Sunday, November 3, 2019

Description of Accounting Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Description of Accounting Industry - Essay Example The accounting Industry is a very important service industry and has a strong growth potential. The Accounting Industry has grown steadily in the past five to ten years and is "expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)." The growth of the economy will increase new businesses will increase the need for accountants to handle the financial affairs of those businesses. Employees in the accounting industry set to retirees or changing careers will also increase jobs in this industry. One major trend that will increase jobs in the Accounting Industry is due to accounting scandals. Accounting scandals have lead to changes in laws and regulations, which in turn will increase the number of jobs in the industry. "In response to accounting scandals, new federal legislation restricts the non-auditing services that public accountants can provide to clients. If an accounting firm audits clients' financial statements, that same firm cannot provide advice in other accounting areas such as legal matters, investment banking, and human resources (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)." These regulations are to help prevent scandals and fraud in the accounting industry. ... Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics). A large cause of the growth of this industry is the services provided by the industry. The Accounting Industry provides a variety of services to individuals and companies who retain monetary gains either from sale of goods and services or from receipt of wages. Almost everyone in the country has finances and monetary gain. The increase in individual and even business wealth causes an increased need for financial advisors, insurance providers, tax preparation and advice services, and other accounting services. There are four major fields of the accounting industry in which the provided services can be broken down. The first field is the Public Accountants, which include the Certified Public Accountants. Public Accountants provide auditing, accounting, tax, and consulting services for corporations, governments, nonprofit organizations, and individuals (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics). Public Accountants concentrate in one specific field of accounting for example, Tax Accounting or Financial Analysis. Another major field of accountants are the Manag ement accountants, which include cost, managerial, industrial, corporate, and private (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics). These accountants record and analyze financial information for corporations in order to provide accurate information in which the company can make accurate business decisions based on financial data (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics). A major responsibility in this field is to "prepare financial reports for the stockholders, creditors, tax authorities, and regulatory agencies (U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics)." The third field is the Government Accountants and Auditors and

Friday, November 1, 2019

Commerce Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commerce Education - Essay Example I think that Commerce assist form the foundations youthful people need to make sound decisions on monetary, commerce, legal and service issues because it supply practical knowledge, skills, sympathetic and values. Having information regarding these concepts and how to apply them is helpful for young adults to study early. "With changing times, the need to give young people a grip on money management has increased... More than a third of school students' work, and two-thirds of 15 to 19-year-olds earn up to $200 a week. Not all know how to handle that income" (Russell, 2004; Age). Furthermore, Commerce offers students with "and understanding of the relations between consumers, trade and governments in the in general economy" (Board of Studies, NSW, 2003). These are subjects that they may not unavoidably think regarding, even though they previously earning and spending currency. If we analyzed then we come to know that Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) conducted investigation last year to find out how customer education is taught in Australia and abroad in order to assist design a program to get better financial literacy amongst teenagers. "Young Australians stand for a $4 billion a year profitable market. Through more spending power then preceding generations, youthful children and adolescents are increasingly the target group for different forms of marketing practices and commercial pressures" (CAV, 2004). It is significant that adolescent adults are conscious of their rights and farm duties as consumers because they are previously purchasing products such as mobile phones and cars that frequently comprise multifaceted contracts. A key finding from the research was that lots of students do not take delivery of consumer education at school. I feel that Commerce education is generally delivering the right kind of educational experiences for the current generation. I do although agree that young adults would most definitely benefit if the curriculum added a more in-depth unit on financial literacy and consumer education. We are living in a constantly changing world and society must provide our children with education that will prepare them for a life of revelation. No doubt, this literature suggests that in the prospect "the curriculum will be justified in terms of its capacity to help children acquire skills for work and life" (Collins, 2002, pg 45). So the financial system and society of the future have to be taken into account when developing commerce prospectus. The main concepts urbanized in the Economy and society thread include: Civics and communal organization, Citizenship, Economic organization and decision-making, Employment,

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Smart Phones Beneficial Or Detrimental Research Paper

Smart Phones Beneficial Or Detrimental - Research Paper Example Smart phones are believed to be quite important to the society possessing certain outcomes in the business, education, global as well as in the national sectors. In-spite of certain fathomable advantages, smart phones also comprise certain detrimental aspects, which needs to be taken into consideration before incorporating its use in the social context. Careful use of smart phone needs to be made especially in the education sector and also by the young generation who are regarded as one of the key user segments of such devices. Data secrecy and misuse of personal information needs to be carefully observed as a key detrimental aspect, for the users of smart phone who at times might not be well attuned with the security features of the device (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2012). Similarly, in the business context, it is found that smart phones provide beneficial outcomes for the users by assisting them in preparing their business presentations, accessing emails and chatting with concerned authorities among others. Such imperative benefits can facilitate the user with faster accessibility and can also enable to save invaluable time of the user. However, in social context, it can be recognized that at times extensive use of smart phones can make the user engrossed to it all the times, which can further affect the social skills of the person as interaction with other peers or friends in person becomes gradually meager.   Therefore, based on these understandings the entire paper would intend to draw on different viewpoints.

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The Simpsons Essay On one day Matt Groeing was sitting and sketching out side James L Brooks office he invented the Simpsons. They were first shown as 30-second bumpers in the Tracy Ullman show. Bumpers are shown before the adverts. They were very successful so Fox Network took a very huge risk to produce a half hour episode of the Simpsons. The Simpsons was not test marketed to a group of sample viewers because there wasnt enough time. The first episode shown on 17th December 1989 Called The Simpsons roasting on an open fire. The animated show is made up during a 6 to 10 month production time at first a script is made. Then the people who do the voices are recorded on to a tape. Then they make a storyboard with the use of the actors voices in Klasy-Csupo animation house where a group of artists are drawing, this can be up to 2,000 images. The script is then filmed on to a computer with the voices. Then its sent to South Korea where it is made into an animation. It comes back to he studio as a 25-minute clip, this is then cut down to 22 minutes and thats the show! The show is very popular as a result of its two main audiences. The main audience is Adults, they enjoy watching the satire bits this is when The Simpsons are making fun at anything thats in the news, and they also enjoy the clever scripting of the show, which include funny film references. The second audience is children they enjoy watching the violence of the show like Itchy and Scratchy. They enjoy watching it as a cartoon because they like the slapstick for instance when Homer falls down a cliff. However the Simpsons causes a bit of controversial debate as there a lot of people arguing that The Simpsons are not a good example as an ideal family. The nation needs to be closer to The Waltons than The Simpsons President Bush. There is so much arguing going about The Simpsons ignoring simple rules like wearing a seatbelt and drinking so people are thinking if it should get banned or not. The Simpsons are nothing like a normal family. A good example of a normal family in The Simpsons show is The Flanders. They are kind and say grace when eating their food, on the other hand The Simpsons just eat their food like dogs. Another example is Wilma Flintstone who is a normal housewife however Marge is quite different because instead taking care of three kids she has to take care of another Homer! Analysis and interpretation- representation and audience consumption The Simpsons is made up as a cartoon evidently the animation makes it very easy to add slapstick humour, this is when we laugh at things that are not really meant to laughed at, for example a real human being but we would if it was a cartoon. This is also called Rubber-band reality, where you can stretch the reality of a scene by using cartoons. Furthermore The Simpsons can also be called a situation comedy, this is when the comedy comes out of the situation, a good example is when Homer drives the family in to wild and the comedy comes from the situation, which is the forest. The normal situations in an episode are usually; the school and The Simpsons home. The Simpsons is funny in very different for example either the violence is funny or it could be the scripting. However the best ay for me is the slapstick humour and elastic band reality. A good example is when Homer fight Barts new dad and then things get a bit complicating. There are some very strange stereotypes in the Simpsons take Marge she is an extraordinary house wife she does the shopping and takes care of Maggie. Lisa is a clever girl whos a buff in school and gets A* all the time, shes quite close to Bart and her mum. Bart whos the typical underachiever boy is hopeless at school. He gets on well with Lisa sometimes, for example when Nelson is bullying Lisa Bart helps out her out. Homer is a drunk, fat, alcoholic potato couch. He is the main character in the Simpsons and has to be the funniest one, as a result of his childish behaviour. There are also a few extra stereotypes such as Apu the Indian shopkeeper and Chief Wigam the typical fat, lazy, doughnut eating American policeman. When you first look at the Simpsons they may seem like a dysfunctional family however you have to look very deep inside the family to realise that thy do love each other. Firstly Homer and Marges relationship, if you first look at the pair you see them arguing all the time. A good example is when Homer forgets there anniversary and they end up wanting a divorce. However in the end they always sort things out saying I love you. Homer and Bart are always arguing and trying to strangle each other at any time possible. Bart is being a bit disrespectful by calling his Homer There always falling out a good example is when Bart runs away from home and lives in a tree house. Nevertheless they do love each other. For example when Bart find out Homer is Santa Clause he says Homer I didnt know you loved us that much and they do find out a lot about each other when they are threaded to each. Marge and Lisas connection is very close as they are always together. Marge is always helping Lisa a good example is when she is addicted to the corrie hotline and she helps her from calling it. There relationship is very loving. Marge and Maggie are always together, Maggie loves her mum as much as she can and so does she. When she has to choose between the Flaunders or her mum she picks her mum. Marge also loves Bart very much she is always taking care of him. However they are sometimes arguing. The relationship between Homer and Lisa is not very strong Homer sometimes forgets that shes even there, like when he forgets to by here a Christmas present. Homer always forgets about Maggie and doesnt even know her full name. Bart and Lisa are always fighting with each other and doing jokes, therefore it doesnt look as if they like each other. However they do love each other as it is shown in some episodes, as I explained earlier. Bart and Maggie love each other as well. The Simpsons is always being compared to the Flaunders. This is because the comparison gives it a good effect, and it makes it more entertaining to see what Homer would do to give the same treatment as Ned would give to his family. A good example is when the Flaunders get a new caravan and Homer gets a second hand one and they end up stuck in the wild. I think that the main reason why the Simpsons have been going on all these thirteen years is because that it has two target audiences. People are coming home from and watching the Simpsons and saying that my lifes not that bad after all. This is called Philologically Human its when the Simpsons act and feel like humans and Matt Groeing put it a mental health service to the world. The Simpsons are good and bad role models they are bad because Homer hardly cares about his family and hes just a fat alcoholic potato couch. Bart is also bad because hes an underachiever and proud of it. However sometimes they are good role models like Lisa she an A student. They all are happy together as a family at the end of each episode and they always say, I love you. OVERALL the Simpsons love each other and thats what counts.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

