Monday, September 30, 2019

English Literature

Causing the Rising in altitude though Create their While slicing lives for Thus only stumps appear Give birth to yourself; don't wait for a mid-wife I know that everybody dies; we know that not everybody lives Can't be done thinking thanks; still holding to the green leaves I haven't made it yet; still have hopes to make it in future Nobody knows tomorrow; the things to happen, we only hope to picture What they take for granted today seemed Impossible yesterday, to structure I want to be used for a greater purpose; far way bigger than myself Life Is good; I want It to be deter for l, Me and Myself.I wrote a letter to time, asking him for more time The things I hope to accomplish in future is enormous; I need more than time Checks and balances; everything being equal, my life is balanced Heard equality is unattainable; many still feed on diets that are not balanced Could it be that life is not fair to some people? Is it then dark?So far there is life, there is hope; this is beyond the slate minds that are blank Imitation is limitation I heard; Am so busy trying to make my own impression My impressions will be baseless If I don't conquer the limits f my limitation Thank God for the gift of life; be happy and free to live your God- giving life Life Is good; Yes! It will be better for all have life and still strife.The future Is so competitive; I have the best In anticipation To the best of memory; All in the past has been solidification of the foundation I pray, the temple of my life your life; let no pirate sail above You are in charge, take control of your ship and sail against the tides of the sea With a focused third eye; all that you seek to look, you will surely see These walls don't keep a secret; Am obsessed with life, want to keep living . English Literature Causing the Rising in altitude though Create their While slicing lives for Thus only stumps appear Give birth to yourself; don't wait for a mid-wife I know that everybody dies; we know that not everybody lives Can't be done thinking thanks; still holding to the green leaves I haven't made it yet; still have hopes to make it in future Nobody knows tomorrow; the things to happen, we only hope to picture What they take for granted today seemed Impossible yesterday, to structure I want to be used for a greater purpose; far way bigger than myself Life Is good; I want It to be deter for l, Me and Myself.I wrote a letter to time, asking him for more time The things I hope to accomplish in future is enormous; I need more than time Checks and balances; everything being equal, my life is balanced Heard equality is unattainable; many still feed on diets that are not balanced Could it be that life is not fair to some people? Is it then dark?So far there is life, there is hope; this is beyond the slate minds that are blank Imitation is limitation I heard; Am so busy trying to make my own impression My impressions will be baseless If I don't conquer the limits f my limitation Thank God for the gift of life; be happy and free to live your God- giving life Life Is good; Yes! It will be better for all have life and still strife.The future Is so competitive; I have the best In anticipation To the best of memory; All in the past has been solidification of the foundation I pray, the temple of my life your life; let no pirate sail above You are in charge, take control of your ship and sail against the tides of the sea With a focused third eye; all that you seek to look, you will surely see These walls don't keep a secret; Am obsessed with life, want to keep living .

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Fulfilling our Potential Essay

The different Definitions of education are misinterpreted in different ways, but there are still ways that you can interpret what you think the definition is on education. Education is to be able to find your own path. To have a high school diploma or to have a college degree, education is to be successful in your life in whatever way that is. Trying to define education is like trying to define why the sky is the color it is or why the grass is green, there is no accurate definition of education to me. Education can mean more than one thing having a college degree but also can mean not having a college degree. Being educated to me means to be successful in your life, just because you do not have a college degree doesn’t mean you will not go far in your life or make a good amount of money. People make it seem as if you don’t have a decent degree you will just work at a fast food restaurant. If someone were to ask me what it meant to be educated I wouldn’t be able to give them an answer. My mother Julie, went to the University Of Arkansas were she had completed law school. After completing law school she got a job at JB Hunt being a contract attorney. My father Carlos, who only has a high school diploma but works for a company called South Western Energy and is a company man for two rigs out in Pennsylvania where he is very successful in what he does. I don’t think you have to have a college diploma to be the most educated person around. Do I think you would make more amount of money in certain professions? Yes. Society makes it out to be that you must be admitted to a college to be educated, but really how educated do you have to be, to be admitted into a college. Back in the day it was a lot harder to get into a college, now-a-days you can score a fourteen through a sixteen and easily get into a college and just have to do remediation classes. Being tested for an ACT, SAT, Standardized test to me doesn’t show how educated you really are. Teachers teach you for the chapter they are covering than they either expect you to continue to remember what they taught you or you forget it. On the standardized test or the A T or SAT there is information that you were taught in younger grades or that you haven’t been taught yet. So technically it really isn’t showing how educated a person may really be. Life its self-offers you an education. This lesson of education is more a hard learning education. ‘The best way to predict your future is to create It.’- Abraham Lincoln. You are not taught in school how to balance a check book, how to cook, how to pay taxes, or how to do major things in the real world. Sooner or later you will get to the point that you will graduate for high school, get your GED or even drop out, but there will come a time that you will leave your parents’ house, which then you will have to find your own path in the real world. Unless you were taught by your parents or other adults how to balance a check book, how to cook, how to pay taxes, or how to do things in the real world you won’t be an educated person on how to go about life. In life there will be times that you will come to points in life that will you will see how educated you are, or when there is times that you need to speak up or when you need to go ahead and back off from the situation. People are different and learn in many different ways some faster than others and some who remember everything easily or some who forget stuff by the time class is over. Being knowledgeable in one subject and not in the other is that consider too make someone less knowledgeable or less comprehensive than another person. When going through college to earn a degree depending on what we want to major in we aren’t taught certain subjects. When majoring in anything in the medical field you aren’t taught any type of histories because you don’t need to know it. When you want to become a history major you aren’t taught any sciences because you don’t and won’t need them. If someone was to walk up to someone and try and have a conversation with them about a certain subject or ask them for some type of help on a certain subject but the other person isn’t able to have a conversation back because they aren’t taught that subject or haven’t been taught that subject does that make them any less educated than the person asking for help. There will always be some one that is always smarter or believes to be smarter than you, but really how can you tell how smart someone is. Being successful to me is a huge part of being educated. When knowing people who have a good degree and do not do anything with their degree and make bad choices in their life and not care what anyone thinks isn’t a successful and well educated person. When you are living on the streets and have a good degree you could go and find a job even if it means starting at a fast food restaurant and working your way to the top to get a job for what your degree is. It may take time but no reason to just sit around and waste a well-educated mind as society would say. There may be as many definitions as there are defines, but it is important for people to have a clear understand of education in order to be able to define it to other people on what your beliefs are and what it means to be a well-educated person. Lincoln, Abraham. â€Å"Education Quotes – Edgalaxy.† Edgalaxy. Techzoo, 2009-2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 12

