Steve Jobs and Mary Kay. The personal computer industry as a Case Study

Steve Jobs and Mary Kay. The personal computer industry as a competitive environment - Case Study Example On other hand, Mary Kay’s organisation is a network DSO where workers are legally independent thus they present a totally different context for the founder with regard to control and maintaining commitment (surname 135). Nevertheless, to enable us arrive at the decision that Steve Jobs and Mary Kay being different we use Weber’s definition of the elements that are requisite for charisma. Jobs was a visionary who sought to change the world through technology (Yoffie & Kwak 1) and most definitely manifested exceptional ability with regards to coming up with strategies that enabled Apple to make a turnaround from making losses of US$ 1.6 billion to making profits in five straight quarters. In addition to this Jobs, like Weber’s elements of charisma dictate, was able to demonstrate his ‘gift of grace’ through the continued success of his mission to turnaround Apple into a ‘happening’ brand. Mary Kay differs from Jobs in the sense that she was able to not only attract a following but also convert them into devotees of her way of working. Steve Jobs seems unable to transfer his ideals to his ‘charges’ in that he has to be present for his vision to be realized. Mary Kay on the other hand has been able to arguably transfer her vision to her followers to prepare them for succession. In a nutshell, we can argue that Steve Jobs is a strategy genius in so far as setting the direction for Apple to go while Mary Kay is more of an inspirational leader who attracts independent individuals and gives them the belief that they will succeed if they join her and follow her tenets. Historically, what were Apple’s major competitive advantages? Apple derived its competitive advantages from the following three unique attributes: technology leadership, proprietary technologies and its horizontal and vertical integration. Apple’s technological leadership is demonstrated several times through its early years. Good examples are: the Apple II that drove the PC industry to US$ 1 billion in annual sales in less than three years, and the Lisa – the first PC to use a graphical user interface and a point-and-click mouse in addition to having a windowing system that allowed multiple applications to run at the same time (Yoffie & Kwak 2). Apple consistently launched revolutionary products that set the bar for com puting. For Apple to retain its technological leadership it relied mainly on its proprietary technologies such as its superior capabilities in graphics, design and sound. Unlike its main rivals, Apple had its own proprietary operating system (OS) thus it could easily integrate it with its other software applications to enhance its users’ experience. In the case we are informed that Apple machines were simple machines that ordinary people could use straight from the box (Yoffie & Kwak 1) a competitive advantage that we can attribute to the seamless integration of all Apple software and hardware. The fact that Apple had its own proprietary technologies meant that the organization could increase its customer value proposition through bundling for example the Mac was sold bundled with an OS, Mac application software and other peripherals (Yoffie & Kwak 3). These made its products to be more versatile. Finally, we can argue that it would have been difficult for Apple to retain its technology leadership and proprietary technologies without its extensive horizontal and ve

