Compare the ways Brian Friel presents ideas about divided identity in Making History with Michael Frayn in Spies

Divided identity is shown in both Spies and Making Historyfrom the beginning. Stephen Wheatley has two voices, his older self (Stefan Weitzler) and his younger self, which forms a prominent split in his identity. Hugh O’Neill’s split self is displayed a little subtler in the stage directions. O’Neill is described to speak ‘in an upper-class English accent except on those occasions specifically scripted’. The word ‘scripted’ makes me think of acting and implies O’Neill’s front is a feigned identity he puts on. This could also show that he is perhaps embarrassed by his Irish roots which contradict his betrayal of England later on in the play. This relates to Spies as Stephen Wheatley speaks the English language with an English accent, when he is actually (unknowingly) German. Stephen Wheatley’s father reminds me of O’Neill too as he is betraying his German background by working as an English spy, much like O’Neill working as an Earl for England when he originates from the opposing country Ireland. O’Neill seems to be uninterested in the important events he needs to attend, butmore focused onsuch as the flowers he’s decorating the room with and how he looks in his jacket. This gives the audience a first impression of O’Neill; he is more enthusiastic about his new English wife rather than his (important) role. This lack of interest could show O’Neill has a short attention span explaining, for example, his various affairs and marriages. This mercurial nature reminds me of Keith in Spies – he starts out the enthusiastic leader of the investigation into whether his mother is a spy or not, but loses interest as time goes on and matters become more serious. However, you could also say that Keith is much unlike the temperamental O’Neill as he is much like his father; structured, organised and somewhat obsessive. Frayn shows this not only through how he was obsessing other his mother being a German spy, but through the fact he constantly wanted control of the mission and got angry when Stephen showed ‘initiative’. Frayn draws a parallel between Keith’s bedroom and his father’s garage; Keith’s toys, like Mr Hayward’s car, are in perfect condition and are very rarely played with. We see that Hugh’s habit of switching comes from his background; fostered by Irish parents when young, he then lived with an upper-class English family who taught him to act ‘properly’ so he could serve Queen Elizabeth as an Earl in Ireland. Thisblurring of culture, nationality and religion makes it difficult for O’Neill to recognize who he really is – is he English or Irish, Roman Catholic or Protestant? The fact he’s just married Mary Bagenal is significant as he is risking his friends (O’Donnell calls her an ‘upstart bitch’) and powerful rolefor his new love. O’Donnell’s ignorance towards Mabel’s origin reminds me of Mr and Mrs Hayward’s prejudice towards Stephen and the rest of the street – they are shown to very rarely directly speak to Stephen and never socialise with their neighbours (besides Auntie Dee). The way they speak to Stephen could be xenophobia as they could somehow know Stephen’s real nationality, however I think it is more likely that they just have a fear of the unknown. This could have been influenced by Mr Hayward who seems to be the most paranoid of the family carrying his protective bayonet around everywhere. Flowers and plants are used frequently as metaphors in both the two texts to represent different identities. When Mary is talking about seeds she states not to ‘plant the fennel near the dill or the two with cross-fertilize†¦ ou’ll end up with a seed that’s neither one thing nor the other’. This represents the mixing of English Protestants and Irish Catholics, in other words; the relationship between Mabel and O’Neill. Additionally, this could relate to when we are told Mabel is pregnant; the baby is the cross-fertilized, Irish/English, Protestant/Catholic seed. Even the props on stage O’Neill is using are symb olic as they area Spanish broom, ‘Genista’. Spain was a Roman Catholic country at the time and they (ineffectively) fought with Ireland years on in the Battle of Kinsale, which is what the entire play is based around. The Genistas reminds me of Mr. Hayward’s obsessing over his roses, although a different, frightening, tension is portrayed with him doing this. Frayn uses repetition and lists when describing Keith’s work on his garden (‘Keith’s father worked and worked – and as he worked he whistled’ or ‘around the house, forever digging and dunging, and trimming and pruning, forever undercoating and painting, and wiring and rewiring, forever making perfection yet more perfect’)to present the character’s compulsive attitude. The attention of his gardening tends to be on the roses which could be symbolic in a patriotic way – roses are a typical English flower – and the way he is described to be planting them sounds like he’s building a fort to keep out ‘enemies’ (the German, Wheatley family). The privet flower (a misspelling of ‘private’ by Keith) signified privacy, but had a suffocating smell; whenever Stephen was in the ‘privet’ with someone else there was often a stifled atmosphere. I think this smell indicated the uncomfortable stage at the start of puberty, where people start to discover their identities in more detail. The elder trees were outside the safe cul-de-sac, near to Uncle Peter’s hideaway which similarly represented Stephens’s admission into the adult world and puberty. In the first scene, O’Neill presents Mabel with a ring which is symbolic as it was made in London – the capital of the country Ireland are enemy with – and the only person to have one is the Queen of England, Elizabeth. This moment is like the initiation of Mabel’s new identity when Mabel changes ‘we’re a tough breed the upstarts’ to the ‘O’Neill’s’ being the ‘tough breed’. This is similar to Mrs Hayward wearing her cravat to cover her abuse symbolising the initiation of her oppression. The second scene occurs about a year later in the same room and Mabel has undoubtedly added her touch as it is described as more ‘comfortable and colourful’; this perhaps indicates that she could have changed O’Neill. In the first scene we saw that Mabel was quite naive and had little knowledge of the Irish (she believed O’Neill’s taunts of shaking hands with an archbishop turns them black), and now we see not much has changed but in fact gotten worse. She is sat alone (showing she has not settled in or made any friends) and her reaction to horseplay (‘her eyes are shut tight. She sits frozen in terror for a few seconds – even when it is obvious that the screaming is horseplay’) shows that she is still frightened of the Irish. She is almost desperate for her sister, Mary, to stay which again shows her lack of company. It is apparent that Mabel is unhappy living in Ireland, however when Mary tries to hint for her to come home, her answers are uninterested as if she were satisfied in Ireland– she uses single words such as ‘Yes. , ‘Really? ’ and ‘Good. ’. There is a pathos felt for Mabel’s isolation in this scene which is similar to what is felt for Mrs Hayward when she is kept prisoner by her abusive husband in her own house. Mrs Hayward is especially shown in a sympathetic light when the only person she can turn to is Stephen; this involved downgrading herself to sitt ing down in a dirty privet bush wearing makeup and best clothes at an attempt to persuade him to help her. O’Neill is not the only character with a divided identity in the play; Mabel has one too. When talking with Mary she puts on a facade that she is loyal to Hugh and the Irish, however when alone with him she disapproves of his ‘politics’ or betrayal to England and tells him not to go to war, and condemns his ‘culture’ wanting the ‘tramps out of here’, showing her misery. What's more, we unexpectedly see that she has other abilities than being O’Neill’s wife and ‘doing delicate and complicated lacework’; Mabel seems very knowledgeable, wise and trustworthy in the areas of politics. Her divided identity reminds me a lot of Mrs. Hayward’s. Primarily, she is seen as the faultless, serene Mrs. Hayward who relaxes with her feet up and a book, but when we find out she is in love with Uncle Peter this is disapproved of not just by Mr. Hayward, butthe rest of the street, like Mabel’s love is disapproved of by her siblings, England and Ireland. O’Neill’s feelings change for Mabel; the mistresses show that he is bored of her and he has apathy towards the fact she is pregnant. O’Neill has a mercurial nature, which is perhaps the cause of all these different wives, loyalties (and disloyalties) to opposing countries, and the arguments with Mabel and later with Harry. Act two begins with O’Neill in a rougher location than the wealthy house we’re used to, with such lack of furniture that he has to use a wooden box as a desk. O’Neill even tells O’Donnell ‘What you see is what I have’ showing the loss of all the materialistic things that he had before. For the audience, it is immediately made obvious that Ireland have lost the war and O’Neill is symbolically on his knees as he is writing a letter to Queen Elizabeth begging for forgiveness and his old job. When Harry arrives in the scene, he comes with news of Mabel’s death through blood poisoning, which is representative that she’s been poisoned by O’Neill’s Irish blood. In Spies, there is a recurring theme, just like the blood in Making History, of the train getting closer and closer which builds tension until finally Uncle Peter significantly killed by it. Frayn again uses repetition to create this suspense all throughout the book, from just mentioning the train line to the intimidating ‘huge thunder of the train’ when he is in the tunnel. My final point is of course about the making of the history itself. It is apparent from the start that Lombard was going to exaggerate in the book, but by the end we know he used O’Neill so Roman Catholics could have an idol. This shows when the grieving (even after many years) and drunken O’Neill is staggering about his room, reading sentences like ‘noblest son of noble lineage’ and that he grew in ‘comeliness and urbanity, tact and eloquence, wisdom and knowledge’ that supposedly describe him. Divided identity is the main theme of the play, whereas in Spies it is just one of the many readings of the novel. Why?

