Thesis Statement For Internet Addiction - 860 Words

Internet Addiction I. Speech Overview: A. General Goal: To inform. B. Specific Goal: By the end of speech, my audience will understand what Internet Addiction is, how many people are affected, and the symptoms. II. Introduction: A. Attention Grabber: Is Internet Addiction a new mental health disorder? B. Relevance Statement: Most teens nowadays use the Internet; the usage varies according to each person, but I know that everyone in here is familiar with it. C. Credibility Statement: You should care about this matter because it is good to be aware of things that may affect you. As someone who is online on daily basis, I can accurately describe Internet Addiction. I did around {blank}hours of research for this topic. D. Central Idea:†¦show more content†¦1. According to Anson Alexander who has a Bachelor of Science in international business and information systems, an infographic that provides statistics related to Internet addiction was published in 2012 and1 out of every 8 Americans experiences signs of internet addiction. The infographic found that in a small study, 82% of people were found to spend more time online than expected (Alexander, B.Sc.). 2. In 2015, a survey by the Bureau of Labor, calculated what everyone 15 and older does on a regular basis. On an average day, more than half of them spent around 3 hours watching TV. Individuals age 75 and over spent more of their time watching TV, reading, and relaxing than individuals ages 15 to 19. Americans spend over an hour more per day online than doing other activities (â€Å"American Time Use Survey†). Transition 3: Now that I have informed you about how many people are affected, I will tell you about some of the indications. C. People who are frequent users of technology, aren’t mindful of possible symptoms that can hint that they could be addicted. 1. Meeting the any of the five symptoms which include always thinking about what your missing online, feeling uneasy when you offline, lying to family and friends to hide how much time you spend on the Internet, lacking control on how much time you spend on the Internet, putting your relationships and education on hold to spend more time online, and going online to escape reality and problems, could be signsShow MoreRelatedDrug Addiction and Drugs1219 Words   |  5 PagesDrugs Addiction Miami Beach Senior High Ashley Gonzalez Ms. Cooper/Mr.Sussman English II-Period Three 06 March 2013 Drugs Addiction Topic and Thesis Statement Miami Beach Senior High Topic: Drugs Thesis Statement: In an examination of drugs I will discuss causes of this disease/or social dilemma. I will also discuss the effect of drugs on individuals, families and society. 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Nowadays, anime addiction is very rampant especially among students. People with obsessive interest in anime are called otaku. I. Anime II. The negative effects of Anime Addiction to students A. Academic B. Health C. Behavior III. The positive effects of Anime Addiction toRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effects1074 Words   |  5 Pagesenvironment.† (373). A statement such as this can be used to describe how video games can moreover be used to relieve stress and/or distance an undesirable situation for a period of time. It has also been suggested that the home computer has the potential to affect young children s behavior, but no published data currently exist to support this hypothesis. 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The Honest to Goodness Truth on Writing an Apa Research Paper

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Writing an Apa Research Paper Use quotation marks in the event you can't do without a specific sentence. Plagiarism can be prevented by paraphrasing. The same is true for top essay writers. Writers often are needed to use one out of several distinct formats when writing a paper. In addition, the writers ought to be knowledgeable about the writing styles that are necessary to compose persuasive speech. What's Actually Going on with Writing an Apa Research Paper Well, the major thing about APA paper is the way by which information is referenced. If you're assigned some work on informative essay writing, the very first thing you're supposed to do is to understand the topic you've been given. You'll also require using APA citation style when you're taking help from somebody's work to come up with your assignment. The only other important consideration to know about drawing a concept map is that you have to begin with a question. Our writing system has established the very best strategies which students should apply as a way to accomplish their academic targets. So, students need to be able to opt for a simple topic in order to have the ability to write excellent work. For example, the students find it difficult to pick the most suitable topic. The sort of topic the students select determines the caliber of the paper. Moreover, utilizing an outline facilitates your material to be shown in a logical manner to your audience and allows you to visualize where you'll need to transition from 1 idea to the next. There are a few choices for publishing. There are plenty of reasons you could be considering writing an ebook. Once your ebook is about to sell, you may wish to discover your audience. You don't necessarily desire a publisher. Last, you can desire to offer your ebook via your own site or a site especially for your ebook utilizing an internet shopping cart. The title should appear at the peak of ea ch page. The title, name and school name ought to be at the middle of the webpage and has to be double spaced. While the written text may be a potent thing, images enable readers to rapidly grasp the concepts presented in the paper, especially in the scientific fields where a huge sum of numbers may be needed in presenting data. A basic grasp of using APA format in your writing will allow you to cite all sources. The simple format is exactly the same for all sorts of references. Moreover, the students are expected to incorporate the perfect references and format the speech accordingly. All About Writing an Apa Research Paper Only a small number of the students know about the writing style. Another benefit to using the APA style is the fact that it leaves you no room to wonder about the way the contents ought to be structured. Students need to choose a topic which is easy in order to be in a position to compose the speech well. They are supposed to write persuasive speech as part of their assignments. New Questions About Writing an Apa Research Paper If you are searching for top essay writing companies, try out the mentioned above. The APA is among the most influential associations of professional psychologists on earth, including specialists from america and Canada, along with associate members from some other nations. The writers should have over five years experience in speech writing in order to supply professional services. They should be able to follow the instructions given so as to avoid revisions and ensure the clients are satisfied with the quality of work. Normally, whether quoting or paraphrasing, you'll want to introduce the source. You should check all unknown words and phrases before you begin as a way to use the research of some other author in the right context. The point of a bibliography is to assist your readers locate the original supply of your references. When you work on material for any duration of time, it can be simple to add words that aren't actually there. Thus, it's advisable to begin with an outline. You could also see book outline. You could also see essay outline. You can also see speech outline. Definitions of Writing an Apa Research Paper The Introduction outlines the research problem and the way the author made a decision to work with that issue. The APA advises that you use the author-date method. Be certain to ask your instructor if you're unclear concerning the sort of term paper you are going to write. Main body The most important body of the research or thesis paper is going to have the most important content. To begin with, you have to understand what a notion is, and secondly, you have to know the way the concepts are linked. Because the abstract is a summary and ought to be limited to a single paragraph, it should not comprise any subsections.

My Favorite Cousin free essay sample

My Favorite Relative Who is your favorite relative? Many people have relatives that they like and dislike. In my situation I like all my relatives, but the one that I like the most is my cousin Andres. My cousin is funny, easy going, and intelligent. The first thing that I like about my cousin is that he is funny. A lot of persons that knows him may not understand his jokes or the funny thing that he says. However, in order to understand the funny things that he is saying you have to know him like I do. Meanwhile, I will continue enjoying my funny cousin until everybody else gets what he is saying. The second thing that I like about my cousin is that he is easy going. Andres, is a person that I can tell him anything and he will not get mad. My cousin is so easy going, that one time I lost a pair of sunglasses that cost him 200 bucks, and he event care. We will write a custom essay sample on My Favorite Cousin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Therefore, that is why my cousin is so cool. The third thing that I most admire about my cousin is his intelligent. My cousin is studying international relationship and he is doing a minor in geographic. Andres, is a person that may not look a very bright person. But in reality he has a lot of knowledge of different types of topics. To summarize, my cousin is funny, easy going, and intelligent. However, this doesn’t fully describe the great person that is my cousin. To really know the cain of person he is, you have to meet him in person.

