Positivism and Interpretivism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Positivism and Interpretivism - Essay Example While positivism deals with the ideation of a plan and research concept, interpretivism is a function of perception in the philosophical context. They have been further defined and described in terms of epistemology and ontology as follows. Epistemology: Being related to philosophy, epistemology, through the definition of theories and concepts, depends on the presentation and perception of knowledge. Thus, as far as understanding knowledge is concerned, this field follows a subjective point of view and shares similarities with ontology. With the use of tools for interpretation, the use of epistemology depends on a body of ready to use knowledge rather than new knowledge creation, which gives it an interpretive outlook, making it different from ontology. (Duberley et al, 2000) In order to use various generalisations that have to do with facts, and beliefs, this field makes use of a philosophical perspective with a leaning towards reasoning and logic where findings of analysis need to be justified through statistical means. (Johnson et al, 2000) For example, the use of a LAWSEQ Questionnaire to study the self esteem level of students is the use of epistemology. Ontology: Being more objective in nature than epistemology is the first difference between the two. As ontology depends more on gathering first hand data, it adheres to the positivism approach as far as the use of philosophy and structuring of knowledge is concerned. It comes up with greater depth of research than epistemology due to the fact that it studies the hypothesis from the perspective of new data thus giving it a positivist approach and greater scope. The parameters that arise in this course are also different which give the generalisations a more accurate and deeper ring. (Duberley et al, 2000) (Johnson et al, 2000) For example, the use of literature in order to prove a hypothesis and garner data is based in ontology. Positivism Vs Interpretivism Epistemology and ontology are basically research designs that help in the collection, interpretation and analysis of facts for further presentation. It gives a structure to the vast knowledge base that one deals with during research and is thus philosophical in nature. Positivism and Interpretivism are the philosophical tools that are used in this regard. (Duberley et al, 2000) While ontology uses the objective way out, epistemology tends to incline towards the subjective thus making it more philosophical in nature. Ontology on the other hand that deals with and presents knowledge on the basis of hardcore facts and analysis from scratch. With a more objective outlook, ontology depends on the positivist approach in depicting facts while epistemology depends on using an already existing field of knowledge for analysis. (Lango, 1972) Research areas are better defined with the use of epistemology or the interpretivist point of view due to the fact that it depends on well researched work from the past where the data is simply customised for varied uses by various researchers. The writing and research method are an outcome of the various philosophical perspectives that individual researchers tend to follow. This gives it an interpretivist outlook as it is more subjective in nature. Epistemology manages to make best use of various philosophical perspectives within its research definition and design owing to its interpretivist approach as far as knowledge structuring and philosophy are concerned.

Toy World, Inc. Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Toy World, Inc. Case Analysis Essay Executive Summary Toy World, Inc. is a company that has been manufacturing toys for children since 1973. Since 1976, the company has enjoyed profitable operations. At the end of 1993, revenue and profit came close to $8 million and $270 thousand respectively. With Jack McClintock as president and Dan Hoffman as production manager, the two have tried to find a strategy to adjust operations to the volatility of the toy market. Sales in the toy market are seasonal, reaching peaks in the months of August through December, while remaining relatively flat during the remaining months of the year. This seasonality has affected the company’s production schedule. During the off season, inventory is low, skilled workers are underutilized, and machinery is left idle. When the busy season finally arrives, Toy World is forced to hire more workers, pay additional overtime wages, and operate at full capacity. Dan Hoffman sees inefficiencies in this schedule and proposes a level production plan that would eliminate overtime wages and fully utilize skilled workers. Under his plan, toys would be manufactured evenly every month, allowing inventory levels to build in the months leading up to the holidays. In addition to using cash, the company must also take on additional loans to compensate for the high inventory levels. In an industry that has relatively low capital requirements, Hoffman’s strategy may increase overall profitability, but it jeopardizes the company’s liquidity. 1. What factors could Mr. McClintock consider in deciding whether or not to adopt the level production plan? The main factors Mr. McClintock should consider when deciding whether or not to adopt the level production plan comes down to the trade off between liquidity and profitability. Given the  highly seasonal nature of the industry, producing goods ahead of time has strong risks associated with it. If management’s projections are incorrect, the company could incur significant inventory write-downs or write offs. Additionally, the company will incur extra costs of storing the inventory that will accumulate in the first half of the year. Further, Mr. McClintock should analyze the differences in amount and timing of the company’s external funding needs under the level production plan, and whether or not the financing needs can be met by the current credit line of $2 million. To assess the impact of these factors, we prepared pro forma financial statements under level production. 2. What savings would be involved? The savings involved in leveling production include reductions in overtime premiums as well as a decrease in additional labor costs. Expenses involved in this production overhaul include increased shipping and handling expenses and an increase in interest expenses. Both of these expenses are a result of having increased inventory levels. Total savings less total expenses from the new production strategy results in positive net savings of $148,000. See Exhibit E. 3. Prepare the pro forma financial statements and estimate the external funding needs required. Income Statement In preparing monthly statements under the level production plan, several adjustments were made to management’s original projections (Exhibit A). Given the annual savings in overtime premiums as well as direct labor, cost of goods sold under level production would be reduced from a constant 70 percent of sales to 65.1 percent of sales. However, this is slightly offset by the annual increase in storage and handling costs, which is accounted for in operating expenses. To determine the interest income, we multiplied the average monthly cash balance by the 4 percent annualized return provided by management. Income taxes remained at 34 percent, arriving at a total net income of $661 for 1994. Balance Sheet The most significant adjustments made to the balance sheet were under inventory, accrued taxes, and notes payable. As is depicted in Exhibit B, we prepared schedules for both accrued taxes as well as inventory. Management provided a specific tax payment schedule, which was subtracted from each month’s income taxes to arrive at ending accrued taxes. As for inventory, beginning inventory plus finished goods completed less cost of goods sold determined each month’s ending inventory. Under level production, the finished goods completed should be constant month over month. We determined this number by dividing the annual cost of goods sold by 12. Finally, notes payable was our plug figure. As this line item represents the company’s existing credit line, it can be further analyzed to assess the company’s amount of added funds required and the timing of the needs under level production. External Funding Needs Toy World Inc. will require large external funding in order to support inventory levels leading up to the holiday season. Toy World currently has a $2 million line of credit with the bank. In order to support the level production plan, we estimate that Toy World will need a line of credit of close to $4 million in the month of September. 4. Compare the liabilities patterns feasible under the alternative production plans. What implications do their differences have for the risk assumed by the various parties? Under the alternative production plans, the timing and amount of funding that Toy World will need to keep up with inventory projections significantly differs. For example, in June, due to the lags of the 60-day collection periods, strong funding will be needed to keep up with the level production. If management moves forward with the current seasonal production plan, they would not take on the further liabilities and maintain lower cash balances in the busy months of September to December. The most significant tradeoffs of the two scenarios are between liquidity, profitability and leverage. If the toys ended up not being as popular as they forecasted, then the various parties would take on the risk of the rising inventories. Toy world would  then have to decide whether or not to hang onto the excess inventory in anticipation of increased demand, or rid themselves of inventory to increase working capital. Either way, this risk, if came to fruition, would be a lose-lose situation for if they hold onto it and demand doesn’t bounce back, then they lost some working capital, but if demand does bounce back, and they have gotten rid of the inventory, they will find themselves unable to keep up with demand. Also, the industry has relatively no barriers to entry so taking on more debt in this volatile industry to increase inventories would be risky as products have short lives and a relatively high rate of company failures. Sensitivity Analysis Given the inherent risks associated with producing toys significantly ahead of time, we decided to conduct a sensitivity analysis around this factor (Exhibit D). Specifically, we assessed the impact of writing off 10 percent of the prior month’s inventory balance. This change would be reflected as a direct reduction in inventory, as well as a corresponding increase in cost of goods sold, resulting in a 382 percent decrease in net income from seasonal production. While 10 percent of total inventory write downs is an extreme downside situation, the key take away is the importance of how accurate management’s projections are. In a level production plan, management will have to begin producing for peak sales periods early on in the year, greatly increasing the risk of inaccurate projections. Therefore, one of the most critical considerations in adopting level production is the confidence in management’s ability to accurately forecast industry trends. Conclusion Despite past profitability and success, our analysis shows that Toy World, Inc. could benefit greatly from an operational restructuring. Adjusting their business model to implement a level production plan in 1994 as opposed to past seasonal production will result in a positive impact on the company’s profitability. However, in order to implement these changes, Toy World, Inc. will need an extension on their line of credit. Further, our sensitivity analysis shows the importance of having strong confidence in management’s projection ability. If the company believes that their  projections will be accurate enough to avoid significant inventory write offs, and can obtain approval for an extension in the line of credit, transitioning to a level production plan will greatly improve profitability and operational efficiency.