Childhood and Adulthood

Men face various phases of life. From being just a little fetus inside the mother’s womb, to being a toddler, a child, a teenager and then an adult, these phases are all being faced by any man and woman. And each phase is equally challenging as the others†¦ challenging for both the person him/herself and the people around him/her who have been watching and guiding him/her all the way.The most compared among these phases are childhood and adulthood. This is not only because these two phases are entirely opposite in terms physical attributes of the person himself, but also because of the number of other aspects which all seem to be on opposite sides. But, it is also worth considering that however opposite these two may look like, there are still worth noting similarities that are evident in the people going through these phases.Childhood and Adulthood DifferencesChildhood covers the age between 2-17 years old for women and 2-20 years old for men. Adulthood, on the other han d, starts when the person reaches maturity and that’s 18 years old for women and 2 years old for the men. But the difference is not merely on the numbers as there is more to it than that.During childhood years, the person seems to cling and acting like totally dependent to the people around him. The parents, older brothers or sisters, aunts, uncles and even the older neighbors will serve will be looked up to by the child.They will be the people whom the child will depend in terms of the most basic needs he has such as food, clothing, shelter, education and much more. Whereas the adults, they are more dependent onto themselves alone. The already learned how to feed themselves and even look for the means where he can get his own food. Even his clothing is not provided by anyone else but himself alone.Much more, at this phase of his life, he may already have a shelter of his own or he is already saving for one. At the same time, the basic educational level – primary and s econdary – is already finished and its either he is finished or almost finished with the tertiary level. This would mean that he can be a university student, a university graduate or already part of the country’s workforce.In terms of responsibilities, there is also a big difference between childhood and adulthood. During childhood, the person himself is not accountable to anything. It will be his parents or his guardians who will be responsible for whatever actions he may commit o whatever decisions he will made.In fact, the child is normally no allowed to do any decision by himself. He is always guided and looked upon to. Wherever he may go, he needs to ask his parents’ or guardians’ permission. Whatever he wants to do, may it be for his life or for his things, he will need to consult his parents and/or guardians first.If in times he commits mistakes, it will be his guardians or his parents who will take the blame. And they are the very people who will teach the child on how to learn from such mistakes. In the same manner, if in moments of challenging times wherein the child commit some deviant behaviors making him to sway away from the righteous parts, it will be the parents or the guardians who will be accountable for such deviant acts because it would seem that they have not given the right moral education for the child.To sum up, during the phase of childhood, it will be the guardians’ and/or the parents’ responsibility to hone the child according to the society’s moral standards and they will be the very people ho will hold sole responsibility for the child – his actions, ways of thinking etc.Meanwhile, as for the adulthood, the exact opposite happens. The person who just reached maturity and adult phase of his life will then have to be accountable for all his actions and decisions. He will now be the one to decide for himself and even for the little ones who are now looking up to him. He will have to decide what he wants to do with his life.He will be deciding whether to continue working or not. He will be deciding whether to move and build a house of his own or stay where e is right now. Every big and little decision will be entirely on his shoulders during this stage.Not only that, he may need to take responsibility for making decisions for other people who are now depending on him. Because he just reach the age where he may have his own family and kids, he needs to ensure that not only himself is safe from troubles and problems, he must take into consideration his own kids and other family members. In short, as one reaches adulthood, it would mean that the person himself is accountable for himself and other people.It would seem that he will be returning the favor that his parents or guardians did when he was just o the childhood phase. Now it will be his time to serve as the role model for the youngsters. Now it will be his time to take the blame when he did something sha meful and deviant. Now it will be his time to be responsible for the wrongdoings that his kids may have done.In terms of financials, there is also very big difference. Because during the childhood phase, the child is not responsible to anything, it just a common tendency that he will no be worrying about the money. Thus, he would just want to buy things (with his guardians’ or parents’ permission of course) without thinking of where to get the money or what will happen for the future.Whereas when he reaches adulthood, he will tend to be very practical in terms of financial consumption. This is brought by the fact that he is the one earning and will have to be responsible whether he will have enough saved money. He will need to learn to prioritize things which item is necessary, which item is just for luxury, etc.SimilaritiesAs for the similarities, most will be on the psychological part. The likes and dislikes of the person facing the different phase of his life may st ay the same. Like for example, if the child dislikes some things or have some phobias over some things, this dislike and/or fear will remain until he reaches adulthood.Also it is very typical for the child to act like an adult during role-playing while it is also typical for adults to act childlike some times during the adulthood. Thus, this sows that whether childhood or adulthood phase, the person himself is accepting what may lie ahead in the future or what he was when he was just a child.ConclusionIndeed, there is a big difference between childhood and adulthood. The physical appearance definitely changes. The level of responsibility grows from nothing to everything.The awareness of financial accountabilities changes from being guided upon to being the driver or the person-in-charge. It is really a big change that every person faces as he moves on with his life. Bu however challenging and different each phase may be, each phase is always worth looking forward to.

A South African Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A South African Investment - Essay Example On the other hand, there is a reality to the actuality that the jobs provided in that Caltex plant may have been a number of the most excellent means offered for black’s peoples and any of the other minorities that we can see in South Africa to be concerned for their families. At the same time as liberty and complete civil rights are importantly significant to every people so that they can accomplish their complete potential and assert their correct place in the earth, there are some other, extra fundamental requirements that must be fulfilled previous to one can worry regarding intellectual, religious, and other individual constitutional rights and liberties. The Caltex plants do not have any authority to set political stress on the law of South Africa to modify its policies. Monetary investment means a lot to a nation. It is an embarrassment that Caltex plant had no trouble going into a country whose rules was such a disgrace to humanity. On the other hand, the standard of e xistence for South African minorities and Blacks was shocking. They had very poor houses, were deprived of food accessibility, followed poor educational plans, had no right to follow certain jobs, and were provided income that was far less than that of South African White citizens. . â€Å"South Africa the black majority is controlled and oppressed by a white minority that comprises 18 percent of the population† (Case Study 4: A South African Investment n.d., p. 1). A number of South Africans Black people spoke of the necessity for complete liberty, that may not have been the main concern of the average people of South Africa, and it appears evenly disrespectful to suppose that â€Å"we† are right regarding what they require in the â€Å"long run.† * If you were a stockholder in Texaco or Standard Oil (now named Chevron), how do you believe you ought to vote on the three kinds of stockholder's resolutions that were proposed (the first asking Caltex to terminate its operations, the second asking Caltex not to sell to the military or police of South Africa, and the third asking Caltex to implement the Tutu principles)? Justify each of your answers fully. I have voted in support of each of the three stockholder’s decisions. While I consid er that under serviceable attitudes it may not necessarily have been the greatest option for Texaco, or Standard Oil, for Caltex to not open plants in South Africa, as an investor I need to vote according to my individual conscience. Any type of economic reward, for instance, helping to produce national earnings from the withdrawal of building or natural resources a national industry such as petroleum, looks unconscionable given the essential premise on which the administration of South Africa survives. The first decision had Caltex obligatory to stop proceeding with all processes in South Africa until the administration eliminated Apartheid totally. I have voted in support of that decision. A breakdown to create a stand and take a voice against apartheid is an apt method to participate and acquiesce in its survival

Marketing Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Marketing Dynamics - Essay Example This essay is developed in order to understand marketing dynamics of the green marketing and consumers. There are various consumer concerns which are impacting the decision making process and buying behaviour of consumers. Organisations need to understand these patterns in order to identify threats and opportunities and develop strategies according to that. There are various macro environmental factors which influence green consumer. These factors can be related to the infrastructure of the company, use and wastage of resources of the company, final product, recycle ness of the product and the work environment it has been providing to its employees. The case study in the paper analyses the Hewlett Packard efforts for the environmental and green marketing has created value for Hewlett Packard, industry and society as a whole. The efforts of Hewlett Packard company have been taken well by the stakeholder communities. It has been able to create a sustainable brand value through this. It took initiatives and efforts to gain attention of competitors and policy makers for the environmental friendly concerns. It is summed up that all its efforts have been focused toward its final consumer. The researcher also states that the focus of consumers has been toward the environmental and eco-sensitive factors as well along with the product and value a company offers for the price consumer is paying. The number of customers and consumer are increasing who are more aware and concerned about the environment.

Response paper - Ethnic Notions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response paper - Ethnic Notions - Essay Example Which is why it is easier for us to classify race as color because that is how we are conditioned by society. When we racialized the categorization of people, we are merely acting on our instincts that is conditioned by society. Brown try to enlighten us by explaining the dynamics of colorblindness that made it so difficult for us to name the problematic visualization of race that it is easier for us to talk in racialized other than the systematic process of racialization through law, custom and popular culture. We do not need to go far to cite for examples. In the university alone, there is a growing prejudice that the race â€Å"Asian† are good in math. That every time we see somebody with slanted eyes, we automatically distinguish them as Asian and not through their categorization as a people, custom or culture. We do not say they are Koreans, Japanese, Chinese or Filipinos, we just lump them into one singular race as Asians. This is unfair and dangerous because it deprives people of their history, uniqueness, individuality, humanity and other positive aspects and instead, they are relegated to a group of people that can be summarized by few words or sentences that are often full of bias and prejudice. These prejudices and labels do not also accurately portray the group of people being described. Often, this causes misrepresentation leading to misunderstanding that breeds to conflict. It is not farfetched to think that the proposition raised by Moodle and Brown was the one responsible for major conflicts around the world that cost us lives, limbs and properties. Color of the skin is not really the enemy because underneath it, we are all the same. What is the enemy is the racialization that breeds misunderstanding, conflict, worst, wars. I need not expound how racism can breed hate. History is replete with ethnic cleansing and genocide which can be traced

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS Coursework

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS - Coursework Example Thus, banging on the perception of the require, and so vividly glimpsed by the detail that only a couple of years before Fast Company's periodic characteristic deserving "Change or die!" For most, the name is true. Change has become an integral part of organizational life for its constituents and the organization. more mighty technologies play a certain function in this, technological advancement is now nearly as very fast as data methods, so the proficiency to method data much quicker, more new submissions, innovative modes to organise data for better decisions (Moore & Fitz 2003). These innovative new modes to organise, in turn, conceived an interior dynamic of the developing organization. This is widespread, even banal currently discover constituents of all kinds of associations about the present plans for change, because the month of flavour. Although the workers (and managers) can be a bit jaded by all the alterations and the entire converse about change, it makes the method of altering bureaus in the 21st century and the convoluted phenomenon. Change bureau mentions to a change in detail made in organizational life. For each organizational change, an individual or lawful means to provoke or acknowledges any blame for the administration, implementation, upkeep or modification. This means or entity, generally an agency of change by the man called (Lacity Hirschheim and Willcocks 2004). Activity of this means or body part is called the change in the body. Organizational Alterations and Communication As is clear from the introductory consideration, there may be little or no creative consideration of the evolution of the bureau, without comprehending the environment of organizational change itself. Change and bureau, thus, characterised in common. Organizational Change Perhaps the most conversed about occurrence in the area of organizational dynamics and development over the past 20 years, organizational change mentions to the puzzling sequence of happenings, undertakings, plans and crusades to associations that have a thing in common: a kind of action of a set of ideas or demeanour in another set of ideas or behaviours (Major 2002). This action can be differentiated in periods of scale or dimensions and amount of data. This could encompass the whole association, or subsystem (the department or purposeful unit) of the organization. It may request to change the whole association, as well as in coordinating the transition from the customary hierarchy of government engagement, the flat structure, or going into unfamiliar markets with a new scheme, or it may demand other alterations, both in the reorganization of the newest expertise with the assist of output, inserting new types of individual employees, or new modes for educators to record class. It may furthermore be helpful to differentiate between alterations in notions and other periods that are affiliated with alterations and are occasionally utilised as synonyms. Change in Communicati on System The simplest delineation, but can furthermore be an international action of a somewhat steady state to another state for the time being provisional stable. The organizational alterations are progressing with the positions in which the purposes of work needed by most persons all through the association to discover new behaviours and skills. The major alterations encompass all workers and can focus on discovery and teaching of

Global Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Corporate Strategy - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the emerging markets of India and China have been recorded as the fastest growing nations in terms of consuming higher rates of oil, gas and petrochemical products. In this context, the global energy companies such as British Petroleum (BP), Shell, Mobil, and Total have been highly recognized to involve competitive pricing strategies in order to gain substantial return from their global subsidiaries especially located in the emerging markets. However, the oil and gas companies have also been witnessing numerous issues not only for their competitive business strategies but also for their radical impact on the global ecosystem. In this context, the organizations associated with global oil and gas manufacturing industry must also contend with changing regulatory requirements involving their corporate governance different environmental issues. Emphasising the unabated challenges and opportunities faced by the dominant marketers in global oil and gas industry, the essay tends to carry out an appropriate analysis of the global corporate strategies adopted by BP and other world-class Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical suppliers such as Shell, Mobil, Chevron and Total since 2010 to date. The essay also tends to demonstrate the corporate strategic measures of BP in terms of creating a high-performance culture in the global business locations that enable it to effectively deal with both challenges and opportunities in the global oil and gas industry as well.