Marriage and Family Therapy free essay sample

This paper will also evaluate five major themes relevant to Marriage and Family Therapy which include: ethical dilemmas in marriage and family counseling, premarital counseling qualifications of marriage and family therapists including licensure and certification. The biblical insight related to marriage and family therapy will also be explored as well as my personal reflections about this topic. History and Development of Marriage Counseling Marriage counseling was established in the early 1930s. Counselors recognized the advantages and effectiveness of treating married couples in joined sessions. This growing appreciation for patterns of relationships in families led to numerous studies on marital conflict and dynamics and the effects on childrens development. In 1932, there were three marital clinics said to open. They worked with individuals and their difficulties adhering to traditional gender role expectations. Developed and founded in the late 1970’s was the Marriage and Family Therapy’s code of ethics which is called The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage and Family Therapy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The organizations philosophy was that marriage and family therapy were two separate areas, each with their own histories, concepts and differing practices. (AAMFT, 2012) Introduction of Marriage and Family Counseling Counseling is to help persons understand and clarify their views of their life space, and to learn to reach their self-determined goals through meaningful, well-informed choices and through resolution or problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature. (Burks and Steffire, 1979 . Focusing on a broader field in counseling, What is Marriage and Family Counseling? Marriage and family counselors work with couples and families on a wide range of clinical problems including, but not limited to, depression, marital strife, communication, and anxiety and child-parent problems. Marriage and family counseling is not just for unhappy or struggling couples, couple’s therapy can be used proactively to strengthen bonds and to gain a better understanding of one other. In addition, before a marriage begins pre-marital counseling can help couples achieve a deeper understanding of each other and iron out differences before their wedding day. They also help families learn to solve their problems by managing their relationships effectively. Family therapists often work with individuals, the couple and parents and children to get a better perspective of patterns that affect the entire system to develop strategies for modification. (Corey, Corey amp; Callanan p. 450 2011). Family Counseling is important to the counseling field this therapy can help people within the family to resolve their disputes and quarrels through effective communication. Proper communication with the help of a therapist or a counselor can help family members discuss their problems and issues with each other. The importance of the family in our development as whole and healthy individuals is recognized as a basic truth by. In most cases, however, a disturbed and distressed client will have some difficult, challenging relationships within his/her family and these will need to be explored and addressed if the client is to discover and create relief and resolution of their problem. Biblical Insights related to Marriage and Family Therapy In the book, Competent Christian Counseling it states that â€Å"To understand the individual, the one must see the individual in the context of his or her system of relationships† This implies that the quality of a individual is much more than one person, the person is a part of a social system that begins with family. (Clinton amp; Ohlsclager p. 518 2002). From a biblical aspect Family is described as a social system that progressed by forming a set of rules, roles, power structure. Forms of communication and way to solve problems. There are four key principles that a Christian counselors point out when approaching any family. The first one is â€Å"The family, in is social dimensions, reflects God†. Meaning that The Father, Son and Holy Spirit all have unique distinctiveness however they are â€Å"one† as God; this is compared to the Family. A family can consist of a mother, father and children or a mother and husband. If thought they are their own persons, they are considered â€Å"one†. The second key principle that is describe is â€Å"Family health, individual health, and maturity are inseparably entwined†. This key principle entails that the powers of family identity and socialization is significant for growth and development among each family member, which can ultimately lead to healthy family living. â€Å"The Family is also like the church is that next basic principle, meaning that a family has functions like the church. Finally, the last key principle describes states that â€Å"Trouble is reproduced, but can also be stopped, in families and in generations of families†. This key principle indicates that there is a psychosocial and spiritual relation among family reproduction pertaining to alcoholism and other issues as describes in Competent Christian Counseling as â€Å"generational curses†. Christians believe that these issues within families from generation to generation can be transformed through Christ. A example is that of Abraham found in Genesis 20. Abrahams family was said to show favoritism to certain children, which continued for three generations. When it comes to marriage counseling, Christian counselors believe marriage counseling helps couples to understand God’s pattern for husband-wife relationships, diagnoses unbiblical patterns and their root causes, and prescribes God’s solutions for soul change that leads to relational growth. Biblical marriage counseling should result in enhanced relationship: closeness with Christ, intimacy with your spouse, and a sense of greater peace. Biblical insights involving to family counseling, the focus is solutions, not simply external solutions. Your counselor will help you to understand God’s design for healthy family living, will assist you to assess unhealthy and unbiblical ways of relating as parents and children, and will equip you to reconcile and grow in your family relationships. Counselor Identity, Functions and Ethics of Marriage and Family Counseling The practice of Marriage and Family counseling rest on the foundation of systems theory, which views psychological problems as arising from within the person’s present environment and intergenerational family system. Corey, Corey, Callanan p. 449 2011). The systems theory is very similar to the views on Christian Counselors as stated earlier; â€Å"Trouble is reproduced, but can also be stopped, in families and in generations of families†. Marriage and Family therapists follow a specific code of ethics know as The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Founded in 1942 as the American Association of Marriage Counselors, the A AMFT has been involved with the problems, needs and changing patterns of couples and family relationships. The association focuses on increasing understanding, research and education in the field of marriage and family therapy, and ensuring the quality training of marriage and family therapists. AAMFT members meet standards for education and training and are held to the ethical standards of the profession. (AAMFT, 2011) AAMFT ethics are broken down in eight core areas. The first area is the responsibility to Clients. Marriage and family therapist have a responsibility to the welfare of both the family and individuals in the family. Therapists are to make reasonable efforts to guarantee their services are used properly and accordingly. Confidentiality is the next core area, which applies to all code of ethics pertaining to the counseling field. Confidentially in Marriage and Family is distinctive because the therapist is dealing with a group of people. However, the AAMFT insist on therapists to respect the confidentiality of each individual client. Although, confidentiality is essential, there are some exceptions. Those exceptions include, mandates by the law pertaining to cases of child and elderly abuse, incest, or abuse to persons with disabilities. A therapist has an exemption from confidentially when it is necessary to protect clients from hurting themselves and others (AAMFT, 2011). When working with a family, all family members must agree concerning the release of any information. Some therapists, in fact, arrange for sessions with individual family members to actively encourage the sharing of secrets to better understand what is occurring in the family. The therapist then may work with the individual client in the hope of enabling that person to disclose the same information in the family session. Marriage and family therapists are to maintain high standards if professional competence and integrity. Therapists must remain current on any developments and advances relevant to their field of practice. They can do this by continuing education, training, workshops and interacting with other professionals in the marriage and family therapy field. (Corey, Corey amp; Callanan p. 452 2011). Therapists also have a responsibility to students and supervisees. They are not to manipulate the trust and dependency of the students and supervisees in which there are working with. Responsibility to the profession is the next core is in the AAMFT code of ethics. This includes reporting people practicing without a license and contributing to community service for advancement of the society. The next core area is financial arrangements. Marriage and family therapists are not to misuse clients financially for services. Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions states that clients are to be â€Å"truthful in representing facts to clients and to third parties regarding any services rendered†. The last core area in the ethical standards of Marriage and family therapy is advertising. Therapists are able to truthfully represent their competence, education, training and experience in marriage and family therapy. Nevertheless, they should not advertise themselves as specialists with show evidence and supporting this assertion. The therapists primary responsibilities are to protect the rights and to promote the welfare of his or her clients. The dilemma with multiple clients is that in some situations an intervention that serves one persons best interests may be conflicting to another. Indeed, the very reason that families tend to seek therapy is because they have conflicting goals and interests. The family therapist must insure that improvement in the status of one family member does not Occur at the expense of another family member. Other therapists implement the policy of not keeping secrets from other family members. They clearly discourage the sharing of any information that might lead to a special alliance with one individual and that excludes the remaining uninformed family members. The impact of the therapists values, unavoidable in any counseling process, can play a particularly role in marriage and family therapies. Issues discussed in family therapy elicit very important personal, familial, and societal values regarding preservation of the family system, extramarital relationships, and sex roles. Dealing with these values is not easy, particularly when the therapist confronts a conflict in values among different family members and is inclined to reinforce the beliefs and attitudes of one family member over another (Hines amp; Hare p. 65 1978). Premarital Counseling Couples now face more demands and have fewer supports than ever before. The typical complex marriage includes managing two careers while rearing children really requires that couples have very strong, well-established abilities to communicate, resolve issues, maintain support and set goals. Without this foundation, its easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and time pressures. Problems can intrude mu ch more easily than most couples realize. Therefore, premarital counseling is recommended for couples looking to eventually get married. Research shows that premarital counseling reduces the risk of divorce by up to 30% . Premarital counseling is a type of therapy that helps couples prepare for marriage. Premarital counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong, healthy relationship, giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help you identify weaknesses that could become bigger problems during marriage. There are a variety of formats of counseling through local psychology and counseling centers, including individual counseling, small group counseling and interactive seminars where couples participate with a large number of other couples. (Wright p. 65 1992) Characteristics and Qualifications of Marriage and Family Therapists To be qualified as a marriage and family therapist requires not just that you get the right degree, pass the right tests and meet the licensing requirements, but that you possess qualities that prove you to be both sensitive and firm. Corey, Corey and Callanan in Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions identifies personal characteristics for effective marriage and family therapists as being assertive, confident, accepting, appreciating the influence of diversity to just name a few. Self knowledge is predominantly vital for marriage and family therapists because when working with a family, their reactions and perceptions are influenced by their own regard to family of origin issues. Marriage and Family Therapists must be sensitive to dealing with peoples most personal and graphic secrets, shame, guilt and rage. A Marriage and Family therapist should be embarrassed to hear about these things or make distasteful comments about a chosen lifestyle or action, otherwise she risks shutting out the patient. An effective marriage and family therapists must listen to stories that are painful to hear but should remember that those stories are always more painful for the teller than the listener. An important quality in an marriage and family therapists is recognizing the difference between judging and advising. A good marriage and family therapist will help the patient with insights into sensible decisions that lead to greater personal happiness and responsibility but will not tell the patient what choice to make or ask the patient to adhere to the therapists own likes and dislikes. An marriage and family therapist should distinguish between dysfunctional qualities in a patient and those that are simply non-normative. Marriage and family therapists may hear confessions of illegal activity or hear from the victims of crimes, and legal codes dictate what they have to report. A therapists job is not just to listen but to encourage the patient to take action in his life to get the patient to see their actions in a clear light and make good decisions in turn. Marriage and family therapist can become eligible for state certification, or licensure, upon completion of their internship. First, candidates must register with the Association of Marital and Therapy Regulatory Boards. The Regulatory board will examine the applicants credentials, education and experience to establish competency before the applicant can qualify for testing. State certification costs vary from state to state. Each state has different rules regarding retesting if the candidate does not pass the test on his or her first attempt. Upon completion of the test, scores are validated and mailed to the candidate. A candidate who has passed the state exam is called a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is free to practice in a private or clinical setting. The educational requirements to become a Marriage and Family Therapist are regulated by each state and thus may vary; however, most will require a masters degree or higher in Marriage and Family Therapy or a related field from an accredited institution. It is essential for students to gain experience in working with a selection of families from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. A program that offers a all-inclusive course work and clinical supervision provides the ideal learning situation. Corey, Corey amp; Callanan p. 457 2011) Ethical Dilemmas is Marriage and Family Counseling Couples counselors and family and marriage therapists are likely to encounter many ethical dilemmas throughout their careers. Because of the nature of couples therapy, issues pertaining to informed consent, confidentiality, multiple relationships, and value systems can have a damaging effect of the counselor-client relationship if they arent handled appropriately and discussed by both parties at the beginning of the counseling relationship. Informed consent refers to the process of informing clients about the therapeutic process. Issues such as fees and payment schedules, appointment cancellation policy, theoretical framework that the counselor employs in his practice, approaches and techniques the counselor intends to use with clients and the limits of confidentiality should all be discussed. In addition to discussing verbal consultation, clients also should be given an informed consent package detailing all the information discussed in session. Clients should be asked to sign an informed consent document for both the client and counselors records. In couples counseling, informed consent prevents misunderstandings, disagreements and hostility between the counselor and the client. (AAMFT, 2011) One of the biggest ethical dilemmas in any kind of counseling is confidentiality. This is particularly complicated when it comes to couples counseling in which couples receive both individual and couple counseling. It is important for the counselor to determine early on in the counseling process whether information disclosed in individual counseling sessions will be kept confidential or if both individuals will sign waivers allowing whats discussed in private sessions to be brought up in couples counseling. According to the AAMFT Code of Ethics, counselors must discuss the limits of confidentiality with their clients and make sure clients understand these limits. Article 2. of the AAMFT Code of Ethics states that marriage and family therapists do not disclose client confidences except by written authorization or waiver, or where mandated or permitted by law. Verbal authorization will not be sufficient except in emergency situations, unless prohibited by law. When providing couple, family or group treatment, the therapist does not disclose information outside the treatment context without a written authorization from each individual competent to execute a waiver. In the context of couple, family or group treatment, the therapist may not reveal any individuals confidences to others in the client unit without the prior written permission of that individual. (AAMFT, 2011) In counseling, multiple relationships refer to a situation when the counselor and client are engaged in a sexual or nonsexual relationship outside the counseling relationship. Multiple relationships are often unavoidable, especially in small towns; as a counselor, you may attend the same church as your clients, your children might be on the same soccer team or you may serve on the same board or council. However, multiple relationships should always be avoided when possible. In couples counseling, multiple relationships can further complicate the counseling relationship if the counselor is involved in a multiple relationship with one client but not the other. The client that is not involved in the multiple relationships may feel that the counselor is taking sides or treating her unfairly. (Corey, Corey amp; Callanan 2011) At some point in their careers, counselors are likely to encounter couples with a value and belief system that differs significantly from their own. Within the counseling relationship, the counselor has a position of authority; the counselor must not take advantage of this position by trying to impose his values on the client or clients. Counselors must understand that individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities and religions than their own may have different value systems. It is not the counselors job to change his clients value system; it is only the counselors job to help clients become comfortable with the decisions they make within their personal value systems. Article 1. of the AAMFT Code of ethics states that marriage and family counselors respect the rights of clients to make decisions and help them to understand the consequences of these decisions. (AAMFT, 2011). Personal Reflections In todays world more and more people are experiencing life struggles when it comes to family. These issues can range from problems in a marriage, how to deal with your children issues and understand yourself and how to deal with your family and certain issues. The area of marriage and family counseling/therapy has had an outbreak over the past decade. The counselors are expected to work effectively with families experiencing a variety of issues and problems. In marriage and family therapy/counseling there are so many different types of techniques that are out there but should be used and looked upon not a cure, but a method to help mobilize the family. Choosing this topic wasnt hard for me because of the love I have my family and evaluating what I believe needs to be repaired and what I believe stands strong for us. I believe in saving marriages and families, I think it is really important. Having strong family and a stable marriage plays such a major part in kids lives today, they need a solid foundation in order to have a healthy life. Watching so many young couples get divorce after less than two years of marriage and seeing how the kids suffer really from the break up of the family. I believe that if younger therapist/counselors were out there and start getting involved in the community, church and conducting seminars relating to marriage and families this could be the beginning of change. This is why I chose this topic to research.