â€Å"Tonight you get a taste of what our world wil be like when our competition is out of the picture. Fol ow me!† Riley bounded away; Raoul and his team were right on his heels. Kristie's group started shoving and clawing right through the middle of them to get to the front. â€Å"Don't make me change my mind!† Riley bel owed from the trees ahead. â€Å"You can al go thirsty. I don't care!† Kristie barked an order and her group sul enly fel behind Raoul's. Fred and I waited until the last of them was out of sight. Then Fred did one of those little ladies first sweeps with his arm. It didn't feel like he was afraid to have me at his back, just that he was being polite. I started running after the army. The others were already long gone, but it was nothing to fol ow their smel . Fred and I ran in companionable silence. I wondered what he was thinking. Maybe he was only thirsty. I was burning, so he probably was, too. We caught up to the others after about five minutes, but kept our distance. The army was moving in amazing quiet. They were focused, and more†¦ disciplined. I kind of wished that Riley had started the training sooner. It was easier to be around this group. We crossed over an empty two-lane freeway, another strip of forest, and then we were on a beach. The water was smooth, and we'd gone almost due north, so this must have been the strait. We hadn't passed near any residences, and I was sure that was on purpose. Thirsty and on edge, it wouldn't take too much to dissolve this smal measure of organization into a screaming free-for-al . We'd never hunted al together before, and I was pretty sure that it was not a good idea now. I remembered Kevin and the Spider-Man kid fighting over the woman in the car that first night I'd talked to Diego. Riley had better have a whole lot of bodies for us or people were going to start tearing each other up to get the most blood. Riley paused at the water's edge. â€Å"Don't hold back,† he told us. â€Å"I want you wel fed and strong – at your peak. Now†¦ let's go have some fun.† He dove smoothly into the surf. The others were growling excitedly as they submerged, too. Fred and I fol owed more closely than before because we couldn't fol ow their scent under water. But I could feel that Fred was hesitant – ready to bolt if this was something other than an al -you-can-eat smorgasbord. It seemed like he didn't trust Riley any more than I did. We didn't swim long, and then we saw the others kicking upward. Fred and I surfaced last, and Riley started talking as soon as our heads were out of the water, like he'd been waiting for us. He must have been more aware of Fred than the others were. â€Å"There she is,† he said, waving toward a large ferry chugging south, probably making the last commuter run of the night down from Canada. â€Å"Give me a minute. When the power goes out, she's al yours.† There was an excited murmur. Someone giggled. Riley was off like a shot, and seconds later we saw him fly up the side of the big boat. He headed straight for the control tower on top of the ship. Silencing the radio was my bet. He could say al he wanted about these enemies being our reason for caution, but I was sure there was more to it than that. Humans weren't supposed to know about vampires. At least, not for very long. Just long enough for us to kil them. Riley kicked a big plate-glass window out of his way and disappeared into the tower. Five seconds later, the lights went out. I realized Raoul was already gone. He must have submerged so we wouldn't hear him swimming after Riley. Everyone else took off, and the water churned as if an enormous school of barracuda were attacking. Fred and I swam at a relatively leisurely pace behind them. In a funny way, it was like we were some old married couple. We never talked, but we stil did things at exactly the same time. We got to the boat about three seconds later, and already the air was ful of shrieks and the warm scent of blood. The smel made me realize exactly how thirsty I was, but that was the last thing I realized. My brain shut down completely. There was nothing but fiery pain in my throat and the delicious blood – blood everywhere – promising to put that fire out. When it was over and there wasn't a heart left beating on the whole ship, I wasn't sure how many people I'd personal y kil ed. More than triple the number I'd ever had on a hunting trip before, easy. I felt hot and flushed. I'd drunk long past the point at which my thirst was total y slaked, just for the taste of the blood. Most of the blood on the ferry was clean and luscious – these passengers had not been dregs. Though I ha dn't held back, I was probably at the low end of the kil count. Raoul was so surrounded by mangled bodies that they actual y made a little hil . He sat on top of his pile of the dead and laughed loudly to himself. He wasn't the only one laughing. The dark boat was ful of sounds of delight. I heard Kristie say, â€Å"That was amazing – three cheers for Riley!† Some of her crowd put up a raucous chorus of hurrahs like a bunch of happy drunks. Jen and Kevin swung onto the view deck, dripping wet. â€Å"Got 'em al, boss,† Jen cal ed to Riley. So some people must have tried to swim for it. I hadn't noticed. I looked around for Fred. It took me a while to find him. I final y realized that I couldn't look directly at the back corner by the vending machines, and I headed that way. At first I felt like the rocking ferry was making me seasick, but then I got close enough that the feeling faded and I could see Fred standing by the window. He smiled at me quickly, and then looked over my head. I fol owed his gaze and saw that he was watching Riley. I got the feeling that he'd been doing this for some time. â€Å"Okay, kids,† Riley said. â€Å"You've had a taste of the sweet life, but now we've got work to do!† They al roared enthusiastical y. â€Å"I've got three last things to tel you – and one of those things involves a little dessert – so let's sink this scow and get home!† With laughter mixed in with the snarls, the army went to work dismantling the boat. Fred and I bailed out the window and watched the demo from a short distance. It didn't take long for the ferry to crumple in the middle with a loud groan of metal. The midsection went down first, with both the bow and the stern twisting up to point to the sky. They sank one at a time, the stern beating the bow by a few seconds. The school of barracuda headed toward us. Fred and I started swimming for shore. We ran home with the others – though keeping our distance. A couple of times Fred looked at me like he had something he wanted to say, but each time he seemed to change his mind. Back at the house, Riley let the celebratory mood wind down. Even after a few hours had passed, he stil had his hands ful trying to get everyone serious again. For once it wasn't a fight he was trying to defuse, just high spirits. If Riley's promises were false, as I thought, he was going to have an issue when the a mbush was over. Now that al these vampires had real y feasted, they weren't going to go back to any measure of restraint very easily. For tonight, though, Riley was a hero. Final y – a while after I would have guessed that the sun was up outside – everyone was quiet and paying attention. From their faces, it seemed they were ready to hear just about anything he had to say. Riley stood halfway up the stairs, his face serious. â€Å"Three things,† he began. â€Å"First, we want to be sure we get the right coven. If we accidental y run across another clan and slaughter them, we'l tip our hand. We want our enemies overconfident and unprepared. There are two things that mark this coven, and they're pretty hard to miss. One, they look different – they have yel ow eyes.† There was a murmur of confusion. â€Å"Yel ow?† Raoul repeated in a disgusted tone. â€Å"There's a lot of the vampire world out there that you haven't encountered yet. I told you these vampires were old. Their eyes are weaker than ours – yel owed with age. Another advantage to our side.† He nodded to himself as if to say, one down. â€Å"But other old vampires exist, so there is another way that we'l know them for sure†¦ and this is where the dessert I mentioned comes into play.† Riley smiled slyly and waited a beat. â€Å"This is going to be hard to process,† he warned. â€Å"I don't understand it, but I've seen it for myself. These old vampires have gone so soft that they actual y keep – as a member of their coven – a pet human.† His revelation was met by blank silence. Total disbelief. â€Å"I know – hard to swal ow. But it's true. We'l know it's definitely them because a human girl wil be with them.† â€Å"Like†¦ how?† Kristie asked. â€Å"You mean they carry meals around with them or something?† â€Å"No, it's always the same girl, just the one, and they don't plan to kil her. I don't know how they manage it, or why. Maybe they just like to be different. Maybe they want to show off their self-control. Maybe they think it makes them look stronger. It makes no sense to me. But I've seen her. More than that, I've smel ed her.† Slow and dramatic, Riley reached into his jacket and pul ed out a smal ziplock bag with red fabric wadded up inside. â€Å"I've done some recon in the past few weeks, checking the yel ow-eyes out as soon as they got near the area.† He paused to throw us a paternal look. â€Å"I watch out for my kids. Anyway, when I could tel that they were moving on us, I grabbed this† – he brandished the bag – â€Å"to help us track them. I want you al to get a lock on this scent.† He handed the bag to Raoul, who opened the plastic zipper and inhaled deeply. He glanced up at Riley with a startled look. â€Å"I know,† Riley said. â€Å"Amazing, right?† Raoul handed the bag to Kevin, his eyes narrowing in thought. One by one, each vampire sniffed the bag, and everyone reacted with wide eyes but little else. I was curious enough that I sidled away from Fred until I could feel a hint of the nausea and knew I was outside his circle. I crept forward until I was next to the Spider-Man kid, who seemed to be at the tail end of the line. He sniffed inside the bag when it was his turn and then seemed about to hand it back to the kid who had given it to him, but I held my hand out and hissed quietly. He did a double take – almost like he'd never see me before – and handed me the bag. It looked like the red fabric was a shirt. I stuck my nose in the opening, keeping my eyes on the vampires near me, just in case, and inhaled. Ah. I understood the expressions now and felt a similar one on my face. Because the human who had worn this shirt had seriously sweet blood. When Riley said dessert, he was dead right. On the other hand, I was less thirsty than I'd ever been. So while my eyes widened in appreciation, I didn't feel enough pain in my throat to make me grimace. It would be awesome to taste this blood, but in that exact moment, it didn't hurt me that I couldn't. I wondered how long it would take for me to get thirsty again. Usual y, a few hours after feeding, the pain would start to come back, and then it would just get worse and worse until – after a couple of days – it was impossible to ignore it even for a second. Would the excessive amount of blood I'd just drunk delay that? I guessed I'd see pretty soon. I glanced around to make sure no one was waiting for the bag, because I thought Fred would probably be curious, too. Riley caught my eye, smiled the tiniest bit, and jerked his chin slightly toward the corner where Fred was. Which made me want to do the exact opposite of what I'd just been planning, but whatever. I didn't want Riley to be suspicious of me. I walked back to Fred, ignoring the nausea until it faded and I was right next to him. I handed him the bag. He seemed pleased I'd thought to include him; he smiled and then sniffed the shirt. After a second he nodded thoughtful y to himself. He gave me the bag back with a significant look. The next time we were alone, I thought he would say aloud whatever it was he had seemed to want to share before. I tossed the bag toward Spider-Man, who reacted like it had fal en out of the sky but stil caught it before it hit the ground. Everyone was buzzing about the scent. Riley clapped his hands together twice. â€Å"Okay, so there's the dessert I was talking about. The girl wil be with the yel ow-eyes. And whoever gets to her first gets dessert. Simple as that.† Appreciative growls, competitive growls. Simple, yes, but†¦ wrong. Weren't we supposed to be destroying the yel ow-eyed coven? Unity was supposed to be the key, not a first-come, first-served prize that only one vampire could win. The only guaranteed outcome from this plan was one dead human. I could think of half a dozen more productive ways to motivate this army. The one who kil s the most yel ow-eyes wins the girl. The one who shows the best team cooperation gets the girl. The one who sticks to the plan best. The one who fol ows orders best. MVP, etc. The focus should be on the danger, which was definitely not the human. I looked around at the others and decided that none of them were fol owing the same train of thought. Raoul and Kristie were glaring at each other. I heard Sara and Jen arguing in whispers about the possibility of sharing the prize. Wel, maybe Fred got it. He was frowning, too. â€Å"And the last thing,† Riley said. For the first time there was some reluctance in his voice. â€Å"This wil probably be even harder to accept, so I'l show you. I won't ask you to do anything I won't do. Remember that – I'm with you guys every step of the way.† The vampires got real stil again. I noticed that Raoul had the ziplock back and was gripping it possessively. â€Å"There are so many things you have yet to learn about being a vampire,† Riley said. â€Å"Some of them make more sense than others. This is one of those things that won't sound right at first, but I've experienced it myself, and I'l show you.† He deliberated for a long second. â€Å"Four times a year, the sun shines at a certain indirect angle. During that one day, four times a year, it is safe†¦ for us to be outside in the daylight.† Every tiny movement stopped. There was no breathing. Riley was talking to a bunch of statues. â€Å"One of those special days is beginning now. The sun that is rising outside today won't hurt any of us. And we are going to use this rare exception to surprise our enemies.† My thoughts spun around and turned upside down. So Riley knew it was safe for us to go out in the sun. Or he didn't, and our creator had told him this â€Å"four days a year† story. Or†¦ this was true and Diego and I had lucked into one of those days. Except that Diego had been out in the shade before. And Riley was making this into some kind of solstice-y seasonal thing, while Diego and I had been safe in the daylight just four days ago. I could understand that Riley and our creator would want to control us with the fear of the sun. It made sense. But why tel the truth – in a very limited way – now? I would bet it had to do with those scary dark-cloaks. She probably wanted to get a jump on her deadline. The cloaked ones had not promised to let her live when we kil ed al the yel ow-eyes. I guessed she would be off like a shot the second she'd accomplished her objective here. Kil the yel ow-eyes and then take an extended vacation in Australia or somewhere else on the other side of the world. And I'd bet she wasn't going to send us engraved invitations. I would have to get to Diego quick so we could bail, too. In the opposite direction from Riley and our creator. And I ought to tip Fred off. I decided I would as soon as we had a moment alone. There was so much manipulation going on in this one little speech, and I wasn't sure I was catching it al . I wished Diego were here so we could analyze it together. If Riley was just making up this four-days story on the spot, I guess I could understand why. It's not like he could have just said, Hey, so I've lied to you for your whole lives, but now I'm telling the truth. He wanted us to fol ow him into battle today; he couldn't undermine whatever trust he'd earned. â€Å"It's right for you to be terrified at the thought,† Riley told the statues. â€Å"The reason you are al stil alive is that you paid attention when I told you to be careful. You got home on time, you didn't make mistakes. You let that fear make you smart and cautious. I don't expect you to put that intel igent fear aside easily. I don't expect you to run out that door on my word. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked around the room once. â€Å"I do expect you to follow me out.† His eyes slid away from the audience for just the teensiest fraction of a second, touching very briefly on something over my head. â€Å"Watch me,† he told us. â€Å"Listen to me. Trust me. When you see that I'm okay, believe your eyes. The sun on this one day does have some interesting effects on our skin. You'l see. It won't hurt you in any way. I wouldn't do anything to put you guys in unnecessary danger. You know that.† He started up the stairs. â€Å"Riley, can't we just wait – ,† Kristie began. â€Å"Just pay attention,† Riley cut her off, stil moving up at a measured pace. â€Å"This gives us a big advantage. The yel oweyes know al about this day, but they don't know that we know.† As he was talking, he opened the door and walked out of the basement into the kitchen. There was no light in the wel -shaded kitchen, but everyone stil shied away from the open doorway. Everyone but me. His voice continued, moving toward the front door. â€Å"It takes most young vampires a while to embrace this exception – for good reason. Those who aren't cautious about the daylight don't last long.† I felt Fred's eyes on me. I glanced over at him. He was staring at me urgently, as if he wanted to take off but had nowhere to go. â€Å"It's okay,† I whispered almost silently. â€Å"The sun's not going to hurt us.† You trust him? he mouthed back at me. No way.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The biggest challenge facing your national economy today Essay

The biggest challenge facing your national economy today - Essay Example Almost every economy in the world is somehow related to the US economy and therefore, even a minor effect on it could have larger impacts on the economies of different countries. There are a number of problems and challenges being faced by the economy of United States today. The biggest problem, however, is the increasing debt which is considered to be the largest debt to be faced by any country. This includes household, local and state government as well as federal government debt. This debt has been accumulated over the past thirty years and has been growing much faster than the overall level of GDP. This poses serious threat for the economy as sooner or later this debt bubble will burst just like the housing bubble which led to the financial crisis in 2007. The bursting of the debt bubble will cripple the entire economy as it has become dependant on borrowing and debt. Nearly all the transactions of the economy is done on a credit basis, adding to the overall national debt. A burst of this bubble would affect the increasing standard of living being enjoyed by the citizens of America today. The household debt has increased by about 1700% since the year 197 1and around 46% of Americans are dependant on credit cards (Michael, June 2012). The second component of the national debt is the local and state government`s debt has crossed the 3 trillion dollar mark as most of the state governments are becoming bankrupt due to the increasing level of debts. Along with this, the federal government has been facing a hug amount of debt as well which has reached the dollar 16 trillion mark. In the recent years, around 3 trillion dollars of debt have been added to the overall level of national debt. The percentage of national debt is said to get more than double if the amount of household, federal and local governments` debt continues to rise at similar rate. Similar cases of increasing debt have been observed in Greece,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Future Factors associated with Combined Operations Essay

