Family in American Literature essays

Family in American Literature essays The family is an interesting subject in American literature. It serves as a base in our society which can be shaped and molded into many different forms. Mario Puzos The Godfather shows the family as a successful business in the 1940s. In The Awakening, the family is shown in a strict traditional form which is broken by a mother who feels oppressed by the role society placed on her as a woman. Tom Clancy defines family as the foundation which our society is based on. He demonstrates his point excellently in Patriot Games. The Corleone family is basically intact for crime and corruption only. It is this crime and corruption that keeps the family going (Dessner 430). The Corleone family exists only to turn a profit, and Vito Corleone sees to that. He is the executive of the family, and the executive of his olive oil business (Dessner 430). What makes Vito Corleones character more interesting is that in addition to his shady business practices, he is a robbing hood for his fellow Sicilians. All who have proven their loyalties to him are entitled to help from their Godfather. Vito is willing to help anyone (Schaap 352). The traditional role of women has been to stay at home, clean, cook and raise the kids. Kate Chopin focused her book on the issues that she felt were wrong with the role of upper-class women in the average Louisiana family during the timeframe. The main character, Edna Rich, realizes how much she hates her role in life. She wants to be much more intellectual (The Awakening, Portraying Views of the Family Online). Edna goes beyond the bounds of immoral upper-class women during the time. She goes against the will of her husband and sneaks behind his back while he is on a trip. She rents an apartment and moves out of her house while her husband is away (The Awakening, Portraying Views of the Family Online). While she is on her own, she is free to ...

Simon Bolivars Crossing of the Andes

Simon Bolivar's Crossing of the Andes In 1819, the War of Independence in Northern South America was locked in a stalemate. Venezuela was exhausted from a decade of war, and patriot and royalist warlords had fought each other to a standstill. Simà ³n Bolà ­var, the dashing Liberator, conceived of a brilliant yet seemingly suicidal plan: he would take his 2,000 man army, cross the mighty Andes, and hit the Spanish where they were least expecting it: in neighboring New Granada (Colombia), where a small Spanish army held the region unopposed. His epic crossing of the frozen Andes would prove to be the most genius of his many daring actions during the war. Venezuela in 1819 Venezuela had borne the brunt of the War of Independence. Home of the failed First and Second Venezuelan Republics, the nation had suffered greatly from Spanish reprisals. By 1819 Venezuela was in ruins from the constant warring. Simà ³n Bolà ­var, the Great Liberator, had an army of some 2,000 men, and other patriots like Josà © Antonio Pez also had small armies, but they were scattered and even together lacked the strength to deliver a knockout blow to Spanish General Morillo and his royalist armies. In May, Bolà ­vars army was camped near the llanos or great plains, and he decided to do what the royalists least expected. New Granada (Colombia) in 1819 Unlike war-weary Venezuela, New Granada was ready for revolution. The Spanish were in control but deeply resented by the people. For years, they had been forcing the men into armies, extracting â€Å"loans† from the wealthy and oppressing the Creoles, afraid they might revolt. Most of the royalist forces were in Venezuela under the command of General Morillo: in New Granada, there were some 10,000, but they were spread out from the Caribbean to Ecuador. The largest single force was an army of some 3,000 commanded by General Josà © Marà ­a Barreiro. If Bolà ­var could get his army there, he could deal the Spanish a mortal blow. The Council of Setenta On May 23, Bolà ­var called his officers to meet in a ruined hut in the abandoned village of Setenta. Many of his most trusted captains were there, including James Rooke, Carlos Soublette and Josà © Antonio Anzotegui. There were no seats: the men sat on the bleached skulls of dead cattle. At this meeting, Bolà ­var told them of his daring plan to attack New Granada, but he lied to them about the route he would take, fearing they would not follow if they knew the truth. Bolà ­var intended to cross the flooded plains and then cross the Andes at the Pramo de Pisba pass: the highest of three possible entries into New Granada. Crossing the Flooded Plains Bolà ­var’s army then numbered some 2,400 men, with less than one thousand women and followers. The first obstacle was the Arauca River, upon which they traveled for eight days by raft and canoe, mostly in the pouring rain. Then they reached the plains of Casanare, which were flooded by the rains. Men waded in water up to their waists, as thick fog obscured their vision: torrential rains drenched them daily. Where there was no water there was mud: the men were plagued by parasites and leeches. The only highlight during this time was meeting up with a patriot army of some 1,200 men led by Francisco de Paula Santander. Crossing the Andes As the plains gave way to the hilly jungle, Bolà ­var’s intentions became clear: the army, drenched, battered and hungry, would have to cross the frigid Andes Mountains. Bolà ­var had selected the pass at Pramo de Pisba for the simple reason that the Spanish did not have defenders or scouts there: no one thought an army could possibly cross it. The pass peaks at 13,000 feet (almost 4,000 meters). Some deserted: Josà © Antonio Pez, one of Bolà ­vars top commanders, tried to mutiny and eventually left with most of the cavalry. Bolà ­vars leadership held, however, because many of his captains swore they would follow him anywhere. Untold Suffering The crossing was brutal. Some of Bolà ­var’s soldiers were barely-dressed Indians who quickly succumbed to exposure. The Albion Legion, a unit of foreign (mostly British and Irish) mercenaries, suffered greatly from altitude sickness and many even died from it. There was no wood in the barren highlands: they were fed raw meat. Before long, all of the horses and pack animals had been slaughtered for food. The wind whipped them, and hail and snow were frequent. By the time they crossed the pass and descended into New Granada, some 2,000 men and women had perished. Arrival in New Granada On July 6, 1819, the withered survivors of the march entered the village of Socha, many of them half-naked and barefoot. They begged food and clothing from the locals. There was no time to waste: Bolà ­var had paid a high cost for the element of surprise and had no intention of wasting it. He swiftly refitted the army, recruited hundreds of new soldiers and made plans for an invasion of Bogota. His greatest obstacle was General Barreiro, stationed with his 3,000 men at Tunja, between Bolà ­var and Bogota. On July 25, the forces met at the Battle of Vargas Swamp, which resulted in an indecisive victory for Bolà ­var. The Battle of Boyac Bolà ­var knew that he had to destroy Barreiros army before it reached Bogota, where reinforcements could reach it. On August 7, the royalist army was divided as it crossed the Boyaca River: the advance guard was in front, across the bridge, and the artillery was far to the rear. Bolivar swiftly ordered an attack. Santanders cavalry cut off the advance guard (which were the best soldiers in the royalist army), trapping them on the other side of the river, while Bolà ­var and Anzotegui decimated the main body of the Spanish force. Legacy of Bolà ­var’s Crossing of the Andes The battle lasted only two hours: at least two hundred royalists were killed and another 1,600 were captured, including Barreiro and his senior officers. On the patriot side, there were only 13 killed and 53 wounded. The Battle of Boyac was a tremendous, one-sided victory for Bolà ­var who marched unopposed into Bogota: the Viceroy had fled so swiftly that he left money in the treasury. New Granada was free, and with money, weapons, and recruits, Venezuela soon followed, allowing Bolà ­var to eventually move south and attack Spanish forces in Ecuador and Peru. The epic crossing of the Andes is Simà ³n Bolà ­var in a nutshell: he was a brilliant, dedicated, ruthless man who would do whatever it took to free his homeland. Crossing flooded plains and rivers before going over a frigid mountain pass over some of the bleakest terrain on earth was absolute madness. No one thought Bolà ­var could pull off such a thing, which made it all the more unexpected. Still, it cost him 2,000 loyal lives: many commanders would not have paid that price for victory. Sources Harvey, Robert. Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John. The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826 New York: W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Lynch, John. Simon Bolivar: A Life. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006.Scheina, Robert L. Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899 Washington, D.C.: Brasseys Inc., 2003.

