Thursday, December 26, 2019

How Monarchs Know When to Migrate

The monarch butterfly is a true miracle of nature. Its the only butterfly species known to complete a round-trip migration of up to 3,000 miles each year. Each fall, millions of monarchs make their way to the mountains of central Mexico, where they spend the winter hunkered down in the oyamel fir forests. Just how do the monarchs know when its time to migrate? Differences Between Summer Monarchs and Fall Monarchs Before we tackle the question of what makes a monarch migrate in the fall, we need to understand the difference between a spring or summer monarch and a migrant monarch. A typical monarch lives just a few weeks. Spring and summer monarchs have functional reproductive organs soon after emergence, allowing them to mate and reproduce within the constraints of a short lifespan. Theyre solitary butterflies that spend their brief days and nights alone, with the exception of the time spent mating. The fall migrants, however, go into a state of reproductive diapause. Their reproductive organs arent fully developed after emergence, and wont be until the following spring. Rather than mating, these monarchs put their energy into preparing for the arduous flight south. They become more gregarious, roosting in trees together overnight. The fall monarchs, also known as the Methuselah generation for their extended lifespan, need lots of nectar to make their journey and survive the long winter. 3 Environmental Cues Tell Monarchs to Migrate So the real question is what triggers these physiological and behavioral changes in the fall monarchs? Three environmental factors influence these changes in the migrant generation of monarchs: the length of daylight, the fluctuation of temperatures, and the quality of milkweed plants. In combination, these three environmental triggers tell monarchs its time to take to the skies. As summer ends and fall begins, days grow gradually shorter. This steady change in the length of daylight helps to trigger reproductive diapause in late-season monarchs. Its not just that the days are shorter, its that they keep getting shorter. Research at the University of Minnesota showed that monarchs subjected to a constant but short amount of daylight would not go into reproductive diapause. The daylight hours had to vary over time to cause the physiological change that makes a monarch migrate. Fluctuating temperatures also signal the change of seasons. Although daytime temperatures may still be warm, late summer nights become noticeably cooler. Monarchs use this cue to migrate as well. University of Minnesota scientists determined that monarchs reared in a climate of fluctuating temperatures were more likely to go into diapause than those reared at a constant temperature. Late season monarchs that experience changing temperatures will suspend reproductive activity in preparation for migration. Finally, monarch reproduction depends on an adequate supply of healthy host plants, milkweed. By late August or September, the milkweed plants begin to yellow and dehydrate and are often covered with sooty mold from aphids. Lacking nutritious foliage for their offspring, these adult monarchs will delay reproduction and begin migration.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Social Responsibility Of Business Essay - 1959 Words

1.) Do you agree or disagree with the following quotation: â€Å"There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say engages in free and open competition, without deception and fraud.† Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize winning economist. In other words, the social responsibility of business is to make a profit. I do not agree with the following quote by Milton Friedman. Engaging in activities that are designed to only increase profits for a company would open doors to complications and mistakes, which is caused by the lack of customer satisfaction. The social responsibility of any business should be to take care of its customers, instead of just focusing on the amount of profit the company is making. If a company decides to just focus on making a profit, it will lose focus on providing customers with products and services that will improve their standard of living. Based off of Archie B. Carroll’s global corporate social responsibility pyramid, doing what is profitable or what is required by global capitalism is the base of the pyramid, whereas being a good global corporate citizen and doing what is desired by global stakeholders is at the top of the pyramid. Though it is important for companies to make the most amount of profit possible, it is also equally crucial for companies to contribute to their society by being a goodShow MoreRelatedThe Social Responsibility Of Business932 Words   |  4 PagesA corporation does do business within a vacuum; rather exist as part of larger collective framework of society, stakeholders and a global business community. I believe that corporations which are profitable, and promote moral and ethical standards are the benchmark of success; additionally, corporations bear a great social responsibility to the society it exists within, an simply working within â€Å"the basic rules of society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom† is not enoughRead MoreBusiness and Social Responsibility1140 Words   |  5 PagesWhen a business gets incorporated regardless of the business size and the nature of profession requires an adequate execution methods for being successful and to achieve its goals. Some of these goals can be short-term or long-term, depends on the nature of business. Likewise, these execution methodologies can be vary time to time as the corporate needs to satisfy different groups of people such as : top hierarchy stakeholders, staffs ,shareholders, and even non-related business groups such as environmentalistsRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1422 Words   |  6 Pagesthe business be held accountable for these actions? In his essay â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profit† Milton Friedman, powerful economist, discusses what a business should prioritize in the economic system. Friedman declares what a business is responsible for and the guidelines they must follow. Due to Friedman’s view, he would not have condoned the actions and decisions that the executives at Ford Motor Company took. Friedman argues that the only responsibility a businessRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1042 Words   |  5 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility is defined as a business preparation that involves participating in creativities that help society. Friedman: The Social Responsibility of Business is to increase its profits. Milton Friedman argues that the only social responsibility a business has is to itself – mainly to its profits, and therefore, its stakeholders. The business management in charge of a company works for the organization and eventually for the stakeholders. This person is responsible for carryingRead MoreThe Social Responsibility of a Business647 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿The Social Responsibility of Business: The role of business in the society became a major aspect across business after Milton Freedman wrote the most provocative article in 1970. As an economist, Freedman stated that the main purpose of businesses is to generate profits for its shareholders. Furthermore, he argued that companies with responsible attitudes were likely to encounter increased binding constraints unlike those that lacked these attitudes, resulting in them becoming less competitiveRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business787 Words   |  4 Pages The economist and Nobel laureate Milton Friedman’s article published in The New York Times Magazine in 1970 titled, â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits.† (NYTimes, 1970) set tone for companies all across the country and all over the world. Companies start to turn in profits that shattered all charts and stock markets. Beginning in 1960s to 1990s, Capitalism had won the cold war with its arch rival the Soviet Union had withered away into the oblivion and the companiesRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1437 Words   |  6 Pagesthe business be held accountable for these actions? In his essay â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profit† Milton Friedman, powerful economist, discusses what a business should prioritize in the economic system. Friedman declares what a business is responsible for and the guidelines they must follow. Due to Friedman’s view, he would not have condoned the actio ns and decisions that the executives at Ford Motor Company took. Friedman argues that the only responsibility a businessRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business2053 Words   |  9 Pagesevolution-taking place; now the level of a business social responsibility has become increasingly integrated into modern business practices. This focus has seen both advantages and disadvantages to the business. However, to what extent has the use of the greater focus of a business social responsibility affected its competitive advantage in its marketplace. CSR is described as; â€Å"the principle that companies can and should make a positive contribution to society, of managing the social, environmental and economicRead MoreSocial Responsibility Of A Business1444 Words   |  6 Pagesareas of business and nonprofit management. However, Cohen’s article on social responsibility drew a lot attention from other scholars like Friedman. In view of this, this paper will discuss and define the concept of social responsibility of a business to its workers, stakeholders, and society; how the perspectives align with that of Drucker; comparing Cohen’s opinion with that of Friedman and finally determines which of the two individual’s opinion best aligns with the current business climate promotingRead MoreThe Social Responsibility Of Business1463 Words   |  6 PagesIn his paper titled The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits†, Milton Friedman addresses the key issue of weighing social responsib ility against profit maximization for shareholders. This conflict is the basis for Friedman’s whole paper, as he explores the two sides of the situation. In order to set up his argument, Friedman lays down a framework by explicitly stating a certain premise. This is that businessman view â€Å"social responsibility† and profit as not being mutually

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Finding Beauty free essay sample

However, almost all of them dont seem to care about what happened and just walked with a mind thinking about other things. Among these people, some Of them were interviewed. Surprisingly, a majority Of them did not pay attention to the musician and so did music. Some people gave a couple of bucks and went away. Very little of them can completely appreciate the music performed by Bell. In all, beauty is just around them and they just lose the eye of finding it. Pearls before Breakfast is well organized. To begin with, the author describe a scene happening outside the Metro which draw the interest of readers.Gradually, the purpose is revealed which is whether beauty would be found in a banal setting at rush time. To get this goal, this special experiment is arranged. Before an experiment, a reasonable assumption IS necessary greatly because it can give a specific direction and make leader more clear. We will write a custom essay sample on Finding Beauty or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To Lie attain a perfect outcome, the author devote a lot of words to describing Joshua Bell who he is, his character and the relationship between he and his violin. At the same time, the violin is of great importance for musician which is also written slightly to prove this performance is significant.However, people are not intrigued by the music and his performance is not paid attention to by people who are thinking about other things. The brilliant musician, precious violin, famous classical music and merely noticeable performance are in stark contrast. The author prefers using the method of comparison The skin mass move, but it is that lottery ticket dispenser that stays the busiest, with customers queuing up for Daily 6 lotto and powerboat and the ultimate suckers bait, those pamphlets that sell random number combination purporting to be hot. They sell 4). He seems so apart from his audience unseen, unheard, otherworldly?that you find yourself thinking that he is not really there. A ghost. (Wintering up) one side is busy which a group of people desire for lucky. And another side is barely focusing on nevertheless there is performing a terrific music. The phenomena of the former and the latter are Obvious with comparison. The author uses a few individuals example passing by the musician and analysis heir behaviors to reveal that facing beauty they should alter the fast pace to appreciate it though these examples are opposite to the authors stance.The expert opinion can also strengthen the power of expression. For example, the author quotes the Kant s opinion that everyone can appreciate beauty whoever you are. Whats more, using statistics usually make accurate and specific. in the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run?for a total of $32 and change. (Wintering up) Once having Lie specific statistics, the article could become real and credible. The author selects some opposite examples to state that beauty should be found at an easy rate from tiny things. Just walking ahead, though there are some precious pearls on the ground, people with going fast would not notice them and miss them regretfully. So do not walk straight only. Decrease the speed of walking and at some appropriate time stop to appreciate the views around the street. Like musician in the paper, there are also usual things around them.The colorful flowers, pure stream, all kinds Of wilds and cute animals, and gentle breeze are worthy of appreciation. Do not look down on these usual things. As a matter of fact, usual things usually contain philosophy about life. That is why a bunch of poets are willing to go to the nature and focus on tiny things, then result in a serious of thoughts about life. Living in the modern society, a great deal of people face with the stress of purchasing house and cars. At the same time, the burden of business can also prevent us room rest.But, these are not excuses for appreciating beauty. Finding beauty need open heart to accept not receive because accepting is active but receiving is passive. Sometimes, beauty can t only bring the enjoyment from the nature or music, but also give the inspiration of business. Beauty usually contains enormous power. For example, Ma Yuan, a Chief executive officer Of Alabama, has a hobby that he is willing to go out, touring or just walking around in the park when he faces difficulties or puzzles. While he comes, he is full of vigor and looks problems clearly.Nowadays, a lot of people have leaned to wait. As some holiday comes, couples, friends, or families always come together to the theatre, cinema, or go on vacation to relax themselves. In addition, a few people are not taking a photograph. On the weekend, they may get together and go into the nature to find tiny beauty hiding intricacies of branches, sunrise and sunset, or blooming flowers. The beauty around their daily life does not satisfy the requirement of interest. They need go out of life and search for more beauty in nature.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Uniform Chaos Essay Research Paper In Sopohocles free essay sample

