Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Lotus Sutra- three parables Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Lotus Sutra- three parables - Research Paper Example This analysis will consist of their summary as well as their meanings and applications to the modern society. Expedient means of teaching use everyday life experiences to enlighten people. Buddhism uses expedient means to skillfully device ways of teaching people and leads them to salvation. A Buddhist teaching is referred to as a true teaching only when it leads them to enlightenment and Buddha hood. The reason for applying expedient means of teachings is to reach the close-minded audience, for whom the teachings of Buddha are directed. All these teachings are goal oriented, and aimed at reaching the Truth of the One Vehicle, that is, The Lotus Sutra. Expedient means of teaching are delivered depending on the listeners listening and understanding ability as will be described in this paper. Parable of the Burning House Buddha narrated the parable of the burning house. This narrative was about a rich man who lived in an old large house that was near crumbling. The house was in such po or condition that all forms of creatures roamed around its hallways. The house had many people living in it, about five hundred. The house seemed haunted with pure evil. The rich owner had left the house and gone out for awhile. Upon his return, he found the house on fire (Watson and Kanai, 2010). The worn out partitions crumbled as the fire spread to the rest of the house, burning even the creatures that inhabited it. The most agonizing point is that the rich man’s sons were inside the burning house, playing games. The man sounded an alarm and shouted warnings to his sons to come out of the evil possessed and burning house, but to no avail. Instead, the sons continued playing their games ignoring their father’s pleas. To lure them out, the rich man devised a trick, where he told the boys that there were plenty of gifts waiting at the gate. He named goat carts, deer carts, and bullock carts for his sons. To entice them, he described the gifts as explicitly made for his sons, and the trick worked. His sons came out of the burning house to where their father was. This made their father happy, and he was pleased that his sons were safe. Then the sons demanded the gifts that their father had promised them, which was no problem because their rich father had many gifts in store (Watson and Kanai, 2010). The man offered his sons more magnificent carts that enormous than the ones he had promised them. The carts were ox drawn as opposed to the deer, goat, and bullock carts promised. The sons were extremely pleased and enjoyed their new gifts immensely, much to the satisfaction and content of their father. Meaning and Relevance of the Burning House Parable When the Buddha completes the story, he likens himself to the father in the story. The decaying and crumbling house represents the three-fold world. The old man’s children in the story are the disciples, whereas the ox carts symbolize true liberation. Just like the rich man, Buddha is the owner of all things in the world, and all living things are his children. Buddha remarks that the living, his children, is so attached to worldly possessions that they ignore teachings and instructions. In fact, they lack understanding and wisdom to analyze this world critically and identify the right path. When the man gave his sons the gifts, he did this out of love for his sons. In addition, he had many gifts, so much, that

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Organisational Change and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organisational Change and Development - Essay Example Thus, the distinct ideology that is neoliberalism is said to have descended from, but different to liberalism. This interpretation portrays neoliberalism as sharing historical roots with liberalism. The study of neoliberal ideology in detail is somewhat hard since no writer has written about neoliberalism from sympathy or neutrality. Virtually everyone who has written about the subject has criticized the ideology. Neoliberalism has ushered the return of one liberal aspect: economic liberalism. Economic liberalism is the belief that state governments should not control their economies; instead, this should be left to individuals and market institutions in self and free-regulating markets. Economic liberalism and neoliberalism should be separated from liberalism in word and deed, which, as a political ideology is applicable to constitutional changes and reviews, legal/administrative reform implementation leaning towards democracy and freedom. According to Harvey (2005, 20), â€Å"we l ive in the age of neoliberalism.† Many neoliberals share the same sentiments, but not necessarily factual, that power and wealth are, to an increasing degree, concentrated within powerful transnational entities and elite groups because of neoliberalism, which is the practical implementation of a political and economic ideology. Neoliberalism is also a dominant ideology influencing the world today. Neoliberalism is seen as a wholly new paradigm for policymaking and economic theory and implementation (Doepke, 2005). This ideology is behind the recent stage in development of capitalist society. Neoliberalism includes monetarism and other correlated approaches, and dominates policy making in microeconomics, and the subsequent implementation. This is shown by relaxation of economic state regulations, and emphasis is put on economic policy stability. The possibility of the existence of a free regulating market is a vital assumption in classical liberalism and among neoliberals, as w ell. Efficient and effective resource allocation is the most important function of an economic mechanism, and market mechanisms are the most efficient ways for resource allocation. Government economic interventions are usually undesirable, because intervention usually undermines the gains of market fine-tuning, and thus reduction economic efficiency. Governments have to guarantee the integrity and quality of money (Doepke, 2005). They must also set up functional, legal structures needed to access and secure rights on private property. Governments also ought to guarantee survival and functioning of markets by use of alternative means like force if need be (Friedman, 2006). Beyond these state responsibilities, the government ought not to feature anywhere and must play in the confines of its roles. According to neoliberalism, once markets have been created; state interventions in these markets must be at minimum levels. This is attributed to the fact that the state cannot possibly have sufficient information to comprehend market signals/prices. Another explanation is the fact that powerful and influential interest groups or individuals will probably distort state interventions in pursuance of their personal whims. This mostly happens in democratic societies (Harvey, 2005, 5). ‘Everything changes so that everything remains the same’ expounds the belief that the world is experiencing massive turns towards

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Healthcare Quality Strategy Nursing Essay

The Healthcare Quality Strategy Nursing Essay This essay will discuss a significant event in relation to the peoples priorities identified within the Healthcare Quality Strategy. It will also discuss my role as a student nurse in relation to a patient who is receiving palliative care. The essay will demonstrate my understanding and views on reflection and the issues surrounding my practice. I have chosen Gibbs (1988) reflective framework as it has a structured format and six steps which follow in order starting with a description of the event and ending with an action plan for future practice. The steps are Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action Plan (Gray, 2007). Reid, (1993) describes reflection as a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice. In May 2010, the Scottish Government introduced the Healthcare Quality Strategy for NHS Scotland, their aim is to deliver the peoples priorities which are: firstly caring and compassionate staff and services, good communication and a clear explanation about conditions and treatments, effective teamwork between clinicians, patients and others, a clean and safe care environment, continuity of care and clinical excellence. Secondly, to bring together the patients priorities as well as the values of everyone working within the NHS Scotland. Thirdly, by applying these three interventions and putting them into practice improvements within priority areas of the Healthcare Quality Strategy will be met (Scottish Government, 2010, p.6). This reflective account will focus on the importance of communication and how it can affect individuals. It will identify if the priority was met in relation to my significant event and it will further clarify its importance (Scottish Government, 2010, p.6). Description Whilst on my Management Placement I met Janet, she is 65 years old and has been admitted to my ward for palliative care. She has end stage bowel cancer and is awaiting a bed at the local hospice. All names have been changed to protect her identity and maintain confidentiality (NMC, 2008). Janets GP has requested that she be admitted onto the ward as she is now confined to bed because of increased pain and a general deterioration of her condition (Dougan and Colquhoun, 2006). Feelings Whilst carrying out my training as a student nurse, I have met a number of palliative patients and I feel that I lack confidence when communicating with these patients and their families at this difficult time. However, whilst on this placement I was able to build up a good rapport with Janet and her family and this allowed me to provide good patient centred care (NMC, 2008). Therefore when dealing with Janet and her family at this difficult time I must treat Janet as an individual (NMC, 2008) and I must provide the best care for my patient and be caring and compassionate always (Scottish Government, 2010, p.6). I was privileged to have the opportunity to be involved in Janets care as well as working within a ward of clinical excellence (Scottish Government, 2010, p.6). Evaluation When caring for palliative patients a holistic approach with continuity of care is extremely important and all nurses have a central role in providing information, care and support (Kennedy and Lockhart, 2007). Excellent communication and good interpersonal skills are paramount when caring for Janet, it is important not only to establish Janets wants and needs but also her families. It is imperative when relaying any information to Janet or her family make sure they understand it, if not explain the information to them again (NMC, 2008). Also when dealing with members of the multi-disciplinary team, effective teamwork is imperative again providing Janet and her family with continuity of care and the clinical excellence they require from all staff. I feel the Quality Strategy aim was achieved, as all staff when looking after Janet dealt with her in a caring and reassuring manner at all times, in turn providing Janet with the best care, whilst she was on the ward (Scottish Government, 2010). Analysis Palliative care helps to improve the quality of life for patients and their families who have to come to terms with the difficulties associated with life threatening illness. It is about identifying the patients needs through accurate assessment, good symptom control and sensitive nursing care (Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care, 2012). When planning Janets care I must take a holistic approach and look at her physical, psychological, social, emotional and environmental needs. This included not only the patient, the hospital and any multi-disciplinary team members but also her husband and any other family members she would like involved (Dougherty and Lister, 2011). As Janets condition could change from day to day her care plan was reviewed on a daily basis and updated accordingly (Dougan and Colquhoun, 2006). Good communication is paramount when dealing with my patient, it is important to listen and support them and make sure any information they have been given, do they understand it, if not explain it to them again (NMC, 2008). It is also important to document any care given to the patient in accordance with the NMC guidance on record keeping (NMC, 2009). In addition to caring for Janet on the ward I was given the opportunity to go to the Hospice and meet with Janets palliative care nurse and also be included in her multi-disciplinary team meeting. This again highlighted the importance of good communication and good record keeping as all team members are aware of Janets circumstances and can pick up her file and know exactly what is happening with Janet at any given moment (Nice, 2004). This meant that when I was communicating with Janet and her family I was more confident and I was able to communicate in a language that they understood (Dunne, 2005). As well as building a trusting relationship between nurse and patient, good communication skills again helps to reduce fear and anxiety at this stressful time (Dunne, 2005). When dealing with patients who are receiving palliative care the peoples priorities are relevant. All nurses must be able to make the patient as comfortable as possible, be aware of their wants and needs and provide a safe and clean environment (Scottish Government, 2010, p.6). On reflection this event has brought further awareness of the level of involvement of staff members from nursing auxiliaries, nurses and consultants. This was shown by the number of multi-disciplinary meetings, assessments, re-assessments, written correspondence and working hours placed into looking after this patient (NMC, 2009). All staff members were committed to providing the correct input and treatment for this patient and to make her last few days as comfortable as possible (Scottish Government, 2008). Conclusion This reflection has demonstrated the difficultly in caring for palliative care patients. It requires a holistic approach to ensure that the patient and their family receive the best possible attention. Nurses have a duty to ensure that the care they deliver is of an acceptable standard (NMC, 2008). While participating in ward rounds I took on board the doctors instructions and carried out and prioritised the care of my patient, therefore making Janets stay in hospital as comfortable as possible. The code provides values, which can be adapted to any setting and as long as these are followed, nurses will be able to carry out their legal and professional duty of care (NMC, 2008). Action Plan Palliative care is a sensitive subject to deal with but I feel that as long as you treat the patient as an individual, listen to their wants and needs, then a positive outcome can be accomplished. Communication and good interpersonal skills are once again highlighted as an essential part of good nursing practice. I must be an effective communicator and be able to provide a high standard of care at all times and this is imperative when dealing with palliative care patients. I must keep my knowledge and skills up to date (NMC, 2008). Identify Steps Through experience of this placement and in relation to my transition from student nurse to staff nurse; the steps to facilitate an improvement and development would be to ensure effective communication with all staff and all members of the multidisciplinary team. This includes accurate record keeping and collection of all relevant information from the patient and their family in order to deliver safe effective patient care. It also promotes a positive nurse patient relationship and offers reassurance at this difficult time (Dunne, 2005). In addition palliative care does not only deal with cancer patients but with patients who have long term chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease and respiratory problems, therefore palliative care is relevant today and also in the future because we will be caring for an ageing population (Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care, 2012) In conclusion and in relation to The Healthcare Quality Strategy I feel that Janet was looked after in a caring and compassionate manner at all times and the nursing auxiliaries and nurses looking after Janet worked well together putting her first and treating her with respect at all times (Scottish Government, 2010). Conclusion In conclusion and in relation to The Health Quality Strategy and my transition from student to nurse, Bowie (2010) states that positive practice should be highlighted as it allows others to learn from it and provides opportunities to improve the safety of patient care. Reflecting on these events has helped me to identify areas where practice needs improvement and given me a greater insight into my own role as a registered nurse.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Effective Leaderhsip Roles of Sport Team Captains Essay -- Team Le