James Moor - Computer Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

James Moor - Computer Ethics - Essay Example 269). Thus, individuals are empowered to perform a large number of operations previously unavailable to them. An example might be the ability to make microloans to individuals in developing countries: an ability that most people in developed countries did not have 20 to 30 years ago. As ethical philosophers have pointed out for centuries, even though one can perform a certain action that does not necessarily mean one ought to perform that action. Given this basis for Moor’s discussion of computer ethics, it seems that Moor successfully argues for special consideration of computer ethics as a specialized area in moral philosophy. Early in his essay, Moor introduces the concept of a â€Å"policy vacuum†, which limits the public’s ability to utilize the potential of computer technology. A policy vacuum is an absence of officially recognized public standards for how to utilize a resource. One often finds a policy vacuum where there is cutting-edge technology that the public does not seem to have a use for. A current example of a policy vacuum might be related to green technology, which is subject to endless political debates. Even though the technology exists, it is unclear how the public will deploy those resources and gain benefits from it. Another example of a policy vacuum may exist in developing nations where modern technology is new and not well-understood. In such a case, the country may not see the need for the new resource and thus not capitalize on its potential. Moor also introduces the notion of a â€Å"conceptual vacuum† early in his paper. Although a conceptual vacuum occurs in concert with a policy vacuum, the conceptual vacuum invariably occurs before and causes the policy vacuum. That is, without a â€Å"coherent conceptual framework within which to formulate a policy for action†, there can be no policy for action, which produces the inevitable result of a policy vacuum. A coherent conceptual framework is necessar y because one cannot, for instance, explain the benefits of high-speed broadband to the leader of a developing country who has never used, let alone heard of, the internet. Another example of a conceptual vacuum might be, with respect to the United States, is the debate over the use of renewable energy and â€Å"green† technology. The consequences of a change to alternative sources of energy might not be conceptually compatible with a view of the world that does not admit of the consequences of global climate change. Thus, a policy vacuum results when those who are in charge of making decisions cannot comprehend the conceptual basis of their decisions. Further into his essay, Moor begins to establish a basis for comparing the â€Å"Computer Revolution† with the â€Å"Industrial Revolution†. The reason for this comparison probably lies in the ethical dilemmas evoked by the Industrial Revolution, which Moor is trying to draw parallels with in our modern age. In on e respect, the Computer Revolution is complete: the sense in which our lives have become thoroughly interconnected with computer technology (by means of laptop computers and mobile phones). Nevertheless, in a second sense, the Computer Revolution is not over: the sense in which computer technology has yet to fully develop and fully integrate with every

