An Analysis of Tragic Love between Gatsby and Daisy

Many critics hold the view that Daisy is one of the causes that lead to the disillusion of Gatsby’s dream. They think Daisy is an as? set class miss, who has no thought, no sentiment, flimsiness and bored person. Unlike many critics, I don’t think Daisy is a fickle, shallow, and sardonic woman. I believe she is also a victim of that era. Zhou Jiaqiu has pointed out in the Half is an Angle; the Half is the Devil thatâ€Å"if we only regards Daisy as a material girl, we not on? ly humiliate the sacred love of Gatsby, but also influence the reputa? tion of the author.Because under the description of the writer, the leading lady is depicted as fullness and vivid character, a pathetic scorned wife whose husband leads a double life. She is both realis? tic and romantic, a half angle and a half devil. † Gatsby cheated and occupied Daisy by telling a lie, making Daisy believe he has the ability to take care of her, but actually he does not have. The evening before Daisy got married, she received Gatsby’s letter, and she cried out of heart, almost changed her mind of marrying Tom.But when Daisy really needed him, he couldn’t accompany her. From this point of view, Gatsby should feel sorry for Daisy. I think Daisy is a realistic girl. After she married Tom, al? though she kept her affluent life and social status of upper class, she had to endure her husband’s betray and abandon again and again. In the world of East Egg, alluring appearance serve to cover unattractive realities. The marriage of Tom and Daisy Buchanan seems menaced by a quiet desperation beneath its pleasant surface.Daisy’s tragedy lies in that she has the instinct of love, but she can submit to reality. She knew life is an illusion by control pains? takingly, but she still will live in illusion. Trapped in the contradic? tion, Daisy only made the gesture, so she lost the right to enjoy the real emotion. Faced with the pain of life, Daisy chose to hypnotize herself, just as her hope about her daughter—â€Å"I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful lit?

Linguistics and their realationship to Teaching Essay

The Relationship Between Linguistics and Language Teaching. Fiona Le Maitre Thongsook College May 2013 Abstract This paper is an attempt to analyze the relationship between linguistics and language teaching. Linguistics is a science and teaching while technical is also an art yet they are closely related to each other in the case of language teaching. The foreign language teachers need to include ‘selection’, ‘grading’ and ‘presentation’ as their main steps. Linguistics plays an important role in the whole process of teaching by helping to facilitate a teacher’s understanding of the workings and systems of the language they teach. Applied Linguistics is really about the melding of these 2 actions. The Relationship between Linguistics and Language Teaching. Linguistics is defined as the scientific study of language. Linguistics is then divided into several branches which study different accepts of its use. Descriptive linguistics, historical and comparative linguistics, which it is based on methodology. Synchronic and Diachronic linguistics, which it is based on the aspect of changes over time. Phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, which is based on a language as a system. Sociolinguistics this is related to or combined with the disciplines of linguistics and sociology. Its interest is in the relationship between language and society. It works to explains why people Use different speech in different social contexts. It’s area of study is the social functions of language to convey social meaning. The social relationships in a community, and the way people signal aspects of their social identity through their language (Jenet Holmes, 2001). Sociolinguistics also is concerned with the interaction of language and settings. (Carol M. Eastman, 1975; 113). The other expert defines it as the study that is concerned with investigating the relationship between language and society with the goal of a better  understanding of the structure of language and of how languages function in communication ( Ronald Wardhaugh, 1986 : 12) Psycholinguistics relates to the combined disciplines of psychology and linguistics. Psychology is defined as the systematic study of human experience and behavior or as the science that studies the behavior of men and other animals. Knight and Hilgert in Abu Ahmadi,(1992). It covers language development. (Lim Kiat Boey). The other definition of psycholinguistics is that it is the study of human language-to-language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition (E.M.Hatch) The research done on the relationship between linguistic theory and language teaching can be traced back to the late 19th century. Its relationship has been discussed and debated for many years and researched extensively. Since this time different research proposed by different scholars has been disputable and found to be largely inconclusive. In the 1960s it was decided that there needed to be a reassessment. The conclusion that was formed went in two two main directions of thought with differing points of view. One viewpoint was that linguistics is not as relevant as it was first thought to be, and its importance was overrated. Such linguists as Lamendella (1969) and Johnson (1967) expressed their disagreement to regard linguistics as the basis of a strategy of learning. Lamendella (1969) thought that it was a mistake to look to transformational grammar or any other theory of linguistic description to provide the theoretical basis for second language pedagogy. What is needed in the field of language teaching are not applied linguists but rather applied psychologists. The other point of view was to recognize that the general contribution of linguistics was important. This came though with a proviso that teaching language was not to be bound to only follow one theory alone. The idea being that different linguistic theories can offer different perspectives on language, and they can all be treated as equivalent resources useful for teaching. Levenson (1979 ) once said, ‘no one school of linguistic analysis has a monopoly of truth in the description of the phenomena of speech†¦traditional school grammar, TG grammar, †¦all these and more can be  shown to have their own particular relevance to the language teaching situation. By1960 the United States, reached its peak of the influence of structural linguistics upon language Teaching. Structural linguistics stressed the importance of language as a system and investigates the place that linguistic units such as sounds, words and sentences have within this system. This then associated with behaviorism provided the principal theoretical basis of the audio lingual theory. This then influenced language teaching materials, techniques and the teachers educations. Behaviorism led to theories, which explained how an external event, causes a change in the behavior, without any kind of mental interaction. It also stressed the importance of repetition and practice in learning a second language, this I think is a vital factor in learning a foreign language. If we look at the audio-lingual method, it emphasizes: (1) The teaching of speaking and listening before reading and writing; (2) The use of dialogues and drills; (3) The avoidance of the use of the mother tongue in the classroom. Audio-lingual method regards speaking and listening as the basic skills, this is in line with today’s English teaching situation. The Mentalist Approach In the 1960s Chomsky formulated the mentalist approach. The hypothesis was considered that human behavior is much more complex than animal behavior. Chomsky, felt that we are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which enables a child to make a hypotheses about the structures of a language in general, and also the structure of the language being learned more importantly. By the end of the sixties’, there were new developments in teaching language starting to occur. The TG theory had a big impact resulting in a change in teaching methods. It was opposed to the empiricist theory, that is, teaching audio linguistics, linguistically structuralism and psychologically behaviorism. TG theory. 1 It stresses mental activity. 2 It postulates that all human beings have an innate ability to learn a language. 3 That it is an inborn instinctual ability and not practice that made human beings obtain the rules of a language and understand and can produce countless numbers of sentences. The Natural Method was successfully used in various language schools in the USA and Europe in the late 19th and the early 20th century. In the post-World War I decades, the direct method was adopted into English language teaching (ELT) this laid a solid intellectual and practical foundation for developing ELT as an autonomous profession. Some linguists, like Diller (1970), openly declared his preference for the cognitive position; while others, like Chastain (1976) and Rivers (1981:25-27) held that the two theories were complementary and served different types of learners or teachers or represented different phases of the language learning process. Applied Linguists brought about the situational approach and the notional/functional method. It is based on a broader framework for the description of language use called communicative competence proposed by Hymes, This brought about the communicative approach to language teaching came into being. In 1970s, a group of scholars including Oller (1970) and Widdowson (1978), were linguists but at also closely in touch with teaching practice. They gave language teaching and language pedagogy the linguistic direction they regarded as necessary. Since they were in touch with language teaching practice and linguistic so had a two-way view of the problem, they placed emphasis on real language and its communication and use. To take Oller’s interest in pragmatics as an example. Oller (1970:507) claimed that pragmatics has implications for language teaching; it defines the goal of teaching a language as prompting the students not merely to manipulate meaningless sound sequences, but to send and receive messages in the language. The students in China start English when they are in primary school. In the past, more attention was paid to the grammar, the result was very disappointing: Now the emphases is on speaking and listening. The audio-lingual method is now used in the classroom. In China, more people need to learn English in order to have the ability to communicate with foreigners. In this case, speaking and listening is much more important than being able to read and write. They are not expected to have a high level of English and their aim is simple, they need to communicate with a foreigner so they can understand their words and express themselves well. This is based on simple daily conversation. A market sale and business or being able to work in the tourism industries. Basic conversation and understanding can be very helpful in everyday conversation exchanges. The Audio-lingual method stressed the repetition and it theorizes that a language is learnt through the formation of habits. To speak English fluently, without constant practice, is impossible. So in our English teaching, we must help our students speak and listen well. Expressing ourselves properly is not always an easy thing, especially if it’s an emotionally charged topic. Even an English major may sometimes find it problematic to express exactly what they mean so it is understood by the other person in a way that is understood by all. When I go to Cambodia I find the generally that the population though not taught English in school has good English conversation capacity. They may not read or write but I feel if they had the opportunity to learn now they have grasped the basic language that they would with more ease. There is a need for them to talk and sell to foreigners so they have had a need and incentive to learn and the fact that their using it every day also helps. Though there are of course talented students I find in Thailand the communication level is not good as a lot of emphases is but on reading, writing and grammar, that many times, is not really understood or comprehended. Thai students learn form primary but they do not always have a reason to speak out of the classroom. One lesson a week in speaking and 3 of grammar I find makes the students scared to use the language. I teach with Thailand teachers and due to a some general pronunciation problems the students are confused about the sounds of the words and how to string them  together. Confidence helps a lot just talking even if it is wrong. I always attempt to inspire confidence as I feel it is very important for speech. In my opinion, linguistics and language teaching relationship is a dual one. There are some theories of linguistics that can be applied to language teaching, i.e. linguistics guides in development of language teaching theory. On the other hand, a language teaching theory expresses or implies answers to questions about the nature of language. It is necessary for a language teacher has some knowledge about, the systems of languages. A teacher should understand how the language works and expresses meaning and the structures that are used in the language being taught. A teacher needs to know how to make the phonic sounds and the mechanics to produce these sounds. This helps with pronunciation problems that students will encounter. By studying linguistics a teacher will have a deeper insight into the nature of language and the language the student speaks as they’re first language. If we agree that the use of a language is a matter of habits and practice, then a teacher needs to implant the habit of using it for communication until it becomes second nature. Conclusion Linguistic theory is continually developing and teaching theories are constantly changing as is the language itself. This alone demands a permanent study of languages and the relationships between linguistic theory and language teaching methods. There are many techniques and theories but no one concept or technique can take in the Different needs student may have and the differing ways people learn. This is a science in its self. There can be many differences in understanding between the L1 and L2 language from different cultural understandings and different sounds that may be new to the learner. There are many ways a culture will express its self along with idiosyncrasies and local knowledge of the everyday life in the culture. They say when you understand humor you start to know a language. If one could take every student as an individual and teach them the best way they  learnt one would be assured of good results. Knowing the basic individual attributes the child had can enable to teacher to create classes designed for their individual needs. This is a luxury that tutors can give their students but in the classroom one dose not have so much control. A practical framework designed to suit the most students and the context that is the most appropriate. The Relationship of Linguistic Materials for the Second Language Teacher. Because of political, economic and also technical changes, English has become widely taught as an official business language worldwide, also as a second language to immigrants in English-speaking countries to gain entry and work, and as a foreign language in many non-English-speaking countries. This is also largely due to the computer so there is a universal language for coding and business. There are many theories on different ways to teach and different scholarly thoughts on the best process. I feel that this depends on the type of English you are teaching. Since there are many different needs a student may have. In China the emphases is on communication with foreigners on a daily basis like selling them something in a market or doing business. In other countries such as Thailand the emphases is put on Grammar and writing and reading and only a small part into communication. So while there are still many theories on the best way to teach I feel in my knowledge so far that it is best to learn as many ways as possible and how they work in the different environments. Applied Linguistics is really about the melding of these two actions but not the scope of this essay. One of the most fantastic Linguistic help I think the corpus is one of the best ways to get relevant vocabulary for your students. This is helpful for Syllabus and curriculum planning and for all areas of language teaching. References Chastain, K. (1976). Developing Second-Language Skills: Theory to Practice. Chicago: Rand McNally. Diller, K.C. (1970). ‘Linguistic theories of language acquisition’ in Hester 1970:1-32. Johnson, M. (1967). Definitions and models in curriculum theory. Educational Theory, 17:127-40. Lamendella, J.T. (1969). On the irrelevance of transformational grammar to second language pedagogy. Language Learning, 19:255-70. Levenson, E.A. (1979). Second language lexical acquisition: issues and problems. Interlanguage Studies Bulletin, 4:147-60. Oller, J.W. (1970). Transformational theory and pragmatics. Modern Language Journal, 54:504-507. Rivers, W.M. (1981). Teaching Foreign-Language Skills. Second edition. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Widdowson, H.G.. (1978). Teaching Language as Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .†Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Zeki Hamawand, Z. Morphology in English: Word formation in cognitive grammar. continuum. Publishing. ( Zeki Hamawand, Z. (2011).