Criticisms of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Oates

A short story by Joyce Carol Oates called â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been?† reflects the writer’s point of view of the way society looked to women in the sixties. The story takes place in the 1960’s when almost everything reached a turning point at that time. It talks about a teenager who wanted boys’ attention, but she ended up leaving her family house with a stranger. Connie represented most teenage girls, and their destiny at that time. The story can be looked at from many different points of view such as feminist, social, psychological and historical (Purdue (OWL)). The time this story had taken place is what makes it important. The story was written when the feminist movement was established, and the American society traditions have turned 180 degrees. The first thing that pops into readers mind when reading the story is that it was written from a 1960’s woman perspective (Showalter page 15). Oates starts to describe the females of the family, and how boring is their life. she tells about June, Connie’s older sister, who was 24 years old and lived at her parents’ house. She worked at Connie’s high school. Many answers would be given for the question why she lived in her parents’ house even though she is old enough to move out (Kurkowski 29). One answer may be because unmarried girls were not allowed to move out regardless of reaching the adulthood. Parents at that time lived the American Dream of â€Å"hearth and home and innocent youth† (Quirk 88). They wanted their kids to live it too. Another one can be that women were not paid enough salary like men were paid to help them support themselves. Both answers shows feminism at that time. When it comes to economic situations and salaries, women were not on the same le... ...lcome to the Purdue OWL." Feminist Criticism. Purdue (OWL), 21 Apr. 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. Paris, Bernard. â€Å"Mimetic Criticism: Reality as Context.† Contexts for Criticism. Ed. Donald Keesey. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing C, 1987. 226-34. Schulz, Gretchen, and R.J. R. Rockwood. "In Fairyland, without a Map: Connie's Exploration Inward in Joyce Carol Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"" 1980. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. 6th ed. N.p.: Harcourt College, 2007. 155-67. Print. Urbanski, Marie Mitchell Olesen. "Existential Allegory: Joyce Carol Oates's 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?'." Studies In Short Fiction 15.2 (1978): 200. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been†, Short Stories for Students. Joyce Carol Oates. Vol. 1. Detroit : Gale, 1966. P. 257 - 276 Print

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Various meats is a significant source of proteins and fat in most diets. Substantial evidence from research has shown that meat intake, mainly meat, is associated with greater threats of issues including diabetes, cardiac arrest, and some forms of cancer. Numerous research suggest risky of death rate associated with meat intake. However, most of these research have been done in areas with a high amount of vegans (such as the Seventh Day Adventists in the U.S. and some research in Europe). A recent large cohort research with 10 decades of adhere to up discovered that a greater intake of complete meat and prepared meat was connected to risky of death rate. However, this research did not differ prepared and non-processed meat, and eating plan and other factors were only assessed at guideline. Furthermore, no research has so far examined whether replacement of other outlets for meat is connected with a reduced death rate threat. Therefore, they studied the organization between meat intake and complete and cause-specific death rate in two large cohorts with recurring measures of eating plan and up to 28 decades of follow-up: the Wellness Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) and Nurses' Wellness Study (NHS). They also approximated the organizations of replacing other sources of proteins for meat with complete and cause-specific death rate. In 1980, a 61 item FFQ was given among the NHS members to gather details on their normal intake of meals and drinks in the past year. In 1984, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006, almost the same but extended FFQs with 131 to 166 products were sent to these members to update their eating plan plan. Using the extended FFQ employed in the NHS, nutritional information was collected every 4 years starti... ... and veggies. Unprocessed and prepared meat intake was moderately relevant (0.40 in HPFS and 0.37 in NHS). However, meat intake was less relevant with intake of chicken or seafood. During the follow-up, meat intake declined in both men and ladies. For example, the common intake of natural meat came down from .75 to .63 servings per day from 1986 to 2006 in men, and dropped down from 1.10 to 0.55 servings per day from 1980 to 2006 in women. In conclusion, they discovered that a greater intake of natural and prepared meat is associated with a greater death rate threat. In contrast to meat, other nutritional elements, such as seafood, chicken, nut products, beans, low-fat milk products and whole grains, were associated with a reduced threat. These outcomes indicate that replacement of meat with substitute healthier nutritional elements may reduce the death rate threat.

Privileged prisoners in the labor camps Essay

In the novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, we are shown the horrendous conditions in Stalin’s labor camps through the protagonist’s eyes. We share only 24 hours of Shukhov’s life, as shown by the title of the novel, but the awful living conditions are well shown. The author creates a dramatic foil between the privileged and ordinary prisoner, also called zeks. In these camps we know that food is the money and that without it you cannot survive, it is a power! The contrast shows the corruption and injustice that this power brings; some zeks abuse the power that is given to them and misuse it by treating others badly, others make good use of it and help out the rest of their squad, finally, the rest of these privileged zeks take advantages of their power but would still share some of their â€Å"wealth† with the ordinary zeks. In this novel, there are many examples of abuse and corruption. The main one is the mess chief and the limper. The mess chief has the â€Å"money† of the camp; he is the most powerful prisoner in the camp. By the way Shukhov describes him, we realize how corrupted he is. â€Å"The mess chief was a fat swine, with a head like a pumpkin and a mighty pair of shoulders. †¦ Once they’d tried to beat him up but all the cooks – choice thugs they were – had leaped to his defense. † (100). This detailed description shows well the kind of person the mess chief is. He knows he has the control and he abuses it as much as he can, he’s even better off than civilians with his lambskin waistcoat! It also illustrates the way that he uses his immense power to get more advantages than any other prisoners in the camp. This is shown by the fact that he is a strong and healthy person, and that he is full of energy. He doesn’t have to wear a number due to his incredible influence on the camp authorities. Another strong abusive character is the Limper, he’s hated by all the zeks, the reader eventually sees his cruelty and abusive temper during the passage where Shukhov describes his activity while going to the mess hall. â€Å"Because of his lameness he had managed to get classed as disabled, †¦. He hit the down-and-outs.† (99). This quote illustrates very clearly the fact that the Limper is a coward and is full of cruelty. He already has privileges, he doesn’t go to work, but yet he has to abuse the ordinary prisoner who had a hard work day and show them how much more powerful he is. It also shows that whenever a prisoner has some power, they need to get more of it, no matter what it takes. But the Limper also has to lower other prisoners to make himself feel better and look more important. This especially happens when the zeks are waiting for their turn in the mess hall. â€Å"One hundred and fourth† shouted the Limper. â€Å"Where d’you think you’re crawling, shit?† He whammed a man from another team on the back of the neck with his cudgel† (102). The way he treats ordinary prisoners stresses the Limper’s disrespect towards them. He has to insult them to make him look like he’s better off than the rest of them. This shows that he’s in fact lower than the rest of the zeks, just like the squealers. Another example for this category of zeks is Der and Shkuropatenko. Der is the kind of prisoner that betrays any zeks, not quite like a squealer because he gets privileged treatment. Right after the incident with Tiurin: â€Å"Der went across the open ground, looking haggard. To warm up in the office. He must have had the wind up. †¦ He should keep pleasant with team leaders like that, then he’s have nothing to worry about: the camp authorities didn’t insist on his doing any real hard work, he received top category rations, he lived in a separate cabin – what else did he want? Giving himself airs, trying to be smart.† (74). This emphasizes the fact that Der wants more, even though he has everything an ordinary zek could ask for, but it doesn’t satisfy him. It shows that a little power corrupts you to the point of wanting everything, even what you can’t have. We also know that Der used to be an important figure in the political world. â€Å"Up the ramp came yet another snooper, another chief – building-foreman Der. A muscovite. Used to work in some ministry, it was said.† (71). Just like the mess chief, Der’s clothing differed somehow from the ordinary’s zeks. â€Å"Der was wearing a regulation camp coat, but it was new and clean. His hat was stylish, made of leather† (72). In these quotes we clearly see the fact that Der was a previous important political figure and he still has privileges. Due to his position and attitude, he’s not well seen from the other prisoners, yet the ordinary zeks cannot do much about it because of Der’s sympathetic relations with the authorities. Another prisoner who’s shown as taking advantages of his status is Shkuropatenko. He’s not shown as taking directly advantages of his role. â€Å"The lanky Shkuropatenko, a mere cipher, a trusty who’d been given the temporary job of guarding the prefabs from any pilfering by the prisoners. Yes, it was Shkuropatenko who was most likely to spot them on the open ground† (41). This pictures Shkuropatenko as telling on others to make himself look more important to the guards and authorities of the camp. In this way he doesn’t have to work hard but he is vicious but he abuses the power he has by telling off everyone he sees. He even continues watching the prefabs from inside an office. â€Å"Beyond him, like a bent pole, stooped Shkuropatenko – B219. That eyesore – staring out of the window, trying to see, even now, whether anyone was pinching some of his precious prefabs! You didn’t spot us that time, you gawk† (59). This quote illustrates the hatred that the ordinary prisoners show towards the privileged ones and how they mock their devotion to their â€Å"work†. We clearly see why Shukhov dislikes Shkuropatenko as well as other abusive characters of the novel. He feels that they shouldn’t be telling on other fellow zeks, even thought they have more power than him. This shows how power corrupts the simple minds to the bone. There are some zeks that don’t abuse their powers at all and make use of it to help out others. Tiurin, the squad leader is one of them. He does his best to keep them out of trouble and get them good rations. This is shown when Tiurin confronts Der about the prefabs Shukhov and Kilgas grasped previously during the day. â€Å"Shukhov feared nothing for himself. His team-leader would never give him away. † (72). This is a good description fro Tiurin’s strength, he would never betray his squad. He has privileges; he doesn’t abuse them, but uses them to get his men out of trouble. All the things he does are for his men, and when they talk about him, they always show a great deal of respect. â€Å"He had no jokes or smiles for his team, but he took pains to see they got better rations. (†¦.) In camp the team leader is everything: a good one will give you a second life (†¦) He’d only just averted the danger of the team being sent to work at the Socialist Way of Life Settlement, now he was probably deliberating over the â€Å"percentage† on which the team’s rations for the next five days depended.† (33). This adds to the generous picture of Tiurin. He would never use his power to get advantages for himself; he would get them for his whole squad. This emphasizes that fact that he has a big heart and shares everything with his fellow squad members. The privileges brought by power don’t interest him; he despises corrupted zeks, such as Der and Shkuropatenko and does all he can to make life easier for his zeks around the camp. This is also why he’s shown as a good squad leader. He is one of the only zeks that act like that towards the ordinary prisoners. Yet, there is another example of zek, Tzesar is one of them. He’s the kind of zek that had many privileges, slightly abuses them, but uses them to get things his way around the camp. He’s one of the few prisoners who gets parcels twice a month. He works in an office but he acquired this place through bribes. He doesn’t have to go and work in the cold unlike the other members of the 104th. He always has extra food to eat and something to smoke. These belongings bring him power and influence in the camp. The ordinary zeks ask him for some of his special goods and his good heart usually gives some away. â€Å"Tzesar Markovich,† slobbered Fetiukov, unable to restrain himself. â€Å"Give us a drag.† His face twitched with greedy desire. †¦. But the moment he lighted a cigarette he read in several pairs of eyes an unspoken plea for the fog-end. Tzesar turned to Shukhov and said: Take it, Ivan Denisovich.† (22). This shows that even though he do esn’t share often, he’s generous. He gives the fog-end to Shukhov without him asking for it directly. It means that he’s kind deep down, even though he’s using his privileges to get a better position.. Yet there is another side of him. He believes that he’s higher than other zeks in the camp. When Shukhov brings him his lunch, he ignores him. â€Å"Tzesar swung round and held out his hand for the bowl, not even looking at Shukhov, as though the kasha had materialized out of thin air† (60). This shows how selfish he is, he doesn’t care about other prisoners. He should be out in the cold like all the other zeks but due to his power, he sits all day long in warm office. Yet Shukhov feels pity for him as he knows that he’s the kind of prisoners that can only survive as long as parcels as being sent to him This kind of prisoners can only survive as long as parcels as being sent to them In One Day in the Life Denisovich, the different kind of privileged prisoners either makes ordinary prisoner’s lives worse or better. In the first case, the privileged prisoners are hated by all the zeks and could eventually get murdered. For the other kind, the rest of the squad respects them as they give men a second life. No matter what kind of privileges they have, they are all a big foil to all the ordinary prisoners and bring about a sense of injustice towards the ordinary prisoners.

