The Three Objects That Represent Something Important About Me free essay sample

The Three Objects That Represent Something Important About Me Everyone must be having at least one important object in his or her life. It could be a jewelry, photograph or clothing. However, the three objects that represent something important to me are my laptop, my phone and my glasses. I really can’t live without them. They give me a hand in everything doing my school homework or connecting with my friends. My current computer is my first and only laptop I got from my parents. It was bought online October 2009, before I entered college in Malaysia. It is a red rectangular Dell studio with a 15. 6 inch widescreen and it weighs around 7 pounds. I really enjoy the big screen when I am watching a drama or movie on my laptop. Also, I use my laptop to video call my family in Malaysia. I can also read news online, listen to music and play games to relax myself when I am stressed out from my school assignments. We will write a custom essay sample on The Three Objects That Represent Something Important About Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My laptop is my best companion and I can’t imagine what I would do if I lose it. Another important thing to me is my phone which is an Apple iPhone 4s. I bought myself a new phone when I came to U. S. to study. I bought myself a new phone because I lost old phone when I was in transit in Los Angeles about six months ago. I was waiting for my next flight from LA to Omaha, going through the security check, when I found out that I had lost my phone. With no contact to call, I was lost, alone and helpless in a foreign country. This experience makes me aware that my phone important tool for me to contact my friends whenever I need a hand. Now, I will always check my pocket for my phone before I go anywhere. My glasses are also important to me. I have a very serious short sightedness so I couldn’t see clearly without them. The one I am wearing now has thick rectangular frames. They are black metallic with blue strips on it. I started to wear glasses since high school. I hate them but I am blind without them. I like to play sports but unfortunately, with glasses, I can’t play well and freely. The solution is to wear contact lenses when I am playing sports but still they bug me a lot. I have come to regret of wearing glasses all the time. I plan to go for a laser eyes surgery to correct my vision so that I no longer need glasses or contact lenses. As a conclusion, I can’t live without my laptop, my phone and my glasses. My laptop is basically an all purpose tool for entertainment, social life and intellect and my phone is used to reach my friends anytime anywhere. My glasses is used to give me a clear vision to see the world. I appreciate with what I have now and I hope that I can keep them in a good condition forever.

