AIG Current Issues Pertaining to Business Law

AIG (American International Group Inc) has most recently been a common feature on American as well as international headlines following its possibility of going into liquidation as a result of financial difficulties. The federal government bailout extended to the company to help it in reviving its activities has also been a topic of discussion.Following all these, issues related to business law have been a common occurrence as AIG fights legal battles and accusations from enraged customers demanding their investment monies. AIG has as a result lost clients, employees and business in general. This paper focuses on these and other current events pertaining to business law at AIG.AnalysisAIG was recently faced with an economic downturn as a result of the current economic crisis. AIG is said to have made losses worth $62 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008 (Sorkin, 11-14). As a result, it has not been able to pay its credit dues on time.Creditors are constantly knocking on AIG's doors to obtain their money as they fear that the company could fail to pay them under the current financial difficulties it is experiencing. AIG has resulted in selling its assets in order to meet its obligations to creditors and beginning 2008 it obtained bailout from the government.Following the government bailout, AIG is no longer a wholly private company. The majority shares of AIG are now in the hands of the government hence it expects to receive more government control.AIG traded 79.9 percent of its shares for the federal government bailout. The government now possesses the rights to suspend dividends to the previously common and preferred stock.This is an indication that the company has ceased from being a fully private company to a nationalized one. It therefore owes the citizens who are represented by the government to operate profitably as well as repay the loan advanced by the government from the tax payer's money.As a result of the government bailout, AIG has to adjust itself to the government's requirements and laws that have been set for companies obtaining bailout.For example, The House of Representatives passed a requirement that all companies receiving federal government bailout exceeding $5 should pay 90 percent on bonuses given by companies. The companies must also operate with positive net value so that they can be able to pay up the loans advanced. If this is not so, the government will force companies that cannot pay up into liquidation Mich, 23-25).AIG has been under scrutiny following the handsome benefits that were issued to its more than 400 employees in the financial products division ranging between $1 million and 6.4 million. This follows the fact that AIG received $170 billion as federal government bailout which has necessitated investigations on how AIG was spending the taxpayer's money.(Turkish Weekly, 22-29). The government owns 79.9 percent of AIG now and as a result the public is the major shareholder of the company and this is wh at has created a major uproar in the public about AIG's activities. There are claims that the company is not taking its responsibilities towards shareholders in a serious manner.Edward Liddy, AIG's chief executive officer told the congress in March, 2009 that the company had asked the employees to return half of the bonuses received (Sorkin, 19-23). Further, he argued that the reason for the hefty bonuses was an attempt to retain employees in the financial products division.

Subliminal Messaging

My first reaction to this assignment was if I actually believed in subliminal messages myself. I decided I didn’t but after I did further research, I was shocked. I watched you-tube videos and looked at pictures online of advertising. The biggest shock I found was in the Disney movies. After replaying certain scenes in movies I witnessed subliminal messaging first hand. Most of the messages were sexual references and I was actually quite disturbed by it. For example, in a scene of â€Å"The Little Mermaid†, as Arial was walking up to the podium with her husband to be the priest got an erection. You can clearly see it happening. I never noticed it before until I started doing research on subliminal messaging. I did further research on other Disney animated movies and I found that there were a lot more ‘sexual’ subliminal messages in the movies and advertising that you don’t notice unless you are actually paying attention. Which brings me to my next point, Dr. Brahrami states â€Å"If the brain is busy it can filter our subliminal things. The brains response to subliminal messages is not automatic and depends on how much attention the person is paying†. And that’s when I decided I completely agree. I think since I was actually paying attention and watching out for subliminal messages, I could see them. Most of the time when I’m watching movies I don’t see the sexual, demon or drug related messages companies are putting in their movies and advertising. Which leads me to my question, why would a company based on children put sexual things in a movie made for kids?! Well, then I started to think it was a coincidence to I did more research and found out there was a huge debate during this time when the Arial scene with the priest came out. What I found was that it was the priest’s knee. So for my conclusion of this paper, I think you interpret what you want to see. If your brain is actually searching for these messages, your brain will see what it wants to see.

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn Essay

Review: Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn Breathing UnderwaterBreathing Underwater by Alex Flinn is written as a series of journal entries. The journal is written by Nick as an assignment from the judge who also sends him to anger management after the girlfriend he beat up finally presses charges. The book was published in 2001, before the recent increase in dating violence novels, and it tells a story often overlooked, that of the abuser instead of the abused. It’s a delicate subject. And it tells a hard story. Because while Nick is (obviously) not without his faults, he most certainly has his good points as well. And as I read I found myself feeling†¦ not sympathetic, exactly, but definitely feeling something, more than I thought I would. Initially, Nick is angry at being forced into these group anger management classes and he hates the idea of having to keep a journal. He doesn’t think he has a problem, thinks he just needs to pretend to clean up a little so he can get Caitlin back, get the courts out of his face and everything can be perfect again. Because we are reading Nick’s journal, we are privy to his thoughts, his perceptions and misconceptions. But we are also able to read between the lines and recognize that we are missing things, both because Nick is leaving them out and because Nick simply doesn’t see them. The initial entries into the journal are very sarcastic and emotionless. It’s clear that Nick doesn’t want to be bothered with a journal and that he thinks it’s stupid. But as Nick’s story progresses, more and more emotions leak onto the pages until Nick is really keeping a journal and using it as a way to organize his thoughts and face up to painful memories and truths. This is a book with astounding character growth. We learn enough about Nick throughout the course of the story to know that his life is not as easy or golden as his school friends always believed it to be. And Caitlin knew this, which is perhaps the reason that she stayed with him for so long, forgave him so many times. But, even though Flinn offers up Nick’s back story, allowing us to get to know who he is and what life experiences have shaped him, she never excuses or justifies his behavior, and ultimately Nick is not allowed that either. The group anger management class ends up being the best thing that ever happened to Nick, both because of the sympathetic and understanding instructor, and because Nick can see himself in the actions of some of the other members of the class and he doesn’t like what he sees. For such self-assessment to come from a 16 year old who then takes it and applies it to making himself better is amazing. Nick really grows as a person and while I don’t think Caitlin should ever take him back, I also think that he would not easily allow himself to fall back into the patterns of an abusive relationship. He really gets it. This is a story that needed to be told and needs to be read by more people. I don’t think enough people know about this book and I don’t think it’s one that should be missed. It’s painfully hard to read at times. Nick doesn’t hide the nasty things he said to Caitlin, because in the beginning, he doesn’t think there is anything wrong with what he’s done. And then, as he begins to recognize what was wrong with his actions, he starts to expose more of his internal motivations for being so cruel and the thought to action correlation begins to make more sense. Flinn is brave for taking an oft told story and telling the unspoken side of things. It would be easy, in a novel about an abuser to make him either evil and terrible or to justify his behaviors to the point of absolution. But abuse is not a misunderstanding and it’s rarely so simple as to be the actions of the truly evil. And Flinn has captured that beautifully. Nick is human. He is flawed and over time, he begins to accept that and work toward a change. THIS is what Contemporary is all about. Finding these novels that capture a moment in the human experience and open your eyes to it, make you recognize it for what it is, make you learn and grow as a person and help to open windows of understanding into subjects otherwise closed to us. Every side has two stories and it is a brave writer who can so masterfully tell the unpopular one.

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Global Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Using PEST-L analysis to prepare for strategic plans in taking advantage of opportnities in the external environment and addressing eminent threats, one understands that the consumers of the pharmaceutical industry are patients who need the drugs and medications to address various health concerns. As the prices of medicines were highly dependent on the amount, level and extent of research and development, consumers have no control nor say on the strategies involving prices. As shown in the chart on one of the branded prescription drugs marketed in the U.S., when compared to other areas around the world, the chart would reveal that the price of Lipitor was highest in the U.S.. Buyer power, is therefore considered restricted and limited as it is highly dependent of the prices dictated by drug manufacturers. In addition, the demographic profile of consumers affect and influence strategies designed by drug manufacturers as these profiles affect the demand and purchase of the products. As disclosed from the case, ageing population significantly affect the stragies designed since consumers from this age range more frequently buy drugs than those from the younger age ranges. Therefore, aside from considering the prices of this drugs to ensure that they could be afforded by the older generation, strategies would also consider the media by which products are advertised and promoted; the availability of substitutes, as emphasized in Porter’s threat of substitutes; and the manner by which these products are distributed and made available to the consumers. Political factors could be closely evaluated using the PEST-L analysis where laws and regulations impact on the industry’s operations and performance; as well as in the development of strategies. As the industry was characterized to be â€Å"subjected to rigorous regulatory scrutiny† (Holland, 2010, p. 548), the length required for clinical trials to ensure safety and security of consumers are considerably long. Further, the patent protection of 20 years also influence strategies of manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs since upon expiry, the threat of entry from generic drug manufacturers rise and significantly affect the level of sustained demand and consumer purchase. Legal factors encompass laws in terms of government controls on pricing and the extensive efforts taken into consideration from discovery and clinical trials to approval and final marketing. The imposition of parallel trade strategies in response to price control have influenced the global pharmaceutic al industry in terms of protecting not only drug manufacturers but moreso the consumers who get to evaluate significant price differentials as drugs could be sourced from other low priced markets. The implication for this is that international health organizations, like the World Health Organization, must monitor and address pricing strategies of global pharmaceutical companies to ensure uniform standards and benefits are accorded on a universal perspective. In an article written by Shah (2010), the author clearly cited Stiglitz work which