Environment Influences Essay Example for Free

Environment Influences Essay There is a belief among experts that everyone is born as a blank slate. We do not know anything about the world and those around us and we spend our childhood years learning, emulating, adjusting, and finally creating our individual personas based on these experiences. Now the main question being asked by the other experts these days is â€Å"Does the environment influence people?† The environment has an effect on a person in more ways than one can fare imagine. My argument is that the environment does influence people, children most specifically, by building character and freethinking. We can also view the influence of the environment on people in terms of scientific and sociological aspects. In more scientific terms, one can say that an environment is based on the physical, geographic, biological, social, cultural, and political conditions that a person has to deal with on a daily basis and learns to equip himself regarding how best to handle those situations. In terms of society links, the environment has a direct bearing on how lives and societies evolve. People, progress, development, and the environment are like an inter-linking chain where all of these varied aspects converge to form a new form of thinking or character in a person. In terms of childhood development, we can safely say that the environment has the heaviest influence over a child. A child’s environment is not the same as in his home environment where everything is controlled by his parents. Even though parents may raise and rear a child in the best way they know how, that is not the environment that influences him the most because he spends most of his time outside the house. The environment outside the house is where the child begins to develop his character and sense of ones self. Outside the home, a child tries to become part of and to identify himself with a peer group. A child does this by allowing himself to be influenced by the people around him and following their examples and making it suit their own individual needs. . His environment also influences the culture of a child. Culture, is something that a person must experience first hand in order to learn from it. Therefore, since you have to live in order to experience culture, one can consider culture to be a transmission from the environment of the child or adult. Just like influence, culture is passed on from person to person. Even though parents try to provide the â€Å"right† environment for their children, the simple truth is that there is no â€Å"right† anything. The environment will influence the child no matter how you try to control it because a parent can only do so much to influence the child who spends most of his time outside the home. Of course, aside from children, the environment that they interact in can also influence adults. The social environment of a person dictates the way he shall conduct himself in public. There are a large majority of studies that support the argument that the environment does greatly influence the personality of people because the way his environ ment views his physical appearance will determine how he will act out in public. It is this belief that has most experts, such as doctors and mental health professionals debating various theories regarding the mental development of people. Certain theorists are of the opinion that the environment a person grows up in has a direct effect on his mental health and mental development. So there must be a concentration on the environmental development of a person’s mind. So what do these developments and studies about how the environment influences people tell us? It tells us a number of major things. First of all, the environment is not just located in one localized place. It also cannot be in a controlled space for long. The environment of children proves to be a very delicate and intricate part of growing up. The environment of a person directly influences the mental development, and personality of the child or adult. Secondly, the social environment of an individual influences his behavior as these so called â€Å"norms† show us how to act and how to have other people treat us. It is this social influence that trains a person to conform, comply, and follow the dictated norms of the environment he exists in. Yes, the environment does have a direct influence on a person. The direct influence of the environment on people cannot be measured in terms of quantity. This topic is so vast and highly debatable that it will take more than a three page essay with which to defend my stand. Therefore, I would like to conclude my essay on the following note. Each man is placed in an environment where he will best grow as a person. Be it in youth of maturity, that person will have an equal amount of exposure to good and bad environments. The choice of which environment he will allow to influence him solely depends on greatly influenced he is by the environment and his peers. The influence of the environment ends when the person makes the conscious decision to follow a certain path for himself be it in along the path of his environment or in an opposite direction. At the end of all this, the environment gave the individual a unique personality and coping ability that is designed to best help him navigate the perils of his environment. An environment will only influence a person as far as he is willing to be influenced. Everything else pertaining to influencing the individual mentally, socially, and emotionally are all conscious decisions made by the person him or herself based upon the influences of his immediate and past environments Games and Violence Computer games have seriously caught the attention of Mass Media and nowadays every channel considers its duty to remind people how much damage these games cause to children and adults. The increasing amount of games with violent scenes sock the society and makes it very aware of them.It is already common knowledge that violent games cause violence in people. This fact is not even doubted by the majority of people. Every other person says that the reason lies in games being too close to reality. The opinion that games make violent actions normal for the player and therefore make the player pitiless can be often heard. In this case the game is the cause of violence and the act of violence by itself is a consequence. And can real-life violence exist in the reality of a game? Is the transfer of the definition of â€Å"violence† with all its peculiarities from one world to another justified only according to the external similarity of these two worlds? Games originally are entertainment. Contemporary games are very realistic and for this reason they are a source of great experience for the player and develop the imagination. Games are entertainment and even more then that. In addition, the statistics of the New York University lead by Green and Bavelier claim that the player preferring active games get an improvement of some types of brain activity, related to processing of visual information. In particular, game players cope with problems of simultaneously tracking several moving objects at the average level of 30% better then people who do not play active computer video games. The â€Å"gaming† violent experience may not be the cause of violent behavior in reality. None of the playi ng experience will become the priority in making important decisions concerning problems in real life. A game is an abstraction. A player gets abstract tasks and acts according to abstract rules.Games are also the possibility to be however a person wants to be and to rest from the outside world for some time. But what if a person gets so much excited with the game scenes that he becomes violent in reality? Then, it proves that the games cause people to become violent. Let us stop for a moment right at this point. Those who do not participate in this type of activity usually make the conclusion of presence of violence in the game-world. Nobody will ever hear this kind of statement from those who play, from those who know the rules of the game and understand that it is just a virtual world. A psychologically healthy person will never confuse or connect these two different worlds. A game is a virtual world with visual images very similar to human. These images represent by themselves nothing but simple playing obstacles. A game may potentially give the opportunity to â€Å"destroy the obstacles† that may not be destroyed according to the rules but it is more about personal choice whether to do it or not. This leads us to the conclusion that violence is not a consequence but the cause. People who are originally prone to violence may get irritated by games and perform violence in the â€Å"real world†. But in this case violence in games is a simple justification of the violent nature of the player. Is a College Degree Necessary to Become Successful The value of higher education cannot be underestimated considering the contemporary realities of the competitive marketplace. A higher education degree literally serves as the first impression of a jobseeker applying for employment. Namely a college degree is a person’s pass to the business world and so work-related opportunities are enormous. Truth is, college degrees are never the same if we take into account the reputation of higher establishment as well as the prestige of a particular field of studies. The today’s holders of college degrees have unprecedented opportunities of job search since the employment market has largely expanded throughout on-line domain offering freelance and part-time vacancies. Though, in both real and virtual employment, it is always a person’s CV (resume) that is initially considered by employer and in 95% of cases the inclusion of college degree is a must to get a well-paid job. The abovementioned proves that college degree always pays off, and therefore this essay aims to discuss the present-day realities in due respect. Overall, college education provides students with appropriate knowledge and skills to be used later in real life circumstances and working environment. At that career choices do not matter since the contemporary market is vast and enormous. In particular, college education enables students to gain preliminary information about many essential aspects required to cope with real-life challenges. At that students expand their knowledge and acquire practical skills by grasping abstract theories and concepts. A college curriculum teaches students how to clearly express personal standpoints and opinions both in conversation and writing. In most cases students acquire global thinking as well as that relevant to the solution of specific problems. Furthermore, students learn how to work in teams and solve tasks in cooperation; this enables to establish team spirit and ability to make personal contribution to overall mutual achievement. Various case studies based on real-life experiences teach students to better presume and therefore adapt to further complexities. To this end, it goes without saying that a college degree always means more employment opportunities since it is the identification of one’s academic qualification. In comparison, high school education is not enough to meet the ongoing challenges of today’s market place, and therefore the overwhelming majority of jobs require a college degree. In addition to the expanded job opportunities, a bachelor’s degree means higher earning prospects compare to a person with a high school diploma. Therefore, our earnings initially depend on the quality of diploma we receive, and to a great extent college marks (grades) may be compared to the monthly salary rate in the future In actual fact, there is a problem concerning studying at a college. College education does not depend only on student’s talent, successfulness or willingness to study. The cost of education is therefore high issue on the agenda which indicates the affordability of college education. Many students cannot afford college education due to various reasons and/or particular life conditions. Hence, most students rely on loans and/or other means of financial aid to afford their college courses. Apart from financial reasons, of course, the initial factor is high self-motivation to study at college. Whenever there is no family tradition or lack of overall interest, or nobody to recommend college education, a young person may easily opt for other (alternative) choices. In addition to this, college education a ssumes preliminary determination meaning that a person should choose a single subject area (law; medicine; architecture) to master in college and therefore build his/her career. However, the initial indecisiveness does not mean a student should know everything in advance. A college education is therefore designated to provide a student with proper and substantial knowledge and skills; nevertheless, the major direction should be chosen well in advance. One other initial problem is that young people mistakenly assume that a college education is rather difficult. To this end, it is worthy to note that studying at college involves student support and tutoring. Most western colleges are equipped with the necessary technological devices and easily accessible academic database to assist students while performing their assignments. Certainly, there are alternatives (e.g. community colleges) to four-year colleges that provide sufficient level of education, though only bachelor’s and master’s degrees are genuinely valued on the competitive marketplace, and therefore most students try to complete their education at four-year colleges (College Board, 2008) . Considering the aforementioned, the most important issue on the contemporary agenda would be not the importance of a college degree as such, but its real quality. This is actually the root answer to the problem of why some people are becoming more successful, while others not. Specifically, the quality of a college degree indicates that college graduates obtained certain amount of knowledge and managed to process and, most importantly, absorb it. A core subject, such as law or medicine whatever, requires proper understanding, a contribution of solid amount of time and additional resources to make it a future profession that would bring profits. This is to ay a college degree as such is not the panacea in a working world. A proper college diploma therefore assumes that a college graduate is able to prove it with a certain extent of academic knowledge. Regarding practical skills, they are further acquired within internship, practice and actually working environment. Many people, howeve r, fail to prove their knowledge acquired during college years with practical skills and therefore are made to change profession/occupation. Historically education has been regarded as a key to prosperity, and college system of education starting from the 17th century has proved this approach to be right. Also, throughout historical evolution, conventionally males have gained better education compared to females. However, times have changed and starting from the second half of the 20th century the situation has been equalizing. The today’s working environment is highly diverse providing vast opportunities to the qualified specialists and therefore knowledge has been regarded as a decisive factor. Religious, sex, colour, socio-cultural diversities are more and more eliminated since companies need qualified college graduates that can prove their knowledge in practical conditions. This is the way most companies win a competitive advantage for qualified employees are regarded as an invaluable asset by most corporations. Such fair treatment based on professional qualities rather than individual features is reasonable an d justified. Based on qualifications, there is hardly any difference between pay rates; nonetheless, in most industries men still earn more than women. This indicates that discriminatory issues are more and more tolerated and the quality of education approved by a college degree is a real value at the contemporary marketplace (Leonhardt, 2008). One more aspect to consider is the vast employment opportunities accessible to college graduates. The point is that the modern world has become flexible and changing as never before. Internet and cutting-edge technologies indicate the permanent progress and thus success is now associated with s permanent change. Successful people permanently adjust to changing circumstances and diverse environments to reap most benefits. Thereafter, the work-related relationships between employees and employers have also altered dramatically. There are millions of freelance job opportunities enabling people to work form the comfort of their home and rationally maintain work-life balance. To keep workforce loyal most companies need to establish flexible working practices, including part-time jobs, paternity leaves, childcare leaves, swapping shits etc. Therefore, HR departments lessen work stress and enable their employees to lead reasonable (normal) lives. In addition to this, employees are granted with numerous bonuses and incentives that often serve as sound motivators to keep loyal to the corporate policies (Walton, 1985). Due discussion might be continued and further expanded – though the core theme remains the same – only proper extent of knowledge and skills approved by a college degree enable a person to change jobs and seek better option for career-building and professional advancement. A college degree is a precious asset we use during lifetime to properly build up our professional growth and development. Therefore, whenever there is a chance, a person should use four college years to acquire this asset and ensure his/her further career prospects. As a rule, college graduates make social strata regarded as elite and many of them are becoming very successful to donate money to charities and therefore reduce poverty. Hence, knowledge brings profit and profit is used for prosperity. In the 21st century this particular formula should be applied in all walks of life to make the world a better place. 1. Argumentative Topic (Alcohol danger for under age drinking) Alcohol addiction is largely featured by general tolerance for alcohol with periodically increasing amounts to achieve the same degree of satisfaction, having a persistent desire or the inability to lower the amount of consumed dozes, and continuing consuming great amounts of alcohol despite realizing that the habit causes physical, psychological and socio-economic problems. Such dependence is much intensified during the teenage period (13-19 years) when young organism acquires negative effects that eventually destroys the rest of a person’s life. Alcohol addiction is mostly featured by psychological and physical dependence on daily basis. Hence, physiological, behavioral and cognitive perceptions are mainly centered on alcohol rather other life values. Alcohol desire is deemed a central descriptive characteristic of the dependence syndrome (Mental Health Matters, 2005). In addition, alcohol dependence is featured by irresistible desire or compulsion to frequent alcohol takings, and consequently difficulty to control alcohol-taking behavior including post-consumption consequences; disregard of outer difficulties caused by enormous alcohol consumption. As is proved by numerous under-age examples of alcohol consumption and addiction, the dependence syndrome is mostly revealed in either alcohol taking or a desire to take alcohol (Mental Health Matters, 2005). The need for alcohol is present when a person craves alcohol and cannot limit actual amounts or whenever a drinker enlarges alcohol consumption to feel high. Then, this state is called alcoholism which is particular to the majority of drinkers who practiced alcohol consumption during the underage stage. Differences between men and women at their workplace Introduction: A very important issue concerning diversity is the difference between men and women at workplace. As the matter of international experience of hiring people it is very important to point out that there have been a great number of cases connected with discrimination. We consider this to be a vital problem even nowadays, in spite of the change of the reasons for discrimination. If in the past it was a major problem for women to find a job and to prove that they can provide results equal to men, in the present time the situation has quiet changed. In addition to that women start getting benefits and are sometimes the only possible employees for a given workplace. Women establish a very strong emotional contact with the client; at the same time they are treated as being less professional than their male colleagues. Male workers according to the opinion of the employers are more rational. They complement and substitute the women’s emotional â€Å"contamination† by the rational aspect of the matter they are working with. Due to this employers sometimes prefer to eliminate either the â€Å"emotional†, or the â€Å"rational† factor and put â€Å"labels† on the employees taking their gender as an evaluating criterion. But nowadays everything has changed and men and women perform each other’s work excellently. We have observed in practice this difference, when a job, considered to be a â€Å"male job† was done perfectly by a woman but did not get the well-earned recognition in the company. One of the psychological reasons for that, as we assume, is the incapability of the authorities of the company to deal with a stereotype and change their ways according to the changing world around them. So therefore, it is the lack of flexibility. Women nevertheless are treated with a higher loyalty in any decent company. And sometimes their work results may be viewed as just needing some correction in comparison to the same work presented by men that would be considered wrong. But all these are exaggerated examples. The cultural component of this issue should be taken in count, too. For example is we take a black male and a white woman we may meet with a â€Å"special† treatment to the first one, due to the company’s respect and desire to show that they do not have any racial prejudices. We, believe, that the difference between men and women still exists and women and the quality of their work nowadays displace men. Nevertheless, we have examined another opinion that concerns women. Rose Mary Wentling suggested another point of view on the differences between men and women at workplace. The author asserts that women are still experiencing difficulties in their workplaces. The main arguments that are brought are the next: women are not given the standard of work performance when they apply for a â€Å"male† job, therefore do not get the detailed and clear picture of their involvement; women are not included in all the kinds of communication throughout a company; women lack the opportunity to †grow, develop, and contribute to company profitability†. According to this point of view women are not given the opportunity to introduce their ideas and innovations to the company’s functioning. But the main issue to work on is that the expectations of the employers concerning women are different than the ones concerning men. Conclusion: Women are ready to travel and move and relocate, and to make â€Å"the same commitment to the company as men aspiring to leadership positions† due to the reassessment of the woman’s role in the society. Analyzing this different point of view we came to a conclusion that both men and women face gender difficulties at any kind of job. So therefore we consider providing them with equal conditional vital for the benefit of the company itself in the first place. A modern company should not pay attention to the gender attribute. Both men and women need to have career advancement opportunities and counseling. Men and women are potential employees of any company, no matter what position we are talking about. From with combination of two points of view we get an understanding that both men and women have examples of being not treated properly at their workplace in spite of having the required skills for the place. And it is not possible to say that either men or women are facing greater difficulties in their professional lives. So it can be said that the difference did not disappear, but it is not a single-sided issue. Dorm life vs. Home life Almost every young person entering the period of college education faces the necessity to leave home and to live in the on-campus dormitory. The on-campus dormitories have been â€Å"survived† by many people and some of them have absolutely opposing opinions. The change from home to dorm life can be called one of the most important event in the life of any young person first of all because it is the first extreme life change and also because the consequences are still unknown. Home life and dorm life represent two different ways of living in different conditions. Nevertheless they have their similarities and differences that can be seen only after a deep analysis of the issue. The choice between home life and domestic life can lead to complete transformation of the life of a young man. On-campus life inevitably affects the life of the person and along with home life have their pros and cons. On-campus dormitories may be a pleasant experience for one person and a terrible test for another one. For some people dorm living is a necessity. There are several objective facts concerning dorm living. First of all any individual living at the dorm will have to face the necessity sometimes to live together with up to three students. Only those individuals who have an exclusive position within the university may count on having a room without roommates. The quality of the beds sometimes requires repair and the closet very often cannot fit in all the belonging of the roommates. The dorm does not provide the individuals with an actual kitchen and has small space for refrigerating food. The dorm offers public baths which are not comfortable under any condition. The next fact is about one of the most important ones – the dorm cuts individual space to its possible minimum as the person can hardly ever be alone. Another aspect of the dorm living is that the individual can make a lot of friends and find a lot of people who have the same interests. At the same time dorm living sometimes leads to early sexual intercourses and a false â€Å"feeling of complete independence†. Home living is another option sometimes chosen by young people. First of all home living proved the student with the possibility to get healthy food, freshly cooked on a normal kitchen. The fact that the meal can be actually cooked is a plus for the saving in the individual’s budget. Home living requires having personal chores and complete responsibility for the place the person lives in. As for personal hygiene at home, it is private and the individual can spend as much time on it as he desires. Home living guarantees the fact that people come to visit the person most often under the condition of a beforehand notice. The individual may do whatever he feels like doing and not get involved in activities he has no actually desire for. In other words, home living requires a lot of responsibilities but at the same time offers personal space and the opportunity to relax, study or work any time of the day. Home and dorm living have a lot of contrasts such as: food, privacy, hygiene, leisure, etc. and similarities such as certain expenses required for living. If to compare home living to dorm living a few fact are worth of mentioning. In home living the individual has at least one full room which is completely under his â€Å"jurisdiction†. Home living offers all the required personal space and the individual’s movement within the house are not limited as they are in the dormitory. The dormitory does not have a comfortable bed and also the individual cannot equip everything in the most suitable manner for him. A home living individual has all the required space for his belonging and an equipped kitchen to cook food. Nevertheless, in the dorm the food expenses can be spited among the roommates. The dorm’s public bath has obvious disadvantages as compared to a private home bath. Also home, as compared to dorm living provides more individual space as the person at home still has time to be alone and in the dorm it is practically impossible. If the person does not want to party all the time, home living is the best option. In order to conclude it is important to say that the basic differences between the dorm living and home living are the individual interests of the person and his aims in life. If dorm living is a necessity for one individual but he has a high motivated for education – dorm living will not change anything. And at the same time if a individual without motivation is a subject of home living there is no guarantee that all these personal space and freedom will lead to a better future. Therefore the main factor here is the personality of the dweller.

