the false belief that killing disciples was service to God. It is also used in Romans 12:1, to mean that Christians should offer themselves as living sacrifices to God. Campbell says the Old Testament uses the words, shachach and aboda in reference to worship. The word aboda is used primarily in referring to serving in the temple . It is service oriented. Cleaning and preparing the temple for the sacrifices and rites associated with the daily operations of the temple. Segler says the word shachach means to â€Å"bow down† or â€Å"prostate oneself†. Segler says this is similar to the Greek word proskyneo. The words shachac and proskyneo are referring to one’s posture before God. Bowing down or prostrating one’s self is a show of submission and reverence. Honor is given to the one bowed before. Jesus used this word in John 4:24. The Hebrew word, shachach, is the word used in Exodus 34:14. This is where God gives the command â€Å"Do not worship any other gods.† Do not bow or humble one’s self before any other God. So there are at least several elements to worship. Sacrifice, service and recognizing that one is subservient to God are at least three of those elements. These can be seen as aspects of liturgy. Segler says this term is taken from the Greek word leitourgia. This word is similar in form to the word latreia. In the New Testament, the word referred to the work of priests in the old covenant (Luke 1:23). It included the preparation of the Temple and the sacrifice. It was an action word. In the New Testament, it refers to both the ministry of Christ and the worship of the church. Paul used this word when he referred to the offerings collected for Jerusalem Christians, for the assistance he received from others, the delivery of the Philippians’ gift and of ministry to the gentiles. For Campbell, this indicates that sacrifice and service are two essential elements of worship. There is one final word that needs to be defined, the Greek word ekklesia. It is a combination of two words and means to call out. It originally referred to the gathering of free citizens to make decisions and take action on behalf of the general welfare. Greek speaking Jews used the term to refer to the gatherings of the people of Israel. Greek speaking Christians used the term to refer to gatherings of Christians for worship. James Strong identifies this word as being translated church in the New Testament. Michael Hawn says the church then is made up of those called out of the world to make decisions and take action on behalf of the world. Worship then is best defined as ascribing to some idea, entity or person honor and glory. This is done by acts of service, sacrifice and submission. For the Christian, God should be the object of worship. Worship defies objective definition. It is best experienced. PART II: MEANING OF WORSHIP The interesting thing about worship is that there is no set biblical definition. The Bible describes the object of worship and the actions of worshippers without ever defining the word worship. The words translated as worship describe specific actions. Worship is occurring every moment of everyday in the lives of every person. Harold Best says this occurs whether the person is aware of this or not. Every action that is taken is in response to what the individual gives the most worth at that moment. This can be worship of the one true God or many false gods. Worship is not limited to specific religious activities. Worship speaks to the deepest expressions of one’s worldview. PART III: PURPOSE OF WORSHIP For Segler, worship then is the Opus Dei. The adoration of God is man’s highest privilege. God is to be worshipped for God’s glory alone. In true worship, God reveals Himself to man and man reveals his heart to God. That is why in John 4:24, Jesus says that there will come a time when man would worship God in Spirit and truth. There was coming a time when the sin that separated man from experiencing God fully would be done away with. In this case, a primary purpose of worship is celebration. Man celebrates the action of God in history. It could be the Jew remembering the exodus in the Passover meal or the deliverance from Haman in the feast of Purim. It is also the Christian remembering the shed blood of Christ in communion and the new life symbolized by baptism. For Segler, worship involves experiencing God in a dialogue. God reveals Himself to us through His actions, through the Bible, through fellow believers, in music, poetry and the Holy Spirit. Man responds to God in worship. God speaks and man either obeys or revels in the love revealed. Man responds to God with music, words, through actions of love for fellow man. In essence man responds to God through the life he lives. Worship involves an encounter with God. God confronts the worshipper. God’s presence is very real and not merely an emotional response. Giving is an essential aspect of worship. Worshippers are able to participate in the kingdom of God through the giving of their possessions. This is a remembrance of the sacrifices made in the Jewish system for an atonement of sin. Now the worshipper gives to show his appreciation for the work of Christ and out of obedience to God. Segler says: â€Å"Worship is primarily the offering of our total selves to God, our intellect, our feelings, our attitudes and our possessions.† PARTS IV: BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL BASIS OF WORSHIP Worship began in the garden. Adam and Eve experienced a more intimate worship then most men ever will on this planet. They walked with God. God spoke in an audible voice. Adam worshipped God in his work. Adam was given the tasks of naming the animals and caring for the garden. This worship for Adam was his natural way of life before the fall. After the fall, it was no longer natural for Adam to worship. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are hiding from God. They no longer are in dialogue with God. Worship is broken. God takes the first step. God makes clothes of animal skins, this involves a sacrifice. Adam and Eve are cast out of the garden, this involve submission. Adam is then punished to hard work, this is service. For the years after the fall, worship is primarily led by the patriarch of a family. In Genesis, Noah, Enoch and others found faithful are described as walking with God. They dialogued with God. They were passionate about a relationship with God. They lived lives that glorified God and they were intent on enjoying Him forever. Segler calls this period the patriarchal period. Worship included building altars and dedicating places and objects to God. Fathers taught their children how to worship and led the family if the worship of God. Genesis chapter 12 introduces Abraham. Abraham submitted to God. God promised to bless Abraham. Abraham worshipped God and Abraham taught his son, Isaac, to worship God. Abraham’s passion for God is seen in his willingness to sacrifice his son. (Genesis 22) After generations of dealing with the patriarchs, their descendants have become a large people. The descendents of Abraham find themselves slaves in Egypt. Moses is called by God to deliver these people. (Exodus 3) God now enters into a covenant with the nation of Israel. God says of this covenant: I will be your God and you will be my people. God gives His people the Ten Commandments. Obeying these commandments will identify the Israelites as worshippers of the true God. God institutes the sacrificial system. Segler says that God demanded sincere worship: â€Å"You shall not bow down to them or worship other Gods† (Exodus 20:5). God establishes the priesthood and ordains that offerings and sacrifices be acts of worship in the centralized location of the tabernacle. During the period of the judges, shrines to God were set up in various places. David established Jerusalem as the center for Jewish worship (2 Sam. 24:25). David desired to build a temple for God. God denied David this privilege. David had even drawn up plans for the temple (2 Sam. 7:2-3). Solomon, David’s son, was allowed to build the temple. Worship for the people of God is centered on the temple. The feasts, sacrifices and offerings are centered on the temple. Thus we see man serving God in the temple, sacrificing in the temple and submitting to God in the temple. Israel was not faithful to God and so God sent prophets to call her to repentance. The worship of god was neglected and false gods were worshipped. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the other prophets warn of God’s impending judgment for neglecting proper worship. As a result, Israel is conquered and led into captivity. It is in captivity that synagogues are formed and worship is no longer centered on Jerusalem and the temple. After 70 years of captivity, Israel is allowed to rebuild the temple and reestablish temple worship. Israel still uses the synagogue to supplement temple worship. Segler says that New Testament worship is rooted in Jewish practices. The first Christians were faithful Jews. From the beginning, the early church followed Jewish liturgy. Primarily the three forms of Christian worship were: worship in the temple, worship in the synagogue and worship in the home. In the book of Acts, Christians are found worshipping and meeting in the temple daily. As Christianity spreads throughout the empire, there is a pattern of Paul or Peter or another missionary first going to the local synagogue and preaching. After converts are made, they continue to meet in the synagogue or each other’s homes. Worship becomes centered on the local congregation and patterned on the synagogue form. As Segler points out, this includes less formality, an emphasis on teaching and more lay participation in worship. The early church followed the synagogue pattern of worship. Segler identifies these as element of the synagogue form: 1. Reading of the Scriptures and their interpretation. 