World War I And The United Policy Of Strict Neutrality

On Sunday, 28 June 1914, at approximately 10:45 am, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Gavrilo Princip. The assassination of Ferdinand and his wife set off a chain of events that would lead to the start of World War I. When the war began the United States proclaimed a united policy of strict neutrality. After multiple U-boat attacks that killed hundreds of American civilians and the transmission of the â€Å"Zimmerman Telegram†, America declared war on Germany in 1917. In an address before a joint meeting of Congress, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson discusses the aims of the United States in World War I and outlines his famous â€Å"Fourteen Points† for achieving a lasting peace in Europe. The Fourteen Points is a blueprint for world peace that was to be used for peace negotiations after World War I, elucidated in a January 8, 1918, speech on war aims and peace terms by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. There are few speeches in history that influenced the world in the way Woodrow Wilson s Fourteen Points speech did. As the leader of the free world, Wilson addressed a global audience as he outlined the characteristics of an everlasting peace. His words were echoed in the policies of every major Western power for the rest of the 20th century. The Fourteen Points are a list of moral guidelines that were developed by Woodrow Wilson as a response to the various causes of World War I. He declaredShow MoreRelatedThe Great War And World War I Essay1189 Words   |  5 Pagesbloody and gruesome battle known as the Great War or World War I. 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Days later, the rest of the Axis powers, including Nazi Germany, Italy, and their smallerRead MoreThe Causes Of World War I1171 Words   |  5 PagesA Historical Analysis of the Causes of World War I (187)The initial causes of World War I can be defined through the problematic issues of late British Imperialism during the Boxer rebellion in 1900. Many Chinese citizens had become rebellious to German imperialism, which allowed Kaiser Wilhelm II to send the German East Asia Squadron to quell the uprising. This action forced the Great Powers, such as Great Britain and Russia, to also send troops to stop the rebellion. Due to the rising power ofRead MoreThe United States And Foreign Affairs Essay1430 Words   |  6 Pages1789 through 1800, the United States was greatly involved in foreign affairs. The nation had just been established, and the early United States was greatly influenced by foreign affairs as a result. International affairs even pushed the young nation to the brink of war. 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Even after the warring nations nearly exhausted their manpower and resources, no nation clearly grasped victory; however, when United States declared war upon the Central Powers on April 4th, 1917, victory rapidly approached and the Entente Powers achieved that victory on November 11th, 1918. Although, was an American declaration of war actually necessary for an Entente victory? The United States supplied the Entente with an immenseRead MoreThe First World War : The Great War1600 Words   |  7 Pages The First World War sometimes referred to as the European War was more commonly referred to as the Great War. So much in the world was changed by this war, so it simply by most known as the Great War. â€Å"It is because no other war until then had had such an impact on the world. It was the first war to affect all of the major nations of Europe and the world. It took many lives and changed the lives of millions more.† (Rivera, 2014) Some countries do not refer to the war as great because theyRead MoreWorld War I Was An Atrocious Experience For All Involved1719 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War I was an atrocious experience for all involved. No one involved in this global conflict was left insusceptible to its effects. Due to the magnitude of devastation and loss of life caused by World War I, it went down in history as one of the vilest wars ever to be fought. It was a brutal war from 1914-1918 which affected all of Europe and the outlying areas. The military conflict that began the World War I started as a local European war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. It was transformedRead MoreWorld War II Was The Deadliest Conflict Of Japanese Americans On The West Coast Of The United States1625 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, lasting from 1939-1945. One of the initiators, Japan, was behaving aggressively and pushed the United States away from the country’s attempt to stay neutral regarding global issues. Japan’s belligerent conquests were the ignition to the fuel of hostility against the Japanese-Americans that has been increasing for many years. Americans sought a solution to fix the Japanese issue after its brutal attack against the United States, but failedRead MoreArchduke Franz Ferdinand Of Austria1537 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War One—From Beginning to End It is the year of 1914 and the archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Multiple accounts of threatening orders succeed after this incident leading up to the breakout of World War I—in which the lands of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) were pitted against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan (the Allied Powers). Austria-Hungary s expectation was that Serbia would reject the remarkably

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - 987 Words

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, which debuted on broad way in 1959. They play takes place sometime in the 1950’s, a time period wrought with social issues which were ignored by the general public. The play concentrates on the Younger family; Ruth, Travis, Walter Lee, Beneatha, and Lena, the family head. The events of the play take place over the course of only a few weeks, where-in the Younger family is to receive a large sum of money for the death of Lena’s husband. The family is then torn between what they all want from the money, causing conflict. Ultimately they move into a house in an all-white neighborhood. (Hansberry 1959) Lena’s husband, Mr. Younger,†¦show more content†¦She does a magnificent job of conveying the racial tension between blacks and whites. Unfortunately, she does not completely express her views on abortion in the play. She does introduce it, as another piece of conflict our main characters must over come. Again, for this time period, addressing either of these topics was taboo, and Hansberry does an incredible job. This play was captivating, and highly entertaining. I enjoyed the way she portrayed each character as well rounded individuals and not one of them were a stereotype. I would highly recommend my friends read this play. If I could meet Hansberry I would want to know what spurred her to write a play like this in her time period. Bibliography Chandler, Kimberley. 1950s. HAIS, Houston. 18 Feb. 2016. Lecture. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Random House, 1959. Print. Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. New York, N.Y: Amsco School Publications, 2014. Print. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. â€Å"That’s it. There you are. Man say to his woman: I got me a dream. His woman say: Eat your eggs. Man say: I got to take hold of this here world baby! And a woman will say: Eat your eggs and go to work. Man say: I got to change my life, I’m choking to death, baby! And his woman say: Your eggs is gettingShow MoreRelatedA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry894 Words   |  4 PagesA Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry there are three major female characters represent three different spectrums of their lives. A Raisin in the Sun a number of social issues are both explicitly and subtly exemplified through out the characters experiences and relationships. First, Hansberry introduce Beneatha who is twenty year old college student with dreams of becoming a doctor in her life. Second, the author mention Ruth as a soft character in the story that wants to become wealthy andRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry2035 Words   |  8 PagesLorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a remarkable play written in 1959 by an African American author about an African American family. This time period was in the early days of the modern awakening of civil rights awareness. It was a timely play challenging the then current stereotypical view of a black family by depicting a realistic portrayal of a specific black family with aspirations, hopes, dreams, dignity, and ambition as would be expected from all families regardless of race. TheRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry802 Words   |  3 Pagespositively to the actions of the White Americans. This leads to African Americans conforming and giving society what they want by changing their style of speech and appearance, this is called cultural assimilation. In Act II, Scene I of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry interprets the concept of cultural assimilation with the actions of George as he arrives and unintentionally interrupts Beneatha and Walter†™s â€Å"African† performance. This scene signifies the struggle between trying to assimilate intoRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry1199 Words   |  5 Pagesas a person. Walter Lee Younger is a man that goes through many different character changes, which cause conflict amongst the other characters. Once he goes through his rite of passage, he is able to fix his flaws and mature. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, characterization is used to portray that one must experience a rite of passage in order to mature. Walter Lee Younger starts off the play as a man who is selfish and immature, willing to put money before family. He is characterizedRead MoreA Raisin Of A Sun By Lorraine Hansberry2114 Words   |  9 Pages July 26, 2015 A Raisin in a Sun A dream is what a person strive for to achieve success in their lives. Langston Hughes, ask in Montage of a Dream Deferred, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the Sun?† A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry is mainly about a family dream to do better for themselves. All the characters in this story has hopes and dreams. The problem with that is that everyone has their own individual dream which cause conflict within the familyRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry544 Words   |  2 Pages A raisin in the sun is a book that explains the life of a family that is in hard times but some how gets through it. The Younger family is at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to economic status this affects the whole family and dreams and values, but the one thing they are good at are arguing and keeping their dreams alive by being a family and loving and caring for one another when nobody else does. The book a raisin in the sun written by Lorraine Hansberry is about a family that areRead MoreA Raisin Of The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry1581 Words   |  7 PagesLorraine Hansberry, a female playwright and black activist, spent almost all of her life dealing with American racism, poverty, and lack of social mobility. As a person who witnessed the daily struggles of African Americans, Hansberry wanted to expose the hypocrisy in the idea that America was the land of equal opportunity. As a result, in 1959, Hansberry wrote the play, A Raisin in the Sun, which details the Youngers, an African American family, who experienced racism, poverty, and the lack of socialRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry?605 Words   |  2 PagesLorraine Hansberry, the author of â€Å"A Raisin in The Sun†, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Hansberry was the youngest of four children. Her father Carl Augustus Hansberry was a prominent real estate broker and her mother Louise Perry was a stay home mother. She grew up on the south side of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Later the family moved into an all-white neighborhood, where they experienced racial discrimination. Hansberry attended a predominantly white public school while her parentsRead MoreA Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry774 Words   |  3 PagesMany can see the appeal of the play† A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry because it is telling how much the Younger family wants the American dream, the better life that each character wants are different from each other. The family wants the insurance money to start their dreams, the money that would not have been available if not for the death of the head of the family. Walter Lee Younger American dream is all about materialism and what he can get right now. He has the notion of a self-madeRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun1527 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is about the Younger Family who live in a small apartment in Chicago. The family is torn apart as every member has different dreams and goals, yet Mama and her daughter-in-law Ruth desperately attempt to hold the family all together. In both the movie and the play, the family’s dreams remain the same. Mama wants her family to get along and she wants to purchase a house. Her son, Walter, wants the life insurance money from his father to invest in a liquor store to achieve his