One page reflection on the learning outcomes Coursework

One page reflection on the learning outcomes - Coursework Example The fin geometry has significant impact on the performance of a car radiator. There are four major geometric flow configurations for radiators. The geometry of the fin determines the amount of heat lost from the car engine to the atmosphere and hence determines the performance of a car radiator. Car radiator normally uses crossflow two-stream geometry. The heat transfer performance of a radiator can be determined by calculating the number of Nusselts. The value of Nusselt number increases with increase in as the Reynolds number. The performance of the heat exchanger increases with increase in the number of Nusselts. As such, the number of Nusselts is directly proportional to the performance of the heat exchanger. This assignment is makes an invaluable contribution to the UniSA graduate qualities by equipping the graduates with essential knowledge for manufacturing radiators, particularly car radiators and developing innovative ideas to improve the radiator, which is one of the most crucial components of the car

Speaker’s notes Essay Example for Free

Speaker’s notes Essay Slide 1 Information on the slide: As the first slide it should be in front of the audience while I present myself and my project. The slide is a comparison between students and wards. It is meant to kick start the attention of the audience, implying the students as future wards. The picture is taken from www.lao.ca.gov. What to address: After a brief introduction is made I make a short presentation on the picture, mentioning that both students and wards carry a gun for the same reasons, to feel safe. Slide 2 All presentations should have a clearly stated question or problem that they address. In our case we examine the questions: Is Juvenile Crime Rates Increasing? Is Juvenile Murder Rates Increasing? How do the Violent Crime Rates of Ohio relate to the whole country? It is time to mention the increasing rumor that juvenile violence is increasing throughout the US. In fact many researchers say that the statistics show that the juvenile crime rate is in fact decreasing in the US. (Snyder, Finnegan, Sickmund (1999)). We then turn our eyes to concentrate on Ohio, to see how the juvenile Crime Rate is developing there. Slide 3 This slide is the first in a series of statistical graphs. To compare the murder rate we include the number of juvenile murders in Ohio from 1995-2004. Juvenile Ohio murder graph: This Graph describes the Murders performed by juveniles under 18 over a decade. We can see that the number of murders have decreased during the last few years, it was especially low during the year of 1999. However, at the end of the graph we can see the Murder Rate starting to rise again during the most recent years. Data collected from: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports 1980-2004 [machine-readable data files] In this diagram we see that the numbers of juvenile murder offenders are decreasing over the past decade, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the percentages of juvenile murder offenders are decreasing in comparison to adult murder offenders. To investigate this we need to look at the adult murder offenders and take out a percentage for the juvenile case. Slide 4 Here we investigate the number of adult murder offenders, a number that seems to be fairly stable. As a result of this we can see that the juvenile share of the Ohio murders have in fact decreased over the past decade. If looked at from a shorter perspective, we see that it has gone up a little the last few years, possibly indicating that it may continue to go up in the future. Data collected from: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports 1980-2004 [machine-readable data files] Slide 5 For the rest of the country we see basically the same pattern. Data collected from: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports 1980-2004 [machine-readable data files] Slide 6 If we compare the juvenile murder rates in Ohio to the rest of the country, we see that Ohio is slightly higher than the entire US murder rate. We can also notice that the juvenile murder rate is increasing more rapidly for Ohio. This means that the need to improve the situation is bigger in Ohio than in the country in general. Data collected from: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports 1980-2004 [machine-readable data files] Slide 7 While violent crimes are a problem in the state of Ohio it is also a problem for each of the individual counties. It has been said that it is almost impossible to predict juvenile crime rates (Snyder, Finnegan, Sickmund (1999)) and in this picture (Snyder, Finnegan, Sickmund (1999), chapter5) we can see the crime rates in each county. Slide 8 What about crimes like Robbery, Rape and Car Theft? Slide 9 Since it has been impossible to locate statistics for all of Ohio as a state due to lack of data, we are forced to make a comparison on the counties. The counties with the highest population rate are Franklin Cuyahoga Hamilton Lucas Summit However, it is only possible to locate statistical data from Franklin, Lucas and Summit. These graphs include the crime rates of motor vehicle theft, aggravated assault, forcible rape, and robbery. The values are all in percentage, compared to the entire crime rate. When looking at these graphs it is clear that the general trend of violent juvenile crime arrests are decreasing or being fairly steady in all areas, with the exception of motor vehicle theft in Lucas that is increasing. This leads us to the conclusion that the rate of juvenile crimes are not increasing in Ohio, but in fact decreasing. Slide 10 Conclusion During the beginning of the 90’s the Juvenile Crime Rate was very high. Since 1996 it has decreased again, and even if we see a small upwards tendency, there is not enough statistical data to support the belief that the Rate will go up again. However, the crime rate is very high, and Ohio is above the rest of the country. Ohio’s Juvenile Crime Rate is also increasing more rapidly then the rest of the country, which calls for immediate action before we reach the high levels of aggressive crime that we saw in the 90’s.