2. A recitation of the Shema (Deut. 6:4) 3. Psalms, Ten Commandments, Benediction and Amen. 4. Prayer 5. The prayer of sanctification. Synagogue worship still emphasized the feasts and celebrations of the Testament. Dr. Webber describes it as being event centered. Jewish worship is anchored on the exodus. It recalls the exodus and looks forward to the return to the Promised Land. These events are reenacted and celebrated over and over again. God is praised for His faithfulness and the congregants are encouraged to practice a sincere faith. Early Christian worship was also event oriented. The Christian church modified this form. The church substituted the Epistles and gospels for scripture readings. New Christian hymns replaced the Psalms and the ordinances of baptism and communion became center pieces of worship. Justin Martyr, in his Apology, described an early service in this way: And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday,76 all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability,77 and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given,78 and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the de acons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration In this description of an early worship service, the following elements are found: (1) Scripture is read, (2) The scripture is interpreted, (3) prayer, (4) communion and (5) an offering are taken. These elements are very similar to the worship of the synagogue. This simple form of worship developed over the centuries and became more formalized culminating in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church centered on the Lord’s Supper. This Mass has remained very constant throughout the years. The reformation brought about a revolution of Christian worship. Three forms of worship came out of the reformation. Segler describes these as the Anglican, Reformed and Free Church forms. The Anglican form was similar to the Roman Catholic mass with the major differences being the use of the vernacular and the mass was no longer the repetition of the death of Christ. Instead the worshippers joined in the sacrifice offering their lives together with Christ’s. Calvin sought to simplify worship. Segler identifies four items that Calvin specifically wanted to reform. Calvin believed the spiritual presence of Christ was present in the Lord’s Supper. He suggested that it be celebrated once a month. Calvin wanted to introduce congregational singing in worship and he developed a hymnbook for this purpose. Calvin also wanted to start teaching theology to children and reform the churches’ view of marriage. The radical reformers and the puritan movements moved farther away from the liturgical form of worship. They wanted to return to primitive Christianity. Segler says these churches emphasized: the preaching of the Word, congregational participation and singing and a deemphasizing of the role of clergy. This is seen in the Anabaptists, Puritans and later Baptist churches. In America, the frontier was well suited to the Free Church form of worship. PART V: THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP In determining a theology of worship, the first principle one should look at is that worship is centered on God. Worship is not about man. The worshipper recognizes God primacy. This is emphasized by the words found in Genesis 1:1: â€Å"In the beginning God.† God is the creator. God existed before man. John Broadus says that if we were just spectators and not participants with God, worship would still be due God. We would still be drawn to worship God because of His wonderful works. Jonathan Edwards addresses this in his sermon: The End for Which God Created the World. â€Å"And thus we see how, not only the creature’s seeing and knowing God’s excellence, but also supremely esteeming and loving him, belongs to the communication of God’s fullness. And the communication of God’s joy and happiness, consists chiefly in communicating to the creature that happiness and joy which consists in rejoicing in God, and in glorious excellency; for in such joy God’s own happiness does principally consist. And in these things, knowing God’s excellency, loving God for it, and rejoicing in it, and in the exercise and expression of these, consists God’s honor and praise; so that these are clearly implied in that glory of God, which consists in the emanation of his eternal glory.† Worship is Christ centered. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5). It is only because of Christ that we are able to truly worship God. Jesus made possible reconciliation between man and God. This enables man to enter dialogue with God. Steve Pruitt says that it is Jesus’ shed blood on the cross that makes man’s sacrifice of praise possible. Man does not approach God on his own merit. Jesus provides access to the Father. Worship is not possible without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to worship God. Jesus told the woman at the well that there was coming a time when men would worship in spirit and truth (John 2:24). The Holy Spirit is who enables us to worship in spirit. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in the midst of the church. Segler says that The Holy Spirit creates the very desire to praise and worship God. After creating that desire, the Holy Spirit then empowers the congregation in worship. Worship is only made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. Worship emphasizes the Word of God. The Bible is the written history of God’s people. It tells the story of God reaching down and working and being active in the lives of His people. The Bible gives assurance of faith and hope for tomorrow. The Bible must be central in the worship of God. Every sermon preached, every song sung, every part of the worship must be grounded in the Bible. It is important to remember that even though the church has the revelation of scripture for instruction on the proper worship of God, man must be careful to insure that he worships God truthfully. John Calvin, in his commentary on the passage in John 4, says this: â€Å"We are not to essay anything in religion rashly or unthinkingly. For unless there is knowledge present, it is not God we worship but a spectre or ghost. Hence all so-called good intentions are struck by a thunderbolt, which tells us that men can do nothing but err when they are guided by their own opinion without the Word or command of God† PART VI: THE VALUE OF WORSHIP Man must worship because it is good for him. Broadus says that only worship can satisfy the highest aspirations of man’s nature. When one looks at the wonders of nature, his soul seeks out something to worship. It is not adequate to worship the creation man seeks the creator. Broadus also says that worship comforts man. It is comforting, in the midst of tragedy, to know that God knows what He is doing. That by worshipping and submitting to God, man can rest in the words that â€Å"all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28).† The third reason for worshipping God is worship nourishes the soul. Worship with God meets man’s deepest needs. Segler says that worship gives man a sense of belonging. It resolves feelings of guilt, anxiety, meaninglessness, insecurity, loneliness, brokenness and grief. Worship fills man with the peace of God. PART VII: SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PRACTICE OF MEANINGFUL WORSHIP The church should consider the Lord’s Day the â€Å"eighth† day. It is the beginning of the new week and the consummation of the last week. In this manner worship is the foundation of life on earth and the promise of the consummation in heaven. Unfortunately over the last few centuries, worship has lost its’ center. Basically a speaker stands up for thirty to forty-five minutes and lectures the congregation. If there is no sermon there is a testimony or special presentation that acts like one. The other ingredient of worship is music. Christian worship has been reduced to two ingredients. There might be a prayer or two and an offering. Communion and baptism occur infrequently. How is this different from any Bible study? What sets this apart as the â€Å"eighth† day or the Lords’ Day? One can get together with friends, sing songs and read the Bible any day. Now admittedly the performance of the act is usually more proficient on Sunday in a formal service then at an informal Bible study. More skill does not always translate to a taste of heaven on earth. What the church needs to do is emphasize that God is meeting the church in a special way. There is a logic and order to the quiet elegance found in simple liturgies that could perhaps set apart the â€Å"eighth† day. The church begins by making the journey to His holy mountain. The congregation sings a song of entrance. A prayer of adoration is made. The church enters the presence of God and confesses sin, receives pardon. Praise is made for God’s redemption and man’s adoption into His holy family. The scripture is read aloud. It is read with life and conviction. All of scripture is read. Hopefully Psalms are sung. The ancient tradition of â€Å"passing the peace† is observed. Prayer is a major part of the service. In the presence of God, prayers of thanksgiving, adoration, petition and blessing are offered. Scripture readings are punctuated by praise and thanks to God. A sermon or homily is offered. Rather then being the focal point of the service it is now just one component. This emphasizes that corporate aspect of worship. No one individual fills a prominent role in the worship service. Instead, worship is corporate and centered on what Dr. Webber calls the table and the word. The service ends at the table of God. When God meets His people, God offers a feast. Jesus commanded the church to partake of communion till his return. This is a foreshadowing of the feast promised in heaven. This makes the â€Å"eighth† day service a true foretaste of the heaven to come. Research Papers on A Philosophy of WorshipCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoDefinition of Export QuotasNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Project Managment Office SystemInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMind TravelHonest Iagos Truth through Deception

