Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Identifying Their Usefulness Towards Students Studying...

Sustainability as stated in the oxford dictionary is defined as the ability of something to be maintained at a certain rate or level. For Geographers this term is often widely used within the discipline. It can be used to refer to sustainable development or to describe aspects within nature such as sustainable environments. In this literature review, we will be looking at three different types of resources that discuss sustainability. Before evaluating their usefulness towards students studying geography. We will begin by looking at the most traditional form of resource used by students, a book by Cabezas et al, that discusses a multi-disciplinary view of sustainability, then more on towards more modern resources such as academic journals†¦show more content†¦2012). Combing the ecological, political and cultural definitions to come to this conclusion. Very early on the book the importance of sustainability is stressed, linking it both the human and physical geographical view points in its analysis. Stating that the overconsumption, coupled with the dramatic increase in our population, taxing the earth in what they argue in a way our species has not done so before (Cabezas et al. 2012). Before delving into the history of sustainability, and its various related disciplines. The book then proceeds to discuss the subject from a biological point of view, before discussing the other disciplines views relating to the subject. The second key resource, the academic journal as discovered on search engine Primo that is hosted by the University. With a link directing towards some of the journals articles located on the Journals homepage. This journal written by Ravera et al in 2013, looks at rural change and farms vulnerability within the semi-arid areas located within north Nicaragua. With the authors focusing mainly at the beginning of the article towards the ever increasing rural development within the North Nicaragua. Stating that the majority of Nicaragua poor live in these semi-arid areas, where access to natural resources is limited (Ravera et al 2013). Coupled along with the over-farming and high population living within the area, the area suffers the undernourishment. Leading to low levels of sustainability, considering

Monday, December 16, 2019

Writing Is A Basic Skills - 863 Words

As we all know, writing is a basic skills in our life. It is a necessary skill for us to develop ourselves and help us to do many things successfully. However, there is no doubt that writing can be difficult and hard. To be honest, my writing skill is not wonderful. There are many mistakes will be made in my essay, such as grammar mistakes, wrong spell of vocabulary and the logic of chaos, which make me cannot write a excellent essay as I expect. So after knowing that I would be taking CC112, I was really worried and uneasy. I was really afraid that I could not pass the class and make my parents upset. However, I had to say that I really learned a lot from the class after the whole semester. Not only the skills of writing, but also the analysis of the article, which make me feel more confident than before. Now I want to share my own experience of skills that I learned from the class. First of all, in our class, the style of studying is really excellent. It is not just we followed wha t the teacher said as I thought before. On the one hand, we really had an active atmosphere in our class. Professor Shelly enjoyed listening our own ideas and thoughts instead of she talking all the class. So if we had some thoughts or questions, we will not be too shy to hide our thoughts and be brave enough to ask or suggest with her encouragement. I found I understand the class and learned how to use these knowledge easily in this atmosphere even my English is not well. On the other hand,Show MoreRelatedThe Big Three Types Of Basic Writing Skill1198 Words   |  5 PagesThe Big Three It is essential that everyone has some type of basic writing skill because it will help anyone who is reading or writing an essay, paper, or even a book to efficiently communicate with their reader. With the lack of grammar and structure of the essence of writing, it would be meaningless. It is important for anyone to perfect any writing skill that they may be having trouble with as soon as the problem occurs. Once a person has identified their problems they can be left with the decisionRead MoreSelf as a Writer: Building Writing Skills upon Basic Foundations846 Words   |  4 PagesPicture this: an aspiring pianist has just mastered their basic set of scales; they can play them moderately well and have a strong feeling of accomplishment at having mastered this difficult task. This young pianist is then asked to play Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Overwhelmed, they attempt to sight read this exquisite piece of music and to their ultimate frustration they cannot pla y it. 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Their L1 skills are a little bit better than that of L2. Students’ goal: Their goals are primarily to develop writing skills and, for this particular class, to learn how to develop procedural writing skills. Information on the context of the lesson: Assuming that the students have already mastered the basic writing skillsRead MoreCritical And Sophisticated Type Of Academic Writing And Can Easily Be Constructed By Breaking Down Its Basic Structure933 Words   |  4 Pagescomprehensive and sophisticated type of academic writing and can easily be constructed by breaking down its basic structure. A quality essay is one that presents and supports an argument on a particular topic by applying well-constructed research. Writing an academic essay can be a complicated task, but by paying attention to key elements such as structure, content and presentation, the essay will be easy to develop. However incorrect use of these basic steps can lead the paper to lack cohesion makingRead MoreThe Importance Of A Few College General Education Courses1070 Words   |  5 Pagescollege, before college comes high school, before high school comes middle school, then grade school, kindergarten, and preschool. This is because one must learn the basic fundamentals necessary for the next step in life. This is exactly what general education courses aid with in college. These general education courses teach basic skills required for every profession and provide the knowledge required for understanding more complicated courses to come. This paper will discuss the importance of a fewRead MoreLegal Methods, Research And Writing Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pageswhether studying or practicing the profession Legal methods, research and writing is a major necessity for those in the legal field. It is nearly impossible to study or practice law without the basic knowledge of legal methods, research and writing. This essay examines the importance of Legal methods, research and whether in school or outside in the legal profession. The first reason we need legal methods, research and writing is that it will help us to write essays well and helps students to answerRead MoreTypes Of Learning Disorders And T heir Signs Essay1657 Words   |  7 PagesLearning Disabilities and Disorders Types of Learning Disorders and Their Signs Could it be that your child struggles with school? Do you observe he or she avoiding reading out loud, tackling a math problem, or writing an essay? Certainly every child has trouble with homework from time to time, if a certain area of learning is consistently difficult, it might point to a learning disorder. By being knowledgeable on all you can about learning disabilities, you can make sure your child gets the adequateRead MoreThe Value Of Computer Assisted Language Learning1672 Words   |  7 Pagesattitudes towards it in EFL writing classes, in addition to the possible barriers that may hinder their using to the word processor. 1.1.1. Writing skills Writing is one of the basic skills in the process of acquiring EFL. Also, it is a productive skill. It is considered the most difficult skill among the four basic skills. Writing was considered an effective tool to communicate with others by expressing thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Al-Jumaily (2014) defines writing as â€Å"the process of using