Rainforest Depletion Essays - Habitats, Ecosystems, Biodiversity

Rainforest Depletion Essays - Habitats, Ecosystems, Biodiversity Rainforest Depletion Long ago, the Earth had a green belt of rain forests around its middle that covered almost twelve percent of the earth's land surface.(Miller we can no longer use the excuse of ignorance.(Hammond 2) People need to try harder to stop rain forest depletion. There are two major areas on earth where rain forests are located. One of these areas is called The Old World Tropics, which includes Africa and Asia. In Africa, the rain forests are primarily located around the Zaire river. The other area in which rain forests are located is called The New World Tropics, which contains Central and South America. The New World tropics are in lower altitudes as opposed to the Old World tropics, which are at higher altitudes. Rain forests are located around the equator. This location of the rain forests makes them warm and humid all year round. There are never cold winters in the rain forests. During winter in the rain forests, people comfortably are able to wear T-shirts and shorts. The rain forest has a rainy season which usually lasts most of the year. The rain forests of the world are home to more than half of the animal species that live on earth.(CSIRO 1) Many of these creatures are some of the most beautiful and odd creatures in the world, Such as the large rodent Capybara, the Anteater, and many different colorful exotic birds. There are many beautiful creatures living in our Earth's rain forests. Many people are ignorant to the effects of rain forest depletion on our environment, and this ignorance is a major cause in the beginning of the destruction of the rain forests. European settlers exploited the rain forests for timber and cleared them for agricultural purposes.(Parish 4) The name scrub, which was originally applied to the rain forest by European settlers, became a term for land seen as useless until subject to ax, fire, and plough.(Parish 4) People did not think of the affects on the environment because the little knowledge that was known about the affects was not very widespread. Another cause in the destruction of the rain forest is people's values. Many people value species according to their worth to human beings.(Miller & Berry 3) People often ignore the problems with the environment simply because they do not want to deal with it. Natural checks against over exploitation have been ignored because those who are now consuming the products of the rain forest are not those who experience the immediate effects of its degredation.(Hammond 2) Many people believe that they will not live long enough to face the consequences of the destruction but they do not realize how fast the rain forests are depleting. Recently in Borneo's Sarawak rain forest, 24 cavers and scientists are braving the rain forests elements and creatures to save the regions natural riches. The cavers and scientists are trying to find plant and animal life diverse enough to protect it from mining and to declare it a national park. Whether the government sets aside the area this year, in five years or never depends on what's discovered out there.(Webster 5) This is a case that often occurs in rain forests. Many governments see no reason to protect the rainforest unless there is an important plant or creature that lives in it. With chain saws, bulldozers, and other powerful equipment, we can bring the giant trees of the rain forest, the very symbol of strength and majesty, crashing to the ground from their lofty heights in just a few hours.(Miller & Berry 3) All of this destruction and havoc is leading our world straight into events that will threaten life on earth itself. Some of the possible results in the future if the depletion does not stop immediately are global warming and increasing ultra violet radiation as the ozone layer of the

Computer Crimes on the Internet Essays - Identity Theft, Free Essays

Computer Crimes on the Internet Essays - Identity Theft, Free Essays Computer Crimes on the Internet Alex O'Ree English 101, period 2 Ms. Dougherty April 9.1997 Computer Crimes on the Internet Thesis: Emerging with the Internet, a group of elite cyber-surfers have turned into today's computer hackers. I. Software piracy is a major crime on the Net. A. $7.5 billion of American Software is stolen each year. II. Industrial Espionage is gaining access to remote sites illegally. A. Stealing of information from corporate sites is extremely illegal. B. Password Sniffers are used to get someone's password. C. IP spoofers changes your identity. D. Many things can be stolen from companies. III. Email hacking is common. A. Mail bombs are thousands of messages send to a single address. B. Email forgery can cause people reputations to get ruined. C. Anonymous Email is illegal. IV. Fraud is very common. A. Pyramid schemes are nothing but a scam. B. Credit card fraud is a half billion dollar a year scam. V. Computer viruses are destructive to computers. A. Computer viruses can be attached to Email messages. B. 99% of all computer viruses are detectable. Computer Crimes on the Internet Its the 90's, the dawn of the computer age. With technology changing and evolving everyday, it may seem hard not to slip behind in this ever changing world. The Information Super-Highway has been following computers throughout the past few years. Along with the Internet, an emerging group of elite cyber-surfers have turned into today's computer hackers. Most people don't know about them, most people don't know they exist, but they are out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for there next victim. It can be a scary world out there (Welcome to the Internet). In reality it is not nearly as bad as it sounds, and chances are it won't happen to you. There are many fields of hacking on the Internet. The most popular type of hacking is software piracy. "According to estimates by the US Software Piracy Association, as much as $7.5 billion of American software may be illegally copied and distributed annually worldwide"(Ferrell13). Hackers "pirate" software merely by uploading software bought in a store to the Internet. Uploading is send information from point A(client) to point B(host); downloading is the opposite. Once it is uploaded to the Internet, people all over the world have access to it. From there, hackers trade and distribute the software, which in hacker jargon is warez[AO1]. Industrial Espionage is another main concern on the Internet. Most recently, the FBI's World Wide Web page hacked and turned into a racial hate page. Anyone can access files from a WWW page, but changing them is very hard. That is why most hackers don't even bother with it. CNET stated "This Web site should have been among the safest and most secure in the world, yet late in 1996, it got hacked."(Ferrell18). To change a web page, hackers simply upload a new, modified version of the web page, in place of the original. But fortunately, almost all Internet Service Providers (ISP), the computer you dial to for Internet access, have protection called a firewall, which kicks off all users trying to gain access of change information that are not authorized. "Theft and destruction of company files is increasing faster than the ability to stop it"(Rothfeder170). Another field of hacking on the Internet is Electronic-mail hacking. A hacker can intercept Email enroute and read it with no detection. To safeguard this, companies use encryption programs and no one but the sender and its recipient can read it(Rothfeder225). A mail bomb is another type hack on the Net. "A mail bomb is simply an attack unleashed by dumping hundreds or thousands of Email messages onto a specific address"(Ferrell20). The only way to fix this problem is to either sit there and delete each message one by one, or to call you Internet Service Provider for help. Email forgery is also common. A hacker can change the return address on any given piece of Email to anything they want, such as [emailprotected] This is illegal because you can use someone else's address to send false Email to people. Oracle Systems CEO Larry Ellison fell victim to forgery when a former employee accused him of sexual harassment and used a forged email message to help plead her case. And Bob Rae, the former premier of Ontario, suffered political embarrassment as a result of a