Partnership in Healthcare

Question: Write an essay onPartnership in Healthcare. Answer: In the present global market due to the complexity and swiftness in every piece of work, it is impossible to perform alone. The partnership is a mode to handle the complexities and keep the same pace along with others. It is an agreement between the two entities out of which both the parties gain profit. This is true for the healthcare system where the partnership may be in the form of multinational companies and multilateral donors or might be between government clinics and private physicians. In most of the Asian countries, it is very true in both the public and private sector (Barlow et al., 2013). To establish a successful public-private relationship, few components are required such as a legal and regulatory framework, suitable policies, commitment, transparency and accountability, sharing of resources and consumer involvement. According to Basu et al. (2012), partnership in the healthcare system has become necessary because of three reasons. Firstly, there has been a modification in the philosophy, secondly, the interdependence of both the sectors on each other and lastly, a better understanding of the financial gain. Relevance to the research topic: A spark that ignited interest and prompted community leaders to consider collaborative efforts frequently led to the partnerships that were implemented. The article is relevant to the topic since the public and the private partnership regarding the healthcare system globally is in high demand and elevating their position by improving in the areas like quality, innovation, efficiency and impact on health (Basu et al., 2012). References: Barlow, J., Roehrich, J., Wright, S. (2013). Europe sees mixed results from public-private partnerships for building and managing health care facilities and services.Health Affairs,32(1), 146-154. Basu, S., Andrews, J., Kishore, S., Panjabi, R., Stuckler, D. (2012). Comparative performance of private and public healthcare systems in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review.PLoS med,9(6), e1001244.

Case Study & Lecture Notes For Business Canvas Model Of A Business Pla

Question: Make business canvas model of a business plan. Answer: Problem Solution Value Propositions Unfair Advantage Customer Segments Fluctuations in the prices of chemicals affect the prices of bio diesel Difficulties in collecting the waste or used oil Extra cost of transportation With the increased demand, waste oil cannot be accumulated In short run, conversion of bio diesel is expensive Proper channel can be designed to collect the waste oil from sources Municipal corporations arrange transportation facilities to collect waste oil from households The above option can meet with the increased demand of oil in future too Biodiesel offers triplet benefits i.e. environmental benefits, waste management and economic benefits. It will sustain the environment by reducing the emission that can cause Asthma. Can be used without using conversion method in or technologies in their engines. Most economical substitute fuel It meets most clean standardcriteria Increasing lubricity, high cetane and oxygen content ata high level Extend the life of engines Can use low quality used oil Increase price with market demand Household Transporters Industrialists Farmers Early Adopters Households Transporters Key Partners Key Activities Channels The restaurants, hotels,snack bars, cafeterias and lunch trucks Transporters and logistics Vendors or Equipments suppliers Chemical Suppliers To concentrate that while using the advance technology to extract the oil, itshould be costefficient to compete with other fuel alternatives. Quality maintenance so that after using this alternative,customersmay not switch to another product again. A companyshould focus on efficient supply chain and smooth flow oftransportationand distribution channel. Continuous RD will improve the functionality, quality and cost efficiency of it. Further, searching for efficient professional staff and complying all the legal laws are also other key activities for this business. Marketing and promotions through websites Create awareness through Newspaper Articles through Magazines Hoardings at public places and pump stations Environmental committees and NGOs Key Resources Somebio diesel processing units for heating and mixing Drum forkeepingthe unrefined oil, finished fuel, glycerin and other chemicals Some container of various sizes for chemical pouring and waste glycerin and oil emulsion somesafety Equipmentslike face shield, gloves and apron For smooth distribution and collection of oil, transportation facilities Cost Structure Revenue Streams Under direct cost, Material, Labor and Plant Hire involves $111 The total of Recurrent Overheads is $203 ( involving site facilities, Plant Equipment site maintenance, Project management costs, Commercial expenses and QA and Safety expenses) Non-recurrent overheads will be Establishment and mobilisation exp., Disestablishment and demobilisation exp, Project insurances exp, Professional fees that will cost $202 Owner cost will be $301 Contractors fees is $101 The byproduct while producing the bio diesel may be used as the secondary revenue stream like glycerin is used for making small soaps. Methyl esters is another by product and revenue stream for biodiesel production Instant payment from local sale Reference Asia Pacific Economic Corporation, 2009, Successful Business Models for New and Renewable Energy Technology Implementation in APEC. APEC Energy Working Group, New Zeland Benefits | Region 9: Biodiesel | US EPA. 2015.Benefits | Region 9: Biodiesel | US EPA. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.epa.gov/region9/waste/biodiesel/benefits.html#eco. [Accessed 25 January 2015]. ElSolh, N.E.M, 2011. The Manufacture of Biodiesel from the used vegetable oil, Kassel. Gerhard Knothe, J. Krahl, J. Van Gerpen , 2010 , Biodiesel Handbook (2nd Edition) by. Urbana IL: AOCS press Mind of marketing: What is customer segmentation?. 2015.mind of marketing: What is customer segmentation?. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.mindofmarketing.net/2007/05/customer-segmentation-why-exactly-does.html#.VMURoqGUc8o. [Accessed 25 January 2015]. Osterlander Pigneur (2010), Business Model Generation. Wiley: NY Sawhney,M., Wolcott, R.C. and Arroniz, I. 2006, The 12 Different Ways for companies to Innovate,MIT Sloan management review, vol.6, no.3