Profile of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal

Profile of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal Portugal is a country that has no coast along the Mediterranean Sea, only the Atlantic Ocean, so the countrys advances in worldwide exploration centuries ago may come as no surprise. That said, it was the passion and goals of one man who truly moved Portuguese exploration forward, the man known as Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460). Formally, he was Henrique, duque de Viseu, senhor da Covilh. Fast Facts: Prince Henry the Navigator Known For:  He founded an institute for explorers, and people from around the world visited to learn about the latest discoveries in geography and navigation technology.Born:  1394 in Porto, PortugalParents:  King John I of Portugal, Philippa of Lancaster, of EnglandDied:  1460 in Sagres, PortugalSpouse: NoneChildren: None Although Prince Henry never sailed on any of his expeditions and rarely left Portugal, he became known as Prince Henry the Navigator because of his patronage of explorers, who increased the worlds known geographic information through the sharing of knowledge and by sending expeditions to places previously uncharted. Early Life Prince Henry was born in 1394 as the third son of King John I (King Joao I) of Portugal. At the age of 21, in 1415, Prince Henry commanded a military force that captured the Muslim outpost of Ceuta, located on the south side of the Strait of Gibraltar, on the northern tip of the African continent and bordering Morocco. It became Portugals first overseas territory. On this expedition, the prince learned about gold routes and became fascinated with Africa. The Institute at Sagres Three years later, Prince Henry founded his navigational institute at Sagres on the southwestern-most point of Portugal, Cape Saint Vincent- a place ancient geographers referred to as the western edge of the earth. The institute, best described as a 15th-century research and development facility, included libraries, an astronomical observatory, shipbuilding facilities, a chapel, and housing for staff. The institute was designed to teach navigational techniques to Portuguese sailors, to collect and disseminate geographical information about the world, to invent and improve navigational and seafaring equipment, and to sponsor expeditions. Prince Henrys school brought together some of the leading geographers, cartographers, astronomers, and mathematicians from throughout Europe to work at the institute. When people returned from voyages, they brought back with them information about currents, winds- and could improve existing maps and seafaring equipment. A new type of ship, called a caravel, was developed at Sagres. It was fast and was much more maneuverable than prior types of boats, and though they were small, they were quite functional. Two of Christopher Columbus ships, the Nina and the Pinta, were caravels (the Santa Maria was a carrack). Caravels were dispatched south along the western coast of Africa. Unfortunately, a major obstacle along the African route was Cape Bojador, southeast of the Canary Islands (located in Western Sahara). European sailors were afraid of the cape, for supposedly to its south lay monsters and insurmountable evils. It also hosted some challenging seas: tough waves, currents, shallows, and weather. Expeditions: Goals and Reasons Prince Henrys expeditionary goals were to increase navigational knowledge along the western coast of Africa and find a water route to Asia, to increase trade opportunities for Portugal, to find gold to provide the trips own funding, to spread Christianity around the world, and defeat Muslims- and perhaps even to find Prester John, a legendary wealthy priest-king thought to reside somewhere in Africa or Asia. The Mediterranean and other ancient East sea routes were controlled by the Ottoman Turks and Venetians, and the breakup of the Mongol Empire made some known land routes unsafe. Thus came the motivation to find new water routes heading East. Exploring Africa Prince Henry sent 15 expeditions to navigate south of the cape from 1424 to 1434, but each returned with its captain giving excuses and apologies for not having passed the dreaded Cape Bojador. Finally, in 1434 Prince Henry sent Captain Gil Eannes (who had previously attempted the Cape Bojador voyage) south; this time, Captain Eannes sailed to the west prior to reaching the cape and then headed eastward after passing the cape. Thus, none of his crew saw the dreadful cape, and it had been successfully passed, without catastrophe befalling the ship. This was the first European expedition to sail past this point and successfully return. Following the successful navigation south of Cape Bojador, exploration of the African coast continued. In 1441, Prince Henrys caravels reached Cape Blanc (the cape where Mauritania and Western Sahara meet). The expedition brought back some blacks as exhibits of interest to show the prince. One negotiated his and his sons release by promising several slaves upon their safe return home. And so it began. The first 10 slaves arrived in 1442. Then it was 30 in 1443. In 1444, Captain Eannes brought a boatload of 200 slaves back to Portugal. In 1446, Portuguese ships reached the mouth of the Gambia River. They were the first Europeans to sail that, too. In 1460 Prince Henry the Navigator died, but work continued at Sagres under the direction of Henrys nephew, King John II of Portugal. The institutes expeditions continued to venture south, then rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and sailed to the east and throughout Asia over the next few decades. The European Age of Discovery and Its Aftereffects The 100-year period from the mid-15th century to the mid-16th is called the European Age of Discovery or Age of Exploration, when Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and France sent out voyages to previously unknown lands and claim their resources for their country. The cheapest labor to work on plantations for crops such as sugar, tobacco, or cotton were slaves, brought on a triangular trade route, one brutal leg of which was known as the middle passage. Countries that are former colonies still suffer the aftereffects today, especially in Africa, where there is poor or inconsistent infrastructure in many areas. Some of the countries just gained their independence in the 20th century. Sources Dowling, Mike. Prince Henry the Navigator. MrDowling.com. https://www.mrdowling.com/609-henry.html.â€Å"Henry the Navigator.†Ã‚  Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 16 Mar. 2018, www.biography.com/people/henry-the-navigator.Henry the Navigator.  Encyclopedia of World Biography.  Encyclopedia.com.  https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/spanish-and-portuguese-history-biographies/henry-navigator.Henry the Navigator Facts. YourDictionary.com. http://biography.yourdictionary.com/henry-the-navigator.History. Sagres.net. Allgarve, Promo Sangres, and Municipia do Bispo. sagres.net/history.htm.Nowell, Charles E., and Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. â€Å"Henry the Navigator.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 12 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-the-Navigator.The Portuguese Role in Exploring and Mapping the New World. Library of Congress. loc.gov/rr/hispanic/portam/role.html.Prince Henry the Navigator. PBS. https://www.pbs.org /wgbh/aia/part1/1p259.html.

