Cub Foods Essay

In general it is characterized with low prices, tables of samples and high discounts. While the following marketing tactics were used by Cub Foods to increase probability of purchases: 1. Promotional – Price Deals: At the entry aisle, called a â€Å"power alley† is lined 2 stories high with specials, such as coffee bean $2 and half priced apple juice. 2. Physical evidence effect on cognitive: Ceiling joists and girders are exposed giving the feeling of spaciousness up there, it suggests there’s massive buying going on, translates in a shoppers mind that there’s tremendous savings going on. 3. Purchase Quantity: The shopping carts are wider than usual to encourage expansive buying, and that fit through the wide aisles to easily reach high profit impulse foods. 4. Purchase Location: Another tactic, that deli comes before fresh meat because Cub wants shopper to do the impulse buying before their budgets are depleted on essentials. 5. Packaged clean grocery was of low prices (by controlling the cost and high volume sales) and exceptionally high quality for products and meats. 6. Maps to guide shoppers, even without maps they would be lead by the arrangement of aisles. What accounts for Cub’s success in generating such large sales per customer and per store? 1. They properly identify their segment of customers and focus on its segment which is a family of 4-5 individuals with adult ages 24 – 40 years. 2. Proper positioning as low cost leadership, vast selection & good quality. The customers can found everything they need under one roof and cheaper than its competitors. 3. Their customers buy in volume and spend 4 times the supermarket average per shopping trip. 4. Relies on the word of mouth cuts on ad budgets by 25% less than other chains. 5. Pricing: 6 points less than most conventional stores. Given Cub’s lower prices, quality merchandise, excellent location and superior assortment, offer reasons why many consumers in its trading areas refuse to shop there. 1. The overwhelming displays could be confusing for some customers. 2. The misconception of low prices reflecting lower quality. 3. Could be of different targeted segment i.e. single that do not need volume purchases

Language, Gender, and Slang

If the feminist critique of language is correct, and much of language reflects and embodies masculine and male experience (Cameron 1998, 9), then it should come as no surprise that slang, which is one particular mode of language, should reflect the same masculine and male experience.   However, it seems that little quantitative research had been done on slang directly until relatively recently. The first study was Kutner and Brogan’s research (1974), just over 30 years ago.   The object of this study is to test my peer’s knowledge of slang, and how aware they are of its usage.   One of the common ideas about slang is that slang words change fast, from generation to another;   the other is that slang is not mainstream. But where it comes to gender and slang, slang words have proven rather stable and common, even the vulgar slang – being a virgin or a whore has had meaning since time immemorial.But first, I will define slang and give a little bit of backgro und about its study since the 1970’s. What is slang?   Slang refers to worlds and dialects that are not used in mainstream culture.   As such, it can be the marker of a subculture, or of areas of discourse or ideas that are taboo in mainstream thinking.   A subset of slang are what we normally take to be slang, namely vulgar, sexualized, or derogatory language.   For the purposes of this paper, we will focus on slang that has a particularly gendered aspect – that is, words that are used to designate â€Å"male† and â€Å"female† genders in slang language.   These slang words include, but are not limited to: Chick, bitch, babe, and guy, dude, and stud. The fact that these slang words are common where it comes to talking about the relationships between the sexes, on topics such as sexual attraction and gender relations (activities and relationships).According to Flexher (1975), who produced the first dictionary of slang, the use of slang and the c reation of new slang is almost exclusively the purview of males (xii).   Women tend to use the language that is invented for them by males.   This may account for the disbalance of terms in a gendered distribution:   there are more slang terms to designate female or feminine behaviors, and more of these terms are negative, and much more negative than its male/masculine counterpart:   for example, compare bitch and asshole.   First off, you would almost never call a man a bitch unless you were trying to feminize him, but you can call women assholes without masculinizing them.   Second, bitch has a more negative charge than asshole, which might even carry a positive charge.   These are just some informal observations that may or may not holdup under the scrutiny of a quantitative study.Males may use slang more because they are more at home in all of language, and so this violation of language norms becomes possible.   There is a sense in which the use of slang is a dar ing thing to do, and doing brave things is consistent with masculine patterns of behavior and development.   Young women tend to want to abide by the rule, be these rules linguistic or otherwise.   That they are already not wholly at home in language means that they already risk not communicating, which does not afford them the room to play with language in the daring way that slang demands.   In this same vein, the use of profane language is more expected and praised of boys and men than it is of girls and women.These ideas, which could be summarized as the general thesis that gender slang is the domain of males is one that has come to be evidenced and accepted by many scholars, women, men, feminist and not, since the 1970’s.   For example, one study quoted in the text (Stanley, 1977) found that whereas there were 220 ways to designate woman in English slang, there were only 22 comparable ways to designate men.   More interesting is that both men and women share th e use of these same terms – there are not two set of slang terms, each appropriate for each gender, but only one that is determined and reflect men’s experience.   This has lead some feminists to argue that women need to develop and independent lexicon (see Irigaray in the Cameron, 1998).   And while this disparity is completely obvious once you start to think about it and investigate language and slang use, it seems to be rather transparent to the everyday language user – or at least, this is what this project has set out to test.BibliographyCameron, Deborah.   (1998) The Feminist Critique of Language.   New York, Routledge.de Klerk, V. (1992). How taboo are taboo words for girls? Language in Society, 21, 277-289.Eckert and McConnell-Ginet. (2003)   Language and Gender.   New York:   Cambridge University Press.Flexner, S. B. (1975). Preface to the dictionary of American slang. In H. Wentworth & S. B. Flexner (Eds.), Dictionary of American slang. N ew York: Thomas Y. Crowell.Kutner, N. G., & Brogan, D. (1974). An investigation of sex-related slang vocabulary and sex-role orientation among male and female university students. J of Marr and the Family, 36, 474-484.Risch, B. (1987). Women's derogatory terms for men: That's right, â€Å"dirty† words. Language in Society, 16, 353-358.