The Benefits of Recycling Plastics

The Benefits of Recycling Plastics One good reason to recycle plastic is that there is just so much of it. Plastics are used to manufacture an incredible number of products we use every day, such as beverage and food containers, trash bags and grocery bags, cups and utensils, childrens toys and diapers, and bottles for everything from mouthwash and shampoo to glass cleaner and dishwashing liquid. And thats not even counting all the plastic that goes into furniture, appliances, computers,  and automobiles. The Need Is Growing As the use of plastics has increased over the years, they have become a larger part of our nations municipal solid waste (MSW)- growing from less than 1 percent in 1960 to more than 13 percent in 2013, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency. As an example of how and why plastic waste is increasing, the International Bottled Water Association reports that the  U.S.  consumed 9.67 billion gallons of bottled water in 2012, compared to 9.1 billion gallons the year before. The United States is the worlds leading consumer of bottled water. A good first step in reducing waste is switching to a reusable water bottle. Natural Resources and Energy Conservation Recycling plastics reduces the amount of energy and resources (such as water, petroleum, natural gas, and coal) needed to create plastic. According to a 2009 study by researchers Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley  from the Pacific Institute of California, a pint-sized bottle of water requires about 2,000 times as much energy to produce as the same amount of tap water. Recycling Plastics Saves Landfill Space Recycling plastic products also keeps them out of landfills and allows the plastics to be reused in manufacturing new products. Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. And lets face it, a lot of plastic ends up directly in the environment, breaking down into tiny pieces, polluting our soil and water, and contributing to the oceans Great Garbage Patches. Its Relatively Easy Recycling plastics has never been easier. Today, 80 percent of Americans have easy access to a plastics recycling program, whether they participate in a municipal curbside program or live near a drop-off site. A universal numbering system for plastic types makes it even easier. According to the American Plastics Council, more than 1,800 U.S. businesses handle or reclaim postconsumer plastics. In addition, many grocery stores now serve as recycling collection sites for plastic bags and plastic wrap. Room for Improvement Overall, the level of plastics recycling is still relatively low. In 2012, only 6.7 percent of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream were recycled, according to the EPA. Alternatives to Plastic While recycling is important, one of the best ways to reduce the amount of plastic in our nations MSW is to find alternatives. For example, reusable grocery bags have seen a growth in popularity in recent years, and they are a great way to limit the amount of plastic that needs to be generated in the first place.

A World without Oil Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A World without Oil - Research Paper Example Our reliance on motor vehicles would make us look for alternative solutions such as electric cars, which are few or converting vehicles that function on natural gas. Following this, a world without oil would dictate the need to replace the oil based infrastructures with new technologies and new sources of energy. The World would revert to the way it was when oil was an unavailable resource. Everything would be local, small farming communities, homes with wood-burning stoves, no more international business, and office places. To some extent, the world would be a better place free from pollution as oil is the major attribute of pollution. Lastly, a world without oil would mean the development of other forms of energy as mentioned previously. With this in mind, the aim of this paper is to discuss how a world without oil would be like. Miller (8) believes that, a world without oil would affect transportation and there would be a dramatic increase of prices for goods and services. This is because civilization and agribusiness depends on large machines that use oil in production and transportation. Insect repellent and fertilizers require oil gas during distribution and production process. When oil is not available, there would be an increase costs on agribusiness as there would be an increasing prices of pesticides and fertilizers, which would result to increase of food prices. Lack of oil would result to small farming communities, as many would lack resources that augment better farming. As discussed by Nakaya (12) indicates that, most of farming activities heavily depend on oil for better harvest, efficient marketing, and distribution. Lack of oil would lead to poor farming and many farmers would fail to meet their expectations. To Miller (25), agriculture is best appealing when there is efficient marketing and transporting at affordable prices. Resourceful transportation is indispensable for successful agricultural marketing. As mentioned, lack of oil would resul t to poor transportation and thus, farmers will be disadvantaged when selling their crops. Expensive services would lead to small farming due to the net profit acquired from the investment. Still, unavailability of oil would cause impassable, infrequent, and slow transport services and this would lead to losses of crops such as fresh vegetable, milk, or tea. There would be low investment on farming, as many farmers would suffer losses. According to McCage (19), the nature of transportation strongly influences the pattern of global business. Trade is usually chocked off by poor transport and in turn affected by underlying factors such as geographical barriers and distance. Oil is fundamental in transportation and its unavailability would deteriorate economic growth. Air transport that heavily depends on oil would responsibly reduce international trading, as traders would lack means to transport commodities. This would have effect on development as many countries would not have the op portunity to trade with other countries. There would be geographical barriers, as many would lack means of transportation. From the above assumption, one can argue that much of transportation depends on oil and therefore its unavailability may deteriorate transportation. Although there may be substitutes, they may not be in quantities needed to maintain the road system (Ross 19). Rose continues to argue that, the world would revert to the way it was when oil was an unavailable resource

Sonny's Blues (the story) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sonny's Blues (the story) - Essay Example In creating the characters of Sonny’s Blue, Baldwin has used the typical old idea of the ‘good and bad’ and made the two brothers the antagonist of each other. The elder brother, who narrates the story, is a very mature and sensible person, works as a teacher and is highly protective and concerned about his younger sibling. In contrast, the younger lad, Sonny, is said to be quite immature and does have neither the courage nor the will to withstand the pressures of the society. He deliberately indulges himself in drugs and music, considering them an escape route. Despite all the efforts the elder brother makes to help him adjust rightfully in the society, Sonny still gives in to the social pressures and becomes both a drug addict and a singer. He chooses Jazz music for his songs especially because he thinks that such a type of music allows him great liberty to express out the aggression and frustration that continues to build up inside him day by day. Brotherly love, affection and concern are what make the elder brother oppose the lifestyle the younger one has adopted. His opposition and Sonny’s stubbornness ultimately results in confrontation and conflict between the two of them and finally to an end of the friendship the two shared amongst themselves. The tension is great to such extent between the two that the younger tells the elder one to consider him dead from that moment on after they end up fighting really bad one night. Sadly, the elder brother behaves as immaturely as Sonny and turns his back on him too. It is only a whole year later that the elder one hears about Sonny, that too from a newspaper which says that he has been arrested by the police officials on charges of drug addiction. He then feels guilty and blames himself for the mess his brother has got into, thinking he should not have given up on him no matter what the circumstances were. Also,

News paper summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

News paper summary - Essay Example Its stock dropped by more than 5% in three months. It also reported of various cyber-attacks that it has received. Its shares have also dropped by 10% in 12 months that are contradictory to gains of a company such as NASDAQ Internet Index that increased by 31%. The drop seems to indicate that investors are raising questions concerning its future. Its revenue growth has remained stagnant for the past two years, and the scenario will be the same in coming years. The article, HP chairman Whitworth to Step Down to Focus on Health, is about HP management and in particular its chairman Mr. Whitworth. He has served on several US boards, but now wants to retire and concentrate on his health. He has lived with throat cancer since April 2013. Relational managers will be meeting soon to discuss on how to appoint a new chairman. It manages more than $ 6 billion and features prominently in shareholder activism. He joined the HP Company in 2011 when it was turmoil and led to its stability. Relational investors are more worried of his wealth than effect on the firm. The article, Real-Estate Investors See No Problem with Puerto Rico, points out at the deteriorating economic conditions at Puerto Rico and how real-estate investors are taking advantage of the situation. Property managers and private-equity firms are buying and developing luxurious and high-end hotels on the island. Property deals have up scaled by more than $ 1 billion. The investments bet on its turn around, tourist’s credit concerns, and changes to the tax code that withdraws tax on such investments. The hotel business is on the rise, and the valuations are level to those seen before the wake of the global recession. The article, S&P Weighs Restarting Talks on US Suit, is about Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services and its lawsuit with the Justice department. The company is on discussion and negotiations on penalties on the range of

