The On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes - 1699 Words

In his work Meditations on First Philosophy, published in 1641, Renà © Descartes sets out to establish a set of indubitable truths for the sciences. He begins by discarding all of his beliefs, then works to rebuild his beliefs based on careful thought. Descartes clearly states this goal, saying in the First Meditation, â€Å"I will work my way up†¦ I will accomplish this by putting aside everything that admits of the least doubt† (I, 17). He is able to establish his own existence, but struggles to move beyond his internal thoughts to discuss external objects. Descartes decides that the Christian God is the bridge he needs to escape the confines of his own mind, and argues for the existence of God in the Third Meditation in order to move on to discussing the physical world. In this paper I will argue that Descartes’ rationalistic project would have been improved without an appeal to the Christian God, although I will also argue that Descartes thinks this appeal is necessary. Descartes declares that he will only accept ideas that he can absolutely affirm, but accepts the existence of God without adequately proving it. This inadequacy undermines his declared project of defining the world in terms of established ideas. He does not sufficiently prove the idea of God, yet bases so much on it. When he later discusses physical bodies, intellect, and mathematical concepts, the reader cannot forget that everything he writes is based on the shaky foundation of the Christian God, and finds hisShow MoreRelatedRene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy1234 Words   |  5 Pages In Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes does and experiment with wax to try to prove that things actually exist in this world. This essay is going to prove how we can tell that things actually exist and what can perceive the wax. Rene Descartes starts off with a description of the wax so he can prove to us the changes that will happen throughout his experiment. â€Å"Let us take, for instance, this piece of wax. It has been taken quite recently from theRead MoreMeditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes Essay839 Words   |  4 PagesPrà ©ciso of Meditations on First Philosophy Through his series of books, Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes enlightens his philosophical ideas about knowledge in which we should discard all belief we aren’t absolute certain about and establishes what we know for sure. In the introduction he clarifying the main ideas of each of the 6 books and using to them build up to his belief. Starting with the First Meditations, he discusses about doubt. He believed that there are no real foundationsRead MoreThe Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes916 Words   |  4 Pages The Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes is a thorough analysis about doubt. Descartes describes his method of doubt to determine whether he can truly know something. One of his major arguments is the proof of the existence of God. In this paper, I will attempt to unravel the flaws in Descartes proof that God exists. In the meditations, Descartes evaluates whether or not everything we know is a reality or a dream. Descartes claims that we can only be sure that our beliefs are trueRead MoreRene Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy1758 Words   |  8 PagesPerhaps the most startling conclusion reached by Renà © Descartes in Meditations on First Philosophy is his proposed disconnection between the Mind and Body. Striving to separate the spiritual from the corporeal to enable scientific examination of the earthly without interference from the divine, Descartes conceives that the two basic human substances, Mind and Body, are distinct and therefore able to exist separate of one another in his [in]famous claim of substance dualism. His conclusions rest uponRead MoreMeditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes1062 Words   |  5 PagesIn Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes philosophies made a substantial advancement in enabling us to understand the world around us by queryin g many of the Aristotelian doctrines that are still being discussed in philosophy today. He attempts to answer the question; can you fully trust your senses? Descartes uses methodological doubt, which is a process of being skeptical about truths of someone’s belief to revoke from his senses. In Meditation One: Concerning Those Things That Can BeRead MoreEssay on Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes1561 Words   |  7 Pages In his work, Meditations on First Philosophy, Renà © Descartes writes to rid pre-conceptions, and disprove all belief in thoughts that are not certain, accepting only what can be known for sure. In his Meditation VI: Of the Existence of Material Things, and the Real Distinction between the Mind and Body of Man, he discusses his belief that the mind and body are two separate substances, claiming that the nonmaterial mind and the material body, while being ontologically distinct substances, causallyRead MoreRene Descartes s Meditation On First Philosophy802 Words   |  4 PagesRenà © Descartes objective in Meditation on First Philosophy is to construct philosophy as a solid methodical study and discipline alike the sciences. To do so he must first suspend belief in all things doubtful and from their go about verifying the true concepts of the world. In meditation II he verifies that he is a thinking thing and finds that the certainty of the cogito â€Å"I think therefore I am† lies in the distinct perception of what he affirms. From this he generates a general rule of evidenceRead More Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy Essay1946 Words   |  8 PagesRene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy Rene Descartes’ third meditation from his book Meditations on First Philosophy, examines Descartes’ arguments for the existence of God. The purpose of this essay will be to explore Descartes’ reasoning and proofs of God’s existence. In the third meditation, Descartes states two arguments attempting to prove God’s existence, the Trademark argument and the traditional Cosmological argument. Although his arguments are strong and relatively truthfulRead MoreEssay on Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy2121 Words   |  9 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Descartes believes that knowledge comes from within the mind. This is a single indisputable fact to build on that can be gained through individual reflection. While seeking true knowledge, Descartes writes his Six Meditations. In these meditations, Descartes tries to develop a strong foundation, which all knowledge can be built upon. In the First Meditation, Descartes begins developing this founda tion through the method of doubt. He casts doubt upon all his previous beliefs, including â€Å"mattersRead MoreAnalysis Of Rene Descartes s Meditations On First Philosophy 1399 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy Essay 1 Rene Descartes was born in in La Haye, France, in 1596 and he studied at La Fleche Jesuit College and University of Poitiers. Descartes also lived in Germany, Holland and Sweden. He then worked in the army as a private councillor and then as a court philosopher. Descartes book ‘Meditations on First Philosophy’ was first published in 1641. The edition used to write this essay was edited by John Cottingham and was published by the Cambridge University Press in 1996. Descartes was

A strong brand and international track record Free Essays

A strong brand and international track record will attract equity funds and equity-related capital funding for an international acquisition. Retail sector is making extensive contribution to the economy, employment and regeneration (14 March 2007). More than 3. We will write a custom essay sample on A strong brand and international track record or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2 million people work in retail and it is now the UK’s third largest industry behind business services and the health sector Retail employment is so crucial to today’s economy that its image as a sector full of â€Å"shelf-stacking low-skilled† jobs should be swept aside. That is one of the conclusions of a new report which analyses the contribution of the retail sector to the economy, employment and regeneration of the UK. According to the report, produced by international property consultancy King Sturge in association with Business in the Community, more than 3.2 million people work in retail which, following the slump in manufacturing jobs is now the UK’s third largest industry behind business services and the health sector. And the report says it is time that retailers launched a co-ordinated campaign highlighting the fact that good retail jobs assisted individuals to develop their skills and careers which, in turn, provides real benefits to local communities. At the end of last year, Nottingham had 20,000 people working in retail and was ranked 11th in the league table of big urban centres most dependent on retail employment. According to Matthew Smith, Nottingham-based partner of King Sturge’s East Midlands Office â€Å"Retailing has proved to be one of the main contributors to employment creation in areas where there has been a loss of manufacturing jobs and although many employees, particularly women, are part-time it must be stressed that 95 percent of all part-time jobs are classed as permanent. Indeed, the flexibility of part-time employment suits many people who have to dovetail working arrangements with family commitments.† Last year, the retail sector employed 1.75 million part-time workers –a total that accounted for more than 20 percent of all part-time employees in the UK. According to Mr. Smith   Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The focus of much of the debate on retail today has been on the impact that it has had on the look and feel of city centres and the modern High Street. This report is different because it looks at the impact of retail on people who work or have worked in the sector. There is a perception that retail employment does not create ‘real jobs’ – only part-time or entry-level jobs that are unsustainable in the long term and contribute little to the wider economy. But let there be no mistake, retail is a major source of employment today and in government-identified deprivation areas retailing accounts for 1.1 million jobs, equivalent to ten percent of the workforce. Our document, however, should not be treated as the definitive report on the subject – it is there to further stimulate the debate and to be the catalyst for further research,†. According to Dr Angus McIntosh, Head of Research at King Sturge   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The time is right for retailers to confidently describe the benefits that people receive from working in their industry – benefits which employees themselves describe as helping to improve their skills and employability; being given a good start to career or work life prospects and helping to increase self-confidence.† â€Å"For too long the image of retail as full of shelf-stacking, low-skilled jobs has been allowed to perpetuate. This must now actively be countered with a positive image of employment in the sector, confidently presented to all.† Dr McIntosh said â€Å"It is recommended that retailers launch a concerted and co-ordinated campaign, highlighting the fact that retail jobs are good jobs that assist individuals to develop their skills and careers and which provide real benefits to local communities.† He said that many property developers recognised the benefits of helping recreate the communities in which their developments were located. These included strengthening the core purpose of the local High Street through the provision of retail space but also adding community facilities such as a nursery or doctor’s surgery to a development site. How to cite A strong brand and international track record, Papers