THE SELLING OF ORGANS: RIGHT OR WRONG :: Ethical Issues, Human Organs

I Introduction All humans have organs. The organ is very important to the humans because without organ humans will not be able to live well. At present, there are many actions that are done by irresponsible people to sell organs. Organ sales cases occur when a person sells or transfers an organ from one body to another body for the purpose of replacing the recipient’s damaged organ. There are thousands of people dying to buy a kidney, and thousands of people dying to sell a kidney because of the lack of organs availability. Lives should not be wasted, they should be saved. Indirectly, there are many reasons why they sell the organs, where the organs mostly sold to and consequences of selling human organs. II Body A Most of the countries have organ selling issues from poor people to rich people and from less powerful people to the most powerful people. 1 The country that sell the most number of organs is India and has become one of the largest country for human organs selling and transplants in the world. a Poor people in India usually sell their organs while they are still alive (Scheper-Hughes, 1998, para. 7). b India hospitals are under investigation by the government because of the illegal organ sales (Carney, 2007, para. 4). 2 People use the body for their own benefit but they cannot change the other bodies for its own interests. a People agree to sell their organs because of their benefit. i Poor families are desperate to send their son to University (Maconachy, 2007, para. 4). ii Most parents want their daughters to marry will be collecting money for a dowry to the groom and they had to sell their organs to make the exchange. B People usually sell their organs in an underground market for human organ around the world that is called blackmarket (Maconachy, 2007, para.1). 1 Most the donors came from middle class family who’s searching clients via the internet. (Maconachy, 2007, para.3). a They find the client from specific sites where most of people posted organ selling on that websites. b The meeting can arranged if the client agree to go through the procedure. c According to Kenichiro Hokamura, he was faced two choice whether to wait for the transplant or buy organ on the internet. i He buys the organ from Japanese broker in China and get the new kidney two months later(Coonan & McNell, 2006, para. 2). 2 In China, the government is trying to strike down the black market (Coonan & McNell, 2006, para.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Quality and Reliability Essay

You Tube Enterprises are a marketing and distribution company that is engaged in providing exotic Caribbean products of high quality to persons in diaspora that currently reside in North America and Europe. Quality and reliability are two critical success factors. You Tube has been using its website as it principal point of contact for its customers. You Tube Enterprises were recently awarded a major contract to supply a major chain in Europe, Marks and Spencers. It is recognised that persons of Caribbean origin are a significant percentage of the population .This is in addition to the growing popularity of Caribbean food among other sectors of the population. In order to successfully fulfil this contract, higher levels of productivity by You Tube suppliers are required in order to meet the price and response time requirements. You, as Marketing Manager, are expected to work closely with the Human Resource Managers of the four main suppliers to develop a reward system that will enabl e greater reliability with respect to response time and assure quality and compliance with HACCAP1 requirements. 1. Outline the factors that You Tube Enterprises must consider in the design of such a reward system to ensure its success, i.e. to ensure that the programme is beneficial to both the employees and the supplier company and 2. Develop a draft proposal for consideration by the Board and Management of each company. In your proposal you should indicate: I. Whether and why the Plan should be group based or individual based II. The quantum of risk employees should be prepared to accept in their total package i.e. the quantum of incentive pay to total compensation III. Whether incentive pay should fully replace traditional pay and the reasons for this recommendation IV. The criteria by which performance will be judged and how will this be communicated and disseminated to staff and their supervisors V. The administration of the reward system, i.e. whether short or long term and whether the pay-outs should match the production cycle and the required delivery schedules

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ethics of Consumption Essay

Once you have read the textbook chapter and the Reading, answer discussion questions 1, 3- 5 (ignore questions 2 and 6). Q1. Who is the â€Å"we† in the question â€Å"Why do we consume so much?† Is Juliet Schor correct that â€Å"there is increasingly little that we do which is not a consumption experience† And that we have become a culture of excessive consumption? Explain your answers. The â€Å"we† in the question â€Å"why do we consume so much?† is stands for the majority of Americans those whose basic needs are met, who have discretionary income, the large middle classes whose standard of living has risen so dramatically over this century. Juliet Schor is correct that â€Å"there is increasingly little that we do which is not a consumption experience†. For example, the average American home has increased by more than 50% since 1970s and the number of vehicles per person has increased. And we have become a culture of excessive consumption due to $20,000 outdoor grills, $17,000 birthday parties for teen girls FAO Schwartz, diamond studded bras at Victoria Secrets, professional appliances for people not home to cook, designer clothes for 6 year olds as well as $1000 bed sheets. Q3. Explain why Schor believes that â€Å"more leisured. Less consumerist lifestyles are structurally blocked†. Why can’t people simply choose to work less and enjoy more free time? Do you agree that working long hours encourages people to consume more? Schor believes that â€Å"more leisure, less consumerist lifestyles is structurally blocked† because we are undermining our quality of life, we fail to take enough leisure, and live excessively busy and stressful lives. People cannot simply choose to work less and enjoy more free time because the employers set work norms and schedules, and those are tied to jobs. A full-time worker is paid per person, not per hour, and the employers prefer to hire fewer people, as well as employees who work longer hours are more financially dependent on the firm. Also, the income that people earned determines the level of consumption. The more they earned, the more or luxury goods they are able to purchase. I do not agree that working long hours encourages people to consume more. I have some working experiences before. After working for the whole day, I felt very tired and I thought money does not come easily, so I would not buy as much as I earned. I would like to save it and buy wait until I think the price of the good I want to buy is acceptable and it is useful. Q4. Schor refers to the second structural feature that creates too much consumption as â€Å"the ecological bias†. What does she mean by this? Do you agree with her that it is serious? Schor means that people overuse of the ecological resources of the earth, which account for global warming, species extinction, ecosystem depletion, water shortages, deforestation and soil erosion. I absolutely agree with her that overuse of natural capital is serious because the rate of resource use, pollution, and ecological degradation exceeds earth’s absorptive and regenerative capacities. We are already beyond a sustainable relation with earth. If rest of the world lived like the Americans do, need an additional four planets to support this lifestyle. Q5. Explain why you agree or disagree with Schor’s contention that consumption has become a social competition. How has the old concept of â€Å"keeping up with the Joneses† changed? Do you agree that it is difficult for individuals to resist or drop out of the consumption competition? Explain why or why not. Yes, I agree with Schor’s contention that consumption has become a social competition because more and more people buy luxury goods to show off, which  it stand for recognition, esteem, status, and even envy it confers. Especially young teenagers, they like to keep up with their classmates or schoolmates. As a result, branded goods were carried by students is obviously around the school. The old concept of â€Å"keeping up with the Joneses† has changed because Americans’ consumer aspirations now has become more vertical, which is in terms of economic and social standing. Young Americans regarded Rockefeller or Bill Gates who makes $100,000 a year or more as an important aspirational target. They are more squint towards a decent or comfortable standard of living. I agree that it is difficult for individuals to resist or drop out the consumption competition. Since everyone is using the latest products, we have to elevate ourselves as well. If we refused to upgrade our belonging, we will fall behind the others, it may account for inconvenience in our life. For example, nowadays, some homework has to type it out or submit online, if we do not have a laptop at home, then it will be troublesome and inconvenience. Thus, individuals are getting more and more difficult to drop put the consumption competition.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Biography of Atahualpa, Last King of the Inca

