Ethics and the digital divide and what should I as a security Research Paper

Ethics and the digital divide and what should I as a security professional be concerned with - Research Paper Example 5). Due to this, information can be easily misused and important ethics breached with little restriction. Thus, there is the need for controls and ethics to reduce challenges to information security. Most businesses attain information security through the institution of controls. Corporate governance rules require that the people running organizations, viz. the board of directors and top managers, institute controls and ensure they are working (Nnolim, 2007, p. 69). Information security is one of the core controls that managers need to employ. As a requirement by law, public companies need to appoint external auditors to undertake a thorough audit of the systems, operations and financial transactions of business and pass an opinion on the truth and fairness of the accounts and systems (Millichamp, 2011, p. 2). Most private companies are required to conduct external audits by important stakeholders such as banks. Information security falls under the core areas of statutory or external audits. This is governed by the Generally Accepted Accountancy Practice (GAAP) rules of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Apparently, there is a strong connection among information security, increment in information security risks which comes with the bridging of the digital divide, corporate governance and statutory audit. This paper will examine the role of information security professionals in controlling risks in a period of fast IT growth and the role of corporate governance and statutory audit in ensuring that those systems are working. In attaining this end, the following objectives will be met: This section will define the core concepts that are being reviewed in this study. This will set the framework for further analysis of the interconnectedness of the different concepts and how they work together to support organizations to keep running. According to Nnolim (2007, p. 4), ISO defines Information

The Best Way for Women to Survive Essay Example for Free

The Best Way for Women to Survive Essay â€Å"I hope that she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool†, Daisy says in the book The Great Gatsby written by F.Scott Fitzerald (20). In her mind, to be foolish is the best way to survive in the 1920’s in America, an era when women are not treated as fairly as men. Based on Nick’s narration, Daisy is an extraordinarily charming, desirable, but careless and selfish character who is married to a wealthy and, powerful, young man named Tom Buchanan. Daisy breaks the promise with Gatsby, as a smart and subtle woman, who only concerns herself with her own benefits. However, she acts superficially as a poor fool since she always lives in her own illusion, and doesn’t know what is she really wants. When Daisy confronts a situation that she needs to make choices between things, she always runs away from them and prefers to keep everything unchanged and controlled, in order to get rid of the pressure, insecurity and conflicts in her deep inside. None but a fool would do such a thing since everyone knows that nothing lasts forever. To marry Tom is what Daisy has to do because she is tired of waiting, waiting for Gatsby to come back. She feels satisfied and secured when she decides to marry Tom. However, on the night before her wedding, Daisy pulls out â€Å"a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars†, and wants Jordan â€Å"tell’em all Daisy’s change her mine†, and she â€Å"cried and cried† (91, 92). Finally, â€Å"the pearls were around her neck and the incident was over† only â€Å"half an hour later† (92). After Daisy receives a letter from Gatsby, she does try to change her mind for Gatsby. However, this sudden letter breaks Daisy’s plan. Daisy can’t accept this change because she wants a steady life out of her illusion, which is in her control. As a result, she is married to Tom to finish what she plans to. After the marriage, even though Daisy suffers from the betrayal and abandonment from Tom, she still stays with him. She puts her real feelings away and walks into her â€Å"well-designed†Ã‚  illusory world. For instance, when Tom receives a call from his mistress, he goes inside to pick up the call without a world, Daisy then â€Å"suddenly threw her napkin on the table and excused herself and went into house† (17). In other words, Daisy clearly knows the affair of her husband. She just buries her miserable emotion inside and doesn’t complain. Moreover, on the day when Daisy’s daughter is born, Tom is â€Å"God knows where† (20). This implies one of the causes why Daisy feels â€Å"cynical† about everything and becomes more careless (19). It is torturing that her husband does not stay with her even on the day her daughter was born but what Daisy does is just turning away her head and weeping hopelessly. There is no doubt that Daisy understands her marriage is based on the money. She doesn’t gain happiness even though she gets her so called security and wealth from Tom. Ironically, she pretends that everything is going well and doesn’t face the problems in her life. Isn’t she a fool? Apparently, she just tries to obtain what would make her life easier, without realizing what she really wants. Daisy knows about her life as a certain way: calm and stable. Therefore, she would never choose Gatsby before she met Tom nor after her marriage. When Gatsby requires Daisy to tell Tom she never loves Tom, Daisy cried to Gatsby, â€Å"You want too much. I love you now—isn’t that enough?† (158). The word â€Å"cried† vividly exhibits how scared and nervous Daisy is at that time, which also reveals that she doesn’t even know how to deal with the problems that happens beyond her illusion. Additionally, she â€Å"sobs helplessly† and says to Gatsby, â€Å"I did love him once—but I loved you too† (159). To keep her marriage with Tom and affair with Gatsby at the same time definitely is a silly, bad idea, which foreshadows that Daisy would have chosen one of them eventually. What’s more, Daisy runs away with Tom after the car accident. After all Gatsby is the one who takes the blame of killing for Daisy, but she neither calls Gatsby nor goes to his funeral. Once again, from the beginning to the end, Daisy never thinks about to elope with Gatsby because she can’t accept the truth: the appearance of Gatsby is about to ruin her life which is supposed to be stable. Daisy realizes that she is living in her illusion, but she is still unwilling to face the truth. After struggling with the conflicts in her mind, she always chooses to escape from the reality. She gets what she wants from Tom, but at the expense of losing her morality and the ability and right of enjoying the true love and pursuing  what she wants. As a woman living in 1920s when women are tend to be ignored, Daisy’s destiny can be said as a misery, or tragedy. When Daisy is being lured to go away from husband and family by Gatsby, her marriage is put into the edge and, she is blamed for the affair. Being a product for which the men are fighting further emphasizes that, Daisy’s sadness and all her careless, foolish actions are resulted from the cruel society. From all of Daisy’s sufferings, it is not hard to understand that why she says she wants her daughter to be a little fool at the beginning of the book. Truly, only being a fool can she avoid herself from a ll the unnecessary problems. Work Cited Fitzgerald, F S. The Great Gatsby. 1st ed. Toronto, Ontario: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, Print.

tupac :: essays research papers

You are here: Home > Free Papers Search For Papers... --->BiographiesBusinessLiteratureHealthHistoryMythologyPhilosophyPoliticsPsychologyReligionSciencesSocial IssuesTechnology----------------Custom Papers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tupak Shakur / Tupac Shakur (a.k.a. 2pac) DOB: June 16, 1971 – Brooklyn, NY DOD: September 13, 1996 – Las Vegas, NY Height: 5’10 Weight: 168 Mother: Afeni Shakur Father: William Garland Step Father: Jeral Wayne Williams Half Sister: Sekyiwa Shakur Half Brother: Maurice Harding Godfather: Elmar â€Å"Geronimo† Pratt Music Group: One Nation Emcees, Two From The Crew, Strictly Dope, Digital Underground, Thug Life, Outlaw Immortalz/ Outlawz Aliases: MC New York, 2pac, Makeveli Martial Status: Divorced (Keisha Morris) & Engaged (Kidida) What does it take to be an icon of the 21st century? An icon is a symbol representing what a person did to be admired by many people and achieved many things rarely an ordinary person can do. I would consider Tupac to be an icon of the 21st century because he became a living symbol of his generations to many hip-hop and rap fans all over the world. He was the son of Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland. At his teens, his family moved to Baltimore, MD. He attended The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts and studied acting and ballet. At this school, the teachers had an impression of Tupac that he had an outstanding potential. Unfortunately, he had to move to Oakland, CA with his family and that was when he began to, as Tupac called it, â€Å"Hang with the wrong crowd.† As a true icon of the 21st century, Tupac had many great qualities and was very humble because he grew up in the poorest part of the city and he knew the feeling of being poor. After all of his success he never in any way try to flaunt about his wealth and that he showed strength not by money but by the words he sang and wrote. Tupac Shakur can be characterized as a rapper, an actor and a great personality. One of the greatest aspects that create Tupac is his great talent of being a great rapper. Baltimore was the city where Tupac really began getting into the art of emceeing. In Baltimore, at the age of fourteen, Tupac was known as MC New York. In California, he joined the rap group Digital Underground to learn the ropes of the hip-hop industry, and became the dancer for the crew. A year later, Tupac finally recorded a song with Digital Underground called, â€Å"Same Song.† Not long before the group received award-winning success, Tupac came out with his own album called, â€Å"2pacalypse Now†, which was also a success.