Captains of sports teams are given the stereotype that they are the most athletic player on the team, scoring the most goals and handling the ball best. In truth, captains have a lot of work they have to do that doesn’t even involve playing the sport. Captains are the most looked at player of the game; other players, younger kids and coaches look to them to set examples. They have to set examples in every aspect of the game; athleticism might be part of their job but it is not limited to it. The captain of any sports team must set the leadership standard for commitment, confidence, intelligence, and attitude.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Any captain of a sports team must be committed and dedicated to their team. A captain must ensure that they are present and on time for every practice and game which he or she is intended to be at. Captains have many roles during practices, they are the first one there helping set up drills and organizing the practice. They need to make sure everyone is on the playing area on time and leading the warm-ups. The captain must lead by example by showing that he or she is there to practice or play his or her best and that everyone should give it their all, all the time (Mosher, 1981). They need to show that nothing else matters when that are playing or practicing; everyone’s mind should be strictly focused on the coach if he or she is talking, or the play they are working on, or the game they are in. The captain must be a strong leader and show dedication towards his or her sport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As well as being dedicated to be at all the team’s events, the captain must have the commitment to know all the plays and roles of all the positions. He or she is the key person that everyone looks up to; if someone is confused about a play, they must be able to go to his or her captain and find the answer they are looking for. The captain must be available before and after the practice to answer any questions put forward by his or her team mates (Brearley, 2000). The captain should be like an instruction manual for anyone who needs it, he or she will help show and tell others how to do a job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another major role for the captain is to be committed to talk to the players and the coaches and be the link between them. The captain must ensure that there is a constant flow of communication between the players and coaching staff. To accomplish this, the captai... ...during the game the captain should be involved for support or stopping depending on the situation. In small hockey towns, for example, all the young children in the town look up to the captain of the local hockey team. If the captain is seen doing something wrong, it is looked negatively upon; he or she must keep a positive status for themselves and for the team. The captain must have the intelligence to dissect problems that have to do with his or her team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The captain has the potential to effect more results than the assistant coach and/or even the head coach. Captains leave effects on others on every level and interact with everyone; they have the capability of influencing the coach and teaching other players. Captains must ensure that they never step out of line and must keep his or her team in order. They have to have his or her mind on the sport constantly, and always be aware of what they are doing. Captains will always have a lot on their shoulders and coaches should look for more in a captain than just athletic ability. They should also look for commitment, confidence, and intelligence to ensure they choose the best person to lead their team to the championship.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Democracy Essay

Democracy is a means for the people to choose their leaders and to hold their leaders accountable for their policies and their conduct in office. The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life. Democracy is also a system of rule by laws, not by individuals. Democracy is not a government. It is a way of thinking and a responsibility. In a democracy there is no corruption in power because it is a transparent system; the governing doctrine states that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government, which allows for effective public oversight. Like a sculptor, democracy grows with its work and appreciates its art Citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues, to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their powers, and to express their own opinions and interest. Voting in election is another important civic duty of all citizens. But to vote wisely, each citizen should listen to the views of the different parties and candidates, and then, make his or her own decision on whom to support. It is important that women participate fully both in politics and in civil society. In a democracy, every citizen has certain basic rights that the state cannot take away from them You have the right to have your own beliefs, and to say and write what u think. No one can tell u what u must think, believe, and say or not say. There is freedom of religion. Everyone is free to choose their own religion and to worship and practice their religion as they see fit. Every individual has the right to enjoy their own culture, along with other members of their group, even if their group is minority. Democracy Essay 2 In a democracy, the rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government. In life there is no greater pursuit than that of equal voice. Every day people are fighting for the right to be heard. Democracy is that right on a grand scale. Democracy is not only being heard, but being listened to. Democracy is when u is given an equal vote on decisions that directly affect you. And when given this tremendous responsibility, people will surprise you. They rise to the occasion and educate themselves on the issues at hand. They also work hard to ensure that the next generation is knowledgeable. All citizens are equal under the law. No one may be discriminated against on the basis of their race religion, ethnic group, or gender. No one may be arrested, imprisoned, or exiled arbitrarily. No one is above the law, not even a king or an elected president In a democracy, the youth are educated. From birth they are taught that their voice matters and their vote counts. These are rights they must fight to maintain and will prosper from. No, democracies are not free of flaws. Some say that there is no way that something as simple as a popular vote could null the evils of unlawful power or social inequality. These woes are valid, but democracy can work. There are still consequences to right wrongs, and laws to help keep peace and balance. There is a difference between freedom and chaos. Without democracy, society suffers. In dictatorships there is no celebration of thought or creativity. A country cannot thrive if others; opinions are not appreciated. With only one opinion adhered to, the country will be at a standstill. As patience begins to wither, anger begins to rise like mercury in a thermometer. Each decision made with no consideration for those affected, every failed law, every time the system overlooks another citizen, every personal right Democracy Essay 3 is stolen, adds a degree to that temperature. Finally it becomes so hot that the citizens, like an overheated thermometer explode in anger; the people will revolt. This has happened many times in history. Our own country was built from this frustration and the fight for freedom. Without democracy, we lack progress in thought, technology, and polices; society is halted. The U. S. has thrived from our ability to create and then take said creations and improve them. Is this not the age of today? We do, want to, and communicate everything now. Without the right to improve, we would never have developed the technological world we live in. Without the voice to express innovative ideas, without the freedom to explore, we would never have achieved what we have. Stuck in the past we would stay. What would we do without progress? Democracy, like a car, gives you what you put into it. If u built it to be unhealthy, then it will pollute the air with poison. If you do not maintain its engine, it will fail you. The power of education fuels it forward, and most importantly people decide its fate.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bailout Plan

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, enacted on October 3, 2008, is a law that gives the United States Secretary of the Treasury authority to spend $700 billion to buy mortgage-backed securities from the banks. The law aims to purchase these so-called bad assets and hopefully restore confidence to the credit market. The law is more commonly known as the â€Å"bailout† since it intends to rescue the major financial institutions of the US from the subprime mortgage crisis that had reached its tipping point by September 2008.The idea was originally conceived by President George W.  Bush and Henry Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury. Although it is already approved, the plan met several criticism. The main criticism is its effect on the general economy of the United States. For one, the bailout would mean an increase in the US budget for 2009 which already stands at $3. 1 trillion. This would also mean that the annual budget deficit of the US would further increase a nd may exceed $1 trillion. The bailout is also criticized because it implies that the mistake made by the banks would now be shouldered by American taxpayers.Majority of surveys conducted showed that the American public opposed the bailout saying that it was wrong for the government to use taxpayer's money to save the banks which caused the problem in the first place. It is interesting to note that the proposal was not only opposed by the public but also by economists and investors. Another problem of the law is the assumption that the securities bought by the government may increase in value sometime in the future and could be sold for a profit.This is a rather big assumption since there is in fact no assurance that it come true. While the bailout may have helped investor confidence and temporarily stop the decline of the US economy, its true effect will likely be felt sometime in the near future. The bailout is still a short-term solution to a possible long-term problem. If the US economy intends to recover from this crisis, it should study the alternatives proposed and see if it is feasible to implement them.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Social Control and the Salem Witch Trials Research Paper Example