Ethical concern related to low-wage workers Essay

Ethical concern related to low-wage workers - Essay Example First of all, in order to create a background for my essay, I would like to start with a definition of the term 'ethics'. This term is taken from the Greek, and the Greek word 'ethos' means 'character'. Nowadays, ethics can be defined as the set of rules for interpersonal communication, which takes place either on daily basis or at the level of big business. "Making ethical decisions in business is often difficult because business ethics is not simply an extension of an individual's personal ethics or a society's standards of right and wrong" (answers.com, 2005). Just being a righteous person, who fits ethical criteria, might not be enough to handle the problems, which occur in the workplace, such as the treatment of low-wage employees and their career development. It is important to note that many professions have already responded to the demanding business problems - in particular, with the creation of "codes of ethics, statements of corporate goals, sponsor training and educational programs in ethics" (ibid) , the installation of internal jurists who deal with various ethical improprieties, and with creation of special telephone hot lines, which allow employees report anonymously possible ethical violations. A code of ethics contains certain standards of behavior, which are obligatory for the representatives of a certain profession. Moreover, a code of ethics generally provides professionals with information about the obligations towards one another, their customers, employees and the whole society. "A code of ethics is generally developed by a professional society within a particular profession. The higher the degree of professionalism required of society members, the stronger and therefore more enforceable the code" (ibid). The main function of a code of ethics is to guide employees and employers in the most complicated ethical questions, in particular those which are especially unclear. Decisions in such cases can be made more effectively and easily if the code informs about what actions should or should not be taken and about the penalties for morally wrong behavior. Many companies have their own codes of practice, or codes of ethics, which correspond to the mission of the organization and the organizational culture. There are several ethical concerns associated with low-wage workers. The most widespread ethical dilemma, which arises in many organizations is 'utility vs. morality' (Bernstein, 1997). The ideas of utilitarianism, which penetrated the business, have been developed into the utilitarian approach to ethical concerns, which concentrates on "taking the action that will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people" (poznaklav.com, 2005). For instance, employing low-wage workers, entrepreneur, who follows utilitarian principles, would attempt to determine whether using low-wage employees would bring prosperity to the company. For instance, those business owners, who use low-wage foreign employees in response to price competition, will probably benefit from such decision. On the other hand, using low-wage workers is likely to decrease the wages of the other employees, decreasing at the same time their standards of living and thus, reducing their ability to purchase the good s the company produces. Those company owners, who support the ideas of morality (Blank, 1997) would probably pay living wages to all employees regardless

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

Professional development - Essay Example The project, which will probably involve an element of problem solving, can relate to any aspect of the organisation so long as it is considered to be of use to the company. It is important that on completion of the project you obtain from your employer a written statement (on official company stationery) which gives his/her opinion of your performance in carrying out the investigation and presenting your conclusions and recommendations. The statement should comment on the overall benefit to the company of the investigation and any recommendations that you make. List in the order of Books, Journals and Website the sources you used in the Harvard Style. Remember the information here must relate to the in text referencing that has been included in the Harvard style throughout the main report, According to Learnthenet.com (2008) Â  netiquette, a term coined from either network etiquette or Internet etiquette comes in handy. To guide you through your online communications, here are a few pointers: When you talk with someone, the tone of your voice conveys great meaning. To add personality and humour to your messages, use smileys, also known as emoticons, expressions you create from the characters on your keyboard. A few popular ones include: Keep your written communications to the point. Few people like reading text on a computer screen. Many people now receive e-mail on cell phones and other portable devices. The tiny screens make reading lengthy messages particularly challenging. This is true whether you send e-mail or post messages online. To keep messages short, use some common abbreviations: A favourite is , which stands for Rolling on the Floor Laughing. A shortened version is --Laughing Out Loud. And if you get called away whilst in the chat room or on Windows Live Messenger try --Be Right Back. Remember that anything you post to a blog, newsgroup, forum or website

A Foresight to the Education of the Future Essay Example for Free

A Foresight to the Education of the Future Essay At the beginning of the last century, students used to spend many hours at libraries looking for information. It was mostly because there were no other means to obtain the knowledge needed to fulfill the school or university’s assignments. However, for the last thirty or twenty years this situation has been changing, and with it the way we learn or in other words the way we acquire our knowledge. Nowadays, in many educational institutions the web-based research has become the most effective way of gathering information, because it allows us to find whatever we want to know in seconds. Nevertheless, if we leave aside the contribution of technology to the compilation of facts, we can realize that not because we are able to have a quick access to information it means that we understand or learn something. My goal in this paper is to discuss the influence and effects of technology in education by expressing my opinion and my analysis of Anderson, M.T. Feed. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2012. Print. Firstly, from my point of view M. T. Anderson tries to give us a message of how technology is interferes in our everyday life and the role it plays in human communication. Additionally, I can perceive a certain degree of prediction of what the future awaits for us if we do not act to ameliorate our behavior towards the usage of technology. He presents this foresight through many themes. However, as I said before I will be only analyzing education and knowledge. To understand why this theme is important it is necessary to point out that in this futuristic schools students have a completely different education, where subjects are frivolous and do not require students to think by themselves. Additionally, people are said to be smart because the feed provides them instantly with everything they need to know. Therefore, people do not have to make efforts to comprehend and learn collections of factual knowledge. The undemanding acquisition of knowledge may sound fantastic, but if we think carefully about it, we will find that  if we do not use our own brain to learn or to do anything else, we may lose the characteristic that differentiate us from the rest of animals which is our ability to think critically. â€Å"That’s one of the great things about the feed- that you can be supersmart without ever working† (Anderson 47) this was the first evidence that made me realize that Titus, the main character and narrator of the novel, tends to confuse what being smart actually means. The first definition he gives to the word smart is to have access to information. However, this is nothing more than an aid, an element that helps us to be smart. People need to work by themselves in order to analyze and understand their findings only then we can say that someone is smart. For instance: being the owner of a computer with internet access does not make us smart, but what does is to use the information after a thoughtful analysis of it. Titus also define being smart as being fashionable, which in certain situations it is perfectly correct, still this is not the case, given that he talks of Violet creating and using her brain to do what she wanted. This confusion is clearly depicted in this passage: â€Å"I was afraid that she would be too smart for me, but she wasn’t. I don ´t mean she wasn ´t smarter, because she was, but just that there was so much she hadn ´t done† (Anderson 107) Titus define Violet as intelligent, but then he suddenly changes his conception to not smart enough for the reason that Violet had not done some things. In the book people do what the feed suggest them to do which generally involve buying things. Therefore, what Titus meant was that Violet was not smart enough, because she did not have the economic resource s to buy what most people of her age buy. In our society what we buy does not determine yet how smart or educated we are. Notwithstanding, It is not difficult for me to think that in the future smart will mean fashionable in any context, considering that we are already buying the trends on the market to make us feel important, just as important as once was to be smart. Moreover, we learn in the book that education is different because of the progress of technology, Titus states that in the past â€Å"when their grandparents were students they did not learn anything useful.†(Anderson 109) I agree with him to a certain extent, it is true that sometimes we learn things we will never use. Yet everything we learn at school helps us not only to exercise our brain and to be a well-rounded person, but also to the acquisition of essential features that differentiates us from the rest  of animals. Titus’ education has no longer subjects that make students think, the new subjects are all about the extremely consumerist society they live in. Titus express that â€Å"Now that Schoolâ„ ¢ is run by corporations, It’s pretty brag, because it teaches us how the world can be used, like mainly how to use our feeds.† (Anderson 109-110)Even when it is true that they teach useful information to live in their peculiar world, the subjects are completely superficial when it comes to development of people as human beings. I think that the author gives us a clear illustration of what we are currently doing in our everyday life at school or any other educational institution. We look up the knowledge in the web and we use it, but we do not trouble ourselves by trying to understand or analyze whether our findings are correct or not. Additionally, Throughout the book we can find many allusions to problems that our society is facing due to the development of technology.