The Conflic of Hong Kong vs China

The Conflic of Hong Kong vs China Hong Kong is a part of China, but it has a unique history that affects the way people from Hong Kong (also known as Hong Kongers) interact with and perceive the mainland today. To understand why Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese often don’t get along, you need to first understand the basics of Hong Kong’s modern history. Heres a breakdown to help you understand the longstanding feud. The History of Hong Kong Hong Kong was occupied by the British army and then subsequently ceded to England as a colony as a result of the Opium Wars in the mid-19th century. While it had previously been considered a part of the Qing dynasty empire, it was ceded to the Brits in perpetuity in 1842. And although there were some minor changes and periods of upheaval, the city remained a British colony, in essence, up until 1997 when control was formally handed over to the People’s Republic of China. Because it had been a British colony during the formative years of the People Republic of China, Hong Kong was quite different from mainland China. It had a democratic system of local government, a free press, and a culture that was deeply influenced by England. Many Hong Kongers were suspicious or even fearful of the PRC’s intentions for the city, and indeed some fled to Western countries prior to the takeover in 1997. The Peoples Republic of China, for its part, has assured Hong Kong that it will be allowed to retain its self-governing democratic system for at least 50 years, and it is currently considered a â€Å"Special Administrative Region† and not subject to the same laws or restrictions as the rest of the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong vs. China Controversies The sharp contrast in system and culture between Hong Kong and the mainland has caused a fair amount of tension in the years since the handover in 1997. Politically, many Hong Kongers have grown increasingly resentful of what they see as increasing mainland meddling in their political system. Hong Kong still has a free press, but pro-mainland voices have also taken control of some of the city’s major media outlets, and in some cases have caused controversy by censoring or downplaying negative stories about China’s central government. Culturally, Hong Kongers and mainland tourists frequently come into conflict when the mainlanders’ behavior doesn’t live up to Hong Konger’s strict British-influenced standards. Mainlanders are sometimes derogatorily called â€Å"locusts,† a reference to the idea that they come to Hong Kong, consume its resources, and leave a mess behind when they leave. Many of the things Hong Kongers complain about- spitting in public and eating on the subway, for exaple- are considered socially acceptable on the mainland. Hong Kongers have been especially annoyed by mainland mothers, some of whom come to Hong Kong to give birth so that their children can have access to the relative freedom and the superior schools and economic conditions in the city as compared to the rest of China. In past years, mothers also sometimes came to Hong Kong to buy massive quantities of milk power for their infants, as the supply on the mainland was distrusted by many following the tainted  milk powder scandal. Mainlanders, for their part, have been known to lash back and what some of them see as â€Å"ungrateful† Hong Kong. Peoples Republic of China nationalist commentator Kong Qingdong, for example, caused a major controversy in 2012 when he called Hong Kong people â€Å"dogs,† a reference to their alleged nature as submissive colonial subjects, which led to protests in Hong Kong. Can Hong Kong and China Ever Get Along? Trust in mainland food supplies is low, and Chinese tourists are not likely to change their behavior significantly in the immediate future, nor is the Peoples Republic of China government likely to lose interest in influencing Hong Kong politics. Given the significant differences in political culture and systems of government, it is likely that tension between Hong Kongers and some mainland Chinese will remain for some time to come.

Critical Evaluation and Analysis of Employability Skills Essay - 1

Critical Evaluation and Analysis of Employability Skills - Essay Example The researcher’s main focus was to improve his skills in report writing because as a spinal research coordinator, he is required to write various projects and business cases. In addition, the author’s skills in budgeting, assertiveness, leadership, team working and knowing how to deal with difficult situations in line with HR policies are all important skills. Evaluation is an important stage in the self-reflection as it helps me to focus on my career goals and those of the organization. In researcher’s role as a spinal research coordinator he is required to liaise and coordinate with different levels of staff - medical and non-medical - within the spinal deformity unit and across the hospital. The coordination of various research projects, managing elements of operational delivery of the spinal deformity unit, and resource planning and assessment, are all requirements of researcher’s role. These requirements are in line with researcher’s plan to be come more conversant with HR policies. Thus, the researcher has developed team building skills since this role involved familiarizing himself with HR policies and regulations would enable him to work with human resource activities which require management. This plan has helped to improve researcher’s service delivery in the field of human resources and use his time more effectively to fulfill his potential and further career. The researcher’s personal development plan was to improve his report-writing skills which seem to meet the requirements of researcher’s organization. The role of a spinal research coordinator in his organization requires someone with knowledge of writing various reports and working on business cases. Since at the moment the author has little skills in regard to report writing, developing these skills shall be of paramount importance in attaining his organization’s requirements in this area. Other requirements of researcher’s o rganization, such as assisting the human resources department in recruitment and resource planning, are tasks that a resource manager should be accountable for.