Islam and Freud

Lubna Rehman Freud’s Dream Interpretation in the Light of Islamic Dream Ideas Questions about dreams, about why do we have them and what do they mean are questions that have been a subject of debate for centuries. On the one hand we have scientists who believe that we dream for  physiological  reasons alone and that dreams are essentially mental nonsense devoid of psychological meaning: â€Å"A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. † The idea that dreams are nothing more than â€Å"meaningless biology†. On the other hand we have a coalition of Freudians which includes Dr.Fleiss who found his dream interpretations â€Å"quite accurate† and other dream analyzers who committed to the view that we dream for  psychological  reasons and that dreams always contain important information about the self or some aspects of one's life which can be extracted by various methods of interpretation. This camp says that â€Å"an uninter preted dream is like an unopened letter. † The third camp is the one occupying the middle ground, that believes both of the extreme positions on the function and meaning of dreams to be partly right and partly wrong.Its proponents such as Alfred Adler argue that dreams may have both physiological and psychological determinants, and therefore can be either meaningful or meaningless, varying greatly in terms of psychological significance. Allan Hobson was also for a psychological meaning of dreams but he thought no need to lock it under layers of secretive subconscious meanings. The fourth and another important camp about dreams in the Muslim faith. In the Qur’an, as in the Jewish Torah and the Christian New Testament, dreams serve as a vital medium by which God communicates with humans.Dreams offer divine guidance and comfort, warn people of impending danger, and offer prophetic glimpses of the future, offer a valuable source of wisdom, understanding, and inspiration. Sa tan also plays a major role in dreams by bestowing dreams that cause grief or even purely sexual dreams (unlike Freud’s sexual ‘interpretation’) which requires the dreamer to take a bath. Trying to cover up the cultural chasm between Islamic and Western traditions, this paper is an attempt to highlight and contrast the Islamic and Freudian ideas of dream interpretation.The simple fact is that all humans dream, and thus dreaming itself is a bridging phenomenon between the two traditions. Freud thought that the function of dreams was to allow the release of repressed thoughts and impulses which cause excitation in neural activity. The only way that the wish could be subdued is by the release of the â€Å"nervous energy† that was caused by it. Also, Freud noted that â€Å"though the number of symbols is large, the number of subjects symbolized is not large. In dreams those pertaining to sexual life are the overwhelming majority†¦They represent the most primitive ideas and interests imaginable. † Therefore, the same â€Å"dream symbol† meant that they both had the same repressed wish. | Part of what made people skeptical about Freudian theories is this notion of universal dream symbolism. That is, if two people have the same visual imagery in a dream, is it the case that it has the same meaning? Some scientists dismiss the notion of  meaning  all together. | Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley, two Harvard University scientists stressed that the motivating force for dreaming is not  psychological  but  physiological.Muslims on the other hand have been paying close attention to their dreams for nearly 1500 years, and their insights and observations have many significant points of contact with the theories developed by Western psychologists over the past 150 years. With the very definition of who the Islamic interpreters of dreams are, Muslims can discard the very existence of Freud’s ideas. Sunnah says tha t the interpreters of dreams are either Prophets or their followers. Or else, they have to be good, pious and knowledgeable people who know the Quran, the sunnah, Arabic language and the culture and tradition of the people.Like Islam, even though Freud did look at the content, significance, purpose, the person, his people, state, job and livelihood; Freud limited his growth when he theorized that personality is developed by the person’s childhood experiences. He was always sure about his disbelief in religion. He actually envisaged that as the masses of people become further educated, they would ‘turn away’ from the ‘fairy tales of religion. ’   Carl Jung, a contemporary of Freud took an exception.He wrote, â€Å"Freud has unfortunately overlooked the fact that man has never yet been able singlehanded to hold his own against the powers of darkness — that is, of the unconscious. Man has always stood in need of the spiritual help which each i ndividual’s own religion held out to him. † Jung agrees with Freud that dreams may look backward to past experiences, but he argues that dreams also look forward to anticipate what the dreamer's future developments may be . Jung did not mean that dreams predict the future, only that dreams can suggest what might happen, what possibilities the future might hold.Hence, Carl Jung, a totally opposite pole of Freud and a non-deliberate support to Islam, believes in the â€Å"religious man† unlike to Freud who believed in the â€Å"psychological man†. Freud’s perception of dreams seems so much influenced by secularism and so he seems to approach dreams from a materialistic point of view. To him, unlike Islam, dreams represent purely material meanings and the characteristics of dream life are a disconnected activity of separated organs or groups of cells in a sleeping mind. Freud took dreams to be like phobias and obsessions.He classified dreams into wishf ul thinking, being aggressive or sexual and considered most of the symbols that appear in dreams to be sexual which represent the male or female sexual organs. As can be seen in the book â€Å"Interpretation of Dreams†, all kind of playing, slipping, breaking branches etc were all symbols of masturbation according to him and breaking of teeth was something symbolic to castration. He observed that these symbols are â€Å"a sort of substitute for the thought process, full of meaning and emotion†. Where he interprets a lock and key to be a sexual act, the Hadith interprets it to be a symbol of wealth, power and authority.Where he thinks of a knot to be another sexual act, a knot according to Islamic dream interpretation symbolizes grief. Unfastening of the knot symbolizes a freedom from grief. So, even though one can agree with him that these symbols carry a lot of meanings but one can also disagree with him on the kind of the meaning that they carry. It is not always tru e that all the dream symbols would carry the same message of aggressiveness and sexuality. Looking at our normal life and the dreams that we get from time to time it is not true that all of them fall under these categories as Freud claims.Some dreams reveal more important messages to an individual or to society. Logically speaking, human beings are different and so they think differently, therefore, even their dreams, which may be representing another world of creation, must be of different kinds and each dream by necessity must have a different message that it carries. Therefore, Freud’s allegation that most dreams are sexual is not acceptable. Nevertheless, his division of dreams into simple and complex is acceptable. Islam’s disagreement with him lies in, among other things, the way he describes the simple dreams, which he called â€Å"wish ulfillments category†. In his words he elaborated this category by saying â€Å"these are connected with day time life. The wishes, which are fulfilled in them, are carried over from daytime and as a rule from the day before, and in waking life they have been accompanied by intense emotion†. It is also not true that all the simple dreams are carried over from daytime and it therefore follows that not all of them are wish fulfillments of a dreamer. Furthermore, his rule of such dreams coming from the day preceding the dream is also not true to all the dreams of this kind.An example to illustrate this will be of a dream analyst who was sent to Africa on a government mission. He confirmed that as much as he wished in his trip to East Africa to have a dream on Africans, he was not successful in the period of some months he spent with them. In Islam dreams are taken to be of great significance. They are not merely a matter of wild recollections of one’s activities in his alertness that may resurface to someone in his sleep; rather they are a form of connection of the soul in its spirituality with the other unseen world.This can be easily observed in our daily activities or even in something as least-considered as clothes which do have spiritual connotations. For example a woman wearing silk clothes in her dream implies her getting married, acquiring wealth or even a ceremony of some forthcoming mourning. This clearly proves how dreams, as against Freud’s theory, do have religious and not just materialistic links. In Surah Al-Ana’m, the Holy Quran says, â€Å"He is the One who takes up your souls at night, and knows what you earned during the day, then raises you from it (sleep), so as to complete the time fixed (for you to live)†.Surah Al-Zumr says, â€Å"God captures the souls at the time of death as well as those whose time has not yet arrived, in sleep. Then He keeps back those whose death has been decreed and sends back for an appointed time, the others†. Hence, in disagreement with Freud, Islam sees a complete connection with God while dreaming. Where in Islam the dream is related to the truthfulness of the dreamer, Freud’s theory proves it to be the preceding day’s affair; where Freud believed dreams to only gratify unconscious desires and longings, Islam showcases them as a glimpse into the future, a hint or sometimes even a warning.Being irreligious, and especially a non-Muslim, Freud did very little for the dream-theory propounded by different religions. Though his â€Å"Interpretation of Dreams† presents an unprejudiced and almost unerring analysis of dreams, it includes only a few types of dreams. It gives us a mixture of different kinds of fallacious dreams while totally ignores the veracious dreams because veracious dreams have almost nothing to do with one’s psyche; and were, therefore, totally unknown to psychologists like Freud.Also, since the future is more important than the past of a dreamer, he would definitely prefer Islamic Hermeneutics in order to know about his future . Where Freudian Hermeneutics is the product of the researches/studies of one individual, in the Western context, in the ‘Modern’ post-Renaissance period; Islamic Hermeneutics represents a divinely revealed system incorporating the entire structure of human existence in this world and the next, which is in itself detailed, complete and traditionally active since many centuries in various parts of the Islamic world.

