Debating and discussing the benefits and drawbacks

Thematic instruction is a method of learning that is going more and more outstanding within schools across the state due to the Government ‘s instruction reappraisal and their proposed new course of study for 2011. The switch to this method of instruction is intended to assist reorganize the traditional capable countries into ‘thematic ‘ countries of acquisition, easing the force per unit areas on schools to learn purely to the course of study and give their instructors the freedom they need in order to make cross-curricular thematic lessons. This study will try to specify both thematic and cross-curricular instruction and discourse their several advantages and disadvantages. Shoemaker ( 1989 ) states that a cross-curriculum instruction is one that is set up so that schoolroom topics overlap with one another, the method efforts to convey together legion facets of the course of study into assorted lessons to reflect the ‘real universe ‘ such that pupils can â€Å" utilize cognition learned in one context as a cognition base in other contexts † ( Collins, Brown, & A ; Newman, 1989 ) . Shanahan ( 1995 ) agrees with this definition, he states that â€Å" thematic instruction is a method of forming learning about subjects or subjects doing it possible to incorporate direction across nucleus countries†¦ Thematic units are designed to promote pupils to dig deep into subjects developing both an consciousness and apprehension of bing connexions across thoughts. † The above definitions suggest that thematic and cross-curricular instruction is indispensable for kids to tie in that accomplishments learnt in one category are of import to ols for finishing undertakings within other topics in school and undertakings outside. Applebee, Langer, & A ; Mullis ( 1989 ) study why the alteration to this method or instruction is necessary â€Å" while pupils are larning the basic information in nucleus capable countries, they are non larning to use their cognition efficaciously in thought and logical thinking † Marzano ( 1991 ) and Perkins ( 1991 ) construct on this ; they believe that these methods work towards turn toing some ‘recurring jobs ‘ in instruction, one in peculiar being that of stray accomplishment direction. Ofsted ‘s study ‘The Curriculum in Successful Primary Schools ‘ ( 2002 ) in which it was noted that successful schools were the 1s in which â€Å" The instructors recognised that where links are effectual they enable students to use the cognition and accomplishments learned in one topic to others. † Because cross-curricular and thematic instruction involves the linking of activities that are designed around subjects or subjects every bit good as traversing legion countries within the National Curriculum they â€Å" provide an environment that Fosters and encourages procedure acquisition and active engagement of all pupils † ( Fisher, 1991 ) , this would therefore aid instructor turn to the different acquisition manners of students within their schoolrooms. A claim that Komorowska ( 2001 ) backs up, saying that because â€Å" teaching kids is non systematic, the methods and techniques chosen by the instructor are of a higher significance than their consequences. † With respects to the diverse acquisition manners that kids have, experts have identified three ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.time4learning.com/learning-styles.shtml ) : Auditory scholars remember by speaking out loud, like to hold things explained orally and may hold problem with written instructions. Auditory scholars may speak to themselves when larning something new. Ocular scholars easy retrieve ocular inside informations and prefer to see what they are larning. They prefer to compose down instructions and may hold problem following talks. This type of scholar enjoys art and drawing ; reads maps, charts and diagrams good ; fascinated with machines and innovations ; dramas with Lego ; likes labyrinths and mystifiers. Kinesthetic scholars prefer activities that allow them to make what they are larning about. Haptic scholars like to touch things in order to larn about them and wish to travel around when speaking or listening. Shows you instead than Tells you. Through the usage of thematic and transverse curricular instruction, schoolroom instructors are able to provide for these three distinct groups of scholars and, hence, make an ambiance in which each group remains interested in the lesson therefore battling any ennui and increasing the students ‘ potency for larning. Former Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, wrote in the Excellence and Enjoyment Strategy ( 2004 ) , â€Å" What makes good primary instruction great is the merger of excellence and enjoyment. Children learn better when they are excited and engaged – but what excites them and engages them best is genuinely first-class instruction, which challenges them and shows them what they can make. † Which falls in line with Larsen-Freeman ‘s statement ( 2000 ) that larning becomes even more effectual due to it being â€Å" facilitated in a cheerful environment † , and Resnick ‘s ( 1989 ) claim that this method increases students ‘ motive for larning and their degree of battle because they can see the value of what they are being taught and become more actively engaged in the lesson as opposed to the isolated accomplishment larning that other methods offer. It is, nevertheless, of import to see general larning features every bit good as the antecedently mentioned groups of features and how these are successfully manipulated through the usage of these methods. Thaiss ( 1986 ) , Krogh ( 1990 ) and Jacobs ( 1989 ) all write that kids that are able to utilize fact-finding accomplishments to research what they are larning, and interact with other members of their acquisition community, whether that ‘s other students, instructors or schoolroom helpers, really learn more than those kids that are non encouraged to inquire inquiries and portion sentiments with other scholars. Vygotsky ( 1962 ) gives us an account as to why this technique is successful. He pointed out that kids who have different accomplishments, learn from each other. This is because through the encouragement of probe, oppugning and working together, students are given the chance to see undertakings from the point of position of others. Finally, the humanistic attack in learning emphasises the importance of single and typical features of a human being and the desire for fulfillment. In instruction it means student-oriented learning instead than teacher-oriented one Biskup ( 1990 ) . Fisher et Al says, â€Å" what promotes creativeness is a oppugning schoolroom, where instructors and students ask unusual and ambitious inquiries ; where new connexions are made ; where thoughts are represented in different ways- visually, physically and verbally ; where there are fresh attacks and solutions to jobs ; and where the effects of thoughts and actions are critically evaluated. † In a humanistic schoolroom, such as the 1 that uses thematic and cross-curricular methods, the instructor is non merely a protagonist and assistant but besides a scholar. This is because the work is based on subjects that the instructor may non be used to, it brings the instructor down to the same degree of the kid and the student about takes charge in look intoing by inquiring inquiries. The instructor ‘s chief function is to make an ambiance in which scholars feel relaxed and do non hold any suppressions therefore scholars ‘ endowments are exploited during the learning procedure. Of class, whilst there are legion benefits to utilizing these methods, there are besides a figure of drawbacks which must be considered. David Hart, former general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, â€Å" Theme-based instruction will disfavor students in the passage to secondary. And it will do the secondary instructor ‘s undertaking much more hard. † This is to state that even though there may be benefits to learning like this within a primary schoolroom, students heading from a mostly thematic based manner of learning could perchance happen that the generic manner of learning within secondary instruction i.e. topic-based acquisition, hard to set to. Thus disfavoring the student ‘s learning experience, compared to schoolmates who are used to this type of instruction. Further drawbacks of the methods include the demand for ongoing coaction between instructors and planning, as the subjects must be carefully and thought through in order for them to be meaningful and do sense within the course of study. Chris Woodhead, states in his study of 1992 that, â€Å" It ‘s harder for instructors to construction a consistent proviso in the topics that are deserving analyzing if they ‘re seeking to build links between these topics every bit good. † The excess work that Woodhead remarks on is necessary for the success of the methods because the intertwining of the course of study within that one subject, as stated earlier, may be hard and would necessitate a batch of planning and coaction with other members of staff, and without this excess work from the instructors it is possible that some content that could be covered may be missed. Finally, with respects to planning, the resources available to instructors within a school could besides be a possible obstruction for the two methods. For illustration a school may non hold sufficient ICT resources for all twelvemonth groups to utilize in order to develop these accomplishments during literacy or numeracy lessons. There is besides the possibility that within these Sessionss that some students get confused and lose sight of the chief constructs of the activity or lesson. This could be down to hapless planning and administration of the instructor or due to the student being over-stimulated with the many different activities in gesture within the lesson, therefore, ensuing in the student being ‘spread thinly ‘ across the lesson, go forthing attempts for larning uneffective. The cross-curricula and thematic methods of instruction can be good to instructors and pupils, as discussed antecedently they allow kids to larn in a manner that is most natural to them. As Scott and Ytreberg ( 1990 ) province: â€Å" some kids develop early, some later. Some kids develop bit by bit, others in springs and bounds. It is non possible that at the age of five all kids can make x, at the age of seven they can all make Ys, or that at the age of 10 they can all make z.. † This is to state that kids are all different human existences larning things at different rates. These methods allow all students to pick up the intended acquisition aims and ends through this fact-finding procedure, it ‘s through this procedure that the students become more responsible and engaged in their ain acquisition. In consequence this ‘levels the playing field ‘ leting the students to successfully finish the acquisition aim in their ain manner and within the intended perio d of clip. However, it would be prudent to take to these methods with cautiousness as the drawbacks discussed do look to hold footing such as