The Role of the Cartels, the United States and the Mexican Federal Gove

The â€Å"Drug War† along the border of Mexico and the United States is one of the longest coordinated engagements of law enforcement (who have accepted the aid of the Mexican military) in both countries’ history (Winslow, 2015). The history of this unofficial war is extraordinarily complicated; rife with both political and criminal players, violence, corruption, bad policy, and controversy. Its importance to America and Mexico cannot be underestimated, especially in its role in legislation, law enforcement techniques, and public opinion. The sheer size and scope of the war surpasses general understandings of battlefields and skirmishes; but it is obvious where the most â€Å"warfare† is occurring—the border (Pacheco, 2009). To explore all of these concepts would take substantial time; so in favor of brevity and efficiency this paper will attempt to provide the reader with a general overview of the current situation, and then go into depth about several subjects: the history, the key participants, the drugs at issue, the range of the war across Mexico (at current date), political controversies accompanying, and proposed solutions by experts. To put current day events into context, one should first glance at the history behind the Drug War. Payan contended in his article The Drug War and the U.S.-Mexico Border: The State of Affairs that the roots of the drug war stem from the resentment policymakers had towards the counterculture revolution of the late 60’s. Mind-altering drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin were in great demand, and many small gangs in Mexico had taken advantage of the opportunity. Nixon saw the rising clamor from conservatives against the trafficking and use of these substances; so he instituted the DEA, coin... ...3/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=fc2f2fad-9bc3-4172-b521-6917fa15c2e7%40sessionmgr13&vid=4&hid=7 Payan, T. (2006). The Drug War and the U.S.-Mexico Border: The State of Affairs. South Atlantic Quarterly, 105(4), 863-880. doi:10.1215/00382876-2006-006. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. http://libproxy.wcjc.cc.tx.us:2253/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1e7fd309-7c13-410d-92f4-45d5d11968f1%40sessionmgr11&vid=16&hid=12 Vance, L. M. (2011). The Other Unconstitutional War. New American, 27(21), 20-24. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. http://libproxy.wcjc.cc.tx.us:2253/ehost/detail?sid=e07d566c-eb43-4b0b-bb3c-df8a4aedcd7a%40sessionmgr111&vid=3&hid=123&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=67789567 Winslow, Don. America's war on drugs is empowering Mexico's drug cartels CNN. June 28, 2015, Web. 4 Oct. 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/28/opinions/winslow-drug-war-folly/

The Biography of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen Essay -- Race in Amer

The union and biography of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen is a unique tale. Nonetheless, when we think of major influences in black history theirs is not amongst the names that readily come to mind. When discussing great advocates for equality and rights for the African Americans, names such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and other prominent advocates widely televised are thought about. But seldom, if ever, are we are we told the tale of two seemingly distant African-American men, who unite for a similar cause and later leave one of the most important impacts made in the city of Philadelphia. Although Jones and Allen were not popular as other well-known leaders, their background story is much more distinctive. Both born into slavery in Delaware, living just a few hours away from each other, they both eventually earned their suffrage and began their own lives. But as providence would have it their individuality was much more entwined than they knew. Absalom Jones a nd Richard Allen were great men who were able to transform their lives from bondage to founders of great establishments and principal figures amongst Philadelphia’s African- American community. Absalom Jones was born into slavery in Delaware, Sussex County on November 1746. Jones and his family served Benjamin Wynkoop who was a well known merchant. Due to his illiteracy, Jones sought to teach himself how to read and write by spending his allowances on spelling books and reading materials. Well into his childhood Jones was separated from his mother and six other siblings, but Wynkoop chose to keep Jones. This serves as an opportunity for Jones to begin earning wages and was given permission to attend a school set up for African-Americans. Into 17... ...ractices in Pennsylvania.† CommonwealthofPennsylvania, February 21, 2012, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/community/18326/religion/673925 â€Å"Richard Allen.† Christianitytoday , August 8, 2008, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/denominationalfounders/richardallen.html â€Å"A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People... â€Å" PBSOnline, February 21, 2012 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h456.html Dean Kevin, â€Å"Saints of the Week.† EpicospalCathedral.org, last modified February 20, 2012, http://www.episcopalcathedral.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=73 Scott Miltenberger, â€Å"Absalom Jones.† OxfordUniversityPress, February 21, 2012 www2.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0004/e0320 â€Å"Mother Bethel AME Church.† IndependenceHallAssociation, February 21, 2012, www.ushistory.org/tour/mother-bethel.htm