Moral Relativism and Plato’s Euthyphro Essay

Moral Relativism and Plato’s Euthyphro - Essay Example The area of application for the relative truth is completely a matter of individual belief and may not apply to anything else further. It can be one’s perception or a view of a general significance to a general situation. The idea of relative truth is also subjected to a myriad criticism. The first great critic of relativism was Plato himself. He criticized the views of â€Å"Sophist Protagoras† in his book ‘Thaetetus’. Relativism largely destroys distinction between the truth and the belief. With relative truth, the problem of negation also arises; if everyone differs with their respective belief then no one comes to any common solution or agreement. Under these circumstances, learning becomes vague and one moves away from truth. According to Hilary Putnam, relativism makes it almost impossible to accept that one is wrong or one can commit an error. If there is an absence of complete truth beyond the belief of an individual, then an individual would not be able to able to uphold their own beliefs into an error, false or mistake. Perceptional difference is essential but in some places acceptance of negation is equally demanding. This is the area which is completely nullified when it comes to relative truth and there lies the greatest limitation of the theory. Moral relativism is an umbrella term that encompasses various views and arguments possessed by people from different cultures. Moral relativism is again of several kinds namely: Descriptive Relativism, Meta-ethical Relativism and Normative Relativism. Moral relativism sometimes describes the positive or descriptive positioning of the existence of right course of deed under the circumstance when the fact gathered, and the similar consequence probably seems to arise. This concept of Moral Relativism falls under the category of Descriptive Relativism. The next contention about the idea is the ‘semantic’ and the ‘epistemic’, positioning that all moral

Leadership Essay Example for Free

Leadership Essay 1.Leadership as a process, is the use of no coercive influence to shape the group’s or organization’s goals, motivate behavior toward the achievement of those goals, and help define group or organizational culture; as a property, the set of characteristics attributed to individuals who are perceived to be leaders. 2.General Mandible is not a leader because he does not motivate the ants to achieve the colony’s goal, unless the goal was for all the ants to drown and die. He leaves all the ants to drown at the end of the movie. Leaders stick with the team all the way and do not try to kill their own team. 3.Zee is a leader because in a crises moment he does not get scared. At the end of the movie when all the ants are about to drown, he motivates all of them to build a ladder to the top, and his plan ends up saving all the ants. He is able to use nonaggressive force to motivate the ants. 4.The quote â€Å"Individualism makes us vulnerable† applies to ants where one ant alone is weak and small and can’t do much, but all the ants together can do anything. Like it takes all the ants to make the ladder at the end of the movie saving them from drowning, it is crucial to their survival that they stick together. This mostly applies everywhere, being in a team is better than being alone. 5.The Power Position is the physical position in the room for a business meeting, which supposedly has the most power. The leader in this position where he can see all entrances to the room and no activity is going on behind him. Three types of position power are: Legitimate Power- Power granted through the organizational hierarchy; it is the power defined by the organization that is to be accorded people occupying particular positions. Reward Power- The power to give or withhold rewards, such as salary increases, bonuses, promotions, praise, recognition, and interesting job assignments. Coercive Power- The power to force compliance by means of psychological, emotional, or physical threat. 6.A scene from the movie that illustrates the use of position power is when General Mandible is discussing about the colony with the Queen and the Queen tell him he can do whatever he likes because she trusts him that he will do everything for the good of the colony. She has legitimate power granted through the hierarchy, but then the General abuses his power and the works start to work hard because they don’t want to deal with the General because he uses Coercive Power. 7.Personal power is the power that comes from within to influence other it has nothing to do with the persons position. Two types of personal power are: Referent Power- The personal power that accrues to someone based on identification, imitation, loyalty or charisma. Expert Power- The person

Plastics :: essays research papers

Plastics are a product that is very common in our everday usage. We use plastics everywhere ranging for Tupperware to the cars that we drive. Although most everyone has accepted the fact that plastics make our lives easier and has become essential to us, there are people out there who are perhaps unaware of how important plastics are to our society, or people who just don't approve of plastics because of its environmental harm. An advertisement in a Health Care magazine tries to convince this audience why plastics are needed and the usefulness of plastics. The advertisement tries to show its audience that plastics play an important role in our everyday lives and tries to make the audience question where we would be without the use of plastics. This advertisement, directed towards people that do not realize the usefulness of plastics or who do not approve of the use of plastics, through the use of pathos, logos, and ethos tries to persuade its audience that, "Plastics make it possible." The pathos plays on the audience's sympathy of why we should use plastics, the logos gives reasons how plastics are useful and why they are used in our society, and the ethos makes the audience feel that if unconvinced by the advertisement alone, there is more information available to them.First and foremost seen in the advertisement is pathos. The advertisement grabs the audience's attention by showing a picture of a bunch of boys playing football. Knowing that the children are our future and that the children of today shape our tomorrow, many people are concerned with the problems of our younger generations and care a great deal about what happens to our younger generations. The advertisement does a good job of playing on the aud ience's emotions by involving children. Half of the advertisement is covered by the picture of a bunch of little boys playing football. The boys are wearing football helmets and look as though there is not one scratch on any one of them. The advertisement is trying to convey is that if it were not for the football helmets, which happens to be made out of plastic, then the boys would be hurt and all bruised up. This gives the image that the reason the boys can be rough with one another and not be hurt is do to the fact that they are all wearing plastic helmets.