Future Factors associated with Combined Operations - Essay Example The efficiency of a combined arms operations is partially, if not entirely, dependent on the present and futuristic power of weaponry. This is a significant influence of the choice of methods that we implement in crushing the enemy. The ideal purpose of combined operations is to bring the joint groups together through a huge focused explosion of quick operations in selective segments. The nature of the hierarchy of the command and control over an opponent assist in creating conducive conditions to war success. It is of profound importance to give priority to the development and methodology of command systems and control due to it being the most feasible way of raising combat power and efficiency. "Improving preparation and training standards for command and control agencies on the operational level involves the resolution of a number of other complex problems arising from the command and control target per se, the diversity and dynamics of its internal and external connections, the continual structural development of the Armed Forces, the composition and functions of certain sub-systems, the substantial changes in the nature and methods of combat, the evolution of new means of warfare, a considerable expansion in the sphere of information warfare, and the need for close interaction with the formations of other military, law enforcement, security, and intelligence structures (Thefreelibrary, 2005)". Definition of capability objectives The authoritative guidelines are formed using these objectives resulting is a top-down approach. The emphasis then lies on those capabilities of a 3C that enable war combating and support missions. Strategy, Mission, Function and C3 are the four levels of capability levels. These objectives are derived from linking policy and military strategy, military requirements, forces and doctrine, and threat together for a common goal. Maintenance of standard with operations strategy concepts, mirroring of operational priorities and the weighing of overall performance can be done using this approach. The primary advantage of implementing system compatibility is to simplify the essential elements of communications. "There are schematics published that have implemented recommendations for C3 systems that could be procured. They produce implementation plans for a survivable, cost-effective capability that reflects the U.S. and allied missions and functions required to perform combined operations (Maurer, 1994)." In the uncertain environment of coalition operations, the information flow might be more confusing and difficult to winnow because of lack of familiarity and trust, cultural biases, and language barriers (Maurer 1994).

Nazi Germany and Soviet Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nazi Germany and Soviet Union - Essay Example However, the two ideologies are very uncongenial towards each other but it is interesting to see the extent they differ and share mutual bases as well. The most important and the most distinct similarity between the two rivals is the concept of Totalitarianism. Totalitarianism is an extremely concentrated and centralized scheme of government that regards the eudemonia and wellbeing of state and the basic ideology of the government the most. The nation and the governing political organization intertwine and turn into unit comprising of a single potent individual fig representing this strong bonding or union. This mighty figure is the focus or the centre point of the state (Stackelberg, 2007). A totalitarian government makes sure that vast regime setup and apparatus is readily available to the state in order to sustain its upper hand, mightiness, and its prestige and stature in the world. This may include aggregated media support and huge police and army force that are set free to function in and out the boundaries of world’s law. According to the above criteria, both the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union enjoyed being strictly totalitarian states. Both of them at the apex of their societal and political might and prowess savored outright power throughout the world and idolization within the boundary of the state. The two states, demolished every possible threat that was most likely to hinder their path to ultimate power and prestige. They had exclusive control over the aggregated media of the world like newspapers, televisions, radios etc. They had all the means to control the way people used to think and they were quite successful at it. Still there exists a major difference about how the two did become totalitarian regimes. Stalin’s Soviet Union appeared as a totalitarian state in no time. The first head of state of USSR, Lenin, insisted on revolutionary societal change as the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Risk managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Risk managment - Essay Example This experience is of immense help to the management studies and the hospitality industry, particularly in these days of great emphasis on globalization and expanding service industry. From the days of human existence as food gatherers to the present day global enterprises, mankind faced risks. It is appropriate to say that risk and enterprise go hand in hand. Fortunately, the science of risk management has also been expanding based on the experiences on one hand, and the compelling laws that define an enterprise’s responsibility in the event of a disaster. Industrial revolution and expanding markets gave rise to increased use of machinery as well as laborers in the production processes, thus multiplying risks. The character and expanse of risks are changing from individuals to communities, from human beings to natural environment, from local areas to global spread and much more. From the relatively simple industrial accidents to the massive disasters such as the nuclear power plants at The Three Mile Islands and the Chernobyl plant, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the Exxon-Valdez/BP-Gulf of Mexico oil spills we have witnessed the changing face of enterprise risks. Significant developments in the form of globalization is leading to another kind of risk viz., the financial risk that spreads across the globe in quick time as was witnessed during the Asian crisis of the late 90s and the global meltdown in the past two years. With the emergence of the Internet and information technology, newer kind of risks includes systemic problems, fraud, and privacy issues. The term risk could mean deviating from the normal course of a particular structure, activity or establishment, as the case maybe, which means it is probable that something could happen and this is within a range, which is from 0 to 100 percent probability. In other words, it

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Week 2 - Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 2 - Leadership - Essay Example These are indeed some of the most admirable qualities of a leader (Musser, 2011). Qualities such as risk-taking, determination and self-awareness are necessary for all leaders. They are the core pillars that can propel them to making well-informed decisions for the entire organization. At the same time, if a leader puts the interests of his followers at heart, he can win their confidence (Avolio, Sosik, Jung & Berson, 2003). Thins, can in turn, be a better way of restoring the confidence of the followers and motivating them to dedicate their time for the service of the organization. In conclusion, the effective application of charismatic leadership style has enabled me to rank it as the most effective leadership style. It has made leaders to win a lot of support, respect and following. Such a support plays a very significant role in assisting the organization to prosper. Transformational leadership simply implies to a leadership style where the leader is given the responsibility of identifying the required change within the organization and coordinating and organizing his followers to execute it. As a matter of fact, change is a necessary thing for any organization. It is the best way through which improvements can be made as the organization seeks to accomplish its short and long-term goals (Gupta, 2004). For a leader to be transformative, they should be ready to understand themselves, their followers and the environment within which they operate. This can grant them an opportunity to come up with ideas that can positively transform the organization. Actually, transformational leadership has greatly contributed towards the success of Public Safety. As a profession, Public Safety is a sensitive area that requires team play and cooperation. With the application of transformational leadership style, leaders have managed to use their transformative traits to inspire workers, motivate them and challenge them to dedicate their time in

Monday, September 23, 2019

Financial collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial collapse - Essay Example Prior to the crises ,about half of the overall capital inflow to developing countries was directed towards Asia. This was precipitated by high interest rates that made these economies attractive to foreign investors with attendant increase in asset prices. the economies of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand particularly experienced high growth rates of between 8 and 12 per cent in the late 1980's and early 1990's.This feat was lauded far and near by economic institution of repute the IMF and World Bank Inclusive. One of the reasons advanced for these crises was recovery of the U.S economy from a recession it had suffered in the early 1990's.To checkmate inflation ,the U.S through its federal reserve bank at the time began to raise interest rates. This move naturally attracted lots of investors to the detriment of the fledging Asian economies. This move also grew the value of the dollar against which the currencies of these economies were pegged .This caused a slow down in the export activities of the Asian economies as it became less competitive. Malaysia witnessed a transition from its traditional mining and agriculture driven economy to manufacturing in the 1970's with assistance coming from Japan and western countries .The result of this was the establishment of heavy industries that became the economic driving force with concentration on exportation .There had been fluctuations in the country's current GDP per capita over time that rose to 59% in the 1990's courtesy of the export-oriented industries .However following the massive pull-out of capital by foreign investors in 1997.A chain reaction was set-off that caused major changes within the economy, particularly the substantial depreciation of the country's currency-the Ringgit from its MYR2.50 per USD to levels of up to MYR4.80 per USD,loosing about half its value within the period. The composite index of the country's market fell drastically within a few weeks. There was a 7.5% drop in GDP in 1998.The government responded by pegging the ringgit at MYR3.80 per USD.Whi le also implementing a capital control regime. Unlike its Asian neighbours Indonesia ,Thailand and other Malaysia rejected a relief package in the form of economic aid from International Monetary Fund(IMF) because of the attached austere lending conditions .This singular act differentiated Malaysia and the rest of its Asian neighbors in the sense that the rest of its neighbours were affected to a larger degree than Malaysia .Furthermore in the quest to revive the economy, the government kept injecting funds into it which resulted in budget deficit for a number of years, in addition it has maintained a low interest rate policy through the country's central bank. In terms of the its post-crises economy, it has enjoyed a faster economic recovery compared to its neighbours ,with a strong exports sector with the United States as its principal trade and investment partner. In 1999 the country's GDP grew by 5.6% with analyst predicting an 8% -and- above growth for the year 2000.A managed f loating system

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Nation’s Advantages of Affirmative Actions Essay Example for Free

Nation’s Advantages of Affirmative Actions Essay Consistent with the exact characterization of affirmative action, the truth is that affirmative action programs have improved the gender, ethnic, and racial diversity of many workplace, educational, etc. settings in the United States. This diversity helped enhance the lives of every American in several ways, including better health, improved learning, and more secured communities. Affirmative action benefited the higher education since social and intellectual development of both minority and non-minority students are improved in ethnically and racially diverse educational settings (American Psychological Association, 1999, p. 1). One outcome, for instance, is the increase in the numbers of students belonging to ethnic minorities who grow to be student peers of majority students. The Nation’s Health, on the other hand, also benefited from affirmative action in the sense that much can be medically learned from the racial and ethnic groups that will consequently result to the benefit of every Americans. For instance, despite the fact that ethnic minority Americans usually experience poorer physical condition than non-minorities, yet in several cases and even in the face of extreme poverty rates and other risks to health, these groups experience lesser levels health problems, particularly chronic disease, which can be the basis for several medical research (American Psychological Association, 1999, p. 1). The Need of Persistent Implementation of Affirmative Action Decades ago, an African-American mother was three times as expected to die of complications in the course of childbirth as white mother, and at present she is over three times as expected to die in the course of her childbirth (Richey, 2003). The mortality rate for blacks was twice that for whites, and at present it is a little over twice as whites (Richey, 2003). From 1978 to present, four times as many African-American families survived with incomes lower than the poverty line than white families. For black teens, the unemployment rate is thrice that of whites, and for black adults it is twice as whites. Unfortunately at present, every statistics relatively remained unchanged. In 1978, African-American corresponded to 11. 5 percent of the United States’ population, but they were only 1. 2 percent of the judges and lawyers, 2. 3 percent of the dentists, 2 percent of the physicians, 2. 6 percent of university and college professors, and 1. 1 percent of the engineers (Richey, 2003). At present, blacks correspond to roughly 12. 3 percent of the country’s population, and are 5. 1 percent of the judges and lawyers, 4. 1 percent of dentists, 5. 6 percent of physicians, 6. 1 percent of university and college professors, and 5. 5 percent of engineers (Richey, 2003). Although such statistics proved that affirmative action has helped to strengthen the black professionals’ ranks, yet African-American in general has been left behind. Notwithstanding all the discussions of the establishment of a black middle class, the position of the black community to white American has relatively remained the same. As such, affirmative action must be continually asserted to put in place mandatory and voluntary efforts by local, state, and federal governments, schools, and private employers to combat inequalities and encourage fair hiring and promotions of qualified individuals. Reverse Discrimination Stimulated by annoyed white men, a reaction against affirmative action started to accumulate. To conservatives, the system opened the door for education, promotions, or employments to minorities and at the same time, closed the door on whites. Conservatives resented the thought that a number of incompetent minorities were receiving blanket advantages on the American system (Brunner, 2007). Quotas and preferential treatment turned into contempt expressions. Even more controversial was the allegation that a number of minorities benefited from playing the part of professional victim. By the late 70s, deficiencies in the policy started to show up in the course of its excellent objectives. In 1978, reverse discrimination became a concern, exemplified by the celebrated Bakke case (Brunner, 2007). Because of a certain medical school’s separate admissions policy for minorities and reservation of 18 out of 100 places for minority students, the school had been rejecting Allan Bakke, a white male, for two years in a row and in its place had accepted less competent minority applicants. Because of unjust discrimination against a white applicant, the Supreme Court banned affirmative action programs’ rigid quota systems. However, in the same ruling, the Court sustained affirmative action’s legality per se. The dispute concerning affirmative action has as well grown more difficult and murky as the public has come to realize its complexity. Several liberals, for instance, can appreciate the prejudice of affirmative action given that white employees with seniority were laid off, whereas black workers often retained their jobs. Many conservatives, on the other hand, were pushed to get a hold of a better option to the imposition of a stringent quota system.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Workers Participation In Management Management Essay