An Existentialism View Toward Batman and Naruto Essay Essay Example

An Existentialism View Toward Batman and Naruto Essay Essay Example An Existentialism View Toward Batman and Naruto Essay Paper An Existentialism View Toward Batman and Naruto Essay Paper Essay Topic: Dostoevsky I. Theory of Existentialism Existentialism is a philosophical motion that posits that persons create the significance and kernel of their lives. as opposed to divinities or authoritites making it for them. It emerged as a motion in twentieth-century literature and doctrine. though it had precursors in earlier centuries. Existentialism by and large postulates that the absence of a surpassing force ( such as God ) means that the person is wholly free. and hence. finally responsible. It is up to worlds to make an ethos of personal duty outside any branded belief system. In existential philosophy positions. personal articulation of being is the olny manner to lift above humanity`s absurd status of much agony and inevitable decease. Existentialism is a reaction against traditional doctrines. such as rationalism and empiricist philosophy. that seek to detect an ultimate order in metaphysical rules or in the construction of the ascertained universe. and thereby seek to detect cosmopolitan significance. Existentialism originated with the nineteenth-century philosophers Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche. It became prevailing in Continental doctrine. and literary figures such as Fyodor Dostoevsky besides contributed to the motion. In the 1940s and 1950s. Gallic existential philosophy such as Jean-Paul Satre. Albert Camus. and Simone de Beauvoir. wrote scholarly and fictional plants that popularized experiential subjects such as â€Å"dread. ennui. disaffection. the absurd. freedom. committedness. and nothingness. † Walter Kaufmann describes existential philosophy as â€Å"The refusal to belong to any school of idea. the renunciation of the adequateness of any organic structure of beliefs whatever. and particularly of systems. and a pronounced dissatisfaction with traditional phylosophy as superficial. academic. and remote from life. † Existentialism tends to concentrate on the inquiry of human being – the feeling that there is no intent. so nil. at the nucleus of being. Finding a manner to counter this void. by encompassing being. is the cardinal subject of existential philosophy. and the root of the phylosophy’s name. In existential philosophy position. they asserts that a human finds oneself already in a universe and anterior context that the homo can non believe off. In other words. the ultimate and unquestionable world is non consciousness but being. A cardinal proposition of existential philosophy is that worlds define their ain significance in life. Such a position might be phrased technically by philosophers as being precedes kernel. that is a human’s being conceptually precedes the kernel or significance that may be ascribed to the life. Satre. in Essays in Extentialism. farther high spots this consciousness of being thrown into being in the undermentioned manner: â€Å"If adult male. as the existential philosopher conceives him. is undefinable. it is because at first he is nil. Merely subsequently will he be something. and he himself will hold made what he will be. † Stressing action. freedom. and determination as cardinal. existentialist oppose themselves to rationalism and positivism. That is. they argue against definitions of human existences as chiefly rational. Rather. existential philosophers look at where people find significance. Existentialism asserts that people really make determinations based on what has significance to them instead that what is rational. A farther type of existential philosophy is agnostic existential philosophers. who make no claim to cognize whether or non there is a â€Å"greater picture† ; instead. they merely assert that the greatest truth is that which the person chooses to move upon. II. What is Superhero A superhero – sometimes written as ace hero – is a fictional character of extraordinary physical ability dedicated to Acts of the Apostless in the interest of public involvement. Since the introduction of the archetypal superhero Superman in 1938. narratives of superheroes – runing from brief episodic adventures to go oning years-long sagas – have dominated American amusing books and crossed over into other media. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine or ace heroine. By most definitions. characters need non hold existent superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes. non. although sometimes footings such as costumed crimefighters are used to mention to those without such powers who have many other common traits of superheroes. The twos include Cybersix from Argentina. Captain Canuck from Canada and the heroes of AK Comics from Egypt. For this Western country. I will take Batman as the representative. Unlike many superheroes. Batman has no world powers and alternatively relies on his ain scientific cognition. detective accomplishments. an athletic abilities. Batman is physically at the extremum of human ability in tonss of countries. notably soldierly humanistic disciplines. tumblings. strenght. and escape prowess. Rather than merely outfighting his oppositions. Batman frequently uses cunning and be aftering to overreach them. Batman’s costumes incorporates the imagination of a chiropteran in order to scare felons. Japan is the lone state that nears the US in end product of superheroes. The earlier of these wore scarves either in add-on to or as a replacement for nesss and many wear helmets alternatively of masks. Moonlight Mask. Ultraman. Kamen Rider. Super Sentai ( the footing for Power Rangers ) . Metal Heroes and Kikaider have become popular in Nipponese tokusatsu live-action shows. and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. Casshan. The Guyver. and Sailor Moon are basics of Nipponese Zanzibar copal and manga. However. most Nipponese superheroes are shorter-lived. While American amusement companies update and reinvent superheroes. trusting to maintain them popular for decennaries. Nipponese companies retire and introduce superheroes more rapidly. normally on an one-year footing. in order to shorten ware lines. In add-on. Nipponese manga frequently marks female readers. unlike U. S. cartoon strips. and has created such assortments as â€Å"magical girl† ( e. g. Cardcaptor Sakura ) for this audience. For this Eastern country. I will take Naruto as the representative. Naruto whose full name is Uzumaki Naruto is a immature male child who dreams of going the leader of his Hidden Village. It will be hard though for Naruto. because when he was a babe an evil devil was placed inside him to halt its violent disorder. As Naruto grew the townsfolk saw Naruto himself as the devil. even though he was simply its container. Naruto lives in a universe populated by ninja small towns. The ninja service as the ground forcess for the states that inhabit the universe. Most of the states have their ain Hidden Village. which serves to develop and pull off the ninja of the state. Besides the ninja in the series are able to use jutsu techniques. which are the secretiveness. organic structure and semblance humanistic disciplines of the ninja. These allow the ninja to execute many astonishing accomplishments such as the use of the environing elements. III. Batman and Naruto: Their Differences and Their Revelance In Existentialism The true characteristic of Batman as a common people is Bruce Wayne. a millionaire industrialist. He inherited a large corporation. Wayne Corporation. from his male parent. The self-importance ‘Batman’ was born because of two accident. The first was the slaying of Bruce’s parents. Bruce witnessed his parent killed in a gun-accident. A street-criminal shooting them to decease. The second was Bruce falling down into a cave in Wayne’s manor. He fell into a dark and humid cave where a hundred of chiropterans lived. Those two accidents led Bruce to larn about soldierly humanistic disciplines and gadget-operating accomplishment in order to contend the offense in Gotham metropolis. His fright of chiropteran made him have on a bat-costume in making his operation. Therefore. Batman as a superhero who fight a offense has born. This is the really purpose why Batman wants to contend offense: a personal blood feud against felons. Since Batman does non hold any world powers. he relies on his ain scientific cognition. detective accomplishments. an athletic abilities. Besides his wealth enables him to acquire much modern and sophisticated appliance in order to crush his Nemesis. In other manus. Naruto. alternatively of his deficiency of rational ability in work outing a job. his friend still considers some of his actions brilliant. Naruto does all of his action by intuition. non by a precise measure as a ninja should make. What makes Naruto a superhero is that he possesses monolithic abundant chakra energy inside his organic structure. This chakra is originated from a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that is sealed inside his organic structure. Together with his friends and wise man. Naruto solve the job and battle with the evil ninjas. They act in a group of 4. 3 ninjas and a wise man. They perform a close combat by utilizing soldierly humanistic disciplines and ninjitsu. and a long-range combat by utilizing winging sticker or shuriken. Once they accomplished a mission. they report to the hokage. which is the leader of the small town. Yet. the really of import thing that makes they both become a superhero is that there be some Nemesis. scoundrels. that must be eliminated. They both make some battles to acquire rid of those system distracted. What distinguish them is the manner they make these battles. Batman eliminates offense in Gotham by his ain regulation. He does non obey the regulations prevailed in that metropolis. He deliberately takes action againts condemnable without affecting the governments. It can be concluded that Batman makes his ain system to repair the system. However. Batman – deliberately or non – does non kill his enemy. He merely sents those felons to the governments. to be prisoned or non. Batman’s worst Nemesis. The Joker. is still alive until now. Although they frequently have some ‘fight’ . but neither Batman or The Joker is condemned to decease. While Naruto’s occupation is to maintain the system in his small town to be kept save. He does non go against the system prevailed in his small town. alternatively he is forced to obey that system. His Acts of the Apostless are being ruled by Hokage. the highest authorization in the small town. He is a sort of ‘paid’ superhero that acts upon a mission that is given by that Hokage. Once they accomplished that mission. they have report to that Hokage. Here. Naruto biggest enemy. Kabuto. is remain alive until now. What makes this difference? It is because the different civilization that affect the people in West and East. Why Batman have a nervus to do his ain system to repair the chief system prevailed in his metropolis is due to the Western manner of thought. Western civilization tends to stress critical thought. They are learned to interrupt the regulations if they think that there are some mistakes in those regulations. Their new thoughts are being welcomed. even they are supported to do new innovations. While Eastern state tend to ‘close their eyes’ . They have to accept what the older people says. They are non being couraged to do some critics toward the civilization. They tend to give high regard ( sometimes non in a proper step ) toward conventional thoughts. Here it implies in the manner Batman and Naruto makes their battle to contend offenses. Then another point where existential philosophy takes topographic point besides emmerges. Why those superheroes do non kill their enemies? It is because they ‘need’ their Nemesis so that they can be a superheroes still. Let’s we go back to the inquiry of what makes those superheroes superhero? What do they prosecute? They want to extinguish offenses. Then we come to the inquiry of what causes this offense? Criminals. So superheroes exist because there are some felons. If there are no felons. so there are no superheroes. Like what Satre has said. â€Å"If adult male. as the existential philosopher conceives him. is indefineable. it is because at first he is nil. Merely subsequently will he be something. and he himself will hold made what he will be. † Thus. superhero is nil if there is no condemnable to do him defineable. This is the significance of being predating kernel. I would wish to utilize the term that coined by Heidegger. â€Å"throwness† . that is human existences are â€Å"thrown† into being without holding chosen it. Whether superhero or the enemy do non hold the power to take what they want to be. First they merely exist in the universe. so they merely do the thing that they believe as a greatest truth. This is that greatest truth that they choose to move upon to happen the kernels of their existencies. Noviana Indah Tri Wahyuni a paper for Comparative Studies Superhero Theme.

T.V. Violence essays

T.V. Violence essays What has the world come to these days? It often seems like everywhere one looks, violence rears its ugly head. We see it almost everywhere. Its in the streets, back alleys, school, and even at the home. One other major source of violence is the television. The television can be found in 96% of homes in the country (Langone). They cost little but serve three main purposes; to entertain, inform, and educate. However, the television began to have a new purpose in the early 1990s that still continues today; corrupting children. That leads to affecting a lot of the society. T.V violence occurs in 25% of the programs on television, not including cable (Cheyney). When children watch television they often get pulled into its realistic world of violence scenes with sometimes devastating results. There has been much research that television violence is a major source of violent behavior in children, which can effect their actions, as they get older. The truth about television violence and children has been shown. Some are trying to fight this problem. Others are ignoring it and hoping it will go away. Others dont even seem to care. The facts are undeniable. The studies have been carried out and all the results point to one conclusion: Television violence causes children and some adults to be violent and the effects can be life-long. The information cant be ignored Violent television does effect everyone. An average American watches 2.7 hours of television each week (Cheyney). Children watch more than the fair dose of violent programming (Cheyney). With that in mind the effect sometimes turn out to be dramatic. For example in California, a seven-year-old boy sprinkled ground up glass into the lamb stew the family was to eat for dinner. When the boy was asked why he did it he replied that he wanted to see if the results would be like those on television (Howe). Not only does all this violence effect the chil...

Are Multinational Corporations Free from Moral Obligation Essay

Are Multinational Corporations Free from Moral Obligation - Essay Example This work will critically analyze the issue of there being any ethical consideration in the working of international organizations. According to Velasquez (1992, 319), morality does not exist in international corporations. This is simply because these corporations are not subject to the law of any nation in the world. In this way, they cannot be held responsible for breaking any law. Velasquez argues that morality is held and maintained when there is a higher authority to monitor any aspect of immorality. International corporations do, however, operate under now authority of any nation. His explanation for lack of morality is that according to Hobbsian Theory, men are likely to behave the way they want if they are not regulated. In this respect, men are likely to behave in ways that are targeting to gratify their personal interests. Velasquez argues that those international corporations that have some aspects of morality get discouraged by various issues. One of them is that if an international corporation is working within other organizations that do not value ethical considerations, it is subjected to high competitive pressure. On another hand, any international organization that works within an environment where ethical consideration are not regarded feel guiltless when they fail to observe the morality. When an organization is working within such environment, it is considered unfair if they continue to adhere to the laws of morality, which other organizations are not following (Velasquez, 1992, 320). Fleming (1992, 324-325), argues on a different point of view. This is by considering facts of presence of chief executive officers of organizations, managers and governments of nations in which these international corporations operate as important authority to foresee ethics. According to him, these agents have power to dictate moral and ethical considerations in any organizations. This is regarding their positions as decision makers of such

Incentory Valuation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Incentory Valuation - Case Study Example According to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAPs) there are three acceptable methods of valuation. These include average cost (AVCO) and First-in-first-out (FIFO) and last-in-first-out (LIFO). However, International Accounting Standards (IAS) 2 does not permit the use of LIFO (BPP 2009, p.205). The method that we have adopted is AVCO. GAAPs and IAS 2 also require that inventory be valued at the lower-of-cost-and-market value (LCM) (Hoyle and Skender 2010). This means that if the market value had fallen below cost after the year end then the inventory would require an adjustment to market value. We therefore need to compare our valuation at 31st May 2010 which is $120 with the current market price of $146. Since Palermo’s valuation is lower then the market value, we will maintain our current valuation of $120 per case. As soon as we start paying $80 per case, the average cost will decline as long as cost prices remain that way. This however, will not apply to 31st M ay 2010. Furthermore, if later on, we see a reduction in market value below our current average cost of $120, we will have no other choice but to reduce our valuation to market value and to write off as an expense. Otherwise, our valuation as it stands currently is in keeping with GAAPs and IASs. Sincerely, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Chief Financial Officer References BPP. (2009).