Giraffatitan - Facts and Figures

Giraffatitan - Facts and Figures Name: Giraffatitan (Greek for giant giraffe); pronounced jih-RAFF-ah-tie-tan Habitat: Plains and woodlands of Africa Historical Period: Late Jurassic (150 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 80 feet long and 40 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; quadrupedal posture; longer front than hind legs; long, massive neck About Giraffatitan Giraffatitan is one of those dinosaurs that dances around the fringes of respectability: its existence is attested to by numerous fossil specimens (discovered in the African nation of Tanzania), but the suspicion lingers that this giant giraffe was actually a species of an existing genus of sauropod, most likely Brachiosaurus. However Giraffatitan winds up being classified, theres no doubt that it was one of the tallest (if not one of the heaviest) sauropods ever to walk the earth, with a hugely elongated neck that would have allowed it to hold its head more than 40 feet above ground level (a pose that most paleontologists think is unrealistic, considering the metabolic demands this would have placed on Giraffatitans heart). Although Giraffatitan does bear a marked resemblance to a modern giraffeespecially considering its long neck and longer front than hind legsits name is a bit deceptive. Most dinosaurs that end with the Greek root titan are titanosaursthe widespread family of thunderous, four-legged plant-eaters that evolved from the sauropods of the late Jurassic period, and were characterized by their large sizes and   lightly armored skin. Even at 80 feet long and upwards of 30 to 40 tons, Giraffitan would have been dwarfed by the true titanosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era, such as Argentinosaurus and the oddly spelled Futalognkosaurus, both of which lived in late Cretaceous South America.

Philosophy of God, Religion, and Spirituality Article

Philosophy of God, Religion, and Spirituality - Article Example The concepts are connected to God. Despite the differences in these understandings, both depict the concept of an individual may be religious but not spiritual (Berryman 67). Additionally, they both bring the understanding that a person can be both religious and spiritual in the context that religion connects to spirituality through an abstract feeling or a supernatural object that creates belief. Therefore, it is agreeable that religion defines guidelines and beliefs that its followers adhere to while spirituality defines an individual’s own reality, with direction to an object. Philosopher A is reluctant to quote that children are born with spirituality; thus, little should be done to influence their spirituality since they will bond to what society provides. On the other hand, B and I concede the necessity of upbringing children in an atmosphere where they get to understand the reasons why certain things happen in certain ways. Philosopher A espouses his position by identifying innate ability that children are born with that makes the newborn capable of identifying objects and activities or practices around them (the children or newborn). B identifies children as societal responsibility that will transform to become what they have been molded to be. From the above premises, it is certain that children are entire subjects of societal beliefs and dispositions. They often grow and become adults defined by the values the society has imparted on them. Certainly, Spirituality connects us to God through religion. Religion sets the guidelines and principles that direct an individual’s spiritual world (Berryman).

Sourcing Funds from Venture Capitalists, Creditors, Bonds & Equities Essay

Sourcing Funds from Venture Capitalists, Creditors, Bonds & Equities - Essay Example Funds are collected with some business objectives to realize the benefits of current innovations in the form of product launch, market campaigns, investments in profit making financial instruments, funding running projects with assured returns (like government projects bagged against tenders, infrastructure projects, conflict-free projects that have realized large payments prior to funding), etc. and invest the equities thus built (as an outcome of profits realized from projects) into diversifications, expansions, new Plant & Machinery purchase, new business initiatives, etc. This means that the primary objective of funding should be to invest in profit making ventures that can increase the valuation of the assets of the company and hence result in profits for the investors & in the process improve of share holder value. Faure-Grimaud and Gromb (2004. pp986-987) presented that block of funds raised by a corporation is controlled by insiders for the purpose of improving asset valuatio n of the corporation by allocating corporate resources or acquiring new resources. In the process of increasing firm's asset valuation, the shareholders increase their own wealth as well but this should be viewed more as an incentive of the shareholder's tangible value-increasing actions and not as the fundamental objective of fund raising. Amihud and Garbade et al. (1999. pp453) argued that after a company has taken the debt, a conflict of interest arises between creditors, managers and shareholders. Managers are forced by share holders to maximize their wealth and in this process may end up maximizing risk taking activities. Example, shareholders may be tempted to invest the debt (rather than equity) in high risk projects that may maximize equity at the cost of debt at the cost of overall devaluation of the company. These conflicts call for effective corporate governance which requires lot of contribution by finance managers. They have to manage the compromise between creditors and shareholders by keeping the former satisfied with the investment portfolio while controlling the wish list of the shareholders. Sources of Funds available in Europe (including Croatia) Bottazzi and Rin et al. (2002. 239-244) reported the source of long term funding in Europe (Croatia included) as the Venture Capitalist funding from Institutional Investors (includes endowments & pension funds), corporations, financial institutions (includes primarily banks, insurance companies and fund raisers from capital markets), Government and individuals. Unlike US, Europe has shown dismal maturity when it comes to venture capitalism as compared to US. This is understood from the fact that the funding contribution in US is largely by Institutional Investors (shows the maturity of US markets) but in Europe is largely from banks that control a major part of the mutual fund industry. There are many bank funded companies in Europe (having operations in