Application 1 & 2

Application 1 – Evaluation of Two New Assessment Methods for Selecting Telephone Customer Service Representatives 1. The reliability for both the clerical and the work samples are favorable. We see in the Clerical Test that the co-efficient alpha (at . 85 and . 86) and the test-retest (. 92) are both high so we have an acceptable degree of reliability for the test. For the Work Sample (T) & Work Sample (C) we find the inter-rater agreements to be high at with Work Sample (T) being T1=88% and T2=79% and Work Sample (C) T1=80% and T2=82%, both above the 75% normal requirement for a reliable measure.Since all three show a decent level of reliability, it would be safe for Phonemin to use them in selecting new job applicants. 2. The correlations between the tests show a low correlation between the Clerical Test and both of the Work Samples; however, there is a high correlation between the two Work Samples. The Work Samples produce very similar outcomes, with error rate and speed be ing non-significant and complaints significant.With the Work Samples producing similar results, those who were tactful also show concern for the customer, Phonemin should just choose one of the Work Samples along with the Clerical test to select the best applicants for new job applicants due to the similar results. 3. Current CSRs were chosen to participate in the study, since they are already in the job their effort on the test could be different than a new applicant and they most likely have gained some additional knowledge, especially when handling complaints, having been on the job for a period of time.Also, are the measures real indicators of performance? It was mentioned that the KSAOs chosen were â€Å"likely to be necessary for successful performance as a CSR† and they â€Å"their seemingly high impact on job performance† if they are not true indicator, then the test fails to predict the performance that Phonemin is looking for. Application 2 – Conductin g Empirical Validation 1. Is the PS score a valid predictor of performance as a store manager? Yes. A correlation (R-Value) of . 407 exceeds the statistical significance threshold of . 7 and indicates a moderately high correlation between the PS scores and performance as a store manager. The following scatter diagram illustrates this correlation visually. While there are 2 outliers, their presence is not significant enough to disprove the correlation and the use of the PS score as a valid predictor. 2. With a cut score of 7 on PS, would its use lead to adverse impact against women? Yes. A cut score of 7 leads to a selection rate in females of 53. 33% versus 56. 67% in the entire sample. Against minorities?No adverse impact to minorities. Selection rate of minorities is actually higher than non-minorities when a cut score of 7 is used. If there is adverse impact, does the validity evidence justify use of the PS anyway? Because the sample size is relatively small, the adverse impact t o women seems insignificant and not enough to justify discontinuation of using the PS scores as predictors of future performance. 3. There are several limitations of this study. The first one would be related to the correlation (R-value).The correlation does not equate to a percentage. The R-Value calculated above of . 407 does not equate to 40. 7% but rather it equates to 16. 56% (. 4072 X 100) common variation of the scores. A second limitation of the R-Value is that it is affected by the amount of variation in each set of scores. The less variation there is in one or both sets of scores then the smaller the calculated R-Value will be. When there is a lack of variation in scores this leads to what is known as the problem of restriction of range.A third problem that may arise is that the formula used to calculate correlation assumes a linear relationship between the two sets of scores; however, this assumption may not always be true. A relationship may exist other than a straight l ine that may capture the nature of the scores better. It is also important to remember that just because there is a correlation between two scores does not mean that there is a causation between them. The R-Value does give you an indication; owever, of the strength of the relationship between the PS score and the performance rating and the direction of the relationship. 4. It is recommend that Yellow Blaze use the PS score in making future promotion decisions. It does seem to be a valid predictor of performance based on the correlation (R-Value) and the scatter diagram. Also, based on the calculations performed using the PS score for making future promotion decisions would not lead to adverse impact on a widespread basis.

Guarding Efficiency of Emergency Informational Systems to Protect Essay

Guarding Efficiency of Emergency Informational Systems to Protect Citizens - Essay Example With the ever-changing advancements in technology, however, many of its operations, including its 911 operations system, require improvements for efficient communication to adequately accommodate the needs and provide sufficient safety for all citizens. According to former fire Lieutenant Michael Pena, information sharing is an essential component of any rescue operation. Without proper information sharing, a rescue operation could be frustrating (Golden, 2006). Thus, a centralized source of information offers efficient communication, which is critical for the operations of many organizations (ISACA). A centralized source is even more effective when it has the capabilities to quickly relay information to other sources. Of FLPD's three major bureaus, the Support Services Bureau contains The Information Services Division, which handles all communication functions (SafirRosetti, 2006).Within the Information Services Division is the Information Systems Unit (ISU). The ISU is connected to many important systems to support and manage numerous critical functions. For example, the ISU's informational contribution to Florida Crime Information Center Systems adds pertinent information to The National Crime Information Center Systems. The Information Services Division also includes the Public Safety Communications Center, which is responsible for processing incoming calls, dispatching, and teletype (SafirRosetti, 2006). Since 1925, FLPD's communication system has upgraded from one telephone to a center that provides 911 computer and radio communications for approximately 700 police and 300 fire employees (flpd.org). Each year the center handles approximately 500,000 phone calls, which at times require that the dispatcher rely upon information from other informational sources. In response, a dispatcher must evaluate a call before dispatching the appropriate unit. A phone call requiring a police response is entered into the Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD) before forwarded to the dispatch section. Managed and supported by the ISU, the CAD matches and relays pertinent information. Thus, a dispatcher could consult the ISU via the CAD and warn a responding officer of much need information prior to his or her arrival on a crime scene. Without knowing the priors of a violent criminal from another state, an officer responding to a 911 call would be ill prepared and vulnerable. On the other hand, an aware officer could better assess the criminal and situation and handle them accordingly. Thus, the interconnectivity of systems provides invaluable information and should be preserved and protected. Adequacy in Systems Protection Preservation and protection for vital information is essential. Further, reliability of the information retrieved from the system assures deciding officers and equips them with confidence when making decisions. Faulty information from the system could result in an officer making a grave mistake. In addition, faulty information results in time lost when a department tries to recover from

Jennifers Company of Routinely Administering Honesty Tests Essay

Jennifers Company of Routinely Administering Honesty Tests - Essay Example 1). Whereas honesty testing can be helpful in the hiring process, it should never be the only instrument used to determine the suitability for hiring a prospective employee. They are not always right in every case, just like every other test. Furthermore, their results can be misinterpreted. In fact, they are illegal in Massachusetts and Rhode Island because of their controversial nature (PsychTests, 2009). For any business who has ever hired someone they later fired for stealing, failing a random drug test, or failing to show up to work on time, these tests can prove to be a valuable tool. They can help reduce the chances of these problems occurring by a significant proportion (PsychTests, 2009). Before hiring someone, it is important that a company like Carter Cleaning Centers know how much integrity, reliability, and work ethic the prospective applicant possesses. It is also important to know if they have a substance abuse problem. According to employee surveys, the following startling facts reveal just how big a problem it can be: It is interesting, yet sad, that many ... 31% abuse drugs or alcohol (Honesty Testing, 2009, pg. 1) It is interesting, yet sad, that many businesses fail because of their employees' actions. Millions claim that they were stolen out of business by their employees. Higher-rank employees tend to steal more or to steal items of higher value or embezzle more cash, while lower-ranking employees tend to steal less or to steal items that are of lower value (Honesty Testing, 2009). It is difficult to stop the problem, mainly because certain questions cannot be asked. According to Honesty Testing (2009, pg. 1), "Increasing lawsuits have made it extremely difficult, even illegal for you to ask important questions to determine the integrity of a job candidate. Past employers can be held liable for information they give you. If you choose to avoid hiring suspicious candidates, can you prove that you did not discriminate In the absence of objective data, it is often impossible to demonstrate that your decision was made objectively, without regard to gender, race, age, etc. There are other assessment tools that can help weed out potential problem employees. They help to reduce your risk and select the best employees. They help to stop the following types of common employee problems: Unauthorized use of the Internet Using company email for personal use Disclosing private and restricted computer data Theft of office supplies and other company property Clocking in or out for other employees Revealing confidential information and/or trade secrets to outsiders Inventory shrinkage Carelessness Unexcused absences Tardiness Drug use Sub-par job performance Fraud Job-hopping (Honesty Testing, 2009) Survey reports can include a multitude of checks. One company