Social Control and the Salem Witch Trials Research Paper Example Social Control and the Salem Witch Trials Paper Social Control and the Salem Witch Trials Paper Essay Topic: Sociology In life, individuals form groups to obtain a desired good more effectively. This good typically cannot be produced individually, and this particular goods availability is generally limited outside the group. Thus, it seems that it is in an individuals best interest to remain a part of this group and work effectively with other members to produce their desired collective good. However, when members are faced with two opposing courses of action, one which will benefit their individual end and the other that will benefit the group collectively, there are always group members that will choose to pursue the individual end. Using the factors that affect group solidarity it is possible to explain why deviants sometimes pursue their own individual self-interest, and conversely, what causes some latent deviants to remain reputable group members committed to the solidarity of the group. In his book Principles of Group Solidarity, Michael Hechter lists several factors that effect group solidarity. According to Hechter, group solidarity can be defined as each group members willingness to contribute to the interest of the entire group, or the public. Within the group, solidarity varies for two main reasons; the extensiveness of each individuals obligations, and each individuals compliance with their obligations. Dissecting each of these reasons Hechter concludes that an individuals extensiveness of their group obligations will increase when each group member is dependent on one another to produce their desired good. Also, an individuals compliance with their group obligations will increase when the group is effectively monitored, and when sanctions are properly levied. Thus, according to Hechter, a group will exhibit solidarity when the members are interdependent on one another to produce their desired good, and an appropriate system of monitoring exists that yields sanctions to deviants. Nevertheless, group solidarity is only as strong as the group member most willing to deviate from their obligations to the group and pursue their own self-interest. Hechter explains that the rational egoist will choose the course of action that, given the information available to them and their ability to process it, they think will produce maximum utility. (Hechter, 30) If the rational egoist chooses to pursue an individual end, rather than the collective interest of the group, this decision could lead to the eventual downfall of the group. Given this account, one would be led to believe that at any time rational group members would deviate from the group in order to satisfy their own self-interests. But as we are about to see, the factors outlined earlier exist to prevent latent deviants from pursuing their individual end. Furthermore, there are some cases when it truly is in the best interest of the individual to pursue the end that will benefit the group collectively, because in turn they will benefit greater from that course of action. We will now look at several examples to show what factors influence the solidarity of a group. Initially, lets consider a rotating credit association, in which a group of individuals contribute to a common fund that is held by each individual for a certain length of time. In order to form such an organization, group solidarity must exist. Each member of the group must feel a sense of dependence on the other members to comply with their obligation to regularly contribute to the fund. Ordinarily, members of a rotating credit association know a great deal about each other; where each member lives, what each member does for a living, etc. Therefore, a high degree of visibility exists among the members, which serves to strengthen the efforts to monitor the group and sanction deviants. In addition, the notion of reputation in the group plays an important role; the individual serves to protect their familys good name by acting in a reputable manner. Yet, there always exists the risk that an individual (a rational egoist) will run off with the fund while it is their turn in the rotation to hold the money, thereby causing the group to collapse and leaving the others without access to credit. In this case, one can reason that deviation is less likely because each member of the group is highly interdependent on one another. Also, unless the deviant planned on completely disappearing from society he would have a hard time making future business transactions. Word of the deviants action would spread making it very unlikely for him to get involved with another credit association or business venture. Thus, remaining in good standing with the rotating credit association is in the best interest of the individual. Now lets turn to another example, insurance groups. We will focus on two such organizations, British friendly societies and American fraternal ethnic associations. In essence these groups were the first formalized insurance funds. Their main purpose was to offer payments to their members in the event of sickness, death, disability, a bad crop, or temporary layoff. In addition to their role as benefactors the insurance groups provided their members with other collective goods. The British friendly societies fostered a social environment in which their members would be able to have a release from their daily routine. The groups often staged their meetings in taverns, and held summer picnics and other such events for the members families. Similarly, the American fraternal ethnic associations provided a means for recent immigrants to stay in tune with their native culture through music, dance, and sporting events. Also, the ethnic associations offered educational and linguistic resources to assist their members with assimilating into their new environment in America. As one can see the benefits of being a part of an insurance group were immense. However, keeping the insurance fund solvent was an equally immense undertaking. There were myriad problems the fund could encounter. If everyone in the insurance group was about the same age depletion of the fund would occur at or around the same time period. Thus, the insurance group had to maintain a steady flow of new entrants to guard against future collapse. If one or a few individuals had sole control over the insurance fund, fraudulent members could embezzle and figure that nobody will notice. Thus, selection of trustworthy and upright officers was important in order to maintain the fund and safeguard against improper distribution. These two problems represent issues that required monitoring, and also sanctions if the situation warranted such action. In order for group solidarity to exist group members had to take a proactive role in the decision making process of issuing insurance benefits. Deviants could easily file a false claim, steal money from the fund, demand more money than they should, or even exhibit more careless behavior than they otherwise would without insurance (a phenomenon known as moral hazard). Yet, generally speaking, most insurance group members complied with their obligation to regularly contribute and enabled the insurance fund to persist. Using the examples drawn from Hechters book in the form of rotating credit associations and insurance groups one can distinguish what factors affect some deviants to pursue their own individual self-interest. If an individual in a group feels as though the extensiveness of their obligations is too comprehensive they will no longer comply with the groups rules. The deviant may decide to free-ride, in which he collects the groups collective good without contributing. The deviant may leave himself open for an unfavorable response from other group members, which will eventually result in sanctions or removal from the group. The deviant may also decide to steal, or embezzle from the group, thereby solidifying their expulsion. The deviant may even decide to start a rival or competing group with more favorable conditions. Conversely, other factors cause individuals to remain reputable group members committed to the solidarity of the group. Basing this on rational choice theory it may be the case that an individual group members self-interest parallels the collective interest of the group. In this situation the individual is acting as a rational egoist in remaining aligned with the goals of the group. Pursuing the collective interest of the group maximizes the individuals utility. Undoubtedly, this is the major reason individuals form groups in the first place, to collectively obtain a desired good more effectively. Additionally, other factors including maintaining a good reputation in the community, and fear of sanctions, guide some latent deviants to pursue the collective interest of the group. They are better off as part the group. Going against the group will only serve to subject these individuals to undue hardship and ill-feelings from people whom they share common interests with. However, without some sort of social control or peer pressure, it is likely to assume that more deviation from the pursuit of the collective good would exist. This notion is exhibited through Arthur Millers portrayal of the Salem witch trials in the movie The Crucible. For our analysis we will consider Salem, Massachusetts, a community that exhibited group solidarity. The entire town worked together to maintain a certain standard of living for their families. Salem had a carpenter, blacksmith, minister, sheriff, several farmers, and servants, all who worked together to produce a collective good for the community; a comfortable standard of living. Despite the groups interdependence on one another, the system began to fall apart in the face of a crisis. When members of the community were faced with two opposing courses of action regarding communication with the devil, some chose to pursue their individual end, while others chose to pursue the course of action that benefited the group collectively. The predominant reason that allowed such a large faction to pursue their individual end revolves around the courts decision to believe Abigail Williams and her crew. By and large, these girls did not contribute to the welfare of the community; they acted as free-riders. For the girls, non-compliance with the groups obligations was easy. They were rarely monitored, and stringent sanctions could result in their families acquiring a reputation for producing deviants. Thus, most conflicts were pushed under the table or out of sight, to save face in the community. Furthermore, even the court failed to follow proper procedure. The trial consisted of the accused either agreeing to prior communication with the devil, or denying the accusation and facing the consequence of death. There was no middle ground, no logical though process, the girls had created hysteria in Salem. Several group members were hung based on the whimsical testimony of a group of deviants. Not surprisingly, Abigail and the girls initially picked on the group members with the lowest levels of status in the community including, beggars and peasants. By establishing their accusations on these unfavorable group members the girls were able to create a snowball effect, in which more and more people began to believe that certain members did in fact participate in communication with the devil. Before too long the girls were in too deep to ever admit guilt. In turn, they created their own group, with their own interdependence rested solely on the premise of not getting caught. At this point a traitor from within would result in death for them all. When Mary Warren, under the supervision of John Proctor, attempted to rectify the girls wrongs, Abigail led a flamboyant reprisal which made Mary Warren look like she had lost her mind. Eventually, once Abigail realized these trials could not persist indefinitely she decided to flee Salem and deviate from yet another group. During her rampage in Salem, Abigails relentless pursuit of her own individual end transformed the culture of the community. While Abigail and her crew of deviants broke down the community, others including John Proctor, and Reverend Hale gave their all to pursue the collective end most beneficial to the solidarity of the group. If we look back on Hechters factors that affect group solidarity (the extensiveness of each individuals obligations, and each individuals compliance with their obligations), we can see why these individuals fostered the collective interest of the group. Proctor, despite his relations with Abigail, represented the community member who looked out for the well-being of his group members. Proctor understood that interdependence of the group, and maintaining a good reputation for his family, would benefit the community and his family in the long run. When faced with the ultimate question, death with dignity or life with disgrace, Proctor chose the course of action that would eliminate these problems for Salem in the future. He took the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the community. Similar to Proctors course of action, Reverend Hale, realized that something must be done to suppress the deviants from creating any further problems. Having prior experience in uncovering witchcraft, Reverend Hale was initially called in to assess the situation and if the need existed, eradicate the devil from Salem. Unexpectedly, once he had a chance to fully analyze the situation it became clear that the girls who were allegedly suffering from witchcraft were the source of the problem. In an effort to comply with his obligations to Salem, Reverend Hale urged Judge Danforth to see beyond the girls deviant actions. He knew John Proctor was telling the truth, he knew Abigail was lying when she alleged Elizabeth Proctors spirit stabbed a needle in her abdomen, he knew the situation in Salem was out of control. Individuals were being put to death and Reverend Hale was trying his hardest to correct the situation. Relating John Proctors and Reverend Hales actions to Hechters reasoning, one would conclude that as the Salem witch trials progressed the extensiveness of their obligations to the community increased. These two men realized that the welfare of the community rested on their shoulders. In order for Salem to remain solvent in the years to come, free from the grips of the deviants who preached witchcraft, John Proctor needed to stand up against Judge Danforth and set an example. To John Proctor, his strong personal ties within the group, the cost of moving away from Salem, and the value he placed on his familys good name, were stronger than life itself. To Reverend Hale, the pursuit to benefit the collective welfare of Salem, his original mission, was of the utmost importance. As we have now seen through several examples, group solidarity varies for two main reasons; the extensiveness of each individuals obligations, and each individuals compliance with their obligations. When group members are faced with two opposing courses of action, one which will benefit their individual end and the other that will benefit the group collectively, the individual subliminally considers each variant and chooses a course of action. Based on factors including, the interdependence of the group, the visibility of each group member, the probability of getting caught (monitoring), and the probability of facing a sanction, the rational egoist choose[s] the course of action that they think will produce maximum utility. (Hechter, 30) Hence, in each group there exist members who will always be more inclined to deviate than others. The degrees to which these factors are employed within the group determine the actual level of deviation from the pursuit of the collective interest of the group. I am particularly happy with the way that I make sure each topic/example relates to the thesis and gives examples to substantiate the claim. As far as Im concerned the paper flows well from one thought to another. I didnt necessarily have any trouble writing the paper, although there were times when I did not think that I would be able to reach about 9 pages. Based on my outline, I figured Id have to cut down, or simplify the paper, but that proved not to be the case.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Critically analyse the extent to which reform is necessary within the current system of property taxation. The WritePass Journal