Theraputic Relationship

meantime I communicated with my best with her do that she felt comfortable. Asa result, she gave a good cooperation and enjoyed the meal until finished. In my evaluating, I feel I make the right decision to accompany and assistMrs. A in feeding. Furthermore, I could develop my nurse-patient relationship. Although McCabe (2004, p. 44) would describe it as a task-centredcommunication as one of the element caused the lack communication amongnurses, but I think my nurse-patient relationship communication both involved agood patient-centred communication and task-centred communication.In mypersonal opinion, I attended to Mrs. A as a patient to show my empathy becauseshe was unable to feed herself. It was also as my duty to feed her so that I couldmake sure the patient get the best care in the ward. So my involvement in thisnurse-patient relationship does not only restrict to the task-centredcommunication because (Burnard 1990, and Stein-Parbury 1993, cited inMcCabe 2002, p. 44) define att ending as a patient-centred process as wells as tofulfil the basic conditions as a nurse to provide the genuineness, warmth andempathy towards the patient.I was able to improve my non-verbalcommunication skills in my conversation with her during the feeding. As she washaving a hearing problem and could not communicate in the first languageproperly, so the non-verbal communication plays a role. Caris-Verhallen et al (1999, p. 809) state that the non-verbal communication becomes important whencommunicating with the elderly people who develop a hearing problem. Hollman et al (2005, p31) suggests some effective ways to maximize the communication 5 ith hearing impairment people such as always gains the person’s attentionbefore speaking, visible yourself to prevent them feel frighten and try to usesome sensitive touch. I feel this is a good experience to me because I learn todevelop my non-verbal communication. I used most of the body gesturersbecause of the language barrier was be ing a gap in my conversation with Mrs. A. She could speak very limited in the first language so I tried to speak in her dialect. Furthermore, Wold (2004, p. 6) mention that gesturers are one specifictype of non-verbal communication intended to express ideas and are useful for people who cannot use much words. However I also used my facial expressionsto advise her to finish the meal. It might be not so delicious because shewithdraws the meal after few scopes but I smiled and assured Mrs. A that it wasgood for her health to finish her meal. In addition, the facial expressions are mostexpressive which are not limited to certain cultural and age barriers (Wold, 2004,p. 6). Therefore my facial expression worked out to encourage her to finish themeal. Although I could not explain detail to her about the important nutrition dietthat she should take, but I could advocate her to finish the meal served becausethe meal was prepared according to her condition. In order to analysis of the event, I could evaluate that, my communicationskills are very important to provide the best nursing care to Mrs. A. Mycommunication with Mrs. A was the interpersonal communication.This isbecause the interpersonal communication is a communication which involved of two persons (Funnell et al 2005, p. 438). I realized that my nonverbal 6 communication did help me a lot in my duty to provide the nursing care to Mrs. A. Even though she could understand few simple words when I was asking her but Inoticed that one of the problems occurs within the communication was thelanguage barrier. As the patient was not using the official language and thesecond language, I tried to speak in her language. I still could manage thecommunication in our conversation.However, it was quite difficult to promote theeffective verbal communication with the patient. Besides, White (2005, p. 112)recommend that a nurse should learn a few words or phrases in the predominantsecond language to put a patient at ease for bett er understanding. Although itwas quite difficult but using the nonverbal simultaneously with the verbalcommunication did encourage her to speak on her best to make me understandher words. In the event showed that, there was a response from Mrs. A. when Iwas asking her questions. Funnel et al (2005, p. 38) point out that acommunication would occur when a person responds to a message received andassigns meaning to it. She nodded her head to assign that she agreed with me. Delaune and Ladner (2002, p. 191) explain that the channel is one of thecomponent of the communication process which act as a medium during themessage is sent out. In addition, Mrs. A also gave me a feedback that sheunderstood my message by transmitting the message via her body gesturers andeye behaviour. Thus I could consider that the communication channels used inmy conversation were visual and auditory.Delaune and Ladner (2002, p. 191)state a feedback is that the sender receives the information after the receiver react to the message. However, Chitty and Black (2007, p. 218) define feedback 7 is a response to a message. In my situation, I was a sender who conveyed themessage receiving the information from Mrs. A, the receiver who agreed to takelunch and allow me to feed. Consequently, I could analyse that mycommunication with Mrs. A involved of five component of communication processwhich are sender, message, channel, receiver and feedback (Delaune andLadner, 2002, p. 91). In a nutshell, for my reflection of this event explores about on how thecommunication skills play a role on the nurse-patient relationship in order todeliver the nursing care towards the patient especially the adult. She neededquite sometime to adapt the ability changes in her daily activities living where Iwas trying to help her in feeding. I was concerning my feeling and thoughtsduring the feeding so that I could improve more skills in my communication. Isuccessfully communicated with her effectively as she enjoyed finis hing themeal.So it is vital to build rapport with her to encourage her ability to speak upverbally and non-verbal. Moreover, this ability could help her to communicateeffectively with other staff nurses. Later, she would not be neglected because of her age or her disability to understand the information given about her treatment. (Hyland and Donaldson 1989, cited in Harrison and Hart 2006 p. 22) mention thatcommunication express what the patients think and feel. In order to communicatewith adult, it is important to assess her common communication language andher ability to interact in the other languages.As I used some words in her dialect,I essentially encouraged the patient to speak out verbally and communicate non- 8 verbal so that the message could be understood and do not break the nurse-patient communication. In my opinion, I evaluated that it does not a matter whether it was a patient-centred communication or task-centred communicationbecause both communication mentioned by M cCabe (2004) actually doesinvolves communication to the patients. So it was not a problem to argue whichtype of communication involves in my conversation with my patient.After analysed the situation, I could conclude that I was be able to know the skills for effective communication with the patient such as approach the patient, askingquestions, be an active listening, show my empathy and support the patientemotions (Walsh, 2005, p. 34). Actually helping the adult was a good practice indelivering the nursing care among adults. My action plan for the clinical practice in the future, if there were patientsthat I need to help in feeding or other nursing procedure, I would prepare myself better to handle with the patients who would have some difficulty incommunication.This is because, as one of the health care worker, I want thebest care for my patients. So in related to deliver the best care to my patients, Ineed to understand them very well. I have to communicate effectively as this is important to know what they need most during warded under my supervision as anurse. According to my experience, I knew that communication was thefundamental part to develop a good relationship. Wood (2006, p. 13) express thata communication is the key foundation of relationship. Therefore a goodcommunication is essential to get know the patient’s individual health status 9

Human Origins Exhibit Project Essay

After visiting the new David Koch Hall of Human Origins Exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History, it can be inferred that the main concept being portrayed in the said display is the important role that the environment has played in the evolution of human species. Consequently, the previously mentioned idea has long been acknowledged by a number of scientists and researchers worldwide and was cited in various scientific studies and research investigations. Environment is a said to be the main substrate that brings about changes in the life of early humans (Smithsonian Institution, 2010). The environment being defined here includes all the living and non-living elements that affect the manner by which humans live their lives and these are characterized by climate changes, fluctuations in temperature, topographic features of the land, the animals that thrive in the area of concern, and the overall intra- and inter-specific interactions of these organisms (Sample, 2007). One specific example of the impact of environmental activities to human evolution is seen on the events that took place in eastern Africa’s ancient climate. These events are deemed to have occurred about 2. 5 million, 1. 5 million, and 1 million years ago, periods which are also considered to be the era when important human species have emerged (Sample, 2007). These early human species are composed of the Homo habilis, Australopithecus afarensis, and the Homo erectus, humans species who were expert on the various usages of stones and on hunting (Sample, 2007). The coincided emergence of these human species with the shift on climatic features of the Earth during these times clearly signifies an important role of the environment to the development of the lives of our early ancestors. In order to further illustrate the changes in the features of the environment that shaped the future of human species, it will be necessary to cite specific examples of the effects of climate changes on the path of human evolution. First, sudden shift in the temperature of eastern Africa about 3million years ago resulted to drastic changes in the landscape of the said area (Sample, 2007). Researchers found out that lakes of about 300 meters deep were discovered to have been present in many regions of the area but eventually vanished as a result of climate changes and temperature elevation. A direct consequence of the said event is the death of the organisms that were deriving food and water from the lakes, an event which has resulted to the subsequent rupture of the biological food chains and eventual death of the organisms (Sample, 2007). In this case, the aquatic-based population of living organisms, like freshwater fishes, depleted and left the humans with less food for consumption. Another notable event is the conversion of the forest landscapes to unfruitful land areas which are not suitable for supporting the growth of plants and other botanical species (Sample, 2007). Accounts on the investigations of the eastern Africa have shown that this area has encountered about 450C of atmospheric temperature which resulted to the depletion of natural resources. In the face of these occurrences, hominids tried to adapt themselves on the facets of the changing environment. Many were able to successfully withstand the alterations in the environmental setting by allowing the development of larger brains, more powerful jaws, and more diverse food choices (Sample, 2007). Others, however, failed to adapt and evolve thereby preventing the proliferation of their genetic linkage in the succeeding generations. In general, the exhibit showed that the early human species made adjustments in accordance to the changes that happen in their surroundings (Smithsonian Institution, 2010). Changes in the temperature gradient, water availability, and land fertility all contributed to the quality of life that the human species will have. Hence, any alteration or drastic changes on the features of these factors had brought about significant changes in human evolution. What is the theme or take-home message of this exhibit? It is believed that the take-home message of the exhibit is to remind the viewers of the importance of the environment in the lives of humans. In connection to present issues in global warming, the exhibit serves as a direct warning of the things that might happen to the human population today if we will not take care of our environment and will allow the destruction of our natural resources. While it is true that the environment provides humans with numerous resources, it is equally important for people to take care of the environment. Humans must work hand-in-hand to prevent the abusive utilization of our natural resources and everyone must be aware of the issues that concern our Mother Earth. Life on Earth is made possible by the numerous interactions that characterize our surroundings. Destruction or death of any of the elements on these interactions will surely result to notable changes. In like manner, it is important for humans to take care of the environment because all of us are gaining benefits from it. Lastly, the David Koch Human origins Exhibit is a simple everyone of what has the modern human species has achieved and the responsibilities that goes along with these evolutionary achievements.

