Wednesday, October 30, 2019

How Buy USA Helps Exporters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Buy USA Helps Exporters - Essay Example The website has great presence across the country with offices in almost every region. This huge nationwide presence allows businesses from any region in the US to sign up to connect with potential clients. Buy USA gives business owners in the US a great opportunity to expand their businesses and put them on the international map. This expands the market for the businesses and enables them to maximize their profits with a lot of ease. It is a US commercial Service aimed at helping businesses find potential clients and meet new partners on the international level. Companies outside the USA can also find the website very useful in locating appropriate suppliers for their goods and services. Buy USA operates in about eighty countries across the world creating a very huge market for businesses to interact and share their products and services. Apart from connecting businesses to potential clients and business partners, Buy USA provides a wide range of services to both current and potential exporters, making it one of the leading commercial services in the country. The websites contains links to other equally essential business websites such as export.gov (www.export.gov) which has numerous resources about conducting an export business, and Commercial News USA (http://www.thinkglobal.us/) which offers businesses the latest news in the international market. Both new and experienced businesses in exports can benefit a great deal from using Buy USA. With a wide range of connection in about eighty countries, established export businesses can use these connections from Buy USA to rapidly increase their operations on the international scene, while new businesses can have a good foundation to start from with a great prospect of future growth and expansion. Among the services offered to new businesses that want to start exporting i nclude provision of relevant business and legal information, business advice, and advice on international logistics. New businesses can use this information to strategically plan their entry in to the international market. Lack of information and legal huddles have been stumbling barriers for small businesses to sell their products on the international scene but the services provided by Buy USA have greatly simplified that. With offices in over one hundred cities in the country, Buy USA is dedicated to ensuring growth of small businesses through provision of information and business advice to set them off to the international market. Established businesses can also benefit from services such as the latest international news, new links to customers and business partners, legal assistance, trade show experiences among others. Using Buy USA is a great way to market your business on the international scene. Established businesses can use this easy way to market their goods and services to the outside the US and reduce their marketing expenses on physical marketing (Joshi, 2005). The website enables businesses to maximize their profits by exporting their goods and services to a ready market outside the US. Buy USA is one of the most trusted agencies helping businesses in America and its growing popularity is set to benefit so many businesses, both big and small. Buy USA serves businesses in diverse industries ranging from agricultural, service businesses, manufacturing among others. Any company can join in and locate other businesses in the same industry for partnership or business deals. Potential clients for Buy USA include small and medium enterprises who may not afford the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Underage Drinking Essay Do you remember how cool you felt the first time that you drank? All of us younger kids, hanging out with the older kids, everyone getting drunk together. Thinking about this when I was younger really made me raise the question of why we have a legal limit to drink in the first place. Underage kids have had no problem getting alcohol for decades so why put a legal limit on it? When I found myself asking these questions the answers seemed to make sense; or maybe it was my senior year of high school when I got suspended for ten days. After that had occurred it made me think that maybe they have a limit on alcohol for a reason. One of those reasons being that kids are not mature enough yet to handle the side effects that alcohol brings. Underage drinking has been around for years but it brings little to no good to our society. In the United States, there is a certain legal age that states the time in which individuals are allowed to drink or purchase alcohol. Even though you may not agree with most of the rules that the federal government has set in place, this is one rule that I am definitely in favor for. They have placed the legal age limit at 21 for all alcoholic beverages. It does not matter what state you are in; the drinking law is the same for all 50 states in the United States of America (Cost of Underage Drinking). Sadly, sometimes these laws are broken. Even with these laws in place, the alcoholic consumption by our youth still becomes an issue in the United States. After doing research I have come to find out that statistics show that at least eleven million teenagers are still underage drinkers, with about half of them being binge drinkers, meaning they usually have more than 5 drinks per occasion (Flewelling) . In my opinion I believe that America needs to have a change in culture and beliefs towards underage drinking and make it a main priority. While so many people are focused on the consumption of drugs and making that go away, underage drinking is still a humungous issue in America. The NIH News stated that, â€Å"Alcohol is the most used drug by young Americans these days.† When you have newspapers starting to agree with this theory, then you know it’s a serious issue. The risky behavior that is performed Is often associated with underage drinking can have devastating and long term consequences. â€Å"Forty percent of those who start drinking before the age of fifteen meet criteria for alcoholism at some point in their lives.† (Atwood). People often wonder the reason that makes teenagers take part in this terrible habit. There are many reasons why teenagers drink alcohol. For example many homes in America have developed a habit of sipping some alcohol before dinner every night. Another reason to use alcohol at such a young age would be to relieve stress, especially teenagers who use alcohol in time of a confrontation or an argument arises between their family and friends. I believe the main reason that teenagers use alcohol is because they do not much about their effects. In a society where the kid’s parents use alcohol on a daily basis and all the advertisement that is out there now that shows alcohol is very attractive or the cool thing to do; teenagers see these influences and think that it is the cool thing to do, and will make them be considered more of an adult. While I was conducting research I found out that those young people that start drinking at an early age are five times more likely to experience alcohol related complications later on in their lives. Studies have shown that alcohol has more harmful affects on a teenager’s brain and the giving of child birth than an adult would have (Dee) . A person’s brain usually develops the most between the ages of 12 and 21, and if you are consuming alcohol on a regular basis during that time then what do you think the effects are going to be? The use of alcohol doesn’t only have an effect on your brain, but can also drastically affect others. For example, an underage drunk driver hit my girlfriend 2 months ago, and she has to see the neurologist three times a week for treatment. All because of one man’s simple mistake, her life, my life and all of her friends and family were greatly affected. Studies have found that alcohol consumption by teenagers can cause drastic c hanges in the development in personality and general behavior. Many teenagers that drink think that they are invincible and that nothing will ever happen to them, but only if they would read and pay attention to the signs that warn them about these dangers, they would probably think differently. It is shown that those who drink for a short term or just in moderation have been found to impair their learning and memory much more in young people than in adults. It is also possible that those who drink often may not ever be able to catch up on adulthood, because alcohol prevents the growth of systems that are responsible for learning and storing new information (Kaiser). The brain isn’t the only thing in the human body that is affected. Another main body part that is affected is the liver. In many teenagers’ minds, the liver is the last thing they think about when consuming alcohol. Alcohol affects one’s liver in very large amounts. Alcohol can lead to a major liver disease known as, alcohol induced liver disease, a major cause of illness and death in the United States (Kaiser). Studies have shown that about 10 to 35 percent of those who drink heavily developed hepatitis. This causes about 10,000 to 24,000 deaths in the United States each and every year (Gruenebaum). â€Å"A serious epidemic is overtaking our country and underage drinking is spreading rapidly like a virus† (The Consequence of Underage Drinking). Teenagers in all 50 states are getting caught drinking illegally each and every day. The sad thing is, that it isn’t only teenagers in college that are doing it either. Students in high school, middle school and even elementary. How have we let the problem arise this far? There is just no excuse to be oblivious to the issue anymore. Underage drinking is right in front of our faces, and it is killing not only our children, but also the people that they hurt. Thomas Dee made a valid point by stating, â€Å"If we focused more on our children not drinking, than us needing a drink then we would be a lot better off.† It just seems that so many people are focused on getting drunk, than actually doing the right thing. I’m i n the Marines and every day on active duty it seemed that someone under the legal age was getting into trouble for drinking. Although, many believe that if you are old enough to die for your country then you should be able to drink underage. The thing is, the government has made it made very clear, and it is those duties to follow the rules of be punished for them. It is not only the health issues that make this law in effect, but the maturity level also. And teenagers over the years have proven over and over, that they are not responsible enough to handle the responsibility of alcohol consumption. On the other hand, trying to be in favor of those who are under the age, there is just no realistic solution in my opinion. Drinkers and parents need to take charge and responsibility for making sure that teenagers don’t drinks; especially don’t drink and drive. One solution for this would be to end all college sponsorships that have to do with any type of alcohol. Although it brings in big bucks for colleges and for scholarships, it’s the right thing to do to protect the students. The main target for alcohol brands is young people, especially college students. Many will say that it is the drinker’s responsibility, but according to Mark Clayton, education is just not enough. â€Å"Others will say that big companies are not a threat, it is local bars, but only big brewery companies sponsor colleges and universities† (Clayton). Another main issue for underage drinkers at college is adults providing alcohol and false identification. â€Å"Colleges should cut all sales of alcoholic beverages at sporting events, so that false identification cannot be provided.† (Cox). To prevent this problem, another way could be to educate youth about alcohol consumption well before middle school. For most students, before they even reach middle school they are already exposed to alcohol. The D.A.R.E. program teaches children about alcohol and its affects, should be taught in elementary school. My little brother who is in third grade came home and told me that he had learned about that last week, and said he never wants to drink alcohol. According to (underageddrinking.samhsa.gov), over 70% of 8th graders said alcohol is easy to get, and 30% of children age 12-14 get alcohol from a family member. These statistics just go to show how easy it is for kids these days to get alcohol. In some cases the police have no control over the issue. One example would be underground drinking. â€Å"Raising the drinking age to 21 was passed with the very best of intentions, but it’s had the very worst of outcomes. The law has pushed and forced underage drinking and youthful drinking underground, where we have no control over it.† (Hanson). This makes me think is underage drinking ever going to stop? The answer is no. Why teenagers drink is something we just do not have a definite answer for. There are many reasons why teenagers drink, and every one has their own reason for doing it. Peer pressure and stress are among the most common reasons that teenagers take up drinking (CDC). Everyone these days want to feel accepted by their peers, and they believe that drinking will give them the acceptance they seek. â€Å"Many teenagers will think they are invincible when they drink and get behind a wheel.† (American Driving Academy). Drinking and driving is just of the many issues that arise when teenagers get alcohol in them. And if you are under the age and think you can get away with it, you better think again. â€Å"If a minor who has been arrested for driving while under the influence refuses to submit to a sobriety test, the minor can be charged with a separate offense referred to as a referral† (Cost of Underage Drinking). The bottom line is if you under the age of 21, then you should never touch alcohol. If you do decide to make a stupid decision like this, then use your head and not get caught.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Theodore Roosevelt and Progressivism :: American America History