Health care policy and financing Research Paper

Health care policy and financing - Research Paper Example Below are various competencies that the nurse is expected to exhibit in the face of the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. 712.1.1: Legislative and Regulatory Processes The legislative instrument guiding the formation and operation of the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is vested in the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which was specifically set up to cater for the health needs of specific categories of United States citizens with low income and economic resources (Dziegielwski, Turnage and Roest-Marti, 2004). What this means is that both Medicare and Medicaid are population stratified legislations that cover a specific population. The process of implementing the legislation was vested into individual states. This means that each state administers or implements its own Medicare & Medicaid Innovation policies. The idea of doing this is to promote healthy competition among the various state implementing agencies. This not withstanding, there is a federal regulation of the project, which as at now is vested to the care of federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The general process of monitoring and evaluation of the regulation of the policy is there in the hands of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), who are in return expected to render feedback accounts to the larger population of the United States. 712.1.2: Policy Development There are several ways that the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation impacts clinical practice and healthcare delivery. Over the years, there are realistic data to suggest that the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is indeed developing fast at the state and national level. It is not for nothing therefore that the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation has on several occasions being copied by different countries and nations in different formats (Malcomson Law, 2012). Within the United States premises, it has been noted that the policy has come as a perfect intervention for bridging the gap between the poor and rich in terms of healthcare reception. This is because before the implementation of the policy, only a few privileged ones had the luxury of receiving quality healthcare, but today, the system has changed (Kanner, 2001). In effect, healthcare delivery can now be referred to as a right rather than a privilege in the United States and this right is enjoyed by all people with different socio-economic backgrounds. 712.2.1: U.S. Healthcare Delivery In the United States, what makes the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation unique is how healthcare is delivered in general. This is to say that the United States has an entirely different healthcare delivery process. In the first instance, healthcare delivery is done from an individualized perspective (Kanner, 2001). What this means is that healthcare delivery is targeted at solving the individual needs of people. It is for this reason that healthcare implementation for major policies such as the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is done at the state level. The ide a is that different states have different health needs and so should have their healthcare delivered from different perspectives. With specific reference to the Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, the United States has such as a specialized healthcare delivery system that makes it possible for different states to have the policy in different formats. For example, Maine implements the program as MaineCare whiles California implements the pr

Shareholder Wealth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shareholder Wealth - Assignment Example Such claims are limited by the proportion of ownership derived from the amount of the investment. Shareholders who invest have one common goal: maximise the value of invested wealth. Every investment decision is made with the expectation that its value would increase over time. Shareholders do not necessarily manage the business, so they hire managers as their agents to increase the value of their (shareholders') wealth such that there would be enough profits for everybody. A portion of these profits is given back to owners through dividends whilst the balance may be re-invested to create more wealth. The agency theory describes the dynamics of the relationship and potential conflicts of interest between shareholder-owners and manager-agents. How shareholder wealth is measured indicates how managers can maximise it. For any business with more than one shareholder, the ultimate measure of shareholder wealth is the share price, the value of one share of ownership in the business. Share valuation follows a systematic process based on the value of the corporation's assets, which equal its liabilities plus stockholders' equity, all information available from the balance sheet. At start-up, the value of a share is derived from dividing equity by the number of shares offered. Once the business generates profits, cash can be distributed as dividends to shareholders or re-invested in the business. Profits increase assets and the value of the shareholders' equity, thereby increasing each share's value. Or, assets can increase with debt, but it does not automatically follow that stockholders' equity would stay the same, decrease, or increase. The effects of debt depend on what managers do with it, and whether or not borrowing allows the corporation to generate more cash. At some future time, when a shareholder decides to sell the shares, both buyer and seller only need to analyse the balance sheet to agree on the price. However, a single share of stock is not only a claim on the assets the corporation owns today, or the value of the shareholders' equity now. It is also a claim on future profits and the future selling price of the share. Neither is the investment totally risk-free, since the share's value could drop because of mismanagement and bankruptcy. Risk is part of valuation because of the risk-return relationship. Therefore, a share's value today is calculated by getting the present value of: 1) Cash dividends until the shares are sold; 2) Proceeds from selling the shares; or if the corporation ceases operations, 3) The firm's break-up value after selling assets to pay off liabilities. Financial analysts simplify share valuation by focusing on the present value of cash dividends, making the convenient assumptions that shares would not be sold and the business would not be closed. Since cash dividends are equivalent to the free cash flow (FCF), the value of a share now is the present value of the FCF stream discounted at the rate of return investors expect to receive on comparable investments. FCF is not profits, which can be re-invested or given out as dividends. Rather, FCF is the cash not retained nor

Gender Pattern Observation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Pattern Observation - Article Example As the essay states most men prefer sports like football while ladies go for table tennis, hockey and even athletics. Hobbies too vary in terms of gender as others are more inclined to ladies and others to men. If we look at recreation at home and away, ladies would prefer having a good time at home while men will go far away from their residence. It is also important to note that most women and girls always desire to be appreciated at all times for the works they do. Men and boys on the other hand have a strong preference of being recognized for their achievements in every sphere of life. From the research findings it is clear that there are some educational courses that are seen as a no go zone for women. In the past and even in the modern world, technical courses like Engineering are regarded as men’s courses. Some ladies and women have been discouraged from enrolling in them but interestingly, many ladies have proved to thrive in them as compared to men. Employers have also preferred women when it comes to job offerings, They argue that women are unreliable because it reaches a time that they require maternity leave and still expect to be paid as usual. Women have always been the ones taking care of their families as men go up and about working and having fun. The man is presently on the receiving end due and always expects the women to cook, wash and do everything for them.

Act According to Your Real Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Act According to Your Real Nature - Essay Example One monkey pretended that it was about to faint, but in reality, its health condition was not that tragic. But another young monkey that began to cry, invited the attention of all. â€Å"I saw some flies land on my banana and I am sure that they are the agents of dengue. I suggest that we lodge the bananas in our mouth, one on each side, for the safety of our health. We are certainly not eating the bananas.† The suggestion was accepted and the monkeys complimented the young one for his foresight and concern. Some time passed by. â€Å"Since the health issue has cropped up, I need to say something,†. I stay on a tree adjacent to the private hospital of a reputed doctor. I have heard doctors often discuss with nurses and patients that the food items need to be chewed properly, to assist the process of digestion. Why not chew the bananas and keep the stuff ready to swallow, the moment the fast is terminated?† They chewed and chewed, and they did not realize when the food reached their stomach through the food pipe. The entire exercise was over in minutes, and all the monkeys, including the senior citizen, had a hearty laugh. â€Å"Never attempt anything that which is not in your real nature,† the senior citizen repeated the advice. I recall what Ronald R. Sims argued, â€Å"Human Resources management is particularly concerned with all the activities that contribute to successfully attracting, motivating, and maintaining a high-performing workforce that results in organizational success.†

Case 1 paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Case 1 paper - Essay Example From the data in Tables A, B, C, E, F, and I, sufficient information was obtained to forecast revenue and cost for the business and for the Coors wholesale business being contemplated. Analysis of the initial customer, the industry demand, projections in market share, investments and costs, including a break-even analysis were conducted. The study concludes that Larry should take the opportunity to apply for the contract, and should not spend more than about $6,800 in availing of information from Manson. The principal problem which this analysis addresses is whether or not Larry Brownlow should apply for the Coors wholesale distributorship for a two-county area in Southern Delaware. The determining criteria for this is will be the fixed and variable cost study and the break-even analysis at the end of discussion, but also considered are the targeted customers, industry demand, market share, investments, and costs incurred. The secondary problem is to determine which research would be source from Manson and Associates to support a decision for the market potential of a Coors beer wholesale distributorship, but at the same time minimize the cost of acquiring this information. The industry demand is arrived at through the per capita approach and the taxes paid approach. The per capita approach involves the calculation of overall consumption in the industry, based on the historical data on the consumption per person and the growth of the target segment of the population that consumes the product. In Table 1 below are shown the US and Delaware per capita (i.e. per head or per person) consumption, while Table 2 shows the growth of the population in the two counties which comprise the market area. By multiplying the rate of consumption per person in Table 1 with the corresponding number of persons estimated in Table 2, then the result (in Table 3) is the estimated total consumption in units. This describes the total industry demand for the