Marxism Isnt Dead Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Marx Essays

ABSTRACT: I defend the continued viability of Marx's critique of capitalism against Ronald Aronson's recent claim that because Marxists are 'unable to point to a social class or movement' away from capitalism, Marxism is 'over' 'as a project of historical transformation.' First, Marx's account of the forced extraction of surplus labor remains true. It constitutes an indictment of the process of capital accumulation because defenses of capitalism's right to profit based on productive contribution are weak. If generalized, the current cooperative movement, well advanced in many nations, can displace capitalism and thus counts as the movement Aronson challenges Marxists to point to. It will do this, I argue, by stopping capitalist exploitation, blocking capital accumulation, and narrowing class divisions. But in defending Marx by pointing to the cooperative movement, we have diverged from Marx's essentially political strategy for bringing about socialism onto an economic one of support for tendencies toward workplace democracy worldwide. Why isn't Marxism dead? Many anti-Marxists and even some Marxists say it is. As proof, anti-Marxists point to the failure of the Soviet model of socialism, that is, an undemocratic government controlling the means of production, replacing markets with bureaucratic planning of production and distribution. (1) But on Marx's view undeveloped countries like czarist Russia with a minority working class were in no position to lead what was to be in any case a global change from an interdependent world market to socialism "as the act of the dominant peoples 'all at once' and simultaneously." (2) If anything the USSR's failure proved Marx right! (3) In the end Marx envisioned not government control... ...F. and Whyte, K.K., Making Mondragon: The Growth and Dynamics of the Worker Cooperative Complex (Ithica: ILR Press, 1988). (20) Robert Fitch, "In Bologna, Small is Beautiful," The Nation, May 13, 1996. (21) Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter (GEO), #16 and #17, Winter-Spring 1995. (22) GEO, #12, Fall 1994. Many other countries have deep cooperative traditions, including the UK, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, India, Chile, and Argentina. (23) This finding was a summary of forty-three economic studies by David Levine and Laura D'Andrea Tyson, "Participation, Productivity, and the Firm's Environment," in A. Blinder, editor, Paying for Productivity: A Look at the Evidence (Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institute, 1990), pp. 205-214. (24) "Inaugural Address of the Working Men's International Association," (1864) in Tucker, p. 518. Marxism Isn't Dead Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Marx Essays ABSTRACT: I defend the continued viability of Marx's critique of capitalism against Ronald Aronson's recent claim that because Marxists are 'unable to point to a social class or movement' away from capitalism, Marxism is 'over' 'as a project of historical transformation.' First, Marx's account of the forced extraction of surplus labor remains true. It constitutes an indictment of the process of capital accumulation because defenses of capitalism's right to profit based on productive contribution are weak. If generalized, the current cooperative movement, well advanced in many nations, can displace capitalism and thus counts as the movement Aronson challenges Marxists to point to. It will do this, I argue, by stopping capitalist exploitation, blocking capital accumulation, and narrowing class divisions. But in defending Marx by pointing to the cooperative movement, we have diverged from Marx's essentially political strategy for bringing about socialism onto an economic one of support for tendencies toward workplace democracy worldwide. Why isn't Marxism dead? Many anti-Marxists and even some Marxists say it is. As proof, anti-Marxists point to the failure of the Soviet model of socialism, that is, an undemocratic government controlling the means of production, replacing markets with bureaucratic planning of production and distribution. (1) But on Marx's view undeveloped countries like czarist Russia with a minority working class were in no position to lead what was to be in any case a global change from an interdependent world market to socialism "as the act of the dominant peoples 'all at once' and simultaneously." (2) If anything the USSR's failure proved Marx right! (3) In the end Marx envisioned not government control... ...F. and Whyte, K.K., Making Mondragon: The Growth and Dynamics of the Worker Cooperative Complex (Ithica: ILR Press, 1988). (20) Robert Fitch, "In Bologna, Small is Beautiful," The Nation, May 13, 1996. (21) Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter (GEO), #16 and #17, Winter-Spring 1995. (22) GEO, #12, Fall 1994. Many other countries have deep cooperative traditions, including the UK, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, India, Chile, and Argentina. (23) This finding was a summary of forty-three economic studies by David Levine and Laura D'Andrea Tyson, "Participation, Productivity, and the Firm's Environment," in A. Blinder, editor, Paying for Productivity: A Look at the Evidence (Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institute, 1990), pp. 205-214. (24) "Inaugural Address of the Working Men's International Association," (1864) in Tucker, p. 518.