Theodore Roosevelt and Progressivism Despite the criticism of their reform efforts, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson's commitment to and success in achieving national reform made them successful progressive presidents. There hasn't yet been a presidency that didn't receive criticism, with or without justification. Roosevelt in particular, received a lot of praise and criticism for his successes and failures. Overall, however, both Roosevelt and Wilson acknowledged and were committed to bringing about changes during their presidencies. They were both good presidents for the Progressive Era. President Roosevelt was deeply criticized during his presidency. Robert La Follette, the Republican leader of Progressivism before Roosevelt, was one of Roosevelt's biggest critics. In his Autobiography: A personal narrative of political experiences, he talks about Roosevelt's reform policies, particularly his position on the Anti-Trust Law and his trust strategy in general, and how he didn't solve the problems, but only increased the growth of monopolies and the power of business (Doc E). There were also many political cartoons published which criticized Roosevelt's policies. One in particular pictures Roosevelt singing loudly his Progressive fallacies, with La Follette sulking in the background (Doc G). There was justification to criticize Roosevelt. Although he was infamous for his "square deal," taking on trusts, he busted only about half as many trusts in twice as much time as President Taft later did. The cases he did take on were high profile, and he was noisy about them. Also , he may have only fought trusts because he thought it would be riskier to ignore them. Woodrow Wilson also had policies that were controversial, and the extent of his progressivism can be questioned. Wilson's progressive attitude didn't extent to many areas. For example, he didn't reform the way government corruption occurred. He would even encourage this by giving his friends rewards and punishing his enemies. He operated on a minimal spoils system. He was also quite racist. His reform policies didn't extend to African-Americans. He appointed many Southern racists to his cabinet and was strongly opposed to black suffrage. He considered enfranchisement an evil. Wilson also didn't want to reform social injustices. Offering no support for the ratification a suffrage movement, Wilson preferred state action for women's suffrage. Child labor was another issue he considered a state matter. Reform was something Wilson only considered on certain issues. Despite questions of motive and success, Roosevelt can be considered a successful progressive president and reformer.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Bilingual Education Blows Away the Competition :: Essays Papers

Bilingual Education Blows Away the Competition "It would be scary if bilingual education wasnt there, because I wouldnt be able to understand the teacher, and I wouldnt know what to do, and I would have problems," said one young supporter of bilingual education (Keifer 10). Education is the single most important tool for future greatness. It is necessary for success in all endeavors. Those who need more assistance in their learning still deserve to receive the best education possible. Just because they do not learn in the same way, does not mean that they can be neglected in this meaningful aspect of life. Language minority children are part of that category. They have trouble learning because they are Limited English Proficient (LEP). In Arizona, these children are most likely to come from a Mexican heritage since the state is so close to Mexico. For over a hundred years schools have been implementing a program that teaches LEP children in their native language first, then slowly transitioning them into learning in English. During their entire education the students are continually learning the English language. This long-term focus of learning English as well as learning standard subjects in the native language is geared so the students will not fall behind on their general studies. This method is highly regarded because it develops the childrens native language as well as English. They need this type of bilingual education to keep their communication skills within their culture. In the past there has been a large controversy surrounding the education of minority children. The quality of education in the bilingual education programs across the country is being questioned. The battle to eliminate bilingual education has succeeded in California. In 1998, the "English for the Children" initiative, led by Ron Unz, met strong opposition as well as strong agreement. The initiative called for only one year of "structured English immersion" for LEP students, followed by reclassification into an English-only classroom. This means that these young children will be thrust into an English-speaking classroom with only one year of English instruction. They will be left to "sink or swim" in these classes, a method which the Supreme Court found to violate their right to an equal education. This thoughtless initiative went on to win a victory in California at the expense of many children who will now find it even more difficult to survive in the education system.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Theoretical Approach to Culture and the Study of Its Theory Essay

The concept of culture is a broad and elaborate subject that identifies with the common practices of different groups of people. Our textbook defines culture as the total pattern of human behavior and its products, embodied in thoughts, speech, action and artifacts. I personally view culture as a concept that helps us develop and identify within our own society, and societies of others. We see and experience culture everyday lives. It can be identified though groups in their beliefs, dress, language, traditions, music, food religion and â€Å"upbringing†. I personally come from a West Indian background, as my parents are from the Caribbean. Although I was born in America, foods I prepare are from Caribbean recipes. In my home calypso music is often played and if mother gets angry she begins to use words and put together words that would only make sense in our culture. Culture functions in such a way that is sociological, psychological and biological. For example sociologically, culture gives groups a sense of belonging. Psychologically groups of people create what they consider to be â€Å"normal behavioral patterns† that may be abnormal to one of a different cultural base. Culture functions biologically in the sense of reproducing their societies from generation to generation and the need for food and shelter to survive. We can tell someone of Asian decent not only by their physical traits, but also by their cultural practices. I believe our culture is embedded in us from the very beginning of our lives. From when we are babies our environment, family consciously and unconsciously molds us into learning a particular type of culture. Now more than ever because of technology and global diversity and integrations we see multiculturalism. This is where there is an acceptance of various cultures and the practice of more than one culture in people. There are significant differences in various cultural backgrounds, whether it’s Western or Eastern, but this is what makes culture ever evolving, continuously growing and intertwining. In the early stages some have tried to bring the connection between evolution and ethics. We have learned from theorists Charles Darwin who to life the theory of Human Evolution and natural selection, Sir Edwards B. Tylor who is noted for the concept of animism and Herbert Spencer whom is often linked to the phrase â€Å"Survival of the Fittest†. Charles Darwin was a pronounced and insightful theorist from the 18-19th century. What makes Charles Darwin best known is his theory of human evolution of man and natural selection. With Darwin’s human evolution, he came up with the concept that all like organisms came from simple form, which is â€Å"the origin of man†. In explaining Darwin’s theory of natural selection he believed more organisms are produced than can survive or reproduce. This creates an environment where they compete for resources and to reproduce successfully. His theory discloses some have successful genes/ traits and some do not. He believed the more powerful or successful traits/genes that are in organisms and ten passed on to offspring. The stronger traits are continuously passed on and as passed on lead to further success. Darwin believes these traits are â€Å"naturally selected†. In this way nature somehow selects traits that are more fitted for the various conditions in the environment in which they are in, these traits become and those traits tend to last over time. The steady accrual of the changing traits over an extended period of time in conjunction with a changing environment brings forth evolution. Hence linking to the phrase survival of the fittest. Over time as Darwin’s studies developed, he began to zoom in the links between animals and humans instincts. He was also convinced that organisms are all descended from common ancestors. To elaborate, he believed two organisms could be traced back through evolution at some point their linear will meet, and example would be human and chimpanzees. The success of Darwin’s theories lead to Darwinism which is the theory that all living things descended from an original common ancestor through natural selection and random variation without aid of intelligence or nonmaterial forces. Many theorists during Darwin’s concept and after used this as the foundation of their theories that they built on. Social Darwinism is where Darwin’s ideas were applied to society. Another cultural revolutionist or social Darwinists as they were referred to was Herbert Spencer. Hebert Spencer is well known for being an evolutionary theorists during the 1900s that took Darwin’ concepts of evolution to the next level. The phrase in which he is population for is â€Å"survival of the fittest† which as derived from Darwin’s concept of natural selection, but he indeed is the originator of this phrase. Spencer embraced Darwinism His theories also embodied Lamarckian and also saw selection as a means of maintaining human quality. When we hear survival of the fitness we think of possibly a battle in means of survival, but Spencer was more making reference to stronger species out living and out living the weaker ones and being able to increase and develop because of being stronger. He believed evolution evolving from simplest form to a more comprehensive form as in human beings, and that nature’s laws plays a role in the changes. Spencer also penned â€Å"Principles of Psychology† and stated that human minds were somehow linked to natural laws. What stood out to me about Spencer was his opposition in government assisting underclass. He was also against them from interjecting in economic and social affairs. He was against this because his view was it helped preserve the unfit or inferior people and assisted them in obtaining resources such as healthcare. He believed helping them would prove to be unbeneficial because it would only lead to them producing and/or reproducing more unfit people, possibly creating the â€Å"survival of the un-fittest†. He was adamant in thinking these people were lazy and did not want to work and assisting them would only enable them. In which the strong should prosper and the weak should be pushed aside Spencer also believed in individual competition and wanted to minimize government’s role in society to make survival only of stronger willed people. Lamarckism’s is the belief that organism pass on certain characteristics to offspring. Connected to his Lamarckian beliefs Herbert Spencer believed in a biological based hierarchy of races. He also believed as they grew they zoomed in on the â€Å"evolutionary history† of their race. To take this belief even further he believed characteristics even negative ones such as lying and stealing, from their race were passed down to children. Sir Edward Burnett Tylor fathered the currently accepted concept of animalism; he was influenced by Darwin’s theory of biological evolution. Development of culture and society from simple to complex forms. Europeans had sought to explain the existence of various â€Å"primitive† societies, some believing that such societies represented the lost tribes of Israel, others speculating that primitive peoples had degenerated since the time of Adam from an originally â€Å"barbarous† to an even lowlier â€Å"savage† state. European society was taken to epitomize the highest state of existence, â€Å"civilization. In the late 19th century, Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan elaborated the theory of unilinear evolution, specifying criteria for categorizing cultures according to their standing within a fixed system of growth of humanity as a whole and examining the modes and mechanisms of this growth. A widespread reaction followed; Franz Boas introduced the â€Å"culture history† approach, which concentrated on fieldwork among native peoples to identify actual cultural and historical processes rather than speculative stages of growth. Leslie White, Julian Steward, and others sought to revive aspects of sociocultural evolutionism, positing a progression ranging from bands and tribes at one end to chiefdoms and states at the other. More recently some anthropologists have adopted a general systems approach, examining cultures as emergent systems. Others continue to reject evolutionary thinking and look instead at historical contingencies, contacts with other cultures, and the operation of cultural symbol systems.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