Workers Participation In Management Management Essay Workers participation is a system where workers and management share important information with each other and participate in decision taking. Workers participation in management is an essential ingredient of Industrial democracy. The concept of workers participation in management is based on Human Relations approach to Management which brought about a new set of values to labor and management. Workers participation in management implies mental and emotional involvement of workers in the management of Enterprise. It is considered as a mechanism where workers have a say in the decision-making. It is a process by which authority and responsibility of managing industry are shared with workers. Objectives of Workers Participation in Management: Economic Objective: Workers participation in management aims at increasing productivity of labor by improving cooperation between employer and employees. Productivity is sought to be increased by improving job satisfaction and industrial relations. Social Objective: Under participation, industry is considered as a social institution in which each and every worker has a vested interest. The purpose of participation is to ensure human dignity and to get the workers a respectable status in the society. Psychological Objective: Workers participation in management seeks to bring about a change in the attitude of the workers. Through participation, they will consider themselves an integral part of the industry rather than mere working hands. Participation provides the employees an opportunity to express themselves thereby satisfying their non-economic needs. It provides them a sense of belonging, pride and accomplishment. Importance of Workers Participation in Management: Workers Participation in Management provides the following benefits: Mutual Understanding: Participation brings the two parties closer and makes them aware of each others problems. As a result, a better understanding and mutual trust can be created between employer and workers. Higher Productivity: Cooperation between management and labor helps to increase production and profits of the industry. Participation improves employee motivation and job satisfaction which in turn help to increase their efficiency. Higher productivity leads to lower costs per unit and greater profits which are beneficial to all. Industrial Harmony: Workers participation in management helps to reduce industrial disputes and to improve workers loyalty. Continuous dialogue between management and workers improves peace in industry. Industrial Democracy: Workers participation in management ushers in industrial democracy which is necessary for political democracy. Need for outside intervention between employer and employees is eliminated and workers are freed from exploitation. Less Resistance to Change: Workers often resist change due to fear and ignorance. When workers participate in the decision making, they come to understand that change is ultimately in their own interest. They become more able and ready to adopt themselves to technological and other changes made to improve the competitive position of the company. Creativity and Innovation: Participation encourages workers to think and take initiative. Their talent and ability can be capitalized; highly competent employees can be spotted and given prevention. Forms / Methods of Workers Participation in Management: Suggestion schemes: Participation of workers can take place through suggestion scheme. Under this method workers are invited and encouraged to offer suggestions for improving the working of the enterprise. A suggestion box is installed and any worker can write his suggestions and drop them in the box. Periodically all the suggestions are scrutinized by the suggestion committee or suggestion screening committee. The committee is constituted by equal representation from the management and the workers. The committee screens various suggestions received from the workers. Good suggestions are accepted for implementation and suitable awards are given to the concerned workers. Suggestion schemes encourage workers interest in the functioning of an enterprise. Works committee: Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, every establishment employing 100 or more workers is required to constitute a Works Committee. Such a committee consists of equal number of representatives from the employer and the employees. The main purpose of this committee is to provide measures for securing and preserving amity and good relations between the employer and the employees. Joint Management Councils: Joint consultation is the process whereby employer consults the workers either directly or through their representatives and seeks their opinion on various issues while retaining to him the right of taking final decisions. Joint consultation is a popular form of popular participation in management. These councils consist of equal number of representatives of the employers and employees, not exceeding 12 at the plant level. The council discusses various matters relating to the working of the industry. This council is entrusted with the responsibility of administering welfare measures, supervision of safety and health schemes, scheduling of working hours, rewards for suggestions etc. Work directors: Under this method, one or two representatives of  workers are nominated or elected to the  Board of Directors. This is the full-fledged and highest form of  workers participation in management.  The basic idea behind this method is that  the representation of workers at the top-level would  usher Industrial Democracy, congenial employee-employer relations and safeguard the workers interests. The  Government of India introduced this  scheme in several public sector  enterprises such as Hindustan Antibiotics, Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd etc. However the scheme of appointment of such a  director from among the employees failed miserably and the  scheme was subsequently dropped. Co-partnership: Co-partnership involves  employees participation in the share capital of a company in  which they are employed. By virtue of  their being shareholders, they have  the right to participate in the  management of the company. Shares of the  company can be acquired by workers making cash payment or by way  of stock options scheme. The basic objective of stock options is not to  pass on control in the hands of  employees but providing better financial incentives for  industrial productivity. Shop councils: Government of India, on the 30th of October 1975 announced a new scheme in WPM. In every Industrial establishment employing 500 or more workmen, the employer shall constitute a shop council. Shop council represents each department or a shop in a unit. Each shop council consists of an equal number of representatives from both employer and employees. The employers representatives will be nominated by the management and must consist of persons within the establishment. The workers representatives will be from among the workers of the department or shop concerned. The total number of employees may not exceed 12. Workers Participation in Management in India: Workers participation in Management in India was given importance only after Independence. The workers participation in management is not new even though it got encouragement only after independence. In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi observed Employees should not regard themselves as sole owners of mills and factories of which they may be legal owners. They should regard themselves trustees. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 was the first step in this direction, which recommended for the setting up of works committees. The joint management councils were established in 1950 which increased the labor participation in management. Since July 1975 the two-tier participation called shop councils at shop level and Joint councils were introduced. Workers participation in Management Bill, 1990 was introduced in Parliament which provided scope for upliftment of workers. But still in India, workers participation is not given so much importance because of some of the reasons. These reasons could be discussed below. Reasons for Failure of Workers Participation in India: Some of the reasons for the failure of Workers Participation in India can be are as follows: Employers have by and large resisted workers participation in decision-making. They feel that workers are not competent enough to take decisions. There is no clear evidence to convince managers that participative management will really lead to higher productivity and profitability. Lower level needs of workers are not fully satisfied. Therefore majority of Indian workers are not motivated enough to assume decision making responsibility either directly or through their representatives. Workers representatives who participate in management have to perform the dual role of workers spokesmen and co-managers. Very few representatives are competent enough to assume the two incompatible roles. Generally trade union leaders, who represent workers, are also active members of political parties. While participating in management they give priority to political interest rather than the interests of the workers. Schemes of workers participation have been initiated and sponsored by the government. There has been a lack of initiative on the part of both the employers and the trade unions. The focus has been on participation at higher levels. As a result rank and file of workers are not involved in decision making on matters directly affecting them. In India, labor laws regulate virtually all terms and conditions of employment at the work place. Workers do not feel the urge to participate. The unwillingness of the employer to share powers with the workers representatives, the disinterest of the workers and the perfunctory attitude of the government towards participation in management act as stumbling blocks in the way of promotion of participative management. Measures for making Participation effective: Employer  should  adopt a  progressive  outlook. They should  consider  the industry as a joint endeavor in which  workers have an equal say. Workers should be provided and enlightened about the benefits of their participation in the  management. Employers  and workers should agree  on the  objectives  of the  industry.  They should recognize and respect the rights of each other. Workers and their  representatives should be provided education and trainingin the  philosophy and process of participative management. Workers shouldbe made aware of  the benefits of participative management There should  be effective communication  between  workers  and management and effective consultation of workers by the management in decisions that have an impact on them. Participation  should  be a continuous  process.  To begin  with, participation should start at the operating level of  management. A mutual co-operation and  commitment to participation  must be developed by both management and  labor. Modern scholars are of the mind that the old adage a worker is a worker, a manager is a manager; never the  twain shall meet should be replaced by managers and workers are partners in the progress of business. Thus the above given are some of the measures to improve upon the failure of workers participation in India.

Friday, September 20, 2019

It’s Time to Revise Title IX Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Argumen

It’s Time to Revise Title IX The Preamble to Title IX, which was instigated in 1972, states that â€Å"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance.† This law took action to give females equal opportunities in federally funded programs. Although Title IX’s sole purpose was well intended, it fell short of its main goals because it had negative affects on male activities. In the article â€Å"Title IX: It’s Time to Live Up to the Letter of the Law,† Donna Lopiano argued for equal opportunities in athletics for women. She discussed how Title IX has affected men’s athletics through the Proportionality Law which insists that all schools provide an equal ratio of financial assistance to male and female students. Lopiano’s article contested the amount of athletic scholarship money offered to male and female athletes, and the budget each team received. A topic that Lopiano chose to ignore in her article was that by colleges cutting men’s sports teams to comply with Title IX, they were working against the law that they were trying to fulfill. Lopiano also ignored the fact that females do not have identical interests to males. Although females show a large interest in athletics, there is a greater demand for male athletics. The Proportionality Law for title IX states that financial assistance must be awarded to equal amounts of men and women, proportionate to the enrollment of the school. The law also asserts that colleges should have the same ratio of male to female athletes as the ratio of male and female students. For example, if a college has... ... Equity in Sports. 16 October 2000. 2 November 2003 . Khvalina, Lana. "Original goal of Title IX lost as colleges forced to cut men's athletic programs." Trapezoid Online 9 June 2000. 2 November 2003 . Kopac, Bob. Title IX at XXX. 2 November 2003. . Levey, Curt. "Title IX's Dark Side: Sports Gender Quotas." Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments. July 12 1999: 626-627. Lopiano, Donna. "Title IX: It's Time to Live Up to the Letter of the Law." Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments. 2000: 200-203. Preamble to Title IX. "U.S. Department of Labor." Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972. Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management. 31 October 2003 .