Free Trade and Poor Countries

Why free trade is in the interest of the world’s poorest countries Free trade has been a much discussed topic since the 1770s, when Adam Smith presented his theory on trade and absolute advantages. Most sources argue that free trade will benefit the poor nations in the long run (Anderson et al. 2011; Bussolo et al. 2011; Madely 2000; Winters et al. , 2004). How-ever, the size of the benefits will vary in terms of which trade reforms are made, who the poor are, and how they support themselves (Winters et al. 2004).The purpose of this paper is to discuss why and how free trade is in the interest of the world’s poorest countries. The essay will commence by a description of the traditional trade theories, followed by a discussion of the advantages and the im-pact free trade has on the poorest nations including different theories and findings. There are two classic elements in the definition of trade. The first is Adam Smith’s rule of ‘mutual gain’, asses sing that for two countries trading with each other both must gain.Furthermore Adam Smith argues that trade is based on ‘absolute advantages’, which means that free trade will benefit all nations, if they specialise in producing the goods in which they are most efficient. The countries will then be able to produce at a lower price and trade the surplus for goods where they are less effective. This will allocate the world’s resources in the best possible way (Dunkley 1997; Irwin 2002; Madely 2000; Smith 1776) The second element to trade is Ricardo’s (1817) argument that trade and specialisation is based on ‘comparative advantages’.If one country has the absolute advantages in all goods com-pared to another country both nations can still benefit from trading. The country with the absolute disadvantage should specialise in producing the goods in which the absolute disadvantage is small-est and then import the goods in which the absolute disadvant age is largest. In the perspective of comparative advantages, freeing up trade would give the developing countries a chance to specialise in the production of primary goods and export the surplus to the developed countries in exchange of e. g. industrial goods (Salvatore 2012).However, some sources argue that when the trading is between a poor country trading primary goods and a rich country trading industrial goods the latter will benefit the most, because the poor country will have to export more in order to import a similar amount (Madely 2000). In contrast, Samuelson (1939) argues that any kind of trade is better than no trade and Salvatore (2012) concludes that developing countries should continue trading as long as they gain. The capital they get from the trade should be used to improve their technology, which will change their comparative advantages from primary goods to more refined goods.This is supported by Winters et al. (2004) who point out that connection be-tween the l iberalisation of trade and growth have not yet been completely proven, however there is no proof that trade should be harmful to growth. Moreover, barriers of free trade are not the only factor causing poverty; wars, corruption, diseases, and natural disasters are just a few internal fac-tors that keep the poor countries in poverty (Salvatore 2012). Another argument for free trade is that it would utilise the developing countries unutilised resources, caused by the insufficient national demand, more efficient.Free trade would give productions in developing countries a chance to sell their surplus on a greater market and with this give the developing countries a vent for their surplus (Salvatore 2012). Furthermore, free trade would increase the efficiency of domestic producers in order for them to compete with foreign companies. In addition, the expanding of the market size would form a basis for division of labour and economies of scale (Salvatore 2012). Advocates of free trade argu e that free trade will maximise the world’s welfare (Bussolo et al. 2011).This is supported by the theory of imposing tariffs in small and large countries (Salvatore 2012). A small country is defined as a country where changes in the domestic market would not affect the international market price and a large country is defined as a country where changes would affect the international market prices (Salvatore 2012). If a small country imposes import tariffs they will experience an overall loss in welfare, because of deadweight loss which is caused by inefficiency in domestic production. If a large country imposes tariffs they will xperience an improvement in welfare because they are able to affect the international market price, the producer’s surplus rise and the government’s revenue increases (Salvatore 2012). However, gains from tariffs are often only short term; when a large country imposes tariffs their trading partners probably will too. This will result in reduced traded volume, which in the long term will cause a decrease in world welfare. Madely (2000) argues that free trade, historically, has raised the welfare of many nations, however, but not for the poorest nations.He claims that free trade mostly benefits the multinational companies, because the rise of food import has forced the smaller farmers to sell their land to the larger companies. Furthermore, the multinational companies do not have any commitment or loyalty to the country in which they are active, which means that the poorest stay poor. In contrast Dollar (2005) claims, that the fast growth and reduction of poverty has been strongest in the developing countries that have included themselves in the world economy most rapidly.Furthermore, Salvatore (2012) states that trade will move new technologies, ideas, and managing skills from the developed countries to the developing countries. So even though multinational companies are taking over the small farmer’s land t hey still provide the producing country with new knowledge and tools that can help the country develop new comparative advantages. Winters et al. (2004) claim, that freeing up trade is one of the easiest ways to reduce poverty.Agricultural trade reforms would have the largest and most positive impact on poverty, because three-quarters of the world’s poorest people still hinge on farming as their main source of income (Anderson et al. 2011). Furthermore, the poor countries also often have a large number of unskilled workers, which give the poor nations a comparative advantage in exporting labour-intensive goods (Bhagwati & Srinivasan 2002). This paper determines that free trade overall would be in the interest of the poorest countries. Free trade will increase the global welfare and help the poor countries develop their comparative ad-vantages.Multinational companies’ investments in the poor countries will result in moving of tech-nology, ideas and skills. However, theo ry is not always consistent with practice, why it is important to examine the different perspectives in each case. Abolishing the world’s trade tariffs would indeed help the world’s poorest countries access a greater market to sell their goods, however, freeing up trade alone would not completely eliminate poverty; wars, diseases, corruption, and catastrophes are also strong influential factors of poverty.

west wing essays

west wing essays April 21sts episode of West Wing had many different topics and stories playing side by side simultaneously. Of the many running stories, there were three that played the largest role and had the most significance in the show. All three of the major stories ran simultaneously so there is no particular order in which I will summarize them. The first issue in The West Wing was the issue of the FCC regarding large corporations monopolizing the media by buying large chunks of air time, thus having the power to sway peoples decisions on important events like elections and so forth. The main character who was investigating the matter found out that the years before it was illegal for large companies to buy a majority of air time, and now, for this year they have made it so that no single company can have share larger than 39.7%. This number is relevant because the year before a large company had had that exact number and the FCC accommodated for that company so they do not fall into trouble; thus there is some kind of corruption in the FCC regarding the media and monopolies. At the end of the show it looked like the main advocate of the show who was after the truth of the FCC media scandal was going to call a white house press meeting to address the issue. The next important issue in The West Wing is the issue with outsourcing American jobs to India. The character who was the lead in this plot was not too comfortable with the contract that was going to be made even though he was in charge of getting it set up. When a group of the characters are in a room discussing this issue they all say simultaneously say Free trade creates better paying jobs. This quote is relevant in that there idea of how the economy should work is that in the long run, it will be better if America outsources middle-class jobs, computer programming in particular, because we get the information we n ...

Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management Essay Example

Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management Essay Example Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management Essay Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management Essay This paper was done to cover the DDBA-8510-1 Seminar Global Supply Chain Management final seminar research paper. Supply chain management, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort by the supply chain firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective amp; efficient ways possible (Handfield, 2011). Global Supply Chain Management involves a business or a company’s worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. Companies have used enhanced technological advancement to improve their global supply chain. There are various advantages and disadvantages of global supply chain. Increasing globalization and companies willing to market and do business globally are facing some issues in regard to effective business productivity. With an increase in technology and most company going global for price reduction supplier relationships and management has been essential to productivity. Supplier relationships and management has a vital impact on the future direction of global supply chain management research. This paper analysis and explores global supply chain management and supplier relationships. Global Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management includes all the activities that must take place to get the right product into the right consumer’s hands in the right quantity and at the right time – from raw materials extraction to consumer purchase. SCM focuses on planning and forecasting, purchasing, product assembly, moving, storage, distribution, sales and customer service (Texas Aamp;M University, 2013). Global Supply Chain Management involves a business or a company’s worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. Global supply chain management involves various amounts of interaction between different companies in various countries. Global supply chain originated when companies migrated to looking for expensive part and labor globally for effective cost savings. The mean focus of companies participating in global supply chain management is cost. Companies focus on cost because it is a primary factor of dealing with local or overseas suppliers. According to Epiqtech (2012) while local labor cost may be significantly lower, companies must also focus on the costs of space, tariffs, and other expenses related to doing business overseas. In regard to cost, time is also an issue and factor when dealing with global supply chain management. The productivity of employees’ overseas and rickety shipping times can cause a negative or positive affect on the company’s lead time into product production. Effective supplier selection is also essential to global supply chain. According to Texas Aamp;M University (2013) for efficient supply chain management companies must make decisions about the number of suppliers to use. Fewer supplies may be easier to manage but could also lead to potential problems if one vendor is unable to deliver as expected or if one vendor tries to leverage its supply power to obtain price concessions. The main factors of company’s transformation to a global supply chain as we know is having external supplier globally to enhance supplier’s diversity which reduces cost and increase revenue while improving reliability. According to Nahla (2003) manufacturers typically set up foreign factories to benefits from tariff and trade concessions, low cost direct labor, capital subsidies, and reduced logistics cost in foreign markets. Companies have used enhanced technological advancement to improve their global supply chain. According to Nahla (2013) global supply chain management trend is evolving as new technologies emerge. Instead of vendors mailing their products and assuring its delivery, companies are now able to track the products exact location through GPS tracking devices. These devices are imperative for global supply chains. The farther the goods are from the final endpoint, the riskier its arrival. Before RFID scans, supply chain managers took inventory weekly or monthly to track sales and supplies. Now, many companies like Wal-Mart track their products with RFID technology. The RFID readers’ purpose is to cross-examine RFID. Advantages and Disadvantages of GSCM Some advantages of global supply chain management for businesses are to increase profit and sales, globalization increases sales because various market options are open, reduces the pressure of relying on local business, competitive advantage, enhance speed and efficiency, product cycle time reduction, and lowers supply chain cost. Some disadvantages of going global in regard to supply chain management is investment of money, time and resources, supplier selection and relationships can become very challenge. The norm disadvantage is as companies go global cooperating within groups and organizations could be very challenge. With cultural barriers, foreign tax laws and regulations companies going global should understand it may take years for supply chain to gain rewards and increase sales. According to Nahla (2013) the greatest benefits of global supply chain management are 1. As opposed to a poorly organized supply chain a global supply is extremely competitive and so you can obtain a really good price for supplies that will all be produced to excellent standards, without even having to search widely; 2. If you have sufficient contacts and suppliers internationally, then you can really reduce the amount of stock that you have to retain, which means that you will save costs in terms of storage/thefts/transporting goods etc; 3 The global supply chain really does operate on a 24/7 basis, simply because of the time differences in different countries; and 3. One of the most interesting factors of the global supply chain is that we can learn from others! Business is done differently in different parts of the world and we are able to learn new ways of doing business, new production methods and new distribution methods, if we keep an open mind and have a willingness to learn. Emerging Issues in GSCM Current challenges in the global supply chain are sustainable supply chain, resiliency in supply chain, shift toward multilocal operations, increase uncertainty and volatility, increased complexity, extended lead time, unnecessary cost, risk management, improved responsiveness, and integrated and empowered supply chain. Increase complexity; in coming year’s complexity of supply chains are predicted to grow, companies are expected to maximize complexity in locations of customers and product variations and decrease number of supplier and manufacturing locations. Extended lead times; company lead times are now highly effected by extended shipping times and foreign employee production. Unnecessary cost; reason companies are bearing unnecessary cost are poor infrastructure, inefficient stocking practices, inefficient transportation and poor monitoring of currency exchange rates. Risk management; supply chain risk consist of environment, process, culture, legal, political, demand, control, and supply risk which needs to be high maintain and controlled for effective production. Sustainability; key sustainability issues facing the global supply chain are working conditions, low wages, human rights, child labor, ethics, recycling, waste, air pollution and environmental green issues (Irshad, Lee, 2012). According to Irshad and Lee ( 2012) supply chains are shifting toward multilocal operations for balancing the trade-off in designs of supply and demand for local responsiveness and global economies of scale leading organizations are in favor of multilocal design, supply and support and furthermore companies are moving from a centralized model, towards a regionalized approach. Current Dilemma GSCM According to Industry Week (2013) many U. S. manufacturers are experiencing talent shortages in part because of an aging baby boomer generation that has begun its exodus from the U. S. workforce. In contrast to this issue there is a lack of students aspired to work in manufacturing. The loss of older knowledge employees and lack of manufacturing students enrolling in the manufacture field will cost major dilemma in companies supply chain management in the upcoming future. Another dilemma in GSCM is ethics. Ethic in the supply chain is essential when keeping track of supplier’s compliance history, selecting suppliers, assigning management to manage supplier relationships. According to Industry Week (2013) ethical challenges in the supply chain represent a huge issue impacting a company’s market share, based in part on customers’ perceptions of a product’s integrity and thus affect revenue. Important Issues GSCM Increasing globalization and companies willing to market and do business globally are facing some issues in regard to effective business productivity. According to Advance Distribution Services (2013) even though most companies do realize that better supply chain management can benefit their bottom line, too many of them are leery about pursing modernization and efficiency fully. Report shows that companies that have managed and adapted to supply chain innovations have been lowering cost and increasing profits by millions. The top 5 organizations with the best global supply chain are McDonald’s, Amazon, Apple, Pamp;G, and Dell. All four of these companies are effective in their global supply chain because they have implemented and focused on supply chain integration of product design, end to end approaches for managing its supply chain, effective customization, used cloud computing technological supply chain advancement, and all 5 companies focused on total supply chain cost and management. Research Topic (Suppliers Relationships) Background Supplier Relation Management (SRM) is the discipline of strategically planning for and managing, all interactions with third party organization that supply goods and/or services to an organization in order to maximize the value of those interactions. In practice, SRM entails creating closer, more collaborative relationships with key suppliers in order to uncover and realize new value and reduce risk (Esourcing. com, 2012). Most businesses and organizations usually address the idea that in dealing with suppliers and customers the best types of relationships are arm lengths. The closer your relationships are to your customers and suppliers the more control of your operations and business you have. Integrating a exemplary supplier relationship through partnerships, similar values, and trust leads to effective cooperation and product productivity. The relationships between suppliers are essential to any organization. According to Ameifo. com (2004) suppliers can directly impact the financial performance and profitability of a buying enterprise, as they influence product development cost, manufacturing schedules, inventory levels, and the timelines of delivery of goods and services. During the supply chain management process supplier relationships are essential to the buying organization during the production development process. If parts, materials, or services cannot meet required design deadline of production then the production process is usually tarnished and repeated. The six levels of supplier relationships through effective partnering are conduct joint improvement activities, share information intensively by selectively, develop supplier’s technical capabilities, supervise your suppliers, turn supplier rivalry into opportunity and finally understand how your supplier work. In order to incorporate a sustainable supply chain building strong relationships with partners and suppliers is essential to business operation globally. Strong lasting relationship with supplier on the global supply chain scale must focus on open communications consistent processes and requirements. Figure 1 shows the financial value scale of effective supplier relationship. From the diagram you can concur that financial value goes up when basic, core, strategic suppliers are in unison. Financial Value Scale of Effective Supplier Relationship: Figure 1: financial value scale of effective supplier relationship Supplier Relationship Areas of Debate Two current theories and debates hunting supplier relationships are, can companies answer the two questions; effective supplier relationship management can provide step change impact to a business or cannot provide step change impact to a business. The main factor in regard to the current debate is the key strategies of supplier selection that builds trust and maximizes value for companies. Theory proves that sustaining relationship with supplier goes further than management. If companies focus on supplier relationship through proper implementation it can provides essential competitive advantage. According to 4C Associates (2013) there are several reasons for the gap between the actual and theoretical benefits of SRM. Firstly it is difficult to reconcile the conflicting goals of two organizations. This is further complicated by the complex structure which frames many businesses. However, the key setback for the implementation of an effective SRM program remains the need for long term investment and the challenge of demonstrating tangible benefits. Suppliers Relationship, Management Technology Impact. Technology and innovations has really impacted supplier’s relationships in regard to SRM. In recent years companies have really moved to more technological advanced strategies and software to manage supplier relationships. Companies are investing significant resources in managing suppliers and the use of supplier relationship software is becoming more common place. Supply chain managers are increasingly using the web to collaborate and to communicate with supply chain partners (The Supply Chain Lab, 2009). All industries with supply chains operations will be affected and impacted by technological advancement in SRM. Companies need to evaluate if future suppliers meet their core standards, because with advance technology supplier selection is not just restricted to procurement departments in organizations. The impact of technology has a positive impact on SRM and this impact can be maximized by strategic implementation of effective SRM innovations. For maximization companies must act consistently act with a relationship mindset? Cloud technology has evolved and is changing how business is being done today. Cloud computing is design to and is changing the way companies use technology to service its suppliers and partners. CloudSRM is a cloud system build for supplier relationship management. In Figure 2 the CloudSRM program is described more detailed. The program evaluates supplier performance, collaborates between supplier and buyers through document sharing. The technological cloud system has proven to improve operational performance and produced procurement savings. Figure 2: CloudSRM integrates ERP applications (csc. com, 2013) Supplier Relationship and Management (Future Directions) One of the key advantages of supplier relationship is cost reduction. Cost reduction is essential to any organization. I believe an area for further research in this topic that would be beneficial is focusing on relationships to enhance cost reduction and better collaboration in the supply chain process. According to The Supply Chain Lab (2009) ccompanies should work together to solve supply chain problems and learn from one another. Better collaboration and communication will lead to increased sales. Improved collaboration can also lead to better demand planning and route scheduling. In regard to supply chain management global technology enhancement is orcing companies to require supplies that are result orientated. Another area of further research is organizations outsourcing to unknown countries. According to The Supply Chain Lab (2009) many companies have been burned when outsourcing manufacturing to countries such as India and China. Management practices that worked in one country are not necessarily going to work in another country and companies need to change the way they think and work in other markets. Supplier relationships and management has a vital impact on the future direction of global supply chain management research. According to Lambert (2008) Customer relationship management and supplier relationship management provide the critical linkage throughout the supply chain. For each supplier in the supply chain, the ultimate measure of success for the customer relationship management process is the change in profitability of an individual customer or segment of customers. Conclusion As analyzed in the above contexts supplier relationships and management has a vital impact on the future direction of global supply chain management research. Global supply chain originated when companies migrated to looking of expensive part and labor globally for effective cost savings. Integrating a exemplary supplier relationship through partnerships, similar values, and trust leads to effective cooperation and product productivity in organization going global, in regard to supply chain management.

Litmus Paper and the Litmus Test

Litmus Paper and the Litmus Test You can make paper test strips to determine the pH of an aqueous solution by treating filter paper with any of the common pH indicators. One of the first indicators used for this purpose was litmus. Litmus paper is paper that has been treated with a specific indicator- a mixture of 10-15 natural dyes obtained from lichens (mainly Roccella tinctoria) that turns red in response to acidic conditions (pH 7). When the pH is neutral (pH 7) then the dye is purple. History The first known use of litmus was around 1300 CE by Spanish alchemist Arnaldus de Villa Nova. The blue dye has been extracted from lichens since the 16th century. The word litmus comes from the old Norse word for to dye or color. While all litmus paper acts as pH paper, the opposite is not true. Its incorrect to refer to all pH paper as litmus paper. Fast Facts: Litmus Paper Litmus paper is a type of pH paper made by treating paper with natural dyes from lichens.The litmus test is performed by placing a small drop of sample onto the colored paper.Usually, litmus paper is either red or blue. Red paper turns blue when the pH is alkaline, while blue paper turns red when the pH turns acidic.While litmus paper is most often used to test the pH of liquids, it can be used to test gases if the paper is dampened with distilled water before exposure to the gas. Litmus Test To perform the test, place a drop of liquid sample on a small strip of paper or dip a piece of litmus paper in a small specimen of the sample. Ideally, you dont dip litmus paper in an entire container of a chemical; the dye could contaminate a potentially valuable sample. The litmus test is a quick method of determining whether a liquid or gaseous solution is acidic or basic (alkaline.) The test can be performed using litmus paper or an aqueous solution containing litmus dye. Initially, litmus paper is either red or blue. The blue paper changes to red, indicating acidity somewhere between the pH range of 4.5 to 8.3. (Note, however, that 8.3 is alkaline.)  Red litmus paper can indicate alkalinity with a change to blue. In general, litmus paper is red below a pH of 4.5 and blue above a pH of 8.3. If the paper turns purple, this indicates the pH is near neutral. Red paper that does not change color indicates the sample is an acid. Blue paper that does not change color indicates the sample is a base. Remember, acids and bases refer only to aqueous (water-based) solutions, so pH paper wont change color in non-aqueous liquids, such as vegetable oil. Litmus paper may be dampened with distilled water to give a color change for a gaseous sample. Gases change the color of the entire litmus strip since the whole surface is exposed. Neutral gases, such as oxygen and nitrogen, do not change the color of the pH paper. Litmus paper that has changed from red to blue can be reused as blue litmus paper. Paper that has changed from blue to red can be reused as red litmus paper. Limitations The litmus test is quick and simple, but it suffers a few limitations. First, its not an accurate indicator of pH. It does not yield a numerical pH value. Instead, it roughly indicates whether a sample is an acid or a base. Second, the paper can change colors for other reasons besides an acid-base reaction. For example, blue litmus paper turns white in chlorine gas. This color change is due to bleaching of the dye from hypochlorite ions, not acidity/basicity. Alternatives to Litmus Paper Litmus paper is handy as a general acid-base indicator, but you can get much more specific results if you use an indicator that has a more narrow test range or that offers a wider color range. Red cabbage juice, for example, changes color in response to pH all the way from red (pH 2) through blue at neutral pH to greenish-yellow at pH 12, plus you are more likely to find cabbage at the local grocery store than lichen. The dyes orcein  and azolitmin yield results comparable to those of litmus paper.