Loan Processing at Capital One Essay Example for Free

Loan Processing at Capital One Essay This marketing effort, which was planned to take the form of a major mail drop, was designed to increase the volume of funded loans in about six weeks when potential customers start returning these applications. It was clear to everyone at Capital One that the operations of loan processing would play a major role in determining if the upcoming mail drop would be a success. With 14 funded loans processed per associate every month and a total of 25 associates on the team, the department does not have the capacity to handle the application volume leading to our target of 700 funded loans per month that we set following our increased marketing effort†, observed one of the managers working for Rick, â€Å"What we need is a significant increase in staff. We also need to heavily invest in information technology to further increase the productivity of the existing staff†. While it was clear that the forecasted increase in loan applications would provide a serious challenge for the underwriters, there was no consensus on what actions should be taken. As was observed by one of the executives in charge of consumer loans: â€Å"When I benchmark the productivity of our underwriting team with other companies in the industry, 14 funded loans per associate per month is not a number we can be proud of. It takes about 3 hours of actual work to fund a loan, and that includes everything from the initial interview to underwriting, quality inspection, and closing. We have 25 associates, that each works about 150 hours per month. So each associate should be able to process 50 applications per month, which gives us 1250 applications per month for the team. Even if we fund only every other loan that we underwrite, we would just need a little bit of over time to get 700 units funded. † Several others at Capital One agreed. As it was put by one of the associates in charge of direct marketing: â€Å"Frankly, if you asked me, there seems to be a lot of potential for improving productivity in our processes. I am optimistic that our upcoming mail-drop will lift productivity and utilization scores in the underwriting process since there will be a lot more work coming in. † As the person in charge for operations management, Rick had mixed feelings about these comments. On the one hand, it was true that his department’s productivity metrics had not been stellar in the past. But his associates worked very hard and were very capable. This case was developed solely as the basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management. All data in the case has been disguised. Rick was relatively new to this role, though he was a highly accomplished operations manager with a history of taking on tough challenges and producing strong results by redirecting his teams towards better prioritization, teamwork and focus on strategically important activities. As he looked over the marketing forecast and the target of 700 funded loans for the next month, Rick wondered what the upcoming mail drop would do to his department? And, more importantly, what could he do to help Capital One grow its consumer loan business in the most optimal way? Capital One: Background Information After graduating first in class from the Stanford business school in 1981, Richard Fairbank joined Strategic Planning Associates (SPA), a strategy-consulting firm. In 1986, Fairbank met Nigel Morris, a young associate at SPA. While analyzing the operations of a major money center bank, the two reviewed the firm’s credit card operations. Both of them were struck by the enormous profitability relative to the rest of the bank. The young consultants concluded, â€Å"Credit cards are not banking – they are all about collecting information on 200 Million people that you’d never meet, and, on the basis of that information, making a series of decisions about lending money to them and then hoping they would pay you back. † Fairbank and Morris recognized the potential of customizing credit card products based on characteristics and behavior of their customers and taking advantage of the technological advances in computers that offered companies the ability to record, organize and analyze large amounts of customer data. They realized that few products in the credit card industry were being direct marketed and that even fewer firms were fully exploiting the power of statistical analysis. Fairbank and Morris were able to convince the bank to run a test using this strategy. The test worked remarkably well, however, the bank was unwilling to adopt this new strategy. Convinced that they were onto something really big, the two pitched their idea to more than 20 national retail banks before Virginia-based Signet Bank invited them to launch its Bank Card division. Over the next several years, Fairbank and Morris ran thousands of statistical tests and eventually introduced the first balance transfer product in 1991 that revolutionized the credit card industry and saved a struggling Signet Bank. Four years later, in 1995, Signet spun off its credit card division to create the publicly held Capital One. Recognized for its innovation, customer service, information technology, and financial management, Capital One now is one of the largest issuers of Master Card and Visa credit cards in the world. Today, the company’s global customer base is close to 49 Million with managed loans totaling over $83 Billion. From its IPO in 1994 to 2005, Capital One’s stock price had increased more than 1400%. In recent years domestic diversification has become a primary component of Capital One’s strategy. After going public, the company progressed on geographic and This case was developed solely as the basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management. All data in the case has been disguised. product line expansion through organic growth in credit cards and a series of acquisitions in non credit card businesses. In 1998, the company acquired Summit Acceptance Corporation, an auto loan provider. In 2001, it acquired the nation’s largest online provider of direct auto loans – People First, and a leading provider of financing solutions – Amerifee. The acquisition of Onyx Acceptance Corporation ® made Capital One Auto Finance the second-largest independent auto lender in the United States. The company also acquired Kansas City-based eSmartloan, an online originator of home equity loans and mortgages; Hfs Group, a home equity loan broker in the United Kingdom; and InsLogic, an insurance brokerage based in Tennessee. A number of these diversified businesses along with some organically grown businesses reside in the Global Financial Services (GFS) organization of Capital One. The Loan processing center is one such business that supported a variety of loan products such as small business loans, Line of credits and Jumbo loans. The Loan Approval Process In the division in charge of consumer and small business loans, the marketing department solicits potential customers through direct mail and/or email campaigns, that highlight the loan product features and specials of various products that are offered by Capital One. These campaigns, which are typically carried out at a nationwide level, have an information card that can be returned by the customer. The customer uses this card to provide information concerning their name, the type of loan they are interested in and the phone number/time range that is best to reach them. Customers who respond by sending this information back enter the process and are referred to as an â€Å"App†. Each App flows through a process that consists of five steps: Interview, Workflow Coordination, Underwriting, Quality Assurance (QA) and Closing. Exhibit 1 shows the process flow with a brief description of the activities and the number of associates in each role. Interview The interview step consists of seven associates who call the telephone number specified on the information card. On a typical day between 200 and 500 potential customers are called depending on the incoming volume of customer requests. Federal privacy regulations require that financial institutions can speak about the loan only to the person who actually requested the loan. Hence, if this person is not home at the time of the call, the call has to be repeated at a later point. During the call, the associate interviews the applicant about her loan needs. Based on the customer needs, the associate offers a range of products to the customer and the loan terms such as the maximum loan amount and the interest rate associated with each product (usually a range of interest rates is provided). This case was developed solely as the basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management. All data in the case has been disguised. If the customer is interested in one of the products, she will start an application process with the associate. The associate follows a scripted questionnaire and enters the information being provided by the customer into a computer system. The interview associate sets the expectation with the customer on the next steps: if additional information is necessary to complete processing and approving the application, an underwriter will get in touch with the customer in 2-5 business days to get the necessary information. If all the information is complete and accurate, the applicant will receive a phone call from an Underwriter in approximately 5-10 business days outlining the next steps in the closing process. Exhibit 2 summarizes some sample data that was collected over the course of a week. The Exhibit shows it takes on average 22 to 24 minutes for an associate to process one extra app. This includes the time the associate spends talking with the applicant. It also includes the time it takes the associate to reach the applicant.

Media and the Idea of Beauty Essay Example for Free

Media and the Idea of Beauty Essay Elizabeth Rosales Cultural Anthropology-A18: Yi,Zhou April 21, 2011 Response Paper: Killing Us Softly Who are we? Who am I? With the average American exposed to approximately 3,000 ads a day they all remind us of who we are not and who we should be. The images we are constantly bombarded with by the mass media don’t just sell products they â€Å"sell values, images, concepts of love, sex, and normativity†, standards to which we so often compare ourselves to. Ads reinforce gender binaries, all making a statement about what it means to be a woman in this culture of thinness stressing a particular importance on physical beauty. Jean Kilbourne’s film Killing Us Softly explores and exposes the detrimental effects of the objectification and dehumanization in the representation of women in the popular culture, specifically advertisements. With only less than five percent of women of the entire population that reflect the images of the women advertised, the majority of women are left to feel ashamed for not trying hard enough. Women’s bodies are increasingly subjected to strict scrutiny under a magnifying glass by our superficial culture, these actions bring forth and further feed the shame and embarrassment women associate with their bodies, their sexuality, their size, and their weight. Spending self-conscious days, weeks, months, and even years in front of a mirror and scale, inspecting our bodies in front of a mirror comparing ourselves to the images spread over magazine covers as women we are repeatedly reminded that our bodies are home to imperfections and there is always room for improvement whether that be through exercise, plastic surgery, dieting, or over the counter â€Å"beauty and health† products. Rosales 2 Is this self-improvement or self-destruction? Today, 1 in 5 women are likely to develop an eating disorder and cosmetic surgery is more popular than ever before. More and more women each day are going under the knife for breast enhancements losing all sensation in their breasts. Such procedures dehumanize and objectify women transforming them from â€Å"subjects to objects†, all because as women we are conditioned by the dominant culture to want to feel desirable and seek the approval of men. The breasts, therefore, become a source of pleasure for the men and not the women who undergo the procedure. These internalized feelings drive many to strive to obtain an unattainable beauty and live up to certain impossible expectations whether it’s consciously or not. We fail to recognize that most of the images we are exposed to are computer generated, they are not real women they have been photo shopped and manipulated to look like that and yet we continue to perpetuate these images as the standards for beauty. Much more, the standards that women are expected to live up to is a paradox of ideas, we are to be both â€Å"innocent and sexy, virgin and experienced† child/doll-like and sex objects simultaneously. Can that be any more absurd? Gender is a performance that the mass media is largely responsible for defining, if we are not thin or beautiful enough then we are not feminine enough. The oppression and misrepresentation of women is not limited to gender though, race plays an active role in the representation of women. Asian women for example, are depicted as docile and passive lovers, whereas black and Hispanic women are hyper sexualized and portrayed as exotic promiscuous â€Å"creatures† dressed in animal prints. The perfect ideal woman was manufactured and it’s time we recognize this, she is an illusion that doesn’t exist outside of caricature. Instead of altering our Rosales 3 bodies to fit those Barbie doll like measurements we need to start portraying the large diversity of women accurately and stop condemning those who are not thin enough, tall enough, light enough, as not being beautiful because they aren’t trying hard enough to fit those categories.