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Napoleon Bonaparte Essay -- Papers

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon saved France from a horrible situation. He extended the French territory to bring hope to the French people, and brings revolution to Europe. Napoleon Bonaparte never gave up hope for France. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769. No Bonaparte except for Napoleon became a professional soldier or was good at war. His father Carlo fought for Corsican independence, but after the French took over the island he served. He became prosecutor and judge and entered the French aristocracy. Napoleon had a good education and exceptional military training. His father secured a scholarship for him to go to the French military school at Brienne. When he was in school he a lot of his time and effort into his studies. Then in 1794,when he was 15,he graduated 42nd in his class of 58. He wanted more education after he graduated. He spent a year at the Military Academy in Paris. Then he was commissioned a second lieutenant in artillery. Napoleon was the head of an artillery brigade at the siege of Toulon where there was a British fleet. The British were driven out, and Napoleon was given a promotion to General of Brigade. In February of 1794 Napoleon was assigned to the French army in Italy. In October 5, 1795 a revolt broke out in Paris because of protesting the new constitution introduced by the Convection. Napoleon was ordered to defend the convection and was helped by Joachim Murat cannons. He was able to stop the revolting within four months. The Directory rewarded him with the appointment as commander of the army of the interior. In March of 1796 Napoleon began operations to divide and defeat the .. ... to navigate rivers that formed boundaries between states. Also the congress reestablished the balance of power among the countries of Europe. Napoleon never really abused his power he remained a fair leader to the people of France all of his life. Napoleon has been referred to as the "first modern dictator," because he didn't abuse his power compared to other leaders in western civilization. Napoleon cared more about the well being of the French people, and didn't care about getting money from the government. Napoleon's achievements and goals should be evaluated in a good way. Because he wasn't a tyrant, he achieved those most of his goals in a civilized way. Napoleon was one of the more fair, and better leaders than the ones that came earlier in historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. But his wife was a whore! (Had to throw that in jokingly)

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

European Politics :: Essays on Politics

Throughout Europe, a complex political structure of government has emerged from the once simple Monarchial rule. These new systems of Government, with respect to specific nation-states, have developed domestic policies that people depend on for daily life. Of these many dependencies is the health care system. The nation-states of Europe are entitled to bring forth and confront these issues, in order to ensure a sense of safety and well being into the lives of everyday citizens. The significance of the health care system is that it is an issue people are always trying to reform and build upon. Working alongside this idea, is the notion that other countries will develop intellectual health care systems from understanding those system already put into effect. This was the case with the German system of insured care, and the subsequent formation of the Hungarian health insurance system. In laying out the design of both systems, it is evident that the Hungarian health care system was bas ed upon the founding principles of the German health care system. Established by Otto von Bismarck in 1883, the German system has been continually extended to reflect the changing assortment of diseases and technological progress. Germany may be the only country in which most beneficiaries of its long-term care system and related expenditures are in community-based rather than institutional settings, according to the authors of the German study. (Moran 77) Germany's attempt to improve coverage for long-term care reached a fever pitch in the early 1990s, when West German policymakers sought to bring means-tested, state-administered long-term care services into its universal health insurance fold. In 1994 the country enacted a universal-coverage social insurance program for long-term care, called Soziale Pflegeversicherung, which was administered by "sickness funds," quasi-public and quasi-private insurers regulated by the national government. Under this program, premiums are uniform-a straight 1.7 percent of salary, split between employers and employees. (Knox 13) Benefits include extensive institutional and home care services. Informal caregivers receive up to four weeks of respite care each year, as well as a pension credit for providing high levels of unpaid services. In 1998 alone, some 550,000 people received pension contributions as caregivers. Germany's program has succeeded in increasing the availability of nursing home and home care services, as well as the number of home care providers, the study authors report. Program costs stayed well below original estimates and led to surpluses of nearly $5 billion.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A good and simple example is given by Fromlet

One fundamental notion in the finance and economic fields with regards to decision making has always been based on the underlying assumption that individuals or decision making agents are rational and objective. However, in many cases, rationalistic explanations have failed to answer major financial occurrences in the past.A good and simple example is given by Fromlet (2001), In 2001 the Swedish currency – the crown- was seriously undervalued in the foreign exchange market despite the fact that Swedish economy enjoyed a good economic growth record, had the lowest inflation rate among the 12 European Monetary union members, surplus government budget and a good, positive balance of payment position. Thus in this case all the rationalistic theories could not adequately explain the weakening of the crown given the fact that all economic indicators showed that it should be stronger.According to many theorists, even though realism cannot be attained, a good theoretical model should include mechanisms that help in relaxing as much assumptions as possible to attain a near realistic empirically based theory. Most of the traditional and neoclassical financial theory such as the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and expected utility theory (EUT) are based on the unrealistic assumptions that can be explained as:†¢ Representative agents and players in the financial market are rational therefore base their decisions with the objective of maximizing wealth therefore asset pricing reflect the real value of the asset at any particular time (Thaler, 1999). †¢ The market given time will settle on an equilibrium point and that the equilibrium price reflects the real value of the asset that can rationally be explained using traditional theories (Ideal or rationally explained equilibrium) (Thaler, 1999).Behavioral finance is a relatively new field of study that has made tremendous progress in the attempt to answer these unrealistic assumptions and offer an alternat ive explanation of the financial market. Behavioral finance holds that the market is unrealistic due to the human element; therefore, in evaluation of financial market decision making and market condition, financial theories should recognize the role of human behavior in financial assets price determination.The composition of financial investors is diverse from fathers and mothers, household, spouses, students, businessmen, government leaders etc. are all decision makers in the financial market thus the assumption of rationality as provided by these theories is unrealistic (Ritter, 2003). These paper is an in depth evaluation of the behavioral theory and its application in the financial market. The paper will look at the strength and weaknesses of behavioral finance in an attempt to show its applicability as a tool in the financial market.Definition and description of behavioral finance. Behavioral finance is an empirically based theory, Behavioral finance theorists argue that to un derstand the performance and decision making in market, it important to integrate psychological and behavioral variables and classical financial theories in decision making and market atmosphere. According to this theory, the market is sometimes information inefficient and participants do not often make decision rationally.Behavioral finance uses to main concepts namely cognitive psychology and limits to arbitrage. Cognitive psychology as applied in behavioral finance focuses on behavioral factors influencing investor’s decision making or how people think; it postulates that investors make systematic errors in the manner they think and this contributes to irrationality in decision making. For instance, some investors might be overconfident and end up loosing due making investment decision based on this behavioral trait.This cognitive biases lead to irrational decision and can explain the weaknesses of classical financial theories with regards to why the market fails to attain equilibrium or conceptual expectation of rational investor decision in the financial market. (Ritter, 2003). Cognitive biases. Cognitive psychologists hold that there several cognitive biases that affect investor’s decisions in the market, as mentioned this biases lead investors to make systematic errors hence explaining irrationality in the financial market.This paper will highlight the cognitive biases by combining some of the documented behavioral patterns in arguing the case and behavior finance model case in the financial market it should be noted that psychological patterns and behavior categories as presented are interlinked to the extent that an individual can make decisions due to several behavioral patterns (Fromlet, 2001): 1/n Heuristics or rule of thumb. Heuristics or the rule of thumb is one common behavioral technique applied in decision making.According to the definition (as quoted in Fromlet, 2001), â€Å" heuristic means ‘use of experience and practic al efforts to answer questions or to improve performance. † Heuristics mean fast, selective interpretation of information, determined to a high extent by intuition–taking into account that the conclusions may not give the desired results because of the velocity and/or the incompleteness in the decision-making. †This technique makes it easier for investor’s since information in the market usually spreads faster, changes often and has become more complicated to interpret. Therefore, given various options many investors use the 1/n rule by spreading their funds equally or proportionately on the available options since it is easier than choosing the rational option based on the information hence introducing irrationality in the market in terms of decision making.A good example is if in a given financial market six different economic indicators are published, economists and investors have to assimilate and use the information as fast as they can to take advantag e of the market, some result to heuristic approach. This sometimes leads to suboptimal results and explains the difference between the ideal classical financial market of a rational investor and the real world. (Fromlet, 2001 and Ritter, 2003).Thaler (1999), argue that from empirical evidence collected in their research most individuals investing for retirement have little or no knowledge of the financial market hence uses the rule of thumb or 1/n heuristic approach to make decisions on where to put there retirement savings. Overconfidence and preference for certain information. Another pattern that manifests itself and lead to irrationality in decision making in the financial market is overconfidence.Ritter (2003), notes that entrepreneurs tend to be overconfident and hence invest too much in stocks or options that they are familiar with. This can be termed as an irrational tendency to the extent that it leads overconfident entrepreneurs tend to limit their options by not diversify ing their portfolio hence irrational since they tie up their assets (for example real estates) to the company they are familiar with partly due to the fact that they would feel in control of local familiar stocks compared to high returns stocks that are outside their control, this is referred to as control illusions.A good example world over is the fact that most workers tend to invest too much in the company they work for and this has led to loss of entire savings to many of the companies in the event of insolvency (see Ritter, 2003 pg. 434 for examples). Furthermore, it was noted that generally, men are more overconfident than women and this behavior extends to investment decisions. It was found out in a research by Bernard and Odeon (2001 as quoted in Ritter 2003) that the more men on average perform worse than women and this is partly attributed to the fact that they are overconfident than women.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ethical Audit Report of Tesco