Emerging Technology 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Emerging Technology 2 - Essay Example There are basically two different ways in which green computing can be looked at. One of these is by considering the hardware that is being used in the processes. The other is by considering the software. Hardware in this case will mostly look at such things as the efficiency of data processing and the design of data centers. Software considers such aspects as cloud computing and algorithm tweaks that minimize power consumption improving efficiency (Harris 2008 23). Hardware One of the more recent technologies in this space is that of cloud computing. This allows large companies to basically distribute the costs of handling their data to a single company. This reduces the amount of data centers required to hold the numerous amounts of data. They also provide companies with the opportunity to consolidate their resources and hence minimize power usage and increase efficiency. One concern though that has been raised by this technology is that of the security of the data. This is from wh ere there is increased risk of the transfer of secure data from the companies to the data centers. There is the virtualization of both software and hardware. A good example is the running of two or more logical computers from a single set of hardware. This leads to the consolidation of resources that increases the efficiencies of running computer systems (Soomro & Sarwar 2012 539). Software One of the software green computing technologies that is begin applied is that of the utilization of green scheduling techniques and green compilers. Green compilers work through various processes to analyze the programs that a software is running on and then to reshape the source code of the software. They reshape the software by applying certain green aspects. A green scheduler on the hand works on how to allocate the resources to a program and how well to utilize these resources so as to make it more efficient. The concerns that are raised with these two modes of software engineering are that they require a balance between efficiency and effectiveness of the machine (Fakha, Javed, Rasool, Malik & Zulfiqar 2012). Conclusion There have been great improvements in the making of green computing systems. The current improvements are limited by the available hardware at the moment. It has been predicted that we are a few years away from deriving the maximum efficiency out of silicon based chips. A better scheduler is also required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the various green compliers currently available. Intelligent systems Abstract Intelligent systems are commonly used to refer to systems with artificial intelligence. It is difficult to generally classify these but they can be broadly classed as diagnostic, knowledge and expert. All these different categories apply three basic principles that have their various limitations. The major limitation is in the replication of human knowledge. This is a limitation that at present has greatly limited the developmen t of artificial intelligent systems. Introduction There has been a contention with how to think about intelligent systems with their being a variety of definitions. The one that may be used to explain an intelligent system may be that it is â€Å"

Human Rights Act 1998 6(3)(b) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Rights Act 1998 6(3)(b) - Essay Example This pigeonholing of information meant for the common people of a democratic country only serve to increase ambiguity about the nature and extent of their existence and most importantly the essential function they possess to help the citizen of the state. Statutory interpretation of Section 6 of the Act makes the understanding of two types of "public authority" seemingly quite clear-cut within the sphere of judicial classification. Obvious public authorities, private authorities that act publicly and as per section 6 (3)(a), those bodies who may be part of any court or tribunal2. Thus Public Authority stands precariously at a very sharp contrast to the given fundamental rights under the British Constitution Law. Briefly, the 6(3)(b) may be seen as one of those restrictive clauses that seek to curb those given rights under imposing specifications that though clarify their function of being exhaustive to their cause, is nonetheless oppressive to universal ideology of the Human Rights. Thus the actual impacts of exercise of such rights are important to the present condition, which shall indicate where our future is headed. Hermeneutics of law is an important step towards grasping the closest interpretation of an evolving constitution that exist side by side to so many case law challenges. To accommodate international or rather European Convention of Rights' incorporating Human Rights law nationally the British Constitution must also revise its fundamental problems of laws full of gaps. The Leonard Cheshire3 case successfully brought forth new interpretation and classification of bodies of 'pure' public authorities. These fell outside the scope and target of the Act since the court had narrowed the whole idea of the 'public authority' for the specific category of section 6(3)(b). The case centered on a home care foundation called the Leonard Cheshire Foundation was unable to fight for the fundamental rights called voicing out. They were thus met with a lot of resistance when they tried to fight against the decision that directed closure of the home thereby leaving the residents free to go wherever they will. This act of closure was problematic to the residents since under the Human Rights Act 1998 the home was being subjected to disrespect by them and the major issue got tied up with finding an apt definition for Leonard Cheshire, which ultimately was declared a non public authority and thus it changed the way human rights act was applicable in its context anymore. The event is familiar to all, but the act requires us to think a step further about the case of fundamental rights being held at variable contexts and thereby being subject to being called null and void when it acted in favor of the residents by helping them find placements too. Similar was the case of Johnson v. London Borough of Havering in 2007 when the Court of Appeal made decision of another care home being governed by the local authority. The transfer from them to another private sector was proposed which brought alarming issues of human rights act and its legitimacy or applicability under the private sector. Hum an rights act enjoyed under the governmental concern would invariably lead to a confusing turn of being loosened and ultimately becoming in effective in the future. Thus under the private sector the public and the private would not be a separate domain at all and be under the constant threat of being violated without any fixed line drawn legally to act in favor of its citizens.

Critical Awareness of Values and Ethics Case study Essay

Critical Awareness of Values and Ethics Case study - Essay Example All three key figures - the two deceased and the murderer - in the incident have a history of disrespect for the sanctity of marriage. Joe Korp was in two marital relationships before his affair with Tania Herman. Both Maria De Gois and Tania Herman did not consider having an affair with a married man a serious moral violation. The defence of Maria's consent to feature on an internet swinger's site by her relatives as an attempt to 'save' a troubled marriage is laughable. You cannot save a marriage by cutting it to pieces. The whole saga is testimony to the devastating effects of the neglect of family values and marital commitment. The second issue is the narrow materialistic viewpoint with which the whole incident was evaluated by the whole system - the families of the deceased, the media, and even the Supreme Court judge. Financial gain was definitely one of the motivations for Joe Korps conspiracy of killing his wife. Finally an issue that pops up is the propriety of removing life support systems for a patient who is not dead but is given up for dead by the doctors. There are various arguments both for and against mercy killing (Eckels,2005). This is an important issue, but I would not consider it central in this context. The deed had been done. Maria was never coming back. Whether she was living dead or 'dead' dead is a non-issue here although at another time or place it needs to be debated. Challenges to my values and morals: I cannot fathom the thought process of a self respecting man who decides to abandon his family for the sake of another lover. This is selfishness at its peak. To me this was the most devastating link in the whole chain of events that took place in Joe Korp's life. It opened him out to the possibilities that lay outside of the boundaries that one keeps for oneself. The murderous attempt on Maria was nothing but the logical conclusion of this thought process. When one chooses to rationalize to one's own self actions which are completely wrong, there is a whole paradigm shift in our own morality which leads to a vicious cycle resulting in even more grievous actions. Maria Korp was a tragic victim of her husband's financial aspirations and emotional hunger. No one deserves to be killed, but I cannot help thinking that somewhere a certain responsibility for her own undoing lays on her. Till she came along Joe Korp was a married man with a family. Wasn't it she who opened him up to the possibility of unfaithfulness Was there not insensitivity not just to the unfortunate Leonie but also to her children Maria Korp thought nothing of permanently destabilising the lives of three other people for her own sake. Steve Deegan defended his sister Tania by describing her as vulnerable and unlucky in love. However how can one accept anyone justifying an act of attempting to kill another person on these grounds Disregard for the life of another is unacceptable. Needless to say she too displayed the same insensitivity to the needs and rights of others. Although one can argue that she did not know Joe was married. How can one explain the fact that she not only stuck with him after having been lied to by him, but also aided him in his desire to murder his wife The financial gain

Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Paraphrasing - Essay Example Setting up a proper democracy is the main challenge for Egypt over the next few years. Tourism has always been a huge boon for the Egyptian economy, so all the political upheaval has had quite a negative effect. Tourists are concerned for their safety and security after watching the latest news on television. Furthermore, many foreign countries have warned their citizens not to travel to Egypt because of the high risk of violence. As the number of tourists has been dropping rapidly, tourism minister Hisham Zaazou will have to come up with marketing schemes to get the tourists to come back. In addition, the political strife in Egypt has led to a decrease in foreign investment in the country. Before the violence Egypt was welcoming of foreign investment, so the government needs to get back to that image. Egypt has a robust and fair social security and welfare system for its citizens. The system is designed to help those in need, particularly people who cannot get jobs. Government employers and employees are required to contribute to the national insurance scheme to cover an array of benefits. Unemployment has skyrocketed over the past few years due to the political changes taking place. The World Bank Group is doing its best to provide training and support so that development can continue in the job sector. The Zewail City of Science and Technology was finally established after the January 2011 political protests. The project will help train 5,000 promising and talented students. The goal of the project is to bring Egypt into the 21st century by increasing productivity and exploring new technologies. In September 2012 an agreement was signed between Egypt’s ICT sector and a U.S. business delegation to help stimulate economic growth in Egypt. One of the first focuses of the deal was to improve infrastructure at the Cairo International Airport in conjunction with the Cairo Airport Company. Egypt is very open to foreign investment, although