Pavane Should consider one of the most important dance in China Essay

Pavane Should consider one of the most important dance in China - Essay Example Though fast and moderately fast songs originally accompanied it, the dance can also be used for slow songs (Brown 1). The songs are based on the performance skills of the dancer. Through the attire adopted in the dance, it appears unique and very interesting. In demonstrating the importance of the pavane dance, a broad perspective on the dance will be considered as well as Yang Liping’s dance will be analyzed. It is therefore important that pavane dance should be given much importance in the dance department in China. Pavane is a dance that provides an intergenerational connection. Based on its history, the dance has a very important historical and cultural importance. Used by the French and Italy, it was adopted by the entire Europe and later spread across the world. China through its award-winning artists such as Yang Liping have presented this form of dance in their various presentations. In the historical context, the dance involved backward and forward movements in steps. The dancers would also sway side by side, as they raised their feet in a systematic manner. In addition, the dancers were in pairs as opposed to the current scenario where there can be a single dancer (Brown 5). This dance provides a very good basis of understanding the European culture since it basically relates closely to their ceremonies such as weddings. Yang Liping presents the dance in a spectacular way that makes attractive and worth considering in the Chinese Dance department. The dance is presented in a slow-motion manner with systematic body steps being made by Liping (You Tube 1). In addition, she uses only particular body parts in the dance as an expression of its composition. The dance goes very well with a slow song. Liping is able to capture the attention of the viewers since the steps and body movements made cannot be easily predicted. The dance is quite entertaining based on the use of diverse movements in the dance. On the other hand, her

Analysis of Biblical Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of Biblical Perspective - Essay Example When we try to help others for our own emotional fulfillment, the meaning of love is lost. On the other hand, we have to help others without the significant power over them and make sure that our help is done the way they need it, on their own terms. Quite naturally, such acts of love are apt to result in personal losses to the caregiver but one can be assured that they are worth the trouble as long as they are done as an expression of love to God. The perfect example for true love to God is set by saintly figures like Mother Teresa, who sacrificed their personal comforts and joy for the sake of providing a decent life for many extremely poor and sick people who had no one to look after them. When I think of being a caregiver, I hope to strive towards such a level of selfless love for others, even if I start it from simple acts of kindness in daily life. Apart from being vigilant to the needs of individuals and society in general, I would also like to make a pact with God through a n umber of such meaningful little acts of love that would fall into a specific pattern. However, I would also like to keep my work towards that as an issue between me and God, which needs constant self-reflection and prayerful communication with God. 2. The passage from Matthew 8:28-32 deals with the healing of two demon-possessed men. It describes how Jesus arrived with his disciples at Gadarenes where the two possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They are described as so violent that no one could pass through that way. They encountered Jesus violently, addressing him as â€Å"son of God† and asking him: â€Å"Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?† The spirits requested him to send them to a herd of pigs rearing nearby, and Jesus does exactly the same. The pigs rushed down the steep bank down the lake and they perish, whereof those who were tending them rushed to the town to inform others of this.  Ã‚  

Site Management and Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Site Management and Safety - Assignment Example Construction workers often fall from height and lose their life, this is also the leading safety hazard, it is the duty of the architect, client, engineer, site manager and quantity surveyor to ensure that there is proper harness in place, it should be checked properly so that such fatalities can be avoided. Motor vehicle crash is another very dangerous construction site hazard, this can be avoided by following the paths laid in the beginning of the project, the architect is responsible for doing that. Everyone involved on a construction site must ensure that they wear their protective equipment this has helped save many a life in the past and will save more in the future. â€Å"The workplace must be a safe environment. If we all show good practice in the workplace, a lot of industrial accidents can be avoided.† (A Safe Working Environment) Pinpointing Roles Role of an Architect: Design Role: Several fatal accidents occur should the design of the building be wrong, an architec t must meet the client on a regular basis to discuss and have the design approved. There are several local zoning and planning laws which an architect must comply with. Construction Role: An architect prepares and issues site instructions, these instructions are extremely important when it comes to safety, these safety instructions are then followed by the workers and the other important members involved in the construction. Roles of Other Members: The day-to-day running of a construction project is looked after by the site manager, he should ensure that all the workers comply with the safety instructions given to them. Site manager is also responsible for conducting safety and health checks to ensure everything goes on smoothly. Site managers these days are actively involved in communication which again is very essential. â€Å"A construction engineer is a vital player in the construction business. They must survey the area in which the construction will be taking place, estimate costs involved, submit proper paperwork, inform others involved and take part in the planning.† (Duties of a Construction Manager) To conclude it is very fair to say that the architect, client, engineer, site manager and quantity surveyor must work in unison to avoid fatal accidents, this will only happen when active communication between them takes place. Part 2: Different management styles and techniques yield different results, the following section of the paper will juxtapose different management styles and their impact on the results. The behavior of the site team will also be closely analyzed and a suitable conclusion will be drawn at the end. It is extremely important to understand the role of a project manager, a project manager is the one who is almost completely responsible for the success or the failure of a particular project, the way he motivates and communicates with the other people working as a team on a construction site matters the most. The planning, organiz ing and the controlling are more often than not done by a project manager. Desirable results can be achieved should the project manager gain support of the team members working at the site. Support of the team members can be achieved by following the following important steps: Following

The Triangle of Trade in the Atlantic Ocean During Colonial Times Research Paper

The Triangle of Trade in the Atlantic Ocean During Colonial Times - Research Paper Example Also known by the name Gustavus Vassa, his written account of his journey across the Atlantic Ocean has survived both himself and the period of slavery in the United States. What is written above, and the rest of the writings in his book, describe part of the journey on the harrowing â€Å"middle passage†, the second of three common routes and passages aboard an ocean ship, and part of the trade route commonly known to history as the triangular trade. There were many reasons why Great Britain, as it was known at the time, chose to allow its citizens to settle in what would eventually become the United States of America. Some came for religious reasons. Other settlers boarded ships out of Great Britain seeking fortune and a better way of life. The chief driving force, however, was a movement known as mercantilism, with the belief that a nation could get rich only at the expense of another1. This principle quickly spread, and before long, Great Britain realized that it had an al most unending source of raw materials in the lands known as the colonies2. The exchange of goods, or trade, has been a staple system of the world for as long as history has been written, and even before written records occurred. The classic scenario of one person or nation having what another desired, and vice versa, has made for some of the most interesting points of history. Wars have been fought, treaties signed, and lands conquered, all for the reasoning that one group or nation wanted what another possessed. Trade was not done any differently between the colonies that would become the United States and the rest of the world in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Trade and commerce in the colonies grew and prospered, despite numerous obstacles. There was almost no currency in the colonies except for a small amount of gold and silver, and little to no information about what could be found in foreign ports or any lands abroad3. Shopkeepers were virtually in the dark about wh at went out outside of their own towns and cities. Information from what could be found in England was usually reliable, due in part to the Navigation Act of 1696 passed by the King, which declared any trade between the colonies and any other country was illegal, along with giving broad powers to customs agents in the colonies and allowing the holds of ships to be searched for illegal trade goods4. The simplest explanation for trade during this time would be that the colonies exported raw materials to Europe, such as furs, lumber, and fruit, and in turn, Europe sent manufactured goods to the colonies5. However, explanations are rarely simple, and indeed, the trade routes between the different continents across the Atlantic Ocean grew increasingly well-traveled as more and more goods were shipped from one country to another. Though illegal, traders continued to trade goods with countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, and Holland to gain greater profits6. By far, though, the most c ommon trade route referred to when mentioning trade between the British colonies across the Atlantic Ocean is the triangular trade route, which traded raw materials, goods, and slave cargoes between the colonies, Great Britain, and West Africa. The profits made from the global trade of sugar, tea, and coffee were the driving force behind the triangular trade, goods and products which had serviced the world for centuries7. Colonial entrepreneurs, especially in New England, built and operated ships

Newspaper article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Newspaper article - Essay Example Interruptions in the flow of trade in the area would have a grave impact on international economic activity, endangering the norms which have secured relatively peaceful relations in the region. In November of 2013, the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation gathered policy experts to discuss the overlapping claims in the South China Sea and consider the impact of US policy in the area (Schwartz, 2014). The participants pointed out the relevance of gathering more data to establish the features of the South China Sea, and therefore settle the issues of these overlapping claims. The NBR also assessed the implications of the US decision not to support the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in relation to options in supporting the favorable results for the disputes (Schwartz, 2014). In relation to US impact in Asia, it must seek to reduce the possibility of conflict in the region by securing support for the rule of law and ensuring peaceful resolution of conflicting claims. There are about 100 territorial features which have been recognized in the South China Sea and since problems of sovereignty impact all the countries which have the right to exploit the possible beneficial resources for each feature, the stakes are high (Beckman and Schofield, 2014). The UNCLOS where all parties are members indicate the international standard in establishing ownership of the territorial waters as well as the exclusive economic zones using coastline qualities and related features. There are different features to be considered in this case: islands, low-tide elevations, rocks, submerged features, and artificial islands (Beckman and Schofield, 2014). Such features are identified based on their status during high and low tides, including their ability to support human or economic exploitation. Other features indicate various territorial benefits, including territorial