Inside's Coke's Diversity Story Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Inside's Coke's Diversity Story - Case Study Example Discrimination on the basis of color and gender is not new to the U.S. But laws and social feeling has contributed much to see that racial discrimination is non existent at least in the near future. This is a care where the Judiciary directed and supervised the erring company to make amends and diversify its policies to end discrimination. The law suit Ingram, et al. v. The Coca-Cola Company (Case No. 1-98-CV-3679 (RWS) was filed by the plaintiffs for "Four named plaintiffs, (Linda Ingram, Kimberly Gray Orton and Elvenyia Barton-Gibson.), represented a class of 2200 current and former salaried, African-American employees of Coca-Cola in this class action filed April 1999 in the Northern District of Georgia. The case involved race discrimination in promotions, compensation and evaluations. Among other things, the plaintiffs alleged a substantial difference in pay between African-American and white employees; a "glass ceiling" that kept African-Americans from advancing past entry-level management positions; "glass walls" that channeled African-Americans to management in areas like human resources and away from power centers such as marketing and finance; and senior management knowledge of these problems since 1995 and a failure to remedy them."1i The allegation was that there was... The court heard the matter which was taken up for settlement. "The plaintiffs claimed Coke discriminated against black salaried employees in pay, promotions and performance evaluations. The settlement covers black salaried employees in the United States who worked at Coke at any time between April 22, 1995, and June 14, 2000." The Plaintiffs counsel on their website further comment on the case as under: "In early 2000, the Court ordered both sides into mediation. The parties reached agreement on a Settlement-In-Principle on June 14, 2000. A final Settlement Agreement, valued at $192.5 million and designed to ensure dramatic reform of Coca-Cola's employment practices, was officially approved by the Court on June 7, 2001. Since the Settlement Agreement went into effect, the court-appointed task force chaired by Alexis Herman, former Secretary of Labor has issued annual task force reports highlighting the progress the Coca-Cola Company has made in complying with the Settlement Agreement."2 The views expressed on the issue by the news media and the website of major organizations of Human Rights welcomed the settlement move. For example the Interfaith Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) called it laudable and its post at the site on the day says: "On November 16th, The Coca-Cola Company agreed to pay more than $192 million in cash and equity payments in the largest racial discrimination lawsuit in U.S. history. The settlement resolved a federal class action lawsuit brought by African American employees against the company in April of 1999 and mandates major changes unprecedented in corporate history. Coke's Chairman Doug Daft has made it clear that he intends to root out discrimination at the company and restore the trust of the

