Monday, September 30, 2019

Lessons to Sick Leave Essay

NOTE: This material is also available as a role-play (Exercise 29, Sick Leave). Instructors are advised to use either the role-play or the case, but not both because they overlap considerably. Choosing whether to use the role-play or case materials depends on your goals for the class and the level of sophistication and cross-cultural experience of the students. For homogeneous classes with little previous cross-cultural experience, one option is to use the case to teach the cross-cultural nuances of American-Japanese negotiations and to follow this with Exercise 28 (500 English Sentences), a role-play with many similar lessons to Sick Leave. Objectives This case is written from the perspective of Kelly, a 22 year old Canadian Assistant English teacher working in Japan. The root of the conflict in this case is a deep cross-cultural misunderstanding that has transformed into a much larger incident involving important intangible factors such as saving face and maintaining principles. Specific learning objectives include: 1. To understand how two parties have framed a conflict very differently in a cross-cultural setting. 2. To explore the differences between positions and interests in a cross-cultural negotiation. 3. To understand a conflict where the intangible factors are much more important than the tangible factors. Changes from 4th Edition There are no substantive changes from the Fourth Edition. Operational Needs Time Required 45-60 minutes for the case discussion. Special Materials None. Recommended Reading Assignments to Accompany This Case Reader: 5.1 (Brett), 5.2 (Salacuse), 5.3 (Senger), 5.4 (Koh). Text: Chapter 16 Case Overview On the surface, this case is very straightforward. Kelly, a 22 year old Canadian working as an Assistant English teacher in Japan, is sick with the flu, misses 2 days of work, and wants to claim these as legitimate sick days as described in her contract. Her supervisor, Mr. Higashi, insists that she take these days as part of her paid vacation days because that is the Japanese way. The sick leave conflict is symptomatic, however, of a much deeper conflict that Kelly and the other Assistant English teachers have with Mr. Higashi and the other Japanese English teachers. Dynamics underlying this conflict include face saving, adapting to a different culture, the meaning of contracts in different cultures, and the influence of reference groups on behavior. Background Preparation Students and the instructor should be familiar with cultural and business differences between Japan and North America. Dated, yet still appropriate, is Howard Van Zandt’s How to Negotiate in Japan, from the Harvard Business Review of Nov/Dec 1970, more current is Smart Bargaining by John Graham and Yoshihiro Sano, The Influence of Japanese Culture on Business Relationships and Negotiations by Naoko Oikawa and John Tanner Jr., International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, chapter on Negotiating with Foreigners by Nancy J. Adler, and Cultural Approaches to Negotiations: Understanding the Japanese by Brian Hawrysh and Judith Zaichkowsky. Teaching Strategy Kelly frames this negotiation as a right to have the sick leave, which is written into her contract. Mr. Higashi frames this negotiation much broader and wants Kelly to â€Å"fit in† at work and to be treated the same as Japanese workers. This situation is very representative of the types of conflict that occur in cross-cultural negotiations between Americans (rights based, contract as enforceable) and Japanese (relationship based, contract as beginning). On the surface, this is a very straightforward situation: will Kelly get her contractually guaranteed sick leave benefits or not? The cultural differences, however, make this a high stakes negotiation for both parties, in which the importance of the intangible factors far outweighs that of the tangible factors. Proceed by using the following questions to discuss the case: 1. What should Kelly do? Should she call CLAIR, or discuss this further with Mr. Higashi? 2. What is this dispute about for Kelly? For Mr. Higashi? In these types of conflicts is a compromise possible? 3. What are the tangible factors in this situation? What are the intangible factors in the negotiation? Is saving face more important to Kelly or Mr. Higashi? Why? Which are more important, the tangible or intangible factors? Is this true for both Kelly and Mr. Higashi? The discussion should conclude with a good summary about Japanese and North American negotiation styles and culture. When negotiating in Japan it is often important to give in for the sake of peace and harmony, or relationships may be harmed beyond repair. Deciding how to negotiate cross-culturally remains a challenge for every negotiator that negotiates across a border. One of the best pieces discussing this was written by Stephen Weiss (â€Å"Negotiating With ‘Romans’: A Range of Culturally-Responsive Strategies,† Sloan Management Review, 35, No. 1, pp. 51-61; No. 2, pp. 1-16) and a summary of this work makes a nice conclusion to the class. Final Note Although this exercise has been modified somewhat it is based on an actual situation that occurred in Japan (names and location have been changed). In the actual incident, â€Å"Kelly† received her sick leave but the relationship was seriously harmed and work became more and more uncomfortable. Kelly decided not to renew her contract, and left Japan at the end of the school year.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

An exploration of the way Shakespeare presents Claudius to the audience Essay

The title of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, would at first suggested its eponymous hero, Hamlet, is the major character. However, in a sense the whole play evolves around the character and actions of Claudius. Shakespeare has presented Claudius in a phrase as a â€Å"smiling damned villain†, whose greed and selfishness lead the way to his tragic killing of the King. This sums up Claudius excellently, as he has two sides to him, one the public side, â€Å"smiling† and the other the private side â€Å"damned villain†. Claudius starts his opening speech as king by saying, â€Å"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death† (Act I Scene II, Line1) which creates the impression that his brother’s death upsets him, but later it is revealed that he was the cause of it. This links in with the theme of â€Å"seeming and being†, where it appears that he is grieving but is actually not. Shakespeare has used â€Å"seeming and being† repeatedly to show the audience that, deception is one of the major parts of the play: â€Å"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below words without thoughts never to heaven go. † (Act III Scene V, Lines 97-8), This is Claudius’ confession where he tricks the audience and Hamlet into believing he wants forgiveness, but then find out it is not true. This is further highlighted when Claudius is speaking to Hamlet: â€Å"here in the cheer and comfort of our eye†(Act I Scene II, Line116). Again it appears as though Claudius is being caring and wants to look after him, in a way like a father would, but he has said this very cleverly and in reality implies that he wants to keep an ‘eye’ on him. By using the Pritesh Kotecha Greenford High School words ‘comfort’ and ‘cheer’, Claudius is seen to be passionate and genuine, and the way Shakespeare has presented him to be this skilled politician is essential to his character, as he uses his wit to get himself out of awkward situations. Claudius in several parts of the play uses the word ‘our’ to manipulate people. In this case, it seems as though he means for him and Gertrude to keep and eye on Hamlet, but in reality he could perhaps be implying, if Hamlet was to do something wrong the whole state could be a witness. Claudius very cleverly uses the term ‘our’ again at the end of the play: â€Å"our son shall win†(Act V Scene II, Line 190), which gives the impression that Hamlet and Claudius have settled their problems. He has very cleverly switched his attitude from ‘your son’ to ‘our son’ as the play progresses, purely because of his public appearance. Also he could have perhaps said this so that when Hamlet dies he would not be a suspect, as he seems so genuine and loving towards Hamlet. When Claudius says ‘your son’, he usually says it when he has done something wrong, and implies â€Å"it is your son your problem†. The image of heaven and God is often related to Claudius, not referring to him as a God, but Hamlet uses his father to make bold Claudius’ lustful character when he says: â€Å"so excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr. † (Act I Scene II Line 139 and 140) Here Hamlet very precisely sums up Claudius in comparison to his father because a Hyperion was a glorious sun-god of classical mythology; a satyr was a creature half man half goat. Pritesh Kotecha Greenford High School. The fact that Hamlet refers Claudius to a goat is effective because the goat is seen to be a very lusty animal, and this information along with a lot of other quotes: â€Å"incestuous and adulterous beast†, (Act I Scene V Line 42) â€Å"a serpent stung me† (Act I Scene V, Line 36) gives the audience an animalistic perception of him. The fact that Shakespeare has said ‘serpent stung’ is ironic as a serpent cannot sting and this makes the quote stand out, as it is eye-catching and alliteration is used here, and the image of a snake or reptile immediately comes to mind. Also, the sibilance here is a ‘s’, which is a connotation of evil. Claudius is again compared with God, when Polonius is talking to Claudius, he says: â€Å"I hold my duty as I hold my soul, both to my God and my gracious king. † (Act II Scene II, Line 44 and 45), because he uses God’s name in the same sentence as the king’s is ironic because in the past the king was seen to be appointed by God, therefore anything a king was to say had to be obeyed. This is ironic because, in this situation Claudius did not inherit the throne the natural way, and had to commit a vile murder of his own brother to get it. This once more shows his greed and selfishness, as he killed his brother to inherit his possessions: â€Å"My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen† (Act III Scene III, Line 55). He has worded this sentence, mentioning his crown first, implying it means the most to him, and then at the end his queen, which shows he doesn’t care as much about her however it does show that he has some feelings for her even though he is portrayed as this selfish character. Repetition is used here, and this sentence stands out and shows Claudius’ greed as all he is saying is ‘my, my, my’. Pritesh Kotecha Greenford High School Shakespeare uses repetition a great deal in Claudius’ speech, and in this case he uses it to outline Claudius’ intelligence, like any politician, he uses rhetoric as a way to manipulate people: â€Å"your father lost a father, that father lost† (Act I Scene II, Line 89 and 90), here he is trying to persuade Hamlet that it’s all part of the circle of life. This is important as it outlines his guilt that Hamlet is grieving for his father so much, and in a way is trying to make him stop mourning to make himself feel better. He even digs so low as he says to Hamlet, you grieving so much is a sin: â€Å"’tis a fault to heaven, a fault against the dead, a fault to nature† (Act I Scene II, Line 101 – 2). Moreover, he again gives himself away unconsciously as he tries so hard to make Hamlet stop grieving. Shakespeare has presented Claudius as a skilled politician in this sentence because again he structures it in three parts, and again repetition is used, to make bold the main point he is trying to get across; your grieving is wrong. Claudius also uses Hamlet’s vulnerability as a chance to show his power. He refers to Hamlet as being weak and fragile: â€Å"A heart unfortified, a mind impatient, An understanding simple and unschool’d† (Act I Scene II, Line 96 and 97). The fact that he has used the words ‘unfortified’ and ‘impatient’, makes this sentence more interesting because he shows his power and intelligence by degrading Hamlet. He says he lacks patience and is very weak, and is not educated. Claudius is portrayed by Shakespeare, to exploit all situations with his language. In this case, he uses very negative words and the effect is it shows him in power over Hamlet. Pritesh Kotecha Greenford High School His power is also shown in his opening speech as king. Here Shakespeare has showed him as very powerful and in control by dealing with all his issues one-by-one. This is a very structured speech and it creates a strong impression on the audience as they see him as a man of control. â€Å"What wouldst thou beg, Laertes that shall not be my offer not thy asking? â€Å"(Act I Scene II, Line 45 and 46) Here he is just showing off his power saying what can you ask for that I will not already offer. Shakespeare has added this part in to make him seem passionate and a loyal king. Again, appearance and reality comes into play, as it seems as thought he is doing it to help Laertes, but could perhaps be doing it to show his power. The theme of seeming and being again reoccurs as Claudius is confessing, where he is seen to be legitimate, but again says things he doesn’t mean: â€Å"My words fly up my thoughts remain below, words without thoughts never to heaven go. † (Act III Scene V, Line 97 and 98) Claudius’ deceit is portrayed here, as he is asking for forgiveness but he does not mean it, he cannot even be truthful whilst in prayer. This could have been an act of fright from Claudius as he is now aware that Hamlet knows the truth. This scene is very significant because it shows Claudius for his true colours, a coward. His character is now becoming more apparent to the audience, who now have something to build upon. Rhyming couplets is used here, and Shakespeare uses this a lot at the end of long speeches or scene’s and is used as a sort of cue point, to let the other characters aware of when to come in. This line can be shown in many different ways. In the Kenneth Branagh version, Claudius is in a catholic confession box, with some low Pritesh Kotecha Greenford High School melancholy music in the background, and the camera is slowly zooming in on his face. Which creates a more dramatic effect and a more personal tone, and when this line is due, he does not say it but thinks it. In the Franco Zefereli version he is in front of a cross. Franco Zaferelli similarly uses a cross symbolising the same religious meaning as the confessional. Claudius’ change in character is again shown through his confession speech. A different side to him is shown, perhaps because he is now aware that Hamlet knows the truth, and now asks for forgiveness. â€Å"Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow? â€Å"(Act III Scene V, Line 46) The language in this sentence is very powerful as Claudius uses natural elements, ‘rain’ and ‘snow’, to outline his sin. Claudius’ graphic description of his sin is strong evidence, and his desire to temptation leaves him tormented by his guilty conscience. Also, because Claudius uses the colour white, it makes him seem more pure and guilty, as white is a connotation of purity, and a blank slate. In the Branagh version, he whispers this line and the audience see him as being honest and this effect is it makes him seem more apologetic. Although Claudius is portrayed as this corrupted villain, his character is wide open to interpretation. In a sense that although he killed his brother to marry Gertrude, he still has strong feelings for her: â€Å"She is so conjunctive to my life and soul That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, I could not buy her†(Act V Scene VII, Line 14-16). Here Claudius uses the earth and the planets to state his love for Gertrude, and implies that without her he would not be able to do anything. Although Shakespeare has Pritesh Kotecha Greenford High School. presented him to have strong feelings towards Gertrude, his greed and selfishness overrule his love for her: â€Å"Gertrude do not drink†¦ [aside] It is the poison’d cup. It is too late. â€Å"(Act V Scene II, Lines 294†¦ 296) Just because he wants to get his own way, he jeopardizes her life and throughout the play, his actions lead to the death of seven innocent people, because he cannot resist his temptation and has to cover up his crime. In conclusion, Claudius is portrayed as a good king with bad qualities. Although he does have some good aspects as king, him being intellectual and powerful, his bad qualities over weigh his good. In a sense that, he is greedy and selfish, putting his own desire first, and going to any limits to reach his goal. Shakespeare has presented him excellently, â€Å"with witchcraft of his wit†(Act I Scene V, Line 43) allowing him to conceal his true colours, except for when he repented and confessed to God. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses one good quote to define his character as; â€Å"smiling damned villain†(Act I Scene V, Line 106), as it shows that he has two sides to him in every way, public and private, caring and selfish, and cleaver but not very wise.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