Critically analyse the extent to which reform is necessary within the current system of property taxation. Abstract Critically analyse the extent to which reform is necessary within the current system of property taxation. ; p. 4). Capital Gains Tax CGT is a tax that is charged by the government on non-invested assets that have been sold at a higher price than they were bought for. CGT only becomes payable if the person is classed as a chargeable person; Reid v IRC (1926) 10 TC 673, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   if the non-invested assets are capable of taxation; Cottle v Coldicott [1995] STC (SCD) 239 (sections 2 and 21 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (TCGA). The amount that is to be charged will be dependent upon the profit that was received minus any expenses incurred; Garner v Pounds Shipowners and Shipbreakers Ltd [2000] UKHL 30. Although some believe that CGT is considered an essential tax by some (Morgan: 2011; p. 1), others disagree and instead argued that it is unfair and fails to comply with the four canons of taxation. Hence, it was argued by Feldstein (1994; p. 1) that CGT is wasteful on the basis that it inhibits economic growth. It has therefore been suggested that CGT ought to be completely abo lished since it penalises those â€Å"who are willing to forego current consumption to finance future prosperity† (Mitchell: 2010; p. 1). Arguably, if CGT was abolished economic growth would be achieved and individuals would have higher living standards. Nevertheless, given that CGT is not always payable it is questionable whether its abolishment would be entirely necessary because as stated by Lee (2010; p. 573) that; â€Å"in many cases a gain on the disposal of an asset will not be chargeable either because the gain itself is exempt or because the asset is not chargeable.† Despite this, CGT does appear to be an unfair tax when it is payable since capital gains are subjected to double taxation. Consequently, the incentive to save and invest is reduced as investors will have to pay tax twice, which is widely discouraging (Stainforth: 2010; p. 2). This has an overall impact upon the economy since the economy needs a level of savings so that financial investments can be made as this boosts economic growth (OECD: 2007; p. 74). In order to ensure that the four canons are being adhered to, reform is inevitable. This is because â€Å"the tax system in the UK, like that of most modern economies, is full of non-neutralities which are hard to justify, wasteful, and ripe for reform† (IFS: 2011; p. 40). In alleviating this unfairness it would seem appropriate to reduce the tax rates imposed upon capital gains to the lowest rates possible (Kinsley: 2012; p. 1). Furthermore, the reduced rates should also be applied to â€Å"corporate equity to reflect corpora tion tax already paid and serious consideration should be given to re-introducing relief for inflation† (Adam: 2008; p. 236). In addition to this, CGT rates should also be aligned with those that are imposed upon earned income and dividends so that double taxation is avoided and tax breaks should be introduced for owners of business assets. Whatever changes are made to the current CGT system, it is important that the four canons are adhered in order to avoid creating an uncertain and unstable tax system. This is because, as put by Eastaway (2003; p. 18); â€Å"the UK tax system gets more complex each year as it is increasingly used to try to influence commercial decisions instead of merely to collect revenue.† As a result of this, taxpayers find it extremely difficult to calculate their tax bill, which is largely ambiguous. Stamp Duty Land Tax SDLT is another property tax that is in need of reform because of the fact that a person’s wealth is determined based upon their home. It has been argued by many that this is an unfair way to assume someone’s wealth because there two people that earn exactly the same wage, yet because one chooses to spend his wages improving his own, he is taxed more (Eric: 2010, p. 2). The four canons are clearly not being adhered to here and unless the high tax burden that is currently being imposed upon such individuals is removed, unfairness will continue to ensue. Accordingly, individuals should not be required to pay SDLT for every single property they own as this would impose injustice on those who need more than one property for work. Essentially, such individuals should not be forced to pay extra tax in such circumstances, yet it is arguable whether it should be completely abolished. It has been suggested that a wealth tax would be more suitable than SDLT: â€Å"welfare is inc reased if the revenue currently collected by stamp taxes on property transactions were instead collected by a land tax and the main argument against seems to be that the only good taxes are old taxes† (Weale: 2011, p. 1). Other changes that could be made include the introduction of SDLT for bulk purchases. This will remove any current barriers to investing in residential property and individuals would no longer be discouraged from purchasing multiple residential properties (Norman, 2011, p. 1). Conclusion It is clear from looking at IHT, CGT and SDLT that the current system of property taxation is in need of reform. All of these taxes fail to satisfy all of the four canons of taxation and are thereby considered unjustifiable. Great unfairness ensues as a result of this and many of the taxes are deemed irrelevant. This is especially the case in relation to IHT since it is argued that because it can be avoided it is pointless having it in place as only those who fail to plan effectively will end up paying IHT. Many suggestions for its complete abolishment have been made, though it has also been suggested that IHT should receive greater publicity so that individuals will have the opportunity to avoid it. Furthermore, an exemption on the main family home could also be introduced as well as different rates for family members. This would help to maintain a more equal distribution of wealth and greater fairness would follow. Suggestions for the abolishment of CGT have also been made on the b asis that it is a wasteful tax and unfair to those who choose to spend their earnings on improving their family home. In reducing the unfairness the tax rates could also be reduced and aligned with those that are imposed upon earned income and dividends. Tax breaks could also be introduced for business assets and greater clarity and stability could be created. The abolishment of SDLT could also be made so that an individual’s wealth is not being determined by their family home and this could be replaced by a wealth tax. On the other hand SDLT could be reformed so that individuals do not pay SDLT for every property they own and a single payment for bulk purchases could also be introduced. References Atkinson, B. A., and Bourguignon, F., (2000) Handbook of Income Distribution, Business Economics, Elsevier. Adam, S., (2008) Capital Gains Tax, The IFS Green Budget 2008, ifs.org.uk/budgets/gb2008/08chap10.pdf [Accessed 07 August 2013]. Byers, S., (2006). Labour’s Next PM must abolish inheritance tax, The Daily Telegraph, [online] Available at: telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3631649/Labours-next-PM-must-abolish-inheritance-tax.html [Accessed 06 August 2013]. Champernowne, D. G., and Cowell, F. A., (1998) Economic Inequality and Income Distribution, Cambridge University Press. Davies, S. and Grant, A., (1990). Giving Your Cake and Eating It, New Law Journal, Issue 6440. Eastaway, N., (2003). Adam Smith Revisited. 719 Tax Journal 18. Endacott, J., (2004). The Taxation of Wealth, Tax Journal, Issue 736, 19, The Non-Taxing Weekly for Top Practitioners. Endacott, J., (2003) The Tax System We’re In, 709 Tax Journal 2, The Non-Taxing Weekly for Top Practitioners, Issue 709. Eric, C., (2010). Stamp Duty Council Tax an Unfair Assumption of Wealth. GovYou, govyou.co.uk/stamp-duty-council-tax-an-unfair-assumption-of-wealth/ [Accessed 07 August 2013]. Feldstein, M., (1994). Why Capital Gains Taxes are Unfair. The Wall Street Journal, http://marshallinside.usc.edu/joines/549/articles_pdf/wsj941121.txt.pdf [Accessed 06 August 2013]. Gordon, K., (2004) Interpreting Statutes, Taxation, Issue 3946. Howard, G., (2012) Why was a Wealth Tax for the UK Abandoned? Lessons for the Policy Process and Tackling Wealth Inequality, LSE Research Online, http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/42582/1/Why_was_a_wealth_tax_for_the_UK_abandoned_(lsero).pdf [Accessed 06 August 2013]. IFS., (2011). The Economic Approach to Tax Design. ifs.org.uk/mirrleesreview/design/ch2.pdf [Accessed 07 August 2013]. James, S. and Nobes, C., (1999). The Economics of Taxation: Principles, Policy and Practice. 7th edn. Financial Times: Prentice Hall. Kinsley, M., (2012) The Capital Gains Tax: A Tragedy in Two Acts, Bloomberg, bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-19/the-capital-gains-tax-a-tragedy-in-two-acts.html [Accessed 07 August, 2013]. Lee, N., (2010). Revenue Law Principles and Practice. Bloomsbury Professional, 28th edition. Macleod, I., (2013) The Elephant Trap, Taxation, Issue 4404, No 10. Mirrlees, J., (2011). Tax by Design: The Mirrlees Review, Oxford University Press, Institute for Fiscal Studies. Mitchell, D., (2010). The Capital Gains Tax Rate Should Be Zero. International Liberty, http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/the-capital-gains-tax-rate-should-be-zero/ [Accessed 06 August 2013]. Morgan, G., (2011). Capital Gains Tax best way to Tackle Rot. NZ Herald, nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3objectid=10737829 [Accessed 06 August 2013]. Norman, T., (2011) Budget 2011: Stamp Duty Land Tax Reform for Bulk Purchases, Mortgage Strategy, mortgagestrategy.co.uk/economy/budget-2011-stamp-duty-land-tax-reform-for-bulk-purchases/1028291.article [Accessed 07 August 2013]. OECD., (2007) ECMT Round Tables Transport Infrastructure Investment and Economic Productivity, Issue 132 of ECMT Round Tables. Reed, H., (2013) The time is now for wealth taxes in Britain, Power Liberty in Britain, opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/howard-reed/time-is-now-for-wealth-taxes-in-britain [Accessed 05 August 2013]. Smith, R., 2007. Time to Move? LBN News. Stainforth, P., (2010) News, Covering the Key Developments in Tax, Tax Journal, Issue 1030, No 2. Thornton, G., (2011) Ripe for Reform? The Future of Inheritance Tax, grant-thornton.co.uk/pdf/Grant%20Thornton%20IHT%20report.pdf [Accessed 05 August 2013]. Truman, M., (2007) Slowing the Machine, Taxation, Issue 4134. Tiley, J. and Loutzenhiser, G., (2008). Revenue Law. 6th edn. Hart Publishing. Weale, M., (2011). The Taxation of Wealth and Wealth Transfers: Commentary, ifs.org.uk/mirrleesreview/commentaries/weale.pdf [Accessed 07 August 2013]. Williamson, F., (2004) Pensions for the Wealthy, Simons Tax Briefing, Issue 127, Volume 2.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Association in Java Definition and Examples