Casino Gambling Should Be Available in Viet Nam

Casino Gambling Should Be Available in Viet Nam The development of casinos in Viet Nam can be feasible with the current socio-economic situation in Viet Nam. In recent days, Las Vegas Sands has a new project for the development of hi-end resort complexes in Viet Nam, one in Ho Chi Minh City and the other in Ha Noi, which would cost up to 6 billion dollars.Even though people believe the project would bring the possible social risks, Viet Nam could benefit from it in the following ways: first, it could boost tourism revenue to compete with other regional countries; second, the state budget will be remarkably increased from gambling revenue and taxes; third, it can create many jobs nationwide, in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City in particular The complexes would consist of spa centers, exhibition centers, hotels, conference centers, restaurants, shopping malls, sports centers, theaters, museums, cinemas, and other amusement services including casinos.These hi-end resort complexes in Vietnam would be the biggest investment project from Las Vegas Sands, one of the prominent gambling U. S. groups so far, if it is licensed. The large investment plan meets with a lot of difficulties and debates from officials, scientists, and people who are worrying about the possible social impacts of the casinos on young generation. Meanwhile, George Tanasijevich, the Global Development Managing Director of Las Vegas Sands, said in an interview with VietNamNet Bridge that: â€Å"Las Vegas Sands well understands a bunch of heading obstacles which it will have to face up to in case of investing in the project. Also according to Mr. George, â€Å"Las Vegas Sands really wants to invest in Vietnam. We are still waiting. We are ready to answer all the questions to be raised by the government of Vietnam upon the plan, the way of doing business and about the complex tourism industry,† (qtd. in VietNamNet Bridge). The first foreseeable certain socio-economic benefit that the project would bring is to attract plenty of foreign tourists from across the globe; this is a big chance to launch a more positive Viet Nam tourism image throughout the world.A lot of countries, like Singapore, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Malaysia in Asia, have been successfully trying to create new attractive features to attract foreign travelers. Viet Nam already has diverse luxury hotels ranging from one star to five stars from the North to the South. Moreover, Viet Nam offers international standard services that make foreign tourists feel comfortable and pleased with their spending.For example, the current luxury hotel systems in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City can offer free breakfast, snacks, friendly services, and wireless internet connection for those who have been using hotel services to appeal to more and more foreign tourists throughout the world to visit Viet Nam; this would help them feel more at home. Gambling and tourism in combination definitely would become one of the biggest services, which could draw a remarkable number of tourists from around the world if the project is available.Besides, there is also a variety of tourist spots and spectacular landscapes stretching across the country to make tourists have an interest in visiting and discovering something new. Obviously, the more visitors who come to enjoy the gambling here, the more revenue the localities where the casinos are located will generate. Specifically, in recent years, many casinos in the U. S. and Australia have been expanded for the explicit purpose of encouraging tourism development.One of these is to bring in a greater number of outsiders and additional wealth into the local economy where the casinos are located. For instance, the major casinos of the Gold Coast of Australia have been successful in attracting premium players from South East Asia. The ability to use a casino as a major stimulus for tourism development is dependent on a range of characteristics and considerations including locatio n, type of development, and the legal and competitive environment.All of these add up to a big boost in the local economy. Another benefit from gambling casinos is that the government can collect a considerable amount of revenue from taxes. Recognizably, revenue tax is the main source of income to cover all the operations of the government as well as local authorities. In addition, the local authorities and the government have to be responsible for maximizing the collection of taxes from the casinos’ business.Viet Nam needs to build a legal framework for gambling businesses, not only for attracting an enormous amount of foreign currency, but also for keeping the so called â€Å"foreign currency bleeding†, because most foreigners bring their currency with themselves to neighbor nations, such as Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, or Macau when gambling at the casinos. In this case, Viet Nam must learn from Macau’s gambling tax policy in which taxes are not changed une xpectedly and can bring it billions of dollars each year.Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn once told Gambling in Macau that he preferred the government in Macau to the one in Washington regarding Macau’s economy: â€Å"Macau has been steady. The shocking, unexpected government is the one in Washington. That’s where we get surprises every day. That’s where taxes are changed every five minutes. That’s where you don’t know what to expect tomorrow. Macau is stable, but Washington is not! † (qtd. in Macau Gambler Online). According to Macau Gambler Online, â€Å"First-quarter gaming revenues produced by Macau's casino market is more than $9. billion, up 27 percent over 2011, a year in which the Chinese gaming enclave's 34 gambling halls had a 12-month total of $33. 5 billion. † (qtd. in Macau Gambler Online). Meanwhile, Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau said in the press conference that â€Å"incredible revenues from gaming reac hed $3. 12 billion during March, a 24-percent increase compared with the same period of last year. † (qtd. in Macau Gambler Online). As for amazing revenues and gambling tax policy, the government has collected a great amount of tax from the casinos’ business.Another noteworthy example of gambling tax policy is from Singapore, one of the more stunning tourism destinations in Southeast Asia for travelers from throughout the world. Unlike Macau’s gambling tax policy of 39-percent rate, Singapore simply offers the amazingly gaming tax rate of 15 percent, but it taxes five more-percent rates on the so called â€Å"premium† play from high-rollers and players brought in by junkets. The close combination of two rates not only brings Singapore a large amount of money, but appeals to a huge number of foreign visitors from all over the world traveling to Singapore for vacations.In general, revenue taxes from casinos are a huge amount which can bring Viet Nam prosper ity and its people a comfortable life. They will bring huge wealth into cities to provide much needed services to the communities to which they belong. Last but not least, the presence of casinos in Viet Nam will be a big chance to create more jobs for adolescents. Currently, the world economic situation is still facing plenty of difficulties in 2012; therefore, Viet Nam’s unemployment rate is forecast to be rising because of the negative impacts of the world economy on its economy.In this situation, the solution for the reduction of the unemployment rate which is the attraction of foreign direct investment is extremely significant. As for this, the total investment capital of up to 6 billion dollars from Las Vegas Sands to build two resort complexes including casinos is a golden opportunity for Viet Nam, not only to improve the country’s economy, but to bring thousands of jobs to those who are still unemployed. Understandably, a huge amount of the work force will be e mployed for construction of the complexes.Specifically, in an exclusive interview with Vietnamnet Bridge, Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas Sands chairman, recently estimated taking at least six months to a year to plan, then two more years for construction. The project including a variety of constructions, such as hotels, restaurants, amusement areas, fitness clubs, dancing clubs, casinos, and roads will temporarily reduce the government’s burden over dealing with the unemployment situation. A remarkable number of laborers will be employed to work in two resort complexes after two and a half years of completing the project.As an illustration, students who qualify employment requirements definitely have more chance to work in the resort complexes as an accountant, sales man, or supervisor after graduation from colleges or universities. Besides, others who are unable to qualify for academic standards can find other chances to work in the fields that require a lower-standard, such as body guards, drivers, waiters, waitresses, casino staffs. Though these jobs do not require much more skills than academic jobs, they can bring employees an impressive income.For this reason, the government generally does not have to spend its budget on solving long-term unemployment issues. Though the casino industry can bring lots of benefits to the country, it may lead to the boom of individual bankruptcy, create social evils, and increase crime rates as well. As for a developing country, like Viet Nam, gambling could be an easy and effective way to become rich for those who take advantage of loosened law and corruption. Hence, the total income of casino business may not go to the state budget as a business income tax.Truly, over the developed countries with strict law enforcement like Singapore, crimes can easily get involved in casino business. â€Å"Though recognizing the recognition of casino business to the Singaporean economy, I still feel worried about the possible social impacts of the casinos,† said Grace Fu, a minister of the country (qtd. in Singapore Casinos). Also, according to Samaritans of Singapore, a non-government organization in Singapore, the gambling business and the lending at exorbitant high interest rates have been constantly developing are advantage conditions for increasing crimes.The incredible profit from casino business is always directly proportional with an increase of social evils. More importantly, in order to develop casino business steadily and sustainably, the government needs to take some negative impacts and long-term consequences into consideration. The negative impacts and long-term consequences can be easily anticipated that the young generation may drop out of school early, be pathologically addicted to drugs, and commit murder or robbery. Who will be responsible for the social evils arising from the next ten-year operation of casinos though it is on the right track?According to the Florida Times Union, statis tics show crime rates will raise day-to-day. Over the countries which have casino business, the rate is probably higher than non-casino business country. â€Å"The statistics are sobering. In communities that permit Class III casino gambling, such as Las Vegas-style slot machines, blackjack card games and even roulette or craps, the crime rate is nearly twice the national average,† said Bill Mccollum, an attorney general, in his research (qtd. n The Florida Times Union). Additionally, statistics showed that illegal gambling was significantly more prevalent in states that have been opening the door to legalized gambling. His recent study found more than two-thirds of compulsive gamblers had engaged in criminal activity, including violent crimes, because of a gambling problem. Above all, they are practical statistics for the Viet Nam government to carefully refer before giving out a right and proper decisions and policies as well.In fact, casino business is a form of maximizing profits from the development of resort complexes which bring Viet Nam a lot of benefits in which tourism development, the state budget increase, and employment issue are essentially focal points to develop country economy. In order to attain those achievements, the government should be paying close attention to its negative impacts over a long-term period to launch a timely decision or solution aiming to minimize or stop its risks immediately.Apparently, casino gambling is the form of business in which increased revenues from taxes can be obtained from casinos. That amount can be used to improve communities, and local services, and infrastructure. The benefits of the project which can be easily collected are that more and more hotels, restaurants, transportation hubs, surrounding roads, and areas will be built and expanded to accommodate more structures. Thanks to these, the high unemployment rate can be considerably lower and lower.