Loose Tight Dimensions Of Hrm Commerce Essay

Loose Tight Dimensions Of Hrm Commerce Essay HRM is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations and most valued assets of the organization. In general term used to describe a variety of functions aimed at effectively managing an organizations employees or human resources. HRM is professionals oversee the people side of an organization including benefits, career development, training, hiring, and many other functions. The goal of HRM is to assist organizations to meet their strategic goals by attracting and retaining qualified employees, and managing them effectively while ensuring that the organization complies with all appropriate labor laws. HRM meet the need of business and management, to gain commitment of employees to add value to the business. Dimensions of HRM Approach HRM Focus Hard Treats employees simply as a resource of the business (like machinery). Strong link with corporate business planning what resources need, how to get them and how much will they cost. Identify workforce needs of the business and recruit manage accordingly. Their focus on organizational prospective Soft Treats employees as the most important resource in the business and a source of competitive advantage. Employees are treated as individuals and their needs are planned accordingly. Concentrate on the needs of employees their roles, rewards, motivation etc. Soft HRM focus on interests of the employees. Table Guest model of hard-soft dimensions of HRM HR polices can be categorized as two, tight and loose the different between a system based on compliance and system based on commitment. Compliance; they work because they have to do, for fear of some negative consequence, example; losing their job. Commitment; doing something, one believes that one is doing right thing to do. HRM and personal /IR compared to 27 dimension of storys Story has established a theoretical model based on perception of how organizations have evolved from major personnel and IR practices to HRM practices. This model is based on ideal types and also story emphasizes 27 dimensions of difference between personnel and IR against HRM. It describes four elements, which differentiate HRM such as beliefs and assumptions, strategic aspects, line Management and key levers. C:UsershpDesktopPicture1.jpg Table 27 Dimensions of Storys compared to HRM and personnel/ IR practices Briefly explaining some of 27 dimensions of storys Speed of decision; in personal approach the speed of decision is very slow because they are decision making process is long, they have depend on top level managers decision and some time decision depend upon their subordinates. But in HRM approach the speed of decision is fast, line manager can make decision on time and act on it. Job design; personal approach jobs are design according to their specific task so the employees will be specialist in their field, most of the time they have along and do their task. But in HRM approach they are job designing based on teamwork so employees can shear their ideas and get better solution for problems or task. Communication; personal approach employees cant directly communicate top level employees there will be intermediates or middleman to convey massage. In HRM approach employees can directly communicate to line manager or top level manager so they can talk about their problems or discuss their task with managers. Management role; personal approach management role will be transactional leadership were they known to establish performance specifications and make sure they are accomplished by a given deadline, limit the contentment of employees and create a low amount of employee commitment. In HRM approach transformational leadership as the ability of a leader to motivate employees to surpass their own individual aspirations for the greater good of the organization. Transformational leaders are morally responsible manager who focuses on developing the moral maturity, values, and standards of his or her subordinates and strengthening their devotion to serve the well-being of others, their organization, and society beyond self-interest (Burns, J.1978). Role of the line managers and employees of the organization Line managers are crucial man to the success of HR policies and practices. The respective roles of HR, line management discussion are taken by line manager. Line manager is the person who is authorized to direct the work of subordinates and is responsible for accomplishing the organizations tasks. Responsibility of line managers typically include; Place the right person on the right job Orientate new employees and train employees Improve the job performance of each person Gain creative cooperation and developing smooth working relationships Interpret the companys policies and procedures Controlling labor costs Develop the abilities of each employees Creating and maintain department morale Protect employees health and physical condition Role of the line manager Employee are most powerful aspect of the company, they have different levels of responsible for managing one or more business aspects. In their various roles, employees have the responsibility to manage those processes that they are assigned to. For example, employees working in the financial department are responsible for managing the financials of the company. But top level managers are responsible for managing the decision making processes and overseeing business operations for the best interest of the business. The responsibilities of employees are, Deal with customers Responsible for day-to-days operation of the company Interact relevant managers Involve in planning process Minimize cost and etc. Role of the Employees Section B (Answers for Statements) There are potential benefits for both the individual and the organization from using a proper performance management system Performance management systems is a process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in shared understanding about what is to be achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure it is achieved. The aim of performance management systems is to improve individuals performance and consequently organizational performance to achieve organizational goals. Such system can play a crucial role in managing the performance in an organization by: Increase profits; by increasing employee productivity and quality of work. Equitable treatment of employees; All employees are treated fairly by implementing. Increase employee responsibility; Communicating realistic but challenging job expectations and making employee accountable for their decisions and actions result in noticeable improvements in employee tardiness, absences and organizational commitment. As a HR manager, you need to manage different human resource practices in the workplace Yes as a HR manager he needs to manage different human resource practices in the workplace. HR practices on workplace trust, job satisfaction, commitment, effort and perceived organizational performance. According to Julian Gould-Williams postal survey of UK local government employees, the results support the hypothesis that HR practices are powerful predictors of trust and organizational performance. These findings demonstrate the need for organizations to re-evaluate their current HR practices in an attempt to improve overall performance of organization (Julian Gould-Williams, 2003). This mean HR manager needs to manage various HR practices improve overall performance of employees and organization. There is greater impact of globalization on issues such as human resource planning Yes i agree this statement there is an impact of globalization on issues such as human resource planning. Globalization is which requires organizations to move people, idea, products and information around the world to meet local needs. The main responsibilities is transforming as the modern business faces pressure of globalization. The pressure on traditional HR models taking place can be traced to globalization. The increasing prevalence of globalization is driven by a number of factors, including shortage of talent in developed countries, availability of low cost labor and technological progress. Different national cultures and practices make an influence for making a culturally diverse workforce Culture may be defined as the values, beliefs and behaviors shared by a group of people. A group may be identified by many criteria such as nationality, religion geography or language. Although nationality may encompass several cultures it is the most commonly used notion of culture. Culture plays a significant role in workplace assumptions, behavior and organizational cultures. Cultural diversity within workforce is now the norm as well as an economic necessity. Spurred on by globalization and increased personal mobility, the need for skilled immigrants to fulfill labor shortages has brought many changes to the workplace. In 2005, Forfà ¡s estimated that, in addition to indigenous skilled workers, Ireland would require up to 30,000 skilled immigrants per annum to fulfill their labor shortages over the next decade (Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, 2005). The rapid shift from a predominantly indigenous and homogenous workforce to a culturally diverse one brings challenges and opportunities for organizations. Challenges can be broad ranging from basic communications and language difficulties to complexities in decision-making processes and team management. However, international experience shows that managing cultural diversity in an effective way enables organizations not only overcome such challenges but also to fully exploit the opportunities of cultur al synergy to strategic advantage. Cultural differences remain persistent and present an array of challenges for companies. Firms that manage adaptation effectively are able to achieve congruence in the various cultures where they operate while extending their main sources of advantage across borders, and in some cases even making cultural diversity itself a source of advantage. While this has emphasized cultural differences, which are often underappreciated, its equally important to take note of cultural similarities. High and low power distance cultures, for example, both reflect responses to common challenges around how human beings should properly interact with each other in the face of inevitable differences in the power they hold in particular contexts. Different national, cultural practice influence managing the workforce and understanding of national culture to make better decisions. The basic way is that improving the alignment or congruence between management practices and cultural contexts; Participative management can improve profitability in low power distance cultures but worsen it in high power distance cultures Quick fixes can improve profitability in more short-term oriented cultures but worsen it in more long term oriented cultures Merit-based pay and promotion policies can improve profitability in more masculine cultures and reduce it in more feminine cultures Emphasizing individual contributions can improve profitability in more individualistic cultures and worsen it in more collectivistic cultures The above highlighted key points that can help align business practices to national culture. It often makes sense to structure such analyses around the intersection of specific dimensions of cultural distance and business functions or workforce in order to arrive at a meaningful level of specificity. Task 02 Section A (Answers for Case study) Explain the Audit Firms model of flexibility According to Audit Commission they use mainly three types of flexibility such as numerical flexibility, functional flexibility and place-of-work flexibility. Numerical flexibility; the Audit Commission is always faced with peaks and mangers in the workload. Those situations they increasing or reducing staff to adjust the quantity of labour to meet fluctuations in demand. In Functional flexibility; the Audit Commission developed flexibility by developing skills of its staffs to deal any work. So the nature work changes, employees are easy handle different tasks. Place-of-work flexibility; the Audit Commission uses this way to respond to the challenges within their business environment. This method of working has helped it to meet more closely the needs of its staff. As part of its flexible working arrangements, homeworking has helped to transform the ways in which many people work and improve their work-life-balance. Briefly explain the need for flexibility The need for flexibility is increase due to demographic and social changes the number of people in the paid workforce with caring responsibilities is set to increase. Moreover, increasing competition has placed emphasis on quality, innovation and reducing the unit cost of production job design and the organization of work must both mobilize employees energies for quality innovation and reliable productivity. To having a flexibility policy however isnt enough to satisfy the need of firm to be considered best practice. Flexible workplace can also boost retention, productivity and innovation. According to the given case study the firm is implementing the correct types of flexibility to their employees. The firms believes that its ability to deal effectively with the need for flexibility strengthens its position as an employer of choice and enables the group to deliver levels of service that differentiate from its competitors. Evaluate the advantages and dis advantages of flexible working practices Advantages Disadvantages Less stress Flexible work arrangements are not always appropriate for all people Employers have great freedom to organize their work to finish on time. Some time employees have to take their own time to finish work Homeworking helps an organization to develop family-friendly policies that improve the work-life balance of its staff especially in Audit Commission. Employees have to spend extra time to do work if they do homeworking and unequal pay and benefits Choice of working patterns More and more legislation is being brought forward to enable employees to request flexible working but this legislation is not always necessary, sometimes it just creates an unnecessary administrative burden. Less absence and staff turnover Difficulty of retentive staff development Improves more productivity and efficiency For certain jobs working from home is inappropriate Increased feeling of personal control over schedule and working environment Negative impact on staff productivity and camaraderie. Less training opportunities Table Evaluate the advantages and dis advantages of flexible working practices Section B (Essay) Equal opportunities within the workplace Equal opportunity within the workplace is all about providing a fair workplace and fair procedures for employees. In today most of the companies giving several equal opportunities to their employees but some organization doesnt have equal opportunities. It is recognized that in order to achieve equal opportunity for all, the Force must recognize and address the diverse needs of staff and will ensure that due consideration is given to the impact of all employment activates on staff and make appropriate adjustments to ensure equality of opportunity. Discriminating employees by looking their gender identity, nationality, race, colour, ethnic origin, age, disability, marital or family status, religion or religious beliefs, or any other such thins which rise to unfair or unjustified discriminatory behavior or processes is forms of discrimination. The legislative frameworks of discrimination are direct discrimination and indirect discrimination. Direct discrimination is treating one person less favorably than another in the same or similar situations, or dividing them from others solely because they have for example a disability or illness. Refusing to employ someone who has the required skills because they are, for example deaf, over a certain age or pregnant would constitute such discrimination. Indirect discrimination happens when there is a provision or practice which applies equally to everyone which, in practice, has an adverse impact on a particular group and cannot be justified. For example an unnecessary physical or age requirement can discriminate against women or disabled people. There are several acts against discrimination in work place. Sex discrimination act (SDA) (1975 AND 1986), The SDA makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person, directly or indirectly on grounds of sex and or marriage, in employment or in the provision of goods, facilities or services. Direct sex discrimination occurs when a person of one sex is treated less favorably, on the grounds of sex, than a person of the other sex would be treated in the same or not materially different circumstances. Indirect sex discrimination occurs where a requirement or condition is applied equally to both women and men, but a proportion of one sex which can comply with it is much smaller than the proportion of the other sex which can comply. Discrimination and equal opportunity policy (Maplecroft, 2010) the aim of this policy is to ensure that the entity has activities in place to prevent discrimination and promote equal opportunity within the workplace, enriching the diversity, rights and morale of employees and enhancing the organizations relations and reputation. Equal opportunities basically focuses on management activity by recruiting results it benefits for employees to improve opportunities for disadvantaged employees. Likewise, management diversity focuses on management activity by managing results to benefit for employees to improved opportunities for all managers. At the end if an employees believe that they are treated more fairly and reasonably, the word of mouth will spread that company genuinely and it recruits and promoted on merit and it meet its equal opportunity responsibilities. By doing this company can gain competitive advantage. Moreover, on evaluating the above points it is clear that legislation can be a favor for both the parties such as employee and employer if they are followed legally and practiced inside the organization but however because of many reasons these are not followed in certain areas and organization and the framework is still not followed. By analyzing Current thinking about how diversity works in practice in organizations is developing all the time. Whether you believe diversity should complement or supplement equal opportunities, building these approaches into your volunteering recruitment and development practices will bring benefits, not only to the volunteers themselves, as well as to the organization. Ther efore, everyone is treated equally, ensuring staff are judged on their merits or qualifications. This in turn makes for a happier workplace and provides a sense of trust in the organization. It leads to good staff morale, encourages more objective appointments, and can provide diversity in the workplace.

Artificial Intelligence and its Uses Essay -- Essays Papers

Artificial Intelligence and its Uses Artificial intelligence is defined as the ability of a machine to think for itself. Scientists and theorists continue to debate if computers will actually be able to think for themselves at one point. The generally accepted theory is that computers do and will think more in the future. AI has grown rapidly in the last ten years because of the advances in computer architecture. As AI advances, human beings are using it to help with some problems that use AI. AI is achieved using a number of different methods. The more popular methods are neural networks, fuzzy logic, and expert systems. There are very few applications that are pre-written using AI. Each company has to write its own software for the solution to the problem. An easier way around this problem is to make an add-on. The company FuziWare makes several programs that help out larger applications. FuziCalc, FuziQuote, FuziCell, FuziChoice, and FuziCost are all products that are used as management decision support systems for other off-the-shelf applications. A neural network is a type of information processing system that is similar to the makings of biological neural systems. The neural network tries to act like the way a brain and nervous system work by checking sensory inputs and making an output. Neural networks are used mainly for internal corporate applications in different types of problems. For example, Troy Nolen was hired by a major defense contractor to design programs for guiding flight and battle patterns of the YF-22 fighter. His software runs on five on-board computers and makes split-second decisions based on data from ground stations, radar, and other sources. It also predicts what... ...ng students specialized tasks. There are many ways that AI can be used to solve a problem. In the future, more problems will be solved with AI. With the advancement of AI and technology, AI will continue to get better and help out humans with more problems using AI. References Bailey, James. (1996). â€Å"The Computer Within Living Memory.† After thought: The Computer Challenge to Human Intelligence, (6), New York, N.Y., 60-68. Dean, Thomas., Doyle, Jon. (1996). â€Å"Strategic Direction in Artificial Intelligence.† ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 28(4), 653-670. Klassner, Frank. (1996). â€Å"Artificial Intelligence: Introduction.† Crossroads, 3(1), 2. Pearn, James. (2001). â€Å"ArtificialBrains.com.† http://www.glendhu.com/ai/. Pereira, Fernando. (1996). â€Å"Language, Computation, and Artificial Intelligence.† ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 28(4), 9.

Chromosome 6 Summary

Summary of Chromosome 6 by author Robin Cook: Chromosome 6 begins with the murder of an infamous Mafia figure, Carlo Franconi. His Mafia competitors are the number one suspects for the shooting, and these suspicions rise when Franconi’s body disappears from the morgue before the autopsy is carried out. Medical examiner Jack is confused and interested by the case, along with his partner Dr. Montgomery. However, their attention is sidetracked by the arrival of a mutilated, unidentifiable body that has been found in the river.The two doctors are disturbed by the appearance of the body, because it has been completely mutilated. When they discover that the body is also missing its liver, they go on a quest to find the reason why, which takes them into the dangerous jungles of Equatorial Guinea. Here the two men discover the scary possibilities of medicine and science and the unethical experiments being carried out on humans and animals. In Chromosome 6, there are two stories being told. The first story takes place mostly in New York, where the medical examiners are faced with the task of doing an autopsy on Carlo Franconi.Alongside that story, we are introduced to Kevin Marshal, a 34-year-old geek who works for GenSys, a biotech company. Kevin lives in Equatorial Guinea, where he’s doing research using Bonobos, a type of primate. Equatorial Guinea is where the second story takes place, where Kevin must solve a mystery of his own. Along the way he is helped by Melanie Becket and Candace Brickman. Then, Jack and Kevin's stories merge into one complicated, unified plot. Although Jack is the main character in this story, Kevin is by far the most memorable. Both the group in New York and the one in Africa risk their lives to learn their respective truths.