50 Words or Less

50 Words or Less 50 Words or Less 50 Words or Less By Maeve Maddox In a recent post I have the following sentence: Conveying a coherent report in 50 words or less is quite a feat, and the writers in my paper usually do an amazingly good job of it. Several readers wrote to ask if I shouldn’t have written â€Å"50 words or fewer.† I appreciate readers who gently point out my errors so that I can have them corrected before too many more people see them. In the case of â€Å"50 words or less,† however, I’m on solid ground. The distinction between less and fewer when used to qualify nouns was codified in the 18th century. Fewer is used to qualify countable nouns: Channel 10 runs fewer commercials than Channel 5. Fewer people are in touch with Nature these days. Less is used to qualify uncountable nouns: She loves her new job, but she is earning less money. With the new standards, children may read less literature in school. There are exceptions to this rule. Less is used to describe units, such as time, money, and distance: I’ve spent less than two hours on my homework today. We owe less than $1,000 on the car. Our new house is located less than three miles from the school. When the relevant â€Å"items† (e.g., hours, dollars, miles) are seen as a unit and not as individual items, less is the word to use. A few years ago the UK store chain TESCO, overwhelmed by grammar sticklers, changed its express lane signs from â€Å"10 items or less† to â€Å"Up to 10 items.† According to Pocket Fowler’s Modern English Usage (Oxford, 2008), they needn’t have done so: Supermarket checkouts are correct when the signs they display read 5 items or less (which refers to a total amount), and are misguidedly pedantic when they read 5 items or fewer (which emphasizes individuality, surely not the intention). The usage â€Å"50 words or less† falls into the same category as the check-out sign. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous7 Proofreading Steps

Monday, October 21, 2019

buy custom Feudal Relationships and Mutual Obligations of Lords and Vassals essay

buy custom Feudal Relationships and Mutual Obligations of Lords and Vassals essay From the reading regarding Henry 1 of England from Ecclesiastical History, in Western Europe, kings were highly respected in the community. They acted as the overall judge on their land. The kings had the power to deliver judgment on their subjects (Burr, 1998). All subjects were supposed to show respect for their king, and in case an individual spoke badly about the king, the king had the power to punish such a person or send the person to exile. In addition, all subjects were supposed to respect the families from which the kings came from. The king would publicly summon an individual, who would be found guilty of speaking against his brothers or other members of his family. Such an individual would be required to confess his/her offenses publicly, and then, the king would deliver his judgment depending on the seriousness of the offense committed (Burr, 1998). In the reading regarding Henry 1 of England from Ecclesiastical History, King Henry had summoned Robert of Bellecircme, accusing him, of committing several offenses against him and his brother, the duke of Normandy. Robert did not respond to the kings summon. Instead, he flew away, were he formed his own castle and sought support from his allies and relatives to defend him against the king. After engaging in unsuccessful confrontations with the kings garrison, Robert finally surrendered to the king. Using his position as the final source of judgment on the land, King Henry 1 banished Robert from his kingdom(Burr, 1998). From The Lais of Marie de France, during the Age of Invasions in Western Europe, the society was divided into two categories: the lords and the vassals. The lords were those who owned riches and wealthy, while the vassals were those people who acted as slaves or servants to the lords. Both the lords and the vassals had mutual obligations toward each other. As illustrated in The Lais of Marie De France, vassals obligation to their lords was to provide advice whenever they were faced with difficult situations. For instance, when the wife of the other wealthy man gave birth to two daughters, her damsel advised her to abandon one the daughters in a church, instead of killing her. The damsel gave the advice to her master as a way of assisting her from suffering the shame of having given birth to two children at the same time (Le Fresne, n.d.). Vassals also had an obligation to protect their lords and their properties. From the reading regarding Henry 1 of England from Ecclesiastical History, the vassals always accompanied King Henry whenever he went out either to deliver judgment to offenders, or to look for offenders. In addition, the vassals had a mutual obligation of informing their lords about all matter, which they deemed important. For instance, when Robert of Bellecircme refused to honor the kings summon and opted to escape, it is stated that a royal servant was the one who informed him about Roberts disappearaance (Burr, 1998). On the other hand, one of the lords obligations to their vassals was to ensure continuity of their generation. This means that the lords had an obligation to get married, and have children. The lords children would become the heirs of their fathers land, hence providing continuity of the lords families (Burr, 1998). In The Lais of Marie De France, when Gurun took Le Fresne as his concubine, the vassals advised him to look for a wife to marry, so that he would have children who would become the heir of his land (Le Fresne, n.d.). In addition, the lords had an obligation to listen to the advice of their vassals. For instance in the reading regarding Henry I of England from Ecclesiastical History, when a group of earls and magnates allied to Robert went to the king asking him to consider reconciliation, a group of knights allied to the king shouted loudly to the king, asking him not to consider their plead. As his obligation to his vassals, the king took the advice, and sent the earls a nd magnates away (Burr, 1998). From The Lais of Marie De France, it is clear that the Western Europe society expected women to respect men. Women would always kneel before men or present themselves in a humble manner whenever they were in presence of men. For example, during the wedding night of Le Codre, her mother knelt before her husband to beg for forgiveness, after she discovered Le Fresne was her daughter. Buy custom Feudal Relationships and Mutual Obligations of Lords and Vassals essay

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Body Under the Bed - Urban Legends