Human Resource Management Law Example

Human Resource Management Law Example 1. There is a page in the Companys Employee Handbook that states that anything brought onto the Companys property, including the employees themselves, is subject to random search for items belonging to the Company. There is a space for the employee to acknowledge receipt of this notice. Mr. Yourprop has a copy of the handbook but never signed the page. Does that matter? Explain. Even though it is best practice to have an employee sign any company polity or handbook, it is not required by law. Handbooks should also be signed if there are any major updates to the company policies and procedures. Because the handbook outlines the policies and procedures of the company, it is important for the employees to acknowledge and promise to abide by them. The acknowledgement of the company policies and procedures can create an employment contract between the company and the employee. It there is ever an issue between the company and the employee, the acknowledgement ensures that the employee was aware of the companys policies and procedures. It is often misunderstood that be refusing or forgetting to sign the handbook means that an employee is longer held responsible for following the companys policies contained in it. A company cannot force an employee to sign the acknowledgment. However, they can get supervisors to sign for them stating that the employee received the handbook. Should a legal issues come up, the company has proof the employee was aware of the policies and procedure of the company. (Employee Handbooks, 2014) 2. Can you (or Mr. Yourprops supervisor) search Yourprops assigned locker in the Companys on-site gym for digital evidence? Support your answer. The lockers are owned by the company and are provided to the employee for their convenience. Most likely the companys handbook would include policies regarding the use of all of the facilities owned by the company and provided to the employee, including a provision to search such facilities. Mr. Yourprop is believed to be in possession of stolen material, creating reasonable suspicion. In the case of OConnor v. Ortega, 480 U.S. 709 (1987) in regards to administrative searches at the workplace, the Supreme Court ruling stands that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦only reasonable suspicion is necessary for search to be conducted. (Wikipedia, OConnor v. Ortega) 3. Can you (or Mr. Yourprops supervisor) use a master key to search Yourprops locked desk after he has left the premises for digital evidence? Support your answer. This question, like the previous one, poses the same dilemma. The fact that the supervisor has a master key and can search different areas of the building was most likely included in the company policies. To conduct a search of a private property, a search warrant would be needed. Mr. Yourprop can also argue that the desk is locked and he has a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, the equipment in question is not the property of Mr. Yourprop and so a search warrant is not needed and so he cannot have a reasonable presumption of privacy. (Solomon, 2012) 4. Makestuff Company uses a security checkpoint at the entrance to the building. A sign adjacent to the checkpoint states that the purpose of the checkpoint is for security staff to check for weapons or other materials that may be detrimental to the working environment or employee safety. Screening is casual and usually consists of verification of an employees Company ID card. Can security staff at this checkpoint be directed to open Mr. Yourprops briefcase and seize any potential digital evidence? Support your answer. Employee searches require a delicate balance of the employees rights and those of the business. The Fourth Amendment provides protection against unreasonable search and seizure of their persons, homes, and personal property. This applies to the government, and public work place, however, most private employers are exempt. Private business are allowed a number of techniques when they suspect misconduct. Private employers are allowed random searches of employees personal property such as lunchboxes, purses, briefcases and coats with advance notification. Also, electronic monitoring, surveillance and similar searches would require an employer provides notice to employees of such activity. (Garber, 2008). The company already has this policy in both the handbook and includes a sign at the entrance warning all visitors of their policy. Given that during the exit interview, Mr. Yourprop used language that could be interpreted as having committed criminal activity, the employer already has p robably cause for a search. (King, 2005) 5. Can you (or Mr. Yourprops supervisor) search Yourprops personal vehicle currently parked in the Company parking lot for digital evidence? Support your answer. In this case, the company has a legal right to search the employees vehicle while it is in the company spaces. The company has a policy in place that informed employees that it reserved the right to perform searches on employees to ensure proper policies and procedures are being followed. In this case, the company is trying to protect sensitive data which could be detrimental to the company if stolen. Generally, private employers can also perform personal property searches as long as advance notice is provided to the employee. A search of the vehicle parked on the companys premises is not unreasonable given that the employee was given notice of the potential for vehicle searches and the apparent suspicion of his job-related misconduct. (Workplace Searches, 2015). 6. If evidence of the theft of intellectual property is found, Makestuff Company may seek to pursue criminal prosecution. Can Mr. Yourprops supervisor require local police investigators to search his personal vehicle which is parked on the Company parking lot? Support your answer. The supervisor can legally direct local police to search the employees personal vehicle. The supervisor will notify to police that the vehicle is parked on company property and also contains evidence of criminal activity against the company. The search without a warrant of an automobile does not violate the Fourth Amendment. In 1925, in a case of Carroll v. United States (267 U.S. 132), the Supreme Court ruled that The warrantless search of a car does not violate the Constitution. The mobility of the automobile makes it impracticable to get a search warrant. (Wikipedia, Carroll v. United States). References: 1. Society for Human Resource Management (2014), Employee Handbooks: Should employees be required to sign an acknowledgment form for the employee handbook? What if an employee refuses?, Retrieved on March 28, 2016 from: http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/hrqa/pages/signeehandbook.aspx 2. Wikipedia, OConnor v. Ortega, Retrieved on March 30, 2016 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OConnor_v._Ortega 3. Solomon, M. (2012) Computer Forensics JumpStart, 2nd Edition 4. Garber, John E. (2008). Introduction to the human resources discipline of workplace safety and security, Retrieved on Retrieved on March 30, 2016 from: https://www.shrm.org/templatestools/toolkits/pages/introsafetyandsecurity.aspx 5. King, G. (2005), A Public Employers Right to Search in the Workplace, Retrieved on April 2, 2016 from: https://www.mml.org/insurance/shared/publications/leaf_newsletter/right_to_search.pdf 6. Workplace fairness, Workplace Searches, Retrieved on April 3, 2016 from: https://www.workplacefairness.org/workplace-searches 7. Wikipedia, Carroll v. United States, Retrieved on April 3, 2016 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_v._United_States

Personal Environmental Ethics :: essays research papers

There are some people who believe that the United States' strictly forced endangered species laws seriously hamper our economy. I on the other hand must disagree. The endangered species laws were created for an important reason: to protect our earth's biological diversity. Whenever humanity interferes with the ecosystem for the purpose of economic growth it tears it apart piece by piece. It is for reasons like these we must have such tough laws, as in the Endangered Species Act. The fact of the matter is that a problem still exists today. Many policy-makers and forest industry representatives argue that the current forest and wildlife conditions constitute a "forest health crisis"(Peters, Frost, & Pace, 1999). The current crisis results from companies who tear down forests for their own profit. By doing this not only is the forest itself being destroyed, but the wildlife within it. Furthermore, in 1990 the EPA's scientific research team stated that destruction of habit ats, and species extinction are two of the four most critical global environmental issues (Biodiversity, 1999). As can be seen, companies who destroy the ecosystem for economic gain are creating irreversible problems that future laws cannot correct. To prevent further problems from occurring we must maintain all biodiversity laws. The basis of the laws are to protect all life, including all human life; and are crucial for present and future generations (Biodiversity, 1999). The federal government has taken charge of this situation, most notably through its endangered species protection efforts (Biodiversity, 1999). This has become a controversial, but necessary step in protection our ecosystem and all of the valuable resources it has to offer. Understanding those environmental issues are subjects of disagreement arising from different perspectives and values; the controversy of economic gain verse ecological conservation is not easily settled. I support wildlife preservation only to prevent extinction. I believe without these laws that we as humans will suffer greatly, because we would be unable to reap the benefits of the ecosystem. I agree with the congressional findings that various species of fish, wildlife, and plants have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development intemperate by adequate concern and conservation (O'Laughlin, 1998).

The Benefits of ObamaCare Are Greater Than the Costs Essay -- ObamaCar

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also known as Obama Care has been put into place to transfer the cost of healthcare from employers to the government. Employer provided insurance is common place in America. Nearly 60% of the American public utilizes insurance provided by their employer (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Since the proposal of the PPACA it has been surrounded by much controversy concerning the constitutionality of the bill. During the industrial stages of the nation came the passage of strict labor laws, regulated minimum wage, and health coverage became a perk offered by employers to build a dependable workforce. Healthcare was readily available before the concept of globalization occurred and made it less realistic for an employer to keep supporting the overhead of health care rising prices while competing with other countries that do not provide healthcare or have to adhere to minimum wage guidelines. Companies in the US have been driven to cut spending in order to stay competitive with companies producing similar products in other nations. Global economy has had a huge impact on healthcare and the people it is available to. Companies have been gradually paying less and less towards their employee’s healthcare which in turn has made insurance too costly for the average employee to continue the same amount of healthcare coverage. While companies have been lessening their contribution to employee health benefits insurances have continually raised their prices. In the recent years between 2001 and 2007 the cost of health care premiums has escalated almost 80% (Health Care Marketplace Project, 2008). To understand the dispute surrounding the constitutionality of Obama Car... ...9% during the same time period (Health Care Marketplace Project, 2008) Works Cited Health Care Marketplace Project . (2008, March 14). Employer Health Insurance Costs and Worker Compensation. In Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved June 28, 2008, from http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/chcm030808oth.cfm Jost, T. (2009). Health Insurance Exchanges: Legal Issues. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 3751-70. doi:10.1111/j.1748-720X.2009.00420.x Stengel, R., & Ford, A. (2011, July 4). One document, under siege. Time, 178(1), 30-45. Retrieved July 16, 2011, from Academic Search Premier. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). The Effect of Health Care Cost Growth on the U.S. Economy. In Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Retrieved June 21, 2011, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/08/healthcarecost/report.pdf

Free Narrative Essays - Making Plans :: Personal Narrative Essays

Making Plans It was a gorgeous summer morning as I, my brother David, sister Marcia, mom, dad, and baby girl were traveling home to Laramie from Colorado Springs where we had gone to visit my grandma. The atmosphere in the car was fun and filled with laughter. We were glad to be together. Our chatter was constant and our conversations often overlapped. One learned young that if you want to be heard in my family, you must merely speak louder than everyone else. Or, you might simply say, "Would you please shut up for a minute so I can say something important?" We all understood that such a plain and politely spoken command was not meant to be offensive or at all disrespectful. We were a bit louder than usual that morning as we had great plans for the day. Since we had to travel through Denver, we all agreed that we should eat at a nice restaurant and then go to the zoo where we could eat some more and see the animals then probably eat some more. Daddy was a bit tense and growly, his usual demeanor when traffic was thick as it was on that Friday morning. "Everyone and their Grandma is on this one road to Denver," he grumbled. My Daddy is claustrophobic. He hates traffic which is the main reason I think we moved long ago to Wyoming, the land of wide-open spaces. "You can drive more than a hundred miles on a Wyoming highway without seeing another car," Daddy would often brag. That was not the case, however, in Colorado. The cars were lined up one after another, traveling 75 miles per hour, to the horizon and beyond. We passengers paid scant attention to the outside world as we were involved in a thought-provoking discussion regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the highly educational hit movie of the summer, Independence Day. The movie answered the question: Are we alone in the Universe? with a loud no when aliens arrived and began demolishing major cities all over the world. We all gazed out the windshield as we laughed at my sister's comment about the president in the film: "He was so broken up over the