Work Of Barney J Contribute To Hrm Management Essay

Work Of Barney J Contribute To Hrm Management Essay In 1991, Jay B. Barney authored a journal entitled Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. The literatures main argument is that sustained competitive advantage can be obtained if the firm effectively and efficiently utilize its resources and capabilities that are valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable (Barney 1991). This view of strategic analysis was regarded as the resource-based view (RBV) and different from what has been the customary external environment analysis which was exemplified in Porters five forces of competition (Porter 1979). Thus, focus was given to the strengths and weaknesses of a firm as much as the opportunities and threats of the external environment as the source of competitive advantage and foundation for creating strategies (Grant 2008). The RBV has been considered by many authors as contributing to the wider fields of study about resources and sustained competitive advantage (CITE) including human resources management. Hence, the focus of this literature is on the above mentioned work of Jay Barney and its contribution in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) and the relationship of Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) with sustained competitive advantage. The essay will be presented accordingly in three parts. First is a discussion of the theories presented in Barneys work as regards RBV. Second are the ramifications of the RBV theory to the concept of HRM and SHRM. And last is a reflection on the limitations or critiques regrading RVB and the things to come for the study of SHRM. THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW OF THE FIRM At the onset, literatures regarding strategy and sustained competitive advantage were focused mostly on the external analyses of opportunities and threats in the environment of the industry for some time (Barney 1991). Porters five forces of competition exemplifies this focus of a firms position in relation to its external environment. Accordingly, strategies and sources of competitive advantage were made based on the analysis of the firms competition within its industry, the threats of new entrants, the threat of substitute products, the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers (Porter 1979). However, Peteraf (1993, p. 186) acknowledges that competitive advantage is not the product of varying industry attractiveness alone and that the RVB is a factor that contributed to such an understanding. Competitive advantage as described by Pralahad and Hamel (1990) is the product or result of several years of building core competencies that are superior to its rivals, and applying these compe tencies more effectively than its competitors and that the length of time to build core competencies and obtain competitive advantage is also relative to the capacity of firms to learn and apply learning more effectively. The foregoing explanation of CA thus foresees that resources intrinsic to a firm or firm resources are sources of SCA. With Barneys work, emphasis was given to a varying perspective towards strategy in which sustained competitive advantage is achievable if the firm takes advantage of resources that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable (Barney 1991). According to Barney (1995, p. 50), resources of a firm include all the financial, physical, human, and organizational assets used by a firm [and] human resources include all the experience, knowledge, judgement, risk taking propensity, and wisdom of individuals associated with the firm. Grant (2008, p. 131) further classifies resources into three: 1) tangible resources these are the financial and physical assets of a firm; 2) intangible resources which are the technology, reputation and culture possessed by the organisation; and 3) human resources which encompass the skills, knowledge, capacity for communication and collaboration, and the motivation that exists within the firm. All of these resources with the aforementioned characteris tics, when utilized effectively and efficiently through a firms organisation, systems and knowledge can be a source of sustained competitive advantage (Barney, Wright, Ketchen 1991). Based on the rationalisations mentioned, human resources are likewise potential sources of sustained competitive advantage. THE RESOURCE BASED VIEW AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT In his work, Barney consequently recognizes the importance of the RBV theory in the field of HRM, and that human resources can be valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable, and therefore become sources of sustained competitive advantage. Aside from specific human resources, policies and practices in HRM are valuable and inimitable since these resources cannot be easily replicated and requires a substantial period of time to get established (Barney 1991; Boxall 1996). Another characteristic of human resources is that of being rare or unique individually and as a group, for which Grant (2008) stresses that the key to competitive advantage is to exploit the firms unique resources, since strategies purely based on industry selection and positioning results in similar strategies among firms in an industry. These characteristics which epitomize RBV theory in Barneys work has been instrumental in providing the appropriate attention deserved by human resources in strategic planning, which leads to the notion of Strategic HRM (Wright, Dunford and Snell 2001). Further explanation provided by Pynes (2009, p. 31) is that SHRM is based on the assumption that in a dynamic environment, organizations need to be dynamic as well, this necessitates the need to acquire realistic information on the capabilities and talents of their current staff-in essence, their human resources. However, while RBV theorizes that competitive advantage can be sourced from the firms human resources, it is not solely the foundation from which profitability can be obtained in as much as a firms position in an industry cannot also be the sole source of competitive advantage. Competitive advantage and sustained competitive advantage can be attained by combining the customary external analysis, industry positioning and attractiveness with that of the analysis of the organizations internal resources (Collis Montgomery 1995). Through SHRM in particular, organizations can be better equipped to plan their human resource requirements in accord with the current needs within the organizations as well as with the present situation in the external environment (Pynes 2009). In essence, Barneys work has become a foundation from which HRM and SHRM gained prominence in the study of strategy and sustained competitive advantage. (Wright, Dunford, and Snell 2001) THE RVB, ITS LIMITATIONS AND CRITIQUES Priem and Butler (2001), provides a well acknowledge critique of the RBV literature offered by Barney about the RBV a theory. The critique is summarised in four areas wherein Barney offered counter arguments for each. Barney categorises Priem and Butlers (2001) assessments as: 1) the RBV theory is tautological; 2) failure to recognize that the composition of resources however diverse can generate similar value for a firm, and as such, cannot be a source of competitive advantage; 3) the 1991 article failed to give emphasis to the role of product markets; and 4) the theories derived has limited prescriptive implications. (Barney 2001, p. 41) These critiques, limitations, and assessments relating to various RBV literature, and in Barneys work in particular, has led to the increasing popularity of concepts such as knowledge management, learning organisations, flexible workforce and teamwork (Hartel, Fujimoto, Strybosch, Fitzpatrick, 2007, p. 14) Thus, giving groundwork from which further and more intricate study has evolved. CONCLUSION To sum up, the foregoing discussions presented Barneys 1991 work emphasising on resources that are rare, valuable, inimitable, and non-substitutable as foundations of sustained competitive advantage. More importantly, it has provided a backdrop from which due importance was given to the human resources of a firm in strategy formulation and contributed immensely to the notion of strategic HRM. Wright, Dunford, and Snell (2001) considers Barneys propositions on the sources of sustained competitive advantage as an influential in making or shaping the RBV premise significant in the context of strategy and in SHRM as well. For the future of RBV and SHRM, the articles critiques and limitations have instigated further study of the RBV theory and likewise opened new horizons for research in the field of HR and SHRM. Thus it is adequate and appropriate to say that the RBV theory which was emphasized in Barneys work contributed in the shift from strategy based on external factors and brought t o view the internal competencies and human resources of a firm in formulating strategies (Hartel, Fujimoto, Strybosch, Fitzpatrick, 2007, p. 14). There is a great depth of field for study and research in HRM and SHRM for which the RBV theory is relevant and a vital resource, future researches is definitely and will be very important to further appreciate and understand the relevance and essence of human resources in an organization. Annex A: Summary and Assessment of critiques to the Resource-Based View (RVB) (Kraaijenbrink, Spender, and Aard 2010, p. 360) Critique Assessment 1) The RBV has no managerial implications. Not all theories should have managerial implications. Through its wide dissemination, the RVB has evident impact. 2) The RBV implies infinite regress. Applies only to abstract mathematical theories. In an applied theory such as the RBV, levels are qualitatively different. 3) The RVBs applicability is too limited. Generalizing about uniqueness is not impossible by definition. The RBV applies to small firms and start-ups as well, as long as they strive for an SCA. Path dependency is not problematic when not taken to the extreme. The RBV applies only to firms in predictable environments. 4) SCA is not achievable By including dynamic capabilities, the RBV is not purely static, though it only explains ex post, not ex ante, sources of SCA. Although no CA can last forever, a focus on SCA remains useful. 5) The RBV is not a theory of the firm. The RBV does not sufficiently explain why firms exist. Rather than requiring it to do so, it should further develop as a theory of SCA and leave additional explanations of firm existence to TCE. 6) VRIN/O is neither necessary nor sufficient for SCA. The VRIN/O criteria are not always necessary and not always sufficient to explain a firms SCA. The RBV does not sufficiently consider the synergy within resource bundles as a source of SCA. The RBV does not sufficiently recognize the role that judgment and mental models of individuals play in value assessment and creation. 7) The value of a resource is too indeterminate to provide for useful theory. The current conceptualization of value turns the RBV into a trivial heuristic, an incomplete theory, or a tautology. A more subjective and creative notion of value is needed. 8) The definition of resource is unworkable. Definitions of resources are all inclusive. The RBV does not recognize differences between resources as inputs and resources that enable the organization of such inputs. There is no recognition of how different types of resources may contribute to SCA in a different manner. Lastly, Kraaijenbrink, Spender, and Aard (2010) have summed up the critiques as regards the RVB and offered evaluation and counterarguments to each (see Annex A). Among the eight critiques cited, three of which were acknowledged as not easily dismissible as the other five. The three assessments were concerned about the nature of resource and value as being indeterminate and the narrow explanation of a firms SCA. Another weakness in the RBV theory was the prominence of the attention given to individual resources compared to the importance of the conglomeration of individual resources and, which according to Kraaijenbrink, Spender, and Aard, does not reflect the real meaning of competitive advantage. (2010, p. 359)

Energy Production Essay -- Environment, Natural Gas

In today’s society, it’s nearly impossible to open a newspaper, fire up a computer, or hold a conversation that isn’t someway related to energy. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution over a century and a half ago, nothing has been more pivotal to mankind’s rise to power as the apex species of planet earth. Had our ancestors not discovered the potential of using million year old plant and animal remains to create combustible power, the world would look very different. There is no denying that energy production is one of, if not, the most important developments in human history. After a hundred and fifty years of recklessly burning oil and coal, we find ourselves having to deal with the literal mess unforeseen by our industrious forefathers. No longer can the repercussions of our unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels be ignored nor can we defer the task of finding a solution to the next generation of humans. â€Å"Energy use and its cost are rising worldwide, most countries remain dependent on oil imports, and little progress has been made toward curbing climate change† (Deutch 2011). This inconvenient truth has left governments, environmentalists, and consumers scrambling to develop a way to provide massive amounts of energy at an affordable cost while significantly reducing our harmful carbon emissions. In a perfect world alternative, clean energy should have been pursued intensively when true magnitude of oil instability was first revealed in the 1970’s but better late than never. There are dozens, if not hundreds of oil and coal alternatives that are being considered, however, while many options look promising in theory the overwhelming majority of them such as: wind, solar, and biofuel just aren’t economically feas... ...to guide the design of the study. The initial research results from the study are expected until the end of 2012 with a goal for a report in 2014. ANH International. "About Us | ANH International." Welcome to Alliance for Natural Health International | ANH International. 03 Mar. 2011. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. . ANH-USA 1. "A Huge Fracking Mess." Welcome to the Alliance for Natural Health - USA. 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. . ANH-USA 2. "Campaigns." Welcome to the Alliance for Natural Health - USA. 03 Mar. 2011. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. . ANH-USA 3. "Overview." Welcome to the Alliance for Natural Health - USA. 03 Mar. 2011. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. .