The Body Under the Bed - Urban Legends Heres an example of the scary urban legend known as The Body Under the Bed as shared by a reader: A man and woman went to Las Vegas for their honeymoon, and checked into a suite at a hotel. When they got to their room they both detected a bad odor. The husband called down to the front desk and asked to speak to the manager. He explained that the room smelled very bad and they would like another suite. The manager apologized and told the man that they were all booked because of a convention. He offered to send them to a restaurant of their choice for lunch compliments of the hotel and said he was going to send a maid up to their room to clean and to try and get rid of the odor. After a nice lunch, the couple went back to their room. When they walked in they could both still smell the same odor. Again the husband called the front desk and told the manager that the room still smelled really bad. The manager told the man that they would try and find a suite at another hotel. He called every hotel on the strip, but every hotel was sold out because of the convention. The manager told the couple that they couldnt find them a room anywhere, but they would try and clean the room again. The couple wanted to see the sights and do a little gambling anyway, so they said they would give them two hours to clean and then they would be back. When the couple had left, the manager and all of housekeeping went to the room to try and find what was making the room smell so bad. They searched the entire room and found nothing, so the maids changed the sheets, changed the towels, took down the curtains and put new ones up, cleaned the carpet and cleaned the suite again using the strongest cleaning products they had. The couple came back two hours later to find the room still had a bad odor. The husband was so angry at this point, he decided to find whatever this smell was himself. So he started tearing the entire suite apart himself. As he pulled the top mattress off the box spring he found a dead body of a woman. Analysis All it takes is one dead body under the mattress to spoil your whole honeymoon. Befitting its Sin City reputation, Las Vegas has been the setting of some horrific urban legends (see The Kidney Snatchers if you dont know what I mean). What sets The Body in the Bed apart from the rest is how frequently incidents resembling the one described above have actually happened in real life - just never, to my knowledge, in Las Vegas! The closest encounter between fact and legend Ive been able to document took place in Atlantic City (another gambling mecca, naturally) in 1999. This account comes from the Bergen Record: The body of Saul Hernandez, 64, of Manhattan was found in Room 112 of the Burgundy Motor Inn after two German tourists slept overnight in the bed despite a rancid smell that prompted them to complain to the front desk.The couple told motel officials about the smell Wednesday night but stayed in the $36-a-night room anyway. On Thursday, they complained again and were given a new room while a motel housekeeper cleaned Room 112. In July 2003, a cleaning crew discovered a dead body stuffed under the mattress in a room at the Capri Motel in Kansas City, Missouri. This report was filed by KMBC-TV News: Police said that the man appeared to have been dead for some time, but the body went unnoticed until a guest staying the room could no longer tolerate the smell. Officers were called to the Capri Motel in the 1400 block of Independence Avenue around noon Sunday after cleaning crews made the grisly discovery.KMBCs Emily Aylward reported that the man who checked into the motel room a few days ago complained to management about the odor two times over the three days. He then checked out on Sunday because he could not tolerate the smell. In March 2010, Memphis police responded to a call from a local motel where employees had noticed a foul odor in one of the rooms. According to ABC Eyewitness News: On March 15th, investigators were called back to room 222 at the Budget Inn, where the body of Sony Millbrook was found under the bed. Police say she was found inside the metal box frame that sits directly on the floor after someone reported smelling a strange odor. The box springs and mattress fit into the top of the bed frame. Room 222, according to investigators, had been rented 5 times and cleaned many times by the hotel staff since the day Millbrook was reported missing.Homicide investigators say Millbrook appears to have been murdered. Theres more than one moral to these stories, to be sure, but the most disturbing of all is that urban legends do sometimes come true.​ Further reading: Isle Mainland Traveler Shared Room with Corpse. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1 August 1996.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Strtegic Mrketing Plan of Amazon Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strtegic Mrketing Plan of Amazon - Case Study Example Ð mÐ °zÐ ¾n trÐ °nÃ'•fÐ ¾rmed itÃ'•elf frÐ ¾m Ð ° Ã'•peciÐ °lty retÐ °iler intÐ ¾ Ð °n Ð ¾nline Ã'•hÐ ¾pping pÐ ¾rtÐ °l, tÐ °king Ð ° cue frÐ ¾m Ð °uctiÐ ¾neer eBÐ °y, which Ã'•et itÃ'•elf up Ð °Ã'• Ð ° mediÐ °tÐ ¾r between buyer Ð °nd Ã'•eller. It Ã'•tÐ °rted Ã'•elling prÐ ¾ductÃ'• frÐ ¾m cÐ ¾mpÐ °nieÃ'• Ã'•uch Ð °Ã'• TÐ ¾yÃ'• "R" UÃ'• Ð °nd TÐ °rget Ð ¾n itÃ'• Web Ã'•ite. It Ð °dded merchÐ °ndiÃ'•e frÐ ¾m Ã'•mÐ °ller retÐ °ilerÃ'• in itÃ'• zÐ…hÐ ¾pÃ'•. Ð nd it cÐ ¾mpeted directly with eBÐ °y thrÐ ¾ugh itÃ'• Ð mÐ °zÐ ¾n Ð uctiÐ ¾nÃ'•. ThÐ µ firÃ'•t phÐ °Ã'•e Ð ¾f plÐ °nning Ã'•trÐ °tegic mÐ °rketing plÐ °n iÃ'• tÐ ¾ define thÐ µ buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'• miÃ'•Ã'•iÐ ¾n. Ð Ã'• (CrÐ °venÃ'•, 2003, 198) Ã'•tÐ °teÃ'• 'BuÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'• miÃ'•Ã'•iÐ ¾n iÃ'• Ð ° brÐ ¾Ã °dly defined, enduring Ã'•tÐ °tement Ð ¾f purpÐ ¾Ã'•e thÐ °t diÃ'• tinguiÃ'•heÃ'• Ð ° buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'• frÐ ¾m Ð ¾thÐ µrÃ'• Ð ¾f itÃ'• type.' Briefly, buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'• miÃ'•Ã'•iÐ ¾n iÃ'• tÐ ¾ give thÐ µ directiÐ ¾n, which preÃ'•entÃ'• thÐ µ unique Ã'•cÐ ¾pe Ð ¾f buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'•, itÃ'• viÃ'•iÐ ¾n Ð °nd Ã'•pecific cÐ ¾mpetence & cÐ ¾mpetitive Ð °dvÐ °ntÐ °geÃ'•, Ð °nd tÐ ¾ tell emplÐ ¾yeeÃ'•, cÐ ¾nÃ'•umerÃ'•, (BeÃ'•t, 2000, 21) Ð °nd Ã'•hÐ °rehÐ ¾lder whÐ °t Ð ° cÐ ¾mpÐ °ny iÃ'• Ð °nd whÐ °t kind Ð ° cÐ ¾mpÐ °ny emplÐ ¾yeeÃ'• Ð °re in. It iÃ'• like Ð ° fÐ °ce Ð ¾f Ð ° cÐ ¾mpÐ °ny Ð ¾r Ð °n Ð ¾rgÐ °nizÐ °tiÐ ¾n thÐ °t repreÃ'•entÃ'• Ð °ll Ð ¾f it. In Ð °dditiÐ ¾n, buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'• miÃ'•Ã'•iÐ ¾nÃ'• Ð °re bÐ °Ã'•ed Ð ¾n fÐ ¾ur cÐ ¾re cÐ ¾nceptÃ'•, nÐ °mely purpÐ ¾Ã'•e, Ã'•trÐ °tegy, Ã'•tÐ °ndÐ °rdÃ'• Ð °nd behÐ °viÐ ¾rÃ'•, Ð °nd cÐ ¾mpÐ °ny vÐ °lueÃ'•. NÐ ¾kiÐ ° Ð °lwÐ °yÃ'• cÐ ¾mmunicÐ °t e thÐ µ cÐ ¾ncept thÐ °t thÐ µir prÐ ¾ductÃ'• Ð °re cÐ ¾nnecting tÐ ¾ peÐ ¾ple tÐ ¾ thÐ µir cÐ ¾nÃ'•umerÃ'•. ThÐ µy emphÐ °Ã'•ize deÃ'•ign, Ð °nd thÐ °t every functiÐ ¾n Ã'•hÐ ¾uld fit everyÐ ¾ne, becÐ °uÃ'•e technÐ ¾lÐ ¾gy iÃ'• humÐ °nity'Ã'• inventiÐ ¾n. FurthÐ µrmÐ ¾re, buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'• miÃ'•Ã'•iÐ ¾nÃ'• mÐ °y be influenced by three fÐ °ctÐ ¾rÃ'•. ThÐ µre Ð °re cÐ ¾mpÐ °ny'Ã'• cÐ ¾mpetence, envirÐ ¾nment chÐ °nge, Ð °nd reÃ'•Ð ¾urce reÃ'•pectively (BeÃ'•t, 2000, 21).

Friday, October 18, 2019

Taj Mahal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Taj Mahal - Essay Example This is to take advantage of the waterfront situation in the garden. The garden around the Tomb has two major sections; the cross-axial and the four-fold garden. The waterfront was a chief element in the design of the whole complex. At the southern far corner of the garden is the Taj forecourt, at both of its widths, are framed by two smaller courts (tombs of lesser wives of Jahan and courtyard for the tomb attendants). The mausoleum also has additional complex of quarters for merchants and tourists. This was to ensure its accessibility to the whole world. The upkeep and maintenance of the Taj Mahal was financed by the taxes from thirty villages in Agra and income from bazaars and caravanserais as ordered by imperial command. According to Koch (2005), â€Å"The Taj is built architectural theory and can be read like a literary text, once we have mastered the architectural language† (p. 137). Even though there are no texts to prove that the Mughals had written architectural theory, Koch states that his investigations have shown that the theory was laid down in the planning itself. In conclusion, the principles of Shah Jahan’s architecture, which resulted in the building of the monument, are geometric planning, symmetry, hierarchy, proportionality and uniformity, attention to details, naturalism, and symbolism. These principles and their astonishing results can be clearly seen in the complex. For instance, asymmetrical planning with a focus on bilateral symmetry can be seen in the central axis in which the main features are placed. In addition, the building was built to symbolize the power and glory of Shah Tahan. The naturalism principle can be seen through decorations of walls, ceilings, and the tombs; they are mostly decorated with flowers of different colors (Koch

HR Factors that Affect Quality of Customer Service in the Banking Essay - 1

HR Factors that Affect Quality of Customer Service in the Banking Industry in the UAE (National Bank of Abu Dhabi) part 2 - Essay Example This factor become and acts as a challenge for the businesses which gives customer satisfaction a lot of emphasis. There have been different studies in the past that has aimed at studying the minds of the customers however still date the minds of the customers has remained a mystery. In the present study the aim to study the customer satisfaction of the customers of the banks of United Arab Emirates. In particular the study focuses on the customer satisfaction of the customers of national bank of Abu Dhabi. In analyzing the factors behind the customer satisfaction and the quality of customer service provided by the employees of the bank the role of human resource in particular is identified. The study is aimed at studying if the human resource factors at all determine the quality of service provided by the employees of the bank to the customers. In order to understand the function of hr in ensuring that the quality of customer service is upheld the research focuses to study the matte r both on the qualitative and quantitative lines. As process of trying to find the impact the research first tries to find out the view of different researchers regarding the issue. After doing the literature review in order to analyze the view point of different researchers on the matter the next step that has been taken to carry the research forward is to analyze the primary data that is collected through survey of the customers to understand whether the customers are satisfied with the quality of the customer service provided by the banks. After analysis of the customer service that the bank provides to the customers of the bank the factors of the human resource and the effect that human resource has on the quality of service that the employees of the bank provides to the customers of the bank. As per the research it is found out that the lack