Sunday, December 8, 2019

God Nature Description (1819 words) Essay Example For Students

God Nature Description (1819 words) Essay God Nature DescriptionSo many people have a false interpretation of who God really is. Understandingwho God really is can clear up a lot of false pretences (ideas) that so manypeople have about Him. According to the Bible, there are a number of differentnames and interpretations for who God truly is. WHO GOD REALLY IS! Yahweh*Eternal God most common name used for God in the Old Testament (6829times) *The New Testament uses the word Lord He who is He who is trulypresent Yahweh is not merely one god among many; he is the Creator andRuler of heaven and earth, who is worthy of and demands the exclusive homage ofhis people Yahweh Rapha *I am for I am the Lord, who healsyou. Exodus 15:26 There have been countless times that Gods healing powerhas been recorded in the Bible as well as on other accounts. Mostly commonlyknown should be when God sent his only Son to save the world from eternaldamnation (Hell). I personally have seen instances and know people who God hasdelivered from sicknesse s and other forms of evil. When I was a freshmanin high school my best friends mother was diagnosed with three forms oncancer, she was not expected to live due to the late discovery and severity ofthe cancer. She is doing great, back to her job, and is in remission. Ways GodHeals people! Yahweh Shalom: * Yahweh is peace Yahweh Shammah *The Lordis There 35The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. Andthe name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE. Ezekiel 48:35 *Although this is referring to the twelve tribes Israel in the OldTestament, I think that this could have been a prophecy that God willcontinually be surrounding us. Yahweh Tsabbaoth *Lord of Hosts *LordAlmighty *In the New Testament Host is refer to as angles, which could beseen as protection, guidance during tough times, and most importantly a sourceof encouragement during times of sickness or pain. Yahweh Tsidkenu *Yahwehour righteousness 5The days are coming, declares the LORD,when I will raise up t o DavidA a righteous Branch, a King who will reignwisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6In his days Judah will besaved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will becalled: The LORD Our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:5-6 *In this text I thinkthat God is talking about healing the people that he once banished from theland, by returning them to retake what was once theirs. Yahweh Yireh *Yahwehwill provide *God said that he would provide for all of our needs. This meansif we are sick we will be healed, but what really needs to be understood is thathealing does not always mean that life is the answer. Sometimes our needs andour wants get completely mixed up. El Olam *God the everlasting One*God of Eternity *God was here in the beginning and he will be here in theend. God has healed throughout time and will continue to heal as long as we seekhis name. El Roi *God who sees me *El Roi is with me at all times and ismy protector. *God sees every move that we ma ke and do not make. He sees when weare sad and when we are happy. He also sees when we are sick and when we arehealthy. Most importantly he knows when to heal us, comfort us, give us space,listen to us, and so other things because he is continually looking over us. ElShaddai *God the Mountain *God the Rock *God the Provider *ElShaddai provides for all my needs, He shields from danger, and has given meshelter. *When I get stress and weighed down with the stress of life I like togo up to the mountain and try to clear my mind. I do not think that healing hasto always be physical, I think God can heal in many different ways whether it bephysical, mental, social, or spiritual. Elohin *name similar to Yahweh used over40 times in Job as a way to refer to God, without using His name Yahweh orAdonay Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of theGod of Jacob, Psalms 114:7 Knowing God! To have a complete understanding ofGod the Father, it is beneficial to Understand who God the Son is. These areverses are where Jesus describes who He is and why His Father sent Him here. Allof these references come from the Gospel book of John: *6:35 35Then Jesusdeclared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry,and he who believes in me will never be thirsty Here Jesus tells us if wefollow him with all of our hearts, we will need nothing more, he will provideall that we need. The problem here is that some people do not understand thatwith believing you need to live the life of a believer. Praying daily that Godwill continue to work in your life and the lives of others. Reading the Word ofGod which will help you understand who he is and will help you to make some ofthe right choices in life. Attending church regularly and surrounding yourselfwith people that will help you grow in the Lord is very important because weneed interaction with others. Other Christians who can lift us up in times ofneed and can support us when we need them to. Now t he Bible does not say thatyou need to do any of these things, but I think that they will all help greatly. .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb , .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .postImageUrl , .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb , .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:hover , .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:visited , .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:active { border:0!important; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:active , .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4cb1a53ff152e360f4838ac0a81d4ceb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Presidential Powers1 Essay Just like in a sport you need to practice to get better, to become closer to Godyou need to do things that will help you grow closer to him. *8:12 12WhenJesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light oflife. This passage lets us know that Jesus will help us through thehard times, and He will direct us in the paths that we should walk in. WhenJesus is going through the wilderness Satan tempted him three times because hewas weak and at a venerable stage. Jesus did not give in these temptations, butwe continually do fall into these types of temptations. This is where Jesus ishere to guide us and give us strength. *9:5 5While I am in the world, I amthe light of the world. As long as Jesus is, still in the world thereis still hope for the world. The word hope here is referring to something thatwe are looking forward to. I believe that when Jesus returns for the second timeto bring his people home the place that we call home will be Hell on Earthas the saying says. If God were to remove his presence from the earth not one ofus would want to go on living. The anarchy and complete destruction that wouldbe going on would devastate any person who has an ounce of morals. *10:7-97Therefore Jesus said again, I tell you the truth, I am the gate forthe sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheepdid not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will besaved.A He will come in and go out, and find pasture. Jesus is telling ushere that He is here for anyone, and all we have to do is come to him. God hasgiven every person a choice to have eternal life or eternal death. To haveeternal life we must come to the Son of God, Jesus who waiting for us to do so. However, we must make that choice, it is no ones responsibility except our own. *10:11,14 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down hislife for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and mysheep know me Jesus lay down his life for us like that of a true shepherd. Jesus knows each on of us that have come in to the kingdom of God, just like weshould know him. Although, Jesus allows us to wonder so that we might learn hasstill given his life for us. He has given us the choice and he will not force usto do anything, all that we do we do because we chose to do it. It is so amazingthat God would send his son to save us from the sins of the world, and thenallow his son to give his life for everyone on the earth. *11:25 25Jesus saidto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me willlive, even though he dies; Jesus died and rose again and as long as webelieve this, we can be accepted into the kingdom of God. The word resurrectionmeans to rise from the dead and that is just what he did. *14:6 6Jesusanswered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to theFather except through me. Jesus informs us here that the only way we can getto God in heaven is through Him (Jesus). Heaven is where al that believe in Godwill end up while in commune with him. Coming into the Kingdom is a free choice,but we have to submit ourselves to Him before we can come in. To come into theKingdom of God is to surrender all that we have and all that we are, so thatnothing comes between our relationship with God. It is hard to put God first ifyou have not surrendered all unto Him. *15:1,5 151I am the true vine,and my Father is the gardener. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Ifa man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you cando nothing. Jesus is our main source of life, with him we can do all things,apart from him we can do absolutely nothing. Apart from Jesus, we are damned tohell and I personally can not think of anything worse than that. Yes, we canstill function in life but ultimately we will end up in the pit of the abyss(Hell). God is all that can be imagined and then some more. However, onlysomeone as selfless (unselfish) as God who sent His Son Jesus Christ to thisearth to save the w orld from eternal death while continually beginningpersecuted. The things that Jesus had to put up with for the good that he wasdoing is just unspeakable. Whipped, beaten, spat upon, made fun of, and probablythe worst was being betrayed by one of his own disciples. This is just some ofthe persecution that Jesus had to suffer. Jesus is personal and provides foreveryone differently from the next person. Who do you say He is.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers Essay Example