Biography of Atahualpa, Last King of the Inca Atahualpa was the last of the native lords of the mighty Inca Empire, which spanned parts of present-day Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. He had just defeated his brother Huascar in a violent civil war when Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro arrived in the Andes mountains. The unlucky Atahualpa was quickly captured by the Spanish and held for ransom. Although his ransom was paid, the Spanish killed him anyway, clearing the way for the plunder of the Andes. Fast Fact: Atahualpa Known For: Last indigenous king of the Incan EmpireAlso Known As:  Atahuallpa, Atawallpa, and Ata WallpaBorn: c. 1500 in CuzcoParents: Wayna Qhapaq; mother believed to be either Tocto Ocllo Coca,Paccha Duchicela, or Tà ºpac PallaDied: July 15, 1533 in CajamarcaNotable Quote: Your emperor may be a great prince; I do not doubt it, seeing that he has sent his subjects so far across the waters; and I am willing to treat him as a brother. As for your pope of whom you speak, he must be mad to speak of giving away countries that do not belong to him. As for my faith, I will not change it. Your own God, as you tell me, was put to death by the very men He created. But my God still looks down on His children. Early Life In the Incan Empire, the word â€Å"Inca† meant â€Å"king† and generally only referred to one man: the ruler of the Empire. Atahualpa was one of many sons of Inca Huayna Capac, an efficient and ambitious ruler. The Incas could only marry their sisters: no one else was deemed noble enough. They had many concubines, however, and their offspring (Atahualpa included) were considered eligible for rule. Rulership of the Inca did not necessarily pass to the eldest son first, as was the European tradition. Any one of Huayna Capac’s sons would be acceptable. Often, civil wars broke out between brothers for succession. Huayna Capac died in 1526 or 1527, possibly of a European infection such as smallpox. His heir apparent Ninan Cuyuchi died as well. The Empire immediately split, as Atahualpa ruled the northern part from Quito and his brother Huascar ruled the southern part from Cuzco. A bitter civil war ensued and raged until Huascar was captured by Atahualpa’s forces in 1532. Although Huascar had been captured, regional mistrust was still high and the population was clearly divided. Neither faction knew that a far greater menace was approaching from the coast. The Spanish Francisco Pizarro was a seasoned campaigner who had been inspired by Hernn Cortà ©s audacious (and lucrative) conquest of Mexico. In 1532, with a troop of 160 Spaniards, Pizarro set off along the western coast of South America in search of a similar empire to conquer and plunder. The troop included four of Pizarros brothers. Diego de Almagro was also involved  and would arrive with reinforcements after Atahualpas capture. The Spanish had an enormous advantage over the Andeans with their horses, armor, and weapons. They had some interpreters that had been previously captured from a trading vessel. Capture of Atahualpa The Spanish were immensely fortunate in that Atahualpa happened to be at Cajamarca, one of the closest major cities to the coast where they had disembarked. Atahualpa had just received word that Huascar had been captured and was celebrating with one of his armies. He had heard of the foreigners coming and felt that he had little to fear from fewer than 200 strangers. The Spanish hid their horsemen in the buildings around the main square at Cajamarca, and when the Inca arrived to converse with Pizarro, they rode out, slaughtering hundreds and capturing Atahualpa. No Spanish were killed. Ransom With Atahualpa held captive, the Empire was paralyzed. Atahualpa had excellent generals, but none dared try to free him. Atahualpa was very intelligent and soon learned of the Spanish love for gold and silver. He offered to fill a large room half full with gold  and full twice over with silver for his release. The Spanish quickly agreed and the gold began flowing in from all corners of the Andes. Most of it was in the form of priceless art and it was all melted down, resulting in an incalculable cultural loss. Some of the greedy conquistadors took to breaking up golden items so that the room would take longer to fill. Personal Life Before the arrival of the Spanish, Atahualpa had proven to be ruthless in his ascent to power. He ordered the death of his brother Huascar and several other family members who blocked his way to the throne. The Spanish who were Atahualpa’s captors for several months found him to be brave, intelligent, and witty. He accepted his imprisonment stoically and continued to rule his people while captive. He had small children in Quito by some of his concubines, and he was evidently quite attached to them. When the Spanish decided to execute Atahualpa, some were reluctant to do so because they had grown fond of him. Atahualpa and the Spanish Although Atahualpa may have been friendly with some individual Spaniards such as Francisco Pizarro’s brother Hernando, he wanted them out of his kingdom. He told his people not to attempt a rescue, believing that the Spanish would leave once they had received their ransom. As for the Spanish, they knew their prisoner was the only thing keeping one of Atahualpa’s armies from crashing down on them. Atahualpa had three important generals, each of whom commanded an army: Chalcuchima in Jauja, Quisquis in Cuzco, and Rumià ±ahui in Quito. Death General Chalcuchima allowed himself to be lured to Cajamarca and captured, but the other two remained threats to Pizarro and his men. In July 1533, they began hearing rumors that Rumià ±ahui was approaching with a mighty army, summoned by the captive Emperor to wipe out the intruders. Pizarro and his men panicked. Accusing Atahualpa of treachery they sentenced him to burn at the stake, although he was eventually garrotted. Atahualpa died on July 26, 1533, in Cajamarca. Rumià ±ahuis army never came: the rumors had been false. Legacy With Atahualpa dead, the Spanish quickly elevated his brother Tupac Huallpa to the throne. Although Tupac Huallpa soon died of smallpox, he was one of a string of puppet Incas who allowed the Spanish to control the nation. When Atahualpa’s nephew Tà ºpac Amaru was killed in 1572, the royal Inca line died with him, ending forever any hope for native rule in the Andes. The successful conquest of the Inca Empire by the Spanish was largely due to unbelievable luck and several key mistakes by the Andeans. Had the Spanish arrived a year or two later, the ambitious Atahualpa would have consolidated his power and may have taken the threat of the Spanish more seriously and not allowed himself to be captured so easily. The residual hatred by the people of Cuzco for Atahualpa after the civil war certainly played a part in his downfall as well. After Atahualpa’s death, some people back in Spain began asking uncomfortable questions about whether Pizarro had the right to invade Peru and capture Atahualpa, considering Atahualpa had never harmed him. These questions were eventually solved by declaring that Atahualpa, who was younger than his brother Huscar with whom he had been warring, had usurped the throne. Therefore, it was reasoned, he was fair game. This argument was very weak- the Inca did not care who was older, any son of Huayna Capac could have been king- but it sufficed. By 1572, there was a complete smear campaign in place against Atahualpa, who was called a cruel tyrant and worse. The Spanish, it was argued, had â€Å"saved† the Andean people from this â€Å"demon.† Atahualpa today is seen as a tragic figure, a victim of Spanish ruthlessness and duplicity. This is an accurate assessment of his life. The Spanish not only brought horses and guns to the fight, but they also brought insatiable greed and violence that were just as instrumental in their conquest. He is still remembered in parts of his old Empire, particularly in Quito, where you can take in a soccer game at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium. Sources Hemming, John. The Conquest of the Inca London: Pan Books, 2004 (original 1970).Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Human Resource Managements Role As A Strategic Partner

Human Resource Managements Role As A Strategic Partner Increasing Role of Human Resources Management The XXI century is a century of globalized world undergoing rapid changes and technological development. In such conditions organizations have to seek for different ways of maintaining their competitiveness. In the 1990s people started paying significant attention to the human resources and many organizations understood that Human Resources Management can be a very powerful contributor into the organization successful development. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Human Resource Managements Role As A Strategic Partner specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since then a lot of HRM strategies are being successfully implemented, some of them are recruitment and retention, training and development, employee performance management, regulatory compliance, compensation and benefits. HRM In Terms Of Organization Restructuring Many enterprises and firms face the necessity to ope rate in a â€Å"less-cost mode† now, due to different factors including globalization and technology development (Mathis and Jackson, 2007, p.19). A lot of firms try to improve their condition by restructuring the firm, usually by minimizing labor costs and closing facilities, though these measures proved to be quite unsuccessful. Thus, human resources management (HRM) is gaining more popularity becoming a strategic business partner. Sims (2007) stated that it is â€Å"often described as â€Å"having a seat at the table,† and contributing to the strategic directions and success of the organization† (Sims, 2007, p. 31). There are many examples of HRM contributing to the organization success which can be illustrated by BASF (reduced labor costs up to 30%), or Wegman’s Food Markets (reduced product costs but maintained employees’ benefits) (Sims, 2007, p. 31). Recruitment And Retention There are several powerful tools of HRM, which contribute to the organization success, for instance, recruitment and retention. These are primary issues of HRM, since recruitment and retention form the staff of any organization. Recruitment should be implemented in a very thoughtful, precise and professional way. Especially during the organization restructuring it is essential to employ talented professionals who are able to bring the major possible profit for the organization. It goes without saying that professionals should be kept in the staff, and this can be achieved not only by extra payments. For instance, there is a lot of evidence that â€Å"employees and potential employees are more interested in developmental opportunities, especially structured ones† (Torrington et al., 2005, p.362). However, it is necessary to admit that recruitment and retention strategies are often underestimated in terms of HRM especially during organization restructuring.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Training And Development Another very important strategy of HRM deals with employees’ training and development. Bratton and Gold (2001) suggest that they are â€Å"significant if not the pivotal components† of HRM (Bratton Gold, 2001, p.274). Of course, these strategies need some extra funds, which are quite restricted during restructuring. However, Bratton and Gold (2001) point out that, first of all, it will be helpful to replace words â€Å"training costs† with â€Å"investment†, this can enable people involved â€Å"to take a longer-term view, particularly with respect to the outcomes† of these strategies (Bratton Gold, 2001, p.274). Moreover, technology development, globalization and never stopping changes have brought into forefront the necessity to keep organization staff up-to-date to these constant changes. Thus, a lot of organizations pay significant attention to these strategies. Employee Performance Management Employee performance management is one of the most effective HRM strategies during the restructuring, since it depicts all the major goals and principle of work for each employee. Armstrong (2006) defines that â€Å"the overall aim† of this strategy is â€Å"to establish a high performance culture in which individuals and teams take responsibility for the continuous improvement of business processes† (Armstrong, 2006, p.496). Thus, each employee has the definite scope of what is being expected from him/her. Armstrong (2006) adds that performance management should be based on such basic element as â€Å"agreement, measurement, feedback, positive reinforcement and dialogue† (Armstrong, 2006, p.496). These elements are especially valuable during restructuring, since organization management should not only set some overrated expectations, thus, all of the above mentioned elements should be present to enable emp loyee be committed to following the necessary performance. Regulatory Compliance Regulatory compliance is another strategy which can be implemented during restructuring. This is quite effective regulatory strategy which can identify efficiency of each employee. During organization restructuring it is very important to define whether all the employees comply with the major goals of the organization and overall organization expectations. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Human Resource Managements Role As A Strategic Partner specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, this strategy implementation can meet strong opposition among the staff. Thus, Beardwell and Claydon (2007) argue that for small firms regulatory compliance may be very challenging, sometimes leading to negative results (Beardwell Claydon, 2007, p.480). It is necessary to add that this cannot diminish the importance and value of this HRM strategy. Compensations And Benefits. The most popular strategies of HRM are compensations and benefits. Reportedly, these strategies can motivate employees and potential employees during recruitment and retention, though, quite insignificantly; since as mentioned above employees can be more motivated by structural development. IT is also necessary to admit that during restructuring, implementation of these HRM strategies can be reduced. There are also some options of these strategies. Bratton and Gold (2001) suggest new models of compensations and benefits: cafeteria-style benefits, when employees can choose the appropriate benefit from the list provided by organization management (Bratton Gold, 2006, p.263). However, during restructuring it will be more effective to motivate employees, implementing other strategies. The Most Effective HRM Strategies Thus, it is possible to conclude that the most effective HRM strategies which can be implemented during organization restructuring are recru itment and retention, training and development, regulatory compliance, employee performance management. At the same time such strategies as compensation and benefits can be superfluous in terms of organization restructuring. Reference List Armstrong, Michael. (2006). A Handbook Of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Beardwell, J., Claydon, T. (2007). Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach. Harlow: Pearson Education. Bratton, J. and Gold, J. (2001).Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. London New York: Routledge.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mathis, R.L., Jackson, J.H. (2007). Human Resource Management. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Sims, R.R. (2007). Human Resource Management: Contemporary Issues, Challenges, And Opportunities. Charlotte, NC: IAP. Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S. (2005). Human Resource Management. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Biography of Olympic Figure Skater Oksana Baiul