House of Scorpion Essay

Political corruption is one of the significant themes in the novel â€Å"The House of the Scorpion. † Political corruption is the use of power by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Everyday political figures and governments who we rely on to protect us betray us. Whether it is by bribery,extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, embezzlement, criminal enterprise, drug trafficking, money laundering or human trafficking, political officials or governmental systems we look up to have dabbled in corruption here or there.However, the corrupted governments inside the novel do not differ from our everyday government such as: the American government because both governments inside and outside the novel prevent people from leaving the country, make illegal deals with people and corporations for favours and both have become a country in a state of regression. To begin with, the American government relies on Opium’s border patrol to cease people from leavin g the United States of America because they live off the ever deteriorating population. Similarly, everyday people in the United States are prevented from leaving the country.Per year about 24 million people emmigrate from the USA, and 25% are prevented. However, the reasons why the people are prevented from leaving are not legitimate. The American Government â€Å"enraptures† most people into tax schemes, financial issues etc. that prevent them from leaving the country such as the mandate â€Å"ObamaCare† scheme. The mandate requires you pay up to 10,000 in fees before leaving the country which has caused a great deal of problems including the shutdown of the American Government. Furthermore, in America there were 2 recent laws waiting to be passed and 1 is still being discussed.The first law requires all citizens to have a passport in order to pass the border, even when driving into Mexico or Canada. Obtaining a passport, however, is neither free nor guaranteed. You must apply, pay an exorbitant amount of fees, and wait for weeks for the passport to be verified and returned. The second law that is still pending, states that recently, the State Department quietly proposed a new questionnaire as a part of the of the passport application criteria.The new form requires you to provide things like names,  birthplaces, and birth dates of your extended family members, records of blood tests and also and, where you got vaccines, the address of every place you have ever lived in your entire life, and also, the name and location of every school you have ever attended. Most people would find it impossible to provide such information, yet the form requires that the responses â€Å"are true and correct† under penalty of fines or imprisonment. If this proposal passes, then US citizens will have a nearly insurmountable hurdle to obtain a passport and be able to leave the country at will.Even if it does not pass, it is a clear demonstration of what the people who run the country are thinking. However, preventing people from leaving the country is just looking at the base of the tree. Pursuing this further, as we start to climb up our tree we encounter further resemblance of the American government to it’s counterpart in the novel. In the novel the powerful government officials help the people like El Patron stay in power by strangling most businesses in the market.In the same way the American government officials in our world do many dealings with big people or corporations in return for favours in terms of votes, campaign funding, discounts, or money. For example, in the book by law, clones must be given drugs at birth to stunt their intelligence, making them just a step above vegetables. Matt, avoided this simply because of El Patron's influence on the government similarly leading corporations and people have influence on the government officials by having a sufficient amount of money to bribe the politicians who let the m do bad things and then do it again.For example in 1997 around the time the Pentagon was converting its documents into digitized storage systems, government official Duke Cunningham proposed a document-digitization system which was 20 million dollars. The system was invented by a company called Wilkes, and it was later known that Wilkes had given Duke Cunningham $630 000 in cash, pre-owned Rolls Royce and a $2000 contribution to his daughters graduation party. Further more money laundering has become a significant factor in every American election.Another politician, who took bribes from people and corporations was government official Marcelo Co. To begin with, Co had taken bribes from co-conspirators in order to get his friends elected in his office. As a result Co was elected representative of Moreno Valley every year. Pursuing this further, Co had taken a $2. 36 million from a corporation in return for Co to vote for them on land zoning distributions. In spite of being involved in illegal activities, the most shocking occurrence was when FBI investigators discovered that he was siphoning publicly raised funds to his mother in the Philippines.Together, with Co taking bribes to elect his friends into his office, accepting bribes from corporations, and laundering money to foreigners Marcelo Co is now serving a 20 year sentence in jail. Finally, we reach the top of our tree only to realize all the branches have long been withered. In the book as said by El Patron â€Å"The United States has become the equivalent of a third world country. † America has dropped low in many rankings where it use to be the top competitor due to a government who places attention to a higher degree to weapons development or drug eradication.Thus, other problems such as education, and the welfare of the people are rarely given attention. Our tree has transitioned from a lively and full to a leafless and withered one. It has become much like the tree in the summer with leaves a nd beautiful branches becoming withered and leafless in the winter. In fact, a recent survey on where do Americas best days lies, uncovered that, 75% people think â€Å"Americas best days lie in the past. † These staggering statistics indicate how much America, has deteriorated from its former glory.Furthermore, statistics prove that in most categories America used to be a top competitor prove that America barely reaches the top ten. American participants rank 16th in literacy, 21st in math, and 14th in tech skills beforehand they were at the top of these categories. However, the reasons why the have fallen from these rankings is not because other countries like Japan or Finland advance precipitously, but because America regresses. The reason why America is a underprivileged country is because, it constantly worries about the uncertainty of the future and does not give attention to it’s present.As said by Dalai Lama, a buddhist spiritual leader â€Å"What matters is t o live in the present, live now for every moment in the future. † As a final analysis the American government portrays a bona fide resemblance to its counterpart in the novel â€Å"The House of the Scorpion. † This is due to the American government both inside the novel and outside preventing people from leaving the country, making illegal negotiations with people and corporations and by doing so, has become a country in a state of regression. However, like any other tree it has the potential to change as the seasons go by.