1. 0 Introduction According to Mamoria (2010), business ethics is defined as the businessman's integrity so far as his conduct or behaviour is concerned in all fields of business as well as towards the society and other businesses. Thus, the conduct or behaviour by businessman towards the society or others may have some conflicts and contradictions. The intention of this report is to highlight what and why the incidents happened. The incidents include the employment of illegal workers, price fixing, and poor product quality.All these incidents tend to spoil the corporate’ image of the company and also bring harmful effect to the communities and other stakeholders. So, Tesco took action by compensating to the victims, restructured corporate management system for better performances, and provided training programme and learning course for the employee. The ethical theories applicable to Tesco include Ethics of Justice, Ethics of Duty, and Feminist Ethics, which will also be disc ussed in this report. Related article: How Tesco Communicates With CustomersIn addition, the organization’s best practices and values such as corporate social responsibility and protecting the environment will also be discussed for the close up of this report. 1. 1 Background of Tesco Tesco, one of the largest retailers in the world started its business in 1919. The Founder, Jack Cohen started a grocery stall in East End of London. He made a profit of ? 1 from sales of ? 4 on his first day. After 5 years, in 1924. Mr. Cohen bought a shipment of tea from Mr. T. E. Stockwell where the â€Å"Tesco† brand first appearance.Tesco expanded its business to petrol station in 1974, and became the UK’s largest independent petrol retailer. It generated a total sales topped ? 1bn and doubled up to ? 2bn in 1982. In order to overtake the UK’s leading grocer in 1990, Tesco made an aggressive marketing campaign to open more stores to gain its businesses. In 2000, Tesco continued to expand its business by product range from clothes to electrical and personal finance products when Tesco. com was launched (www. telegraph. co. uk). For more detail on its corporate background, kindly refer to Appendix I. 2. 0 Ethical DilemmasEthics in general and ethics in business are very intimate to one another. Therefore one's personal ethics cannot be completely separated from one's business or organizational ethics. If you are a man of principles, then you are more inclined to insist on high moral standards in your business and organizations (Gavai, 2010). No matter how strong the corporate policy and system, ethical dilemmas still exist as everyone is looking for their own interest. Tesco, one of the biggest retailers in worldwide also faces the same problems such as illegal workers, price fixing and poor product quality. . 1 Illegal Workers Tesco was caught for hiring 30 illegal workers who were foreign students at one of its warehouses. These students were from 11 different nationali ties; mostly Bangladeshi and Indian origins were alleged for working up to 3? times longer than their allowed working hour in visa permit (www. visabureau. com). They worked as much as 50 hours extra than the allowed hours of 20 hours per week. This incident happened after the UK border Agency enforcement team visited their factory on July 2012 in Croydon (www. immigrationmatters. co. uk).The retailer took responsibilities by giving corporation to the investigation as they insisted they did not condone illegal working (www. telegraph. co. uk). Anyhow, employees were considered the victims in this incident as they had not been protected by the company’s employment rules, where they were forced to work for extra hours. They faced big losses such as inability to further education and having a work-life balance. Employer did not protect for employee welfare, they abused employee right to work extra which prompted to product high productivity, maximize the profit margin by saving cost of employee salary.Supplier played a key role in this scenario, as it was the only party to transform information between the employers and the employee while in the process of recruitment. In fact, there was wrong information sending either to the employer or the employee. 2. 2 Price Fixing Tesco was accused in the scandal of the pricing fixing on its dairy products such as cheese and milk. The consumers from the Office of Fair Trading in UK reported that Tesco had charged them an additional of approximately ? 270M between years 2002-2003.The huge amount was accumulated from 3 pence extra for a pint of milk, 15 penny extra for each quarter-pound of butter and the same amount per half-pound of cheese for every single purchased together with another 8 firms were implicated in the collusion (www. dailymail. co. uk). They were caught by breaching the competition act in synchronising the increased price with other competitors for certain dairy products. However, Tesco’s comp etitors had admitted and OFT had been given discount on the fined amount as they had given cooperation in the investigation.When the corporations did not practice fair competition which comply with the competition law, consumers were the victims because they did not protect in fair trading. This is clearly a strong violation of consumers’ rights (www. savistamagazine. com). Shareholders in the corporations basically earned extra profits in this scenario. Whereas, this practices was not encouraged as they must obey the corporate law which was stated in the Corporate Governance. Government department plays a key role in this embarrass scenario; their intention was to protect the consumers.Their penalty towards the corporations sent a clear signal to them not to violate consumers’ rights. In fact, families in UK suffering big loss of expensed extra for the daily goods in unknowingly. They should be protected under the fair trading policy which ensured them to trade in wor thiness. 2. 3 Poor Product Quality Tesco also received a punishment from the Bracknell Magistrate Court for selling 127 outdated foods in the Martins Heron branch on May 2011. The foods included beef-burgers, ham and chocolate cheesecake. This incident happened when a girl fell sick after consuming chargrilled chicken pasta salad.This prompted Bracknell Forest Trading Standards officers to investigate the matter after receiving the complaint. The officers found that the foods had expired for 16 days during a visit to the store (www. getreading. co. uk). Trading Standards officers commented this matter as the â€Å"worst case of out-of- date product† that they had ever seen (www. mirror. co. uk). The irresponsible behavior acted by the management of Tesco was strongly affected to the public health. It also brought suffer to the consumers from physically and mentality. The shareholders were also facing lost when the management was careless in managing the stocks.Besides the abo ve, Tesco was discovered for selling 100 expired food products which included yoghurts, fruit smoothies, soup, gravy, vegetable pakoras, packaged salad, pasta bowls, samosa and bhaji snack packs and guacomole dip. These items were past their sell-by-dated of between 1 to 17 days. The occurrence was engaged by a manager who had 20 years experience but his first time to manage the largest store chain, Tesco Extra. Shoppers had complaint about the poor problems to the Coventry City Council and the trading standards officers had proven the issues after their raids at the branch in Gielgud Way, Walsgrave in November 2009 (www. oventrytelegraph. net) 3. 0 Actions taken to solve these dilemmas According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dilemmas are situations or problems where a person has to make a difficult choice; an ethical dilemma is a problem where a person has to choose between a moral and an immoral act (smallbusiness. chron. com). Dilemma occurrences in the workplace are common and action taken to solve them is very important, whereas theory of ethics can be applied as guidelines which may bring the moral decision. 3. 1 Reinforce in recruitment and management system Tesco was fined for a total of ? 15,000 by UK Border Agency (UKBA) for 23 students, of various nationalities who had breached the visa working terms (www. telegraph. co. uk). UKBA was reflecting UK government’s intention into act which has promised to overwhelm on visa abuse. The 23 individuals were not permitted to enter UK again (www. visabureau. com). The Britain’s biggest supermarket had ensured that the incident in this nature will never happen again. One of the executive had been laid off after the lacklustre performance (www. telegraph. co. uk). Tesco was a founder member of Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI).They searched employee with high standard by applying the ETI base code which included; no exploitation of child labour, working hours not exceeding (20 hours per week f or foreign workers) and regular employment is provided (www. tesco. ie). However, the government had carried out a good job by taking serious action against any employers who had breached the visa working terms. After the fined it brought a â€Å"warning† to the competitors and simultaneously as a reminder to them to have good ethical practice while in competition. Nobody is allowed to breach the rules in order to obtain success in competition.In addition, after UKBA taken action against the employer, the rest employees will enjoy the benefits which to work in regularly, fair treated, feel protected and concerned by the government. Employer was ensured that the management system been improved after laid off an employee who made mistake. Employer was informed to put employee’s welfares as priority. 3. 2 Defending the rights Tesco was slapped with the fined of ? 10m for price-fixing of its dairy products by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in 2011 after seven years of in vestigation. However, they threatened to fight back by taking legal action against OFT to defend themselves.The company claimed they were â€Å"surprised and dismayed† with the fined and strongly denied with any collusion in changing pricing detail with each other via the dairy processors. Tesco stand at its point vigorously and throughout the court. However, it had urged the government to deprive OFT of its power to investigate and punish firms under the competition act (www. mirror. co. uk). The intention of OFT was to alert the industries that the competition laws was enforced in ensuring the shopper in a fair trade condition. Hence, after the punishments were sent, it was ensure that the competition was maintained under the competition laws.Furthermore, competitors were only able to divulge information to each other via dairy suppliers. Suppliers were also not been honest in this incident. Suppliers did not bear responsibility of providing high quality products with reaso nable prices where the consumers are able enjoy the benefits. Thus, suppliers being fined by the OFT were considered reasonable. No matter how the employer wanted to fight back with OFT, they had to pay the fine and settled it in the fastest way where to stop any embarrassing matters to affect their sales figure.At the same time, the costly and time consuming case might affect the expense of both taxpayer and business as well. So the fine paid has benefitted the consumers which bring fairness of their trading. 3. 3 Compensations After Tesco had admitted selling of outdated food, it was fined by the Bracknell Magistate Court for ? 12,000, and ? 15,000 in legal fees and a ? 15 victim surcharge. The Charges were related to 88 types of food which were put on shelves for sales. Tesco had to bear for the penalty as they knew that selling of out-date-food brought harm to the public health (www. tutorcare. o. uk). In order not to repeat their mistake, they were reinforced through staff trai ning at the Bracknell store to ensure all the processes undergone strict quality control and the procedures were complied. Customers are the cause and purpose of every business. A business is supposed to serve them satisfactorily (Gavai, 2010). According to Tesco Corporate responsibility, they were running local supplier programme for the purpose of getting fresh and quality products. Therefore, the company had to enforce the programme to ensure it was running smoothly and the supplier complied with it.Employers had to bear the responsibility for the incident where there was serious problem in the management. The accused significantly spoiled the corporate image and reputation which cause the sales figure to drop. However, the employers had made a right decision for admitting the mistake and paid compensation. It significantly showed that Tesco was applying the Ethics of Justice. According to Plato (2010), justice is an order and a beauty of the parts of a whole. Justice is effectiv e coordination. It is an effective harmony of the whole.Ethics of justice can be defined as what is right and what is wrong in clear and precision. It was related to the notion of fairness. When a person is been treated unequally or deprived from what he deserved, then he was treated with injustice. Tesco realized that treating someone injustice was an immoral action, so they pledged guilty and paid fined which tend to bring fairness to the consumers as to determine this action on the criterion of rightness, which is one of the concepts in Ethics of Justice as well. Furthermore, Tesco was fined for ? 33,400 for 43 charges of selling 100 out-of-date foods at a hearing in Coventry Magistrates Court and a further of 94 charges after considering their sentenced. However, some shareholders of Tesco were present in court to show their seriousness of this matter and their concern on the case. They pledged guilty on the charges and their managers were laid off and two other employees were b eing disciplined (www. lacors. gov. uk). Employees had the responsibility to carry out their job by following the corporate system. Some of the mistakes were not being tolerated and it has brought harm to the public health.The Coventry council was pleased with the results as the sentenced brought a warning to other competitors in the same industry that the government had stand at their point for the communities was appreciated. 4. 0 Best Practices and Values According to Donald, White and Bedner (2010), value is a concept of the desirable, an internalized criterion or standard of evaluation a person possesses. Such concepts and standards are relatively few and determine or guide an individual's evaluation of many objects encountered in everyday life. Values are tinged with moral flavour involving an individual's judgement of what is good, right or desirable.Tesco has practiced several communities’ works as a return to the society and tried to deliver values to them. Corporate social responsibility is in the interest of business because, by contributing to social change, it can create a better environment for its own transactions, thereby developing business while being socially responsibly (Rendtorff and Dahl, 2009). 4. 1 Communities Works Tesco plays a vital role in the local communities by supporting them actively without preconditions. They wanted to have a good relationship with the communities in which they operated.The fundamental condition that Tesco can provide to the communities is providing good quality, affordable foods and goods, and offering job to the unemployment. Besides that, they are listening and responding to the local communities for their needs and values, carrying out the issues that matter to them positively, and improve the local area by providing lasting contributions. They regularly set up a new store in the area where the retailers or businesses had been neglected. Tesco also launched a Regeneration Partnership Programs in UK where Tesco was proud as this prompted to providing job opportunities to the long term unemployment.In May 2012, they had their first launched store under the regeneration program in Hungary at Debrecen. Hiring 100 unemployed and providing 42 with courses organized by Regional Labour Centre helped them to readjust in their routine of daily work. Tesco also gathered the local communities in a centre point for them to interact. In Turkey, Tesco Kipa Family Club offered Cooking class, Dancing class, chess and learning English Class to their 60,000 members. In addition, Tesco had over 100 schools of Extended Class in South Korea to let the customers and families to attend Arts and English Class.Presently, Tesco had over 750 communities champion working into the communities which communicated with the communities effectively. They were organizing activities such as Healthy Eating to the primary school and local school children, charity event by collection or bag packing, and also asking the staff and customers to join the events like Race for Life (www. tescoplc. com). Without doubt, values to the communities such as responsibility, accountability, concern and unity had contributed absolutely by Tesco. â€Å"Value† so understood is a very broad category.It includes all sorts of things, from personal desire like health or a sense of humor to social ideals like wealth or liberty (Weston, 2010). They are responsible to the communities by giving them quality product in affordable prices. In addition, they were giving values of accountability by organizing learning class for the communities to gain their knowledge and interests. Tesco is also concerned about the communities of the unemployment, giving priority to the unemployed for job opportunities which also gave them better future and better life.Unity of the communities is very important in local area, Tesco provided a platform for the communities to communicate, interact and work together. They looked forwa rd that every business and store were valued by the communities as they were trying hard to give interest to the communities. Tesco contributed a lot of times and fund to the community works. This demonstrates the application of Ethics of Duty. According to Kant (2010), a duty is obligatory and one has to do his duty regardless of any situation.Most of the time duty implies an action that one is expected to do as a part of society which may be neither for self-satisfaction nor for immediate happiness. Tesco knew what their prime duty to the communities was. Having a good thought is not enough but must in action. An action with potential concern showed their responsibility to the communities. 4. 2 Protecting Environment Protecting the environment is one of the important missions set by Tesco. The only way to deal with it was reducing the impact on the environment, including water and energy usage.All the suppliers have to follow the program with Tesco by reducing carbon footprint on the product and manage the water usage in all the store chain. The mission to be achieved is to become a zero-carbon business by 2050. Achieving a mission is not only in planning but practice. Tesco has converted over 100 stores to natural refrigeration across the corporate. The project in Kenya for the Lake Naivasha water stewardship helped to reduce water pollution and raised the water levels, replace transportation from lorries to rail transport which saved 15,000 tonnes of CO2e per year.Tesco had also collaborated with Unilever to create awareness amongst customers of sustainable product choices; more than 10,000 customers were advised to reduce their water footprint in Turkey. Tesco practiced by reducing in packaging and minimizing waste in their dairy operation which helped to reduce the impact on the environment. Reducing waste was the priority plan for Tesco. They used a market-leading store ordering system which helped to predict what each store chain will sell, this minimi zed waste of food accurately before it reached their customers.The programmes of minimizing the store’s operational waste started running since 2009 throughout the world’s store chain. They did not send any wastage from the UK store to the landfill. If the wasted were unable to recycle then it will be converted into other sources of energy. In China, cardboard and wasted oil in the stores had been fully recycled. In Poland, in order to increase the rate of recycling, they have conducted an audit of waste segregation in stores. In Malaysia, they encouraged the employees to recycle by launching a weekly league table to record who recycled the most.In US, they sent their waste food to the food bank for those who needed to reduce the wastage. And lastly in Slovakia, they donated the waste food the Hunter’s association for feeding animals. The materials used for product packing were the lightest weight and sustainable and also gave opportunities for recycling. Since 2007, Tesco have reduced the packaging of own-brand product more than 15% in UK, which included cutting glass usage by 420 tonnes annually when producing their own label Champagne. They also changed traditional packaging of toys to new packaging reduction technique that brought 15% reduction.In UK, Tesco also has commitments with WRAP’s Courtauld 2 (Waste and Resource Action Programme) to reduce the packaging waste by 2012. The commitments included the reduction of weight, recycled content of grocery packaging to be increased, rates of recycling to be increased, and carbon impact to be lowered by 10%, reduction of 4% for the UK household food and drink, and reduction of 5% for the products and packaging waste in the supply chains (www. tescoplc. com). Caring for the environment brings value of duty, love, hope, and comfort. Tesco has carried out their duty towards the society by committing on wastage reduction.All the resources taken from the earth and environment were fully utilized and the balances were recycled. This duty is belonging to everyone; therefore Tesco has taken it into priority. Tesco also showed the values of love. In terms of loving the earth, loving the environment, and loving each others in the world by saving the resources such as water. Human being is unable to live without water. Tesco knew the seriousness so they ran several programmes on reducing the usage of water. Tesco is giving Hope to the society as well, saving resources in order to prevent resources shortage, and climate changing.Value of hope is generating with these practices to the people. Living in harmony and secure which may concern for the next generation as well. With the clean environment, the values of comfort arise and the people can feel that they are living in a peaceful world. This is the main objective achieved by Tesco. A comfort lifestyle may bring positive thinking to the people, staying with tolerance and forgiveness. Tesco has significantly practiced et hical theory of right for the programme. According to William Sbaw (2010), a right is an entitlement to act or have other acts in a certain way.Everyone has a right in doing certain action and simultaneously expecting others not to deprive its right. However, others also possess a right to disagree to the action, but they cannot dismiss it. Tesco promoted the protecting environment programme and has prompted to let the communities knew that they had the right to live harmony. Right and Duty are correlated as that our prime duty is to protect the rights of people (Gavai, 2010). Tesco has the duty of giving fairness to the society and the communities have the right to enjoy the fair treatment. 5. Conclusion Business ethics is important for a corporate because it brings significant benefits and advantages. Corporation with good business ethics prompt to have good image and reputation in the market, which assist to create market awareness and promote sales easily. Furthermore, a corpora tion best practice such as corporate social responsibility is also very crucial which to protect the employees and communities’ welfare, corporation may enjoy benefits for itself also because a good corporate social responsibility may create loyalty of an employee.A loyal and committted employee will stay with the corporation constantly and increase productivity, which can reduce labour turnover as well. Whereas, Tesco, as one of the biggest retailers in the world, which cover business internationally (refer Appendix II for International business Chart), they realize the importance of these and working hard to practice good ethical behavior, create value for the communities and providing moral decision to settle the ethical dilemma to ensure the stakeholder and communities can enjoy the benefits.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Beauty Practices Around the World