Association in Java Definition and Examples The association relationship indicates that a class knows about, and holds a reference to, another class. Associations can be described as a has-a relationship because the typical implementation in Java is through the use of an instance field. The relationship can be bi-directional with each class holding a reference to the other. Aggregation and composition are types of association relationships. Associations join one or more of one thing against one or more of another thing. A professor might be associated with a college course (a one-to-one relationship) but also with each student in her class (a one-to-many relationship). The students in one section might be associated with the students in another section of the same course (a many-to-many relationship) while all the sections of the course relate to a single course (a many-to-one relationship). Association Example Imagine a simple war game with an AntiAircraftGun class and a Bomber class. Both classes need to be aware of each other because they are designed to destroy each other: public class AntiAirCraftGun {   Ã‚  private Bomber target;   Ã‚  private int positionX;   Ã‚  private int positionY;   Ã‚  private int damage;   Ã‚  public void setTarget(Bomber newTarget)   Ã‚  {   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  this.target newTarget;   Ã‚  }   Ã‚  //rest of AntiAircraftGun class } public class Bomber {   Ã‚  private AntiAirCraftGun target;   Ã‚  private int positionX;   Ã‚  private int positionY;   Ã‚  private int damage;   Ã‚  public void setTarget(AntiAirCraftGun newTarget)   Ã‚  {   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  this.target newTarget;   Ã‚  }   Ã‚  //rest of Bomber class } The AntiAirCraftGun class has-a Bomber object and the Bomber class has-a AntiAirCraftGun object.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Final Film Critique Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Final Film Critique - Research Paper Example Most of the violence and deaths seen in the movie leave lasting impressions in the minds of the audience regarding the meaninglessness and futility of using violence as means to achieve one’s goals. The paper attempts to make a film critique on American History X and in doing so the paper deals with the storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, style and directing, genre, film criticism and analysis, and the societal impact of the movie. The story-telling of the movie deserves primary attention as the spectator finds a shift in the movie from present to past and vice versa. It is the flashback scenes in the movie that offer depth to the narrative of the story and as such the narration seems to be non-linear. However, the story of the film is narrated in real time and the episodic nature of the movie sustains the interest of the audience. The flash back scenes in the film make the spectators aware of the past incidents that took place in the life of Derek and Danny Vinyard. In the opening scene of the movie, one finds Danny being called to the Principal’s room for writing a paper in praise of Hitler and his neo-Nazi movement. He is asked to write a paper on his brother, who was imprisoned for killing two black guys, instead. On coming out from the principal’s room, he finds three black boys beating up a white boy and this prompts him to think about the good old days of the white gang before his brother was arrested. Thus, the life of Derek Vinyard before he was imprisoned is unearthed through flash back scenes which are very effectively employed by the director. Similarly, the movie can be regarded as an allegory or a satire. The story-telling of the movie aims at satirizing the racial discrimination and racial violence that prevailed in the American society. In the same way, it is an allegory as it offers a clear cut message to the spectators. Towards the climax of the movie one do not find Derek planning to avenge the murder of his brother Danny; on the other hand, the movie ends with certain lines Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address where he states that the whites and the Blacks in America are not enemies but friends. Similarly, the language used in the movie is quite insidious and the dialogues in the movie display racial hatred and racial fanaticism. In the same way, the plot and the characterization of the movie are quite complementary; all the major characters in the movie are round characters who undergo drastic changes in their outlooks and behavior as and when the plot develops. Irony is employed as a powerful tool in the movie. It is quite ironic that Derek fails to save Danny’s life in spite of all his efforts to keep Danny out of the white neo-Nazi street gang. Similarly, it is ironical that Danny’s murderer is none other than a close relative of the Black boy whom Derek murders brutally in the beginning of the movie. Thus, it can be observed that the writer has made specia l efforts to provide a wholesome unity to the story-telling of the movie. The acting as well as the characterization of the film complements each other. No doubt, the director has undertaken a remarkable job in making the most appropriate casting for his characters. All the characters in the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Oil drilling on federal land Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oil drilling on federal land - Research Paper Example The United States ranks first in natural gas production and third in oil production owing to increased domestic exploration, which poses uncertainty considering that the country holds about 4% of the world natural gas and oil reserves (The Wilderness Society 1). The proponents of onshore exploration justify their actions as those of seeking energy security by making use of the country’s mineral reserves. As such, millions of acres of federal lands have been leased to oil and gas companies accounting for thousands of wells drilled every year. It is for the alarming rate of this endeavor that has attracted significant scrutiny from citizens, stakeholders, and government officials calling for regulation. This follows risks involved in exploration procedures and consequent fallout effects that range from environmental effects to human health. Therefore, it is important to examine the benefits and detriments of onshore drilling with aim of evaluating its sustainability in the long term. Equally important is examination of the resolve that seeks to open federal lands and waters for oil and gas exploration. The move to enhance the use of federal lands and waters to oil and gas exploration has its benefits to the country’s energy economics. ... With this in mind, it is important that a quick resolution to mitigate negative impacts to the economy is formulated and implemented to the letter. Leasing of federal land to oil and gas companies is seen as the best move to ensure economic stability in the country. This gives the oil industry a chance to participate effectively in domestic energy production and limit uncertainty. This is achieved though exploration of the natural resources, which is vital the country’s energy and economic security (Alleman 2). With exploration on federal lands and waters, the country becomes independent and does not rely on the foreign oil market for its energy. The potential of the US oil reserves remains unknown following restrictive federal policy on onshore drilling, and thus limits the chances of gaining energy independence. Such independence would guarantee a low cost of living owing to a significant drop in the cost of energy. Domestic onshore drilling also serves to benefit the societ y with regard to providing employment opportunities in various capacities ranging from primary to tertiary jobs. Drilling premises require specialized technicians, scientists, and laborers in addition to essential supporting services such as health, hospitality, and transport. This is an important aspect of the regional economy as leased federal areas benefiting from exploration activities (SWCA Environmental Consultants 4). This has been demonstrated by the state of affairs in western states where authorization has been approved. With the approval of the resolve to free up federal land, affected regions should expect a surge in the demand for skilled labor. In essence, the expansion of the energy production into

Adolescent alcohol misuse in England and the role of media advertising Essay - 1

Adolescent alcohol misuse in England and the role of media advertising - Essay Example This "Adolescent alcohol misuse in England and the role of media advertising" essay outlines the connection between portrays of the alcohol in advertisement and the level of alcohol drinking among adults and youngsters). In England, a good portion of children have experienced drinking alcohol even before they reach the age of majority (18 years) and are also likely to have been drunk once in the last 4 weeks prior to the survey (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2013). Some have even admitted to consumption of alcohol to harmful levels by 15 years of age. Surveys also indicate that alcohol has a significant role to play in the commission of crimes among young people aged 18 years or below (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2013). Media advertising plays a huge role in alcohol misuse among adolescents. The International Centre for Alcohol Policy (ICAP) indicated with the World Health Organization that there is strong evidence linking advertising and drinking patterns among adolescents. The ICAP mentions that â€Å"young people are inevitably exposed to beverage alcohol advertising as they are to advertising for any consumer product†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thomsen and Rekve (2006) discuss how the increased awareness of alcohol messages for young adults and adolescents can sometimes cause earlier age to start drinking, higher levels of consumption, and increase risks or recklessness. . The study further indicated that without alcohol advertising, monthly levels of youth alcohol use would be reduced by as much as 24%.