If a firm wants to maximize profits , it must give careful attention Essay

If a firm wants to maximize profits , it must give careful attention to its pricing decisions .under what conditions does this statement have relevance what a - Essay Example Profit is the difference between the total revenue and total costs of a business enterprise. Profits are considered to arise either as rewards for risk taking or due to the imperfections in the economy or as reward for innovations, according to economic theories (Dean 1977, pp. 5 – 9). Rewards for risk taking: Entrepreneurs are essentially people with the ability to take risks. The risk involved is, to be prepared to accept as their share of the (monetary) value of the enterprise activities, after all costs have been provided for. What is left may be losses or minimal profits or more than reasonable profits. It is this risk that entitles the entrepreneur to keep for himself whatever is left at the end of the day. This is his profit. A good example of the reward for risk taking is photocopying business. When the plain paper photocopying technique was invented, it was a risky business to invest in, as the future would be that of ‘computerized paperless offices’. Rank Xerox Corporation, on the other hand, was willing to accept the risk and acquired the technology and patent rights. The stupendous success of this decision and the great revenues that it brought to Rank Xerox, are legendary (www.xerox.com). Imperfections in economy: According to this view, profits arise due to ‘†¦the imperfections in the adjustment of economy to change’ (Dean 1977, p.8). Imperfection refers to the competitive situation. There is a time lag between the occurrence of a change and the return of the market to near-perfect competitive position or equilibrium, and it is during this time of absorbing the change that profits accrue. An example of this type of opportunity is the occasional shortage in supply of food grains due to bad weather or crop failure and the time lag before a government takes corrective actions for increasing supplies through imports etc. Reward for innovation: In this third view on how profits arise, it is postulated that profits are what the

Friday, September 27, 2019

The issue of regional currency unification Essay - 3

The issue of regional currency unification - Essay Example In the recent past, the world has witnessed an increasing interest in economic integration and currency unification among countries in specific regions. The idea of currency unification is not new and can be dated back to 1961 when Mundell coined the concept of Optimum Currency Areas (OCA) as noted by . Currency unification has been one of the key ambitions of the Gulf Cooperation council (GCC) countries. Soon after the formation of GCC, the region’s goal for the formation of unified currency system was adopted in the article 22 of the council’s unified economic agreement of June 1982, which states that: â€Å"The member states shall seek to coordinate their financial, monetary, and banking policies and enhance cooperation between monetary agencies and central bank, including an attempt tom establish a common currency in order tom further their desired economic integration† . assert that the European economic and monetary union (EMU) model of 1999 which set the pace for the adoption of Euro by eleven countries as well as the continuing efforts by the GCC member states to integrate their economies have contributed to raise this ambition a new. It is worth noting at this point that the remarkable convergence of the exchange rate policies adhered in the GCC countries pegs to the US dollar. In accordance to exchange rate arrangement formally reported to the IMF, only the rial Oman is pegged to the dollar.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Using Hydraulic Fracturing for Hydrocarbon Extraction Research Paper

Using Hydraulic Fracturing for Hydrocarbon Extraction - Research Paper Example While this process is a simple in principle, the geological differences at the well site affects the exact fracturing process hence raises both safety and efficiency concerns (Golden, John and Hannah, 998). Hydraulic fracturing was commercially explored for the first time in Velma, Oklahoma by Halliburton in the year 1949 to extract gas from limestone deposits. Since then, there have been several technological advancements especially in 1980s that resulted to the discovery of diamond-studded drill bits and horizontal drilling. These technological advancements opened room for gas access in shale formations thus resulted into what is today known as â€Å"shale gale† (Bolonkin, Joseph and Shmuel, 234). Benefits of Hydraulic fracturing as a technology cannot be underestimated given the adverse effects of burning coal and generating nuclear energy. Research shows that Hydraulic fracturing accounts for more than 70% of the development of natural gas which will reduce cost of manufacturing and increase employment opportunities (Middleton et al, 505).Hydraulic fracturing is inevitable as well as a vital aspect of many countries energy’s policy due to its tremendous economic benef its and is estimated that the industry will employ over one million users in the US by 2025 (Middleton et al, 506). However, it is estimated that the cost of a gas well ranges between 2.5 and 3 million dollars depending on the area, local taxes, depth of formation as well as other effects of operating costs such as fresh water availability, equipment and transportation while the United States energy information estimates the costs at about 5.3 million dollars (Middleton et al, 505). This is high compared to the other methods of extraction but economical in the short run. Despite the many benefits of Hydraulic fracturing, the process poses serious risks to the human health and quality of fresh water. One of the serious concerns of Hydraulic fracturing is the large quantities of water used.