Lets Put an End to Animal Research, Testing, and Experimentation Essay

We Must Put an End to Animal Research, Testing, and Experimentation Without animal research, cures for such diseases as typhoid, diphtheria, and polio might never have existed. Without animal research, the development of antibiotics and insulin would have been delayed. Without animal research, many human beings would now be dead. However, because of animal testing, 200,000 dogs, 50,000 cats, 60,000 primates, 1.5 million hamsters, and uncounted millions of rats and mice are experimented upon and die each year, as living fodder for the great human scientific machine. Some would say that animal research is an integral part of progress; unfortunately, this is often true. On the whole, animal testing is a necessary evil that should be reduced and eliminated whenever possible. Since the time of Aristotle, animals have been used to further human progress. When Galen pioneered the study of anatomy or when Harvey discovered the circulation of blood, they used animals as a vital portion of their work. Why? Because at the time there was no alternative short of testing on human beings, an option very few would morally accept then or even now. Throughout all of human history, the pattern has remained the same—human technological and scientific progress has always involved testing on animals. Without that testing, modern medicine would be a shadow of what it is today. Many modern procedures stem directly from testing with animals. In addition, doctors and surgeons receive much of their training with the living tissues of animals. Computer simulations and other methods simply cannot compete with experience on a living being. For example, the United States Army formerly shot goats to train physician responses to gunshot wounds (Cole ... ... Rights and Wrongs.† Taking Sides: Psychological Issues. Gilford: Dushkin Publishing Group, 2011. Lane, Stuart. â€Å"Banning Animal Testing May Be Hazardous to Your Health.† Priorities Spring 2013: 23. Loeb, Jerod M. â€Å"Human vs. Animal Rights: In Defense of Animal Research.† Taking Sides: Science, Technology, and Society. Gilford: Dushkin Publishing Group, 2011 Oà ­ Connor, Karen. Sharing the Kingdom. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Lmt, 1984. Regan, Tom. â€Å"Ill-Gotten Gains.† Taking Sides: Bioethical Issues. Gilford: Dushkin Publishing Group, 2009. Rohr, Janelle. Animal Rights: Opposing Viewpoints. NP: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Weaner, Dave. Personal Interview. 22 March, 2014 Whistler, Ann. Personal Interview. 24 March, 2014 Zak, Steven. â€Å"Ethics and Animals.† Taking Sides: Science, Technology, and Society. Gilford: Dushkin Publishing Group, 2007

Coping with Peer Pressure Essay -- Peer Pressure Essays

Adolescence is a time when peers play an increasingly important role in the lives of youth. Teens begin to develop friendships that are more intimate, exclusive, and more constant than in earlier years. In many ways, these friendships are an essential component of development. They provide safe venues where youth can explore their identities, where they can feel accepted and where they can develop a sense of belongingness. Friendships also allow youth to practice and foster social skills necessary for future success. Nonetheless, parents and other adults can become concerned when they see their teens becoming preoccupied with their friends. Many parents worry that their teens might fall under negative peer influence or reject their families’ values and beliefs, as well as be pressured to engage in high-risk and other negative behaviors. In actuality, peer influence is more complex than our stereotype of the negative influences from friends. First, peer influence can be both positive and negative. While we tend to think that peer influence leads teens to engage in unhealthy and unsafe behaviors, it can actually motivate youth to study harder in school, volunteer for community and social services, and participate in sports and other productive endeavors. In fact, most teens report that their peers pressure them not to engage in drug use and sexual activity. Second, peer influence is not a simple process where youth are passive recipients of influence from others. In fact, peers who become friends tend to already have a lot of things in common. Peers with similar interests, similar academic standing, and enjoy doing the same things tend to gravitate towards each other. So while it seems that teens and their friends become ve... ...relationships, and deflect negative peer pressures and influences. Selected References Brown, B. B. (2004). Adolescents’ relationships with peers. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of Adolescent Psychology, 2nd edition (pp. 363-394). New York: Wiley. Brown, B. B. (1990). Peer groups and peer cultures. In S. S. Feldman & G. R. Elliott (Eds). At the threshold: The developing adolescent (pp. 171-198). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Brown, B. B. & Klute, C. (2006). Friendships, cliques, and crowds. In G. R. Adams & M. D. Berzonsky (Eds.). Blackwell Handbook of Adolescence (pp. 330-348). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Steinberg, L. (2005). Adolescence. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Acknowledgment This publication is partly based on NebFact 211, â€Å"Adolescence and Peer Pressure† by Herbert G. Lingren, Extension Family Specialist.

The Malaysian Accounting Standards Board Accounting Essay

MFRS 101-Presentation of Financial Statements prescribes the footing for presentation of general purpose fiscal statements to guarantee comparison both with the entity ‘s fiscal statements of old periods and with the fiscal statements of other entities. It sets out overall demands for the presentation of fiscal statements, guidelines for their construction and minimal demands for their content.Purpose of fiscal statementsFiscal statements are a structured representation of the fiscal place and fiscal public presentation of an entity. The aim of fiscal statements is to supply information about the fiscal place, fiscal public presentation and hard currency flows of an entity that is utile to a broad scope of users in doing economic determinations. Fiscal statements besides show the consequences of the direction ‘s stewardship of the resources entrusted to it. A complete set of fiscal statements comprises: ( a ) a statement of fiscal place as at the terminal of the period ( B ) a statement of comprehensive income for the period ( degree Celsius ) a statement of alterations in equity for the period ( vitamin D ) a statement of hard currency flows for the period ( vitamin E ) notes, consisting a sum-up of important accounting policies and other explanatory information ( degree Fahrenheit ) a statement of fiscal place as at the beginning of the predating period when an entity applies an accounting policy retrospectively or makes a retrospective restatement of points in its fiscal statements, or when it reclassifies points in its fiscal statements. An entity may utilize rubrics for the statements other than those used in this Standard. For illustration, an entity may utilize the rubric ‘statement of comprehensive income ‘ alternatively of ‘statement of net income or loss and other comprehensive income ‘ . Statement of fiscal place Information to be presented in the statement of fiscal place. As a lower limit, the statement of fiscal place shall include line points that present the undermentioned sums: ( a ) belongings, works and equipment ; ( B ) investing belongings ; ( degree Celsius ) intangible assets ; ( vitamin D ) fiscal assets ( excepting sums shown under ( vitamin E ) , ( H ) and ( I ) ) ; ( vitamin E ) investings accounted for utilizing the equity method ; ( degree Fahrenheit ) biological assets ; ( g ) stock lists ; ( H ) trade and other receivables ; ( I ) hard currency and hard currency equivalents ; ( J ) the sum of assets classified as held for sale and assets included in disposal groups classified as held for sale in conformity with MFRS 5 Non-current Assetss Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations ; ( K ) trade and other payables ; ( cubic decimeter ) commissariats ; ( m ) fiscal liabilities ( excepting sums shown under ( K ) and ( cubic decimeter ) ) ; ( N ) liabilities and assets for current revenue enhancement, as defined in MFRS 112 Income Taxes ; ( O ) deferred revenue enhancement liabilities and deferred revenue enhancement assets, as defined in MFRS 112 ; ( P ) liabilities included in disposal groups classified as held for sale in conformity with MFRS 5 ; ( Q ) non-controlling involvements, presented within equity ; and ( R ) issued capital and militias attributable to proprietors of the parent An entity shall clearly place each fiscal statement and the notes. In add-on, an entity shall expose the undermentioned information conspicuously, and repetition it when necessary for the information presented to be apprehensible: ( a ) the name of the coverage entity or other agencies of designation, and any alteration in that information from the terminal of the predating coverage period ; ( B ) whether the fiscal statements are of an single entity or a group of entities ; ( degree Celsius ) the day of the month of the terminal of the coverage period or the period covered by the set of fiscal statements or notes ; ( vitamin D ) the presentation currency, as defined in MFRS 121 ; and ( vitamin E ) the degree of rounding used in showing sums in the fiscal statement.Current/non-current differentiationAn entity shall show current and non-current assets, and current and non-current liabilities, as separate categorizations in its statement of fiscal place in conformity with except when a presentation based on liquidness provides information that is dependable and more relevant. When that exclusion applies, an entity shall show all assets and liabilities in order of liquidness.Current assetsAn entity shall sort an plus as current when: ( a ) it expects to gain the plus, or intends to sell or devour it, in its normal operating rhythm. ( B ) it holds the plus chiefly for the intent of trading. ( degree Celsius ) it expects to gain the plus within 12 months after the coverage period. ( vitamin D ) the plus is hard currency or a hard currency equivalent ( as defined in MFRS 107 ) unless the plus is restricted from being exchanged or used to settle a liability for at least 12 months after the coverage period. An entity shall sort all other assets as non-current.Current liabilitiesAn entity shall sort a liability as current when: ( a ) it expects to settle the liability in its normal operating rhythm ; MFRS 101 ( B ) it holds the liability chiefly for the intent of trading ; ( degree Celsius ) the liability is due to be settled within 12s months after the coverage period ; or ( vitamin D ) it does non hold an unconditioned right to postpone colony of the liability for at least years after the coverage. Footings of a liability that could, at the option of the counterparty, consequence in its colony by the issue of equity instruments do non impact its categorization. An entity shall sort all other liabilities as non-current,Statement of alterations in equityInformation to be presented in the statement of alterations in equity. An entity shall show a statement of alterations in equity. The statement of alterations in equity includes the undermentioned information demoing in the statement: ( a ) entire comprehensive income for the period, demoing individually the entire sums attributable to proprietors of the parent and to non-controlling involvements ; ( B ) for each constituent of equity, the effects of retrospective application or retrospective restatement recognised in conformity with MFRS 108 ; ( vitamin D ) for each constituent of equity, a rapprochement between the transporting sum at the beginning and the terminal of the period, individually unwraping alterations ensuing from: ( I ) net income or loss ; ( two ) each point of other comprehensive income ; and ( three ) minutess with proprietors in their capacity as proprietors, demoing separately parts by and distributions to proprietors and alterations in ownership involvements in subordinates that do non ensue in a loss of control. Information to be presented in the statement of alterations in equity or in the notes. For each constituent of equity an entity shall show, either in the statement of alterations in equity or in the notes, an analysis of other comprehensive income by point. An entity shall show, either in the statement of alterations in equity or in the notes, the sum of dividends recognised as distributions to proprietors during the period, and the related sum of dividends per portion.