Country Assessment of Bangladesh for Overseas Expansion

Question: Discuss about theCountry Assessment of Bangladesh for Overseas Expansion. Answer: Introduction Aussie Textiles is a quality garments manufacturer of medium-size operating from Queensland. As a result of the increase in the competition that it is facing from imported goods that are cheaper, the company is thinking in terms of establishing a manufacturing plant in Asia and has selected Bangladesh as the potential country for establishing its manufacturing plant overseas. This report will be discussing the advantages as well as the disadvantages of carrying out operations in Bangladesh by conducting an industry overview and market analysis and will then make recommendations on their basis to suggest the appropriateness of the country for this expansion. Industry Overview The developing nations in Asia are undertaking continuous expansion of their textile industry because of the cost of production being very low in these nations. Bangladesh has emerged as a major player in the sector of Ready Made Garments (RMG). The apparel industry contributes 76% to its total earnings from the exports of textile and clothing. The primary reason for this is the availability of labour in abundant quantities and at cheaper rates (Textile Exchange, 2016). Even though the export revenue of most countries of Asia in 2015 was disappointing, Bangladesh did not follow that trend. The export earnings of Bangladesh increased to $3.2 billion in December, 2015 which was a new record for the country. This success was a result of the success which may be attributed to the growth of the apparel industry in Bangladesh which accounted for more than 83% of the figures in December, 2015. The increase in worldwide demand for cheap clothing has made Bangladesh the worlds second largest exporter and the position continues to be strong because of the huge population and low costs of labour. As per the World Bank, the GDP of the country is also expected to increase by 6.7% in the current year which will put it among the worlds fastest growing economies (Matsangon, 2016). A total of 20% of the GDP of Bangladesh comes from exports, out of which 80% is contributed by clothing (HKTDC Research, 2013). However, the road ahead for the industry has certain obstacles also. The main recipients of the Bangladeshi garments is the European Union as they account for 61% of the exports and the European economies have been undergoing constant slowdown. Apart from this, the competition from Vietnam is also increasing which is expected to grow more rapidly after the ratification of the Trans Pacific Partnership during the current year. This could pose a threat to the current global ranking that Bangladesh has. Subsequently, the manufacturers of Bangladesh will be forced to bring in enhancements in their productivity levels for maintaining their competitive advantage. Despite these challenges, as the trade will pick up globally in the years to come, it is expected that demand will increase for the Bangladeshi garments and will prompt economic growth that is very much needed for the country (Matsangon, 2016). Market Analysis The market analysis for Bangladesh can be done with the help of the tools such as the PESTLE Analysis, Porters Five Forces and the Porters National Competitive Advantage Theory. PESTLE Analysis The PESTLE analysis is a tool that is useful for gaining an understanding of the growth or decline of the market and hence it helps in assessing the direction, potential and position of the business. It is a tool for measuring business. PESTLE is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environment factors that are used for assessing the market from the perspective of an organisational unit or business (PESTLE Analysis, 2016). The PESTLE Analysis for Bangladesh has been done in order to evaluate its business environment by focusing on the potentiality as well as the complexities. Political Political unrest is common which disturbs the countrys international and national trading system. Hence, foreign firms are apprehensive of investing FDI in Bangladesh. A number of accidents have also occurred recently in the garment sector (ILO, 2016). Recent terrorist attacks made the country lag behind and weakened the business and it has to reassure the foreign buyers (Riley, 2016). The recent incidents like Tazreen Fire and Rana Plaza Collapse has raised concerns on safety of workers. However, forums have become active to bring the things back to normal and ensuring safety (Merchandising, 2015). Economic With respect to textile industry, the Government has adopted certain positive initiatives favouring foreign investors and no distinctions are made between domestic private and foreign investors in relation to incentives for investment and policies of import and export. Social Companies usually face challenges in adjusting to the social environment of the country. The companies operating in the country are gradually recognizing the significance of corporate social responsibility. Technological Currently, heavy reliance on imported technology is present and planning is required for effectively transferring via adoption, assimilation and acquisition. The other points of the PEST Analysis have been mentioned in Appendix 1. Porters Five Forces Competitive Rivalry Between Existing Players Competitive rivalry exists in the industry for getting large orders from the buyers. Bangladesh is the 6th largest supplier of textiles in the markets of the EU and the USA. It is emerged as a good potential for supplying quality textiles at cheap prices. Majority of the raw materials are imported but other factors of production are utilized for producing cheaper apparels. An investment friendly atmosphere is offered by Bangladesh to various brand names that outsource their production process to the country (Samaraweera, 2011). Bangladesh is among the nations which is unable to complete its quota which the larger markets have provided it with. Consequently, several foreign nations are using it as a hub for preparing their products by means of outsourcing it to Bangladesh and then get access to markets which were not accessible previously to them. The country is deriving benefits from this situation and is inviting investors as well as foreign companies for placing orders in order to get this facility (Houkokusho, 2012). Bargaining Power of Customers This is mainly from the countries which do not have GSP or facility of quota. Quota system is a big player and with Bangladesh having a quota left in the EU markets where nations such as China do not have accessibility, it is emerging as a hub where countries buy the services and then export it with their labels. This provides a comparative advantage. This coupled with quality, has made Bangladesh the best choice available. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The country enjoys an advantage when inputs are ordered from the suppliers of cotton and knit in India and China. Import of most of the raw materials reduces the benefit of initiating backward linkage and increases the supplier power but still it is able to attain inputs at global prices from its suppliers. The power of the domestic suppliers is increasing gradually as the number of local companies is rising. A large scale advantage is available to the suppliers due to the concentration of the industry based on the area. It enjoys a good reputation globally with the suppliers due to timely payments which is assisting it in getting quick supplies of raw materials, matching prices with international quoting for local and foreign suppliers. Threat of New Entrants Economies of scale in production are yet to be achieved by the country which may result in potential entrants threatening its growth. The availability of cheap labour is the countrys biggest advantage which safeguards it from new entrants and growth has been rapid in the textile sector of Bangladesh which is posing a tough competition to the already established players. However, political scenario has been unstable in the recent years which have led to nations like Vietnam, Sri Lanka and some Latin American nations to try and take away the advantages but as of now the threat remains minimal. Threat of Substitutes Poor branding of the country and lesser power of influencing customers, has led to increase in preference for Thailand, India and China but the cost of the buyers switching to these nations is high due to comparatively higher labour and raw material costs (Business Wire, 2011). However, there is a threat of rise in the substitute products such as clothes of banana and jute fibres and synthetic products. Conclusion and Recommendations The analysis of Bangladesh reveals that the greatest advantage of the company is its cheap labour and the fact that due to the country being unable to fulfill its quota requirements, other nations can consider it as a hub for manufacturing and then use it for gaining entry into other markets. It is recommended that Aussie Textile should set up its manufacturing facility in Bangladesh even though there are disadvantages in the form of political instability and safety of the workers but still the low cost of production, the timely repayment to the suppliers and quality of goods produced along with the accessibility to new markets, things returning to normal and also assurance by the Government of providing safe conditions and timely deliveries are the major advantages which outweighs this disadvantage. The increasing labour wages and prices of raw materials in other Asian nations like Thailand, India and China makes Bangladesh the preferred destination. Bibliography Business Wire, 2011. Research and Markets: Bangladesh Apparel Industry Analysis. Research. Dublin: Business Wire Business Wire. HKTDC Research, 2013. Bangladeshs garment industry: recent development and outlook. [Online] Available at: https://hkmb.hktdc.com/en/1X09UVLU/hktdc-research/Bangladesh%E2%80%99s-garment-industry-recent-development-and-outlook [Accessed 25 September 2016]. Houkokusho, C., 2012. Dynamics of Garment Industry in Low Income Companies:Experience of Asia and Africa. Interim Report. IDE-JETRO. ILO, 2016. Improving Working Conditions in the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh (RMGP Programme). ILO. Matsangon, E., 2016. Bangladesh textile industry sets export record. World Finance, 26 January. Merchandising, 2015. Readymade Garments Industry of Bangladesh. [Online] Available at: https://www.garmentsmerchandising.com/readymade-garments-industry-of-bangladesh/ [Accessed 25 September 2016]. PESTLE Analysis, 2016. What is PESTLE Analysis? A Tool for Business Analysis. [Online] Available at: https://pestleanalysis.com/what-is-pestle-analysis/ [Accessed 25 September 2016]. Riley, C., 2016. Bangladesh's huge garment industry tries to reassure foreign buyers. CNN Money, 4 JUly. Samaraweera, D., 2011. Analysis: Bangladesh Garment Industry Aims For Fast Growth. [Online] Available at: https://www.just-style.com/analysis/bangladesh-garment-industry-aims-for-fast-growth_id109958.aspx [Accessed 25 September 2016]. Textile Exchange, 2016. Apparel, Clothing Garments Industry Overview. [Online] Available at: https://www.teonline.com/apparel-garments/industry-overview.html [Accessed 25 September 2016].

Aesthetic Domain Essay Example

Aesthetic Domain Paper The domain that interests me the most is the aesthetic domain. The aesthetic domain is the appreciation of the arts and enjoyment of sensory experiences. I believe art is an important part to learning and expands the imagination and creation of a child. Art allows children to express feelings, thoughts and creativity. Although every domain is imperative to a child’s education, I believe the aesthetic domain ranks as one of the most important domains. When the aesthetic domain is compared to the other five domains, it is not considered â€Å"essential† to education, but â€Å"beneficial†. Fine arts are often phased out of curriculum because of the lack of time, no money and little learning potential. I believe it is very important to incorporate all areas of fine arts in the classroom, such as, theatre, visual, dance and music. Children who have developed the appreciation of arts will notice beauty in cultural artifacts and communications and in the natural environment, look at and respond to works of visual art, look at and respond to works of visual art, and listen and respond to different kinds of music. There are several activities that can be incorporated in the classroom to teach the appreciation of the arts, for example, class demonstrations, picture books and story time, class discussions, show and tell, field trips and videos. The aesthetic domain consists of different stages which each child will experience at each age. The first stage is the stage of creative representation. Children between the ages of 2 and 4 use scribbling as their creative representation, which is a disordered and controlled. From the ages 4 and 7, representational preschematics by symbols are used. We will write a custom essay sample on Aesthetic Domain specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Aesthetic Domain specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Aesthetic Domain specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Children between the ages of 7 and 9, use a schematic approach, which is highly, individualized, visual symbols. The main focus when incorporating aesthetics into curriculum is to promote creativity. A few strategies teachers may use to promote creativity are to direct hands-on time with materials, demonstrate new techniques, show and discuss pictures of real objects, encourage imagining, use nonverbal reinforcement, connect creative experiences to a concept, promote motivational dialogue, give visual examples of quality art and beautiful craftsmanship and come up with a  role-play idea. Another important aspect of teaching the aesthetic domain in curriculum is for teachers to have quality strategies. If a teacher is not using appropriate strategies, when incorporating aesthetics in the classroom, it may portray a lot of misconstrued information and confusion to the children. A teacher must model aesthetic awareness and enthusiasm and prepare an aesthetics-friendly classroom environment. A teacher must also select appropriate music supporting materials and organize an art center or â€Å"creation station† with appropriate materials for arts and crafts that have already been explored by the teacher before asking the children to use them. Providing a variety of creative movement props and props for dramatics is also an important strategy. More strategies include teaching children to respect and care for materials, motivating creativity through a variety of strategies and valuing all aspects of the creative expression process. A teacher should avoid making a product when demonstrating a technique to the class and begin each movement experience with a similar routine warm-up and end with a similar cool down. Most importantly, a teacher should accept children’s own ideas for creative movement, use questions to describe, analyze and evaluate art, avoid reinforcing only a realistic approach and to involve all of the children in the arts. There are several projects and activities a teacher can incorporate in the curriculum to encourage the children to express the aesthetic domain. Teachers can use songs to teach literacy or having the children create songs about a topic. Children may also be encouraged to use musical instruments. Teac hers may also use poems, puppets and fingerplays, as well as listening to taped stories or guest speakers. Children can have their own book making experience or create paintings or other arts and crafts as well. The aesthetic domain is detrimental to the education of our young people and can bring out many different educational skills of a child once they are allowed to freely express and explore themselves. Resources http://www.songsforteaching.com/teachertips.htm

Cause and Effects of the French Revolution Essays

Cause and Effects of the French Revolution Essays Cause and Effects of the French Revolution Essay Cause and Effects of the French Revolution Essay Essay Topic: Cause and Effect Have you ever wondered what the causes and effects were of the French Revolution? Today, we are going to explore this amazing question, and find out what the real causes’ and effects were of this remarkable Revolution! First off, you could name a dozen reasons why the French Revolution was started, but, I decided to name one key factor for the cause. The Financial Crisis. The decadence of the monarchy, along with other factors like war and poor harvests, led to an extreme financial crisis in France during the second half of the 18th century. People were going hungry and it appeared as if the monarchy just continued to spend carelessly. At the time of the Revolution, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were known for spending carelessly. Marie Antoinette is frequently credited with callously saying, Let them eat cake in response to finding out that Parisians were starving. However, it is probably more accurate to say that she was totally unaware of the peoples suffering. Louis XVI further added fuel to the fire by dismissing financial ministers who tried to bring about reform. As you would probably guess, this made the people furious because their rights were being demolished by a King. In turn, this would be one of the major causes the French Revolution. Secondly, the effects of the French Revolution not only had long-lasting consequences for France, but also for the rest of the world as Europe saw a rising middle class and Napoleon Bonapartes rise to power. You could also name a dozen effects that the French Revolution had on the people and the country, but, once again I chose one key factor for the effect. The Reign of Terror. While the goal of the French Revolution was in fact to establish a more democratic government that represents all people as opposed to just the wealthy and the aristocracy, the result really ended up being relative chaos. The Reign of Terror, largely administered by Danton and Robespierre, saw the beheading of many members of the royalty, including Marie Antoinette and countless others who were members of the French court or in some way considered a threat to the new government. This put all of France in fear because they didn’t know what to do, or whose ideas to follow. With all of this going on France was in ruins both politically and intellectually, which was one of the biggest factors in effecting the French Revolution. Lastly, determining the causes and effects in the French Revolution is not a simple matter. Like all wars and revolutions, there were a variety of factors and events that contributed to the climate before the French Revolution. The effects of the French Revolution however, remain indelible in the shaping of French culture. Who knows what would’ve happened with the French culture if this Revolution didn’t take place, maybe France would be a politically sound country, or maybe the there would have been a different Revolution. What did happen though, was the fight for power and greed. The French Revolution was a prime example of what can happen to mentally sound people if power and lust is placed into their grasps. In conclusion, an entire history book could be filled with the causes and effects of the French Revolution however, understanding the gist of the mentality of the time as well as examining some of the far-reaching consequences can give you a look into the exciting past of those interesting times events!