Discuss the future of rhetoric in our electronic age Research Paper - 1

Discuss the future of rhetoric in our electronic age - Research Paper Example This means there is further evolution in store for rhetoric and it cannot become obsolete however, classical rhetoric may never regain its lost position. In this paper, rhetoric has been discussed from various aspects from its origin to evolution, post-modern theory of rhetoric and the challenges it faces from electronic media. From ancient times rhetoric has served as the perfect art of discourse, which allows a speaker/writer/researcher to enlighten, motivate and even persuade a given set of audience and/or readers. The need and significance of rhetoric as an effective form of art and a component of English studies has been realized from the time of Aristotle. However, with the onset of post-modern era a question mark has been added to its requirement since the electronic age and the gadget generation has left little room for discourse using classical rhetoric processes. Nonetheless, the future of rhetoric is something that remains to be analyzed properly without dangling into the argument of the legitimacy or illegitimacy of this art form in electronic era. In this paper, the future of rhetoric in our electronic age will be explored and an analysis will be made about its historical evolution and the challenges it faces today utilizing information from various scholarly sources. In simple words rhetoric is the assertion of â€Å"Eiro or I Say†. It is the â€Å"art of discourse,† or â€Å"art of speaking,† which has been practiced since ancient eras and was one of the three subjects of the Trivium (syllabus) of medieval universities the other two being Grammar and Logic. (Fishwick, 2007) The word Rhetoric has been derived from a Greek word â€Å"rhetorike† which denotes the â€Å"civic art† of public speaking since it was largely developed in deliberative public forums such as law courts. Rhetoric as a term was firstly used by Plato in his

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Stumper 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stumper 4 - Assignment Example My answer is also correct but it is not detailed to the lather. Both answers explain the effects of such situation in the short run. My answer gives general information while the teacher’s goes as far as categorizing the major economic components that face the full impacts. For instance, the teacher talks about the how businesses, households, commercial banks and the foreign exchange markets react to lower Fed Fund Rates. Nevertheless, both answers explain the result of the expansionary monetary policy that is enacted during trough phase of the business cycle. In this question, both answers are correct though there slight difference in the explanations. Both answers focus on the long term effects of a strong expansionary policy and the resulting effects. Some of the effects discussed include price levels, aggregate demand, aggregate supply, inflation, rate of unemployment and Gross Domestic Product. In my own opinion, the assignment is ninety five percent

Monday, September 23, 2019

Catastrophic Cyberattack Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Catastrophic Cyberattack - Essay Example A cyber attack has been defined as a computer-to-computer attack that undermines the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a computer or information resident in it (O’Shea, 2003). Cyber attacks involve virus and worm attacks delivered through vulnerable exploit engines, denial-of-service attacks (DoS), web defacements of informational sites, and unauthorized intrusions into systems (Colarik, 2006, p. 84). According to the CSI/FBI 2005 Computer Crime and Security Survey, rate of losses from attacks are: viruses (33%), unauthorized access (24%), theft of proprietary information (24%), DoS (6%), net abuse (5%), laptop theft (3%), and financial fraud (2%) (Colarik, 2006, p. 83). But for a cyber attack to be successful, phases of attack must also be successful. The five phases of cyber attacks are reconnaissance, penetration, identifying and expanding internal capabilities, intruder damages the system, and removal of evidence of penetration or theft (Colarik, 2006, p. 83). Cyber attack penetrates the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of a water supply system and poses detrimental effect over the system. Cyber Attack on a Water Supply System During the late 1990s, medium to large water utilities integrated IT and SCADA system.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Explain the nature of the basic economic problem facing society, and Essay

Explain the nature of the basic economic problem facing society, and show how business activity might provide a solution to this problem - Essay Example Business activities aim in the provision of all economic problems though not exhaustively. The active operation of firms in the market ensures the provision of goods and services. The large firms with the capacity of operating as independent organizations make their own decisions on how to enter and exit markets. The firms have also developed efficient ways such as choice on how well to utilize the available resources for maximum gain.1 Therefore, the firms have mechanisms for dealing with scarcity in the most productive way. In conclusion, some of the economic problems can be dealt with through the increase of firms in the market. The coming up of firms have the potential to reduce the transaction costs thus making commodities readily available. The incorporation of some goods within organizations rather than as a whole in the markets leads to attaining favorable costs.2 In addition, the use of new technologies makes a great contribution in the economic output of a country thus dealing with

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Blue Brain Essay Example for Free

Blue Brain Essay Today scientists are in research to create an arti? cial brain that can think,respond, take decision, and keep anything in memory. The main aim is to uploadhuman brain into machine. So that man can think, take decision without any effort. After the death of the body, the virtual brain will act as the man. So, even after thedeath of a person we will not loose the knowledge, intelligence, personalities, feelingsand memories of that man, that can be used for the development of the human society. Technology is growing faster than every thing. IBM is now in research to create avirtual brain, called â€Å"Blue brain†. If possible, this would be the ? rst virtual brainof the world. IBM, in partnership with scientists at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytech-nique Federale de Lausanne’s (EPFL) Brain and Mind Institute will begin simulatingthe brain’s biological systems and output the data as a working 3-dimensional modelthat will recreate the high-speed electro-chemical interactions that take place withinthe brain’s interior. These include cognitive functions such as language, learning,perception and memory in addition to brain malfunction such as psychiatric disorderslike depression and autism. From there, the modeling will expand to other regions of the brain and, if successful, shed light on the relationships between genetic, molecularand cognitive functions of the brain. The human brain has 100 billion neurons, nerve cells that enable us to adapt quickly to an immense array of stimuli. We use them to understand and respond to bright sunlight, a honking horn, the smell of chicken frying and anything else our sensors detect. To better understand some of those responses, researchers in Lausanne, Switzerland, recently launched an ambitious project called Blue Brain, which uses IBMs eServer Blue Gene, a supercomputer capable of processing 22. 8 trillion floating point operations per second (TFLOPS). Blue Brain is modeling the behavior of 10,000 highly complex neurons in rats neocortical columns (NCC), which are very similar to the NCCs in a human brain. The NCCs run throughout the brains gray matter and perform advanced computing. They are 0. 5mm in diameter and 2mm to 5mm in height and are arranged like the cells of a honeycomb. The first objective of Blue Brain is to build an accurate software replica, or template, of an NCC within two to three years, says Henry Markram, the principal researcher on Blue Brain and a professor at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). That first template will be modified for NCCs found in different brain regions and species, and then all the NCCs will be replicated to build a model of the neocortices of different species, he says. Such models will shed light on how memories are stored and retrieved, Markram says. This could reveal many exciting aspects of the [brain] circuits, such as the form of memories, memory capacity and how memories are lost. The modeling can help find vulnerabilities in the neocortex, which is useful because thats where brain disorders often originate. We may also be able to work out the best way to compensate and repair circuit errors, Markram says. The model could be used to develop and test treatment strategies for neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as autism, schizophrenia and depression, he adds. Having an accurate computer-based model of the brain would mean that some major brain experiments could be done in silicon rather than in a wet lab. A simulation that might take seconds on the supercomputer could replace a full days worth of lab research, Markram estimates. Ultimately, simulated results of brain activity could be matched with recorded brain activity in a person with a disease in order to reverse-engineer the circuit changes in diseases, he says. The real value of a simulation is that researchers can have access to data for every single neuron, adds IBMs Charles Peck, head of the Blue Brain project for IBM Research.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Celebration of Nature in Literature

Celebration of Nature in Literature Romanticists celebrated nature. They loved nature and enjoyed being outdoors. Their writings were nature inspired. I, like the romantics love nature and being outdoors. I also enjoy the beautiful scenes in nature that God creates. I have chosen two pieces to discuss. The first is Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The second is The World is too much with us by William Wordsworth. In these two pieces I will discuss the beauties of nature that each writer is passionate about. Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a lyrical poem that addresses the west wind as a powerful force. Shelley uses the wind and nature as an inspiration for this ode. Shelley wants to scatterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ my words among mankind. Just as leaves are scattered as the autumn wind blows. As we discussed in class, Shelley saw the west wind as a symbol of true inspiration. It is addressed in the first three stanzas the influence that the wind has on the sky, sea and land. Shelley wants people to realize that the wind can be a preserver and a destroyer, Wild Spirit, which are moving everywhere; Destroyer and Preserver; hear, O hear! This is not just a gentle breeze it is ferocious, blowing things around. In the first stanza he is addressing the west wind as a human. The human is pestilence- stricken multitudes. It is talking about being infected with diseases. It is also referring to the dead leaves decomposing on the ground. I think that the multitudes that Shelley is talking about in this stanza, is society. He sees how society is just out to get material things. They do not care about nature and how they are damaging it. Shelley was concerned about nature and the effects that we have on it. In the next stanza Shelley is talking about the effect the wind has on the clouds. Loose clouds like Earths decaying leaves are shed. It also talks about how the clouds erupt with rain. In this stanza, Shelley talks about the lighting against the night sky. It looks like a bright shaft of hair from the head of Maenad. In stanza five the poet asks the wind to scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth ashes and sparks, my words among mankind! He wanted his words to be spread around the world, as if they were ashes from a burning fire. Shelley also speaks in the last line of winter and spring. The trumpet of prophecy! O Wind, If winter comes, can Spring be far behind? Even though winter is here, you can still look forward to spring to come again. Just like in life, there may be dark and dismal times in your life but there is always tomorrow. Every day comes with a new start and everything that lives must die. That is a part of the life cycle. I think that the themes in this piece are connecting life and death. The next piece that I want to look at is The World Is Too Much With Us. It is written by William Wordsworth. Like many other Romantic writers, Wordsworth saw nature as an emblem of God and the divine nature of him. His poetry celebrates the beauty and spiritual nature of the world. In The World Is Too Much With Us, Wordsworth contrasts nature with the world and their lust for materialism. They were just worried about the getting and spending. This sounds just like our world today. So many people are caught up in materialistic things that they do not stop and look around at the simple beauties of the world. They do not even stop long enough to hear the birds sing. The World Is Too Much with Us is a sonnet by William Wordsworth. In this piece he is criticizing the world for the Industrial Revolution. They were absorbing themselves in materialism and distancing themselves from nature. We, as a society, have so many modern conveniences today that most of us do not rely on the earth for any of our needs. Most people do not use the earth as a natural resource. I feel that we should get back to using our earth as a resource and take better care of it. My family and I garden and love doing it. My son is in the second grade and they are teaching him about recycling. I feel that it is important that we recycle and help reduce the amount of trash that we produce. The wordslate and soon describe how the past and future generations are included in his views of mankind. He views them as greedy. Wordsworth sees the potential of our powers but knows it is hindered by the mentality of getting and spending. The poet knows what they were capable of and what they could do, but that was affected by the lust of the flesh. We have the same problem in society today. People are worried about keeping up with the Jones. They are worried about what they can get out of the world, not what they can give back. I think that the society today is much like the society that Mr. Wordsworth is speaking of. Little we see in Nature that is ours. The earth and nature is very important to our existence. We must do everything that we can to take the best care of it. We have given our heart away, a sordid boon! This line refers to the materialistic progress of mankind. Just as Mr. Wordsworth dealt with materialism then we deal with it today. In lines ten and eleven Mr. Wordsworth speaks I, standing on this pleasant lea, have glimpses that would make me less forlorn. He reveals his perception of himself in society. He is a romantic with touch with nature. In Mr. Wordsworths sonnet This World Is Too Much With Us. We can relate with many of the things that Wordsworth speaks about. I enjoyed studying the Romanticism Era. They really understood nature and the part that God plays in it. They realized that he created it and everything good in it. I think that we struggle with some of the same issues that these writers were struggling with. People are materialistic and do not slow down enough to enjoy the simple things in life.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Symbolic Analysts :: essays research papers