Biography of Olympic Figure Skater Oksana Baiul Oksana Bauil (born Oksana Serhiyivna Baiul, November 16, 1977) is an Olympic figure skater from Ukraine. Bauil was the first athlete from Ukraine to win Olympic gold in any sport, but her post-career personal troubles put her in the headlines for different reasons. Soviet Childhood Oksana was born in Dnepropetrovsk, a military-industrial city, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (then part of the Soviet Union). Her parents, Sergei and Marina, divorced when she was only two years old, and Sergei disappeared shortly after, whether of his own choice or due to disapproval from the town after the divorce. Oksana was raised by her mother and her maternal grandparents. At the age of three, Oksana began figure skating lessons, as well as ballet. Ultimately, she preferred skating, and by the age of five, she was training with Stanislav Koritek, a well-respected coach in Ukraine. Her family paid for all her expenses, even as they mounted. However, she suffered several losses close together: her grandparents died in 1987 and 1988, and then, in 1991, her mother Marina died suddenly and unexpectedly from what turned out to be ovarian cancer. Oksana was only thirteen. Coaching Changes and Olympic Success Even after the deaths of all her closest family members, more loss was still to come for Oksana. Her coach Koritek moved to Canada in 1992 to coach there, since there was little to no support for figure skating in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. With Oksanas promising career left dangling, the Ukrainian figure skating federation connected her with another coach, Galina Zmievskaya. Zmievskaya agreed not only to coach Oksana, but to allow her to live with her family in Odessa. Oksanas skating progressed rapidly under Zmievskayas tutelage. In 1993, she took home the silver medal at the European Championships, finishing behind French skater Surya Bonaly. At the World Championships that same year, she suffered an accident during practice that displaced disks in her back and neck and damaged the blades of her skates. She skated through the injury and equipment damage to win the world title at the age of fifteen. The 1993-1994 season would prove to be the peak of Oksanas career. She again won silver at Europeans (behind Bonaly, again) and was sent to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, to represent Ukraine. After the short program portion of the competition, she was ranked second behind American Nancy Kerrigan. However, like at the previous World Championships, Oksana suffered an accident during practice before the free skate portion: a collision with German skater Tanja Szewcaenko resulted in a back injury and a cut on her leg requiring stitches. Nevertheless, she skated a strong free skate to overtake Kerrigan for Olympic gold. At the age of 16, she was the second-youngest Olympic skating champion in history at the time. Post-Olympic Struggles Despite her Olympic win, Oksana returned to a financially-struggling life in Ukraine. Even the conditions at the ice rink where she and fellow Ukrainian Olympian Viktor Petrenko practiced had been neglected due to lack of funds. Although she could have continued her amateur competitive career, the conditions and lack of support drove Oksana to turn professional instead. She and Zmievskaya negotiated her contract to tour in the United States. Although it was a more lucrative decision, the touring affected her health in several ways. Despite having knee surgery after the Olympics, she returned to the ice quickly in order to practice for touring shows, which permanently affected her ability to execute difficult jumps in particular. She also developed a drinking habit while on tour, which would haunt her for years, get her dropped from the Champions on Ice tour in 1997, and result in several scandalous headlines. In the mid-1990s, figure skating specials were commonplace on American television, and Oksana starred in two: The Nutcracker On Ice and The Wizard of Oz on Ice, both for CBS. the network also produced a 1994 television movie, A Promise Kept, about her life. After her drinking got her booted from the top-tier touring circuit, she continued to make appearances in skating shows, non-skating television programs, and charity shows. In November 2011, Oksana and her manager, Carlo Farina, found evidence of mismanagement of funds by her agency, William Morris. She successfully recovered $9.5 million. This was not the only lawsuit she engaged in. She also sued NBC for unauthorized use of her image, and accused Zmievskaya, Petrenko, and their manager Joseph Lemire of fraud and of falsely attempting to represent her in Ukrainian court proceedings. Present Day Oksana has mostly retired from public life. She married her manager Farina in 2015, changing her name to Oksana Baiul-Farina, and moving to Las Vegas. Unlike many other skaters of her era, she has not rejoined the skating world as a coach or commentator, instead leaving behind a single moment where she was the undisputed best in the world. Sources: Baiul, Oksana. Oksana: My Own Story. Random House, 1997.Oksana Baiul. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oksana-Baiul

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The fit between published theory on project management and personal Essay

The fit between published theory on project management and personal practice as a result of my participation in the ActiveBeing project 2014-15 - Essay Example According to this institution, the best leisure and sports facilities require making a consideration for â€Å"Accessible sports facilities† (sportengland.org, 2010:n.p.). Thus, the fit between published theory and the project management pilot panning has been accomplished in this regard. This is because; the pilot planning has made all the necessary designing of the ActiveBeing leisure complex to ensure that it accommodates the needs of persons with disability; both the employees and clients wishing to use the gym and other leisure facilities offered in the complex. This is an important consideration, owing to the fact that; according to section 21 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 of the UK, it is the duty of the providers of any public services to make the necessary adjustments for accommodating the needs of the disabled persons (legislation.gov.uk, 1995:n.p.). Therefore, the necessary considerations have been made to adjust the leisure complex buildings, so as to allow people with disability to access the complex through elevators. The Equality Act 2010 provides that it is the rights of the people with disability to be facilitated to access desired goods, services or facilities (Government Equalities Office, 2010:6). Thus, the elevators will move the persons with disabilities up and down the floor, so they can access the leisure facilities. This consideration is essential, since it ensures complying with the provisions of the UN conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities, which provides that such the needs of such people should be recognized and planned for, as a way of recognizing their dignity, worth and equal rights to enjoy services, good and facilities (United Nations 2006:n.p.). The fit between the published theory and the project management pilot planning has also been achieved, under the provisions of the management-as-planning theory. According to the provisions of management-as-planning theory, there exists a strong causal

Friday, October 18, 2019

Variations on the Modern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Variations on the Modern - Essay Example Some of the major political and societal changes which brought about the modernism were the post world wars situation. The huge developments and transformations in industry and technology coupled with the cultural exchanges, transportation and communication developments and influences from the West. The period of modernism in Scandinavia and Italy was both progressive and optimistic. It stems from the renaissance for the historians and was a cultural movement which impacted the Scandinavian and Italian art, architecture, music and literature. The breaking away from the conventional styles to newer representations in the period, where there was a shift from the traditional values. The period also marked growth and innovations in science, ethics, philosophy and psychology besides the previously mentioned art, architecture, music and literature. Different countries have had their share of influencing modernism. This period saw a change in the style and ideology of art during this era. T he philosophy of art was transformed during this period in terms of the themes and subject matter, and also the use of colours, shapes and lines. The intellectual underpinnings of modernism emerge during the Renaissance period when, through the study of the art, poetry, philosophy, and science of ancient Greece and Rome, humanists revived the notion that man, rather than God, is the measure of all things, and promoted through education ideas of citizenship and civic consciousness. The period also gave rise to ‘utopian’ visions of a more perfect society.1 Below is a modernism timeline which shows the significant events between 1920- 1970. Modernism in Scandinavia Scandinavia had a mixed dynamics of cultures, language and politics. This gave birth to a versatile and multi dimensional philosophy of art and design which became more assertive. The movement from Europe enveloped Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland within its fold. The Scandinavian countries had their own unique, yet impactful role in the move towards modernism. The response to the stimuli from the modern world was distinctive. The countries were experiencing the same changes in the modern life- social equality, industrialization and urbanization. Nonetheless, the outcomes and impact showed the unique natures of art and skills that evolved, which gave individuality and characteristic art and design to each of the countries. Yet the distinctiveness was combined with features which were common to all the Scandinavian countries which include a unifying touch in terms of humanism, tradition, moderation, handcrafted perfectionism, modesty, quietude and purposefulness, 2 which came to know as the style of the Scandinavian modern art. Among the European countries, the Scandinavian were able to portray the modern artistic touch in their traditional and conventional craft most expressively. Countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland which had internal dynamics and resources which led to an increased inclination towards the craft industries were most explicit in communicating the modern aesthetic in their art and craft. With the breakdown of the craft guild system in the mid- nineteenth century, they established a number of