Sun Microsystems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sun Microsystems - Case Study Example Sun Microsystems have good financial capabilities and ideas how to improve its position and increase productivity. Sun Microsystems forecasts developments, predicts logical consequences, translates them into potential opportunities, and plans to capitalize on profitable alternatives. In the company, the assessment of market opportunity is closely linked to the innovative process. Market opportunity encourages innovation and stimulates and extends markets. In fact, the assessment of market opportunity may be considered one of the early phases of the total innovative process. Yet innovation is not equated with market opportunity. Innovation requires the supportive system of marketing resources to cultivate opportunity. Both the stimulation of a continuing flow of ideas and products that can better satisfy wants and needs, and the supply of a marketing system to support them, are requisites of opportunity realization (Annual Report 2007). International expansion and acquisition strategy allow Sun Microsystems to develop unique approach to marketing and boost sales. Jabbar developed a strategy that focused on five countries that were each potential billion-dollar-a-year markets for Sun's server business. They were Brazil, Spain, China, India and Italy. Shareholders were optimistic about Sun's potential for growth" (Jacobs and Ensign 2008, C 237). Thus, for Sun a philosophy that competition is essential for innovation. For management expects new developments to destroy existing product positions. Assuredly, firms want to secure future opportunities and "capture" markets. New products are developed for this purpose. Innovations result in two groups of forces, competitive and monopolistic. The monopolistic forces, or the delayed action of competition, offer the innovator incentives to innovate. The competitive features diffuse the benefits of past innovations into the public domain. This puts the innovator under pressure to make further innovations if he is to maintain his competitive advantage and the better-than-minimum profits that go with it. Innovation is, then, one of the competitive tools of the business firm. It is a major means of creating a differential advantage, albeit sometimes short-lived. In adjusting to change, and in attempting to meet the demands of the marketplace, it must be managed, and programmed innovation is becoming one of the foundations of business strategy (Hollensen 2007). This places additional pressure on management to understand more fully the process of managing change and programming innovation through manipulation of knowledge. Innovation approaches manageability when participation in the process becomes part of the continuing responsibility of all levels of management. Sun develops the appropriate environment and set of attitudes to encourage innovation. Only then can a firm hope to deploy its resources most profitably in order to meet the challenge of change. In novating firms face a range of possible marketing policies (Annual Report 2007). 2. The chief elements of Sun's strategy are acquisition strategy and investments, expended portfolio, reduced costs through unit volumes and consulting services. For Sun, innovation is a core of differentiation. This combination of strategic policies allows Sun to "improve operating income by nearly $1.2 billion" during the first half of 2007 (Sun

Thursday, October 17, 2019

History of Turkey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Turkey - Research Paper Example Turkey is a sovereign country that has a lot of interesting stories surrounding its past. It is therefore said that Turkey has a great history. Whereas some of highlights are political, others are economics whiles some are social. All in all, different authors and reviewers have viewed the history of Turkey from different perspectives. In this essay, the views and thoughts of four writers who have written about Turkey from four different perspectives are discussed. Introduction of authors and their overall sense of purpose in their articles. , but then integrate and compare authors. Margaret MacMillan and The End of the Ottomans Margaret MacMillan is the author of Paris Peace Talks of 1919. The book contains a chapter from which the article â€Å"The End of the Ottomans† is found. The author, Margaret MacMillan approaches her theme or subject from a reported perspective. This is to say that she was not a living witness to the situation or case on which she reported. This is be cause the events leading to the actual end of the Ottomans took place in the year 1919. This not withstanding, nothing can be taken out of the authentication of the fact reported in the article. This is because the author is an insider as far as the events leading to the end of the Ottomans are concerned. For instance Stefov (2005) notes that â€Å"Margaret MacMillan is the great-great granddaughter of David Lloyd George. David Lloyd George (1863-1945) was British Prime Minister of the Liberal party during the 1919 peace talks and was responsible for drafting the Treaty of Versailles.† More to this, the author is a learned historian and professor at the University of Oxford. In her writing, she expresses an overall sense of purpose of the need for the treaty that ended the reign of the Ottomans. She also highlights the strategy used by the liberation seekers and justifies their approach of forming alliances with other nations to fight wars that eventually led to the end of th e Ottomans. Comparatively, Margaret MacMillan tackles a more ancient beginning of Turkey than the other authors as the other authors seem to write on the aftermath of the establishment of the new Turkey. Rajan Menon and Wimbush S. Enders and The US and Turkey: End of an Alliance? Rajan Menon and Wimbush S. Enders are the second authors whose work is considered in this essay. The two write on â€Å"The US and Turkey: End of an Alliance?† right from the citing of the topic of their article, their overall sense of purpose is made clear. This is said because the topic is put in a question form. This means that the authors are only making an interrogative statement and not a factual one. However, this sets the precedence for a rather controversial subject to be discussed by the authors. The controversy in their purpose of writing is in the fact that their theme is highly debatable and not subject to measurement. For instance to say that the US and Turkey alliance has come to an en d is not a measurable fact. It will therefore be very difficult to say this for a fact – a reason that the writers put their topic in a question form. However, a critical review of the article reveals that the writers have taken a stand and indeed a very firm

A Male from Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Male from Saudi Arabia - Essay Example In effect, I have decided to become effective in learning the language through writing. In this case, writing will not only help me in the pronunciation of the words, but it will also help me improve my grammar. As a writer, one strength area is in my choice of words during the process of writing. In this case, I ensure clarity in work and avoid wordiness, which is requisite for a good writer since it helps me avoid clichà ©s. On the other hand, my main weakness area lies in the area of evaluating the information to include in my writing. In this case, deciding on which information will help support my thesis statement proves to be a challenge although I am improving on this weakness through research. On the other hand, my approach to writing involves the handling of all writing as a process of creative work that requires time to complete the work and the provision of feedback from an instructor in order to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Finally, I like writing since I am able to learn a lot due to the process of research involved when developing the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

History of Turkey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Turkey - Research Paper Example Turkey is a sovereign country that has a lot of interesting stories surrounding its past. It is therefore said that Turkey has a great history. Whereas some of highlights are political, others are economics whiles some are social. All in all, different authors and reviewers have viewed the history of Turkey from different perspectives. In this essay, the views and thoughts of four writers who have written about Turkey from four different perspectives are discussed. Introduction of authors and their overall sense of purpose in their articles. , but then integrate and compare authors. Margaret MacMillan and The End of the Ottomans Margaret MacMillan is the author of Paris Peace Talks of 1919. The book contains a chapter from which the article â€Å"The End of the Ottomans† is found. The author, Margaret MacMillan approaches her theme or subject from a reported perspective. This is to say that she was not a living witness to the situation or case on which she reported. This is be cause the events leading to the actual end of the Ottomans took place in the year 1919. This not withstanding, nothing can be taken out of the authentication of the fact reported in the article. This is because the author is an insider as far as the events leading to the end of the Ottomans are concerned. For instance Stefov (2005) notes that â€Å"Margaret MacMillan is the great-great granddaughter of David Lloyd George. David Lloyd George (1863-1945) was British Prime Minister of the Liberal party during the 1919 peace talks and was responsible for drafting the Treaty of Versailles.† More to this, the author is a learned historian and professor at the University of Oxford. In her writing, she expresses an overall sense of purpose of the need for the treaty that ended the reign of the Ottomans. She also highlights the strategy used by the liberation seekers and justifies their approach of forming alliances with other nations to fight wars that eventually led to the end of th e Ottomans. Comparatively, Margaret MacMillan tackles a more ancient beginning of Turkey than the other authors as the other authors seem to write on the aftermath of the establishment of the new Turkey. Rajan Menon and Wimbush S. Enders and The US and Turkey: End of an Alliance? Rajan Menon and Wimbush S. Enders are the second authors whose work is considered in this essay. The two write on â€Å"The US and Turkey: End of an Alliance?† right from the citing of the topic of their article, their overall sense of purpose is made clear. This is said because the topic is put in a question form. This means that the authors are only making an interrogative statement and not a factual one. However, this sets the precedence for a rather controversial subject to be discussed by the authors. The controversy in their purpose of writing is in the fact that their theme is highly debatable and not subject to measurement. For instance to say that the US and Turkey alliance has come to an en d is not a measurable fact. It will therefore be very difficult to say this for a fact – a reason that the writers put their topic in a question form. However, a critical review of the article reveals that the writers have taken a stand and indeed a very firm

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

An ironical due process system Essay Example for Free

An ironical due process system Essay More often than not, we get to see or read the news. We get to glance at the headlines or top stories. After that, we often come away with a feeling of sadness or revolt in us. We feel that due process has often not been served in the events that we witness in the news. But is the statement of due process advocates right? That it is better to let ten people go free rather than convict one innocent person correct? In this light, I do agree with the statement, that we should set free â€Å"guilty† people rather than convict an innocent man. The statement seems to be noble and even speaks of a time that the system of justice will be perfect in meting out justice in our society. But that time is not now, guilty people get off scot-free and innocent people are sent to jail. Am I confusing one with the other? Let us clarify the answer. The system that we have right now may not be the perfect system. Yes, for all its faults, it is not perfect, but it is the only system that we have (FreeLawAnswer, 2007). Convicting an innocent man would be a miscarriage of justice, the thing the system wants to avert. Yes, it fails at times, but we should believe in the system, unless chaos and anarchy runs amuck. In the final analysis, in agreeing with the statement, it is still better to let ten or more guilty people go then convict an innocent man. But in agreeing with it, I still believe that these guilty people are still within arms reach of the justice system. Maybe they will not pay their dues here, but they will pay it, one way or another. We must believe that if they escape the justice system here, definitely they will not escape the justice system of the next life. But is it like that that guilty people can escape here and innocent people will be victims of an imperfect system? Maybe, but again, we must believe that we would rather have a system that is not perfect but in place rather than not have one at all. Reference FreeLawAnswer. (2007). Would you rather set 10 guilty people free rather than convict an innocent person. Retrieved February 13, 2008, from FreeLawAnswers website. http://www. freelawanswer. com/law/1146-3-law-4. html