How to Use a Scorecard to Create More Effective Content with Jeff Goins

How to Use a Scorecard to Create More Effective Content with Jeff Goins Do you wish your content were more consistent and effective? You’ve probably noticed that some of your posts get a lot of attention, while others tend to go largely ignored. Why is this? And, more importantly, what can you do about it? Today’s guest is Jeff Goins. Jeff is the author of The Art of Work and the founder of his blog, Goins, Writer. He says that by having a content scorecard, you can improve the standards of each of your posts, raising your blog’s overall effectiveness. If you’re having trouble keeping the engagement factor of your blog posts consistent, today’s episode is just what you need. Some of the topics we will be discussing today include: How Goins, Writer came about, as well as some great advice he received that got him into the habit of writing every day. The four points of the content scorecard: A good post is well-written, promises something, fulfills that promise, and containing a large amount of value. Some of the biggest challenges Jeff faced when implementing the score card. Advice for creating a scorecard that will work for your blog. Quotes by Jeff: â€Å"You don’t need to want to be a writer. You are a writer. You just need to write.† â€Å"The best content is not necessarily just a good story or a well-written piece but it makes a clear, compelling promise.† â€Å"You haven’t effectively communicated a message until the receiver says, okay, I receive that.†

Sociolinguistics Definition and Examples

Sociolinguistics Definition and Examples Sociolinguistics takes language samples from sets of random population subjects and looks at variables that include such things as pronunciation, word choice, and colloquialisms. The is data is then measured against socio-economic indices such as education, income/wealth, occupation, ethnic heritage, age, and family dynamics to better understand the relationship between language and society. Thanks to its dual focus, sociolinguistics is considered a branch of both linguistics and sociology.  However, the broader study of the field may also encompass anthropological linguistics, dialectology, discourse analysis, ethnography of speaking, geolinguistics, language contact studies, secular linguistics, the social psychology of language, and the sociology of language. The Right Words for the Given Situation Sociolinguistic competence means knowing which words to choose for a given audience and situation to get the desired effect. For instance, say you wanted to get someones attention. If you were a 17-year-old boy and you spotted your friend Larry walking out to his car, youd probably utter something loud and informal along the lines of: Hey, Larry! On the other hand, if you were that same 17-year-old boy and saw the school principal drop something in the parking lot as she was walking to her car, youd more likely utter something along the lines of, Excuse me, Mrs. Phelps! You dropped your scarf. This word choice has to do with societal expectations on the part of both the speaker and the person to whom he is speaking. If the 17-year-old hollered, Hey! You dropped something! in this instance, it could be considered rude. The principal has certain expectations with regard to her status and authority. If the speaker understands and respects those societal constructs, he will choose his language accordingly to make his point and express proper deference. How Language Defines Who We Are Perhaps the most famous example of the study of sociolinguistics comes to us in the form Pygmalion, the play by Irish playwright and author George Bernard Shaw that went on to become the basis for the musical My Fair Lady. The story opens outside Londons Covent Garden market, where the upper crust post-theater crowd is attempting to stay out of the rain. Among the group are Mrs. Eynsford, her son, and daughter, Colonel Pickering (a well-bred gentleman), and a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle (a.k.a Liza). In the shadows, a mysterious man is taking notes. When Eliza catches him writing down everything she says, she thinks he’s a policeman and loudly protests that she hasn’t done anything. The mystery man isn’t a cop- he’s a professor of linguistics, Henry Higgins. Coincidentally, Pickering is also a linguist. Higgins boasts that he could turn Eliza into a duchess or the verbal equivalent in six months, with no idea that Eliza has overheard him and is actually going to take him up on it. When Pickering bets Higgins he can’t succeed, a wager is made and the bet is on. Over the course of the play, Higgins does indeed transform Eliza from guttersnipe to grand dame, culminating with her presentation to the queen at a royal ball. Along the way, however, Eliza must modify not only her pronunciation but her choice of words and subject matter. In a wonderful third-act scene, Higgins brings his protà ©gà © out for a test run. She’s taken to tea at the home of Higgins very proper mother with strict orders: â€Å"She’s to keep to two subjects: the weather and everybody’s health- Fine day and How do you do, you know- and not to let herself go on things in general. That will be safe.† Also in attendance are the Eynsford Hills. While Eliza valiantly attempts to stick to the limited subject matter, it’s clear from the following exchange that her metamorphosis is as yet incomplete: MRS. EYNSFORD HILL:  I’m sure I hope it won’t turn cold. There’s so much influenza about. It runs right through our whole family regularly every spring. LIZA: [darkly] My aunt died of influenza- so they said. MRS. EYNSFORD HILL [clicks her tongue sympathetically] LIZA: [in the same tragic tone] But it’s my belief they done the old woman in. MRS. HIGGINS: [puzzled] Done her in? LIZA: Y-e-e-e-es, Lord love you! Why should she die of influenza? She come through diphtheria right enough the year before. I saw her with my own eyes. Fairly blue with it, she was. They all thought she was dead; but my father he kept ladling gin down her throat til she came to so sudden that she bit the bowl off the spoon. MRS. EYNSFORD HILL: [startled] Dear me! LIZA: [piling up the indictment] What call would a woman with that strength in her have to die of influenza? What become of her new straw hat that should have come to me? Somebody pinched it; and what I say is, them as pinched it done her in. Written just after the close of the Edwardian Era, when class distinction in British society was steeped in centuries-old traditions strictly delineated by a set of codes that related to family status and wealth as well as occupation and personal behavior (or morality), at the heart of the play is the concept that how we speak and what we say directly defines not only who we are and where we stand in society but also what we can hope to achieve- and what we can never achieve. A lady speaks like a lady, and a flower girl speaks like a flower girl and never the twain shall meet. At the time, this distinction of speech separated the classes and made it virtually impossible for someone from the lower ranks to rise above their station. While both a shrewd social commentary and an amusing comedy in its day, assumptions made on the basis of these linguistic precepts had a very real impact on every aspect daily life- economic and social- from what job you could take, to whom you could or could not marry. Such things matter much less today of course, however, it is still possible for some sociolinguistic experts to pinpoint who you are and where you come from by the way you speak.

The World Trade Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The World Trade Organization - Essay Example There were a number of complains from the developing countries concerning their obligation under the last trade round and their difficulties with WTO in regard to its bargaining structure. These countries were concerned about Uruguay Round’s single undertaking, arguing that this could have acted as wheedle of reluctant countries into the consensus (WTO NEWS, 1998). This led to a split between large developed nations particularly the U.S and Europe and the large developing nations particularly India and china (Levy, 2010). This was also noted to have influenced other 153 members of the WTO in deciding which side to favor. The greatest success of the WTO process was when there was consensus at the WTO’s ministerial conference in Singapore on labor standards. Although either side had held very strong positions, later, there was a clear and strong consensus. The members were committed to adhere to labor standards. The best of it was that it was internationally agreed and that such standards should not question the comparative advantage of countries. This is an indication that WTO has been successful in multilateral approaches in social fields. WTO can be argued to be an efficient and effective system global trade. WTO has so far been able to enhance the value and quality of trade (Hoekman, et al. 2009). This should be the primary purpose of such a body. WTO has also eradicated trade and non trade barriers, broadened the trade governance scope, among many other achievements. Therefore, although some challenges comes in the process of making international trade efficient and effective, it is evident that if member states commit themselves to harmoniously work together, WTO can be a vehicle to ride on. WTO NEWS, 1998 press releases. â€Å"The Coming Challenge: Global Sustainable Development for the 21st Century†. Retrieved on 18th July 2012 from:

Employee Training and Development at Abbott Case Study

Employee Training and Development at Abbott - Case Study Example Abbott has received numerous local, national and international distinctions for its commitment to workplace excellence. Abbott has been named one of the best places to work in the world. It has received many awards for its unique performance and its concern and care for its workforce safety, growth and development and success and excellence. The present study covers some of the important areas in employee training and development that have made it a distinct company. Strategic training is directly linked with the business strategy of a company. It begins with identifying the business strategy. Then strategic training and development initiatives that support the strategy are selected and these are translated into concrete training and development activities. The final step involves identifying measures or metrics. These metrics are used to determine if training helped contribute to goals related to business strategy. (Noe. 2008) As Raymond Noe rightly points out, the company's mission, vision, values and goals help to determine the strategy. The mission is the company's reason for existing. The vision is the picture of what company does in the future and what it wants to achieve. Values are what the company stands for. SWOT analysis really helps a company to identify its strengths and weakness and an analysis of its operating environment to identify opportunities and threats. It studies closely the internal and external factors that affect its performance. This analysis goes a long way in formulating the business strategy. The company has to consider its competition. It will decide how the company will compete with others in the market. There are three main points to consider when planning the strategy for competing. They are: 1) where to compete 2) How to compete 3) With what will it compete Abbott has a clear business strategy with its clear mission and vision statements and thorough SWOT analysis.- Once the business strategy is clear then strategic training and development initiatives that support the Strategy are identified. Strategic training and development initiatives are learning-related actions that a company should take to help it achieve its business strategy. (Noe, 2008) These initiatives are based on the business environment, an understanding of the company's goals and resources and insight regarding potential training and development options. These provide the company a road map to guide specific training and development activities. One of the initiatives in strategic training is to diversifying the learning portfolio by using new technology, facilitating informal learning, and providing more personalized learning opportunities. Expanding who are trained is another major initiative in strategic training. It includes customers, suppliers and employees. It also aims at providing training for non-managerial employees. Accelerating the Pace of Employee learning is another major strategic training initiative. It helps in quickly identifying needs and providing a high-quality learning solution, reducing the time to develop training programs and