The Triangle of Trade in the Atlantic Ocean During Colonial Times Research Paper

The Triangle of Trade in the Atlantic Ocean During Colonial Times - Research Paper Example Also known by the name Gustavus Vassa, his written account of his journey across the Atlantic Ocean has survived both himself and the period of slavery in the United States. What is written above, and the rest of the writings in his book, describe part of the journey on the harrowing â€Å"middle passage†, the second of three common routes and passages aboard an ocean ship, and part of the trade route commonly known to history as the triangular trade. There were many reasons why Great Britain, as it was known at the time, chose to allow its citizens to settle in what would eventually become the United States of America. Some came for religious reasons. Other settlers boarded ships out of Great Britain seeking fortune and a better way of life. The chief driving force, however, was a movement known as mercantilism, with the belief that a nation could get rich only at the expense of another1. This principle quickly spread, and before long, Great Britain realized that it had an al most unending source of raw materials in the lands known as the colonies2. The exchange of goods, or trade, has been a staple system of the world for as long as history has been written, and even before written records occurred. The classic scenario of one person or nation having what another desired, and vice versa, has made for some of the most interesting points of history. Wars have been fought, treaties signed, and lands conquered, all for the reasoning that one group or nation wanted what another possessed. Trade was not done any differently between the colonies that would become the United States and the rest of the world in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Trade and commerce in the colonies grew and prospered, despite numerous obstacles. There was almost no currency in the colonies except for a small amount of gold and silver, and little to no information about what could be found in foreign ports or any lands abroad3. Shopkeepers were virtually in the dark about wh at went out outside of their own towns and cities. Information from what could be found in England was usually reliable, due in part to the Navigation Act of 1696 passed by the King, which declared any trade between the colonies and any other country was illegal, along with giving broad powers to customs agents in the colonies and allowing the holds of ships to be searched for illegal trade goods4. The simplest explanation for trade during this time would be that the colonies exported raw materials to Europe, such as furs, lumber, and fruit, and in turn, Europe sent manufactured goods to the colonies5. However, explanations are rarely simple, and indeed, the trade routes between the different continents across the Atlantic Ocean grew increasingly well-traveled as more and more goods were shipped from one country to another. Though illegal, traders continued to trade goods with countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, and Holland to gain greater profits6. By far, though, the most c ommon trade route referred to when mentioning trade between the British colonies across the Atlantic Ocean is the triangular trade route, which traded raw materials, goods, and slave cargoes between the colonies, Great Britain, and West Africa. The profits made from the global trade of sugar, tea, and coffee were the driving force behind the triangular trade, goods and products which had serviced the world for centuries7. Colonial entrepreneurs, especially in New England, built and operated ships

Should America legalize marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Should America legalize marijuana - Essay Example has some pivotal active ingredients such as cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol which help to increase appetite, reduce pain and provide relaxation. The positive benefit of legalization can benefit America at the time of economic struggle. It has the potential to create more jobs and lower the crime rate of the country. Scientifically, it has been approved that consumption of marijuana is less destructive than that of other drugs, such as alcohol, aspirin and tobacco. Scarce laws and a mammoth amount of money spent for the prevention of marijuana sale can be used for the betterment of the country. A significant amount of tax revenue can be generated from the sales of marijuana, which would benefit local and state government of America. This essay will discuss the legalization of marijuana in America that can help to enhance a positive economic growth rate of the country and diminish the amount of crime. The legalization of marijuana can be viewed as a controversial topic in society. The historical use of medical marijuana has been around for ages. In United States of America, the application of medical marijuana has a long history. It has been revealed from the documents that use of marijuana is considered as a regular activity from 1900 to 1940. Over the past years there have been search for a medicine or drug that can aid people to get respite from the vast burden of life. Medical marijuana is the potential medicine of getting relief from stress of life. Day to day pressure of people to sustain in the competitive market and reduction of stress have been the pivotal factors for the downgrade of happiness and enjoyment. Eventually new laws were implemented to crack down the use of marijuana, cocaine and drugs in United States of America. Over the period of time, strict laws were adopted to reduce the use of marijuana and make it illegal. The implementation of strict laws on marijua na started from early 80s. From early 80s laws became much more

HRM practice in small-medium enterprises (SMEs) Essay Example for Free

HRM practice in small-medium enterprises (SMEs) Essay Introduction The article analyzes the way of HRM practice in small-medium enterprises(SMEs) and the reason why it is important element for SMEs. Over the past years, small-medium enterprises play an increasingly significant role in European economy. It is mainly because European countries including UK have large amount of SMEs but with small scale of big enterprises. However, HRM, as an important part of a company, is utilized in tremendous different ways between large and SMEs firms. SMEs are reluctant to use HRM when considering high cost and time. This situation brings a lot of issues. Unfortunately, very few of the research for HRM in SMEs have been published till now(Domingo Ribeiro Soriano,et all,2011) .For example, according to the US academic journals from 1988 to 1998, more than 207 papers had been written about HR recruiting ,etc. However, just 7 of the articles mentioned about SMEs in Journal of Applied Psychology, Academic of Management Review and Personnel Psychology;. For these reasons,it is important to investigate the study of HRM in SMEs. Negative and positive arguments about HRM practice in SMEs Large amount of Debates about the efficiency of HRM in SMEs are illustrated in the earlier studies. Small business see few advantages of HRM when comparing to the large firms(Akroyd1995,adapted by Cassell.C et all,2002 ).Especially in the training ,Storey and Westhead described that the employees in the SMEs have few chances to get involved in structured training. (1997,adapted by Cassell.C et all, 2002) .After conducting several cases, Holiday also mentioned that training is not utilized well in SMEs(1995,adapted by Cassell.C et all, 2002). Cassell.C, et all(2002)did both interviews and telephone survey to a number of SMEs, and conclude that HRM practices especially selection and training process are transferring to other department in informal ways. They also found that 53% of SMEs that they investigated in recruited their employees via relatives or friend’s recommendation. It means HRM is not very formal in SMEs. In another word, HRM in SMEs are full of different issues. Bu t according to the following  study HRM indeed bring some benefit to companies. In1995 Leicestershire, and Storey (adapted by Cassell.C et all, 2002)did a study which comparing the difference between traditional HRM and new practices among the large and small companies. The result of 15 cases implied that although the initiative of every employee in large companies has more opportunities to be enabled, it is more sustainable process in small-medium firms. In my opinion, SMEs might be developing better when they employ formal HRM practices. For example, during the study of HRM of SMEs,Williamson, Cable, Aldrich, (2002,adapted by Patel, C. P, et all, 2010) found that that SMEs can be more competitive and legitimated with formal HRM activities since it helps firms attract more high quality employees. HRM can also create harmonious group culture, highlighting the relationship between employers and companies. (Cameron Quinn, 1999,adapted by PATEL, C.2010). Data analyze In order to explore whether it is beneficial for companies when they use formal HRM practices, I conclude the research which was done by PATEL, C. P et all(2010).They did a research to discover the relationship between HRM and company productivity. In this study, high group culture means that a strong team works and effective working environment, which is usually created by strong HRM.) That it surveyed 145 firms and 6 industries including different size of firms. The correlation can be described by the following charts.Chart1 suggests: under high group culture, companies increase the use of HRM when market competition increase; Product market competition (chart 1,adapted by PATEL,C.P,andS. CARDON,S.M ) HRM intensity (chart 2, adapted by PATEL, C. P,and S. CARDON,S.M ) Under high group culture, Chart2 indicated that HRM intensity can enhance the labor productivity To sum up, when the market is in the growing competition, HRM can boost the labor productivity. It also implied that the firms should keep the high group culture environment in order to keep the effectiveness of HRM. High group culture is from strong HRM practices. In my opinion from the data analyze, when HRM is utilized in SMEs in formal ways ,it might bring significant benefit to company. As Walsh and  Whites (1981) point out same idea as well. They suggest that same regulation of HRM should be utilized among those companies but small scale in SMEs. Author opinion As far as my consideration, HRM is a very important part for SMEs. The reason can be explained by following aspects. Firstly, Many SMEs firms in UK have informal HRM activities rather than totally absence (Culley et all, 1998, adapted by Cassell.C, et all, 2002).However, the way SMEs conduct these kind of practice reduce its’ actual benefit. For example, if recruiting and training procedure are not completed by the HR, other department need to expense time and cost to implement those processes. Consequently, it divides the cost of HR department into other team. In fact, it increases the cost of companies in long term prospective. Therefore, SMEs may increase benefit if they employ formal HRM practices from long prospective. Secondly,According to the charts (12), HRM has vital influence on labor productivity when fierce competition appears. On one hand, HRM is important element when company goes through high level of competitive market. SMEs must employ HRM if they want to survive in long term .On the other hand, strong group culture which is built by HR department can reinforce HRM to effect labor productivity (PATEL, C. P,and S. CARDON,S.M,2010).As a consequence , HRM should be develop in correct way so that the company can built adequate group culture, thereby enhance the labor productivity especially in competitive market. Thirdly, it is important to look at the economy situation in UK. UK holds a large amount of SMEs with small scale of large company. It suggests that economic contribution of SMEs play important role in the country. From general perspective, when well-establishing and formal HRM is employed by SMEs, it will have big effect on the GDP of UK. As Cassell.C, Nadin.S, Gray.M, Clegg.C concluded in their research in 2002, HRM indeed exist in small business and small multiples. Although the structure of both firms is informal, human resource management brought obvious effective effort to the firm. From this study, we can imply that SMEs will grow stronger if they utilize more formal HRM in long term. Consequently, high level of HRM practice improves the effectiveness of companies. Conclusion My study suggest that HRM practices play very important roles in SMEs not only because it can create group culture and enhance the effectiveness of the group development, but also can protect firms from fierce competition. Moreover, HRM can increase the benefit of companies in long terms. But there is also some problem of HRM practices. Due to a lack of experience and information, majority of SMEs have no energy to take formal HRM. Whether this situation can be solved still need further study in UK. It depends on the companies themselves. Although I argued that SMEs should emphasize HRM practices in long term development, a lot of SMEs pursue short-time benefit and they may not consider HRM benefit. The research about how do the companies increase the use of formal HRM but not reduce the short-term benefit is needed to be discovering in the future. Hence, the different situations decide whether small-medium companies employ formal HRM. Reference Cassell.C, Nadin.S, Gray.M,Clegg.C,(2002):Exploring human resource management practices in small and medium sized enterprises, Personnel Review,Vol.31 No.6,pp:671-692 Domingo Ribeiro Soriano*and Ma. à ngeles Montoro†Sà ¡nchez,(2011)â€Å"Introduction: Contributions of Human Resource Management to the Challenges faced by Small† and Medium†Sized Enterprises in the Global Environment†, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, Vol.28: P119–121 PATEL, C. P,and S. CARDON,S.M,2010, â€Å"Adopting HRM Practices And Their Effectiveness In Small Firms Facing Product Market Competition†, Human Resource Management, March–April 2010, Vol. 49, No. 2, Pp. 265– 290