Richard Wright Essay Example

Richard Wright Essay Example Richard Wright Essay Richard Wright Essay Literary Distinctions through Ineradicable Scars His racial status, his poverty, the disruption of his family, and his faulty education allowed Richard Wright to grow into a novelist astonishingly different than other major American writers. Richard Wright was born on a Rucker plantation in Adams County, Mississippi. He was born on September 4, 1908 to Ella Wilson, a schoolteacher and Nathaniel Wright, a sharecropper. When Wright was about six years old, his father abandoned Ella and his two sons in a penniless condition to run off with another woman. This left Wright’s mother the difficult task of supporting herself and her children on her own, but left Wright with a humiliating kind of loss (Duffus). Soon after his father left, Wright and his mother moved to Memphis, Tennessee. His mother was forced to work as a cook in order to support the family; and during this period, Wright temporarily stayed in an orphanage. Wright’s mother became ill while living in Memphis, so the family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and lived with Ella’s mother. His grandmother was a Seventh Day Adventist so she enrolled him in a Seventh Day Adventist school at the age of twelve. Wright went to a local public high school for a few years, but did not receive a higher-level education (Duffus). In 1925, he moved back to Memphis, Tennessee. He worked at menial jobs such as, carrying lunches for railroad workers, carrying firewood and trays for small cafes, delivering clothes for a pressing shop, sweeping floors, selling newspapers, doing chores for white families, etc. (Kinnamon, 6) He moved to Chicago in 1927 after securing employment as a postal clerk, he read other writers and studied their styles during his time off. Later in 1937, Wright moved to New York, where he began ties with Communist Party members there after getting established. He worked on the WPA Writers’ Project, and wrote the book’s essay on Harlem. Wright became the Harlem editor of the Daily Worker. Wright is considered the most esteemed spokesman for the oppressed African American in the 1930s and 1940s. Some of his several works include Black Boy, Uncle Tom’s Children, The Outsiders, Eight Men, American Hunger, and Native Son. (Duffus). His first fiction, Native Son, chronicles the effects of racism and bigotry in the life of Bigger Thomas, a young black man raised in the ghettos of Chicago. The narrator in Native Son speaks in a limited third-person voice that focuses on Bigger’s thoughts and feelings. Through this limited third-person voice, the narrator brings the reader into Bigger’s mind and situation, helping the reader gain a better insight on Bigger’s complex self. When Wright wrote Native Son, he expressed his belief that society was responsible for creating tragic characters like Bigger Thomas. Quickly, Native Son became one of the most controversial books during the 1930s. Native Son was a turning point in the evolution of black protest fiction (Moorer, 87). Richard Wright uses Fear, Flight, and Fate to explain Bigger Thomas’s inner-development through the themes of oppression, blindness, dehumanization, the illusion of freedom, and redemption. Ultimately, Wright indicates that the inner liberation will only come from within the self. THE INTELLECTUAL ENVIRONMENT: RACIST THOUGHTS Adams County was one of the most racist areas, of the most racist state in the country. Wright was subjected to racial discrimination and racial prejudice during his entire life in the United States. This is interesting because America has always been thought to be the land of freedom, where you can find happiness. However, it lacked in giving equality to African Americans. Many people wonder why most of his novels focus on social reality. Keep in mind that during his upbringing, racism was alive really live. In the early 1900s, suppression of black people was a dominant goal of Mississippi politics (Kinnamon,17). Many African Americans struggled to discover how to survive without fear in a world dominated by white men. Richard Wright’s unstable upbringing made him the novelist we admire today. A long-term irony of Wright’s life is that in spite of his belief in environmental determinism, he fulfilled his dream of success against all odds. In his essay How Bigger Was Born, Wright explains how he grew up surrounded by different types of Biggers, and that social reality determined his literary personality. (Applebee) Indeed, he was at different times in his youth an unstable child, but ultimately he became Richard Wright, and not Bigger Thomas. Fear- oppression and blindness Book One (Fear) of Native Son begins with an alarm clock ringing. We see Bigger, Vera, Buddy, and Mrs. Thomas in a small apartment in Chicago. Since the apartment only has one room, Bigger and Buddy are forced to turn around to avoid seeing his little sister and his mother getting dressed. Perhaps, the ringing alarm signifies a wakeup call, not only for Bigger, but for the readers and America as a whole about race relations in this era. Immediately, we are exposed to the unfortunate circumstances Bigger’s family live in when a huge rat runs across the floor, and Bigger is destined to wrestle the rat. During his struggle with the rat, Bigger smashes the rat’s head with a skillet, and then smashes his face with a shoe. The rat portrays fear book one is speaking about. The rat and Bigger immediately attack each other, hinting that they resemble each other and they fear themselves. In Fear, we also meet Gus, Jack, and G. H. after Bigger stands alone reflecting on the words â€Å"If You Break The Law, You Cant Win! † posted on top of campaign posters. Bigger and his friends have a tentative plan to rob a deli owned by a white man named Mr. Blum. They want to rob a white deli, because it would give them a challenge. They have always robbed black stores, because police do not focus on black-on-black crime. Here, Wright begins to develop the theme of racial oppression. We also start looking into Bigger’s thoughts and the theme of racial oppression when he tells his friend Gus that he could fly a plane if he were given the chance, but only if he had some money and were not black. Bigger complains that whites will not let blacks do anything, and he feels as if he were in prison. Bigger gets a job with the Daltons. The Daltons are a rich white family that offers Bigger a job as a chauffeur, because they feel that blacks deserve a chance. Mrs. Dalton is the blind wife of Mr. Dalton, and the mother of Mary. The Daltons portray themselves as supporters of black Americans. However, we see the reality when we learn that Mr. Dalton simultaneously benefits from keeping blacks like Bigger and his family in terrible housing by charging them high rents. On his first day of work, Bigger is a little nervous and fearful because he still sees whites as a threatening, powerful force that denies him control of his own life. On his first night on the job, Bigger secretly takes Mary and her communist boyfriend Jan to a restaurant. At the restaurant, Mary and Jan try to become close with Bigger, but Bigger is intimidated at the beginning, because no white person has ever treated him that way. Mary and Jan try to make a genuine effort in understanding racial problems in America, so they want to break the social barrier between them and Bigger. At the end of the night, they are all drunk, and Mary can’t make it to her room, so Bigger carries her. When Bigger finds himself in Mary’s oom, he knows that he has overcome the sexual separation between blacks and whites, and begins to kiss her. Bigger then feels Mrs. Dalton’s presence in the room, and is reminded of the whiteness that controls his life, leading to the accidental death of Mary. Richard Wright does not spare any of the gruesome details in Bigger’s disposal of Mary’s body. Through his disposal, we see the extreme pai n and rage that Bigger feels which would allowing him to do such thing. In Book One, Wright introduces the Fear that Bigger has obtained through oppression. We see that Bigger fears entrapment caused by the white glooming force. He is afraid that he will not be able to progress and escape his shameful circumstances because racism in Chicago will keep him down, and there is no way out. Interestingly enough, we see in Book One that oppression is caused by blindness. Mrs. Dalton is literally blind, but also metaphorically. Mrs. Daltons blindness plays a crucial role in showing the readers the vicious circle of racism in American society. Mrs. Daltons inability to see Bigger causes him to turn to violence, similar to the inability of whites to see blacks as individuals causes blacks to live their lives in fear and hatred. Mrs. Daltons blindness represents the inability of white Americans as a whole to see blacks as anything other than what the media portrays. Since they don’t see blacks as anything else than what the media portrays them to be, white intentionally or unintentionally keep them down. In Book One Bigger starts to realizes that, in a sense, even he has been blind, unable to see whites as individuals rather than a single oppressive mass. Flight- Dehumanization and illusion of freedom The opening of Book Two (Flight), opens up a new phase of Bigger’s life. Mary’s death is the key turning point in the book and in Bigger’s character. In Book One, Bigger is unable to analyze and understand his feelings or behavior. In Flight, Bigger begins to search for his new identity. Flight is an interesting book because we see Bigger’s life threatened by his actions, but he sees his life in a different point of view. His goal is to get away with the murder. Since Bigger’s goal is to get away with murder, he disguises his identity as a poor, uninformed, submissive boy. We start to see that he is manipulating his search for identity to his advantage. The Dalton’s do not suspect that Bigger is the murderer, because they don’t believe that Bigger can’t function as anything else but a chauffeur. In Flight, Bigger uses stereotypes for protection against whites. Earlier, in Fear we portray the alarm clock as a warning about the effects of racial oppression. This is becoming more evident. Bigger does not feel afraid to commit robbery against whites, as we saw in Fear, so he plans to collect ransom from the Daltons. This is working perfect for him, because his role-playing is leading others to believe that Jan committed the murder. Bigger begins to manipulate the anticommunist prejudices. However, this doesn’t play for long, after Jan confronts Bigger and the authorities find that Bigger is murderer of Mary Dalton. At this point, America is furious. America has been bombarding the newspapers, and news with anti-Bigger comments. Bigger is now on the run, and meets with his girlfriend Bessie at an empty apartment to hide. His girlfriend is terrified and paralyzes by fear, so Bigger sees no other option but to get her out of the way. Through Bigger’s flight, we see that his only way, ironically, of feeling complete and in control is through murder. At this point, Bigger’s innocence has been destroyed by racism, thus dehumanizing him. Wright shows Bigger’s dehumanization through the imagery of Mary’s murder. Biggers disposal of Marys body is atrocious, and Wright purposely does not spare any of the details. Wright wants to highlight the severe pain and anger Bigger feels that allows him to become insensitive and inhumane. After Mary’s murder, Bigger feels a sense of clear purpose. Even though Mary’s death was an accident, Bigger tries to convince himself that it was an intentional action, because this murder represents the ultimate rebellion against the white force that has been oppressing him. Fear supports the theme of dehumanization. Bigger Thomas is a product of the oppression in white society that has been caused and maintained through blindness. Dehumanization has caused Bigger to commit inhumane acts, but ironically, gives him an illusion on freedom. Bigger feels that Mary’s death gives him a new life, and self-control. In his eyes, he has become more human, because his life holds a purpose. Bigger feels free and in control of his life. However, this doesn’t remain for long. Fate- redemption Racism has limited Bigger’s prospects in life. The morass of racial discrimination prevented Bigger from feeling comfortable around whites. Because the environment he grew up in portrays whites as sophisticated and blacks as either subservient or savage, Bigger Thomas resented and feared all whites. He felt that the white society is an uncontrollable natural force. The one room apartment in which Bigger, his mother, sister and brother lived in was a tiny, dank, decrepit hole infested with rats owned by Mr. Dalton who was also white. All of these conditions made Bigger incapable to see (Jan, Mary, Mr. Dalton etc. ) as individuals. Bigger Thomas hid behind a wall, not allowing anyone to know and understand his actual feelings towards life and the cycle of racism in Chicago during the 1930s. The hate society brought into Bigger is an unavoidable part of his character. He doubted his own mind after being forced to be bad and live in bad conditions. Bigger tries to hide these emotions to the point where he becomes blind of his own persona. After Mary’s death, he felt empowered and relieved as though he has taken control of his own life and struck against whites. More specifically, it gave him an opportunity to truly evaluate himself in prison and figure out who he was on the inside after he had lost himself. Because he wanted to make his life mean something that he could claim for himself, he did not regret Mary’s murder. In Book Three, Bigger says â€Å"But when I think of why all the killing was, I begin to feel what I wanted, what I am†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (429). He realizes that in order to win the battle of his life on the outside, he must win the one in the inside. From there, he emerges from behind this barrier and begins to examine the world for what it really is. His new mentality gives him power to achieve victory within himself. During his first few days in prison, Bigger does not eat, drink, or talk to anyone. Jan comes to see him, and tells Bigger that he has taught him a lot about black-white relationships and offers him the help of a communist lawyer, Max. Bigger he decides to speak with Max and tells him the story of his life. Max learns about the sufferings and feelings of black people and Bigger learns about himself. He starts understanding his relationships with his family and with the world. He acknowledges his fury, his need for a future, and his wish for a meaningful life. He reconsiders his attitudes about white people, whether they are prejudiced, like Britten, or accepting, like Jan. Max is able to deeply understand Bigger’s emotions. Bigger then realizes that Max and Jan are really trying to help him. Bigger accepts his fate. When Max is leaving, he tells him to â€Å"Tell†¦. Tell mister†¦. Tell Jan hello†¦. † (430). He finally calls him by his first name. He begins to see whites as individuals rather than an intimidating mass of hate. Bigger now perceives himself and others in a way that he hasn’t before. Bigger has redeemed himself. Here, Wright indicates that the inner liberation will only come from within them. Native Son effectively portrays that in Fear, oppression leads to blindness, causing blacks and whites to reject and misunderstand each other. He then portrays in Flight (caused by fear), that oppression leads to dehumanization, causing Bigger to commit actions that gives him the illusion of freedom. Lastly, we see in Flight that his freedom is perhaps only an illusion, and that the only way to come clean and accept things for the way they are is through redemption. It is clear that redemption can only from within through understanding. In the end, Bigger sees himself equal to whites, and has looked past racism. [ 2 ]. Duffus, Matthew. Mississippi Writers Page. 26 January 1999. 12 April 2009 . 3 ]. Duffus, Matthew. Mississippi Writers Page. 26 January 1999. 12 April 2009 . [ 4 ]. Kinnamon, Keneth. The Emergence of Richard Wright. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1945. [ 5 ]. Duffus, Matthew. Mississippi Writers Page. 26 January 1999. 12 April 2009 . [ 6 ]. Kinnamon, Keneth. The Emergence of Richard Wright. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1945. [ 7 ]. Applebee, Flannery. Savannah Morning News. 29 March 2007. 16 April 2009 . [ 8 ]. Note that Double-consciousness is the actual term for the search of a Negro’s identity. This term derived from W. E. B. Dubois.