Employe Search Process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employe Search Process - Assignment Example This approach increases the chances of drawing potential candidates from a wide pool of professionals. The vacancy’s details in advertisements will include the positions available, applicants educational requirements, and skill levels required from potential employees. Interested parties can then send in their applications by e-mail to reduce the potential candidates to those proficient with electronic communications. The company’s expansion process requires it to have an intricate knowledge of the current trends in the US welding industry. Demand for welding and welded products fell from $6.113 billion in 2006 to $6 billion in 2011, and this drop was attributed to reduced demand in the construction and repair and maintenance markets (League Park Advisors, 2013, p. 5). According to the League Park Advisors report (2013), demand is expected to rise to $8.067 billion by 2016 as companies increase their production capabilities to meet growing market demand (p. 5). The labor availability in the welding industry is set to increase as industry players such as the manufacturing sector adopt automation for repetitive and hazardous tasks, but the demand for welding specialists will increase due to the need to monitor and direct these automation processes (League Park Advisors, 2013, p. 5). Due to these changes in the market’s demands, labor availability will see a likely shift from the manufacturing industry as it increasingly adopts automation, towards sectors such as repair and maintenance and construction. Manufacturing services may also move from China as wages in that market increase, and this could increase demand for the US manufacturing market (League Park Advisors, 2013, p. 8). Projected annual growth rates of 6.8% and 11.8% for the repair and maintenance and construction markets respectively also dwarf the manufacturing market’s growth rate of 5.7% and also proposes reactionary shifts in the labor market (League

Doric,Ionic, Corinthian Essay Example for Free

Doric,Ionic, Corinthian Essay Essay Prompt:Define and describe the three architectural orders of ancient Greece noting when and where they were used and how they reflected the changes in Greece from the Archaic through the Hellenistic Period. Ancient Greece has brought about many methods of art that we see in our everyday lives. Many artists today even try to mimic artists in ancient Greece, but often fail to do so. One of the most important aspects to come out of Greek art is the architecture, most notable the three architectural orders of ancient Greece, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Each components of this order has a system of inter dependable parts whose proportions are based upon mathematical ratios. The basic components of all three orders are the column and entablature. Although most people do not know this order, they see it in their everyday lives. The history behind this order may take a lifetime to fully understand. The Doric order has shafts that composed of drums seated on top of a stylobate. The shafts do not have bases in the Doric order like they do in the others. At the top of the shaft lies an echinus and abacus respectively and the combination of shafts, echinus and abacus make up a column. At the top of each column lies an entablature and at the top of each entablature lies a pediment. The Doric order was mainly used in Greek and Rome and was the earliest of the three orders. The Doric order came about in a definite form in 7th century B.C, but it was not widely used until the 19th century during the Greek Revival which was an architectural movement that took place between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. There are many buildings that use the doric order, but the most famous example is the Parthenon. Overall the Doric order in ancient Greece has been used for many centuries now and it has led to the creation of buildings such as the Parthenon. The Ionic order has a shaft that lies on top of a base and unlike the Doric order its shafts are not composed of drums. At the top of the shaft lies a capital and the combination of a base, shaft and capital make up a column of the ionic order. The column of an ionic order is approximately nine times the diameter of its base. Above the column lies a architrave, frieze, cornice and pediment respectively. The Ionic order came about in 6th century B.C in Ionia. The use of the Ionic order was most prominent during the Archaic Period (750-480 BCE). Many ancient Greek buildings have used the Ionic order, but the most famous one is the Temple of Diana in Ephesus. The Parthenon has elements of the ionic order, but it conforms mainly to the Doric order. Ultimately, the Ionic order is a historic creation and its structure is still used in many buildings today. The Corinthian order is a variation of the ionic order and was originally created for interiors, bit it was eventually used in exteriors as well. The Corinthian order has all the basic components of the Ionic order, but it does not have a pediment. The pediment is removed completely while the capital is composed of an astragal, leaf, acanthus, rosette and volute. Arriving in full development at the middle of 4th century B.C, the Corinthian order was not used too often by the Greeks. The Greeks mainly just used the Corinthian order for the interior. The oldest known Corinthian temple is the Temple of Apollo Epicurius. Although the Corinthian order was not used as prominently as the Doric or Ionic it is still an important order and has helped create many ancient Greek buildings. The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian order were important features to come out of Greek architecture and many buildings today use these orders. The basic components of these orders were a column and entablature, but each of the three orders had specific characteristics that set them apart from the others. The creation of these orders has led to the many great Greek buildings such as the Parthenon. These orders were important elements to come out of Greek art and will probably be used for centuries to come.

Comparing Romanticism in Plymouth Plantation, Birthmark, and Rappaccini

  Ã‚     Puritanism and Romanticism differ in style, religious references, and plot content. Puritanism began to flourish with strict God-fearing Calvinists who had fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe. With writers such as William Bradford and Edward Taylor, Puritan literature focuses on God's role in the lives of the people and adopts a simple religious style of writing. Romanticism was introduced to Americans in the nineteenth century, delivering a fresh literary and artistic style. This new literature pays more attention to the elements of tone, mood, and atmosphere, while also applying religion in the form of transcendentalism. These two types of literature are similar in the respect that they both encourage living simply. Puritan writers were concerned more with the message the literature portrayed than with form and dramatic elements. "Poetry was used to educated its reader, and was written using simple rhythm and common images" (Heimert 34). Puritan literature was plain in style. Much attention focused on God's will in the new world, man's relation to God, the nature of faith, and the history of New England. We can see these elements in the writings of William Bradford, the Governor of the Plymouth colony. "Of Plymouth Plantation" is considered to be New England's first literary achievement. It "is an historical account of the journey to the new world, and the hardships encountered upon arrival" (Fritscher 81). This poem was written to "preserve both the record and the fact of Plymouth's separate identity" (Heimert 51). Bradford's objective was to preach God's purpose in the founding of the Plymouth colony. "Of Plymouth Plantation" has two major themes: how Plymouth had failed the original goal of e... ...uestioning of reason and nature separated him from the Puritans. Yet both Romanticism and Puritanism are similar with their respect for simplicity, while they differ in many other ways.   Works Cited Boewe, Charles. "Rappaccini's Garden." American Literature. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1959. Fritscher, John. "The Sensibility and Conscious Style of Willaim Bradford." Bucknell Review. 1969. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. New York: Dover Publications, INC. 1992. Heimer, Alan. The Puritans in America: A Narrative Anthology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1985. Leone, Bruno, ed. Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne. San Diego: Greenhave Press, 1996. McPherson, Hugo. Hawthorne as a Myth-Maker: A Study in the Imagination. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989. Morison, Samuel. Of Plymouth Plantation. New York, Knopf, 1952.