Uniform Chaos Essay, Research Paper In Sopohocles # 8217 ; calamity # 8220 ; Oedipus the King # 8221 ; , Oedipus proclaims # 8221 ; it was I who have pronounced these expletives on myself # 8221 ; ( Madden 37 ) . With this proclamation, Oedipus is cognizant that his chase for order has led to a life of pandemonium. The cardinal thesis is that the given of order establishes physical, rational, and religious pandemonium. The text # 8217 ; s mention to the sphinx, Oedipus, and Tiresias creates this impression. These three actual forms are the metaphoric symbolists of physical, rational, and religious pandemonium. The construct of physical pandemonium is foremost introduced during the first address of the priest when mention is made to the # 8220 ; rough vocalist # 8221 ; ( Madden 37 ) , the sphinx. In Greek mythology, the sphinx is recognised as a intercrossed animal with a adult female # 8217 ; s caput, a king of beasts # 8217 ; s organic structure, an bird of Jove # 8217 ; s wings, and a snake # 8217 ; s tail. In world, # 8220 ; the virgin with the crooked talons # 8221 ; ( Madden 48 ) , is a alone original for many things in one individual being. We will write a custom essay sample on Uniform Chaos Essay Research Paper In Sopohocles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The sphinx is an prototype of devastation and pandemonium who establishes # 8220 ; the revenue enhancement [ they ] had to pay [ her ] # 8221 ; ( Madden 17 ) because she devourers all who fail to reply her conundrum. Her domination of Thebes causes mayhem and melancholy responses that are straight related to the grade of her physical pandemonium. The confrontation between Oedipus and the sphinx ends with the latter destructing herself, # 8220 ; the winged maiden came against him: he was seen so to be skilled # 8221 ; ( Madden 29 ) , due to Oedipus replying her conundrum. By destructing herself, the sphinx makes it possible for the prophets to come true. With her reign of panic at an terminal, the sphinx makes it possible for Oedipus to go on with his life in chase of order. Chaos is established because of the chance for the prognostications to go an actuality. The physical visual aspect of the sphinx and her suicide foreshadow pandemonium for Oedipus in the close hereafter. As the sphinx is the step of highest physical pandemonium, so Oedipus is a step of extreme rational pandemonium. Oedipus, being the male monarch of Thebes, portrays qualities that signify intelligence, fortitude, and freedom from uncertainty. Oedipus # 8217 ; intelligence is outstanding upon cognition of his ailment religion ; Oedipus, in his present province of head, interprets the prognostications made to him literally. This class of action aids in the achievement of the prophets. # 8220 ; [ Phoebus ] said [ Oedipus ] would be [ his ] female parent # 8217 ; s lover, show offspring to mankind [ that ] they could non look at, and be his [ male parent s ] liquidator. When [ Oedipus ] heard this, and of all time since, [ he ] gauged the manner to Corinth by the stars entirely, running to a topographic point where [ he ] would neer see the shame in the prophet # 8217 ; s words come true. # 8221 ; ( Madden 37 ) . # 8221 ; By seeking to put down a systematic life, Oedipus ironically commits the # 8220 ; wretched horrors # 8221 ; ( Madden 37 ) he intends to avoid, therefore coming to the realisation that # 8220 ; [ he ] struck them with his manus # 8221 ; ( Madden 52 ) . Oedipus answers the conundrum of the sphinx # 8220 ; and stopped her-by utilizing idea # 8221 ; ( Madden 26 ) . By making so, Oedipus # 8217 ; wages for liberating Thebes was the throne and the manus in matrimony of the widowed Jocasta. His intelligence-driven fulfillment of the prognostications induced pandemonium because # 8220 ; [ her ] conundrum wasn # 8217 ; T for a adult male chancing by to construe, prophetic art was needed # 8221 ; ( Madden 26 ) . The realisation that # 8220 ; [ he has ] pronounced these expletives on [ himself ] # 8221 ; ( Madden 37 ) depicts how Oedipus establishes rational pandemonium because the picks he makes to procure order in his life queerly adequate provoke a helter-skelter clip to come. The reference of Tiresias in the drama signifies religious pandemonium. He is a blind but wise prophesier who # 8220 ; sees more [ ] than Lord Phoebus # 8221 ; ( Madden 24 ) . Tiresias knows the truth about Oedipus and provinces: # 8220 ; he # 8217 ; ll be shown a male parent who is besides brother ; to the 1 who bore him, boy and hubby ; to his male parent, his seed-fellow and killer # 8221 ; ( Madden 28 ) . Tiresias has # 8220 ; the strength of the truth # 8221 ; ( Madden 25 ) and pandemonium evolves when he does non talk of the truth he knows. With this, Oedipus accuses him of being # 8220 ; [ portion ] of [ the ] secret plan [ to slay Laius ] # 8221 ; ( Madden 26 ) , when in world, # 8220 ; [ Oedipus is the ] enemy # 8221 ; ( Madden 27 ) . Tiresias is unsighted due to natural causes, but when Oedipus tries to accomplish his degree of wisdom, all that is obtained is chaos. # 8220 ; [ H ] vitamin E snatched the pins [ ] and struck [ them ] into [ his orbs ] # 8221 ; ( Madden 50 ) in effort to see spiritually. Tiresias deceives Oedipus accidentally into believing that wisdom can be achieved by sightlessness ; Tiresias says: # 8220 ; since you have thrown my sightlessness at me: Your eyes can # 8217 ; t see the immorality to which you # 8217 ; ve come # 8221 ; ( Madden 27 ) . This incident depicts how Tiresias # 8217 ; order establishes pandemonium for Oedipus. Geting order can non be without the construct of pandemonium. The realisation that order leads to chaos manifests adult male # 8217 ; s chase for an unapproachable terminal. The challenge to carry through a life of order involves smart determination devising, and this procedure is indispensable for physical, rational and religious pandemonium.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Preparing for the First Certificate Examination for Free

Preparing for the First Certificate Examination for Free Cambridge Universitys First Certificate Examination (FCE) is probably the most widely respected English learning certificate outside of the United States. Examination centers around the world offer the First Certificate Exam twice a year; once in December and once in June. In fact, the First Certificate is only one of a number of Cambridge examinations aimed at levels from young learners to business English. However, the FCE is certainly the most popular. The tests are given in Cambridge University approved exam centers using Cambridge University approved examiners. Study Strategy Studying for the First Certificate Exam usually involves a long course. First Certificate preparation course can last 120 hours and involve a difficult (and long) exam which contains five papers including: ReadingWritingUse of EnglishListeningSpeaking There are few resources on the Internet for First Certificate preparation. However, you can  find practice tests, wordbanks, and practice  exercises. You can use these materials to prepare for the exam or to check to see if your level of English is right for working towards this exam. About the Test Before beginning to study for the First Certificate, it is a good idea to understand the philosophy and purpose behind this standardized test. Practicing techniques on test taking can help you understand general test-taking preparation. The best way to understand the specifics of the FCE is to go straight to the source and visit the introduction to the exam at Cambridge Universitys EFL site. For information about where the First Certificate is placed on the European 5-level scale, you can visit this informative page. Listening Finding FCE-specific listening practice exercises can be difficult, so get creative! Visit the BBCs audio and visual page and listen to or watch various ABC programs. The exam is purely British English, so its best to listen to this classic British radio station.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Free Essays on The Search Of Identity In “Battle Royal“

Ralph Ellison’s 1948 short story â€Å"Battle Royal† depicts a boy at a proverbial fork in the road with his identity while trying to deal with cut-throat racism. The symbolism in â€Å"Battle Royal† is given in order to show the two choices the Invisible Man has to choose from in order to overcome his oppression. On one hand he can waste his intelligence and join what he has learned to hate and become the very thing that oppresses him from his full potential. On the other, he can use his intelligence to stay true to himself while at the same time overcoming the oppression that makes him different. Ellison uses two distinct symbols in to place the Invisible Man in a decision that will ultimately create his own identity. In the story, Ellison uses an important symbol in the form of a white naked woman who dances for the aristocrats. Through this woman the Invisible Man is faced with a choice to which the decision will ultimately decide his identity. To take one path, the Invisible Man views like his audience the aristocrats, the woman as an object to which he can control and ogle over as he pleases. However through another path he feels like the woman, an object himself. â€Å"I wanted at one and the same time to run from the room, to sink through the floor, or go to her and cover her from my eyes and the eyes of the other with my body; to feel the soft thighs, to caress her and destroy her, to love her and to murder her, to hide from her, and yet to stroke where below the small American flag tattooed upon her belly her thighs formed a capital V† (558). The Invisible Man is crossed over the decision to take the side of his enemies and ogle over her or to accept the fact that she falls on t he same side as him and is nothing but a toy for the spectators. This outlook on other people is a deciding factor on what kind of person the Invisible Man himself will become. If he takes the darker view of the dancer like the aristocrats then... Free Essays on The Search Of Identity In â€Å"Battle Royalâ€Å" Free Essays on The Search Of Identity In â€Å"Battle Royalâ€Å" Ralph Ellison’s 1948 short story â€Å"Battle Royal† depicts a boy at a proverbial fork in the road with his identity while trying to deal with cut-throat racism. The symbolism in â€Å"Battle Royal† is given in order to show the two choices the Invisible Man has to choose from in order to overcome his oppression. On one hand he can waste his intelligence and join what he has learned to hate and become the very thing that oppresses him from his full potential. On the other, he can use his intelligence to stay true to himself while at the same time overcoming the oppression that makes him different. Ellison uses two distinct symbols in to place the Invisible Man in a decision that will ultimately create his own identity. In the story, Ellison uses an important symbol in the form of a white naked woman who dances for the aristocrats. Through this woman the Invisible Man is faced with a choice to which the decision will ultimately decide his identity. To take one path, the Invisible Man views like his audience the aristocrats, the woman as an object to which he can control and ogle over as he pleases. However through another path he feels like the woman, an object himself. â€Å"I wanted at one and the same time to run from the room, to sink through the floor, or go to her and cover her from my eyes and the eyes of the other with my body; to feel the soft thighs, to caress her and destroy her, to love her and to murder her, to hide from her, and yet to stroke where below the small American flag tattooed upon her belly her thighs formed a capital V† (558). The Invisible Man is crossed over the decision to take the side of his enemies and ogle over her or to accept the fact that she falls on t he same side as him and is nothing but a toy for the spectators. This outlook on other people is a deciding factor on what kind of person the Invisible Man himself will become. If he takes the darker view of the dancer like the aristocrats then...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Assess the impact of ideology on the (United Kingdom) Coalition Essay