Postposition Definition and Examples

Postposition Definition and Examples Postposition is a word that shows the relation of a noun or pronoun to some other word in a sentence. A postposition is similar in function to a preposition, but it follows rather than precedes the object. Its generally accepted that the only common postposition in English is the word ago. Together, prepositions and postpositions are called adpositions. Examples and Observations Here are some examples of postposition from various writers: I decided many years ago to invent myself. I had obviously been invented by someone elseby a whole societyand I didnt like their invention.(Maya Angelou)Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.(Will Durant) Ago and Its Complement Ago in English must follow its complement. (87a) John received a very generous offer a few minutes ago.(87b) *John received a very generous offer ago a few minutes. In contrast with notwithstanding, ago must piedpipe, and cannot strand. (88a) How long ago did John receive the offer?(88b) *How long did John receive the offer ago? (Peter W. Culicover, Syntactic Nuts: Hard Cases, Syntactic Theory, and Language Acquisition. Oxford Univ. Press, 1999) Hence Although ago is . . . usually said to be the only independent postposition of English, the formal use of hence with the meaning from now (as in three weeks hence) seems to be used identically. Traces of postpositional constructions are found in expressions like the whole week through and all the year round.(D.J. Allerton, Over the Hills and Far Away or Far Away Over the Hills: English Place Adverb Phrases and Place Prepositional Phrases in Tandem. Adpositions: Pragmatic, Semantic and Syntactic Perspectives, ed. by Dennis Kurzon and Silvia Adler. John Benjamins, 2008) Clitic Though not usually so treated, the clitic -s could be seen as a postposition in e.g. my friends daughter, my friend in Washingtons daughter.(P.H. Matthews, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics. Oxford Univ. Press, 2007) Postpositions In Other Languages Many languages, such as English, express thematic roles by means of prepositions. Some languages, however, use postpositions (i.e., morphemes that express the same thematic roles but come after head nouns). Languages that use postpositions in this way include Korean and Japanese...For those students who have prepositions or postpositions in their native language, English prepositions are still a source of difficulty, and they remain so even as students levels of proficiency increase. One reason for this is the problem of polysemy. In learning a second language, students attempt to draw correspondences between their L1 [native language] prepositions and prepositions in the L2 [second language]. Perfect one-to-one correspondences would facilitate learning, but, given polysemy, finding these is virtually impossible.(Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2008)

E-Commerce - Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

E-Commerce - Case Study - Essay Example Since each party has their own case against each other discussing the cases between parties separately for a better understanding of the issues shall be the norm of this paper. At the end of each case an advice will be given from my contemplation of the merits of each of the case. This case study involves A (Alfred), B (Bert), C (CDE Corporation), Freegames, and Freepcgames portal. Freepcgames is a portal that is involved in providing free computer game programs to its subscribers who pays a monthly subscription fee. Freegames is the local company that represents Freepcgames. It should be noted that Freepcgames.com is a portal registered in the United States. From the facts of the case it is not apparent if the use of Freegames or Freepcgames is a registered trademark or company brand name. Several parties each with their own interest and culpabilities have brought legal actions against one another to protect their rights and legal interests. I shall evaluate the merits of each case between the protagonists and the legal anchors if possible shall be used to provide a solid base for the critical analysis. In some cases I shall provide advice on what charge and the basis of the charges to bring the other party to court. There will be instances wherein I will be providing legal advice or defence for Freegames, since for all intents and purposes Freegames, is my client in this simulated legal situation. The legal advice provided herein remains a theoretical exercise and shall be a hyperbolic representation of an actual legal advice that may be provided to resolve legal issues for Freegames in the future that relates to the instant issues. A (Alfred) vs. Freepcgames.com From the facts of the case it is evident that the whole problem started with Alfred’s use of his company’s resources for personal gain. His case against Freepcgames,com for the recovery of his money shall not prosper because the case arose from his own negligence. A, agreed to the terms and condition of Freegames at the onset and therefore any problem arising from the use of his username and password combination is his responsibility. It should be noted that â€Å"Duty of Care†1 in order for Tort to settle against Freegames the claimant should have his hands dry and clean. Washing his hands of his own culpability and assigning blame to Freepcgames contrary to the tenets of the law and it is against the ambit of human morality. Lord Atkin has set down the test when ‘duties of care’ arises in the following details of Donohue v Stevenson. â€Å"You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Who then, in law is my neighbour? The answers seems to be – persons who are closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in my contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called into q uestions†(per Lord Atkin [1932] AC 562 at p 580) It should be noted, that the username, password combination is the established means in which the identity of a person transacting business in the internet is established. With the express understanding of the user or customer of any internet based commercial entity that his username password combination is in fact his identity as far as this internet based commercial entity is concerned. A, therefore is not only expected to be more prudent in

Property law exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Property law exam questions - Essay Example Garcia and other persons or entities that may later on claims interest on the property. By virtue of its nature, an annotation on the Torrens Title is indefeasible. Where there is clear showing that the property is held under the Torrens Title, the argument in Garcia shall not be applicable. Reliance on the mortgage and guarantee executed over the couple’s home as evidence by the annotation in the Torrens Title is enough to bind the couple and other interested persons. a. My advice to Ms. Tomasina Jones is to seek redress in court based on the argument of prior right over the property and the fact that it was sold without her consent and authority. She can file a case against Ms. Thompson for fraud and recovery of property. Since Ms. Esther Asterix have not registered the sale and could not be held the absolute owner thereof thus Ms. Jones can claim prior right. Furthermore, since Ms. Thompson unduly enriched herself on the expense of Ms. Asterix, she shall be liable to return the money to Ms. Asterix plus damages. To best understand how the case metamorphosed, let us go back to the facts. Ms. Jones is a holder in fee simple where she has all the rights towards the property. In the case at bar, she employed Thomson Thompson to manage the far in her absence. Unfortunately, Ms. Thompson found the certificate of title concealed in an old Tim Tam Indulgence tin and used the same to sell the land to Esther Asterix. Ms. Asterix paid the valuation on a walk-in-walk-out basis, which is valid under the Conveyancing Act 1919. At the time of the sale Ms. Asterix have no idea that Ms. Thompson was not really the true owner of the property, making her a purchaser in good faith2 under Section 29B of the Conveyancing Act 1919. Under this section, â€Å"an instrument purporting to exercise a legal or equitable power of appointment over property, which, in

How to read newspaper Essay Example for Free

How to read newspaper Essay Divide it into three main portions MCQs National Issues International Issues MCQS This portion will be reserved for sifting material for MCQs of current affairs paper. Following are key areas for MCQs Names of Presidents , Prime Ministers and other heads of states of key countries Capital cities of the important countries of the world Heads of international organizations such as World Bank , IMF , ADB etc News agencies Currencies Major international events Major international sports events etc Make sub sections of various national issues confronting Pakistan that are likely to be asked in the forthcoming CSS examination. For Example Balochistan issue Water crisis Energy crisis Sustainability of economy Terrorism NFC award etc Make sub sections of various international issues confronting the world that are likely to be asked in the forthcoming CSS examination. For Example Iraq Iran Atgnanistan Palestine China supremacy Rise of Russia etc For reading purpose we can divide newspaper (here from newspaper we will assume DAWN) in four sections I-Main page 2-Editorial page 3-World in focus 4-0ther special editions Main Page Keeping in view above sections, have a look at the main page and read those pieces f news which are related to the above issues only. If there is any major or important development in those issues than note down in the relevant section only the development not the whole story. If there is no news related to any of the above issue than those who have recently started reading newspaper should read at least one piece of news from main page. Editorial Page Having cursory look at other pages, move on to the editorial page. Editorials are a MUST DAILY read. Read main article for two months continuously if you are a fresh reader, than you may skip if you feel like it being the repetition. Similarly, note down the important facts of the issues in their respective sections. World in Focus In this section the writers are mostly foreigners. Their style of writing and the way of looking at various issues is worth noting. Study at least one. Note down the way they take up and analyze the issue. Other special editions Do read following One article from Business Review on every Monday One article from Encounter on every Saturday. From Science dot com, any thing related to EDS directly. Sunday magazine any thing useful for any subject of CSS Friday feature is a MUST read on every Friday.

John D. Rockefeller: Turning Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Into Success :: Biography Biographies Essays

John D. Rockefeller: Turning Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Into Success John D. Rockefeller, the Standard Oil magnate who, by the time of his death in 1937, was probably worth close to a billion dollars, is perhaps one of the best historical examples of an obsessive-compulsive. An obsessive-compulsive is one who is driven to an act or acts, generally being asocial. By his own fixations and by nature of his peculiar psyche he must balance these actions with others more socially acceptable. There are abundant examples of Rockefeller's deeds fitting these clinical characteristics, and John D. Rockefeller is today generally regarded as an obsessive-compulsive. The roots of this disorder are traceable back to his childhood. While much of Rockefeller's business history remains a mystery today, it is apparent that much of his success is attributable to his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Franz Alexander and Louis B. Shapiro's description of the obsessive- compulsive disorder from their book Neuroses, Behavior Disorders, and Perversions0 is a frequently used summary of the commonly agreed-upon characteristics. It states: "Full blown cases of obsessive-compulsive states present a dynamic equilibrium in which obsessive preoccupation with ego-alien fantasies... are precariously balanced by rituals representing an exaggeration of social standards, such as cleanliness, punctuality, consideration for others. The dynamic formula is similar to bookkeeping in which on the one side of ledger are the asocial tendencies which the patient tries to balance precisely on the other side with moralistic and social attitudes... Every asocial move must be undone by an opposing one..." The term "ego-alien" refers to thoughts, emotions or material which are consciously detestable to the patient (though not he may not necessarily be conscious of the reason). This summary is important, and we will return to it later. Rockefeller was born in 1839 and raised in a troubled, then broken, home. His father, who sold quack "quick-heal" ailment medicines, was often away for months at a time. Rockefeller was raised essentially by his mother. Eventually his father consummated a bigamous marriage with a teenage Canadian and left Rockefeller and his mother and siblings. At an early age, it became apparent that young John was not quite like the other children. For instance, he adamantly refused to play with other children unless he could choose the game. In almost every description of him as a child, he is often described as "thinking". He married Laura Celestia Spelman, a girl who was strikingly similar to his mother, which is never a good sign; and when he decided to go into business, he borrowed $1000 from his father- at ten percent interest.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Four