Buyer behaviour and market research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Buyer behaviour and market research - Assignment Example Consumer buying behavior is determined by what the consumers buy, how they do it, the time they purchase and why they purchase it (John & Jagdish, 1969). The study brings together psychology, sociology, and economics in order to understand the consumer decision making process as an individual or as a group of people (John & Jagdish, 1969). The theory also explains characteristics such as demographics, and behavioral variables of every buyer. It also tries to find out the influences the consumer might get from the family members, society, and peer groups when they want to buy. Buyers are not aware of many products and their usage in the market but they keep on choosing from different products. In many occasion, consumers buy new products without having knowledge on the product. When new products are introduced into the market, it is hard for the consumers to understand about the product and it is always hard for the consumers to access the information. If a new product is introduced, the consumers will respond depending on the product reliability and quality. In UK and US, Taste and preferences, culture, psychology of the consumers, social, personality and mode of communication is different. In US, internet has become the main source of marketing; many consumers go to social websites such as Face book and yahoo to find new products and compare the prices with similar products. The cream manufacturer should adopt the UK mode of marketing that is normally done through TV and radio, display, and poster advertisement. This will reach many people very fast unlike the social website which is not trusted b y many people. More advertisement and product promotion should be directed towards women since over 70% of household purchasing is influenced by women unlike in US where the household purchases are influenced by every family

William-Sanoma case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

William-Sanoma - Case Study Example However, as the case reflects the thoughts of Connolly, the executive vice president of the company, had to face challenges when he realized the importance of e-commerce being a major part of the company’s operations. In spite of the resistances, he kept his focus on the implementation of effective e-commerce facilities and was ultimately successful in creating an internet team with intensions to bring all the products of the company online to their customers. This implies the growing understanding of the uses of the internet facilities that Connolly and was determined to incorporate in the business (â€Å"E-commerce at Williams-Sonoma†). Michel Dunn too accepted the challenges in the context of building up the operational plans for the acceptance and implementation of the internet system implying the efforts undertaken towards integrating the different functional areas into coordination with the internet system. Participation was required by all the members that were focused by Connolly and Dunn. Thus, several websites addressing the needs of the customers started being initiated by the company that gradually took a significant position in the company’s management system (â€Å"E-commerce at Williams-Sonoma†). E-commerce is not only useful in online buying and selling but it also provides access to larger markets globally with lesser expenses and reaching out to large target market in much lesser time as well (Rainer & Cegielski, 206). The company has successfully recognized the internet as being one of the most effective means of communication in the present world (Tapscott, 4). Nandkeolyar, the Vice President of the e-commerce, taking initiatives in the company’s incorporation of the internet technology has reflected further challenges on the part of the technology on which the entire processes of e-business had to be dependent. The design needed to be focused on the products that the

Buyer behaviour and market research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Buyer behaviour and market research - Assignment Example Consumer buying behavior is determined by what the consumers buy, how they do it, the time they purchase and why they purchase it (John & Jagdish, 1969). The study brings together psychology, sociology, and economics in order to understand the consumer decision making process as an individual or as a group of people (John & Jagdish, 1969). The theory also explains characteristics such as demographics, and behavioral variables of every buyer. It also tries to find out the influences the consumer might get from the family members, society, and peer groups when they want to buy. Buyers are not aware of many products and their usage in the market but they keep on choosing from different products. In many occasion, consumers buy new products without having knowledge on the product. When new products are introduced into the market, it is hard for the consumers to understand about the product and it is always hard for the consumers to access the information. If a new product is introduced, the consumers will respond depending on the product reliability and quality. In UK and US, Taste and preferences, culture, psychology of the consumers, social, personality and mode of communication is different. In US, internet has become the main source of marketing; many consumers go to social websites such as Face book and yahoo to find new products and compare the prices with similar products. The cream manufacturer should adopt the UK mode of marketing that is normally done through TV and radio, display, and poster advertisement. This will reach many people very fast unlike the social website which is not trusted b y many people. More advertisement and product promotion should be directed towards women since over 70% of household purchasing is influenced by women unlike in US where the household purchases are influenced by every family

Organizational Change Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Organizational Change Plan - Essay Example The situation to be discussed in this case is no exception: the desired change should first be situated within the greater context of the company’s overall goal, in order to determine how best to take the company from its present to its desired status. The present situation Ranchers Bank (RB) is a $3 billion financial services firm that exclusively deals in extending loans to farmer and ranchers for agricultural purposes. It operates solely in Texas and employs 1,000 loan officers in 254 offices located in each county. RB is a traditional bank which waits for clients to walk into its local offices to apply for loans. For several years, the agricultural sector has experienced zero growth, and the company’s profitability has suffered as the rate of new business generated is only half of the rate of payoff. There is a strong possibility that if RB continues doing business the same way it has done so for the past 30 years, it shall eventually end up in bankruptcy. The strategic goal/s RB’s principal goal is to stay viable and avoid bankruptcy; since bankruptcy is inevitable if the bank maintained status quo. RB therefore needed to change from the status quo merely to survive. This leads to the secondary goal – that of growth. ... keeping the main strategic considerations in mind, the resulting plan should be appropriately contextualized to maximize effectiveness and assure practicability. Analyzing the broad economic environment Political The banking industry has been at the center of the recent financial crisis, and while the culprits are principally the major financial conglomerates, the entire industry has been subjected to closer scrutiny both by the political leaders and the public. The need for greater oversight has resulted in legislated regulations which shall be tackled in the discussion on legal issues below. Other than these, emphasis on ethical practices has given rise to industry-wide corporate governance standards consistent with the Basel Committee principles for the international banking community (BCBS, 2010). For small banks to survive, they must likewise comply with the corporate governance benchmarks in their relations with their stakeholders. Economic The economic situation is still tenab le, purportedly on the road to recovery from the 2008 depression. Many markets impacting on loans creation continue to be depressed both on the demand side (e.g. real estate due to the mortgage foreclosures resulting in the housing glut), as well as supply side (e.g., labor market due to the increasing unemployment). The dollar continues to slide such that increasingly savings and transactions in the international market are converting to foreign currencies (e.g. the yuan, which is increasingly being used in international trade and securities floats). The looming budget deficit due not in small part to the trillion dollars in bailout may be exacerbated by continued reports in the bankruptcy of companies benefitted by these loans. Much will depend upon the economic policies of the

A Worn Path Essay Example for Free

A Worn Path Essay The short story ‘A Worn Path’ by Eudora Welty emphasizes the importance of patience and persistence. The protagonist of the story, a very old African-American woman, Phoenix Jackson is presented by the author as a study in perseverance, stamina and life in the face of hardship and death. The story is rather deceptively simple and deals with an old woman’s journey on foot through the woods of Mississippi to the city of Natchez, motivated by the need of medicines for her ailing grandson. However, structured upon this journey motif, the story has a rich veneer of symbolism that turns Phoenix Jackson an everyman, while her journey, transcending every boundary becomes the very emblem for the eternal human quest through the wildernesses of life. The landscape that the protagonist has to cross to reach her destination is at once evocatively beautiful and hauntingly dangerous, threatening at every moment to jeopardize the journey. The old and worn out woman is acutely aware of the dangers and hardships that lie in her way and as she walks steadily she mutters under her breath: Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals†¦ the big wild hogs out of my path. Dont let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way. Her feet feels chained as she negotiates a particularly steep uphill path and gets entangled in a thorny bush that looks harmless from the distance. As soon as she overcomes this other impediments follow: narrow logs across a creek, ghosts which turn out to be nothing but scarecrows, dog and his white master crosses her path. But she braves it all with a determination and patience that bespeaks of the invincibility of the spirit that burns within her breasts. The solitary journey of the protagonist through the wildernesses is further complicated by her old age, her acute physical exhaustion and her failing vision. However, walking against these innumerable odds, Phoenix Jackson emerges victorious with the aid of her sheer fortitude and capacity for self-sacrifice for the sake of her grandson. Even when a bounding black dog pushes her over into a ditch, Phoenix Jackson does not lose her infinite patience. In fact lying by the roadside in a ditch, incapable of getting up on her own, she seems quite happy and soon loses herself in a dream and goes on talking to herself. After being rescued, she calmly declares the rationale of her journey to the hunter who advises her to go back home: I bound to go to town, mister, said Phoenix. The time come around. The protagonists zest for life is revealed in her intense awareness of every natural object around her and the wilderness seen through her failing eyes, takes on a dream-like quality; a dream in which every object quivers with symbolic or allegorical significance. The real journey transcends its limits to reveal a religious pilgrimage or a quest with Phoenix Jackson as the lonely knight whose only true weapons against adversities are her infinite patience and persistence. Interestingly, the story is actually set during the Christmas season, suggesting that the protagonist is out on a pilgrimage where her endurance and fortitude will be tested to the extreme. The theme of patience and persistence is also reiterated in the mythological significance of the name, Phoenix, a bird that rises again and again from its own ashes asserting the victory of life over death. It is to be noted that it is not only the natural world that poses an obstacle for the old protagonist, but the society too that refuses to giver her the due respect. Thus we see the White man condescendingly concluding that she is going to the town merely to see Santa Claus or the nurses at the great big building dismissing her as a case of ‘charity’. But all these barely touches the old lady, who has surely earned the medicine a thousand times over; the medicine that is given away to her as ‘charity’. She once again walks out into the street starting her long journey back home through the wilderness. Thus it might be concluded that Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path is a powerful assertion of the victory of the human spirit against all conceivable odds. The victory is undoubtedly hard earned, neither does it promise much spoils (the old woman is rewarded with a paper windmill and medicine for her grandson at the end of her almost epical journey). But it is a victory of patience and persistence. The battle too is worth fighting whatever be the spoils.