Real beauty lies within but first impressions always last. Usually, we are more interested and fascinated on things that appeal to our sense of sight. That’s why being beautiful in the outside matters. Tall, petite, brunette, blonde, fair, tanned, slim or curvy, we vary in beauty as we differ in culture and race. There is really no exact definition of what beautiful is for beauty indeed lies in the eye of the beholder. According to Meera Jain (www. skincare-news. com), â€Å"beauty is not one’s own but a reflection of one’s culture.The cultural implications of beauty are prominent in every culture and have a strong influence on the way women are perceived. Across the world, different cultural perceptions uphold an ideal of beauty that is linked to sexual appeal and social status. Making one’s self beautiful is an inborn trait. In general, the appeal of beauty is to attract a sexual partner or attain a higher social status. The process of beautification va ries in each culture but mostly it is done to be considered attractive. Beauty is a means of self- expression and a reflection of our inner spirit.The quest for beauty has changed over the years but the purpose remains to show off material wealth, social position, authority, and flaunt sexual appeal. The desire to be admired by others drives most women to perform tasks to beautify themselves and change their form. In all cultures, clothing and jewelry styles are used to be more attractive. The Western culture applauds women who are tan, tall, and slender, have large breasts, small waists, and delicate features. On the other hand, the Eastern ideal is voluptuous, curvaceous, big eyes and strong noses.Meanwhile, Asians refer to long limbs and vital statistics as minor contributors to the beautiful body, what is more important is the state of mind. For the Asian religions, the treatment of beauty as a respectful and dignified attribute is emphasized in religious texts especially in Hin duism, Islam, Buddhism, and Sikhism. For instance, religious idols and texts displayed in Western religions have not been nude and the idols are fully clothed while in Eastern religion idols are considered beautiful especially when depicted in the nude.Both cultures can admire the beauty of what is found in their houses of worship and use this to define their cultural ideal of beauty. Our views may vary on the essence of being beautiful but we all agree that for one to be beautiful in the outside, she should start by feeling beautiful in the inside. Women spend more time on pampering themselves and spend hours in front of the mirror to get the results they wanted. They also spend much on beauty products like makeup, lotion or moisturizers, spa and body treatments compared to men. Nonetheless, nothing can compare with the joy beauty brings to a person.Being branded as beautiful can boost one’s personality and self- confidence. The world has a lot to offer with the advent of te chnology and intensive researches in the field of beauty, being beautiful in the today’s generation is more affordable and practical. II. Caring for the Skin The skin is a very sensitive organ, which is the most exposed part of our body. Everyday, it is exposed to the scorching heat of the sun, dust particles, and air pollutants. We are constantly battling with the risk of getting pimples, blackheads, acne, and clogged pores to name a few. Great skin begins from within.Scandinavian women drink at least 1. 5 liters of spring water everyday but they also begin and end their day with 15-20 splashes of spring water on their face to help encourage the skin’s own natural functions. Different skincare products were launched to suit the type of skin we have. For example, in America, limejuice is used for bleaching. Other alternatives are bananas and milk, and egg white and honey combinations. On the other hand, most Asians resort to using whitening creams and soaps with papaya extract to achieve their desired skin color. In Europe, 75% of women regularly use skin care product every week.As a matter of fact their facial skin care markets up to $6 billion for 2000. It only proves that women give importance especially to their facial skin. Meanwhile, the use of sunscreen is also vital in maintaining flawless facial skin. Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians in general apply sunscreen to help fight against dark spots and skin cancer. Italian models care for their hands as carefully as their face by mixing hydroquinone cream and olive oil to soften skin and erase hand freckles. On the other hand, Parisian models keep their skin glowing with salt rubs.They do this by taking approximately one cup of sea salt and mix it with a half- cup of peppermint tea to form a paste. Then they use this mixture by rubbing it in the shower of before bathing. Many women fear looking old thus anti-aging products were also created to keep us looking young and vibrant with lif e. In the United States Jolene Edgar of Redbook said that in order to restore radiance, an acid peel at the spa is recommended. It only takes twenty minutes for the mild mix of glycolic and salicylic acids to dissolve skin cells and impart a fresh- faced glow.Antioxidants also help skin aging by fighting skin aging radicals. In Japan, green tea is the beverage of choice to speed calorie- burning metabolism and to keep the face line free. Skin gets thin as one gets older due to a low collagen and elastic tissue which are responsible in keeping the skin firm and supple. This is the inevitable thinning of our skin and accounts for only 10% of the aging process. The sun’s penetrating rays have a direct effect on skin, thus injuring the cells and their contents.The skin shrivels and wrinkles as it lose moisture. If one likes to tan, expect a 20% reduction in collagen levels in a lifetime. Too much sun accounts for 90% of aging. Because of this, the use of sunscreen is highly recom mended to act as a shield for the sensitive skin of the facial area and preventing the growth of dry dead skin. For example, Mediterranean women use olive oil to soothe and soften dry, irritated skin and also in treating sunburn. III. Makeup and Cosmetics Every woman wants to look for a best and it all starts with makeup.According to celebrity makeup artist Shalini Vadhera, choices in makeup for women of color are better today than they were a few years ago since companies have expanded their hands to include women of different cultures and formulated products to work on different skin tones. Women with Asian skin tone are advised to apply yellow- based products like the foundation to reveal a natural, flawless look. For paler Asian skin, mixing one’s regular base color with yellow-based foundation can do the trick. Asian women also look really nice in smoky color eye shadows like purple, lavender, pink, gray, and charcoal.For Asian eyes to stand out, highlighter is applied u nder the brow. The most important factor in deciding what color and how to apply eye shadow is to take into consideration the amount of fold you have above the eyelid. If you posses a fair amount of fold, then you can boldly apply dramatic colors such as black, deep turquoise and navy blue for night time wear and utilize the technique of multi-layering colors. Colors that are especially flattering for daytime wears are bronze and light colors applied close to the lashes while more intense colors are blended on top.However, www. ultimate-cosmetics. com mentioned that women with dark skin should stick to warm, earthy colors like gold, bronze and maroon while mauve, pink and silver on fairer skins. Lipsticks with medium dull shades and matte finish are also advised for lack-skinned women. Peachest blushers work best too while reddish tints should be avoided. In American and European countries, when the focus is on the eyes, lips look best nude. They do this by choosing a shade similar to their lip color and smooth a little gold lipstick or shimmer on top.The golden shade adds shimmer and makes lips appear fuller. Whether they wear foundation or not, they can play up their eyes with eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara top create a futuristic look. Whatever makeup one wears, correct application and choice of color must be put into consideration to attain best results. IV. Hair Care The hair is a reflection of one’s health and personality. They are important contribution to your total look and given the right care they can make you look beautiful. However, if neglected it can be distractive to your appearance.Hair is an integral part of the structure of your skin and like your skin, it changes with passage of time (www. womenfitness. net/beauty/hair/hairstruc. htm ). The hair and scalp needs proper care now and always. Negligence over a period of time may result to the formation of dry brittle hair, split-ends, hair fall, dandruff and many more. There are three types of hair namely oily hair, dry hair and combination hair, which commonly include hair with oily roots and dry ends. In addition, there are many ways to take care of hair according to type. Oil hair have separate strands and stick to your head.To keep it healthy, use mild shampoo, as often as necessary even if that means everyday. Use only very little shampoo and put a conditioner on the ends unless the hair is very oily. Then don’t use too hot a hairdryer and don’t also brush or comb more than necessary. On the other hand, dry hair tangles and brittle easily. To protect hair from being dry, shampoo your hair every 4-6 days using a mild shampoo. After which, use a cream conditioner combing it thoroughly through the hair and leaving it on for a few minutes before using. Meanwhile, the same guidelines apply to combination hair type.Hair, like beautiful wood, can be shaped, mounded, colored and, if properly taken care of, can be made to shine with health. (www. pg. co m/science/haircare/hair__twh__2. htm ). Indian women are known for their thick, long, lush hair. They do a hot oil scalp massage once a week using coconut oil. Meanwhile, Spanish women use cranberry juice as their final rinse on their hair to give them fabulous natural highlights. For blonde, they use lemon juice instead of cranberry. Shampooing is a matter of cleanliness and hygiene, but also a matter of feeling style, and convenience (www. ourstorygueson.com/lhc/shampooing. htm). The more hair is washed, the more friction is applied and thus wear and tear. Be gentle to your hair if you want to cultivate it and be with you for many years. Brushes are more appropriate and convenient to use for short hair. They put a lot of control into short hair. It is difficult to use brushes with thicker and longer hair because it is difficult to get the brush through the hair and it also tends to catch the hair, possibly twisting, pulling, stretching, and even breaker than hair. However, combs a re greatly preferred to brushes for longer hair.Usually, combs with wide teeth are preferred to those with narrower teeth. Combs are used to detangle hair, to aid in drying, to spread with oils along the shaft, and to arrange the hair after it is dry. Also, the larger the teeth and the wider apart the teeth are, the more gentle the comb is in the hair. Furthermore hair can become stronger and shinier if coupled with a balanced diet. A well- balanced diet, rich in silica, calcium, and iron, will help reduce or prevent hair loss while green leafy vegetables are good mineral sources.The hair is comprised mostly of protein, therefore to encourage hair growth, adhere to a diet rich in protein (www. womenfitness. net/hair-care-tips. htm) Choosing the right hairstyle can be the most important factor in one’s appearance. It balances your body, frames your face, and complements your clothes and lifestyle. When choosing a new hairstyle you should look carefully at the shape of your fac e. For example, if you have a round face you should aim to add length by avoiding a neat bob with a fringe. On the other hand, a heart shaped face should avoid a heavy slab of fringe that will make it look like a triangle.Meanwhile a short perky bob will go very nicely for oblong faces. Spa and Body Treatment Most people experience less leisure and more daily stress as they juggle work and career, family and friends. Nowadays, people no longer have to go on a cruise