Assess the impact of ideology on the (United Kingdom) Coalition government elected in May 2010 - Essay Example To understand how the ideologies of political parties in the UK affect the present coalition governance it will be necessary to define political ideology based on the UK situation, their development over the years and therefore how they affect people, societies and governance in the land. Political ideology like any other form of ideology will have as part of its components a definition of the cognitive values (expression of knowledge and doctrines), intended effects on the subjects’ feelings, the definition of norms and system of judgment through its valuation criteria, plans and action points and lastly its social base. These are what the main political parties in the UK strive to monitor in order to achieve the support of groups and collectivities. For a government to run smoothly there has to be agreement among the members in the government to a common ideology. However in cases where parties are forced to come together in form of coalitions to form government then comprom ises are sought in the ideologies (Ball, 1987 p 1-3). This is quite a challenge in a case where the ideological differences are sharp and incompatible. In assessment of the state of the UK coalition government formed following the may 2010 general election, political ideologies of the constituent parties are found to have a major contribution on governance of the country. In this paper we seek to give an assessment of the effects of ideology of the constituents of the coalition on governance by first assessing the ideologies of individual major in the UK namely the Conservatives, the Labor Party and the Liberal Democrats. The paper will further consider how the ideologies affect governance in the coalition through analysis of opinions. The role of political parties in the UK Political parties in the UK are charged by the electorate and members with the important role of governance through direct formation of government as the ruling party or as a check to the government as backbench ers or the opposition party. In cases where no particular winner is obtained as the case in the 2010 general elections, the parties agree to form a coalition government. Other functions of political parties in the UK can be summarized as: 1. Development of particular party ideological positions. 2. Facilitation of political education while encouraging participation by party members and the electorate in political processes. 3. Formulation of individual policies that are combined to form a coherent political program implemented in case the party forms government. 4. Oversee political elections at all levels (local, national and regional) 5. Represent political, social, economic and cultural interests of supporters though ensuring they are elected to the Legislature as the ruling party 6. Institutionalization of conflict by providing mechanisms of peaceful conflict resolution in the political system From this checklist it can be understood why party ideals are an important element in the UK political systems because of their deterministic role in the success of governance. An overview of political ideology of political parties in the UK For the purpose of this assessment we shall consider the three major parties namely: the Conservative, the Labor party, and the Liberal D

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

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

Reflection - Essay Example This has transformed into a language of the future and a valuable asset. Growing up, a child of Chinese background is expected to gain mastery of basic mathematical skills. This starts from the initiative of their parents and is strengthened as he goes to school. In multiplication, 45 easy to memorize phrases are taught to children (Rao, Chi, & Cheng, 2009). The Chinese have a highly developed language that extends to mathematics which makes it easier for children to gain knowledge of the subject. Unlike in other countries where children first have to learn English symbols and translate math concepts before they are able to comprehend arithmetic problems, they have their own counterpart to basic mathematical language that a child easily adapts it starting at their home. This subject, considered to be a problem area by many students, is something simple to the Chinese. This may actually also translate to why they are considered good businessmen. China has a longstanding history and cu lture that has allowed for the cultivation of its language into many forms in different regional variations. The structure of the Chinese language is very different than from that of English. The most obvious of these differences is the writing style between the two languages.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hp Compaq Merger Essay Example for Free