Do you have to believe in Reason to believe in Democracy Essay - 1

Do you have to believe in Reason to believe in Democracy - Essay Example As such, it is prudent to acquire â€Å"education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God† (Obama). Though some nations are not well developed, they have to make different approaches in strengthening their democracy. There are reasons why people should believe in democracy. â€Å"More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many† (Obama). Their rights were infringed as the colonial era was still ruling. With such instances, people felt that there was a need for another approach in salvaging the situation. This was an initiative that would bring a better solution to the people that felt they were infringed as they did not exercise their rights. This is the initial step in people believing in democracy. Democracy was the initial approach which enabled people to start advocating their rights. Without democracy, gender equality would have never been annihilated. Apparently, women are to be gi ven equal opportunities just as the male gender. Obama states that women should not be regarded as lesser human beings as they are equal to others. He states, â€Å"I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality† (Obama). As such, the president of the United States insists that there should be corporation and coexistence between the male gender and female gender. This is one of the fruits that have been achieved through democracy. Though colonialism instigated some tension on the rights of people, this is an era that has been alienated. Therefore, people should focus on giving others equal opportunities which will instill democracy and disciplined existence in the human fraternity. Democracy is a social way of expressing people’s views. Obama states that some relationships are strengthened by divergent views of people. He states that there is a need to empower people that embrace peace, as this will help solve conflicts. As such, there will be justice and prosperity. The society has a large number of people that had divergent views. As such, they will continue to express their divergent views in different places. Since the society has a large number of people, some people will be forced to have the same reaction with others. This creates a scenario where some communities in groups are of a similar opinion. Consequentially, Obama states that there is a need to seek reconciliation between the United States and the Muslim fraternity. A new beginning will enhance â€Å"principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings† which will pave the way for greater democracy (Obama). This stimulates their unity as they would wish to fight for their opinion. When a larger group of the community is in support of a particular opinion, it is evident that the larger community will push their opinion to greater heights. As such, their decision will be highly accepted. This is backed by the many supporter s that are of the same opinion. Therefore, believing in democracy is a good reason to push forward views that are acceptable by a larger number of people. If this is not done, the opinion of many people in society will not be adhered to. This limits the continuity of society especially in making vital decisions. Democracy is a way of enhancing progress and development. It helps people and the community to shape their lives. For instance, people that shape up the community are people in power. These are the people that have a mandate to control the

Green Computing Research Essay Example for Free

Green Computing Research Essay The Green Computing research project is well underway and we have to select a research tool that will help with quality control. The choices are Cause and effect diagrams, control charts, Run charts, scatter diagrams, histograms, Pareto charts and flow charts. I am a huge fan of statistical analysis however; it is not one of the seven tools we have to work with. Therefore, I have chosen the Pareto Chart method to help with our quality control. A Pareto Chart will allow us to look at energy consumption over a period of time and break it down to what was the major factor leading to the increase or decrease. Therefore, we can evaluate changes made in hardware and processes and see which ones had the greatest or worst effect over that period. This will help to satisfy Ben and Ito’s concerns for the projects quality research and fulfill the company’s goal of reducing costs, increasing profit margin and at the same time becoming greener. This project should be fairly easy to map out. We will simply take a detailed analysis of the energy consumption of periods of time and then look to see what variables made different periods greater or less than others. The Pareto principle is sometimes referred to as the 80-20 rule (Schwalbe, 2011) where 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of the causes. This could also be considered inversely where 80% less energy consumption can be attributed to 20% better habits. This method can also easily be translated into a flowchart over time, allowing us to focus in on the energy consumption for processes, equipment and times of day. Once the problems or benefits are identified processes can be developed to act on them accordingly. The use of this method will help to break out the consumptions for the project team and leadership in a simple to follow diagram, that can be used in the decision making process. The Pareto tool works well when the processes can be easily categorized into benefits and detriments. Once the processes are categorized, then they can be prioritized. This is where the whole leadership team gets involved, to include the stakeholders. Then these prioritized categories can be made into a hierarchical structure with substance and value. This Pareto analysis chart is rather easy to produce in Microsoft Excel, which is a good thing because I am fairly competent with the process using MS Excel. We simply put in a table the consumption values during the determined period of study and then turn it into a chart and you have a visual of the consumption periods. We can then find the highest consumption periods and compare them to any changes or patterns differences from the lower periods. Then these values can be re-charted in another analysis chart to visually compare the major causes of energy consumption. In conclusion, the Pareto analysis will allow us to identify the major energy consumption issues or the major energy conservation savings factors and allow us to prioritize them in a hierarchical manner. Then the decision making process can begin to work to reduce the overall costs and save energy at the same time.

Analysis of Marks and Spencer Group PLC

Analysis of Marks and Spencer Group PLC The principal activities of the company are retailing clothing, food and home products. Marks Spencer operates in the secondary and tertiary sectors. It operates in the secondary sector as it manufactures finished goods and it is associated with textile production. It operates majorly in the tertiary sector as it provides goods and services to the population and to other businesses. A group of companies is one which consists of two or more companies between which there is a parent/subsidiary relationship and they are usually under the same ownership and maybe management. The group balance sheet will differ from that of the company since it includes the total of each individual company balance sheet of all the companies together us one compared to the company balance sheet which includes all the transactions of the company. i) total assets  £7258.1 millions total liabilities  £5157.5 millions net assets  £2100.6 millions ii) The difference between the total assets and the total liabilities is the net assets which can be also called as the groups capital. When you add the fixed assets with the current assets and then subtract the current liabilities from the Balance sheet, the total that you write down is called Net Assets. i) profit after tax (52 weeks ended 28 March 2009)  £506.8 millions (52 weeks ended 29 March 2008)  £821.0 millions Net profit margin 2009 5.6% 2008 9.1% ii) The net profit margin has significantly fell because of the exceptional costs incurred to the firm during the current accounting period due to the economic recession that affected considerably the markets MS operates in. The firm had to spend  £135.9 millions on exceptional costs, due to a change in its strategies, compared to 2008 when it had no exceptional costs. i) MS uses straight line method which is a method that allocates the amount to be depreciated evenly over the useful life of the asset. Some of MSs uses of depreciation are the following: Freehold land not depreciated Freehold and leasehold buildings with a remaining lease term over 50 years depreciated to their residual value over their estimated remaining economic lives Leasehold buildings with a remaining lease term of less than 50 years over the remaining period of the lease Fixtures, fittings and equipment 3 to 25 years according to the estimated life of the asset. ii) The straight-line method of depreciation is a method that allocates the amount to be depreciated evenly over the useful life of the asset. For example for something with a total cost of  £500 and an estimated useful life of 5 years, using the straight-line method, the annual depreciation charge will be  £100. On the other hand the reducing balance method is the method in which the depreciation is expressed as a fixed percentage on the reducing balance of an asset. In simpler words the amount of depreciation gets reduced every year. For an asset of a total cost of  £500, using the reducing balance method by 20%,it means that the value of the asset will decrease 20% of its value each year. After year 1, the net book value will be  £400 and then for the next year the value will drop to  £320 and so on. iii) Property, Plant and Equipment as at 29/3/2009  £4.834.0 millions (a)  £725.1 millions straight line depreciation (b)  £1450.2 millions reducing balance depreciation iv) By using the straight-line method of depreciation the reported profit of the group will be reduced by about  £400 million as depreciation is placed under the expenses category in the income statement and it will also be deducted from the assets current value in the balance sheet. On the other hand, by using the 30% reducing balance method, profit will decrease even more and the assets value on the balance sheet will be reduced even more. The more depreciation they charge the less net profit they get for the current period. i)  £285.2 millions ii)1371.9/365=3.76 millions/day 285.2/3.76à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 76 days worth of sales. iii) The ratio of trade debtors and customers to sales is about 20%. This seems quite high but for such a large company like Marks and Spencer, which generates so much cash from operations (sales), is not much of a concern. However it would be better for the company to try and minimize this ratio in the next years. Stewardship accounting is the provision of information by managers to owners for the purpose of avoiding a potential conflict between managers and owners. Directors act as agents of the shareholders, or as stewards on their behalf. The stewardship function requires directors to act in the best interests of the company at all times. Where shareholders are remote from the management of their company there is potential for the directors to take action that benefits themselves rather than benefiting the shareholders. This is one of the potential problems of the stewardship relationship. If directors wish to manipulate financial information they are well placed to do so. Shareholders can be assured that the annual financial information they receive has not been distorted by requiring an audit by an independent auditor. Until recently all companies were required to have an audit of their annual financial statements. i) current Ratio= Current Assets/ Current Liabilities = 1389.8/2306.9= 0.60:1 Quick Ratio= (Current Assets- Stock and prepayments)/ Current liabilities = (1389.8-536.0)/2306.9=0.37:1 ii) The current ratio and the quick ratio are both liquidity ratios. They are commonly used to assess the liquidity of a business. As a general rule, a current ratio of 1.5 or greater can meet near-term operating needs sufficiently. A higher current ratio can suggest that a company is hoarding assets instead of using them to grow the business not the worst thing in the world, but its something that could affect long-term returns. The Quick Ratio is a much more exacting measure than the Current Ratio. By excluding inventories, it concentrates on the really liquid assets, with value that is fairly certain. An acid-test of 1:1 is considered satisfactory unless the majority of your quick assets are in accounts receivable, and the pattern of accounts receivable collection lags behind the schedule for paying current liabilities. i)There are many factors that determine the share prices but only some factors can directly influence them. One of these factors is demand and supply. The price is directly affected by the trend of stock market trading. When more people are buying a certain stock, the price increases and when more people are selling the stock, the price falls. Secondly news is a huge factor that influences the shares price. Positive news about a company can increase buying interest in the market while negative news can decrease it. It is the overall performance of the company that matters more than news. The earning per share is the profit that the company made on the last quarter and it is also a huge factor that can affect the share prices. Every public company needs to publish a quarterly report that states the earning per share. By this way they influence the buying tendency in the market resulting in the increase in the price of that particular share. So, one needs to watch on the quarterly reports of the companies and before buying any shares. ii) MarksSpencer Share prices My evaluation of Marks and Spencers performance thus far for this current accounting period is positive. First of all the company uses a long term plan and any short term decreases in revenues or profits is acceptable. The profit margin ratio has increased in 2009 from 13.43% to 23.45% so despite the recession MS managed to increase its profit margin. On the other hand the earning per share has decreased for 2009 from  £0.49 to  £0.32 per share. Though the profit margin has increased the earning per share has decreased and that is not positive for us investors. The firm might have a long term plan that is indeed promising but thus far this season we investors are concerned about the effect of the recession on the firm and more specifically on our earnings per share.