Interest Group

Interest Groups University of Hawaii West Oahu Haijuan Hanger 1/27/13 Well I have to say that this is a very old video nearly twenty five years old, although the information was well presented. The examples with the AARP and the NRA was good as to explain the difference between the broad and narrow along with the quick explanation of a single issue groups. It did not leave me with any question as to the different types of groups. It could have used a few more examples of interest groups of both broad and narrow to give a different comparison on real situation that actually took place.Additionally, How lobbyist take action in getting their issues to the three different branches of government. Such as reports on how much a single type of interest group faired with issues as a result of their lobbying and putting pressure on different congressmen as well as the interest groups personal gains and benefits as a result on issues that they supported. No indication was given as the how much money was spent nor the slightest indication of what congressmen benefited if any. This makes me wonder if there are discloser laws that should be in place to prevent any wrong doing. Not to say that there was.The video, as old as it is provided very basic definition and really could have used a more current video with recent and current related issues of today. I felt more trusting with the example of the broad type Interest Group of the AARP then I did with the narrow Interest group of the NRA. I felt that the AARP was actually working not just for the members best interest but, for the elderly people in general across the nation and their families real issues. When compared to the NRA, The organization of the AARP from what I understood from the video didn't use scare tactics in getting its members active and campaign for certain causes.I can see how the AARP is one of the largest organization in the country and that is because it is built a reputation for working hard on issues that affect not only a very large community of elderly people but, It will most definitely effect every American in the nation at one time or another. Social Security insurance has been promised to Americans sense the Roosevelt era that is nearly 80 years. It becomes a very touchy subject when so many elderly Americans depend on Social Security for survival. AARP continues as well to fight issues of Medicare coverage and discounts on prescription medicine.They have a large member support community that it can negotiate with many companies and organization on rates of services that can potentially bring a large group of consumers. While viewing the video one very interesting point really made me stop and think and collect my thoughts. This was when Pamela Sederholm was providing an over view of how interest groups work lobbyist work with the different branches of government. I felt that she had provided a very good overview as to how these interest groups operate in obtaining their g oals while working with the government. Just as if it came straight out of a text book.I felt that she was very young and very naive in the way she portrayed the system, I didn't feel that she had the experience for her position, although it did appear that she was well educated about the system. I may have felt more comfortable if it had been a person a little bit more mature. This was not what the video was about but, someone at the level she was at must have many years of experience . As far as the NRA and Mr. Paul Blackman interview in this video did not make me fell comfortable either. I am not a member of the NRA but, I do believe in the 2nd Amendment of the bill of rights that we Americans have the right to bare arms.I also have common sense when it comes to gun control. It is possible to have gun control and still retain the 2nd Amendment. I think that if the NRA was not so negative and using scare tactics in making people believe that every time we talk about gun control. i n its campaigning against any type of gun control it could work in a positive way in that could result in a safer nation and insuring that the 2nd Amendment is never taken away. We need to focus on the Types of guns that and individual can own for home protection and hunting. Really does one need an AK47 or an AR15 assault rifle to kill a deer or to protect ones home.Protect it from whom? Why is it called assault rifle and not a protection rifle. I wonder how is it that the NRA with less than half of the members than say the NRA, How can they be so powerful in congress. Do they represent gun manufactures or is it that they spend more money in fewer places. As narrated in the video that when the NRA supports a candidate through political action committees for an office they most generally win that office. I didn't quit understand the roll that political action committees play in the election of candidates or they are objective if it is not the objective of the interest group.This mak es me wonder why. Is it money or political connection. I do believe that The NRA works hard and long on issues that are not necessary the best interest for the nation and only what is best for its organization and its members. I can now understand more when it comes to many political issues how so many are killed by tying the up in law suits and clouding the issues in a bill and or for personal gain for its members. Another part of the video mentioned that Lobbyist are now referred to as professionals. They should be nothing but professionals so what where they referred to as before that.I do believe that there are a lot of good professionals that actively play a part in getting bills past and working hard for the country. As narrated in the video that there are a lot of professional institutions in that have experts in many different field that support the legislative and the executive branches of government. We need these professionals as I believe that it is totally ignorant to t hink that someone holding political office could be an expert on every issue that is introduced as a bill or police. I believe the it is always challenged by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. References

Importance of Understanding Cultural Diversity Essay

Cultural and Ethnic diversity continues to impact day to day life making diversity in the workplace more common. Diversity refers to the qualities that are different from our own and can include race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, background and much more. Not only does diversity involve how people identify themselves, but how they perceive others as well, which, in turn, can affect their interactions in a culturally diverse work environment. Accepting and understanding the differences of any culture, and embracing diversity can reduce conflict and help team building in the workplace. â€Å"Different voices of a diverse workforce are respected and heard (Bell, 2007, p.5).† Recognizing and understanding cultural differences in the workplace is just the beginning. Subordinate groups opinions that have developed over time may cause defensive and cautious behaviors and attempting to bridge the gap between dominant and subordinate groups could provide better communication. Managers and supervisors need to strive for a deeper knowledge and understanding of cultural differences. By establishing relationships at work with individuals different from yourself, you can begin to learn the knowledge that culture may have to offer your organization. Prejudice and prejudgment also need to be addressed including the misconceptions based on cultural values or stereotypes. For example, it may be thought that men work harder at their jobs and are more committed than women, or that younger employees have no motivation to work, or even that a Jamaican employee is lazy because of his/her laid back culture. A manager can become a role model for all employees to embrace cultural diversity in the work place by confronting these prejudgments. â€Å"Managing diversity is a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees (Bell, 2007, p8).† The majority of nursing homes have come to realize that employees from various ethnic and cultural back-grounds, as well as those of different gender can bring a completely different perspective. It is becoming more important to have an understanding of different cultural backgrounds since there are more and more patients being cared for in this country with very different cultural backgrounds. At the same time it is essential that the nursing unit is running smoothly and that patient care is the highest priority. Misunderstandings regarding culture or ethnic background can impact the patient’s care and his/her perception of treatment. There has to be a balance of different cultures, ethnicities and genders so it is important to keep in mind the importance of making the units as diverse as possible when hiring healthcare staff. In order for employees to feel comfortable in the workplace and achieve satisfaction, education and teaching on culture and diversity is essential. Thanks to the increasing education among nursing staff on cultural diversity, changes are being seen in the nursing profession. The lefty for a day was quite a challenge. Trying to cook dinner, writing, doing homework was all very difficult and I was unable to use the scissors I had since they are specifically made for being right handed. This experience gave me more of an understanding of what it must be like for those of different cultures to adapt in new surroundings and a new appreciation for the challenges faced by those that do not fit into what society considers to be normal. References Bell, M. (40). Diversity in Organizations (2nd ed). Retrieved from http://devry.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781285700878/pages/70644609

Bribe & Ethical

This study will discuss about the concept of organization’s social performance and economic performance. Economic performance deals with an organization’s main objective likes profit, revenue and cost while the social performance of an organization is their responsibilities to the society in relation to various ethical values in business. Ethical values are very important in a business. All ethical questions relate to what is right, just, and fair. â€Å"Terms like â€Å"professional ethics,† â€Å"work ethics,† and â€Å"business ethics† are misnomers.The principles we use in the workplace should be the same principles we use in other areas of our lives – they’re just applied to business situations. † In the present competitive world many organizations focus on their ultimate goal of profit maximization without any consideration of their means to achieving the goals. The impact of globalization creates a lot of opportunities in the business to transcend national boundaries. Many multinational companies have started their operations in other countries. In this backdrop where competition is quite tough, some organizations try to pay bribe for their business existence in the host country.â€Å"MNC bribery takes many forms: direct monetary payoffs to political officials, positions in the enterprise for officials, family members, friends and/or cronies, paid excursions, partnerships, invitations to prestigious universities and scholarships for their children, etc. † Each country has its own culture and moral values. These principles are highly dependant on that particular country’s economic and social situation. â€Å"The major problem of international business ethics is bribery. No single country allows businessmen to offer and government officials to accept bribes for deals.† Bribery is generally considered a reprehensible offence even in countries where it is alleged to be common. This study relates with BIM, a UK based IT consultancy, and its problem for meeting both the economical and social performance. BIM starts their operations in Nigerian city of Lagos. During the initial times their operation was not successful and they failed to meet their target. After an evaluation of the business environment of Lagos BIM’s sales team finds that payment of commission is very a common practice in that area for any business deals.BIM decides to follow the common practice of that area for meeting their target. On the other hand, BIM strictly follows ethical values in their business and their code of ethics would consider these commissions to be bribery and, therefore, not allowed. In this situation, the Branch Director finds himself in a dilemma as on one side he has to meet the goal of their branch, and on the other maintain the organization’s culture. Most of the ethical issues in management are apparently simple. â€Å"Many business managers said that the ir companies strictly uphold the principle against any form of bribery.They would choose to give up commercial contracts if they were asked to pay bribes or â€Å"kickbacks† to secure them. † There is a dichotomous, yes or no choice; which brings in conflict the organization’s economic benefit and their ethical values in business. Ethical decisions are not simple choices between right and wrong. In a case of bribery, it may affect the organization’s value and culture at the same time bribery can also create a bad precedent. â€Å"In developed countries, the moral expectations of the host country are as stringent as our own.With third world host countries, though the moral expectations often more lax, and multinationals are tempted to lower their standards when situations permit. † Bribery is a common practice in all of the third world countries; especially in bureaucracies most of these countries suffer acute problems of bribery in the areas of educ ation, health and other social welfare sector. Many multinational companies exploit these corrupted officials for their business purposes, selling off lesser quality products and violating the government rules and indulging in other unethical activities with the helps of these corrupted officials.†Market power is highly dependent on political relations with the state through a series of complex networks of ‘intermediaries’ who negotiate monetary and other payoffs in exchange for a range of highly profitable concessions. † In this type of business environment an organization can only meet its economical performance by promoting bribery but they will not be able to meet their social performance and they also risk neglecting the social responsibilities.In the context of BIM, the branch director has two options: the first is to pay the commission and make a good market for his product in that area; but this activity can be create a bad social situation. The seco nd option is to stick to the company’s tradition. The corrupted official can get more chances to earn money and they are ready to agree any types of products sales in that area. They are not bothered about the quality and benefit of product. Social responsibility of an organization is to provide quality product to customers and protect the market from illegal business practices. So the branch manager Mr.Thomas Harvey wants to follow his organization’s ethical codes against bribery and try to promote legal method of business promotion other wise he would have decided to pay commission and achieve a good business. It is not the part of BIM’s organization’s culture to pay bribe for business interests and it is not a suitable method for BIM’s long term business policy. Any other organization would be able to pay higher commission rather than BIM’s to penetrate the market. In this type of unethical business environment there is no stable growth, all business dealings would depend on the bribery and other illegal activities.BIM’s business practice is meeting both the economical and social performance their by maintaining their customers’ trust and loyalty in any where in the world with any type of business environment. So in this situation Mr. Thomas Harvey wants to give more priority to the social performance of his organization and therefore avoid unethical business practices. Works Cited What is business ethics? Scribbler’s Ink, copyright  © 2005, all rights reserved. http://www. scribblers-ink. com/business_ethics. html (accessed March 13, 2007).Petras, James. United States. Economic Empire Building: The Centrality of Corruption. http://www. socialistviewpoint. org/janfeb_07/janfeb_07_10. html (accessed March 13, 2007). Global Ethics in Global Economy. Editorial 15th Issue. Hong Kong Ethic Development Center. Ethics in Practice. http://www. icac. org. hk/hkedc/ethics/eip/edc005_e. htm (accessed Mar ch 13, 2007). Fieser, James. Business Ethics. Doing Business in Foreign Countries. http://www. utm. edu/staff/jfieser/vita/research/Busbook. htm (accessed March 13, 2007).