IT'S WEIRD how you react in moments of immediate danger. Part of me was pure panic, complete with racing heart and rapid breathing. That hollow feeling, the one that felt like a hole had opened in my chest, returned. Another part of me was able to still inexplicably think along logical lines, mostly something like, Yup, that's the kind of knife that could slit a throat. The rest of me? Well, the rest of me was just confused. I stayed where I was and kept my voice low and even. â€Å"Lee, what's going on? What is this?† He shook his head. â€Å"Don't pretend. I know you know. You're too smart. I knew you'd figure it out, but I just didn't expect you to do it so soon.† My mind spun. Once again, someone thought I was smarter than I was. I supposed I should be flattered by his faith in my intelligence, but the truth was, I didn't know what was going on yet. I didn't know if betraying that would help or hinder me, though. I decided to play cool for as long as I reasonably could here. â€Å"That's you in the picture,† I said, careful not to make it a question. â€Å"Of course,† he said. â€Å"You haven't aged.† I dared a quick look at the picture, just to ascertain that for myself. It still baffled me. Only Strigoi were ageless, staying immortal at the age they'd turned. â€Å"That's†¦ that's impossible. You're Moroi.† â€Å"Oh, I've aged,† he said bitterly. â€Å"Not a lot. Not enough that you can really spot it, but believe me, I can. It's not like how it used to be.† I was still clueless, still not sure of how we had reached a point where Lee – starry-eyed and lovesick for Jill – was suddenly threatening me with a knife. Nor did I understand how he looked exactly the same as he did in a five-year-old picture. There was only one terrible thing I was beginning to be certain of. â€Å"You†¦ killed Kelly Hayes.† The fear in my chest intensified. I lifted my gaze from the blade to look into his eyes. â€Å"But surely†¦ surely not Melody†¦ or Tamara†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He nodded. â€Å"And Dina. But you wouldn't know her, would you? She was only human, and you don't keep track of human deaths. Only vampires.† It was hard not to look at the knife again. All I kept thinking about was how sharp it was and how close it was to me. One swipe, and I'd end up just like those other girls, my life bleeding away before me. I groped desperately for something to say, wishing again I'd learned the social skills that came so easily to others. â€Å"Tamara was your cousin,† I managed. â€Å"Why would you kill your own cousin?† A moment of regret flashed across his features. â€Å"I didn't want to – I mean, I did†¦ but, well, I wasn't myself when I came back. I just knew I had to be awakened again. Tamara was there at the wrong place and the wrong time. I went for the first Moroi I could get†¦ but it didn't work. That's when I tried the others. I thought for sure one of them would do it. Human, dhampir, Moroi†¦ none of them worked.† There was a terrible desperation in his voice, and despite my fear, some part of me wanted to help him†¦ but I was hopelessly lost. â€Å"Lee, I'm sorry. I don't understand, why you'd need to ‘try others.' Please put the knife down, and let's talk. Maybe I can help you.† He gave me a sad smile. â€Å"You can. I didn't want it to be you, though. I wanted it to be Keith. He certainly deserves to die more than you do. And Jill†¦ well, Jill likes you. I wanted to respect that and spare you.† â€Å"You still can,† I said. â€Å"She – she wouldn't want you to do this. She'd be upset if she knew – â€Å" Suddenly, Lee was on me, pinning me to the chair with the knife at my throat. â€Å"You don't know!† he cried. â€Å"She doesn't know. But she will, and she'll be glad. She'll thank me, and we'll be young and together forever. You're my chance. The others didn't work, but you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed the knife's blade near my tattoo. â€Å"You're special. Your blood is magic. I need an Alchemist, and you're my only chance now.† â€Å"What†¦ chance†¦ are you talking about?† I gasped out. â€Å"My chance for immortality!† he cried. â€Å"God, Sydney. You can't even imagine it. What it's like to have that and then lose it. To have infinite strength and power†¦ to not age, to know you'll live forever. And then, gone! Taken away from me. If I ever find that bastard spirit user who did this to me, I'll kill him. I'll kill him and I'll drink from him since after tonight, I'll be whole once more. I'll be reawakened.† A chill ran down my spine. In light of everything, you would have thought I'd already be at maximum terror level. Nope. Turns out there was still more to come. Because with those words, I began to put together a fragile theory of what he might be talking about. â€Å"Awakened† was a term used in the vampire world, under very special circumstances. â€Å"You used to be Strigoi,† I whispered, not even sure if I believed it myself. He pulled back slightly, gray eyes wide and glittering feverishly. â€Å"I used to be a god! And I will be again. I swear it. I'm sorry, I really am. I'm sorry it's you and not Keith. I'm sorry you found out about Kelly. If you hadn't, I could have found another Alchemist in LA. But don't you see? I have no other options now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The knife was still at my throat. â€Å"I need your blood. I can't go on like this†¦ not as a mortal Moroi. I have to be changed back.† A knock sounded at the door. â€Å"Not a word,† Lee hissed. â€Å"They'll go away.† Seconds later, the knock repeated, followed by: â€Å"Sage, I know you're in there. I saw your car. I know you're pissed off, but just listen to me.† Dingdong, distraction calling. â€Å"Adrian!† I screamed, jumping up from the chair. I made no attempt to disarm Lee. My only goal was safety. I pushed past him before he could react, heading for the door, but he was more prepared than I'd expected. He leapt toward me and tackled me to the ground, the knife catching me in the arm as I fell. I yelped in pain as I felt the tip of the blade dig into my skin. I struggled against him, only succeeding in making the knife tear into me more. The door suddenly opened, and I was grateful that I'd left it unlocked after letting Lee in. Adrian entered, coming to a standstill as he took in the scene. â€Å"Don't come closer,† warned Lee, pushing the knife against my throat again. I could feel warm blood oozing from my arm. â€Å"Shut the door. Then†¦ sit down and put your hands behind your head. I'll kill her if you don't.† â€Å"He's going to do it anyway – ahh!† My words were cut off as the knife pierced my skin, not enough to kill me yet but enough to cause pain. â€Å"Okay, okay,† said Adrian, holding up his hands. He looked more sober and serious than I'd ever seen. When he was settled on the floor, hands behind his head as directed, he said gently, â€Å"Lee, I don't know what you're doing, but you need to stop it now before it goes any further. You don't have a gun. You can't really hold us both here under the threat of a knife.† â€Å"It's worked before,† Lee said. Still keeping the knife on me, he reached into his coat pocket with his other hand and produced a pair of handcuffs. That was unexpected. He slid them over to Adrian. â€Å"Put these on.† When Adrian didn't react right away, Lee pushed on the knife until I yelped. â€Å"Now!† Adrian put the handcuffs on. â€Å"I'd meant them for her, but you coming by might be a good thing,† said Lee. â€Å"I'll probably be hungry once I'm reawakened.† Adrian arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Reawakened?† â€Å"He used to be Strigoi,† I managed to say. â€Å"He's been killing girls – slitting their throats – to try to become one again.† â€Å"Be quiet,† snapped Lee. â€Å"Why would you cut their throats?† asked Adrian. â€Å"You have fangs.† â€Å"Because it didn't work! I did use my fangs. I drank from them†¦ but it didn't work. I didn't reawaken again. So then I had to cover my trail. The guardians can tell, you know. Moroi and Strigoi bites? I needed the knife to subdue them anyway, so then I cut their necks to hide the trail†¦ make them think it was a crazy Strigoi. Or a vampire hunter.† I could see Adrian processing all this. I don't know if he believed it or not, but he had the potential to roll with crazy ideas regardless. â€Å"If the others didn't work, then Sydney won't either.† â€Å"She has to,† said Lee fervently. He shifted so that I was rolled onto my back, still pinned by his greater body weight. â€Å"Her blood's special. I know it is. And if it doesn't†¦ I'll get help. I'll get help reawakening, and then I'll awaken Jill so we can always be together.† Adrian jumped to his feet, full of a surprising fury. â€Å"Jill? Don't hurt her! Don't even touch her!† â€Å"Sit down,† barked Lee. Adrian obeyed. â€Å"I wouldn't hurt her. I love her. That's why I'm going to make sure she stays exactly the way she is. Forever. I'll awaken her after I'm reawakened.† I tried to catch Adrian's eye, wondering if I could pass some silent message. If we both surged at Lee together – even with Adrian cuffed – then maybe we had a chance at subduing him. Lee was seconds away from tearing into my throat, I was certain, in the hopes that†¦ what? That he could drink my blood and become Strigoi? â€Å"Lee,† I said in a small voice. Too much movement in my throat would result in a bite from the knife. â€Å"It didn't work with the other girls. I don't think the fact that I'm an Alchemist matters. Whatever that spirit user did to save you†¦ you can't go back now. It doesn't matter whose blood you drink.† â€Å"He didn't save me!† roared Lee. â€Å"He ruined my life. I've been trying to get it back for six years. I was almost ready for the last resort†¦ until you and Keith came along. And I've still got that last option left. I don't want it to come to that, though. For all our sakes.† I wasn't the last resort? Honestly, I didn't really see how any other alternative plans here could be much worse for me. Meanwhile, Adrian still wasn't looking in my direction, which frustrated me – until I realized what he was trying to do. â€Å"This is a mistake,† he told Lee. â€Å"Look at me, and tell me you really want to do this to her.† Cuffed or not, Adrian didn't have the speed and strength of a dhampir, someone who could leap over and disarm Lee before the knife could do its damage. Adrian also didn't have the power to wield a physical element, say, like fire, one that could be used as a concrete weapon. Adrian did, however, have the ability to compel. Compulsion was an innate ability all vampires had and one that spirit users in particular were adept at. Unfortunately, it worked best with eye contact, and Lee wasn't playing ball. His attention was all on me, blocking Adrian's efforts. â€Å"I made my decision a long time ago,† said Lee. With his free hand, he dabbed his fingers in the bloody patch on my arm. He brought his fingertips to his lips, a look of grim resignation on his face. He licked the blood from his hand, which wasn't nearly as gross to me as it would've been under other circumstances. With so much going on right now, it was honestly no more terrible than the rest and just rolled off of me. A look of total shock and surprise crossed Lee's features†¦ soon turning to disgust. â€Å"No,† he gasped. He repeated the motion, rubbing more blood on his fingers and licking it. â€Å"There's something†¦ there's something wrong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He leaned his mouth to my neck, and I whimpered, fearing the inevitable. But it wasn't his teeth I felt, only the lightest brushing of his lips and tongue at the wound he'd created, like some sort of perverse kiss. He jerked back immediately, staring at me in horror. â€Å"What's wrong with you?† he whispered. â€Å"What's wrong with your blood?† He made a third attempt to taste my blood but was unable to finish. He scowled. â€Å"I can't do it. I can't stomach any of it. Why?† Neither Adrian nor I had an answer. Lee sagged in defeat for a moment, and I suddenly allowed myself to think he might just give up and call all this madness off. With a deep breath, he straightened up, new resolve in his eyes. I tensed, half-expecting him to say he was going to try to drink Adrian now, even though a Moroi – two, if you counted Melody – had apparently been on the menu of his past failures. Instead, Lee pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, still keeping the knife at my throat and preventing me from attempting any sort of escape. He dialed a number and waited for an answer. â€Å"Dawn? It's Lee. Yes†¦ yes, I know. Well, I have two for you, ready and waiting. A Moroi and an Alchemist. No – not the old man. Yes. Yes, still alive. It has to be tonight. They know about me. You can have them†¦ but you know the deal. You know what I want†¦ yes. Uh-huh. Okay.† Lee rattled off our address and disconnected. A pleased smile crossed his face. â€Å"We're lucky. They're east of LA, so it won't take them long to get here – especially since they don't care much about speed limits.† â€Å"Who are ‘they'?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I remember you calling some Dawn lady in LA. I thought she was one of your hot college friends?† â€Å"They're the makers of destiny,† said Lee dreamily. â€Å"How delightfully enigmatic and nonsensical,† muttered Adrian. Lee glared and then carefully studied Adrian. â€Å"Take off your tie.† I realized I'd spent so much time with Adrian now that I was ready for some comment like, â€Å"Oh, glad to know things aren't so formal anymore.† Apparently, the situation was dire enough – and the knife at my throat serious enough – that Adrian didn't argue. He'd handcuffed his wrists in front of him and, after some complex maneuvering with his hands, was finally able to undo the tie he'd donned for Jill's show. He tossed it over. â€Å"Careful,† Adrian said. â€Å"It's silk.† So, not completely devoid of snark. Lee rolled me over to my stomach, finally freeing me of the knife but giving me no time to react. With remarkable skill, he soon had my hands tied behind my back with Adrian's tie. Doing so required some pulling and restraining of my arms, which hurt quite a bit after the stabbing. He backed off when finished, allowing me to gingerly sit up, but an experimental tug of the tie showed that I wasn't going to undo those knots anytime soon. Uneasily, I wondered how many girls he'd tied up before in his sick attempt to become Strigoi. Weird, awkward silence fell as we waited for Lee's â€Å"makers of destiny† to show up. The minutes ticked by, and I frantically tried to figure out what to do. How long did we have until the people he'd called arrived? From what he'd told me, I'd guess at least an hour. Feeling bold, I finally attempted communication with Adrian, again hoping maybe we could covertly team up on Lee – even though our success rate had just become that much lower with both our sets of hands bound. â€Å"How did you even get here?† I asked. Adrian's gaze was fixed on Lee, still hoping for direct eye contact, but he did spare a quick, wry glance at me. â€Å"Same way I get around everywhere, Sage. The bus.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because I don't have a car.† â€Å"Adrian!† Amazing. Even with our lives in danger, he could still infuriate me. He shrugged and returned his focus to Lee, even though his words were obviously for me. â€Å"To apologize. Because I was a total asshole to you at Jailbait's show. Not long after you left, I knew I had to come find you.† He paused eloquently and glanced around. â€Å"No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.† I suddenly felt at a loss. Lee turning psychopathic certainly wasn't my fault, but it troubled me that Adrian was now in this situation because he'd come to apologize to me. â€Å"It's okay. You weren't†¦ um, that bad,† I said lamely, hoping to make him feel better. A small smile played over his lips. â€Å"You're a terrible liar, Sage, but I'm still touched you'd attempt it for my sake. A for effort.† â€Å"Yeah, well, what happened back there seems kind of small, in light of the current situation,† I muttered. â€Å"It's easy to forgive.† Lee's frown had been growing as he listened to us. â€Å"Do the others know you're here?† he asked Adrian. â€Å"No,† said Adrian. â€Å"I said I was going back to Clarence's.† I didn't know if he was lying or not. For a moment, I didn't think it would matter. The others had heard me say I was coming here, but none of them would have any reason to come seeking us. No reason, except the bond. I caught my breath and met Adrian's eyes. He looked away, perhaps for fear of betraying what I'd just realized. It didn't matter if the gang had known where I was earlier. If Jill was connected to Adrian, she would know now. And she would know that we were in trouble. But that was assuming it was one of the times when she could see into his mind. They'd both admitted it was inconsistent and that high emotion could bring it out. Well, if this didn't count as a highly emotional situation, I couldn't think what would. Even if she realized what was happening, there were a lot of if's involved. Jill would have to get here, and she couldn't do it alone. Calling the police would bring the fastest response, but she might hesitate if she knew this was vampire business. She'd need Eddie. How long would it take to get him if they were back in their dorms? I didn't know. I just knew that we had to stay alive because if we did, one way or another, Jill would get help here. Only, I no longer knew our odds of survival. Adrian and I were both confined, trapped with a guy who wasn't afraid to kill with a knife and who desperately wanted to become a Strigoi again. That was a bad combination, and it threatened to get worse†¦ â€Å"Who's coming, Lee?† I asked. â€Å"Who did you call?† When he didn't answer, I made the next logical leap. â€Å"Strigoi. You have Strigoi coming.† â€Å"It's the only way,† he said, tossing his knife from hand to hand. â€Å"The only way left now. I'm sorry. I can't be like this anymore. I can't be mortal anymore. Too much time has already passed.† Of course. Moroi could become Strigoi in one of two ways. One was by drinking the blood of another person and killing them in the process. Lee had tried that, using every combination of victims he could get ahold of, and had failed. That left him with one last desperate option: conversion by another Strigoi. Usually, it happened by force, when a Strigoi killed someone and then fed their own blood back to the victim. That was what Lee wanted done to him now, trading our lives to the Strigoi who would convert him. And then he wanted to do it to Jill, out of some crazy misguided love†¦ â€Å"But it's not worth it,† I said, desperation and fear making me bold. â€Å"It's not worth the cost of killing innocents and endangering your soul.† Lee's gaze fell on me, and there was a look of such chilling indifference in it that I had a hard time connecting this person before me to the one I'd smiled indulgently on as he courted Jill. â€Å"Isn't it, Sydney? How would you know? You've deprived yourself of enjoyment for most of your life. You're aloof from others. You've never let yourself be selfish, and look where it's got you. Your ‘morals' have left you with a short, strict life. Can you tell me now, just before you're about to die, that you don't wish you'd maybe allowed yourself a little more fun?† â€Å"But the immortal soul – â€Å" â€Å"What do I care about that?† he demanded. â€Å"Why bother living some miserable regimented life in this world, in the hopes that maybe our souls go on in some heavenly realm, when I can take control now – ensure that I live forever in this world, with all of its pleasures, staying strong and young forever? That's real. That's something I can put my faith in.† â€Å"It's wrong,† I said. â€Å"It's not worth it.† â€Å"You wouldn't say that if you'd experienced what I have. If you'd been Strigoi, you never would've wanted to lose that either.† â€Å"How did you lose it?† asked Adrian. â€Å"What spirit user saved you?† Lee snorted. â€Å"You mean robbed me. I don't know. It all happened so fast. But as soon as I find him I'll – ahh!† A yearbook is not the greatest of weapons, particularly one the size of Amberwood's, but in a pinch – and with surprise – it'll do. I'd noted earlier that I wasn't going to be able to undo the knots in the tie anytime soon. That was true. It had taken me this whole time, but I'd done it. For whatever reason, knot-making was a useful skill in the Alchemist curriculum, one I'd practiced growing up with my father. As soon as I was free of Adrian's tie, I reached for the first thing I could: Kelly's junior yearbook. I sprang up and slammed it into Lee's head. He cringed back at the impact, dropping the knife as he did, and I used the opportunity to sprint across the living room and grab Adrian's arm. He needed no help from me and was already trying to get to his feet. We didn't get far before Lee was right back on us. The knife had slid somewhere unseen, and he simply relied on his own strength. He caught hold of me and ripped me from Adrian, one hand on my wounded arm and one in my hair, causing me to stumble. Adrian came after us, doing his best to hit Lee, even with bound hands. We weren't the most efficient fighting force, but if we could just momentarily delay Lee, there was a chance we might make it out of here. Lee was distracted by both of us, trying to fight and fend us off at the same time. Unbidden, Eddie's lesson came back to me, about how a well-placed punch could cause serious damage to someone stronger than you. Sizing up the situation in seconds, I decided I had an opening. I closed my hand the way Eddie had taught me in that quick lesson, positioning my body in a way that would direct the weight in an efficient way. I swung. â€Å"Ow!† I yelled in pain as my fist made contact. If this was the â€Å"safe† way to punch, I couldn't imagine how much a sloppy one hurt. Fortunately, it seemed to cause just as much – if not more – pain to Lee. He fell backward, hitting the comfy chair in a way that made him lose his balance and collapse to the ground. I was stunned at what I had done, but Adrian was still in motion. He nudged me to the door, taking advantage of Lee's temporary disorientation. â€Å"Come on, Sage. This is it.† We hurried to the door, ready to make our escape while Lee shouted profanities at us. I reached for the knob, but the door opened before I could touch it. And two Strigoi entered the room.

Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray received immediate criticism when it was published in 1890, being described as contaminated, unclean, and nauseous. The criticism stemmed from the challenges that were made by Oscar Wilde regarding Victorian morality. The novel was written in the aesthetic era, an era where authors attempted to reverse the role of art, to have no purpose besides being beautiful. Critics of the novel did not like this idea, fearing that it would corrupt readers, specifically their moral values.English philosopher Alfred Whitehead gave this view on morality, â€Å"What is morality in any given time or place? It is what the majority then and there happen to like and immorality is what they dislike. † Oscar Wilde added a preface to the novel a year later, in which he said, â€Å"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book, books are well written or badly written. That is all. † Adding onto Whitehead’s view, other morals exist outsi de of the majority, and people will develop their own morals based on how they interpret a situation. When Wilde reacts by saying that immoral and moral books don’t exist, I agree.The perspective that I developed in tying the 2 quotes together is that yes, a book is not written as moral or immoral, but it is viewed moral or immoral, depending on the reader’s own beliefs. I will argue that The Picture of Dorian Gray suggests that art can have immoral effects, but the artist should not bear complete responsibility. The prime purpose of art in the Victorian Era to most viewers was to give concrete moral values. The concept of Hedonism in the Picture of Dorian Gray is evident throughout, and was the root for it’s criticism.Lord Henry is responsible for placing these pleasure-seeking ideas in Dorian’s mind, as Dorian became obsessed with Lord Henry. In Wilde’s time period, as mentioned earlier, the artists were challenging accepted social norms. It is e vident that Lord Henry is also challenging accepted morals when he says, â€Å"Modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one’s age. I consider that for any man of culture to accept the standard of his age is a form of the grossest immorality. † Challenging social norms is one characteristic that Wilde and Lord Henry share.Therefore, since this is a big part of the novel, I argue that Wilde wrote the novel as if he was Lord Henry. This is important because some view Lord Henry as the main reason for Dorian’s downfall. To counter this, I want to point out that Dorian is the one who let Lord Henry influence him. Further, when Lord Henry gives Dorian the mysterious yellow book, it is Dorian’s choice to base his life around this guide on how to live a pleasure-seeking life. The main argument I am making here is that Lord Henry cannot be fully blamed for Dorian’s downfall.As it related to Wilde, he does write immoral ideas for his time. For e xample, hedonism and homosexuality. The point is yes Wilde wrote about these topics, but he should not be held responsible and considered immoral as an artist because his time period rejected these views. A big part of the novel that needs to be looked at if Wilde wrote the book through Lord Henry’s eyes is the fact that Dorian ended up dead at the end of the book and Lord Henry didn’t face consequence. This is Wilde suggesting that Lord Henry’s sayings, books, and thrill seeking lifestyle are all irrelevant to Dorian’s morality.Relating this to real life, Wilde is suggesting that a piece of art is not based on the moral value of the artist, but rather the way a viewer lets the work influence him or her. The slow deteriorating of Dorian’s painting is a reflection of the sins he has committed. For example, when he embarrasses Sibyl and it leads to her suicide. Another example is Dorian’s killing of Basil. Finally, when Dorian attempts to chan ge his lifestyle and not screw over another girl, the painting worsens. The painting mirrors an image of sins that Dorian cannot erase or escape guilt.Dorian stabbing the painting shows that he died from his own sin, not by any influence. The art is then returned to its original beauty. This shows that Wilde is suggesting that art should be kept separate from morals in society. Further, this is justified by art being viewed in this new movement as strictly beautiful; it bears no responsibility for a moral purpose. An artist’s responsibility to morals is again minimized. Another point I would like to bring up is that if The Picture of Dorian Gray came out in a different time period, it would not have been so heavily criticized.This is because people would have had different morals and immorals, as reflected in Whitehead’s previous quote. If you agree with this, you have to agree with the argument that an artist is not fully responsible for any moral or immoral judgment of his or her art. The final perspective I would like to point out is for those who interpreted Wilde as writing the story through the eyes of Basil. At some points, I can agree with this, and it strengthens the argument that Wilde feared criticism by a good majority of people at his time. This is evident when Basil is afraid to show off his painting, in fear of what others will interpret it as.This is similar to Wilde’s work of Dorian Gray, in that Wilde wrote a story that challenged some moral beliefs, and was hesitant as to what people might think. When Basil finally does reveal his painting it is viewed as beautiful, but slowly deteriorates. I argue that this is how Wilde felt about his work, that it was the perfect novel, but it to was brought down by heavy criticism of another person. The point here is that Wilde did not intend everything in the story to be a moral message, he used his characters actions as puzzles pieces for each reader to put together their own belief s.Therefore, his critics should not hold him morally responsible. The belief of hedonism is demonstrated throughout the book, as mentioned earlier; in the way that Dorian lives his life. This is an example of Wilde reflecting his new movement’s ideas, to live for beauty. In the article The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, author Patrick Duggan makes the observation that hedonism is what Wilde was attempting to introduce through Dorian, but at the end of the novel Wilde puts restraint on this lifestyle.When Dorian cannot reverse his sins, Wilde is suggesting that people still need to consider the consequences of their actions. Further, yes Wilde displays a thrill seeking lifestyle in the Picture of Dorian Gray, but he also suggests that the artistic movement he is involved in will only survive with SOME limitation. This view complies with my argument that art can have an immoral effect on people. Which is why an art ist must have SOME consideration, but the artist will not bear complete responsibility because each viewer is going to look at artwork differently.

The Denial of Service Attacks essays

The Denial of Service Attacks essays One of the most common attacks on insecure e-commerce systems comes in the form of denial of service attacks. Denial of service attacks can literally overload a server to the point where it can no longer function. This shutdown halts all business transactions that were taking place at the time, and does not allow for potential transactions. When a company's computers are clogged up by this form of attack they lose profits and business just as they would, had it been a traditional store that had to close its doors. There are a few different kinds of denial of service attacks. They all are malicious and are intended to harm the site they are aimed at. The most common form of this attack is known as a SYN Flood. SYN stands for synchronize sequence number. A SYN Flood starts when a malicious computer creates a TCP connection with the intended site. This connection originates as a request for information from that site's server and contains an ID that tells the server where to send that requested information. Normally the server would respond to the request by sending an acknowledgement back to the computer, which originally sent the ID. When the acknowledgement is confirmed the server then sends the requested information to their computer. When the SYN Flood attack happens however, the computer contacting the server sends it requests with false ID's over and over. The server can not get the acknowledgement that it needs to send the information back to the requesting computer, and the connection stays open until it times out. When this process is repeated over and over the server uses up all of its possible connections, and any le gitimate client or customer cannot connect to that server. This form of attack incapacitates the company's server eliminating all potential business. Another form of Denial of service attack uses PING. PING stands for packet Internet groper and what it does is checks whether a server is working or not and al...