The Modern Business Management

Modern business management can be complicated; it is often as much about instinct as it is about policy. A manager can tell if his or her firm needs improvement in control through a variety of benchmarks: quality, profitability, morale, the performance of individuals within the organization, and the overall performance of the firm in respect to competitors (Gibson, et al, 2003). If improvement is needed, the manager can tell if improvement is needed in several key areas, and steps can be taken for improvement, as follows: Operational: If there is an identified problem within the inner workings of the organization, such as inefficiencies in purchasing, logistics, accounting, etc, this is indicative of operational deficiency that needs to be improved. Managers can implement operational improvements by empowering the work teams in these given areas to provide feedback about their tasks, offer improvements and so forth. This information can be combined with process improvements such as lean principles to provide efficiency and better operations. Financial: Financial problems are detected through the accounting process, and can be caused by excessive costs, insufficient revenue, or a combination of both. To correct financial problems, managers can wisely cut costs through productivity improvement and increase revenues through increased sales activity. Structural: Structural problems emerge commonly when the different strategic business units do not work well together to achieve the goals of the organization, supervisors are not reaching established goals, and individual employees are deficient in a given area or areas. These problems can be corrected by management through personnel changes, a change to the company structure itself, or steps to improve the performance of the ineffective employee(s). Strategic: Problems of a strategic nature are seen when the organization is not performing according to established goals, seems to lack direction, and has problems competing against other firms. This can be corrected through evaluation of the currents strategic plan, and improving the plan or developing another if needed. This process should include staff members from all of the strategic units within the firm itself. In its most basic form, quality has been defined as the essential goodness of a product (Evans and Lindsay, 2003). While this definition is easy to understand, it is vague and ineffective when discussing quality within the scope of the modern business environment. A practical, yet simple definition of quality is that quality exists when products or services meet the expectations of the customer for their given purpose. As an example, a disposable cigarette lighter need only be durable enough to provide reliable service until the fuel within it is exhausted. This quality definition reflects back to the classic business assertion that a light bulb can be made to last 100+ years (in fact, an Edison prototype still lights today) but the price of such an item is beyond what someone is willing to pay for the given utility of the ordinary light bulb. This brings up another interesting point that a given quality level is also necessary in order to offer a product or service at a price that the customer is willing to pay based on perceived value. This quality definition affects managers' behavior because quality control initiatives do not need to exceed the given level of quality that is sought. This affects the strategic planning the manager will undertake, operational costs, the structure of the organization, etc. Overall, quality shapes the organization and the management style of the organization as well.