Symbolic Analysts Reich uses the term of "symbolic analysts" to describe what he feels one of the three main job classifications of the future will be. The symbolic analysts will be someone who is a problem identifier, a problem solver, or an innovator who can visualize new uses of existing technologies. This class of workers includes scientists, engineers, and other scientific or technical specialties as well as marketers, investors, some types of lawyers, developers and a wide variety of consultants. The symbolic analysts will have a high level of education, both in the classroom and on the job experience. Reich believes that this new, actually redefined, class of workers will be the best bet for job growth and success into the next century. Opportunities for job growth will remain rather high. This is a result of two factors, a slowing growth in population and the future retirement of the baby boomer generation (Reich, 203). It is not the number of jobs in the future that is the problem, its the quality of those jobs. On the whole, Reich identifies two trends in job quality. The number of mundane, manufacturing jobs will decrease as well as the number of in-person service jobs e.g. bank tellers, but growth in the number of symbolic analytical positions. The loss of repetitive manufacturing is primarily a cost saving plan of American corporations. Corporations seeking to lower their costs of labor move their large, low-skilled manufacturing to points all over the globe in attempt to find the lowest wages. Replacement of some in-person services is attributed to technological change. Examples of this cutting of numbers can be seen in the blossoming of automated teller machines, unmanned self service gas stations, and home shopping capabilities. The symbolic analyst, however, contains a commodity that is both valuable and irreplaceable. This is the human thinking and problem solving abilities that is becoming ever more important in international business. Specialized groups of problem identifiers and solvers will sprout all over the globe, selling their services to a wide variety of customers. This growth might not seem beneficial for America in the traditional sense, as analysts will work for foreign companies just as easily as American ones, but the intangible gains of knowledge and experience stay within our country. People cannot be shipped and marketed as easily as a new VCR. The interesting point of Reichs theory for the future is that it offers no easily visible solutions of raising the standard of living for those who reside in the United States. In fact, I believe his symbolic analyst will only enlarge the growing income inequality between the rich and poor.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Kafka and his Portrayal of Characters Essay -- essays research papers

Kafka’s Portrayal of Characters Franz Kafka, born on July 3, 1883 in Bohemia, in the city of Prague, has been recognized as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Virtually unknown during his lifetime, the works of Kafka have since been recognized as symbolizing modern man's distress and distorted alienation in an unintelligible, hostile, or indifferent world. None of Kafka’s novels were printed during his lifetime, and it was only with reluctance that he published a fraction of his shorter fiction. Kafka went even as far as to request that his unprinted manuscripts be destroyed after his death. His friend, Max Brod went against his wishes and published his works, although many were unfinished (Sokel 35). Kafka came from a middle-class Jewish family and grew up in the shadow of his domineering shopkeeper father, who impressed Kafka the ultimate father figure. The feeling of impotence, even in his rebellion, was a syndrome that became a pervasive theme in his fiction. Kafka did well in the prestigious German high school in Prague and went on to receive a law degree in 1906. He soon found a job at the Assicurizioni Generali Insurance Company in 1907 but soon left, due to the lengthy hours and intolerable conditions. Later in 1908, he began working at the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute, where he would work most of the rest of his life. He regarded this job as the essence—both blessing and curse—of his life (Gray 78). He would work most of the rest of his life, although only sporadically after 1917, and in June 1922 he was put on â€Å"temporary retirement† with a pension (Gray 81-84). This job, although not great had short hours, and so allowed him time to think and write. In 1911, he was asked by his father to take charge of his brother-in-law Karl Hermann’s asbestos factory, which took up a lot of his time until 1917 and literally almost drove him to suicide (83). Kafka spent half his life after 1917 in sanatoriums and health resorts; his tuberculosis of the lungs finally spreading to the larynx. Throughout his life, Kafka wrote during times he felt frustrated, either by a love, his family, or his sickness (Sokel 133). Kafka’s method of relief from these frustrations was through his writing (133).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kafka’s coarse relationship with his father dominates his thoughts in life and his works. In the two works, â€Å"The Me... ... his own life, his own views, his own perspectives. He deliberately removes the line between truth and fiction. Tongue in cheek, Kafka used his life as blueprints for his works. In doing so, he has played â€Å"one of the strangest and most daring games a writer ever had played†(Pascal 137). By telling of his life as a fable and commenting about his own style, he raised himself to the level of literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography: Brod, Max, Franz Kafka, 2d ed. (1960); Citati, Pietro, Kafka (1990); Flores, Angel, ed., The Kafka Debate (1977); Glatzer, N. N., The Loves of Franz Kafka (1985); Gray, Ronald, ed., Kafka: A Collection of Critical Essays (1962); Hayman, Ronald, Kafka (1982); Heller, Erich, Franz Kafka (1975); Karl, Frederick R., Franz Kafka: Representative Man (1992); Lawson, R. H., Franz Kafka (1987); Pawel, E., The Nightmare of Reason: A Life of Franz Kafka (1984); Politzer, Heiny, Franz Kafka: Parable and Paradox (1962); Sokel, Walter H., Franz Kafka (1966); Udoff, Alan, ed., Kafka and the Contemporary Critical Performance (1987   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Einhard and Charlemagnes Palace School: A Mechanism for Wealth, Prestige, Power and Success :: essays research papers fc

Einhard was a courtier in Charlemagne’s Frankish Kingdom. During Charlemagne’s rule/life (768-824), he dedicated a vast amount of time and energy into supporting the notions of classical learning. He went so far as to start a school comprised of many scholars within his palace. Their role was to educate the nobility, the priesthood and the people, as well as hold counsel with the king. This is where Einhard and Charlemagne first encountered each other. Einhard was a small but intelligent man who came to prominence in the PiousCharlemagne’s and Charlemagne’s son’s kingdom. It is often asked how such a small man came to be the heart of the kingdom, and how the court school and the opportunities it provided influenced his success. During the late 8th and early 9th century, Charlemagne came to power. He expanded the kingdom and conceived many reforms during his reign. Charlemagne ruled the Frankish Kingdom from 768-814. He was one of Pepin the thirds two sons. Charlemagne’s brother, Carolman died in 771, and Charlemagne became the sole ruler of the Franks. Almost as soon as Charlemagne assumed the throne he commenced a series of campaigns. From 772-804 Charlemagne was at war with Saxony, from 773-774 Charlemagne was also at war with the Lombards in Italy. In 778, Charlemagne was invited into Northern Italy to extend Christian influence. In 787 Charlemagne invaded and seized Bavaria. Finally, from 788-797, Charlemagne launched a campaign against the tribal horsemen, the Avars. In 789, Charlemagne issued â€Å"The General Admonition†, the concept of the document was that moral reform requires education. At this time, Charlemagne created the palace school at his court, scholars were brought to this school to reform the Frankish priests and people. Various other reforms took place during this time, such as the new form of writing, Caroli ngian Minuscule, and the writing down of law codes. On December 25, 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo the third in the St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. Charlemagne died in 814, and was succeeded by his only remaining son, Louis the Pious. Louis the Pious reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 814-840. When he assumed the throne he quickly replaced administers within the palace. Louis the Pious had three sons; Lothar, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German. Near the beginning of his reign, Louis already faced conflict. In 818, Louis quashed a rebellion orchestrated by his cousin, Count Bernard of Aquitaine . Einhard and Charlemagnes Palace School: A Mechanism for Wealth, Prestige, Power and Success :: essays research papers fc Einhard was a courtier in Charlemagne’s Frankish Kingdom. During Charlemagne’s rule/life (768-824), he dedicated a vast amount of time and energy into supporting the notions of classical learning. He went so far as to start a school comprised of many scholars within his palace. Their role was to educate the nobility, the priesthood and the people, as well as hold counsel with the king. This is where Einhard and Charlemagne first encountered each other. Einhard was a small but intelligent man who came to prominence in the PiousCharlemagne’s and Charlemagne’s son’s kingdom. It is often asked how such a small man came to be the heart of the kingdom, and how the court school and the opportunities it provided influenced his success. During the late 8th and early 9th century, Charlemagne came to power. He expanded the kingdom and conceived many reforms during his reign. Charlemagne ruled the Frankish Kingdom from 768-814. He was one of Pepin the thirds two sons. Charlemagne’s brother, Carolman died in 771, and Charlemagne became the sole ruler of the Franks. Almost as soon as Charlemagne assumed the throne he commenced a series of campaigns. From 772-804 Charlemagne was at war with Saxony, from 773-774 Charlemagne was also at war with the Lombards in Italy. In 778, Charlemagne was invited into Northern Italy to extend Christian influence. In 787 Charlemagne invaded and seized Bavaria. Finally, from 788-797, Charlemagne launched a campaign against the tribal horsemen, the Avars. In 789, Charlemagne issued â€Å"The General Admonition†, the concept of the document was that moral reform requires education. At this time, Charlemagne created the palace school at his court, scholars were brought to this school to reform the Frankish priests and people. Various other reforms took place during this time, such as the new form of writing, Caroli ngian Minuscule, and the writing down of law codes. On December 25, 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo the third in the St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. Charlemagne died in 814, and was succeeded by his only remaining son, Louis the Pious. Louis the Pious reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 814-840. When he assumed the throne he quickly replaced administers within the palace. Louis the Pious had three sons; Lothar, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German. Near the beginning of his reign, Louis already faced conflict. In 818, Louis quashed a rebellion orchestrated by his cousin, Count Bernard of Aquitaine .