Uniforms in Public Schools Essay Example for Free

Uniforms in Public Schools Essay Since crime is a staple in almost every community, it only follows that public schools, as indispensable institutions in the community, may be vulnerable to criminal predicaments, if not inevitable victims of crime altogether. Crimes in public schools range from trivial to serious cases. According to a DPI news release, most of these crimes have something to do with possession, be of illegal substances, firearms, and explosives, or even petty alcohol (DPI, 2006). However, although not as rampant, crimes in public schools also involve robberies, as well as physical and sexual assaults. Even more alarming nowadays is the fact that public schools can also become targets of massacres or killings sprees, as was proven by the Virginia Tech incident in a CNN article dated April 17, 2007 (CNN, 2007). Thus, the current situation of public schools becomes rather alarming, and parents worry about their children who are in school. Marcus Nieto, author of Security and Crime Prevention Strategies in California Public Schools, says that the causes of school crimes vary along with different perspectives regarding the matter (Nieto, 1999). Joel Turtel, author of Public Schools, Public Menace, on the other hand, states that some consider lack of discipline in schools a primary cause, while others believe that it is lack of moral values and parental guidance (Turtel, 2005). Facts show that drug use is also a precipitant of school crime and violence, and there are those who maintain that it is due to â€Å"glorified violence† in culture and the media (Nieto, 1999). Survey shows that negligence of parents is also a contributing factor, and was also identified in a CNN poll as one of the top three causes of crimes in schools along with access to guns and the media (Nieto, 1999). Numerous strategies have already been and are being employed to prevent such crimes within schools. Such preventive measures range from simple and inexpensive to downright elaborate. Simple preventive measures include â€Å"assigning teachers in hallways, grouping troubled students in alternative schools, and requiring visitor registration (Nieto, 1999). † Other strategies involve creating a peaceful ambiance conducive to teaching and learning through â€Å"comprehensive school-safety plans, zero-tolerance policies for drugs and weapons, and community collaboration (Nieto, 1999). † More elaborate preventive measures include providing telephones for each classroom, installing surveillance systems, stationing of uniformed police officers and creating anonymous hotlines and websites through which anyone in possession of weapons and other illegal material can be reported. The U. S. Department of Education states in the Manual on School Uniforms that the increasing violence within schools prompts parents and faculty members to subscribe to the implementation of a school uniform policy (Department of Education, 1996). According to Linda Lumsden, the associate editor, and Gabriel Miller, a research analyst and writer for ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management at the University of Oregon, the matter of school safety is a concern that renders the idea of a dress code or uniform policy rather attractive (Lumsden Miller, 2002). However, the implementation of a uniform policy cannot possibly solve the crime problem altogether. The U. S. Department of Education furthers in the Manual on School Uniforms that â€Å"uniforms by themselves cannot solve all the problems of school discipline, but they can be one positive contributing factor to discipline and safety. † II. Presentation of Proposal A mandatory school policy may not be the entire solution for the growing levels of violence and public school crimes. However, it can contribute significantly, though indirectly, to the maintenance of a safe and disciplined environment that is conducive to learning (Department of Education, 1996). Moreover, the implementation of a dress code or school uniform policy comes along with several more benefits. The benefits enumerated by the U. S. Department of Education include: â€Å"decreasing violence and theft—even life-threatening situations—among students over designer clothing or expensive sneakers, helping prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school, instilling students with discipline, helping parents and students resist peer pressure, helping students concentrate on their school work, and helping school officials recognize intruders who come to the school (Department of Education, 1996). † More importantly, as one parent commented at a forum regarding dress code policies via internet e-mail, uniforms can help students take school more seriously with a renewed respect for that place where they are being prepared for the future, where they will, most likely, also be required to observe a dress code. III. Summary and Rebuttal of Opposing Views Studies may have shown that no difference exists between students who are in uniform and those who are not. However, a mandatory uniform policy provides a sort of equality among students, for the same dress code will more or less reduce the superficial gap between the impoverished and the well-off. This will then lessen the pressure among students, especially adolescents, to dress in order to fit in (Middleweb, 2000). The implementation of a dress code policy may also be contested by another counter-argument, that is, a required dress code will further challenge the purchasing power of families from the poorer neighborhoods. According to the U. S. Department of Education, non-uniform outfits are usually more expensive than uniforms. According to an August 2002 article of the Wall Street Journal, the cost of uniforms range from $25-$40 per outfit (NAESP, 2002). An article from USA Today states that parents more or less spend $185 for non-uniform outfits for each child. Nevertheless, implementation of a uniform policy might still be a burden for families who cannot afford them (NAESP, 2002). Still, school districts can come up with provisions to assist those families. For instance, the school itself can provide uniforms to the students who cannot afford them (Department of Education, 1996). Community and business leaders can also provide financial assistance, and school parents can help each other provide uniforms for their children (Department of Education, 1996). The school alumni can also donate their used uniforms to the less privileged (Department of Education, 1996). IV. The Justification for the Proposal Argument A. Feasibility The implementation of a uniform dress code in public schools is highly feasible, as many school districts have already required their students to observe a dress code. Cherry Hill Elementary was the first public school to subscribe to a mandatory uniform policy (NAESP, 2002). Then Long Beach Unified School District in California followed suit in 1994 (NAESP, 2002). Since then, more and more schools have adopted uniforms. Promowear listed the top ten cities with the most schools with a uniform policy, namely: Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York, Houston, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington DC, New Orleans, Detroit, Jacksonville FL, and Atlanta (NAESP, 2002). B. Cost-Effective As a proposition of policy, the implementation of a uniform policy in public schools calls for a change in the status quo. Thus, the cost of this change must be considered. However, if the advantages are weighed against the disadvantages, the implementation of a uniform policy in public schools is cost-effective. As was mentioned above, a mandatory uniform policy comes with several benefits while the disadvantages are only minimal. Furthermore, the disadvantages comprised by the supposed repression of self-expression and additional expenses can be addressed. The U. S. Department of Education recommends that the uniform policy should not prohibit wearing â€Å"expressive items† with uniforms like pins or buttons, for instance, â€Å"so long as such items do not independently contribute to disruption by substantially interfering with discipline or with the rights of others (Department of Education, 1996). † The financial dilemmas can also be solved, as was already mentioned above. C. Does it work? The uniform policy apparently works, as many schools, both public and private, have already been observing a mandatory uniform policy for years. D. How will it be implemented? According to the U. S. Department of Education, the decision to implement a mandatory uniform policy is made by â€Å"states, local school districts, and schools (Department of Education, 1996). † Moreover, in the Manual on School Uniforms by the U. S. Department of Education, it is stated that parents and faculty members must also be involved in the evaluation on whether or not to adopt school uniforms (Department of Education, 1996). V. Moral Acceptability Since there exists an assumption that students have a right to liberty of expression, a sort of controversy springs in the midst of the idea of implementing a dress code. â€Å"Although students retain constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court has held that these rights are limited (Madrid Garcia, 1999). † In fact, the Supreme Court has recently articulated that schools can instill students with â€Å"state sponsored values and ideals;† hence, school officials have the power to regulate expression, especially if they distract such values. Another warrant or assumption might be the aforementioned notion that uniformed students are no different from those who are not. Again, the matter of concern is not individual differences but the safety and well-being of the learning environment and the school population as a whole. VI. Conclusion A mandatory school uniform policy may not be the entire solution to the predicaments regarding crime and violence within public schools, but its positive contributions to making the school environment safe, disciplined, and conducive to learning must be considered. The adoption of a school uniform policy may entail minute disadvantages, but these can be addressed and are minimal compared to the benefits a uniform or dress code policy provides. The students only have to realize that it is for their own good. CNN. (2007). Witness survives by pretending to be dead. Retrieved April 25, 2007, from www. cnn. com/2007/US/04/16/vtech. shooting/index. html Department of Education, U. S. (1996). Manual on School Uniforms [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2007 from http://www. ed. gov/updates/uniforms. html. DPI. (2006). Latest Annual Report on School Crime and Violence Released. from www. dpi. state. nc. us/newsroom/news/2005-06 Lumsden, L. , Miller, G. (2002). Dress Codes and Uniforms [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2003 from http://www. naesp. org/ContentLoad. do? contentId=417. Madrid, M. J. , Garcia, E. A. (1999). STUDENT DRESS CODES: Constitutional Requirements and Policy Suggestions [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2007 from http://www. modrall. com/articles/article_13. html. Middleweb. (2000). Some Thoughts About School Uniforms. Retrieved May 03, 2007, from http://www. middleweb. com/INCASEUniforms. html NAESP. (2002). Public School Uniforms [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 03, 2007 from http://www. naesp. org/ContentLoad. do? contentId=929. Nieto, M. (1999). Security and Crime Prevention Strategies in California Public Schools. Retrieved May 03, 2007, from www. library. ca. gov/crb/99/12/99-012. pdf Turtel, J. (2005). Public School Prisons. Retrieved April 26, 2007, from www. homefires. com/articles/public_school_prisons. asp

Fences as Metaphor in Fences by August Wilson Essay -- essays research

As with most works of literature, the title Fences is more than just a title. It could be initially noted that there is only one physical fence being built by the characters onstage, but what are more important are the ideas that are being kept inside and outside of the fences that are being built by Troy and some of the other characters in Fences. The fence building becomes quite figurative, as Troy tries to fence in his own desires and infidelities. Through this act of trying to contain his desires and hypocrisies one might say, Troy finds himself fenced in, caught between his pragmatic and illusory ideals. On the one side of the fence, Troy creates illusions and embellishments on the truth, talking about how he wrestled with death, his encounters with the devil, later confronting the d...