Thursday, October 17, 2019

POL- Basic Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

POL- Basic Criminal Law - Essay Example Local rules focus on the conduct that the local community expects people to abide by like speed limits in school zones and noise control at certain hours. If there is ever a conflict in federal law with a state or local rule, federal law will generally control. Most crimes require that you complete an affirmative act before you can be punished for the conduct. If you store drugs in the pocket of your jacket, you affirmatively possess a controlled substance. Some crimes, ironically, punish for omissions. For example, if you are aware that your boyfriend is physically abusing your child, you could be charged for failing to report child abuse. The basis of the crime isn’t what you did, but rather what you failed to do. Many people also assume that crimes are the result of an intentional conduct. Like noted above, if you intentionally had drugs, you could be punished for the intent of your conduct. However, crimes can also involve negligent conduct. For example speeding Most people never really intend to speed. They just (for instance) get caught up in their favorite song and never notice that they are speeding. But regardless of the intent, they are still liable for the speeding ticket. Another crime which has been growing in momentum is using a cell phone while driving. Because of the number of children injured, many states and communities have begun enacting laws which prohibit you  from driving in a school zone while using a cell phone. For instance if you injure a child while going through a school zone and using a cell phone, you could be charged for negligently causing injuries to the child. You did not intend to hurt the child, but because of your negligence, you could still be criminally prosecuted and punished. Crimes also vary by jurisdiction; from state to state and town to town. If you are concerned about whether your conduct, or absence of conduct,

Effective Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Effective Advertising - Essay Example ng on the other hand refers to an advertisement that reaches the target audience specifically and succeeds in influencing them to take particular actions (Homburg, Sabine & Harley, 2009). The particular actions and the expected results of any advertising process are to influence the consumer behavior regarding increasing the sale of products or services. Political advertising as a contemporary type of advertising seeks to achieve the same results by influencing voters to appreciate either a particular candidate or an ideology. Effective advertising requires effective objectives and timelines. Some of the common objectives in advertising include positioning a new brand or product. Such a product requires dedicated advertisement that addresses particular interests of the target audience. Additionally, such an advert must explain the vital features of the product in order to explain the features elaborately including the products’ competitive advantages (Benkler, 2006). Increasing sales, creation of a brand and competitive relations are yet other primary objectives in different advertisements. The advertisers must develop appropriate messages and win particular appeals of the audience. Additionally, the objectives must influence the timing and channels of communication in order to reach a large group of the target audience. This way, the advertiser increases the chances of the messages influencing the consumer behaviors thereby achieving some of the objectives. Irrespective of the objectives of an advert, an effective advert must pursue three fundamental goals that include the presentation of information to both potential consumers and the rest of the public most of who may not be consumers, increasing the demand for the products and differentiating the product. The three are objectives that every advertiser must address when formulating an advert for a particular product. When developing an advert, an advertiser must consider the features of the product that will

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

POL- Basic Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

POL- Basic Criminal Law - Essay Example Local rules focus on the conduct that the local community expects people to abide by like speed limits in school zones and noise control at certain hours. If there is ever a conflict in federal law with a state or local rule, federal law will generally control. Most crimes require that you complete an affirmative act before you can be punished for the conduct. If you store drugs in the pocket of your jacket, you affirmatively possess a controlled substance. Some crimes, ironically, punish for omissions. For example, if you are aware that your boyfriend is physically abusing your child, you could be charged for failing to report child abuse. The basis of the crime isn’t what you did, but rather what you failed to do. Many people also assume that crimes are the result of an intentional conduct. Like noted above, if you intentionally had drugs, you could be punished for the intent of your conduct. However, crimes can also involve negligent conduct. For example speeding Most people never really intend to speed. They just (for instance) get caught up in their favorite song and never notice that they are speeding. But regardless of the intent, they are still liable for the speeding ticket. Another crime which has been growing in momentum is using a cell phone while driving. Because of the number of children injured, many states and communities have begun enacting laws which prohibit you  from driving in a school zone while using a cell phone. For instance if you injure a child while going through a school zone and using a cell phone, you could be charged for negligently causing injuries to the child. You did not intend to hurt the child, but because of your negligence, you could still be criminally prosecuted and punished. Crimes also vary by jurisdiction; from state to state and town to town. If you are concerned about whether your conduct, or absence of conduct,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Evaluation of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in the Marketplace Essay

Evaluation of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in the Marketplace - Essay Example The indexing of information provides an easy way of getting the information to the consumers on Twitter. Indexing of the information again provides the updates about the products to be got by the customers in real time. Again the method of indexing on twits can help consumers to search for more information about a particular product instantly. Twitter has improved its strategies for marketing in the business world. That is an indication of success in its development. Second, Twitter also provides new business ventures for its users. For instance, the speaker states that some users find Twitter convenient to follow states agency publications. Further, Conan indicates that there is no limitation on the number of persons to follow on twitter. In addition, it is not very necessary to follow an individual to get his or her twits. An individual can follow another user but do not follow the person and the person can read your twits. Twitter can, therefore, give one unlimited space to follow more and more Twitter accounts. In a case where one wants to explore the marketplace for business, and then the persons can understand the very diverse business area of interest. The advantages of the use Twitter, therefore, indicate the success of Twitter in the future in the marketplace. It will give a space for one to understand very diverse market area through twitter. That is an evidence of the success of Twitter in the marketplace. According to Lucy, the monthly traffic web traffic indicates that Facebook is posing much more threats to LinkedIn (1). In most of the blog posts, almost a half-dozen blogs show that Facebook is gaining dominance over Myspace in the made-up social media war. Twitter and Facebook have been integrated by their founders such that one can synchronize both Facebook and Twitter account as just update on one account, and the other account would automatically be updated.

Mule Killers Essay Example for Free

Mule Killers Essay â€Å"Mule Killers†, 2004 by Lydia Peele is the gripping story of love and the difficulties around it. It deals with issues such as fatherhood, friendship and marriage, including the conflicts surrounding these. Lydia Peele presents the story of a father telling his son, who is the narrator, an anecdote from his early life. The anecdote is an unhappy love story of the narrator’s father’s love life, and the relationship to the narrator’s grandfather. In a story with its roots in rural America, a much deeper story appears. This is a story of love, hope and the decisions of life. It is the story of the struggles and difficulties that are a part of life. The story, set in the countryside of the USA, presents a group of interesting characters with strong personalities, that each have their way of participating to the story. It is especially the father and the grandfather that have great significance to the Lydia Peele’s short story. The grandfather is presented as a man who is afraid of letting go of his usual surroundings and habits. This is seen on line 77-78, page 4. The grandfather tells the father: †You’re gonna see a future I can’t even stretch my mind around. Not any of it. I can’t even begin to imagine†. The fact that he has such difficulties imagining the future, points towards the conclusion that he would rather live in the present. He would rather live his old fashioned life and not worry about the future. The grandfather’s way of thinking seems old fashioned and generally conservative. When his son explains how he accidentally impregnated a young woman, without having any intentions of marrying her, the conservatism shines through. The grandfather replies on line 86-87, page 4â€Å"This is wrong†¦You got no choice but to take care of it. This is wrong†. The two different worlds of son and father clash, and the true differences are shown. Even though father and son look upon the world with different points of view, the son still has massive respect for his old man. His father is actually his role model, which is also shown throughout the text: â€Å"My father has his father’s height, and he carries it apologetically†(line 7, page 2). The word â€Å"apolegitacally† points towards the fact that the son is aware of the superiority that his father possesses. The son has difficulties living up to his father and his way of life. He wants to possess his father’s ability to show no emotion and how to be â€Å"a real man†. He hides the feelings that strong men traditionally do not feel: He is trying hard to keep certain things inside his chest: things like fear, sadness, and uncertainty†. (line 7-9, page2). This could very likely be a typical trend of the time and environment that the story takes place in. The final main character in the anecdote is the narrator, who is the son to the young man with love problems in the short story. The son is a first person narrator, so the point of view is limited to him. His main function is to tell the story. An actual presentation of his personality is not included. As stated earlier, the setting has great importance for the personalities of the main characters in the story. The setting is in Nashville, just before industrialization modernized the farming life with tractors. The father in the story carries typical traits of a farmer dedicated to old norms, such as no illegitimate children. A possible explanation of this could be that the state of Tennessee is located in the Bible belt, which is known as a highly religious area. There are also other elements of the setting that point out the religious beliefs that the two main characters have: â€Å"At church she always sits with the same girl† (line 14), page 2. The use of the adverb â€Å"always† proves that the son and father attend church on a regular basis. Whilst reading â€Å"Mule Killers† several obvious themes jump out on the page. The main theme seen in the short story is the generational difference between father and son. As stated earlier, the father tries to hold on to his old norms and principals, whereas the son believes in a modern way of life. The difference is illustrated when the son decides not to marry the girl whom he impregnated. The father regards this as uncaring and irresponsible. The views of the son seem to relate to the modern world of today. It becomes more and more ordinary to have a baby outside of marriage without the intentions of helping the mother nurture the child. A specific example is seen in MTV’s â€Å"Teenage Mom† television program where several teenage girls give birth. The program also shows the way the father typically tends to leave the mother after birth. If this had happened in the time where the â€Å"Mule Killers† takes place or prior to it, it would have had major consequences for the father of the child. One can therefore conclude that the times constantly change and some people will always be â€Å"caught† in the past, which in this case is the father. This could also be a possible message of the story. The message could be that norms change throughout history, but not all people follow the change. Regardless of this, it is still important to respect the people who have a hard time dealing with the future. Lydia Peele manages to take the reader on a journey of love and the relationship between the narrator’s father and grandfather. She also shows the reader the different norms and beliefs that the two generations have, and the clashes than can rise to the surface due to this. She also presents the stereotypical religious middle class farmer at this time. This is done by using a small farmer town located in the Bible belt as a setting. The short story is a touching and mind bobbling tale portraying the relationship between two sets of father and son. It tells the tale of the relationship between the narrator’s father and grandfather. The relationship between the narrator’s father and grandfather is presented as a relationship built on a general respect for the elderly. The narrator’s father respects the grandfather since he listens to what he says, and obeys the rules that the grandfather upholds. It is also the tale of how the setting, which is the farmer community in the US during the industrialization, has a major importance for the outcome of the story. The highly religious setting is represented in the Narrator’s grandfather’s point of view regarding childbirth. All in all the short story shows the difficulties surrounding love and how to deal with it in a sensible matter.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Structural and Interest Based Theories of Politics