The American Indian Wilderness

The American Indian Wilderness In the essay, â€Å"The American Indian Wilderness†, Louis Owens presents a personal story to show a dramatic change in his point of view. His story revolves around a mind-altering experience in which he uses himself as the straw figure, allowing us to effectively see how he came to choose his new view and why it is better than the European view he once had. He successfully gains our trust and persuades his audience with three different personas: the unthinking, cocky businessman, the thoughtful and ashamed persona, and, at the end, the lecturing teacher.In the beginning, Owens uses the persona of the unthinking, cocky businessman. He is in the mountains to support and carry out â€Å"a plan of which [he] heartily approves. † (para. 2) He is at the extreme end of his way of thinking, believing that the Forest Service is right in their idea about wilderness. â€Å"At the end of those five days, not a trace of the shelter remained, and I fe lt good, very smug in fact, about returning the White Pass meadow to it’s â€Å"original† state. † (para. 3) He shows us that he has no doubts and completely agrees that in order to restore the wilderness, he must carry out the plan.As he heads back down the trail, he says that his, â€Å"mind was on the winter [he] was going to spend in sunny Arizona,† (para. 3) showing that there was no internal struggle over the burning of the shelter and that he truly felt that he had done his job to better the wilderness. This persona is effective because right off the bat, Owens draws us in by showing us that he has a story to tell. He doesn’t begin his story with a lecture about what the point of his essay is, as that would cause some of us to reject his theory right away.He successfully draws us into the story and slowly makes his point known while we’re all listening. By using himself as the straw figure, we are able to see how he arrived at his conc lusion and we find ourselves more willing to listen to what he has to say. We can see that this is a man with experience. We’re able to relate to him and see how his thoughts begin. Most of us can relate because, like him, we go about our day without analytically thinking about what we’re doing. If society says it’s right, then most likely we will feel good that we are doing what society ells us is good, just like what Owens does and feels. Once he gains our trust and understanding, he’s ready to lead us into the next part of his story. He now assumes his ashamed and thoughtful persona. As the women approach, he feels, â€Å"growing amazement that, by the time [they] were face-to-face, had become awe. † (para. 4) From the beginning, he has a sudden respect for these two women. We can already see that when they speak to him, he will listen, that he will be open and trusting of what they have to say.Upon hearing that they are on their way to White Pa ss, Owens completely changes his persona. Now, instead of showing the confidence and smugness he did with his original persona, he now shows that he is ashamed and calls himself ignorant. â€Å"I wanted to excuse myself, to edge around these elders and flee to the trailhead and my car, drive back to the district station and keep going south. † (para. 9) He shows us the inner conflict he is experiencing and his reaction to the news he has heard.At the moment, he hasn’t quite come to grips with his new point of view. He begins to feel ashamed, not because he realizes his view on the wilderness is wrong, but because he feels guilt about the shelter. He shows us that at this point, he feels guilty because he has betrayed his culture. In paragraph nine, he feels as if he ought to justify what he has done when he wants to say, â€Å"I’m Indian too.. † This is the beginning of his thinking process to change his point of view. Adding to his guilt is the sisterâ⠂¬â„¢s reactions. I expected outrage, anger, sadness, but instead the sisters continued to smile at me, their smiles changing only slightly. † (para. 10) Now, he realizes that he has broken the connection between part of his heritage and his way of life. This opens the doors for his careful reconsideration of his way of thinking. This works to persuade us because Owens has already gained our trust with his first persona. When he goes through an experience that calls for his change in thought, we accept that perhaps our thought out to be reevaluated as well.Owens disregards his cockiness towards his feelings of righteousness when he sees that perhaps his ideas are wrong. We can see that Owens is not out to gain points for himself, or else he wouldn’t have thought twice about his experience. He is open to reconsideration and change. Owens is willing to change all of his ways of doing things because he realizes that they are wrong. A man that is willing to admit to his own mistakes and make changes to a way of life that he had grown to believe in has no ulterior motives. We can see that Owens only interest is in what’s best for the wilderness.Thus, we are able trust his judgments and are more willing to hear him out, to trust whatever his new conceptions may be. Now that we realize our way of thinking is wrong, we are ready to hear how we should be thinking. Effectively, Owens now changes to his lecturing teacher persona, telling us of a better way to think, â€Å"In embracing a philosophy that saw the White Pass Shelter – and all traces of humanity – as a shameful stain upon their â€Å"pure† wilderness, I had succumbed to a five-hundred-year-old pattern of deadly thinking that separates us from the natural world. (para. 11) This statement is incredibly strong and convincing. Owens has already provided us with an emotional connection to him and has shown that he is more knowledgeable because of his experience. We are wil ling to trust in his judgment and his knowledge, so we readily accept his interpretation of what is right for the wilderness. In his final statements, he influences us with a bang by stating at what extremes the European way of thinking will lead us to:Unless Americans, and all human beings, can learn to imagine themselves as intimately and inextricably related to every aspect of the world they inhabit, with the extraordinary responsibilities such relationship entails – unless they can learn what the indigenous peoples of the Americas knew and often still know – the earth simply will not survive (para. 12). We know that Owens best interest is in caring for and preserving the wilderness. Throughout the entire story, he vividly describes to us how he sees nature’s beauty.In the first paragraph, he opens with, â€Å"In the center of the Glacier Peak Wilderness in northern Washington, a magnificent, fully glaciated white volcano rises over a stunningly beautiful re gion of the North cascades. † His entire essay is filled with small details that show us how observant he is of nature and how much he enjoys it. Later on, after he changes his view on what wilderness is, he compares how natural the shelters are to the ecosystem, â€Å"as the burrows of marmots in the steep scree slopes. † (para. 2) Even though his view changes, he doesn’t change his mind about how much he cares about nature. He expresses so much respect and awe at nature’s beauty, that we know he cares about it and it’s best interest is his. Because of this, we know that his best interest is in doing what’s best for nature. We are ab! le to trust his judgment and assume that he knows better than us from his experiences. It’s easy for us to adopt his way of thinking because of his knowledge and honest concern in doing what’s best. In conclusion, Owens effectively uses persona’s to gain the readers trust.His cocky, busines sman persona shows us that he does have faults, while his ashamed and thoughtful persona shows us that he is willing to admit and change his faults if it betters the initial job he set out to do: protect the wilderness. His final persona, the lecturing teacher points out the right way of thinking about humans and their relationship to the wilderness. He convinces us that it’s time to think about our actions and their effect. With this, Owens has effectively used three different personas to persuade his audience.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Coso and Basel