buy custom External Financing essay

buy custom External Financing essay External funding is a highly variable figure for the United States corporate sector. Acme can raise its funds from sources outside of the company. There are various types of external financing which the company may use. These sources include debt financing, equity financing, cash flow lending and corporate bond and debentures (Schulz Wasmeier, 2008). Megginson Smart (2000) say that external funding is extremely unpredictable in the United States because of the market trends and lending rates. The use of external financing involves high legal and transaction costs. The company should note that the outstanding nature of external funding needs of Acme means that $500M will be exceedingly variable from year to year for the company (Megginson Smart, 2000). Sources of external funding Debt Financing Acme can obtain external financing from debt financing which means borrowing money. Schulz Wasmeier (2008) says that in the course of debt financing, in return the creditor will receive the promise that the principal and interest on the debt will be repaid by the company. The interest rate to be paid by Acme characteristically includes the so called market rate of interest rate plus a risk premium because Acme is a well established company and certain will be collaterals used to secure the debt. Acme will pay its interest rate depending on the maturity of the loan and the volume of the loan. Apart from specific loan agreements such as mutual or syndicated loans, common types of debt financing that Acme can use includes overdraft funding, and loans against asset (Schulz Wasmeier, 2008). Merson (2011) noted that debt finance will allow Acme to raise cash without giving any share capital or equity. This type of external financing can balance interest payments against tax and therefore there is a good reason to expect debt finance to be relatively cheap. Merson (2011) noted that in theory debt finance has a lot in its favor. However in practice, it may not be asy to obtain. Banks lend their money in return for interest. There are several types of debt finance which include overdraft and obtaining loans against assets. Overdraft funding is uncertain for the bank and Acme. This is because an overdraft can be called in at any time, hence it is a high-risk strategy for the multinational to rely on it for longer-term financing (Merson, 2011). From Acmes point of view it will pay high interest rates to reflect the risk. Obtaining financing through loans against asset is the most common way a bank can make sure that its position is protected. This implies that if Acme goes under, the bank can lay claim to and sell the asset against which it had secured the debt (Merson, 2011) Cash Flow Lending The second type of external financing that can be used by Acme is cash flow lending. Since Acme is an established company with a good track record, the firm can take advantage of cash flow lending. Merson (2011) noted that in this type of financing, instead of taking security against specific assets, a bank relies on the cash flow that the business expects to generate (p. 124). In this context, the bank will look for safeguards in the form of guarantees based on such measures as profitability, enterprise value and ratios comparing profit with interest. If the agreements are breached, the bank has the right to recall the loan (Merson, 2011). One disadvantage of this type of financing is that the bank generally puts measures in place that allow it to take control of the companys cash flow if it defaults on loan repayments. Its advantage is that cash flow lending is more focused than asset based lending on the ability for a business to repay its debts (Merson, 2011). Corporate Bond and Debentures Acme can also obtain financing through corporate bond and debentures. Merson (2011) mentioned that a corporate bond or debenture is long-term debt instrument with a maturity date, a redemption value and a coupon. Acmes bbonds will be traded on markets. Merson (2011) noted that the markets discernment of the riskiness of the debt is mirrored in its market price, which in turn affects the real interest rate earned by the obtainer of the bond. The main disadvantage of this form of financing is that bond markets are regulated, and sourcing money in this way can be costly, and consumes more management time. Its advantage is that a corporate bond will enable Acme to access financing without the help of a bank. This might allow Acme to raise money for a lower interest rate. Merson (2011) says that this type of financing may allow Acme to put its debt out for a longer period than a bank might be prepared to countenance. The fourth type of external financing that can be used by Acme is equity financing. In the United States this is known as stock ownership. Merson (2011) says that equity financiers of Acme will not be comfortable with security but they look instead at the robustness of the offer, the quality of the prospect, the return it will generate and the companys ability to repay the investment. Through equity financing, Acme is likely to incur high cost of capital than a debt financing and will likely cause a drop in earnings per share for the company and in turn unenthusiastically impact the companys share price (Stowell, 2010). The equity financing option will strengthen the companys balance sheet and may lead to a higher bond rating from a credit financing agency. This may result in lower future bond financing costs and higher long term value for the company (Stowell, 2010). Debt financing usually has a lower cost of capital, but may weaken Acmes balance sheet and reduce financial flexibility. Acme and its banker must consider the risk adjusted cost of debt when comparing this form of financing with an equity financing. Equity financing and cash flow lending are the best options for Acme. Cash flow lending is the best option is because it is more centered than asset based lending on the capability of the company to repay its debts. Buy custom External Financing essay

How Studying Abroad Can Change Your Life

How Studying Abroad Can Change Your Life You have already read about the inspiring experience of Judy Su and Ellen Wall who studied in Denmark. Both of them enjoyed the time spent abroad and advice you to go for it as well. However, you may still think how will I actually benefit? What studying abroad can give me and how can it influence my personal development? Our great big world is getting smaller by the day. The Internet allows us to connect with people and cultures around the world with almost no effort. In fact, you probably already have social connections with people of different races and in different countries. So, why is studying abroad so life-changing? Make New Connections Although Twitter and Pinterest might connect you with people around the world, there is nothing better than actual face-to-face interaction. Study abroad allows you to finally meet all those people in real time. In addition, you can make new friends with people who are very different from you, giving you better perspective of your own life. And, you can make important connections that will help you become more successful in your future career. Become Fluent In Language According to the Department of Labor, translators and interpreters are expected to be one of the top 15 fastest growing occupations in the nation over the next 20 years. In fact, a study by MIT showed that learning a foreign language brings in an average of 2% more annual income, with more exotic languages (Chinese, Arabic, Russian) earning considerably more. By studying abroad, you get the best possible language training by being fully immersed in your language of choice. You’ll have more earning potential and a better chance for employment upon graduation. Find Out Who You Are Odds are good that you have spent most of your life in one country, one state, or even one city. You may not have had a lot of opportunities to try things outside of your comfort zone. Studying abroad gives you the option to try new things in a relatively safe environment where there are few impacts on your â€Å"regular† life. That means, if you try something and fail (or don’t like it), it won’t matter as much as if you were back at home with the people you grew up with. Learn To Be An Independent Leader Studying abroad is a perfect way to learn the ropes of being on your own. You’ll learn great life skills of making travel appointments, connecting with local help resources, and getting a job. You’ll learn to know what you want and how to get it through skills of discipline, hard work, and determination. By the time you come home, you’ll have more motivation to succeed and leadership skills to bring people along for the ride. Solve Problems Studying abroad is not always easy. It can be frustrating experience as well. You might feel homesick. School tasks, policy and life in general might be totally different in your host country than in your homeland. Don’t stress. Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to use these trials as tools for growth. And, when you return home, you’ll have a much better perspective on what are â€Å"real problems† and what are â€Å"mere inconveniences†. Gain Global Perspective More than any other lesson, study abroad teaches you that your actions never happen in a vacuum. By living in a different culture, you realize that human experience is universal. You’ll find out that people who look and think differently share the same core values and priorities as you do. And, you’ll also discover that people who are geographically separated still have incredible influence on each other. This global perspective will help you be a more compassionate leader and also will make you a better employee and citizen in future. Studying abroad is often spoken of by college students as one of the most â€Å"life-changing experiences† they had during their course of study. The reason for that is learning new skills in new environment, which eventually last longer and are more relevant in your life than those you obtain during regular college classes. What do you think you could gain from a study abroad program? Have you completed one already? What advice would you give a new student preparing to study abroad? Please, share your thoughts with us!