Vulnerability of an organizations information system Research Paper

Vulnerability of an organizations information system - Research Paper Example Vulnerability in regard to organizational information systems can be defined as â€Å"a weakness that allows a threat to be realized or to have an effect on an asset† (Kim & Solomon, 2010, p.6). Thus it can be realized that a threat is not capable of affecting an information system unless the system is weak or vulnerable not to survive an attack (Kim & Solomon, 2010, p.6). Thus the vulnerabilities of an organization’s information systems reflect that the organization’s control over the systems has either become lost or ineffective (Whitman & Mattord, 2011, p.65). In the present times, the cyber world has taken a significant position in both organizational as well as personal lives. The most critical factor that has been obtained as making the information systems vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks is the human element. The information technology (IT) managers of today’s business organizations are thus encountered with severe challenges in regard to suc h vulnerabilities (Platsis, 2012). The present study focuses on the vulnerabilities those organizational information systems presently challenging the IT managers, with over viewing the most important cyber security vulnerability and considering measures that might protect organizations from such vulnerabilities. ... All these media, if vulnerable, can lead to cyber intrusions causing cyber threats or attacks, thus affecting the entire information system of the organization. Hardware and Software: Information systems viruses and other malwares have the capability to destroy the software system of computers, or they might affect the security functions of the system. Thus this makes the software vulnerable allowing outsiders to steal information and use their commands on the organizations’ computers and information devices to manipulate information as per their need. This initiates the need for an organization to consider the use of antivirus tools essentially as well as update the system’s functions on a regular basis to detect any vulnerability, in advance (Kazmeyer, 2013). Considering the vulnerabilities of the hardware, it is of major concern since the unsecured terminals can be taken advantage of by outsiders along with the help of network access points, using which they might ge t access to systems that are otherwise protected. Security functions may be circumvented by an intruder if they get access to server rooms or floors where the computer systems are placed for work. Thus in order to prevent this, organizations need to have strict control over the access of any individual to the hardware such that such vulnerabilities may not be taken advantage of (Kazmeyer, 2013). Transmission Media: The media of transmission in organizations include both cabling as well as wireless communication media. In case of cabling, wires are used for transmission, that in many cases pass through the walls and channels of the organization eventually terminating the plugs of the walls

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The effect of the recent financial crises on the UK investors psyche Literature review

The effect of the recent financial crises on the UK investors psyche - Literature review Example Theories are provided to guide the behaviours and investment strategies of the investors. The theories give emphasis on the psyche of the investors and their way of thinking and reacting to the financial market changes. The individual decisions are cognitive while investments are made. The paper also highlights on the risk measurement capacity of the investors. The risk is associated with the changes that are brought in the stock prices by the companies during the crisis period. Key Words: financial behaviour, financial crisis, Investment psyche, decision making Critical Review (Background) It is quite understandable when people ask how the crises could have happened after the disaster had struck, but given that market players are irrational, it can be said that people, including experts and laymen alike, play a psychological role in financial decision making. According to Sahi and Arora (2012) it is hardly ever heard that investors make wrong decisions who buy when they have to sell and vice-versa, despite possessing the correct information. This is in complete non-conformity with the efficient market hypothesis theory, which states that people behave rationally and maximize their utility by accurately processing all the available information. This highlights that prices remain at true values of the stock and reflect all essential information about investment (Phansatana et al., 2013). However, Shiller (2013) argues that the behavioural finance disproves the theory stating that individuals are impacted by more factors than just objective figures, including all kinds of subjective factors like, human biases and inconsistency in behaviour, thought and irrationality, when they are faced by market uncertainties. The paper analyses how the recent financial crisis has supported the idea that investors behave irrationally when faced with the financial meltdown and offers interesting observations on post crisis behaviour of investors. Investigations of the recent fina ncial meltdown in 2007 reveal that the lessons to be learnt are plentiful. The crisis investigations done by (Adrian and Shin, 2009; Taylor, 2008; Greenlaw et al., 2008) give general view of the affairs proceeding the crises and they all to some extent agree it was due to a conglomerate of macroeconomic factors like, interest rates, high market liquidity and booming rates of securities market and household. This market crisis also emphasized on the fact that financial sector was unable to predict risk specifically in US mortgage lending segment (Ferguson, 2013). This is the reason why the communication between financial sector and stakeholders was faulty and that the stakeholders had made investments without proper investigation. Ulkua and Weber (2013) firmly believe when recession occurs at the business cycle it brings in a general slowdown in the economy. A general trend of reduced spending is observed. Governments play their role by adopting policies that have an expansionary imp act on the economy like, increasing supply of money and reducing taxes. As a result of the financial crisis, Mehl (2013) examined that the equity markets had also shown a lot of volatility and this had instilled unpredictability among the investors. Investors rely on the efficient markets and expect rational behaviour, but this efficient market hypothesis had seen anomalies in the recent past. According to

MARKETING PLAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MARKETING PLAN - Essay Example are creating the new plan, all details of the   company’s existing electronics marketing plan are to be considered irrelevant. The intent is   that current strategies, practices, etc., will be considered for relevance and possible   continuance only after your new plan has been presented to and is understood by top   management.   Given:   Company G’s team of engineers and designers have developed a line of top-quality small   appliances, and through concept and prototype testing, they have shown that the visual   design features are very appealing to potential buyers and give a distinct impression   associated with quality and artistic elegance. ... ach of the products in the line at a cost that   should enable them to emerge as the lowest-cost producer in the small-appliance industry.   Company G has a low debt-to-equity ratio and a high credit rating. It enjoys excellent   relationships with current suppliers, but because of differences in material requirements,   new raw material suppliers will be needed to support the small appliance line. Company G   will also need new suppliers for two component parts that will be purchased ready for   assembly into some of the small appliances.   The credit terms Company G offers to intermediaries in their distribution channel are typical   for their industry. Marketing research has shown that the company’s XG brand and logo are   readily recognized by most categories of electronics product consumers.   Abstract In the modern environment of commerce, companies must understand the purpose of gaining the technology leverage that is lacked from their competitors. I n this particular work, a company known as â€Å"Company G’s† marketing plan will be developed in order to ensure its supremacy in the market. Creating a market plan would allow the company to understand the risks and explore any opportunities that are available. As society progresses to 21st century, the fierce competition that looms in commerce as dramatically been enhanced. In this particular situation, Company G’s mission statement is â€Å"We enable consumers to improve the quality and convenience of their lives by providing  high-quality, innovative electronic solutions.†Ã‚   This same philosophy applies in their product line. Providing superior quality products is the focal point for this organization as it strives to enhance research and development. The revenue that companies accumulate is funded to

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The effect of the recent financial crises on the UK investors psyche Literature review