Goals of Linguistic Essay

Mr. 1. Introduction 1. 1. Approaching the issue The task of setting out (to use a neutral word) the goals of a human activity may be approached in a variety of ways depending on conditions such as who is involved in the activity and who has the power to determine the goals. In the case of the goals of a scientific discipline, the question may, in principle, be approached by established scientific methods: * Deductive approach: The highest and most general goal is taken as an axiom, more specific and lower-level goals are deduced from it. * Inductive approach: By methods of the sociology of science, the goals actually pursued by scientists may be ascertained; by sociological methods, it may be ascertained what goals a community thinks should be pursued by the sciences that it entertains. The deductive approach suffers at least from the following shortcomings: * The postulation of the highest goal is itself outside the scope of science. * Clean deduction is only possible in the logical disciplines. What is called deduction in (the rest of) philosophy, the humanities and social sciences is really informal and heavily dependent on the interpretation of words. The inductive approach suffers at least from the following shortcomings: * Just like other people, scientists occasionally pursue selfish or idiosyncratic goals, which a purely inductive approach would not be able to separate out. * The extra-scientific members of a social community – be they politicians or citizens – have limited presuppositions of making a rational contribution to the discussion of the goals of a science, lacking both knowledge and experience of the nature and possibilities of scientific work and presuppositions for appreciating the spiritual side of objective knowledge (see below). On the basis of available evidence, it is safe to say that few of them can distinguish between scientific insight and technological â€Å"progress†. Thus, if one wants at all a scientific approach to the problem of the goals of a discipline, one would have to combine – as usual – deductive and inductive methods, hoping that they will compensate for each other’s shortcomings. It would certainly be reasonable to do this scientific work (from time to time). However, it has apparently not been done. I will therefore abide by taking a common-sense approach to the problem, informed both by some epistemology of linguistics and by some experience with linguistic work. 1. 2. Fundamentals Like any human activity, linguistics has a place in a teleonomic hierarchy (see teleonomische Hierarchie) which is headed by its ultimate goals. Science is the pursuit of objective knowledge/understanding (Greek episteme, German Erkenntnis). The attainment of such knowledge is its ultimate goal. This goal is itself subordinate to the goal of human life, which is the improvement of the conditio humana. It is in the nature of human cognition – as opposed to God’s cognition –, that it can be fully achieved only in communication. To say that the goal is objective knowledge is therefore almost tantamount to saying that it is rational communication. This rephrasing also serves the purpose of avoiding a static conception of ‘objective knowledge’. In the more specific discussion below, the role of communication in the achievements of the goals of a science will come up again. Understanding has two sides, a spiritual and a practical one. * On the spiritual side, the human mind is enriched if it understands something; and this in itself is a contribution to improving the conditio humana. * On the practical side, understanding something is a presupposition for controlling it. Controlling1 the world in which we live is another contribution to improving the conditio humana. Some sciences make a stronger contribution to the spiritual side, others make a stronger contribution to the practical side. This is the basis for the distinction between pure and applied science. Linguistics is the study of human language. Understanding this object has a purely spiritual aspect, which constitutes what might be called â€Å"pure linguistics† and what is more commonly called general linguistics. It also has a practical aspect, which concerns the role of languages in human lives and societies and the possibilities of improving it. This epistemic interest constitutes applied linguistics. Given the divergence in the epistemic interest of pure and applied science, there can be no universal schema by which the goals and tasks of a science should be systematized. As discussed elsewhere (see Wissenschaft), there is a basic distinction between logical, empirical and hermeneutic approaches. Linguistics shares components of all of them. Here we will focus on the tasks of linguistics as an empirical discipline. For such a discipline, the main tasks are: 1. elaboration of a theory of its object 2. documentation and description of its object 3. elaboration of procedures for the solution of practical problems in the object area. In what follows, the main goals of linguistics will be characterized, at a general level, according to this schema. 2. Theory: the nature of human language The spiritual aspect of the human understanding of some object is realized in the elaboration of a theory of that object. In this respect, the task of linguistics consists in the elaboration of a theory of human language and its relation to the languages. Its most important aspects include * the structure(s) and function(s) of human language and languages * the relationship between unity and diversity of human languages * linguistic change * acquisition of one’s native language In characterizing the nature of human language, linguistic theory also delimits it against other kinds of semiosis, both synchronically in the comparison of spoken and written languages with sign languages, whistling languages and, furthermore, with animal languages, and diachronically in the comparison with primate semiotic systems from which human language may have evolved. 3. Empiry: documentation and description of languages As recalled above, linguistics is (among other things) an empirical science. In such a discipline, there is a necessary interrelation between the elaboration of a theory of the object and the description of the object; one informs the other. Furthermore, since speech and even languages are volatile, they have to be documented. The tasks of linguistics in this area may be systematized as follows: 1. language documentation: recording, representation, analysis and archiving of speech events and texts that represent a certain language 2. language description: 1. the setting of the language * ethnographic * social/cultural * genealogical 2. the language system: * semantic system: grammar, lexicon * expression systems: phonology, writing The documentation of a language must be such that people who do not have access to the language itself can use the documentation as a surrogate for as many purposes as possible. In particular, it should be possible to develop a description of a language on the basis of its documentation. The description makes explicit the meanings that the language expresses and the functions it fulfils – what it codes and what it leaves uncoded –, and represents the structure of the expressions that afford this. It does all of this in the most systematic and comprehensive way possible. Such a description may be used for a variety of purposes, most of which are mentioned below in the section on applied linguistics. Both documentation and description take the historical dimension of the object into account. That is, in the synchronic perspective, they are systematic, while in the diachronic perspective, they are historical. 4. Practice: application of linguistics The daily use of language for communication and cognition is replete with all kinds of tasks and problems that require science for a proper solution. Some of them are: * compilation of grammars, dictionaries and text editions for various purposes * native and foreign language teaching * testing of linguistic proficiency * standardizing and planning languages * devising and improving writing systems * development and maintenance of special languages and terminologies * analysis and alleviation of communication problems in social settings * diagnosis and therapy of aphasic impairments * intercultural communication, translation and interpreting * communication technology: speech technology, automatic speech and text production and analysis, machine translation, corpus exploitation †¦ The descriptions produced in â€Å"pure† linguistics – not only descriptive linguistics, but also socio-, psycho-, neuro-, ethno- etc. linguistics – are exploited for the formulation of technical procedures by which tasks arising in the fields enumerated may be solved. And contrariwise, the demands arising from those practical fields are taken as challenges by theoretical and descriptive linguistics to produce theories and descriptions that respond to them. 5. Methodology: epistemological reflection and working tools The nature of the goal of science – objective knowledge – requires the elaboration and testing of methods by which putative knowledge may be attained, verified/falsified and applied in the solution of practical or interdisciplinary problems. * The epistemological side of this activity is a stock-taking of the particular nature of the activity of the linguist, its goals, conditions and possibilities. There will be reflection on the logical, empirical and hermeneutic nature of the object of linguistics and the approaches appropriate to each facet. * The operational side of methodology is the elaboration of particular methods within such a methodological frame of the discipline. Given the interplay of specific aspects of the linguistic object with specific problems and purposes, specific sets of methods may be developed to deal adequately with such aspects of the object, to solve such problems and serve such purposes. This involves * in the deductive perspective, the operationalization of concepts and theorems and the elaboration of tests * in the inductive perspective, the elaboration of standards of representation of linguistic data and of tools for processing them. While a contribution from general epistemology may be expected for the epistemological side of linguistic methodology, its operational side is entirely the responsibility of the particular discipline. Its status as a scientific discipline crucially depends on its fulfillment of this task. 6. Cooperation: interdisciplinary fertilization. The articulation of science into disciplines is, first of all, a necessity of the division of labor. As observed above, a particular discipline is constituted by the combination of an object with an epistemic interest. The object is just a segment of the overall object area susceptible of scientific insight, the epistemic interest depends on all kinds of factors, and the combinations of these two elements are consequently manifold. In other words, no discipline is autonomous and self-contained. The contribution that it makes to human understanding can only be assessed if it is compared and combined with other disciplines. The theories developed by a discipline must define their object in such a way that it becomes transparent where they leave off, i. e. where the interfaces for the combination of related theories are. And they must be formulated in such a way that non-specialists can understand them and relate them to the epistemic interest pursued by them. Thus, a linguistic theory has to make explicit what it purports to cover and what not – for instance, only the linguistic system, not its use –; and linguists should say what they think is required for taking care of the rest. Moreover, the products of linguistic description and documentation must be represented in such a way that non-linguists may use them. For instance, there must be * grammars usable by foreign language curriculum designers * semantic descriptions usable by ethnographers * models of linguistic competence testable by neurologists * formal grammatical descriptions usable by programmers. Finally, linguistics must be capable of and receptive in taking up insights and challenges from other disciplines. For instance, * phonological concepts must be related to phonetic concepts * models of linguistic activity must be inspired by findings of psychology and neurology * models of linguistic competence must be able to account for the performance of plurilingual persons. Interdisciplinary cooperation is the touchstone of the communicative capacity of a scientific community. A discipline that can neither inspire other disciplines nor be inspired by them gets isolated and unnecessary. 7. Conclusion Above, five areas of goals of linguistics have been identified: 1. Theory: the nature of human language 2. Empiry: documentation and description of languages 3. Practice: application of linguistics 4. Methodology: epistemological reflection and working tools 5. Cooperation: interdisciplinary fertilization These goals do not belong to the same level. Goal #1, the elaboration of a theory of its object, is the highest goal of any science. As already mentioned, goal #1 is interdependent with goal #2, because a theory of an object area presupposes its proper description, and a proper description presupposes a theory on which it can be based. Furthermore, the production of documentations and descriptions is a service to the society. This is even more true of goal #3: The solution of daily-life tasks and problems is a practical contribution to the improvement of the conditio humana. It has to be done by someone, and if it is done by the discipline that has the relevant know-how, it is both better for the solution of the problem and better for the social standing of the discipline. Finally, the demands emerging from extra-scientific practice may feed back into the content and form of descriptions. Goals #4 and #5 are more science-immanent. Neither the elaboration of a methodology nor interdisciplinary cooperation are anything that would be of direct relevance outside a scientific context. They are, however, preconditions for the attainment of goals #1 – #3. As said before, no serious theory can be developed, no adequate descriptions and documentations can be produced, and no practical problems can be solved, without an arsenal of pertinent methods and without a systematic interchange with disciplines that partly share the object area or the epistemic interest.

Business inteligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business inteligence - Essay Example The main issues covered by each of these websites include, education, investment opportunities, visitations and tours, live work and an events study. Additionally, the company runs a number of other websites on the very categories but in different other languages among which are Arabic, French, and Spanish. This is due to the fact that the target market for Cardiff is international and hence there is need to customize the websites to suit the target markets. In order to ensure that the websites are of value to the clients, some of the categories considered include: Education Education is a two-pronged economical scope. The Cardiff city hopes to become an academic center within the region. To achieve this, the envisioned city must work strategies capable of beating other modern day academic centers such as Liverpool and London. The city must therefore have schools running and education centers from kindergarten to the university. Theses academic institutions will need accreditation by government authorities to check that they meet the standards of quality (Bogomolova, 2011). The validity of the courses offered Cardiff city must be ascertained. Hence, it will be critical to have an independent body to ensure that the high quality academic standards are maintained and that educational standards are not compromised in any way. The website runs the opportunities that the education sector presents to potential investors. The most common investment opportunity in the academic sector is the setting up and management of private academic institutions. To this, the website target of the currently existing universities, such as Oxford and Liverpool among others, is to invest in the establishment of new campuses within the city. The website offers basic contact information on how interested parties conduct the transactions of obtaining land and other resources necessary for such developments. The company welcomes both local and foreign investors, thus the translation into d ifferent other languages. Additionally, the website targets potential students. The education sector primarily depends on the availability of students. Attracting students in the region becomes difficult since children school in regions habited by their parents. The company thus runs a number of other websites advertising other diverse investment opportunities with an aim of attracting as much residents into the city. This way, the basic level academic institutions are certain of pupils (Jiaming, 2008). Tertiary and university level are not much perturbed by the locality of parents. This is thus a level opportunity and depends on the advertisement potential of the company and the reputation of the subsequent universities that will eventually set up in the region. To ensure that the students of higher learning institutions are comfortable, the websites advertise the various recreational facilities that are available. These include parks, night clubs and other outdoor activities. On t op of this, related websites showcase the opportunities available for part time work to suit students who need to make extra income. It is vital to note that the city targets established academic institutions due to their credibility. Most international students recognize institutions that are globally known hence it would be easy to attract them to Cardiff

Addictive Behaviours Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Addictive Behaviours - Essay Example There is immense research on the mechanisms of addiction as far as substance abuse and alcohol addiction are concerned. As of now, there is very little research into this aspect with reference to addictive behaviors like gambling. Though many researchers argue similar pathogenesis in all addictive behaviours, research into this perspective is warranted. Acute and chronic stress have been incriminated in the mechanism of development of addiction in all types of addictive behaviours. However, it is yet unclear as to what type and extent of stress, timing of stress and coping strategies against stress cause such negative implications towards ones behaviour. In this essay, mechanisms involved in the development of addictive gambling will be elucidated through review of appropriate literature and with reference to pathophysiology of addiction of substances and alcohol. There are several substances which are addictive in nature. Of these, marijuana is the most widely consumed illicit drug in the world (Maxwell, 2003). According to the statistics on drug abuse published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2002 (based on National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 2001), marijuana constituted 33.1% of the illicit drugs ever used. It also constituted 12.9% of the drugs recently used. The mean age of initiation was 18.5 years. The consumption of marijuana overseas was most prevalent in New-Zealand (20%) and least in Canada (8.9%). The prevalence in U.K and U.S was same (9%) (Maxwell 2003). Most often it is consumed with other illicit drugs like cocaine (called ‘blunts’) or tobacco. It is taken in mainly for the mental effects like altered state of consciousness, perceptual changes like hallucinations and heightened sensory experiences. The main active chemical having psycho-activity in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocann abinol) (Astolfi et al, 1998). Other than euphoria and hallucinations, marijuana has other effects

The Milgram experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Milgram experiment - Essay Example This particular aspect also contravenes ethical principal A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence ("Ethical Principles", 2003). However it should be commended that when offering payment of $4.50 an hour, the participants were told that they would receive the payment whether or not they completed the experiment, this was the most ethical thing to do as then payment wouldn't be the motivator of the participants actions. Looking at all the facts given above, it can be argued that the researchers should have been honest with the participants about the nature of the experiment being a study in obedience and not that of memory and learning and that the experimenter should have reminded the participant/teacher that they are free to leave at anytime, instead of using verbal prods to ensure they continue with the experiment. While this is correct we should keep in mind that the experiment results would not have been accurate if the above suggestions were followed even though it may have made the experiment more ethical.