Structural and Interest Based Theories of Politics What are the main differences between structural and interest-based explanations in comparative politics? Compare and discuss their features using empirical examples. At the heart of the field of comparative politics lie a variety of theoretical frameworks, each of which attempts to enhance our understanding of what is important in relation to explaining political phenomena. The aim of this essay is to examine and compare the features of the structural and interest-based approaches, through the use of empirical examples. As regards its structure, the essay will begin by providing a definition of the comparative method. Following on will be a brief discussion on its uses and a cost-benefit analysis of using such an approach. After all, it is the comparative method that will form the basis of the discussion to follow. The essay will subsequently identify the main differences between structural and interest-based explanations in comparative politics. Due to the lack of space, the ways in which they complement one another will be omitted. Finally, the essay will conclude by arguing that the main differences between structural and interest-based approa ches revolve around their explanations on the causes of political developments, and their focuses on the individual. In order to fully appreciate the main differences between the structural and interest-based explanations in comparative politics, it is first important to develop an understanding of the comparative method in its own right. Although widely used in the field of political science, the comparative method is far from straightforward to define. It is an abstract term to which various definitions have been applied over the years. According to the political scientist Arend Lijphart, the comparative method can be defined as the analysis of a small number of cases, entailing at least two observations, yet too few to permit the application of conventional statistical analysis. (Collier, 1993: 106) In practice, this refers to what is known as a small N analysis, within which there are two basic research designs: most similar systems design (MSSD), and most different systems design (MDSD). As a rule of thumb, the former, otherwise known as Mills Method of Difference, involves the use of less tha n 20 cases (states) that are as similar as possible. The logic behind this methodology is that the more homogeneous the cases under investigation, the easier it ought to be to pinpoint the factors accountable for the differences between them. Faure (1994) argues that the most similar systems design is the prevailing method (but not the only one) in comparative politics. (Faure, 1994: 310) By contrast, the latter, otherwise known as Mills Method of Similarity, involves the use of less than 20 cases that are as different as possible, the purpose of which is to communicate the vigorous nature of the correlation between dependent and independent variables. Such a method assumes that by proving that the observed correlations hold true in different domestic settings, the line of reasoning should be better corroborated. There are many uses of the comparative method. In addition to the case study approach, the experimental method, and the statistical method (Lijphart, 1971: 682), political scientists draw upon the comparative method to assist them in the devising of hypotheses (suggested explanations of something), the testing of hypotheses (which are proven or refuted), and the uncovering of empirical regularities and the identification of outliers' (Gherghina, 2017: 14). The comparative method is by no means faultless; though an analysis of its merits is required in order to demonstrate why it has stood the test of time in the field of political science. One of the main proponents of the comparative method, the aforementioned Arend Lijphart, deduces that given inevitable scarcity of time, energy, and financial resources, the intensive analysis of a few cases may be more promising than the superficial statistical analysis of many cases. (Collier, 1993: 107) His inference substantiates the argument that a detailed analysis of a small number of states is a more effective than a brief analysis of a large number of states as a result of various limitations already touched upon. However, that is not to say the comparative method is without its faults. Indeed, one of the inherent problems picked up on by academics is that of many variables, few cases (Lijphart, 1971: 685). Now that we have developed an understanding of the comparative method, it is possible to observe the ways in which structural and interest-based explanations differ. It can be argued that one of the main differences between structural and interest-based explanations in comparative politics is in relation to the causes of political developments. The crux of the formers argument revolves around the idea that macro factors in other words, factors that are observable at the level of society or variables to put it more simply, factors that are liable to vary or change are the ultimate causes of political events. The most prevalent macro factors or variables employed in the structural approach include a countrys level of economic development, social inequality, educational inequality, life expectancy, degree of urbanisation, ethnic fractionalisation that is, the quantity and size of ethnic groups within a society), and religious composition. (Gherghina, 2017: 10) To demonstrate the structural approach in practice, we can apply the example of the modernisation theory. Broadly speaking, the modernisation theory associated with the work of the polit ical sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset argues that democratisation is the result of modernisation. Modernisation incorporates many of the variables already touched upon, including urbanisation. In laymans terms, the more modern a society becomes, the more likely a society is to become democratic. This is the case because these changes enable middle-class elites to mobilise the working class to press for political rights for all (Gherghina, 2017: 11). From the 18th century onwards Lipset carried out an analysis of several countries, from which he was able to conclude that this does indeed hold true. Among the countries that followed the theory proposed by Lipset were the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, and, more recently, Taiwan in the 20th century. This vividly illustrates the extent to which the structural approach can be useful with regards to explaining political developments and their causes, albeit it does not take into account its visible shortcomings. Nonetheless, by putting into practice the example, it is abundantly clear that the structural approach considers the causes of political developments to be disconnected from the dynamic of the political process. That, in stark contrast, to the interest-based approach in which individual decisions on the basis of seeking to maximise self-interest (Hague et al, 2016: 76) are seen to account for political developments. It is worth stressing that interest-based explanations do not only refer to financial optimisation, but also to a plethora of valued entities, such as authority and the accomplishment of ideological objectives. To illustrate the interest-based approach in practice, we can apply the example of political scientist William Rikers minimal winning coalition theory. It holds that in the aftermath of a general election in which no single party has been able to form a majority government, party leaders will seek to fulfil two criteria. First, they will seek to seek to form a coalition with parties that are ideologically similar to them on the political spectrum. Second, they will do so in such a way so as not to involve more politicians than is necessary to secure a parliamentary majority. This is evidenced by the 2010 UK general election. As Figure 1 vividly illustrates, the Conservatives, under the leadership of David Cameron, fell 19 seats short of a majority. As a result, they followed the aforementioned criteria to decide which party they wished to go into coalition with. Based on the first set of criteria, Cameron opted to go into coalition with Nick Cleggs Liberal Democrats as opposed to Gor don Browns Labour, in light of the fact that that the formers ideals were more closely aligned with those of their own than the latters, as Figure 2 (YouGov, 2014) makes abundantly clear. In addition, based on the second set of criteria, the Conservatives chose the Liberal Democrats as their coalition partners by taking into account the fact that the latter won over 200 fewer seats than Labour (see Figure 1), thus making it less likely that disagreements over the implementation of policies, for example would ensue in government. Hence, at the core of interest-based explanations is the idea that individuals perceived self-interest is the driving force behind political decisions and, on the whole, political developments are the result of such individual decisions. Furthermore, the structural and interest-based explanations can be contrasted in terms of their focus. According to Mahoney, at the core of structuralism is the concern with objective relationships between groups and societies. (Hague et al, 2016: 83) By contrast, the latter is focused on people. (Hague et al, 2016: 84) Thus, the latter focuses on the individual, whereas the former pays attention to networks. To summarise, this essay has examined the main differences between structural and interest-based explanations in comparative politics, through the use of empirical examples, and concluded that the grounds on which they differ are multitudinous. However, one of the main differences is in relation to how they explain the causes of political developments. Whereas structural explanations conclude that factors external to political life, such as life expectancy, are seen to account for political developments, interest-based explanations adopt the perspective that political developments are shaped by individual decisions, on the basis of what is best for them at a particular point in time. In that sense, another of the main differences between structural and interest-based approaches is that the former places a lot of emphasis on networks unlike the latter where the entirety of its focus lies with the individual. Bibliography BBC News Website (2010) Election 2010 Results http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/default.stm [accessed 26th February 2017] Collier, David (1993) The Comparative Method in Finifter, Ada W.; and American Political Science Association Political Science; the state of the discipline II Washington DC: American Political Science Association Faure, Andrew (1994) Some Methodological Problems in Comparative Politics Journal of Theoretical Politics Vol. 6 No. 3 pp. 307-322 Gherghina, Sergiu (2017) The Comparative Method in Introduction to Comparative Politics Gherghina, Sergiu (2017) Theoretical Frameworks in Comparative Politics in Introduction to Comparative Politics Hague, Rod; Harrop, Martin; and McCormack, John (2016) Chapter 5: Theoretical Approaches in Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction 10th Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Lijphart, Arend (1971) Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method The American Political Science Review Vol. 65 No. 3 pp. 682-693 YouGov Website (2014) Britains Changing Political Spectrum https://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/07/23/britains-changing-political-spectrum/ [accessed 26th February 2017]   Ã‚   Appendices