The effect of the recent financial crises on the UK investors psyche - Literature review Example Theories are provided to guide the behaviours and investment strategies of the investors. The theories give emphasis on the psyche of the investors and their way of thinking and reacting to the financial market changes. The individual decisions are cognitive while investments are made. The paper also highlights on the risk measurement capacity of the investors. The risk is associated with the changes that are brought in the stock prices by the companies during the crisis period. Key Words: financial behaviour, financial crisis, Investment psyche, decision making Critical Review (Background) It is quite understandable when people ask how the crises could have happened after the disaster had struck, but given that market players are irrational, it can be said that people, including experts and laymen alike, play a psychological role in financial decision making. According to Sahi and Arora (2012) it is hardly ever heard that investors make wrong decisions who buy when they have to sell and vice-versa, despite possessing the correct information. This is in complete non-conformity with the efficient market hypothesis theory, which states that people behave rationally and maximize their utility by accurately processing all the available information. This highlights that prices remain at true values of the stock and reflect all essential information about investment (Phansatana et al., 2013). However, Shiller (2013) argues that the behavioural finance disproves the theory stating that individuals are impacted by more factors than just objective figures, including all kinds of subjective factors like, human biases and inconsistency in behaviour, thought and irrationality, when they are faced by market uncertainties. The paper analyses how the recent financial crisis has supported the idea that investors behave irrationally when faced with the financial meltdown and offers interesting observations on post crisis behaviour of investors. Investigations of the recent fina ncial meltdown in 2007 reveal that the lessons to be learnt are plentiful. The crisis investigations done by (Adrian and Shin, 2009; Taylor, 2008; Greenlaw et al., 2008) give general view of the affairs proceeding the crises and they all to some extent agree it was due to a conglomerate of macroeconomic factors like, interest rates, high market liquidity and booming rates of securities market and household. This market crisis also emphasized on the fact that financial sector was unable to predict risk specifically in US mortgage lending segment (Ferguson, 2013). This is the reason why the communication between financial sector and stakeholders was faulty and that the stakeholders had made investments without proper investigation. Ulkua and Weber (2013) firmly believe when recession occurs at the business cycle it brings in a general slowdown in the economy. A general trend of reduced spending is observed. Governments play their role by adopting policies that have an expansionary imp act on the economy like, increasing supply of money and reducing taxes. As a result of the financial crisis, Mehl (2013) examined that the equity markets had also shown a lot of volatility and this had instilled unpredictability among the investors. Investors rely on the efficient markets and expect rational behaviour, but this efficient market hypothesis had seen anomalies in the recent past. According to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Visi a place of worship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visi a place of worship - Essay Example I had the chance for this reason to visit the Greater Baltimore Temple located in Finksburg, Maryland not once but twice. My first visitation to the Greater Baltimore Temple was on the occasion of the Divali celebration (or Diwali as the poster at the temple said). For the Hindus, Diwali iss marked as most respectable festival and holy of the year, and it’s usually celebrated for five days. After my first visit, I was notified by the staff that there was going to be a traditional Hindu marriage on Saturday. I came back with the intention of observing the event and to carefully study on the building structure and the deities’ statutes since it was crowded (during the Divali). This paper is focused on my reflection from what I observed on my visitation to the Greater Baltimore Temple. According to the website of the temple, â€Å"In the early 1990s, several dedicated members of the Hindu-Jain community felt the need for a place of worship and to preserve our heritage for future generations† (Elfenbein, pg. 18). During my second visit, I had the opportunity to ask the elderly members in the temple some of my main concerns. For them, the temple not only serves as the worshiping place for the Hindu, but also as the meeting place for the Indian immigrants in the Washington D.C. and the Baltimore areas. Being an international student from India; therefore, I also share the same feeling like that of the Indian immigrant. For someone visiting United States from outside, she or he is most likely to appreciate the ordinary things/events that happen in her/his home and tends to form a community that represents one’s identity. During my visitation I had the chance to talk to young Indian parents about the relationship of the temple and their children. Since ch ildren are the third generation of the Indian immigrant, they are already fit in and influenced by the culture of the

Monday, October 14, 2019

Socio-Political Life and Key Values of the British Society Essay Example for Free

Socio-Political Life and Key Values of the British Society Essay The United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the constitutional monarchy. The head of the state is the Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is the personification of the U. K. By law, she is the head of the executive branch, an integral part of the legislature, the head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all armed forces of the Crown and the temporal head of the established Church of England. But I want to emphasize that in practice, as a result of a long evolutionary process, these powers have changed. Today, the queen acts only on the advice of her Ministers which she cannot constitutionally ignore. In fact she reigns but she doesn’t rule. However, I want to add that the monarchy has more power than is commonly supposed. There remain certain powers in the hands of the monarch, known as the Royal Prerogative. The organs of government in the Great Britain are: 1. The legislature, which consists of the Queen in Parliament and is the supreme authority of the realm. 2. The executive, which consists of the Cabinet and other ministers of the Crown, government departments, local authorities. 3. The judiciary which determines common law and interprets statues. Parliament In principle, the â€Å"Crown in Parliament† is supreme. This means that legislation passed by Parliament, which consists of the House of Commons (elected directly by the people) and the House of Lords (made up of hereditary peers and appointive members—archbishops, senior bishops, law lords, and life peers) becomes law upon royal assent. In practice, legislation is dominated by the prime minister and the cabinet, who initiate all proposed bills and who are politically responsible for the administration of the law and the affairs of the nation. The main functions of Parliament are: to pass laws; to provide, by voting taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government; to scrutinise government policy and administration; to debate the major issues of the day. In carrying out these functions Parliament helps to bring the relevant facts and issues before the electorate. By custom, Parliament is also informed before all-important international treaties and agreements are ratified. A Parliament has a maximum duration of five years, but in practice general elections are usually held before the end of this term. Parliament is dissolved and rights for a general election are ordered by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. The life of a Parliament is divided into sessions. Each usually lasts for one year – normally beginning and ending in October or November. At the start of each session the Queens speech to Parliament outlines the Government’s policies and proposed legislative programme. The houses of Parliament in London, known also as the Palace of Westminster is the place where members of Parliament gather to make laws. The members of each Houses meet in sessions which begin at the end of October and last for about one hundred and sixty days. The sittings usually begin at 10 o’clock in the morning and end in the late afternoon. All the time Parliament is in session, a flag can be seen over the building. The members of the House of Commons sit on two sides of the hall. The Speaker is the chairperson at all the debates in the House of Commons, and it is duty to keep order. The Speaker is elected by all the members of the House of Commons. He belongs to one of the political parties in Parliament, but he never votes. The chairperson of the House of Lords is Lord Chancellor. He sits on the Woolsack, a large bag of wool covered with red cloth. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary peers and peeresses, 2 Anglican archbishops, and 24 bishops and life peers whose titles are not hereditary. Life peers include lords of appeal, who make up the court of last resort on matters that can be brought to the House of Lords. Bills from the House of Commons are passed to the House of Lords for discussion. Although no vote from the House of Lords is necessary to pass legislation, the body often suggests revisions and provides a forum for debate free from party politics. Members of the House of Commons are elected from geographical constituencies. The voting age for British subjects was lowered to 18 in 1969. Total membership of the Commons now numbers 651. Once the British Empire included a large number of countries all over the world ruled by Britain. The process of decolonisation began in 1947 with the independence of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. Now there is no Empire and only few small islands belong to Britain. In 1997 the last colony, Hong Kong, was given to China. But the British ruling classes tried not to lose influence over the former colonies of the British Empire. An association of former members of the British Empire and Britain was founded in 1949. It is called the Commonwealth. It includes many countries such as Ireland, Burma, the Sudan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. The Queen of Great Britain is also a Head of the Commonwealth, and also the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Now some words about the British Constitution. The British Constitution is a product of many historical events. Unlike the constitutions of most other countries, it is not set out in any single document. Instead it is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. The constitution can be changed by Act of Parliament, or by general agreement to alter a convention. Cabinet of ministers The Cabinet is a small body (of about 20 persons) of ministers selected by the Prime Minister. Cabinet never votes – the Prime Minister’s decision is final. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen, and all other ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Most ministers are members of the Commons, although the Government is also fully represented by ministers in the Lords. The Prime Minister is, by tradition, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. The Prime Minister’s unique position of authority derives from majority support in the House of Commons and from the power to appoint and dismiss ministers. By modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the House of Commons. The Prime is responsible for the allocation of functions among ministers and informs the Queen at regular meetings of the general business of the Government. The Prime Ministers Office is situated at 11 Downing Street. The functions of the Cabinet are initiating and deciding on policy, the supreme control of government and the co-ordination of government departments. The Cabinet meets in private and its proceedings are confidential. Its members are bound by their oath as Privy Counsellors not to disclose information about its proceedings, although after 30 years Cabinet papers may be made available for inspection. So Great Britain is the constitutional monarchy. Monarch is the Head of the State. But Queen or King rules with the support of the parliament. And practically monarch has no real political power. The main political decisions are made by the Parliament and Cabinet. And the House of Commons are more powerful.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Alternate History In Watchmen