Behaviour For Learning And Management Of Students Education Essay

, 1999 cited in EPPI ) . This has been met by the outlooks set by the TTA via the Qualifying to learn, the new criterions and demands for Qualified Teacher Status ( QTS ) ( TTA,2002 ) . B4L is a construct that has been developed through a reappraisal of effectual behaviour direction schemes. It has been identified that B4L is a consequence of battalion of influences and non simply the desire of a scholar to misconduct and unwillingness to larn. It is of import to place the theoretical rules behind the manner in which scholars manifest themselves in footings of behavior, as identified in the principle for the EPPI systemic reappraisal of how theories explain larning behavior in school context. Behaviour for larning ( B4L ) identifies the nexus between pupils societal behavior and behavior and the manner in which they learn. The schools policy clearly states high outlooks of pupils, â€Å" We expect pupils to reflect this in their visual aspect, attitudes and behavior. We know we are modeling the citizens of the hereafter and will promote them to care for one another, be unfastened, just, honest and merely. We want them to hold a sense of pride in being portion of our school community. † ( School Aims, Staff enchiridion ) . Further to this the school s vision is to raise accomplishment by developing a civilization where ‘learning is at the bosom of the school community ‘ . To accomplish this vision the school identifies whole school precedences for 2010/2011 including bettering behavior and attending. It besides stated that the school will concentrate on integrating SEAL pattern in the schoolroom, which has been identified as an of import key in developing scholar ‘s emotional intelligence ( Coleman, 1996 ) supplying scholars with the accomplishment set to supervise and better their behavior independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for larning needed to be addressed ( appendix 1 ) . This was farther reinforced as a high precedence country during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher ( Appendix 1a ) , which focused on current issues in lessons and the demand to better B4L. Two cardinal issues that arose were the usage of nomadic phones within lessons and consistence of countenances ( Appendix 1a ) . It is interesting to observe that these both encompass the instructor and the scholar. It is refering to observe that usage of nomadic phones within lessons is being flagged as a B4L issue and non a mark of detachment. Intelligibly there is a close nexus between the quality of acquisition, instruction and behavior, and hence raises the inquiry can behaviour be improved through bettering the quality of larning A ; learning? The school clearly identifies that there is a demand to reenforce their school policies on beha vior for acquisition. Through initial observation it was interesting to observe the degree of behavioral issues happening both in and out of lessons. It poses the inquiry is this a school being pro-active in pull offing behavior for larning or re-active to behaviour that had non been managed systematically? This survey will concentrate on the schools current policy on behavior for larning and how this is implemented on a day-to-day footing. Through a reappraisal of the schools current policy and issues this survey will trust to propose future recommendations to better behavior for acquisition. Recent national policy has moved off from a punitory system where pupils were punished for making something incorrect ‘reactive ‘ and are now working towards understanding what causes scholars to be off undertaking and show unwanted behaviour ‘pro-active ‘ . With the recent development of particular educational demands designation and proviso it is no longer acceptable to react in a punitory manner. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diverseness of scholars in schools irrespective of degree of accomplishment or societal behavior ( Department for Education A ; Employment ( DfEE ) , 1999 ) . It is of import for schools to recognize this and develop schemes to advance B4L as over 20 % of SEN proviso are scholars with societal emotional and behavioral upset ( SEBD ) ( Department for Children, Schools A ; Families, 2008 ) . SEBD scholars by nature can expose unwanted behavior unless managed in a positive manner, and would it non be deemed una cceptable from an instruction professional ‘s position for a scholar predisposed to expose hapless behavior as the consequence of a recognized upset, to fall victim to punitory actions. It is hence of import for schools to hold a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. Communication between the SEN section and the remainder of the school is besides indispensable. ( back up with research ) excessively many lessons lack challenge and make non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ single capablenesss or promote independent acquisition. Besides, quality of marker and feedback by and large varies well across the school. However, a little minority of parents expressed positions that the school ‘s communicating with parents could be better, and besides that pupils ‘ behavior was non ever every bit good as it should be. Inspectors found behavior to be satisfactory overall, but variable. In general, pupils have a high respect for their school, bask their instruction and appreciate the assortment of chances on offer to them, both within the course of study and beyond. They are developing a good scope of personal accomplishments that are fixing them good for their instruction and employment after school. Ensure that lesson activities systematically challenge pupils of all ability groups to do better advancement and develop their independent acquisition accomplishments, particularly at Key Stage 4. Behaviour in lessons is satisfactory, although someinstances of students being excessively rambunctious were seen during the review. However, there is by and large non plenty truly disputing learning across the school to guarantee that pupils make systematically good advancement in their acquisition and therefore develop the assurance and ability to work independently. Where learning is less effectual, be aftering does non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ different capablenesss and get downing points, and is excessively teacher-directed. Teachers do supply some clear, detailed and utile written feedback, but this is inconsistent across the school and does non ever give specific advice about what pupils need to make to better their work – a job which persists since the last review. Behaviour For Learning And Management Of Students Education Essay , 1999 cited in EPPI ) . This has been met by the outlooks set by the TTA via the Qualifying to learn, the new criterions and demands for Qualified Teacher Status ( QTS ) ( TTA,2002 ) . B4L is a construct that has been developed through a reappraisal of effectual behaviour direction schemes. It has been identified that B4L is a consequence of battalion of influences and non simply the desire of a scholar to misconduct and unwillingness to larn. It is of import to place the theoretical rules behind the manner in which scholars manifest themselves in footings of behavior, as identified in the principle for the EPPI systemic reappraisal of how theories explain larning behavior in school context. Behaviour for larning ( B4L ) identifies the nexus between pupils societal behavior and behavior and the manner in which they learn. The schools policy clearly states high outlooks of pupils, â€Å" We expect pupils to reflect this in their visual aspect, attitudes and behavior. We know we are modeling the citizens of the hereafter and will promote them to care for one another, be unfastened, just, honest and merely. We want them to hold a sense of pride in being portion of our school community. † ( School Aims, Staff enchiridion ) . Further to this the school s vision is to raise accomplishment by developing a civilization where ‘learning is at the bosom of the school community ‘ . To accomplish this vision the school identifies whole school precedences for 2010/2011 including bettering behavior and attending. It besides stated that the school will concentrate on integrating SEAL pattern in the schoolroom, which has been identified as an of import key in developing scholar ‘s emotional intelligence ( Coleman, 1996 ) supplying scholars with the accomplishment set to supervise and better their behavior independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for larning needed to be addressed ( appendix 1 ) . This was farther reinforced as a high precedence country during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher ( Appendix 1a ) , which focused on current issues in lessons and the demand to better B4L. Two cardinal issues that arose were the usage of nomadic phones within lessons and consistence of countenances ( Appendix 1a ) . It is interesting to observe that these both encompass the instructor and the scholar. It is refering to observe that usage of nomadic phones within lessons is being flagged as a B4L issue and non a mark of detachment. Intelligibly there is a close nexus between the quality of acquisition, instruction and behavior, and hence raises the inquiry can behaviour be improved through bettering the quality of larning A ; learning? The school clearly identifies that there is a demand to reenforce their school policies on beha vior for acquisition. Through initial observation it was interesting to observe the degree of behavioral issues happening both in and out of lessons. It poses the inquiry is this a school being pro-active in pull offing behavior for larning or re-active to behaviour that had non been managed systematically? This survey will concentrate on the schools current policy on behavior for larning and how this is implemented on a day-to-day footing. Through a reappraisal of the schools current policy and issues this survey will trust to propose future recommendations to better behavior for acquisition. Recent national policy has moved off from a punitory system where pupils were punished for making something incorrect ‘reactive ‘ and are now working towards understanding what causes scholars to be off undertaking and show unwanted behaviour ‘pro-active ‘ . With the recent development of particular educational demands designation and proviso it is no longer acceptable to react in a punitory manner. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diverseness of scholars in schools irrespective of degree of accomplishment or societal behavior ( Department for Education A ; Employment ( DfEE ) , 1999 ) . It is of import for schools to recognize this and develop schemes to advance B4L as over 20 % of SEN proviso are scholars with societal emotional and behavioral upset ( SEBD ) ( Department for Children, Schools A ; Families, 2008 ) . SEBD scholars by nature can expose unwanted behavior unless managed in a positive manner, and would it non be deemed una cceptable from an instruction professional ‘s position for a scholar predisposed to expose hapless behavior as the consequence of a recognized upset, to fall victim to punitory actions. It is hence of import for schools to hold a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. Communication between the SEN section and the remainder of the school is besides indispensable. ( back up with research ) excessively many lessons lack challenge and make non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ single capablenesss or promote independent acquisition. Besides, quality of marker and feedback by and large varies well across the school. However, a little minority of parents expressed positions that the school ‘s communicating with parents could be better, and besides that pupils ‘ behavior was non ever every bit good as it should be. Inspectors found behavior to be satisfactory overall, but variable. In general, pupils have a high respect for their school, bask their instruction and appreciate the assortment of chances on offer to them, both within the course of study and beyond. They are developing a good scope of personal accomplishments that are fixing them good for their instruction and employment after school. Ensure that lesson activities systematically challenge pupils of all ability groups to do better advancement and develop their independent acquisition accomplishments, particularly at Key Stage 4. Behaviour in lessons is satisfactory, although someinstances of students being excessively rambunctious were seen during the review. However, there is by and large non plenty truly disputing learning across the school to guarantee that pupils make systematically good advancement in their acquisition and therefore develop the assurance and ability to work independently. Where learning is less effectual, be aftering does non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ different capablenesss and get downing points, and is excessively teacher-directed. Teachers do supply some clear, detailed and utile written feedback, but this is inconsistent across the school and does non ever give specific advice about what pupils need to make to better their work – a job which persists since the last review.

Drug Testing and Employee Drug Use Research Paper

Drug Testing and Employee Drug Use - Research Paper Example It is true that the use of drug is private and that only in some unusual situation can the employers inquire such use from their employees. However, the employers have the right to know of, use of drugs if their employees are involved in illegal drugs. Unlawful use of drugs is data that are not legally private and organizations have the right to identify about such use. This is true because use of illegal drugs can result to incompetence amongst employees. Also, such use of drugs can result to unnecessary accidents amongst employees, the staff, and customers. Further, the employee can compromise beneficial trade secrets of the company or gather individual data about staffs and customers to sell illegally (Frone, 2013). It is the duty/role of employers to provide safe working conditions by postulating drug free environment policies. On the other hand, use of drug is data that are legally private and employers have no right to inquire where about such use from their employees. This is factual in the situation of legal or prescribed drugs employees might be taking (Frone, 2013). For instance, employers are not allowed to inquire employee’s use of such drugs as, cigarettes/tobacco, caffeine, and prescribed medication, unless such use of these substances hinders with the employee’s safety or incompetence. A good example is when an employee is using prescribed drugs to stay competence at a level that allows him/her to perform his/her duty. This is what all employers are allowed to focus on. Employers are not entailed to obtain a list of employee’s prescribed drugs for pre-employment drug test. Healthcare providers responsible for collecting drug samples do not need to inquire for the list either. As a manager of a certain company, one should make sure that he/she has implemented drug policies and rules that should be adhered to by all staffs. Some of the policies should include, the company having a neutral third party medical depiction to analyze

I know why the caged bird sings(Author- Maya Angelou) Essay

I know why the caged bird sings(Author- Maya Angelou) - Essay Example This is through establishing broad vision of black women in the American culture. Based with her childhood life, Maya focuses on her effort and struggle to overcome restrictions that have been placed upon her in antagonistic environment. In order to escape from the traditional ways of life, she frequently asks questions, which are her strategic tools to shape her strength. This is relevant to women in the modern world since they are denied chances to express their opinion. However, their voices can lead to self empowerment thus relieving them from societal bondage (Angelou 18). Chapter 15 of the book features racism as another major issue in the society. This is depicted by Maya, who is a little Black girl brought up in a society where racism surrounds her. When Maya visits a dentist, he refuses to treat her indicating that he will rather lay his hand on his dog’s mouth than in Negro’s (Angelou 25). Racism in this book relates to the modern world where Africans are treated unequally in the American society. In Chapter 17, the author has used the life of an African American woman struggling to escape from the cruel and oppressive world. In this case, she depicts how racism has caused oppression of African Americans, thus preventing them from getting freedom and happiness in their lives. This portrays what African Americans faces in American society before they were granted full citizenship (Angelou

Office Equipment Market Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 21000 words