Police Administration Structures in America Essay

Police Administration Structures in America - Essay Example The principle divergence is in the professional ethos. The early reformers had rallied around the military analogy of conducting a "war on crime." Adoption of the new model of administration structure is viewed as a means of improving the image of police officers and carried with it the more "modest" aim of controlling or preventing rather than defeating crime. The police administration structure is old fashioned based on bureaucratic principles and norms. The pervasive effect of task complexity on structure is highlighted by Newborn (2003). The task is viewed as so complex and variable as to require highly skilled professionals who are able to exercise discretion and interact in a collegial manner and collaborate on solutions. The administration structure that prescribe is spatially differentiated to allow informed neighborhood-level problem identification, and hierarchically undifferentiated to facilitate collegial, participative staff interaction, and has little or no structural specialization (either occupational or functional) in police operations so as to further encourage professional responsibility (Riener, 2000). Span of control, for example, ranges from wide to narrow; number of levels of authority ranges from few to many; degree of centralization in decision-making from low to high; and so on, depending on where the organization is on the organic-mechanistic continuum (Newborn, 2003). These organizational structures are more or less appropriate, depending on the nature of the task and the nature of the community. Mechanistic organizations are better suited to routine tasks performed in stable environments, and that organic organizations are more appropriate when the tasks are less routine and the environments less stable (Riener, 2000). First is the view that the bureaucratic model is presently the dominant form or that police administration organizations tend to be too far out on the bureaucratic end of the continuum.

Research and evaluate the corporate governance arrangements for Essay

Research and evaluate the corporate governance arrangements for SAINSBURY (J) PLC. Present your findings in a business report fo - Essay Example Based on research, a recommendation for potential improvement is provided. 2. The governance structure at Sainsbury Sainsbury maintains a very well-developed, stakeholder-centric corporate governance model following transformational leadership design, one in which corporate social responsibility is reflected recurrently associated with satisfying positive models of human resource management. Fairholm (2009) describes the transformational leadership model as a holistic model in which managers and executives regularly impart corporate mission and vision, open positive lines of communications in a flattened, decentralised hierarchy, and where power distance between board members and mid-tier managers are largely finite. The Board is structured to include three executive-level directors and six non-executive directors, in which there are clear division of authority and responsibility between the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer (Sainsbury 2012). Non-executive board m embers are independent, yet they have diverse and unique corporate experience and education to contribute expert analyses and opinion regarding the establishment of Sainsbury strategic and financial agenda (Sainsbury 2012). Outside of traditional corporate governance activity found in most industries in large organisations, which include finance, operational strategy, risk management and compliance controls, Sainsbury’s board is also structured with subcommittees (Steering Groups), responsible for a wide variety of assessments ranging from corporate social responsibility to stakeholder relationship management imperatives (Sainsbury 2012). The Sainsbury corporate governance model moves beyond traditionalism, following such models as Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand, and has transformed into a holistic system of governance that includes consistent and recurrent emphasis on establishing better stakeholder relationship management. Examples at Sainsbury of this transformational model include a branding steering group, climate change steering groups, community and internal human resources steering groups (Sainsbury 2012). These committees meet annually or bi-annually depending on business imperatives dealing with positive sustainable procurement modelling, improvement of customer service, and employee relationship development (Sainsbury 2012). This diversification in extended corporate governance activities did not, however, occur within a vacuum. Rather, the dynamic and diverse corporate governance activities are a product of business evolution at Sainsbury that has occurred through emergent, historical learning and business repositioning that has occurred over the last decade due to growth in competition and diminished market entry barriers that has changed competitive and investment dynamics. In the early 2000s, Sainsbury realised that the company was gaining more target market loyalty and respect for the Sainsbury brand by emphasising corporate social r esponsibility as a positive brand differentiation scheme. By 2004, Sainsbury had a well-respected reputation for corporate social responsibility, taking an intangible human capital asset and transforming it to a marketable brand personality and identity that gained a great deal of market interest and loyalty. This

Obesity in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obesity in America - Essay Example â€Å"Two out of every three adults are either overweight or obese.† (Obesity in America) Two out of three adults, this is spreading at a very alarming pace and something concrete should be done about this. We put on weight when we consume more calories than we burn, eating anything and everything is fine as long as we are able to burn it but the problem starts when one begins to put on weight, the desire to flex muscles drastically reduce when one starts putting on weight, the person’s stamina takes a toll and he starts feeling lazy, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a plethora of problems which come with obesity; the biggest of them all is overspending. Obese people are prone to spending; they indulge in unwanted fantasies which are both expensive and unhealthy. For instance, a person who loves eating chocolate cakes would never get enough of it and would definitely eat as many as plausible even after knowing the fact that he is obese, this is where self-control comes into play but obese people have no self control which is why they turn obese. Some people may have genetic problem and may be excluded but most others have very little or no self control overall. â€Å"If Americans have such a large problem with their weight, why don’t they do something about it? They are trying. There is much money being spent on obesity in America. Market research firm, Market data, found that Americans spent 59 billion dollars on weight loss in 2008. All of that money spent and only 2 percent of the people who actually lose weight will be able to keep the weight off longer than 5 years.† (Weight Loss Attempts) Weight loss pills are nothing but eyewash, the biggest problem is not being able to stay fit, running thirty minutes a day is more than good enough to be fit. There is another problem, some obese people do get lucky, they shed a little bit of weight by