Company Law Question Solution Essay

QUESTION Ramrajee Baboo is a young attorney with a Master’s Degree in Corporate Law, specialising in project financing documentation. Ramrajee has been appointed to the Board of UDECOTT as it moves forward in a new program based on project financing for its new proposed constructions. UDECOTT is a state enterprise and Ramrajee is paid a stipend of $3,000.00 per month. UDECOTT had previously engaged the services of a general commercial law practitioner, Buji Bamee, to provide legal advice at a cost of $50,000.00 per month. Unknown to Ramrajee, the Chairman of the Board in an informal meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of UDECOTT agreed to terminate the contract of the consultant and have Ramrajee vet the project financing documents in her capacity as a director. Ramrajee was never informed of this decision. Two weeks prior to a board meeting, Ramrajee received board papers including certain project financing contracts for discussion at the next board meeting (scheduled to take place two weeks later). Ramrajee perused the papers cursorily and made certain brief notes. At the board meeting the documents were discussed and Ramrajee made certain general observations. The agreements were subsequently executed. It later transpired that the documents were not properly vetted and UDECOTT suffered a 10 million dollar loss. The agreements were not examined by any attorney other than Ramrajee. The government minister responsible for UDECOTT is quite annoyed and would like someone to be held liable. The Chairman said he relied on Ramrajee to vet the documents but Ramrajee has stated that her duty is that of a general review and would have needed detailed legal analysis beyond what is contemplated by her role as a director to uncover the deficiencies in the documents that occurred. Advise the Minister as to the conduct of Ramrajee. ANSWER ISSUE: Did Ramrajee exercise the level of skill required of her as director? LAW: Directors’ behaviour in office is governed by statutory and common law. Directors hold a fiduciary responsibility to the company for which they work which requires them to properly manage the assets of the company within the powers conferred on them. Under statute, according to section 60(b) of the Companies Act of Trinidad and Tobago, a director shall â€Å"direct the management of the business and the affairs of the company†. In effecting this management, he must do so in accordance with section 99(1) of the said Act which states that a director and officer of a company shall in exercising his powers and discharging his duties: a) Act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interest of the company; and b) Exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. These are all to be done in the best interest of the company. Where directors act in accordance with section 99, they may be indemnified against any liabilities incurred as a result of holding such a position pursuant to section 101. Under common law, the director owes a fiduciary duty to the company, as found in Pardy v Dobbin NFCA 11 (CanII), which â€Å"exacts from directors a strict ethic to act honestly and in good faith in the corporation’s best interest†. ANALYSIS: As a director of the board, Ramrajee owed a very specific duty of care towards the company. In particular, she was expected to exercise diligence and a level of skill that reflected her qualifications, as found in section 99(1)(b). While Ramrajee was unaware of the informal decision to terminate the consultant who was hired to perform general commercial law activities, the mere fact that Ramrajee was a member of the Board and had specialized skills in project financing documentation means that it would be expected that she use these skills. Moreover, the highly-paid consultant was a general practitioner and did not have this specialized skill. In addition, she was given two weeks to review the documents during which time she could have scrutinized them, but she did not. Her duties under statutory and common law required her to review the documents carefully. She did not exercise the level of care and skill required by her fiduciary position which was not in the best interest of the Company. As she breached section 99 of the Companies Act, as well as her common law fiduciary duties, she should be held liable and will not be indemnified by the company under section 101 for the loss sustained. RECOMMENDATION: Minister, she is in breach of her statutory and common law duties and should be held liable.

Line Item Veto Definition - History and Examples

Line Item Veto Definition s The line item veto is a now-defunct law that granted the president absolute authority to reject specific provisions, or lines, of a bill sent to his desk by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate while allowing other parts of it to become law with his signature. The power of the line item veto would allow a president to kill parts of a bill without having to veto the entire piece of legislation. Many governors have this power, and the president of the United States did, too, before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the line-item veto unconstitutional. Critics of the line item veto say it granted the president too much power and allowed the powers of the executive branch to bleed into the duties and obligations of the legislative branch of government.  This act gives the president the unilateral power to change the text of duly enacted statutes, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in 1998. Specifically, the court found that the  Line Item Veto Act of 1996 violated the Presentment Clause of the Constitution, which allows a president to either sign or veto a bill in its entirety. The Presentment Clause states, in part, that a bill  be presented to the president of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it.   History of the Line Item Veto U.S. Presidents have frequently asked Congress for line-time veto power. The line item veto was first brought before Congress in 1876, during President Ulysses S. Grant’s term of office. After repeated requests, Congress passed the Line Item Veto Act of 1996. This is how the law worked before it was struck down by the high court: Congress passed a piece legislation that included taxes or spending appropriations.The president lined  out specific items he opposed and then signed the modified bill.The president sent  the lined-out items to Congress, which had 30 days to disapprove of the line item veto. This required a simple majority vote in both chambers.If both the Senate and House disapproved, Congress sent  a bill of disapproval back to the president. Otherwise, the line item vetoes were implemented as law. Prior to the act, Congress had to approve any presidential move to cancel funds; absent congressional action, the legislation remained intact as passed by Congress.However, the President could then veto the disapproval bill. To override this veto, Congress would have needed a two-thirds majority. Presidential Spending Authority Congress has periodically given the President statutory authority not to spend appropriated funds. Title X of The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 gave the president the power to both delay the expenditure of funds and to cancel funds, or what was called rescission authority. However, to rescind funds, the president needed congressional concurrence within 45 days. However, Congress is not required to vote on these proposals and has ignored most presidential requests to cancel funds. The Line Item Veto Act of 1996 changed that rescission authority. The Line Item Veto Act put the burden on Congress to disapprove a line-out by the presidents pen. A failure to act meant the presidents veto take effect. Under the 1996 act, Congress had 30 days to override a presidential line item veto. Any such congressional resolution of disapproval, however, was subject to a presidential veto. Thus Congress needed a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override the presidential rescission. The act was controversial: it delegated new powers to the president, affected the balance between the legislative and executive branches, and changed the budget process. History of the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas introduced the initial legislation  with 29 cosponsors. There were several related House measures. There were restrictions on presidential power, however. According to the Congressional Research Service conference report, the bill: Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to cancel in whole any dollar amount of discretionary budget authority, any item of new direct spending, or any limited tax benefit signed into law, if the President: (1) determines that such cancellation will reduce the Federal budget deficit and will not impair essential Government functions or harm the national interest; and (2) notifies the Congress of any such cancellation within five calendar days after enactment of the law providing such amount, item, or benefit. Requires the President, in identifying cancellations, to consider legislative histories and information referenced in law. On  March 17,1996, the Senate voted 69-31 to pass the final version of the bill. The House did so on March 28, 1996, on a voice vote. On April 9, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law. Clinton later descried the Supreme Courts strikedown of the law, saying it was a defeat for all Americans. It deprives the president of a valuable tool for eliminating waste in the federal budget and for enlivening the public debate over how to make the best use of public funds. Legal Challenges to the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 The day after the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 passed, a group of U.S. senators challenged the bill in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Judge Harry Jackson, who was appointed to the bench by Republican President Ronald Reagan, declared the law unconstitutional on April 10, 1997. The U.S. Supreme Court, however,  ruled the senators did not have standing to sue, tossing their challenge and restoring the line item veto power to the president. Clinton exercised the line item veto authority 82 times. Then the law was challenged in two separate lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A group of lawmakers from the House and Senate maintained their opposition to the law. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan, also a Reagan appointee, declared the law unconstitutional in 1998. His ruling was affirmed by the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the law violated the Presentment Clause (Article I, Section 7, Clauses 2 and 3) of the U.S. Constitution because it gave the president the power to unilaterally amend or repeal parts of statutes that had been passed by Congress. The court ruled that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 violated the process that the U.S. Constitution establishes for how bills originating in Congress become federal law. Similar Measures The Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act of 2011 allows the president to recommend specific line items be cut from legislation. But its up to Congress to agree under this law. If Congress does not enact the proposed rescission within 45 days, the president must make the funds available, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Abortion & Thomson essays

Abortion & Thomson essays When it comes to Thomsons theory of abortion, I completely agree with her in many ways. In the case of rape, the woman did not willingly try to get pregnant. She did not ask to be. It is the womans right to be able to have the ability to get an abortion. To say that she can not have one is just plain wrong. Some might ask well, what if the womans life is at stake and having the child will kill her? This again should be the womans choice in to have or not have an abortion. Thomson uses the violin player as an example to this by saying that after finding out that you were plugged in to this famous person to save his life that in one month you would die because it was putting additional strain on your kidneys. Most in this case would not sacrifice their life for this person that they do not know. So therefore, there should be no difference in being able to do the same in the whole abortion case. The third case in which she says that it is ok to have an abortion is if the woman has ta ken reasonable precautions not to get pregnant. Once again I agree with her in this case. Lets take for an example a older couple who do not want children. They take all the precautions not to get pregnant such as using birth control. They end up getting pregnant and want to have an abortion. It is not right for us to say that they can not have one because they did not ask/want to get pregnant. Some might say well they can give the child up for abortion. But in saying that should you make the woman carry this child around for 9 months and go through all the pain that comes with this when she did not want the child and did precautions not to get pregnant. It should be her right to be able to say that she wants to get rid of it. Thomson makes another good point too. She states that abortion is wrong if it is done just for the sake of convenience. Lets use an example on this one also. A woman who is seven months...