Setting In The Heros Walk Cultural Studies Essay

Setting In The Heros Walk Cultural Studies Essay Setting is a device used by most authors, to represent the elements of time, place and social context in their work. These elements help in creating a mood, building a character or providing credibility to the events that take place during the time period of the novel. Throughout the novel, The Heros Walk by Anita Rau Badami, different proportions of these elements are revealed to help the plot move forward. This novel is set in a town of Toturpuram situated in India; telling a story about the hardships of an middle class Indian family who have been living in the same house for several decades. The story revolves around a Canadian-raised orphans clash between tradition and modernity, who is forced to live with her grandparents in India, after losing both her parents in a car accident. This novel is a wise and affectionate portrait of middle class life in India during the 20th century. The religious influence, traditional culture and weak political system of India have been accurately reflected in this novel. India is known as the land of spirituality and philosophy, as it has been a birthplace for several religions that exist in todays world. The religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism have all been originated on the land of India. However the religion that is practiced by majority of the population and believed to be one of the oldest religions in the world is Hinduism. The religion is the way of life in India. All the main characters in this novel are also the followers of Hinduism, who are impacted by religion in one way or another. Badami has incorporated the religion into these characters lives very cunningly throughout the novel. Hinduism believes in the birth and reincarnation of souls, which are immortal and imperishable. A soul is a part of a jiva, the limited being, who is subject to the impurities of attachment, delusion and laws of karma (www.hinduwebsite.com). This novel helps the readers understand the lives of middle class families in India during the 20th century, which were greatly influenced by the religion. The example of such a character is Raju, who even blames god for the unfortunate condition of his life, when he says, That bastard god up there must have decided: This bloke is laughing and smiling too much. Give him a taste of something nasty. I must have been a murdering rogue in my last life, and now I am paying for it. (Badami, 121). In most Hindu families, the first bit knowledge received by a new born child is always something related to the religion. The children are taught about the history of their religion, their gods and goddesses and much more, even before they know how to walk pro perly. There is an similar instance in the novel where Nandana starts praying to Hanuman to send her parents back to her; the brave monkey god, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ who always helped people in trouble (Badami, 250). At this point of time, Nandana is not really aware of the significance of Hanuman in her religion, but she just starts praying because that is what she has been told to do from the time she was born. Earlier in the novel, Sripathi says that he doesnt believe in god or any religion. However, later in the story when he is suffering from most difficult time of his life, he also starts praying and believing in god, in hope for a better life. The Rao family even has a separate room dedicate to god known as Prayer room, where all the members of the family pray to god at least once a day. The room is full of statues of god, posters of different gods and goddesses and some sacred texts of Hinduism. This shows how and why people of India in the 20th century were deeply dependent and i nfluenced by religion throughout their lives. Unity in diversity is the perfect phrase that describes a country like India, which is incredibly rich in culture and heritage (www.mapsofindia.com). The languages, dance, music, religions and customs differ from one place to another in India; still possessing a sense of commonality all over the nation. The caste system is one of the main highlights of the Indian culture, being one of the oldest and biggest caste systems around the world. India is home to several thousand ethnic groups, tribes, castes, and religions. The castes and subcastes in each region relate to each other through a permanent hierarchical structure, with each caste having its own name, traditional occupation, rank, and distinctive subculture (http://www.everyculture.com ). There are five different categories or levels in this caste system: Brahman, Harijans, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra within Hinduism. Within each of those categories are the actual castes, which people are born, marry, and die, and have their o wn place among each other. This system has worked well for hundreds of years and still plays a major role in modern India (http://www.csuchico.edu ). Badami has effectively used the model of caste system in her novel to provide the readers with an insight of Indian culture during the time period of the novel. There are some important events that take place in the novel, which are direct reflections of the caste system of India. When Maya marries a guy who she loves while studying in Canada, her parents Sripathi Rao and Nirmala decide to cut off their own daughter for marrying out of caste, religion and race (Badami, 319). There is an another instance of caste system playing an important role in the novel, when Ammaya denies Putti of getting married to Gopala because of his lower caste in the society. Even the street where the Big House is located is called Brahmin Street; showing the deep roots of the caste system in Indias society. The Indian Social System is mostly based on the Jo int family System because of its culture and traditions. The families are closely knit with Grandfathers, fathers, sons and grandsons sharing the same spirit, tradition and property   (www.indianmirror.com). It can be also seen in the novel that Sripathi, being the eldest male member in the family, is the head of the family who makes all important decisions. And rest of the family members are forced to abide by those decisions. In conclusion, the caste system and the joint family system are the main highlights of Indian culture, which is so diverse that it changes in different parts of the country. India is a land of festivals and fairs. Every day of the year, there is a festival celebrated in part of the country or another. There are festivals that celebrate the harvest, the seasons of the year, the full moon or the birthdays of divine beings, saints or gurus (www.kamat.com). Some of these festivals are also celebrated in this novel, which includes festivals like Deepawali and Yugadi. The festival of Deepawali is known as the festival of lights, celebrated on the return of Hindu god Rama, from a 14 years of banishment. In this novel, this festival is used as a means of bringing back a long gone happiness (light) to the Big House. This is the festival, when Nandana starts talking to everyone for the first time in the house, everyone buys new clothes and burst firecrackers etc. (Badami, 243). On this occasion, Putti also gets married to Gopala, bringing joy to the Rao family for the first time since Maya had left the house. Another festival is celebrated in the novel, which mark s the beginning of the new year according to Hindu calendar, called Yugadi (literally meaning the beginning of the year). India was ruled for over 300 years by Britishers, before gaining its independence in 1947. After about 60 years of its independence, India now has one of the largest constitutions compared to any democratic country in the world. However, during the time period of this novel, this political system of India was still very young; containing many flaws in it. It obviously takes time for a country such as India to put a fully fledged political system in place but things such as corruption, increasing terrorism and unethical political practices just made it worse. The most damaging weakness of Indias political class is its lack of credibility. Regardless of the truth, people at large are convinced that the entire political class is corrupt (www.allvoices.com). This is also evident in the novel when Sripathi expresses his views about politicians all of them are corrupt, and only become rich by stealing money from the poor and helpless (Badami, 232). At the time of this novel, terrorism, na xalism and religious violence were some of the main political issues that exploited the weaknesses of the political parties. The politicians had to hire goons for their own security and to make sure that everything was under control. There is an incident in the novel when Sripathis neighbour asks him about his views on the naxalism in Assam, and then Sripathi describes it as, Gol-maal politics as usual (Badami, 158). This shows the amount of frustration a middle class person had to go through because of the weak political system at that point of time. At an another instance, he also addresses politicians as corporate thugs and mafia who run police stations and other assorted crooks (Badami, 155). The author has incorporated the details about religious influence on Indian population, their culture and their young political system very intelligently in this novel. Hinduism is practiced by over 80% of Indias population, making it one of the biggest religions in India. The religion had a huge impact on peoples lives during the time period of the novel. It also acted as the root of various cultures and traditions that can be found in different parts of India today. The weak political system of India has also been accurately depicted in this novel. All the above details suggest that this novel by Anita Rau Badami, gives the readers an accurate insight into a middle class Indian persons life during mid 20th century. Works Cited List Callaham, Terence. Indias Caste System.  Home CSU, Chico. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . DAMAGED AND WEAK INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM.  Breaking News, Current Events, Latest News and World Events at Allvoices.com. 03 May 2010. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . Festivals of India Index.  Kamats Potpourri The History, Mystery, and Diversity of India. 15 June 2010. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . Hockings, Paul. Culture of India Traditional, History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family, Social, Dress, Marriage, Men, Life, Tribe, Population, Religion, Rituals.Countries and Their Cultures. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . India Culture.  India Map, Map of India. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. .   INDIAN CULTURE TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN INDIA.  Indian, India Travel, Indian Clothes, Indian Culture, Indian Arts. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . V, Jayaram. Death and Afterlife in Hinduism.  Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and Other Resources. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. .