Berkshire Threaded Fasteners Case Essay

Berkshire Threaded FastenersBerkshire Threaded Fasteners Company has recently lost their president, John Magers. The resulting appointment of his inexperienced son Joe Magers has lead to the company’s loss of confidence. Brandon Cook is the recently appointed general manger who was hired to turn the company around after a loss of $70,000 in a good business year. As a member of an outside consulting firm I have been called in to give advice on the problems the company is facing. The time period has been updated to the present times. Manufacturing ProcessSee Appendix A for the detailed manufacturing process. In short, fasteners begin as wires, rods and bars which are then cut to length, headed and finally threaded. What should be noted is that this particular manufacturing process called cold forming is high-speed, high-volume, economical and has low wastage. Such economies of scale will allow Berkshire to offset the very high costs of cold-forming equipment. Business StrategyA careful analysis is needed in order to determine Berkshire’s business strategy. At first one would think it was product differentiation because of the inelastic demand in the short run. But one thing that should also be noted is the fact that for most goods, demand is much more price elastic in the long run than in the short run. This combined with the fact that Berkshire is convinced that it could not individually raise prices without suffering substantial volume declines, and that all the products of the different manufacturers in the industry are very similar, prove that their business strategy is in fact cost leadership. Another piece of evidence that also supports this strategy is the fact that the major focus of their accounting system seems to be on cost reduction. Place in the EconomyThe industrial fastener industry has been experiencing modest growth since the 1990s with an average per annum revenue growth rate of 3.6% ; though the number of employees have remained relatively the same. The North American fastener industry is still expected to grow by around 4% annually despite the competition from foreign countries. However this number represents a decline from the 9% growth spurt which occurred in 1998. The North American fastener production is strongly tied to the production of automobiles, aircraft, appliances, agricultural machinery and equipment, and the construction of commercial buildings and infrastructure. The more these industries prosper, the greater the demand and prospects for the fastener will there be. There has been as ever expanding market for fasteners in the 21st century in the aerospace industry. In fact a 9% annual growth in fasteners for this industry can be expected. Motor vehicle sales have also increased by 9.6% from 2005 to 2006. Unfortunately housing starts have only increased by 0.7% from 2005. In the future analysts expect metal fasteners to face competition from the adhesives industry as more products are being made with plastic, a product best joined together by adhesives. Also buyers have now been demanding innovative and diverse fasteners which are also more environmentally friendly- fasteners that maintain lubricity without the use of cadmium, a suspected carcinogen. So the industry is slowly shifting its focus to more highly engineered, technologically advanced fasteners. SWOTStrengths:1) Newly appointed Brandon Cook has wide executive experience in manufacturing products similar to that of Berkshire. 2) Berkshire operates in a capital intensive industry. But as a percentage of total sales, Berkshire’s labour costs are 24.69%. This suggests that they either still retain their employees even when they could have done without them or that they pay very high salaries to a few workers. This shows that Berkshire has either very loyal employees or very skilled employees- both being assets. Weaknesses:1) Joe Magers is not very experienced and the company is facing losses in the production of the 200 and 300 series’. 2) As a percentage of total sales, Berkshire’s fixed costs are 47.37%. This is much higher than what a price competitive manufacturer like Berkshire should have had. 3) Berkshire pays 49% of all its wages and salaries to administrative and sales employee, when the industry average is 27% . This shows poor decision making processes of the firm. Opportunities:1) If product lines are discontinued, with the excess capacity and skilled labour force they can branch out into the production of more diverse fasteners. This ties in with the fact mentioned previously that buyers are now demanding more specialized products. Threats:1) Berkshire operates in an industry where a few of its competitors are much larger. 2) The industry is dominated by Bosworth who dictates the prices that are charged for fasteners. 3) Buyers are slowly demanding more specialized fasteners. ProblemWhat is very evident is that the company is losing money on its products. In the previous time period they had incurred a loss of $70,000. Berkshire is unsure if it is the result of the production of the 300 series or the pricing decisions of the 100 series. These alternatives need a careful analysis in order to make informed decisions that will help turn the company around. Alternative #1 Status QuoQuantitative Analysis:In order to determine if the company should â€Å"do nothing,† is to predict the future cash flows and net income (loss) for the second half of the year. See Appendix B for this calculation. The predicted net income is in fact a loss of 1134. Yet, net income may not be a faithful representation, so cash flows have also been calculated. The predicted cash flow is a negative amount of 388. These amounts while better than alternative #3 (drop the 300 series) is not as good as the cash flow and net income amounts for alternative #2 (reduce price levels of the 100 series). One very important thing that needs to be noted is the fact that variable costs are indeed relevant. Fixed costs remain constant even after the production is stopped, but variable costs increase and decrease with production. Therefore the total contribution margin for this alternative was calculated to be 1504 which does show this alternative in a better light  especially when in comparison to its net loss and cash flow figures. Qualitative Analysis:The reduced production of the 100 series as a result of the price level remaining the same will have a significant impact on Berkshire. The reduced production may lead to employees worrying about the fact that they may be laid off to such an extent that their productivity is significantly lowered. Berkshire could also develop a reputation of charging higher prices than the industry standard and they could end up loosing more and more buyers to competitors. Alternative #2 Change price level to $2.25 for the 100 seriesQuantitative Analysis:In order to determine if the price level needs to be dropped a few calculations are needed. First a prediction of its impact on the net income and cash flows for the second half of the year is needed. These calculations are shown in Appendix C. The predicted net income figure is a loss of 1035. The predicted cash flow is a negative amount of 289. While these figures do seem abysmal, what should be noted is that in comparison to the other alternatives, these figures are much better. Both the net loss and negative cash flow amounts in this alternative is 99 lower than the â€Å"status quo† alternative and 338.58 lower than the â€Å"drop 300 series† alternative. This hints to the fact that maybe the price should in fact be dropped. Another fact that backs this assertion up is in the calculation of the Contribution Margin (CM) for both price levels, based on data from the first half of the year. Table 2 in Appendix A shows this calculation. While the CM of the new price level is lower than that of the original level (0.96 vs. 1.16), the fact that they will sell 250,000 units more (and hence a higher total CM for the new price) clearly makes up for this difference. The success of the new prices level will be contingent on the number of units sold. What is very dangerous about this alternative is that if in the future the demand in the market for this product line slumps, only a very small amount of money will be available to be used to pay off the fixed costs. Qualitative Analysis:The change in price level will not have much of an effect on the employees of Berkshire because they would still be producing  around the same amount of units (1000000 vs. 996859). They would not have to worry about being laid off. What will be affected is Berkshire’s reputation. If they had not changed they would have developed a reputation of charging high prices. The reduction of the price would put them at par with Bosworth. Alternative #3 Drop 300 seriesQuantitative Analysis:In order to determine if the 300 series needs to be dropped a few calculations are needed. First a prediction of the impact of its removal on the net income and cash flows for the second half of the year is needed. The predicted net income figure is a loss of 1373.58 and the predicted cash flow is calculated to be a negative amount of 627.70. The net loss figure calculated is the highest loss of all three alternatives and the negative cash flow amount is also much higher than the alternatives as well. This hints to the fact that maybe the 300 series line should not be dropped. Also, if the 300 series had been dropped at the beginning of the year it can be seen that there would have been a loss of -183. See the calculations for these numbers in Appendix D. Another aspect that backs up this assertion is the calculation of the Contribution Margins for all three product lines based on first half information. Even though Berkshire incurred a loss of .22/unit in the first half for series 300, when you calculate the CM it is a whole new story- the CM of 300 is a positive number- 1.15/unit, this means that Berkshire would in fact incur an even greater loss if they chose to halt production. The 1.15 per unit would no longer be available to cover some of the fixed costs. What is also surprising is the fact that the 300 series Contribution Margin is not far behind from that of the 100 series (the most profitable product line) and equal to that of the 200 series. A few other very important observations also need to be taken into account. First, since many products do cover all their variable costs, no product line would ever be dropped if only a contribution margin analysis were conducted. Second, even though the 300 series covers its variable costs and part of its fixed costs, it proves to be below par when considering full costs. Finally, in the long run all costs are variable, so the 300 series in this time frame is in fact a poor product line. Qualitative Analysis:If the 300 series was dropped it would have a significant qualitative impact on Berkshire and its employees. All the employees who were involved in the production of this line would either have to be laid off (which would have a negative impact on the reputation of the firm), or they could still be retained (which would lead to them obtaining a deep sense of respect and loyalty to the firm). Also the employees who would be shifted around would gain a greater skill set and hence become very valuable assets to the company. Evaluation of the alternativesComparison Table1) Profitability2) Timeliness3) Consistency with Strategy. Alternative #1-$11347 daysNot as muchAlternative #2-$10354-7 daysYesAlternative #3-$137410-14 daysNot as much1) Profitability:The primary objective of all businesses, no matter how big or small, is profit. That is why as a criterion, Profitability was given the number one rank. The three alternatives can easily be evaluated on this criterion by comparing the net income figures. Alternative #2 easily wins in this criterion. Despite the fact that it does have a net loss, the loss was not as great as that of Alternative #1 and #3. One important thing that should be noted is the fact that perhaps the second half of the season is always a slow period and that is why the net income figures are so low. 2) Timeliness:Berkshire operates in a business environment where if firms that lag behind in decision making, implementation of policies etc, they will be left behind with no profits. That is why Timeliness was given the rank of two. Surprisingly Status Quo would have an implementation time of around 7 days. Since keeping the price level of the 100 series the same at 2.45/unit would result in them producing 385332 less number of units (See Appendix E for the calculation), time would be need to shift employees around to new jobs in the firm, possibly close down a warehouse or even convert the machines used to produce the 100 series to now produce a different product line. Alternative #2, â€Å"reduce price level† would probably only take 4-7 days to implement. The only thing Berkshire would need to do would be to inform their current buyers of their new price level and perhaps also to advertise the lower price in a specialized fastener industry journal. Alternative #3, â€Å"drop the 300 series† would probably take around 10-14 days. Not only would Berkshire need to shift employees around, close down a warehouse etc, as a result of producing a lower number of 100 series units, but they would also have to announce the dropping of the 300 series line to its buyers, move even more employees around (or possibly lay them off), close even more warehouses down, move machinery around the manufacturing space etc. This would be a very time consuming process. Overall Alternative #2 would win in this criterion as it would have a less time consuming implementation time and process. 3) Consistency with Strategy:This criterion was given a rank of three because while necessary in the evaluation, Profitability and Timeliness do have a greater importance. In the short run Alternative #2 had the greatest consistency with strategy. Berkshire is a cost leader, and reducing the prices of the 100 series ties in very well with this strategy. Alternative #1 and #3 chose not to reduce the price and this decision conflicts with their cost leadership strategy. ConclusionOverall I would recommend that Berkshire implement Alternative #2- reduce the price level of the 100 series, as it did win in all three criteria. But one important thing needs a re-mention. The CM per unit of the reduced price level was lower than that of the higher price level. It was only because of the higher volume of sales did it manage to have a higher total contribution margin. In the future if sales volumes drop, despite the price change Berkshire would incur heavy losses. At this present time Alternative #1 and #3 are both very unprofitable and will still be in the future. At least Alternative #1 is not as unprofitable at this present time but what happens in the future will all depend on sales. Recommendations for Specific Action1) Chose a date when the price change will come in to effect and make sure all current buyers are aware of this well ahead of time. 2) Advertise in newspapers, journals etc to get the message across to new buyers that Berkshire has reduced its prices. 3) All forms, documentation, accounting systems etc should be changed to take into account the new price level. 4) Make sure that there are people at hand to research the market and evaluate whether demand is going to decline for the 100 series. 5) Make sure that there are researches available to study the market for new trends and new types of fasteners that could be produced in the future.