Initiation Story Araby by James Joyce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Initiation Story Araby by James Joyce - Essay Example idered to be a person who gains notoriety as a result of showing great courage or nobility of purpose in the accomplishment of a deed or a lifetime (â€Å"Aristotle†, 1998). However, when one speaks of the hero journey, one is almost always confronted with a young character who transforms from the illusions of a child into the realities of an adult. The three major stages of the initiation process can be traced through a number of stories including James Joyce’s short story â€Å"Araby.† The first stage of the initiation process is the understanding that some kind of action is required by the individual. â€Å"Some kind of shock occurs that makes one aware of the self† (Garbis, 2002). This shock initiates the maturation process typically around the early teen years. It is an essential element of the initiation process as it forces the individual to separate from the comfortable environment and discover personal feelings and attitudes in order to solve a problem. Joyce’s story begins on a small street, North Richmond Street, in a small area of town in which life seems relatively bland. Everything is described in shadowed tones as the narrator, a young boy, provides the details of his evening romps with his friends illustrating the ways in which he is a part of the crowd. However, the one illuminated figure in this early segment of the story is the figure of Mangan’s sister. In this image, the narrator becomes separated from the rest, suddenly sol itary as â€Å"every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlour watching her door. The blind was pulled down to within an inch of the sash so that I could not be seen† (Joyce). In describing his actions, the boy is undoubtedly alone and isolated as he encounters new feelings and impressions that are completely new to him. In volunteering to bring something back for her from Araby, the grand bazaar, the boy begins the journey stage of the initiation process. It is during this stage that the young person

Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld 548 US 557 (2006) Case Study

Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld 548 US 557 (2006) - Case Study Example Bush, President of the United States. After a year of detention, President Bush deemed him eligible to be tried before a military commission that was authorized under Military Commission Order No. 1. The military commission would have allowed the inclusion of evidence with no probative value or acquired through illegal means, made it possible that there be evidence used against the accused that the accused would not be able to see, and the appeals would only be within the Executive branch. Opposing this, Hamdan filed a writ of habeas corpus, in chief arguing that a military commission conducting trial in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Geneva Conventions should be declared illegal and with no power to proceed. Procedural History: Hamdan filed his petition before the United States District Court for the District of Colombia, which found in his favor. Upon Appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously revers ed the decision of the District Court. Subsequently, on 7 November 2005 the Supreme Court issued a writ of certiorari to hear the case, and it was argued before the said court on 28 March 2006. On 29 June 2006, the Supreme Court issued its decision, reversing the Court of Appeals and finding in favor of Hamdan. Issues: 1. The first issue is whether or not the provisions in the military commission that would allow the accused to be convicted using evidence that he had not seen or heard, or evidence that may not be in compliance with admissibility or relevancy rules in other court martial proceedings violate the uniformity rule and the principle that â€Å"no procedural rule must be contrary or inconsistent with the UCMJ†? 2. The second issue is whether or not Hamdan can invoke the guarantees of the Geneva Conventions given the contextual background of the capture of Hamdan, and giving due regard to the fact that such capture was done pursuant to the war with Al Qaeda, which is not a High Contracting Party to the Conventions? Holding: The Supreme Court answered in the affirmative to both questions. It held firstly that the deviations in the military commission rendered it defective, and secondly, that the Geneva Conventions could be validly invoked by Hamdan. Rationale: The Supreme Court relied on the case of Ex Parte Quirin, 317 U.S. 1 (1942) as justification for granting certiorari to Hamdan, stating that trial by military commissions surfaces important questions about the balance of powers of the three branches of government. Likewise, the case of In Re Yamashita 327 U.S. 1, 11 (1946) recognizes that the exigencies of war may demand extraordinary measures. In the case of Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507 (2004) it reaffirmed the war powers of the President, including the authority to convene military commissions. With respect to the first question, the Supreme Court noted that in the military commission created by Military Commission Order No. 1, Section 6 permits exclusion of the accused from proceedings and denial of his and his civilian counsel’s access to evidence that may be used to convict him. The grounds for the denial of access "include the protection of information classified or classifiable . . .; information protected by law or rule from unauthorized disclosure; the physical safety of participants in Commission proceedings, including prospective

Describe the contribution of the Neo Human Relations School of Essay

Describe the contribution of the Neo Human Relations School of Management to the Development of Organisational Theory - Essay Example Management is essentially an integrating activity which permeates every facet of the operations of the organisation. The effectiveness of any work organisation is dependent upon the efficient use of resources, in particular human resources. According to Douglas McGregor, the style of management adopted is a function of the manager's attitudes towards people, and assumptions about human nature and behaviour. He put forward two sets of suppositions - Theory X and Theory Y. The central principle of Theory X is based on direction and control through a centralised system of organisation and the exercise of authority. In contrast, the central principle of Theory Y is based on the integration of individual and organisational goals. These underlying philosophies will influence a whole range of managerial behaviours and strategies. One of the most important factors in the successful implementation of organisational change is the style of managerial behaviour. In certain situations, and with certain members of staff, it may be necessary for management to make use of hierarchical authority and to attempt to impose change through a coercive, autocratic style of behaviour. According to Theory X and Theory Y, some members may actual ly prefer, and respond better, to a directed and controlled style of management. Frederick H

Application for British Airway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Application for British Airway - Essay Example This is because I have been able to acquire knowledge and skills in the fields of general management, strategic management, and corporate finance. I am particularly interested in joining the management and planning team which primairly determines the core competencies, strengths, weaknesses, and the needs of British Airways. I can surely be instrumental in shaping the strategic path of the organization with my hard-earned knowledge and skill in assessing the internal performance of the company as well as the external factors in its external environment, I believe that in landing a job, a potential employee must only be imbued with the technical skills needed for the position. One of the most important things to consider is the person's high level of motivation to excel in the field and his capacity to deal with diverse individual in the business organization. Joining British Airways has been one of my greatest dreams and I am highly passionate to aid in the company's success. I am highly motivated to excel in this career, wanting not just a mere position but with commitment and devotion, I would like to pursue growth and excellence. I believe that I will be able to stand the pressure of joining a diverse workforce because I am trained to be open-minded and respectful of individuals outside my color, culture, value, and opinion. 3.0. Application of My Skills In order to prove that I will be effective in my chose position, I will be giving a brief analysis of British Airway's current performance through the employment of strategic management tools. First, I will be focusing on the business organization's financial performance by a financial ratio analysis. Next, I will look at the company's internal and external environment by the identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Lastly, I will be offering a three-point plan on how British Airways can further improve its operations. 3.1. Financial Analysis In terms of financial performance, British Airways in can be assessed by looking at the firm's profitability, leverage, efficiency, liquidity, and investor ratios. In terms of profitability, British Airways reports increasing profit margins yet still lags behind its competitors like Ryanair and Thomsonfly (British Airways 2007). British Airway's resources are largely financed by riskier financing debt. The company enjoys higher liquidity enhancing the ability of the air carrier to pay off its immediate obligation by its current assets. The company also improves its efficiency by lessening the day its pays off its suppliers and collects from its customers. An investor is most likely be attracted by the escalating share price of British Airways but be put off by the zero dividend yield. 3.2. SWOT Analysis for British Airways I will now focus on the SWOT Analysis. In terms of strengths, British Airways has always been unmatched due to its mere size commanding strong brand equity, strong network presence, cost cutting efficiency, and customer loyalty (Datamonitor 2005).In terms of assets, the airline is regarded as the second largest in the

Outline chapter(4) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Outline chapter(4) - Assignment Example This is explained through the relationship of various effects that may accrue, from the innumerable studies that have been conducted. This means that sophisticated approaches have been bore during the past several decades that help in understanding effects. Next, Hattie sub-groups these consequences into various sub categories in order to understand the specification criterion that best explains the entire effect. For instance, he disintegrates the schooling process into components like students, the process of teaching and learning, other co-curriculum activities, the teachers in charge, the curriculum being used, stakeholders partaking the schooling process, just to mention but a few. With such sub divisions, they can be well understood in this individualized content. This just explains what begets the dynamic perspective of the schooling process. Hattie then establishes a measurement criterion for the varied observations made from the individualized sub groups. This enables them to be categorized in order of effect such that others are ranked as extreme, while others as mild. In general, the chapter outlines the individualized as well as the generalized perspective research methodologies encompassed in the learning process. A myriad of methodologies are explained and recommended as pertaining to any education process which, as a matter of fact, is