A Good Man Is Hard To Find Essay -- essays research papers

The foreshadowing effect in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† To foreshadow is to give a hint or a suggestion of a forthcoming event. Flannery O’Connor uses the foreshadowing effect adequately in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find.† There were many hints and suggestions that something unpleasant was going to happen in this story. The moment the grandmother first speaks of the misfit, we can assume he will show up later in the story because he is headed in the same direction as the family. Close to the ending, when the gunshots are heard from the woods, we can assume that the situation cannot get much worse. The first hint of trouble comes early in the story before the first paragraph ends. The grandmother tries to show Bailey a newspaper article about The Misfit, who has escaped the penitentiary and is headed toward Florida. The grandmother tries to discourage Bailey from taking the family to Florida again by telling him he ought to take the children somewhere else for a change, but he disregards his mother and they go on the trip anyway. The probability that an escaped convict is headed in the same direction as Bailey and his family suggests havoc is coming their way. O’Connor describes how the grandmother is dressed and says, â€Å"In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady†(221). In my opinion, this phrase suggests that the grandmother could be involved in an accident further into the story. Also, the grandmother cautions Bailey ab...

Taking Care of All Whose Service Places Them in Harm’s Way Essay exampl

As Americans we all take jobs to support us from eighteen till the time we die; a job that gives a pension or a retirement plan for enjoying the golden years. Among those receiving retirement benefits are U.S Armed Forces veterans. However, these veterans who have fought for American freedom, the American dream that founded this great nation, are being cheated of their retirement benefits. Though the benefits are making progress in the past couple of years, it is slow and full of bylaws and prerequisites that are not clearly stated to veterans. The veterans of the military deserve more respect, better retirement checks, permanent basic base privileges for dependents, and undisturbed funeral services when they die. As a veteran of the military you receive half of your base pay for retirement, â€Å"Help Military† program guidelines are catered to those who have died or been injured in combat yet so many soldiers have died from ignorance and bull-headedness, and healthcare for mentally ill or injured soldiers is in poor condition. If not worse is the way they are treated by those they serve to protect. When soldiers serve, come home, and finally retire, they are treated like scum. Yet they only did their jobs, carrying out orders given by their commander in chief and his advisors and congressmen. The U.S Military was established so Americans can live their lives in peace and do as they please. It’s time for veterans to stop taking the brunt for doing their job and putting bread on their families table; instead they should receive a deeper respect for the freedom they give us. Veterans of the military are not uncommon to see as they were ten years ago. In truth the issues at hand affect one quarter of the U.S population; those one quar... ...litary Budget Cuts." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. . "Military Families Overseas (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 3 June 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. . Powers, Rod. "2008 Military Average Annual Salary." About.com US Military. 07 Feb. 2008. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. . "Repositioning U.S. Troops and Bases at Home (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 27 May 2005. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. . "Veterans' Services." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. .

Part Seven Chapter 3

The coffins lay side by side on biers at the front of the church. A bronze chrysanthemum oar lay on Krystal's, and a white chrysanthemum teddy bear on Robbie's. Kay Bawden remembered Robbie's bedroom, with its few grimy plastic toys, and her fingers trembled on the order of service. Naturally, there was to be an inquiry at work, because the local paper was clamouring for one, and had written a front-page piece suggesting that the small boy had been left in the care of a pair of junkies and that his death could have been avoided, if only he had been removed to safety by negligent social workers. Mattie had been signed off with stress again, and Kay's handling of the case review was being assessed. Kay wondered what effect it would have on her chances of getting another job in London, when every local authority was cutting numbers of social workers, and how Gaia would react if they had to stay in Pagford †¦ she had not dared discuss it with her yet. Andrew glanced sideways at Gaia and they exchanged small smiles. Up in Hilltop House, Ruth was already sorting things for the move. Andrew could tell that his mother hoped, in her perennially optimistic way, that by sacrificing their house and the beauty of the hills, they would be rewarded with a rebirth. Wedded for ever to an idea of Simon that took no account of his rages or his crookedness, she was hoping that these would be left behind, like boxes forgotten in the move †¦ But at least, Andrew thought, he would be one step nearer London when they went, and he had Gaia's assurance that she had been too drunk to know what she was doing with Fats, and perhaps she might invite him and Sukhvinder back to her house for coffee after the funeral was over †¦ Gaia, who had never been inside St Michael's before, was half listening to the vicar's sing-song delivery, letting her eyes travel over the high starry ceiling and the jewel-coloured windows. There was a prettiness about Pagford that, now she knew that she was leaving, she thought she might quite miss †¦ Tessa Wall had chosen to sit behind everyone else, on her own. This brought her directly under the calm gaze of St Michael, whose foot rested eternally on that writhing devil with its horns and tail. Tessa had been in tears ever since her first glimpse of the two glossy coffins and, as much as she tried to stifle them, her soft gurglings were still audible to those near her. She had half expected somebody on the Weedon side of the church to recognize her as Fats' mother and attack her, but nothing had happened. (Her family life had turned inside out. Colin was furious with her. ‘You told him what?' ‘He wanted a taste of real life,' she had sobbed, ‘he wanted to see the seamy underside – don't you understand what all that slumming it was about?' ‘So you told him that he might be the result of incest, and that I tried to kill myself because he came into the family?' Years of trying to reconcile them, and it had taken a dead child, and Colin's profound understanding of guilt, to do it. She had heard the two of them talking in Fats' attic room the previous evening, and paused to eavesdrop at the foot of the stairs. ‘†¦ you can put that – that thing that Mum suggested out of your head completely,' Colin was saying gruffly. ‘You've got no physical or mental abnormalities, have you? Well then †¦ don't worry about it any more. But your counsellor will help you with all of this †¦') Tessa gurgled and snorted into her sodden tissue, and thought how little she had done for Krystal, dead on the bathroom floor †¦ it would have been a relief if St Michael had stepped down from his glowing window and enacted judgement on them all, decreeing exactly how much fault was hers, for the deaths, for the broken lives, for the mess †¦ A fidgeting young Tully boy on the other side of the aisle hopped out of his pew, and a tattooed woman reached out a powerful arm, grabbed him and pulled him back. Tessa's sobs were punctuated by a little gasp of surprise. She was sure that she had recognized her own lost watch on the thick wrist. Sukhvinder, who was listening to Tessa's sobs, felt sorry for her, but did not dare turn around. Parminder was furious with Tessa. There had been no way for Sukhvinder to explain the scars on her arms without mentioning Fats Wall. She had begged her mother not to call the Walls, but then Tessa had telephoned Parminder to tell them that Fats had taken full responsibility for The_Ghost_of_ Barry_Fairbrother's posts on the council website, and Parminder had been so vitriolic on the telephone that they had not spoken since. It had been such a strange thing for Fats to do, to take the blame for her post too; Sukhvinder thought of it almost as an apology. He had always seemed to read her mind: did he know that she had attacked her own mother? Sukhvinder wondered whether she would be able to confess the truth to this new counsellor in whom her parents seemed to place so much faith, and whether she would ever be able to tell the newly kind and contrite Parminder †¦ She was trying to follow the service, but it was not helping her in the way that she had hoped. She was glad about the chrysanthemum oar and the teddy bear, which Lauren's mum had made; she was glad that Gaia and Andy had come, and the girls from the rowing team, but she wished that the Fairbrother twins had not refused. (‘It'd upset Mum,' Siobhan had told Sukhvinder. ‘See, she thinks Dad spent too much time on Krystal.' ‘Oh,' said Sukhvinder, taken aback. ‘And,' said Niamh, ‘Mum doesn't like the idea that she'll have to see Krystal's grave every time we visit Dad's. They'll probably be really near each other.' Sukhvinder thought these objections small and mean, but it seemed sacrilegious to apply such terms to Mrs Fairbrother. The twins walked away, wrapped up in each other as they always were these days, and treating Sukhvinder with coolness for her defection to the outsider, Gaia Bawden.) Sukhvinder kept waiting for somebody to stand up and talk about who Krystal really was, and what she had done in her life, the way that Niamh and Siobhan's uncle had done for Mr Fairbrother, but apart from the vicar's brief reference to ‘tragically short lives' and ‘local family with deep roots in Pagford', he seemed determined to skirt the facts. So Sukhvinder focused her thoughts on the day that their crew had competed in the regional finals. Mr Fairbrother had driven them in the minibus to face the girls from St Anne's. The canal ran right through the private school's grounds, and it had been decided that they were to change in the St Anne's sports hall, and start the race there. ‘Unsporting, course it is,' Mr Fairbrother had told them on the way. ‘Home-ground advantage. I tried to get it changed, but they wouldn't. Just don't be intimidated, all right?' ‘I ain' fuck – ‘ ‘Krys – ‘ ‘I ain' scared.' But when they turned into the grounds, Sukhvinder was scared. Long stretches of soft green lawn, and a big symmetrical golden-stoned building with spires and a hundred windows: she had never seen anything like it, except on picture postcards. ‘It's like Buckingham Palace!' Lauren shrieked from the back, and Krystal's mouth had formed a round O; she had been as unaffected as a child sometimes. All of their parents, and Krystal's great-grandmother, were waiting at the finishing line, wherever that was. Sukhvinder was sure that she was not the only one who felt small, scared and inferior as they approached the entrance of the beautiful building. A woman in academic dress came swooping out to greet Mr Fairbrother, in his tracksuit. ‘You must be Winterdown!' ‘Course ‘e's not, does ‘e look like a fuckin' buildin'?' said Krystal loudly. They were sure that the teacher from St Anne's had heard, and Mr Fairbrother turned and tried to scowl at Krystal, but they could tell that he thought it was funny, really. The whole team started to giggle, and they were still snorting and cackling when Mr Fairbrother saw them off at the entrance to the changing rooms. ‘Stretch!' he shouted after them. The team from St Anne's was inside with their own coach. The two sets of girls eyed each other across the benches. Sukhvinder was struck by the other team's hair. All of them wore it long, natural and shiny: they could have starred in shampoo adverts. On their own team, Siobhan and Niamh had bobs, Lauren's hair was short; Krystal always wore hers in a tight, high pony tail, and Sukhvinder's was rough, thick and unruly as a horse's mane. She thought she saw two of the St Anne's girls exchange whispers and smirks, and was sure of it when Krystal suddenly stood tall, glaring at them, and said, ‘S'pose your shit smells of roses, does it?' ‘I beg your pardon?' said their coach. ‘Jus' askin',' said Krystal sweetly, turning her back to pull off her tracksuit bottoms. The urge to giggle had been too powerful to resist; the Winterdown team snorted with laughter as they changed. Krystal clowned away, and as the St Anne's crew filed out she mooned them. ‘Charming,' said the last girl to leave. ‘Thanks a lot,' Krystal called after her. ‘I'll let yer ‘ave another look later, if yeh want. I know yeh're all lezzers,' she yelled, ‘stuck in ‘ere together with no boys!' Holly had laughed so much that she had doubled over and banged her head on the locker door. ‘Fuckin' watch it, Hol,' Krystal had said, delighted with the effect she was having on them all. ‘Yeh'll need yer ‘ead.' As they had trooped down to the canal, Sukhvinder could see why Mr Fairbrother had wanted the venue changed. There was nobody but him here to support them at the start, whereas the St Anne's crew had lots of friends shrieking and applauding and jumping up and down on the spot, all with the same kind of glossy long hair. ‘Look!' shouted Krystal, pointing into this group as they passed. ‘It's Lexie Mollison! Remember when I knocked yer teeth out, Lex?' Sukhvinder had a pain from laughing. She was glad and proud to be walking along behind Krystal, and she could tell that the others were too. Something about how Krystal faced the world was protecting them from the effect of the staring eyes and the fluttering bunting, and the building like a palace in the background. But she could tell that even Krystal was feeling the pressure as they climbed into their boat. Krystal turned to Sukhvinder, who always sat behind her. She was holding something in her hand. ‘Good-luck charm,' she said, showing her. It was a red plastic heart on a key-ring, with a picture of her little brother in it. ‘I've told ‘im I'm gonna bring ‘im back a medal,' said Krystal. ‘Yeah,' said Sukhvinder, with a rush of faith and fear. ‘We will.' ‘Yeah,' said Krystal, facing front again, and tucking the key-ring back inside her bra. ‘No competition, this lot,' she said loudly, so the whole crew could hear. ‘Bunch o' muff munchers. Le's do 'em!' Sukhvinder remembered the starting gun and the crowd's cheers and her muscles screaming. She remembered her elation at their perfect rhythm, and the pleasure of their deadly seriousness after laughter. Krystal had won it for them. Krystal had taken away the home-ground advantage. Sukhvinder wished that she could be like Krystal: funny and tough; impossible to intimidate; always coming out fighting. She had asked Terri Weedon for two things, and they had been granted, because Terri agreed with everyone, always. The medal that Krystal had won that day was around her neck for her burial. The other request came, at the very end of the service, and this time, as he announced it, the vicar sounded resigned. Good girl gone bad – Take three – Action. No clouds in my storms †¦ Let it rain, I hydroplane into fame Comin' down with the Dow Jones †¦ Her family half carried Terri Weedon back down the royal-blue carpet, and the congregation averted its eyes.