LLb Law, Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

LLb Law, Contract - Essay Example The general rule pertaining to advertisements is that an advertisement is not an offer to provide goods but only an invitation to treat. In the case of Spencer and Harding (1870), this rule was deemed valid even if the word â€Å"offer† was used in an advertisement and the customer is regarded as making the offer when he shows an intention to buy the goods, which a retailer has the right to accept of reject. The classical will theory of contract is based upon the notion that all obligations of the contract arise out of the individual will of the parties contracting freely. Such a contract is enforced because it represents a bargain made between the parties on the basis of an exchange of goods having taken place. Therefore, in the case of Allsports sales to its customers, there has been an exchange of goods – the customers have purchased 200 pounds worth of goods in exchange for which they are to receive free tickets to the next test match between England and Australia i n Melbourne. But applying the principle of the advertisement being only an invitation to treat, no breach of law can be said to have taken place, as was established in the case of Pharmaceutical Society of GB v Boots Cash chemists 1952. A contract represents an exchange whereby an offer is made by one party which is accepted by another party. In this case, Allsports has made an offer to its customers which has been accepted by them. The advertisement placed by Allsports in the National Press in effect, makes a promise to a customer purchasing more than 200 pounds worth of goods, a free ticket to the test match. According to Charles Fried, a person who makes a promise is morally bound to keep it because that person has "intentionally invoked a convention whose function it is to give grounds - moral grounds - for another to expect the promised performance." (Fried, 1982, p16), thereby summarizing the concept of contract as a legally enforceable promise (Williston, 1920). The central

Resume Portfolio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Resume Portfolio - Coursework Example Demonstrated expertise in providing total nursing support for clinical trial patients that includes cardioversion procedures. I have proven ability to anchor all activities for clinical research that entails recruiting the required patients and coordinating visits in consultation with subjects, labs and physicians. Recognized expertise in assessing and monitoring patients and maintenance of patient data. Adept at interacting with internal medical teams and patients. Superior interpersonal and communication skills with a proven ability to impart training to medical teams. Detail-oriented and resourceful, innovative and self-directed. Autobiography Born of (Name of Father) and (name of mother) on the (birthdate) in Quezon City, Philippines. (age), (citizenship), articulate in English (include other dialects if using any), written or spoken, with good interpersonal skills, a team player and leader and a fast-learner with genuine fervor for learning. Various interests include music, perf orming arts, film and cooking (just an example). Skills: -Ability to provide nursing care to a group of clients within a variety of health care systems utilizing application and synthesis from nursing and related disciplines - Incorporating leadership theory and skill within the assumed nurse role during health care interactions with a client and collaboration with the health care providers - Demonstrating ability to integrate communication and professional relationship skills when

Buffron Needle Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Buffron Needle Problem - Essay Example The assumption would be that the lines are parallel to the x-axis. Two variables exist in this scenario; the angle with which the needle would be tilted to the lines, ÆŸ, and the distance between the closest line and the center, which would never exceed half the distance between the equidistant lines (See fig. 2 below) The assumption is that the needle would land at a random point between the lines and the angle of inclination would be another random variable. It should further be assumed that the random variables are a result of uniform distribution. This picture depicts the needle missing the line and the needle could only be on the line if the distance closest to a line, D would be less than or equal to  ½SinÆŸ, that is D ≠¤  ½SinÆŸ. This could be illustrated better using figure 3 below. From this, the values representing a hit would occur below or on the curve, D ≠¤ 1/2SinÆŸ. The probability of hitting the line would be computed as a ratio of the shaded curve to the area of the entire rectangle. The area under the curve would be computed using integrals between zero and Ï€. This will give a result of 1. The rectangle would have an area of  ½Ãâ‚¬. The probability of hitting the line would therefore be 1/ ( ½Ãâ‚¬) = 2/Ï€, which is approximately 0.6366. To work out Ï€, the number of needle drops, say N would be multiplied by two and then divided by the number of hits, N’. That is: This would be a situation where the needle is long and its length, l, would be greater than the distance between the equidistant lines. Hence, x = l/d > l. The probability that the needle would intersect a line would be computed using the expression below: Consider the size parameter x = l/d. Taking N as the number of crossings and n as the tosses made by a short needle of size parameter x, then N would have a binomial distribution as a function of n and 2x/Ï€. The point estimator with regard to

Girl Scouts Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Girl Scouts - Coursework Example The biggest obstacle was realignment of the council but Cloninger’s did it strategically. This created short term wins such as cost reduction. Cloninger’s together built on the change which was later embraced in a corporate culture. (Kotters 8-Step Change Model, 2012) d) Mckinsey (company, 2001) designs a model of mission, strategies and team work. Then he ensures human resource is developed from all cadres forming a good organizational structure embraced by corporate culture which is the case brought forward by Cloninger in Girl Scout. e) The resistance brought by decentralization of the organization by some council influenced Cloninger’s approach of team work. The ‘musty uncool’ image also affected Cloninger’s approach of free flexible participation for all age level of between 15-17 girls. f) Through identification of strengths of the organization such as volunteering. Also through strengthening weaknesses. Cloninger’s also identified opportunities which they worked on within the given time line. Threatening issues such as decentralized governance were realigned and team work through corporate culture adopted. g) The first obstacle was the realignment of the council which she knew would be faced by rejection and disparities by local council. The there is the low membership recruitment. The other problem was the resistance by some council who were opposed to centralized control and finally by people joining and leaving the organization so that there is no continuity. The condition for success included working together as a team and within the allocated timeline by reducing costs in the organization. It is similar in that there was realignment of the council trying to satisfy the needs of everyone. There was also combination of task force by bringing all stakeholders aboard and finally looking for income contribution methods through donors and volunteers. Mckinsey addresses culture but model in chapter seven does not highlight on

Dantes Third Circle of Hell Essay Example for Free

Dantes Third Circle of Hell Essay In Dantes The Inferno, the third circle of Hell is reserved for the gluttonous. After awaking from a faint, Dante soon finds himself in the third circle surrounded by the foul slush. He tells about the black snow falling into the dirty water. Dante also tells of the stinking dirt that festered there. In this circle lives the three-headed monster Cerberus, ripping and tearing at the sinners as they lie in the sludge. The only soul named in this circle is Ciacco, nicknamed The Hog. Ciacco was a resident of Florence who was a glutton. He tells Dante that for his offense he lies rotting like a swollen log, doomed to wallow in the mire and smell the wretched stench for all eternity. Dante, aghast at the putrid-smelling slop, tells Ciacco that the sinners agony weighs on my heart and calls my soul to tears. Although he pities Ciaccos condition, he does not hesitate to ask him for information concerning Florence, and it is Ciacco who gives Dante the first political prophecy of The Inferno. Virgil seems to be unmoved by either Ciaccos or Dantes show of feelings. Instead, he takes the opportunity to explain to Dante that as the perfection of judgement nears, both pleasure and pain will become more pronounced. Dante realizes that for the sinners in Hell, this means that the pain of their punishment will become greater. By discussing the foul sludge, the black snow falling, and the putrid scent in the air, Dante shows that those who were gluttonous on Earth will be punished by forever wallowing in the end result of their incontinence, a filthy, stinking pit of misery.