Hp Compaq Merger Essay The world’s largest corporate Information Technology merger began in September 2001 when HP announced that they would acquire Compaq in an all stock purchase valued at $25 billion. Over an 8 month period ending in May 2002, the merger passed shareholder and regulatory approval with the end result being one company. The new HP has annual sales of approximately $90 billion which is comparable to IBM, and an operating income of almost $4 billion. The merger was led by Carly Fiorina, the chairwoman and CEO of HP.   The president of the new HP was Michael Capellas who was the former chairman and CEO of the old HP and who has recently resigned and is now the CEO of World Com. Overall, many analysts were critical of the merger from the beginning since both Compaq and HP were struggling companies before the merger. The common question that has been raised by analysts is: Do two struggling companies make a better merged company? Some analysts have indicated that the merger is a gamble and that it is difficult to see any focused logic behind the merge considering that most I.T acquisitions are not successful. Prior to the merger, Compaq has been unable to grow despite previously buying Digital, while HP was trying to grow internally, without much success. Both companies were still adjusting to acquisitions they have made in the past and both were adjusting to new leadership (Fiorina and Capellas). The merger deal also means that there are many overlaps in products, technologies, distribution channels, services, facilities and jobs. Employee morale is a threat to a successful merger as there have been numerous layoffs -15,000 employees. The claimed annual cost savings of about $2.5 billion dollars by the year 2004 amounts to only 3 % of the combined costs of both companies. Gartner Group research has indicated that the merged company has failed to do a good enough job of presenting the benefits of an acquisition of this scale to justify the deal’s risk as it is generally known that technology mergers rarely work. In addition, both companies in the past have struggled to resolve conflicts between direct and indirect sales channels. The cultural background of both companies is quite different and integration will take a long time. The culture at HP is based on consensus; Compaq’s culture on the other hand is based on rapid decision making. From a positive perspective, most botched tech mergers involved companies that were trying to buy their way into new businesses they knew little about, this is not the case with the HP/Compaq merger. Apart from servers and PC’s, they have several areas where their products overlap e.g.: they are both are involved in making data -storage equipment and both make hand held computing devices. In addition, both companies also bring different strengths to the table. Compaq has done a better job in regard to engineering an entire line and HP has been strong in consumer products. The justification provided by HP senior management suggests that a merger will enable them to compete with two of their biggest competitors, IBM and Dell.  In conclusion, it is viewed by many analysts that there will be at least 2 more years of bitter infighting which will cause the new HP to lose direction and good personnel. This is great news for competitors such as IBM and Sun as both of them will be able to pick off the market while the new HP is distracted by the merger. The new HP may be a threat to IBM but not anytime soon. It could take several years to determine if the largest merger in I.T history will be a success or a complete flop. THE IT INDUSTRY PROFILE Information technology (IT) is a broad field that covers all aspects of managing and processing information. IT professionals design, develop, support, and manage computer software, hardware, and networks. From the exuberant growth of its early years to the uncertainty of recent times, the IT industry has stabilized—with job growth rates now rising steadily—and continues to change in order to meet the needs of the business world. While the wild optimism that surrounded the IT industry a few years back has been deflated, the IT industry is adapting to a changing market. New developments such as creating infrastructure for mobile technologies will continue to ensure the vitality and viability of the industry. And as the industry responds to new business needs, it will continue to evolve into a mature profession, a profession versatile enough to adapt to new demands and stable enough to support new innovations and developments. In information technology (IT), India has built up valuable brand equity in the global markets. In IT-enabled services (ITES), India has emerged as the most preferred destination for business process outsourcing (BPO), a key driver of growth for the software industry and the services sector. The IT industry is passing through a phase of mergers and consolidations in India largely in line with global trends. Companies are focusing on organic as well as inorganic growth. Indian IT companies are prowling for potential acquisitions both in the domestic as well as foreign markets. 3 Indian software companies – TCS, Infosys, and Wipro have all crossed the billion dollar mark. Competition in the Indian IT arena is increasing leaps and bounds with global giants like IBM, Accenture, and CSC etc.   Trends over the last five years tell the story of Dell’s increasing market share, at the cost of its competitors. This degree of competition prompted a  merger between HP and Compaq in 2001; IBM has refocused its priorities to lucrative corporate customers. In 2003, the PC industry grew 11 % as a whole. Despite differing focuses, all players saw an increased demand by consumers for new systems. INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY PROFILE HEWLETT PACKARD In 1938, two electrical engineering graduates from Stanford University called William Hewlett and David Packard started their business in a garage in Palo Alto. In a years time, the partnership called Hewlett-Packard was made and by the year 1947 HP was incorporated. It began offering stocks for public trading 10 years later. The company has been prospering ever since as its profits grew from five and half million dollars in 1951 to about 3 billion dollars in 1981. The pace of growth knew no bounds as HPs net revenue went up to 42 billion dollars in 1997. Starting with manufacturing audio oscillators, the company made its first computer in the year 1966 and it was by 1972 that it introduced the concept of personal computing by introducing the first scientific hand-held. HP introduced its first personal computer in the year 1980. The company is also known for the laser-printer which it introduced in the year 1985. HP – Product Portfolio * Laptop/Notebooks * Palmtops/PDA * Printers and Printing Consumables * Digicams * Scanners * Monitors * Mainframes Major Competitors * IBM – Servers, PCs, Storage and IT services * Dell – PCs * Canon – Printers, Fax, Copiers and Optical Equipment * Compaq – PCs, Servers and Pocket Computers COMPAQ Compaq Computer Corporation is an American personal computer company founded  in the year 1982. It had the charm of being called the largest manufacturers of personal computing devices worldwide. The company was formed by two senior managers at Texas Instruments. The name of the company had come from-Compatibility and Quality. The company introduced its first computer in the year 1983 after at a price of 2995 dollars. In spite of being portable, the problem with the computer was that it seemed to be a suitcase. Nevertheless, there were huge commercial benefits from the computer as it sold more than 53,000 units in the first year with a revenue generation of 111 million dollars. Company existed as an independent corporation until 2002, when it was acquired for $25 billion by Hewlett Packard. COMPAQ – Product Portfolio * Enterprise Computing Group * Mainframes * Servers * Workstations * Internet products * Networking Products * Commercial Products * Portables * Small and Medium Business Solutions Major Competitors * IBM – Servers, PCs, Storage and IT services * Sun Microsystems – Servers * Dell – PCs * HP – PCs, IT Services and Pocket Computers * Palm – Pocket Computers PRE – MERGER STATS FOR HP COMPAQ RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF HP AND COMPAQ HP – COMPAQ MERGER â€Å"If HP was progressing at such a tremendous pace, what was the reason that  the company had to merge with Compaq?† Carly Fiorina, who became the CEO of HP in the year 1999, had a key role to play in the merger that took place on 3rd September, 2001. She was the first woman to have taken over as CEO of such a big company and the first outsider too. She worked very efficiently as she travelled more than 250,000 miles in the first year as a CEO. Her basic aim was to modernize the culture of operation of HP. She laid great emphasis on the profitable sides of the business. This shows that she was very extravagant in her approach as a CEO. In spite of the growth in the market value of HPs share from 54.43 to 74.48 dollars, the company was still inefficient. This was because it could not meet the targets due to a failure of both company and industry. HP was forced to cut down on jobs and also be eluded from the privilege of having Price Water House Coopers to take care of its audit. So, even the job of Fiorina was under threat. This meant that improvement in the internal strategies of the company was not going to be sufficient for the companys success. Ultimately, the company had to certainly plan out something different. So, it was decided that the company would be acquiring Compaq in a stock transaction whose net worth was 25 billion dollars. Initially, this merger was not planned. It started with a telephonic conversation between CEO HP, Fiorina and Chairman and CEO Compaq, Capellas. The idea behind the conversation was to discuss on a licensing agreement but it continued as a discussion on competitive strategy and finally a merger. It took two months for further studies and by September, 2001, the boards of the two companies approved of the merger. In spite of the decision coming from the CEO of HP, the merger was strongly opposed in the company. The two CEOs believed that the only way to fight the growing competition in terms of prices was to have a merger. But the investors and the other stakeholders thought that the company would never be able to have the loyalty of the Compaq customers, if products are sold with an HP logo on it. Other than this, there were questions on the synchronization of the organizations members with each other. This was because of the change in the organization culture as well. Even though these were supposed to serious problems with respect to the merger, the CEO of HP, Fiorina justified the same with the fact that the merger would remove one serious competitor in the over-supplied PC market of those days. She said  that the market share of the company is bound to increase with the merger and also the working unit would double. GROWING PROBLEMS AT HP * HP was not adapting to technological innovation fast enough * Margins were going down * IPG (HP’s Imaging and Printing Group) was the leader in its market segment but did not rank anywhere among top 3 in servers, storage or services * Printing line was facing competition from Lexmark and Epson which were selling lower-quality inexpensive printers * Needed to build strong complementary business lines HP’s POSITION BEFORE MERGER * By 2001, as the industry stumbled, meeting growth targets became difficult for HP and it was forced to cut jobs and scrap plans * As a result HP stock price dropped drastically * Turning the company around required more than just strategy from within OBJECTIVES OF THE MERGER * Increase competition with major competitors i.e. IBM, Dell * Cut costs by $3 billion annually by 2004 * Increase earnings for shareholders * Face the challenge of a shrinking market EXPECTATIONS FROM THE MERGER OF HP AND COMPAQ * The merger of HP with Compaq will create superior customer value by expanding its product range and together HP and Compaq can focus on R D in a greater extend. * The second best benefit that the merger will emerge is cost benefit by generating cost synergies reaching approximately $2.5 bn annually. * Drive a significantly improved cost structure, approximate assets of $56.4 billion, and annual revenues of $87.4 billion and annual operating earnings of $3.9 billion. * Adds up to world-class innovation and quality through the merger of two of the leading IT companies of the world. * Larger PC position resulting from the merger likely to increase risk and dilute shareholders interest. * Operations in more than 160 countries and over 1,45,000 employees. * Expand the numbers of the company’s service professionals. * Improves access to the market with Compaq’s direct capability and low cost structure. * Work force reduction by around 15,000 employees saving around $1.5 billion per year. * Improve HP’s market share. KEY POINTS THAT ENCOURAGED THE MERGER DECISION * HP’s failure to meet target (in spite of increased share value) * Merger as the way to fight the growing competition in terms of prices * Merger would eliminate one player in an oversupplied PC market * To compete with IBM and other companies * Reduce costs * 1990’s IT recessionary phase * Merger expected to yield savings projected to reach $2.5bn annually by 2004 * Advantage of more volume of sales * Development of direct distribution capability * Strengthen sales force * Improve customer base ADVANTAGES OF MERGER Merger would create a full-service technology firm capable of doing everything from selling PCs and printers to setting up complex networks. Merger would eliminate redundant product groups and costs in marketing, advertising, and shipping, while at the same time preserving much of the two companies’ revenues. MARKET BENEFITS * Merger will creates immediate end to end leadership * Compaq was a clear No.2 in the PC business and stronger on the commercial side than HP, but HP was stronger on the consumer side. Together they would be No.1 in market share in 2001 * The merger would also greatly expand the numbers of the company’s service professionals. As a result, HP would have the largest market share in all hardware market segments and become the number three in market share in services * Improves access to the market with Compaq’s direct capability and low cost structure * The much bigger company would have scale advantages: gaining bargaining power with suppliers. OPERATIONAL BENEFITS * HP and Compaq have highly complementary RD capabilities * HP was strong in mid and high-end UNIX servers, a weakness for Compaq; while Compaq was strong in low-end industry standard (Intel) servers, a weakness for HP * Top management has experience with complex organizational changes * Merger would result in work force reduction by around 15,000 employees saving around $1.5 billion per year FINANCIAL BENEFITS * Merger will result in substantial increase in profit margin and liquidity * 2.5 billion is the estimated value of annual synergies * Provides the combined entity with better ability to reinvest Even though it seemed to be advantageous to very few people in the beginning, it was the strong determination of Fiorina that she was able to stand by her decision. Wall Street and all her investors had gone against the company lampooning her ideas with the saying that she has made 1+1=1.5 by her extravagant ways of expansion. Fiorina had put it this way that after the companys merger, not only would it have a larger share in the market but also the units of production would double. This would mean that the company would grow tremendously in volume. Her dream of competing with the giants in the field, IBM would also come true. She was of the view that much of the redundancy in the two companies would decrease as the internal costs on promotion, marketing and shipping would come down with the merger. This would produce the slightest harm to the collection of revenue. She used the ideas of  competitive positioning to justify her plans of the merger. She said that the merger is based on the ideologies of consolidation and not on diversification. She could also defend allegations against the change in the HP was. She was of the view that the HP has always encouraged changes as it is about innovating and taking bold steps. She said that the company requires being consistent with creativity, improvement and modification. This merger had the capability of providing exactly the same.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Cerebellar Lesions :: Neurology Health Medical Essays

Cerebellar Lesions According to an article by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D., each of the deep cerebellar nuclei maintains a semi-independent map of the human body (2000). The cerebellum is tonically active, and is presumed to exert a stabilizing influence on motor function; accordingly, it is functionally responsible for coordination and smooth fine tuning of movement, in addition to influencing timing. Not only is the cerebellum associated with motor functioning, but, importantly, also with classical conditioning: e.g., the learning of new motor programs (Joseph, 2000). It is associated with the acquisition if finely skilled movements, such as playing an instrument, playing a sport, and performance dance. Interestingly, as motor information is acquired, it takes time for the cerebellum to acquire control over the specific task. With the notion of â€Å"practice makes perfect,† task control shifts from conscious cortical control (active, practicing memory) to the subconscious realm and control of the cerebellum. Hence, the cerebellum plays an integrated and important part in complex learning and memory (Joseph, 2000.) During early learning stages, cerebellar climbing fibers are activated, and mossy fibers seem to modulate and to monitor ongoing and related activity in the learning context. Lesions occurring in the cerebellum have the unfortunate effect of abolishing conditioned response acquisition and retention. Such lesions and/or diseases cause motor incoordination called ataxia, with symptoms of tremors, instability and teetering, and an inability to maintain regular movement of tempo (nanonline.org). There are three known major cerebellar syndromes. The vestibulocerebellar cortex controls movement of the eyes and body relating to gravity and turning of the head in space; damage to this area results in ataxia gait and stance, as described above. The spinocerebellar system, which receives information via rapid spinocerebellar pathways during the duration of movement, modulates and smoothes that movement. Lesions occurring in the spinocerebellar system are a result of chronic alcoholism and thiamine deficiency (nanonline.org, Joseph, 2000), and results in difficulty producing rapid and smooth movements. There occurs a prominent shuffle, wide gait, and hesitating steps, with ataxia, tremor and difficulty in lower limb coordination. Lastly, lesions of the cerebrocerebellum (neocerebellum) have blatant effects on well- learned volitional movements, as it has direct pathways with cerebral cortex motor control regions. Several symptoms exist to suggest cerebellar lesions. Joseph (2000) reports a study by Gordon Holmes (1971, 1939) that investigated cerebellar disturbances following gunshot wounds. Deficits involved voluntary/skilled motor function, gait ataxia, dysarthria (loss of proprioceptive input), asynergia (loss of

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Politeness and Pragmatics in the Context of Cross-Cultural Communication