Scholarly Voice And Writing

Some people are aloof to read scholarly articles for the fear of not understanding them. They have this connotation that since the articles are written by those masters in the subject, they could not easily relate to them. Obviously, this notion about scholarly articles does not favor both the readers and the writers. While the readers will continue to elude such kind of writing, the writers on one hand will be limited in proliferating their messages. How could this scenario be avoided? Perhaps it is good to start in solving the problem about the misconceptions of scholarly writing. The writers of these articles could probably hold several degrees in their fields, but it does not mean that what they write are being understood only by those who are also in their same fields. At this point, the role of effective scholarly writing takes place. It is now the responsibility of the writers to convey their message using the most appropriate and effective manner of scholarly writing. What then are the criteria for effective scholarly writing and how does one achieve it? Effective scholarly writing could be best described as having an effective scholarly voice. What then is a scholarly voice? Scholarly voice is simply described as the voice that reflects one’s cognition about a topic. A person having a scholarly voice represents his full grasp on his subject. Because his audience could not see him, the way he wrote will define his voice. His writing is his own voice. Therefore, it is important to know how to have an effective scholarly writing. Scholarly writing is a kind of writing characterized by clarity, conciseness, and precision in words. By clarity it means that the writer should be able to express all of his thoughts in a clear, understandable manner. This could be achieved by following some tips. For example, relying on grammar, spelling, and writing style manuals would add to the clarity of the message. Being concise, on the other hand, could be achieved through giving the readers a comprehensive message. With comprehensiveness, it means that the message should not only be complete, but should reflect objectivity as well. A scholarly writing is based on solid evidence. Finally, preciseness in the use of words means appropriateness in language choice. As Professor Lilburn Hoehn has said, â€Å"Figure out what you want to say and just say it†. An effective scholarly writing is direct to the point and free from wordiness or puffery. Although there are criteria for effective scholarly writing, sometimes outside factors may affect a writer in his writing. One of these is the intended audience. A writer should be sensitive to the basic information about his intended audience—its demographics, its personality, and most importantly, its expectations and needs. As a scholar writer, one should know that his intended audience is mostly comprised of people of his same level of mastery. His writing should be strongly based on evidence because his intended audience is composed of critical and rational thinkers. Thus, the writer should know what he is writing about. It should be true and should matter to his audience. Having described effective scholarly voice and writing, it is now better for me to assess myself. I believe that one of my greatest assets is my keen sense for objectivity. Because of this, I am sure that I will be able to exude one of most important characteristics of effective scholarly writing—objectivity. However, I also believe that one of my weaknesses is being wordy with my writing. Knowing that my intended audience, I should try to eliminate this weakness and convert it to an asset. To do this, I believe that I should expose myself more to samples of scholarly writings. More importantly, practicing my writing skill is the best way to gain my goal. Gaining the skills to write a scholarly article using a scholarly voice seems to be a task hard to attain. While most people are accustomed writing and using layman’s terms, it is still not a valid excuse to elude from learning how to write in a scholarly manner. One should really have the determination to learn the principles of scholarly writing.

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet Essay

Known as a minimalist and experimental composer, Richard Gavin Bryars unleashed an emotionally intimate constructed piece out from a lone old vagrant singing, Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, this one thing I know, for he loves me so†¦ Originally recorded from footage of a documentary by his friend Alan Power in 1971 (Grimshaw), this aged voice served as the focal point and backdrop for Bryars’ poignant yet challenging work unfolding and reiterating itself over the course of 74 minutes in length. Whereas music that falls under Minimalist movement, sometimes associated the emotional neutralization of repeated materials, Bryars’ has the reverse effect in which rather than numbing the listener’s sensibilities, he heightens them and instead of imposing postmodern indifference toward the subject matter, it forces confrontation with it (Grimshaw). The entire lengthy music might deflate the interest of its listeners as the lines simply repeated over the recording, but Bryars managed to extract the spirit of the tramp’s captive song as he slowly introduced an accompaniment. The first part was merely the sole voice of the old man then eventually enhanced by string quartet, followed by plucked bass and guitar. Moreover, as the instruments subsequently fade out, the tramp’s song continues and eventually underscored by a much richer sounding ensemble of low strings, then woodwinds, brass, and delicate percussion and finally full orchestra and choir (Grimshaw). The soul of the music originated from the compassionate nature of the old vagrant who sang the religious tune during the recording of Power’s documentary that was about the life of street-people around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo in London. Bryars’ recounted; while they are filming the documentary, some people broke into drunken ballad or opera songs, but there was a particular homeless old man sang â€Å"Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet†. When he played it at home, he noticed the exact tune of the singing to his piano, and, he discerned that the first section of the song that is 13 bars in length formed an effective loop that repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. Therefore, he took the tape to Leicester and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape having the idea of adding orchestrated accompaniment to it. During the act of copying, he left the door that lead to the large painting studios, and when he came back, he found people weeping and silently listening over the old man’s singing, at that point, he realized a great emotional influence from the noble faith and tranquil music (Howse), a merely accidental root behind this epic. This particular Bryars’ piece was a breakthrough as there were other versions made during the latter years. Tom Waits singing along with it in 1990 and Jars of Clay released their own version on their album Who We Are Instead in 2003, aside from the fact that it was also used for several theatrical presentations. Covering credits for its very straightforward message to the people, the unyielding constancy of the lyrics—repeated over 150 times—essentially keeps the music from achieving greater feats. It is said that no matter how many times you paint a house, it remains to be the same house. Still, that verse holds together the entirety of the minimalist piece, a factor that you cannot simply neglect. Focusing on keeping his music very simple yet haunting, this composer and double bassist is a native from Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and born on January 16, 1943. His first musical reputation was as a jazz bassist working in the early sixties with improvisers Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley. He abandoned improvisation in 1966 and worked for a time in the United States with John Cage, until he collaborated closely with composers such as Cornelius Cardew and John White. He taught in the department if Fine Art in Portsmouth, Leicester from 1969 to 1978, and there he founded the legendary Portsmouth Sinfonia, an orchestra whose membership consisted of performers who â€Å"embrace the full range of musical competence† — and who played or just attempted to play popular classical works. He also founded the Music Department at Leicester Polytechnic (later De Montfort University) and served as professor in Music from 1986 to 1994. Meanwhile, his first major work as a composer owe much to the so-called New York School of John Cage—with whom he briefly studied, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown and minimalism. His earliest piece was The Sinking of Titanic (1969) and was originally released under Brian Eno’s Obscure Label in 1975 and the Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971) both famously released in new versions in the 1990s on Point Music Label, selling over a quarter of a million copies. The original 1970s recordings have been re-released on CD by Virgin Records. A major turning point in his development was his first written opera Medea, premiered at the Opera de Lyon and Opera de Paris in 1984. He has written another two operas, both with libretti by his long time collaborator Blake Morrison: Doctor Ox’s Experiment, and G, commissioned by the Staatstheater Mainz for the Gutenberg 600th Anniversary. Aside from that, Bryars has also produced a large body of chamber music including three string quartets and a saxophone quartet both for his own ensemble and for other performers. He has also written extensively for strings as well as producing concertos for violin, viola, cello, double bass, saxophone and bass oboe. He has also written choral music, chiefly for the Latvian Radio Choir, with whom he has recently recorded a second CD, and for the Estonian Male Choir. From being a jazz bassist, composer, professor and opera writer, he also made a name as he collaborated with visual artists, worked with choreographers who have used his pieces, and written numerous Laude for the soprano Ana Maria Friman, to name a few. And to date, he recently completed a theatre piece, To Define Happiness, with Peeter Jalakas for Von Krahl theatre in Tallinn, and a project around Shakespeare’s sonnets, Nothing Like the Sun, with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North. Gavin Bryars is an Associate Research Fellow at Dartington College of Arts and Regent of the College de ‘Pataphysique. And married to Russian-born film director Anna Tchernakova with three daughters and a son. He is currently living in England and British Columbia, Canada. WORKS CITED Howse, Christopher. â€Å"The Assurance of Hope†. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. xix. ISBN 0-8264-8271-6 Mckeating, Scott. http://www. stylusmagazine. com/articles/seconds/gavin-bryars-jesus-blood-never-failed-me-yet. htm Grimshaw, Jeremy. â€Å"All Music Guide†. http://www. answers. com/topic/jesus-blood-never-failed-me-yet-orchestral-classical-work http://www. gavinbryars. com/ http://www. myspace. com/gavinbryarsmusic http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jesus%27_Blood_Never_Failed_Me_Yet