The Function and Process of Perception Essay Example for Free

The Function and Process of Perception Essay The function and process of perception can vary depending on a particular state of consciousness. Normal waking consciousness is a mental state that encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that occur when we are awake and reasonably alert (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 123). Since this state of mind expires after an amount of time, other forms of consciousness follow; whether naturally or self-induced. While sensory data is inevitable, the brains interpretation and perception of such stimuli during an altered state of consciousness will differ from that of waking consciousness. This mini-paper will elaborate on the effects of perception, including its process and function, related to three altered states of consciousness. The first being sleep and dreams, next drug-altered consciousness, followed by hypnosis. Before discussing the effects of perception while in an altered state, an overview of the basic function and process of perception in a normal setting is needed. Sensation is the bodys initial encounter with a sensory experience. This begins when the sensory receptors receive energy from a particular stimulus, which trigger receptor cells. The physical energy is converted into electrochemicals, then passes along sensory nerves, to the central nervous system where the brain receives the energy as a detailed message. However, not all physical energy produces a sensation. A minimum intensity, termed absolute threshold, must be achieved in order to produce a sensation. Perception takes place when the message reaches the brain and is then deciphered. Here, the sensory information is organized and interpreted to be made sense of. Using sensory information as raw material, the brain creates perceptual experiences that go beyond what is sensed directly (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 06). Again, this is the series of events in the normal waking state of consciousness. During an altered state of consciousness the effect, process, and/or function of perception may vary. Sleep is the bodys natural way of recharging itself mentally and physically. Research has shown that adequate sleep contributes to cognitive functioning such as enhanced creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, and also crucial to the formation of long-term memories (Morris Maisto, 2010). These are some of the basis of perception, hence the reason for its peak during waking consciousness. REM sleep, or paradoxical sleep, ironically, is a close resemblance to waking consciousness. However, REM is a deep sleep, it is difficult to wake the person, and is when most dreaming takes place. Dreams, in a way, could be considered perception. The brain subconsciously interprets information without the need of sensory stimulation. Psychologists define dreams as visual and auditory experiences that our minds create during sleep (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 131). This is an example of a natural occurrence of altering consciousness. Drug-altered consciousness on the other hand, is self-induced. Psychoactive drugs are substances that change peoples moods, perceptions, mental functioning, or behavior (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 134). Drugs are taken to purposely alter ones state of consciousness. To analyze the effect drugs have on the nervous system, three categories of drugs will be mentioned: depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Depressants slow behavior, thinking, and perception by increasing or decreasing nerve impulses. Stimulants, such as amphetamines, produce feelings of optimism as well as never-ending energy by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. These drugs cause the release of norepinephrine from adrenergic nerve endings (Weil, n. d. ). Lastly, hallucinogens distort the users senses and induce perceptual changes by causing experiences that resemble hallucinations. A positive for psychoactive drugs is the ability to explore different parts of the brain while in this altered state of consciousness. Although, the negative consequences of abuse and addiction are high risk. The last section is a technique that has been used for centuries for positivity, without the risk. Hypnosis is a trancelike state in which a person responds readily to suggestions (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 50). This is an altered state of consciousness that works like sleep. The subconscious person receives a suggestion, which acts as a stimulus, and is sent to and interpreted by the brain. Hypnosis can help ease pain as well as cure an addiction. In conclusion, perceptual experiences vary in different forms of consciousness. Whether it be the sensory organs or the brain itself, interpretation of the coded message is somehow changed. The process and function of perception in waking consciousness differs from those while in an altered state of consciousness.

Real Time Motion Detection Using Dynamic Camera

Real Time Motion Detection Using Dynamic Camera Abstract— nowadays, security of valuable and secret assets is very important for large organisation companies. Due to limitation of human resources and man power we need an efficient and reliable security system. To overcome this limitations and errors we will implement high level surveillance system for security. In our system, we will use dynamic camera for video surveillance which will feed video stream to system. System will perform various image processing operations to detect the object. Index Terms — Image processing, voting based motion estimation algorithm, Priority based spatial coding algorithm, content based temporal sampling algorithm, Video Surveillance system. Introduction Video surveillance systems are a very important in the modern times. Although some people don’t like the idea of being watched, surveillance systems improve the public security, allowing the system to detect dangers and the security forces to react in time. Surveillance systems developed in the recent years from simple surveillance systems into complex structures, containing multiple cameras and high end monitoring centers, armed with elegant hardware and software. However, the future of surveillance systems belongs to automatic tools that assist the system operator and notify him on the detection of security threats. It is important, because in complex systems consisting of multiple cameras, the operator cannot notice all the events. For efficient and reliable surveillance system, we need high detection rates and low false alarm rates, both of these ordinary methods most of the time does not work in turbulent territory. To eliminate such difficulties, we will be using different algorithms for camera motion estimation, capturing target frame and object detection. Our goal is to detect objects in motion reliably. Literature Survey [1] Feng-Li Lian, Yi-Chun Lin,Chien-Ting Kuo, and Jong-Hann Jean,moving object detection using mobile In this method, using moving camera the video is captured. The reference frame is taken first when the camera starts then current frame and the previous frame both are compared. Utilizing the frame differencing technique first the change detection from the captured images can be performed so the binary image can be generated by this technique that can be used to identify the area with significant difference between two frames or from the current frame to the background frame. [2] D.Wu,Y.T.Hou, Y. Q. Zhang,Real Time transmission of Video The video data from these cameras should be transmitted in real time to the control room or end-users for further analysing surveillance-related information. However, transmitting real-time video over a network is a challenge task because video data usually contain large amount of information quantity and the transmission channel might have limited bandwidth. When the transmission amount of video data exceeds the available bandwidth, excessive video flow in the network might lead to time delay and or packet loss, and further, the real-time performance of video transmission would be degraded. [3]J. M. Shapiro, B. Andersson, N. Pereira, W. Elmenreich A key solution to video transmission is to reduce the quantity and complexity of original videos but simultaneously preserve the most important message within the original image content. The development of image compression is to reduce the data quantity at the spatial scale for successful transmission. Based on the characteristics of the objects of interest existing in the video images, embedded coding algorithms are well-known techniques for image compression by generating variable bit-rate streams for progression transmission. I. block diagram The following block diagram represents the working of real time motion estimation by using dynamic camera. The diagram is divided into two parts. First one is capturing of frame and second part is comparison and object detection. At first, based quality image frame is captured from data stream of multiple frames using some frame grabbing algorithm. Then that frame is names as a recent or current image. The recent or current image is in RGB format which then converted into grey scale image. After RGB to grey scale conversion Gaussian blur technic is used to reduce noise and sharpness in the image. After above process the recent image is compared with background image. Background is image that if image that captured and updated by camera for every particular time frame .for comparison of this two image we need to subtract recent image to background image after subtraction we use threshold technique on resultant image. After threshold technique we get the binary image. We use blob detec tion algorithm on binary image which help us to detect object in that image .after the object detection object is registered and track. Fig. 1:Block diagram I.Camera Motion estimation In voting based mechanism image processing technique is used for motion estimation and edge detection. Image is necessary in tracking, detecting and recognition applications. There are two types’ image features Frequency features and amplitude features. Edge information of object is usually use for detect the location of moving object. Voting base mechanism edge detection of object plays very important role .In dynamic camera surveillance system as camera is always moving, the objects in captured images also look like moving objects, even though they are not. We can obtained correct edge information of moving object and still object by subtracting to successive frames .Estimation of camera motion is very important for identifying visual information of moving object. Therefore motion of camera should be estimated first using estimated motion of camera output of edge detection is calculated .The morphological erosion dilation are used to get correct and enhance outcome of moving edges. II. Content Based Temporal Sampling In surveillance system with high end camera devices frame rate is high and change of view cause by motion of dynamic camera is very small due to that consecutive captured images are almost identify .Hence transmitting this identical frames on limited bandwidth is not efficient utilization of bandwidth. Due to this problem the content based temporal sampling method is used. In content based temporal sampling only one image from n number of consecutive frames is selected. The selected images are selected on basis of content of image .Image containing more information is selected compare to image with less information. Image having more edges having more information .Therefore while selecting images blur images are given least preference over sharp images for frame selection canny edge detection is performed to locate edge pixel then number of are count for changing edges on each frame .according to content based temporal sampling algorithm the most important information would be save and less important an identical frame would be removed. III. Priority based spatial coding Usually, an image frame can be divided into important and unimportant parts in spatial domain. The importance can be decided based on the outcome of the moving edge detection. For example, moving objects can be considered as the most important information compared with other static objects and background. Hence, the result of the edge detection can also be used to specify the regions with or without moving objects. Therefore, the spatial coding algorithm can be used to encode the region with important information into a frame of higher visual quality and the region without important information into a frame of lower visual quality. Furthermore, an embedded coding algorithm, such as the set partitioning SPIHT, can be used to progressively encode the visual quality based on the currently determined importance and available bandwidth. IV. CONCLUSION In this paper we will be implementing a smart surveillance system which will detect moving object as well as abandoned object with dynamic camera. We will be using motion detection algorithm and various images processing technique for detection of objects in video stream. The surveillance system we are going to implement is low cost, efficient and highly reliable. This system will give common man access to use sophisticated security system. V. REFERENCES [1] G. L. Foresti, C. S. Regazzoni, and R. Visvanathan, â€Å"Scanning theissue/technology—Special issue on video communications, processingand understanding for third generation surveillance systems,† Proc.IEEE, vol. 89, no. 10, pp. 1355–1367, Oct. 2001. [2] S.Misra,M. Reisslein, and G. Xue, â€Å"A survey ofmultimedia streamingin wireless sensor networks,† IEEE Communications Surveys Tutorials,Fourth Quarter, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 18–39, 2008. [3] Y. Si, J. Mei, and H. Gao, â€Å"Novel approaches to improve robustness,accuracy and rapidity of iris recognition systems,† IEEE Trans. IndInf., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 110–117, 2012. [4] P. N. Huu, V. Tran-Quang, and T. Miyoshi, â€Å"Image compressionalgorithm considering energy balance on wireless sensor networks,in IEEE Int. Conf. Industrial Informatics (INDIN), Osaka, Japan, Jul.13–16, 2010, pp. 1005–1010. [5] A. Hampapur,L.Brown, J.Connell,A.Ekin, N. Haas,M. Lu,H.Merkl,S. Pankanti, A. Senior, C.-F. Shu, and Y. L. Tian, â€Å"Smart video surveillance:Exploring the concept of multiscale spatiotemporal tracking,†IEEE Spatial Process. Mag., vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 38–51, Mar. 2005. [6] D.Wu,Y.T.Hou, andY. Q. Zhang, â€Å"Transporting real-time video overthe internet: Challenges and approaches,† Proc. IEEE, vol. 88, no. 12,pp. 1855–1877, Dec. 2000. [7] C. Caione, D. Brunelli, and L. Benini, â€Å"Distributed compressivesampling for lifetime optimization in dense wireless sensor networks,†IEEE Trans. Ind. Inf., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 30–40, 2012. [8] M. Garcà ­a-Valls, P. Basanta-Val, and I. Està ©vez-Ayres, â€Å"Adaptive realtimevideo transmission over DDS,† in IEEE Int. Conf. Industrial Informatics(INDIN), Osaka, Japan, Jul. 13–16, 2010, pp. 130–135.180 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL INFORMATICS, VOL. 9, NO. 1, FEBRUARY 2013 [9] H. Koto, Y. Hiehata, S. Uemura, and H. Nakamura, â€Å"Analysis of controlaccuracy for access control method based on sample monitoringin interactive tv services,† in IEEE Int. Conf. Industrial Informatics(INDIN), Osaka, Japan, Jul. 13–16, 2010, pp. 991–998. [10] F.-L. Lian, J. K.Yook,D.M. Tilbury, and J. R.Moyne, â€Å"Network architectureand communication modules for guaranteeing acceptable controland communication performance for networked multi-agent systems,†IEEE Trans. Ind. Inf., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 12–24, Feb. 2006. [11] B. Andersson, N. Pereira,W. Elmenreich, E. Tovar, F. Pacheco, and N.Cruz, â€Å"A scalable and efficient approach for obtaining measurementsin CAN-based control systems,† IEEE Trans. Ind. Inf., vol. 4, no. 2, pp.80–91, May 2008. [12] J. M. Shapiro, â€Å"Embedded image coding using zerotrees of wavelet coefficients,† IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 41, no. 12, pp.3445–3462, Dec. 1993.