Debate on Lowering the Voting Age to 16

Debate on Lowering the Voting Age to 16 Introduction A. Being an American has many great benefits because we have many rights as an individual like privacy, a strong constitution and a centralized government with balanced powers. As the people of the United States we have the right to vote to express our beliefs and to hear our voice. According to free dictionary.com voting is defined as a formal expression of preference for a candidate for office or for a proposed resolution of an issue. We face with many issues every day politically and It allows the men and women to get rid of bad governments and makes sure that any government listens to its people. There is a proposition going on and age wanting to change the policy on voting age qualifications. There are many discussions about this because people say there to young should not vote because they havent fully matured or some argue that they should because voting represents a voice. Three arguments for the policy B. The truth is that many 16 year olds would love to have the right to vote because it represents the responsibility and shows that you are mature enough to politically vote, express your opinions and shows how serious this is and what a difference it can make. Many teenagers are of course immature, but this is one of the ways we can improve the young people by engaging them into politics. At this age many young adults are just as capable of forming opinions. C. Many argue that 16 year olds should be able to vote because at that age they can start driving. Driving is a big part of todays society because you must be responsible enough to make decisions whether to take the light by being at risked for a ticket, the responsibility to watch out for any pedestrians, driving safely especially when you have passengers. This is a very big responsibility to anyone and if a 16 year old is able to drive then maybe they can be able to vote too. D. Alex Koroknay Palicz quoted that at that age most teenagers can work, pay taxes, drive and be charged as adults for crimes – even be sentenced to death- executive director of the National Youth Rights Association. Activist argue this issues a lot because if you work you are contributing the right of being a citizen and if an issues comes along that affects workers well this will have a great affect the 16 and 17 year olds because they wont be politically involved by expressing there opinion or demands. Three arguments against the policy E. This new proposition is manly on the young adults, but many argue that they are just too young. Many of these 16 and 17 year olds are still in high school and at that age is the age rebellion, trying to be cool by fitting in by smoking, doing drugs and ditching school. Most teenagers go trough that even I did when I was in high school. Many of these teens havent fully matured and are worried of many other things. Many of them still live at home with their parents being dependent on them by providing food, shelter, decision making. They have adult bodies, but many still act as if there were children by rebelling authority. The difference between 18 year olds and 16 is the fact is that once graduating you become more aware your responsibilities. Most 18s year olds go to college and it is a big difference from high school they start driving to work and school and pay for there college. Some move out and develop more responsibilities. I dont think that there are going to be a lot of s ixteen and seventeen year olds out there that are willing and concerned enough to take the time and energy to register to vote. F. The young adolescents are also not politically involved or even informed. Statistically the percentages of 16 year olds have limited knowledge of the candidates and issues. A lot of them can pass there classes with a D and that letter grade is a very poor grade. If this is true than why should we let 16 year olds to vote when they dont understand how our system works. G. Others argue about this new proposition government do things that affect every age group, but that does not mean everyone deserves the vote. Alastair Endersby stated Should 12 year olds get the vote because school policies affect them? Should toddlers get the vote because health services affect them? No – we trust parents to cast votes after thinking about the interests of their families. Also, it can be a bit dangerous to the adolescents to vote because they can vote for the wrong reasons for example a certain celebrity is running for office just because they liked how that person is on a movie they would get the vote like how Arnold Swartzenager got to be governor and he sucked because he has no experience whats so ever on politics. Three constitutional principles H. This proposition has its pros and cons which can have a great affect on many young people and our political votes. This issue reflects back in history when we amended the 15th amendment which was the right for African Americans to vote, but it was only African American MEN. The 15 amendment stated â€Å"right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This actually reflects on todays society because now we have a black president for the first time and this wouldnt of happened if we didnt amended it. I. Women are strong political vocal people and for years the women were fighting to have the right to vote. The 19th amendment was a great victory for women that granted the right to vote for women, but it took 50 years after the 15th amendment was passed. The amendment stated prohibits each of the states and the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen’s sex. In the 2009 election we had Hilary Clinton the first woman to run for president in the united states because on the amendment in 1920 she was able to run for president representing all the strong women in the U.S. J. Amendment 26 was the standardized the voting age to 18 by the United States Constitution. This was in 1971 that this gave many 18 year olds the right to politically vote and have a voice. This age is an appropriate age to vote because they have fully matured and also developed political discussions and responsibilities. Work Cited   Edwards, George. Government in America. New York: Pearson Longman, Endersby , Alastair . â€Å"Voting Age Lowering†. IDea.com. 09/11/2009 . â€Å"Voting†. The Free Dictionary. 09/10/2009 . Weiser, Carl . â€Å"Should voting age fall to 16?†. The Enquirer. 09/11/2009 .

Gulf War Syndrome Essay -- history

In 1990 the United States deployed 700,000 soldiers into and around the region of the middle east known as the Persian Gulf. The U.S. wanted to stop the progression of Iraqi forces who were invading the oil-rich neighboring country of Kuwait. When Iraq Surrendered to the Allied forces on March 5th they had been completely swept out of Kuwait. The United States only lost one-hundred-forty-eight men while Iraq’s losses where estimated around 100,000 men. Little did the United States know that the effects of this war effects would be much more extensive than one-hundred-forty-eight soldiers lost in battle. Ever since the war ended the Veteran Association and the Pentagon have been getting reports of reports of many varying illnesses. These illnesses have fallen onto the soldiers who bravely fought in the Gulf War. I believe that the Gulf war Syndrome does indeed exist. Furthermore I believe that the United States is just as much responsible for giving their soldiers this disease as the Iraqi nerve gas, oil fire smoke and post war stress. Lots of evidence has been presented yet many in this world don’t believe that this syndrome exists. Many experts believe that these illnesses ( Gulf War Syndrome) don’t exist. Including a ranking doctors in the pentagon. Dr. Stephen Joseph says this about the blight, â€Å"We found that there was no single hypothesis that could explain the symptoms of such a large # of people. The soldiers are suffering from stress related problems. Of the diseases they contracted, such as cancer or Lou Gehrigs disease, would have occurred whether or not the soldiers had gone to the gulf.†,. ( Brumley p 8) Dr. Joseph is a highly prestigious doctor working on the syndrome for the pentagon. He graduated from Harvard and has been assigned to many high profile jobs in the pentagon. The U.S. government doesn’t know what to believe so they granted a fifty million dollar grant to pay for illnesses believed to be caused by a mysterious syndrome. Although many don’t believe it this syndrome does exist and it has many different causes. Of the 700,000 men and women who served in the Gulf war 170,000 them have been hospitalized since 1991. 10,000 of them filed disability claims. And it is estimated that 35,000 ( Cary, Peter p, 33-34) more will fill out these disability claims. This average is much higher than the average number of hospitalizations of civilians.... ..., petroleum smoke from the nearby oil fires and post war stress. I also believe that the U.S. Government did a poor job of handling this problem. Men and woman who volunteer their lives for pride and for their country have been severely mistreated by the U.S. Government and deserve a apology. WORKS CITED Barnes,Elizebeth. 1992 Nursing Drug Handbook . Houston: Heath 1992, Brumley, Al. â€Å" Frontline Targets Gulf War Syndrome†. Dallas Morning News. 1998 Jan 20: 8 Bullman, Tim. â€Å" Mortality among U.S. Veterans of the Persia†. New England Journal of Medicine 20 1992: 45-47. Cary, Peter. â€Å" The Gulf War’s Grave Aura†. U.S. News and World Report 1996 July 8: 33-34. Compion, Ed MD. â€Å" Disease and Suspicion after the Persian Gulf War†. New England Journal of Medicine. 20 1992: 67 Fowler, Rebecca. â€Å" Sick Veterans†. World Press Review. 1996 May:9-10. Liu, M. â€Å" Tracking the Second Storm†. Newsweek 1994 May 16:56-57 Schmitt, Eric. â€Å" Special White House Panel Rejects Chemical Exposure as Coarse of Gulf war Illness†. New York Times. 1997 January 8th: 1. Shannon, Philip. â€Å" Once Healthy, Her Pain is Reminder of Gulf War Service†. New York Times 1997 January 2: 3.