Temporary workers motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Temporary workers motivation - Assignment Example Thus, their prime motivation is economics, to have a means of income to pay the bills and not so much of doing a good job. This will result in lower productivity and cases of inefficiency because employees are not that interested with the job except for the pay. This explains why most worker treat temporary jobs as fleeting jobs, one they should take advantage of while it is around. One of the best ways to motivate them is to follow Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that employees are motivated by degrees of needs all of which must be satisfied for an employee to have a higher productivity. To do this, management must offer employees more than a pay check to pay their bills. At present, employees only stay with the job because of the pay and nothing more. As a result, their productivity is not that high. Also, they tend to leave once there is a better paying job only to leave it again when a better paying job comes along without any significant improvement in productivity. To start with, employers must satisfy the physiological needs of their employees through a competitive pay. This will address the basic needs of its employees. Second, employers must also address the security or safety need of its employees. In the modern sense, security means not only free from physical harm or threat but to feel secure from the uncertainties of life. These uncertainties can be accident or sickness. If employers can offer health insurance to their employees, they will feel more secure to work in the company. Employers must also treat their employees well and promote camaraderie among its employees. The purpose of which is to address the social needs of its employees. Once they are attached to their fellow employees and company, they will tend to work better than not caring at all. Finally, the management must also address the esteem needs of its employees so that they will find meaning with their jobs. Addressing

The International Accounting Standards Board and it role in Essay

The International Accounting Standards Board and it role in harmonization of accountign standards - Essay Example One example is in the availing of depreciation. In the United Kingdom, depreciation is determined according to, "convention and pragmatism, rather than exact rules[determining] the method of depreciation, estimates of the scrap value and the expected length of life (Ferrari L 2005). Germany, on the other hand, lays down exact rules and regulations for all these aspects in detail, leaving no room for manipulation. There is thus a need to introduce common internationally accepted norms, which would minimize such differences. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is one such institution that has undertaken the responsibility of formulating such standards to remove the anomalies between the 'generally accepted accounting practices' of different countries, through a process of harmonization of accounting standards. The IASB was founded in April 2001, as a successor to the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). The IASC was an independent body formed in 1973, with the broad objective of, " [furthering] harmonization of accounting practices through the formulation of accounting standards to promote their worldwide acceptance" (Encyclopedia of Business and Finance [EBF]). In May 2000, a new structure for the IASC was approved, leading to the establishment of the IASB. As per KEWL (Knowledge Environment of Web-based Learning), the main objectives of the IASB are: - Develop, in the public interest, a single set of high quality understandable and enforceable global accounting standards that require high quality transparent and capable information in financial statements and other financial reporting to help the participants in the various capital markets of the world and other users of the information to make economic decisions. Promote the use and rigorous application of those standards. Work actively with national standards-setters to bring convergence of national accounting standards and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to high quality solution. In order to most objectively achieve the above aims, the organization of the IASB has been structured as follows (KEWL): - Trustees. Comprises of nineteen individuals from all geographical regions of the world, of whom at least five should represent the accounting profession. The primary responsibility of the Trustees is to appoint Board members, exercise oversight and raise funds for the organization. Board. Consists of fourteen individuals (twelve full time members and two part-time members) and has the sole responsibility of setting accounting standards in the form of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Standards Advisory Council (SAC). This is another body of experts from different geographical regions and functional backgrounds with expertise required to contribute to the formulation of accounting standards. There are about fifty members of the Council. International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC). This is a committee of the IASB that assists the IASB in establishing and improving standards of financial accounting and reporting for the benefit of users, preparers and auditors of financial statements. The IFRIC assists the IASB in achieving international convergence of accounting standards. The IASC had introduced 41 International Accounting Standards (IAS) during its tenure