Sheriff Matt Dillon: Human or Lawman? :: Television TV

Sheriff Matt Dillon: Human or Lawman? Gunsmoke, starring William Conrad as Sheriff Matt Dillon, was the longest running western radio program ever to air. It is the story of a country that moved west, and the man who moved with it. Matt Dillon's fairness, caring, and stern attitude epitomize the stereotypical old-west lawman. Matt Dillon's fairness comes through clearly when he deals with a would-be gunman and a man posing as a gunman in "The Lamb" (12-05-53). When the latter was shot by the would-be gunman, Dillon threw the gunman in jail and sent the other man to the doctor. When he found out that the injured man had only been mistaken for a well-known gunman, he sounds very disappointed for both men. He doesn't let the gunman have the reward money that he would have received if the other man had been the outlaw he had mistaken him for and when that man dies, he faces being hanged. Matt Dillon's caring attitude enables a young woman named Nina Peters to stay in Dodge while her husband has to leave for a while ("Nina" 12-5-53). When her husband returns, he finds out that a couple of ruffians have caused her to have a miscarriage. Dillon allows Mr. Peters to fight one of the men who hurt Nina. Dillon seems almost pleased that Peters was able to beat up the bully and offers to buy him a drink afterward. Dillon uses a stern manner deal with a couple of ruffians in "Kick Me" (11-26-53). The men had written a false letter of recommendation, telling an old Indian that it would get him a job with the trail herd. In return for getting him kicked out of the camp, the old Kiowa made Indian medicine against him. When one of the men ended up dead, Dillon jumped to the conclusion that the Indian had killed him. He was adamant about his innocence, and the dead man's partner ended up confessing to the killing. Dillon dealt with him accordingly.

Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Symbolism in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby         Ã‚   F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby tells of a man's attempt to regain his long lost love and the happiness he once had in life by way of wealth and material possessions.   Jay Gatsby is representative of the American man   because he believes that with great wealth comes great happiness.   This is evidenced throughout the novel by way of Gatsby himself, through the portrayal of the Buchanans, and through the use of the word green which symbolizes hope, renewal, and promise.      Ã‚   The character Jay Gatsby is the most symbolic element of the story due to Fitzgerald's details about Gatsby's entire life.   Gatsby who was the son of poor farmers was determined to better his life.   As Gatsby's father later showed Nick,   when Gatsby was a child he had laid out a detailed plan on how to run his life.   This plan he felt would make him more successful in life.   By the time Gatsby left to join Dan Cody, he had already set himself apart from his old way of life, hence his name change.   Gatsby leaving his old life to start a new and more successful one parallels almost identically to those of the early colonist who left their old cultures and traditions in search of a new and more prosperous life in America.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During his army days, Gatsby falls in love with the well-to-do Daisy.   He falsely allows her to believe he can support her but when she realizes he can not she marries Tom Buchanan, a man who is able to care for her financially.   Not until he loses her does Gatsby realize that the time with Daisy was the happiest of his life.   Realizing that only with money can he regain Daisy's affection, for years he runs dishonorable businesses to become rich in hope that one day   his wealth will bring her back.   This hope of happiness through money is believed in by countless Americans today, no matter what the problem, people believe that wealth and material possessions can make things right.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Along with Gatsby's life being a symbol on its own, his discovery that once he had Daisy in his arms the enchantment that surrounded her disappeared parallels the belief that Americans have, that wealth brings happiness.

Film Analysis of King Kong Produced by Merian C. Cooper Essay examples

Film Analysis of King Kong Produced by Merian C. Cooper A classic adventure-fantasy film in the earlier talking films is King Kong (1933). King Kong was conceived by director/producer Merian C. Cooper. Cooper tells the story of an attractive blonde woman and a frightening gigantic ape-monster who are immersed in a Beauty and the Beast type tale. A major section of the film is the struggle on Skull Island between the filmmakers, the islanders, and the other resident of the island. The other resident being a mutant creature who must also fight civilization when it is brought to New York City for display. From the beginning of the movie, its screenplay by James Creelman and Ruth Rose foretells the coming terror. The film included many revolutionary technical innovations for its time, and some of the best stop-action animation ever sequences and special effects (by Willis O'Brien) ever captured. King Kong was a film with many wonderful sound and cinematic techniques. The filmed contained a dramatic musical score, which helped set the mood of the film. The sound effects were also unusual for films of its time. The director used different animal’s sounds to create Kong’s voice. The narrative of the story was one that was of interest of movie goes. In King Kong the story unfolds pretty directly in front of you so there is not a lot of confusion. To me the film is a montage not mise-en-scene. The story is told in a straightforward manner that doesn’t s...