Office Equipment Market - Dissertation Example The research examines the state of the office equipment market for determination of whether or not it can withstand new entrants. Focusing on three technologies and types of equipment, copiers, printers and facsimile machines, the findings indicate that this is an innovation driven and innovation-based market. The implication here is that the first-mover advantage principle holds, wherein new entrants are not likely to succeed. Indeed, the technologies and resources available to the first movers and early entrants render this a closed market in the sense that it is unlikely to absorb new entrants. An application of the resource-based view of the firm confirms this hypothesis. The dissertation, however, finds that while the opportunities for new entrants in the referenced market are limited, they do exist. Quite simply stated, should the first-movers cease their continued drive towards innovation, thus, leaving a gap in the market, new firms can enter. They, however, can only do so if they have timed their innovations to coincide with the mentioned gap. As the study concludes, the opportunities for new entrants are far and few between and, indeed, their chances for success are minimal at best, considering resource variances between them and the early entrants. The fact remains, however, that such opportunities exist with the key being innovation and product timing. Chapter 1 - Introduction and Overview 1.1 Introduction To those from without the industry, the office equipment market appears to be a highly lucrative one. Indeed, as several market researchers have remarked, the profits which the printer, copier and facsimile machines' market appears to promise seems to beckon new market players to enter this particular industrial and market sector... To those from without the industry, the office equipment market appears to be a highly lucrative one. Indeed, as several market researchers have remarked, the profits which the printer, copier and facsimile machines’ market appears to promise seems to beckon new market players to enter this particular industrial and market sector (Herbig & Kramer, 1994; Elliot, 2005; Ruffo, Tuck and Hague, 2007). Irrespective of appearances, however, and not withstanding the size of the market, there is no room for new players as this is a first-mover market in which the odds are stacked against new entrants. As noted by several market analysts and marketing scholars, innovation is the key to survival within this market and, due to that, the market status of its key players (Xerox, IBM, Ricoh, Canon, Kyocera-Mita and HP) is virtually untouchable (Clarke, 2000). Proceeding for the above-stated, it is apparent that professional and academic opinion tends towards the contention that the office equipment market is not open to new players; that there is no room for new players within this market. This is not, as some may assume, because the key players have a tight, quasi-monopolistic grip over the market. Instead, and as noted in the above, this is because this is a market of innovation and, hence, by definition, favours early movers. In order to clarify this further, it is necessary to explore the nature of innovation. Innovation, it is argued, is more than invention. Put differently, inventions do not necessarily result in innovation.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Tourism Essay