The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers Paper The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers Treasury Bond Scandal- 1991 Executive Summary Salomon Brothers was at one time, the largest bulge bracket firm on Wall Street. Although it offered a number of financial services, it had established its name through the legacy of bond trading. Its bond trading department boasted of iconic traders of 1980’s era- John Meriwether and Myron Sholes. Salomon Brothers can be considered as the founder father of mortgaged back securities trading on the Wall Street, an area in which it was a near monopolist for a long time with not much competition from other firms. In 1981, Salomon Brothers which operated as partnership was taken over by Phibro Corporation and became known as Phibro-Salomon. With a lot of ups and downs in its fortune during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, finally in 1997, it merged with Citigroup and became their Investment Banking arm called Salomon Smith Barney. Finally the existence of the name of â€Å"Salomon† ceased when Citigroup decided to drop the name in 2003 and branded its investment bank and underwriters as Citigroup Global Markets. We chose to work on the topic â€Å"The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers† as this topic offers an insight into the development of a particular securities market- the Mortgaged backed securities, the dominance of the market player, the culture of the firm and finally the scandal which served as the turning point of fortunes of ‘once the market leader’ or metaphorically- the final nail in the coffin. Background Salomon Brothers was founded in New York City in 1910 when three brothers-Arthur, Herbert, and Percy Salomon broke away from their father Ferdinands money-brokerage operation and went into business for themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Rise and Fall of Salomon Brothers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The company was primarily a bond trading firm. The private company entered equities in the mid-1960s and between 1962 and 1964, Salomon more than tripled its underwriting business, from $276 million to $873 million. They entered investment banking in the early 1970s and established themselves with Pepsi-ICI merger among others. Since till 1981, the firm operated as a partnership, it had a close-knit culture and partners put the firm’s interest before their own. There were no issues over compensation or credit for work and slowly but surely Salomon was climbing the ladder of being a bulge bracket firm of Wall Street. As Salomon partner Abraham Eller once explained, â€Å". . . what helped make Salomon Brothers was not only the partners, but that the men they hired were hungry. †¦ We weren’t the sons of rich men. † However, in 1981, it was taken over by the Phibro Corporation and became a corporation with the name Phibro-Salomon Inc. until 1986, when Salomon gained control and changed the name of the parent company to Salomon Inc. In 1980’s under the leadership of John Gutfreund, Salomon participated in the leveraged-buyout boom of the 1980s and did deals like Xeroxs acquisition of Crum Foster and was also the adviser by ATT. In 1985, the firm’s peak year, Salomon brought in $760 million in pre-tax profits. In 1987, the company’s capital reached $3. 4 billion. Legislations which fuelled growth The following changes in legislation led to a conducive environment for bond trading and the development of the mortgage backed securities market which in turn impacted the fortunes of Salomon Brothers: * In 1979, the Federal Reserve announced that that the money supply would cease to fluctuate with the business cycle. Bond prices moved inversely with interest rates. Bonds became the means of â€Å"creating wealth rather than merely storing it. † The industry’s revenues rose from $16 billion in 1980 to $51. 8 billion in 1988. * In 1981, Congress passed a tax break which allowed thrifts to sell all their mortgage loans in order to put their money to work for higher returns. Subsequently, the volume of outstanding mortgage loans increased from $700 billion in 1976 to $1. 2 trillion in 1981, and the mortgage market surpassed the combined U. S. stock markets as the largest capital market in the world. The SEC’s Rule 415, enacted in 1982, where corporations were allowed to register in advance all the securities they intended to issue over the next two-year span (â€Å"shelf registrations†) and Salomon Brothers was the industry’s leader. * The protection of the Glass-Steagall Act, which stopped commercial banks to underwrite and distribute most securities ended and the competition intensified. Overall, the beginning o f the 1980’s decade led to an explosive growth in the bond markets and Salomon was ready to jump on the opportunity as it was one of the few Wall Street firms to have a proper mortgage trading department. Culture of the firm In order to understand the culture of the firm, we read the book Liar’s Poker written by Michael Lewis who was a bond salesman in Salomon Brothers and gives an inside account of the culture prevalent in the firm. Bond Traders and Salesmen: The two major classes of people at Salomon were the bond traders and salesmen. More than any other firm on the Wall Street, Salomon was run by bond traders who kept an eye on the market and made most of arbitrage opportunities while the salesmen gave information to the traders about the sentiments in market. The CEO of the company John Gutfreund also started off as a trader and spent his time at a large desk over seeing one end of Salomon’s bond trading room. The trading floor—the 41st floor, which was known as â€Å"Power Central†Ã¢â‚¬â€was actually the power centre of the firm. He promoted an environment of risk-taking and agility and the Salomon Trading floor had minimal supervision, minimal controls and no position limits. That is, a trader could buy or sell as many bonds as he thought appropriate without asking. With an increase in business, the firm recruited widely. The firm, which had employed 2,000 people in 1982, tripled to 6,000 people by 1987. † Due to excessive focus on generating revenues, one insider put it as, â€Å"competing fiefdoms replaced interconnected businesses. † and â€Å"Making money was mostly what mattered. † Also, the mortgage department which made the maximum money had a culture of its own promoted by Ranieri (head of the department) which alienated it even more. According to Ranieri, â€Å"The reason everything was separate was because no one in the firm would help us. They wanted us to fail. † The Scandal This scandal was unique in itself as it shook the foundation of the sacrosanct $2. trillion government securities market which was considered too big to rig. The conventional wisdom was shaken to a great extent and regulations tightened for all the 40 primary designated dealers of T-bills and government bonds. Orchestration of the fraud: Paul Mozer, Managing Director of Salomon Inc. ’s government securities trading desk, submitted three separate bids for the U. S. Treasury’s $9 billion 5-year treasury note auction on Feb. 21,1991. Each of the bids was for $3. 15 billion, or 35% of the total bond offering, the maximum bid the Treasury would recognize from any individual buyer. Since two of the bids were submitted under the names of outside firms who were Salomon customers, Warburg and Quantum, the Treasury accepted all three bids. The Treasury was unaware that only Mozer’s bid in Salomon’s name was legal. The other two were unauthorized customer bids placed by Mozer trying to get Salomon a larger share of the auction. However, what Mozer did not know was that Warburg had taken part in the auction with a $100mn bid and with combined bid of more than 35% in name of Warburg; Treasury started an investigation which uncovered the plot of Mozer. This scandal led to the firing of Mozer, resignation of the top brass including Gutfreund and a loss of reputation of Salomon Brothers which they never recovered. Aftermath: This scandal shook the confidence of participants in the government securities market and led to investigations by Federal Reserve Bank, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Treasury Department re-examined the records of every auction since 1986, a total of more than 200, searching for evidence of collusion with customers to violate the 35% rule. Salomon was fined $290 million as damages but it escaped criminal charges. The Treasury however, banned Salomon from bidding in Government Securities market. After the resignation of John Gutfreund, majority stakeholder Warren Buffet was made the chairman to revamp the organisation. He also convinced the Treasury to lift the ban as it would lead to Salomon towards bankruptcy. The firm became a victim of its own culture and finally the name of Salomon ceased to exist on the Wall Street which it had once dominated. Joining the dots Having done a course on Ethics, analysed case studies of Enron, WorldCom etc, made us realise that the frauds/scandals do not germinate over night; rather they are fruits of greed which is perpetrated by the Top management either directly or indirectly. As mentioned earlier, the culture of Salomon Brothers was such that traders were given a free hand as long as they generated revenues and were never questioned. This led to the audacity of Mozer wherein he submitted false bids not just the time when he was caught but in other auctions as well and had landed in trouble with the Treasury before. Had a proper system of reporting and accountability existed, the previous instances would have been known to top management and the entire scandal could have been averted which tarnished the reputation of the firm. At the same time, we believe, Treasury department should have been more vigilant as market participants i. e the 40 primary dealers could always collude and try to take the maximum out of the pie of the auction. Having a system which was transparent such that the bids could have been monitored by all the participants would have lead to detection of anomaly of bids in much short period of time without any extensive examination. The main learning that we can derive out of this study is twofold- * Promotion of Ethics and fair dealing as a part of corporate culture of the organisation following a top-down approach such that lower level employees get motivated from the conduct of senior levels * No matter who the participant is and the financial market in question, the regulator has to be vigilant at all times and have a stringent set of rules and regulations as well as penalties in place which deters market participants from erring. References: http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/Salomon-Inc-Company-History. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Salomon_Brothers#Long_Term_Capital_Management http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,973726-2,00. html http://www. answers. com/topic/salomon-brothers Robert Sobel, Salomon Brothers 1910-85: Advancing to Leadership Michael Lewis, Liar’s Poker Salomon Brothers: â€Å"Apologies are Bullshit†- pdf