Othello’s Universality of Appeal :: Othello essays

Othello’s Universality of Appeal  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean play Othello has enjoyed popularity on the stage and in print for 400 years. What are the features which enhance this quality among readers? And what detracts?    Does the playwright’s use of â€Å"double time† contribute to its universality of appeal? In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode explains the advantages of â€Å"double time† to Shakespeare:    â€Å"Double time† is a classical topic of Othello criticism; one of its uses is to remind us that the play, more largely considered, is characterized by a kind of imaginative duplicity. Thus one can isolate a plot of monumental and satisfying simplicity without forgetting that the text can be made to support very different interpretations. The richness of the tragedy derives from uncancelled suggestions, from latent subplots operating in terms of imagery as well as character, even from hints of large philosophical and theological contexts which are not fully developed. (1200)    Additional reasons exist for such a broad appeal. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains in broad terms the basis for the play’s universality of appeal:    If, however, the interpretation offered above is sound, Othello is clearly not without universal significance, for, apart from its dramatization of the difficulty of discovering reality behind appearance, its two main characters exemplify opposing principles which together constitute the human psyche. Othello believes in love, in complete commitment, in nobility, in vocation, and in absolutes. Iago believes in nothing, and least of all in other human beings. (39)    More reasons for the play’s popularity appear. A. C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, describes the modernity of the drama as a reason for its popularity:    One result of the prominence of the element of intrigue is that Othello is less unlike a story of private life than any other of the great tragedies. And this impression is strengthened in further ways. [. . .] But Othello is a drama of modern life; when it first appeared it was a drama almost of contemporary life, for the date of the Turkish attack of Cyprus is 1570. The characters come close to us, and the application of the drama to ourselves (if the phrase may be pardoned) is more immediate than it can be in Hamlet or Lear. Besides this, their fortunes affect us as those of private individuals more than is possible in any of the later tragedies with the exception of Timon.

A Pair of Tickets †Short Analysis Essay

Who am I? Have you ever sat and thought about the contributing elements that make you the person you are? In â€Å"A Pair of Tickets,† in hopes of finding her true self, June May struggles to identify who she is. Amy Tan is an author who uses the element of character development to bring out the theme of self-awareness and identity in this story, mainly focusing on the main character having the dual identity of being Chinese American. While June May discovers her ancestral home, she also finds a part of herself. June May’s mother was an immigrant from China. At the beginning of the story, June tells of how her mother tries to convey their family’s history and legacy to her. June, who is fully americanized and almost completely ignorant of their heritage, tells of how at the age of fifteen she believes she is no more Chinese than her Caucasian friends even though her mother was persistent in convincing her that being Chinese could not be helped. Her pass port reveals her American name which is June May but she chooses to introduce herself as Jing-Mei, which is her Chinese name. This incident is the start of her accepting her Chinese heritage. She has many misconceptions throughout the story; most about what is to be Chinese and the culture of China and the people that reside there. One example being she did not think that â€Å"communist China† would have such luxurious hotels, which is an example of American stereotyping. She compares her height to those of the people she is surrounded by when she gets off the train to head to customs, saying that she was much taller. She was expecting a traditional Chinese meal but her family opted for the hamburgers, fries, and apple pie instead. She was shocked when her younger cousin Lili posed as if she was a supermodel while taking a picture. June started to take in how American culture had shaped her way of thinking and that she was wrong in believing her family would be more different from her. Often looking on the experiences of your families past is sometimes needed to discover who we are as a person. Going to China helps June understand how she is Chinese. As she learns more about her family and her mother’s life and the sacrifices she had to make, June’s mindset changes more. She compares being Chinese to transforming into a werewolf as though it was something she would have to become. By the end of the story, she realizes that the part of her that is Chinese is her family, and it is in her blood. Becoming Chinese was not realistic and her mother was right. She was already Chinese, and it could not be helped. June May’s journey was never about becoming Chinese, or understanding the culture, it was about understanding who she is and knowing that there are parts of herself that she had no control of their existence. Finding her ethnic and cultural roots while in China allowed June May Woo to discover Jing-Mei Woo.

Ethics of Offshoring Novo Nordisk

Critical issued of the appropriateness of conducting clinical trials in emerging countries has arisen over years. Being a leading company in biopharmaceutical industry, Novo Nordisk faces the critiques of whether it is justice to offshoring their clinical trials in developing economies. With the consistency of ethical principles brought up by Novo Nordisk, the company would be able to move their trials into emerging economies with the best interest for stakeholders. I will also propose ideas to Mr, Dejgaard for possible approach to media as well as the practices that Novo Nordisk could have changed over time at the end. Conducting Clinical Trials in Emerging Economies With Utilitarian approach, every party has different perspectives in the outcome of an action. In this case, we have shareholders, employees, customers, supply chain, government and local communities, with secondary stakeholders of media, special interest groups and NGOs. For customers, government and local communities, they emphasize more on the proof of efficacy and safety of medical products. While shareholders, employees, supply chain care more of the profitability as a whole in general. As a result, Novo Nordisk will be better off maximizing its profits while holding their ethical justice for conducting clinical trials in emerging countries. Economic Aspect As the Nobel prize winner, Milton Friedman pointed out that making profit will be the first priority for business to fulfill social responsibility, Novo Nordisk has every right to maximize its best interest for its stakeholders include shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, governments and local communities. From financial performance stand point, conducting clinical trials in emerging economies benefits Novo Nordisk from saving costs, accessing to larger demographic participant, obeying less strict rules applied, and establishing efficacy in different environmental onditions. Ethical Aspect On the other hand, firms should consider the corporate social responsibility brought by the society. Firms definitely need to incorporate their highest moral standards to build trust and reputation for themselves in order to better off in long run. Novo Nordisk always follows the regulation from Helsinki Declaration with other international ethical guidelines. They made sure that the inte rest and well-being of the trial subject should always transcend over the interest of science, society and commerce. Decision Principles Even though I think conducting clinical trials in emerging economies is beneficial to the firm, Novo Nordisk should still follow below guidelines for this major decision to protect its own reputation and serve the best interest for every stakeholder: †¢ Execute clinical trials when the internal organization is well established and external environment is proper regulated in emerging countries. †¢ Conduct placebo clinical trials when they are scientifically and ethically justified. †¢ Ensure the human rights of the participants in emerging countries associated with the predictable risks Responses to The Media I understand that Mr. Dejaard holds a high ethical stands, and is not interested in misleading the public or ethical dissembling in the response. It is also important to clear up the actions Novo Nordisk has taken for the past years and give public a clear picture of how the firm is operating. If a journalist is inviting for an interview, Mr. Dejaard should present himself into the public and response to the inquiry people have, otherwise, absence will only show irresponsible image that he might try to escape from the issue. Medical Ethics I will suggest Mr. Dejaard to pull out historical data indicating that the random checks investigated from Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American and European authorities have never identified ethical problems in clinical trials in emerging economies. Second, assert the ethic codes from their company will help the publics to receive the image of Novo Nordisk has complied with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association. Ethical Business Media might inquiry the fairness of conducting placebo experiment in emerging countries by Novo Nordisk based on the industry trends in recent time. Mr. Dejaard could response to them that Novo Nordisk usually stay away from placebo trials, and only used in phase 1 trials which only healthy volunteers participated. Also, Novo Nordisk framed new business ethics policy in 2005 with generally accepted high standards while training managers and employees attending workshops and offering e-learning policy. To better respond to the media, Mr. Dejaard could also indicate that Novo Nordisk will try to implement some new action plan that could benefit stakeholders as a whole in order to minimize ethical conflicts. I suggest the following action plan for Novo Nordisk to benefit them in long run. Action Plan Enhance Auditing System To build trust for the stakeholder for Novo Nordisk, I believe the firm should develop a more solid auditing system. Instead auditing 10% of all trials, Novo Nordisk should increase the rate up to 50% or more. From a public view, 10% of investigating in all trials is not sufficient enough to prove that the trials are ethical conducted. With the increasing number of trials being audited and investigated, the quality of the clinical trials could be better controlled. Build up Placebo Experiment Standard In the â€Å"Clinical Trials: Novo Nordisk’s Position,† it pointed out that placebo will only be used as comparator when scientifically and ethical justified. It is quite unclear for public to know what would be an appropriate placebo experiment for Novo Nordisk to conduct while proven therapy is available. It is important to insiders to identify whether or not conducting placebo experiment under certain circumstances will have any additional risk and irreversible harm.