Throughout almost all societies, politeness plays an integral role in the effectiveness of social life and interaction within the context of both inter-cultural and cross-cultural communication. Within different cultures the definition of politeness may vary substantially and as a result may be appropriated in ways that are largely misunderstood within the context of other cultures.It is for this reason that scholars such as Brown and Levinson have derived theories on politeness and its use within global society, however the seemingly non-existent universal definition of politeness can also be responsible for the criticisms that these theories receive. When discussing the notion of politeness, the study of cross-cultural pragmatics as represented by Thomas, Tannen and Wierzbicka provide a deeper understanding of the appropriation of politeness and the difficulties that emerge as a result of cross-cultural misunderstanding.One of the major theories surrounding politeness is that of Br own and Levinson (1978, later revised in 1987). Brown and Levinson’s theory argues that politeness consists of three basic elements of human interaction: the maintenance of personal face, the acts which may threaten the face of either a speaker or hearer and the politeness strategies used within the context of conversation to maintain face. The concept of ‘face’, according to Brown and Levinson, outlines the human desire of avoiding embarrassment or humiliation whilst maintaining a positive representation of themselves.In accordance with the politeness phenomena theory, face exists in both a positive sense and a negative sense. Positive face is defined simply as ‘self-image’ while negative face refers to the freedom from imposition. The face-threatening act, according to Brown and Levinson, exists in four main categories. Firstly, the act which threatens the hearer’s negative face can include orders, advice, etc. and can ultimately undermine t he hearer’s freedom of action whilst criticism and disagreement can lead to a threat on the hearer’s self-image.Alternatively, acceptance of either apologies or thanks can impact on the speaker’s negative face although issuing an apology or offering a confession can upset the self-image of the speaker. Brown and Levinson theorise that â€Å"the assessment of the seriousness of a face-threatening act involves the following factors in many and perhaps all cultures† (1987, 74). These factors include Social Distance i. e. he acquaintanceship between speaker and hearer, the Relative Power of the speaker in relation to the hearer such as the degree of imposition the speaker holds over the hearer and the Absolute Ranking of the imposition within the context of the culture in which the imposition occurs. The third basic notion of Brown and Levinson’s politeness phenomena theory is that of Politeness Strategies, or simply the formulation of messages in orde r to save the face of the hearer in the wake of an impending face-threatening act.Brown and Levinson outline politeness strategies as being either ‘On-Record’ or ‘Off- Record’. Off-Record strategies avoid the use of direct impositions to maintain a hearer’s face whereas On-Record strategies can be further separated into four categories. Carrying out an act ‘Baldly, without redress’, refers to the act between a speaker and hearer who share a great deal of familiarity and thus make no attempt to avoid the most direct form of imposition. Redressive action’ is the act of the speaker imposing on the hearer while trying to adjust their behaviour to maintain either the positive face or negative face of the hearer. Redressive actions aimed at preserving the positive face of the hearer are known as ‘Positive politeness’ and are employed to enhance the hearer’s self-image.These include the exaggeration of interest in the hearer and his or her interests, sympathising with the hearer and the avoidance of disagreements. Negative politeness’ is a Redressive action aimed at the preservation of the Hearer’s negative face. Negative politeness is achieved through indirectness, deference and apologising for imposition. The politeness theory phenomena has drawn much criticism in subsequent years due to its universality. For example, Goffman advocates that â€Å"each person, subculture and society seems to have its own characteristic repertoire of face-saving practices, yet these are all drawn from a single logically coherent framework of possible practices† (1967, p. 13).Put succinctly, this argument suggests that face does not necessarily belong just to the individual, but rather to sub-culture and society as well, and as a result one concise theory, no matter how logical, cannot possibly serve to represent all cultures in global existence. Tannen, in her discussion of The Pragmatics of Cross-Cultural Communication, outlines several instances in which politeness may become lost in instances of cross-cultural interaction. She outlines eight levels of conversation: when to talk, what to say, pacing and pausing, listenership, intonation, formulaicity, indirectness and cohesion and coherence.In each of these instances misunderstandings may occur and as a result the concept of politeness may be lost. One example provided outlines the difference between American and Japanese businessmen: â€Å"Americans as a group tend to ignore or even rail against indirectness [†¦] but it gets American businessmen in trouble when they try to skip the small talk and get right down to business with Japanese [†¦] counterparts, for whom elaborate ‘small talk’ is big and essential, furnishing the foundation for any business dealings. (1984, p. 193). Thomas simply defines cross-cultural pragmatic failure as the hearer’s inability to ascertain meaning from the speaker. She outlines two distinct types of pragmatic failure: pragmalinguistic failure and sociopragmatic failure. Pragmalinguistic failure occurs when an utterance from a speaker is misused and thus misinterpreted by a native speaker. Sociopragmatic failure is used to â€Å"refer to the social conditions placed on language in use† (Thomas, 1983).These factors are large contributors to the notion of politeness being lost in the context of cross-cultural communication i. e. the dismissal of a compliment by a hearer of non-Western origin (a norm in many non-Western cultures) may be viewed as rude by the issuer of a compliment of Western origin. While Brown and Levinson’s study on the politeness phenomena allows us a greater insight into the workings of politeness in social context, it is fairly evident that its universality is not entirely representative of the practices of all cultural groups.While it can be said that face and face-threatening acts and the resulting po liteness strategies are the basis for much of the appropriation of politeness in human interaction, we must look deeper when discussing politeness on a cross-cultural level. This is evident through a deeper study of the use of politeness in a cross-cultural context and the failures that result in cross-cultural pragmatism.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Following directions Essay

â€Å"BOOM! â€Å"sounded off as a little red car hit an 18 wheeler. The owner of the little red car was devastated when he noticed the damage done to his car. He was lost for words. The police officer at the scene said â€Å"Sir calm down †¦ you should have stopped at the stop sign.† The owner of the little red car learned to pay attention & follow directions. It is important to follow directions at all times especially when you’re pregnant, preparing food, and doing an autopsy. Following instructions is very vital when it comes to pregnancy because there’s a life at risk. If you don’t take proper precautions, you may have a miscarriage. If you drink or smoke while pregnant, your baby may have life threatening problems. No mother should have to go through this & it’d occur less often if they would follow directions. When preparing food, it is extra crucial to follow the directions on the recipe. Because if you don’t, your food wont taste right. And if you don’t cook anything that is defrosted all the way through then you might get food poisoning. But if you would have follow directions, you wouldn’t have to worry about those consequences & you can enjoy your food. Following instructions is also very vital when building a house. If you mess up one measurement, the whole house won’t have a solid foundation. If you measure something inaccurately, your house may fall in. If you don’t use tape to paint your house then your lines won’t be straight & they’ll be all over the place. Now had you followed directions, there would be no reason to worry about these consequences. To sum it all up, following directions is very important so you won’t have to worry about the consequences. It is very important to follow directions in life, because without directions, and the ability to obey the given instructions, many unnecessary or unwarranted side effects may occur. This is a basic tenant of not only professional and school life, but everyday life as well.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Spinal Tap essays

Spinal Tap essays While attempting to be nothing more than a comical spoof of the music industry, Spinal Tap was instead rocketed to cult icon status. The characters in the movie are so fully thought out that almost all rock and roll bands that became popular prior to and half a decade later than the release of the movie fit the stereotypes presented by this fictitious band that ended up being more real than any other legitimate bands of the time. The days of disco had long faded by the 1984 release of this film, and the punk scene was still for the most part underground. With the hair band scene just beginning to come to light, and rap music being confined to the street, this movie would sarcastically lay the groundwork for the sellout crowd arena rock groups of the eighties. Or as they are commonly referred to now, the hair bands. Now Spinal Tap as portrayed in the movie was in fact a metal band, but metal at that time would be called rock and roll just a few years down the road. If you look at the bands such as Poison, Twisted Sister, Ratt, Def Leopard etc... you will notice that they are in fact Spinal Tap without the punch line. On a side note the wearing women's clothes and makeup were a strange occurrence thrown in from the new wave bands that were getting club play at the time. This is actually where the term hair band came from. That fact aside you will notice that everything from personality of the band members, t o the groupies that follow them, and the inner relations of the band members themselves are just slightly exaggerated in the movie. First and foremost you have the lead singer/ guitarist that got all the recognition. In spinal tap that character is none other than David St. Hubbins, whos long blond hair and happy go lucky attitude earned him the tender hearted yet clearly conceited member of the band. If you will notice he bore a striking resemblance to the Axel Rose type of singer that became so ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How the Mongols Took Over Baghdad in 1258

How the Mongols Took Over Baghdad in 1258 It took just thirteen days for the Ilkhanate Mongols and their allies to bring the Golden Age of Islam crashing down.  Eye-witnesses reported that the mighty Tigris River ran black with ink from the precious books and documents destroyed along with the Grand Library of Baghdad, or Bayt al-Hikmah.  Nobody knows for sure how many citizens of the Abbasid Empire died; estimates range from 90,000 to 200,000 up to 1,000,000.  In two short weeks, the seat of learning and culture for the entire Muslim world was conquered and ruined. Baghdad had been a sleepy fishing village on the Tigris before it was promoted to the status of the capital city by the great Abbasid caliph al-Mansur in 762.  His grandson, Harun al-Rashid, subsidized scientists, religious scholars, poets, and artists, who flocked to the city and made it an academic jewel of the medieval world.  The scholars and writers produced countless manuscripts and books between the late 8th century and 1258.  These books were written on a new technology imported from China after the Battle of Talas River, a technology called paper.  Soon, most of the people of Baghdad were literate and well-read. Mongols Unite Far to the east of Baghdad, meanwhile, a young warrior called Temujin managed to unite the Mongols and took the title Genghis Khan.  It would be his grandson, Hulagu, who would push the boundaries of the Mongol Empire into what is now Iraq and Syria.  Hulagus primary purpose was to solidify his grip on the heartland of the Ilkhanate in Persia.  He first completely annihilated the fanatical Shiite group known as the Assassins, destroying their mountain-top stronghold in Persia, and then marched south to demand that the Abbasids capitulate. The Caliph Mustasim heard rumors of the Mongols advance but was confident that the entire Muslim world would rise up to defend its ruler if need be.  However, the Sunni caliph had recently insulted his Shiite subjects, and his own Shiite grand vizier, al-Alkamzi, may have even invited the Mongols to attack the poorly-led caliphate. Late in 1257, Hulagu sent a message to Mustasim demanding that he open the gates of Baghdad to the Mongols and their Christian allies from Georgia.  Mustasim replied that the Mongol leader should return to where he came from.  Hulagus mighty army marched on, surrounding the Abbasid capital, and slaughtering the caliphs army that sallied out to meet them.   The Mongols Attack Baghdad held out for twelve more days, but it could not withstand the Mongols.  Once the citys walls fell, the hordes rushed in and collected mountains of silver, gold, and jewels.  Hundreds of thousands of Baghdadis died, slaughtered by Hulagus troops or their Georgian allies.  Books from the Bayt al-Hikmah, or House of Wisdom, were thrown into the Tigris, supposedly, so many that a horse could have walked across the river on them. The caliphs beautiful palace of exotic woods was burned to the ground, and the caliph himself was executed.  The Mongols believed that spilling royal blood could cause natural disasters like earthquakes.  Just to be safe, they wrapped Mustasim in a carpet and rode their horses over him, trampling him to death. The fall of Baghdad signaled the end of the Abbasid Caliphate.  It was also the high point of Mongol conquest in the Middle East.  Distracted by their own dynastic politics, the Mongols made a half-hearted attempt to conquer Egypt but were defeated at the Battle of Ayn Jalut in 1280.  The Mongol Empire would grow no further in the Middle East.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Art Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Summary - Essay Example Rather, masculinity is not only displayed through the physical body, but also through the mind and how people conduct themselves nobly (Dyer, 148). The change of interest in body building from solely African Americans to whites made a big impact in the showbiz sector. The rise in many white males who were actively involved in the body building was appealing and led to several analyses of the ‘whiteness’ masculinity. Currently, body building has been portrayed as an art that white men ought to go through to have the ultimate figure. Body building involves several sacrifices, and it has been portrayed similarly to crucifixion (Dyer, 84). Lifting weights is a painful task that the participants endure substantial pain and suffering so as to attain the supreme body shape. Richard Dyer, in his book, discusses the white culture and its effect in history, films, literature and other areas. In this book, dyer writes of the importance of black culture in relation to that of the white one. Dyer brings out the difference in cultures from the black race and the white race and how the media portrays it. The symbolism of how the two cultures are dependent on each other is quite amazing. The example of how a black lighting is used to bring out the whiteness, for example of a blonde and how a white dress in a wedding brings out the glow in a black lady, shows the interracial relationships that can be achieved (Dyer, 104). In this chapter, a lot has been about the representation of the different races on camera, especially the problems that are encountered during filming of the black race, and the necessary steps taken to counter the problems. Several artists were given an assignment to define masculinity, and the results given were more confusing than defining. However, these artists had a common sentiment of masculinity in sports. The images shown by the artists refute the black and white depiction of masculinity and