The Strategy Formulation Framework Tourism Essay

The Strategy Formulation Framework Tourism Essay 2.0 Introduction Chapter 2 will introduce the users about the Methodology used in conducting the research and analysis of the strategies used by Saba Restaurant. The type of methodology used in the conducting this research is The Strategy-Formulation Framework. The purposes of introducing this methodology to the user are to provide the information by which the validity of the research will be ultimately judged. This is to ensure that the team that carries out the research will be able to provide the users with clear and precise descriptions of how the research and analysis was done, and the rationale for the specific key points chosen. In such this will allow the users of the report to carry out similar strategy formulation method to evaluate whether the results are reproducible, and also allow the users to judge whether the results and conclusions are relevant, reliable and valid in the sense that the result will reflect the business natures and it industries. 2.1 Vision and Mission Statement First and foremost for the first part of the Chapter 2, the users will be introduced about the formulation and the evaluation of a companys vision and mission statement. To enable an organization to formulate and implement good alternative strategies, a clear vision and mission statements are needed. This part will be focusing on the concepts and tools needed to evaluate and formulate a good business vision and mission statement. In order to give users a better understanding on vision and mission statement of a business, it is important to focus on the business when it is first started. Vision and mission statements are the resulting written documents which mirrors the basic ideas of the sets of belief about a business. It is crucial for the owner or manager to revise the founding set of beliefs as the business starting to grow. Those new ideas will then be reflected in the revised vision and mission statement. Synergies are said to be achieved when the managers and employees work together to formulate the vision and mission statements for an organization. As a result of such work, the output gained in the form of resultant documents can reflect the personal visions that managers and employees have in their hearts and minds about their own futures. In the end, such shared vision will create commonality of interest within the organization that will motivate both the employees and management to achieve the organizational goal as one. 2.1.1 Vision Statement Evaluation In order to formulate a good vision statement, it is important to involve all the managers and executives in an organization to come out with a common agreed vision that will strives to achieve in the long-term organizational goals. Basically, most of the organizations nowadays have both a vision and mission statement but in order for an organization to operate in long run, the vision statement should be established first and followed by the establishment of the mission statement of an organization. A clear vision statement should be able to answer the question of What do we want to become? Thus, the said vision will able to provide the organisation the foundation for developing a comprehensive mission statement in which that enables an organization to operate effectively and efficiently in the short-run. A vision statement basically is evaluated based on the following characteristics: Should be short and clear, preferably in one sentence; and Should involve as many managers or executives as possible when developing the vision statement. All in all, it is very important to have a clear vision statement before an organization set up its mission statement in order to have a clear view of an organizations long term business operation and to always strive for the vision to achieve desired future position of the company. 2.1.2 Mission Statement Evaluation In order to formulate an effective mission statement, the mission statement should always be broad in scope. The term broad in scope highlight the relationship between specificity and generality of the mission statement. Due to the fact that an overly specificity statement would most likely limit the potential of creative growth for the organization; while an overly generality statement which includes various strategy alternatives could lead to dysfunctional in an organization. Thus, an effective mission statement should be able to answer the question What is our business? As a mission statement reveals an organizations effort in become what they want to be and whom they wish to serve their products and services. A good mission statement will enable the management of an organization in the formulation and consideration of a range of possible alternative objectives and strategies without excessively limiting the management creativity. Besides that, an effective mission statement needs to be reconciliatory so that the organization is able to reconcile the differences effectively among the organizations diverse stakeholders and appeal these differences to them. Nonetheless, a good mission statement should be able to assist organization in identifying the relative attention that it needs to dedicate to meeting the claims and obligations to various stakeholders. The harmony relationship between the specificity and generality of mission statement is usually difficult to achieve, but it is well worth the effort. The following characteristics are what an effective mission statement should have: Broad in scope; do not include monetary amount, numbers percentages, ratios, or objectives Less than 250 words in length Inspiring Identify the utility of a firms products Reveal that the firm is both socially and environmentally responsible Reconciliatory Enduring Include the nine mission statement components Nevertheless, as mission statement is often the most visible and public part of the strategic-management process, it is important that it also includes the nine components which made up of the following: Customers Who are the firms customers? Product/Services What are the firms major products and services? Markets Where does the firm compete (geographically)? Technology Is the firm technologically current? Survival, growth profitability Is the firm committed to growth and financial soundness? Philosophy What are the basic beliefs, values, aspirations and ethical priorities of the firm? Self-concept What is the firms distinctive competence or major competitive advantage? Public image Is the firm responsive to social, community, and environmental concern? Employees Are employees treated as valuable assets of the firm? In conclusion, an effective business mission statement must be able to reflect the judgments about the future growth directions and strategies that are able to achieve an organizations long-term goals and objectives. Besides that, an effective mission statement should provide useful criteria for selecting among alternative strategies and act as a basis for decision making over various strategic option. Thus enable the organization to determine the best alternative strategies to strive for and what type of decisions to be made in order to achieve the organizations goal and objectives. As such, the mission statement should be updated often to stay relevant. 2.2 Strategy-Formulation Framework Chapter 2 Part 2 will be discussing about the Strategy Formulation Framework in details to enable users to understand the nature of the framework and also to understand each stages of strategy formulation framework. Strategic management analysis plays an important role in an organization as it largely involves  managers, executives or strategists in making critical alternative decisions based on objectives information. Users will able to understand the important concepts that help managers, executives or strategist in formulating, evaluating and deciding which alternatives is the best course of action. Factors that will determine the decision of the management in generating alternative strategies are the External Environment Forces and the Internal Environment Forces. Both the External and Internal Environments Forces have strong relationship within organizations, as these forces are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) that the organizations currently have and will be anticipating in the near future. Firstly any changes the External Environment Forces will affect the consumer demand for both industrial and consumer products and services. Nevertheless, the external forces also directly affect both suppliers and distributors. Any changes made in the external force will ultimately alter an organizations effort on the opportunities and threats anticipation. Organizations will able to develop clear mission, develop long-term strategies and develop policies to achieve annual objectives and organizational goals through identifying and evaluating both external opportunities and threats. The external environments forces include the following factors that will be used to evaluate and gather information on organizations opportunities and threats: Key External Forces Demographic Forces Factors comprises of the demographic forces are usually the population demographic such as age, gender race distributions, marriage divorce rates, immigration rate, education systems, education levels, distribution of income wealth, and other factors that will affect the populations demographic Economic Forces These forces mainly consist of factors such as inflation rate, GDP growth rate, unemployment rates, import or export conditions and other factors that will generally affect the economics of the world. Political/Legal Forces Factors which needed to be consider in this forces are the government stability relations with other countries, government spending and taxation policies, industrial policies, laws and regulations on employments, environment protection, foreign trade, duties and tariffs, and other factors that may affect these type of forces. Socio-cultural Forces Socio-cultural forces mainly consists the factors of the social class structure and mobility, the attitudes towards lifestyle trends, work places, consumerism and environmentalism, and other factors in which might affect these type of forces. Technology Forces Factors such as the new discoveries or development in the industry, speed of technological transfer, obsolescence rates within own or related industry, government polices and spending on research, technology changes and others should be considered. Global Forces Global forces mainly consists of factors arises from all other external forces that are in relation to global contexts. Physical Forces Factors that focus on the physical existences and locations of an organization in a specific area will affect its market capabilities. Industry Forces Industry forces mainly comprises of the competitive forces of an organization with all its competitors in the industry. Factors such as the bargaining power of customers suppliers, threat of new competitors substitute products or services and rivalry among existing competitors. Secondly, the Internal Environment Forces will be the organizations Strengths and Weaknesses in the functional areas of business. No organization is equally strong or weak in all areas. Objectives and strategies are established with the purpose of capitalizing the organizations internal strength to overcome the weaknesses. An organization strengths and weaknesses can be seen and evaluated from its effort in marketing, finance, accounting, management, management information system, production or operation and its research development efforts. The internal environment forces include the following factors which will be used to evaluate and gather information on organizations strengths and weaknesses: Key Internal Forces Resources This key internal factor mainly focuses