Portfolio Investment Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portfolio Investment Theory - Essay Example At portfolio balance theory national and foreign assets are imperfect substitutes; market participants are holding both types of assets at equilibrium. Macroeconomic shocks are affecting expected returns of national and foreign assets and changes relative asset demands. Assets markets are balanced with a change in exchange rate. Current and capital accounts surpluses/deficits are among the most important macroeconomic shocks affecting relative asset demand. In portfolio balance theory a sterilized sale of foreign currency denominated bonds by Central bank creates an excess supply for foreign currency denominated bonds and an excess demand for domestic currency denominated bonds. For market to come to the equilibrium price of the domestic bonds must rise and price of foreign bonds must fall. That means that domestic interest rate must fall and foreign interest rate must rise. Domestic currency must appreciate in order to equalize real returns on both assets. (Kereya, I. 2002) Rational investors would tend to choose more value over less, and usually prefer to limit and minimize their risk. There are many optimal portfolios offered by dealers and brokers on the forex market that an investor can utilize to support his goals. Over time a balanced portfolio, by diversification, helps to increase investors' chances of success.These portfolios are formed by bringing together groups of assets in different proportions, and then setting out to ascertain the resultant amount of risk and returns associated with each group of assets.A balanced Portfolio investment approach assumes imperfection in assets that are denominated in foreign and domestic currencies. Investors in the foreign exchange market should be able to diversify their investments between domestic and foreign assets, based on the amount of risk and the returns expected. Sterilized intervention in forex alters the relative supply of foreign and domestic funds available, and investors tend to rebalance th eir portfolios, since exchange rates can be affected due to fluctuations in the relative supply of foreign and domestic assets.A balanced Portfolio investment Strategy also aims to achieve the right combination of growth, risk and income for investors that want a management approach that is conservative, and which includes bonds, stocks, and cash. Another channel of sterilized intervention impact in the foreign exchange market is the noise trading approach. Noise traders are traders that utilize statistical or technical analysis in order to forecast the future price of a given asset. unlike traders who consider the fundamental value assets before and buying or selling the assets, These traders try to identify a price trend and also consider the behavioral pattern of fellow traders, using these as a source of information. This though, can lead to a rise to the tendency towards herding. It is also possible to use sterilized foreign exchange intervention to disrupt short-run trends and this might affect the decisions made

What is IR Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is IR Theory - Essay Example International Relation theory raises fundamentally empirical issues which can only be settled by analyzing the facts. Professor Martin Wight, in the 1960 April issue of international Relations, published a paper titled â€Å"Why Is There No International Theory?† The Professor believes that the sovereign state has, since the Reformation, been the focal point of Western political thought and experience (Morgenthau 63). The international theory is true to diplomatic experience, and is augmented when belief in progress is prevalent. According to this school of thought, if things remain as they were in the past, man would become desperate. This theory he referred to as â€Å"the argument from desperation†. International relations is widely involves recurrence and repetition as international reality and international theory collide. International theory becomes a sort of philosophy of history as it involves the ultimate experience of national existence and national extinction. For national existence, every individual requires the protection of the state that represents them in the international community (Wight 38). This view considers a sovereign State to be the end of a political experience and activity. This juristic expression considers international politics to be an untidy extension of domestic politics. It is a systematic and continued balance of power between different players. International Relations is a transient subject with the modern society being in a state of transition. The past occurrences in one state relating with other states influences the future interactions that are likely to occur. Therefore, the theorizing of international relations is likened to a system of abstract propositions with a predictive function. In the view of this system, nations become stereotyped participators in stereotyped symmetric or asymmetric relations (Morgenthau 65). The modern society has emerged from a medieval society and is

HMR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HMR - Essay Example Human resource management looks after all these activities. HRM can be considered as a process which involves four main duties. These include acquisition, motivation, development and overall maintenance of the human resource of an organisation. HRM can be considered as that branch of management which is responsible for maintaining relationships among the employees and the organisation. The nature of HRM varies widely and depends on its role in the organisation. HRM is an inherent part of an organisation. From broader perspective, this role is followed by almost all members of an organisation rather than only the department for personnel management. The function of human resource management is pervasive. It has to be performed by managers at all levels and it is not limited to only one department or group. It permeates to each and every department of an organisation regardless of the category and function. Major activities of this department include manpower planning, placement, emplo yment, compensation and appraisal and training of the employees. HRM is a continuous process which is present at every stage of the organisation. The fundamental objective of human resource management is contributing to the goals of the business and organisation. The department functions by ensuring efficient utilisation of the human resource and also increasing the potential of the people in the organisation so that they can fully utilise the resources of the organisation (Maloney). HRM functions can be categorised as managerial and operative functions. The managerial functions include planning, organising, controlling and directing. On the other hand, operative functions include activities such as procurement and development of function, providing compensation and benefits to them, record keeping and maintenance of good industrial relations. The structure of human resource management in UK is very strict. Most of the organisations in UK, have highly delegated HRM departments which looks after the organisation. As early as from the 1980s, the centre has effectively delegated the responsibility of HRM to various agencies and department. This suit has been followed by a majority of public sector organisations in the UK. Big organisations and most of the private sectors are now focussing on maintaining their own HRM department. Human resource management is most evident in the health care sector in UK while local authorities and smaller groups do not have any proper human resource management format. The basic difference between human resource and human resource management is that human resource consists of a group of individuals who constitute the workforce of a business, organisation or an economy; they are tangible assets of an organisation. On the other hand, human resource management includes management of these assets for the best utilisation of the resources of a business or organisation. Principles of Equal Opportunities Equal opportunity in employment ref ers to equal rights in the field of jobs, services and benefits to all individuals, employees and perspective employees in an organisation (Equal Opportunity). Equal employment opportunity is determined to provide equal and fair outcomes in almost all employment areas which include functions such as selection, recruitment, information access, management

Video game literature review Essay Example for Free

Video game literature review Essay Violent video games are said to have a negative effect on those who play them, but there is also the debate that violent video games help those who play them rather than hurt them. There is a rating system that separates games into groups from games for everyone all the way to games that can only be bought if youre eighteen and older. The main questions with this rating system seem to be, Where do we draw the line, and Who draws the line? All to often younger teens get their hands on the video games that are made for the eighteen and older crowd, but will the game actually have a negative effect on the teen, or will it help the teen by allowing them to vent some anger or make them feel good about themselves because they solved a difficult puzzle within the game. As you may have seen there are many contrasting viewpoints, but before we explore the contrasting views on violent video games, we should try to understand our own views, and those of others who take positions that are different from ours, by reviewing some key insights. First we can start with the insights of a few different people who dont think violent video games are bad for teens. From there we can move to a couple of pieces that think violent video games are bad. To finish we will look at an article doesnt take a stance either way, but does provide some very good facts. Greg Costikyan, also known as Designer X, is an American game designer and science fiction writer. Costikyans career spans nearly all genres of gaming, including hex-based war games, role-playing games, board games, card games, computer games, online games and mobile games. Several of his games have won Awards. In Costikyans argument, The Problem of Video Game Violence is Exaggerated, he tackles violence in video games from many different angles such as video game advertising, the successful way to incorporate violence into video games, how violence is part of human nature, and the ignorance of the opposing viewpoint. When reading the argument it is easy to see that Costikyans viewpoint is biased, but he does a good job of stating the opposition and then shooting it down with his own research, and he does not avoid certain questions just to prove his point. I think that Costikyan makes his best argument when he talks about the artistic use of violence in video games. He says that when people play video games they develop a rhythm, but when violence is thrown in it creates a dissonance which breaks the players rhythm, which in turn makes the game that much more of a challenge. Costikyan sums it up best when he says, Violence used artistically is effective; violence used crudely is vile. Tom Kalinske is the former president and CEO of Sega America, Inc. , and now works for Educational Technology, LLC. In Kalinkses speech, Video Games do not Cause Aggressive Behavior in Children, he makes some very good points on why people might think that video games are bad. Kalinske poses a very good point in his speech where he says, Parents and educators who look casually at boys playing out fighting games are quick to condemn because the content of the games mirrors real societal problems. But to jump to the conclusion that game content leads to really inappropriate behavior is like speculating that students studying the Napoleonic Wars may lay siege to their neighborhood. Kalinske argues that parents fear technology because they have less of an understanding of it than their children, and those who think that kids will emulate the violence seen within the video games that they play have a very pessimistic view of kids. Kalinske also makes a very good argument about how video games can improve academic performance. He says that beating a video game takes more than good hand-eye coordination. It takes good puzzle solving, critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and problem solving skills, which all happen to be key skills for academic success. I think that Kalinske has many good points in his speech that will help me in writing my paper. David Deutsch is a physicist at the University of Oxford. He is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Atomic and Laser Physics at the Centre for Quantum Computation, Clarendon Laboratory. He pioneered the field of quantum computers, and is a proponent of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. In Deutschs interview he talks about how video games are beneficial to children, because it gives children a different and unique learning environment. Deutsch says that all the evidence that video games are bad boils down to the fact that children like them, and prima facie video games are bad. He suggests that if children like doing something so much, such as playing video games, then we should find ways to make it better and allow them to do more of it. Deutsch make a very good argument when he compares playing video games to playing the piano or playing chess. He says that all three take a lot of time to master, some more that others, and if a child is seen playing chess for long periods of time he is considered a genius, but if a child is seen playing video games for long periods of times he is stigmatized. This doesnt make sense, because all three are done for the same reason which is the impulse to understand things. Deutsch also argues the addiction to video games very well by saying that the reason why people choose to play video games so much is because the games make you engage you emotions as well as your intellect. He also gave this as a very good example, I remember once, I came back to playing the Piano after a long time, and I ended up with blood all over the keys. I saw that I had a cut, but I did not want to stop, so I carried on playing. If that had been a video game and I had been younger, people would have used that as evidence of addiction. Kevin Saunders is currently a professor at Michigan State University and is the author of two books, Violence as Obscenity: Limiting the Medias First Amendment Protection and Saving Our Children from the First Amendment. He has authored dozens of book chapters, law review articles, and commentaries in legal and popular periodicals. He also teaches a variety of courses and seminars on topics in Constitutional Law. In this article Saunders establishes a good topic for debate when he says that fps (first-person shooter) games create a realistic adaptation of an actual gun fight to whereas the armed forces and law enforcement agencies use fps games to train their soldiers. He then gives us a couple of examples of what these violent games can make teens do in real life. The first example is about Michael Carneal, a fourteen-year-old freshman who enjoyed playing the popular fps Doom. One morning Michael showed up at school with a stolen pistol and open fired on a group of kids. He killed three and injured eight. The second example is about Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold the two students who showed up at Columbine High School heavily armed and killed one teacher, twelve students, and injured twenty-three others. They too were avid players of the game Doom. These are both prime examples of what violent video games can do to teens. Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr. is a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Miami. Provenzos academic interests include the role of the teacher in American society, and the influence of computers and video games on children. His work has been reviewed in American and British media, including ABC World News Tonight, The Economist, and The New York Times. In this article Provenzo says he believes that real life simulators, such as video games, are taking kids out of the real world and teaching them about violence, and how to be violent. He argues that when teens play an fps (first-person shooter) game they virtually put themselves into an emotionless killing machine and by doing this they are behaviorally reinforced as they play the game thus being taught that its ok to shoot people. Provenzo makes a great comparison when he compares playing an fps and playing a game of paintball. He says that they are two different things because while playing paintball you can get tired and wounded, and there are serious consequences for getting out of control. When playing an fps there are no limits, players are not responsible for what they do, and there are no consequences for anybody. I think that Provenzo makes a great point when he says, Video and computer games are, in fact, highly effective teaching machines. You learn the rules, play the game, get better at it, accumulate a higher score, and eventually win. This next article is titled Video Games and Violence and it was taken from Issues and Controversies at facts. com database. The article covers both sides of the argument. It says that supporters of the legislation against violent video games say that violent video games make kids more acclimated to violence, and that violent video games cause an increase in violence within the kids. Critics of the legislation against violent video games say that our current rating system for video games is working and that video games should be protected as free speech. Within this article are some very good statistics one of which being in the year 2000 85% of minors sent to buy a video game rated M (M for Mature) were successful. Sometime after that study stores started to enforce an ID rule for M rated video games, and in the year 2003 the percentage of minors able to purchase M rated video games fell to 69%. Another good statistic within the article is that in the year 2003 out of all the video games purchased only 11. 9% were M rated games. The biggest percentage of games being bought were rated E (E for Everyone) with 54%, and in second were T (T for Teen) rated games with 30. 5%. This article brings up a very good point when it says that parenting is a big part of regulation in what youth under the age of eighteen watch and do. The video game rating system was originally put in place for parents to be able to judge what their children should be playing and to have an idea of what would be in the game that their children were playing. As you can see, with the information provided, there are many valid points around this debate. While reading Saunders and Provenzo I noticed that both of them brought up the Columbine school shooting which is a very emotional subject for some people. Kalinske and Deutsch both portray the general argument that video games can help educate teens, and video games could be a very powerful educational tool, if used correctly. All of these sources have helped me a lot in understanding more about the effects of violent video games on teens. Before my research I was not sure if I was for or against changing the rating system for video games, but now, with all this information, I will be arguing against creating a more strict rating system for video games. Works Cited Costikyan, Greg. The Problem of Video Game Violence Is Exaggerated. Video Games (2003) 25 Jan. 2007 . Deutsch, David. Playing Video Games Benefits Children. Video Games: Harmfully Addictive or a Unique Educational Environment? (1992) 02 Feb. 2007 . Kalinske, Tom. Video Games Do Not Cause Aggressive Behavior in Children. Violent children (2000) 02 Feb. 2007 . Provenzo, Eugene. Violence in Video Games Is a Serious Problem. Is Media Violence a Problem? (2002) 02 Feb. 2007 . Saunders, Kevin. Censorship Should Be Used for the Protection of Children. Censorship (2005) 05 Feb. 2007 . Video games and violence. Facts. com. (2007). Issues and Controversies. 25 Jan. 2007.