When a Man loves a woman essays

When a Man loves a woman essays In the movie When a Man Loves a Woman it is about a woman who has a problem with drinking and gets put into rehab and when she gets out of rehab her and her husband start to have problems and separate, then they realize their problems and decide to give it another try. In the beginning of the film Michael does not know that there are problems in their marriage because Alice is impersonal and is not communicating her feelings with him, she counts on alcohol to take her problems away. Some of her problems are that Michael has decision control over the children, he undermines her authority and belittles her in front of them, and that her mother criticizes her all the time. When she tries to talk to him about how she feels when he goes away on trips he doesnt talk about it, he just says that when he comes back that they will take a trip to get away. When they go on the trip they start to metacommunicate. When she goes into the hospital she becomes more interpersonal by telling him about hiding the alcohol and hitting her daughter. After Alice gets out of rehab she sits down and tells Michael to ask her anything. He asks how it all got started, she tells him that no one really knows, that it could be that her father was an alcoholic or that maybe it was the fact that her mom made her feel like she was a nobody. Her self-concept about herself is that she is guilty, sad, depressed, frustrated, confused and that she would like to feel happy for once. The reflected appraisal comes from her mothers comments, her mother would blame Alices lapses on her father. The motive of Alices drinking is her mothers comments and her husbands stereotyping by taking her on trips. Towards the end of the movie when he comes homes and sees Gary there. He goes upstairs and she goes up after Gary leaves. They start talking and the talking turns into punctuation when she blames him for Gary leaving. Af ...

It depends on the writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

It depends on the writing - Essay Example On the contrary, you find the same bosses, employers or supervisors advising on safety and against overloading. Despite all the overload, there is little motivation done to the workers as they still the same amount of compensation they get on normal routine. The cartoonist, Rick Enright, has been creating cartoons that especially criticize on industries, motivation, work effort, enthusiasm, delegation and responsibility, weights and heavy lifting which are mostly published on the website: jantoo.com (Enright 1). In his cartoon above, there are two people with uniforms and helmet, representing workers. However, between the two workers, one is adding more load onto the other’s already heed load. At the same time, the one adding the load is giving out a caution that the one being loaded should not to â€Å"over-do it.† The writing, â€Å"SAFETY FIRST† is put here to show how people usually say what they don’t actually mean. This is because, if one was to put safety first, then there was not supposed to be the overloading to the point that some boxes have even fallen. The fallen box shows how the rate of overload to an extent that some cannot be attended to. If we take the loader to be the one delegating responsi bilities, we can say that the cartoon depicts a situation where those who delegate duties usually try to show they care about your safety, so they advise you not to overload yourself. However, in the real sense, it is them; the loaders, or those who delegate duties, who delegate much responsibilities and duties to you. One might wonder whether it true that these people really mean what they say. The main problem here, is that these delegators would like to accomplish targets. By so doing, they delegate excess duties to their juniors to be accomplished within a shorter period. On the contrary, when it comes to the time of giving bonuses, the same delegators do not remember those who really worked hard and deserves the bonus. Instead, those who do not

Price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Price - Essay Example Price is also very import in marketing. It is one of the four variables that are considered when coming up with marketing strategy. In the marketing mix, price is the utmost factor which determines how the commodity is accepted in the market and in which market segment that product will have to be sold. It is also used by business when they are developing the marketing plan for the products. In our ordinary life we use the term price in order to refer to the amount or the quantity of payment that is made in order to acquire something. In this regard it is taken as a form of compensation that is given in exchange for something. When not referring to the economical terms, price has the same meaning of the compensating for something that has been acquired. When a criminal is arrested and incarcerated, we usually say that one has paid the price of the crime. This implies that the criminal has been compensated for the crime that has been committed. Therefore it is an exchange that is used to settle a debt. But in the economic world, price is used to refer to the exchange ratio for goods or services. It is the amount that is given in order to acquirer something which means it is an exchange reaction that is equal to what is being acquired. In this case we should not only be referring to the price in terms of the monetary exchange but it can also mean the value that is equal to something. For example when use din barter trade it would be an exchange ratio that equates the product or service that are being exchanged. In this case if we take that we have two goods x and y, the price of commodity x will be the ration y/x and in the same manner the price of y will be the ration x/y. (Buiter, 1999) However this concept has not been used always to refer to the price and there are old confusion that still compound the concept. In this case we can take that the value of a commodity of are services to be equated to the quantity countered using a common unit of values which may even have been based on imagination. This is usually done in order to compare different goods and services. This is the unit value of something. But most of the time, we usually confuse the unit value of something with price based on the fact that market values is usually counted as the quantity of a commodity which is multiplied by the nominal price of the commodity. The theory of price The theory of price was constructed in order to show how the price of goods and services is arrived at in the market. The price theory asserts that the market price of a commodity is usually based on two opposing considerations. As we have said about if we base the market price on the unit value of the product, this may not be true because the unit value may be created on imaginations. Therefore the theory of price presents factors that prevail in the market and which help to determent the common stand in the market. In this case the buyer and the seller are the two people who are involved in the whole process. It is the willingness of the buyer to buy a product or a service and the willingness of the seller to dispose that product or service that will determine the price at which they will arrive in. Therefore setting of the market price is an interactive process that involves the buyer and the seller. Therefore on one side stands the demand factor while which is based on marginal utility of the product while on the other side

International accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International accounting - Essay Example First Republic serves clients through offices in eight geographic regions." (First 2005 inside cover). From this description the reader can see that the First Republic Bank wishes to set itself apart from its competition by offering services that high net worth individuals and entities might find desirable. The bank plans on offering these services with 'extraordinary and personalized service'. Will this sense of caring show through in their reporting process, or will the statement end up being just another bunch of words mouthed by little people in dark suits with hands in their customer's pockets attempting to take every last dime they can find Comparing the description found in First Republic's annual report to the one in Commonwealth Bank's is an interesting comparison, mainly because the comparison cannot be made. Instead of containing basic information about what the company does, who it caters to and what it is doing to capture more business from those customers, it jumps right into a Chairman's message that tells how much money was made by the bank, how well they did in 2005, and how much more money they plan on making in 2006 (and for years to come). There was not one word concerning the customer. The first thing a reader notices in comparing the 2005 Annual Reports from the Commonwealth Bank (Australia) and the First Republic Bank (United States) is that one is a stodgy, black and white, basic, conservative report, while the other is a vibrant, four- color, easily read and understood creation that enhances the reader's enjoyment of what is essentially a financial report concerning a year already in the past. That the four-color report comes from the company in the United States is not necessarily surprising, but what is surprising is that a progressive country such as Australia would not foster a comparable report by one of its similar banking institutions. Of course, it could be the fact espoused by UK firms a few years ago concerning financial reports in general and the reports constraint on their ability to act. "The case financial institutions argued that the limited quality of public information, especially in financial reports, was a major constraint on their ability to act." (Holland 1999 pg. 161).There are a variety of rules that constrain financial reporting in general, and some of those rules are aimed in particular at the financial services industry. Both the First Republic and the Commonwealth annual report adhered to the majority of those general rules. Some of the rules included in both reports as espoused by the Securities Handbook and are as follows: 1). Section 210.2-01 is designed to ensure that auditors are qualified and independent of their audit clients both in fact and in appearance. 2). In determining whether an accountant is independent, the Commission will consider all relevant circumstances, including all relationships between the accountant and the audit client, and not just those relating to reports filed with the Commission. 3). Any partner, principal, shareholder, or professional employee of the accounting firm, any of his or her immediate family members, any close family member of a covered person in the firm, or