Endeavour Journal Essay

This journey followed close upon the visit of the expedition on Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus. On 8 June 1769 the transit of Venus was successfully observed from three different points. After fulfilling his mission on Tahiti Cook resumed his voyage to fulfil the task given to him secretly by the Royal Society. On 7 September 1769 the Endeavour reached New Zealand, which had never been visited by any European after Abel Janszoon Tasman had discovered it on 13 December 1642. Tasman’s stay at New Zealand was not successful in the means of its discovery. No trading had been done between the native Maori and Tasman’s crew. The first discovery by the Dutch businessmen Tasman was only the western coastline of New Zealand, which had been mapped afterwards. The first seven days of the journal had been taking place at ‘Cannibals Cove’ where the HMS Endeavour anchored for about twenty-three days. James Cook has given the name after he had an encounter with indigenous people, which will be described in the following. During the stay Joseph Banks refers to several encounter with indigenous people of New Zealand. He describes the behaviour and findings in a large extend. As an example he describes the encounter of members of HMS Endeavour’s crew and a double canoe. They have been told that the indigenous people lost a female child that according to their narrative â€Å"had been stole and eat by some of their neighbours†. Another group of crewmembers reported that they have met people who told them that they ate a child the day before. As a result of these stories Banks describes the conclusions of the crew as thefts of this kind are common for those Indians. Afterwards he tries to analyse and evaluate these stories. He assumes that the crewmembers met the same people and interpreted the stories differently which have been told by the indigenous people. Nevertheless he does not exclude this either, since families that came of to the ship â€Å"often brought women and young children in arms as if they were afraid to leave them behind. † Banks’ interest in the indigenous people of New Zealand can also be illustrated by his encounter of an Indian family. He describes them as being affable, obliging and unsuspicious and observed any order or subordination. By making known his regret of not being able to stay with the family for one night his interest in people and their behaviour can be seen. On the following days Banks describes how the exploration of the Cook Straits took place. The officers’ spread their thought that the land they have been round might be an isthmus that is between their current position (Cook Strait) and the Cape Turnagain, which they have last seen 17 October 1969. To confirm this Cook ordered the crew to sail northward until the cape could be seen. Whilst sailing in this direction HMS Endeavour came across indigenous people which in Banks’ journal entries are described as richer and more cleanly than any people they have seen since their stay at the Bay of Islands 3 November 1769. This makes him believe that they might have met subordinates of the Dominions of Teratu. As it turned out they were not this kind of people and thus they had to go on sailing northward looking for a well-known part of New Zealand. On 9 February 1770 an important discovery had been made. Cape Turnagain came back into sight, which proved that the land, they had been visiting, is an island. Besides Banks’ depictions of the exploration of New Zealand and the description of the indigenous people in huge detail he described Albatrosses and other animals to a small extend. His task as botanist plays a minor part during these days. By shooting Albatrosses as often as possible he tries to nourish the crew with fresh meat. The last four days of the journal at hand take place at the east coast of the future southern island of New Zealand. On 16 February 1770 Banks reports the sighting of a new island. This island will be later called â€Å"Banks’s Island† according to the chart of New Zealand based on Cook’s mapping. The fact that this is not an island but rather part of the southern island of New Zealand will be unknown for the rest of the journey. This error happened because Captain John Gore believed that he saw land in south eastward direction. To pursue this Cook decided to follow this direction and validate Gore’s assumption so â€Å"that nobody should say he had left land behind unsought†. On 18 February 1770 Banks states that no land could be found and the voyage will continue in westward direction. In the journals’ last entry Banks describes the discovery of land that might be either part of the New Zealand or the beginning of the southern island, which they have long yearned for. What can be seen in this part of the journal is the personal conflict of Banks. Intelligence obtained by the Indians during their last anchoring stop tells them that this might only be an island, nevertheless Banks does not want to let go of the â€Å"strong hopes that we had at last completed our wishes and that this was absolutely a part of the Southern continent†. The journal at hand includes without limitation information on the discovery of the Cook Strait and exploration of New Zealand. The subsequent days of the journey will clarify if the land they have spotted is either part of the southern continent or an island on its own. Nevertheless an outcome of this journey so far is a detailed map of northern New Zealand and the discovery of the isthmus between the northern island and the southern part. The nature of this journal is a very objective description of the happenings during the voyage.

Government and Ethics Essay

Ethics is the study of what is right and what is wrong. In our daily lives were continuously forced to make simple and important decisions. Ethics help to guide people’s behavior and assist them in coming to conclusions. There is not an exact rule to what is morally correct because some people view things differently but by having a general since of what is ethically appropriate it can help a society function in a civilized manner. The role of government in ethics, and the role of ethics in government are very important concepts in forming that civilized society. In a society there are laws and there are ethics; however there is a considerable difference between the two you cannot have one without the other. Laws are what the government determines right and wrong. Ethics are what the majority of society determines as appropriate. The laws of a society can only state what a person can and cannot do. But they do not cover the in between. Ethics cover the gray areas and indicate what is accepted in a society. Ethics are personal laws they help people make the choice between what is morally right and wrong. Morals help to make a society more civilized and stable. Even though there is a strong distinction between ethics and laws you cannot have one without the other. Laws are not possible without ethics. In the textbook Thinking Critical about Ethical Issues author Ruggiero states, â€Å"The only way for a law to be enacted or repealed is for one or more people to make a decision about right and wrong. That has always been true, whether the lawmaker was the chieftain of a nomadic band or tribe, a king or queen, or a group of elected officials† (Ruggerio, 2008). To determine what is unlawful lawmakers need determine what is moral or immoral. The majority of people in a society determine ethical values. But the idea of majority rule can be very dangerous when determining what is ethically correct. In many cases the majority does not specifically base their decision based on what is morally right or wrong. So in return the majority’s choice is not always perfect, and in many cases can be very ignorant. In a lot of occasions the majority rule often equals mob rule. People often forget to determine what is morally sound for the masses and instead determine what is right for them. Majority rule can also influence lawmakers. Laws are determined by what the masses determine as right or wrong. A good example of when majority rule was not necessarily right is that of slavery. The greater part of society believed that slavery was ethical, and that above all the right to do. And because people thought slavery was right laws portrayed these thoughts. Even though slavery hurt the minority the laws were still in place. Majority rules can infringe on an individuals rights. In many instances the idea of the majority rule needs to be altered to guarantee that the rights of the minority are still being represented. Everyone has obligations whether it is to our family, friends, or employer. Just like individuals the government has obligations to the people that it is serving. In the textbook Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues author Ryan Ruggerio defines obligations as, â€Å"restrictions on our behavior, demands to do something or to avoid doing it† (Ruggerio, 2008). The government is obligated to be fair and just. The laws that are being determined by the officials need to be sure that they are not infringing on others rights. Besides the government as a whole the elected officials have a personal obligation to the citizens that they serve. They need to be sure that they are behaving appropriately. That their decisions are made based on what is good for the community or country that they are making decisions for. Voters put their trust into these individuals, they vote for them based on the thought that they will serve our country in a morally appropriate manner and make ethical decisions that will better us and the world we live in. Obligations can be difficult and sometimes conflicting especially when dealing with moral issues that will affect such a large majority of people. Sometimes when deciding on a law the answer may not be so clear-cut. More than one obligation can exist in any given situation. When obligations are conflicting in governmental situations it is important to analyze the decision in question. The options and consequences must be weighed. It is crucial to look at the situation and the morals that will be involved. What options do lawmakers have when making this important choice? With every moral situation there are options on what different can be taken. The second step is to consider how the choice will affect others. Governmental decisions need to consider how it will affect every individual in the society not just one specific group. Besides make sure the decision is lawful for all it is important to try and understand how the individuals in the society will feel and their thoughts about a given situation. Lawmakers have that obligation to their voters. It is not about doing what is solely right for the government but about doing is ethically correct for everyone. It is important to consider the trickle down affect. If the government makes a certain decision than this may happen, and in return than maybe this. It is crucial to understand the broad consequences as well. And what the longer-term effects will be on the society as a whole. The government has an obligation to the citizens in the society, but I believe the citizens also have an obligation to the government and to each other. In Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues author Ryan Ruggerio states, â€Å"The United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights contains similar references to rights. It begins, for example, by declaring that â€Å"human rights should be protected by the rule of law† and goes on to say that all human beings â€Å"should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood† (Ruggerio, 2008). Most ethical issues deal with how something makes us feel and fulfilling our personal or humanistic needs and desires. It is crucial for individuals to be informed about the decision or opposition they are taking. This insures that what you are preaching or voting on is something that you truly believe in. In many cases it is about the individual or a group of individuals giving lawmakers the ideas in order to create positive change. Change can happen because of a leader in the community. This idea can be sometimes pose problems. It can be difficult because the majority does not specifically base their decision based on what is morally right or wrong. So in return the majority’s choice is not always perfect, and in many cases can be very ignorant. In a lot of occasions the majority rule often equals mob rule. People often forget to determine what morally sound for the masses and instead determine what is right for them. If you follow the â€Å"mob† you are not thinking for yourself. In return you are not standing up for what you believe is morally correct and you may be following a negative concept or idea. While meeting their obligations governmental officials must write and past laws for the people in the society. When establishing new laws lawmakers need to go a little further and consult the ethical ideas of the society. If they did not have this concept of what is morally correct laws would not have a strong influence on individual behaviors. It would fail to connect with the people in the society in return not hold much weight. Making many laws ignored by the society. In order to form laws we need a sense of what is deemed morally correct by the culture we are creating them for. The first step governmental officials must do when making a decision for the society is to find and be aware of the problem that they are trying to fix. The second step in the decision making process towards a high-quality choice is to analyze the problem and its causes. During this process they must ask questions to find the real root of your problem. In the textbook Applying Psychology author Andrew J. Dubrin states, â€Å"Many decisions prove to be poor decisions because the underlying or true problem was not resolved† (Durbin, 2004). Lawmakers must be able to understand what is going on so that you can properly guide your actions. Once they have fully looked at every aspect of the problem it is important to search for creative alternatives. This is crucial in order for them to make appropriate decision for everyone in the society. Poor decisions are often made when this is not done. With more choices lawmakers will be able to come to a wiser conclusion. Once they have thought of possible choices a decision must be made on the one that best suits the masses. It is imperative to think of the pros and cons of all the alternatives that had previously been thought of. Each one should be thought of with the same amount of deliberation, so that it can be sure that the right choice has been made. Lawmaker’s then implement the decision that has been made. One of the most important steps in lawmaking comes at the end of the decision making process. The final step is to evaluate the decision that has been made. Lawmakers must look at what they have decided and see if the results are what had been expected. If they are not happy with the solution and it is not working properly for the individuals that it was made for than they might have a new problem on their hands and have to start to work through the steps of problem solving again to find a new answer to the issue. Reflection is also a way to evaluate a law decided on so that you officials can strengthen any weaknesses so they will be ready when they are faced with a new problem that needs solving. After laws have been instituted it is important to ensure that the lawmakers are also behaving morally appropriate. We as voters exercise our ethical choices every time we go to the polls and vote for our appointed officials. But what is holding them responsible for behaving in an ethical manner after they have already won an election. After the Watergate Scandal in 1978 the Ethics in Government Act was put into affect. The Ethics in Government Act forced restrictions on finances of government officials and lobbyist. After this act was passed the Office of Government Ethics was established. This agency is a branch of the executive government. It helps to prevent and determine resolutions to problems existing within in this branch of government. The agency puts responsibility on government employees and helps to stop divergence in interests. Within the Office of Government Ethics there is four different subdivisions. Ethics help to guide people’s behavior and assist them in coming to conclusions. There is not an exact rule to what is morally correct because some people view things differently but by having a general since of what is ethically appropriate it can help a society function in a civilized manner. The role of government in ethics, and the role of ethics in government are very important concepts in forming that civilized society. The government as a whole and its elected officials has an obligation to make morally appropriate decisions for every individual in the society.