A Comparison Between Pakistani And British Consumers On Buying Moblies Marketing Essay

A Comparison Between Pakistani And British Consumers On Buying Moblies Marketing Essay Mobile phone has become an important part of human life .With the invention of new technology, along with computers, this technology has ease the work of human being in communicating with each others. Before the invention of mobile phones, there were land line telephones which also help human being to communicate with each others but at a limited scale. To use land line, person should be at one place where that phone is installed. But mobile phones remove this barrier by allowing customers to communicate with each others from any place where it has signals. AS this system is connected with the satellite, person can communicate without any hurdle. This is the only technology on the globe which is sold at highest numbers than any other technology. Out of 6.8 billion people on the earth, 5 billion use mobile phones (international telecommunication union, 2010).Two countries Pakistan and UK have been chosen for this dissertation because these two countries are very much different in many prospective. Pakistan telecommunication authority (PTA, 2010) shows that mobile phone in Pakistan enjoy a tremendous annual growth of 119% during 2000 to 2007. It is also being observed that between fiscal year 2006-07, mobile phone penetration increased by 15.5%. Whereas between years 2007-08, it was 55.6% which is 34.9% higher than Indias for the same period. Pakistans telecommunications industry maintains its growth trend in the coming years as well with the penetration rate in 2009 was 61.8% and in September this penetration rate reaches to 70%.On the other hand UK mobile phone market is different than Pakistani market. According to report presented by Ofcom (2007), the mobile phone market in UK grew by 41.3% between 2003 to 2007.In 2010, the penetration rate in UK was 84% which stay same till 2011.Mobile phone market is very competitive these days as there are number of companies who are trying to compete in this market to become the best in the business. It is very essential for the companies to better understand the buying behaviour of the customers.It gives them an edge on the competitors in targeting the right segment and getting market share. The purchasing decisions of consumers are mostly affected by factors that have direct or indirect impact on how we live and what we consume. Culture is one of the factors that impact on buying behaviour of consumers. Culture represents the behaviour, beliefs and, in many cases, the way we act learned by interacting or observing other members of society. In this way much of what we do is shared behaviour, passed along from one member of society to another. Culture play an important role in breaking target market into different segments and then targets the right segment. Blackwell et al., (2001) demonstrated that culture has a profound influence on how and why consumers purchase a range of products and services. The selection of products by consumer affect by the culture and it can help companies to design their marketing plan. Culture shapes the lifestyle of the consumer which affect directly on the buying pattern of the consumer. The cultural comparison between Pakistan and UK about mobile phone purchasing behaviour will provide a complete picture which will help understand these two countries mobile phone market. Culture defines the lifestyle of the people so it is very important for the manager to understand this factor and design a marketing plan by considering culture as a back bone of marketing. Companies these days are operating globally, marketing manager should divide the targeting segment into small sub segments on the basis of culture to market their product efficiently. Pakistani culture represent the most part of Asias culture and British culture represent the most of European culture. This purpose of this study to find the cultural impact on consumer buying behaviour of these two countries so that marketers of telecommunication industry use it to generalise it for the whole Asia and Europe. Literature Review Culture is defined in many different ways that can be used here for the sake of this paper. Culture is defined as ways of life like language, arts science, thoughts, spirituality, social activity and interaction (Roshan).By Hofstede (1991, 2001), culture is an identity that is used to distinguish one group from another.Keegan and schlegemilch (2001) state that culture is formed by people those are living in a community for many years and has a life that pass on from one generation to another. This mean that culture has a starting point and finish point. So its all about the life style of a group of people whom code of life is represented by culture.Doney etal(1998) defined culture as a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living. So by Doney culture is the design of life. There are many different cultures exist and these cultures represents particular group of people who actually adapted that design. It also depend on the individuals whose life style effect on the culture.Doney Lowe (2008, 73) believe that culture is made up of three essentials components. Those are (1) Beliefs: refers to the mental and verbal processes that reflect peoples knowledge and assessments of things. (2) Values: used by people as guide for what is appropriate behaviour. (3) Customs: Overt modes of behaviour that constitute culturally approved or acceptable way of behaving in specific situations. To be very precise as far as this project is concerned, above definitions of culture are generalised. Actually theme of culture that is more suitable to this dissertation is that culture defined way of living, behaving, acting in a particular situation, dealing with others and organising oneself. That is way it is very important for the marketers who are dealing international business particularly should understand the importance of this phenomena. If they understand this concept and then target particularly segment on the basis of culture then it will be easy for them to launch the product in the right segment. So culture is the medium for communication for marketers that transmit these beliefs, values, behaviour and norms into shaping the attitude and behaviour of human. It help the members of such group in deciding what, why, where, how and when to do different things and how to act in a particular situation. So it means that culture is not a static concept. Its dynamic and it can change with the passage of time and influence ones own behaviour although they also contribute to the culture. Customer buying behaviour is another factor that affects consumer choices and trends. Recognizing consumer behaviours importance to business, marketers attempt to develop means on assessing or measuring how a customer behaves (Bailey and Schultz, 2000). Consumer buying behaviour is said to be different from one business to another in a way that consumer buying behaviour tends to have different attitudes about the needs and purpose of buying while the business-to-business approach is one which is more on supplier-company relationship. So consumer buying behaviour is the procedure which shows what, how, when and where people buy the product as they do. Thus this is an attempt to understand the decision making process in buying the products. The first thing is trying to understand the buying behaviour of the individual from the same group. Then generalise it to the whole group because all the individuals in the group have same characteristics. But decision making process is not easy. Th ere are different levels of decision making forms. Some are low-involvement decision making process , some are high involvement decision making process. So it all depends on the product itself as well. Mobile phones are not high involvement decisions making products. But these decisions are also depend on consumer perception, attitudes and understanding of the given product based on the educational background, societal background, financial situation and more importantly social and cultural environment. Culture here play an important role on the consumer buying pattern as individuals can not live alone. They are part on culture and the way they behave all depend on the cultural environment in which they live. So it is very important that to understand the cultural to study the buying behaviour of consumer and this dissertation is all about this. Pakistan and UK are two different cultures. Both these cultures have strong influence on the buying behaviour of its consumers. Hofstede (1991, 2001) divide culture into two different types. One is called individualistic and other one is collectivist. According to this dissertation UK is highly individualistic country in which people mostly decide individually about the buying of products. On the other hand, Pakistan scores highly as a collectivists country where family, friends or group influence the buying behaviour. Individualist and collectivist are two out of five cultural dimensions which Hofstede find out when he was trying to find an explanation for the motivation of IBM employees around the world. Hall (1960, 1981, 1990) presented culture as high and low context cultures. He explains that culture can be divided into two groups. One is called high context culture and other one is called low context culture. The theme of difference between these two cultures according to Hall is the individual relationship. He stated that high context culture is based on the close tie between individuals personals relationships such as family, friends and colleagues etc. and in this group information and knowledge is share exclusively. People in this group are social and they care each other, listen to each others, sometime depend each others and discuss information between each others. Hall (1960. 1981, 1990) stated that high context culture is more common in East. And as far as this project is concerned, it represents Pakistan. On the other hand, low context culture is belonging to outer group. In this culture, people live their individual life. They belong to their personal network. Family, f riends and colleagues are all separate to each others. All of them live their individual life. Things are share less exclusively. People are more independent and make their own decisions.UK is the one in this dissertation which represents low context culture. Here society in not social enough to influence the decisions of others. People live their own life and they rarely involve in the decisions making process of others. Industry Background Telecommunication industry is the fastest growing industry in the world. This is because of the fast growth in technology sector and increasingly becoming part of human lifestyle. With 73% of the world population is using mobile phones , the network covers the 90% of the world area (mob thinking, Oct2010).Mobile phone industry started way back in 1970s when first mobile phone launched in Japan.After that this industry never look back and continuously grow with different transition period. During the last 40 years it have undergone a transition from technology focused for professional business to a mass consumer market and become an integral part of lifestyle. With the passage of time, it is not only used as a communication tool but also it is helping consumers in other businesses like of internet , financial transaction , tracking device , video conferencing and many more. Pakistan and UK mobile phone market is very strong in the sense that Pakistani market is still growing and it need to know more about consumer buying behaviour.UK mobile phone market is also growing but more effort is needed to do business with the existing customers. Culture of an important role in consumer buying behaviour in both these market which is why this research is being done to let marketers understand the depth in the market. The comparison between these two segments will help marketers understand that how to target the existing segment and how to create new segments within the existing segment. Research Aim Literature Review

Houdini :: History

Houdini Kendall, Lace Houdini Master of Escape Philadelphia: Macrae Smith Company, 1960, 187 pages. "Ladies and gentlemen, you can see there isn't anything up my sleeve."1 Erich Weiss states at the beginning of the book. Even as a child Erich Weiss, a.k.a. Harry Houdini, knows that his goal in life is to become a world famous illusionist. It was difficult for Erich's family being pilgrims from Europe. His father worked hard, but being from Germany and not knowing English made it difficult. "Promise me you will always look after your mother and see to it that she is never in want."2 Erich promises his father that he will look after his mother and other brothers. At the age of thirteen he decides to leave and join the circus. He journeys to Texas performing small, road-side shows on the way, but only gets half-way when he turns around. Erich realizes it's not his time. At the age of fifteen he moves with his family to New York. That is when he acquires his name, Harry Houdini. He dubs himself Houdini after the famous French magician Robert Houdin. In one of his small shows in New York he spills acid on the audience member's dress. Little did he know how much that would change his life. He offer to have his mother make a new dress for Miss Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. It was love at first sight. He and Bess are married at Coney Island the day he gives her the new dress. Often when I here of Houdini I think, and even have been told, that he died in an escape accident. That is not only untrue it is nowhere near his true means of death. During a performance one night he broke an ankle. That is when it all started. He began feeling worse everyday. He had stomach pains. He waited to late. He had a ruptured appendix and gangrene had set in. The doctors told him that he would not survive more that twelve hours. However he fought for seven days. He died at the age of fifty-two on October 31, 1926, Halloween. This book was like a time machine in that it let me see into the past. I not only got to live along with Mr. Harry Houdini, I got to visit the places he did through the words of Lace Kendall. The place I enjoyed most was New York City.