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, Essay

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, and explain what conclusions Plato drew for the methodolog - Essay Example Of importance to note is that, universals are made up of a system where particular laws are made under an ultimate law. Moreover, the virtues involved emanate from a general principle, over and above, the mathematical theorems of one fundamental truth. It is worth noting that the basic categories in, which universal are brought together revolves around beauty, truth, goodness (Cooper 2). Apparently, goodness is the greatness of the three. Understanding the nature of knowledge must entails the idea types which it belongs to, the eternal laws where it could be said to be a passing instance, as well as, the context in which it possibly fits in. For instance, the study of the earth entails perceiving its place with regards to the solar system, with the inclusion of it being a stage in the heavenly bodies, over and above, clarifying that its motion takes place in accordance to the gravity law (Cooper 3). Plato has his argument placed in the fact that knowledge cannot be achieved by use of experience but by reasoning, use of sense where they are meant to push the reasoning towards the consciousness of what it already has although at the extreme opposite, it could mislead the conscious. Apparently, experience has never been used to produce knowledge because the principles used in knowledge are universal and are very crucial in this doctrine as compared to experience that displays specific and casual ideas. In essence, experience must be preceded by something already in mind that could be used to interpret the necessary impressions of concerned human beings. Theory of Knowledge through Astronomy Consequently, Plato emphasis that human knowledge is inborn especially when he depicts an instance of a slave boy who was not educated and upon being asked question by some philosophers, he was able to think critically and hence attempted and displayed arithmetic and geometry knowledge. Through this instance, Plato argues that teaching only evokes what is already underlying. Si mply, a theory of knowledge is used to provide a clear conception of education (Meynell 13). In light of this, Plato uses dialectical reasoning particularly in astronomy where he is said to have attempted to use the elimination method giving the general analysis of astronomy. In fact, he emphasis on studying astronomy through mean of problems, over and above, eliminating the motion that is related to the stars in the sky. In the early days, Plato demonstrated a persuasive mode when he argues through writing on the use of embroidery in the sky as a model in studying other things that are associated to the nature of knowledge (Meynell 16). In reference to Timaeus, Plato is demonstrated in the modern world as a philosopher who expounded critically on the nature of knowledge. Apparently, he is quite impressed by the universal’s order and beauty especially through his mandate of explaining the universe in terms of purpose, and benefits (Meynell 19). Views of Aristotle about the na ture of change represent a departure from Plato It is apparent that there are distinct concepts of change evidenced by the transition of Plato philosophical concepts to Aristotle concepts. Nevertheless, this is arguably as a result of the ignorance of Aristotle complete system. Basically, Aristotle’

Mini case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mini case - Essay Example The assistance and training to be offered to Kay would be first to evaluate her performance based on the achievement of set goals. This evaluation would provide analysis for advising her on the next steps to take to improve. A review of the bonus remuneration to appreciate the efforts Kay puts in her work. A review of the rise in ranks in the company and recognition of the efforts Kay has put to place the company where it is currently. If I were Dave Parrett, I would simply sit down with Kay; explain to her the situation about the management and explain to her about the consequences of her recent performance. After this I would then advise her on the need and ways to redeem her reputation back at the company. I would advise her to consult with the younger salespeople in the company to get their views of their work, and get fresh new ideas on improving her work tactics. Salespeople, like any other workers, have a ‘work span’ in the company based on their performance. They many have great influence on the business based on their performance. The best thing to do with salespersons that are no longer great is to give them a consultancy role in the company so that they may aid decision making with their expertise and

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, Essay

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, and explain what conclusions Plato drew for the methodolog - Essay Example Of importance to note is that, universals are made up of a system where particular laws are made under an ultimate law. Moreover, the virtues involved emanate from a general principle, over and above, the mathematical theorems of one fundamental truth. It is worth noting that the basic categories in, which universal are brought together revolves around beauty, truth, goodness (Cooper 2). Apparently, goodness is the greatness of the three. Understanding the nature of knowledge must entails the idea types which it belongs to, the eternal laws where it could be said to be a passing instance, as well as, the context in which it possibly fits in. For instance, the study of the earth entails perceiving its place with regards to the solar system, with the inclusion of it being a stage in the heavenly bodies, over and above, clarifying that its motion takes place in accordance to the gravity law (Cooper 3). Plato has his argument placed in the fact that knowledge cannot be achieved by use of experience but by reasoning, use of sense where they are meant to push the reasoning towards the consciousness of what it already has although at the extreme opposite, it could mislead the conscious. Apparently, experience has never been used to produce knowledge because the principles used in knowledge are universal and are very crucial in this doctrine as compared to experience that displays specific and casual ideas. In essence, experience must be preceded by something already in mind that could be used to interpret the necessary impressions of concerned human beings. Theory of Knowledge through Astronomy Consequently, Plato emphasis that human knowledge is inborn especially when he depicts an instance of a slave boy who was not educated and upon being asked question by some philosophers, he was able to think critically and hence attempted and displayed arithmetic and geometry knowledge. Through this instance, Plato argues that teaching only evokes what is already underlying. Si mply, a theory of knowledge is used to provide a clear conception of education (Meynell 13). In light of this, Plato uses dialectical reasoning particularly in astronomy where he is said to have attempted to use the elimination method giving the general analysis of astronomy. In fact, he emphasis on studying astronomy through mean of problems, over and above, eliminating the motion that is related to the stars in the sky. In the early days, Plato demonstrated a persuasive mode when he argues through writing on the use of embroidery in the sky as a model in studying other things that are associated to the nature of knowledge (Meynell 16). In reference to Timaeus, Plato is demonstrated in the modern world as a philosopher who expounded critically on the nature of knowledge. Apparently, he is quite impressed by the universal’s order and beauty especially through his mandate of explaining the universe in terms of purpose, and benefits (Meynell 19). Views of Aristotle about the na ture of change represent a departure from Plato It is apparent that there are distinct concepts of change evidenced by the transition of Plato philosophical concepts to Aristotle concepts. Nevertheless, this is arguably as a result of the ignorance of Aristotle complete system. Basically, Aristotle’

Changes in UAE Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Changes in UAE Culture - Essay Example The major contributing factor toward the multiculturalism of the UAE is the massive in-pour of foreigners specially Westerners in the UAE. Another contributing factor is government’s flexible policies and frequent efforts to modify the country’s environment so as to match the needs of the foreigners. The main reason the government is doing this is that the government wants to provide the foreigners with a homely environment so that more and more foreigners work in the UAE and contribute to the strength of its economy. The positive effect of multiculturalism of the UAE is that it has provided the indigenous people with an opportunity to easily integrate into the contemporary lifestyle. For centuries, the Arabs have lived the life of nomadic tribes that were totally unaware of technology or the fundamentals of the modern lifestyle. Living with the foreigners in their own country has enabled the people to live and work in the foreign countries. The negative effect of multi culturalism of the UAE is primarily the concerns of the indigenous population to preserve its original culture as it is readily merging into the whole range of cultures that are dwelling together in the UAE. Preserving the indigenous culture of the UAE is primarily the government’s responsibility. To achieve this, the government can take initiatives that describe the indigenous culture of the UAE, for example, making films, theatres, and songs that reflect the original values of the UAE culture. The government has taken certain steps to preserve the indigenous culture e.g. â€Å"To act as repositories of this heritage and a source of information for both visitors and the younger generation who have not experienced a traditional lifestyle, museums and heritage centres have been developed throughout the UAE† (UAE Interact, n.d.), but objective measures need to be taken to actually sustain this culture in a time where it is threatened by external cultures. Change 2 Increa se in the Number of English-Speaking Indigenous People of the UAE I have chosen this area of change because there is a considerably increase in the number of the indigenous people of the UAE who know and can speak and understand English today than there were 40 years before. Today, there is a very large population of foreigners in the UAE and though many of them are not Americans and have arrived there from such South-East Asian countries as Indian, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, yet they commonly communicate with one another in English. Owing to the omnipresence of the English-speaking foreigners in the UAE, the indigenous people feel the need to learn to speak English because they have to encounter the English-speaking foreigners on daily basis and everywhere, be it market or workplace. For centuries, the people in all of the Arab countries including the UAE have not felt the need to learn English, but now they have. The main contributing factor behind increase in the number of English -speaking indigenous people in the UAE is the fact that they have to interact, live, and work with the foreigners on daily basis whether or not English is the first language for the foreigners. Since a vast majority of the foreigners from the South East Asian countries cannot speak Arabic, so English has been established as a standard language for communication with