Friday, November 1, 2019

Religion's Impact on Colonial America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion's Impact on Colonial America - Essay Example They believed that material success was God's reward for honorable behavior. These early beliefs were transformed into the laws of the land in regards to the economic system of capitalism and morality laws. The Puritan movement in the colonies also had the effect of geographically dispersing those that disagreed with the concept of the church as state. The Quakers were one of the early settlers that moved to escape the Puritan law. They believed that religion was more individualistic and split away to form new colonies, most notably Pennsylvania. These traditions of Puritan morality and Quaker individualism would later form the backbone of our constitution. A high degree of respect for the individual and a belief that America was a destiny, like Winthrop's 'House on the Hill', were woven into the fabric of America. The Great Awakening brought religion to the frontier and religion became a dominant part of American politics. Overall, religion was the catalyst for colonization and also the venue for its experimentation. Religion was a major part of the colonist's lives and it shaped their laws and their philosophies. The Great Awakening further instilled the importance of religion in America. America had become a refuge for those who wanted religious freedom and would became a home to the people that wished to practice their religion in an orderly manner without persecution. Timing and Motivation for the American Revolution The American Revolution was the last step on a long journey from the split away from England. By the middle of the 1700s, the time had presented a realistic opportunity for self-rule. The Seven Years' War had driven Britain deeply in debt and they were set to collect the payment through taxation of the colonies. The war had also eliminated the French influence in the colonies and the British remained as the only obstacle to self-rule. These events would become the tipping point for a call for independence. Many of the colonists during this period came under the influence of theorists such as Thomas Paine and John Locke. Locke professed that all men had a contract to each other, not to any authority. Paine argued that to illegally deprive a man of his property was to deny the man his life. The colonists during this period saw themselves as unrepresented in the British parliament. Though they had representation, it was across the ocean and was merely a token representation. The colonists wanted self-rule as a means to reclaim their property and their life. The colonies, for all practical purposes, were self-governing. They had local law, legislatures, authority to tax, and social infrastructure. England provided little except the regulation of imports and exports. This was in conjunction with what the colonists felt was an unfair and unjust taxation. The enormous debt incurred by England, and their insistence on collecting it from the colonists precipitated the final movement toward independence. The colonies by this time had a de facto government in place and the issue of taxation was the means to move the public into action. Diversity in the Colonies in 1760 By 1760, the population of the colonies had experienced a tenfold increase over the year 1700. The 2.5 million inhabitants were a mixed group of predominantly Europeans from England, Germany, Scotland, and Ireland. They tended to form own communities and many of them migrated into the south and settled into the backcountry of South Carolina and Georgia. These groups were further divided by religion. Many people had no religion, but those who did were the majority Protestants. There were also significant numbers of Catholics and some Jews. In New England, residents were required

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Conducting a Physical Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conducting a Physical Assessment - Research Paper Example ystem consists mainly of his new-found friends at the same seniors facility, including those much older than him and who may have slightly different viewpoints on life and on other more important matters. His attitude is generally positive, looking to enjoy the rest of his life in a quiet manner. In this portion of the paper, the client is assessed based on a variety of factors which can affect his physical, emotional and mental health, either positively or negatively. Each factor is a reflection of how this factor impacts on a person throughout a certain period in his life. Two social factors – the first is making new friends at the seniors facility, which is quite a positive impact and the other factor is engagement in various leisure activities such as playing games of bowling or chess. Bowling is a relatively mild physical activity, while chess stimulates the brain and helps prevent or delay mental ailments, like Alzheimers or dementia. Any social or mild physical activity is encouraged to keep the client fit, as a potential nursing diagnosis. Two cultural factors – the client is not a native English speaker, and therefore speaks the dialect of his birth or his mother tongue. His English language proficiency skills is average, so he longs for people who can speak his own language. He also feels homesick at times, and he wants a nurse assigned who speaks the same language, as it can affect health (Andrews & Boyle. 2008, p. 265). The impact of this inability to return before he dies is negative, causing sadness or depression. In his old country, smoking is generally considered acceptable, especially among the males. It has a negative impact on his health as he had smoked for decades; he stopped smoking recently. An actual nursing diagnosis is to make smoking cessation a permanent fixture. Two economic factors – the client is well provided for, considering his children are well off and working in good paying jobs. Besides, he also has an adequate

Monday, October 28, 2019

Abortion Essay Introduction Essay Example for Free

Abortion Essay Introduction Essay Termination of fetus before death of the child can be defined as Pro-abortion. In the case of Roe Vs Wade, the Supreme Court had given its decision allowing the abortions in the first six months of pregnancy of period. Pro-abortion is a right of the women. The abortion is legalized from January 22, 1973 in all fifty states of Unites States. The Rose Vs Wade is foundation for pro-abortion in United States. The women rights groups and pro-abortion supporters welcomed the decision. But some of the opponents started the pro-life movement demanding abortion restrictions. Before 1973 abortion is not subject to United States constitution law. It was the matter for the individual states. So abortion was illegal if it is made after four months of pregnancy. Due to the efforts of American Medical Association anti-abortion laws have been come into force around 1900. Â  With the familiar case of Roe Vs Wade where a woman challenged the Texas laws, the U.S.Supreme Court made the following conclusions: 1. The abortion law not belongs to state issue and it is subject to Constitution of United States i.e. federal constitutional law. 2. The procurement of abortion was a constitutional right. Previous to the Roe Vs Wade, majority states in the United States of America prohibited the abortion with an exception when the life of women in threat. But the Supreme Court allowed in the case of Roe Vs Wade that woman has constitutional right for the pro abortion of first six of pregnancy. The pro-abortion would be safer and involve less complication. It is noticed that at about 89% abortions performed in the United States during 1995. All such abortions under taken in the early stage only i.e. with in the first 12-13 weeks after the last menstrual period. Since early days, the abortion was illegal and it is recommended only when life of mother is in danger. Later on the legislation developed as woman has constitutional right for the abortion of first six months of pregnancy. Accordingly the Supreme Court also given judgment stating that States could restrict the abortions of last 3 months of pregnancy. Here the last 3 months period is crucial stage, where the life fetus will be developed.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Psychological Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Patient Analysis Arleen has been a police officer for ten years. Currently she is on paid medical leave for three months and has three weeks left before she is due back at work. Arleen’s parents have been divorced for sixteen years. She still keeps in touch with her mother, and talks to her on a regular basis. Her father is an alcoholic with a history of physical and mental abuse towards his children. Arleen has two brothers, one that she keeps in contact with and one that she does not. She stated that her aspirations to become a police officer originate from her not being able to protect her family from her father when she was a child. On her first visit, Arlene seemed very tense and said that she had been feeling very stressed since leaving the force following her incident. Her and her husband have also not been getting along due to her nervousness. She has not been able to sleep, does not want to go back to work and dreads visiting any of her fellow colleagues. Arleen also stated that she has been having dreams and flashbacks about the incident causing her leave. This incident occurred during a routine traffic stop while Arleen was on duty. The suspect in the car was a known drug dealer, after being asked to get out of the car the suspect brandished a firearm, then fired a single shot ricocheting off Arleen’s arm. The bullet then went into oncoming traffic striking the passenger side door of a passing car, causing that car to crash, in turn killing a five year old boy that was inside. Arleen has feelings of guilt and responsibility for the boys’ death. Even though there was nothing she could have do ne. She still feels she could have done more to prevent what happen. She has daydreams and nightmares of seeing herself killing the boy. These feelings of guilt have plagued Arleen since the incident happen, over two months ago. Diagnosis It is because of these behaviors and duration of time that I diagnosis Arleen McCoy with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an Axis I Disorder found in the DSM. The characteristics of PTSD as described by the DSM are: response to an extreme traumatic event elicits fear, helplessness, or horror (CCU 1). Characteristic symptoms include: dreams, recurrent feelings of event, psychological distress and physiological reactivity. &nbs... ...ith PTSD. The MAOI’s are not as widely used as the other classes of drugs due to their many, many food restrictions. They also cannot be combined with other prescription and over the counter drugs. Of course drugs are not always the answer, they might be a quick fix, but nothing long term. I have always agreed that a therapy along with some drugs can have the best and most lasting effects. The best ways for patients with PTSD to get through such a traumatic experience in my professional opinion is to commit to treatment and try to establish a therapeutic alliance with their psychologist. The next step would be to acknowledge and accept the trauma and its effects on the survivors and their relationships. From there both patient and counselor can breakdown any barriers that may arise in the future. References Cross Country University. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Effective Diagnostic and Treatment Options. Course Materials Dr. Martha Rosenthal. Study guide packet for test two "Emotions" Gerald C. Davison, John M. Neale, Ann M. Kring. Abnormal Psychology (9th edition) Neil Carson, Allyn and Bacon. Foundations of Physiological Psychology (5th edition) Psychological Analysis Essay -- essays research papers Patient Analysis Arleen has been a police officer for ten years. Currently she is on paid medical leave for three months and has three weeks left before she is due back at work. Arleen’s parents have been divorced for sixteen years. She still keeps in touch with her mother, and talks to her on a regular basis. Her father is an alcoholic with a history of physical and mental abuse towards his children. Arleen has two brothers, one that she keeps in contact with and one that she does not. She stated that her aspirations to become a police officer originate from her not being able to protect her family from her father when she was a child. On her first visit, Arlene seemed very tense and said that she had been feeling very stressed since leaving the force following her incident. Her and her husband have also not been getting along due to her nervousness. She has not been able to sleep, does not want to go back to work and dreads visiting any of her fellow colleagues. Arleen also stated that she has been having dreams and flashbacks about the incident causing her leave. This incident occurred during a routine traffic stop while Arleen was on duty. The suspect in the car was a known drug dealer, after being asked to get out of the car the suspect brandished a firearm, then fired a single shot ricocheting off Arleen’s arm. The bullet then went into oncoming traffic striking the passenger side door of a passing car, causing that car to crash, in turn killing a five year old boy that was inside. Arleen has feelings of guilt and responsibility for the boys’ death. Even though there was nothing she could have do ne. She still feels she could have done more to prevent what happen. She has daydreams and nightmares of seeing herself killing the boy. These feelings of guilt have plagued Arleen since the incident happen, over two months ago. Diagnosis It is because of these behaviors and duration of time that I diagnosis Arleen McCoy with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an Axis I Disorder found in the DSM. The characteristics of PTSD as described by the DSM are: response to an extreme traumatic event elicits fear, helplessness, or horror (CCU 1). Characteristic symptoms include: dreams, recurrent feelings of event, psychological distress and physiological reactivity. &nbs... ...ith PTSD. The MAOI’s are not as widely used as the other classes of drugs due to their many, many food restrictions. They also cannot be combined with other prescription and over the counter drugs. Of course drugs are not always the answer, they might be a quick fix, but nothing long term. I have always agreed that a therapy along with some drugs can have the best and most lasting effects. The best ways for patients with PTSD to get through such a traumatic experience in my professional opinion is to commit to treatment and try to establish a therapeutic alliance with their psychologist. The next step would be to acknowledge and accept the trauma and its effects on the survivors and their relationships. From there both patient and counselor can breakdown any barriers that may arise in the future. References Cross Country University. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Effective Diagnostic and Treatment Options. Course Materials Dr. Martha Rosenthal. Study guide packet for test two "Emotions" Gerald C. Davison, John M. Neale, Ann M. Kring. Abnormal Psychology (9th edition) Neil Carson, Allyn and Bacon. Foundations of Physiological Psychology (5th edition)