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

5 Secrets of Persuasion Use NLP to Influence Your Readers - Freewrite Store

5 Secrets of Persuasion Use NLP to Influence Your Readers - Freewrite Store Persuasive writing is a skill that every writer needs to master. That’s true whether you’re writing blogs with affiliate links, emails to your subscribers, or landing page copy to promote a product. There are lots of ways to approach writing persuasively, but one of the most effective is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s, Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a communication tool that can have a big impact on your readers - if you know how to use it right. Of course, you’ll find people who dismiss the tools and techniques of NLP as being ‘mumbo-jumbo’ - but, then, they’re the kind of people who would have said it was impossible to put a man on the moon. NLP works. It works for businessmen when they’re closing a massive deal, and it works for writers who need to convince your readers to do something. It doesn’t matter whether it’s clicking a link, completing a form, or making a purchase, when you use NLP, your ability to persuade increases. The Power of Persuasion Neuro-linguistic programming is so-called because, effectively, it uses words (linguistic) to reprogram (programming) the brain (neuro). It’s been compared (quite negatively) to manipulation. It can, of course, be used manipulatively, but there’s so much more to it than that. It’s used in coaching and even in therapy to change the way people think about things. So, how does NLP work to persuade people to change the way they think? Courses to train as an NLP practitioner are taught over seven days, so condensing the principles of NLP into an article isn’t easy. Nonetheless, I’ll share with you key insights from NLP that are particularly pertinent for writers. Foundations of Neuro-Linguistic Programming for Writers While some copywriters shun NLP as being far too ‘out there’, there are lots of skilled copywriters who understand how to use it to maximize results. By now you’re probably eager to find out how you can do that too, so let’s dig in. 1. The Language of the Senses NLP is all about the way that language is used to influence others, but it’s more than just about the words. It’s about what the words we use evoke in the people we’re addressing. In NLP, language is sensory - because all the information that we process can only enter our brains through the five senses. Most people have a sensory modality preference - whether you’re aware of it or not. There are three sensory modalities in NLP - visual, auditory and kinaesthetic (feelings). NLP teaches that influencing your readers starts when you use language that appeals to their sensory modality preference. For example: Visual: â€Å"Can you see what I mean?† Auditory: â€Å"Can you hear what I’m trying to say?† Kinaesthetic: â€Å"Does it feel right to you?† When you’re writing, you can’t know (in most cases) what your readers’ preference is, so you should incorporate all three senses into your writing to maximize the potential impact of your writing. 2. Story Time As a writer, you probably love to tell a good story, right? Well, you’ll be pleased to know that storytelling is a great NLP technique that you can easily exploit. When you couple your natural storytelling abilities with the (hidden) power of language in NLP, you’ll be able to exert huge influence over your readers. It happens to you all the time - even if you don’t recognize it happening. The movies and TV shows you watch exert influence over you all the time, with hidden, subtle messages that you don’t notice because you’re engrossed in the unfolding story. Using story to influence your readers is a matter of using metaphors and analogies that enter the subconscious. Metaphors work on a deep subconscious level to affect how your readers feel or think. 3. Homophonic Influence Homophones, words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings, are a subtle way to subconsciously affect your readers’ decision-making processes. Let’s look at an example that you could use in landing page copy for a sales page: â€Å"By now, you should be able to see the power of using NLP in your writing copy. But, if you want to fully understand how to maximize the impact of your writing, increase your sales and grow your business beyond your wildest dreams, we have something more for you. Our eBook, ‘Unlocking the Secrets of Sales Copy’ normally retails at $99 but, for 48 hours only, you can get your hands on it for just $7.† Placing the words ‘by now’ at the beginning of that paragraph is using a homophone to prime the buyer’s brain. ‘By now’ and ‘buy now’ sound the same when you read them aloud in your head - and that subconscious influence on your reader can have a big impact on the number of people who click on the ‘buy now’ CTA button below the paragraph. 4. Effective Emotional Influence As a writer, you need to be able to affect your readers’ emotions in order to get results. Affecting emotions effectively, however, is a skill that can take time to learn. NLP teaches that you use facts in order to basically tell people how to feel (or, at least, how you want them to feel) when you use facts. Charities making appeals for donations have expert copywriters who are exceptionally skilled at using facts and other emotional tools in their writing. For example, a popular NLP-inspired technique is to tell prospective donors how their donation can change the lives of the people receiving the funds. â€Å"Your donation of $20 will feed a family of four for a whole month.† Another way charities use emotional influence in their writing is to demonstrate how a small sacrifice on the donor’s part can make a significant difference. â€Å"If you sacrifice your favorite coffee-shop latte or cappuccino just one day each week, your donation of $20 per month will pay for Jessica to attend boarding school to continue her education, including her boarding fees, supplies and food for the month.† 5. Pattern Interrupts Interrupting the flow of your writing - or disrupting the flow - by introducing a new, unexpected idea, is a great persuasive technique that NLP trainers really applaud. It’s all about breaking thought patterns - which enables you to directly access the subconscious mind. It’s a technique that stage hypnotists use - though I’m not suggesting for a minute that you need to hypnotize your readers! Politicians and smart public speakers use it, too, so it’s worthwhile learning how to most effectively use this technique in your writing. One example of how you can use pattern interrupts is to introduce confusing or unexpected language into the middle of your ‘pitch’. The way you do this will depend on your audience, but you could try using sudden oblique references, or making reference to unrelated details – or, even, using swear words within your copy. The sudden change of direction gives you a brief opportunity to take advantage of your audience’s confusion. If you’re writing a sales or landing page, you could use callouts and testimonials to achieve pattern interrupts. By distracting your audience’s attention to something new, you have a new window of opportunity to appeal to the subconscious, refocus their attention, or disarm them. Delve Deeper into NLP If you want to maximize the persuasive potential of your writing and influence your readers more, it’s worth exploring NLP in more detail. NLP training is available around the world and investing in an NLP course can have a huge impact on your persuasive writing. You could even explore NLP coaching to build your confidence as a writer. Far from being ‘mumbo-jumbo’, neuro-linguistic programming is an effective means of exploiting the science of persuasion. The more you understand how NLP works, you’ll be able to recognize the techniques that other writers are using to influence your decisions, too.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Brief History of Smartphones