on the organizations internal resources such as materials or other assets that are used to produce economical benefits for the organization. Examples of such factors are the financial resources, human resources, physical resources and other resources that may affect an organizations operation. Capabilities Capability is the ability of an organization to initiate and perform its daily operation. It concern about the ability of an organization to utilize the resources and transform them into future benefits, and to create competitiveness edge over its competitors. Core Competencies Core Competency is reflected as a unique ability that an organization has which cannot be easily imitated that give an organization one or more competitive advantages, in creating and delivering value to its customers in its industry. Then again, the Strategy-Formulation Framework is regarded as important strategy-formulation techniques which are integrated into a three-stage decision-making framework. The tools used in this framework are applicable to all organizations type and able to help strategists formulate, evaluate and select strategies. Stage I: The Input Stage External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) Internal Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix Stage II: The Matching Stage Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) Matrix Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix Internal-External (IE) Matrix Grand Strategy Matrix Stage III: The Decision Stage Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) Table 1 As show in Table 1, Stage 1 of the formulation framework consists of the EFE Matrix, the IFE Matrix and the Competitive Profile Matrix. Being the Input Stage, Stage 1 act as the basic input to summarize the information needed to formulate strategies. This information is largely dependent on the Key External and Internal Forces that managements or strategists have identified and evaluated. Stage 2 which is the Matching Stage, focuses on generating feasible alternative strategies by using the key external and internal factors that have been summarized in Stage 1. Tools in Stage 2 include the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) Matrix, the Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix, the Boston Consultation Group (BCG) Matrix, the Internal-External (IE) Matrix and lastly the Grand Strategy Matrix. Results from Stage 1 and 2 are then be used in Stage 3 to indicate which alternative strategies are the best for the organization in its current state and to achieve long term objectives. Stage 3 also known as the Decision Stage involves a single analytical technique that is designed to determine the relative attractiveness of feasible alternative strategies or actions. Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) uses input information from Stage 1 to objectively evaluate feasible alternative strategies identified in Stage 2. As QSPM will reveals the relative attractiveness of alternative strategies and thus provide an objective basis for selecting specific strategies. Details on all nine techniques of strategy formulation framework will be further discussed in the following part starting from Chapter 2 part 3. 2.3 Stage 1: The Input Stage Stage 1 of the formulation framework consists of the EFE Matrix, the IFE Matrix, and the Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM). As the Input Stage, these three tools basically are the summary of basic input information needed to formulate strategies. The information derived from these three matrixes will provide the basic input information for the Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the framework. 2.3.1 External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix In stage 1, users will be focusing on identifying an organizations internal and external environment factors by using The External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix. EFE Matrix also known as the Industry Analysis focuses on summarizing and evaluating an organizations external environment which covers the industrys economic, social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, governmental, legal, technological, and competitive information. These external environment forces will ultimately affect an organization in making decision on choosing feasible strategies alternatives to meet its long term goal. Table 2 is the example of EFE Matrix. The rest of the page is left blank as intended Key External Factors Weight Rating Weight Score Opportunities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Threats 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Total 1.00 Table 2 Steps in developing EFE Matrix List a total of 16 to 24 key external factors consist of both opportunities and threats that affect an organizations industry which are identified in Chapter 3 External Environment. Information picked should be as specific or objectives as possible, using percentages, ratios and comparative numbers. Assign each factor with a weight that ranges from 0.0 (not important) to 1.0 (very important). Usually opportunities receive higher weights than threats, but if threats are severe or threatening, then it should be given higher weights. The sum of all weights assigned to the factors must equal to 1.0 Assign a rating between 1 and 4 for each key external factor. This is to indicate how an organizations current strategies will effectively respond to these external factors, where 4 = superior response, 3 = above average response, 2 = average response and 1 = poor response. Multiply each factors weight by its rating to determine a weighted score. Sum the weighted score for each variable to determine the total weighted score for chosen organization. Factors includes in EFE Matrix should always be as objective as possible, where factors should be stated in quantitative terms to the extent, rather than being just vague terms. No matter how many numbers of key opportunities and threats included in an EFE Matrix, the maximum or highest possible total weighted score for an organization will always be 4.0 and the minimum or lowest possible total weighted score is 1.0 and an average score of 2.5. Rating above average rating of 2.5 indicates that the organization is taking the advantage of existing opportunity and minimizes the potential threats; rating below 2.5 indicates that an organization is not effectively taking advantage on the external opportunities and also trying to avoid the threat they are facing. As conclusion, the EFE is used to summarize and evaluate the key external opportunities and threats that are beyond the control of the organization. 2.3.2 Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) Other than External Factors Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, Stage 1 also includes the Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) that is used to identify an organizations major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample organizations strategic position. Similar to EFE Matrix, the weights and total weighted scores in CPM have the same meaning and purposes. Illustration of Table 3 will further allow users to understand the calculation and evaluation of a CPM. Company A Company B Company C Critical Success Factors Weight Rating (1-4) Score Rating (1-4) Score Rating (1-4) Score Advertising Product Quality Price Competitive Management Financial Position Customer Loyalty Global Expansion Market Share Total 1.00 Table 3 Critical Success Factors in the CPM include both the internal and external forces issues that make up the factors in the EFE Matrix and IFE Matrix, and thus the ratings for the factors are referred to strengths and weaknesses, whereby 4 =major strength, 3 = minor strength, 2 = minor weakness, and 1 = major weakness. However, these critical success factors are not grouped into opportunities and threats as the ones in the EFE Matrix. The rating and total weighted scores for rival firms can be used to compare the competitive performance to the sample firm. The results from the comparative analysis will provide important internal strategic information. However, users have to aware that they should avoid assigning the same rating to firms included in the CPM analysis. Nonetheless, users should also be reminded that the rating in a CPM are not aiming to arrive at a single number, but rather to integrate and evaluate information that aids in decision making. In conclusion, the CPM is used to identify a firms major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firms strategic position. The rating results from CPM should be used to aid an organization in decision making. 2.3.3 Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix Last technique used in Stage 1 will be the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix. Users will be focusing on constructing IFE to summarize and evaluate on the internal strategic management or the major strengths and weaknesses in the functional area of an organization. When developing IFE Matrix, users are required to use their intuitive judgments. Below is an example of IFE Matrix which is illustrated in Table 4. Key Internal Factors Weight Rating Weight Score Strengths 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Weaknesses 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Total 1.00 Table 4 Steps in developing IFE Matrix List a total of 16 to 24 key internal factors consists of both strengths and weaknesses which are identified in Chapter 3s Internal Environment. Information picked should be as specific or objectives as possible, using percentages, ratios and comparative numbers. Assign each factor with a weight that ranges from 0.0 (not important) to 1.0 (very important). The sum of all weights assigned to the factors must equal to 1.0. Factors being strengths or weaknesses that have the greatest impact on organizational performance should be given the highest weights. Assign a rating of 1 to 4 to each key internal factor. Rating 1 = major weakness, 2 = minor weakness, 3 = minor strengths and 4 = major strengths. Beware that only weaknesses will receive rating 1 to 2; and strength will receive rating 3 to 4. Multiply each factors weight by its rating to determine a weighted score. Sum the weighted score for each variable to determine the total weighted score for chosen organization. Just like EFE Matrix, factors includes in IFE Matrix should always be as objective as possible, where factors should be stated in quantitative terms to the extent, rather than being just vague terms. No matter how many numbers of key internal strengths and weaknesses that are included in an IFE Matrix, the total weighted score can range from a low of 1.0 to a high of 4.0 and an average score of 2.5. Rating above average rating of 2.5 indicates that the organization is internally strong, while rating below 2.5 indicates the organization is internally weak. It is important to user that while developing IFE Matrix, try not to have the financial ratio analysis as key internal factors to be more than 30 percent of the total factors. This is because financial ratios are generally the result of many other factors and thus this may create confusion and disorient the organization in which strategies to be considered based on the financial ratios analysis. In conclusion, the IFE Matrix is used as a technique to summarize and evaluate the key internal strengths and weaknesses of an organization, also to act as a basis for identifying and evaluating the relationship among the key internal factors. By the end of Stage 1, users will now able to understand the use of the three techniques or tools (EFE Matrix, CPM and IFE Matrix) to summarize and evaluating both key internal and external factors of the organizations and its industries. Next part of the Chapter 2 will be focusing on the Stage 2 of the Strategy Formulation Framework which is the Matching Stage.