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Bottled Water Distribution In The Uk

The UK bottled water market, a sub segment of the soft drink market has continually increased it share of the soft drink market. Thomson (2008) reports that the UK market for bottled mineral and spring water alone experienced consideration expansion and is now worth an estimated E1. 7 billion annually, taking up about 15 percent of the soft drink sales in the UK. The market is projected to rise to 21 percent of the soft drink market by the end of 2008. Datamonitor (2007) reports that the UK bottled water market generated total revenues of $2.8 billion in 2006, representing a compound annual growth interest (CAGR) of 9. 4 percent for the period between 2002 and 2006. Further, market consumption volume is estimated at 2. 3 billion liters in 2006, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8. 5 percent between the same periods. The authors further projected that the performance of the bottled water market should increase by an anticipated compound annual growth rate of 8. 6 percent d uring the five year period ending in 2011 to about 3. 4 billion liters, expanding the market to about $4.2 billion by the end of 2011. The projected expansion of the market enhances the chances of new entrants into the market (Datamonitor, 2007; Thomson, 2008). The UK bottled water market is mainly comprised of sparkling flavored water, sparkling unflavored water, still flavored water and still unflavored water. Breaking down the market performance of each of this group of bottled water, Datamonitor reports that still unflavored water proves to be the most lucrative for the year ended 2006, generating revenues estimated at $1. 3817 million or taking up about 49.6 percent of the total market. This is closely followed by sales of sparkling unflavored bottled water that generated revenues of $916. 5 million representing 32. 9 percent of the market share. In sum, Thomson (2008) reports that still bottled water, both flavored and unflavored, accounts for 86% of the market (Thomson, 2008) . The entrance of Herbal Water into the UK bottled water market will be enhanced by a couple of factors. Most significant among these factors is the trend, the increasing demand for spring, mineral or nutrient rich water.Thomson (2008), reports that the market demand for mineral water continues to grow faster than other sections of the bottled water market. As mentioned previously, the market share for mineral water was estimated at ? 1. 7 billion annually in 2007 and it is projected to experience further growth. Furthermore, the author reports that there appears to be excess demands for the product, with several customers reporting that they experience out-of-stock, when shopping for mineral water in their grocery store.Ayala’s Herbal Water with her first herbally flavored water is expected to make a difference in the UK bottled water, especially within the mineral water sub-segment. The UK bottled water market has a fragmented structure with no definite distribution chain. Although major players like the multinational company Danone and Nestle are involved in the market, the major buyers are retailers. The most apparent distribution chain involves major retailers, such as larger supermarkets and hypermarkets like Tesco and Asda.Retailers are very concentrated in the UK bottled water market, taking up almost 50 percent of the market share. Other distribution channels include convenience stores, online trades and an increasing significance of hotel sales that has been experiencing growth lately. It is well established that retailers represent the major distribution channel for bottled water in the UK. Datamonitor reports that large supermarkets and hypermarkets take up 49 percent of the total market share of bottled water in the UK.However, two primary factors play significant roles in the buying capacity and choice of the retailers. It is reported that the buying choice of retailers is greatly influenced by the need to respond to the demands of the cus tomers. Thus, while retailers are the strongest distribution channel for bottled water, the choice is primarily influenced by the demands of the immediate customers they serve. This fact weakens the power of retailers relative to manufacturers with strong and well known brands. Consequent upon the above fact, brand significantly influences distribution of bottled water.While products may be differentiated and unique as a result of its content and characteristics, the herbal approach to water flavoring adopted by Herbal Water, for example, branding is most likely to play significant roles. Retailers will be more willing to stock popular brands that are in demand, and manufacturers of popular brands can get their product across the distribution channels of several retailers. However, Datamonitor (2007) contend that â€Å"Bottled water manufacturers and retailers operate in quite different businesses, and vertical integration rarely occurs to blur the boundaries between them.As bottle d water is a sub-segment of the soft drinks market, its importance to retailers is not very great, especially for the more powerful supermarket chains, which sell a wide variety of food and drink products† (p14). Again, the rivalry in the UK bottled water is further strengthened because retailers which play the most significant role in distribution do not experience any considerable costs in switching from one manufacturer product to the order, building strong brand around consumer loyalty can help defend manufacturers from this situation.Moreover, this increased rivalry is compensated for by the healthy revenue accruable to each manufacturer due to the huge market potentials of bottled water (Datamonitor, 2007). Convenience stores and hotel sales are other channels for distributing bottled water; these channels represent 19. 2 and 13. 6 percents of total market volume respectively, while other channels such as the increasing demand for bottled water in the leisure industry ac counts for 22. 4 percent of total market volume.In sum, the UK bottled water market is has retailers as the primary buyers, these are well concentrated in the market and determines the success of any bottled water manufacturer in the market, although, to a large extent their buying power is influenced by the demands and choice of the customers they supply. Convenience stores and online sales are important channels, but they do not directly influence consumer loyalty and branding as would the retailers chain.The fragmentation of the UK bottled water has both positive and negative implications, but the ability of the Herbal Water Company to effectively harness the positive implications should greatly enhance the success of its product in the UK market. References Datamonitor (2007). Bottled Water in the United Kingdom: Industry Profile. Reference Code: 0183-0016. Thomson, Steven (2008). Bottled Spring Water. Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh. Acessed 24 Mar, 2008. Available at (Feb 6, 2008).