The Brief History of Smartphones In 1926, during an interview for Collier magazine, legendary scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla described a piece of technology that would revolutionize the lives of its users. Here’s the quote: When wireless is perfectly applied, the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole. We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance. Not only this, but through television and telephony we shall see and hear one another as perfectly as though we were face to face, despite intervening distances of thousands of miles; and the instruments through which we shall be able to do his will be amazingly simple compared with our present telephone. A man will be able to carry one in his vest pocket. While Tesla might not have chosen to call this instrument a smartphone, his foresight was spot on. These future phones  have, in essence, reprogrammed how we interact with and experience the world. But they didn’t appear overnight. There were many technologies that progressed, competed, converged, and evolved toward the fairly sophisticated pocket companions we have come to rely on. The Modern Smartphone So who invented the smartphone? First, lets make it clear that the smartphone didn’t start with Apple - though the company and its charismatic co-founder Steve Jobs deserve much credit for perfecting a model that has made the technology just about indispensable among the masses. In fact, there were phones capable of transmitting data, as well as featured applications such as email, in use prior to the arrival of early popular devices, such as the Blackberry. Since then, the definition of the smartphone has essentially become arbitrary. For example, is a phone still smart if it doesn’t have a touchscreen? At one time, the Sidekick, a popular phone from carrier T-Mobile, was considered cutting edge. It had a swiveling full-qwerty keyboard that allowed for rapid-fire text messaging, LCD screen, and stereo speakers. In modern times, few people would find a phone remotely acceptable that cannot run third-party apps. The lack of consensus is muddied even further by the concept of a â€Å"feature phone,† which shares some of the smartphones abilities. But is it smart enough? A solid textbook definition comes from the Oxford dictionary, which describes a smartphone as â€Å"a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, internet access, and an operating system capable of running downloaded apps.† So for the purpose of being as comprehensive as possible, let’s begin with the very minimal threshold of what constitutes â€Å"smart† features: computing. Who Invented Smartphones? The first device that technically qualifies as a smartphone was simply a highly-sophisticated (for its time) brick phone. You know one of those bulky, but fairly exclusive status-symbol toys flashed in 80s movies like Wall Street? The IBM Simon Personal Communicator, released in 1994, was a sleeker, more advanced, and premium brick that sold for $1,100. Sure, a lot of smartphones today cost about as much, but remember that $1,100 in the 1990s was nothing to sneeze at. IBM had conceived of the idea for a computer-style phone  as early as the 70s, but it wasn’t until 1992 that the company unveiled a prototype at the COMDEX computer and technology trade show in Las Vegas. Besides placing and receiving calls, the Simon prototype could also send facsimiles, emails, and cellular pages. It even had a nifty touchscreen for dialing numbers. Extra features included apps for a calendar, address book, calculator, scheduler, and notepad. IBM also demonstrated that the phone was capable of displaying maps, stocks, news, and other third-party applications, with certain modifications. Tragically,  the Simon ended up in the heap pile of being too ahead of its time. Despite all the snazzy features, it was cost-prohibitive for most and was only useful for a very niche clientele. The distributor, BellSouth Cellular, would later reduce the price of the phone to $599 with a two-year contract. And even then, the company only sold about 50,000 units. The company took the product off the market after six months. The Early Awkward Marriage of PDAs and Cell Phones The initial failure to introduce what was a fairly novel notion of phones having a multiplicity of capabilities didn’t necessarily mean that consumers weren’t keen on incorporating smart devices into their lives. In a way, smart technology was all the rage during the late 90s, as evidenced by the widespread adoption of stand-alone smart gadgets known as Personal Digital Assistants. Before hardware makers and developers figured out ways to successfully merge PDAs with cellular phones, most people simply made due by carrying two devices. The leading name in the business at the time was Sunnyvale-based electronics firm Palm, who jumped to the fore with products such as the Palm Pilot. Throughout the generations of the product line, various models offered a multitude of pre-installed apps, PDA to computer connectivity, email, messaging, and an interactive stylus. Other competitors at the time included Handspring and Apple with the Apple Newton. Things started to come together right before the turn of the new millennium, as device makers began little by little incorporating smart features into cell phones. The first notable effort in this vein was the Nokia 9000 communicator, which the manufacturer introduced in 1996. It came in a clamshell design that was fairly large and bulky but allowed for a qwerty keyboard, along with navigation buttons. This was so that the makers could cram in some of the more sellable smart features, such as faxing, web browsing, email, and word processing. But it was the Ericsson R380, which debuted in 2000, that became the first product to be officially billed and marketed as a smartphone. Unlike the Nokia 9000, it was small and light like most typical cell phones. Remarkably, the phones keypad could be flipped outward to reveal a 3.5-inch black and white touchscreen from which users could access a litany of apps. The phone also allowed for internet access, though no web browser was available and users weren’t able to install third-party apps. The convergence continued as competitors from the PDA side moved into the fray, with Palm introducing the Kyocera 6035 in 2001 and Handspring putting out its own offering, the Treo 180, the following year. The Kyocera 6035 was significant for being the first smartphone to be paired with a major wireless data plan through Verizon, while the Treo 180 provided services via a GSM line and operating system that seamlessly integrated telephone, internet, and text messaging service.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Smartphone Mania Spreads From East to West Meanwhile, as consumers and the tech industry in the west were still tinkering with what many referred to as PDA/cell phone hybrids, an impressive smartphone ecosystem was coming into its own across the way in Japan. In 1999, local upstart telecom NTT DoCoMo launched a series of handsets linked to a high-speed internet network called i-mode. Compared to Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), the network used in the United States for data transfers for mobile devices, Japan’s wireless system allowed for a wider range of internet services such as e-mail, sports results, weather forecasts, games, financial services, and ticket booking - all carried out at faster speeds. Some of these advantages are attributed to the use of â€Å"compact HTML† or â€Å"cHTML,† a modified form of HTML that enables full rendering of web pages. Within two years, the NTT DoCoMo network had an estimated 40 million subscribers. But outside of Japan, the notion of treating your phone as some sort of digital Swiss army knife hadn’t quite taken hold. The major players at the time were Palm, Microsoft, and Research in Motion, a lesser-known Canadian firm. Each had their respective operating systems. You might think that the two more established names in the tech industry would have an advantage in this respect. Yet, there was something more than mildly addictive about RIM’s Blackberry devices that had some users calling their trusty devices Crackberries. RIM’s reputation was built on a product line of two-way pagers that, over time, evolved into full-fledged smartphones. Critical to the company’s success early on was its efforts to position the Blackberry, first and foremost, as a platform for business and enterprise to deliver and receive push email through a secure server. It was this unorthodox approach that fueled its popularity among the more mainstream consumers.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Apple’s iPhone In 2007, at a heavily-hyped press event in San Francisco, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs stood on stage and unveiled a revolutionary product that not only broke the mold but also set an entirely new paradigm for computer-based phones. The look, interface and core functionality of nearly every smartphone to come along since is, in some form or another, derived from the original iPhone’s innovative touchscreen-centric design. Among some of the groundbreaking features was an expansive and responsive display from which to check email, stream video, play audio, and browse the internet with a mobile browser that loaded full websites, much like what’s experienced on personal computers. Apple’s unique iOS operating system allowed for a wide range of intuitive gesture-based commands and eventually, a rapidly-growing warehouse of downloadable third-party applications.  Ã‚   Most importantly, the iPhone reoriented people’s relationship with smartphones. Up to then, they were generally geared toward businesspeople and enthusiasts who saw them as an invaluable tool for staying organized, corresponding over email, and boosting their productivity. Apple’s version took it to a whole other level as a full-blown multimedia powerhouse, enabling users to play games, watch movies, chat, share content, and stay connected to all the possibilities that we’re all still constantly rediscovering. Sources Chong, Celena. The inventor that inspired Elon Musk and Larry Page predicted smartphones nearly 100 years ago. Business Insider, July 6, 2015. Smartphone. Lexico, 2019.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Communications Paper on Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communications Paper on Media - Essay Example Newspapers also serve a surveillance purpose as they inform about what is going on. Through media, I also satisfy my social and psychological needs. This means media is a powerful tool for transmission of cultures and norms. I am able to be informed and learn about various norms and how I am expected to behave, as well. For instance watching television programs about other cultures makes me aware about them. I am also able to learn about their norms whether it is through print or visual media. Media is also utilized as an advertising tool. Media covers a wide audience making it a powerful tool for advertising and marketing. It is also used to influence the thoughts and needs of the society. Such form of media can be through propaganda whereby information is put out by an organization to promote a particular policy. From all these, the media serve as a gratification tool to the larger society since its survival is on the basis of satisfying the needs of a society (Gibson). 2. Costs sp ent on media Various media exist in our daily lives; therefore, costs are incurred when it comes to accessing media. To access the print media I have to purchase newspapers and magazines some of which are updated daily; thus, it makes sense to acquire them each new day. Print media are extremely important, but more expensive to access; thus, I spend more on it. For instance, to access academic materials, I have to purchase books, which are not easily available via the internet resource. Media is also important because communication and entertainment are a normal part of the day-to-day activities. Visual media are characterized by television and the internet. Costs are incurred in electricity bills and payment of internet subscription fees. When all costs are summed up it can be determined that a lot of money is directed on media in a given month. This can also be summarized by the fact that media consumptions occurs every day. 3. Description of a day without media A day without medi a is quite different since media had evolved to be a habit in my lifestyle. My first instinct in the morning was to check my phone, but I had to ignore the urge. Without media, I would not be in constant touch with others; thus I would not be able to know where I am needed and by whom. I will also find it hard to be informed about new developments around me. Because it felt like an addiction, I could not last a whole day without thinking about what I am missing. For instance, I could not be in contact with my friends and colleagues; thus, I would not be informed about how they are doing or if they have any information related to me. I would also tend to be scared at times because I was not certain about what I am supposed to do during the day. I could not read posters and information posted on notice boards; thus, I was not comfortable. Generally, I felt like I was in my own world since I was not able to access any new information that might influence me. Therefore, from morning to evening I was only making an appearance, but never really involved in anything constructive. By dawn, I felt I had lost a lot of opportunities. 4. What was learned From the experience on that day, I was able to learn and appreciate just how important media is to my daily activities. If I was given such a test, again it would be hard to try it because on that single day, I had missed on a lot. The urge to get information was quite big and I learned that I was

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Elder Ause and Mistreatment Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Elder Ause and Mistreatment - Research Proposal Example The last part of the paper covers standards of the research method and some aspects of the elder abuse and mistreatment in the modern society. Organization of the research under NASW standards also is very important. Elder abuse and mistreatment is a many-sided social problem in the modern society, as it touches such spheres as health care, social services rendering, socio-economic protection and observance of human rights. The elderly are the most vulnerable social group due to their age, low capacity for work and competitiveness on the labor market or serious illnesses. During the previous century level of their social protection has been increasing owing to approval of international social standards and signing of international conventions. Social workers should not only prevent development of these phenomena, but consider them from scientific point of view. Efficient counter-measures should be taken to identify reasons and sources of the abuse of this social group. A developed hypothesis relates to interrelationship of level of social and law knowledge of the elderly and prevention of abuse/mistreatment. This problem has been previously examined by Aurora Salamone, Marion Brickner, Luciana Oginoni and others. For example, Silvernet Study focused upon the elderly mistreatment in the home care programs and their fallacious behavioral patterns. Nikki DiFranks discovered the issue under dissection through the prism of Code of Ethics and social workers’ competency. The proposed research will aim to identify interdependence between social workers’ competency and abuse and mistreatment of the elderly. Research Proposal Question: Do attitudes toward reporting elder abuse negatively effect the likelihood of repor ting elder abuse? Hypothesis: The attitudes toward reporting elderly abuse negatively effect the likelihood of reporting elder abuse. Code of Ethics (NASW) is a basic source of regulation