Roanoke: the Lost Colony

Roanoke: The Lost Colony Roanoke was the first attempt at creating an English settlement in the New World. It began in 1587 when Sir Walter Raleigh gathered over 100 people to voyage to Roanoke Island on North Carolina’s coast. Three years later, all of Roanoke’s inhabitants were gone with barely any evidence that they even lived there. The only clues found were the letter â€Å"CRO† carved into the trunk of a tree. On the nearby palisades, John white found the word â€Å"CROATOAN† carved into the surface.I believe the colonists of Roanoke voyaged to the nearby island of Croatoan and were absorbed by the native tribes. White, finding the clues, then began trying to identify the fate of the villagers. Before leaving, he told the villagers to leave clues as to their location should they have to leave the colony. White knew of an island called Croatoan south of Roanoke. A storm forced White and his men back to England before he could search for his family.Ano ther clue as to where the colonists went is the fact that several of the natives in Croatoan describe their ancestors as white people. Later, there were natives found with gray eyes which were only found among these natives and no others. The natives also claim their ancestors came from â€Å"Roanoke in Virginia. † The Pembrokes, the natives of Croatoan, spoke pure Anglo-Saxon English and bore the last names of many of the lost colonists. The natives even had fair eyes, light hair, and Anglo bone structure.These clues all point to the colonists voyaging into Croatoan and making a settlement there. Apart from telling the colonists to leave Clues, White also told them to carve a Maltese cross above their destination. Because no cross was found at Roanoke, it leads me to believe the colonists had to leave in a hurry. There could have been a threat of invasion which gave the colonists little time to escape and leave clues to their whereabouts. The lost colony of Roanoke was aband oned and its inhabitants voyaged into the wilderness and joined local native tribes.

Environment Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environment Ethics - Essay Example So ethics needs to be applied to the environment. (Holmes Rolston, pg.1) Saving trees is one of the important factors in the environment. If there are no trees, it would further lead to decrease in the number of animals as it is their natural habitat and cannot be replaced by anything else. No trees means no rainfall. We are aware about the effects of pollution and how trees help restore gases that we all need to survive. Moreover it controls erosion, the advantages are numerous. We should control the emission of poisonous gases that are emitted by motor vehicles, factories etc. that affect the climate and atmosphere around us. Issues regarding global warming needs immediate attention or in future we will not have any snow, glaciers and so on. Water is an important source for a livelihood. No one can survive without water, so we must not waste it. For soon there will be a time when there will be no potable water. Saving natural resources like fuels, water, minerals, for future generations is also very important. Or else their will come a time when they wouldn't know what minerals and ores are. We should take care to save animals and plants that are going to

Toxicology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Toxicology - Essay Example Although, more often the size of the solute particles is larger than what can easily cross the biomembranes. In that case, there are carrier proteins that bind with the solute and transport them across the membrane. This is known as facilitated diffusion. In facilitated diffusion, the carrier proteins are embedded in the membrane. They bind with the biomolecules and change their shape which results in translocation of the molecules to the other side of membrane. In a biochemical system, there is frequently need of transporting biomolecules across a membrane against the concentration gradient. It can be thought of as uphill movement of molecules and it requires energy. The energy used can be chemical in nature as from ATP in various protein pumps or electrochemical due to difference of electrochemical potential across the membrane. As illustrated by Jack H. Kaplan (2002), an example of active transport pump is Sodium/ Potassium ATPase that uses energy from ATP breakdown to transport ions across

The Rotana Hotels Management Corporation Research Paper

The Rotana Hotels Management Corporation - Research Paper Example Recommendations based on the Operations Management are given at the end of the report. The Rotana Hotels Management Corporation known as the Rotana Hotels’ basic philosophy is that ‘hospitality is a fine art. There is no way it can be learned; it has to be a way of life.’ Even though it is very simple, yet it clearly illustrates the fact that the aspect of hospitality is a part of every level of the organization and is the basic foundation to its standards. The Rotana Hotels Management Corporation known as the Rotana Hotels, one of the leading hotel management companies in the Middle East, was established in 1992, by a partnership between Nasser Al Nowais and Selim El Zyr, who were joined three years later by Nael Hashweh and Imad Elias. The Rotana Hotels Management Corporation started its operation as Rotana hotel in 1993 in Abu Dhabi. â€Å"Our vision is to be the Leading and Preferred Hospitality Management Company within the Middle East, operating Hotels, Suites, and Resorts. We have the expertise, the passion and the competitive strength to achieve this goal†. â€Å"We will identify and exceed the expectations of our Guests, Staff, and Owners through innovative and creative solutions, combined with personalized care to gain their loyalty. We will constantly maintain International quality standards complemented with traditional Arabic Hospitality†. The forecasting for hiring new staff at Rotana Hotels mainly depends on the increase in the number of branches or new extensions. This indicates that if Rotana Hotels is extending its existing operations then they would work on recruiting or promoting previous staff for the new positions available. Forecasting demand: According to the requirements of the operations and making use  of the trend analysis based on previous information regarding the experienced occupancy, Rotana Hotels is able to forecast the forthcoming needs of employment in every aspect by using both bottoms-up forecasting and to down forecasting.

Discuss the implications of your interpretation for social justice Essay

Discuss the implications of your interpretation for social justice - Essay Example This is a chart which tells the viewer that there is not much change in very poor demographics, and that poverty seems to be a cycle that keeps households in low incomes at levels of low opportunity to change incomes. Thinking of how this chart relates to social justice, one can think about various theoretical and practical measures that can develop to solve the problem of income disparity and of the poor remaining poor, domestically. There are many tactics to use, ranging from class-struggle theory to the more practical application of income variability advocacy and systemic delivery of access to equal education from private and public entities. Advocacy on the issue of equity within a universal and equalized educational system not based on property tax rates, could be developed to fight for social justice on a targeted and specific level by expanding the definition of the problem to focus on the people who are living in impoverished situations. Social justice advocacy could examine development based on accessibility, the cycle of poverty, and attention to the local level in examining the problems on a policy level as well It is important to approach the problem of poverty’s perpetuation directly rather indirectly, but effectively, by assaying investment trends and asking unanswered questions, following an estimation of where the money goes in terms of the populations who seem to need it most. Others describe the cycle of poverty more directly, not just in offhanded terms buried within a chart that is basically about making money, but as a direct study of impoverished areas that relies extensively on previous studies and seeks to establish demographic patterns. Although these two perspectives are basically talking about the same thing in terms of distance, the approach used by different methods of presentation is varied. Overall, however, those in low income areas have traditionally experienced difficulties in

College Binge Drinking (Penn State and in relation to other studies Essay

College Binge Drinking (Penn State and in relation to other studies done) - Essay Example e this binge drinking phenomena as an issue, researchers have taken productive measures by studying students excessive alcohol consumption, preventative measures surrounding students and excessive drinking, and reasons behind students’ binge drinking. Students at the university have habits that incorporate profound drinking in their lives especially when college students find themselves in social situations where an assortment of alcohol is served. According to the text by Leonard (1999), studies carried out show that groups of students aged 18 to 22 have habits of drinking in college bars and at parties. He further goes ahead to state that normally this is done in three categories of alcohol: beer, liquor or both. This is confirmed by Prevention Progress at Penn State [e-book], whereby we are told that binge drinking dates back to1995 when Graham Spanier became president in the university. The students had the same habits of drinking uncontrollably then and it is with this observation that he began a movement consisting of an alcohol advertising campaign to try and curb it in 1999. On the other hand, in his article, Reifman (2003), claims that statistics carried out shows that about 44% of the Penn State students binge drink and in fact end up in hospitals due to alcohol related problems. Moreover, the article says that Penn State-University Park campus has approximately 45,000 students in the campus alone which enables drinking to become equal to an epidemic in the university. Nevertheless, in the text by Nicoletti, Spencer-Thomas & Bollinger (2010), we are told that freshmen students are an easy target for binge drinking research amongst college students due to their transitioning from high school to college and eagerness to fit in such a new environment. In a research study on prevention and intervention to curtail college binge drinking, alcohol related consequences that happen in the first days of the semester with new students is heavy and goes beyond

Word Processing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Word Processing - Assignment Example Many people therefore access PCs since they are affordable rather than purchasing the Mac computers. In another case concerning better variety aspects, PCs are available with numerous configurations compared to Mac computers which have less variety because of being limited to only Mac Mini, iMac and Mac Pro (Towers, 32). The PCs have a better broadband support which involves the Internet Service Provider (ISP) compared to Mac machine which do no effectively work with the ISP. On the other hand Mac allows running windows via Boot Camp in a way which is legal as PCs posses a support system which is wide in terms of freeware and ecosystem options. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as broad bands has been introduced in relation to PCs and Mac computers usage (Towers, 12). There are many pros and cons in relation to PCs and Mac machines such as computers. In respect to pros of the PCs, compatibility is enhanced since every application; either game or driver will work on windows in context. Another pro of the PCs is that there is enhancement of technical support since there are many users who can offer one help with windows. The cons of the PCs include, the availability of viruses making individuals to buy anti-virus programs although free ones are available (Towers, 18). Another con is that PCs be come slow since their windows require a lot of computer resources such as processor. On the other hand, pros of the Mac computer include, Apple Macs almost having no viruses compared to PCs. One of the cons of the Mac computers is that they are expensive compared to PCs and they are only available on Apple computers. I recommend that one should use the Mac computers since they are more convenient compared to PCs. The PCs are old-fashioned and traditionally based while the Mac computers are the modern ones technologically. When Mac computers are purchased, they are not pre-loaded with trial ware and crapware unlike PCs which need new pre-installed programs.

Assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism models, and include Essay

Assimilation, pluralism, and multiculturalism models, and include their historical timelines - Essay Example In this instance, the groups maintain their elements of their identities such as their culture, language and their other form of cultural practices or the traditions. Pluralists in this instance, believe that they can only allow intermingling of their culture with the modern aspects of life. Such aspects include education, music, art, history, cuisine and other relevant aspects of life (Suarez-Orozco, Suarez-Orozco, & Qin-Hillard, 2010). It refers to the evolution of the diversity of culture within a given limit that took place in the past. The evolution of the culture was under the influence of the selection, institution, and the settlement policies. It entails the conjunction of two or more groups due to the demographic features that surround them. The Hispanics regarded themselves as not the same as the Americans’ while some of them could speak both English and Spanish could not fully assimilate into the American culture. Hispanics were also more liberal and conservative in comparisons to the Americans decided not get assimilated into the American culture (GarciÃÅ', 2005). The relationship between these people and the natives was very worse. It was not possible for them to socialize with the natives since there was a lot of racial discrimination regarding their skin culture. Almost in all sectors in the United States, these people never interacted with the natives or the real American citizens by birth. As such, they ended up, not getting assimilated into American culture (Suarez-Orozco, Suarez-Orozco, & Qin-Hillard, 2010). The wave of the assimilation that was to occur for the Native Americans was to undergo the assimilation that involves the acceptance of the foreign culture from the Europeans. The foreigners were at those times majorly the colonialists in the country. Europe agitated for a standard form of education system all over the world, but the Americans believed that theirs was more superior and decided to follow

Ethical Argument Cover Letter Essay Example for Free

Ethical Argument Cover Letter Essay This is my submission for the Ethical Argument writing assignment. I was asked to choose a topic to write and I chose to write about the Ethical Arguments against Abortion. Initially, I had many choices but I landed on this mainly because this is a broad topic as it covers science, religion, and human rights. Since this is a broad topic, it was also difficult to choose which part of abortion is suitable for this argument and which part of abortion I can write without injecting my personal views and opinion. Thus, I decided to write to focus on why abortion is acceptable for the case of life endangerment and why it can’t be accepted in rape cases. The purpose of this essay is to show arguments about the legalization of abortion with regards to life endangerment against rape case. Perhaps, the most difficult part of writing this paper is to weigh objectively the stand of abortion in the two cases given in this essay. However, the parallel or example I gave helped me arrive to the argument I presented. I hope that this writing will meet your requirements and I would be glad to receive some feedbacks from you. Respectfully Yours, Student’s Name Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject 29 April 2009 Ethical Arguments against Abortion For years, we have heard a lot of arguments against abortion; arguments as to why or why not abortion should be legalized. It seems to be a never-ending debate especially when taken from a pro-life perspective. Arguments against abortion often range from objections based on the USA’s constitution protection of the rights to human life to biblical belief that human life starts at conception. However, more arguments and objections arise when a law justifying abortion for mothers whose lives are endangered because of pregnancy has been approved, whereas others are questioning that if this is permissible, why can’t rape cases be? This essay offers arguments and responses as to why it is morally illegitimate to have abortion in the event of rape, while it is fairly acceptable to commit abortion when the mother’s life is endangered. Let’s look at the rape issue first. One of the fundamental beliefs of person’s rights regarding any system concerning the use of disciplinary force is that is to be applied only against those individuals responsible for the initiation of force. In this situation, the guilty party is the rapist and not the fetus. Moreover, in this case, the law might legally grant its authority to terminate the rapist, since rape is considered as an abominable crime, but not the child, even if the child’s dependence on his mother was the result of the rape. Let me give you a parallel. Imagine that there are two mutually unfriendly people living in the same building during the bombing raids of Hitler in 1940. A bomb is thrown into the building and this causes all possible exits to collapse while destroying all the walls that separate the neighbors. In effect, they are forced to share the same space and work with each other in the hopes to channel themselves out despite a mutual dislike. Does the given scenario justify one of the two unfriendly neighbors killing the other because of the inconvenience caused by the other, even though none of them had really caused it, or wouldn’t it be proper to demand justice from the Nazi air marshal who had originally commanded the bombing raids? Although the bombing and rape are two immensely unlikely scenarios, both are possible and the possible circumstances here are parallel to that of a pregnancy caused by rape. Going to the mother’s life endangerment issue, no individual is really obliged to his or her own life to save another person’s life. Therefore, when it can be proved medically that the mother’s life is in fact significantly endangered by a pregnancy, then, an abortion may be undertaken as a final resort and an only situation where it is possible to support legal abortion and to remain loyal to the individual rights’ principle; however, it is not an ordinary situation. Rather, it is considered an emergency, or a sort of situation as addressed in The Ethics of Emergencies written by Ayn Rand as part of her essay collection â€Å"The Virtue of Selfishness†. An emergency is an unchosen, unexpected event, limited in time that creates conditions under which human survival is impossible such as a flood, an earthquake, a fire, a shipwreck. It is only in emergency situations that one should volunteer to help strangers. For instance, a man who values human life and is caught in a shipwreck, should help to save his fellow passengers (though not at the expense of his own life). But this does not mean that after they all reach shore, he should devote his efforts to saving them from poverty, ignorance, neurosis or whatever other troubles they might have. Nor should he spend his life sailing the seven seas in search of shipwreck victims to save. (The Virtue of Selfishness) From this definition alone, the situation of a mother whose life is endangered because of pregnancy is considered as an emergency as long as the mother has no idea that her pregnancy would put her life into danger. However, if from the start, the mother already knew about her medical condition that pregnancy will do her no good, it must be her responsibility to avoid becoming pregnant and must do her best to protect her health. Should she decide to face the risk, aborting the baby must not be done. In addition, Rand writes in her essay that emergencies are always exempted from the rule. They are not the normal state of ethical human relations or of human existence. To say that such extreme action may be allowed in emergencies is simply not to extend the acceptability or tolerability to the realm of human existence as dealt with by the basics or fundamentals of ethics. So, just because abortion may be justified as a final resort in some unexpected circumstances, this does not mean that the general legalization of abortion may be justified, especially with the fact that most cases of abortion occur because a woman has gone through indiscriminate sexual relations and has never wished to bring upon herself the objective consequences of such actions which are the pregnancy and the responsibility and obligation of bringing up a child. Work Cited Rands, Ayn. â€Å"The Virtue of Selfishness† 28 December 2008. Glyn Hughes Squashed Philosophers. 29 April 2009. http://www. btinternet. com/~glynhughes/squashed/rand. htm Annotated Bibliography Rands, Ayn. â€Å"The Virtue of Selfishness† 28 December 2008. Glyn Hughes Squashed Philosophers. 29 April 2009. http://www. btinternet. com/~glynhughes/squashed/rand. htm Rand’s essay collection â€Å"The Virtue of Selfishness† offers the basic or fundamental social principle of Objectivist ethics that life is simply an end itself, which simply means that every human being is an end himself. This also explains that man must live only for his own self and neither to sacrifice himself for others, nor having others to sacrifice themselves for him. The chapters in this essay collection could be easily included in the ethical argument writing especially when the topic is about sacrificing oneself or sacrificing others for the benefit of the other just like the topic in this argument.

Cultural evolution Essay Example for Free

Cultural evolution Essay In his article â€Å"Where Do Social Relations Come From? †, Michael Grossetti discusses the ways that human relationships are studied by sociologists, citing that often the methodology begins by starting with the relationship ad working backward to define it (Grossetti,p. 289). The most lasting relationships are the ones that come from organizations, he concludes, especially those related to family and friends. When we related this conclusion back to cultural evolution theory, we can argue that the lasting relationships of this generation because at this point in time most relationships are forged out of organizations or via our families. However, we can clearly argue that once this may not have been true as people had longer term relationships with people in their neighborhoods and those with whom they had a physical proximity. Grossetti argues that neighborhoods do not provide a basis for lasting relationships as they do not necessarily share life values or interests which draw people together (p. 292). When discussing this assertion in relation to cultural evolution, we can argue that in the recent past, neighborhoods did share a commonality that is now missing – immigrants would tend to settle in neighborhoods, neighborhoods would be divided by racial or religious lines, or at the most tangential neighborhoods would be reflective of a certain socio-economic status. Now, according to Grossetti’s study, relationships have evolved to the point that people develop relationships based primarily on organizations which they belong to –church groups, work groups, or interest organizations. When this is combined with the use of social networks, it can be observed that people are then creating a new means to segregate themselves via their interests. People have developed a new means to identify people with like interests and create new association groups. The interesting aspect of this evolving form of meeting may be that it creates relationships among people who in previous generations may never even have met. Because social networking allows people with common interests to meet without the traditional introduction of a mutual friend, they may completely change the way relationship develop in the future, dovetailing nicely with the theory of cultural evolution.