Famous Women of Uttarakhand Essay

Bachendri Pal the archetypical Amerind women to climb Ascension Everest, Bachendri Pal belonged to a stock of rattling temperate effectuation. She was calved in twelvemonth 1954 in a Nakuri village in Garhwal. Bachendri was an nimble nipper and did fit in her civilize, she excelled in sports too. Her freshman danger to climb was at the age of 12, when during a vacation she along with several schoolmates climbed a top of alt 4,000mts. She complete her exercise, decent the low woman of her settlement to do so. She also secured the best office in a rifle propulsion circumstance during quantification. Her lineage was application business troubles and she desirable a job desperately. She shared with her parents her want to get a pro mountaineer. The association was â€Å"devastated,† as for them, her relatives and localised group, the most suited job for a negroid was teaching, not mount.She connected the Solon Make of Climb (NIM). She was declared the superior intellectual and was thoughtful as â€Å"Everest material†. In 1982, spell at NIM, she climbed Gangotri I (21,900 ft) and Rudugaria (19,091 ft). Around that quantify, she got engagement as an educator at the National Adventure Substructure. Bachendri was chosen as one of the members of the selected grouping of six Asian women and team men who were privileged to activity an raise to the Move Everest in 1984. After an accident spell rise the Mt. Everest, members of the squad go disabled. Despite an loss Everest. She remained on the summit for nigh 43 proceedings and became the foremost Soldier nipponese to measure the Organise Everest, and the fifth female in the man. In 1985, she led an Indo-Nepalese Everest Campaign group comprising of only women. The expedition created heptad grouping records and set benchmarks for Asian mountaineering. In 1994, she led an all women aggroup of rafters. The aggroup coursed finished the actress of the river River, cover 2,500 km from Haridwar to City. Bachendri Pal says† adventure sports same trekking and mountaineering toughens a organism, both mentally and physically†. Summing up her mount campaign, Bachendri Pal, the freshman Amerindian friend and ordinal in the domain to uprise Layer Everest, says: â€Å"Mountains pirate you to raft with vituperative situations. They move punish and activity qualities, humanity, courageousness, ego accept and certainty, too transfer one in contact with group from assorted areas and disparate cultures.† Bachendri Pal belonged to a family of very moderate means. She was born on 24 May 1954 in a village named Nakuri in Uttarakashi District of Garhwal. In 1982, Hari.K.Govind hill at NIM, she climbed Gangotri(21,900 ft) and Rudugaria (19,091 ft). In that time, she got employment as an instructor at the National Adventure Foundation(NAF), which had set up an adventure school for training women to learn mountaineering. Icchagiri Mai alias Tinchari Mai Ichhagiri Mai alias Tinchari Mai (1912-92) â€Å"Comissioner, send me to prison; I have burnt the liquor shop down. And I won’t stop with this one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The woman avenger – against liquor in Pauri Garhwal in 70-80s. Government earns considerable revenue by licensing country liquor shops in the hills. For men it is a cheap way of escapism. Finally it is women who have to pay the price in terms of violence, abuse and no money to run the household. Tinchari Mai was an illetrate sanyasini (nun). Gaura Devi (1925-91) Forest is like our mother’s home. We will defend it – come what may.† After Gandhi’s Satyagrah, this housewife, born in Lata village in Chamoli, gave he next weapon, in the fight against state oppression – Chipko movement. Women’s natural environment, which provides, fuel, fodder & water is under tremendous stress. Chipko literally means to hug a tree and die with it, if need be ! A long series of forest movements over last two centuries in Himalayas have been an assertion of usufructuous rights of the community to the forest. The State has tried to curtail it ever since the Raj days. The battle is on.. Devika Devika Chauhan was the first girl to graduate from Jaunsar hills in 1954. She, again was the first woman to become a Block Development Officer in the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. She later rose to the level of Asst. Director – tribal welfare. Played an important part in the survey of tribal communities in the UP hills and securing privileges from Government for them. Retired but comitted to women’s cause, She is still working with voluntary agencies in Jaunsar Bawar. Currently lives in Dehradun with a number of children. Her Biography Seven Sisters Bhagirathi Seven Sisters adventure club represents a new breed of Garhwali women. Bachhendri Pal of this club, climbed Everest in 1984. Nine years later, she led an all women team to the same peak successfully. Women in the hills have always climbed steep cliffs and trees in search of fodder; Only now, they are proving, that they are no less than men, where technical skills and physical stamina are of vital importance. Radha Behn (Radha Bhatt) Filed in : Social Activist Born on 16 October 1934 in village Dhuraka, Almora, Radha Behn has made exemplary contribution in the fields of women’s education and employment. She quit formal education after her intermediate in 1951, and joined Sarla Behn at her Laxmi Ashram in Kausani, to undertake social work. From 1957 to 1961 she was active in Bhoodan Yatra and toured various regions of Uttarakhand. She took active part in movements against mining, alcoholism and deforestation. For her contributions to social empowerment she was honored with Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1992. She has authored several books and articles. Gaura Pant ‘Shivani’ Filed in : Art, Literature, Writer Gaura Pant (Shivani) holds a prominent place amongst the women writers of Uttarakhand. She was born on 17th October, 1923 in Rajkot, Gujarat to a Kumouni family. After her early education in Almora she was sent to Allahabad for higher education, and then she went to Shantiniketan where she had the fortune of academic enrichment under the tutelage of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Right from her childhood she had a flair for writing. Embedded in the folk culture of Kumaon she conveyed the yearning if common man and woman in and their inter-relationship in her writings. In 1935, Shivani’s first story was published in the Hindi Children’s magazine ‘Natkhat’, at age twelve. She wrote 30 novels, 13 short story collections and 8 volumes of memoir. Among her well known works are Vish Kanya, Kainza, Chaudah Phere and Bhairavi. In recognition of her contribution to Hindi literature she was given several awards and honours including Bhartendu Harishchandra Samman (1979); Padmashri (1981); Mahadevi Verma Samman (1994); Subramannyam Samman (1995) and Hindi Sewa Nidhi Rashtriya Puruskar (1997). She died in March 2003 in Lucknow. Sheila Irene Pant Filed in : Academician, Intellect Sheila Irene Pant (Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan) was born in year 1905 in Almora, Uttarakhand (then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh). She obtained a first class Masters degree with honors in economics from the University of Lucknow in 1929. Begum Ra’ana began her career as a teacher in the Gokhale Memorial School and was later appointed as Professor of Economics in the Indraprstha Girl College, Delhi. In April 1933, she was married to Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. She then played a prominent role in the social and political life of Pakistan. After the reorganization of Muslim League, Begum Ra’ana devoted herself to the task of creating political consciousness amongst the Muslim women. Her struggle for emancipation continued till the creation of Pakistan for Muslims of India in 1947. Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in 1951. Begum R’ana continued her services for the social and economic uplift of women of Pakistan till her death in 1990. Begum Ra’ana served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the Netherlands in the 1950s and as ambassador to Italy in the 1960s. She was the first woman Governor of Sindh province in the mid-1970s and the first Muslim woman delegate to the UN who also won the United Nations Human Rights Award. Himani Shivpuri Filed in : Art, Cinema, Theatre The renowned theatre artist and film star Himani Shivpuri was born on 24th October 1957. She grew up in Dehradun where her father Hari Dutt Bhatt ‘Shailesh’ was a Hindi teacher and house master in the Doon School. Her ancestral village is Bhatwani in Chamoli district. After her schooling she did her M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry and an acting course in 1984 at NSD. She was always passionate about acting. She got married to actor Gyan Shivpuri, who died in 1995. She acted in plays like Mitro Marzani, Azar ka Khwab, Surya Ki Antim Kiran se Pehli Kiran Tak, Othello, The Cherry Orchard, Silence The Court Is In Session, Yayati, and Antigone. After performing several plays on the state she moved to television serials and then to the films and achieved phenomenal success. Shivpuri made her film debut in 1984 with Ab Ayega Mazaa. She worked in popular films like Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, Hero No.1, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Pardes, Kabi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Koyala and Umrao Jaan. She also worked in TV Serials namely, Hamrahi, Hasratein, Ek Kahani, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and Kasauti Zindagi Ki. Shivpuri has received several national and international awards including the Shrikant Verma award for her excellent theatre work. She has been honored by several literary, cultural and social organizations. She has visited her native village several times and has particular attachment for Uttarakhand. She feels much concerned about preserving and projecting Garhwali culture and arts. Rani Karnawati ‘Nak-Kati-Rani’ Filed in : Heroic, Historic Rani Karnavati was the wife of Mahipat Shah, the king of Garhwal, who ascended to the throne in 1622 and died young in 1631. After his death the queen, Rani Karnavati, ruled the kingdom on behalf of her young son, Prithvipat Shah. She distinguished herself as a great warrior queen, and fought against the Mughals in 1640. She defeated their troops and had the habit of cutting the noses of the invaders for which she earned the nickname ‘Nak-Kati-Rani’. Monuments erected by her still exist in Dehradun at Nawad. She is also credited with the construction of the Rajpur Canal, the earliest of all the Doon canals, which started from the Rispana River and brought its waters to the city of Dehradun.

Sample Financial Plan Description

We have created a financial plan to help you retire at the age of 62 and afford to send your son, Sam, to college. After looking at the information you gave us regarding your income and expenses, we came up with the best solution for your financial future. We’ve picked out profitable mutual funds for your son’s college, as well as retirement investments. We also have found different methods of saving money for your retirement and future education for your son. We believe that there will be a great benefit to having a financially stable future. We understand with Sam attending a four-year university, the cost will be great along with the need for saving money for this to work financially. Grand Valley State University will provide an excellent education for your son, along with benefiting him for his future. Overall, it will cost $189,750 to attend Grand Valley State University for four years. We do, however, understand that the cost to attend the university may concern you at first, but there are methods of assistance that are available, such as investments and savings plans. Investing in specific funds, with good performance history, will have a huge advantage in acquiring the money for your son to go to college. We strongly advise investing a portion of your discretionary income into mutual funds. Your discretionary income would be the amount of your income that is left over, after taxes and expenses have been paid. Investing in mutual funds, rather than other investment options, will eliminate the stress and difficultly of trying to time the market. We invested 46% of your discretionary income into four different types of mutual funds, which will provide diversification for your investments. Using a MET and/or a MESP savings plan will create many advantages that will benefit you in sending your son to college. Both, the MET and MESP savings plan, are 529 plans. These are tax-advantaged savings plans specifically designed to encourage saving for future college costs. You are not able to withdraw money that is invested into a 529 plan unless it is an eligible college expense. We feel as though it is a benefit for most because it allows the money to amass without disturbance. The Michigan Education Trust (MET) is a way to help pay tuition and mandatory fees at Michigan public colleges. The plan allows for years of college tuition to be purchased for the future use of a student at today’s price. For example, you could buy four years of tuition now at 2011 prices, which would be $189,750, for Sam to use when he enters college in 2028. Some advantages the MET offers are a state tax deduction and a tax-free growth. The only thing that we want to bring to your attention is that you only have fifteen years to use the tuition benefits, unlike the MESP, which has no expiration date. The Michigan Education Savings Plan (MESP) is an advantageous way to allow your family to save for the expenses that come along with college. The MESP is a 529 college savings plan which allows families to save for tuition, room & board, mandatory fees, equipment, and required books for any qualified institution in the nation and some abroad. When the student is ready to use the funds in the MESP, whatever has been accumulated is what they have to work with. Some benefits of the MESP include: a state tax deduction, tax-free growth, and it allows for unused benefits to be transferred between members of the same family. We would recommend this plan over the MET to your family. The MET will cover tuition fees; although, it lacks the flexibility to pay for other related expenses, such as books, supplies, and other miscellaneous items. A mutual fund is an investment in which a company brings together money from many investors and invests it in stocks, bonds or other assets. Mutual funds are a good long-term investment, such as for your retirement. The risk level depends on the type of mutual fund it is. In your case, we chose the mutual fund with the best performance out of each different type. We recommend taking the remaining portion of your discretionary income, which would be 54%, and invest it just as we did for your son’s education. Mutual funds that are properly diversified will have investment dollars spread equally among four different classes of financial assets. We invested the remaining portion of your discretionary income into the same four mutual funds that were used for your college savings. We chose to invest in an international mutual fund, the New World Fund, which has a 9. 55% rate of return. We also chose an aggressive growth mutual fund, the SMALLCAP World Fund, which has a 9. 62% rate of return. Thirdly, we invested in a growth mutual fund with a 13. 63% rate of return, known as the Growth Fund of America. And lastly, we chose a Growth and Income mutual fund, the Capital World Growth and Income Fund, with has an 11. 17% rate of return. When diversifying the money in which you would like to invest, the smartest decision that you could make would be to invest in the four mutual funds that I just stated or funds that fit into each of the four different classes. This helps to reduce risk, such as if a couple securities in the mutual fund lose value and that loss could compensate for other securities that appreciate in value. When reaching the retirement age you can then transfer your gained revenue from all four of your mutual funds and place it into a bond fund. Bond mutual funds are designed mostly to provide investors with a steady stream of income versus capital gains. These funds are debt securities, or IOUs, which are issued with a promise of repayment on a certain date at a specified rate of interest. For your financial plan, all of your gained revenue was placed into a bond mutual fund as soon as you retired, therefore liquidating your riskier assets. Using this bond fund, you are earning a 5% interest every year. For example, the first year of retirement, after removing your yearly expenses, you will have $678,785 to place in your bond fund. At the end of the year, with the 5% interest rate of return on bond fund, you will have profited $1,139. 70 throughout the year, even after your expenses. We recommend that you invest in at least one retirement savings plan, such as a 401k or a Roth IRA, to securely save for retirement. It is a good idea to look into different savings plans, rather than make a hasty decision, because everyone benefits from a different savings plan, depending on their situation. In your case, the Roth IRA or 401k will be the most beneficial. With both of these retirement savings plans there are tax breaks that will benefit you. These savings plans are greatly used in America to help save for retirement nowadays. Each savings plan offers different advantages for couples saving for retirement. A 401k is a retirement savings plan for employees in which a desired amount of your check is taken out before tax deductions and placed into your 401k account. We understand that you have a pension plan through work, but your wife does not. This type of savings plan would be a great way to save for retirement. 401k is the favorite plan for corporate America today, due to its many advantages. Many employers will match, up to a certain percentage, the amount in which you place into your 401k. Invisible savings is one of the biggest advantages to the 401k savings plan. The money saved is taken directly out of you check weekly, even before the income tax is withdrawn. In doing so, this makes the money seem invisible to your eyes, and to your financial pocket book. There are other beneficial savings plans available, which can be used along with the 401k. Roth IRA’s are after- tax IRA’s. They grow tax free and offer many more choices than the normal IRA. Roth IRA’s are a good choice when it comes to saving for retirement. Even though you contribute after-tax dollars into a Roth IRA, all withdraws are completely tax free if you are over the age of 59 ? and have had the account for 5 years. With Roth IRA’s, unlike a tradition IRA or a 401k plan, there are no required minimum distributions. Direct contributions can be withdrawn at any time as well. Roth IRA’s can be set up on top of already existing retirement plans; as well the assets can be passed onto beneficiaries after death, therefore leaving an inheritance for your family. We are sure that we have supplied you with a detailed overview in helping you to be financially secure now and in the future. In taking the advice that we have given you with these many different investment ideas, you will find yourself more than content financially. We can guarantee that down the road, you will not have to worry about your financial status. Although in actuality, it is important to remember that building wealth takes time. However, the acquisition of your financial contentment will be well worth your time. We hope, here at L&N Financial Planning, that providing you with this letter will give you the financial peace of mind that you and your family deserve.