Spin-Out Management: Theory and Practice Critique

Name: Yue Qi BA501 1H-Management Theory & Org-FA12 Instructor: Dr. Scott Burke Week 8(10/17-10/23)-Spin-out management: Theory and practice Critique Critique The article The Tensions of Organization Design: Optimizing Trade-offs discusses a new theory of organization design which is the tensions of organization design that managers must face and resolve. Robert Simons introduces four crises in different stages of organizational growth, including the crisis of leadership, the crisis of autonomy, the crisis of control, and the crisis of red tape.To anticipate and avoid the crises just mentioned, managers must design organizations that can adapt over time. And the author offers a number of tensions that affect organization design which we must be sensitive to the need to reconcile the tensions between: Strategy and structure, Accountability and adaptability, Ladders and rings, Self-interest and mission success. The author uses an organized thought process throughout the article that hel ps to develop a clear understanding of the subject matter.The author begins with a background of the importance of this subject and the factors that make the subject relevant in today’s environment: â€Å"New technologies have increased productive capacity, markets have become global, the pace of competition has quickened, work has become more complex, and the capabilities of workers have been enhanced. Information technology, outsourcing, and alliances have changed the traditional boundaries of the firm†. Then the article go with the negative effects an organization will encounter by doing nothing, using previous research from Greiner and Miller & Friesen.Next, the four tensions of organization design are discussed in a manner that is easy to comprehend. Each tension is given its own section that gives a background of the information that is about to be presented and the implications for organizations to tend to those tensions. A crisis of leadership emerges in an ent repreneurial structure when the leadership of founding entrepreneurs is no longer suitable for the management of a larger company and the organizational structure will change to functional structure which is based on specialization and separate business functions.Under this structure, decision making becomes highly centralized. As the firm is growing, the decision making prevents company from contact with customers and market and leads to a crisis of autonomy. Then the organizational structure will be redesigned as a decentralized structure. After the company's growth resumes, a crisis of control arises from a set of problems, such as waste of resource, decline of profit, and hampered coordination. The segment structure, which relies on the new centralized staff groups, like a new top management team, replaces the former structure.Over time, central staff groups become more powerful, leading to a crisis of red tape in which decision making slows down and a lot of time is wasted in m eetings. Therefore, the organizational structure will back to basics and cut through the bureaucracy. To avoid the crises just described, managers must always redesign organizations with changing circumstances. The second one is the tension between accountability and adaptability. There are always some imbalance problems between accountability and adaptability, like agency problem and ethic problem.For instance, top managers may focus on the accountability for today's goal to accomplish a great job while stakeholders may emphasize the adaptability for the future to retain competitiveness of the company. By using governance mechanisms, like stock-based compensation schemes or promotion tournaments and career paths, this kind of problem can be resolved. The third one is the tension between ladders and rings, namely, the tension between vertical hierarchy and horizontal networks. If an organization has vertical hierarchy, it chooses a mechanistic structure; and, an organization with ho rizontal networks has an organic structure.When managers trade off ladders against rings, they also balance differentiation and integration, centralization and decentralization, and standardization and mutual adjustment. The tension between self-interest and mission success is the last one managers should consider. The author demonstrates this problem through introducing the change of the view of human nature in organizations, and concludes that every individual in every organization makes some important decisions: Should I work toward my own self-interest, the goals of the subunit to which I belong, or the goals of the overall organization taken as a whole?If the tension is interrupted, employees may leave the organization and the organization will lose part of its workforce. Thus managers should recognize the importance of the tension between self-interest and mission-based goals to keep the advantage of human resources. In all, Robert Simmons’ work was organized in a way t hat made the information clearly understandable and that helped to engage the reader.

Economic Crisis in East Asian Country

A large economic downturn in East Asia threatens to end its nearly 30 year run of high growth rates. The crisis has caused Asian currencies to fall 50-60%, stock markets to decline 40%, banks to close, and property values to drop. The crisis was brought on by currency devaluations, bad banking practices, high foreign debt, loose government regulation, and corruption. Due to East Asia†s large impact on the world economy, the panic in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and other Asian countries has prompted other countries to worry about the affect on their own economies and offer aid to the financially troubled nations (Sanger 1). The East Asian crisis has affected almost all of the Asian ations, but the three hardest hit countries are Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea. The panic began in Thailand in May of 1997 when speculators, worried about Thailand†s slowing economy, excessive debt, and political instability devalued the baht as they fled for market-driven currencies like the American dollar. Indonesia†s economy soon fell soon after when the rupiah hit a record low against the U. S. dollar. Indonesia is plagued by more than $70 billion worth of bad debts and a corrupt and inefficient government. Thailand and Indonesia also suffer from being overbuilt during real estate booms that Reven2 were the result of huge influxes of cash by optimistic foreign investors. South Korea faltered under the weight of its huge foreign debt, decreasing exports, and weakening currency (Lochhead 4-5). Other major countries touched by the crisis are Japan, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Japan†s economy is burdened by $300 billion in bad bank loans and a recession. Chinese banks may carry bad banks loans of up to $1 trillion. The banks lend 66% of China†s investment capital to state-run industries that only produce 12% of China†s industrial output (Manning 2). Malaysia and the Philippines are both faced with devalued currencies and lowered stock markets The implications of the Asian financial crisis are many. A declining Asian economy will reduce demand for U. S. and other countries† exports. The devalued currencies of East Asia will make Asian imports seen cheap and will lead to increased American imports, thus increasing our trade deficit (Lochhead 2). A worldwide banking mergency could result if the embattled Asian economies failed to pay back their loans to the U. S. and other countries (Duffy 2). If the Asian economies fall further, in a desire to raise cash, they might sell the hundreds of billion dollars of U. S. treasuries they now own, leading to higher interest rates and an American recession (Lacayo 2). An article in the Economist reported that the Asian economic turmoil and the layoffs that may result, could instigate increased discontent and possibly give rise to violent strikes, riots, and greater political instability (1-2). Reven 3 Since the financial tumult causes instability in the world market, several solutions have been proposed designed to restore the health of the Asian economy. The International Monetary Fund is offering $60 billion in aid packages to Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea (Lacayo 1). The aid will be used for converting short-term debt to long-term debt and to keep currencies from falling lower in the world market (Passell 2). Lower currency values make repaying loans to other nations more difficult (Sanger 1 ). The aid packages are tied to measures that will ensure that the recipient countries reform their economies. Some of the measures the nations must follow are increasing taxes to decrease budget deficits, ending corruption, increasing banking regulation, improving accounting information so investors can make better decisions, closing insolvent banks, selling off inefficient state enterprises, and increasing interest rates to slow growth and encourage stability (Lacayo 3). Hopefully these market reforms will allow East Asia to improve its economic outlook. Since most of the Asian nations have balance budgets, low inflation, cheap labor, pro-business governments, and high savings rates, the long-term outlook for these countries is very good (Marshall 1). The financial crisis, instead of destroying the Asian tigers, will merely serve as a much needed lesson in debt management, orderly growth, competent accounting practices, and efficient government. Considering the size of Asias contribution to the world economy, a rapid recovery will be greatly anticipated.