Sunday, November 17, 2019

How Does Culture Affect Meaning and Communication Essay Example for Free

How Does Culture Affect Meaning and Communication Essay Nowadays we live in what is considered a â€Å"global village†, over time we have collectively worked towards this end. The need and desire to create a closer global community is not only seen as a technological advantage but an economic benefit. The world as we know it gets smaller every day, thanks to a new generation of social media applications such as facebook or twitter, which links vast communities together; communities and cultures are no longer cut off or remote. Take facebook for example, it has over 1 billion users, if it were a country it would be the third largest by population. (www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2013/012313.htm) Whether you live and work in remote Antarctica or bustling Hong Kong, technology and the studies of inter-culture communication ensures that people, governments and organizations can work effectively together in a harmonious and beneficial way. Naturally, this is an ideal situation, but as experience tells us, nothing is ever as simple. This essay explores how cultural differences effect meaning and communication. In doing so it will look at the definition of culture, what it is, and how it affects meaning. Furthermore, it will look at the acclaimed Dutch researcher, Geert Hofstede’s four dimensions of corporate culture as a framework to define and categorize cultural differences. Finally, it will raise potential problems raised in the field of inter-cultural communications and provide suggestions to overcome them. What is culture? Currently there are over â€Å"7 billion human inhabitants living on this planet. Each of these earth dwellers comes from a specific culture. (geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm) As the world becomes smaller, not physically, but by the use of new media and technology, as they traverse earth looking for new or better opportunities, so must they face the modern conundrum of understanding firstly, what is culture, and secondly, how the differences between cultures effect meaning and communications. Without an understanding of different cultures, the potential for misunderstanding is high, with the ever-present possibility of a breakdown in relationships and opportunities. (Dostine, 2008, pg 58) text book suggests that all humans can be broadly defined by our culture. In essence, we are all born into a culture that over time has been passed down from previous generations, bestowing a rich history, significant culture defining traits such as its religion, its values and ethics, its ceremonies, rites and rituals, languages, customs, laws and business practices. Moreover, verbal and non-verbal communications practices that differ from one culture to the next. Therefore, suffice to say that the more we know about each other’s cultures the more effective our communication and co-habitation of the planet will be. How does cultural effect meaning? At the best of times, communication between individuals can be somewhat challenging. Add to that mix, communicating with people from another cultures and suddenly, the propensity for misunderstanding and in some cases offence can very easily take place as a result of the differences between the cultural backgrounds, understanding and meaning between the sender and receiver can be in stark contrast. This can be due to the increase in variables in the communication mix, therefore making global interaction more complex. Furthermore, people’s perception or way of thinking, hearing or seeing can vary quite extensively from one culture to the next. It could be strongly argued that it would be highly advantageous for both parties to be aware of the differences and therefore the potential for problems that arise from inter-cultural communication. Nowadays, many multi-national organizations, governments and educators have training and education programs in place. They see the importance in creating a clear, concise and respectful flow of communications between cultures. An example of this could be the department of foreign affairs and trade (DFAT) in Canberra. One of its main functions is to liaise internally and externally to better position itself to and for greater opportunity. It would be highly likely that the department has educated its employees in the science of how to deal effectively with other cultures (governments, organizations, businesses). One of DFATs main objectives is to â€Å"work with other government agencies to ensure that Australias pursuit of its global, regional and bilateral interests is coordinated effectively†. (dfat.gov.au/dept/what-we-do.html) In the field of organizational cultural studies, a Dutch researcher known as Geert Hofstede went on to publish his highly regarded findings. These findings have become a highly influential and acceptable way in which modern organizations can asses the difference between national culture and organizational culture. Hostede, seen as a pioneer in area of corporate culture, created a framework in which to asses national cultural groups and how they may affect or influ ence behaviors within an organization. Hofstede’s research in the 1980s, included the survey and analysis of hundreds of thousands of employees across fifty countries, to further increase the validity of his findings he followed up several years later by re-surveying these workers. In his work Hofstede asserted that the values that differentiated counties from each other fell into four dissimilar categories or clusters. Through the process of his study in corporate culture, Hofstede’s created a framework whereby he classified culture into four different dimensions. These dimensions looked at four anthropological problem areas that societies tend to handle differently to one another. Such as, ways in which they cope with inequality, uncertainty, the relationship between the individual and their primary group and implication of the persons sex. Born from this was Hofsteds four dimensions of national culture. They become knows as Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism versus Collectivism, and Masculinity versus Femininity. (www.geerthofstede.nl/dimensions-of-national-cultures) In discussing the Four Dimensions of Culture, Hofstede claims that: Power Distance Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a societys level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Power and inequality, of course, are extremely fundamental facts of any society and anybody with some international experience will be aware that all societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth: there can only be one Truth and we have it. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. The opposite type, uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. People within these cultures are more phlegmatic and contemplativ e, and not expected by their environment to express emotions. Individualism Individualism on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. On the individualist side, we find societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after her/himself and her/his immediate family. On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) that continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. The word collectivism in this sense has no political meaning: it refers to the group, not to the state. Again, the issue addressed by this dimension is an extremely fundamental one, regarding all societies in the world. Masculinity Masculinity versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of emotional roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. The IBM studies revealed that (a) womens values differ less among societies than mens values; (b) mens values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from womens values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to womens values on the other. The assertive pole has been called masculine and the modest, caring pole feminine. The women in feminine countries have the same modest, caring values as the men; in the masculine countries they are more assertive and more competitive, but not as much as the men, so that these countries show a gap between mens values and womens values. (www.geerthofstede.nl/dimensions-of-national-cultures) Whilst Hofsted’s four dimensions are highly regarded, further research has highlighted other areas that effect intercultural communication and understanding. These include context, language and non-verbal communications. Firstly, it is almost impossible to investigate research into the cross-cultural issues without making mention of Edward Hall’s research in the area; he asserted that cultures are defined by context. (Hansen Lee, pg,30) A person’s behavior can be affected by its cultural context. (Dostine, 2008) From here, he broke context down into low context cultures; these prefer direct verbal interaction with minimal regard to context. Examples include Australia, USA, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavian cultures.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Rules to Teamwork :: essays research papers

The Challenges of Teamwork Working on teams can normally prove very challenging, with all of the variations in personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, most of these issues are raised face to face with individuals, and can be resolved by finding a room to sit and talk them out. Working on virtual teams is more challenging, since there are a lot of things missing from the person-to- person contact, such as: †¢Lack of visual cues to understanding context. Many people write email and talk on the telephone in a manner which is completely different than they would talk in person; things that are taken as insults could actually be jokes, or things that are taken as jokes could actually be insults. †¢Lack of a communication mesh. Generally, teams work well when ‘cubicle to cubicle talk’ occurs; when people wander around asking questions. It’s difficult to wander from place to place all the time when your team is scattered all over the world. At the same time, virtual teams have some advantages. For instance, it’s easier to think through your response when writing an email than when talking in a meeting, which is a good and a bad thing. It’s harder to brainstorm when you aren’t willing to just throw out ideas (people are often afraid of saying things that make them look stupid in email, because they think about it before they send it). But it’s easier to have rational discussion when everyone can (not that they always do) let things sit for some time rather than replying in emotion. Several things that came up in our discussion are that virtual teams are also like normal teams in many ways, so many of the normal team rules apply. Web Research Several links came up dealing with virtual teams when searching the Internet.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Love Is Not All, or Is It? Essay