Sunday, October 13, 2019

A Comparison of the Character of Brutus in Julius Caesar and Hamlet in

The Characters of   Brutus and Hamlet in Hamlet and Julius Caesar  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Written one year apart from the other, one cannot fail to recognize the parallels between William Shakespeare's tragedies Julius Caesar and Hamlet. To begin, they are both stories of assassinations gone horribly wrong. Although the details of the plays are different, the two assassins (Brutus and Hamlet) provide interesting comparison. Through these two killers, Shakespeare reveals the different levels of justice; one’s personal sense of justice; others’ perception of justice; the justice of the monarchy that supports Shakespeare’s craft. Through this, the audience realizes that a just person is not always a humble one, a condition that may turn out to be a fatal flaw in the end. When a man decides to play God by taking justice into his own hands, the world can unravel much more quickly than he had ever imagined.    Justice in Hamlet  is a conflict between two Bible teachings: The Old Testament says, "An eye for an eye," but the New Testament preaches, "Turn the other cheek." Hamlet’s peers beg him to let his father rest in peace and accept his mother’s remarriage, an act that would be in accordance with the New Testament. Claudius, Hamlet’s mother’s new husband, himself p... ... 36 Bradley., A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. New York: Penguin Books, 1991. Durband, Alan. Shakespeare Made Easy: Julius Caesar. Barron's Educational Series, Inc.; New York. 1985. Mack, Maynard. â€Å"The World of Hamlet.† Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Rev. ed. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. New York: Oxford University P., 1967. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Suzanne L. Wofford. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1994. Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Ed. Alan Durband. London: Hutchinson & Co. Publishers Ltd., 1984.   

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Struggle Within :: essays research papers

The Struggle Within   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scarlet Letter offers extraordinary insight into the norms and behavior of 17th century puritan society. The basic characteristics and problems of its main characters, however, are familiar to readers in the present (Encarta 98). In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops Reverend Dimmesdale’s internal struggle through his guilt, his indecision regarding confession, and his final decision to confess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of the novel, the Reverend Dimmesdale has committed adultery with Hester Prynne, and he is constantly troubled by inescapable guilt. Dimmesdale knows he is a hypocrite and he hates himself for it. He tries many ways to pay penance, but nothing seems to relieve him of this terrible guilt. He tries fasting and he tries whipping himself, but nothing can rid him of his guilt. This guilt causes Dimmesdale to become physically ill. He constantly is holding his hand over his heart. This is because Hester Prynne is forced to wear the scarlet letter A on her breast. He feels connected to her because she was his partner in sin, so he holds his hand over his heart to hide his A, or guilt. At the end of the novel when he does confess, he shows his chest, and reveals his own A. Many people thought that this was caused by guilt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Reverend Dimmesdale wants to confess, but he is always too cowardly to face the consequences of confession. In the first scaffold scene, Dimmesdale tries to confess, but is unable to do it. In the second scaffold scene, Dimmesdale’s purpose is to stand on the scaffold until morning so everyone will see him. He is unable to stop thinking about what might happen to him if he is seen. While standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart†¦. Without any power to restrain himself, he shrieked aloud; an outcry that went pealing through the night, and was beaten back from one house to another, and reverberated from the hills in the background†¦(Hawthorne 102) This quote shows the anguish felt by Dimmesdale that he had no way to relieve himself of his guilt. Later, when Dimmesdale is still on the scaffold Hester and Pearl walk by. Dimmesdale asks them to join him on the scaffold.

Friday, October 11, 2019

A town Torn apart by Nestlé

The Nestle Waters North Americas plans of building a bottled water plant in McCloud, California was faced by a number of conflicts both internally and externally. Despite Nestle’ company being in the fore front of creating jobs to the residents of McCloud region they were to pose several threats to the lives of people in the long run by depleting water resources.The residences of McCloud are against the Nestle’ waters plant, they argue that the plant will have a negative impact on the local hydrology. This made the residence to seek back-ups from wealth groups and reception of politicians all in the move of bringing to a stop the operations of Nestle Waters. Nestle Waters had to ignore the residence opposition and continue with their activities so as to prevail in McCloud so that it may improve the sale of bottled water in the U.S.The environmentalists claimed that the plant have a say in global warming given that it takes oil in the process of manufacturing bottles to be used to pack water. In addition, transportation of water from the plants to supermarkets utilizes much oil thus contributing to global warming. They have therefore united with the environmentalist in ensuring that the environment is protected against depletion (Conlin , 2008,1).Additionally, there was the organizational politics where some board members in McCloud were against the operation of the plant. This called for a voting to be done in order to find the winner. People had to compromise with the authenticity of Nestlà © plant, given that in the past it promoted infant formula over breast milk. Furthermore, the large size of the company will make it to suck out of the mountain in large quantities thus threatening the hydrology of the area.Competition has been the major conflict to the Nestle in their operation. Other competitors consider this company as a threat given that it has many resources which can make it fund larger activities. Even though the competitors also use w ater in there activities like the soda and beer industries. Apart from competition, the quality of water was another concern in view of the fact that it kept on declining due to toxic brew of pesticides, sewage and industrial run-off.This led to campaign for tap water instead of bottle water on the ground that it is not safe. Moreover, the plant produced large quantities of water per minute leading to drop offs in the flow level and this result to drought. In collaboration with the court, Nestle continued with its operation despite it’s effect of depleting the wetlands on claims that it assured generation of resources to the economy and this is what counts.There was also an organizational conflict where the members of board used to attack each other to the extent that the tires of one of the members were slashed (Conlin, 2008, 4).Reasons for divisionsThe conflict has divided the town into two due to the fact as some view the operation of Nestle’ having many shortcoming s like the competitors. It has provided employment opportunities to the jobless who had nearly lost hope. In addition, half of the residences are against the plant operation claiming that it results to depletion of resources and that Nestle’ requires more water for its company.For those who support the plant is because it has led to employment given that the region is more valuable and they were expectant of such a move. Some are against the plant on the basis that they were not consulted during negotiations and they opted to look for support from other sources especially politicians and wealthy men so that their view may be attended to.The deal was done with few board members giving no room for opposition who claims that water is for life and not for profit and yet Nestle company was after profits given that they sold there water 1000 times the tap water. Furthermore, they regard the plant to be more costly in respect to the benefits derived from its operation.The supporters believe that it help in generation of resources by creating more jobs that will boost the economy, the opposition feel that it is impossible to people to conserve water and later give room for a water plant. This led to lawsuits from those against the plant, thus the biggest challenge is of winning the support of the locals and Nestle’ Waters used to consider this in its plan.Upset residentsThe McCloud residents were upset during and after the September 29th Nestle meeting simply because they were not involved in coming up with the deal. They were eager to indulge in discussion and ask question so that a consensus may be reached after an interactive bargaining but that was not the case.In addition, they were not told the proposal but instead they were dumbfounded as the deal was signed without them knowing what was in it. They consider the move will lead to more droughts in the region given that the country was facing dwindling supply of water (Conlin, 2008, 3).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Cost Centres, Profit Centres, Investment Centres Essay