The Jihad Trap :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

The Jihad Trap    The war America is engaged in after the attacks on the WTC, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania is a war for the hearts and minds of average Muslims around the world. Bin Laden, if indeed he is the mastermind behind the attacks, has set a trap for the US into which it must not fall. By attacking the US as part of a jihad ("a holy war"), Bin Laden is in fact claiming to Muslims to represent their grievances and to represent real Islam. He is in effect saying: "Muslims, I share your grievances unlike your corrupt and authoritarian governments; I am the only one doing something about it. I have destroyed the symbols of American capitalism and stopped the heartbeat of world finance which the US dominates." The US, as well as moderate Muslims the world over, must unite and deny him this symbolic victory and must not accept to engage him in combat on these terms. We should not let him define the terms of our intellectual and symbolic battle. As a professor of Islamic law I have researched the law of jihad and can state unequivocally that the war Bin Laden has engaged us in cannot be labeled a jihad. Furthermore, I believe a strong case can be made that he has acted contrary to the tenets of Islam and can be ostracized from the community of believing Muslims. Moderate Muslims will agree with me, certainly, as they are horrified by this attack and are desperate to have it disassociated from their religion. The West must provide moderate Muslims a way out of Bin Laden's trap. According to Islamic law there are at least six reasons why Bin Laden's barbaric violence cannot fall under the rubric of jihad: 1. Individuals and organizations cannot declare a jihad, only states can; 2. One cannot kill innocent women and children when conducting a jihad; 3. One cannot kill Muslims in a jihad; 4. One cannot fight a jihad against a country in which Muslims can freely practice their religion and proselytize Islam; 5. Prominent Muslim jurists around the world have condemned these attacks and their condemnation forms a juristic consensus (ijma`) against Bin Laden's actions. This consensus renders his actions un-Islamic; 6. The welfare and interest of the Muslim community (maslaha) is being harmed by Bin Laden's actions and this equally makes them un-Islamic.