HIV Vaccines Essay Example for Free

HIV Vaccines Essay A vaccine is a biological preparation intended to improve an individual’s immunity to a specific illness or disease. Most vaccines are composed of weakened or killed forms of an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism. A typically safe version of the pathogen, which is unable to cause the disease, is then produced by the altered or inactivated state. Once the vaccine is administered into the blood stream, the agent is recognized as a foreign body, which then triggers the process of active immunity, which in turn builds up antibodies to fight this particular pathogen (Wisegeek). Vaccination is intended to provide protection so that if the body comes in contact with the same type of disease in the future, the immune system will already have memory antibodies to fight the disease before symptoms occur. Since the introduction of vaccines for illness causing pathogens, diseases such as measles, polio and the common flu have greatly decreased in occurrence. With that being said, not all vaccines have been proven to be safe or effective. One virus that does not yet have an effective preventative vaccine is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is a retrovirus that attacks the human immune system. Transmission of the virus can occur in many different ways; through contact of infected secretions of one person with the genital, oral, or rectal mucous membranes of another person. HIV can also be transmitted through blood and from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or through breast milk (Healthmagic, 2010). The virus is characterized by its two glycoproteins: gp120 and gp41. The larger of the two glycoroteins is gp120, this molecule is the primary site of attachment to CD4 receptors of the host cell and while also triggering inflammation when shed into the blood. Gp41 promotes fusion to a target cell while remaining on the cytoplasmic membrane. HIV infects four types of cells: helper T cells, macrophages, smooth muscle cells and dendritic cells. Attachment and entry of HIV into T cells and macrophages occurs in three steps. In the first step, gp120 binds to the CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) molecules on a host cell; forming a complex known as gp120-CD4 complex. Second, this complex binds to a chemokine receptor, which removes gp120 from the virion. This process if finalized when the virion binds to a cell. Once bound to a cell, the virion’s envelope contacts and fuses with the cytoplasmic reticulum through the medium of the gp41. The HIV capsid then gets insinuated into the cytoplasm; however its covering of gp41 gets left behind and becomes part of the cells cytoplasmic membrane. With gp41 remaining on the cytoplasmic membrane, it is then able to fuse with over 500 cells to form a syncytium, which is a giant cell with multiple nuclei. This fusion is very dangerous because it allows HIV to move from cell to cell without being exposed to any antibodies that are in the blood. During synthesis, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, transcribes the double stranded DNA using TRNA as a primer in the cytoplasm. Reverse transcriptase is prone to making a lot of errors during this process which generates an abundance of new antigenic variations of HIV. The double stranded DNA then enters the nucleus and is inserted into a chromosome by the enzyme integrase. Once the double stranded DNA is integrated into the cellular DNA it remains a part of it for life. Once the newly infected double stranded DNA is integrated into the chromosome, it cannot be changed or counter acted. However, there are various therapeutic vaccines to help regulate the virus (Bauman, 2011). Therapeutic vaccines are designed to help treat people who are HIV positive by controlling the virus. Those who are infected with HIV and live with it for an extended period of time, start to develop antibodies on a specific part of the glycoprotein 120, which is in charge of initiating the activation of HIV. This antibody, C5, is known to be crucial in producing certain antibodies that are able to control HIV by regulating its hyper action that destroys the human immune system. However, induction of these antibodies cannot occur unless GP120 is at the surface of the virus. In order for gp120 to be at the surface of the virus, gp41 and the antibody C5 must fuse. This is a process that is unable to occur on its own (Bionor Pharma, 2010). The therapeutic vaccine Vacc-C5, invented by Bionor Immuno, is an antibody-mediated vaccine that binds C5 and gp41 together so that the antibodies from C5 can be effective and help regulate the virus. A preventative vaccine is designed to prevent individuals from getting HIV. Over the recent years there have been many studies and attempts to create an effective vaccine to prevent HIV but unfortunately none have been proven to be successful. A good example of a preventative vaccine, that had hopeful prospects, is the AIDSVAX vaccine developed by Philip Berman. AIDSVAX is composed of a synthetic version of the glycoprotein 120, a part of the HIV’s envelope, which the virus uses as a mechanism to latch onto and enter the cell. This version of gp120 was meant to stimulate the production of antibodies against strains of HIV that it resembles, giving immunity to the strain of HIV. However, this vaccine was proven ineffective after the clinical trials. Near the part of the gp120 that attaches to the cell, there is a chain of a specific sequence of amino acids called the V3loop. The V3loop is the most variable part of the glycoprotein and in order for an envelope vaccine to produce an antibody response; it has to be against the exact strain of the virus (Brian Deer). HIV is a virus that has many different strains and is also constantly going under mutations within replication therefore preventing the AIDSVAX vaccine from halting the infection of the virus. The development of vaccines against HIV has not yet reached a point of success. HIV is a virus that has many characteristics that make it highly difficult to prevent and treat. HIV is capable surpassing immune response because of its ability of generating many antigenic variants; due to it being so highly mutable. Also, not only does HIV attack the various cells in the body that combat infections in the immune system but it can also spread through syncytia via formation by gp41, evading detection from immune defence all together. Vaccine development is still an important tool in healthcare because there are still millions of people who currently live with the disease and many who are at a high risk of contracting it. However, even with the many developments in medical research, the production of vaccines is still a costly procedure which also presents ethical and medical problems. In the meantime, the spread of infection must be slowed through the increase of awareness and availability, of information on the risks of contracting the disease. In order to avoid contraction, Health Care Providers must provide the public with information about safer practices, such as; safe sex and the proper use of sterile needles and syringes for injections. They can also promote proper blood screening procedures and spread information on medications, therapeutic vaccines and other ways an individual who already has HIV can prevent the spread of the virus as well.