Pointing Fingers

Pointing Fingers Recently I was on a chat consisting of published writers. They were bitching. They had been with publishers for years, going back before self-publishing was a serious thing. The books they had with their publishers were no longer selling well, and they wanted their rights back. The conversation turned churlish, and I just hushed. To speak up wouldve meant being turned upon, and while I can handle debate, I sensed a high level of emotional angst. So instead, I just watched and listened. Once upon a time, these authors were thrilled to be published with a traditional press. They collected royalties. They held book signings. They made money. But along came self-publishing with a roar. Many of these authors jumped on board with new books, hungry for the higher returns, no longer wanting the traditional publisher. Now, even self-publishers are hurting. So many people got on board that train that authors on both sides, traditional and indie, struggle for the income they once collected. Its called supply and demand; too many books for the same number of readers, and the new authors settle for less, never having known the higher incomes of those who preceded them. These upset authors bashed the traditional publishers, but of course, the publishers werent in the room. The  complaints were these: 1) The old books are not selling. The royalty checks are small. Therefore, the publisher is doing nothing. 2) The authors asked for their rights back to these books, with the publishers pointing out the books were still under contract, and the publisher wanted to continue selling those books. How selfish of the publisher. 3) The authors werent being heavily promoted 4) They then said, without proof, that the publisher did nothing for authors, at all. Yet I and several others remained quiet. . . those of us who were being promoted. . . but who also fought hard to self-promote. Theyd totally forgotten the joy of landing their contracts, the royalty checks they received when their work was fresh, and the promotion done on their behalf once upon a time. Theyd forgotten being chosen. Instead, the industry changed on them, and they chose to blame it on the publisher. Publishers have been victims in this industry, too. Authors now make less, but those who promote more make more. Those who write more, make more. Publishers took leaps of faith with those authors, and at the time the authors were thrilled. What they never expected was this: being indie means taking full responsibility for your creative and entrepreneurial sides. Not blaming others. Its all on the author now, and a lot of them dont see that yet.

The History of Leap Year

The History of Leap Year A leap year is a year with 366 days, instead of the usual 365. Leap years are necessary because the actual length of a year is 365.242 days, not 365 days, as commonly stated. Leap years occur every 4 years, and years that are evenly divisible by 4 (2004, for example) have 366 days. This extra day is added to the calendar on February 29th. However, there is one exception to the leap year rule involving century years, like the year 1900. Since the year is slightly less than 365.25 days long, adding an extra day every 4 years results in about 3 extra days being added throughout 400 years. For this reason, only 1 out of every 4 century years is considered as a leap year. Century years are only considered as leap years if they are evenly divisible by 400. Therefore, 1700, 1800, 1900 were not leap years, and 2100 will not be a leap year. But 1600 and 2000 were leap years because those year numbers are evenly divisible by 400. Julius Caesar, Father of Leap Year Julius Caesar was behind the origin of leap year in 45 BC. The early Romans had a 355-day calendar and to keep festivals occurring around the same season each year a 22 or 23 day month was created every second year. Julius Caesar decided to simplify things and added days to different months of the year to create the 365-day calendar; the actual calculations were made by Caesars astronomer, Sosigenes. Every fourth year following the 28th day of Februarius (February 29th) one day was to be added, making every fourth year a leap year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII further refined the calendar with the rule that leap day would occur in any year divisible by 4 as described above.

Tesco in the Chinese Food Retail Market Dissertation

Tesco in the Chinese Food Retail Market - Dissertation Example Most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my parents who offer me the greatest support and encouragement. Table of Contents Table of Contents 5 List of Tables 7 List of Figures 8 1.0 Introduction 9 1.2 Research Question 13 2.0 Literature Review 14 2.3.1 PEST 21 2.3.2 SWOT 26 2.3.3 The Five Forces 27 2.4 Sustainable competitive advantage 32 2.5 Factors influencing strategies for achieving a competitive advantage in China 35 3.0 Methodology 40 4.0 Result 51 4.1 Carrefour Supermarkets 54 Organisation Overview 54 Operations and Business Strategy 55 Domestic Competition 57 Competitive Advantage 58 4.2 Wal-Mart 58 Organisation Overview 58 Operations and Business Strategy 59 Domestic Competition 60 Competitive Advantage 60 5.0 Discussion 62 Organisation Overview 62 Operations and Business Strategy 63 Domestic Competition 65 Competitive Advantage 65 6.0 Conclusion 68 7.0 References 70 List of Tables Table 1. The amount of sales and the amount of chain stores of Carrefour in China Page 33 List of Figures Figure 1.0 Porter's Five Forces Model (Porter 2001). Page 20 1.0 Introduction China's admittance into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001 opened up the Chinese market to the rest of the world. From the end of 2004, the Chinese government began lifting restrictions on foreign retailers, which enabled retail operations that were 100% foreign owned to operate (LaSalle 2005, Chen 2006, Tao 2006). This opportunity was obviously seized upon by retailers like Tesco, Carrefour and Walmart who dominate the foreign-owned food retail market. The Chinese market is particularly attractive as it is not... Introduction China’s admittance into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001 opened up the Chinese market to the rest of the world. From the end of 2004, the Chinese government began lifting restrictions on foreign retailers, which enabled retail operations that were 100% foreign owned to operate (LaSalle 2005, Chen 2006, Tao 2006). This opportunity was obviously seized upon by retailers like Tesco, Carrefour and Walmart who dominate the foreign-owned food retail market. The Chinese market is particularly attractive as it is not homogenous and encompasses numerous target markets which represent purchasing power for retailers. This is particularly true of the markets based in the urban areas, as it is reported that there is an income disparity between rural and urban customers. The urban per capita income is three times more than that of rural areas (LaSalle 2005, Chen 2006, Tao 2006), which presents profit to the food retailers. The opening up of the markets in China has also introduced competitive advantage to the Chinese market. Prior to 2004, foreign owned companies had to form joint ventures with Chinese companies and were limited to owning a 65% stake in the business (LaSalle 2005, Chen 2006, Tao 2006). They also had restrictions on the number of stores that could be opened in a geographical region, which gave the domestic retailers a competitive advantage. Domestic retailers had access to the entire Chinese market, and as a result they also had the monopoly on the knowledge.