Financial Collapses and Regulations New England College of Business In an era of risky investments and failed financial institutions, additional importance is being placed on businesses implementing Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) plans. ERM is defined by the Institute of Internal Auditors (2012) as an approach designed to â€Å"identify, quantify, respond to, and monitor the consequences of potential events implemented by management. † Without an ERM plan, transparency to shareholders and internal accountability are nearly impossible to achieve.COSO and Basel are both reactive frameworks to increased regulatory changes that forced institutions to show more transparency to their financial reporting, in order to manage operational risks, mitigate the likelihood of a collapse, and ensure stability in volatile market conditions (Farnan 2004; Balin 2008); these measures increase confidence in investors. This comparative analysis of COSO and Basel seeks to indentify common measure s that are necessary to form a functional ERM plan, the most important being the accountability of management and its communication with the Board (The New Basel Accord 2003).A Comparative Analysis of ERM Guidelines: COSO I/II and Basel I/II Introduction Due to the epidemic of failed financial systems seen over the past decade, agencies and private organizations (e. g. , Securities and Exchange Commission, NICE, etc. ) have set in place guidelines for the standardization of reporting and evaluating risk in an effort to eliminate â€Å"surprise† collapses in the future (NICE Systems Ltd. 2012).Alexander Campbell, Editor, Operational Risk & Regulation, states that â€Å"regulatory approaches are changing† and requiring companies to streamline processes for monitoring internal risks at a company, such as fraud (NICE Systems Ltd. 2012). Common goals of organizing committees trying to tackle regulatory challenges are to improve communication between the board and management , increase shareholders' confidence, and most importantly, for entities to thoroughly evaluate their liquidity so that in the event of a crisis, investors' assets are secured (Bressac 2005; Decamps,Rochet, & Roger 2003). This comparative analysis of COSO and Basel identifies the standards these documents set for institutions to maintain an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) plan, as well as the affects these documents' shortcomings and constraints have on entities which apply either COSO or Basel. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is defined by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) (2012) as an approach designed to â€Å"identify, quantify, respond to, and monitor the consequences of potential events implemented by management. It is important for all parties affiliated with an institution's ERM plan to clearly identify and understand the events that impact a company's value in order for the entity to achieve its objectives (IIA 2012). The frameworks COSO and Basel both attempt to b e reactive solutions to public events in which lack of an adequate ERM plan has contributed to a collapse of a major institution or market which had a detrimental affect on the public (Farnan 2004; Lall 2009).Both documents have been explored by many key opinion leaders in the financial industry, and while each provides a set of guidelines for developing successful ERM protocols, each also fails to be foolproof. Shaw (2006) provides the argument that â€Å"while the COSO standard was groundbreaking at the time, it was not meant to be a marking guide for controls. † Moreover, in regards to Pillar 3 of the Basel Accord which depicts methods of Value-At-Risk (VAR) calculations, Standard and Poor's noted that although these VAR methods â€Å"appear to offer mathematical precision†¦they are not a magic bullet† (Lall 2009).COSO and Basel can be seen as â€Å"a significant step forward† for the times (Saurina and Persaud 2008). Basel In 1974, the Basel Committee o f Banking Supervision (BCBS) was created (consisting of the G10 plus Luxembourg and Spain) in light of the challenges from an increasingly internationalized banking system (Lall 2009). In the 1980s, it became clear (post-Latin America Debt Crisis, 1982) that a process was needed regulate the international banking system to mitigate risk and manage losses (Lall 2009).The first Basel Accord and Basel II, referred to as â€Å"Basel,† is a method of risk management, specifically for financial institutions operating on a multi-national level, that sets minimum capital requirements (â€Å"8% of adjusted assets† (Decamps, Rochet, & Roger 2003)) that these institutions must uphold to minimize the risk of a collapse in the international banking system (Lamy 2006).Basel I, the first international accord on bank capital was established in 1988, by the BCBS (Finance & Development 2008), with the goal to â€Å"arrive at significantly more risk-sensitive capital requirements† with the primary objective in line with ensuring stability in the international banking system (Lamy 2006). In 2004, Basel II was introduced, with amendments in response to the Quantitative Impact Study, QIS 3, (published in May 2003), an increase in the amount of capital banks must set aside for â€Å"high-risk exposures,† and changes from feedback from banks on Basel I (Finance & Development 2008; Lamy 2006).The Basel framework is focused on three â€Å"pillars†: â€Å"a minimum capital adequacy requirement, supervisory review, and market discipline† (Decamps, Rochet, & Roger 2003). Basel I was highly criticized for having a â€Å"one size fits all† approach to formulating institutions' risk-weighted assets (with insensitivity to emerging countries), in addition to unrealistic capital requirements that discouraged even reasonable risk taking (Kaufman 2003). In response to these critiques, BCSB began to draft Basel II, in which the amendments to Pillar I (310 out of ~350 pages of the document (Balin 2008)) were most notable.Balin (2008) describes the â€Å"menu† of various options that Basel II encompasses for Pillar I, which allow institutions to choose the most suitable options dependent on a series of factors (i. e. , size, rating, etc. ). The minimum capital requirement pillar focuses on the least amount of capital a bank must maintain to be protected from credit, operational, and market risks (Ahmed and Khalidi 2007). In Basel II, the highly critiqued credit risk requirements were modified to decrease the â€Å"one size fits all† stigma of Basel I (Kaufman 2003).Additionally, Basel II takes into account loopholes found in Basel I that enabled banks to maintain their desired level of risk â€Å"while cosmetically assuaging to minimum capital adequacy requirements,† which was done mainly through a transfer of assets to holding companies and subsidiaries (Balin 2008). Similar to COSO framework, the first pil lar of Basel seeks to unite various types of risks into an overall evaluation of capital requirements to safeguard shareholders and investors. Pillar 2, theSupervisory Review, is meant to â€Å"insure that banks have adequate capital to support all the risks in their business† including, but not limited to, the calculations in Pillar 1 (Kaufman 2003). This Pillar clearly defines of obligations of supervisory oversight against extreme risk taking; of note in this Pillar is line 680, which states: â€Å"Supervisors are expected to evaluate how well banks are assessing their capital needs relative to their risks and to intervene, where appropriate.This interaction is intended to foster an active dialogue between banks and supervisors such that when deficiencies are identified, prompt and decisive action can be taken to reduce risk or restore capital† (The New Basel Capital Accord 2003). The four principles of Pillar 2 seek to hold the supervisors responsible for implicati ng processes, reviewing, setting expectations, and intervening when warranted in regard to management of capital risks (The New Basel Capital Accord 2003). Pillar 3 seeks to protect against changes in asset prices (market risk) (Balin 2008), which is an addition to the credit risk factors of Basel I.Using the Value-At-Risk (VAR) model, banks were able to determine the probability of a portfolio's value decreasing by more than a set amount over a given time period (Lall 2009). Critics of the VAR model, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), claim that it fails to account for â€Å"extreme market events† and assumes that the â€Å"processes generating market events were stable† (Lall 2009). COSO In July 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was passed with the goals of increasing investor and public confidence â€Å"in the post-Enron era† and increasing management accountability, among others (Farnan 2004).Section 404 of SOX states that effective for some lar ge companies, beginning December 31, 2004, a â€Å"separate management report on internal control effectiveness and audit by the organization's external financial statement auditor† is required (Farnan 2004). COSO's framework lays out a path for developing efficient operations and regulatory compliance methods, and has been established as the framework recommended by agencies such as the SEC for public companies to base their financial reporting on (Farnan 2004).The Committee of Sponsoring Organization of the Treadway Commissions (COSO) is comprised of five private organizations in the financial industry (COSO Web site 2012). The COSO organization was established in 1995 with the mission to â€Å"provide thought leadership through the development of comprehensive frameworks and guidance on enterprise risk management, internal control and fraud deterrence,† and attempts to enhance success and leadership, and minimize fraud in company reporting (COSO Web site 2012).Since its establishment, COSO has published frameworks â€Å"aimed at helping publicly traded companies cope with tough new monitoring requirements mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act† (Shaw 2006), and to help businesses manage risk, by looking at business units as an entire entity, designed to improve organizational performance and governance and to reduce the extent of fraud in organization (COSO Web site 2012).The COSO framework is a cube comprised of four (three in COSO I) company objectives perpendicular to eight (five in COSO I) factors that together form a risk assessment program for which companies can reduce risks by realizing the amount of capital needed for consequences (Bressac 2005). Similar to Basel, COSO dictates that â€Å"the board is responsible for overseeing management's design and operation of ERM† (Bressac 2005).One factor that COSO framework includes is the measurement of a company's risk appetite, â€Å"the amount of risk, on a broad level, an entity is willing to accept in pursuit of value† (Rittenberg and Martens 2012). Many objectives that management sets for their company (i. e. , increase market share, win competitive tenders) include a substantial amount of risk, and COSO's strategic decision-making framework allows managers to present the objectives in relation to appetite to the Board for approval (Rittenberg and Martens 2012).Conclusions Both COSO and Basel were drawn to effectively respond to new implications (Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Shaw 2006) and new laws capital requirements for banks (Lamy 2006), respectively), and each have principles that can help institutions manage ERM more effectively. For example, The New Basel Capital Accord (2003) clearly articulates that setting a minimum amount of available capital resources is â€Å"a vital element of the strategic planning process,† and the three pillars devise a plan to do this.Bressec (2005) claims that COSO II framework articulates a way for managers to eff ectively deal with the events that create uncertainty for entities and create responses to minimize potential losses. COSO and Basel were both released in the infancy stage and flawed. Samad-Khan (2005) observed that COSO's creditability is diminished because consequences are predicted to occur much more frequently than had been historically recorded in the past.Supporters acknowledge that Basel II has â€Å"arcane† ideas, but defend that â€Å"it's still a step in the right direction because it increases financial oversight and makes sure banks won't be doomed by crises of confidence† (Coy 2008). It is important to note that while COSO and Basel offer much protection against quantitative risk assessments, they must be coupled with the knowledge and insight of senior risk managements to be most efficient (Lall 2009; Samad-Khan 2005).Moreover, both COSO and Basel also provide constraints that limit the amount of risks institutions can endure, sometimes excessively. Pall (2009) discusses one failure in Basel II as the ability for developed-nation banks to skew their reports to their desired results, â€Å"at the expense of their smaller and emerging market competitors and, above all, systemic financial stability. † Samad-Khan (2005) emphasizes that historical data is still the most reliable way for companies to determine the probability for risk to occur.Start-ups will not have this historical data, therefore may overestimate their probability of risk using the â€Å"likelihood x impact = risk† calculation (Samad-Khan 2005) and miss out on potentially positive opportunities. Others against the provisions claim that both documents (e. g. , Basel in the Emerging markets) implement concessions that constrain potential growth by overcompensating for potential consequences and depleting lending capital for banks, which in the 1930s contributed to the Great Depression (Coy 2008). Historical events depict the need for more stringent regulato ry guidelines in this era of financial market uncertainty.The most important common factor of Basel and COSO are that each clearly states that it is management's responsibility to have a functional ERM plan in place, and be in communication with the Board about potential risks that the company faces (Bressec 2005; The New Basel Capital Accord 2003). Holding management accountable for the risks the business takes, while making sure that the Board is in agreement with management's plan creates a necessary harmony of a checks and balances system, in turn creating a â€Å"safer† landscape for shareholders and the public to place faith in. When properly executed,

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Paradise Road- Creative Essay

I didn’t have to, but I did. It was an order, what other choice did I have? I was merely a low level officer; the power was in Hiroto’s hands. She broke the camp rules, outside dealings, but did she? It was medicine to save innocent women, innocent women who have been caught up in a war for power, which has resulted in the women becoming the powerless, and me the powerful. Each day I have to dig deep, keep on digging I tell myself, for reasons to be here; pride, family honour, dignity for my people, remember what father said; Japanese are the ones who made the Europeans rich, yet for hundreds of years the Europeans looked down upon us, now it’s Japan’s turn, still, my moral conscience has clouded my mind to the atrocities that I have seen, a short time ago I was a teacher of a class with half Japanese and half European, and they couldn’t see any differences, they looked to the inside, why can’t these officers look to the inside, morality in c hildren is a quality that is needed now, yet I see the children in the camp being bashed by that brute Tomiashi, I want to help, but Japan is now powerful, Japan must prevail. I passed the fuel to Tanaka, my hand trembling, I wanted to latch onto the bottle, throw it away, throw all this away, is this how far we have come, is the power really worth this? Ablaze, my eyes cloud while I have to control myself not to react, I must be strong in front of these European women, the powerful are not weak, they have oppressed me, although I cannot see it, them crying is the first instance of any reminisce of human emotion since I left my teaching job in the village, I didn’t want to leave the students, but the European students had fled with their families and we had instilled in our minds that the powerful nation would prevail, but is power worth this? I feel the confusion and anguish drop over me like a sheet of cold rain that chills you to your spine, this is wrong, this is wrong, but it’s for the great nation, we will be powerful, my stomach feels queasy. Days pass, although I feel no time as my soul feels extinguished, another lady†¦she merel y spoke, she merely spoke I whisper to myself, this is becoming too much, but I tie her to the posts, and insert the sharp bamboo into the ground, she has disrespected the Emperor she must honour the flag, stuff the emperor I say to myself, as I watch this innocent women struggle in the Sumatran sun as she fights to stay upright and avoid being impaled. Let me run over, let me free her, please! I tell my heart, I plead with my heart, but my brain prevents me, it’s for the nation, we will be powerful, but somehow that ideology is not what drives me to watch on, I am emotionless while watching this torture being committed, stuff the emperor, I clench my fists. The choir lady runs over with water, God bless her, humanity! It was not to be, Tomiashi yells and I have to intervene, emotion takes over me, â€Å"I’m sorry† I tell her â€Å"I’m sorry†, now I know that my heart and my mind are as one, no amount of power is worth this, this innocent women should not be here, she should be at home with her loving family, as should I, she’s so beautiful, I miss her, my wife†¦ it is only good luck that it is not her who is baking in the sun, my mind is made, stuff the emperor. Japan loses, Captain Tanaka and the other leading officers talk about the dishonour, the poverty that Japan will now endure, I look out the window of the officers’ quarters, and see the women smiling and cheering while Colonel Hirota tells them the news, they are now the powerful, and I am the powerless, I smile. By Fergus Neal Statement of Intention Upon taking a wider viewing of the film and seeing the obvious conflicts at play, I forced myself to look deeper and see the not so obvious conflicts that are omnipresent in the bystander characters. I chose to write a creative piece from the perspective of one of the guards who only features shortly in the film, has no name, but can be noted for saying a small but intriguing â€Å"sorry† to Daisy when she attempts to give Susan water, as if the emotion is starting to come to effect within him, and in citing this I chose to write a creative piece on his perspective and the inner conflict as well as conflict with the whole situation that he has faced that has culminated in him showing humility and apologizing to Daisy for not being able to allow water to be given to the tortured Susan. I chose to write in a formal way, but with a creative sense of writing present throughout which allowed me to delve deeper and actually place myself in this man’s shoes. My piece is for the audience of my teacher and fellow class mates as they should be able to comprehend the ideas that I am trying to convey through having seen, and understood the key aspects of the film. The purpose of this creative piece is to demonstrate how conflict occurs between the powerful and powerless,  but also how those in power may experience their own internal conflict in looking deeper into power and how it can cause a sense of inner conflict in relation to that person’s values.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Historical context: book of lamentations Essay