Reaction Paper on SONA 2014 Essay

There were many highlights on the recent SONA President Benigno S. Aquino stated last July 28, 2014 and these are the 3 things that intrigued me the most: Under the controversial DAP, PNoy said that around P1.6 billion fund was given to Training-for-Work Scholarship Program of TESDA. A total of 223,615 beneficiaries have graduated with an equivalent of 146,731 graduates currently working. I would say I really applauded him for his insights on education. True, Education is very important in every country. A country consists of people, now if those people are mostly illiterate what do you think would the country become of? And yes, after spending a couple of pesos to those students through scholarships, how much do you think those students would pay for their taxes when the will graduate and have their own jobs? see more:sona 2017 reaction paper The ugly side of this though is the reaction of COA and politics involvement. Did you know that according to COA these amounts were not fully utilized by the agency, casting doubt on Aquino’s figures. COA said that out of the P1.1 billion funds from DAP obtained by TESDA in 2011 for TWSP, only 92.47% was utilized. Now how about that?! People and even projects are not perfect. When will they accept that?! I am still thankful though because at least he is showing positive numbers and facts. President Benigno S. Aquino III, during his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, cited attainments in the country’s aviation industry as having contributed to the country’s steady economic growth the past year. First on the list of citations was when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last March 2013 lifted the significant safety concerns it had previously issued for the Philippines.In the same year, the European Union lifted its ban on Philippine Airlines, allowing it to fly once again to Europe. But with the improved aviation system, President Aquino said, Filipinos can now fly directly from Manila to London. President Aquino also welcomed the FAA’s decision to upgrade the Philippines’ aviation status back to Category 1. He said that because of this upgrade, it is likely that there  will also be an increase in routes going to the United States â€Å"The increase in flights of our local airlines to the United States and participating countries in the EU is a big help to both tourism and business,† the President said in his speech. I am also thankful for this one. Philippines being an accessible country worldwide is a Go Go ! what I meant is its a definite plus for us if we don’t spend too much on connecting flights just for us to get to our destination. I not sure if ever you experienced connecting flights before and I really hope youd never do . Because, Oh my! it is such a hassle with time and money. Imagine you being excited but you need stopovers, sleeping in the airport just catch the earliest flight to your destination and pray to GOD the weather will cooperate or else you’re stuck! Meanwhile, President Aquino also pointed out how the country’s hosting of the World Economic Forum on East Asia this year was a huge success, showing the world the country’s capacity in business.â€Å"†¦With the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit the Philippines will be hosting next year, we will be able to inform even more people of our progress, and the opportunities that this has opened up for all,† he said. This is my biggest concern of them all. I hope he will exert more effort on this one. As a regular consumer I don’t see myself having a positive sides on this one. Yes I know we are eventually experiencing Mother Nature’s reminders on how we should take care of the resources she has given. But by God! even the spices that is very common and needed in every household (ex: GARLIC – my favourite spice with chicken) costs too much. Including our staple food which is rice. This one needs to be alleviated! Remember County c onsists of People, People needs Education but most of all it needs to FOOD in order to survive!

A Case Study of Cvp Analysis Essay

In order to compete with other milkshake shacks on the same beach of the resort, the small shake in my shack is priced at $5.00, a medium shake costs $7.00, and a large shake is priced at $10.00. My shack offers classic flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, but also caters to eclectic tastes with raspberry, mocha, Oreo shakes and many other different flavors. I use chocolate, strawberry and other flavored syrup to provide the flavor chosen by customers. The data for milkshake costs is base on the study of existing restaurants, industry reports and research on expected minimum costs to be incurred in operating the business. The cost of materials needed to make milkshakes is shown in table 1. Table 1 Variable and Fixed costs to make milkshakes Small (8oz.size)Medium (10oz.size)Large (12oz.size) Variable costs Whole milk ($15 for a 5 gallon=740oz.)2oz.2.5oz.3oz. Cream ($20 for 1 gallon = 128oz.)2oz.2.5oz.3oz. Sugar ($10 for a 15 lb.bag=30cups)1/4cups 1/2cups3/4cups Flavored syrup ($13.5 for a 96oz. bottle )0.5oz.1oz.1.5oz. Vanilla ice cream ($24 for 600oz.)6oz.8oz.10oz. Whipped cream ($2.50 for 6.5oz. can)0.15oz.0.2oz.0.25oz. Straws 5† Color Flex Straws 0.05/piece6† Color Flex Straws 0.06/piece8† Color Flex Straws 0.08/piece Cups 8oz. cups 0.4/piece10oz. cups 0.5/piece12oz.cups 0.6/piece Fixed costs Shack rental $500/mo Business insurance $600/yr Business license $25/mo Milkshake blenders $700 for 10 blenders Refrigerator/freezer $500 Shack decoration (tables, counters, chairs, umbrella) $2400 Cleaning and equipment maintenance fee $150/mo Advertising (sign, banner, flyers) $ 125/mo The total fixed costs shown in table 1 are $5075, which is the amount the owner is going to apply for a small business loan. This business loan assumes (i) a constant interest rate of 6% throughout the amortization period (2 years) and (ii) that interest payments will be made monthly for both payment types (Principal Plus Interest or Blended). For a $5075 loan amount, the monthly payment will be $224.93. The amortization table is shown in table 2 if the loan start date is Mar 2013: Table 2: Amortization Table Loan MonthYearPaymentInterestBalanceMonthYearPaymentInterestBalance Apr2013199.5525.384875.45Apr2014211.8613.072401.51 May2013200.5524.384674.90May2014212.9212.012188.59 Jun2013201.5623.374473.34Jun2014213.9910.941974.60 Jul2013202.5622.374270.78Jul2014215.069.871759.54 Aug2013203.5821.354067.20Aug2014216.138.801543.41 Sep2013204.5920.343862.61Sep2014217.217.721326.20 Oct2013205.6219.313656.99Oct2014218.36.631107.90 Nov2013206.6518.283450.34Nov2014219.395.54888.51 Dec2013207.6817.253242.66Dec2014220.494.44668.02 Jan2014208.7216.213033.94Jan2015221.593.34446.43 Feb2014209.7615.172824.18Feb2015222.72.23223.73 Mar2014210.8114.122613.37Mar2015223.731.120.00 Besides the variable and fixed costs, and the loan payment mentioned above, I also assumed two part-time employees will be hired for my shack. Each of them will receive $10/hr and work 20 hours per week. The total labor costs will be $1600 which include taxes and benefits. The other cost for the business will be the 10% gross sales that will be given to resort where shack located. 2. Analysis assumptions In order to finish the Cost-Volume-Profit analysis, several assumptions need to be made: 1)The sales prices for milkshakes in my shack are constant and competitive among other vendors. The costs of materials are assumed to be the minimum costs to be incurred in operating this business. 2)The depreciation periods for shack decoration (tables, chairs, counters, and umbrellas) are 3 years, and the depreciation periods for equipments (blenders, refrigerator and freezer) will be 5 years. 3)The business loan is a 2 years amortization loan; the monthly payment includes both principal and interest. 4)The mix of milkshakes sold will be: 30% small size, 40% medium size, and 30% large size. 3. Cost-Volume-Profit analysis 1) Break-Even Analysis The break-even point is the level of sales at which the company’s profit is zero. The formula for the unit sales to attain break-even point is: Unit sales to break even= Fixed expenses/Unit CM Based on the information of relative costs provided in part 1, we can derive the monthly fixed costs in table 3, and unit variable costs in table 4. Table 3 Fixed monthly expenses Expenses Amount Notes Shack rental$500— Business insurance $50$600/12=$50 Business license$25— Equipment depreciation (blenders, refrigerator and freezer)$20$1200/60=$20 Shack decoration depreciation (tables, chairs, counters, and umbrellas)$67$2400/36=$67 Cleaning and maintenance fee$150— Advertising (banner, sign, flyers)$125— Loan payment$224.93Table 2 Part time employees salary$1600— Total$2761.93 Table 4 Unit Variable Costs Expenses Unit priceSmall MediumLarge Whole milk$0.02/oz$0.04$0.05$0.06 Cream $0.16/oz$0.32$0.40$0.48 Sugar $0.33/cup$0.08$0.17$0.25 Flavored syrup$0.14/oz$0.07$0.14$0.21 Vanilla ice cream$0.04/oz$0.24$0.32$0.40 Whipped cream$0.38/oz$0.06$0.08$0.10 Straws —$0.05$0.06$0.08 Cups—$0.40$0.50$0.60 Total —$1.26$1.72$2.18 Knowing the monthly fixed costs and unit variable costs, we are able to calculate the Unit CM. Small (30%)Medium (40%)Large (30%) Sales price (a)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦$5*0.9=$4.5$7*0.9=$6.3$10*0.9=$9 Variable expenses per unit (b)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦$1.26$1.72$2.18 Unit CM (a-b)*percentage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦0.9721.8312.046 The weighted Unit CM for milkshakes will be 4.85 (0.972+1.831+2.046). Using the formula for the unit sales to attain break-even point, my shack will need 570 cups of milkshakes to break-even ($2761.93/4.85). Among all of the sales, 171 cups are small size, 228 cups are medium size, and 171 cups are large. If I give myself a $3000 paycheck every month, it will increase the monthly fixed income to 5761.93 dollars. Hence, I will need to sell 1188 (5761.93/4.85)cups of milkshakes to break-even. Among all of the sales, 356 cups are small size, 476 cups are medium size, and 356 cups are large. 2) The Break-Even Chart The relationships among revenue, cost, profit and volume are illustrated on a cost-volume-profit graph. A CVP graph highlights CVP relationships over wide ranges of activity. If 570 cups of milkshakes are sold, the total sales after subtracting the 10% for resort will be $3744.90 (171*5*0.9+228*7*0.9+171*10*0.9). Total variable costs will be $980.40 (1.26*171+1.72*228+2.18*171). Total fixed costs will be 2761.93, hence the profit is round up to be 0. If 1188 cups of milkshakes are sold, the total sales after subtracting the 10% for resort will be $7804.80 (356*5*0.9+476*7*0.9+356*10*0.9). Total variable costs will be $2043.36 (1.26*356+1.72*476+2.18*356). Total fixed costs will be 5761.93, hence the profit is also rounded up to be 0. From the sales and costs data above, the break-even chart with and without owner’s salary is given in chart 1. Chart 1 The break even chart From chart 1, we can see that the total sales revenue and total expense lines in both graphs are with same slopes no matter owner’s salary is included or not. The only difference in two graphs is the fixed expense line shifts up by $3000 when the owner salary is included. It also makes the intercept of total sales revenue and total expense line in the second graph shifts up by $3000. The slopes keep the same. 4. Conclusion From the CVP analysis above, I need to sell 570 cups of milkshakes in order to break-even. If I quit the job and pay myself $3000 per month to run the shack, 1188 cups of milkshakes need to be sold just to break-even. There are several factors that will affect my decision about quitting my job to open the shack. One of the greatest aspects of working for someone else is security. Running a shack might bring me more income during the tourist season, but I also need to take the risk that I will lose money when it is out of season. Working for my own business also means I need to give up some other benefits like a pension or company provided insurance. These are all the opportunity cost for leaving my job. By being a business owner, I would have to earn equal amount to make sure that money that has been lost is recovered in almost similar time frame. In order to do so, I will choose keep my current job and work part-time in the shack. Firstly, it will always make sure I have enough mone y to pay back the loan for the shack and keep business smooth even in the off season. Secondly, I can still guarantee the retirement plan for the long time, which is more financially smart. Last but not the least, by working part time in the shack, I don’t need to build in the whole pay check into fixed cost. Hence, the break-even point will be easier to reach. At the same time, as another part-time employee, I can help cut some labor cost or generate more sales revenue, in which way makes more profit for my business.