Employee Motivation Programs Essay

Keep your workers inspired by utilizing an employee motivation program inShare Your company can benefit by employee motivation. It’s important to reward your staff for their hard work through recognition, special privileges or gifts. An employee motivation program shows your staff that your company cares about their success. Motivate your staff and their production will exceed expectations. Increase production and employee satisfaction as your business implements workforce motivation. Employee motivation techniques create the foundation that keeps your workforce happy and productive. Encourage teamwork, which improves your company’s success as well as staff motivation. A supportive work atmosphere leads to positive motivation for employees and improves morale. Enjoy workers in the company who have a great attitude and are an example for new staff member joining the organization. Motivating employees can come in many forms. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Consider an employee motivational training program. 2. Use employee motivational articles and other materials to inspire your workers. 3. Give your gifts as an incentive to increase staff motivation. Implement a training program to increase employee’s motivation Training programs use employee motivation theories to offer the best classes and training tools for your company. Some of the most successful companies in the world use training programs for worker motivation. Try: Dale Carnegie Training is a well-established company that understands the benefits of business employee motivation. Training Camp has on-site training as well as an online computer course. Inspire your crew with employee motivation articles and posters The use of visual aids changes how employees view their success. We’ve all seen the motivational posters and articles but these can be more beneficial than you might think. The use of attractive and eye-catching materials that cover encouragement, innovation, leadership and make it happen, are subjects used for motivational posters. Try: Successories has an unlimited amount of motivational posters ranging in any subject. Future Think has motivational materials that guide you on how to recognize and reward innovation. Create worker motivation with incentives Employees love rewards for hard work and a wonderful motivational tool is gift incentives. Your staff will strive to do their best and it challenges them to improve productivity through friendly competition and recognition for a job well done. Try: Swift Prepaid Solutions offers prepaid gift cards that you can use to incite your employees to achieve certain goals. You can use them for the best sales or a job well done. Circuit City has a program where you can hand out gift cards to your deserving employees. †¢Employees need to feel encouragement and motivational techniques can achieve the goal of motivating employees on a daily basis. †¢Use an employee motivation survey to gage the morale of your workforce. Ask the staff to indicate what motivates them. Basic choices include recognition, monetary rewards and special privileges.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

History - Essay Example ew Deal therefore was focused on improving the living standards of the rural people in American society by rightful and fair distribution of its land and other natural resources and new agricultural policies. A) American Women: American women served in the Second World War in all the departments like the Army, Navy, Air force and even the Coast Guard. They were indispensable and strived hard to tide over the massive attacks that caused so much of deaths and casualties. More than 200 army nurses lost their lives in World War II. World War II was the first time that allowed African American women to enroll. These women selflessly strived hard while working in some of the most inhuman of conditions. They cooked, cleaned, attended emergencies, did truck driving and administrative work. They worked on par with the men and are proud to have served their country so well. During and even after World War II, the American economy suffered miserably. After the blasting of Pearl Harbor where there was much destruction and loss of both life and property, the country’s industrial and civilian resources were harnessed by the Federal Government, to compensate the heavy losses incurred and therefore the economy suffered badly. The Truman doctrine was introduced by Harry S. Truman which suggested that aid would be provided by the United States to both Turkey and Greece for Military as well as other Political reasons. One of the political reasons was to ward of a communist threat. The Marshall Plan followed the Truman doctrine and served to bring about an economic restoration of Western Europe by implementing the NATO in 1949 (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Truman understood that if Turkey and Greece were not given this timely aid, then they would naturally fall to Communism which would have adverse effects on the country. On the 4th of April 1949, a treaty was signed called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was a military alliance with its headquarters in

You are wiith torture or no Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

You are wiith torture or no - Essay Example In my opinion, torture should not be used for any purposes in humans (Arar 1). Pro-torture arguments believe in giving intelligent agencies extended powers for torturing people in order to obtain information. In addition, they argue that torture can be used to compel individuals to do various tasks required by agencies, organizations and governments (Arar 1). In this case, torture can be used through enhanced interrogation techniques such as sleep deprivation and water boarding. Proponents of torture also argue based on idealism. In this case, torture is justified because of its capabilities to help in saving lives in exceptional conditions. In this case, torture is used to obtain information from terrorists and people suspected of illegal activities. Therefore, inflicting pain is an effective way of preserving order and securing the safety of people (Arar 1). As an individual opposing torture, it is worth stating that the process is inhuman and unethical. This is because torture inflicts pain and disrupts the psychological state of the individual. In addition, torture inflicts moral damage on the society because of the state and severity of the psychological and physical torture (Arar 1). In addition, torture cannot be used as an instrument for fighting terrorism of obtaining information because it is an instrument of