The Life Of A Reporter English Language Essay

The Life Of A Reporter English Language Essay In life youre always asked What do you want to be when you grow up? Picture this, a man is called from his lunch trip to McDonalds to drop what he is doing and report a triple homicide. The man drops what he is doing, gets in his car, and goes to the scene. He interviews everyone from witnesses to cops. After he gets all of his information, he goes back to the news station to prepare and edit his story to be viewed on the 6oclock news. After a long day of reporting and editing the reporter finally gets to go home and sleep. Being a reporter seems like a really fun and exciting job because you get to do a variety of things from interviewing big names but being a reporter can also be very dangerous as well. I personally would love to be a reporter and get to experience what it would be like to be in on the action. Reporting can be a very fun and awesome job, but it can also be very scary and dangerous. One of the many things reporters get to do is interview anyone from bystanders and witnesses to big celebrities. Many reporters get the chance to get interviews with celebrities. Some are just normal interview and some are exclusive and go deep into a certain topic. On February 13, 2011 at the Staples Center during the red carpet arrivals, Lady Gaga arrived in one of the most unique ways, in an egg. While on the red carpet one of Gagas representatives stated that she was in the womb and wasnt born until her performance (Seacrest). With all of the protests going on in Egypt its no surprise that reporters and journalists are traveling to Egypt to report the events going on, it would also be no surprise that some of the reporters would come back a little beat up too. On Wednesday, February 02, 2011, it was reported that Anderson Cooper and two other Associative Press reporters were beaten in Cairo when attempting to cover the recent protests. Cooper says he and his crew were attacked by supporters of President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday. CNN later said no one was seriously hurt (Mirkinson). Even if reporters get to meet interesting cool new people they still risk their lives all for one reason, to get that one story. One main thing about being a reporter is that one must ALWAYS have a story. There many ways to find a story, for example one can look at other new stations and see what their rival reporters are talking about and tell their story as ones own. One could even analyze their story and give a different take on it (Albin). Another example would be the AP wires, somewhere out in the world, there is a reporter somewhere writing a story, and they share that story with other reporters, and that information ends up on the AP wire which one can use to generate new ideas (Albin). Reporters always need a story, even if they have to make one up on the spot. Being a reporter requires a lot of training and education. Many newspapers or new stations require at least a 2 year degree. According to USA Todays Human resources, a future reporter would need at least a 2 year degree in journalism (USA Today). According to eHow for some places of employment in the journalism industry depending on what kind of reporter someone wanted to would require a bachelors degree in journalism and whatever other topic for example if someone want to be a weather person or and science reporter, they would need a degree in that field to (Blake). Many newspapers and news stations require some experience in journalism before they consider hiring. According to USA Today they require a minimum of 5 years of experience before considering hiring a journalist (USA Today). According ABC in New York a successful candidate will have a medical degree, 3 years of on-air experience and the ability to compose their own stories in order to be a medical reporter (Plotnik). As i t is shown it is not easy to apply for a reporting job. It can take a lot of experience and education. The working conditions for reporters can be very hectic sometimes and their wages arent really a lot for what they do. For most reporters they have to deal with loads of stress. For most reporters their jobs are really hectic because they have to deal with the pressure of deadlines that could put their career in the line (Career Information). Sometimes reporters even air broadcasts where they have to improvise and make up words on the spot (Career Information). Wages in reporting and journalism are not really that high especially for what they have to do. According to USA Today Human Resources, a reporter would make about $33,000 per year before taxes. Thats about $12.00 an hour (USA Today)! For all of the stress, danger, and madness reporters go through When out reporting a story, attire mostly depends on ones surroundings. If they are meeting the president, a suit would be appropriate. If they are at a construction site, most likely a hard hat and some jeans would be more appropriate. A reporters environment is where ever they choose to go. If a journalist has a computer or a cell phone then they would go off and they write a story on the scene or maybe on the way back from the scene or at home or wherever and whenever then just file the story on line. Some stories like shootings, wars, car chases, etc. are essential to be reported live on the scene (Albin). When it comes to a reporters look it mostly depends on the environment of the story they are reporting. So as you can see the life and career of a reporter is really hectic and daring. Some stories are easy and flow through; some are going to be scary and a living nightmare that you dont think you going to wake up from. In my perspective I would like to be a reporter because it would seem like a fun and exciting job and opportunity. Even if the hours are hectic and the deadlines are what mostly make the job so stressful, just the whole aspect of being where the action is. Reporting is an awesome job because any story you have could be that one story that will make you go from a nobody to well known in the journalistic community. If I had to choose what kind of reporter I would be I think I would be an entertainment reporter because I like and find things of that nature very interesting. The only challenge about being a reporter is that if you have an idea for a story you need to do massive amounts of research. Another challenge about being a reporter is that if you are an entertainment reporter you would always have to be in the know about the hottest celebrities and topics. If your behind and talk about something that was popular three months ago, you will look silly because you were so slow to get the information and I will tarnish your reputation. The one thing I dont like about reporting is that you have to suck up to everyone and not contradict them or correct them. If you do, youre pretty much over. If I were a reporter, I would only get the hard facts and not make up any rumors or imply anything. It would be the truth and nothing but the truth. No lies, no false statements. For now I guess the only reporting I can do will be on random things on YouTube.