or hit the best beach to get the relaxation they deserve. Now, the key to a relaxing experience is just a phone call or a ride away, all because of the birth of spas. Asian spa focuses on harmony between the mind, body, and spirit through traditional massage, meditation, and herbal medicine.Ancient herbal remedies, steam compresses, natural ingredients, and simple principles based on a combination of Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese dominate Asian Spa. Many of the herbal treatments used in the spas are coupled with European remedies to soften the skin and nourish the soul. In Switzerland, spas are classified according to their degrees of stimulation. For example spas located in areas with an altitude of 1550- 3410 feet have soothing effects on the nervous system while those situated in 3720- 5890 feet simulates the nervous system and production of blood.Meanwhile in Monte Carlo, Monaco, spa centers provide manual therapy such as fascia therapy, shiatsu or reflexology, physiotherapy, kinesitherapy and sophrology. Furthermore, Ireland provides both luxury and serenity in their spas like the Elysium Spa, which includes an ozone deck level pool, Jacuzzi and steam room, needle shower, and a fitness room for Pilates, exercise and dance classes. On the other hand, most spas are open- air in Tahiti. These are located in garden areas facing the lagoons. Soothing lagoon waters, vanilla and flower scented breezes and the scenic beauty of Tahiti add to the appeal of the spas.In Mexico, spa services include hydroth erapy, body scrubs, all types of facials and massages, aromatherapy and herbal baths, lymphatic and ocean front massages are some of the services offered. They also offer reflexology, Zen shiatsu, Anma Shiatsu, Reiki, stretching therapy, chiropractic and Iris diagnosis and full hair care. Massage is considered as an essential element in maintaining good health and restores the well being of both mind and body. All forms of massage follow the principle of restoring natural balance by ensuring the easy flow of â€Å"Chi† the energy of life force of the body.Massage from Bali or India use aromatic oils to stimulate the sensory system. Moreover, the pressure applied along the body’s meridians and yoga postures can also enhance one’s well – being. Besides massage, spas also offer body baths. In Indonesia, the Mandi Susu or milk bath makes skin soft and pure to the touch. Modern formulations of this ritual, which is from goat, sheep or cow’s milk, have e liminated the taste and smell of milk while maintaining its nutrients with protein that softens skin.An alternative for this ritual that can be done at home is by pouring fresh or powdered milk in with the buttermilk are also good alternatives. Another body treatment is the Ocean bath, which focuses on the healing properties of unrefined sea salt, which is effective in removing toxins from the body. Sea salt nutrients are also easier to absorb by the body. Aromatherapy oils are also effective in relieving stress. A drop or combination of essential oils into warm water are absorbed into skin while the rest evaporate and inhaled which soothe muscles and mind.Oils like chamomile, lavender and rose can calm the body while ginger, sage, rosemary detoxifies it. Furthermore, ylang-ylang, geranium, and sandalwood can ignite passion while grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, peppermint, and pine have brain boosting ingredients. The body is not the only one that needs to be pampered but the face also deserves some special treatments from time to time. According to Anitra Brown the most popular treatment is a salt glow or sea salt facial scrub done with coffee grounds, finely ground pecan shells or the Napa Valley grape seeds. V. Cosmetic SurgeryDon’t we all want to look like the models that we see on television or magazines? Many people want to look better that some resort to surgery to make them look prettier and sexier. Some people want to get rid of fats immediately and without the rigor of strict dieting and regular exercise. Liposuction is a special surgery that sucks fats from the body. Liposuction is one of the most wanted surgeries in the world wherein people get a leaner body shape by losing inches rather than pounds. It is done by a doctor who makes small cuts in your skin and then puts tubes into the cuts.These tubes connect to a machine that sucks out fat from under your skin. Liposuction is an artistic expression that practices practical application of scien tific knowledge in pursuit in beauty and making people feel happier and contented with what they see in the mirror. In Thailand, doctors utilize the revolutionary Tumescent Liposuction since it does not require general anesthesia and has a faster recovery time with the same results. In Tumescent Liposuction; areas with excess fat are injected with a large amount of anesthetic liquid before liposuction is performed.This liquid enlarges the compartments of fat, which makes the liposuction canella to travel smoothly beneath the skin while the fat is being removed. It also provides pain relief after the procedure. The common areas covered by liposuction include the neck, stomach, back, face, lore handles, hips breasts, calves, thighs, upper arms, buttocks, and knees. However, liposuction does not promise a well- sculpted body shape forever. The fats removed will still come back if one eats more exercise less than necessary. Moreover, it is not suitable for people who are too heavy or tr ying to lose weight.Liposuction is also prohibited to those who have a disease that would affect healing or those under medication that would affect the healing process. Furthermore, liposuction costs much and most health plans do not cover this kind of surgery. Another pitfall of liposuction is asymmetry and rippling or bagginess of skin. Also, skin injury occurs and pigmentation changes. Many women also undergo breast augmentation which enhances the size of breasts using inflatable implants filled with saline. Surgery takes one hour to two hours only. Patients may experience temporary soreness, swelling, change in nipple sensation, and bruising.Moreover, the breast becomes sensitive to stimulation for a few weeks. Breast augmentation may also result to the formation of scar tissues in the breast and it may also decrease or increase the sensitivity of the breast area permanently. The breast lift is another procedure which can improve the shape of women’s breasts. The surgery helps raise and reshape sagging breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning remaining tissue and nipples. Temporary bruising, swelling, discomfort, numbness, dry breast skin and permanent scars are just some of the side effects of this form of surgery.Another high risk is the loss of feeling of nipples and breast including having uneven location of nipples. Another method of making skin look younger is the chemical peel which restores wrinkled, blemished, unevenly pigmented, or sun-damaged facial skin, using a chemical solution to peel away skin's top layers. It works best on fair, thin skin with superficial wrinkles. Presence of temporary tiny whiteheads ; infection; scarring; flare-up of skin allergies, fever blisters, cold sores, abnormal color changes and a rare chance of heart irregularities are just some of the risks one has to take in undergoing this treatment.Dermabrasion is another method involving the skin. It is the mechanical scraping of the top layers of skin usi ng a high-speed rotary wheel. This surgery softens sharp edges of surface irregularities, including acne and other scars and fine wrinkles, especially around the mouth. One may experience temporary tingling, burning, itching, swelling, and redness in this form of surgery. The facelift is another favorite of old women since it improves sagging facial skin, jowls, and loose neck skin by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, and redraping skin. This is most often done on men and women over 40.Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; a tight feeling and occurrence of dry skin are some side effects of this surgery. While for men, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned. Facial implants can also renew the structure of one’s face by changing the basic shape and balance of the face using carefully shaped implants to build up a receding chin, add prominence to cheekbones, or reshape the jawline. After surgery, shifting or imprecise positioning of implant, or infection around it, may require a second operation or removal.Excess tightening and hardening of scar tissue around an artificial implant (â€Å"capsular contracture†), can cause unnatural shape. The face is not the only issue addressed by plastic surgery but other body parts as well like the ears. Ear surgery or otoplasty sets prominent ears back closer to the head, or reduce the size of large ears. This is most often done on children between the ages of four and fourteen years. Temporary throbbing, aching, swelling, redness, and numbness accompany otoplasty. Furthermore, excessive scarring may occur and cartilage may be infected during the process.It can also result to mismatched or artificial looking ears. In these cases, repeat of surgery is required. Another twist is the browlift or forehead lift wherein forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, hooding over eyes, furrowed forehead and frown lines are minimized by removing excess tissue, altering muscles and tightening the forehead skin. It may be done using the traditional technique, with an incision across the top of the head just behind the hairline; or with the use of an endoscope, which requires three to five short incisions, which is most often done on people over forty.This can cause itching and hair loss. Furthermore, the method can injure the facial nerve which will cause loss of motion and muscle weakness. Nowadays the hair can already undergo surgery through the hair replacement surgery. The surgery fills in balding areas with a patient's own hair using a variety of techniques including scalp reduction, tissue expansion, strip grafts, scalp flaps, or clusters of punch grafts. This works best on men with male pattern baldness after hair loss has stopped.A patient may experience a temporary ache and a tight scalp after surgery including an unnatural look of the hair. We also have the nose surgery which reshapes the nose by reducing or increasing size, remov ing hump, changing shape of tip or bridge, narrowing span of nostrils, or changing angle between nose and upper lip. It is also done to relieve some breathing problems. Infection and small burst blood vessels resulting in tiny, permanent red spots are some of its side effects. Incomplete improvement however, may require additional surgery.People have a lot of alternatives when it comes to plastic surgery. Due to the advent of science and technology, being and looking beautiful is made easy so long as you have the money and the confidence to face its consequences. VI. Conclusion Being beautiful takes a lot of time, effort, and money. The different beauty practices around the world cater to our needs to become the best of what we can be and to make us contented and happy of our physical attributes. We need to be aware and updated of the latest techniques and practices in keeping or maintaining our beauty.The world has a lot to offer especially with the help of science and technology i n providing us with our needs. However, we should not only focus on materials or practices that can make us beautiful in the outside but also in the inside. To be considered beautiful, we have to balance both so our real beauty may shine. BIBLIOGRAPHY Wild, Russel (June 1998) 8 Easy Ways to Beat Fatigue, Reader’s Digest, pp. 31-33. Parachin, Victor (May- June 2002) The Daily Grind: Ways to Ease Up on Life’s Pressures, Health and Home Magazine, pp. 30- 31. Evangelista, Ianne (November 2006) Style Checklist, Cosmopolitan, p.80. White, Kate (August 2002) The Best Beauty Buys for Summer Travel, Cosmopolitan, p. 98. White, Kate (August 2002) Max Out Your Summer Sexiness, Cosmopolitan pp. 216- 219. Adolphe, Nicole (July 1999) BeautySpot, Dolly, p. 46. Kramer, Cheryl (September 2003) Keep Your Skin Sun- Kissed, Redbook, pp. 69-70. 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