Counselling Theory Essay

In this essay I will describe key elements of Psychodynamic theory, Person-Centred theory and Cognitive-Behavioural theory. I will also identify the key differences between the above theories. I shall also describe how counselling theory underpins the use of counselling skills in practise. I will then end with my conclusion.Key Elements of Psychodynamic TheoryDr Sigmud Freud (1856-1939), is the founder of the psychodynamic approach. Dr Sigmud Freud believed that childhood experiences and unconscious thoughts had an effect on people’s behaviour. Psychodynamic counselling refers to the inner most deepest unconscious traumas and conflicts of the person’s mind. According to Jacobs, 2010, p.4â€Å"Psychodynamic counselling has more variations then many people realise.† Psychodynamic counselling was developed from psychoanalytic theory. Its main purpose is the client’s self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on present behaviour. As a way o f freud understanding people’s thoughts and motivations he introduced the idea of distinct psychosexual stages. The psychosexual stages are oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital.Dr Sidmud Freud saw human behaviour as a result of give and take between three parts of the psyche (personality). The three parts are the id which is pleasure, too much of everything and instance gratification. The ego is the sensible side of us and try’s to find ways of satisfying the id in a way that the super ego will agree with, and that is also in line with reality. The super ego is the moral part of the psyche; its punitive comes from our parents, teachers and society. It uses anxiety and guilt to prevent us from acting on the id’s impulses. According to Jacobs, 2010, p.8â€Å"Freud used the terms Id, Ego and Super-ego to illustrate his ‘map’ of the internal relations within the psyche.† In the psychodynamic approach clients are encouraged to ‘transferà ¢â‚¬â„¢ feelings they have toward important figures they have in their lives. Onto what they call the analyst in a process called ‘transference’. Success of this approach often depends on both the counsellor and client and how well they work together.1.2 Describe key elements of person centred theoryCarl Ranson Rodgers (1902-1987), was the founder of the humanistic approach. Most counselling courses use Rodgers as their bases. The core conditions are the frame work of Rodger’s work. The first key element of person centred counselling is empathy. Empathy means to understand and share the feelings of another. According to Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p.64â€Å"A state of profound contact and engagement between two people, in which each person is fully real with the other, and able to understand and value the other’s experiences at a high level†. The second key element of person centred counselling is congruence. Congruence means to be genuine and transpar ent for the counsellor to be themselves within a counselling relationship without putting up fronts that prevent them revealing their true self.The third key element of person centred counselling is unconditional positive regard, including prizing. This means the counsellor accepts the clients unconditionally and non-judgementally. Within the frame work of the person centred approach to counselling, the client is given the knowledge of the power and tools they already possess to take responsibility for their own lives and health. Great emphasis is placed upon the importance of the relationship between the counsellor and the client and firmly disregards the concept of the counsellor as an expert who knows all the answers to the client’s issues in life. Carl Rodgers has taught us that given the right conditions, anyone and everyone are more than capable of fulfilling their true potential, this is called self-actualising. According to Mearns and Thorne, 2007, p.49â€Å"Empathy should not be confused with sympathy.†1.3 Describe key elements of cognitive-behavioural theoryAaron Temkin Beck, M.D (1921-present), developed his approach called cognitive therapy in the 1960’s. Cognitive-behavioural theory (CBT) is a kind of psychotherapeutic treatment that enables patients to comprehend the thoughts and feelings that control their behaviours. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is more frequently used to treat an extensive range of disorders such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is widely short-term and concentrates on enabling clients to deal with very particular problems.Often six weeks to six months sessions of course depending upon the problem it is pacifically goal directed and places great weight upon self-help as a long term coping tool that the client can take away with them and successfully use. Cognitive-behavioural therapy believes that clients can learn the wrong ways of developing and making sense of information during their cognitive development. This can often lead to distortions in the way they identify reality, it’s the job of the therapist to enable them to work this out. According to Dryden, 2007, p.299â€Å"Cognitive therapy first came to the attention of British psychologists and psychiatrists through the pioneering work of the British researchers who sought to evaluate the efficacy of Beck’s treatment for depression.† Cognitive-behavioural theory can be used on a one to one basis or in a group setting. It is said that in order for cognitive-behavioural therapy to be effective, the client needs to be ready and willing to devote time and effort analysing their thoughts and feelings.1.4 Identify the key differences between the above theoriesCognitive-behavioural theory’s main purpose is on the awareness cause for negative behaviours has and transforming them through a course of self-help. This treatment is a brief course. Person-centred theory observes that becau se the clients had not been given the opportunity to experience the right conditions during development to be able to self-actualise, the clients problem branch from this.The person-centred counsellor endeavours to recreate these core conditions within a safe therapeutic relationship. This type of therapy usually lasts for a few years. One huge difference between humanistic counsellors and other therapist is that they refer to those in therapy as â€Å"clients† not patients. Psychodynamic theory is based on  the concept of the relationship between the three different fabrics of the psyche â€Å"personality†, psychodynamic therapy is long term. It draws attention to the unconscious and seeks to advance the clients conscious power over their lives.The three theories have their differences for instances cognitive-behavioural therapy is a short-term therapy is usually given to clients free on the NHS and is one of the cheapest hence the reason the NHS provide it. Person- centred therapy is in the middle it cost a lot more then cognitive-behavioural therapy and the timescale for the therapy is considerably longer. Psychodynamic therapy takes a number of years and is the most expensive of the three. According to Dryden, 2010, p.78â€Å"The therapist is confined to listening and interpreting the material brought by the client.†2.1 How counselling theory underpins counselling skillsThe backbone of counselling theory is developing a good rapport with your client. Theory gives the counsellor the professional frame work, guidance and knowledge to be able to enable their clients. This in turn gives the client the reassurance and confidence to build an effective therapeutic relationship (working alliance) with their counsellor. It ensures that a professional frame work is in place to enable the client the freedom to explore very traumatic and disturbing experiences ethically and safely. When a counsellor has a good understanding of the theory they can better provide the therapy their client deserves.They can understand their clients and their experiences comprehend why a client may behave in a certain way or feel the way they do. Having this knowledge better helps the counsellor to know what direction they should take with the material provided by the client. The task of undergoing counselling training teaches a counsellor extensive but vital significant skills for instances by using unconditional positive regard (U.P.R), you are accepting the client for who they are no matter what they may have done or said in their lives. Accepting the client as they are good and bad traits. This is exercised by the counsellor to enable the client to establish self-regard, self-worth. Also part of the counsellors frame work is it is absolutely compulsory to take their material from their session to their supervisor.The supervisor will enable the  counsellor to gain a better understanding and knowledge of their sessions and also work through any transference the counsellor maybe experiencing. Also the supervisor ensures the counsellor is able to counsel as of course the counsellor is human and maybe experiencing difficulties in their personal lives. The supervisor will ask about the theory used following the questions used at this point the counsellor is able to reflect upon their skills and theory. A counsellor will be able to understand what they are doing and able to explain their methods if they have a good concept of theory. According to Dryden, 2010, p.530â€Å"Theory and techniques specific to the therapy approach being learned. In most types of training this is a major component but, as has been proposed, the well-educated therapist needs to consider the range of approaches.†ConclusionIn my essay I have considered the three different theories. There are vital differences between the three theories but equally there are also comparability’s. The main frame work of all the theories are to enable peop le to change so they can understand and appreciate themselves and ultimately have power over their lives, behaviours, feeling and attitudes in all the therapies it is said that this can be accomplished through talking and self-analysing.Through writing this essay I have learnt that I would like a mix of the person-centred and psychodynamic therapy. All three theories have their worth and value and I found it fascinating learning about them more intensely. While most people would say that the issues such as finance and time would be a factor, I believe one of the main issues would also be the willingness of the client for change and self-growth.

To colon or to semicolon - Emphasis

To colon or to semicolon To colon or to semicolon The colon is a common cause of bellyache. The semicolon can leave people dazed and confused. But rather than cutting them completely from your punctuation diet, refer to the following guidelines and youll soon find just the right dosage for all your writing needs. The colon The colon is very useful for introducing things, for example: * bullet points * lists within your text, eg I learned three things from this article: how to use colons, how to use semicolons, and that the writer liked extended metaphors. * long, indented quotes. It can also act like an arrow, pointing the reader on from a statement to the reason for, or outcome of, that statement. For example: she was elated to know what those two little dots were for: she started using them with confidence and glee. The system here always implies a link between the two sections, and can be generally summed up as: * cause: effect, or * fact: explanation. In UK English, always use lower case after a colon. (American style guides usually recommend the opposite.) The only exception is if you are introducing bullet points that are each full sentences. The semicolon Think of the semicolon as the super comma: they act in a similar way, but indicate a longer pause. They can also be used to show a link between parallel ideas. Use them to separate long phrases in a list when at least one of the phrases contains a comma, eg My favourite mediums for writing semicolons are: crayons; 2B pencils; fountain pens, in blue or black; and, obviously, huge magic markers. Semicolons are also good for linking two related clauses. In this way, the semicolon replaces the word and or but eg I prefer the explanation about colons; Denise prefers the semicolon section. So dont be afraid: used fairly sparingly, these two punctuation marks can bring much more clarity and variety to your documents. Bon appà ©tit!