The increasing complexity of today’s business environment makes it virtually impossible for most firms to be controlled centrally. Decentralisation is a necessary response to this increasing complexity and involves the delegation of decision-making responsibility by senior management to sub-ordinates. The structure is such that decision making is dispersed to various units within the organisation, with managers at various levels making key decisions relating to their centre of responsibility. These centres of organisational activity are known as responsibility centres and may be defined ‘as a unit of a firm where an individual manager is held responsible for the unit’s performance.’1 The performance of each centre and its manager is measured and controlled through a system of responsibility accounting which is based on the principles of locating responsibility and tracing costs/revenue/investments etc. to the individual managers who are primarily responsible. The division of the firm into separately identifiable units of responsibility allows for more accurate measurement of managerial performance because local information is more thorough. Overall, in order to obtain an accurate measurement of managerial performance, measures should be based on elements which the manager can control or significantly influence. There are three main types of responsibility centre. A cost centre is the lowest level of responsibility, and performance is measured in terms of the costs incurred by it. Cost centres do not generate revenue and therefore have no profit objectives, which differentiates it from profit and investment centres. Managers of cost centres are accountable only for controllable costs and are not responsible for level of activity or long-term investment decisions. Managerial performance is measured by efficiency of operations in terms of the quantity of inputs used in producing a given output. The basis of this type of measurement lies in comparing actual inputs to budgeted controllable costs or some predetermined level that represents efficient utilisation. Cost control and efficiency of operations are the main elements of this type of unit. However, costs in general can be difficult to measure, trace and allocate and it can be difficult to differentiate between controllable and uncontrollable costs. This poses a major drawback for the evaluation of cost centres and their management, since cost is its main element of measurement. The focus being mainly on costs, makes this centre some-what weak in terms of evaluation and measurement of managerial performance. Cost centres can be split into two different types; standard cost centres and discretionary cost centres. In the former, measurement is exercised by comparing standard cost with actual cost. Variances would be indicative of the efficiency of the centre and therefore its managers’ performance. Discretionary cost centres are centres where output cannot be measured in financial terms, for example advertising and publicity, R&D etc. ‘Control normally takes the form of ensuring that actual expenditure adheres to budgeted expenditure for each expense category.’2 However, a major problem with this type of responsibility centre is the measurement of the effectiveness of expenditure and the determination of the efficiency of the centre itself and its management. A profit centre offers an additional element to the measurement process in that both inputs and outputs are measured in monetary terms. The manager of a profit centre has increased autonomy as s/he is responsible for revenue as well as costs; hence it is easier to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of managerial performance in financial terms. ‘In this situation, managers are normally free to set selling prices, choose which markets to sell in, make product-mix and output decisions and select suppliers.’3 A profit centre differs form a cost centre in that its main objective is to maximise profit and the performance of the manager is measured in terms of profit made. Top executives allocate assets to a profit centre, and the manager is responsible for using these assets to make a profit. Each profit centre has a profit target and has the authority to adopt such policies that are necessary to achieve these targets. Profit centre managers are evaluated by comparing actual profit to targeted profit. Profit analysis using profitability ratios or segmented income statements are used as a basis for evaluating managerial performance. The major issue with profit statements is the difficulty in deciding what is controllable or traceable, and in order to assess the managers’ performance rather than the economic performance of the unit, measures must be based on controllable profit only. Another difficulty arises in allocating revenue and costs to profit centres, as it is unlikely that the profit centre is completely independent. This has prompted many firms to use multiple performance measures such as a balanced scorecard, which measures non-financial as well as financial elements of the unit. The measurement of profit is also compounded by the use of transfer prices and agreeing on its ‘fairness’. Transfer prices are allocated to goods transferred from one unit to another within a firm. The implication of transfer prices is that for the selling unit it will be a source of revenue and for the receiving unit it is an element of cost, and as a result each division may act in its own interests. Transfer pricing therefore has a significant bearing when calculating revenues, costs and profits of responsibility centres. The choice of transfer pricing method is important because it affects goal congruence as well as performance measurement. However, it is difficult to determine the correct transfer price, as there are a wide variety of methods available, varying from negotiation to approaches based on the market or based on cost. The investment centre manager has increased responsibility in comparison to the cost and profit centre managers and as a result there are further options for managerial performance measurement by top management. The investment centre manager has responsibility for revenue and costs, and also has the authority to make capital investment decisions. This type of unit represents the highest level of managerial autonomy. An investment centre differs from a profit centre in that investment centre management is evaluated on the basis of the rate of return earned on the assets employed or the residual income earned, while profit centre management is evaluated on the basis of excess revenue over expenses for the period. The manager in charge has the objective of profitability, depending not only on sales but also on profitability of the capital used. Overall, investment centres offer the broadest basis for measurement in the sense that managerial performance is measured not only in terms of profits, but also in terms of assets employed to generate those profits. Performance can be measured using a variety of tools, and this ensures that the drawbacks of one method are overcome by the merits of another. This in turn leads to more accurate results and is one of the main reasons why investment centres are so popular as a means of managerial performance measurement in large companies. Both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the manager can be assessed by reference to the accounting data available. Investment centres offer many qualities required for good managerial performance measurement. For example, they provide incentives to the unit manager, they can recognise long-term objectives as well as short-term objectives and the increased responsibility means there are more controllable factors for use in performance measurement calculations. Return on investment is a measurement approach in common use in investment centres. This method has the advantage of being simple and easy to calculate. ‘ROI expresses divisional profit as a percentage of the assets employed in the division.’4 It has the further advantage of motivating managers to achieve the best return on investments in order to achieve the associated rewards. ROI provides a return measure that controls the size and is comparable to other measures. It can be used as a common denominator for comparing the returns of similar businesses, such as other divisions within the group or outside competition. It is widely used and most managers understand what the measure reflects. However, some complications arise in the calculation of this method. For example, difficulties regarding the calculation of profit, some of which are described above. Profit can be defined in a number of ways and this enables the figure to be manipulated. In the case of the figure for investments, the question arises whether this should be total assets (gross or depreciated), total operating assets or net total assets. The result would differ in each case, but if consistency is maintained throughout the organisation, decisions would remain unaffected. Another difficulty that may arise in relation to this method is that managers may focus on self-interests rather than the overall goal of the organisation and some profitable opportunities may be ignored because s/he fears potential dilution of existing successful endeavours. Furthermore, ROI does not adequately recognise risk. A manager who generates a large ROI result may be investing in riskier assets which may not be consistent with organisational goals. Use of ROI as a managerial performance measure can lead to under or over investment in assets or incorrect asset disposal decisions, in order to achieve the result the manager requires to accomplish his reward. To overcome some of the above difficulties, many firms use residual income to evaluate managerial performance. This method seeks to motivate managers to invest where the expected returns exceed the cost of capital. For the purpose of managerial performance measurement, ‘it compares the controllable contribution of an investment with the targeted rate of return.’5 There is a greater possibility that managers will be encouraged to act in the best interests of the company. Another advantage of this method is that it is more flexible because different cost of capital rates can be applied for different levels or risk. Though ROI and RI operate on a similar basis, RI proves better in certain circumstances. For example, if ROI is chosen as the measuring technique, managers may be reluctant to make additional investments in fixed assets as it may bring down the ROI for their centre. RI calculation results would be more accurate in these situations. However, residual income does not overcome the problem of determining the value of assets or the figure to be used for profit. If RI is used in a short-term perspective, it can over-emphasise short-term performance at the expense of long-term performance. Investment projects with positive net present values can show poor ROI and RI results in early years, leading to rejection of projects by managers. Residual income also experiences problems in comparing managerial performance in divisions of different sizes. The manager of the larger division will generally show a higher RI because of the size of the division rather then superior managerial performance. Another drawback for this method is that it requires an estimate of the cost of capital, a figure which can be difficult to calculate. Economic value added is an extension of the residual income measurement. It measures surplus value created by total investments which include funds provided by banks, shareholders etc. Its key element is the emphasis on after-tax operating profit and the actual annual cost of capital. The latter aspect differentiates it from the RI measure, which uses the minimum expected rate of return. EVA is a further step towards encouraging centre managers to concentrate on the overall goal of the organisation rather than their own self interests, hence reducing dysfunctional behaviour. The above measures are financial measures. As stated previously, it is important also to study non-financial aspects, such as customer satisfaction, quality, internal processes, growth etc. in order to get a more complete picture when measuring managerial performance. The above measures also focus on performance within the investment centre and do not consider the performance relative to overall company objectives. In conclusion, it can be stated that in order to assess managerial performance as opposed to the economic performance of the division, it is vital to make a distinction between the controllable and uncontrollable elements used in the chosen calculations. Each measurement technique is not without limitations, but these difficulties can be overcome by using a wide variety of measurement tools and striking the right balance between them. Of the three types of responsibility centre, an investment centre can be considered to yield better results, as it allows for the broadest basis for measurement, making it widely popular as a means of managerial performance measurement. 1 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 653 2 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 654 3 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 654/655 4 C. Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 6th Ed. P. 845 5 IPA Manual, Management Accounting, P 239

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

What are the major differences between capitalism, communism, and Essay

What are the major differences between capitalism, communism, and socialism - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that capitalism is a system of private enterprise in which the main economic decisions, such as what, how, how much, where, to whom and for what price several items are to be produced, are made by private individuals in their capacity as owners, workers or consumers. Capitalism is referred as free enterprise system as the basic economic decisions are not left to individuals but rather these decisions are also made in response to market forces such as demand and supply. According to the concepts of capitalism, people are free to accept the law of supply and demand. Communism is, according to its founder Karl Marx, an economic system that promotes the idea that the society must control the production or goods and services. Capitalism was much concerned about acquisition of wealth where as communism focused on serving others with concerns on poor and underprivileged arguing that there were major disparities between classes. Socialism is an econo mic system that seeks to manage the economy through collective social control, but communism is an economic system that seeks to manage the economy as well as society. McConnell and Brue noted that capitalism is a system in which each participant acts and performs business and non-business activities in his own self interest. Each individual is looking for maximizing his satisfaction or profits through own decisions regarding production and consumption. They pointed out that socialism and communism can be considered as command system as an alternative to market system. In both communism and socialism, government owns most of the property resources. The economic decision making in these systems occurs through a central economic plan Socialism and communism are similar in that both these dogmas are systems of production for use based on public ownership of the centralized planning. Communism is a further development or higher stage of socialism (Williamson, 2011, p. 47). 2. Discuss th e three major economic indicators and how they are indicative of our current economic climate. The major three economic indicators are 1) Gross domestic product, 2) Consumer price Index, 3) Employment. The most important economic indicator is GDP- Gross Domestic Product- which represents the total market value of all final goods and services that are produced in a specific period of time. GDP includes all goods and services produced by citizen-supplied or foreign-supplied resources employed inside the country (McConnell and Brue, 2004, p. 113). Consumer Price Index is used as main measure of inflation in the United States as compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index is considered as the base to report inflation rate each month and each year and also for adjusting social security benefits as well as income tax brackets for inflation (McConnell and Brue, 2004, p. 141). Another important economic indicator is Employment Statistics which provides a comprehensive d ata on national employment situations, unemployment rate, wage and earning data etc. Normally, information is disseminated from different ways such as agricultural, industrial, employment or unemployment among men, women or other classes etc. All these major economic indicators are clearly indicative of our current economic situations. For instance, the latest statistics show that there has been an expansion of 2.8 percent in the gross domestic product figure in the fourth quarter of 2011 over the previous quarter (tradingeconomics.com, 2012). Another example is that the unemployment rate in the United States has been decreased to 8.3 percent in January of 2012, showing a lowest rate from February of 2009 (tradingeconomics.com, 2012). 3. In considering to enter the global market, identify the major strategies an entrepreneur may