Annotated Bibliography Lord of the Rings

Rutledge,   Fleming. The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans. 2004. Fleming Rutledge takes a deep dive into the religious undertones behind Tolkien's masterpiece. This was especially written for Tolkien readers who look at The Lord of the Rings as pure fantasy, totally unaware of the religious dimensions of the story. The author accomplishes this by taking a parallel analysis of the events as they unfold in the book. With scholarly expertise, Rutledge shows the theological themes that drive every action in the story, thus proving the profound presence of religion in the sub-narrative. In his introduction, Rutledge writes the following: Nonetheless, because I have come to the work entirely without expectations, I am presumptuous enough to believe that my delayed, untaught encounter with the Ring saga – combined with my knowledge of Scripture, theology, and the Church – had afforded an opportune glimpse into Tolkien’s deepest intimations. (2) In another chapter, Rutledge writes about Bilbo’s behavior, If there were any doubts about the lasting effects of the ring even on the most innocuous individuals, the next sequence dispels it. †¦ In the great Hall of Fire after dinner, Frodo is reunited with Bilbo. Of course Frodo is overjoyed to see his beloved relative, mentor and friend once more; it has been the greatest desire of his heart. But when the subject of the ring comes up between them, an appalling change creeps over Bilbo. He asks, in a rather too sniveling a voice if he can see the Ring once more†¦ The change in Bilbo is revolting†¦ The implication is clear. One more close encounter with the Ring and dear, cuddly, beloved Bilbo will be on his way to becoming another Gollum. 2. West, John Garret, et al. Celebrating Middle-Earth: The Lord of the Rings As a Defense of Western Civilization. Inkling Books. 2002 This volume is a collaboration among six writers who each explores the place of The Lord of the Rings in the modern Western world. Each of the authors present In John West’s preface, he says, Tolkien was both a devout Christian and a dedicated scholar of the Western intellectual and literary traditions, and his love for Christianity and the West stand at the core of this narrative. Far from being simple escapism or blind nostalgia, Tolkien’s saga actually confronts many of the idols of modernism and post-modernism. (10) Another writer, Kerry Dearborn maintains, Tolkien’s faith was deeply important to him, and it is something woven into the fabric of his stories, but something which must be deduced or worked out†¦Although Tolkien reflects vivid belief in and experience of the world’s depravity, his faith correlates more closely to Christian traditions that would affirm a vestige of the divine in creation and the imago dei (the image of God) in humanity rather than total depravity. (95-96) Towards the end of the book, West writes, We are free to a point. We are free to accept our calling or reject it. The most inspiring thing about The Lord of the Rings, for me, is its heroes’ monumental struggle to fulfill the mission that fate had ordained for them†¦ Nothing could make them abandon their mission†¦ Whereas the good characters all submit to authority outside of them, the bad ones recognize no authority higher than their individual will. 3. Bassham, Gregory and Bronson, Eric. The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All.   Open Court Publishing. 2003. The author of this book is chairman of the philosophy department at King's College. This book takes a philosophical view on the lessons on life and living that the Lord of the Rings presents. Particularly, the authors distill lessons about morality and ethics, the power of choice, and the corruptive nature of power. Bassham writes the following, †¦Gollum is the more fascinating character†¦ He represents the good gone bad, something which is always intriguing for those who are struggling to stay with the first. Sam represents the good that stays good even under temptation. Both Gollum and Sam want the same thing: to be happy. Both work hard at it. But only one of them succeeds: Sam reaches his goal and Gollum ends in disaster. Why? This is the momentous philosophical question, because it concerns the nature of the good life, the life of happiness. We need to answer it because in answering we can perhaps also learn something important about how to achieve happiness for ourselves. In the book, the authors make the following points, So St. Augustine and Tolkien agree that nothing is completely and utterly evil, because such a thing could not even exist because existence itself is good. (103) In another chapter, the authors further, In an epic tale of good and evil such as The Lord of the Rings, it is a virtual necessity that the characters representing good and evil can be identified as such by the reader. One way for them to be identified is through their actions. Another is though the character traits from which those actions proceed. There may be different literary reasons for preferring one approach to the other, but when the characters are given personalities that exhibit virtues or vices, the moral lesson is clearer. The lesson is clearer because right actions may be performed for wrong reasons, or, alternatively, wrongful acts may be performed for the right reasons. So just looking at what people do may be less morally instructive than considering who they are. (110) 4. Lobdell, Jared et al. A Tolkien Compass. Open Court Publishing. 2003. This book is basically a compilation of reflections to the places and characters in Middle-Earth. This book is intended to use Middle Earth as a guide to our own life’s journeys. This volume traces the journeys of some of the main characters in Tolkien’s story, their inner struggle and transformations, and cull lessons that we an use as we face life’s many uncertainties. Walter Schepes writes in his essay, It is important to note that most of the distinctions between good and evil in The Lord of the Rings are generic distinctions, and the forces of evil are often immediately recognizable as such from their place of origin, their color, or their manner of speech. (44) The author furthers, These major characters seem to fall into groups of three. First, there are three already wholly corrupted by the desire for power – Sauron, the Ringwraiths, and Gollum. Second, there are the three who belong to an earlier time and have removed themselves from the world to such a degree that the power of the Ring means nothing to them – Shelob, Fangorn, and Tom Bombadil. Third, there are three, The Great, who would have the strength to wield the power of the Ring if they did obtain it – Saruman, Gandalf, and Galadriel. Fourth, there are the three men of Gondor to whom the Ring offers special temptation in their threatened land – Boromir, Denethor, and Faramir. And fifth, there are the three who for differing reasons obtain heroic stature in the story – Frodo, Sam, and Aragorn. (57) 5. Curry, Patrick. Defending Middle-Earth: Tolkien, Myth and Modernity. Mariner Books. 2004 Curry focuses on the different social and political systems that existed in Middle Earth and how these various structure worked together to ward off an evil that threatens all of them. The author maintains that Tolkien’s masterpiece is a spiritual work meant to enlighten those who read it with an open heart. This book also analyzes the symbolic battle of nature against a highly mechanical, modern world and how Tolkien presents us with a cautionary tale about the abuses of technology. The following is an excerpt from the book: However, although Tolkien drew on the tiny corner of the world that is the West Midlands of England, readers from virtually everywhere else in the world connect the hobbits with a rustic people of their own, relatively untouched by modernity – if not still actually existing, then from the alternative reality of folk and fairy tale. 6. Chance, Jane. Tolkien the Medievalist. Routledge. 2003 This book puts Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in the context of the Medieval Period. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the elements of Tolkien’s stories and relates them to the literary characteristics that were in effect during the Middle Ages. This book will be useful in studying how the elements of Catholic beliefs of good and evil influence Tolkien’s famed The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, aside from the comparison with the literature of the Middle Ages, this volume offers an interesting perspective on how the trilogy came to be and to what extent did the existing circumstances, particularly the looming world war, affected Tolkien’s value system and how he wrote the book. A relevant quote from the book goes like this, In September of that year John Ronald Tolkien, then a 22-year old student at Oxford awaiting military call-up, wrote a fairy tale poem titled â€Å"The Voyage of Earendel,† about a celestial mariner who sails west to seek peace for Middle Earth. It was the beginning of his invented mythology. (26) 7. Isaacs, Neil David et al. Understanding The Lord Of The Rings: The Best Of Tolkien Criticism edited by Neil David Isaacs. Houghton Mifflin Books. 2005 This volume compiled and edited by Isaacs is the definitive collection of literary criticisms on The Lord of the Rings. The books compile essays from the time The Lord of the Rings was first published up until the renewed interest in Tolkien after the release of the Peter Jackson’s film. This book is valuable because it presents a variety of perspectives and arguments without diluting the beauty of Tolkien’s masterpiece. In Edmund Fuller’s essay, he makes a point about the theme of good and evil in The Lord of the Rings, As to the inherent meaning, we are confronted basically by a raw struggle between good and evil. This contest offers a challenge and demands decisions of several kinds. The power of evil is formidable and ruthless. The initial decision, in which many of the characters participate, is whether or not to attempt to resist at all†¦ So great and discouraging are the odds involved in resistance that the possibility of surrender, terrible than the fight – unless the deciding element is the moral choice of rejecting evil regardless of consequence. (19) 8. Porter, Lynette. Unsung Heroes of The Lord Of The Rings: From The Page To The Screen. Praeger/Greenwood. 2005 Porter’s book presents a fresh take on heroism as defined by the minor characters on the book. Most criticisms on The Lord of the Rings are about the central characters, often overlooking the fact that the ones in the background have struggles and heroism in their own lives as well. Here is Porter’s take on Pippin, Pippin’s value as a hero cannot truly be measured using the typical definitions of a literary hero. The importance of his character lies not in his ability to serve as a classic literary hero preordained for greatness, but in his ability to overcome his fear and self-doubt to grow up and into a heroic young adult. Pippin is truly the everyperson hero who, at least early in his life, might be voted least likely to do anything worthwhile for others, but who matures into a leader capable of heroic action in crises. (59)