Heroic Figures of the 21st Century essayEssay Writing Service

Heroic Figures of the 21st Century essayEssay Writing Service Heroic Figures of the 21st Century essay Heroic Figures of the 21st Century essayThe 21st century is the epoch of profound changes that have occurred in the world. In this regard, the rise of the US as the only world super power is the most distinct feature of the 21st century but the 21st century also gave rise to powers that oppose to the expanding impact of the US, westernization of the world, democratization and globalization. At the same time, the 21st century brought considerable changes not only to the world but also to the US, especially with Barak Obama coming to power as the first African American president in the history of the US. However, he was not the first African American, who has played an important part in the US politics. At this point, it is worth mentioning Condoleezza Rice, who was the US Secretary of State, when the US has launched its major international advancements to enhance its position as the only super power in the world and suppress any attempts of resistance in the Middle East.Barak Obama i s the iconic figure of the 21st century. He is the personification of the American Dream for probably all African Americans and the symbol of the personal power and charisma recognized worldwide and the first African American president elected in the US (Schama 6). He is a heroic figure because the world has recognized him as one of the prominent world leaders, who stands for the support of democracy worldwide. At the same time, he is the person, who has tried to eliminate racial and religious frontiers not only within the US but also worldwide. He became the first African American President of the US that contributed to the further closing of gaps between white and non-white Americans.Furthermore, his Cairo speech was his prominent attempt to appease representatives of the Muslim and Christian world (Schama 12). In this speech, he referred to his personal example to show the world that people with different religious background can live together and succeed. At the same time, he pr ioritizes democracy as the only way to the peaceful, stable and happy world and his efforts are recognized by the world community. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the fact that Barak Obama won the Noble Prize for Peace in 2009, which became the international recognition of his efforts to put the end to war in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world along with withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and supporting peace keeping efforts worldwide (Abcarian 2).In such a way, Barak Obama is the heroic figure because of his considerable contribution to the promotion of democracy and elimination of barriers between different racial and religious group (Abcarian 10). However, what is even more important about the heroic image of Barak Obama, who gave many people throughout the world hope for changes and better life, the hope for putting the end to racism, conflicts and inequality. As for the US, he became the President, whose opponents accuse of socialist view s and policies, while a large part of the population view him as one of the first Presidents, who attempted to take the state responsibility for the wellbeing of American citizens in need, who cannot cover their basic needs, including health care and education.Condoleezza Rice was the person, who has influenced, if not to say determined, the foreign policy of the US for almost a decade from 2001, when she took the position of US National Security Advisor, to 2009, when she resigned from the position of the US Secretary of State (Mabry 115). She is recognized by the international community as one of the most influential politicians in the first decade of the 21st century. As the National Security Advisor, she contributed to the elaboration of the War on Terror policy and foreign policies conducted by the US in regard to the Axis of Evil and outcast states and organizations supporting terrorism. As the Secretary of State she continued to work on the suppression of tyranny and it was h er, who developed the concept of ‘outposts of tyranny’, which were the major threat to democracy in the world. At the same time, she was and still is well-known as the political and just the world leader, who promotes the idea of democratization of the world as the way to the improvement of the quality of life of all people (Cunningham 184). Condoleezza Rice stands on the ground that despair and poverty are the major causes of sufferings of millions of people worldwide, but she believes that despair and poverty persist because of the lack of democracy and poor people control over governments.Thus, Barak Obama and Condoleezza Rice are two heroic figures of the 21st century, who belong to minority groups and who personifies the success and power to overcome social, cultural and racial barriers on their way to success. Moreover, they are not just successful people but they are the major proponents of the democratization of the world and elimination of racial, class and rel igious barriers between people worldwide.