Multicultural Ethical Psychology

Multicultural Ethical Psychology Abstract: The significance of multicultural counseling is the necessity of addressing ethical issues from current and previous societal changes. A review of literature provides valuable data with respect to multicultural diversity challenging the filed of psychology today. This perspective includes social aspects regarding the implication and changes in relationship to racial, ethnic and linguist differences of multicultural counseling, that is significantly altering cooperate America, and the commitment of the American Psychological Association in meeting this challenge from an ethical perspective. In addition, a review of the APA guidelines, that interprets the goals of the practitioner providing services to a diverse population from an ethical viewpoint (American Psychological Association 2002). Including challenges of understanding other cultural beliefs, values and lifestyles, and ethical practices, which differ from western American culture (Sue, Arredondo, McDavis, 1992)? Review of Literature A review of the APA guidelines and ethical principles of cultural diversity, ethnic, racial, and the role of the practitioner in terms of multicultural competency as previously discussed by (Sue et al., 1992) with a rationale and motive of applying several criteria that assists the professional in terms of training, and education purposes of multicultural counseling. This concern is significant in terms of the shift in our society, since diversity is the focus of the need for multicultural understanding and requires changes in the philosophical method of the counseling approach. In order to provide ethical therapeutic intervention, the practitioners knowledge of other cultural beliefs, values, morals and lifestyle are necessary in providing adequate and ethical services. Certainly, this area challenges the field of psychology since diversity also brings differing behaviors that perhaps viewed as unethical according western norm. Moreover the implications of the professionals own bias es, and beliefs that conflict from an ethical perspective. The apparent need for change previously illustrated in the APA guidelines (1990) definitively represents the purpose that psychologists need to address social issues and their own biases in terms of diversity. Considering culture, race, ethnicity, or linguistic differences in western society is definitely a growing multicultural population. This shift includes addressing competencies from a socioeconomic and mental health profession the adoption and creation of the guidelines plays a significant role in promoting ethical changes in the methodology in which professionals in the field of psychology provide ethical services. In addition to the revisions adopted by the APA Code of Ethics Preamble E, goes on to further emphasize the importance of providers to address the issues of cultural diversity (American Psychological Association 2002). It also represents possible ethical misunderstandings in terms of the customary method of practice geared to the western American culture. This resea rch endeavor hopes to provide the challenges and progress in the area of multicultural service delivery in a diversified western American culture. In addition, to the ethical revisions provided by the American Psychological Association as well as the adoption of these revisions by the American Counseling Association which currently sets the competencies and guidelines of multicultural practices (APA 2002). Although, this is a marked improvement, it does not mean that the guidelines are mandatory since multicultural affiliation does not affect all professionals in the field of psychology. Considering the ethical perspectives and standards of practice mandated by the American Psychological Association (2002) Ethical principles of psychologist and code of conduct, it seems the area of multicultural practice continues in its western ways. Previous research alludes to the Ethical Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct (Ethics Code: APA, 2002) that refers to psychologists acknowle dging their biases and decreasing biases within the context of their practice. Unfortunately this practice is either not enforced or until recent years where multiculturalism in the United States increased in population (Kakkad, 2005). An example of ethical concern is the underpinnings of the guidelines in terms of multicultural context which concludes as of 2009. The guidelines are not formerly included in the code of ethics then the possibility that some psychologist may utilize this as a loop hole in terms of avoiding multicultural practices is prevalent due to the aspiration perspective. American Psychological Associations Board of Ethnic Minority Affairs (1990) guidelines whose principles are aspirational in character, suggests moral and ethical behaviors to do no harm implying respecting all persons regardless of race, ethnicity, including religious beliefs. Moreover do psychologists confuse the aspiration aspects of the guidelines with the standard code of ethical conduct, possibly diminishing its value in terms of ethical practices? Is there concern that the guidelines will in some manner dilute the APA Ethics codes (Fisher, 2003)? The preambles definition of the guidelines, are â€Å"designed to provide suggestions for the psychologist† (APA Online, p.2). These suggestions imply the relevance of practicing in a diverse society, counseling various ethnic groups, contrary these guidelines are not mandatory nor do they imply ethical consequences for the psychologist, as seen in the ethical codes of conduct. For years psychotherapy, assessments, research and testing are geared towards the Euro American culture, typically not geared for the persons of cultural diversity (Sue Sue, 2008). Sue also suggests the need of â€Å"adopting ethical guidelines† (Sue Sue, 2008, p. 63) to reflect the needs of the cultural diverse populations. Furthermore applying these guidelines to ethical codes of standards, such that further education of psychologists will become more than suggested practices, yet enforceable practices, that is eventually incorporated as a part of â€Å" licensing and credentialing standards† (Sue Sue, 2008, p. 63). The relevancy presented in previous literature regarding the necessity of changes from ethical, social, and standard of practices view point considers the implications and vulnerabilities of multicultural counseling from an oppressed and perhaps unintentional harm to persons of cultural differences seeking counseling. Understanding other cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes, in an era where implementing ethical public policy and discrimination play a major role in adaptation of other values and systems. Amalgamation of cultural differences is a focal point of inclusion as psychologists and committees review ethical standards and attitudes (Naylor, 1997). Does previous the literatures imply a significant need for more standards in the area of multiculturalism? Consider the example, of previous data regarding cultural differences in parenting children that clash with the ethical Western American ethical standards (Knapp Creek 2007). Case studies of clients and professionals in terms of differing opinions and concerns regarding cultural beliefs and conflicts. Misconceptions regarding cultural practices from a therapeutic perspective, lends to harmful and if given consideration of the ethical code, perhaps unintentional harm to the diverse client. This previous research appears to validate the need for education in the realm of multicultural systems in order to more affectively provided therapeutic intervention while remaining ethically sound. In addition, to the concerns regarding competencies and standards of traditional practices of western psychology in terms of effectively providing intervention for persons of ethnic, and linguist differences (Sue et al., 1992). During the course of my practice, I encountered an issues with a client and family from Trinidad, granted the language barrier and customs differed. Nevertheless, I tried to gain an understanding of their beliefs, rituals, and in this case parenting styles. On the other hand, providing this family with adequate intervention became vital to the success of treatment goals. The issue of multicultural difference occurred when another worker of the team reported the family to the Department of Human Services for abuse, since the client told this person that the parents spanked him. The parents clearly upset by this report nearly sued the agency, simply because this is how parents from Trinidad, discipline their children, the case was unfounded. Moreover, the other worker did not try to inform himself of cultural differences in parenting styles, which would have been a prime opportunity to engage in cultural differences and gain a better understanding of their belief system. Another example which represents the need presented in previous literature regarding the need of increasing standards for psychologist is a case of personal disagreement with respect for multicultural counseling. I recently encountered a situation that left me feeling sad that other practitioners simply want to elude the notion of multi cultural counseling. Several months ago I meant with three psychologist of a private practice, who have been in the field for over 20 years. I mentioned their interest in cultural counseling since it is a growing population here in New Hampshire. Their response shocked me; they suggested multicultural counseling is an area they chose not to include in their practice. Of course, I had to ask if clients contacted their agency what response these people got in terms of refusal due to cultural differences. They simply, replied their practice is not designed for cultural differences; clients are referred to the Boston area for counseling (though carefully not mentioning any biases). In addition, they suggested that according to APA they were not qualified or had the expertise to counsel diverse populations and would try to refer to counselors who deal with cultural diversity. Addressing APA (2003) General principle D. as psychologists utilizing reasonable judgment in terms of boundaries and competency along with expertise and limitations are expressed, yet using the lack of expertise in the scenario I presented is concerning and possibly lends to unjust practices therefore perhaps necessitating clearer guidelines and implementation of these guidelines as part of the ethical codes. Summary Summarizing the orientation of diversity involves individual understanding, experiences, and without biases interacting with diverse cultures. This includes family morals, values, and attitudes towards persons from other cultures are a crucial entity in terms of generational attitudes towards persons of race, color, and religious beliefs. Negativity and judgmental beliefs handed down from generations, is significant to the conflicts that occur in the United States. It becomes paramount that those on advisory boards and committees recognize from an ethical viewpoint and consider the need of additional implementation of ethic codes to address the growing population of diversity. Perhaps at that time further revisions of these guidelines will increase the necessity of ethical practices in the field of psychology, therefore mandating requirements as is in the ethical codes of conduct (APA 2002). If in fact as counselors, psychologists, and mental health workers refuse clients, then the c ode of ethical practices is really a falsely in terms of doing no harm to clients when in fact the guidelines appear to be a matter of choice. Kakkad, (2005) suggests that ethical challenges in the area of multicultural counseling become the â€Å"professional responsibility† (p.306) of the practitioner. Is this statement considered a slippery-slope in terms of expectations and provisions for multicultural therapeutic equality? Granted the field of psychology is experiencing some changes in terms of guidelines, yet applications continue to be the professionals choice. If ethics do not change in the near future to hold accountable the professional discourse regarding multicultural ethical practices, then the profession is diluting the values, of the ethnic society and the purpose4 for which the field stands for, of helping others. Moreover, leaving much to the discretion of the practitioner in terms of cultural diversity does not appear to be with in the moral and ethical prac tices of doing no harm to any persons seeking counseling. Recommendations One recommendation is in clarifying aspirational guidelines, which possibly need to be added to the code of ethics, as part of ethical practices in view of the growing multicultural population in the United States. In addition, further research perhaps through survey methods of psychologists who implement multiculturalism as part of their ongoing practice. Albeit, surveying private practitioners, mental health workers, and counselors in the New Hampshire area that incorporates multicultural aspects of their counseling practices. Moreover, the expectations and methodology of implementing educational training in the area of multiculturalism include within their practices on all levels in terms of diversity not only of culture, yet within the scope of their practices. Granted language barriers in some instances present with difficulties in terms of communication, not all diverse population are completely without some knowledge of the English language, especially in the United States. Fu rther research is need to address personal biases, and prejudices in terms of self-evaluation in order to become a multicultural practitioner (Hayes, 2008). The reliability of such a survey if implemented to all in the field of psychology in terms of addressing cultural biases in accordance with APA code of ethics and conduct. May provided alarming results in terms of professional ethics in the area of multicultural counseling. Further researches in this area may server as a positive method of improving education, communication as well as provide revisions of the standard APA ethical codes of conduct. References American psychological association. (2002)APA Council of Representatives. Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists. [Electronic version] http://www.apa.org/pi/multiculturalguidelines.pdf APA Online (1990) APA guidelines for providers of psychological services to ethnic, linguist, and culturally diverse population [Electronic version]. Retrieved June 13, 2008, from http://www.apa.org/pi/oema/guide.html American psychological association (2002) Ethical principles of psychologist and code of conduct [Electronic version]. Retrieved June 9, 2008, from: //www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. (2003) General Prnciple D. Justice. Retrieved July, 27, 2008 from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html#principle_d Fisher, C. B. (2003). Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Hayes, P. A. (2008). Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy (2nd ed.). Washington: American Psychological Association. Kakkad, D. (2005). A new praxis: Psychologist emerging responsibilities in issues of social justice. Ethics Behavior, 15(4), 293-308. Knapp, S., Creek, L. V. (2007). When values of different cultures conflict: Ethical decision making in a multicultural context. Professional Psychology, 38(6), 660-666. Naylor, L. L. (1997). Cultural Diversity in the United States. Westport, CT: Greenwood publishing Group Inc. Sue, D. W., Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the culturally diverse theory and practice (5th ed.). Sue, D. W., Arredondo, P., McDavis, R. J. (1992). Multicultural counseling competencies and standards: A call to the profession. Journal of Counseling Development, 70(4), 477-486.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder Essay -- Mountains Beyond M

There are people existing among us with a special trait or characteristic that makes them stand out above the masses. They are â€Å"heroes† in a sense, who perform great acts of sacrifice and promote hope when it seems that the last drop of faith has evaporated from one’s soul. These individuals remind us of saints who walked before us, healing and caring for the sick and destitute when no other man dared. Author, Tracy Kidder (2004), brings to the forefront the noble deeds of a modern day saint, Paul Farmer, through his writing in Mountains Beyond Mountains. He illustrates how a single man can lead nations toward healing, even in the midst of war, turmoil, limited resources, or â€Å"mountains† of bureaucratic red tape. Although the book tells a story about Farmer’s life, academic achievements, and global contributions toward curing infectious diseases, the main theme, as illustrated by the book title, is that no matter what a person does, there is always more to be done. Beyond the hills and valleys of Farmer’s journey, Kidder (2004) provides scenes of leadership styles along the way. Is a leader born or is leadership learned? A review of Paul Farmer’s mission, through the eyes of the author, may provide insight to support both philosophies. Kidder is an accomplished writer. Having been educated at Harvard and University of Iowa, and having served as a lieutenant in Vietnam (Twenty12fttrees, 2010), he brings research and experience together creating a soul-searching composition in Mountains Beyond Mountains. He is well versed and extremely credible having dedicated so much time immersing himself in the midst of Farmer’s journey. Not only does he take time to review and research Farmer’s published work, he travels across tim... ...ity through medicine, but Kidder (2004) allows the reader to see that Farmer may be curing humanity on many levels by creating an environment in impoverished locations where malnourishment and disease need not exist; where life doesn’t have to end early; where safety and basic needs are met, and where individuals are given a more conducive environment from which leaders can emerge. Works Cited Kidder, T. (2004). Mountains Beyond Mountains. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group. Popple, P. R, & L. Leighninger. (2011). Social Work, Social Welfare, and American Society. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Stohr, M. K, & P. Collins. (2009). Criminal Justice Management. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. Twenty12fttrees (2010). About Tracy Kidder. Tracykidder.com. Retrieved Oct. 23, 2011, from http://www.tracykidder.com/about.php