The Environmental Impact Assessment Tourism Essay This chapter deals with the literature review which is a report of what has been published on the topic by qualified scholars. This chapter will give an insight on the environmental impact assessment, its steps, effectiveness and weaknesses, followed by the concept of biodiversity and a critical review of two articles related to the topic. Lastly it elaborates on tourism development on Ile aux Cerfs. EIA was set up to deal with concerns about the effects that main development projects were having on the environment. It is important to know that EIA is an environment assessment tool. A very straightforward definition of EIA is that it is a methodical procedure of identifying, predicting, analysing, evaluating and mitigating all the environmental effects a future development or activity before setting up the project (United Nations, 2001). The EIA also considers the natural, socio cultural and economic aspects.EIA and the important steps which need to be carried out to accomplish the assessment is covered by the ISO 14011. EIA is also the most popular and accepted instrument used to measure environmental impacts for new or planned projects (Schianetz et al.2007). The crucial reason of why an EIA is needed is to prevent costly mistake in a project execution. These costly mistakes can arise either by the negative environmental impacts that are like to occur during the project implementation or by the alterations that are required afterwards in order to make the development environmentally suitable to government and community. 2.1.1 Concepts and Alternatives of EIA An environmental Impact Assessment supports various concepts namely Ecotourism, Cleaner Production, Eco-labelling but the two most supported concepts are Environmental Management and Tourism Carrying Capacity (Schianetz et al. 2007). As already mention above EIA is an environment assessment tool. There are many other tools used which can measure the impacts of the environment. Some of the tools are Sustainability indicators, Ecological footprint, Life Cycle Assessment, Strategic environmental Assessment and Environmental Auditing. Sustainable indicators are mostly used for assessing tourism destinations. Ecological footprint (EF) assesses the extent to which human race is using and consuming natures resources more rapidly than they can regenerate (Schaefer et al. 2006). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodological structure for calculating approximately and assessing the environmental impacts for the life cycle of a product such as the exhaustion of resources like land, water, petrol coal and other natural resources (Rebitzeret al. 2004). Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a tool that permits to put together environmental concerns along with social and economic aspect and which is also an assessment on a policy level (Dalal-Clayton, Sadler, 2005). Environmental Auditing (EA) is a tool that a company can use to identify the level of its environmental impacts, find out whether or not the company is in agreement with valid acts, rules, and the expectations of its stakeholders, and increases knowledge on how it can maintain or progress its environmental performance going forward (Mattsson and Olsson, 2001). 2.1.2 Steps for EIA Werner (1992) had recommended that EIA can be used as a means in deciding if a project is viable and suitable, otherwise it can also be a means to plan how negative effects of an acknowledged development can be reduced. Furthermore, Roberts and Hunter (1992) have stated that EIA steps differ from a location to another, but at the development level, there are four fundamental standards that are mostly put into practice. The four standards are as follows: The characteristics of a development and related activities should be identified by an EIA. The facets of the environment that will be concerned should be recognized. The effects at the beginning and forthcoming stages should be assessed. EIA is related about the management of the benefits and alarmed about the negative impacts that can be generated. On the other hand, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) mentioned the different phases of an EIA as follows: Screening Alternatives Preliminary Assessment Scoping EIA study and environmental impact statement Review Monitoring Screening Screening is carried out to assess if a development requires EIA. Its main concentration is about the effects it may have or if there are impacts that are unsure. Then eventually it will focus on the situations where environmental supervision effort may be essential. Hence EIA strategies may most of the time contain a records or schemas stipulating which projects need EIA (ex: constantly or specific situations). Alternatives Thinking of possible alternatives (demand, activity, place, development aim, setting up, contribution, no project) ought to be established prior to a selection being prepared. Some developments can be particularly on site (ex: mining, extraction takes place only where there is a mineral site). In such circumstances EIA may give extra attentions on actions such as scale, justifying actions and traffic supervision. Ventures promoted by government agencies might probably consider alternative locations or routes for development rather than private segment schemes where the premature requirements to obtain options or purchase land strongly controls development spot. Preliminary Assessment This is where screening recommends additional evaluation is required or if there is improbability about the nature of possible effects. There is the use of quick evaluation methods although there is the presence of enough detail to discover key impacts, their extent and consequence, and assess their significance for decision making. Below are steps that will illustrate if a complete EIA is required. Scoping A narrowing procedure frequently started by an assessment team to recognize the key problems of apprehension at an early phase in the planning course of action and direct the development of conditions of reference for the EIA. It assists location selection, recognizes potential options, and evades interruption due to having to evaluate formerly unrevealed probable impacts. Scoping must engage all interested parties such as the promoter or environmental agencies and public members. The outcomes establish the scope, depth and terms of reference to be addressed within Environmental Impact Statement (below). Once the location for development has been selected, the number of problems usually diminishes and consideration to specific details is enhanced. Main EIA Study Building and extending the previous phases to forecast the amount and level of effects and determine their importance. A range of schemes can be used including: checklists, questionnaires and networks models. The study should include consideration of mitigating measures- assessing the action proposed/ taken to avoid or reduce current or probable negative impacts of a project. However if there are qualms to a high extent, probable serious outcomes and no justifying actions, then the proposed project ought to be abandoned. However if there are qualms that can be decreased with a more in depth studies, then a claim can be postponed until further studies. Environmental Impact Statement It is a complete report that states the conclusions of the EIA and is most of the time asked by law before a new venture can start. Review To evaluate the satisfactoriness of the EIA to decision making and think about its repercussions. Monitoring Supervising of project accomplishment and action, an eventually an audit of the project after its completion. 2.1.3 Effectiveness of EIA EIA may ameliorate and provides continuous possibility on the long run for various projects. EIA has the prospect to offer the possibility to discover from know-how of comparable projects keep away from the (habitually elevated) expenses that may arise later justifying unexpected harmful and detrimental effects. 2.1.4 Weakness of EIA Critic is a vital part of every theory, procedure tool or concept. Criticism of EIA has been debated by many authors in many studies. One of the most common critics is that EIA only considers the direct impact of a development or activity but not the addition to the rising impacts in the area, Simpson and Wall, (2000). EIA cannot be used for the assessment of whole tourism destinations but only for specific projects such as airports, eco-resorts, activity or development near the beach, Schianetz et al. (2007). EIA is also criticized as it only deals with mitigating negative impacts rather than putting the effort in increasing the positive impacts, Simpson and Wall, (2000). However Biswas (1992a) and Hunter (1995a) have stated that steps of EIA have its deficiency. According to both authors, there is a trend that EIA concentrate more only on physical impacts and ignore social and cultural ones. EIA repeatedly concentrates on biophysical matters and where environment, social and economic features are dealt with, they are not usually included but instead EIA reports have the tendency to be illustrated as separate stages. 2.2 Biodiversity In popular usage, the word biodiversity is often used to describe all the species living in a particular area (www.cnx.org). Considering the particular area in a very large scale, biodiversity is simply all the life on the planet earth. The business dictionary defines biodiversity as the Variety and variability of microbial, plant, and animal life forms from all sources (including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems) and of the ecological complexes of which they are a part. In the context of this particular study, biodiversity and tourism is to be studied. The recent trend in the tourism industry has it that that nowadays more and more tourists have abandoned the famous sea, sand and sun, and tends more towards the nature based experience (www.unwto.de). A sound nature is increasingly being mentioned by tourists when they are choosing their destinations. The quality of the environment, therefore, cannot be neglected as a vital factor in the nowadays tourism trends. However, tourists go to a destination where the environment plays a key role at the destination. There is therefore an urgent need for a sustainable management programme and which tends to use natural resources in a sustainable manner. It is also to note that the year 2010 has been declared the international year if biodiversity. 2.2.1 Linking Biodiversity to Tourism Projects have already started concerning biodiversity and tourism. The most flagrant example is in Thailand which was struck by the Tsunami in the year 2004. Issues such as energy efficiency, security of tourists and climatic changes have been set up. As stated earlier, those issues impact directly on tourism.  Building on this, the Program for Energy Efficiency was  launched Thailand to mitigate the effects of climate change. Mauritius Island contains endemic species which are unique to the world but are plagued by massive population decrease. In the years 1500 and onwards the island was uninhabited by humans. After the landing of the Dutch, the introduction of non-native plant and animal species, biodiversity still flourishing started to be endangered. The 400 years following the first altercation in the Mauritians ecosystem, population of native birds, reptiles, and trees started to decrease and threatened to become extinct. The continuous decrease in the population of the living organisms threatened the life cycle such as the reproduction process and the balance of nature. We cannot neglect the fact that tourism has been growing and in biodiversity hotspots. Thus the quick growth in nature tourism and travel within the tourism industry for the past 2 decades, it may be said that the tourisms growth in those high biodiversity areas is because of the one and only nature and environment found at those hotspots. The destruction of this aspect of a destination is like tearing apart the spot and this forgetting definitely about tourism in that particular area. Ecotourism is an idea that is threatening tourism. Defined as the responsible travel to natural areas, that conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people, ecotourism reformats the basic concepts behind tourism. Nature tourism is defined as travel to unspoiled places to experience and enjoy nature. Nature and adventure tourism focus on what the tourist is looking for. Ecotourism focuses on what the tourist does and the impact of this travel on both the environment and the people at the destination (Honey 2002). The tourism industry states that it contributes to sustainable development because it has less impact on the environment than other industries and is based on a specific area and so the local people are more motivated to protect those resources. Biodiversity is thus a critical component of the natural environment that tourists enjoy (Mattus et al. 2003). In addition to resource being on the verge of ending and habitat destruction, littering and water pollution are problems, linked to the tourism industry, definitely have a bad impact for biodiversity. Littering problem is fluent in some areas, where waste collection and management is difficult. Waste disposal from cruises are sources of problems due to the fact that they only have a limited space to carry all their waste until they reach the port, and ports have limited incentive (and capacity) to accommodate those waste. Coral reefs are at risk from tourism development. Holden(2000) states that as well as being mined for building materials, reefs suffer from sewage runoff that stimulates the growth of algae, covering the filter-feeding corals and hindering their ability to survive. Corals are damaged by anchors of boats from careless skippers and local people often take corals from their home habitat for sale. Again the tourist benefits is that the financing source stated by Brandon(1996) may help for finding alternative sustainable ways for the local people to earn their living and to launch training programmes to skippers and other staffs from the tourism industry. There is an urgent need to mitigate those impacts and to promote ecotourism activities which have emerged in the years 1980s and 1990s so as to have a sound environment and to promote the tourism sector at a destination because as said, the tourism industry is going more and more towards destination with a unique biodiversity. 2.2.2 Environmental Impacts of Tourism Development The Tourism Industry is said to be directly linked to the environment. The reason is that tourists mainly travel to be in a natural and green environment. Most of the hotels are found near the coast or on the Mountains. Many islands and countries use the environment as an attribute to promote tourism. The Maldives promote the archipelagos with the sea, sand and sun. It is also the case for the Caribbean Island which depends on its natural beauty and resources for the success of the tourism industry. In a report Examining the relationship between Tourism and the Environment in Barbados and St. Lucia, by Reginald I Burke, the importance of environment to the tourism sector was clearly mentioned. However the author states that Tourism and the supporting infrastructure that it requires pose threats to the environment particularly, the marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems as well as potable water resources. The positive impact of tourism on the environment is that it brings along revenue for the preservation and conservation of parks and rare animals. The tourism industry can make a significant contribution to the conservation of the destination. In fact, tourism can be a source of finance for biodiversity conservation, for example part of the entrance fee for a site goes to the conservation programme (Brandon 1996). The funds may be used in the sense that the local people can be provided with alternate jobs instead of exploiting the biodiversity for living. Tourists who visit an area may detect abnormalities in a specific area that local people, who are use to it, may not detect. Tourism can also be a way to increase awareness on the environment. Tourists are more conscious of the environmental protection before going to an area. Tourism also impacts on the environment in a negative way. During the development phase, there is a need to cut down trees so as to be able to construct hotels and other facilities that the tourists need. With the increasing in population, land is a limited resource that needs to be well utilized. The cutting down of trees often lead to destruction of habitats of animals life. It has also been noted that in areas where there has been lots of infrastructural development, there is less rainfall. It is important to have a good land use land. The tourism industry is one which produces lots of waste. These wastes are often released in the environment or the sea. The sewage system often goes directly in the sea for the resorts and the cruises. These wastes cause a degradation of the water quality and kills marine life. The coral reefs died and the beaches become vulnerable to waves leading to sand erosion. The Red Sea, in Egypt, has always been a tourism attraction. Sherbiny et al. (2006) states that with the tourism development along the Red Sea, where there has been the development of recreational attractions and sport activities, has lead to the destruction of the resource base of the Red Sea. The environment needs to be preserved because it will benefit the tourism industry and bring a lot term profit. Tour operators and hotels are trying to reduce wastage and pollution to rejuvenate the environment that has been destroyed. They opted for eco-friendly activities and sensitize the tourists before going on a site. It is very important that before implementing any development an EIA is done. The EIA will help to identify weaknesses and the impact on the environment and what can be done to reduce or even eliminate the impacts. 2.3 Case Studies It is important, before going more in dept in a study, to look at definitions and steps but also at different cases. The EIA tool is used all around the world by developed, developing countries and islets. Therefore through several readings of previous application of the tool at a destination, some more weaknesses or even strengths of the EIA can be identified because each region is not the same and have particular resources and characteristics. 2.3.1 Evaluation of the EIA system on the Island of Mauritius and development of an environmental monitoring plan framework (T. Ramjeawon, R. Beedassy, 2004) According to Ortolano and Shepherd (1995), Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a planning tool used to forecast and evaluate the impacts of planned projects in order to assist the decision making process. The limited natural resources of an island dictate its capacity to allow and sustain development. Islands face serious environmental problems due to their scarcity of natural resources, exposure to natural disasters, reduced areas, economic vulnerability and weakness in ecosystems. Therefore it is very important for islanders to understand and implement preventive strategies to have sustainable development. The need to carry out an Environmental impact assessment (EIA) and to obtain an EIA license from the ministry before undertaking the project is one of the main features of the Environment Protection Act in Mauritius. EIA brought important improvements in the planning, designing and decision making process but many difficulties have been encountered in the implementation of the EIA system. Without proper follow-up EIA can be seen as a just paper to secure a development permit rather than a mean to ensure environmental benefits and having proper environmental management. The rapid developments around the coast and lack of EIA monitoring have negative impacts on the coastal environment and this can affect the sustainable development of the tourism industry. The EIA system was introduced in 1993; those wanting to apply for an EIA license must submit copies (15) of the EIA report to the Director of environment and to ensure about the accuracy of the report it is opened for public inspection and comments. A copy of the EIA report is distributed to concerned agencies and ministries and written feedback is requested. The Environmental Assessment unit of the department of environment organizes a site visit to assess the potential environmental implications of the proposed development. Leu et al. (1996) introduced 9 fundamental components for an effective EIA system which are: Environmental regulations, guidelines and policies. Environmental administrative structure EIA Procedure Role of those which are involved. Status of the EIA reports EIA compliance monitoring and enforcement EIA implementation The implementation of strategic Environmental assessment International exchanges The 9 components were mostly followed for the evaluation of the EIA System in Mauritius. Nine hotels built during the last 5 years were selected to develop the Environmental Monitoring plan (EMP) and the EIA reports were evaluated by verifying their compliance with the official guiding principles of performing EIA. The quality of the EIA was assessed upon the following criteria: Baseline information Drawings and plans Techniques and methodology used to predict impacts Field surveys as well as consistency in the analysis Relevance of proposed measures Monitoring plan of impacts Impartiality of the contents of the EIA In the last 15 years much has been achieved in establishing legal and institutional framework in terms of environmental management in Mauritius. However most of the existing environmental laws are improperly enforced due to a lack of awareness of the laws and a lack of capacity and resources in the government departments. The following weaknesses were identified in the EIA process: The screening system is not adequate The minimum range of requirements of the EIA is too general to ensure the proper gathering of information for decision making process of whether or not to issue and EIA license. There is poor public participation in the project from the beginning till the implementation phase. There is a lack of clear criteria for the registration of eligible consultants for the preparation of an EIA report. The procedures for reviewing EIA and granting licenses lack in transparency and liability and there is no time frame regarding EIA applications. There is a lack of strategic environmental assessment for coastal development in particular areas. There is a lack of trained staff and expertise to conduct as well as review EIAs. The EIA reports do not include environmental management plans. One of the major assets of the tourism industry which is the lagoon is being left apart and there are no or insufficient investigations carried out on the attributes of the lagoon. More weight is being given to the economin impacts in the final decision making process and there is lack of information in the EIA reports. 2.3.2 A Critical Review of Environmental Impact Statements in Sri Lanka with Particular Reference to Ecological Impact Assessment (Miriya Samarakoon Æ John S. Rowan, 2008) EIA is a tool used to predict environmental consequences of proposed project in order to achieve sustainable development. According to Treweek (1996) Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) is an important element of EIA which explores how the sensitivity, viability and value of habitats, ecosystems and species can be affected by developments. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is an official report about the results of EcIA and EIA. EIA has been criticized for the following reasons: Lack of time and funding Lack of research design Insufficient data on flora and fauna Failure in monitoring development impacts Lack of guidelines on the EcIA process The first EIA in Sri Lanka was conducted in 1980 and the legal framework is under the National Environment Regulations No.1 of the National Environment Act (NEA). There are 2 levels of EA which are stated in the NEA. The first level is the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) which is required when less adverse impact is expected and the second level is the EIA for developments where significant adverse impacts are expected. The Central Environment Authority (CEA) is the institution which is responsible for monitoring and managing the EA process and the Project Approving Agencies (PAAs) are responsible for the implementation of the EA process as well as the decision making process. Sri Lanka is well-known for its biodiversity and 5 levels of ecological surveying are recognized. Level 1 survey is about a brief overview of the ecology at the site and level 5 is the most complex level which is about collecting quantitative data on various key attributes of ecology. EAs must pay special attention to their assessment and effective measures must be taken so as to avoid potential negative impacts. 2.4 Overview of Tourism Industry Tourism is the worlds largest growth industry. Organization such as the world tourism organization state that in the next 15 years the number of tourist will increase from 845 million in 2006 to 1.6 billion by 2020 that is it will double. Furthermore 200m people are employs worldwide. These jobs very often occur in small or medium-sized, family-owned enterprises. Similarly these tourism jobs and development very often take place in fewer developing countries that will help to balance economic opportunities. For example in order to benefit from balance economic opportunities Mauritius which is an underdeveloped country is aiming 2m tourist by 2015. 2.4.1 Tourism development in Mauritius Tourism developments in Mauritius are based mainly on the 3s that is sea, sun and sand. By relying on the 3s, this causes the tourists being kept within the four walls of the luxurious hotels. Luxurious hotel is one of the major tourism developments in Mauritius. Larger international company such as Sun Resort Ltd has constructed luxurious and glamour hotels such as Le Touessrock Hotel, La Pirogue Hotel and Long Beach Hotel. Nowadays Mauritius has diversified their tourism product and services in order to attain the 2 million tourists by 2015. Mauritius is offering adventure tourism that is soft tourism and hard tourism. Furthermore the government is practicing responsible tourism and sustainable tourism. The government is also allowing tourism development on our islets such as Ile aux Cerfs. 2.4.2 Topography of Ile aux Cerf Our selected area to carry out the EIA is Ile aux Cerfs. It is a tourism development site and each day there are different sea activities that take place on the islet. Ile aux Cerf welcomes the Mauritian people as well as the tourists. With the introduction of sustainable development and Maurice Ile Durable, it is important to know what the impacts of these developments on Ile aux Cerf. The EIA will help to achieve our aim. Ile aux Cerf, situated in the east coast of Mauritius, is a stunning and naturally splendid islet. This small paradise constitutes about 100 hectares of soil. It is also known as the deer island and is recognized as having the best beach of the Indian Ocean. Ile aux Cerfs is not a residential area. Everyday tourists as well as locals visit the island. To reach the island, boats are available from Trou Deau Douce, a small village found in the east. It takes around ten minutes to reach the island. Tourism developments have taken place in the island making it a must see place to visit. In the past years, the island has become among the most well known tourist attractions. 2.4.3 Tourism Development on Ile aux Cerfs Ile aux Cerfs is an islet found in the east of Mauritius. Many people describe Ile aux Cerfs as a mini Eden where you can relax and spend nice time with family and friends. One of the main tourism developments in Ile aux Cerfs is the golf course and the sun group made this plan public in july 1998. The project consists of an eighteen-hole course and clubhouse. From the environment impact assessment report made previously on the islet it appears that the golf course covers an area of 40 hectares. Furthermore the Touessrok hotel is another tourism development that relies heavily on the Ile aux Cerfs. It is situated near the islet. The management of the Touessrok hotel is the one which managed the golf course on the islet. Touessrok hotel is a five stars plus well-known hotel throughout the world. More other another tourism development on Ile aux Cerf is the Paul Virginie Restaurant, which is again managed by the management of the Touessrok hotel. Located on the islet, the restaurants relaxing beachside setting, is perfect for a family lunch of fish, pizza and Mauritian dishes (http//:www.elegantresorts.co.uk). There are also a lot of tourism activities that take place on the islet. These activities are mainly sea activities that are provided by tour operators such as Happy Holidays Mauritius. Examples of these activities are speed zone, Rampage, Big Banana, Frequent flyer, Duo Patriot and parasailing (http//:www.happy.holidays.mu). Therefore these are some tourism development that occur in Mauritius and especially on the islet of ile aux cerfs. 2.5 Conclusion As we have seen before development can have negative impacts on the environment and therefore an EIA is required before the undertaking of any development be it tourism or non-tourism development in order to identify potential environmental impacts and find out strategies to minimize the negative impacts. However the EIA should be well-done and ways should be found to overcome the weaknesses of the EIA so that the report is an effective one and can help in minimizing environmental impacts.