Mourn, grieve, dirge, and wail are some words related to lamentation. There are deep emotions involved in lamentation. The author of the Book of Lamentations had experienced real, actual events that caused bereft of hope to his soul. Believed to author the Book of Lamentations, prophet Jeremiah had not only vividly narrated what happened to Jerusalem but also detailed the very reasons Jerusalem had to suffer its fate. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) The Book of Lamentations has five poems. The first poem compared Jerusalem before and after the destruction. The once great nation was ruined and desolated. Weeping and wailing was heard. Hopelessness was evident. Jeremiah declared that such destruction happened because the people of Israel had sinned and rebelled against the Almighty God. The Lord, being a just God, had caused the fall of Jerusalem. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) The second poem showed God’s wrath over the rebellious people of Israel. The Israelites had experienced the power of God’s anger. He became an enemy and in His anger, God had allowed the people of Israel suffer too much. This poem also tells us the worst condition of those who left in Jerusalem. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) Having hope and asking the Lord’s forgiveness are depicted in the third poem. Jeremiah was pleading to the Lord to extend His help once again to His people. On the fourth poem, Jeremiah had stressed that everything that happened and everything the people had experienced were because of their uncountable and grievous sins. In the last poem, Jeremiah prayed to God. He begged to God to look at His people again. He begged to God to restore His loving relationship with His children. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) 2 Chronicles 36. 15-19 tells us the fall of Jerusalem. Israel and Judah both sinned greatly to the Lord, so in 587 BC, God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take over Jerusalem (Lamentations, J. W. Rogerson and J. D. W. Dunn). The temple and the wall of Jerusalem were set on fire. All articles and treasures from the temple and from the king and his officials were carried to Babylon. Many were put to death by the sword. Those who were not killed were exiled to Babylon and became slaves. (The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV) The emotions of the author of the Book of Lamentations were so intense. If we were living in those time and we saw the killings by sword, the great fire, the wailing and weeping, we could explain the anguish in Jeremiah’s heart as he wrote the poems. Jeremiah had seen Jerusalem before its fall. The city was busy. Yet after its fall, Jeremiah described it as a place of desolation. The priests who were highly respected also experienced hardships (Lamentations 1. 4 and 2. 20b). Since the city was destroyed, there was no food (Lamentations 2. 12 and 2. 19) and proper shelter (Lamentations 2. 10). Such situations led some women to cook their children just to survive (Lamentations 4. 10). The Israelites were God’s chosen people. God had brought them out of Egypt to the promise land. God made them powerful. In fact, God was the one fighting for them in order to conquer the promise land. But in spite of the many signs of wonders God had showed to them, the Israelites kept sinning against the Lord. The Holy Bible gives us the account of the many events in the lives of the Israelites. The fear of the Lord had spread through many nations. The sins of the Israelites were too great that God’s presence could not withstand. Because of His love to His people he sent messages calling them to repent, return, and obey God (2 Chronicles 36. 15). But they did not listen. They became overconfident that the Lord won’t leave them. The Book of Lamentations is not just an account of the fall of Jerusalem. It’s more on what had caused the fall. God was in control. He allowed the miseries in order to correct His children.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Annotate We Dare Not Postpone Action by CCT Annotated Bibliography

Annotate We Dare Not Postpone Action by CCT - Annotated Bibliography Example onal communions and seven national organizations, including Sojourners—realized that apparently no clergy had ever issued a response to Kings famous letter, even though it was specifically addressed to "fellow clergymen [sic]." In 2013, to mark the 50th anniversary of Kings letter, Christian Churches Together released its thoughtful response, which we excerpt below. —The Editor WE CONFESS. As leaders of churches claimed by more than 100 million Americans; as Catholics, evangelicals, Pentecostals, Orthodox, Historic Protestants, and members of Historic Black denominations; as people of many races and cultures: We call ourselves, our institutions, and our members to repentance. We make this confession before God and offer it to all who have endured racism and injustice both within the church and in society. responsibility to obey the law while neglecting our equal moral obligation to change laws that are unjust in their substance or application. All too often, the political involvement of Christians has been guided by the pursuit of personal or group advantage rather than a biblically grounded moral compass. We confess it is too easy for those of us who are privileged to counsel others simply to "wait"—or to pass judgment that they deserve no better than what they already have. We confess that we are slow to listen and give legitimacy to those whose experience of race relations and social privilege in America is different than our own. We keep the "other" at arms length to avoid hearing the call to sacrifice on their behalf. Our reluctance to embrace our "inescapable network of mutuality" underscores Dr. Kings observation that privileged groups seldom give up their advantages voluntarily. For example, it is difficult to persuade most suburban Christians to demand that they strive for the same quality of education in our cities that they take for granted in their own schools. To the extent that we do not listen in love, our influence in society is limited

Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Interaction Of Byelikov And Kovalenko In The Man In A Case Essay - 61

The Interaction Of Byelikov And Kovalenko In The Man In A Case - Essay Example The conflict between these two people discloses the main idea of the story. The story has a very interesting structure – a story in the story, but at the same time, it doesn't prevent Chekhov from conveying the uniform assessment of human life perception, stating his ideas and outlooks. Plot composition of this story is simple and original. The prolog is the story of a gymnasium teacher Burkin telling to his friend, a veterinarian Ivan Ivanovich, a story about the teacher of Greek language Byelikov. We learn about the appearance and the way of life of the main character. The plot begins when a new teacher of history and geography Mikhail Savvich Kovalenko comes to the city. He comes with his younger sister Varinka whom Byelikov liked and considered marriage with her. The conflict of Byelikov and Kovalenko is the conflict of the people with absolutely different characters, different ideas, and moral principles, and it is the foundation of the story. Byelikov lived in panic, bei ng afraid of reality irritants. Byelikov praised the past, expressing disgust for the present and classic languages which he taught. He wore the same â€Å"an umbrella and galoshes† in which he was hiding from the real life. And everyone was afraid of this strange person. His thoughts were also hidden in a â€Å"case†. Nobody could know what he is thinking about and what he is going to do. Kovalenko, on the contrary, was open to people, he clearly expressed his opinion. A number of events make the culmination of the story: the desire of Byelikov and Varinka to get married, the drawn caricature of the main character, driving bicycles. All these actions excited Byelikov and provoked the conflict between him and Varinka’s brother. Belikov's death, which according to others serves as a solution to all the problems, is the outcome.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Buddhist and christian view on evolution Research Paper

Buddhist and christian view on evolution - Research Paper Example Eventually, evolution of organisms over time leads to presence of a stronger and a more complex species. Darwin’s theory of evolution erupted a great deal of debate as it challenged traditional religious explanations of the world and nature (Boeree 26). His work encouraged further research into the concept of evolution and other unsolved mysteries of life at the time. Therefore, it is important to explore the evolutionary theory from various religious perspectives in order to understand how the theory fits in. this leads to extensive knowledge on the various impact evolution has on world religions and what the reactions are. As such, this paper focuses on the Christian and Buddhist view of the evolution theory. It is a popular belief in the world that man and all of nature was created by a sacred deity for whom all mankind ought to be grateful. This is evidenced in Christianity with enormous reference to the story of creation in the Bible. Everything in the world was created b y God and is still under control of God. However, the evolution theory serves to upset this belief at the expense of most believers who find it imperative to defend and preserve it. Among Christian scholars and believers, the evolution theory denies the role by God as the sole creator of the world while most scientific research ignores divine activity. This is achieved by the proposition of antitheist theories by renowned naturalists who suggest the existence of the world is due to a less explored scientific phenomenon. As such, Christians have always voiced their concerns on scientific theories that contradict the creation theory. The clergy and the Christian community have always united to call for the rejection of the naturalism theories based on philosophical, theological, and historical grounds. As a result, Christianity and the scientific community have always being at loggerheads with each other. To them, it is a violation of what is divine and contrary to the widespread beli ef of a powerful God who is capable of doing anything including creating. Universally, Christians fail to understand how God’s involvement in creation is recognized in events that lack scientific explanations while His overall role is ignored. This illustrates how meaningful divine action is shelved only do be adopted where gaps in human knowledge prevail and a scientific description is lacking (Miller 8). As such, naturalistic proposals such as the evolution theory serve to belittle divine action thus fuel conflict between science and the Christian faith. For instance, Christians and scientists differ on the role of pain, suffering, and death in the world. Among Christians, it is widely accepted that God exercises His sovereignty, transcendence, and providence with regard to natural evil that creates pain and suffering. On the hand, the scientific community readily accepts the theory of natural selection in which Darwin believed that all species had a common ancestor, but ev olved to survive due to the process of natural selection. Organisms that fail to adapt to their habitat do not prevail under the new environmental conditions and hence, cannot survive, which explains natural selection where only the strong and mighty thrive effectively. While the scriptures present the evidence of God’