Corporate Social Responsibilities For Pepsi Cola Commerce Essay

Corporate Social Responsibilities For Pepsi Cola Commerce Essay The PepsiCo headquarters are located in Purchase, New York. The company is in the food and beverage industry and is a public corporation. Pepsis biggest competitors are Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, and Kellogg U.S. Snack. Pepsi has official sponsorship deals with three of the four major North American professional sports leagues: the National Football League, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball. Pepsi also sponsors Major League Soccer. In addition, the corporation has sponsorship deals in international cricket teams. The Pakistan cricket team is one of the teams that the brand sponsors. The team wears the Pepsi logo on the front of their test and One International Day (ODI) test match clothing (Wikipedia, n.d.). Mission and Values According to the PepsiCo website, the companys mission is to be the worlds premier consumer products company focused on convenient foods and beverages. Pepsi seeks to produce financial rewards to investors as it provides numerous opportunities for growth and enrichment to their employees, their business partners, and the communities in which PepsiCo operates. Pepsi strives for honesty, fairness, and integrity. Pepsi is committed to delivering sustained growth through empowered people acting responsibly and building trust. History Caleb Bradham was a pharmacist who first created Pepsi in New Bern, North Carolina in 1898. It was originally called Brads Drink and was claimed to cure indigestion. The trademark was registered on June 16, 1903. Pepsi introduced the worlds first radio jingle in 1939. In 1941, Loft Candy merged with its Pepsi subsidiary and became the Pepsi-Cola Company. PepsiCo began a major restructuring of its PepsiCo Beverages Foods division in 2003. The restructuring resulted in four company divisions: PepsiCo International, PepsiCo Beverages North America, Frito-Lay North America, and Quaker Foods North America. In 2003, PepsiCo found opportunities for growth overseas. It surfaced that year that Pepsi products bottled in India that contained traces of DDT, Malathion, and other pesticides that exceeded government limits. Bowing to the publics growing concern about childhood obesity, in 2006 Pepsi, along with Coca-Cola, Cadbury Schweppes, and the American Beverage Association, agreed to sell water, unsweetened juice, and low-fat milk only to public elementary and middle schools in the US. As for high schools, the agreement called for no sugary sodas to be sold and one-half of the obtainable drinks to be water, diet sodas, lemonade, or iced tea (Hoovers). Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility PepsiCo is one of the top companies to top the 2010 Corporate Social Responsibility Index. The rankings are based on public perceptions of U.S. companies corporate social responsibility efforts. In order to predict and then maximize the potential of market opportunities as they arise, it is important that the company reflects the market in which it seeks to operate. In 2004, Pepsi was ranked as number 7 in Fortunes Magazine 50 Best Companies for Minorities. Five of Pepsi Companys 13 top officials are minorities-the highest percentage on our list (Werther, 2008). PepsiCo has demonstrated a consistent commitment to corporate social responsibility. The companys vision for sustainability, Performance with Purpose, aims to deliver sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and the planet. In April, PepsiCo launched the Dream Machine recycling initiative, which will introduce thousands of new recycling kiosks in popular public venues such as gas stations, stadiums, and public parks to make it more convenient and rewarding for consumers to recycle when they are on the go. The initiative includes computerized recycling receptacles that allow users to scan the bar code on bottles and cans recycled in a Dream Machine to collect points that can be redeemed online for prizes (CSR Wire, 2010). Pepsi received an Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay (SM) Transport Partnership for its leadership in conserving energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions from its transportation and freight activities. PepsiCo has set a standard for the industry by having 100% of its transportation needs executed by SmartWay carriers and affiliates. PepsiCo and SmartWays combined efficiency and fuel conservation projects have driven reductions in fuel use of nearly 15 million gallons of diesel, eliminating 340 million pounds of CO2 emissions and lowering PepsiCos fuel costs. (CSR Wire, 2009). Project Refresh Pepsi created a project called Project Refresh. According to Mehra (2010), the project harnesses social media tools to empower communities to support projects that benefit social and environmental causes by supporting organizations with cash donations. Pepsi looks for businesses, people, and non-profit organizations with ideas that will have a positive impact. The project has given more than 7 million in the first five months of the year and expects to invest $20 million in worthy causes. It has been a public relations coup for Pepsi and has drawn a huge volume of suggested projects and online buzz (Silverstein, 2010, paragraph 8). The purpose of the project is to donate money to worthy charities and causes. Candidates apply with their ideas for a grant on the website-it is a contest. Online voters decide what the company should contribute to, and if a candidate wins, they are awarded a certain amount of money for their cause or charity. Some causes that the project has funded include ending modern-day slavery in the United States, providing pet care to ill or disabled pet owners, funding less toxic therapies for children with cancer, and supporting nonpartisan civic engagement in the United States. When the BP oil spill occurred, Pepsi immediately set up a campaign to donate money to the cause. Pepsi decided to donate 1.3 million through its Pepsi Refresh Project towards the cause. That sum is in addition to $20 million that Pepsi has vowed to give away in 2010 in the cause marketing effort, the term for collaborating with nonprofit organizations to bolster both charities and the reputations of companies (Newman, 2010). Candidates can apply on the Pepsi Refresh website and submit their ideas for ways to help the oil spill. The company awarded 32 Do Good for the Gulf grants-two for $250,000 and 10 each for $50,000, $25,000, and $5,000 (Newman, 2010). The ideas for the Do Good for the Gulf contest have been voted on. Grants were given to causes such as giving injured Gulf coast sea turtles a place to get well, shelter for animals whose humans have lost their homes due to the spill, to provide mental health services, to create jobs for oil spill victims, and to build a second cottage on childrens home campus to serve families in crisis. PepsiCo Dream Machine The PepsiCo Dream Machine recycling initiative is a sustainable business model that reinforces PepsiCos commitment to utilizing innovation and technology to engage consumers and make a positive impact on our environment, We look forward to joining ThinkSocial and the other innovative companies and leaders to discuss how we can work together to achieve our #Promises said Jeremy Cage, PepsiCo and Head of the Dream Machine recycling initiative. (CSR Wire, 2010, paragraph 5). The recycling initiative was designed around PepsiCos goal of increasing the U.S. beverage container-recycling rate from 34 percent to 50 percent by 2018 (American Recycler, 2010). The company is concerned that consumers are throwing away the Pepsi bottles instead of recycling them, so they came up with the solution of putting recycling kiosks at concert venues, in grocery stores and along city sidewalks. PepsiCo has also entered into a partnership with Keep America Beautiful to boost community involvement in the initiative. The program will deliver funding to the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities, which helps veterans start businesses (Fredrix, 2010). Here is how the program works: People bring any recyclable aluminum cans or PET plastic bottles-not just those containing PepsiCo products-to a kiosk and scan them as if they are at a grocery store self-check out. When the containers are accepted, that adds points to an account at Greenopolis.com. Alternatively, consumers can get a receipt with codes to enter later on another website, which run by an offshoot of Houston-based Waste Management (Fredrix, 2010). Crisis Management In todays business world, events like natural disasters, terrorists attacks, product recalls, and corporate scandals are more common and potentially devastating to organizations if they are ill prepared. Uncertainty and risks can be detrimental to companies that are not prepared to deal with events that required a plan of action. This means having systems and procedures, as well as, company personnel in place to deal with unplanned and unexpected events that could cause harm to stakeholders and the company. Therefore, crisis management is essential for all organizations. Crisis management, the process of handling a high-impact event characterized by ambiguity and the need for swift action (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 66). This discussion will explore how Pepsi-Cola Corporation managed a product-tampering crisis. First, the focus will look at the crisis itselfhow and what happened. Secondly, this report will discuss and explain how Pepsi-Cola handled the crisis evaluated based on the crisis management process, which looks at the four stages of a crisis. Finally, look at how Pepsi-Cola fared in each phase of the crisis. The Crisis Product Tampering Case at Pepsi-Cola A hypodermic syringe was purportedly found in a can of Diet Pepsi in the Seattle area on June 10, 1993. This was the first report to Pepsi-Cola about alleged product tampering and within a week, 50 more reports came in from 23 states. The alleged product tampering reports stated that consumers found not only hypodermic syringes, but also a broken sewing needle, a crack vial, and a bullet among other things. Within a few days, the Pepsi syringe product tampering case was a major news story on television, radio station, as well as, major newspapers. Furthermore, viewers saw a hypodermic needle next to a can of Pepsi in leading news reports. This was a nightmare with no ending in sight for Pepsi. This could potentially take many years to reverse the damage done to the Pepsi brand and gain consumer confidence in Pepsi products again. Pepsi-Colas response to this crisis was crucial to consumer safety and the companys image. The Pepsi organization took control of the crisis and its final resolution using already in place procedures for product tampering and crisis management plan. Prodromal Stage of the Pepsi Syringe Crisis To better understand how crises develop and move toward resolution, some researchers use a medical analogy (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 66). The crisis management process consists of four different stages and is as follows: Prodromal Stage, Acute Stage, Chronic Stage, and Prodromal Stage. The first stage is a precrisis period during which warning signs may exist (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 67). This phase for Pepsi-Cola and other companies like it in the beverage food industries are well aware of the potent of product tampering. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate these companies; thus, need to have procedures and standards in place to avoid contamination of their products either through their production processes or through sabotage. Product tampering took on new meaning in the aftermath of the Tylenol Scare in the 1980s, and many companies made improvements to tamper-proof their products. At the time of the crisis, according to then Pepsi-Cola North America President, CEO, Craig Weatherup explained cans are probably the most tamper-proof containers in the food industry (Greenberg, 1993, p. 2). Pepsi-Cola has a consumer hotline for its consumers to call with questions or concerns with its products. In addition, the company has a cross-functional crisis team in place in order to deal with product tampering or other crisis. Pepsi-Cola has done very well to prepare itself for a potential crisis. Specifically, in this case of product tampering Pepsi knew it was highly unlikely that the tampering took place in the bottling process because of their production line process. They were further convince that it did not happen in production because the product tampering case reports were from 23 states with a total of 50 different reports. Acute Stage of the Pepsi Syringe Crisis Once Pepsi-Cola started receiving the product tampering reports it went into action by assembling its cross-functional crisis team to investigate the reports. Pepsis crisis response team lived for nearly 96 hours during the summer of 93 while the nationwide Diet Pepsi syringe tampering scare raged (Elsasser, 1994, par. 2). Their first objective was to ensure consumer safety, and called in FDA officials for help. Once they were certain that the tampering did not come from the production lines, Pepsi wanted to use the media to ensure product safety for consumers while still protecting their brand. The product tampering event actually entered the acute stage that is became a national crisis is when the media began running news report about the hypodermic syringe in the Diet Pepsi can. This shows that some crises happen so quickly and without warning that the organization may move from the prodromal to acute stage within minutes (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 67). In this specific case, Pepsi-Cola moved from the prodromal to acute stage within days once the media broadcast the syringe in the Diet Pepsi can story, the company was in a crisis mode. It is important to understand that once a crisis strikes, the firms stakeholders need a quick response in the midst of the duress and confusion (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 67). Pepsi-Cola decided to use the media to obtain the facts out to consumers by demonstrating how their bottling and production lines work, and how unlikely it is to tamper with their products. According to president CEO, Craig Weatherup, he explained that the cans were produced at different plants-some six months ago, some six weeks ago, and some six days ago (Greenberg, 1993, p. 2). The crisis team determined that there was no correlation between the complaints and when the cans were produced. Chronic Stage of the Pepsi Syringe Crisis The chronic stage represents that the crisis is ongoing and requires explanation and decision-making (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 67). Pepsi-Cola and FDA officials determine that a product recall would not be necessary because the crisis team already determined the product tampering was not a production or packaging problem. Therefore, having a product recall would probably make the crisis worse. According to CEO, Craig Weatherup, he explained that their point of view was a recall would give credence to a problem that did not exist (Greenberg, 1993, p.2). Pepsi-Cola decided to use the media to inform consumers and tell its side of the storyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that product tampering inside Pepsi was considered a hoax. CEO, Craig Weatherup, went on many television programs like Nightline and Larry King Live to inform viewers that there was no danger to the public and get the accurate story told. The more you saw that visual of the can and the syringe, the greater the concern became. The challenge, therefore, was to convince the public that the image wasnt possible unless somebody opened the can first (Greenberg, 