Alcohol Abuse in Russia

Joe Bloe Professor I. B Smart BS 131 December XX, 2008 Alcohol Abuse in Russia Family Issues Russians drink more alcohol than any other nation in the world. (Halpin, 2007, p1) The Times of London reports that Russians are currently going on an alcoholic binge even by Russian standards. According to the country’s chief public health officer, Gennadi Onishenko, Russians are drinking nearly three times as much as they did sixteen years ago. Onishenko’s study was promulgated by the Russian equivalent of the consumer protection agency and it reported that at least 2. million people in Russia were alcoholics. The average Russian consumed 15 litres (26 pints) of pure alcohol per annum, up from 5. 4 litres in 1990, and this phenomena is blamed for a rising rate of mortality among men. This compares to 8. 4 litres for people in the United States and 7. 6 litres in Japan. (Halpin, 2007 p 1) Violent crime and alcohol consumption have increased throughout the Russian federation sin ce the fall of the Soviet Union. This has shown harmful consequences for families and communities, as heavy alcohol drinking is closely associated with violent behavior in Russia.The correlation between heavy drinking and violence is a complicated mixture of physiological, psychological, situational, social and cultural elements. Whenever measures to control alcohol production and consumption have been introduced, reduced violence has occurred in Russia and elsewhere. (WHO, 2006) Violence is a family’s worst enemy and may include physical and sexual assaults, mental or emotional abuse and neglect. It may also be categorized into interpersonal violence, child maltreatment or neglect, intimate partner violence within a relationship, sexual violence, abuse of the elderly or self-directed violence including suicide. WHO, 2006) There is ample evidence to support the relationship between heavy drinking and violence. In Russia, alcohol has been involved in three-quarters of homicide arrests. Families often bear the brunt of the violence that emanates from heavy drinking. In the Central Black-Earth Region of Russia, a study showed that 77% of violent crimes against family members involved drinking with 35% of these drinkers bingeing every day. Among male perpetrators of spousal homicide, 60–75% of offenders had been drinking before the incident. (WHO, 2006)Alcohol abuse affects physical and cognitive functioning resulting in reduced self-control and the ability to process incoming information. This makes drinkers more apt to resort to violence to resolve conflicts. (Rand Corp. , 2002) Heavy drinking can impair parents’ responsibilities toward themselves and their children. Drinking also reduces the amount of time and money spent on their children, often neglecting the children’s basic needs. Alcohol abuse by either the parent or the child increases the child’s vulnerability to sexual abuse.Sometimes children are made to drink alcohol to facilitate sexual acts or involve them in child pornography. (WHO, 2006) Alcohol abuse during pregnancy can result in children being born with fetal alcohol syndrome as well as health issues for the mother. Excessive drinking in a relationship can create problems with finances, childcare, infidelity or other stressors leading to potentially violent situations. (WHO, 2006) Health Issues Russians are suffering from a problem with demographic retention and a declining population base.Alcoholism is a leading cause in rising Russian mortality rates, particularly among males. Alcohol contributes to premature deaths involving accidents, injuries and violence particularly among males. Male mortality rates fell sharply during Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign of 1984 to 1987. This effort reduced state alcohol production, raised prices for liquor, mandated alcoholic treatments where needed and cracked down on homemade liquor. The program was highly unpopular and abandoned, after wh ich both consumption of alcohol and mortality rates for males increased dramatically once again. Rand Corp. , 2002) Russia’s population has dropped from 145 million in 2002 to 140,702,000 in July of 2008. The birth rate is slightly higher at 11. 3 births per 1,000; up from 9. 1 per 1,00 in 2002. Male life expectancy is only 59 years and for females it is 73 years. (Fitzgerald, 2003, CIA 2008) Statistics for children are not encouraging. In 2003, the number of healthy children in Russia dropped from 45. 5 percent to 33. 9 percent over ten years, and the number of disabled children doubled, according to the epidemiology section of the Health Ministry.According to information gathered form the 2002 census, one third of Russian children are born out of wedlock. (Fitzgerald, 2003) The Russian Ministry of Health did not blame alcoholic parents for substandard health environments or the usual culprits of drug abuse, or smoking and eating junk food but blamed an increase in the schoo l workload and less time for outdoor exercise. The Ministry claimed that an incredible 75% of children were said to have hypertension and related problems in the 2003 analysis of Russian health. (Fitzgerald, 2003)Beer is regarded in many areas as if it were soda pop. Children as young as 13 routinely drink beer in public in some areas and the national legal drinking age is currently 18 years. Vodka has traditionally been available nearly everywhere to nearly everybody in Russia and children have no problem finding it. As in America and elsewhere, heavy alcohol consumption in Russia impedes a family’s well being in a host of problematic ways. And Russians drink more alcohol per capita than any other national population in the world. (Halpin, 2007)Gorbachev’s attempt to limit alcohol abuse In 1985 President Gorbachev, who was then president of the USSR, began a campaign to limit alcohol abuse by raising the legal drinking age to 21 years and imposing tough legal sanction s on home production of alcohol. (Today, the drinking age is 18 years. ) During the period of 1984 through 1987 when the campaign was running, state sales of alcohol decreased by 61%. Statistically speaking, the effort was successful in that total violent deaths dropped 33% and alcohol-related violent deaths dropped by 51%.The program was not popular with the public, however, and was abandoned in 1987. By 1992, market reforms for alcohol were instituted that liberalized trade and dropped prices and the rates of violent deaths increased substantially. (WHO, 2006) These rising figures are subject to interpretation because this was the era of perestroika in Russia and increases in violent deaths cannot be solely attributed to increases in alcohol availability and consumption. The temporal correlations between the crackdown on alcohol and the drops in violence indicate that they are interconnected.Perestroika and glasnost were introduced to Russian society in response to President Gorba chev’s initiatives toward political reform and moral recovery. A cornerstone of his plan was a reduction in drinking which he saw not only as a health problem but a cause of economic inefficiency. (McKee, 1999) He adopted a heavy-handed approach to limiting alcohol production, distribution and use. All state agencies were ordered to develop departmental strategies to cut down alcohol consumption. Alcohol was banned at official functions and party officials who drank heavily were dismissed from their jobs.Liquor outlets were dramatically reduced and the media changed its attitude to one of intolerance for alcohol and organizations like the All-Union Voluntary Society for the Struggle for Sobriety sprang up. This association claimed 12 million members one year after organizing. (McKee, 1999) Within a few years, as the Soviet Union was collapsing, the campaign faltered and was eventually replaced by a rapid rise in consumption, driven by widespread illicit production of homemade alcohol on a massive, national scale. Economic IssuesRussia's stock markets have lost about 70 percent of their value since peaks in May, and workers have been hard hit by lay-offs and wage arrears. The tepid global economy has left Russians hurting and they, like most of the world, have had to cut back on expenses. The result is less state-sanctioned vodka being sold and an increase in homemade spirits. Research by the National Alcohol Association showed that deaths from alcohol poisoning increased to 1,458 in September, presumably the result of Russians drinking dangerous substitutes for vodka as a cheaper way to get drunk. (Shuster, 2008)During Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign, the production of samogon (homemade spirits) had become a large-scale industry that provided cheap alcohol to Russians while depriving the state of tax revenue. When restrictions were eased in 1988, alcohol consumption quickly exceeded the pre-1985 level. A Russian study done in 1995 revealed that regular drunkenness affected between 25 and 65 percent of blue-collar workers and 21 percent of white-collar workers, particularly in rural areas. (Coutsoukis, 2005) Unemployed workers are particularly vulnerable to alcohol abuse problems.Being available in most places, day or night and being historically cheap people without occupations tend to drink more often and heavier. When vodka is unavailable or too expensive, they will often resort to dangerous substitutes. In 1994, the number of people who died of alcohol poisoning rose to about 53,000, a major increase from 36,000 in 1991. These are typically the result of drinking homemade alcohol substitutes. Bootlegging had become a widespread criminal activity by the mid 1990s. (Coutsoukis, 2005) Legal vodka is big business in Russia.The word â€Å"vodka† means â€Å"little water† in Russian, a term of endearment. (Tartakovsky, 2006) The brand â€Å"Stolichnaya† sells $2 billion a year worldwide and was privatize d in 1992. Soyuzplodimport, or SPI, has the exclusive rights to export Stolichnaya, which vodka lovers in the U. S. fondly refer to as â€Å"Stoli. † Some 50% of the company's export turnover comes from the United States, thanks mostly to its strategic alliance with Allied-Domecq for U. S. distribution rights. (Shuster, 2008) Alcohol and workers The Russian workplace has always been a place where vodka contributed to the socializing rituals.Before the Bolshevik Revolution the Russian tradition of prival'naia, a welcoming ceremony for new workers that included snacks and vodka. It was a socializing event where the new workers would become acquainted with their fellow workers. The new workers were expected to provide the snacks and vodka for the veterans in exchange for training in the new job. (Andreasen, 2006) The Revolution changed the way workers were hired. Prior to this era, workers were usually hired on the recommendation of an acquaintance and the ceremony of prival'nai a was part of the payback for getting the job.With the implementation of the communist trade unions, the hiring became an impersonal process and there was no payback necessary and it eliminated the worker’s obligation to train new employees. These changes brought about the practical end to prival'naia, although some workers and organizations still clung to the old tradition where they could get away with it. (Andreasen, 2006) Russian worker culture has always included vodka. The working class sees vodka as an essential element for surviving their brutal winters and poor economy.It is an escape that causes apathy among the work force and contributes to poor health and accidents that make Russia’s work force less productive and more costly. Productivity in Russia has always been known to suffer because of heavy drinking. That belief is one of the motivators behind Gorbachev’s plan to reduce drinking in the 1980s. It is difficult to gauge the true impact of worker drinking and productivity because the Russian economy is still in a state of flux as it transfers from a state-controlled, centralized economy to free-markets. It is inappropriate to make comparisons about worker utput and drinking since the two economies measure productivity in myriad different ways. (Kryzanek, 2004) Many Soviet patriots and party leaders recognized the need to curb alcohol to increase worker productivity.Pokhlebkin was one of these patriotic historians who published his extensive research in a book called â€Å"A History of Vodka† he included a chapter depicting what he determined to be Russia’s descent into rampant alcoholism. Drunkenness, he asserted, is incompatible with socialist principles in that it undermines worker morale and curtails industrial productivity. Tartakovsky, 2006) Russian workers have become complacent after seventy years of communism. Entire generations have grown up shirking work because private initiatives were always discour aged and sometimes even dangerous. Wage inversion led to high pay for lowliest work while job dissatisfaction created moonlighting and demoralized workers moved from job to job. Alcohol has always exacerbated this complacency and lack of motivation. (Kryzanek, 2004) Heavy drinking has a deeply rooted history in Russian culture and life.The problem seems so ingrained in their society that it would be impossible to completely eliminate drinking from the society. This heavy drinking behavior is exhibited in other northern cultures like the Finish or Polish societies without such devastating consequences. In Russia, however, there is historical evidence to suggest that the country’s governments from the Czars to the Soviets have helped to create this culture. (McKee, 1999) There are also several sub-cultures of the drinking population in Russia because of geographic, gender and socio-economic variations, making it difficult to generalize the problem.There are even some people amo ng these groups who actually abstain or drink in moderation. The state itself has contributed to the drinking problem throughout the country’s history by producing and distributing cheap vodka in the name of tradition and profit. It should be feasible for the government to take some kind of proactive measures to stop its population from killing themselves with even-more toxic substitutes for a toxic product. Apparently, it will take many generations of sober Russians to change the high-profile role alcohol plays in so many national traditions.The Russian people have gone through many changes throughout the ages. Hopefully, their resilience will help them change their love of vodka and allow them to become socially conscious drinkers. That’s a tradition easily passed on.