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

My thoghts about Was Democracy Just a Moment article Essay

My thoghts about Was Democracy Just a Moment article - Essay Example His arguments go back and forth into time with the objective of providing a resourceful historical analysis of the manifestation of democracy throughout the evolution of government. The inaugural speech by President George W. Bush espouses some of the ideals some of the American ideals that attend to the question of democracy and America’s approaches in spreading the ideology beyond its borders. Basically, the remarks made by President Bush might be considered as representative of the dominant American thought on the question of democracy within and without its borders. The speech is informed by multiple nuances and subtle warnings that give meaning to past, present and future American approaches, methods and intention on the subject of democracy. There are mild threats and incentives throughout the speech, which are meant to highlight America’s intended objective of impressing democratic values in all areas it can spread its influence. One of the weighty assertions mad e by Kaplan in his essay is that the collapse of communism would not necessarily lead to the thriving of Western democracy (Kaplan 1). This assertion is consistent with most of the central themes that are explored in the entire article. In this article, Kaplan provides several examples to build his argument against the place, relevance, and suitability of democracy in the modern world. His central argument is that unexamined application of democratic processes might lead to the same, or even more, disastrous ends than authoritarian regimes. On the other hand, the speech by former President Bush makes the point that the survival of liberty in the United States depends on the success of liberty in other lands (Bush 1). This assertion may appear straight and plain but it condenses America’s foreign policy and its approach and application on the question of democracy. It is important to consider some of the challenges of democracy in light of the assertions made by the two partie s. There seems to be an obvious point of demarcation in the positions adopted by Kaplan and Bush. The tone in Kaplan’s article is essentially critical of the ideals of democracy. Much of the argument is informed by examples and illustrations of the failings of democracy. Kaplan argues how once stable political institutions were wrecked after the imposition of democratic processes. He cites cases in Latin America where seemingly dictatorial or authoritarian regimes appear to be more stable than those that uphold the principles and practices of democracy. An important statement that lies between the lines of Kaplan’s argument is that most of the democratic processes are essentially governed by the other cultural and historical factors. For this reason, Kaplan argues that it would not be very prudent to impose democratic systems of government to countries whose histories and cultures do not resemble those of the west. Kaplan observes that the kind of challenges and histor ical processes that have taken place in the west are conducive for the thriving of democratic processes. Kaplan’s assertion could be examined in light of the difficulties experienced in imposing democratic processes on institutions that are essentially divided along ethnic lines. This assertion fits into the concern of applying democratic processes to sharply divided societies. The consequence as illustrated by various examples in Kaplan’s argument would be the entrenching of divisions and creating of conflicts. The massacres in Sudan and

Monday, September 9, 2019

To find out whether consumer confidence in online purchasing has Essay

To find out whether consumer confidence in online purchasing has increased or decreased over the last few years - Essay Example n evaluating the trends of online buying (as identified through the empirical research made on the specific issue); even the indications regarding the consumer preferences around the world – regarding the goods/ services offered online – seem to present significant differentiations. In most cases, the motives that lead consumers to purchase online are not clearly identified; however confidence has been proved to be a quite important criterion on which the decision of consumers to purchase online is based. The above assumption is proved not only through the studies published in the literature but also through the empirical research conducted for this paper. More specifically, a high number of consumers (approximately 185) have participated in a survey that has been conducted online; the results indicate that when having to purchase a specific good or service, consumers think first its potential availability in the Internet; if the specific good/ product is available onli ne then it will be preferred by the consumers; of course the relevant decision is always based on specific criteria (quality of the product, price, availability and so on) but mostly on the confidence of the consumer on the particular firm; the development of this confidence through the last years is analytically examined in this study. The development of Internet around the world has offered a significant support to all commercial firms that have chosen to enter the WWW in order to promote their activities. The level of improvement of corporate activities because of the intervention of Internet cannot be precisely estimated – different levels of success have been noticed across the various firms in modern market in accordance with the preparations made by their managers towards the incorporation of Internet as a valuable strategic tool as well as the perceptions of consumers towards the relevant efforts. In other words, it is possible that operating through the Internet is profitable for the

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Sleeps Relationship to Learning and Memory Essay

Sleeps Relationship to Learning and Memory - Essay Example On the other hand, during REM, EEG waveforms change associated with increased frequencies. This is where memorable dreams occur. Sleep in mammals is described mainly by inactivity of behavior in conjunction with different electrophysiological changes in the motion of the brain.ii Factors like stress, shifting schedules, and longer work contribute to lack of sleeping time. This results to inefficient performance to workers so companies have allotted rooms for quick naps and other businesses have installed apparatus that will improve the results short-term sleeps. Sara Mednick et al. (2002) describe naps to be short periods of sleep which lasts for one hour maximum and likely to enhance one's attentiveness, efficiency and disposition. These brief periods of rest are suitable for people, who are experiencing sleep deprivations, nightshift schedules, and prolonged periods of driving. Daytime naps also improve psychomotor speed and attainment of short-term memory. However, their relation on previously learned information is not yet established although they are common among people with daily information overload. Mednick et al. (2002) suggest the psychological feeling of 'burnout', which is an amplified irritation and frustration brought by decreasing effectivene ss after a lengthened cognitive effort, is not merely a reflection of mental exhaustion but a need for a worn-out mind to experience restoration during sleep.iii Sleep is the only 2. Sleep to Human beings Especially Sleep is the only way by which one can rejuvenate oneself; a mere rest will not be any good as far as the revitalizing factor of sleep is concerned. In relation with that, studies also show the need for the brain to experience the restorative benefits of sleep, and also restore positive attitude emotionally. Matthew Walker (2009) identifies several roles of sleep in cognitive and emotional brain processes.iv 3. Sleep and Human Memory Firstly, Walker observes the role of sleep in memory processing which focused on the declarative memory. Secondly, he relates the ordered structure of sleep and memory stage evolution with the sleep-dependent plasticity models. Thirdly, he discusses the role of sleep in associate memory processing. Fourth, he touches on the emerging advantage of sleep in emotional brain reactivity. Lastly, he proposes a framework of sleep-dependent affective brain processing which will further explain the implications of mood disorders. Neurological studies have shown stimulating role of sleep in the control of brain function and emotional experience. Walker identifies that modulation of affective networks overnight and emotional experiences happened in the past are capable of affecting the restoration and maintenance of the appropriate connectivity for the next-day reactivity. Lisa Marshall and Jan Born mention the role of short wave sleep or the NREM, in benefiting the hippocampus-dependent declara tive memory, and also the valuable for the procedural aspects of memory. 4. Sleep and creativityCreativity has been defined by Mednik as the forming of associative elements into new combinations which either meet specified requirements or are in some way useful. Many studies also have explained the roll of sleep in the creative problem solving process. Denise Cai et al. find REM to be beneficial in terms of improving the associative network construction. It has also enhanced the incorporation of unassociated information,

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Virtue and Relativism Essay Example for Free

Virtue and Relativism Essay Give an example of something that one culture might regard as a virtue that another culture might not. Explain why this could lead to relativism. Be sure to support your answer with quote from the text and/or academic resources. Responds to the question below in approx 100 words. It is important for this question that you first define the key terms here Virtue and Relativism. Define Virtue and Relativism: Relativism is the idea that ones beliefs and values are understood in terms of ones society, culture, or even ones own individual values. Virtue is a classification within normative ethics that attempts to discover and classify what might be deemed of moral character. (Gowdy, 2010) One example of something that one culture might regard as a virtue that another culture might not. For example I am a Christian and my sister-in-law is Muslim. As a Christian person I celebrate all Holidays and believe that god is my creator. As for my sister-in-law she does not celebrate Christian Holidays because they dont believe That Jesus Christ was the Son of God. I believe this could be relativism because both of our culture believe in God or what Muslim say Allah which is the same word for God. As in our text it say â€Å" Virtue ethics focuses on the person’s character and what makes, in general, a person good (virtuous) person. † And â€Å" relativism regards values as determined by ones own culture and background. † (Mosser, 2010). Mosser,K (2010) ethics and Social Responsibility. Retrieved from http://content. ashford. edu/books/AUSOC120. 10. 2/sections/sec1. 8 Gowdy,L (2010) Ethics Morals. com Retrieved May 5, 2011 from http://www.ethicsmorals. com/ethicsvirtue. html Discussion #2 Psychological egoism claims that whatever we do, we do out of self-interest. Give an example of an act you think is not done out of self-interest, and explain how the psychological egoist might try to interpret that act as selfish. Respond in approx 100 words. Please be sure to define psychological egoism before providing your example. Define Psychological egoism: Give an example of an act you think is not done out of self-interest, and explain how the psychological egoist might try to interpret that act as selfish. Psychological egoism is the view that humans are always motivated by self-interest. (Mosser, 2010). About a year ago I had volunteered to be the cookie mom for my daughter’s girl scout troop. None of the other parents wanted to volunteer. Being the person I am and also being five months pregnant I decided to take on the job so our girls could sell cookies. I was in charge of getting the cookie orders in on time, picking up orders, collecting the money from the parents and setting up time for our troop to go to different places to sell more cookies. A psychological egoist might try to interpret this act as selfish because since I was in charge of the cookies, I wanted my daughter to sell the most, but all I wanted was for our troop to be able to sell cookies. In our text it say â€Å"The egoist will simply say that you should do what makes you happiest or whatever maximizes your utility. † (Mosser, 2010) Mosser,K (2010). Ethics and Social Responsibility. Retrieved from http://content. ashford. edu/books/AUSOC120. 10. 2/sections/sec1. 8.