A Brief Note On The Rising Water Crisis

Water Conservation and Pollution In the world today, water scarcity persists in being an unnerving issue. The world’s supply of water is diminishing and is further narrowed by pollution. Without measures taken to conserve our water, there will be a global and chronic drought. As long as water is scarce, it is imperative to develop proposals concerning water conservation and pollution. Although water is one of the most abundant resources on the planet, we are not able to utilize the majority of it†¦ excessive amount of water. I am guilty of taking this resource for granted by taking long showers, not using a stopper while washing dishes, thus leaving the hot water running for far too long, and washing less than a full load of clothing on multiple occasions. Rather than wasting all of the water that I use in the shower and while cleaning dishes in the sink, I could have been reusing it as greywater. Greywater is household wastewater that can be reused to clean household items or water the lawn and garden†¦ 1. Most of the total water withdrawals in France are used by the Industry: 24. 48 billion m3 followed by municipal water use of 5.49 billion m3 and agricultural water use 3.143 billion m3. In percentages industrial water withdrawals represent 73.93%, agricultural water withdrawals represent 9.49 % and municipal 16.58 %. http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/index.html?lang=en (Aquastat) In comparison the world water withdrawals used by industry in 2007 are 734 km3 or 19 % of the total†¦ problems: the Syrian Refugee Crisis. As millions of Syrians are displaced by the Syrian Civil War, they attempt to seek refuge in surrounding foreign nations. So far, the countries of the world have only addressed the crisis by deciding the fate of the refugees that cling to their borders. However, these individual policies are ineffective in addressing the whole problem. In fact, these unified strategies have led to creation of additional problems, expanding the crisis into new countries on an unimpeded†¦ A History To Rewrite - Syrian Refugee Crisis The United States of America is always considered as a role model country for many other countries and people of different countries. People of different countries always look at America as their final hope when their country is going through different crisis. Moreover, America always share a great history of stepping up and help protecting the rights and moral values of those people in need. This time, the innocence Syrian people are looking at the America†¦ Man-made Water Crisis Droughts have played a huge role throughout California’s history. Just as recently as two years ago, California’s record-breaking drought was declared the worst in the state’s history. However, this year, Governor Jerry Brown declared the drought emergency at an end. Many residents have referred to California’s issue as a â€Å"man made drought.† In other words, the water crisis is not from the lack of fresh water in California, but the lack of purposeful direction and use for†¦ Flint Michigan Water Crisis Many would argue that the United States is the best country on this earth. Millions of immigrants have come here for a better life because United States opened its doors to welcome those seeking political and religious freedom as well as the "adventurer, the wanderer, the persecuted, the fortune seekers, and others" (Arizaga, 2007). Immigrants built up the United States from the very beginning. This country was, and continues to be a kaleidoscope of ethnic and cultural†¦ Ariana Donini Rivera EC480 October 10, 2016 Rising Cost of Healthcare The United States of America spends more money per person on healthcare than almost any other country in the world. The total amount spent on healthcare per capita in the U.S. is around $9,000, whereas the second highest spending country is Switzerland at about $3,500 (Squires & Anderson). Increased spending on healthcare does not equate to longer lifespans or better health. The U.S. has fewer hospitals, higher obesity rates†¦ Safety is a priceless commodity. Nevertheless, Syrian migrants paying an average of 2500 euro ($2840) to be smuggled into European nations would argue otherwise. The Syrian refugee crisis continues to be an international issue as the United States and other non-European nations begin to extend asylum offers to refugees, while European nations hope the 230 million euros they have invested in researching methods to hinder illegal immigration will prove successful in combatting refugees looking to immigrate†¦ In September of 2015, the image of 3 year old Aylan Kurdi 's lifeless body being pulled from Turkish waters forced the world to shift its collective gaze towards Syria where thousands of individuals were risking their lives in order to flee their war-torn country. What began as a civil war, has resulted in the largest displacement of individuals since World War II. The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the most pressing issues that the world is facing today. The influx of refugees into neighbouring†¦

Perfecting a Doctoral Business Problem Statement Assignment

Perfecting a Doctoral Business Problem Statement - Assignment Example Still, IPTV and Satellite TV continue to grow exponentially as Cable TV begins to stagnate. The main problem for Cable TV has been that, while convergent and interactive applications have been used by in the OTT and IPTV environments as the main differentiators to gain competitive advantage, this has been a difficult thing to do in the traditional cable network environment (Carter, 2012). So as not to lag behind with regards to demand from the market for TV services, cable operators like Comcast, therefore, seem to have no option but to integrate interactivity applications to their clients alongside their digital signals (Cooper, 2013). However, even with this knowledge and it being more clear about the kinds of services that cable operators must make available so as to gain increased market share and regain a competitive advantage, the best path for them to attain such an objective is not clear cut. At present, cable operators are being faced with the issue of network upgrading using interactive TV. This form of TV includes social TV, time shift TV, recordings, multi-screen features, enhanced EPG, VOD content, as well as social and internet TV features. Such functionalities can be attained using various approaches for the cable TV networks. For instance, Gershon (2010) posits that cable providers could conduct an upgrade of their DOCSIS data network, which could del iver adequate and effective bandwidth to their clients, allowing for more inclusion of interactive content. In addition, such an upgrade could also enable cable providers to create an FTTx access network that would enable them to regain their competitive advantage over their major competitors (Gershon, 2010). Another approach that Eastman et al (2012) propose for cable networks to improve competitive advantage is the use of DOCSIS data path, which would be