Edna St. Vincent Millay, â€Å"Love is Not All† Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain; Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink And rise and sink and rise and sink again; 5Love can not fill thickened lung with breath, Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone; Yet many a man is making friends with death Even as I speak, for lack of love alone It well may be that in a difficult hour, 10 Pinned down by pain and moaning for release, Or nagged by want past resolution’s power, I might be driven to sell your love for peace, Or trade the memory of this night for food It well may be I do not think I would. Part I: Paraphrase the Poem. Love isn’t everything, it’s not food, beverages, sleep and it sure won’t act as a roof against the rain. Love cannot offer a sinking man in peril a life-saving â€Å"floating spar†. As he rises, he sinks, only to rise and sink again. Love cannot give the air we need to fill our â€Å"thickened lung†, it can not clean blood or heal broken bones. Yet for all the things love can’t do, a man without love is a man â€Å"making friends with death†. The lack of love alone in a difficult hour will pin you down by pain, whine for release or harass you by the power of past resolution’s. One might be driven to sell love for peace, trade their memories for a meal, but never give up love even if it was to release horrible pains or to get food to live. Part II: Scan the Poem. / = stressed syllable ^ = unstressed syllable = half-stressed syllable || = significant pause ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 1Love is not all: it is not meat nor drinkA ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 2Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;B ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 3Nor yet a floating spar to men that sinkA ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 4And rise and sink and rise and sink again;B ^ / | ^ /| ^ /| ^ / | ^ / | 5Love can not fill thickened lung with breath,C ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 6Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;D ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ ^ / | 7Yet many a man is making friends with deathC ^ / | ^ / | / ^ | / ^ | ^ ^ / | 8Even as I speak, for lack of love aloneD ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / |^ / | || 9It well may be that in a difficult hour,E ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 10Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,F ^ / | ^ / | ^ /| ^ / | ^ /| || 11Or nagged by want past resolution’s power,E ^ / | ^ / | ^ ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 12I might be driven to sell your love for peace,F ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ ^ / | 13Or trade the memory of this night for foodG ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | ^ / | 14It well may be I do not think I would. G * Line 1-6 are composed with Iambic pentameters, which are ten syllables for each line in five Iambic pairs. * Line 7 is mostly Iambic with the last feet being Anapest. * Line 8 is the most complexe, the foot division are: Iamb, Iamb, Trochee, Trochee, Anapest. * Line 9-11 are composed with Iambic pentameters as well, line 9 and 11 both have a significant pause at the end. * Line 12 has 4 feet of Iamb and one feet of Anapest directly in the middle. * Line 13 has 4 feet of Iamb ended with a feet of Anapest. * Line 14 is a Iambic pentamerter. The Rhyme scheme is ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG. Part III: Write a Short Essay. Love is Not All, Or is It ? In Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sonnet â€Å"Love is Not All’, the speaker depicts that love isn’t the most important thing in life, but you would do anything for it. In the first half, Millay declares that love is useless and unsubstantial to life’s requirement. The second half of the sonnet successfully outshines the previous half because although she has shown that love isn’t needed to live, Millay makes it clear that life isn’t worth living without it. Furthermore, love is not something that will help you physically; however, it always goes back to the fact that it’s the most influential and overpowering thing over you. Millay elaborates on the aspect of love, love can’t do everything, love can’t save a life, nor be a shelter or a doctor. Each section of the sonnet reflects a human need: food, shelter, health and emotion. Love cannot fill our stomach with â€Å"meat† (1) nor can it hydrate us, as illustrated by â€Å"drink† (1). Also, love will not regenerate a worn out man from â€Å"slumber† (2) and sure won’t offer shelter or a â€Å"roof against the rain†(2). Millay effectively shows that love is worthless on a physical level: as love can’t offer a man in peril a life saving â€Å"floating spar† (3), offer the precious air our lungs need to breathe, heal our body from illness nor â€Å"clean the blood† (6) or fix the broken bones. Millay writes: â€Å"I might be driven to sell your love for peace / Or trade the memory of this night for food† (12-13), to produce a scenario in which she is forced to choose between love and life. The imagery you imagine reading this sonnet is very concrete, even spine-tingling at times; therefore, far from the sweet sentimental ones normally associated with love sonnets. Love, as described by Millay, seems almost as if it’s worth nothing. For all the things that love cannot do, the author insists that we still need love to live. Millay makes it evident when she writes: â€Å"Yet many a man is making friends with death / Even as I speak, for lack of love alone† (7-8), trying to give her readers the point of view that men can die without love. A lovelorn man is closer to death. Line eight really changes the direction of this sonnet because at first, Millay’s definition of love was worthless and now the reader notices that she starts restoring the significant importance of love. The next lines begin with â€Å"It well may be† (9), which introduces the reader to a hypothetical situation being â€Å"Pinned down by pain and moaning for release / Or nagged by want past resolution’s power† (10-11). These two lines influence how the reader portrays love because nothing is more important, then filling that hole in our heart when love is missing. At the end of the sonnet, Millay offers a plausible solution to fill her human needs as she â€Å"might be driven to sell your love for peace† (12) for it would release her from the horrible pains. She might â€Å"trade the memory of this night for food† (13) to feed her starving stomach. For all that love is, Millay reveals everything when she writes: â€Å"It well may be I do not think I would† (14) meaning that love is not all, but she would rather be dead than not have it. What exactly is love? It is the hardest emotion to control, one does not simply choose whom to love, it just happens. Love’s not something you can see or touch, but you are well aware when love touches you. Love is not all, it doesn’t answer to life’s requirements; however, love is indispensable to meet those requirements and live peacefully. While reading Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sonnet â€Å"Love is Not All† the reader realizes that love is so powerful and rewarding. In an attempt to bring agreement between love and life, Millay chooses love because life is nothing without love. Work Cited Edna St. Vincent Millay, â€Å"Love is Not All† (456)

Saturday, November 9, 2019

A Tale of Two Cities Character Carton Analysis Essay

In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Sydney Carton’s character went through a series of decisions that affected the outcome of the novel. Sydney Carton looks almost looks exactly the same as Charles Darnay, but the main difference, was that Darnay was sober a majority of the time, and he cared and worked for his life. Lucie, the love of Carton’s life, had fallen in love with Darnay. After Carton realized that Lucie would have picked him if he hadn’t been so slavish and drunk a majority of the time, he decided to change. He knew he had already lost Lucie, but he thought that maybe he could still use the rest of his life for the better. His decision to change was not state out right, but the events in the novel, led the reader to the conclusion, that he turned around his life for Lucie. At the beginning of the novel, when Carton is first introduced, he is sitting in the courtroom staring at the ceiling. The author made it seem like Carton did not care what was going on in the courtroom, but later the reader discovers that Carton was listening to the case the entire time. Carton had heard a flaw in the prosecutor’s plan, and he gave a note to Stryver, resulting in an acquittal, which Stryver had received full credit. As the reader continues reading, it is later discovered that Carton is the hand guiding Stryver, while Stryver is just the image. Carton never did anything for himself; because he was too busy helping others. Later in the novel, Carton planned an almost full proof plan to help Charles Darnay. Even though he had made the decision to change, and think out a plan, he never lost the characteristic of putting others before himself. Although he took the place of the Darnay, before his death, he took it for Lucie. As Carton’s character is slowly unfolded throughout the second book, the reader can conclude that Carton dislikes Darnay. Carton dislikes Darnay, because Darnay is the constant reminder to Carton of what he could have been like, if he had not made bad choices in law school and made good choices in general. Whenever Carton came over to the Manette’s home, and was in the presence of Darnay, he was even more quiet then usual. However, when he decided to turn his life around, he buried his hatred for Darnay, and treated him with respect. Even with this decision, carton could not have Lucie, but she accepted him as part of her own family, and he was content with that. At the end of the novel, Carton takes time to plan out a five-step plan to save Darnay, and ends up sacrificing himself for a man he use to hate. Part of Carton’s old personality, was that he always wore his emotions on his sleeve. He thought he was useless and he lacked self-esteem. This was shown throughout the beginning of the book, for he was a drunk resembling his worthless life. He didn’t speak in the conversation unless it was a topic that he truly cared for. Right before his change, he professed his love to Lucie. After his change, he learned to hide his emotions. Although he may not like Darnay, he kept those feelings to himself. He stayed mysterious in Book III, in order for his plan to be successful and his appearance to be surprising. The character, Sydney Carton, was given a second chance as their life was resurrected. Lucie Manette is responsible for the resurrection of Sydney Carton, for she was the inspiration that got Sydney Carton off his feet. Carton twice saves Charles Darnay even though he disliked him. Carton described himself as a wasted creature but Lucy explained that she had faith in him and that he was capable of doing better things. He ended up promising that he would do anything for her, sacrificing his life for Charles Darnay. By hiding his emotions, he was able to carry out a plan without anyone attempting to stop him. Carton strived to become a better person and change his life around because Lucie believed in him. Because of the change in Carton, Darnay’s life is spared and Carton dies with dignity, knowing his life was not a waste.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Congress Members Services to Constituents