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Perkin Warbeck Essay

Explain why Perkin Warbeck remained a threat to the security of Henry VII for so many years. Perkin Warbeck was the second Yorkist pretender to the English throne after Lambert Simnel was defeated at the Battle of Stoke in 1487. Between the years 1491-99, he posed a significantly destabilising threat to Henry VII in dynastic terms, impersonating Richard of York, the younger son of Edward IV. The successes of Warbeck, which led him to remain a threat to the King’s security, may be largely categorised into the support from foreign powers during this period and discontent existing in England due to Henry’s methods of ruling with relation to sustaining an authoritative and respected status both within his own country and abroad. Whilst it is possible to challenge such a concept of a threat, Warbeck was eventually executed in November 1499, demonstrating in a modern context that the King’s perception of this pretender was one of great concern for his position. Steven Gunn has suggested that ‘Henry was a usurper and carried with him the problems of this title’. Upon taking the English throne, it was inevitable that Henry would face opposition to his rule, particularly in consideration of his lack of familiarity with English politics and those supporters of the Yorkist claim. With the knowledge that Richard III intended John de la Pole to inherit the crown and having already fought at the Battle of Stoke to secure his position, it would seem almost equally likely that Henry would be a paranoid character by the time that Perkin Warbeck came to attention, and he could not predetermine the reactions of the De la Pole family, who were largely responsible for the pretenders. It is significant not only that Warbeck was the second embodiment of discontent within Henry’s reign, but also that political unsettlement had been apparent under his predecessor – also a usurper. Henry is likely to have feared reaching the same fate as Richard III, whose reign had been plagued with suspicions surrounding the Princes in the Tower controversy and indeed, the dating of his coronation to appear three days before his victory at Bosworth suggests paranoia existing even before his rule. Thus Warbeck is best viewed in one sense as a non-military threat, being an encouragement of this paranoia through the exploitation of Henry’s potentially weak position. He reminded the King of the existence of dissatisfaction within his own country and later among foreign powers. The princes had never been seen again and were presumed murdered by their uncle, Richard III. In this way, there was an immediate simplicity for Warbeck to exploit the lack of clarification as to what had happened to them. Whereas Lambert Simnel’s claim was flawed in that Henry was able to parade the true Earl of Warwick through London during the crisis, Warbeck was imitating Edward IV’s younger son, Richard of York. Hence this crisis was much more serious, for Henry was unable to prove the existence of the true Richard and if Warbeck truly was the prince he impersonated, his claim to the English throne would have been superior to that of Henry. The threat of Warbeck was enlarged by the context in which it occurred – those behind the pretender were able to follow a potentially fatal method by which Henry’s position could be destabilised. In order to ascertain why any pretender to the throne would become a prolonged threat, the nature of the monarch’s rule must be evaluated. The view of Steven Gunn could be expanded upon to maintain that Henry’s rule naturally had characteristics of that of a usurper: unlike a hereditary monarch, he required more stringent methods of discipline to enforce his position as a ruler. In addition to passing attainders against those involved with the pretenders (Edmund de la Pole was fined à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5000 to inherit some of his brother’s lands and never inherited the dukedom of Suffolk for his involvement with Simnel) Empson and Dudley greatly assisted in coordinating the increased use of bonds and recognisances against subjects. Then in 1497, Perkin Warbeck’s forces rallied the rebels during the second Cornish Rising in protest against raised taxes to support the invasion of Scotland and together, they nearly took the city of Exeter. In this way, it can be observed that Warbeck becoming a threat was in a paradoxical sense – Henry needed to use more powerful methods of rule to secure his own position and dynasty than an ordinary monarch due to his status, though the discontent which such methods brought about led to resentful individuals turning to the diversion of Warbeck. Threats in military terms from Perkin Warbeck during this period may be largely attributed to foreign support. Indeed, Warbeck potentially had concern also from nobility such as Sir William Stanley, as Margaret of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV, proclaimed him as her long-lost nephew. The role of France was crucial in causing Warbeck to remain a threat to the security of Henry’s position. In 1491, he moved to the French court and was treated similarly to a prince by Charles VIII, which illustrated to Henry a possibility of an invasion – the French had funded his own invasion of England in 1485 to overthrow Richard III, and the case could potentially have been that this claimant was genuine. The threat was heightened by Charles’ discontent in 1492 after Henry’s assistance of the Duchess of Brittany in an attempt to retain her independence from France, whilst the 1489 Treaty of Medina del Campo with Spain led the French to encourage James IV of Scotland to invade England. It was Henry’s invasion of France in 1492 which appeared to be a very drastic action with regard to this pretender – it was clear that with foreign military backing, his position could be significantly threatened. However, in this respect, it must be noted that the threat was not Warbeck as an individual, but rather the concept of the proceedings and those supporting him. He became a focus for French discontent with Henry VII in the same way that he had been a Yorkist focus in England. A prolonged threat from any pretender to any throne can always be attributed to discontent with a monarch’s rule. Conformingly, Perkin Warbeck was often able to exploit this to enlist support and increase opposition to the King. It is clear that the level of foreign support given to the pretender ultimately was the greatest contributing factor in threatening Henry’s security due to the possibility of a successful invasion, though the paranoia and the methods of rule enlisted to secure his dynasty were equal factors in causing Warbeck to remain a threat. In contrast, it is very significant that Warbeck was never a primary threat as an individual, but merely a strong secondary threat behind the foreign powers and nobility that supported him – it was the concept that destabilised the position of Henry VII.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Econmic Sanctions Essay Example

Econmic Sanctions Essay Example Econmic Sanctions Essay Econmic Sanctions Essay There are many foreign policies that the United States of America follows by. There are many mechanisms of control In International relations that the U. S abides by to help ensure peace and equality. One of our actions to help ensure peace and unity is economic sanctions. Economic sanctions have been used for many years now in international relations. There has been countless number of times that the U. S has used this form of relations to deter a country away from its wrongful path of destruction. In recent news president Bark Obama has issued economic sanctions against Russia for their takeover of Crimea. The purpose of economic sanctions is to influence other countries in that their current behaviors or policies are wrongful to international law. The point of economic sanctions Is to punish the country that is acting out of norm. The country or countries enforcing these sanctions try to deprive the country being sanctioned of goods and trade that are essential for survival as a way of punishing them. The overall goal of these sanctions Is to try to Influence the country to change Its ways or o find a new source of trade or a different way of obtaining the goods that are being sanctioned. The host country that is applying the sanctions wants the target country to change its ways into what the host country feel is beneficial to all parties involved. We want to show the target country committing the act what will happen if they continue to keep up with their actions that are assumed morally wrong. This will show them if they continue to misbehave and going against the widely accepted international relations behavior it will be a very bleak future. In the example of most cent news involving Russia and the territory of Crimea president Obama is enforcing sanction on Russia because he believes it was wrongful of Russia to Invade Ukraine to take over the territory of Crimea. These actions dont follow the norm of international relations where one country Russia doesnt Just Invade another country Ukraine to take over the land Crimea. In the past the International laws were different and we would constantly see the boarders changing but in recent years this is a taboo act. There are many ways of using economic sanctions to get what the host nation believes is widely accepted rules. The different types of sanctions are quotas on imports and exports. Quotas on imports and exports is a limit on how much you are allowing yourself and ally countries to import and export goods with the target country. Another form of sanctions is restrictive import and export licensing. Embargos and boycotts Is a third and fourth form of sanctions. Embargos is a complete halt in trade and commerce with the target nation. Boycotts are a prevention method of doing business with the target country. When you boycott a good you dont Import that countries good. Tariffs are another form of economic inaction which Is basically a tax on goods or services that are Imported. Restrictions or canceling of trade agreements is another big example of sanctions. This is a big nation. It can prevent basic necessity of goods for the citizens and hider them from performing their daily routines. There are many opinions on whether or not economic sanctions really do work or do they harm both countries. One argument on the failure of sanctions is that when you impose sanctions against non-democratic nations because they are more difficult to punish (Allegiant). Against non-democracies, broad sanctions that impose significant costs on society allow undemocratic leaders to extract more rents, thereby strengthening their political position and making them less likely to yield (Allegiant). What this means is that it will be harder to influence a non-democratic nation that is currently under our sanctions to follow our ideology by imposing sanctions that will hurt the society. This will only make the non-democratic leader stronger and more powerful and in turn it will have the complete opposite effect of what we are trying to currently do. A second opinion on how sanctions fail is that it affects too many bystanders negatively. Successful sanctions must target the unfriendly within the target countries while shielding innocent bystanders from harm (Major). In order to have a successful sanction you need to be able to persuade and/or influence the country using coercion while you keep the innocent bystanders usually the citizens from too much harm. One danger of using sanctions as a punishment is that imposing heavy costs on the target nation, rather than achieving the desired policy change, often can be seen as a surrogate for success (Major). What this means is that if we put too much pressure on the target nation and hinder hem too much then our overall goal of persuading them into what we feel morally right might not happen. The opposite in fact can happen in a democratic nation if we make their lives much harder than before, they will feel that we are the ones who are ultimately wrong. Sanctions fail because non-democracies are difficult to punish (Allegiant). Overall sanctions are more likely to fail then they are to succeed. There are many good outcomes that can happen from economic sanctions. The overall goal of an economic sanction is to persuade or influence the target country onto complying with widely accepted international relation policies. Sanctions work by forcing the target countrys government to concede, or by leading a popular revolt that overthrows the government which can in result establish a government that will make the follow the principles that the host country is implying. Sanctions are most likely to be effective when they target the decision-makers responsible for any wrong doing and deny the assets and resources that are most valuable to these decision- making elites (Major). What this means is that for sanctions to work we need to deny he valuable assets to the target country. One example of when the U. S imposed sanctions in the past is during World War II. The U. S imposed an oil embargo against the nation of Japan. This hindered the Japanese greatly and it made them make an irrational decision on retaliation against the U. S at Pearl Harbor. This ended up working out because it caused the U. S to show its power and we ended up using the first atomic bomb against Japan. After we bombed Japan the Japanese realized that if it wanted to avoid any more destruction then it would have to succumb to the U. S and follow our sanctions. There has been a recent study that one of the best determinants of sanctions success has been the amount of damage done to the product (GNP) by somewhat over 2. 5 percent (Major). The target country that the sanction is being imposed on is going to take a hit in their economy. But this suffering is going to be the motivation for the countrys government that if it wants to hurt the economies any more than it is going to have make some drastic changes or to set up a new government that is willing to make the changes. The degree to which a group achieves its most favored policy on a particular issue is more a result of the reapportion of its resources that it devotes to that issue (Major). If we want the target country to conform to the sanction then we will need to put an adequate amount of resources to that issue. We will not persuade or force the country to make changes if we dont show them that this needs to happen. We need to be forceful and prove we are not messing around. Back to the example of Japan and WI, if we had not used the atomic bomb on Japan, the country would be totally different. We showed them that we meant business and it will have to listen to us or it would possibly face total extinction like their two major cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The less apparent costs of economic sanctions, as compared to those of armed force, may encourage a facile resort to economic sanctions that would have been intolerable in the case of military action (Mallory). This is a good reason why economic sanctions are able to succeed. A sanction is going to be less costly than going to war with that nation. We never know the outcome of what can happen in a war but we can control the outcome if we impose a sanction. The host country can always retract and remove sanctions imposed upon the target country. But once we go to war with a country it is very hard to back off from the war without hurting the countrys image. It will make them look weak if we decide to back off from a war that we started. In conclusion sanctions are a true form of international politics. You have to be careful on how you impose them because you will never know how the target country will react. Sanctions are more likely to fail then they are to succeed. How much will the host country puts into the sanction and how much resources it will allocate to get the target country to conform will be the ultimate factor if it will succeed to not. Sources Used