Antilegalization Of Marijuana Essays - Drug Control Law, Free Essays

Antilegalization Of Marijuana Essays - Drug Control Law, Free Essays Antilegalization Of Marijuana Dear Congressman, I am honored to be writing to you on such a significant topic of national concern. Average citizens are annoyed and just plain fatigued with the drugs and crime problems in America. These upright citizens, that contribute to the growth of American society, are being told that legalization is a reasonable alternative to dealing with these problems in their communities. Legalization of any drug is not a positive way to fight crime. In fact, there is no legitimate reason to legalize drugs. The Legalization of marijuana is the starting point of the pro-legalization of drugs movement. The issue of legalizing marijuana is truly a controversial one, and certainly one that requires a plethora of considerations at the top levels of the legislative branch. When considering the possibility of legalizing marijuana as a recreational drug, there are a number of concerns that come to mind. Is marijuana physically harmful to the user? Is marijuana an addictive drug? Does the use of marijuana lead to dependency situations? Does it act as gateway to more hazardous drugs? Does the notion of legalizing marijuana send an immoral, wrong message to the youth of America? Mr. Congressman, the answer to all these questions is YES. According to the DEA (1998), the supreme ruler of drug knowledge in America, there are over 10,000 scientific studies that prove marijuana is a harmful and addictive drug. Yet there is no reliable study that proves marijuana has any medical value. Marijuana is an unstable mixture of over 425 chemicals, which when smoked are converted to over thousands. Most of these are toxic, psychoactive chemicals which are unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths. Marijuana leads to many different consequences depending on the personality and general characteristics of the individual using the drug. These may include, but are not limited to: premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, mental disorders, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general unconcern of life, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, and impairment to the immune system. Marijuana is currently up to 25 times more potent than it was in the 1960's, which makes the drug even more addictive. In 1994, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug: highly addictive with no medical usefulness. Marijuana is a harmful substance. The use of marijuana for the purposes of intoxication leads to a number of serious health risks. Research has proven that marijuana damages short term memory, distorts perceptions, impairs complex motor skills, alters the heart rate, can lead to severe anxiety, and can cause paranoia and lethargy. A condition called Amotivational syndrome take places after chronic use. It is defined by Dr. Harry Avis (1996), professor of psychology as, a condition characterized by a lack of ambition or desire to succeed, presumed to be the result of smoking marijuana. As reported in The Medical Journal of Australia, Marijuana causes birth defects, fetal damage, lung cancer, long-term impairment of memory, schizophrenia, suppression of the immune system, and even leukemia in the children of marijuana-smoking mothers (Nahas & Latour, 1992). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (1996) reported that the chemicals found in marijuana smoke suppresses the neurons in the information-processing system of the hippocampus. This is the part of the brain that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivation. Marijuana, should it be legalized, would ruin many Americans' abilities to learn, and would abruptly decay the development and progress of the American Society. Marijuana is dangerous, and it is more dangerous than it ever has been. The federal Drug Abuse Warning Network, or DAWN, claims that recent statistics show increases in the number of patients mentioning marijuana in hospital emergency rooms (The Marijuana Debate Goes On, 1998). Inexperienced users may suffer acute anxiety the first time they use it. This could be a direct result of the increase in potency of marijuana. Growers have access to the latest agricultural technologies and scientific methods which enable them to grow more powerful marijuana. Growers have become extremely sophisticated about developing varieties of marijuana with high concentrations of THC (Is Marijuana Dangerous? Is It Addictive?, 1995). THC, or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is one of the 400 chemicals in marijuana. It accounts for most of marijuana's psychoactive, or mind-altering, effects (Facts About Marijuana and Marijuana Abuse, 1996). The levels of THC found in the modern drug markets' marijuana are much higher than they have ever been. The concentration of THC will keep increasing in the future. This directly leads to more and stronger addictions to marijuana. One argument that the pro-legalization movement pleads is that

Enterprise Finance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Enterprise Finance - Coursework Example These shares are exceptionally risky. The advantages of ordinary shares are: 1) If there are good profits, dividends are paid at a higher rate. 2) Share value goes up in the stock market, increases profits. 3) Shares can be straightforwardly sold in the stock market. 4) Shareholders have a say in company management. 5) Capital raised by issuing of shares is not required to be paid back during company lifetime. 6) Regarding payment of dividends on shares the company is not liable. The demerits of ordinary shares are: 1) Uncertainty in dividend payment, shareholders get bonuses only when the company is making profits. 2) There is share prices speculation especially when bonus paid by the company is high. 3) Over-capitalization danger from miscalculation of long-term financial requirements. 4) There is a high degree of risks for the equity shareholders for instance, if the company is winding up, they are the last to be refunded. The other shares are preference shares. Preference shareho lders enjoy several rights over ordinary shareholders; they receive a bonus at a fixed rate and regularly, capital is given back in case of wounding up of the company this means they are paid before ordinary shareholders. Preference shares are safe comparing with ordinary ones. From the above information, we can now easily differentiate between equity and preference shares. In preference shares, issuing of shares is not compulsory compared to equity shares where issuing of the shares is compulsory. In preference shares, paying of bonus are done before equity shareholders while, in equity shares, the shareholders are paid only preference shareholders. In case of closing up of a company, preference shareholders are refunded their capital before the equity shareholders, while the equity... The disadvantages are: 1) Uncertainty: in order for a company to attract public to deposit their savings, it should have a credit rating that is high. Certain financial problems may arise from sudden deposits withdrawals. 2) Lack of security: there are no charges on the concerned assets by the public. Therefore, there is a risk in depositing savings with a company that is not very sound. 3) Obstruction of capital-market growth: lack of capital-market growth deprives the investor and the company good security benefits. This comes from more and more incoming deposits with the company hence less security investment. 4) Over–capitalization: this source of finance may lead to raising of more currency than is needed. This will lead a company to get involved in speculative activities or may be unable to put the funds to best use. The fifth long-term source is, borrowing from banks. This involves acquiring of loans from banks and financial institutions. Lending between a bank and organization is dependent on trust and understanding amongst the two. Banks give loans for more than a year. Banks give funds to small-scale units. Long-term borrowing from banks has some merits: 1) Flexible in nature this is seen when loans are repaid when the need is met. 2) Availability of finance for a definite period thus no burden. 3) Secrecy by banks on its clients’ financial operations. 4) Saves time and cost compared to shares and debentures. 5) No interference of internal affairs by the bank hence company control is retained by management. Demerits of borrowing from banks are as follows: 1) When borrowing, personal guarantee or assets pledge is required, and an organization cannot raise more loans on these assets.

Management Accounting & Activity Based Costing Essay

Management Accounting & Activity Based Costing - Essay Example production process encompasses various activities such as operation of machines, maintaining the machinery, as well as supervising the production process. Operators operate the machines; maintenance mechanics perform the machine set ups and maintain machines when molding and the supervisors provide supervision for the maintenance mechanics and machine operators. Other activities include building, administration and sales. The resources used include energy for the set-up and molding process by the molding machines. Machines consume 6.3KW of energy on an hourly basis. Also, other consumable shop supplies like lubricants and hoses form the major resources within the company. A cost driver refers to characteristics of events or activities which results in business incurring costs. Activity based costing have the products consuming activities and the activities consume the resources (Kallunki& Hanna 2008, p. 62-79). In the case study above, the production process has the number of orders and number of set up machines as the cost drivers.The Cost drivers for machine operation include the number of the operators and machines available. Machine maintenance cost drivers include the number of machines to be maintained and the number of technicians. The supervision cost drivers include the number of supervisors and number of people to supervise. Cost drivers for the building include insurance and rent costs. Number of machine hour in production may be used in calculating the rate of machine hour relating to repair, depreciation and maintenance processes. Also, the production process will have the number of inspections as the cost drivers. In making of the product, inspection for quality evaluation requires the appointment of experts who consume money in terms of salary, travel, electricity, as well as the depreciation of the equipment. The overheads may be calculated based on the number of tests. Each batch requires 4 tests, and suppose the available batches are 200,