Congress Members Services to Constituents While they may not always vote the way you think they should, the members of the U.S. Congress from your state or congressional district - Senators and Representatives can and will do some very useful things known as constituent services for you. While most can be requested or arranged for through your Senator’s or Representative’s website, these and other services can be requested in a  personal letter  or in a  face-to-face meeting  with your members of Congress.   Get a Flag Flown Over the Capitol U.S. flags that have actually been flown over the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., can be ordered from all senators and representatives. Flags are available in sizes ranging from 3x5 to 5x8 and cost from about $17.00 to about $28.00. You can request a specific date, like a birthday or anniversary, on which you want your flag flown. Your flag will come with a presentation-quality certificate from the Architect of the Capitol certifying that your flag was flown over the Capitol. If you specify that the flag should be flown to commemorate a special event, the certificate will also note that event. The flags are of high quality, with embroidered stars and individually sewn stripes. Be sure to order your flag at least 4 weeks before the date you want it flown over the Capitol, and then allow about 4- to 6-weeks for delivery. Most, if not all members of Congress now provide online forms for ordering flags on their websites, but you can still order them by good old U.S. mail  if you prefer. Demand for flags tends to go up around special occasions like July 4, national elections, or the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, so delivery might take a little longer. Get Nominated to a U.S. Military Service Academy Each U.S. senator and representative is permitted to nominate candidates for appointment to four U.S. service academies. These schools are the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. You can also get more information on service academy nominations by reading the CRS report Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies (.pdf) Work as a Senate Page Generally open to 16- or 17-year-old high school juniors, the Senate Page Program allows students a unique opportunity to learn about Congress while continuing with their coursework. Page responsibilities center on their work assisting Senators in the Senate Chamber when Congress is in session. The program is one of the most selective and prestigious in the United States. Each Senator may sponsor interested high school students, who then compete for a limited number of positions. Win the Congressional App Challenge The offices of U.S. Representatives in participating House districts can help K-12 students compete in the annual Congressional App Challenge. Students design and submit their own software application, individually or in groups of up to four. Winning apps may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year, and additional prizes may be available. Win the Congressional High School Art Competition High school students from participating House districts are eligible for the annual Congressional Art Competition. The winning piece of visual artwork from each congressional district is displayed in the Capitol for a year. Since the program began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Plan Your Visit to Washington, D.C. Your members of Congress know their way around Washington, D.C., and they can help you enjoy a great visit. Many members will even help you book visits to D.C. landmarks like the White House, the Library of Congress and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. They can also direct you to tours you can book yourself including, the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, and Washington Monument. Most members of Congress also provide web pages filled with information of importance to D.C. visitors including points of interest, airport and subway information, entertainment, and more. In addition, you can schedule a visit with your senator or representative, if they are in D.C. during your visit. Get Information on Grants Remembering that very few federal grants are available to individuals, your senators and representatives are well equipped to provide information on grants. They can help you or your organization with information on funding availability, grant eligibility, small business assistance, student loans, non-grant sources of federal aid and much more. Get a Special Greeting Card Last but far from least, you can request a very nice, personalized greeting card from your senator or representative commemorating special events like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or other life achievements. Many members of Congress now provide online forms for ordering greetings and most allow you to order greetings by phone or fax. Help With a Federal Agency Helping citizens navigate the complex federal agency system is part of the job for U.S. Senators and Representatives. Their offices may be able to help if you are having trouble working with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the IRS or any other federal agency.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them

5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them 5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them 5 Adjective Stacks, and How to Level Them By Mark Nichol When a noun stack a precarious pileup of nouns is itself used to modify yet another noun, it is transformed into an adjective stack, which is just as hostile to clarity. The keyword in this case is relax: Shift the anchoring noun to precede the stack, and introduce prepositions as needed. (And insert hyphens to link words in phrasal adjectives). 1. â€Å"The lack of a secure transfer may hamper computer security incident response efforts.† The phrase â€Å"computer security incident response efforts† is just too complex: The formula for a solution is â€Å"The lack of a secure transfer may hamper efforts to respond to computer-security incidents, but â€Å"efforts to respond† is a case of a smothered verb; responses will do: â€Å"The lack of a secure transfer may hamper responses to computer-security incidents.† 2. â€Å"The company has vast experience providing information-systems security-program management support.† This sentence, with a five-word modifying phrase, is a formidable challenge, but just break it down: The noun is support, so relocate that immediately after the verb and follow it with the appropriate preposition. But â€Å"information-systems security-program management† is still unwieldy, so rinse and repeat: After the preposition, insert â€Å"program management† and another preposition, followed by the remaining phrasal adjective â€Å"security program† and the new anchoring noun, security: â€Å"The company has vast experience providing support for program management in information-systems security.† 3. â€Å"The Hong Kong artist revolutionized the Asian toy collectors’ market.† It’s unclear whether the market in question is for collectors of Asian toys or toy collectors who are Asian. Assuming that the former option is correct, when you relocate market to follow the verb, move collectors’ with it, then retain the adjective-noun pairing â€Å"Asian toys†: â€Å"The Hong Kong artist revolutionized the collectors’ market for Asian toys.† 4. â€Å"They met on behalf of the proposed redwood national park idea.† A revision of this sentence involves transforming the adjective proposed to the noun proposal and jettisoning the noun idea in favor of the verb create. However, while the new version â€Å"They met on behalf of the proposal to create a national park in the redwoods† is clearer than the original, it’s too wordy: Try simplifying it to â€Å"They met to discuss creating a national park in the redwoods.† 5. â€Å"Seventy-five-year-old US Supreme Court chief justice William Rehnquist was appointed by Ronald Reagan.† This style of adjective stacking, in which readers wade through a phalanx of descriptive terms to get to a person’s name, is more common in journalism than in other forms of writing, but no matter where it appears, it’s ripe for relaxation. Sometimes it’s appropriate to split the stack: â€Å"Seventy-five-year-old William Rehnquist, chief justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed by Ronald Reagan.† Often, however, it’s best to place the name the anchoring noun first, and let all the other information fall where it may: â€Å"William Rehnquist, 75, chief justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed by Ronald Reagan.† (This treatment of age is according to The Associated Press Stylebook, the guideline of record for American journalism, which generally spells out only numbers below ten. In another context, the subject’s age, spelled out unless it’s 101 or more, might be mentioned in a subsequent sentence or even omitted.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesHow Long Should a Paragraph Be?Capitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Global forces shaping the future of business and society Research Paper

Global forces shaping the future of business and society - Research Paper Example As the organizations build the vision plan 2020, there is whole sum opportunity to shape the emerging relationship between the society and business ventures. In order to do so it is required to take an uncomfortable step for the business planners. The planners infrequently make predictions for ten years. Today’s world calls for such stringent planning prospects. Being a difficult task for the planners they need to note the frequent twists and turns that are taking place between the interactions of business and society. The technological advancements have helped the entrepreneurs to stay connected across the globe even from the remotest corner. The transformations in relationships between the organizations and some other nonprofit organizations which were once on the contentious path are surprisingly beginning to be more collaborative. Now, forecasting is associated with fraught and significant costs have to be borne by the companies in planning cycles for the near future. Some of the analyzed trends are on track to take shape. The trends allow the organizations to make changes in their strategies with sufficient time. The trends pave the way for the companies to seize the opportunities for expanding the operation of the company into new product lines and markets. The companies that are able to take a proactive mindset and have the capability to rework on the several business strategies which were already undertaken with the aim of shaping a better future taste success. The aim of the companies is to devise a win-win situation that will benefit the communities as well as the corporate bottom lines in the same fashion. The most likely trends that are likely to come to the surface in the coming decade include The Great Rebalancing, the Productive Imperative, The Global Grid, pricing the Planet and The Market State. Research Questions The research questions are as follows: What are implications of corporate involvement in order to solve social problems issues? What are the ways through which the corporations can position themselves now with the view to maximize profits and societal impacts? Literature Review According to Dominic Barton, the operating environment of the businesses is under radical transformation. The trends that are influencing th e undergoing are demographics, technological as well as societal. It is quite obvious the trends discussed will affect the operating environment but the most striking point is the confluence of the trends. He expected a wave of transformation on its way. Elizabeth Stevenson opined to examine the size or the scope of the changes. The time calls for examination of whether the move is towards venturing into new markets, or ways to survive efficiently. The operating environment will get influenced in different fashion if the move is towards overcoming the scarcity of resources or interact with the authorities in a different way. According to Patrick Viguerie, examination f the demand pools will reveal that the revenue leaders of today will not be in a sustainable position in the coming years as far as unit leadership in emerging markets are concerned. This means that the new world will witness new leaders. He stated that companies opt to view the short term while deriving strategies. Se veral insertion points were put forwarded by Sven Smith. The strategies should be informed by some upfront section along with some trends that will contribute in promotion of new businesses. The section can be undertaken on monthly or annual basis. Research is required to determine the degree of the position of the resources against the trends as well make a second strategy if the undertaken strategy sinks (Belgard and Rayner, 2004, p. 4). The forecasted trends are easy to get embedded into