Andrew Carnegie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Andrew Carnegie - Essay Example ers and acquisitions, cost minimizing measures, and centralization of supplies created some of the big industry giants in America, and by extension, the world. Andrew’s first venture into the Iron and steel industry was as a result of his engagement in the railroad transport industry, first as a telegrapher and secretary then as superintendent of Pennsylvania Railroad. Here he was charged with, among other things, acquiring the steel rails for the expanding railway networks and engines. Through the railroad contacts he met while working here, he recognized the opportunity of manufacturing the heavy equipment needed for the industry. He was successful in organizing Keystone Bridge Company, the first successful manufacturer of iron rail, and Pittsburgh Locomotive Works into a unit to supply the equipment. He also encouraged George Pullman to join up with him and form the Pullman Palace Car Company to market sleeping cars to the Union Pacific, is so doing he created a monopoly. Eventually, his close ties with John Pierpont Morgan led him to sell his vast interests in the steel industry to J. P. Morgan. The negotiations that ended in Ma rch 2, 1901 to form United States Steel Corporation is the largest such industrial takeover to date. Carnegie is also remembered for his drastic cost cutting measures is partly responsible for the events that shaped the labor force in the iron industry in America. His payment schedule for instance was racial informed. He paid Slavs, Russians, and Italians $12 per week, native-born whites got $22 per week, and Irish and Scots got $16 per week. His steelworks were also said to have been in deplorable conditions. In addition, in his early days as an employer, he is said to have single-handedly fell the giant steel workers union, Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. Some of his tactics include hiring strikebreakers and spies, blacklisting workers who were thought to be capable of causing trouble, and maintaining the

The core competence of the corporation and apply it to BBCL Assignment

The core competence of the corporation and apply it to BBCL - Assignment Example They invent new markets and products of superior quality, diversify to stay ahead of their competitors, integrate with other best-performing firms, and form alliances in order to learn what they are not best at besides having a visionary staff, management and a valuable value chain process in their business operations. Firms that lack core competences in their value chain neither survive nor grow. Diversified firms are likened to a tree with its trunk and major branches being its core products, smaller branches being its business units while its leaves being its end products. The critical part of nourishing and stabilizing the tree is the root system which likened to core competences, which consist of a collective of skills and learning to build up over time in all the distinctive parts the company can use to stay ahead of its rivals. It is critical to articulate the strategic intents to the entire organisations .This is imperative in defining the company and its markets, identify projects that will enhance the core competence, allocating resources to help achieve these goals in addition to hiring requisite people with needed skills and knowledge to implement these strategies for achieve its goals. Thus, core competencies takes a corporate view as contrasted to a business unit which only takes in company operating multiple business units with managers always viewing themselves as competitors, for instances, the contrast between GTE and NEC’s performance which was mainly attributed to recognising, articulating and building competence by NEC that gave it a competitive market share than GTE which did not, though it had a larger capital base as compared to NEC. (Prahalad and Hamel 1990, p 1). In today’s business environment that is characterized by stiff competition, speed, low-cost high quality products and blue-sky technology, companies need excellent strategies well planned, chosen, executed and constantly revised to survive, grow and be

Career research report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Career research report - Assignment Example Ways of obtaining this information often eludes the graduates and they end up going back and forth between applications without success. This lack of understanding leads students leads graduates to settle on wrong choices. In my case, I am applying for the position of a sales executive that I saw in an advertisement. I conducted a thorough research into the details of this job including its pros and cons. This report should empower me with the knowledge, from tedious research, that I need to increase my employability in this field. This report outlines the details of the position, the methodology I used to conduct my research and the sources I used. It also analyzes the pros and cons of this career choice; showing the long tern and short term aspects of this field. This report also analyzes the chances of graduates getting jobs as sales executives and the problems they face making this transition. The sales profession, including managers and executives, has been around since mankind discovered they could sell things. The earliest forms of sales include prostitution, which was among the first fields to be recorded as having employed all the techniques used by sales people today. Other examples include the sale of homes and used cars, just to name a few. In the beginning, the field of sales was not as crowded as it is now. Most businesses’ sizes ranged from small to medium; therefore, the sales were handled mostly by the owners. Only in rare cases could one find a business that had employed personnel to aid in sales. The business owners were focused on fulfilling the customer needs by meeting orders and had no need fro sales and marketing. They did not feel the pressure that is present today to branch out their businesses. This was before the industrial revolution (edis.ifas.ufl.edu). After the industrial revolution, businesses had the ability to increase their production and serve a larger client base. From here, the need for sales personnel grew by the d ay. Businesses were branching out to new locations, employing sales executives and managers along the way to spread the reach of their product. Sales executives acted as a go-between for the consumer and the producer and nothing more. Recent trends, however, reveal the use of sales executives to gather information about specific client expectations to help improve product and service quality. Competition has grown through sales executives’ efforts to sell quality services and products. They play a major part in influencing the production process through the intelligence they gather. Sales executives receive training on how to obtain information about their products from the customers. This information is taken to the managers who use it in the production process to increase sell ability of the products. Sales executives offer a great deal of service to these companies, not only through sale of product but also through gathering of information. They are tasked with the duty of answering product questions while out in the field. In doing so, they promote the customers’ confidence in the product and in the company making it. Occupational Research Terms of Reference This research was conducted diligently and following due procedure. The purpose was to understand what it entails to be a sales executive. The research also sought out to determine the skills and qualifications required for employment. It outlines the details of the position,

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer - Essay Example According to the author, Tillman was an ambitious, driven and complex individual who decided to enlist in the US Armed forces despite his lucrative May 2002 $3.6 million NFL contract offer. The September 11 terror attack on the US influenced this decision. While serving on his second tour in Afghanistan, Tillman died while trying to save members of his platoon. Initially, army officials informed his family that his death occurred during crossfire between the platoon and enemy combatants. This information was soon negated by investigations done after the army revealed that a ranger within the Tillman’s platoon shot him. Through Tillman’s story, Krakaeur hoped to shed light on real, behind the scenes experiences of men and war. The public viewed Tillman as a national hero for his selfless decision to enlist in spite of his lucrative contract. Tillman was at the peak of his American Football career when he joined the army. The Cardinals team had offered him a $ 3.6 million, three-year contract, an offer that would cater for all his financial needs and keep him out of harm’s way. On the contrary, enlisting into the army would result in adverse physiological and psychological consequences. The US was recovering from the September 11 terrorist attack, which exposed weaknesses in the country’s counterintelligence mechanisms and sparked a full-fledged war against countries in the Middle East. Choosing to enlist during this time meant that Tillman would be in the frontlines fighting for his life sooner compared to those who enlisted during peaceful times. The country’s former President George W. Bush capitalized on Tillman’s decision to join the army. He used Tillman as a poster-boy to encourage other citizens to enlist and serve their country. Even in death, Tillman proved that he was a national hero. He died in the line of duty in spite of the marred