1993, p.3). Consumers and other stakeholders want and need to know how that the crisis will be handled in a safe and effective manner. Pepsi-Cola did an excellent job in its crisis communication strategy by using the media along with the FDA to get the accurate story out. In addition, Pepsi produced and distributed video news releases to give facts and show that the Pepsi scare was a hoax. Prodromal Stage of the Pepsi Syringe Crisis The final phase of the crisis management process is crisis resolution. The prodromal stage is the success and failure outcomes for the firm and stakeholder (Thorne, et al, 2011, p. 67). Pepsi-Cola was able to take immediate action when the crisis happen because it already had systems and procedures in place. The company was able to investigate and determine a product recall was not necessary. Once this was done, Pepsi-Cola determine how it would communicate the findings of their investigation and go onto protecting the Pepsi brand. Transparency is essential. All efforts undertaken to contain the situation, as well as the regulations and safety procedures that will prevent similar accidents have to be communicated (Johar, 2010, p. 59). Recovery from a crisis handled correctly can lead to improving the company and the brand image. Pepsi-Cola was able to accomplish this using their crisis management and communication strategies. Immediately after the after the crisis was over, Pepsi-Cola went on to run nationwide advertisements that read, Pepsi is pleased to announceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nothing and advertisements that said Thanks, America with coupons for Pepsi products. Pepsi-Cola did an excellent job of rebounding from this crisis with no lingering negative effects. Pepsi-Colas reaction and response to this product tampering scare crisis could be used as a model for other organizations on how to prepare and handle an organizational crisis. Sustainability Issues Global Environmental Issues In 1989, PepsiCo established its business operations in India. The company is now one of the largest consumer products company in India. PepsiCo currently employs 150,000 people in India. The company has more than 36 bottling plants, including 13 companies and 23 franchises owned ones. Water Issues There were problems in India with PepsiCo and the groundwater in 2003. Pepsi uses the ground water in India in order to make the soda. The major ingredient in a soft drink is water. It constitutes close to 90% of the soft drink content. The Centre of Science and Environment discovered through a report that Pepsi drinks in general had much higher levels of toxin than Europes limits. CSE found that the India produced Pepsis soft drink products had 36 times the level of pesticide residues permitted under European Union regulations. CSE tested the same products in the United States and found no such residues (Fernando, 2009). Groundwater, the major source of water for 90 percent of rural and 50 percent of urban customers in India may be contaminated throughout the country. The test results prompted the government to adopt the European Unions standard for bottled water (Waldman, 2003). The village government of Pudussery, a rural community in the Palghat district of Kerala state, said last week that it had revoked the water-use license of the Pepsi bottling plant there because the plant had depleted the communitys groundwater to the point of causing a shortage. The license was not due to expire until 2005 (Rai, 2003). As a result of the recent drought, water is already scarce in the area. The local people are agitating that Pepsi is over utilizing water resources, making the shortage very acute (Rai, 2003). Contamination and depletion of water used by locals for farming and drinking occurred (Chamberlain, 2008). The state of Kerala in India banned the production and sale of Pepsi because of continued worries over scarcity and possible health effects of pesticides believed to be contained in the soft drinks (Pellow, 2007). Pepsi has continued to sell soft drinks in India with dangerously high levels of pesticides-even three years after the government of India confirmed that these products were dangerous. An August 2006 study by the CSE, a leading public interest research and advocacy group in India proved this. CSE tested 57 samples of Pepsi from 25 different bottling plants across 12 states and found pesticide residues in all samples. On an average, the pesticide residues were 24 times higher than EU standards (Fernando). The director of CSE stated that such residues can cause cancer and birth defects as well as harm nervous and immune systems if the products were consumed over long periods of time (Carroll, 2008, page 855). Majumder (n.d.) states that in the Indian state of Kerala, sale and production of Pepsi-Cola, along with other soft drinks, was banned by the state government in 2006. Five other Indian states have announced partial bans on the drinks in schools, colleges, and hospitals (paragraph 2). On the Pepsi website, it says that in 2009, Pepsi conserved, recharged, and replenished more water to nature instead of wasting more water than what was given back. As a user of tens of billions of gallons of water in its food and beverage operations globally, including in many nations facing water shortages, PepsiCo has recently adopted a water policy dedicated to fulfilling the human right to water as defined by the United Nations. This water policy is exactly the outcome that stakeholders should be heralding and seeking to encourage (Mehra, 2010). Alternative Energy Pepsi is a national supporter for Keep America Beautiful. Keep America Beautiful includes cleaning up parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers to conducting educational workshops and hosting community beautification events. Participants removed liter from waterways, beaches, and nature trails; planted trees and flowers, and removed graffiti to enhance urban areas and collected clothing, paper, batteries, and electronics for reuse and recycling (DeAngelis, 2010). Solar Power According to the Pepsi website, in 2007, Pepsi announced major renewable energy projects including plans for the plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. With plans to run almost entirely on renewable fuels and recycled water, this plant is scheduled to begin production by 2010. Our bottlers are also sourcing power from the sun. In 2007, The Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Eugene installed a 250-kilowatt solar electric system in their Oregon facility, which is now the second-largest photovoltaic system in the Pacific Northwest. The renewable energy generated from this system is the equivalent to the average annual energy consumption of approximately 21 Eugene homes and has a regional carbon dioxide offset of about 140 tons per year. Projects in other regions went live last year as well. PepsiCo India launched their first remote wind turbine, harnessing one of the most efficient, clean and renewable sources of energy. This turbine is connected to the public electricity grid with sufficient power to meet more than 75% of the electricity needs of the companys local Mamandur plant, and it directly offsets up to 7% of our company-owned bottling operations power requirements for 2008. The initiative is estimated to help reduce carbon emissions by more than 3,500 tons annually, with the potential to offset 70,000 tons of carbon emissions over its entire 20-year life cycle (Pepsi Website). Business Response to Sustainability Issues Performance with Purpose Mission The mission is focused on generating healthy financial returns while giving back to communities the company serves. This includes meeting consumer needs for an array of convenient foods and beverages, reducing the companys impact on the environment through water, energy, and packaging initiatives, and supporting its employees through a diverse and inclusive culture that recruits and retains world-class talent. This mission is Pepsis promise to its community and investors. The goals of the Performance with Purpose mission is human sustainability, environmental sustainability and talent sustainability. Have we met before? campaign It is designed to communicate the benefits of aluminum can recycling and encourage the consumers of Pepsi to practice recycling. Recycling facts and messages will be featured on around 500 million Pepsi cans and 250 million Diet Pepsi cans nationwide each month. The initiative is worth it because research has shown that people are more inclined to recycle when they learn about the benefits of recycling, particularly the energy savings (American Recycler, May 2008). Recycling Issues in India Greenpeace activists and Indian SMO leaders discovered through an investigation that plastic was being dumped on the site of a plastic recycling operation outside Madras. A mountain of plastic waste stood on the site. According to environmentalist Satish Vangal, there were piles and piles of used soda bottles stacked behind a wall. Every bottle that was seen had the label California Redemption Value on it. All of the bottles were from Californias recycling program and they were sitting in a pile in India (Pellow, 2007). In order to minimize its environmental impact, Pepsi has improved water, fuels, and electricity efficiency saving about five billion liters of water and nearly 500 million kilowatt hours of energy from 2006 to 2007. By the end of 2008, the company started using a recently installed natural gas heat and power system to bottle beverages at its plant in Queens, NY saving a potential $408,000 a year (www.pepsico.com). The Global Marketplace Pepsi is known as a global corporation because it has been expanding and reaching to numerous foreign markets, which seem appealing to them, for many years. It is important to understand that the expanding global marketplace requires that executives and managers develop the ability to conduct business effectively and socially responsibly in different regions of the world (Thorne et al, 2011, p. 444). This shows how Pepsi developed to be an international corporation because Pepsi has been reaching many countries as much as they can and be part of their culture. Because of this, it has been told that the corporation comes in the success ranking of the world leading multinational companies at number 10 in the review of 2007 among top 50 companies in fortune ranking (2007 all-stars 2007, p. 39). Consumers all around the world seem to enjoy drinking Pepsi that comes in different kinds of product packing, such as cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles, etc. The corporation has been very succ essful in developing a marketing plan in order to reach a specific target market in each country. This demonstrates that Pepsi has the ability to interpret and adapt successfully to different national, organizational, and professional cultures, which is known as cultural intelligence (Thorne et al, 2011, p. 444). In addition, Pepsi has been very successful in promoting some of its brands in a certain culture that completely satisfy their consumers needs and wants. The corporation found several good ways to advertise and promote their new and current products of Pepsi in order to attract its consumers in a certain country. It can be on television, billboards, print ad (magazine), newspaper, or the Internet. The corporations social responsibility in a global environment will be discussed more in this paper. Popularity of Pepsi in Pakistan Old-fashioned glass bottles of Pepsi can be seen and found on the food streets or markets in major cities in Pakistan, such as Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. People do really enjoy drinking a glass bottle of cold Pepsi with a straw. That is what their Pepsi cola looks like. It is not similar to a can of Pepsi in the United States. It can be difficult to locate a regular can of Pepsi in Pakistan, not the glass bottle ones. It is because people are accustomed to living an old-fashioned life. Major cities and even small towns of Pakistan tend to be very traditional and old-fashioned. Seeing so many Pepsi bottles in almost every store indicates that the most popular soft drink certainly has dominated the market by the corporation. Coca cola is Pepsis major competitor that does exist and sell its products in the country. However, regarding the popularity of Pepsi, Ghazi Akhtar Khan who is currently a managing director of Pepsis local bottle in Lahore, Pakistan and he explained his reason why Pepsi is number one soft drink in the nation. He said that Pepsis share of the market for carbonated soft drinks is currently sixty-five percent while Coca cola only has thirty percent, which makes Pepsi the leading soft drink in the country (Wright 2010). According to Khan, the statistics proved that the corporation has sold 240 million of 24 Pepsi bottles each in the country in the past year while the competitor only sold around 140 million (Wright 2010). This fact and statistics demonstrate why Pepsi remains very popular and people prefer to purchase and consumer Pepsi than other well-known brands or competitors, such as Coke, Mountain Dew, Fanta, etc. Culture and Language Pakistans culture is completely different compared to the culture here in the United States. People in the United States normally wear t-shirts, blue jeans, and sneakers. However, the way people live and work in Pakistan can be quite different as well. The way people dress is called shalwaz kameez, which is an Urdu word for traditional clothing. This demonstrates that certain kinds of cloths in a specific culture create some meanings from cultural artifacts (Martin Nakayama, 2004). The Pepsi Corporation should be familiar with their culture because when they would like to advertise a new product from Pepsi, they need to feature a Pakistani woman wearing shalwar kameez in their Pepsi ad. That way, when people see the new ad of the Pakistani woman drinking a glass bottle of Pepsi in her shalwar kameez, they really can feel related to this ad because wearing shalwar kameez is part of their cultural and traditional clothing. This is a good way for the Pepsi Corporation to understand their culture and get involved with their culture. Language can be described as the mirror of the culture which contains the spoken words and non-spoken communication as the gestures, body language, and the eye contact (Czinkota Ronkainen 1998, p.67). People in one whole country or one specific location usually speak the exact same language and that is the only way that they can understand each other. Sometimes, they do use hand or body gestures when communicating with each other. In addition, it can be defined as the language in terms of high and low context cultures where people use the direct and clear langue in low context and in some other society people use the expressions or most of the information spread as unsaid (Morrison, 2002). Urdu is an official language of Pakistan where almost everyone knows, understands, reads, and speaks Urdu only. However, English is considered as the second language in the country-they do have signs, billboards, or any kind of advertisement that are read and written in English but it is more like British English. For example, they frequently see or read words such as favourite or colour, instead of favorite or color. Therefore, it is very important for the corporation to know the main language as well as English so they can advertise Pepsi in their language and English language. Religion It is extremely important to acknowledge the importance of religion because it impacts peoples habits, their outlook on life, the products they buy, the way they buy them, even the newspaper they read (Cateora Ghauri 2000, p. 111). Islam is the main religion that everyone in Pakistan follows and practices. Muhammad was the last prophet that created the religion of Islam.