America Foreign Policy

The trade embargo placed by the United States on Cuba involves financial, economic and commercial restrictions that were first placed on Fidel Castro’s government in 1962. It was as a result of the government expropriation of assets and properties of US nationals and corporations. The embargo was first suggested and implemented by president Kennedy’s government on the charge that there was lack of democracy in Cuba not only in respect to the Cuban nationals but also to other nationals.In essence, the embargo restricted certain economic and financial transactions between the nationals of the two countries whether directly or indirectly in regard to the use of a third country or national of such a country. The embargo started with the introduction of an import quota on sugar imported from Cuba by several millions. This was met by an agreement by the Soviet Union to by the rest of the sugar from Cuba. Still, the Cuban government under the leadership of Fidel Castro continu ed to take further actions on businesses owned by American national, confiscating most of it.The US government retaliated by expanding the trade restrictions even further especially because of the alignment of Cuba with the Soviet Union in the cold war which caused the Cuban missile crisis. Later, the US government imposed travel restrictions to its nationals restricting them from traveling to Cuba. Further down the line, the US government charged the Cuban government of hosting Soviet Union nuclear weapons and since the union was an enemy in the cold war, regulations were put in place to freeze any Cuban assets in the states and to further consolidate the restrictions put on the country.Various restrictions has since been put in place which include restriction on the amount of money spent by a US national on the Cuban island, restrictions on the forms and amount of gifts that a US national can give to a relative in Cuba or a Cuban national among others. Furthermore, the US governme nt restricted any company that is involved in trade activities in Cuba from entering the US economy on the argument that such a company would be trafficking assets from US to Cuba. To date, most of the trade restrictions placed on Cuba and expenditure restrictions placed on US nationals and corporations still stand.Despite efforts by some of the activists and United Nations has been meeting a dead end with previous and current presidents of the US suspending bills and efforts aimed at lifting the embargo. Despite the fact that some valid reasons were used in basing the embargo and the fact that the US government and its nationals are not affected much by the Embargo, the effects of it are not only affecting the unintended but also affecting the US economy in ways which were unintended. Efforts by activists and the UN are still unsuccessful despite the dire consequences that the embargo has had.In essence, while today the embargo is much founded on democracy issues in Cuba, it goes a step further to restrain the achievement of democracy in the country, punishing Cuban citizens as opposed to the Administration. The purpose of the paper is to expound on the benefits that can be achieved by lifting the embargo not only to Cuba but also to the US and its citizens in general. Why the Embargo should be lifted As observed earlier, various efforts to lift the restrictions on Cuba and American travelers have continuously been rejected both by the President and the congress.On the contrary, the US government has eased a little following pressure from some of the activists. For example, agribusiness organizations and American farmers put the government under pressure to lift some of the restrictions which saw the allowance of sale of medicine and agricultural goods only for humanitarian reasons. Still, many of the restrictions still are in place and there exist no evidence that these restrictions will be lifted any time soon. In light with the embargo, Cubans and scholars have argued that the embargo has and still is affecting negatively the resources of the Cuban nationals as opposed to those of the government.This raises many humanitarian issues in regard to the US government especially considering that the embargo was as a result of democracy issues in Cuba. It has been argued and it is true to a greater extent that the economic damage that arises as a result of the embargo is to some extent responsible for the problems associated with transportation and food shortage in Cuba. As argued by some governments and activist, the embargo has had dire effects on medicine supplies, food and other economic needs of Cubans.This by extension has resulted in vulnerability in infectious diseases and epidemics including malnutrition. The restrictions also have negatively affected the flow of medical information in the country thus resulting to diseases that would otherwise be easily dealt with. The rationing system that results as a result of food shortage hav e greatly affected men and the elderly since designed to give preference to women and children. On another view, the embargo has greatly influenced the capacity of US investors in Cuba but more so have affected non American investors in Cuba.In this context, investors who have interests in the US economy have been reluctant or have been restricted by the law from investing in Cuba. As such, the embargo is not only affecting the Cuban and the American nationals but also the nationals of other countries as well. Moreover, it has continuously threatened diplomatic relationship of US and other countries in regard to the dealings and transactions of these countries and Cuba. In any case, while the embargo gives the Cuban government a scapegoat for problems not directly associated with the embargo, it gives a head start for non US businesses in Cuba should it be lifted.In this regard, these businesses have already established firm foundations to be shaken by the competition that would ari se from the lifting of the trade embargo. In general, while the embargo is aimed at improving the democracy and the compliance with human rights, it has continuously affected these rights negatively making it non humanitarian itself. It is worth noting that it an inadequate reason for the US government to argue that it is involved in charity work aimed at giving medical and food supplies to Cubans.On the other hand, the bureaucracy involved in this charity work has greatly affected its effectiveness in Cuba. Charity organizations and other non governmental organizations have faced delays as a result of the licensing process involved and transportation problems. It also represent a violation of international law as provided for by the United Nations Charter. In this context, the fact that the embargo directly condemns the sale of certain food products and medical products abuses the human right of accessing life saving medical supplies.Further Arguments As it stands out, the trade em bargo imposed by US government hinders free trade between the two countries. While the US government is highly dependent on home production, it does not mean that it has a comparative advantage on all it consumables thus it is forced to import some of it consumables from other countries. This implies that there is an existence of free trade between US and these other countries. One of the major advantages of free trade is that it promotes liberalization of the economies involved.As such, by maintaining the trade embargo on Cuba, the US is denying the Cuban economy better grounds for liberalization. In essence, the Cuban economy can not be open to American investors nor is it open to non US investors who have interests in both countries. In this context, the US economy is and continues to lose the advantages that are associated with the liberalization of the Cuban economy just like any other economy. In fact, it would be irrational to argue that the economy of Cuba has little to offe r to that of US.On the other hand, Cuba has been famous of having a comparative advantage on sugar production. It is imperative that the US economy can obtain such goods from other economies but the question remain, how cheap would it attain them from the Cuban economy. A good example is the tourist potential of Cuba. Travel restrictions have greatly affected the realization of benefits in Cuban tourist industry as the US government restricts its nationals in visiting the island and in the maximum amount of dollars that can be spent on the island on any given day.Moreover, free trade allows the manifestation and improvement of diplomatic relationship between the countries involved. While the problem in Cuba is a political one, trade embargo does not help in solving other problems in the country especially social and humanitarian’s one. It has over and over been argued that as opposed to a trade embargo, the problems in Cuba can only be solved by changing the communist politic al organization in the country. In light with these, the US government should first lift the embargo then embark on measures that are aimed at filling the loopholes in the Cuban political system.In any case, the embargo like others placed on other countries such as Iraq will only give the Cuban administration a reason to cling further to it political system. While, the US government restrict the provision of certain services to Cubans as was evident in the situation where the US government stressed Starwood hotels to chase away Cuban delegate who had attended the US- Cuba Trade Association, the Cuban government is also justified to retaliate in any way they think will bring equality. Such retaliation will only worsen further the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.Still, free trade helps in increasing the amount of foreign currency held by a given economy. With the reduction of economic aid by the soviet, Cuba has been experiencing may economic problems most of which i s as a result of lack of foreign currency to service debts secured from Asian countries. As a result, the living standards of Cuban nationals have greatly depreciated. In this context, it is a fallacy for the US government to argue that all the humanitarian problems in Cuba are as a result of bad governance.In essence, the US governments and it allies whether countries, corporations or individuals have greatly contributed to the decline in humanitarian welfare in Cuba. By placing sanctions on allies dealing with Cuba and by closing it economy from Cuba, the US government denies Cuba a chance to earn foreign currency and by extension impacts heavily on the livelihood of Cubans. Perhaps the most obvious advantage of free trade is that it increases the living standard of the nationals of the two respective economies.In this regard, free trade increases the availability of a variety of goods and services to the populations of the two countries. For one, the population has a variety of q uality products to choose from and secondly, these products are available at a cheaper price keeping in mind the concept of comparative advantage. Buying these products a cheaper price will increase the real purchasing power of the constituents of the population giving them the capability to save and invest in other areas of the economy.It would therefore be worthy to the Cuban nationals if the US government lifts the embargo as this will help in not only reducing their dependence on other economies through charity works but it would also improve their living standards. Since the US government and economy is highly involved in charity work to help Cubans, the lifting of the ban would also go a long way in helping the economy to develop given the nature and the cost of the resources used for charity work. Another advantage of free trade is that it helps in improving the infrastructure of both countries and this is inclusive of both transport and communication.While the US trade embar go on Cuba can be seen as restricting the movements of goods and services, restrictions have been put in place which restricts the docking of Cuban ships on American docks. Similarly, there have been travel restrictions especially in regard to US citizens. In light with the restrictions and with the poor diplomatic relationship between the two countries, the infrastructures of the two countries have suffered though not in direct terms. For example, flights operating between the two countries have been rerouted as no of the country want the other to intrude in her air space.Situations as these have increased the cost of transport between the two countries and have even hindered the movement of goods and services especially for Cuba since it has to use long routes to import goods thus a high cost of importation. Such a poor infrastructure has also been accused of harboring poor flow of medical information into Cuba and by extension increasing the persistency of epidemics and diseases in the country. Free trade encourages the increase in the level of investment opportunities between the respective countries while at the same time increasing foreign direct investments.This on the other hand helps in raising the living standards of the population of the two countries. Should the government lift the trade embargo, investment opportunities will sprout in the two countries. As a result, even if the US does not directly participate in investing in the Cuban economy, other multinational companies will seek investment opportunities in the country. In essence, those allies of US who have been reluctant to invest in the country will reconsider their stand. Moreover, the multinational companies in Cuba will also seek investment opportunities not only in the American economy but also in the economies of its allies.This will earn foreign currency for all the participating countries but more so will help in raising the living standards of Cuban nationals. As evidence has shown , the confiscation of Cuban assets including money held in banks, the government is only further aggregating the problem as the Cuban government is bound to take equal measures of counter attack and this can only add up to a web of tit for tat game. In addition to the above, free trade is also important in that it helps in increasing employment opportunities in the respective countries.As is the case with the living standards, creation of employment opportunities is integrated with other factors such investment and specialization. As stated earlier, free trade creates investment opportunities which by extension create employment opportunities while at the same time improving the living standards of the nationals. In addition, free trade increases the economies of scale which means more investment and earnings from the existing investments. This will also help in creating employment opportunities for the citizens of the two countries.In this light, it would be more advantages if the US government considers the probability of lifting the embargo as this would benefit not only the economy of Cuba but also its own economy. It would help in raising the living standards of Cubans thus reducing the level of poverty and dependence in the country. Finally, free trade helps in the harmonization of labor policies between the two countries thus offering cheap and affordable labor term. On top of this, free trade allows increased mobility of factors of production.As stated earlier, the fact that the US economy is capable in producing most of its consumables does not necessarily mean that it has a comparative advantage in production of all of them. If the embargo is lifted, the US economy will be able to expand its base in relation to factors of production thus improving on the productivity of its economy. With the advantage arising from the geographical positions of the two countries, the US economy is capable of importing factors of production from Cuba at a lower cost an d in time thus increasing productivity in its industries.Goods can also be exported to Cuba not just for charity work but also for earning foreign currency. Conclusion As is evident following the above discussion, it is evident that the US by placing the embargo on Cuba, the US government has denied the Cuban economy to grow and by extension, it has denied Cubans the opportunity of enjoying a high standard of living. While the argument still remains that the embargo is aimed at improving the democracy in Cuba, it should be known to the US government that this has only resulted to more humanitarian problems than there was before the embargo.It is therefore important for the US government to accept the fact that what is needed in Cuba as opposed to trade embargos is to change the whole political system. As such, the US government should lift the ban and look for other economic and political ways of influencing Cuba. Reference: Arnson Cynthia, 1993. Crossroads: Congress, the President and Central America, 1976-1993. Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University Press, pp. 17 Bhaqwati Jaqdish, 2002. Free Trade Today. United States, Princeton University Press, pp.34 Fawn Rick, 2003. Ideology and National Identity in Post Communist Foreign Policies. London, Frank Cass, pp. 32 Gianaris Nicholas, 1998. The Northern American Free Trade Agreement and the European Union. Westport CT: Praeger Publishers, pp. 23 Louis A. 1995. Essays on Cuban History: Historiography and Research. Florida, University Presses of Florida, pp. 45 McGillion Chris, 2002. Unfinished Business: America and Cuba after the Cold War, 1989-2001. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 19 Pierce Anne, 2004.The American Foreign Policy Tradition: Inspiration for Troubled Times. World and I, Vol. 19, pp. 56 Showalter D. 2007. Debating Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Foreign Policies, 1933- 1945. The Historian, Vol. 69, pp. 87 Ted Hopf, 2002. Social Construction of International Politics: Identities and For eign Policies, Moscow, 1955 and 1999. Cornell University Press, pp. 90 William M. 1998. Our Own Backyard: The United States in Central America, 1977-1992. United States, University of North Carolina Press, pp. 41