Analysis of Sustainable Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Sustainable Development - Assignment Example With modern cities being developed on a daily basis, natural factors need to be protected. It is for this reason sustainable development was established (Dearden & Bruce, 2005). Urbanization is the development of urban areas to more advanced infrastructure to suit the existence of human life. Urbanization is mostly influenced by rural-urban migration which has been on the increases in modern years. Urbanization is characterized by huge population to both major and minor cities around the world. With the huge population, the development of these cities has become the major priority in order to make life in these cities comfortable to humans. However, different from sustainable development, urbanization is not environment cautious as technological advancement is its first priority. According to Dearden & Bruce (2005), urbanization only aim is to advance cities and suburbs to suit human existence. Urbanization comes with a lot of problems, especially environmental problems. In the moder n century, many conferences have been convened to address global warming. Global warming is a major factor that comes with urbanization. In urban cities, pollution is a common factor. Pollution from factories and vehicles cause global warming. Urbanization has also led to congestion of urban cities. In sustainable development, there are policies which ensure this type of development is successful. ... With sustainable development problems caused by urbanization can be easily solved. For instance, sustainable development is against emission of waste from factories. In sustainable development, there is the sensitization on recycling waste rather than emission. Additionally, sustainable development suburbs are developed which reduces the rural-urban migration rates. In this case, there will be less congestion in big cities and the growth rate of a whole country can be standard and effective. Lack of urban space hinders the development of a particular area. In many major cities, the development of new projects requires the destruction of already existing projects which is not appropriate. In a new advancement in terms of development, urban space is very important. This problem hinders the success of the younger generation. The future generation will have to use what was developed in the past. According to Dearden & Bruce (2005), this problem will make the future generation dependent o n already existing infrastructure. The authors further argue that the lack of urban space will be the greatest hindrance to innovation and modern technological advancements. Lack o urban space will also lead to the development of substandard buildings. With more population flocking to urban areas, there is an urgent need for shelter and housing. If these populations lack appropriate space for construction of shelter, they will find the least available location and space to put up sub-standard structures. This scenario is evident in many African nations whereby slums are being put around major cities. These slums hold urban dwellers that live below the daily minimum wage.  Ã‚  

Discuss the history of one film teqnique for example montage, Essay

Discuss the history of one film teqnique for example montage, closeups, sound give the argument of three different thinkers on the subject using at leat three - Essay Example First, from its original root of French film practice, the term refers to the identification of the movie's editor. Secondly, Soviet filmmakers used "montage" in the 1920's as method of juxtaposing shots to derive new meaning as a concealed message to convey that was not apparent to the scene. Third is the "montage sequence" usage usually done by the Hollywood filmmakers to condense fashionably a narrative segment in a film (Smith 2004). Lev Kuleshov was the first Soviet filmmaker who used the Soviet Montage. For him, it is an art really meant for film editing and cannot be done in other medium. Sergie Eisenstein views this as a tool or an electricity to be used to shock the audience (Risse 2007). This theory of editing innovated from its simple nature to the more intelligent execution being formulated and executed in present international cinemas. The progression of the editing theory varies from different filmmakers' views and responsibilities (Karpenko 2002). History. During the great depression period of Russia from the Tsar catastrophe the artistic flair of Russian filmmakers also rage along with it. Filmmaking that time was encouraged and greatly supported by a Union Socialist leader Vladimir Lenin (Smith 2004). Lev Kuleshov was among the very first to theorize the effectiveness of using film as a medium to convey various relevant messages of socialism. For Kuleshov, editing is like a brick by construction of the building. In this case, it's a shot by shot in order to construct a film (Smith 2004). Between 1919 and 1924, Kuleshov conducted certain montage experiments that eventually then influenced other Russian filmmakers. The necessity to do such was due to the shortage of the stock of the film (Bordwell 1972). In its early period, this method of editing was then called a Kuleshov Experiment. He justified that Montage was more effective in message delivery as viewers can easily discern it by context. Kuleshov explained that visual materials depicted can help the viewers to reach the certain conclusions and messages (Smith 2004). In the 1920's, Soviet filmmakers had their own personal opinions on how to execute montage. It was Sergei Einsenstein, a former student of Kuleshov, who marked a note with his own montage execution (Murch 2001). The remarkable note Einsenstein regarded for the montage as he described it as "the nerve of the cinema". He elaborated that "montage is an idea that arises from the collision of not text to the other, but on the top of the other". With this view, thus Soviet Montage had been noted in film editing from them on (Murch 2001). U.S. film director D.W. Griffith, although not part of the montage school, was one of the credited contributors of Soviet Montage for his own approach of power of editing. He used cross cut editing and codifying film grammar. His works were acknowledge by Kuleshov and other Soviet filmmakers, thus helped them to have wider view on film editing (Smith 2004). Sergei Eisenstein viewed montage as a dialectical medium of creating and conveying meaning. He was merely the first one to develop a system of editing that was not concerned with continuity system's rule and technicalities. He called his own montage as "Intellectual Montage". Intellectual Montage Editing. Sergei Eisenstein believed that editing was the foundation of the

Macro-economical Side of World Price of Wheat Assignment

Macro-economical Side of World Price of Wheat - Assignment Example Normally, when a good has high demand with a given supply, the price for the same tends to come up and when it is demanded by a few, the price tends to come down. But, it is to be noticed that this relationship between price, demand, and supply do not hold good always. There are exceptions to this general rule. However, in the case of commodities that are normally consumed, this rule can be applied. It can be, therefore, inferred that demand and supply are two opposite extremes of the same phenomenon and when it comes together (it is necessary), the price is determined, called the equilibrium price. This equilibrium price ensures that quantity demanded is just equal to the quantity supplied at any time point and this decides the price of that good (Forget 1999, p. 141). In the context of a hike in the price of enriched wheat flour in Malaysia, the following demand-supply model is suggested. The price of wheat here is determined by the forces of quantity demanded and supplied. The quantity of wheat supplied at any time is the amount of wheat that the suppliers are ready to offer at a certain price. Similarly, the amount of quantity of wheat demanded by consumers implies the quantity that consumers are ready to purchase at a certain price. When both demand and supply interact together at a point, the price is determined. This situation is known as the equilibrium price. This situation gets affected when there is a mismatch between quantity supplied and demanded. At this juncture, the quantity demanded does not coincide with what is offered by suppliers and thereby the price reaches disequilibrium. This price disequilibrium gets adjusted by either a price cut or a price hike as the case may be and eventually reaches the price equilibrium. The major reason put forward here for the inevitable price hike is the shortage of wheat in the home market. When there is a shortage of an essential good, the demand for the same would increase as a certain amount of the good is consumed daily. Therefore, when there is a shortage in the supply of wheat in the country, the demand for wheat flour increases and naturally there is an adjustment of price. However, this economic problem can be overcome by shifting the consumption of wheat from enriched wheat to normal wheat. The price of normal wheat will not be affected much as it is abundantly available. Hence, the authorities can proceed with stabilizing the price at a level where the consumers in the home market will not be harmed much. Explain the determinants of the price elasticity of demand as they apply to the demand for wheat. Use your conclusions about the price elasticity of demand to explain what they imply about the revenue that Australian wheat farmers are likely to receive as a consequence of the poor harvests in Australia Price Elasticity of Demand of a good is commonly understood as the degree to which the consumers respond to a change in price. If the consumers are highly responsive that they demand more of the good, when there is a price cut, the good id said to have price elasticity. It is measured by a coefficient. When the coefficient is high, the good is highly elastic and vice versa (Hoag 2006, p. 102).

ZARA Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ZARA Brand - Essay Example Its products have various prices depending on their specific design, size and type of product. Generally, their prices are relatively low compared to similar retailers and customers can chose their desired payment methods. ZARA promotes its products mainly through television and print media and sells its products through physical stores. Online orders are also acceptable and customers can choose to pick products in person or order for postal delivery (CNN News 2001). ZARA positions itself to target its customers by offering more products compared to similar products. The company has also capitalised in innovativeness where it produces new products within an extra ordinarily short time and places them in their stores (Tiplady 2006). In this way, they are able to shorten the lifespan of their products leading to a greater success in meeting the preferences of customers Designs that do not sell for a week are withdrawn, orders cancelled and a new design developed – the production of Zara products is therefore customer driven. . Zara positions itself in different ways to target its customers. For instance it provides a variety of items ensuring speed in its marketing. It also ensures its stores are located in places attractive to the customers. It has also established a website where customers can access the various products offered by Zara. Zara retail focuses on the 4Ps which include the product, price, place and promotion according to Peng (2010). In the case of product Zara, management first has to think over the product being launched in relation to its value, positioning, ingredients, target customers and packages. The price of the product is determined based on the quality of the product (whether top or popular), discounts given on many of the products. Zara products are mainly sold in retail stores, online and by specific supermarkets. Zara products are normally marketed online through various marketing tools