Monday, October 14, 2019

Arguments For And Against Biofuels

Arguments For And Against Biofuels The human body has always needed energy -food for the most important and vital day to day activities. A major role for the production of the energy which keeps us viable and in motion is carried out by the sun. The importance of the Sun as an energy provider was underlined by Stephen (1977): The sun provides these foods, or bio-fuels, that keep us alive, and fossil fuels are in a sense stored bio-fuels, for they were living organisms eons ago. Carbon is the main denominator of bio-fuels, somehow a byproduct of the sunlight is derived from biomass or bio-waste. The entire biomass or bio-waste like renewable bio-fuels as methane, organic waste and liquid fuels are abundant in carbon. This essay will consider the advantages and disadvantages of using bio-fuels and it mainly will refer to renewable biomass or bio-waste. Finally, this study will weigh and conclude if the using of bio-fuels is worth the effort. We live in a world where fossil fuels coal and oil are vital for heat, transportation and electricity. The issue which concerns us the most is the fact that we are going inevitably to run out somewhere in the future. We cannot afford millions of years until the nature provides us with new reserves of coal and oil, therefore the solution would be to use bio-fuels on a current basis. The most effective answer to the energy shortage which lies in front of us is the renewable energy, for instance solar, tidal, wind, geothermal and hydraulic power. The energy sources mentioned above are cost effective and for the most part environment friendly, besides that we are never going to exhaust the sunlight or the wind for the simple fact that those resources are naturally replenished which makes this solution a permanent one. Furthermore, as Kruger (2006) stated Biomass (and the bio-energy obtained from it) comes from agriculture. There is an abundance of plants from which we can produce bio-energy. The most common substances known for their bio-energy producing properties are starch and peat. We can extract starch from plants such as potatoes, rice, corn and cassava; these plants are known for their cost-effective production and they can be found in almost every corner of the planet being cultivated by men from a very long time. In authors opinion peat can be more effective cost effective, for the simple reason that it is found in the nature, compared to the starch which is a byproduct of a cultivated plant than starch in the production of bio-fuels for it can be found on a very large scale around the world. According to the World Energy Council (2007) [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the total area of peat lands approaches 3 million km ², or about 2% of the total land surface. Nevertheless, there are many oth er plants from which we can produce bio-fuels, especially for transportation. The most well-known bio-fuel used for transportation is the bio-ethanol produced from starch, sucrose (a byproduct extracted from sugarcane and sugar beet), lactose and cellulose. The most important advantage of the bio-ethanol is that besides the fact that this bio-fuel assures the availability of fuel for transportation in the future, it makes an enormous contribution for the limitation of carbon dioxide emissions. For example, as Guderjahn in Handbook of Fuels edited by Elvers (2008) states that bio-ethanol [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] engines have been utilized in buses that have been used for more than 15 years by the municipal transportation companies in Sweden [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. The number of ethanol-fuelled buses in the country is around 400. Moreover, another source exploited for the production of bio-fuel is animal and human waste such as animal dung, municipal waste and sewage. These wastes by the process of anaerobic digestion in absence of the oxygen are transformed into methane gas, fuel used mainly for heating. Its benefits are incontestable, for it replaces coal, the limited fossil fuel. In addition, the production of biogas can facilitate removal of the human waste and litter from the sewage systems and landfills around the major cities. On the other hand, the production of bio-fuels has some drawbacks concerning the environment, health, safety and energy consumption. As far as concerning the wind power energy, disadvantages that mainly bears on the wind mills such as noise pollution, falling blades and structural problems caused by the vibrations leads to injury and damage to the surroundings and sometimes to employees who are working on the construction and maintenance. In addition, wind mills interfere with the flight paths of birds affecting their migratory habits. There are many other environmental and economic aspects regarding renewable energy, such as fish migration and health that are affected by the temperature changes of water tanks used to produce electricity by hydraulic power. Furthermore, the construction of tidal power plants sometimes can raise question marks considering the extremely high costs and the electrical output generated. Geothermal energy production facilities can lead to land subsidence and pollution caused by the sulfur and ammonia thrown into the waste water. Regarding the use of biomass to produce bio-energy scientists underlined some specific problems, such as: health, safety, air pollution and the large amount of energy consumption for the collection of biomass. Ih-Liu (1998) gave an example: Yunnan Province, in Xuan Wei County in China, has the highest rate of lung cancer in China for both its male and female populations. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]In 1982, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] scientists discovered that polycyclic organic compounds were being released from coal and wood-burning stoves [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] which are carcinogens, are by-products of incomplete burning of the biomass [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. This assignment has explained the case for and against the use of bio-fuels. One of the important ideas within this essay is that in the future the planet will run out of the widespread fossil fuels-coal and oil-utilized for almost everything that puts humankind in motion. Despite the fact that in the future bio-fuels are going to be produced on large scale whether if they are harmful or not, there are many advantages of using renewable energy. The most important advantage is the fact that the earth will never run out of self replenished natural resources supplied by nature. From this point of view, the most important assignment for the specialists and scientists working in this field should be to find out how to hedge the negative aspects of using bio-fuels.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Characterization Of Arthur :: essays research papers

Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale is one of the major characters in the story The Scarlet Letter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this story Arthur Dimmesdale plays the part of the towns reverend. He has a high position in society and is viewed as one of the good and polite kind of guy by the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This man has a sort of dark side; he has a little secret that no one knows except for the main character, Hester Prynne. This little secret that he has kept hidden from the Townspeople all this time; are in fact that he had commited adultery by having an affair with Hester Prynnee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From keeping this secret hidden all this time, Arthur Dimmesdale has undergone Some type of psylogical damage. Through this psylogical damage he also undergoes physical damage. This physical damage is a scar of an 'A'; on his chest. You may be wondering why an 'A';. Well, as you may recall, when Hester Prynne was commited as an adultress they made her wear the letter 'A'; on the chest area of her clothing. So, Arthur Dimmesdale must have felt so bad that he didn't confess to being the mand that Hester Prynne had an affair with, that his psylogical state of mind produced the 'A'; on his chest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You may often find Mr. Dimmesdale with his hand over his chest. This may be because of the 'A'; on his chest, who knows? Or maybe it is because his soul has been injured and he feels pain from this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some good has come from this affair. Due to this affair, they have produced a Beautiful little girl named Pearl. On the other hand, the bad that has happened was that Dimmesdale didn't confess about the affair, which made him sort of a liar. Since he didn't confess, Hester and Pearl have to live in seclusion. Another bad thing that has happened is vengence by the chilling husband of Hester Prynne, Dr. Roger Chillingworth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Chillingworth seeks revenge on the man, who has had an affair with his wife,

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Goodisons Absolute Essay example -- essays research papers

Goodison’s Absolute In For My Mother: May I Inherit Half Her Strength, Goodison publicizes the private issue of her parents’ less-than-perfect marriage, and, in turn, unfolds a powerful dialectic on female self-sacrifice and subjectivity. She wonders at the prolonged strength of her mother- a woman who, regardless of being the victim of an unfaithful marriage, neither confronts nor flees her fate. And at the core of Goodison’s poem is her own conflicted decision, as the female product of this union, to define her mother’s attitude as unwavering strength, worthy of reverence, or as passivity, masked by nonchalance. The title of this work illustrates this ambiguity: does the clause â€Å"may I inherit half her strength†, translate into â€Å"may I be permitted - by the same mysterious influence that affected my mother - to remain strong just like her† or â€Å"may I never allow myself to be quite as tolerant as she was.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first stanza, Goodison suggests that the â€Å"absolute,† â€Å"my mother loved my father,† had governed her perspective of her parents’ marriage for twenty-nine years. Its indisputability may have functioned as a motivation for her father’s on-going extra-marital affair(s). But even more explicitly, this absolute implied that despite the pain inflicted by her father, â€Å"whom all women loved†, Goodison’s mother’s love remained unshakably loyal, and that that was somehow all that really mattered. At least, up until Goodison wrote this poem. â€Å"In this my thirtieth year/ the year to discard absolutes† signals Goodison’s revolt against this belief that had relentlessly threatened to break her mother’s â€Å"straight-backed,† fronted dignity and that absolved the indifference of her father’s â€Å"always smile†. The lack of control of Goodison’s writing in the first stanza points to something deeper about her relationship to this absolute. Since absolutes are characteristically irrefutable and deemed factual, I had expected that Goodison’s writing would have illustrated the finiteness of this absolute by sealing it with a full stop. However, here, in the most transparently opinionated stanza of her entire poem, there is no punctuation whatsoever; each distinct thought simply spills into the next, and even farther into the following stanza where her topic diverges. It is difficult to say whether or not Goodison’s omission was deliberate; noneth... ..., â€Å"on her wedding day she wept† and at its setting. She endured â€Å"better† and â€Å"worse† and at last, â€Å"she fell down†¦to the realization that she did not have to be brave, just this once.† Her tears functioned to honor the sacrifices of â€Å"her body†¦ twenty years permanently fat,† of her sewing machine, the emblem of her livelihood, to pay her daughter’s â€Å"Senior Cambridge fees,† but also to purge â€Å"the pain she bore with the eyes of a queen.† Nevertheless, mingled with Goodison’s mother’s sorrows, are tears of love for the husband that betrayed her. For My Mother makes a complete revolution, in that it begins with the acknowledgement and criticism of Goodison’s mother’s love for her mother and ends with the reverence for this kind of love that, a seemingly astonished Goodison, cannot comprehend. Even after giving justifications of why her parents’ marriage was far from ideal, the absolute that she so wanted to discard in the first place looms over her unaffected and, of course, undisputed. In an alpha and omega fashion, this absolute in Goodison’s work proves its place amongst other absolutes as an unfathomable force that refuses to be contested and most assuredly, will not be discarded.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Salvador Dali the Burning Giraffe