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) and Pulp and Lumber Production :: Economic Analysis

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) and Pulp and Lumber Production Introduction Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is commercially one of the four most important conifers in the southeastern United States. In fact, shortleaf pine has the widest range of all southern pines, spreading from Florida to New Jersey and from North Carolina to Oklahoma Sidney Investments, a firm based in Dallas, Texas, is considering the purchase of a 360 acre parcel of forested land located in the Quachita Mountains of eastern Oklahoma. This land has been under timber production through one rotation to this point. Sidney Investments would like to be advised on the possibilities of keeping that land in timber production and the operations necessary for the management of shortleaf pine. Sidney has come to Hall-Tree Silvicultural Consultants for a description of the silvicultural procedures involved, and the firm will then perform an economic analysis, checking the current market prices for the implementation of those procedures before making a decision on the purchase of this property. The 360 acre tract that Sidney Investments is considering is located in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. The elevation of the site does not vary much, ranging from 400 to 460 feet above mean sea level. The soil, being primarily composed of sand and silt, is quite mesic and highly drained. The annual precipitation in McCurtain County averages 48 inches. The average annual temperature is near 66Â °F and there are around 260 days in the growing season. Though shortleaf pine prefers a site with a little more moisture, it will, nonetheless, grow well on this site. Because of its characteristic tolerance of varying site conditions, shortleaf pine will outperform any of the other southern pines on this site. Shortleaf Pine Description Shortleaf pine tends to grow rather slowly in the early stages of its life when compared to its closest competitor, loblolly pine. Therefore it cannot compete for the best sites under natural regeneration, but, because of it's tolerance of a wide range of site conditions, shortleaf pine is found naturally in areas where loblolly pine will not grow effectively. It is for this reason that shortleaf pine was chosen for this site instead of loblolly. When planted artificially, it was found that after the first few years of development, shortleaf pine will match loblolly in height growth on the better sites and will surpass loblolly on the poorer sites (Harrington, 1987). Because of this, shortleaf pine is the most commonly regenerated pine in the northern and western parts of its range where the site conditions are not as ideal as in the southern part of its range.

Understanding the Benefits of Ethnic Divide Essay -- Racial Ethnic Rac

Understanding the Benefits of Ethnic Divide Does society truly stand to gain from what some might call a breaking of racial and ethnic barriers? When we as a society propose the overly-voiced concepts of 'embracing racial equality' and the 'dissolving of stereotypical values' in an effort to support societal efficiency, do we consider that perhaps these revolutionary ideals will hurt more than help us in the long run? The average individual, in an effort to function properly in the society to which he or she belongs, will follow that which society generally accepts as politically correct, as normal. The downside to this is the possibility of a society's ignorance to the greater picture or, rather, the future effects on economy and the civilization towards which we hold such value. It is obvious, especially in light of certain economic and undying cultural facts, that this adamant dream of bringing together the varying mismatched groups of the world population is not only futile -- when considering that it is in our nature as human beings to define and rationalize our surroundings by recognizing the natural differences in what we see -- but is also illogical with respect to the imposing threat this societal revolution imposes on the capitalist system to which we all owe our lives. The settling of racial and ethnic indifferences is commonly seen as a problem handled effectively by government inventions. Affirmative action, established in 1965 by US president Lyndon Johnson, is a system designed to overcome societal discrimination of the past by forcing privileges into the hands of minorities (Brunner, par. 1). These privileges translate into unquestioned college enrollment, job opportunities, and additional resources. Hera... ...5 Jan. 2001 . Anonymous. Free Palestine. 1999. 30 Sep. 2002 . Bollyn, Christopher. ?The Real Cost of US Support for Israel.? Axis of Logic. 20 Sep. 2003. . Stauffer, Thomas R. ?The Cost of Conflict in the Middle East, 1956-2002: What the U.S. Has Spent.? Middle East Policy Council. Spring 2003 . Anonymous. ?The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Basic Facts: Arab Countries versus Israel.? Israel Science and Technology. 15 Nov. 2003 . Province, Jonathan. ?World?s Richest Countries.? cylist.com. 2003. .