Mediation process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mediation process - Essay Example Mediation, however, has evolved from its North American origins as an organizational development instrument to international use as an alternative dispute resolution method as it offers a less-costly alternative to court proceedings. The increasing complexity of the mediation process is compounded by the fact that parties involved even the mediator can come from different cultures. Avruch and Black (1993) notes that most cases of mediation processes has the mediator failing in considering cultural differences as they are inclined to adhere to the supposed notion that there are universally acceptable models of mediation. The pervading view among mediator scholars is that there is a tendency to adapt a superficial view of culture as behavioral stereotype wherein different ethnic groups can be managed with proper etiquette and tolerance. Nonetheless, there is an increasing literature that shows that multiculturalist perspectives have great impact on the mediation process. This paper aims at looking into the incorporation of multiculturalism in the mediation process. I will be looking at how culture can affect the conflict resolution process and identify how multiculturalism can be used in the mediation process.

The closing of the Muslim mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

The closing of the Muslim mind - Essay Example (b) What are the political, economic and cultural consequences of the closing of the Muslim mind? (c) Is the emergence and strength of the Al Qaeda associated with the closing of the Muslim mind? (d) Is there a way out of this dysfunctional culture for the ordinary Muslim? The closing of the Muslim mind as put forward by Reilly represents the rejection of reason by Muslims, in favour of an irrational and strict adherence to the tenets of Islam and the Quran, irrespective of whether they conform tot he demands of human reason or not. Reilly traces the roots of the present dysfunctional Islamic culture back to a great intellectual battle that took place between two groups of Muslims – the Mu’tazlites and the Ash’arites, which raged during the 9th century and was settled around the middle of the century. The Mu’tzalites attempted to balance faith and reason in the same manner as Christianity was also seeking to do. They fully accepted the teachings of the Qur an and its authority, but argued that these teachings could be subjected to logic and reason; logical analysis of the works of Allah could prove amenable to the demands of human reason. ... They were so adamant on their viewpoint that they would not allow even the slightest questioning of the Quran, they would accept no less than complete and utter obedience. The Mu’tzalites pointed out that some contradictions existed in the Quran and argued that reason had to be the guiding factor leading believers to the truth. But the Ash’arites shot back that if Allah chose to be contradictory, who were mere mortals to question him? In this great intellectual battle, the Ash’arites were the victors. The presence of the Mu’tzalites and their reasoning held the door open for some dialogue to occur between different faiths, but with the triumph of the Ash’arite view banged the door shut on the Muslim mind, because reason itself was held in contempt by the dominant view, therefore any interfaith dialogue became impossible. It also made the Muslims resistant to a scientific outlook and an analytic approach. Once reason was closed off, all battles becam e subject to winning through power and dominance; any questioning of the Quran was held to be blasphemous and worthy of condemnation. The most disastrous consequence of the closing of the Muslim mind is the death of scientific advances and achievements in the Muslim world. All of the major scientific accomplishments in the Islamic world were achieved prior to the 12th century; after the conclusive victory of the Ash’arites, there has been a notable lack of scientific development and thought among Islamic countries, because the Muslim mind has been closed off to reason, logic and questioning, in favour of blind, unquestioning obedience to the tenets of the Quran. Unlike Western civilization, which embraces reason and progresses through the propagation of reason, Islam embraces irrationality. Any belief or

Inequality and Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Inequality and Poverty - Essay Example Bishop and Amiel (2007) assert that there is poverty in the majority of the world nations and its people. However, it is not enough to blame people for such predicaments, claiming that they are lazy or made poor decisions which are responsible for their plight. The government has pursued some policies which hamper successful development. Causes of inequality and poverty are in doubt but are more and deeper causes of poverty which are less discussed. Behind the increased interconnectedness which is promised by globalization are practices, policies and global decisions. Such are influenced, formulated, or driven by the powerful and the rich, or rather can be leaders from rich countries and other global actors like institutions, influential people and multinational corporations. However, in the face of such external influences, the government of the poor nations and their people are powerless and as a result, few get wealthy, while the majority struggle with their poor lives. Most of th e people live on just a few dollars a day, and it does not matter if one lives in the wealthiest nations or poorest, one will still notice the high levels of inequality. The poor people have less access to health, education and other basic services that are important in their lives. Problems of disease, malnutrition, and hunger afflict the poor people in the society. Additionally, the poor people are also marginalized from the society and have little representation or voice in political and public debates, which makes it harder for them to escape from poverty. In contrast, the richer you are, the more likely you benefit from political and economic policies. The amount of money the world spends on financial and military bailouts and other areas which benefits the richer is compared to the amount that is spent to address the daily crisis of poverty and other related problems (Jenkins, 2007). The Cutbacks in education, social services and health around the world results for the adjustm ent structural policies by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as conditions for repayment and loans. To add to this, developing governments are required to open their economies in order to compete with more established and powerful industrialized nations. To attract poor countries and investment, they have entered into a competition to find out who can provide cheaper resources, reduced wages, and attract investment. This has increased inequality and poverty for most people. To add to this, it also forms a backbone of what is we call globalization and as a result, it maintains the unequal historic rules of trade (Bishop & Amiel, 2007). Around the world, in poor or rich nations, poverty has always been present. In all most all nations, the inequality, meaning the gap between the poor and the rich is widening and quite high. The causes are also numerous, including bad government policy, exploitation by businesses and people with influence and power, lack of responsibility or a combination of such factors. Many individuals feel that the high levels of inequality affects the social cohesion, which leads to problems like violence and crime. Bishop and Amiel (2007) assert that inequality is often a measure of poverty that is usually relative. However, absolute poverty is also a matter of concern,