Salvador Dali The Burning Giraffe 1. Structural Frame In Paris in the mid sass's surrealism became the new art movement and was widespread and lasting. The movement was characterized by pictures that contained detailed, strange and unnerving objects with dream like character. The art has a visually striking, controversial and bizarre quality, which was the result of the rejected ‘need' for rational thought and behavior. Salvador Dali described the art as hand painted dream photographs†.This description pinpoints the realistic detail hat was contrasted with surreal images. ‘The Burning Giraffe' Salvador Dali was painted during his exile in the United States, but shows his personal struggle with the battle in his home country of Spain. It was painted before the Second World War and Dali believed the burning giraffe was a premonition of war. Dali interpreted the image of a giraffe with its back ablaze as â€Å"the masculine cosmic apocalyptic monster†. The paint ing illustrates ideas of death- through war, loss of individuality and the weakness of society.In contrast to the usual surrealist obsession with unconscious thought, Salvador Dali described his technique as the â€Å"paranoiac-critical method. † He employed this technique to create ‘The burning Giraffe' which allowed him to paint many optical allusions to create a dreamlike state. Surrealists painted with a high level of detail to create a sense of realism within the ‘dream'. Dalais style is precise and this enhances the ‘dream' or ‘nightmare' effect of ‘The burning Giraffe'. Dali used thinned oil paints s well as dense oil paints on a panel, which were traditional at the time.Salvador Dali was one of the many surrealist painters that often incorporated images of women into their work. Many male surrealist painters had a typical male attitude towards women such as worshipping them symbolically through stereotypes and sexist norms. Surrealists in cluding Salvador Dali had an interest in the concept of psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud. This influence combined with his desires towards women enhanced the nightmare effect of his painting, which the realist painters tried to create. 2.Cultural Frame Women were often made to represent higher values and transformed into objects of desire and mystery. ‘The Burning Giraffe' depicts two women that are slim and curvaceous. One has a drawer opening from below her breasts and several more down her leg. This imagery gives an underlying impression that she is a sexual object as the open drawer could be a symbol of her sexual offerings and favors. The head, hands and part of the arms of the closest female are stripped down only to e the muscles beneath the skin whilst one figure holds a piece of meat.The meat is another symbol of an offering, giving the impression that the women were possibly seen as ‘meat', meaning they possibly were used for sexual favors. Dali shows a state of exhaustion by the uses of the crutches that hold and support the women. This image is symbolic of weakness and is present in many of Dalais work, consistent to address different themes with same effectiveness. Dali believed that both The Burning Giraffe and The Invention of Monsters were premonitions of war.Both of these paintings contain the image of a giraffe with its back ablaze, an image which Dali interpreted as â€Å"the masculine cosmic apocalyptic monster†. He first used this image of the giraffe in flames in his film L ‘Age door (The Golden Age) in 1930. The Burning Giraffe appears as very much a dreamboats, not simply because of the subject but also because of the supernatural aquamarine color of the background. Against this vivid blue color, the flames on the giraffe stand out to great effect. In the foreground, a woman stands with her arms outstretched.Her forearms and face are blood red, having been stripped to show the muscle beneath the flesh. The woman's face is featureless now, indicating a nightmarish helplessness and a loss of individuality. Behind her, a second woman holds aloft a strip of meat, representing death, entropy, and the human races capacity to devour and destroy. The women both have elongated phallic shapes growing out from their backs, and these are propped up with crutches ‘ Dali repeatedly uses this symbolism for a weak and flawed society.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Leisure studies in Canada.

The city of saint Luc City is a beautiful city that has a lot of leisure opportunities such as parks, libraries, and Samuel Moskovitch arena. The city is very accessible as it has well constructed roads and paths that link each and every part of the city. There has been paths that have been constructed of late for example the four Heart paths that was officially opened on 30th September 2007. These paths are meant to make Pierre Elliot Tradeau park accessible. (Heart in Motion Walking Paths, Cote Saint Luc City)These walking paths one which is a kilometer long, another of 3km, 5km, and the last one is of 8km. The heart in motion paths was extended from the city sidewalk by the Quebec stroke foundation. All these paths are clearly marked with distinct blue and yellow colors. These are supported with motion signs after a span of each one and a half kilometer so as to keep tourists who visit this city in the right track. All these city paths branch from the Pierre Elliot Tradeau Park on the southern corner.The construction of the four walking paths had some health benefits to the residents and visitors who come to this city. The paths allow those who want to do walking exercise a classic opportunity for doing so. This is according to the mayor of this city Anthony housefather. Construction of walking paths has been done in other places like Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and German and as thus it is not without precedence. It is something that is feasible as it has been tested and proved that city paths like those in Cote Saint Luc city help in keeping the city dwellers physically fit.Within the city there is a place that people can visit to enjoy themselves and one of these places is the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park, which is located at Mackle road and next to the Samuel Moskovitch arena. It is situated at the northern side of the city. The park is just beautiful and you cannot afford not to visit it. Inside there is a base ball field, soft ban field there is a nd there is also an artificial lake called Contennial Lake where you can enjoy pedal boat rides at a small fee in summertime. There is a picnic area that is very beautiful in winter especially when it’s covered with ice. The parks scene is extremely beautiful with a green covered landscape. (Samuel Moskovitch Arena, 6985 Mackle Road.)The fees that are charged in this park are pocket friendly in fact the cost cannot exceed $25.00 U.S dollars. For example you can access the Baseball diamond with only one dollar, the second baseball diamond with 2 U.S dollars the third one with 3 U.S dollars. There is also a hotel where you can rent a room. These two rooms are equipped with a mini fridge and microwave. (Lesson 6)Also in the city of Cote saint-Luc, there is an arena called Samuel Moskovitch that is located at the Mackle road. This arena is a home to the ice surface that is used by the minor Hockey group, the skating club, hockey schools and adult as well as the youth leagues. Wit hin the arena there is a studio room and a conference room which are good for private rentals. The two rooms are well equipped with basic set up as well as clean up. They also have chairs and table making them ideal for holding conferences.The studio room is equipped with a freezer and not forgetting that there is also enough parking area that can accommodate over two hundred vehicles. For those who might be interested in renting these places it’s good to know their exact measurements to avoid disappointments. The Ice Rink is 200feet in length and 85 feet wide, the studio is (36.5 x 25) feet that can accommodate 85 people when arranged in banquet style and while arranged in theater style it can hold one hundred and seven people. The conference room is 25 feet long and 12 feet wide and can hold twelve people while standing.All these rooms are rented for only two hours and any time on top of that is charged separately. The conference, studio and the studio room for partners are charged 50, 100 and 150 U.S dollars respectively. The ice is suitable for those who are holding birthday parties and has two dressing units. Those people who want to rent both the ice and the studio room are charged according to the set charges.The city has also a public library where you can go to read books, novels, magazines and newspapers. The library is well equipped thus making it ideal for conducting researches. This library is called Eleanor London public library. It offers some games like the classic board game. The library crew consists of skilled people who guide people on how to fully utilize the library materials. The library offers a scavenger hunt play where the winner merits some prizes. This library is also equipped with audio visual devices for storing information for example there is a number of musical as well as artistic works from the Baroque times that are free to all.Though the government has made sure that there are enough recreational places in Canada for all, there might be some barriers that may limit or prevent one from enjoying these sites. If you have some physical disabilities or limitations you might not enjoy these recreational facilities to the fullest. For example if you are crippled then you cannot be able to maneuver through the region. The park has three-baseball field which cannot be of any importance to the physically challenged people especially those who do not have legs and hands. But still arrangements can be made for them to be taken there to relax and enjoy the cool environment. For those who cannot access the park because they cannot walk, alternative means can be used such as airlifting these people to the designated places that are of importance to them. T they can also be driven to these places using vehicles but with a risk of not physically exercising their bodies.Taking a leisure walk helps one to improve the circulation of blood and thus making your heart strong. There are also pedal boats that are found in TheTradeau Park but people who have leg problems cannot be able to use pedals so they can’t enjoy the boat rides. (Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park). The governments of Canada in easing the burden of those who are physically impaired under a tourist and leisure companion sticker are allowed to access to all recreational places for free. If you are visually impaired you cannot have an access all the information that you might need. Some information is stored in magazines, books and journals and it is obvious they cannot be of any use to a blind person. (Lesson 5)In Canada this problem is well taken care of by the library management who has diversified information storage devices. Some library materials are audio visual. This means a blind person can have access to the needed information by listening. A blind person can also have some difficulties in accessing the recreation places as they are marked with colors and motion signs that guide the walkers but they are of no use to a b lind person.Anybody who is knew to a particular place finds it hard to access the recreational places. This person must be guided on how to access them. Proper maps should be provided to these people assuming they know how to read maps. For these maps to be of beneficial to the map readers, then labeling of the features on the ground should be well labeled to avoid confusion. This is something that the government has taken care of; it has provided people who need to visit these places with posters and other signs to guide them. For example in the Cole Saint Luc City the paths are clearly marked with yellow and blue colors after every 500 meters, to keep the walkers on the right track.The government of Canada also uses the motion signs on the paths to guide those seeing these recreational places for this reason even people who are new to Canada can access these places without facing difficulties in locating them. It should not be forgotten that these can be of help to only those that are literate and who have no visual impairments. Sign language solves the language difficulty. Where people cannot communicate in one language then signs prove to be useful. But still you may not be able to enjoy these places as you should. If you do not speak the same language you may be limited to access places and information that you need.Lack of enough financial resources also limits people from enjoying their leisure to the maximum as not all these places are accessible for free. To access some of these you must part with some money. Lastly you may fail to have an excellent leisure time if you are not used to the climate of that particular region. For example, in the Trudeau Park pedal boats that are only available in summers and ice during the winter so if you go during other times apart from summer and winter respectively then you cannot enjoy your leisure time. Therefore climate can also be a limitation.In short, Canada offers people with one of the best recreational place s in the world. The Cote Saint Luc City is a home to these places for example there is a public library, Samuel Moskovitch Arena, walking paths and Trudeau Park where some are freely accessible for free or at a fee. There are some barriers that may prevent one from enjoying these leisure places. These are factors like culture, language, physical disabilities and unfamiliar ness with a new place.Reference:6985 Mackle Road. Samuel Moskovitch Arena.Lesson 6: Commercial Recreation, Economics of recreation.Lesson 5: Travel and Tourism study materials.Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park, 6975 Macle road.Heart in Motion Walking Paths, Cote Saint Luc City.