Alternate History In Watchmen The film, Watchmen presents a story within an alternate version of history. How do the filmmakers set out this alternate history, and what messages are the filmmakers trying to portray with the way this alternate history plays itself out as compared to the way our real history has played out? Alternate history has always been an important literary device in the fiction genre. Authors and filmmakers from all over the world use it to enhance their medium. Alan Moores V for Vendetta and Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds are examples of what has come before and now; the Watchmen can be placed in the same class. The definition of an alternative history is: A genre of fiction in which the author speculates on how the course of history might have been altered if a particular historical event had had a different outcome (Collins English Dictionary-2011). Moore did this in V for Vendetta by creating Britain as a fascist Big Brother state in the 1980s that is led to revolution by a masked vigilante. Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds created an alternate history by leading some Jewish soldiers on a Nazi killing spree, including the violent execution of Adolf Hitler. This paper will explore how the filmmakers of the Watchmen set out to plan and create an alternate modern history using real world events. It will also look at the message the filmmakers are trying to portray through this false history rather that of historical reality. To truly answer these questions, first the history and plot of Watchmen must be explained further; then it is necessary to explore critical examples of the alternative history and how they support the plot of the film; and finally, reviewing the production elements and screenplay which brought this alternative history to life on screen. Watchmen takes place in an alternate history of 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and features the Doomsday Clock charting the USAs tension with the Soviet Union and predicts how far the human race is away from nuclear holocaust, which is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. The story starts when a character named The Comedian is assassinated by being thrown out of his apartment window. One of the characters, Rorschach, sets out to discover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting support group, The Watchmen a not so super group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers, Doctor Manhattan Rorschach finds a wide-ranging and truly disturbing conspiracy theory with links to all of their past and terrible consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity and protect it from its self-destructing behavior. The film is a adaptation of the twelve part comic book series (1986-1987) written by Alan Moore. The comic has left a huge legacy that Moore could never imagine. Watchmen was the only graphic novel to appear on Times 2005 All-TIME 100 Greatest Novels list. Watchmen is a 2009 Hollywood comic book film directed by Zack Snyder and the screenplay is by David Hayter and Alex Tse. On March the 6, 2009 the film was released. In its opening weekend in America alone the film grossed $55,214,334 million dollars, and a further  £3,243,001 here in the United Kingdom (IMDB, 2011). It unfortunately came out to mixed reviews and a short cinema run. Many film magazines could not quite make up their minds whether they liked it or not. The Wall-Street Journal described the Watchmen film as, the spiritual equivalent of being whacked on the skull for 163 minutes. The reverence is inert, the violence noxious, the mythology murky, the tone grandiose, the texture glutinous. (Joe Morgenstern, 2009) The filmmakers showed this alternate version of history through many different means. One scene in the film where this is most evident is the opening title sequence. The sequence uses a time-line of popular historical events from the 1930s to 1985 where the story begins. This scene is where the audience is first exposed to the alternate historical world of the Watchmen. In the Watchmen Film Companion, director, Zack Snyder said, Storyboards where essential to helping the crew create the world of the Watchmen (Snyder, 2009). This was made up of vignettes not touched upon often in the graphic novel or created for the film. The sequence of historical events was designed to make the audience re-imagine the past and to get them to see the world through what Snyder calls a Watchmen lens. Zacks title treatment very cleverly brings a lot of the books texture of the film, while also providing the audience with an opportunity to get up to speed with the world of Watchmen.'(Loyd Levin, 2009) Another article in The Watchmen Film Companion described the title sequence as a research project. A section of the scene consists of recreating the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The alternate version of history here is that the character The Comedian rather than Lee Harvey Oswald shoots Kennedy. Snyder and Hayter sifted through many conspiracy theory web sites and hundreds of historical and political documents from the JFK Records act of 1992 to study the fine detail of the day; Such as the positions of the motorcade (Snyder, 2009). This allowed Snyder and his team to effectively plan a believable alternative to the known history of the Kennedy assassination. They did this in order to present us with a statement about growing corruption within the USA government especially the military branch. This has connections to the story because The Comedian was hired after the assassination to intervene with Dr. Manhattan in Vietnam and carry out Black-Ops missions by order of Richard Nix on. The next example in the title sequence of the Watchmen alternate history they set out in the film is a change to the famous Times Square Kiss photo. Instead of the historically correct photograph of the sailor kissing the female nurse in Times Square, we see a superhero from the novel called Silhouette, who walks up and kisses the nurse. This of course would not happen in the nineteen-forties. This is because homosexuality was reviled and not accepted in public places. Also at this time homosexuality was illegal in America. After watching the title sequence the audience is well acquainted with the Watchmen world, therefore making it one of the most important scenes in the whole film. The scene effectively and concisely brings us up to date with all the important events in the Watchmen universe. One of the differences between reality and the films is comic books compared to our comic books. In our reality our comic books have always been mainly themed with superheroes, where as in the Watchmen reality their comic books are themed with pirates as the heroes. We have always been used to superheroes in our comic books because they let us escape into a fictional version of our daily lives. In the film superheroes are already a well-integrated part in society within the Watchmen universe. So in the graphic novel and the directors cut of Watchmen there is a comic within the comic called Tales of The Black Freighter. The comic in the film and book is being read by a young teenager boy named Bernard at the New Frontiersman newspaper stall. The story revolves around pirates being the superheroes of the the Watchmen reality. This gives readers and viewers the chance to see another small part of the Watchmen world. Black Freighter as mentioned above is a comic book about pirates but it also serves as a metaphor for war. This is due to the subject matter of being left alone to your own thoughts after being subjected to horrific acts and desperation caused by killing and isolation. There is one principle difference in this area between the film and the graphic novel. In the novel, the dialogue from the newspaper stalls owner, also named Bernard, is a spoken narrative that parallels directly with the written narrative of the Black Freighter, where as the animated Black Freighter film in the directors cut only uses the dialogue from the Black Freighter comic book story line. The filmmakers included this sub plot only into the directors cut because they needed to cut down on the running time for the theatrical release. Black Freighter was released as a separate DVD a month after the film was released in the United Kingdom. The art department used this comic as a prop to help aid in the scene transitions within the film. Now to look at another reason the alternate history in the Watchmen works so well is because of the production elements in the film. Part of the charm of Watchmen is the detail the novel goes into to create the alternate 1985 where Richard Nixon leads the United States to victory in Vietnam and continues his fascist hold over the White House. The book includes intermittent documents and testimony relating the history of the masked hero movement leading up to the action taking place within the comic frames. There are fictional biographies, scientific records,and photographs. The production designer had this to say, The parallel universe has been set up so beautifully. It really puts the audience square into a new kind of history. By the time you get to the end of it, even reading it on the storyboards, you start questioning, Which part of that was real again? (Alex McDowell, 2009) Luckily, the important attention to detail has not been lost on the art department for Watchmen, like the newsreel video mock-up and, now, images from The New Frontiersman the fictional newspaper of the alternate universe. The filmmakers not only did this for the fans of the comic, but to take that alternate history one step closer to reality. This allows for audiences to be captivated. The filmmakers are trying to prove a point that the world has descended into chaos. They want us to feel connected but yet detached from this odd world. One example the art department used as a focal feature in the film demonstrates this effectively. It is a campaign propaganda poster for Richard Nixons fifth term. The photo of Nixon has devil horns and Mickey Mouse ears drawn on it. Also a small swastika is drawn in on the bottom left hand corner. This type of image when seen by the public can hold strong feelings, as many people still remember Nixon. So it can be unsettling for some people as they are taken into this alternate history. In the book Easily Led: History of Propaganda by Oliver Thomson, he explains that when people add to a propaganda message it then becomes art and the will of the people (Thomson, 1999). This is what the filmmakers set out to do. They wanted us to have a political figure that was disliked and forced from office and easily remembered. It allowed for the filmmakers and art department once again to show the civil unrest and deep changes to history in the story. This is a reflection on our own reality as at the time we had assassination attempts on Ronald Reagan, Soviets shot down a Korean airliner and Reagan also announced a series of defense plans called Star Wars in 1983. All of these real life current events are used to support the movies cold war theme. The role of Richard Nixon is supported by an extremely well crafted screenplay. Screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse cleverly blend the real Nixon history with a believable alternative history. In reality the United States of America has a fixed allocation of two terms for their presidents. This provides the country with the ability to never become a dictatorship and to have new governments with new ideas always changing hands. In the world of the Watchmen, however, this is different. In the story, when the United States goes to war with Vietnam, America wins. The government sends over the only superhero with powers, Doctor Manhattan, and to assist him The Comedian. The filmmakers give us strong images of the two characters burning down entire fields and villages. The audience is also told that quickly after Dr. Manhattan becomes involved, the high ranking Vietcong decide to surrender to him in person. We are faced with The Comedian violently killing Vietnamese natives and the mot her of his child for what he describes as the fun of it(Moore, 1986). This allowed the filmmakers to truly change the course of modern history. They tried to tell us that if in fact America had won the war the world might have been worse off than better. One reason for this is because in the alternative history story, Nixon repealed the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, so there is no longer a fixed term on a President after the Vietnam War. This means America has turned into something modeling totalitarian dictatorship. In reality, of course, Nixon is the only American President who was forced to resign the presidency following the Watergate scandal. Nixon was blamed for being a staunch conservative who undermined his advisers on several occasions, such as in 1971 when he started the U.S. War on Drugs and ignoring the Shafer Commission Report in 1972. When Nixon took office he was also disliked by the growing left for escalating the Vietnam war in 1971. The filmmakers do not stop there when it comes to alternate history. They make it so Vietnam becomes the 51st state to join the United States. The filmmakers where trying to convey a message of a country thats becoming power mad. Its almost a metaphor for what if the left wing lost in the 1960s and 1970s. Its as if the filmmakers are trying to put forward a point about our own modern liberal cultures and how we could be making the same mistakes in Iraq war and the war on Afghanistan. Another example of how the screenplay was essential to the telling of the story was because the writers had to complete draft after draft to convince the studio that the original graphic novel of the Watchmen would make a better script.When the studio had me come in to read the screenplay I was shocked. They wanted it done in a modern setting and to have a comment on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I said why? So we met up, tore the thing to shreds and went back to the drawing board.'(Zack Snyder, 2010) This quote is discussing the idea that the studio wanted a modern updated version of the Watchmen, mainly because the audience of 2009 could identify better with the current state of affairs and to take away some of the Cold War apocalyptic tensions from the 1980s. Some studio executives thought this would be a better idea since most of the target audiences for Snyders films wont have been born during the Cold War era. Luckily the film stuck closely with the comic and allowed for the message of the book to be conveyed easily through the movie. The filmmakers are trying to put across the message that no matter who wins or loses the world will always keep changing and war keeps us ripped apart and mentally impoverished. In conclusion as you can see by exploring the history, plot and art department as to how and why the filmmakers set out on creating the alternate history of the Watchmen. It also talked about how the Richard Nixon and the Vietnam war alternate history sent the world into turbulence. Also it discussed the opening title sequence and how it set the historical tone for the whole film. The film itself on a entertainment level is wonderful. But when you sit down and study this amazing film you can not help but be astonished by the amazing level of detail and work that Snyder and his team put into creating the alternate history. These examples have shown that the alternate history in Watchmen is the key to proving the filmmakers point, such as what Quentin Tarantino and Alan Moore achieved through alternate histories. Watchmens creators point was that nothing in the world can ever be safe and no matter what happens human beings are self destructing by nature. Snyder accomplished this message by concentrating on the little things such as alternate branding, propaganda, media and the alteration of major historical events. The alternate historical events help to shape the story and the audiences feelings and the message they conceived the film to be about. The Watchmen film worked because of the level of detail mentioned above. If the film did not have the same care and attention that it did the alternate history would have muddled the plot and many political messages the story is famous for. This film stands alone because nothing has been done like it before thus it stands out from the crowd. The crew set out to make a film that challenged peoples ideas of comic book films and to tell a narrative of, what if? Despite differing opinions and little critical acclaim, the crew created a story from alternate history successfully and still managed to get their point across, something that has been lacking from most modern Hollywood comic book blockbusters.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Harmful Chemicals in Cosmetics Essay -- Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics

Although cosmetics became widely popular in the 1900s, tombs from 3100 B.C. have revealed that makeup originated in the first Egyptian Dynasty ("The History of Makeup", 1). Researchers found that these cosmetics contained ingredients that ranged from lead to cat dung; both of which are toxic. The use of toxic chemicals in cosmetics, such as coal tar, negatively impacts a person's health. Cosmetic companies put consumers' health at risk due to the use of toxic chemicals, marketing ploys and failure to properly regulate their own products and the chemicals they contain. While cosmetics pose dangerous risks to the human body in general, pregnant women and their fetus are especially vulnerable to the consequences of being exposed to these toxins. If some women are not willing to give up their cosmetics during pregnancy, the ingredients in makeup can be lethal to the fetus. Nail polishes and hair sprays contain substances called phthalates, which is more commonly known as a plasticizer and can be found in the material to make rain coats and garden hoses, and its purpose is to make plastic more flexible but still strong (â€Å"Controversy Over Phthalates in Cosmetics† par 1) .When phthalates are absorbed into the skin, they could harm the fetus and, in baby boys, they could cause irregular genitals. Another ingredient, methylisothiazoline (or MIT for short), can be found in everyday shampoos and body washes such as Head and Shoulders, Suave and Pantene Hair conditioner, products a pregnant woman may very well use, and tests have shown that exposure to this ingredient could cause abnormal brain development in the fetus ("Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage" par 2). However, these chemicals can cause health defi... ...rench, Christy T. "History of Makeup" (2004): Authors Den. 20, September, 2011. Web. Mercola, Joseph. "How Dangerous are Your Cosmetics?" (2011): Mercola.com: Take Control of Your Health. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. Reid, Brian. "Controversy Over Phthalates in Cosmetics" (2011): Our Stolen Future. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. Rudow, Barbara. Turning Green (2008): California: Scobre Press Corporation. Pages 3, 14, 33. Print. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (2011): Environmental Working Group. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. â€Å"Coal Tar Hair Dyes: Hair Care Cautions† (2011): Hairfinder: Hair Styles, Hair Care & Fashion. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. "Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Can be Cancer Risks" (2011): Cancer Prevention Coalition. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. "Natural and Organic Beauty Products: Behind the Facade" (2011): Articlesbase: Free Online Articles Directory. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Heinz Case Study

Company made a corporate move that framed the course of their future business model. In order to increase their competitiveness, Heinz had to come up with a business strategy that would rival competitors. According to the case study, the dominant corporate strategy has been Identified as a directional strategy, which was based on analyzing the company's orientation toward growth. It was noted that the company needed to: 1) cut back on operations by simplifying their business model, 2) diversify the business to increase growth, and 3) grow nationally and globally through a merger which would also reduce debt.The first step in the strategy included streamlining their product selection which would refocus the company's business model, while also offering more flexibility. Heinz had decided to allow their two main food platforms to be the highlight of the company: meal enhancers (which included condiments of all types) and meal and snacks (including frozen and shelf-stable goods and the same made for the food service industry). In doing so, they could focus more attention to detail on their successful products such as packaging and quality, Instead of spreading themselves thin by splitting powerless with struggling products and brands.The second strategy Included Increasing growth by diversifying business. Heinz did so by engaging In concentric diversification with the Del Monte Company. By creating a synergistic relationship with a like-minded food company, Heinz was able to take stock of their product lines, figure out strengths and weakness of each, and identify which of the products would benefit from a strategic fit with Del Mote's input regarding approach and knowledge in production, marketing and/or sales. This allowed both companies to converge, growing both individually and together, thereby increasing profits and company growth.In fact, it was expected that as Whine's revenue increased by twenty percent, Del Mote's company would double in size. Lastly, th e business merger of Heinz with Del Monte Foods has not only Increased wealth, but It has reduced the debt. By allowing Its shareholders to assume a 0. 45 share of stock In Del Monte for every share that they owned In Heinz, this also allowed Del Monte to acquire twenty percent of Whine's debt. This essentially made those shareholders the majority owners in the new Del Monte. Additionally, more debt was alleviated when Heinz was able to condense dividends by thirty-three recent, which generated extra monetary flow.By 2004, Heinz was able to change its organizational structure which showcased its horizontal growth. They were able to venture into new markets through their band acquisitions from Del Monte, and created a strong presence in the following markets: North America, U. S. Foddering, Europe, Asia/Pacific, and smaller markets in Latin America, Africa, India, and the Middle East. Across the board, this resulted in profitable diversification In revenue. The appropriateness of thi s directional strategy seems to have worked In the Heinz Company's favor.Instead of continuing to be weighed down by debt, and an over-bloated portfolio of products (all of which were not profitable), the merger helped to alleviate most of the problems. If they had chose to only focus on a of debt acquired by Del Monte. Also by not choosing a parenting strategy, they allowed for more of a partnership between companies instead of a one holding more power than the other. The directional strategy seemed to offer the best combination (portfolio attention and a synergy relationship) of the latter two strategies, which worked best for the goals that Heinz Company had in mind for their own personal growth.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Dangers of Obedience to Authority: Writing and Reading Across the Cirriculum

As a child growing up, everyone was told â€Å"respect your elders† or â€Å"listen and obey†. As children grow into teenagers, they start pushing the boundaries to see who they really need to obey. Throughout adulthood, though people have fewer and fewer authority figures as the years go by, everyone must obey someone. Though we all have someone to obey, when does the respectful obedience cross the line into dangerous territory? Obedience becomes dangerous when it becomes physically or mentally harmful to one’s self or society.Physical abuse to one’s self or another person is dangerous, period. What is even more frightening is when someone hurts themselves or others due to an authority figure’s direct influence on them. In the infamous psychologist, Stanley Milgram’s, experiment, people were told to administer shock to a peer for not answering a question correctly. This experiment shows the dangers of obeying authority. Though the â€Å"pee rs† were acting, the subjects fully believed they were truly administering shock to another human being.This shows that the line between respectful obedience to an authority figure and a dangerous subservience to a fear striking leader is crossed when one person begins or attempts to injure one’s self or another because of a fearful obligation placed upon them. Some may argue that police officers cross the line when they use â€Å"excessive force† on a perpetrator because they are hurting another person due to the description of their job by the local government. While this is a valid point, if an officer is forced to cause physical harm to someone, he or she has been provoked by the offender and are simply doing their job.Mental or emotional abuse is generally not the first thing most people think of when they hear the word obedience. Though it is not often spoken of, mental abuse occurs often when an authority figure abuses their power to break down the psychol ogical barriers that one may have in order to get the person to obey. This tactic was used in the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment† when the â€Å"guards† began calling the â€Å"prisoners† by their numbers instead of names and granted admission to the â€Å"privileged cell† in order to maintain control over the prisoners. Because of the psychological games played by ome authority figures, the line between obedience and danger is crossed and can become harmful to a person’s incredibly fragile mental health, causing them to have thoughts of suicide or murder. Some may argue that mind games are the safest and easiest way to keep structure and order when dealing with a person of lesser authority. However, psychological warfare, such as the mind games that were used in the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment†, can leave some of the worst scars on a person due to post traumatic stress disorder as well as depression which can lead to suicide.Obedienc e to society is not often thought of when dealing with this particular topic. The power of a majority is usually far underestimated. Just as shown in the article â€Å"The Power of Situations† with the line test, most people will override their own eyes to believe what they are told the majority believes or thinks. Society can be a very harmful entity when trying to influence the masses. This statement especially applies when dealing with teenagers. For example, when most teenagers are in a situation where they feel everyone else is doing something they know is wrong, they will usually â€Å"go with the flow† and follow what the crowd does.In a study conducted by the â€Å"D. A. R. E. † group showed that, while people who try to pressure teens to smoke say â€Å"everyone does it†, in fact only 11% percent of teens actually smoke. Though teen smoking at all is not good, 11% is much better than everyone. Some may say that obedience to society is promoting c onformity which is good for our justice system as well as the status quo. However, the idea that everyone must be the same, think the same, and have the same emotions is not only sad, but also nips creative thinking in the bud.Without creative thinkers, how would our world see in the dark? Conformity is alright to an extent, but when it impedes progress, it becomes a danger to society and future generations. While a due respect and obedience should be given to authority figures, obedience that becomes harmful, psychologically or physically, to oneself or society in general, crosses the line into the danger zone where it could harm an actual human being or the creative thoughts inside that person.