Using Renewable Energy In Our Daily Lives Environmental Sciences Essay

Using Renewable Energy In Our Daily Lives Environmental Sciences Essay We all are concerned about our future with regard to the way we generate energy and power. Renewable energy is the process by which we use the radiant energy from the sun, wind, and hydropower etc. Unfortunately we are not using renewable energy in most cases and the methods by which we currently getting our raw materials for power and energy are simultaneously destroying our planet and depleting supplies of natural resources. The damages we have caused might take generations to reverse. Many of us who care wants to do something by raising their voice as we are on a threshold of change. Renewable energy resources are not only our way out of an environmental disaster; they could solve some of our economic woes. Many countries are embracing renewable energy and it has benefited n several ways. These benefits include saving consumers money and reducing unemployment. This is not a luxury that we pursue when the cost of gasoline goes up. Now is the time to convert our mode of transportation to clean electricity that we get from renewable sources. This is a necessity that is going to save the lives of future generations. We can survive the problems which we have created in order to power our world. The climate is changing and we have entire species of animals that are now extinct due to pollution. Lets look at the maximum possibilities as we are in the midst of a crisis therefore we must act according to what will benefit our generations. Aim Finding the main reasons for not using renewable energy in our daily lives. Objectives Literature Review Brief History Prior to the development of coal in the mid 19th century, all energy used was renewable, with the primary sources being human labor, animal power in the form of oxen, mules, and horses, water power for mill power, wind for grinding grain, and firewood. A graph of energy use in the United States up until 1900 shows oil and natural gas with about the same importance in 1900 as wind and solar played in 2010. By 1873, concerns of running out of coal prompted experiments with using solar energy.  Development of solar engines continued until the outbreak of World War I. The eventual importance of solar energy, though, was recognized in a 1911 Scientific American article: in the far distant future, natural fuels having been exhausted [solar power] will remain as the only means of existence of the human race. In the 1970s environmentalists promoted the development of alternative energy both as a replacement for the eventual depletion of oil, as well as for an escape from dependence on oil, and the first wind turbines appeared. Solar had always been used for heating and cooling, but solar panels were too costly to build solar farms until 1980.  The theory of peak oil was published in 1956. By 2008 renewable energy had ceased being an alternative, and more capacity of renewable energy was added than other sources in both the United States and in Europe. Renewable energy is becoming more and more prevalent around the world, but it is still not the dominant energy resource.  Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources. Renewable Energy as a replacement for Conventional Fuel Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas:  electricity generation,  hot water/space heating,  motor fuels, and rural (off-grid) energy services: Power generation. Renewable energy provides 19% of electricity generation worldwide. Renewable power generators are spread across many countries, and wind power alone already provides a significant share of electricity in some areas: for example, 14% in the U.S. state of Iowa, 40% in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, and 20% in Denmark. Some countries get most of their power from renewables, including Iceland (100%), Norway (98%), Brazil (86%), Austria (62%), New Zealand (65%), and Sweden (54%). Heating.  Solar hot water  makes an important contribution to  renewable heat  in many countries, most notably in China, which now has 70% of the global total (180 GWth). Most of these systems are installed on multi-family apartment buildings and meet a portion of the hot water needs of an estimated 50-60 million households in China. Worldwide, total installed  solar water heating  systems meet a portion of the water heating needs of over 70 million households. The use of biomass for heating continues to grow as well. In Sweden, national use of biomass energy has surpassed that of oil. Direct geothermal for heating is also growing rapidly. Transport fuels. Renewable  biofuels  have contributed to a significant decline in oil consumption in the United States since 2006. The 93 billion liters of biofuels produced worldwide in 2009 displaced the equivalent of an estimated 68 billion liters of gasoline, equal to about 5% of world gasoline production In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources such as solar power and wind power, requiring utilities to use more renewable energy (even if this increases the cost), and providing tax incentives to encourage the development and use of such technologies. There is substantial optimism that renewable energy investments will pay off economically in the long term. Primary Source of Renewable Energy With so much dependency placed upon our natural resources to produce our much needed energy, scientists have been evaluating and producing renewable energy as an alternative to traditional energy sources.   Renewable energy is energy that can be reproduced in a short period of time.   The most prevalent forms of renewable energy are solar, wind, biomass, hydro power, geothermal and biofuels. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkYfRchpvKxiBs2AOvwdSSJzKy36CT7E2JMhOnxdD18HgVG7uyfw Wind An abundant source of renewable energy, wind power is used as a means of generating electricity.  Wind turbines  are capable of harnessing the power derived from the wind, converting kinetic energy into mechanical energy. A source of clean, green renewable energy, favourable climate conditions in Europe means wind energy is a highly viable method for electricity generation. And none more so than in the UK, with 40% of all wind energy in Europe blowing over the country. Solar In one form or another, solar power has been around for thousands of years. As a renewable source of free, green energy, technology has found a way of harnessing the suns energy via solar panels which are used either to generate electricity (solar photovoltaics) or to produce heat to warm water (solar thermal). A popular choice in a growing renewable energy market, solar technology doesnt generate greenhouse cases and is environmentally friendly. Biomass Biomass energy is produced from organic materials such as plants and animals, but the energy that is produced in this fashion is originally provided by the sun.   For example, plants absorb the suns energy through a process called photosynthesizes.   This energy is then passed on through the organism that eats the plant, creating biomass energy.   The most common forms used to generate biomass energy are wood, crops, manure and some rubbish. When these substances are burned, they give off energy as heat.   For example, if you have a  wood fuelled heating, you are generating renewable biomass energy.   This is not the only method of generating biomass energy; you can also create biomass energy by converting these substances into methane gases, ethanol and biodiesel fuels which can be translated more easily into our current methods of energy use. Geothermal Geothermal energy comes from the original Greek word Geo which means sun. Geothermal energy is derived from the heat that is given off by the Earth.   For example, steam energy or hot water that is generated by the Earth can be used to generate energy.   It is considered to be a renewable source of energy as the water in the Earth is replenished by regular rainfall and the heat used is regularly produced by the planet. Hydro Power Hydro energy is derived from the movement of water.   One form of  hydro power  is generated through the movement of water through turbines, such as water running through turbines in a Dam.   Hydro power is considered a renewable energy source as the water is continuously cycled back through the plant or into nature. Biofuels Biofuels are a form of renewable energy derived from burning plant or animal substances, otherwise called combustion. One of the challenges to biofuels has been that it is not easily transferred into a liquid form which is the primary method used to fuel most cars and homes. Two of the most common strategies that are seed to produce biofuels includes: growing crops to produce ethanol and growing plants that produce biofuel oils. While these methods are effective sources of renewable energy, they are challenging to produce and maintain on a large scale. The basic feature of renewable energy is that it has the capacity to be regenerated and, as such, is virtually inexhaustible, besides being environmentally friendly. These are the two major properties that distinguish it from traditional energy sources. In recent years, these two features have pushed renewable energies to the forefront since, if current fossil fuel consumption rates are maintained, they would only be able to meet our energy needs for a few more decades before running out. The damage to the environment, on the other hand, caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the resulting climate changes, force us to consider alternative energy sources if we want to preserve the planet and guarantee the well-being of future generations. Advantages The advantages of renewable energy over traditional energy sources are many and are receiving ever greater recognition. Technological progress in recent years has contributed to making renewable energy ever cheaper and efficient in generating electricity. The main advantages of renewable energies are: They are inexhaustible, whereas fossil fuels are limited. They have less of an environmental impact than fossil fuel energy sources (coal, oil and gas), since they do not produce carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. They are less of a risk than nuclear energy. They provide energy independence to a country, given that their use does not depend on the import of fossil fuels (which only exist in certain regions of the world). They allow a country to develop certain areas within its borders. Disadvantages It is easy to recognise the environmental advantages of utilising the alternative and renewable forms of energy but we must also be aware of the disadvantages. One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate the quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil fuel generators. This may mean that we need to reduce the amount of energy we use or simply build more energy facilities. It also indicates that the best solution to our energy problems may be to have a balance of many different power sources. Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the reliability of supply. Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power. Hydro generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind to turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat and make electricity. When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity to make energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent. The current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is a new technology and as such has extremely large capital cost. Research Methodology Findings and Results Reasons of not Using Renewable energy in Daily Lives   Time and time again, we have to explain to them why their reasoning is unfounded but still we find the same excuses wherever we go.   So we thought wed take a little time to dispel the four most common excuses for not utilizing solar power. Its Too Expensive Everyone seems to know that federal and state governments have significant financial incentives in place to help promote the adoption of solar power.    Even after these incentives, the average residential solar system costs between $10,000 and $30,000 and for most people, this represents a major capital investment.   As a result, most people stop there and say, I cant afford it.    What they dont know is that there are a number of financing options available to help ease the cost of solar.   For example, a number of solar installers offer  financing programs  , similar to small loan or mortgage, where there is little to no up front cost and finance the balance of the purchase price through a loan.   As a result, the homeowner does not have to come up with cash upfront but can amortize the cost of the solar system over time.   Whats great is that when you factor in a your reduced utility bill from solar and the amortization cost of the panels, this amount is most likely still less than your electric bill without solar power.   So you save immediately and that savings grows over time as electricity rates increase. There are also programs where you can  lease the panels  Ã‚  for little to no up front costs and you pay a small, manageable monthly fee over the term of the lease.   Again, the savings on your electric bill from the solar panels plus this leasing fee is still likely to be less than your current electric bill without solar.   There is also a mechanism called a  power purchase agreement  , which is a great option for larger projects, where the solar installer installs and owns the panels on the roof of your home/building but provides you electricity and simply charges you a flat fee for that electricity over the life of the agreement (typically 15-20 years).   That way you are guaranteed a set rate of electricity over a long period of time (protecting you from annual rises in electricity rates) and there is no up front cost to you. The moral of the story is that there are a lot of options for people to pay for solar panels. Gone are the days where you have to come up with all the money for solar panels up front. There are simply more ways than ever to finance and make the cost of solar work out beneficially for residential and commercial consumers alike. Solar Wont Work in cold climate Another really bad excuse. The average temperature in a climate region does not have an effect on solar panels.   In fact, solar panels are actually slightly more efficient at producing electricity in cold temperatures. The critical factor for solar panels is a concept called solar isolation which is the amount of sunlight that the solar cells receive. Obviously, the more the better so even if you live in a colder climate that is further north and receive ample amounts of sunlight, solar should work just fine for you. (If you want to learn more about how solar panels work, you can click  here  .) Remember, Germany, is which is farther north than just about any state in the U.S., is the world leader in solar photovoltaic energy with over 9,000 Megawatts.   Thats almost enough to cover the roofs of 2 million U.S. houses!    So dont worry if you live in a cold climate, just make sure that you receive plenty of sunshine. No Power if its cloudy A reasonable concern, but again, not a good reason to avoid solar power.   As stated above, its not temperature that affects the performance of solar panels, rather it is the amount sunlight received.   And even in the sunniest of locations, there are going to be days where there is cloud cover or rain (not to mentioned nightfall) and your solar panels performance may be compromised.   Not to worryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you will not be left in the dark. Residential and commercial solar panels these days are almost always connected to the utility gridà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is called a grid-tie.   So, while your solar panels are exposed to the sun, the electricity they produce powers your house or building.   But when it is cloudy or nightfall, you will still be able to draw power for your home or building because you remain connected to the electrical grid. Another cool concept is what is called net metering.   In states that allow net metering, if your solar panels produce more electricity in a day than you are consuming, that extra electricity is fed back into the electric grid and can actually spin your electric meter backward.   As a result, at the end of the month, the electric company will take into account the electricity that you fed back in to the grid through your solar power system and you will only pay for the net amount of electricity that you consume. People do not know Where to Start Getting Solar The worst excuse of them all!   First of all, there is a tons of information on the Internet related to solar, so for starters you can get educated that way. However, we understand that there may be so much information that you are overwhelmed. Never fear, sites likeMyEnergySolution.com  Ã‚  take the mystery out of the solar process.  MyEnergySolution.com  contains all the information you need to know about how solar works, what to expect and even ideas to help finance your solar power system. With sites like  MyEnergySolution.com  , there is no excuse not to understand the key elements of going solar. But what about getting a solar installer?   How do I know who to pick?   Another great question.   You can obviously talk to friends who have installed solar power systems in their homes and ask for a reference.   But if you dont have references, solar energy matching services can also take much of the guess work out of selecting a solar installer.   There are several free matching services that connect you with pre-selected and highly reputable solar installers based.   The process is simple: you provide basic information on your location and project type and within minutes or up to 1-2 business days the qualified solar installers will contact you to bid on your project.   These services have saved homeowners time and the headache of dealing with poor quality installers.   For example, see  www.solar-energy-installers.com  . Critical Evaluation Conclusion and Recommendation We know that people have other reasons for not going solar and that is fine.   Choosing solar is a personal/business decision that can only be made by you. However too often, we have seen a number of friends and business associates avoid solar power based on the excuses above yet solar power could have been so value-added to their home or commercial project.   Our goal here is to hopefully de-bunk the biggest excuses that we have seen and help show that there are answers and solutions out there for your concerns.